CHRONO TRIGGER CULMINATIONS
by
Jerm

Chapter 11

Magus.

Janus snapped his head up at the voice, breaking out of his half-hearted attempt to rest. Peering to the space across from him, he saw Schala, who was also just awakening. Something had spoken to her as well. She rubbed her eyes, then glanced back at him when she realized he was looking. He gave a small nod of acknowledgement and turned, facing the crystal and where the voice had originated.

It was, as usual, stoic and lifeless. But he knew Murasame lay beneath that guise. Watching him.

"What is it?" he called out when the voice didn't continue.

It is time for you to fulfill your purpose to me.

He smirked at this demand, his Magus side swelling to the surface briefly. Leaning forward in his containment to glare at the crystal, he retorted, "I'm not obligated to fulfill anything of yours."

Such selfishness, the being condescended, You became obligated the moment you sealed my powers and created imbalance in the world.

Janus didn't respond to this accusation at first, mulling over the words in an attempt to find what Murasame actually meant by them instead. Finally, he decided he needed clarification, "What imbalance?"

We spoke of this before, before you sealed me. Your ignorance is unsettling, wizard, the voice maintained its patience however, The world is balanced through the cycle of creation and destruction. Without me, there is no check placed against creation.

The being's attitude offended Janus and his response reflected that, "And?"

Change is only possible through minor amounts of destruction. Without this, change is impossible. The cycle of creation is repeated and can only stagnate. The world becomes trapped in a moment.

Janus didn't fully understand what was being said, much less the implications. So instead, he cut to the chase, "And how do I stop this? You want me to restore your powers? Set you loose on the world again?"

Even if you were still alive, that would be impossible. The seal is permanent. Your purpose will be to likewise seal Masamune.

"Even if?" Janus focused on the first sentence, "If I'm still dead, why am I breathing? Feeling pain? Requiring rest?"

You are sharing Schala's life force, she still lives. She will also be necessary for this, but in another manner.

Janus glanced over at his sister when she was mentioned, but she seemed oblivious to him. She seemed to be having a conversation of her own with the dark god. He turned back to the crystal and pondered its offer.

"How would I seal its power?"

You've done it before.

"I don't think Masamune would be so foolish as to await me nearby another of those crystals," Janus was blatant in the wording of that insult, no longer caring about being diplomatic, "Are you planning on sharing yours with it?"

All that is required is that you shatter the blade once more. That will be sufficient.

"So all you want me to do is hunt down that frog and break his weapon?" Janus became skeptical one more, "And that will save the world?"

It is merely a step in the right direction, the being replied, then added, He is no longer a frog now that you are dead.

Janus couldn't help but give a chuckle at this, remembering the stipulations of his spell. He had completely forgotten that consequence of his actions. But then he remembered another, "But if I'm dead, how could I affect the material world?"

That is where your sister plays her role.

Janus' eyes narrowed as his mind jumped ahead of Murasame. He shook his head and banged a fist against the glass of his containment, "That had better not mean you're going to sacrifice her life to restore mine!"

No. She will survive. But I require her life force to sustain you during your trip.

"I refuse," Janus finally decided to end this, "Kill me off and free her. I've-"

This is your responsibility, Magus. You must do your part to fix the world.

"I have done more than my fair share of that already."

And more than your fair share of destroying it.

Janus glared, but couldn't create a defense against the accusation. It was true. In frustration he struck the glass once more.

I can let you die, and free your sister. But then when the fabric of existence folds under its own weight, there will be no saving her.

"How can I believe what you're saying is true?" Janus asked.

Because you know my purpose in the end is to ensure the balance of the world, against Masamune. Through the destruction I cause, it is only to maintain that creation doesn't overpopulate itself out of control.

"Then I can't believe you."

You mean you can't trust me. Believing and trusting are two finely different things. But remember this: even if I can't be trusted, you know through inaction what will happen. You know what I say up to that point is true.

Janus was silent at this, thinking. On the outside he was steadfast in his refusal, but deep down a seed was being planted, that maybe he really did have to do this. That balance really was removed. His eyes darted over to Schala once more and he reminded himself everything he had gone through to save her. It would all be for naught if he made the wrong choice here...

"I want you to prove to me what you say is true. Then I will help you."

There was a pause as the encased god considered his request. Finally, it came to a decision, Very well.

Emboldened by this, Janus cut in with one more request, "And I want you to promise nothing will happen to my sister."

Whatever happens, I no longer am in a position to affect that. You more than I should make that promise now.

The answer was immediate and blunt. Janus knew before his mind had registered the words, that it was an honest retort. By his own making, whatever was to befall them in the future was his own doing. He gave a sidelong glance over to the crystal prison holding his sister, Schala still oblivious to the world outside her own personal conversation.

"I promise." he mumbled to himself, the one person who needed to be reminded.

With that a gate materialized in front of the throne, showering the room with light. Red light. Janus shielded his eyes against the intrusion and noticed that his container was gone, faded away. Peering to the side, he found that Schala's remained. She was still locked in some sort of stasis.

He turned back towards the gate, a swirl of infinite red that howled and pulled at him as though it had a life of its own.

Through this gate you will find your answers.

"Where does it lead?" Janus glanced over to the throne, wanting a more specific answer.

It leads to the point where the essence of existence ceases to be. Where the caretakers of the world can no longer prevent the unraveling of the world's layers. In the blink of an eye you will see all matter and all energy disappear like the illusions they really are, dissolving before your eyes.

"And what would happen to me as I was there?"

In place of this loss, dark matter will return. Encompassing reality once more with what you perceive as demons and nightmares. They would destroy you. Mentally, physically, psychologically. You, like the rest of existence, would no longer be, Murasame gave a brief pause at this point, letting the scenario sink into Janus's mind, That is the only way I can prove to you what I say is true.

Janus stared at the gate for several moments longer. The pull felt much stronger now, almost like it was trying to envelop him against his will. He took a step back in response.

"The only way..." he echoed to himself.

It is the absolute proof.

Janus shook his head, a decision was already made for him, "In that case, close the gate. I'll take your word for it."

You should know by now that I'm not capable of lying. The destruction of truth is not my agenda.

The gate shut, throwing the room into darkness once more. Faintly, Janus could make out the glow of the crystal that sealed the dark god. Remembering that he was no longer a prisoner as well, he approached the dark god's prison.

"How am I to do this then?" he asked, keeping his voice firm to halt any thought that he had been cowed into submission.

You are to hunt down the bearer of Masamune and shatter the blade. The method is up to you... Now approach the throne, Magus.

Without question, Janus did as he was told. He stepped past the crystal and strode over to the great chair behind it. As he neared it, he saw something sitting atop it. A sword, pitch black in color, was plunged halfway down into the seat of the throne.

"What's this?" he asked over his shoulder.

It is my blade, the Murasame. It will be your means to shatter the Masamune.

Janus tentatively reached out, but stopped as his hand hovered over the hilt. Despite not having touched it, the power of the blade seemed to jump to his hand like a spark. That power sent a chill down his spine and he had trouble willing his hand further.

This is for Schala.he reminded himself.

Heaving a great sigh, Janus grabbed the hilt, feeling the power strike him the instant contact was made. The blackness of the blade seemed to seep from it and envelop his hand, then his arm. He fought down panic as the process continued, the darkness enveloping him completely like a haze. Bringing himself under control, he pulled with all his might, grunting with the effort. With a hissing ring, the sword came free from its temporary hilt to be held up by its new owner.

Janus stared at his new weapon and realized something wasn't quite right. It was only half a sword. Like the Masamune long before, it had been broken in two. He turned from the throne and held it out towards the crystal, "It's broken."

We were broken in two by the Frog during his struggle with the girl.

"You want me to fight a trained swordsman with a useless weapon," Janus pressed his point, becoming angry with his host.

He swung the blade around to make his point. A half sword was like fighting with a knife.

When you agreed to this you were under the impression you would be unarmed, Murasame reminded him, You are a wizard, a weapon should be secondary to you.

Janus stared at the crystal, trying to form a response. As he sat there a new gate opened up between him and the monolith, startling him. Like the last one, this gate was red in color. But at the same time, it seemed so much more soothing to him.

Through this gate, you will rejoin the living. It is your sister's life that sustains you, remember that.

At mention of her, Janus gave another glance over to Schala. She was now staring at him; whatever she had been discussing with Murasame was now over. Placing her hand against the surface of her glass chamber, she spoke to him. But he could hear nothing through the wall of her prison. He nodded to her in response to whatever it was she said, merely to try and ease any anxiety that she might be feeling.

"I will," Janus finally answered, his gaze shifting the Murasame.

Then proceed.

Turning away from his sister, Janus held his broken blade out and stepped into the gate.

xxxxx

Lucca glanced up from her current book as Crono stepped into the library, making an entrance that was much calmer than his last. Getting a good look at him, she began to laugh when she saw he was absolutely soaking wet from head to toe, his red hair matted down over his head like it was painted on. But the laugh quickly ended when she realized he was also dripping water everywhere he went. And he was marching straight towards her and her pile of books.

Lucca jumped up, rounding the table to cut him off before he could finish that trip. Her magic fire she was using for light sputtered and died as she abandoned it. "Crono, what are you doing?" she demanded, getting his attention, "Stop, you're going to ruin the books!"

Crono halted in his tracks as she reached him and held out his arms in an exaggerated shrug, "Sorry, but didn't have anything to dry myself off with. You didn't happen to find any towels lying around, by any chance?"

"I've been here the whole time," Lucca reminded him, shaking her head, "And I don't think people in this dimension brought towels to the library."

"Well, I'm cold," Crono informed her, "Any chance you could start a fire for me?"

Lucca laughed at this and began to think, "Okay... we can get some firewood from-"

"No, we don't need to go all that trouble," Crono cut her off, "Just use your magic light you had, that should be enough to dry me off."

Lucca rolled her eyes at his suggestion, but caved in. She wasn't in any mood to wander around just yet anyway. She needed to read a bit more and...

Her memory twitched at the mention of reading as she suddenly remembered something she had to tell him. "Oh yeah, Crono," she began, her tone becoming serious, "As I was reading, I came across some things-"

"Lucca, the fire," he reminded her, as he folded his arms around his torso, "Please, my teeth are chattering."

"Oh!" she mentally slapped her head, "I already forgot, sorry."

Lucca held out her hand and a ball of fire erupted, filling the room with flickering light. Crono immediately huddled up to it, causing her to fear that he would burst into flames if he got any closer. "Thanks," he acknowledged, then reminded her again, "You were saying?"

Lucca stalled briefly to remind herself where she was interrupted, then continued, "This dimension seems very familiar to Zeal. The stories, the history, all that."

Lucca backed up and sat down on the table behind her, "I was starting to think we were sent back to our own world, but in a time that's post-Zeal. Where the ice age has ended and civilization is starting to rebuild. But then I find other things that counter that."

"Like what?" Crono fought the urge to follow her over to the table, knowing how she felt about the books.

"Like no mention of Lavos. It should be tied so deeply to Zeal, but I'm not getting anything. And in fact, there's nothing about the floating continent."

"So we're in a dimension that's like Zeal in technology, but not history. Is that what you're saying?"

"I don't know what I'm saying... But here I-" Lucca stopped speaking as she twisted around at the hip to find the book she was looking for.

As she fumbled about, Crono took the time to shake his hands through his almost dry hair, ruffling it up the way he liked it. Finally Lucca turned back to him, a book in hand.

"In this book it's got a picture," rather than tell him Lucca opened it up to the appropriate page and turned the book around so Crono could see it.

Crono leaned forward and stared at the illustration. It was a human female, dressed in formal attire. Instantly, he realized that this meant the denizens of this dimension were just as human as he and Lucca were. As that realization sunk in, Crono continued to stare at the drawing. The person depicted seemed so familiar to him. Finally, he turned his eyes back to Lucca, "Wow."

"Wow is right," she agreed, "Did you look at the name?"

He glanced back at the book and did just that. Captioned under the photo was a simple name: "Queen Zeal".

"Wow," he repeated.

Lucca put the book down beside her, leaving it open for the time being, "You want me to let you digest this for a moment?"

"No, just tell me what it means," Crono waved her off, "You're the one who's been reading up on these people and everything. I just swam around naked in their drinking water."

"I don't know what it means. For sure, that is," Lucca closed her eyes in thought as if to shut out the mental image Crono had inadvertently tried to plant, "But if it's what I think, it rewrites everything I've thought about the boundaries of the fifth dimension."

Lucca looked down at the book beside her, and the picture of Queen Zeal stared back at her, "What if other dimensions aren't entirely different worlds with their own species and planets and stuff. What if they're simply alternate timelines?"

Crono began to fit pieces together and caught up with Lucca rather fast, "You mean like what if this world we're in is just our world, but in a reality where the kingdom of Zeal didn't tap into Lavos's power?"

Lucca almost corrected him, opening her mouth to speak, but realized he had hit it on the dot. Instead she stuttered out something incomprehensible at Crono's quick deduction, her eyes widening in surprise, before saying something else, "Very good, Crono. You're getting better at this stuff."

"I've been around time travel just as long as you have," he reminded her, slightly insulted, "You just spent more time studying it is all."

"Yeah, sorry," she admitted, "It's a force of habit."

She jumped off the table and began pacing in front of him, "But if that's true, it still doesn't explain what happened to the people here. I don't think the books'll tell us that. In so many words."

Crono nodded, then formed a plan, "You want me to look around other places while you take your bath?"

"Oh yeah, that," Lucca said, reminded that she was going to wash up after he was done, "Yeah, I need to get to that before it turns dark. Go ahead and look around. Collect anything that looks like a clue. We'll meet up in the library again when we're both done."

"Alright, and if I run into people?"

Lucca made a gesture and the ball of fire near Crono fizzled out in a puff of smoke, jarring his attention. He had almost forgotten about it. "I don't know," she admitted, "If they're friendly, ask them for food and I'll join you shortly... If not..."

"I don't feel like getting into a fight," he informed her, "Not with people that I don't think really are evil in nature. But if it comes to a fight, I can't run and just leave you behind or something."

"Don't worry about it," she assured him, stepping past him towards the hut's exit, "I won't be long. If they're hostile just stall them. Make a lot of noise and I'll be right up here in a jiffy. Then we can run like hell."

"Deal."

xxxxx

Janus pitched forward as he exited the gate, his balance betraying him suddenly. He managed to angle the Murasame away from his body before he landed, narrowly avoiding an impalement, but the impact with the ground still knocked the wind out of him. In pain, he lay where he fell for several moments, gasping for air as his mind tried to reorient itself.

Finally he rolled over onto his back and watched as the gate shut. The world around him darkened in its wake. Wherever he was, it was nightfall. He could hear a steady roaring sound nearby that drowned out all other noise, the unmistakable sound of a waterfall. Groaning at the first real exertion his body had undergone in quite a while, he sat himself up to look around. Immediately, his memory answered his one final question.

This was Denadoro Peak.

The waterfall was indeed as he had heard as it cascaded down the cliff face before him, its droplets shimmering in the moonlight. Nestled nearby was a cave-the once home of the Masamune-its maw seemingly magnified in the nighttime. However his eyes were already adjusted to the darkness of Limbo and he could easily make out the details. Janus stared at it for the time being, not bothering to stand. His mind began to jump to conclusions.

Was the Masamune back here? he thought to himself, Would it all be so easy?

He knew it was not, but he needed to check anyway. He was brought here for a reason, and there was a small chance the sword could have indeed been returned to the cave. He pushed off of the ground and shakily stood up.

Only to have his legs betray him once more. He managed to catch himself on his hands and knees this time, dropping the sword as he fell. It struck the dirt with a muted impact and lay patiently for him.

Something didn't feel right, his whole center of balance seemed wrong. Leaving the Murasame behind for the time being, Janus began to crawl towards a small pool that lay nearby. Hopefully a drink of water would clear his head. Reaching his destination, he cupped a gloved hand out to gather some, but then stopped himself when he noticed something in the reflection.

He pulled his hand back, trying his best to keep from disturbing the water's surface too much, and slowly began to pull himself over the pool, to get a better look.

Is the dark playing tricks on me?his thoughts remarked, trying to fight down the panic that was rising in him.

Hovering over the water, he could merely stare into it as the rippling surface slowly leveled itself out and became coherent. And then finally, in the reflection lit by the moon, he could clearly see something he wished he hadn't.

Staring back at him was the face of a frog.