The Cross-Dimensional Disturbance

By: Ang

Aida sat at her computer one night, burning a CD of recently downloaded anime. She pondered on what her brother may have received earlier that day, and was impatiently waiting for the transfer to finish.

When the files were complete, Aida scanned the disk to see what was on it, only to be disappointed for it was just Sailor Moon episodes.

"Boring." She moaned, and went to close the files, but the system locked up.

"Damnit." Aida cursed, pressing control-alternate-delete with no results. Then followed up with alternate-Q, alternate-X, and whatever other commands she could enter; but still got no reply from the system.

She went to switch off the box, but the monitor went black and words appeared at the top of the screen.

Aida squinted as she read:

WARNING! THE VIEWING OF THESE EPISODES MAY CAUSE CROSS-DIMENSIONAL DISTURBANCES. VIEWER CAUTION IS ADVISED.

Aida became confused, "What are cross-dimensional disturbances?" She thought, "I bet Eduardo had been playing some prank on me." She shouted to her brother, "Hey! Eddie! Get in here!"

No answer.

Aida walked out to the living room only to find her older brother fast asleep on the couch. So she went back into his room where the computer was.

An episode began to play on the screen, and Aida sat unenthusiastically in front of it. Then a bright flash of light emitted from the monitor that blinded her, and the screen fell blank.

Aida's dazzled eyes returned to normal and she felt a presence behind her. She

turned, expecting it to be her brother, but found another young man beside her instead.

She was startled, then frightened at first to find a stranger in her home, and a few moments passed before she realized who it was.

"S-Sapphire?" She stuttered out softly, "Saf-Safiru Sama?"

Sapphire did not seem to pay attention as he observed his new surroundings and three-dimensional form.

"Sapphire, how..." Aida muttered.

"You!" Sapphire exclaimed, "You know my name? Who are you?"

Aida didn't reply, still in shock, and slowly reached to touch him.

"Don't touch me." Sapphire backed away, "You are not the one I am searching for." Then he teleported into thin air.

Aida, jumped back in suprise, and saw Sapphire reappear outside, and run down the street.

Or, so, Aida said, as she quickly blurted the story out to me on the phone.

And I replied to her as anyone would if they got a phone call suddenly at eleven-o-clock at night, "Huh?"

And that's how it all began. Luckily, my parents were at a baseball game and my youngers were over at their friend's for the night, or else I would have been toast if I left the house and swiped my Mom's car.

Aida an I were joined by Becky, who begged and pleaded us to go after I relayed the situation to her. We had to find Sapphire and somehow return him to the anime.

After searching for him throughout the south county, we ended up here, downtown, cruising along the bay.

I feel as if I'm about ready to give up. It's been nearly two hours and no sign of anyone that even remotely resembles Sapphire. Even the freaks near the night clubs for no one had blue hair.

Thanks to the baseball game, the city remained lit up at one in the morning, and people still roamed the streets.

Becky stretched in the passenger seat, "I'm tired, I wish this could wait until morning."

"Don't blame me." I said, "I'm not the one who had to come."

"I'll tell you what," Becky said, "let's go down to the beach and chill for a little while. There's a coffee shop down there, so we can get something to eat and drink."

We all agreed and I parked the car in an empty lot at the beach. Becky went on her way to the coffee shop while Aida an I remained and walked along the seawall.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess." Aida said, "I guess I was just a little freaked out."

"Don't worry about it." I replied, although after driving around south St. Pete for two hours with no results, I was really starting to assess the validity of the story. Maybe Aida had dreamt the whole thing. Nevertheless, being the wonderful friend I am, and a killer Sailor Moon fan, I agreed to help.

We sat on the seawall, and watched as the tide silently came in the bay.

I thought to myself, Cross-dimensional disturbances? How odd. And why Sapphire? What does it mean? Who is this person he is searching for? I had often believed that anime was in a dimension of its own, the second dimension, while we were in the third. I has also wished on numerous occasions that I would be able to take someone out of an anime or implant myself in one, but that's impossible. They are only paper and ink, a doodle, a cartoon.

It was a good while before Becky returned, and her hands were empty, so I assumed the shop to be closed.

"You're not going to believe this," She said, "but I found him."

"You did?" I exclaimed, "Great, where is he? I want to see him."

"Good," Becky replied, "Because he wants to see you too. He likes you, alot."

"What?" I asked, "That's impossible, he's just a character, a cartoon. He's not real, and he's not supposed to be in this world. How could he like me?"

"He just said so." Becky said, "You don't belong in this world either, you know. Neither do Aida or I. Apparently, from what he told me, we are all out of animes originally as well, but we have been in the real world for so long that we have forgotten our identities and taken on new ones. Don't you see, Angela? You are the one he is searching for. You are a member of the NegaMoon Family, and it's time for you to go back. That is why he's here."

"But you?" I asked, still trying to let the other news about me still sink in, "What about you and Aida, where do you belong?"

"He doesn't know. " Becky said, "But he will try to return us to where we belong. Isn't this wonderful? Your wish has finally come true. This is why you always felt so out of place, and I always knew you looked like an anime, didn't I?"

"Yeah, I guess." I replied, I seemed so calm about this whole thing, as if I've been preparing for it for a long time, "But, you know I really don't have a thing for Sapphire, I'm much more interested in his brother."

"Well, now's your chance to be with Prince Diamond." Becky said, "Come on, let's go."
"Wait." I said, "Where's Aida?"

Becky replied, "She's already been brought back, she is no longer here."

So Becky and I walked up to the coffee shop and went inside. And that's when I saw him. His back was toward me, but I can tell by the natural look of his dark blue hair and by the clothes he was wearing that this was the man we had been searching for all this time. I approached him slowly.

"Excuse me, Sapphire, or Safiru Sama?" I said with a shaky voice, "It is I, Angela."

Sapphire slowly stood up and turned to face me, and that's when I woke up. For it was only a dream...Or was it?