Sanders Sides (and more) One Shots

Remus the Parasite

Roman wasn't exactly fond his brother, Remus. Some around them might think it was just some petty sibling hatred, but they both knew that there was a lot more to it than just pettiness.
Back when Thomas was younger and any ideas he had didn't have a label of acceptable vs unacceptable, Roman had an...issue on his head that he did his best to hide with hats and scarves only after finding out that the other Disney princes he wanted to be like didn't have that issue. Just because Roman had been able to hide his issue doesn't mean it doesn't try to make itself known; it may not have an entire body, but it could still be troublesome for the Prince.
The issue on his head was able to whisper eerie and disturbing ideas to Roman that would make him struggle to not cower in a corner. The issue would keep whispering the eerie ideas until Roman sent them Thomas's way just to stop the whispering. As a result, whenever Logan and Patton would find out that others who knew about the ideas were disturbed by Thomas, they would scold Roman (well, Patton would try to be gentle and firm and Logan would do the actual scolding). This would result in Roman taking the scolding without defending himself just to avoid talking about the issue whispering to him from under his hat or scarf. He figured that he was the only one that had the issue and that he would be alienated like Quasimodo if anyone else knew about it. It didn't just apply to crafts and stories, either. Whenever Thomas was playing games and using his imagination like a kid normally would, the issue would whisper horrible ideas to Roman (eating soap, sticking a fork in the toaster, attempt to boil a cup of water on an active light bulb, etc.) and he would comply just to stop the whispering. Eventually, it reached the point where he stopped being told off by Patton and Logan and just got a gut feeling in his stomach that meant they had given up on him.
At the age where Thomas was getting close to understanding what ideas were appropriate and inappropriate, Roman couldn't stop thinking about the issue. Whenever he closed his eyes, he would either be reminded that he was disappointing everyone, including Thomas, or he would open his eyes after the issue whispered more horrible things. He couldn't even hug the teddy bear Patton made for him without the issue whispering stuff about the teddy bear attacking him in various ways. The Prince had enough and ran to the Imagination with desperation coating his heart and tears stinging his eyes.
By a lake, Roman could spot the person she would looking for. He ran over to her and clung to her gown while sobbing in it. She gently stroked his hair that didn't have his hat covering it.
"Fairy Godmother, I need your help!" he sobbed.
She gently lifted his head so he would look at her.
"What do you need help with, Roman?" she asked.
He felt shy and gripped onto his hat.
"If I show you the issue, please don't hurt me," he begged.
The fairy hugged Roman as a reminder that she wouldn't dare hurt him. He backed away, removed his hat, and turned his back towards her. It took a while, but she was able to see the issue in its true form: there was a collection of bumps from under Roman's hair that, once she moved bits of his hair, were seen to be actually parts of an underdeveloped face. She could see that it was still breathing and moving its mouth.
"Oh, Roman, does anyone else know about this?"
"No, Fairy Godmother. Other princes don't have...that. I'd rather be scolded than tell the others."
There was a silence between them, but, though he had his doubts, Roman knew that Fairy Godmother didn't want to hurt him.
"This...he is still alive. You know I can't just take his life away."
"I don't care what you do to this. He's given me ideas that get Thomas in trouble and I take the blame, he whispers disturbing things to me that keep me from sleeping, and I can't even turn to Patton for a hug because this issue is stuck to me! If it were a person, at least I can run away from it!"
Roman sobbed as he ranted and Fairy Godmother felt worried for Roman and what he's about to get himself into. After using some magic, the issue separated from Roman and was a boy that looked like Roman, but dawning hues of black and green. He ran around in the Imagination with less control than Thomas and Roman no longer felt bumps on his head. He thanked Fairy Godmother and, ever since then, the boy, whom Roman called The Duke/Remus would pop in and out on the Light Side. Once it took up permanent residence as a Dark Side, Logan and Patton asked questions that resulted in Roman claiming Remus was his brother who was always around.
To this day, whenever Roman glared at Remus, he felt the back of his head and thought about what could've happened to him if he never turned to Fairy Godmother for help.