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Chapter Text

Remus stormed into the next room and- where was he again? He didn't know. Didn't really care. He'd been wandering through the halls of the Subconscious, the Mind Palace, the Imagination, and basically wherever else he could get to- all in the hopes of venting his frustration.

Lot of good that did him.

"It's not fair," he seethed, hot tears pricking at his eyes. What if they started boiling? And they melted his eyes and they drip, drip, dripped down his face and he went blind and- "It's not fair!" He repeated, hands raising to the sides of his head. It was half to cover his ears - as if he could ever block out reality - and half to pull at his hair.

The newest situation Thomas needed help with went smoothly. It was more him over thinking things than anything else. And they all listened to Roman. They all loved Roman. And where was Remus? Always pushed aside! He was ignored, and no one listened, and no one cared, and no one was ever even there, and- and-

It wasn't fair!

He'd tried. He'd tried to be on 'better' behavior this time- though it was more like boring behavior. And still, he got nothing to show for the effort! Perhaps he'd done too much damage the first time around. Perhaps he'd been worse than he'd thought- but it had been the only way for Thomas to pay him any mind! But maybe it'd been too much? Remus had been trying to make Thomas realize he wasn't perfect - that was the plan - but maybe he'd done it a bit too well.

A laugh bubbled its way from his throat, though tears were still falling from his eyes. He bit down on his knuckles, trying to keep the noise to a minimum. It wouldn't do any good for anyone to find him like this. Besides, he didn't really feel like laughing right now anyway.

What if he bit off his fingers? You could, they were just like carrots! What if carrots were all fleshy and bloody and you still had to eat them as a kid? Would that be messed up, or would it be normal?

He clutched at his head, hissing. This. This was why they all hated him. Why they couldn't ever stand him. Even his own thoughts were out of control. They didn't like what they couldn't force into a mold.

What if they melted him down? Then they could pour whatever was left into any mold they liked!

He backed into a wall, and before he knew it, he'd slammed his head back into it with a resounding thump. His skull burst with pain, sparks dancing in his eyes. What if-

He did it again, and this time, his thoughts all stopped for a moment, falling silent in the wake of the hurt.Another bubbling laugh forced its way from his throat. He really was a mess. Usually that would be a compliment, but right now… it just wasn't. But what it was was true.

He was a mess. He was pathetic. He couldn't even control his own thoughts and ideas.

No wonder the others hated him.

No wonder they never listened to him.

No wonder they wanted him to stay far, far, far away from Thomas.

No wonder.

You should just duck out.

He froze.

They don't want you. They certainly don't need you. They have Roman.

No. No, no, no, no. True though it was, he couldn't leave. It would most likely have some effect on Thomas-

Probably a positive one. As long as he has Roman, losing you wouldn't really do a thing, now would it?

A whine escaped his throat as he clamped his hands down on his ears. It didn't help. What if he clawed his ears away?

He bit his tongue. Blood spread through his mouth, all iron and copper and that odd tang of life in the metals. He swallowed it down, gagging as it caught in his throat.

Was he really so bad that he should duck out? He didn't think so, but… maybe the others did? He gripped his wrist with one hand, cutting off the blood flow until his hand went numb.

What if you dug to bone? What if you cut through your veins? What if you slit your wrists? Would anyone miss you? Would anyone wonder where you'd gone? Would anyone care?

What if you hit your head on the wall until your brain slid out? What if you carved out your heart?

He choked back tears, barely noticing the blood welling up from broken skin as his nails dug into his wrists. He didn't feel the pain, even as long scratches grew out from under his fingers. Why did he feel so numb? So empty?

Remus knew he should find Deceit. The other Side was really the only one that Remus could see caring about him (and he pretended that the fact that Roman and Virgil didn't care wasn't painful at all).

Deceit had often talked him down from all his thoughts when he got like this, had sat beside him and listened when everyone else had gone conveniently deaf. He'd let Remus explain his thoughts, let him rant about how frustrating the 'light' Sides were, let him sit and cry or scream or talk. And then he'd help Remus away from it. Away from the frantic, horrible panic. Away from the itching need to draw long cuts into his skin or destroy all the furniture in the room. Deceit helped. So he should probably go find him.

The other Side had practically begged - ordered? - Remus to seek him out when he was feeling this bad; When his thoughts all turned against him, when his hands twitched and scratched at his skin and drew blood and what if your blood was replaced with your tears? Or bleach? Or water? Or lemon juice! Would it sting, like it would in a cut?

You would die. Not that bad of an idea. Maybe you could fall off a cliff, or jump off a building, or get mauled by lions, or-

Remus groaned, fingers flying away from his scratched wrists to dig into his forehead.

"No, no, no," he muttered, shaking his head wildly. "Not today. Just stop for today. Please."

He continued to beg his own thoughts to cease as he slid down the wall, curling up on the ground. Part of him wanted to just go and find Deceit, and then he could help Remus to calm down. The rest of him absolutely hated the idea. To do that, he would have to get up, and search the Subconscious for Deceit, and explain that the only thing that had caused this was the others not listening to him. It was pathetic.

They never listened. This wasn't a new development. So why did it hurt so much…? He couldn't tell Deceit about what had happened. He'd think it was stupid. (Part of him knew that wasn't true, but the thoughts were all just far too loud.)

He felt like screaming. Would that be bad? He didn't really care at this point, but-

Oh. He was already screaming.

When had that started?

He couldn't stop. He didn't think he wanted to. It helped drown the thoughts out- just a little.

Suddenly, something was in front of him - something white and red and gold - and it was grabbing his hands and pulling them away from his now-bleeding forehead.

His scream died in his throat, gaze snapping up to see who it was that had found him. His eyes widened. It was- it was-

"Remus," Roman said, voice slightly frantic. "What's happened? Are you alright?"

Remus couldn't think. Why was Roman here? Why was he talkingto him? Why was he… why did he seem so concerned?

He glanced around, trying to discern where he'd ended up in his walk through the Mindscape. The… the common room? He paled. This was the light side of the mind. He shouldn't be here. They were going to be angry- they’d throw him out (again, it would all happen again)-

"Remus!" Roman snapped, and Remus jumped, head snapping back from the room to see his brother's worried face in front of him. He saw spots of blue, and black, and purple approaching out of the corner of his eyes- the others were coming, they were here, they were here, they would throw him out, would be furious, would- "Remus, you need to breathe! What was it- breathe for four, hold for seven, out for eight?"

Remus nodded shakily - that was Virgil's breathing exercise, he knew it very well - but why was Roman telling it to him? Why was he so worried?

Slowly, he became aware of the ache in his chest. Oh… he wasn't breathing. That's why.

He took a shuddering breath, and-

"What if I just s-stopped breathing? Forever? Just held it in until- until I-" he whimpered, whining softly. "What if I died and n-none of you cared?"

Roman's eyes widened, grip on Remus's hands slipping. He started scratching at his wrists again.

"I could bleed out or jump from a plane or drown- could I get so far underwater my head explodes? No, no- I'd probably die before then. Too bad! You'll have to see my face that way- and it'll be blue and purple and swollen, like a blueberry!" he babbled, ignoring the tears running down his face. Roman looked horrified, frozen in shock and what if you froze to death?

Suddenly, Virgil was beside him.

"Remus," he said, taking Remus's hands in his own to stop him from picking at the already torn skin. His voice was calm for how badly his hands were shaking. "Look at me, okay? I need you to breathe."

Remus nodded shakily, and began breathing in sync with the numbers Virgil repeated over and over and over again. After he deemed Remus's breathing satisfactory, he stopped counting. He seemed a bit relieved, but still looked mostly terrified. That wasn't good- not good at all.

"What happened? What do you need?" Virgil asked, and Remus froze. Was… was he really asking what Remus wanted? Asking what was wrong? Even his thoughts screeched to a halt as he took a moment to process.

After a moment, he found himself smiling despite himself.

"This is… this is just like old times, huh Virge?" he said, voice wavering. "We'd help you, you and Dee would help me… dark- it was so dark back then, remember?"

Virgil glanced at the other sides, who Remus pointedly ignored, before nodding. "Y-yeah. Yeah, I remember."

"And then you left," Remus muttered. "A-and everyone listens to you, and respects you, and cares about you- even Thomas!"

He heard a sharp intake of breath from Roman, like he was realizing where Remus's thoughts were headed. That same clarity was dawning in Virgil's eyes. He glanced towards the others again, and this time Remus followed his gaze. Patton was horrified, staring with wide eyes - and was he scared of him or for him? - and Logan was watching with a slow suspicion creeping across his face. Not of Remus, no - at least, he didn't think it was -, but of what the answer to the problem was.

Remus looked back to Virgil, grinning.

"And it's great! It's great- wonderful even! So, so good… for you," he glanced away. He didn't want to admit it. Didn't want to tell them. He should've just gone to Deceit… The words slipped out anyway. "For us… not so much!"

Roman shifted, catching Remus's attention. His brother looked cautious, and maybe even slightly afraid. Was that… guilt? Was that actual guilt in his eyes?

"Remus…" he said slowly. "Did all of… of this- the panic, a-and the injuries… is it because of what happened with Thomas today?"

Remus flinched away from him, causing Virgil's grip on his hands to tighten. That seemed to be all the answer they needed. There was a sharp intake of breath from Logan, a gasp and- were those tears trailing down Patton's face?

Virgil closed his eyes, and Remus saw the signs of his anxiety skyrocketing. Tense shoulders, shaky breath, stiff movements, all but hiding in his hoodie- all signs of a sudden wave of negativity. Remus had known Virgil for years before he'd left and joined the light sides. He could pick up the signs- unless he was in the midst of his own downward spiral. And hadn't that been a fun day for them all... (Deceit had been exhausted after dealing with the both of them alone.) Luckily, Virgil had calmed Remus down enough to be able to see the signs. They all needed to be careful heading forward now…

All these responses were far from what Remus had expected, but the one most out of place was Roman. His eyes were shining with tears, horror and guilt painted so clearly across his face. A world where feelings are projected on a screen in people's foreheads- but they're only implanted into the lower classes. The rulers use it to root out rebellion. Hm… that one wasn't too bad, was it? Thomas would have no use for it, but maybe the others would like it? It wasn't as… him as his other ideas-

Who are you kidding? They'll never take your ideas, no matter how detached they are from you.

His fingers twitched, itching to dig at his arms again, but Virgil held them tight.

"Remus…" Roman said, voice weak. That wasn't right. Roman was strong and confident and proud- he wasn't quiet or weak. So why did he sound that way…? "I'm… I…"

"It would probably be best to move to a more comfortable place to… discuss this," Logan said, clearly trying to appear unshaken. "We should also attend to your injuries, Remus."

Patton was crying. Roman was speechless. Logan was uncomfortable. Virgil was panicking. What… what had he done wrong?

But, no, this wasn't quite the same as other times. This was different- it was weird. It almost seemed like they- ...it almost seemed like they cared. But, that was ridiculous wasn't it?

Virgil stood, tugging gently on his hands.

"C'mon," he muttered. "Let's get you to the couch."

His mind refused to operate. His thoughts stuttered in his head. What were they… they actually wanted to talk? To him? He didn't get it. Where was the joke? What was he missing?

He let Virgil pull him to his feet, and followed when the other Side gently led him to the couch. Logan and Patton slipped out of the room, saying something about getting bandages. Virgil didn't let go of Remus's hands, even after they sat down. Remus grinned.

"Y'know, Virgey…" he said, smiling wider at the wary distrust that crossed into Virgil's face. "Usually, you don't hold someone's hand so long unless they're dying, or it's a date! And I don't think I'm dying, so…"

Virgil's face turned red.

"It isn't- it's not like that. I'm only doing it so you don't… don't hurt yourself again," he said sharply. Remus sobered.

"So. I am dying, then."

Roman plopped down onto the cushion next to his.

"Don't say that," he snapped. The emotion in his voice was surprising. "You aren't allowed to die, alright?"

Remus snorted. "Like you really care."

Roman looked like he'd been slapped. "You're my brother! Of course I care-"

Remus stood suddenly, spinning around to face them, managing to surprise Virgil enough that he could pull his hands away. His wrists stung.

"Don't," he snarled. Roman's mouth snapped shut, his eyes widening. "Don't you dare say that to me- not unless you actually mean it."

Roman stared for a moment, mouth opening and closing as he tried to find the right words, before he finally managed to speak.

"I do mean it!" he said. "I-I might not show it, and I've treated you poorly, but I do care about you. I don't want you to get hurt."

Remus's teeth ground together until they ached- what if they cracked and fell out? What if you pulled them out? What if you had to chew on teeth? Which ones would break first- yours, or the ones you're eating?

"No," he said. "You don't. If you cared then you wouldn't ignore me! You wouldn't lock me up in the 'evil' part of the mind, and leave me there to rot! You wouldn't have cast me out! You would listen and help and care and- and-" He choked on air, tears burning his eyes. "You hate me. You all hate me. You hate me, you hate me, you-"

He sank to his knees, curling in on himself. His fingers dug into his arms, but not drawing blood. Not this time. He kept muttering, repeating the words 'you hate me' over and over and over, because that's what all the evidence suggested. That's what his thoughts whispered.

So he whispered it too.

There was a knock in the doorway, and footsteps approaching, but he didn't look up. There were a few words exchanged between them all, but they passed right over his head. Someone crouched beside him. He stopped muttering, breath catching in his throat.

"Remus," Logan said softly. "Can you look at me?"

He shook his head. He didn't want to.

"Alright. That's alright," he said. Remus blinked, confused. Was it really? Logan - Logic - wouldn't sugarcoat things, right? He would say something if it wasn't true. Actually, no. He wouldn't say something that didn't have a purpose. So what was the goal here? To put Remus at ease? Why? "Is there something we can do for you? To make you more comfortable during this conversation?"

Remus grimaced. So that was it. They wanted their happy little conversation so that they could move on without guilt. They'll just throw him out again afterwards...

"I'd rather get it over with. Then I can go home." Remus muttered, shifting slightly so he could sit with his head resting on his knees.

Patton spoke up from somewhere to his left.

"What do you mean, kiddo?" he asked, still a bit choked up. The nickname sent a jolt of pain through Remus's chest. That name was only for the people Patton cared about. It had never been for him. So why…?

"Just admit it," Remus spat. "You don't really want to talk to me, you just want to assure yourselves that you tried. So please, just get on with it."

He heard soft sounds of protest from both Patton and Roman, but it was Logan who spoke.

"Why do you think that?" he asked calmly. "Perhaps if you shared your thoughts, it would be easier for us to find a solution."

A laugh bubbled out of Remus's throat, growing louder and wilder the longer it went on. He threw his head back as he laughed and gasped for breath. When the outburst finally died down, he looked at Logan with a dull smile on his face.

"You really want me to spell it all out?" he asked bitterly. Logan hesitated for a moment, before he nodded. Remus grinned. "Of course. Of course you do…"

Logan glanced towards each of the others in turn, as if asking for assistance, but none of them knew what to say. Logan cleared his throat, looking back to Remus and meeting his gaze.

"Yes, I do. I think it would be… beneficial," he said softly, "if we know why you think we… we hate you, we will be able to assist you better."

Remus ground his teeth together again, shutting his eyes tight. Why? Why? He just didn't understand. He didn't want to tell them what they already knew. He didn't want to. But they wouldn't leave him alone until he did.

"Fine. I'll recap the facts for you," Remus hissed, opening his eyes as he stood up on trembling legs. He fixed his gaze on Patton first. "Our dear little heart here is afraid of me. He hates what I am and what I do. He hates that I influence Thomas to be a bad person. If you care to recall, it was morality that split Creativity in the first place. He took the parts he wanted-" he glanced at Roman for a moment, before his eyes snapped back to Patton's increasingly horrified face- "and he cast away the rotten bits into the deepest, darkest place he could. He's always hated me, and feared me, and been disgusted by what he himself made me into."

His voice was beginning to shake. Everyone's eyes had widened - it almost looked like you could just pop them out - and Patton was crying again, silently sobbing. They all opened their mouths as one, probably to defend Patton, but Remus didn't want to hear it. He turned on Virgil, who's face paled considerably as their eyes met.

"Virgil, your dear stormcloud," he began. The words tasted bitter in his mouth, "was one of us. And he left us behind. He found somewhere new and abandoned the rest of us, pretended he didn't even know us! You heard him say it- he's always been scared of me. He never wanted me around, and he isn't going to start now! He doesn't fear me anymore? Great! But he still hates us."

Virgil had curled in on himself, eyes wide. He didn't even try to defend himself. Remus's attention snapped towards Logan, who had an unreadable expression on his face.

"And Logic!" Remus crowed. "I defy that. What about me makes any sense? What about me is reasonable? What part of me isn't unnecessary, messy, and a danger to Thomas? You made it clear that you don't like dealing with me! You'd rather I not be here! You only allow it because repression would just make it worse!"

Remus was crying. He hadn't realized how many tears were flowing down his cheeks until now. His hands were trembling. His head hurt. There was only one person left.

He turned to Roman.

"And you," he snarled. It was an unfamiliar action, the words harsh and grating and nothing like how he was supposed to be. Was he broken? Was he damaging himself? "You cast me out. Even in the Imagination, you would have to go through an entire quest to get to my realm- all because you didn't want it to ruin your perfect little world.

"It's the same with this, isn't it? You want me far away from you, and Thomas, and the light. I'm the funhouse mirror, remember? Everything that you hate! A twisted, awful mess of a reflection that you are terrified could be real- and guess what? I am! It's just that you never pay enough attention to me to notice!

"I'm the ugly, horrid, disgusting thing that hides beneath your bed. The thing you're always coming up with plans to keep away. I'm the monster you need to vanquish so you can move on, assured that you're the good one, the perfect one, the one that Thomas actually wants and not the- the dumpster fire that he needs to avoid!

"I- I'm… I'm just the extra. I'm the backup that's messed up. The understudy that doesn't even know the lines," Remus grinned weakly, tears and snot dripping into his mouth, coating it with salt. He grimaced, wiping at his face with a sleeve as he shook his head. "I'm… I'm just the bad guy."

Something white and red slammed into him, and wrapped its arms around him, and it took a moment for Remus to process that it was Roman. And… he was hugging him?

"Remus," Roman said, voice pained. Remus was frozen, eyes wide. "I… I am so, so sorry. I should never have treated you the way I did. I never hated you- I just… I was scared. I didn't know what to do, so I pushed you away. I can't express how sorry I am that you… that you've been hurting this whole time, and I never stopped to think-"

He cut himself off. Remus couldn't breathe. Was this… was this a lie? He wished Deceit were here. He'd be able to tell.

Another pair of arms wrapped around him, and his head whipped around to see that Patton of all people - eyes and nose red, tears still streaming down his face - was hugging him.

"I…" Patton trailed off, before starting again. "I can't say that I'm not… scared. But I shouldn't- I shouldn't have pushed you away like that. I tried so hard to accept Virgil, and I should've been there for you too. You… you do scare me, a-and I'm worried that Thomas might get hurt, and I really don't like some of your ideas- but I do not hate you. I'm sorry if I made you feel like I did."

Remus didn't understand. This wasn't… this couldn't be happening, could it? Logan cleared his throat, placing a hand on Remus's shoulder.

"I would like to offer my opinions as well, if that's alright?" he asked. Remus stared at him for a moment, before nodding hesitantly. Maybe Logan would actually make sense. The other side smiled slightly. "Well, first of all, I'd just like to say falsehood."

Remus blinked. "What…?"

Logan adjusted his glasses, removing his hand from Remus's shoulder.

"Falsehood. What you said regarding me is entirely false. I do not only 'allow' you because it is the only way to deal with you on our own. You are a vital part of Thomas, just as all of us are. Without you, he'd be missing a major part of himself," Logan shrugged slightly, then tilted his head, eying Remus. "Am I correct in assuming that you suffer from intrusive thoughts yourself?"

Remus swallowed, before nodding.

"And you keep the majority away from Thomas, correct?" Logan asked. Remus nodded again. There were many thoughts in his head that he didn't dare utter to Thomas. Even he could see the harm it could do. "While you do encompass intrusive thoughts, you filter them out into mostly harmless ones- such as dropping his phone into the water. There are others that are worse - such as killing his brother or jumping out of vehicles - that you allow, but they are far tamer than I am certain that you could inflict, and are few and far in between.

"Furthermore, you also encompass part of creativity. I believe a zombie apocalypse scenario better fits into your part of the mind than Roman's, correct?"

Roman huffed slightly, pulling away from Remus - the hug was getting awkward anyway, so that was fine - and nodded. Patton backed away as well.

"As always, Specs, your deductive ability is unmatched," Roman muttered, crossing his arms in annoyance. Remus tilted his head, confused. What did this have to do with anything? Logan seemed pleased, though, so the answer must be what he wanted.

"You are aware that such scenarios have been extremely popular for years, right?" he said it as a question, but didn't wait for a response before he continued. "There are many things that you can offer that are quite appreciated by many. Though Thomas isn't going to use every idea you have, there are sure to be times when either a collaborative effort between you and Roman, or even you on your own, would be appreciated. Your influence has gone into many of his short videos already."

Remus didn't understand. Logan seemed to realize this, and sighed, adjusting his glasses.

"While you can be a bit much - and so can we all - you are also an important part of Thomas. I do not understand most of what you - either of you - do, but I do not hate you, and would rather you be here than not. Besides, it isn't only you that can harm Thomas in certain doses or situations. All of us can be more harm than good sometimes. You are welcome, and you are appreciated."

Remus shook his head wildly. No. That couldn't be right. Everything always pointed to them hating him. Had he been wrong? He couldn't have been. But, maybe…

"...It wasn't you," Virgil muttered. Remus's head snapped towards him, neck popping.

"W-what?" he asked, voice cracking. Virgil huddled in on himself.

"It… it wasn't you," he repeated. "I was scared of you, sure, but… you're not the reason I left. I hated a lot of things back then, but you weren't really one of them. And… When you showed up, you acted like you were trying to hurt Thomas. After Logan explained more about you, it's…" He grimaced, trailing off. Virgil had never been touchy-feely. The fact that he'd even said this much was shocking, and Remus was desperately holding back any outbursts that might interrupt. Virgil sighed. "Look, just… take the fact I don't hate you and move on?"

Remus pouted, and Virgil groaned.

"Honestly, you're almost more attention seeking than Roman is. Drama kings, the both of you."

The brothers glanced at each other, unsure. Remus… Remus didn't hate Roman, but he couldn't quite believe that Roman didn't hate him.

Logan coughed softly.

"Now that that's all out of the way… may I bandage your wrists?" he asked. Remus blinked, looking down at his hands. His wrists were covered in dried blood, though the actual scratches were still oozing slightly.

"O-oh… if you want to?"

Logan nodded and led him to the couch. He sat slowly, as if his mind was still trying to catch up- like his thoughts were still loading. Ha! And he'd thought that Logan was supposed to be the robot.

Logan retrieved a forgotten first aid kit from the coffee table, taking out a wet wipe, disinfectant, and some bandages. The cleaner stung as Logan washed away the blood, but Remus forced himself to stay still.

The disinfectant was worse, but it smelled good. To him, at least. He saw Virgil wrinkle his nose out of the corner of his eye, so maybe this was just a him thing. Speaking of Virgil, though…

"I was," he found himself saying, turning his head to look at the other Side. Virgil blinked.

"Uh… what?"

"I… I was. Trying to hurt Thomas, I mean," he said. Virgil's eyes hardened, and he sat up straighter, but Logan held up a hand.

"Let him explain," he said. Remus hesitated, before he began speaking.

"I was trying to be awful. I was even worse than usual- on purpose. Because… because we wanted Thomas to realize he isn't as perfect as… as Patton likes to pretend. I thought if I was a bit… extra, then he might realize that… that we actually contribute to him and who he is. That we aren't just garbage to be thrown away."

Virgil was still tense, but he didn't look like he was going to bite his head off, at least. That was good. His jaw would break, having to fit a whole head inside his mouth. Remus didn't think he would taste very good either.

The room was quiet.

Remus was beginning to think that admitting that had been a mistake. Maybe that was the evidence they needed to throw him out with no remorse. Maybe they would have felt guilty and let him stay for a while, and now he'd ruined that chance. He stared down at the couch cushions, not wanting to see the looks on everyone's faces.

Logan broke the silence. Again. He did that a lot.

"Done. Your forehead isn't bad, they'll probably fade in a few minutes," he said. Injuries were weird in the Mindscape. They just slowly faded out of existence. It was different from healing, apparently, but Remus didn't really get how. It was faster, though, so there was that.

"...Thank you," he said. Logan nodded, standing up with the first aid kit. He looked over at Patton and Roman. They had sat down on two of the chairs scattered throughout the room.

"Patton?"

Patton jumped, then nodded. He stood and turned to Remus, a soft smile on his face.

"Kiddo, we were about to make a late lunch before… before all this," he started, and Remus felt ice form in his stomach. This was it. They were kicking him out again. It was going to happen eventually... "I was thinking… maybe you'd like to join us?"

Remus opened his mouth to say that he'd go without trouble, but-

"What?" he asked. Patton bit his lip, glancing away for a moment before looking back to him.

"Do you want to have lunch with us? It's totally fine if you don't want to, just-"

"You want me to stay?" Remus asked, shocked. It felt like he'd been slapped. Only, with positivity? And disbelief. Plenty of disbelief had been thrown into the hit as well.

Patton nodded, though not before a second's hesitation. "Yes. I think it would be a good idea."

Remus weighed the possibility. He had hoped for something like this to happen someday, but he didn't think it would really happen. He'd just mess it up. Say or do something wrong. Still… it hurt to think about turning the offer down. He swallowed, pushing away the anxiety bubbling in his stomach. That was Virgil's thing, after all.

"I think… I think I'd like that," he said.

Chapter Text

"Great!" Patton chirped. Remus smiled hesitantly, still unsure. He didn't think it was a trick, but it was… weird.

What if they're trying to poison you? Or it's an accident, but you get food poisoning and-

"Um, sorry," Patton shifted uncomfortably, cutting those thoughts short. "I don't know what you like. I was going to make omelets, if that's alright?"

"I like Tide Pods," he said automatically, then froze. That was probably (most certainly) not the response he should've given. Roman and Patton's faces scrunched up with twin horror, but then- Virgil groaned, before laughing quietly. Everyone's attention snapped to him in shock.

"Don't tell me you still eat those," he said, the barest hint of amusement in his voice.

"I'm sorry," Roman said, slightly panicked. "He does what now?"

Remus shrugged, while Virgil rolled his eyes.

"Remus eats all sorts of crap," he said. "I was hoping the deodorant thing meant he'd stopped popping Tide Pods into his mouth like candy, but apparently not."

Remus frowned. "It's not my fault they're good!"

Logan held up a hand, concerned. "Please tell me I am correct in assuming that such things - like chemicals and plastics - are not harmful to you."

Remus nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep! Isn't harmful at all! Takes half the fun away though…" he trailed off, then shrugged again. Virgil snorted, while the others still appeared concerned.

Patton looked a bit unsure, and Remus hesitated, before saying, "But, um… omelets are good too."

Patton smiled, though it was strained, and slipped from the room. Logan muttered something about making sure nothing ended up burned and followed after him.

There was silence for a moment, before Remus pulled out a stick of deodorant - dandelion root flavor - and began nibbling on it.

Roman wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"You're going to ruin your appetite," he said, but Remus got the feeling he just wanted him to stop eating it. He grinned.

"Nope! My appetite is never ruined!" he said proudly. It was true. He could eat three whole sticks and still have room for lunch. He eyed Roman, who he was pretty sure was grossed out by his choice of food. An idea sparked in his mind. Hopefully, Virgil would go along with it…

He summoned another stick into his hand, this one lavender. Or, that's what it said, at least. Instead of just his face on the label, Deceit and Virgil's were there too. He waved it in the air towards Virgil as he took another bite of his own.

"Want some?" he asked, mouth full. Virgil eyed it for a moment, and then his eyes lit up.

"Is it-"

"Yep!" Remus interrupted, tossing the deodorant stick to him. Virgil caught it, popped off the lid, sniffed at it, and then took a bite.

Roman stood suddenly from the chair he had found himself in.

"Virgil, you- what in Zues's name- you- that's-" he scrambled for something to say, but it seemed he couldn't find anything.

Remus shot a grin towards Virgil, who smiled sweetly at Roman.

"C'mon, Princey," he said, taking another bite. "What's the matter?"

Roman spluttered, looking between them wildly as if he could spot the joke by looking hard enough. Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Really, brother," he said, face neutral despite the overwhelming desire to smile. "Staring is rude."

Roman stared for a moment more, eyes bulging and mouth opening and closing like a fish on dry land. Then, his mouth clicked shut, his eyes closed, and he took a deep breath.

"I'm… I'm going to get some water," he muttered, then left the room, following after Patton and Logan.

Remus couldn't hold it in anymore. He threw his head back and cackled, tears pricking at his eyes.

"Oh! That was amazing!" he gasped out, clutching at his stomach. "He looked like a salmon!"

Virgil snorted.

"Yeah. I'll give you that one," he said. Remus nodded to the stick Virgil was holding.

"Do you like it?" he asked hopefully. Virgil nodded.

"It's a bit sweet, but it's still pretty good. I think one at a time is my limit though. ...You still have any bleach on hand?"

Remus grinned proudly, holding a hand to his chest. "I always make a batch of each fresh every morning, extras if you two like it. Of course I have bleach."

This had started far back- years before Virgil left. Every time Remus gained a new food obsession - bleach, vinegar, Tide Pods, deodorant - he made a fake, candy version for Virgil and Deceit. He couldn't deny that it was half just to be able to prank the sides who weren't in on it. Candy bleach had long been Virgil's favorite.

He'd settled on marshmallow fondant for the fake deodorant, after several spectacular failures, and perfected the art of making them. He'd even managed to sculpt them well enough to trick Deceit the first time he'd let him see one. He was still rather proud of that accomplishment.

"You want some?" he asked Virgil, prepared to summon a bottle of 'bleach' for the both of them. Virgil paused, debating with himself, then shook his head.

"Later. Unlike you, my stomach isn't a bottomless pit."

Remus snickered. "Bottomless?"

"You are so mature."

"Now, now Virgil," he admonished. "Lying is not in your job description."

Virgil narrowed his eyes. "You can pry sarcasm from my cold, dead hands."

Remus laughed. This was fun. It felt like old times, in a way. Patton popped his head into the room, smiling.

"Foods ready, kiddos!" he chirped, though there was definitely something darker hidden behind the cheer. Remus glanced at Virgil, who stood up and stretched. He looked down at Remus as he tucked the unfinished fondant stick into his pocket, nodding towards the kitchen. Remus hesitated, before standing and following him into the kitchen, letting his deodorant fade away.

There were steaming omelets set on the table, one for each of them. He waited as each of the others sat, unsure of where he should go. After everyone else was settled, the only remaining chair was sandwiched between Logan and Roman. He swallowed.

He'd rather have sat next to Virgil, but… if this was how they set it up, then that's where he'd sit. He slid into the seat just as the others were starting to eat, eyeing the omelet in front of him. It looked fine, though maybe a bit overcooked.

He grabbed a fork and poked at it, but couldn't determine what it was that made him so suspicious.

"Remus?" Patton asked, and he looked up. The other Side’s face was twisted in concern. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh, nope!" he said, forcing himself to sound cheerful. "Nothing's wrong!"

To prove the point, he shoved a bite of the omelet into his mouth. It was… good. Not as good as Deceit's cooking- but that was hard to beat. Shame he was a horrid baker though… Remus had heard that Patton was a better baker than cook- and had then tried stealing cookies from the light side to test the rumor, but each attempt had ended in failure. Maybe he could get some now…? Anyway, the omelete wasn't half bad.

Still, for some reason, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The rest of the meal passed quietly, though Remus had to bite his tongue to keep the occasional outburst in. Still, the longer you ignore it, the more it comes back… he started muttering under his breath- threats and facts and ideas and anything else that came to him. Roman glanced at him. Logan raised an eyebrow.

No one else noticed.

Good. That was good.

...The meal ended too soon. He knew what came next. They'd done their part, and now it was time for him to leave. Maybe things would be better moving forward…? No. No, of course not. For all this had helped his mood, it probably wouldn't have solved anything else.

Part of him was angry. Part of him wanted to scream and shout and fight. He could grab his morningstar and take out Roman. Bash his head in and his blood would splatter, and his brain would get everywhere. Patton would go catatonic then, and a simple blow to the head would work to knock him out. Less messy. Save hurting him for later because it was his fault any of this happened, that creativity split in two, that Remus was considered dark. Virgil and Logan, how would he get them? They were smarter, faster… how? How? How?

"Remus!"

He jumped, heart leaping up into his throat. He blinked, looking around at four faces in varying states of concern. Patton was panicked, Roman was worried, Logan was… well, Logan, and Virgil understood. He knew what had just happened.

Remus bit his lip. "Yes?"

Relief flooded them. Roman sighed.

"You had us worried there. What happened?" he asked. Remus looked down. Oh… he'd scratched up the table. How had he not noticed his fingers digging into the wood?

"I… I was just lost in thought. Happens all the time!" he replied cheerfully. They didn't look like they believed him. Patton coughed lightly.

"W-well, alright," Patton began. Huh… Apparently, if his lie was going to be addressed at all, it was going to be later. Good. More time to make up an excuse that way. "We wanted to ask… if you'd like to stay up here?"

Remus froze. Stay… up here? In the light side? This had to be a trick, or a dream, or… or something.

"What…?" he breathed. It was all he could manage. Everyone save for Virgil shared a look. Logan spoke up.

"We talked, while we were all in the kitchen," he said. "We came to the agreement that… we should all try to get along. If you stopped attempting to damage Thomas's psyche, as you just admitted to doing earlier, and worked with us instead of against us, it would be beneficial for Thomas's mental health for us to get along."

Roman and Patton nodded, smiling. Remus looked between them all.

"Is this… is this a trick? I-I…" he cleared his throat. "I don't get the joke."

Patton shook his head. "It's not a joke. It might be… weird, and hard, and we'd have to figure it all out as we go, and maybe have some ground rules, but…"

"If you want to go, you can," Roman took over. "But, if you're willing to try, I can help you move your room to this side of the mind scape. It will be difficult, and you will all- …We will all probably make mistakes, but that is a part of the journey."

Logan nodded. "Well? What do you say?"

Remus just stared. Was this really happening? It had to be. They wouldn't just say all this just to laugh if he said yes. Even he knew that they weren't like that.

But that was the question. Did he want to say yes? Absolutely. He wanted them to accept him, and to be listened to, and to help. Should he say yes? ...He didn't know.

He'd thought they hated him, but that was apparently untrue. He'd thought they'd kick him out, which was also not happening. His predictions were becoming increasingly unreliable.

Their faces were falling.

Did they want him to accept?

He took a breath. He let it go. He looked up, meeting their gazes one by one.

"...Yes. I'll stay."

Patton cheered, Logan's mouth twitched in what might have been a smile, Roman grinned. Even Virgil seemed to brighten up a bit.

The thief probably just wanted Remus's candy. The power of sugar was a strong one, after all. Though, Deceit was more of a sweets person than Virgil was. Always had been. Wait-

"Deceit!" Remus burst out, a mad grin growing on his face. That's what had been bothering him. "He'll be so excited!"

Every single smile in the room disappeared in an instant. Remus paused, confused.

"What's the matter?" he asked. They glanced at each other, waiting, before Patton sighed.

"Look, kiddo-"

"Did someone call?" Deceit asked from the corner, an eyebrow raised. Everyone jumped and turned to look at him. Remus grinned, nodding enthusiastically.

"Yeah! I did!" he chirped, then paused. "It was an accident though… But! I'm glad you're here!"

Deceit tilted his head, eyeing the others with folded arms. He seemed unimpressed.

"Well, you're not the only one," he muttered, before folding his arms behind his back. "Don't tell me- what happened to get you all in one place? Did I miss something important?"

Remus nodded, just as Patton and Roman shook their heads.

"No," they said together. Remus frowned.

"Yes, he did," he insisted. He smiled at Deceit, bouncing up and down on his toes. "They let me talk to them!"

Deceit paused. "They did?"

"Yep!" Remus said cheerfully. "And they let me stay for lunch- and they said I could stay here! Y'know, in the main part of the mind!"

Deceit blinked, gaze straying to the others. Remus saw them shift uncomfortably in the corner of his eye. Remus looked between them and Deceit, confused. Neither group looked very happy anymore.

"Am… am I missing something?" he asked hesitantly. There was definitely a piece of this puzzle he was missing. No one answered him. "Deceit, isn't this… isn't this good? It's what we wanted, right?"

Deceit hesitated, glancing at Remus for a second before turning his attention to the others again, hope buried under layers of distrust and wariness.

"It isn't," he murmured. "And I am not happy for you. But I don't think something is wrong. Something they aren't telling you."

"Wrong? What could be wrong?!" Remus didn't get it. "What wouldn't they… We get to-"

"No," Deceit snapped, anger forcing the truth from his lips. "...You get to."

Remus shook his head slowly.

"No, no, no, no," he said, turning to the others. None of them would meet his eyes. This couldn't be right… "He… he can stay too, right? He has to! He's-"

"No," Roman sighed. "No, he can't stay."

Ice curled in Remus's stomach.

"Why not?!" he demanded. Patton slumped, gaze on the floor.

"Kiddo, he's-" he glanced at Deceit, only slightly apologetic, before looking away, "-he's different. You hurt Thomas, yes, but only because of him. It was his plan. He lies and he's tried over and over again to hurt us."

Remus backed away from them. He could see everyone at once now. Deceit's arms fell from their clasped position behind his back to rest at his sides, hands clenched into trembling fists.

Remus shook his head again.

"But- but… you have to let him stay. He's just like me! And you're letting me into the mind palace, so why not him? Virgil, me- Deceit's the same as both of us!"

Virgil tensed at the words.

"I am nothing like him," he growled. "I told you that you weren't why I left? Well, Deceit was one of the reasons."

Roman nodded. "He is, for lack of a better term, the villain. We can't trust him. He's done too much to harm both Thomas and us. He's a liar, a trickster, and a fiend."

Logan sighed. "I know it may seem cruel, but we cannot allow Deceit to remain."

Remus trembled. He didn't get it. Deceit wasn't that bad. He wasn't any worse than Remus was, at least. So why?

"You should give him a chance at least-"

"Remus, it's fine," Deceit interrupted. It didn't sound like a lie, but… "You should focus on yourself. You made it."

"But you-"

"It's fine!" he snapped, and Remus jumped. He thought he caught a glimmer of tears in Deceit's human eye, but it was gone before he could tell.

"Deceit, be honest-"

"If I were honest," he snarled, "we wouldn't be in this mess. If I were sweet and good and perfect like they want then I could stay here all I like. But I'm not."

"Maybe-"

"No! It's fine! Really, it's fine," he shook his head. This time, Remus could clearly make out the tears in his human eye. "Go, Remus. I'll be okay back where I'm allowed to be."

And then he disappeared.

Remus stared at the space he'd just been, head spinning with shock and confusion and anger- he didn't realize he'd summoned his morningstar until he slammed it into the wall. Whatever. He could fix it later. Orthey could. He hasn't quite decided yet.

"Remus!" Roman yelled. "Calm down!"

Remus spun around, teeth bared. His knuckles were white around the handle of his weapon.

"No!" he shouted, fury bubbling under his skin. What if it grew to be too much, and his flesh split open, and blood and bone and organs spilled over onto the floor? "Why did you do that?! Why didn't you let him stay?!"

They took a step back from him. Were they afraid of him…? Good. Virgil held out his hands placatingly.

"Look, Remus," he started, struggling to meet his eyes. "He isn't someone we can trust, okay?"

"Oh, and suddenly I am?" Remus spat, and Virgil flinched. "He's my friend! He deserves a chance!"

Patton shook his head. "Kiddo-"

"Don't! Don't call me that!" he hissed, shifting his grip on his morningstar so it was between him and them. A barrier of sorts. "You don't get to act like you care."

His thoughts spun through different scenes, most ending bloody and gruesome. Dark and sad. Violent. His fingers twitched. He wanted to hit something. Someone…?

"Kidd- Remus," Patton said, hurt crossing his face. "I do care!"

"I don't care if you do! You do not get to call me that!" he was starting to panic, he could feel it. His chest was tight, his breathing labored. He needed to make his point fast. "Do you know who cared before any of you did? Deceit! He listens to me! He helps me! He doesn't cast me aside until he feels like dealing with me!"

Roman shook his head. "Look, Remus, he might have acted nice, but you don't know if that was real or not. He has snuck his way among us several times and tried to manipulate and hurt Thomas. He sent you to do the same. He was using you to further his goals!"

Remus growled, shaking his head. "He wouldn't need to sneak in if you just let him have his say! If he tries to show up normally, you just throw him out!"

"That doesn't give him an excuse-"

"And he's more than just lies! Self preservation- does that ring a bell?" Remus snapped. "Are you just upset that he's showing more 'selfish' options to Thomas? Remember that each time he showed up, either you summoned him or Thomas thought of lying himself- before Deceit appeared?"

Virgil was getting more and more stressed. Remus's gaze snapped to him. They'd all been friends once. Maybe, just maybe-

"Virgil! You have to see it, right? He's helped you before- we both did!"

Virgil looked away.

"That was a long time ago. Sorry, but it's still a no from me."

Remus took a step back. It wasn't working. They wouldn't listen. None of them would. Not even Logan- he'd been quiet, but his expression made it clear whose side he was on.

He swallowed, gaze darting between them wildly before it dropped to the floor. His grip tightened on his morningstar.

"...I'm going to find him," he said. It was a statement, nearly a demand. They would not stop him. He let his mace fade back into the Imagination, and stalked towards the group. They were blocking the exit.

They scattered, letting him through without fuss. As he was in the doorway, though, a hand caught his arm. He didn't turn to look.

It was Roman who spoke.

"You… you can still come back. If you want to."

Remus shrugged him off. Maybe. Maybe he'd come back. He didn't know. Right now, he just needed to leave.

He'd crossed the main rooms and was storming through the hallway before he realized he could just sink down into the darker side of the mind. Without another second of hesitation, he sank into the Subconscious.

Chapter Text

It was empty. That was about what he had expected. The wide, winding space seemed even darker and colder than usual, though; all shadows and silence creeping through the rooms and endless hallways. Everything was so quiet, so still. Anxiety began to stir in his chest.

Remus took a breath, trying to ignore the fear and anger that was clouding his mind. He didn't really understand why the other Sides would all be willing to accept him and not Deceit, but it didn't really matter. The facts were that he didn't think he could be around them right now, he needed to do something, and he was worried about his friend.

All that seemed to line up pretty well. He wandered through the halls - just in case Deceit wasn't in his room - but ended up at the other Side's door without running into anyone else. That was about what he had expected, really.

He knocked politely, though probably a bit louder than necessary. He didn't want to just barge in, though that was what he'd usually do. Deceit probably wouldn't appreciate it right now, so he did his best to resist the temptation. He waited for a moment, listening for any sound beyond the door, but there wasn't a response.

"...Deceit?" he called, silently hoping that he was actually here. There were a lot of other places that he could have gone, especially if he risked going into the Imagination.

There was a shuffling from the other side of the door, and Remus felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"...What do you want, Remus?" Deceit asked, voice muffled but audible. He sounded tired, so worn out that it must hurt. Remus bit his lip.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Yes," Came the reply. The door didn't open. He was lying again…

"Alright," Remus said. Instead, he settled on the worn, splintering floor, leaning with his back to the door. "Can I talk to you?"

"...Don't go ahead. I know you'll just leave even if I don't let you," Deceit's voice was closer now, and Remus guessed that he'd moved to sit by the door as well.

"True, true…" Remus agreed, a small smile growing on his face, before he sighed, subdued. "I'm sorry. You know, that they were stupid. And that they wouldn't just talk to you. And-"

"All of that was your fault," Deceit said, voice sharp. "Just… drop it. Don't go with them. It won't be good for you."

Remus shook his head, though he knew the other Side couldn’t see it. "I don't want to leave you alone. There's no one else who'll talk to you."

"Remus, just go."

"But-"

"Go!" Deceit hissed. "They want you there with them? That's wonderful! This is your chance, Remus. How long have we waited for something like this to happen? For an opportunity to be accepted by Thomas? This is it. This is your chance for something better."

"...You'll be on your own down here."

"That is your concern," Deceit sounded exhausted. Remus strained to listen for any sign of distress, but he didn't hear any. "Please, just go."

Remus knew that Deceit was probably reaching the end of his willingness to speak to him now. Every once and awhile, he needed time alone- just as they all did.

"If - that's if - I go, I'll still visit," he said. There was a pause.

"...I know, Remus."

"If you-"

"Leave. Please," Deceit's voice cracked. Remus fell silent. He stayed there for a few more minutes, before getting up and walking away.

He wasn't angry anymore. He was just empty. All the fury had burst holes in his chest, and everything else had come flooding out along with it.

Remus didn't feel like going to his room, but he wasn't going to hang out in the main rooms, and he wasn't sure about going back to the Mind Palace yet, so he went to his room anyway. The lights were off, and he didn't bother turning them on. He collapsed into his bed, which was more a mountain of pillows and blankets than anything else, staring up at the ceiling.

Should he move to the Mind Palace? Deceit seemed insistent that he do so, and he couldn't deny that he wanted to. It was a chance. That wasn't something that came easily. Half of him screamed at him to do it. The other half told him not to.

Such a fine line… but was it really? Go or stay. Jump on the opportunity, or remain in the shadows. Or, that wasn't quite true. Maybe. Possibly. If he stayed here, maybe the others would be more accepting anyway. Or, alternatively, they would be upset that he had turned them down and become even worse than before.

Remus ground his teeth together. What should he do? What did he want to do? It seemed that everyone else wanted him to move to the Mind Palace, but what did he want?

He didn't even know. Or, actually, he did. He wanted to go. He wanted to try to be accepted. He wanted to go so badly that it hurt. But… he wasn't sure he wanted to leave Deceit on his own. He wasn't sure if it would be a good idea. But the goal had always been to be welcomed into the main group, or at least to be listened to, and Deceit had told him to take the opportunity.

Did that mean he should?

Maybe, maybe not. Remus wasn't sure. He couldn't get over the feeling that something bad would happen either way. It was, frankly, ridiculous. Worrying so much was Virgil's literal job, not his. Still…

He stayed there for hours.

He didn't come to a decision.

It was time for dinner.

Remus finally kicked off his covers and trudged into the kitchen, hoping that Deceit would be there, already started on making some simple but tasty meal. Maybe it would be something made up again, and Deceit would let Remus name it. He hoped, and he let his thoughts spin tales of everything working out okay.

Instead, all he found was a dark room, empty counters, and a bare table. He sighed, leaning against the door frame.

If Deceit hadn't come down on his own, he probably wanted to be alone. That was fine. Remus was still worried, but if the other Side needed some alone time, he'd respect it.

Dinner, though… Remus couldn't cook. Patton bakes, Deceit cooks, and Remus… he was good with candy, if that meant anything, but he could not make dinner. He wasn't even allowed to try- not after the fire that had consumed half the kitchen before they'd managed to put it out.

He didn't need it. He could always skip, or grab some snacks. But there was that little, niggling thought in the back of his mind that told him to go to the Light Sides. Maybe they'd let him eat with them again, if he asked. Roman had said that he could come back if he wanted too.

Remus was still upset with them though… He sighed, weighing the options in his head- and wouldn't it be weird if the more things you thought about the heavier you were? Finally, he just settled on grabbing a box of granola bars from the pantry. Maybe tomorrow he'd go back- though not permanently. Or, maybe it would be.

Would they let him come and go like that…? He hoped so. If not… Well, he just hoped it would all work out.

Food in hand, he retreated back into his room.

Deceit sat at the edge of his bed, staring into space. The earlier events replayed in his mind, looping again and again.

When he'd been summoned into the Light Sides kitchen, he hadn't known what to expect, but it certainly wasn't what he'd gotten. Remus talking peacefully with the other sides? It was unexpected, though not unwelcome. In fact, it was wonderful.

He'd hoped for a day they could all talk to each other and coexist. But, of course, it wasn't going to happen. Not for him.

He'd mean what he said. He was happy for Remus, of course. Still, it hurt. Did they hate him so much that they were that unwilling to even speak to him?

Maybe… maybe it would be better if he just stayed away. Remus would have them now, so it wasn't as if he'd be abandoning anybody. It would probably be for the best if he…

Tears pricked at his right eye. Was he really considering…? The tears began to fall as he realized that yes, he was.

And as he thought about it… he knew that he would.

Chapter Text

Logan was… concerned.

Thomas was behaving oddly. He couldn't pinpoint exactly when it had started, but he was nearly certain that it had been either early this morning, or late last night, long after Remus had left. Logan wasn't sure what it was, or why it bothered him so much, but…

Many of Thomas's friends had asked for his assistance at very close or even slightly overlapping times both that day and throughout the week, and he had said yes to each. That in and of itself wasn't too odd- though Logan had to disagree with the decision. Agreeing to each and every request he was given was going to wear on Thomas's mental and physical state.

No, what was strange was that he had taken no advice from any of them. Usually he would ask all of them for their opinions on such matters, especially when the requests continued to stack up. As it was, Thomas now had promises to a multitude of people that he couldn't possibly hope to keep, and no time to film the new videos that he had been planning on starting today.

Again, it wasn't as if Thomas was a stranger to such behavior, but it was never usually to this extreme. Virgil was definitely on Logan's side- or in better words, he agreed with him. Roman was simply put out that they wouldn't be getting to their own projects and Patton was happy that Thomas was helping his friends. That was usual for the both of them, so nothing seemed to be different there.

Logan and Virgil, though… they knew something was wrong. Virgil seemed to be able to feel it, while Logan simply based his suspicions on Thomas's odd behavior. This was more than simply being too generous with his time. He was exceedingly careless, nearly cutting his fingers on knives or burning himself on the stove. At least he was eating HelloFresh instead of something unhealthy…

But the point still stands. Thomas was being careless- meaning Virgil was working hard to make him anxious to compensate. Though it helped, it didn't fix anything.

Logan wracked his mind for an explanation. Thomas was getting enough sleep - though not the ideal amount - and he was eating healthier. There seemed to be nothing stressing him or pushing him into accepting each request for help. So what was wrong?

...Perhaps he was just overthinking things.

At least, that's what he thought before Thomas walked right into the road. Suddenly, his panic rose and he jumped back to the sidewalk, just a few moments before a car sped past. Logan quickly sank into the commons, joining both Patton and Roman.

Ah. Now they were worried.

"What was that?" Roman demanded. Logan raised an eyebrow. It sounded almost like the other Side was accusing him.

"I, unfortunately, am just as lost as you are," he said.

"Walking into the street without looking certainly defies logic! You should know something-"

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but-"

"Guys!" Patton said, raising his voice just enough that the unspoken stop got through to them both. "We can't fight right now! We need to figure out what's wrong."

Logan nodded, face warming slightly. He really had to stop entertaining such arguments- they never went anywhere anyway.

Virgil appeared at the bottom of the stairs, shakily walking towards them. He was pale, his eyes wide and his hair even messier than usual.

The incident had been quite the scare…

"Virgil," Logan greeted. The other Side just collapsed on the couch, ignoring him. After Virgil had curled up, hood pulled up over his face, he glanced up at them.

"He needs… he needs to get home," Virgil muttered. Patton frowned.

"But he promised his friends-"

"He also nearly got hit by a car," Logan said flatly. "In fact, he's been acting oddly all day. It would be beneficial to his health if he were to go home and work things out."

"But he'll be letting them down!"

"Then he can make it up to them later. I assure you, they will all rather have Thomas alive than not."

Patton pouted. "This can't be right. We can't just cancel-"

"Patton," Virgil said softly. The words were quiet, but overlayed with deep echoes. "Please."

"Kiddo, I-..." Patton sighed, looking dejected at the floor. "...I suppose he doesn't seem to be feeling well. Maybe if he explained it, then it would be… alright."

Logan nodded, feeling slightly relieved. Decision made, he and Roman managed to convince Thomas to message the friends he had not yet fulfilled his promises to and explain that he couldn't make it. They were all understanding, as Logan had thought they'd be. Thomas had good friends- even he could see that.

After that, it was just a matter of getting him home. Easier said than done.

It seemed that Virgil was necessary to keep Thomas safe. Though Logan could attempt to dissuade him, it was a fifty/fifty chance of Thomas actually listening. Virgil, though, could frighten him into keeping himself safe.

It was certainly odd. This had never been a problem before.

Eventually, thankfully, they got Thomas home. As soon as he entered the building, Logan, Roman, Patton, and Virgil all appeared in their respective places. Thomas noticed immediately, and confusion crossed his face as he slowly walked to his place.

"Uh… hey guys. What's up?" he asked. Logan frowned.

"We were actually hoping you would be able to tell us."

"What?" Thomas still seemed confused. "I… I don't think anything's wrong. Why do you ask?"

Virgil hissed from his place on the stairs. "You've nearly walked into traffic several times, you've made ridiculous promises that you couldn't hope to keep without a thought, and you almost cut off your fingers this morning."

Thomas shrugged. "Things happen-"

"Not things like walking into traffic!" Virgil's voice was echoing again. That wasn't good.

"Think, Thomas," Logan urged. "What's different today?"

Thomas paused, considering, before shaking his head.

"Nothing," he said. "Wake up, hate getting up, make HelloFresh even though I really feel like reheating leftover pizza instead, have existential crises number thirty three- the usual."

Roman spoke up, concerned. "You usually aren't so free with thoughts like that. Are you sure you're alright?"

Thomas nodded. "Yeah? I think so, at least."

Logan paused. If nothing had changed for Thomas, maybe it was them? What had changed for them recently? The thought came to him in only a second.

"Remus," he said. Everyone turned to him. Patton tilted his head.

"What was that, kiddo?"

"Nothing is different for Thomas, but for us, things have changed," he explained, adjusting his glasses.

Roman frowned. "You think he's responsible?" His voice was slightly defensive. Logan shrugged.

"Maybe. Or, maybe he knows something more than we do. All that I know is that Thomas's odd behavior lines up with our talk with Remus."

"Wait, what happened with Remus?" Thomas asked. Patton smiled hesitantly at him.

"We, uh, we all talked to him, and we started to get along," he explained, then hesitated. "I… I think, at least. It got rocky at the end, but I think it'll work out."

Thomas frowned slightly.

"Oh. I don't like him very much," he said. That gave everyone pause. True, he'd said he hated Remus before, but…

"...Would it be alright with you if he joined the conversation?" Logan asked hesitantly. Thomas nodded, but he looked a bit put out. They would need to work on that, especially if they were going to be more open to Remus's presence in the future…

"Then, Roman," Logan said, turning to the other Side. He was the best when it came to this kind of thing. "If you could summon him?"

Remus was procrastinating. Or, maybe it was more like stress baking…? Either way, it was the same result.

He hadn't left his room yet. He could feel the wrongness, just beyond his door. Not quite feeling like challenging it yet, he poured himself into his candy making. Could he do so literally? What if he was melted down into a lollipop? Or poured his blood into the Jello? No, no, no. Candy was sacred. That wasn't allowed.

He'd made copies of his favorite foods already, but… he didn't want to leave yet. So, he was experimenting. He hadn't done cotton candy before, despite his desire too, or made blown sugar. Imagine all the sugar sculptures he could make! Besides, maybe if he made something good enough, he could convince Deceit to come out.

Remus poured a good helping of sugar and what he was pretty sure were the right ingredients into a little pot, setting it over the stove and mixing it all together.

His room - the one in what functioned as the Dark Sides' Mind Palace - was odd, according to Deceit. It, apparently, wasn't what people might expect from him. Most of it was a cluttered mess. His bed was more pillows than mattress, his floor more trinkets than carpet. Little objects lay scattered around on half a dozen shelves, and tapestries of mythical beasts devouring knights or simply standing proudly adorned the walls. All but one.

Maybe about a quarter of the room was spotless. The carpet abruptly gave way to smooth, white tiles. The clutter stopped at that line. So did the appearance of a bedroom. Instead, it was a kitchen- or laboratory. Nothing crossed that line. He even made sure he was clean before entering. Nothing was going to ruin his confections if he could help it.

Cupboards lined the walls, along with counters. There was a stove, and a sink. He didn't have much 'actual' food- nor could he make it.

He preferred doing this anyway.

Remus smiled as he waited for all the sugar to dissolve, wondering what he could do with sugar glass once he mastered it. He'd find something, of that he was certain.

He glanced towards the cupboard he'd put all the finished projects on- treats and frosting and sodas and a dozen other things that he wasn't sure how he'd get rid of. Maybe the others would take it? He didn't know. He'd rather not throw it all away, but… Did he want to give it to them? Would they even accept it?

Before he could ponder the question further, there was a tugging feeling in his chest, trying to drag him down. He resisted it on impulse, jumping. Was that- Wait- He was being summoned. Well. That was new.

He barely managed to turn off the stove before he was forcefully dragged from his room and into reality.

He stumbled as he rose up- and could he just say no? How did the others rise up like that? His head was spinning. It wasn't really the action of rising up that got to him though. It was the way he was forced into it. The feeling of his actions being overridden like that was nauseating.

Remus glanced around, confusion building in his chest as he took in what had happened. He was standing next to Roman, who seemed to have been the one to summon him. Thomas was standing in his place by the couch, a wary look on his face. The other Sides were standing around the room in their usual spots. Realization dawned on him.

This was a conversation with Thomas. And… they had summoned him…? They wanted him to participate?

"Um, yes? What?" he asked, too shocked to say anything more. Logan nodded towards Thomas.

"We believe something may be affecting Thomas negatively," he explained, and for a single, agonizing moment, Remus was terrified that they were accusing him, but then Logan continued. "We were hoping you might have realized something that we have overlooked."

"I mean, I'm not any shorter than you, but I'll try," he joked, trying to soften the lingering confusion and shock he felt. Patton gasped, looking like Christmas had come early. Logan just blinked.

"What does height have to do with anything?" he asked, seeming genuinely perplexed. Virgil sighed.

"Not important right now. Focus on the issue. Please."

Remus frowned. Virgil was snappy as a crocodile whose babies were just slaughtered. That wasn't good. Something was actually, seriously, wrong. Or he was just making a big deal out of nothing. Remus was inclined to believe the former, however, since everyone else seemed worried as well. He cleared his throat softly.

"Right, um. What's the problem, exactly?"

Thomas shrugged. "They think I'm careless and putting others above my health."

"Dangerous combo. Too careless and you could fall off a bridge! Think it would feel like flying?"

Thomas pursed his lips. "Maybe… Should I test it out?"

"No!" Virgil snapped, voice layered so badly it was hard to make out the word. Thomas jumped, eyes widening as anxiety took hold. Remus frowned. For a moment there, it was like Thomas had actually been considering what he'd said. Like he would have done it had fear not gotten in the way. That… that wasn't normal.

His survival instinct was usually much better than that. Honestly, it was almost as if- as if…

...A horrible, sick idea creeped into his mind. It couldn't be right- Remus didn't want to be right, but…

"Can I ask a few questions?" he asked. Thomas nodded absently, and Remus took a breath before voicing the first question. "What do you think of your friends?"

"I adore them! They're all just the most wonderful, amazing, thoughtful-"

"Okay! Okay, that's enough," Remus interrupted. "What do you think of me?"

"I… I don't know," Thomas said, frowning. "I don't like you, but guess I've got to accept you anyway."

Remus flinched. He'd known that, but it still hurt. Roman and Logan actually winced. They felt it too, apparently. He swallowed down the hurt, moving on.

"What do you think of Logan's explanations?"

Thomas shrugged. "They're useful, and interesting, and helpful. They can be pretty long though. And too complicated. He could probably stand to simplify them sometimes. Sometimes I zone out, honestly. Too boring and complicated for me to listen to."

Remus nodded, frowning. The others were all watching him, though Logan seemed a bit down in the dumpster. Oops.

"Alright, imagine this; you only get two hours of sleep, you have several projects to do that you need to get done, you feel like rotting trash. A friend asks you to help them, but they already have several others coming to help as well. What do you do?'

"Help them," came the instant reply. Thomas didn't even hesitate.

"Even though you're going to feel bad? Get stressed, and possibly sick?"

"Yeah. I mean, I don't matter. So what if I'm feeling bad?"

A chill ran down Remus's spine. He took a step back, nearly falling over as he bumped into the tv. Roman grabbed his arm, steadying him

"Remus? What is it?" he asked, eyebrows scrunched up in concern and confusion. Remus shook his head wildly. It couldn't be. It couldn't be.

"Kiddo- er, Remus," Patton said hesitantly, "what's wrong?"

"Do you know what is affecting Thomas?" Logan asked, still looking a bit put out. Maybe Remus should have used a question not involving Logan…

He swallowed thickly, shutting his eyes. He had to be wrong. He was always wrong, so that just had to keep up a bit longer. What else could it be? What else would cause this? It had to be something different, so there had to be something. But… if there was, then he didn't know it.

"...You heard his answers. What's wrong with them?" he asked softly, opening his eyes. They were silent, before Roman shrugged.

"He's definitely more blunt than usual," he offered hesitantly, clearly unsure if that was the point Remus wanted them to see. Remus nodded. That was a start.

"And?" he prompted. Virgil sighed again.

"Just tell us, Remus."

"...He's blunt. Painfully so. He's too honest, no sugar coating in sight," he said. They still seemed to be confused. Figures. "He was entertaining jumping from a bridge, and he's been careless. Lack of survival instinct."

Logan's eyes widened in realization. "And he's even more self-sacrificing than usual."

Remus nodded enthusiastically. He got it. He understood the problem. Virgil might as well, but he was just staring down at his feet.

Patton frowned, glancing between Remus, Logan, and Thomas. "What is it? What aren't we getting?"

"Yeah," Thomas said slowly. "Is there something I'm missing?"

Logan sighed this time. "You are being honest to the point of being painfully blunt, you are exceedingly selfless at great cost to yourself, and your sense of self preservation has either taken a blow or is gone altogether. Virgil and I may be the only forces keeping you from harm."

Thomas frowned. "So… what's the cause?"

Remus crossed his arms, looking away. The carpet was nicer to look at than their faces. "When Virgil ducked out it was similar. Anything he controls flew out the window."

There was a sharp gasp from Roman, and a sound of shock from Patton.

"Wait," Thomas said slowly. "One of you ducked out? But you're all…" Remus could almost hear the realization dawning in his mind. "Deceit?"

Everyone turned to Remus. He nodded sullenly. "I'm not sure, but… I think he might have."

Logan frowned. "Did you manage to speak to him yesterday?"

Remus sent a glare his way, suddenly wishing that looks could kill. "Yes. I did."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"And he wouldn't even open his door. He always lets me in, but- but not this time. You guys really upset him, you know."

Roman huffed. "Why? Because we didn't follow his step by step evil plan?"

"No!" Remus snapped. "Because there isn't an evil plan! Because he just wants what's best for Thomas, and you won't let him help! Of course he tries the only way he can!"

"Oh, because that makes lying and manipulating his way into the group alright?" Roman demanded. Remus growled, fingers itching for the feel of his morningstar in his hands. He didn't summon it though. If he bashed Roman's head in, he wouldn't be able to pound reason into his thick skull.

"Did you trust or like Virgil at first? Did you trust or like me at first? What about Deceit is so different that you're all so blind?"

"Because at least you two-"

"Stop!" Patton yelled. Remus spun around to face him, while Roman simply fell silent. "It doesn't matter right now. We can't keep fighting like this."

"Maybe," Remus muttered, too quiet to be overheard, "we should fight with fists instead of words."

"Patton is right," Logan said. "We can't waste time with arguments. Please, did Deceit give any indication that he might duck out?"

Remus hesitated, thinking back. No matter how upset he was, this was more important. "I'm not sure… he seemed upset, and sad. He didn't really want to talk. He just told me to go with you guys."

"Hmm. We should probably check up on him," Logan suggested. Remus's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Really?" he asked hopefully. Maybe Logan wasn't a lost cause. Maybe he cared.

"Of course. It isn't healthy for Thomas to continue on with Side’s missing," Logan said. Ah, right. Of course. Well, it was a start.

"Actually," Thomas interjected, "would it be so bad without him? I'm fine."

Remus glared at him, anger rising in his chest. "The only reason you haven't died is because Virgil is making sure you don't. It isn't healthy for terror to be the only thing holding you back from getting yourself killed."

Thomas rolled his eyes. "I thought you wanted me to jump from a moving car?"

"I want a lot of things! And then I don't want them the next day, or the next minute, or second! And one thing I actually cannot abide is your death. You'd be taking us all down with you."

Thomas blinked. "I never thought you might actually care."

Remus flinched. He might deserve that. Virgil growled from his place on the stairs, cradling his head in his hands.

"Just get on with it! Figure out what we're going to do instead of arguing and wasting time!"

Thomas shrugged. "I think I'm fine. Nothing's happened so far."

Remus gritted his teeth. "I'm going. With or without any of you, I'm going."

Logan sighed. "I second that notion- though I don't know if we can manage it without Thomas. It would depend on how Deceit has hidden himself."

Remus paused.

"Actually," he said slowly. "I might know."

Everyone turned to him.

"How?" Roman asked incredulously. Remus shifted uncomfortably.

"We… I would get into bad states. Bad, bad thoughts. Bad feelings. Deceit always helped me calm down, and…" He hesitated, then pushed on. "And I would get sad? And angry? And… think about ducking out."

"You… you what?" Roman breathed, half a whisper and half a demand. Thomas looked taken aback. Remus looked at the ground.

"I-I… I'd talk about what I'd do. To manage it. I would've tried to do it in the Imagination. If not that, I'd set traps so no one could get to my room. Except for Deceit and Virgil, of course. They would have the keys, in case they ever wanted to visit for some reason..." He was rambling now, and he knew it. "Once, I managed to get Deceit to talk about it too. He never went into detail, but… he said he'd stay in his room. He'd either stay there or make a passage in it that leads to somewhere else."

Logan looked concerned. "You often partook in such conversations?"

"Not… not recently. Not much," he offered weakly. Roman placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You know we'd rather you stay, right?" he asked. Remus hesitated, before nodding slightly. He'd let himself believe that. It felt nice to be wanted, even if it probably wasn't true.

Thomas frowned, but stayed quiet. Patton bit his lip.

"Remus, you can come to us if you feel like that again, alright?" he said.

"...Sure," he said quietly, knowing he probably wouldn't really do it, before casting his attention to Thomas. "Well? Are we going to do this together? Or would you rather lose a Side?"

Thomas hesitated, before he nodded. The lingering hesitation and resignation on his face made it clear what he really thought, but perhaps Logic had greater sway than his feelings right now. Thomas nodded again, letting out a soft breath, and finalized the decision with two words.

"...Let's go."

Chapter Text

Remus grinned, excited despite all the worry and anger he still felt. This entire situation shouldn't have happened; Deceit shouldn't have felt the need to duck out. He should have been happy, and safe, and included. Anger still simmered in his chest, pricking at his heart, but... For all Remus felt it was the fault of the Light Sides, he also felt that he was a tad responsible as well. He should've tried harder to talk to Deceit, should've torn his door down and spoke until his throat was torn and bloody from all the words and Deceit felt better.

He should've forced everyone else to apologize, especially for the things they had said while Deceit stood there right in front of them. Should've made them apologize for calling him the villain, and untrustworthy, and awful, and-

Remus, with some difficulty, pushed those thoughts away. Not important. Not now. There was no point dwelling on ‘should haves’ when there was still something they could do. Besides, he couldn't afford to kill anyone right now. They had work to do.

"Alright!" he said cheerfully, though he didn't really feel it. He was happy that Thomas was willing to go, but it didn't actually lift his mood very much. "Let's go then!"

There was a pause, and for a moment no-one spoke, and no-one moved, and Remus felt as if time had frozen. He frowned, glancing around. Why wasn't anyone doing anything?

"...Why the holdup?"

Thomas shrugged, tilting his head slightly. "I don't know how to get there?"

"Oh. Uh… just do what you do for the others!"

"It's the same for Dark Sides? I just focus on what he represents?" Thomas sounded skeptical, a frown forming on his face. Remus narrowed his eyes, confused and nearly concerned. Thomas knew Virgil was a 'Dark' Side, so why was he…? "Think about lying?"

Roman gave a dismissive wave. "It's worth a shot. Just do whatever it takes to check on the snake so we can move on."

Remus's hands clenched into fists, but he held his tongue. Perhaps he should tear their tongues out. Thomas nearly pouted, crossing his arms uncomfortably.

"Lying is wrong," he said, using an unsurprisingly good impression of Patton. "I don't want to-"

"Then focus on the other things he represents," Remus growled. He was about two seconds away from grabbing Logan - the only other reasonable one here - and just going without everyone else. And honestly, that might actually work out better. Thomas raised an eyebrow.

"Which is?" he asked. Remus's eyes widened, twitching slightly. Even- even Thomas, who had had all of Deceit's major functions spelled out for him just now, who was their host, who should know better, didn't even remember. Even he had been blinded by everything on the surface. They couldn't even begin to hope to see the picture underneath; it was like they were staring into a pond, too focused on the algae to see the glittering stones beneath. They'd drown before they saw reason.

No-one offered any explanation to Thomas. Logan seemed troubled, at least. Like he knew, but couldn't bring himself to speak for once. He knew that Deceit was more than just lies, and though that was hardly anything impressive, it was more than anyone else. Maybe those glasses were good for something after all.

Remus took a breath, leveling his thoughts as best he could.

"Deceit," he began, as calmly as he was able, "is lies, yes, but he is also far more. He is self preservation and more 'selfish' desires. He's the thing that pushes you to pursue and do what you want, or convinces you to take a me day instead of working after a stressful week, or that makes you keep yourself safe. And the lies aren't always bad. What about the times you tell yourself it's okay - or that it will be - when it really feels like it's not? That falls under Deceit's influence, and those aren't bad! You use those all the time!"

Logan nodded hesitantly. "Remus is… right. Deceit embodies far more than just dishonesty, and in some situations, lies are actually incredibly useful," he said, and though Remus appreciated the backup, he couldn't help but feel it had come too late.

"I guess…" Thomas said, still sounding doubtful. Were his emotions so obvious because Deceit was missing, or because his distaste for the Side was that strong? Surely this wasn't how Thomas would usually treat his Sides? "So, just focus on…"

He closed his eyes, and Remus followed suit. There was a tugging feeling in his chest, quite similar to being summoned, dragging him down into the Subconscious. There was a sudden change in the air, a release of pressure, and when he opened his eyes again, they were in Deceit's room.

The Mind Palace and the Subconscious both took on the form of Thomas's house, but with some changes. They were bigger, some rooms were separated, there were more bedrooms, so on and so forth. Thomas could get into any room, and bring the Sides along with him. On their own, they would either need to somehow break in, or get permission. There were also two areas a Side had control of- usually.

It was more of one area with two forms. One resembled Thomas's surroundings, and the other, the Side's actual room, switching between them at either the Side’s or Thomas's will. He'd always got to see the rooms in their default mode- which was his location.

Remus and Roman were the biggest exceptions to this rule- Deceit being a surprising second. He and his brother ruled the Imagination. It was split into two halves, and they had little power in each other's realms- but in their own, they were basically the masters of reality.

And Deceit… he watched over other places. Forgotten ones, usually.

He kept the stage Roman created, making sure it didn't fade as Roman ignored it. He also kept the courtroom. None of the other sides wanted to be there, so it fell to him to maintain. There were several other places he watched over, but as the Imagination was basically its own universe, Deceit was only in second place for areas of control.

Anyway, the different forms for their rooms was why Remus was so confused upon opening his eyes. Deceit always let him into his room- the actual bedroom version of it. To see it form around Thomas's living room instead was a bit disorienting.

The lights were soft, bathing everything in a gentle glow. It almost felt like laying in the sunlight on a pleasant afternoon. There were more books than Thomas usually had in the shelves, and potted plants lay scattered through the room, lush and green. Everything was tidy, not a speck of dust in sight. It was calm and peaceful.

And it was otherwise empty.

Remus looked around, still hoping beyond hope that Deceit would appear and demand to know why they had come. …He didn't. Tagliolini, Deceit's Eyelash Viper, wasn't in sight either. She usually hid herself away, unseen unless she wanted to be, but Remus's heart still sank.

"Woah," Thomas said, looking around. "I thought it'd be… different. Less normal. It actually feels kinda nice."

"Personally, I'm a bit disappointed," Roman said. "I was expecting a full out Disney villain layout, but… I suppose this is alright."

Logan sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Well, I was hoping he would simply appear, as Virgil did, but that isn’t the case. Remus, you know him best- do you have any idea of how to draw him out?"

Remus shrugged, wandering over to one of the potted plants. It was celandine, if Remus remembered right. Little yellow flowers- unsurprisingly, it's toxic, as many flowers were. How many do you need to eat before you die?

"If he's actually ducked out, he really won't want to see any of us very much. I could try luring him out with some chocolate or something- but that wouldn't really work."

Patton looked at him, confused. "Would that work for I"

"Do not try to tell me it wouldn't work on you or Thomas," Remus scoffed. "But, eh. Candy makes everything more appealing."

"I'll second that," Thomas said absently, looking around. After a moment, he turned to Logan, frowning. "What are we supposed to do here?"

"We need to get Deceit to speak to us," Logan said, "and convince him to return. As for how we manage it, I am… unsure."

Roman started walking around, followed by Patton. Remus frowned. He didn't like the thought of everyone being here without Deceit around; partially out of respect, and partially because he knew the effects it could have on people. He had a bit of built up resistance, but no one else would have any defense. They needed to find Deceit- and fast.

"Can you change the room?" he asked Thomas, who just blinked, scrunching up his face.

"Do what?" he asked, confusion lacing his voice. Logan perked up.

"Oh! Each of our rooms have two different states of being. One is this mimicry of your surroundings, the other, a bedroom of our own design," he said, speaking in that slightly excited voice he had when he was talking about something he found interesting. He paused, then, turning to Remus. "Why would the change be of use here, exactly?"

"I'm more familiar with that version of the room. Really, it's mostly to help me out," he said, shrugging. Logan nodded, looking at Thomas expectantly.

"What?" Thomas asked. "Why look at me? I don't know how to do anything!"

"Focus on the room," Logan suggested. "Will it to change into its alternate form."

"Alright…" Thomas muttered, closing his eyes. After a moment, the room shimmered, faded, then solidified again. Patton jumped and gave a startled shriek, but otherwise seemed to be fine, while Virgil just leaned on the newly formed wall now that the stairs were gone.

There was a bed in one corner with a tidy, black blanket and yellow pillows- which was, of course, absolutely boring. The lights felt even more like sunlight now, and it pooled on the bed and around the room, creating pockets of warmth.

The rest was relatively the same. Book filled shelves- some of which Remus knew were filled with half-truths, excuses, and lies (white or otherwise)- both to tell and ones that had already been told and should be kept track of. The others were simply books Deceit had taken an interest in.

Potted plants lay everywhere, and there was a raised portion in one corner where the floor was replaced by moss and a little pool of water. Large potted plants surrounded the area, providing shade and cover. It was for Tagliolini to hide in, but a quick glance confirmed that the snake wasn't there. Deceit must have really left then… Unless he'd changed his plan, there should be a way to him in the room somewhere.

"Did Deceit like plants?" Patton asked, examining a large plant with wide, heart shaped leaves. Remus bristled at the past tense, as if Deceit was gone forever, but answered anyway.

"Yes. He has a garden too- a greenhouse, really. Grows vegetables and fruit and stuff."

"Did- ...does he cook?"

Remus eyed Patton, wondering where the questions were coming from, but he couldn't discern any harmful intent. "He does. He's really good at it, actually."

Patton didn't raise any more questions, leaving Remus confused, but relieved. Virgil actually joined in looking around after another moment, but his movements were still stiff, like a statue. Imagine being encased in stone. Or being dumped into a vat of still drying concrete! How similar would it be to the feeling of drowning…? He shook his head, refocusing.

Logan was still examining the room, but was sticking close to Thomas. Probably a good idea… Remus frowned, spinning in a slow circle as he looked around the room. Now, where would the passage be...? He hesitated, glancing at the main bookshelf. Surely Deceit wouldn't have…

Roman seemed to have the same idea, and they approached the shelf together. Roman glanced at him, and Remus couldn't tell if he looked more guilty or concerned. It didn't really change much either way.

"Remus, are you… alright? I mean, with all this happening…"

"I'm fine, Roman. I'm not the one who was cast out for no good reason," he muttered, sharper than he'd meant to be. His brother winced, and he nearly felt bad.

"Look, I'm sorry if we seem unnecessarily cruel, but-"

"It's nothing new Roman. I'm used to it,” he said quietly. Maybe he was the one being mean right now, but… a simple apology - and not even one to the person who deserved it - wasn't going to magically fix things. That might work in the fairy tales Roman loved so much, but not here. Not now.

"...You're right," Roman said, examining the books. His gaze caught on the section of handwritten books of lies, and an odd look crossed his face before he looked away. "We - I - have been awful to you and to Virgil, and I am truly sorry about that. I'm trying to make up for it. But… I'm just not sure about Deceit. I've fallen for his tricks so many times… I don't want it to happen again. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Remus grimaced, running his fingers along the book titles, feeling for any difference in them. It was a cliche, but he needed to make sure there were no secret bookshelf passageways.

"Maybe you should have spoken to him. Couldn't you see how badly your words were hurting him? He was right there when you all said those things about him. How did you not see it?" Remus said softly, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the books. What if he glued his eyes to- "What harm would there be?"

"He could have manipulated us."

"See, that's your problem," Remus said. "Every time he's acting friendly, he's manipulating you. Every time he isn't, he's the bad guy. Would you keep trying if it were you in that position?"

"Of course! I'd just try harder and-"

"And then they think it's because you have an ulterior motive and force you even farther away than before," Remus interrupted. Roman's mouth snapped shut. Maybe he was starting to see reason...? "Trapped between a fire to melt your skin off and a freezer to turn your blood to ice; Which way do you go?"

Roman didn't answer. Maybe he was thinking. Maybe he was fed up with the conversation. Remus didn't know. He just hoped that sense would finally make itself known to his brother.

"Patton!" Logan's voice cut through the air. The brothers spun around as one, quickly spotting the two Sides. Thomas hung back a ways, watching on in concern. Patton was sitting calmly on the floor, with Logan kneeling in front of him. He looked up, quickly meeting Remus's gaze. "Remus- what's wrong with him? He won't respond!"

Uh oh. This wasn't good.

He and Roman rushed over, kneeling beside the two. Where was Virgil? Whatever, it didn't matter right now- he needed to focus.

"Patton?" he asked. The other side started humming absently, a lazy smile on his face. Okay, yeah. It got Patton bad. "Great… Okay. It's fine. This is fine."

"What's wrong with him?" Roman demanded. That got Patton's attention, and he looked up, smiling.

"Nothing’s wrong, kiddo," he said softly. "I just got distracted… It's nice in here."

Remus sighed.

"I didn't think it would be this bad," he said. Logan shot him a questioning look.

"What is it?"

"The effect of this room. It's calming, and warm, and peaceful. And sometimes, especially if Deceit isn't here to regulate it, it can be… a lot."

"Wait," Roman said sharply, "that's all his room does? It calms you down?"

"Bravo, you win the prize," Remus responded. "Well, it usually is, at least… It's like a safe haven. Maybe it's just Patton, or maybe it's because Deceit's gone, but the room is strong right now. It's like a venus flytrap! Lures you in with sugar and then snap! You're stuck, and getting dissolved. But, ah… without that last part."

Patton yawned.

"It's almost as good as my room. I wanna… I'm gonna take a nap, 'kay kiddos?" he murmured, gaze fixed on the bed. He stood up wobbly, and Remus grabbed his arm, standing quickly to hold him back.

"Nope!" he said. "Remember why we're here, okay? I'll give you candy once we're done- if you help."

Patton blinked, hesitated, then rubbed at his eyes.

"Wait… I…" he peered around, frowning. "Where…?"

"This is Deceit's room," Logan said. "We're here to find him, remember?"

"Oh…" Patton didn't sound too happy about that, but he was getting more lucid. That was good. Remus understood the room's pull. It was so peaceful here. It was so warm and quiet…

But now wasn't the time to fall into the trap.

"We need to find out where Deceit went. Now." he said, looking around the room for any sign. Thomas seemed fine, but the longer they stayed, the more likely they were to remain. Logan and Roman nodded, wandering off to look, with Logan leading Patton by the hand. Remus frowned. Where was Virgil?

Remus finally spotted the other Side as he examined the room again, mostly hidden behind a few large ferns. What was he doing back there? He wandered over, peering at the usually anxious Side. Usually.

Right now he was smiling, holding a small spider in his hands. Remus was surprised Virgil had even managed to find one in here. It wasn't that Deceit didn't like spiders, but it was rare insects of any sort were found. Many bothered the plants, so they weren’t allowed. Spiders, then, liked moving places with more food available.

Virgil didn't look up at him. Remus frowned, hoping that it wasn't what he was thinking. He'd thought that the other Side's anxiety and knowledge of the room would keep him from being so affected by it. Then again, Virgil always did have a soft spot for the room. It served to calm Remus as well, even with how often he visited and learned to resist its effects, so he shouldn't have thought that Virgil would be able to withstand it. Ah, well. Hindsight and all that.

"Virgil?" he asked gently. "What are you doing?"

"Mmm… found a friend," he responded, a drowsy lilt to his voice.

"Neat," Remus said. "Think she can help us?"

Virgil shook his head. "We don't want to find Deceit."

Remus barely suppressed the anger he knew had been coming, forcing it far back into the depths of his mind.

"Well, the sooner we do, the sooner you get to stop worrying about it," he said, as cheerful as he could force himself to be. "Won't that be nice?"

"No," Virgil snapped, shaking his head again. "It's good he's gone."

"Mmhmmm…" Remus thought for a moment, biting his lip. Could he chew it off? "Well, without him, Thomas will get hurt. He might start listening to me if you aren't right beside him all the time. Oh! And think of all the secrets he'll give up! And the crushes he'll admit to having!"

Virgil somehow paled through a brilliant red blush, eyes wide as he pictured each and every horribly embarrassing situation that Thomas could get himself into. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, looked a bit lost, and then finally glared, the room's effects seeming to pull away from him.

"You…" Virgil eyed Remus, then huffed and looked away, carefully replacing the spider on the leaf of the closest plant. "Fine. You win."

Remus clapped softly, celebrating what little victory he could get. Virgil stood, and so he followed suit, watching the other Side grimace as he looked around the room.

"I can't believe I let this place get to me like that. It's been years since that's happened," Barely contained contempt laced his voice, but Remus only shrugged.

"It's been awhile since you've been here at all, and Dee's not around to dampen its influence. You aren't the only one it caught."

"Wait," Virgil's eyes were wide. "Who else-"

"Patton. He's okay though! Logan has him," Remus pointed towards the two for emphasis. Patton still seemed a bit out of it, but he was still awake. Come to think of it, Virgil had seemed tired as well. What was it with all these Sides and wanting to sleep? Did they not get enough rest or something? Even he didn't fall asleep in here. Y'know. Not that often. "Now. The sooner we know where to go, the sooner you can leave. Agreed?"

"...Fine," Virgil muttered as he moved away. He joined Patton and Logan, grabbing Patton's shoulder and talking to him. Patton still seemed a bit hazy, but he was still moving and responded to Virgil's questions. Thomas was fiddling with a tiny cactus in a little ceramic pot, and even he was starting to look a bit too calm. Same with Logan and Roman. They didn't seem to be too bad, but they were beginning to look a bit tired.

Remus bit back a groan. When had he become the babysitter of the group?

"H-hey!" Roman called from near the door. "I think I found something!"

Remus rushed over immediately, nearly running into Roman in his excitement. He didn't see anything off or weird, just the door, but he refused to let that dampen his spirits. He could see the others approaching out of the corner of his eyes, and turned back to his brother.

"What is it?" Remus demanded. He didn't see anything. What was it? Was this a joke? If it was-

"This," Roman said simply, pulling at one of the boards of the door frame, and… It opened like it was built on hinges, swinging outward. And there- …There was nothing behind it but the wall.

His hope began to fizzle out in his chest, but he refused to let it die. This, whatever it was, had to be important. It was new.

"Anything else?" he asked, trying to keep his voice level. Roman shrugged.

"I don't know. I just found this and called you over."

Remus took his place by the door, running his fingers along the now exposed wall. It was smooth and white, free of the paint coating the rest of the room. And… there was nothing strange about it. Nothing. No sign of anything else. It was completely normal, free of dents or bumps or fragile points that he could break. There didn't seem to be anything significant about it.

Really, at this point, whoever found out the next step would gain his eternal gratitude and respect.

"May I look?" Logan asked. Remus jumped slightly, not having noticed the other Side come up behind him. Begrudgingly, he let him through- he was the only one here with any actual reason, he might be able to find something that Remus was overlooking.

Logan examined the wall for a moment, before trailing his fingers along the thin strip of the edge of the door that had been revealed. It wasn't even close to an inch- or even a fingernail. There couldn't be anything there, right? As if to spite him, something clicked. Logan smiled slightly, a look of triumph crossing his face before he pushed the door sideways. It slid.

Remus's mouth fell open. Well crap. It looked like Logan now had his respect and gratitude. Eternally. ...Well, at least he was one of the least awful of the choices. Imagine owing it to Patton- or Roman. Virgil would usually be okay, but Remus was a bit upset at him at the moment.

More importantly, however, was that the door was not supposed to work like that. It didn't slide, it- Well. He supposed that now it did. Figures that Deceit would hide the door behind another door. Doorception? Whatever.

The door slid without a sound, sinking into the wall. Beyond it was a long hallway, bright even though there were no visible lights. At the end of the passage there was another door set into the wall. Remus felt a chill run down his spine. Something felt wrong. Cold and dark and patient. It would wait however long it needed too, but what was it waiting for…?

Thomas was the one to break the silence, peering into the hallway curiously.

"This it then? Who's going first?" he asked, though Remus could tell that he wanted to rush in himself. The impulse usually would've been buried deep in Thomas's mind, but without Deceit… well. It was a good thing Virgil and Logan were here.

Roman sighed.

"I'll go. If there's any danger, I'll be able to get rid of it," he said. Remus frowned.

"I should go. I can defend myself just as well as you can, and I'm the only one here on speaking terms with Deceit," he argued. "I’m going. And if you have a problem with that, I'll break your legs."

"You wouldn't," Roman countered, though Remus could see a spark of fear appear in his eyes before it faded. Ah… so he wasn't actually sure whether or not Remus would actually do it. He didn't know how he felt about that, but it might be useful here.

"Y'know, if you actually look," Virgil snapped, gesturing to the hallway, "you would see that it's big enough to fit you both- inflated egos and all."

Remus just crossed his arms and huffed, while Roman spluttered, trying to think of something to say. "Well, I- you-"

"Please," Patton said softly, still a tad dreamy but mostly put back together. "Don't fight."

Roman hesitated, then nodded.

"You're right. We need to focus," He turned to Remus, holding out a hand. "Go together?"

Remus hesitated, before taking Roman's hand and shaking it. Then his hand detached. His skin didn't even tear, it just… popped apart. Blood dripped to the floor.

Roman screeched, throwing Remus's hand away from him, then waving his own in the air wildly. It looked like he wanted to wash them off using the air alone.

"Remus! Do not-" Roman made a strange, frustrated sound, with just a hint of disgust. "So, so gross!" He muttered.

Remus snickered. Yeah, they had places to be- but he had so few opportunities to bother the Light Sides anymore. Or, rather, the others. No more Light and Dark. Not from this moment onward.

With a snap of his fingers - the detached ones, of course - his hand was back in its proper place. The blood disappeared- for though it was funny, Deceit might actually kill Remus if he found out he'd stained the floor again. He ignored Roman's stare, instead taking a step into the hallway. He glanced back as no one else moved.

"Well? Are you coming?"

Roman's mouth snapped shut.

"Of course," he said, his voice surprisingly steady. He was good at hiding his emotions, then. Or maybe Remus just needed to try harder to unsettle him. Hmm. That second one was probably true either way.

Together, they led the way down the hall. Nothing jumped out at them, the floor didn't fall away, the hall didn't stretch on endlessly… Altogether, it was distinctly boring. Where was the dramatic flair? The excitement?

They reached the next door quickly, and Roman moved to open it. Remus allowed it, though hesitantly. What if something happened…?

He shouldn't have worried. The sight beyond the door wasn't dangerous. No, it was simply extremely troubling. His eyes widened as he took it all in.

They were on a ledge, overlooking a large, cavernous room. A stone staircase led down onto the ground level, steep and dangerous and what if you fell? Would you be conscious all the way down? Or would it knock you out before then? What if your head was split open and blood stained the steps and the others slipped on it and-

"You have got to be kidding me," Virgil said flatly, and Remus found himself agreeing. From their vantage point at the top of the stairs, they were overlooking a maze.

Tall stone walls stretched off into the distance, snaking out of sight. Well, Remus had said that he wanted dramatic flair. Looks like he was going to get it.

Chapter Text

Roman had to say he was a bit impressed. He was annoyed at the work it would be to figure out the maze, but this was practically a quest! Six brave knights discovering passageways and going through mazes and solving puzzles, all to defeat- or… was it rescue? Whatever. The goal was to get to Deceit, whether that meant he was the villain or the prince in distress.

He isn't in distress, though, Roman thought bitterly. As interesting as this quest may be, it was all rather pointless. This is precisely what a villain would do too! Causing problems and then leaving them to fester as everyone else had to deal with them. What was even the point? What reason would Deceit have for sending them through a maze of all things? What was he planning?

A flash of guilt pierced through his suspicion. Maybe he was being too defensive. There was a chance - an extremely slim chance - that Deceit wasn't actually as bad as he seemed. He doubted it, but… Roman glanced towards Remus, who was staring out at the maze.

Remus trusted Deceit. Part of Roman was worried about that. What if Deceit had only been manipulating Remus? What if it was Roman's fault that he was able to do so? If he hadn't let Remus think he hated him, could he have kept Deceit away from his brother? He could have helped so much sooner, could have prevented things from getting this bad.

But, then, what if Remus wasn't being tricked? What if he was right? What if Deceit wasn't that bad? It was possible that he was just another innocent person that Roman had treated poorly - had treated like monsters - like Virgil and Remus were. What if Roman had pushed another side into ducking out unjustly? What kind of prince would he be then?

Then, of course, there was the third option. Maybe Deceit was Remus's friend, but was still an enemy for the rest of them. What would he do in that situation. He had already hurt Remus enough. He couldn't truly fight Deceit if it would send Remus himself over the edge- their situation was already precarious as it was. And if his brother had to choose between them… why would he choose the people who had been so cruel to him over the only one who had always been by his side?

Roman would admit that being so awful to Virgil had been a mistake. He would admit that he had messed up when it came to dealing with Remus. But Deceit was different. On one hand, he'd manipulated them all so many times. On the other… Roman had to agree with the decisions he was trying to get Thomas to make- some of them, at least. Roman had been on his side when it came to lying to Joan- up until it had nearly been too late. He had been on his side during the trial- up until he'd become too guilty to go through with it. Maybe… maybe that was the problem.

Maybe he didn't trust Deceit because he agreed with him too much. Maybe he was just afraid, as he had been with Remus. Maybe he saw too many similarities between the two of them and he was scared that if Deceit was around too often the others would start to see it as well. They all hated Deceit. What if they ended up hating Roman, too…?

He shook his head, trying to clear it. That wasn't going to happen. No matter how this quest turned out, he had to believe it would end okay. After all, he was Thomas's hopes, dreams, and beliefs! If he had doubts about the quest, how were the others supposed to be confident going through it?

For them, he buried each and every thought and feeling deep down into the back of his mind. He smiled widely, gesturing to the maze that spread before them.

"Well, everyone, let's go. Adventure awaits!" he called, starting down the staircase. He only managed to take two steps before a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked up, surprised. Logan didn't remove his hand- oh, great, now Roman was thinking about Remus detaching his hand again. Why did he have to do that?! Roman had been holding a disembodied hand! So, so gross. But, anyway! It was time for an adventure! Questing and… and all that stuff.

He forced the thoughts away, focusing back on the situation at hand. "Uh… Specs? What is it?"

Logan finally let go of him, though he didn't look at Roman. He just looked out at the cavernous room before them, surveying the labyrinth. "I just think that we should wait. Before we enter the maze, we should come up with a strategy, or see if we can bypass it altogether."

Roman hesitated. He supposed that was a sound idea… It would take half the fun out of the adventure, but this wasn't meant to be fun. It was meant to be a quick, simple visit to convince Deceit that he should return.

"...It pains me to say it, but you might be right," he said softly. Remus gasped dramatically.

"I think I found Deceit!" he cried, pointing an accusing finger towards Roman. "Roman would never admit such a thing!"

Patton giggled, then gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. "Oh, I'm sorry! I shouldn't be laughing, I just…" He trailed off, not having anything to say. Roman sniffed, turning away from them.

"I am completely capable of admitting when other people are right," he said, perhaps just a bit too harshly. Logan hummed, and a quick glance told Roman that he was smiling slightly.

"True. You just can't admit when you are wrong."

Roman spun on his heel, pointing at Logan. The other side looked just a bit too smug for his liking.

"That's rich coming from you, Dr. Stankenstein," he snapped. Logan blinked, his smile falling.

"I can admit when I've made a mistake. To do otherwise would be illogical."

"And that's stopped you before?"

"Guys!" Virgil shouted. "Move on! Make the stupid plan so we can keep going!"

Roman huffed, but fell silent. Hopefully the rest of the quest would turn out better than this.

Remus sat on the steps, frowning as he tried to follow different paths in the maze. Eventually, each and every path faded into the distance. Just how big is this room? Why had Deceit built it? Was it to keep them away? All of them, including Remus…?

The others were talking. They were probably still coming up with a plan. Or maybe it was several plans. That'd probably be best, just in case one didn’t work out. A lot of things could go wrong once they went down to the maze; they could be separated, get lost, starve, get cornered by a minotaur, go mad… any number of things. Footsteps sounded behind him, pulling him from his thoughts, and he twisted around to see who it was. Logan stood there, looking down at him with a newly conjured notebook in his arms. Roman had summoned it for him, and the blue cover was dotted with glittering, silver stars.

"May I sit with you?" Logan asked. Remus nodded slowly, confused. Why would he want to talk with him? He had no useful ideas for the plan- or any at all, really. Logan sat on the steps beside him, looking over the maze for a moment.

"It is a wonderfully crafted area," Logan finally said. "Does Deceit create rooms often?"

"Oh… um. Yeah?" he really wasn't sure if he liked all these questions. First Patton, now Logan. At least Logan was using present tense. Still, why were they so curious? They’d never cared before. "He made his garden- and that's several rooms. And there's the courtroom, and this, and a few others… so, I'd say so."

"Interesting," Logan said. "Why does he garden when you could simply conjure the ingredients?"

"It… because he likes to? It's fun, or something. Something to do." Besides, Remus could get distracted while summoning, and then they’d end up with toxic potatoes or vampiric carrots.

"And you said that the garden is split into several different rooms, correct? Are they separated into segments based on which climates and treatments they grow best in?"

"I… probably?" Remus said, growing frustrated. "I don't know! It's not my garden. Why are you all asking so many questions?"

Logan hesitated. "I… I cannot speak for the others, but I am simply curious. I want to know who Deceit is- to determine whether he is what we believed him to be or not. And, I’m interested in the garden in and of itself. Do you think I could see it?"

Remus paused. That was… well. He didn't know what it was. At least Logan was making some kind of effort. Still…

"...No. At least, I won't take you. Not unless he gives you permission to be there," It was bad enough to have let them into Deceit's room. He wasn't going to defile his other safe havens without Deceit's direct say so. Logan looked a bit disappointed, but nodded in acceptance.

"That is understandable," he said. After a moment, Remus looked at him curiously.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Well, you just did, but go ahead."

He almost asked his opinions on Deceit, on the situation. He almost asked why he’d been so active in trying to get Remus to stay. He almost asked a lot of things. The thing he settled on, though, wasn’t related to any of that. "...Why don't you insult Roman?"

Logan blinked, confusion crossing his face.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Remus paused, before he tried again.

"You said before - and I wasn't there, but Deceit saw the whole thing and filled me in - that if Roman made fun of you, you would send him a diss-track. And he does! He just did a minute ago, even! So why don't you ever insult him? In all of your fights, you just use facts or- or yell."

Logan was quiet for a moment. "Because… I tried, and I'm just no good at insults. No one even understood what I was trying to say."

"They didn't?"

"No."

"Well, that sounds like a them problem!" Remus snapped, and Logan jumped slightly. "Your insult was wonderful! If they didn't get it, it just means you're smarter than they are."

"You- …you liked it?"

"Well, yeah. Unless Deceit just made the name up because you were that incompotant, and he wanted something fun to tell me. Malodorous scenturion sound familiar?"

"Yes! Yes, that was it,” Logan said, surprise lighting up his face. “I didn't think anyone would have liked it after… well. The others didn’t seem to, at least."

"Well, they're stupid then."

Logan smiled hesitantly, before turning back to the maze. They sat in silence for a while, before Logan spoke again. "...Do you have any ideas on this puzzle?"

"No," Remus said, shaking his head. "No clue. I don't even know why he made it."

Logan would've probably responded, but Roman called out to them.

"Hey dumb and dumber! We're ready to set off. Are you?"

Remus looked back at them, scowling. Now that insult - or nickname, as they were apparently claimed to be now - was just rude.

"Ready whenever you are, you extra!" he called. Not the most creative name, no, but it was enough when it came to Roman. His face grew slightly pink, offense written deep into his expression.

"Hey! You're one to talk! You're never even around!"

"And who's fault was that?" Remus asked flatly. Roman froze, before he hesitated.

"That- …that's true. I'm sorry. That was uncalled for," he mumbled. Remus waved the guilt in his voice away with a careless hand.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

The others approached the stairs, gathering at the edge of the first step.

"Alright guys!" Patton chirped. "I think we're ready."

Awful. This was all just awful.

Virgil eyed the towering walls of the maze with apprehension, having to crane his neck up to see the tops. The stairs had seemed to only grow longer as they traveled down them. It had taken far too long to make it to the maze entrance. At this point, if they all stood on each other's shoulders they still wouldn't have any hope of reaching the top of the wall.

They'd walked beside the wall all the way to the edges of the cavern and back, but there wasn't any way beyond this point save for the entrance to the maze itself. Worry churned in his stomach. What other surprises could Deceit have prepared? Virgil just- he couldn't deal with this right now! He was exhausted after keeping Thomas on high alert all day. It hadn't even had the same effect as it normally did; It took far too much effort to get Thomas to the point he'd listen to Virgil and stop trying to get himself killed.

Anger rose to offset his anxiety. Deceit knew that leaving would impact Thomas, and he had done it anyway. What was Deceit playing at? Why would he duck out knowing what could happen? Honestly, as soon as they found him, Virgil was going to punch him straight(gay) in the face.

"So," Thomas said curiously, "what are we gonna do?"

Virgil bit his lip, fiddling with his hoodie sleeves. It seemed like the only way forward was to go through the maze, but that felt like an extremely stupid idea. They needed Deceit to come back, though… He hated to admit it, but they couldn't afford to let Deceit stay away. Thomas needed each and every one of his side's, even if they'd all be better off without that snake around…

Virgil looked towards Remus, frowning. After all this time, it was weird to see him standing with everyone else. That was partly Virgil's own fault. The weird thing, though, was that Remus still believed in Deceit. That trust should have been broken long ago. It was just going to hurt more the longer it was allowed to remain.

Roman gestured dramatically to the entrance of the maze, breaking Virgil out of his thoughts.

"Now," he said confidently, "we head into the unknown."

"Think David Bowie will be at the center of the labyrinth?" Remus asked, though Virgil could tell that he didn't think that there was any chance he would be. "That would be cool."

"I doubt it," Logan said, adjusting his glasses. "It's far more likely that it will be Deceit himself. Or, the exit is not at the center, but instead at the far wall."

"Perhaps a minotaur!" Roman exclaimed. Virgil's eyes widened. That was right. Anything could be in there. Anything. This was dangerous, they could get hurt; so many things could go wrong.

"That'd be neat!" Remus chirped. "Unless it kills us- that'd just be inconvenient. And messy. Imagine-"

"No thank you," Virgil interrupted. "Let's just… let's just get moving."

For as much as he didn't want to go, they couldn't just stay here. Roman and Remus took the lead again and Virgil, casting a regretful glance towards the exit, followed them through the entrance.

The maze was troubling. Logan reviewed the sketch he and Roman had made while discussing different possibilities. They could rule out several possible paths, but without being able to see the entirety of the labyrinth, they couldn't know for sure which way they should go.

It was getting late already. Thomas would need to leave soon and eat- and then preferably go to sleep. Logan didn't like the idea of leaving him alone, however. The best side to send with him would probably be Virgil, as he was the best at dissuading Thomas from acting foolishly. However, Virgil would likely become more anxious at having such a large responsibility, especially if he knew that everyone else was still inside the maze. The stress would greatly impact his ability to help Thomas.

Logan himself was probably the next best choice, but he had the feeling that he wouldn't actually be able to do much. Would one of Thomas's friends be willing to stay with him? No, Thomas wouldn't agree to that plan. He'd likely see it as wasting their time. So what was the best course of action? Maybe they could send Virgil back, and when Thomas was asleep they could continue on when Virgil returned? Then they could send someone out again when Thomas woke up to make sure he ate and then bring him back here. They would be able to keep an eye on him that way.

Yes. They would stop soon and rest, and once Thomas was asleep they would continue on. That would work, wouldn't it? As long as the rest of them remained here, whoever went with Thomas should be able to use them as an anchor and rise up in the same place.

This could actually work. They just needed to go a bit farther, and then they could rest.

Remus hummed a mindless tune as they continued down the hall. He could see the turn up ahead, and according to Logan's map, it widened into a larger area that split off into several different paths. Good enough place to go as any other, he supposed.

His mind wandered as he walked. Was there going to be something in the room? A monster to rip their arms off? A puzzle to keep them trapped? Was it simply a larger area for variety's sake? Whatever it was, it was just up ahead…

Turns out, it was the third option. Boring. The space was wide and open, with three different paths branching off of it. There wasn't anything else interesting there, just tall stone walls and a smooth floor. Honestly, it was kinda disappointing. Where was Deceit’s usual flair?

"Before we go any further," Logan said, "I think we should stop here."

"Why?" Patton asked, worry written clearly across his face.

"Thomas should leave and eat, and most likely sleep. One of us can make sure he rests before returning here. Besides that, we need to take the occasional break as well."

"What? No," Thomas said. "I don't wanna go. I'm not even hungry, I should stay and help."

"Whether you are hungry or not, you still need to eat. You can rejoin us in the morning. We will know when you are awake, so one of us can retrieve you."

Thomas shook his head.

"No. I don't want to," He looked at the rest of them, a bit desperate. "Tell him I can stay."

"Kiddo," Patton said gently. "I think it's a good idea. You should rest."

Thomas pouted, but no one came to his aid. After a moment, he slumped in defeat. "Fine… but I'm coming back."

"Then we'll be happy to have you. Just after you take a break," Logan said, and Thomas relaxed. Logan cast a look at Virgil. "Would you make sure he gets to sleep alright?"

"Uh ...Yeah. Yeah, I can do that," he murmured. He took Thomas's hand, and sank out.

"Well… what do the rest of us do?" Roman asked.

"Gladiator match?" Remus suggested. The looks he got from the others immediately put the idea to rest. A pity.

"We could have a picnic," Patton said. "If we're going to take a break, then we should eat."

Logan nodded. They didn't need to eat, exactly, but eating and sleeping seemed to help them function better to some extent. "That would be for the best. Roman?"

Remus watched as his brother summoned a large blanket, slightly offended that they hadn't asked him to help as well. He understood where they were coming from, but it still hurt. Roman summoned the food next, but it looked a bit less substantial than normal. Figures that Roman wouldn't have the patience to master food summoning. It was a bit more complicated than other objects, but Remus had expected Roman to focus on it more than he apparently did. Still, despite the fact that it looked partially crossed into another dimension, it looked good.

Save for the fact it was all healthy. Not even a brownie lay in sight. Just meats and vegetables and bread rolls- questing food, mostly. Honestly, he was this close to just disowning his brother entirely.

"Oh! This looks great!" Patton said excitedly, settling down on the edge of the blanket. Roman summoned a pitcher of water, cups, plates, and utensils as well, all fit for a king. Logan sat down, and Roman followed suit. They glanced up at Remus when he remained standing.

"Is… is something wrong?" Roman asked, either confused or worried. He couldn't really tell. Remus sighed.

"Yes. Yes, I think there is," he said, voice uncharacteristically solemn. They frowned, concerned.

"What is it?" Logan asked. Remus gestured to the food.

"That. It's all horribly nutritious. We need something to balance it out."

They blinked.

"That's it?" Roman asked. "That's the big problem? Well, I'm sorry that I can't make dessert, then. That's more of Patton's thing, and he can't summon."

"...I can," Remus offered slowly. Roman drew back in surprise.

"You want to make food?" he asked, incredulous. Remus huffed. It was obvious why he was reacting that way. He probably thought that anything Remus made would be rotten, or moldy, or full of maggots- and while yes, that was a distinct possibility if he was creating them from nothing, as his thoughts tended to slip into things he was summoning, but if he was just transporting things, they'd be just as they were before.

And his procrastination earlier had led to him making a lot of food. The only problem was he'd have to reveal his secret in order to give it all away… The opportunities to prank them all with the candy would disappear. Still, he couldn't let them eat only healthy things. What kind of person would he be if he did?

"I already made food. This morning, before you summoned me. Though, it's less food and more candy."

"You can make candy?" Patton gasped, eyes wide with excitement.

Remus held a hand to his chest proudly.

"Why, yes. Yes I can," he said, smiling. "And no, Roman, it isn't full of ant legs. It's perfectly fine."

Roman opened his mouth, but then closed it. He couldn't deny that he'd been thinking about it, or something similar. Logan cleared his throat.

"Eating a large amount of unhealthy foods is not usually something I support, but if you would like to contribute, then I can make an exception," he said. "Though I must ask, do you summon the candy itself or do you make it from scratch?"

"Uh… I summon the ingredients most of the time - takes forever to get right, though, even longer than making the actual food -, but I make the other stuff normally?" Remus offered. "It works out better the less summoning is involved, both quality and not having something pop in on accident."

"...You said most ingredients?"

"Oh, um… Deceit grows some things for me. Cocoa, sugarcane, and stuff. We'd all make the sugar and cocoa powder together, but… since Virgil left, it's been less efficient."

"Fascinating," Logan's eyes were practically glowing. "Would- would you allow me to assist you the next time? I would love to see the process."

Remus hesitated. The offer was good, and another set of hands would make it all go faster, but… "Maybe. I'll… I'll think about it."

Before Logan could say anything else, Virgil reappeared, sighing.

"That was easier than I thought. He ate a sandwich and kinda just passed out. Guess he was more tired than he… Uh…" He looked at the picnic, the three sitting sides, and finally Remus, who was still standing. "What's this?"

"We thought we should have a picnic while we took a break!" Patton explained. He patted the ground next to him, and Virgil sat. He eyed the food with a critical expression.

"What? No desserts after a long day?" he asked, only slightly teasing. Patton perked up.

"Actually, Remus was just volunteering to make some!"

Virgil's gaze snapped to Remus, surprised.

"You told them?" he asked. Remus hesitated.

"Not quite," he admitted. Roman eyed them suspiciously.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Most of what I've made… look like other things," he sighed. They all waited, glancing between themselves when he didn't elaborate.

"...Like what?" Patton finally asked. Remus frowned, finally sitting down. Or, it was more like collapsing.

"Other stuff I eat. Tide Pods, deodorant, bleach… I make candy copies so I can prank people."

Roman stood suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Yesterday! When you gave Virgil deodorant, it wasn't deodorant at all, was it?!"

Virgil snickered, and Remus gave a small grin.

"Nope. One hundred percent deodorant free," he said smugly. "Fell for it, did you?"

Roman flushed. "That's… that's not important!" He snapped. Remus rolled his eyes.

"Sure it's not. Whatever. Not all of it looks like that, but some do. Fair warning." And then, with a snap of his fingers, all of the confections he'd made appeared on the blanket, nestled between Roman’s contributions. Little sticks of taffy, little glass bottles full of different sodas, carmel blocks, candy canes, and more. The different copies of his foods lay in bowls, and one of two jugs of bleach was quickly snatched up by Virgil.

Everyone eyed the new additions somewhat suspiciously, but upon seeing Virgil begin to drink - straight out of the jug, sheesh, save some for the rest of them - they lightened up.

Everyone dug in. Roman's food was alright, but didn't have quite the same quality of normal food. Once they get Deceit back, Remus decided, he was going to convince the Side to make dinner for everyone; Then they could finally see what awesome food tasted like.

It was a while before they started to try the candy, but he could see that Patton enjoyed it. Logan seemed pleasantly surprised, and Roman looked to be hiding how much he liked it under an air of disinterest. Remus hesitated, debating with himself, before summoning a bar of chocolate into his hand. Virgil's head snapped up immediately, his eyes wide.

"Is that-"

"It is. This is the only one I've got, too."

Virgil's hand snapped out, motioning for Remus to hand it over. "Give it to me. I'm your favorite here, right? I should get it."

The others glanced between them curiously.

"Uh… what's the big deal? It's just chocolate, right?" Roman asked. Virgil hissed at him.

"No offense to you or Patton, but the chocolate you guys make is dirt compared to what Remus makes," he said. Remus tried not to be flattered by the complement, and failed miserably.

"Oh!" Logan said. "Is this made with the cocoa you and Deceit grow, then?"

"Yep," Remus said, nodding. Virgil wiggled the fingers on his still outstretched hand, reaching out for the chocolate.

"Give it to me," he demanded- a slight whine to his words. Remus raised an eyebrow.

"I dunno… you didn't help make it, and I kinda accidentally swore my eternal gratitude to Logan, since he found the door into this place…"

Everyone else blinked while Logan only frowned, confused, then smiled slightly.

"Well then… you may repay me by sharing the chocolate with everyone," he said. Virgil grinned.

"Yes, please! My arm is getting tired."

Remus sighed, but broke the chocolate up so there was a piece for each of them. Virgil's eyes lit up with triumph as he took his portion. Honestly. Deceit was much more of a sweets person than Virgil was, and even he wasn't this bad. They didn't have to be so dramatic.

His confections earned high praise from them all, which left him feeling lighter than he had been in weeks. Hm. Maybe sharing really was caring. Eventually, though, the picnic was snapped away. They'd wasted enough time here; it was time to find Deceit. So together, they moved along the left path, heading deeper into the labyrinth.

Chapter Text

"You can't be serious," Roman groaned. They'd been walking for what felt like hours, backtracking over and over again as they hit dead ends at every turn. In fact, this had been the last path they could take without going all the way back to where they'd had their picnic, and it was another dead end. Seriously, it was like Deceit didn't even want them to find him. Or, well, that was probably exactly right. "Whoever chose this way, I hate you and you should carry me back."

"Hold on a second, Roman," Logan said, walking past him to the wall blocking their path. He knelt in front of it, leaning close to the ground.

"Uh, Lo?" Virgil asked slowly. "What are you doing…?"

"There's a gap here in the rock, between the wall and the floor," Logan replied, bending down until his face was nearly touching the floor. "Aha! There's some kind of switch. Does anyone have something long and thin?"

Roman smacked Remus's shoulder before he could even begin a response to that, receiving a put out glare for his efforts, before summoning a ruler and passing it into Logan's waiting hand. It was the first thing he thought of- which was really Logan's fault for acting like a professor all the time. Maybe if he was cooler then Roman would've thought to give him a sword or something, rather than school supplies. Honestly, his gifts of conjuration were being wasted here, and- And actually, speaking of that… Roman paused, tilting his head as he looked up at the walls around them. Couldn't he just…?

"You know what?" he said, "I'm just going to summon a ladder."

"You could've done that this whole time?" Virgil asked sharply.

"Yes, but I didn't see you realizing that," he huffed, crossing his arms.

Virgil sputtered, waving his hands in a somehow accusing manner. "I'm not the one who can conjure!"

"Now, now kiddo's," Patton said calmly, cutting off Roman's chance of a retort. "Now is not the time for fighting. Violence is never the answer."

"Oh? Then what about the times you say you'll fight Virgil?" Roman asked. Patton frowned, fixing him with a level stare.

"I fight people with friendship," he said seriously, almost coldly, before breaking into a grin. "Hugs, puns, and tickle fights only!"

"Fighting aside," Logan interjected, rising from the ground. "If you could get us to the top of the walls, we could traverse this maze far faster than we are now."

"If we fell off we'd hit the ground," Remus said brightly, though softer than he usually did. "Our bones will shatter, and our skulls will crack open and blood will splatter everywhere! Logan, can Sides die for real? Because this is how you get dead."

Logan sighed. "While it is true that we would get hurt, Sides cannot truly die. Still, it would be best to avoid falling- and that includes pushing people off the edge, Remus."

Remus pouted, and Roman groaned. "Tell me you weren't really going to do it," he said, and Remus just grinned at him.

"Maybe, maybe not," he said, rocking back and forth on his heels. Roman glared at him, but it didn't seem to have any effect. Remus wouldn't actually go that far, would he? Roman wasn't actually sure, and that… that was not a comforting realization. But surely, without some kind of reason, Remus would keep himself in check? Unless this whole situation counted as a reason...

"If any of us are harmed," Logan cut in, "it would slow down our progress significantly. If we want to find Deceit quickly, we can't partake in senseless violence."

"...Oh. Right," Remus said softly, frowning and looking at the ground. "Right. No falling to our non-deaths then."

He almost seemed sad. Not because of the cap on hurting anyone, not really, but… there was something else there. Roman frowned, but filed it away for later.

"Ah... Right then! Let's get going," he said, and with a snap of his fingers a ladder appeared. It was tall and sturdy, made of dark, polished wood and ending evenly with the wall. "I'll go first."

There were no objections, so Roman began climbing. And climbing... and. And that couldn't be right. The wall seemed to get no shorter, no matter how high Roman climbed. Surely, it was just his mind playing tricks on him, right? It was just some kind of optical illusion. Except, it wasn't. He reached the top of the ladder, and the wall still stretched high above him. He looked down, the faces of his companions hard to make out with the distance. He was where the wall had stopped, of that he was certain. But the walls, it seemed, had climbed along with him.

Of course Deceit couldn't let things be that easy. Of course things had to be more difficult than they should be. Roman just didn't get it. What reason would Deceit have for forcing them through a puzzle? A maze? Roman was all for quests and traps most of the time, but this? The longer this took, the more time Thomas was in danger. This wasn't a game. Deceit of all people should know that- he was self preservation! Remus and Logan seemed intent on making sure they all knew it, so what reason could he have for all of this?

He just… he just didn't understand. Maybe he could see why Deceit would leave- maybe. But this just felt like he was taking it too far.

Roman sighed, and with a final glare at the wall, he started back down the ladder.

Logan frowned as he stared up at the walls of the maze. With each rung that Roman climbed the walls grew, stopping only when he reached the top of his ladder and could no longer continue. Logan took note of the fact that only the walls on the sides of the corridor they were in grew, not the ones farther away.

This certainly was interesting. Deceit, it seems, had built a defense into the maze, making sure they would have to play by his rules. It made sense, and the craftsmanship of the room was to be admired, but it was still more irritating than not. The sooner they could get to Deceit the better.

Logan could understand Deceit ducking out. At least, he could try. He wasn't the best with feelings or recognizing emotion (he couldn’t even understand his own), but he knew well that they could drive you to making rash decisions. This maze, however… it was calculated. It was intentional. The quality and reality of it was a testament to the thought that had been put into its construction, and that begged the question of why?

Why would Thomas's own self preservation put so much effort into putting him in danger? If Deceit was calm enough to do this, shouldn't he have been calm enough to realize he was making a mistake? From what Logan had seen, Deceit was intelligent. He valued skill and wit over brawn and reckless conclusions- they had that in common. So Logan just didn't understand. Honestly, he wanted to find Deceit even just to ask him about it, never mind the necessity of having each Side present and performing. And, to accomplish either of those goals, they had to find the end of this maze.

Logan looked back to the dead end they'd come to, and the small slit in the rock between it and the floor. He peered through the gap, hearing Roman's feet meet the ground again as he lined up the ruler he'd been given with the small switch hidden away inside. It wasn’t just a one flick and your done kind of thing; the switch was locked by other mechanisms. It was annoying, but easy enough.

"Who else is getting the feeling that Deceit just doesn't want to see us?" Roman asked, sounding both irritated and offended at once. Logan frowned, glancing up at him before returning to his work.

"That… that would be the whole point of ducking out, Roman," he said slowly. There was an exasperated huff from behind him.

"I know that, but-"

"You guys were awful," Remus interrupted, voice cold. "Honestly, if he had tried to kill you then and there, I would've helped him."

There was a thick silence, and even Logan had to pause in his attempts to push the switch into place. Roman was the one to break the tension, laughing however stiffly. It would have been more effective if he didn't sound so awkward and uncomfortable.

"You, you always say that," he said, waving a careless hand as if that could banish the venom in the Duke's voice.

"You don't really mean it," Patton added hesitantly. It was the wrong thing to say it seemed, as Remus whirled around to snarl at Patton, wild and angry.

"Don't!" he growled. "You can't tell me what I do and don't mean, Morality. And while you might be right about it sometimes, I assure you that I would have certainly helped him kill you if he had started it." Remus huffed sharply. "You're lucky Deceit isn't as violent as I am."

"That and petty," Virgil muttered. "All we did was say a few things, and you're gunning for murder?"

Logan sat up fully and turned all his attention their way just in time to see the morning star appear in Remus's hands.

"Oh, that's right!" Remus said, the brightness to his voice somehow sickeningly sweet. The mirth faded just as fast as it had come as he continued. "Sticks and stones may break your body into bloody pieces, but I'm sure you all know good and well that words can do much worse. It isn't as if you just told him to leave or said he's bad for Thomas. You said he was bad in general! You said that all he's ever done is hurt you with the intention of, and for the sake of, hurting! You implied he was manipulating me into some evil plan while all he's ever done is try to help. You always do this!"

Remus shook his head sharply, knuckles white around the handle of his weapon. Logan noted with growing concern that Remus was trembling, voice sharp but holding a note of weakness- like one push was all it would take for him to break. Logan couldn't tell if it was out of anger or sadness. He didn't know which would be worse.

"Remus," Roman said weakly. "We- we didn't mean to be cruel, it's just-"

"I know what you meant," Remus snapped. "You wanted him gone. You wanted to keep him away from your precious paradise, and I don't care!"

"Most of what we said was to you," Virgil said, and though he was clearly trying to appear strong, he looked uncomfortable, his eyes darting every so often to the morning star Remus still held. "You wouldn't drop the subject. We explained it to you, we weren't talking to hi-"

"And that makes it better?" Remus interrupted. Logan was starting to worry that letting this conversation continue might actually result in bloodshed, but… it felt too important to stop prematurely. "Sure, you didn't say it to him, but you said it right in front of him. He still heard you! You still hurt him!"

"Remus, you need to calm down," Roman warned. "Fighting won't help anyone. We can just-"

"No! This isn't- He ducked out!" Remus sounded nearly desperate now. "Do you- do you have any idea how hurt self preservation has to be to do something that goes against that?!"

"Please," Virgil growled, "if he really cared about Thomas's well-being, he wouldn't have gone this far. He knew full well what would happen! You say he isn't trying to hurt Thomas, but now he turns around and hurts him on purpose! If you're so convinced that he wouldn't do that-"

"Did you want to hurt Thomas? Were you trying to hurt Thomas? No! But you still ducked out when you felt like an outsider, just like he did!"

"Kiddos," Patton said, voice trembling slightly. Logan's attention snapped towards him suddenly, and his eyes widened as he took in the wet sheen of unrealized tears in the other Side's eyes. "Please stop fighting. This- this is all my... I'm sorry, I just…"

Remus turned his head slightly to look at Patton, opening his mouth to speak, but Roman interrupted.

"He's right. We need to keep going. We're wasting time," he said, and Remus paused, before seemingly retreating into himself. His grip on his morning star loosened, and then he simply dropped it. It disappeared before it could hit the ground.

"...Fine," he muttered, anger still clear on his face, but now joined with… resignation. "Let's just go."

Logan cleared his throat, slowly rising from the ground. He adjusted his glasses, internally rethinking his decision even as he acted on it.

"Actually," he said slowly, and everyone turned to look at him. "I think that this needs to be discussed."

"Uh, Logan, no offense, but all of this," Virgil gestured around wildly, "isn't going to help us."

"I disagree."

"Specs," Roman said carefully, "maybe this should wait until… until everyone is a bit calmer."

“No," Logan said, shaking his head. "If these problems are not resolved now, they are just going to continue to get worse. If we look at this situation from all angles, you will see that all sides of this argument have a point, and they all have their shortcomings."

The others all glanced between themselves, though Remus simply stared at Logan, waiting with a near desperate hope almost hidden in his eyes. After a moment, Patton spoke up.

"W-well… Could you explain that?" he asked. Logan nodded, smiling slightly.

"Firstly, Remus is right," he began, continuing before anyone could cut him off. "The things we said, even if true from our perspectives, were extremely hurtful, as was ignoring Deceit in that conversation. I think we can all agree that we would be negatively affected by any one of the things we said if they had been directed towards us. Besides, that was far from the first time we’ve done so, whether we were talking to Deceit himself, each other, or even Thomas."

Remus grinned, snapping and pointing at Logan excitedly.

"Yes! You get it! Oh, you really aren't Logic for nothing!" he exclaimed. Logan nodded, but otherwise didn't respond.

"Furthermore," he continued, "as Remus pointed out, ducking out isn't exactly a… new scenario."

"I-" Virgil cut himself off, jaw locking as he searched for words.

"Hey, don't be mean," Patton said. "Virgil was just doing what he thought was best!"

"Sure," Logan said. "But it wasn't. I'm not trying to be cruel, I am merely stating facts." He sighed softly. "But moving on from Remus's side of things, Deceit has not shown himself to be trustworthy. Near the opposite, really. And… looking at the workmanship of this room, either Deceit ducked out with a clear, unhindered mind, or he was planning on this for a while. I'm inclined to believe the former, but either option casts a negative light on Deceit's choice to duck out. Virgil set the precedent, and so wasn't aware of just how badly his choices would affect Thomas. Deceit, on the other hand, would have known."

There was a silence- soft and considering, and only a little sharp. Remus was frowning, looking up at the walls with a new uncertainty. Eventually, Roman tried for a smile.

"Well, that's… that's all true," he said. "Um… good job, Logan."

"It's my pleasure," Logan replied, a soft sense of warmth growing in his chest, even as it was tempered by the stress of the situation. "Now… are we ready to move on?"

"...Yeah," Virgil said quietly. "I don't want to be here any longer than necessary."

"Alright then," Logan said. He knelt on the ground again, and finally hit the switch. There was a soft click, and the wall gave way.

Patton didn't know what to think anymore.

One the one hand, he knew for a fact that lying was wrong. That was what Deceit pushed for, wasn't it? Sure, he also took a good deal of self preservation, but that wasn't his name. He wasn't Dreams, or Desire, or anything like that, even with how much he seemed to try to get Thomas to chase after all the things he wanted. He wasn't even Selfishness. He was Deceit, and that had to be for a reason.

Deceit was a selfish, manipulative liar. He disguised himself as other people, and tried to trick Thomas into being a bad person. He was- ...he was bad. That's what all of Patton's instincts told him.

But on the other hand… as he looked back on everything, he realized that here was a reason for Deceit to act in such a way. Why would he disguise himself? Because they wouldn't listen if he came as himself- at least, not easily. Why would he try to get Thomas to lie? To help him achieve the things he wanted. Why push for them to be selfish? To finally fulfill their dreams, and to keep Thomas healthy.

Patton glanced at Remus, heart still thrumming with fear and guilt as he remembered just how badly this all seemed to be affecting the duke. He hadn't been sure if Remus was going to attack them or not, but given his track record… Patton shuddered. It was hard for him to understand how upset Remus was about their treatment of Deceit, but Patton found that if he ignored who they were, then…

If someone said the kind of things that they had about Virgil or Roman or Logan… Patton would be furious too. Looking at it that way, Patton could see that… that they had said a lot of things they probably shouldn't have. They could have handled it better. They could have been better, and avoided all of this. And speaking of the situation… it was bad. Thomas was hurting so much, because…. Because Deceit was gone. Patton never gave much thought to how important the Side might be, but it seemed like the answer was very. But still, he was hurting Thomas with all his attempts to make Thomas bad, and do bad things.

Didn't Virgil do that too? The thought crept into his mind uninvited. Virgil had been cruel to Thomas, to Patton, to everyone. He had shot ideas down, canceled plans, and sent them all into more anxiety attacks than Patton cared to remember. But- that was different. Virgil had been hurting, and doing his best to help. He hadn't known a better way, and has since changed. But then… hadn't Patton just reasoned that Deceit didn't have a better way either?

And what about Remus? Patton tried to shake the thought away - too much guilt followed it - but it forced its way into his head all the same. He had forced Remus away, and at the time it felt like the logical solution. The ideas Remus had, his impulsiveness, the things he tried to suggest… they were, more often than not, horrible. So, as Patton had thought back then, why keep them?

The answer, then, was because forcing Remus away had only hurt them in the long run. It hurt them all in some way, especially Roman- and Remus himself, of course. And like Logan had said yesterday - and was it really only yesterday? -, not everything the Duke brought to the table was bad. True, there was a lot that was definitely not okay, but they didn't need to use those ones, or act on every impulse. Maybe as they listened to more of Remus's contributions, the amount of those thoughts would decrease even, since they wouldn't be added to by their attempts at repression anymore.

This too was another uncomfortable parallel to Deceit, though. Not everything he contributed was bad, but not all of it was good either. Their attempts to keep him away resulted in hurting both Deceit and Remus- and now even Thomas.

He hadn't expected Remus and Virgil to argue that much, but it was clear that what had happened had cut Remus deep. Patton should have tried harder to stop the fight, but shock and guilt made his mind stutter and his tongue turn leaden. Maybe it was a good thing that he hadn't interrupted. It had given him time to see the consequences of what had happened. It was clear that Deceit had been pushed too far as well- Patton had seen the tears that were barely held at bay when they were explaining to Remus why Deceit couldn't stay, he just… forced himself not to care. Honestly, at first he had thought that it might have been a trick. After he ducked out, though… well. Patton realized they had been real.

But Logan had a point too. This place had far too much thought put into it. If Deceit had thought about it this much, why hadn't he realized just how bad of an idea ducking out was? Patton could think of only three possibilities to explain it.

One, he really was just as bad as they all thought, and now they had absolute proof of it. Two, he had realized it was a bad idea, but thought that even with how foolish this was, him leaving would still be better in the long run. The thought that anyone could be hurting to such an extent made Patton's heart ache, but his thoughts selfishly whispered that maybe he was right, and Virgil and Logan could simply figure out how to take over Deceit's duties. He tore that thought to shreds.

The third option was somehow the most gut wrenching for Patton to consider. Logan had said it was possible that Deceit had been considering this for a while, and had created this place long before now. If that was true, and Deceit had been so hurt to be prepared to leave…

So he was torn. Right and wrong. Good and bad. He had spent so long knowing that the others were wrong, and that he was right. He'd thought that it had to be true. After all, he was Morality. Of course he knew best. But then he realized Anxiety, for all his grumbling and sharp tongue, was actually just scared and lost. Remus was less a purposeful monster, and was instead a struggling Side who needed help, not isolation. And now Deceit-

...Deceit had always been Patton's rival. He had been since they first formed. Deceit was the dark to Patton's- to Thomas's light. He was the villain cut straight from the storybook. But Patton was slowly realizing that while that might be true, Deceit was also another Side- one that could be hurt just as much as any other.

Remus had said he tried to make Thomas realize he wasn't perfect, tried to make Thomas see that he and Deceit were a part of him. He said that was the plan, meaning Deceit had to have had a part in it. But… Patton wasn't forcing Remus out because of it. He wasn't condemning Virgil for his past cruelty.

Virgil had learned. Remus could change. And now Deceit… Now Patton couldn't pretend. He couldn't say Deceit was evil. He couldn't say that all Deceit did was hurt and manipulate. He couldn't say that he was cold and unfeeling. Patton couldn't lie.

Ironic, he thought, that getting rid of Deceit resulted in this as well. Because now… Evil was relative to a person's own views. Logan had said that once. Deceit provided help and safety, acting as self preservation. He could be and was hurt, and angry, and sad- at least, Patton was pretty sure he was. So which was it? Was Deceit good or bad? Neither? Maybe Remus and Deceit were both in a class of their own, a gray area that Patton knew should be there, but had never quite been able to see.

But then again, maybe he wasn't. Patton shook his head, closing his eyes tightly. He just couldn't figure this out. He couldn't decide. He'd always been so sure that, as Morality, the things that went against his opinions were wrong. But, wasn't that immediate form of dismissal wrong as well? Patton almost preferred how things were back then, when he could be assured that he was right, no matter what.

He wouldn't really go back to those times, but… It was hard knowing that he was actually wrong, that he had messed up, made one too many mistakes. Though, he didn't really even know if that was true.

And that was the problem, wasn't it? He just didn't know.

Patton swallowed, trying to force all these offending thoughts back into the depths of his mind. He had to focus. Once they found Deceit… then he could figure out whether or not he'd been wrong. For now, they just needed to move on. So, he forced himself to focus on Logan, despite how much his gaze continued to try to dart over to look at Remus, who was a black and green blur in the corner of his eye. Guilt still roiled in his stomach, making him feel sick.

A soft click sounded as Logan managed to hit whatever switch was hiding in the crack in the wall - and Patton made a note to thank Logan for finding it in the first place - and the wall sunk into the ground without a sound. It just disappeared, revealing a wider, room-like area that was nearly identical to the spot they'd had their picnic in earlier.

There was one notable difference though. There were no halls branching off of it; instead, a basin jutted out from the far wall, filled with what looked like small, glass marbles.

"Well…" Roman said slowly, still a bit too hesitant and a bit too quiet. "This is weird."

"That coming from you?" Virgil asked, voice trembling slightly. Patton supposed the earlier argument had shaken all of them. Roman huffed lightly, but it was clear he was just trying to lighten the mood.

"Come on, thunderstorm! You know you love me," Roman hesitated then, before his face grew serious again. "But I know a thing or two about quests, and this is starting to look more and more like one."

"Well, we won't know what it is until we go," Logan said, and stepped forward into the room. ...Nothing happened. For some reason, Patton had been expecting it too. The fact that it hadn't was a relief, though the longer nothing happened the worse it felt things would become.

The group followed behind Logan, and Patton moved to step into the room before he realized that Remus was lingering in the back, away from them all. Before Patton realized what he was doing, he dropped back as well.

"...I'm sorry," he whispered, not looking at Remus. "For everything."

He heard the Duke's foot catch on the ground, and the following silence as Patton didn't say anything else. Not giving Remus the chance to reply, Patton moved away to catch up with Virgil.

Roman looked curiously at the stone basin. It jutted out from the wall, the same boring gray as the rest of the labyrinth. Small, round indentations lined its brim, all evenly spaced. The really odd thing, though, were the marbles inside it. There were dozens of them, each one perfectly clear, reflecting the light.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't using them to avoid thinking. He'd also be lying if he said it was working. The argument, Logan's explanation, the quest… all of it just chipped away at him. He still just- he just didn't know what to do.

So it sure was great that he had a mysterious basin to think about instead.

"I do not understand the purpose," Logan said quizzically. "What's the point of this?"

"It might be a distraction," Virgil suggested quietly, though it sounded more like a question. Roman frowned.

"Could be, but Deceit doesn't seem the type to leave a distraction with so little flair," he said. Curious, he reached out and moved to grab one of the marbles, only to jerk his hand back with a yelp as they all flared a bright, angry red. The color faded as soon as he pulled away from it, but he still watched for any other change.

"What was that?!" Virgil demanded. Patton approached, tilting his head. Remus wasn't too far behind, but was eerily silent.

"What happened?" Patton asked.

"I-I just touched them and they started to glow!" Roman exclaimed. The things were still just sitting there, clear and plain, but he didn't trust that. They were just waiting, though for what, he didn't know. Logan hummed, thinking.

"Perhaps we're meant to use them for something? It could be a puzzle," As he spoke, he slowly lifted a hand and took one of the glass beads. Again, they all flared brightly for a moment, but this time they became a deep blue. As Logan took one marble the others cleared again, but the one in his hand stayed glowing, a solid, deep sea blue.

"A puzzle?" Virgil said, frustrated. "Like we needed more problems."

Patton hesitated, before taking one as well, gasping in delight at the bright, crystal blue that sparked to life at his touch. Roman slowly took one of his own, realizing that the marble was the same shade of red as his sash. Well… at least it matched his outfit. Remus was silent as he took one, a noxious, toxic green coloring the glass. ...Roman was actually starting to worry about how quiet Remus had been getting, but he shelved the thought for now. He could address it later. Right now, they needed to, ah. To figure out what the heck they were meant to do here.

"Virge?" Patton asked softly, and the Side huffed, reluctantly taking a marble of his own. It was a deep purple, and Virgil held it like it might turn into a snake and bite him. Roman hesitated. Was it possible that they could hurt them in some way…?

Before that line of thought could continue, a soft crack filled the air. Roman jumped, looking back at the wall that held the basin. Chips of the wall were crumbling away, stone fragments falling to the floor. As the cracks grew, a soft white light began to shine without the covering. Eventually, the fissures formed into words, bright and shining calligraphy carved in stone.

Honestly, maybe Roman should try to get Deceit to help him in the Imagination some time. He could probably help to make the quests more interesting, maybe even- Roman shoved those thoughts away. That all depended entirely on whether or not Deceit was on their side, and the answer to that question was currently up in the air.

Roman frowned as he read the words that now presented themselves on the wall. 'What breaks without being touched?'

"A… a riddle?" he asked slowly. Logan shrugged.

"It seems so. I'm guessing that we all need to answer it," he said. No one spoke, and after a moment Logan sighed. "Alright, I'll go first then. A law, or a rule," he said confidently. "You can break them, but you can't touch them."

The marble in his hand flared brighter, shining brilliantly. One of the dips in the basin rim returned the glow, and after a moment of hesitation Logan cautiously set the marble into it. Another crack sounded, louder than the first, and a large split suddenly broke along the wall. Well then…

"Looks like Spec's was right," Roman said softly. He swallowed, and then he and Patton said at the same time: "A heart."

They jumped, looking at each other. Both their marbles began to glow brighter, but it was a flickering thing, like a candle on the verge of going out.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Patton said, covering his mouth with a hand. "I didn't mean to!"

"It's fine, Patton," Roman assured. "I'm sure it'll still work!"

"Maybe I can change my answer?" Patton asked, regardless of Roman's assurance. "Um… Oh! A promise!"

The blue glow of his bead solidified, and a smile lit up Patton's face as he set it into the corresponding slot and the wall broke down a bit more. The smile fell when he looked over at Roman. The red light was still weak and wavering, but, well, if Patton could change his answer, then there was no reason he couldn't do the same.

"Your will. Your will and convictions can break," Roman tried, and was rewarded with unfaltering light. He grinned as he set the marble into the basin's rim, causing another spattering of cracks to spread over the wall, before looking back at the others. "Well, Nanny McCreep-phee? It's your turn."

Virgil sighed.

"...How about trust? That sure as heck can break, and you're definitely not getting it back after that," The words were barbed and sharp, and Roman had to wonder if it was towards them, Remus, or Deceit. ...Probably that last one. Virgil placed his marble down without ceremony, then looked at Remus. The Duke was silent for a moment, frowning, just staring down at the green marble in his hand. Roman shifted slightly from foot to foot.

"Remus…?" Roman asked slowly. "Can you not think of anything?"

"...I'm always thinking of something, it's just a matter of what it is," Remus finally said. He looked up at them all, glanced at the wall, then looked back at the green marble he held. "...For one, that wall," he said, and to Roman's surprise, the marble and basin actually started to glow. He couldn't believe that actually worked. Remus apparently wasn't finished though. "And also, glass- you just need the right sound frequency. Your bones, since you're never touching them- that, or you're always touching your bones. Whatever."

With each answer the marble glowed brighter, and Remus still wasn't done.

"Your train of thought or the day. Your mind can shatter apart with just the slightest nudge," he continued. "A voice and silence. Tension. A habit. A family. Really, any bond you have for that matter. A fever."

The glass in his hand was casting dark shadows on his face now, the sickly green light shining in Remus's eyes as he grinned- though it was more bitter than anything else. The twisted expression sent a chill down Roman's spine. "Fun, isn't it? Just how many things can break, and you never really notice till it does? Patience snaps, hope shatters… lies fall apart."

Roman realized, suddenly, what Remus was talking about. The knowledge hit just as Remus said it, like a strike to the chest. "A person can break. They can shatter and fall and they can be crushed underneath their hearts or minds. A Side can break. Funny, how you never really think about that," Remus said, his voice light but still carrying that dark, bitterness inside it. The bead was glowing like a beacon.

No-one responded to Remus's rant, just humbly stepping out of his way as he approached the basin, placing his marble in another indentation in the rim.

The wall shattered.