Infinity Mirror
Or: Duck Sees the Time Knife
In some stories, two mirrors placed opposite to one another are a bad omen. These 'infinity mirrors' can trap spirits or even open portals to other worlds.
Duck just wanted to brush her teeth, but there can never be a moment's peace in the House of Lamentation.
Content/warnings: minor existential crisis, Duck is she/they. ft. references to other people's MCs (only appearance is mentioned, but if you recognise your MC and want them gone I'll change it).
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The little nook for the bathroom sink had three mirrors - one in front of Duck, and the other two facing each other on either side, reflections going back and forth, smaller and smaller. An infinite number of sleep-deprived Ducks on display.
Duck personally thought it was a poor design choice. The House of Lamentation was already creepy enough, why add to it? Now she had to deal with constantly seeing movement out of the corner of her eyes while she just wanted to brush her damn teeth.
They would complain to Lucifer, but Duck had already used up that good will when they'd tried to convince him to make their room accessible only by secret passageway. No matter how much the brothers loved them and they loved the brothers, they'd appreciate some privacy now and again.
Duck spat and reached for her wash cloth, her thoughts drifting along a familiar path. It was nice to be loved by the brothers. It felt good knowing they had chosen Duck. And yet, it didn't always make sense to her. It wasn't like Duck didn't know she had good qualities. Duck was aware that she was lovable. But she was human, and they were not.
Would they have loved any human that was dropped into their home? Any descendant of Lilith's?
That wasn't fair on the brothers, Duck knew. It wouldn't be just anyone. Maybe anyone who had freed Belphie, who had sorted out Lucifer and Satan, who had listened to and laughed with Mammon and Levi, who had shown Asmo and Beel genuine love and care. Someone who could draw out their power, who they could trust with their pacts.
None of those were easy feats.
With a sigh, Duck pulled the washcloth away, looked to the side, and froze.
In the main mirror - the one facing her, she saw herself. Green eyes, wavy brown hair that picked up red in the warm light, round features, one of Beel's shirts she'd repurposed as a nightie.
To her right was someone else.
Someone with brown-red hair like Duck's, but deep red eyes. Sharper features. They looked just as surprised as Duck did.
Behind the person with red eyes was someone with dark brown hair almost shaped into horns. Behind them was a person with a half-green buzzcut. Looking away, Duck only found more strangers in the left mirror. Someone with tired eyes and black hair. A girl with fluffy hair and bright eyes. Further back, Duck caught glimpses of red-black hair, of purple eyes, of RAD uniforms and nightshirts and-
Stretching out into infinity, different people - no rhyme or reason in gender, in appearance, in clothing.
The only thing Duck could clearly identify on some of them were pact marks.
Duck's hand lifted to the blue clearly visible on her neck, the gold mark on her hand reflecting in the light. She could see some with Mammon's, with Satan's, with Lucifer's. That didn't make sense. Duck was Lucifer's only pact.
A thousand mouths moved as one - who are you?
A thousand replies - am I you?
All the reflections moved independently. Some reached forward, hitting their mirrors. Some spoke more, lips moving too quickly - or reflections too distant - for Duck to read. Some seemed simply stunned, swaying on their feet.
Duck themselves leaned closer to the red-eyed reflection they'd seen first, a move the reflection echoed - their body tense, like they were ready to fight, ready for Duck to reach through the mirror and grab them. Duck's eyes zeroed in on the hint of deep blue at the back of their neck, the shirt she was sure had once belonged to Satan, the way the reflection's red eyes fixed on Lucifer's mark on Duck's neck.
Duck knew somehow that this reflection - all of these reflections, these people, these potentials - were her and not her, like she was them and not them.
Did you die? Duck blurted out before she could stop herself.
The reflection narrowed her eyes - as did buzzcut, another reflection with heterochromia, someone with purple eyes.
How did you know?
Did you?
Yes.
It hurt.
Was this what vertigo felt like?
The same path, walked over and over-
Did all of the reflections practice dancing with Satan?
Did they all let Asmo and Mammon drag them out to Majolish?
Which brothers did they love? Which had they kissed? Did they bake with Luke and Barbatos? Did they study with Solomon and Simeon? Had they walked with Diavolo through the park at night?
What parts of their story were unavoidable? What was unique for each of them?
Their eyes all focused on something behind Duck, and her head whipped around - in the left mirrors, someone was crying. The one with tired eyes ran a hand through their dark hair. The girl with fluffy curls tried to reach out to the crier, but her hands hit the mirror - her mirror, in her world.
"Duck?"
A knock on the door made her jump - and as she turned, she caught a glimpse of a sea of people all turning with her.
Lucifer stood in the doorway, brow furrowed. Confused, but not trying to drag her away from the mirror and shatter the reflections.
He hadn't seen them.
"Are you alright?" he asked cautiously. All the mirrors reflected only Duck, with her bedhead and her dazed expression.
"I'm fine," they said, and Lucifer didn't believe them. Frowned, stepped forward, took off one glove before placing a hand on their forehead. Duck leaned against it, too relieved at his steadying presence to protest.
"Barbatos messaged requesting a meeting, but if you are feeling unwell..."
Barbatos?
"I'm fine, just a little tired." Duck smiled in a way that was mostly convincing, and though Lucifer looked distinctly unconvinced, he knew better than to argue.
"Do kick my brothers out if they are interrupting your sleep. You have the pacts for a reason." Lucifer tucked a lock of hair behind their ear, eyes searching for any hint of what was really wrong.
"You know what would help with your brothers?"
"Don't."
"A secret passage."
"Maria, we have been through this-"
With one last glance at the mirror, only their own eyes staring back at them, Duck followed Lucifer into the hall.
An infinite number of reflections - of realities, of... of human exchange students.
"Duck," Lucifer called to her once more. "You are not going to the castle in Beel's shirt."
An infinite number of demon brothers, troublesome sorcerers, odd angels, and demon princes with their butlers, too.
"I'm getting changed!"
But these ones were hers.
