A Love That Destroyed Time

by Melanie Ray

  Regwallis came over to them. His eyes grew wide as his mouth as he looked at them. "They are so tiny."

  "They are still very young, they were born not too long ago," Ezra said. "The boy is named Tigeravich and the girl is Carressela. You may feel free to call them Tiger and Carress."

  "Tiger and Carress. Pretty names." Regwallis patted Tiger on the head. "Hi Tiger, I'm Regwallis. You can call me Wallace though if you want. When you can talk."

  She heard a groan from Yed, and a small part of her delighted in it. "Yes, Yed? Or are you still the future Yeducavich? Is there anything else you need to do to set everything right in your past?"

  Yed stood up and headed away, not a word needed to be shared. So far, he had gotten everything he wanted done and even more. Everything except getting Xiam there, but the old him could handle that. His old self would be able to convince Xiam and Iri better anyhow. He went upstairs and found a simple bedroom. He left back to his time after he relaxed and fell asleep last time he came to the past, so he dropped down on the bed with a grunt from the impact and flung his arm across his eyes. A nap. When he woke up, his future would be fixed.

  Ezra wouldn't be damaged, and she wouldn't be dying. Tiger and Carress would be their old selves again, and he'd get everyone to Fala. They'd eventually find Muin, and the rest would be history. They'd be beloved pets...

  Well, it could have been worse, and he knew that now. There was no changing-

  Hang on Yed, hang on!

  Honey, please don't leave. Please.

  "Yed, are you okay? I heard you scream."

  Yed felt a jolt through his body, and his arms felt warm on the inside.

  "Yed, what is it? Your arm is fine. Is this a bad dream?"

  Yed screamed again as he felt another electric pulse run through him. I'm dying? Not after all I've done to-

  Another electric pulse ran through him. His world was dark, filled with nothing but pain and torturous screams of his past and his self.

  "Yed? Yed, I can't feel your pulse!"

  Come on Yed, you're so close. Please, please. I didn't kill you; please don't say I killed you.

  "Yed, please! Don't leave us, I-I don't know what to do without you. You're my...I-I..."

  Please, don’t leave. There’s no one left.

  Yed felt his arms getting hotter, but Xiam’s words were a surprise. What did he mean by no one left?

  What do you mean? Yed asked in his mind, trying to move his lips.

  Yed, are you talking? Can you hear me? Yed, don’t do this to me. I told you that I forgave you for pushing us out like that. I told you that I forgave everything, you weren’t yourself, you were under the pressures of war. All the bad decisions, it was just the war getting to you. I even forgave you for Iri, what else do you want from me?I knew you shouldn’t have gone down! The Great Destruction took every one, don’t let it take you too.

  “Yed please, don’t leave! What am I supposed to do with the king and two babies? What about Xiam and Iri? Yed!”

  Yed could feel the pain become hotter in his arm, but he struggled against it. It wasn’t time yet, everyone was gone except Xiam! He’d never forgive himself, never. He couldn’t go back yet. But when could he? He went back once before, and he ended up killing Tigeravich and Carressela and losing Muin. This time, he was trying to save everything he messed up, and he lost even more. Everyone. I can’t save them. It was the cold, hard truth he didn’t want to face. Fayu was right, he could never win. He only lost more of the ones he cherished with each flip of the switch. As soon as he left, his other self couldn’t seem to do things right. He messed it up more, on instinctive urge.

  Instinctive urge, that’s what Xiam had said. Yed’s last overwhelming urge before returning had created a lasting effect on his past self last time. This time, Xiam blamed it on the pressures of war. What if...what if that was why he could never win?

  Yed screamed as he sat up in bed. His body poured sweat as he felt Ezra hang onto him.

  “Don’t scare me like that,” Ezra pleaded with him. “Yed, honestly. I don’t know what happened, but don’t do it again. I thought you were dying.”

  Yed looked over at Ezra, his eyes staring. Her natural hair color they had hidden away was seeping through. Through the dull black, the bright highlights of red touched his skin as he reached out for it. “I wasn’t. I was living.” He brought her closer to him, trying not to think about what would have to happen next. He understood what Fayu meant. “Wye has to die.”

  Ezra looked toward him, her face questioning him. “Who is Wye?”

  Yed didn’t answer as he slung his legs off the bed. “Ezra, I need a pitcher of water.” He watched as she scampered off quickly. When she came back, he gestured to his side, and she laid the water down. “Leave me alone for three hours. I’ll bring him back without scaring you like this.”

  “Three hours?” Ezra asked. “Are you sure?”

  Yed nodded as he drank some of the water for the picture. “No matter what. Three hours.” She nodded, confused, but bid him goodbye and closed his bedroom door. Yed stood up, dusted himself off, and went to grab his Chronicle. He lifted it and grabbed a writing utensil out of the middle drawer of his end table. Inside, he stared at the pages. He couldn’t share what would happen, what had happened, or what could happen. He couldn’t tell him that Tiger was worshipped by Fanatics. He couldn’t tell him that Ezraponia became brain damaged. He couldn’t warn him about anything. By giving his old self unconscious signals, he had taken away what he used to be. The decision maker. His old self wasn’t himself, he was a drone. Instinctively following his last urges and thoughts, even at the price of the little ones. Why hadn’t he stopped? Tried something different?

  Because he was pushed, by Wye. Wye’s last thoughts. What Wye wanted, what Wye knew was best. Yed wasn’t there, just a guy running on instinct. Wye’s last instinct. A puppet.

  “I get it now, Muin,” Yed said. “I know why you never called me Yed. I’m not Yed.” With that statement, he penned his first sentence.

  I am Wye.

  “I am Wye,” he repeated. “I am the guy you once became. I considered Muinela my sister, and Xiamipoc my brother. I had two children, Tigeravich and Carressela I lost and never knew. I was a happy schmo from Dallas, Texas. Planet Earth.” He didn’t write any of what he said down. Instead, he wrote:

  I am saying goodbye.

  Wye’s mere existence wouldn’t leave Yed be. He should have never even existed if what Fayu said was true. Wye was a fairy tale, a mythical being that shouldn’t be sitting there. Wye couldn’t exist, along with Yed. It wasn’t a parallel world, or a chance to make the present better. It was something he never should have became a part of. He took his utensil and scrawled his last sentence.

  Good Luck.

  "REGWALLIS, COULD YOU bring that toy closer to Tiger?" Ezra handed him the tiger toy. "Tiger won't stop crying until he gets it." She watched as Regwallis took the toy and wiggled it in front of her baby boy. He was a good boy, even though his father had been...King Sheward. His mother had raised him well. "Thank you, King Regwallis."

  "If you want, Ms. Ezraponia, you can call me Wallis." Regwallis smiled at her. "I'd prefer it. I don't really like the word king right now. It feels like it's still his. My daddy's."

  "Understood." Ezra placed her hand gently on his head. "I know what you're going through, Wallis. When I was around your age, my family had been taken away too. They stopped moving, and were gone. I was sent to a nice family named the Cattrals. They raised me and took care of me."

  "Oh." Regwallis place the tiger toy near Tiger. "Do you know what will happen to me?"

  "No, but you're safe here. This house is the safest place on Pagnia. My Protector chose this area for a reason." Ezra lifted up Carress and placed her in her arms. "He is also their father and only wishes for the best."

  "He's kind of scary," Regwallis confessed. "I feel weird around him. Is it true that he's from the future? Daddy- when he was here- he said, he sa
id that time travel was real. The risk wasn't worth it though."

  "Yes, I understand that." Ezra rocked Carress carefully in her arms, trying to calm her enough to get some rest. "I believe Yed is from the future, but he's okay. You shouldn't feel weird around him. I believe he feels quite lost himself right now." She took Regwallis' hand. "Yed will protect us as much as he can. We are safe, Wallis. I will make sure he keeps you safe too."

  "He wants me to disobey my oath, but daddy said I shouldn't ever. Mommy and daddy they'll be-I mean they would have- they'd be disappointed." Regwallis stopped playing with Tiger.

  "Yed is the dad of the twins your father caused. The babies you are playing with are the results of deception." Ezra paused, trying not to say anything bad about the boy's recently passed father. "He simply wants to know. I want to know too. Maybe one day, you can tell us?"

  "I can't tell anyone outside of royalty. It's an oath." Regwallis shifted around. "I could, if it's still there, I could tell him where the big, big book is at."

  "You mean the book of lineage?" Ezra stood up and laid Carress in her crib next to her toy. "Would it have the answers?"

  "It does, but you have to have the Chronicles of the past." Regwallis shrugged. "I don't know where the special Chronicles are."

  "Oh." Ezra picked up Tiger along with his toy. She didn't want Yed to go risk his life for only half an answer. "Regwallis, we're not royalty, but we'll be providing for you. Is there any condition on that?"

  "Oh, there's one," Regwallis said as he stood up, "but it's not nothin' I want to do. Can I get some food? I haven't eaten much today."

  Wye grabbed the doorknob, giving himself a few seconds before he turned it. He opened the door in a slow but progressive manner and took a step outside. He took another step forward and watched Ezra move from the nursery to see him. In her eyes, he could tell the question she wanted to ask. Was he the Yed she knew? He stared at her instead, answering hers by looking down at his feet and stepping forward again. She stepped forward meeting him almost feet to feet.

  He lifted his eyes to meet hers. "I have to go now.” He didn't have to continue, she understood. "Sorry, I took over my past body. Never mess with time travel, never mess with time travel...huh." Yed scratched his head. "I forgot what I was saying." That rarely happened. He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Ezra, then at his surroundings. "We aren't in Fornotia's basement anymore." He crossed his arms. "Hang on, how can I be in the safe house? No, wait, yeah I did. I went and took you through our town. Xiam and Iri stayed. I need to get them. Yes, I must get them. Very important I get them right away. Can’t be there, don’t know why, but they can’t be there. Yeah, that all happened. Right?"

  "You okay?" Ezra gave him a slight smile. What was with that little knowing smile? "Perhaps your memory loss has something to do with the inhibitors? The waryes may be taking a larger amount."

  "...you shouldn't be here! You were taken!" Yed laid his hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Are you okay? How did you get away? Did they hurt you?" He found himself squeezing her shoulder harder. "I swear if anyone hurt you-oh wait. Yes, I got you. For some reason I risked everything and got you. That’s right, I forgot. I got you. Okay."

  "Do we have more shoes? I got these dirty."

  Yed looked over at Regwallis, back at Ezra, then back faster at Regwallis again. "Prince Regwallis?" He looked back at Ezra again, his surprise keeping his mind off how much his neck hurt. "What is the Prince doing here?"

  "You took me," Regwallis said before Ezra had a chance to answer. "Don't you remember? You are a Protector from the future."

  "Future?" Yed groaned and rubbed his neck. How to explain this to a child. "Prince Regwallis, it is physically impossible to travel through time. There are too many unanswered questions."

  "You said you were from the future," Regwallis said again. "You and King Fayu."

  "King Fayu?" Yed looked over at Ezra again. "Fayu isn’t King, Gunner is. Prince Regwallis is confused, right? Right?"

  Ezra shuffled her foot and bit her bottom lip before speaking. "No, he's not. You're blanking out because a future version took over you. He saved me, took us to Fallensworth and then back here as well as saving Regwallis."

  "That's impossible, there's no such thing as time travel." Yed looked between Ezra and Regwallis again, feeling the strain in his neck now. "Ezra, I want the truth."

  "There's no proof, but you told us that. You were so different though. So...hurt." Ezra looked away again.

  "Really? Really? You're telling me-you, Ezraponia Cattral-are saying a future version of me is taking over?" Yed couldn't believe it. There was no way. "Yeah, lets tack this brain problem onto everything else we're dealing with." He sighed and looked around. "Where's Xiam and Iri?"

  "We left them," Ezra said, "in Fallensworth. Remember?"

  "Yeah, that's right. Xiam insisted on staying." Yed grabbed his head. "I didn't remember, and then I did again? You though, I..." His eyes widened. "I ripped off a car. I ripped off a car in front of a family?"

  "You remember on and off?" Ezra touched his head gently. "Yed, are you okay?"

  "It's like a door." Yed gulped. "There's something..." He leaned against the wall and touched his temple. "I feel weird...Muin and chess...chess?" He banged his fist against it. "Muin doesn't play chess, Xiam and I play chess. No she's not playing chess." He groaned. "No, she teased Chasm. She always teased Chasm at Aryu. Aryu Institution." His head twitched. "No, I don't know what that is. I don't want to know." He pulled himself off the wall. "Okay, Ezra. Forget this, have you been okay?"

  "I've been fine." Ezra looked at him with a degree of sympathy. "Yed, are you okay?"

  "No, I need to get Xiam and Iri here," Yed insisted. "It's not safe in Fallensworth. I know it's not safe there, I don't know how I know, but I know." He touched his head again. "Don't worry, whatever is going on, I can conquer it."

  "Yed, I don't think you can." Ezra touched his hand gently. "Before, it was like you were dying."

  "Dying?" Yed growled. "I'm fine now, I can block out memories."

  "I don't think you get it. You were in bad shape in there." Ezra stroked the hand she was holding. "Your memories are still here, but your future self's time link broke, I guess."

  "Time link broke? Time link broke." Yed blinked twice. "Wait, you think I'm still some future self?"

  "I don't think there is 'another you', only memories forgotten and given through time. You are the same one who let go of me when the children were born, and the same one who brought me back." She held his hand firmly. "I'm sorry."

  Yed continued to blink at her. Memories of a future he didn't remember. Was it possible? "I'm not from the future, it's impossible. I'm me."

  "You are you, no matter where in time you are." She let go of his hand slowly. "I'm sorry, Yed, but your accent hasn't changed."

  "Accent? But I mean I'm not..." He moved past her toward the nursery. Ever since he talked to Ezra, he had a heavy feeling about upstairs. The memories he shouldn't have had, told him that he didn't want to go in there. It was filled with loneliness, a forgotten promise. His heart raced as he approached the door. "Why is my heart beating like it wants to come out of my chest?"

  "The last time you were in that room, you didn't handle it well." Ezra approached his side and looked at the nursery. "I think this was a powerful corner in your memory."

  "They weren't here, last time." Yed stepped back. "They weren't...I wasn't me, I was Wye..." He blinked his eyes and rubbed them. "Oh no, oh please no..."

  My body is gone, my time is gone. Home is gone, everything's gone. My real world, my real time, and now it’s time. He couldn't forget, he wouldn't forget. Wye’s last duty.

  "Yed?"

  "My memories are being affected already. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to have to do that in front of you."

  "Yed?"

  "Wye. Call me Wye," Yed said. "I was Wye for eighty years. I had a brother and a sister, and I was pretty insane, but it wasn't all bad." He tried to speak out l
oud so that he himself wouldn't forget. "We lived in a two story house we called Double Yella. Lived on Earth, had a good ol' time. Had Xiam and Muin, they were X and M-Win to me. We lived alright, had bouts of sanity here and there. Got captured though, and had to save M-Win. Got her, but the waryes got Earth coordinates. Started to remember, got to know my kids, and I got us all out. Had you, my real family, and life was dang sweet again." He stared out an open window and walked forward. "Had Tiger and Carress. Rough life, but they were mine. Lost you again, but saved what I could. Was losing Earth, then I shot back in time. That was when I screwed it all up." He grabbed the curtain and held it in his fingers. "Screwed it all up. Went back a second time, but that's the last time.”

  "Yed." Yed felt Ezra’s hand on his. "Wye, I'm sorry."

  "Nothin' left of me but my memories that shouldn't exist, and they won't exist soon," Yed admitted.

  Ezra did what she could to comfort him, a part of her knowing that she'd never understand what he was going through. When he glanced at her for that one moment, she saw all the pain in the world held in his eyes. A warno who had lost his family, his friends, his time, his own body and now himself. She didn't know what words to say. “I thought you could return back?”

  "Wye had a decent life," he said not answering her question. "Maybe not the best. If Wye could have made it back, life would have sucked anyhow." Yed stopped looking out the window and closed the curtains. "..."

  "Wye. I'm sorry." Ezra touched his shoulder again, but he quickly grasped her hand firmly.

  "I'm not insane, Ezra. Next time my memories leave, they won't come back. I’ll make sure of it." Yed held her hand and kissed it. "Sorry babe, Wye might have been there, in a way Yed can't."

  Babe? Ezra held his hand tighter, "Yed and umm, Wye, are both my friends. Forever."

  Yed raised the right side of his mouth higher. "Yeah, Yed always friend. Friend. Even in the future, friend." He closed his eyes. "If I didn't have so much going on, during this war, there's no way he’ll pay attention." He grabbed her around the waist. "Better late than never."