Roman threw his pencil down in frustration and leaned back from his desk. Magical Maths was really annihilating him tonight. Not that it usually didn't, but today he hadn't been able to complete a single problem. Every time he attempted one, his mind would inevitably drift elsewhere.
He'd tried distracting himself earlier by going out with his friend, Aaron. They'd gotten coffee at Tiana's Beignet and Coffeehouse, and he'd listened to Aaron go on and on about new makeup techniques and celebrity gossip. Usually Roman would be all over Ariel's new line of pearl jewelry, but not today. He was too busy thinking about the Isle.
Ever since he was little, he'd been warned about the Isle of the Lost. "Don't be bad or we'll send you to the Isle." was a common parenting device. He'd never worried about that though, because he was good. And all the Isle people were right where they belonged.
Or were they?
He groaned and rubbed his eyes. It was late. Much too late to be hung up on some stupid rumors. He picked up his pencil at stared at the first problem, focusing intently.
...
Damn it.
He dropped the pencil and picked up his phone, speed dialing a familiar number and standing up. As it rang, he surveyed his room, empty save for him. Aaron said he had a party to attend. What Roman would give to be able to think about parties again.
The ringing stopped, and a soft, tired voice answered the phone. "*yawn*...hello?"
"Hi Mom." Roman replied, cut off from his train of thought.
"Oh, hello sweetie. What are you doing up so late? You should be in bed."
"Says Ms. Midnight." Roman retorted with a giggle.
"That was years ago!" Cinderella protested. "You can't use that excuse every time you want to stay up!"
"Hasn't failed me yet." Roman paused, thinking a moment, "Mom?"
"Yes?"
He worked up the courage and finally asked. "Does everyone on the Isle of the Lost deserve to be there?"
He waited, and after a moment his mom replied. "What makes you ask that, Roman?"
"Well..." he started, wondering himself why he was asking, "A lot of kids here are talking about the Isle and saying that it's really bad there. And not in the way that the people are bad but in how bad it's run. That it's not fair to the kids of the villains to be brought up in a bad place because that's what makes them like their parents."
His mom didn't respond, so he kept going. "But, why would we punish people if it wasn't fair? Right? There has to be a reason the villain kids are there? Right?" The slightest bit of hesitation creeped into his voice towards the end. He hoped his mom could clear this up.
"Roman, dear." She finally said, "Do you remember what I told you? About what happened to my stepsisters and my stepmother?"
"Yeah. They lived bitter and alone until you and the Council of Crowns decided to create the Isle of the Lost." Roman answered. "Then, they were moved there with the other evil villains."
"Well, your father and I voted against the Isle."
Roman stood stock still, mouth hanging open. "Wha-what?!" He exclaimed after a moment.
"Maybe we ought to talk about this tomorrow-"
"No! Tell me now!" Roman yelled, quieting down when his neighbor rapped angrily on his wall and shouted to keep it down. "You were against the Isle??" He demanded, quieter this time.
"Why?"
"Listen, Roman." His mom said gently, "I do believe that there are people who have done such evil things that they need to be locked away for the common good. But... the problem with such a system is that it can keep some people from changing for the better."
"But villains can't change!" Roman argued, trying his hardest to hold onto everything he thought he knew.
"My stepsister did."
Roman fell silent.
"Anastasia did some terrible things to me, mostly under my stepmother's influence. But after I left, she was the object of my stepmother's anger. I met her in the marketplace once, and she apologized to me for how she treated me all those years. I think she meant it too."
"We didn't become friends or anything. It was too late for that. But I forgave her. Now, when the Council was debating the matter of the Isle, I argued against it. If my stepsister was capable of change, there were bound to be villains we'd be robbing of the chance to rehabilitate themselves. But, so many villains had caused such suffering that the others were adamant about the plan. In the end, I managed a pardon for Anastasia, as long as she left Auradon. Everyone else was sent to the Isle indefinitely."
As his mother finished her story, Roman started feeling a bit queasy. He swallowed nervously and tried to think of something to say, anything. After a bit, his mom spoke again.
"Roman, honey, please get some sleep. We can talk about this as long as you want tomorrow."
Talk about what? he wanted to say. Talk about how everything I thought was true was a lie?
"Ok, mom." He said instead.
After the exchange of goodnights and I love yous, Roman hung up and laid down on his bed. Staring up at the ceiling, he hoped exhaustion would soon take him and make him forget about everything he just heard.
---
History of Auradon class was progressing as usual. Professor Milo had arrived ten minutes late, various papers and scrolls slipping out of his grasp and onto the floor as he scrambled to set up. Then, he began teaching the class about how Auradon was built upon the valor of heroes and other virtues, yada, yada, yada. Virgil found it easier to listen occasionally while doodling than to keep up with all the teacher's rambling tangents.
"Who can name some of history's greatest heroes?" Milo asked the class.
You could almost hear the crickets chirping.
"Um... for extra credit?" Milo added, and fifteen hands shot up.
"I read about a horse who saved someone from an avalanche a few weeks ago!" One girl said.
"That's not a person. Also not historical."
"How about Super Mega Power Man!" The next boy exclaimed.
"That is a fictional character."
"My mom is my hero."
"That's nice, Kevin." The professor waved his arms in frustration, "C'mon, now! There's dozens of examples! People who have defeated beasts, completed great challenges, saved lives! Take Hercules for example."
Milo put chalk to the board and sketched out a rough drawing of the man himself. "Who can tell me what made him a hero?"
"Wasn't he a god?" One kid asked.
"Actually, most of his life he was mortal, no more godly than you or I, except for his incredible strength. But having strength alone isn't enough to make you a hero. He spent years trying to figure out what was. And then, he faced Hades."
Everyone in the class stirred, and Virgil looked over at Logan. His friend had his head down over his notebook like usual. Anyone else would say he wasn't bothered at all, but something about him seemed off to Virgil.
"Hades had strengths of his own, and used them to obtain power. Hercules, however, did what Hades couldn't. He used his strength for love. So, he defeated Hades and saved his girlfriend's soul from the Underworld."
Even though Professor Milo was obviously oblivious to the fact that he was talking about one of his students' father, everyone else was already eyeing Logan. Virgil nervously tugged at his hoodie string and looked over at Logan again. That's when he noticed that Logan wasn't taking notes at all. He was staring down at the paper with a cold expression, the pencil in his hand hovering over the book, shaking a little from the intense grip on it.
Virgil may have been a socially awkward mess, but sometimes you had to do the unthinkable to help your best friend out.
With great emotional effort, he raised his hand.
"Uh, yes-?" Professor Milo checked the seating chart, "Virgle?"
Virgil died a little inside. That was a name pronunciation that would haunt him at night. "Um... so... how about...... Mulan?"
Professor Milo's eyes light up. "Yes! There's a proper hero...ine! You get extra credit Mr. Virgle!"
Virgil winced, wanting nothing more than to curl into a tiny ball and hide in the darkest depths of his desk. But first, he had to check on Logan. He hadn't looked up, but he was back to taking notes. Virgil noticed with disappointment that the cold look in his eyes wasn't gone, though.
After Milo talked about Mulan for an hour, the class was finally over. Virgil rushed to catch up with Logan, who had gotten up as soon as the bell rang.
"Lo! Hey!" Virgil said as he caught him, "Are you- I mean, do you feel okay? After that?"
"It's fine." Logan replied, not slowing down.
"It's just that you seemed-"
"I said it's fine."
Virgil stopped and watched Logan disappear down the hall. He'd never seen him like this before. Logan rarely, if ever, got upset like this. Usually, he was the one comforting Virgil. He didn't know what to.
"Hiya, kiddo!" Virgil jumped at the sudden cheery greeting, but softened when he saw it was Patton.
"Hey." he replied with a little wave, "Thanks again for those cookies."
"No problem at all!" Patton assured him warmly, "Just return the tupperware when you can."
Virgil nodded, then looked off down the hallway again. Patton must have noticed, because he soon felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey. Is everything okay?" Patton asked, "No one said anything mean to you, did they? If they did, they've got a finger wagging coming their way!"
Virgil snickered at Patton's attempt at looking intimidating. "No, no, nothing like that." he said, "It's just.... Logan. I think he's upset about some things they said in class... about his dad."
Patton frowned, a worried look in his eyes. "Oh... oh dear.."
"He'll probably be fine!" Virgil assured him, seeing how upset he was getting. "Maybe he'll feel better after studying tonight."
Patton considered this, then smiled warmly at Virgil. "Alright. Have a great rest of the day, ok?"
"I make no promises regarding my enjoyment of the day." Virgil replied, then smirked, "I'll try, though."
Patton gave a patented pat on the back and walked off to class. Virgil sighed in anticipation of the remediation class and tried his best not to do what he was best at. Worrying.
Logan would be fine, after all.
---
Roman paced back and forth across the room, sat down on a chair, stood up, and repeated. After about five minutes of this, Min snapped at him. "Spit it out already! Why are you here?"
The prince stopped, then remembered vaguely having burst into Min's room with dramatic flair. But, for maybe he first time in his life, he was blanking on a monologue. There was nothing he could draw from that could express how he felt. Still, he had to try.
"I feel like my whole world has shattered." He started.
Min rolled her eyes, "What, did you lose your lucky comb again?"
"Min. Seriously." He pleaded. Min's face fell and she leaned forward, listening intently.
Roman took a deep breath. "I found out last night that... that my parents were against locking the villains up on the Isle. They think it's wrong!"
Min raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"Yes!" Roman continued, getting more worked up, "I talked to her more today, and she says that the whole concept of the Isle is immoral! That villains can change! That the law isn't fair! And, what am I then? I thought I was the good guy, the knight in shining armor, saving the land from evil, but- but- Was it all a lie?"
He stopped, panting a bit, and looked to Min. Seated on the bed, she remained silent for a long moment. Then, leaning back, she let out a long sigh.
"Roman, you idiot." She said bluntly, "Of course it's unfair."
The prince was taken aback at her stinging words. "Min!"
"What am I supposed to do, make you feel better? Tell you that everything is black and white? That's not the way the world works."
"Still, you could have delivered it a little gentler! I'm your friend!" Roman pouted.
"I'm telling you this because I'm your friend." Roman crossed his arms and glared at the wall. Then suddenly, Min was standing too.
Her own arms crossed, she strode over to the window and gazed outside. "Do you know the story about my mom?" She asked, not looking at him. Getting no response, she kept going, "where she was from, it was illegal for her to fight in the army. She was a woman, which meant that to honor the law and her family, she had to be married off without choice and let her father go to war, even though he was sick. She broke the law, taking my grandfather's place with the guise of a man."
Roman frowned, then walked over to his friend. "She showed them all, didn't she? I heard she took down an entire army with one shot." When he saw her face, his heart nearly stopped. Tears streamed down her face as she glared through the window.
"They were going to kill her." She said angrily, "She saved their asses and all they did to thank her was leave her stranded in the mountains, acting like sparing her life was being generous."
Roman paled. He'd never seen Min like this.
"Min, I'm sorry about that, I really am, but... I don't understand. Why are you telling me this?" He asked.
She turned back to him and looked him directly in the eye. "Do you think less of me because I'm a girl?"
Roman's face reddened. "What?!"
"Do you think I shouldn't be so athletic, that I should be sensitive and subservient?"
"Of course not! You're my teammate!" Roman exclaimed, "I'd fight a war alongside you!"
"Some people think that's who I should be." Min continued, "Back home and here. People have told me I'm too weak to handle jousting."
"They're dead wrong!" Roman protested, getting heated.
"So, it's wrong that they made an assumption about me based on something I can't control?"
"Ye-!" Roman stopped short. He could see in Min's face where she was going with this. He slowly sat back down, and she joined him.
"Am I a bad person?" Roman whispered, staring despondently at the wall.
Min patted his back awkwardly. "You're a person." She answered, "People can be who they want to be."
For the first time that day, Roman smiled. It was small, but it was there.
---
Patton made it up the stairs, ducked into the room, and smiled. "I figured you'd be here."
Logan turned away from the glass ceiling of the observatory. "Ah. Hello Patton. We're you looking for me?"
"Well, yeah." Patton admitted, "I heard things didn't go well in History for you today."
Logan steeled himself. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"No lies, now." Patton chided, standing next time him. He looked up at the beautiful starry night above. A few grey cloud wisps flowed across the sky, and the moon was a large crescent.
The taller sighed, adjusting his tie. "Yes, the professor spoke of my father in class. It was an awkward situation caused by his lack of knowledge of my lineage, and I'm sure many students found it amusing."
Patton tilted his head, "How did you feel?"
Logan scoffed. "I don't feel." he said, ignoring Patton's noise of disagreement, "And it wasn't exactly a feeling anyway. I don't think you would understand."
"Well, could you try to explain it?" Logan couldn't refuse Patton's plea when he looked at him with such shimmering eyes. They were stars unto themselves.
"I'm not afraid that people think I'm like him." Logan tried to convey, "I don't care what others think of me. I know who I am. It's he himself that bothers me."
"I try not to think of him. He's so incompetent, and he wants me to take over for him when I'm older. He doesn't even care about what I want!
Logan's hands lit up in blue flames as he ranted on, and he stopped himself to calm down. As he took some deep breaths, Patton chimed in.
"I know what you mean!"
Logan's hands went out and he looked at Patton skeptically, but the starry eyed prince was looking distant.
"I love my mom and dad so much, but they're... a little old fashioned." Patton explained, "They don't really approve of this Isle transfer plan... or me being Student Council President."
"But, you're a great president!" Logan protested, but blushed when Patton beamed at him, "What I mean is, the student body seems to respect you."
"I guess mom and dad would rather I learn how to ride horses and save damsels in distress. It's funny, but I always imagined a prince coming to rescue me." Patton laughed. "Of course, I haven't told them about that either.. But, you know how it is. You need to be true to yourself, even if it hurts that your parents want you to be someone else.
The Isle prince realized a few things in that moment.
1. He wasn't alone.
2. Patton looked absolutely stunning.
3. If he were a better man, he would kiss that prince on the spot.
Instead, he looked up, and saw a shooting star.
---
A/N:
Guess who's back to school? This is my first day of classes, and boy am I nervous. I have a tendency to fall into a rut halfway through the semester, but I'm gonna try really hard to push through it this time. Wish me luck!
So, basically the motivation behind this chapter was half progressing characters and the other half was an excuse for me to talk about Mulan, bigotry, and sexism. I probably could have written it better. Hope y'all enjoyed it anyways, lol.
I know there's not a lot of Virgil in this one, so I'm sure the Virgil Protection Squad will be writing me letters of disapproval, but I promise to write more about him next time. I just wanted to focus on the others this chapter.
As always, let me know what you think, if it sucks, or if you like it! I hope all of you guys have a smooth transition back to school. If I can get through, trust me, you can too.
<3