The Time Warp Chapter 7
A New Hope
By Master Odin

It had been a week since Queen Leene had been returned safely to the castle and Glenn, or Frog, depending on one's perspective, returned to his home on the southern mainland. I kept my promise to Glenn and watched over the Queen. I frequented the castle more often than normal.

One day during one of my visits to the castle I had been in the throne room listening to one of the soldiers give a report from the battle front. Things were not looking good. The Guardinian forces had been driven back to the Zenan Bridge. If the Mystics break through there, then all is lost.

I thought it best to visit the front line to see if I could offer any assistance. As I was walking out the front gates I saw them: Lucca; the spiky red haired kid, whose name I discovered was Sir Crono; and the fake queen, whose name was Marle.

Lucca stopped me. "Hey!" she yelled. "You're the shopkeeper that helped me out before, right?"

"Um, yeah," I answered.

She smiled. "Thanks again for your help, and thanks for rescuing Marle."

I shrugged. "No prob', and thanks for your help in rescuing the Queen."

Lucca just nodded. "Um, could you tell use where we could get the rations for the soldiers? The Knight Captain sent us."

"Um, try the kitchen," I answered. "Be careful, though, the cook is in one of his moods today."

"Thanks again!" she yelled as they ran off.

Another missed opportunity.

* * * * *

I made a stop by the shop to get some supplies that the soldiers at the front line might need. I arrived at the Zenan Bridge before nightfall only to discover that the bridge had been secured and the enemy driven back into the southern mainland.

"What happened?" I asked the Knight Captain.

"Sir Crono and his friends arrived and helped us drive the Mystics back."

I looked down the bridge to see the bodies of both human and Mystic soldiers. The remaining soldiers were throwing the dead Mystics off of the bridge into the canal. I left the cart of supplies behind for the soldiers and rode south to Dorino. There was something unusual about these strangers, and I believed that they might hold the key to me returning home.

* * * * *

A week's ride brought me through the villages of Dorino and Porre, and now to the Cursed Woods, which laid just northwest of Porre. I had heard rumors of a giant frog that lived in these woods. The only giant frog I knew was Glenn.

I journeyed into the woods and found a small cave hidden behind a bush in the north end of the forest. I climbed down into it and found part of what I was searching for. The cave had a bed, a small bookshelf, small table, and an empty painting easel. This was Glenn's new home.

On the table I found a letter:

 

Dear Wallace,

I knew that it wouldst not be long until ye would decide to venture here to change mine mind about leaving the castle. Please know that I now venture forth with Sir Crono and the Lady Lucca to defeat the Magus. With the Masamune by mine side, we shant fail.

Sir Crono and Lady Lucca had taken me to a place called the End of Time. They are not from our time period. It may be possible that they could help you find your way home. I will speak to them about it. They art good hearted people and I am certain that they shalt assist you after we hath slain the Magus.

Until we return, please protect the Queen, old friend.

Thine Friend,
Glenn

 

"Speak for yourself, old man." A big smile crossed my face. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" I yelled as I jumped up and down. "I'll finally be able to go home!" I started doing the cabbage patch and sang, "Go Wallace! It's your birthday! It's your birthday! Go Wallace!"

I left the cave and returned to Guardia.

* * * * *

Four months had passed since I visited Glenn's cave and he had not returned. I began to fear that he, as well and Crono and Lucca, had met the same fate that Cyrus had met ten years earlier.

A giant craft, resembling a grotesque Star Destroyer from Star Wars, appeared in the sky over where Magus' castle used to be in the ocean between Zenan and Choras. The people called it the Black Omen. I thought it a fitting name.

One day, while I was visiting the castle, my fears were brought relief, when Glenn returned to Guardia Castle with Crono and Marle. I watched from the back of the throne room as they asked King Guardia if they could bring something called the Rainbow Shell back to the castle and hold it for four hundred years. The King was all too happy to help the ones who helped protect Guardia from the Mystics.

Crono and Marle walked out of the throne room, but Glenn remained behind. "Your Highnesses," he said with a bow. "I bring-eth the news of the deaths of the Magus and his generals Ozzie, Flea, and Slash. The Magus was slain by the hand of Glenn, but not before the Magus hath slain Sir Cyrus."

"Where is Glenn, then?" Queen Leene asked.

"Glenn asked me to tell you that he shalt return soon, but he must help new friends battle an even greater threat."

"Thank you, Frog," the King said. "I'll have the chancellor send the word that the Mystics have been defeated."

Glenn bowed. "By thy leave, Sire."

King Guardia nodded and Glenn walked out. I followed him out and got ahold of him as he headed toward the knights' quarters. "Frog."

Glenn turned and greeted me by clasping my forearm and saying, "Greetings, Sir Wallace."

"Congratulations. I knew you could kill 'im."

Glenn looked sadly to the ground. "'Tis not as ye thinks."

I regarded him silently for a moment, then replied with, "Well, why don't we go down to the kitchen for a drink and you can tell me all about it."

Glenn agreed with a nod and we walked to the east tower and down the stairs to the dinning room and kitchen. The maids there were familiar with my late night study breaks and brought us two mugs of warm honey mead, a drink that I had grown to love during my stay in Guardia, as well as some bread and cheese.

There Glenn told me the truth behind the Magus. The Magus, or Janus, as was his real name, was originally from the fallen kingdom of Zeal in 12,000 BC. Glenn told me that they had visited there, and then. He told me that the Magus' true mission in life was not the defeat of the humans, but the destruction of a terrible monster named Lavos. This beast had destroyed his home; killed the only person who ever loved him, his sister; and sent him to this time period.

After hearing this tale I truly felt pity for the Magus. Glenn told me that he did not slay Magus to protect the humans, but to avenge the death of Cyrus.

"Tell me about Lavos," I asked when he finished his tale about the Magus.

"This terrible beast shalt destroy the world in the year 1999 AD. Soon Crono, Marle, Lucca; Robo, an unusual machine the others found in 2300 AD; Ayla, a woman from pre-history; and mineself shall journey forth into the Black Omen and to the final battle with Lavos. I'm not certain if we shalt return, but I am certain that we are the only ones who hath the power to stop it."

"What about the Black Omen. Where did it come from?"

"'Twas once the Ocean Palace in Zeal. We thought we had destroyed the Ocean Palace, but 'twas resurrected as the Black Omen."

I thought about his words for a few moments, taking a few swigs of the mead. I ran my finger along the rim of the mug several times before I came to my decision. "Take me with you. I want to help."

Glenn sighed with a croak. "Let me sleepeth on it, mine friend." With that he stood and left the kitchen.


Chapter 8

Crossover Fanfics