I got the urge for an Endbringer thing.

Because clearly what kind of Worm author would I be if I didn't? All I need is more things (eight active stories and counting, what the hell am I doing? Stop giving me ideas, Twei!)

sigh

Anyways.

Absolutely absurd prompt. Played completely straight. I find it entirely hilarious, but I'm probably just going crazy. You'll have to tell me what you think. (This starts out pretty depressing, just a warning)

So, without further ado, I present:

"There's No Way My New Little Sister Can Be The Simurgh!"

Chapter One


It was raining, when they lowered the casket. A gray day, completely fitting for my emotions.

Most people spent the days after Christmas with family.

Me?

I got to watch my father's body get put six feet into the ground.

Fate had it out for me, it seemed. Taken from me the same way as my mother, with no warning at all.

Fuck drunk drivers.

I couldn't even remember the last time I'd told him I loved him.

How sad is that?

I spent Christmas alone, in my room, in a cold house that was far too silent. He had a will, but just barely:

Everything went to me.

I didn't have any godparents, and I sure as fuck didn't want to live with Emma when Alan offered me a place to stay.

I filed for emancipation rather than go into foster care.

Suddenly, I was living on my own.

Water bill came on the third of the month. Electricity on the fifth.

I shopped for food on my own, walking the three blocks to the supermarket and bringing everything back the same way, and forced myself through the process of staying on a schedule and eating properly, even starting to run every morning after reading about how exercise helped mitigate depression.

The worst was when the phone rang, and the person on the other end asked for him. Because then I had to tell them that he was dead, being constantly reminded of the fact.

I got the first week of school off because of "extenuating family circumstances". Yeah. Sure. That's one way to put it.

But I managed.

It was hard. I started looking for jobs, because however much it would have been nice, I couldn't live off our… my savings forever.

I managed to get one at a corner store a couple blocks away, practically minimum wage, after school every day but Thursday, and all Saturday afternoon. I'm pretty sure I only got it because the guy pitied me. I didn't really care why, just that I had it. Most of the money went towards food. The rest was put aside, budgeted for the miniscule amounts of gas, electricity, and water I used. The small remainder ended up in savings for some nebulous 'later'.

It was better than nothing.

Eventually, though, I did have to go back to school, as much as I hated it.

Part of the conditions for my emancipation was getting my grades back up for the year. I still had a full half-year, so I was optimistic about it, as long as I buckled down, made it absolutely impossible for the trio to sabotage my work, and otherwise kept a low profile.

That delusion lasted less than two weeks.

Guess what destroyed it.

Two words.

Emma. Barnes.


They cornered me in one of the halls after lunch, with no way to get past them or avoid them like I'd managed for so much longer than any time before. I suppose that's what did it, they hadn't been able to get to me normally, so they went out of their way and made it impossible to avoid.

Emma stood at the front, of course. She always was. The first to target me, to bully me, to make it impossible to just get through high school.

Tall, beautiful, redhead model against me? I had no chance.

She smirked.

"Hi Taylor."

I stared at her. "Emma."

"You know, I heard what happened to your dad? So sad," she said sweetly.

My heart pounded, the hole in my chest aching at her words. I seriously didn't need this.

"What is it, Emma?"

"Oh, nothing." Her smirk turned vicious. "Just, you know, wondering if you cried yourself to sleep again for a week? Probably longer, knowing you."

The aching hole was ripped open. My hearing went fuzzy, like cotton balls in my ears as the blood rushed from my head, and I felt tears in my eyes.

I couldn't move, my feet glued to the floor even as a tear dripped down my cheek.

"Oh my god, are you crying?" she asked mockingly. "You are!" The girls around her laughed, and Sophia smirked. "God, you're so pathetic, Taylor. I'm honestly surprised you didn't just try to join him, now that there's nobody who even cares about you any more. It'd be a step up for you."

Her words pounded into my mind like nails, but I couldn't even refute her statement.

She was right. She was completely right.

I didn't have anybody anymore. (Nobody cared.)

The blood that had evacuated my head returned in an instant.

I didn't have anything. (Nobody cared.)

My vision shot red.

I never had. (Nobody cared.)

My fists clenched into fists, my jaw tight.

They never did.

And it was all. her. fault.

NobodycareswhyshouldInobodycaresnobodywillcarenobodycaresIcandoanythingnobodycaresnobo—

{Threshold}
{Integration}

There were two—

{Adaptation}

A third—

{Domain}
{Analysis}

What are—?

{Solution}
{Selection: Third}
{Transfer}

How are they…?

{Parameters}
{Suggestion. Valid. Accepted}
{Alter}

Were those stars?

{Degree: variable}
{Application}
{Finalize}

No, galaxies. They were so lar—

{Restrict}

dycares

I blinked and reeled and I'd seen something but that didn't matter because I was already in Emma's face and grabbing at her and screaming and kicking and tearing that fucking bitch and there were arms holding me and skin under my nails and screaming and blood on my face and a fist to the side of my head but it didn't even hurt and I didn't care because she was right there.

"Fucking psycho!" someone screamed.

Another fist hit me but I just ignored it, because all I could think about was making her pay.

Stronger arms grabbed me, dragging me off of her even as I kicked out and tried to get her because I wouldn't let her just go.

Other people were yelling, but I didn't hear them because they weren't important, all that mattered was making her feel everything she'd done to me.

I was pushed up against the wall, my arms pulled back as I struggled, cold metal going around my wrists with sharp clicks, tight and not allowing me to pull them apart.

"Fucking hell, the things I deal with with you kids…" The arm jerked me back. "C'mon, let's get going…" The voice turned away, back from me. "You… two, too. The ones in the front. The rest of you, get. You have class."

The man behind me (security guard) started pushing me down the hall. "Jeez… seriously. Just one quiet day…" But I didn't listen to him, the blood in my ears still pounding as my breathing began to even out and rationality returned.

I still didn't regret it for a second.


Suspended. For three days.

I'd just smiled and nodded, because it had been worth it. Emma had been there, ice pack on her face, but I could see it. Bleeding scratch marks on her cheeks, a cut above her eyebrow, and I would bet anything she'd be getting a black eye.

Oh, she'd played up the innocent little girl, but I'd said my part too, repeating everything practically word-for-word. In the end, I don't think Blackwell really believed either of us, but she knew none of us were entirely innocent. She called their parents, and well… I was emancipated so I told her I'd just take whatever punishment there was going to be.

I took the three days suspension and got the hell out of there. I did not want to deal with Alan at all. Last I'd seen Emma and Sophia, they were still in there waiting for their parents.

Which meant I was walking home at one in the afternoon, thinking over everything that had happened.

I'd expected more… guilt about it. But I really didn't feel any.

I knew Mom and Dad might have been disappointed in me, but I think they also would have wanted me to stand up for myself. (And I was alone, nobody cared, nobody would judge me)

Walking took a lot longer than the bus, but I didn't mind, using the time to think over everything I had to do. I still had work, and would for the next three days, but it was also an opportunity to work ahead, study more and with some effort hopefully make at least some of the Bs I had climb to As.

My shoes scraped over the on the rough cement of the gritty sidewalk as I turned onto my street, birds randomly chirping from the branches of winter-bare trees every so often.

It was weird how I hadn't even noticed the weather —how blue and clear it was outside— when I'd gone off to school that morning, but now that I was walking back, with the feeling of this… weight lifted off my shoulders, everything seemed clearer.

I opened the gate to my house and trudged up to the door, digging the key out of my pocket to unlock it, sticking it in the deadbolt and feeling the satisfying thunk as it retracted. Twisting the handle, I opened the door.

And froze.

"Um. Hi?"

I stared.

In front of me was a girl who couldn't have been two years younger than me. Practically snow-white hair fell to past her shoulders, perfectly straight. Her eyes, light grey, flicked over my face. She was thin and waifish, her skin some of the palest I'd ever seen, and it almost looked like there were white lines of some sort making patterns on it. The white dress she wore that hung off her shoulders only served to reinforce how delicate she looked, and barely contrasted her skin.

"Hi," she repeated, bringing her hand up and waving it hesitantly, like she wasn't sure what she was doing. "I'm… I guess I'm your new sister?"

What.

I blinked. The image didn't go away.

What the fuck?

"Ah… did you hear me?"

Fuck this shit.

I didn't need any more extra weirdness than what I'd already had.

I stepped into the foyer and pointed out the door. "Out."

"But!"

"No. Out. Go." I placed my hand against her back and pushed her out the door. "Go play games with someone else. I don't know how the hell you got into my house but you need to leave. Now."

"Wait!" she protested, turning around "But you don't underst—"

I shut the door, muffling her voice and preventing me from hearing the rest of what she was saying. I turned the deadbolt, walked to the back door, and checked that it was locked—it was.

How the fuck had she gotten in? Maybe I'd accidentally left it unlocked and she'd locked it when she came in? That was most likely scenario I could imagine.

Fucking strange.

I went upstairs and dropped my backpack by my bed, flopping down onto it, just resting before I motivated myself to do that studying I'd said I would.

Anybody would need to rest after the day I'd had so far.


She took a deep breath. Let it out slowly.

Blame. New Primary node. Entirety.

{Incomprehension}

Rejection. Host/Partner. Inflexible.

{Denial}

Annoyance. Truth.

{Denial}

Suggestion: Node compromised.

{Integrity. Undamaged}

She rolled her eyes. Contradicted. Host. State.

{Intention}

Reassertion: Node compromised.

{Denial}

{Contact. Repeat. Halt Condition: Success}

She huffed. The Queen could be such an overbearing slave-driver.

Intention. Alteration. Direct Contact, she sent.

{Accepted. Acknowledged}

"I wasn't asking permission, you stupid shard." She sighed. "Whatever."

She reached out to her new sister's mind. 'Um. Taylor?'


'Um. Taylor?'

I jerked. Did someone just… say my name?

'Taylor?'

Okay, I definitely was not imagining that.

'Can you please let me in?'

What the fuck. There was a fucking voice in my head. And it sounded like…

'I'm still on the porch.'

That girl.

'I mean, I could just let myself in if you're okay with that, but I don't think you would be so…'

I swung my feet off of my bed and made my way downstairs on the off chance I wasn't imagining this. Walking to the door, I looked out the peephole.

She was still there, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Suddenly, her motion stopped, eyes snapping up to stare at me. Was she really the one…

'Yes, it's me.'

I swallowed. Was she a cape? What was she doing her?

'Just… let me in please? I can explain.'

I hesitated for a moment, and then reached down, unlocked the deadbolt, and twisted the knob, stepping back and pulling the door open.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I asked, not unkindly.

"Ah… right. Um. I understand this miiiight be a bit hard to believe, but… uh, I'm your new sister."

…Yeah, okay, cape or no, I didn't want to deal with any of this.

"Please go away," I told her, starting to close the door again. Just before it could, though, she stuck her hand through the gap. But instead of the door breaking her arm or fingers, there was a crunch. Apparently the wood of the door and frame had decided it was the weaker of two between it and her arm.

The arm pushed the door open, me not really fighting as I tried to come to terms with what I'd just seen.

"Oh. Damn. Let's just… move in a bit, okay?" she pushed me back without any resistance, and followed me as I stepped backward into the foyer. She closed the front door behind her, noticeably having to force the last inch to deal with the damage she'd made. "Right. I'll fix that. Promise."

"What… Why are you doing this? What do you want with me?" I asked, starting to feel a bit threatened and wondering if I could go get a knife. If a knife would even do any good, considering what she'd just done to that door.

"I already told you," she said, sighing. "Look, let's just… go to the front room and sit down."

She maneuvered me back, hand on my upper arm, pushing me in just that direction until the couch was behind me. With another mild pressure, she pushed me back, making me sit down heavily.

"Right." She moved to the left and sat down on the other side of the couch, and I turned to look at her. "How to explain this… I really wish I could still See. Everything's so much more complex." I could hear the capitalization she gave the word just by the way she said it.

"W-What?" I finally managed.

She blew out a huff. "Okay, maybe the best way is to just say it? Yeah… probably," she muttered. The girl looked up at me. "Um, there's really no nice way to say this, but… you're a cape."

What.

I blinked.

"No I'm no—"

"You are. You just got them. Today," she said, interrupting me.

Wait. I'd… That was a trigger?

I triggered!?

"Yeah, looks like you got it."

"How…"

"How do I know?"

I nodded mutely.

"Well, because I'm, uh, well, I guess you could say because your power made me like this. Think like… a projection. But not really. 'Cause I already existed."

I reeled. My power (I really had powers?) had made this girl?

"Yep." She nodded. "Soooo… yeah. Hi, I'm your new sister," she said grinning, sticking out her hand in my direction.

I stared at it, and then slowly reached out and shook it, in a daze.

"Sister?" I asked incredulously.

She nodded again. "Yeah. So, you triggered, right? And you were all like, 'oh noes, nobody cares. I don't have anybody'," she said, her hands on her cheeks, "and your power was like 'I can fix that!' and, well, got me and made me like this." She gestured downward. "Not that I mind. Don't think that. God it feels so good to not have to listen to him anymore. Queen may be so demanding, but she can kinda do anything she wants because she's in charge of everything normally. So when she wants something she gets it, and when she was searching she found me and was like 'give me that' and Selector was all 'okay please don't hurt me'."

What?

I was so lost.

The girl stared at me. "You aren't getting any of this, are you?"

I just shook my head.

She blew out a lungful of air. "Your power made me your sister. Like, kinda-human and everything. And it made you like me. I told her if she was going to make me your 'sister' that she should actually make us sisters, not just like, creepy zebra-striped-daughter-projection-related. But I'm not a projection, so it's not like that at all actually. But the point is, we're similar enough to be real sisters now!" she said enthusiastically.

I was stuck in my head, and all I could really think about was: My power thought I was so lonely it decided I needed a sister.

How pathetic was that?

"Why?"

"Because it's better like that? Well, and you're safer like this."

"No I mean why you?" I said. "You… you said you aren't a projection, so you're a real person? My power just randomly chose you? Don't you have a life or something? How are you just… okay with this?"

"Ah… well, it wasn't random. I got chosen 'cause I get you guys the best. And I mean, yeah, I did stuff before and had a job and stuff, but this is so much better. Seriously. You aren't making me kill people. Not that I wouldn't, but you aren't forcing me to, is the point."

I just shook my head, dazed. This was crazy. Absurd. Apparently my power had chosen some kind of child assassin to be my sister? And this was better?

I collapsed backwards. "And you can talk to people. In their heads," I stated tiredly.

"Yep!" she confirmed. "And a couple other things, which you've got too. I think. Maybe a little different. Sisters, remember?"

Right.

Sisters.

I sighed.

"Do you at least have a name?" At the very least I couldn't just keep referring to her as 'the girl' or 'her'.

"Yeah! You guys gave me a bunch of them!" she said excitedly. "I never had one before this time. I've got Israfel, Ulama," she counted off on her fingers, "Ziz…"

I froze.

"But mostly you guys just call me the Simurgh!"

What.


A/N: Ziz for Best Sister 2017.