Lilia was admiring the scenery on a walk through the botanical gardens. True he saw this scenery often and it was really nothing new, especially since he was a third year at the Night Raven College. But the thought that counts, as they say. It was fun to watch the multiple plants and flowers, and to a degree any students that maybe relaxing and enjoying the silence. No doubt Kingscholar would be here soon as a attempt to escape actually attending class. Then he would be found and forced to go. Lilia decided he might as well head to his own last class of the day but something stopped him.
He paused.
That boy.
He looked a awful lot like...
Lilia approached the sleeping boy who looked all too much like his so-- ahem prince Malleus. Lilia blinked in disbelief as he neared the long slender form of a near carbon copy of Malleus. The boy did not give off any magic, similar to that Yuu of Ramshackle dorm. And what's more he lacked any signature Draconian or fae features. No faintly visible scales, no pointy ears and certainly no horns.
Lilia blinked slowly.
They weren't making body double potions today and even so how would at strange looking version of Malleus be possible? Was he real? Lilia poked the doppelganger's side his lip curling into a smile when the boy knit his eyebrows together and curled up as if that would protect him from Lilia's nimble little hands no doubt the boy was ticklish in all the same places as the real Malleus. Lilia stopped smiling as he realized the boy was in fact real and a lot more identical to Malleus than just his physical appearance.
Lilia regarded the boy's clothing; his crimson red shirt, the black pants tucked into the ivory white combat boots. The green black and white jacket reminding him of the one Malleus wore for his birthday. Instead of being decorated with things related to Malleus or the Diasomnia dorm, one sleeve had "M. D." probably the initials for "Malleus Draconia" in gold embroidery. On the back of his jacket was the words "Everyone please hold your applause" in thick white letters. Lilia absently wondered who was in charge of his wardrobe, but it did not matter.
Reaching in the right pocket he found a wallet and a phone with a forest green case.
In the wallet was a library card, a public transportation card, a driver's permit, and three light green rectangular pieces of paper with the numbers 10, 20, and 50 in all four corners on both sides. Aside from that were some coins that shined and had weight but didn't make sense to Lilia. It was obvious they were some form of money, but they certainly weren't madol.
Reading the neat handwriting on two of the cards that was exactly like Malleus', the boy was indeed Malleus Draconia. Shoving all the contents back into the wallet and back into his pocket Lilia pulled the boy up and with a sigh teleported to the Hall of Mirrors.
It was going to be a long day.
Lilia quickly stepped through the Diasomnia mirror struggling a little to carry the boy who was taller and heavier than himself. Lucky for the Malleus doppelganger he remained asleep. Or perhaps unconscious..?
At any rate the other students will be back from class soon, and that included Silver, Sebek, and Malleus. Dropping the unconscious boy rather unceremoniously onto the bed in Malleus' room, Lilia idly pondered if he should make a sort of truth potion; if this person was trying (and failing) to impersonate Malleus.
He still had to protect Malleus after all.
But... what if he left the room and the boy woke up..?
Ah that would complicate things... Because if he was right, there would be two of the same person.
Still he was almost curious. How different and how similar were the two?
He thought it best to keep watch... Oh the boy most likely will have missed lunch. The poor thing will be hungry. Luckily Lilia new the perfect meal to prepare that would undoubtedly be ready by the time he woke up. Lilia walked off happy to go down in the kitchen...
About thirty minutes later the soup which was bright red in color, hopefully due to the tomatoes he added, was piping hot. It deceptively looked like blood, which that alone was sending any passing students wary as they returned from their class or clubs for the day.
"Lilia please tell you aren't planning on serving that," Silver sighed. His violet eyes filled with worry. Sebek looked... Aghast? Lilia wondered why but before he could ask he took note of Malleus who had a look of suspicion as he peered into the pot of what was tomato soup.
"Oh Malleus! Could you check and see if my guest is still in your room? If he is would you mind waking him up for me?" Malleus raised his eyebrows but agreed no doubt he was wondering why he put him in Malleus' room of all places. Lilia almost grinned smugly if the boy -- the other Malleus was still there, his own was in for a surprise.
"Sebek how was your day?" Lilia asked cheerfully
"It was good...? Sebek asked confused his voice not yelling for once. He eyed the still steaming pot contents warily. "I had the most extraordinary find today" Lilia started.
Malleus came back down stairs "your guest seems to have up and left. I assume you told him about me.?" Malleus questioned as he returned a little disappointed.
Lilia froze "ah I knew I should have locked the door" but then he smiled "oh well he most likely doesn't know how to leave the dormitory grounds so he shouldn't be far away!"
꧁︎︎︎꧂
"Mmm..." Malleus stretched out on the bed. His feet moving and toes wiggling in the orange socks. Blinking groggily he sat up. "Wha-- wait a minute. This isn't my room!"
He quickly got off the bed and almost fell down completely. Spotting his white boots he put them back on. "Hmm time to find out where I am" his eyes sparkled with curiosity. Their unique diagonal angle brown and green coloration of what classifies as hazel shining unnaturally in the green fire candles. Opening the door he simply walked out the room and downstairs.
Sneaking by the kitchen he heard a familiar voice humming happily. And a smell of various foods and spices blending together. To his dismay he knew who the voice was and the circumstances of what the smells meant. He couldn't approach Lilia in this unknown territory. Approaching him meant that Lilia would ask him to taste the "food" and that would spell disaster. He'd wait till Lilia was done cooking to bother him.
Trying not to make too much noise he slipped out the dark place that reminded him of a castle. Stepping outside did not make the place less glooming. It gave off a desolate and lonely vibe, the dark grey clouds with very small amounts of blue sky peeking through.
A group of students giving off a weird energy walked up, getting into view as he stared in shock. 'They weren't human were they?' He thought nervously.
He observed as they walked out of... A mirror? Oh yeah he wasn't going to watch any sci-fi movies after drinking coolaid any time soon. When the students had passed seeming to not notice him, or pay much attention to him if they did; he walked up to the mirror. And tried not to grimace at the decorations lining it.
He swallowed hard and leapt through the mirror unsure of where he was going to end up.
Immediately his body was confronted with the unpleasant coldness of a mirror. 'Like water' he thought, 'it feels kinda like water'
He ended up in some hallway or a really grand room.
The shift in lighting hurt his eyes and he struggled to make his way out.
It was full of Mirrors. Stumbling slightly, he walked down a street it was lined with statues. In the opposite direction of students all boys walking in the direction he came from. And more students about his age. He faltered wondering if he should go back. Nervously he spied the rows of heads for a authority figure of some sort.
He clumsily spun around as he walked taking in the sights and the... Less than humanoid people around him who glared at him coldly or with.. Was that fear? Why would they be afraid?
But that aside this place-- it looked beautiful. And expensive.
His back turned his attention on his surroundings he should of expected to bump into someone. Looking around and tilting his head downwards at a burly guy with bear ears? He wore the same uniform as everyone else; a three-piece suit: a white dress-shirt beneath a golden yellow vest, a monochromatic striped tie, a black jacket, and black slacks. And the suit lapels, including the edges of the vest, seemed to be lined with golden thread. He blinked at the guy and his three friends one of which wore a red vest instead of gold.
"Oh look some lost little punk" one of them sneered. His black ears reminded him of a panda. 'Oh it was a gang fight?' He was by himself he could take them. But why did they have animal parts? And what's that energy that's cloaking them..? "He doesn't have any magic. What's he doing here?" Magic..? Alternate world Malleus wondered.
He took a step back "I apologize..?"
"For what? The one he's bumped into scoffed "being inattentive?"
"No for crossing with such weirdos who don't have anything better to do, if you saw me coming why didn't YOU move out the way?" he snapped before he could stop himself.
The other four shifted uncomfortably, not liking how identical he looked to someone else. Or the angry glare he had on his face. Aternate world Malleus rolled his eyes. "So I'll be taking my leave now..."
He walked away 'I'll be more attentive this time and I won't crash into anyone.' "I wish I had a ice cream sandwich right now" he muttered before he was yanked back suddenly.
"HEY we didn't sat you could leave yet." The boy hissed. "Why don't you buy us a snack and we'll call it even?"
Alternate world Malleus stared at them coldly. "All I did was bump into one of you and you all want food?" He raised a eyebrow with a mildly agitated look on his face.
"What if... I opt out of the food payment..?" He asked his expression darkening. "I think you know," the boy with the red vest commented with a smirk.
"Yeah.. I do," he smiled coldly.