A World of Another Kind

Chapter 20 Maleficent

     "I don't like this," I said with a nervous gulp. "Maleficent, in my opinion, is the worst of all the Disney villains, especially because she can turn into a dragon."

     "Maybe she won't be as bad as we think," Aubrey returned.

     We ventured over the hills and made a path with our magic through the thorny hedges until we confronted her fortress. Strangely, there were no guards around; for it was as if the fortress had been abandoned. We knocked but no one answered, so I tried to pull the castle door open. Then oddly, it creaked open. Feeling uneasy, I turned to Aubrey. "That might mean that she is home," I concluded.

     We slowly entered a dark hall and immediately smelled ash and smoke; for the walls were burned, and parts of them were crumbled. Suddenly, we heard a sharp voice that startled us, and it came from the far end of the room. "Who dare enters? Make yourself known!" We gingerly walked toward the throne where a queen-like figure sat. "Come," she commanded coldly. "Who are you, and why are you here, Children?" She eyed us suspiciously. "Who sent you?" We slowly and timidly approached her. She wore a black gown with draped sleeves, and two horns poked out from her head.

     "No one sent us," I replied.

     "Then why are you here?" she demanded stridently. "You aren't welcome, now speak fast."

     "We need to know if Regina has paid you a visit, to steal something powerful from you," Aubrey said. "I had this dream that Regina was here, but it looks like she already was here. Wasn't she?" Aubrey glanced around at all the fire and destruction in the throne room.

     "Yes, she has stolen something of mine," Maleficent replied, her eyes blazing with anger. "I was unable to stop her, for I underestimated her abilities. Why do you want to know?" she questioned, eyeing us suspiciously. "Why does what Regina did take such an interest to you?"

     "Because we know she is planning to enact a dark curse with it, and we hope to stop her," Aubrey replied.

     Maleficent gazed at us grimly. "Indeed," she said sorrowfully. "She took the very thing that powers my staff, the orb, a very dark and powerful object which is needed to create her curse."

     "Just like my dream," Aubrey murmured under her breath. "It really happened."

     "Well, thank you for your time," I said. "We have to stop Regina before it's too late."

     "I do not believe she can be stopped," Maleficent said solemnly.

     "Well, we won't give up," I replied, turning away.

     We ran from the fortress then called Rumpelstiltskin. "So, let me guess, you were too late," he concluded.

     We nodded. "You have to get us to Regina's castle before it's too late," I urged.

     "Are you sure you are ready to face the Evil Queen again?" Rumpelstiltskin asked. "As you already know, she's not an easy opponent, especially when she finds out your intentions of interfering with her plan."

     "We are ready to face her," I replied.

     "If you insist," he said. Then he made us disappear with a wave of his hand.

     We appeared at Regina's fortress, confronting the tall stone wall. Since we couldn't climb over it, we blasted through it with a combined force of our magic. Then we dashed away and faced guards along the way, taking them out with our magic. Heading into the castle, we took out more guards, then we headed to the queen's bedchamber and started our search there. Suddenly, a sinister voice was heard from behind us. "Looking for something or should I say stealing from me again?" We turned around and it was Regina.

     "We know your dark plan," I began boldly, "to enact a dark curse."

     "You were spying and eavesdropping, weren't you," Regina responded, scowling. "Well, you may have been clever enough to find out my plan, but I will enact this curse so that I make sure I get my happy ending by watching others lose theirs."

     "We didn't spy or eavesdrop, for we had a dream about you creating this curse," said Aubrey indignantly. "Rumpelstiltskin said two pure hearts would stop your curse, and it turns out it's us. So, you're wrong; you won't get your happy ending."

     Regina looked shocked and nervous. "Is that so?" she responded. "And let me guess... you're going to try and stop me," she taunted with a laugh.

     "Yes," we both replied firmly.

     "Well guess what, I won't let children who claim to be these 'prophesied' ones get in the way of my happiness," Regina returned.

     "Give us Maleficent's orb," I demanded, "or we will find it. You will lose, Regina!"

     "Looks like you paid Maleficent a visit," Regina said. "You are clever children but can also be foolish. It's not in my bedchamber. That explains why you were snooping around here." She then threw us back against the wall with her magic, then she turned to a large mirror that stood in the corner. "Take them to somewhere far away, to a place by the name of Agrabah where they will be unable to stop me," she ordered a face that was suddenly seen in the mirror.

     "Yes, Your Highness," replied the face. Regina then levitated us and threw us right at the mirror, then we fell through it. It was a portal.

     "Now you can't stop me!" Regina exclaimed, laughing triumphantly. "Enjoy your stay in the desert!"