"Is something supposed to happen now?" Phillip stood up straight and looked at the pixies expectantly.　

Maleficent's heart sank. Hope fled and all the bitterness and despair that she had pushed aside in that moment as Phillip's and Aurora¹'s lips met came flooding back. She should have known. True love didn't exist. Aurora would never wake up. Maleficent would never be able to explain herself. They would never be able to walk through the Moors² together, never watch a sunset or play with the snow faeries in their meadow. Aurora would sleep on ... forever. Maleficent suddenly realized that her parents ultimately had been right—there really were good humans out there, ones who appreciated and loved nature as much as the faeries did. She realized that peace was possible between the races, that humans didn't need to be dealt with violently. But she'd come to this realization³ far too late.

Near the bed, the three pixies threw up their hands in frustration⁴. They were upset as well, but for more selfish reasons. If King Stefan found out they had failed to wake up his daughter, there was no telling what he would do to them.　

"I was certain he was the one," Flittle said to the others as she pushed Phillip out the door.　

Following him, Knotgrass nodded. "We have to keep looking. Scrape the bottom of the barrel. He doesn't have to be a prince. He doesn't even have to be handsome."

"Or even that clean," Thistlewit added as they moved into the hallway and shut the door behind them.

Stepping out of her hiding spot in the shadows of the bedroom, Maleficent made her way to the bed. Sinking at Aurora's side, she looked at the beautiful princess. Even asleep, she looked kind and good, and Maleficent was racked anew with guilt⁵ for the punishment she had foolishly inflicted⁶ on the innocent girl. Who would have thought, all those long years before, that things would turn out that way? That the curse would be as great a punishment for Maleficent as it was for Aurora.　

Letting out a deep, sad sigh, she reached out and gently brushed a strand⁷ of Aurora's hair from her face. Diaval stood at her side, his silent presence a small comfort to Maleficent. She took a deep breath and spoke⁸ softly, her voice cracking with emotion. "I will not ask you for forgiveness. What I have done is unforgivable. I was so lost in hatred⁹ and revenge. I never dreamed that I could love you so much. You stole what was left of my heart. And now I've lost you forever." She paused, wiping a tear. "But I swear, no harm will come to you as long as I live ... and not a day shall pass that I won't miss your smile..."　

Maleficent's voice trailed off. There was nothing left she could say or do. This was the only good-bye she would ever get. And she wanted to make it count. Leaning over, she placed one hand over Aurora's and gently kissed the girl on the forehead.

A surge of magic filled the room.　

And then Aurora's eyes fluttered open.

Maleficent let out a gasp¹⁰ as the princess's calm blue eyes met her unsure green ones. She was so happy that the girl was awake, but scared that Aurora was still angry.

"Hello, Godmother," Aurora said, beaming up at Maleficent, her smile bringing new light to the room.　

Maleficent's throat constricted¹¹ as her body was racked with emotion. Aurora was awake. And she didn't hate her.　

But how could it be? Why had her kiss worked and not Phillip's? And then Maleficent smiled as realization swept over her like a wave. She had been so focused on the love that had broken her heart that she had never stopped to think there was an even deeper, truer love: that of a mother and daughter. That was what Aurora had become to her—a daughter. She loved her unconditionally¹², without question. She would love her on the bad days and on the great days. When Aurora was near and when she was far. She would love her for the woman she would become and the girl she was now. That, Maleficent realized as she looked at Aurora's huge smile, was the truest of loves.

Bursting with happiness, Maleficent smiled back. "Hello, beastie."　

Maleficent didn't waste any time filling Aurora in on what had happened since she had pricked¹³ her finger. The girl listened closely as Maleficent told her about the pixies' mission to find a prince to wake her and how they had failed. She even told her about the valiant¹⁴ effort Phillip had made. While she had wanted to skip it, a knowing look from Diaval changed her mind. It was only fair, after all the lies that had been told, to speak the truth. Aurora was going to face a tough decision in the days to come—whether to stay with her father or be with Maleficent—and she deserved all the information before she made up her mind.

When Maleficent was finished, Aurora didn't say anything. She simply nodded and slowly sat up. Then, with Maleficent's help, she shakily got to her feet. Now that she was awake, she wanted to speak to her father.　

Making their way out of the room, they found the hall deserted¹⁵. The two guards were gone and the lights along the wall had been blown out. With a growing sense of dread¹⁶, Maleficent and Diaval, now a raven¹⁷, led Aurora down one hall after another. They descended¹⁸ a long, winding¹⁹ staircase and moved past the iron thorns and brambles that had burned Maleficent earlier. Aurora's eyes grew wide as she took in the sharp objects she hadn't noticed before, clearly placed there by her father. While Aurora didn't say it, Maleficent knew the girl was scared. And with good reason. This did not look like the castle of fairy tales and happy endings. It was a dark and evil place, vibrating with hate.　

Finally, they reached the balcony that looked down over the Great Hall. The huge room was dark save for a single pool of light that illuminated²⁰ the center. Cautiously, they moved down the stairs and closer to the light.　

Maleficent kept her gaze straight ahead, focused on the two large thrones just visible in the shadows. They were the same thrones where Stefan and his queen had sat while their infant daughter was showered with gifts at her christening. The same thrones that had borne witness to Maleficent's curse and the terrible aftermath. Now they once more sat there, silent witnesses. But to what? Maleficent wondered. What did they know that she did not?

As Maleficent turned to make sure Aurora was okay, her eyes grew wide. The girl was gone. But where? She had been there just a moment before. Turning, Maleficent frantically²¹ scanned the empty room. "Aurora?" she called out. From the darkness, she heard the muffled²² sound of someone trying to speak. "Aurora!" Maleficent cried out, racing²³ toward the sound.

Finding herself in the middle of the circle of light, Maleficent paused, uncertain. Something didn't feel right. With a growing sense of dread, she looked up. And then she gulped²⁴. Hanging there, right above her head, was a giant iron net.　

Before she could move, the net fell toward her. Dropping her staff, Maleficent raised her hands above her head to try to block it. But it was no use. The moment the iron touched her exposed flesh, she felt a searing pain and heard the sizzle as her skin burned. Unable to handle the intense pain, Maleficent fell to her knees, the net covering her the way her wings used to. But while her wings had brought her comfort then, the net now just brought her misery²⁵.

Her breath coming in gasps²⁶, Maleficent was barely aware of the footsteps of a dozen men as Stefan's soldiers surrounded her. They prodded²⁷ the net with long spears, causing the iron to move against Maleficent and find new pieces of skin to burn. She clenched²⁸ her jaw²⁹, convinced it couldn't get any worse. And then, through the fog of pain, she heard Aurora cry out.　

"Don't kill her!" the princess shouted.

Raising her head slightly, Maleficent saw that Stefan had arrived and was now holding Aurora out in front of him. It had been a long time since Maleficent had seen Stefan, and she was shocked by how drastically he had deteriorated³⁰. His sunken cheeks were red, and his shoulders stooped. The thick hair he had always worn long was thinning and gray. And the eyes that stared down at Maleficent were bloodshot and empty.

An evil smile slowly spread across Stefan's face as his fingers dug into the soft flesh of Aurora's arm. Maleficent cringed. Stefan had completely lost it. He had been intent on destroying Maleficent for so long that he didn't even realize he was hurting his own daughter. In fact, he seemed annoyed by her, and when she pleaded once more for him to stop hurting Maleficent, Stefan pushed her backward. The force of the shove threw Aurora to the ground. From where she lay, she looked up in horror, shocked by her father's violence.　

Desperate to save Aurora from any more pain or disappointment, Maleficent tried to move under the net. But it was no use. The iron was doing its job, and with every passing moment she grew weaker. If only there was something else she could do. Some other way out of this horrific situation ...　

And then she heard Diaval's familiar caw.　

Despite the pain that continued to wash over her in waves, Maleficent smiled. Yes, she thought, that would work. That would work quite nicely. Softly, she began to mutter.　

There was a swoosh of magic and the curtains on the windows blew as wind filled the Great Hall. And then, as Stefan and his soldiers watched, Diaval began to transform. His wings grew longer, the black feathers replaced by dark scales, until they spanned nearly the entire length of the hall. His beak³¹ became a large snout with a mouth full of sharp teeth, and his neck extended so that the top of his head nearly grazed the ceiling. And his two feet turned into long, powerful, scale-covered legs. On the end of each foot, giant razor-sharp claws dug into the stone floor. Rearing back his head, Diaval let out a loud roar. Before the terrified soldiers stood something they had never seen before, something that even this magical land had thought to be a myth. Diaval had become a dragon.　

Maleficent raised her head and watched as a stunned³² Stefan took a step back. If the pain hadn't been so overwhelming, she would have smiled to see him struck down with fear. Then she turned her head slightly and saw that Aurora had climbed to her feet and was running away. As she watched, the girl disappeared up the long staircase that led to the tower. And then Maleficent did allow herself a smile. Because no matter what happened next, no matter what pain Stefan inflicted on Maleficent, or Diaval inflicted on Stefan, Aurora wouldn't be there to witness it. She would be saved from that horror. And after everything the girl had gone through, one less horror was a priceless gift.

 

菲力站直身子，充满期待地望着魔法仙子：“会有什么事情发生吗？”

玛琳菲森的心沉了下去。希望消失得无影无踪，当菲力吻上爱洛时，那被她暂时抛却的痛苦和绝望，再一次涌上心头。她早就应该知道，真爱并不存在。爱洛永远都不会醒来了，玛琳菲森也永远不会有机会向她解释这一切了。她们再也不能一起走过摩尔森林，再也不能一起看日落，再也不能和草地上的雪精灵一起玩耍嬉戏。爱洛会一直沉睡下去……直到永远。玛琳菲森忽然觉得自己父母说的是对的—世界上的确有些善良的人类，他们和精灵一样欣赏自然，热爱自然。她意识到精灵和人类是可以和平相处的，并不一定要粗暴地对待所有人类。但是这个觉悟来得太迟了。

床边的三位魔法仙子束手无策，看起来十分沮丧。她们也很悲伤，不过这悲伤更多是出于自私的原因。因为如果斯戴芬国王知道她们无法唤醒他的女儿，不用说她们也知道自己的下场。

“我确定他就是爱洛的真爱。”蓝果仙子边说边将菲力推出了门。

红叶仙子跟着他，也点着头说道：“我们还得再找找，再不行就退而求其次。真爱不一定得是王子，甚至都不一定要长得很帅。”

“甚至脏一点也没关系。”绿蕨仙子加了一句。她们边说边走进走廊然后关上了门。

玛琳菲森从卧室藏身的地方走了出来，走向那张大床。她弯下腰，看着这位美丽的公主。即使在睡梦之中，爱洛也显得那么善良而美好，玛琳菲森又一次感到非常懊悔，是自己愚蠢地让这个天真无邪的女孩受到无端的惩罚。谁又能想到，多年以后事情会变成这样？魔咒给爱洛带来的惩罚最终会成为对玛琳菲森自己最大的惩罚。

玛琳菲森幽幽地、长长地叹了一口气，轻柔地将爱洛脸颊上的一缕秀发拨开。迪艾瓦就在她身旁，他无声的存在多少带给玛琳菲森一点安慰。她深吸了一口气，轻轻地对爱洛说着话，嗓音因为情绪激动而变得有些嘶哑：“我不会乞求你的原谅。我所做的一切都不可原谅。那时的我被仇恨和报复冲昏了头脑，我从没有想到我会如此爱你。你掏空了我的心，我却永远失去了你。”玛琳菲森停顿了一下，拭去脸颊上的泪珠，接着说：“但是我发誓，只要我活着，你就不会受到任何伤害……每天我都会想念你的笑容……”

玛琳菲森的声音越来越小，直到完全听不见。她没有什么可说或可做的了，这只能是她唯一的告别，所以她想让这次告别变得很重要。她俯下身去，一只手放在爱洛的手上，轻柔地吻了爱洛的前额。

一股魔力充盈了整个房间。

接着，爱洛的眼睛忽闪着睁开了。

爱洛公主那双平静无波的蓝眼睛和她那双难以置信的绿眼睛相互对视了一下，玛琳菲森倒抽了一口气。爱洛醒了过来，她欣喜若狂。但她又害怕爱洛还在生她的气。

“你好，教母。”爱洛对玛琳菲森笑着说道，整个房间都因为她的笑容而明亮起来。

玛琳菲森喉咙发紧，百感交集。爱洛醒了，而且爱洛不恨她！

但怎么会这样呢？为什么菲力的吻没用，她的却有用？忽然玛琳菲森恍然大悟，她笑了。一直以来她都太过于关注那种曾经让她心碎的爱，却从未想过这世上还有一种更深沉、更真切的爱：母亲和女儿之间的爱。爱洛对她来说就像女儿一样，玛琳菲森无条件地爱着她，这毫无疑问。这种爱风雨无阻，也无关距离。她爱着爱洛现在的样子，当爱洛长大之后，这种爱也不会改变。玛琳菲森看着爱洛灿烂的笑容—这正是最真挚的爱啊。

玛琳菲森心中满是喜悦，她也朝爱洛笑了：“你好，小怪物。”

玛琳菲森立即向爱洛讲述了她扎到手指陷入沉睡后发生的事情。爱洛聚精会神地听着她描述为了唤醒自己三位魔法仙子如何找来王子，最后又如何失败。她甚至描绘了菲力的英勇行为。虽然她想跳过这段，但迪艾瓦一个会意的眼神，让她改了主意：之前说了这么多谎，现在也只是说出真相而已。在不久的将来，爱洛要做一个艰难的选择—是在父亲斯戴芬国王身边还是和玛琳菲森待在一起—在下决定之前她需要知道所有的真相。

玛琳菲森说完之后，爱洛一言不发。她只是点点头，慢慢坐了起来。然后在玛琳菲森的帮助下，她歪歪斜斜地站了起来。既然她醒了，她想和自己的父亲谈一谈。

她们一起走出房间，大厅里空无一人。两名守卫杳然无踪，墙壁上的灯火也被吹灭了。玛琳菲森和鸟身的迪艾瓦领着爱洛穿过一个又一个大厅，越发觉得有些害怕。他们走下了一条长而弯曲的楼梯，穿过了那些之前灼伤过玛琳菲森的铁荆棘。看着这些铁荆棘，爱洛睁大了眼睛，她之前都没发现，显然是她的父亲下令装置的。尽管爱洛没有说话，玛琳菲森知道这个女孩被吓到了。这一点也不难理解，因为这里看起来一点都不像童话故事里或美满结局中的城堡，而是一个黑暗而邪恶的地方，仇恨四处弥漫。

最后，他们来到阳台，下面便是正厅。整个正厅都处在黑暗之中，只在中央有一小片光亮。他们小心翼翼地下了楼梯，向那片光亮走去。

玛琳菲森直视前方，盯着黑暗中只能隐约看到的那两个王座。爱洛洗礼的时候，斯戴芬和他的皇后就坐在这两把椅子上面；它们也见证了玛琳菲森当初是如何施下魔咒又如何引发可怕后果的。现在它们仍然安坐在这里，一对沉默的目击者。玛琳菲森想知道，它们现在又是为了目睹什么呢？有什么是它们知道而她不知道的吗？

玛琳菲森转过身去，想看看爱洛怎么样了，但她却瞪大了双眼。爱洛不见了。她去哪了？刚刚她还在这儿的。玛琳菲森焦急地四处寻找，她叫道：“爱洛？”黑暗中她听见有人想要说话却被蒙住了嘴。玛琳菲森向声音冲去，大声叫着：“爱洛！”

玛琳菲森来到中间那片光亮处停了下来，有些迟疑。她感觉有点不对劲。她有些害怕，抬头一看，倒抽了一口冷气，一只巨大的铁网就挂在她头顶的正上方。

还没等玛琳菲森挪动，铁网就朝她落下来了。她丢开魔杖，举手想要挡住铁网，但是徒劳无功。她裸露的肌肤一碰到铁网，就传来一阵钻心的灼痛，皮肤被烫得咝咝作响。疼痛难忍的玛琳菲森跪了下来，铁网就像她的翅膀以前包裹着她那样，从背部将她盖了个严实。只不过翅膀带给她的是舒适，而铁网带来的只有痛苦。

她大口地喘着气。在斯戴芬的士兵包围她时，她只能隐约听到十几个人的脚步声。他们用长矛戳动铁网，而铁网一动，又给她的皮肤带来新的灼伤。她紧咬牙关，努力说服自己事情不会更糟了。在一片模糊的痛苦中，她听见爱洛的哭喊。

爱洛公主叫道：“别杀她！”

玛琳菲森微微抬起头，看见斯戴芬国王已经来了，他将爱洛抓在胸前。玛琳菲森已经很久没有见过斯戴芬了，她对他的巨大变化震惊不已。他塌陷下去的面颊有些潮红，肩膀也耷拉着。他曾经浓密的长发现在变得花白而稀疏，那双向下盯着玛琳菲森的眼睛充满血丝，空洞无物。

斯戴芬的手指嵌入爱洛柔弱的手臂里，脸上缓缓地露出一抹邪恶的笑容。玛琳菲森感到一丝害怕，斯戴芬已经完全迷失在仇恨之中。长久以来，他处心积虑一心想要毁掉玛琳菲森，却没有意识到他也正在伤害自己的女儿。事实上，他看起来已经对爱洛有些不耐烦了。当爱洛又一次请求他不要伤害玛琳菲森的时候，斯戴芬猛然把爱洛推倒在地，爱洛躺在地上，恐惧地抬头看着父亲，被父亲的暴力吓呆了。

玛琳菲森迫切地想要保护爱洛，不让她再承受更多的痛苦和失望，她开始在铁网下面挪动。但是没有用，铁网正灼烧着她，每一秒都在削弱她的力量。要是她还能做点什么就好了，要是还有别的什么方法能摆脱当前这可怕的困境……

接着她听见了迪艾瓦熟悉的叫声。

虽然玛琳菲森剧痛缠身，但她却笑了。她想，是的，这肯定可以，一定奏效。于是轻轻地，她念起了咒语。

魔力“嗖”的一声显现，正厅里立即狂风大作，窗帘被刮得四处乱飞。接着，斯戴芬和他的士兵眼睁睁地看着迪艾瓦开始变形：他黑色的羽毛变成了深色的鳞片，翅膀不断变长，直到大厅里已经无处可长了；他的鸟喙变成了巨大的短吻，里面布满了尖利的牙齿；他的脖子也变长了，脑袋几乎可以触到天花板，两条腿变得又长又壮且盖满了鳞片，两脚前端像刀刃一样锋利的爪子紧紧扣在石头地板里面。迪艾瓦昂首发出了一声号叫。在这群惊恐万分的士兵眼前，站着的是他们从未见过的东西，就是在摩尔森林这样充满魔力的地方，这样的东西也难以想象—迪艾瓦变成了一头巨龙。

玛琳菲森抬起头，看到惊呆了的斯戴芬后退了一步。如果不是浑身剧痛的话，看见斯戴芬这副恐惧的模样，玛琳菲森一定会笑起来。接着，玛琳菲森转头看见爱洛爬起来跑了出去，消失在通往塔楼的那条长楼梯上。玛琳菲森放心地笑了，因为不论将要发生什么事，不论斯戴芬对她做什么，或者迪艾瓦对斯戴芬做什么，爱洛都看不到了。她不必再经历那些恐惧了。她已经经历了那么多，减轻一点恐惧对爱洛而言已是至珍至贵的恩赐了。

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