by Melanie Ray
Wye looked at his covers. Figured his mind would know the truth. "This world, this 'Yed', the memories... I just...I don't want to lose who I am."
"Lose who you are?" The illusion of Wye frowned. "Wye Warno of Dallas, Texas or Yeducavich Smilliat of this world, they're both you. You can't lose who you are. You are you." He pointed at the real Wye. "Now stop acting like the coward you've been the last three days, that's the only thing that's not you." He pointed at himself. "Accept yourself as you are. You'll be glad you did."
After that statement, the illusion disappeared.
"Accept the two me's, as one?" Wye sighed heavily, but he put a determined look on his face. He could no longer dread what he would remember. Whatever X hated him for, he had to face it. Whatever happened in his past, he had to face it. No matter how awful it was, no matter what kind of guy he used to be. He couldn't hide in amnesia forever.
Chapter 31
SYO’S CHALLENGE
"Can you pass the spice?" Wye asked from across the table. X just gave him a disapproving look and then scooted the alien spice condiment toward him. "Thanks." In one quick motion, Wye salted his omelette, flipped it in the air and slid it across the table until it landed right where X had picked it up.
X raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Wye asked as he started biting into his lunch.
"Nevermind," X said as he crossed his arms.
Grammy Fornot gave X a disapproving look, then smiled over at Wye with extra sweetness. "Yeducavich, are you going to check out the Dens today like Foggy asked?"
"Yeah," Wye replied. "After I finish my omelette thing. Are you coming kid?" He asked, looking at X. X didn’t give him a happy smile. "Well, you've been acting like one."
"Just because I don't like you anymore doesn't make me a kid!" X banged his hand on the small table.
"It does when you don't give an explanation and start showing such disrespect," Wye answered back.
"Huh?" X growled. "Why are you talking like that? You never showed anyone respect."
"X, you control your voice," Grammy Fornot scolded. "Whatever made you upset you have to learn to deal with it and stop hurting your friend."
"Friend, brother, you're neither one," X said as he pointed at Wye. "Leave me and M-Win alone. I'll figure out how to get her out, my sister doesn't need you anymore, Smilliat."
Wye raised an eyebrow. It was obvious he wasn't the only one changing.
"If you want to be that way, then you just stay here youngun'!" Grammy Fornot scolded him again.
After Wye finished his omelette thing, he pushed his seat in. "Okay, let's go."
X walked over to his diary he had thrown yesterday and picked it up. He started to read the top of the last entries, but Wye didn’t care. He had better things to do than being criticized for something he didn’t even remember.
5753 A.I.
Ever since I learned the truth, I've been upset. Yed and I had been good friends, almost like brothers. How could he betray me like that? It doesn't matter anymore. Ezra's been crying all day, and she hasn't stopped. We've learned about a setup for the Protectors. All of them were hurt. It was a whole week ago, and I still can't console her. If only I would have known, maybe I wouldn't have been so mad at him. How was I supposed to know the last words we spoke would be in anger? Now, it doesn't matter. Protectors were our only line of defense. Something dreadful is going to happen, I know it. What are we going to do?
X had to stop. "I thought Wye had been killed? Wye? Dead?" He read the entry again. "I did, Wye was supposed to have died." X looked out the windowless space. That's what Grammy Fornot meant when she said they had been loyal to the end. Then as he read the entry over once more, everything Foggy finally said, clicked. He started to run outside.
WYE JUST GROANED AS he looked at his relation in the Den. "How could they be this bad? Even we were never this nuts.”
Grammy Fornot chuckled. "I told you. Den children are out of control. They are too young, the inhibitors don't affect them completely until they're at least one hundred. They have tons of kid energy they can't control."
Wye looked at his great, great, great grandnephew. His eyes just followed him up and down, up and down. The young kid couldn’t even stay still. "What's your name?"
His great, great, great grandnephew just shook his head. "You should guess! Guess my name!"
"Yeah, guess, guess!"
"If you guess right, then you'll know his name!"
Wye's eyes couldn't keep up with all the moving children. It was like super balls bouncing up and down at different times next to each other. He closed his eyes to readjust his vision. He opted for looking at Grammy Fornot. "He's insane."
Grammy Fornot chuckled. "You can talk? No, he's perfectly normal. In fact, that's his name. Normal."
"Normal?" Wye watched the kid jump up and down again. "Your names Normal, huh?"
"Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!" Normal just laughed. "You're my great great great uncle uncle uncle uncle uncle uncle uncle uncle uncle uncle uncle Yed!"
Wye stared at the kid and blinked. "Yeah." He looked over at Grammy Fornot. "We can go back now I think."
Grammy Fornot chuckled. "Can't take much more, huh? It’s an acquired taste."
"No tail! No tail! No tail! No tail!"
"Who's he? Who's he? Who's he?"
Normal pointed behind him. "Who's he uncle uncle uncle Yed?"
Wye turned around and saw X. "Never thought you'd actually come."
X placed his hand on top of his head. "I know."
Wye raised an eyebrow. "Your voice is more mellow. Are you calming down?"
X nodded his head.
"Well, it's about time." Grammy Fornot pointed at X. "I was beginning to think you should stay out in the Den."
"I know." X looked over at Wye. "Don't get me wrong, I still don't like it." He scratched his ears. "But, things could be a lot worse right now."
"A lot worse?" Wye frowned. "What do you mean? What made you so upset in the first place?"
X shook his head. "Sorry Wye, I can't tell you. Foggy made it clear that you needed to remember on your own. I think I understand what he means."
Wye nodded his head. "Well, as long as you're not spitting fire anymore, you want to come see my great, great, great grandnephew, Normal, who definitely isn't normal?"
"That's okay," X chuckled. "I see him fine from here."
"You two." Grammy Fornot looked down at Normal. "Now you be a good boy, okay?"
"Yep! Yep! Yep! Yep! You bet old lady!" Normal shouted.
"Bye old lady! Bye old lady!"
"Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye!"
Grammy Fornot looked over at Wye. "You know what it's time to do, don't you?"
"We can't leave M-Win." X sighed. "We have no choice."
"You’re right. I'll have to fight Syo." Wye crossed his arms.
"What?" X just looked at him as if he were nuts. "He almost broke your arm last time. It won't do any good."
"He didn't try to break my arm, it just hurt." Wye replied. "I...I think if I just follow my instinct this time I'll be okay."
"What instinct? You don't know how to fight." X reminded him.
"We can't leave without M-Win, and we can't leave period without a transporter," Wye reminded him. "I'm going to trust myself. It's all I can do."
"Good idea," Grammy Fornot agreed. "Maybe once you get seriously injured Syo will feel bad and decide to give you more time."
Wye and X both stared at her.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Wye sighed. Can I actually do this? I don't have much choice. I need to accept who I am and trust in myself. Oh boy, I seriously hope this works. What a long shot.. "Let's go. If the king beats us there, we won't have any choices will we?"
Syo smiled as he saw Grammy Fornot, X and Wye enter. "Well, I was wondering if you would show up. Are you ready to go now?"
"We won't leave without M-Win." X said confidently.
/> Syo remained in position. "Then what, have you come to beg for another day?"
"No. I'm here to prove I'm a Protector," Wye said as he stood erect.
Syo just shook his head. "Oh please, boy, I've told you. You can't be a Protector."
"Wye's really old Uncle Foggy said he was Smilliat," Grammy Fornot disagreed.
"Not good enough," Syo crossed his arms.
"Yeducavich Smilliat's Chronicle did not try and get away from him," Grammy Fornot added.
"No. If the real Yeducavich Smilliat was dead, then his Chronicle would be open to anyone," Syo reasoned.
"He did a strange trick with a spice shaker?" X added. He didn't know what else he could say to improve the situation.
Syo chuckled. "Not even considering that."
"You won't accept anything but a fight," Wye said already knowing that's how it would turn out.
"Not too shabby." Syo looked at Wye. "If you plan on going through this, don't expect sympathy in the form of extra days if you get hurt."
Grammy Fornot snapped her fingers. "Damn."
Syo walked up to Wye. Wye didn't move. "This is your last chance." Syo said one more time.
Wye didn't respond for a second.
I don't go down that easy. Poor kid, you've got no idea who I am. You wanted me to show you what again? Mercy? Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time. "Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time. Let's get this over with."
Let's play a game. How many of your fingers am I holding up? Did you just call me by my first name kid? I love when warnos underestimate me. I don't give second warnings, even to newbies.
Before Wye knew what he was doing, he was behind Syo, holding his arms back the same way Syo had in their last fight. Syo yelled for him to let go. Still a little stunned, Wye quickly let go. "Whoa."
Syo nursed his shoulder and chuckled. "Well, well. I guess you are a Protector. Geez, you take your work seriously. I didn't pull yours that far back. Impressive though."
"You don't seem all that surprised," Grammy Fornot noticed.
"Why should I be? I've been a Protector before, way back in the day," Syo grinned. "Muinela's in big trouble, we couldn't let him just dawdle around without memories for a month, could we?" He smiled at Wye. "Protectors have had their instincts, their very minds, thoroughly trained for every emergency. I knew if I gave him an impossible three day task, he'd accomplish it."
"You mean, you didn't plan on taking the king anywhere?" Grammy Fornot gasped. "You liar!"
"Ah, he's just one kid. What the heck could he do?" Syo shrugged his shoulders.
"You tricked me." Wye looked at him in a cold manner.
Syo recognized what it had conveyed and quitted joking around. "Yes, I did. What are you going to do about it? You seem to be leaning on instinctive fighting. That isn't going to work if you’re not being threatened Wye. "
"I'm an A class Protector," Wye frowned. "Even if I don't remember right now...I can say this. You better address me with some respect from this point forward."
Syo nodded at him respectively. “I rather prefer it that way, Protector Yeducavich Smilliat."
Zar, Cooey, and Carress were all eating some berries and apples they collected. Tiger was busy trying to cook a small animal he caught outside the place. It was dangerous, but they did need real meat and he didn't care for the taste of raw meat. He looked up as he heard footsteps. He took off, not even caring to deal with the fire and quickly headed downstairs. "Emergency, take evasive actions!" He yelled as he grabbed Carress.
Cooey quickly hid as Zar went over and closed the secret door. He then ran and hid with his sister.
"Hey," Zar and Cooey popped out of their hiding spots. Zar laughed and gestured toward Tiger and Carress. "No worries, it's our old pal Foggy." He whispered. However, Tiger and Carress stayed hidden.
Foggy beamed happily at Cooey and Zar. He knew Wye would somehow win against Syo, it was in his pure veins. He and Grammy Fornot had not told either of them the real truth about M-Win’s children unless the duo could stay. After all, they couldn't take the children with them."Hi there." Foggy laughed as he picked up Cooey. "Guess what? You are going to meet your Uncles today."
"We're leaving to meet our Uncles?" Cooey asked excitedly. "Is the threat over?"
"No, but your Uncles can protect you a lot better than your Grammy can," he laughed as he brought out a can of covetall. "Your color is showing through on your tail. Here, let's reapply some of this real quick." Foggy noticed Zar looking behind himself for some reason, and seemed to give a strange nod goodbye. Did he somehow bond with the place he had been born?
"Stand straight." Foggy said as he tried to make the kids presentable. "Come on, stand straight." He looked over at Zar. "Straighter Zaria."
Zar groaned but straightened his back. "How's that?"
Foggy nodded his approval as he heard the front door opening in the next room. He went into the next room and saw Wye, X, and Grammy Fornot, who had an excited look on her face. They both had wanted to scream out to Wye and X about Cooey and Zar, but they couldn't risk the children having broken hearts. There was no guarantee that Wye or X would want anything to do with the children, especially as strange and confused as they were. Yet, over the days their minds and memories were developing rapidly. Now was the time to finally share them with each other. Foggy looked at the faces on the pair and Grammy Fornot. "I take it that he won?"
"Did a tremendous job," Grammy Fornot clasped her hands in pride, "just like a Protector."
Foggy winked at Wye. "You outdid yourself, Yed. I knew you would." He touched Wye's shoulder, "now there's something Grammy Fornot and I decided to let you in on. She was unsure, at first, especially with the way you can't remember and the way you...act, however you are getting better. We talked it out, and we've decided, it's time."
Wye wasn’t jumping for joy at the announcement. "Time for what?"
Foggy gestured toward the next room. As they all went in...
"Quit it," Cooey whined as Zar pinched her. "I'm telling!"
"You started it," Zar yelled back, " and you hit me on the back of the head!"
"Nuh uh!"
"Uh-huh!"
"Nuh-uh!"
Foggy and Grammy Fornot both groaned. So much preparation for it to be a pleasant surprise. Zar and Cooey stopped when they saw Wye and X and quickly stopped fighting.
Zar waved, "Hi Uncs!"
"Uncs?" Wye and X both looked at each other then over at Grammy Fornot and Foggy.
Grammy Fornot tried not to cry. It wasn't as sweet as it should have been, but the moment hadn't been spoiled. Separated for so long and now reunited once again. "Yes, That's Zar and Cooey. They are Muinela’s children."
"Children?" X blinked. “You mean Miss I-can't-remember-anything-past-three-weeks has children? Miss let's-watch-An-Affair-to-Remember? You mean our M-win?”
"Quit Zar!" Cooey whined as Zar pinched her again.
"Yes, and they are all yours." Foggy chuckled. "Surprised?"
Wye and X looked at each other one more time, then back at the small duo. M-Win had kids. The chess teasing sister had kids. The sunshiney haired gal. Had. Kids.
Crap.
Chapter 32
INSTINCT
Zar giggled as he flung some food at his sister. Cooey screamed his name and flung some back at him.
"You two, knock it off." Grammy Fornot insisted as she grabbed their food. "By the planet of Pagnia, how can we tolerate two kids in a normal house?"
Wye didn't seem to mind the fighting. On the contrary, it kind of reminded him of his crazy home. But somehow, someone else wasn't thinking about Aryu at the moment. Wye looked strangely at X as he sat down at the table. X was wearing an apron?
"Grammy, will you let me fix something else for breakfast today?" X asked as he put three plates down on the table.
"Huh"? Wye looked over at X who was pulling out all kinds of ingredients from the small cupboard space. “You know how to cook?”
X cutte
d up ingredients with a professional flair as he placed a pan off the side. He took another pan, flipped his strange omelette in the air, quickly diced something very small, caught his omelette in a different pan. He set the diced up vegetable Wye didn't recognize back into the pan. Then, grabbing both pans, he threw the omelette up in the air, then a few seconds later, the vegetables. He put the second pan down and amazingly landed the omelette and the strange vegetables perfectly on the same pan.
"Actually...” X walked over to Wye and flipped the new omelette onto his plate. He reached into his small apron pocket and sprinkled a spice on top. "I do."
"Oh Xiam," Grammy Fornot exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "You remember!"
Wye stared at the omelette. "Wow. You genuinely do know how to cook, huh?"
"Taste it, you'll love it." X crossed his arms. "It's a mnui. It's got sweet rill, some basic redes, and even a little dash of guvaw for spice."
Wye stared at the concoction. He didn't know what any of that stuff was, but he tasted it anyway. "Holy wow," He couldn't believe his tastebuds.
"It's great, huh?" X smiled with braggish pride. "I knew you'd like it. Mnui used to be your favorite dish. When cooked right, anyhow."
"Are you saying, your memories came back? Overnight?" Wye looked at him in surprise. "Over one measly night?”
"Actually, I'd say I started having lots of flashbacks soon after I started reading my Chronicle," X confessed as he took the transear off his ear. "But, it wasn't until tonight when everything just popped into place," he chuckled.
Wye smiled. "This is great, you remember. And, it was because of the diary-Chronicle thing, right?"
X left the room for a moment and returned with Wye’s Chronicle. "Yep. Speaking of which, here you go."
Grammy Fornot looked displeased as X placed Wye's Chronicle in front of him. "Foggy told you not to do that."
"Foggy's not the one who has his life in the balance," X growled back. He looked back at Wye with an odd out-of-place smile. "There's a lot of stuff in there Wye, I'm sure of it."