Chapter 1

(1 year later)

Maleficent strode through the empty corridors of the castle, her footsteps echoing across the marble floors. It had been an entire year, an entire year of Aurora being asleep, an entire year of her and Dival balancing the ruling of both kingdoms. Suffice to say it had been a long year. Each and every day seemed to drag on and on, and by the day's in Maleficent only found comfort in knowing that the princess was safe.

But that would all change today, for as Maleficent approached the grand set of double doors belonging to Aurora's bed chambers she found them slightly ajar, Dread filled Maleficent's body as she realized Aurora's stationed guard was nowhere to be seen.

And then, she was running, she ran down the corridors like a bolt of lightning. As she rounded the corner into the princess's bed chambers she froze dead in her tracks, and an indescribable measure of rage surged through her veins.

Aurora's guard, the man who swore to protect her, the man Maleficent trusted to keep her safe had climbed into her bed and was trailing his filthy hands up and down her waist while he kissed her neck.

Maleficent's hands started to shake and in a flash of green light the man was thrown across the room and sent crashing into the folding screen. He bolted up like a snake, and froze dead in his tracks when he saw the woman in front of him. She was livid, she strode towards him like a predator, then she spoke in a voice so low it was barely audible.

"You! I trusted you to protect my daughter," she seethed. "You were suppose to consider only her best interests. You vial filthy man!" A growing hue of green light began building around her as she stepped closer and closer to the petrified guard. "You don't deserve to live." She whispered. And then, with a flick of her wrist the guard went crashing through the window and plummeting below to his death.

Dival was approaching Aurora's room when he heard the crash. He took off running towards her room, and when he got there he was stunned the window was shattered to pieces and Maleficent knelt by Aurora's bed brushing a shaky hand over the princess's hair and crying as she muttered broken apologies to the young girl. Dival approached the scene with caution and saw that Aurora's hair and dress were disheveled and there was a small cluster of bruises beginning to form on her neck.

Maleficent straightened up when she saw him come in, drawing herself up to her full height. "We need a new guard." She stated, her voice empty and disconnected.

Dival took a deep breath as realization over the situation settled in. "I can pull a guard from the main gates and tell him to…."

"NO!" Maleficent shouted. "No men, and no one from this castle." She took a calming breath and looked back to Aurora, "We need someone new," she whispered. "Someone we can trust."

Dival nodded his head in agreement, he knew there would be no persuading Maleficent after today's events. He watched as she fussed over Aurora and checked her for injuries. Over the past year Maleficent had become more open about her love for Aurora, but only behind closed doors, and never in front of anyone but Dival.

"I'll go find someone," he stated. With another flick of her wrist she turned Dival back into a bird and muttered a small thank you as he took to the skies. In search of the princess's new guard.

Once Dival was gone Maleficent placed one more kiss on Aurora's forehead, collecting herself with a single breath she straightened up the princess's bedroom and strode out the double doors with a flourish. a new determination building within her.

(China 1 year later)

Across the world a dark haired soldier hummed an ancient tune to herself as she prepared her father's morning tea. It was the middle of summer and China and the days beginning was already rising in temperature. Mulan strode down the hallway of her family's farm house and set a teapot and porcelain cup in front of her father, who was immersed in a intense game of go with one of the family's closest friends.

"Mulan," The army captain greeted curtly.

"Shang," Mulan replied. "Trying to win against my father again?"

The old man laughed at his daughter's question, and the young army general just helplessly shrugged his shoulders. "I highly doubt I ever win a strategy game against the great Fa Zhou." Shang replied with a smile.

"That's probably true," Mulan admitted. "But you never know maybe……" The young warrior's words were cut short by the sounds of screaming coming from outside Mulan and Shang grabbed their swords and raced towards out the front door Fa Zhou Hobbled quickly behind them on his old walking stick.

When they got outside, Mulan's mother Fa li was beside herself, her eyes filled with fear at a pitch black bird that sat perched on the fence. "Shoo, be gone!!!" She cried Fa zhou walked up and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Let's go back inside Li, Mulan and the captain will take care of this strange creature."

Mulan's father took one last look at her before leading her mother inside. Mulan's attention was pulled back towards the strange bird who stared at her in return. Out of the corner of her eye Mulan saw Shang take a slight step away form the bird, she rolled her eyes at the sight.

'It's just a bird', she thought to herself. She approached the foreign animal with caution, waiting for a sign of movement on its part. But it never came. As Mulan edged closer to the bird she saw a small green pendant hanging around its neck. 'How strange,' she thought. 'Could this bird belong to someone?'

"Hello there," Mulan whispered as she approached the fence, "are you lost?"

Suddenly the bird transformed into a human right before her eyes, his ebony feathers giving way to dark hair and clothes.

Mulan screamed. And jumped back so quickly she nearly tripped over herself. She grabbed her sword and held it out in front of her as she stared at the bird/man with wide eyes.

"On the contrary…" the man began, his masculine voice holding an edge of authority, "I believe I may have just found what I'm looking for."

"I'm sorry?" the female warrior questioned. The grip on her sword steady despite the shaking of her hands.

"Forgive me," said the man, I seem to have traded my wings and manners for my human self. "My name is Dival, and I've been searching for someone like you for quite a while.