#image-ler

And then Image woke up.

He looked to the side of the bed. Nothing.

Sephy had vanished some time last night and he had no idea where she'd gone. She'd left a note for him on the door when he'd come back from his daily wander:

"Darling,

I can't stand this anymore. My heart has been shaken to the core, as have my beliefs. I can't help anyone and I'm not worth anything. Please, apologize to Snug, and Tea, and everyone for me. And don't worry about me.

I love you,

Sephira"

Image was surprised when Sephy came to bed. She hadn't really wanted to be close in the night since he'd had that talk with her. She was in her usual white, filmy nightgown, and he blushed to see her using her pink thneed as a bra underneath. He was actually pleased that she liked his first present to her that much. She sat down on the edge of the bed and asked softly, "Is it okay if I come back? You won't feel awkward or obligated to something?"

He shook his head, "Nah, you're fine."

She rubbed her arm and looked at her knees, "If we did....that, would it make you happier?"

The concern and shock was evident on his face, "What? Why are you asking? I don't want anything from you that you don't honestly want to give me."

"I just," she seemed nervous, "I just don't want to alienate you. I don't want to push you away, especially not with my friends crashing down around me."

"What do you mean, crashing?" He reached over and tugged on her sleeve to get her to move closer.

"Plaid is messed up in his head for some reason, he burned down the house he was living in with lots of other people." She scooted back against the pillows and rested her head on his shoulder, "Slyth lost his memories, Snug's been hit with his worst fear as a reality, Glut chewed on himself and is hurting, Humility's traumatized....the whole world is going nuts and I can't do anything or they won't let me help."

"You can't fix everything, Sephy."

"I KNOW THAT!" She buried her face for a moment in his shoulder. "I know, but that doesn't change how badly it hurts."

He sighed and rubbed her arm slowly, "But how would having sex make it better?"

"I don't know. At least then you'd be happy and I wouldn't feel like a child when I talk to Lust. Or Right. Or pretty much anybody. Heck, even Reflect."

There was silence, then Image asked, "What do you think of, when you feel that way?"

"How I'm missing something. How they know something wonderful that they can share with someone that I can never feel. That I'm stupid and childish, and I should just set you free so you can feel that."

He kissed her to make those painful words stop. No, he didn't have any idea how to fix this, but didn't she always say "love above all else"?

She pressed back almost desperately, needing his reassurance that she was worth something after all.

Slyth floated around,being a ghost and all there really wasn't anything he could do, he couldn't even pick up his wand to do any magic. Gryff wasn't even home, spending the day with his own boyfriend. Slyth, feeling bored and wanting company decided to go pester his own boyfriend. So he floated to where he thought Reflect would be, but when he got there he saw Reflect wasn't home, though image was.

"Hey Image Wheres Reflect?" Slyth asked, phasing through the ceiling. 

"Uh, I think he's with panda" Image said a little surprised, but soon returning to what ever he was doing. 

Slyth nodded, floating up again, having gotten over his fear of heights (for now that is) he went looking for his boyfriend. 

going about asking around where this Panda-ler was, he finally reached Panda's house, being a ghost and all, phased though the ceiling, peering down, when he saw two figures, cuddling. One who was his boyfriend, when he heard. 

"I LIKE YOU TOO, BABE" 

realizing the bigger male, was his boyfriend, and the one he was cuddling with must have been this "Panda-ler" he felt something in his chest clench.  

he wanted to go down there and tear them apart, Claiming Reflect was his, and HIS alone, but as he looked some more, he saw that the other was genuinely happy. possibly even happier than when he was with Slyth. 

Image had had it. His reflection had come home last night with his mouth covered in blood, bragging about how he pinned Eat-ler to the wall. He wasn't going to let that....*sigh* He couldn't stay angry after seeing Reflect so sick. Wait.....

That was it.

Image went up to Reflect, who was fishing in the pond. Putting a hand on his shoulder, he said softly, "Reflect, if I ask you to do something, will you do it, no matter what it is?"

Reflect turned and looked at him, seeming suspicious and searching his eyes a bit before responding, "YES. PLEASE, I CAN SEE YOU'RE PLANNING TO PUNISH ME FOR ACTING OUT. I ACCEPT YOUR JUDGEMENT ON THIS, IMAGE. I'M IN YOUR WORLD; I NEED TO LEARN HOW IT WORKS."

Image blushed a bit, "Reflect, I......now I don't feel like I can do that. I'm just upset that you decided to go ahead and fight with that maniac. He could hurt you; he could come here and hurt me, or Sephy. It's just not smart."

Reflect blushed as well, his cheeks turning a slight emerald green, "IMAGE. I WANT TO DO WHAT YOU WANT. HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO CONFESS UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? AS MUCH AS I'M SURE SEPHY LOVES YOU, I LOVE YOU MORE. I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, EVEN THE BAD THINGS, THE THINGS YOU'VE NEVER TOLD HER. AND I STILL LOVE YOU."

Image shook his head, "Please, Reflect, don't. It really hurts me to hear that because I just don't feel that way. I love Sephy. I don't even know you, really. I can't tell you how I feel about you yet. I need some time."

Reflect's blush deepened, "I UNDERSTAND.....I'LL TRY TO TONE IT DOWN, IF I CAN. IT'S JUST SO HARD, TO BE SO CLOSE AND NOT BE ANYTHING TO YOU."

Image responded as he motioned for Reflect to follow him, "Alright. Just come with me for now. I need you to do something."

"What?" Image backed up and looked at her incredulously, "Why should I care what that jerk does? He took you away from me. He killed your host and made me think you went with her. He doesn't deserve our pity."

Sephy's expression hardened, "Image, he did all of that because he's in pain. He's hurting because he wants your love more than anything else in the world. You're giving him nothing but hate. How would you feel in his place?"

Image looked to the side and gave a grudging sigh, "Fine. I'll check on him. Just don't expect me to like him. He insults everyone he meets and embarrassed me more than you can imagine."

Sephy kissed his cheek softly, holding his hands, "That's all I ask. I don't exactly love him either, but I understand and feel sorry for his situation. He deserves to be treated as a person, at the least. I'll do the accounting while you're gone."

Image walked in to the house, exhausted. He closed the door and locked it, going through his nightly routine until he heard the soft, painfully familiar voice, "Welcome home, Image."

He turned around slowly, not wanting to believe his ears. It's too good to be true. His eyes rested on Sephy, sitting on the floor, gently rubbing Reflect's shoulders as he slept. She was looking up at him with those beautiful blue eyes.....so lovingly. He felt his heart break all over again as he fell to his knees and whimpered, "You can't be real."

The world spun and he closed his eyes, hearing that painful sweet voice, "I am real, Image. I.....I am so sorry for what happened. Please don't be angry."

He sobbed loudly, "No, no no no. I buried you. I buried you in the ground on that island in the pond."

Her hand was on his face, "You buried my host, sweetheart. She's really gone. It's just me in this body. Nobody else."

"But how?! you were torn apart!"

"She was torn apart. Reflect forced me out of the body when he went in. Please stop crying, honey. Please?"