《沉睡魔咒》第18章

Maleficent slowly and sadly made her way back to the glen. While she wasn't there to witness it, she knew exactly what Aurora was going to do next. She was going to race home, grab the horse from the cottage's small stable, and take off. She would gallop furiously out of the woods and onto the road that took her straight to the castle. She wouldn't stop to think about what her aunts would say when they found her gone. She wouldn't stop to think about why Maleficent would have lied to her. She wouldn't even stop to think about what her father would say when she arrived at the castle gates.

She would just ride, tears streaming down her face. She would think about the fact that she had a father. And a mother. And that she was a princess. Those things she would think about. A lot. So by the time she arrived at the castle, some of her anger would have been replaced by anticipation. For she was going to meet her family.

And while Maleficent wasn't there to witness the reunion, she had a good idea of how that would go, too. King Stefan would see Aurora, and at first he would think she was just some common country girl. After all, he, more focused on Maleficent and his own selfish fear, hadn't really thought about her in years, and she most definitely didn't wear royal clothes. Then, when she told him she was his daughter and tried to hug him, he would hold her at arm's length, trying to see if she was really, truly his flesh and blood. When he decided she was, he would soften, just a bit. Maleficent hated to think of him softening, but she had to believe he had some heart left under all that paranoia and armor.

Then, Maleficent figured, he would tell Aurora that she was beautiful, like her mother. But that would be as far as his fatherly kindness would go. For he would quickly realize that Aurora had arrived back a day early and that the faeries had not done their job. He would realize what that meant: that the curse could still be inflicted on his newly returned daughter. He would panic and order that Aurora be brought to a safe place, where she would be forced to remain until the next day. Aurora wouldn't have a chance to argue, but before she was led away, she would ask about her mother. And Stefan would ignore her question, leaving it to a hapless guard to break the news that had spread throughout the kingdom: that her mother had died.　

That was the way it would happen, Maleficent mused as she sat in her grove, the light fading around her. Suddenly, she sat up straighter. It didn't have to happen that way, though. Not if she could get to the cottage before Aurora took off and try to convince her to stay.

She jumped up, raced over the Moors, passed through the Wall, and made her way to the clearing in the woods. Bursting into Aurora's bedroom, she found it empty. Her eyes narrowed. "Those fools!" she shouted. They hadn't stopped her! How could they have let her go when what waited at the castle would surely hurt her?　

Hearing Diaval's caw, Maleficent turned and saw him perched in the window. Waving her hand, she transformed him into a man and waited for his report. "I found the boy," he said.　

Maleficent nodded. "Show me," she ordered.　

Together, the two made their way out of the cottage and into the woods. They didn't have to go far. Phillip was nearby, heading toward the cottage in hopes of seeing Aurora again.

Stepping forward, Maleficent saw Phillip take in her horns and long dark cloak and pale slightly. But he didn't step back. Instead, he put his hand on his sword and met Maleficent's gaze head-on. Despite herself, Maleficent was impressed. "I'm looking for a girl," he said.　

"Of course you are," she replied.　

Phillip was about to ask just how the horned woman knew that when Maleficent pulled out a yellow flower and blew its pollen toward him. In moments, he was asleep. That taken care of, Maleficent looked around. Now she needed a quick way to reach the castle. "I need a horse." Her eyes landed on Diaval perched in a tree. She smiled. That could work quite well.　

As the sun began to sink below the horizon, Maleficent galloped down the road on the back of a beautiful jet-black horse. She held a sleeping Phillip in front of her as they traveled toward the castle. With each big stride of the Diaval horse, they grew closer and closer. And with each big stride, Maleficent grew more and more worried. The sun was almost down. Time was running out ... fast.　

As Maleficent raced toward Aurora, she felt the presence of the girl growing stronger. All their time together had created an invisible, magical link between the pair. It allowed Maleficent to sense where Aurora was and how she was feeling. At that moment, she could almost see Aurora in her room in the castle, pacing back and forth before the door. She wouldn't be happy that she had come all that way just to be locked up like some prisoner. So when a handmaiden knocked at the door, Aurora would eagerly open it. She would ignore the other girl when she said something ignorant like "This room is for the princess when she arrives. No one should be occupying it." Aurora would see her chance and, not bothering to correct the handmaiden, would push past her and run out. Turning a corner, she would slow her pace. And that was when she would feel it for the first time—a strange ache in the tip of her finger. An ache that she desperately wanted to make go away. She wouldn't be able to explain it, and her feet would continue moving toward an unknown destination.　

On the road outside the castle, Maleficent felt the ache in her finger as well. But unlike Aurora, she knew what it meant. It meant that the curse was growing stronger as the time for it to be fulfilled approached. And until that time came, Aurora would make her way through the entire castle looking for the one thing that would take away the pain—a spinning wheel. She would enter the laundry room, with its long mending table, but move on when she saw only needles and thread. Her finger throbbing more than ever, she would keep going, desperate to find what she was looking for, but still not able to put a name to it. Knowing that all this was happening, Maleficent squeezed her legs, urging Diaval on faster.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the outskirts of the kingdom. Cresting a hill, Diaval reared up as the large ominous structure came into view. This was the first time Maleficent had seen the castle in nearly sixteen years. And it was no longer the beautiful castle it had once been. The blue stone had been covered entirely by iron, making the walls impenetrable. Nasty-looking iron spikes topped the parapets and towers, and along the ramparts, soldiers in iron armor paced back and forth holding iron weapons. King Stefan had done everything in his power to make his castle Maleficent-proof. Now, looking up at it, Maleficent realized he had done his job thoroughly. It was going to be nearly impossible for her to get inside. But nearly impossible and impossible were two very different things, and she wasn't willing to give up yet. Plus, even if she couldn't get in, Phillip could. And that was all she needed.

Just then, Maleficent felt a cooling in the air. With a feeling of dread, she turned and looked toward the horizon in the west. Time had run out. As she watched, the sun sank lower and lower into the horizon, the last rays spreading their weak warmth across the countryside. And then, just as the rays faded and disappeared altogether, Maleficent felt it. A pain deep inside her that built and built and then burst, causing her to cry out.　

"It's done," she said, her voice aching. The curse had been fulfilled. Somewhere inside that iron fortress, Aurora had found a spinning wheel and pricked her finger on it. And somewhere in there, she now lay in a sleep that would last forever. Unless ... Maleficent looked down at Phillip. Kicking Diaval on, she raced toward the castle, holding Aurora's last hope carefully in front of her.

玛琳菲森迈着悲伤而缓慢的步伐回到了幽谷。尽管不能亲眼看见，她也清楚地知道爱洛将要做什么。她会跑回家，从小屋的小马厩里拽出一匹马，然后上马离开。她会气急败坏地冲出树林，再奔上直通城堡的大路。她不会去想如果阿姨们发现自己不见了会说些什么；她也不会去想玛琳菲森为什么要欺骗她；她甚至不会去想当她到达城堡大门时，她的父亲会说些什么。

她只会骑着马，哭个不停，满脸是泪。她会想到自己有一位父亲，一位母亲，而自己是一位公主。这样的事她会想得很多，很多。所以当她抵达城堡时，一些愤怒会被憧憬取代，因为她就要见到自己的家人了。

尽管玛琳菲森不在那里，她也能全然想象到这场重逢会是怎样的情景。斯戴芬国王刚看到爱洛时，他会认为她只是个普通的乡村姑娘。毕竟，由于一直在防着玛琳菲森，再加上自己的恐惧，他已经很久没有想过自己的女儿了，而且爱洛肯定没穿皇室的衣服。然后，当爱洛告诉他自己是他的女儿，并想要拥抱他时，斯戴芬首先会拉着她好好端详一番，看看她到底是不是自己的亲骨肉。当他认出爱洛之后，他会变得亲切一点，只是一点。玛琳菲森不愿意去想他亲切的样子，但是她还是觉得在他那满脑子的偏执和满身的盔甲之下，还有一点良心 尚存。

接着，玛琳菲森继续想象到，他会告诉爱洛她很美丽，和她的母亲一模一样。但他父爱的仁慈也就到此为止了。很快他就会想到爱洛提前一天回到了城堡，魔法仙子们没有完成自己的工作。他会意识到这意味着什么：自己重返的女儿还受着魔咒的威胁。然后他会惊慌失措，让人将她的女儿带到一个安全的地方，直到第二天结束。他不会给爱洛反驳的机会，但是她在被带走之前，会询问自己母亲的情况。斯戴芬不会理睬她的问题，只有倒霉的守卫会告诉她人尽皆知的消息：她的母亲去世了。

事情肯定会这样发展，玛琳菲森坐在她的小树林中想，四周光芒暗淡。忽然，她坐直了一些，不一定非得是这样的。如果她在爱洛出发前赶去小屋，也许能说服她留下。

她跳了起来，冲出摩尔森林，穿过树墙，直奔那片林中空地。她冲进爱洛的卧室，发现里面空空如也。她眯起眼睛叫道：“这群蠢货！”她们没拦住她！她们怎么能让她离开？她回到城堡肯定会受到伤害的。

迪艾瓦鸣叫着飞到了窗台上，玛琳菲森转身挥了下手将他变成人形，等待着他的汇报。他说：“我找到了那个男孩。”

玛琳菲森点了点头，命令道：“带我去看看。”

他们一起走出了小屋，进入树林。他们不用走很远，因为菲力就在附近，正向小屋走来，他希望能再见爱洛一面。

玛琳菲森向前走了几步，就看见菲力被自己的犄角还有黑色长袍吓得脸色有些发白。但是他并没有后退，他将手放在剑上，直面玛琳菲森的注视。玛琳菲森不禁有些动容。菲力说道：“我在找一个女孩。”

她回答道：“我知道你在找一位女孩。”

菲力刚要问这个头顶犄角的女人是怎么知道的，这时玛琳菲森摘下一朵黄花，将花粉朝他吹去。很快他就睡着了。安顿好他之后，玛琳菲森看向周围，现在她需要赶快前往城堡。“我需要一匹马。”她的眼睛落在了栖息在树上的迪艾瓦身上，她笑了，这肯定没问题。

太阳很快就要落到地平线以下了，玛琳菲森骑着一匹乌黑的骏马奔跑在大路上。她把熟睡的菲力放在身前，出发前往城堡。变成马的迪艾瓦奋力地向前奔跑，他们离城堡越来越近，玛琳菲森却越来越焦虑。这时太阳几乎全落下去了，时间在流逝……飞快地流逝。

在玛琳菲森向爱洛飞奔而去的时候，她觉得爱洛在她心里变得越来越重要。她们在一起的美好时光在两人之间创造了一条隐形的魔法纽带。这条纽带让玛琳菲森能够感受到爱洛的存在，还有她的所思所感。现在她几乎可以看见爱洛正在城堡的一间屋子里面，在门前踱来踱去。她肯定不会开心，因为她千辛万苦来到这里可不是为了像一名囚犯一样被关起来的。所以每当女仆来敲门的时候，她总是会急切地将门打开。她可不会理睬女仆的无礼言辞，说什么“这间屋子是为公主准备的，其他人无权进入。”爱洛懒得和她多费口舌，她会抓住机会推开女仆，冲出房间。转过一个拐角，她会放慢自己的脚步。那时她会第一次有所感觉—她的指尖有种奇怪的痛感，一种她拼命想要消除的痛感。她无法解释这是为什么，但是她的双脚会继续带着她走向未知的目的地。

玛琳菲森到了城堡的外围，她也感受到了手指上的疼痛。不过和爱洛不同，她知道那种痛意味着什么。那意味着随着魔咒应验的时间越来越近，它的魔力也越显强大。在那一刻来临之前，爱洛会跑遍整个城堡寻找那件消除疼痛的东西—一架纺车。她会跑进洗衣房，看见一条长长的修补台，然后继续寻找，因为上面只放着针线。她的手指尖跳动得越来越明显，她会继续寻找，不顾一切地追寻她要找的东西，但她仍然说不出那是什么。想到正在发生的一切，玛琳菲森夹了夹马腹，催促迪艾瓦跑得再快一些。

几分钟后，他们来到了王国的城郊。爬到山顶后，迪艾瓦抬起前腿，那座不祥的巨大建筑映入眼帘。快十六年了，玛琳菲森又一次看见了这座城堡。它不再美丽，蓝色的岩石被铁壁覆盖，变得坚不可摧。丑陋的铁质尖刺竖立在护墙和塔楼之上，城墙上还有身着铁甲的士兵拿着铁制武器来回巡逻。斯戴芬国王倾尽全力让玛琳菲森再也无法进入这座城堡。玛琳菲森抬头望去，她意识到斯戴芬的确做足了功课，她几乎无法进入。不过“几乎无法进入”和“无法进入”是完全不同的，玛琳菲森没准备放弃。而且，就算她进不去，菲力也能进去。她所需要做的就是这些。

就在这时，玛琳菲森在空气中感到了一丝凉意。她担心地转过身，看向西边的地平线，没有时间了。她看见太阳慢慢沉入地平线，最后几束微弱的光线将余热洒在乡间，就在光线渐弱、最终消失的那一刻，玛琳菲森一下感觉到了。她体内深处慢慢积聚的疼痛一下爆发出来，她不由大叫一声。

“完了。”她的声音中满是痛苦。魔咒应验了。在那座钢铁城堡的某处，爱洛发现了一架纺车，刺破了手指。就在那里，她陷入了沉睡，再也无法醒来了。除非……玛琳菲森低头看了看菲力。她踢了踢迪艾瓦，将爱洛最后的希望护在身前，向城堡冲去。