To prove to you guys that this story is not 100% childlike innocence.

Also, don't think I didn't notice how familiar our friend Devon is. (On a side note, I can't stand Figment and I don't get why people like him.)

Chapter 6

The Truth

"Yee-haw!"

"Ride em, cowpokes!"

Madeline and CJ whooped as Devon and Cornwall carried them around the yard.

"Arf! Arf!" Cookie yipped, the balloons still in his mouth.

With all the commotion the group was causing, it should have been impossible not to hear them. Yet Tiffany stayed glued to her phone, oblivious to everything going on.

"Just shut up! That is insane that that happened to her! I'd be lucky if my date got me store-bought flowers, let alone ones shipped from the Netherlands!"

Devon and Cornwall chased Cookie all the way to a very tall tree growing in the backyard, which they bumped their heads into. The pup then climbed up to the highest branch and released the balloons. He jumped up and down, barking happily, not even realizing he was stuck.

"Oh no!" Madeline cried out.

"That little critter will never get down from there by himself, Sheriff Madeline!" CJ claimed. "We gotta do somethin'!"

"But what can we do, Deputy CJ? We done left our lassos at the saloon after we got those root beer floats!"

"Root beer floats?" Cornwall repeated. "When'd they get those? I want one!"

"It's called 'imagination,' you twit." Devon snarked. "Not that you'd know that, since you don't seem to have one."

"Oh, and I'm guessing you're an expert on that kinda thing, aren't ya, Mr. One Little Spark?"

"Please. You obviously have me confused with another dragon. Anyway, at least I know how to have fun."

"Oh yeah? Ya don't think I can have fun, huh? I'll show you! C'mon!"

Cornwall forced his other half to start climbing the tree, causing Madeline and CJ to fall down.

"Hey! What are you guys doing?" Madeline questioned, breaking character.

"Yes, what are we doing?" Devon worried as Cornwall dragged him further up the tree.

"Showing you how much imagination I really have!"

Cookie turned around to see the dragon behind him. He jumped up and barked.

"Arf! Arf!"

"All right, ya varmint! You're comin' downtown with us!"

Cookie responded to this by licking Cornwall's face.

"Blech! So we're doin' things the hard way, huh? Fine! Stick em up, little doggie!"

Cornwall forced himself and Devon onto the tree branch, which began to break off due to their weight.

Madeline gasped. "Oh no!"

"Um…Cornwall, perhaps this game has gone on long enough." Devon suggested nervously.

"Oh no!" Cornwall refused. "We're just gettin' started, buckaroo!"

"I can't look!" CJ covered his eyes.

"Now listen good, maverick!" Cornwall went on, unaware of the branch giving way. "There ain't room in this tree for the both of us!"

Devon gulped. "No, in fact, there doesn't seem to be room for just one of us."

"Guys! You have to get down from there now!" Madeline called from below.

"Yes, Cornwall, perhaps we should." Devon worried.

"Not until we bring this troublemaker to justice!" Cornwall insisted.

"Arf!" Cookie jumped off of the branch and safely landed in Madeline's arms.

"Hey! You can't run from the law!" Cornwall shouted.

Devon was really panicking now. "Corny! Okay, Corny, I think you've proven your point! Now can we please get down from here before-"

"Before what? What are you so afraid of?"

The branch tilted forward, about to snap.

"Oh…I see…"

Devon and Cornwall screamed as they held on for dear life.

"You guys! Try to fly!" Madeline encouraged.

But they didn't seem to hear her over their own arguments.

"Oh yes, Cornwall! We may as well since we're still using our imagination!"

"Yeah? Well, I imagine you being quiet!"

"This never would have happened if you hadn't gotten caught up in your fantasies!"

"Hey, I was just tryin' to have fun like you said! And ya know what? You were right! I should have lightened up and played along from the beginning because then I would have enjoyed myself!"

"Well, of course you would have! I know I did! I quite like these little human games."

"Yeah, well…I kinda like em too!"

SNAP!

The tree branch finally broke off, but instead of falling, Devon and Cornwall somehow managed to stay in the air. Madeline and CJ stood in awe as the two unknowingly landed on the ground safely.

"Whoa…"

Devon and Cornwall turned their heads toward the young pair.

"What? What are you staring at?"

"Do we have somethin' in our teeth?"

"How…how'd you do that?" Madeline asked.

"Do what?"

"You kept yourselves from falling when the branch broke. It almost looked like you were flying."

"Us? Flying?" Devon beamed. "Really?"

"Yeah! If we keep this up, you guys will be real dragons in no time!" CJ theorized. "Hey, let's find another tree and see if they can do it again!"

Devon and Cornwall's faces fell.

"Uh…well…"

"Actually, we were thinking…that if it's all right with you…"

"Maybe we could put the flying lessons on hold…"

"Huh?" Madeline and CJ exchanged glances. The dragon continued.

"It's just…well…we rather enjoyed that little game you two came up with and…"

"We wanted to know if ya had any other games we could try out, 'cause that last one was…ahem…fun…"

Madeline and CJ grinned at each other.

"Are you kidding?"

"We've come up with loads of games! C'mon! We'll show you!"

Devon and Cornwall were ecstatic.

"Nice!"

"Oh goodie!"

And so, for the rest of the day until their mothers returned, Madeline and CJ played all of the games the two friends had made up on their many playdates with their new dragon pal. To Devon and Cornwall's surprise, they were beginning to enjoy spending time with the humans. In fact, they were having such a good time, they completely forgot why they were there in the first place. For the next several days, while Madeline's mother took Marcus to his basketball practices and Tiffany was too occupied by her phone to pay attention, instead of even attempting to learn how to fly, the two-headed dragon would spend the whole day playing with Madeline and CJ. The need to become real dragons had completely disappeared from their minds. That is, until their week in the human world came to an end.

On the last night of their stay, Devon and Cornwall sat outside with Madeline beside them gazing up at the starry-night sky.

"My word, it's so beautiful." Devon said. "We never get to see the stars back in Dragon Country."

"You don't?" Madeline asked.

"Nope. Usually, the sky's covered by too much smoke to see anything." Cornwall mentioned. "You've got a lot to be thankful for, kid. Not like us. Our home's a mess."

"Aw, that's so sad." Madeline sympathized. "Have you ever tried going somewhere else? You know, besides the cave on the beach?"

"Actually, no." Devon answered. "This is the first time we've been outside of Dragon Country. We haven't been to any other places besides it and the human realm."

"There was one other place," Cornwall recalled. "Some creepy, old forest across from our cave. But last time we went there, the trees almost trapped us with their branches and the leaves we used for our bed kept running away. Don't ask how. We still don't know and probably never will."

"So, uh, just out of curiosity," Madeline began. "If dragons exist where you're from, do unicorns exist too?"

"Well, of course they do!" Devon replied.

"How do you know? We've never met one!" Cornwall pointed out.

"No, but I've seen plenty of pictures of them in my old history books. Not to mention trolls, griffins, fairies, and manticores. All sorts of magnificent creatures! Why? Don't you humans have those in your world?"

Madeline giggled. "If we did, I probably wouldn't have been surprised to find a dragon, now would I?"

"Oh. Yes, I suppose that's a good point."

"Hee, hee! Silly dragons." Madeline laughed again. Then she started to shiver. "Boy, it's getting cold out here. I wish we had a fire going."

"Oh! Why don't you crawl under our wings, dear?" Devon suggested. "That might help."

"Thanks, guys." Madeline climbed onto her friends' back and snuggled under their wings. "Mm…you're right. It is nice and warm under here."

"Yeah. A fire would probably be better, but we still can barely blow smoke." Cornwall complained.

"Oh yeah…I'm sorry I couldn't help much with that and teaching you how to fly." Madeline admitted. "Guess we got a little too caught up in all the games."

"Don't be sorry, Madeline." Devon insisted. "To tell you the truth, they were the most fun we've had in 300 years. And we still learned a lot while we were here."

"Really? Like what?"

"Well, mainly that not all humans are heartless monsters like we've been told to believe." Cornwall explained. "Some are, like that no-good brother of yours. But others…like you…well…they're all right."

Madeline blushed. "Heh…thanks. And I guess I learned the same thing when it comes to dragons. Honestly, I wish all the others would just accept you for who you are instead of forcing you to be like them."

"Well, that ain't ever gonna happen." Cornwall claimed. "Those other dragons have a one-track-mind. All they ever think about is killing the first thing they see."

"Yes, there's just no getting through to them." Devon sighed. "Why, I dread to imagine what would happen if they found out we were friends with one of your kind."

"Are you kidding?" Cornwall chuckled somewhat. "We'd be toast! Extra-burnt flavor! I wouldn't be surprised if they slathered us in butter, too! That's how seriously they take these rules!"

Madeline was shocked. "Whoa, really?"

"You bet! Heck, they wouldn't even need a reason to do it! They torment us for their own amusement every chance they get! Once, when they wanted to practice aiming their fire breath, they decided to use our butt for a target!"

Devon nodded. "Yes. It still hurts to sit nowadays."

"Wow. Those other dragons really are nasty. They make my brother sound nice." Madeline noted.

"Indeed. But at least you never picked up on that kind of behavior."

"Of course not. I know what it's like to be bullied and I don't want to make anyone else feel that way."

"Oh, aren't you sweet? I'm sure your mother is very proud to have a child as wonderful as you."

Madeline smiled. "Yeah, I think she is."

"And I'll bet your dad's proud of ya, too." Cornwall added.

Madeline's smile faded at the mention of her dad. Devon and Cornwall became concerned when she didn't respond.

"Madeline? Is everything all right, love?" Devon asked. "What's the matter?" he turned to Cornwall. "Was it something Cornwall said? What did you say to her?"

"What'd I say to her? First of all, you should know every word I say because you're always in my headspace. Secondly, all I said was that her dad must be proud of her! What's so bad about that?"

"Clearly, you've upset her! Did he upset you, Madeline?"

Madeline shook her head. "Oh no. It's okay. It's just…my dad…well…he's…"

"Oh don't worry, dear. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind talking about it." she took a breath. "The thing is…I actually…don't have a dad. I…never had one. I mean, I did have a dad at one point…I just…never got to meet him."

Devon and Cornwall's ears perked up as they listened to the child's story.

"It didn't bother me much at first…until I started seeing a bunch of other kids with their dads. It kinda made me jealous that all my friends at school had two parents and I wondered why I only had one. I thought that since CJ's parents live in separate houses then maybe my mom and dad were separated too. Then one day when I was old enough, my mom told me what really happened. A few weeks before I was born, my dad got really sick. So sick that my mom said he had to stay in the hospital. She told me he tried really, really hard to get better in time so he could meet me…but…he didn't make it…Nowadays, the only things I have to remind me of him are these really old pictures in our photo albums and a few stories my mom shared. He sounded like a really good person from what I heard. Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like if he was still here. My mom says that he'll always be in our hearts…but I don't know how he can when I don't have any real memories of him. It's funny how even when you didn't know someone…you can still miss them."

Just then, Madeline heard a loud honking noise below her, making her jump. She looked down to see Devon holding a tissue, tears running down his snout.

"Oh, that's so beautiful! Pure poetry! It's too much!"

"Hey, quit blubberin', ya big baby." Cornwall responded, while holding back tears of his own. "You're gettin' me all wet."

"We never knew our father either." Devon sniffled. "In fact, we don't know any of our family!"

"Yeah," Cornwall sobbed. "I'll bet the minute we came out of the egg, whoever hatched us kicked us to the curve! And who could blame them?"

"We're supposed to be seen as a monster, but all we are is a monstrosity!"

"Madeline, you're lucky. At least you have friends and a mom who loves you. Meanwhile, all we have to keep us company is each other. And honestly, spending 24 hours a day with someone like him is worse than being completely alone!"

"Why must you always be so mean to me? What did I do to deserve to be cursed with this foul attachment?"

Both dragons continued to bawl, making Madeline feel really sorry for them. She stroked both their heads.

"Oh my gosh…I didn't realize how hard a dragon's life can be…"

"Not a dragon's life, my dear…" Devon corrected.

"Just the life of a two-headed freak!" Cornwall finished.

"Aww…don't be sad. You're not a freak. You're unique. There's nothing wrong with that. Besides, it's not about how you look on the outside. What matters is what you are on the inside. And you two may look like a ferocious dragon on the outside, but inside? You're something much more. You're…my friends. And I say you don't need to change a thing about yourselves because…I like you just the way you are."

Devon and Cornwall wiped away their tears.

"Well, thanks, kid. That means a lot."

"Yes, we're very grateful for your companionship as well. If we could stay with you at your place full-time, we would."

Madeline's face lit up.

"Hey…who says you can't?"

Devon and Cornwall both looked confused. "Huh?"

"You guys said yourselves how much you hated it back in Dragon Country. So why even go back? You can just live here forever!"

Devon was uncertain. "Um…Madeline? I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"How come? You don't have anywhere else to go. Plus, this way we can play together all the time!"

"But what about your mom?" Cornwall reminded her.

"I'm sure she won't mind a bit. In fact, I can go ask her right now and I'm sure she'd say 'yes.'"

"Madeline…I don't think your mother will understand. What if you get in trouble?"

"Yeah. Maybe it's best if ya don't tell her anything."

"Well…okay. You're right…" Madeline paused. "It's much better if I show you to her instead!"

"What? Dear, that's not what we-"

Madeline jumped off the dragon's back. "If she sees for herself that you're a friendly dragon, she'll have to let you stay!"

"Maddie, listen, we can't-" Cornwall began.

"I think she's upstairs folding the laundry. I'll go get her. Won't she be surprised to know that dragons exist after all?"

"No, no! Don't do that!" Devon begged.

"Huh?"

Cornwall covered Devon's mouth. "Uh…what Devon means is…your mom's probably too busy right now. You don't wanna bother her. And besides," he faked a yawn. "It's gettin' pretty late. How about we save our introductions after we get a good night's sleep?"

"So…like first thing tomorrow morning?" Madeline requested.

"Uh…"

"Great!" Madeline hugged Devon and Cornwall's belly. "Thanks, you guys. You're the best."

The two-headed dragon said nothing. They just looked at each other with guilt in their eyes. Madeline then released them.

"Well, I guess I'd better get to bed, too. See you two in the morning."

Devon and Cornwall sadly waved as Madeline went inside.

"Yes…good night, Madeline."

"Don't let the bed bugs bite or…somethin'…"

Once they were alone, the scaly duo stood in silence, both of them contemplating on what they were going to do. It wasn't like they didn't want to stay with Madeline, but they knew her mom just wouldn't understand the bond they shared. Most likely, she'd just get angry with the girl for hiding the two and send them back to where they came from. Or worse. And even if Mrs. Porter didn't find out, keeping their existence secret from her would be nearly impossible, especially since they couldn't fly out of her sightline. So, the beast made a decision they believed was better for both them and Madeline…even though it would break both of their hearts…

Later on in the night when the whole neighborhood was asleep, Devon and Cornwall snuck out of the backyard and onto the empty sidewalk. They turned around to get one last look at the Porter household.

"I'm still not so sure about this…" Devon told Cornwall. "She'll be devastated when she wakes up tomorrow…"

"Eh. She'll get over it." Cornwall looked down solemnly. "Besides…it's…better this way…isn't it?"

Devon didn't respond. Cornwall sighed.

"Look, this is how it's gotta be. Dragons and humans just aren't meant to be friends. End of story. You do still wanna be a real dragon, right?"

"I…don't know anymore…"

"…C'mon. Snap out of it. Just…try to think about something else, okay?"

But as they got further and further away from Madeline's house, both heads found they couldn't take their minds off their human friend. Even though they had only been gone a few minutes, they already missed her deeply. For the first time in 500 years, the dragons were having the exact same thought: how much love they had for that one little girl.

Should I even bother with adding author's notes? I've found myself not having much to say about these chapters.

Oh well. It's tradition at this point.