Christina leaned heavily on Shaggy as they all walked down into the dungeons, her legs in pain despite the numbing balm she had been treated with the last few days. Her grandmother led the way into a large room where Duncan and Clawdeen were standing guard while Giles prepared the Cauldron. Once they were all inside, the crystal atop Maleficent's staff glowed briefly.
"I have just sealed the dungeons as a precaution", she told them. "We ARE dealing with an ancient artifact dark enough to give even ME pause."
"A wise decision, your Majesty", Giles nodded as he helped Shaggy lead Christina to the chair positioned near the cauldron. For several moments, nothing happened. Christina was on the verge of tears, the meager hope she had allowed herself starting to crumble.
"Wait", Clawdeen whispered. "Do you hear that?"
"Like, hear what?", Shaggy asked.
"She right", Duncan said. "I hear it too; like a low humming sound. And it's getting louder."
They all listened intently, knowing that Duncan and Clawdeen's hearing was far better than anyone else's, but soon they too could hear it! A low, metallic hum...
"Oh!", Christina gasped in surprise, feeling a tug at her body. Then an eerie, spectral-blue, and black mist-like energy began to seep out of her legs; curling up and into the Black Cauldron...
"Th-the pain...it's going away!", Christina said happily.
"It's working! Voltageous!", Frankie cheered.
"Legends be praised!", Giles said as all the teens celebrated.
'I failed you, my darling Alissa', Maleficent thought to herself, hoping her daughter was watching and listening from the afterlife. 'But I have saved Christina. I can only hope that you and your beloved can now begin to forgive me my sins, for I shall never forgive myself.'
Soon the macabre energy dwindled to nothing, disappearing into the Cauldron. Christina tested her legs tenderly at first, then stood up suddenly.
"It's gone! The pain is GONE! It's like I had never met Moanica!"
"AAAWOOOOO-HOOOOOO!", Shaggy howled happily, picking her up and twirling her around joyfully.
But as everyone was celebrating the success of this rather risky plan, something was happening behind them...with the Black Cauldron.
"Ugh! What is that smell?", Duncan suddenly asked in disgust. "It's like some thing died...a week ago..."
"...In a sewer!", Clawdeen finished for him, holding her nose. Now the others could smell it too.
Suddenly Christina, Maleficent, and Raven sensed a disturbance in Magick. Eyes wide, the three of them quickly turned to the Cauldron. The Black Cauldron began the quake violently, the ancient iron of the claw feet suddenly flexed then gripped the stone floor hard enough to crack it!
"Get back!", Maleficent warned, erecting a mystic barrier just as a column of necromantic power erupted from the Black Cauldron, spiraling into the air before it took a sinister form. It was over 7 feet tall, but as thin as a skeleton, clad in blood-red sorcerer's robes with a black fur cape, gnarled horns protruding through the hood of the robes. The face was that of a sneering skull with red pin-points glowing deep in the dark eye-sockets.
"The Horned King", Maleficent said in barely a whisper as even she, the mighty Queen of the Dark Fae herself, felt fear in her heart.
The spectral energy spread, crawling on the floor like a sickly mist, reaching every corner of every cell in the dungeon. The musty skeletons of former prisoners and guards long forgotten began to stir...and awaken!
"Rise, my servants!", the Horned King called. "Rise to form the vanguard of my Army!"
"NO!", Maleficent shouted, shooting a bolt of green lightning at the Undead King. "You shall not turn Ever After into a Kingdom of the Dead! I'LL NOT ALLOW IT!"
The Horned King blocked with his bone & Skull scepter with un-nerving ease. "Foolish Fae Queen. Your magick is nothing to my powers and that of the Cauldron", he laughed as he stepped out of the eldrich artifact.
"How about BOTH of us, bonehead?!", Christina countered, her confidence returning with her full health; throwing a pair of purple fireballs at him in conjunction with another bolt from her grandmother, while Giles searched the Book for an answer. The Horned King batted the attacks aside again.
"Stupid girl! Even dark fae magick is rooted in LIFE! And eventually DEATH overcomes ALL life!", he hissed, firing a shadowy bolt of black anti-energy at her, which she luckily dodged.
"I'm gonna, like, tear you apart!", Shaggy snarled, preparing to pounce, when Duncan grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait! Don't you hear that?", he asked. Shaggy listened, and he heard it from deeper in the dungeons; the creaking, groaning, and the skreeling sound of rusted cell doors opening and the eerie shambling of old bones and weapons coming closer! Scooby fearfully looked down the corridor...
"RIKES! ROH-NO!", he yelped running back in to jump into Shaggy's arms in terror.
"Like, what is it, Scoob?"
"RELETONS! ROTS AND ROTS OF RELETONS!"
"Duncan, Clawdeen, Shaggy, Frankie, Kenny! We gotta stop them!", Dirk declared, tossing a sword to Kenny. "Raven, help Christina and Maleficent! Giles! Find a way to stop all this!"
Duncan burned down the first ranks of undead warriors before leading the charge down the dungeon corridor to engage the rest. The fighters seemed to be holding the line. Unfortunately, the undead legions kept getting back up relentlessly. Eventually, the heroes would begin to tire. Raven lent her magick in support of Christina and Maleficent in their magical battle with the Horned King, which seemed a stalemate at the moment, despite the Cauldron continuing to feed power to the villain. Meanwhile, Scooby was watching Giles' back as he desperately searched the book for a solution. Just then, an ogre skeleton struck Shaggy, sending him flying back into the room.
"Here it is!", Giles yelled, finding what he was looking for. "Only a willing sacrifice can stop the Cauldron and contain its curse!"
Christina's eyes widened. A willing sacrifice. All of this had been because of HER. While her Grandmother and Raven had the Horned King's attention, she stepped toward the Cauldron.
"LIKE, NO CHRISTINA!", Shaggy shoving her aside. The shout drew the villain's attention, forcing Shaggy to dodge several blasts of dark magick and necromantic energy. "I'LL DO IT!", he shouted, with a final jump into the Black Cauldron!
The skeleton legion froze, then it seemed as if an ill wind began to pick them up and blow them toward the Cauldron; a wind that had no effect on the Living at all.
"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOO! NOT AGAAAAAAIIIIINNNNNN!", the Horned King screamed as his 'army' was sucked into the Cauldron, and the deathly cyclone began to pull him in as well! "NNNNNOOOOOOOOOooooooooo...!"
The wind had stopped, all the undead and the Horned King were gone...and Shaggy toppled out of the Black Cauldron like a puppet with its strings cut.
"SHAGGY!", Christina screamed, running to the lifeless body of her mate.
Falling to the floor beside him, she quickly cradled his head against her chest, the tears pouring down her face as the others filed back into the room. The group looked on somberly while she sobbed.
"Christina.." Frankie tried to comfort her only to be forcefully shoved away.
"NO!" Christina yelled, "Don't touch me!"
Thunder rumbled overhead but one glance out of the only window in the room revealed that it was Christina's doing indoors. The full Moon was steadily rising outside.
"Let's give her time alone," Maleficent herded the rest of the group out of the room shutting the door magically, leaving Scooby and Christina with Shaggy.
"W-why didn't you let me? WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME? Christina wailed, lightning joining the literal storm of emotions above them, "I-I didn't need to be saved..."
Scooby couldn't bring himself to look so he settled next to the door, hiding his face.
Slowly, Christina lowered Shaggy back to the floor, wrapping her wings around him, her wails slowing to quiet sobs as she laid her head on his chest.
"I didn't need to be saved..I didn't need to be spared..."
When Christina quieted, silent tears running down her face, Scooby plodded over, settling heavily beside her.
Tentatively, Maleficent opened the door again, grieved by the sight of her heartbroken grandchild. She waved the others in quietly.
"Raggy loved you, Ristina", Scooby sniffed. "He rould do ranything for you."
"Such is the freedom to choice", Raven added sadly. "The freedom to choose his Fate."
"And he chose to save you, Christina, every step of the way", Duncan said, proud of his friend. "Even at the cost of his own life, because he loved you."
"Oh Shaggy", she sobbed. "I love you..."
By now, the moon had reached its place in the sky, pale moonlight spilling through the window. Shining like a spotlight on Christina as she pressed a final heartfelt kiss to Shaggy's lips. She couldn't hold on forever but she couldn't bring herself to let go, much less look at the limp body in her arms.
There was a sharp gasp startling them all as Shaggy's eyes flew open. Transformed under the moonlight he sat up, still gasping for air.
"SHAGGY!" Christina hugged him tightly, her tears of sadness now tears of joy.
"Hi...Christy.." Shaggy wheezed, "Too tight..."
"Sorry, sorry," The hybrid released him apologetically, "You're alive! please don't ever do anything like that again"
"Like, I will always put you first, no matter what and you like, can't talk me out of it"
"Shaggy-"
"I'm serious"
"If we're all done here, let's get out of the dungeon," Clawdeen lightly suggested.
"Lead the way!"
...
Charlie Reaper was getting tired of following the stuffy headmaster around. It was the same thing every single day but his ONLY childhood friend had specifically asked him to spy and he would do so. Currently, Grimm sat at his desk, the lights turned low as he scribbled on some forms. Once those were signed they were pushed away. He stood, locking the office door before returning to his desk. From a hidden drawer, he grabbed a glowing scroll, spreading it flat across the desk as he rubbed his chin in thought.
What is that? The young reaper thought jumping from Grimm's shadow to the one cast by the desk to better see what the man was so focused on, only to stifle a gasp. ROSIE!
"What to do about you, Miss Shadowfae? The key that will end this acursed Rebel nonsense once and for all. I'm afraid, dear child that you've forced me to consider extreme measures"
Not good, not good at all!
...
"Christy, I like, swear I'm not going to disappear!" Shaggy laughed.
"That was not a laughing matter!" Christina replied.
"If you squeeze me any tighter I like, am going to pass out"
Christina only loosened her grip by a fraction, resting her head on his chest. After everything they'd just gone through the group collectively decided to call it a night so the couple was snuggled in front of the fireplace while Scooby and Prince slept behind them.
"I love you," the hybrid repeated for the umpteenth time since they'd sat there.
"I love you more"
"Please don't ever do that again"
"I like, already said I'm always going to put you first"
"But-"
"No"
"You're impossible"
"I know"
"And frustrating"
"Yes, but you love me"
"I do"
"Like, what do you want to do first when we get home?"
"Pet my dog and hug my wolf"
"I'm sure Sibella's like, taking good care of them"
"I know she is but I just want to get back to normal; what do you want to do?"
"Like, start looking for our own place I mean if you like, still want to?"
"Of course I do, you goof"
"I'm so glad"
Snuggled in each other's arms the couple fell fast asleep.
...
Quite the heated argument was brewing in the castleteria the next morning and it was grinding Raven Queen's nerves.
"All I'm saying," Apple spoke at the head of the table surrounded by the other die-hard Royals, "Is that she has a DUTY to herself and Ever After. Christina must sign the book and take the throne, it's selfish to fight it"
"Apple," Raven heaved a sigh pinching the bridge of her nose at the other end of the table, "Christina was born and raised in a realm of FREE WILL, the only selfish thing is trying to force her into a dangerous, stupid tradition"
Apple nearly swooned into Daring Charming's arms, "Signing the Book isn't dangerous Raven"
"Yeah," Blondie Locks nodded vigorously, "Maybe she wants to but can't because of those monsters"
Apple nodded in agreement, "Exactly"
Dirk facepalmed with an audible groan beside his sister who rolled her eyes.
"And she literally chased you, the other Royals, AND Headmaster Grimm out of her house on several occasions becaaauuuse...?", Dirk asked leadingly.
"Because she doesn't know any better", Apple said. "Because of her upbringing, no one properly explained the importance of her Legacy so she doesn't understand. We need to help her."
"But, Sis, I heard she found a letter from her mom explaining everything", Arthur said gently. "Plus, she HAS been spending time with her grandmother, who DOES know everything..."
She doesn't understand because she thinks like one of those monsters", Ramona Badwolf barked. "She's one of US, and she needs to grow up and act like it!"
"Yeah, Arthur", Duchess sniped. "Just because you THINK Raven is your Princess doesn't mean you can just ignore that you're a Royal. Remember which side you're on!"
The argument dissolved into such a screaming match that none of the teens noticed the glowing eyes watching from the shadows.
...
Christina woke with a scream, falling out of the bed and onto the floor.
"Christy?" Shaggy jumped from the bed in concern, lifting the shaking hybrid from the floor, "Like, what's the matter? Are you hurt? Where?"
"Nightmare, really bad nightmare," Christina hiccuped a cry, "I'm-I'm sorry-"
"Like, don't apologize, do you like, want to talk about it?"
"No"
"Alright," Shaggy held Christina close, rubbing circles into her back.
The door to the room flew open, and Clawdeen and Duncan stood there in fight mode.
"We heard you scream," Duncan explained, eyes darting throughout the room searching for danger.
"I just had a really bad nightmare, no danger, nothing to worry about"
"Are you okay?"
"More or less, I don't want to talk about it"
"Okay"
"Breakfast," Maleficent called from the end of the hallway.
"Be right there," Christina called back hoping her voice didn't sound as strained as she thought it did.
Clawdeen and Duncan hurried back to their room to get ready for the day while Shaggy hopped in the shower. Christina waited until she heard the water running to pull her diary out from under her pillow. With one last glance over her shoulder, she flipped open the book to the last page she'd written on. The page where she copied down the prophecy that had been bouncing around her mind since she'd first heard it.
Dark Fae Princess full of light.
whose heart is shining ever bright.
The twisted schemes all will fail.
Her True Love found beyond the veil.
On the throne, she will be the key to all the chains of Destiny.
There were so many questions. How old was this prophecy? The scroll was magic but she recalled its smell, of old ink and weathered paper. Was her entire life just pre-decided after all? Was she only there to enforce something she was so against? Panic clutched her heart squeezing the breath from her lungs until her diary fell to the floor as she had a full-blown panic attack the likes of which she hadn't experienced since her powers came in so many years before.
"Christina!" Shaggy almost fell over with worry upon seeing her, "Oh, no, no, no"
...
Headmaster Grimm smiled with satisfaction as he looked over the copy of the prophecy, certain he could use it to end the Rebel movement once and forever after!
Dark Fae Princess full of light.
obviously the Princess Christina.
whose heart is shining ever bright.
this could ONLY mean that she would see the light and embrace her Legacy.
The twisted schemes all will fail.
all the efforts of the monsters and Rebel would amount to naught!
Her True Love found beyond the veil.
that scrawny werewolf, unfortunately.
On the throne, she will be the key to all the chains of Destiny.
Destiny will be set back on the proper course, never to be altered again!
Unnoticed by Milton, his younger brother Giles was watching from the door, shaking his head in disappointment. Milton was so set, so unbending in his ways and beliefs. He could not even conceive that there could be another interpretation of the prophecy; one that would shatter all that he believed in and fought for. One that makes new stories possible in Ever After.
Milton's plan had already been set in motion, now, he just had to wait.
...
"ROSIE! ROSIE! ROSIE!" Charlie leaped from the shadows only to stop.
Shaggy had laid Christina back on the bed. Holding tightly to her hand, he walked her through deep breathing.
"Panic attack?"
"Yeah," Shaggy nodded, returning to the task at hand, "breathe in and ouut, okay, sweetie? You're doing so good"
For several minutes, Charlie stood awkwardly in the corner until at last Christina sat up looking exhausted.
"Hi, Charlie," she weakly waved, "Come join us for breakfast, I assume you have news?"
"I'm not sure I should-"
"I'll be fine, come on, before Grandmother sends the guards"
...
Maleficent was immensely relieved when Christina finally appeared in the doorway, looking worse for wear, leaning heavily on Shaggy.
"I'm just tired, I'm okay, promise," Christina smiled, taking a seat beside the elder fae, "This is my friend Charlie, he's been keeping an eye on Grimm and he has some news"
"I'm not sure I mean-" the reaper stumbled over his words.
"Charlie, please, I want to know"
"They're fighting at the school, the students I mean, over you, Rosie"
"What else?"
"Grimm, he aranged for someone to escape prision? I heard him last night"
"Who?" Maleficent demanded, "Why?"
"Someone called the Toy Master? They were talking in a crystal ball or something, I couldn't really see at the angle I was hiding but he's coming to 'test' Rosie"
"Grandmother? What is it?"
Maleficent had stood abruptly from the table, "That slimy, lowly...we have to prepare!"
Christina was on the edge of hyperventilation all over again.
"Like, just maybe we should like, wait until after breakfast?"
"Yes, yes," Maleficent caught the look on Shaggy's face, "Let's not waste the food"
...
Christina restlessly paced the castle, the news of an impending attack crashing with the prophecy until her head was pounding. Just after breakfast, Shaggy had whisked her back to the bedroom, insisting she take a nap before she dropped somewhere. The others meanwhile, shut themselves in the great hall to formulate a plan. She had tried to sleep but the chill of her nightmare still tingled on her spine, fear twisting her stomach into tight knots until she kicked off the blanket and sprinted out of the room before the walls could crush her.
Have to breathe, she leaned on the wall, vision swimming, Can't pass out.
The wall shifted opening beside her.
Caught off guard she stepped back, rubbing her eyes furiously. She half expected someone or something to pop out of thin air. Shaking her head she slipped into the passage before the wall shut, encasing her in darkness.
Breathe, breathe, I wonder where this leads anyway?
Happy to have something else to focus on other than the sense of impending dread, Christina ignited a flame and pressed forward, eager to leave the horrible thoughts behind. On and on she walked the stone giving away to dirt. The farther away from the castle she got the easier it was to think and slowly her feelings of dread and anxiety turned to raw searing anger. Grimm had told the realm she was there. Grimm had sent the media circus to invade the hollow. Grimm had sent royal after royal to push her onto the destiny track and now, and now, he let a convict escape to attack. Attack her and everyone else. That alone made Christina furious. Rather than explode in firey rage she began to think, unknowing and uncaring how far she had wandered.
This, Toy Master, was coming for her. To fight her, to beat her down and break her to pieces so she climbed onto the throne in desperation too tired to fight Destiny any longer. To lock it in place forevermore.
No.
I am sick and tired of being pushed around like a chess piece, Christina clenched her fists, I'll deal with the Toy Master myself
In what little training she'd gotten before her sickness so rapidly progressed she had learned how to cloak herself from being found by magic or other means. She recited that spell, determination sparkling in her eyes. Her friends could forgive her later, they'd already been put through the wringer with the horned king and she could handle herself, a newfound strength filling her as the magic of this realm which she had tried so hard to shut out was finally allowed to flow through her rising from the soles of her feet to the tips of her horns.
This ends now!
...
By the time she emerged from the tunnel, the sun was setting. Christina had traded her comfy clothes for some conjured armor. Armor that had shown up with the mere thought. Where this would've sent her for a loop before she merely shrugged finding the black-purple tinted armor fit her in a way she couldn't describe.
A glance around revealed that she was far outside the Moors and deep into the forest, the trees growing so close together that they shut out the sun but she pressed on. It was as if the breeze was pushing her forward, something deep in her heart assured her this was right, that she was close.
After a few minutes more she heard the marching.
...
"Christina?" Shaggy eased the bedroom door open slowly expecting to see Christina sleeping soundly only to stop in surprise.
The bed was empty. Now, he was having a horrible sense of deja vu as he checked the connecting rooms. Finding no one he bolted for the dining hall where the others had gathered for dinner after they locked down their plan.
"She's gone"
"Gone?" the others echoed, "Maybe she's just exploring the castle?"
"That has to be it," Duncan smiled reassuringly, "Let's find her"
"Christy probly has her nose in a book somewhere," Clawdeen added.
But Shaggy's stomach still pooled with fear. Something was amiss. Something that told him Christina wasn't anywhere to be found. It set him so on edge that he transformed, fur standing on end as the group fanned out to search every nook and cranny of the castle and the Moors beyond.
Where are you, Christy?
...
It wasn't very much longer before Christina came upon the villain. A man who looked more like he belonged in a shoddy horror production Pinocheo retelling. Sat on the shoulder of a towering nutcracker that wielded a razor-sharp iron sword. Three more identical soldiers flanked them but if Christina had to guess there were more coming.
Go on, the wind seemed to say, you can do this.
With a final deep breath, she flew to meet them, swiftly knocking the man from his perch.
"This is as far as you go"
"Ah," the man spoke in a deceptively kind voice, "You must be Princess Christina. I've brought you a gift, Your Highness"
The soldiers raised their swords, charging with a speed that shouldn't have been possible but Christina wasn't fazed, flinging bright bursts of flame at her attackers. A few were deflected by the blades but some hit the target though it didn't down the toys. Bringing her hands together the hybrid sent concentrated blasts of fire not at the soldiers but at their weapons, the metal turning red hot before burning away, dropping into metallic puddles.
"Is that the only trick you've got, young one? It'll take more than some flames to stop my army"
"I know," she flew far above them with a devious smile.
"It'll take more than a dragon"
"Who said anything about a dragon?"
"Long were the nights
When my days once revolved around you
Counting my footsteps
Prayin' the floor won't fall through again
And my mother accused me of losin' my mind
But I swore I was fine
You paint me a blue sky
Then go back to turn it to rain
And I lived in your chess game
But you change the rules every day
Wonderin' which version of you
I might get on the phone tonight
Well, I stopped pickin' up
And this song is to let you know why"
As she sang, the sky filled with pitch black rain clouds, lightning, and thunder crashing as the rain began to fall in blinding sheets that had no effect on her.
"Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
I shoulda known"
The alarming magically charged weather made it impossible to see where Christina flew but she could see the army just fine. Sending direct bolts of lightning at toy after toy, watching with satisfaction as they exploded to pieces.
"Well, maybe it's me and my blind optimism to blame
Or maybe it's you and your sick need
To give love and take it away
And you'll add my name to your long list of traitors
Who don't understand
And I'll look back and regret how I ignored when they said
"Run as fast as you can"
"Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
Dear John, I see it all now, it was wrong
Don't you think nineteen's too young to be played by
Your dark, twisted games when I loved you so?
I shoulda known"
...
"Um, what's going on with the weather?" Frankie stopped Kenny to point out the window.
"It's a storm?" he was as confused as her, "That's strange.
"I'll say," Clawdeen slammed open the front doors, Duncan and Shaggy on either side of her. All three were drenched to the bone.
"Safe to say, I don't think Christy's out there," Duncan uselessly tried to wring water from his shirt.
"She is," Maleficent fiercely countered, "She's the cause"
"But, I've like, never seen Christina's magic act like well that"
"She's finally stopped repressing it"
"Why would she be"
"Oh no!
...
Unknown to the others Christina was handling herself just fine. Maybe better than fine. The once impressive army of gigantic soldiers was mostly smoking embers now. Their weapons were broken or melted and the Toy Master was ready to scream. They had barely managed to strike the Princess who acted as if their blows didn't even register.
"You are an expert at "Sorry" and keepin' lines blurry
Never impressed by me acing your tests
All the girls that you run dry have tired, lifeless eyes
'Cause you burned them out'
All the things she'd been bottling up. All her anger, frustration, and rage rose to the surface. Unbottled and blazing, consuming her as the apex of the storm exploded around her.
"But I took your matches before fire could catch me
So don't look now
I'm shining like fireworks over your sad, empty town
Oh"
The Toy Master was roughly blasted from his reclaimed perch as the final two soldiers exploded, flaming bits of wood raining around the villain as the princess descended from the sky, singing still.
"Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress wrote you a song
You shoulda known"
He found himself bound in glowing chains as he was roughly flung over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"You shoulda known
Don't you think I was too young?
You shoulda known"
...
The others fought to get through the terrible weather.
"IF WE FIND THE CENTER OF THE STORM WE'LL FIND CHRISTINA!" Maleficent screamed over the raging winds.
However, for every step they took forward the storm knocked them farther and farther back until they crashed into the stone walls of the castle.
"THIS ISN'T WORKING!" Clawdeen growled, trying to shield her eyes from the rain, "CAN'T YOU JUST TELAPORT US THERE?"
The storm cleared. Vanishing in a bright flash as if it had never been. Fearing this meant the worst they all jumped to their feet only to freeze.
"Christina?!" Shaggy gasped in surprise.
The hybrid stood before them, armor dinged and dented in a few small places with a burn across her cheek but otherwise no worse for wear as she tossed a bleeding man to the ground kicking him over while she dusted her hands off, "I don't think he'll be messing with anyone for a while"
"You fought an army-" Frankie started.
"By yourself?" Kenny finished, watching Maleficent cage the villain for questioning.
"Yep, now, if you'll excuse me, I need a shower"
And she walked into the castle, head held high without looking back.
...
The others sat numb and silent in the parlor, trying to wrap their heads around what they had just seen. Christina wasn't weak or helpless not by any means but in all the time they had known her, in all the time they had known about her fairy half or her powers they'd never seen something like this. Just how far had she been pushed to do this all her own? To make that storm keep them away until she was done without even thinking about it.
"She wanted to protect us..after last night," Clawdeen had a quiet realization.
"Something seems differnt now," Frankie observed.
"But, a good differnt," Shaggy nodded his agreement.
"Where is she now?"
"I think she's like, talking with Maleficent"
...
"Are you sure you're okay, Dear?" Maleficent couldn't tear her gaze from the burn Christina was treating.
"I'm fine," Christina smiled, "It'll heal"
"It could scar"
"And that's okay. Grandmother?"
"Yes?"
"I want to do it"
"Christina, you don't-"
"But, I want to, I want my chance to make a differnece, Propchy or not"
"Are you certain this is what you really want? There's no going back, you'll be Queen forever-"
"Yes, I'm sure"
That same change the others saw but couldn't place Maleficent saw it too. She knew what it was.
Christina had finally truly accepted herself.
...
Okay, that is a good stopping place. The next chapter will (hopefully) be the last. A big thank you to my friend, DRAGONDAVE45for his help. Please, review!