21 Memories

Jageria Flew over to the wall and placed her hand on it. "Oh, I can feel its mana running through me!" She said. "If I just move this here… And just this there… Okay!"

A small hole opened in the wall big enough for the two of them to fit through.

"How did you do that?" Zell asked.

"Well, the wall isn't really there." Jageria replied. "It is just a construct of divine mana, so I used some of him to create a dam when gave us this hole. Now come, come!" She pulled him through.

The duo continued to fly. The black space ground them slowly became lines of light and color that shot by them. Eventually those lines formed images. They were all of Zell's repressed memories.

"I knew you were an old man!" Jageria said. "But just look at the world you came from!" She was amazed by the images of televisions, cars, phones, planes, trains, and everything else. "Most of these are so happy. Look here is one where you had your first kid. Here's another of your wedding. So many happy memories. Of course, it appears eighty percent of them are your job. Goodness you worked hard in this life."

"The memory of my family's death." Zell said. "That's the one that triggers the skill."

"I'm looking for it, kid!" Jageria complained. "It's like it is hiding from us, as if even though we are past your skill, your mind still does not want to see it."

Hours passed of the two watching memories of Zell's life as Gary. They learned so much about Earth and about his life. Hours turned into days and still they could not find the memory. Days became weeks and weeks became months until they finally found what they were looking for.

"Here it is the day it all happened." Jageria said. "I want you to process it. I want you to see it, to feel it but to keep your control. Yes, they were your family, but that you are no longer alive. You are a completely different person now, so try to keep it separate."

"Alright." Zell said.

Jageria reached out and touched the memory. In an instant the two found themselves inside of it. Zell watched himself open the door. He watched as he found the corpses of his family. He could feel his pain, he knew the pain. He began to cry.

"Remember you are a different person now." Jageria reminded him. "Do not let the emotion overtake you."

Her words were of little comfort as the wave of emotion hit Zell like a tsunami. He cried out in sorrow and rage. The flood of emotion again caused his power to grow unchecked and the entire memory began to shake.

Jageria grabbed him tightly and pulled him out of the memory. "You were losing it." She said. "You must control your emotions."

"It was horrible." Zell said. "I could feel it, I remembered all the pain, the heartbreak. I don't know how I am supposed to not." Being pulled out severed his direct link with his past self and thus ended the wave of emotions. Outside of the memory he felt as if they were two separate people. However, on the inside of the memory he felt as if they were one in the same.

"We will keep at it until you overcome this hardship." Jageria said as she rewound the memory and then went back inside, pulling Zell along with her.

They repeated this process again and again, until finally one day Zell did not lose control.

Back in the kingdom Rose was making quite the name for herself. She spread rumors of the night they were attacked by Xalrend, claiming her to be the hero and Zell to be a secondary attacker in league with the savages that seek to destroy civilization. She wormed her way into an audience with her uncle.

"What can I do for you young hero?" The king said.

"You know what I and the people of this kingdom desire." She said boldly, not even bowing to her uncle.

"I see my brother has failed to teach you even the slightest bit of etiquette my dear niece." The king sighed. "I understand you want my job one day, but that day will not be today. It may not be any day. For I may have a child one day."

"No uncle." Rose said coldly. "I have divine providence to be queen. Simply having an heir does not grant you the authority to defy the will of the gods."

"Niece I have put up with your insolence for far too long." The king said. "Do not make me do something that you will regret."

"Fine!" Rose said as she turned her back on the king. "If you want to do it the hard way we can. It's more fun that way anyway."

"Tell me uncle, do you think any of your soldiers is a match to me?" Rose said as she left. "Do you think anyone in the kingdom could stand up to me, who killed an elder dragon in single combat? Your days are numbered uncle, one way or another I will have that throne. I gave you a chance to hand it over peacefully, remember that when you regret your life choices."

"Guards!" The king yelled out, having had enough of his niece's tirade. "Seize her and lock her into the dungeon. Maybe a few years in the dungeon will calm you down little would be queen."

"Oh?" Rose grinned a wicked smile and placed her hand upon her sword. "Do you guards want to go?" She said as she made a lunging motion towards them. The guards jumped back in fear and gasped. "I thought so. Remember uncle I will be back for your crown, do be sure to have it polished for me." With that she left the throne room and slammed the doors behind her.

"What an intimidating child." One guard said to another.

"I feel as if she would have killed us where we stood." Another guard replied.

The king just fell back into his throne and cupped his face with his hands. "What a monster you have created, my brother." She said softly. "To be so small and so terrifying."