Lost Time: Redux

by ACleverName8

(REMASTER OF LOST TIME) Kaden lost everything when Tachyon attacked. His wife, his son, his best friend. Almost his life, too. He should be thankful he's still alive, but an unfortunate set of circumstances has left him separated from his son, who is stranded in another dimension, all alone. He swears that he will reunite with him one day, but when will that day come?

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to a special treat!

As you might (or might not) know, I'm one of those writers who LOVE rereading my stories since the whole point of me writing is just to make stories that I can enjoy and reread whenever I like, and Lost Time is no exception to that. It was my first fanfic, after all, and one that honestly changed my life from entering this fandom via writing it!

However, while rereading it over the last two years, I can't help but notice more and more cringy writing mistakes that I have since learned from writing nearly a million words of fanfic since I first published Lost Time, some of which that make me die inside—a shining example being the fact that when Ratchet first meets Kaden and sees a picture of his mom for the first time, I literally forgot to finish writing that part so it just… Ends in the middle of the paragraph, and it always inflicts psychological damage on me whenever I read it.

Furthermore, since deciding to expand Lost Time from a self-indulgent story to a full-blown AU with over half a million words, art, and even an entire family tree planned, I have since made a lot of changes, clarifications, and additions that have since made Lost Time suffer a bit—Another example being that I officially changed Ratchet's real name from 'Kieran' to 'Kipler'.

So! Knowing that I cringe at my old writing, have some small retcons/additions that I'd like to do, and on top of it, having a bunch of character art of my OCs and such (that unfortunately can only be seen on AO3 since FanFiction can't have images inside of fics, the garbage website that it is), I decided that I'd do an official remaster of Lost Time!

There aren't any major changes to the plot or anything, as the point of this is just to punch up the writing to a point that won't make me die inside, plug in some appropriate art so that people actually know what my characters look like, and change a few things to better properly fit in the grand scheme of my Lost Time AU.

If you've read Lost Time before, you'll see quickly how much better this redux version (hopefully) is! And if you haven't, then welcome to the start of my AU! I hope you enjoy it!

---

It was an apocalypse.

The dry Fastoon air was filled with a cacophony of explosions, gunfire, Lombax and Drophyd ships fighting overhead, all to the screams of the dying or wounded.

The Praetorian Guard were manning several anti-air turrets with dozens more soldiers on the ground, repelling the Drophyds to protect the civilians funneling into the portal in the Court of Azimuth. Its namesake, Alister, newly stripped of his rank of General, stood next to the portal, helping organize people through the portal along with the Dimensionator's Keeper, Kaden.

Every other Lombax passing through the portal gave Alister a burning glare of pure contempt and hatred over his betrayal of their kind. All of them knew what he had done when the evacuation was announced along with the fact that the former General was to be exiled from their new home, and Alister didn't attempt to argue. Not one bit.

He saw how much pain he caused in believing Tachyon, and he was willing to pay the price. He had to admit that he was surprised with the Council's mercy they didn't outright execute him for his heinous crime, but then again, he knew being left behind with Tachyon may as well be an execution in and of itself.

It didn't mean that he didn't have to feel so hurt from the looks he was receiving, though. Feeling every single iota of pain, grief, anger, and hatred all those innocent men and women gave him, making him wonder how many of them no longer had loved ones thanks to his decision. His mistake.

Kaden stands next to him, scanning across the mob of Lombaxes hurrying through to the new dimension, looking for his wife and son, making sure that they at least made it through before he even thinks of following everyone else back in with the Dimensionator. He prayed to the stars that they would make it after the Dimensionator was hit by a stray shot during the start of the evacuation. It wasn't enough to close the portal immediately, thank the stars, but Kaden's familiarity of the design made him know that it wouldn't be able to open another one, lest he risk a Dimensional Cataclysm.

He could repair it, but the tools, materials, and time he would need to do so were borderline impossible to get under the circumstances, with Tachyon hellbent on carrying out his monstrous genocide.

Whether he liked it or not, this was the last portal to their new home, and if his family they didn't make it, well…

They'll make it.

But as Alister and Kaden stood next to each other, one Lombax among the crowd passing by gives Alister a swift gut punch, making him double over in pain from the unexpected blow.

"You're a disgrace, traitor." He hears the Lombax say before the attacker disappears into the portal with everyone else.

Alister doesn't bother to even look up to find him, nor do any other Lombax make any kind of sign that they cared the former Praetorian General just got sucker punched, but he suddenly feels Kaden grab his arm and help him up.

"Thanks." Alister says morosely, giving a small nod as he straightens himself out, but not attempting to turn his head towards him.

"Don't mention it." Kaden replies, but with no warmth or sympathy behind it. Clearly, he meant that statement literally.

Alister knew Kaden blamed him for all of this like everyone else—probably more than anyone, given how Kaden seemed to be the most vocal in telling Alister not to trust that damned Cragmite—but he was thankful that he wasn't saying it out loud, at least. He was just glad that he was still alive and managed to be unharmed in the initial onslaught.

Eventually, the current wave of Drophyd forces begin to retreat under the Praetorians' resistance just in time for the last couple hundred Lombaxes to head through the portal, and giving enough time for the Praetorians to evacuate themselves as well.

The soldiers, in various states of injury, rush through the portal, paying little mind to Alister standing beside it, both urging them to hurry while they still have the chance, and assuring them all that they've served their people well. Some take the compliments from their former General, some yell back that he has killed their people, but many more simply ignore him.

Kaden remains silent, however, glancing across the crowd of soldiers with an increasingly worried gaze, a lead weight forming in his gut with every Praetorian that passed through the portal to thin the shrinking group of Lombaxes.

But as the last few Praetorians get through the portal, Kaden's face falls as that lead weight threatens to drop through his very body with the cold, cold feeling of dread and terror washing over his body.

Marie didn't make it.

He made sure to look over EVERY Lombax that had passed through the portal, looking for her, just waiting to see her rush through the portal to safety with their son to ease his mind that should the worst happen to him, that they'd be safe.

And yet… Not once did he see her.

Not. Once.

And if they weren't here… It meant…

"No…" He whispers, shaking his head almost imperceptibly, as if it'd will her and their son to manifest in front of him right now.

But before his mind starts to spiral in horrifying scenarios of how and why she wasn't here right now, he is ripped out of his mind as he feels Alister grab his shoulder.

"Kaden, what are you still doing here? Take the Dimensionator and go!" He urges him worriedly. "We don't know how much longer we have until their reinforcements show up, and you need to evacuate right now before—"

"Let go of me, Alister!" Kaden cries out, snapping out of his senses to shave Alister's hand off of him to then point to him. "Marie's still out there! She hasn't made it here yet! And I'm not moving one goddamn step to that portal I watch her go through with me!"

Alister blinks in surprise at hearing Marie wasn't among the evacuees, but a second later, he closes his eyes with a sigh for a moment before looking back at Kaden, staring into his eyes with a grim expression.

"Kaden." He says somberly yet sternly. "You're a Keeper. You have a duty to the people. The Dimensionator is too damaged to open another portal in its condition, which makes this the only chance to get to safety. I… I hate that I have to say this, but if Marie didn't make it… Then… You know why." He says quietly, closing his eyes while turning his head away, knowing that Marie was his friend, too, and not wanting to accept that reality anymore than Kaden did.

Kaden, however, feels the dread and terror and fear make way for rage at Alister's words, balling his hands into fists while his face contorts into a sneer. But Alister doesn't notice as he continues speaking.

"But… You're here. You have a duty. Go now and take the Dimensionator before it's—"

"YOU HAD A DUTY TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE, TOO, ALISTER! AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID WITH IT!" Kaden yells into his face, suddenly grabbing on the collar of his uniform before yanking it, throwing his other hand out to the city surrounding them—or what was left of it.

Around them stood demolished buildings with columns of smoke rising into the burning orange sky. The sounds of war have eased from Tachyon's forces pulling back to recoup, but they can still hear some screaming in the distance coupled with collapsing rubble. Distantly, there are a few stray gunshots as the enemy finishes off any Lombax they come across in their retreat, as ordered by the Cragmite himself.

And plainly before them were the bodies of Lombaxes unfortunate enough to have been killed before even reaching the portal, with many of them being brave souls of the Praetorian Guard protecting their people, but with some… Just innocent people.

Men.

Women.

…Children.

Alister gazes over it all, Kaden's words echoing in his ear… Look at what you did. All of this… Because of him.

"Don't tell me a goddamn thing about duty, you bastard, because you don't know a thing about duty. And don't tell me a fucking thing about what I should or shouldn't do about my family, because you're not the one protecting them." Kaden says coldly as Alister continues staring at the debris and bodies. "You didn't listen to me about trusting that Cragmite, so you better damn well listen to me now: In ten minutes, close the portal. I'm going back for Marie and my son, and I am coming back with them. But if I don't, then close the portal and look for me. And if I'm dead, destroy the Dimensionator. Maybe then you'll actually fulfill your duty. Do you understand me?"

Alister remains silent, still staring off with teary eyes at the destruction he caused. The fire. The bodies. The smell. All because of him. Because he didn't fulfill his duty as a Praetorian.

Kaden, however, scowls as he violently yanks on his collar again, forcing Alister to look back into his intense eyes.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, ALISTER?!" Kaden yells again.

Alister opens his mouth, wanting to argue against him, to say that it was too risky to put everyone in jeopardy just for one person, and that out of everyone to be killed in this apocalypse, he didn't want it to be his childhood friend.

But instead, Alister nods.

"Yes." He whispers. "Just hurry."

"Good." Kaden says, letting go of him before turning around to sprint away. "Ten minutes!"

Kaden immediately beelines for his home, knowing that's where Marie was when the attack began. If Marie wasn't here, she was there. She had to be. And even if she wasn't, well…

He'd see her in the street.

But he shoves that thought out of his mind as he sprints like his life depends on it—like her life depends on it, effortlessly shooting dead any stray Drophyd that dares stand in his way.

One of them manages to get a shot off, but it only grazes his arm, doing nothing to hinder his progress. He ignores the pain, along with the stitch starting to form in his side. In his mind, he counts that it's been one minute since he began running, meaning he has nine left to get his family and run back until the portal closes.

The further he gets from the Court, the more corpses he sees lying on the ground. Some were of fallen Drophyd soldiers, but many more were Lombaxes who didn't make it to the Court.

Kaden tries to ignore them—innocent people whose only mistake was being born a Lombax. Kaden doesn't allow himself to dwindle on the horrifying sights and smells, of blood and smoke in the air, and focuses on the path ahead, not willing to believe or even think that his family laid among them. They couldn't. They wouldn't.

Two minutes.

He reaches a familiar street, the very same one he always takes on his daily commute to the Center. To think that just this morning, he walked that very same road without having the need to step around the rubble of the demolished buildings of neighbors and local businesses that surrounded him.

He pushes the thought aside, though, as he realizes with small relief that he made it with enough time to spare if he got to this point so quickly.

He rounds the corner and onto the road that his house laid.

All he has to do is gather Marie and his son, and escort them back to the portal. Easy enough, seeing how there's no Drophyds around for now. Just a little further ahead, and then they'll all finally be in their new home, safe and sound, ready to recover from this living nightmare together.

Just a little further ahead, and they'll be…

Be…

Kaden stops dead in his tracks, eyes widening in horror upon being faced with a half-demolished building before him, missing the entire second floor, leaving only a single wall standing with a broken window, one that he saw Marie waving out of when he left today, holding their son in her arms.

Kaden feels numb, frozen in his tracks at seeing his home so utterly destroyed, the house he and Marie spent some of their happiest years in, building a nursery in together.

Seconds pass.

"…No." Kaden whispers.

He violently shakes his head, and wipes away his expression of shock into one of determination and focus as he sprints again, straight towards the house.

"NO!" He yells as he doesn't slow down at the door, instead turning his body to shield himself.

He slams his shoulder into the door and breaks it down off of its hinges, making him land on the floor of his disheveled living room, but he wastes no time scurrying back up to his feet, snapping his head around.

"MARIE?!" He screams. "MARIE, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

He races to the kitchen, but finds nothing except dirty dishes in the sink from this morning's breakfast, the fridge tipped over from the bombing, and dishes fallen out of the open cupboards.

He runs back to the living room, ready to call out again, but then, to his relief, hears a voice.

"K-Kaden?!"

He stops for a moment, smiling and breathing with relief.

"Marie?!" He calls out.

"Kay!" She calls back in a strained voice. "Up… Up here! Nursery!"

Wasting no time, he runs towards the stairs to the second floor, no longer finding a roof above him, but not paying any attention to it as his mind races with the image of grabbing Marie and their son, racing back to the portal, going to the new dimension, and making a new life for themselves with everyone else.

It'll be tough dealing with all of this, but the important thing was that they made it out safe, and they'll get through it, like they always did, because there was nothing that he and Marie couldn't do without the determination they always had, nothing…

At…

At…

Kaden freezes in the doorway of the nursery, the happiness and relief vaporized out of his body for that cold dread that struck him back at the portal, daring to suck the very breath out of his body with the shocking sight before him.

Barely any part of the floor was visible anymore with the destroyed walls and roof strewn about the room covering it—accompanied by a growing puddle of blood.

A puddle of blood that was spreading from the body pinned beneath a large chunk of the roof, her legs and lower torso not visible beneath the debris, holding a crying baby to her chest while she looks back up at Kaden through a weak, bloody smile on the floor, her violet eyes laced with tears.

And as Kaden's own eyes were filling with tears at the horrifying sight of his wife pinned to the floor and laying in her own blood, she moves her arm a bit to emphasize the crying child clutched within it.

"I saved him…" He she says weakly, still smiling, but her voice straining before she begins to cough, spitting out some blood as she does so.

Her speech snaps Kaden out of his thoughts as he refuses to accept the sight before him, nor the weariness of her tone as he immediately rushes into the rooms, dropping down to his knees to begin lifting the rubble off of her body with great exertion.

"No, no! Just hang on, Marie! I'll get you out!" He says sternly through gritted teeth, using every last ounce of his strength on the rubble pinning her down. "Just hang on!"

But no matter how hard he pulled, he can barely feel it move even an inch, their baby son wailing in the background.

He pulls harder and harder in desperation, not caring about the cramps beginning to form in his legs and arms.

His shoulder throbbed, and he distantly felt some blood trickling from the grazed bullet wound on his arm.

He just needs to lift it a little more, and she can crawl out. Just a little more, and they can all run for the new dimension together. Even if he has to carry her on his back, he will do it, goddammit. They'll be safe, she'll live, she will. She HAS to. All he has to do is lift a little more and she'll be free, they'll be free, free from this nightmare and horror and bad dream and—

He feels a gentle hand grasp his arm as he strains, a familiar touch that he's known and loved for many years. Familiar enough that it somehow manages to make him stop exerting his strength as he pauses, tears of both pain and anguish rolling down his cheeks as he turns his head to look down beside him.

And looking back up at him, still with that smile, that beautiful smile that was now tinged red with blood, was Marie, holding onto his arm.

"Stop it." She whispers. "It's… Too late for me, Kay. Save your energy. Save… Save Kipler." She tells him, the words coming out strained and weak, as if it was difficult for her to even talk.

Kaden's tears don't stop as he and Marie stare into each other's eyes, but he tears his gaze away to instead properly look over her body, both buried beneath the rubble and what he could see.

And what he saw was… Someone who couldn't be saved. There was so much blood on the floor already. And even though he couldn't see beyond her waist, he knew that with how heavy this rubble was, she wouldn't be able to run, let alone stand. Hell, if he was being honest, at this point, it seemed like the only thing keeping her from bleeding out too much was the pressure of the debris on her wounds.

Even if he got her out… It wouldn't do anything. Not. A damn. Thing.

Unable to look at it anymore, he looks back to up to her face, letting go of the rubble as he turns to face her on his knees, with Marie utilizing his closer position to her by sliding her hand up from his arm to instead gently cup his cheek, using her thumb to brush away tears, still smiling.

"It's okay." She whispers, her own tears flowing down her cheeks. "It's okay."

Kaden swallows down a lump in his throat while placing a hand over hers on his cheek, and cupping her own cheek with the other.

"N-No… It's not…" He says, his voice cracking. "Y-You're… You're going to… I don't want to lose you, Marie!" He pleads, tightening his grip on her hand. "I can't!"

She blinks, still maintaining that damned smile that made him fall in love with her when he first laid eyes on her from the floor of the Academy. Even in the face of certain death. Why did he have to marry such a stubborn woman?

"I don't… Want to lose you either, Kaden. But I will. You will." She says calmly but weakly. "But… It's okay. Because…" Another cough. "You won't lose Kipler…"

She moves her arm again to bring their son closer to Kaden, the little ball of fluff still crying his eyes out at all the sounds of war that has destroyed their home and their people.

But as Kaden stares at him, he feels Marie grasp his cheek a little tighter, bringing his attention back to her as she stares deeply into his eyes.

"Promise… Promise me that… You'll protect him, Kay." She says, mustering up as much strength as she can to utter those words as powerfully as she can. "Just make sure he's… Safe. Anything you can do… Please. Can… Can you promise me?"

Kaden remains silent, still trying to convince himself these were anything but his dying wife's final words, and that she's just going to tell him 'just kidding' and magically get better and crawl out of that rubble instead of leaving his life forever.

But it doesn't work. It was all too real. The smell of her blood. The warmth of her hand. The tears on her face. The beauty of her smile. The crying of their child…

Kipler. That was still safe, because of her sacrifice. Their child that meant the universe and more to them. Even… Even their own lives. Because they loved him with all their heart.

Choking down the sobs that were threatening to break out, Kaden tightens his grip on her hand to a nearly painful degree while he nods with a determined expression, betrayed only by the tears flowing down his cheeks.

"I promise, Marie. On my heart, to the stars, everything." He states. "I'll… I'll make sure he's safe. For us. For you. I promise."

Her smile grows wider at his words, but he leans down closer to her, gently holding her cheek as she did his, staring into her eyes.

"I love you, Marie. With all my heart." He whispers.

"I… Love you, too, Kay. With all my heart." She returns, her voice even weaker.

He leans in, bringing his face to hers, allowing her to move as little as possible, and they exchange one last, final kiss with the love of their life.

He ignored the taste of her blood in his mouth, focusing only on the love and passion of her kiss, extremely weak, but full of the spirit that he's come to know and love ever since they were teenagers, knowing that this was going to be the last time he'd ever feel it. Knowing that if this was going to be Marie's last moments in this universe, he wants it to be full of love and comfort, as best as he can give her. It's the absolute minimum of what a wonderful woman like her deserves.

He didn't know how long they were kissing, be it seconds, minutes, or forever. But however long it was, he knew it'd be too short no matter what, but they eventually force themselves to break the kiss to stare into each other's eyes for one last time.

Just as when they first met. Just as when they dated. Just as when they made love. Just as when they married. Just as when they held their son in their arms for the first time. Just as they have always done.

Holding onto each other's cheeks, tears in their eyes, Marie manages to give her biggest smile yet, rubbing Kaden's cheek with her thumb.

"I… Love you… Kaden…" She whispers weakly, almost inaudible.

"I love you, too, Marie…" Kaden whispers back, holding onto her hand for dear life.

But… It wasn't enough.

Mere seconds after he utters one last declaration of their love for each other, he feels the grip on his cheek loosen bit by bit. Her eyelids start to fall, and for the first time, her smile begins to fade as well.

He hangs on to her hand, but it no longer cups his cheek, feeling the strength drain away from it as Marie rests her head on the ground, eyes closed, letting one last round of tears flow from them as Kaden watches her chest rise with a labored breath…

Then fall.

Then stills.

He waits for a few seconds, but sees no movement. Feels no movement. Her hand was still warm, but there was nothing in it anymore.

Choking down another lump in his throat, he opens his mouth, a coldness washing over him.

"…M-Marie?" He whispers.

No answer.

He kneels there, slowly lowering her hand down from his cheek, gripping onto it tightly, and gently placing it on her chest.

Seconds pass.

More seconds pass.

Even more seconds pass before eventually, a sudden sound of sorrow lurches from his throat, allowing all his defenses to completely shatter as a torrent of sobs and anguished yells erupt from him, suddenly leaning down to bury his face in her chest while hugging her lifeless body, finally hitting him that he lost the love of his life.

Gone were the days of listening to her laugh. Gone were the days of hugging her after a long day of work. Gone were the days of quiet, lazy mornings of snuggling each other in bed. Gone were the days of laughing and talking over dinner.

Gone were the days of a happier life.

He didn't care if there was a stray Drophyd that'd hear him and sneak up behind him to shoot him in the back of head. He didn't care that he was now probably too late to reach the portal in time before it was closed. At this moment, he didn't care about anything except the loss of his beloved wife, an innocent life that didn't deserve to die in such a horrible, unfair way, all because of a goddamned Cragmite that should've been crushed as an egg.

But amidst his sobs, after a few minutes, he realizes that he wasn't the only crying as he picks up his head from her chest to look up at their crying son, still tucked in her arm, his little hands clutching at her shirt.

As Kaden looks at him, Marie's words echoes through his mind.

"It's okay, because you won't lose Kipler."

"Promise me that you'll protect him, Kay. Just make sure he's safe."

No.

It wasn't true that nothing mattered. Because something did matter. He mattered.

Their son, their pride and joy, the life they brought into this world that brightened their lives to an unspeakable extent… Kipler.

But as Kaden reaches over to take him into his own arms, lightly cradling him and rocking him as he still cries, but no longer sobbing, something suddenly hits him;

Marie called him Kipler. Not 'our son' as per tradition before he's officially named at his naming ceremony when he turns one… She made sure to call him by his name they chose as one of her last words. To make Kaden promise to protect him.

For some reason, the realization just made him more miserable to know that they had 'officially' called him by his name for the first time in such terrible circumstances.

"Why did all of this need to happen, Kipler?" He asks the crying child, rocking his arms a bit as tears of his own roll down his cheeks. "We should all be in the new dimension right now, starting a new life together. Not… This." He says, gesturing broadly around them—including Marie's lifeless body in front of them.

But as he says that, a chill runs down his spine as another realization dawns on him.

The new dimension.

Only accessible by the Dimensionator. The damaged, no inoperable Dimensionator. The evacuation portal in the Court of Azimuth. The portal that he ordered be closed in ten minutes… Well over ten minutes ago by this point.

They were stranded here. In this dimension. With Tachyon.

"…Shit." Kaden says with an anguished scowl, the reality of the situation hitting him… And what he must do.

With the Dimensionator stuck here and not there, it was exposed. To Tachyon. The Lombaxes were still in danger without it hidden. And as its Keeper, Kaden's first priority was to hide it at all costs.

But then again… His first priority as a father was to protect his son. Just like he promised Marie. And since he couldn't return to the safety of the new dimension… He needed another plan. But where?

Being stuck in a dimension with Tachyon, he wasn't safe. But he couldn't use the Dimensionator, and he wouldn't have time to repair it once Tachyon realizes it's still here. So where can Kipler go?

The first natural thought is to just keep his son with him at all times, but… With Tachyon hunting the Dimensionator… He'd hunt its Keeper, too. And that wasn't safe for Kipler. Not at all.

He'd need to be somewhere where Tachyon wouldn't find him. Not ever. Somewhere where he wouldn't dream of looking. Somewhere like…

Like…

Another galaxy.

Without Tachyon.

Without Lombaxes.

Without… His father. His father that had a target painted on his back the size of Polaris.

Kaden freezes at the thought, staring at his baby son in his arms, who was now calming down to stare back up at him through those green eyes his mother compared to his own so much, jealous that their child took so much after his father instead of his mother.

Kaden wanted to argue against the idea, badly, so badly, but… No matter which way he looked at it, given the situation… It was the only option. To ensure his safety as Marie asked.

Because… If he was going to hide the Dimensionator… Tachyon would know. He would find him. He would interrogate him. And with the lives of all of their people at risk… There was one thing he needed to do to make sure they were just as safe as Kipler, to prevent the Dimensionator falling in Cragmite hands to usher in an apocalypse even worse than this one.

He was going to have to fight Tachyon.

Either he wins, avenging his people, allowing him the chance to raise his son as an actual father, and giving enough time for them to join the rest of the Lombaxes…

Or… The location of the Dimensionator dies with him for good. Where Tachyon would shrivel away and die of old age before even looking at it. To protect the location of his son, too.

Running away forever wasn't an option. Tachyon would murder the entire galaxy if it's what it takes. And as selfish as he wanted to be to keep living, maybe even with his son… He couldn't bear the thought of innocent people dying because of his cowardice.

He had a duty. He signed up for this. And unlike Alister… He was going to do what it takes to fulfill it. No matter the sacrifice.

But even then… It didn't mean he had to be happy about it as he sheds more tears, clutching tightly to his son.

"Why is the universe so cruel, Kipler?" He asks between choked breaths. "What have we done to deserve this?"

Kipler doesn't answer, only gripping onto his father's clothing as Kaden kneels and cries, mourning for the loss of his life.

His home. His people. His wife. His chance to raise his son. Even his own life, if he was being honest with himself.

All gone… Because of one goddamn mistake.

…

It takes Kaden a few minutes to finally calm down before he tries to stand, now aware of the pain in his knees from maintaining his posture for so long. He had one hell of a job ahead of him, and time was precious. As much as he just wants to lay down and die and cry his guts out over how unfair life was, he couldn't afford such a luxury. Too many were counting on him.

His people, his son, and his now late wife. He wouldn't let any of them down if he could goddamn help it.

But as he walks to the doorway of the destroyed nursery of his home, he pauses.

He turns around, looking back at the body of his wife, looking oddly peaceful amidst such a chaotic and horrifying scene of their demolished home while Fastoon is in ruins around them, her eyes closed and arms on her chest, almost like she was just napping.

The sight sends an icy pang into Kaden's heart. A wonderful woman like her deserved a better resting place than… This.

"I'm going to protect him, Marie. Him and everyone else. Then I'm coming back for you." He states with a determined grimace and a nod. "I promise. Just rest."

He gazes on her for a few moments longer before making the walk through his home to the front door, no longer feeling like a person, but a jumbled mess of chaotic emotions of sorrow, terror, anger, fear, and he didn't even know what else. All he knew is that he had a job to do, and the clock was ticking.

Ticking down to his own death, a quiet voice chimed in from the back of his head. It probably wasn't lying.

He feels a numb buzz as he walks down the steps of the stairs, ignoring all the debris in his home. He doesn't bring himself to look at the pictures on the walls, showing happier times with his family and friends. They were all probably dead now, too. Did it really matter at this point?

Well… It did. For one 'friend', at least. A friend who should have listened to him. A friend who betrayed everyone. A friend who killed Marie. A friend who—

Kaden freezes as he steps over his broken-down door and back outside, looking up, making a breath catch in his throat.

A friend who was standing across the yard in front of him, carrying a dual-bladed Praetorian Wrench in one hand, and a broken Dimensionator in the other, staring back at Kaden. Just as frozen.

Neither of them say a word.

It's quiet now, with the Drophyds fully pulled back, leaving the air filled with the sound of crackling flames from burning debris.

A warm wind blows past them, carrying ash along with it, making their eyes sting.

In the distance, a building is heard collapsing from the damages it sustained from a bombing.

It was so quiet that Kaden could hear Alister swallow.

"Where's Marie?" He asks blankly.

Kaden doesn't move.

But then, his eye twitches, as the jumbled mess of emotions inside of him suddenly get along and shift into the crystal-clear feeling of rage as his breathing suddenly grows heavy, a snarl unconsciously curling his lips while his vision is painted red.

He pauses for a moment, remembering the child in his arms, and utilizes the small bit of calmness and clarity inside of him to kneel down and gingerly place Kipler in the grass of their yard, allowing him to lay amidst the soft grass, curiously looking back up at his father.

But then Kaden stands back up, snaps over to Alister, and marches towards him with a furious look of death that made Alister suddenly fear his childhood best friend, but he makes no effort to run away or even move, even as Kaden rears his hand back, and punches him ass hard as he could into Alister's cheek, knocking him down to the ground.

"MARIE IS FUCKING DEAD, ALISTER!" Kaden screams at him before kicking his side, making Alister curl up while placing his hands over his head. "THE LOVE OF MY LIFE IS FUCKING DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO WATCH YOUR WIFE DIE IN YOUR ARMS, ALISTER?! TO TASTE HER BLOOD, HEAR HER LAST BREATH, FEEL HER LIFE DRAINING AWAY?! BECAUSE I DO, AND I FUCKING HATE IT!"

He delivers another kick into Alister's side, making him utter a cry of pain, but Kaden doesn't relent.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO ME ABOUT THAT FUCKING CRAGMITE, ALISTER?! AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE SAID ABOUT HIM, YOU IGNORE ME FOR WHAT?! THE GOOD OF THE GALAXY?! WELL, TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT ALL THE GOOD YOU AND TACHYON HAVE DONE TO THE GALAXY SO FAR, ALISTER! WHO KNEW THAT BURNING FASTOON DOWN WAS SO GOOD FOR THE GALAXY?! I'M SURE MARIE WOULD THANK YOU IF SHE WAS HERE INSTEAD OF LAYING IN A POOL OF HER OWN BLOOD!"

Another kick, making Alister curl up even more, offering no resistance or retaliation, and barely defending himself, too, only uttering pathetic sounds of pain.

"HOW MANY OTHER LOMBAXES DO YOU THINK YOU KILLED, TOO, HUH?! HUNDREDS? THOUSANDS? HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS?! SOME GENERAL YOU ARE! I'M SURE YOU'RE JUST PROUD OF UPHOLDING YOUR SWORN DUTY TO MAKE THE GALAXY A BETTER PLACE, HUH?! AND TO THINK YOU WERE TRYING TO TELL ME A GODDAMN THING ABOUT DUTY, YOU DIRTY, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING, GODDAMN TRAITOR!"

Kaden rears back his leg for another kick into Alister's ribs, but before he can deliver the blow, he suddenly hears something coherent out of Alister's pathetic babbling on thr ground as he covers his head.

"It's all my fault… I'm so sorry… It's all because of me… Please… I'm sorry…" He mumbles, not sure if it was directly to Kaden, or to the universe in general, tears flowing down his cheeks from a combination of guilt and pain in his side and cheek from Kaden's beating.

And for some reason, the sight cools Kaden's rage, almost making him feel pity for Alister, enough to make him lower his leg back down, but not enough to keep him from grimacing while turning away.

"You're goddamn right it's your fault." He says coldly as he walks back to Kipler, laying in the grass, crying from all of Kaden's yelling.

He kneels down to pick him back up, and at being clutched by his father once more, Kipler calms down a bit, looking back up at his father through teary eyes, wearing that innocent look of curiosity that babies always had.

Innocent…

Despite all of his inner turmoil, Kaden felt some… Peace at that thought. That despite the living nightmare they were living in right now that claimed his home, wife, and maybe even himself… His son was going to be spared from this all. He'll go on to live a full life of his own, without his family, but alive and safe and healthy, and spared from remembering all of these horrors at his young age.

The husband and person inside of Kaden was mourning the loss of everything he had suffered, and just selfishly wanted to run away from here as far as possible, not giving a damn about anyone or anything.

But the father inside of him felt relief, and dare say happiness at the knowledge that no matter what, Kipler was going to make it alright. He was going to ensure it.

He stands back up from the ground, knowing that the father inside of him was allied with the soldier inside of him, knowing that he had another duty to fulfill as Keeper, prompting him to turn back around to Alister.

There he saw Alister, no longer curled up on the ground, but instead shakily picking himself up from the ground, leaning heavily on his staff for support, head hanging low in shame.

But as he stares at the ground, he hears footsteps, and a moment later, seeing Kaden's feet stop just before him. Alister closes his eyes, bracing himself for another punch from his childhood friend and brother in arms, but he feels no such thing.

Instead, he hears some shuffling, and he cautiously opens his eyes to see Kaden bending down to pick up the destroyed Dimensionator from the ground and mount it on his back before standing back up.

Then, he hears a deep, angered breath.

"None of this would have happened if it wasn't for you." Kaden speaks sternly, but with an odd calmness behind it. "Our people have lost their home, their dimension, and their lives because of what you did, listening to Tachyon. I don't know if there's ever been a Lombax in history that has done something so uniquely stupid and destructive as what you've done, Alister, but our people will remember it. Forever. You and I both know that."

Alister closes his eyes, feeling stabs of pain not just in his sides or face, but in his heart and soul at every word. To think that the Azimuths were a proud line of Lombaxes and Praetorians, renowned for being among the most upstanding and courageous individuals of their people's history… And now here he was. Having destroyed all of that legacy, failing his family, his people, himself. He almost wished Kaden would just continue punching him instead.

"But… Even despite all of that… You're still my friend, Alister. We grew up together. We're practically brothers. Nothing will change that. Even after all of this." Kaden follows up.

Alister opens his eyes in surprise, and manages to pick his head up to finally meet Kaden's gaze, but instead of a soft expression like what he expected from his words, he instead sees cold fury all over Kaden's face, glaring into his soul.

"But that's the only reason I'm giving you this warning; As long as I'm alive, I never want to see you again."

Another dagger pierces Alister's heart, but he remains silent as Kaden continues.

"Fastoon would still be alive right now if it wasn't for you. Marie would still be alive if it wasn't for you. Tachyon would never have been able to do this if you had just listened to me and refused his goddamn offer. But you didn't. And now, here we are." Kaden states, lazily waving a free hand around, still locking eyes with Alister. "We both know Tachyon's not finished with his job until he finds the Dimensionator, which means he's going to hunt us down, and I have a duty to fulfill. To everyone… And to Marie." He finishes, finally breaking eye contact to instead look back down at Kipler in his arms.

Alister too looks down at Kipler, his unofficial nephew as ordained by his parents… Or rather, was his nephew. As much as that thought pained him, he was just glad to see that Kaden's son was able to survive, at least.

"I'm going to hide Ki—my son." Kaden catches himself, almost calling him 'Kipler' in front of Alister. After everything today, he had lost the right to ever learn his true name. "Somewhere where Tachyon won't find him, like I promised Marie. Then I'm going to hide the Dimensionator, too, and come back to give her a proper final resting place. And once all of that is done… I'm going to confront Tachyon and end this nightmare. Whichever way it will." He finishes grimly.

Alister looks back up from Kipler to look back at Kaden in shock, knowing what he was planning was a step above suicide with the odds so against him, but before he could voice any such protest, he is quickly silenced by a darkly intense stare meeting him back as Kaden scowls.

"And if I ever see you again, Alister, I… I don't know what I'll do." He says coldly, venom dripping from his words, indicating that Kaden very much knew full-well what he'd do, but not having it in him to say it out loud.

Alister remains quiet, never thinking that he'd lose his best friend like this, to hear him say such a thing, knowing that he was marching to his death. Out of everyone, he wanted Kaden to be a victim the least, and yet, here he was. He wanted to argue with him, to offer going in his stead, coming up with a better plan to get him and his son to safety, anything other than this suicide mission that he knew Kaden also knew it damn well was. He wasn't even sure if Kaden cared about dying anymore.

He wanted to say anything and everything… But instead, he simply hangs his head, closing his eyes as tears roll down his cheeks.

"…I understand, Kaden." He whispers.

"Good." Kaden says without an ounce of remorse before he simply starts walking, moving right past him. "Goodbye, Alister. It was nice knowing you."

Alister doesn't attempt to move as he hears the sound of his best friend's footsteps walking away amongst the rubble, barely over the sounds of buildings crumbling from fires in the distance. The footsteps soon fade into silence, and he still doesn't move, even for a few minutes, feeling like his head was spinning now that silence had fallen over Fastoon for the first time since Tachyon attacked. Leaving him alone with his miserable thoughts, and the consequences of his choice.

But then, he hears rumbling, prompting him to finally move as he turns to see a ship fly over the ruined skyline, and into the sky, disappearing behind smoky clouds and off the planet, knowing that it was his best friend that he was never going to see again, and likely to his own death.

Now… He was alone. All alone. The last living Lombax on Fastoon.

No friends. No planet. No allies. No home. Nothing.

And it was all because of him.

He collapses to his knees as it finally overwhelms him that everyone closest to him was dead now, from Kaden, to Marie, to some of his most trusted allies in the Praetorians… They were dead.

In a daze, he reaches into his pocket, and takes out his watch, opening it to gaze upon the photo he and Kaden took when they were first promoted to Generals, and he thought about the oath they had swore to each other.

An oath to always be there for the other, no matter what. Even if one of them should finally bite the dust, the other would be willing to dig down to hell and personally drag them back to the living if need be, so that not even death would do them part.

Marie always joked that it sounded like they platonically married, but neither he nor Kaden cared, because it was a bond forged over nearly their entire lives together, and one they each valued deeply. If they made it to become Generals together from being classmates in grade school, then nothing would separate them.

Alister exhales a shaky breath, staring at his proud self in the photo, remembering how he thought he was going to make the universe a better place.

If only he could go back to that day he gave Tachyon access to their technology, then that oath wouldn't have been broken now. Fastoon would still be here. Kaden would still be here. So many lives would still be here.

But they weren't. Because he listened to Tachyon's false promises of a better galaxy.

If only he could go back to smack sense into that naïve bastard to murder that Cragmite instead of trusting him, then everything would…

Would…

Alister's eyes widen as he snaps out of his melancholy gaze, a sudden realization slamming into him like a freighter as he shifts his gaze over to the proper watch next to the photo.

The watch… The time keeper… Like that project Kaden was researching for the Center before Tachyon started making moves, prompting him to switch to his contingency plan of exploring the multiverse for a new dimension, should the worst come to pass.

It was well over a year ago since Kaden last mentioned it, and even then Alister hardly paid attention to it, as while they were both Praetorian Generals, Kaden was the only scientist nerd between them, and nearly everything went in one year and out the other.

Nearly everything.

He just remembered how absurd his theory sounded… Something about the Zoni and the Fongoids, and some kind of contraption between them that was connected to the space-time continuum itself. A 'Keeper of Time', Kaden called it. Theories that maybe… Just maybe… Could make time travel possible.

If something like that truly existed, then there was a chance for him to fix his mistake. To bring back those who died in the onslaught. To reunite with his friend, and save him from his inevitable death.

Alister looks back to Kaden's image, standing just as proud as he himself was, and he feels the grief and sorrow slowly fade from his body as it is replaced by firm determination and will, knowing that it was one hell of a longshot, but if there was even the smallest chance… He had to do it.

Hell or high water. Not even death will do them part, goddammit.

Alister looks up at the darkening sky where Kaden's ship disappeared, standing up from his kneeling position not with shaky weakness, but with strength and hope that things will change.

"I will fix this." He says aloud with a stern hope as he grips onto his staff with a renewed vigor. "I will fix this. I don't know how, but I'll fix everything, Kaden. No matter what it takes."

He looks over his should and back to Kaden's destroyed home, knowing that Kaden kept nearly everything about his projects in his basement workshop, from gadgets, tools, and notes. Taking his staff, he begins to walk towards the bashed-down door as he wipes the tears from his eyes with a stiff, sober expression.

If he was going to uphold their oath and drag his friend back from the dead, he had better start digging.

---

It's actually pretty fun rewriting old stuff for two reasons:

One, I get to see just how much I've improved as a writer by cringing at my old shit and doing it better whilst asking things like;

- "WHY DID I THINK IT WAS OKAY TO MIX PAST AND PRESENT TENSE LIKE THIS?!"

- "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SPACING?! THIS SHIT IS TOO HARD TO READ, WHY IS DIALOGUE JUST RANDOMLY IN THE MIDDLE OF PARAGRAPHS?! DON'T BE SCARED OF THE ENTER KEY, PAST ME, FUCK"

- "WHY ARE THEY TALKING LIKE THAT?! PEOPLE DON'T TALK LIKE THAT YOU DUMB FUCK"

- "WHY ARE THEY MOVING SO QUICKLY PAST TRAUMATIZING SHIT, I WANT TO FEEL THEIR SUFFERING GODDAMMIT"

Secondly, writing is a lot more fun when you don't have to sit down and figure out what the actual fuck the plot is supposed to be when you already have all the plot figured out by actually having the whole thing published beforehand, lmao. Now I get to focus on fun things like better dialogue and angst, and I even have the luxury of copy-pasting shit I already wrote if I ever feel stuck on how to actually write a scene, lol.

Anyway, I don't know how long it'll take to complete a full rewrite of Lost Time like this, as I plan on this being a little side-project to work on if I have writer's block or something on my main stuff, so that I have something 'easy' to write in case I'm ever feeling creatively stuck. Plus, yay, college is in again, with a new and improved schedule that give me even less time than before!

So, yeah. There's the beginning of a rewrite of my pride and joy that kicked off my entry to this fandom and lead me to meeting so many friends (and my girlfriend, even)!

I've gotta say that having to rewrite all of this crappy writing in the original makes me absolutely baffled as to how this story got so popular with writing this questionable lmao, so thank you to you all for managing to put up with this cringy garbage the first go around!

Until next time!