I phased in early in the morning, in that pitch-black time just before dawn. But today I decided to do something a little different. Instead of just popping into her room and lying underneath the covers with her until she awoke, I decided I'd try a different way to provoke her. I daresay she was getting a little too used to my old tricks. Why, just last week, instead of getting a morning greeting from Mace-sama like normal (along with a healthy delicious breakfast of anger, I might add.), she opened one eye to stare at me and pulled me over as if I were some child's toy and went back to sleep! Can you believe it? Filia, my Filia? Playing along with a yarn? Yare, yare...

Did I like it, you ask? Hm...well...sore wa himitsu desu.

In any case, there I was in the morning, in little Val-chan's room, watching him stir and wake groggily with a light yawn that sounded more like a coo.

What did I plan to do to him, you query? Yare, yare, you could almost pass for Filia-chan with that suspicion. I didn't plan to do anything at all to him except take care of him until Filia woke up on her own. Amazingly enough, I got the idea from the young Princess of Saillune with her theory of ‘killing them with kindness' (albeit my way was much less nauseating. Ugh.)

The little one eyed me with playful curiosity. He's become so accustomed to seeing me, I believe, dare I say it, he has grown attached to me. Much to his mother's dismay.

"Feeling brand new today, little Val?"

He gurgled and smiled. I opened one eye to peek at him and found him trying to imitate me with the most amusing expression.

"Oh dear, you know if your mother were to see you modeling yourself after me, she might be thrown into a violent seizure...let's practice!"

I grinned and bent to pick him up just as he reached up for me eagerly. He really was quite adorable, you never would have guessed he had such a foul temper in his former life. I phased down to the kitchen with Val giggling. Looking around, and finding nothing to serve to the little dragon, I made up a formula and served it to him. Oh, if you could only see the gleam in his eyes when he watched me put the sugar in...I chuckled to myself; a happy baby would equal a happy Filia, right? I wondered if the same worked for a hyperactive baby. We were to find out soon enough...

He became quite fidgety afterwards, shutting one eye and putting a finger upwards in the air, then switching to the other eye and other finger, quite rapidly too. I tried to give him a little lesson that day as well, though getting him to sit still long enough was quite a task.

"Now, Val-chan, repeat after me: So-re wa hi-mit-su de-su!"

He burped and giggled some more. Oh well, small steps. At least he managed to coordinate his winking while raising his index finger. I think I was proud, but ‘pride' in this context being a positive emotion, I wasn't sure.

And then he made a surprise. I groaned inwardly.

"Are all you dragons this crude?" I queried. He absolutely squealed with laughter and clapped. I sighed, but changed his diaper anyway. After all, the baby managed to take joy in forcing a burden on someone, he had the makings of a possible protégé in him.

It was then that Filia rushed down the stairs.

"Val-chan! Val-chan, where are you!? Where have you--NAMAGOMI! What have you done to him?!"

Ahh, delicious! Absolutely delectable!

"Yare, yare, Filia-chan! Such a violent temper, and after all, I was only watching Val-chan so you could sleep better. I noticed the bags starting to form underneath your eyes. Really, some gratitude would be appreciated."

There was an odd silence after that, but I could tell she was still fuming from the smell of her rage. Very spicy, but wonderful. She somehow managed to become even angrier.

"If you are taking care of Val-chan, then where is he?" She was deathly calm as she said this, I had to open one eye to make sure it was really her.

"Hm? Why he's right over--"

Oh dear. Well, I had succeeded in enraging her to a point of deadly calmness which could have terrified a lesser mazoku. (Even I was beginning to worry somewhat; she'd be no fun if she were to go completely insane.)

"Well, that's strange, he was just there a second ago." I shrugged nonchalantly, hoping she would explode like normal.

"You...lost. My. Baby."

"Eh...I suppose I have."

Still composed, she walked over to me, still calm to my dismay. I was beginning to get a little nervous when she was a mere inch from my face. She was quite beautiful, angry or not. But more so, where was the explosion? I couldn't even feel her anger anymore! I became worried. Had I actually driven her over to insanity?

"Filia-chan...?"

Then she bit me. She actually bit me! And not just a little nip either, she was trying to tear my nose off!

"Oi~! FILIA! WHAT DO YOU THINK YO--"

It was then we heard something drop down the stairs. We both stopped and saw a golden ball roll towards us. Looking at it, there was something quite familiar about that ball...then I noticed Filia had gasped and let go of my nose as soon as she saw it. She ran over to it and pocketed it quickly. A furious blush began to spread over her otherwise porcelain face. We soon heard giggling and then something flapped and landed in my arms. Little Val had returned from his hiding place with another golden ball in his hands.

"Well, well, little Val? What's this? May I see it?" I asked, playfully glancing at the orb. He offered it up with tiny hands, happy to oblige.

"What is this...?"

"'Tou!"

Nani? Did he just call me-? I looked over to Filia, and she was blanching and blushing simultaneously so much, she looked ill.

"Pardon me?" I asked, not quite believing what I heard.

"O-tou! ‘Tou!" He squealed happily, giggling as if he had made the funniest joke in the world. I was at a loss for words for probably the first time in my existence. I forced myself to swallow and decided to look at what he had handed to me so willingly. Val pointed at it and giggled some more. This orb...it was so...so...

I gulped again. This was a day for firsts.

"Oh my...Filia-chan..."

Never in all my years did I think I would have been so surprised. She had kept it. She had kept this memento from that ridiculous ceremony her shop hand had thought up in order to distract us while we were on our journey with Lina-tachi. I looked up from the ball back to her. By this time, she had gone completely white. She opened her mouth as if to say something.

Then she fainted.

I looked back to Val-chan, who had ceased giggling and was peering at his mother curiously.

"Yare, yare, I wonder what other things I'll find out today! But for now, let's tend to our Filia-chan."

~ ~ * ~ ~

That was two years ago. It's probably one of my favorite memories, though no one will ever know. Nothing's really different now. Well, I do make more visits. Val has insisted on calling me ‘Tou-chan' whenever he sees me, and finally did learn to say ‘Sore wa himitsu desu' when he was almost a year and a half. He really was a smart boy, it is odd how I don't suffer from this boy's positive emotions, though I imagine Filia-chan's temper with me has kept a good balance.

I vaguely wondered why Beastmaster Zellas has allowed me to spend so much time with them as I do. But then it would be foolish to look a gift horse in the mouth, as the expression goes.

Today is Val-chan's first day of preschool. A very trying time for mothers, I'm told. I kept watch over her from a tree limb nearby. Val let go of Filia's hand and she bent down carefully, hugging Val as she kept hold on another bundle in her arms.

"Itekimasu, okaa-chan! Be good, Ceria-chan!" Val winked and gave a little kiss to the violet mopped bundle, which cooed adorably in response, her cobalt eyes just sparkling with excitement. Eyes that soon turned to me with equal delight. I then phased down and took her from her mother's arms gently.

"Ja ne, Val-chan!" I waved jovially, waving the infant's arm as well.

I turned my attention back to the baby when Val went inside. She grabbed at my finger with amusement, grinning toothlessly, for she hasn't grown anything more than tiny fangs at the moment.

"Well, how are you today, little one!" I held her up to the air and she flapped her arms delightfully.

Filia coughed and smiled-no...smirked.

"She learned her first word this morning."

"Did she now? What did she say?" I felt a swell of pride (now that I know it, I can be sure of it when I say it.) and tickled Ceria's round stomach playfully, earning a squeal from her.

"Yes, she learned how to say her father's name."

"Oh?" I must admit, I was feeling a little excited. "Tell me, Ceria-chan, who's your father?"

She stopped giggling, but didn't stop smiling. She raised a tiny finger and touched my nose with it.

"Na-ma-go-mi!"

Hm...did I say nothing had changed? I suppose this just felt somewhat natural to me. My apologies.

And there you have it.