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ask-mirror-and-prime-simon · 4 years ago

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The Animal Hotel Car

Summary: Mirror Simon meets an unexpected friend on his way through a new car

A/N: Might be using real photographs for the next few chapters, hope you don't mind

Chapter: 4/?

Work Count: 3.4k

Warning: Implied isolation, injury description (Nothing super graphic I promise)

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"Happy new year!"

The red doors burst open,a chrome boy stumbling outside. Confetti in almost every color followed him, a party horn nearly slipping out of his mouth. The bright lights of the car nearly escaped the ginormous room inside, all the denizens dressed in wild party outfits waving to him with wide smiles.

"Bye Simon!" Hundreds of voices shouted, the boy leaving them with a shy wave before shutting the door. It took a moment before he let out a deep breath, leaning back against the wood. Who knew it was so hard to socialize with people who were so open and friendly?

His Prime wasn't much better, the only person he could remember being just as vulnerable with was his once close friend. Grace was easy to talk to, she was confident and bold but still kind and understanding. A part of him wondered how the other was handling being without her. They were practically joined at the hip until that day and he didn't take the very idea of her hating him too well. If only he were still his reflection, at least then he could see his thoughts without question.

The boy shook his head, blowing raspberries as his prime's friend would to clear his mind. No! No more worrying about himself, this was his mission to help Simon and those he hurt along the way. Once this was over he'd be back in the mirror world, able to follow him wherever he went without that pesky doubt that always seemed to cloud his mind.

The boy stood up, taking one last deep breath before heading off to the next car. Think of Simon, Grace, Hazel and...

His determination faltered at the sudden memory. The way their friend had gripped the edge of the train, smile relieved as his prime offered a glimmer of hope.

The way she fell, staring at him with a sad expression that was burned into his mind.

He sniffled, finding himself teary eyed. No, he wasn't the one who fell to his death and lost everything, he had to remind himself. His guilt managed to stop the flow, a voice bashing himself for thinking he had the right to feel pain. He gulped back the lump in his throat, opening the door to the next car.

He found himself under an awning and in a yard, patio chairs set around a glass table. Similar chairs and tables were sprinkled throughout, plants ranging from tiny bushes to large trees filling the empty space. The boy looked above the door, a gold sign with "Animalia" delicately engraved in its center.

A cough caught his attention, the boy turning to the group of dogs sitting comfortably in each chairs with expressions ranging from confused to down right annoyed. An embarrassed blush crossed his face, the millions of eyes near overwhelming. "Sorry..."

A soft ‘tsk’ came from above him, the voice following it silky yet professional. "I do apologize Corginians, I've been meaning to find a better place for this door"

From atop the awning a mink jumped, her landing graceful as she took a spot on his shoulder before looking to him "Come with me, we'll find somewhere better to talk"

"O...kay?"

The mink hopped off, beginning to walk along the fencing that guarded the trail of flowers by the hotel's floor.

"I'm sorry I barged in like that" The boy apologized. "If you want I can make up for it"

"No need for that, you are a guest after all" She assured him. "I apologize for not having the door set up somewhere proper, you're not the only one who's interrupted a meeting here"

"Really?"

"Of course" She said. "Although you might be the first to cause a decade long kingdom wide feud"

His eyes grew wide with horror. "I-I'm sorry, I'll go apologize right now-"

The minks let out a soft laugh. "It's been quite a while since someone has actually been scared by my little jokes"

"Oh...you were..." He nervously scratched the back of his neck. "I'm sorry"

"You say that word a lot" The mink pointed out. "Does it get tiresome?"

"I mean...I messed up and it's not fair for me to pretend I didn't" He replied. "If its annoying I'm s-"

The other held up a paw to silence him. "Please, tell me your name first. I don't want to spend our time together here apologizing"

"You can call me Simon," He said.

"But is that your name?"

"I...I mean, yeah"

The mink looked him over with a raised brow. "I hate to assume but are you a reflection?"

"Is it obvious?" He asked.

"Sadly" She responded. "Your hair and clothes are convincing but it is very hard to hide chrome"

He lowered his head in shame, the other returning to his shoulder. She draped herself over them like a scarf in her best attempt at comfort "Have you picked a name for yourself yet?"

"No," He admitted. "I thought I wouldn't be here for long so I never did"

"I won't force you, but I suggest you find a good one soon" She said, letting him open the front door. "We wouldn't want to get you two confused, now would we?"

"I guess not" No one else did so far, but then again maybe he hadn’t met anyone who had heard of the Apex yet.

A wisp of cold air brushed past him, the boy flinching at the sudden change. He shivered, still not used to anything colder than the mirror world he had grown up in.

"It is quite hot outside so we've decided to put the air conditioner a bit higher than normal" The mink explained. "Is that alright?"

"Y-Yeah" He lied.

"Madame Dianna!" A penguin rushed in from the halls, slipping on the checkered tiled floor and sliding until he hit the boy’s leg.

Dianna looked at him with a disappointed frown. "Charles, we have a guest"

The penguin looked up, embarrassment washing over him like a wave. He quickly stood up, straightening his back in hopes to regain what bit of dignity he had left. "Of course, apologies mister...."

"Simon"

"Apologies Simon" Charles said. He turned back to the hotel’s owner, panic written on his face "The guest in room 305 is injured, she said her heart is breaking, we have to call the hospital!"

Dianna let out a tired sigh, shaking her head. "Charles. That is a figure of speech. She is simply sad"

"Oh..." His eyes drifted to the floor, panic melting into shame. "My sincere apologies Madame"

"It's alright" She turned her attention back to the chrome boy. "Pardon Charles, he might not be the brightest but he cares deeply about our guests"

"It's okay, it's nice to see you care about everyone here" 'Simon' responded.

Dianne smiled, head held up high with pride. “We are very efficient here”

"Should I stay with her Madame?" Charles asked. "I would hate if something were to happen"

"I would love for you to stay with her, but we are sadly understaffed today" Dianna said, turning back to the chrome boy. "Almost all of Corginia is here for negotiations, I hope you understand”

"Maybe I can help" The reflection offered.

"Would you like to?" The mink asked. "While you are in our hotel you are our guest, it wouldn’t be fair to make you work after such a long journey"

"I'll be okay" He said with a smile.

"Well alright" She reluctantly jumped off of him, making her way to the front desk and into the shelves beneath. She reappeared with a room key,305 marked on the tag. "The stairs are down the hall, up the stairs and to the left, if you need any assistance do not hesitate to call"

"Got it, I'll be back soon" He gave them a good bye wave, quick to follow her directions. Along the way he passed animals of all types, cats lounging by the snack machines, mice heading towards the hotel's gym, a giraffe fumbling to get inside his room and many more he caught glimpses of along the way. His Prime's family never had the money to visit such a place, as embarrassing as it was at first he couldn’t help but marvel at each new sight. He would definitely miss this when he made it back to his own world, but at least he had stories to tell any other reflections he would see.

He finally came to room 305,pulling out the keys with a soft jingle. With a deep breath he straightened his back, hoping his past excitement wouldn’t show. The door opened with a click, hinges squeaking as he peeked inside. All of the lights were off, the sunlight’s glowing beam barely reaching through the window panes. The white queen beds were still neat, blankets and pillows untouched. The TV was covered in dust, desk and couch just as dirty. In the center of it all stood a familiar figure, back slouched as she stared outside and into the sky.

"T...Tuba?"

The gorilla ignored him, silently watching the bright world outside go on without her.

A shaky hand covered his mouth, the boy frozen in disbelief. There she was, the person his Prime despised and his friends had grown to love dearly. All of the heartache, all of the secrets and distrust, it all started after she died. He wasn't sure what to feel, happiness knowing that she hadn't met the same fate as other denizens, sadness knowing that she could have been with them all along, or anger at how all of their anguish was for nothing.

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He should be grateful she was alive at all, he thought to himself. Still, if they just waited a bit longer maybe she could have made it back to her adopted daughter. Grace and Hazel would still be here, both healing with a mother figure they desperately needed and maybe Simon could actually get over himself and join in. If only his Prime hadn't been so insistent on sticking to old ways, if only he actually wanted to change then, if only he wasn't such a stubborn jerk-

"Please....close the door"

The familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts, the boy finding his grip on the doorknob unbearably tight. Why...Why did he suddenly get so angry? Simon wasn't here to push his buttons so why...

He took a deep breath, shutting the door behind him. 'Don't be selfish, don't be selfish'

"Thank you"

He parted his lips to speak, stopped by the sound of a faint song. It was soft yet shaky, as if the poor instrument was trying to sing through sobs.

"I’m sorry for making you worry," The other said. "I was over exaggerating, you don't need to check on me anymore"

The boy wavered before gulping back his worry. "Are you okay?"

Tuba tensed, the broken music coming to a halt. The other flinched, waiting for whatever rage she would rightfully feel.

"Why...did you come here?"

"It was an accident" He replied in a panic. "I-I mean, I was looking for....other people"

"Who?"

"Friends," He hesitantly said. "I was horrible to them but I want to fix everything"

"Then go," She responded bluntly. "You don't need to stay here and mock me"

"I'm not" He responded. "I...I really don't have the right to say you're my friend - not after everything that happened- but I don't want to leave you like this"

"You didn't care back when you tried to kill me"

"I'm sorry" The boy said softly. "I know that won't undo everything but I'm so sorry all of this happened. You're an amazing person and you never deserved any of it, we were just...just horrible people"

Tuba remained silent.

"We were awful, your life would have been so much better if we never showed up" Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes, the boy mortified by the sudden weeping. "I don't know how but I want to make it up to you. I'll do anything you want me to, as long as it can give you some peace of mind after all this suffering then I'll do it"

Tuba let out a sigh. "You don't need to say all of that"

"But it's true, isn't it?"

"I want to hear it from Simon," She said. "The real Simon"

The reflection grew wide eyed. "How did-"

"He would never apologize," Tuba stated plainly. "He's too childish and he'd never give himself up like you did"

The boy rubbed his neck, guilt lingering. "I'm sorry"

The gorilla only set a hand beside her. "Talk to me, that'll be a start"

He nodded in understanding, making his way to her side. He tensed upon seeing her up close, blood running cold. Only one tuba was left on her shoulder, a large crack dragging from the tip of its funnel down to where it looped under her arm. A scar ran across her right eye, left arm bandaged with a hint of her hairless skin poking out.

"Are you okay?" He asked, reaching to check the injury. A soft hum stopped him, the boy slowly letting his hands fall back into his lap.

"What are you?"

"I'm Simon's reflection,'' he explained. "I'm from the mirror world, it's a few cars back"

"How do you know everything that happened?" She asked

"Well, reflections are always with their Prime. We experience everything they do, we just can't influence any of it".

"So why are you apologizing to me?" She prodded.

"Well, Simon hurt you and I'm a part of him,” He continued. “If he won't apologize then I should"

"It doesn't mean anything coming from you"

Her words were a punch to his stomach, not expecting something so harsh coming from someone so kind.

"If he was really sorry he would have apologized himself" Tuba muttered. "The fact that he sent someone who wasn't involved to do it just proves that he hasn't changed"

"But he did" The reflection insisted, worry in his tone. "He tried to come back for Grace. If he was willing to try and fix things up with her then he definitely would have done the same for you"

"You give him too much credit," Tuba replied with a grimace. The first part suddenly caught her attention, eyebrows furrowing. "What happened to Grace?"

"She..." He hesitated, gripping the cloth of his pants tightly. "She's...she's stuck in another car"

"I'm guessing he had something to do with it"

The other looked at the floor, insides churning. He was able to yell at his prime with so much confidence before, why now did he find his words stuck in the back of his throat?

"I'd expect as much" Tuba turned her attention back to the window, the sunlight’s warmth seeming to miss the room she had shut herself in. "Grace...she wasn't a bad person"

"Yeah" The reflection agreed. "I was worried that you might have hated her too, b-but she didn't have anything to do with-"

Tuba held up a hand, the boy silencing himself. "I know, I heard the plan she came up with"

His eyes grew wide at the realization. "But...if you knew all of that why did you come with us?"

"I did it for Hazel," She admitted. "She was all I had but I know that couldn't last forever"

"But Hazel loved you!" The boy shouted.

"I know, but every child grows up eventually," Tuba responded solemnly. "She would have had people to love her and help her grow long after I would die. I didn't want to be selfish and take that chance away from her"

His shoulders slumped, taken aback. She looked so collected, even with the melancholy in her voice. "You're really brave"

The gorilla grew a weary smile. "I'm not, but thank you for thinking so"

"But you are," He insisted. "You were a mom twice, you helped Hazel grow into an amazing person and even when Simon was being a jerk you put your own feelings aside for her. That's real bravery"

Tuba let out a defeated sigh. "You really are nothing like him"

The reflection looked away from her and to his hands, the two sitting in silence. In the chrome he caught sight of himself, eyes examining his features. Blonde hair, young face, skinny limbs,who else could he be like? Besides, Simon's own self loathing must have meant something. If his Prime had his way he would have slipped into the wheels at the very idea that his friend would despise him. Surely that was enough to prove he'd change...right?

"How is Hazel doing in the Apex?" She asked.

Oh no

Fear nipped at the back of his neck. "She's...She's doing okay"

"Is she making any friends?"

"Yeah, plenty." He lied, fingers trembling. "She's the most popular kid there"

A frown tugged at the other's lips. "You're a horrible liar"

"I-I..."

"If Simon and Grace are gone, who is watching the children?"

"I..." His eyes grew wide at the realization. Who WAS taking care of the kids back home? "T-The older kids"

"Just go," Tuba said gruffly. "If you're going to lie then don't do it in my face"

"I'm going to go back for them!" He nearly cried. "I just have to get everyone back together first and apologize"

"What if I don't want to go with you?" She asked, annoyance slipping through her words. "What if I don't want to forgive you? What will you do then?"

"I..." In all honesty he never thought about that possibility. She was so welcoming and caring in the few days they spent together, not to mention how calmly she tried to understand him,i t seemed so easy in his mind. No, he was going to fix this, he had to! Simon screwed everything up, people's lives were ruined and he promised to fix it! For Grace, for the Apex kids, for H-

He swallowed back the lump in his throat, hands clenched into fists that he held close to his sides. "I know where Hazel is!"

Tuba stopped, mouth agape for a moment. Her sneer fell, replaced with caution. "Do you really?"

The reflection nodded. It wasn't entirely a lie, he did manage to see the child leave with the woman his prime and friend had spent years worshipping. They couldn't have gotten too far, right?

A shaky hand rested on her arm in an attempt to comfort her. "I can help you find her, then you can go home, hate us forever and pretend we never existed"

Tuba thought for a moment, catching a glimpse of his face. Brown eyes were pleading, a look she had seen many times before in her own child. Why did it have to be on his face of all people?

"Fine," She decided. "But only to find Hazel, once I find her I never want to see you ever again"

Relief washed over him, a weary smile on his face. "Okay, and thank you"

She pulled her arm away, the boy taking the cue to stand. Tuba walked past him and to the door, a hand resting on the knob. "If you try anything like he did I won't hold back this time"

"Okay" He said. "I’ll take it”

The gorilla rolled her eyes, opening the door and heading through the hall. The boy followed close behind like a lost puppy, freezing once he caught sight of the irritated expression on her face. His pace slowed, head hung low. Of course she'd still hate him, who was to say she'd ever forgive him?

"Do you still want me to call you Simon?"

He looked back up, eyebrows furrowed. "Huh?"

"You're his reflection but you're not him" Tuba reminded him. "I'm not going to force you to be like him when you're nothing alike"

His instinct was to deny her kind offer, just as he always did, but she wasn't like the other denizens. "You can pick my name, whatever makes you feel comfortable"

The gorilla looked around, watching the boy out of the corner of her eye. In a split second he had focused his attention on a barrage of picture frames, the faces of benefactors lined up in neat rows. One particular portrait caught his eye, a blonde rabbit sitting who gave off a posh aura. Under it was a title written in cursive, brown orbs fixated on the name.

Tuba joined his side, following his gaze to the plaque. She opened her mouth to ask what he wanted, stopping once she realized what he would say. He would take the dumbest name she could think of as long as it would make her happy. Even if she wasn’t too fond of him she wouldn’t be that cruel.

"Samuel"

Her voice pulled him from his yearning thoughts, a spark of excitement in his eyes that he quickly tried to hide. "Are you sure?"

"Yes"

"Okay...Samuel'' He said, testing out its sound. Even if it did seem selfish to him he couldn't help but feel a bit relieved that they liked the same name. A soft smile crossed his face, one the other noticed. At one moment he was tearfully declaring apologies from another who clearly didn't want to give them, the next he was excited over a simple name like a child who had just won a prize at a fair. She seemed so sure of who he was before, a naive pushover who thought the world could fix through his own sacrifice but now knowing how he admired her and seemed so insistent on making amends she wasn't sure what to think. At least Simon was predictable, but this boy...

All she could do was hope that the childish demeanor, as annoying as it could possibly be, would be the only side of him she had to see during this trip.

#infinity train #infinity train book three #infinity train book 3 #infinity train au #two way mirror au #mirror simon au #mirror simon #samuel laurent #tuba #infinity train tuba #tuba infinity train #infinity train fanfiction #fan fic #fanfiction #fanfic #au #alternate universe #infinity train alternate universe

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ask-mirror-and-prime-simon · 4 years ago

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The Mirror Car II

Summary: A familiar face implores Simon to confront his feelings

A/N: None

Chapter: 3/?

Word Count: 1.9k

Warning: Implied suicidal thoughts/Self hatred

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"Hey...are you okay?"

His eyes burned as he forced them open,face still warm and bright red. "What do you think?"

"Simon...I'm sorry..."

"Stop it"

The other looked to him with confusion. "Huh?"

"Stop it" Simon repeated. "Stop apologizing,its annoying"

"But I made you upset,even if I did get mad I shouldn't have taken it out on you"

"You're so patronizing,you know that?" The boy said. "Stop acting like you're better than me"

"I'm not trying to" He attempted to explain. "I'm just saying sorry"

"Then stop saying it in my voice!" His prime snapped. "I can take dealing with nulls that want to fight back but I'm not letting you mock me"

"I'm not mocking you!" The other insisted. "I can't help sounding like you or looking like you,I was just born like this"

"Then I'll make you!" He lunged towards the other,right hand ready to grab him by the hair while the left reached for the glass shard. His knuckles were first to hit the reflective surface,the boy letting out a pained hiss before shooting him a glare. "Get out of there and fight me!"

"I don't want to fight you!" The reflection shouted. "Just please talk to me! I can help fix everything,just-"

Simon swung his leg forth,kicking the cube by his side with as much force as he could muster. His foot ached from the harsh slam against the chrome but he dare not stop. He continued to swing and kick with frustrated grunts,hoping that eventually he would knock that sorrowful look off the douple-gangers face. Yet each time he pulled away all he saw was himself,arms shielding his face with a look of fear in his eyes. The sight was enough to make his blood boil.

"Stop it!" The other begged with a cracked voice,scared that the barrier could somehow break. "Just listen to me! I want to fix everything too!"

Simon froze,foot hovering over where the other's face would be. "What?"

"I want to find Grace," He said. "I want to find her so we can start over but be better"

"Why would I want to get better if I was never wrong to begin with?" Simon asked. "You're just as brainwashed as she was"

"You know you were wrong" His reflection said. "If...If you really did think you were right you wouldn't be here"

The passenger grew a sneer,hands curled into a fist. "I'm here to find Grace and take her home. She's been in that projection thing long enough to be back to normal"

"But you don't want to leave her there" His reflection began. "And I know this has been eating you up since then. I felt everything you did when it happened and I know you felt something"

He slammed his fist into the wall,looking to the other with rage. "You don't know anything!"

The other flinched,Simon leaning in closer. "You don't know what we've been through together,you don't know how much it hurt knowing she picked that null over someone she knew for ten years,YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT HURTS KNOWING EVERYTHING WAS A LIE!"

Tears welled in the corner of his Prime's eyes,the mirror boy slowly reaching out for him. "Simon..."

His face grew red,the corners of his sneer twitching as he struggled to keep from sobbing. "We've been together for ten years...the Apex wasn't just some after school group we made. Leading it by her side...I just...I felt like I had a purpose. I actually meant something here"

"You are here for a reason" His reflection reminded him softly. "You're here to get better and heal"

"From what?" The boy questioned. "Coming here was the best thing to ever happen to me and you want me to give everything up just because some old woman said I had to?"

"Well,Grace tried to"

"And look where she is now"

There was a moment of silence,the passenger wiping the tears from his eyes. The chrome boy laid back against the barrier,listening to his sniffling. "I just thought...I thought you'd get better after hearing everything."

"Hear what? That I'm the worst,most worthless person alive and I should rot away?" The boy let out a weak chuckle. "Yeah,I really needed to hear that"

"I never said that" His reflection quickly responded. "What I'm saying is..." He took a deep breath,leaning against the barrier separating their worlds. "You messed up,but you can still fix it"

"How?" Simon asked,defeat in his tone. "I can't just go back and pretend nothing happened. What if...what if she hates me?"

"I mean..." He hesitated a moment before looking away. "I wouldn't blame her,we deserve it"

“Stop acting like you did anything '' Simon half heartedly demanded.

"But I'm a part of you and you-"

"You are NOT a part of me" He quickly said. "You're just - just a stupid,stupid null that's making me say dumb shit"

"I'm..." He hesitated,brushing aside the idea of correcting him. "But you said all of this to me,maybe you can say it to her"

"As if she'd let me," The Prime said bitterly.

"Well...maybe I can do it"

Simon raised an eyebrow,looking to him. "What?"

"You said I didn't do anything right?" He asked. "I know you're scared to say this to her,so what if I tell her for you?"

"Why would she listen to you?" He shot back. "You're just a null"

"She listened to Hazel," The other reminded him. "I know I don't mean as much as you did to anyone,but maybe she'll listen to me"

"And how are you going to talk to her huh?" Simon folded his arms,an annoyed look in his eye. "You can't even get out to fight me"

"I know how but...but we'll have to switch places. Only one of us can go,” he explained nervously.

The other held back a laugh,a twisted grin peaking through in its place. As if he'd let a null trick him into another sort of trap. Just as he thought,they could never be trusted. What a waste of time. "Wow,I can't believe I almost let you trick me"

"I'm not trying to trick you!" His reflection said in a panic. Damn it,he was so close to actually letting him acknowledge the long list of screw ups. "I'm trying to help you,I promise"

"Nice try null" His smile quickly fell,the boy pressing his hand against the chrome. "Tell anyone about anything I said and I'll kill both of us"

He began to stand,heading back towards the door. The reflection stood with terrified tears in his wide eyes. No,he could still change! He believed him,if only he'd just listen! "WAIT!"

He reached for his Prime,their palms finally touching save for the thin chrome barrier. His feet were slowly lifted off the ground,the world spinning with him as he let out a scream. Just as fast as the spinning had started it stopped,the boy left shakily standing.

The reflection nervously looked around,trying to make sense of what had just happened. The air felt different somehow,more fresh and cold on his metal skin. A sudden feeling burst in his chest,a shaky hand placing a hand over the area.

A heartbeat

His eyes grew wide at the sudden revelation. He was out,finally free. Tears welled in his eyes,falling like rain drops as he looked at his own reflection in his palms. "I...I'm real"

"HEY!"

His happiness was short lived,the boy looking below him to find the other banging on the chrome floors. He hurled profanities at him,fighting to return to the other side.

"Simon!" He immediately fell to his knees,eyes full of worry. "Are you okay?"

"YOU TRICKED ME!"

The once reflection flinched,a wince on his face. "I-I didn't mean to-"

"YOU LIAR!" The other yelled. "I SHOULDN'T HAVE TRUSTED YOU! YOU NULLS ARE ALL THE SAME! YOU'RE ALL JUST THE WORST!"

The boy's face grew warm,another brand new feeling,finally shouting. "You wouldn't be in there if you just listened!"

"I DON'T NEED TO LISTEN TO ANYONE!"

"You should've listened to Grace!"

Simon tensed,sneer frozen on his face.

"This never would've happened if you just listened!"

The other opened his mouth to find any sort of retort,words sharp as a blade to destroy the person who dared make him spill such raw emotions. No,he's a liar just like everyone else,how could he lie to himself and say he felt sorry about doing the right thing? All he'd have to do was wake Grace up and go back home and pretend nothing ever happened.

But...could he even do that now?

"What if...what if she hates me?"

He grit his teeth,body trembling as his eyes grew watery. All he could imagine was the girl he loved so much waking from her torturous nightmare and staring at him. Her usually kind eyes would hold nothing but malice,betrayal even as she looked at him with unfiltered disgust.

"I hate you" She would shout between sobs. "I'd rather die than have anything to do with you!"

Warm tears rolled down his cheeks,lowering his head so the other couldn't see the pain only his dearest friend had ever witnessed. His entire body shook,breathing heavy as he held back a sob.

"Simon..."

"Just get out," He choked. "Get out and leave me to die"

The other remained silent,anger melting back into concern. He debated on whether or not to switch back,a part of him knowing exactly where he would walk straight to first,flesh torn in the train wheels.

"I'll come back for you" He said softly. "I'll fix everything and come back,I promise"

"Go away..."

Reluctantly he sat up,feeling something sharp under his palm. He lifted his hand,finding the glass shard lovingly handed to him by the young Lucy. By the looks of it,it was probably best to keep anything sharp as far away from his Prime as possible.

He quickly tucked it in his sock,glass pressing against his ankle. With that he stood,giving the boy one last glance before opening the dark wood door.

The air was fresh,whipping his metal hair back. With a deep breath he stepped outside,fully expecting to be pulled right back in.

Nothing.

For the first time he stood with both feet out the door,entire body free from the shackles of the mirror world. He watched the world around him,the train even bigger than he could ever imagine. So many cars,so many new worlds full of life that he could only dream of seeing before.

He stepped forward,flinching once he caught sight of the spinning wheels. No - it's fine - Simon’s in the chrome car and Grace wouldn’t hurt any denizen after the brief moment of happiness she had with Hazel. It's...It's fine. Everything’s fine.

In the wheel he caught a glimpse of himself. That face...the longer he looked the more his stomach churned.

Careful hands undid the small ponytail,blond hair falling to his shoulders. He reached for the hem of his sweater,pulling the article up and over until it was off and crumpled into a hasty clump of fabric and twine. Shaky arms held the ball of old belongings over the railing,eyes shut tight. No more wheeling,not after this.

The boy let the elastic fall,band snapping as the fabric ripped under the wheels into scraps and thread. He hesitantly opened an eye,looking to his reflection once more. It was a start at least.

He turned back to the bridge,continuing the long walk onwards. What lay ahead,even he wasn’t entirely sure. What he did know was one thing,he was going to fix whatever mess was left behind by his Prime. It didn’t matter how long it would take,just so long as no one else had to suffer anymore.