#splitsuccessorverse

Overcast stared at his other half, face blank and void of emotion. “I destroyed the last remnant of you years ago, Flare.” Flare froze, eyes wide. Overcast remembers the day he got it like it was yesterday. How could he not? It was the day before everything would change.

That fateful day began when Overcast opened his eyes, the warm sun falling on his face from the window his other half must have drawn the curtains from. Groaning and turning to face the other way, Overcast debated to himself if falling back asleep was worth it. The growl in his stomach decided it for himself. Overcast begrudgingly got out of bed, walking to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. He realized that Flare wasn’t here when he found a plate of french toast on the counter with a note, telling Overcast that he went into the village to aid some of the sick. Overcast rolled his eyes and ate the food his other half made for him, staring at the note as he debated if he should venture into the forest alone today or not. After finishing his food and cleaning off his plate, he decided to go without Flare. He went back into their bedroom, changing his clothes, grabbing his satchel, and finding a book to carry inside of said satchel. He walked out of the bedroom and opened the door that led outside, taking a moment to inhale the fresh air as he felt the soft breeze on his skin. He heard the leaves of the nearby trees rustle and the sounds of hatchlings calling for their parents to provide sustenance.

Overcast loved springtime. It was the season of old stories to end, and new beginnings to arrive. He walks into the forest, using the path so often used that the plants of the forest knew better than to grow and interfere with the well-worn path. Continuing on deeper into the forest, he spots a pair of Song Sparrows, their pale grey and red feathers shining in the sunlight. One of them looks over to him and chirps, making Overcast smile to himself. He looks around and continues to smile as he watches the sunlight shine through the trees of the forest like a large blanket that has holes of various shapes and sizes cut into it. Overcast speeds up when he feels the incline, letting him know that he’s close to the hill that he’s come to adore for what feels like lifetimes. Soon he spots what his other half has jokingly nicknamed ‘the reading tree’ and beams. He climbs up, the bark barely irritating the skin on his hands because of the calluses that have formed over the countless years of climbing it. Overcast gets to his perch and reaches into his satchel, the leather of the book’s cover rough against his skin. He settles into his reading spot and opens the book.

Some time past and Overcast had almost completed the old book as Flare walked over. “Overcast? Are you here?” Overcast looked down, seeing Flare looking up at him. “I thought you would be at the village for longer.” Flare sighs, climbing up to sit with his other half. “They were demanding too much of me, so I gave an excuse to leave.” Overcast hummed, leaning into Flare as he looked at what Overcast was reading. “Romeo and Juliet again? I swear that you’re obsessed with that play.” He smiled softly as he shrugged. “What can I say? It’s a good story and the village hasn’t missed this copy.” Overcast closed the book and put it back in his satchel, jumping down from his perch afterward. “You wanted to see the sunset together today, right?” Flare hopped down and reached for Overcast’s hand, the other bringing it up and kissing his hand. Flare flushes and mutters. “You don’t have to do that every time we hold hands Overcast.” Overcast grins, leading Flare. “I know.”

Flare smiles back, kissing his cheek as they sit in the soft grass and watch the sunset together. He feels the cool breeze flow by them and leans into Overcast for warmth, debating if now would be a good time. After the sun had set, Overcast looked over to Flare, despondent. “Are you going to the village tomorrow again? You know we have enough supplies without their aid.” Flare looks away, deciding now isn’t the time for that type of conversation. “You know how they get when I do not go often.”

Overcast huffed, glaring at the grass. “I can play the villain in their twisted tales if it means that you do not constantly overwork yourself.” Flare looks back over to his other half, frowning. “You’ve told me that many times love, but have you considered how I feel about that lie spreading because of something I could prevent.” He looks back over to Flare, eyes void of emotion. “They already spread lies and false tales about me Flare.” Overcast gets up and storms away, leaving Flare alone and cold in the dark.

Overcast snaps out of the memory and glances at Flare, who is still frozen. He walks over to him, purposefully not making eye contact with him as he walks past, muttering a quote he knows the other will know.

“Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.”

~Violet~

I search frantically for our youngest sister, worried that [Ų̷̗̀͑̐N̷̢̩̳͈̱̅̄̓͗R̷̝̫̹̒͌Ę̵͇͕͉̱̌̄Q̴͖͇̳͔̉̉̐͜Ụ̶̢̇̃I̸̝̙͠T̸̮͕̞̝̄͆Ë̶̡̱̗̘̘͆͘Ḏ̷̛̻͔͉͊] may have gotten her. I shudder as I recall our last encounter with him. Delilah wouldn’t leave Amber’s side for months after that. Not that I blame her in any way. Spaz wasn’t too happy about his newest successor being traumatized by his enemy but he needs to stop being so petty and pushing my sister to continue training. The asshole. Thankfully, Ato and Valerie have been extremely helpful with Delilah’s emotions. But it’s also highly possible that the two are just assisting in her healing because Val was once his captive. Her scars on her neck and wrists are plenty enough to prove that. Ato hates letting others see xeir soulmate’s scars. Delilah was probably the only other one who’s seen more than what Valerie’s extra large hoodie and jeans show. I run into Spaz, panicking more. “Have you found her yet?!” He just shakes his head [Ų̷̗̀͑̐N̷̢̩̳͈̱̅̄̓͗R̷̝̫̹̒͌Ę̵͇͕͉̱̌̄Q̴͖͇̳͔̉̉̐͜Ụ̶̢̇̃I̸̝̙͠T̸̮͕̞̝̄͆Ë̶̡̱̗̘̘͆͘Ḏ̷̛̻͔͉͊] even locked us out of his domain. Why would he want her? It makes no sense. She’s the weakest out of you fi-” I slap Spaz as hard as I can, making a pretty nasty bruise on the skeleton. “Don’t you dare call Penelope weak! She has just as much potential as the rest of us!” “Then why don’t you let her fight?” I step back, not expecting those words from the one who trains us then growls. “How DARE you question that?! She’s the youngest! My biggest responsibility! I promised father that she’d be safe! Now stop fucking around and let’s find her!” I storm off, going to a different AU that we haven’t checked.

Oh, Penelope, where are you?

~Amber~

I comfort my sister in my room, rubbing small circles on her back while singing a soft song. “Please won’t you catch a shooting star for me, and take it with you on your way..” It was one of her favorites so hopefully it would help her more than the others I previously sang. “After all our stories have been told.. I’ll sit and think of you, a good friend I once knew. Shot through my life like a shooting star..” I almost gasped, not expecting her to sing along. Was this a good sign..? I hope so. We swayed to the unspoken tempo of the soft song as we sang together. “You are so near, and soon your be so far. Shot through my life like a shooting star.” We finished the song and I quickly moved to a new one, “Moon on the meadow, bugs in our ears. Smoke in our eyes, wet wood and tears. Out on the meadow, water somewhere. We were the only ones there…” Delilah didn’t sing along to this one… As I continued the song, I noticed how Delilah was beginning to cry. “White snow top peaks, finding the love that everyone seeks. People in cities don’t understand, falling in love with the land…” I flinch at the word love, remembering Delilah’s… Past Event With Love Not pretty but I’m glad she’s safe. “With you my friend I am there.” I stopped singing after the song was over and lifted Delilah’s head gently, making her look at me. “Hey, Del. It’s gonna be okay. I promise. We’ll find Penny.” All she did was nod, eyes void of any emotion. Even the signature stars in her eyes were gone. Replaced by hazed grey circles. Not a good sign

“We’re never gonna find her. [Ų̷̗̀͑̐N̷̢̩̳͈̱̅̄̓͗R̷̝̫̹̒͌Ę̵͇͕͉̱̌̄Q̴͖͇̳͔̉̉̐͜Ụ̶̢̇̃I̸̝̙͠T̸̮͕̞̝̄͆Ë̶̡̱̗̘̘͆͘Ḏ̷̛̻͔͉͊] wouldn’t allow it.”

~Penelope~

I giggle as I chase around my brother. “It’s not f4ir! You h4ve so much more st4min4 th4n me! 4ll you let me do is sit 4round and make me idly w4it for you to come home! When 4re you gon4a fin4lly tell me your job?” My brother stopped in his tracks, freezing. He let out a slow breath before answering. “0nc3 w3 4w4k3n y9ur pw3r2. 1 pr0m123. 4nd t)(3n y0u c4n w0rk b321d3 m3!” I grin, eager to finally get out of this stupid place. It’s so bland! “Ok4y! I’ll work my h4rdest!” Bro whipped his head around, going in a fighting position before looking at me and signaling to get behind him. “Bro..?” He shushed me as this weird skeleton looking blob came out. Bro growled at the blob and summoned his magic. “0v3rc42t, 1’v3 4lr34dy t0ld y0u t)(4t y0u 4r3 n0t w3lc0m3 1n my r34lm. G3t. 0ut.” I shake behind bro, never seeing this much anger from him. All ‘Overcast’ does is chuckle darkly, sending shivers through my body. This new person wasn’t good news to either of us. I knew that for sure. “Really,[Ų̷̗̀͑̐N̷̢̩̳͈̱̅̄̓͗R̷̝̫̹̒͌Ę̵͇͕͉̱̌̄Q̴͖͇̳͔̉̉̐͜Ụ̶̢̇̃I̸̝̙͠T̸̮͕̞̝̄͆Ë̶̡̱̗̘̘͆͘Ḏ̷̛̻͔͉͊]? Hiding one of the sisters? Protecting her? You know that I will forever know everything about them. And we both know why.” Sisters? I have more than one sibling? At least one sister? “Bro.. wh4t does he mean by sister?” Brother snarled at Overcast and threw him out, jumping into the portal as well. The last thing I heard was wails of anguish.

Brother and I aren’t alone?

~Emma~

Staring at the stars from the cliff I chose, I quietly sang a song to myself as I cried. “Out of my window looking in the night, I can see the barge’s flickering light. Silently flows the river to the sea. And the barges, too, go silently.” I took off the scarf that I loved so dearly. It was given to me before we were forced to live in this multiverse, forever unable to go home. Father never told us who gave him and Dad the ability to have us. Spaz said he didn’t… so who was it? Who cursed me to live a life I never wanted?

“How my heart longs to sail away with you, as you sail across the ocean blue. But I must sit beside my window dear, and watch you sail away from here..”

Who made us and forced us to fight in a battle that created us?

~?????~

I watched the sisters through a one sided portal, quietly crying in my home. What have I done? Their parents only wanted to create a family. I didn’t intend to force them to live here or to make their lives so difficult. I thought I was doing the right thing… But clearly I wasn’t. I was blinded by how much they so deeply loved each other. Even if their world wouldn’t allow it. Especially in how highly ranked they both were in the war they were in, much less that time period..

~Penelope~

I smiled softly to myself as I held Emma’s scarf… It was the only thing that she loved and refused to wear all the time… “Heh… Y-you loved this sc4rf Em… Why wouldn’t you we4r it more often..?” Flashbacks of Emma beaming with happiness crossed my mind. The scarf flowing around her neck through the wind… It was some of the few times she was so happy that it radiated off of her, infecting the rest of us with happiness… It filled me with the hope that someday… Somehow… Maybe she’d be like this for longer… Without memories of others pushing her through the hell that she endured in her mind Her most guarded secret… Destroyed her Took her away… It… It killed her… Her depression and suicidal tendencies killed her… She refused to let anyone but her guardians know… Not even her own sisters… No therapists No medicine Countless cuts on her concealed arms We all thought it was because of her negative body image How wrong the four of us were We took her for granted so often that it became a routine Ask for a ‘small’ favor here A ‘little’ help there It eventually became too much for her And I once envied her to the point of hatred And one day...

~FLASHBACK~

“Why do you get to fight with them when I c4n’t?! I’m just as good of 4 fighter 4s you, m4ybe even better! WHY DID YOU GET TR4INED BUT NOT ME?!” I screamed at my sister with hatred burning in my tear-filled eyes. All she did was apologize profusely, saying it wasn’t her decision and that I should’ve taken her place. I ignored her words and stormed off into Waterfall, trying to calm down myself before my other sisters saw me like this. Of the five sisters… Of course, it was the youngest that wasn’t allowed to fight with the others Hell I wasn’t even allowed to be trained in any way, shape, or form of fighting Not even self-defense… “I don’t underst4nd them… They s4y th4t they c4re 4bout me, but all they do is const4ntly hurt me… Why c4n’t they see th4t?!”

~FLASHBACK END

I pushed her too far… To the point of no return I'm the reason she’s dead, and she was too nice to even let me tell them for her… In her note… It said that the stress of everything was too much That it was no one’s fault That it was her own fault that she killed herself To not look for a scapegoat and blame anyone No one was at fault, only herself When really… It was me… I'm the reason she’s gone I should’ve been the one dead, not Emma I’m the one that doesn’t deserve to live… She had so much potential and such a bright future. Even if no one will realize it, Emma was the glue holding us all together… Our peacemaker. Our most social, yet socially awkward I felt a breathless laugh escape from my lips, sounding like I was in pain. And I was. Just not in the type of pain that someone would expect… “I’m not worth 4ll this trouble Em… You should’ve known this… You deserved everything you h4d 4nd more… I’m the one who th4t should’ve died…” Tears began to fall down my face, staining it even more. I stood up from Emma’s grave and tied her scarf around my neck, the cold wind making my tears feel frozen onto my face. It felt like a lifetime but all too soon when I arrived at the cliff she jumped off of… We didn’t even know that Emma could universe hop, much less do it under extreme emotional stress… One of our families weaknesses is that we can’t do certain magic when extremely emotional. Our magic becomes too unstable… ‘Emm4…’ “You were the strongest of us 4ll, weren’t you? Why couldn’t we re4lize th4t sooner?” I sat on the ledge she jumped off of and looked at the stars for what felt like hours until I moved my hand to brush away a rock and noticed some folded paper under it. It had Emma’s writing. “W-wh4t..? E-Em..?” Slowly opening it more, I realized it was a piece of a diary. “Emma had a diary?” Reading through it, I noticed how much she commented on her missing Phillip… “Emm4… Did you know what h4ppened? Is this…” Horrid images of our brother’s death flooded my mind I… Those images were wiped clear from my mind as if someone deleted a file of pictures My memories of Emma began to fade as well... “Why 4m I in Outert4le? Bro’s prob4bly worried 4bout me..” I placed the paper and scarf closer to the cliff than I intended and it accidentally dropped, never to be found by anyone ever again.

~???~

I grinned to myself as the files were quickly deleted. She doesn’t need to remember her. Soon, she’ll be my perfect heiress. I’ll need to start erasing her other sisters as well... “1 t)(1nk 1’ll l3t t)(3m r3m3mb3r h3r t)(0ug)(. Hum4n2 4lw4y2 241d t)(4t t)(3 b32t r3v3ng3 12 23rv3d c0ld.” My smile morphed into a malicious smirk, like a predator looming over it’s weak and vulnerable prey. My perfect project. My perfect heiress will soon be completed. As they say, you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet.

~Penelope~

I smiled brightly, running over to my brother, “Bro! I’m back! I’m sorry if I made you worry. I was in Outertale, but I don’t remember why..” I frowned to myself, I was still confused as to why I was there..., running over to my brother, “Bro! I’m back! I’m sorry if I made you worry. I was in Outertale, but I don’t remember why..” I frowned to myself, I was still confused as to why I was there...

“D0n’t w0rry 4b0ut 1t P3nny. 1 tru2t y0u 4nd 1 kn0w y0u’r3 2tr0ng 3n0ug)( t0 pr0t3ct y0ur 23lf.” My brother smiled softly at me, making me feel all warm inside.

__File.PENELOPEHMDL.MEMORIES.OUTERTALE.LAST_HOUR.deleted__ __File.PENELOPEHMDL.MEMORIES.UNDERSWAP.LAST_24_HOURS.deleted__

Wait, I was in Outertale? Shaking my head, I suddenly felt dizzy… “Bro, c4n we go back to our pl4ce? I’m sort4 lighthe4ded..”