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Heart was happy when he saw that the automaton wasn’t getting off scot-free and Soul had called Mind outside first. The avian was typically the one blamed for these things, so Mind being the first to receive punishment this time was both a surprise and a delight to him. However, this wasn’t his lucky day. It would be far from it. Their sovereign demanded that both the parasites would stand outside for this.
Of course, how could Heart ever expect to get away with this either? Just five minutes or so ago he had shot at said automaton freak. Obviously, he shot and he missed - Mind was still living. At least, Mind referred to it as the winged fool missing, but Heart had aimed perfectly at its head. He hadn’t missed. What had happened was a totally different occurrence; an anomaly.
Quite literally, an anomaly was born. As Heart currently followed after Mind to meet Soul out the door, the accidental item stood silently, watching. They hadn’t said a word at all since that beam of light that shone when the avian pulled the trigger; and instead of the bang landing in the brain of the automaton, it gave life to a new fourth.
It had been Heart, Mind, and Soul for as long as any of them could remember. The insane lord and/or sovereign had claimed they were once Harmonia or Whole and needed to become that once again, but that was as far as Heart and Mind knew. Now, thirds became fourths, and Heart unintentionally played god - creating life from what was essentially nothing.
They met out the door, and Soul hit his trident against the ground with a thud, tines facing the ground. He dug the trident into the soil as he spoke. “{Are you two aware of what you’ve done and why I’m upset?}” “[Yes, the fool attempted to kill me, the logical side, and he missed. Why am I being scolded for this as well?]” Mind retorted in a voice of annoyance.
That’s all it was - annoyed. Mind thought itself shouldn’t be receiving any criticism, let alone punishment. Gee, it was so arrogant. An egomaniac, Heart thought. The avian hated it for good reason, and he just wished Soul could see that. It wasn’t Heart’s fault that the automaton was such an unbelievable douchebag.
“{No,}” Soul sighed in frustration, “{it’s because you both are making it impossible for the main goal to be ever met. How are we meant to be Harmonia - blissfully entwined - if you guys are constantly at each other’s throats?}”
Mind continued to respond in that same self-absorbed way that Heart hated so much. “[He’s the one who responded with gun violence to a simple dispute.]” The avian’s wings flared up as this literally ruffled up his feathers, and he yelled defensively. “(Don’t play it like you’re the ‘free of sin’ and ‘all-rational’ one! The automaton freak here is the one that provoked me, intentionally!)”
“[So the blame for your overreactive and violent actions is on me?]” riposted the simple, cynical machine coldly and sarcastically. For someone who was against the wall not too long ago, looking completely shaken, Heart thought, it sure had some nerve now.
They were already arguing again, even when still outside and in front of Soul. “{We won’t ever move forward if no retaliation is ever shown to your cacophony,}” decided their sovereign, aloud. Mind opened its mouth, likely with the intention to defend itself or riposte some more, but it wasn’t given the chance, and by the looks of it, nor would it ever.
The trident was pulled out from the ground, and holes in the soil made by the prongs of the mighty weapon became holes in the automaton’s neck. It made a noise that Mind would’ve described as ‘grotesque’, but he wouldn’t be saying anything now.
What a horrible time it was to recall information from a book in the library, but Heart quickly realized just where in the neck Mind had been punctured. Heart had once been looking around in the automaton’s room, being nosy, and saw an anatomy book opened to a page with a diagram. Seeing as it had been something Mind was reading on, it was too, likely aware it had been stabbed in the larynx.
That was the only information the winged man could make out, though. He wasn’t sure this was even happening. It couldn’t have been, right? Oh, god, his heart was going a million miles an hour. How fitting that Heart’s heart was fighting as if for its life at the moment. Mind would’ve corrected that beats per minute would make more sense. He didn’t want to look at Mind or even think about it.
Soul pulled the trident out from where it had invaded. The automaton slumped against a wall, just trying to keep itself upright while the world was probably spinning for itself too. Heart hadn’t even been the one injured, and his worldview was blurring. Blood began to flow like a river from its voice box. The avian wondered if Mind’s ears were ringing as well.
The adrenaline running through his body was almost painful. His heart throbbed in his chest. Palpitations. He could pay attention to neither their sovereign nor logical side as the sound rotted through him, and the beat of his own heart, meant to benefit him, was a harsh piercing pain in his chest.
Through it all, though, the winged man could make out the voice of Soul, who was now at the same distance to Heart as he was to Mind just before stabbing through his neck. “{Forgive me for this.}”
Heart tried to turn to meet his sovereign’s gaze fully, but that movement only landed as a mistake. It wasn't only a mistake, but unsuccessful. He didn't meet his gaze. All his eyes met were the tines to the trident. The avian had just turned only to give him better access for the headshot. How stupid of him.
The initial confusion as to why Soul would say that got answered, but it only brought more confusion and pain. His vision grew cloudy but was soon interrupted by a complete lack of it at all as the weapon that intruded upon his eye sockets was roughly pulled out.
Blood pooled in his eye sockets, and it didn't take very long for it to overflow out of them. The winged man actually had three bleeding holes in his head; one of which hadn't previously existed. After all, the trident had three prongs and Heart had two eyes. One stabbed right above the bridge of his nose, barely missing the cartilage. At least he was lucky enough that only one of his five senses was reprimanded.
Heart thought of pleading, apologizing, or questioning why their sovereign had condemned them to such cruel punishments, but he was not given the privilege to. He slugged against another wall to the exterior of the house, just like their logical side had, and he passed out.
The avian wasn’t even allowed the courtesy of saying what he would’ve thought to be his last goodbye.