Next?

Get back to where you once belonged.

Timmy’s field of view filled with a bright, white light. When it cleared, he was back in his old apartment. Chad’s body was gone, but the food he cooked was still in the table, still warm.

“What the hell?” Timmy asked. He looked over a Scott. He was no longer dressed as a bride, but was still wearing a gorgeous, deep blue ball gown. Timmy looked down at himself. He was covered only in a towel, still damp from the shower.

“Soul likes to think it’s in charge and regulates how much energy it and the others expend. Apparently it was really happy with Chad because it restored time all the way back to before I even got here.”

“So...”

“So, I have to wait.” He said as he sat down.

Timmy watched as he sat down like someone who was used to wearing these kinds of dresses.

“Scott, if you don’t mind me asking.” Timmy began.

“Oh... well, truth is my wife and I have a weekly ‘date night’ where I dress up for her. Just about two years ago, we traveled to a world where the gender roles were reversed. I had to spend several days dressed up like a Victorian lady, and she just loved seeing me like that. So eventually that became our regular weekend tradition. Makes for an interesting sex life.”

Timmy was confused.

“Why haven’t you changed back? You did it before.”

“Don’t think I didn’t try. It was ether or with Soul... he’s a pest. Loves to drive me crazy.”

Timmy looked at the necklace resting between Scott’s bust. Inside was clear disk with six pinpricks of light.

“He said jumping home would undo the changes on its own. I don’t think he’s being honest but... I have a backup plan if need be.”

“So why are you still here?”

“Soul let Time do his thing and rewind... problem is he went to far. It should have created a new tangent. So if I went back now, I’d arrive before I left... which would get me in a lot of trouble. So, I’m going to wait. It’s only a couple days.”

He pulled up the front of his gown.

“Wanna kill some time together?” He asked.

(Author’s note: time has been reversed to about the point that Chad got his hands on the book and made the complex changes that allowed him to warp reality on his own, this is now functionally a new branch, and the custodians are all having a collective panic attack)