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The Two-sided Mirror - Chapter 2: Semblance

Micha was running along a road, a river to her left, the occasional tree between her and the river flashing by. To her right, houses were seamed along it. Baffled people were looking after her, and shouts behind her from which she fled, fast.

She heard sirens slowly closing in. They'll have me, soon - she thought, but could not go any faster. She was already on all fours, something to which she was unaccustomed to, but which - surprisingly - worked well.

As she glanced behind her and already caught a glimpse of the vehicle that would have been at her in a few seconds, the rows of houses to her right ceased, leaving a forest and partially dense bush-work.

She rushed at it, changing her direction rapidly, feeling leaves brush over her.

The shouts and the sirens grew fainter, but still she did not stop, though almost out of breath. Only after she heard nothing anymore, she stopped, having lost any sense of direction.

The only sounds she could hear now were her breathing overpowering anything but some noisy birds. After a while, she could also hear the leaves that were moved by the wind, and distantly, water.

This eased her tension, she started to feel more in control again now. Not far enough, she thought, though her breathing was almost calm again now. She could not stay here, it was not safe.

She was lost. It was a strange world, one in which she did not belong to.

Noises again. Dogs. She knew the scent. At least she though she did, because it was strange and pungent compared to what she was used to. It must be a breed of dog she had not encountered yet, she thought. No. Two of them.

Silently she moved on, deeper into the forest. But slowly, in fear of those strange apes that dominated this place to find her. She did not mind the dogs so much though. These caught up with her now, barking.

She turned, expecting some familiar faces, finally, only to find these strange dog-like creatures, on all fours, not at all like what she was used to. These were aggressive, but dull.

She turned around against them, her fur on end, hissing.

The dogs turned around, whimpering, their tails between their legs.

Micha continued on, and soon found a road again, heavy with traffic, to her dismay. She felt she should cross it though, staying hidden until a reasonable gap between the cars, which she used to get to the other side quickly.

On she went, again through the forest.

Finally, she hit a wall she could not pass and stopped. What now? She hoped to have shook of her followers for now, but they would search, that much she knew. But where to go?

This had all been a nightmare. Only hours ago it had been all fine, a usual day at the dorm. Until a roused crowd was storming through the corridors, that is.

She had halted them, requesting a good reason for the uproar, only to get some story of some strange fur-less ape in the companion of Thomas, fleeing from the building. Fur-less, and not because of a shaving! Crazy, she had thought. But to get to the bottom of this, she got the key for Thomas's room - she as DA had always access to a spare set of keys - to check it out. She had found what she had expected at first - an empty room, except that the door was open. As she was about to leave the room again she caught a glimpse of an odd shimmer of light.

There was something in the air, near Thomas's bed. It was difficult to see, since it appeared almost opaque at first. Only with more careful looks she could clearly see something that did not belong, but was unable to give it a word. As she grabbed at it to see what it was, she felt a strong tug on her arm, finally pulling her towards that strange... thing. Then she had blanked out.

As she woke again, she found herself in a room she did not know. At first she thought someone had brought her there after finding her unconscious, but soon she found the place not only unknown but totally unfamiliar. It smelled differently. The feeling of the place reminded her of some far away country she had probably visited sometime, or seen on TV - or was it in a dream?

There was no shed fur anywhere at all, except for some occasional thick strand that did not feel like a type of fur she could recognize.

The sun shining in from a window was soon about to set, and it had already been late at night just before. Or had she been out almost a whole day?

It must have been, but for some reason it did not feel that way. She took a look around the rooms she was in - apparently a small apartment. It indeed felt alien here. Her eyes rested on a clock that confirmed that it was in the early evening. This however gave her the idea to check her own watch. It showed a quarter past eleven.

This inconsistency gave her the first idea that she might still be out and dreaming. She was about to try to test this when she heard an annoyingly sharp ring. This hurt in her ears, and they flicked down, even before her second instinct to duck and hide made her jerk.

Silence again. Her heartbeat was starting to slow down from the pounding when a second ring started, this time going on for several seconds.

This annoyed her so much that she searched for the door without thinking, to answer and shut down the ring, both paws pressing her ears against the skull.

As she opened the door and looked out it was too late realizing her mistake.

A being fitting the description of a fur-less ape looked at her through an outer glass door. It's jaw dropped, eyes widening.

Adrenaline shot to her brain again. After a second of staring, she slammed the door. She spun on the spot, thoughts racing. What a dream. What a nightmare. She pinched her arm, willing herself to wake up, shutting her eyes tight. Nothing changed. She still stood there, unfamiliar smells tingling in her nose. She heard it slamming outside.

Must flee, she thought.

She ran through the room to the glass back door she noticed before, showing a small garden, looking through the rooms. Fiddling with the unfamiliar opening mechanism, finally tearing the door open, escaping, running. Cool air suddenly filled her lungs and she felt elated. She did not think anymore. Her paws took her swiftly away, jumping easily over a fence.

The air gave her strength and courage, it felt more familiar. This she could deal with. She dodged another ape, ran past it. Along a path leading to a road. Leaving the garden, the small park after it, she stopped to a halt. Houses all around her. She was in a city.

Fear flooded through her. She looked around, searching for a way out. Taking a breath, she ran on, choosing a street lined with trees. She passed one or two more apes, but did not see any more.

It was getting darker. This and reaching more trees and a meadow gave her hope. She ran on, into the large field. After a minute high grass surrounded her.

She stopped, looked around. In the back the row of houses. No one seemed to have followed her. In front of her, in the distance, more houses.

She slouched down, the grass reaching above her head.

The dew-covered ground cooled her bottom through the fur that was getting damp.

As her breath slowed down she put her muzzle in her paws and she wept.

She felt exhausted and lay down. Within minutes, she slept, just after seeing the first stars show up in the sky.

Micha awoke with a start. Her back was cold and damp, and it was still dark. She shivered. Sitting up, she rubbed her back fur, trying to fluff it up somewhat so it could hold in the warmth better.

She stood up. The moon was just rising, and so she could see enough of her surroundings. In the distance light. Streetlights lining a street.

Now that the first rush was past she realized she had no idea how to deal with her situation. This was no dream, she was sure of this now. She felt alone, helpless. She had to get some control back. Maybe it was best to find out where she was. The near darkness was a good opportunity to get an idea of her surroundings, so she started walking.

She walked in the direction she thought she had come from, but after five minutes she realized she had no idea where she was - she could not even find the apartment she had started from.

So she walked on for a while, taking great care to get an impression of the surroundings and to remember where she came from. She could see street-lights in the distance, but was walking on a straight road lined with trees but without any illumination, surrounded by meadows with barely any houses nearby. Judging by the position and movement of the moon, she went approximately south.

After half an hour she hit a wall and went right. More trees, but a now paved road leading to an even broader one. She crossed it and found a narrow path through a forest.

After losing the path she followed the sound of a river in the distance.

Finally arriving at the river she stopped. The moon reflected on the water. This calmed her, and so she just stood there for a while, watching the moon rise, it's glistening reflection on the water, listening to the noise of the river, an owl in the distance. This felt familiar to her. But she was on an alien world. As she pondered on where she might have landed but not coming to a conclusion she stared at the moon which soothed her.

Suddenly here eyes opened wide at the moon. It was the moon she knew. It had the same markings and size, even the same silvery light.

She had never heard of a place on earth that was like this, with such strange apes. It could not be Earth, but it must be. How? "How can this be.." she found her voice whispering to herself and was struck by how unsteady it was.

Since she could not answer this she went on with her task of exploring her surroundings and followed the river, back north.

After a while the path alongside grew broader and paved, and she could see the first lights again. It was still only on the edge of the city so she went on. Soon it grew lighter again - a new day was beginning, but the sun had not risen yet, so she walked on.

After an hour of slow walking the river took a bend and the trees lining the road stopped, and she stepped into a city.

The streetlights to both sides of the river flowing in the middle of the city reflected on the water, and she could see people moving.

A shout drove her out of the calm as she was gazing over the city.

Not five meters from her an ape was shouting at her, but she could not understand anything. The person approached her, so she turned and ran back.

She had been tricked by the calm of the morning and let her guard down. The sun was rising now, and she realized she had arrived deeper in the city as she would have dared. Many houses were lining the street she had been walking on, and as she ran back she encountered more of those apes.

Soon she was being followed.

Micha shook her head, trying to shed the images of the flashback of her hunt like droplets of water clinging to her fur. She looked around, still facing the wall she could not pass. She recognized it. It was the same one she had encountered before, after walking along the tree lined road enveloped by meadows.

With this she also realized her only hope. She had to get back to the apartment where she had appeared in. Now having walked around a few hours she had a better sense of direction and had some idea where she might find it.

So she ran. The faster she made it back, the better - the city was awaking, making it harder the longer she waited.

As she neared the houses again she gulped but ran on.. this seemed more on the edge on the city, so less people to worry about. Some apes still noticed her, but she ignored them. She had regained her orientation, and finally made it back to the small park, the tiny garden and finally the glass door, still open.

Heavily out of breath she stepped in, closed the door and shut the curtains after taking a last peek outside - nobody in sight.

After her breathing had calmed she looked around the apartment again.

The main room was empty, but could make out the scent of one of the ape creatures. She walked into the hall, and faced a closed door which lead to the room where she had appeared in.

Muffled sobbing came through the door. She stood still but began to tremble. She steadied herself against the wall, trying to be as silent as possible. The sobbing continued. Slowly she put a paw on the door-handle, but waited, still steadying herself. She had to... confrontation was unavoidable, and opened the door.

An ape lay on the large bed occupying most of the space of the room, face down.

"Why are you crying?" she asked.

The sobbing stopped. The ape turned around, looked and gaped.

Its eyes were red with tears, mouth open, and for what seemed like minutes just looked, sitting still. It's eyes looked glazed as it stared. Micha wondered if it still looked at her. Then it - he, she now recognized - began to smile. "What?" he asked, his voice distant.

"Why are you crying?" she repeated. Her trembling subsided as she spoke again, more slowly and pronounced. "My mate has vanished." His smile faded.

She suddenly felt weak, and gripped the door-handle again. As this did not help, she let herself slide to the ground, now breathing more deeply again.

"Are you OK?" "Weak. This is all too much." She tried to look up again. She only caught a glance of him before she had to rest her head against the door that had closed as she had steadied herself against it. She had not expected him to be so friendly. The fear that had driven her on before was now gone. She suddenly realized how thirsty she was. "Water, please." was all she could muster. She felt hands rest on her shoulders and after a moment they gripped her under the arms, helped her up and guided her to rest on the bed. "I'll be right there." She heard him open the door and leave, then the rushing of water filling a glass. "Here you go." She took the glass and drank it empty in a few gulps. "More?" "Please" More rushing of water. She already waited for him to return with another glass of water, and took it from his hands. "Much better." she said after having drained this one also. "I've always wanted to meet someone like you..." he said softly.

"Why? All the others I met here yelled, ran after or away from me. I've only seen a... - she paused but quickly continued "people like you, here." "That's because nobody has ever seen someone like you here." She finally looked up to him again, saying nothing, watching his eyes study her. They were now focused on her, with her, the stare was replaced by a softer look that she could not quite make out. "I had already feared that. This really... really is not my world."

She paused again, and now looked at him more closely, finally having the chance. "I've never seen people like you either." "Where do you come from?" He asked. "From a place similar to this... well somewhat.. but with many different species living on the planet.. I don't know really." "You mean with talking animals... wolves, foxes, lions, bears?" His face beaming.

"Yes... and many, many others." "Even Dragons?" "Uh. Yes. Why?" "Oh... uh... hard to explain."

"We'll leave this for another time, then?"

He nodded.

"What's your name, anyway?"

"I... I..." he stammered.

"You don't know your own name?"

"I do, but... You see, I have two names actually, and was not sure which one is appropriate."

"Tell me both, then, and why there are two." Micha smiled.

"Cyrnos and Julian. The first is for my furry friends which I have chosen myself, and Julian is my given name that is used for everyone else." "Never heard of someone do something like this, except maybe with a nickname." "Well, you could call Cyrnos my nickname - but its more to me than that." "What do you mean with furry friends? And how come you are so calm and friendly - you are different than the others I've seen." Cyrnos grinned. "I know, thank you" "Confident, aren't we?" Micha curled a lip and exposed a sharp tooth.

Cyrnos ignored this but looked at the tooth.

"Furry friends are most of my close friends. I'll try to explain about furry later..."

"you do make this interesting" Micha injected

Cyrnos smiled but continued "I have been forewarned about you, so seeing you has not been a total surprise..."

Micha's jaw dropped.

"... rather a delight"

Her lips closed again and she blushed as she just looked at him.

After she had gathered herself again she asked "How can you have been forewarned?"

"My mate's brother was here yesterday to drop something off, and he had a strange epiphany there. The door of Machara's home - this apartment - opened after he had pushed the door-bell and he saw a furry creature standing upright, apparently in noticeable distress, glare at him for a moment and then turn around and slam the door again. When I called him yesterday to ask if he had seen my missing mate he told me what he has seen and his description of that creature matches you. I thought he must have seen someone in a fursuit - a costume that is, but was astonished that it could be made to look so real. Well, I knew it could not have been a fursuit based on how he had described it, but I was doubting it could have been real, too."

"I have seen him." Micha confessed "I panicked since I never saw creatures like you and he looked upset, so I ran. He was actually only the second one I've seen." "No kidding? Well he sounded somewhat disturbed and looked in the garden on the backside for what was going on, but only found the garden door open and no one there, so he went home. You should have stayed here." Cyrnos paused, looked at her and then went on

"What happened? Where did you come from? And what's your name?"

"My name... is Micha. I had some unpleasant encounters with some people after I ran out of here. I am glad to have found this place again, got lost for a while. It was horrible..."

"I already told you where I come from. But you want to know more, don't you?" Micha watched Cyrnos' expressions.

"You did tell me you always wanted to meet someone like me." She continued as he did not answer.

"Yes." he stated, but did not go on.

"How could you have wanted to meet me when you could not have known of me?" Micha went on, getting more desperate.

Cyrnos continued to watch her, resting his eyes on the tip of her tail that was lashing nervously from side to side, each time softly hitting the blanket.

Finally Cyrnos spoke, his voice hoarse in the first few words.

"I am not an ape, not human. I never felt close to anyone here. Well, almost anyone. I always felt different. In my childhood I never knew why. Until I found out I am a dragon..."

"I know dragons." Micha encountered. "And you are not one"

Anger flashed over Cyrnos' face, but it was replaced with sadness soon. He looked at her muzzle for a moment, then lowered his face, pondering.

As he raised his head again, he looked more determined.

"It's hard being one when you don't look like one. But the feeling of being a dragon never left me since I became clear of what that feeling of being of other kin' meant. It's hard in this world when you can only dream of your true self, when you have to imagine the world in which you belong.

So yes, I have wished and hoped and dreamed of meeting someone like you. But to be honest, I wish you were a dragon."

"Sorry to be a snow leopard, then." Micha answered shortly.

"Well, I am still glad to meet you."

"If I would be given the choice of meeting you people or staying at home, I'm not sure I would choose this. I don't know how I got here, nor do I know how to get back." Micha inclined.

"You said Machara's brother was the second human you saw. Who was the first?"

"In my world I am a dormitory assistant of one of the dormitories belonging to the university in my town, so it's natural that any disturbance there comes to my attention. Yesterday... - has it just been one day? - one of these came up. I heard shouting and a crowd grouping together. The attention of the group focused on a ferret - some babbling no-good I've been watching lately anyway - who seemed to be under the impression to have seen a strange creature in the room of one of the students - an ape, one like out of those fairy-tales, one of those bland creatures with no special treats or abilities, completely fur or scale-less. No offense." Micha looked up, somewhat ashamed now, biting her lip.

"No problem, you're right anyway... go on.." Cyrnos commented, not seeming to be offended at all, so Micha continued, swallowing the embarrassment of her slip.

"Well, I did not believe them, but the mob was led through corridors by the ferret in an attempt to find that creature, so I followed. Of course we did not find anything - or so I thought.

The crowd soon thinned and finally I managed to convince the rest that there was nothing there. I went back to my office, taking the back staircase. I had just gotten down a level when I heard a voice say 'I have a car just around the corner'. I recognized that voice as Thomas who was already mentioned earlier by Julius the ferret leading the mob, so I sped up trying to catch up. When I was at the bottom I saw the door open, and an ape which I now recognize as female slumped over Tomas' shoulder. I got a glimpse of her, but was so surprised I stood there rooted. After I regained myself I followed, only to see a car leave."

As Micha finished talking she found Cyrnos in rapt attention.

"Can you describe that girl?"

"The female ape I saw? She must have been about as tall as you, with intense brown hair rather pale skin but interesting eyes - they had many colors but mostly green brown and blue. Why do you ask?"

"I just had a feeling. You just described the eyes of my mate, but hair and skin are different. And of course that it's a girl. But I have some strange feeling that it might be my Machara. She has always felt female in a male's body."

Cyrnos now actually smiled and he felt more energetic than before.

"How did you end up here?" Cyrnos asked.

"After the car left I went back in the building to take a look at Tomas room. It was deserted, the door was still open. At first I saw nothing special and was beginning to head back to my office - I'd deal with Julius later. However as I was about to leave the room and turned off the lights a glimmer of light hit my eyes out of the corner that just seemed too bright to be normal in the now only darkly lit room. So I inspected it once more and found the source of that glimmer localized in the middle of the room just beside the bed. It looked like nothing I had seen before, and at first the light was too bright to make anything out. But then I made out a portion of another room visible through this half transparent window in the middle of the room I was standing in. I got closer and touched the window. As I did so I felt a tugging feeling, tingling in my whole body, then nausea and finally I blacked out. I awoke in that room some time later, the same room that I had caught a glimpse through that window in space in Tomas room. The rest of the story you already know."

After Micha had ended she just sat there, not moving or looking, just breathing, almost like before as she had waited for water.

"I wish I could go to your world." Cyrnos said after a pause and started looking around the room. "I can't see any such window here however."

"You'd risk being chased after just like that other female." sighed Micha. "I have to find Machara. And meeting more people like you feels like destiny now, even if it is dangerous. Where in this room was this window?"

"Somewhere on this bed - at least that's what it looked like from over there."

Cyrnos looked over the bed. Aside from pillows and blankets he only found an issue of this comic book that he remembered Machara winning in an auction some time ago.

He took the comic and glanced at it, flicking through the pages. Machara must have been reading it recently.

Cyrnos put the comic on his lap and turned to Micha again, looking at her. After a while she looked up and returned the gaze, and they just sat there looking at each other's in silence, consciously making eye-contact.

"What now?" Cyrnos asked.

"It's probably been a whole day since I have last eaten. I've slept in cold grass, been lost, was walking around for hours, been chased after... I could do with some food and a shower." Cyrnos eyes widened. "You never made it clear you were chased. Who chased you?"

"People. along a river. was being followed by a car soon with lights on top, and finally by dogs on four legs."

"You should have told me this right away!" Cyrnos exclaimed. "Was it the police?"

"Don't know. The car was different than the others I've seen. Had writing on it and those colored flashing lights."

"It was the police then. How far have they followed you? Have you lost them?"

"I think so. But other people might have seen me when I came back here."

"We might not be safe. Come."

Cyrnos stood up and went for the door. Micha followed him into the living room. Cyrnos went for the curtains and looked outside into the garden and further.

He froze as he saw two policemen in the small park just fifty meters away following two dogs who were apparently sniffing around and dragging the men along with them as they followed a scent.

"We have to get out of here. They followed you."

He ran into the corridor, slipped on shoes without tying the laces, picked up a jacket and held it in one hand together with the comic that he had absentmindedly carried with him and grabbed the car-key with the other.

"Hurry!" Micha was on Cyrnos heels as he ran out the main door following him outside and turned left. The door fell shut behind them.

She followed him along the side of the long house, passing doors leading into other apartments. They turned around another corner just as they heard a shout behind them, but a good way off.

Micha followed Cyrnos in a door leading downstairs into an underground parking space and to a car. Cyrnos opened it and gestured her to take the passenger-seat. As soon as they were in he started the engine, and they were off, soon leaving the parking space and driving away on a road towards the south leading out of the city.

"Have you seen anyone following us?" Cyrnos asked

"No, I just heard that shout behind us just before we went inside again." "Let's hope we are in luck.." Cyrnos inclined and exhaled audibly.