The Fake and the Real

The sensation of facing myself was deeply strange.

I thought it had been quite some time since I’d gotten used to the appearance of a little girl. I’d assumed I’d reached the point where I could look in the mirror and simply think, ‘Oh, so this is me,’ without giving it a second thought.

But I was wrong. Faced with the sight of a face I’d only ever seen in the mirror now staring back at me, alive and expressionless, I had no idea where to begin.

"...."

"...."

For a while, we silently sized each other up.

Our height and appearance were identical. Even the white martial arts robes, clumsily stitched back together, were the same. The only difference was Mr. Rabbit, dangling from the waist of that thing.

"What are you? What gives you the gall to imitate this sovereign?"

I was the first to break the silence.

"....."...