11:29am

For the people wondering yes, I am in college and yes, I am sixteen. We start college at a younger age here (Britain) than in other places (namely America)
—

Something had...changed in the Mind Palace. Unfortunately no one really knew what. It was just different, like a part of them was missing. Except no one could put their finger on it. Remus had moved into the 'light side' of the mind, he didn't like being so lonely in the 'dark side'. The other sides were confused; for so long Remus was alone, why only now was it starting to affect him?

They wanted to deny him but Roman, being the protective brother he was, allowed him to stay under the condition he didn't bother others too frequently. He agreed, anything was better than being...alone. Except somewhere in his mind he knew he wasn't always alone.

When they asked Thomas about this he didn't know what was wrong either, he felt different but not by much. His friends didn't notice anything, whenever he asked he'd be told 'he's still a kind, honest person'. But something about that got to him, made him feel uncomfortable. Like he didn't deserve the title.

Sometimes they'd get dreams. Weird dreams - like nothing they've ever experienced. One side would get it once a month, it didn't go in a specific order, randomly chosen. Sometimes one side would have it twice in a row. They would wake up in a dark space, they couldn't see anything other than the light facing them as soon as they sit up. Behind them...nothing, a pitch black endless room that no one dared to go to. Instead they stand up, walk to the light and wake up without a single repercussion. They're not scared, disgruntled, or any less tired - they fall asleep instantly but always remember it, no matter what.

This went on for awhile, maybe too long. One day the sides were summoned, all s̵͉̘̤̐͠ḭ̵̬͗͘x̷͈̘̣̘̊̉́͂ - five of them. Remus chose to appear next to Thomas as all the other spaces were taken. For some reason Thomas didn't mind, he should have noticed the most unsettling thing wasn't Remus - to be honest that was the biggest red flag, yet no one noticed.

"Why was I so...open today?" Thomas asked, confusion clear on his face as he looked between his sides who all knew what happened. Thomas wasn't alone today, at the office working away, yet he admitted something he never would in front of so many people, to say it made them awkward was an understatement, he regretted it but at the same time he wouldn't have stopped himself from doing it if he could have.

Maybe he should have known he couldn't have stopped himself.

None of the sides knew, they talked for nearly an entire hour, no cameras, no scripts - clear confusion and unanswerable questions. Even Logic was stumped at this one.

They left soon after Thomas gave up. Maybe he shouldn't have. Maybe it was right under his nose the entire time.

The dreams continued to occur, once a month, a random side - they'd mention it the next morning but nothing more was said, why would there be? They couldn't do anything about it. Roman theorised it was the full moon. Everyone laughed at the possibility. Maybe they should have looked for more.

"Who's is this?" Remus appeared in the living room, the four sides looked up curiously. In his hand was a glove. A yellow glove.

"It is covered in blood" Logan pointed out, returning to his book. "Presumably it is yours"

Remus tossed it into the air with a shrug, it disappeared instantly. Maybe they should have looked at it closer, asked more questions, wondered why Remus wouldn't have known if it was his.

Dinners were sometimes awkward. They all sat down at the table and ate the food made for them by Patton most the time, they did this everyday and nearly everyday it was fine - but today, like every day after the dream, it wasn't. It wasn't okay and no one tried to act like it was. Sometimes Patton would start to cry with no idea why. Maybe they should have looked at that closer. Wondered why it was so upsetting to have six seats at a table with only five residents.

Virgil was having a panic attack, Thomas was experiencing a panic attack. Why? His friend showed him their new pet. Why is he so scared? So frightened? He's never been this afraid of a...of a snake before. In fact he sometimes thought of them as cute but then and there? In that moment? He wanted nothing to get away and he did, he ran outside and let his friend comfort him, apologising for scaring him but Thomas felt so guilty. That fear? It didn't feel real. It felt like he was acting but couldn't stop.

No one had an explanation, Logan thought about it over and over but did he get an answer? No. And it was starting to really bother him.

"Somethings wrong and if we don't find out what the fuck it is I'm gonna lose it" Virgil stated, the sides all sitting in the common room, they needed to talk - they've all needed to talk for awhile. Maybe it was too late. Or maybe they just made it without knowing it.

"Why does it feel like we're not...complete?" Roman brought up something they all felt, "why does Thomas hate snakes so much? They have cute little tongues!" Patton exclaimed with a frown, he felt strongly about animals and loved every single one of them. Bugs and arachnids were another story.

"More importantly why is Thomas admitting things he shouldn't be? Why is he painfully truthful to the point where it is downright insulting?" Logan added, his arms crossed, face the epiphany of frustration and exhaustion.

"Why do we have six seats?" Remus whispered. The sides looked over to him. "What?" Logan rose an eyebrow questionably. "Why do we have six seats at the table? There's only five of us" he explained further and the sides all looked over to the table, the silence in the room uncomfortable thick, tense. Why did they have six seats?

They didn't talk about it much more, with no answers it felt uncomfortable, too uncomfortable. They didn't want to be there anymore.

That night Remus woke up in the dark room, he sighed out in frustration and sat up. The weight of everything happening was layering on each side and the last thing Remus wanted right now was this. Rising from the ground he took a quick glance over his shoulder, pausing when he saw something...move. No one has ever talked about something moving in here before. He wanted to leave but his curiosity was painful.

He stepped closer to the dark.

And the screams began.

From his right, left, above and below. It was everywhere. Screaming, screaming and screaming.

Maybe he was the best side for this. He's him after all, it didn't even make him flinch. Drawing his moonstar he closed his eyes and held it tight, he could tell the screams belonged to multiple entities - they all shrouded him, at every angle, they prayed on the biggest weakness belonging to man kind - their senses. Without sight they were vulnerable, with multiple loud and heart shattering cries it destroys them even further.

But Remus? He could handle it. Somewhere in his mind told him he had to handle it. Otherwise he'd lose something so precious to him, something irreplaceable, he'd never forgive himself.

He swung at his left, he could tell they were close - it struck something and he heard it's screams silence. He could do this - it was easy when he could differentiate the screams, know which was louder, closer.

He barely breathed as he swung vivaciously around him, the screams cutting off, one by one. He was killing them - what? He didn't know but as soon as it was over he knew he'd need to save something. He was lucky to have gotten there. Maybe they shouldn't have given the dream to Remus.

And in a minute...silence. But he could hear them, moving, coming back, more and more. He knew he'd never be able to defeat them all, he wouldn't be surprised if they came back to life. He just knew, somehow, somewhere in his heart told him he needed to run into the darkness - and that's exactly what he did. Opening his eyes they glowed green as he tore through the never ending room, the darkness encased him, all he could see were white eyes floating around him, swinging towards him but just missing him, he even hit a few on the way - the screams were coming back, in the distance, getting nearer and nearer.

He needed to keep going, faster, faster, further until he found it. He needed to find it.

He didn't close his eyes again, not yet, he just slowed down to swing at the creatures who were too close, who were going to pounce and this time not miss. And to be honest? Remus was in his element. He always talks about gruesome shit, murder being a favourite - especially torturous murder. So finally being able to bring something's life to an end made him ecstatic but he knew not to do it to people, only things that would have killed him first.

Besides, he didn't think anyone was going to miss these shadows much.

It took awhile, maybe he would have noticed, maybe it would have taken longer if he wasn't having so much fun but he slowly came to a stop - he kept defending himself but he also wondered why he didn't want to run anymore. What told him to stop? His gut? Why was he listening?

Taking down all the creatures close by, he took a few steps forward, flinching when his foot made contact with something. Thinking it was a creature we went to swing when his breath caught - that wasn't a creature, it was a person. Dropping to his knees he rolled him onto his back and took a close look...

He looked like Thomas, like himself and the other sides but the most different. With scales coating the side of his face, down his neck and chest. He could see through rips and tears through his clothes. That's when Remus noticed all the blood, the cuts and bruises - whoever this was seemed to have been beaten badly.

"Who are you?" Remus whispered, gazing at him closely, wondering why he felt like he had such a close connection with this person. He looked like Thomas, it was a side, but who? He's never seen this side before...well, he couldn't remember if he had.

The screams were gaining, he grabbed his moonstar and attacked them again, keeping them at bay, protecting this side he didn't even know.

Once they were down, he fell to his knees once again and took a closer inspection, noticing on one of his hands he wore a...yellow glove. Like the one he found a few months ago. This side has been in the mind before? Why have they not met? Or why can't he remember meeting him?

"Who are you?" He asked again, shaking the side by his shoulder but he wasn't waking up. Luckily he was breathing.

He attacked the nearing shadows again, keeping them away from himself and this new side, he needed protection - whoever he was. But this couldn't go on forever, he wouldn't be able to keep them away no matter how much he enjoyed it. He was getting tired, especially how much he ran before this.

Squatting down again, he leaned over the new side, analysing his face close up. Then, pressing his forehead against his, Remus closed his eyes and thought. Somewhere in there he knew he'd find the answers, he just needed a little time, to look back and remember...who he lived with before he felt so alone.

Who he spent nights with, sharing the same bed, laughing at each other's stupid jokes.

He needed to remember the days he'd be comforted when he would feel overly emotional, he needed to remember the times he was protected, needed to remember who he loved...

Why did it break him so much when he moved to the 'light side'? Why did he feel like he was leaving someone behind? Why did it hurt every single day to just...exist? To sit at a table with six seats with only five there...

Then, his eyes shot open, meeting the gaze of the side underneath him. One eye brown, one eye yellow, halfway open. He was tired, extremely so, and in a lot of pain too. Yet he kept his eyes open to stare at Remus - and Remus remembered that look. That look he hated to see, one filled with terror. He'd comfort him whenever he'd see that look, he wouldn't leave him alone until he was smiling, not only with his lips but his eyes too.

The creatures were close, surrounding them, Remus wouldn't be able to take them all now but he wouldn't need to.

He let out a breath of air, weight of a hundred tonnes lifting from his shoulders, and his heart...

"Deceit" he whispered and instantly the darkness was gone, the screams were over and Remus was jumping bolt right up in his bed. Eyes searching the room frantically.

"Deceit!" He cried, jumping from bed and opening the door so fast it almost flew off it's hinges. "Deceit!" He yelled louder, vanishing into the 'dark side' of the mind and running down the hallway, skidding to a halt in front of a...wall. A faint outline of a door there, unnoticed unless looking for it.

He slammed against it, it burst open - surprisingly quite weak.

And there, laying on the double bed, was the side Remus had missed for so long without even knowing who he was.

"Dece!" He sobbed, crashing onto his bed and into him, hugging him so tight Deceit could barely breathe but he managed a smile anyway, a breathless chuckle, his injuries were gone now so there weren't any repercussions in hugging Remus right back, the same vice grip.

"Sweetheart" Deceit whispered, stroking his hair. "I'm so, so sorry"

Remus shook his head, "no! No! I am! I f-forgot you, Dece!"

"You all did, it wasn't your fault. It was my own. I went too far, explored too much. I knew it was dangerous yet took the risks. There are parts of one's mind you never go to, but I did" Deceit pressed kisses all across Remus' face, cupping both his cheeks and leaning back to stare into his eyes. "Thank you, sweetheart, you saved me" and Remus smashed his lips into his boyfriend's, holding him like he was his lifeline, like if he even so much as loosened a bit he'd lose Deceit again but this time forever.

"I love you" Remus whispered, Deceit smiled and closed his eyes, tears trailing across his face onto the pillow below. "I love you too"

The same day everyone was summoned, Thomas felt normal again and he was so happy he needed to tell them all. When they all stared at the side who had been gone for so long, they all silenced, in shock, horror, how could they have forgotten Deceit?

After lots of explaining, hugs and tears everyone was okay, everyone was back to normal, Thomas wasn't admitting things he shouldn't anymore,

And there weren't any more abandoned seats at the table.

—
Tell me why I like the idea of Logan being shipped with the 'dark sides'

Especially Logan and Deceit

Also I kinda like the idea of Deceit and Roman...

9:53pm