Storm Clouds (Sanders Sides)

Save Him

Hey there! I hope you didn't miss this book too much. I apologize for it being a while, but there has been so much going on with the family that I've been a bit distracted and unmotivated, plus the time I take for my other projects and keeping track of Defiance. But I am super excited to get on with this chapter, and I really hope you enjoy it. 

{Author's POV}-Dark Mind Palace, dungeons hallway

"Roman! We're in here!" 

The Prince looked up past their dark-eyed opponent, seeing the outline of a door. That's it, he thought, we just have to get past him.

Roman's brother happened to look back at his twin, noticing the look in his eyes. They had to get around Fear. 

"Get ready to rush him. I got this," he whispered to Janus, who had moved to stand behind him, gently shielding Patton behind his own back. Janus gave him a knowing nod, sneaking his hand behind his back and signaling to the others to wait for his signal. 

Remus raised his Morningstar, and with a piercing scream, charged forward. Fear chuckled, watching the strange Side approach him. His eyes flashed, and Remus froze, weapon still raised in one hand. "Oh Remus. You still believe yourself to be fearless," he mused, leaning in close with a malicious smirk. "Everybody fears something. Let's see what's going on up there."

Black smoke surrounded Remus, and Janus noticed his breathing begin to pick up. "Don't listen to him, Remus! He's playing with you, it isn't real!" he shouted. It hadn't been the first time Fear had used his abilities against them, but he knew how deep Remus's few insecurities could go.

Memories surrounded Remus's vision. The terror in Thomas's eyes at all of his little jokes and shenanigans, all of the times Roman looked at him as if wishing he would just disappear. Patton thinking he was gross and Virgil's angry remarks at his mere presence. 

Creativity is about butterflies and- magic. That's not you! You're—

Stinky?!

Scary...

"Ah, yes. You are certainly scary, aren't you, Remus? Terrifying!" he laughed, feeding his energy into Remus's thoughts. 

"What is he doing?" Roman whispered to Janus. 

"Remus only fears one thing, and Virgil's brother knows exactly what it is. I don't think he can hear me. He's...lost in his own thoughts," he explained. 

Roman thought back to Remus's debut video. True, he had been out most of the time, but he had re-watched it with Thomas before. The look on Remus's face after he heard that word, and the look on his face now as Fear spoke it. 

"Scary...He doesn't want to be seen as scary? But...that's like his whole thing isn't it?" 

"Yeah, but he didn't really choose that. When you two first split and he was sent to the Dark, he was terrified of himself, his own thoughts. He sort of just...grew into it, matched his persona to the thoughts in his head. Became scary to escape his own fears. Unfortunately, that grew into his only real fear."

Roman brought his eyes to his brother's prone figure, watched as Fear tortured him with images only the two of them could bear witness to. "Patton, I need you to concentrate. Ignore Remus's feelings as much as you can, and flood him with as much good emotions as possible-love, trust, happiness, whatever you got, can you do that?" Patton smiled and gave him a confident nod filled with all of the Patton-Enthusiasm he needed. 

"What are you going to do?" Janus wondered. 

Roman twisted his way around Janus, hand dropping to touch his sword, giving him a spark of comfort. He had never actually used it against another Side, anyone with a human appearance. Only really the Dragon-Witch, other dangers to his kingdom that he and his fellow royal hunters had him conjure for sport, and even the Witch could be regenerated. His sword had never seriously wounded someone, but if Fear became a threat, he had no problem starting that today.