The War Over Time
By Indon
Ch.11 The hidden force
12,000 B.C.
The past two days have seen a lot of magical activity.
First there had been that wizard's duel a little while ago, with the mages' energy signatures being so similar, and now he sensed a mighty magical force, and a smaller, more subtle force, which was so familiar...
He sensed the stronger force manipulate the gate. The force made it tap... Well, the observer didn't know exactly what it was doing to the gate, but he had memorized the process, and he felt he could use it to open the gate.
Finally, he thought- why am I still here? Lavos is gone, no longer a threat, and the world is continuing, sans myself. He stood up and walked out of the secret room in the sun keep.
Now, all other signatures in the world were gone, he was the only mage left in the whole world. How ironic. Long ago he was the strongest elemental mage upon this earth, and now he was the only one. What a switch from his homeland of Zeal, before Lavos corrupted his people. It's about time I got an explanation for it all, he thought. Or at least knowledge of the whereabouts of my family, or their bodies. He exited the keep and became airborne, manipulating the air currents about him to support his weight.
He hoped there wasn't a storm between the keep and the gate. He didn't like rain. It was a combination two of the things he disliked most- water and gravity.
Oh, and by the way, his name was Jason.
Ch.12 A test of power
"Hello, Spekkio. You look strong today," Spekkio, the self-titled master of war, appeared as a Nu. Janus said, "I'm here to get a challenge. I hope you can supply it."
"Ooooooh, you think you can beat me??? En guarde!" Spekkio began with a Flare spell. Janus countered with a Magic Wall. Janus casted Dark Matter, Spekkio flinched, and used Halation (An attack that nearly, but not quite, finishes off any given opponent.) I wonder why he doesnt simply design a spell that kills off the opponent, Janus thought. Not having any curative magic, Shadow by nature being a destructive element, Janus sensed the end of the battle nearing.
Spekkio began casting Luminaire, and Janus helplessly watched as the opponent gathered the appropriate energy flows. Janus noticed something, though. He saw that while the Lightning flows were not dangerous in themselves, Spekkio placed them in such a form as to harm. This was unlike Shadow, which was always dangerous in strong amounts. He devised a way to counter the energy flows, but could not turn the spell completely before it struck him, and that was enough. Janus fell unconscious.
"Nice try, but no cigar." Spekkio waved his hand, and Janus was fully revived and recovered.
"One more time." said Janus.
Ch.13 Confusion
Unknown time
"Uh, hello? Oh, let me guess, your name is Elise, and you have saved me from the void, as you have done to so many others, for the express purpose of protecting this world. In addition,..."
"Enough, Balthasar. You exist for ten seconds and then your mind leaves to skip throughout the universe for knowledge? Could you please keep your consciousness on this plane, where I went to so much trouble manipulating the timestream to get here in the first place? Not to mention me dragging your mind from the brink of insanity. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Oh well, if you don't want me discovering your motives," Elise flinched, and Balthasar continued, "I'll respect your personal choice. However, I do know what you want me to do. I am to create a gate, by focusing energy, to sixty-five million B.C.E. and get Ayla, then head to the end of time, where you will be waiting."
"Close, but I wanted you to retrieve a man named Kino, as well. A hint: don't rely on foresight, there is an energy force disrupting time throughout the stream."
"All right. One more thing, though. For the life of me, I can't figure out where we are." He looked around.
"We are where all dead people go, and where I go to retrieve them. The void."
"No wonder it's so damn cold. Well, goodbye, Elise."
"Goodbye." They both went their separate ways.
......................................................
"Ayla, Kino, you awake?"
Ayla and Kino woke up in the hut of the chief of Laruba. Apparently, the rawboot, Prometheus, had only attacked Ioka.
"Any people hurt in village?" Ayla asked, not thinking about anything else but the safety of the people. She turned to face the chief, and a hundred muscles twinged painfully. Kino saw Ayla was in pain, but could not hold her in an embrace, as they were both burned all over, and the action would cause MUCH more pain than it was worth.
Then, a mysterious man walked into the room. He walked like an elder, but wore the oddest clothing (shiny robes?). And he carried a feeling of strength. He walked straight to Kino and Ayla and said, "My name is Balthasar. You need to follow me to the end of time. Quickly."
Kino was first to answer, "Ha! How we know you not attack us, kill us!" he said cynically.
He didn't answer the question. "You are hurt." He stepped over to them, and kneeled beside the two. Kino stiffened in tension. The mumbled a series of words under his breath, and finished with, "May these two be healed." Magically the wounds, scrapes, and burns faded and disappeared. Ayla was satisfied. She whispered to Kino, "See? Enemy no heal us, but man did, so man no enemy!" Kino, was staring at his abruptly healthy body in shock. He had never been healed with magic before. Ayla whispered again, "Neat, huh?"
"Well, are you going to follow me or not?” Kino saw that Ayla trusted the man, and that was enough. But, he would be careful.
Ch.14 The Passage
Cyrus and Glenn walked along through the canyon towards the gate. Glenn had recounted his adventures with Crono to Cyrus during the hike to the canyon, and the knight absorbed it fully, knowing that his friend would not lie. When walking along the path, the warriors heard a voice echoing throughout the canyon.
"YOU! You're that frog!" A hideous monster jumped down from a higher ledge and faced them. "I am Yakra 1.5, Yakra's son-in-law! Now I will destroy you!"
"Please, you shouldn't do this!" Cyrus stepped in. "Revenge is not the way to solve things!"
"You think I want to kill you 'cause you snuffed Yakra? No, I'm not. For that I thank you. He was a real idiot. No, I'm going to kill you because you're human. Nothing personal."
Cyrus nodded in understanding. "Likewise. Nirvana Strike!" Cyrus moved so fast he was a blur, and Yakra 1.5 was cut into pieces a second after.
After the quick battle, they continued on to the gate.
They got to the gate and Cyrus viewed the blue ball of energy, "However shall we fit through that?"
"We shall not. We shall open it first." Glenn held the Masamune forth. A bolt of energy struck the gate. The gate drank in the power and opened.
"Eldest first, friend."
"No, Glenn, that would be you. I am, after all, dead going on half a score of years." Cyrus pushed the other into the gate with a laugh.
Ch.15 Convergence
End of Time
Jason appeared in one of the pillars. He walked, absorbing his surroundings, to Gaspar's room. Schala, Elise, Cyrus and Glenn were already there. Simultaneously, Balthasar, Ayla, and Kino arrived in a separate pillar. Crono, Robo, Lucca, and Marle arrived in the Epoch at the same time. The two groups arrive in Gaspar's chamber just as Janus walks out of Spekkio's room, feeling stronger after the hours’ training and ready to venture out.
"Cyrus!" Janus said, justifiably suprised.
"Magus!" Cyrus exclaimed.
"Magus?" Robo said.
"No!" Janus denied.
Ayla saw Robo. "RAWBOOT!" She yelled.
Kino, however, was behind Balthasar and Cyrus and couldnt see very much of anything. "Kino no see Rawboot! Too many people!"
Balthasar said, "No, this isn't the same, um, Rawboot that attacked you. that one was a fake."
Kino saw Robo, at that point. "Kino no believe you."
Ayla said, "Ayla do. Look, eyes different. Calmer.”
"Was Robo the only one to see my clone?" Crono asked.
Jason, in the meantime was beginning to get very frustrated, let alone confused. He yelled, "What in all the hells of eternity is going on!!!"
Balthasar recognized the voice and looked to where it originated. "Sir?"
Jason was more than slightly surprised. "Balthasar? Why, I haven't…"
Schala was surprised as well. "Balthasar? Where?"
Janus, who was not showing the greatest interest in the conversation up until now, (In fact, he was wondering if he could, in time, learn Luminaire.) But the voice of his only (Human) friend and sister dragged him into the fray. "That voice…"
Janus and Jason both saw Schala simultaneously. "Schala!" They looked at each other.
"You're that mage I sensed yesterday! One of them, at least..."
Schala saw Janus. "Prophet!" she spat, "You heartless bastard."
Janus was taken aback, but quickly recovered and spoke. "Bastard, yes. Heartless, well... And true, I am the prophet of Zeal, but you know me better under another persona." He withdrew an amulet from within his tunic.
Jason exclaimed, "Hey, that's the Royal Seal of Zeal, how did you get it?"
"Janus? Janus, is that you?" Schala said softly, tears collecting in her eyes.
Janus said, "Yes, It's me." They ran towards each other and embraced, and Schala looked up at Janus' face, which wore a rare smile. "You are smaller than I remember."
Schala said, "You were only four feet tall, last we met."
Jason was confused. "What? Prophet? Four feet tall? Who is that, Schala, your boyfriend?" Janus and Schala promptly stepped away from each other.
Schala behaved as any sibling would, and said, "Of course not, He's my… Dad?" She focused on Jason, and forgot everything else.
Janus affirmed, "Yes, I'm her… WHAT?” (Well, perhaps he didn’t affirm that after all.)
Schala said, "Dad!" She practically knocked Jason over with a hug.
Jason heard an audible ‘crack’ emanating from his back. "Aaah, Schala! You are an adult now, not a little girl! You're heavy!"
Schala said, "Sorry, Father." and hopped a half-foot or so away from him.
Now Janus was confused. "Excuse me, but I would wish an explanation." Jason looked at him.
Schala grinned in delight. "Oh yes! You two never met before!" She said ecstatically. "Jason, this is Janus, Janus, this is Jason, he is your father."
Janus said, "Nonsense, he died before I was born."
Jason replied, "No, I didn't. I survived."
Schala asked, "How?"
Jason said, "Long story. I'll explain later."
Lucca sobbed, "This is so touching."
Cyrus, in the meantime, was talking with Glenn. "Why do we not attack, Glenn?"
"He aided us against a greater opponent."
"You still have an unsettled dispute." Cyrus gestured to Glenn's amphibian form.
"I care not about that, Cyrus."
Cyrus thought it was just his friend's meekness showing, and on Glenn's behalf said, "Magus! I demand you return my comrade to his original form!"
Magus looked at Cyrus. "The name is Janus, knight." He made a sharp gesture with his left hand, a bright flash of light lit the room, and Glenn was human again.
"Jason, is that you?" Gaspar had finally awakened.
Jason saw Gaspar sitting by the pole, "Yes. How did you and Schala and Balthasar get here? How come my son is nearly my age when he should be 14? What was that person doing as a frog? Magus?" He asked.
Janus replied, "Again, it's a long story. Later."
Jason said, "Well in the meantime, I would like some answers." He turned to the lamppost. "Well, you are the guru of time, have any theories?"
"Ask her." Gaspar pointed to Elise.
Jason looked at Elise and asked, "Who are you?"
Elise took a breath. "I am Elise." She addressed everybody. "I knew you would all be here at this point in the universe right now. If you weren't going to be here naturally, I made it so you would. Cyrus, Balthasar, Schala, you obviously would not be here without my intervention. Jason, Ayla, Kino, and Glenn I influenced indirectly. You are all necessary for a task that will save this world. Only Gaspar, Robo, and I are not vital to this task. Together, you make 12, Janus, Balthasar, Crono, Lucca, Marle..."
Robo interrupted. "Excuse me, but besides you, I, and Gaspar, there are only eleven of us."
Elise said, "Oh, than I mistimed this speech.” She looked at the area above the room, “Kino, if you would be so kind as to move, and vacate that spot on the floor, I will restart," She mentally checked her calculations, "in 31 seconds. Everyone should find a seat now."
.