Response to Niker's review: Holy crap, you literally read my mind... You'll see what I'm talking about by the end of the chapter. I love all your suggestions, they help me to get thinking about things I never would have considered before. Also, no, I have not dropped Katherine and Lydia. They've taken a back seat, but they're actually to return very soon. Thanks for being such a dedicated reader. :)

...

Maleficent's bright green eyes were curious and confused as she gazed up at Diaval. Diaval wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. For one thing, Maleficent was more adorable than ever, which was hilarious considering how stern Diaval had always known the faerie to be. But now, Maleficent was even younger than before, and Diaval would have to go through the process of explaining the spell and Maleficent's life all over again…. Or would he?

"I'm Diaval," he said after a moment. "I, uh, I've heard people call you Maleficent before…." Diaval felt unsure of how to approach the situation this time. Obviously, not admitting the truth of Maleficent's past hadn't worked out last time (Diaval stifled a groan - last time? That was just sad). But Maleficent now looked too young to even know who Stefan was. Diaval wondered how Maleficent had become so young if she had been trying to become older. But that was a thought for later.

Maleficent looked around, frowning. "What - did I fall?" she asked Diaval. "I think I hit my head, because it's later…. It was just dawn, and now it's mid-morning, and I was in my nest…."

"Uh, yes," Diaval said. His stomach dropped at weaving more lies. He shouldn't be doing this. Maybe he could just really knock her unconscious until he found a way to reverse the spell, and… no… That was even worse. "You did fall, but you'll be fine."

Maleficent rubbed her head, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. "Oh. Well, that's embarrassing. I wish I could control my wings better, but they're so big…."

"You'll get there, lass," Robin said, slowly flying to her side as he tried to keep shock out of his voice.

"I hope so," Maleficent said. Diaval took her small hand in his and helped her to stand. "Thank you, D-Diaval."

"You're welcome."

"Do you live in the Moors? I've never seen you here before," asked Maleficent. Diaval looked down at her, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips - she was so short.

"Yes, I do live in the Moors," Diaval said, and then he looked at a spot on Maleficent's shoulder. "But… we haven't met before." Lies. Lies. Lies. On the bright side, she wasn't upset about the previous day. On the downside, she couldn't remember the previous day, or the day before that, or the day before that….

"Are you a faerie? You don't have any wings," Maleficent observed, a note of pity in her voice as she looked at Diaval's wingless back.

"No, no. I'm a raven, but I can change my form. I can be a human, a horse - my mistress has even threatened to turn me into a mealy worm," Diaval said.

"I don't think you'd make a very good mealy worm," Maleficent stated. Robin laughed as she continued, "I think you make a much better human."

"Thank you?"

"Can you turn into a faerie?"

Diaval scratched the back of his head. "You know, I've never tried to, but I would think I could."

"Alright," Maleficent nodded. "How long have you lived in the Moors?"

"Quite a few years."

"Did you know my parents?" Malefient asked eagerly, bouncing on the balls of her bare feet.

Diaval knew Maleficent's parents had died when she was just a baby. Maleficent looked so hopeful that Diaval may have known her parents, and it pained him to say, "I'm afraid I never had the honor."

Deflating slightly, Maleficent said, "Oh." She looked crestfallen for a moment, but then shook off her disappointment and asked, "Well, do you know Robin?"

"We've met," Robin said, raising his eyebrows at Diaval.

"Robin's one of my best friends," Maleficent said, smiling at the other faerie. Then she turned back to Diaval. "It was nice meeting you, Diaval."

"Where are you going?" Diaval asked Maleficent as she began to walk down the hill. He and Robin exchanged a glance before following her.

"I'm going to try to go for another flight," she explained, rustling her wings in anticipation.

"But you just fell."

Shrugging, Maleficent said, "Practice makes perfect. Besides, I don't feel hurt."

Should Diaval try to stop Maleficent and keep her safe in the Rowan Tree? This would keep other creatures of the Moors from getting wind that she had become younger again. If they knew, their shocked reactions would clue Maleficent in that something was amiss. Actually, Maleficent didn't even have to met someone. She just had to take a careful look around to see that Moors had "suddenly" changed.

"I think you should lie down, lass, take a nap," Robin said, but Maleficent's lips turned down in a pout.

"Rooobiiiiiiiin," she said. "I'll just go for a short flight, and then I'll rest. Okay?"

Before Robin could reply, Maleficent spread her wings and took off. She wobbled in the air, her too-big wings and horns throwing her off-balance. But Diaval knew she wouldn't give up on trying to fly, so he turned into a raven and followed Maleficent and Robin.

It was quite a sight seeing Maleficent struggle with her wings. Diaval couldn't recall a time before that his former mistress had ever not been graceful and elegant.

Robin attempted to help coach Maleficent, trying to push aside his own emotions and remember advice given years before. Maleficent pumped her wings, frowning as the weight of her horns dragged her head to the side. Diaval circled above them, noticing that while most of her troubles were due to her oversized wings and heavy horns, Maleficent strived to keep her upper body straight as she tried to find her center of balance. The result was she was as stiff as a board.

Cawing to attract her attention, Diaval swooped to the ground and transformed. Maleficent nearly landed on top of him, and she hastily apologized.

"It's fine," Diaval said, helping to steady the small faerie. "But I have a tip for you. I know it's hard, but try to relax a bit more everywhere but your stomach. Keep tension here," Diaval gently pressed his hand to Maleficent's stomach. He knew Maleficent generally didn't like being touched after what happened with Stefan, but she didn't react, "to remind yourself where your center is."

Maleficent nodded. She took back to the air, wrinkling her nose slightly as she always did when concentrating. Diaval watched as she put his advice to practice, and her face lit up when she noticed her improvement.

"Very good, lass!" Robin called to her.

"It worked! Thank you, Diaval!" she cried, grinning. Robin hurried over to Diaval and muttered his own relieved thanks before following Maleficent, who was picking up a bit of speed.

Once Diaval was back in the air and at Maleficent's side, Maleficent smiled at him. She reached out, touched his feathered back, and declared, "Tag, you're it!" before zipping away.

Diaval watched, confused, as the giggling child hurried away. What was she doing? What did "tag" mean? Maleficent looked over her shoulder, and her smile faded a bit. "Oh. Do you know how to play 'Tag?'" Diaval cawed and again landed, expecting Maleficent to explain "Tag" to him.

She did. Maleficent and Robin joined Diaval on the ground as he asked, "What's 'Tag?'"

"'Tag' is a game," Maleficent said. "It's easy, right, Robin?"

"Oh, yes," he agreed, nodding. "One person is 'It,' and they chase the other people. When 'It' tags someone, it becomes their turn to be 'It.'"

"That sounds simple enough," Diaval said. "So I'm 'It' now?"

"Yes," said Maleficent before jumping back into the air. "Come get me!"

"You better fly quickly!" Diaval teased before transforming.

The raven soared after the happy faerie. Flying after them, Robin shouted, "I'm playing, too!" Diaval immediately changed direction, and his new target hurried away. But a moment later Diaval swooped over him and gently tapped his head with one of his talons.

"I'll get you!" Robin said, laughing at Diaval, but Diaval was too quick for him. He caught up to Maleficent, who dodged him, thinking Diaval was 'It'. Her eyes widened when Robin landed on her shoulder, said, "Tag," and buzzed off.

The game continue, the trio eventually chasing themselves into a meadow. Diaval thought the game was rather similar to hunting. Except when he caught his prey, they took his place as "It" instead of becoming lunch. It was a little less fun when Diaval was the one being tagged. As it happens in hunting, an alliance seemed to have been formed. Robin and Maleficent kept tagging Diaval instead of each other. Diaval decided a little revenge was in order.

A plan was quickly spun into existence in Diaval's mind and he flew after Maleficent. But instead of just touching her, he turned into a human, midair, and grabbed her around the waist. Startled, Maleficent shrieked as he pulled her down into the tall grass. Her wings flapped in protest as she cried, "Hey! That's cheating!" But she couldn't help but giggle.

"No, I don't believe it is," Diaval smirked, setting her on the ground. "But maybe this is."

With that, Diaval began to tickle Maleficent. She toppled over, laughing wildly as she tried to avoid Diaval's attacks. "Diaval! Stop that!" Maleficent curled into a ball, swatting Diaval away. But he persisted, cackling.

Suddenly, Maleficent's hysterical laughs of amusement were cut off by a sharp gasp of pain. Diaval immediately stopped tickling her, his own joy giving way to concern. "Maleficent, are you alright?" Diaval asked. His only response was a groan. On his knees, he leaned over Maleficent and carefully rolled her onto her back. "Oh my gods."

All the color had left Maleficent's face, and her eyes were shut tight. Her wings slowly curled around her body and she inhaled shakily. Most worrisome was she seemed to beginning to glow gold. An outsider might have considered the color pretty, but after Maleficent's latest experiments, Diaval was only filled with horror at the sight.

"What did you do to her?" Robin demanded, his eyes wide with worry as he zipped to his young friend's side. "Maleficent, can you hear me?"

"I didn't do anything," Diaval muttered as he scooped Maleficent into his arms.

"It hurts," she moaned weakly, pressing her face into the front of Diaval's shirt.

"What hurts?" Diaval asked, trying to keep his voice level. Maleficent didn't respond, but the golden aura seemed to deepen.

"It's an effect of the time spell." The words came to Diaval's lips without any warning, but he knew at once they were true. "Robin, go get healing faeries. Now!"

Robin flew off as quickly as he could, leaving Diaval alone with the suffering Maleficent.

"This is my fault," Diaval murmured to Maleficent, but if she registered his words, she didn't reply. Or worse - maybe she couldn't. The thought brought wetness to Diaval's eyes. "I should have stopped you from trying the spell. Maleficent, I'm so, so sorry." He brought his voice down, although there were no ears nearby to overhear his words. "I love you."

Diaval had rarely heard those words spoken before. He personally had never found the right opportunity to say them until then. His family and friends knew he cared about them, and that had been all that mattered. But now Maleficent was hurt, and it was his fault, and she needed to know Diaval loved her. Maybe his love for her wasn't romantic, like Aurora and Phillip's feelings for one another. But Maleficent was his friend, and maybe his mate. No, not mate. But he was something of a godfather to Aurora, and if Maleficent was her godmother…. And in the past few days, the desire to protect Maleficent was the same fatherly feeling Diaval had for Aurora. It was complicated. But one thing Diaval was certain of, and it was that he definitely loved Maleficent. And in that meadow, with a small, wounded figure in his arms, he deeply regretted he had not said so sooner.

...

Malefifreaks.

I'm so sorry for not updating in a while. It's been, what, a week and half? I'm sorry, but my life's been pretty chaotic. Been helping a friend move, getting ready for school, my dance audition (I actually did a routine to Once Upon A Dream, and I think I did pretty great! Only I couldn't breathe at the beginning, hahaha. I was trembling so badly, I think the teachers saw. It's funny now, but I was nearing the verge of collapsing then)... And then I've got high school and dance coming up, so I don't know how that will effect my updates. I should be able to update at least once a week, I think. Guess we'll find out.

Thanks for sticking with me! Please review. Constructive criticism and random jokes welcome!

Kitty

P.S. Anyone catch that Divergent reference?