Timekeeper

21. Roman was here before?

"The Dark Realm." I just stood there looking at everything around me and I cringed. It was way too bright here. Way too bright. Something was...

"Logan!" I spun around to see Roman standing beside Virgil, scared out of his mind. My eyes widened and I facepalmed... Roman was practically glowing. He was radiating this sort of light like a damn homing beacon. I looked at my hand and noticed a slight aura around me too. Not nearly the same intensity as Roman but still it was there. "Logan, what's going on"

"I'm not entirely sure." Virgil got closer to Roman and I could see a different change in aura. With him, it was like this absence of light. Light sides and dark sides. "SHIT PATTON!" I spun around to see this light in the distance. A mini sun like bacon that made me freeze more than the temperature did. Suddenly the light vanished and my face paled. There was this loud growl and Virgil moved away from Roman, in fear, causing Romans light to get brighter. Virgil was dimming it just by being near him. The growling got louder and looked back to see Roman standing there sword in hand. "Virgil I need you to hold on to Roman."

"What? Why?" He looked over at me terrified and I tried to give him a reassuring smile but the growling got louder... closer and I tensed up. It wasn't the same growl as before... it wasn't the dragon-witch but if its here, its still a threat. "Logan?"

"He's a beacon, I need you to drown him out." His face went all serious as he looked over at the princely trait frowning. "Please, Virgil. I need you to hold on to him."

"What about you? You're glowing too, Teach." I shook my head and took a deep breath trying to collect myself. He just nodded as he ran over and grabbed Roman's arm. The light that surrounded him vanished and I smiled. The growling got louder again and I tensed up. We have to find Patton and fast. When I was here last it had been with Patton. It was a memory but this wasn't. We weren't safe. We need someplace...

"Let's go!" I grabbed Virgil's hand, dragging him and Roman away and plunging us all into darkness. Deceit had a room here. He was a dark side. I thought that when he showed up that one day, his room went with him, but that's not exactly what happens. If I remember correctly, Virgil didn't have a room when he first showed up. He just wandered into the mind space and Patton took him in, feeling for the lost anxious side. Meaning... Virgil's old room had to be here somewhere! 

I let the feeling of lightness and energy rush around me and I smiled. Images of this abandoned house past my mind and it sent shivers down my back. I let my feet follow the feeling, moving towards our destination with no clear proof we were even going the right way. 

"Logan? Where are we..." Roman stopped short causing us all to come to a stop. He looked around and I narrowed my eyes at him. Virgil just held on to Roman's arm too scared to let go for even a second. "This seems familiar."

"How could it? It's nothing but pitch bla..." He shot me this look and I took a step back. He pulled his arm out of Virgils against his protest and lit up like a flippen Christmas tree... Speaking of which. "Why is there a Christmas tree?"

"I KNEW I WAS HERE BEFORE!" He looked over at the tree with this big smile on his face and Virgil looked at it with confusion. The same look I probably echoed. Roman walked over and plucked an ornament from the tree and smiled. He took Virgil by the hand, causing his light to disappear, and ran off, leaving me to follow behind. My eyes went wide as he lead us right to the abandoned home I saw in my vision. Roman was here before? When? Why? "Everyone inside!"

"Roman?" He pulled me inside and locked the door before grabbing my hand and dragging me farther inside. He pulled me right into a bedroom with a tiny bed only meant for a small child. Virgil absentmindedly looked around pulling this stuffed bunny out of this cubby... "Vinnie?"

I stared in shock at the pastel pink bunny that Virgil held close to him. Roman just started to laugh and I shot him a look.

"So that's where that was? I guess I should've expected that. I never did let you grab anything." Roman said as he sat down on the small bed. I was just confused again. Virgil just looked at the bunny and started to smile. "You cried when you told me you lost it."

"I don't remember..." Virgil said as he started looking around the room again. "I remember Patton giving me a blue one..."

"Minnie?" They both looked at me and I ran a hand through my hair. "He told me the names of his stuffies once..."

"I didn't know they even had names." Virgil said as he looked through some of the other cubies lost in thought. "Was this my home?"

"Yeah... it was." Roman said looking away as Virgil pulled out a small book. His eyes lit up as he showed it to me. Alice in Wonderland... Wait. Alice in...

"LOGAN!" I spun around to see Roman standing there with this big smile on face. He looked so much younger. His early teens maybe? I looked around me to see I was back in the mindspace. I started to freak out. Why was I back home? Where was Patton what was...

"You ok kiddo?" I looked over at the man that peaked out behind the creative trait and I felt myself smile a little. His eyes darkened and I crossed my arms... hoping I wasn't giving off any weird vibes. I was obviously back in the past again and I didn't want Patton here catching on like he did last time. His eyes narrowed and Roman pushed a box into my face catching me off guard.

"Do you have anything your willing to get rid of?" I shot him a confused look and Patton laughed. "Anything for a kid... I thought since your well... You. You might have something."

"I don't know if I should be happy you thought of me or upset at how you said that." I raised an eyebrow at him and he just shrugged awkwardly. 

"Well, You are a nerd so at first, I thought it would be stupid to ask you. After all, you probably would only have boring things." I sighed and shook my head.

"Thanks..."

"But you also said you wanted to be a teacher so..." He looked back up at me and pushed the box into my arms. "Anything you have to give would honestly be ok. Even a book..." My eyes went wide as I looked back towards my room and smiled. Even a book... I knew I recognize that Alice in Wonderland book. I gave Roman the box again and he just narrowed his eyes as I walked away. "Hey, Logan!"

"Just stay there for a minute. I might have something." I called out as I started rummaging through everything. I lit up when I spotted it beside my new one. Or, well my new one at the time. Now it's nearly completed because Virgil took it without me noticing. I smiled and then I quickly stopped. This all happened BEFORE Virgil showed up in the mindspace. I shivered as I thought about what Deceit went through.

"Logan?" I heard Patton call as he stood there in my doorway and I jumped a little... 

"Uh, yeah just hold on. I'm still looking." He narrowed his eyes at me and I smiled back at him as he left. I quickly grabbed a pen and wrote on the inside of the cover, quickly signing my name and closing the book just as Roman came running in.

"Are you done yet, Patton said he wanted to give something too." I smiled thinking back to the pastel pink bunny Virgil held on to the last I saw him. I nodded and handed him the book. His eyes went wide and he looked over at me slightly shocked. "Your Alice in Wonderland book? But... This is your favorite book."

"Was my favorite book. Now I have another." I pointed back to the puzzle book on I had placed on the desk and Roman just looked at me confused. "Besides that book helped me through a lot. I'm sure whoever it is your planning on giving it to would love it just as much as me."

"Logan?" I looked over to see Roman sitting on Virgil's bed, this look of worry on his face. "Are you ok? You kinda zoned out."