14. Memories

A forgotten scene unfolded around her. A large, open area that resembled a city dump for museums slowly began to form. Yellow smog swirled around the outskirts of the room. There were piles of historic relics and a destroyed knocked over throne made of clocks and hourglasses that she was currently hiding behind. She was crouched facing a very young version of Joe, who did not look happy in the slightest.

"If there was another way, I'd do it, but the truth is that there isn't. You know it too. I don't want you to be around when it happens either. So, for the last time, get out of here." The words came from Sydney's mouth, but she couldn't feel her lips moving. Her body moved in ways she couldn't control. She was only here as a viewer, trapped inside her own subconscious. It was like watching a movie of her life.

"I will burn this whole place to the ground if you don't come out this instant!" a sudden high-pitched voice erupted on the other side of the fallen throne. It was followed by a string of curses. Even though she hadn't heard that voice in years, Sydney recognized it right away. Joe's insane uncle, Mad Jack. The first person Sydney had killed, and one of the few who actually deserved it.

"Maybe we can..." Joe trailed off. Sydney could see Joe's mind hard at work, desperately trying to find an alternate solution. One that didn't result in Sydney's death. They both knew there wasn't, but Sydney didn't have the heart to tell him that. He was as determined to save her as she was to sacrifice herself. Sixteen years later, Joe still did everything he could to save Sydney from herself. How little life had changed for them.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be." Sydney could hear the heartbreak in her voice. Again, the sensation of talking but not talking came. It felt weird, like someone had taken over her body and was controlling it without her consent.

"You are not doing that," Joe responded defiantly.

He had that hard-set look in his eyes that he got whenever he tried to counter Sydney's stubbornness with his own. It was the same look he'd given her, or would give her, five years from now when he'd help her in her battle against Kerk. Sydney had always thought that was the moment she fell in love with Joe, but maybe it wasn't.

"Joe, please." The memory went momentarily black as the past Sydney shut her eyes, planning out her next move.

"No! I've made my opinion very clear and you are not- oomph!"

Without hesitation, Sydney had pulled Joe in and pressed her lips against his. The strangest sensation of all was kissing her future husband and not being able to feel it. But she remembered how the kiss had felt, warm, passionate, and right. As quickly as Sydney had kissed Joe, she pushed him away. She locked eyes with Joe. "Te amo in toto corde meo!"

The memory version of herself took one last glance at Joe and ran around to the other side of the throne. Joe didn't follow, and he wouldn't come to his senses until it was too late.

Sydney wanted to scream at her younger self. To tell her there were alternatives. That it wasn't too late to turn back. She didn't have to die and if she had known what would become of this, she never would have considered it. But there was nothing she could do. This was a vision of the past, and it was set in stone.

"There you are!" Mad Jack exclaimed as Sydney revealed herself to him. "It's about time. What is with you time gods and making everyone wait all the time?" He paused and glanced around behind Sydney. A slight frown came to his lips. "Where is the other warp runt?"

"You don't need to worry about him." Sydney wanted to hit her younger self. She was twelve. She wasn't supposed to be stupidly sacrificing her life for cute boys she just met.

"Oh, really? No matter, I will take care of him after I'm done with you." Mad Jack aimed his glowing cane sword at Sydney. "Unless of course, you've come out here to tell me you changed your mind about being my assistant?"

"Never." Sydney didn't hesitate with her answer. Her fists clenched. Sydney had never liked being bossed around, and she sure as hell wasn't going to sign up to be anyone's assistant.

He let out a low chuckle. "As you wish. It's your funeral. I feel a little bad for him. He won't get to watch his girlfriend die."

"If I go, I'm taking you with me." Sydney wanted to close her eyes, desperate to not see what came next, but she was forced to see the next event. What would dying in a memory feel like?

Mad Jack hesitated and tilted his head at her. "What on earth is that supposed to mean?"

"Veniat ad me, nam nos unum sumus. Hoc erit finis."

"What are you saying? Stop it at once! Why is your entire body glowing? Cut it out!"

"Opportunum advenisse tempus pro explosionem tempus."

The chant had invoked all the power within Sydney's body. Her eyes lit up that usual time green colour and her veins all became visible as the time energy ignited within her.

The last thing Sydney could hear before she faded away, was a distant voice yelling, "No!"


Joe woke up on a rocky shore. His body felt like it was on fire. He had no doubt that the mermaids had lacerated every inch of his skin. But he had made it out, and that's what mattered.

He groaned as he tried to push off of the ground, his body resisting any sort of movement.

"I was wondering when you'd show up. You're late."

Joe jumped at the sound of the mysterious voice. For a moment, he thought it was Isis talking inside his head again. He looked up to see a short, rotund woman standing before him. "Who-" Joe began.

The woman turned and began to walk away, her cane helping to propel her forward. "Come along. You've wasted too much time as it is. Your wife is waiting for you," she said impatiently.

Joe had a million questions on the tip of his tongue, but at the mention of Sydney, they all vanished. He forced himself to stand, which was a lot easier said than done. His body still burned and Joe was wondering how long this pain would last. He followed after the woman, every step sending new jolts of pain through his body.

Joe clenched his teeth as soon as he put weight on his right ankle. He looked down and spotted deep bite marks on his ankle. Blood and a dark blue liquid were oozing out of the wound. His veins were prominent and slowly turning black. Joe winced. That couldn't be good.

He heard the old lady tsk in front of him. "Poison. I should have something for that. We'll need to treat that right away or you could lose your entire leg. I should also have a cream to help with those scratches. Pesky creatures those mermaids. I never liked them. Always thought they would make better wall mounts."

Joe managed to catch up with the old lady. "How did you know I was with mermaids? And where is Sydney?"

The woman gave him a toothy grin, revealing several missing teeth. "You don't live on the edge of the Sea of Dreams without becoming familiar with its creatures. As for your wife," the woman turned forward, "she's waiting for you back at my home."

"She's okay? After we jumped through the portal, I don't know what happened. We were in danger and I-"

"Quit your blabbering boy. Your wife is fine for now."

"For now?"

"She has just begun her journey. If you would pick up the pace, you can join her. I should be able to get you in no problem." The lady walked ahead without giving Joe the option of lagging behind.

"Get me in?" Joe hissed in pain as he ran to keep up with her. "What are you talking about?"

"Old Sage knows what she's doing. Don't worry that handsome little head of yours."

Joe tried not to focus on the creepy fact that some random old woman had just called him handsome. Instead, he tried to get more answers. "What type of journey is she on? How are we supposed to catch up with her if she's already started?"

Joe was answered by a quick smack to the back of the head by her wooden cane. "Enough with the questions, boy. My house is right up ahead, and we'd get there sooner if you would stop talking."

Joe grumbled to himself, rubbing the back of his head. She had managed to find the one spot that wasn't hurting him already. He decided it was best if he kept his mouth shut for the rest of the walk.

The woman, Joe thought she had said her name was Sage, briskly moved forward. They arrived at her house a few minutes later. The place looked like it belonged in some bayou, not surrounded by onyx shadows where terrifying screeches and maniacal laughter constantly emitted from.

"You live here?" Joe paused to take in the house and its surroundings.

"Of course I do. Where else am I supposed to live? The Land of Nightmares may not be homey, but it's better than any other location in this godforsaken place." Sage continued on into her house.

Joe followed her inside and was met by the scent of a thousand herbs, making his nose tingle. His eyes examined the cabin-like home. "So where's Sydney?"

"Through there." Sage pointed to a line of glittering beaded curtains in the corner of the main room.

Joe moved before he even thought about it. He had to see that Sydney was okay. She had to know that he was alive.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw her laying peacefully with her hands place on her chest on a musty old cot. She reminded him of Sleeping Beauty, if Sleeping Beauty had been kept in some back-of-the-woods cabin by a weird old lady. This seemed more like a scene in a horror movie.

"Sydney..." He sat down on the floor next to her. He stretched his hand forward, wanting to touch her.

Thwack!

"Ow!" Joe yelped as Sage batted his hand away with a wooden cane. "What was that for?"

"Do not wake her. She needs to remain in this state for at least another day. Waking her could destroy her mind, completely shattering her." Sage held a silver coloured liquid in her hand.

"Another day?" Joe thought about their impending deadline. How much time had passed since they had arrived? Did they even have a day to spare? "I thought you said she was on a journey?"

"She is on a journey through her memories and soon you will be joining her, son of Isis."

"Son of-" Joe shook his head, not even bothering to ask how she knew he was a Warp Wizard. He looked at Sydney. "Journey through her memories? And what do you mean by join her? I'm right here."

"You may be here, but you are far from where she is. She is in her memories."

"What are you-" Joe collapsed on the floor with a hard thud. Staring at Sydney, he hadn't seen Sage move closer to him, ready to strike.

Sage stood above him, triumphantly holding her cane above her head. She let out an amused laugh. "That never gets old." She carefully propped his body up on a cot lined up next to Sydney's, injected a silver liquid into his neck, and tied one end of a glowing string around his ring finger and the other end around Sydney's. "Now you are with her."


A/N - I start classes tomorrow so updates will be not as frequent. I will try to get at least one chapter up per week. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review and share!