Work Text:
Jax's room was... edgy.
The walls were painted a streaky black with hints of a prior baby blue poking through, his bed was made up of an eye-jumbling mess of red, black, and gray sheets. He had an old vintage dark wood desk with drawings, random objects, and a computer laid on it. A plush dark red rug sat in the middle of the room. Strangely enough, Jax didn't have a nightstand but he did have a book next to his bed. What looked like an assortment of schoolbooks were really just made to hide the romance mangas that lay within. Posters of rock bands and TV shows littered his wall, some half peeled off. There was also this lingering scent of pine trees and carrots.
Pomni and Zooble both knew they shouldn't snoop but Jax had been so off as of late. It was kinda tiring honestly, him acting fine when it was clear he wasn't. If Pomni wasn't nicer she'd say it was annoying, but she had seen a side of Jax he had closed off so hard she felt empathetic for him. Zooble on the other hand could care less, she mostly came along because if Jax walked in Zooble knew Pomni wouldn't want to be alone with him given recent events or vice versa.
They both looked around the room not really sure what they were searching for, just a sign of how to help Jax they supposed.
Under his bed was a mess, probably had an actual monster living under it, overall he didn't really seem to have any hiding places for stuff.
"Hey Pomni maybe the desk drawer," Zooble said as she and Pomni both reached to open it at the same time.
A dark blue mirror lay inside with intricate carving.
"Huh, didn't think Jax was into checking his looks..." Zooble paused as Pomni picked up the mirror, "Given the yellow teeth I'd have assumed he never even saw himself," she added laughing at her joke.
"Yeah," Pomni's voice lilted with an airy chuckle as she turned the mirror around. A small button-like shape sat where the mirror and handle met.
Pomni squinted her eyes pressing it.
She didn't expect it to do anything but when it suddenly shook violently out of her hand, a whirlpool opening up sucking her into the mirror. Well it did do something.
"Pomni!" Zooble yelped trying to grab Pomni's foot while getting sucked in too.
They opened their eyes looking around. They were in some dark forest, everything was gray and wilted. Pomni and Zooble stood up trying to make sense of what had happened.
"Um... Hello?!" Pomni yelled out hoping someone was there.
"Where are we...?" Pomni wondered aloud. Zooble tapped her chin with her claw.
"I'm not sure. Maybe it's something Jax took from an old adventure?" Zooble added though that seemed unlikely.
They sat against a dead tree stump unsure of what to do. They had looked around, there didn't seem to be an exit, maybe they were just stuck here.
"Oh, hey guys!" came Jax's voice. Zooble and Pomni's heads shot up.
Jax stood in front of them but it wasn't really Jax. His fur was a soft baby pink and his overalls were a baby blue with little embroidered duckies.
"J-Jax?" Pomni's voice was barely audible as she stood up along with Zooble.
"Hey Pom!" His voice was more cheerful too, so happy and relaxed. "Zoo-Zoo," he acknowledged Zooble nodding his head slightly.
"Zoo-Zoo...?" The words sounded weird coming from Jax. He had a few nicknames for everyone but never ones meant to do anything but tease. He called Zooble Zoobie not Zoo-Zoo.
Jax let out a light and airy giggle, "Yeah that's what I call you!"
"Um Jax... is there any way to get out of here?" Pomni asked running a hand through a stroke of her hair.
"Oh yeah! If you go through that portal you can leave! But you don't wanna leave me right...? Cause if you wanna leave me that means I don't have any friends and you guys are my friends so you wouldn't leave," Jax rambled as he stroked his ear, tears forming in his eyes.
"Uh... we just wanna take a look." Zooble began, "We'll erm come back later." She put an awkward hand on Jax's shoulder.
"O-okay well good luck!" Jax said waving goodbye as Pomni and Zooble stepped through the portal.
"I thought we'd never... get out." Pomni's voice trailed off. Well Jax lied, they hadn't left they just seemed to enter some other part of this weird mirror world.
"Okayyy..." Zooble's voice drawled out as she looked around placing a hand on her hip.
"At least this place looks... nicer?" Pomni attempted to soothe Zooble and herself.
It really did look better though. The grass was this almost minty color, the sky was a beautiful blue with swirling clouds and... lollipops for trees.
"Maybe there's another Jax?" Pomni seemed to have willed it into existence as they spotted a Jax in the distance doing cartwheels of all things.
"Hey Jax!" Zooble called out.
The newer Jax skipped over. Actually skipped. He had purple fur but it was fluffier, his overalls were a bright happy yellow.
"Hey Zoo-Zoo!" Jax greeted with that nickname again. "Hey Pom!" His voice was cheerful and happy.
"Um Jax is there any way to leave?" Pomni asked again. This expected feeling of deja vu hitting her.
"Um yeah! There's a labyrinth I can show you," he replied his ears flattening slightly, "but you won't like me after." Jax added his voice grim.
They walked through the labyrinth. It was made of corn which made Jax jump at any loud noise.
"And Pomni I'm sorry for freaking out after the guns adventure," he added onto the growing list of apologies he was creating.
"'S good." Pomni told him getting somewhat tired of these apologies.
"And Zooble I'm sorry for throwing you into a volcano that one time I was just really bored."
Zooble nodded absentmindedly.
"Um we're here. I need you guys to promise me something," Zooble and Pomni looked at him tentatively.
"When you leave don't let me abstract. I really don't wanna, you guys are my best friends," he waited for them to nod before pressing a hidden button.
"Uh Jax is everything good?" Ragatha asked walking towards the bunny who was doing some graffiti on Zooble's door.
"Yeah why?" He asked confused.
"Well uh I walked by your room and the door was open," Ragatha informed.
Jax could almost feel steam pooling out of his head.
"I-I'll go check on that." He said walking off.
He entered his room looking around.
He spotted it. The mirror on the ground, his desk drawer opened. He walked over picking up the mirror.
"F$@k!" He exclaimed angrily clicking the button on the mirror transporting him in.
Pomni and Zooble walked through the new portal and just great. Another new world, not back to the circus.
Suddenly a new Jax appeared in front of them but it looked like normal Jax. Not a different variation.
"Why the f#+k would you go in my room!?" He yelled his cheeks hot.
Nope this was just Jax.
"J-Jax we just wanted to help!" Pomni tried to make Jax understand.
"Welll great just grrat since you meant to be nice it's fineee," he remarked sarcastically.
"Where even are we?" Zooble asked unimpressed by his freak-out.
"You're in my mind! That mirror leads to my brain!" Jax's ears made a zigzag shape like they always did when he was mad.
Pomni and Zooble exchanged a glance, "So those other Jax's..." Zooble started, "Nice Jax... Meek Jax I guess?" She finished her thought. She'd probably frown if she had a mouth.
"Wow! Great job picking up on the context clues! Want a medal?" He spoke through a clenched jaw and a forced smile.
"So how do we get out...?" Pomni asked.
Jax pointed towards a large portal with black roses littering it.
"That's the only way out." He informed.
They all walked towards it hopping out.
They landed roughly in Jax's room. Well Zooble and Pomni did, Jax however had a smooth landing.
Jax shoved the mirror back into his desk drawer slamming it.
"If you ever pull some s$÷t like this again I'm gonna kill you both." Jax warned.
Zooble and Pomni left but they were certain of one thing.
Jax wanted help he just didn't know how to ask. And they were gonna help him.