Maleficent's POV

I sat above an overhang that gave way to a vast view of the Moors with just my right leg dangling off the cliff.

Being that it was late in the evening I could barely make out small blue specks floating above the water.

Even though they were nothing more than small balls of blue light from my perspective, I knew without a doubt that they were in fact fairies.

As small and modest as they were, they as well as all the rest of the fairies that lived in the Moors...had grown to fear me.

They were afraid of the darkness that lurked within me.

Darkness that was only growing by the day.

Darkness that had started because of man, Stefan.

Ever since he left...I had felt as though my heart had been hallowed out with a shovel.

Taken, ripped and cast aside.

Stefan didn't care for me as much as I had imagined he had.

Yes, at one point we were dear friends and even started something more together at one point in our shared past.

...But he never truly loved me. His affections were of dull comparison even to that of a rising sun.

If he had loved me, if he ever had even an ounce of affection for me...he wouldn't have left without saying as much as a farewell.

He wouldn't have left while stealing the only thing that kept me going...the only freedom I ever had...

The only thing I ever fully put my trust in were my very wings...and that's exactly what he stole from me.

Like a fox.

Tearing my wings from me in the dead of night as if I were a mere thing to him.

Ripping my wings from my very flesh while I was asleep was cowardly.

It had only been about two days now since his cruel absence and betrayal to me.

And it was something I would never speak of.

Not to anyone, not to any human and surely not to any fairy.

It would be a regret I'd have to live with, a scar that would forever be embedded within the depths of my heart.

A reminder of how foolish and naive I was about him. Thinking he was different...which I fact he was like all the rest...only wanting power and riches for himself.

Love was never good enough for him...I was never good enough for him.

...

Once I found just enough strength to stand, I stood with great struggle as I leaned for aid on my staff that I had made from a small branch.

I walked about with much difficulty as though I was a fawn wobbling on its hooves for the first time.

I was like this for some time until I finally managed to collect myself.

Walking on, escaping the Moors, I couldn't help but feel an immense pressure of dagger-like pain that was only growing by the second.

It was as if a raging storm was starting in me as well. But I couldn't let it consume me...I couldn't.

To stop the pain even just for a short while, I clenched my hands so much so that my nails were digging into the palms of my hand.

I started to breathe slowly, exhaling and inhaling.

After some time, I seemed to finally cool down.

Shortly after my walk was coming to an end, I discovered an abandoned and barely standing dwelling place made from stone.

I sat alone in thought for a while as dark crept all around like an unwelcoming guest.

The air grew cold and frigid against my skin.

Every breath I took exhaled a waft of cold air that was visible to the eye.

I flinched not at the abrupt sound of an unwanted presence...a solitary raven cawed away as if trying to console me in his own way.

"Go away."

I flicked a glow of magic his way as he fluttered his wings to take off.

Nothing seemed to enter my mind...it was as if my mind had gone blank from disbelief at my circumstance.

All I did was trust a mere human...how...how did it come to this?

What a dreadful man he was...what a horrible and dishonest human.

Honestly...was he even human at all?

Why did someone like me even for a second believe even a word he had said.

True love's kiss? Why was I so utterly foolish...

When nothing but lies escaped him. All the trust I had went to him...until now.

Now I was just a fool. I've been nothing but stupid up until now.

But even I must move forward.

Standing up I escaped from such senseless thoughts. Thoughts that would indeed get me nowhere but further down a rabbit hole of despair.

I slept not as morning came and as I walked back toward the Moors, I noticed an older man and his dog poking and hollering about at something caught in a net beside them.

A black feathered raven came into view.

His eyes caught mine as I was instantly reminded of the raven last night.

And then it clicked.

It was the same raven.

As distraught as the raven was I couldn't do much but transform him into something else to scare both the dog and human away.

"Into a man." I spoke as I kept hidden within the tall grass.

The raven, with quite the swift transformation, was now a man with dark clothing.

"It's a demon!" The human ran away frantically with the dog not far behind him.

I couldn't help but hold a smirk for just a moment before making myself known to the raven.

He only looked at me with a small trace of distain as he looked at his new human like form in bafflement.

"What have you done to my beautiful self?"

"I saved your life." I spoke as I held no annoyance and surprise to his audacity of not even thanking me for helping him.

"My apologies...And for saving my life I'm ever indebted to you."

"What shall I call you?" I spoke as I started off walking toward the Moors with him following close behind.

"Diaval. It's Diaval Mistress."

The calmness to his voice brought a sort of peace to mind as I spoke not soon after.

"Wings. I need you to be my wings."

Not soon after with a flick of my wrist his original form was brought back to a raven.

Just the sight of him as he took off with his wings...it caused a sort of emptiness...as well as a heavy realization of the absence of my wings as all I could do was walk on two legs.

Just like a human.

Was Stefan so terrible that he had to make me like him? Wingless...in constant trouble of worry...

He was making me suffer and I didn't like it one bit.

Not even for one moment.