Because I Knew You (Maleficent)

[Princess Jasmine]

(February 22nd. Jasmine/Maleficent Thread.)

Jasmine walked into the living room alone. She felt a bit nostalgic as she remembered one of her first days here alone. And when she'd ended up talking with Maleficent and they'd started to get to know each other. She knew she was a dark fairy who'd probably be her enemy if they were in Agrabah or if Maleficent was with one of the other armies. But she'd started to get close to her, to care about her. They'd developed a friendship and she was really worried about her when she got sick and hurt. But now she was well again. She knew Maleficent would make them pay for hurting her. She wouldn't want to be the people who hurt her that's for sure. She smiled wondering if they could chat again. It had been awhile. But Maleficent was probably busy with Grimhilde as they tended to hang out a lot lately. She was lost in her thoughts she didn't' hear someone walk in.

[Deleted]

Maleficent didn’t notice that Jasmine was in the living room at first; her body was aching and she wanted nothing more than to relax for a few minutes. As she curled up in a padded armchair, the fairy realized that she wasn’t alone and smiled.

“This seems to be a running theme for us.”

Well, somewhat. It felt like it had been ages since they had sat down like this, just the two of them. When they interacted these days, they were usually part of a larger group, or at the very least joined by Grimhilde or Diablo.

Not that Maleficent minded. She enjoyed Grimhilde’s company and of course cared very much for Diablo, but sometimes it was nice to have quieter moments like this.

“I can’t stay for very long,” she warned. “I’m just taking a short break before I go back to training.”

[Princess Jasmine]

Jasmine turned seeing Maleficent and grinned.

"I suppose it is. Although I think this is the first time we've been alone together in a while. I kinda like the quiet. It doesn't always seem to last though." said Jasmine.

She paused as Maleficent she said she couldn't stay long and would go back to training.

"Perhaps we could just talk for a bit. Or I could go with you when you're ready to go back. I know I've gotten better since I got here but I know I still need help." said Jasmine.

[Deleted]

“It has, yes.”

When Jasmine mentioned liking the quiet, that it never seemed to last, Maleficent found herself nodding in agreement. Quiet had always been something of a luxury for her – one of the hazards of keeping jabbering goblins to serve as your lackeys, no matter how many times she electrocuted them they were never silent – and so she appreciated it whenever it came her way.

“I don’t mind staying and talking for a while,” she remarked casually.

To be honest, the dark fairy enjoyed Jasmine’s company. She made for intelligent conversation at any rate.

“I know I've gotten better since I got here but I know I still need help.”

“Have you?” Maleficent inquired. She couldn’t recall ever training personally with the princess; perhaps she would have to correct that.

[Princess Jasmine]

Jasmine smiled and then chuckled.

"Sometimes I wish we had like a soundproof room we could just go for a few hours and just relax. I guess there's always the woods." said Jasmine.

She smiled as Maleficent said she wouldn't mind staying and talking for awhile.

"I'm glad to hear that. We should get together more. Whenever I see you lately you're with the queen or we're in a group. We should take time to have fun and relax even if it's a half hour a day or something." said Jasmine.

She paused as Maleficent asked if she was getting better. Jasmine nodded.

"I think so. But the few battles I've been in I've barely made it out. I feel like I should be helping. I mean I guess I'm lucky I'm not hurt like a lot of the others have been in battle. I guess I just need more practice." said Jasmine.

[Deleted]

A soundproof room – now that did sound lovely. Maleficent couldn’t help but frown slightly when the woods were mentioned, though. The innocent suggestion called to mind her recent bought of “goodness”, something she was trying her hardest to pretend had never happened.

“We should get together more. Whenever I see you lately, you're with the queen or we're in a group. We should take time to have fun and relax, even if it's a half hour a day or something.”

Maleficent raised an eyebrow at Jasmine’s newest idea and looked her up and down. “Somehow I think you and I have very different ideas of what’s ‘fun’,” she observed, her dry voice tinged with amusement.

“But the few battles I've been in I've barely made it out. I feel like I should be helping. I mean, I guess I'm lucky I'm not hurt like a lot of the others have been in battle. I guess I just need more practice.”

“It’s worth mentioning that you’re doing far more than most royals in your position would.”

Perhaps things were different in Agrabah, but in Maleficent’s home world, members of the royal family – especially princesses – wouldn’t be caught dead dirtying their hands with such menial tasks as fighting in a war, not when they had armies to do it for them. There were exceptions to the rule, of course – Prince Phillip had unfortunately turned out to be one – but from what she had seen, they were rare.

“If you really want to improve your fighting skills, why not consider finding someone to help you train harder?”

[Princess Jasmine]

Jasmine chuckled at Maleficent's words.

"Perhaps you're right. But a little fun couldn't hurt. After all we train too much we'll just wear ourselves out." said Jasmine.

She paused as Maleficent spoke again.

"Thank you. In my world, I was supposed to be this beautiful princess and let some prince marry me by my 16th birthday. I was to have no power or authority of my own. But I changed that when I met Aladdin. He was a peasant, a thief. And I began dating him. My father finally saw me as an equal and gave me royal duties. I even took over the kingdom when my father went away on business or was on vacation. I hope to marry Aladdin one day. But that's if I get back home." said Jasmine.

She paused as Maleficent said she should find someone to help her train harder.

"You're right. But I wouldn't know who to ask. There are some tough people here. But many of them are busy with their own training or working on inventions or plans. I wouldn't want to bother someone or delay them from their work." said Jasmine.

[Deleted]

Maleficent lightly tapped her fingers against the arm of her chair, the only outward sign of her impatience as Jasmine talked about her life back in Agrabah. Much of it was facts that she had already learned during their first meeting, and interesting though she found the Arabian princess to be, she didn’t feel the need to sit through a second recap of her life.

“We will get home, princess. I can assure you of that.”

“But I wouldn't know who to ask. There are some tough people here. But many of them are busy with their own training or working on inventions or plans. I wouldn't want to bother someone or delay them from their work.”

Maleficent raised an eyebrow. For a few seconds, a part of her wondered if perhaps Jasmine was kidding. When she realized she wasn’t, the fairy couldn’t help feeling offended. After all, she had mostly been referring to herself when she made the suggestion in the first place.

“There’s one in front of you,” she remarked, sounding more than a little miffed.

[Princess Jasmine]

Jasmine sighed.

"I want to believe that. I miss Aladdin and my father and my friends." said Jasmine.

Jasmine paused as Maleficent said there's a warrior in front of her as Jasmine winced at her tone.

"Sorry. I just thought you'd be busy with your own training. I guess I should have asked you first. I'd be honored to train with you. If you still want to." said Jasmine.

[Deleted]

Maleficent accepted the apology with a stiff nod, though she was still feeling a little miffed. Beyond the fact that she had been the one to suggest the idea in the first place, the dark fairy would have thought herself the first candidate. Was she not, after all, (one of) the most powerful member(s) of the army? A part of her wondered if it had something to do with her injury, but that notion was soon brushed aside when Jasmine further elaborated on her explanation.

Jasmine asked if she still wanted to train, to which Maleficent nodded again.

“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Grimhilde,” she warned, “I’m not going to take it easy on you, and you have to put all of yourself into this, otherwise you’ll only be wasting both of our times. Bearing that in mind, do you still want me to train you?”

[Princess Jasmine]

Jasmine had a feeling she was still mad. She felt bad for making her upset.

"I really am sorry. You would always be my first choice to train with. You've just been spending so much time with Grimhilde lately. I thought you might be training with her or by yourself. I should have asked you first and let you turn me down or choose to help. Sorry." said Jasmine.

She paused looking at her as she said she wouldn't go easy on her. She smiled at her.

"Yes. My guards went easy with me. Even Aladdin and my friends back home would go easy on me. I need to get better not stay stuck in a rut. So I look forward to training with you." said Jasmine.

[Deleted]

“I heard you the first time, Jasmine,” Maleficent remarked patiently, her voice tinged with amusement. She made no attempt to stop the princess from continuing her apology, however. The more she listened, the more her lingering annoyance faded.

“You've just been spending so much time with Grimhilde lately.”

“Is that jealously I hear in your voice?”

“My guards went easy with me. Even Aladdin and my friends back home would go easy on me.”

At this, an exasperated Maleficent could only roll her eyes. “And there lies the problem.”

Maleficent had never understood the notion of “going easy” on someone in such things as combat training. What was the point in doing something if you were only going to go halfway with it? Besides, the other armies most definitely wouldn’t have those same reservations on the battlefield.

“It will certainly be an interesting experience.”

[Princess Jasmine]

Jasmine relaxed a little hearing her tone. She wasn't mad at her but she doubt that would be forgotten. She would just have to do better not to upset her friend again. Being the "perfect princess" was drilled into her from such a young age that when she made mistakes or hurt people it just made her feel worse. she smiled at Maleficent's question.

"I suppose it is. I mean she has more in common with you. You're both know magic. I guess it's my fault too. We just never really seemed to have much time lately to talk like this. You're always off with her or we're training. Or getting ready for the next battle or rescue." said Jasmine.

She paused as Maleficent agreed with her. She nodded.

"I know. There's only so much I can learn on my own. I've come a long way since I first arrived here but I know I need to get better. Especially in a war. I can't think this is my best I can do because there were will always be someone else out there stronger who kept training. And that is what I must do." said Jasmine.

She paused on Maleficent and smiled.

"I understand going easy on beginners to start them out. But sometimes I felt the guards were letting me win or holding back. And they probably were more often then I realized. But I know you won't. I need someone like you to push me beyond my limits. Even if I'm tired and bruised at the end of them at least I know I gave it my all." said Jasmine.

She was determined to prove to herself and the army and to her loved ones back home she wasn't just a delicate flower that needed protecting. She had helped Aladdin, Genie, and the others on their adventures but it had always been Aladdin or Genie who had ended up saving the day most of the time. She didn't have her old team of family and friends to rely on anymore. She had to get better and with Maleficent's help she knew she would.

[Deleted]

Maleficent raised an eyebrow in surprise. She had only been teasing when she asked if Jasmine was jealous. She had never imagined that the answer would actually be “yes”.

“We just never really seemed to have much time lately to talk like this. You're always off with her or we're training. Or getting ready for the next battle or rescue.”

“Yes, there seems to have been far too many of those,” Maleficent remarked, a tinge of regret in her voice. “I sometimes feel as though our army hasn’t been whole since it began.”

The dark fairy listened to Jasmine talk about how her guards had gone easy on her back in Agrabah and couldn’t help scoffing.

“Why did they bother training you at all, then? To gain your favor?”

[Princess Jasmine]

Jasmine nodded.

"This shouldn't happen at all. We need to be more prepared. We have the numbers but only a handful of us are really prepared for battle. Magic, weapons, combat training. We need what we can get. A shame there isn't a spell to share knowledge. Or make us better fighters." said Jasmine.

She paused as Maleficent asked her about it.

"Well, I kept bugging my father and the chief of the guards Razoul. I think they did it to make me stop bothering them. And for a while, I thought I was learning something. Then I began training by myself and got quiet good. Of course, that was after Aladdin showed up. I miss him, and Rajah, and my father and everyone else back home." said Jasmine.

She paused as she looked at her sadly.

"You know you and Grimhilde died in your worlds. Perhaps if you return you might be taken back to when you died. Even if you didn't your enemies might hunt you. I want you to know that you, Grimhilde, and Diablo are welcome to come back to Agrabah with me when this all over. If you want." said Jasmine.