Her hand pulled up to the surface of the mirror, finding herself gazing into those familiar eyes. The Reflection copied Ivy, saying the same words. "You can do it. Make it through the day."
It wasn't as if the girl could hear her or feel her warmth. No. But the words gave her the courage to continue on. Keep living. Keep protecting the other side. For both of their sakes.
Ivy smiled weakly, patted her reflection and headed out of the bathroom, immediately greeted by her friends' disgusted squeals. "Ivy!" one of them whined. "You didn't fix your hair!"
The Reflection felt her cheeks warm ever so slightly at the small pats. It still amazed her as to how Ivy could say the right things and never know how much her speech affected someone else. Well… technically 'herself.' Was she technically her?
The strength in her legs gave out momentarily as the girl dropped to the ground. She was sore, but it was still a better day. The Reflection took a deep breath as she looked at her palms. You can do it.
The girl stood to her feet and took a running start into the outside world. She was skinny enough, agile enough not to risk being caught in the center of the Rogues in battle. Destruction was probably a better term. Finding another building, "Ivy" ducked inside. Breathing heavy, she gave a small smile. Safe again. For just awhile. Reflections had to change locations frequently to avoid sudden ambushes. No where was truly safe though.
(If you're struggling to write, you can also write for random side characters? Idk)
(let's say an unnamed Rogue maybe)
(sorry I'm sorry I thought I'd answered)
Near Ivy, a small sound echoed to her hiding place. Barely a cry, barely even a whine, but loud enough to alert Ivy that someone was coming.
(no it's ok lol don't worry about it)
(Wait Reflection "Ivy" or actual Ivy?)
(sorry "Ivy")
(don't apologize, just wanted to ask :D)
Not all abandoned Reflections had turned Rogue. Some took up arms and pledged to fight as they believed their counterpart might have wanted them to. There weren't many, probably about eighty against hundreds. Somehow she let herself believe there wasn't anyone nearby, that she had been safe from view. The Reflection jumped a bit at the sound, backing up close to a back door, the front already locked and shut. There were other ways into her location however. And someone had found it. Gripping the door knob, "Ivy" mouthed the words her counterpart had said.
"You can do it. Make it through the day."
"You can do it. Make it through the day."
"You can do it. Make it through the day."
"You-"
:)
The Rogue stumbled, as indicated by the crash that reached Ivy. A girl, judging by the high-pitched whining. She was getting close, soon close enough for her crying to become words.
Glancing around, the Reflection realized that this could be a trap. If she left out the back door, someone could be waiting to kill her. Out the front and it was out into the war filled world. Looking around, there was an old staircase leading up another floor. It wasn't wise, but there was an increased chance of a mirror. The girl tried to be careful, but the stairs creaked under her weight. Scrambling up the last steps, "Ivy noticed another door to the left. Opening it, she saw it was a bathroom with a mirror in good condition. As good as "good" could be anyways. Staring at it, she prayed to whatever it was that controlled the other side that Ivy would come back. Her counterpart gave her safety. Even if it was only a moment, she could think of a plan to get out of the building or hide. The mirror was her only hope. It would keep her safe from anything not also appearing on the opposite side. That included Rogues.
Please Ivy. Come save me…
(ok 1. Ivy obviously doesn't come, the Rogue comes and hurts her somehow, then Ivy comes and sees no reflection.)
(or 2. Ivy does come and we wait a tad longer for plot development)
(OMG)
(1a. Ivy sees the fight going on and somehow passes through)
(1b. "Ivy" dies and real Ivy comes through after the Rogue is gone and I make a new character to come find her)
(I LIKE 1A)
"Lyra," the Rogue rasped. "Not here… Lyra…"
She was at the bottom of the stairs, climbing up, up, further up.
And real Ivy was just walking out of her Spanish class, on the opposite end of the hall to the bathroom.
(AHHHHH)
The Reflection kept glancing back from the door to the mirror on the wall. The door didn't have a lock and there wasn't a window in the room either. The Rogue's call seemed to echo around the outside of her hiding place. Biting her lip, "Ivy" continued to pray that her counterpart would arrive. She needed that strength again. To make it through the day.
"LYRA!" With a sound like a banshee, the Rogue ran into the room, arms outstretched towards the mirror. She ran into it, almost breaking it, only then noticing in the reflection that Ivy stood behind her.
She slowly turned around.
Ivy walked, arm in arm with her friend, giggling about a joke she'd forgotten. She went to her locker, stopping to switch out her books.
(AHHHHH)
( XD)
(oOF)
The girl's eyes widened in terror, not seeing any real way of escaping. It seemed the Rogue was fast like herself, likely having similar speeds. Taking a deep breath, the Reflection ran for the door only to have her assumption proved correct. Slammed to the ground, the back of her head pounded in pain. "Please… don't let what happened to your Lyra happen again… I don't want to fight you!"
The Rogue barrelled into a nearby wall, nearly slamming herself out of consciousness– that was what she wanted. The delirious bridge between bearable and unbearable pain. Only in that place could she do what she was about to do. She knelt down towards Ivy, staring her deep in the eyes. "Don't move," she croaked. "Move and I'll skin you."
Meanwhile, Ivy carefully shut her locker door and continued on down the hall.
"Ivy" nodded quickly, realizing that was considered movement. She would be killed. Ivy could come through to this side. She could get hurt. The Rogue could kill her too. She could die in this place. What about her counterpart's sweet seeming dad? Her friends? All of that… gone.
She didn't want to die. Not yet.
The Rogue stiffened, then bared her teeth. It was a strange look on a girl no older than 10, but terrifying nonetheless. She dropped to her knees and silently crawled forwards to where "Ivy" was cowering. The second she was close to her, her bony hand shot out to grab "Ivy"'s neck, pinning her against the wall.
And then Ivy walked into the bathroom, looking into the mirror to check her mascara hadn't run in her temporary break during Spanish. Her reflection was… empty. Nonexistent. What?
She walked closer to the mirror, extending a hand to touch it. Nothing. What sort of trick was this? But then she looked down, and there she was, being… choked. By a little girl.
"What?" she choked out, out loud this time. "What is this?"
The Reflection began to cough, trying to get air back into her lungs. It was then that she noticed a very startled Ivy. Eyes widening, the girl shook her head as best she could, tears threatening to spill. "N-no! Go back! Get out-!"
Those were the only words she could get out before the Rogue's hand tightened. Ivy scowled at the girl on top of her and moved, knocking the girl to the ground. Gasping, "Ivy" focused on pinning the tiny Rogue down to protect Ivy. "You. Need to go," she commanded her Counterpart, breathing hard.
Ivy watched her reflection move, talk to her. What the hell was happening? She was being hurt, and it felt personal; Ivy herself was being hurt. She needed to help her– help herself.
No time to think. She started towards the mirror, lifting her book-heavy bag above her head.
"What are you doing?! Don't come any closer!" the Reflection begged. The small person beneath her was fighting hard, but it seemed that "Ivy" could hold her for a bit longer.
"You're being attacked!" Ivy shouted at herself, begging not to be scared off by the fact that she was falling towards a glass wall. Her hand touched the mirror, and seemed to sink into it and—
Agony. Agony. Agony in every inch of her body. It felt as though every cell that sank into the mirror was torn off of her body, sent through, and shoved back together on the other side. The crossing seemed to stretch for year after year of burning and tearing and slashing until, finally, Ivy collapsed into an unconscious heap on the other side of the mirror.
The Rogue had been staring as the girl was sucked through. As if she was watching a tennis match, her young terrified gaze bounced from girl to Reflection until, with a gasping squeal, she took off out the building and far away from the unnatural incident.
The Reflection let her body relax until she caught her breath. Unfortunately, she couldn't wind down long. Her Counterpart had entered her world from the other side and was currently passed out. This was far from good to put it lightly. Slowly, she approached Ivy and poked her shoulder lightly, flinching back out of reflex. "Why didn't you listen to me…?" she asked out loud, not even sure if Ivy could hear her.
Slowly, Ivy's eyes blinked open. She expected to find herself passed in one of the school's bathroom stalls from lack of food again, but instead opened her eyes to herself staring down at herself.
Something was wrong with this picture.
Noticing Ivy wake up, the Reflection simply stared at the girl on the ground. It seemed the journey took a lot of energy from her. Was there enough to return Ivy to her side though? And how could she convince Ivy it was a dream or hallucination? That was going to be hard. This had never happened before. Should anyone find out, she might be punished.