Author's Note: Ok, thought I should put something in here. I know that there is no way Zantar or Zentarou would have access to that song, but I'm taking a little creative liscence and saying they got it from their world. It's kiind of a focal point for the story (and in the original, things were much different in the K'Tal world, lol).

Shishio: Hehehe #looks around, whistles innocently#

mobileholmes: Glad you liked that part. It's one of my personal favs in this story (lets see if you can catch the other two big ones, when they come up)

Now, time to see what Break Man has been doing...

Day 2: Mirror Image: Music Imitates Life

Sunlight that filtered through the leaves above danced across Break Man’s face and woke him gently. He sat up in the grassy, slight depression that Zana had found to serve as his bed. It was rather comfortable. He stretched and yawned, then looked around. Zana appeared to one side of a nearby tree, watching him.

“Good morning,” she greeted.

“Good morning.” Break Man got up and went to her.

“I thought you might be hungry by now.” At the mention of food, the red raider’s stomach growled. Zana smiled. “Follow me.” He followed her to an area full of fruit trees and bushes next to the river and told him to eat his fill. He selected a bright apple for starters, shined it on his shirt, since he’d decided to sleep in his street clothes (after all, armor isn’t exactly the most comfortable of clothes), and began to eat.

Suddenly voices startled Break Man. On instinct and reflex he dropped his apple and his behind a bush. Zana peered over a bush, then smiled and motioned him to come over.

“It’s safe. That’s two of my daughter’s friends, practicing for a talent show.” She smiled mischievously. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a secret audience, as long as we’re very quiet.” Break Man slipped out of his hiding place to where the spirit was kneeling behind a clump of bushed and looked over.

In the next clearing he saw a strange sight. two identical, gray-furred cats, one in orange with a sword at his hip and the other in purple robes with his right hand glowing with blue-white fire, stood in a watery sort of stage setting. He saw watery furniture in the ‘room’ they were in, a door, another room, another door, and a tree. A real picture sat on a ‘table,’ and watery books lined the ‘shelves.’

“Ready?” the one in orange asked.

“Lets do it, and her it right this time.” he waved his glowing hand at what resembled a black boom box nearby, although it seemed to function on something other than electricity, and they faced each other. At the start of the song, the two began to fake-fight, pushing at each other, mouthing angry words, and one even threw a punch, which was ducked. Then the one in orange turned and stormed out, slamming the first watery door and crossing the second room. At the slam of the second door, singing began.

“Brother, my brother.

Tell me what’re we fighting for?

We’ve got to end this war.

We should love one another.

Oh can’t we just pretend

this war never began.

We can try.

Brother my brother.”

Through all of this, the one in orange slashed with his sword at the empty air as if furious while the other angrily paced. Then the one in purple took over the movements, throwing books and sparks of light from his hands at the walls, which rippled as if hit while the other paced during the second verse.

“We face each other from different sides.

The anger burns, can’t remember why.

It’s kinda crazy to cause such pain.

Our foolish pride makes us hate this way.

We watch our world fall apart.

Tell me what good is winning

when you lose your heart?”

Then the song went back to the first verse, using it for a chorus as both fumed. Suddenly, as the third verse (or the second, however you look at it), the one in orange slammed the shape edge of his blade into the tree, then froze as if seeing something.

“Lets take a moment to look deep inside - ”

He knelt to touch the back almost reverently or timidly.

“And say we’re willing to give love a try.”

There was a cracking sound. The one in purple had apparently slammed the picture face down and had broken the glass.

“We’re not as different as we seem to be - ”

He picked it up, looked at it, and with a sad smile touched the front of it.

“There’s so much more to me that what you see.”

They turned to look through the doors at each other with expressions akin to longing and guilt.

“Don’t have to be this way.”

The one in purple headed for the doors.

“This about the consequences.”

The one in orange stood.

“Turn around and walk away!”

The song went to the chorus as both brothers moved towards each other. The one in purple, picture in hand, made it to the ouside-leading door just as the one in orange opened it. They froze for a moment, then the one in orange pulled the other outside. The chorus repeated as both apparently told each other of what they’d done in their anger and showing the evidence and in turn bowing their heads in shame only to be reassured by the other. Then, on repeats of, “Brother, my brother,” they embraced, then separated and clasped hands at about mouth level in a stance similar to arm wrestling. The song faded out, then ended. They separated, and a flick of the wrist from the one in purple turned off the box.

“That was amazing, bro,” the other said, receiving a grin.

“Pure perfection. Lets quit while we’re ahead.” They moved away from the ‘building’ which flowed to the ground and was absorbed like water. “Thanks, Kijo.” They gathered their things and left.

Break Man shook his head, suddenly reminded of Mega. He frowned, and the scratched his neck as it began to itch.

“Are you okay?” Zana asked.

“Just an itch.” she looked at his neck, pushing his blue-black hair side, and tisked in a motherly way.

“Looks like a bug bite. Try not to directly scratch the bump. Scratch around it. That way it’ll heal faster.”

“Okay.” The itching faded, so he put it out of his mind. Zana smiled in a motherly way at him and touched his cheek where some apple juice was.

“If you’re finished with breakfast, you need to clean up. You’re sticky." He laughed. He liked having Zana around. She was nice and friendly to him.

“Just out of curiosity,” he asked as he went to the river to clean up, “why’re you being so nice to me?”

“Because when I saw you, you looked like you needed a friend." He smiled at her and splashed his face.

“You’re a good friend, Zana.”

“Thank you. You can call me any time you need to talk.”

“Well…”

“Yes?”

“There is something that is kinda bothering me." She settled herself down nearby.

“I’ll be an impartial listener." As Mega had to Zatana, Break Man told Zana his version of what had happened. She listened to it without interruption until it was finished, which lasted into the better part of the afternoon due to the red raider’s frequent stops for his anger. Once she’d heard it all she gave him a hug. Although a great comfort, it slightly confused Break Man.

“What’s this for?”

“It must’ve been hard for you. In such situations a friend’s first duty is to offer comfort and then to cheer." She stood and pulled him to his feet. “C’mon." He let Zana pulled him along to a lake. It was very beautiful and just the sight of it blasted away his anger.

“Wow!” he gasped. Zana smiled.

“Remain here as long as you like." Break Man looked over to see her beginning to fade.

“Are you leaving?" She reformed.

“Just call my name if you need anything, no matter how small." He relaxed.

“Okay." She faded, and he settled back to relax the rest of the day away. He did notice, though, that there was a tine wisp of smoke like from a campfire a little ways to his right, but he decided not to let it bother him.