Disclaimer:
Ranma 1/2 is Owned by Rumiko Takahashi.
Sailor Moon is owend by Naoko Takeuchi.
Ah! Megami-Sama! is Owned by Kosuke Fujishima.
Not Another SI Fic!
By; Taiteki Kagato
Staring at Makoto, I considered what she'd said quickly. If Mara existed, that would push
my favoritism to the Anime-World memories quite a bit. If she didn't then there would be
little proof supporting Nabiki's favored theory.
"Alright… So all we need is Mara, then." Nabiki stated, coming to the same conclusion I
had. I shrugged, and sat up, the pain in my head having lessened enough that I could
move again.
"I… we need to go to work." Makoto said, looking at the desk clock. Thinking about it, I
realized that, while I had today off in the Anime-World memories, I worked with Makoto
today in the Normal-World. Preparing to argue, I realized that either way, it'd be better to
show up and not be needed, than be needed and not show up. Realizing I already had my
khaki pants on, I looked around for my work shirt and pulled it on after retrieving it from
the back of the chair.
Makoto disappeared into the bathroom, and a moment later I heard the shower start up.
Sitting down at the computer, I started looking around for proof of which memories were
real, and which ones weren't. Hitting my LiveJournal first, I read up from the first events
and realized that they were corresponding with my Normal-Life memories. Remembering
Nabiki's argument that, if this were real, why would we suddenly gain the false
memories, I frowned in thought, as I read about my courtship of Makoto.
With the memories, I could recall scenes described vaguely in the journal, but sometimes
the journal would bring forward a memory I'd not yet accessed, and I'd realize how hard
I really did fall for Makoto.
When Makoto exited the bathroom wearing her Applebee's uniform, I shut down the
browser, and stood, retrieving my car keys from their hook by the door and holding the
door open for her. Glancing at the clock, Makoto gasped in surprise at the time, and
exited, knowing that we'd make it to work, but with very little time to spare. Nabiki
watched us go from the window, her figure moving away as I backed out of the parking
spot.
Arriving at work I couldn't spot anything as being visually off, though with both sets of
memories being equally as strong, that shouldn't have surprised me. A few minutes later,
though, Makoto and I both knew with no small degree of certainty which memories the
world at large believed in 100%.
"Man, Kyle.. what a guy like you is doing with a girl like her I'll never know." One co-
worker said as Makoto filled the ice buckets. Glaring at the back of his head as he
watched my wife (and cringing slightly as I realized I was slipping again) I sighed as I
thought about the conversation with Nabiki earlier. We were no closer to an answer, but
at least we now knew what the rest of the world believed.
A couple hours later, after the Morning rush had died down, Makoto and I managed to
have a quick conversation.
"Everything seems so natural. I… I don't know what to think anymore…" Makoto said,
looking somewhat worried. I nodded, feeling similarly.
"If there's no sign of Mara soon, then we're going to have to assume…" I didn't know
how to finish that. If Makoto were Sailor Jupiter, assuming the best would be like telling
her to abandon her post as a Sailor Senshi. If she were truly my wife, saying the worst
wouldn't be all that kind. Makoto nodded at my unspoken statement, and then looked at
me, all sadness abruptly wiped from her face.
"If it were true… if either were, though, I'm not so sure I mind this relationship as much
as I did a couple hours ago."
"Do what?" I asked, not fully understanding.
"Look, you know me pretty well in either life… I was happy as a Sailor Senshi… I had
friends.. but I didn't have a guy like Usagi has Mamoru, and, well, you obviously know
how my married memories go, so far as in regards to you." She smiled as she said this, a
somewhat mischievous glint in her eye, and I could feel my face reddening. Dammitt,
this shouldn't be happening like this. I should be teasing her!
"So.. either way…" I started.
"Either way, I'm pretty happy-off, I suppose." She finished, grinning and giving me a
quick kiss. Watching her walk away, I sighed, my lips still tingling slightly. Shaking
myself out of my bliss, I frowned at the wall, wondering what I was going to do now. If
we were truly married, great, everything would be fine. But if we weren't… I growled at
the thought of the universe playing games with my emotions.
Slipping my hands in my pockets, I made my way back into the kitchen, idly thinking
that, as a consolation prize, I'd gotten my care back to atone for the lost of a wife-that-
never-was. After cuts were made, and all our side work was finished, we exited the
restaurant to find a light snow falling, and walked through the thin powder to my car. A
couple minutes later, we arrived back at our apartment, holding hands as we made our
way up to the door.
Entering, we found Nabiki sitting at the desk, reading something on the computer
intently.
Nabiki stared intently at something on the desk, not bothering to look at us as we entered.
Collapsing on the bed, I rolled over to take my boots off as Makoto sat down beside me,
doing the same. Finishing up, I pulled out my wallet and actually counted my tips. At
work, when I had to claim them, I always guessed high, knowing that my paychecks
would be smaller, but my tax return in April would be really nice.
"Makoto?" I asked, putting my wallet away.
"Hmmm?"
"You're happy either way?"
"Huh?"
"Earlier, at work. You said you'd be happy, no matter what memories prove to be true."
"Oh. Yeah," she smiled, "I.. well.. It's safe to say that I was starting to like you before
everything changed… At least, in my anime memories, I remember. And, of course, if
I'm real, well.. we already know how much we both care about each other. So, I'm not
really so worried about finding out which one is true. Because half of me loves you, and
the other half was starting to."
I blinked, and then sighed, staring at the ground.
"What's wrong?" she asked, scooting closer to me.
"Everything is wrong. Nothing is wrong. I don't know. I…"
"Kyle. Tell me. Please?" she pleaded, bending over to look up into my downcast eyes.
"What if they are true? I… well, like you said. We were coming together slowly in one
life, and we're already together in another. What if the Anime memories are true, and you
find a way home?"
"…" Makoto opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again, blinking and staring
at the wall in thought.
The loud sound of something snapping broke the silence, then, and Nabiki stood up,
stretching, and glancing over at us.
"Heh. Don't stare at me like that. I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back later tonight,"
She said. Then, without another word, she walked out the door, hands buried in her coat
pocket.
Standing, I moved over to the desk, looking for the source of the snap. Noting was
readily apparent, and I shrugged, figuring it was probably the chair, when something pink
by my CDs caught my eye. Reaching out, I picked up the shard of broken plastic, trying
to place it in my mind. A moment later, I realized it was from one of the pens I'd kept on
my desk, and frowned. Why would Nabiki have broken my pen?
Shrugging it off after a moments thought, I turned back to Makoto, who was still staring,
only now it was at a little framed picture I'd noticed earlier, featuring the two of us
laughing at some joke or another, arm-in-arm.
A single tear, catching the daylight from the windows, slowly slid down her face, and I
shoved aside the memories of her being Sailor Jupiter, moving to sit beside her, then,
before holding her gently. She returned the embrace a moment later, and I could barely
hear her whisper into the afternoon air: "I don't want to loose you."
A little while later, we let each other go, so we could change into regular clothes.
"Makoto… I'm kind of tired… I'm going to take a nap for a bit, alright?"
"Alright… actually.. I'm pretty tired, too. I might join you in a bit."
I yawned and nodded, climbing into the small bed. Lying there on my side, my eyes
closed, I could hear her move around, and I realized she was watering her plants.
Thinking about the days and months passed married to Makoto, and then the days past in
which we'd only just begun to get along well, I thought about what she'd said. Loosing
her would hurt me a lot, because, to part of me, she was my other half. And to another
part of me, she was a friend in need.
Loosing both at once would hurt a lot, and I felt a part of me wishing that, were the
Anime memories proven true, she'd still elect to stay with me. Another part, however,
knew the futility of that silent prayer, and wished instead for the proof (or lack of proof)
that would expose the Anime memories as being false. As these and other stray thoughts
grew less and les coherent, I hear Makoto sit down at the desk, moments before I dozed
off.
My dreamless sleep was interrupted briefly by the feeling of Makoto sliding into bed
beside me, and I felt her slide up against me, before I dove back into my slumber. The
next time I awoke, the light from outside had disappeared, and Nabiki stumbled in,
looking around warily, before stopping to stare at us. I looked at her, and realized she was
out drinking, and frowned, hoping everything was all right.
"I had something important to tell you two… but it can wait till morning. I need a
bathroom and a bed.." she said, her speech somewhat slurred. Blinking, I laid back down,
listening as she stumbled into the bathroom, used it, and then made her way into her bed.
The thump she made once she got there let me know she'd probably passed out, and I
frowned, hoping she was okay. Right before I went to check on her, however, I felt
Makoto stir beside me.
"Nabiki back?" she mumbled, not opening an eye or moving other than turning her head
away from the pillow.
"Yeah.." I said, my voice sounding groggy. Makoto just 'hmmm'-ed as she wrapped her
arms around one of mine, and pulled herself closer. Glancing over at the other side of the
room where Nabiki lay, I heard something shift a little, and then the barely audible sound
of Nabiki snoring into her mattress. Sighing softly, I turned and kissed Makoto on top of
her head, before resting my head on the pillow and once again going to sleep.
"Who are you?"
I looked around, unsure of my surroundings. Finally recognizing the curve of a nearby
road, I realized I was back in Florida, though how I got there, I couldn't remember.
"Who are you?" a voice asked again. Turning, I could see no one and realized with a start
that I couldn't hear anything.
"Who.." I started, before the world exploded in a kaleidoscope of colors. Covering my
eyes, I waited until the light show died down, the flashes so bright I could see them
through my hands. After a moment, I opened my eyes, the street I'd often ridden my bike
along in my youth gone. In it's places was an endless expanse of white, above, below,
and all around me.
"Where.." The white vanished, a black replacing it so deep I felt as if it would tear me
apart.
"Who are you?" the voice asked again. It sounded both distant and near. Like an echo,
but also like it was whispered into my ear. If I had to compare it to anything, it'd be
SHODAN, from System Shock.
"Who are you?" it asked, a bit more forcefully. When I failed to respond again, it spoke
softly, in a thoughtful tone, "A child lost? A stray from the worlds below? It matters not."
"Who..?" I finally said, unsure what sort of change my voice would cause this time.
When the darkness failed to disperse, I continued, "-are you?"
"I am. The one you fail to see, but forever seek to emulate."
"God?"
"A title, no more no less, though fitting in a way. I have many forms, and many
followers. Who but I have the ability to name myself truthfully?"
I blinked at that.
"That's… kind of arrogant, don't you think?" I asked quietly, staring at the infinite black
around me. Small swirls of light were visible in the distance, but I couldn't focus on
them, and their intricate, blurry movement was starting to give me a headache.
"I am Kami-Sama. God. Lord of Nightmares. All these, and more begin to describe me.
I've infinite names, spoken among infinite numbers, upon the infinite of infinite of
worlds."
"So.. who are you, again?"
"I am the Creator. And this is the void in which I create."
"… Being where in the universe?"
"Mere microns beyond the furthest limit of the best imagination."
"Okay. So you create things. I suppose I can relate… kind of."
"Creators and destroyers, lovers and haters. The power you've all been given has yielded
the greatest of monuments, the most horrific of devices."
"… Right. Though nothing to rival your power, eh?" I asked, wondering where this was
going.
"The power I wield is approached in its omnipotence, by yours and another."
"… That was easy enough to understand, I suppose. So, Creator… why am I here."
"You aren't."
Once more, I awoke to the feeling of being poked, forcing me to peel an eyelid back to
glare at whoever had cut short my slumber. Staring back at me were two eyes I'd seen
before but had, in a way, hoped to never see again. As reality brought me back, I signed,
sitting up and detaching myself from the still-slumbering Makoto.
Glancing up at the clock, I realized I'd slept a little longer than a "short-nap" implied. I
groaned softly, before turning to look at the Demoness before me.
"You know,' I started, glaring, " Your being here changes quite a bit, in a couple ways I
don't particularly like…"
"Oh?" She asked, grinning. Makoto pulled me a little closer in her sleep, and groaned
softly. Mara's grin grew, "like.. say, for instance, your 'marriage' to Makoto?"
"Among other things, yes." I frowned, more, then sighed, looking down at Makoto, who
was still sleeping softly beside me. Even though it had been just over a day, a lot had
changed. Could I really go back to what had been?
"Stop worrying about trivial things. Something re-wrote the universe.. and we're the only
ones that know," Mara said with a frown. I stared at her, then leapt, knocking her to the
ground. Unwilling to truly hit her, Demoness that she was, I sat beside her and glared.
"Do you have any idea how happy I was? I know myself. And I remember my 'real' life
just as well as the 'new' one. For the first time in a long time, I was truly happy. Of
course I'm going to worry about this 'trivial' thing, you cold-hearted bitch."
Mara scowled at me, her eyes glowing unnaturally in the darkened apartment.
"You stupid, simpering, foolish little man. Do you really thing I give a damn about that?
I'm trapped here, on a world with next to nothing, and I intend to leave. Right Now."
"…"
Makoto made a soft whimpering noise, and I turned to look at here, my eyes clouded by a
few tears of loss. She sat there, sitting up, wide eyed, staring at Mara with a pained look
on her face, and I sighed. She now knew, and it was tearing her up inside, as it was to me.
Staring at the floor, I paused, blinking the tears out of my eyes, before speaking.
"Makoto.. I'm.. I'm sorry…"
She lunged at me, then, a loud sob the only sound she made before burying her face into
my chest as she cried. I stared down at her in shock, not having expected this.
"Makoto.." I said, softly.
"I don't care." I heard her say quietly.
"huh?"
"I don't care! I was happy, damnitt. We were happy!" she cried, looking up at me, then
glaring at Mara. "And now… now…" She slid away from me, turning to look at the wall
as she kneeled near the bed.
"Right. Anyway.. Where's your transformation stick?" Mara asked indifferently.
"I.. " Makoto looked at Mara in surprise, then looked around. " I.. we.."
".. we never thought to look for it. Man, how stupid of me not to think about that!" I said,
growling in anger at myself. Mara glanced around, then smirked.
"Nabiki, however, didn't have that problem."
"Huh?" Makoto and I asked slowly. Mara walked over to the sleeping girl's bed, and
grabbed her coat, pulling the henshin stick out of an inside pocket. "This probably
explains her sudden need for a drink, wouldn't you think?" Mara asked calmly, looking it
over. Nodding to herself, she looked at Makoto, and frowned.
"What do you want to do with that?" Makoto asked, frowning again.
"Simple. That creature I absorbed.. how did it get here?"
"Umm… I sent an attack through the communicator and somehow the creature was
pulled here."
"And if one of your friends sent an attack through theirs here?"
I stared at her, surprised again, then frowned, "If one attack works on one person, then
what happens if someone makes a mistake, and pulls the wand with them?"
Mara grinned and held up the Sailor Moon Movie.
"A combined attack? I suppose that might have enough power.. but you'd all end up on
her world," I said, pointing to Makoto.
"So? From what I've seen, there's more than enough magic there for me to find my way
back."
"And Nabiki?" Makoto asked. Mara frowned. "What about her?"
"Well, if you don't promise to find a way to send her home, as well, I'll make sure Sailor
Moon uses her most powerful attack too... set you straight," Makoto said with a rather
sadistic grin. Mara frowned at this, then shrugged. "Alright. Whatever. Shouldn't be too
hard."
"There's still a problem." Makoto said, quietly. Mara quirked a brow at her, still grinning
a little. "My powers... if I had them, I know... but I can't feel... anything." Makoto sighed
as she said this, though there was a little worry in her voice, as well.
"It's been blocked off. I can see that easily enough. However, what would you need your
power for?"
"I can't activate the communicator without it." Makoto said with another sigh.
"Your watch? Damnitt... I feel really stupid right now." I growled.
"Do you think I didn't try? Nothing happened. So I figured it was just a watch, like my
memories suggest." Makoto said.
Mara tossed the transformation stick at Makoto, "Try to transform." Makoto frowned,
then stood, holding the wand in the air, and calling out her transformation phrase. When
nothing happened, Makoto just sighed, and sat back down.
"See? Nothing." Mara chuckled, "The wand reacted, whatever's blocking you stopped it.
Stand over there, kid," Mara said, pointing towards the desk. Makoto did so, slowly, and
Mara moved over to Nabiki, kicking her till she groaned in protest.
"Wake up, you're going home." Mara said, turning back to Makoto. Nabiki sat up
quickly, then grabbed her head in pain. "Ouch… can I go home lat… Mara?" Nabiki said
in surprise after finally recognizing the person who'd awoken her.
"Makoto," Mara said, "Use the communicator to contact your friends, and then try to
transform." Makoto nodded, and did as told. Mara waved her hands around in the air, her
eyes closed in concentration, and suddenly the communicator lit up, the green glow
coming from the wand, instead of Makoto, this time.
"Makoto!? What happened to you?" Ami screamed through the communicator. I realized
I still knew Japanese, and smiled, knowing that would come in useful later on.
"Huh?" Makoto asked, looking into the small screen.
"You… everyone here says you don't exist. Aside from the Senshi even Luna and
Artemis don't remember you."
"That's…" Makoto said, frowning.
"To be expected." Mara finished for her.
"Mako-chan!" a new voice cried out, and a rather disheveled looking Usagi replaced Ami
onscreen. "We were so worried! Nobody knew where you were and everyone thought
you'd never existed and we searched but even your apartment had disappeared and there
was this guy living there and he had a funny looking face…"
"We can bring you home, Makoto." Ami said. Makoto perked up at this, then nodded.
"We figured out a way as well." Ami looked a little surprised, then nodded. "Right… It
does make sense, I suppose. It'll take a little bit to get everyone together. I've already
used the Mercury Computer to help me set up our Communicators in case you managed
to get back to us."
Makoto nodded, then sat down in the desk chair. She looked around at the apartment
we'd not shared for all those months, and I stared, unsure of what to do. Finally, she
reached out, and grabbed a picture of us holding each other and smiling happily,
smashing it into the corner of the desk. Reaching into the frame, she pulled the photo out,
and stared at it, before shoving it into her pocket. Then she turned, and walked over to the
bed, sitting down and wrapping her arms around me.
Unsure what to do, but urged by memories I now knew were false, I wrapped my arms
around her, and comforted her as she silently cried. What felt like a few seconds later, I
heard Ami from the communicator, "Were ready."
Makoto, Nabiki and Mara stood together by the kitchen, hopefully far enough away from
anything important that they wouldn't be pulled through as well. The communicator, now
perched on the corner of the desk, was attached to Makoto by a string, so it wouldn't be
left here on accident. From it's small speakers, I heard the other Senshi shout out their
transformation phrases, each one tearing into me as the flash from the small screen
announced the end to their transformation.
Finally, They powered, up, and fired, and the portal into which the communicator was
sending widened into a tunnel a couple inches wide. I couldn't see into it, but a light from
inside seemed to be growing brighter by the second, and I assumed it was the attack,
broken down into sheer energy, making its way here. There was an odd drop in air
pressure, and a steady roar began to vibrate the apartment softly.
Makoto, the light now illuminating her face almost painfully, turned to me, and I realized
I couldn't hear her as she tried to say something to me. Still, I'd seen (or, really, 'not
seen') her say it a hundred times, and sadly mouthed it back to her. Then my apartment
exploded in light and I was thrown back onto my bed, my head hitting the armrest it had
as a futon, and I blacked out.
Waking up, I felt like I was pushing through layers of fog, finally cracking my eye open
to look at my apartment. It still looked like Makoto lived here, and I decided that it would
look like this for a week, until the universe reset itself. Sighing as I stared at the pictures,
and plants, I felt my head spin again, and closed my eyes, hoping that with a little more
sleep, the pain from hitting my head would go away. The last thought before I slipped
back asleep was one I found both painful and assuring. Makoto silently telling me she
loved me, one last time.
Ranma 1/2 is Owned by Rumiko Takahashi.
Sailor Moon is owend by Naoko Takeuchi.
Ah! Megami-Sama! is Owned by Kosuke Fujishima.
Not Another SI Fic!
By; Taiteki Kagato
Staring at Makoto, I considered what she'd said quickly. If Mara existed, that would push
my favoritism to the Anime-World memories quite a bit. If she didn't then there would be
little proof supporting Nabiki's favored theory.
"Alright… So all we need is Mara, then." Nabiki stated, coming to the same conclusion I
had. I shrugged, and sat up, the pain in my head having lessened enough that I could
move again.
"I… we need to go to work." Makoto said, looking at the desk clock. Thinking about it, I
realized that, while I had today off in the Anime-World memories, I worked with Makoto
today in the Normal-World. Preparing to argue, I realized that either way, it'd be better to
show up and not be needed, than be needed and not show up. Realizing I already had my
khaki pants on, I looked around for my work shirt and pulled it on after retrieving it from
the back of the chair.
Makoto disappeared into the bathroom, and a moment later I heard the shower start up.
Sitting down at the computer, I started looking around for proof of which memories were
real, and which ones weren't. Hitting my LiveJournal first, I read up from the first events
and realized that they were corresponding with my Normal-Life memories. Remembering
Nabiki's argument that, if this were real, why would we suddenly gain the false
memories, I frowned in thought, as I read about my courtship of Makoto.
With the memories, I could recall scenes described vaguely in the journal, but sometimes
the journal would bring forward a memory I'd not yet accessed, and I'd realize how hard
I really did fall for Makoto.
When Makoto exited the bathroom wearing her Applebee's uniform, I shut down the
browser, and stood, retrieving my car keys from their hook by the door and holding the
door open for her. Glancing at the clock, Makoto gasped in surprise at the time, and
exited, knowing that we'd make it to work, but with very little time to spare. Nabiki
watched us go from the window, her figure moving away as I backed out of the parking
spot.
Arriving at work I couldn't spot anything as being visually off, though with both sets of
memories being equally as strong, that shouldn't have surprised me. A few minutes later,
though, Makoto and I both knew with no small degree of certainty which memories the
world at large believed in 100%.
"Man, Kyle.. what a guy like you is doing with a girl like her I'll never know." One co-
worker said as Makoto filled the ice buckets. Glaring at the back of his head as he
watched my wife (and cringing slightly as I realized I was slipping again) I sighed as I
thought about the conversation with Nabiki earlier. We were no closer to an answer, but
at least we now knew what the rest of the world believed.
A couple hours later, after the Morning rush had died down, Makoto and I managed to
have a quick conversation.
"Everything seems so natural. I… I don't know what to think anymore…" Makoto said,
looking somewhat worried. I nodded, feeling similarly.
"If there's no sign of Mara soon, then we're going to have to assume…" I didn't know
how to finish that. If Makoto were Sailor Jupiter, assuming the best would be like telling
her to abandon her post as a Sailor Senshi. If she were truly my wife, saying the worst
wouldn't be all that kind. Makoto nodded at my unspoken statement, and then looked at
me, all sadness abruptly wiped from her face.
"If it were true… if either were, though, I'm not so sure I mind this relationship as much
as I did a couple hours ago."
"Do what?" I asked, not fully understanding.
"Look, you know me pretty well in either life… I was happy as a Sailor Senshi… I had
friends.. but I didn't have a guy like Usagi has Mamoru, and, well, you obviously know
how my married memories go, so far as in regards to you." She smiled as she said this, a
somewhat mischievous glint in her eye, and I could feel my face reddening. Dammitt,
this shouldn't be happening like this. I should be teasing her!
"So.. either way…" I started.
"Either way, I'm pretty happy-off, I suppose." She finished, grinning and giving me a
quick kiss. Watching her walk away, I sighed, my lips still tingling slightly. Shaking
myself out of my bliss, I frowned at the wall, wondering what I was going to do now. If
we were truly married, great, everything would be fine. But if we weren't… I growled at
the thought of the universe playing games with my emotions.
Slipping my hands in my pockets, I made my way back into the kitchen, idly thinking
that, as a consolation prize, I'd gotten my care back to atone for the lost of a wife-that-
never-was. After cuts were made, and all our side work was finished, we exited the
restaurant to find a light snow falling, and walked through the thin powder to my car. A
couple minutes later, we arrived back at our apartment, holding hands as we made our
way up to the door.
Entering, we found Nabiki sitting at the desk, reading something on the computer
intently.
Nabiki stared intently at something on the desk, not bothering to look at us as we entered.
Collapsing on the bed, I rolled over to take my boots off as Makoto sat down beside me,
doing the same. Finishing up, I pulled out my wallet and actually counted my tips. At
work, when I had to claim them, I always guessed high, knowing that my paychecks
would be smaller, but my tax return in April would be really nice.
"Makoto?" I asked, putting my wallet away.
"Hmmm?"
"You're happy either way?"
"Huh?"
"Earlier, at work. You said you'd be happy, no matter what memories prove to be true."
"Oh. Yeah," she smiled, "I.. well.. It's safe to say that I was starting to like you before
everything changed… At least, in my anime memories, I remember. And, of course, if
I'm real, well.. we already know how much we both care about each other. So, I'm not
really so worried about finding out which one is true. Because half of me loves you, and
the other half was starting to."
I blinked, and then sighed, staring at the ground.
"What's wrong?" she asked, scooting closer to me.
"Everything is wrong. Nothing is wrong. I don't know. I…"
"Kyle. Tell me. Please?" she pleaded, bending over to look up into my downcast eyes.
"What if they are true? I… well, like you said. We were coming together slowly in one
life, and we're already together in another. What if the Anime memories are true, and you
find a way home?"
"…" Makoto opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again, blinking and staring
at the wall in thought.
The loud sound of something snapping broke the silence, then, and Nabiki stood up,
stretching, and glancing over at us.
"Heh. Don't stare at me like that. I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back later tonight,"
She said. Then, without another word, she walked out the door, hands buried in her coat
pocket.
Standing, I moved over to the desk, looking for the source of the snap. Noting was
readily apparent, and I shrugged, figuring it was probably the chair, when something pink
by my CDs caught my eye. Reaching out, I picked up the shard of broken plastic, trying
to place it in my mind. A moment later, I realized it was from one of the pens I'd kept on
my desk, and frowned. Why would Nabiki have broken my pen?
Shrugging it off after a moments thought, I turned back to Makoto, who was still staring,
only now it was at a little framed picture I'd noticed earlier, featuring the two of us
laughing at some joke or another, arm-in-arm.
A single tear, catching the daylight from the windows, slowly slid down her face, and I
shoved aside the memories of her being Sailor Jupiter, moving to sit beside her, then,
before holding her gently. She returned the embrace a moment later, and I could barely
hear her whisper into the afternoon air: "I don't want to loose you."
A little while later, we let each other go, so we could change into regular clothes.
"Makoto… I'm kind of tired… I'm going to take a nap for a bit, alright?"
"Alright… actually.. I'm pretty tired, too. I might join you in a bit."
I yawned and nodded, climbing into the small bed. Lying there on my side, my eyes
closed, I could hear her move around, and I realized she was watering her plants.
Thinking about the days and months passed married to Makoto, and then the days past in
which we'd only just begun to get along well, I thought about what she'd said. Loosing
her would hurt me a lot, because, to part of me, she was my other half. And to another
part of me, she was a friend in need.
Loosing both at once would hurt a lot, and I felt a part of me wishing that, were the
Anime memories proven true, she'd still elect to stay with me. Another part, however,
knew the futility of that silent prayer, and wished instead for the proof (or lack of proof)
that would expose the Anime memories as being false. As these and other stray thoughts
grew less and les coherent, I hear Makoto sit down at the desk, moments before I dozed
off.
My dreamless sleep was interrupted briefly by the feeling of Makoto sliding into bed
beside me, and I felt her slide up against me, before I dove back into my slumber. The
next time I awoke, the light from outside had disappeared, and Nabiki stumbled in,
looking around warily, before stopping to stare at us. I looked at her, and realized she was
out drinking, and frowned, hoping everything was all right.
"I had something important to tell you two… but it can wait till morning. I need a
bathroom and a bed.." she said, her speech somewhat slurred. Blinking, I laid back down,
listening as she stumbled into the bathroom, used it, and then made her way into her bed.
The thump she made once she got there let me know she'd probably passed out, and I
frowned, hoping she was okay. Right before I went to check on her, however, I felt
Makoto stir beside me.
"Nabiki back?" she mumbled, not opening an eye or moving other than turning her head
away from the pillow.
"Yeah.." I said, my voice sounding groggy. Makoto just 'hmmm'-ed as she wrapped her
arms around one of mine, and pulled herself closer. Glancing over at the other side of the
room where Nabiki lay, I heard something shift a little, and then the barely audible sound
of Nabiki snoring into her mattress. Sighing softly, I turned and kissed Makoto on top of
her head, before resting my head on the pillow and once again going to sleep.
"Who are you?"
I looked around, unsure of my surroundings. Finally recognizing the curve of a nearby
road, I realized I was back in Florida, though how I got there, I couldn't remember.
"Who are you?" a voice asked again. Turning, I could see no one and realized with a start
that I couldn't hear anything.
"Who.." I started, before the world exploded in a kaleidoscope of colors. Covering my
eyes, I waited until the light show died down, the flashes so bright I could see them
through my hands. After a moment, I opened my eyes, the street I'd often ridden my bike
along in my youth gone. In it's places was an endless expanse of white, above, below,
and all around me.
"Where.." The white vanished, a black replacing it so deep I felt as if it would tear me
apart.
"Who are you?" the voice asked again. It sounded both distant and near. Like an echo,
but also like it was whispered into my ear. If I had to compare it to anything, it'd be
SHODAN, from System Shock.
"Who are you?" it asked, a bit more forcefully. When I failed to respond again, it spoke
softly, in a thoughtful tone, "A child lost? A stray from the worlds below? It matters not."
"Who..?" I finally said, unsure what sort of change my voice would cause this time.
When the darkness failed to disperse, I continued, "-are you?"
"I am. The one you fail to see, but forever seek to emulate."
"God?"
"A title, no more no less, though fitting in a way. I have many forms, and many
followers. Who but I have the ability to name myself truthfully?"
I blinked at that.
"That's… kind of arrogant, don't you think?" I asked quietly, staring at the infinite black
around me. Small swirls of light were visible in the distance, but I couldn't focus on
them, and their intricate, blurry movement was starting to give me a headache.
"I am Kami-Sama. God. Lord of Nightmares. All these, and more begin to describe me.
I've infinite names, spoken among infinite numbers, upon the infinite of infinite of
worlds."
"So.. who are you, again?"
"I am the Creator. And this is the void in which I create."
"… Being where in the universe?"
"Mere microns beyond the furthest limit of the best imagination."
"Okay. So you create things. I suppose I can relate… kind of."
"Creators and destroyers, lovers and haters. The power you've all been given has yielded
the greatest of monuments, the most horrific of devices."
"… Right. Though nothing to rival your power, eh?" I asked, wondering where this was
going.
"The power I wield is approached in its omnipotence, by yours and another."
"… That was easy enough to understand, I suppose. So, Creator… why am I here."
"You aren't."
Once more, I awoke to the feeling of being poked, forcing me to peel an eyelid back to
glare at whoever had cut short my slumber. Staring back at me were two eyes I'd seen
before but had, in a way, hoped to never see again. As reality brought me back, I signed,
sitting up and detaching myself from the still-slumbering Makoto.
Glancing up at the clock, I realized I'd slept a little longer than a "short-nap" implied. I
groaned softly, before turning to look at the Demoness before me.
"You know,' I started, glaring, " Your being here changes quite a bit, in a couple ways I
don't particularly like…"
"Oh?" She asked, grinning. Makoto pulled me a little closer in her sleep, and groaned
softly. Mara's grin grew, "like.. say, for instance, your 'marriage' to Makoto?"
"Among other things, yes." I frowned, more, then sighed, looking down at Makoto, who
was still sleeping softly beside me. Even though it had been just over a day, a lot had
changed. Could I really go back to what had been?
"Stop worrying about trivial things. Something re-wrote the universe.. and we're the only
ones that know," Mara said with a frown. I stared at her, then leapt, knocking her to the
ground. Unwilling to truly hit her, Demoness that she was, I sat beside her and glared.
"Do you have any idea how happy I was? I know myself. And I remember my 'real' life
just as well as the 'new' one. For the first time in a long time, I was truly happy. Of
course I'm going to worry about this 'trivial' thing, you cold-hearted bitch."
Mara scowled at me, her eyes glowing unnaturally in the darkened apartment.
"You stupid, simpering, foolish little man. Do you really thing I give a damn about that?
I'm trapped here, on a world with next to nothing, and I intend to leave. Right Now."
"…"
Makoto made a soft whimpering noise, and I turned to look at here, my eyes clouded by a
few tears of loss. She sat there, sitting up, wide eyed, staring at Mara with a pained look
on her face, and I sighed. She now knew, and it was tearing her up inside, as it was to me.
Staring at the floor, I paused, blinking the tears out of my eyes, before speaking.
"Makoto.. I'm.. I'm sorry…"
She lunged at me, then, a loud sob the only sound she made before burying her face into
my chest as she cried. I stared down at her in shock, not having expected this.
"Makoto.." I said, softly.
"I don't care." I heard her say quietly.
"huh?"
"I don't care! I was happy, damnitt. We were happy!" she cried, looking up at me, then
glaring at Mara. "And now… now…" She slid away from me, turning to look at the wall
as she kneeled near the bed.
"Right. Anyway.. Where's your transformation stick?" Mara asked indifferently.
"I.. " Makoto looked at Mara in surprise, then looked around. " I.. we.."
".. we never thought to look for it. Man, how stupid of me not to think about that!" I said,
growling in anger at myself. Mara glanced around, then smirked.
"Nabiki, however, didn't have that problem."
"Huh?" Makoto and I asked slowly. Mara walked over to the sleeping girl's bed, and
grabbed her coat, pulling the henshin stick out of an inside pocket. "This probably
explains her sudden need for a drink, wouldn't you think?" Mara asked calmly, looking it
over. Nodding to herself, she looked at Makoto, and frowned.
"What do you want to do with that?" Makoto asked, frowning again.
"Simple. That creature I absorbed.. how did it get here?"
"Umm… I sent an attack through the communicator and somehow the creature was
pulled here."
"And if one of your friends sent an attack through theirs here?"
I stared at her, surprised again, then frowned, "If one attack works on one person, then
what happens if someone makes a mistake, and pulls the wand with them?"
Mara grinned and held up the Sailor Moon Movie.
"A combined attack? I suppose that might have enough power.. but you'd all end up on
her world," I said, pointing to Makoto.
"So? From what I've seen, there's more than enough magic there for me to find my way
back."
"And Nabiki?" Makoto asked. Mara frowned. "What about her?"
"Well, if you don't promise to find a way to send her home, as well, I'll make sure Sailor
Moon uses her most powerful attack too... set you straight," Makoto said with a rather
sadistic grin. Mara frowned at this, then shrugged. "Alright. Whatever. Shouldn't be too
hard."
"There's still a problem." Makoto said, quietly. Mara quirked a brow at her, still grinning
a little. "My powers... if I had them, I know... but I can't feel... anything." Makoto sighed
as she said this, though there was a little worry in her voice, as well.
"It's been blocked off. I can see that easily enough. However, what would you need your
power for?"
"I can't activate the communicator without it." Makoto said with another sigh.
"Your watch? Damnitt... I feel really stupid right now." I growled.
"Do you think I didn't try? Nothing happened. So I figured it was just a watch, like my
memories suggest." Makoto said.
Mara tossed the transformation stick at Makoto, "Try to transform." Makoto frowned,
then stood, holding the wand in the air, and calling out her transformation phrase. When
nothing happened, Makoto just sighed, and sat back down.
"See? Nothing." Mara chuckled, "The wand reacted, whatever's blocking you stopped it.
Stand over there, kid," Mara said, pointing towards the desk. Makoto did so, slowly, and
Mara moved over to Nabiki, kicking her till she groaned in protest.
"Wake up, you're going home." Mara said, turning back to Makoto. Nabiki sat up
quickly, then grabbed her head in pain. "Ouch… can I go home lat… Mara?" Nabiki said
in surprise after finally recognizing the person who'd awoken her.
"Makoto," Mara said, "Use the communicator to contact your friends, and then try to
transform." Makoto nodded, and did as told. Mara waved her hands around in the air, her
eyes closed in concentration, and suddenly the communicator lit up, the green glow
coming from the wand, instead of Makoto, this time.
"Makoto!? What happened to you?" Ami screamed through the communicator. I realized
I still knew Japanese, and smiled, knowing that would come in useful later on.
"Huh?" Makoto asked, looking into the small screen.
"You… everyone here says you don't exist. Aside from the Senshi even Luna and
Artemis don't remember you."
"That's…" Makoto said, frowning.
"To be expected." Mara finished for her.
"Mako-chan!" a new voice cried out, and a rather disheveled looking Usagi replaced Ami
onscreen. "We were so worried! Nobody knew where you were and everyone thought
you'd never existed and we searched but even your apartment had disappeared and there
was this guy living there and he had a funny looking face…"
"We can bring you home, Makoto." Ami said. Makoto perked up at this, then nodded.
"We figured out a way as well." Ami looked a little surprised, then nodded. "Right… It
does make sense, I suppose. It'll take a little bit to get everyone together. I've already
used the Mercury Computer to help me set up our Communicators in case you managed
to get back to us."
Makoto nodded, then sat down in the desk chair. She looked around at the apartment
we'd not shared for all those months, and I stared, unsure of what to do. Finally, she
reached out, and grabbed a picture of us holding each other and smiling happily,
smashing it into the corner of the desk. Reaching into the frame, she pulled the photo out,
and stared at it, before shoving it into her pocket. Then she turned, and walked over to the
bed, sitting down and wrapping her arms around me.
Unsure what to do, but urged by memories I now knew were false, I wrapped my arms
around her, and comforted her as she silently cried. What felt like a few seconds later, I
heard Ami from the communicator, "Were ready."
Makoto, Nabiki and Mara stood together by the kitchen, hopefully far enough away from
anything important that they wouldn't be pulled through as well. The communicator, now
perched on the corner of the desk, was attached to Makoto by a string, so it wouldn't be
left here on accident. From it's small speakers, I heard the other Senshi shout out their
transformation phrases, each one tearing into me as the flash from the small screen
announced the end to their transformation.
Finally, They powered, up, and fired, and the portal into which the communicator was
sending widened into a tunnel a couple inches wide. I couldn't see into it, but a light from
inside seemed to be growing brighter by the second, and I assumed it was the attack,
broken down into sheer energy, making its way here. There was an odd drop in air
pressure, and a steady roar began to vibrate the apartment softly.
Makoto, the light now illuminating her face almost painfully, turned to me, and I realized
I couldn't hear her as she tried to say something to me. Still, I'd seen (or, really, 'not
seen') her say it a hundred times, and sadly mouthed it back to her. Then my apartment
exploded in light and I was thrown back onto my bed, my head hitting the armrest it had
as a futon, and I blacked out.
Waking up, I felt like I was pushing through layers of fog, finally cracking my eye open
to look at my apartment. It still looked like Makoto lived here, and I decided that it would
look like this for a week, until the universe reset itself. Sighing as I stared at the pictures,
and plants, I felt my head spin again, and closed my eyes, hoping that with a little more
sleep, the pain from hitting my head would go away. The last thought before I slipped
back asleep was one I found both painful and assuring. Makoto silently telling me she
loved me, one last time.