Chapter Text
From the start it was clear that most of the fights were going to be between Morality(or Patton as he'd recently named himself) and Preservation. Preservation was tired of the senseless rules that Morality was placing on them, and he could tell that Patton was tired of the validity of said rules being questioned like they always were. It was becoming some sort of routine for them, but things only got worse in the week after Creativity was split into "Roman" and "Remus." To him, it wasn't like the other things Patton had done without even consulting him.
"Can you even imagine what the danger of having them separate like this could turn out to be?!"
"What danger? Kiddo, Remus was the only danger, and now that they're like this we won't ever have to worry about what he may make Thomas think ever again," Patton explained with his usual level of cheeriness like it was the easiest thing to comprehend, but Preservation could tell it wasn't real. He tensed as the change now divided his attention. This was different than the other times they had fought. This wasn't a discussion. This had the objective of repression.
Still, he didn't back down even with the increase in stress that no doubt both of them could feel. "What do you me- wait, you can't honestly be expecting me to..."
"It isn't like he'll ever be important to Thomas anyway. We have Roman, and you only have to keep Remus from messing anything up."
It took a few seconds for it to really register what Patton was confirming to him. He wanted him to take Remus with him. No... not just that.
"Wh- no, Morality. You can't honestly think it's oka-"
"Preservation. It'll all be fine."
That confirmed it for him. He wanted him to hide Remus from Thomas. That can't happen, he needs all of him, he'll think something's wrong with him if he doesn't even know Remus exists, and what about Roman? How are either of them going to be affected by the split if this continues on? Is he expected to make it so Roman's unable to speak of his own brother at all? This can't happen. It can't. No.
"I said no."
Patton then glared at him, half surprised, and half annoyed that he'd been met with an unwavering refusal.
"No?" he asked more like he was trying to process what he'd heard than actually asking for an explanation.
"Do I need to repeat it a third time?" The tension between them grew with that sentence which as Preservation glared back at him instead of his usual habit of looking down whenever he'd crossed a line he knew he shouldn't have. It was different. Fight.
"Preservation, do you want Thomas to be a bad person?"
"Of course I don't, but-"
"Do you want his family to think Thomas is a bad person for what Remus can do?" Patton interrupts, continuing like one would scold a child. Preservation flinches but again instead of looking down, he continues to glare at him, getting tired of being interrupted. Keep fighting.
"Morality, you're not-"
"What do you think his friends would think if they found out?"
"I just-"
"Then why are you-" Enough!
"Stop interrupting me!"
Patton's eyes widen and he stares blankly at him as if he started speaking a language that he'd never heard before. His face immediately turned from shock to determination, and as close to anger as Preservation had ever seen him. He took a step back(not like he thought it would have done anything) and tried to brace himself for what he knew was coming, just as a jolt ran through his entire form.
He was almost completely frozen as an immense weight he had never realized was there ripped away from of his shoulders just to be replaced with something else that he had never felt before. He couldn't place what it was but he didn't think he liked the lingering absence he felt regardless. Unrecognized movement just in of his peripherals made him snap out of focusing on how he currently felt and look toward it. Oh god...
Both of them turned toward the side who was standing before them tensed up as he observed them both, and with his bangs and hood covering the majority of his face and his hands in the pockets of his grey hoodie. The only thing noticeable from the part of his face that either of them could see was that his skin was almost ghostly pale. The remnants of Preservation immediately felt familiarity with the fragmented side he saw, and took a cautious step toward him only to be stopped by Patton holding his hand out for him to stop. It felt wrong being apart from him, and the remnant felt the same desire to defy the command of the moral side that he had before any of this happen only this time it was stronger and unrestrained.
"Morality, what did you...?" The remnant started to ask, but then stopped, half from listening to his own voice, and how it was slightly different to how he remembered it being. This isn't the same as it was for the twins. What did he do to us... what are we now? Other questions that, of course, he didn't say anything out loud. He knew most of the answers already.
The fragment's attention fixated in his direction when he spoke, but made no move towards him as Patton then made the attempt to walk toward the fragmented side. He immediately flinched and moved away slightly as Patton tried to get closer than the few feet that separated him. It was almost as if he were a stranger to him although the remnant knew that wasn't the case. The fragment was just as disoriented by the forced split as he was, if not more so. From the looks of it, it seemed like he'd received most of his defensive reflexes as well.
When Patton realized he wasn't getting any closer, he just held his hand out in front of him as if asking for a handshake. The remnant tensed at the gesture, but it was also different than it had been before. There was almost no stress or fear following the tension as it normally would. There was only one impulsive need as the side once again flinched away. Protect.
"Hiya, kiddo. My name's Patton," Patton introduced himself with a kindness that almost seemed too fake to the remnant. The fragment looked away from him and towards the remnant who hadn't taken his eyes off of either Patton or him since the two of them had gotten closer together. He pointed in his direction without a word, but he was immediately understood by them both. He felt the same familiarity.
Patton looked over at the remnant for a second, and then brushed him off. No. Not again. You have to act now. "Don't worry, you won't need him around-" Stop talking.
He didn't say it out loud, and yet Patton stopped what he was about to say mid-sentence as if his voice had been lost completely. Like he couldn't speak even though he definitely wanted to. The remnant once again looked over to the other piece of him, and he moved over to where they were, standing in front of Patton and shielding his brother from him. Never again.
Never again.