A Love That Destroyed Time

by Melanie Ray

  "Yes, finally free," M-Win said as she did cartwheels. "Free, free, free."

  "Yeah," Wye said as he ran faster. Finally, it was done. Somehow, the dumbest plan in the world worked.

  M-Win stopped doing cartwheels and ran beside him. "So, how did you even get here?"

  "It's a long story," Wye laughed, "and I'm glad it's almost over. Come on, we've got ourselves another transporter."

  "Yes," M-Win said, "I miss Aryu. I mean, I wanted fresh air, but not this much."

  Wye jumped over a long. "Well we're almost on our way!"

  "Good!" M-Win laughed. "So, where's X?"

  "He's at Grammy Fornot's place with-" Wye stopped running and M-Win stopped beside him. "Uh, M-Win? There's something you're going to have to know."

  "Oh yeah?" M-Win turned her head though when she saw X coming toward her. She waved at him.

  X laughed and ran up to her. "M-Win, you're okay? Wye, you really did it."

  "No sweat," Wye winked. "No memories too, damn I'm good."

  "Grammy Fornot is over to talking to Syo about his transporter," X said, "but I can't get the kids to cooperate."

  "Kids? What kids?" M-Win asked.

  X gulped. "You don't have your memories back either, do you?"

  "Memories?" M-Win said, "X, you remember this place?"

  "Yeah." X cleared his throat. "Well, oh. Where to start?"

  "Muineeeeeellllllaaaaaaaaa!"

  M-Win turned around and saw Fornot come toward here. "You again?"

  "Why Muin, look at you, you're still so healthy." Grammy Happy ran out to see her too.

  "Yeah." M-Win scratched her head, "Who are you?" After saying she was Grammy Happy, she shrugged her shoulders.

  "Wye, Grammy Fornot said our enemies had trouble with some aliens some time ago. Real trouble, so they destroyed all their transporters to prevent anymore from happening." X said. "Therefore, Earth should be fine because even if they snag the king he won't remember the sequence of all the numbers."

  "Good news for once." Wye said as he patted X on the back. "Let's go home, we're long overdue."

  "Which way to the transport thing," M-Win said, "I'm more than ready."

  "Oh, but first you have to wait for the kids, dear." Grammy Fornot grumped. "They won't settle down right now."

  "What kids? Whose are they?" M-Win looked over at X. "More brothers and sisters?"

  "Uh, no." X said. "Not exactly, but they are relation." He looked at the ground. "M-Win, there's something you should know. We had another sister."

  "Oh. Yeah," M-Win said, "I don't remember her, but I heard about her from mom."

  "From mom? You saw momma?"

  "Yeah. So, are they our other sister's kids?"

  "You saw momma? How was she? Is she okay?"

  "She's...okay."

  "Momma. She's still alive. Along with all those others, huh?"

  "Yep. Only females were kept alive though. Any males caught or kids, they’re gone."

  "But, did you see? I mean is Ezra, is she-is our sister safe or not?"

  "Oh. Well, she's alive. I can put it that way?"

  "She's alive but what else? Did momma tell you about her?"

  "What's it matter? Aren't we just going to go home anyhow?"

  "Remember or not, she is your big sister."

  "Look X, she's gone. It doesn't matter," M-Win tried to explain. "She's not in that castle, she's somewhere in that kingdom, brainwashed into believing she's one of them. Now, there's no way to really find her and that place is immense. Forget it."

  X groaned, "Okay." He finally gave in. "At least she's alive."

  Wye patted each of their shoulders, happy he could finally enter into the conversation again. "So, where are the kids? We've got to get them to Syo's."

  "Right here," Grammy Fornot held two squabbling kids in her arms. "I'm afraid Tiger and Carress are nowhere to be found."

  "Well, go get them," Wye insisted.

  "It's no use," Grammy Fornot said. "Happy says when they take off, they take off for good. I'm sorry to say, but not everyone can go anyhow. The transporter is only so big." She seemed extremely sad. "I'm sorry. Grammy Happy will raise them well."

  "Maybe it's for the best," Wye looked over at X. "Who knows? Maybe one day your sister will break out. Never know the future. Besides, we've got three kids." He noticed a strange look in X's eyes. "They are with their Grammy Happy, I set those guys straight who tried to take them, what else can we do?" X nodded his head finally in agreement. "How much room do we have in the transporter?"

  Room for six," Grammy Fornot said. "You, Xiam, Muin, Normal, Zar and Cooey. I'm afraid that the children may have known the dilemma and weren't going to decide who left or not. I doubt they wanted to break up."

  "I don't want to go," Zar protested, "Syo's place is stinky." The other kids pinched their noses with their fingers too.

  M-Win chuckled, "Kind of cute. So who are these kids again?"

  X and Wye both looked at each other.

  "Well," X coughed.

  Wye, knowing how being kept out of the loop so much felt, did the honorable thing for his sister. "Two of these are yours, M-Win."

  "Mine?" M-Win looked surprised. "What?"

  "Yeah, so, you haven't missed a lot of time with them." Wye smiled with encouragement. "They're good kids, you'll like them."

  M-Win couldn't smile. "Kids? But..."

  "Anyhow, let's head over to Syo's and see if he's home," X said as he patted his sister's shoulder again. "We'll explain soon."

  WHEN THEY REACHED SYO, they were surprised he wasn't pleased to see them. Syo had a deep, emotional expression on his face. "So you got Muinela, and you're ready to go now?"

  X looked a bit sad. "Um, yes."

  "We got M-Win's kids," Wye said trying to make X feel better by picking up his slack. "There's no way to take the other two, even if we found them, so what else is there?"

  "Oh gee, I don't know," Syo seethed. "Maybe a little help would have been nice, Protector?"

  "A little help?" M-Win scoffed. "What could we possibly do? This place is a dump, it's ruined. There's nothing here to save in the first place."

  X looked at the ground. "Wye can't do anything, he no longer remembers. Ezra's gone, and even if we found her, she's brainwashed. Probably with someone else, raising other kids." He looked down at Zar and Cooey, who were both holding their noses. "There's nothing left we can do, except take them to a nicer world."

  Syo still didn't look happy with that reasoning. "So, are you happy just leaving this way, X? Xiamipoc? Didn't you lose anyone? Someone that you do want to-"

  "She's gone, alright? I didn't see her and I'm glad I didn't!" X yelled as he flew off the handle.

  "Alright then," Syo led them down to his basement. "Leave your home the way it is. Forget your loved ones, they're fine."

  I can't leave my family behind. "Good, that's what we were planning on," Wye said as he walked in and ignored the voice in his head. They were practically home. One quick jump in a transporter and they'd be back safe and sound on Earth.

  "Protector?" Grammy Happy and Fornot both followed them all. Grammy Fornot said, "please don't leave just yet. You don't remember, and you need too."

  "And I don’t want to," Wye pointed out. I can't leave my family behind!

  "There are some very precious to you still here," Grammy Fornot said, "I'm sure of at least two."

  "Grammy," X said as they all got into the transporter. "It doesn't matter. He doesn't need to know, it will only make it harder. We couldn't take them anyhow."

  Grammy Fornot looked over at X. "Will you at least tell him part? One day?"

  "One day." X agreed. "One day I will, I promise."

  "It stinks in here!" Zar complained as he kept holding his nose. "Old Ring houses stink unless they are female. It needs a gallon of perfume in here to make it tolerable."

  Syo opened up the lid for them and let the three crawl in.

  "Ohhh, Muinela." Grammy Fornot said, "You t
ake care my wittle Muiny, and take care of your children." She tossed up a glowing jewel from her neck, "and take this, Xiam! It should at least help a little."

  "What's that?" Wye asked as he watched X catch it. The green glow looked familiar.

  "Inhibitor," X said. "This should help us keep thinking straight." He gestured downward where the kids were still plugging their noses. "A little extra for them might be a good idea too."

  Wye groaned, "don't suppose you know why they think it stinks so much?"

  "Scent," X looked over Wye. "I'm sorry we couldn't take them."

  "Tiger and Carress?" Wye looked down at the controls. "There wasn't enough room anyhow, and those two are pretty tight. No way would one leave without the other." He felt a strange, dry choke in his throat he didn't understand."Don't worry man, I'm sure this weird vibe for them will go away. It's easier when they're not around."

  "Still," X said one more time. "I'm sorry."

  "Syo, Syo, they are attacking," Koko yelled as he ran down the stairs to the old man. "You used to know how to fight, do something!"

  "I'm too old, boy," Syo said, "and it's too late. You knew this would happen one day again."

  "But...our home," Koko whined. "They're coming this way, what do we do?"

  "I don't know. Say your goodbyes?"

  Wye, X and M-Win froze as a red eyed Pink appeared in front of them, with some kind of weapon trained straight at them.

  X looked at the controls.

  Zar yanked on Cooey's hands as he jumped out. "We have to go!"

  "Oh no, wait!" X yelled but the kids jumped right out of the transporter. He moved to go after them but-

  "X?!"

  Wye and M-Win yelled as they tried to stand him back up. He was losing consciousness.

  "Out," The Pink had his weapon trained on Wye and M-Win. "Or you'll join him."

  Wye stood up defiantly as M-Win tried to keep X awake.

  M-Win cried as she held her brother, "Come on, X, wake up. This isn't so bad, shake it off!"

  He was shot near the heart. "Shutup!" Xiam...he can't make it. Shut up! Wye didn't want to listen to the voice inside of him. He didn't want to believe it. X would be okay, it was one shot. One measly shot that only seemed to be close to the heart.

  "Wye, he's gone to sleep and he won't wake back up." M-Win continued to cry.

  Wye pulled her up beside him and held her hand tightly. He and M-Win were next if they didn't do something. He pulled M-Win down as some kind of ray went whizzing by her head. He quickly jumped out of the transporter with M-Win right behind him. The kids were long gone, including Normal.

  "You're an idiot for resisting." The Pink growled, "That woman is ours now, you're as good as-" Then, a bullet came straight through the Pink from the back. He tumbled down the stairs and Wye and M-Win ran out the exit, when they stopped.

  They saw who held the weapon.

  M-Win was trying to let go of Wye's tight grip. "We need to get back to X!"

  "If he was shot, he's dead, enemies don't mess up." Tiger said as he pointed his weapon to the ground. "I owed you one anyhow, Mr. Wye."

  Wye couldn't believe it. He just couldn't. "T-tiger," he couldn't help but squeal. "You, you shot-"

  "He's not dead, only stunned." Tiger pointed his weapon back at the door. "Let's go, now." He started to run and Wye tried to run too, but M-Win was still resisting.

  "We need to get back to X. He needs a doctor," M-Win insisted.

  "They can't do anything," Wye shouted at her. He knew the voice inside his head was right, whether he wanted to believe it or not. "He's as good as dead M-Win, and if we don't leave now, we're dead too." Hearing it out loud, M-Win became too disoriented to put up any resistance as Wye pulled her away with him. Running for several miles, Tiger stopped at the first place he met Wye and X before.

  Back to where they left in the transporter for Earth, all those years ago.

  They sat below in the hidden basement, no one made a sound.

  Except M-Win who couldn't help but cry. She tried to stay silent, but she just lost her brother. X would never come back to her, and Wye understood her grief. Wye stared over at Tiger. At the small little boy, cleaning a weapon of some sort. He couldn't describe how he felt. X was gone. Sooner or later, they'd be discovered. He'd be killed, M-Win would be taken away and go through who knew what.

  They had been so close...

  Carress smiled as she went back over to the old crib. She climbed up it and picked up a dolly and squeezed it. She went over to Wye and M-Win, and handed M-Win the doll. "This was Cooey's when she was really little. If you want, I'll give it to you?"

  M-Win didn't say a word as she stared at the doll but didn't touch it. Wye stared at the doll too. He could literally feel the irony. They had escaped that very basement, only to end up in the same situation, almost a century later. There were the same enemies outside reaking havoc and looking for them. The only difference was X wasn't there. That, and he and M-Win didn't remember it. Although, they both felt something deep inside them as they stood on that hellish ground they didn't remember.

  There was just no escaping fate.

  Tiger looked sadly at Wye. He stopped cleaning his old fashioned weapon, put it away in his pocket and walked over to him and pulled out a cookie. "I wasn't really expecting a cookie from you. Just wanted to let you know. You can have this one, if you want it?"

  Wye glared at Tiger and slapped the kids hand away in disgust. A cookie? X was dead, M-Win would be taken back, he and those dumb kids would all be killed, and a cookie was supposed to make him feel better?

  Tiger backed off again. He went over, picked the cookie back up and put it in his pocket again, even though it had been on the floor. Carress went over to Tiger and hugged him. Tiger accepted her hug back and smiled at her. "It's okay Carressy, haven't I always kept you safe? I know, let's play a game," Tiger said. "How about Red Green Yellow Blue?"

  Great, just great. Wye rolled his eyes. They were about to die and the kids wanted to play?

  Carress laughed, "I'll go first. Red, Red-Blue, Blue-Yellow."

  "That's easy," Tiger grinned. "The dolly. Okay my turn. Ummm..."

  "Stop," Wye said as Tiger and Carress looked back at Wye. "Stop playing ridiculous games," Wye shouted. "We're about to be killed, or all die of thirst and hunger. Now's not the time for a stupid game!"

  Carress started to cry as she let go of Tiger.

  Tiger growled dangerously at Wye. "Look, I don't really know you, but I do know what we are. We are Rings and we've always known we could be killed at any time. We've known that almost forever. If you want to sulk in a corner and deal with it that way, fine! But Carress and I want to have fun while we can," He grabbed Carress' hand. "Everyone dies, whether it's in a thousand years or in the next few seconds. You should enjoy it up until it's gone. 'Cause when it's gone, it's gone forever." He pulled out yo-yo's from each of his pockets and handed one to Carress.

  Those kids were small...but right. Wye didn't know when it would be. If this was it, then maybe he shouldn't sulk in a corner? M-Win needed him too, and here he was yelling at kids. He looked over at the two playing with yo-yo's. "Do you have any more of those?" Tiger smiled and fished out two more. Wye took them both and handed one to M-Win. "Here. You like yo-yo's, don't you?" M-Win slowly took the yo-yo.

  Tiger stopped playing when he heard footsteps. He grabbed Carress and hid behind the crib again. Wye nor M-Win hid. If this was it, hiding behind a crib wasn't going to save them.

  "Yeducavich. Muinela." Foggy looked at them as he came down into the basement. "It's okay now, come."

  "I'll race you," Tiger laughed back at his sister as he ran off behind Foggy.

  Foggy smiled as he watched the kids run off. He looked back at Wye and M-Win. "Come."

  Chapter 37

  FUNERAL TRADITION

  No one on the outside bothered the duo. After all, they had lost X, and many others lost many of their loved ones. Most of the houses were in shambles, an
d the transporter was long gone. Everything was hopeless. Tiger and Carress played around, ignoring everyone's sorrow. They must have been used to bad times, Wye thought. Especially the way they handled it in the basement.

  The remaining Rings and Furries were all walking in silence. Very few remained now. King Regwallis, Koko, Wye's Uncle Foggy, Grammy Happy, Syo, and a few others Wye nor M-Win knew. They were the last in the area still okay.

  "So many again," Grammy Happy couldn't help herself, "so many were hurt."

  "Even Grammy Fornot was taken this time," Syo patted Happy's shoulder, "but at least you're okay."

  Grammy Happy nodded as Tiger and Carress laughed as they passed by. "They always seem to make it through okay." She looked over at M-Win and Wye, as if she needed to tell them something, but couldn't. Instead, she turned to Tiger. "Tiger, go up ahead to the rock. You know what to do." Wye watched as the boy ran up ahead and climbed up on a large rock. "Wye, I need your hand. M-Win, take Foggy's hand." Grammy Happy grabbed his hand tightly. "This is tradition, and you are a part of this planet, whether you like it or not." She turned her gaze up to him. "Don't feel ashamed for not knowing the words. The tune is easy, and you can hum, or lip synch. It would not be proper not to do anything though. Understand?"

  Wye nodded. He watched Carress join her brother on the rock.

  "Anyone else?" Grammy Happy asked Foggy. "Normal?"

  Foggy hung his head. "Sorry." His voice seized up. "I saw his little hand and his left foot below tons of rubble."

  Normal. An innocent boy, an odd boy full of spirit, in a second was gone. Wye didn't know how to feel, everyone was dead or missing. Even the elder woman Fornot, who tried so hard to help him and X. He looked back up at Tiger and Carress on the rock. Two kids, that was all that survived through the destruction. Zar and Cooey had not been found, alive or dead. No one knew what to make of things for them yet.

  "The Great Destruction," Happy said to him, "changed a lot of things, including our funerals. When the enemy attacks, there are rarely enough survivors to take the hurt up into the mountains and lay them to rest. We are supposed to gather the children in the center, usually on a rock so they are visible, and we circle it to sing our national anthem. It has changed though,everything has changed." Her hand on Wye's grew tighter. Wye didn't care so much, he'd mouth and go along with it, but he wasn't one for singing. Not right now. The humming was repeated six times before Tiger and Carress took the lead on the first verse.