Chrono Trigger
The Death of a Knight; A chapter in which the story of a titan comes to an end...
Crono hesitated for a moment as it all came together. Such a strange thing was hard to comprehend. He did not hear the steady but tearful pleading of Schala who lay on the ground nor the ranting and raving of the nearly delirious Queen. Then, with a sudden realization he knew that what the prophet and Janus had spoken was the truth. He could feel it now. They truly were the same. He did not know how they came to be in such a strange predicament, but it was the truth. Magus was the adult that Janus would one day become. If that were the truth then that certainly would mean…
"Guys," Crono whispered, "attack the Queen and her men. Glenn, help me take Magus. Get the knife and stick the Mammon Machine with it if you can."
"But…what about Janus?" Marle said helplessly.
"Magus IS Janus. If he slits his throat now he won't exist. He won't kill himself. He's possessed, but he wouldn't want to kill himself. It's a bluff…"
Ayla smiled diminutively, "Very good Crono…" she began to crouch to the ground.
"Ready…NOW!"
The arguing in the hallway died instantly as Crono shouted the order. The Queen screeched in alarm as her followers leapt to her defense. Magus glared in annoyance as he pulled Janus close to him and put the knife to his throat again. When Crono and Glenn did not retreat his eyes widened in surprise. He pushed Janus away and drew his scythe. He grinned and the familiar sound of his belligerent voice returned in an instant. "I'm surprised that such plebeians would be so daring…very well. I am very pleased that I can sharpen my blade on your bones before I deal with Lavos."
"And I am well pleased that I may finish the work we hath started so long ago!" Glenn shouted, fire dancing in his eyes.
The clang of metal was deafening from the force of the blow. The push of sword against scythe did not last long. Magus had to retreat as Crono advanced with a jab. Magus had always been a man who delighted in playing on the minds of others. He would love to infuriate those he fought and enjoy the battle as their efforts became more wild and unruly. However, he could not help but feel a slight worry build in his mind as he felt the strength of Glenn's push. Glenn had grown in strength tremendously. Nonetheless, Magus laughed, "Very well done, Frog. If only you were this strong you might have actually made a difference all those years ago."
"Bastard!" Glenn bellowed, his charge starting up again.
The spell. Yes, the spell must work. Magus was not burdened by having to summon Lavos this time. He could cast his most powerful and effective spell. He had used it in his last battle with Glenn atop his castle and had he not been disturbed by Lavos they would have fallen. However, he was left with no time due to the ensuing rushes provided by Crono. It was infuriating to him to be at the mercy of these two beings he used to deem as weaklings. They hounded him and he could see the tide shifting in their favor. Although they could never hear it or even know of it, he grunted with approval as he dodged their blows. That was all the praise he would offer them. After all, they were peasants and peasants were not worthy of kingly praise.
The Queen joined in the battle, her eyes constantly on Magus and Janus. She had become a woman unhinged and the preservation and love she had once felt for her son was long gone. She had come to the same conclusion about Janus as Crono had done. After Crono launched an assault she had been trying to pull Janus into her grip ever since. However, as her hand would cast a spell or grasp toward her son it was parried by the constant work of her foes. It drove her mad and she shouted at her subordinates. It was at that moment that Dalton returned, four of his creations following close behind. The Queen smiled and shouted with joy, but her pleasure was swallowed up in despair as Dalton laughed and leaned against the entryway.
"Dalton! You fool! What are you doing? They are going to kill Lavos!"
"Nah," Dalton said with a guffaw, "they will only be killin' ye, see? I'll just have to do some cleanup."
"Traitors! I am surrounded by traitors!"
At this point Dalton rose his voice and grew angry, "You were the traitor, yer majesty, castin' aside wot was truly important! All my dreams, my work, my inventions…all of it could 'ave been used for so much more…instead you used it on that damned monster! I'll be so enthused to be sittin' on that pretty throne o' yours. I won't be your dog any longer!"
The addition of Dalton was in interesting bargaining chip, Magus realized. Even the mighty Magus was slowly coming to a realization that bargaining would have to be an option. He could see that defeat was imminent. Without thinking, or perhaps it was Lavos doing the thinking for him, he parried a blow from the Masamune with the Dreamstone dagger. It echoed throughout the hall with a crack. Glenn stepped back in fear, his heart pounding in alarm. "You fool! You will destroy the dreamstone!"
"Why yes, that would be a shame, wouldn't it?" He tapped the dreamstone with his scythe, causing Crono and Glenn to take a step back.
"Everyone stop!" Magus bellowed.
The entire room went silent. Even the Queen watched in apprehension of what Magus would do. Magus began to speak, "Crono, Glenn, you and your little friends can see that the dreamstone can indeed break…it is not unlike the Masamune that you managed to repair…Now, I can imagine you would be able to come across some dreamstone again, but do you really think that you would live long enough to see it?" He gestured toward Dalton and his weapons who stood poised, ill at ease with this strange break in action. "And dear, dear mother…I do believe you would hate to see this knife lodged into your beloved and ever-so-sacred God, wouldn't you?"
The Queen seethed, her mouth wanting to spew venomous words. Yet, her heart feared that those words would cause him to hurl the knife toward the Mammon Machine in anger.
"Dalton," he began with a slow smile, "you seem to be a big loser in all of this. But then again, you always have been. I must admit, it was amusing to see you struggle and fume whenever the Queen called you a fool or mocked you in front of the court." Dalton stepped forward to yell in anger but was silenced as Magus made the motion of throwing the knife toward the Mammon machine.
"Wot the 'ell was this? You said we were in this together!" Dalton said, his finger pointed in accusation.
"Plans change, old friend. You have served your purpose well. Now, I grow tired of waiting. Nobody make a move. Either we summon Lavos right now, or everyone here, in one way or another, dies. Yes, your majesty, your troops are loyal to Dalton and they are on their way here. If I destroy the Mammon Machine you will join our dear beloved father who is no doubt fluttering with cherubic grace in the very depths of hell. Dalton, even with your…'men'…you would not be able to withstand Crono's gang of misfits and the Queen's men. And, as for you Glenn…as much as you must not enjoy taking an order from me, I do believe it would drive you…'hopping' mad if I shattered this dagger in front of you?"
"JANUS! STOP THIS NOW!"
Both Janus and Magus turned to face Schala. Her eyes were burning and fuming with rage. Her eyelids were puffy from the many tears she had shed that day and the buffetings of the Queen's council. "Would you really destroy Doreen? What has happened to you? How can you really be my brother? You are nothing like the Janus I know! YOU ARE A MONSTER!"
A horrendous silence filled the room. All watched Magus restlessly as he looked toward the floor. He spoke slowly, "Even my own sister…the only one who has ever loved me…even she has denounced me. Such was the position I was put in for all these years, sister. I had no choice but to be a monster, but I see that moves you to no pity." He looked toward her with a pained smile and said, "In a way I must thank you…now I truly have nothing else to lose. Summon Lavos now, or we will all die this instant."
Schala looked at Magus with horror and shook her head. Magus became rigid. Within the silence that filled the halls he hammered the dreamstone dagger with the handle of his scythe. The cracks grew bigger. "SUMMON HIM NOW! Do it or Lavos will live forever! Do you want to be responsible for that, dear sister?"
Magus was pulled from his rage as he heard a pitiful voice from the floor, "No…it can't be…oh dear God…please. Don't let it be this way."
Magus glared at Janus and said with annoyance, "It is hard to believe that I was once so weak and pathetic…You must do what is necessary. You will learn this. Oh, you will suffer and learn this, believe me. That is, unless I do this. Schala, would you really want your brother to become a monster like me? No? THEN SUMMON THAT DAMNED GOD NOW!" Another clang as the dagger cracked further.
Schala stood motionless, unsure of what to do. Finally, a voice called out to her softly and said, "Summon him Schala…there is no other way."
"Crono, but…we can't beat him…" she whimpered.
"Either we all die here and he lives, or we take our chances…the choice was truly Magus' and he made it." Crono said with a glare toward Magus.
Schala looked toward Janus who sat crying on the floor. She went to him and scooped him up in her arms. "It is okay, Janus. I love you. I will always love you." With tears in her eyes she looked toward Magus over Janus' shoulder. "I am sorry if I ever said anything that might have made you believe I felt otherwise. There may have been times that I feared for you and worried for you, but I will always love you. That will never change." Her eyes went back to Janus and she brushed his hair gingerly. "Shh, shh, shh, it's okay…I love you, I love you…" Janus grew silent and his sobbing subsided as she whispered her assurance over and over again.
"Summon him." Magus said again, softly. He then added shakily, "Please."
Schala nodded, and stood, her knees shaking. Crono nodded, "It will be alright. One way or another. I promise."
She nodded again and made her way to the Mammon Machine.
She stood at the orange-glowing abomination and put her hand against the glass casing. She closed her eyes, and spoke with a tremulous voice. All were silent save for the Mammon Machine, which droned and bubbled as Schala began to concentrate. "Dayon ro ikalima nga anghel nagapatunog it anang trumpeta. Nakita ko ro isaeang ka bituon nga nahueog sa eugta halin sa eangit. Gintao kara ro lyabi ku kaidadaeman." As she finished the verse, the room suddenly lurched. All except for Schala fell to the ground and looked about in bewilderment. Crono looked toward Robo and knew at a glance he realized the same thing: Lavos was already stirring from his slumber.
Ayla looked at her in surprise. "She is speaking the language of my ancestors…how has she come to know it?"
"Can you understand her?" Lucca asked. "What is she saying?"
Ayla shook her head, "I don't know…it is too old. We have not used those words in many years. It doesn't make sense to me."
Schala continued: "Gin-abrihan ku bituon ro kaidadaeman, ag nagtub-ok ro asu pareho sa asu nga nagahalin sa mabahoe nga hurnohan. Ngani nagdueom ro adlaw ag ro eangit bangud ku asu nga naghalin sa kaidadaeman." Another lurch sent all to the ground again. Schala breathed deep and spoke once again: "Nagtanaw ako, ag nakita ko ro isaeang ka kabayo nga maeupsi. Ro nagasakay kara ginahingaenan nga Kamatayon, ag ro Hades nagasunod sa likod gid nana."
The rumbling stopped. There was silence that slowly gave way to the sound of buzzing and cackling electricity. The Mammon Machine bubbled to the point it almost seemed to be boiling, and the orange light started to turn into a bright blue light. It suddenly flashed with such intensity that all covered their eyes with painful groans of surprise. It was a while until the light subsided, and when they were able to open their eyes they were no longer in the Ocean Palace.
Dalton stood in amazement and shook his head. He and his creations had been left behind. Suddenly, the Ocean Palace creaked with a ghastly groan and it felt as if it began to collapse around them. He growled in anger and beckoned his comrades to follow him. With great difficulty he made his way through the lower levels of the palace where he noticed the men he expected began to arrive. However, just as Dalton had done, they began to flee as dark water and debris crashed down all around them. A soldier ran up to him and shouted, "Sir, what do we do? It is pandemonium! Has the Queen summoned Lavos? Is he here? Will we finally be immortal?"
Dalton shook his head, "No. Get all the men you can. Tell 'em to get to the Blackbird. If the prophet woz tellin' me the truth, we don't wanna be stayin' in Zeal much longer…"
He run up the flights of stairs as they collapsed behind them. A few of his men fell to their deaths, their bodies crushed by ice-cold water and massive debris. He made it to the warp point and stepped on the plate, breathing a sigh of relief. However, his relief was short-lived. As he materialized in the Zeal Kingdom he realized that something ominous was approaching. Birds took to the sky in droves, the ground quaked, and people were panicking in the streets below.
"It's the rebels! Ain't it?" Dalton screamed at one of his men nearby.
"No sir! It is something different! Something big!"
His face went white with shock. "No, no, it can't be 'appening yet! No!"
Suddenly, a pillar of light burst forth from the ground sending columns of dirt sky high. Dalton watched the event unfold from the terrace, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the banister. The sky grew heavy and thick with dust, the air was thick with rumbling and screams. The people seemed to be ants in the streets and Dalton could only imagine the horror had he been in the midst of it. "The prophet was right…Lavos woz gonna kill us all…" He turned to his soldiers and barked out orders. All of his orders consisted of gathering the men upon the Blackbird and clearing a path for evacuation. When asked if the royal family was accompanying them, Dalton only laughed and said that he was the royal family now for all that was worth. The guard stared down solemnly, not appreciating the unsanctimonious turn of events and complied.
Within minutes, Balthazar was aboard the Blackbird and in the air. He watched as throngs of citizens swarmed the launch pad, begging for passage. The guards held them back, promising that the Blackbird would quickly return to evacuate them. Dalton saw the whole event unfold as people fell over the edge of the dock and downwards into the clouds. Others fought the guards, strangling them with their hands or burning them with magic. Suddenly, the harbor exploded in a pillar of bright light. The crowd screamed in horror and began stampeding over each other for safety. Although the people could only see the danger at the dock, Dalton saw the same thing happening all over the face of Zeal. Land was uprooted, hundreds of homes were destroyed, thousands of lives were silenced with every blast of light. Suddenly, the island gave a lurch and it began to do the unthinkable.
It fell.
Dalton learned against the glass, his eyes wide with disbelief. The prophet did not tell him this. The great technological marvel that had been constructed and lasted for millennia had just been decimated within an hour. His heart ached not for the people, but for the symbol of what man could accomplish. A paradise of emerald and shining blue began its rapid descent into the icy world below where any inhabitants would drown in the sea.
"Take us over the source…I want to see what is causing this."
"Are you sure, sir?"
"Do it, dammit." Dalton growled.
Dalton could barely feel the pull as the plane of such magnitude dropped below the clouds. The pilot steered clear of the clumps of land that broke off from the isle, but sweat profusely as great waves miles high broke from the ocean. Tidal waves blanketed the earth below them, crushing trees and eroding mountains in their wake. They drew closer to the source and Dalton saw it. A glowing red ball, much like fire, rose from a gigantic rip tide in the middle of the ocean. The ball of fire was larger than any mountain he had ever seen and it spewed bolts of light from its body. Not only did it strike Zeal, but it targeted the world around them.
"Lavos, it can't be…he's not only destroying Zeal…he is destroying the world…"
"Where are we?" Marle asked, clutching her pendant anxiously.
Robo shook his head, "My sensors…they-they are detecting nothing."
Lucca looked around and touched the ground where she stood, which looked like flowing waves of light. "This reminds me of the moment when we jump through the time warp…"
"But, we aren't going anywhere." Crono said. "Does that mean we are stuck in between time?"
The Queen, who had been shaking in fear, listened to the conversation with surprise. Although her mind did not fully grasp what had occurred, it was revelatory to her. As she stood, a loud booming voice spoke. However, it did not seem to echo in the vast nothingness where they stood. Instead, it seemed to reverberate within their minds and hearts. The voice said, "You stand where I watched all of creation since the dawn of time immemorial. This where I, Lavos, guide and devourer of all, watch and wait for the time of my coming."
Magus' eyes flashed in excitement, "Come out Lavos! Come out so I can gut you!"
"Look!" cried out one of the councilmen who remained. All gasped in awe as a mountainous creature appeared before them. Great bony spikes protruded from its shell, its skin was dark and pourous, and it seemed to stretch far out of their sight. They were most definitely not within the ocean palace; for this beast would never fit within its structure even it had been ten times larger. In front of them, about the size of a large man, was an unblinking eye. Without any doubt and without any reason to ask why, all could sense that the source of the voice had come from this all-seeing eye. While all stood in stunned amazement, Magus merely grinned impishly.
"I have waited years for this moment! Now, after all this time, you shall die!"
He flew toward the eye and raised the dreamstone dagger. With all the hatred and vitriol he could muster, he brought the knife down in a stabbing motion. He laughed euphorically as he removed the stone dagger and stabbed again and again. The flapping of his cape, the squelching of the eye, the euphoric laughter that turned into labored panting, carried on until Magus was covered in blood. He thrust the dagger one final time into the eye with a grunt and let himself fall to the floor with a triumphant yell. He turned to his mother and spoke with an angry rasp, "Do you see this, woman? THIS is what you have let me suffer for! This weakling of a God!" He laughed as he watched the pained look on his mother's face and gestured again to Lavos while drawing his scythe. Color came to his face and he was disturbingly coming to life. "Now, I think I'll have to drive the point home if you weren't able to get it the first time!"
Magus spun around and raised his scythe above his head to thrust it downward but froze in surprise. The eye that he slashed, cut, and bloodied was perfectly restored. The only cut that remained was where the dreamstone dagger rested, within the eye and buried up to the hilt. The knife, just as the Masamune had done, grew into a sword. Instead of a great light, it surged and bubbled within a dark mist. The sword fell from Lavos' eye and clattered upon the ground. Magus looked down and saw that his clothes were no longer bloody. He pat himself down with his free hand to see if it was what he truly saw. Then, as he looked back to the eye, he could feel a great force slam him in the chest. He barely held onto his scythe as the force of the blow sent him flying back toward Crono and his gang. Magus groaned in agony as he sat upright, his eyes wide in horror. "No-NO! This can't be true! There should have been an affect! You cannot be alive! YOU CANNOT!"
The voice spoke aloud once more, "Foolish mortal…can you not be true even to yourself? You could have buried me in the cold dark earth as a rotting and vanishing corpse…but your anger…your anger allowed me to live. Even after all these years you cannot admit it even now. You have deceived yourself into sparing me. You never regretted the feeling of power, the deaths of all those you caused, nor the evil you have done…It all had a purpose, a goal, and final desire…It was not to drive me from the earth or even to eliminate the life of suffering you lived…It was merely this: to bring your mother to agonizing pain."
Magus shook his head, "No, you sick demon! You twist my words!"
Lavos laughed; it sounded derisive and cruel. "You twist your own words! I have felt the desires of your heart and I have granted your wish…I have brought you here, allowed you defile my image, and let you watch the grief stricken face of your mother as she saw her dream of immortality vanish. Yes, your kingdom for your mother's sorrow. Now, I have fulfilled thy wish…would your soul not be the perfect price to pay for such a reward?"
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Magus leapt from the ground, his veins bulging in his neck, his vision turning red. The spell he had meant to cast so many times had finally come. Great black mists swirled from the ground and all around him. They rose into the air, all of it cascading around the eye. The eye turned red and became a sickening display. Thankfully for the others, the dark mists omitted the final touches of the deadly spell. As the mists cleared, Magus collapsed to the ground and panted in exhaustion. His blood ran chill as the mist cleared and the eye seemed unscathed.
"No…no…no…" Magus said, shaking his head in great dismay.
"You have served me well, Magus, and you will serve me well again…"
The pupil of the giant eye went toward the small child who clutched desperately onto Schala. Janus shook his head frantically and Schala held him tight. She screamed in protest, but felt her brother disappear from her grasp. She looked down at her arms and her brother was no longer there. She wailed as if she lamented the dead and crumpled to the ground, her body hardly being able to breathe. The pupil then went to the Queen and her councilmen, who cowered in fear. "Queen of Zeal…you have served me well and your reward shall be eternal life…You shall serve under me and shall guard me as I walk upon the face of the waters, sustaining myself on all that lives. If you swear to do this, you shall take upon yourself the gift of immortality. Do you swear upon your life that you will serve me?"
The Queen stammered and rose from her place on the ground. Lavos spoke again, his voice growing impatient, "Speak now, woman, or perish."
"Yes!" The Queen said, a smile creeping to her lips. "Although I am Queen and ruler of my domain, I will serve thee as long as thou will grant me immortality."
Lavos' voice turned strangely joyful as if it had found an unseen game. He almost sounded admonishing, as if the Queen had committed some great atrocity. "What strange creatures you are…you revel in the beauty of stones and kingdoms that crumble to the dust in the blink of an eye. Oceans, worlds, suns are my palaces and my slaves. They obey my will and I destroy them as I please. You will serve under me, and therefore shall inherit all within the stars. However, your doubt angers me."
The Queen's eyes grew wide with fear, "No! Your majesty! Please! Don't be angry with me! How may I appease your anger?"
Crono could feel the inward grin that Lavos had as he slowly said, "A sacrifice. I need only one guardian as I slumber on other worlds. Your kingdom is already within my hands, but your servicemen are not. They have been found worthy of my gift, but as they have acted through you, their lives are still yours. You control them. Offer them to me. Slit their throats in a show of obedience."
Those on the council made a move to protest, but found themselves immobile. They grunted with effort, but could not move. "You struggle against me. Did you not resign yourselves to me? Did you not drink of my power and use it to torture those who refrained. My blood is in your veins and it had been well with you until now. Why do you protest? You die for my glory. Was this not your wish? To experience the glory of Lavos?"
"STOP THIS!"
Crono drew his sword and pointed it toward Lavos. Glenn, Lucca, Marle, Ayla and Robo joined his side, their arms raised in preparation. Lavos bellowed with laughter and Crono shouted over it. "Do you really think we are going to let you go through with this? I don't care who you are! No one is going to cause all this pain and get away with it! And I don't care how powerful you are! You are no god! You are just some sick twisted devil!"
That had done it. Lavos bellowed in anger, "I AM GOD! ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH SHALL WORSHIP ME! KNEEL OR DIE!"
"Not a chance!" Crono shouted back.
There was a great wind that pushed against Crono and his comrades. He dug his feet in, and with gritted teeth, summoned a ball of lightning and flung it toward Lavos. The wind abruptly stopped and the party sprung into action. Glenn leapt forward and thrust the Masamune into the eye of the creature. Unlike with Magus, the being howled in some kind of pain. Black streams of electricity surged through the sword and sent both the sword and its wielder flying backwards. As they landed with a thud, Lucca and Marle dashed forward. They dug their heels into the ground and summoned their elements at the same time just as they had done with Flea. A large boom sounded throughout the endless fields of time and the shell had been blackened and covered in frost. Ayla and Robo dashed forward, beating upon the shell, sending large cracks throughout the face of it.
"The eye! Everyone focus on the eye!"
Ayla and Robo leapt back as all braced themselves. All at once, streams of elements bombarded Lavos with deafening crashes and bright flashes. Entire spikes fell from the shell, landing and shattering as if they were giant stalactites. The eye had been covered by an amalgamation of the elements. Blackened earth, frost, magma, and water poured from the heap that obscured their vision. There was nothing but silence, but then the voice beckoned. "Very well done…you truly have grown strong. I cannot control your bodies and your powers over the elements are far beyond those of normal human beings. I am surprised. Pleasantly surprised. I cannot wait to have that strength."
"Keep dreaming!" Marle shouted, already summoning more elements around her.
"You cannot win. Do you not understand? When you die there is nothing left. You have felt this. I know you have. You will go back to that place…that cold and dark place…Is that what you want? Wouldn't you rather join me and live forever amongst the stars?"
Marle stammered, "How, how did you know that?"
"Don't listen to him, Marle!" Lucca barked. "He's just trying to get inside your head! You can't trust anything this bastard says!"
"You do not understand either. It is beyond your comprehension. You are so egotistical that you refuse to acknowledge the truth in front of your eyes. Instead, you change all that you see to fit your notion of reality, just as all humanity has ever done since the beginning."
"It doesn't take a genius to see that you are off your rocker!" Lucca added, raising her hands. "How's that for reality?"
"Sarcasm, humor…it is a safe refuge for you…Honestly though…what do you truly have to live for? Knowledge? Knowing what lies beyond? Your knowledge will perish with you. Perhaps a part of you has always craved immortality and you know that deep down your words in books are the only way that you may keep living. But I know that is not enough for you. What use is being immortal if you are alone? And what use is that knowledge if it can never get you what you want? Submit yourself to me, and I will make him love you."
Lucca's face went pale and her grip on her gun slackened. She shook her head and said, "Shut up! You have no right to say that. You are evil. You are truly evil."
"You have always felt unworthy…you have always felt loneliness unless he was with you…Submit to me and you can have your dream!"
"Cover your eyes!"
The shout came out of nowhere, but thankfully everyone obeyed. A blinding light filled their vision, even past their eyelids and hands. When they opened their eyes the mountain of elements had been blasted away and darkened shell remained. The eye was there as well, scorched and damaged. Crono growled, his muscles surging with the energy that passed through them. "You leave her alone! That is enough talk! We aren't going to bow down, kiss your damned feet, or whatever you want us to do! We are here to kill you and nothing else!"
"Very well," Lavos said, the sound of disappointment in his voice, "your souls will not be mine, but your strength shall be…Embrace your eternal slumber."
There was the sound of buzzing that grew steadily louder. Robo searched frantically, but his sensors could not determine where the noise came from. Suddenly, he shouted with great alarm, "It's coming from above us!" They looked skyward and had no time to gasp as spikes fell rapidly toward them. They frantically blasted the incoming projectiles, causing them to explode into a fine powder, but it was not enough. Even with their bodies reinforced by the powers of the elements, they felt their bodies grind against the boulders that forced them into the ground. They felt their bones break and their skin burn as it was scraped. Suddenly, the boulders that fell upon them vanished and they were left prostrate on the ground.
For a moment Crono was dead. However, through his own willpower, he breathed in painfully with a gasp. It felt as if fire was in his lungs and it was painful to breathe. He could hear the painful gasps of those around him and uttered a quick prayer of thanks that the others were alive. However, he felt a strange sensation. He felt as if he was being dragged. He looked upward and saw that a great gale was pulling him toward the eye and his heart went cold. The wind felt as if they were invisible hands, steadily and deliberately dragging them toward the eye. He could hear the faint protests of his comrades around him over the wind.
"No, this can't be how it ends…"
"Mom, Dad, Crono, I'm sorry…"
"God, please, give me the strength to fight. Do not let me carry the burden of failure once more…"
"Useless…it was all for nothing…"
"So it all ends here…all of it…"
"Crono…I love you…I always have." Crono felt a feeble hand grip his. His eyes found the hand and followed the arm toward Lucca who stared at him with wet eyes. He returned the grip firmly and said, "I love you too." Lucca clenched her eyes shut and let sobs shake her body, but Crono felt something quite different. He knew what she meant. It was something he had always wondered and as a child, always wanted to act upon but never did. Something had prevented him from acting upon it and until now he never knew why. As he looked upon the face of Lucca he remembered all the years they grew up together. He remembered all those times where she had comforted him in times of sadness and had always been there for him. In that moment it all came together in his mind.
He had loved Lucca. It was not in the same way he loved his sister Elly, nor was it the same as a love of friendship. It was a love more than lust, indescribable by any name or any obligation. It was a love that wanted to preserve her life more than his own. However, he did not feel that for Lucca alone. He felt it for Marle as well. The thought of either of them dying was suddenly infuriating. The weakness to do nothing was shameful and he felt something drive him forward. He looked over his comrades and realized that he held that same love for each of them as well. Each person who lay suffering on the ground brought a well of deep emotion within him. He loved Glenn for his faithfulness and loyalty, he loved Robo for his thoughtfulness and agreeableness, he loved Ayla for her rambunctious yet kind nature and her honesty. He staggered to his feet with strengthened resolve, blood dripping down his hands from the scrapes over his body. He limped toward Lavos, his brow furrowed in determination. The words of Janus returned to him again as well as the instruction of the prophets. This time, however, there was no ulterior motive nor selfish need to redeem himself. He merely did not want them to die, no matter what the cost.
"Crono? Crono, what are you doing?" Lucca called out. Everyone turned to watch as Crono grit his teeth.
"You guys are not going to die. I sat back and let Elly die. I've lost a loved one already. My soul will be damned before I allow that to happen again!"
"Crono, what are you going to do!" Marle screamed as she tried to struggle to her knees.
"Schala!" Crono yelled out, "Schala, pull yourself together! You guys are getting out of here!"
"We can't!" Schala shouted back, "Lavos will kill me before I can finish transporting us out of here!"
"I'll hold him at bay! NOW DO IT!"
The great voice laughed raucously, "Really now…you feel in the mood to take on a God? Let us see if you can truly pull off a miracle, shall we?"
The eye focused on Crono. Crono grinned, sensing the slight worry that Lavos experienced. He was puzzled that in the face of death Crono had no fear. Instead, there was a grim certainty that Crono had. He thought to himself over and over again, "I can do this. This will work. I will not fail." A high-pitched whining noise began and grew in intensity until it was caused the ground to shake. Suddenly, the shaking stopped and a beam of light sped towards Crono's chest. He let out a primal yell as a great stream of energy emitted from his body in the shape of a dome. The beam of light clashed against it, cascading off to the side, erupting into explosions as it touched ground. Schala dashed toward the scattered party, ignoring the cries of the councilors who begged and pleaded for her to take them as well.
She gave one look toward Magus who stared at Crono and Lavos with amazement. Even now, she felt something move within her and she roughly grabbed Magus by the cape. She dragged his body across the ground and the remainder crawled together. They gathered in a circle and fell back down to the floor with a pained groan. She began the incantation. The light from her spell began to encase them in a dome. She opened her eyes and saw that the dome had not yet reached Crono. She continued the incantation, focusing harder. The light crept toward Crono's form and then…stopped.
Schala stammered. The light from her spell was pushed back by Crono's own energy. Lucca gasped, "It's the technique he used against Giga Gaia! His magnetism is repelling the spell! It won't reach him!"
Marle's face went white, "Crono!" She shouted, "The spell can't reach you! You have to stop!"
"NO!" He shouted. His muscles bulged as they began to reach their limit, "Get out of here, now!"
Marle began to rise to her feet but felt herself pulled to the ground, "No, Marle! Do not stop him!"
"Glenn! Let go! He's going to kill himself!" Marle shrieked hysterically. "Crono! Stop! Stop! Don't die!"
"Damn it Schala, leave! I can't hold him much longer!" Crono shouted with such ferocity it stunned Marle. His voice had gone raspy and labored with effort.
"Schala, get us the hell out of here!" Ayla screamed.
Suddenly, they were encased in a shimmering light again. The world around them became deafening. Even Marle could not hear her own screaming protests as she fought against Glenn and Ayla who held her back. Her fingers stretched out for Crono. He stood with his arms outstretched, his body falling apart as it reached its limit. Suddenly, the dome of light protecting him was gone. His body gave out. The beam of light from the eye pierced through his heart before it enveloped him. However, as Marle felt her body breaking down, she could have sworn that Crono was smiling.
"No! Crono!"
They were suddenly in the dark confines of the Ocean Palace once again. The arms that gripped her were loosed. She crumpled to the ground in a heap, barely able to breathe as she let utter sadness rack her body. She wanted nothing more than to kill those who held her back, but she could not move. Everything hurt. Everything was wrong. She could not move even if she wanted to. She could hear the crying of those that were with her. Only one person remained deathly quiet, and that was Magus who did not lift his head up from the floor.
Schala, who had been looking down at her hands, heard footsteps approaching and looked up. "Gasper? Balthazar? Melchoir? What are you doing here?"
The prophets stood before them, their heads hung low. "We are here to prepare for a second chance."
"Second chance? What second chance?" Glenn said, his voice dangerously low.
"We were prepared for this." Balthazar said, raising his hands in defense.
"This was our only chance to kill Lavos as he slept…however, that chance is gone now." Gasper said in a voice full of anger and disappointment. His eyes fell upon Magus.
"Careful, Gasper…we talked about this. He has failed, but he is only human." Melchoir said while placing a placating hand on Gasper's shoulder.
"Do you have nothing to say to us?" Gasper stormed toward Magus, brushing off Melchoir's hand. "Do you have anything to say for the misery you caused?"
Magus only glared from his place on the floor, the reddish glow of his eyes gone. He spat blood on the ground and said, "You sit from the safety of your caves and behind your followers while they blindly follow you to death just as I have done. You have no idea what I have experienced…you have no idea the pain I endured. Burn in hell, old man."
There was a scuffle of feet and Melchoir held back Gasper. Balthazar stepped forward, grabbed Gasper by the shoulders and shook him. "That is enough. We are not here to blame."
Gasper breathed in deeply and sighed, giving a final glare toward Magus. "You are right. Let us be quick about it. We do not have much time."
"There shall be no second chance." Glenn spat heatedly. Everyone turned to face him as he slowly stood on his two feet. His arm had been broken and he winced as his good arm covered his ribs. "There is nothing more. We are finished! We do not have a chance! To hell with this!"
The gurus hung their heads low. Melchoir spoke first, "Yes…if you choose to stop now, I do not blame you. It is your choice."
"Then why? Why speakest thou on this! For what reason do you even wish to speak on such things?"
"Lavos is awake," Gasper said solemnly, "he is tearing this world apart. However, this was anticipated. We have the power within ourselves to seal him within the earth once more. He shall sleep once again, but will awaken with the fullness of time. He will reap his vengeance upon the world but only at that point of time that had been foretold. You may live your lives in peace, knowing that you have done your best."
"And what of Crono? What of his life?" Glenn yelled. Marle broke out into tears again and the gurus said nothing.
"Schala, please, transport them somewhere safe. We have something important to discuss…You may choose to stay or you may go with them. However, you would be instrumental."
Schala looked toward the floor and said, "My brother is gone, my mother is a pawn of Lavos, and the Kingdom I have fought to restore is gone. I have nothing to lose."
"Our price to seal Lavos into the earth again is costly as well as your part in the plan. Are you sure?"
"Yes," Schala said, all life gone from her voice. "Just tell me what to do."
"Begin by sending them away. We will start then."
Schala began to pray, tears slowly falling down her face. Sensing that their time to rest was near, everyone within the party lost consciousness. Even as the ocean palace collapsed around them they did not stir nor open their eyes. Their slumber was long and deep, but not without trouble. In their dreams they watched the death of their friend and ally over and over again, still as stone and unable with all the power they possessed, to change his or their fate.
Notes: Angsty, isn't it? I didn't mean for it to be so angsty, but I guess it is going to be that way for a short while. Anyway, if you are wondering about the language that Schala used, that was Aklanon. The translation is in Revelations 9: 1-2 and 6:8 respectively. I was just flipping through scriptures looking for some creepy and foreboding stuff to say. Revelations is a really good chapter for that. XD