"Ah a powerful barrier, impressive but ineffective if you know of other ways to sneak in besides brute force." The mer murmured. His two companions looked at him bewildered. 'To someone like me a desperate desire or even a cry for help would be enough,'
"Do not worry. Stay hidden. Do whatever you can to prevent anyone from interfering if you have to," the mer grinned his blue eyes reflecting mirth.
'How odd. It's almost as though I'm used to someone being at my sides ...'
And disappeared through the barrier. On the other side the mer appeared in a lavish room.
❃❃❃⍟❃❃❃❃
Malleus sat on a swing all by himself. He looked at the empty swings on either side of him and sighed..
A small, off white spiral seashell clinked onto the ground in front of him. He blinked. Slowly he got off the swing and almost in a trance, picked up the seashell. Dimly noting the impossibly small, careful calligraphic runes.
Involuntarily, Malleus shivered.
"Is.... Does this belong to anyone?" Malleus mumbled as he looked around. Just at the edge of roller coaster ride, a figure was walking.
The figure seemed tall and not in the least but in a hurry, although they did move at a brisk pace. At his current spot he could see that the figure donned a deep purple almost black, voluminous dress possibly an elaborate ball gown.
His hand squeezed around the small seashell.
"Pardon me, I think you dropped this!" He said cringing at how childish his voice sounded being in a kid's form.
The figure stopped and turned towards him. He swallowed hard even from this distance, the person by the roller coaster was beautiful.
For a long time he thought the few pictures of Maleanor he chanced upon seeing were beautiful.
The entity before him redefined beautiful in his opinion.
"Why thank you," the being hummed cheerfully, accepting their possession being returned to them.
His breath caught in his throat.
It was the first person he'd seen since he fell asleep. He wasn't about to miss the chance to talk to them.
"One moment. Now that I found you, let's talk in the real world,"
Malleus nodded as a finger pressed against his forehead and he briefly felt like he was falling until he opened his eyes and saw his familiar room back at the Draconia Castle. His room here.
A curse likely an aftereffect, jolts through him- burning in his lungs as a magic rouses Draconia enough to stir. He's thankful for the contract pooling their magic together, otherwise he'd be doubled over in agony.
(Like the times the doctors would shock him with electricity to test his pain tolerance)
But unlike then, he- he's never felt more alive with it.
"This place, it's ideal if you want to keep a child you never want to grow up," the Mer spoke. Malleus noted the rather masculine sounding voice he had.
"However, I gather that wasn't your choice," he remarked, ice blue unblinking eyes fixing on him.
Malleus felt tears prick his eyes and he didn't even understand why he felt like crying.
The beautiful night clad person however tried for a smile. "I've been looking for you,"
Malleus heart leaped into his throat, he ignored the few careless tears spilling out his eyes. Or the burning sensation that someone remembered him at all.
"For me?" Malleus blinked owlishly.
"Yes," the mer nodded.
"I already infiltrated the individual prisons and freed the other four. Stratigós told me he wants to observe, and do reconnaissance, whatever that means. So that just leaves cute mysterious you," he explained.
His cheeks turned pink at the "cute" comment.
"I've... Been doing nothing but sleeping"
Two other people entered the room earning his attention. A short redhead and a lion beastman with a scar over his eye. Both with ink markings and eerie white clothes.
"Felt the energy surge, decided to see what you did," the lion beastman remarked, green eyes scanning everything around him, as if searching for a hidden enemy.
"I had to wake this one," the Mer said with a calm smile. He was referring to Malleus of course. The beastman blinked.
Standing together, the trio all looked so familiar….
Malleus squinted and for a second his view shifted the figures before him distorting and twisting to become silhouettes. Silhouettes he recognized as–
...
No.
No he didn't recognize them at all. Or did he? Maybe it was in a dream?
The Lion Beastman immediately reclined on the bed, "this is the nicest bed I've laid on in a long time."
Malleus just stared at him, slightly baffled.
"Tsk no manners at all," the red one huffed even though he also sat on the bed. His ink decorated features took in Malleus's form and smiled. Malleus tensed, unsure what he was smiling about.
"Where's Yuuta or Lilia," he asked looking up.
"It would seem no one's visited this place in a long time," the Mer responded evenly.
He looked around, the room was well kept. Regularly dusted but otherwise it felt like void of any life. It wasn't to say there weren't people there.
Just no one stayed very long....
Malleus's eyes lowered reflecting his internal sadness.
He started to pout slightly, "Lilia I suppose I can't blame him...but my friend…. I trusted them," he said stubbornly.
The Merperson before him gave a sympathetic smile, "sounds like your friend was not only manipulative but they abandoned you when you were no longer a benefit to them." He said, barely hiding his disdain for Malleus's treatment.
"Just goes to show you that being stabbed in the back, to your face is worse than the truth of one's intentions," the lion beastman remarked with a flick of his tail.
The Redhead scowled at the Lion Beastman who was still lounging. "Get up will you?"
A fake snore was his response.
"it's alright, we'll be your new friends," the Meroctopus said.
"Friends?" Malleus whispered in half shock.
"And we won't abandon you" the redhead assured.
These people willingly wanted to be around him?
It was almost reminiscent of– of Yuut-.
No.
Yuuta had only been lying to him. Surely a real friend would have found time to visit, at least once..?
"My, we're calling ourselves your friends and haven't introduced ourselves," the redhead interrupted.
"The doctors in charge of monitoring me referred to me as Crimson Berserker... I prefer Iram Mille Noctes," Iram remarked evenly.
"You like that title? I hated the name they gave me... But the irritating blonde called me Leo so I think that might be my real name,"
"They didn't call you by your real names?" Malleus couldn't help but sound appalled.
Alternate or nicknames were fine but only when they were agreed upon or the other person was fine with it. To just go and call them something random-- it seemed wrong..!
"I am Obsidian... I believe I had a name that was color related," the meroctopus mused.
A black tentacle picked up a hairbrush and started brushing Malleus's hair. Presumably to brush away the bed head, he did recently wake up after all.
Malleus blinked touching a lock of hair. "I am Malleus Draconia,"
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Malleus Draconia. Would you mind signing this contract?" Obsidian asked.
Before him a golden, shining scroll of paper appeared.
He skimmed the lines, focusing intently on the agreement's specifications to consenting sharing his magic with six other people, promising to help whenever the situation required it and strictly avoiding interactions with authority figures lest they all be imprisoned yet again.
He bit back his confusion that there wasn't anything about a return on his end. He was only supposed to 'share his magic?'
Wouldn't that tremendous power isolate all of them?
"This is...." He started to say,
"It'll balance out our magic and keep us in check should we lose control," the newly dubbed Obsidian explained.
"A limiter binding All of us together?" Malleus asked.
"If you are worried about signing, I wouldn't mind physical contact such as a handshake," Obsidian hummed easily. His hand outstretched with ease and grace -an invitation if you will.
'You're betraying your first friend,' his heart whispered. Malleus's eyes looked lightless. He felt hollow.
'They betrayed me first,' he thought bitterly.
Almost tentatively, he placed his hand in the octopus's. Following this action he was engulfed in a brilliant lime green light.
❃❃❃❃⍟❃❃❃❃❃
Maleficia's eyes widened "Malleus woke up, it seems." She remarked wryly.
"Mal-Malleus…. woke… up…!?" Yuuta couldn't help but parrot in shock.
**o0o0o0o0o**
Upon entering the corridor that led to Malleus's room, Yuuta was surprised to see three of the other Overblot students accompanying him. Riddle Rosehearts, Leona Kingscholar, and Azul Ashengrotto.
Yuuta laid eyes on the fae prince, still in tween form. As he was when he last saw him.
Malleus had shifted to that small form for some reason during his Overblot, and right after it he fell into a deep sleep. Yuuta thought it was unwittingly, but perhaps it was a way to keep Malleus in 'check'. His own way of protecting everyone. To a degree.
Yuuta also got a look at the others - seeing how they had changed in the five years he refused to visit them. Leona was almost two shades darker than he used to be. Riddle didn't have any changes he could see, but who knows what was different about all of them.
Just like in their dreams, the Overblot ink marks remained as fresh and pristine as ever. As if a newly done tattoo.
Except for who Yuuta recognized to be Azul they both notably still wore the white straight jackets and simple trousers.
"Malleus! It's me. Your friend, Yuuta Origami" Yuuta spoke up, snapping themselves out of their reverie.
"Friend? Like my new friends?" Malleus asked in an innocent tone. His hands were securely linked around the hands of the people on either side of him. Yuuta noticed the way Leona tensed up at first but then tightened his grip. Riddle on the other hand looked unchanged, it was uncanny.
'Was he mocking me?' Yuuta wondered distantly.
"I'm your friend," Yuuta stated stepping forward in spite of the guards trying to hold them back for their safety. 'Of course they would use that to win him over.' Yuuta thought, scowling.
Riddle gave him a look that asked 'are you sure?'
Leona threw an object that looked suspiciously like a magishift disc at a few guards that had been approaching.
"And where were you… when I needed you?" His voice is quiet but still carrying.
Yuuta's retort died in his throat.
He took a deep breath.
"R-Riddle! You guys are in danger staying like this!"
Iram Mille Noctes blinked in confusion.
"You too Leona! You have to go back to the facilities you were in! We need to reverse what happened to you!" Yuuta tried.
"Huh- the blonde was really close if that's what my name is," Leo commented.
Lilia stepped up. The concern evident on his face.
"Are you going through with what you're doing? Do you really plan on running away?"
Malleus flinched and looked hesitant.
"We won't force you against your family," the Mer decided as he gracefully headed toward the window.
"You're welcome to come when you're ready," he assured.
"We should take our leave before the guards become too many," Obsidian nodded. The three of them jumped out the window, their falls likely cushioned by the magic they were getting from Malleus.
"Prince Malleus it's good that you woke up. So many were worried." Silver responded.
Lilia stepped closer and crouched down to hug him.
His head throbbed as a thought or memory tried to bubble to the surface.
"Prince...."
'First and foremost I am a Prince. My emotional ties to the people closest to me don't matter. But if I left for just a little while... I could handle all these conflicting thoughts and emotions.' he thought.
"I'm sorry," his expression looked sad. "I really need to do this," he moved away from Lilia's touch.
"Prince Malleus?" Silver and Sebek asked simultaneously.
"I don't expect you to understand." He said. His mind wandered to the new people who somehow didn't feel all that new.
"I'll come back when I'm ready... When I've figured out some things."
He took to his heels and dodged Lilia's attempt of a wind spell to hold him back. Malleus jumped out the window and grabbed Obsidian's hands. "I don't know much right now..! But I know where I'm needed..!"
Using flora magic he summoned vines to overwhelm the increasing guards. The vines twisting and ensnaring all he wanted to trap and leaving alone his three new companions.
The other two looked surprised to see him but the Mer- Obsidian smiled. A gentle yet confident smile as if he expected it.
'This'll be temporary I'll be back before everything is over,' he told himself as he gripped Obsidian's frame more tightly, the cool sensation dulling the headache that had started to bloom.
"I want to go with you," he murmured.
"It doesn't matter if I can't stay," he continued.
"Malleus still has his memories right?" Yuuta asked to no one in particular.
"Malleus will tell them about their school lives, they'll come to their senses and come back. We'll all fix this." Yuuta remarked determinedly.
Maleficia studied Yuuta and tilted her head. 'Malleus shares something with someone else. He has the thing he wished desperately for, why would he jeopardize that to placate the whims of a human who hadn't bothered to visit him?' Lilia wondered absently.
"Perhaps," the Queen voiced instead, choosing to indulge in Yuuta's naive optimism. Lilia bit back a protest to argue.