The Archer's Legacy

★彡01|32 - "Maybe good really is more powerful than evil." 彡★

Everyone gasped, crouching down instinctively. Carlos, not thinking much, hugged Y/n closer to himself as he shielded her from whatever was to come.

And then, who would've guessed, green smoke filtered through the windows and popped when it reached the middle of the cathedral, turning out to be no one other than Maleficent.

Everyone stumbled back once again, only Y/n and Carlos staying where they were, now standing, Carlos a bit in front of Y/n so as to still shield her.

"I'm back!" Maleficent sang, looking absolutely joyful as she turned to grin at Fairy Godmother.

"It can't be," Mal breathed.

"The barrier must've broken while Jane had the wand," Y/n realised.

Maleficent chuckled. "Well, aren't you a smart one?"

"Go away, mother," Mal said, looking at her mother with remorse on her face.

Maleficent cackled in a genuinely amused way. "She's funny..." She let out a snort, turning to Mal. "You're very funny... Here." She moved her hand, gesturing for the wand. "Wand me. Chop-chop."

Y/n cleared her throat. "Mrs Maleficent, ma'am. We're at a misunderstanding here."

Everyone looked at her incredulously. Using that moment, Mal tossed the wand to Ben while Carlos whispered to Y/n, "Do you know who you're talking to?"

"I don't work well under pressure," the girl hissed as a response, watching with relief as the wand was handed away from Mal and thus further from her mother.

Ben quickly handed the wand over to Fairy Godmother, who said, "Bibbidi-bobbidi—"

"Boo," Maleficent mocked, the power of her sceptre freezing everyone in place. Everyone but Y/n, that is.

With a raised brow, she looked at her. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"Uhh, no," Y/n stammered, backing up slowly as Maleficent took threatening steps towards her.

"Then where are you from, little girl?"

"Why should I tell you anything?" Y/n challenged despite her shaking voice, still backing up step by step.

Maleficent let out a high-pitched chuckle. "Because it's obvious that you're afraid of me, girl!" Her expression dropped. "But whatever, it is clear a weakling like you is of no use to me."

With a gasp, Y/n saw her sceptre rise. Thus, she froze before Maleficent could cast the spell. And indeed it seemed that the villain had gotten a bit rusty back on the Isle, for she didn't notice that the girl was merely pretending.

"What did you do?" Carlos asked as he and his friends were unfrozen, surprised by his own confidence in challenging the greatest villain of all time.

"Oh, we just had a little talk, that's all," Maleficent shrugged, chuckling in the same evil manner as she walked to the platform and took off King Beast's glasses, musing, "Oh, in another time, in another time..."

She moved on, snatching the wand from Fairy Godmother before laughing again, obviously having a grand old time terrorising the frozen. "Oh no, someone needs to pluck their nose hairs..."

Maleficent looked back at the four thoughtfully, Y/n's rising and falling chest completely escaping her notice, to the girl's great relief. "Where shall we begin?" she thought aloud, squatting under Fairy Godmother's outstretched hands. "I know." She waved the wand, her tone of voice growing sharper. "Why don't we start by getting rid of this?"

In a flash, Mal's hand thrust forward and the ring Ben had given her flew to the wand, circling as it fell. "Perfect fit!" Maleficent exclaimed, thrilled. She then went on to apologise to Fairy Godmother as she squatted under her other hand while Mal looked at her hand, where the ring used to be, with a saddened expression.

"Falling in love is weak," the villain went on, messing with Ben's crown. "And ridiculous."

A tear rolled down Mal's cheek and Carlos briefly glanced back at Y/n, who did her best to keep her eyes from flitting around.

"It's not what you want," Maleficent stated.

"You don't know what I want!" Mal accused. "Mom, have you ever once asked me what I want?" The girl's voice broke. "I'm not you!"

"Well, obviously," Maleficent agreed. "I've had years and years and years and... years of practice being evil, you'll get there!"

"No, I will not!" Mal denied. "And I really wish you had never gotten there yourself." She sniffled, growing stronger despite the brewing pain in her heart. "Love is not weak. Or ridiculous."

Hearing that, Y/n remembered the words her mother had once told her. "Love is the most powerful weapon."

"It's actually really amazing!"

When Mal said those words, Carlos glanced back once again and Y/n allowed herself to make eye contact with him, as Maleficent's attention was all on Mal. The boy almost gasped aloud but Y/n faced ahead again, her small reassuring smile dropping.

"I know one thing, young lady," Maleficent spoke, capturing Carlos' attention once again, even though his heart now brewed with relief and confusion rather than fear. "You have no room for love in your life!"

Mal, feeling angered by her mother's words, decided to drop the let's-make-a-point-with-words act, and, thrusting her hand forward, exclaimed, "Now I command, wand to my hand!"

Despite Maleficent's resistance, the wand was soon in Mal's hand, who, surprised and happy, said, "It worked!"

"I hardly think so," Maleficent disagreed, walking in circles. "In fact, this is tedious and very immature, give me the wand, give me the wand!"

"Hold on, Mal," Carlos stopped the girl, for a second glancing back at Y/n. "Maybe good really is more powerful than evil."

"Oh, please," Maleficent laughed. "You're killing me! Arf!" He mocked barking at Carlos, to which Dude responded to with actual barking, running and climbing to the villain's shoulders in a very irritating manner.

"Ugh, dog breath, dog breath, get off of me!"

While Maleficent was distracted, Jay made the brave move to take a few quick steps forward and try to grab the sceptre from the villain. The boy didn't achieve his goal, however, when Maleficent, by looking him straight in the eyes, put some kind of spell on him, that made him distracted enough for the villain to kick him away.

"Enough!" Maleficent then exclaimed. "You all will regret this!"

And then, without much of a notice, there was a dragon where the woman had been.