A shriek pierced Diaval's dreams, startling him awake. He stood on his perch for a moment, confused, before he heard another cry from below.

"Maleficent," he thought, and a moment later, Diaval the man kneeled next to the faerie.

Her face was pale and twisted in horror and grief as she writhed in her nest. Her wings were thrashing so much Diaval thought she might end up taking flight. Diaval reached for Maleficent's shoulders to hold her down only to be knocked aside by one of her powerful wings. He tried again, this time managing to pin her down. Unfortunately, this only seemed to terrify Maleficent more.

"Maleficent!" Diaval yelled. "Maleficent, wake up!"

Stunning green eyes flew open, and Maleficent inhaled sharply. "Wings!" she cried, and her hand shot to her back, whacking Diaval. She let out a strangled gasp when she found her beloved wings to still be attached. Some of the terror left her eyes, and she began to cry.

Diaval had never comforted someone who had had a nightmare, but somehow he knew exactly what to do. He scooped Maleficent up in his arms and let her sob into his chest. He stroked her hair as her wings curled around the both of them.

A small being buzzed into the nest, looking harassed. "Is everything alright?" Robin asked. "I heard scream - " The faerie caught sight of Maleficent. "Oh, Maleficent…."

Robin flew up to Diaval and Maleficent and put his tiny hand on her back, rubbing in gentle circles. "What happened?" Robin asked Diaval quietly.

"She had a nightmare," Diaval muttered, still stroking the faerie's hair, much like how she had always caressed his feathers.

After a few minutes, Maleficent's cries subsided. "Are you alright?" Diaval asked quietly. Maleficent sniffled and nodded meekly, leaning back.

"I'm sorry - "

"It's fine."

"Alright, there, lass?" Robin asked, moving to her side.

"Yes, I'm fine now," Maleficent said, her eyes dropping down. She shuddered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Diaval asked hesitantly. It seemed like the right thing to say, until Robin shot him a look. But Maleficent seemed to want to.

Maleficent took a deep breath, wringing her hands. She didn't move out of Diaval's lap, and he found he rather enjoyed the physical contact. He had always been forbidden to touch his mistress, a choice he respected, but still, after years he felt almost lonely without actually touching another being. "I had a nightmare," she began, her voice quivering, "where I just woke up, but my wings were gone." She took another breath to steady herself. "All that was left… was two red, burnt stumps."

A shiver ran up Diaval's spine, and he and Robin exchanged glances. How had Maleficent remembered the day she had lost her wings?

"It was so real," Maleficent continued, her voice catching as she looked up, meeting Diaval's concerned gaze. "I even know where it took place, a pool outside of the Moors. I was so sure it was real, that I had lost my wings."

"Well, it was all just a dream," Robin assured her. Maleficent nodded silently.

"I'm sorry for waking you," she whispered. "I think I'll go back to sleep now."

The little faerie climbed out of Diaval's lap and lay back down. The moonlight sneaking through the leaves of the tree reflected off her worried green eyes.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Robin asked. Maleficent looked relieved.

"Could you?"

"Of course," Robin said, and he fluttered over to her, sitting on the edge of her nest. Diaval transformed into a raven and hopped over to Maleficent, settling between her shoulder and her wing. Maleficent reached up and began to pet him gently. A while later, her hand stilled, and her head tilted to face Diaval. He nestled up to the sleeping faerie, and slowly began to drift off himself.

…

Diaval woke up before Maleficent and Robin. He turned slightly to observe Maleficent's sleeping face, remembering the previous night. Maleficent looked peaceful now, but the memory of her shrieks caused Diaval to shudder.

How had Maleficent had this nightmare if she couldn't remember her past? Perhaps her memories were still there, but blocked, and this certain one had crept into her mind while she was sleeping. But this gave Diaval a bit of hope - if Maleficent could remember her life, then perhaps the spell could be reversed.

Maleficent sighed in her sleep. If Diaval had been human, he would have smiled - she was really quite cute, although he would never dare to voice this aloud. If the spell was reversed, Maleficent wouldn't take too kindly to him having called her "cute."

It hadn't been the first time Maleficent had had a nightmare about losing her wings, though this was the first incident she could remember at the time. But ever since Diaval had become her servant, Maleficent had had these dreams. At first, Diaval would fly down and just sit on her shoulder, despite her thrashing, hoping that his presence could pull her out of her dreams. It often did. She would awaken with a start, see Diaval, and then turn away from him. Diaval realized his dark mistress was ashamed of her moments of weakness, so he resorted to waking her by different, more discreet means. Cawing loudly, then pretending to slumber when her eyes snapped open. He would feel her suspicious eyes on him, but she seemed to be able to pass the noise off for having been in her dream. Or perhaps that's what she wanted to think. Once, during the winter, he had sent a little bit of snow falling in her face, then acted as though he had moved it while shifting in his sleep. Apparently this irritated Maleficent, because she used magic to flick the snow right back at him, startling him off his perch. While this had brought her a little amusement, Diaval didn't attempt to do it again.

Maleficent's eyes slowly slid open, and she smiled at Diaval, who gave a quiet squawk. "Good morning," she said. Diaval fluttered upward as Maleficent slowly sat up, careful not to disturb Robin. "I'm sorry about last night."

"Don't be," Diaval said once he had turned into a human. "It's not your fault you had a nightmare."

Maleficent just nodded, absently smoothing her dress. She was still wearing the once-too-large dress, but she and Aurora had adjusted it the previous day, along with a little help from the pixies. The evidence of this was the thin, faded streak of blue lingering by the hem, all that remained of Flittle's fruitless attempt to dress Maleficent in blue.

Maleficent stood up, and a sleepy male voice said, "Morning."

"Oh, good morning, Robin," said Maleficent. "I didn't know you were up."

"Well, I am," Robin replied, smiling at her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright, thanks," Maleficent said, spreading her wings. "Hungry, though. I'm going to go find some food, alright?"

"Sure," said Diaval. "I'll come with."

The three set off. Maleficent seemed to grow a bit cheerier as she flew through the Moors in the direction of the forest. "I know where there's a really great patch of blackberries," she told Diaval. As they flew over the trees, Maleficent and Diaval both glanced in the direction of Aurora's castle. She had returned there the previous evening, much to Maleficent's disappointment. But she had promised to come back to the Moors the moment her schedule allowed.

Maleficent, Robin, and Diaval landed in the woods. Robin and Maleficent began to pick berries, chatting animatedly. Diaval hopped a little distance away, scratching at the ground as he searched for insects. He found a few, but his most interesting discovery was something entirely different.

Half-buried in the dirt was one of Maleficent's old rings, crafted from a small animal jaw and rabbit teeth she had found. Diaval cawed softly to himself, remembering when she had worn this ring - the time she had saved young Aurora from falling off a cliff, and again when she had met Aurora in the woods.

"What'd you find, Diaval?"

Diaval looked up, mildly alarmed, as Maleficent approached. She piled her berries up in one hand and reached down with the other, freeing the ring from the ground. "What's this?" she asked, examining the jewelry with slightly narrowed eyes. "Is this a ring? Not a very pleasant one."

Robin hurried over. "What is it, Maleficent - oh." Robin stopped, realization flashing in his eyes. While he had never personally seen the ring before, he recognized the style from Maleficent's darker days.

Turning the ring over in her hand, Maleficent said, "Whose is this, do you think? I can't think of anyone in the Moors who'd wear this. Is this a human's ring?"

Diaval turned into a man. He debated for a moment whether or not to tell her, but then he decided it would be best not to lie. "That's yours," he said hesitantly. Maleficent looked up at him disbelievingly, and he instantly regretted his candor.

"What? Mine?" Maleficent asked, looking back down at the ring. "This isn't mine. I wouldn't wear this. I mean, it seems kind of… dark. It's made from bones."

"You - you did wear it, for a little while, as an adult," Diaval said, trying to keep unease out his voice.

"Why?"

"I guess you thought it looked… interesting at the time," Diaval said. Maleficent snorted.

"'Interesting?'"

"Yes, interesting," Diaval said, raising his eyebrows. He couldn't think of another word to describe it to Maleficent. He didn't want to get into too much detail and reveal how much darker she became in her future.

"Hmm," was all Maleficent replied. After a moment of staring at the ring with confused curiosity, she slipped it in a pocket and returned to her berries. Diaval silently turned back into a raven, reflecting on what a close call that had been. And, remembering the look on her face when Diaval had told her that the ring was hers, he thought that maybe Aurora was right - Maleficent should be left unburdened.

…

After wasting half a morning scouring the scroll for hidden meanings or messages, Diaval decided it was time to shelve his pride and ask for help. His assistants were none other than the pixies.

The trio crowded around the scroll. "Flittle, Thistlewit!" Knotgrass complained as she shoved them aside. "Get out of my way!"

Diaval silently groaned. Why had he come to them for help? Perhaps he did have those "moments" Aurora and Maleficent had discussed. Clearly, he would have been better off consulting Maleficent, or even Robin.

With a loud "Hrumph!" Flittle and Thistlewit backed away, leaving Knotgrass to examine the scroll. The pixie frowned as her eyes scanned the parchment.

"Looks like an old faerie language to me," she muttered. "I don't know which one, though."

"Faerie? Don't be silly, Knotgrass!" Flittle exclaimed, zipping up to the scroll. "That's Wallerbog!"

"That's not the wallerbogs' language. At any rate, wallerbogs can't write," Diaval said. Flittle deflated.

"Oh."

Thistlewit giggled, and Flittle elbowed her.

"It's rude to make fun of me," she pouted.

"I wasn't making fun of you!" Thistlewit said, pushing Flittle back.

"Yes, you were!" Flittle insisted, shoving her again. Diaval resisted a sigh, knowing where this was going.

"Ladies, could you please stop fighting?" Diaval asked. Thistlewit and Flittle looked up at him, suddenly remembering he was there.

"We weren't fighting!" they both chimed. Diaval shook his head. Again, why had he bothered?

"And besides," Thistlewit continued as Diaval thanked Knotgrass and took the scroll back, "it's not my fault that Flittle can't tell Wallerbog from a sorcerer's language!"

Diaval froze in his tracks, and slowly turned around. "This is… a sorcerer's language?"

"Yes," said Thistlewit, bobbing her head. Knotgrass looked shocked.

"How did you know that? Why didn't you say something?"

"I just remembered, that little girl Katherine used to study it," Thistlewit said.

"Who's Katherine?" asked Diaval, taking a step back to the pixies.

"Oh, she's someone Maleficent used to play with when she was younger," Thistlewit said cheerily. "She was half faerie, half sorceress. She and her older sister lived in the Moors with their mother. Normally sorcerers aren't welcome in the Moors, which I guess is why I never saw the girls' father, but since their mother, Amaryllis, was a lovely faerie, they got to stay."

Dropping her head and her happy tone, Thistlewit said, "But then, when the girls were around Aurora's age, Amaryllis was attacked. She was burned horribly, and not even Maleficent was able to save her. Some of the Fair Folk thought that perhaps it had been Amaryllis' oldest daughter who had killed her, so she and Katherine were exiled."

"That's horrible," Diaval said, dismayed. "Why would she do that?"

"I remember now!" Knotgrass exclaimed, pushing in front of Thistlewit. "The daughter, Leah or Lydia or whatever her name was, was jealous of her mother's powers. You see, a sorcerer's powers are, in a sense, limited. They have to recite a spell if they want to perform magic."

"They aren't like faeries, who just reach within themselves and just do something," pitched in Flittle.

"So Lily - "

"I think it was Lydia," Thistlewit interrupted. Knotgrass waved her hand impatiently.

"So the girl was jealous of her mother's powers and her ability to fly. I think that in her envy, Lindsey went and" - Knotgrass shuddered deeply for effect before looking back up at Diaval - "killed her poor, poor mother."

"Poor Amaryllis," Flittle said, shaking her head sadly. "She was a nice faerie, very pretty with her blue eyes… Not as pretty as my blue, but still. Lovely lady."

"Lady!" Knotgrass snapped her fingers. "That was the girl's name! Lady."

"No, it was Lydia," Thistlewit argued. Flittle frowned.

"I'm certain it was Leah," she said. "Or was it Rebecca?"

"Don't be daft, it definitely started with 'L,'" said Knotgrass.

"Well, thank you very much for the help," Diaval said, slowly backing away as he sensed an oncoming pixie fight.

"Oh, you're very welcome, Diaval," said Knotgrass, smiling. "It was our pleasure to tell you about Katherine and Lady," she finished with a pointed look at her fellow pixies.

"It was Lydia!"

"No, Leah!"

"Lady!"

"Rebecca!"

"'L,' Flittle, 'L.'"

Turning into a raven, Diaval hurried back to the Rowan Tree, his mind buzzing. So the spell was a sorcerer's? Then why had it been in Stefan's possession?

It suddenly struck Diaval that perhaps Stefan had had a spell to reverse Maleficent's condition. His heart picked up in excitement. Yes, there must be a sort of counterspell at the castle! Diaval almost turned to the castle right then, but then remembered he had Maleficent to take care of. He couldn't just up and leave her.

Perhaps he could take her along with him to the castle. She wouldn't mind, if it meant she could see Aurora. Yes, that's what he would do.

Diaval circled around the Moors, keeping an eye out for Maleficent and Robin. By noon, there had been no sign of them. Feeling slightly worried, Diaval went back to the Rowan Tree, where he found Maleficent and Robin lounging in the shade of the tree, playing some sort of game.

"There you are," he said once he landed. "I've been looking for you all over."

"Sorry," Maleficent said. "We were just flying a bit, went and played a trick on the pixies, and then came back here."

"Maleficent, don't tell him we - never mind," Robin said with a sigh, shaking his head. Diaval was surprised.

"When were you at the pixies'? I was just there a while ago."

"We just came back," Maleficent said, grinning a bit. "They were already fighting when we got there. We further annoyed them by drizzling some water on them."

"'Drizzling?' Lass, that was more of a thunderstorm," Robin chuckled. Diaval blinked, reminded of another day when Maleficent had played such a prank on the pixies. He hadn't been impressed with her trickery, which irritated Maleficent. However, he didn't complain - the more often Maleficent went to tease the pixies, the more often Diaval got to see Aurora.

"So where have you been?" Maleficent asked Diaval.

"I think I have an idea on how to return you to your full-grown state," Diaval said. Maleficent blinked.

"Really? What?"

"The scroll was found at the castle. Maybe the counterspell is there, too," Diaval explained.

"Maybe. Are you going to go look for it?" Maleficent asked. She didn't sound particularly excited, which disappointed Diaval a bit. But he understood that she was happy as she was… But then should he not look for a remedy?

"Well, yes," Diaval said after a moment. "I thought that maybe you could come with. Then you could see Aurora."

Maleficent sat up eagerly. "Really?"

"Yes," said Diaval.

"When do you plan to leave?" asked Robin. "Right now? I don't think you'd be able to get to the castle and back by dark."

"I'd like to leave as soon as possible, but maybe we can go tomorrow," said Diaval, taking a moment to consider Maleficent's state of peace.

"That sounds good," Maleficent said, nodding. "In the meantime, do you want to play with Robin and me?"

While Diaval would have liked to perhaps scan the scroll one more time, the look Maleficent gave him was so full of hope and adorable-ness. Diaval couldn't help but set aside the scroll and sit beside the faerie, who adjusted her wings to make room for him against the trunk. "Alright. What are you playing?"

...

Thanks for reading, Malefifreaks. Please review, tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Thanks!

Kitty