Chapter 17: Perfect Balance

"What?" Merryweather stared at the golden-haired fairy mouth opened, blue eyes growing as big as saucers. "M-Mother?" She croaked.

"Yes, dear," the yellow fairy answered in a mild voice, as if nothing were surprising in the least, "long time no see, is it not?"

"Mother." Flora, who seemed to be the only one of the three sisters who had managed to get a hold on her senses, said in a firm voice. "What are you doing here? We thought you were—"

"Dead?" The tall shining fairy supplied as she raised a pale lean finger to rest on her lips thoughtfully, her voice as light as ever, as if she were merely discussing the weather. "Well, yes, I had feared you might have assumed as much. However, as you can see, I am most certainly not dead."

"Obviously." Maleficent drawled, speaking dangerously slowly, thus interrupting the family reunion without an ounce of regret, as could be seen on her perfectly smooth, impassive features. "Now, you will answer to me." She addressed the new comer coldly, pointing her staff at the yellow fairy menacingly as she extended her free arm in front of the Queen Aurora in an odd protective manner. "What gave you the right to trespass on my domain?"

Stella only smiled sincerely as she showed her hands palms opened to the wicked fairy in an attempt at pacifying.

"I thought you would already know, Maleficent. After all, I warned you all those years ago."

Maleficent stiffened visibly, dark eyebrows frowning in blatant wariness, and her voice was deadly quiet. "What are you talking about?"

"Why, you know very well what I am referring to, Maleficent." Stella replied gently, her smile never wavering. As she met the green-skinned fairy's glowering dark eyes, she nodded wisely. "Yes. I am merely ensuring that the Prophecy will indeed come to fruition. And, judging from what I have seen so far," her twinkling amber eyes drifted to Aurora and her smile widened, "my intervention is highly unnecessary."

Maleficent's murdering eyes widened in realization, and her lean hand tightened around her sceptre. "You wretched fairy!" She howled, raising her arms towards the sky. "How dare you!"

As the dark fairy was about to aim her staff at the yellow fairy, a small hesitant hand seized her free arm, and a soft, but no less steady voice, interrupted her motion in mid air.

"Maleficent, wait." And Aurora's voice was that of a queen, authoritative, commanding, and yet soothing, mesmerising. That caused all four women to turn towards the human woman. "I am sure Mistress Stella didn't come here to threaten you. Let us listen to what she has to say." At Maleficent's silence, she continued bravely, her hand slowly sliding down the black-covered arm to lace her fingers with Maleficent's. "Please." She whispered as she stepped forward to stand at the older woman's side.

A tense silence took over the throne room of the Forbidden Mountains. All fairies were frozen in place, waiting in dread for Maleficent's reaction to Aurora's bold move. After what felt like an eternity, the wicked fairy seemed to unwind. Her body apparently relaxed, she lowered her arms and took a step back.

"Very well." She nodded sternly at the yellow fairy. She knocked the ground with her sceptre as she ordered in a harsh, contemptuous tone. "Now, speak."

"Thank you, Mistress Maleficent." Stella bowed slightly at the dark fairy in recognition. "Now, listen to me, all of you."

The three good fairies startled at hearing similar words as the ones Maleficent pronounced twenty years ago, on that fateful day of princess Aurora's baptism, but they focused their attention on their mother nonetheless.

"Over a thousand years ago," the sage fairy began in a more solemn voice, "I came here, to that same hall, to deliver a very powerful fairy a Prophecy. In that Prophecy lay an opportunity, as well as a fair warning. The exact words of the prediction were the following."

The mother of the three good fairies paused to wave her white glowing wand in front of her, and as soon as she did so, words appeared in thin air, letters carving themselves, curling and tangling in as much golden threads flying in the air just for the four other women to read.

"A destiny of power and immortality
For the strongest wicked fairy,
But the woman born from the Dawn
Shall destroy what Evil has done,
Hair of sunshine gold,
She only can neutralize the force you hold,
Lips as red as the rose,
She only can open the heart you close,
She is your guide on the darkest path of all,
She will lead you straight to your downfall,
Unless peace be brought by the dove,
Like a rose on the grave of love.
"

And the gold wires vanished gradually, leaving a trail of little golden sparks in their wake as the good fairies' eyes surveyed the fatal words. When they lowered their gaze to the floor, plunging into a ominous silence, their mother shot a glance at the two main protagonists of the Prophecy whom looked far less grim, and her rose lips twitched into an approving smile.

"I trust you now comprehend the true meaning of this Prophecy," she said in an airy voice.

As a response, Maleficent's blood red lips twisted into a sneer, whereas the Queen Aurora had the grace to raise a wistful smile as she spoke calmly. "Yes, now we do."

"B-But... This... This damned Prophecy... It refers to our Rose and that... that abject monster!" Merryweather yelled at the yellow fairy as she finally overcame the unsetting feeling of shock, her round face now disturbed by distinct wrinkles of pure anger.

"Merryweather!" Fauna gasped, her tiny hands jumping to cover her mouth.

"Relax, dear," Flora intervened in her usual mature and posed voice, raising a soothing hand towards her youngest sister. "We are indeed facing a colossal problem, but we will work it out eventually. Not to worry." Then, she whirled on her heels to face the gracious figure of her mother. "So, let us make this crystal clear. Rose was destined to defeat Maleficent all along, wasn't she? Well, that surely is relief!" She laughed half-heartedly. "See, dear," she added for her sister's benefit, yet she did not spare her a peek, "there is no need to worry, none at all. Our little Rose will put an end to all this nonsense. She will vanquish, as she was always meant to do, as she always did. Yes, she shall rid the world of this Evil. Yes, yes." She tilted her head back and forth, as if to convince herself by the force of her nods.

A mirthless, dry snort caused her and all the other fairies to turn towards Aurora.

"Like always, you didn't understand a thing," she spat, her violet eyes blazing with a dark, frightening gleam. "No. Like always, you are blinded by your narrow mind. You don't want to understand."

Flora blinked at her, unsure of how to answer such a cold display of rage. "Rose, dear, I—"

"No." Aurora snapped with all the strength and ice she could muster in her smooth voice. "I am not Rose. I am Aurora. I am your Queen. And you will listen to me."

"But, Rose, please—" Flora cut herself off as she locked gaze with fiery purple eyes that seemed to enclose lightning bolts. She took a cautious step towards the Queen. "Aurora, dear, you have to—"

She was stopped dead in her tracks as an arm wrapped in dark fabric stood in her way. "Step back, you fool!" bellowed a deep, thundering voice. The red fairy was forced to stay still by the long, thin staff pointed at her. "She told you to listen, therefore you shall listen."

Flora stared at the tall dark fairy in deathly silence, lips opening as if to talk, then clenching shut, obviously at loss for words. She dared a glance towards her protégée when Aurora stepped forward, her hand still squeezing Maleficent's as she breathed a "Thank you."

"Ever since I woke up from this cursed slumber," the Queen began in a quiet, resolute voice, "I was obsessed by the same, undying question: why?" She whispered shakily. "And then, I discovered this... Prophecy." She raised her chin defiantly, her purple eyes lifting to meet Stella's gold orbs. "And I knew. That was the reason why I had been cursed when I was but a baby. Because a fairy—" She paused, bending her head to sneak a glance at the older woman next to her, "Maleficent got it all wrong."

The three fairies froze, eyes widening in terror as they observed Maleficent's lean body tensing at Aurora's words. However, she remained silent, black eyes transfixed on an undefined, far-off point.

"She thought she was doomed. She thought she had no choice. She thought I had to die if she were to keep her power safe and intact. 'The woman born from the Dawn shall destroy what Evil has done,' it said. But what she did not understand, though, is that the woman born from the Dawn — that is to say, I — was never meant to destroy her, Maleficent, but instead destroy the evil that inhabited her."

She stretched a hand in mid air as she saw that her aunt Flora was about to open her mouth to talk.

"And whatever you may think, Maleficent is not Evil — at least not how you all think she is. She may be evil, indeed, but she is not the Evil embodied that ought to be annihilated. And thus, she based her reasoning on a wrong assumption from the very beginning. She thought it was whether her power or me, and then, all she had to do to become the most powerful fairy on Earth was to destroy me before I destroyed her. But that was all wrong. The Prophecy is very clear, if we attach importance to the right words. 'She will lead you straight towards your downfall, unless peace be brought by the dove.' The word 'unless' is the key. This is a choice, not a sacrifice. Not between Good and Evil, not between life and death either, but between love and fear. Once again, and I think I understood it quite well enough to be sure of it, it is very clear."

She marked a pause again to pull on Maleficent's hand, which followed without resistance as she raised their intertwined hands to her heart.

"It's merely a cryptic way to say that power can't transcend love, for love is power."

A long, thick silence took over the Forbidden Moutains, so tense it seemed like time had simply stopped ticking, then a muffled, hoarse squeak made itself heard.

"Love?"

Aurora turned towards her aunt Merryweather, head held high in poise and grace worthy of a dignified queen.

"Yes, Merryweather, you heard me," she answered without any hesitation whatsoever and whoever had a sharp enough eye could see her hand tightening around Maleficent's. "Love."

"B-But..." The short plump fairy gaped at her adoptive niece, her eyes going from the Queen's gracious features to the fairy's imposing figure.

"Merryweather." Her sister Fauna interrupted her in her usual soft, appeasing voice as she lay a hand on her forearm. "Look at their hands," she whispered, sneaking a peek at the tangled hands of the two women, "look into their eyes." She raised her gaze to look at Maleficent and Aurora alternatively, a shy, tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Will you dare tell me this is not love?"

"I..." The blue fairy closed her mouth and, raising her head slowly to meet Aurora's fiery gaze, she swallowed and found the courage to ask the question that burnt her tongue.

"Aurora, do you love her? Do you love... Maleficent?" The wicked fairy's name came as a stifled squeak.

And the Queen only smiled at the uncertainty in her aunt's tone.

"Yes, Merryweather. I love Maleficent. And I always will. Everything you may do will fail to keep me away from her."

Merryweather could only nod, impossibly contrite, and then she murmured, fear and dread dripping from her voice like sap from the tree bark.

"And she... she... Does she love you?"

"Well, that is not mine to say." The former princess replied lightly and, tilting her head to the side to glance at the older woman, she added. "If Maleficent does love me, I believe she will say so herself."

If the three fairies were uncomfortable and slightly frightened before, anyone could see they were now utterly terrified, for the silence that stretched between the Queen and the black fairy was so heavy and intense that even the yellow fairy did have the decency to wipe that airy smile off her face to peer at the two women in anguish. Maleficent, on the other hand, had grown stiff from head to toe as soon as the younger woman had achieved her sentence and thus leave her to conclude the argument. Her lips had curled upwards in a scornful sneer, her knuckles turned white around her sceptre and her hand seemed to quail, even though still cradled between Aurora's warm fingers.

Queen Aurora — impervious to the fairies' horror and Maleficent's turmoil — let her smile stretch wider, and her violet eyes lost themselves at some point on the far end of the throne room, where a dark corridor sank into the depths of the ruined fortress.

Maleficent's bottomless gaze met Merryweather's and Flora's bulging eyes, then Fauna's concerned blue ones, and finally, Stella's wilful golden orbs that glowed with purpose. Suddenly, the situation was crystal clear; Flora, Fauna and Merryweather came here on a mistake that had returned against them, while their over-knowledgeable mother came here with a precise goal to fulfil, and would not leave before it had been reached.

Ever so slowly, the dark fairy's limbs and muscles slackened, her hands stilled and her chin rose in the air in a perfect show of insurance and magnificence. When she finally spoke, her voice was powerful and rich, and her lips drawn into a thin line.

"I do."

And it was as if the last wave of a massive tsunami had just passed. The three good fairies released the breath they had been holding. Flora only stared at the tall black fairy gaping, Merryweather looked at the stone ground blankly, while Fauna offered a true sincere smile to the Queen and her new companion.

Finally, she thought. I have succeeded, Mother.

The latter only nodded in gratification, and her eyes twinkled as she spared a glance to her middle daughter.

"Well, I am glad to see the Prophecy has been fulfilled as it should have," announced Stella in her clear, cheerful voice. "Now, my business here is done. I shall leave the two mistresses of the place alone, and you should do the same, my children." She added more firmly, turning to her three daughters who were blinking at her. As she was about to raise her wand, probably to disappear, a sharp yell interrupted her movement, and her hand froze in mid air.

"Wait!" And all eyes went to the red fairy. "What is the meaning of this, Mother? You expect us to leave Rose—" She paused, and resumed as if nothing ever happened, "—Aurora with this evil creature?"

"Well, yes," answered the oldest fairy, looking at her eldest daughter in disbelief, as if her question implied one unique answer and that it was the one she had just given. "What else would you rather do, Flora?"

"We swore to Queen Leah and King Stefan to protect their daughter, at the risk of our own life, and especially protect her against this wicked fairy. We cannot fail our promise. Surely you understand the value of loyalty, Mother."

"Of course I do. And you were always loyal to your promise, my child, from beginning to end," Stella said gently, a wistful smile playing on her pink lips. "For Queen Aurora is alive and well, safe and sound, thanks to your courage and kindness. You protected her when she needed it most. She survived the sleeping curse thanks to you. You even protected her from herself, when her memories were eating at her mind, surely but no less surely, however you had a little unforeseen help on that, although you were never aware of it." Her gleaming eyes flew to Maleficent for one short instant. "And now, here she is, standing before you, fighting for her beliefs, fighting for love, as you always taught her. And all of this was allowed to happen thanks to you, Flora."

"But it is not over!" Flora exclaimed. "We promised to keep her away from Maleficent, and she—"

"No, no," her mother cut her off, shaking her head back and forth. "You swore to protect her from Maleficent, not keep her away, and that is very different. And you did protect her, Flora. Your job is over. You have many years awaiting before you, it is time you live your life, my child."

"But, Mother! We cannot leave her here! As long as Maleficent will live, she will hurt her. We managed to save her the first time, and we will do it again. That is the reason why we cannot leave her with Maleficent. Furthermore, she is the Queen! Thus, her place is in the Castle, at the King's side, not in a desolated fortress with a deprived fairy."

"You will not call her a deprived fairy."

A quiet, yet strong voice interrupted the argument between mother and daughter and all eyes fell upon the tense features of the Queen Aurora who had stepped forward, as if shielding Maleficent with her small body.

"Who is the deprived fairy, here, I wonder?" She continued, her gleaming blue eyes turning cold as they met with Flora's. "The so-called evil fairy who recognized her faults and gave up on her pride to make amend? Or the oh so good fairy who is so close-minded that she prefers to rely on her foolish duty rather than open her eyes and see love for what it is — because it is so easy to refuse to face the truth when you don't like it?"

And for once, aunt Flora, the great wonderful red fairy was left speechless as she could only stare wide-eyed, mouth open, at her ward. Then, she lowered her head, and, conceding defeat, she spoke, her voice sour and dull.

"I see. But there is still one question that remains unanswered." She raised her gaze to lock eyes with the yellow fairy. "What does this Prophecy truly mean? Why did you come to Maleficent, a thousand years ago, to deliver those words to her, Mother? So please, do tell us now. What is this prediction for?"

Stella's bright eyelashes — so bright they appeared white — fell as she closed her eyes, and smiled eerily. "Of course, I was expecting such a question. Naturally, I knew it would be you who would ask for an answer, Flora. And thus, answer you shall get." She opened her eyes, and her smile faltered, leaving only a severe, grave air around her face. "One word. One single word is the key to this Prophecy."

As she paused, Aurora, Maleficent and the three fairies seemed hypnotized by her mouth, which had stopped moving, and died to hear what she had to say.

"Balance."

A deathly silence.

Maleficent was the first one to recover from her astonishment as she lifted an eyebrow. Fauna frowned slightly as she met Merryweather's confused eyes.

"Balance?" the Queen and Flora had spoken with one single voice, repeating the older fairy's word with obvious disbelief.

"Yes, balance." Stella nodded. "Between Light and Dark. Between Good and Evil. Between Love and Hate..." She trailed off, as if reticent to pursue. "All those forces are indeed opposite, but that does not mean they are meant to destroy each other. On the contrary, they complete one another. That is the reason why we cannot afford to eradicate one of those opposing forces, for then its contrary would take control and grow, grow, grow, until it would overwhelm everything else. Nothing is beneficial when present in excessive quantity, because then the balance would be broken."

"But... what balance are we talking about, here?" Merryweather asked insecurely, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Magic." Stella replied in a sweet murmur, with an endearing smile. "The world needs to be balanced in order to subsist. And it had bathed in perfect balance, all the magic beings and objects enclosing the same power, completing one other easily... until one being appeared on the face of Earth and threatened this stability." She paused, and her golden orbs seemed to darken as they swept to the black fairy.

"Maleficent." And all eyes once again focused on the tall, gracious fairy. "Maleficent broke the equilibrium, for she was born with a power far too potent to be enhanced by another. And this power, great and boundless, had the capacity for dire Evil, as well as for great Good. But as it was, it was nothing but too intense, uncontrollable. It needed to be tempered, to be tamed. Because as long as it would be left alone to grow and flourish, it would only create indescribable chaos. Such chaos, I believe, does not need precision, Maleficent's reputation being enough of an explanation in itself."

"So... That is why..." The soft voice of Fauna interfered, filling the icy halls with trembling murmurs. "That is the reason why Maleficent became known as the Wicked Fairy. Because the power trapped within her — too strong to be monitored — was swirling and escalating, dying to get out of her body, one way or another. That is why she did such awful, horrible things in the past... All those years, we thought... We thought—" She gulped as she held back a sob.

"Yes, my child, that is the answer you were all seeking, for all those years, and here it is; so plain, so simple." Stella smiled sadly at her middle daughter. "How do you expect a fairy to extend peace and joy around her, when all her body and soul are filled with nothing but pain and destruction?" As she did not wait for an answer, she kept on in that same light tone. "And that was then that Maleficent's power chose its path, a path we all know too well, the path of Darkness. And so, you understand, Nature had to find a solution and bring back Balance to the world. For that, it had to find the perfect opposite to Maleficent's force."

The yellow fairy fell silent and let her words sink in all the minds present, until finally, a gentle, yet firm voice rose.

"Aurora."

The latter turned her head towards the green fairy who had spoken with such conviction, and all the fairies followed her move.

"Yes, Fauna." Stella bowed her head slightly in recognition, and her eyes twinkled with pride, just before they switched to the Queen. "That is when Princess Aurora comes into play. Give a warning to a most paranoid and resentful fairy, and you can be sure she will find the threat herself — whether it truly exists or not." And her gleaming eyes met Maleficent's burning black orbs. "After all, the true power of a Prophecy is the one we grant it."

"Wait!" yelped Merryweather, her voice contrasting deeply with Stella's steady one. "Does it mean the Prophecy warned Maleficent against... a non-existent threat?!"

"Precisely. Maleficent gave power to the Prophecy because she interpreted it as a warning against a threat that ought to be annihilated so that she could remain the most powerful fairy on Earth. By doing so, she provoked her encounter with Princess Aurora, and thus, her force of hatred and chaos met with Aurora's force of love and peace. When Maleficent released only hate, Aurora responded with nothing but compassion. The only ordeal was to prevent Maleficent and Aurora from destroying each other, and at that, I must say you succeeded quite beautifully, my children. And you too, Aurora, as you managed to soothe Maleficent's evil with your kindness, allowing Love and Hate to walk side by side once again." Stella glanced at the two women who were pressed against one another, her eyes reflecting her delight and satisfaction. "While the two forces subsist, they will merge together, bringing peace to chaos and chaos to peace, and therefore, creating the Perfect Balance once again."

A thoughtful silence followed this revelation, but it was not meant to last.

"You manipulated me, you wretched fairy." The harsh, low voice cut through the peaceful quiet.

"Perhaps," admitted the yellow fairy, "but if it is for your own good, will you have the will to deny happiness and back away?"

Maleficent did not grace her question with an answer and was content to only scowl at the oldest fairy, her dark gaze going murderous.

"That was why Fauna told us we couldn't just go and kill Maleficent..." Merryweather pondered aloud as she reminded herself of her sister's desperate words.

"Indeed." Her mother agreed. "For if you kill Maleficent, Aurora will loose control of the force lying within her and that would only lead to her death, I am afraid."

"But, wait... You say Aurora possessed a force within her, do you mean— Does she have magic? But that would be impossible! She is not a fairy, she can't be!" The blue fairy croaked.

"Obviously not," answered Stella, her thin lips twisting into an enigmatic smile. "But she was cursed by a very powerful being when she was but a baby, was she not?"

At those words, Maleficent's body went completely still, and her black eyes seemed to throw lightning bolts. "I see," she said coldly. "That was part of your scheme from the very beginning. By telling me this damned Prophecy, you made sure that I was going to assault the child and by doing so, designate her as my 'opposing force'."

"Always so perceptive, Maleficent." The yellow fairy retorted playfully, oblivious to the dark fairy's narrowed eyes. And then, turning to her eldest daughter, she added more sternly. "Now I believe you understand very well, Flora, that it is completely out of the question to separate this two opposing forces which are, after all, two sides of the same coin. You cannot break the Perfect Balance, my child."

Flora said nothing but gritted her teeth as she glared at the stone ground. "Why are you not dead?" She asked eventually. "We saw you burn at a stake. How can you possibly be alive?"

At the general surprise, it was not her mother who answered, but Maleficent.

"Now, now, Flora," she chuckled mirthlessly. "Did you really believe mere flames could put an end to a fairy's existence?"

Flora ignored Maleficent's taunting and reported her attention on her mother instead, losing herself in the golden eyes. "Then why did you leave?" She asked dryly.

"Fairies need to grow up on their own, my dear child," Stella replied tenderly. "However, you must know I never truly left. As long as you thought about me, I was always with you."

"Rubbish!" shouted Merryweather as she lunged at the yellow fairy, raising her little plump arms in the air. "You left us on our own! You played dead so that you wouldn't have to raise us like a mother should! You abandoned us!"

"I am sorry that you have to see it that way," her mother sighed heavily as she seized the blue fairy's wrists, putting them down gently. "But tell me, Merryweather, where do you think I was when you did not know how to protect the King's child? Where do you think I was when you were looking for an hideout to raise the child, sheltered from any danger? Or when you were thinking of a way to charm the Sword of Truth in order to defeat Maleficent?"

While Aurora and Maleficent could do nothing but stare at the four fairies in disarray, it seemed the three good fairies knew exactly what their mother was talking about, for they were widening their eyes, gaping at the yellow fairy.

"Then... the voice..." Merryweather whispered frantically. "The voice we heard in our head from time to time... It was you, attempting to guide us in our task?"

"Yes, my child." And Stella's smile was never so radiant. "And now, your task has been fulfilled. I am so proud of you, my children. You did well."

"But—"

"No." Stella shook her head, even though never giving up on her smile. "No, Flora, there is not 'but'. The Perfect Balance is once more stabilized, and trying to undo it would be a great mistake. Our job is done."

"But... what about my kingdom?" Aurora inquired, not so sure about the outcome of this whole situation. "I am still the Queen, and Phillip is the King."

"Is there any law that forbids the Queen to live apart from the King and reign from another castle?" The yellow fairy arched a playful eyebrow.

"Well, I..." The Queen frowned. "I wouldn't know."

"Fauna?" The fairy mother turned to the green fairy.

"No, there is no such law in the Kingdom of Dawn." Replied Fauna with no ounce of uncertainty.

"Very well, then that settles your little issue, my Queen." Stella declared cheerfully, then eyeing her daughters, "Now, my children, it is time we leave the two mistresses of the domain alone." And she took a few steps backwards to stand at her daughters' side.

But the three fairies were looking at Maleficent and Aurora with wariness for Flora, sadness for Merryweather, and shy happiness for Fauna. And, by mutual agreement, the three walked towards the Queen and took both of her hands on their smaller ones.

"Rose— Aurora," started Flora in a tight voice, "I will not lie to you and say that I approve your decision, but I can see now there is not much to do about it, now is there?"

Aurora offered her a tiny smile. "No, aunt Flora, there is nothing you can do." And the latter only nodded, lowering her head as she turned on her heels.

"Aurora, please," Merryweather pleaded in an hoarse voice, "be careful. I know that you love her, but... you also know what she's capable of, so please, just... be careful..." She stopped before her voice broke.

"I know, aunt Merryweather, I know," the Queen answered in a soothing tone as she squeezed her aunt's hands. "I will be careful, but I can assure you I am safe here. I know that Maleficent will never hurt me anymore."

"Alright, alright, if you say so." Merryweather dumped her head and joined her elder sister.

"Aurora, dear," Fauna smiled at her in the most sincere way, "I must tell you that I am proud of you. You chose love over hate, and you mended a broken soul in the process." Her clear eyes slid to Maleficent who were watching her in perfect stillness, chin raised high. "That is the reason why I know that you will be happy here. I trust you, and I trust Maleficent. Now, you can be sure we will pay you a visit from time to time, but for now, we will leave you be, as we should have done two years ago... I am so sorry, Aurora, if only you knew—"

"I know, aunt Fauna," Aurora cut her off, but her voice was sweet and serene. "You don't need to worry yourself about that anymore, you did what you thought was best, and I forgive you. I truly hope I will see you again one day."

"Of course you will, dear." She was about to turn around to join her fairy family when a staff barred her road and she was forced to face Maleficent who was staring down at her with glistening, menacing eyes.

"The Queen Aurora might have forgiven you for your reckless behaviour, but I did not." She said, her voice deadly slow. "Know that if you ever try again to keep her away from me, you will regret it for the rest of your pitiful life, am I making myself clear?"

At everyone's amazement, Fauna did not appear frightened in the slightest and she dared to grin shyly at the black fairy. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Maleficent." And still smiling, she went to her mother and sisters.

"Now, it is time to say goodbye," Stella concluded in her airy voice. "I believe everything has been said and now is the time we apologize for the disturbance, Mistress Maleficent. I thank you for your patience, and God knows how you ought to have some, considering the numerous times you stood up to my daughters." She laughed wholeheartedly, under the stunned gaze of her daughters.

"Farewell, Mistress Maleficent, Queen Aurora," she nodded at them in respect. "Might love be always with you, and the Perfect Balance be preserved for all eternity." With those words, she vanished in a wave of golden sparkles.

"Goodbye, Aurora," said Flora.

"Yes, goodbye dear," added Merryweather.

"Goodbye, Your Majesty," smiled Fauna. "Might your reign be as bright as your love."

Three colourful blasts of dust, red, blue, green, and they were gone.


"Maleficent."

The Mistress of All Evil was pulled out of a sleep like death by a soft, bewitching voice. Slowly, with a graceful wrinkle of fabric, she got out of her silk covers and followed the enchanting voice on the tower terrace, where a small, lean silhouette wrapped in an endless white gown that danced with the wind stood, propped up on the stone railing.

"What is it, Aurora?"

"Look."

And the black fairy followed the lead of the pale, thin finger which pointed to a red stain on the top of the stone guardrail. She could not help but widen her eyes in shock.

There, at the top of the highest tower of the Forbidden Mountains, on the terrace of the Mistress' chambers, lay a rose, huddled between the stones, as red as blood.

The Queen reached out and, avoiding carefully the sharp green thorns, she cut the stem and brought the flower closer to her marble face enlightened by the blue light of dawn.

"What do you think it is doing here?" She asked quietly, before raising her purple gaze to give Maleficent a questioning look.

At loss for words, Maleficent did not answer but instead stretched an arm and closed her hand around Aurora's. And that was then that they heard it. A far-off, fleeting whisper that seemed to come from nowhere but the wild breeze that caressed their bodies and made Aurora shiver.

"Perfect Balance."

Aurora's head shot up to meet Maleficent's onyx eyes. "Did you... Did you hear..."

"Yes," Maleficent put an end to her stuttering, "I did."

"What do you think it means?"

The older woman averted her gaze to the landscape that spread before them, exploring with her bottomless eyes the usually arid, barren hills that surrounded her domain and that were now covered with a resplendent emerald green grass that shone in the waking sunlight, and the far-away forrest whose dead trees now bore grey leaves and branches.

"I believe that our powers combined made this earth rise from the ashes," she murmured, her dark gaze still transfixed on the horizon.

"Really?" She felt Aurora's hand tremble beneath her own cold hand. "Do you think the fact that we are reunited brought back the balance that the world needed? That this balance was enough for Nature to reclaim its rights?" As Maleficent did not seem inclined to answer right away, she continued. "Does this mean you are now the most powerful fairy?"

"Yes, I am," replied Maleficent as she finally lowered her eyes to the young woman and reached up with her free hand to entangle her long green fingers in Aurora's hair. "And I have you to thank for that."

"Me?" The Queen repeated foolishly, distracted by the icy hand playing in her hair. "But why? I didn't do anything."

"Oh, but yes, you did." The fairy whispered, leaning closer and tilting her head to the side so that her breath tickled Aurora's ear. "Your presence participates in regulating my unruly power, and a controlled power is the mightiest of them all."

"Yes, but..." She was struggling to speak coherently for Maleficent had taken it upon herself to slip a sneaky hand under the young woman's gown where her shoulder blades met her spine. "I don't know how..."

"Oh really?" The dark woman inquired as she arched an eyebrow teasingly. "And yet, it is very much simple." She paused as she grabbed the rose from Aurora's hand and, with a flick of her wrist, caused the thorns to disappear and the stem to curl at the end, and slid the flower in the younger woman's hair, sticking it behind her ear.

"Your beauty balances my monstrosity." As she spoke in that deep, husky voice, Maleficent circled the Queen's waist with one arm.

"The purity of your voice balances the sin of mine." She bent over the younger woman, her lips coming dangerously close to Aurora's.

"And your love... your selfless, boundless love..." She murmured against Aurora's mouth as she stared at the Queen's shaking lips with hunger, "...balances my devastating hatred."

And that marked the end of Aurora's patience, for she broke the unbearable distance and devoured Maleficent's lips. Their lips merged, their tongues attacked, and their hands clutched desperately at every piece of fabric or skin that crossed their path. Maleficent had one hand drowned in Aurora's golden hair, while the other was pulling the smaller body against hers forcibly. The Queen's hands rose to grasp the black collar, but it was not enough, they were not close enough, and thus the hands sneaked behind Maleficent's head and seized the two proud horns, grabbing at it fiercely like she would at a lifeline.

Eventually, the two woman parted, but not so far, and rested their foreheads against one another.

"I love you." Aurora whispered, almost fearfully.

"And I love you." Maleficent answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and if you thought about it, it certainly was.

"For how long?"

"For all eternity and beyond."

Rose lips stretched to form a genuine smile, whereas blood red lips answered by curling into a satisfied smirk.

No one knows what became of the two most powerful Opposing Forces on Earth, for no one was brave enough to try and find them, but the legend says that the Queen ruled for many ears, spreading compassion and joy, while the fairy simply learnt to love, forgive and forget.

Some say the Queen died after seventy years of true, irreplaceable happiness, and the fairy, once deprived of her balance, let herself perish in the sole goal of lying with the Queen of her heart in eternity.

Some say their souls live forevermore, sometimes bringing chaos, sometimes bringing peace, but always together, and never apart.

And the world rests in Perfect Balance.

The End


Author's Note:

Finally, this fanfiction is finished. I must say I feel both relieved and nostalgic.

I really hope you liked this very last chapter and that it was worth this awfully long wait!

I want to thank you all for your great patience and for sticking with me all this time, and I hope I did not disappoint you.

I could never apologize enough for torturing you with those endless months of waiting, but I assure you I was victim of a very nasty author's block, as well as I was busy with college work, but in the end, I bested it all.

Now, I will say goodbye, and see you soon for new fanfictions!

Devilishly yours,

Goddess of All Evil