TRIGGER WARNING: False-Awakening-Loop-Nightmare (consistent throughout the entire chapter)
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Point of View: Roman, First Person
Timeline: Present Day

I shot up, only the vague memory of my nightmares flooding through my veins like fire.  I took a slow, deep breath calming myself.  I felt my heart rate slowly fall back to it's steady pace and I rolled the tension out of my shoulders.  At least this nightmare wasn't bad enough that I had lost sleep over it, so at least I had that.

I slowly opened my eyes, finally calm.  I flicked my eyes over to my left towards Virge, hoping that I hadn't woken him -

My breath froze.

VIRGIL WAS GONE.

I jumped up, yanking myself out of the blankets.  Frantically, I jumped up - spinning around as I searched the dark, icy land for my beloved.  I scanned once, twice, five times.  Nothing.  Where did he go?!

I didn't even realize I was crying until I heard the faint cry of a loud scream - was that Virgil?! Where was he?! Who took him?!

"VIRGIL!" I screamed, desperate for him to know I was coming, coming for him.  My sword was out in an instant - as I raced towards where the scream had come from, leaving everything behind.  We didn't need anything of that, that was all meaningless and unimportant.  Virgil is my love, my life - I can't lose him, I can't, I can't ---

I bolted upright in cold sweat, shaking with fear.  Wow, I thought, that was... intense... for a nightmare.  It's been a while since I've had one of those false-awakening-loop-nightmares.  I immediately swung my head to the side to see - thank the stars.

Virgil was sleeping, on his side - facing away from me.  I breathed easier at the sight of his dark hoodie in my sight.  I slid back down - should I just let him sleep?  Yeah, he's probably tired, I'll just take over.  But he might feel guilty in the morning... eh, I probably wasn't going to fall asleep easily anyway.

...

Wait.

Didn't Virge say he was an insomniac?

I watched my hand reflectively flipped him over onto his back and his hood feel into view revealing a skull ---

I shot upright with a scream, hands shaking.  A harsh shudder ran down my body and I immediate turned over to face Anxiety to find him merely staring at me with an unsurprised expression on his face.  "You've only been asleep for fifteen minutes," he said mildly, scrolling through Tumblr.  "Great service here," he added, seemingly ignoring my panicked state.

"I - I h-h-had a nightmare w-well a-a-actually I - I had a b-bunch and - and -"

"Use your words, Princess."

I shut my stammering mouth up and grabbed him by his hoodie and smashed my lips against his.

Virgil froze for a moment, taking off-guard.  But after a moment, he slowly kissed me back until we had to pull back to breathe.

"Well okay then," he said, still keeping up that odd calm, unbothered persona.  "Thanks," he added.

"S-Sorry," I stammered.  "I - I just - I was so scared that I lost you -"

"It's okay, Princess.  Try and go back to sleep, alright?"

"I - I can't," I admitted, shaking my head.  "How about you get some sleep?"

Virgil shrugged, clicking off his phone.  "Okay," he agreed, slipping his phone into his pocket and popping on his headphones.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I thought back on the nightmare.

Wait.

Headphones?

... Virgil said he didn't bring his headphones.

I fixed my eyes on his closed ones.  "I thought you said you didn't bring your headphones," I argued, tone hesitant now.

Virgil didn't even both to open his eyes.  "I didn't, Princess."

I froze.

Virgil eyes flew open and - and they weren't his, they were swirling with silver - iris, the white part, the pupil everything ---

I shot upright, gasping for air and I could literally feel a bead of sweat rolling down my back.

"Hey, are you okay?" a voice asked and I jumped, jumped right out of the sleeping bag and spread my wings in fight position.

"Hey, hey, hey.  It's okay," Virgil whispered, getting to his feet with me, digging his hands deep into his pockets due to the cold.  "It's just me - everything's okay," he said softly.  As if he was talking to a scared child.  His eyebrows scrunched together in concern.

"I - I -"

"It's me," he repeated.  "Aren't we friends?"

... where had I heard those words before?

"Friends?" I whispered, my heart already sinking.

Virgil's smile twisted into a small smirk - not his smirk, but another one and his appearance flickered until suddenly he was replaced with Deceit.  "Hello, long time no see," he teased.

"Where's Virgil?!" I yelled, pointing my sword at him.

The image flickered back to Virgil.  "What do you mean? Why are you pointing you're sword at me?!" he asked, eyes wide.  Virgil's eyes.

"Deceit stop playing tricks!" I yelled, frustrated.

Deceit flickered back into light.  "Oo, looks like someone's having a bit of a rough... adjustment to the... environment, aren't they?"

"Where's Virgil? What have you done Deceit?!"

"Look behind you," he grinned.

I spun around and there he was - standing there with his head bowed.  "Hey there, Princess," he smirked but it looked so - so wrong...

"What's going on? I -  I can't," My hands started trembling and my sword slipped out of my hand, hitting the icy ground with a metal clang.  "I - I don't know - I can't ---

I shot upwards and there wasn't a part of my body that wasn't trembling.  I - I - can't - I - I don't - I - what - where - I don't know - I - breathe - what -

"Roman!" I heard in the distance and I stumbled out of the sleeping bag, every part of me shaking so hard it was hard to - to - to ---

I shot upwards and I screamed, hands flying to my head.  My hands were shaking and I couldn't - I can't - I - Virgil - I ---

I shot upwards ---

I ---

I shot upward with my eyes filled with panic - I - I don't know - I don't know - what's real - where - Virgil? - help - can't - breathe - I - where - I - I - 

"Roman! Please, please - it's me! Let me help you!"

Me? Me who? Who? I - I can't - 

"Virgil!" I screamed - the lone clarity in this fog - I - where - 

Suddenly I was pinned to the icy floor and my wings struggled to fight back my attacker.  Was this real? Or was this another nightmare? I don't know - I don't - I can't - Virgil? - can'tcantcantcantcant-

All the thoughts in my head came to a screeching halt at the feeling of lips against mine.  I immediately softened into the feeling, feeling myself slowly come back down from my panic.

"... Are you okay now?" Virgil asked finally, once I was no longer attacking him.  I let out a long breath, feeling myself slowly calm down.

"Y-Yeah," I stammered slightly from excess adrenaline.  I pulled him closer.  "Thank you," I whispered, pulling him into a hug.  Virgil wrapped his arms around me too, hugging me tightly in return.

During the hug, Virgil gently guided us so that we were now both on our knees.  "Stay here for a second, okay? I just need to grab something real quick," he said softly, pulling away.  I numbly let him go, not even opening my eyes.

After a minute or so, I frowned and opened my eyes.  Where had Virgil gone?

I twisted around - still kneeling - to see Virgil -

VIRGIL WAS HOLDING A SWORD.

AND HE HAD IT POINTED AT ME.

"Wha - What?" I whispered, adrenaline soaring back up.

"Aw - why didn't you listen, Princess? You could've kept your delusional memory of me in tact," Virgil sneering before lifting the blade and I couldn't even move as Virgil shoved the blade down right at my heart ---

I shot upwards spewing nonsensical words and screams and tears and what this real? I don't know, I don't know I can't Icant Icant Icant I help IdontknowpleaseIdontknowIdontknowIcantcantbreatheIdontdontdontdontdontdontdontcantcantcantcantcantcantcantcantcant

"RO!"

I flinched at Virgil's voice, crawling away as fast as I could.  Was this real? I don't know, I don't know -

I had only crawled about a foot or so before a loud sob was pulled out of my throat and I stopped, using my now freezing hands to press against the side of my head.  Was this real? I don't know, I don't know.  Stars, when will this end? I can't - I can't -

A soft voice came over my internal one - how? The voice in my head was so loud... was this real? I don't know, I don't know.  PLease, please, pleASE let it be over, please - 

"Oh this is the night," a voice sung.  It was beautiful.  My inner dialogue momentarily froze, froze at such a beautiful voice.  Was it real? No, no this could be.  "It's a beautiful night.  And we call it Bella Notte," Virgil sung softly.

"Look at the skies, they've got stars in their eyes.  On this lovely, Bella Notte," he continued, noticing that this appeared to working.  "Side by side with your loved one, you'll find enchantment here."

"The night will weave it's - magic spell, when the one you love is near.  Oh this is the night, and the heaven's are right..." Virgil didn't get nearly as loud as I expected, voice remaining soft even as his voice climbing higher.  It was beautiful and I found myself trapped in a trance, listening to every word.

"On this lovely... Bella Notte," Virgil finished softly.

I gently spun around, carefully facing him.  "Is... is this real?" I whispered - terrified of what he might say.

"Yes," he answered, in the same soft voice.  "This is real, Ro."

I didn't hesitate throwing my arms around him, hugging him as tight as I could.

Neither of us spoke as I cried into his hoodie, Virgil simply holding me while I let out all the pent up emotion inside of me.

"Are... are they usually that bad?" Virgil finally asked, once the crying had stopped.

I pulled back, shaking my head as I brushed away the remains of my tears.  "They're never like that.  I mean they're bad but... they've never been that bad," I admitted, trying to reassemble the missing pieces of my shredded dignity.

"How... how about we just keep going for tonight?  It's nearly dawn anyway - how about we just get an early start?" Virgil suggested lightly and I dumbly nodded in return.

Virgil easily packed everything away in a matter of minutes, and handed me a granola bar and a bottle of water.  "Breakfast," he said simply before tossing his own bag on his back.  I lifted mine and set the duffel-like bag on my right shoulder.

We walked on in silence.  I wasn't exactly in the mood to make conversation.  That nightmare had shaken me, shaking me more than I would admit to even Virgil.  The way his eyes... his eyes were so cold.  As if he never loved me.  Those eyes had shaken me more than anything else.

Virgil would glance at me occasionally, eyes worried.  I pretended that I didn't notice, merely taking a sip of my water and the world slowly got brighter - still overcast sky, as it appeared to be here.

"What else do you like besides stars?" Virgil finally asked.  Goodness, maybe I was really worrying him.

I thought for a second.  "Snow," I answered finally.  "I like snow."

Virgil smirked in the side of my vision - but it was his smirk this time, not the Virgil with cold eyes.  "Watch this," he said, smirking.  He started diverting from the path we were taking towards the Mind Palace.  I followed curiously, a bit hesitantly actually, as Virgil walked up to a ice covered tree.

He set his bag on the ground as the base of the tree and closed his eyes, setting his palm on the icy covered bark.

Nothing changed for a moment and I half wondering if the fact that Virgil hadn't slept last night was finally starting to take a toll when it started.

The ice started melting, melting off the trees.  I stared in awe as the water formed into a large swirling ball.  I gasped in awe.  This was some Avatar type awesomeness happening here!  I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Finally the tree was left no longer ice covered and left his giant sphere of water floating in the air.

"How...?" I whispered, too amazed for anything else.

Virgil smiled at my expression before lowering his arms and tossing them up in the air - and the water followed his movements flying into the air.

I watched, amazed.  As the water split in the air and by the time it came close enough to touch, they were beautiful giant snowflakes.

I couldn't help but smile and laugh, spinning in the snow.  I ran around - trying to catch as many as I could, not minding the cold.  I spun around to find Virgil leaning against the tree, amused at my child-like behavior.  I raced over, pulling him into the last of the falling snowflakes and pulling him into a beautiful, bright, snowy kiss.

"Thank you," I whispered, pulling back.  "I love you so much."

Virgil merely smiled, eyes bright.  "Always."

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Can you tell I'm trying to make this story as long as possible? XP

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Commenter: turbadino
Comment: GAY SHIPS ARE YAY SHIPS 

Commenter: jimmycaskat
Comment: NOOOO THIS CAN NOT BE NEAR THE END I REFUSE YO EXCEPT IT * crosses arms and pouts *

I'm sleepy.  I don't have school on Monday so maybe early chapter... (no promises, but mmmayyyybeee) :3

- Max :D