Escaped - Sanders Sides

Chapter Twenty Two

(POV: Roman)

"You okay, Janus?" I heard Virgil ask as Remus and I ran over to the group. The poor snake seemed really out of it, left shoulder seeming somewhat flatter than his right one. Elden disappeared, but we don't know where. He couldn't have gone far, which was one of the reasons I kept my sword tightly in my grasp.

Logan moved closer to Janus, calmly moving Patton out of the way so he could see the side's odd body part. He held to the snake's wrist while putting his other hand on his shoulder blade. Janus immediately jerked his head up, hissing and yelling. His sickly pale face looked a little green.

"As I suspected," Logan announced, straightening his tie. "It appears your shoulder is no longer in its socket, Janus."

"Oh geez, I'm so sorry Janus!" Patton cried, burying his face deeply in his hands.

"I-It's okay, P-Patton," Janus muttered weakly, "You weren't i-in control."

"He is right, Patton," Logan spoke again, "But we must get back to the Light Mind Palace so that I can properly realign your shoulder."

"Can't you do it now?! He's clearly in pain!" Remus yelled, starting to get the look of fear awoken in his eyes.

"Not anymore. We've passed the limit of time that would make it easier and less painful for Janus' shoulder to return in place. We must get back home at once." With that, Logan took Janus's other arm while he and Virgil slowly moved with Janus.

Remus and I walked ahead with Patton. But we only got a few steps ahead before I heard the sounds of rushed breaths. I looked over my shoulder, Virgil's scared and paling face staring at me while Janus did the same.

"Virgil, what's wrong?" I asked, grabbing his shoulders.

"S-Something is w-w-wrong," he stuttered out, "I-It's Thomas."

Everyone looked back and forth between each other, eyes wide and fear imminent. Virgil's breathing began to rise as he struggled to hold on to the snake. Remus rushed over and nudged him out of the way, taking his spot in holding onto Janus' left side.

Patton rushed in to help me with Virgil, who I was slowly lowering to the floor. The fatherly figure grabbed the emo nightmare's hand while I held him tightly, trying to get him calmer.

"What's wrong with Thomas, kiddo? What's happening to him?" Patton asked, growing more concerned by the second.

"I-I can't t-t-tell! B-But he's an-anxious, a-and afraid, an-and it's like someone ju-just won't leave him al-!" He stopped suddenly. "ELDEN! Elden has Thomas! Elden has Thomas!" The poor emo began panicking even more wildly than before, his breathing way too erratic while his hands shook like leaves in a windstorm.

"Virgil, please, calm down! Thomas is okay; Elden can't hurt him!" I told him, running my fingers through his hair, doing whatever I could to aid him in his times of distress. I turned over to Logan, seeing a very surprised and speechless look on his face, something he often never wore. "Elden can't hurt Thomas, right, Logan?"

"I-I mean..." Logan coughed out, adjusting his glasses, "Elden is just another side to Thomas, just like you and I. Personally, I...I see no reason Elden couldn't cause Thomas distress."

"I-I think I know where he is, but w-we have to go now!" Virgil stammered, tapping his fingers against his crossed arms nervously.

"Lead the way," I said, earning a weak smile from the anxious trait.

Logan tried to tell us why it wasn't a good idea to chase after Elden after all of the damage he'd already done, but Patton insisted that this was the only way. Without hesitation, Remus and Janus summoned their powers, motioning for Virgil to do the same. Logan, Patton, and I all joined hands as Virgil and Janus worked together to transport us to Elden.

We all began to sink down, the world turning pitch black, before the sky turned orange. I looked around to see where the two sides had taken us.

"This is-" I began.

"Elden's room," hissed Janus. "But it won't be for long."

Suddenly, a bright light flashed before us, and two figures stepped forward. One was glowing with some sort of power while the other seemed to be trailing aimlessly after them. As the two got closer, I could see who they really were.

Elden and... Thomas.

Thomas's eyes turned black, his body rising up off the ground. His hair began blowing in a wild wind, whipping across his pale face. The bags under his eyes had cleared, but being in his consciousness was weakening him. There was no way to tell how much time he had left before he would lose control. Not like he had much now under the control of Elden's powers.

"Thomas!" Patton shouted, staring at the man in fear. "You can fight him! You're stronger than you think!"

"You all have ruined me," Thomas growled, pointing at the six of us. "If it wasn't for you, things would have been so much easier!"

I gasped as I felt all of the energy leaving my body. I began to glow red, the color becoming fainter and fainter as I felt my soul and being be erased completely. I glanced at the others and saw the same was happening to them.

"Thomas, please! I know you're still in there," Virgil choked.

I felt myself getting weaker. "We... we have to remind him of what we've done. That's how we can bring him back. Remind Thomas of everything."

My friends nodded and held their heads up high. Elden laughed as he watched Thomas erase us from his mind. He didn't know what was coming.

"Remember when you were little? You were only nine, but you were so talented, Thomas. You stepped up on that stage and you played the best prince anyone had ever seen. You've come so far," I smiled, feeling myself begin to fade away.

Virgil choked back a sob. "If it wasn't for Roman's creativity, you wouldn't have decided to start acting. I helped you remember all those lines and make sure that you stayed safe. You're important, Thomas, and we love you for who you are."

"Thomas, under these circumstances, I understand that now is not the best time to inform you about certain topics," Logan announced, pushing his glasses higher up on his nose. "But, after studying and working hard, you have become successful. You are loved, and you love others. You learned the most important thing of all..."

"Love, Thomas," Patton said with a sad smile. "You learned how to love. You grew close with your family and fixed relationships that seemed broken. You pushed past your doubts and became stronger because of it. You've made so many friends over the years, because of love."

"I know that you don't trust me all that much. That's okay, but look how far you've come," Janus said, holding his hands out to the world around him. "You've learned that lying isn't always a good thing and you have to learn how to love yourself before you can love others. It's important to take care of yourself and be who you are. Lies don't define you, Thomas."

"Hey up there," Remus waved. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but all of the things we've talked about have made you into a better person. If it weren't for all of those wacky little trains of thought, who knows where you'd be! You're strong, brave, smart, and... creative."

"Aww!" Patton gasped, holding his hands to his chest. "That was so sweet, kiddo!"

Remus's eyes lit up with excitement as he realized something. "Also, remember all those dead rats we saw?!"

Thomas's eyes began flickering back and forth between black and brown. Elden roared with anger, sending a wave of power in our direction.

I held my arms in front of my face for protection. Instead of being hit, a loud crack echoed across Elden's room. I opened my eyes and saw Thomas, fully in control of himself, standing before us, forming a thin, pink wall in front of him.

Thomas snapped his fingers and my friends and I began to glow again. Our powers and our abilities returned to us with a great surge of energy. All of our cuts and bruises faded away, leaving pink skin in its place. Janus gasped as his arm returned to normal and he rushed over to Virgil, giving him a hug.

A soft pink glow radiated around Thomas, flowing outward in whispy spirals. The orange sky turned blue, filled with sun and brightly colored clouds.

"It's time to end this," spoke Thomas. "Once and for all."