Chrono Continuum Chapter 69
The Return
By Cain
Eternity
"Oh no," the Light One lamented as he looked through a misty portal. One of them had died. The knight. It was a great loss indeed. The Heroes had seemed invincible up until now, but the Light One, of all beings, knew from experience that there were no immortal humans.
"Why so blue, Derias,," a harsh voice spoke up from behind.
Derias of the Light didn't bother turning to see his visitor, already knowing it to be the Dark One. Still, he answered truthfully, "One of them has died, Gaston."
"Awww," Gaston lamented sarcastically, "That's awful. Awful funny, that is."
"Say what you will, foul creature. You won't shake my faith in these humans. If I were a gambler, I'd wager on them."
"Oh, be serious. They don't have a snowball's chance in... Well, they can't possibly win," was Gaston's derisive reply.
"And how would you know? They destroy Minions like they are nothing."
"I'll admit that the Minions aren't much of a challenge to them, but I think the ante's about to be raised," Gaston replied cryptically.
"You can't mean... You? But it's not possible. Their summoner doesn't have the skill to summon one such as yourself. She's limited to Minions," Derias told him, worriedly.
"True, she can't possibly control me. But just because she can't control me doesn't mean she can't summon me."
Derias turned to Gaston. "I won't let you! You can't!"
"Watch me," Gaston replied smugly, and abruptly leaped into the portal, closing it behind him.
Derias cried out in frustration, and re-opened the portal. It was at exactly where he had left off watching. Gaston had covered up his tracks. Derias didn't even know what time Gaston had gone to, although it was presumably in the near future. Derias' only hope to find him and stop him was to stay and wait. And watch. He'd find him.
It was only a matter of time.
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1999 AD
The rain poured heavily onto all those gathered outside the Red Omen's shield, but Glenn didn't even notice. Nor did anyone else present.
All of them were paying attention to only one of two things. Some to the eulogy, being given by Gaspar, and some to the body of Frog, the source of the overall depression among them, laying on a stack of damp wood. Not only was it a sobering reminder that many of them might not survive, but the body, wrapped in now-soaked white sheets, proved that a good friend really was dead, no matter how much any of them tried to deny it.
And some of them really were trying their hardest to just that: Deny it. Marle, having suffered more than any of those present, had simply broken down in a heap upon hearing the news, although she seemed comforted by the fact that he'd died in the line of duty, in an almost self-sacrificial move.
There were mixed emotions among those gathered, some of which Glenn understood, some of which were beyond him. Glenn knew that Gedd blamed himself, thinking that if he'd been able to beat Flite on his own, Frog wouldn't have died trying to save him. But it had been Frog's choice not to warn Flite of the dropping Masamune, and save his own life in the process.
Robo was trying to deal with his newest emotion, something worse even than regret: Grief. He'd dealt with it on a smaller scale when he'd been forced to destroy Atropos, but he'd known he could rebuild her if necessary. That wasn't possible with a human being.
Glenn forced himself to pay attention to the ending of the eulogy, and tried to make out Gaspar's form through the pouring rain.
"We shall all miss Frog," Gaspar spoke loud enough for all to hear. "He was a better man than many of us, no matter his form. I know I'm fortunate to have had a friend like him. I'm reminded of a time when Crono died. His friends heartbroken, I gave them a Time Egg; a Chrono Trigger. Alas, that isn't an option here, as Glenn's existence would interfere. Our friend is dead, but he lives on, both in our hearts, and through Glenn.
"As is always the case, I know many of us wish we'd spent more time with him at the end. But, according to Geddicus' acount of the events that happened, we needn't worry about that. He died happily, and at peace, with words of forgiveness on his lips."
He turned to the body. "Sadly, his home, where I'm sure he'd want to be buried, is currently inaccessible. One day, we shall return him there, but it shall be as ashes. May you rest in peace, Frog," he finished, and gestured to Dalton.
The wizard rose, and for the first time, Glenn noticed that his entire arm was now missing. Lifting his remaining arm, Dalton gestured, and magical flames raced through the wood, evaporating the water around it, creating a deep mist, and obscuring the view of the dead knight.
After a few moments, he lowered his arm, the flame instantly extinguishing in the pouring rain. Everyone unconsciously leaned forward, to see what remained of the body. They were surprised to see that although the wood was burnt to ashes, Frog still lay there, his clothing gone, but his body and sword untouched. Softly, the latter began to glow.
Everyone backed up as the glowing sword rose up in the air, blade down, hilt pointing towards the sky, slowly spinning. They all heard Masa and Mune's voices, speaking as one. The cremation won't be necessary, guys. We'll take care of it.
And with that, Frog's body rose up in the air, until it touched the tip of the blade. The sword suddenly was enveloped in a white light, which soon engulfed Frog. The light diffused into the air, revealing the objects underneath. But now there was only the sword. Or so it seemed.
On closer inspection, the formerly silver blade of the sword now shone green. The sword slowly began to float above the small audience, and lowered down, until it was less than two feet away from Glenn. He could now clearly see that where the name "Masamune" had formerly been etched on the blade, now was the name "Frogmasamune".
Not quite comprehending, Glenn reached up, and tentatively grabbed onto the hilt of the sword. It emitted a soft green glow, until a thin beam of green light shot out from the tip of the blade toward the ground, exploding on contact.
Once the light was gone, Glenn and his allies were surprised to see Frog, standing on the ground, whole, without even a scratch in his armor. But the raindrops seemed to pass through him, and his clothing did not get wet.
"What.. Art thou," Glenn asked, awed.
The thing that looked like Frog gave a croaking laugh. "I am whom I was. Frog."
"But... Thou art dead."
Frog nodded. "True. And I am on the other side. Thou wouldst not believe what li'eth beyond."
"If you are dead," Marle asked him, "what are you doing here? And what happened to the Masamune?"
"I happened to the Masamune. When I earned the blade, and further bonded with it, mine spirit became connected to it. Upon my death, Masa and Mune toldeth me that I retaineth a link with the world of life through that connection."
"So, does that mean that you can return permanently," Lucca asked.
Frog shook his head. "Sadly, no. I belongeth not here, but beyond this reality. But through the sword I can return, whenever I wish to, or when summoned by one bonded to the blade." The ghost turned to Glenn. "I chooseth thee, Glenn."
"B-b-but... I already have a sword," Glenn stammered.
"Holdeth out thine blade," Frog told him.
Glenn obeyed, and took the sword from its sheath. It began to glow, and then disappeared with a bright flash. Glenn could see that the Frogmasamune was once again glowing green. "What... happened," Glenn asked.
"The blades art now one," Frog told him. "Once this adventure is done, thou shouldst separate them, and put the Masamune back where it belongs. But keep the Frogmasamune. Hand it down to your children. I want to see my descendants."
Frog glowed green for a moment, then faded from sight. Glenn was silent for a time, and then reached out and grabbed the sword from the air. With practiced skill, he placed it in his sheath. "Now, the blade belongeth here," he stated.
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"Wield your sword with full knowledge of the consequences!"
- Melchior
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