The picture at the top is not how I envision Romulus, I just thought it was cool.

TW: Gross stuff, pain, separation, and Janus doesn't speak in lies.

Patton speed-walked down the small hallway, carelessly styled hair bouncing on his forehead. Determination and simmering anger burned in light brown depths hidden behind circular glasses.

He turned a corner and layed his eyes on the wooden door down the hall, adorned with silver and gold lettering that glowed in the soft light, spelling out 'Imagination'. It was Romulus' realm.

Ugh.

Creativity's "ideas" were getting worse and worse. First it was a comment on a boy's ass, and Thomas should never think about that... part anyway! Especially not when it's a guy's.

Then it was little birds, wondering what would happen if they stopped flying and came crashing down from the sky.

Then more about 'how hot that boy across the aisle is'. I mean, he was pretty attracti- No! Ugh. Whatever. This was just another reason he was bad. He's poisoning their minds.

And then there was that weird spurt of obsession with Jeffery Dahmer. And now Gilbert, Thomas's best friend. 'What would happen if he died?'

Not to mention his recent... outfit upgrade. Seriously, who needs a solid gold crown! With diamonds!

Patton wouldn't accept it! He was just... done! With the death, and the greed, and- And the boys! Thomas shouldn't have all that nonsense filling his head.

Patton was so caught up in his thoughts that he hardly noticed slipping into the Imagination and practically running towards Romulus until they crashed and he was on the ground.

"Oh, Honey! Are you quite alright?" A tanned hand appeared in front of his face, beckoning for him to take it. Patton looked up at the teenager standing above him, concern etched on his diamond face. And his dark brown eyes that could have held the entire solar system in them, brimming with worry and care.

Patton couldn't just send him away. Not the boy that always used the best endearing nicknames and made Patton feel like he was oh-so special. That had gifted Patton the glasses, that were currently resting just above the bright pink heart pictured over his chest, when he had started idolizing Harry Potter. The King had even gone so far as to alter the lens so that it wouldn't hurt Patton's perfect eyesight.

He couldn't do this to the Romulus that kept Thomas writing, helping Patton work through the emotions constantly swamping his mind. That worked night and day to keep Thomas motivated and confident. That always encouraged him to do his very best, even when things got hard.

He slipped that glasses back on with a small, sad, smile and took his hand. A small burst of creativity presented itself over the melancholic despair, and an idea took hold.

Romulus grinned, his button-less dress shirt glowing silver in the light. He'd always hated buttons. "Big plans, huh? You gobbled down that bit like di-" (I know you were thinking it too, and it's in character so frick off.)

"Uhm, Ro... Romulus." Patton cut him off, frowning, guilt swelling up along with another bolt of determination. He just had to get it over with, then everything would be better.

Romulus' eyebrows scrunched, and he seemed to pale just slightly. "You... never call me by my full name. And you've only ever used that voice when... oh God." He whispered the last few words, realization widening his eyes. "You're going to send me away, aren't you? With Deceit and... Paranoia?"

"No! No, of course not." Patton rushed to defend himself, and calm Ro. "I just... I need to do something to you. To help Thomas."

"What? What are you going to do?!" Romulus yelled, backing away slowly.

"I-" Patton choked on his words. He just needed to get it over with. He stepped forward, quicker than Romulus was away. "I'm sorry." He whispered, head bowed, as he set his hand on Romulus's cheek and leveled their stares.

He thought of everything bad about the boy in front of him. Everything wrong. He combined it with every bit of anger, hatred, and disgust towards it. Tried to burn it away. Get rid of it forever. He channeled everything he had into that.

His vision filled with solid light blue, which got brighter and brighter until Patton had to slam his eyes closed against the glow. Then Romulus started to burn at hot as Hellfire and Patton was forced back, the palm of his hand now smoking and agitated.

He stumbled back into a tree, and waved his hand around to cool it. He kept with that, eyes scrunched closed, for what felt like hours, though was really only a few moments.

Then Romulus screamed. The noise filled the air, louder than the heart beating in Patton's ear or the breath being hurriedly sucked through his mouth. It was heartbreak and suffering and pain and-and... Patton had caused it.

Every being in a hundred mile radius could hear it, and each fell to the ground, screaming or sobbing, feeling everything their King was. But he felt it ten times worse. Patton knew that. And it was all his fault.

"Logan! Please! Anyone!" He tried to yell, but even he couldn't hear it over the din. All it got him was salt slipping through his lips.

Then something happened. The scream, harmonious and wretched, became uneven. One voice rose above the other, somehow smooth in the middle of the whirlwind of grief, barely betraying the heartbreak and pure want - no, need - until it was sinking below the other. Squeaky and rough, like the first noise of a clarinet, this voice was angry and manic.

Then the first rose again, and for a moment they harmonized, a flicker of Romulus shining through. But not for long. They continued to dance around each other, broken and helpless, until each became like the last sounds of a dying bird and cut off.

Patton risked opening one eye just a bit, both flying open less than a second later. His hands slipped partly from his ears, and he pressed his back further into the rough bark of the tree. He only then realized how he was positioned, curled up at the bottom of an oak. His glasses were lopsided on his nose, his baby blue shirt was half up his stomach, and his jeans were smeared with dirt and grass stains, probably from writhing around like a dead fish as Romulus' emotions tore him inside out.

Or into two...

Patton glanced over at them again.

Where Romulus' had once stood were two panting boys, mirroring each others lopsided sits. The one closer to Patton wore a spotless collared shirt, obviously without buttons, and had a red sash looping over one shoulder. Rose blooms attached to a thin gold circlet lay gently on his styled hair. And when he looked up at Patton, his brown eyes flickered green.

The other was dressed similarly, except his shirt was now black and the sash wrapping around his waist a dark green. And instead of only the petals adorning his silver crown, thorny stalks wound around and around, stabbing into his already messy hair, which had a streak of grey running through it. He was entirely too young for facial hair, they all were, but the dirt smeared above his lip came close. His glaring eyes were ringed in burnt sienna and gold flecks spattered through them.

The scenery had already changed to match.

Grass was now almost black in an uneven half circle around the second boy, and the boughs of trees reached lower, bubblegum pink puss spilling out in place of sap. The sky darkened, clouds gathering almost immediately. Flowers wilted and fell apart in clumps.

A clean line ended his 'area', and began the other's. The grass seemed brighter, and flowers bloomed wider, shining brightly in afternoon sun. Trees grew taller, and a little bluebird came and perched on his shoulder.

The two looked at each other, confusion clear on their faces, and scooted slightly closer, hands fluttering in signals that only the twins could understand. Yes, that's what they were.

Patton just didn't understand why the second was there at all. He had been trying to get rid of the darker part completely, not make it it's own being. Now everything was all messed up.

"Patton?!" A voice called out, and Patton's head snapped towards it. Logan, running over to him. The logical side reached out and pulled Patton up, slicked back hair out of place and dark blue dress shirt slightly sticking to him from sweat.

Then he noticed the two boys, who had gone back to their own thing after studying the newcomer for a moment. They seemed scared, but not hurt. That was good.

"Who- Who are they?" Logan asked, but Patton only looked away. "Patton?"

"Yeah, Patton. What did you do?" Patton spun around to face the worried speaker, to find the other sides, who Romulus had mentioned just... before.

Deceit, who had spoken,, was covering even more skin now than the last time Patton had seen him, with his yellow collar flipped up, black gloves stretching under his sleeves, and the simple black eyepatch covering his left eye, which his hair almost covered. A black top hat sat upon his head, yellow ribbon wrapping around it and cascading down the back. What was he trying to hide anyway?

He had his arm out in front of Paranoia, who was gripping it tightly. The younger boy was dressed in a plain black shirt and had his normal purple sweater tied securely around his waist. He had heavy black eyeliner and tear tracks running down his face that he must not have had time to clean up.

Patton felt a pang of guilt, but shoved it away. This wasn't the time. "I-" Patton choked. "Romulus..."

Logan jolted back and Deceit's lip curled up. Paranoia just stood there, shocked, behind his elder.

"What do you mean, Romulus, Patton?" Logan asked slowly after a moment of silence.

"I- I swear I didn't mean too! I just wanted him to stop hurting Thomas!" Patton yelled, tears cascading down his face.

"...You mean, they are, or used to be anyway... Romulus?" Deceit asked.

Patton nodded slightly.

Just then, the two in question touched hands, and bright rainbow light exploded from the soft connection. They screamed again, though this time, only for a moment. Then the light faded, and Patton lowered the arm that had come up to protect his eyes.

At this rate he might actually end up needing glasses.

The two boys were now sprawled much farther apart, as if thrown there, and scorch marks covered the ground between them.

No one moved for a solid minute, until the lighter one slowly picked himself up and slowly walked closer, spinning back on his heels as if afraid he'd get blasted again form even being close to his brother. The other stood up, and they just stared at each other for a moment.

The lighter stepped away slightly when the other tried to get closer. The darker's face contorted, betrayal clear on it. "'m sorry Remus." He mumbled, looking away. His voice matched the first to rise in the scream.

"Whatever Ro." The dar- er, Remus, said.

"... Is- is that your name then Kiddo? Ro?" Patton asked, trying to smile.

Both twins' heads snapped towards him, and Ro stepped forward a bit and cleared his throat. He opened his mouth, then glanced back at Remus, who nodded a bit. "Prince Roman, actually." He said, a mixture of confidence and hesitance lacing together.

"So you really are Creativity then?" Deceit asked, arm still in front of Para, just lowered a bit.

After a silent conversation, Remus stepped towards him. "Guess so." He said, voice squeaking half-way through. "I'm Duke Remus."

"Hello, Remus, Roman. I'm Deceit and this is Paranoia," he said, motioning towards the side in question.

Remus chuckled. "Those aren't names silly! What are your actual ones? Or do ya need me to make me tell you?" He said creepily, and Patton grimaced.

"That is what you may call us." Deceit said icily.

Coffee brown smoke quickly began to creep towards them, the strong small of lavender accompanying it. They had been there longer than Patton had thought, and now Thomas' sleeping pill was starting to kick in. If they weren't out of the Imagination within the next few minutes they'd be toast.

But there was still the matter of the twins. Patton steeled his face and said, "I think Remus is yours Deceit. Come on, Kiddo." He motioned to Roman, who slowly approached, looking at the smoke warily. He began to lead the newest out of the Imaginaton.

"What? You can't separate them now! They've barely just formed, and are obviously important to each other." Deceit yelled after them, Remus beside him, eyes locked on his brother.

"Well, we need to get out of here. We can figure it out later." Patton maintained. "Let's go." He said, continuing to walk, Logan at his side and Roman close behind.

"Will-Will I see Remus soon?" Roman asked, looking between the two.

Patton bit his lip, but when Logan glanced to him for guidance he took a deep breath and spoke, "Of course, now cm'on." Roman smiled, so it seemed to be the right thing to say, and twisted around a bit to look at the other.

They had begun to walk back to their side of the mind palace, but Remus was still staring straight (gay) at his lighter version.

"I'll see you soon, brother!" Roman called happily.

Little did either boy know, that was farther from truth then Deceit himself.