Chapter Text
Imanuel wasn’t mayor for long after that day. A re-election had been declared shortly after the dust had settled, and the people had processed most of their shock and confusion. It was widely regarded as an unwise decision to attempt to storm the forest with the knowledge of its dangers, even with the help from the scientists. The decision had been popular at first. Imanuel was charismatic enough to make it so, and the fear of the changelings had spiked a desire for control over the seemingly untameable forest. Though most people realized it was a bad call, once most of them had been trapped and subjected to frightening magic. Especially when the nice lady who lived down the street had been directly threatened with a knife by some terrifying faerie who claimed to have been her child.
Everyone knew neither the woman nor her husband had a child, and they received comfort from their closest friends, at the traumatizing encounter.
The scientist had attempted to enter the forest again, just a few days after their previous attempt, though much to their surprise, the forest suddenly appeared impenetrable. Imanuel did his own attempt at entering it on his own as well, but once he tried to step in, he felt a force shoot through his entire being, and walking a single step further occurred to him as far too risky. He rarely ever thought of things as too risky, so he knew the feeling wasn’t natural, but he couldn’t get himself to move, remaining paralyzed as long as he attempted to wander in that direction.
The scientist tried to rewire their devices to see if that would change anything, but the new magic surroundinging the forest appeared to be of an entirely different caliber, and they soon moved on to different projects.
The little village moved on as well, Imanuel no longer leading but becoming a bit of a town legend for his brave attempts to face the threats head on, even if his methods were largely imperfect.
And so, the forest between the village and Psychshire, slowly faded into obscurity. When whichever barrier had kept the humans out slowly started lifting, there was no magic found within at all, and through the years people came to wonder if the recounts from within, had been nothing but local legend.
They stayed like that for a little more than a year.
The forest became their mutual home. It had taken a while for them to grow entirely accustomed to the new company and the fact that they couldn’t leave it, but the forest was grand on its own, and the possibilities with magic seemed nearly infinite.
They soon came to know the light in Logan’s eyes when he learned something new about the fae, or the magic. He did experiments on occasion, receiving full assistance from the fae brothers, once they’d gotten to know him better. Just a month or so into their stay, came the day for Logan to excitedly declare that he was likely now the scientist with the most faithful knowledge of magic in the entire world, and if they could see him now they’d envy him. They came to know his intelligence, his remarkable ability to relay information, and his surprising skill in poetry. As he warmed up, his smiles became more prominent and jokes came out much more easily, and whenever Roman or Remus had an idea, he was among the first to come up with ideas to improve it.
Another one to help them with their projects was Janus. Everyone came to recognize his wit, and his surprisingly strong sense of fashion once he had more than a few outfits available to him. Once he learned he could, he dictated a good portion of the designs he wore, either getting Remus to produce it with his own little twists, or getting Roman to do it, always adding something a little extra, that Janus honestly didn’t mind all that much. It suited him. He helped Roman design a nice light blue cloak with cloudy, fuzzy edges, for Patton’s birthday, that Patton wore whenever he could.
Roman and Patton grew remarkably close as the days went by, and just a week in it was as if they’d developed their own secret language, inching ever closer, and Patton’s smiles became so much more genuine so much more frequently. Janus was the first to notice the change, and Patton noticed it on Janus in return. Perhaps a mix of the new company, but very much also from the safety. It became increasingly apparent that Patton was becoming louder. More excited and didn’t stop himself from talking about the new recipes he wanted to try out, or how much he cared about everyone around in the forest. He always went out of his way to show it, and Roman was excited to do so as well, making the two a powerful duo. Janus was often the first to step in to get everyone to take care of themselves, Logan backing him up with facts about circadian rhythms and arguments from old books it turned out they’d both read.
Virgil was a little quiet around all of them at first, trying his best to fade into the background, which was increasingly difficult when you were among the only six people present. No one really rushed him, though the commotion outside of the house he was in occasionally made him go out there more and more. The house in question was shared between him and Logan at first, and they made sure it was a lot like their old one. Virgil found comfort in the familiar place, and the forest grew increasingly comfortable with the rest of the forest as well. His talks with Janus and Remus often extended into the evening. Patton was eager to become his friend, and Virgil found this eagerness both intimidating and pleasant. Patton often noticed when Virgil had the need to retreat to his own space and encouraged it fully.
While Virgil didn’t miss Psychshire he found himself missing the books in the library, and since he didn’t have any, he had to take to writing his own little stories. Logan often did so with him, and they sometimes worked on different projects simultaneously, reading each other’s work excitedly.
Remus and Janus pulled pranks on the others every once in a while, but it was all in good fun. They had a very particular sort of shared humor. Remus shared morbid ideas, and Janus always knew how to make them easier to grasp, and laughed along with him.
Roman set up little plays and made as many of them as possible join in on them, Virgil and Logan often remaining in the audience, though the two of them also came with quiet suggestions as to how the lighting could be more effective.
It didn’t take long before it just made sense for everyone’s name to be shared out in the open. They were no longer whispered in intimate moments among the few who knew them, and it was different, but it ultimately made everything feel less tense. As If this really was a world that belonged to all of them, and a place where they could be thoroughly and truly themselves.
The individual houses soon evolved into one big one placed right by the middle of the forest, where all of them had their own rooms. Janus had his own, but often spent the nights by the hardly aesthetically fitting hammock Remus had set up outside of it. Patton had a cozy cottage attached to the side of a common room they’d made for all of them to share, and stairs inside of the cottage led to a magnificent tower Roman stayed in. Roman had to get used to using those stairs to get in, since he could no longer fly, but it slowly became natural to him. Logan and Virgil continued to share the home that was similar to their old one, but now they had neighbors just a door away.
And, gradually, Remus and Roman started talking again. No longer out of obligation or because of their mutual friends in the humans, but because the emotional distance slowly decayed, and left room to dip their toes into a shared connection, that seemed to have been there at some point. Something old being awakened and turning into something new in the larger surroundings. It wasn’t perfect, and it took time. They usually only hung out in groups, but a few nights they could be found sitting by themselves, just a few feet apart. Despite both being rather loud by nature, their one-on-one conversations started out quiet and fragile, and slowly developed into something stronger and more lasting.
That was why, on one faithful late spring afternoon, as they were all sitting together by the riverside, a very literal magical light appeared, that wasn’t created by either of the fae brothers.
It was as if the surroundings that had previously been filled with laughter as Patton and Roman had attempted to produce fitting flower crowns for everyone, turned entirely silent. The light around them seemed to dim, as if to make sure the magical light was perceived optimally. It seemed to expand, the air turning almost ethereal, as a presence slowly emerged.
A figure, wearing a gown covered in a mix of leaves and beautiful purple flowers, with long, wavy hair that went all the way down to her waist. Her eyes were an otherworldly sort of brown, glimmering with something bright and grounding that was almost impossible to look away from. Her expression was composed, with a warm smile, and with every single move of her hand, it was as if the air around them sparkled.
It was a breath-taking sight, though even the surprise and awe from the four humans couldn’t compare to that of the two brothers. Their mouths were gaping, their eyes shining with recognition and shock, as if they were waiting for everything in front of them to turn out to be nothing but an apparition.
The figure, the Queen of the fae, smiled at the two abandoned princes. “Congratulations. You did it,” She said, her tone soft, letting the words linger all around, as if every single syllable held more significance than any other word that had ever been said.
And had it been a year or so prior, perhaps Roman would’ve immediately stood before her, letting a proud smile slip onto his face. Perhaps Remus would’ve been fearful, or just the slightest bit compliant, to whatever was about to happen next. They would’ve been accepted back into their kingdom, ruling at their mother’s side, stronger than ever, now that their bond was much more functional.
Though after the months of late night talks, of putting everything into an entirely different perspective, and gradually creating bonds neither of the princes ever thought they were going to have, had changed circumstances ever so slightly.
“You’re going to return to the kingdom with me. Our people have been waiting for you,” The Queen said.
As the dust of the moment had settled, Remus was the first to break his shocked expression, instead settling on a nonchalant sort of grin. “You were the one to leave us here.” He said, “All locked up. Really parent and queen of the year for kicking us out for being a bit of a nuisance.”
The Queen seemed surprised to have been spoken to in such a manner, even if the words had come from Remus. “The two of you were destroying our kingdom and breaking rules and traditions. Something had to be done.” She turned to her other son, Roman, “Surely you understand, dear prince?” She tilted her head, “And what happened to your beautiful wings?”
It took Roman a few moments to react to being addressed. Where his wings had once been, there were just a few bandages that he’d decorated with red and gold. He looked at them for a moment. His mouth closed as he observed the Queen carefully. “Kicking out royalty sounds like the sort of thing that could be rendered an act of treason.”
“I didn’t kick you out.” The Queen said, blinking with confusion, “And even if it was the case, treason isn’t much of a concept in our kingdom. You should know that.”
“Perhaps so.” Roman said, as his voice gained more force, even if it was still shaky, “Though perhaps sending us away for years, is not the best strategy to make us care much for tradition.”
This made the Queen look even more shocked, as the air turned denser. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. You must’ve missed your kingdom dearly. You should return, and rule it with me, as you were always meant to.”
Roman laughed darkly. “You’re right. I did miss it dearly. For years.”
Remus stepped forward, standing next to Roman. It was as if the ethereal energy of the Queen and the two brothers collided. “I had nightmares, you know?” Remus explained, a little too gleefully “Plenty of them too. They weren’t even any fun most of the time.”
“What are you trying to say?” the Queen asked, and it was as if her presence faded ever so slightly.
Roman reached for Remus’ hand, and after Remus had mumbled something about ‘cooties’ he took it. “What we are saying,” Roman explained, “Is that perhaps we are going back to the kingdom, but it won’t be to rule alongside you.”
The Queen narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
Roman and Remus tightened the grip on each other’s hand, slowly moving their other arm in front of them, preparing to do magic. “Haven’t you heard? We get along now! We’re stronger than ever, and we’ve made an agreement.” Remus said, grinning, “We’re going to overthrow you!”
The Queen’s eyes widened, her eyebrows furrowing with confusion and fury, “Who do you think you are? I raised you!”
Roman glanced at Remus, Remus glancing back. Simultaneously, they shrugged. “Eh, barely,” Remus said. The humans stood behind them, staying close to each other, as Remus and Roman took a deep breath, light clashing before everyone’s eyes.
The kingdom of the fae changed that spring and the several years that followed. The fae princes returned home, after having successfully taken most of the fae queen’s power, and the rest of the fae accepted them, because that was the way things were supposed to go. They grew fond of their new rulers as well, even if they expressed confusion and skepticism at the humans they'd brought along with them. It was not uncommon to bring along a human to the fae kingdom, but it was most certainly untraditional to regard them as equals.
The princes were no longer princes, but rather kings, and the two humans, Patton and Janus, functioned as their most trusted personal advisors. There were few decisions to make, but a lot to keep track of, and when there was nothing to do, they’d all sit together in the castle, laughing into the night.
Two more humans had joined them, and though they stayed in the background they appeared a great deal more cautious decisions and creations than the others, and the group balanced each other out quite well. They soon became immensely popular among their people, even if not everyone was equally enthusiastic.
While the kings were happy to explore their own home and change up things that had made them feel useless in the past, and the humans found a lot of joy in exploring this entirely ethereal kingdom, they all soon grew a little bored of it. They all decided that even as royalty there was no harm in exploring the human world as well.
Rumors among humans started spreading, about the terrifying fae, and their otherworldly consultants. The areas the fae were present in became increasingly adaptable.
While the fae were often rumored to be terrifying, and some were, there were even fewer deals with terrifying curses to follow. A few touched a certain forest and never returned, and even though others feared the worst had happened, some wondered if they were living happily somewhere.
Occasionally a human would be seen as less than whole, and it was not uncommon then, for fae to show up wherever they were. Some said the fae helped them, though no one was ever sure. Something certainly changed, and a couple of people found themselves dreading harming others again.
The world wasn’t perfect. Nothing ever really was. Things would likely change over time, and perhaps, the fae and the humans wouldn’t be together in one group forever. At least not in the same way. But for now, things were better. They would likely stay just a little better than before. The humans were no longer running, neither the fae nor the humans were confined.
And they were safe.