Anomaly closed her eyes. It was all there. Everything she ever wanted. Her family.

She swallowed. "The day has come for me." She whispered softly. "It's time."

Abby looked at her. "Time for what?"

Anomaly looked back. For the first time since she'd met her, Abby saw peace in the teenager's eyes.

"Time for forgiveness." She replied. "I've forgiven everyone. Arklio, Sam." She closed her eyes again. "Now it's time to forgive myself."

The anomaly opened behind her. She carefully turned around. "I'm coming, Sam." She whispered.

Too late, Abby realized what was happening. "No!" she cried. But the anomaly closed before she could bring Anomaly back.

Artalia smiled, her arm still around her son. "It's ok, Abby. I'm doing what I must do."


Little five-year-old Sam sat down. Mentally, he was probably eight, but he was still a child.

Which irritated him to no end.

His little sister was only two. She'd been called back by their mother a few minutes ago, so he was alone right now. He bit his lip, hoping she came back soon. He was a little farther away from the city's walls than he'd like.

"Hello." A voice said. A young girl, probably fourteen, came over to him. "What's your name?"

He looked at her. "I shouldn't talk to you." He whispered. "You're from another city, aren't you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be?"

He shrugged. "I've never seen you before."

She smiled softly. "So you think, big brother."

His eyebrows twisted in confusion, and for the first time, he really looked at her. "What?"

But he gasped as he saw the pattern on her face, the beautiful metallic blue eyes that started back at him.

"Artalia!" He breathed.

"Hi, Sam." Her voice was soft, barely a whisper.

He stared at her. "You're… old!"

She laughed. "Thanks. Can I expect grey hair anytime soon?"

He blushed. "I mean, you're older."

She nodded. "Fourteen, if you want to get technical."

He looked at her. "Where did you get these?" He asked, gently tracing the scars on her arms, the ones that disappeared under her shirt sleeve.

She smiled sadly. "It's a long story."

He sighed.

Artalia hissed suddenly, irritation filling her eyes. She clutched her pattern, annoyed.

He looked at her. "Are you ok?"

She nodded. "Fine."

He gasped as he saw her pattern. It was a deep purple.

Tears filled his tiny eyes. "Sis? Are you going to die?"

She looked at him. His expression was so pained. "No." She replied.

He gently touched her pattern, where purple ink stained his fingers for a moment, before disappearing. "But… your chip!"

She shrugged. "I'll get a replacement. Don't worry."

He nodded slowly, and for a long time, there was silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was just a deep peace that filled the air.

Finally, she spoke up. "Sam… I'm not going to die." A tear fell down her cheek. "You are."

He looked at her. "What? What do you mean, I'm going to die? When?"

She sighed. "No worries, big brother. You've got quite a few years left." She looked back at him. "But… I want you to know…" She chocked off, unable to speak.

He placed his hand on hers, his small fingers wrapping around one of hers. "What is it?"

She looked deep into his eyes. "I want you to know that it was all a lie. I lied to you. Because…" She chocked again, but kept going, fighting the tears and sobs. "Because I was angry. But I know now." She gently wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, Sam. I can never hate you. And no matter what I say, I will always forgive you." She held him at arm's length so she could look into his eyes. "Understand?"

He looked back, his eyes round. "Yes."

She nodded. "Good." She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.

There was silence again as Artalia tried to regain composure. Finally, Sam took a small necklace from around his neck, handing it to her. "Here."

Carefully, she held out her hand. He slowly dropped it into her palm.

"It was grandpa's." He told her.

Her breath caught. Their grandfather had died when they were very young, but they had always loved him.

She smiled softly, sadly. "You told me you'd lost it." She breathed.

He shrugged. "Well, I didn't. I gave it to you." He sighed. "But… it always helps me when I'm sad. I want you to have it." He placed his hand on her cheek. "Because you're sad."

Her smile widened, another tear falling down her cheek, this time landing on his hand. "Thank you, Sam."

Her hand tightened around the necklace, so tight that one of the sharp edges cut into her hand. But she didn't notice, much less care.

He nodded and took his hand from her face. "You're welcome."

At that moment, Arklio came up to them, confusion, fear, irritation, and anger in his eyes. "Can I help you?" He asked Artalia harshly.

Artalia stood, drying her eyes quickly. "No, thank you. I'm fine."

His eyes narrowed. "Than could you please tell me what you wanted with one of our city's children?" He demanded.

Sam was ready to protest, but Artalia shook her head ever so slightly. He took the hint and remained silent.

She smiled at Arklio. Sam thought it would hurt his cheeks if he had plastered a smile that fake on his lips. "Oh, I'm not from another city. I'm just… traveling." She nodded towards Sam.

"Goodbye, Sam. It was nice seeing you."

He nodded back, knowing he could get in trouble if he said anything.

She smiled. "Very well then. I think I'll be off."

Behind her, a huge anomaly opened up. Sam stared in wide-eyed wonder. Arklio's jaw dropped. Anomalies were easy enough to open up, but it was difficult to open one that big. And yet, Artalia was smiling, as though this was the easiest thing in the world.

She stepped backwards into the shining and beautiful light.

"Forgive me, Sam!" She called as the light danced around her, closing as she was half-in and half-out of the portal between times. "I was wrong!"

And she disappeared, the light closing.

Arklio sighed. "Come along, Sam. Let's get you inside."

Sam nodded, but pride was bursting through him. That was my sister!


Artalia smiled as Anomaly came back through the shining light. "Better?"

Anomaly smiled back, nodding. "Yes."

Artalia placed a hand on Anomaly's shoulder. "It keeps getting better. It always will."

Arklio came up to her. "Well, Anomaly. I'd revoke your banishment, but it seems there's something else you have to do."

Anomaly nodded. "And I'm ready."

Arklio smiled. "Not quite yet." He gently touched her pattern. "I think I can do one thing to make up for the past six years."

She grabbed his wrist. "You need to do nothing."

His smile widened. "But I want to."

She smiled as well and released his wrist.

Connor swallowed. "Can I watch?" The sci-fi crazed, movie-loving sparkle entered his eyes. A cyborg-creating operation like that was probably his biggest dream.

Anomaly laughed. "It's not that exciting."

He blushed. "Yeah, but it would still be cool."

She laughed again. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

Arklio smiled. "Very well. After all, how could I refuse someone I've known since childhood?"

Anomaly looked at him. "So that's where you remembered him from."

He nodded. "Of course."

Artalia grinned. "Come on. We have to finish this, and get time back on course."


Anomaly was right. The operation wasn't that big a deal. A needle was inserted to remove the defective chip, and another needle inserted to replace it.

"The chips are specifically coded." She told Connor as the first needle slid into her pattern. "We have to lock on to some sort of machine to survive. It becomes our lifeline." She swallowed and continued. "The ADD was mine. Now, if someone upgrades the machine or does something to it while I'm attached, I'll be fine. But if they start messing around with the wires, I would die before my chip could reset itself to the new adaptations." She shrugged, which didn't look too easy while she was lying down with a needle in her head.

"Hold still." Arklio whispered.

"Sorry."

"So that's why you always wanted to know when I was working on the ADD." Connor said, understanding.

"Yep. I didn't exactly want to die."

He smiled. "No one does."

There was silence for a long time.

Finally, Abby, who was sitting next to Connor, spoke up. "Anomaly… what's going to happen now?"

Anomaly sighed and spoke in English. "Well, I can't come back to the ARC."

Lester bristled. "Why not?"

She smiled. "Because I have to go to the past. Well, my past, your future. But I have to meet Kierto."

"But… we need you." Jenny said. "You're a valuable addition to the team."

Lester sighed. "Despite all your… quirks."

Anomaly grinned. "Thank you." She whispered. "You don't know how much it means to me that you came back."

Lester rolled his eyes.

Connor smiled. "That's as close as you're going to get to an apology." He said in her language.

Her smile widened. "I know. But I'll take it."

"I'll come." Artalia said. "I spent a few years with you before I came back here." She smiled. "I knew you'd need me."

Cutter nodded. "We do need you. You have abilities that we can barely understand."

Artalia shrugged. "I'll leave you some information when I have to leave, but I'll be with the team for a while. Help out with the different creatures that come through."

"And when you have to leave?" Lester demanded.

"Well, I have an idea." Anomaly replied for her future self. "Obviously, it won't replace an empathic, anomaly-controlling future human, but it would be nice for you to have an empath on your side, to convince the creatures to go back through the anomalies."

She turned her head slightly. "Ikesa! Knorlo Malkot?"

Ikesa nodded once.

She grinned.

"Ikesa…" Connor's eyebrows twisted in confusion. "Ice eyes? His name is Ice Eyes?"

She smiled. "Yes."

Connor started going through the Florlic's names. "Kesea… Kelsey. And… Ferakesa… Fire eyes!"

"Of course." Artalia replied. "But Kesea's pregnant. Ikesa's the father."

A few gasps filled the air.

Anomaly smiled. "Yes, and she's informed me that she wants at least one of her children to stay with you."

"No longer pregnant." Kierto said, coming into the room, a tiny bundle of fur in his arms. Small wings stretched away from the puppy's back. "She gave birth while you two were fighting." He informed them, gesturing to Arklio and Artalia.

Artalia gently took the puppy from Kierto with a smile.

"This is the one she wants to go with you." Kierto said. "She pointed him out."

Artalia walked over to Abby and handed her the puppy. Abby took it without question. "He's so cute!"

Artalia nodded. "He won't replace someone like us, but he can help. Besides, I figured you'd want another pet. You've got what, three already?" She scoffed. "All from the past. Lame! Here's one from your future."

Abby laughed, gently stroking the puppy under the chin. "He's adorable."

"What's his name?" Anomaly asked.

Abby thought for a minute. She whispered something in Anomaly's ear, who grinned and whispered back.

Abby smiled. "Conorao." She said. "His name's Conorao."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "You named him after me?"

Abby nodded and walked over to Connor, placing a kiss directly on his lips. He didn't complain, kissing her back.

Anomaly smiled.

"There." Arklio said, removing the needle from her pattern. "You're done."

Anomaly smiled and sat up. "Great."

"One last thing." Connor said. "Why can I suddenly understand you?"

Artalia grinned. "My fault." She reached behind his ear and pulled out a small chip. "I put it there before you came through to this time."

He raised an eyebrow as she put it back. "How?"

She shrugged. "I reached in through a smaller anomaly. Just the arm. Completely unnoticeable, if you're not looking." She grinned and put the chip back behind his ear.

At that point, the Florlics came into the room, Ikesa and Ferakesa helping to bring in Kesea. She looked weak, but determined. Three tiny puppies rested on the Florlic's backs, in between the wings.

Anomaly grinned. "I think we're all ready."

She turned to Steven. "Goodbye, solider."

He nodded his goodbye. "See you soon, Anomaly."

She walked over to Connor and Abby. "Goodbye. I'll miss you. And… sorry about that thing with the cliff." She hugged the two of them.

They grinned. "No harm done." Connor replied as she broke away.

"The sunrise was beautiful." Abby added.

She turned to Jenny. "Goodbye, Claudia."

Jenny's lip twitched upwards. "What's wrong with Jenny?"

She hugged Jenny. "Nothing at all. That's exactly the point." She stepped back. "Remember that."

She looked at Cutter. "You remember that, too."

Cutter smiled softly. "I do."

She smiled back and turned to Lester. "Thank you, Lester. For everything. I mean, I know I wasn't exactly a perfect team member, but…" She grinned. "You handled it pretty well."

He rolled his eyes.

She grinned and hugged him, despite his protests. Finally, he consented and carefully wrapped his arms around her with a deep sigh.

She stepped back. "I'm going to miss you. All of you."

Artalia placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll see them again. Don't worry."

She smiled and turned to her older self. "I know." She sighed. "Let's go."

Artalia took Anomaly's hand, and a huge anomaly opened up in front of them.

"Time to make things right." Artalia whispered.

Anomaly swallowed. "I'm ready."

And they stepped through.


He didn't know who the newcomer was.

She didn't have the mark of banishment, but the scars she was covered in indicated that she'd been in the desert for a long time.

Kierto struggled to get closer. It was difficult to get through the crowd of curious people also trying to get through.

The newcomer was around his age, had metallic blue eyes, and an intricate and beautiful pattern surrounding her right eye.

"Kierto!" His father, one of the council, ordered. "You are her guide. Stay with her until she is used to our city."

Kierto nodded once, though inside he was smiling. He was going to get a chance to meet her before everyone else.

The girl came up next to him. "Hi."

"Hello."

"I was told that you're going to help me?" She asked, smiling. "I'm kinda new."

He nodded and extended a hand. "I'm Kierto."

She smiled and shook it, her face lighting up. "I'm Anomaly."

A/N: Yay! My first finished fanfiction! I'll probably write an epilouge, though, because I'm having a hard time giving up the story. :) So I'm not going to put it as complete yet. Also, I know I introduced the pregnant Florlic thing too quickly, sorry. I meant to have that through the whole story, but it didn't quite work. Hope you all enjoyed it! Please tell me if there's anything you're confused about, or if I forgot to explain anything, and I'll fix it. Thanks!