For Joh

Mirror Image

"That's what we paid two-hundred thousand mira for?" Machias said looking down at the small mirror strung on a leather strap that Rean held in the palm of his hand.

The others in the group looked on dubiously as well.

"Perhaps it offers immunity to nightmare," Laura suggested, a bit too hopefully.

Jusis shook his head. "I doubt it, and there are far less expensive accessories for such."

"What do we do with it?" Elliot asked.

Toval gave the laziest of suggestions, but likely the most accurate given the money that was just spent. "Use it as a mirror. Y'know, look at yourselves?"

Rean sighed. "We should try it at least." He looked at the five others and when no one volunteered, he looped it on the belt that held his ARCUS.

"Do you feel any different?" Laura asked, canting her head at him.

"No."

Elliot scratched the back of his neck. "Maybe it has to activate in battle, like an ARCUS."

"Let's just go," Jusis said, running a hand through his hair. "The sooner we get through this floor the better."

The party glanced to Rean and he gave a nod. Starting up another flight of stairs they encountered yet another monster. "This one looks tough," Toval said. "You kids ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Rean answered, the usual rush of adrenaline fueling him. He glanced to the others and saw that Laura, Jusis, and Machias had claimed their typical positions as their ARCUSes flashed, their strength and resolve shining along with the links they had forged.

And that's when everything changed.

Rean couldn't move. He could see the battlefield, and he could see his friends who all just stared him in disbelief. Whatever they saw, it must've been horrific because even the usually cheerful Elliot looked distraught.

The creature they were battling took advantage of their distraction and cast a powerful art that did serious damage and knocked them all back a good distance. Laura, who took fighting more seriously than any of them, couldn't take her eyes off him, and in that instant, the monster landed an exceptionally strong blow that caused her to faint.

He would've normally rushed to cover her, but he couldn't force himself to move. He tried to call to her, but found his voice gone, and then tried to motion to Toval or Elliot to take over for him, but he just couldn't. He was some kind of statue—or rather—trapped in some kind of statue. Giving a silent curse, he hoped the others would end this quickly, especially for Laura's sake.

Unfortunately, it dragged on. Jusis cast arts but kept looking at him instead of focusing on the incantations, costing the group time. Machias was yelling as he was reloading his shotgun but Rean couldn't quite make out the words. They were garbled and panicked and laced with fear rather than the usual anger and annoyance.

Suddenly, Rean felt movement, but it didn't feel like his own. It was as if an invisible partner had grabbed him into a dance and dragged him around the battlefield. He felt contact with the monster and he felt himself land back on the ground. Again and again his body moved in ways he wasn't used to, and swung a weapon that was far too heavy to be his tachi.

Finally, it was over, and the others looked at him expectedly.

"What?" he asked.

"You don't know?" Elliot asked quietly. "You didn't see what happened to you?"

"No, I felt like I was in a dream or something. I couldn't control my own body. I couldn't even speak."

Laura put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you. I think we need to show you. Gentlemen, would one of you wear that mirror?"

Jusis scoffed. "I say put it on Regnitz. He's the most useless."

"I'm not useless when I'm healing you!" was the retort from Machias.

"Elliot can do that exponentially better and he's certainly more pleasant to deal with."

"Just shut up!"

"Ah, guys?" that was Elliot, a little bit of a nervous laugh in his voice. "We need to—"

"I'll wear it," Toval interrupted.

Wordlessly, Rean took off the mirror and handed it to the blonde man. The reactions of the others had him morbidly curious and he wanted answers sooner than later.

Whatever Rean was expecting, it certainly was not what he witnessed in the instant that the battle began.

Standing in the place of Toval was none other than Crow.

Crow, who had been his friend.
Crow, who had fought with him.
Crow, who had fought against him.
Crow, who had died.

"What are you looking at?" Crow said, that smarmy, fantastic grin on his face. "You gonna fight or am I gonna have to do all this?"

Rean readied his weapon. There was no point in wondering what was going on or looking for deeper meaning in the mirage or whatever magic had caused it manifest. Now was the time to fight with his friend at his side, just as they used to, and just as he had yearned to do for months. "Of course! I can't let you get ahead of me!"