Title: Shared History
Author: Kay Seda
Rating: G
Characters: Glitch, and a boy
disclaimer: Not mine, not now, not ever.
Notes: Written for the comment_fic prompt of "time travel"
Glitch forced himself to get over his astonishment that the thing actually WORKED and instead concentrated on the task at hand. He was unsure how long he would have, and it was important, so, so very important that his mission was successful.
The books were distracting, and he wasted precious minutes tickling their spines before his eyes latched onto the display case full of meticulously pinned and labeled insects. He quickly looked away, uncomfortable with his intrigue (there had been a woggle-bug!), and started on other shelves. When that proved fruitless he opened the wardrobe and made sure to check all the way to the back.
He was half under the bed when he heard the door open and froze, thinking somehow he'd not be noticed. Instead the dust ruffle on the opposite side of the bed was raised, and a curious young face looked at him.
"What are you doing?" the boy asked.
Glitch glanced left, then right, then sighed. "Looking for something."
The boy looked around as well. "There is nothing under my bed, Mama doesn't allow it. Could you come out of there?"
"Oh! Of course." Glitch scooted back and sat up, shaking his head so his newly-tamed curls fell into place.
With thoughtful brown eyes the boy studied him. "How did you get here? Mama would not allow a headcase into the house."
"This thing," Glitch said and held up the Thing. It was a red parasol with an antenna at the tip and a control device strapped to the handle. "It's a...well I haven't named it yet but it let me travel in time. I'm from the future."
"That's very curious," the boy remarked. "How did you come by it?"
"I invented it!" Glitch said with no small amount of pride. "DG begged me not to try it but I just had to see if it worked. See, I've been wanting to get my hands on..." He trailed off and his eyes widened when he saw what the boy was holding. "That!"
"Alphonse?" the boy said and held up the stuffed elephant in his arms. It was a patchwork of satin, green and blue and yellow with jade eyes sewn on. At Glitch's nod the boy frowned. "Why would you want Alphonse?"
"Is that his name? I'd forgotten," Glitch murmured, vaguely. "He used to be mine, you know, and I think I wanted him back."
Hearing this, the boy shook his head. "Impossible. If you are from the future how could he have been yours when he's mine? It doesn't make sense."
Glitch thought about this with a tilt of his head which the boy mimicked. "You're right. He just looks so much like my elephant. I had hoped- oh well."
Seeing his distress the boy bravely walked over and held the elephant out for him to take. "You can hold him a moment, if you like."
"That's very kind of you," Glitch said with a smile and, Thing balanced over his shoulder, took the elephant from the boy. It seemed small in his hands, which convinced him it was not his elephant for he remember it as being bigger. Still he held it to his chest, gently, so as not to disturb its stuffing. After a few moments he sighed and handed the toy back with a nod. "Thank you."
"You are welcome," the boy said with a firm nod.
"I won't trouble you any longer," Glitch announced and flipped open the parasol. "Keep Alphonse safe so you don't lose him like I lost my elephant, all right?"
"I will," the boy replied.
Glitch grinned, spun the Thing three times, pressed a button on the handle and vanished.
Once he was gone, Ambrose looked around for a place to hide Alphonse were no one but he would find him.
fin