See You Yesterday

Chapter 33: Elvin

'And all I loved, I loved alone.'- Edgar Allen Poe.
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I am lounging on a not very high up tree branch when I see him storming towards me, his cloak being flung behind him with every step.

"Where is she?" He yells up.

I jump down and land perfectly, as usual. "Where's who?"

"Zanna," he replies. "I need to speak with her."

"Whatever you have to say to her, Alexander, you can say to me," I tell him.

"Okay then, Elvin. I was just sitting in my study, thinking, and then all of a sudden, I had a flashback to a memory I didn't even know was mine. I was only a child and I saw Mac and Rydian and Jay, who should not have been able to even walk at that point, never mind talk, and they were with Leonardo, on the day he was meant to have been locked away before being banished. Any explanations?"

The only explanation I have is that Leonardo and the others have messed things up, big time, however I laugh, in an attempt to dissuade him. "Nonsense! I've never heard of such a thing. It's impossible. I think you're just a bit delusional, Alex."

"How do you explain the disappearances of Mac and her merry gang of imbeciles then?" He asks.

"Who?" I say.

"Oh, you're no help!" He cries, sitting down upon a rock.

I look at the leader, but instead of seeing him, I weirdly only see the innocent, brave and intelligent little boy he once used to be. I walk over to him and squat down to his level on the rock. "Is that really what you came here to say?"

He sighs and his hair flops into his eyes. "I'm just so worried about him," he whispers.

"Derythian? He'll be fine! He has Gale with him, and that girl is probably one of the- if not the- most intelligent and resourceful people I know. She'll keep him right," I say.

"But can he keep himself right?" He whispers, his voice slightly croaky.

"He's not a child, Alexander. He's intelligent and gifted and responsible," I explain.

He puts his head in his hands. "I know. I just... I never even spend any time with him. I've been so hard on him, as well. And his friend, Quinn. I was cruel to her. I just don't want Derythian finding out what she did."

"And what did she do?" I ask.

"She was the one who killed my parents," he answers softly.

"Oh," I say. "I see."

Zanna is beside me, appearing from within the trees. "Help you?" She says to Alexander.

He tells her what he told me, and Zanna's face stays blank throughout the whole of the time he is speaking, but her façade falters when Leonardo is mentioned.

"I see," she says, when Alex has finished speaking.

"I'm probably just worrying," Alexander says, more to himself than us. "As for the missing Mac, Rydian and Jay...Will you look into it?"

"On it as soon as possible," Zanna promises, throwing me a worried look.

"I'm so lucky to have people like you two on my side. Always honest, loyal and hardworking. When I grow up... I want to be just like you," he says, grinning.

Zanna glances at me with a guilty expression on her face, but I just laugh at our leader jovially.

He is about to walk away when suddenly there is an almighty crash and two people are tumbling onto the ground. I make them out to be Derythian and Quinn.

"Get off me!" He yells at her.

Quinn scrambles off him and places a good amount of distance between herself and him.

Alexander is in front of his brother as soon as he's on his feet. "Derythian!" He cries in bewilderment. "What are you doing here? Never mind that, actually!" Alex babbles. "You are in so much trouble, leaving like that when I told you you'd be leaving at dawn. Do you realise how worried I've been?"

"All this time!" Derythian spits at his brother, ignoring the question. "All this time, and you knew?!"

When Derythian looks at Quinn with a fire in his eyes, it is clear that he is now aware of what Alexander has just told me about his parents.

"Derythian, there was no need for you to know, it was an accident," Alexander says calmly, acknowledging the connection.

"An accident that killed our parents, Alex!" He returns.

Quinn is shaking and jerking with her tears in the corner, inconsolable.

"I'm sorry, Derythian," Alex says. "I didn't think you'd want to know."

"Of course not," Derythian replies with venom. "Because you never think of me, do you?"

"I try, D, please understand that," Alex pleads. "But... Why? Why did you return?"

"Because it's too much! Finding out about her," he says, jerking his thumb in the direction of Quinn, "And then to top it all off-"

Alexander reads his mind. "Where are Gale and Charlie?"

Derythian's eyes widen. "They aren't here?"

"They aren't with you?" I ask quizzically.

Derythian shakes his head.

"Find them, Derythian," Alexander says. "If they're lost in time, they've more of a chance of giving themselves away and changing the past."

"Okay," Derythian says, inhaling deeply.

He gets into position, and Quinn wipes away her tears and rushes forwards, ready to grab on. Derythian seems shocked by the very idea of this.

"It's probably better if you stay here," he says to her.

"W-what?" She asks. "I w-want to help!"

"Please," he says calmly, although his tightened jaw says otherwise about his mood.

Quinn sniffs, looks at her feet, and slowly nods her head, before being pulled from Derythian by Zanna.

Then Derythian is gone as quickly as he came.