Almost a week later, Logan awoke to hands grasping his shoulders. He gasped and sat upright, crashing his head into somebody else's, and he swore. There was a familiar laugh.

"#&$%, Logan! I don't hear you cursing too often."

He twisted to turn on the light. There was a blurry blob sitting there in dark green. Logan scrambled for his glasses.

"Remus?" Logan asked as the Duke came into focus. "What are you doing? What time is it?"

"Oh, it's about three in the morning," Remus said.

Logan rubbed his eyes and couldn't suppress a yawn. "And what is the purpose of this n-n-nocturnal visit?"

"You told me to tell you if I thought of something to help Virgil and Janus," Remus said excitedly.

"And… you couldn't wait until morning?"

Remus shook his head emphatically. "We always do it at night so you all don't come running. I soundproof the Subconscious for good measure."

"Soundproof? And what is it you do?"

"Something to de-stress," Remus said. Logan opened his mouth to ask, but Remus cut him off. "Look, this needs to happen. I know it. Virgil knows it. Janus knows it. But neither of them are willing to do it because they care about what you all think and they don't know how they'll explain stuff. So I was thinking if you Light Sides saw them doing it, you know working through their anger and stuff, that you would understand and accept them and we can all be friends."

Logan peered blearily at Remus. "And what makes you think they'll do whatever it is with us in the room."

Remus grinned. "They won't know you're in the room. And then when everything is all better, I'll show them that you don't care about the weirdness, and we can all finally be ourselves with you!"

Logan pursed his lips. "Are you certain that is a good idea? If they don't want us to see it, then maybe they should have a say in if we see it."

Remus huffed and stood up, prowling across the room as he paced. "I can't handle them fighting anymore, Logan! They've been so angry for so long and if they don't deal with it, they'll never stop stabbing each other! It's lead knives, baby, and they're being poisoned with each stab. This is the antidote they need!"

Logan had never seen Remus so agitated, at least not in a negative way. And Remus did know Janus and even Virgil better than he and the other Light Sides did. Virgil still pulled away when they tried to connect at a deeper level, and even Logan had been wounded by his refusal to be understood by them. It might actually be beneficial and cathartic for this to happen. So Logan nodded.

"Very well. How do we do this?"

"Wake up Patton and Roman and bring them downstairs. Be quiet."

"What about Virgil?" Logan asked.

Remus's eyes were bright with determination. "Leave him to me. I want my friends back."

Logan roused Roman and Patton and briefly explained that they were going to help the Dark Sides then they headed downstairs. Roman and Patton peered into the dark common room warily. Roman's brows creased and Patton covered his mouth.

"This is their common room?" he asked in horror.

"Not as fancy as yours," Remus said from one side. "Sorry, Pop Star. It's harder to conjure in the Subconscious. Upstairs it's easier."

They all stared at him. Despite what he said, he appeared to have stretched out the room so that there was a little hollow.

"How are we supposed to be hidden? And how will we see what's going on?" Logan asked, adjusting his glasses.

"What are we doing?" Patton asked nervously.

"And what are we seeing?" Roman asked sourly. "Knowing you, Remus, it'll be depraved and disgusting."

Remus beamed. "Aw, thanks, bro!" Then he turned to Logan. "Come here and stand there."

He pointed in the hollow. The three Light Sides obeyed, and Remus took a couple steps back then breathed deeply. He held up his hands like a picture frame then nodded and snapped his fingers. Something appeared in front of them, rising like a sheet of glass. Logan raised his eyebrows.

"This is not going to hide us, Remus."

"It's one way," Remus replied. He conjured a mirror and held it up. What they saw reflected was a wall just like the one behind them, only it was straight instead of curved.

Logan blinked. "Fascinating," he murmured. He reached over and touched it. It felt like glass. "I will never get used to the conjuring powers you two have."

"Eh, it's from the Imagination and the connection we have to it," Remus said idly. He scanned the wall, making subtle changes to it until he was satisfied. "There. Now, Romy, I doubt you'll be able to break the wall because you're not used to working down here, but don't even try. No matter what you see and hear, don't come out."

"Do we have to be silent?" Logan asked.

Remus laughed. "You won't be able to stay quiet. So…" He snapped and there was a strange pressure around their ears for a moment. "There. Now you're soundproofed. Scream all you like. They'll never hear you."

"Wait, what exactly are we going to see?" Logan asked.

But Remus obviously couldn't hear him anymore. The three Light Sides watched him look around then he nodded and headed toward the bedrooms. "Oh, Janny!" he sang, skipping over. "I wanna play a game!"

There was muffled talking for a few minutes then Janus came out of the room, dressed in his usual clothes. He looked sleepy and disgruntled.

"I'm telling you, he won't do it," Janus groused. He flopped onto the couch.

"Bull$&!#. We all know he needs it. And so do you," Remus said stubbornly.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Mmhm. Sure you don't," Remus said. "I'm going to go and get Virgil. Stay here."

"He won't come," Janus said.

Remus ignored him and walked up the stairs.

"Dumb#$&," Janus sighed. He looked irritated. "Don't know why he insists," he muttered to himself. "Mister Paranoia won't do it. Traitorous little trash panda."

"Why does he keep calling him a trash panda?" Patton asked.

"I assume it's because of Virgil's eyeshadow. He has stated that it makes him look like a raccoon," Logan answered.

"It's so weird that he can't hear us," Roman murmured. "He's like ten feet away." He touched the glass and shook his head. "Gotta admit, my brother sure can conjure some weird stuff. But he is really good at it."

Janus stood up and began to pace, glancing at the stairs every so often. He looked nervous and on edge, and there was some kind of shadow on his face that made the Light Sides feel uncomfortable. But they pushed that aside as they saw Janus's true feelings for the first time. He had always been cool, calm, and collected, wearing a mask for them at all times. The only other time the mask had dropped was when he'd celebrated being believed by Thomas, and even then it was a positive emotion. But this, seeing him anxious and tense, made them feel like they were seeing something private. And Patton gulped.

"I don't think Jan wants us to see him like this," he said in a small voice.

"I…" Roman shifted. "This is a bad idea. We need to get out of here."

But before they could say anything else, there were footsteps on the stairs. Janus turned to look then panic flashed on his face in a raw, vulnerable moment and he bolted for the sofa. He was composed in an instant, lounging lazily like he didn't have a care in the world. He rolled his head back to look at the stairs as Remus came down. Roman couldn't help but bark out a laugh when he saw what his brother was doing.

Remus had Virgil hogtied and was carrying him effortlessly over his shoulders. Virgil's eyes were bright with anger as he squirmed and hummed through a gag. Remus smiled at Janus then heaved Virgil down on the sofa beside him.

"Nice of you to join us." Virgil tried to speak, but it came out muffled. "Best get you untied."

"Wait a sec," Remus said. He turned and his face pinched in concentration. The doorway to the Conscious suddenly sealed as bricks appeared. Remus nodded then turned. "Okay."

Janus smirked and reached over to remove the gag. "What were you saying, Virgil?"

"%#*& you! %#*& you both!" he spat. "Untie me, #&$% it!" He wriggled.

"Aw, but you're so cute like that," Janus purred.

"I will snap your spine in half!" Virgil snarled. "Now let me loose!"

The Light Sides had never seen Virgil act like this before. He was always so quiet, almost shy at times, and to see him swearing up a storm and threatening to physically harm the Dark Sides was new.

"We shouldn't be here," Patton squeaked. "Virgil doesn't want us to see this either! He wouldn't want us to see him doing this!"

"Fine, fine," Janus said.

"Wait," Remus ordered.

"If you take your dick out, I'll bite it off!" Virgil threatened.

"No, no. Hold still, emo."

Remus conjured a cloth and leaned down. Virgil was obscured for a moment then Remus stood up. Patton gasped. Roman snickered. And even Logan raised his eyebrows. Remus had removed Virgil's eyeshadow.

"There. Much better. Okay Janny. Let him loose."

Janus reached down and tugged once. Virgil's hands and feet came loose and he jerked upright, looking ready to eviscerate them.

"What in the hell did you bring me down here for?" he demanded of Remus.

"Time to make things all better!" Remus exclaimed. "You and Jan are going to de-stress and then we'll all talk."

"%#*& that!" Virgil barked.

Roman squinted. "Didn't Remus just remove his eyeshadow?"

"Yes. Why?" Logan asked.

"Because it's back," Roman said slowly.

Patton and Logan looked, and sure enough, black markings had appeared around Virgil's eyes. It looked like his eyeshadow but was more solid.

"Come on Virgil," Janus said smoothly. "Don't you want to relax? Just let go of all that tension from pretending all the time?"

"Do you?" Virgil shot back.

Janus pressed his lips together and glanced away. "It… might be best if we work this out. Logan is curious. And he always sates his curiosity."

Virgil huffed and flopped back on the couch. "I don't want to," he said petulantly.

"Liar," Janus said dryly.

"%#*& off, snake boy."

"Bite me, trash panda."

"Don't tempt me."

"Enough of the foreplay!" Remus commanded. "Get down to it."

"Oh, go suck dick," Virgil spat.

"Yours or somebody else's?" Remus asked.

"Your own."

Remus paused and looked down at his lap thoughtfully. "Hm. That's an idea…"

Janus snorted and Virgil bit his bottom lip, his eyes shining with mirth.

"Wouldn't it feel good to just ease all that tension?" Janus teased, smiling.

"To just de-stress," Virgil pressed.

Remus seemed to be actually considering the idea. Then he blinked and giggled. "Ooh, you're bad."

"Is it a naughty dream?" Janus asked.

"It's definitely a new one," Remus said. "He'll be thinking about that one for days."

And Roman slapped his forehead. "He just gave Thomas a dream where he's… #&$% him!"

Patton looked very uncomfortable. "Ah, that's a little weird."

"Thomas is not going to be happy about this," Logan admitted. "But it's a dream. As long as you don't overreact, Patton, things will be fine."

Patton squirmed with embarrassment. "I'll try."

Virgil and Janus were actually grinning now. And then they glanced at each other, and the grins slipped off their faces and were replaced with icy glares.

"Go on. Get to it," Remus ordered.

"Shut it, Rem," Janus hissed. "You stay out of this."

"Fine, fine, but get to it!" Remus demanded. He crossed his arms. "I want things to go back to the way they were!"

Virgil sighed and glanced at Janus. "Well?"

"You expect me to go first?" Janus asked.

"Yes," Virgil said tightly. "Considering what you said."

"I only said it because you were being a traitorous #$&hole!" Janus exclaimed. He stood up and began to pace, prowling gracefully, fluidly in front of the sofa. He looked fiercer than they'd ever seen, and Logan wondered if he was going to attack Virgil before dismissing the idea. Surely not.

"Yeah?" Virgil said, and there was a dark edge to his voice that the Light Sides rarely heard. "Well you were being a condescending jerk. You didn't even try to understand what was going on!"

He stood up and planted himself in front of Janus. As they got a better view of him, they were startled to see that the dark patches beneath his eyes had expanded.

"What in the world?" Roman asked blankly.

"Cool," Patton murmured.

"So, viper boy," Virgil snarled, and the Light Sides froze at just how unhinged Virgil sounded. "Now that you know what I was going through… I think you should go first."

Janus hissed between his teeth and his pupils constricted. "Oh really?"

"Go on," Virgil said. "Get on your knees, Janny. Get down and beg for forgiveness. And maybe, maybe I'll give it to you."

Janus raised his chin defiantly. "You know what you are, Virgil?"

"What's that, Janny?"

Janus flashed a wicked grin, and the three Light Sides saw the glint of fangs.

"He does have fangs!" Logan gasped.

"Well, I think you're just…" Janus's grin widened as he leaned forward.

"Don't," Virgil growled.

"Do," Remus commanded.

"Paranoid."

Virgil's pupils dilated, and he bared his teeth. Even Logan hadn't expected the glinting fangs in Virgil's mouth. The Light Sides' mouths dropped open, and they stared in bewilderment. What in the hell? Virgil had fangs, too? Then Virgil opened his mouth and gave a hellish, animalistic scream. And he lunged for Janus's throat.