“IS SOMETHING SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN NOW?” Phillip stood up straight and looked at the pixies expectantly.

Maleficent’s heart sank. Hope fled and all the bitterness and despair that she had pushed aside in that moment as Phillip’s and Aurora’s lips met came flooding back. She should have known. True love didn’t exist. Aurora would never wake up. Maleficent would never be able to explain herself. They would never be able to walk through the Moors together, never watch a sunset or play with the snow faeries in their meadow. Aurora would sleep on… forever. Maleficent suddenly realized that her parents ultimately had been right —there really were good humans out there, ones who appreciated and loved nature as much as the faeries did. She realized that peace was possible between the races, that humans didn’t need to be dealt with violently. But she’d come to this realization far too late.

Near the bed, the three pixies threw up their hands in frustration. They were upset as well, but for more selfish reasons. If King Stefan found out they had failed to wake up his daughter, there was no telling what he would do to them.

“I was certain he was the one,” Flittle said to the others as she pushed Phillip out the door.

Following him, Knotgrass nodded. “We have to keep looking. Scrape the bottom of the barrel. He doesn’t have to be a prince. He doesn’t even have to be handsome.”

“Or even that clean,” Thistlewit added as they moved into the hallway and shut the door behind them.

Stepping out of her hiding spot in the shadows of the bedroom, Maleficent made her way to the bed. Sinking at Aurora’s side, she looked at the beautiful princess. Even asleep, she looked kind and good, and Maleficent was racked anew with guilt for the punishment she had foolishly inflicted on the innocent girl. Who would have thought, all those long years before, that things would turn out that way? That the curse would be as great a punishment for Maleficent as it was for Aurora.

Letting out a deep, sad sigh, she reached out and gently brushed a strand of Aurora’s hair from her face. Diaval stood at her side, his silent presence a small comfort to Maleficent. She took a deep breath and spoke softly, her voice cracking with emotion. “I will not ask you for forgiveness. What I have done is unforgivable. I was so lost in hatred and revenge. I never dreamed that I could love you so much. You stole what was left of my heart. And now I’ve lost you forever.” She paused, wiping a tear. “But I swear, no harm will come to you as long as I live… and not a day shall pass that I won’t miss your smile…”

Maleficent’s voice trailed off. There was nothing left she could say or do. This was the only good-bye she would ever get. And she wanted to make it count. Leaning over, she placed one hand over Aurora’s and gently kissed the girl on the forehead.

A surge of magic filled the room.

And then Aurora’s eyes fluttered open.

Maleficent let out a gasp as the princess’s calm blue eyes met her unsure green ones. She was so happy that the girl was awake, but scared that Aurora was still angry.

“Hello, Godmother,” Aurora said, beaming up at Maleficent, her smile bringing new light to the room.

Maleficent’s throat constricted as her body was racked with emotion. Aurora was awake. And she didn’t hate her.

But how could it be? Why had her kiss worked and not Phillip’s? And then Maleficent smiled as realization swept over her like a wave. She had been so focused on the love that had broken her heart that she had never stopped to think there was an even deeper, truer love: that of a mother and daughter. That was what Aurora had become to her —a daughter. She loved her unconditionally, without question. She would love her on the bad days and on the great days. When Aurora was near and when she was far. She would love her for the woman she would become and the girl she was now. That, Maleficent realized as she looked at Aurora’s huge smile, was the truest of loves.

Bursting with happiness, Maleficent smiled back. “Hello, beastie.”

Maleficent didn’t waste any time filling Aurora in on what had happened since she had pricked her finger. The girl listened closely as Maleficent told her about the pixies’ mission to find a prince to wake her and how they had failed. She even told her about the valiant effort Phillip had made. While she had wanted to skip it, a knowing look from Diaval changed her mind. It was only fair, after all the lies that had been told, to speak the truth. Aurora was going to face a tough decision in the days to come —whether to stay with her father or be with Maleficent— and she deserved all the information before she made up her mind.

When Maleficent was finished, Aurora didn’t say anything. She simply nodded and slowly sat up. Then, with Maleficent’s help, she shakily got to her feet. Now that she was awake, she wanted to speak to her father.

Making their way out of the room, they found the hall deserted. The two guards were gone and the lights along the wall had been blown out. With a growing sense of dread, Maleficent and Diaval, now a raven, led Aurora down one hall after another. They descended a long, winding staircase and moved past the iron thorns and brambles that had burned Maleficent earlier. Aurora’s eyes grew wide as she took in the sharp objects she hadn’t noticed before, clearly placed there by her father. While Aurora didn’t say it, Maleficent knew the girl was scared. And with good reason. This did not look like the castle of fairy tales and happy endings. It was a dark and evil place, vibrating with hate.

Finally, they reached the balcony that looked down over the Great Hall. The huge room was dark save for a single pool of light that illuminated the center. Cautiously, they moved down the stairs and closer to the light.

Maleficent kept her gaze straight ahead, focused on the two large thrones just visible in the shadows. They were the same thrones where Stefan and his queen had sat while their infant daughter was showered with gifts at her christening. The same thrones that had borne witness to Maleficent’s curse and the terrible aftermath. Now they once more sat there, silent witnesses. But to what? Maleficent wondered. What did they know that she did not?

As Maleficent turned to make sure Aurora was okay, her eyes grew wide. The girl was gone. But where? She had been there just a moment before. Turning, Maleficent frantically scanned the empty room. “Aurora?” she called out. From the darkness, she heard the muffled sound of someone trying to speak. “Aurora!” Maleficent cried out, racing toward the sound.

Finding herself in the middle of the circle of light, Maleficent paused, uncertain. Something didn’t feel right. With a growing sense of dread, she looked up. And then she gulped. Hanging there, right above her head, was a giant iron net.

Before she could move, the net fell toward her. Dropping her staff, Maleficent raised her hands above her head to try to block it. But it was no use. The moment the iron touched her exposed flesh, she felt a searing pain and heard the sizzle as her skin burned. Unable to handle the intense pain, Maleficent fell to her knees, the net covering her the way her wings used to. But while her wings had brought her comfort then, the net now just brought her misery.

Her breath coming in gasps, Maleficent was barely aware of the footsteps of a dozen men as Stefan’s soldiers surrounded her. They prodded the net with long spears, causing the iron to move against Maleficent and find new pieces of skin to burn. She clenched her jaw, convinced it couldn’t get any worse. And then, through the fog of pain, she heard Aurora cry out.

“Don’t kill her!” the princess shouted.

Raising her head slightly, Maleficent saw that Stefan had arrived and was now holding Aurora out in front of him. It had been a long time since Maleficent had seen Stefan, and she was shocked by how drastically he had deteriorated. His sunken cheeks were red, and his shoulders stooped. The thick hair he had always worn long was thinning and gray. And the eyes that stared down at Maleficent were bloodshot and empty.

An evil smile slowly spread across Stefan’s face as his fingers dug into the soft flesh of Aurora’s arm. Maleficent cringed. Stefan had completely lost it. He had been intent on destroying Maleficent for so long that he didn’t even realize he was hurting his own daughter. In fact, he seemed annoyed by her, and when she pleaded once more for him to stop hurting Maleficent, Stefan pushed her backward. The force of the shove threw Aurora to the ground. From where she lay, she looked up in horror, shocked by her father’s violence.

Desperate to save Aurora from any more pain or disappointment, Maleficent tried to move under the net. But it was no use. The iron was doing its job, and with every passing moment she grew weaker. If only there was something else she could do. Some other way out of this horrific situation…

And then she heard Diaval’s familiar caw.

Despite the pain that continued to wash over her in waves, Maleficent smiled. Yes, she thought, that would work. That would work quite nicely. Softly, she began to mutter.

There was a swoosh of magic and the curtains on the windows blew as wind filled the Great Hall. And then, as Stefan and his soldiers watched, Diaval began to transform. His wings grew longer, the black feathers replaced by dark scales, until they spanned nearly the entire length of the hall. His beak became a large snout with a mouth full of sharp teeth, and his neck extended so that the top of his head nearly grazed the ceiling. And his two feet turned into long, powerful, scale-covered legs. On the end of each foot, giant razor-sharp claws dug into the stone floor. Rearing back his head, Diaval let out a loud roar. Before the terrified soldiers stood something they had never seen before, something that even this magical land had thought to be a myth. Diaval had become a dragon.

Maleficent raised her head and watched as a stunned Stefan took a step back. If the pain hadn’t been so overwhelming, she would have smiled to see him struck down with fear. Then she turned her head slightly and saw that Aurora had climbed to her feet and was running away. As she watched, the girl disappeared up the long staircase that led to the tower. And then Maleficent did allow herself a smile. Because no matter what happened next, no matter what pain Stefan inflicted on Maleficent, or Diaval inflicted on Stefan, Aurora wouldn’t be there to witness it. She would be saved from that horror. And after everything the girl had gone through, one less horror was a priceless gift.