Once Upon a Dream

In one second everything changes

Unknown Place

She still didn't know where the book was. And that, more than most things, distressed her, but she also knew that she had managed to change the course of the situation. She didn't know either Ben or Mal, but the picture of the two of them kissing must mean something.

It wasn't so hard to find out who the boy in the picture was, for the most obvious reason of all, he was the heir to the throne and the day he went to the lake, she also met Mal. She didn't know about the girl's descent, by the way. What she knew for sure was that as Prince Ben should not open and close the barrier.

She would still find the Book and change the course of her own story....

(...)

United States of Auradon

Cedric was working when he felt a shortness of breath and an intense pain in his chest. He knew what this was. But he believed that the Book was safe with Rashid in Wonderland. He needed air.

Lucky or unlucky for him the library was still closed, and no students would see him in this state.

With the increasing pain he couldn't even stand up, so a few minutes later he found himself lying on the cold floor clutching his chest. He looked like a fish dying without water.

"Cedric, I know the library is closed, but..." Ben was making his way inside the enclosure. He had his privileges, including entering the library while it was still closed. "Cedric! Cedric! Oh, my God! What happened?" He ran over to the man lying on the floor and was immediately startled. He didn't know what to do.

"You need to be with her."

Cedric tugged at his shirt and caught all the rest of the air to say it. This was his last memory.

(...)

He woke up and was in a hospital room. There were devices attached to his heart and a respirator. He survived. This was good.

He didn't even have time to think, because some time later he saw smoke and then a man right in front of him.

"You want to explain to me what the fuck is going on!"

It was Rashid. And judging by his cat whiskers and his red eyes, which only appeared when he was nervous. His friend is very, very nervous with him.

"Good to see you too."

He said with difficulty

"I'm not laughing at you. What happened? You almost died and we both know you're not human to have a heart problem."

"It's the Book...they are separated and the longer they are apart, the more convinced they become that this is their reality."

"I know you don't want to hear this, but you are dying Cedric. You need to change things. I don't know, kidnap them both or tell them the truth."

"Okay."

He confirmed, putting on an air mask to breathe.

"Okay?" Do you agree with that?"

"Things are not normal Rashid. Someone who is not in the story has been interfering."

"That's not good, right?"

"No." As he was feeling weaker and weaker "Everything is strange in this world and things are going to get worse."

"Okay, if something is wrong, that means it also affects my world. What can I do?"

"I have to." He felt short of breath again. "I need, for you to go into the Island and get her."

"I'm going to do what? No."

"Only you can do that without being noticed. The barrier doesn't limit your powers."

"All right, and you think her mother is going to make it that easy? Maleficent is still very powerful."

"I've been talking to Yen Sid, he explains things to her. Now go and get her. With the other one, I'll turn myself around."

"And where do I take them?"

"Our old master."

"Merlin?" He asked to find out if it was true. "Our Merlin?"

"Yes, he knows the prophecies and I think he knows what is happening."

"You intend to take the king's son to Camelot? Don't make me doubt your intelligence."

"You imbecile." He laughed with difficulty. "Do you remember the hiding place? The forest near the lake, where the densest trees are?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Merlin took care of the book once." He told a secret he shouldn't have. "He knows which characters are important. I'm going there too, but I need to recover first and I also have to go after a person."

"A person? Who?"

"Circe. She is important and I need her."

(...)

"Where are you?"

Adam asked his son over the phone

"At the hospital. Cedric has been sick and I came to bring him in."

He spoke calmly, unlike the man on the other end of the line.

"Who is Cedric?"

"The school librarian. And before you ask, Fairy Godmother gave me permission to come.

"And is he okay?"

"Yes, he's stable now."

"Good, come here now."

"Cedric has no family and I left my reference name."

"He's fine now, come to the castle."

"No, a friend of mine is in bad shape and needs me here."

Ben said firmly, lazy to argue with his father.

"And if you want to be king you need to come here. King Stefan and King Eric are here."

"But you took me out of all the meetings."

"And you know very well why. Ben, it doesn't matter, you need to come here."

"Father no."

"Benjamin, please don't let's fight again."

"I'm not fighting, you are. Look, you didn't tell me anything about this meeting and besides the kings wouldn't want me to miss class."

"But you're not in school."

"And I won't be there either. I respect you a lot dad, but Cedric is an important friend and I won't leave him alone.

(...)

Isle of the Lost

Maleficent had reason enough to believe that Evil was her worst mistake and would be a failure to continue her wicked lineage. As she went back into the house she thought about how happy her mother would be to know that Mal is not like her. That was frustrating.

After the conversation with Yen Sid, where the witch said more than he should have. She thought about it a lot. The book that only gave happiness to those who suited it smiled at her, because her daughter was important to the heap of pages that messed up her life.

She didn't want Mal to suffer. Living on that filthy Island was already too much suffering.

It was the first time, Maleficent wasn't just thinking about herself, it was one of the only times she thought about Mal, she cared about her daughter. She should be saved.

How naive, it was obviously not Mal's joy alone that the worst villain in the world was thinking about.