'Garmadon… Garmadon…~' The teenager hadn't slept very well in weeks, only getting in a hour here or a good night's rest when the sadistic voice in his mind wasn't at work keeping him miserable. The brunet finally allowed his eyes to open to the empty darkness, his father long since having moved Wu to another room, 'for their own good'. …Or more like 'I don't want you to kill my favorite son,' if the older child had been allowed to put his say in it. He was thirteen and the only bad thing that seemed to have happened so far physically was that his skin was growing so pale it was a light sheen of gray with light silver markings only looping his covered limbs so far; no need to show them off anyways.

"What?" The exhausted future dark lord croaked and yawned, having given up ignoring the voice that only seemed to be heard by him.

It grew silent again and he nearly yelled out in frustration, it would usually do this to him. He nearly sobbed with anxiety, he wanted to be left alone. Curling up under the symbolized covers of his bed, the sleep came back to greet him easily. Burying half of his face into the plush pillows (he was on his side) and starting to see sweet starting dreams dance behind his eyelids- 'Garmadon, I need your attention to tell you this.'

Snapping open his mostly bloodshot eyes, he sat up quickly and ground his teeth together, but regretted it as his growing canines-turned-fangs dug into his lower gums.

'Not very smart, yet, are we?' Getting a few unsanitary curses as a reply, the voice chuckled, 'you have far to go, but you'll have enough time to get this all planned out.'

"Huh, what makes you think I'll work with you?" snapped the tormented teenager quietly to not disturb the nearby rooms of his mentally healthy family.

The laugh grew a bit more on the dark side, and he felt shivers run lightly down his back. Like he was holding his own back, but in the end refused to give in to the temptation, trying to grasp back at the selfless behaviors and kindness he felt he once quite easily possessed. No avail, and a semi-demented grin curled in his lips as he got up nearly subconsciously. Moving into the hallway, he noticed he passed a full-length mirror and stared into it, with a lantern hung up nearby as a more traditional way to light up the house usually. Peering into his reflection, he noticed how it seemed to have a natural snarly appearance, and tried to change it into something more appealing. It was allowed, but it looked too false without the sparkling sensation of gleeful eyes in the mix.

Something he couldn't possibly pull anymore. Maybe he never had it. 'Perhaps being showed up by Wu, somehow every time…' Some people could complain about how they're smothered by at least one parent, but he couldn't begin to scratch the surface of even attempting to wail about it. Of course he could go get physiological help, but how would that help? It would only open older and deeper wounds that he gained subconsciously and he'd go on a chaotic rage afterwards from all the pent up anger expelling at last. 'I'd only be one of those 'Daddy didn't love me' people, though.'

The mirror reflection began making different faces and Garmadon went a little paler, then it turned into Wu. This copy began to taunt and tease him. Ignoring most of it the opposing was spewing, the darker haired began to stalk off in a huff that was a typical teenager move until, "Father hates you… you know that right?"

He spun back around and to the reflection of his eleven-year-old sibling, "I-Is that so?" Feeling a bit stupid for talking to the mirror, though it was smothered with hatred for hearing what he knew had to be the plain truth.

"Of course," grinned the double maliciously, "You're nothing compared to me."

Finally hearing it out loud, the older took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, "What makes him pay so much more attention to you?" Another shaky breath, "I want to know!" There was no answer, "Tell me!" he completely forgot about the other inhabitants in the monastery, and "I want, no need, it!"

"Because Father only wants children that aren't complete failures," it didn't sound anything like the true Wu, but… maybe this mirror had to tell the truth?

Then Garmadon snapped completely after the long three starting years after getting bitten by the dreaded legendary snake. He reeled his fist back and into the face of his beloved brother's reflection. Winding it back and in front of himself again, easily ignoring the stinging of his bare knuckles getting scratched up and the glass shards flying into his black satin kimono. This was better than bare fists on a punching bag or a weapon on a tougher target. It was like he finally got what he wanted on his birth date and more, for once.

Though when the hand grew tired he withdrew it and looked down upon it and all its glory, not bleeding as much since his skin seemed to have some snake-like toughness that wasn't visible until put to a test… such as this? He then felt incredibly stupid for letting his testy temper get the best of him and stared back into the mirror. He found, though, that the parts where you could see the upper body and head were nearly completely smashed out, except for the very edges in the top corners; which were cracked from the continuous pressure travelling up them.

Garmadon felt sick as he rushed to the sink in the nearby restroom and washed off the pained knuckle and the blood that was clumping up around stray shards. Peeking back out suddenly, he realized all the sharps had fallen onto his kimono and changed into a nearby hung-up identical extra he kept in the area if he were to ever need it. The dropped item of clothing was bunched up and thrown into the sink to quickly wash out the shards that made unnoticeable rips in the smooth fabric. As he watched the clear glass go down the faucet easily, he nearly broke out into tears.

Instead he laughed, like it was the most normal thing to do. Then a knock sounding at the door, "Brother, are you alright? I heard some yelling… The mirror out here is smashed and it looks like it got punched multiple times… was that you?"

Not wanting to admit to wanting to have the actual Wu to punch the living daylights out of at that moment, he finished by tossing the kimono into the laundry basket and wrapping his knuckles in a bandage wrap and stuck a safety pin through the tougher fabric substance to keep it staying. Making his way out, the brunet smiled innocently, "I'm fine, though."

Realizing the other had admitted to doing such a self-harming activity, the blond felt tears well up in his hazel eyes slightly, "I'm worried about you," he tried to touch his older brother on the harmed arm, but it was jerked out of reach protectively.

"I'm fine, Wu," Wu backed off as he noticed his darker-haired brother's eyes flashed a menacing ruby color for half a second, then went back to a darker reddish hue in the swirl of the newly sadistic hazel eyes. "Really, I'm tired, I should get going to bed," smiling as if he didn't just cause middle of the night mayhem, the older went back to his room in a normal walk and curled back up in bed. His harmed hand placed unconsciously in front of his face, to somehow prove himself worthy. 'At least I see it.'

Wu went back to his room, and the nearby door shut quietly, causing Garmadon to smirk sleepily and close his eyes. Thankfully he could be out cold and easily ignore the annoying crude voice in his head, but it seemed scared of him now to some point.

It would hit him in the morning like a ton of golden ancient weapons that it really wasn't something good. Though for now, the moonlight silhouetted the future dark ruler in the silver and cold moonlight like a giant spotlight… to point out the pain that wouldn't be seemingly noticed by those he figured truly cared ever again.