Thorn and Ember

·. 𝒞𝑜𝓃𝓈𝑒𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝒶𝓈𝓉 ·.

THE SUN BARELY peeked through the curtains of the room Maleficent and Hades now shared, casting soft rays of light across the stone walls. Maleficent lay awake, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The events of the night before—Queen Leah's slap, the curses thrown, and the bitter reminder of her past—kept replaying in her mind.

Next to her, Hades stirred. He stretched lazily, his arm brushing against her shoulder. He glanced at her, his groggy expression shifting into concern. "You've been up all night, haven't you?" 

Maleficent didn't answer at first, her jaw clenched. The silence hung heavy between them. She wanted to brush it off, pretend that Queen Leah's words hadn't burrowed under her skin. But Hades knew better. He always did. 

"I can't stop thinking about it," she admitted, her voice quieter than usual. "About the curse. About Aurora." 

Hades propped himself up on one elbow, studying her. "You've carried that guilt for a long time, haven't you?" 

Maleficent turned her head, meeting his gaze. "Wouldn't you?" 

He sighed, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. "Yeah, probably. But what's done is done. You cursed Aurora—no one's denying that. But holding onto it like this... it's not helping anyone, least of all you." 

She wanted to snap back, but the truth in his words left her feeling raw. Instead, she closed her eyes and whispered, "I thought it was behind me. I thought... I thought she'd moved on. But last night, seeing Leah... I realized it's not over. Not for them." 

Hades was quiet for a moment, then said, "And it's not going to be over until you find a way to make peace with it." 

Maleficent sighed, pressing her fingers into her temples. "Peace. With what I did to her." 

Hades leaned closer, his voice soft but firm. "You're not that person anymore, Mal. You've changed. And maybe, just maybe, they'll see that too. But it won't happen overnight." 

Before Maleficent could respond, a sharp knock at the door shattered the quiet. They exchanged a glance, the peaceful morning already slipping away. 

"Who is it now?" Hades muttered, pushing himself up as Maleficent reluctantly sat up beside him. 

The door creaked open, revealing none other than Aurora herself. She stood there, poised and quiet, her expression unreadable.

"Aurora," Maleficent breathed, instantly tensing. 

Hades's eyes flicked to Maleficent, gauging her reaction. "This should be interesting," he whispered under his breath. 

Aurora stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. The tension was thick, almost unbearable, as she stood facing the woman who had cursed her. 

"Can I help you?" Maleficent asked, the edge in her voice unmistakable. 

Aurora shook her head. "No, I'm not here for anything like that. I... I wanted to talk to you." 

Hades, sensing the weight of the moment, leaned back against the bedframe, crossing his arms but staying silent. His presence was steady, offering support without interference. 

Maleficent raised a brow, folding her arms across her chest. "And what could you possibly want to talk to me about? After everything?" 

Aurora's expression softened, though there was still a tension behind her eyes. "I want to understand why. Why you cursed me. Why you did what you did." 

Maleficent blinked, taken aback. Of all the things she had expected—anger, resentment, accusations—this was not it. "You... want to know why?" 

Aurora nodded, taking a few cautious steps forward. "For years, my mother has told me how evil you were, how cruel. But I've been thinking... there must have been a reason. No one just does something like that without cause." 

Maleficent stood frozen, her heart racing. She felt Hades's gaze on her, a silent reassurance that he was there, even in this unexpected confrontation. 

"I'm not asking for forgiveness," Aurora continued, her voice calm. "I don't even know if I could give it. I just want the truth." 

Maleficent's jaw tightened as the memories flooded back—her younger self, standing before King Stefan, betrayal burning in her chest like wildfire.

"You think you want the truth," Maleficent finally said, her voice low, "but I'm not sure you can handle it." 

Aurora's gaze hardened. "Try me." 

Hades shot Maleficent a glance, giving her a subtle nod. "She deserves to know," he murmured.

Taking a deep breath, Maleficent sat down on the edge of the bed. "Fine. You want to know why I cursed you? It wasn't about you, not really. It was about your father." 

Aurora remained silent, but her eyes were locked on Maleficent, hanging on every word. 

"King Stefan and I were... close, once," Maleficent continued, her voice growing colder. "But he betrayed me. He used me, and when I was no longer of use, he cast me aside. And that betrayal, that pain, it festered. So when your birth was announced, I saw it as my chance to hurt him the way he hurt me. You were just a pawn." 

Aurora's face remained expressionless, though her hands trembled slightly at her sides. 

"But why the curse?" Aurora asked quietly. "Why not something else?" 

"Because it was the only way I could make him suffer," Maleficent said, her voice bitter. "I wanted him to feel the fear and helplessness I felt. I wanted him to watch as something precious to him was taken away." 

The room fell silent, the weight of Maleficent's confession pressing down on them all. Aurora's lips parted slightly, her expression one of deep conflict. 

"I'm not proud of what I did," Maleficent added after a long pause. "But at the time, I thought it was the only way to get revenge." 

Aurora's eyes glistened with unshed tears, but she blinked them back. "And now? Do you regret it?"  Maleficent exhaled slowly. "Yes. Every day."  Aurora looked away, staring at the floor as she absorbed Maleficent's words. After what felt like an eternity, she spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not sure I can forgive you for what you did to me. But I think... I understand now." 

Maleficent stared at her, a flicker of hope stirring in her chest. "That's all I can ask." 

Aurora took a deep breath, composing herself. "I didn't come here to absolve you, Maleficent. But I appreciate you telling me the truth."

Hades finally spoke, his voice steady and calm. "Aurora, your mother might never forgive Maleficent, but maybe you don't have to carry that weight." 

Aurora's eyes flicked to him, then back to Maleficent. "Maybe. But it's not something I can decide right now." 

With that, Aurora turned and walked toward the door. She paused briefly before leaving, casting one last glance over her shoulder. "Thank you... for telling me." 

As the door closed behind her, the silence in the room grew thick once more. Maleficent let out a shaky breath, her shoulders slumping with the release of tension she hadn't realized she was holding. 

Hades slid his arm around her, pulling her close. "You did the right thing," he said softly.

"I hope so," Maleficent whispered, her voice barely audible.

·.༄࿔

-This might not align with the original storyline of descendants but either way I kinda do want it to do since Maleficent sent Mal and the core four to Auradon, she still holds a grudge against Aurora only because she didn't know who else to be mad at while stuck on the isle, maybe cs she didn't want to blame Hades. These next few chapters are gonna be my least favorite I hate them, give me some ideas, cs if I don't get some I'm gonna stop uploading cs I have no ideas rn