//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: American Fox // by madhat886 //------------------------------// ! In the city of San Francisco was the home of Joshua Abraham Norton, the emperor of the United States and protector of Mexico. Born in England, Norton spent most of his early life in South Africa. After the death of his mother in 1846 and his father in 1848, he sailed west, arriving in San Francisco possibly in November 1849. Norton initially made a living as a businessman, but he lost his fortune investing in Peruvian rice. After he lost a lawsuit in which he tried to void his rice contract, Norton's public prominence faded. He reemerged in September 1859, laying claim to the position of Emperor of the United States. (1) He had no formal political power; nevertheless, he was treated deferentially in San Francisco, and currency issued in his name was honored in the establishments he frequented. Though some considered him insane or eccentric, citizens of San Francisco celebrated his regal presence and his proclamations. And he wasn't alone as when he reemerged he also brought with him a young girl who he claims to be his daughter, Barbie Norton. (2) While Norton became emperor by his sheer crazy awesome nature and skilled pacifism that drew people to him. Barbie on the other hand did it with her cheerful personality and seem to be able to do just about anything once she puts her mind to it. It's like she has done just about everything and skilled in all of them. She often went to city hall and work with the staff there to help in improving the city, finding money and reworking old laws and taxes. The mayor and city workers didn't mind her working in city hall after she showed them what she could do and that her father backed her up. She also help with the fire department, the police department, and other city departments in getting them the money and equipment that they need to do their jobs. She also worked as a doctor, a dentist giving free check ups on people who asked for her help. She also more then once walked into a building or something where a machine had broken down and fixed it on the spot. The people of San Francisco loved the royal family, as they went around doing what they could in helping their citizens. As the years went by Barbie grew into a stunning beautiful woman but she never let her looks go to her head as she continue to follow her father's example. But then came the day that Norton died and the people of San Francisco learned why Barbie was able to do just about everything. Some police officers had brought Barbie to her father after he had collapse at the corner of California and Dupont streets and died before he could be given medical treatment. Barbie fell to her knees in front of her father, she gave out a soulful wail of despair as she glowed in a bright light. And in the street and across the city thousands of Barbies appeared all around the original, who had become transparent like a ghost. All the copies like the original all were in utter despair of losing their father, all wandering around aimlessly, before collapsing becoming too weak to move. All of them dressed in clothes that no one had ever seen before but some of them were in uniforms that people could tell what they did for a living. A Barbie dressed as an army officer who had more self control of herself and strength managed to tell the police officers that like Naruto and the fox that had appeared less than a year ago, that they too came from another world. That's what they all figured as they had appeared in this world years ago. But all of them were all in one body, thousands of different minds all housed in one body. Needless to say all of them were horrified of finding themselves all in one body of a young girl like all of them were. All of them were grown adult women who were working different jobs when they all found themselves in this world. All of their memories and personalities mixing together, as the Barbie who is just a little girl struggled with all the different minds in her head. Then their father came and found them, as they were wandering aimlessly in the back streets. Through him is how they reached an understanding with each other. He soothed all them so they wouldn't be consumed by despair and panic, and helped the dominant soul of the young Barbie they're all inside of and had scarred mentally. All of them worked in sync with each other helping their younger self in growing up, talking to her and lending her their skills when she needed it. But now in her grief of losing her father she somehow released all of them from her mind, even herself leaving a transparent husk behind. And they're all dying as they couldn't live without each other or from their main body. Army Officer Barbie showed them what to do as she press herself on the transparent body of the original and merged with her. A city wide call for help came out for anyone to bring Barbie together was given out and the people of San Francisco answered, carrying any Barbie they found to the original who with each Barbie the transparent Barbie became more solid. A crowd had gathered as the hours went by as Barbies were found and brought together. The entire city worked together to gathered all the Barbies together, which took 2 days to find them all. With some Barbies helping to locate the others as the could feel where they are. Some of the Barbies came wrapped in sheets as the clothes they wore were too revealing for many. One said that she had worked as a lifeguard who saved people who needed help in water. Which did explain why she wore a revealing outfit but still was too revealing. They brought in the last Barbie who was dressed in robes calling herself a Jedi. Before she joined with the others she stopped and said that there is still one left, the dominant Barbie was still missing and without her all of them will die. Another massive city wide search went out with everyone in the city looking for the missing Barbie. With all that she/they had done for them, the people of San Francisco return their kindness. They finally found her in the very same alleyway where Norton had found her so many years ago, thanks to Jedi Barbie leading them to her. There in the alleyway dress in rags and huddled in a corner is the dominant Barbie as the Jedi Barbie called her, the Helper Barbie. In the words of Jedi Barbie, 'The helper seeks to help, because she knows what it's like to be helpless.' When they joined with the others, Barbie Norton was whole once again. Who now is able to summon the different Barbies that made her up at will. Letting her be in many different places at once and doing different jobs. But that wasn't in the mind of any of the Barbie's as they all went to work in preparing their father's funeral. Different Barbie's all worked together, building a casket and digging the grave in Masonic Cemetery, with the help of the Pacific Club. On Sunday, January 10, Norton's funeral was a solemn, mournful and large. Paying their respects were members of all classes from capitalists to the pauper, the clergyman to the pickpocket, well-dressed ladies and those whose garb and bearing hinted of the social outcast. Around 30,000 people lined the streets, and that the funeral cortege was two miles long. And his burial was marked by a total eclipse of the sun. There with her father buried that Barbie took up her father's mantel becoming the Empress of the United States and protector of Mexico. And with her power to summon different Barbies who have different skills, from politicians down to plumbers. San Francisco grew, as their empress could be found working to help everyone that she can. Tales and stories spread about Empress Norton, with different Barbies traveling around the country showing herself to her people and helping where she could. Empress Norton also helped with people who found themselves in this world like she did. It didn't mattered what they look like, what race, even if they weren't human at all, she would offer them a helping hand like her father before her. Who been talking about welcoming outworlders to their world, which many people just thought he meant from other countries. San Francisco became a large center of outworlders to gather and live in, bringing their own abilities and skills to help the city grow. They even help in the building of the bridges that Empress Norton wanted to be built. And all before Spookhouse was built, thanks to the efforts that Empress Norton did to help ease both sides and living together. She would help each and every outworlder that came to her personal thanks to her being able to summon a different version of her at will. The downside is that more personalities she has running around the weaker her main body becomes, so she can never bring out more then around a couple of hundreds at a time before it starts to effect her badly. With anymore she becomes bedridden as she becomes too weak to be able to move around. Then came the train accident where one of the Barbie's died. The other Barbie's all felt her death which effected all of them. Her body crumbled into dust, her mind returning to the hive mind but broken. In the Barbie mind hive all the different Barbie's took the forms of a gem, and the Barbie who died return as a cracked gem. It took a very long time for her to reform back to how she use to be. Revealing that Barbie's if they died would just return to the main body and reformed after much time had pasted, which was months, which in that time all the Barbie's thought that one of them had really died and a crack gem was all that was left of her in the mindscarp. With that knowledge Barbie Norton continue to do what she could for her people. As her father had given up much and in the end his life to do what he could for his people. With Barbie's all over the America's helping out where they could. She wouldn't let him or her people down, which earned her the love and respect of many in the United States. Now entering her 50's Empress Norton continue to work to improve the lives of her people as a ruler should. All awhile she still lived in the same room in the boarding house on Commercial street that she shared with her father. Which made the people of the United States to adore their empress, which did made her the only royalty of the United States, who while she didn't actually rule and more like a figure head. Like the royal family of England, who still held some power but most of the government dealings was done by others. "MOTHER!" the voice of her daughter awoke Barbie who was napping. Entering the room is her adopted daughter who she found alone and lost after finding herself in this world, a couple of months after her father's passing. Barbie was drawn to her by something, seeing the young girl stumbling about like she never walked on two legs before or used hands. Made her remember how she was when she first came to this world. Barbie had figured out she's from another world mainly for the fact that Sunset's skin is a shade of orange. She took the young girl in who slowly open up to her, about how in her world she was a unicorn pony who was just thrown out from the only home she ever knew by the closest thing she had to a mother. And with time and effort from the different Barbies that made up her, she found the lonely child who only wanted the princess to be her mother. Which became her, just like how her father took in her after spending the time to get to know her and helping her. "Yes Sunset?" Barbie asked getting up from her bed to see her now adult daughter standing in the room. Sunset Shimmer Norton the princess of the United States isn't like other women of her age. She is a woman in her 20's and grown into a fierce and independent woman. She has spent time with all of the different personalities that made up her mother and learned the skills they taught her. Sunset also kept her telekinesis skills, thanks to her being able to tap into the force. She was trained by Jedi Barbie, along with others who could help their daughter. And when the two other Jedis came they were surprise of two force users already living on the planet. "A telegraph just came in from Peppermint saying that her tour in Europe is ending and she's coming home with Penny," Sunset said. "It be nice for your sisters to be home again," Barbie said. Sunset isn't the only child that Barbie had adopted over the years. All of them having been found by a Barbie who like her found themselves in this world. Sunset is the oldest of the royal family and heir to the throne. Peppermint Rose Norton is the second oldest whose musical talent has her touring around. She had a talent for singing saying that in her world her songs could heal the ones who hear her voice. And she also known for her taste in clothes that are colored like a peppermint. She had found herself in an alleyway with another girl who later became her sister. Barbie had found them both when she had happen upon them with Penny trying to sell her cellphone which she still had that caught her attention. Barbie took them in as Spookhouse hadn't been formed yet and people were still getting use to beings from other worlds. They bonded with her and Sunset who she had already taken in and soon they became family. Penny Proud Norton who writes the songs for Peppermint and is always near her. Both of them found themselves together when they ended up in this world and struck with each other since. They made quite the pair with Peppermint being white and Penny black, not to mention with them being sisters. Penny music is based on songs that she remembers from her world, some hitting and some missing. She also writes plays based on movies and even games she knows, the musical play 'Undertale' about a child finding themselves in an underground kingdom under a mountain of monsters is a huge hit. Lila Norton a young sasquatch female who in her world was helping her friend June in protecting the magical world. She was covered in fur but thanks to a magical spell made her look human by ridden herself of her body hair, which stayed in effect in this world. She still has larger hands and feet and still has her ape strength making her much stronger then any normal human. She also is able to speak to some mammals mainly fellow apes and monkeys. Lumber Jack Barbie had found her when she was checking on the local lumber mill and was exploring the forest when she happened upon her. Lila had been living in the woods with the local sasquatchs and been sneaking into the logging camp to get things that she missed from the human world. She's now working as an agent of Spookhouse using her natural abilities to good use. Ginger Snap Norton who in her world is an inventor who lives in Cookie Corners which is a massive gingerbread factory. The factory had appeared on the outskirts of San Francisco, which scared the young girl suddenly finding herself in the new world she had found herself in. She barred the doors hiding herself, till a Barbie hearing about the factory suddenly appearing came to investigate herself. Which was a good thing as the police had busted down one of the doors and had cornered the scared child. Barbie calmed things down and took Ginger in, taking care of her and explaining things to her in how she is in a new world. And like the the other girls she became apart of the family, with her now running her gingerbread factory with many workers, making all kinds of bake goods that are shipped across the country. Vanellope Von Schweetz Norton the youngest who says she's a videogame character from a racing game. She was found in a car made out of candy which she had been eating for days having nothing else to eat in the empty field she found herself in. Cowgirl Barbie had discoverd her while on a cattle drive, taking her in after spending weeks with her on the drive. Vanellope is the only one who is under the age of 10 but can’t wait to grow up so that she can drive a car. For now her feet can’t even reach the pedals. Then there are the boys, the oldest is Charlie Brown Norton who in his words is a complete loser in his world. But here in this world and loving support from Barbie who came across him hanging from a kite string from a tree. Barbie found his wishy-washy way and his never giving up out look no matter how many times he fails charming. Charlie being a big baseball fan has been working to form a baseball league to make baseball the national sport. Diego Marquez Norton a Mexican boy that Barbie found wondering around in Yellowstone when Park Ranger Barbie was visiting there. He is very knowledgeable in animals thanks to what he use to do in his world. Which Barbie asked how did his parents ever allow him to be traveling around the world and in jungles full of deadly animals, which he just said they just let him. After Barbie became his mother, she kept a close eye on him and just had him work at the local zoo instead of being by himself in the wild. He's now teaching about animals in a college and works at the local zoo, improving on the zoo cages to be like the ones in his world and not just cages. Then there is Lincoln Norton a white haired boy who is the youngest boy of the royal family, only being a year older then Vanellope. He's the only one who had given up his family name and not using it as his middle name like the rest of the family. Barbie had found him in Michigan in an empty field as she was traveling by train, with a stop over at a town for refueling. By his clothes she could tell that he wasn't from this time and invited him in to share her room on the train. Where he told her about himself and she told him about the world he's in. She had been planning on letting Spookhouse to take him in but hearing how his family had thrown him out and threw away his belongings too, made her feel for the poor boy. He's still getting use to this world and being part of the royal family but he now has a family. And likes how he isn't the only boy in the family and only has to deal with one younger sister with all the older sisters being adults already. As he and Vanellope are the only ones still children with Diego being 19 at the youngest of the adult children. "Mom!" two voices called out. Running into the room and pasted Sunset are Lincoln and Vanellope calling for her. Which brought a smile to Barbie's face as she remembers how all of her children did the same, till they got older. And soon both Lincoln and Vanellope be adults and be spending less time with her. "Hey you two what's the big rush?" Sunset asked looking down at her two younger siblings. "That be me," a woman around Sunset's age spoke up. She is with Rebecca Rowena Randall who after becoming an adult moved out of her aunt's home Sunnybrook Farm in Riverboro, Maine. Joining with Spookhouse as an agent and works in the branch office of San Francisco, due to the large number of outworlders living there. She is a family friend who works with the royal family to handle outworlder matters. (3) "Rebecca what's the big news?" Barbie asked. "A town has appeared in Oregon and Lila is already there," Vanellope shouted out. "And that's big news why?" Sunset ask. "Lila told me to give you some interesting news that she learned," Rebecca said. "Turns out in that world Naruto is a comic book character or manga character," Lincoln said cutting off Rebecca. "Naruto?" Sunset asked with a surprise look on her face. "Yes that's what Lila learned and she asked for your help in getting things settle. There are many outworlders there besides the humans that came with the town of Gravity Falls. And Naruto be there as well once his last mission is all tied up. He's very interested in learning about himself," Rebecca said. "Yeah your boyfriend will be there," Vanellope said. "He's not my boyfriend!" Sunset snaps at her little sister with an angry look. That's ruin by her blushing face. "Even so," Barbie said getting her children's attention. "You should go and help your sister. It's been awhile since you spent time with Lila and she could use your help." "Sure, mom," Sunset said seeing through her mom's trying to get her to spend time with Naruto. "And you can be with your boyfriend!" Vanellope said smirking. "Why you!" Sunset said as she lifted Vanellope up into the air with her telekinesis and started spinning her around. "YEAH!" Vanellope shouted out as she was spun in the air. "Can I go too?" Lincoln asked. "No you and Vanellope still have school," Barbie said firmly. "Awww," both young children said. "I'll send word that Sunset be joining the team to help," Rebecca said leaving the royal family to themselves. !