Point of View: Roman, First Person (haha how much do you miss Virgil's POV? XP)
Timeline: Present Day, Day 7 of Roman's Quest

I groaned, wincing at my pounding head.  I raised my hand and pressed them harshly against my temples, trying effortlessly to fix the throbbing pain in my head. Ow...

I looked up, searching for Virgil.  Gosh... my head...

"Morning Charmin'," a voice said.  I blinked lazily at Virgil, who merely held a water bottle out to me.

"Morning, Hades," I muttered, still holding my head, taking the water bottle from him gratefully.  "Ah - what happened?"

"You started freakin' out," Virgil said calmly, holding his staff lightly in his hand.  He swung it back and forth easily, seemingly unconcerned at the fact I couldn't remember what happened... yesterday? The day before?

"Freaking... out?" I asked, the words unfamiliar to my tongue.

"You started acting really weird," Virgil explained vaguely, not meeting my eyes.  "Mood swings all over the place.  I gave you some of my sleeping pills to knock you out for a bit - hoping that you'd wake up."

"S... Sleeping pills?" I repeated, remembering vaguely.  "You... you had my sleeping pills," I remembered, frowning.

Virgil shook his head.  "They were my sleeping pills.  I guess Logan's been busy," Virgil said simply, still not meeting my eyes.  His voice was light but his eyes said otherwise, darkened in worry.

"How... how long have I been out?" I asked, wincing slightly.  I wouldn't push, I promised I wouldn't push, but I couldn't help the instant urge to convince Virgil to talk to me.

"A good sixteen hours," Virgil admitted, still swinging his staff - still uncharacteristically calm.  I guess he's already worked out through all his anxiety while I was out or... something?

Yeah, that was about as believable as it sounded.

"Oh," I said stupidly.  I blinked before realizing something.  "Wait, have you slept... at all?" I asked him, getting to my feet - still causing a ripple of pain to shoot through my skull.

"Nope," Virgil admitted, tone unnaturally - and unnervingly - cheerful.  "But I feel great!" he said smiling - like a real, full smile.

I gaped at him.  "Um - m-maybe you should take a little nap," I stuttered, shocked by his... well, everything.

Virgil merely shook his head in response.  "Nah - come on, Princess we can still get a little further before nightfall," Virgil yanked me to my feet.

I froze at the name, breath hitching in fear.  Princess... that,... that was what he called me in the nightmare... 

No, it just had to be a coincidence.

"U-Um are you sure this is a good -"

Virgil waved his hand, brushing away my concern.  "I feel great -  we can probably reach the Mind Palace today if we get moving."

Still I hesitated.  "Virgil, you're not acting like... yourself.  Is... is everything okay?" I asked.  I couldn't help it.  He was worrying me.

"I'm fine," Virgil said, but I noticed his hands grip his staff a little tighter.

"No, no you're not," I pushed, frowning.  He was hiding something.  "What's wrong?"

"I said I'm fine."

"Clearly you're not," I said, crossing my arms over my chest - ignoring my headache, which was steadily growing stronger. by the second.

Virgil let out a harsh exhale.  "I'm fine - the only thing bothering me right is the fact that my boyfriend keeps pushing me even though he knows better than that," Virgil sneered at me.

I flinched at that, flinched at the venom in his voice.  That and my headache that was still pounding harshly right behind my left eye - ugh.

I stared him down until it finally clicked.

"You remembered something, didn't you?" I pushed, not even caring anymore.

Virgil let out a tiny whimper - demeanor changing immediately - and gripped his staff even tighter, confirming my suspicions.  One hand came up and covered his mouth, as if he was holding back unseen sobs.

I pressed my hand lightly on his shoulder.  "Is it something that puts either of us in danger?" I whispered, my voice falling - seeing his clear indecision on whether to tell me what he remembered.

"N-Not us," Virgil choked out, hand coming over his mouth afterwards as he squeezed his eyes tightly.

My breath hitched at that.  Someone was in danger? "Is...," I tried again, my voice shaking slightly.  "Is it something that... that not telling me would leave someone else in danger?"

Virgil's eyes met mine, answer written clearly in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Virgil - but I need you to tell me," I whispered, apology already laced in my voice.  "Please don't keep it a secret from me," I said quietly, eyes unable to meet his.

Virgil closed his eyes tightly, hand squeezing mine.  "There's a child," he whispered.  "In the Dark Mind Palace."

It took a second for that to sink in.

"What what?!" I shouted moments later - finally clicking - and I literally jumping in the air in excitement.

Gosh, I'm so stupid!  Of course there are children here.  There are - were... children in the Imagination - why would they're not be here a well?  I can't explain why it surprises me as much as it does.

"Who is he?" I whispered, grinning wide.

"He's young - and he doesn't age like the rest of us," Virgil said quietly.  "I - I don't know why.  He's been seven for - for years.  Seven years old," Virgil repeat, a far away look in his eyes.

"Virge," I whispered, cupping his face in my hands - forcing him to look at me, realizing something very important.  "W... Why is this side in danger?" I asked, my voice sober.

Virgil shook his head.  "I - I don't know.  I'm just getting a really, really bad feeling, Prince," he said, hands shaking slightly.

I held his hands tightly in my own.  "Then let's not waste another second," I said, pulling him towards the Mind Palace.

Together we walked towards the Mind Palace, a bit faster than our pace has been so far.  "Hey, Virge?  Virge?"

Virgil let out a grunt of acknowledgement.

"... Do you think we're going to have to fight someone?"

Virgil hesitantly nodded, still silent.

"Then may I ask you for a favor?"

Virgil remained silent and I took his silence as permission.  "You have more control over your powers here, right?"

Another grunt.

"Including... the Panic?"

At that Virgil met my eyes, frowning.  He almost seemed surprised that I remember the trick he had pulled when he had fought the hell-hound in the first place.  "Yeah," he admitted.  His eyes narrowed suspiciously at me.  "... Why are you asking?"

I took a deep breath.

"I want you to Panic at me."

At that Virgil ripped his hand from mine eyes wide behind the purple of his bangs.  "What?! No!" he yelled, looking furious.  "Are you out of your mind?!" he yelled before going back to storming towards the Mind Palace, hands deep in his pockets and full of anger.

"It's a useful weapon," I argued, rushing to keep up with Virgil's angry walk, flapping my wings a bit for a little boost.  "If I got used to it, then you could use it against anything we might face."

"It's not something you just get used to Prince," Virgil argued, twisting away from me.  "That's not how it works."

"I was fine last time," I argued, rushing to keep up with Virgil's face pace.

"The last time you were already nearly passed out anyway," Virgil countered.  "I'd be amazed if you remembered it at all."

I squirmed at that.  Okay, so maybe I didn't remember it, but surely if I practiced it would be fine... right?

"And besides," Virgil continued.  "I'm not even sure it would work against anything we came across anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"The way that it works it that it scares the... for example the hell-hound," Virgil explained - not meeting my eyes and digging his fist as deep as he could into his hoodie pockets.  "It scares them into going home.  However, we are in its territory now.  If I used it here, it's because it's a last ditch effort - who knows, I could be wrong and it doesn't work and then I'd pass out and you'd be stuck having to defend me on your own," Virgil reasoned.  "And I think we can both agree that you are not exactly back to full strength.

I sighed.  Well, it was worth a try.

"You... you gave me a pill yesterday," I remembered.  "One that wasn't my sleeping pill."

Virgil's pace slowed down a bit, and after a minute or so he nodded slowly.

"... What was it for?"

"You don't remember?" Virgil asked, surprise in his voice.

"It's... fuzzy," I admitted.  Not that my pounding headache was helping any.

"It's to counteract the side effects of being on this side of the Imagination.  I take them when we're home."

I blinked at that, a guilty feeling waving over me.  How did I not know he was taking pills? For being in the Mind Palace?

"Stop beating yourself up, that's my job," Virgil said dryly and I flushed, caught.  "We've already done this and I have no desire to do it again.  Yes, I take them.  The Mind Palace dampens the effects - it would be much worse if I hung out for extended periods in the Imagination.  I usually take them once a week so if we get there fast enough, the one I gave should be enough to get in and out," he finished, still not looking at me, simply increasing his walking speed.

I nodded slowly, processing this new information.  "One more thing," I asked and Virgil let out another trademark harsh exhale.  I was pushing, but there was one more thing I needed to know.

"What?" Virgil asked through gritted teeth.

"Your water powers," I asked.  "Where did they come from?"

"I don't know," Virgil admitted.  "I just remembered having them and...," Virgil shrugged.

"And nothing else?"

"Pretty much," Virgil finished, still avoiding my eyes.

"Please look at me," I whispered quietly and I froze the moment the words left my lips.  I hadn't meant to say that out loud.

Virgil twisted around to look at me - a mixture of surprise and concern on his face.  "Roman?"

I shook my head, closing my eyes.  I brushing my fingers against his, but not connecting them.  "I'm sorry for pushing," I said softly.  "I was asking for a lot," I admitted.

Virgil reached behind him, fixing his hood so it sat lower on his head before responding.  "It wasn't something I should keep to myself - you're not wrong when I said I have to trust you more."

"So... then may I ask one more question?  If you don't want to answer, then no matter," I finished quickly.

Virgil sighed.  "What Roman?"

"What's his name?"

Virgil blinked at me, confused.

"The name of the little boy in the Mind Palace," I restated.  "What's his name?  Or at least what trait is he? You know both, don't you?  You were close with him when you were here.  Before you came to the Mind Palace," I realizing, reading his expressions the best I could.

Virgil didn't say anything for so long, I didn't think he was going to say anything at all.  "I - I was incredibly close with him," he confessed.  "He looked up to me - I was the only one who would pay him any attention, since he wasn't a major trait.  I - I was his favorite.  Not that I can imagine I still am," he finished quietly.

"... Favorite what?"

Virgil finally looked up at me, eyes full of pain.

"He is - " Virgil cut off abruptly, his eyes suddenly widening - head spinning to face the Mind Palace.  The grip on his staff tightened defensively.

"... Virge? What is it? What's wrong?" I could feel my wings rising in a defensive stance as well at his uneasiness.

Virgil wordlessly pointed his staff at the gates of the Dark Palace.

At the hell-hound racing full speed at us.

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Hello lovelies! Sorry, I got an... impromptu English paper so that threw a bit of wrench in my updates XP

Next chapter should be going up on Thursday... tomorrow...

But we'll see :)

Oh! And if any of y'all lovelies have any theories... this would be the time to make them. :D

From what I can see in the comments...

None of you are prepared for what's about to go down :3

- Max :D