The next morning, she awoke with the pounding in her head gone. Once again, she'd had a solid night of sleep. She felt almost regretful to leave as she moved Diaval's shrinking form back to his own perch and curled up in the warm spot he had left behind.
'What has gotten into me?' Maleficent wondered, staring at nothing. 'I have to act normal today. He's going to notice that something's up and he might sleep less soundly.' Somehow, that thought worried her. She had started to grow to like the strange sleeping arrangement, although the pesky Beastie would have argued she had instead grown to like-
She cut that thought smoothly, as if sliced by a knife, and rose to greet the day to avoid any similar ones. "Diaval!" Maleficent called, wanting to see Aurora as soon as possible to tell her about the curse. "Diaval!" The raven still hadn't stirred, and with a sigh, she sent a tendril of greenish haze over to him. A sharp popping sound echoed in the clearing, and the raven merely tumbled out of the tree, feathers smoking slightly.
"Come on, Diaval. Wake up." She flicked her fingers with annoyance, and the bird on the ground morphed into a man in deep slumber. Sighing, she resorted to lower means. She strode over to where he laid asleep and delivered a sharp kick to his side.
"Ouch! What was that for?" Now Diaval was awake, rubbing a sore spot on his side and wincing.
Maleficent gave an effortless shrug. "You wouldn't wake, and I need you to bring Aurora." Her voice was as cold as always, and Diaval must have chosen not to argue.
"My apologies, Mistress. I go." He dipped his head, awaiting transformation into his natural state.
Maleficent let her gaze linger just a bit on the dark feathers that joined his hair as she flicked her fingers again. The raven soared off on wings that made Maleficent resentful.
She turned those petty thoughts aside as well and began her usual routine of healing the forest. She walked its perimeter, growing and strengthening the thorn barriers along with mending broken branches and dying plants. Her Moors had to be pristine inside if she was even going to bother protecting it.
Maybe a half hour later, as she hummed softly while rejuvenating a plant whose flowers were wilted and dying, she heard the familiar flapping of wings.
"Ah, Diaval. The Beastie is still busy, then, is she not?" Maleficent said without bothering to turn around. The raven landed on the now-healed plant and tilted his head sideways in a decidedly birdlike manner. Maleficent carelessly twitched her fingertips, and Diaval sprang up human, far too close for her comfort.
She flinched and backed up. Diaval was hemmed in by the plant behind him, but he dipped his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Mistress. Aurora won't be free until early afternoon, but she promised to bring a picnic for us."
"A... pic... nic?" Maleficent tried out the unfamiliar word. "What is that?"
Diaval laughed, a hoarse birdlike sound. "Mistress, I'm a raven. I know even less about it than you."
A picnic turned out to be a collection of food items in a basket. The three sat on a blanket spread in the shade. Maleficent and Diaval took turns trying to name each exotic food, and Aurora would laugh and tell them its real name.
"You've got to be kidding me. A sand witch? How would that even taste good?" Diaval queried, picking up one of the mentioned food and raising it to examine it.
Aurora giggled. "A sandwich, Pretty Bird, not a sand witch. It's just cheese and meat and vegetables- whatever you want- in between two slices of bread."
"I don't know. I'm very suspicious. What if I take a bite, and the bread's full of sand and some evil creature places a curse on me?" Diaval and Aurora both cracked up at that, but the mention of a curse made Maleficent bitter.
"Oh, quit your complaining and just eat, Diaval," she snapped.
Diaval and Aurora both gave her a bemused glance. "As you wish, Mistress," he finally replied, taking a bite of the sandwich.
Aurora gave a fiendish smile. "For someone who just got scolded, you seem remarkably pleased," she told Diaval angelically.
Maleficent rolled her eyes- would the beast never cease to try to matchmake? It seemed as though the creature had always tried to push herself and Diaval together, innocently at first, and now much more persistently.
Diaval gave a perfectly nonchalant shrug. "Of course I am. This sandwich is actually rather tasty, and food always puts me in a good mood," he responded as perfectly casually as though Maleficent had coached him on what to say, waving the now-half eaten sandwich at the blond minx.
Maleficent smiled just a bit at how dejected the Beastie was at being thwarted. She took a bite of the sandwich Aurora had handed her earlier and leaned against the sturdy trunk of a tree.
"Do you love Godmother, Diaval?" Maleficent's smile vanished as she choked on the sandwich. Through streaming eyes, she could see Diaval doing nearly the same thing, raspy coughs escaping as he tried to clear his airways.
"Beastie, didn't you learn proper etiquette? Your aunties ought to be ashamed," Maleficent finally drawled when it became clear that Diaval was unable to speak. "It's considered impolite to ask things that make people choke on their food."
Aurora shrugged. "Sorry. I was just curious. Are you okay, Pretty Bird?"
Diaval appeared to have recovered, but now writhed on the ground like he was in death's throes. He gasped, "Mistress... Avenge... me…", then flopped to one side dramatically. His tongue lolled out as an afterthought.
"Gladly. Come along, Beastie. There's a large pile of mud just waiting for you." Maleficent grabbed Aurora by the arm and began to pull her to the river.
"What was that?" she hissed as soon as they were out of earshot.
Aurora beamed up at her. "You're welcome, Godmother!" She sounded like she had genuinely done the faerie a favor.
"For what?" Maleficent asked, flabbergasted.
"Don't be difficult. If he didn't have feelings for you, he would have said so. But I didn't hear any denial there!" Aurora smiled widely, all electric confidence.
Maleficent shot the girl a withering glare. With a wave of her hand, a pile of mud from the river soared out and smacked the girl in the face.
Aurora gasped in shock. "Oh, it's on!" Her mouth curved into a competitive smile, and their mud fight began.
It was soon evening, and Aurora ran up to the faerie to say farewell. Maleficent knew she had to tell the girl, and began. "There is an evil in this world, hatred and betrayal, that I cannot protect you from."
But Aurora merely laughed and smiled with relief. "I already got this speech from my aunties! I know- the world's a scary place, and I need to watch out. But don't worry, Godmother, I'll be fine. In fact, I was wondering... Could I stay here in the Moors with you? When I grow up, that is. Maybe when I'm sixteen? Ooh! That's only in a few days! What do you-"
Maleficent swallowed the lump in her throat as she interrupted the girl's chattering. "Yes, of course, Beastie."
That night, she stared up at the stars. Her fingers curved into fists, the long nails digging into her skin. She didn't mind. The pain was nothing compared to what she would feel with Beastie gone.
And then something wet and warm began to ooze from her clenched fists. She raised one to her face. Blood was visible, a crimson smear in the starlight. Maleficent needed something else to cling to, or she'd bleed out before morning.
With a sigh, she turned to Diaval. How had he become her comfort so quickly? But maybe he had always been, and she just hadn't noticed until now.
His sleeping form drifted over to her, and she made space for his transforming body. Then she curled up against his side, laid her head on his chest, and shed a single tear.
Her Beastie... The girl she had gradually come to love, who had determinedly thawed out her heart, was going to die... And Maleficent couldn't burst the bubble of happiness the girl had shown at being able to live in the Moors. Not when the creature was doomed to an everlasting sleep in just a few short days.
Suddenly she needed something to strengthen her. The closest thing was Diaval's left hand, slung over his stomach in much the same way as his other arm always curled around her shoulders.
'But you can't wake him,' Maleficent reminded herself as the fingers of her right hand reached for his. She poured all her frustration and sorrow and despair into her grip, and for one tense moment, it looked like he might awaken.
Her grip gradually slackened as more tears began to flow, seeping into the fabric of his tunic and staining her face an unattractive red. She cried silently, gasping shaky breaths, as she mourned for what would soon be the loss of her Beastie.
Hello again, everyone! The third chapter, as promised! The other two should be up by the end of the month.
I'm pretty pleased at the way the story is flowing; I feel like my writing style's been more consistent than usual. If you have any ideas or suggestions to improve my story or requests for other works, please leave a review!