The Comfort of Broken Glass

The Trade of the Tides

How long had he been here? Sitting here unmoving and unchanging. How many cold winter nights had passed? Was it winter now? Wasn't it summer when he was first put into this mirror? The mirror would frost over in the night like the grass in the endless glass lands that held his prison.

There was no way to pass the time now. Ever since Jimmy was dropped by Joey something happened and he had been unable to see through Reflections like he used to.

Jimmy could see birds fly high in the sky. It made them all the more bitter. Though Jimmy ever did get much of a chance to look longingly into the sky.  Not with him underneath.

Maybe Jimmy was fighting a losing battle. Even though Jimmy had the advantage of being surrounded by water Xornoth was stronger and very opportunistic. If Jimmy messes up even just once, Xornoth will surely take the opportunity and break free. That was one thing Jimmy was sure of.

Truth be told he was scared of that outcome. If Xornoth escapes what would happen to him? Would he also be freed or would he die as soon as he gets released? Would Xornoth kill him or would he just keel over from spending months without any food, water or sleep? Would that be a  proper death? Would Lizzie be happy with how he went? Would she accept it? Would she be proud of him? Or would she be disappointed to even call him her brother?

Jimmy slapped himself.

'Stop thinking! What if Xornoth just attacked right then? I wouldn't have been able to counterattack! Stop thinking it won't do anything anyway!'

Jimmy gained back his composure. Only for it to quickly be lost again.

Jimmy stared wide-eyed at the mirror above him. He could help but shake a bit from shock.

"KATHERINE!?" Jimmy yelled, taken back. He hadn't seen a familiar face in so long. Was she looking for him?! Was he finally going to be freed?

Katherine carefully picked up the mirror flipping it back and forth examining it. Before picking it up and taking it with her. She did not react to any of the screams that Jimmy was making.

She moved swiftly through the frozen grass and into her royal carriage so she could return to House Blossom.

The carriage ride went by much faster than Jimmy had expected, still shocked his luck.

Katherine got off the carriage and quickly thanked the driver before walking off into the castle. And hurried off down a few hallways and into a secret passage with the mirror in hand.

The room is filled with treasure, jewels and heirlooms; there is a crown identical to the one Katherine always wears locked away in a glass case. But before Jimmy can get a better look around the room Katherine puts the mirror on a table.

She flips the mirror so she can see the fishscale on the back. She carefully examined it with a puzzled look on her face.

"Is this… some kind of fishscale? It must be from the Ocean Empire but why is it all the way out here? Did it fall off a merchant's cart accidentally? That would explain the huge crack on the scale."

Jimmy's eyes widened 'Crack? That drop.. Joey… He. That drop broke his scale that trapped him in here. Now that I think about it I have been weaker ever since that happened… That must be why I can't look though reflections anymore… If that scale fully gets broken would I be free? Or would I disappear?'

Through Jimmy's spiral Katherine continued to talk to herself.

"It is in pretty good condition apart from that.. Maybe I could sell it? Or give it as a gift?" Katherine hummed lost in thought.