Rewind the Past (Futureshipping)

Chapter 10

"Master, we are back! The city...we did it! Nobody is in the city anymore. They're all safe!" Acronix rose his attention from the sword he was caressing.
The squad jumped down their dragons and entered the monastery. Nya scratched her arm and sighed. She dropped on the bench, right next to Acronix. The long haired man turned his head and looked at her. He was surprised that the girl had decided to sit next to him. He observed Nya creating a floating sphere of water, from her hand. She played with it, sliding her fingers on the smooth, cold surface.

"Where did you bring them?" Master Wu asked. Cole took a small map from a bag he was holding and, once he had put it on the table, he pointed a small 'X', between two islands. "They're here. In the Corridor of the Forgotten. Krux will never find them."
Wu nodded, running his fingers through his beard. "Very well." He commented. He then turned around. "Acronix, show me your arm. The broken one." The Master of Time swallowed. It was weird, having seven pairs of eyes on him. Without a word, he extended the arm on the rough wood table. The old Master untied the bandages and removed the sticks. The fingertips were purple, maybe a little red. "Can you move it?" Acronix bent the arm. The elbow creaked slightly, but it wasn't the bone; just the cartilage.
"Does it hurt?" The youngest twin shook his head. "I...I hope it will heal...for when he comes."

He felt a knot forming in his stomach. He played with the bandage, left in front of him. Jay shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. Everyone in the room looked at him. "T...the armour is ready. W...would you like to try it?"
Acronix looked at him and thought for a few seconds.
He didn't know about what or why. But his mind was busy...maybe too much.
Nya snapped her fingers right under his nose, bringing him back to the reality. "Will you...will you try the armour?" Jay asked again, once he had the other's attention on him again. Acronix nodded, excited. "Yes, yes!" A big bright smile appeared on his face. He almost jumped up. His eyes glared at Cyrus. The inventor's cheeks had a light pink shade; he loved Acronix's smile. Seeing him happy was better than...anything else.
He knew how hard was for him to be around people that used to hate him, injured, without his twin, mostly because Krux was the reason why he was there.
Jay went back, holding the armour in his hands, a proud expression on his face. On the shoulder and on the plate on the chest, he had carved a clock.
Acronix's copper eyes shined, examining the armour. The weight was incredibly light. The Master of Time slid his fingers on the smooth surface; his heart was beating fast, excited and amazed for how incredible the armour was, but scared at the same time. He should have use that, to fight his own brother.

"Try it on." Borg's voice snapped him out of his trance. He gritted his teeth, moving the broken arm. "Here, let me help you." Nya helped him slide the arm in the armour's sleeve and adjusted the plate on his chest. She tied the straps around his arm and chest and stepped back.

Acronix clenched his fist a couple times and moved his wrist and fingers. He bent the arm and nodded. "It...it feels great.- He said after a couple minutes. -Thank you. Thank you everybody!"
Cyrus passed him a...something, wrapped in a brown cloth. The long haired man tried to understand what was it. "Take the cloth off, Acronix." Wu suggested. Once the cloth was removed, Acronix felt his stomach twitch. It was the same weapon he had used when he betraied the alliance of the Elemental Masters. He recognized the scratch along the blade.
He wrapped his fingers around the grip. He could see the reflex of his eyes on the blade.
But his eyes...were Krux's eyes as well and it was hard to look at it. He turned his head and lowered the weapon.
The inventor tilted his head and sighed. It broke his heart, to see the youngest twin with a destroyed expression like that.

"Acronix, can I talk to you, for a moment, please?" Acronix left the sword on the table and followed the man, in another room. To the opposite wall, there was hung a paint; it was a battle, between two different Samurai army. In the corner, there was a small table with a bonsai on it.
Acronix wandered around the room. A shy sunshine, stabbed the window, landing on the floor. The Master of Time tapped his fingers on the surface of the window and sighed, lowering his head.
"I'm scared, Cyrus." He admitted, breaking the silence. He didn't see the inventor, but he was sure he had rose is eyebrows. "Why are you scared? What scares you?" Borg wheeled next to him and leant a hand on his arm. "I can't fight him. He's my brother and he's everything is left of our family. I...I can't fight him."

"Why? What scares you?" Acronix gritted his teeth and turned his head to the inventor. "I'm not like him! Krux has never been so violent! He...changed." He let out a deep sigh and lowered his head. "He is changed. And I don't know what happened." Borg stroked Acronix's hair and nodded. "You want to help him, right?"

"Yes! Of course I want to help him!"
"But you can't help him, if you don't confront him."
"I don't want to hurt him! I can't fight him. I...I'm not strong enough..."

Cyrus took Acronix's hands and made him look at him. "Acronix, you're the greatest warrior I've ever seen. A war machine, you never give up on anything! But...you've got a big heart, Acronix and I can understand it's hard to ignore what it says. What does you heart tells you?"
The Master of Time thought for a minute, his head low. Then, he finally answered: "It says to...avoid fighting Krux. But my mind...it tells me it's the right thing to do."
Borg sighed. "I know it's hard. But...do the right thing, okay?" Acronix lowered his head, but nodded. He wasn't used to fight his mind and heart at the same time. Fighting Krux would have meant protect Cyrus and the others, but he didn't want to hurt his twin. That was hard.

Borg smiled at him and caressed the back of his hands. "Acronix, look at me, please." The youngest looked away. He didn't want to meet Borg's eyes and risk for him to read inside his soul. He was scared, of the last person who would have hurt him.
He didn't hear Cyrus asking to look at him, for the second time.

Borg dragged him down. Acronix turned his head to him in disbelief. For the second time, his lips met Cyrus'. Incredibly, he felt a strange, yet pleasant warmth, grow inside his body.
He closed his eyes and, before he knew, he had Borg's strong arms, wrapped around him.
"I don't know what to do...- Acronix whispered, his voice broken. -I'm scared to do the wrong thing and...ruin everything. I don't know what to do..." The inventor caressed Acronix's hair, while soflty talking to him. "You won't ruin anything, Kitten."
Borg felt his own face burn. Why did he call him Kitten? What..? Why?! He knew Acronix wouldn't like that nickname.
But when he looked at the Twin, he had his eyes and attention fixed to the void. "I know you're scared. You're not used to have your brother against you. Fighting your own family is...is not easy. But I'm sure you'll find the right thing to do." He left a kiss on Acronix's head.
"I want to save him..." Acronix said. It was like he was pleading an invisible God.
He knew he couldn't avoid that fight, only delay it.

He buried his face in Borg's stomach and sighed, drowning in the nice feeling of Borg's hand playing with his long, soft hair.  He didn't know what to say to make him feel better, but even if he does, Acronix was...absent. His eyes were fixed on the floor, observing a small beetle; the shell was green and blue and it shined under the light of the dying sun. The insect ran across the room and disappeared in a hole in the wall. The Time Twin closed his eyes, exhaling the air from his nose.