Chrono Trigger

The Prophesy; A chapter in which we learn about Magus, his history, and prophecy which had beenuttered…

"Although we have always feuded with the east it was never as bloody as this war. We do not know why this animosity exists between us, but there had always been upstarts that would incite the mystics against us, just as there would be men who did the same. Anger would always be renewed until a battle would occur and then our anger would be appeased. However, there was a certain threat in the form of Ozzie. Crono, you would recognize him as the creature that you fought on the bridge. Ozzie was born into a wealthy family which is what you would not think upon looking at him. It is common knowledge even among the Mystics that any benevolence from proper breeding has been lost on him, for he is a very cruel and heartless creature. Stories of him abusing his servants were common. We have seen our share of Mystic generals before, and there were even some that we found to be admirable; generals who put their lives before their men and who tried their hardest not to involve civilians. Ozzie is perverse in his desire to inflict pain."

"Ozzie, with his wealth and lust for power, became an influential figure and he began to rally a large group of mystics to battle. They started quietly; attacking countryside and killing farmers. After a certain amount of time, their numbers had become considerable and we were forced to intervene. I admit that I am happy to say they never stood a chance. Ozzie was a selfish brute and his strategy was centered upon his safety. His army was nearly demolished while ours was mostly unscathed. They retreated to the mountains, and according to rumor that is when they found him."

"No one is sure where Magus had come from, but we have all imagined that he had become lost in the mountains. I would weep for the child if I did not know him as the cold blooded murderer of thousands. He was made into sport and was beaten until Ozzie nearly killed him. To this day we do not know why he kept him alive, but I almost wish that he did not. Ozzie kept him under his wing as a slave, or perhaps as a pet for a better term. He lived in that state until one day he refuted Ozzie. We do not know the story behind this. All we know is that he nearly slew Ozzie and his cohorts. Since that day Ozzie began to serve him and we suspect that was when he made the deal with the devil for strength. No ordinary human could slay Ozzie. He nothing short of an abomination, but he is very powerful. He was taken by child, and that should give you an idea of how powerful Magus really is."

"Magus traveled all around the eastern continent, telling them of false injustices and performing feats of power. They began to develop in organization until finally they were all united as a formidable army. That was when they first marched upon our kingdom. They no longer followed the rules of war, nor did they fight with the barbaric savagery of Ozzie. They fought almost as if they wanted everlasting struggle. Magus, being the savvy general that he is, has purposefully passed moves that would have ended his opponents. He is almost like a cat playing with a mouse, and in a way it is far crueler than Ozzie's method of battle."

"The years passed until it twenty years from the day Magus was found. Guardia kingdom finally received a chance to end the war. Magus was preparing to march on Denadoro and his army was stationed at the base of the mountains there. There was a knight here named Cyrus that was so talented with the sword and was such a charismatic person that he was known even among the Mystics as noble. He was accompanied by Glenn; yes you know that same person as the one that assisted you in the cathedral. They went on a quest to fulfill a prophecy that had been spoken since the day our kingdom was established."

"What was the prophesy?" Lucca asked.

"The prophesy stated that an ancient treasure would ban evil from the face of the land. Specifically it said, 'and in dark times there shall come a man bearing the symbol of heroism, and he shall liberate the oppressed by a sword brought forth by ancient prophets.' There was a weapon known as the Masamune that had been kept as an heirloom and a symbol of power. The king gave it to the knight and they went on their mission. They also went on a quest to receive a medal that was said to have been worn by a great warrior. They believed that it was the symbol of heroism that was spoken of…"

At this point the king continued the story. "We do not know what happened. When we watched them leave they were smiling and waving to us. When he came back we nearly fell upon Glenn. Had he not been carrying the medal and part of the sword we would have killed him. He had changed completely from human form into the form of a beast. He could not speak and for the space of many days and he could barely walk. Whatever happened to them was so horrible that even Glenn, whose heart was as brave as any I have even known, had grown reclusive."

"This much we do know," Toma continued, "is that they found Magus with Ozzie in the mountains. This is one fact that will prove if the prophesy and everything I have said is true. It is said that evil cannot touch the sword nor can it dwell in its presence. There had been creatures dwelling in those mountains, and there are rumors of a large beast that kills whoever climbs to the peak of the mountain. It has not been explored for many years. People have said that Magus dared not touch the sword nor did he wish to take it with him. They only placed it somewhere in the mountain and left it to rust, guarded by some demon. If you find the sword there, it is true that the Masamune is needed to defeat Magus. He would not take it with him, but he fears it so much that he leaves a demon to guard it. You must be able to retrieve the sword from the demon if it is true. Without it, you will fail."

Toma was silent as the king began, "Sir Crono, I know that we have asked much of you. Marle, I am forever indebted to you for saving my life. Without you my wife would have been made a widow."

Marle's lips curled into a polite smile, "Please. I had to help you."

"And Lucca, your assistance in preparing the strategies turned the tide of the war. And you sir," he gestured to Robo, "I am unfamiliar with you, yet it shows your strength of character that a stranger would fight for a man other than himself. Our country is in debt to you all, and hopefully one day I can repay my debt, but for now I must ask this favor of you: Please end this war and bring peace to our land."

Crono gave a brief glance at his cohorts, his gaze lingering on Lucca who gave him an encouraging smile. He looked into the eyes of the king and said, "If it will end this war I will do it."

His friends understood the heft of Crono's words. They knew that troubles lay ahead in the future and that simply killing Magus would only fix the mistakes they had made. They were not supposed to be in this place. The king was supposed to die. A hero was supposed to become enraged from the death of his liege and slaughter Magus in his anger. However, a single act had changed history completely. Would finishing the deed turn the future into what it was or would it change for into a better situation? What if it changed for the worse? Crono had more strength due to Lucca and her faith in him, but his hesitancy showed as he loaded and saddled a horse.

The horses nickered, prodding the ground with their hooves as if they were nervous as well. They occasionally snorted, causing steam to blow from their nostrils. It was a cold morning and a bad way to start a journey. The king was kind enough to give heavy clothing that insulated them insomuch that only their noses and ears became cold. The queen stood next to her husband, her arm intertwined with his.

"We wish you luck on your journey."

"Thanks," Crono said, "I think we might need it." His horse stamped the ground impatiently.

"Sir Crono, we have another favor to ask." The queen said bracingly, almost worried that Crono would be infuriated.

His reaction was quite the opposite, "As long as it is not out of our way, I will do it."

She held up an envelope sealed by red wax, "We received word that Glenn took part in the battle at Porre."

"Glenn? Really? Is he well?" Crono asked excitedly.

"He is alive and uninjured, if that is what you mean." The queen looked down to her feet as Crono took the note. "My husband told me about the Masamune. We have a strong feeling about where the second part of the sword lies. This note asks for Glenn to lend his assistance."

"How far is Porre by horse?"

"You will cross the bridge and find yourself a half a day away from Denadoro. East of that are the mountains. Another half day to the south is Porre. If you find yourself in need of anything the king has agreed to give you quarter. However, I imagine you wish to move quickly."

"We will only visit Glenn and be on our way. There is no point wandering about."

"Very well." The king tried to pat Crono on his shoulder, but could only reach his elbow. "May god be with you. I wish you well, Toma."

"Thank you, Guardia."

With that he snapped the reigns as did the others. The horses immediately galloped off into the quiet woods and away from the castle.

Author's Note: Long author note, short chapter. Yes, I know. It's not fair that I am giving you such short chapters, but please understand. I don't want anyone to lose interest and I have a lot of school work underway. I suppose there are also several concerns that are coming into play about how things are going to develop. If my snail-like pace as of late is giving you an itch, I hereby dubbed it scratched! I'm going to leave some near-sighted spoilers ahead, so read if you want to know how things develop. If not, I would suggest that you back out of the story now, or if I have added another chapter by now you should probably go on ahead and scroll back up to the top...

First off, as for the relationships: I am not going to pair anyone up so early in the story. I don't really have an idea about who will wind up with whom. If you want to get an idea of how things will turn out, my other CT work touches on it. That will actually be in the story itself, except greatly revised (cause Locuster schooled me on grammar and punctuation) and some changes made. winks to Kit Thespian

Secondly: (this is a BIG spoiler) Magus is evil; but only for now. In my story he causes war only because he had become possessed by Lavos during his enslavement to Ozzie and his sense of judgement had been manipulated. Later on in the story his motives are reevaluated and improved upon.

Thirdly: When Crono dies, he will stay dead. There will be no resurrection.

Did I get you with the last one? Mwa ha, I just wanted to be a jerk for a second…or am I serious? I don't think there is a story out there that has done that yet, so I could be the first to…hmm… Don't worry. I won't do anything stupid to make you all hate the story. That would be horrible for my self esteem. I also like it when people are happy cause of my writing! I wouldn't want to let you all down!  I would also like to point out that I am only adding some of these elements as I go along. A lot of your comments and suggestions are actually writing this story. I'm lazy like that. Thank you all for reading! Don't forget to leave your thoughts, comments, what you would find interesting, and criticisms.

I know I always say it, but believe me when I say (although school, work, and friends are demanding) the next chapter is on its way!