“Virgil, dinner!” Patton hollars up from the kitchen. Virgil gasps. He blinks his eyes quickly like he just woke up. Patton, how could he forget Patton. The smell of garlic bread wafted through the bathroom. Sweet Patton had made Virgil garlic bread in order to cheer him up. Virgil just stood frozen unable to move. He eventually gained the resolve to glance around himself. When he looked down his breath stilled. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His arm was bleeding slightly where he held a razor to it. He gasped and dropped it. What had he been doing? He tried to think back, but the last few minutes were really hazy. He just stared at the blood stained razor that had clattered to the floor.

“Virge, everything okay?” Patton sounded closer like he was heading his way. Virgil panicked, he couldn’t let Patton see that he had cut himself. He quickly turned on the water and started washing the blood off his arm. He winced as the cold water flowed against the wound.  He could hear Patton coming closer. Virgil grabbed his shirt that he had discarded on to the floor. Which was thankfully long sleeved and threw it on. He could feel that his arm was still bleeding. Thankfully the shirt was dark enough that Patton wouldn’t be able to see. He grabbed the razor and threw it into one of their clutter drawers towards the back. He would deal with it latter. Suddenly there was a light tapping on the door. “Virge you in there?” Virgil calmed himself the best he could and walked to the door. Instead of responding he just opened the door. Patton stood outside slightly startled. He hadn’t expected the door to open so suddenly.

Virgil shifted slightly until he made up his mind.  He leaned into Patton without warning. He wasn’t sure what had just happened to him, but he knew one thing for sure. Right now, he needed his best friend.

“Shhh, its ok Virgil. I’m here.” Patton wasn’t sure what had caused Virgil to be so upset, but knew that Virgil wouldn’t be hugging him unless he was very distraught. Virgil felt so fragile in his arms. Like if Patton were to squeeze to hard his friend would shatter. Virgil was shaking slightly. Whatever, just happened to him was not good. Patton was determined to make him feel better.

Virgil felt soft hands being pulled through his hair. Which calmed him down immensely. Patton felt like an anchor for Virgil. Virgil felt like at any moment if there was a strong enough breeze he would just fly into tiny pieces, but with Patton he knew he wasn’t going anywhere. Virgil trusted Patton more than anything, and he doesn’t want to be a burden to him but… “Patton, I’m so scared.”

Pattons breath stalled for a second. NOW YOU’VE DONE IT VIRGIL. YOU GOING TO BE SUCH A BURDEN ON HIM. No... Patton doesn’t seem me like that...  OF COURSE HE DOES. HE IS BEING FORCED TO WORRY ABOUT YOU. “It’ll be okay Virge. Do you want to talk about it.” Patton kind words silenced the voices in Vigils head. Does he want to talk about it? Does he want Patton to know just how screwed up his head is?

After a split second decision he decided he wanted Patton to know. He would just leave out certain details. Like hurting himself. Patton doesn’t need to know about that. “I- I have been seeing things. Th- That I can’t explain. Like last night somehow all the books on my shelf fell off. And I was so sure that some serial killer had broken into my room and was going to kill me. And then this morning when I went to take a bath. And you know I screamed. I had thought the tub was full of blood. But then you called to me and the water was clear when I turned around. And just now I went to wash up before dinner. Because I didn't want to smell. And I think….” Virgil paused he had started to cry as the words tumbled out of his mouth. “I think….” Why couldn’t he just tell Patton.  He sobbed. Patton waited for Virgil to finish rubbing encouraging circles on his back. Virgil looked at Patton with pained eyes. Patton gave him a small reassuring smile with soft kind eyes. Virgil took a shaky breath and almost yelled the last bit. “IthinkIforgotyou!”

Patton strained hard to understand what Virgil had just said. “Virge, kiddo I’m sorry I didn’t understand you.” Vigil took a long breath as he tried again.

“I think I forgot you...” Virgil said it this time slower but much quieter, almost at a mumble, but Patton heard it this time.

“You think you forgot me?” Patton said quietly. Virgil nodded. He didn’t know what to expect Patton's reaction to be. Would he be sad that Virgil had experience a time where he couldn’t remember his friend. Disappointed. Angry. No, Patton could never be angry at him. But sad was definitely an option.

While Virgil was panicking on how Patton would react. Patton was just confused. What was happening to his dear friend. And how was he supposed to make this better. Patton was at a loss for what to do. After sitting in silence for a minute he saw Virgil’s chest heaving hard and saw his eyes start to glaze over. He was starting to work himself into a panic attack. Patton  knew he couldn’t let him get there. He saw the guilt in Virgil’s eyes and acted quickly. “It’s okay Virgil.”

“How is any of this okay?”

“Virge look at me.” Patton grabbed virgil's chin and tilted his head up so that their eyes were meeting. Virgil squirmed a little under Patton’s determined gaze, but at the same time confronted by it. “Who am I?” Patton asked.

“What are you….”

“Who am I?” Patton said cutting Virgil  off.

“Y-You’re my friend, Patton.” Virgil squecked.

“Say it again. Louder”

“You’re my friend, Patton.” Virgil said louder.

“See. You know me. Even if you forgot for a bit. You know me, and even if you forgot me forever. I would either help you remember, or we would make new memories together. I will never give up on you even if you know who I am or not. I am here. You are here. We have each other.” Patton’s words circled Virgil like a warm embrace. How did Patton do that? Make everything better by saying just what Virgil needed to hear.

...But one thing still wouldn’t let Virgil fully relax. Something that felt like an icy hand grabbing his heart.

“Doesn’t that just make me a burden to you.” Virgil accidently mumbles out loud. Suddenly Virgil feels a sharp pain in his face. He gasp as he tries to regester what what just happened. He placed a hand to his face, and looked up at Patton his hand was raised and he had tears welling up in his eyes. Finally It dawned on Virgil what had just occurred. “Did- Did you just hit me?”

“How could you ever think you are a burden on me!?!?” Patton cries avoiding the question. Virgil doesn’t quite register what Patton says still reeling on the knowledge that Patton had hit him. Patton the man that couldn’t even hurt a mosquito. Even if it was biting him. Patton was dead serious about this Virgil knew that much so he forced himself through his confusion to give the small and fuming man in front of him his full attention. “Virgil, you are my dear friend I would do anything for you. You have let me into your life and given me your trust. Well, trust me when I say you are not a burden.”

LIES!!! The voice protest loudly in his head. HOW CAN YOU NOT BE A BURDEN.

“How am I not a burden? All I do is make you worried. I am just a mess that you are stuck cleaning up,” Virgil pauses “Why do you take the time to help me? What do you get out of it?”

“Oh, Virgil.” Patton is sobbing. YOU DID THIS TO HIM. HE IS CRYING BECAUSE YOU HAD TO GO AND RUN YOUR DAMN MOUTH. “I am here because you are my best friend. You are a kind and caring person. You think of the well being of others before you think about your own. Even now you are more worried about me then you are yourself.  Since you seem to refuse to look after yourself I will.”

HE IS JUST TRYING TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. HE DOESN’T REALLY CARE THIS MUCH. Yes he does  NO HE- YES HE DOES. Virgil interrupts his own inner monologue with a conviction that surprises himself.

“Virgil I promise you, whatever is happening to you, I am going to help you in whatever way that I can.”

Virgil takes a big shaky breath to steady himself “Okay.”

Satisfied with the response for now Patton gives Virgil a warm smile. “Well we can’t do anything on a empty stomach, and I made a pasta-tively delicious dinner. Lets go get some while it is still warm.” Patton said laughing slightly at his own joke.

Virgil smiled for the first time in what felt like a long time. He also gave a slight eye roll at the horrible pun. No matter what Patton was still Patton. “Okay, let’s go” and with that the two young men headed down stairs towards a really good smelling dinner.

_________________

“Logan! Something is wrong!” Roman flew frantically as he tried to find the stoic man. His thoughts in a total panic. This can’t be happening. What was Roman supposed to do about this? What can he do? Logan, he has to find Logan he will know. “Logan! Where are you?”

Suddenly Roman spotted the man perched on tree about a mile from his Ward’s house. It may seem like a far distance but with a Guardian’s eye sight it was nothing, even if Logan had to where glasses. So they could both easily keep an eye on their Wards from this distance. Roman quickly swooped down out of the clouds an landed with a thud on a tree adjacent to the one Logan was perched on. Accidently sending a very frightened squirrel into a panic causing it to run away for its life. Roman ignored it focussing on the issue at hand.

“Logan something is wrong with Virgil!” Roman said much too loud for Logan’s liking.

“Yes, I would say there are a few things wrong with Virgil. He is prone to panic attacks, he also has bad social skills, and -” Logan says before being rudely interrupted.

“I am not talking about that. I know that.”

“Then what on earth could you flying around like a maniac shouting for the whole world to hear? With your volume level it wouldn’t take much for a human to hear you. You must act with more caution. I do not wish to have to deal with your -”

“Yes, yes I know I am an inconveniences and all that, but I needed to find you.” Roman interrupts again because he can feel a lecture coming on.

Logan huffed. He hated being interrupted it severely messed with his train of thought. However, based on previous experience with this flamboyant Guardian his point would not be listened to until the other had been appeased so he gave up. “Why is it that you needed to find me then?”

Roman glad to not be lectured anymore didn’t waste anytime. He quickly pulled up his sleeve on his shirt revealing what appeared to be a nasty red mark on his skin. It was small and not very significant. Loan’s eyebrows furrowed. “You came to me because you acquired a scratch.” Logan asked clearly confused.

Roman huffs at this. How can a person be so flippin smart and so clueless at the same time. “I did not scratch myself. This appeared on my arm. It was extremely painful. Witch means..?” He says exasperated having Logan put the pieces together himself.

“Witch means that your Ward injured himself somehow. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything. The position of the injury is concerning given its location. Did you see him when this injury occurred?”

“ No he was in his bathroom where there is no widows and you yelled at me the last time I went into the house so I didn’t go in.”

“Well, then it could have very likely just been an accident that occured. And given the fact that it didn’t draw any blood on you it wasn’t a very deep injury.”

“That’s not what has me so worried Logan.”

“Well then what is it then?” c

“I don’t know how to describe it, but I couldn’t feel are bond anymore. It was like the connection between me and him had been severed somehow. I felt his pain. I just couldn’t feel him.”

Logan’s eyes widened in alarm at this. It was about time the nerd realized the seriousness of Romans situation. “Are you quite sure Roman? You felt no connection to him at all?” Roman nodded slightly confused by the look on Logan’s face. “Well this is very disconcerting.”

“What? What do you think is happening?” Roman could feel himself shaking with worry he was so worried about his Ward.

“Well, it sounds to me that a Gatherer has made Virgil there next prey.”

“Gatherer? I have never heard of those.”

“Well I have only read about them. As the are incredibly dangerous beings that are not supposed be spoken of.” Logan says shifting uncomfortably.

“Why, what are they?” Roman asked his pauls sky rocketing. Whatever they were, one might be going after his Virgil and the only word that stuck out to him was “dangerous”. Also Logan the emotionless robot looked unnerved by this witch sent Roman’s nerves  over the edge.

“Fallen Guardians.”

“What?”

“Guardians who have lost their wings because,” Logan gave a pause not wanting to even consider the idea. “They failed  their Wards.” Roman gasped recoiling at the idea.

“So, their Ward died, and now they are Gatherer’s? I thought when a Ward died the Guardian died too.”

“Yes, this is typically the case, however, there are rare cases, where the Guardian does not die with their Wards. No one has been able to figure out what causes this to happen, but the Gatherers are seen as disgraces because they failed to protect their Wards.” Logan explained.

“Well then why are the called Gatherer’s and not The Fallen or something?”

“It is said it is due to how they sustained themselves. When they fall they experience excruciating suffering. They are neither alive nor are they dead. Their existence is pain to them. In my reading I found the only way for them to ease their own suffering is by consuming the tortured souls of humans who have a Guardian.” Logan clarifies.

Roman’s eyes widen. “So they gather the souls of Wards who are suffering mentally?” Logan gives a slight nod. Roman’s breath catches. “Someone like Virgil!” Roman releases. “But how do they consume a soul?”

“By destroying a person’s mental state, breaking the connection with the Ward and Guardian, and killing the Ward by possessing their bodies.” Roman lets out a small yelp at the idea this could be happening to the pure creature he had seen only hours ago under the pale moonlight. Logan continues, “The fact that you told me that you felt a disconnect leads me to believe that the process has already started. However, something was able to break the hold the Gatherer had on your Ward. My assumption would be that my Ward being well versed with emotion had something to do with that. However, without conclusive evidence I cannot confirm my hypothesis.” Logan says.

Roman in panic started to ramble, “Well, what am I going to do? I have to tell Virgil he is in danger. I have to help him. This will not stand a prince can not let the innocent go unprotected. He is in distress and I must do something about it.” Roman says and stands up preparing to take flight. He has to tell Virgil immediately. And no one is going to stop him.

“Roman stop!”

So close. “What Logan? I have to tell him.”

“I realize that you are concerned for your Ward’s well being, but you must think rationally and not let your foolish emotions cloud your judgment. We are still under restrictions that prevent you from communicating directly with him.” Logan chastises.

“Well, what do you suggest I do then? If I can not be seen, and I can not tell him what am I supposed to do?” Roman whines sadley.

Logan pauses, then he lets out a long exasperated sigh, “I can think of one way, but I am not letting you do it alone. If you screw it up it could end poorly for your Ward witch would not be good for my Wards mental state.”

Roman lights up like a kid on Christmas getting the thing he had wished for santa to bring, “I knew you would be able to help, but wait, I thought you didn’t care about your Wards emotions.”

“I don’t.” Roman waggles his eyebrows at him. Logan blushes slightly, “Shut up.”