[center][img]https://i.gifer.com/2r5w.gif[/img]
Level 6: 25/60
Location: The Maw: The Kitchen
Word Count: 935
Points Gained: 2
New EXP Balance--- Level 6 : 27/60 [/center]

	Mirage launched into a story. 

	[i]...Oh, God. 

	...He's seriously opening up right now...

	This is great and all, but the power of friendship can only take a girl so far! I literally have none of my strength! It's like asking a mathmetician to do math while taking away her ability to read! I mean, am I being too hard on myself? I don't think I am. I really am useless right now. I'm still hungry- and, slow, and I've never been that smart. I mean I guess my grades could be better but- shoot, I even put off my studying to practice more fighting! Gaaah! He's still going! Okay okay, shut up. Just listen. [/i]

	One thing that was made apparent- he was really good at telling stories. This was pretty clearly his life, and Elliot was a very nice American name. But she kind of imagined he would have a tougher name? Maybe that's why he went by Mirage.

	It was also a sad story. By the end of it she found herself feeling very bad for Mirage. He had lost most of his family, and had done whatever it took to protect what he had left. He had become a gladiator, or a mercenary, because the world he lived in was unfair. If Sakura had lost her little brother, she'd probably go crazy. Even thinking that terrible thought made her uncomfortable. Sakura would do anything to protect her family, too, but she'd been lucky enough that she hadn't ever had to do so. Only now that she was in this new World of Light did she worry for their safety. Now she wondered if she would ever see them again.

	[i]Okay, no, no no no. Mirage would feel really bad if he saw you getting worse, Sakura. How about you just appreciate how he's trying to make you feel good? [/i]

	When his story was over, Sakura still wasn't convinced of her own usefulness in the Maw. Of course, Sakura believed that people could always improve themselves, especially if they have someone backing them up. It was how she'd gotten this far in life. 

	[color=f49ac2]"Well...thanks for telling me all that, Mister Mirage."[/color] She said, awkwardly. [color=f49ac2]"Elliot sounds like a pretty brave guy."[/color]

	Bella re-affirmed her desire to stay too, dragging her slightly out from under the kimono with her wicked cool bone mouth tail. Sakura smiled, blushing from the earnestness of it all.[color=f49ac2] "Alright, geez. Enough already."[/color] She rubbed the back of her head. They had outsmarted Sakura, managing to make her feel better against her wishes. [color=f49ac2]"I'm with you guys, really, I am." [/color]

	Minus one, the others returned. Sakura hadn't known Glenn all that well...but she wondered if something might have gone differently if Mirage or Bella were there to help. Best not make it all about herself though. Sakura's covered her mouth and considered the loss. Poor Mister Link looked really banged up about it. At this point, all she could do was push it out of her mind for now. If there was one thing the Maw had taught her, it was how to bottle up her emotions. Releasing them later would be a top priority. Some unlucky inanimate object was going to get the hell beaten out of it once she got out of here. Maybe an old abandoned car. That always seemed to make Ryu-san feel better. Just find a car and pulverize it. 

	Sakura looked up at Peach, figuratively and literally. Tears began to well in Sakura's eyes as she accepted, much to her surprise, a common hand mirror.

	[color=f49ac2]"Wooow..! T-thanks!"[/color] She said, drumming up some enthusiasm. She turned the mirror and looked inside it.

	[color=f49ac2]"Huh wow I actually am pretty cute."[/color] Sakura murmered, wiping her face off with her chubby hands.[color=f49ac2] "Great! Thank you, Peach-san. A mirror. I'll be sure to..."[/color] Trailing off, she rose to her feet.

	[color=f49ac2]"...Does it do anything?"[/color] Flipping it upside down, she examined it closely. Was it really a secret weakness, like Mister Bowser had said earlier? 

	In her mind's eyes, she conjured an image of herself dramatically and defiantly angling the mirror at the Lady before she was promply punted like a football into a big pit full of hungry alligators. A suitably stupid way to die for one Kasugano Sakura.

	They were all headed for the stage. Link still looked terrible, but Sakura had no words that could possibly soothe him. She looked to Mister Geralt, like the wise old man could use his tiny child voice to grumble out some more words of wisdom of the strength to carry on. But, honestly, Link looked like the type of person who's instinct was to push forward, rather than to give up. Sakura hoped there would be some time to heal after all this was over. 

	King Bowser was talking about this mirror like it really was the secret trick to victory. Reluctantly, she played with the mirror, looking for the button or switch or magic rune that would suck the Lady into it and banish her to the mirror world. Or the magic glass that would reflect her spell right back at her and turn her into a clay doll. Or the magic word that would unleash the friendly Oni trapped within who would wreak his righteous vengeance. Or maybe it merely a stupid mirror that would only get her squashed flat. Sakura was reluctant to simply walk up to the Lady, point this thing at her, and hope for the best...but at this point it was the only thing she could offer to the rest of the team. So she'd just have to do it.