Wide Awake

Chapter 19

The Difference She Makes

Falling through the portal and into the void made my heart stop. Then I landed harshly on the ground and my heart started again, beating fast. I laid there for a moment before I lifted myself up and sat on my knees. I looked around and noticed that I was outside my house. Looking down at myself, I saw I was transparent again. I stood slowly and looked around.

"This… is different." I noticed. My house was a lot less run down looking, my truck wasn't in the driveway, and the mood around the block seemed to be a lot more happier. Suddenly, the door to my house opened and I saw four people walk out.

'My family… together?' I thought, my eyes widening. My brothers were laughing. They looked… different. They looked even happier and more, I don't know a good word. I suppose free would be a good word. Next to them my mom was smiling, her frown lines were gone and her eyes were bright. Then, as much as it shocked me, my dad, the asshole, was laughing. He looked happy, he wasn't drunk or pissed off.

"This is what it would be like if you weren't born." I heard the red-eyed things deep voice echo around me.

"They look… happier." I murmured, Jack and Chris walked past me to the car. The car was a lot nicer than our cars, Jack and Chris didn't have their deadly piece of junk, and instead two nice trucks were in our driveway. My dad walked up to the truck and got into the driver's seat. But my mom didn't.

She was staring directly at me; I looked behind me to find nothing. Could she possibly see me like she did that time when I had been transparent?

She mouthed something at me, making me blink. I tilted my head, trying to decipher what she said. I was able to read it, but it just couldn't come to my mind. However, then she said something. it was in Chinese of course, that way only I would understand it. But, as soon as she started speaking, the world started to fade from view.

Excruciating pain exploded in my head, making me fall to my knees and grab my head. The world shifted before me, turning into dark silhouettes and then forming more furniture. After a moment, I was able to make out I was inside Kayan's house.

"Kayan! Come downstairs!" I heard her mother call. I watched, from my place on the floor as Kayan ran down the stairs.

'She looks… different.' I noted. Kayan didn't look the same. She had a v neck tee-shirt instead of an Eminem one, and her hair was pulled back into a bun. She had short shorts on, and honestly, she looked genuinely happy.

"Yeah mom? I have to get out to meet up with Tara, Ryan, and Kiera soon, so can you be fast?" Kayan questioned. I blinked. I knew Tara, Ryan and Kiera as girls from my school. My Kayan had been homeschooled, and she had only had very few friends, which was my strange group.

"Alright, can you just go check up on your brother at his friend's house while you're gone? He has a knack for getting into something." Kayan and her mom laughed, and the world slowly started to dissolve. Only for another scene to appear.

Kirai and Violet sat in front of me, both on Violet's couch. Kirai had glasses perched on her nose as she peered at cards in her hand. Violet meanwhile was smirking.

"My dad is a master at this game; he taught me some tricks yesterday." Violet informed Kirai. Kirai groaned.

"You must be shitting me, you can't get this lucky each time. Its poker damn it, it's all based off luck!" Kirai muttered. Violet snorted.

"Liar, it's not all based off luck. You need to be a good bullshitter, and a good cheater. We both know the other is cheating." Violet retorted. Kirai glared.

"I am an honest person!" she snapped.

"Lies." sung Violet as she reached over and pulled a few cards out of Kirai's sleeves.

"I don't know what those are." Kirai huffed, turning her head.

"Tch, you lie." replied Violet. Kirai frowned.

"When I get my eyes fixed you won't be able to cheat anymore, next week I'll be a boss at this." snapped Kirai. Violet smirked.

"No way, I'm the master, even if I'm playing against someone with full eyesight!" Violet laughed. Kirai snorted, and they kept playing. The world began to fade again before I was standing in the park. Over on a bench I could see Sky and Josh sitting on a bench. Sky's hair was a little past her shoulders, and cute glasses were perched on her nose. Josh looked the same; however Sky didn't look like a bitch. Her shirt was a normal tee-shirt, and her shorts weren't slutty short. On Sky's lap was a sketch pad which was open to a sketch of her and Josh.

'This future… it looks so much better than mine.' I thought, looking around. We were at the old park, but this park looked more refurbished. Like someone actually took care of it.

So far, everything I had seen. It had been changed, for the better. If I wasn't here, could everything be that different? Kirai was getting her eyes fixed, Sky wasn't a bitch, and Kayan had looked so happy. And, in my time Violet's dad was dying and could hardly do anything, but this Violet, she said her dad taught her new poker cheats. How could me not being here change everything that drastically?

Suddenly the world shook around me and I found myself back in the castle area where I had been pushed into the voice from. I was in the shadows now. I stood there silently as I observed the scene before me.

"You cannot lie to her, Sosūdearukoto." I was able to recognize the angel, Megami I believe she told me to call her. She was very bright compared to the rest of the dark and dreary setting.

"I do not lie, I show her the truth." the red-eyed man, creature replied. I took a mental note, remembering his extremely long and annoying name.

"You show her only what you want her to see, every world has its positive sides, but every world has its negative sides. You only show her the positive sides." snarled Megami, using a voice I had never heard from her in the few meetings I hate with her.

"She must be dealt with!" howled Sosūdearukoto, slamming his staff down in anger.

"Not how you are trying to deal with it! Itami's soul is under Shinigami and I's control, your outside forces won't be enough to stop her!" yelled Megami. Sosūdearukoto gave her an evil smirk.

"You can have her for now, but as far as the girl goes, I have already set my plans." Sosūdearukoto said before he disappeared into the dark. I could feel his presence, one of extreme power and darkness, leave the room. Then Megami turned to me.

"You can come out now, Itami." called Megami. I slowly left the shadows and Megami smiled at me, before the world suddenly began to disappear. We appeared in a garden. She sat on a bench, and I took a seat next to her.

"You were only shown the good portions of the other world where you never were born. In that world, Sky and Josh had a rocky start to their relationship and they end up breaking up. You heard Kirai was having a surgery for her eyes, if you had been there you would have talked her out of it, in the end, the surgery goes bad and her eyes are permanently blinded completely. In that timeline, your brothers die in a car accident which starts your parents up like they are now, only they have no one to bring their anger out on. You noticed how Kayan was happy no doubt, but that is only good at times. Kayan becomes very obsessive over how she looks, going to extremes such as anorexia, and instead of her needing the meds, her brother does. In that timeline her father had died rather than left them. You weren't shown Evelyn in that timeline, that's because early in the timeline she dies from her disease. Also, Violet's father is much healthier in that timeline, but in return she gets the disease after Kirai's eyes are destroyed." explained Megami, my eyes widened.

"Each timeline is balanced; there isn't one timeline that is better than another, only if the timeline is influenced by an outside force will things change. You Itami, are an outside force. You hold no destiny, meaning your decisions control what happens to those that are affected. Jack and Chris aren't destined to die in your timeline like they are in that one, but they died in that timeline because in the end, your family had to end up like they are." Megami sighed and looked at me.

"I'm sure that you've forgotten the comet by now, the time when the dimensions will open which allow the Akatsuki to return to their world. By that time, there is no doubt Sosūdearukoto will try to change things. His influence is great; I cannot tell you how things can be changed. But, I can tell you that by the time the comet comes, you may of have had to deal will much pain, physical and mental. You are only human Itami, a human that holds unbelievable spirit and will power." Megami continued to explain. I was listening and trying to remember everything she said.

"Because of that, Sosūdearukoto is after you. When you were thrown in, he did everything he could do get you to die. He influenced your father to be the way he is, he influenced the various trials you faced as a child, he influenced the change in your friend Sky, and he will continue to change everything until he manages to kill you, or get you to take your own life." Megami lectured. I looked down at my arms which were covered by my sweatshirt.

"If, either Alice or I dies, then will he stop?" I questioned, making Megami give me a confused face. I explained more, "When I had been in the Narutoverse, I had met the 'Itami' of that world. But, now in this world, there are two 'Itami's'. Me and Alice. If one of us dies, then will the world be balanced again? Enough for Sosūdearukoto to stop trying to kill me? Because there has to be one of us in each world right, or else all the other 'Itami' would unbalance the worlds." Megami's face paled. Then she sighed.

"I was hoping that it could be kept secret, but in truth… I shouldn't tell you this but originally only the Akatsuki fell through the rip. Sosūdearukoto brought the other four through and sent them to Alice. He has something planned; he's very vexed that you haven't died yet." Megami sighed.

"So, he gave her those four to help her. He most likely expects that I'm going to try to kill her, but I can't because of them. He has a grudge against me most likely because of the fact I've eluded his death attempts." I assumed. Megami's silence told me that I was most likely right. And that I was being very smart at the moment.

"Itami, Shinigami and I are on your side. Don't die, or else your soul isn't going to us. It will be going to Sosūdearukoto, and then forever after, you will be put through torture and Hell. You won't get any peace, and you won't be reincarnated. Until something has been resolved, if you die… we won't be able to save you." Megami whispered. She sounded scared for me to be honest.

"If I hadn't of interfered, would the Akatsuki have died in every timeline?" I questioned suddenly.

"No, in one timeline they all live and Tobi's ideals become reality." answered Megami. I nodded slowly.

"Because of my free will, can I shape my world however I want? And, does that mean, if I tried, would I be able to move myself to a different reality?" I inquired. Megami sighed again, sounding tired.

"There's never been a case like yours Itami, anything is possible from this point. But, be cautious Itami. Because, when the comet comes, that day. All the timelines have gone dark for our seers. I don't have any idea what could happen, but what i think is going to happen, is that you or Alice will die. I think, despite that I don't want it to come to that, one of you must kill the other. And it will happen on that day, be prepared." warned Megami.

"It won't be me." I replied, "I need to make sure nothing happens to my morons, my new ones and my old ones." Megami gave me a ghost of a smile and the world began to fade and I found myself back in my room.

"Itami, tomorrow you will be the weakest because it is your birthday. Be careful." I heard Megami whisper before her presence was gone and I was left in my room, as if nothing had happened.

"Fuck." I whispered, looking at my mirror. My hair's tips were already starting to fade into crayon red. I sighed and sat on my bed.

And I spent the rest of the night thinking about the various timelines and the differences between me being here and me not being here.

I really made a difference in the world.

AN

So, its Fourth of July, there are fireworks going on outside my house and my dad lit off a firework that made all the car alarms on my block go off. And, this is my last update for a week because tomorrow, very early in the morning, I am leaving on a trip to Pennsylvania. I won't have any internet at all for a week.

I rushed to get this up, you better appreciate it.

I'll have a ton of good stories when I get back, right now I'm pressed for time.

Q- What are your thoughts on how Itami's character development is going?

A- I'm going to an amusement park in August, and Pennsylvania tomorrow. Woo.

Sayonara!