Well That's Not Good

Chapter 4 - Mirror Mirror

The car hums quietly up the road. Lox has his arms crossed, leaning against the door and looking out the window. Sky plays a clapping game against the back of his chair. True glances back into the mirror one more time, catching a glance from Lox. 

"I can't believe you shut yourself off." 
"So what? I was freaked out!"
"So you opted out?" 

Lox sighs and goes back to looking out the window. Sky stops clapping and puts his hands in his lap, dragging on the tense , awkward silence. Eventually, Lox mutters something about saving battery, presses the side of his headphones again, and his lights fade. True pulls over again and Sky reaches out to hold his arm. 

"It's fair to be mad at him." 
"No it's not. I programmed human emotions. If I could turn myself off here and there I would." He shakes his head, then reaches into the passenger's seat and presses a granola bar into Sky's hands. 

"Here. Eat. I'm going to walk around for a minute. Keep the doors locked and turn him back on if anything happens. It shouldn't but you know..." Sky nods, taking the granola bar and leaning back into his seat. He hears True open the door, and feels the car rock slightly when it shuts. 

The road was empty. As they drove, familiar farmland had given way to trees. Now, walking off the road, True found himself walking into a thick forest. He puts his hands in his pockets, trying to focus on the task at hand. 

"Seto, how are we supposed to help? You never gave us any sign you'd get kidnapped!" 

The trees don't answer. 

"I guess no one does. Being kidnapped isn't really planned. If it was one of us, you'd have found us already. You have all the tools we need." 

The brush and branches absorb any chance of an echo. 

"Road trips are more fun when no one could be in danger. And what was that storm? Really, Seto? Unnecessary." 

Not a sound. No bird, no fox, no cricket chirp. 

"...it's fine. I'm just stressed. We're coming for you, Seto." 

"We're coming for you, Seto." 

True jumps and turns around so fast he trips over his feet, falling down hard. He pushes himself up to see... something weird. 

It takes him a moment to recognize the individual in front of him. Blue jeans and a zipped jacket, hands in pockets, beat up steel toed boots. The unfamiliar freckled face smiles back at him, bright blue eyes appear almost glazed over, and orange hair sticks up. It's the glow of a moon and star on his cheeks that make True suddenly realize he's looking at himself. 

"...what?"
"...what?"
"This i- this isn't funny. Sky!"
"Sky!" 
"You're one of Seto's, aren't you? You're not real." 
"You're not real." 
"Hey!" 
"Hey!" 

True lets out an exasperated sigh, only for the clone to do the same. He takes a step forward, and the clone copies. True steps to his right, and like a reflection, his path is blocked. 

"Hey, I need to get back to my car, let me move." 
"Let me move." 
"This is getting annoying." 
"This is getting annoying." 
"Agh, just- just shut up!" 
"Just shut up!" 

True tries to go around again, but once again is met face to face with himself. Now the annoyance begins to build up on his already heavy stress. He blinks back tears only to watch his clone do the same. He can just barely see his car on the edge of the woods over his clone's shoulder. Maybe Sky could help him?

"SKY! SKY HELP!"
"SKY HELP!" 

True feels his heart racing as anxiety takes hold. Surely Sky would notice if he was gone too long, right? But what if it takes hours? What if he has the radio on, or fell asleep? He was always more tired during the day... 

"SKY PLEASE!" True cries. 
"SKY PLEASE!" The clone mocks. 

True chokes up, and the clone does the same. He starts to hate his face, watching his eyes and nose get red from suppressed tears, watching said tears spill into his cheeks no matter how hard he tries to stop them. He steps to the side. The clone follows. He steps back. The clone copies. He runs away and back again only to face his perfect mirror once more. Glass crunches under his foot and he looks down to see a small bottle. Carefully, he reaches down, picking it up. His doppleganger copies, scooping up some leaves from the floor. This slight difference helps him relax slightly, and he straightens up to inspect the glass. 

Apart from mud from the forest floor, it appears the glass is clean of residue. A torn label has been dirtied, but with some quick brushing and matching up, True's able to read it. 

"Don't open... Well, shit. And that's Seto's handwriting..."
"And that's Seto's handwriting..." 

True manages a laugh, seeing his copy look seriously at a muddy leaf in assurance. He shakes his head and steps forward. 

"Okay, okay i'm done here. You're moving." True reaches a hand out to push aside his clone. 

Sky sits on top of the car, blindfold retied as a headband, making his bangs stick up. The sunset was always impossibly bright. Sky sits turned away, watching the stars grow more an more clear. True would point out the brightest ones and tell stories. Sky would point out dimmer ones, ones True would need a telescope to see, and give his own stories. It was nice, laying in the grass before True got too tired, watching stars and telling stories. 

He sighs, watching the stars rise and remembering a long lost home. His thoughts wander off to distant palaces and gardens, lush and glowing and warm, only to be broken by a distant scream. 

He's on his feet instantly. 

"True?! True what happened?!" he calls. The woods don't answer. Sky takes a shaky breath, jumping down from the roof of the car and opening the side door. Lox slides to the ground with a heavy thud. 

"C'mon, turn on, turn on..." Sky hits the side of the headphones, and green light slowly returns to Lox. 

"What. Why are we stopped?"
"I think True is in trouble, come on!" 

Lox gets to his feet, slowly nodding. Sky frowns. 

"You're... not going?"
"I'm starting back up, hang on."
"Fine I- I'm going ahead. Catch up when you can!" 

Sky turns and bolts into the woods, hoping True is alright, and hoping Lox will be right behind him.