by Melanie Ray
Yed’s eyes grew wide as he heard a strange sound. He'd heard it before, once when he was smaller and before his baby sister was born. They had escaped that treachery, but the past was coming back to haunt them again. That’s a waryes weapon.
Not being able to take anymore, Millerna bolted out of the closet. "Mommy! Daddy!"
"MOMMY, DADDY!" WYE yelled as his eyes shot open. He held his hand to his chest, his heart was going a thousand miles an hour. He tried to calm his breathing down. "Just a dream," he said as he exhaled. "Nothing but a dream." Yet, Wye couldn't help feeling that it was more than just a dream. Did he dream of his own past?
Chapter 29
THE CHRONICLES
Day Two.
"Are you okay, Yed?" Grammy Fornot questioned at lunch time. "You look a little lost."
Wye shrugged his shoulders, ignoring the Yed reference. "We still haven't figured out how to get Muinela out, and we've only got one day left." X looked over at Wye strangely as did Grammy Fornot. “What?”
"You called M-Win by her real name.” Grammy Fornot said. “Is anything coming back to you?"
Wye fidgeted a little. "Maybe," was all he ended up saying.
"Wye," X asked, "are any of your memories coming back? Do you know who you were?"
"Maybe," Wye repeated again. "I don't know, everything's just all mixed up in here," he said and pointed to his head. "Old way of living, new way of living, it's all screwy, and not in a good way." He crossed his arms.
"All screwy but not in a good way?" Laughter came from the door.
"Ah, Foggy," Grammy Fornot welcomed him, "I'm glad you finally came."
"Well, when I heard the news, how could I resist?" He looked at Wye. "Good to see you again, Yed."
"Who are you?" Wye asked.
"I'm your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grandfather." Foggy finished as he placed his hands on his chest proudly.
"He's one of your last relations," Grammy Fornot smiled sadly. "All the others are gone."
Wye tilted his head to examine this new guy. Relation?
Foggy did the same thing. "Yeah, you're definitely him." He smiled as he turned his head straight again. "I heard you've had a rough time. Thought maybe I could help." He lifted up a box from the outside of the door. "Here you go."
Wye walked over to the box. Frames and Pictures of aliens he'd never seen seemed to be strung out all along inside of it. He raised his eyebrow as he picked up a picture. A woman with a kind smile and a tail of gold and white graced the cover. Her eyes, a hazel blue like his. "Who's this? She feels familiar."
Foggy looked at it. "Oh, that's your mother."
Wye didn't know how to feel. "My mom." He turned the picture around. "Summer 5300 A.I."
"Whoa." X looked at the strange writing. "You read it, and I can read it too."
Wye blinked. "Hey, I do understand. What's A.I?"
"After Inhibitor." Grammy Fornot mentioned. "As you can guess, we didn't keep track of time too well before the inhibitors."
"What year is it now?" X asked.
"5753 A.I.," Foggy answered.
Wye kept staring at the image. There was a strong connection with the picture. "Must have known her really well."
"Known her?" Foggy groaned. "Yeducavich Smilliat, she was your mom. You loved her a great deal. She's part of the reason you became a Protector."
"I'm not a Protector. That old guy Syo already proved that." Wye groaned again. No one ever listened to him.
"Well, he's nuts then." Foggy disagreed. "I know my own great nephew. It's not like our family wasn't close." He scattered some pictures around the bottom. "Look right there. That's a picture of everyone that wasn't hurt two hundred years ago. We weren't many, but we were still close." He smiled. "Actually, there's only a couple old relation left, and one other besides you. He's small still, one of the three surviving in the Den. You should go see him soon."
Wye didn't reply as he dug through more photos. Then, he ran across some books. What’s this? It had chains along its sides and looked magical. He looked at the cover, and his thoughts of it being something cool disintegrated. "I had a diary?"
X couldn't help but crack up. "Wye, I can't believe you had a diary."
"Die-aries?" Grammy Fornot frowned. "I don't understand your word, Your Chronicle? Everyone has Chronicles, even X does."
Wye started to laugh at X and pointed. "Ha, I'm not the only one. I bet yours is pink too."
Grammy Fornot went into the closet for X’s Chronicle. "I kept it close, just in case one day you did return." She handed it to X. "They're sealed. Our Chronicles are made particularly special, even time has trouble disintegrating them."
X grabbed his diary. It had chains all along the sides just like Wye’s, but his was a brick red color whereas Wye’s was dark blue with a golden emblem.
"I've never seen diaries like this," Wye said, "they still look brand new."
"Of course. They only age when they are opened." Foggy pointed to Wye's diary. "Only the owner can open his Chronicle."
Wye stared at all the locks and chains on the book. "How?"
"Just open. If it doesn't open, you're not the Protector Yeducavich Smilliat. If it does, then you are. Not hard." Foggy patted him on the shoulder.
"Whoah."
Wye turned around. All the chains and locks fell to the floor on X's diary. X looked at a page and flipped through it. His expression held excitement until something caught his attention toward the end. He gave Wye a strange expression. "What?" Wye looked at X’s diary.
"I wouldn't open that quite yet if I were you," Foggy warned Yed. "Besides, the fact that you’re holding it so well without it bouncing out of your grasp is proof enough."
Wye looked at the diary. "What if there's something helpful in here?" He looked over at X, noticing the strange look on his face. "Hey X, did you learn anything new?" Wye felt a small shiver. X was not looking at him kindly. "Brother?" X growled. Now, Wye looked shocked. It was the same growl that X's split side used. Xiamipoc, the one that always tried to hurt him. "What did you find out?" X closed his diary and strolled over to Wye slowly. "What's wrong?" Wye asked hesitantly. X did not look pleased at all, and a part of Yed wondered if he was going to try and beat him up again.
"Is something wrong there Xiamipoc?" Foggy asked. X plopped the diary in front of Foggy angrily and pointed to the bottom of a page. "Oh yes, I see." Foggy laughed. "Wye told me about that but...ooohh...you are her brother, aren't you? Maybe you shouldn't have opened that yet."
"What's going on?" Wye stood up. "X, tell me what's wrong already. Are you flipping out again?"
"Don't get chummy with me!" X yelled. He whined and looked at the entry again. "How? How? How could you ever do that?"
"Uh oh." Grammy Fornot looked over at Foggy. "Maybe we shouldn't have given it to him yet."
X quickly picked his diary up, closed it, then threw it across the room. "Stupid thing, lies, it's all lies!"
"What's wrong already?" Wye asked. "Come on man, don't hold out! What's wrong?"
"Nothing," X grumped as he went over to the windowless space and crossed his arms.
Wye threw his hands up in the air. "Man, what is making you such a space case?"
"He read an entry that he didn't like," Foggy answered as he looked over at X. "Xiam, you better settle down. Besides, you probably have even more in there you're not ready to know yet."
X covered his ears. "Don't say that, don't say that, don't say that, don't say that."
Foggy chuckled. "Don't worry Xiamipoc, we'll talk about it later. Just wait until you get your whole self back, you'll be okay. Until then, I don't think your Ring brain can handle it yet, or thoroughly understand what's going on."
X pointed at Wye with anger burning in his eyes. "I know what's going on, I read it."
"Why are you flipping out so much?" Wye couldn't take anymore. "What are you hiding? What have you been hiding?"
"Me?" X started to laugh
crazily. "Me? Hiding? I'm the one hiding things? I don’t think so!"
"Wow." Foggy whistled. "I'm quite happy that the inhibitor is here. Aren't you Ancient Fornotia?"
"Clearly. Look how crazy he's acting." Grammy Fornot tisked. "Without that inhibitor, I can't imagine what would happen."
"Come on man, what's wrong?" Wye asked again. "Whatever it is, you've got to be blowing it out of-"
"Don't talk to me. You're not my brother. Never, never, never, never," X yelled again.
A hurt look fell on Wye's face. "But, we've always been like brothers. We always thought we were."
"Not in a million years will you ever be my brother!" X yelled as he ran out the door.
Wye stood there, not knowing what to do. "How could he say that? I always thought I was a good brother. I backed him up if he got into too much trouble with guards. I played with him whenever I could. I even watch stupid TV programs at Aryu to spend time with him and M-Win. I don’t get it."
Grammy Fornot banged her staff on the ground. "I can't believe he said such a cruel thing," she groaned. "Sorry, Wye. He understands, but he doesn't. I promise we'll talk to him later, okay?"
"Oh, I can just imagine what he's thinking," Foggy shook his head. "What he read was probably a total shock to him."
Wye groaned, he was starting to get pissed.. "Come on, somebody tell me."
Foggy refused and stood up. "It's complicated. I'm going to visit Xiamipoc. Ancient Fornotia, please help Wye go through everything else. I'll be back soon."
"Alright, but you tell Xiam his Grammy is very upset with him!" Grammy Fornot crossed her arms and looked over at Wye. "Sorry Protector, he's a bit confused. Although, when he remembers, he's going to be just as mad."
Wye went back to the pictures. "What does that mean? He won't be upset until he remembers? That doesn't even make sense. I don't get it." He grabbed his head. "What could I have done?"
"It will be fine." Grammy Fornot assured him. "I'm sure you'll know soon. Until then, are any of these photos making any sense?"
"XIAMIPOC." FOGGY WALKED up slowly to the upset man. "I think we should talk."
"You’re not related either. Leave me be," X growled at him.
Foggy rubbed the top of his head. "Wye didn't mean to hurt you."
"No way." X crossed his arms. "Don't even talk like that, he lied!"
"Now, now. You and Yed used to be close before you left to the other world." Foggy smiled. "Yed has no memories, but that will change soon, as will yours. Yet, I recommend you not tell him anything. It's hard enough thinking of a way to rescue Muinela as it is, don't make it even harder on him, Xiam. May I call you Xiam?"
X nodded not knowing why he kept using the long version in the first place. "I don't like it, he deceived us."
"Xiam." Foggy said in a serious tone. "It's not the one you're thinking of. You need to remember who is in your family. Everyone.” X didn't get what he was talking about. "Just don't tell him anything. Let it come to him gradually." Foggy repeated.
"Tell him anything?" X growled. "I don't even want to stay in the same room as that traitor!"
SOMETIMES IN TEXAS, nights were more than hot, they were humid. The air could feel thick, and the body sweated even with no covers on. Wye would have done cartwheels to have that kind of night, instead of the unfriendly room mate. Foggy was spending the night with her, since he had traveled far from his home. Wye and X were recommended to sleep in the same room. The uncomfortable vibe between the two made it hard to sleep. Wye couldn't take it anymore. "I wish you'd at least talk. You said some evil things to me."
"I meant every word," X growled.
"What did I do? What could I have done that was so shameful?"
"I don't want to talk to you. Go to sleep."
"If it's about me, I have the right to know!"
"..."
"Oh, I hate this world more and more," Wye yelled in a fit. "It's torn our whole lives apart! M-Win’s gone, we have weird memories coming back, and now, for some reason, you hate my guts. I can't take this," Wye shouted as he grabbed his head. "Why do you hate me so much? We used to have lots of fun together in Aryu. Everything was so great."
"I can't tell you," X finally responded. "Foggy said you'll remember at your own speed."
"My own speed?" Wye growled. "We've got one more day left to prove I'm some Protector, and I'm supposed to remember at a normal speed?" He pointed at his head. "I mean, yeah, I am able to concentrate and remember better, but-but-I can't do that," he growled. "And now, I'm growling. I growled like a freakin' kitty cat. That's it, I'm reading that old diary."
"You'll be sorry," X said bitterly. "Y-you'll wish you never read it."
Wye sighed. I've got to do something. I'm down to one day. Just one day left.
Chapter 30
PAST AND PRESENT ILLUSIONS
Wye lied awake in bed, he couldn't fall asleep, What is it? What happened? Why is X so mad, did I do a poor job of protecting his sisters maybe?
No, that's got nothing to do with it.
"Then what is it that I did?" Wye stared up at the ceiling. He was getting used to hearing a different voice in his head.
Something that upset him. He'll have to get over it one day.
"But X and I are brothers!"
Wye turned and saw himself standing on the right side of the bed. He was dressed in his usual robe from Aryu, his typical self.
“I am right,” Right Wye said. “I’m you, the other guy doesn’t matter anymore.”
Wye didn’t respond, but turned to the left side of the bed as he heard a slight cough for attention. He saw a different version of himself, the one everyone wanted. He had a long, furry tail that was multicolored in streaks of turquoise and white. It was himself as a Ring.
“I do matter,” Ring Wye said.
"Oh great, not this." Wye grabbed his head, his memories were getting worse. There wasn't even enough room just to battle them in his head, the delusions were circling him. He thought he’d actually been getting better and didn’t need a place like Aryu Institution. Wishful thinking.
"Xiam and I weren’t brothers, but we were close. When we were younger, I was like a brother to him." Ring Wye said to him from the left.
"No, we're brothers. We’re the Warno's," the Right Wye insisted.
"No, that’s race," Ring Wye answered back. "Now, you need to calm down and start accepting facts."
"I don't like facts," Right Wye crossed his arms. "Boring! I want to get out of here, go back to Aryu, tease Tar and be human again. That's who I am!"
"That's not who you are," Ring Wye insisted. "You have something called self control now. The inhibitors are letting you think straight for once, and you are sensing who you truly are."
"I don't want self control!" Right Wye bounced up and down. "I want to be back on Earth! I want to go running down the street, helping to free the captive animals again! I do, I do!" Right side Wye looked at the real Wye in the bed. "That's who I am!"
Wye groaned and covered his head. "I'm losing it. I'm talking to my own illusions. When I get back, I’m going to be on so many medications."
"Maybe it is who you are," Ring Wye agreed with, "but it wasn't always that way. At one point, you were actually happy."
"Happy? I was happy!" Right Wye disagreed."I had M-Win and X. Free meals. I didn’t have to do anything except show up for a few sessions, and if I got tired of it, I could break out. I could, I could roam around the streets if I wanted to, but I didn’t because I was happy!"
"That doesn't equal happiness," Ring Wye replied. "You took off up and down the streets of Earth, finding ways to try and satisfy what was missing in your life. Without self control, without the inhibitors keeping your mind straight, you could never be content." He looked over at the real Wye on the bed. "How many times have you lost control here? Thought about what you were doing?"
"That's the inhibitors, Wye!" Right Wye pointed straight at him. "Very bad, they block your true self, they've chained you
up!"
"Inhibitors aren't evil. They don't keep you down," Ring Wye disagreed. "They radiate a calming energy and they keep you sane. They don't stop you from doing anything."
"Then why are we still here?" Right Wye pointed out. "Why didn’t we ditch the old lady and find M-Win on our own?"
"Because you can think straight. This world is something you don't remember. You need to remember, or you'll make a deadly mistake," Ring Wye pointed out.
"You don't believe that guy, do you?" Right Wye pointed to the left side. "Look at him. His shirts tucked in, washed, he keeps himself in control, and he protected girls for crying out loud. Girls! You don't want to be him."
"Oh yeah, it's horrible." Ring Wye chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Right Wye yelled.
"Has it been so miserable Wye, your self control? Tell me." Ring Wye smiled at Wye. "It hasn't, has it? You've been frustrated, trying so hard to get Muin back. Still, even though everything's out of control, for the first time, you feel like you do run your own life. Like, there is something deep inside that finally feels right. It feels good, doesn't it?"
"I suppose, maybe," Wye admitted from his bed.
"What are you saying? You don't want to be me anymore?" Right Wye asked. "You'd give up total freedom of being a human to be some pansy alien with a tucked in shirt?"
"No," Wye whined. "I just want to be me! But, who am I?"
"Both." Right Wye and Ring Wye smiled, then disappeared. In the middle, one Wye appeared. He had on a shirt, but it was only halfway tucked in. "I'm both," he smiled. "I love life, I love laughing, I even tell a decent joke or two. But I want to protect the innocent, and I do understand respect. I've got an attitude at times, but I can be serious. I have control over a huge part of my life, and I enjoy it. I've had unpleasant experiences in life and good.” He just winked at Wye. "There's no two me's, man, I'm just me. You need to stop worrying about the memories you'll lose or gain. You know yourself that you can't possibly save M-Win if you're too scared to accept who you are."
"Huh? I'm not scared," Wye denied. "I want to remember."
"No, you don't. You've been blocking it. You've been blocking everything," the illusion of Wye disagreed. "You keep saying you want to, but a part of you doesn't want to. To save Muin, you have to stop."