A Love That Destroyed Time

by Melanie Ray

  Zaria dipped his spoon into the cereal, and let it dribble down. “Nice night, Muin?” Muin didn't answer as she bit into her toast. “Sleeping in Yed’s room, of course. You know, your stuff was put in our room.” Zaria coughed.

  “Knock it off, I don’t know you.” Muin muffled through her bread. “Besides, Ezra didn’t mind switching rooms. Under the weird circumstances, it’s better that way.”

  “Dad, I need some of that cornflake stuff.”

  "Muin, gentle," Yed said as he grabbed his own bread "Zaria is your male."

  “Dad. Cornflake stuff.”

  “I mean, I know it's tough sis, but you really liked him in the past for some weird reason,” Yed continued.

  “Hey, Yeducavich!”

  Yed turned his head to look at Tiger who was pointing at his cornflakes. He looked at the cornflakes... wait, was he the kid yelling about cornflakes? No way, they only came back to Earth last night. He would never refer to him as dad, not yet. Maybe it was a joke. He handed Tiger the cornflakes. “Here you go.”

  “Milk too,” said Tiger. Yed handed him the milk. “Thanks, dad.” There it was again. Yed stared at Tiger in surprise. “What?”

  “Nothing.” Yed quickly added. Tiger seemed like he would be the last one to warm up, especially considering his attitude. Why was he already calling him dad? Should he let him do that? If he wants too. Maybe he has always wanted to call someone dad. Possible, but doubtful. Was he calling Ezra mom too? Wait, speaking of Ezra. Yed looked around the table. “Xiam, has your sister come out yet?”

  Xiam looked around. “I don't think so, I’ll go get her.” He hummed merrily as he knocked on her door. “Ezra?” He knocked again. “Ezra, you coming to breakfast?” Yed watched as the door opened slightly. Xiam was invited in, and the door closed. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she finally came out with Xiam. “Let’s see.” Xiam looked around the table for more chairs. “I thought we had enough?”

  “It's fine, I’ll eat by the couch,” Ezra said as she gestured to the next room.

  “I’ll join you then,” Iri said as she grabbed the cereal with the bowl and milk. She poured some for Ezra. “If you’d like me too?”

  “Yes, Shimmer. Uh, Iri. Iridescent.” Ezra felt her head. “Let’s go over to the couch.”

  Xiam looked over at Yed. He wasn't doing anything too bad yet. The old Yed, the one Xiam knew on Earth, wasn't as shy with the girls. Ezra and he were the past, and it wasn't even supposed to have happened. It wouldn't happen. Yed was more interested in listening to his mother and sister yap. It was the reason he became a Protector after all. For them.

  “Is Ezraponia's head hurting bad?” Yed asked him. "I couldn't help but notice she was reaching for her head."

  Xiam glanced over at Yed as he took a seat. Just a passing interest, that was all. That’s it. “A slight headache, I told you. I gave her something for it. She’ll be fine.” He looked over at Iri’s empty seat. “I guess I’ll go eat out there too.”

  “So after breakfast, then what?” Zaria asked Yed with interest. “How are we going to learn this planet’s language? What’d you call it again, Angleesh?”

  “It’s not the planet’s, but it’s the language of this area,” Yed simplified for him. “It’s not as complicated as our language, it shouldn’t be that hard.”

  “Easier than that, I came prepared, Junior,” Danva said as he presented an assortment of transears in his hands. “I’ve got twenty transears until we’ve mastered the Angleesh.”

  Yed shot his father a disappointed stare. “It’s Yed, not Junior. You keep Danva since it was your name for, oh, I don’t know. When did you leave me again?”

  “Fine,” Danva said quickly. “I’ll stay Danva then, for now, until we can survive on our own.”

  “Thirteen in one house is a lot,” Litalia agreed. “How far can we go, especially with our limited inhibitors?”

  “Inhibitors carry a lot of power,” Danva explained. “We should be able to break it into about ten pieces without losing its power to help us stay focused and sane. In theory, there are no gigantic masses around here, so it should work.”

  "More than inhibitors," Zaria spoke up. "If the natives are all peach around here, how do I walk around?" He held his tinted red arm out.

  "Fire?" Xiam offered. "You could have been in a fire."

  "A fire? A fire wouldn't turn a human that red," Yed countered.

  "How about a gallon of suntan lotion?" Muin laughed. "Or we can tell everyone he got a sunburn so severe that it never goes away. Freak people the hell out. Ooh, how about we unhide all our tails and say we were bitten by an unidentified spider, Wye?"

  Yed stood up at the table, taking command. “We'll figure something out, Muin. True, with inhibitors we are stuck with our tails. Not everyone can walk around yet because of skin tone, but we aren't dousing everybody with suntan lotion. We'll go visit Bibble, she'll know what to do. Just to be clear, no one is moving out, not for a little while. This planet is similar to Pagnia, but it isn’t quite the same. Once you get the gist of it and know the language, you can leave. Until then, let’s enjoy it, huh?”

  “I agree. We’ve all missed out on so much.” Litalia smiled at Yed broadly so familiar, yet ancient. “So big, and so much time lost. And grandkids, I have grandkids I need to know.” She held her hands together. "My sweet grandkids, where did they disappear too?"

  Yed wondered that too. He left to look around the house, and found his son hiding behind a recliner, no doubt to ignore his grandmother. Coddling wasn't something the boy would be used to, and Yed's mother was one of the biggest coddlers ever. "Tiger, could you grab your sister? I'll meet you outside." He watched the boy take off, and headed toward Ezra's room. He knocked once. "Ezra?"

  "Come in."

  Yed opened the door and saw Ezra on the bed, holding her head with her hand. She still wore her same clothes; he needed to get her out of those waryes clothes. Maybe red, she had always loved red. "Ezraponia?"

  Ezra looked over at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Sorry, I'm hurting. I think everything is too much to take."

  "Understandable, I didn't take it the best either." Yed approached her bed. "It is what it is though, and we've got to find ways to deal with it. I mean, we're back together. No one died, everyone's fine. We've all grown apart, but we're still us."

  "Tigeravich and Carressela." Ezra looked away. "I'm a horrible mother."

  "For getting caught? You didn't have a choice, Ezraponia." Yed looked at her free hand, half wanting to grab it to console her. "They're alive and safe."

  "That's all I get. I don't know anything about Tigeravich, and I raised Carressela more as an aunt instead of the mother I was supposed to be." Ezra pulled her hand closer to herself. "I feel like I was cheated."

  "We all were, but it's the now that matters. Come outside with me," Yed said as he gently took her free hand. "We'll talk to them."

  "I can't." Ezra grabbed her head again. "This pain is intense, Yed, I can't describe it." She sniffled as her hands covered her eyes. "It hurts more and more."

  "You might be experiencing a migraine. It comes from Earth, and the natives don't fully understand it either." Yed patted her hand. "Trust me, you'll be fine."

  "I can't," Ezra rubbed her head harder. "Why don't you have a one on one with them. When I get better, I will. I just, I can barely do anything."

  "Okay. I'll talk to them first." Yed let go of her hand. "You get better, I'll check up on you later. Probably when Xiam's not looking."

  "Idiot," Ezra grunted. "It's been this long, and he still can't deal with anything. Surely you've explained by now that it was an accident? After this long, after everything, why would he even care?"

  Yed knew why. He hadn't exactly been the sort to be so—oh, he had to be honest with himself—as Wye he was a prowler. He was the exact thing he was protecting females against on Pagnia. He didn't even care if they liked him half the time, he'd whistle like some crude construction worker on TV. Al
l the years of pent up energy seemed to release itself unconsciously on Earth. The only reason he couldn't hate himself now was that he never had sex with them. Even though he was a crude joke of what he used to be, his true self wouldn't truly corrupt a woman. Kind of like hypnotism, he didn't know and yet somehow he knew. He'd even been close a couple times, and X just laughed at him as he ran away like his life was at stake.

  But trying anything with Ezra, his former Protectee. Heck no, never. She was an old friend, not to mention the mother of his children, and he would never burn her. Especially right now, he had too many responsibilities to attend to. "I'll go talk to them first," Yed said, "but come out when you feel better."

  Chapter 50

  DIFFICULT LETTER

  Yed looked at both the kids sitting opposite from him on the picnic table. If Ezra hadn't had a headache, she could be there too, but maybe her own private sit down with them would be better. Tiger was relaxed, swinging one of his legs up and down, slouching at the table. Carress was sitting up straight, like a school student trying to make the best impression. Yed sat with his hands gripped together, trying to begin. "You two know that I am your father. I thought I should explain a couple of things about that. Your mom and I aren't typical, it was a different situation."

  "We were an accident," Tiger said for him. "We get it."

  "Yeah, but a happy accident. Your mom wanted you." Yed reached inside and pulled out his special note he had left in his Chronicle for them. Using words and expressions from the past, he hoped would help them in the present. "After I had to leave, I left this in my Chronicle. It was supposed to be for you, so you'd know we didn't want to abandon you." He placed it in the middle of the table. Carress and Tiger glanced at it, but they looked at him blankly afterward. Oh. "Can't read?"

  "Not exactly a skill you learn on the run," Tiger reminded him.

  "Okay." Yed took the paper. They were too young, and the kingdom was collapsed. Of course they couldn’t read. "Do you need me to read it?"

  "If you want us to know about it," Tiger said as he leaned against the table, looking bored.

  Yed glanced at Carress. Tiger wasn't interested, but she certainly had been. Her body shifted around, and she leaned in closer. Ignoring Tiger's disinterest, he cleared his throat. "Year of 5678, After Inhibitors. Month of Madness, day of twelve."

  "Is that really how we used to refer to time on Pagnia?" Tiger chuckled. "That's weird. There's no reason to keep track of time now. Every day's the same and we'll be extinct soon."

  Not the best start so far. "That is how we used to date our time." Yed looked back at his note. "I don't know how to start this letter."

  "Just read," Tiger said.

  "I am." Yed looked back at the paper, Tiger was making this harder. However, he wrote it for them, and they deserved to have it. His past self wrote the truth better than he could ever express it now. He continued on with the letter. "I don't want to write this letter. You deserve it though, the both of you. Just because I can't be there doesn't mean I can leave you wondering. I'm sorry I couldn't stay and watch you grow up. I'm sorry I have to miss your first steps-"

  "Missed more than that," Tiger interrupted. "On second thought, I don't even need to know how to read. It's just a bunch of mumbo jumbo feeling stuff." He stood up. "I get it, you're sorry for not being there. Reading a dumb old letter doesn't change anything, dad."

  Yed set the paper down rougher than he intended. "Tigeravich, why do you call me dad already?"

  Tiger gestured toward the house. "It's what you are, but it's only a word. And I don't care about that old note, it's only a letter. I'm going back inside. Carress?"

  Yed glared at his son as he started heading back inside. Damn it, that kid. "At least I'm here trying."

  Tiger looked back at him and shrugged. "Who said I cared one way or the other?"

  Yed flew through the back door, slamming it. Bypassing everyone, he went to his own room and slammed that door too. He took his letter and shoved it into a drawer while he sat down on his bed. He was a lousy father, he knew he was, and that piece of paper wouldn't make a shred of difference. Tiger didn't outwardly say it, but he wasn't giving him a chance. Why should he? Left as a baby, cold and alone in a basement. He was left to be raised in who knew what manner. All because of himself. All because of The Great Destruction! He hit the lamp off his end table letting it hit the ground with a mighty crash. He was exactly what he never wanted to be.

  A deserter.

  Tiger headed to his room. Well, what they called the kids' room. Didn't even have anything in it except some small beds.

  "Tiger." He heard Carress from behind him and looked at her. "Why'd you do that?" Her eyes were almost watery, and her voice sounded thicker. "He was trying to connect."

  "I don't need a connection," Tiger said. "Parents are only things for hugging, kissing, or holding you if you have bad dreams or in lightning storms. Things like that, and I don't need that. I can handle my own bad dreams, and I am brave enough to handle little lightning storms. Otherwise they just tell you what to do."

  "They're more than that," Carress said. "I wanted to hear that letter. It's the most important thing in the world because he wrote it right when he lost us. I-It told us how much we mattered."

  "Back then. He doesn't know what to do either now," Tiger said. "I mean, reading a letter? Look, he's giving us shelter and food, so I'm not going to complain. I'm even calling him dad, so what more does he want?"

  "Tiger." Carress whined softly.

  "If you want him to be your daddy, then you go tell him that you want to hear the letter. I don't need it." Tiger swooshed her away with his hand. "Go on, go knock on his door. I don't see the point."

  "But..." Carress pressed her tongue in her cheek.

  Tiger groaned and grabbed her hand, his sister was too shy to do it herself. He knocked on Yed's door. When it opened, he pointed to his sister. "Carress wants to hear your letter." He urged her inside. "I'm going to get something to eat. Let me know if the mom is feeling better."

  If the mom? Yed didn't say a word as Tiger took off. He looked down at Carress. "Hi. Here, come on in. Uh, ignore the trash, I'm redecorating." Redecorating a lot, he didn't need anyone to know about the posters and magazines he used to have lying around his room. "Take a seat, here, let me clean this off." He knocked off some of the leftovers on the bed to the floor. "Here you go." He sat on the bed, patting the side of it. She was nervous, but she sat down beside him. "So, you want to read the letter. I mean, you want me to read it to you?" She nodded. He got up and moved over to the drawer where he had shoved the letter in before. He sat back down next to her and continued where he left off. "I'm sorry I had to miss your first steps. I'm sorry I had to miss your first words. I'm sorry about everything. If there was a way for me to stay here for you, I'd do it in a heartbeat. If there was a way for your mommy to be here, she'd be here too."

  He pressed his tongue in his cheek. He had felt so much when he wrote that letter, and it wasn't easy to read. "This has to be the hardest letter I've ever had to write. There's so much I want to tell you. About what happened, about your family, about the future." He read the part about Tigeravich in his head. What he didn't want happen, clearly happened. He had gotten colder to the world. He looked at the part for Carress, and realized it wouldn't mean anything either. No one would ever chase her, their kind was gone. It was empty words. "Carress and Tiger, you two take really good care of each other, and no matter what happens or what you might do in the future, know we loved you. And above all, stay happy. Happiness is the true key to a warno. Your daddy, Yeducavich Zuffel Zin..." He stopped as he watched Carress starting to cry beside him. He took her hand and placed the letter in it. "It's okay now, 'cause I'll be here."

  Yed helped her rub the tears out of her eyes. "I couldn't be there earlier, but I'll be there for you now and for the rest of your time. You've still got a real long life." Feeling bolder, he wrapped his arm around her. "Every day you'll wake up in your o
wn room, and you'll only be a few feet from your mother and I. Ezraponia and I will be here for you, always. Even if I'm not exactly a pro, I'll try and be a good dad. This is your home now. This is your planet, and this is your family."

  "Family." Carress smiled. "Thank you, dad."

  Yed picked her up and hugged her. Unlike his son, her words were genuine. There was a chance to make amends with her. "You're never going to go back to Pagnia, and I can't give you the life you should have had. I can give you a new life with us though." He had stolen a few minutes with her before there was a knock at his door. "Yeah?" He watched as Ezra appeared at the door. She was no longer wearing the fashion of their sworn enemies on Pagnia. She was wearing a red dress that was M-Win's. A sexy dress of M-Win's that wasn't something she needed to be wearing. He'd have to go yell at Muin, she obviously did that on purpose.

  Ezra shook her head and looked at Carress. "Hi."

  "Hi," Carress said. "Mom."

  Ezra smiled at her weakly but looked over toward Yed. "I keep getting pain back and forth. I think I need a healer."

  "Doctor. Earth healers can't help." He put down Carress and held her hand as he went over. "It must be a way you're adjusting, it happens to some aliens who arrive on Earth. You'll be fine, you've taken some medication, just relax. Do you need a massage?"

  "Anything that might help," she said as she looked over at Carress. "Are you getting to know him?"

  Carress nodded and ran over to her, giving her a hug. "We're going to stay here. It's our home."

  "Yes." She looked at Yed. "Yes, it is. Right?"

  "Right. Come over here, bed young lady." Yed led her over, Carress trailing beside her. He started to rub her neck. Her lovely red hair locks were strewn about, no longer needing to worry about covering up her colors. The reddest red, she'd beat any woman on Earth. Soft and silky, but he focused on the task at hand. "Ooh, yep, there it is. You've got a ton of tension in your neck, Ezraponia. Is this helping?"