Mirror Mirror

Reality vs Perfection

✲꘏ ꘏ ꘏ ꘏✲_________________________________________✲꘏ ꘏ ꘏ ꘏✲

Gauche and Marie sit on the barrier wall, overlooking the kingdom.

"Marie, let me tell you about the scrolls I was studying earlier..."

Marie listens attentively as Gauche talks about the secret chamber.

"There's a secret chamber that will unlock tonight at midnight. Would you like to join me in seeing it?"

"Oh, really? Yes, yes, I'd love to see it with you!"

Gauche explains they have to wait for the lights to appear before they can go.

As if on cue, lights beam from different directions outside the kingdom. Marie points at the intersecting lights in awe.

"Look at the lights! They're intersecting each other!"

"What a big word Marie, ur quite the thesaurus arent you?" Gauche teased. Marie laughed it off, urging Gauche to continue.

"Those lights are actually guide lights to the secret chamber near the forbidden zone. The chamber is said to be made of a shiny quartz that glows even in the snow."

"Were going to the forbidden zone? But won't it be cold there?"

Gauche pulls out a bag and gives Marie warm clothes with boots.

"Don't worry, Marie. I was prepared for this. Here, put these on."

Marie takes the clothes and quickly changes. Gauche also changes into warmer attire. Gauche takes Marie on his broom, heading towards the forbidden zone where the dungeon has emerged.

As they travel, they engage in a profound conversation about life, gradually shifting to their past and their parents.

But after some conversing, Maire begins to see inconsistencies in the impostors memories. He seemed to avoid answering any questions related to their family before and had more to say about the topics that weren't about their history together.

Marie's heart sinks as she realizes that some of Gauche's responses doesn't align with her actual memories. 

Marie recalls the fight she had with the real Gauche and the choice she made. "What would the real Gauche say if he were here?"

Realizing the truth, Marie feels her chest tighten, her eyes begin to become a little blurry from the tears building up.

"All I wanted was my real brother... I traded him for a fake, someone who doesn't remember everything we went through together."

Marie tugs on the fake Gauche's sleeve, "I... I want to go home now.." 

The fake Gauche deflects by pointing at a mirror on the ground. "But look, Marie, we've arrived!"

The mirror shows a faintly blurred reflection of a chamber glowing in the snow. The fake Gauche takes Marie's hand and they both step into the mirror, teleporting to the location it reflected.

They materialize in front of the secret chamber, the silhouette glowing in the snow.

I need to be careful. Marie thinks. I must find a way to escape when the time comes.

The fake Gauche holds out his hands with a smile, and Marie reluctantly accepts, hoping he doesn't realize she knows he's an impostor.

Please, fake Gauche, don't realize the truth...

_____________________________________________________________

What in the world just happened?

Luck spots Grey on her broom, holding the giant shard. He wonders if that shard is the seal they've been searching for. However, as he gets closer, he senses a different mana emanating from Grey. He realizes that this is Grey's body, but someone else is controlling it.

"What have you done to Grey?" Luck says angrily. He charges forward, activating his lightning magic, and delivers a swift and powerful kick. The imposter summons a mirror, reflecting Luck's attack. Another Luck emerges from the mirror, mirroring the same kick, resulting in a cancelation of both attacks.

The imposter Grey chants another spell.

"Mirror Magic: Mirror Cage!"

Grey claps her hands as Mirrors manifest around Luck, trapping him inside a mirror box. Inside the cage, Luck faces multiple reflections of himself. He summons his lightning gauntlets, attempting to break free, but the reflections mimic his actions, bouncing him back and leaving him trapped. He continued to attack his cage, trying to get even a sliver of a crack but it was difficult because his reflection returned the same amount of magic back.

Vanessa and Finral catch up on their brooms, witnessing the mirror cage imprisoning Luck. Vanessa acts swiftly, extending her strings through the cracks of the mirror, using her fate magic.

"Rogue!"

Vanessa's strings pull Luck out of the mirror cage, and the cage vanishes in response.

"Luck, are you alright?"

"Something other than Grey is in her body." Luck says as he cracks his shoulder, getting ready to fight. " This impostor needs to be stopped."

Luck informs Vanessa and Finral about Noelle's vision, urging them to head to the forbidden zone immediately.

"Time to get some answers! Lets go!"

The three mages mount their brooms and soar toward the forbidden zone.