Janus's POV
I was enjoying my time getting to know Emile's family, learning about everything from the different kinds of tea, to deep philosophical theories, to how marbles are made.
(Author's note: Here's a video if you're interested in how marbles are made)
"Yes, it's quite an interesting process. So much work just to make one little glass ball. Very fascinating. Not as important work as hat making, in my opinion, but certainly impressive." Emile's father chattered.
As he did, I noticed Remy running out of the courtyard, and couldn't help but feel concerned. "May I be excused? I think a friend of mine needs my help." I requested politely. "Oh yes, of course of course. I'll keep your tea warm while you're gone, do be back soon." The Hatter permitted. I nodded before getting up and taking my leave, giving Emile a reassuring look as I did since he seemed concerned. "What a nice fellow, and such fine taste in hats. A simple hat, yes, but simple can be the best way to go sometimes." I heard the Hatter chatter as I went to get Remus and Virgil.
They were both sitting with Belle and Beast. I could feel my shoulders become tense as I walked towards the table. Remus made a muffled sound to greet me, I'm assuming he was attempting to say "Jannie!" But his mouth was full of marshmallows so I couldn't tell. "What?" Virgil asked him, turning to see me. "Oh, hey Janus. Remus was just trying to see how many marshmallows he could fit in his mouth." Virgil informed me, rolling his eyes. "I see..." I replied. My focus was lost to looking nervously towards the King and Queen. I quickly shook out of it. With a sigh, I turned my attention fully to Virgil.
"We... We have a situation." I told him. "What do you mean?" Beast asked in an intimidating tone. I felt my back tense up as I looked towards him. "Remy... Our friend friend ran off, I figured I'd get these two so that we could see what was wrong." I explained, attempting to sound calm. I managed to keep my voice from shaking, but, I might have sounded a little more intimidating than I meant to in the process. "Remy?" Virgil asked, quickly standing up. "Oh, uh... Is it okay if-" He began to ask as Remus stood up as well. "Yes, it's fine dear. Go help your friend." Belle assured him kindly.
"Alright, we will come back for the coronation. If we aren't back sooner, uh... thanks, for being patient with us... I know it's probably not ideal having us here." Virgil stammered a bit, looking down as he said this. Beast made a grumbling sound, but Belle gave Virgil a warm, reassuring smile. Even though it was directed at Virgil, I felt my own tension ease a bit as well. "It's not a problem. You are all welcome here." She assured him. Virgil only seemed to feel more anxious at her words, at her smile, but he nodded. "Thanks." He muttered before heading off. Remus and I followed.
It was kind of nice, in a way. Walking in a V formation, Remus and I walking behind Virgil and next to each other while Virgil lead us down the hall. It was like things had always been, before our group had been tossed around between our new friends. Hopefully, once we got used to this place, we'd be able to become more of a unit again.
We found Remy at his and Virgil's dorm, where he was laying on his bed hugging a pillow tightly. When we entered the room, he quickly sat up, put his sunglasses back on, and set the pillow aside. "Hey..." He murmured weakly. I have to admit, it was odd seeing him like this. Remy was usually so laid back and relaxed, he didn't take anything seriously. I always found it annoying, to be honest. Now I just felt concerned. "What happened" Virgil asked, sitting beside him.
Virgil's voice was soft... That was another thing that was different. Sure, we comforted each other when we were stressed, but usually that was through snapping each other out of whatever funk we were in.
Seems we're all learning from the Auradon kid's way of doing things.
"It's stupid." Remy dismissed, laughing a little at himself. "Try me." Virgil replied. Remy sighed, and looked up at the ceiling. "Trust me, you know I've gotten upset over the most stupid things. I can't really judge you here." Virgil added, putting his hands up in mock surrender. Remy snickered, and smiled a little. "I... I was trying to flirt with Patton... it was hard cause the dwarves were watching us and I've never flirted with a person I actually had feelings for. It was all going alright though, but... Then I messed up... well, almost messed up... I caught myself but... I guess it made me panic." He explained.
"What were you going to do?" Virgil asked calmly. "I was going to say I could steal his heart." Remy answered, his voice strained, as if he was incredibly disturbed. "I don't see the problem." I commented, raising an eyebrow. "That's a good line, isn't it?" I added. Remus made a breathing sound through his teeth (😬) as Virgil had a look of realization. "Oh..." He said, now understanding. "What?" I asked, not sure what the issue was. "Pat's Snow White's kid, Remy's mom tried to literally steal her heart." Remus whispered to me, causing the same sense of realization Virgil was feeling to dawn in me.
"Oh..."
"Oh indeed." Remy muttered, now sounding more annoyed than anything. Whether it was with himself or with us, I couldn't tell. "At least you caught yourself." Virgil pointed out. "Yeah, but, if you ran away in the middle of talking to Patton, isn't he going to be worried?" Remus asked. Remy groaned in response, putting his hands under his sunglasses and rubbing his face. "Probably..." I sighed, remembering that Patton had a few issues of his own.
"Maybe you two should check on him, make sure he's okay. I'll stay with Remy and help him calm down." Virgil instructed. Remus and I nodded, then left the room together. It was good to know that after everything that happened, we could still be like we used to be. Sure, we did things a bit differently, but we still worked together. Maybe we can't navigate this place exactly how we navigated the Isle, but the fact that we could still be together, and work as a team, that was what mattered.
Patton's POV
"What the hell is his problem?" Uncle Grumpy asked as he marched over. "Shhhhhhh" my other Uncles hushed him as My Uncle Doc stood beside me on the bench, patting my back. "It's alright, kiddo. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation." Uncle Doc assured him. "I don't know what I did wrong." I cried, trying to wipe my tears away. "You didn't do anything wrong, clearly he's just a pussy." Uncle Grumpy muttered. "Shhhhhhhhhhh" my other Uncles hushed again.
Uncle Doc handed me a tissue, and I dried my eyes with it. "I'm sorry for crying so much... It's silly..." I sighed, laughing a little at myself. "It's alright, Pat." Uncle Happy assured me. "Yeah, we... we all..." Uncle Sleepy murmured before yawning. "We all get... sad sometimes..." He mumbled, dozing off. Uncle Dopey nodded frantically in agreement, so much so that he got dizzy and fell over. I couldn't help but laugh a little as Uncle Sneezy and Uncle Happy helped him up.
"Patton?" I heard a voice ask behind me. I jumped a bit, then turned around. Janus and Remus stood there, Janus being the one that spoke. "We were sent to let you know that Remy is alright, he just panicked." Janus explained. "Yeah, he was about to say something he thought might come off the wrong way, and it really freaked him out." Remus explained, snickering a bit.
"Oh..." I murmured, wondering what Remy could have been about to say. Maybe he was afraid we'd think he was planning on stealing something? "Thank you for telling me." I quickly added, trying my best to smile. "No problem." Remus assured me. "I'm gonna go back to my table, see ya at the coronation." Remus then added before taking his leave. Janus nodded, about to leave as well, but I quickly grabbed his arm. "Wait..." I said, causing Janus to raise an eyebrow at me. "Uh..." I began, letting go of Janus's arm. "Can I see him?" I asked hopefully, causing Janus to sigh before nodding. "Probably. He's in his dorm, but you might have to wait until Virgil helps him calm down. We don't exactly like being vulnerable." Janus told me before walking away. "Yeah, that's fair..." I sighed, despite the fact he probably wasn't listening to me anymore.
After saying goodbye to my Uncles, and telling them to let Mom know where I went if I'm not back before the coronation, I left the courtyard and headed to the dorm. Now that I was starting to calm down, it was easier to think calmly about all this. I was always so worried about messing up, that I often forgot other people were also afraid to mess up. Maybe I hadn't done anything wrong when Remy ran away the other day. He might have been thinking something that scared him, or about to say/do something that scared him. He did seem to be afraid of his Mom, maybe that had something to do with it.
I arrived at Remy's dorm and knocked hesitantly. It took awhile before someone answered. When the door opened, it was Virgil who stood there. "Hey." He greeted half heartedly before looking towards Remy. "Patton's here, should I let him in?" Virgil asked him. I looked over Virgils's shoulder, seeing Remy sitting in the dark without his sunglasses. It looked like he had been crying, but he was taking deep breaths, and he seemed to be calming down.
He nodded, smiling nervously as I was let in. "Hi..." I greeted softly, causing Remy to relax a little. "Hey..." Remy sighed in response. "Sorry, for running off again. Today's just been a lot for me." He explained. I nodded, and offered an understanding smile. "It's alright." I assured him. I walked over, sat on his bed, and took his hand in mine. "You know, I still don't know if that was flirting." I teased playfully as Virgil left the room to give us privacy. Remy rolled his eyes, and I giggled as he looked at me with an unconvinced expression. "I highly doubt that." He teased back.
"You underestimate how dense I am." I told him with an innocent expression, causing him to chuckle. His voice was deep, sort of dark as he did. I felt my cheeks warm up and my heart flutter as he leaned towards me, placing a hand on the bed so his arm blocked my way off the bed. "Then maybe I have to be more clear." He whispered into my ear, causing me to make a flustered sound. He chuckled, pulling away and moving his hand to my cheek. "My, aren't your cheeks warm? Looks like I won't have to worry about my hands getting cold in winter with you around." Remy mused, causing me to giggle.
"Glad I can be of service, my Flower King." I replied, giggles spilling from my lips again as his eyes blinked and his own turned pink. I smiled widely and placed a kiss between his eyes, feeling proud of myself for making him flustered too. The moment I pulled away, however, he closed the gap between us and kissed my lips. I felt my heart race, my eyes flutter shut, and my skin warm up. I returned the kiss, feeling my mind become fuzzy as I did.
Love is so much more complicated than I ever thought it would be...
But gosh, this feeling is worth it.
At least, in my opinion. Not trying to invalidate aro/aces or anything.
Virgil's POV
(Warning for: Manipulation, threats, and... Hmm... How to say this accurately without giving spoilers? Threatened suicide maybe? Possible major character death? I think that should cover it. Also panic attack.)
(I apologize in advance, but I figured this story needed a climax)
After I returned, Belle and the Fairy Godmother made arrangements to use the Magic Mirror to allow me to communicate with my parents. It would be a one sided connection, one we would have full control over. Mom would just have a window to see me through. While they set up, I waited outside, Roman and Remus waiting with me to provide emotional support.
"Hey, you got this." Roman assured me as I paced back and forth in the hall. He stood up and placed his hands on my shoulders, causing me to sigh as I rested my forehead on his chest. "What if she convinces me to turn against you all again?" I mumbled. "Then we'll snap you out of it again." Remus muttered. "But then what's the point? What if this will never be over? What if I'll always be in a loop and she won't let me out?" I rambled.
"It's up to you to escape the pattern, Virgil. Maybe she won't give you the closure you need, maybe she will just manipulate you again, but... That just means you're going to have to work on breaking out of that pattern for yourself. If she doesn't give you closure, then we'll be here to help you move on." Roman assured me, stroking my hair to help me calm down.
"When did you get so smart?" I muttered bitterly, causing Roman to laugh. His chest always shook when he laughed, like his entire body participated in every form of expression he performed. It made him so easy to read, which, works for me, but... It's hard to get used to when I was used to being surrounded by people who were always so closed off. "Eh, it comes with being friends with Emile and Logan." He told me, causing me to chuckle a little before pulling away.
"Are you ready?" Belle asked as she left the room where the magic mirror was waiting. I nodded, looking to Roman and Remus with a worried expression. They both gave me a thumbs up and supportive expressions, though Roman seemed far more confident than Remus did. Still, it helped to know they had my back.
I walked in, and the Fairy Godmother left so I could talk to her alone. Standing in front of me was a swirl of dark green and black, which eventually morphed into an image of my mother, sitting at a table with a cup of tea. She looked surprised when she saw the magical window form, and stood up quickly when she saw me. "Virgil?" She asked, the mirror's window raising with her so I could see her face. I waved hesitantly. "Hi, Mom..." I greeted, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
Mom reached towards the mirror, and I quickly stepped back. Her hand just pressed against a flat surface, rippling the mirror. "This isn't a portal, and I don't recognize this spell..." She muttered. "It's the magic mirror. They're hosting a family day so they let me talk to you." I explained nervously. "Where are the others? And why wasn't I told this in advance? We could have gotten a progress report on your mission." She questioned, causing me to tuck my head in and raise my shoulders. "Uh... yeah... about that..." I muttered, though she didn't seem to hear me. "Oh well, it's really no issue. We had a bet actually, seems I'm the only one who will win. Which, of course I would. They're awful parents." She dismissed.
"Uh..." I began, trying to find the words. "What's wrong? You look like a frightened kitten." Mom demanded, looking at me suspiciously. By instinct I straightened up, attempting to seem more confident. "Virgil?" She asked, not convinced by my change in behaviour. "We... We're not doing the plan anymore." I told her, barely able to get my voice above a whisper. My mother stared at me with an uncertain expression, wondering if she heard me right. "Could you repeat yourself? You speak so quietly, I'm not sure I heard you." She said, though I knew despite her phrasing it wasn't a request.
"We're not stealing the wand." I stated more firmly.
"I see..." My mother sighed, tapping her fingers on her staff with a thoughtful expression.
"So you're leaving us stranded here? Leaving everything behind in hopes to become 'good'?" She asked. Despite her phrasing, her tone was calm, as if she were asking me if it were raining outside. "We are going to work towards making the Isle a better place. If we release you, you'll just treat us like your tools, kill our friends, make this place as bad as the Isle, or worse. We-" I told her, before getting interrupted by her laughter. It started a deep and quiet chuckle, then rose to loud, maniacal laughter, like my words were the funniest thing she ever heard.
"Friends? Is that what they offered in return for your double crossing? Friendship?" She gasped in a mocking tone, seeming more humoured than anything. "They are our friends. Whether we switch sides or not. They didn't offer us anything. We just know that you'd kill them if we set you free, and we don't want that to happen." I argued. "Virgilus!" Mom scolded, causing me to wince and freeze up. She sighed, her angry expression calming down as she placed a hand over her face. "Gods, I thought you were more capable... I expected this from the others, but..." She murmured before lowering her hand, looking at me with a disappointed expression. "I raised you to be smarter than this." She sighed.
"You raised me to be smart enough not to be manipulated. So you shouldn't be surprised that I'm not falling for your manipulation." I retorted, trying my best to seem brave despite the fact I was shaking.
"Manipulated you? I trained you so you would survive! The world is cruel, Virgil, and always will be. At least we're honest about being evil, but the Beast wearing a crown that locked us here? Everyone pretends he's good when he'll snap at the smallest inconvenience. The crowns of Auradon are worn by pedophiles, kidnappers, stalkers, and manipulators, people that took advantage of women in vulnerable states. And us? We're the evil ones for retaliating when we're pushed into a fucking corner and we choose to fight back instead of waiting for someone to save us." Mom lectured.
"Just because the world is cruel doesn't mean you have the right to destroy it." I countered. "And what about you? What about you and your friends? You could have anything you want, and you choose to stay under their mercy?" Mom demanded. "Better their mercy than yours." I stated, causing her to laugh again. "You really think so?" She cackled, smiling ear to ear despite the enraged look in her eyes. "You are my heir, Virgil. You're smarter than this. You could have negotiated with me. We'll be ruling together, you have as much say as I do." Mom reasoned.
"Every time we negotiate you lie." I retorted. "I have not! You have your friends, don't you? The ones I've kept safe for you as promised?" She reminded me. "Even if you wanted to, you wouldn't be able to spare them." I muttered. "Don't underestimate me, child. You're nothing but a fool if you think I couldn't protect a handful of spoiled brats, especially at my full power." Mom scolded. "You wouldn't. You'd hold them against me so I'd do what you want. That's what you do with my current friends." I murmured. My head was down and my hands were in my pockets, and my head was tucked between my shoulders again.
I hated this, every one of my nerves were shot, but I had to prove to myself I could face her.
"Virgil..." She sighed after a long moment of silence, her tone soft, almost helpless. "Please... I only want what's best for you. I could give you the world." She pleaded, though her voice was cold and sharp despite its desperation. "So can Roman." I blurted, feeling my skin become cold as the air around me became more tense.
"So... That's what you're planning." She accused, her tone stiff and emotionless. "No, that's..." I began, thinking over my words carefully. "I... I think he likes me." I explained nervously, causing her to chuckle and shake her head. "Likes you? Please, Virgil, that's demented." Mom scoffed. "I-" I began to defend. "I suppose you never should have left." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Dear, this whole romance that you've invented just proves you're too naive to be here." She told me, causing me to tense. "Why would he like you? Come on now, really! Look at you, you think that he's impressed?" Mom challenged. I couldn't help but feel insecure, rubbing my arms as anxiety built up within me.
"Don't be a dummy, help me, join me. Don't you want to be evil-" My mother began to sing. "No!" I interrupted, raising my voice and staring her town. My arms shook, and my knees felt weak, but someway somehow, I managed to stand my ground.
"No?" My mother repeated, genuinely taken aback by my boldness. She looked shocked at first, but a smirk slowly grew on her face, a new darkness in her eyes. "Oh, I see how it is." She mused, chuckling a little as she stepped towards the magical window. She waved her hand, and despite the fact she couldn't use magic on her end, the spell book flew out of my pocket, as if it were a sentient being following her command. "Virgil knows best, Virgil wants to be good now. Wants to live a life of bliss. Virgil knows best, fine, if you're so sure now. Go ahead, then give him this!" Mother sang, flipping the pages of the book before forcing it back into my hands. When I looked down, the antidote for the love potion was on the pages.
"How did you-" I began, causing her to chuckle. "Ha! Do you really think we'd send you to Auradon without precautions?" She challenged, causing my hands to shake again. "But..." I began, my mind riddled with confusion. "This is why he cares! Don't let him deceive you! Give it to him, watch, you'll see! Trust me, my dear. That's how fast he'll leave you, I won't say I told you so." My mother interrupted, somehow flipping the pages again so they showed another spell.
A spell similar to the sleeping curse that she had used on Aurora.
"How... What are you-" I stammered, only to get interrupted. "Now, Virgil knows best! So if he's such a dreamboat, let us put him to the test." Mom continued, the pages glowing along with her eyes, along with my veins. I dropped the book and quickly stepped back, but that didn't stop it. "If he's lying, don't come crying... Mother knows best." She sang. "Close the window!" I shouted, hoping to end the spell. The mirror did, but as my mother disappeared into a swirl of green and black, words whispered from the spell book, from a note written magically into the pages.
"When the clock strike midnight on the day of Prince Roman's coronation, The Isle's Prince will leap off of the school's roof, and die. Only two things on Earth can cure this curse, Maleficent's consent, and true love's first kiss."
Did you really think we'd send you to Auradon without precautions? I remembered her saying.
My knees gave out as the mirror turned black, and I fell to my knees crying. Roman and I have already kissed... and he was under a love potion at the time... There is no true loves first kiss... even if he did love me back... I realized, shaking as I hugged myself tightly. It was hard to breath, hard to speak. I heard Roman and Remus come in. I couldn't hear anything they were saying. Everything was blurred. I was shaking and dizzy... and then...
Everything went black.