A/N: My apologies for the insanely lat update. I didn't want to write with writers block. I rewrote this about three times and I do believe it's to my satisfaction finally. This chapter is a little more serious than the others, but this will be it for a while. Sexy times ahead.


Those eyes...

Aquill's mate lay still at his feet, quite small in this form. The male's pale nakedness gave the dragon a possessive urge to envelop him and cover his vulnerability. As much as he ached to hold the man, that was less than advisable without knowing the full extent of his condition. The drake lowered his head inches from the other's body and began assessing.

Those beautiful, laden eyes.

By outward appearances nothing seemed out of place, aside from the scars complimentary of a skin changer, but there was a subtle flurry of motion under the skin that only certain eyes could catch. It was unsettling, two different bodies of magic moved about, both not very strong in their concentration, but familiar enough with the bird to hold alarming grounds. One seemed content to laze about and be one with its benefactor. The other was dividing its energies to two actions, either constricting relentlessly around various organs or traveling to the consistent beating at the upper left center of the bird-man's chest. Aurous eyes widened in dawning fear as the more aggressive tendrils sought to fully encompass his mate's heart. It would seem a fraction of the creature's gifts had been forced upon him, the loose magic anchoring its instability inside a demurring host. And it was painfully obvious the bestower had done so sloppily, as if they'd no experience prior to messing with the intricacies of a life stream.

Who?... Who would dare do such a callous thing?

The dragon let out a empathizing keen, his poor mate. Judging by the aged look of the scars covering the human's body, he had been turned countless times for many numbers of years. He must be strong physically and of worthy character to withstand the foreign entities and the taxing demands of one malcontent.

Was this why those eyes knew more hurt than they deserved to bear?

If the little one had survived thus far why would the magic be acting harmfully only just now?

The sudden scream tore straight through the ancient one's ponderings and froze his every movement. Aquill watched helplessly as the man's body arched of the ground once, twice, before thumping back down and seizing completely still; not a single sign that would indicate breathing. Panicked, Aquill hastily delved past his mate's exterior, only this time searching frantically deeper for any tell that would allow him to fix this. He was instantly drawn to the angry, quivering mass attacking the center of the human's life stream. His mate was tiring at a frightening pace and if he didn't work fast to relieve the crushing pressure surrounding his heart it would be over in mere minutes. And he would be damned if he let that happen, not when he'd finally found his little mate.

Aquill drew blood from his gums from the force with which his sharp teeth clenched. He sent pulse after pulse of himself to the man's heart and still he didn't receive a single strengthened beat of life. The weak fluttering in the human's chest remained exactly that, a sad struggle to ward off fading entirely. Aquill hunkered down and pushed forward with the brunt of his resources, forcing as much creamy-gold luminescence as he could spare into the still body. Nothing changed.

Anxious beyond words, Aquill sat back on his haunches, shaking his head roughly. He could feel his eyes welling up and snarled at his culpability. If he had only approached the beautiful bird with consideration, he wouldn't have fallen, he wouldn't be weakened and in a fight for his life. He hardly knew this creature, and yet he couldn't let him go. The thoughtlessly abused membrane of Aqull's inner lips were chewed till they split as his frustration grew. He didn't know what more to do for his prone mate.

No!

He knew there was always something that could be done, but his fear wouldn't let him the clarity to think sufficiently to do so. He was made to swallow as his airway became blocked with crimson black. Taking big, relieving breaths did little to lessen the severity of the situation, but it did allow for oxygen to rush to his brain, making it possible to think. Think of his little winged one. He stared sorrowfully at the silent form.

He looked so precious and fragile and... broken.

Aquill took in a deep breath, resting his eyes from the disturbing sight, and slowly exhaled. He could do this. He was strong enough. Aquill dove back in with the determination of the great lord he was. Moving past everything in plain sight, he found the genetic prints of every form the raven had ever adopted, one in particular almost made him smile. Well, that made sense of why he'd heard the cry of his kin, but it couldn't explain why a creature with even the smallest traces of magic wasn't responding to the healing attentions of a dragon. Straining harder he glimpsed a brief flicker of wild green and recoiled, withdrawing his own magic from his mate before the evil had a chance to touch him.

Fairy taint. A fairy was responsible. A wretched fairy had gotten a hold of the black bird, poisoned him with its unrestrained filth! But they were all dead! Aquill had seen to it himself, hunted the last to their extinction! When he got his claws on that abomination he'd- ..It was of least importance at the moment. What mattered now was that Aquill knew how to help his mate.

And he couldn't do it here.

There wasn't much in the way of choices...

Option 1: Remove the man from the cove and make off with him.

Or...

Option 2: Remove the man from the cove and make off with him.

His bird might be cross with him when he awoke later, but it was surely preferable to remaining comatose until his body eventually starved, or the parasitic magic ate him alive. Decided, Aquill tenderly stroked the whiteness of the man's cheek before carefully lifting him up and nestling his smaller figure against a broad, plated chest and taking to the sky. With the ancient's luck and the strength of his wings they'd make it to his home by nightfall, he'd visit the oasis by the first light of the next day, and expel the fairy's taint.

Aquill hoped he'll have figured his next course of action by then.


The Moors. Her Moors. Their Moors now.

Maleficent reclined in the shade under her tree on high and watched the beautiful young woman interact with her dear Moor folk friends below. Any other would have a time making out the details from this distance, but Maleficent experienced no trouble following Aurora's graceful, dancing figure as she was passed off from partner to partner. The fairy's hearing was fairly acute as well, easily picking up the music, a marvelous accumulation of the border guards rustic creaking, the sweet vibratos of the Fungus toppers, and the merry tinkling of the floral pixies. It was a sound the lady had all but forgotten. Something so beautiful that could have tragically been lost to the scene of the Moors if Maleficent's grim rule had reigned for a time longer. The jovial accompaniment complimented the young queen's elegant bearing, and Aurora seemed to have no troubles dancing to its ancient tune.

So far, the introverted spectator was quite at ease with how well the 'ball' was proceeding, not that she would be flying down to join them any time soon, if at all. Maleficent had never been to a ball before, but she'd attended one dreadful, never to be repeated, christening once and just knew that the two revelries were one and the same in essence. A multitude of clamorous happy people gathered together in one place to advertise overreaching civility, drink themselves sick, and engage in doltish activities. Besides, too many morons in one place brought out the impatience in her, and Maleficent couldn't promise not to glare like death and dampen theirs, and Aurora's, moods. No, best to observe from here.

As Maleficent watched Aurora dance and laugh the once impossible feeling of gladness that she had allowed this party to happen seemed to build till she could feel the warm emotion thrumming in her very magic. Yes, Aurora's beautiful laughter was more than worth one stupid ball. When her dear goddaughter initially tried to approach her with this brilliant ball idea of prince Phillip's Maleficent's first instinct had been to track down the boy and remove all organs, not directly keeping him alive, from his worthless person. Only Aurora's big pleading eyes had stayed his torture. It was custom in the world of men to hold a ball in honor of recently ascended royals and as Aurora, being of both worlds, helpfully pointed out, dancing happened to be less debilitating than celebrating her birthday with a spindle pricked finger, trapped in the deathlike clutches of the most powerful spell ever created. Ouch. The girl's tactic was low, but no less deserved, and so Aurora got her ball.

The Goblins, not one of the odd lot musically inclined, took turns twirling a giggling Aurora round and round. Reflexively lurching forward, Maleficent hissed as one of the bumbling goobers spun the girl with more force than intended, sending her tumbling with a surprised shriek. The multitude of heads fearfully looked up to where they knew the fairy watched over her young queen, wary of her infamous wrath. Only to collectively sigh in relief as Aurora burst into delightful trills of merriment.

Maleficent inclined her head, and the party began again at a frivolous gait. A playful gust of wind danced on by the fairy, caressing her once lost treasures in passing as if to say how much it had missed her presence in the sky. The sensation of singing nerves long out of use reaped a thoughtless giggle. It was so good, she considered chasing the mirthful current down, and once she might have, if not for her vow to keep vigilant eyes on her godchild. There would be time for self indulgence later. Her wings were a part of her again, and rubbing them together to feel their weighty length Maleficent couldn't remember the last time she'd been this truly happy.

She'd almost lost this, the freedom of her wings, just like she'd lost her parents and the rest of her fairy kin. Like the way when Stephen had left her, taking with him her youthful naivety, she'd lost her kind spirit to rage and hate. Maleficent was only too fortunate that Aurora had been there to bring her better self back again. Divinity had sent to her salvation in the form of two remarkably wonderful people: that darling child, and that grumpy bird of hers.

Diaval... Now there was one she could always rely upon. That stalwart crow, with his depth-less eyes, so dark in their knowing of her intricate pith, and his fearless front. She knew he wore more than one face to secret away an unknown from even the perceptiveness of his mistress. It almost unnerved her to know that in many ways his complexity would never acknowledge her desire to comprehend his demons on a field of understanding. He was too good to her, never a servant of reluctance, but a genuine server of forbearing obedience. Maleficent smiled, he'd saved her life more than in the physical sense four times now, and almost every near death had been by her own hand, only Diaval's stubborn backtalk and relentless hope to stand in the way of her blind vengeance.

More than all that she knew he would never leave her. Aurora, a generous source of love, was here for her dark angel now, but that too would become a flimsy assurance against the ever changing course of time. Maleficent watched as even now the beautiful queen harassed prince Phillip for a dance, which he clumsily gave, too flustered by the attentions of such a miraculous creature to place his footing gracefully. It didn't take a drastic accident of magic to see that the two young people were smitten with each other. The winged Lady smirked as Aurora made Phillip nervous with the way she eyed him up and down, proving no reason wonder who would be in charge of the relationship. The foolish boy would become a blushing man, and the fire spirited girl would train his heart to hers in the full bloom of her womanhood. Aurora would always love her godmother, and Maleficent would never let her go, but if the girl's heart was big enough for two kingdoms, two different worlds, and two different peoples, the space a husband and king would take would surely spread Aurora's attention thin. Maleficent won't be the girl's center world for much longer and that was alright...

As long as Aurora was happy, and as long as Maleficent had Diaval...

...She could get used to this feeling, this peaceful contentedness.