A Cracked Mirror

[Wynne Kuchiki]

“How can you live for others, when you can’t even live for yourself?”

Striking at her reflection with a powerful jab, Wynne watched angrily as her attack was deflected with a smile. “Why so angry? It’s merely the truth, just one you didn’t want to hear.” A mockery. That was what this was. What this thing was. Staring back at the Kuchiki was another her, in all her remarkable glory. The only difference was in the gaze. While the two had the same eyes, her replica’s dark black orbs threatened to devour the nearby surroundings at any moment. The sheer intensity in the stare was unnerving, yet Wynne withstood it still. She had no other choice.

“Why am I here?” There were other questions that she could ask, but Wynne wanted to get directly to the point. She shouldn’t be here. The last thing she remembered was having one of her episodes before her mind was yanked downwards. And then here she was. At first she had naively assumed this was her inner world. A clearly wrong assumption. Something she realized after only being here for mere moments.

Her normal inner world was studious. A remnant of her younger self. Books lined the wall of her castle, each holding precious information she had memorized. It was perpetually night, always with an iridescent moon floating gently above. Visiting that place was always a pleasure, one she rarely took anymore. Yet deny it as much as liked, this new location she resided in had its similarities. Darkness was perpetual as well, but it was much more foreboding here. As if something monstrous lurked just at the corners of her vision. She clearly wasn’t welcome here. Therefore it was impossible for this to be her inner world. And if she was wrong, she feared where the other conclusion would lead her.

“Why, you ask?” All the mirth vanished from the other Wynne’s face as she made her next remark. “You know full well why. Just look at yourself. Pitiful.” Closing her eyes briefly, Wynne winced from the piercing remark. It was obvious what her other self was referring to. Everything about her had changed. Her mind, her body, and even her soul. No longer was she the innocent youth who only dreamed of making friends. …..Yet……..She had actually made one. Just the one. And she was taken away. A woman she had promised to face the world on with. A bright future she could have had, if not for her weakness. And that was why she was here now. For only one thing mattered to the Kuchiki now. Power.

Opening her eyes with resolution, Wynne snarled at her other self. “And it was worth it. Nothing will convince me otherwise. This new power I have…..With this, nothing will ever be taken away from me again!” As a dark tar-like substance began to leak from the other Wynne’s orifices, silence reigned in the area after the speech. A silence interrupted with a small smile coming from her reflection. “Yes, a worthy goal. But even with all that bluster, you are still far too weak. And that is something I cannot afford.” And with a mere stretch of her hand, Wynne’s world was smothered by darkness.

[Wynne Kuchiki]

Whistling, all around her. Black hair obscured her vision, ruffling wildly in the wind. Her descent had happened so quickly that it was still taking a moment for Wynne to regain her bearings. What was going on? Was she falling? Turning to what she assumed was downwards, she looked around for anything helpful. Yet the only sight that reflected in her eyes was complete darkness. She was blind here. Yet in mere moments another color stood out amongst the darkness. White spots erupted from her surroundings, surrounding her in a bleak monochromatic scene. Black on white, then white on black. Until the only thing surrounding her were eyes. Eyes that held malicious intent.

“Show it to me. Show me the depths of the strength you’re so proud of.” In a single blink, teeth began to emerge from the nearby eyes, turning their features into a twisted abomination of an eye and a mouth. And in another blink, she was elsewhere.

Slamming into the ground facefirst, Wynne let out a groan that echoed from the depths of her soul. Ignoring the stinging sensation that covered her face, she picked herself up with a huff. What a pleasant start to whatever messed up situation she was dealing with here. From the looks of things around her, she was in some sort of courtyard, with a weird whistling sound in the distant background. Was she still in her castle or elsewhere? Her mind was an enigma to even herself, and she wasn’t sure how far down this rabbit hole went.

Stepping over the dilapidated ruins, Wynne began the slow and arduous process of figuring out where to go. She needed to find a way out, but judging from the way things were looking, she was in this one for the long haul. There were a few broken pillars nearby, some more intact than others. And judging from their size, if she scaled one she’d be able to get an overview of her surroundings. As she walked, she kept her eyes peeled for anything suspicious. There was a reason she was brought here, she just needed to figure out why.

It didn’t take long for her to scale one of the more stable pillars that she had found. Although it creaked suspiciously beneath her, it would be fine. She wouldn’t be up here for long. Turning her gaze outwards, Wynne tried to comprehend what she was seeing. She was somehow still falling, same as before. Except this time around the land surrounding her was plummeting. It wasn’t a gigantic piece of land from the looks of it, but one large enough to hold a castle and its surrounding lands. A castle eerily similar to her own. This spoke volumes about her mental state, but she would deal with that at another time. She had a demon to find.

[Wynne Kuchiki]

In a mere blink, the entirety of Wynne’s vision was covered in white. The attack happened so fast. So quick. The only thing she saw were three bright beams curving in her direction. Wasn’t she just standing? Where was she now? Tumbling through the sky? Slamming into the ground, she felt her whole body rattle to the core. She woke up confused, her consciousness was hanging on at the seams. Was she attacked with a Hado? How strange. How peculiar. How unexpected. How could she have possibly fathomed her replica using a skill she let fade into obscurity?

Yet now wasn’t the time for such idle thoughts! She could hear her opponent approaching, and she wasn’t ready. A simple push off the ground was all she needed, yet the moment she put her weight on her arm she collapsed. The fall had taken its toll, and she was surprised she was still conscious. Had she already blacked out? She couldn't tell, her mind was in shambles. How was her hollow this strong? Or if she listened to her darker thoughts, how was she so much weaker?

With a sudden gasp of pain, Wynne was yanked up towards her clone by her hair. She was face to face with her other self. Black eyes clashed against orange. Even now her replica’s eyes were still so passionate. So raw. How could a fake version of herself seem more real than she herself was? “This new power of yours? Was it truly worth the sacrifice? You said nothing would be ever taken from you again. Yet look at you now.” The tone of her double hurt worse than her words. If she was saying it in a fit of rage, Wynne could look past it. But no. She just sounded disappointed. And that hurt worst of all. Even after all this time, nothing had changed.

With a small thud, her face hit the ground. She didn’t even bother to try and get up. How was she supposed to find the passion now? The zeal?! She had lost again. Again and Again and Again. Closing her eyes and curling in on herself, Wynne let out a sob. What was she to do? As her body went through tremors of pain, a cool breeze swept through her body. Strange. What was happening? She didn't even know what to think anymore. “Show me who you truly are Wynne. Show me what you are at the depths of your core.”

Strange sights awaited her freshly opened eyes, but even now, Wynne could tell she was close to her soul. Yet she felt as if she was a stranger in her own home. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t relate to the memories dangling on the wall. They were important memories to her. In that she was sure. Yet she felt nothing when she looked upon them. The first frame that caught her attention showcased her time in Squad 10. A brief conversation with Celes. Her very first one in fact. The picture overlaid with the color of the emotion she was feeling at the time. A cautious blue at the beginning, then the slow transformation of a happy orange towards the end.

All across the wall were snapshots of more of her memories. All the good, all the bad, everything in between. Her meeting with Col. The dramatics that ensued due to her weakness. The treasonous deal she agreed to. All to survive. All for the mere taste of power. Yet in forging the poisonous promise, her previous words were rendered hollow. Where was her pride as a shinigami then? Where was her so called trustworthiness that she valued so much? Ashes to the wind. Never to return.

Perhaps that’s why her life turned to misery soon after. Brief moments of happiness, forever chased by moments of misery. One step forward, two steps back. She would never escape her pain. Such was a fate for one like her. Yet, she had to understand. To go further. She wasn't left with a choice. Her hollow had made the choice for her. There was no escaping the memories in front of her, for they were a part of her. Whether she liked it or not. 

Onto the next memory. The most impactful one in her opinion. Her time with Camilla. Such a joyous event. If only she lived. The possibility of such a bright future would be too terrible to conjure. A path best not imagined. The bond had been forged quickly. Hardening almost immediately. A bond for a lifetime. Hands shook. Plans were made. And a friend. Her first true one! Even now, after all this time, she was still alone. And the pain of this wound would never fade. Never fully heal. Such was her burden to bear. 

The scene smoothly transitioned into her time at Hueco Mundo as her thoughts began to spiral downwards. The wait for Camilla. A wait that never borne fruit. For she would never see her friend again. The longer she waited, the more pain she was forced to undergo. Both painfully and physically. Her deal with the devil had come with a cost. And her body was paying the price. She grew to unnatural heights. A monster constrained to a human body. How different she was from her past self. 

She remembered the panic. The denial. The fear. It was so sharp that she cut her tongue on it daily. Her confession to Celes. The only other person she could turn to, for she couldn’t trust any other. The argument that ensued after. Her paranoia was at an all time high and she was breaking apart at the seams. And with concrete news of Camilla’s death, Wynne was torn apart. The pain. Far too much to bear. The months after were spent in a muddy darkness. She honestly couldn't say what she had been doing during this time. Fighting, sleeping, blacking out. A far cry from what she used to be. Or rather, what she hoped to be. 

“You can rest now Wynne. You've tried your best and it was insufficient. Sleep now, my other half.” Rubbing Wynne’s head gently, the inner hollow watched as she drifted away. She would be awake later, as she wasn’t yet strong enough to put Wynne in a permanent slumber. But now, the road was paved. And she was ever closer to her own goals. It wouldn’t be long now before she reaped the rewards of her hard work. The mere thought of being the one on top sent shivers down her spine. She could hardly wait! Oh the places she would go, the things she would do. She would finally be able to live after all this time.

[Camila Adaronde]

Counted 3 posts, and 6 extra paragraphs, totaling 180 TP~!