Spell

Roman was leading them all on an adventure. They were traipsing through a jungle in the imagination, and everyone had a different outlook on it. Roman was confident they could slay the Dragon-Witch and get home before lunch. Patton was happy to go along the scheme, skipping along the path. Logan was more intrigued by the probability of it ending in disaster. And Virgil straight up did not want to be there.

But there they were. And soon they found what they were there for-the lair of the Dragon-Witch. The quartet paused for a moment, the enormity of their task suddenly looming. But Roman flashed a heroic grin and drew his sword, rallying his forces. The other three nodded and followed in a line; first Roman, next Patton, then Virgil, and Logan brought up the rear.

Unfortunately, the Dragon-Witch had sensed them, and lay ready for them. As the Sides rounded the Corner, the woman began chanting. Virgil, realizing they'd walked into a trap, grabbed Roman and Patton by their sash and cardigan respectively. He pulled them back just as the Dragon-Witch finished her incantation. The dark magic charged at Anxiety at a frightening speed.

Suddenly Virgil's whole body was on fire with pain. He shrieked as he fell, twisting and thrashing. His spine, shoulders, hands, and mouth especially hurt, insomuch that he completely blacked out.

When Virgil woke, he was back in the mind palace. His hoodie had been removed, and whole body felt heavy. Patton was sitting over him with a washcloth and tears in his eyes. Virgil tried to sit up, despite Patton warning him to be careful, but he couldn't. Looking behind him, he couldn't comprehend what he saw; a pair of leathery, black dragon wings and a matching tail that ombre-d down to a dark magenta. He cried out in shock, and he cut his tongue on fangs. He remembered the other part of him that had been most painful, and stared down in horror at his clawed hands. Scales wrapped around his hands all the way up to his elbows and covering his neck, reminding him of Blurryface paint.

"Kiddo! It is going to be okay!" Patton called over his distressed cries. "She said it would only last a couple days!"

"That…," Roman almost roared, to angry to express himself, "that demon cast a curse on you, turning you into a creature like her. I managed to defeat her, but I couldn't make her reverse the spell."

Virgil nodded, trying to comprehend the information. Although he was terrified, a couple days as a Dragon-Witch wouldn't be too hard….right?

Turns out Virgil was wrong. Once he was back on his feet, it was hard to keep his balance with how heavy his tail and wings were. And when he started to fall, his wings flapped at full force to stabilise him like they had a mind of their own, knocking over everything in their way; chairs, lamps, other Sides. He kept biting his tongue, which was not a pleasant experience and usually ended with a lot of blood. And his scales reminded him of Deceit, which was even worse.

At night, it was impossible to sleep. So he stared at a full length mirror until morning, hoping the awful traits would disappear. He despised the wings, how large and bulky they were. He hated his tail, how when he turn it would flick around and smack him in the side and give him bruises. He wished the awful scales would go away, scratching at them with his terrible claws, with minimal success. But the worst part was the magic.

The Witch part of him would randomly turn things he said into spells. He mentioned that Roman looked taller than usual once, and he couldn't hold back a screech when Roman suddenly grew a foot in 2 seconds flat. Another time, he accidentally called Patton "Dad", and was horrified to watch Patton age in fast forward so he looked like he could actually be Virgil's father. But the worst was when Logan came out wearing a new tie and Virgil said, "Looking sharp Teach." Virgil couldn't believe his eyes when Logan's body became abstract, appendages sharpening into points. Luckily, the effects wore off within half an hour.

The days seemed to drag by slowly until finally, on the fourth night, Virgil felt a burning in his shoulder blades. His huge wings began to contract, roots pulling into his back and tips disintegrating like in Infinity War. It took a few painful hours, but the wings were gone by the end. The only trace they'd been there were a pair of ugly scars.

The tail began the same process in the middle of breakfast. It hurt like a butt cheek on a stick, but this time the others were there to help him get through it. Again, only a scar remained.

The claws and fangs met the same fate, though they seemed to hurt more. He couldn't hold back the screams, and Patton was quick to comfort him. These traits left no scar.

The worst was the last. His scales peeled off slowly, one by one. As they fell, they revealed deep scars Virgil had carved with his claws when he was scratching. Those would never go away. It took three and a half hours until he was completely free of the curse. By the end he was sobbing on his knees, finally back to his normal form in front ing the mirror. His family heard him crying, and set out to help their youngest the best ways they knew how.

Roman set up a Disney Marathon, starting with Black Cauldron and complete with a blanket fort. Logan made herbal tea for everyone, and helped Virgil apply an aloe Vera salve to his scars. Patton gave Virgil his full, undivided attention, hugging him and tending to his every need. And Virgil felt loved, and everyone fell asleep halfway through The Nightmare Before Christmas, curled up in a cuddle puddle.