Note: A reference is made to a story called The Lifeblood Project, which I havn't written yet. If people like this story, I'll write LP. I also imply a few things which either didn't happen in the game, or havn't happened in a fic yet. I'd like to make this openended. If anyone sees an implication they would like to expand upon or develop history to, just email me your intent. Anyway, please read and review. This is going up in chapters, and I'm not sure when it will al lbe complete.
Chapter 1: Darkened Twilight
The stars twinkeld softly. They turned their gentle gaze down on a sleeping world. A world that had undergone tragedy, death, desolation, and destruction.
Or should have, Crono thought to himself.
Instead, the disaster had been averted. In a journey that spanned centuries but took a few weeks, Crono, and friends he met along the way, had fought Lavos and saved the world.
The journey hadn't left them unsctahed, however. Robo had seen centuries, and though he seemed to function, a few hundred years of watching life go by, alone, had to scar any psyche. Even an artificial one. Janus's sister, Schala, had been lost in the time stream after freeing the group from Zeal's prison.
Janus had been distraught, and for a while is ability to continue was a question.
But the worst loss, the biggest hardship, was wondering if it was all over or not. Lavos had been slain, true. But he had spawned. He was not the only of his kind. That there were more out there, combing the heavens for planets and civilizations to feed on.
So every once in a while, more and more frequently in fact, Crono would cross the bridge thet led to the Heroe's Monument, and contemplate this, while silently scanning the skies.
"Crono." It was Nadia. She walked up silently behind Crono and placed her hand on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.
"Is it over?" He asked, softly. His icy blue eyes, so in contrast to his dark red hair, never left the stars.
"Oh, Crono." Nadia rested her head on her husband's shoulder and sighed. Crono looked down at her and smiled softly. Then he turned his gaze back to infinity above.
They stood like that, holding eachother. Nadia trying to lend her reassurance to the man she loved, Crono looking to anchor a part of his soul here, where it belonged, not roaming the skies in fear.
Crono sighed, for a moment content. That moment was ruined by a chill whihc seemed to creep into the air, siently yet swiftly. "We should go in now." He remarked gently.
Nadia, noticing the chill as well, agreed. They turned, now hand in hand, back toward the bridge. The Heroe's Monument stood, normally tall and proud, but now posessed of an eery difference. On top of the Heroe's shoulders, a figure crouched. The moon was behind him, casting a silhoute that vaguely resembled various interpretatins of Death. The figure heald a scythe, the blade hanging a few feet above his head.
Crono, stepping back and pushing his wife behind him, hopefully out of harm's way, reached for his katana. The sword made of the rainbow shell had earned the nickname "Prizm" Glenn had remarked it was sharp and strong enough to cut light itself. Crono hoped it would be sharp enough now.
A click sounded behind Crono. Nadia had loaded her crossbow. Before he could draw another breathe, the scythe appeared, blade-first, in the ground. The blade reflected the myrad skies, stars filling its length. The dark figure landed behind the scythe and flung ou his arms. His night blue cape billowed out biehind him in the growing breeze. The man's hands were open, palms facing upwards in a seeming gesture of peace.
"Janus." Crono said, dropping his gaurd. A resounding click from behind him signalled Nadia had also lowered her gaurd.
"I've come to ask for you assistance." Janus said, not mincing any words. He lowered his arms and retrueved his scythe.
"How did you return to this time period?" Crono asked, sheathing his sword.
"He didn't. You never left, did you. You knew without the Epoch, you would have no chance to. find yor sister." Nadia interjected, stepping forward. She flipped a switch on her crossbow and it folded into a narrow black box, which she then pocketed. "Lucca made it for me." She answered the unspoken question.
"Let's talk inside. It's getting cold out here." Crono suggested while scanign the stars one last time. Janus glanced up at the moon, then the trio turned and crossed the bridge that connected the Monument to the backyard of Crono and Nadia's summer home. Nadia took Crono's hand, and he kissed her on the cheek.
In silence, the three entered Crono's house. Crono locked and bolted the door as Nadia turned the lights on. A comfortable living room was revealed, with a sofa and two easy chairs surrounding a coffee table.As they situated themselves, Nadia attempted to chat and smalltalk, but an annoyed look from Janus convinced her to make everyone coffee.
"Sorry for drawing on you. I should have known you love to make an entrance. I've just been edgey ever since..." Crono began after Nadia had left the room.
"You havn't been sleeping well since the discovery of the Lifeblood Project, have you?" Janus inquired. "Niether have I." Janus answered his own question before Crono's reply.
"I've taken to scanning the skies at night, wondering. Every shooting star, once something of beauty, now holds fear. I still havn't told her. No need for both of us to lie, sleplessly, waiting for a bang that signals a Lavi has impacted." Crono said, solemnly. A minute more of silence passed before Nadia returned.
"I'd ask one lump or two, but I don't feel like hitting either of you tonight." Nadia said lightly, warmth in her azure eyes. Crono smiled obligingly as he took his cup. Janus just gave her a blank stare. "Sheesh, I try to tell a joke and I risk freezing to death." She remarked, a touch sarcasticly, but she took a seat and didn't attempt any more humor.
"So what type of 'assistance' do you require?" Crono asked.
"Do you remember the coordinates of Zeal?" Janus queried. Crono nodded that he did. "Well, there is something floating there now, in THIS time period. Only, it isn't bright and full of granduer, like Zeal, but dar and twisted. I only just spotted it a few days ago, but I can feel the malevolence radiating from it. I'd like ot investigate." He said simply, yet resigned.
"Why not just go youself? You're extremely powerful." Nadia said, a puzzled look on her face as she sipped her beverage.
"Because I use shadow magic. This...abomination that floats in our sky has the shadow feel to it. My magic would be vastly innefectual, as would that." Janus gestured to his scythe, the Night Reaver. It had been forged with some of Lavos's brain material. The blade now showed the stars from some distant part of the galaxy, instead of reflectign the silver of normal metal. "The Prizm you carry would be exceptionally powerful in this place. And Nadia, your healing abilities run counter to this thing's nature, and they would be useful." He finished, and set his coffee cup on the proffered coaster.
"Alright, we'll do it. Crono needs an adventure to take his mind off of whatever is eating him anyway." Nadia said, almost cheerfuly. "Who else is going to come? Are we going to reassemble the whole crew?" Nadia asked, hopefuly.
"No, just us." Janus said. "Remember, only three can cross time at once. Besides, three is a sacred number. It's more than superstition. I've found that when chanting a spell, if I repeat the action phrase three times, It vastly increases the effect." Nadia looked disappointed.
"We should visit Melchoir and have him forge you a scythe from the fe remaining rainbow shell fragments." Crono said, resignation settling upon his features.
"There is no need. I have heard of a scythe, the Celestial Reaver. It is supposedly forged of the sun and the moon, and crafted by the hand of the father of Masa and Mune." Janus replied.
"Great, where is it?" Nadia asked.
"The correct question would be 'when is it?'. And the asnwer, just after the beginning of time. Its power grows with time, but I only know of its location then. Even at its weakest, it will eb a formidable weapon." Janus asnwered, only a touch indignantly.
"Well, let's get some sleep. In the morning, we'll pay Lucca a visit and get the Epoch." Crono suggested. No argument was forthcoming, so the three retired.
***
The sky seemed blacker, the stars dimmer, as Janus searched them. Or maybe it was his perception. The heavens dimmed by what he knew and what he felt. He sighed and turned from his stargazing. He jumped off of the Monument's shoulders and began walking back to Crono's house. He passed Crono, who also could not find sleep. Their eyes met, and each nodded. They walked back to the house in silent understanding.