(Woo woo. Angst train is here. And I may have cried a little while writing this but here you go guys)

As tradition goes one of the negative traits gets reformed into a positive. 51% of the time it's successful but the 49% of the time the trait gets serious injuries, malfunctions, and even worse. They die. And today was the day a trait gets reformed. It was the prince of negative traits. Anxiety. He was an orphan that got adopted by the positive trait Morality. Around the mindset the traits can all tell their bond was strong and close. But their bond might break today.

Morality held on to his son as he cried. "You can't take him away! I won't let you! You can't take my son away!" Anxiety was shaking in Morality's arms as the two traits tried to pull them away from each other. "Don't worry your highness you can be reunited with him once he is reformed." The king snapped at the traits. "What if it doesn't work?! I can lose him forever!" The traits managed to separate the two and swung Anxiety over one of their shoulders and the prince struggled and shouted for the king to save him. "Dad! Don't let them take me away! Dad! Dad! Help me dad!" His voice was strained as the tears streamed down his cheeks and he coughed. This was terrifying to the two traits. Anxiety lost his friend Depression from this tradition and he didn't want to end up like them.

One of the traits held Morality back as the other two left the room. Morality struggled before breaking free and running to get his son back. He wasn't going to let his son die. He wasn't going to lose him forever.

There was a crowd in front of the stage area where Anxiety was being strapped down with the keeper looking down on him, holding his book as Anxiety's screams of terror filled the room. "As we gather here today, we hold down the prince of negative thoughts. We will finally be free from our pain as this trait will be reformed and join us."
The crowd shouted, different chants from excitement and relief. Morality saw Logic and Prince being forced to watch their dear trait in such terror and shock. One of the guards brought Morality to the others and strapped him to the chair. "Let my son go! He's not the bad guy! We need him the way he is! Don't let him die!" The king shouted and nobody listened to his desperate cries. The keeper read the book in the exact words from the last time.

The chant went on as Anxiety screamed in agony and Morality sobbed. Anxiety felt everything crushing on him and someone limiting his breath. He felt like he was on fire and blisters started to appear on the young one's body and his skin started to burn. He struggled against the binds and screamed desperately to make them stop.

Nobody listened to him and the process continued and his lips became purple from the lack of oxygen and he coughed out blood while he tried to shout. His fingertips became blue. He begged for them to stop again and again. It just went on and on.

He shouted for them to put him out of his misery as the trait was getting serious injuries and he sobbed from the pain. The keeper wouldn't stop it, they wouldn't ever stop until the chant was finished. Anxiety began to laugh as his tears fell down his face, he laughed and laughed until he couldn't do it from the blood choking him.

Thankfully the chant finally finished. Anxiety didn't reform and he didn't die. The main 3 were freed and Morality dashed to his son. He couldn't handle the sight of it and he broke down, clutching Logic's shirt. Prince had tears pouring down his face. Anxiety was his little brother, he helped raise Anxiety. He was Anxiety's best friend and he failed to protect him. Logic had taught Anxiety everything and Anxiety would always help him with his work and calm him down whenever he overworked himself. Yet in front of him was the same trait destroyed, broken, and was slowly dying.

Anxiety was rushed to the hospital and the main three traits were never the same again because of the tradition.
Because Anxiety had to be reformed.
Because Anxiety was a negative trait.
Because Anxiety was Anxiety.
And he wasn't accepted that he needed to be changed.
It was stupid but.
That was needed to happen.
In order for things to change for the better.