Looking into a Mirror 2

Rebecca heard her scream.

She winced at how high-pitched her tone was. How intense the anger she was displaying as soon as they arrived at the thick forests of Norwich. At least Norwich as it had been before modern times, or as Rebecca understood, the modern era of her world.

There was another groan and shake of the earth as the English Oak that was the victim of her rage and fury had loudly lost its balance as hundreds, perhaps thousands of years of its history broke apart at the hands of a little girl, or to Rebecca…

A friend.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THEM!" she screamed as Rebecca winced again when the tree finally crashed into the ground. The amount of damage was so tremendous that she saw her create a small crater on the ground where the tree's stump was. There were no birds that would typically fly in fear as the sound of the entire ordeal echoed into the empty forest until the sound no longer traveled.

"I DID EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO GET THEM WHAT THEY WANT. TO GET THEM WHAT THEY NEEDED AND THEY REPAY ME WITH THIS?!"

Rebecca once more winced. She could not even remember how long ago it was when she woke up in this world. Yet ever since then, the cold-hearted and logical nature brought about as a side effect of her powers had freed her emotions once more, and ever since then Rebecca who once was an analytical, logical person was returned in some way or form back to her early days. A normal woman given extraordinary powers being exposed to the reality of the world.

It was hard. Hard to see her this way. Hard seeing the hardworking, always positive, and caring girl that had shown her kindness and friendship finally release her emotions to the world which was normally hidden behind a mask.

A mask that Rebecca knew all too well.

She always had suspicions about how much she had observed her and many times Rebecca was the only person that she had relied on to be honest. But even then, when they talked, when they discussed her decisions, her aspirations, and her mission, she would be the first person to hope.

The first person to tell Rebecca that they would need to push on and make do.

To know and hope that the best of people still existed and that in the end, everything would be alright.

Rebecca would always scoff, sometimes laugh with her about it, because Rebecca knew how she truly felt. How the girl inhibited all of the emotions within her despite all the setbacks…

Despite all of the failures.

A cycle that never ended as the days and months passed.

Rebecca knew how she felt. How it nagged at her as every failure stacked up. How each setback created breaks on her mask that Rebecca was fortunate enough to never had in her lifetime.

"THIS? THIS IS HOW THEY REPAY ME? BY SPITTING AT MY FACE? MY DIGNITY?" she screamed as she finally turned to Rebecca. The demure smile brought about by her mask was now broken and was replaced by the painful reminder that this girl was not Rebecca Costa Brown…

That she was not Alexandria. A picture of stalwart heroism and strength that remained strong despite all of the odds.

She was just a girl placed with an enormous responsibility that weighed down on her with each grueling day and failure…

It scared her seeing her this way. Rebecca was but one of the many that bore the weight of the truth in her world. The responsibility of trying to save it, she on the other hand was alone.

And even with her allies, her friends, nobody truly understood her.

They all viewed her as the same. As the Savior. As the Hero.

As the prophet that would bring salvation.

It was the main reason why she and Rebecca became quick friends. Because she was the only one that understood her plight. Her feelings. Even at this point, Rebecca felt as if she was lucky.

Lucky that she did not bear the responsibility single-handedly in the first place.

"I DID EVERYTHING FOR THEM. SACRIFICED MY SANITY, MY SOUL FOR THEM AND EVERYTHING I GET IN RETURN… EVERYTHING THAT I RISKED MY LIFE FOR… WAS… was…"

Rebecca remained silent as her friend's eyes started to turn wet with tears. The redness in them, and the severity of the emotions within them even affected Rebecca. It did not help that she was already sniffing and that she was shaking as the sadness amidst the anger overtook her completely.

"… it was all for nothing. Just nothing. Nothing." She told herself over and over again as the first tear was freed from her eyes. The wind blew between them as Rebecca reflexively outstretched her hand towards her.

"Morgan… I-

SLAP!

Her hand was slapped away quickly as it was offered much to Rebecca's pain.

"Don't you dare call me that. I trusted you. You were my friend, the only one I can confer to, truthfully. The only one that KNOWS HOW… I… FEEL!" she said as she pointed at herself with such intensity that it painfully reminded her of Hero, when he first started to argue about the many necessary atrocities that they were committing. In this case, with all the context and the returned emotions and soul that Rebecca now possessed, any guilt and reservation came out tenfold, and seeing her friend who was now experiencing it firsthand just pained her to no end.

"I didn't… I did what I taught was best."

"Oh, don't you dare say such things to me! To me of all people! I know how much of a liar you were at the start but I thought we became friends. I thought we could trust each other enough that there would be no secrets. No lies. No… omissions, but you're just like the rest of them. Only seeing me on the surface level. Seeing me for what I am alluded to."

Rebecca's eyes lit up at the accusation. "No… I would never do that to you. I know better now. I'm nothing like them… I'm… I'm trying to be better." Rebecca admitted with all the emotion and truthfulness that she could give out, but the tearing eyes of her friend continued to look at her in an accusing fashion.

"Then WHY did you go behind my back? Did you think I would never know? Did you think that I don't know ALL OF YOUR PLANS in regards to myself and every ally we have? Did you think that I don't know that you only care for your kind. For those humans that are no different to the faeries we meet in the first place."

Rebecca's lips shut at that accusation, because it was the truth. She cared not for the fae or even for their allies. She only cared about the humans that to her observation were comparable to cattle other than real people.

But despite all of that, she cared for her friend.

She did care for her.

But at the same time, her question was valid. Her anger was justified.

And try as she might in her harrowing failure of a journey to redemption, she did not realize that she was going back to her old ways. Her old ways that after her long journey with her friend had come back to her in full force with all the guilt attached.

"How am I supposed to believe you… Becca? How am I supposed to believe that I can trust anyone, that there's a person out there that can understand all of the pain I've been through when you of all people is doing the same as each and every one of them?"

Her friend's feet had lost all their strength as she slowly collapsed into a sitting position on the ground. She was sobbing now. Her cries echoed into the silence as the artificial-looking beautiful sky had now started to turn dark as the evening approached.

As she continued to sob quietly, Rebecca moved forward without hesitation and knelt right in front of her. She then did something that the old Rebecca would never do.

With both arms, she embraced her friend. Tightly, and intently with all the compassion she could give despite all of the flaws and crimes that she carried within her. She hugged her with all the care she could muster as her friend's blonde hair was now laying by her shoulder, slightly relaxed as she continued to cry. The tears wetted her cape and the armor that she gave Rebecca proudly in the first place.

She felt arms snaking into her back and hugging her with the same force as the two most flawed and lost people clung to each other against the world.

Rebecca felt herself tearing up as well.

"I'm sorry," Rebecca whispered. "I'm really sorry."

"You always say that," she said with a slight sarcastic giggle as Rebecca partially smiled as her own tears started to flow.

"But I am. I'm trying. I want to change, and I don't want you to fall the same way I did."

"What if I already am?" she asked as they both became silent.

Indeed.

That was the question that needed to be asked. Especially at this time.

"I'm not letting that happen. I won't."

She started giggling again as Rebecca looked at her. "I don't know if I can count on that. But… but thank you." Rebecca sniffed as she finally found a small smile again. "It's enough that you're here." She added as Rebecca stroked her head.

"Honestly, I don't think I deserve your forgiveness. Or any of it from anyone." Rebecca admitted as the weight of her words sunk in. Her friend noticed it and grinned despite the tears.

"Just accept it, I'm already tired of thinking that way for myself and I don't think we both need to do it to ourselves."

"I don't think I can take lying to myself anymore, to be honest…" Rebecca said as they both laughed at their expense and faults. "Morgan…"

"Yes?" she asked.

"I know there are things I'm not honest about to you… but… I want you to know that you are my friend and I would never have been alive today if not for you. I would never have realized everything if not for you... If anything, you were the one who saved me from falling, and if need be, I would do my best to do the same for you."

"I don't need to hear that Becca… I'm fine with us just being friends."

Rebecca smiled at that as they continued to embrace each other.

"Hey…"

"Yeah?" Rebecca said as she looked at her friend.

"C-Can you tell me the story of the Son of God again?"

Rebecca looked at her, recalling how Morgan was so interested in the story of Jesus that Rebecca once told her about. But, at that very moment, she looked at her friend and thought if it was for the best. Especially with the context of how Christ was crucified.

"Why?" Rebecca was afraid to ask.

"I just want to know how it all ends."

Those ominous words would continue to haunt Rebecca from that day on…

Especially since she was unsure herself, of how it would all end.

AN: I wonder how this will be received. I did not expect writing another part to this and while I have an idea on where this will go, it will be cool to see how it relates to the main fic. Like I said, the idea at least for now in my head is like the "Tales of the Black Freighter" in Watchmen, and if you know the context of how that work interweaves with the main narrative then maybe…

Maybe I can try the same here.

Hope this was good and fun. I guess haha and have a good day guys.