Lost Memories
Keith POV
"I-I'm part GALRA?" I asked. I was sitting on the floor, breathing heavily. He handed me my knife, which I had dropped as some point. "Rise, and take your blade." He said. I struggled to stand, and took the knife. "Stand back." Kolivan ordered, and everyone took a step back. Then, to their shock and mine, the knife started to glow, and it morfed into a sword. "He has awoken the blade." One of the agents declared. It was one of the ones that brought me in. "But-but how? Does that mean I'm part Galra too?" Shiro asked. Kolivan raised an eyebrow. "Why would you be part Galra?" "Well, I'm his brother." Shiro said, and Kolivan's eyes widened. "This is really what you believe?" He asked, looking back and forth between the two of us. I nodded. "Yes. He's my brother." "Kolivan, perhaps his mother used the forget-me-stick on him." The same agent said. "Antok, that was cute when you were a child. It's not anymore. The EME wouldn't leave him with any memories. She'd have to have created them herself. And if she had, she wouldn't have left the knife." "What are you talking about?" I asked. "What's the forget-me-stick? What's an EME? I completed your stupid trials, so tell me what I want to know." I said, getting annoyed.
First, they tackle me, steal my knife, accuse me of stealing, beat the crap out of me, and now they won't give me a straight answer? What the fuck? "The EME is an piece of equipment that Blades who are on spy missions have. It cause whoever they zap with it to forget seeing them. They can also implant memories in your mind." "So what? What are you saying?" This was getting more and more confusing by the second. "She implanted memories in your mind of your time with Shiro. You are not brothers. Not by blood." I took a step back as me and Shiro stared at him in shock. "We'll need to attach you to some of our equipment in order for the older memories to resurface." "Wait wait wait, you're saying that my entire childhood is a lie?" I asked."Keith, what exactly about your childhood do your remember?" Kolivan asked. "Um, bits and pieces. Not a lot before being in the system with Shiro." I answered shamefully. I really didn't remember anything about it. "So it's possible that you two were just grouped together. Made as siblings." "No. We are. Just because I don't remember it doesn't mean it isn't real. you're saying my entire life as a child is a lie?" I asked, and Kolivan shook his head. "Only parts of it. No doubt your earliest memories, or anything about your parents. Now come. The process is a long and difficult one." He walked out of the room, motioning for us to follow.
He led us too a relatively small room, with lots of computer screens and some big tables. "Here. Lie down, and we will attach the proper technology. But be warned, this can cause severe pain. Your mind will consciously be fighting itself, trying to hold on to what it believes is real. It will be fighting the truth of your childhood. It may believe that it is protecting itself from harmful memories, and in turn reject the undoing of the fabricated memories. It's also very possible that she only used it on your memories of her, and it affected you, also tampering your memories of your father. Your half Galra DNA might react differently to our technology then full-blooded Galra. It could have hidden them, and replaced them with your current memories. You might forget those things. Are you sure you still wish to proceed?" Kolivan said. I nodded. "Yes." "Keith, are you sure? This sound dangerous." Shiro said. "Shiro, I have to. If it helps me find out anything, anything at all about my mother.... I need to take the risk." "But you might forget our childhood together. All the things we did." Shiro protested. "Those were fake. Given the apparent age difference between you two, I assume she put him in your family when you were young. You would barely remember those things now, even if they were real. You both must undergo the process. It is of the upmost importance." Kolivan declared. "But why? Why can't I just keep believing that they're real?" Shiro asked. "You can believe they are real. We aren't seeking to destroy your memories, only resurface the true ones. You will still have them, they will just be.. different." One of the Blades said. "Shiro, please." I pleaded. "I have to know." He looked at me for a second, surveying the physical damage that had been done to me, along with my pleading eyes. He sighed and hung his head. "Fine. But I still don't like this." Kolivan nodded. "Good. Regeris, prepare them.
Regeris set about attaching wires to us, and messing with the computers. "Alright, are you ready?" He asked, and me and Shiro nodded. "Alright. Initiating sequence." The machines started humming, and then the wires started moving, and everything went black.
Then, I was back in the shack/house. And the man was there again. But this time, he was holding something. I stepped closer and realized, that that something, was me. "He's adorable, isn't he?" He asked. "Yes. Lucky for him, he has your human genes. Otherwise you'd be holding a purple furry child." a voice said, and my dad laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Do you wanna hold him?" "Of course. He's my son." My dad stepped forward, and everything went white.
Then I was outside, in a parking lot. "Hey Keith. You ready for your first day of day care?" He asked. The little kid next to him, apparently me, who was 3, maybe 4, shook his head silently. "No? Why not?" He asked, kneeling down next to me. "I don't wanna go." I muttered. "But you have to. That way you can learn, and you can make friends." He said softly. "Is mommy gonna be there?" I asked, and his smile fell. "No buddy. She's up there now." He said, gesturing to the sky. I looked up. "She's in space?" I asked, and my dad laughed. "Yeah buddy, she is. but if you go to day care, then you get to go to school. And at school, you learn, and if you do well, maybe one day you'll go to space too." He stood and offered me his hand. "Now come on, let's get you to day care. You don't want to miss your first day do you?" I shook my head and took his hand, and together we walked into the school.
Then, I was outside, surrounded by a bunch of different people There was a building on fire,, and everyone was watching it intently. "As you can see, the fire behind me has grown into massive proportions. The apartment complex is almost completely burned down, and there are still three people trapped inside." Some reporter said, then some men came bursting out of the building, carrying people. "Oh, but it looks like the fire crew had gotten two more of them out. There's only one person left inside." "Dad! Dad!" I called, and he looked at me and smiled. "Hey buddy." "CHIEF! TEX! There's still one more person inside, but the buildings about to collapse. What do we do?" Another man said, running up to him. "We get them out." My dad said, a look of determination setting on his face. "But-but sir, it's to dangerous. If we send someone in, they might die." "And if we don't send someone in, then that person is definitely going to die. We have to at least try. I'm going in." "But-but sir-" "I know the risk. And I'm willing to take it." My dad said, and the other fireman relented. "Alright. Be careful chief." My dad smiled. "I always am." Then, I ran over to him, tears on my face. "Dad! Daddy!" I cried, and he smiled at me, picking me up and pulling me into a hug. "Don't go!" I cried, clinging to him tightly. "I have to buddy. But don't worry, I'll come back. Okay?" He kissed my cheek. "I love you Keith." "I love you too daddy." I replied, and he set me down. The other fireman led me farther away from the fire as my father stepped back into it.
It was silent for a minute, and you could've heard a pin drop. Then a BOOM was heard, and another, and another. I heard a scream from inside, and something break. Then a figure appeared in the fire, holding someone else. A cheer went up from the people. My dad had made it, and he had gotten the other person. But then another BOOM went, and the building started falling down. My dad started running towards us, the limp person in his arms slowing him down. One final BOOM sounded, loud and clear, and the building fell, and I saw my father become engulfed in flames. The fireman covered me with his body, and I screamed. Loud and high pitched. "DADDY!"
Then I was in a graveyard, staring at a tombstone. "Here lies Texas Kogane. XXXX-XXXX. Father, friend, and leader." I was maybe 4, and had tears streaming down my face.
Then I was in a office, alone. A hand appeared on my shoulder, a big one, covered in a black glove. "Hello Keith. I'm going to take you home, okay?" They said, and I nodded silently.
Then, I saw my first memory with Shiro. We were outside, and we were headed to school. "Come on Keith! Let's go, we're gonna be late!" He called, and I came running out. "I'm coming! I'm here! Shiro, don't leave without me!" I yelled, crashing into him and grabbing his leg.
Then I see him picking me up, and throwing me in the air.
Was that fake? Was any of it real? Was Shiro not my brother? Was my life a lie? Was James real? Was what we had real? More parts of my life passed before my eyes. First day if school, going to Six Flags for the first time, Michael and John, Cornyval, meeting Adam. My first day at the Garrison, meeting James and the others. The fight, the hover bike, the sims. James and me at Cornyval, my birthday, our first kiss. Sims, Mario Kart with the others. Going to the beach, the workouts. Shiro leaving, them saying he's dead. The cuts, the crying. James's smile and laughter. Adam with his ring, Lance with his little cousins. Kinkade, Ina, Rizavi, Veronica,Hunk, Pidge. Fighting Lance, decking Iverson, getting kicked out, seeing James at the beach. His birthday, finding the blue lion, all of it. Everything flashed in my eyes in just a second.
But was it real? Was any of it real?