A/N: Greetings once again. I bring you another random one-shot as commitment to the Pentalogy and Caging the Bird are just taking a wee break, normal work will resume soonish!

My arch nemesis – The dreaded 3am proofread has combined forces with her bitch sister Insomnia so I can only apologise for any spelling/grammar mistakes, the randomness of this tale and if it lacks my usual flare for the dramatic and/or twists *sob sob*

Random idea/inspiration from my childhood cartoon Reboot. I was obsessed with this as a kid and a particular scene from an episode caught my attention and I had to change various bits and pieces so it could fit.

Enjoy x

Identity Crisis

Empty eyes looked into the mirror only to be greeted by the saddened sight of her own reflection. The exhausted and aged reflection silently stared back at her, almost dead.

She was by no means a vain person but she did take great effort and pride in her appearance, everything had to be in place, everything had to be perfect.

Upon closer inspection from her scrupulous, unyielding glaze, even she was not impervious to the ravages of time. Her greatest foe and only moral enemy which did not exclude the almighty witch was time. Mother Nature's law of her earth, everything that was born would be destined to meet death, only time would tell, dependant on the individual in question.

Once a fearful raven, now a dying swan.

Once upon a time, she had been fragile and hypnotic to watch while she worked. At her will and whim, she was able to bend the uncontrollable elements that were fiercely loyal to their mistress, Mother Nature.

However, the light had long since faded from her once enthusiastic and curious eyes, the evidence was clear as she stared into the mirror. She had grown into an aging woman but how? Never taking the time to inspect her features closely with military precision, she did not feel the age that she looked.

On a cellular level, decay was happening before her eyes. She could never intervene with the natural aging process or face the dire consequences of the Foster's effect and for what? For such a superficial and selfish act in order to preserve her dwindling youth that was like sand quickly escaping through her cupped hands.

"What ever happened? Where did the time go?" she whispered, allowing a finger to physically inspect her face

She truly treasured her knowledge often compared to an encyclopedia, her thoughts categorised like a library. Every thought was carefully constructed, dignified and free from the bounds and chains of chaos. To never forget anything even the slightest of details and always able to recount the detailed pieces of work form journals and books that she had read or studied before committing the information to memory. It would be a small sacrifice to lose what was left of her youth, her appearance in favour for her mind. Should anything happen to her mind, it was her ultimate fear, to lose one's mind by mental decay of time or a degenerative disease process while the physical shell of her body remained unharmed, it was a phobia and then what of all her dedication? The blood, sweat and tears would have all been for nothing, all that wasted time.

Looking into the mirror, she pondered. How long had she been dead for? Her eyes bland and devoid of life itself, her soul greying, for too long she wandered the earth in the relentless pursuit of perfection and knowledge but never actually stopped to look around, to admire the world, to pause for a moment and allow her senses to relax.

How long had she allowed herself to wander the world as an emotionless automaton? She was not living life but merely going through the motion without any energy, like all those years ago.

She sighed loudly, self pity, never like her. She cursed her mind

For a brief moment, she gently massaged her tiring eyelids. Sleep, a cruel mistress was avoiding her. But as she slowly blinked away the unfocused haze, she noticed that the reflection staring back at her had changed.

Convinced that this was some form of trickery, an exhausted delusion, she repeated her actions but nothing changed.

"No! Not you" a tired whisper escaped

The reflection merely smiled, cruelly back at the frightened twin "Yes, it is me...the one and only"

"This cannot be happening...but how?"

"Do you think this is a game? Do you" the reflection screamed with festering rage

"But how...you're me!"

"But you hate me, you must" the reflection eyed the moral being with disgust and contempt "Look at what you've become"

She gasped and shook her head "No, you're wrong. I had to become tougher, stronger...I had to be ready and survive" a rushed explanation

"Did you enjoy all that time, frittering away studying...you say it was to better yourself...You were afraid! Still so weak! You got greedy, all the power and thirst for knowledge...did you enjoy the quest...the pursuit? More than your home? More than your family?"

"No! No, I had no choice...I didn't...I was trapped" her voice reduced to a stutter as her mind began to remember her home life and childhood.

The reflection continued the character assassination and question her motives in which she had clung onto for decades "It's always about them...the quest for power...to be perfect...to be top of your game...you killed my family"

"My family!" she spat back in return

"You've forgotten your family. You let yourself become a prisoner...you're the warden of your own prison! What would she think of you now?"

Her head hung low, unable to maintain eye contact with her own reflection "Please, I didn't know" as she slowly rocked back and forth in her chair

"There can be only one"

She felt herself falling before slamming into the ground.

Spinning images slowly merged into each other. The room remained silent until she protested, her surroundings now less blurry and more focused.

Reluctantly, she willed herself to look into the mirror. Everything was as it should be only an aging woman stared back at her and not the child that longed to escape from, a younger version of her self.

The small room felt cooler than usual causing a wave of goosebumps to rise from under her longed sleeve dress. Mindlessly, she occupied her hands and mind with menial tasks.

Her scientific and logical mind lingered over what had transpired, creating a variety of explanations but she felt a stirring deep within her soul. In the magical world, even the strangest of things could happen without warning but those things never happened to her.

Her temper threatened to overrule the illogical and feared thoughts. Her hands forcefully gripped onto the small wooden table and she leaned closely towards the mirror.

"Now, you listen here...for I will say this only once! I fear nothing, do you hear me! I am powerful and confident, my past is the past...I will learn from what little mistakes I have made and look towards the future. I am here because I survived, it was through my will and choice that I became what I am...I will venture into the darkest shadows and never be afraid as I have seen death, himself...I have seen what evil and darkness, people are capable of and it was I...I conquered them and they forever trembled in my presence"

She pushed herself to her feet, still maintain eye contact with her reflection "I am Hecketty Broomhead, I fear nothing...but most of all, I do not regret anything"