Memories Long Forgotten

“Small changes matter.” Time began. “This universe is decaying for one simple reason, there’s an active time loop. You just need to get there and shut it off.” Time continued to speak but Lore was too busy focussing on the dates. They knew them too well.
“Three year month.” Lore spoke only those three words. “We’re going back to the three year month. Except in this universe, it’s been going for over thrice that.” Lore double checked their Breacher, holding their entire arm to their face. “Ten years of war.” They shook their head. “Ten years…” They mumbled something even they didn’t hear.
Char rested her arm on their shoulder. “Would winning the war do it?” Time nodded.
“Anything that shuts that looper down will do it.” It then turned its head to another universe. “And here’s a great spot to start recruitment. I think my father tried to dispose of the majority of your clones here. Reality really hated me for that.”
“What, the clones?”
“Yeah. Having an army of beings with near identical genes is messier than it looks. I cleaned it up, made it all simple but… no. There should be maybe four groups there, maybe more.”
Lore had their eyes fixed on the last red universe. They hadn’t heard about the clones. “Lore and I will sort the time looper, you two go after the clones. They’ll recognise you Charrlene.”
“And me?” Piper piped up.
“You’re going home.” Char started to program his Breacher.
“No. He comes with us.” Lore turned to face them, their face was stony white. “We’re going to need him.” Char looked to them confused.
“He’s a child. I don’t want him seeing that.” Char put her foot down.
Lore walked towards her. As they did, white energy poured from their shoulder. The tendril formed into a passable excuse for a hand. They raised their new arm and placed the ‘thumb’ on Char’s forehead. “This is what’s happening right now.”
The desert battlefield looked more like a jungle as fires burned tight to the ground, licking at the combatants heels like grass underfoot, explosion clouds like trees and small ammunition droids scuttling around, adding life to the ecosystem. Char spun on her heels; she knew she wasn’t really there but it seemed so real that she almost lost herself in the illusion. “Is this it?” Char despaired.
“This is minutes before the reset.”
“It never got this bad.”
“This is why we need Piper.” Lore stepped to the left. Behind them, them. That universe’s Lore lay slumped in the fire, counting the seconds. “We need all the help we can get and in reality, this is the ultimate training ground. As morbid as that sounds.”
Char took a moment. She opened her mouth to speak a couple of times but stopped herself. “I suppose you’re right.”
“And trust me, we’ll all be coming home. And more.”
“It’s not the coming home that’s bothering me. It’s the other stuff.” Char’s vision went white as Time’s room appeared around her. “Fine. Lore says we need you.” Piper jumped. “But one thing, you don’t leave our sight.” He nodded.
“Would you two be ok with going after the clones?”
“Of course but wouldn’t you rather have us on the battlefield too?” Charrlene had a point.
“No.” Lore spoke bluntly. “Too many chefs spoil the broth. Plus, we’re going to need the reinforcements.” They winked.
“Got it. We’ll get started then.” They were about to breach away but paused. “How do we get started?” Lore gasped.
“Here.” Their glowing arm stretched out and grabbed their prosthesis. It appeared to reattach itself. Lore wiggled their fingers. Satisfied, they reached into their scar and chipped away at its inside. They removed a small purple crystal from within the rift. “Put that into your Breacher then it’s the same as time travel.” Lore smiled.
“We’ll see you soon then.” And they were gone. Time, Lore, Char and Piper stood in the white room. Silence.
“What are you planning?” Time had been giving them the side eye.
“You don’t know?” Char looked at it confused.
“I only kept the name. I have none of my abilities. You’ve got them all. I have absolutely no idea what you’re planning.”
“Good.” Lore smiled. “If you knew you’d probably try to stop us.” Piper smiled too. Then he froze.
His vision clouded over and was replaced by a burnt amber. That too clouded over. There was something moving that he couldn’t quite see. He could feel it and he knew it was there but he couldn’t see it. The feeling grew as whatever it was came closer. It froze before him. His eyes took a moment to examine what had appeared before them. Bright as the unfiltered sun and microscopic in comparison, whatever it was only hung before him for an instant and then it was gone. He followed it as best he could with his eyes but it moved with such speed and finesse that by the time he reacted, it was already gone. It impressed him. Whatever it was, it was marvellous; a being of pure light and energy, a being so bright yet so stealthy, a being that seemed so familiar yet so alien. They snapped themselves out of his trance, returning to an anxious Lore and a concerned Char.
“You alright?” Lore was shining a tendril from their finger in his eyes. “Pupils are fine, I think.” Char moved in closer.
“Yep. All good.” She patted Piper’s head.
“I saw… I saw something brilliant.” He sighed with euphoria. “What…?” His voice trailed off.
“I know.” Lore smirked. “Let’s get going.” They thought it nice to know more about the future than him. “Thanks Time.”
“I should be thanking you. In my eyes, I still owe you so if you ever need me again, I’m here.”
“Thank you.” Lore shook its hand. “It was good to see you again.” There was a small spark as they parted ways.
Lore tossed a purple orb over their shoulder. Behind the trio, a portal opened. As it stabilised, their future came into focus. The doors of Quatarr’s western capitol stood tall a hundred metres beyond. Lore turned and guided their family through the portal. Almost like home.