Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lilia woke up feeling the sorest he had in a long while. What exactly happened yesterday? He didn't remember doing anything that would make him this sore. Was it just his old age catching up to him?

As far as he remembered nothing out of the ordinary happened, aside from him getting to make dinner for his kids yesterday. He made quite the delicious meal if he did say so himself!

Something wasn't right. His bed wasn't as comfortable as it usually was. In fact, the air in his room didn't even feel the same. He sensed way more magic in the air than normal, and the temperature was off. It was much colder than usual.

He was in Briar Valley.

Lilia shot straight up at the realization and opened his eyes. He seemed to be in the castle’s infirmary. But how could he possibly be here if he was at Night Raven College just yesterday? Had there been an attack of some sort that he hadn't remembered?

Assessing his surroundings, he realized the rest of the beds in the room were empty. At least his family wasn't hurt, otherwise, they would be resting here. There was another possibility, but Lilia refused to entertain it.

"Malleus?" Lilia called in case he was somewhere nearby, waiting for Lilia to awaken. No response. No matter, Lilia would find him himself. He tried to get up but found it incredibly difficult to do so for some reason. It seemed he was more injured than he realized.

It wasn't just the pain, when he moved it felt different somehow. Looking down he realized his hair had grown. Around the length it was before Malleus had been born. The same red streaks were in it too. Just what was going on here?

Lilia couldn't afford the luxury of resting anymore, he got up despite the pain and walked toward the door. He was going to find answers. Had he gotten sent back in time? Did a spell hit him causing him to de-age? The only way to find out was to investigate.

He opened the door and prepared to venture into the hall. Fortunately, he stopped just in time before running into a man who was about to walk into the infirmary. Unfortunately, that hadn't stopped the man from dropping the water in his basin in shock, splashing hot water on the both of them. Lilia assumed he was a servant, as he hadn't seen him before. Must be new, if he was this incompetent. 

"Good morning to you too," Lilia said in greeting.

"Ge-General Vanrounge, you're awake!"

"Should I not be?"

"No! I-I’m just shocked! It’s been two hundred and twenty-two years since you last woke up!"

Lilia's heart dropped.

"Two hundred years..." That meant Silver was gone, didn't it? Humans rarely live more than a hundred years, none ever making it to the two hundred mark. Silver was gone.

His son was dead.

He wondered how Silver felt about Lilia being in a coma. Did he visit him often? Could he not bring himself to? Lilia'd like to think he visited at least once, but wouldn't blame him if that wasn't the case.

And Malleus.

Malleus should still be alive, right? He wouldn't have even reached a thousand, still not a full-fledged adult yet. How had he been all these years, by himself? Was Sebek still around? Maleficia? Was he having to carry the burden of the throne all alone? Did he have anyone he trusted?

Lilia had to see him. He still had some years left in his lifespan, and he planned to use the majority of them to be by Malleus' side and support him. That was the plan all along, except now his years had been cut down, only having less than a hundred left. Still, he'd spend as long as he could with his eldest.

He'd only gotten to spend seventeen years with Silver.

Had he grown up well? Had he been officially knighted? Chosen a different path? Had a family of his own? More importantly, had he been happy?

"Um, General Vanrounge…" Right, he had been spacing out for quite a while, though Lilia felt it was understandable considering the circumstances. Still, he had things to do. He could properly mourn later. Right now, he had to find Malleus.

"Where's Malleus?" Lilia asked, face blank and voice reminiscent of the harsh tone he had used in his youth.

The servant paled. Lilia waited for over a minute but there was no answer.

No. There was no way his other son was dead as well. Lilia couldn't take it. What was the purpose of him waking up if all of his loved ones were dead? Was he doomed to have everyone he cared about taken away from him?

It seemed as if Lilia would never know because this man was taking forever to spit out a reply.

"Answer me!" Lilia ordered.

"General Vanrounge, I-I'm sorry. He perished, as did Meleanor-sama in the battle…"

Malleus was dead. There was no point. He shouldn't have woken up. Someone should have had mercy and killed him. He couldn't do this. For his remaining years, he would never even befriend anyone. Doing so would be cursing them.

Just like Meleanor had, and Silver had, Malleus was gone.

But why had the man mentioned Meleanor in the first place? She had been dead for a long time, no?

"When you said Malleus and Meleanor perished, what exactly did you mean?"

"I-I mean they passed on."

"I know that! I meant what happened?"

"I don't know how much you remember, but the Silver Owls ambushed the castle. Meleanor tried protecting her egg. She died protecting her child, and eventually, they cruelly killed her unborn child as well."

"So Malleus perished as an egg, and never hatched?"

"Y-Yes, Sir."

That doesn't make any sense. Surely he was in an alternate universe of some sort. Malleus had hatched. Lilia had personally made sure of it. It had taken a while, but he had hatched. He hadn't perished the day the Silver Owls attacked.

If Lilia was correct about the timeline, Malleus should've hatched this year. So why was he saying Malleus was dead?

Perhaps that was true for the events that happened in this awful universe, but the one Lilia was from was different.

Does that mean there's a different version of Lilia out there somewhere that has yet to experience this? How awful. Lilia would do what he could to help him before he left, but his main priority would be getting back to his kids.

Still, he could relax a bit. His kids were fine, probably wondering where he was. Unless he got switched with himself from this universe. That would surely be a shock, wouldn't it? Still, once the other Lilia realized who Malleus was he was sure he wouldn't hurt them.

Luckily this Lilia knew of a few spells he could try to get him back home. He just needed a few components.

Lilia pushed past the man to get to his room. He was sure he had everything he needed in there, as long as no one had poked around his things while he was sleeping.

"General Vanrouge, you should get checked out first. It isn't safe for you to walk around. And Maleficia-sama will want to know you're finally awake."

"Tell her if you wish, I have things to attend to." She could come hunt him down if she really wanted, that wouldn't stop him from doing what he needed.

When he finally got to his room, it was still the same as he remembered. Which meant that everything he needed should be here.

He was going home.

Chapter Text

Perhaps Lilia had been too optimistic.

He wrote his other self a letter, writing down the location, date, and time that he had found Silver in his universe. Hopefully, he still existed here, and he'd done a good enough job explaining to the other Lilia why he needed to stay alive for Silver.

After that, he got straight to work and tried out a spell that was sure to get him home.

But it didn't work. 

He then tried a spell that dispelled illusions. Maybe he was just hallucinating? Nothing. He tried to send a message to his kids and to himself in the other universe. He couldn’t get through. It was like there was no such universe. He even tried switching bodies with Malleus at one point, and his magic alarmingly tried to say Malleus didn't exist. Just what was going on?

"I assumed you'd be doing something like this." Maleficia teleported in without warning, as she always did.

"What's going on?" Lilia asked. It seemed she knew something.

Maleficia smiled. "I haven't talked to you in years, is that any way to greet me?"

"Forgive me for being rude, Your Majesty," Lilia said with not even a hint of sincerity. "What's going on?"

"There's no rush Lilia. You have plenty of time to get reacquainted with life." She was being difficult on purpose, wasn’t she? Lilia didn’t have time for this.

"I need to know why none of the spells are working. I take it you know what they're for?" He didn't have time to beat around the bush.

"The Silver Owls managed to get their hands on a magical artifact they shouldn't have. It casts a sleeping curse on you, causing you to dream of a better world and people that don't exist."

"Malleus is definitely real."

"Was real. My grandson perished two hundred and twenty-two years ago with his mother. We never heard from his father again, either."

No, no, no, there was no way this was true. This had to be an alternate universe. A trick. Hell even. His kids existed. They were real. Malleus, Silver, Sebek, they had lived. They were real.

In Lilia's panic, Maleficia had snatched Lilia's letter. She was now looking at him in pity after having read the contents. "Lilia, he's not real. No matter how long you wait, there will be no human child with blonde hair waiting for you in the woods. There isn't and will never be a Sebek Zigvolt. They're not real."

No.

Lilia refused to believe it.

His kids were real. She didn't get to tell him that they never existed. Lilia had spent time with them, watched them grow, take their first steps, their first words, all of it! He was there. He'd watched them. They were real.

"I know it's going to take some time to get used to this, I'll leave you be for now. You know where I'll be if you need me." Maleficia said, before disappearing out of his room.

What was Lilia supposed to do now?

Lilia hadn't slept.

His body ached and he was unbelievably tired, but he hadn't slept.

He could pull an all-nighter, he was apparently much younger now. 178 years to be exact.

178…his baby…

He couldn't think of that now. He had to get home. He had to.

Though if Maleficia said his home didn't exist, the most powerful mage in Twisted Wonderland, then how was he supposed to believe it?

Malleus wasn't real.

Silver wasn't real.

Sebek wasn't real.

His family didn't exist.

What was the point of anything? No, why was Lilia still here? It may be terrible, but he couldn't bring himself to serve Maleficia anymore. There was no point. There was no point in anything anymore.

He had to get out of here. He didn't know where he was going, just anywhere but here. Not the same place Malleus took his first steps. Where he was born. Where Silver and Sebek were supposed to have worked one day.

He packed up the necessities and left. No one stopped him. Maleficia probably foresaw this and assumed he'd be back. She hadn't seen what he had. There was no going back.

Lilia wandered through the woods until, eventually, he found an abandoned cottage. Perfect.

It wasn't the same as his and Silver's old home, Lilia couldn't handle that, but it was a humble two-bedroom cottage, unlike their previous three-bedroom one. Malleus of course needed his own room when he visited, he was spoiled.

Lilia got to work, setting up a small cot on the living room floor and fixing up the house with his magic. It'd do for now. Lilia didn't need anything fancy.

He caught a few lizards for food and spent the rest of the day reminiscing.

Was there really nothing he could do? No way for him to bring Malleus and Silver back? There had to be something he could do!

He wouldn't be useful like this, so he allowed himself to get some sleep. Tomorrow, he'd think of something.

In the books Lilia had gotten, it seemed necromancy was a popular option for bringing back your dead loved one.

That wouldn't work for Silver, would it? He'd simply never existed.

Malleus might be in the ghost realm now, right? Perhaps Lilia could just join him there. Malleus might not recognize him, but that wouldn't stop Lilia from getting to know him again.

That being said, if he's in the ghost realm, Lilia could try to find a way to talk to him, couldn't he? He's seen it in plenty of movies before! There were plenty of horror movies that started with kids trying to summon ghosts. While they probably weren't accurate, he's sure he could replicate a similar outcome.

He'd spent the next few weeks researching this, only resting when necessary.

Of course, everything always turned out the same.

Lilia couldn't contact him. It was as if he didn't exist. He'd tried summoning some other ghosts, but they all said they had never seen or heard of anyone matching Malleus' description. Lilia thought maybe he'd moved on to somewhere else, but even ghost that had been there since before Malleus' death didn't know who he was talking about.

None of it made sense. Did he really not exist? How had his egg existed and not him? Since it hadn't hatched did that mean there was no soul? That didn't make sense, but it wasn't like Lilia was an expert in dragon eggs. It was definitely a possibility. 

There really was nothing left of his kids?

Lilia didn't know why he was still in this realm at this point.

He'd only been eating, sleeping, fighting.

He fought threats to Briar Valley and people who tried to trespass on his property. What fools they were to not recognize him. He hoped they enjoyed their time in the ghost realm.

None of this was enough. Lilia still felt he had too much time on his hands.

Foolishly, he decided to make the cottage more homey. Bought a couch, kitchen table, and decorated the bedrooms.

He couldn't bring himself to go upstairs anymore. He knows whose taste the bedrooms were based on.

Maleficia sent him money. He didn't know how she found out where he was, but it was her, so it made sense. He's just glad she hadn't tried to drag him back to the castle yet.

The next time he saw her in person, he'd make sure to tell her it was a waste to send money.

He spent it on clothes that would fit his kids at various stages of their lives, baby and toddler toys, books about gargoyles, and training swords.

Lilia was a mess.

He didn't know why he was buying all those things. No one was ever going to use them. It was a waste.

Buying things for his kids was now a waste.

Chapter Text

Lilia went on like this for months. Or was it years? He used to have a better perception of time but lately he could hardly tell the difference between night and day.

He’d seen Malecficia a few times. She always asked him to come back. He always declined. She told him he couldn't waste his life away like this. He begged to differ.

And here he was now, coming back to the cottage after a long day wandering around the woods aimlessly.

At least he developed a new hobby.

Lilia went to open the front door, just for it to creak open by itself and fall to the ground.

Well, that was one way to be welcomed back.

The intruders had slowed down the last couple of…however long it had been. Lilia didn't expect to see another one, but at least it was something new. He still got bored of doing the same thing every day, he just couldn't bring himself to change his routine.

He went inside and found the living room a mess, but he guessed a bit of cleaning up was worth it for a bit of excitement.

He was ready to start searching for the intruder, that was until he heard a movement from upstairs.

No one goes upstairs.

There was one thing Lilia always took with him when he went out. His magical weapon. The green cleaver he used back in his youth, also known as a wood chopping axe by Silver.

It was time to make use of it.

Lilia teleported upstairs. He determined the sound was coming from Mal- the bedroom on the right, before kicking the door in.

"You may have thought you'd be able to get away with this, but I'm not going to let you. In fact, I'm not even going to hand you over to Her Highness for justice. Have you heard of General Vanrounge?" Lilia made his speech, but it seemed he was talking to an empty room. While the bedroom was messed up, it still wasn’t in as bad a shape as the living room. Besides the mess, there was no trace of an intruder to be found.

That was until he saw the pile of debris shaking.

Lilia grinned. It'd been a while since he's had something to kill. He was due for some practice.

If the coward wasn't going to come out and face him, Lilia wasn't going to give them the courtesy of hearing them out. They'd be dead regardless, but Lilia was usually gracious enough to at least hear their last words.

Lilia swung his weapon down toward the pile of debris, the sound of a whimper making him hesitate, but ultimately not stopping him.

However, that hesitation caused the intruder to have a chance to strike back, using its magic to freeze him in place while the creature ran to the other side of the room. Why hadn't he tried to make a break for it? This creature didn't seem too bright. Of course, this wouldn't stop Lilia from killing it.

Though perhaps the creature was too young to understand. Maybe Lilia could send it back out into the wild. Others didn’t deserve the pain of losing a child. First, he had to assess what exactly the creature was.

Lilia easily broke out of the spell before starting to slowly walk over to it. Upon realizing he was seeing familiar features, he dropped his weapon and ran towards the tiny creature, startling it all the more.

The creature tried to freeze him in place again, this time shooting ice out of its small hand to freeze his feet in place. A chill ran through his spine at the familiar magic. 

It was still shaking. Lilia had to reassure the creature it was safe.

If Lilia was in its position he'd be scared as well. It was just trying to find shelter and a strange man had tried to kill it.

Or maybe it was simply trying to come home.

"Malleus," Lilia called, like he had when he'd first woken up. The tiny dragon didn't react at all to that name. Did he not go by that now? Perhaps he just didn’t have a name. That wouldn’t do, but they could work on that later. For now, Lilia just had to work on convincing him he was safe.

"I didn't realize you were a dragon, little one." First, he needed to make Malleus realize that Lilia had only swung at him by mistake.

"I wouldn't have tried to harm you if I'd known," Lilia said, trying his best to smile even though he was out of practice. He crouched down and held his hand out, not minding that his feet were still frozen. "I'm Lilia. You're welcome to stay here." Malleus didn't shake his hand but did sniff it a bit. So they were making progress!

“The house is a bit of a mess, but I can clean it up in no time, don’t worry. Are you hungry?” 

Malleus answered his question with a yawn.

Lilia chuckled. “I suppose the meal can wait until tomorrow.” He’d have to get back into cooking more nutritious food. Malleus deserved to grow up as healthy and strong as he used to be.

“If you don’t mind sleeping in here, the bed seems to be intact.” 

Malleus ignored him and went towards the door, heading downstairs. 

Was he trying to leave? Lilia couldn’t let him leave. 

Lilia broke out of the ice and rushed to follow Malleus, preparing to stop him if he had to.

He went downstairs to find Malleus lying down in a pile of debris and fabrics near the fireplace. 

Ah, so he made a nest! 

It seemed he’d tore up Lilia’s cot, but he could always get a new one! At least the nest meant he didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

Lilia couldn’t lose him again. He’d protect him, no matter what. 

If Malleus came back, his brother would eventually as well. Everything would be fine. Malleus, Silver, Sebek, and him. They would be a family again. All Lilia needed was patience.

He crouched down by Malleus' nest. “You’re welcome to sleep there as well. If you’re cold, I can start a fire. Though I should fix the door first. I’ll get to work and you get some rest.” Lilia couldn’t help himself from reaching out and petting the scales on Malleus’ back. His baby was finally back home.

Malleus didn’t answer him. He either couldn’t talk like this or didn’t want to. He just curled up and settled into his nest further. Lilia took that as an agreement and got to work. He’d fix the cottage up as good as new. 

Lilia didn’t sleep that night, opting to fix up Malleus’ room and the rest of the cottage. He wanted to make a nice breakfast for Malleus but he didn’t have the ingredients so he opted to pick some fruit instead.

Leaving Malleus alone made him anxious but he made sure to be quick. When he returned the sun hadn’t risen yet, and Malleus was still sleeping. 

Lilia couldn't bring himself to do anything but watch over him. After a few more hours, Malleus awoke. 

“Good morning! I made us some breakfast.”

Malleus followed Lilia toward the kitchen table. He flew up and sat on top of the table, ignoring the chairs. The dragon dug straight in, enjoying the cut-up fruit in his bowl and mug of water Lilia laid out for him. Lilia followed his lead and took a seat, on a chair though, enjoying his own breakfast. When they were finished Malleus was a mess, so Lilia wiped the fruit juice off his face with his sleeve. 

“Is it okay if I call you Malleus? You look like a Malleus.” Lilia wasn’t sure how much he should tell him. He didn’t want to scare him away. 

Malleus only tilted his head in confusion, before flying off the table and curling up in his nest again. The communication didn’t seem to be going as well as he hoped. 

“Is there something else you’d prefer to be called?” Lilia asked, following Malleus and crouching in front of him. 

The dragon just yawned and closed his eyes. Was sleeping all he liked to do? 

“Hey, I’m talking to you,” Lilia said, frowning and poking his snout. 

Malleus opened his eyes for a second, growled at Lilia, then returned to his nap. 

Lilia sighed. They weren’t getting anywhere. Lilia had to show Malleus there were things that were more interesting than sitting in his nest all day. He’d never needed that much sleep before. 

Though Lilia realized he didn’t know how old Malleus was for sure, and if he asked he had a feeling Malleus wouldn’t answer. His size seemed to indicate he was young, but no matter how old a dragon was they had the ability to change sizes. 

More importantly, was Malleus just a dragon or still a fae? Did he know how to change forms? He certainly knew how to use magic, so there was that. 

Hopefully Lilia would be able to get answers eventually. For now, he had a play area to set up.

He didn’t know Malleus's exact age, but he might as well make use of all the kid's toys he bought. If Malleus didn’t appreciate it, he’d save the toys for Silver. 

It didn’t take long to get the area set up. He didn’t have to do much. Put the padded dragon blanket in front of the couch, bring some of the toys down, and he was done! 

Even though the task was simple, once he finished it he realized he was incredibly tired. He of course hadn’t been sleeping well since he woke up in the castle’s infirmary, and he’d also pulled an all-nighter yesterday. The blanket was surprisingly comfortable. If he laid down on it for a few minutes, it wouldn’t hurt, would it? Plus he’d be in the same room as Malleus, so if he needed something or tried to leave, Lilia would hear him. 

With that in mind, he laid down and closed his eyes. 

When he awoke, the sun had set. He hadn’t meant to sleep for that long. After he got up and stretched, he went to check on Malleus. Still asleep. How long was he going to sleep for? Was this healthy? Was he sick? 

If he was sick, what should Lilia do? What sort of doctor could he take him to? Not the castle. Was he supposed to return him to the castle? Would they believe him? Would they try to take Malleus away from him? 

No, the castle wasn’t an option right now. Not until he had his story straight. Then where was he supposed to go? 

The first thing he should do is attempt to wake Malleus up, no matter how upset the dragon got at him. Lilia went over to his nest and tried shaking him. “Little one, do you want some dinner?” No answer. 

Lilia poked his side for a full minute before Malleus opened his eyes. And that was only to glare at him for a moment before closing them again. 

“Are you still tired? You’ve slept all day. The sun’s set. Maybe doing something fun will be good for you. At the very least, you have to get some more food in your stomach.” Lilia said, continuing to poke him. 

“I’ve set up some fun things for you over there if you’d like to try them,” Lilia said, pointing to the blanket even though Malleus wasn’t looking. He avoided calling the items toys in case that made Malleus less interested. He was always trying to seem more grown than he was. 

Lilia stood up, a frown on his face. He was going to have to get more creative. 

“Oh woe is me, I am so lonely, my child won’t talk to me!” Lilia said, hand resting on his forehead dramatically. He made sure to fall straight back on the floor for extra effect. It kind of hurt though.  

Malleus seemed willing to move at that. Whether from the thud of him hitting the floor or his excellent performance, he didn’t know. 

The dragon crawled on top of Lilia so he was sitting on his chest. He tilted his head in confusion and stared at Lilia. 

Lilia smiled, picking up the dragon and bringing him closer to his face. “Were you worried? I’m alright little one. Though I am a bit bored without anyone to talk to.” 

Malleus just huffed at him and tried to get away from Lilia. Lilia set him down and stood up. “Now that I’ve got you up, do you want to take a look at the things over there or get something to eat?” Lillia said, referring to the play area again. 

Malleus walked over to the blanket curiously, sniffing a few of the toys. The dragon nudged a green ball with his snout, causing the rattle inside of it to shake. He seemed intrigued by that, pushing the toy along further with his snout, until he got to the edge of the blanket. He then abandoned the poor toy to go look at some of the others. 

The next toy he was drawn to was the mushroom patch. They didn’t look like real mushrooms, at least, not any mushrooms that grew around here, but Malleus tried to bite them all the same.

“Those aren’t real, dear.” Lilia explained. The dragon continued to use the mushrooms as if they were a chew toy, even though that wasn’t their intended purpose. Oh well, the bite marks gave them character! 

After harvesting all the mushrooms and giving them all a proper chewing, Malleus was polite enough to put them back in their patch, albeit still with his teeth. As long as he wasn’t hurt and was having fun, Lilia didn’t have any complaints. 

The next toys he walked over to were the instruments. Lilia was excited about these ones. Before, Malleus had enjoyed instruments, and he was curious to see if that was still the case.

He put a hand on the tambourine. He seemed intrigued with the sound it made, smacking it multiple times. 

“How do you feel about a duet?” Lilia asked, picking up a toy accordion and playing along to Malleu’s erratic tapping. 

“I think we make quite the musical duo, don’t you?” They continued their song for a few more minutes before Malleus made his way toward Lilia.

“Is something the matter?” Lilia asked. 

Malleus responded by biting one of Lilia’s fingers.

“If you’re hungry I’ll get you some food, I’m sure it’ll taste better than my finger.” Lilia teased.

They had fruit again, unfortunately. Lilia would have gotten some more food so they would have variety, but that would mean leaving Malleus alone. Still, he’d have to think of something, because eventually they’d need more supplies. 

“Do you want a bath? Though you’re a bit too small for the tub.” He’d just have to get creative then. 

Malleus yawned in response but didn’t make a move to go to his nest. So they were making progress.

“I’ll be right back, dragonfly.” Lilia said, giving Malleus a pat on the head before heading to the bathroom. 

Lilia got a wash basin that was meant for washing clothes and put it in the bathtub. He then filled it with warm water, bubbles, and a green toy boat for good measure. 

He walked back into the kitchen and thankfully Malleus was right where he left him, dozing off on the kitchen table. “Little one, your bath’s ready,” Lilia called. Malleus didn’t seem to have any intention of following Lilia, so he walked to the table and scooped him up, carrying him to the bathroom. 

Malleus decided to pretend to be sleeping through the whole thing. He only dropped his act when Lilia dropped him into the basin. He opened his eyes and blew out a puff of green fire in Lilia’s direction. Ah, how he’d missed those flames!

“You can go to bed right after you’re all clean.” Lilia told him, poking him on the snout. 

Malleus just growled in protest, glaring at Lilia until he realized there was something else in the basin with him. He nudged the toy boat with his snout, much like he did with the ball earlier. He seemed to enjoy sending the boat in circles. Lilia was glad he enjoyed all the toys. 

Lilila let him be for a minute, but he did need to wash him, so he got a sponge ready and started washing his dragon. 

Malleus of course wasn’t having this, deciding to protest by almost burning Lilia’s eyebrows off and scratching his cheek. Lilia was proud of him for being able to injure him, it seems he did still have some of his strength. 

Once the bath was done Lilia took Malleus out of the basin and wrapped him in a towel. Bundled up like this in his arms he really did remind Lilia of when he first hatched. He really wondered how old Malleus was now. If he’s going by the timeline, it would indicate that Malleus had just hatched. But his actions seemed to suggest he was a bit older than that. Perhaps just shy of 20? He had the attitude of at least a 30-year-old. 

Lilia speculating wasn’t going to prove anything. Hopefully he’d find a way to better communicate with Malleus, but if not Lilia was alright with his age being a surprise. No matter how old he was, Lilia was happy to take care of him like this. 

The sound of Malleus yawning drew him out of his thoughts. Right, he was tired. Hopefully he’d have more energy tomorrow after another good night’s rest. “You’ve been awfully tired today dragonfly. Let’s get you to bed.” Lilia could clean up later.

Lilia carried Malleus downstairs and went to put him in his nest, but that caused Malleus to growl in protest and try to bite him. Lilia complied, stopping his attempts and holding the dragon close again. 

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you tired? Do you want to play some more?” 

Malleus yawned again and snuggled into Lilia’s chest, closing his eyes. 

Ah, was it that he wanted to stay with Lilia? 

“Let’s both head to bed then.” Lilia said, taking them upstairs to Malleus’ room. He realized that Malleus was still bundled in the towel, so he threw it on the other side of the room. He’d pick it up tomorrow. He then got them settled in Malleus' bed, the dragon still tightly held in his arms. He should probably wash up too, but he could do that tomorrow. 

He was about to offer a bedtime story, but it seemed the dragon was really asleep this time. He was glad it hadn’t taken Malleus long to warm up to him. He’d almost teared up when he realized what Malleus had wanted.

The thought made him miss Silver even more, but he was willing to be patient. Even if it did take 178 years for him to see him again, he would definitely see him again. He just had to be patient. For now, he just needed to make sure Malleus grew up again loved and happy. 

Chapter Text

Lilia woke up alone in Malleus’ room.

Logically he knew he shouldn’t panic, Malleus could’ve just been in another room. That still didn’t stop Lilia from rushing down the stairs. 

Luckily his worry had been for nothing. Malleus was in the living room pushing a toy car with his snout. It seemed he’d ventured off the blanket and was playing by his nest. 

“Good morning dear!” Lilia said, walking over normally as if he had not been panicking two seconds prior. 

When Malleus saw him he perked up, walking over to Lilia and abandoning his car. He sat in front of Lilia and let out a small whine.

“Are you hungry?” 

Malleus nodded eagerly. He seemed more open to communicating today.

“Let’s get some breakfast. I’m afraid it’ll be the same thing again, but I’m hoping to go get some ingredients today, so I should be able to make something different for dinner.”

They had their usual fruit and water, Lilia wiping Malleus’ face clean with his sleeve again. 

If he really was going to head out today, he needed to have a talk with his dragon first. 

“I’ll let you get back to playing, but since I’m going out today I wanted to make sure I can trust you to watch the house. Will you be okay keeping watch while I’m gone?” 

Malleus nodded. Of course, Lilia was going to take extra measures to make sure his dragon was safe. He’d cast a protective barrier around the house and make sure it’d alert him of anyone entering, or leaving for that matter. He wanted to trust Malleus wouldn’t leave, but he had to be safe. 

Lilia got himself ready and set out, making sure to cast the barrier before he left, and also to give Malleus a peck on the head.

He got all the ingredients he needed to make a nutritious and delicious meal. He also went into town to get some more of the necessities they might need. He’d bought plenty of things before, but he hadn’t thought he’d actually get to see his kids again. Now he needed to be sure that they definitely had everything they needed. 

He didn’t expect to run into Maleficia on his way back. She’d been waiting for him to leave his house, hadn’t she? 

“I think it’s time you come back home, don’t you Lilia?”

“I don’t plan on going back there.”

“You can play house with random creatures all you like, but that won’t change that they aren’t your children.” 

“He isn’t some random creature! He’s my son.” 

“He’s not Malleus. I saw his remains.” 

“You think it’s a coincidence that he looks exactly like Malleus did as a child? His magic is exactly like his!” 

“I think you need to remember that in reality, Malleus never grew up. He may look like the Malleus of your dream reality, but that does not make him a Draconia.”

“Maybe he’s not a Draconia, and maybe he’s not this reality’s Malleus! That doesn’t change the fact that he’s my Malleus and that he’s my son.” 

“What if he has parents looking for him, Lilia? Do you plan to keep him from them?” 

Yes! is what Lilia wanted to say. But that wouldn’t be fair to Malleus. “He came to me for shelter. If he gets older and wants to find his parents, or they come looking for him, we’ll discuss it then. As of right now, he’s mine. I don’t plan on coming back to the castle.” 

“It seems I can’t dissuade you from this. I’ll allow you to live out this fantasy of yours. On one condition. If I require you, you will come back to the castle for a time. Care for your dragon will be provided.” He didn’t have any choice but to agree, did he?

“Fine, but if anything happens to him I'll-" 

“I will personally make sure of his safety, and you have free reign to punish my staff if they do something that's not to your liking. I’ll let you get back to your errands now. I’ll see you soon.” And with that, she teleported away. 

“Malleus, I’m back!” Lilia said by force of habit. He really needed to get this name thing sorted out. It may be best if he goes by a different name, especially if the castle staff will need to watch him. Still, the name did belong to him. If they had to, Malleus could go by a different name at the castle. It’d be like when Silver had to stop calling him father at school. That had worked out fine, hadn't it?

“I’m back, little one!” Lilia tried again, and this time he heard the little patter of steps coming to greet him. At least he knew Lilia was referring to him when he called him that. Though when Silver came that might get a bit confusing. 

Lilia crouched down and patted Malleus’ head. “Did you miss me? I brought lots of yummy ingredients to make a delicious dinner, and even some new toys!” 

Malleus purred, nuzzling his hand. He’d gotten pretty comfortable in such a short time. Lilia was glad. He briefly wondered what Malleus’ life was like in this universe before he meant Lilia. Was he mistreated? Lilia was just glad his dragon had somewhere to call home now. 

“I’ll set some of the toys up for you and then I’ll get started on dinner, okay?” Malleus nodded, following Lilia to the toy area. 

It was a little messier than Lilia last remembered it, but that just meant Malleus enjoyed it, so that was good.  

Lilia set up the few new toys and then did as he said and started on dinner. He did check on Malleus from time to time. It seemed he enjoyed the ring stacking toy Lilia had gotten, chewing on the rings that all had different textures. 

He was similar to how Lilia remembered, but also different. Different didn’t have to be a bad thing. It’d keep Lilia on his toes, after all. He wondered if he’d still like gargoyles. And Tamagotchis? Were those even a thing in this world? He could always try to find something similar. 

He wondered how different Silver would be. Perhaps he would be exactly the same. Or the complete opposite. Whatever the case, Lilia would love him no matter what. 

Sebek could potentially be different as well. Would he still be loud, or more quiet? Have a big appetite? Would he still be half-fae and half-human, or something else entirely?

Malleus was at least a dragon, but he still didn’t know if he was a fae or not. Since he was more comfortable with Lilia perhaps he should have a conversation with him.

Lilia could think about this more after dinner. He had a meal to set up. 

He decided to go with a bigger dinner this time, having salad and meat and bread at the table. The bread by itself would be too plain so LIlia found some things to stuff it with. He also had apple juice at the table, but if Malleus didn’t want to drink that he made sure to buy some other drinks!

“It’s dinner time, dragonfly!” Lilia called. Malleus seemed to respond to that name as well, running to the table. He was more active today, that was a good sign. 

For some reason when Malleus got to the table, he tilted his head in confusion, not flying on top of the table and sitting like usual. 

“I know it’s not fruit, but it’d be good for us to try something different, don’t you think? It’d be boring to eat the same thing every day after all!”

Malleus whimpered. Did he really like fruit that much? Lilia would have to stock up on some more. 

“If you really want more fruit, you can have some for dessert, alright? But you have to eat some of your dinner first.” 

Malleus sighed, relenting and taking his place at the table. Lilia took a seat as well and began to dig in. 

Malleus ate slower than normal, but maybe he was just getting used to other types of food. He only ate half his plate before deciding he was full. Lilia would let it go this time. 

“Before we get to dessert, I wanted to ask you some things.” 

Malleus tilted his head in curiosity but nodded for Lilia to go ahead. 

“How old are you?” 

Malleus didn’t respond to that. Did he not understand what Lilia meant? Was he scared to answer? 

“I just want to make sure I do the best I can to take care of you. It’s alright if you’re a 1-year-old, 1000, or even 5000. It doesn’t matter to me.” 

Malleus still didn’t make any move to answer him or indicate his age in any way. 

“Do you know how old you are?” Lilia decided to ask. 

Malleus shook his head again.

“That’s okay too! Do you have a name?” 

Malleus shook his head. 

“Do you mind if I call you Malleus?” 

His little one only growled at that name. Did he have a bad association with that name? Did something happen? Was he trying to tell him he wasn’t his Malleus?

No, that was impossible. This was his son. He just had a different name is all. 

“Then, can I give you another name?” Lilia hadn’t chosen his name before, so this might actually be interesting. 

His dragon just shook his head once more. Aw, Lilia had been excited to name him. 

“Alright. If you think of something you’d like to be called, let me know. Just two more questions. Are you a dragon?” 

His son nodded, glaring and snapping his teeth at him as if calling him stupid. Well, that was rude. Just because it was pretty obvious he was a dragon didn't mean it hurt to ask. 

“Are you a fae as well?” 

The dragon didn’t answer that, only tilted his head again in confusion. Lilia figured that meant he didn’t know. 

“Hmm, I may be able to teach you how to transform into a humanoid form, because you may be a fae, but I’m not certain. You also might figure it out yourself, but it depends on how old you are. We can work on practicing magic tomorrow. For now, dessert!” 

They had dessert and Lilia bathed him, along with himself this time. It had been a while since he washed up. Lilia took them to the dragon’s room, setting out a few children's books on the bed. “Which one would you like me to read to you?” Lilia asked. 

Surprisingly his dragon’s tiny hand chose If You Give A Mouse A Cookie over Dragons Love Tacos and The Clumsy Gargoyle. 

Lilia swaddled him in a light pink blanket, using magic to keep the book floating in front of them and to turn the pages. After the end of the story, he was out like a light. 

Lilia should get some rest as well. He had work to do tomorrow. Back when Silver was little he used to grow strawberries, so he wanted to plant some of those. He also brought some other plants to try his hand at as well. Then he wanted to teach his dragon some magic. If Lilia hadn’t hesitated when he first saw him in the cottage, he might not have made it. Lilia needed to teach him to defend himself better. 

He really missed video games. They would certainly help with the stress, but he didn’t have any now. He should get himself some books. He could read Dragons Love Tacos. He was curious what that one was about, but he’d wait for his dragon and him to read it together. Maybe he could take a walk to clear his head? 

Lilia went to go put his little one down, but the dragon immediately whimpered. He was stuck like this, wasn’t he? It wasn’t so bad. Lilia could get used to going to bed early if he had to, as long as he had his dragon by his side. 

Chapter Text

It had been a while since Lilia had gotten to see his little dragon. 

A week after he’d made the deal with Maleficia, she’d summoned him back to the castle. She sent him on mission after mission, so he could hardly spend any time with his little one. He’d wished he had gotten some more magic lessons in with his son first so he could protect himself better. Thankfully his dragon was fine every time Lilia checked on him, which was rare. 

He was able to add on the condition that someone take care of his garden, so his plants were doing fine. At least that’s what he was told. 

Today, Maleficia finally decided to be generous enough and allow him to go home, so he went to the nursery to take Malleus back to the cottage. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be called again anytime soon. 

“Dragonfly, I’m back!” Lilia called, stepping into the nursery. His dragon flew to him, using his tiny arms to try and hug Lilia. How adorable! Lilia hugged him back tightly. 

“We can finally go home now.” Lilia said, giving his son a peck on the top of his head.

They flew back to the castle. When they got there Lilia was surprised to see that his garden was mostly intact, save for the strawberries. Most of them were missing. Lilia would have to tell Maleficia that some of her staff were incompetent, but he wasn’t in any rush to head back to the castle. He could send a message later. 

They walked into the cottage. It was the same as he remembered, albeit a little dustier. His dragon immediately ran to the toy area. Lilia stopped him from putting a toy in his mouth with a, “Wait, little one!” 

His dragon turned back to look at him. “You can play, just don’t put anything in your mouth until I clean a bit, okay?” Lilia hated cleaning, but it was sometimes necessary. He’d do all he could with magic, making sure he'd do as little work as possible. 

Unfortunately, Lilia did have to go back out for some food and essentials, so he’d have to leave his dragon alone yet again. It was less scary than before at least. He knew his dragon could be safely left alone now. After he cleaned the place up a bit he informed his son he was going out. He set up the magical barrier so it alerted him if anyone entered or left, and then he headed out. 

He’d managed to finish his shopping rather quickly and was happily making his way back to his dragon. Of course, that's when his magic alerted him that someone had crossed the barrier. 

Lilia instantly teleported back, along with his groceries. He arrived to see his dragon out by the garden digging his teeth into a boy's arm. A young man with long blonde hair. He was wearing a simple white sun dress and was barefoot. Maybe homeless? It seems they’d found the strawberry-stealing culprit. 

It was then his dragon had noticed him, as had the blonde-haired boy. They both turned to look at him. 

Silver turned to look at him. 

“Malleus, let go!” Lilia immediately yelled. Nothing happened. Shit, he didn’t go by that now. “Dragonfly, release him!” 

His dragon let go, looking at him in confusion. If the intruder was anyone else Lilia would be proud of his son. But he couldn't be proud of him hurting his brother. 

He had to focus on Silver now. He looked like he’d flee at any moment. Lilia had to find a way to reassure him he was safe. 

“I’m sorry, I told him to watch the house but it seems I should’ve specified not to bite just anybody.” Certainly not his brother. “You’re welcome to have the rest of the strawberries as an apology.” 

Silver slowly reached toward the little strawberries that were left, watching his dragon the whole time as if to see if he’d attack. His dragon on the other hand looked toward Lilia as if asking for permission to do just that. Lilia sternly shook his head. 

A few strawberries later, Lilia knelt down in front of Silver, who still looked like he was deciding whether he should flee or not. 

“I’m Lilia. If you don’t have anywhere else to go, you’re welcome to stay here.” He said, holding his hand out. His dragon huffed in protest but Lilia just shushed him. 

Silver didn’t take his hand, so Lilia retracted it and pointed toward their cottage. “I have some things to clean up your arm inside, would you like to come in?” 

At that Silver frantically shook his head. He was still scared. That wouldn’t do. 

“I’ll go get some things to clean up your arm then. Dragonfly, protect your brother.” They both looked at him in confusion at that. Lilia wasn’t supposed to say that, was he? There was nothing he could do about it now. He played it off and went inside, collecting some medicine and bandages. It took a bit longer than he expected. He really shouldn’t misplace such important things. 

When he came back outside Silver and his dragon were just staring at each other. It seemed like progress, so Lilia would take that as a win. 

“I’ve got the medicine!” Lilia announced, drawing their gazes toward him. He sat down next to Silver. “May I see your arm?” Lilia asked, holding his hand out again. Silver looked hesitant. His dragon nudged Silver’s leg with his snout. Silver reluctantly held out his arm. Did something happen between them while Lilia was inside? 

Lilia did his job quickly and efficiently, putting medicine on the wound and patching him up. “There, all better! Would you be okay with coming inside now? It’s alright if not!” 

Silver looked toward his dragon, who nodded. He then looked at Lilia and nodded himself. Something had definitely happened while Lilia was inside, but so far it seemed like a good thing, so he wouldn't question it. At least not too much.

Silver and his brother followed Lilia inside. Lilia gave his son the grand tour. He showed him the toy area, which he was welcome to use. His dragon’s nest, the kitchen, the bathroom. He showed him his dragon’s room. And finally, 

“This is your room!” Lilia exclaimed, happy that the room was finally able to get some use. 

Silver looked around the room. He lifted up pillows, checked under the bed, went through the closet, and generally made a mess. Was he afraid something was in here?

“It’s safe, I promise.” Lilia tried to reassure him. Silver paused what he was doing, only to look at Lilia and point at himself as if to say, ‘This is mine?’

“Yes, this is all yours! If you need or want anything else, I’ll happily get it for you!” 

Silver looked at his brother for a few moments, though the dragon didn’t move to reassure him in any way this time. Silver then looked back at Lilia and pointed to his throat, shaking his head. Oh, was he not able to speak? 

“It’s okay if you can’t talk, we can figure out other ways to communicate!” 

Silver nodded. 

“Are you still hungry?” 

Silver shyly nodded at that. 

“I’ll make us something to eat! You hungry too, little one?” His dragon nodded enthusiastically.

“Feel free to go wherever you like! Oh, and do you have a name?” 

Silver shook his head. Just where had his children been before they ended up here? 

“That’s okay! We can figure out one together later if you’d like. Or, are you alright with being called Silver?” 

Silver mouthed out the name as if testing it out. He then nodded. Okay, so he was still Silver! 

“Silver it is then! We just need to find a name for you now, dear.” Lilia said to his dragon, who huffed in protest. Hmm, did he not want a name? Lilia could handle that if it were the case. 

Lilia then left to go start on the food. He’d ask Silver how old he was, but he didn’t want to overwhelm him. He seemed more comfortable with his dragon than him. If he could he’d have his dragon ask. 

He looked about 15-17 anyway, at least that's what Lilia thought. He never had been too good at telling human ages. Silver also appeared to be human, but he was fine with waiting to find that out.

He was a bit surprised at the blonde hair. It was long and looked like it could use a good brushing. Lilia would have to ask him if he was up for it later. 

He guessed it made sense that it was blonde, seeing as Lilia hadn’t gotten to bless him as a baby. He looked so much like the knight of dawn with his blonde hair, though it was longer than that man’s had been. Maleficia had confirmed the knight was dead, so there was no chance that this was him. Even if the man was alive, Lilia knew his own son. This was definitely Silver. 

Just how was Silver here? Lilia had come across him one day in the forest by chance. The farries had put a spell on Silver to keep him safe, hiding him until someone came along who loved him with all their heart. The problem was that Silver’s cradle had teleported to different places, for a better chance of him waking up one day. Lilia had just happened to find it one day, when the magic wore off to boot. Or had it worn off? It didn’t matter, all that he knew was now he definitely loved Silver with all his heart. 

Still, they weren’t supposed to meet for many more years. Had Silver woken up early? If so, where was this other person who loved Silver with all their heart? Had something happened to them? Is that why Silver was alone now? 

Lilia finished cutting up fruit along with some biscuits. He figured if his dragon and Silver liked fruit so much, they should have some today. 

Lilia walked to the living room to check on them. Silver and his brother were sitting on the couch together. It was nice that they were bonding. Though he was surprised to hear Silver whispering to his brother. 

“Silver?” Lilia called.

Silver immediately turned to look at him, tears forming in his eyes. He looked petrified. 

“It’s okay, I didn’t hear anything.” If he happened to be talking bad about him, that was that. He wouldn’t punish Silver for it. 

Unfortunately, his reassurance only made Silver cry harder. His dragon moved closer to Silver, putting a hand on his leg. After a minute, Silver slowly stopped crying.

“You won’t be mad?” Silver asked Lilia. He wasn't quite whispering but close to it.  

“Of course not! You’re free to talk if you want to.” 

“I thought fae got mad when humans speak.” That’s right, the peace treaty hadn’t been signed. Definitely not with them destroying the egg. Fae were supposed to be hostile toward humans. Just what had Silver gone through? 

“That may be true for some fae, but that doesn’t apply to me. You’re a member of this household now, Silver. I won’t let anything happen to you.” 

“They might come back for me.”

“Who?” 

“The fae from the castle.” The castle? Had Maleficia been keeping his son trapped? He definitely needed to have a word with her, but he couldn’t let anger get the best of him now. There would be time for that later, Lilia would make sure of it.

“The humans might come for Ness too.” Silver added. Lilia had never heard that name before. 

“Who’s Ness?”

“Your dragon?” Silver said in confusion. 

Lilia looked at his dragon in surprise. “Your name’s Ness?” Ness nodded.

Ness. It was a nice name. It sounded like the nest he was so fond of. If you thought of it as derived from Nestor, which in Greek meant homecoming, or to return safely, it was definitely fitting. 

“He thought of it himself.” Silver explained. 

“Has he talked to you?” Lilia asked. 

Silver tilted his head and waited a moment before answering. “Yes, but I don’t think you can hear it.” So Ness could telepathically communicate with Silver. Interesting. 

“Humans were keeping you imprisoned?” Lilia asked Ness, who nodded. 

What type of reality is this? How dare people imprison his kids. He couldn’t imagine what they’d gone through. Lilia will do whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if Maleficia is the one who imprisoned Silver. He wouldn’t let them be taken away again. 

“Would you kids like to eat something? We can talk more at the table.” 

“What did you make?” Silver asked worriedly. Was he a picky eater now? 

“I just cut up some fruit and made biscuits, but I can make you something else if you like.”

“That’s fine,” Silver said, sighing in relief. Just what was he afraid of eating? 

His kids ate their fruit and drank their juice. They didn’t seem to be too fond of the biscuits for some reason. Lilia would just have to try a different way of making them next time. 

“Is there something in particular you’d like to do, Silver?” Lilia asked after they were done eating. 

Silver turned to Ness, and Lilia guessed they were having a silent conversation. “I don’t like chewing on things though.” Silver said. 

Ness growled, to which Silver giggled. He’s glad they were getting along. Ness warmed up to Silver much more quickly in this universe. 

“You make music?” Silver asked Lilia. 

Lilia nodded. “While we don’t have professional instruments, I think our music sounds quite good if I do say so myself.” 

“Can I play?” Silver sounded so young it made Lilia’s heart swell. Silver’s physical age may be 15-17, but he wasn’t sure about his mental age just quite yet. 

“Of course! What do you think of our duo turning into a trio, Ness?” Ness didn’t answer, just flew over to the toy area. 

Ness went over to his tambourine, while Lilia opted for the toy drum this time. It even came with little drumsticks! Silver picked up the toy guitar, testing out the sound. He flinched at what came out. 

“It doesn’t sound very good…” Silver said. 

“It doesn’t have to! The important thing is that you’re having fun! Though I think that was very good for your first time, Silver!” 

Silver blushed at the praise. Soon, they were all making music! They didn’t seem to be playing along to the same tune, but that was fine! As long as they were doing it together. 

A few songs later, Silver started dozing off. “Are you tired, sweetheart?” Lilia wondered if it still had to do with a sleeping curse, or if he was just exhausted. Ness had slept a lot when he first arrived too. Was there a connection? 

“Sorry…” Silver mumbled, barely able to keep his eyes open. 

“Don’t be. We’ll have plenty of time to play later. Do you want me to carry you to your room?” 

“Don’t want to be alone,” Silver whined, still trying to fight off sleep. Lilia would make sure he wouldn’t ever have to be alone again. 

“I can set you up on the couch here.” Lilia offered.

Silver nodded, at least it looked like he was trying to. 

Lilia picked him up and laid him on the couch. He then went to the closet and got an extra blanket, tucking Silver in. He couldn’t resist giving him a peck on the forehead. 

Ness walked over curiously tilting his head at Silver. Lilia put his finger to his lips to signal to be quiet. 

Lilia assumed Ness would go play quietly, but was happily surprised when he flew up and landed on Silver’s chest, curling up and closing his eyes. They were so adorable! If LIlia still had his phone he’d take a picture. 

A few hours later, Lilia was brushing Silver’s hair. 

They were sitting on the couch while Ness was playing with some of the toys. 

“The people at the castle said I was a murderer, but I don’t remember doing that,” Silver told him. 

“You haven’t. You do look like someone who’s hurt the royal family, but they shouldn’t blame you for things that you didn’t do.” 

“I don’t want to go back there…” 

“You don’t have to do that. At least not now.” 

“I have to go later?” 

“Not necessarily. The problem is that I work there.” 

“You’re going to send me away?” Silver asked, sounding like he was about to cry.

“I would never, dear! I just don’t trust the people at the castle. I don’t want to let you out of my sight. If they summon me back, you’re coming with me. I’m telling them that you’re my child now, and they can’t take you from me.” 

“I’m your child?” 

“Only if you want to be.” That wouldn’t change the fact that Lilia would still mentally claim him as his child, but he wouldn’t tell him that. 

“Ness is your son too? Is that why you called me his brother?” 

“We haven’t officially had that talk yet, but I consider him to be my son.” 

“Are you okay with me being your brother?” Silver asked, addressing Ness. Ness stopped stacking rings and looked at Silver, who in turn smiled. Lilia was assuming he got a favorable answer. 

“My kids are so cute! Almost as cute as me!” 

Ness growled at that. Did he want to be the cutest? He was going to have to work harder then. 

“Am I the older or younger brother?” Silver asked. 

Ness seemed to be saying something to him, causing Silver to frown. “You look like a baby though.” Silver protested, causing Lilia to giggle. 

Ness only growled. 

“Ness may be older than you, there’s no way of knowing for certain right now.” 

“I don’t chew on things.” Was Silver getting pouty? 

“He’s a dragon, love.” He said, poking his youngest’s cheek. “Do you want to see your hair?” Lilia asked, changing the subject.

Silver nodded, and Lilia handed him a mirror. 

Lilia had cleaned up and untangled his long blonde hair, opting to go for a nice braid when he finished. 

“I like it.” Silver said. 

“I’m glad! Anytime you need your hair done, I’ll be here to do it for you. Of course, if you want to learn, I’m also happy to teach you.”

Ness walked over to the couch and whined. 

“You want me to do your hair too?” Lilia asked. 

Ness nodded eagerly. 

“That may be difficult considering you don’t have any.” 

Ness tilted his head to the side in thought for a moment, then climbed up on the couch and sat next to Lilia. 

A puff of green smoke enveloped him that had Lilia and Silver coughing. Ness appeared in his two-legged form, looking as he had at 160-178. He was wearing a black long-sleeved nightgown and no shoes. 

Silver seemed stunned, while Ness held up his hair and pointed to it as if asking if Lilia could still do his hair. 

Lilia beamed. “I’ll be happy to brush your hair too then!” He motioned for Ness to turn his back toward him so he could start brushing his hair. 

“Did you know he could do that?” Silver asked. 

“I wasn’t certain, but I had a hunch,” Lilia answered, starting to brush Ness’ hair. Unlike Silver’s, it was the same as Lilia remembered it. 

“How did you learn how to do that? Did you figure it out yourself? Or did my teachings help?” Lilia asked. 

“The nannies at the nursery tried to teach me, though I was listening half-heartedly. They seemed determined to see if I was a fae or not, since you said you didn’t know. I only felt like trying it out now.” 

Lilia hadn’t expected him to speak. He missed the sound of his voice. He wasn’t sure if he was ever going to hear it again. 

“I’m proud of you,” Lilia said, not expecting his voice to sound like he was holding back tears. After years of saving face in front of his kids will this be what breaks him? 

“Do you know how old I am?” 

“Around 160 to 180, but I’m starting to think you’re exactly 178.” 

“How come?” 

Should Lilia tell them the truth? He wasn’t against lying when it was important. He hadn’t told Ness the truth of where he'd found Silver first time around. He hadn’t told Silver the truth of his origins. 

But for some reason, he had a terrible feeling he wouldn’t be able to hide it forever. Something inside urged him to tell his kids the truth. 

And if Maleficia seen Ness in his humanoid form, she might say something. He looked as if he was a Draconia by blood. He’d rather they hear the truth from him.

“It’s a long story,” Lilia said eventually. “I’ll tell you both after I finish your hair.” Lilia heard a soft snore beside him, and turned to see Silver curled up on the couch, asleep again. His position didn’t look very comfortable. Lilia would straighten him out after he finished Ness’ hair. “And after Silver wakes up.” Lilia added. 

“Is there anything specific you’d like me to do with your hair?” 

“You can just brush it for now. I didn’t even know I had hair until a few moments ago.” 

Lillia giggled. “Alright then!” 

After Lilia finished brushing Ness’ hair, Silver woke up. Now was a good time to tell as any. For some reason Lilia was nervous, but it should be fine. He doesn’t think his kids would want to leave him over something like this, right? Would they feel betrayed somehow? 

Whatever happened, they could get through it. He just had to come out and say it. 

“I suppose I should start by saying I am, or used to be, a knight that worked at the castle. Though I still seem to get called there to do missions. According to the current fae queen, Maleficia-sama, I was in a coma for 222 years.” 

Silver, bless his heart, asked, “Are you okay?” 

Lilia nodded. “I’m perfectly healthy now. Apparently while I was defending the castle I was hit with a magical artifact. It caused me to dream of a world that “doesn’t exist”. However, since I don’t remember the incident, I’m not sure if that was truly the case. The queen’s daughter, Meleanor-sama, had a son, named Malleus.” 

Ness looked annoyed by the mention of that name. “What’s so special about Malleus?”

Lilia couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. “Well, you see, in this world, both she and her son perished. In the world I’m from, Malleus lived on, and he happened to look exactly like you.” 

“Like me?” Ness asked, shocked. 

Lilia nodded. “Her egg had died in this world, and yet you still exist. You look exactly like a Draconia.”

“The humans…they trapped me in the castle, but it certainly didn’t feel like over a hundred years. They called me Malleus, but never in a kind way.” So Ness had feigned ignorance at the name at first? Smart boy. 

“That’s the name I know you by, but I’m happy to use Ness. It’s a wonderful name.” 

“I’m fine with Ness as well, but it doesn’t bother me when you call me Malleus. You’ve never said it with disdain or mockery. I think they wanted to wait for me to get older to use me like a steed. I’ve never shown the true size of my dragon form because of that.” 

“I won’t let anything happen to you, or Silver for that matter. You can choose to be in whatever form you’d like when you’re with me.” 

Lilia turned to Silver. “You’re related to the human who had a hand in killing the princess and her egg. In my world, you were kept safe and hidden for 400 years. You had a blessing placed on you where you were to sleep until someone came who truly loved you. I eventually found you and took you in. I blessed you, causing your hair to turn Silver, hence the name.” That wasn’t all the details, but it was enough for now. The longer version could be told some other day. 

“The people at the castle kept calling me the Knight of Dawn, but I’m not a knight…” 

“In my world, that was your father. He was the only reason me and Ness survived. He saved us. He didn’t seem to have heart in what he was doing, but he did so none the less. Eventually, in this world and the last, he perished. Although, in my world, you were training to be Malleus’ knight, along with your friend Sebek.” He wondered when Sebek would show up. He hoped it was soon. 

“I can't be a knight…” Silver said, looking down at his lap and playing with a thread on his dress. 

“And I don’t think I’m fit to be a prince, but here we are. It doesn’t mean we have to take up the roles in this world.” Malleus said. 

“You sound so mature now!” Lilia said, pulling at Malleus’ cheek. Ness snapped his teeth at him. 

“I’m apparently 178 years old, so it’s only fitting.” 

“178 is still a child, Malleus.” 

“It’s not really.” 

“So you’re alright not playing with your toys again?” 

“I didn’t say that.” 

Lilia giggled, pulling his sons in for a hug and holding them tightly. 

“I love you both! It doesn’t matter to me whether or not you’re a knight or prince, what matters is that you’re my kids.” 

“This hug’s kind of tight.” Silver said. 

“Oops, sorry! I just couldn’t contain my love!” Lilia said, letting go of his boys after one more tight squeeze. 

“You must be 17 Silver, so Ness is definitely older.” Lilia stated. 

“Seventeen? It hasn’t felt like seventeen years…” 

“Would fifteen make more sense?” 

“It still feels too long.” 

Lilia frowned. “I think there’s something strange going on here. But not to worry, we’ll figure it out together. Whether in this universe, my old one, or a new one entirely, we’ll always be family.”

Chapter Text

Things had gone surprisingly well after that. For a few months, they got to relax and just be a family. Lilia worked on looking into what was going on, why they were in this strange universe, but couldn't find anything. He also taught his kids more magic so they could protect themselves better. 

Lilia had become paranoid about leaving his kids alone at any time. So whenever he went out, he brought Silver and carried around his tiny dragon. Of course, Silver’s appearances in public caused Lilia to be summoned back to the castle. It was bound to happen eventually. Hopefully he could get some answers and find out what was going on. 

“You go to the castle, I’ll protect Silver here,” Malleus said, in his humanoid form now. He switched between the two now whenever he felt like. 

“I don’t like the thought of you leaving you both alone here.”

“Silver’s afraid to even look at that place, and I don’t want him to have to go back there.” 

“...If I set up the same barrier I did last time, and enhance it, along with your magic skills, I think it’d be fine. But I’m trusting you to keep him safe.” 

“I won’t let anything happen to him,” Ness promised. 

“I’m also trusting you to keep yourself safe. I don’t want anything to happen to you, either.” 

“I can protect him,” Silver said, sitting up from where he'd been lying on the couch. He had fallen asleep again. It seemed his sleeping curse was still intact. 

“You only learned the basics of magic recently, Silver.” Thanks to Ness again. For some reason, Silver never understood when he explained it. 

“I used to be a knight. I can make sure he’s safe.” 

Lilia sighed. “You kids…I’ll be quick. If anything happens, don’t be afraid to fight dirty. There’s no need to unnecessarily take a life, but if it’s you or them, always choose yourself. If you run out of options, scream for help.”

Malleus huffed. “I was apparently a greatly feared prince and still have the same magic capability as I did then. Nothing will happen to us. If it did, you know who’s to blame.” The end of his speech didn’t make Lilia feel better, but he was right. At least this time he knew who to look for.

Lilia left with a kiss on both of their foreheads and a promise for them to be safe. They made him promise the same as well. 

Hopefully, everything would go smoothly.

Sebek didn’t know where he was going. 

He hoped this stupid magic compass knew what it was doing. Why did he have a magic compass you ask? It was a long story. He'd woken up alone in a strange forest, even though he didn't remember falling asleep. The last thing he remembered was going to class. For some reason the only thing he had with him was a small pouch of money, no phone or magic pen in sight. 

Confused, he went into town to ask about his whereabouts. He also asked about Malleus and Lilia’s. He wouldn’t have left them of his own accord, so something bad must’ve happened. He just hoped Silver was still with them. 

The person at the shop told him that he didn’t know where Lilia was, but he knew that Malleus had been dead for years.

Popestrous! Sebek had seen Malleus this morning, and he had been very much alive. 

The man said that he was selling something that could help, and it would show Sebek where he needed to go. 

It was then he showed him the magic compass. At a glance the compass looked normal, but anyone in a thirty-mile radius could sense the magic that oozed off that thing. 

So now he was left with a magic compass and no money. 

He didn’t know where it was taking him now, but he had the feeling he had to follow it. 

Just what on earth was going on? Sebek doesn’t remember what happened to cause this. As far as he knew it was a normal day, and then suddenly he was here. 

He was in Briar Valley, he could tell that much. It didn’t look like somewhere he’d been before. The forest felt familiar, but also completely foreign. He should know this place, but he didn’t. 

Eventually, the compass led him toward a small cottage. He didn’t know if he was making the right move, but he saw the strawberries outside that reminded him of Lilia’s garden and decided all he could do was try knocking. 

Surprisingly, Malleus opened the door, dressed in a black night gown and barefoot.

Just what in the world was going on?  

Was he dreaming? 

“Waka-sama!” Sebek exclaimed, tears in his eyes. As long as his lord was okay, everything would be alright! The shopkeeper didn’t know what he was talking about! Malleus wasn’t dead! He was right here! 

“Who are you?” Malleus asked, glaring at him.

Sebek's heart sank.

“W-Waka-sama? It’s me! Your retainer, Sebek Zigvolt!” 

“Sebek? That sounds familiar…That’s right, Papa mentioned you, didn’t he?” Papa? As far as he knew Malleus didn’t have a father. What was he talking about?

“Come inside. Papa’s not here right now, but he should be able to help when he returns.” 

Sebek walked in and Malleus closed the door behind him, locking it. 

“You can sit in the kitchen if you want. Silver’s sleeping on the couch.” 

“Silver?!” He was here too? 

Sebek walked over to the couch to see a boy who looked exactly like Silver wearing a simple light blue dress. Except he had long blonde hair instead of his normal silver color.

“Why is his hair blonde?!” Sebek exclaimed, which caused two things to happen. 

It woke up Silver.

Who punched Sebek in the face.

“What was that for?!” Sebek asked, holding his abused cheek. 

“It’s alright Silver, he’s Sebek.”

“Who’s Sebek?!”

“Papa mentioned him, remember?” 

“Oh..sorry.” 

“Do you always punch people you don’t know?!” 

“I thought you were here to take Malleus away.” 

Sebek could understand that, so he calmed down. Weird alternate universe or not, at least Silver was still doing his job. 

“Well, I’m here now, so you don’t have to worry about anyone taking Waka-sama away. We’ll protect him together.” 

“Okay,” Silver said, sitting up and making room for Sebek to sit on the couch. Sebek took a seat. 

“Where’s Lilia-sama?” Sebek asked. 

“Papa’s out. He should be back soon.” Silver said. He called Lilia papa, and Malleus mentioned a papa. Was he talking about Lilia? How come? Lilia had raised Malleus, so it made some sense. Still, he’s never referred to him as his father before. 

“You may use the toy blanket as you wait.” Malleus offered. 

“You play with toys? Shouldn’t you be training still to protect Waka-sama?!” Sebek asked, looking at Silver. 

“He plays with me.” Malleus said, pouting. 

“I-I apologize, Waka-sama! There’s nothing wrong with playing with toys. I didn’t realize Silver was keeping our lord entertained!” 

Malleus took a seat right next to Sebek, who tried not to jump.

“Are you from Papa’s universe?” Malleus asked. 

“What?” 

“He said he was from a universe where I was named Malleus and the prince of fae. Silver and you were my knights. Are you from that universe?”

“Yes, Waka-sama!” That meant Lilia had gotten transported here too? 

“If you’re here, that means it’s definitely a real universe and wasn’t just a dream…” 

“Do you know how long Lilia-sama has been here?” 

“He said they told him he was in a coma for 222 years. That he was hit was a magical artifact that caused him to dream of a world that “doesn’t exist”. I’m not sure about all the details, you’ll have to ask him when he returns.” 

“Do you want to make music?” Silver asked Sebek.

“Make music?”

“Papa, Ness, and I use the instruments to make music.” Silver said, pointing to the blanket.

“Who’s Ness?” 

“Malleus’ other name.” 

This situation was confusing so Sebek hadn’t caught it the first time, but now he’d clearly heard it. “Silver! You’re disrespecting our lord!” 

“I’m not a lord here, Sebek.” Malleus said. 

“No matter what universe we’re in, you’re still our lord!” 

“Do I have to call him Waka-sama?” 

“Don’t call me that.”

“You usually call him Malleus-sama.”

“Cause we’re brothers?” Silver asked.

“I wasn’t aware you were brothers.” 

Silver enthusiastically nodded. “Papa said. If he’s Ness’ papa and my papa, that makes us brothers.” 

“I know how siblings work! I have two of my own.” 

Sebek hoped Lilia would come back soon so he could properly explain just what was going on here.

Lilia headed to the castle as quickly as possible and was now having a private meeting with Maleficia. She insisted no one else be there. His kids better still be there when he got home, or he wasn’t letting her get away with it, even if it was the end of him. 

“Lilia, I’m fine with you adopting that dragon as your own, but I draw the line at a child who bears such a resemblance to the Knight of Dawn.” 

“Is that why you’re objecting? Or is it because you’ve been keeping him locked up here?” 

“Oh, so you’ve found out about that, did you? I thought he didn’t speak.” 

“Out in public, he doesn’t. But I’m his father, of course he talks to me at home.” 

“I don’t understand why you’d take him in. What does he have to do with that fantasy of yours?” 

“He’s my other child, Silver. He may be related to the Knight of Dawn, but he’s still my child. The reason he had Silver hair is because I blessed him when he was a baby. That didn’t happen in this universe.” 

“You realize you’re taking care of my daughter’s killer, don’t you?” 

“Silver didn’t do anything!” 

“His family took away mine!” Maleficia roared, using lighting to strike right behind Lilia. 

“You don’t know because he’s never been out in public in his humanoid form, but Malleus could pass for a Draconia. He looks exactly like the Malleus in my memories does. He looks exactly like Meleanor-sama.” 

They were silent for a few minutes, until Maleficia demanded, “I want to see him.” 

“And you shall see him. Give me a few days to prepare him and then we’ll-” That’s when Lilia felt it. Someone had passed through the barrier. Someone was with his kids right now. They were in danger. 

“I have to go, my kids are in trouble.”

“If it really is Malleus, he can take care of himself. If something happens to the child of man, then so be it. We’re not done talking.” 

“Malleus is just a child! No one’s taught him anything yet! And how do you think he’ll feel if Silver dies? He loves him like his own brother!” He is his brother, Lilia thought, but saying that wouldn’t help him with Maleficia now. “If something happens to him, he won’t want anything to do with you.” 

“He won’t have a choice.” 

“Is that really the relationship you want to have with Meleanor’s child?” 

“Fine. Go then. You best be back before the next full moon, or I’m sending some knights to your door.” 

“Thank you for your generosity.” Lilia snarled, before telporting back to the cottage. 

He rushed inside, hoping his kids were safe and sound.

“You make awful music.” Silver’s voice.

“Well excuse me for not knowing how to play the xylophone!” Sebek's voice.

Sebek.

“I hope you kids haven’t gotten into too much trouble while I was gone?”

“Lilia-sama!” Sebek exclaimed. So he remembered! 

“I’m glad you’re home, Sebek.” 

Sebek seemed to want to know what was going on, but Malleus had passed Lilia the toy accordion, and no one had the heart to tell him no. So after a few songs, Lilia left Silver and Ness to play while he talked to Sebek in the kitchen. 

“Lilia-sama! Your hair’s different too!” 

Lilia chuckled. “Well this is the style I had in my youth. It seems we’re one hundred and seventy-eight years in the past, yet in some sort of alternate universe.” 

“How do we get back home?” 

“That, I’m not sure. I tried countless things when I first got here, and none of them worked. I thought all of you were dead or didn’t exist here. Once I found Malleus, I was content to stay here. I figured you and Silver would come back as well with time, which proved to be true. Considering the fact that your memories match mine, there may be something else going on here. I don’t know if we’re safe in this universe. Someone or something must’ve put us here.” 

Sebek nervously glanced toward the play area, as if to check if Ness and Silver were alright. 

“There must be a way for us to get back.” 

Lilia nodded. “Now that we’re all together, I’m sure we can figure out something. By the way, what happened to your face?” He asked, pointing out the bruise. 

“That-! That was Silver!” 

“He hit you?” 

“Yes! He thought I was here to kidnap Waka-sama, so I forgave him.” 

Lilia smiled. “It looks like Silver’s instincts are still in there somewhere, even if he doesn’t remember! It’s getting late, do you want to help me set the table for dinner?” 

“Did you make something, Lilia-sama?” 

“Of course! Just because we’re in a different universe doesn’t mean I can’t cook for you all! Don’t worry, there’s plenty enough for you to have seconds!” 

Lilia and Sebek set up dinner, and soon the four of them sat at the table like old times. Just how long has it been since they’d last done this? 

“Kids, I think we’re going to have to go home.” Lilia decided to just come out with it. 

“We are home.” Silver said in confusion. 

“Back to the other world. At least, we should try. We’re not supposed to be here. I think something or someone put us here. At the very least, be on your guard.” 

“But then don’t I have to be a knight?” 

“Not if you don’t want to, dear.” 

“Silver! You should be honored to serve Waka-sama as a knight! How dare you try to discard your duties!” 

“I just don’t know how. But I think I can if it’s for Ness.” 

“You must address him as Malleus-sama! Or Ness-sama!” 

“I’m not a prince yet. Wait until we go back to the other world for that, Sebek.” Malleus scolded. 

“I apologize, Waka-sama!” 

“There’s nothing to worry about, Silver. You should remember your training when we get back. If not, I’ll teach you again.” Lilia said. 

“What if I don’t remember how to do my duties?” Ness asked.

“I’ll help you! We’ll be able to handle anything together, alright? Even separately, I know you’re both strong. You may not remember, but you’re both capable of more than you remember.” 

Dinner went smoothly after that, even if Malleus and Silver were still a bit anxious. He made sure to give them some fruit for dessert, which Sebek seemed to enjoy quite a bit as well. After some more playing and Lilia braiding Silver’s hair, everyone got ready for bed. 

Silver dragged Sebek into Malleus' room and thankfully the bed was big enough for all four of them, with Ness curled up in Lilia’s arms in his tiny dragon form. Sebek freaked out for a good twenty minutes over how cute his son was. After that everyone was exhausted enough to sleep, no bedtime story needed. 

Chapter Text

Silver felt so comfortable. 

Lilia was sleeping on his left. Without opening his eyes he could tell it was his father. Had he fallen asleep in his room? He didn’t remember doing that. Also why was the bed so comfortable? Father hadn’t gotten a new mattress, had he? 

Silver opened his eyes and almost wished he hadn’t. Lilia was next to Silver, holding a small dragon that looked suspiciously like Malleus. Sebek was asleep next to him, some drool coming out of his mouth. Where were they?

It looked a bit like the cottage he’d grown up in, but not quite. This wasn’t his room. It was decorated more to Malleus’s taste. Where were they? What had happened? 

Silver tried not to panic. They were all together. They were safe. Everything would be fine, no matter what had happened. 

Then he realized the length of his father’s hair, and that it had red streaks instead of pink, and it all came back to him. 

His father shifted in his sleep, before opening his eyes. “Good morning, Silver. You’re up early.” 

“Father-no, General Vanrouge.” 

Lilia frowned. “Why are you calling me that?” 

“You don’t remember?” 

“Remember what?” 

Where did he start? The last thing Silver remembered was succumbing to the darkness…was this part of that? Was he simply dreaming? He said he didn’t want to wake up again, so…maybe he should just enjoy his time here. His real father and Malleus didn’t deserve to have to see his face ever again. 

It was then Silver saw his hair. His hair was different too. It was blonde. Long and blonde. Like the Knight of Dawn. 

Silver started hyperventilating. When he said he never wanted to wake up again, this isn’t what he meant! He didn’t want to be reminded of who he was! He just wanted to rot in darkness and nothing else! He didn’t need fake images of his father, he just wanted to be alone! 

“Sebek, wake up!” Lilia ordered. 

“What’s wrong?!” 

“Hold Malleus!” Lilia said, handing him the small dragon that was bundled up in the blanket, who was miraculously sleeping through this. 

Unless he was controlling this. Maybe he hated Silver and wanted him to pay. Had he even known of Silver’s origins before this? 

“Silver, I need you to breathe okay? Breath with me, in and out.” 

“Father!” 

“It’s okay, I’m here,” Lilia said, rubbing Silver’s back. “Whatever’s going on, I’ll help you, alright?” 

“You can’t!” Silver cried, tears running down his face. 

“Why ever not?” 

“You-You’re probably not even real. This is a dream!” 

Lilia frowned. “Something similar happened to me, being in something like a ‘dream world’. If you calm down and talk about it, we might be able to figure out a solution.” 

“But you might not even be my- You might- You’ll-”

“Silver,” Lilia said, using a stern tone he rarely used anymore. “If I’m not your father, it’ll be easier for you to figure it out when you're calm. Even if so, I doubt your real father would want you to be in such distress.” 

It took a moment but Silver calmed down, at least a bit. There were still tears running down his face. “You hate me. At least the real you does.” 

“Why would I hate you?” Lilia asked, still rubbing Silver’s back. 

“Because I’m-I’m related to the Knight of Dawn. You and Malleus-sama hate me.” 

“I know who you’re related to, Silver. I love you regardless. It’s true that Malleus doesn’t know, or at least didn’t before. He’ll love you no matter what.” 

“My hair…” 

“Is beautiful. I should hope so anyway. I braided it.” 

Silver shook his head. “This is a dream. In reality, you hate me.” 

“You keep saying that, why would this be a dream?” 

Conveniently, Malleus woke up and crawled over to Silver's lap. 

‘Are you alright?’ Silver heard in his head, causing him to flinch. 

“Don’t talk in my head!”

Malleus crawled away and flew down to the floor before transforming into his humanoid form. 

“What’s wrong, Silver?” Malleus asked again.

“You know what’s wrong!” 

“Silver, this version of Malleus might not. Explain so we know what’s going on.” 

“Malleus-sama overblotted and put us here!”

“I don’t remember doing that.” 

“I know this is a dream, you don’t have to pretend anymore! Aren’t you going to try to pull me into a deeper sleep?!”

“Silver, I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“There’s no way Waka-sama would overblot Silver, you’re talking nonsense!” 

“Sebek, if that’s what he remembers, that might be the case. It certainly explains why everything here is so strange.” Lilia turned to Malleus. “Malleus, tell me honestly, do you remember overblotting?” 

“That would’ve had to happen in the other universe, correct? I don’t remember that place.” 

“Silver, it seems you don’t remember, but at first I thought we were in an alternate universe. You and Malleus didn’t remember me, Sebek being the only one whose memories matched mine. If this is from Malleus’ unique magic, it makes a lot of sense.”

“Does that mean in the other universe I’m a terrible person?” Malleus asked.

“I highly doubt that's the case. I raised you after all. Silver, why did he overblot?” 

“You…you were going away. You were leaving Night Raven College because you were losing your magic. You weren’t ever planning on returning to Briar Valley. You said you were losing it even before Malleus was born.” 

“Silver. Think about it. Does that make sense?” 

“...It didn’t make sense when you first told us, but we believed you. You wouldn’t lie to us about something like that.”

“Are you certain? I lied to Malleus about your origins. If it’s for a good reason, I am willing to lie to my family.” 

“But, it doesn’t make sense why you’d leave us? You…you wanted to leave us?” 

“You’re right, it doesn’t make sense. I don’t have all the memories you do, but I’m sure it was for a reason. I would never leave you all without a reason. I’m sure there’s something else going on here, and I haven’t told you the whole truth. Whatever it is, I’ll tell you honestly this time. That is, when we wake up from this dream world.” 

“If this is my doing, I don’t know how to dispell it.” 

“Please Malleus-sama, I don’t want to fight anymore.” 

“I’m not the same person you call Malleus-sama. Please don’t call me that. Up until last night we used to be brothers.” 

“Brothers…?” 

“You still are my dear, but that’s a talk for another time. Since Silver remembered, the only one left is Malleus. Give it a few days, and if he doesn’t remember, we’ll figure something out, but I honestly think he will remember soon.” 

“Why wouldn’t Malleus-sama remember if he put us here?” 

“There could be a number of reasons. But there's one that's the most probable if he’s doing what I think he’s trying to do. What better way to convince others of a lie if you yourself don’t remember it’s a lie?” 

“So you’re saying…he made himself forget too?” 

“Exactly.” 

“...I’ll try to remember. But can I please have at least one more day here?” Malleus asked.

“Silver?” Lilia asked. He didn’t like that it was up to him, but he knew what he had to do.

“Okay,” Silver agreed. He owed it to Malleus, who might hate him after all is said and done. He’ll remember that it’s the Knight of Dawn’s fault his parents are dead. That Silver’s related to the Knight of Dawn. 

“Please, just for today call me Malleus or Ness. Don’t refer to me as a lord or prince. I just want to be a family for one more day.” Despite everything, Silver genuinely felt bad for being so hard on him. 

“...Okay Malleus.” The small smile Silver got from Malleus was worth dropping formalities for.  

“Do you mind if we use our instruments one more time?” Malleus asked. 

“ instruments?” Silver asked in confusion.

“Yes, I brought toy instruments that you and Ness have been enjoying quite a bit recently.” 

“They’re toys?” Malleus asked, looking hurt and betrayed. 

Lilia chuckled. “I thought you knew that dear.” 

They spent the rest of the day laughing and playing. Silver even took a nap holding Malleus in his smaller dragon form. 

Silver loved Malleus. He didn’t know if he had a right to as a knight, but he did. Malleus was like family to him, whether that feeling was reciprocated or not. He just wanted what was best for him, for all of them. 

It was nighttime now. Silver just hoped everything would work out tomorrow. 

“Are you kids ready for dinner?” Lilia asked. 

“...I remember now,” Malleus stated. Silver couldn’t help but wonder if he waited for this moment. 

“Malleus, are you ready to go back to the real world?” Lilia asked. 

“...You’re going to leave if we go back, aren’t you?” 

“I’m not sure of the situation. Whatever it is, I think it’s best we figure it out together, don’t you?” 

“And if we can’t?” 

“Then we’ll face it together, and I won’t run away, alright? I’ll tell the whole truth. You can’t keep us all happy like this, Malleus. It’s just not possible. We have wills of our own. We’ll keep waking up no matter what you do, no matter what type of dream you put us in.” 

“We’re all together here.” 

“And we’ll be together out of here too, even if it’s for not as long as we’d like. Even…even if it’s hard, if it’s what you want, we’ll stay together until the last possible moment, alright? Trust your papa.” 

“You promise?” 

“I promise.” 

Even though the world started to collapse and all that was left was darkness, Silver felt it was different this time. He wasn’t scared. His family was with him. Lilia pulled them all into a group hug. They would help and protect each other. 

There was a bright light, and then…