Disclaimer: I've got enough deal with right now. If you think I'm going to risk a lawsuit by claiming this as my own, you're sorely mistaken.

Enjoy!

Chapter Four: I'm Telling!

It felt strange to be back at school again, after so much had happened. She had at last perfected her replica time-turner, and was able to go back so that hardly any time had passed - but even so, her friends greeted her as though she had been gone as long as she had, and it confused them that they missed her so much. However, even among the cheer of her friends and comrades, something felt very wrong. It seemed as though the world was tense, waiting for something to happen, but unsure what. Like a storm was fast approaching. As the day went by—and it was actually an unusually good day at school—Ames began to believe that the tension was related to the pending War of the Worlds. Her world was nearly bursting at the seams as it struggled to maintain its separation from the other Realms.

Amy herself was debating whether or not to take her friends into her confidence and tell them the truth about everything that was going on. Several opportune moments presented themselves to her throughout the day, but by school's end, every one of them had slipped through her fingers.

Her father picked her up, as usual (even though they lived less than a mile away), and as they drove toward home, the lass reflected on how big a secret this was becoming, and how big a lie she told her loved ones on a daily basis. She resolved to warn the world soon to be ready, and that until then, she should at least let her parents know about her personal side of the secret.

When they arrived at home, Amy called out a greeting and her mother's voice replied from the next room. The lass strode into the den and dropped her bag in the usual spot, answering her usual as her mum asked how the day had been. Her father came in about then and said to his wife, "Nothing happened over there, either."

"Happened? Thewhodidthewhatnow?"

"Nothing. That's just it. We've been worried all day, and no one knows why."

Amy's brows came together, and she made the reply she would have made before she had become aware of what was really going on: "Maybe it's the Apocalypse."

"Now now," her mother chuckled, "I'm sure it's nothing as bad as that."

My dear woman, you have no idea, Ames thought guiltily. She should tell them. She should tell them now. "Hey, Mom...do you believe in the concept of parallel worlds?"

"Well, we do now. James is from another world—and you just got back from one yesterday. You missed church, you know."

"Yeah...I miscalculated a little..."

"Well, just try not to miss it next week," he father replied.

"How is whatever you're doing going, anyway?"

Ames hesitated. Opportune moment... Opportune moment... Now was the time to tell them everything. "Well... we've made a lot of progress—oh! Did I tell you I went to Tortuga?"

"You what?" Okay, maybe not everything... Perhaps she shouldn't have mentioned that bit...

"Yeah, well, we went during the day, and besides I had James there to take care of me."

"Then how was it?"

"Interesting. Like going to a working historical town, only it's not historical, it's present. You know, ironically their library is very nice. I got a really nice hat, too." Which had, thankfully, been washed. Her mother expressed an interest in seeing it, and the girl, both relieved and frustrated at the waste of opportunity, eagerly left to go get it. When she showed it to her parents, they exclaimed that it was a very nice hat, and admired the plume. Well, that was it. The opportunity was gone, to be replaced with cheer and family bonding.

—

"Well you're quiet," her mother remarked amid a commercial break. The two were watching Psych together that evening.

"I'm just thinking." There was a short silence. "Mom, do you believe in magic?"

"I suppose to some extent—that's how you visit James."

"W-yeah, but what about magic in people?"

"Well—like the magic to inspire and make your dreams come true? Or to spiritually touch others and share the gift of Christ? I believe in that kind of magic..."

"No—no—" sigh. "I mean, like, magic. Sorcery. That kind of stuff."

"Not really. Why?"

"Well I..." OPPORTUNE MOMENT OPPORTUNE MOMENT OPPORTUNE MOMENT! her brain was screaming at her. "I-I'm reading this book—really interesting—and it just kind of makes me think." DARNIT!

"You do know the difference between fiction and reality—," her mother was alarmed.

"Of course I do!" she reassured the woman. As her mum calmed, she went on. "It just got me thinking, that's all." Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid...

"Oh. Well, no. I don't believe in that kind of magic."

And so was wasted another most opportune moment...

—

"Yes, tis tru'," Tia Dalma replied forebodingly when Ames contacted her and told her about conditions in her own world. "D'ere is similar feeling here, alt'ough ver' faint an' hard t' detec'."

"Can you send James over? I need someone to talk to."

Teacher chuckled in her mind. "Ya have not told your luv' ones about ya powers?" She laughed again when the lass answered sheepishly. "All de better. De comm'dore been lookin' for an escuse t'come. Him want t'try somet'ing in ya game-worl' ta help him train."

"Kingdom hearts? That's crazy." Pause. "Okay, crazy enough to work, but still! Oh well. A commodore's gotta do what a commodore's gotta do, I guess. Either way, I'll be glad to see him. Well, let him know I'm opening a passage, will ya? Thanks. It'll be narrow, though—don't want it to further offset the world's balance any more than it already has been."

"Of course, chil'. But take warnin': de collision o' realms will cause destrucshun of any remainin' manifestations. Howeva, de reason dat collision so close is because dere is a link 'tween all de manifestations, thus linkin' all de realms dey in. De forms been loose sev'ral mont's. Much longer an' 'twill be too late. De links in the realms will cause a collision, an' de man'festations destroyed. You and ya comm'dore mus' find de nex' emotion as soon a' possible."

Ames replied that they would return by week's end. The conversation thus ended, and James was poofed into her den. "Er... why are you wearing your armor?"

"Well it would have helped when I was facing those men in black," he replied. "And besides, when you put me into the game, you're going to make it so that I don't have any abilities or weapons that I couldn't possibly have in reality. The armour will help."

"An unending source of enemies to fight. Well, just don't go getting yourself killed. Donald can help you there—ask around. But come back sometimes, will you? We need to talk about some things, okay?"

He vowed that he would, and with a touch to the screen, he jumped into the game and sought any means to better his fighting—despite his injured arm still a-sling and lack of a video-game-character's superhuman abilities. "Good luck," she murmured to the television screen. "We're gonna need those newfangled skills of yours wherever we're going."

One chapter left in this episode. Please review.