AN - Mainly because of this chapter I decided to up the rating from T to M, review and let me know what you think.
Leaning against the counter in Tori's living room Trickster watched R where he lay on their red couches. As he watched him Clayton entered the area walking straight up to Trickster.
"Getting lonely in here," he commented standing beside Trickster, "I cant feel Matthew anymore, like it was with Rex. Is he gone now?"
"Yeah, it's done."
"You know I had a thought, in a way you're curing Robert you know?"
"Yeah I thought about that, what if took care of everyone not just the selfish ones. You and R and even me, all gone so that Robbie could live a normal life but I figure that another alter will appear to take our place, if at least one of us stays behind then we can keep in check any of the other alters that might come up."
"Are you saying you will be the last one left Trickster?"
"I'm saying that I need to perfect it before I teach it to you," he said with a small smile. Nodding at that Clayton walked off deeper into Robbie's mind. Walking over behind R Trickster placed his hands onto the young man's shoulders and closed his eyes. R looked up at him quizzically before fainting. Walking around the couch he hoisted him up and carried him off to Matthew's cage, it was safer just in case he woke up for some reason. Once he got R into the cage he sat down next to it and began to focus. He had lied to Clayton, this wasn't something you could teach someone, with a smirk he vanished into R's world.
Robbie was squeezed in between Tori and Beck on the medium sized couch in Cat's room while she bounced on her bed and spoke to Jade. Never did he think that he would be here, in Cat's room like this, he kind of hated himself for doubting his friends especially with how supportive they have been to him so far. Thinking about how dumb he had been for not trusting them made his head hurt, he could actually feel another alter trying to come out, to protect him from this. Closing his eyes he began to whisper that he could handle it, there was no reason for anyone to come out, he begged them not to come out and for once they listened. Opening his eyes he saw Tori looking at him with a worried look in her eyes.
"Are you okay Robbie?" He smiled.
"Yeah I actually am."
"Okay," shouted Cat as she hung up her phone and laid out on the bed with her head draped over the edge looking at the trio upside down, her red hair spilling across the floor. "After we left Jade went back to class and of course Sikowitz was confused on why half of his class was gone. Jade told me that he confronted her and grilled her until she gave up the beef and guess what." she paused for effect causing Tori to roll her eyes.
"What?"
"Sikowitz knows about Robbie, in fact he met Clayton once upon a time."
"What I don't remember that," started Robbie but Cat hushed him.
"Do you ever remember when the alters are out and about?"
"No," he said looking down at Tori's hand which held his firmly. Feeling Beck getting up and switching over to Cat's bed Robbie discovered that he had more room but didn't want to move away from Tori. Smiling at the pair Cat got up.
"Sikowitz is driving Jade over, let's go downstairs and wait for them okay Beck? Tori you and Robbie stay here, make sure he gets some rest okay? It's been stressful for all of us, but more so for him." Taking Beck's hand in hers she dragged him out, downstairs. Smiling Tori shifted over so that she was separated from Robbie but looked directly at him.
"You know everyone has told me about you and I heard about why at the house but why don't you tell me why you kept it a secret." Taking the confidence he learned from Rex, what felt like ages ago he sighed and smiled.
"Ever since the first time I ran into you in the hallway I knew there was something special about you. You were kind and caring and didn't look down on me like most of the other girls in school. Over time we became friends and I got to know the real you and I was happy to discover that you were the same person that I always thought you were, except for one thing and that was Rex. Like everyone else you seemed to not like him and he was really a part of me. Not the alter Rex, I was on the medication that meant he was gone but I missed him he was my best friend. So I created the persona of Rex in my puppet, yet you rejected him and in a way it felt like you were rejecting me."
"I'm so sorry Robbie I never thought."
"It's okay Tori, it's different now I should have trusted you to not reject me like that. You would have liked the real Rex, he wasn't like what I tried to be, what I tried to make him be."
"He's gone?"
"Yeah I heard Clayton and Trickster arguing about it before. Trickster was trying to get rid of him, considering him to be a threat to me. He was just trying to protect me and he did it and now I cant feel Rex anymore, he's gone. And a few minutes ago Matthew was gone too. I can still feel the others, Clayton, R, Trickster and Stephanie they're all inside my head. I'm getting off track now though, I didn't tell you about my disorder because I didn't want you to think I was a freak, I didn't want to scare you off because well, I think I love you Tori." he looked away for a second but their eyes met when she lifted his face back towards her. Smiling she leaned over and kissed him on his lips. It felt amazing, they both felt it and as they broke away Tori led him to the bed.
"I think I love you too Robbie, and I will never abandon you. I promise. Now let's rest, we will just lay here together and sleep at least until Jade gets here okay?" Nodding he found himself holding Tori from behind, smelling her lavender shampoo and smiling before closing his eyes. Soon Tori had drifted off as well.
A few moments later Robbie slipped his hand into his back pocket and withdrew a phone. Moving so not to wake Tori he began to write a text message to her friend, allowing Robbie to fall back asleep once it was sent.
This world was shattered, though familiar it was also disjointed but it was where R felt the most secure. Simply being an id he didn't care much for people other then Robbie though he felt a sense of calm when he saw Tori through Robbie's eyes now so he guessed she was okay as well. Walking towards a slowly rotating door he reached out for the handle and paused an inch away from it listening. Turning he saw Trickster standing across the way watching him. Turning to face him R opened his mouth, not expecting anything to happen, surprising himself when it did.
"What are you doing here? This is my sanctuary."
"I am here to kill you R, Robbie doesn't need you anymore."
"Like hell you will," roared as he ran towards Trickster but suddenly his legs felt like stones and he went crashing into the ground.
"After killing Rex and Matthew I've learned a few things about this ability. One thing is that I control this world, you just live in it. This isn't Robbie's mind, this is your prison and here is where you are going to die. I tried to make the others happy before their last moments but I never knew about you, what you liked or disliked, heck I didn't even know you could talk until now. I will give you the satisfaction of knowing that Robbie will be fine, he doesn't need you anymore. Beck will teach him how to fight, and stand up for himself. Andre will be there to give him confidence. Cat will give him friendship. Tori will give him love. Jade will give him balance. You are not needed anymore, be happy for that."
"What about you?"
"He will always need me," he growled before stepping over to R and picking him up, pulling him over to the sink that was full of soapy water, "I am stronger then you now, goodbye R."
With that he shoved R's face down into the water, the young man thrashed violently kicking out as Trickster held him under. If he was the type of person to rational he might have been able to make the sink or at least the water vanish but he couldn't do that because he was feeling something he never felt before, real fear. Bubbles burst from the water as he gasped and inhaled some water but soon after the struggling stopped. Trickster held him down for a while longer until R's body simply vanished from his hands and he splashed into the water. Drawing out of the world he sat staring at the empty cage before turning his gaze to the still form of Stephanie.
"Two more to go," he said to her before turning and focusing his thoughts again.
Watching her friend and the young man who used to be known as Robbie drive away Jade sighed and realized that she was alone for the rest of the day, just great. Turning and walking to her car, deciding it would be best to just go home she screamed out in frustration as the engine stalled. Getting out just as the bell rang Jade stormed off to Sikowitz's class. The class went on as usual Sikowitz must have sensed something wrong wrong with her because he didn't call on her the entire class, at least until the end of class as everyone shuffled out.
"Why is there a little black storm cloud over my friend Jade?" he asked while sipping on a coconut.
"Nothing Siko, just car troubles."
"Me thinks it might be something more. Is it because of Robbie? Word in the halls is you two have been pretty chummy since you and Beck called it splitsville." A growl escaping Jade's lips confirmed it.
"You want to know a secret? Well not a secret you don't know but a secret you didn't think I knew?"
"Sikowitz you're confusing me, or really you're just acting normal, regardless I think I need some aspirin."
"Anyways, I know about Robbie and his special friends." Jade gaped at him as he took a seat across from her, spinning the chair around so he was sitting on it backwards. "Believe it or not it was Robbie's suggestion that got me into teaching. I wasn't doing so well as an actor but I knew so many things about acting but my type of talent wasn't mainstream," he used air quotes around mainstream, "enough for today's movie scene so thanks to his suggestion I became a teacher." Jade was quiet for bit listening to him as he explained it to her, with a small smile she decided to share too.
"Beck and I had been in arguments before starting school here. We were on a trial dating period and something happened and we had broken up, one day I was at the creek chucking rocks at trees when Robbie came upon me. Only it wasn't Robbie it was one of his alters named Matthew. Instead of trying to comfort me right away he picked up a rock and got it right into a medium sized knot in a tree across the stream telling me he'd buy me a Fro-yo. Let's just say after almost sixty failed attempts and a knocked out hobo who was napping down there he still bought me the Fro-yo and explained everything that was wrong with Beck and I. Later we made up and I discovered that he had spoken to Beck about things as well. We both confronted him and discovered he didn't remember anything about talking to us. It was then that Matthew came out and introduced himself. The rest was history." She didn't realize how much time had passed before checking her digital watch.
"Cat went off with Robbie at lunch time I should be getting a call from her soon," and on cue a fast paced techno song played out, Cat was calling her. Excusing herself to the other side of the room she took the call. Once she was done she hung up and turned to her teacher, "Do you have a car?" she asked. Sikowitz smiled and nodded, "I need a ride to Cat's"
Andre sat against his bedroom wall with his keyboard on his lap and a chocolate beverage next to him. It had been a rough few days since he stormed off mad at Robbie for disrespecting his grandmother's memory like that and now he was trying to write a tribute for her that wasn't coming along that well. This process helped him out when he wrote Song2You so maybe it would help him again. Not knowing what time it was he took a long drink of the beverage wiping his mouth on his sleeve and setting it down. Suddenly his phone chirped at him, he had a text. Opening it up he saw it was from Robbie he almost deleted it, but decided to see what he wanted.
"Andre, first off I'm so sorry for what Robbie said to you about your grandmother. I want you to know that it wasn't him, he would never do that to you, his best friend. It was Matthew and Jade, they were trying to get Robbie to withdraw so Matthew could take over and be with Jade. They were wrong and they were punished for it, so I beg of you please forgive them both Jade and Robbie. You are a vital part of the group dynamic the Zen to the group's collective chaos. They will support you, just as you have supported them. I tell you all this because you don't need me anymore and neither does Robbie, so this is goodbye Andre. I was always closest to you, you are so important to me that if in another life, another time I could even just know you for a little bit I would be happy. I love you Andre, and will never forget you. Forever your dear friend, Stephanie."
Rereading the message over and over again he made a quick text to Beck, realized everyone was meeting at Cat's and got up to go over to them. He needed to make up with everyone and honestly he just needed a big group hug. Heading outside he got onto his motorcycle and drove off towards Cat's.
Trickster was surprised to discover they were back at Hollywood Arts, Stephanie stood at Robbie's locker with her back towards him. She didn't look like Robbie in here, she looked exactly like she wanted to with long black hair cascading down her back. Approaching her quietly he paused as she slammed the locker closed and turned to face him, smiling at him with amber eyes.
"I know why you're here and thank you for trying to make my last days happy. I was able to experience life as if I were Robbie's sister instead of his alter and it was wonderful hanging with Andre and the others. I also knew it was all fake that you're going to kill me."
"Going to? You don't seem to really care."
"This is your world right? I doubt there's anything I can do to stop you. But you're wrong Trickster, you don't have to kill us and you cant heal Robbie by yourself. He will always need us, and it might be someone much more selfish then Matthew or you that arrives. That being said, how are you going to do it?"
Walking over to her he swung her around so he was hugging her and placed the rag over her mouth closing her mouth and nose at once. As he held it there he began to cry.
"I'm so sorry Stephanie, but I have to do this. I have to." He felt her nod slowly before her head rolled to the side and her body vanished. Trickster awoke with tears in his eyes before crawling off to rest, his strength leaving him for a moment.
Moving in his slumber with a start Robbie started to hold Tori tight to him, he could feel the emptiness deep inside. Moving into the once full room he found Clayton sitting in one of the seats his head down on the table, looking up when Robbie arrived he quickly rose watching him.
"Why is it so empty in here?" he demanded, "Why do I feel so alone?"
"Trickster has been getting rid of the other alters."
"And you let him?"
"You are getting better through your friends this way you would have no internal distractions, but I think he's gotten too strong for me to contain anymore. I think that I'm next."
"No I wont let him take you, I wont let him harm anyone else. I'm going to take care of things myself." He didn't walk away, he didn't have to instead he summoned Trickster to him. He appeared on the table laying down for a moment before sitting up.
"I want them all back, now," he growled at the alter.
"I don't know if I can," but he was cut off as Robbie punched him.
"Bring them back to me, now." Closing his eyes Trickster reached out for those he himself had killed to realize that they weren't dead because they weren't alive to begin with, he had only banished them further into Robbie's mind. Looking over at Robbie he frowned.
"Just call them back, they're not really dead just gone. I'm sorry I just wanted to protect you."
"Do not lie to me Trickster," snarled Robbie as he closed his eyes and focused.
"I wanted what you have, you don't need us. You once needed us but not anymore and I didn't want to disappear. I needed to feel something, feel needed."
Ignoring him for now Robbie just focused.
"I pushed them pretty far back, it'll take some time and effort but they'll come back I promise you." Pushing himself up and retreating into the shadows Clayton walked over and placed his hand on Robbie's shoulder causing him to open his eyes.
"I believe him despite who he is, I believe you can bring them back. Just go live your life, we'll be here waiting for you when you need us. If anything they will protect you when you need us." Nodding Robbie closed his eyes and woke up.
Sitting up quietly so not to wake Tori a pounding downstairs voided his attempt as she flailed up smacking Robbie in his side. Blushing she smiled.
"Sorry"
"It's cool," he said kissing her cheek gently before getting up. With her tangled hair poofing up all over the place she tried to flatten it down as she followed Robbie downstairs to be greet by everyone even Sikowitz and Andre all her friends were there. Holding Robbie closer to her she went downstairs with them to come to a major decision, if Robbie should go back on his medication or not.
"Maybe I should just never come out again," muttered Trickster as he sat in a dark corner of Robbie's mind.
"Maybe you should," came a familiar voice from behind him as Rex shambled over to him before sitting down. "But you really care about him you just need to come about things a different way, maybe next time instead of being selfish we can all work together."
Not replying Trickster laid down to rest, Rex did the same staring up into the darkness with him. "You need a different name," mused Rex. Trickster said nothing.
Clayton stood staring at an empty cage, his old cage remembering something he had been told a while ago, that Trickster was born from the hatred that Robbie felt towards his uncle and for the longest time he thought that R was the manifestation of Robbie's hatred towards himself but there was something in the darkness that chilled him to his bones and he hoped Robbie could bring them all back sooner then later because something wicked was coming this way.
