Over the next couple of weeks things were relatively quiet for Gloria and her friends. The girls were slowly beginning to adjust to the lives of high schoolers. As September gave way to October Gloria now found herself at home with Naomi. The two freshmen girls trying to decide what to do for their class science project.
“Still trying to decide what we should do for Dr. Scott’s biology project,” Gloria stated as she thoughtfully reviewed her notes. Naomi smiled as she thumbed through her biology book. “Well,” she said. “We have two choices Gloria. We can either write a report on the frog dissection we did in class or make a model of the frogs internal organs.” Gloria crinkled her nose as she thought of dissecting the frog earlier in the week. “Ugh let’s just make the model,” she groaned. “The whole dissecting thing kinda grosses me out.” Giggling the two girls now tried to decide, how to make their model.
Before the two girls could continue they were interrupted by Gloria’s sister Katie teleporting into Gloria’s bedroom. Naomi gave a small shriek in surprise as Gloria smiled up at her sister. “Hey Gloria,” Katie said warmly. “sorry to startle you Naomi just needed to see my sister about something.”
“That’s okay Katie,” Naomi said breathlessly. Gloria now curiously looked at her sister wondering what Katie wanted. “So what’s on your mind?”
Katie paused as she looked at Gloria and her friend. Ever since Ann and Lisa’s reconciliation she had been haunted by what her mother had said. “You should watch your back Morgan might be after you too.” Those words haunted Katie, not because she was worried for herself but for Gloria. The girl was the one that now possessed the ring meaning that if Morgan were to come here she would most likely come for the current owner of the ring first. Katie now needed to make sure Gloria was safe, and was aware of the danger.
“Gloria has the ring spoken to you since that weekend?”
Gloria shook her head no as she looked down at the ring on her finger. “No it’s been pretty quiet lately,” she said. “Even when I’ve used the ring lately it hasn’t said a word. Why? Is something wrong.”
Katie sighed as she looked at Gloria. The next part was going to be difficult. Katie had been trying to figure out a way to tell Gloria without telling her the whole truth. Gloria didn’t need to know about Katie’s initial wish but she would tell the girl about her mother Kellie existing in another timeline. The story she would give though needed to be a carefully worded one.
“Okay here’s the thing,” she started. “You see the night that the ring spoke to us it told me that...my mom was alive..in another timeline.” Gloria and Naomi now gaped as Katie carefully told them how her birth mother existed in an alternate timeline. One where she was 16 years old and friends with 16 year old versions of Katie’s friends.
“Katie,” Gloria whispered. “How...how is that possible? I mean your mom died in child birth. How can she exist in another timeline?”
Katie shrugged as she looked down at the ring. “Not too sure but I think it has something to do with the reality altering magic the ring has. Somehow it made my mom a 16 year old girl in a reality very similar to this one. The reason I’m telling you all this is because theirs an evil sorceress that may or may not come after you.”
While Gloria gave her sister a grave look, Naomi’s face brightened as she listened to Katie’s tale. “That is so AWESOME,” she beamed. “Your mom is like Future Trunks living in the Injustice universe.”
Katie and Gloria now gave the excited teen a curious look as she anxiously looked the two over. “What are you talking about Naomi,” they asked.
“Come on,” Naomi exclaimed. “Don’t you know Dragonball or the Injustice games?”
“Sorry Naomi,” Katie said sheepishly. “Not a big fan of cartoons or video games.”
“Ugh fine,” Naomi exclaimed. “I’ll explain it then.” Sighing Naomi now gave Gloria and Katie a annoyed look. “Okay so Future Trunks is the son of Vegeta who was born in a timeline were his dad and all the hero’s of Dragonball died. Don’t worry about who they are, it would take too long to explain. Anyway he journeys back in time to get his dads help. Kinda like your mom.”
“Yeah sort of,” Katie admitted, still slightly confused.
“Okay so she exists in another timeline and lives with alternate versions of Katie’s friends,” Naomi continued. “Kinda Like Injustice where theirs an evil Superman.”
“Okay Naomi,” Katie said. “I kind of see what your saying even if I don’t know the references.” Naomi exhaled looking between Katie and Gloria with a look of exasperation. “Ugh you two seriously need to open up your horizons,” she groaned. “You have no idea what your missing out on. That said how can we help.”
“Whoa hold on,” Katie said quickly. “I didn’t tell you this to have you and your friends get involved. I told you this because I want you to be careful.”
Gloria frowned as Naomi let out a disappointed groan. “Oh come on Katie,” Gloria whined. “I mean look at all the good me and my friends have done. We got Mika’s family back together and we even helped Lisa and Ann get closer. I know we can help your mom out with her problems too.”
Katie smiled as she looked at the exuberant teens. “I appreciate that Gloria,” she said warmly. “But you have no idea how dangerous this could be. From what I’ve heard this sorceress is big trouble. I just want you and your friends to be safe, okay?”
“Ugh fine,” Gloria grumbled. Katie smiled as she now hugg d her sister tightly. “I know you want to help Glo,” she said kindly. “But this is something that’s better left alone. In fact, aside from you and your friends, don’t tell anyone. Not mom, not your dad, not Mr. Harris, no one. The less people who know the safer they’ll be.”
Gloria nodded as her sister now hugged the two teens slightly. “I just want you to be safe Gloria,” she said. “I haven’t even told my friends about all this. Right now you two are the only ones that know. Just keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. That means new students, new teachers, new neighbors, any of those things. Hopefully it’s nothing but I’d rather be safe than sorry. Just....have fun with the ring, I’ll be in Touch so.”
As Gloria nodded Katie smiled, waving goodbye before vanishing from the bedroom. Gloria was left to contemplate what her sister had told her. She wasn’t sure how she should handle this information but she appreciated her sister telling her something that was obviously important.