Once Upon A Nightmare

- TWENTY THREE -

- Emmet -

Oh. It's you. Weren't expecting you to be back so soon. Well, you might be wondering why you are here and honestly, I don't know. I was giving myself an ink mask and then you had to come and ruin it. So, thanks.

Since you are here, I going to take this time and use it to my advantage. So the last time we had a nice little chat that I kinda, sorta, completely ambushed you and made it about me and I don't want to be that kind of person. No, I want to be nice and ask you how your day was. So how was is your day?

Oh, that's nice. And honestly, I don't care. Ha! You must have thought that I actually cared. Mmm, yeah I don't really care for anyone anymore. Not after what Maleficent just did.

"Oh, Emmet, what did Maleficent do? Where was she in the past few chapters?" Let me lay it down on you. She was out and about; she hung out with some friends, had a nice spa day, slept in, saw Stephan, got some cute boots and stuff like that. So, her days were pretty relaxed and laid back.

"Wait, hold on, 'Saw Stephan?'" Yeah, she saw him. And I really hoped you wouldn't have brought it up. But since you did, I'm going to hit you with the details. So, the days leading up to Aurora seeing Maleficent's past, the big, bad chick happened to get sick. Yes, she can get sick in this world. She isn't immune to the flu. So, as she got sick, her mind drifted her off into the horrible, dark side of her mind and memories; things she has been running from for so long; the things that made her Maleficent.

So, as her sick mind drifted off to those things, so did Aurora's. They were like two peas in a pod. Connected by some invisible cord. So if Maleficent happened to get sick, Aurora gets sick with her. If Aurora gets a hangover, then Maleficent happened to suffer the whole day with a headache. It was just how things rolled. Maleficent connected her soul to the young girl when she was just a small, innocent, little baby and ever since then, they were one.

So, if they were one, who else could break me free from my curse? Yes, that's right. The blonde sleepyhead of a princess named Aurora. Aurora held some of Maleficent's magic within her body. If she held that magic and learned how to possess it, she could be possibly more powerful than the dark queen herself. The purest of hearts held the deepest of magic.

So, now you know why I need her and why I want Aurora. I want my body back. I want my life back. And most of all, I wanted the love of my life back.

Aurora's magic was strong, strong enough to reset everything. Strong enough to give my dear, beloved Maleficent her wings back. She would have everything she has ever wanted back in her arms. But she wouldn't take it. Not unless you force her to. Not with the price she would have to pay.

Maleficent liked this part of herself. The part that didn't care for anyone, that didn't care for anything. She adored it but it didn't adore her. With each passing moment she lives without emotions, she unknowingly fades away into Death's hands. He will softly glide her off her feet and devour her soul. He will have a feast on her all because she doesn't want to feel a thing.

That only leaves me to save her. I have to force her to feel. I have to force her to have a happy ending. I have to force her wings back on her. I have to keep trying... because I love her.

She was my everything. My one, true love. The one who could end all the pain and misery. She was the one good thing in my life and I just let it slip away. I let her go because that's what she wanted me to do. I let her fall into my brother's arms, knowing fully well of what he could do. What he would do. I didn't stop her then, but I could stop her now.

The woman I loved, well, she was gone. I knew that with every atom inside of me. But I didn't stop trying. I couldn't. I couldn't stop trying to save the woman she is now because saving her would mean saving the woman I once knew. The woman I once gave my heart to. The woman who broke my heart.

Aurora was my last chance to save her. She was the only chance to save her. I didn't care if it meant killing the one thing Maleficent loved. It meant she was back to being a fairy, back to normal. Aurora would be okay. She would want Maleficent to be happy after all her father has done. She would pay for her father's sins. She would pay because she secretly wanted Maleficent to be happy. To get a glimpse of the princess life. To have a happily ever after moment. She wanted all of that for the woman who ripped her away from her family. That was how Aurora was.

After she frees me and dies, her soul will find its way back to Maleficent and sure enough, she would have her wings back. Maleficent was always meant to be Aurora's fairy godmother. She was always meant to keep a close eye on her but when Stephan hacked her wings off, she couldn't complete her task.

Putting the little girl to sleep for years meant protecting her. Making sure the purest of souls, those with good intentions would only be able to get through and save her. But Maleficent was pure. Pure evil, for now. Saving that stupid girl was her redemption. None of those idiots could see that. Maleficent hopelessly thought keeping Aurora safe meant gaining her wings back but that wasn't how things worked. She had to work for it, earn it, kill her for it.

It was a twisted thing to do, but I wasn't afraid to do it. I wasn't afraid to kill her because I was used to it. I was used to Maleficent hating me, for wanting me dead, for torturing me. I was used to it all. I was okay with her thinking the one good thing in her life was dead. But only for a few seconds.

Aurora would be dead until Maleficent had gotten her wings back because after she did, I would give up my life just to see that one little girl bring back happiness into my lover's eyes. I was willing to die to see my lover come back to life. I was willing to die to see my dream come true.

That was my version of a happy ever after for me. And that was all I could do.