by Melanie Ray
Yed watched as his father's eyes stared ahead, all the life behind it gone. No more pain, and no more happiness. "Dad?" He nudged his head, hoping by a miracle he was wrong. He nudged it again. "..."
Chapter 58
LOOP
"You're an idiot, a moron, and everything between. You are so stupid, there is no longer a word in this language that could describe how insanely dumb you are." Bibble hooked Yed's left hand to the time machine. "There is no guarantee this will work. It's only a theory."
"As long as you don't kill me. I already called my family to warn them about Pagnia, but I haven't told them about this."
"You put a simple word of a father figure in front of logical sense?" Bibble groaned. "Wye, you are a complete dumbass."
"Just tell me what to do."
Bibble strengthened a buckle on his arm. "I have intercepted some of the flow in the frying process the waryes have attached. I still do not understand even twenty percent of the concept."
"Okay, so you don't know anything more than my father," Yed insisted. "Fine. For the record, this is insane, and I know it, but on the thin chance this thing actually works? I’m out of options.”
Bibble went over to the switch, she was never one to get emotional about subjects. "Now, according to theories, there is no guarantee it will go how you want it. I do not recommend interacting with your past self, as most theories point to this leading to destruction. Lastly, there is no such thing as a dial, so I don't know where you'll end up. If I were you, I would concentrate on something in your past life that is vivid to you. Really though, I have no freakin' clue what will happen so good luck you dumb idiot." Bibble didn't say another word as she flipped the switch.
Pagnia.
His family abducted.
The Cattral's.
The Great Destruction.
Loss of inhibitor, loss of mind.
Finding everyone again,
sharing times with them,
and losing it all again.
"We will talk about financial compensation when you get back," were the last words he heard as he felt his body light up with fire from the inside out.
"Tigeravich and Carressela? Are they healthy?"
The conversation started to move forward as he felt two small bodies in his arms. He looked down, the whole world coming into focus.
Impossible. In his arms were Tigeravich and Carressela.
This is in my mind, I must be in a coma. My mind is simply rewinding. The warmth and weight in my arms is psychological. I am not here. No, it's because I was in a deadly machine and it malfunctioned. If it did, I wouldn't be holding them anyway, my past self would. So this cannot be real. It's imagined. Yed continued to think to himself. In no way did he expect the time machine to actually work. He was supposed to grant his father’s request, then come back down. He felt two familiar presences he could not see, but could feel in his hands. In the background of darkness he heard voices in the past, familiar yet the accent not heard to his ears in decades. Like skips on an old record being played backwards, he couldn't make sense of it.
"Mommy's coming back, I promise!"
Muin?
"This thing runs by a crank? Oh I don't feel so good."
"Old models have a crank inside. Look around, there should be a place to screw it in."
"Look, she has a purple tail like me. She has your nose though, and your eyes.”
"Muin...they have to be born."
"That's not even enough for one."
The recording stopped skipping and started to play forward again. The presence that he felt in his arms now appeared as themselves.
Tigeravich and Carressela.
"Tigeravich and Carressela? Are they healthy?"
IRI TRIPPED LIGHTLY on the steps, her hands were cuffed unable to aide her. She was being taken from a small wagon into a bigger vehicle that would fit more females into it. Then that same dreaded wagon would set out and capture more females. She almost sat down when she saw another row down there was a slumped over familiar form. "Ezra?" She moved faster toward her husband's sister. "Ezra?"
Unconscious. She sat down and jostled Ezra's head on her lap. "It'll be okay. Remember, they want us alive for some reason. We'll be okay." She was only trying to help her feel better, but in truth she didn't know what would happen. Why did they want them alive? For experimenting maybe? For slavery? She gulped, trying to be strong. She knew she'd never see Xiam again. It was impossible, in the middle of this battle. He would be safe though, once he reached the transporter. At least she had that for peace of mind. "Everything will be fine, Ezra. We'll find a way out of here."
"Not the first time, but the second time's a charm."
Iri looked up and gasped as she saw Yed wave at her. "Yed?"
"Hi there." Yed waved and jumped off the vehicle. "I think its break time, so while they're eating why don't I escort you ladies off?" He shot the lock off with his weapon and opened it. The females scattered out screaming while he walked in and ran over to them. "How's Ezra?"
"What are you doing here?" Iri scolded him as he picked up Ezra. "You are supposed to be going to the transporter. We aren't worth it; you needed to get Muinela and Xiam out of here."
"Hey, I know more than you do. Now come on, they aren't going to be happy when they come back." Yed gestured to the opening. "Run to the house. Zaria should be showing up soon hopefully."
"Zaria," Iri asked as she ran. "Zaria is okay? How do you know?"
"I don't have time to answer questions, just run." Yed continued to run as he held Ezra. He was changing his past. A part of him still wouldn't believe it, time travel wasn't possible. He couldn't stand around though, go to Earth and lose the chance to do anything else. Once he figured out where he was- whether dream, time travel, last moments of fulfilling promises and dealing with regrets before going to the promised land in the after life- he ran out. He told them right before he left to hang on, that Zaria would come and that everything would be okay soon. They all glared at him, except for Muin who smiled and shed tears of joy. He couldn't explain much more, knowing his time was running out. He located Iri's wagon, but knowing they would have bigger transporters, followed closely.
As expected, not only was Iri placed alongside Ezra, the waryes with their large bravado left them unguarded. After all who would be stupid enough to mess with a waryes vehicle?
Apparently him. They would return to Grammy Fornotia's, by now Muin had Cooey and Zar, Zaria would be arriving soon and it would be fine. The end of the battle was nearly over. When it was safer, he'd help them back over to where they should have gone in the first place: His safety house.
As time went by, he knew the waryes would become more slack in their security. He'd get in and find newer transporters. He'd get plenty of inhibitor and...
Bingo. Return to Earth. Happily ever after. Then maybe his mind would move to the great beyond, or maybe...he changed his past. Then again maybe he had been fried, Bibble stopped it and he's in a hospital in a coma. Just an intense coma where he could convince himself that he was feeling Ezra's breath against his neck. Who knew. Right now, he was going on automatic, letting his training lead him.
"Please, don't!"
Yed stopped as he heard a voice he hadn't heard in ages. In fact, not since he was a kid. "Io." The father of Xiam, Muin and Ezra was being attacked. "Iri, take Ezra." He headed to the hill where he heard Io, and stopped as he saw a mob of over ten waryes. Pure pinks.
"I don't-I can't-I was in a machine and I was being electrocuted and-then I'm here again and- no!"
Yed winced but didn't move. It was over as soon as it had started. Io lied on the ground, twitching. He wouldn't survive though, not with the slammer ball he'd been hit with. No time for empathy though, he headed back down to Iri and grabbed Ezra. "Pinks nearby, we need to move."
"Pinks?" Iri questioned. "What are Pinks?"
"The worst of the waryes, trust me. We need to move," Yed said as he continued to run back toward the hous
e. His mind went back to the babbling last words of Io. He must have been talking about the time machine. He didn't live long enough in the past to change anything. In fact, that was probably the moment he was taken. Too out of it to understand what happened, his babbling got him killed.
So. It was time travel. Did he erase the future then? Io apparently made it, but he didn't change anything, the future didn't unravel. Could he unravel it? Or was this some kind of past parallel universe? Doubting he would ever know, he headed up the front steps and toward the basement.
"Protector, you came back? Iri!"
"Xiam!" Iri shouted as she ran toward her husband.
Yed's mind however was on the transporter...and how it wasn't there. "Xiam, where's everyone? Where is the transporter?"
Xiam let go of Iri briefly to look at him. "You took off, without any explanation, only that you were going to get Iri and Ezra. We waited for you to return, but instead Zaria came back. Like you said he would and..." Xiam rubbed his head. "Scentella chose some older coordinates she remembered were protecting countries when she was younger."
"No," Yed growled, "the world was different at that time, waryes hadn't made their move so pronounced. We had allies, but they aren't anymore. They could destroy them." He laid Ezra on the floor and went close to Xiam. "I need to know what the coordinates are, now."
"She said she was positive it would work, she knew the planet. You were gone too long, there's no telling when we'd be discovered." Xiam held Iri's hand. "I stayed on the slim chance you succeeded. There was only room for three."
"Muin then, she didn't have the babies? She was supposed to," Yed said.
"Uh, yeah.” Xiam looked at him oddly. “Actually she did go into labor, but she refused to do anything. She made it last as long as possible because she remember you said Zaria was coming back." Xiam looked at the ground. "I honestly thought she would die before giving in, and she wouldn't let us help her. Then when Zaria hit the door, she calmed down. Her labor pains ceased for the minute. That's when we were concerned about the transporter and her. If she didn't have the kids before she decided, they wouldn't be able to take them." He breathed a deep sigh. "Scentella, Zaria and Muin left. I stayed behind."
"During labor in a transporter? The children could be-"
"They took the risk. It was either that, or live here until we're found." Xiam held Iri again. "I’ve never been so happy to not have kids with you."
Ezra groaned behind Yed as he tried to come to terms with what happened. "Muin, Zaria and Scentella have gone to another planet? They went to another planet."
"Better than here, but I took the risk. I had to stay." Xiam smiled at Iri again. "I couldn't risk losing you."
"Yeah, romantic." Yed's voice was far from friendly. His whole plan demolished. "Do you remember the coordinates?"
"Oh, yes they were simple. That's why mom remembered." Xiam reached in his pocket. "33933. She said not to worry though, it wouldn't be as enjoyable as Pagnia. She said it might be a little rough, but it would be okay."
Yed rubbed his hand against his face. He wasn't positive, but that sounded familiar. "Did she give you its name?"
"Yeah, she couldn't pronounce it, but she said they were guaranteed never to want to harm us." Xiam rocked his left foot. "She did warn them that they wouldn't be treated as equals on it." He looked at Yed. "We'd be like pets."
"Pets." Yed didn't move. Wouldn't harm them because they would make cute pets. Yeah, he knew the planet. "The planet of Fala."
"She said something like Fallafel, but I think Fala could be it for short," Xiam said. "Was she right?"
"Yeah, they'll be safe. With cozy collars, pet food and a master taking them out for walkies." Yed placed his hands in his pockets. Great, now he needed to find his sister and her family on a different planet after he found more transporters.
"Tigeravich and Carressella got fussy, but they're sleeping." Xiam gestured toward the babies in the crib. "I don't know what we'll do when they wake up."
"I don't know what we'll do period." Iri sat down on the ground. "Our only chance is gone."
"No Iri, I think it's almost over." Xiam sat beside her. "I don't want to go into details, but a waryes I met spilled it. It's almost over."
"So we're all gone. Including every Protector except Yed." Iri scooted closer to her husband. "We survived, but now what? Cover our tails, pretend to be waryes? Oh Xiam, you should have gone."
"There was only room for three." Yed marched over to Tigeravich and Carressella. He looked at the crib, his bravado now fading. His mind coming to terms with the events. He had gone from his time where the Earth was in danger and Pagnia was blowing up to the past.
The past. He traveled through time. He changed the past. A part of his mind wouldn't accept it. After all even if it worked, according to most theories, his past self would be a different body from him. But if it had been his mind, Muin and her family wouldn't have ended up on Fala. He could be in a coma, heavy sedatives maybe? He couldn't put anything past him. When he wasn't around inhibitor, his mind scampered to places he knew weren't real, yet felt real. As such, he had treated his adventure the same way, not letting himself get emotionally involved.
But what if it wasn't his mind again?
"When this is over Xiam, then what?" Iri asked her husband. "We have no covetall and our home may be destroyed." She held her head between her bended knees. "If King Sheward were still alive. Poor little prince, being taken away like that. He won't last long."
"Taken away?" Yed interrupted their conversation as he glanced back at Iri. "How do you know that?"
"I overheard them talking when they pulled me away," Iri said. "They talked about King Sheward’s death, and about the prince being sent to the Waryes Kingdom. Poor little boy. I guess our king now. How depressing is that? They've annihilated everything. We're nothing anymore." She looked away, her eyes watery before she hid them. "Thanks for the save Protector Yeducavich, but in the end I don't think it matters."
Yed glanced back at Tiger. "Maybe you're right. It's the middle of The Great Destruction and I screwed up my past. I changed it, but I can't save anything. I never could."
"Uh, Protector?" Xiam tapped his shoulder. "What are you talking about? What is The Great Destruction and how are you screwing up your past? Only thing screwed is our future."
"This wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to go to Earth." Yed tapped his feet against the floor. "We went to Earth. We had bouts of sanity and insanity. The kids were here, and we were gone. I wasn't left behind, I was there."
"Plans go awry." Iri stood back up. "I was planning on having my birthday at Vallencio's. Now we don't even have Vallencio's. Worst birthday ever."
"I don't know," Xiam countered. "Ending up dead or in slavery could have ended it worse, Iri. At least you're here with me." Xiam rubbed his head as he looked over at Yed. "Ummm, thanks Protector."
Yed nodded but couldn’t pay attention.What harm did he do? Did the future he know still exist in another dimension? Since he changed it, did it never happen? All those years being Wye, they weren't so miserable. X and M-Win, always beside him. He traded it for a past surviving on a war torn planet. He traded his future.
"Protector Yed, are you okay?" Iri asked again. "The situation is serious, but you look like you see a ghost, like you're not really here. Xiam, is he okay? Can you help him?"
"Protector?" Xiam came over closer. "Yeducavich, you need to snap out of it. We're almost out of this thing. We need to get covetall. You're a Protector, you can't fade out like this. Yed!"
"Xiam? Sorry. Sorry, I interrupted it all." Yed touched his forehead, his mind getting dizzy. He was sent back in time, and now he lost his future. Make a new future? He didn't belong though. How could he go back? In the future, he would never have ended up in a predicament to pull this stunt so he created a paradox. A time paradox.
Wasn't everything supposed to explode, or the universe cease to work? All the time theories should point to that. Th
en again, most theories stated he would be in a different place with his present body, his past self would be separate. Here, his mind was from the future and his body was his past self. His future self was fried?
Dead. He was dead in the future? Bibble tried to keep him safe, but maybe it happened too quickly. All the theories had only been that: theories. Until the waryes actually created time travel. Damn, those evil creatures were genius! His dad was right, right all along. The waryes did get it right, but they didn't want anyone coming back to change their victory. Not that anyone could, not now. The waryes were too powerful, the warno race had been doomed since the first mixing.
The future was gone. Unknown.
"What's happening?"
Yed looked back and watched Ezra stir on the ground, muttering. No damage, no time passed, and no headaches. One of the few positives returning to the past brought. Iri had a point though, it could be all for nothing. The wild taking over the ruins-what were the 'homes' of the future warnos- were an indicator. This wouldn't be a walk in the park. "How are you feeling Protectee?"
"Huh?" Ezra blinked once and gasped. "Yed?" She looked around at Xiam and Muin, quickly standing up. The move was too fast as she made a small stumble, but recovered. "Tigeravich and Carressela?"
"Fine." Yed watched as Ezra took off toward the crib. She barely reached the crib, almost out of breath.
"How? They had me, and I went unconscious." Ezra turned her attention back to Yed. "What happened?"
"I went back," Yed said. "I went back and changed everything. One move changed everything. One little move."
"Changed everything?" Ezra said. "Yed?"
"He is out of it," Xiam said as he grabbed Ezra's hand. "He helped me with a waryes about to hurt me, but his eyes were weird. He sounded like it was impossible to get you and Iri, but when we came back, that's when his reality snapped. He went back and saved you and Iri. His wording is different, he sounds weird, and he's unstable. Look, I'm talking about him right now like he's crazy and he hasn't said anything."