(Renose/Flamelord Collab, Part 2)

"Well, to start things off, Reno and I aren't exactly from here. We hail from a different realm known as the Realm of Mirrors, or the Mirror Realm. It is not simply a world one travels to, as it cannot be traveled to by niether Gummi Ship, Glider, or even Corridor of Darkness. No, it is a different realm that exists in a different place, with no knowledge of it that I know of even being present in these different worlds". Oner gave Thomas a moment, a small look up at him before he continued his explanation. After all, it was going to get a little...complicated. 

"The beings of this realm rarely ever address themselves as what they are like Humans often do so, but when they do they call themselves the Denizens of the Mirror. The younger ones are called Mirror Children until they reach adulthood. We are niether beings with split personalities or two souls, it is much different then that. Me and Reno art two wholes that are also two halves of a single existence, essentially two existences that make up a single one. A more accurate explanation would be that I am a reflection of Reno and Reno is a reflection of me, as even though we are the same person, we are also different people in our own right. Two people that share a single existence. Dost thou have any questions so far?"

Thomas's brow furrowed as he took in the explanation. Alright, so he was from some alternate realm that existed alongside this one yet pretty much separate, that one could only reach with the consent and assistance of the people there. That made sense. And explained how he was so good at magic, if their development was different. He gave Oner a nod of understanding, then let him go on. So the tricky bit. He and reno were apparently two existences combined into one, with one generally manifesting at a time. And they had different personalities. He could work this out.

"Okay. So, it's like sending a beam of light through a prism, and how it branches out into a bunch of separate colors. You two are separate, yet make up the same unified whole. And you are also mirror opposites of each other. Guess it helps where you came from ,since I'm not sure us regular humans are cut out for two different people inhabiting one persons body, even if they would be linked as intricately as you two are." His lips pursed as he thought, then his eyes lit up with a question. "Alright then, so I take it that Serin isn't your actual father then? And why did it take so long for you to show up, and only in brief flashes in the beginning?"

Oner gave a nod, a small smile appearing on his face. "Yes, that is quite a pleasent and accurate explanation. But to answer your first question about appearance our body does not simply change appearance. We each have a different body that is also a single body. In a sense, we have two bodies that are one, these bodies looking almost exactly alike, yet being different in key areas. My hair is black while Reno's is pale white, the colors of our eyes is swapped, and the Spirit Veins" he gestured to the circle on his forehead and the lines going down from the circle, "are white on me and pure black on Reno. My body is also a bit physically stronger than Reno's and not as frail while Reno possesses more magical strength than I do". 

Then Oner proceeded to answer Thomas' other questions now. "No, he is not. Serin told Reno this around the time Reno first began practicing magic. Our father found us in an alleyway with only a letter and the stone holding Bahamhut clutched in our grasp. And as for why it took me a long time to show up...well, that is quite a long story actually, one that begins with our very birth". Oner stopped for a moment, noticing a shop selling sea salt ice cream nearby. "How about we grab a quick bite, and while we enjoy our food I can share with you this story?"

That was some interesting information indeed, that Thomas stored away in the back of his mind. It was something to consider if this dual people in one body thing was one of the reasons why Reno had seemed so strong, because he had the mana to draw on from two people. though he was probably missing something in that thought process, so he just wouldn't bring it up. The body situation was interesting in turn though, and the best he got to understanding was that he transformed when shifting, since something like having the unused body in a pocket realm or something when it wasn't being used sounded dumb.

He looked over at the shop, drawn by Oner's gaze, and contemplated the qestion before nodding, though he wasn't overly hungry at the moment. "Sure." Walking over, he decided not to go with ice cream, but instead got himself a soft pretzel and sat down to eat it, savoring the salt with the bread and cinnamon butter flavoring layered on. He absentmindedly ate while listening to Oner continue his story.

Oner chose a slushie, sitting down on the bench next to Thomas as he took a sip of the beverage before continuing his story. "Well, Mirror Children are born, and conceived, in the same way that humans are. They are a bit different when born though. They are not able to control which self is present at the current time due to their existence still being fragile and undeveloped, so often they will change every so often. Once they reach about our age, give or take a few years, this is no longer a problem and they are able to switch freely as they please. This is what normal Mirror Children go through". 

Oner paused to take a sip of the frozen beverage, letting out a small exhale as he did quite enjoy the slushies that Reno made, so he was quite fond of these frozen beverages. "There are some though whose existences that are either a bit too balanced or unbalanced. And without a balance of chaos and balance, there is no harmony. In a sense, the child's selves have less indviduality and are not complete halves of one another. The selves often switch back and forth many times a day and may experience onsets of Oblivion at times as well due to this slightly unharmonious existence. With love and support though this problem is usually overcome". 

Oner sighed a little, scratching the back of his head as he lowered it a little. "Reno and I...were incredibly different from the norm". His voice sounded a bit somber there, the Mirror Child pausing to take another sip of his drink from its straw before going on. "You see, when Reno and I were born you could say there was no Reno. There was no me either. Our existence was so balanced, so still, and so blank that we had no individual self. We were two selves that were just copies of one another. Not reflections, not two halves. We were essentially just one large half and, for a more proper term, a hollow, empty existence. One that would not last long, an existence that would probably experience Oblivion within the day it had been born..."

Oner stopped there, giving Thomas another moment to see if the older mage had any questions.