It was night when Virgil started making his way out of the window from his room, sneaking past Logan's surveillance drones, and into the surrounding woods. Two weeks had gone by of them discussing, or more like arguing over which of the remaining destabilized giants to go after. Obviously, Roman wanted to save his brother as soon as possible! On top of that Logan supported his wishes based purely on the fact that Remus was closest to breaking apart.
However, Virgil wanted to go for Janus instead. He was the first to destabilize so Virgil thought it only fair and Patton agreed with him. Saying he'd suffered enough of not being able to remember his family for the past years. Yet, there was another reason the anxious side wanted to save him first...Janus's destabilization had been Virgil's fault. He was the one who started it and He had to be the first to end it!
A surprise was waiting for Virgil though, a note stuck to the outside window instructing him to come to the cave on the West side, signed Janus. The timing was uncanny as he stuffed it into his hoodie pocket. Virgil was now alone in the woods making haste towards the obvious trap awaiting him.
Unfortunately, Patton's sixth sense for tomfoolery kicked in as he suddenly woke up. Roman was snoring, Logan listening to his recorded tapes on scientific studies, and Virgil...nothing. Okay, that's weird. Usually his Stormcloud liked to fall asleep to the sound of rain or ocean waves. Pat turned the knob to find it unlocked and then to find no Virgil sleeping within. "Oh kiddo." He whispered, full of disappointment. He flew to the alarm and pressed the button to wake up the others.
"Holy! What, what is it?!"
"Ah! What time is it? Who hit the alarm?"
Patton stood in the hall with his arms crossed in full Dad mode.
"Virgil's gone."
"He's WHAT?!"
"You have got to be kidding me. H-he didn't...you know?"
Patton nodded. There was no way it could be anything else. "He's gone to meet with Janus."
"Are you sure?"
Just then Pat held up a crinkled note. It was the one Virgil thought he stuffed into his pocket, but it fell out while he climbed out the window. Pretty much Virge had made a lot of mistakes despite thinking he was being careful.
"Shit. I'll get my gear on." Roman ran back into his room and Logan followed suit. There was no telling how long it'd been since Virgil had left. They needed to hurry.
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Many Years Ago in the Mindscape
"Big bro Jan Jan!" Janus turned around to find himself being tackled by a slightly shorter side.
"Woah! Hey Virgil!" He smiled sweetly. "Be careful running around like that. What if you got hurt?" Virgie only giggled, "You're such a worrywart Big bro Janus!"
"Well, that is true, I am Protectiveness after-all. I'm here to make sure we stay safe and can protect Thomas when he needs us." He said as he took Virgil's hand. "I'm also here as your all's caretaker my little ball of Curiosity!"
The two used to be so close, just like brothers. Janus was always kind and stoic as he taught and cared for Virgil. He did the same for the other sides as well, since he was the most developed. Morality and Creativity being a little more mature than Virgil, as they all played together. To all of them Janus was like a guardian, despite all being the same age, and they loved him as such, but that did put a lot of pressure on the protective side.
One night, that pressure finally caused him to break. It was late when a strange sound caught his ear. "What was that?" He wondered, getting up from his bed to look down the hall. No one; still there was a slight breeze lingering below his feet. Is a window open or something? A sense of panic started setting in as he ran out to check on the others. Morality? He was sleeping while hugging one of many plushies. Then was Creativity okay? Yep, mumbling to himself about some dream. The last to check on was Curiosity...gone.
The window on the back wall was wide open as the cool night air taunted Janus's paled face. "Virgil! Virgil, where are you? Please, please come here if you can hear me!"
Where had he gone? Jan was trying hard to listen to any odd sounds around him, but the heart beat in his chest kept pounding. His eyes watery, ears ringing, why was this happening? Why did Virgil go outside when he'd been told to never leave the house without him? The stress had been building inside Janus for a while now.
His natural need to protect was eating away at him as the pressure grew. The pressure to be the perfect big brother Virgil idolized him for. The pressure to protect his family, protect Thomas, always be there, listen to their problems, and on and on! What about him? Didn't he matter just as much? When was someone going to protect him, listen to HIM!
"No one ever really listens." He grumbled.
*SNAP*
Quickly, Janus turned his head around in the direction of the sound. Running at full speed until he saw Virgil on his knees on the cliffside. What was he doing? "Virgil!" He shouted.
Virgil turned to look at his panicked friend and smiled as he started to get up. Waving his hand around like he hadn't a care in the world...and that's when it happened. A strong gust of wind hit, causing the curious side to topple over and begin rolling off the cliff. "NO!"
Without any hesitation Janus jumped down and curled himself around Virgil to protect him as they both fell off the side. This was it; Janus was going to break apart any minute now. He was going to disappear forever. It wasn't fair...he didn't deserve this! It was all Virgil's fault for going out at night, for not listening to his warnings about staying out of trouble. He'd given up so much to care for him, for ALL of them. At that moment something snapped inside of Janus as his body started to grow in size.
He easily filled the space below of the ravine he had moments ago been falling into. The heat and pain was so intense that he fainted, with a tiny Virgil still lying safely under his hand. An hour rolled by, before Virgil stirred awake and began taking in his surroundings. Yellow, warm, and soft? What had he landed on exactly and how was he perfectly okay? From what he could remember he had found a big hole in the Earth and was curious as to what was inside it. Then...he fell into it somehow? The now very confused side held his head as a distant, but familiar voice rang out in his head. Only to then be cut-off by the ground underneath him beginning to move.
"What the..."
He trailed off as his eyes wondered upwards to see a giant with hazy eyes looking down at him. OH SHIT! In a panic, Virgil slid down the side of the giant to hide behind some of the fallen rocks.
He clasped his hands over his mouth and started counting down in his head to control his breathing. While the giant rubbed his eyes, none the wiser to Virgil's stealthy escape.
"Where am I?" He groaned, working his way up to look around. "Some kind of ravine? Whatever, for now all I have is myself and that's all I need." Janus smirked as he walked away with a hum. Curiosity, now not so curious making sure the giant was gone before he made his way out and back home. All the while thinking how familiar the giant's voice was.
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Back to Current Time
Finally, he was here. The West side caves that Janus was hiding out in and enjoying his freedom ever since he destabilized. Virgil's nerves started to wear on him as to what this slippery snake had planned for him. Had Jan started to remember his past now that the others' memories were coming back? Or was something else completely different going on?
"Aaaaaahhhhhh" A long groan came from inside, followed by a hiss of pain. The ground shook violently, but Virgil managed to make his way inside. The sounds of discomfort vibrating off the walls until he reached a large opening covered in lights. The interior was quite cozy for a cave. Leave it to Janus to make any location a perfect hide away. "You're here!"
The greeting snapped Virgil out of his daze and back to the situation at hand. He'd refrained from increasing his size because he hadn't come for a fight.
"Deceit. Why did you call me here?" Virgil lacked information. He needed to see what Jan knew...what he remembered.
Janus bared his fangs with a toothy grin as he picked up his little guest. Luckily, no squeezing this time around. "Oh my dear little Virgil. Why do you think I called you here? I know you're the one doing this to me." This? What was he on about?
"What do you mean?"
The smile vanished as his grip tightened around Virgil making it hard to breath. "Ah...stop please...Janus." Suddenly, relief as the hand holding him relaxed. "That! Why are you calling me that?"
Virgil was still dazed from the lack of oxygen. He began wiggling his way out of the giant's hand and rapidly began increasing his own size to match Jan's. "You mean Janus. That's your name."
"No, no, no! My name is Deceit!" He banged his hand against the cavern wall as tiny items on shelves fell to the floor with a crash. "I don't know who you think I am, but this is who I am!"
"No, that's not true. Your name is Janus and you're one of us. A side...a light side. There is no dark side Jan. Just you and me, and...and your family."
"Family? Hahaha, what family? You LEFT ME! Remus left me. Everyone's left...me." The now sobbing Janus fell to his knees and wailed at the pain of past and present memories colliding inside his broken mind. "I don't want to be alone anymore."
"And you don't have to be Jan Jan." Warm hands, familiar hands embraced him in a welcoming hug as he continued to weep.
"I've been having these dreams. Where, we're all together in one house. I'm looking after you all as your big brother. Are these memories?"
"Yeah, they are."
"Why didn't I remember before then?"
"It's my fault. I'm so sorry Jan Jan. I-I was too curious and you got hurt trying to save me. You destabilized and turned into this monster in order to protect me!"
Virgil softly cried into Janus's shoulder as he held onto him tightly. Fearing he may disappear at any moment. "I remember now. Oh Virgil, it's alright. I forgave you a long time ago somewhere deep in my heart."
"R-really?!" Janus smiled and helped wipe away Virgil's tears as they both stood back up. "I think it's time I go back home to my family."
Right as the two of them started to leave the caves the trio of fashionably late heroes appears on the scene. "Virgil! Oh my gosh Sweetpea are you okay?"
The exhausted giant waved down to his friends to show he was well and good. "Stand back from that scaly fiend!"
"Roman, it's okay. He's started to remember."
"Remember? Do you mean to say he's begun restabilizing?" Logan perked up curiously.
"Yeah, though he's not running a fever yet so I'm not sure when the process will st-"
Just then a hot wave started to bubble up inside of Virgil as he toppled over in pain. His face sweaty and pale. Janus was confused until he noticed himself shrinking. "What is this?!"
Between gritted teeth, "You all need to get away from here. I'm not completely sure what's happening but I know it's dangerous to be near me right now!"
The group didn't ask questions, they trusted Virgil's judgement as they made their way quickly down the mountain. Meanwhile, Janus was shrinking fast and Virgil was crying out in extreme pain as his body grew rapidly. Soon he had reached his maximum height of 1000 feet, but he continued to grow. What was happening to him?
Once Janus had returned to the normal size of a human he too quickly got to somewhere safer than right next to a constantly growing giant.
"Janus! How is Virgil? What's going on?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know. I suppose if I had to guess he's stolen my height and added it on to his own."
"He's adding it on?"
"Yes, but not in an exact manner. He's already grown past 1000 feet, but adding mine on he would have stopped at 1070, but he hasn't."
"How big is he going to get then?"
Janus gulped as he looked back over to the mountain that Virgil's new size was slowly consuming, "I have no idea."
Virgil's body now laid on top of the mountain as he could finally feel himself cooling off. More memories returning to him as his eyes focused onto his surroundings. He had grown to a whopping 5000 feet, nearly a mile high! Virgil quickly spotted the others not too far away as he reached down to grab them up. They were so small he needed to be extremely careful with them. Virgil then laid back against the mountain and smiled. He loved seeing more of his family together again.
The others were mesmerized by his tremendous size. Roman and Patton were definitely blushing as they called out to him. "Are you feeling alright now Darling?"
"Yeah, I feel amazing honestly. Usually, I'm really scared and anxious when I'm so big, but this just feels so right."
They all knew how much Virgil enjoyed being big and they were happy to see him comfortable, still they had to wonder why this happened.
"Do you have any idea why this happened to you Stormcloud?" Virgil shook his head. He had no clue. "All I can say is that it was similar to the fever I had before, but it happened a lot quicker, so the pain was more intense."
"Then perhaps Janus's restabilization was a catalyst of sorts."
"A catalyst?"
"A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change."
"Seriously Logan, not really the time for a chemistry lesson."
"True, but I think a secondary definition is in order. A catalyst can be a person or thing that precipitates an event. The person being Janus and the event being the increased growth of Virgil."
"Well, besides all the science talk...what does that actually help us understand?"
"I'd need to do some tests and get more data, but my starting hypothesis is that somehow Virgil and his new stable form is linked to those who remain destabilized. That chaotic energy inside the body of someone unstable needs to go somewhere and I believe Virgil's body has adapted in a way that allows him to absorb it. Thus his increase in stature."
"So he eats crazy energy?"
"....yes Patton, Virgil now eats crazy energy."
That was cool! Either way, that was one giant down and one to go. Although, for now it was time to head on home. There Virgil and Janus could both rest and in the morning he'd get an earful from Logan and Patton on protocol and house rules for him running away after finding a note from a crazy giant serpent man. Still, a good ending for now.
To be continued.