Chapter Text
Patton sighed as he fell onto his fluffy bed, looking up at the ceiling. He glanced over at his door, which would normally be firmly shut, but now open just a crack. The sounds of his family filtered in from downstairs, bringing tears to his eyes. He looked at the ceiling, wondering dully how he was outcasted in the first place. It had always been a numb area to remember, something he could never truly grasp, and one Roman and Logan never talked about. Suddenly, memories flashed through his head, as if a gate opened and it all rushed back to him.
Patton was not alone when he appeared in the mindscape. Much like Remus and Roman, he was one of a pair. His pair was known as Depression. You see, Patton was not always Morality. He was originally meant to be good emotion, and right. Depression was bad emotions, and wrong. They helped balance, Thomas. Patton would reward Thomas when he did something good with good emotions. Depression would scold Thomas and make him feel bad for doing wrong.
Despite their opposing jobs, they were close. Depression wasn't as bad as he seemed, yet he still lived in the dark sides. He resented the title but was often visited by his brother, which lessened the pain of being outcasted. Throughout Patton's time spent with the dark sides, he grew close. He saw them past the dark edgy title Thomas decided to give them, especially his brother. He knew his brother was only wanting to do good by Thomas.
Logan and Roman, on the other hand, didn't see it that way. They were threatened on how many dark sides there were compared to the three light sides, ignoring the fact that they had more responsibilities and control than the dark sides did. They grew resentful, their pride getting in the way. They soon looked down on the happy twin, watching disdainfully as he skipped his way to the dark sides.
Everything blew up when Patton attempted to bring his brother to the light sides for a sleepover. Roman and Logan yelled at the two, mostly at Patton for defending the 'evil' side. It ended with Depression punching Roman. Patton was barely able to pry his brother off of him, ushering him through the door to the dark sides. Patton was stopped from entering himself as Logan grabbed his arm, throwing him in his room. Patton spent the night crying.
From then on, Logan and Roman kept Patton from the door and made sure to lock it so no one could get in. They chastised Patton when he dared try to stand up for the dark sides, accusing him of being evil as well. Everything spiraled out of control then.
Depression, completely enraged at being separated from his twin, started to scheme. He snuck into Logan's room, stealing his book about the mindscape which appeared with him when he appeared. He snuck into Roman's imagination, which was simply a door at that time. Using the book, he was able to use the imagination to mold a being of his choice, a dragon-witch. It could never be completely destroyed and would wreak havoc on Roman's imagination forever. He was planning to burn Logan's book when they confronted him. Roman fought the dragon-witch, while Logan and Patton tried to talk to him. Roman was close to death thanks to the powerful foe, that Patton was able to drive away thanks to his brother's love for him. The final thing Depression said was laced with another voice, deep and guttural. It shot fear into both Roman and Logan's hearts forever. Patton, saddened by his brother, had to make a choice. It was either his brother or the light sides. An unknown strength filled him as he grabbed his brother, and sunk into the subconscious.
Patton didn't know how, but he didn't feel himself. Knowledge about the mindscape filled his brain as he stared down at his brother...
"Brother..." Patton said, looking down at his brother. A faint white glow emanated from him, the only source of light in the black goop of the subconscious. Depression seemed to lose the strength to stand up as he struggled to push his body up from the ground, the black substance sticking to him.
"Patton... Why... What is happening to me?" He looked down at his hand, shaking as he felt his energy sapped away from him. Patton kneeled down to him, running his hand softly through his hair. He whispered softly to him, sadness in his eyes, yet no tears came.
"I am sorry... you can't continue. Your mind has become corrupted with hate. You no longer think of Thomas' well-being... only yourself." He struggled harder, pushing himself on his hands and knees, glaring up at Patton.
"AND YOU! I DID THIS FOR YOU, PATTY!" Patton shook his head, cupping Depression's cheek.
"No you didn't." Depression immediately froze, before quickly shaking his head.
"What is happening to me?!" Patton's eyes never left his, looking at him with a foreign look.
"You are dying. You have failed your purpose by actively trying to destroy other facets of Thomas' personality. For this, you cannot live." Depression continued to glare at him.
"But I am your brother." Patton smiled.
"I am not Patton. Right now, I am the mindscape." Depression looked up at his eyes, before looking away, chuckling lowly.
"I knew it. He would never do this to me..." He stared silently at the ground, his body weakening.
"You can't get rid of me. Thomas still needs his sense of wrong and all those bad emotions. He wouldn't be himself without me." 'Patton' hummed.
"He can still have your function without you." Depression looked up at him.
"How so?"
"You are dying. But your function remains. Patton will gain your other half, as well as those bad emotions, but not all of them. There was a reason for splitting you two up. Both job of morality and emotions is a tough one, so... another side will come from you." Depression looked skeptical.
"Who?"
"Anxiety" Depression gave a cold laugh.
"If he feels all that I do, he will choose the same route as me." He smirked up at him. 'Patton' kept an emotionless face.
"No. Because Patton will give a small part of himself as well. Compassion, Selflessness." Depression scoffed.
"You can't take those away from him. He wouldn't be himself without it!" 'Patton' shook his head.
"He will still have those emotions, much like Logic has emotions. He won't be completely in control of them. They will be apart of his character, not his function."
"And Anxiety?"
"He will control it, although he may not realize it at first. He may find out sooner or later that he can care. He may spend most of his life not caring, or being selfless. His function will catch him though. He can't deny his function." Depression let his head hang, tears slipping from his cheeks and into the black substance.
"So... this is the end?" He was met by silence, "Just... make sure 'Anxiety' uses that compassion for Patton. He deserves it the most..." 'Patton' shook his head.
"I cannot control his actions. He has to figure it out for himself." Depression sighs.
"At least let him know that I love him... that I never meant for this to happen..." 'Patton' rubbed his head.
"In due time, he will know." Depression's form flickered as the draining took its toll. 'Patton's face got softer as they made eye contact.
"I'm sorry, Brennan..."
And with that, Anxiety was created. He woke up in the light sides and figured out his role. He never knew where he came from, or his deeper function until late in his life. He held the voice of another but used it not for bad. He sat to the sidelines as Patton was outcasted, not realizing that he needed to help. He eventually realized, and stood up for him, as Patton did with his brother long ago, without fear of becoming an outcast just like how Patton was for accepting someone in need.
And thus, Patton gained a family thanks to his 'son'.
Patton sniffled in his bed, smiling softly.
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Brennan- Sorrow, or sadness