Kid Eternity #4

Cory, Erin, Izzy, and Chase stared at the all-black figure standing in the blown-out wall of the hospital room. “I am Kid Eternity and I am going to destroy the false ringbearer!” it shouted as it glared at Cory.

“Seriously?” Cory asked. “I just came out of surgery. Can this wait a week or so?”

“Sepulchre thought destroying the Yongheng Temple would end having a ringbearer. Clearly that didn’t happen. Sepulchre created me in order to finally rid the world of a ringbearer,” the shadowy Kid Eternity explained. “Enough talking. Welcome to die,” he flew toward Cory but was blocked by a clear shield. He ran into it hard, cracking the shield, and fell to the floor.

“Yoshi,” Cory exclaimed.

“I got here just in time. I grabbed your ring for you. Thought you might need it,” Yoshi tossed the ring to Cory who put it on.

“Thanks. What is this thing?” Cory slowly got out of bed and had the ring change his hospital gown into something more comfortable.

“It was created by Sepulchre from darkness and nothing. I’m not sure what he plans to do with it,” Yoshi said.

The dark Kid Eternity stumbled back to his feet.

“I just wish Sepulchre would face me on his own. We can kill each other or not and we can get on with our lives,” Cory gave a little stretch then grabbed his side where his stitches were. “Ow. Can I have a rain check on a fight? Maybe when I’m feeling a hun…” the dark creature quickly jumped onto Cory and began striking Cory repeatedly. “Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow,” he said. He used the ring to push the dark Kid Eternity off of him and attempted to pin him underneath a rock creation.

“Are you okay?” Izzy asked.

“Everything hurts,” Cory creaked. “This has to end because I don’t think Dark Kid Eternity--Bizarro Kid Eternity?--will stop at me but try to kill all of you, too.”

Using the ring, Cory created some armor to cover his body and protect his wound. He launched himself at the Dark Kid Eternity and threw it at the hole it had made in the wall. He then flew into it at full strength and they slammed into the pavement below.

A sharp knife-like thing shot out of Cory’s fist and he began stabbing the Dark Kid Eternity repeatedly in the chest, neck, and face.

“Can’t you help him?” Erin shouted at Yoshi. “I thought you were in control of all time.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” Yoshi muttered.

The hitting and the stabbing stopped. Cory stood up. “Nearly had to cut his head off but I stopped him. I know that I’m supposed to stay here overnight but I just want to go home.”

It was nearly two hours before Cory and Erin arrived home. Cory took off the ring and collapsed into his bed.




Several months had passed. Cory hadn’t put on the ring since the night of his appendectomy. School had let out for the summer and Izzy was going to a camp for the first month.

“I’m going to miss you,” she said to Cory.

“I’m going to miss you, too,” they held hands and then gently kissed.

“I could always stay or even just leave tomorrow,” she said.

“No, you couldn’t. You already paid for your ticket. You are going to have so much fun over the next month. Make sure you write,” Cory softly placed his hand on Izzy’s cheek.

“I will. You and Chase have a good summer.”

They kissed again, more passionately this time, then Izzy boarded the train. Cory watched the train although he didn’t see Izzy. When the train was out of sight, Cory left the depot. The train raced through the countryside. Izzy wasn’t watching everything to by, she was leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed listening to music.

The train continued on. Miles from anywhere, the train hit a slight buckle in the track and tipped over. It crashed hard on the ground and slid several hundred feet before landing still in a ravine.

Kid Eternity #3

“It’s so great that you are letting me do this, Mom,” Cory said as he helped his Mom, Erin, in the kitchen. Cory was mixing together cheese crackers, Chex, and other things into a giant bowl.

“You’ve been asking for Chase and Izzy to spend the night for a long time. I figured that it was time to finally say yes,” Erin said.

A sharp pain went up through Cory’s side. “Ow,” he grabbed at his side.

“Are you okay?” Erin asked.

“Yeah, I think it’s nerves. Although I don’t know why I’d be nervous.”

“Maybe you’re hungry. Have one of these sandwiches or something from the veggie tray,” Erin pointed.




When Chase and Izzy arrived, Cory was in the bathroom. The pain in his side was now a constant throb. He got up off the toilet and pulled up his pants. “Well, didn’t have to poop,” he sighed as washed his hands.

Erin let in Chase and Izzy. Cory came downstairs and greeted his friends. “Hey, Cory,” Izzy smiled at him.

“Hi, Izzy. It’s great to see you,” he hugged his friends.

“We just saw each other yesterday at school. And Facebook Messaged last night and this morning,” Chase said.

“If you’re going to have this attitude all night, Chase, then you can just leave,” Cory said.

“Nah. I see you have nachos over there,” Chase said and walked over to the table of food.

“Well, looks like it’s just you and me tonight, Izzy. What do you want to do?”

“What do you think?” she smiled slyly then pulled a video game out of her bag.




The three of them played video games for the next couple of hours while snacking on the food at the dining room table and in the kitchen. Cory’s pain was nearly non-existent although if he moved just the right way then it would twinge with pain but he kept anything he felt hidden.

After eating a bit more, the three of them began watching a scary movie. They gathered more food, turned down the lights, and dove onto the couch. Izzy sat close to Cory who, acting like it was more comfortable, put his arm around her.

About halfway through the movie, there came a rapping on the window--a metal on glass sound. “What was that?” Izzy asked. “It sounded like something tapping on the window.”

“It’s probably just a branch of the bush out there,” Cory said and pulled Izzy closer to him. His side twinged with pain again and made a sudden sharp breath through his teeth.

“You okay?” Izzy asked him.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Outside, a man dressed in black walked around the house. The house was mostly dark except for a light on upstairs and the glow of the TV. The dining room window was lower to the ground, easy to just step in. Just a swipe and…

The man threw his hand at the window. The metal fingers shattered the glass. The man lept into the house. “Where is the ringbearer?” he shouted, seeing the three teens now standing in the living room.

Cory jumped over the couch, aiming his ringed fist at the man. “Who are you?” Cory asked, bringing up a shield to block the knives he had as fingers.

“I am Fingerknives,” the man responded. “I was sent by Sepulcher to kill the new ringbearer.”

“Good luck with that,” Cory used the shield to push Fingerknives back out the window. “Call the police,” he shouted back at Izzy and Chase.

Erin came running downstairs. “What’s going on--oh my God, Cory!” she freaked out seeing her son fighting with a man who had knives for fingers.

Cory just tried to contain Fingerknives until the police could come but Fingerknive’s fingers were so sharp that he was able to cut through the ring’s creations. One of the knives came through and scratched Cory on the cheek. He leapt off of Fingerknives to regain his composure. Fingerknives lunged at Cory. Cory quickly moved his ring hand but his side began spasming in pain and he went down to his knees.

“Finally,” Fingerknives said as he held an arm above his head. He quickly brought it down toward Cory’s neck. A football hit Fingerknives on the side of the head, his arm moved and a couple of knives went into Cory’s shoulder blade.

“Chase,” Izzy chided.

“Sorry,” Chase shrugged. “Better his shoulder than his neck and spine.”

“What is going on?” Erin wondered loudly.

“I’ll deal with you three in a minute,” Fingerknives said. He brought down his hand again but this time stopped, a shocked expression on his face.

Cory pulled a knife he had created with the ring out of Fingerknive’s gut. Fingerknives fell to the ground. A couple of police cars were rushing down the street.

“Cory, are you okay?” Erin and Izzy ran to Cory.

“Call an ambulance,” Cory groaned and fell over while clutching his side.




“A burst appendix,” Erin sighed and sat down next to Izzy and Chase. “He’s probably been suffering with the pain all day. He never said anything.”

“I noticed he was moving differently but didn’t think anything of it,” Izzy said. “And I understand that a burst appendix can be dangerous but why aren’t we talking about Cory basically being a superhero?”

“Yeah, when did that happen?” Erin asked.

“And how’d he keep it a secret?”

“He had a little help,” Chase said.

“You knew?” the women said at the same time.

“I was there when it happened,” Chase gave a hint of a smile.

“What?” again in unison.

“Ms. Buchanan? Can I have a word with you?” a doctor came into the waiting room. Erin and the doctor stepped to the side. “I don’t want to alarm you but Cory doesn’t have a heartbeat. He actually doesn’t have any vital signs.”

“What? He’s dead?” she felt weak and teared up.

“I think you should have a talk with your son.”

Just minutes from being operated on, Cory was very pale and sweaty. He was also very weak. “All right, Cory. What’s going on?”

“I’m having my appendix out. Well, what’s left of it,” he groaned.

“You know what I’m talking about. The ring. That Fingerknives guy.”

“I’m the ringbearer now. It’s a long story. Can I please just have my appendix out now?”

“Yes but we’re talking later.”




After the surgery and a little after, Cory was awake and Erin, Chase, and Izzy were in the room with him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I should’ve told you.”

“Is your lack of vital signs related to whatever this is?” Erin asked.

“Yes. I was chosen as the ringbearer after I died,” Cory explained.

“You…? You’re dead?” Erin couldn’t breathe.

“But I’m feeling much better now,” Cory smiled.

“It’s not funny, Cory,” Izzy said. “You’re dead.”

“But I’m not though. I’m still here. I can still grow up. I still have a future. I needed to be dead so that I can go through the time stream and all that,” Cory tried his best to explain but no one seemed to like it. “I had no choice. I was chosen.”

“That makes it worse,” Erin sighed.

The outer wall of the hospital room exploded. Someone, completely in black, stood on the edge of the building. “I am Kid Eternity and I am going to destroy the false ringbearer!” the being shouted as it glared at Cory.

Kid Eternity #2

The entire gym class stood in two lines underneath the ropes. “I can’t believe the state requires students to know how to climb a rope,” Izzy said. She was in one line while Cory and Chase were in the other.

“I suspect it’s for some kind of Hunger Games scenario,” Chase said.

“Ha! Sucks to be the next generation,” Cory laughed. Cory stuck his hand in the pocket of his gym shorts and found a note. “What the…?” he pulled it out and read it.

2907 waits.
Hope you like politics.
-Yoshi C

“Well, at least he didn’t use ‘afoot’ this time,” Chase said.

“How did he get this in my pocket?” Cory asked.

“How did who get what in your pocket?” Issy asked.

“Nothing,” Cory said. “How am I supposed to get out of class? Coach Rockne will never excuse me.”

“I have a plan. Follow my lead,” Chase whispered. “Damn, Cory. What did you eat this morning? Did you shart yourself? How long ago did you die?”

“Really?”

“I said follow my lead.”

Cory rolled his eyes. “Oh, my stomach. Coach, I can’t hold it. I gotta go,” Cory didn’t wait for an answer and ran to the locker room doors.

Everyone stared at Cory, some chuckled. Coach Rockne shouted. “Next semester we’ll get into nutrition which might help you not embarrass yourself like that,” he pointed to the locker room with his pencil.

“Looks like we’re going to face off against each other,” Izzy said.

“It’s not a competition, Izzy,” Chase said. “But I’m going to kick your butt.”

“Oh, but it’s not a competition?” Izzy scoffed.

“It’s not. No offense but you’re a girl.”

“You have two seconds to recalibrate.”

“Girls have no upper body strength and are notoriously bad climbers. It’s why they climbed out of the trees first those thousands of years ago,” Chase explained.

“So women are more evolved which is why we’re so weak and puny? This is insulting and makes no sense.”

“Fine. If you think you’re so great at shimmying up a rope let’s make a bet. If I reach the top first, you buy me dinner at the Taco Hole.”

“Okay. If I win then you have to buy me a giant stuffed animal--something rainbow or pastel-colored.”

“That’s what I want to hear,” Coach Rockne exclaimed. “That’s what gym class should be. Two gladiators competing for dominance. Two students enter, one student leaves. Let’s do this.”

“I always thought I would die in gym class,” Chase said.




Cory arrived in 2907 in some sort of stadium or arena with thousands of people in seats, standing, and just milling about. He found Yoshi and went up to him. “Where are we?”

“The People’s Republic National Convention in Portland, Oregon. It’s like the Democratic or Republican conventions of your time,” Yoshi said.

“900 years in the future and we still do this?”

“It’s like a reality show now. The four candidates with the highest ratings are chosen. They are then put in a thirteen-episode series where an audience votes for their favorite two. Those two then get placed on the ballot and voted on.”

“Holy crap that sounds awful. When did all that start?”

“2024.”

“Makes sense,” Cory sighed. “So what are we doing here?”

“There’s an issue with our candidate over there,” Yoshi pointed at an older lady talking to the crowd. “She is by far the best candidate for the job but as it turns out she gets America closer to an autocracy than anyone else and just a few years after she is term-limited, America goes back to being ruled by a king.”

“Well, we can’t let that happen,” Cory said. “I’m sure we could just talk to her. She’s probably very reasonable and would understand completely. What’s her name?”

“Barbara Ann Blocher.”

“This will be easy.”

After Blocher’s speech, she left the stage and went down a hallway. Cory and Yoshi were waiting. “Make sure to get the new poll numbers as soon as they are out,” she said. “Also, ask the governor of Colorado why their delegates didn’t seem thrilled to be here. It looked back on the television.”

“Yes, ma’am,” replied an assistant.

“Excuse me, Ms. Blocher,” Cory went up to her.

Blocher sneered. “What?”

“Can I talk to you in private? Or just, step over here for a second?”

Blocher looked over at her bodyguard. He stepped forward but she waved her hand. They took a couple steps from the small crowd. “What do you want?”

“I would like to ask you to drop out of the race. It’s hard to explain but your election has serious negative repercussions for the country,” Cory explained quickly.

“So I win?”

“Yeah, but serious negative repercussions for the country and all that.”

“I’m not dropping out,” Blocher said.

“I can’t allow you to stay in the race,” Cory responded.

“You can’t stop me. No one can stop me,” Blocher yelled and hit Cory with a full-force punch sending him down the hallway and through the concrete wall and into the building next door.




Chase and Izzy stood at their ropes and looked up as Coach Rockne and the class looked at them. “All right. First one to the top get the taco dinner.”

“Or the giant stuffed animal,” Izzy said.

“Yeah, whatever,” Coach Rockne rolled his eyes and sighed. “On your marks, get set, go.”

Izzy and Chase jumped up and began climbing the rope. They started out climbing at the same speed but as they reached the middle, Chase began slowing down. “This was a stupid idea,” Chase said, sliding down the rope a bit and burning one of his hands.

“I agree. Why’d we do this?”

“I just wanted tacos. I could’ve just went and ate some after school today.”

Izzy stopped climbing and looked at Chase who also stopped. “Do you want to stop this stupid contest?”

“If you want to,” Chase panted.

“Nope,” Izzy said and continued climbing, harder and faster.

“What? You tricked me,” Chase continued climbing but was now a few paces behind Izzy.

“There are no rules,” Izzy said. “You just climb until you reach the top. Climb until you’re free.”

“What?” Chase stopped climbing again and looked at Izzy.

She reached the top and screamed, raising her fist in the air. “Suck it, Chase. Suck. It.”

“Good job, Miss Azuz. The whole class expects pictures of James giving you your gigantic stuffed animal. I’m sure it will be pathetic and humiliating. Everyone down in the locker room,” Coach Rockne said and the kids ran off to the locker room.

Izzy slid down the rope a bit before jumping off and landing on the floor. “Are you still trying to reach the top? Just come down,” she said.

“I can’t. I looked down by accident and have now apparently forgotten how to use my arms.”




“Why didn’t you tell me she had superpowers?” Cory asked as he flew back into the stadium and landed next to Yoshi.

“I figured you would figure it out when she didn’t seem threatened by you,” Yoshi said.

“Thanks,” Cory turned to Blocher. “Wait. That’s it. That’s how I’ll get her to drop out. It’s going to hurt but I think it’s the only way.” Cory went up to her and lightly slapper her.

“You insolent slug,” she bellowed and began pummelling Cory. He fell to the ground tried to block her punches. “I will teach you a lesson. Nobody gets in the way of Barbara Ann Blocher and lives.”

She continued hitting Cory. A crowd was gathering including media outlets with cameras and microphones. Blocher soon realized what was going on and stopped hitting Cory, who quickly got up and scrambled away with Yoshi.

“I know what this looks like,” she said and tried to laugh. “I was just…”

“Hitting a fourteen-year-old,” Cory yelled at her. “I just wanted an autograph.”

“No, no. That’s not what happened. I have witnesses,” she pointed at the two guys with her.

They shook their heads. “You were still hitting a teenager, ma’am,” one said.

Blocher continued to try to talk her way out of this. Cory looked at Yoshi. “I think we can go,” he said. They walked off behind a corner and entered a portal that took them back home.

Cory walked through the halls at school after return, heading to his next class after gym, which was already ten minutes in. When he walked in, everyone looked at him. “Mr. Buchanan, where have you been?”

“I was...personal issues,” Cory answered and quickly sat down.

“Where’d you get that black eye?” Izzy asked quietly.

“What?” he touched his eye softly. “Ow,” he gasped.

“What were doing in the bathroom that gave you a black eye?” she asked.

“You don’t want to know,” Chase interjected. “The mere fact you have to ask should tell you it’s a sordid and sad story.”

“Mm,” Izzy wrinkled her nose and went back to paying attention to the teacher.

Kid Eternity #1

Somewhere in the Taklimakan Desert, the Yongheng Temple had been laid to ruin. Centuries of history gone in an instant. The only survivor returned to the temporal plain and saw his colleagues and family slaughter among the ruins of the temple. Just before the entrance to the temple, there was the broken pieces of a ring. A new ring-bearer would need to be found to protect eternity.

And stop the old ring-bearer.

The survivor delicately put all the pieces of the ring in his hand then clenched his fist. Upon opening it, the ring was whole again. He closed his eyes and looked at everyone in the world. He saw one--14-years-old, brown hair, green eyes, outgoing, and someone who cares about history, the Earth, and humanity in general.

He closed his eyes again and he was gone.




Cory Buchanan and Chase Cannon walked through the small rutted road through the woods. From the school, it took them nearly 40 minutes to get through the woods. When they emerged, they were at a sparkling pond in a clearing. They had found this pond over the summer and had went numerous times to swim. It was a sunny and warm March day and this was the first time in the year they’ve been able to swim. Cory was excited for this.

They figured they were trespassing but they had never seen anyone else out here nor had they been harassed. Cory and Chase stripped off their clothes and dove into the water. It was crisp and cool and felt good on their skin. They swam for a bit before climbing out and relaxing on the dock, letting the sun dry their bodies. They laid out on the dock for nearly ten minutes until Chase got up.

“I’m gonna go diving,” he said and began walking to the other dock on the other side of the pond.

“Okay,” Cory sighed and went back to sunbathing. Cory heard a splash then silence. He heard Chase climb out and then dive back in, then silence. The silence lasted longer than the last time. After about a minute, Cory sat up. “Chase?” He got up and looked into the water. Seeing nothing, Cory dived in.

He found Chase under the water. He grabbed Chase around the waist and pulled him up out of the water. Cory struggled to swim to the dock. He pushed Chase onto the deck and, exhausted, slipped underwater.

He hit what he thought was the bottom but he was no longer in water. He sat up and saw a man standing with him. “Cory Buchanan,” the man said.

“Yeah…” Cory was suspicious as he got up.

“The new ringbearer,” the man said. He held out the ring that he had repaired earlier.

“What?”

“I am Yoshi C, the last surviving member of the Yongheng. You have been chosen as the next ringbearer, a protector of time and space.”

“Oh, thank God. I thought I was dead.”

“You are.”

“What?”

“Ringbearers have to be dead since they are required to go back and forth through time and space and face constant danger.”

“I guess that makes sense. So I drowned? I don’t even remember it,” Cory said.

“Not here, no. But when we get into the land of the living, you will.”

“Ooh, fun. So I’m a ghost?”

“No. It’s hard to explain but even though you’re dead, you are still alive. You will continue to live and grow but...again, it’s hard to explain. I’ll explain everything to you later. We need to get you back to the surface.”

Cory awoke back in the water, coughing it up out of his lungs. He swam back up to the dock and pulled himself up. Chase helped him onto dock and Cory vomited up more water and coughed endlessly.

“You were underwater for so long. I thought you were gone,” Chase said. “You really scared me.”

“You scared me, too,” Cory coughed.

“Sorry about that,” Chase said. “I got a cramp and couldn’t push myself up.”

Cory noticed that he should’ve been sweating but wasn’t. He also felt colder than he should’ve been. He noticed the ring on his right-hand ring finger. He casually felt his chest where his heartbeat should’ve been. There was none.




“Oh my God! Are you okay?” Isabella ran up to Cory in school and gave him a big hug.

“Yes. Why?” Cory asked.

“You nearly drowned yesterday.”

“You told her?” Cory turned to Chase.

“Yes, he did. And I’m glad he did. We’ve been friends since Kindergarten. I wouldn’t know what to do without you,” Isabella softly touched Cory’s cheek. She smiled at him and walked away.

“You shouldn’t have told her,” Cory said to Chase.

“Who cares? You got a big hug from her. Full chest,” Chase said.

“Please don’t talk about Izzy’s chest like that,” Cory said. “I also didn’t want to tell anyone because of what happened.”

“What happened?”’

“This!” Cory held up his right hand with the ring on it.

“Yeah...I still don’t quite understand what that means.”

“I don’t know either. Yoshi said he’d explain it better but I haven’t seen him since we were at the lake,” they stopped at their lockers and grabbed books for their first hour class. Cory saw a note taped to his book. “Ah, speak of the devil.”

Things are afoot in the Old West.

Find a private location and think of 1874.

The ring will do the rest.

-Yoshi C.

“‘Things are afoot’?” Chase chuckled.

“He’s, like, a billion years old,” Cory said. “Hopefully this will explain everything better. I don’t know how I’m supposed to think of 1874 but whatever.”

Cory went to an area past the cafeteria that led to another side of the gym but had no classes along that hallway so no one ever went that way. He looked at the ring, clutched his fist, closed his eyes, and thought about 1874. A bright light appeared and he was instantly transported to 1874--or at least that’s what Cory assumed. Yoshi had been apparently waiting for him. “Right on time.”

“Okay,” Cory breathed. “So what’s up?”

“What is up is Fred Miller. Before, he was just an unlucky criminal who has been in and out of nearly every jail between the Sierra Nevada and the Rockies. We wouldn’t be here normally but August Rhoodie has supplied him with a semi-automatic weapon,” Yoshi explained.

“Who’s August Rhoodie?”

“A servant of Sepulcher. He was the Ringbearer before you. He usurped all the power from my brothers for himself so he can control all of time.”

“If he’s so dangerous and can travel through time, then why have this August guy?” Cory wondered.

“Fred Miller has practically wiped out Canyon City and is on his way to Phoenix. We can worry about August Rhoodie later.”

Cory and Yoshi flew just a few miles, finding Miller easily, riding a stolen horse down a trail. “Hold up, cowboy,” Cory said, landing in front of the horse, startling it.

“Get out of the way, kid,” Miller growled.

“Look, I’ve leave you alone but I need your gun,” Cory held out his hand.

“This?” Miller pointed the weapon at Cory and began shooting. Cory was barely able to get a shield up in time to protect himself. “Some kids in strange clothes isn’t going to tell me what to do.” He continued shooting, some of the bullets cracked and went through the shield.

“Don’t get distracted,” Yoshi began. “Being distracted can weaken the ring’s power or create the wrong thing.”

“Oh, good. On-the-job training,” Cory said. Instead of focusing on Miller, he turned his attention to the horse. He created a large fire in front of the animal who then reared up. Miller dropped the gun so he could use two hands to hold the reins. Cory ran and grabbed the gun from the ground and then used the ring to put a jail cell around Miller and the horse. “This will hold you until the proper authorities find you,” he looked at Yoshi. “It will, right?”

Yoshi nodded.

“Wait. This still alters time. He murdered a lot of people. He’s going to get hung. Won’t his death alter time?”

“Ah, good. You’re thinking about stuff like this. With everything we do, we have to be concerned with changing time. The more you do this, the more you know what will create a big change and what will cause a small change. You also look at whether the ends justify the means.”

“Huh?”

“For example, Miller murdered two dozen people with a semi-automatic weapon. He has changed the time stream much more drastically for hundreds of people in the future and himself. That kind of change is much more severe than him dying at a different point in his life,” Yoshi explained.

“And we can’t change what happened. Stop Rhoodie from giving him the gun?”

Yoshi shook his head. “We could but it takes a certain kind of precision,” Yoshi quickly turned. “A posse. We need to go.”

Cory held out the ring and the two of them returned to the present. “This is so weird,” Cory said. “There’s so much to understand about this.”

“I’m sure you will do fine, Ringbearer,” Yoshi said. “All the others did.”

“The others? What happened to them?”

“I’ll tell you more later. You need to get back to school,” and Yoshi was gone.