by Melanie Ray
Wye slapped his head. "Just call me Wye."
The old guy, what's-his-name, seemed taken aback. "Your first name? Casually? Alone?" He took a simple step back. "Haven't we just met?"
"He does not understand proper respect," Grammy Fornot explained. "He does not really believe he is even a Protector."
"Oh, pardon." What's-his-name took a step forward again. "For the moment then, unless you deem otherwise, I shall call you Wye."
"Fantastic." Wye said in a smart alec fashion. “And I’ll call you old man.”
The old man didn’t smile at the comment. "Well. First let’s start off with your class. Z's-P's, B's through D's, and F, G, and H were all eliminated. If you are another class besides those, we can find some old information to help you out."
"Oh, good." Grammy Fornot patted her hands together. "According to Xiam's mother, Protector Yeducavich was an A class."
"A?" The old man looked over at Wye. "Goodness, I only managed to get up to G. That's impressive."
"Oh yes," Grammy Fornot continued to brag. Could that woman ever shut up? "Muin and Xiam were so happy he was there and especially-" She stopped herself for some reason. "Then, I hear they all became close friends. Even referred to each other by their first names."
"Is it just me, or are these old folks just losing it?" Wye asked X.
X shrugged his shoulders. "I don’t know, this stuff doesn't make any sense. Can't be real but can't escape. Is it possible we are both experiencing the same delusion?"
"I don’t think so," Wye said. "I don't fight, and I don't see why anyone would have to fight to protect M-Win. She's not a hottie, I know that. That's got to be part delusion. Right?"
"Yeah," X agreed. "It's like the runaway fridge."
"The runaway fridge?" The old man had seemed intrigue by X's words.
"Oh yeah, yeah." Wye shook his head in agreeance. "When were not looking, fridge's sneak up behind us, but when we turn back, they're gone." Wye looked behind himself. "Happens about once a month, when you least expect it."
"Yeah. You can never see them, but you can feel them," X added.
"..." The old man blinked. "What the f-"
"You see what I mean?!" The old lady said to the old guy. Grammy Forgot or something. "He doesn't remember anything, and I'm afraid he's now a bit insane. He was at the top of his class, and he doesn't remember anything. He can't even seem to pay attention to a single subject long enough to...." Wye groaned and rolled his eyes and head around. "...inhibitor, I don't know when they'll be back to normal," The old lady finished. "I mean they think refrigerators are chasing them."
"They don't chase us, they play hide and seek." Wye corrected her. "Fridges chasing us," he laughed. "That's crazy, Forgot."
The old man looked back at the old woman again. "His true mind will return one day." He looked over at Wye. "Come with me, and I'll get you all the proof you'd ever need that you really were a Protector." -
Chapter 26
SPLIT PERSONALITY SPEAKS BACK
"Hey?" Wye looked around himself and talked to no one in particular. "I know I've been in this delusion for awhile. And uh, its been fun and stuff, but I seriously think I should wake up." He knocked on his head. "Come on Wye. You're going to miss supper."
"It can't be your delusion," X reminded him, "because I see the same thing."
"Nah, you’re a part of my delusion." Wye grinned. "See, I've figured it out. I am conjuring you too. Because if you were real, this would have to be real, but it can't be."
"I'm not part of your delusion." X disagreed. "You must be a part of mine. Maybe it's like you said, except the other way around?" He groaned and hit his head. "Being crazy isn't easy. It's too hard to tell what's real. You know last week for dinner we actually had decent food? I thought I was at a restaurant, I even saw a chandelier, but then when I tried to run away and stiff them with the bill, the guards caught me and gave me the needle again."
"Oh, I was wondering what that was about." Wye laughed. "Yeah, that doesn't happen very often with our food." He looked ahead of himself and saw some kind of barracks. "Too bad I'm considered crazy. I've got a powerful imagination, look at that detail. I could have made motion pictures."
The old man didn't answer back to that comment. "These are training barracks for A rank. Alright Protec-I mean, Wye," he corrected himself as they all went inside. He stood in front of some files in a set of old underground training barracks for the A rank classes. "These are one of the last remaining Protector information holders. Most were blasted to kingdom come. Last name?"
"Warno," Wye stated.
The old man just looked at him. "That's a taboo word. Besides that could not be your last name."
"It is," Wye insisted.
"It's Smilliat," the old lady said for him. "He held the last name Warno in their other world."
X started to crack up. “Smilliat? How nerdy.”
Wye frowned. "Smilliat?"
"Okay," the old man said as he got up onto a tall movable book ladder and climbed towards the top. "Alright, Smeenie, Smickie, aha, Yeducavich Smilliat." The old man came down with a small box. "Here you go, this is yours."
Wye looked at the box. "It's all papers, old man."
The old man took one of the papers off top. "Oh look, it’s your 692nd pre-test. One hundred percent, you were terrific. I couldn't even get eighties when my five hundred tests came around. Ah, but here's what you want." He grabbed a small brown folder. "This should tell you all the Protector jobs you've ever had."
Wye took the brown folder. "I can't read this."
"Oh, sorry." The old man looked at the folder. "I forgot you don't know the writing." He started reading. "Chertagovella Rogi. 1 year. Redyta Yupi. 1 year. Yanilrian Koper. 1 year. Yernofa Yuf. 1 year. Aberagavich Tig. 1 year. Beli Ries. 1 year. Typorta Rewswenda. 1 year.-" The old man went down the list further. "Oh, there she is. Number sixty two, sixty three, sixty four..." He looked over toward Wye. "Okay, how long did you protect her?"
"As weird as it sounds," Wye said. "I don't actually control delusions. Have no idea who the hell this girl is."
The old man ignored the comment and continued to look through the papers. "You are bound to have something written down about your years of protecting her. Aha." He smiled and handed a paper to the old lady
She knocked on the ground twice with her cane before beginning to read out loud. "Ezraponia Cattral. Concept number four. No matter what I try to do to take the heat off of Ezra I end up knocking fifteen guys off a day. I honestly think it might also be her voice, it seems to be a heavy trigger. Worse than that is her singing. Humming, dancing, Ezra is the best I've seen. On day forty, I had to put twenty kids in the hospital because she was hanging laundry and humming. Singing seems to be the worse, but she loves it so much. She wanted to grow up and be an actress before she ended up in this position. I've talked to headquarters several times about this, they don't seem to think it's the trigger. This is the fourth thing, it's got to be the trigger. Solution number four. It doesn't work. I convinced her not to speak for a whole day. I ended up fighting twenty six warnos, two were sent to the hospital. Not singing seemed to still attract them. What is her hook? Why can't guys leave this poor girl alone?"
Wye rolled his eyes. "Yep, sure. I protected some girl named 'Ezraponia'?" He tried to contain his giggle. "I thought you said I was M-Win's Protector? Wow, I can't even keep myself straight. Rockin' medication this time."
"No one said you were Muinela’s," the old lady growled. "We just don't want to dwell on her that much."
“Growling? Did you growl? What are you, cat related?” Wye had to ask.
"Oh." The old man nodded ignoring Wye’s comment. "I had a feeling."
"What?" X asked. "Her? You mean that Ezzer girl or the kitty cat comment?"
"Later," The old woman said. "That doesn't matter right now. What matters, is Protector Yeducavich gets his memories back. It's tremendously important."
"Look old lady," Wye groaned, "
I just can't be this Protector guy. I'd never do anything like that. I'm just not him. I never play prince charming in reality or otherwise."
The old lady looked at the old guy. "It doesn’t matter what you show him, he’ll never believe."
The old man dug around in the box. "There must be pictures of some sort. Language or not, he'd understand pictures."
"I already showed him a picture!" The wold woman hissed as the fur on the end of her tail arched. "He still doesn't believe. He was even in his Protector shirt." She threw her hands up. "I don't know what else to do!"
The old man stared at Wye. "I used to be a Protector. Old or not, I remember enough. If he's a Protector, he'll know what to do."
Wye just raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" Wye watched as the old alien man caught his arm and pulled it back. "Ow!" Wye started to lose it. "Let go, let go, let go! AaaahhhHH!"
"This is a simple maneuver, get out of it." The old man said coldly.
X tried to help, getting inbetween to pull the old man away. "Let go!"
"Do you want to save your sister, Xiam?" The old lady said calmly as she tried to keep him out of it.
"But, if he knew he would have gotten out. You're going to break his arm!" X insisted.
The old man let go. Wye quickly jumped back, holding his arm. “Ow, that hurt! That freakin’ hurt?" He took several deep breaths. "Delusions can't hurt. Delusions don't hurt." He looked around himself. "Oh crap, what am I doing on the other side then? Am I crushing my hand? Doc! Nurse!" He babied his arm again. "Can't be, delusions can't hurt. Delusions can't hurt. Delusions can't hurt."
"He can't be. Not A, Not F, not even Z." The old man said as he looked at the old woman. "He can't be one, you have to have him confused. He is just an insane Ring that escaped."
"I know he is one!" The old lady said in stubbornness.
"Did you personally live with the family? Personally get to know him?" The old man asked.
"Of course not, but I have heard of him enough," she revealed. "I've visited before, and I have met him."
"He can't be it." The old man stared at Wye still nursing his arm. "No, he would have known. If he was the real thing, then he would have seen what I was doing, and reversed it sending my arm back instead."
"Of course I'm not this Protector!" Wye whined as he continued to nurse his shoulder. "I told you a thousand times you old man!"
"It's Syo, boy, it's Syo. S-Y-O." The old man Syo insisted. "I am Syo, and the lady at my side is Grammy Fornot."
"You're apparently good, why don't you go get M-Win?" X whined at Syo. "You owe Wye that much, look what you did to him. You’re a mean delusion." He crossed his arms. "Doc is switching our pills as soon as we return."
Syo shook his head. "I'm old, I'm no good anymore. I don't think this Wye is a Protector." He looked over at Grammy Fornot. "I really don't."
"I know he is," Grammy Fornot said firmly again. "There are pictures of him. He was the one who was staying with Xiamipoc and Muinela. He looks just like 'her' Protector. He may have gone a little funny in the head, but he is it!"
"No." Syo shook his head. "No, I'm sorry." He gave Grammy Fornot a gentle salute. "I am sorry, Ancient Fornotia Marks. I have accounted all facts and made my decision. He is not a Protector."
Grammy Fornot just looked over at Wye. "It’s just the trip away. It’s just the lack of sanity from not being near the planet. It’s..." She looked over at the Syo. "If he isn't, then where is Smilliat?"
"He must not have made it," Syo said gently. He looked over at the injured Wye and concerned X. "I'm sorry. I have one more transporter I've kept hidden. My last. The last." He accented firmly. "There's no round trip on this one. It's very old. You should go back home."
"But-" Grammy Fornot seemed very emotional. "Syo. My great granddaughter, please? I've lost everyone, all of them, please!" A lone tear fell down her cheek. "They will eventually hurt her so much, like all the rest. Muinela is still so full of life, I can't bear to think what they'll do to her."
"Ancient Fornotia!" Syo shouted firmly. He motioned over towards Wye and X. Wye had stopped nursing his shoulder and stared at his two delusions. He was beginning to think they might not be delusions after all. X was beside him, also appearing to hang on to the words coming from Grammy Fornot. "They have no memories, complete innocence!"
"Whoa," Wye said seriously. "Wait. Wait, hang on. What are you hiding from us?"
"Nothing." Syo said quickly. "She's just sad. Now follow me, your world was called Dallas Texas, right?"
"No way, we can't leave without M-Win," X stated.
"You leave without your sister," Syo said softly, "or you never leave at all."
"No," Wye said firmly, "we're getting M-Win back."
"Oh?" Syo seemed amused. "How? Charge up through the gates and demand they let her go?" Syo shook his head. "I'm sorry. I know we had your hopes up you could get her back but...Oh, Wye boy, only a Protector can get her back. Only a high class Protector could get her back."
"He's right," Grammy Fornot admitted. "You looked so much like her Protector, but if you really aren't..."
"You'll be killed if you're lucky." Syo said seriously.
"Don't use that word." Grammy Fornot hissed. "I despise that word!"
Syo looked at Wye and X. "It doesn't matter, it's the truth. If you go after her without any knowledge about fighting or protecting, you'll be lucky to have a quick death. They would probably slowly torture you for years first and then decide to kill you." Wye and X stared at Syo. He was dead serious. "Come on boys, it's time you go home," Syo said softly. "You don't want to stay in this world. Go back to that nice world with the Aryu place. Being insane is probably better than being here."
WYE, X, AND GRAMMY Fornot followed Syo to his house and went below a hidden hole underneath it. The transporter stood in front of them. Wye was silent. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to go and get M-Win, but thoughts of being tortured and killed were scary. And Syo seemed dead serious, like it wasn't an 'if' they got caught.
"I don't want to leave without M-Win." X said as he stared at the machine.
"I don’t either." Wye looked over at X, then at Grammy Fornot. "What about a plan?" He turned his attention over at Syo. "What if we can come up with a plan?"
Syo just chuckled. "You have finally come to realize it's not a delusion? Unfortunately, that won't help you. There's no way you can get Muinela back with a simply concocted plan."
"We don't know until we try," X persuaded.
“You truly are insane.” Syo scratched his face. "You know, King Regwallis is relatively young. If we send him to another progressive world, he could become older, build an army then come back. That's originally what I was thinking to use this machine for one day."
Grammy Fornot looked displeased. "Syo, they don't belong here anymore."
Syo frowned at Wye. "Only a Protector can do this. But, I will be fair and give you three days. That's all you get. If you cannot prove to me by that time that you're a Protector, you either go back home, or I will give it to King Regwallis. Deal?"
"Three days?" X moaned and looked over at Wye.
Three days? Prove I'm something I know I'm not? Wye panicked for a second. If I don't, then he'll give it to the king? He took a deep breath. That's not even a challenge. Wye looked around himself briefly. That was weird, did I think of that? He looked back at Syo. There's just no choice. At least three days will give us some time to think of something. "Fine," Wye agreed as he crossed his arms. "Three days."
Chapter 27
MEMORABLE DREAM
X struggled to sleep. There was so much happening right now, and he couldn't help it anyway. It was all up to Wye proving he was some Protector. Why would Wye even want to be a Protector? And who is this Ezzera girl? Why was Wye protecting her? There was so much going on in X’s head, but he tried to close his eyes and go to sleep. He had given up on the notion that this was a delusion. It was too long and felt too familiar. When he started fantasizing about being b
ack to the normal world in Aryu Institution, he relaxed more. Somehow they'd be alright.
INTRIGUED. YEAH, THAT would have to be the word to describe him. Xiam saw his older sister Ezra confused at the front door. It was wide open, and a strange kid stood in front. "Hello. Are you Ezra Cattral?" The boy greeted her.
"That she be," X’s sister Muin said as she came to the door. "Who exactly are you?"
The stranger ignored Muin's request but rather held his hand out to Ezra. "Pleased to meet you Ms. Cattral."
"Hey Ezra, who's that?" Xiam had to ask as he came closer. The weird kid looked around Ezra and smiled too politely at everyone.
"I'm not quite sure yet." Ezra looked at the stranger and pointed to the suitcases. "Did you come for a visit?"
"No, unless you mean a really long visit that requires years," The stranger joked. Or was it a joke? The nameless kid walked into the house. "Nice place. Guess you wouldn't be living too shabby then would you?"
"Hey, we never invited you in, what gives?" Muin shouted at him, her temper was set off, and Xiam didn’t blame his little sister. This kid was a stranger, and his posture didn’t say he was new in the neighborhood and wanted to play. The way he held himself, as if he was the one in charge of the situation, yet calm enough not to want to start something. This kid was bizarre, and he had suitcases to boot.
"Situation Status." The stranger said to Muin as he shook Xiam's hand. "Ezra's brother is supposed to be shorter. I take it that you're Xiam?" Xiam looked at him strangely, feeling half offended yet confused. The stranger sat his briefcase down as he looked at Xiam’s mother and father who walked into the room. "I'll take a stab and say you're the mother, Scentella?"
"Oh, why yes, welcome." Xiam’s mother didn’t seem half as upset with the strange actions of this unknown kid.
"And by the demeanor alone, I take it that you're the father, Io?" The stranger said as he approached Xiam’s father.
"Yes, thanks for showing up," Xiam's father shook his hand with delight. Too much delight.
"Who are you?" Muin demanded again. "What's going on? You can't go walking into someone's house, I don't care what the situation status is!"