(Y/n) Pov
One moment I was in bed, where nothing bad is supposed to happen, and the next I'm no longer on Earth.
Pepe the Frog, a Meme from the Internet, gave me the power of Memes.
With the newly granted and immense knowledge, I understood. But I still couldn't believe I had superpowers!
And I have SO MUCH power now that I was granted the ability to create, control, and become Memes. As stupid as this is, it makes perfect sense!
And this power was just... given to me by Pepe The Frog, who is still looking at me in wholesome amusement at my flabbergasted state.
I still couldn't get it to process the fact that I now have INFINITE power because of MEMES from the past, now, and future!
He gave me power.
And he refused to elaborate.
"I..." *laughs*
...
Then I started to freak out.
*heavy breathing* "... O-ok! Listen, Mr Pepe-! Frog, I- sir! Gragh!! I don't know what you want, but I need- this isn't-... real!! It's not real!!!"
...
"What?!"
...
*deep breath* "Ok... um, Pepe. I'm sorry for yelling. I shouldn't.
I know that nothing has happened yet and I'm not in any danger, so for that I'm, I'm cool. I'm grateful. Plus, whatever you just did to me feels... good. Honestly, like really good. But... why did you do this?"
...
"What do you want with me? What's gonna happen now?"
Pepe was kind enough to let me relax and say my piece. He probably understands that my reaction wasn't completely unwarranted.
In fact through my rant his smile didn't fall in displeasure or rise in further amusement. Only when the last two questions left me did he do anything.
He looked out towards the water and raised his hands. Blue translucent rings appeared above the surface, thousands covering the ocean as far as my eyes could see.
When he beckoned to the one in front of us and I looked in, I realized that all of these rings weren't for flare; they were portals.
The ring in front of me was an actual portal.
I'm being isekai'd.
I get overpowered by a powerful person who still isn't God, go to another world and do... deeds?
I'm not big on anime but that's supposed to be the gist of it, and it was the first thing that came to mind.
"Another world...? What about my world? I'm still in school, and you want me to go to another world?"
...
"What do I- *chuckles* ... Sorry, this is just... messing with my sense of reality."
...
"... Yeah, no. I'm not going. I have a home. I can't leave, and I don't want to, so j-just take me back. Please take me back right now! Find some-"
...
"... How do you know about that?"
...
*looks down* "... My parents. They did, a long time ago. My aunt and uncle have been taking care of me since... They're my family now."
That's nice. Pepe the Frog can read minds and has no problem invading the privacy of others.
He knows that both of my parents died and now none of this is funny. Not in the slightest.
But then the frog looked down, losing his smile as he did so. His expression fell into a frown, and for me it was both a relief and a shock that he did so.
A relief because if he had kept that Meme-esque look on his face, I might've assumed he was mocking me and gotten angry.
And it was a shock that this expression that I'd never seen before was full of remorse, full of understanding. For this character of all characters to show emotion at all, let alone like this... it was very human of him to do so.
He closed his eyes and put a hand to his chest. Without speaking he said something else for them. Something along the lines of how perfect they were.
I was young when they left, but even now I knew them well enough to strongly agree with Pepe.
"Um- thanks. I- *sniff* I loved them. Still do."
He and I shared a moment of silence, and for this I was thankful. Not just for his consideration, but also that I was able to share my grief with him, albeit involuntarily.
It was a silence that he seemed to bask in as well because, who knows, maybe he lost someone too.
But...
"They're still back there. I can't leave."
...
"Not... not without knowing they'll be okay."
Pepe raised his hand forward towards me. I turned around and I could see another portal behind me, except this one stood upright like a mirror. In its reflection was me, getting ready for school.
"... Huh."
The image rippled and then settled as it switched over to my aunt and uncle in the kitchen.
If this was the morning I was supposed to wake up to, I could see that they decided to make breakfast together this time.
They've both been around for a while, had their ups and downs, but they stood by each other every step of the way, and it worked out for them. The morning sunlight shining through the window made it look like they were the ones lighting up the room.
They were cute in that wholesome way, like the picture perfect married couple. To me they pretty much were.
Even when they were left with the baggage that was me, they were happy.
...
*turns around* "I-"
It's not like I literally can't wait to leave them behind.
I'd prefer not to. But... I never decided what I'm going to do after I graduate.
What I'll do with my life.
I'm going to leave them either way, head to the workforce or maybe the military. Whatever would get me out of their hair and running my own show like I should. Whatever it is, I know it won't be anything amazing. I don't have any talents, skills, scholarships, or money.
Odds are I'll go and work a 9-to-5 forever.
Forever...
...
If I say no and mean it, that is.
...
Pepe could see the conflict in me.
Yeah, I was conflicted, still wondering if this was just a dream, but I turned to him and I could see... this.
Something new, unknown... possibly something better. An opportunity to be something else, anything else. Worst case scenario it is a dream, and I wake up back in my room.
But if this was real... I would have a purpose.
It's like he's choosing me for greatness, and all I had to do was seal the deal.
... Maybe I'd like this.
Does Pepe think I need it?
Does this other world... need me?
"I get it..."
I'm looking at myself, greeting my guardians and joining them on the table. As impossible as all of this is, it's the real deal. (Y/n) (L/n) would still be there, which made this whole thing a little easier on my conscience. It means everyone back home would be fine.
"Why... why are you doing this for me? *turns back to Pepe* Why me?"
...
Oh. A shrug.
So Pepe the Frog was apparently doing all of this for whatever giggles a Meme might get from it. And I was just his random pick.
That, or he wouldn't say.
I'm just glad I didn't die in my sleep and am now being reincarnated because I don't believe in that.
"... Yes. My answer is yes."
I didn't know if those were tears in his eyes or not, but Pepe the Frog smiled in an almost grateful way and bowed his head once more before he turned and walked away.
"Wait! Will I see you again?!"
His retreating figure was suddenly glowing brighter until he was blinding, and I could barely get that one question out before he disappeared.
"Pepe!"
In a flash he was gone. My call echoed in the realm I now stood in alone, and the portal in front of me began to glow brighter as well.
"Um..."
In its reflection I made out... a city, and a park. Some trees... the Sun...
Yeah, another world.
I stepped forward and looked inside, searching for some kind of reassurance before crouching down and reaching into it with my hand.
When my hand made contact with the water, my vision darkened...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Earth, April 6
(Y/n) Pov
(Y/n): *groans* "... Damn, it's kinda brig- HEY!!!"
I was knocked out once again, and I frantically threw myself up from a lying position cuz this time some crazy shit just went down. I was proven right when I found myself sitting upright on a bench.
I took a second to adjust, and when I did I looked around to see I was smack dab in the middle of a busy, noisy, and colorful city.
An orange early-morning light reflected off of the tall glass buildings around me and hit me right in my eyes. I shielded my eyes, turning behind me to see a small area of grass and those same trees that were in the portal. A local park.
(Y/n): "Oh my God..."
If it had all been a dream, I'd be back in my bed, not on a bench in the middle of a city. There's no way that I'm home anymore, but...
(Y/n): 'If this is another world it looks a little... normal. Scratch that, it looks exactly like normal.'
There's noise, wind, warmth and sunlight... but nothing screams 'otherworldy'. There's no future cars or double suns or anything. All of it looks and feels like normal.
Except it looked like I was in... Japan.
(Y/n): "J-... Japan?"
I was expecting a fantasy world or something, but this place has to be Earth, specifically the foreign city of Japan.
Everywhere I looked I could see novelties and flashy billboards with those bright foreign words on them, all plastered on buildings that mixed modern-day and feudal Japan aesthetics. I can even see the tracks of one of those railroad-bridge things not too far away from where I was.
And most of these people walking around were going about their day; grown men in those business suits walking to work, women in nice dresses just having a stroll, and teens like me dressed either casually or in those weird school uniforms.
And they were anime.
(Y/n): ... *rubs eyes* *blinking*
To clarify, they were not humans like me, but ANIME people.
Half were normal. Half of them were walking around with the trademark unnatural hair colors! Blue, pink, red, every color on the spectrum! And all of their faces...
Pepe sent me to an anime universe.
Luckily the people here were passable for humans, and they didn't look like those disturbing fleshed-out cartoons, so I didn't panic at this revelation.
That is, until I felt myself up and down on impulse.
My body was already changed, glaringly so, but real problem was my face.
I barely touched it, but I couldn't even keep my hands on it for that long. My lips, my nose, and my eyes were...
(Y/n): *gags* "O-ok..."
I wish I had a mirror to see how bad it is.
I looked down again, at my new clothes (where'd my pajamas go?) and saw that I was wearing a form-fitting grey T-shirt, blue jeans and normal shoes.
(Y/n): 'Ok, I didn't wake up in my bed today. I woke up on a public bench in the middle of Anime Central... so it's true.'
Oh no. Some of the people are looking at me.
I wasn't wearing my pajamas anymore, but the people who happened to be nearby were staring at me like I appeared out of thin air.
(Y/n): 'Wait. I think I did tho... but, like, I'm the weird one? I don't need leering eyes on me right now. I don't know what I need but it's not this!'
People were staring so all I wanted to do was tell them off. I stood up to address the gawkers and say what I was feeling.
(Y/n): "Hey..."
*STARES MOTHERFUCKERLY*
The overwhelming aura of judgement and Jackson hit everyone within the immediate vicinity, seeping into the core of every hapless victim...
If these people didn't know fear before, I could see that they all do now.
Their faces paled, some yelped and a few even reached for something in hopes of defending themselves. Luckily they realized I didn't actually do anything to them and elected not to take any action.
Everyone retreated, trying to get as far away from me as they could, looking anywhere else and muttering tiny apologies as they did so.
Of course, I didn't see any of that because I threw myself back down on the bench and covered my mutated face with my hands.
I couldn't see that I cleared the entire block as I furiously rubbed my face until I knew my hands and arms were back to their exact skin color. Hopefully my face was too, but I still kept it down because...
(Y/n): "What the fuck was that?!" Damn it- WHAT WAS THAT?!?"
I just turned myself into Samuel L. Jackson from his portrayal in Black Snake Moan, and scared everyone away with a glare.
(Y/n): "Uuuugh, my God... Why did I do that?! How-... how did I do that?"
That wasn't right by any standard, high or low... but that was a Meme, I guess.
Is that what I do?!
(Y/n): *groan* "... What did I sign up for?"
A few minutes passed before a new crowd of people were passing by and I knew for sure that I wasn't wearing magical black-face anymore.
If the Pepe thing didn't throw me off mentally, then the Samuel L. Jackson thing definitely did.
What do I do right now? Where do I go from here? I'd have an idea if Pepe hadn't left me in the metaphorical dark. But then again, Pepe himself might be a sort of clue.
(Y/n): 'He is a Meme. From my world...'
For all I know, this could just be the Earth I call home but with a different look.
It could also be a FICTIONAL universe, the same way Pepe the Frog is a FICTIONAL character, or so I originally thought.
(Y/n): 'My home? Yeah right. I'm on Anime Planet and there's still... anime people everywhere...'
???: "Oi."
(Y/n): "Oi? *turns* What?"
The call from my side turned my attention to a very muscular, tanned girl with long white hair and red eyes who was gesturing to the left side of the bench I was sitting on.
That rabbit ear thing she was wearing over her real ears especially caught my eye, even next to the other eye-catching things because they kinda looked like they were moving.
I'm guessing cosplay, but why she'd wear them for a run I cannot begin to imagine.
Rabbit Girl: "Sono seki wa toremashita ka?" (That seat taken?)
She wanted to sit down, and it looked like she could use the seat.
(Y/n): "... Uh- Īe... totte kudasai."
(No... take it.)
Bunny Girl: "Arigatō." (Thanks.)
She sat down a comfortable distance away from me and stretched the soreness out from whatever workout she'd done before, after which she crossed her legs, took a drink from the bottle she had and started scrolling through her phone.
(Y/n):
... I already got a little used to everyone being anime, so that wasn't anything off-putting.
I could also see that this girl was incredibly attractive... by anime standards, so I (still into real ladies) wasn't nervous with her next to me, especially with all other things considered.
What caught me off-guard was that she spoke to me in Japanese and I understood her.
I was about to tell her I don't speak spanish but I stopped myself because I recognized it as Japanese and answered back in the Japanese language just as fluently as she spoke it. Felt like my accent was pretty spot-on too, or at least not like a weeboo.
(Y/n): 'Wait... I have powers now... and knowledge!'
So what? Is that something I have because of Memes? Knowing different languages?
How convenient.
But still kinda cool! I should ask her something and maybe get some info on this joint. It is an anime world after all, so I guess I'll be talking like this from now on either way, unless I go back to America, if there even is an America.
But I'm not doing the parentheses translation. Unless otherwise specified all dialogue is now Japanese, just typed in English.
(Y/n): "Uh- *clears throat* Hi."
Bunny Girl: *side glance*
(Y/n): "Where are we right now?"
Bunny Girl: "... Musutafu."
(Y/n): "What?"
Bunny Girl: *confused look* "Japan?"
(Y/n): "Ohhhh... Right. Uh, ok thanks!... Huh."
I was right about being in Japan, but I was expecting Tokyo or at least a recognizable city name. It's probably because I never learned anything about Japan but I've never heard of no Musutafu.
... And like many times back home I once again have no idea what to do with my life at the moment.
But nothing's gonna happen to me while I stay in one spot, sitting on my butt. What I need to do is take a hint from this girl and get my legs moving; it's up to me to jump-start this whole thing. Start this new life and see where it takes me!
(Y/n): *deep inhale* "Alright I'mma head out."
I slapped my thighs, sat up, and walked a good distance from the bench to a park I saw in the portal, ready to start this adventure.
I planted both feet onto the ground and jumped, taking off at the speed of sound.
(Y/n): "WHAT THE FUUUUUUUU-!!!!"
.
.
.
No Pov
From other parts of the city, a frail man and a young boy, along with many others, heard a distant sonic boom and looked towards the noise to see an object. It was soaring above the clouds too far away to identify.
Everyone around wondered what on Earth it could have been.