by Melanie Ray
“Huh?” Xiam's head tipped back slightly. “Did you get a concussion? You've been acting weird all day, and this is the weirdest of all time. Your biological family died in a vehicle crash in Vellag when you were two.” He gestured to his head. “Where do you think the scar comes from?”
Scar? Yed felt his head. There was a scar across his head. An old scar that hid beneath his turquoise hair.
“I think you better request sick leave,” Muin said, “but before you go and you aren't quite yourself, can I date Zaria?”
Yed took his hand off his head. “Well, how old are you? At least 300?”
“Yeah goofyhead, around there.”
“Sure.”
“What?!” Xiam grabbed Yed's hand. “Are you kidding? She's still too young.”
“Love doesn't always know the difference.” Yed felt his forehead again, wanting to get a good look at his scar. “Zaria is a good match. I know him better than you think.”
“Yes!” Muin jumped for joy and hugged Yed. “Thanks, brother.” Muin didn't even spend two more seconds there as she took off, giddy from excitement.
“I can't believe you.” Xiam shook his head in shame. “You had better be on your way to the infirmary.”
Yed spent time trying to recall anything he could. This was too different of a world to pretend that he even fit in. The waryes didn't exist, but neither did the true warno. Colors and attitudes, more...neutral. The instinct to not fight for warnos didn't exist.
Yed worked at the castle, but not as a Protector. They weren't even around it, still considered only for high-maintenance females. Instead, he was what he had always hated:
A guard. He wore the stupid uniform and all. The real king of that time was different too, King Hortencia. At least there was no prince to trip around on.
He smelled smoke, and remembering the strange incident last time, searched for his Chronicle. He found it lying in a drawer, smoking, the pages burning inside. “That doesn't make sense.” If he were visiting parallel universes like Carressella said he had, then why did the Chronicle keep entries that didn't exist? He picked up the book and opened it, knowing there was no way to stop it. Almost all of the Chronicle was burning this time. “I even destroyed the Chronicle that had this in it, why is this here?” He set the Chronicle down on his end table, letting it burn.
This time though, something different happened. Page after page, new handwriting filled it up.
Yed read the new entries. There was nothing real special though. Moments with Muin where he wished she'd just fall off the face of Pagnia. Moments with Cattrals. Stupid fun nights of partying. Nothing real important. In the beginning, he did write what he knew about his parents, but it read more like a biography of someone you barely knew. From the look of the writing, he would have to say he went back later in life to fill it out.
He was just an average joe, in some mixed up reality. This was completely parallel from his life.
Still, the Chronicle burned and replaced entries. How and why? Of all the things that change, him and the Chronicle were the only ones that remembered. If only each of them could keep their own memories.
Wanting to know if Ezraponia had been affected, he went out to the restaurant Xiam said she worked at. Yed couldn't get too close, didn't want to offend or interrupt her family. He just wanted to see her smiling face, what she looked like without war all around her.
Her mother was similar in appearance, except her tail and hair were more of a pink than red. Her father's hair was orange ringed with white.
As soon as Ezra saw him through the window though, he knew the answer as to whether he was the only one who traveled or not.
Chapter 100
A Traveling Companion
Ezra put down the dishes and quickly escaped to the back room. In this reality, she had her family, not the Cattral's. It was odd. Especially since her father was so possessive. Not minorly, he was a hundred percent possessive of her. Her real family knew the power she had, and they didn't even want her talking to unattached guys. Whenever one came into the restaurant, her mother or father served them while she stayed in the back.
Seeing Yed though, looking at her with those knowing eyes at the window, she had to see him. “Yed?” He came around the side, immediately sharing a hug with her. “This is not the death I thought it would be,” Ezra confessed. “How can we be here? This world, it makes no sense.”
“I'm not even a Protector in it,” Yed confessed to her. “Xiam and Muin are my brother and sister. My family died in a vehicle accident.” He raised the front part of his hair so she could see the scar. “I guess there's no way out of time travel. When I die, it happens.” He looked at her confused eyes. “I guess, since I died with you, you joined me?” That didn't make much sense though.
“This world then, what is it? No waryes, how is that possible? There is no way our lives could have forked this way,” Ezra said as she let go of him. “We didn't bring the waryes, they were here before we were born. And my brother and sister, are your brother and sister?”
“Yeah, I don't understand it either.” Yed looked around. “Have you seen Iri around here?”
“Do you think she exists in this reality?” Ezra asked. “Not everything is the same.”
“Muin and Xiam are my brother and sister. I used to think they were my brother and sister on Earth,” Yed said. “They were your brother and sister. Zaria was on Earth, he was on the Pagnia we knew, and now he's asking for permission to date Muin.” Yed sighed. “It's like similar roles, only slightly different. I think Carressella is involved somehow, no one knows anything more than her. She did write all the rhymes.”
“King Sheward is not here either,” Ezra said before she heard a voice shout for her. “Everything is so different.” The voice came across even louder. “That's my father.”
“You are younger again, and you don't have much scent.” Yed tilted his head. “Are you taking medication?”
“My biological father had already been prepared.” Ezra wanted to speak more, but she heard her father approaching. “You better get going. I've no need for a Protector with him.”
“Understood, and glad to hear.” Yed turned away. “If I figure anything out, I'll let you know. If I keep my memory long enough.”
“Okay.” Ezra watched him leave, neglecting the fact that she had remembered something. It was a scene that played in her head like a nightmare. Yed was in a guard uniform, much like in the career he had now fell in. She was visiting with her son. They got involved with each other in conversation, and then they looked back. She lost the rest, but she was willing to bet their son got into a time machine.
There was no Carress though, and no memory of this world except for that.
And yet in this strange, messed up world, there was something. A sense of peace.
“Ezraponia,” her father called to her. “What are you doing back here, and who was that?”
“Um, who?” Ezraponia turned to her father. “Oh, I'm sorry daddy, I must have got confused about the time. I'll go help mom now.”
“Well.” Yed closed his Chronicle. “I'll be forgetting everything soon, again. Why this world though?” The inhibitors still existed, but they were only one color. Blue. There was no pink, red, or green. Ezra was right about the fact that no matter how their life was fixed, it couldn't have affected something before their births. So, what?
He'd never know the answers, and his memories were slipping more. “Time just never quits kicking me around for amusement.” He kicked back in his chair. “At least there's a small break of peace here.”
It was a new beginning. His memory would be wiped clean, and there was no Carressella to remind him of anything. His children didn't exist. There was no protecing Ezraponia either, her father covered that area well. Which was good because one day, as he knew would happen.
He no longer even knew the name Ezraponia.
Chapter 101
Yed The Guard
Beep. Beep. Beep.
>
“Oh, shut up,” Yed groaned as he hit his alarm. He rolled over in bed. He didn't want to go to work, it sucked. He whined as he kicked the covers off. “Why couldn't I just have inherited a lot of money?” Life wouldn't have been so bad. He sat up in bed, sliding his shoes on and headed over to his closet. Same uniform every day. Ugh.
He heard the usual knocking on the door. Those idiots. He groaned again as he stumbled over to it and unlocked it. “I told you, I have to work tonight.”
“Skip it,” they insisted. Yeah, that would be nice, but how would he pay his rent?
“Sure, if you pay for the rent this month. Cough it up.” Yed smiled and reached out his hand. “No? Then bug off.” He closed the door again, and put on his uniform. His friends were a bunch of idiots sometimes, they just did that to annoy him. He left and went on guard duty for two hours. He had to make up his extra hours since he went out last week.
After his shift was over, he was tired. He went down to the local pub for a drink. He signaled the waitress. She had a nice little butt that shook just right as she came over.
“Hello, sir, I will be your waitress for this evening,” she said to him. “May I get you something?”
“Yeah, your number?” Yed wasn't surprised when he groaned. “No? Okay, two sours and some mnui.” He watched her walk away again, sliding out of his seat some. Oh, if only he had the money to woo something like that. Look at those curves. Some guys had all the luck.
“Hey.” A guy strolled over to him. “Stay in your seat.”
Another waiter guy. “Why, jealous?” Yed stuck his tongue out at him. “Eh, go ahead, she's not my type.”
“What?” He fidgeted. “I don't like her.”
“Sure you do, you're the only guy in here not looking at her butt.” Yed shouldered him. “You know the old saying. If a woman passes and you are looking at her and not her butt, you're in trouble. Good luck.” He watched the waiter walk away, miffed. Yeah, he had that effect on some people. Yed was often too blunt.
“Your sours and mnui, sir.”
Yed looked up. That voice. It was sweet, not the regular voices of females he was used to hearing. Definitely not the same waitress. “Yeducavich.” He held out his hand to her.
She looked at him oddly a second, before shaking his hand. “Sir.”
He looked at the name tag on her. “Ezraponia Saga. Funny name, new in town?”
“No, I've been here a little while.” She ripped off a ticket for him. “Pay when you are ready.”
“Okay.” He sat there, eating his food but looking at her. She wasn't half as gorgeous as the other waitress but she looked sweet and tempting He felt himself getting shouldered and saw his sister. “What?”
“Need a favor.” Muin winked at him.
Yed groaned and rolled his eyes. He knew what always followed after that. “I don't have time to play chauffeur for your date, Muin, I'm busy. I've got duty tonight. Make Xiam do it, or convince dad.”
“Liar, you're not busy.” Muin thonked him on the ear. “Not that busy from the look of things.” She took one of his sours.
“Easy with that, those drinks aren't made for little girls,” Yed teased her. Still, while he was doing that he watched the waitress Ezraponia cleaning glassware in the back.
“Interesting.” Muin shouldered him. “Usually you're staring at the butt. You like that one.”
///“What, me?” Yed took a bite of his mnui. “I'm just a stupid guard, what would she like about me?” Still, she was cute. Her beautiful colored tail curled just so, and there was something open and warmly in her eyes. “Then again, what have I got to lose?” He drummed his seat and went over to the counter. “You busy later?”
She was startled by his presence. “What?”
“Busy?” Yed gestured to the time on the wall. “I've got duty tonight, but I'll blow it off if you want to get out.” He winked at her. “Get to know each other.”
“Uh.” She shifted uncomfortably. “Well?”///
Was that scene real? He was still sitting, why did he just fantasize about her? What was it about her? Something. He'd never met her, yet she seemed so familiar. A strange image of her covering her gorgeous hair and tail all in black came to his mind. Why would he imagine that? No one should cover up that creature, that would be a crime. Her beauty was a gift to the world.
Yed made his way up there, his little sister tagging along. “Excuse me, miss? Do I know you?”
“It's a line, a corny line. He's good for it though,” Muin said to the woman. “My brother's been staring at your face, not your butt. You know the old saying, so that's a good sign.”
“Muin,” Yed warned her. He looked back toward Ezraponia. “Well?”
///“I have a no date policy,” Ezra shrugged. “Sorry, Yed.”///
“I don't know, Yed, maybe?” she answered back.
“What?” Yed blinked. “You knew my name?”
“No. Well, I don't know. You looked like a Yed.” She picked up a glass and started to clean it.
“Eh, better luck next time.” Muin patted his shoulder and left, whistling a jaunty tune since neither of them would get a date tonight.
This was the point where he usually gave up on a woman, but Ezraponia called to him, tingling his senses. “Why do you have a no date policy?” He laid his hands on hers. Presumptuous, he couldn't believe he was doing it.
She didn't back his hand away either. “I didn't tell you about that.” She glanced towards him. Her eyes shone, something familiar. A sparkle that he couldn't place. She turned back to cleaning classes. “Mister Yed, I have a father who is very cautious.”
“I'll deal to talk to you,” he said. “It's a good sign that he's tough, someone like you should have some protection.” Well, that was weird wording. He'd be fairly surprised if that didn't scare her off.
“He's put guys in the hospital for asking for dates,” she said. “I doubt he'd be any more lenient about just talking. I'm just . . .I'm very important to him. I'm sorry, but father would never allow it.”
“Okay.” Yed may look like an average joe, but he was cunning. “I think I'm gonna stick around here tonight. For awhile. When do you get off?”
“I can't date,” Ezraponia reminded him. “You know that.”
“I know, and I haven't asked that. It's not against the law to stay in a restaurant. I'll keep the ordering steady,” Yed promised. She gave him a funny look, and he took back off to his space.
He sat for hours, watching her. There was no time he could recall meeting her, but it felt like he hadn't just met her. So that he could stay, he kept ordering drinks or appetizers. She didn't fail either. Whenever he finished his drink or appetizer, she was right there, asking him if he needed more.
Towards closing, he saw her starting to close up. He stood up and approached her. “Where do you live?”
“You don't want to know.” Ezra kept cleaning the glasses. “Are you coming back tomorrow?”
Yed grinned. “Eh, probably. I'll have to work though, I kind of put it off tonight for you.” Maybe that would help her be merciful. “It's better if I walk you home.”
“I live a block away.”
“Never know who's out there.” He looked at her up and down, before catching her eyes. “Please? I'd feel better.”
“I'm not glass,” she said, “but, okay.”
I'm not glass. That sounded like something he'd heard before. Huh.
“Just, a walk, and not to my front door,” she warned him. “My dad would be furious.”
If Yed had to take some pummels, he would. Every father had to let go one day. At least he knew with a 'no date policy', Ezra had never had any boyfriends. No one would want to throw a fight against whoever her father had been. Maybe he should consider it? She was bright, sweet, and sexy. A little shy, but just enough to hold his interest. Those scenes though, in his head. He wanted to know more about them.
As they began to walk out, that feeling came back. “Do you ever get the feeling w
e've met before?”
She didn't look toward him. “It's a strange sense. I know what you mean.”
“Did we know each other as kids?” It was bugging the heck out of Yed. “Was your family uhhh . . .” He snapped his fingers, something was on the tip of his tongue. “In some kind of war?”
“No. No war that I know of.” She looked him up and down as he did to her before. “There hasn't been any war, but maybe we did meet as very young children. Have you always been around here?”
“Oh yeah, always. You?” Yed asked.
“No, I grew up far away.” Ezra scratched her head. “Yed, I'm scared.”
Yed looked around. “Scared of what?” Were guys actually around, trying to get at her? “I would fight if I had to.”
“No, I mean, these feelings.” Ezra stopped. “I want to run away from you and kiss you at the same time. I don't even know who you are.” She looked at him. “Your eyes, they seem so familiar. But they don't . . .have something. I don't know.” She grabbed her head.
“Hey.” Yed touched her arms, helping to bring them from her head. The action had pulled him closer. “It's okay, Ezzy.”
“Ezzy. How do I know that?” Ezra tried to move away. “Why did you call me that?”
“I don't know.” Yed tried to pull her back. “Don't go. I'm not trying to scare you, I swear, Ezzy. This stuff between us, I'm not causing it.” The draw between them, it was so intense. “Just, don't run. I'd never hurt you.”
“I know. Somehow.” Her face showed such confusion as she raised her eyebrow. “I don't get it, I don't, but I know that. You would give your life to protect me.” She touched his face softly. She took her hand away and looked at a house on the right. “That's it, right there. We better part ways. I don't want my father to see you.”
Yed wouldn't allow that though. “I'm a proper guy. I need to walk you up to your own door.” He grabbed her hand. “Don't be afraid.”
“You have no idea what you are getting into,” Ezra warned him. “Please, Yed, I don't want to see you hurt.”