The Fire When it Comes – Strangers in a New Land: In which our heroes have a parting of ways.
A Crono-Trigger/Cross fanfic
By
Deborah J. Brown

Chrono-Trigger & Chrono-Cross and all associated characters belong to Squaresoft.

Magus gazed at the three before him. They both were and were not his old enemies, and later, companions. For one thing they appeared younger, even more childlike than they were when he'd known them. Oh, they'd been mere children when they'd first met, but those children had given off a sense of seasoned warriorship. These They glowed with the inner purity only the young were said to possess. Not that Magus had ever known that purity in his childhood, but then his ability to see fate's dealings had ensured an early loss of innocence.

"Crono? What dost thou mean?"

The red head grinned at Glenn, who had gone on one knee in order to talk to him more equally. "Everyone lives and dies. Death is inevitable, so it's the living, and what you do with it, that counts." He looked at the young man. "What is thy dream, knight? What would ye have most in thy world?"

"Here is the power to grant dreams," Marle said, standing beside Crono.

"The power of the Heart's Desire," Lucca continued, moving to Crono's other side.

Magus frowned. "What are you three yammering on about?" To his annoyance, they ignored him, still gazing at the blonde in front of them.

Glenn shook his head. "I think that, even if I have a Heart's Desire as ye put it, tis not a thing to be demanded or simply granted. Wouldst rather work towards that goal than to have it placed – unearned – in my hands."

Magus made an impatient sound. Glenn would take that attitude. Yet, strangely enough, he found himself agreeing with the young knight. He distrusted any power that claimed it could grant one's every desire without effort.

"Wise man," Crono said quietly. "For many will seek my gifts and come to regret it. Then so it will be. Though FATE herself stands against you, yet shall you seek your goal." He turned blue eyes onto Magus. "And what of you?"

***

Glenn felt a surge of fear. Would Magus show sense this time or allow his desire for Schala's freedom to overwhelm him?

"Stuff it. Why don't you show your real face?" Magus said grimly. "It's nice of you to use our friends to keep us from feeling overwhelmed, but I want to know who and what you are."

Crono, Marle and Lucca laughed softly, then, to the soft sound of the bell, their bodies merged into one burning sphere of red flame. Glenn cried out, for within that fire he could see things. Some horrible, some wonderful, all terrifying. Images flashed through his mind; a great explosion and a stream of energy flowing out from it. Lives being born. Lives ending, some desperately short, others all too long. Beginning and end, end and beginning, going on through eternity. Currents and eddies carrying those lives on and around, and somewhere at its end and beginning – this thing, consuming and being consumed, both source and destination solidified into eternal stillness. He covered his face.

"What have you done to him?" Magus' voice demanded angrily and Glenn wondered how Magus could bear the visions he had to be seeing.

"He only sees the truth," the voice that spoke sounded like dozens of voices all speaking at once, some young, some old, some male and some female. "I do not show my true form unless asked, for that very reason. Truth is the hardest thing to bear of all."

Glenn managed to look up. "I'm all right, Magus. Tis not that bad." And, strangely enough, it wasn't. Just those first moments had overwhelmed him. Now he could look into that vision of time without flinching. "Not wonderful and wilt be glad to be out of here, but I wilt manage."

Magus frowned disbelievingly at Glenn and suddenly the knight realized his companion was seeing nothing of what he saw. Either that or "Magus, do you see anything of a time stream?"

"I always see the timestream. Have since I was a child – though I've learned to ignore it. I don't see anything different right now. Maybe a bit more intense, but"

It occurred to Glenn that this, if anything, was probably why Janus had grown up to be Magus. How anyone bear this vision for long and not be twisted by it was beyond him. He turned to the sphere that waited patiently before Leene's bell. "Who art thou? What art thou?"

"Who am I? I believe I will be called the Frozen Flame one day in the not too distant future," the sphere chuckled. "As for what Janus called Magus will find that out only too soon. You still have a long road to travel, though, and it is not for me to tell you which way to go." It seemed to regard Magus quietly for a moment. "Suffice to say that I know your Heart's Desire without your having to ask, but even now I do not know for certain what path you must take to find it. Even for me it is not yet time. But it will be. That much I believe." The Flame went silent a moment, then, in a soft voice, added, "That much I must believe, else all that I have endured is for nothing."

The sphere began to glow more brightly. "Now. It is time for you to leave me. Someone is waiting for you, though he doesn't know it yet. Best to get him out before the system comes on-line fully. It's busy with other things right now and when it realizes he's here"

Before either man could speak or act, the sphere exploded around them.

***

Belthazar's voice echoed through the large room, breaking the silence. A second later the alarms went off, "ALERT! ALERT! ENEMY OF FATE ACCESSING FROZEN FLAME! ALERT, ALL UNITS SEARCH AND DESTROY!"

Panic set in and the Guru of Reason jumped backwards, climbing down rapidly from the ladder. Stupid stupid stupid! Overconfident and stupid! He should have known the main computer would react to his presence. His backdoors weren't enough to protect him if it realized he was there. How to get out?

The doors were opening and he remembered those two huge robots that guarded it. Under other circumstances he'd have had Gaspar pull him out of time to safety, but he couldn't reach the other. Without magical skills or strength of arms he was probably doomed.

Then there was a flash of light from the sphere. A flash of light and the sound of something striking the floor. When he opened his eyes, two men were rising to their feet and staring around with expressions of shock. "Magus? Frog er Glenn?" Belthazar gasped.

***

Magus faced at the old man. "You. I want to have words with you." Then Glenn's hand touched his arm. "What?"

"Not now. Seems we hath a more pressing engagement."

Following Glenn's pointing finger, Magus blinked at the two large machines moving their way, lumbering with patient sloth. "Oh, very well. Later then." He drew a sigil in the air and flung the power at the nearest machine, even as Glenn raced at the other and set to slashing its wiring. "Darkness that draws all within it, CRUSH!"

Within seconds the two men had destroyed the machines. Compared to the Lavos spawn of earlier it was an easy fight and Magus gave Glenn a quick grin of approval as the young man rejoined him. Before he could say anything, though, a voice spoke, a woman's voice, harsh and metallic and yet - familiar. "ALERT! UNITS APTX & THX DESTROYED. ALERT! MULTIPLE INTRUDERS IN SANCTUM. SEARCH AND DESTROY!"

"What say ye to the idea of leaving? Now?" Glenn asked.

Magus' grin broadened. "Took the words right out of my mouth." He turned and grabbed Belthazar by the arm. "Come along, old man. We have much to discuss – once we've escaped."

***

Glenn ran beside Magus, breath coming short and fast. He was beginning to tire. Machine after machine had attacked them. So many that the Masamune would have been caked with blood had they been organic opponents. His own blood was seeping from myriad wounds, for he'd only time for small healing spells as they ran. Magus was in much the same condition, well, except that his blood ist glowing, that is. The mage's seeping wounds were a kaleidoscope of shifting red and blue light.

As for Belthazar, the old man was keeping up well for someone as old as he had to be. Strange that. Glenn found himself agreeing with Magus that the old man owed them a lot of answers. They'd have to wait until the three of them were out and safe, though. At least they were nearing the end of the gauntlet. He could see the doorway to the docks ahead.

Coughing and wheezing, Belthazar stumbled and fell. "I I'm sorry I can't run"

Seeing Magus' expression, Glenn grabbed the man up and pulled one arm over his neck. "Tis no time to waste on recrimination. Hurry!"

The three men dashed for the exit, only to come to a halt as another of those huge machines appeared in front of them. "One last dance with death," Magus growled, magic forming around his hands. Glenn let Belthazar slide to the floor to rest behind them and moved forward. This one might need his magics as well and he gathered a spell together in his mind.

Strange it's echoing with Magus' he thought, even as the power drew together. Slashes of electrical energy were striking him, making it difficult to concentrate. Still, he realized that – for the first time since he'd traveled with the mage – their powers were merging into a single spell. Never before had Magus been able to match with him and the power forming between them was both terrifying and exhilarating.

"Darkness that surrounds and contains all, Nothingness from which All springs, cast forth time in a raging flood and carry my enemy away! TEMPUS FUGIT!" Magus' voice rang sharp and clear, each word a rushing cascade that flooded the room with power. As Frog cast his most powerful water spell through him, the mage's darkness twisted out in a fiery stream that struck the machine dead on.

At first nothing seemed to happen. Then, with a faint creaking sound, the machine collapsed in on itself, rust forming on its body, corrosion becoming holes in metallic 'flesh'. At last only red dust remained on the floor.

***

Belthazar hit buttons on the Epoch rapidly, glancing sideways at the two men cramped into the single seat beside him. "Hold tight," he gasped, noting that Chronopolis was beginning to buzz with a swarm of flying machines that would reach them in a matter of moments. Their only escape was to fly forwards into time and pray.

The Epoch rose into the air, started to move forward, speeding up. "Show them what you're made of," Belthazar whispered as he worked the controls. They were circling the globe, accelerating. Would it be fast enough, he wondered. The things following them might not be able to move through time, but their engines were certainly of better quality than the Epoch's – which had never been intended for battle. He clenched his fist, looking back.

Which is always a mistake, he noted to himself as he spotted the air ship moving at them at high speed. Laser bolts were firing in their direction. It was only a matter of time before the thing's targeting system locked on. "I don't suppose you could manage that spell again?"

Magus' ruby eyes looked at him with a startling expression. Not the arrogant superiority Belthazar would have expected from him. Not even anger. Just sheer, stunned, exhaustion. "Not a chance, old man," he said in a terribly weak voice. "That one nearly killed me"

There was a aura of energy rising around them. They were reaching speed. Just another moment and the Epoch would be able to break free of the time barrier and carry them up along the branches of the Tree to a safer time.

*KAAZIIIING*

The sound of the Epoch hitting the barrier was accompanied by a sudden shudder as something struck her in the rear. Then they were spinning, end on end, out of time and into the nothingness beyond. I can only hope we land safely, Belthazar thought, clinging to his seat tightly.

***

END OF TIME:
Outside of time, Gaspar blinked. He'd lost contact with a part of his other Self briefly but now was picking up the other man's panic. Examining the Tree, he saw flashes of energy around one Era, oddly enough, the one where Melchior'd sent Frog. Then the light he knew from experience was the Epoch, spun out of control outside of Time. A few millennia forward and it crashed back into the Tree.

::Belthazar? What is happening? Where are you?::

There was no answer, but the link that was between them told Gaspar the other man was unconscious, no longer blocked from contact. "I hope he's all right," he muttered to himself.

***

1006 A.D.

Magus groaned. His head ached. No. His entire body ached. He opened his eyes and regretted it only because the sunlight burning down on him was far too bright. He moved his arm.

"Hold still." The voice was male, harsh and commanding – the voice of a man accustomed to being obeyed.

Raising his eyes to look towards the speaker, Magus found himself looking – upside down – at a hefty man in a military uniform. It was a uniform he didn't recognize, but that was meaningless, considering he wasn't even sure what time they were in. "Who"

"I am the Acacia Dragoon Deva Viper," the man replied, holding a sword out towards Magus. "And these lands are under my protection, stranger. Now, name yourself and how you got here."

Magus struggled to sit up. He was unarmed, he noted. Nearby, buried nose-first into the dirt, was the Epoch and beside it a man wearing the same uniform as Viper was giving first aid to a bruised and battered Belthazar. Where's Glenn? he wondered, worriedly. "There were three of us," he said questioningly.

"Only two of you have been found. If there is another, he or she may be lost. Now answer my question."

Magus felt a sharp ache start inside him. Glenn had been his enemy. His compatriot. Now he realized the man had been one of his only friends. Forcing back anguish, he raised his head. "I am Janus," he told the Dragoon. "Of no particular place or time. As for how we got here, that's a question better asked of that old man there."

***

"Why did you go back to that name?" Belthazar asked softly as his companion paced around the tent, long legs taking him back and forth so quickly that the old man was getting dizzy. He noted, though, that somehow Janus' wounds had healed over during their wild flight. Although his own cuts and bruises were very painfully evident there wasn't even a mark on the mage. Nor any of that strange glowing substance he'd been oozing for blood. Which may be a good thing, considering we don't know anything about this place and time.

"Magus has no purpose anymore. Janus does. His sister. His friend." Magus – now Janus – turned to Belthazar. "Not to mention the many questions that I expect you to answer." He returned to pacing. "But not now. Not until we convince these Dragoons that we are no enemy." His pale brows drew together in a fierce expression.

Belthazar shook his head. "Magus, Janus, whatever you want to call yourself. I have no reason to tell you anything"

Before he could say more the tent flap opened. "Come. General Serpent wants t'talk with ya." The speaker was unfamiliar, a burly fellow with dark hair and dark brown skin. He carried a large hammer and – from his expression – meant business with it.

Janus shrugged. "Whatever," he said with a sigh. "Got nowhere else to be at the moment."

***

General Serpent resembled Viper quite a bit, Janus noticed. No doubt a father or uncle. Not that it mattered. The main point was convincing him and his four Deva Generals that he and Belthazar meant no harm to these lands. Despite natural arrogance, the mage managed a bow that suggested some humility. "General, thank you for meeting with us."

"Hmmm. My nephew tells me that your ship crashed in the middle of our building site. Would you care to explain how that happened?"

Janus considered his answer carefully. "We were fleeing from an enemy and our ship was magicked from that place to this. To be strictly honest, we're not even sure where we are."

"Magicked? What kind of magic is strong enough to do a thing like that?" Serpent's frown was puzzled, but not unduly upset. "Something Porre is working on in order to subjugate us?"

Now it was Janus' turn to be puzzled. Porre was no military power. "Porre? What year is this, General?" Perhaps we're far enough in the future that Porre has become more aggressive?

"1006, of course. Did your flight knock your memories loose?" The puzzled frown deepened. "1006 on the continent of Zenan."

***

1001 A.D.
Glenn moaned and sat up on a beach. What a headache he had. Climbing to his feet he looked around. A rocky path led up the way to a cave and further into what appeared to be an island. Strange – semi-human – figures were staring at him from the path, their expressions dark and not a little frightened.

Managing a bow that didn't cause his head to fall off, the young knight spoke quietly, "Peace unto ye, goodfolk. I wish thee no harm. Might I ask the name of this place where I have landed?"

Slowly one, a fish-headed woman, came forward. "You're on Marbule," she said. "And not welcome here, human. Please leave."

Glenn blinked. "Marbule? I fear the name ist new to me." He glanced around and frowned. No sign of the Epoch. No sign of Belthazar or – more importantly – Magus. Who knew what sort of trouble his friend was getting himself into. "More, whilst I would not outstay my welcome for all the world, I fear I hath no way of leaving."

"Dere are human fishermen who traverse these vaters. They may be able to help du," another woman, this one fish-tailed and human bodied and very very attractive, said in a kinder tone. "I vill find one..."

A man with a wolf's head came running up. "The Elder wants to see him. You, human. Come with me!"

***

1006 A.D.
Belthazar considered his words carefully. "I am known as a prophet of time," he said. "The ship in which we arrived is a ship capable of traveling through time." Noting Janus' raised brow, he shrugged. "These people may be able to help us." Or me, at least. You I'd prefer they imprison for eternity.

"It's your choice," Janus shrugged. "Tell them what you want." He crossed his arms and settled into a stance that looked like he was asleep.

Serpent held his hand out graciously for Belthazar to continue, which he did. Oh, not everything, just the basic fact of time travel's existence and a little bit of the reasons for it. He was careful to make the General understand about Lavos – about the Time Devourer's nature and evil. "And," he said, taking a deep breath and stepping as far away as possible from his companion, "That man is an agent of Lavos. No, not just an agent, but Lavos' physical representation in this world. I can't begin to tell you the danger that he represents!"

***

As the four Devas turned and took up battle stance, their eyes on him, Janus pulled himself to his full height. Turning blazing ruby eyes on his old teacher, he stared at Belthazar for a long moment. The frightening thing is, he's telling the truth as he sees it, Janus thought.

"Is this true?" Serpent demanded, his hand going for his weapon.

Janus shrugged. "If it is, General, then it's the first I've heard of it." He narrowed his eyes. "For that matter, if it is, then you haven't a hope of stopping me." He glanced around the tent. Escape would pose no problem and – for the moment – seemed the best course. He needed to find Glenn. Needed Glenn's steadying presence to help him think. Belthazar wasn't going anywhere. And I'll make sure of it

"If it is true, then we must stop you," Serpent replied, sword fully drawn now.

Janus ignored the General for a moment. "Belthazar Old man I still have questions that you will answer. But for now... here you are and here you remain. No more traveling for you until I'm ready to permit it." He twisted a knot in time around the old man, not even bothering to try and figure out how he was doing it. "No communication with Gaspar or Melchior, either. You're going to have to do whatever damage you're going to do on your own." He bowed to the General. "General, I thank you for your hospitality, however, I'm afraid I must run."

With those words he sent a bolt of energy through the roof of the tent and soared upwards.

To Be Continued.

Author's Notes:
I think I know what to do with the Masamune now, but I don't think it'll match with that one cut scene in the game. In fact, I'm not sure that Guardia will fall in exactly the way mentioned in Trigger, in any case. Oh, and Glenn of Trigger won't be Glenn of Cross. I have much better plans for him.