A Love That Destroyed Time

by Melanie Ray

  X didn't seem so keen on his thinking. "No, I didn't, and I am the same. So is Muinela. Hopefully you aren't anymore though," he couldn't help but add.

  "M-Win is M-Win, X is X, Wye is Wye. That's it," Wye said. "We'll add these kids, they've got spunk so the more the merrier, but that's all. I don't even want to talk about this world again, X." He groaned, "I don't remember anything, it's a horrible place full of pain and misery. It would be better to forget it all forever."

  "That is the most unhealthy thing I have ever heard!"

  "Stay out of this lady," Wye said at Grammy Fornot shouted and walked into the room. "We're gonna get M-Win back, so what's the problem?"

  Grammy Fornot looked at him with a temper. "Young warno know-it-all." She stomped back to the living room.

  X didn't seem to know what to make of Wye. "Are you okay?"

  "I think I've been reasonable here lately," Wye answered. "I don't know anything except in life and death situations, and then when I do, I pull moves I've only seen in movies. I'm never going to remember by this point, and I don't really want too. Is anything wrong with that?"

  Oh, by the look on X, he understood this time. "Yeah. Well, we don't have to deal with it when we leave, but the kids are going to be big reminders."

  "Oh ho, really," Wye said sarcastically. "You think? I'm not Smilliat anymore, I'm just Wye Warno. This place is not me or us." He sniffed his discontent. "We'll bring back some small inhibitor, not much, enough to keep us sane. Can we do that or will we go evil?"

  "There’s nothing else on Earth," X said. "Yeah, it would be smart to bring some."

  "We'll go back to Double Yella." Wye said. "Back to our real home, before Aryu."

  X didn't say much more. "I agree to an extent, Pagnia isn't the same, and I want to go back home where it's safe for everyone again, especially the kids. What do you have then?"

  "A plan," Wye said. "We're going straight into their kingdom, incognito." He patted his butt. "No tail, no problem."

  Chapter 36

  STUPIDEST PLAN EVER

  "...whoa." Wye looked up at the king's castle in the Pink Kingdom. It wasn't hard to spot since it shadowed the whole kingdom. "This place is huge." It would be hard to prove they weren't enemies, but it would be equally hard to prove they weren't because they had no tails at all. This simple fact would let their chances go two ways. Either they could coast right in, or they would be caught, and this would go down in history as the stupidest thing ever pulled. At least if they got caught, they could claim they lost it in battle. Either way, they had to get M-Win out. Wye looked around at the huge masses of green sparkling crystal around the kingdom, even underneath their feet. "Is this the inhibitor mineral?"

  "Yeah," X said. "Let's get Muinela and get out of here."

  Wye chuckled. "So? You think being human was better too after all," he joked.

  X didn't laugh nor did he crack a smile. "I used to love it on Pagnia." He looked at the ground, his eyes becoming distant. "Then The Great Destruction happened." He shook his head, "I don't want to talk about it, let's grab M-Win and get out." Wye didn't say anymore. He could tell by the look on X's face that he needed to stop talking about it. "Just remember," X said as he walked closer. "Don't smile or laugh. Look serious, be mean and be rude."

  "Got it," Wye said as he followed closely behind. They knew it was stupid. Going in after her with nothing but a little concocted story about their tails being chopped off. Then after they got into the castle, they'd just wing it. Even the Ancients thought the boys were still crazy, but they couldn't do much to stop them. It was this or nothing, and they were determined to get M-Win back. They couldn't take too long waiting for Wye to remember. Who knew exactly what was happening with M-Win? Is she in a cage? Is she being treated well or like a slave? What if they are doing... Wye couldn't finish that thought, all he knew was he needed her out of there.

  As they first walked into the gates, no one seemed to notice them. So far, so good. X stopped by a nearby Sleek. "It's none of your business why I'm asking, but where are the prisoners kept you idiot?" The Sleek pointed to the castle and cursed them too as Wye and X continued to move.

  "Somewhere up in that huge castle?" Wye wasn't pleased as he looked all around him. That place made Earth look primitive. Everyplace he looked, everything was made of some sort of steel. There was not a plant, a tree, a flower, pets, nothing natural at all in that kingdom. Nothing but metal and inhibitors. Crystals and machinery. It felt creepy.

  X stopped in a corner and pressed a button. "I'm calling for a bus type thing, I think it's called a roller. Just remember-"

  "Don't smile," Wye interrupted. "I got it, X. Be mean and don't even mention the missing tail unless they ask."

  The roller came up beside X and Wye. X got on and pushed a few buttons. Wye held on tight, it moved to the castle so fast, he couldn't even see anything as they traveled. He tried to pretend it was no big deal like X, but he felt weird as he got off, like he'd been spinning around in circles for several minutes.

  They both looked ahead of them. How could you even call it a castle? It was a never ending structure whose ending couldn't be seen through their perception. They walked in and up to a receptionist.

  "What do you want," She growled at them as she filled out some forms.

  "What, like you don't know?" X said. "What are you, the dumbest broad around? We're here to take care of things."

  Perfect, Wye had to agree. A place that enormous had to have something wrong with it.

  "Shut up," she said as she looked at her papers. "You're here to fix that leak in the prison, right?"

  "Of course," Wye said quickly, "what else would we be here for?"

  "Yeah, yeah. Glass elevator, here's the key card," she said as she handed X the key, "and don't take so long this time."

  Wye and X went to the elevators. "I can't believe that worked," Wye said in amazement. "No credentials or anything."

  X stuck the key card into a slot. "No one but us are going to be stupid enough to try and get in, that's why. We can only go to this level right now," X said, "but at least we got in." When they reached the twenty third floor, their relative calm was shattered. Prison cell after prison cell, stacked like dog cages at a pound, at least ten on top of each other were Rings. Filled to capacity of each cell, each Ring woman was shouting and pleading for them, asking for more food, more water, or to be assimilated.

  Wye looked down as he felt a prisoner tug on his shirt. "Please sir, I can perform more duties, any kind of duty you desire for a morsel more. I wash windows, paint walls, even sexual if you wish. Please," the woman begged as she tugged at his shirt again, "I can have more kids too, I'm not as dried up as you think. Please assimilate me, please."

  X stayed firm against her, helping out Wye. "Get down, leave us alone." He pulled Wye over to him and glared. "You are always being watched here. Don't forget. We can't mess up."

  Wye nodded his head, and they continued on. The prison was monumental, the sheer amounts of women in cells amazed the eyes. He heard all of them shouting desperately for anything they could get. A morsel of bread, a drink of water, a duty to get them out. Wye thought it could get no worse until, in their way, they saw a woman's head hanging out.

  "Make my death swift."

  Wye and X couldn't say a thing at first. They watched her head hang, limp, and ready to die. The sheer will to live was gone, all that was left was a mere shell. Wye closed his eyes and followed X around her. They only moved a few feet when they heard it.

  Wye held his breath, feeling the wetness on his back. He turned, knowing, and yet needing to know at the same time. The woman's body stood standing in the cell, but her head was missing. As his eyes trailed up, they met pink. Pink dead eyes. He looked at the Pink's hand where he was carrying a large burlap bag. The rat tail swooshed once, and the pink eyes blinked. No words were spoken.

  "Aw," a red eyed Pink said, catching Wye's attention from the left. He was covered in blood and said, "you coul
dn't wait two seconds to tell her to bend a little lower? You dumb primate pink eyes, got to kill as soon as you see the opportunity." He looked at Wye. "Who are you?"

  "W...were pipes. Here for pipes," X croaked beside Wye. He cleared his throat and regained his composure. "This place is huge, you can't tell from the old prisoners to the new ones. How are we supposed to find this leak?"

  "From old to new," The Pink scoffed, "They're all the same, who cares? New, the only new prisoner isn't here."

  "Well, why not?" X asked. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Splitting prisoners up."

  "Eh," The Pink shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care, but I've seen her. She's fresh. I've never seen a woman sooo alive," he chuckled. "Weird too, has no tail. That world she came from, must be some place. King likes her, hasn't made her do chores or anything," he groaned. "I swear, I'd give her a go, but he's got guards all around her."

  Okay. Wye had made it through the gates, through the roller, and even through the cells of desperate women allowed to be decapitated by holding their head out. He was trying as hard as he could to not blow their cover but...

  "Which. Floor." Wye growled through gritted teeth.

  "Why the hell do you want to know," the Pink shot back.

  "Aw hell, he doesn't know anything," X accused the Pink, "he's just acting like he knows what's going on."

  "The hell," The Pink growled. "I know plenty. I know she's kept on the 56th floor, I know as soon as we get the coordinates we're hitting this planet Dallas and making it our new domain. I know all kinds of things."

  "But why? That doesn't make any sense," X couldn't take much more. "We already have this planet."

  "We're going to give it to the pathetic halfies left. You know, the basic rejects, Rings and Furries, maybe even Sleeks," the Pink said. "We'll use that other planet as the new paradise for the King and new Queen's kingdom. If everything's as good as she said it was anyhow. So, see? I know my stuff, you're the ones that don't know crap. Probably Sleeks yourself." He looked toward their backs.

  "New..n-new Queen?"

  The Pink looked away from their backs and said, "Yeah, as soon as the king converts the new Ring, he'll take her as his queen."

  "But why?"

  Wrong question, the Pink was getting suspicious. "You're an odd pair, you've got a strange accent attached to your language." His eyebrows furrowed. ‘I know what you two are up to. What, do you get paid by the minute for leaks," he yelled. "Hurry up and get to work, I'm not costing the king extra money, it'll be my neck. I'll be the one holding my head out for the pink eyes. Now, get going and fix that leak."

  Wye and X both found themselves growling deep inside as they watched him leave. It wasn't like a human 'grr', it was primal and instinctive. They couldn't control it, and they hoped he didn't hear it.

  "How do we get to the 56th floor," Wye said as he looked over at X.

  "We only have the key to the 23rd," X said. "We can't get access."

  "Then we'll have to get on the outside and climb up." Wye pointed to a window at the end of a corner coming around.

  "Wye," X said, "it's a long way up. If we slip, we're dead."

  Wye moved over to the window and lifted it up. "Then don't slip." He looked outside for something to climb onto.

  "I wasn't trained for this Wye," X said as he watched Wye move through it. "I don't know how to climb it."

  Wye stepped on the ledge and looked up. "There are giant cracks in the wall, it's like a dome structure. If you keep your footing, you'll be okay." He stared at X as his friend gave him a strange look. "What?"

  X glared at Wye. "You're doing something extremely dangerous here. If you aren't him anymore, then don't do it. One wrong move and, well, look down."

  Wye looked down, then back up. "I know, but she's up there, X. We have to take this risk."

  "Maybe something will need fixing on another floor? If we work long enough, we'll find her," X continued to rebel. "You are Wye Warno now, not the Protector. You can't risk it."

  "I'm her brother, X." Wye answered back. "It could be days before we figure this out, and from what I've seen here today, I don't want her here another minute. She should be back in Dallas, with all of us. That's worth it, isn't it?"

  "I know," X stepped on the ledge slowly and tried to see the cracks Wye talked about. "They aren't very big."

  "We can do it though," Wye smiled. "Don't worry, something tells me I can do this."

  "Okay," X agreed. "Say I buy this, how do we start?"

  "Grip on to that crack on your left," Wye said as he pointed up and his fingers followed his instructions. "Then, swing your foot into the left crevice, and grab the crack in the high middle with both your hands, then quickly place your foot on that crack right below that, then propel yourself up, grabbing the next two cracks with your hands, then use the ledge on the next floor to keep going." X looked at him as if he were crazy. Realizing himself what he just said, he looked over at X. "Why don't you go back now, X."

  "Back inside?" X questioned, "I don't know how to fix a leak."

  "No, back to Grammy Fornot's place," Wye said. "I'll be back later, okay?"

  "Wait, you want me to leave?" X said. "Wye, what if you get caught? You don't have any memories, you don't know what you're doing. These aren't so-so Sleeks, these aren't even regular Pinks, we'll be tortured by pink eyed Pinks. What they can't do in speech, they make up in power and horror. The worst thing alive, more zombie that anything."

  Wye stared up at the wall "What choice do we have? This is the last thing in our way from going home, X. Besides which, you heard that guy. Whether I'm human or not, Earth is home. If it's in trouble, we've got to do something."

  X nodded, finally realizing. "Good luck, Wye. You're going to need it."

  Wye rubbed his hands together as X went back into the building. "I can't believe I'm doing this. One slip and I am toast. I really was one crazy guy here, too." He grabbed onto the left crack, then swung his foot into a crevice on his left and grabbed a bigger crack in the middle with both his hands. He put his right foot in a crack below it and used it to propel himself higher up so he could grab another two cracks he couldn't quite reach. Then, he reached the next level. How he kept doing it, he didn't know. One wrong move and he'd fall but, something told him that he could, and as hard as it may have looked, it didn't feel as hard as he thought it would be.

  It took some time though, climbing on the side. Luckily, no one seemed to notice or care that he had been climbing. They could barely see him anyway way up that high. When he finally reached the 56th floor, he strutted over to a window that had been open. He climbed in and looked around. No one was there. He slowly walked being careful not to bump into anyone, this was probably a top secret floor. Then, as he turned a corner, he quickly pulled back. At least eight guards, all Pinks, were guarding a door. He went into a nearby room and climbed back out the window. If they aren't guarding on the inside, I can get her out. He strutted toward the other windows, carefully looking in.

  Then, he spotted her. In a cage, looking bored. He looked around the room and didn't see anyone. Still, there were probably some type of cameras. He couldn't stop grinning and waved as M-Win spotted him. Her face lit up like nothing he'd ever seen. She made an okay sign at him with her fingers and winked. "Wye, what took you?"

  "I take it no cameras," he said as he crawled in. "Well, well, little M-Win. I turn my back two seconds on you and see what happens?"

  "Ha ha," M-Win said with sarcasm, "let me out before the weird rat tailed guards hear you."

  Wye pulled on the lock. "It's tough, is there a key?" M-Win pointed to where a key hung in a corner. Wye went over, grabbed it and then unlocked her cage.

  "Good job, fairly good, a little late. I'll give you an 8.8, "M-Win teased him. "How now brown cow? How do we get out of here?"

  "Well, I'm not a brown cow, but I climbed up." Wye looked out the window. "I doubt you'll be able to climb down. Don't suppose you used to have mountain climbi
ng skills in the past?"

  "How should I know," M-Win scoffed, "I wouldn't remember."

  For some reason, Wye couldn't help but grin. "Not a bit, huh?" She didn't remember anything either, he wasn't the only one being kept out of the loop anymore. He looked out the window again and tapped his fingers. Great, he got to her but she couldn't climb down. "Follow me, M-Win." Wye went out the window and M-Win followed him. He moved around for a few more windows to the right before he crawled in with M-Win right behind.

  "Now where are we," M-Win complained.

  "Well, you're out of your room, that's a good start," Wye said as he went down the hallway. The guards were still guarding the room, unaware she was gone. "Come on." M-Win and Wye both went to the nearest elevator. Wye looked at the elevator. "Different, very different." He pulled out the key card he kept. X hadn't needed it to go back down, they were using a service elevator but apparently Wye and M-Win would on this elevator. He slid the card down a slot.

  "What's that?" M-Win had to ask. "That's not the first floor."

  "It's not letting us go anywhere except the key cards floor. Not even down," Wye noted as they felt it move. "We'll get through the floor quickly, and then we'll go to a different elevator and practically be out." He glanced back at her. "Alright M-Win, I'm giving you the heads up. This is a prison for women with tails. It's not pretty, they'll try and grab you and beg you for favors. Don't stop, and if anyone comes up to you, don't say anything and definitely don't smile."

  "I know. Act uppity and even cuss every once in a while," M-Win frowned. "These guys aren't pleasant at all. They make Chasm from Aryu look like nothing with their manners." They both walked, trying to be unsuspicious, but didn't slow down too much. Once they reached another elevator, Wye pressed the down button.

  "Wye, we all need to talk." M-Win said quickly, "It's about Earth."

  "The Pinks want to go there for some reason," Wye said before she could continue. "I know, why did you even tell them?"

  "I wasn't thinking, and I didn't tell them," M-Win said with vigor, then letting her voice drop in tone. "I was tricked." As the elevator stopped, Wye and M-Win calmly strutted out. The receptionist didn't even recognize them. They walked through the city, still walking fairly fast, and when they were finally out of the limits, they couldn't help themselves as they both ran.