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Thomas was in the living room, editing a short video. His headache had grown stronger even if he had taken some pain meds to try and ease it, as well as drinking water, nothing helped, the slowly growing pain.
It had thankfully stayed at the same consistency for a while now. So Thomas had taken to sitting on the couch, working on the video. He pressed export and put the laptop on the coffee table, getting to his feet, feeling like a snack was in order, but the moment he took one step pain exploded through his head, and he thought he heard screaming.
The world turned black and he crumpled to the floor.
- o -
The red and golden dragon growled, raising one enormous clawed paw causing the tower of Roman’s castle to give way and crumble. The castle, Roman’s most prized creation, lay in ruins and smithereens beneath the dragon. Flames eating away at the wooden beams and the flags that once proudly swayed in the win, now barely hanging on to their poles. Ash fell like snowflakes from the fire red sky of the imagination, while smoke rose from the burning forest of the imagination, setting the whole world ablaze.
The dragon raised its head towards the sky and roared in anger and pain, sending a plume of scorching hot flames into the sky.
Everything seemed to freeze for a moment, a shadow shooting out from all the corners and making everything a tad bit darker and greyish in hue for just a moment before the colours returned ten folds.
A yelp made the other sides all turn to find how Thomas was slowly getting back to his feet on the grass behind them.
“Thomas?!” Patton called out in shock.
“Ow my head...” Thomas groaned before he looked up. “Oh hi Patton, what’s going...” He gaped when he caught sight of the gigantic dragon. “WHAT IS THAT?!” He screamed, shooting to his feet taking a step back.
“A dragon, duh!” Remus crackled.
“Is this your doing?!”
“Nope!” Remus said bouncing on the spot.
“But-”
The dragon roared again, rising on its hind legs and spreading its leathery wings, the burning red of the sky and forest made the swirly pattern of yellow and red shine.
It sent another plume of fire into the sky.
“Wait… Where is Roman and Janus?” Thomas asked, looking around, the others were all gathered before him, Patton was gripping his cat hoodie hard enough his fists were white, tears causing his eyes to shine. Logan hadn’t turned around, eyes glued on the dragon while the wind played and tugged at his tie and hair. Virgil sat curled up on the ground fingers digging into the ground to not panic too much. Remus was bouncing on the spot or jumping from leg to leg, startlingly quiet with the chaos that was happening. He wasn’t sure if he imagined the shadowy figure that his eyes didn’t seem to want to focus on fully was real or his mind playing tricks on him. But Roman and Janus were nowhere in sight.
Was Roman trying to be a hero and fight the dragon?
and what about Janus?
“They’re there.” Logan said in a calm tone as he pointed in the direction of the dragon.
“They’re fighting the dragon?” Thomas asked as he walked over to stand next to the Logical side to see if he could see the white prince outfit and a bowler hat in the rubble.
“No Thomas… They are the dragon...” Thomas blinked, trying to grasp it.
“What?!” Thomas spun around to stare at the Logical side “What do you mean?!”
“We’re not entirely sure how it happened...” Patton started.
“Oh speak for yourself daddy, we know exactly how it happened.” Remus snapped making Patton whimper and flinch, and Virgil hiss.
Thomas turned to look at Remus.
It was first now he noticed how ruffled they all looked, dirt, rubble and soot clinging to their skin, hair and clothes. One of Logan’s glasses was cracked and Patton had lost his completely.
“What happened Remus?” Remus was quiet for a moment, giving Thomas a once over before he huffed.
“They got in a fight, started boringly tame with shouting, Jan Jan was trying to apologise but Ro-bro wouldn’t listen, and then they fought for a bit before they both started glowing and then they formed into this thing.” Remus said, counting on his fingers before gesturing to the dragon.
“So… they became a corrupted fusion?” Remus shrugged
“I don’t know, do i look like i’m smart to you?”
“You’re all part of me, of course you’re smart, even if we’re all idiots at times...” Thomas said, as he turned back to the dragon. Missing the surprised look on Remus’s face.
“So how do we fix it?”
“I don’t know...” Logan sighed.
- o -
Thomas panted as he stood before the dragon’s snout.
Remus had used his creative ability to make vines and ropes to hold the dragon down. Virgil used his shadows to help by making the gigantic shadow of the dragon work against it. Logan and Patton did their best to help where they could, but they were not as strong in the imagination. This wasn’t their domain.
“Guys! Can you hear me?! Please!” Thomas called. freezing to the spot when the heterochromnic eyes of the dragon landed on him, a blazing green and yellow eye stared down at him, while smoke slowly rose from the snout as the dragon growled. “Roman? Janus?” Thomas reached out and placed his hands on the yellow and red speckled snout. only for the dragon to jerk back and roar. Thomas stumbled backwards, falling over to land on his back.
“Thomas!” the others called out in fear.
“I’m fine!” Thomas called getting back to his feet, putting his attention on the dragon again. “I know you’re in there. I know you can hear me, please-” The dragon growled taking a deep breath and roared, sending a plume of fire in Thomas direction, Thomas paled as the flames barrelled towards him, he brought up his arms to protect himself.
The heat was unbearable, but the pain never came. Thomas slowly peeked up to gasp.
Logan stood before him, hand reaching out, seemingly cutting the fire into two columns that scorched the grass on either side of them.
The flames died down to embers on the blackened grass, Logan groaned as he crashed to his knees, cradling his hand to his chest.
“Logan!” Thomas cried rushing to his side.
“I’ll be fine… It’s just a minor burn… it will heal.” Logan quickly said trying to calm Thomas, but Thomas just stared at the badly burnt hand.
“You’re not fine.” Thomas whined.
“I will be, this is nothing more than what Remus’s attacks are, neither of the twins can hurt me.” Thomas looked unconvinced but nodded.
“What do we do… I can’t get through to them...”
The dragon snarled, trashing in it’s old, making Remus and Virgil struggle to hold it in place.
“I wish I could be of more help… but I have no answer to this problem...”
A scream followed by a series of snaps then echoed through the air, and Thomas starred in fright as the vines that had been holding the dragon in place all broke, after Remus had gotten slapped by the tail, and lost concentration. The dragon spread its wings wide. Virgil cursed as he struggled to get the shadow to heed him. The dragon growled and sent a plume of fire onto the ground under it, to make the shadows vanish. It then shoots into the air. Thomas made a panicked noise as he rushed forward and jumped, grabbing a hold of the tail. only to instantly get airborne as the dragon too to the skies.
“THOMAS!”
- o -
“GET A GRIP ALREADY! WE ALMOST HURT THOMAS!”
“THEY ARE FINE!”
“WE
DID
HURT LOGAN!”
“HE CAN TAKE IT!”
“
JUST STOP
!”
“IT’S NOT MY FAULT!”
“THEN WHO’S FAULT IS IT?!”
Thomas squinted his eyes open, only to be forced to close them again at the harsh winds.
He opened them again slowly and looked around to find how he was clinging to the tail of the dragon. He sent a glance down and gulped when he saw just how far down the ground was and growing further away with each flap of the wings upwards.
Clouds swirled around them in the still bright red sky, taking on pink and orange hues in the setting sun.
The red and yellow striped furmane that went along the dragon’s spine to the tip of the tail blew in his face, but Thomas had the fur rather than nothing at all.
He started to slowly move up along the tail to the back, the big wings flapped from time to time to keep the dragon aloft. He worked slowly, the wind roaring in his ears.
“STOP DIGGING AROUND IN MY HEAD!”
Thomas flinched and almost lost his grip at the loud shout, but he had no idea where it came from.
“THEN DON’T POKE AROUND IN MINE!”
Thomas starred.
Was that?
Was that Roman and Janus’s voices?
“What do you know anyway!”
“Apparently more than you!”
Thomas was certain that was them. He climbed some more to get closer to the head. Passing the wings and getting to the neck.
“Roman! Janus!” he called into the wind, unsure if they could hear him.
He felt the dragon stiffen before it snarled and shook its body.
Thomas clung hard to the furmane as he could.
“Could you just calm down!” he screamed.
Thomas wasn’t sure how he got to the head. trying his best to get through them both. But the loud screaming thoughts of Roman and Janus would not be silenced.
Thomas grabbed the mane hard and exhaled, concentrating on Roman and Janus.
The roar of the wind grew quiet.
The swaying movement of the wings slowed to a lull.
Thomas reached out harder. and then felt how he pushed past something thick and liquidy.
Feelings slammed into him.
Bright enough to sting his eyes.
He wasn’t sure if they were Roman’s or Janus’s, the golden and red too close knitted for him to be able to differ.
The onslaught of feelings blinded him it felt like he was falling through leaves, some feelings scratched at his face and arms, others left him freezing and crying, then there were the warm ones that felt like a gentle summer breeze, but gone in just the blink of an eye
Thomas shielded his face as he fell, faster,
Tears gathered in his eyes as he felt the feelings of both his sides.
The crushing insecurities Roman had been carrying for years without him realising it. His fear of becoming his brother, his want to be the hero Thomas needed. Always trying to do better, be better, being extremely hard on himself because his best was not good enough.
The heavy loneliness that Janus was carrying. After years of being shunned by the others for what he represented and what he would do to make sure Thomas was safe, the resentment of being used for years and then being thrown away the very moment Thomas came out as gay.
Both being so extra, and being so secluded about their true feelings. If things were different Thomas was sure they would have gotten along.
Thomas, tears falling from his eyes as he reached out his hands, taking a deep breath before he called out their names.
“ROMAN! JANUS!”
- o -
The dragon gave away a pained howl as its whole body sized and it started to fall.
The others all gave away varying screams of alarm as they saw the dragon plummet towards the ground where the ruins of the castle resided.
Before it struck the ground it’s whole body was enveloped by a blinding light.
When it dispersed they found Thomas getting to his feet. Roman and Janus lying a bit further away.
“Thomas!” Patton cried out as he rushed forward to hug around the host to make sure he was okay. “Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay!”
“I’m fine, Patton-”
“UGAH!” Roman suddenly called as he shot up from the ground to a sitting position, looking around in a panic before he groaned and grabbed his head with a hiss. Thomas gently got out of Patton’s hold and moved over to the creative twin.
“Roman?”
Roman looked up with a startled jerk. Blinking away tears from his eyes. Thomas gave away a sniffle before he fell to his knees and pulled the creative side into a bone crushing hug.
“Thank god you’re okay.” Thomas sighed “I’m so sorry i didn’t realise how much you’ve been suffering all this time. I’m so proud of you, please don’t ever doubt that I love you.” Thomas murmured into Roman’s shoulder. Roman opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again, opening and closing it like a fish for a while before he gave away a whine and grabbed ahold of Thomas’s shirt and buried his face into Thomas’s shoulder, sniffling, before his shoulders started to shake and soon he was crying loudly, moving to rest his jaw against Thomas’s shoulder to be able to cry as loudly as he needed. Thomas held him close. brushing the hair at the back of his head. Patton sniffled as he took Remus’s hand in his. The other side jolted at the touch before he gripped Patton’s hand hard and lowered his head, as he too started to cry. Feeling the echo of Roman’s sadness and pain.
Janus jolted awake pushing himself up on his hands and elbows. His hat having fallen off his head and his cape lying in a bundled up heap on his shoulders. He blinked looking at the others before he looked away, slowly getting to his knees and feet. picking up his hat.
“Janus.”
He flinched at the way his name was said and turned slowly to look back at Thomas who was giving him a sad look before he removed one arm from Roman and held out his hand for Janus. Janus stared at him for a moment, mouth opening to say something, but Thomas beat him to it. “You’ve done so much for me, and us all and we never thanked you for it. I’m sorry, I should have realised how much you’ve done for us.” Janus shrugged before he reached out to take Thomas’s hand to shake it, only for Thomas to pull him into the hug. “Thank you. Truly.”
Janus gave away a gasp.
Thomas couldn’t help the smile that grew on his lips when he felt how Janus hugged around him. Unlike Roman, Janus wasn’t a loud crier, he gave away a sniffle and hiccup before he hid his face in Thomas’s shoulder, only the trembling of his shoulders and the shaky breaths were any indication that he was crying.
Thomas held them close, even when Roman in his tear stained glory started to apologise to Janus for everything he’d done. congested by the snot and cheeks shiny from the tears. Janus sobbed out his own apologies.
Both having come to a better understanding with their minds getting merged when they became the dragon.
It took about 20 seconds before the others joined the hug as well.
- o -
Later on, back in the real world, Thomas started netflix for them all to rewatch some of their favourite movies, a small patch on his forehead from where he nicket the table when he collapsed. Janus on one side, bundled up in a blanket. and Roman on his other. Both falling asleep first after the day’s experience.