Mickey's Halfway House

Epilogue: Happily Ever After (I Wish!)

Maleficent really hated café nights.

The scene was drastically changed ever since the magical King of Rosas arrived. Maleficent's one consolation during the dreaded annual event had been commiserating with fellow masters of the forces of Evil; yet all anyone in the villains' café wanted to do now was drink and be merry. Drink, be merry, and giggle. It was as if everyone had forgotten the most revolting, vile, and awesome parts of themselves - how to be evil! Even the fairy herself was less eager to use her Hellfire against the Ace of Hearts when approaching the café's entrance in November of 2024.

"Whatever did that royal wish granter do to us?" The fairy muttered to herself. Oh, well - be careful what you wished for, she supposed.

But the Ace didn't know Maleficent's new placidity, nor did the fairy plan to tell him.

"Y - y - your n - name, please, m - m- ma'am," the pathetic card stuttered.

Maleficent sighed. "You mean you still don't know by now? That old cricket should really fire you."

Then she strode past the Ace, who didn't protest - possibly because his mouth had been sealed shut with a flick of Maleficent's wrist.

Perhaps not all malice had been erased - after all, she was still the Mistress of Evil!

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"The lord of the underworld awaits you at your usual booth," Yzma said to Maleficent without looking up from her magazine. It was the same one from last year. 

"Ah, good." Maleficent had started to walk off when Yzma stuck an arm out in front of her. In the woman's bony hand was a letter addressed to the Mistress of Evil. 

"What?" Said Mistress blinked. In all the years she'd been attending café nights, she'd never once gotten a letter. Then she noticed the stamp - it was a sparkling orange star. In fact, the whole envelope shimmered. Maleficent plucked it from Yzma's hand and opened it with a slice of her own nail. Inside was a postcard of a gleaming ivory tower overlooking aqua-tiled roofs by a seaport of identical color. "Kingdom of Rosas," it read.

Maleficent flipped it over. On the other side was the likeness of a fair woman with rich brunette hair braided down her back. She was dressed in a long cream gown. Atop her head was a gold crown - and on her arm stood the owner of the blue eyes Maleficent would never quite forget.

"To the malevolent Mistress of Evil," it read.

"You reunited me with my beloved. And you were right. She welcomed me back home. It was so easy to forgive each other. Our kingdom is in the process of recovery, but together there is nothing we cannot achieve, my Amaya and I.

"For all of this, we owe you a thanks. Still, I hope to never see the inside of the café or a mirror ever again.

"With deep gratitude,

"King Magnifico and Queen Amaya of Rosas."

Maleficent noticed the mirror was missing from around the king's neck. A strange sensation crept along her face - a smile?! She slapped it off at once. It was in vain - another item fell out of the envelope, and Maleficent saw it was a photograph of Magnifico with the cast of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The fairy burst into a cackle. "Why, the man did it!" She cried. "He actually went on that horrid show!"

"The price of freedom," Yzma said. "That man might not have been evil, but he sure was crazy."

Maleficent help up her finger and produced a flame. "With the people he deals with, anyone would be," she replied before burning the envelope and its contents - all except the Clubhouse picture.

That one was going to be hung up by the bar.

🍎 THE END 🍎