Author's Note: My first attempt at the Subreality concept. I know it's not the greatest thing, and I tried to limit the references to my own stories, but...well, try to enjoy it anyway, please? Also, if you're not into the whole anime thing, you might wanna skip this one. I do love a good crossover...
For those of you that have read the first few "The Anime World" stories, this was created just before #2.

A-Muse-ing Experience -AKA-
There's Always Someone Higher Up

By XMAN0123 (Nate Grey)
--------------------------------

It wasn't an unexpected sight, really. Many anime characters had appeared in his dreams before, so the boy didn't give it a second thought when he saw two of his all-time favorites at the foot of his bed. However, when one of them pointed a gun straight at him, he was understandably a little shocked.

"You sure this is him?" Heero asked, looking the boy up and down. "Doesn't look like much of a fanfic writer to me."

"Oh, it's him alright," Trunks confirmed, gripping the handle of his sword. "I'd know that face anywhere."

"So remind me why we haven't killed him yet."

"We have to wait for Nate, Heero. It wouldn't be right if we didn't."

"Um...what's going on here?" the boy asked.

"Quiet, you!" Trunks shouted, thrusting the sword up to his neck. "You've toyed with me for the last time! You hear me?!"

"Hold on, Trunks," a new voice said. "If anyone's gonna off this sad excuse for a fanfic writer, it's gonna be me."

The boy's eyes traveled over to the window, where a tall figure emerged from the darkness. He was wearing his usual AOA outfit, which never really seemed to go out of style. With quick strides, he walked over to the bed and hauled the boy up. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't mind blast you right now, freak."

The boy thought for a moment. "I could hook you up with Jennifer Lopez."

"That's not even funny, kid."

"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. What's wrong with you guys, anyway?"

"You should know!" Trunks spat. "You've screwed with us so many times, we don't even know who we are anymore!"

"Actually, he's only screwed with me once," Heero suddenly said, lowering his gun. "It wasn't even that bad, really." Then, after a moment of thought, he said, "Wait, did you mean THE Jennifer Lopez? Maybe we should hear him out, guys."

"He made me the son of Vegeta and Washu!" Trunks shrieked. "Do you have any idea what that's like?!"

"That's nothing," Nate muttered. "I've been in love with a dead Threnody, then Jubilee, and mildly infatuated with Sasami from Tenchi Muyo. I won't even mention how he put my mind in her body."

"You hooked HIM up with Sasami?!" Trunks roared. "You traitor! You promised me I'd get to hook up with her next!"

The boy shook his head and wrenched himself from Nate's grip. "Correction: I said maybe. I'm a fanfic writer, guys. Things can change between the drafts and final copies. You all know that."

"This isn't the time to get cocky, kid," Nate reminded him. "We can still kill you."

The boy smirked. "I doubt it. At least the stories that I write with you guys get good praise."

"That means what to us?" Trunks asked.

The boy sighed. "Follow me." He led them over to his messy desktop, where amid a stack of unfinished poems, he discovered a laptop computer. "Now, I want you all to take a look at these figures."

Heero leaned in close. "What's this? 'Fanfiction.net Hits for Nate Grey.' Since when did you become a writer, Nate?"

The boy grinned nervously. "Um...that's the name I use there. Most people just know me as XMAN0123."

Nate frowned. "So you steal my name and then drag me through the mud?"

"Just look at the figures!" the boy snapped.

"Wow. This series I'm in has been doing pretty well," Trunks said softly. "How'd you get them posted so fast?"

"Simple. I worked hard." The boy stifled a yawn. "Can I go back to bed now?"

"Hey, mine's actually been archived at several other webpages," Nate noted. "Cool!"

"There, you see? People like what I do with you guys. You're the only ones that have complaints."

"I don't have any real complaints," Heero admitted. "You've only used me once, anyway. I just want to know why you make me out to be a stiff, cold-hearted jerk."

Nate and Trunks traded looks.

"Um...Heero?" Trunks asked. "You ARE a stiff, cold-hearted jerk."

"That's no excuse for making me fall for a ten year-old!"

"Actually, she's more like ten-thousand," the boy added.

"Sounds like he hooked you up with Sasami, too," Nate muttered.

"No, I'm with Yugi," Heero said. "But she was obsessed with Sasami, so maybe there's a connection."

"Wait! I thought Yugi was mine!" Trunks shouted.

The boy shook his head and sighed. "She was, in 'Kid Stuff.' Heero gets her in an entirely different series, which is called 'The Anime World.' You don't see her up here complaining, do you?"

"Well, no, but I don't like it."

"YOU don't have to like it." The boy got up and went back to his bed. "Now, get out of my room before I have to call my Muses."

"Did you say Muses?" Nate asked. "I thought you were only allowed one?"

"Rules are made to be broken, especially by fanfic writers. Besides, they're not really Muses, or even mine, since most of them belong to Japanese people or Marvel Comics. Now get out before I make you leave."

"Are you threatening US?" Nate asked with an amused look.

The boy sighed again. "Have it your way." He picked up a notepad and started to write. "Last chance, guys. I'm starting a fanfic now."

"You don't scare us," Trunks responded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fine." The boy went back to the pad, scribbling down notes like mad.

"Man, he writes pretty fast," Heero said. "Maybe we should leave, guys."

"I'm not going anywhere," Nate insisted. "Not until I get-"

"NATE!"

Nate winced. "Uh oh."

Jubilee marched into the room. "You've got some explaining to do, buster! This guy is TRYING to write another fanfic starring us, and you're nowhere to be found! Now you come here with your buds to bother him?!"

Nate stammered. "Um...w-well...we just-"

"Shut it," Jubilee said, placing a finger against his lips. "We're going home now, and you're not saying another word until I check you for drugs, cuz something is very wrong with your head!" She grabbed his arm and quickly dragged him out of the door.

Trunks began to get nervous. "Um...you wouldn't do that to me, would you?"

"No, I've got something better for you," the boy replied.

"Trunks!" two voices shouted.

"Oh no. You wouldn't dare!" Trunks cried.

Bulma & Washu each grabbed one of his ears.

"If you sneak out one more time, I'm telling your father!" Bulma threatened.

"And you know how cranky he is...well...all the time!" Washu added.

Trunks whimpered as he, too, was dragged away.

The boy finally stopped writing. "Heero, since you didn't really come here to kill me, I'll let you leave under your own power."

"Thanks, I guess," Heero said slowly. "But don't you think it's slightly sick to make me yearn for a girl with a ten year-old body?"

"It could be worse," the boy replied. "You could be yearning for Duo."

Heero shuddered. "I get the message. Sorry I said anything." He quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

The boy sighed and sat down on his bed. "I wonder if all the other writers have to deal with the characters like this."

There was a bright flash of light as Yugi appeared before him. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"They tried to kill me. Again! That's the third time this month!"

"But they never actually do."

"Yugi, why can't you just zap them or something? You're supposed to be my Muse!"

"No, I'm a Muse on loan from Pioneer, which you'd better remember. Anyway, Muses aren't bodyguards, they inspire you to write. I've been doing that, haven't I?"

The boy sighed. "Well, yeah."

"And you like me, right?"

"Sure, I guess."

Yugi smiled. "So there isn't a problem. Now go write!"

"NOW? It's two in the morning! I've got class at eight tomorrow, and I have get up earlier than that just to get breakfast at the cafe, which usually SUCKS, I might add! The eggs are cold and the bacon tastes like blood, and-"

Yugi simply reached up and cupped his face in her hands. She gently drew his head down and pressed her forehead to his. "Write. Right now. Got it?"

"Got it," the boy muttered, staring into her eyes.

"Good boy." Yugi released him and patted his head. "Now, 'Kid Stuff' is running smoothly, but I want more kissing scenes with Trunks. Oh, and while you got 'The Anime World' off to a nice, funny start, there should be more funny stuff involved. Oh, and I want Heero to take me for a ride in his Gundam, and throw in something special in for me, would you? You know what I like, right?"

"Boys," the boy muttered drunkenly. "Cute boys with big hair."

"That's right! You've been paying attention!" Yugi clapped her hands once. "Now, are you ready?"

The boy blinked and shook his head. "Huh?"

"The laptop. Get to it. Now!"

"Oh. Um...sure!" The boy scrambled over to his computer and opened up Microsoft Word. "Crap! I hate the '95 version. Why can't I afford Office 2000 like everyone else?!"

Yugi giggled. "Looks like my work here is done." She danced over to the boy and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back in the morning to see how you're doing. Bye!" With that, she vanished.

The boy grunted, hardly even realizing that she was no longer there. His every thought was now totally devoted to the story developing before him. His fingers flew across the keypad in a blur, pausing only for a nanosecond to hit the Enter key every now and then. In less than half an hour, he was done.

"Man, that was easy," he said, scratching his head. "I swear this stuff is weird, but I can't even begin to imagine where I got it from. Well, at least Nate & Trunks won't be back anytime soon. Of course, Heero might have a few complaints about this one..."

With a shrug, he saved the file to a disk, dove under the covers, and proceeded to the Dreaming, where the Sandman would be waiting with open arms, and a Whopper with extra cheese, if he was lucky enough.

The boy was so tired, he didn't even bother to glance at his alarm clock. If he had, he might have noticed the small photo of a young girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and an irresistibly cute smile. More importantly, he might have seen the message scribbled in blue ink across the bottom, which simply read, "Do it for her."

The End.
------------------------
Disclaimer: Subreality belongs to the marvelous Kielle. All characters (except for the boy with the questionable mental health) belong to their respective owners (Trunks & Bulma are Akira Toriyama's, Yugi & Washu are Pioneer's, Jubilee & Nate are Marvel's, and Heero belongs to Sunrise), and I only wish I got paid to do this.

I know it was strange, but so are most of my stories. If you have questions, comments, or concerns for my mental state, you can contact me at XMAN0123@aol.com. I may not have a life, but I always check e-mail. If you're confused about the stories, go to Fanfiction.net and search for Nate Grey in the drop-down box. If you're too scared to do any of that, I'll understand, as it's happened many times before...