I’ve always loved Nobita. He’s lazy, a bit mischievous, oddly optimistic, and has a sliver of conviction. He’s no loser, and yesterday, in my dream, I made his dream a reality. Nobita finally became a hero, saving the world.

Rock-paper-scissors is brilliant. I always win, so Doraemon always gets stuck buying dorayaki. But… he’s taking forever. Why isn’t he back? Even without the Take-copter, he should’ve been here by now. I’m starving and sleepy.

Whoa, that startled me! Why’s he coming from the drawer? Does he need the Time Machine for dorayaki? Wait! That’s not him, what is that!? A mechanical bird, hey! That’s Doraemon’s voice! Help? Did I hear right? Hey, hey, don’t go! Where are you flying off to?

Doraemon, what’s up? Are you in trouble? Slow down! Phew, my glasses didn’t break. Wait up!

Why’d you bring me to the square? There’s nothing here but concrete pipes. Ah, it’s gone! I saw it go into the pipe. Uh… there’s nothing there, let me reach in… nothing.

Doraemon! Where are you! Doraemon! Whoa! Embarrassing, I stepped in a puddle… Wait!! This water’s deep, I can’t swim! Help!

Phew~ I made it out… What!!?? Where am I? Where’s the square? No way, is this a forest? Doraemon… where am I…

There’s an old house, two stories. Ew~ it’s creepy, covered in dark vines. Are you in there, Doraemon? I hope nobody finds me, this place is scary…

The first floor seems empty, door’s ajar, I’ll take a peek. Uh, what’s that noise? It sounds like a machine short-circuiting, a buzzing sound, it’s coming from the second floor. What is this place, Doraemon, get out here! The sound upstairs is so scary… I don’t wanna go up…

Ah, I’m busted, that step I took was so loud. Closet? Under the table? Behind the sofa? Hmm! Behind the sofa it is… Probably nobody’s here, I made so much noise. I’ll go upstairs, just a quick look.

This is… Oh my god! Doraemon, what happened! Who did this! He’s trapped in an electrified cage, wires all over him.

“Nobita! Don’t touch it!”

“I… What do I do, Doraemon…”

“No time for tears, go get help!”

“Should I get Gian and Suneo?”

“Hurry! Go back the way you came.”

This pile of wet leaves must be where I climbed out, let’s try… Yes! Phew~ I’m back, I hope nobody saw me, this is nuts!

“Nobita! Hahaha… You look like a drowned rat on a sunny day! Hahaha…” Gian and Suneo were there, playing with a remote-controlled airplane.

“Help, Doraemon’s been kidnapped!”

“Where?”

“Here!”

“Hahaha… Nobita, you’re messing with us, not falling for it.”

“Yeah, he probably fell in himself and is trying to trick us,” Suneo added.

“It’s real!”

“Nobita, if you’re playing games, I’ll beat you up.” Gian started rolling up his sleeves.

“It’s… nothing.”

They don’t believe me, will Shizuka?

“What’s wrong? You look worried.”

“Doraemon’s been kidnapped, help…”

“Where is he?”

“Follow me.”

“Here? I don’t see anything.” Gian and Suneo were gone.

“In this puddle.”

“Huh?”

“Seriously, in here.”

“Nobita, I can’t save him even if I go in. Let’s call the cops, I have homework.”

“Shizuka! Don’t go!”

What do I do? Telling Mom, or the police, it’s pointless. My friends think I’m lying, how can they believe me? No, I’ll check on Doraemon.

He’s still motionless in the cage, but why doesn’t he use his gadgets? Ah! His pocket’s gone, what’s this? A steel plate? Doraemon said the kidnappers have snake tattoos on their wrists, they’re not normal, they used 22nd-century tech to remove the pocket. Under it, there’s just this plate, with Doraemon’s model number, AZ-30.

What do I do… I cried, Doraemon sighed: “It’s up to you, Nobita.” He took off the plate, revealing the wires inside. I picked it up, looking at him unsure.

“You can use this, but be careful. It’s my last gadget, the Chaos Double-Sided Mirror, I’ve activated it.”

The AZ-30 faded, and the surface became mirror-clear. It’s a mirror.

“It’s no common mirror, the front shows the past, the back, try reaching in.”

Reach in? I touched it, no sensation, my hand went through, appearing inside the mirror.

“You can take things out, like that dorayaki on the windowsill.”

There’s such a thing? I turned my back, the dorayaki appeared, I reached in, the distance was within reach. I took it out, and it was gone from the windowsill.

“Now look at the front, what do you see?”

I flipped it, oh my god! A kidnapper, calm down… he can’t see me. They do have snake tattoos, as Doraemon said, they look identical, with perfect features. They’re setting up this prison, pushing Doraemon in, connecting wires, the wires leading to an inverted cone on top.

I turned, the pocket! That’s it! A kidnapper took it and left. “Doraemon, I’ll save you, wait!” I threw the dorayaki, Doraemon almost caught it, but it touched the bars, turning into charcoal with a bang.

“Wait! I’ll save you!” I said, backing down the stairs, watching the steps and the mirror. The kidnapper got into a UFO and flew away, disappearing with a whoosh.

I chased, a river blocked me, a boat on the other side, how do I get there… Right! I turned my back, flipped the mirror, reached for the boat, got it! I pulled it across. Curious, I turned, the mirror was the mirror, reality was reality, the boat still bobbing on the other side. The mirror boat was on the shore, I pulled my hand out, turned, and the boat was really there.

Walking along the path, the kidnapper scared me again, it was a scene from hours ago. The snake tattoos were walking, gathering deeper in the forest. Identical faces, with eager eyes, like devout believers. I saw the one with the pocket! I almost reached out, but nearly smashed the mirror, this side shows the past. Following them to a castle, like a vampire family lives there, ew…

The pocket kidnapper seems to be the leader, the guards saluted him. But now, the guards just stood silently. No, Doraemon, I promised! Hang on! But with just this mirror, no Anywhere Door, no Take-copter, how… Sneak in first, hmm! Movies always use drains, no guards, I removed the bars and snuck in.

I can’t stand it, finally out of this ditch, where am I? Ah! Oh my god, a lab, human bellies sewn with pockets, like Doraemon’s. They’re on benches, eyes closed, not breathing. Some without pockets, with steel plates like mine, but with names, not model numbers. Are they… dead… These kidnappers want to turn humans into Doraemon! They are from the 22nd century! Doraemon, how can I fight them…

I have to get the pocket back. I opened the lab door, a dark corridor, candlelight on pillars, ceiling unseen. I stepped on the stone, a snap, echoes. Wait… Not echoes! The kidnappers are coming! Whoa, escape back to the lab, how’d they find me? Nowhere to hide, oh no, the drain again. Doraemon, I’m going to die, they’ll put a pocket on me…

Escaping was faster, I slid out, falling outside the castle, ah! The mirror’s broken! Run, the guards heard, they’re chasing, hide in the woods! I’m going to die, Doraemon… A tree hole! Hide! Footsteps, they ran past, chasing down the path.

Looking at the broken mirror, I’m desperate, Doraemon, what can I use?

I hid all night, curled up, sore, I’m sorry, Doraemon, I can’t… Can I see you first?

I’m done! They’re chasing me! Right behind! Oh… Scared me, it’s the mirror, them chasing me yesterday. Listless, holding half a mirror in each hand, walking back. Sunlight through the trees shone on the left mirror, then the right, piercing my eyes. My eyes flashed, an idea - what if I use them together!

I placed them face to face, seeing yesterday in the right mirror from the left. I fixed them, reached in, and pulled off a leaf from last night. It had dew on it. Nobita! You’re a genius! Doraemon’s saved, humans are saved, kidnappers, you’re done!

I tricked the kidnappers and guards from yesterday, took their weapons, watched them panic, I couldn’t help laughing. They’ll never know someone from the future took their stuff.

Time to get the pocket, but where? I only saw it yesterday… Right, I’ll take it from the mirror! Hahahaha… Too easy, the kidnappers ran back to the castle. Go, return the pocket. Wait… those lab subjects, what are these 22nd-century guys doing? It must be bad, I have to stop them!

Sneak in again, I need to know. Oh no, the castle’s surrounded. I can’t even get in the drains. No weapons, those metal sticks are useless, I don’t know how to open the pocket, throw stones… Right, why not! I can take things, maybe throw things in. I threw a stone, it flew out, landing at my feet, no sound on the mirror. Great, a slingshot, I shot a guard. Like by the river, no trajectory, it appeared after hitting him. He was puzzled, I hit him more, he ran to another guard, terrified. I kept hitting, the other guard saw the stones, and ran with him, like they saw a ghost.

I shot more guards. Oh no, one’s not scared, he’s smart. He judged my direction, leading a sweep. Hehe, disarm them! Now they’re panicked, retreating.

Suddenly, blue light at the castle top, a gate of light. The leader, a sapphire on his neck, maintaining the gate. A portal! More 22nd-century people, identical, snake tattoos.

Great, you asked for it! No need to sneak in. I went back to the path, the mirror replaying yesterday. The leader leading kidnappers, wearing the sapphire, like picking something. After taking it, the luster dimmed, a 22nd-century safeguard, the treasure loses power away from its owner. Anyway, you can’t go back, I’ll save Doraemon, and he’ll seal the exit, hahahaha…

“Nobita! Nobita! I’m back! Hey… You fell asleep? Forget it, I’ll eat the dorayaki. Ah! Help! Nobita! Wake up!”

“Doraemon! I’m here to save you! Uh… I’m home, what’s wrong, Doraemon?”

“There’s a—rat!!”