Maleficent got to his feet, shaking as he did so. He wrapped himself in a cloak he fashioned from the moss on the forest floor and reached down to pick up an abandoned twig. In the golden glow of his hands, the twig shifted and grew, turning into a magnificent staff worthy of a powerful sorcerer.
He breathed out, still feeling the pain in his back, and took a step, trying not to collapse at the burning sensation that nearly overwhelmed his senses. It took but a moment for him to stand tall and turn his heart cold, hoping that he might be able to move on and forget Stephan's cruelty.
He left the grove, remembering a legend that his mother had told him shortly before her death. It was a legend told to all newborn fairies who were born in the Moors. Of a beautiful enchantress who lived in the tallest mountain peak in the Moors, and the wisdom and healing that had been gifted to her by the moon and sun.
"A fairy born of light and laughter," Maleficent whispered under his breath, turning to look at the mountain peak. "Blessed with kindness and wisdom. Shall live in the Moors until long after. Requested to heal from winter until autumn."
He shivered and tugged his cloak tighter around his body. There was nowhere else for him to go. Perhaps this enchantress might be powerful enough to give him his wings back, or perhaps even just curse Stephan.
But now, all that Maleficent sought was the comfort of one of his own. Not one of the fairies that flitted about optimistically, arguing with one another over who got to deliver the morning news, but one more like him. An enchantress. A sorceress.
And so, he made the journey to the mountain, his eyes trained on the peak. As he crossed the wasteland between the ruined castle at the top and the Moors, he heard the cawing of a raven and lifted his eyes to trail the elegant black feathers of the bird. It soared through the sky as Maleficent wished that he could, and he let out a long sigh.
Deciding to take a short detour, he followed the bird, watching as it gracefully soared through the air. As he followed, he saw the bird land on a small section of dirt amid a field of wheat. The bird had only been there for a moment before a net was suddenly flung over it, hindering its ability to fly. Maleficent's hands went to touch his wings, only to have the grim reminder that they weren't there anymore.
Two dogs and their owner came rushing over, the peasant man laughing at his catch.
"I've got you," he declared, hopping around like a rabbit. He hopped over to his cart and picked up a long wooden stick. "You wicked bird!" He was about to club the raven over the head, but Maleficent was quicker.
"Into a man," he whispered. With the familiar golden glow of magic following Maleficent's fingers, the raven suddenly shifted form, steadily growing in size and losing its feathers.
The human fell back terrified by the sight in front of him. As the raven, now a man, got to his feet, the human rose as well, screaming and shouting that there was a demon in front of him, and ran for the hills. Once the human was gone, Maleficent emerged from the wheat, watching as the newly transformed man took in his new appearance.
The man suddenly noticed Maleficent approaching and froze.
"What have you done to my beautiful self," he asked, horrified by his human form.
"Would you rather I let them beat you to death," Maleficent asked, not really in the mood for this ingratitude.
The former raven looked down at his lack of tail feathers again and frowned. "I'm not certain."
"Stop complaining. I saved your life."
The raven debated for a moment about how to address the subject of his transformation, but eventually lowered his gaze and muttered, "Forgive me."
"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."