On a crisp autumn night, when the blustering wind rattled window shatters and the nippy air encouraged denizens of Corona to rush home before nightfall. Varian dreamed of a clouded landscape filled with a floating mechanical portal leading to a bizarre land, the smiling figure of his father and the courtyard of the kingdom. Pierced by spiked black rocks, then smoothed over by fresh cobblestones, in a state of fluctuation.

On the hallowed night, where spirits stirred. The transparent, hooded figure of Lord Demanitus' spirit glided aimlessly in such a dreamscape. Oblivious to how he had passed through here, Demanitus came to some alarming conclusions upon witnessing the subconscious scenes.

"Has the worst I feared come to pass? Why am I seeing the fall of Corona before me?"

Appearing as himself, as an observer to his own dream. Varian paused, before gently breaking the news to the conflicted alchemist.

"Corona didn't really fall, Lord Demanitus. It's true that the majority of the kingdom was damaged by the black rocks, but we fixed it. Corona is safe." Varian tried to reassure the man who had witnessed Corona in a state of peril, time and time again.

The young man did not why Corona's protector had appeared to him in his slumber. But whether he was a figment of his imagination or Demanitus' spirit visiting him from beyond the grave. Varian felt compelled to ensure that the lord knew that Corona's past, had been paved over with a happy ending.

Relieved by the news, Demanitus' brow softened and he turned to Varian to ask him a most pressing question, since his consciousness had emerged in this dream realm.

"And what became of the one who turned on princess Rapunzel?"

Varian's heart sank, when he realized who Demanitus was speaking about. The woman his heart so admired, who kept a token of his affection around her neck, during her long travels.

"Cassandra. Zhan Tiri twisted her into someone I barely recognized. But in the end, Rapunzel saved her and everyone in the kingdom, with the power of the Sundrop." Varian spoke of the ripples of light, spilling its restorative energy across the kingdom. The same waves of sunshine that had given Cassandra a second chance at life.

No stranger to the rejuvenating properties of the mysterious element, Demanitus recalled his own experience, with the bearer of the Sundrop.

"During my last moments on Earth, I had the privilege of meeting the embodiment of the Sundrop, and the knowledge that the fate of Corona was in good hands. It brings me great joy to know that the kingdom has endured its once biggest threat, under Rapunzel's leadership."

"Yeah! Rapunzel'sdoing well, nowadays. She's the queen of the kingdom and she made me the court's royal engineer." Varian chimed in and couldn't help but slip in that little fact, in the presence of the man he considered to be the greatest engineer that ever lived.

"And what is your name, young man? Bearing such a title and the trust of princess Rapunzel." Demanitus asked the goggle wearing teenager, who seemed far too young to be holding the title of court engineer.

"My name is Varian, sir! And it took a lot of trials and errors before Rapunzel entrusted me with the position. Now I build machines with my dad and they don't blow up nearly half as much as they used to!" Varian introduced himself and found himself chattering excitedly about the mishaps that occurred when a water heater was over-pressurized.

He had been given the chance to speak to Lord Demanitus himself. He wasn't going to leave anything out.

Demanitus smiled as he listened to Varian's tale. The bright youth reminded him of himself at that age. Starry eyed, but with a few explosions in his lab to his name.

"Your father? Is he that man over there?" Demanitus pointed his gloved hand to Quirin's figure, floating alongside the memory of Corona, like islands anchored in the sea.

"Yes! That's my dad, Quirin." Varian grinned.

Varian had often played make believe by imagining what Demanitus would say in response to his formulas or a contraption he had invented. To be speaking to him now, about his family of all things was a dream come true.

As Varian introduced Quirin, his apparition faded away and reappeared in front Demanitus, so that he might inspect his sharp, striking features.

Where Varian felt gratification at finally meeting his hero, Demanitus felt a pang of recognition when looking at Quirin's smiling face.

"I see echoes of my own son Hieronymus, in him. I often wondered what became of him, after he left our home. It would seem he had a family of his own, that has continued to this very day."

Varian's eyes went wide at the implications of what Demanitus had just said, but before he could fully process them, the lord abruptly changed the subject.

"Have you ever considered how the crescent moon resembles a banana?' He asked curiously, with a distracted look in his eye, that suggested he was anxious to receive a swift reply.

Varian's face fell, when he realized that the surreal nature of the dream realm was affecting the Lord Demanitus he'd exchanged a most mind-blowing revelation with.

"W-what? They're both curved and yellow, but banana aren't the first things I think of when I look at the moon." Varian stuttered an answer to a question, he had given little thought to. Things were changing so fast. But Varian's timely answer had eased Demanitus' rapidly slipping spirit.

"The monkey is awakening. But when he opens his eyes, I will not be there anymore. You have cleared up a great uncertainty, Varian. Thank you for setting me free."

When Varian woke up the next day, he felt lighter. Like his relation to Lord Demanitus had improved his alchemical and mechanical abilities, by mere association. To put it in other words, he felt ecstatic.

Eager to tell his dad the news, Varian raced to the kitchen, where he found Quirin cutting an apple at the kitchen table.

"Dad! How far back does our family tree go to?" Varian asked, skipping a morning greetings in search of an answer. Quirin looked up from the task at hand and raised an eyebrow, surprised by his son's interest in their family history, so early in the morning.

"A dozen generations or so. We don't keep many records. Why the sudden interest?"

"A... monkey told me! In a dream. That we were descended from Lord Demanitus!" Varian blurted out and made up his 'source' on the spot.

"You have quite the imagination, son."

Demanitus' son's name is Hieronymus because I wanted the first letters of his name to be like the French word for yesterday; hier. Since Demanitus reminds me of the word demain (tomorrow.) That makes them Yesterday and Tomorrow.

Comments are appreciated.