An (Un)Familiar Emotion...

The first week of school went on normally for most of the students, rumors and speculation aside. But for Aurora and Maleficent, trying to carry on as roommates proved to be very...trying.

Aurora tried her best to be civil, while Maleficent blatantly ignored her presence, as well as any attempts at conversation. At first, it didn't wear on Aurora's nerves at all, since she was out with friends most of the time, and Maleficent was content to stay in their room and study and read all alone. It was just the evenings that were uncomfortable, when both girls were trapped together after curfew. And, while Aurora did her best to leave Maleficent to her thoughts, she still wondered about her enigmatic roommate. Meanwhile, Maleficent had no interest in Aurora, but the time they were forced to spend together brought many of the blond beauty's irritating quirks to Maleficent's attention. And all along, Maleficent could sense in the silence Aurora's fascination over her, all the questions that Aurora was dying to ask but would never dare let escape her lips. It grew maddening for the green-faced girl.

And, of course, the whispers of the other students weren't helpful. Every day, as Maleficent tried to slip through the halls without returning the others' uninvited attention, she couldn't help overhearing snippets of conversation, some of which she was sure were actually meant for her ears as she passed:

"Aurora is so brave for rooming with her..."

"I bet she's actually green with envy..."

"Can you imagine being stuck in a room with that? "

"Aurora's far too good to share oxygen with that creature!"

"I heard Cindy say that Aurora saw Maleficent reading dark magic tomes!"

"I wouldn't be able to sleep... Think of the nightmares you'd have!"

"Let's hope that monster doesn't take advantage of Aurora's kindness..."

"Aurora is such an angel..."

Maleficent felt something akin to an emotion she'd felt many times before for people like this: hatred. But toward Aurora, her perfect, beautiful, "angelic" roommate, she felt something much deeper...something more sophisticated than simple, primal hatred. And certainly not indifference, an air that Maleficent had built to protect herself from prying eyes. No, she was certainly not indifferent toward Aurora. The girl's presence was enough to set Maleficent on edge. She felt her scales bristle every time Aurora walked into the room, her skin crawled at the sound of the girl's voice, and the sight of her brushing her pretty hair and admiring her own reflection in her vanity mirror filled Maleficent with a disgust unlike any other she'd ever experienced.

What was this unquantifiably awful feeling roosting in Maleficent's gut?

It all came to a head at the end of that first week of school, when Aurora would come in from her last class, wearing an uncharacteristic pout in an attempt to gain Maleficent's sympathy, and slump into the seat in front of her vanity and sigh, feigning depression. Unfortunately for her, Maleficent had also had a particularly trying day, and had been looking forward to an afternoon of solitude with her books, as had become customary. But now here Aurora was, unexpected and unwelcome, continually huffing and sighing in a weak show of her own unhappiness.

Maleficent refused to give Aurora the attention she wanted, and instead focused intently on the book she was trying to read, only showing her fury by aggressively flipping the pages.

"How was your day?" Aurora asked her, watching her through the mirror.

Maleficent's gaze flickered briefly toward the back of Aurora's head, then back toward the page she had been thoughtfully scanning before Aurora could blink. Aurora watched her curiously for a moment longer, then looked into her own eyes in the mirror with another dramatic sigh.

"My day was absolutely dreadful... I didn't do so well on the last test in Dr. Doppler's class. How did you do?" Aurora pressed on in an airy tone as she started to touch up her makeup, most likely in preparation of a day out with her wonderful friends.

Maleficent rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She pretended to continue reading, but at this point she was so vexed by Aurora's intrusive behavior that she couldn't even focus on the printed words.

"Then I found out that Cindy was accepted into the Blue Fairy's class, but I wasn't. My application was rejected due to my inexperience. I don't know how I'll ever tell my family..."

Aurora sniffled and Maleficent looked up to see her hunched over in front of the mirror, her face buried in her dainty hands. Aurora shook her head and moped pitifully, "They'll all be so disappointed..."

Maleficent narrowed her eyes, then slapped her book shut and scoffed, "Oh, poor you."

Aurora sat up now, staring at Maleficent's reflection, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry?"

"Why don't you go whine to someone who'll actually believe those crocodile tears?" Maleficent asked mockingly, leaning forward. "I would ask if you can see how busy I am trying to prepare for my next lesson with Ursula, but I already know that you don't care about anyone but yourself. And you'd probably only despise me more because I'm actually getting somewhere in school and you're not."

Aurora stared at Maleficent through the mirror for a moment, utterly shocked. This was the most she'd ever heard Maleficent say at once, and it left her feeling shaken and...thoroughly unhappy. But not just that. No, there was something more, something...something there that Aurora had never before experienced feeling. Something akin to anger... But much deeper.

Aurora's sweet, miserable face started to twist into an expression of outrage and she turned to face Maleficent straight-on. She remained seated in front of the vanity while Maleficent was perched on the end of her bed, glaring at Aurora out of pure contempt.

"How can you say such awful things?" Aurora demanded, seeming genuinely hurt as well as abhorrent. "I'm trying my best in all my classes! And I don't envy your own progress in the slightest. I'm happy to see you doing so well!"

"Yes, I suppose you find pride in being in such close quarters with Madame Ursula's prized pupil. Perhaps if you're nice to me now, I'll return the favor in the future and help you climb the social ladder. Hm? Is that what you think?"

"What? "

"Oh, please, just admit it! Everyone already knows that you only volunteered to be my roommate out of pity for such a hideous creature. But it wasn't just that, was it? You heard Ursula say that I could have a position with the Wizard some day and you just had to jump at the chance to get close to me!" Maleficent laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "You're absolutely vile, you know that? As if I would ever be friends with someone like you."

Aurora choked back tears, now fueled by abject repugnance, and jumped up from her chair as though electrified by her sudden rage. She took a few shaky breaths, as if unsure how to accurately put what she was feeling into words. Maleficent could hardly imagine that Aurora hadn't been one to throw a fit before, but it seemed now that the girl was dealing with emotions she was unfamiliar with.

"You... You awful, repulsive, evil...witch! " Aurora shrieked, stomping her foot like a child.

Maleficent straightened up now, her expression becoming dangerously amused. "A witch, am I?"

"You want to know the truth? I did feel sorry for you that day! I thought everyone was being unnessecarily cruel to you, and I did think to be a friend to you, if the situation ever arose. But I never once thought to associate myself with you beyond that! When I 'volunteered' to room with you, it was an accident! I wasn't paying attention and I was trying to ask Ursula if I could room with one of my actual friends, and instead I got stuck with you!"

Maleficent stood up now, glowering at Aurora, total detestation rolling off her dark form in waves. "Well, quite the little actress you are, aren't you? It really almost seemed that you were just trying to be nice. Oh, and everyone thinks you're so good. Well, now I know better. You and all your little friends... I absolutely loathe the lot of you!"

Aurora gasped, completely aghast at this remark.

Maleficent snarled angrily and stormed toward the door. "Since you refuse to let me study in peace and quiet, I'm leaving! I don't care what kind of humiliation awaits me outside, as long as I'm somewhere far away from your self-centered moaning!"

Aurora watched her go indignantly. Maleficent threw the door open and disappeared through it. Aurora grabbed a fluffy pillow off of her bed and threw it toward the door with an enraged screech, but the door was slammed shut by some invisible force- most likely conjured by Maleficent as she stalked down the hall- and the pillow bounced lamely off of it and hit the floor. Aurora groaned and picked the pillow up. As she moved to put the pillow back on her bed, she caught sight of herself in the vanity mirror and gasped at how red her face had become.

Maleficent had no idea how long she'd been walking, but she didn't care. She would walk to the ends of the earth if it meant never having to see that spoiled girl again. But, since she wasn't about to let Aurora have the satisfaction of chasing her away from a future of power at the Wizard's side, she would settle for the end of the school's campus. She circled the perimeter of the grounds for awhile, far from where any of the other students lounged. She considered, briefly, taking refuge in the woods until curfew. It had occurred to her many times before in her life that she could just run off into the forest and get lost in there and never come home, and no one would even care. Total freedom in the wilderness, with only animals for company, which would never judge her appearance as a reflection of her character. In the wild, she could live as an animal herself and actually stand a chance at happiness...

These thoughts were interrupted when she heard the sound of hooves approaching. She looked up to see a bright red horse racing toward her, pulling a carriage. Maleficent quickly dashed out of the way before she could be run down by the horse-drawn carriage. The wheels of the carriage kicked up thick clouds of dust as it swept past her, leaving Maleficent hacking and wheezing on the side of the road.

"Woah!" She heard a young man call, and the carriage came to a stop. The horse whinnied impatiently while a head of thick, finely-coiffed brown hair poked out of the carriage window. Then, the door swung open and out stepped the head, now attached to a tall, lean body, clad in the finest fabrics. Maleficent narrowed her eyes at the young man as he approached her. He hadn't looked at her yet, too busy straightening out the crisp vest he wore, a body-hugging garment made of a deep, cherry-red material, adorned with gold buttons.

"I'm sorry about that..." The boy said in a cheerful but haughty tone as he drew nearer to her. He still hadn't looked up, so her expression of revulsion hadn't stung him yet. "It seems sometimes that the horse has a mind of its own. Please, forgive us for-" His weak attempt at an apology was stopped short when he finally looked up at her, his brown eyes suddenly filled with horror, then shock.

"For almost killing me?" Maleficent asked scornfully. She looked behind him to glare at the horse, which remained uncaring- and had magically turned purple when she wasn't looking- but the other three young men who gaped at her from the carriage window and strongly resembled the embecile standing before her suddenly disappeared when she looked in their direction. Maleficent smirked ruefully up at the boy in front of her. "I can assure you, you can't do anything to me that I can't endure."

"I'm so sorry... I didn't realize that-"

"That I was a repulsive monster? Oh, poor you. It seems we're both at a disadvantage. I didn't realize that I would be going to school with a bunch of vapid, simple-minded, shallow, self-involved, inconsiderate fools." Maleficent proudly threw back her head and swept past him, leaving him standing there in shock. He slowly turned to watch her strut toward the front gates of the school courtyard, his mouth hanging open, utterly dumbfounded.

"Do you not know who I am?" He demanded finally, starting to stagger forward after her.

"I don't care who you are." She responded flatly, not turning back.

"Well, having a look at my carriage might suit your best interest!" He called after her, obviously appalled.

Maleficent stopped walking, rolled her eyes, and turned to look the carriage over with a cold expression. The vehicle was painted black, with a shimmering green finish when cast in the sunlight. It was adorned with lively bundles of red, orange and yellow flowers, and decorative ribbons. And it was weighed down by the absurd amount of luggage strapped to the top of it. Whoever had put this together must have really wanted these boys to seem important. Then, Maleficent saw the family crest engraved in the carriage door- a proud shield with a large red "P" in the center, and two gleaming golden swords crossing blades over the "P", and a matching golden banner with a message scrawled in another language underneath, all accented with obnoxiously bright hues of red, blue, and orange- and narrowed her eyes knowingly. She sneered in the direction of the horse, which was now an alarming shade of yellow.

She looked up at the young man who was glaring at her and smiled coyly at him.

"Ah... The Prince Brothers... The epitome of wealth and ignorance. Finally decided to leave your little bubble of supremacy and see what it's like among the rabble?" Maleficent asked, putting on her most mocking impersonation of his own haughty tone from before.

He was putting on a brave face now, doing his best not to seem disturbed by her. "Is that really how you see us?"

"I think it's exactly how anyone with a brain sees you." She replied with a smirk before turning away again.

"My name is Phillip, in case you were wondering!" He called after her, seeming intent to make nice.

"I wasn't." She said curtly in response, strolling through the gate and out of sight.

Phillip quickly climbed back into the carriage with his three brothers, trying to hide his awe at what had just happened.

"What in Oz was that thing? " Florian demanded in obvious disgust.

"You don't think they all look like that, do you?" Charming asked in disaste, dusting off his silver jacket.

Edward's blue eyes lit up with excitement. "Just think of what other creatures we'll meet among the common folk!"

Phillip sighed and called to the horse again, signaling for it to carry them the rest of the way. As they rode into the school courtyard, Phillip scanned the area for a sign of the unsightly girl who'd left him so unnerved. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a need to speak to her again, to make things right. He was forced to shake the feeling off when the carriage finished rolling around the courtyard and came to a stop near a crowd of excited students.

"And so it begins..." Phillip muttered before plastering on a smile and opening the carriage door. He and his three brothers were immediately swarmed by a sea of screaming and adoring fans, all clamoring desperately to make friends.

Aurora had been in too bad a mood to join her friends in welcoming the Prince Brothers to Shiz, and instead decided to stroll in the school's garden to calm herself. She couldn't possibly face the new- and very important- students in such a foul state.

Why did Maleficent have to ruin everything? What a selfish, putrid, ungrateful, reprehensible girl! What had Aurora been thinking, trying to be nice to her? Well now she knew better. It was clear that Maleficent was incapable of being a friend to anyone.

Aurora sat on a bench in the garden and took a deep breath, letting the sunlight bathe her in warmth and honey-golden light. The breeze carried the pleasant scent of the many flowers with it, blessing her with a multitude of sweet fragrances. She'd come to the gardens a few times in the last week, usually with Snow White and Giselle, and quickly decided that it was her favorite place in the school. It was rare for anyone else to come here; the other students craved stimulation and adventure that this quiet space couldn't provide. So Aurora found it to be the place where she could find peace. And, on the rare occasions, the place where she would seek some time alone. Like now.

"Excuse me?"

The unfamiliar voice startled her slightly and she turned to see a tall, charmingly handsome young man standing nearby.

"Do you mind if I join you?" He asked in a tone that was gentle, yet regal.

Aurora smiled sweetly and scooted over, patting the extra space next to her on the bench. "Of course. Come, sit."

"I'm sorry to intrude..." He smiled gratefully as he came to sit by her. "It's just... Well, I just needed some time alone, I guess. I suppose you came here for the same reason?"

"Yes, but... I don't mind you being here." She replied. "It's nice not being alone." She watched as a blue butterfly danced along the petals of a nearby flowerbed and giggled to herself.

The boy watched her for a moment, instantly charmed by her casual air of kindness and her elegant purity.

"You are a breath of fresh air, if I may say so." He told her, making her turn toward him in surprise. "You're the first person I've met here who isn't so...well...crazy."

She laughed a little. "Crazy?"

"Well, the first student I came across wasn't exactly...welcoming. She was actually quite mean."

"She?"

"Yes, though I could only tell it by her voice... Her appearance, however..." He pulled a face. "Just monstrous, really..."

Aurora's face fell as she realized who he was talking about. "Green face, black scales, horns on her head?"

He was a little taken aback by her accurate description. "Well, yes."

Aurora sighed. "That's Maleficent..."

"You know her?"

"Well, everyone does by now. She's not exactly forgettable. But I'm the one who has to live with her."

He raised his eyebrows in shock. "She's your roommate?"

"Yes. She's actually the reason why I'm here. We had a terrible fight earlier, and she stormed out. I couldn't stand to stay in our room any longer, so I came here to calm myself."

"You come here often?"

Aurora smiled. "I try to."

He smiled back at her. "Then hopefully we'll cross paths again."

Aurora blushed and looked down at her lap.

"What was your fight about?" He asked.

"Hm?"

"Your fight with Maleficent."

Aurora sighed. "She just got upset with me for trying to be nice to her... She's a horrible girl, really. She made me so angry that my face flushed! Ugh, I looked terrible..."

"I couldn't imagine you looking terrible." The boy chuckled.

Aurora giggled nervously. No boy had ever spoken like that to her before. "Thank you... It's just... Well, no one's ever made me as upset as she has. I guess she just manages to bring out the worst in me, somehow..." Aurora looked up at him sheepishly. "Not just anger, but... Well... She actually made me feel hatred toward her today. No, not even just hatred, but something more like disgust... No, still something more visceral..." Aurora scoffed as she got lost in her own thoughts. "There was this word she used earlier, when she was yelling at me... Loathing. Yes, that's it."

"She said she loathed you?" He asked in mild surprise.

"Well, she was very angry... But you know... Oh, it sounds terrible, but... Sometimes I think I feel the same way toward her." Aurora sat rigidly as the feelings that once seemed unimaginable to her suddenly came rushing back. "Ugh, what a horrid girl, making me feel this way!"

The boy chuckled softly and she turned to see him looking slightly amused at her predicament. Aurora looked him over now, more out of curiosity than anything. Taking in the finely-tailored, expensive clothes he wore in place of a school uniform, and the unmistakably recognizable brown eyes and hair and fortunately compilated features, it dawned in Aurora who this must be. She scooted away a bit to gaze at him, suddenly feeling quite foolish.

"What did you say your name was?" She asked dumbly.

He smirked. "I didn't. But it's Phillip. Phillip Prince."

She gasped and jumped up out of her seat, shielding her blushing cheeks with her hands. "Oh, I'm so stupid! Of course, it's you! How could I-? Oh, nevermind. I've already made a fool out of myself, and now look at me. This is no way to carry on in front of you- practical royalty! No wonder you're laughing at me..." She turned and ducked her head in shame. What a way to make a first impression, sitting around in the gardens alone, then complaining about the roommate that she'd (supposedly) selflessly volunteered to be stuck with. What if he heard about that after this? He'd think she was either dishonest or crazy...

Phillip stood up now and approached her, quietly laughing. "I was only laughing because I've never met someone so apologetic for disliking such a creature."

Aurora turned to him in surprise.

He shrugged. "Forgive me for saying so, but you almost seem too good to be true."

Aurora looked shyly down at her feet. "It's my own fault, I suppose. I volunteered to room with her. I shouldn't complain about her now..."

"What's your name?" He asked as he drew closer to her, wearing a look of admiration.

She peered up at him. "Aurora. You can call me Rose, if you'd like."

He nodded. "It's very nice to meet you, Aurora." He gingerly took her hand in his and lifted her knuckles up to his lips.

Aurora felt her cheeks flood with heat and silently scolded herself for it. If her face turned red like it did earlier, she felt that she might die of embarrassment right here. Phillip chuckled as he watched her stunned face.

"I do like it when you blush like that." He said.

Aurora laughed in spite of herself.

"Well, look at this!"

They both turned to see Cindy approaching with the usual group, as well as Phillip's three brothers. Phillip quickly released Aurora's hand and took a step back from her. Aurora clasped her hands innocently behind her back and Cindy looked her over with thinly-veiled disdain. Then, Cindy smiled up at Phillip and held her hand out for him to shake.

"Welcome to Shiz Academy. I'm Cinderella. You can call me Cindy."

"Phillip. Charmed." He said politely as he shook her hand once.

Cindy seemed bothered by him not kissing her hand, as she'd seen him do to Aurora, but she tried to hide her jealousy as she crossed her arms over her chest and smiled tightly at him.

"How did you end up here, Phillip?" Charming demanded.

"We thought we lost you in that crowd!" Florian added. "They went absolutely mad!"

Phillip smirked. "I managed to sneak away."

"Lucky you." Charming deadpanned.

"Yeah, thanks so much for the help!" Florian cried.

"I think it was exciting!" Edward said cheerfully. "And just look at the new friends we made!" He clapped Hercules and Naveen on the shoulders happily.

"It's true, they did rescue us from that crowd." Charming said. "They're the most sane people we've come across so far."

"You might think it best to stick with us, boys." Cindy said with a note of pride in her voice. "With us as your friends, you won't have to worry about any of those other pests bothering you."

"Whattaya say, Phillip?" Florian asked, discretely returning Snow White's favoring glance.

Phillip thought on it for a moment, then caught Aurora giving him a hopeful look. He smiled at her before telling them, "Of course! No harm in making friends. And you all seem wonderful."