Anyway, here it is. Do review please!
TimelinesSunlight streamed grandly from a great hole in the clouds above a broad field of grass, creating a spot of light that encompassed a small village. Within the series of huts and tents, children and adults alike were laughing and dancing around a bonfire. They seemed to be celebrating a festival as large platters of various foods were passed between the tables around the fire. Occasionally, a child or an adult would stand and loudly say something, and everybody else would erupt in laughter.
Unnoticed by the partying villagers, three figures appeared far outside the settlement in a flash of light. Quickly, though, one of the blue clad figures raised a palm and released a spark of red light into the air, catching the villagers' attention. The center of the three strode forward and approached the single elderly person that came out of the village.
Words were exchanged for a few minutes until the elder turned to the gathered crowd and called a name. A young boy about the age of nine dressed in a simply cloth nervously stepped out of the crowd and moved toward the elder. The blue robed figure looked at the boy for a moment and then turned around to wave at his companions. In a similar flash of light when they arrived, the other two appeared next to the boy, each one on either side.
The first figure said a few more things to the elder and turned away from the village, his companions following along with the boy between them. Abruptly, a woman broke from the villagers crying and ran to the boy, clutching him tightly. Patiently, the leading figure turned and looked down toward the woman, who appeared to be the boy's mother. Quietly, the figure spoke to the woman in warm tones.
The words seemed to have the desired effect as the woman stopped crying and looked up toward the figure with wonder, then in recognition. Laughing with joy, the woman clutched her son once more and bowed to the figure in gratitude. Raising her hand, she waved at her son, who waved back and shouted words of farewell until the three figures with her son vanished in another flash of light.
( 0 0 0 )
Unknown to the villagers or robed figures, Tersan watched the encounter curiously from within the hole in the cloud.
"From the outskirts into the capital," Tersan mused, "never knowing what was to happen to me."
"Why would you?" Destruction asked sarcastically. "You're nine, living in a village that can't tell…"
"Enough," Tersan said sharply. "Let us proceed."
( 0 0 0 )
"What is your name?"
The boy glanced up at the wizen old mad sitting a level above him. He was in a circular room a level below a circular formation of throne-like chairs. Beyond the first row, were countless more white robed men, each circle higher than the first. And in each chair sat a similar aged man, though the one who just spoke seemed to be the oldest.
Directly in front of him nearly ten levels higher was an extended platform with an empty throne chair grander than any other in the chamber. There was no roof, for the entire area was open to the sky.
The boy had an unsettling impression that he was in a massive coliseum.
"M-my name?" he asked nervously.
"Of course your name!" one of the old man snapped impatiently in his raspy voice. "Are you deaf or are you dumb?"
"Governor Kilan," the first old man said coldly. "It is I who is addressing the boy. Do not interrupt me."
Grumbling, Kilan fell subdued, but kept a pair of irritated eyes on the boy.
"Now then," the man said. "I am Governor Aveyar. What is your name?"
"Tanius Acrin," the boy answered quietly. "P-pleased to meet you."
Murmurs were passed between the other governors, but Aveyar kept his soft gaze on Tanius.
"You are presented here before us in the Citadel of Magic with the purpose to determine your usefulness in direct service to the governors," said Aveyar. "We, the Governors of Atlantis, ask you a solemn request." Every governor in the citadel stiffened in attention and focused respectable gazes toward Tanius, even Kilan.
"Yes?" Tanius asked, looking uneasily around the chamber.
"Do you devote your service to the Citadel of Magic and the people of Atlantis?"
Thoughts coursed through the boy's mind. What were they going to do with him? Was he supposed to run errands or something? Taking a look at the sea of expectant eyes looking toward him, Tanius could only say one thing.
"Yes, I do," Tanius stated with pure conviction. White light erupted from the ground under Tanius like a geyser, jetting up towards the open sky like a pillar of magical fire. Astonished by the incredible display of power, Tanius could only shield his eyes from the intense glare and look at the sky as it started to turn dark.
"Welcome to our service," a strong new voice said. Squinting, Tanius saw that the elevated throne was now occupied by a powerful looking ancient mage whose eyes were glowing along with the column of light.
"From this day forward," the mage said, his voice echoing commandingly around the citadel.
"You will be known as Tersan Anthrias: the Weapon of Atlantis."
With these words, the world around Tanius Acrin as he understood it changed completely. Reality became unreality. The impossible became possible. The incomprehensible became easily understood.
Abruptly, every governor in the citadel stood and closed their eyes in a unified, silent chant.
Magic poured from the governors like mists of vaporous magic and surged into Tanius's young body, causing it to jerk uncontrollably as every kind of magical power possible from the thousands of gathered governors entered him. Knowledge from every corner of the world as well as from other governors from alternate realities all poured forth their knowledge and power into this sole embodiment of all their power.
Slowly, Tanius's body started rising up the column of light and into the sky as more and more power was forced into his body and being. The sun became a mere pinprick of light as all magical power pulled every other form of natural and unnatural energy into the body of the greatest focus of power ever created.
The gathering of power to that single point became so strong that space itself started to fracture from the strain of containing something that was starting to exceed what the known planes of reality were designed to hold.
Then, the eyes of Tersan Anthrias snapped open.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the pair of silver eyes took in the world with a new perspective. Curiosity appeared in the eyes as they turned to look at the stream of power under its body.
In the midst of coursing magic, a nearly unnoticeable voice spoke in his mind. Without warning, the boy blinked once and released his power.
( 0 0 0 )
"This had better work," Governor Izual said softly to himself. "The last chance for our survival," he added with a hint of sadness. "I do sense though, a tragic end to our kind."
"Governor Izual, is something the matter?"
Izual turned and glanced down to a young looking governor below him. "Nothing is the matter Governor Kene."
Sighing to himself, Izual leaned back and muttered, "I fear that the creation of Tersan Anthrias will lead to our destruction rather than our salvation in this foolish war. Perhaps I should have left him the way he was."
"It is far too late for that," a sorrowful female voice whispered from behind him. "I did advise you against it after all."
"Gaia…" Izual closed his eyes. Days passed in seconds as he channeled power into the boy. "Why are you here?"
"To watch as you bring the strongest magical entity into existence, that's what."
Groaning, Izual opened his eyes again, looking at the sky as Tersan ceased his shining and started to lower himself to the ground. "If I only didn't start expanding Atlantis in the first place…" he sighed again, "we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Your own war turned against you?" Gaia asked casually, sounding a bit amused. "It's happened before you know."
"It's not that," Izual said hesitantly. "I just don't wish to lose control of him."
"Affection?"
"No." Izual shook his head. "Fact. Inwardly, Tersan is still Tanius, a child. I cannot allow him to take place in this war just with his power. That's why his emotions have been suppressed. If those blocks ever happen to break during any time in the war, he may lose control."
Gaia was silent as she came to the same conclusion as the governor.
"The consequences…" Izual trailed off as he stood up the moment Tersan's feet touched the floor. "Will be devastating beyond comprehension."
( 0 0 0 )
Unknown to the governors of Atlantis or Mother Nature herself, the present Tersan Anthrias was watching Izual in a new light.
"I understand now," Tersan said darkly to Izual, though he knew he couldn't hear him. "You killed Kyp for the safety of your people." Tersan frowned. "But instead, you triggered the very event you endeavored to prevent."
"Ironic isn't it? Every time humanity tries to prevent what it fears by destroying it, they end up causing it."
Tersan smiled softly.
"Governor Izual, I forgive you, although you could have simply told me to have avoided the incident. May Kyp's soul rest in peace."
( 0 0 0 )
"Timelines Kyp?" Harry asked blankly.
"Events will cross over," replied Kyp. "You will most likely see yourself wandering around in various states of age. Try not to do anything severe, such as changing your past."
"Why would I do that?"
Kyp shrugged. "I have no idea. Probably catch Wormtail if your third year timeline ever happens to cross. Just be careful of one thing."
"What?" Harry asked cautiously.
"Don't get seen by the founders."
Harry opened his mouth to ask another question and promptly vanished into thin air.
Kyp stared at where Harry was a moment ago, shock flickering across his face.
"I was wrong…" he gaped. "The events are not just crossing, but so are people." Kyp slapped himself on the head as he groaned incomprehensible words.
"Harry won't be seeing himself," Kyp grumbled to empty air. "He will be crossing into himself, most likely find himself in awkward situations throughout his life." He paused.
"OH GREAT."
( 0 0 0 )
Harry found himself standing on a long golden stage wielding his wand at Malfoy who stood on the opposite end.
"Wands at the ready!" a strangely familiar voice shouted. "Face your opponent and bow!"
With an alarming jolt, Harry realized that he had crossed into his second year timeline into the exact day when his former professor Gilderoy Lockhart opened the dueling club. He was facing Malfoy.
"Three…two…one…go!" Lockhart shouted.
Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"
"You're joking…" Harry muttered as he used the disarming charm on the snake, causing the upper length of its body to burst apart from the force of the spell. "Oops…"
According to his memory, this would have been the time he accidentally revealed his trait as a Parselmouth. By blowing the snake apart, it didn't happen.
"Gruesome Potter," Malfoy drawled. "But…"
Harry didn't even bother to let Malfoy finish as he cast the disarming charm again so quickly that the Slytherin was blasted off the stage in mid-word.
Time shift…Excruciating pain exploded in Harry's arm as the basilisk's fang plunged deep into his arm. Suppressing a gasp of agony, Harry wrenched his arm from the fang and withdrew Gryffindor's sword from the roof the basilisk's mouth.
"Bloody…!" Harry growled, clutching his burning arm. "Fawkes…?"
The phoenix flew over at once and cried tears over Harry's wound, healing it, dropping a book into his lap at the same time.
"Get way bird," the memory Riddle said loudly, pointing Harry's wand at the phoenix. There was a loud bang and Fawkes vanished in a flurry of red gold feathers.
Acting directly from memory, Harry grasped the book and the severed fang.
History repeated itself. Harry plunged the fang into the diary, burning a hole through the book with the basilisk venom.
"Harry?" a weak voice called out.
Turning around instinctively, Harry turned around and sighed with relief when he caught sight of the three-year younger Ginny Weasley wake up.
Time shift…
The Hungarian Horntail reared its head back and blew forth a jet of flames toward Harry's flying broomstick.
Harry screamed in frustration more than shock as he realized where he had shifted. Of all the places, he had to be tossed here.
Growling in irritation, Harry pulled out of his dive expertly while relying on his memory of the first task. Remembering that the dragon would swing its tail toward him, Harry threw his broom in a tight arc around the tail the moment he saw the tip, causing the crowd to roar in admiration at his flying.
"Almost there…" Harry whispered to himself as he changed course again toward the dragon's feet, where the eggs were located. Without warning, the horntail brought its tail down fast and hard to strike him, catching Harry off guard.
Thinking fast, Harry leapt off his broom, flipping his body over the tail as it passed between him and the broom. As his body rotated in the air, his broom continued on flying until the tail passed from under him, allowing him to land back onto the broom.
The crowd screamed in amazement at the feat and leapt to its feet as Harry flew from the dragon's feet; the golden egg clutched safely in his uninjured arms.
"DID YOU SEE THAT? OUR YOUNGEST CHAMPION IS THE QUICKEST TO GET HIS EGG, BUT ALSO WITHOUT A SINGLE SCRATCH ON HIM!" Ludo Bagman was shouting. "AND THAT WAS QUITE SOME ACROBATS AT THE LAST BIT!"
Harry gasped deeply for breath as he landed, delight soaring through him. He had redone the first task even better than his first time. A sudden thought occurred to him as he Ron approached him looking rather apologetic.
What would happen back in his present time?
Just as Harry's face broke out into a smile to welcome Ron's presence, the view changed again…
"Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?"
Harry whipped his head around in sudden horror as he recognized the voice. Cedric Diggory.
"Not this time," Harry growled furiously. "Cedric, we don't belong here!"
"Harry?" Cedric asked, startled.
"We're leaving," Harry said tightly. "Now." Grasping Cedric's wrist, Harry pointed his wand behind him and shouted, "Accio Portkey!"
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Wormtail's roared from the darkness.
But the Portkey was already in Harry's hand…
The maze came into view as Harry landed perfectly onto the grassy floor, unlike Cedric who crashed with a yelp of pain.
"DUMBLEDORE!" Harry shouted, sending red gold sparks into the air. "Professor Dumbledore!"
"What are you screaming about Potter?" a familiar voice growled. "I'm here."
Gripping his wand tightly, Harry turned around and faced Moody.
"Good evening Barty Crouch," Harry said calmly, easing into a dueling stance taught by Remus in his Defense against Dark Arts class.
The imposter Moody's single good eye widened.
"Considering that your eye widened in alarm at my awareness of your true identity," Harry said, "it would appear that you are in some serious trouble now."
"How did you…?" Crouch gasped, but it quickly turned into anger. "It doesn't matter. I won't be taken down by the likes of you! Avada Kedavra!"
Harry simply sidestepped the spell with his seeker reflexes while pushing a stunned Cedric to the floor and returned with several nonverbal curses.
Considering that Crouch was also a Death Eater next to being an imposter, he was not fazed by the curses and simply deflected them aside.
"When did you learn this Potter?" Crouch growled through Moody's visage. "I most certainly didn't teach you this."
"Let's just say," said Harry. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve."
Crouch sent a powerful exploding curse at Harry, who had to dodge aside.
"You cannot defeat me, Harry Potter," Crouch chuckled malevolently. "A mere fourth year doesn't even have the necessary skill to defeat a sixth year, let alone a Death Eater of the Dark Lord."
"I know that," Harry admitted, sending more curses toward the Death Eater. Crouch sent more back while easily deflecting Harry's. "But I can hold you off."
"Until when?" Crouch drawled. "You won't survive long e –"
"STUPEFY!" a voice roared. A stunning spell shot out of nowhere and nailed Crouch squarely in the back. When the Death Eater fell to the ground, Cedric Diggory was revealed standing with his wand raised, breathing heavily, eyes wide in fear.
"Harry," Cedric panted. "What was that?"
"Barty Crouch…" Harry said. "He's got the real Professor Moody locked up somewhere."
A rustling in the bushy maze signaled the entrance of the Headmaster.
"Harry," Dumbledore said in astonishment, looking at the fallen Moody. "What happened here? Did you attack Professor Moody?"
Harry stared at Dumbledore, not realizing how much that he missed the professor's presence.
"Professor Dumbledore…" Harry whispered.
"Harry?" Cedric asked uncertainly, looking at Harry concernedly.
"Oh god…" Harry took a step backwards. "What have I done? Cedric's alive…Voldemort didn't return…"
"Harry?" Dumbledore asked this time. "Are you feeling alright?"
Pulling himself back together, Harry gave Dumbledore an intent look.
"The one that lies on the ground is not Moody," Harry said breathlessly. "But Barty Crouch Junior. Just wait for the Polyjuice to wear off…"
Before anyone could answer, an irresistible force seized him and everything went white.
( 0 0 0 )
"Harry?" Kyp's voice called from somewhere in the whiteness. "Can you see me?"
"Kyp?" Harry shouted in relief. "You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice again!" His voice echoes strangely in the void. "Where is this place?"
"It's rather difficult to explain!" Kyp's voice yelled back. "Considering this place isn't really a place at all. Can you follow the line on the ground?"
It was difficult to make out anything in the haze, but Harry caught sight of a single black line weaving across the ground.
"See it?"
"Yeah!" Harry yelled. "I'm following it."
"Try not to stray off!" Kyp warned. "I don't think you want to be bouncing around time again!"
Swallowing deeply, Harry followed the line carefully for an untold length of time until he came up on a nearly invisible oak door, grandly carved by an unknown artist.
Reaching out slowly, Harry placed his hand on the door and pushed. White light blinded him as the door slowly opened, but faded into Kyp's familiar face and the hospital wing.
"Welcome to the present," Kyp said grandly, bowing respectfully.
"Kyp?" Harry asked, startled by Kyp's formality. "What's this for?"
"Oh nothing," Kyp laughed, friendly once again. "Glad you're back with us."
Harry turned around and saw a blank wall.
"What?" said Kyp. "Did you expect me to keep that door open so you can fall back in?"
"Well no," said Harry, "but what was that place anyway?"
Kyp scratched the back of his head. "It's not really a place, but more of a area between time frames. The black line you were following lead from the place between into this frame. Had you gone off, you would have ended up in either the future or the past."
"Blimey…"
Kyp shrugged. "Considering you caused enough damage to the timeline already…"
Harry stared. "Damage?"
Kyp gave him a strange look. "Voldemort's still crippled, Cedric Diggory still alive, Sirius still in hiding…" he listed. Abruptly, Harry grasped Kyp hard by the shoulders, startling him.
"Did you say Sirius?" Harry gasped. "He's alive?"
"Of course he is," Kyp said, looking at Harry blankly. "Bellatrix Lestrange is still in Azkaban…"
"Where is he?" Harry demanded, shaking Kyp back and forth.
"Easy Harry," Kyp said weakly, gently pulling himself out of Harry's grasp. "He's at Grimmauld Place."
"I've got to talk to him!" Harry exclaimed. He turned around to run out of the hospital wing, but Kyp held him back with an amused expression. "What?"
"The timeline has changed Harry," Kyp said simply. "I'll have to fill you in on the important details of your life so people won't think you're strange when they speak of events you don't know about."
"Er…" Harry muttered. "What is there to know?"
Kyp laughed at Harry's tone of voice and clapped Harry on the back. Being less in size and strength, Kyp wasn't able to do much to Harry from the blow and resorted to pushing him out of the wing.
"For one thing," Kyp said. "You are officially a Hogwarts hero for revealing the identity of the false Professor Moody in your fourth year. Not only that, there was a trick that you employed in the first task to avoid the Horntail's, well, tail."
Harry groaned.
"You've been offered a position in the World Dragon Taming something," Kyp added idly. "Whatever that is…"
"Is that it?" Harry asked, almost in a whisper as Kyp continued leading him to Gryffindor tower.
"No," Kyp said, rolling his eyes. "You've also been made Head Boy while directly skipping the prefect rank." Kyp tapped his fingers while listing. "You're still Quidditch captain, top in defense, terrible in history, and…ah!" Kyp gave Harry a broad smile. "Snape has been fired."
Harry stopped dead in his tracks. "What?"
"Something about returning to Voldemort's service," Kyp said casually. "He's been replaced by Horace Slughorn, who reminds me of a bowling ball for some reason."
"How do you know about bowling balls?" Harry asked. "They're muggle things."
"Exactly," Kyp pointed out. "They're so simple that a simple magical scan of the city around me and I can understand the time I have dropped into. Considering the place of my own time…" Kyp left off. A dark expression had settled over Kyp's face as he stopped talking.
"Kyp?" Harry asked softly. "What happened when you got here?"
Instead of answering, Kyp forcibly brightened his face and waved off the question. "Anyway, you get the idea. Just try to act as though you understand. I'll help you if you get stuck anytime."
Harry stepped forward past Kyp and stood in his path. "Kyp."
"Guess there's no stopping you huh?" Kyp said with resignation. He tried to squeeze past Harry, but the young wizard stepped into his path. "Harry," he laughed weakly.
"Kyp, I must know," Harry said with a hint of urgency. "Tersan told me that you were struck down by the governors of Atlantis. If that's true, how are you standing here?"
"DON'T MENTION THE GOVERNORS!" Kyp shouted suddenly, his voice fearful. "I…" Kyp stepped back away from Harry and stumbled into a wall. "They were the most ungrateful, most blind…" Kyp fell silent as he slid down onto the floor; his heavy breathing broke down into silent sobs.
Harry moved forward to help Kyp off the floor, but froze when the boy snapped livid eyes into his.
"You want to know what happened?" Kyp asked softly, slowly lifting himself to his feet. "I'll tell you then. The governors tried to kill me when I finally succeeded in restoring Tersan's humanity to him."
"Restored?" Harry echoed blankly. "What do you mean by that?"
"You have no idea, do you?" Kyp whispered maddening calmly. "Of course you wouldn't. It was, after all, thanks to me that you stand here today."
"The ignorance of mankind…" Kyp interrupted as Harry tried to speak. "You think he tried to be nice, didn't you?"
Harry stared. "Well yes, but what…"
"Have you any idea how feared the name Tersan Anthrias was during his reign of the world?" Kyp said, his eyes narrow. "He was fear more than Lucifer himself during the fallen angel's time on earth." Kyp gestured grandly, and the hallway vanished to be replaced by a scene of incredible battle between an army of white and another of various colors that reached all the way into the horizon.
"What you see here now is the beginning of the war between Atlantis and the world," said Kyp as the view progressed at an accelerated pace. "Mages and spellcasters from around the world joined forces against the order of the governors, which was to unite the world under its supreme rule."
Day and night passed so fast that it appeared to be white, never ending sunlight. As Harry watched, the multicolored army slowly started to drive the white army across the landscape to the glowing crystalline city it seemed to be pouring from. All of a sudden, a blinding pillar of light erupted from the center of the city out of a coliseum.
"For six days and six nights, all fighting in the world halted as every living being stopped to observe this magnificent display of power," Kyp said, noting emotionlessly that Harry was also fascinated by the view.
"It's so beautiful…" Harry whispered. "I've never seen anything like it!"
"No one ever has," Kyp said. "But it was intended to bring all attention to itself until it was too late."
The pillar suddenly snapped out of existence, causing its audience to fall into disorientation at its abrupt departure. Harry caught a glimpse of a single sparkling speck near the top of the coliseum-like structure before everything went into chaos.
A fury of countless bolts of lightning erupted from the speck into the surrounding opposing army. Instead of striking the army itself, the bolts struck deep into the earth, creating columns of fire that burned furiously, rapidly consuming the army before it had a chance to react.
"And thus Tersan Anthrias was born," Kyp said dramatically. "By wiping out the entire combined might of the world single-handedly, Tersan demonstrated not only his power but also his willingness to kill any number on command." He looked at Harry's astounded expression. "This action was simply the first in a long chain for over a century, until he came upon my home, Eslagard." At this, Kyp fell silent and would speak no more. The scene vanished and they were back in the hallway.
"More emotionless than the earth itself, the infamous Weapon of Atlantis was feared even by Death himself," Kyp said finally after a stretch of painful silence. "My homeland was renown for its power in defense and preservation. The army of the governors took two days just to break through our outer shield that protected our capital when we came under attack as well."
"Why would you be attacked?"
Kyp gave Harry a hard look before replying. "The governors of Atlantis had a sudden idea one day to unite the entire world under its single control. In less than a week, Atlantis gathered all its power and launched an incredible attack onto the world, plunging the entire planet into a century of total war."
"What happened then?" Harry asked, intrigued.
"There isn't much in the war itself," Kyp said. "But near the end of the century, the governors grew desperate and finally decided to bring all of Atlantis's power and knowledge into a single point."
"What was it?" Harry asked.
Nearly groaning at Harry's ignorance, Kyp asked, "Harry, who is the most powerful magical wielding person you know of?"
"Dumbledore of course," Harry answered instinctively, then caught himself. "Wait no, Tersan…"
"You understand now," Kyp said, smiling grimly. "Built only for war, Tersan Anthrias could do anything, yet feel nothing. Entire nations fell to his power and his unstoppable army until Atlantis finally turned its attention to the long neutral Eslagard, the legendary infallible city." Kyp sighed to himself.
"It was a great city, my home," he whispered. "It took two days for the army to take down the outer shield, then another to take out the inner one." He glanced at Harry. "Did you know that it was Tersan himself that ordered the execution of all our citizens for refusing to comply with Atlantis's order of unity?"
Wordless, Harry could only shake his head.
"Every living elder, man, woman, and child perished under his army," Kyp continued. "Tersan himself came for my family." Kyp's voice started to break. "And before my eyes, he personally killed my father and mother, king and queen of Eslagard."
"King and queen?" Harry repeated in a hushed whisper. "You must have been…"
"The prince, yes," Kyp said softly. "And some prince I was," he added scornfully. "I could only stand there as he took one look at me and whisked me off to Atlantis as proof to the governors that the city was under his control."
"What did the governors decide to do with you?"
A soft, almost grateful look came into his eyes. "The governors wanted to execute me by having me whipped to death. I will never understand, but Tersan countered the governors' orders by telling that he would be taking me into his direct servitude." He gave a short bark of laughter. "Izual's face was a sight to remember, that look of shock at Tersan's defiance. But he permitted Tersan's decision, and I entered his servitude."
Harry seemed to have found his voice. "So were you grateful that he rescued you?"
"Grateful?" Kyp scoffed. "I hated him. Despised him so much that I actually tried to attack him. Not that there was any point. I simply bounced off of his natural magical ambience, his personal magical shielding in other words."
"But how did you grow to like him?"
At this question, a faint smile appeared on his face. "Perhaps his humanity was already returning, I may never know, but he did something I will never forget."
Harry waited in silence for Kyp to continue.
"He brought me to the border of life and death," said Kyp, "to meet my parents whenever I wished." At Harry's sharp intake of breath, Kyp nodded. "Tersan would have done the same for you Harry, had you given him the chance. Eventually though, Tersan actually built a special room that sat directly at the borderline for me, just so that I could take comfort in the presence of my parents, who were capable of taking corporeal form there. From that day on, I forgave Tersan for everything he had done."
"And your efforts to restore his humanity?"
"I didn't intend to, to tell you the truth," Kyp admitted. "I was actually trying to become friends with him. It was like talking to a machine. But after a while, he actually started to open up to not only me, but also everyone else.
"He became more merciful and kind to those around him. There was one flaw in the restoration. Tersan started making decisions of his own." Kyp gave Harry a sad smile. "One day, Izual decided to bring his weapon back under control by restoring Tersan's emotional blocks and reinforcing Tersan's binding to Atlantis. To do that, he had to remove me, leading to his decision to kill me. After all, Tersan would simply search the world if I were sent away."
"It didn't work of course," Kyp laughed, though the effort was forced. "You saw what happened to me. Izual failed to kill me and banish me into creation's void. Instead, he sent me careening out of control into the river of time."
"So I ended up here."
( 0 0 0 )
War after war zoomed past as Tersan scrolled through time as a muggle would channels on a television.
"Where is the relevance?" Tersan muttered to himself.
"Tersan!" Creation suddenly shouted. "It's here!"
"What?" Tersan murmured. He turned to face what Creation was referring to, and his breath caught in his throat. "The conquest of Eslagard."
A magnificent city on its own, Eslagard encompassed a great portion of land and even rivaled Atlantis in power. Despite its grandeur, the shimmering green shield of the city looked vulnerable to the white army that covered half the planet. Slowly, as Tersan watched, the white army pummeled the shield with incredible power continuously until the vivid green started to darken as it grew weaker.
Abruptly, the shield crumbled under the assault, but another smaller blue shield snapped into existence before the army could advance any further. The army paused momentarily, startled by the new appearance. Once again though, the army resumed its siege on the city until the second shield also broke.
"And the people of Eslagard were slaughtered more easily than one would with sheep," Tersan said to himself. "There goes me."
A single point light flew above the outer areas of the city as it burned, illuminating the sky like a miniature sun. The light flitted to the castle near the other side of the city and smashed through its defense as though they didn't exist. Light flashed numerous times within the castle and the light flew out of the castle at high speed, screaming through the sky across the world onto the other side, arriving at an even larger and glorious city protected by a violent dome of silver lightning.
The light passed through the dome without harm and vanished into one of the countless spires near the center of the city.
Years passed in seconds as Tersan continued watching, until he finally spoke up. "Perhaps it is better if we distance ourselves for the moment."
"Wait!" Destruction interrupted. "What is that?"
An invisible ripple in reality visible only to Tersan and his avatars suddenly appeared from the highest spire in the city.
"An echo?" Creation whispered. "But those can only be caused by…"
"Follow it!" Tersan ordered. He plunged through all the known planes of reality as the ripple quickly passed into worlds far more advanced than the normal realm. "Don't lose it!"
Tersan pursued the ripple relentlessly until a sight forced him to stop cold.
Consisting of infinite threads spanning infinite vastness, the tapestry of fate hung before him like an incomprehensibly complex spider web.
A deep reverberating echo caught his attention as something small slammed into the tapestry, creating a shower of sparks and rebounded off into a massive river of rushing water below where the bottom portion of the tapestry was gently swirling in.
Golden light erupted from the impact point and flashed through the tapestry at a near infinite speed. Tersan tore after the stream of light and followed its progress as he watched the effects it brought onto the tapestry.
The light branched off into countless directions, some into torn portions of the fabric, others into strongly entwined. But a single stream remained strong and continued down a single thread until it crossed with another thread, creating a single, new thread. Abruptly, the light slowed down in the thread as another thread crossed into the new one.
"By the fates…" Tersan whispered in horror. "If this is what I think it is…"
"Tersan!" one of his avatars shouted, but Tersan ignored him. He was too intent on the thread.
"This is the lifeline of Harry Potter!" Tersan could only watch in horror as another thread, this one twisted and dark wrapped itself around the early beginning of the thread.
"Tersan!" his avatar shouted again. "The prince of Eslagard just flew into the essence of time faster than the flow of the current."
"Kyp?" Tersan shouted hoarsely, tearing his eyes around the tapestry. "Kyp!"
"Tersan!" shouted Destruction, gripping hard onto Tersan's shoulders. "He's gone through time! You can't follow him without disrupting the flow!"
"I don't care!" Tersan screamed.
"Tersan!" Creation thundered. "Even if you are immune to paradox, there are things you cannot mend!"
Tersan whirled around in fury. "You don't understand! Kyp never died! Governor Izual never succeeded in killing him. Instead, he drove him out of this world and into destruction's void, not creation's." He pointed angrily toward the tapestry, which was still crackling from the impact. "By rebounding off the tapestry, Kyp spilt part of his blood onto a lifeline," he flew over and traced a long thread, "leading it here!"
"Impossible!" Destruction uttered.
"Do you understand now?" Tersan demanded. "Harry Potter is a resonance echo of Kyp! He is Kyp!" Without another word, he plunged into the flowing water.
"Tersan!" Creation shrieked. "No!"
But it was too late. The moment Tersan's body entered the water, the body of water exploded apart into countless streams of water, crossing one another occasionally as the currents moved lazily around.
"What can we do?" Destruction growled.
"This is beyond me!" Creation moaned. "The best we can do is to follow him!"
( 0 0 0 )
"Well, at least classes are more fun now," Harry joked as he helped himself to some pudding during dinner. "Snape isn't here."
"Just him?" Kyp asked amusedly, poking at a dish. "What's this?"
"Something in French," said Harry, shrugging. "It's actually pretty good."
Kyp's hand was halfway back with the ladle when a look of alarm struck his face, dropping the ladle with a loud clatter.
"Kyp?" Harry called concernedly. "What's wrong?"
Kyp was unable to reply. The feeling coursing through his soul when a certain person was nearing was overwhelming.
"T-Ter…" Kyp stammered.
"What was that?" Harry asked.
Unexpectedly, Kyp leapt off his chair and dropped on one knee, facing the Great Hall doors, his head bowed. Before anyone could question his strange action, the tables slid toward the walls without warning and created a space in the center of the hall where Kyp was kneeling.
The double doors shattered into glowing dust as power ripped through the room, coming from an unknown origin.
"My Lord Anthrias," Kyp addressed royally as he stood slowly. "I welcome your presence."
Through the cloud of glowing dust, a familiar figure strode through.
"Tersan!" Harry gasped. Beside him, Ron and Hermione both stiffened.
"Blimey! That's Tersan?" Ron whispered. "Now I don't doubt what you said about his power, blowing through the doors like that!"
"Lord Anthrias," Kyp said again. "It has been far too long."
"A mere span of days…" Tersan said quietly. "But seven hundred thousand years for me…"
Immediately, Harry could tell that something was threatening to explode from both people.
"Lord…" Kyp tried to say, but failed as tears started to form in his eyes.
"Oh Kyp!" Tersan cried, rushing forward and embraced the boy in his arms. "Nearly a million years and I have not yet the decency to even thank you for my freedom."
The embrace lasted only a few second as Tersan pulled away and sought out Harry from the crowd. With a single snap of his finger, Harry found himself standing in front of Tersan, who was looking sorrowfully at him.
"Harry," Tersan started. "What I have done to you cannot be forgiven, but please, allow me to explain everything before you do anything else."
Remembering what Kyp had said about Tersan, Harry replied, "I will listen."
Shuddering with visible relief, Tersan drew his wand and flicked it.
The trio flared and vanished.