Issue 035: Mirrored Lives

Mirrored Lives is the 35th issue in the W.I.T.C.H. comic series. It is released in February 2004.

Synopsis
Escaping Heatherfield to start anew, the guardians’ astral drops find themselves in a scary new city with no place to live in and hardly any money! While these girls are busy finding ways to earn cash in Midgale, little do they know that Orube is on a mission to hunt them down.

Plot
come concerned for their safety and feels guilt at using the Astral Drops as servants to help do the girl's chores and homework while they are on missions from Kandrakar or on dates. Orube has offered to help track them down and Will gives Orube her cellphone, asking her to call them once she has found the Astral==

The girls transport Orube to Midgale using magic. She appears in a train at the Midgale Train Station during dawn and accidentally scares a couple of janitors, then escapes from the train compartment she is hiding in. After tracking the Astral Drops for a while, Orube wonders where they could be as she sees that Midgale is a city bigger than Heatherfield and the people who live there are afraid (there are more bars on the windows and security measures.). She fears that she isn't late in rescuing the Drops from any dangers that the city has.

Meanwhile, the Astral Drops have stayed overnight in a shed. Irma and Hay Lin are already awake. Irma begins to wonder how they will survive with very little money and what their identity is. She feels that the further she gets away from the real Irma, the more different she feels.

Will's Astral Drop wakes up along with the others and they head out to explore Midgale, handing the tools in the tools shed to the man who works in the park on their way out, who is surprised to find them there. During this time the real Will wakes up and looks at Heatherfield, thinking that the city is boring and predictable, while her Astral Drop wonders at the mystery and adventure awaiting in Midgale.

The real Hay Lin also wakes up in Heatherfield, only to find out that she has slept in and is late for school. As she is hurriedly getting herself ready, her Astral Drop takes her time wading through a pool of water in the park. The Astral Drop has plenty of time to explore Midgale while Hay Lin is running out of time to get to school.

The drops have now reached the busiest part of Midgale. They are surprised by its size and life and Irma's double comments that it "Looks like a pretty rich place, where people live the good life!". Will's Astral Drop tells them that they are almost out of money and the girls decide to go find some food. Taranee's Drop asks what they will do when they run out of money completely and Irma responds that they will "think of something".

Irma's Drop has bought some food and is in a better mood, while the real Irma Lair wakes up in Heatherfield and is in a bad mood because she has to to go school. The Drop "feels that she is living in a dream" while the real Irma is "still dreaming" from waking up.

Irma's double begins to appreciate Midgale and is exited while the real Irma Lair is having a hard time getting out of the bathroom in the morning.

The Drops have finished eating and are wondering what to do, Cornelia's Drop states that she needs to look at herself in a mirror. Hay Lin jokes that "she better not" and this sets Cornelia's Drop into a frenzy. She heads off with the other Drops in tow, wondering where they are headed and Cornelia's double says that she is going to the only "familiar place in this unfamiliar city", being Reed Rose, a department store. This one is far larger than the one in Heatherfield and the girls marvel at it.

Taranee's Drop becomes apprehensive and tells the other that they are all being irresponsible. When Will's drop asks Taranee what's wrong, Taranee's double responds that they "Have to find a way to get away as far as possible. Right now! This minute!" and that "Heatherfield is still too close".

Meanwhile, the real Taranee is in Sheffield Institute while her Astral Drop is sensing that time is running out. They both get a sinking feeling in their guts, the Astral Drop wonders if its "really possible to run away from yourself" and the real Taranee's trying to avoid her boyfriends Nigel, even though she knows that this will "get her nowhere." The real Cornelia sees Taranee is running away from something and asks her to wait. Taranee keeps on running and Cornelia follows and accidentally bumps into Taranee's brother, Peter, who she has a crush on.