Healing the Heart [Disney Maleficent]

Chapter 2

"What do I call you?"

"Diaval. And in return for saving my life, I'm your servant. Whatever you need." Diaval bowed his head in respect, begrudgingly, and waited for his new master to say something. 

"Wings," Maleficent said simply. "I need you to be my wings."

Maleficent briefly told Diaval what had happened and the two started to walk toward the abandoned castle ruins, the latter of the two growing increasingly nervous with each step that they took closer to the summit. 

"Y'know, I heard that a witch lives up there," Diaval said as they neared the castle entrance. "And that she doesn't like visitors." 

Maleficent rolled his eyes. "She is an enchantress." He waved his hands and the stones from the guard tower closest to them formed a bridge, cementing itself between the two peaks. Maleficent sensed Diaval's hesitation however and willed him back into a bird in an attempt to give the bird a little bit of relief. After all, he had already been a human for the better part of the afternoon, slowly turning into evening. 

Even Maleficent couldn't deny that there was a haunting and eerie feel to the castle as they approached. But both were quick to change their tune as they stepped into the border of the magical spell.

As they crossed into the magical dome cast over the castle, the structure changed before them. No longer was it a crumbling mess of ancient stone, but instead it was a beautiful castle of white marble and gold, with turrets that stretched toward the heavens. A single spire in the centre twisted toward the night sky, a glowing silver light shining from the top.

Diaval let out a squawk and flew forward, seemingly now eager to explore. Maleficent followed after the bird at a slower pace, cautious about entering the beautiful castle. 

As he pushed the door open, he heard a sweet voice embrace his aching body. 

"Hello, Maleficent. I have been waiting for your arrival."

Maleficent turned to see a woman sitting atop a golden throne, Diaval resting on her bent forefinger, cawing at Maleficent as if urging him closer. The woman was dressed in elegant fabrics of white, gold, silver, and the palest f/c imaginable. She seemed at ease, despite her perfect posture, and next to her throne was a golden chalice, filled to the brim with some twinkling indigo liquid. 

"You are the enchantress," Maleficent asked.

The woman laughed. "If that is what you wish to call me then yes, I am she. Though I prefer my given name. Y/N."

"You knew I was coming?"

Y/N nodded, her h/c hair moving with an intangible breeze. "Yes. I could see you coming, and I could hear it in your heart. I also saw that human with you last night."

Maleficent's face turned into a glare. This fairy had been there and had not thought to try and stop the man.

"Yes. I did stop the man, Maleficent."

Maleficent tried not to reel back at the shock of this woman being able to read his mind. 

"He was trying to kill you, dear fairy," Y/N said, stroking Diaval's back. "He had a blade ready to pierce your heart, but my whispers in his ear persuaded him to give you life." She sighed. "You must forgive me for not being able to stop him from taking your wings. I am forbidden from meddling with affairs that involve humans, as they are not aware of my gifts, nor should they ever be aware. I was able to whisper in his mind like a thought he himself had, and remind him of the days when you were friends, but I could do nothing more than that."

Maleficent nodded. "Are you able to give me back my wings?"

The enchantress sighed and shook her head. "You have heard of my healing powers, I presume?" She waited for Maleficent's answer.

"Yes. My mother told me of your powers shortly before she died."

"I fear that you were wrongly informed of my gifts." Y/N got to her feet and Diaval flew from her finger, over to a golden perch surrounded by every treat a raven could possibly dream of. While he was busy gorging himself on the delights, Y/N motioned for Maleficent to follow her from the room. Before she left, however, she picked up the golden chalice.

The two fairies walked from the room, Y/N leading the way through the golden halls. Maleficent watched her carefully, somewhat untrusting of her. 

Y/N led him to the highest room in the castle, and Maleficent quickly realised what the silver glow was that he had seen from outside the castle. In the centre of the room was a seeing pool. Few of these existed in the world, but he was not surprised to discover that the famed enchantress had one. 

She held the chalice aloft, toward the sky, and a single beam of light drifted down through a small gap in the ceiling, striking the liquid. Y/N retracted her arms and lifted the chalice to her lips, tilting her head back and allowing the liquid to fall down her throat, tainting her f/c lips with the indigo liquid. She set the chalice down on the edge of the pool and held her hands above the water. 

"Moon and sun, give me the power to see beyond the walls of my domain." 

Maleficent watched intently as she lowered her hands into the water of the pool, but only so that her finger might break the surface. She turned to Maleficent and held out her hand, waiting for him to take it. 

When he didn't, she gave him a small smile.

"Take it, Maleficent." 

This time, Maleficent did, almost instinctively. Y/N wound her fingers through Maleficent's and pulled him closer to the edge of the pool. She drew her finger through the ripples of water, slowly creating a whirlpool in the centre. As the surface started to settle, Maleficent realised that he was staring at a much younger version of Y/N.

"I was not the first one to be given the blessed powers," she said. "It has been passed down through generations. Each enchantress has been named to honour the moon or the sun, depending on which was highest when she was born. 

Just like all my mothers before me, I was granted the powers of wisdom, healing, and a few other powers that the moon and sun might be useful. Though over the centuries, our powers have been greatly exaggerated. 

We do not heal physical wounds, though we can, as we do the wounds of the heart and of the mind and of the soul.  We heal whoever seeks us inside, so that they may heal outwardly too." 

Y/N turned to Maleficent. When she saw him staring into the pool, she reached up and cupped his face, turning it away from the water. "Revenge and cruelty will not heal your heart, Maleficent. If you wish to truly heal, I shall give you the chance."

Maleficent sighed and stepped away from Y/N. "What I want is my wings back. That's all I wish for."

"And yet that is not what you need." Y/N turned back to the pool and swirled the water around with her finger. Unable to contain his curiosity, Maleficent stepped up to the water's edge again, but this time, he was unable to see what Y/N could. 

"If you wish to see what I see, you must take my hand." She held it out for him and hesitantly, Maleficent took it. 

In the water, Maleficent could see a heart, cracked and black. He didn't have to ask to know that it was his heart now.

"This is your heart, Maleficent. You feel betrayed by Stephan's actions toward you."

"Yes."

Y/N smiled. "But this is what I see." She lifted her finger and tapped the surface of the water. The heart changed from black to scarlet red, no longer cracked and dry, but alive and rejuvenated. "I see your healed heart should you be willing to take my offer of true healing." 

Maleficent sighed and his head drooped. What was this fairy doing to him? How had he become so weak? In the course of a day, Maleficent had gone through too many emotional highs and lows to figure out how to properly distinguish his feelings, and he eventually sighed, relenting.

"All right, I accept your proposal." 

Y/N smiled. "And in return of your acceptance, I promise that you shall get your wings once more."