A/N:

Alright, I lied... I had too many ideas and I just had to write. Also, I really don't want to study for finals. So now y'all are getting more chapters.

TW: None, although it gets a little sad at one point while talking about a relationship

|Previous chapter:

I stood up to leave but paused when I heard Patton mumble something under his breath.

"I'm gonna need more than two cookies today."|

Roman POV:

Logan, Patton, Deceit, Thomas, and I were all in the kitchen. Thomas was sitting at the table, Deceit and I were standing by the fridge, and Patton and Logan were leaning against the island. Logan had an arm wrapped around Patton's waist, and Patton's head was resting on his shoulder.

Thomas had just finished telling us about what had happened before Virgil passed out in his room, and we were all silent as we processed the information.

I was a little hurt that he thought we would to that to him. He was a part of the group now, and, even though I might have acted like that in the past, I had sworn to myself that I would never do anything like that to him again.

I thought back to earlier this morning when Virgil had freaked out when he woke up. He had been telling me the exact same thing.

"He was telling me about that before you summo..." I started before trailing off. I had just remembered something that could help Virgil realize that what he was talking about wasn't real, but I would need some help.

"That's it!" I shouted, more to myself than any of the others, and ran out of the kitchen.

I ran down the hall in the opposite direction of our bedrooms, which was towards the door of the Imagination. I knew that one of the two things I needed was in there, and it would probably take me the longest to get it.

Coming to a halt outside of the dark brown door, I paused to catch my breath before opening the door and stepping inside.

I blinked my eyes, momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight. I had been here countless times, but it still awed me whenever I came.

I was standing at the top of a grassy hill. In front of me, at the bottom of the hill, was the Imagination's village. From my vantage point on the hill, I was able to see the entire village and its surroundings. It was located in the middle of a grassy plain, with rolling hills surrounding it, proving shelter from any strong winds.

In the middle of the village was a park full of trees, plants, and a playground for the children, which had undergone many repairs throughout the years. Surrounding the park were the many small businesses owned by an individual or family.

I was immediately able to locate the bakery, which was the only building that resembled a stereotypical village building. The brick walls, which used to be a dark red, were faded from the sun, and the thatched roof made the building look like something from the European countryside.

Surrounding the businesses were the homes, which were very modern looking. Trees lined the streets, casting shadows along the yards and houses. Children played in every street, free to go wherever they pleased so long as they were home by sundown.

A warm breeze blew past me, carrying with it the sweet scent of blossoming trees and flowers, along with a whiff of what the bakery was making. Birds chirped in the distance, creating an entrancing melody that could brighten even the darkest day. Because it was the Imagination, it was always springtime, allowing the place to have a magical feel.

Coming out of my momentary trance, I started down the hill and into the village. Every so often, I stopped to talk to villagers that I had helped in the past or say hello to a group of children playing in the streets.

I was in the middle of talking to Camden, who I had helped a few visits ago when a squirrel had gotten into his attic when a small gaggle of children ran up to me.

"Prince Roman!" one of them called.

I turned to the voice and saw a cluster of 7 kids who must not have been older than 10. The one who had spoken was holding a soccer ball, and they all had massive grins on their faces.

"Will you play soccer with us?" one of the girls asked, coming up to me and grabbing my hand.

"Why, of course, I will!" I exclaimed, allowing myself to be dragged away.

I heard Camden laugh, and I looked back, sticking my tongue out.

After two games of soccer with the group of kids, I excused myself and continued on my way to the business area.

After walking past a few buildings, I arrived in front of my destination; the office of Dr. Emile Picani.

It was a quaint little place. The walls of the one-story building were an off-white color with dark brown trim. Two windows faced the street, giving it a homey feel. Small shrubs lined the walkway to the main door, which had a small sign hanging from a hook that read:

While it is always best 
To believe in one's self, 
A little help from others 
Can be a great blessing. 

I chuckled at the sign hanging on the door, instantly recognizing the line from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Stepping through the door, I found myself in a small receptionist area. A young lady sat behind a dark oak desk, typing on her computer.

Walking up to the desk, I caught the attention of the receptionist.

"Greetings, fair maiden," I proclaimed, offering my hand.

The receptionist looked up from her work on the computer and gasped, a hand flying up to cover her mouth. Her other hand took my outstretched one, and I lifted it to my lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

"P-Prince R-Roman!" she exclaimed, blushing profusely. "We were not expecting a visit from you today! Is there something that you need?"

"Please, just call me Roman," I said, chuckling lightly and clasping my hands behind my back. "And who might you be? I do not believe that we have met before."

"I'm Valerie," she squeaked out, reaching up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. "Dr. Picani hired me yesterday."

"Well then, Valerie," I said, tilting my head towards her. "I wish you the best of luck in your new job."

"Th-thank you, Roman," Valerie responded, and I saw her blush again.

"You are very welcome," I replied before remembering why I came. "Is Dr. Picani with a patient at the moment?"

"He is currently with Elliott," Valerie said and then looked at the clock. "Although they should be done momentarily, and the rest of his schedule is clear."

Right as she finished speaking, a door own the hall clicked open and I saw Elliott walk out, shoulders hunched and hands in their pockets. They were wearing a grey t-shirt under a sleeveless denim hoodie and black jeans. Their black hair was messily combed across their forehead, and black eyeshadow lined their eyes.

"Elliott!" I called out in greeting when I saw them.

Upon hearing me, they stopped and looked up, smiling softly when they saw me. They continued walking, slightly faster though until they reached me. When they were close, I held out my arms for a hug, which they eagerly accepted.

I had met Elliott last year during one of my regular visits to the village. Coincidentally, they had been leaving Dr. Picani's office when they bumped into me.

After a few seconds, Elliott pulled away from the hug, and I saw that their eyes were slightly red.

I didn't want to ask them outright if something was wrong in case it was a sensitive topic. Instead, I wrapped an arm around their shoulder and asked, "How have you been, Elliott? Are there any dragon-witches I need to slay for you?"

Elliott didn't respond. Instead, they just shrugged their shoulders and looked to the floor.

Worried for them, I pulled Elliott over to one of the couches in the corner of the room so that we had a little more privacy. I sat down on one end of the couch, pulling my legs up underneath me and facing the other end. Elliott sat down on the other end and mirrored my position so that we were facing each other.

"What's up?" I asked once we were both situated.

Elliott sighed, looking down at the couch cushion. "It's just... Mitchel..."

"I'm sorry," I said, placing a hand on their knee. "Are you two still together?"

They nodded, still looking at the couch.

"Elliott," I said softly, which made them look up at me. "I really think you need to break up with him. He's not doing you any favors."

"I know," they said. "And Dr. Picani said that I should break up with him too, but... it's just..."

"It's hard," I said, finishing Elliott's sentence.

They nodded again, and I saw tears starting to well in their eyes. I leaned over and gently pulled them into a hug. I didn't let go until Elliott pulled away, and I saw that they had more tears in their eyes, although even more had escaped.

"Hey," I said, rubbing their arm. "Everything's gonna be ok. You still have my phone number, right?"

Elliott nodded, reaching up to wipe a few tears away.

"Good. We can talk sometime tonight or tomorrow," I said, smiling at them. "As for right now, I have to go ask Dr. Picani a small favor."

"Why do you need a favor from him?" Elliott asked, chuckling. "Literally all he talks about are cartoons!"

"Well," I said, smirking. "Let's just say things are a bit crazy over at the Mind Palace."

~~~

After saying goodbye to Elliott, I walked down the hall and into Picani's office. It felt like I had walked into a little kid's bedroom: posters of cartoons and shows lined the walls, and stuffed animals covered the shelves.

Picani was sitting in his chair, twirling around in it while scribbling in his notebook, so he didn't see me come in. He was wearing a white button-up shirt and baby blue tie under a beige cardigan and jeans along with his signature pair of glasses.

I chuckled to myself and sat down on the couch across from Picani. Even then, he didn't notice me, as he was too focused on his doodling.

I didn't say anything, instead choosing to wait for what must have been five minutes before Picani looked up and saw me. When he saw me, he slammed his notebooks closed and gasped.

"Roman!" he yelled, leaning forward in his chair. "I wasn't expecting you! How have you been??"

I laughed at his enthusiasm before responding. "I've been alright. Things have been stressful over in the Mind Palace."

Picani hummed, tapping his pen against his notebook. "So did you come for a session??"

"No," I said, laughing and shaking my head. "I actually came to ask you a favor."

"A favor, eh??" Picani chuckled. "What can I do for ya?"

"Well," I started. "I was wondering if you would come to the Mind Palace and try and help work some stuff out."

"What stuff needs to be worked out?" Picani asked, opening his notebook and clicking his pen.

"I'll explain on the walk back," I said, anxious to get back.

"Well then," Picani exclaimed, snapping his notebook closed again and standing up. "What are you waiting for??? Let's go!!!"

~~~

Picani and I made it back to the entrance to the Mind Palace after what must have been a half hour walk back. Usually, it only took me ten minutes to walk from the hill to the center of the village, but we were walking very slowly and stopped often so that Picani could think.

When we got inside, I turned to Picani. "Virgil's in his room right now. Why don't you start talking to him? I've got one more thing I need to do that might solve this mystery."

"That sounds good, Roman," Picani said, turning and walking down the hall.

After a few seconds, I took a breath and walked down the hall in the opposite direction, towards the room that we only entered as a last resort; the memory room.

A/N:

So now Picani, Elliott, Valerie, and Camden are part of the book!!!! I have ideas for Picani and Elliott in oncoming chapters, but I have no ideas for Valerie and Camden... do any of y'all have ideas???

Also, there might be another chapter coming out late tonight, but idk. 

Until next time,

Take it easy guys, gals, and non-binary pals!!!

~death_by_fanfic