AU: Mesmeric Leader (I didn't have many ideas and this dude is covered in jewelry-)

Context: Perhaps he isn't what he seems :)

—————————————————————————————————————

[3rd Person POV]

He cared for the Red Kingdom, but he couldn't stay there anymore. Now even he was a threat to them, just the sight of him would cause panic as they would think he was an outsider. So, he only watched them from a distance.

And when he was done, he would return to the cave to watch over his captives and maintain their tranquility.

Although, it seems like all of them are doing just fine currently. Which means he has free time. Free time he doesn't really know what to do with. It's nighttime, no people would be out back at the Kingdom, especially with the darkness having returned. He couldn't go out for targets right now, the rest of the colors have started putting stricter rules about going out at night and being alone. There are even white-armored guards everywhere. Even with his teleporting and illusions, he'd have to come up with a new strategy to gather more captives before actually going.

So, he merely stood in the only room in the cave not meant for captives.

A room with only the floor covered in the soft red moss, like carpet, the walls mostly left alone save for the small magenta-ish vines that appeared in cracks. The rock was smoother than what it naturally should be. On his left, against the wall, sat a perfectly circular pool with a small waterfall coming out of the stone wall above it. The water flowed calmly and barely made a noise as it connected with the pool, the only sound that could be heard from the waterfall being a trickling noise. A large reddish-pink flower grew in the center of the ceiling, many of the spores that were seen around the cave spewing from it. They floated down, some seemingly disappearing as they touched the moss or the water in the pool, while most simply danced through the air and went to different parts of the cave.

On the opposite wall from the pool, the wall was not stone. It was a reflective, mirror-like, smooth wall of crystal. It was beautiful, reflecting everything that was in the room.

Even his appearance. His... real appearance.

A mirror cannot be tricked like a mind can. So, his pristine appearance is nonexistent in its view. Only his jewelry was real, and even then it was not shining gold and radiant rubies. It was crumbling away because something from the incident, and the gemstones have cracked and dulled. Some of them are even missing pieces, and other items of jewelry are completely broken.

He put a hand to a broken earring as he stared at his true, horrific visage. The mirror showed something truly... vile.

Disgustingly misshapen and distorted into a twisted, harrowing mockery of what he used to be. He doesn't even look like the same person anymore... the same species.

Especially with the- no, don't focus on that right now. It'll just make it worse than it already is.

...

He should leave. Get started on scouting out new places to find and lead new captives to. Places that aren't too close to those guards.

And so he left, not glancing into the mirroring crystal for a second longer.