The Beginning: A Limbo Proposition
 
May took a deep breath...and then another, relishing in 
the feeling.  It was the first time in the last five - 
or was it fifteen? - minutes that she could so without 
pain.  All that smoke made it hard to breathe.  It
made it hard to see too, for that matter.

She remembered how she'd ended up in all that smoke.  
She had been trying to work on her still unfinished 
thesis and had become extremely frustrated.  Since 
it was a lovely day in April and she wasn't making 
progress on her thesis, May left the campus to walk 
in the neighborhoods just beyond "the ivory tower".  
She wasn't really paying attention to where she was 
going, but her feet seemed to lead her to that 
particular street.  It was her natural curiosity 
that led her to the crowd.

"Disasters lead to pandimonium and confusion," someone 
once told her.  And that was definitely true at the 
scene of the fire. People were screaming, running, 
and crying; May got hit by passing people a couple of 
times as she tired to get closer to the the burning 
house.  Then she heard, "Somebody help me!  My baby, 
my Melissa is still in there!  Somebody help me, PLEASE!  
My baby, my baby!"

Now normally, like all onlookers, May would have been 
properly saddened and worried, but not about to dash 
into any burning building.  This case was different.  
Melissa was the name of a sweet little girl she tutored...
and the fire was in Melissa's neighborhood.  Without 
really thinking about it, May fought through the panicky 
crowd and dashed into the building.  The smoke choked and 
blinded her almost immediately, but she found Melissa 
and was fighting back toward the door...and then...

And then she was here, wherever here was.  Hey, at least 
she could breathe.

"Good.  You're awake.  Hello, May Lavon Hammond."

May opened her eyes slowly.  At first she saw a lot of 
white, then she saw a female in a long white shirt and 
white pants.  The woman's skin was the color of peanut 
butter, making her only slightly lighter in color than 
May herself.  She had shoulder length hair that was a 
reddish-brown color, almost bronzy.  The woman's hair 
also seemed to glow.  'Maybe I should ask who her 
hairdresser is,' May thought.  The most strikingly thing 
about this woman were eyes.  They were brown, but they 
were kind eyes, almost too kind to be believed.  

The woman smiled, "That was a very selfless thing you did 
down there.  It impressed a lot of us here."

"Melissa?  Is she-"

"She's fine, May.  Not a scratch on her, just some minor 
smoke inhalation.  But she'll be fine."

"And me?" May asked as she slowly sat up, noticing that 
there were no IVs or any kind of medical equipment in the 
room at all.  She also noticed that the room was 
unnaturally white.  "Where am I?  What hospital am I in?"

The woman standing in front of May smiled again, but it was 
sad this time.  "May, you aren't in a hospital."

May looked down at what she was wearing.  It was the same 
thing she put on that morning...with no soot or fire damage.  
That wasn't possible...unless..."I'm dead, then?"

Her companion nodded.

Strangely enough, being dead didn't really bother May 
much...yet.  "So, is this Heaven or Hell?"

"Neither."

"Is this Purgatory?"

"Of course not, May.  You're Protestant, not Catholic.  
We don't send Protestants to Purgatory."

That last statement puzzled May.  Now she had a lot of 
questions and was getting a little nervous.  "So where -?"

Her companion sat down in front of May and took her hands, 
which were beginning to shake.  "I don't mean to frighten 
you.  Let me start over.  First, my name is Imani, and I'm 
a proposer.  I guess the best way to think of me is...well, 
think of me as a 'Special Projects' angel."

"Like Monica, Tess, and Andrew on 'Touched by an Angel'?"

Imani shrugged, "Well, sort of.  Anyway, if you were bound 
for judgement immediately, you'd be asleep right now."

"Asleep?"

Imani smiled, "Yes, May.  But you knew this on some level 
already. Why else would dead people look like they are 
sleeping?  Besides that, you know the story of Jesus 
healing Jairus's daughter.  Didn't he tell the people 
mourning her death that the girl was 'merely sleeping'?"

May slowly nodded her head, still confused.  The angel Imani 
continued, "As I was saying, the people who aren't given a 
proposition sleep until the judgement...for the most part...
except it is more complicated than that.  After that, they 
go onto where they belong."

"So, there is no Heaven or Hell?"

Imani smiled again, "Of course there is, but it is more 
complicated than that.  For starters-" Imani paused.  
Then, as if remembering a time constraint, she stood, while
still holding on to May's hands, which effectively pulled May 
to her feet.  "Well, if I keep running my mouth like this, 
we'll never get to the point.  Follow me."

May followed Imani down a long white hall to a white office.  
After stepping inside, May asked, "Why is everything so 
blindingly white?"

"It is what makes you comfortable."

"Excuse me?"

"This whole area is generated by what would make your 
spirit comfortable.  Don't feel bad about the white; 
most people I talk to see white...well, expect for that 
Lutheran that had the intense interest in all things Goth. 
Anyway, have a seat,"  Imani finished, pointing to a white 
rocking chair, whose back and arms were made of green ivy.

May sat... or rather sank into the chair, which she also 
discovered was a recliner.  "I see what you mean by the 
comfort thing."

Imani smiled as she sat across from May.  "Now, you're 
being offered a unique opportunity.  You don't have to 
take it; and, should you refuse, your refusal will not 
affect your judgement in any way.  Neither will your 
acceptance.  You were chosen for this opportunity because 
of who you were, what you did to save Melissa, and because 
of the faith of the family you'll be helping."

The middle reason made sense to May.  The last seemed a 
little odd, but May just chalked that up to the power of 
prayer.  The first reason Imani gave, however, made no 
sense at all...to the point where it bothered May.  She 
didn't think being May merited any special favors.  "Because 
of who I was?"

Imani nodded, "Most souls live and die in one life.  In 
a few special souls, however, is a fission or part that 
has appeared more than once.  In your case, it has appeared 
three times.  And, like most people carrying a fission, you 
have stuck near your bases of origin in each life."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the first time your fission popped up, its home was 
where Richmond, England is now.  Remember how tied you felt 
to London and the Thames when you visited in your most 
current lifetime?"

May nodded.

"And the second time your fission appeared, it was born in 
the county closest to your most recent hometown...and - well, 
let's put it this way.  Remember how tied you felt to 
Jamestown? And how that year when you watched the Colonial 
ships sail into port, it felt odd because you thought you 
should be on one sailing away?"

May nodded again.  She remembered thinking that feeling of 
wrongness mixed with deja vu was a little odd at the time, 
but she had chalked it up to being a native Virginian who 
loved colonial history.  Imani's mention of it raised a few 
more questions. "But I don't understand.  Who-"

Imani looked at the confused May with compassion, "Your 
people named you Matoaka, but the world came to know 
you as one of the saviors of Jamestown, the Indian princess-"

"Pocahontas," May breathed.  "I was Pocahontas?"

"Part of your soul was Pocahontas.  You aren't the same 
people, although you are similar.  Remember that."

May nodded.

"So would you like to hear about this opportunity?"

"I'll admit, I'm curious." And frightened and suspious 
and totally confused, May added in her head.  She didn't 
say this aloud because...well, one doesn't talk to an angel 
like that.  She was beginning to understand how Mary felt 
when the angel Gabriel visited her.  But Mary didn't have 
to deal with being dead on top of her news.

Imani paused for a moment and smiled, almost as if she 
knew that May was totally confused.  "May, I promise 
that everything you need to know you know already or 
I'll tell you soon.  I'll just tell you the background 
and you can decide what you want to do.  Okay?"  Imani 
smiled and patted May on the shoulder before she walked 
around to sit at the desk beside May's chair. "Okay, 
let me give you the background.  A long time ago, Earth 
was ruled by a royal family.  The family was responsible 
and kind with a strong faith in the Creator you call God.  
This king and queen were blessed with a properous planet, 
few problems, and three sons who had all found love like 
the ones their parents shared.

"But a powerful nearby empire took a greedy interest in 
the planet and sought to force Earth into its empire 
via an alliance.  In the best interest of its people, 
the Earth royal family did much to protect its
planet, even agreeing to the tough terms of the alliance.  
But evil saw its opening and took it, ending the lives 
of many innocents.

"The leader of the nearby empire had at her disposal 
someone with the ability to move through different 
dimensions and time.  She charged this time walker to 
arrange the future to best benefit her daughter.  This 
time walker acted accordingly.  Among the things she did 
was to scatter the Earth royals and their loves across 
dimensions and time-"

"And God, MY God, just LET this happen?"  May asked, 
outraged.  Who werethese people who just thought they 
could interfere with time, with God's plan?  Who asks 
someone to screw with the universe to for their own 
benefit? And surely people just couldn't up and interfere 
with God's plan, could they?

"Let it happen?  Yes.  Approved of it?  No.  Time and 
the events within it are His domain, for a variety of 
good reasons.  But He allowed this to happened so He 
could place fissions of souls in necessary places 
according to His will.  In other words, God used this 
to place the members of the royal family where and when 
they were most needed."

Hearing that calmed May down a little.  'God's plan 
happens in spite of everything.  At least this is something 
that I can understand.  But the rest of this...' May tuned 
back in as she realized that Imani was continuing. 

"Lately, however, this time walker is becoming very smug.  
In order to right one of the wrongs this time walker 
committed and to put her on notice that she is being watched 
and judged, you are given the opportunity to become a time 
walker for a month to reunite the sons of the royal family.
Do you accept?"

May stared at Imani.  It was a lot to be thrown at a person 
all at once.  On top of this, her head was spinning with lots 
of unanswered questions.  'This is everything I need to know?  
Yeah, right.' May thought.  It was very hard to have coherent 
thoughts.  And no wonder!  Her beliefs had been proved, disproved, 
and confused all in about twenty minutes.  She realized it all 
wasn't about her.  It was about this poor family.  This was 
probably the result of prayers from the queen.  Yet, one question
still had to be answered for May, before she could put 
anything in perspective, before she could make a decision. 
"But why me?"

Imani smiled and there was a twinkle in her eye this time, 
as if she knew something that May did not.  "A fission of 
your soul was alive when this family ruled.  Part of you 
knows the whole family well.  That fission will help you 
talk to the sons once you find them...should you accept."

May sighed.  Three brothers torn apart by a power play.  
A planet destroyed by greed.  It she could help this royal 
family in any way, she would.  She would want someone to 
help her family if the situations were reversed.  Besides, 
hadn't she been praying for God to use her?  This just wasn't
what she had had in mind when she prayed.  'It pays to 
be specific,' May thought to herself.  What she actually 
said aloud was, "I accept."

Imani smiled, "Thank you, May.  Now take a look at the 
screen behind you while I tell you more about the three 
princes, scattered across three dimensions."

A picture of a young dark haired male appeared.  He was 
wearing what looked like a green uniform of some kind.  
"This is the youngest, Prince Arlington. In this incarnation, 
the person who holds the fission is known as Urameshi Yusuke, 
that is Yusuke Urameshi to you.  He has a bit of a foul
mouth and a temper.  He is also a spirit detective in this 
dimension.  You can contact him at any point in his life, 
but he'll probably be more likely to believe you after he's 
become a spirit detective than before he does."

A second picture flashed up.  Like the first young man, 
this one also had dark hair.  This new picture was somewhat 
older than the first, maybe around the age of 17.  "This is 
the middle son, Prince Tremaine, in this incarnation the 
person holding his fission is known as Terry McGinnis.  Terry 
has a history of being what some would call a juveline 
delinquent, much like Yusuke actually, except that Terry 
grew out of it...with some help from a juveline detention 
facility.

"Terry now has a new 'after school job'.  He is Batman, 
a masked superhero for the city of Gotham, although not 
necessarily well liked by the police.  He has strong 
protection instincts and is very loyal.  I'd keep that in
mind."

The picture changed for the third time.  May laughed to 
herself as she looked at the latest picture.  Talk, dark 
and handsome seemed to be the theme of these pictures.  Okay, 
Yusuke wasn't all that tall, but he was the youngest.  

"This," Imani continued, "is the heir apparent, Prince 
Endymion, known to many in this incarnation as Chiba Mamoru, 
again Mamoru Chiba to you. The plus here is that Mamoru knows 
that he is Prince Endymion and is aware of the existence of 
time walkers.  The drawback is that this dimension, which is, 
incidently, the same dimension in which you lived as May, is 
most heavily manipulated by the rogue time walker.  Endymion
doesn't remember his parents from this lifetime or from his 
life as prince.  All he knows is heavily influenced by the 
'reality' created by the time walker for the benefit of the 
empress's daughter.  He knows nothing of his brothers or his 
former love."

As the screen went black, Imani got up and walked across 
the room to a closet.  She opened it and pulled out a 
staff with what looked like an axe and a crystal ball 
fused together on the end.

"There are a few rules," Imani said as she held the staff.  
"First, you have a month.  Exactly four weeks.  That's it. 
As this entire situation proves, giving anyone unlimited 
sway over time is a bad idea, hence the time limit.  Anyway, 
before the end of the month, you must return everyone to 
their correct dimensions.  This won't take more than four 
seconds, but you need to make sure you have those four seconds.

"Second, you cannot force anyone to go with you.  All of 
the sons have a right to refuse.  No kidnapping.

"Third, this opportunity is for uniting the royals only.  
No 'fixing' other tragedies.  This is not the time to see 
what would have happened if Malcolm X wasn't shot or if 
LBJ had pulled out of Vietnam early.  And no side trips 
to Florida to see what would have happened if Al Gore
became president in 2000."  At this Imani smiled, "We 
know you, May.  So no helping."

"Fourth, while you can wear anything appropriate in 
whatever dimension you are in, you must wear the 
standard uniform when walking time or using the staff."  
Imani tossed May the outfit.

May held it up and stared at it.  "It's a sailor unifom...
except the skirt is practically non-existant!  And it's 
skin tight!  And why is is it white, pink, and navy?"

Imani smiled, "There is a reason for that, which you'll 
see during your journey.  Also, be careful.  Although the 
empress's time walker won't notice you right away, she 
will eventually.  And she may react as if you are a threat.  
Be prepared to defend yourself.

"Finally, May, don't forget your faith and ethics.  You'll 
need them when you make decisions."

Imani tossed May a watch and the staff, "The watch will 
count down the month for you.  It starts as soon as you 
enter the realm of time. You'll have a space outside of 
time to view dimensions and make decisions." Imani smiled, 
"Good luck, May."

'I'm probably gonna need it,' May thought. 

- to be continued -