The Fire When it Comes - Part 14: Dealing with Dragons – In which Janus strikes a deal.
A Crono-Trigger/Cross fanfic
By
Deborah J. Brown

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

65,000,000 BC:
Glenn gazed up into the skies at the rapidly approaching fireball, feeling nervous. "I hope thou art right in this, Janus. Thy timing must be perfect."

"And it hasn't been so far? Don't be such a worry wart, Glenn." Janus was apparently scanning for something, a part of his Self distracted. "Would you have preferred to stay behind?"

Smiling wryly, Glenn shook his head. "Nay. Wouldst see this through to the bitter end." He wondered as he said that just how bitter the end would be for him. Neither he nor Janus had addressed the fact that – while the future Janus had come back through time with FATE – there was no clue to his own future. And I think I prefer it so.

"I've found Azala," Janus said, drawing Glenn's thoughts back to the present. "We'll have to wait until Crono and the others leave, though."

"Tis just as well." Glenn eyed Lavos' burning shape in the skies and felt the tense anticipation of an accident that could not be avoided. Nothing would prevent Lavos from entering the timeline. Nothing would prevent it from burying itself deep into their world. It was all very well for Janus to say all the damage to the timestream wasn't just Lavos' fault, but it was hard not to fear and hate the power that had caused so much harm. "Dost thou sense it?"

"Sort of. It's not fully integrated into the stream, though," Janus replied, easily discerning Glenn's meaning. "All right, they're leaving."

High above them, atop the mountain that had once been Azala's castle, three winged creatures flew away, carrying the warriors who'd destroyed the reptite lord's plans to relative safety. "Let us go, then," Glenn said grimly.

***

Azala lay in a pool of his own blood and waited to die. Above him the being he'd summoned to this world approached, carrying with it – he hoped – the destruction of humanity. "Soon my people Soon we will be free of them"

"Quite true," a voice, a strange, shuddering and mind-twisting voice, said quietly behind the reptite lord, "Yet not in the way you hope. The only peace for your people is in the grave – unless you agree to help me."

Somehow forcing himself to turn, to look at the speaker, Azala stared. A human stood there, one more like those strangers who'd joined with and aided the more primitive, much stupider, smooth-skinners against his people. "Who"

"I am Glenn," the human said in a different voice, then gestured at the necklace he wore. "And we hath come to offer thee a bargain. I apologize as well for my companion. His manners art lacking, as is – often – his sense."

Azala coughed up blood, groaning as he tried to rise and failed. "What do you mean? What companion?"

"The force ye believe thou hast called wilt come no matter what," Glenn said. "And its presence will bring a cold that wilt destroy thy people, while the humans, more adaptable and better able to survive in such extremes, will live to become the dominant race on this world." Strangely, his words held no pleasure, no gloating, only a deep sadness.

"" Azala whispered. "It cannot be" He gasped as a flare of light burst from the man's necklace. A light that showed him what was to be. Ice covered the planet, destroying nearly all plant-life, its cold too much for his people's blood. By the time the ice would go the only sentient beings left would be human and springing from those humans would be races upon races, a multitude of difference and diversity, breeding and interbreeding without thought or care. "NO!"

"Yes." The light spoke then and he knew it spoke the truth. "This will happen. It cannot be changed. However I can ensure a timeline where matters go a bit differently. A timeline where your people reign supreme." The images that formed in Azala's mind then were of a verdant world, emptied of all but the reptites and the non-sentient beasts that shared their world in perfect, unchanging, unchangeable, harmony. It was beautiful, a dream beyond all imagining, and he stared at it in wonder and longing.

"How how can you"

"I will need help," that horrible, terrifying, voice said, "You have contact with the elemental forces of this world. A contact humanity has yet to form – for they are a young race – too young to comprehend what lies outside their physical selves. Allow me to bargain with those powers, for without their cooperation I can do nothing."

***

OUTSIDE TIME:

Janus faced the powers that would, one day, become the dragon gods in Azala's timeline, and rather more diverse forms in the human world. Here they were simply forces, patterns and feelings that represented the world itself. "Nothing can be done to prevent Lavos' presence," he told them. "The only thing that can be done is change its effects, splitting time in twain."

"Time is not a toy" the voices said together, a harmony so deep and sweet that it hurt for Janus to listen to. He wondered what Glenn thought of it and hoped the knight was holding up. "It is time's nature indeed, its purpose to spread and become many lines. Why should this be any different?"

"Because our timestream has been tampered with. Again and again and again, until all that is left is a flooding river that will scatter into nothingness if it is not soothed." Janus glared at the forces around him. "Is that what you want? For all time to end?"

"And we should trust thee? Thy motives are clear. To ensure the survival of humanity alone. We must consider the lives of all within our care, and what you show us does not speak well for a people who use this world in such ways as they."

Janus went silent, unable to deny that truth and Glenn spoke softly, raising his face towards the powers around him. "Humanity moves more quickly, tis true, and mayhap tis Lavos' effect upon us that ensures this movement. Yet this movement, this scattering of life, hath ensured a diversity of sentient life upon our timeline that wilt not be there in the reptite. Dost thou say that their way is best and only?"

"Dost thou, then, call them stagnant?" the voices asked, curiously.

"Nay. This the difference between chaos and order. Mayhap I am wrong, but perhaps both art needed for a universe?" Glenn held his hands out in a shrug. "Lords of the elements, thou art right that we seek the survival of humanity, and of a single kingdom to boot. Yet if we do this thing, then we ensure the survival of reptite kind – albeit on another timeline."

"It will shatter more than our Selves. It will be the shattering of thy friend. Ye know that, dost thou not?"

Glenn started and Janus felt him looking down with a sharp frown. Janus shrugged, sending a small and shielded thought to the knight. ::That Tear. What do you think it was. Hadn't you ever noticed the Flame in FATE's hands has no blue in its fires?:: Turning his attention upwards, Janus added, "All the more reason for me to do this. In the far future I will be bound to one who would use me for the darkest of ends. If my power is halved it will limit her all the more." He could feel his friend's worry over him but ignored it, turning his attention on the Elements. "So? What do you say? Will you accept the bargain?"

***

65,000,000 BC:
There was a sudden sharp shock as Glenn found himself back in reality and staring down the oncoming comet that contained Lavos. It was so damned close he could see the fires burning and swirling on its surface. "Oh my God!"

"Strangely apropos," Janus murmured. "Hold tight, Glenn, this is going to be a wild ride." The Flame wrapped power around the knight. "No time to send you out of the way, damnit. Good thing they're helping."

Glancing around at the six balls of colored light that surrounded them, Glenn nodded. He kept his silence, though, for fear of interrupting his companion at a moment that needed all his concentration. Instead he watched as the fireball roared towards them, one hand clenching onto the hilt of his sword.

The fireball seemed to be screaming, a howl of pain and FEAR? Lavos is afraid? Glenn realized the ancient power had reason. It didn't belong in the timestream, was not built to exist there.

*pain/fear/anguish/loss* The emotions hit Glenn then, emotions he knew was coming from Lavos itself. *hopelessness/sorrow* He gritted his teeth as he felt Janus begin to work. Power was flowing around them, from Janus and from the six elements. Glenn felt that power grasping at Lavos, grasping at time and somehow, impossibly, slowing its descent, even while another part of time slid on untouched. A peculiar double vision formed as the worlds began to split.

There was a terrible roar, a scream of final agony and Glenn 'saw' the two worlds twist apart from each other. In one, Lavos plummeted deep into the Earth, burying itself in her crust and becoming permanently bound within her. In the other, it struck the moon, shattering a piece off that – somehow – got left in the other world. So, that's where that second moon came from, Glenn managed to think, as the double vision began to fade. Only a last remnant of it showed what was happening in the two worlds. The utter and total disappearance of humanity from the one, the equally total disappearance of the reptites from the other. One world remaining warm, its rainforests flourishing. The other world beginning to chill.

Janus made a sound like a dying animal, half-gasp, half-keen and as the last bit of vision faded Glenn found himself floating high over the burning sea that his world's Lavos had created. Then they were plummeting downwards.

***

"JANUS!"

Through a confused fog, Janus heard his friend's scream of terror. They were falling That was right, Glenn was afraid of heights. And the lava but I'm so tired I can't Somehow he managed to wrap Glenn in what remained of his power, just in time to keep him from being seared to ash by the heat of Lavos' entrance into the world. "Sorry All I can do" he whispered as they drifted down through molten rock. "Need to rest"

"Janus, I swear, if ye had a face to punch"

"I said I was sorry" Janus managed to gasp. "Shut UP!" Somehow Glenn had the sense to do exactly that, and Janus let his mind slide back into semi-consciousness again.

After a long drifting moment Glenn whispered, "Nay. Tis I who am sorry. I ought not have shouted. Wast frightened."

"I know Now please let me rest a bit." Janus muttered and again there was silence.

At last, as the drifting ceased, Janus forced his 'eyes' open and 'looked' around. They were in the depths, within the shell that Lavos was building for itself, its only protection against the reality around it. "Glenn?"

"This is the Lavos shell – where we fought it – will fight it – in the future, ist it not?"

"Yeah." Janus heaved a sigh. "Can't fight it here and now without destroying the timeline. Somehow, though, I don't think it'll be necessary. It's still recovering from its landing."

"How art thou feeling?"

"Like I've been torn in half and used for a roadblock," Janus answered, eliciting a small snort as he added, "Oh, wait, I have been torn in half and used for a roadblock."

"Aye," Glenn chuckled. "I suppose ye have at that." His tone turned serious. "Will ye be all right?"

"As all right as possible with half my substance over in that other timeline," Janus grumbled, and would have said more, but a sense of something impinging on his consciousness interrupted him.

*Anger/Pain/Loneliness* The thoughts and feelings coming to him had no real words behind them, but they were enough to make Lavos' 'thoughts' all too clear. *Confused patterns of existence./What should not be.*

"We should leave," Glenn said softly. "There ist naught we can do here."

"Not yet," Janus answered. "For one thing, I don't have the strength for time travel, and won't for a very long while. For another I think I have to face it."

Glenn sighed and muttered something under his breath about stubborn pieces of rock as he moved cautiously towards the center of the shell.

***

Standing at the center of Lavos' shell was a terribly familiar situation. Glenn couldn't help but be nervous as they faced the blazing fire that was so like and so unlike Janus' new form. This fire had no bounds, nothing to hold it back, nothing to contain and control its power.

*Freedom lost/Strength gone/Rage building*

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know. You're really pissed off about this. We aren't exactly happy to have you here either." Under other circumstances Glenn might have chided Janus for his lack of manners, but right now the knight thought such weren't needed. Lavos wouldn't understand them anyway.

*Shock/Confusion/Recognition of something that should not be.*

"Tell me about it," Janus floated free of Glenn's necklace, movements irregular and off-balance. His flames, Glenn couldn't help noticing, were those of a dying fire, much more like those of the Frozen Flame they'd met within Chronopolis, only dimmer, so very weak. "Listen to me 'Dad'. We can't help you. We can't get you out of here and we can't change what's to come without making things worse."

*Questioning/Puzzlement/Bewildered lack of comprehension.*

For a moment Glenn knew why it was Janus had felt – if not pity – understanding for Lavos. A pity that turned quickly to fear as Lavos suddenly lashed out and wrapped itself around its small kin.

***

Mind to mind touching, things lost and things left behind. Too much to see too much to understand. Inchoate longing. Joy, sorrow, shattering and becoming one. Understanding was coming to it. Understanding of what had happened and why. Yes, that future was the only possible one. Any other would lead to an ending of all things.

Yet still, this future might mean its own death and there was fear of that death deep within. Outside its communion it could hear the ephemeral voice of the life that accompanied its small subpart, calling out in fear and anger. Ignore. It has no significance. Just this little piece of 'me'. This one could be changed. The future could be changed and much of its self wished to ensure its own safety by doing so. It would be so easy, such a simple move in a long and dangerous game.

Only the knowledge that its purpose, the destruction that it represented, was to bring creation around full circle, to recreate the universe – not end it utterly – kept it from acting. It might be that this one would have to stand in its place in that end, become its Self reborn in that far away time when the Universe reached its end. The human words "Like a phoenix from its ashes" came to it from its small subpart, the very tired thoughts in its mind telling it that this part of its Self had been terribly injured by all that it had done.

At last a decision was made. Reaching into the other, it restored its strength and sent both it and its human companion on their way. Then, silently, it drew in on itself and slept, to await its next awakening.

***

END OF TIME:
Gaspar started awake at the sound of something crashing down in front of him. Opening his eyes he found Glenn slowly rising to his feet and groaning. The Flame that had once been Janus gleamed at his chest, its fires changed, no longer as bright, the blue flames gone. "It's probably a bad question to ask," the sage said slowly, "But Are you two all right?"

"Damn right it's a bad question," Janus muttered. "Yeah I'm better than I could be, actually, thanks to Lavos."

Staring in shock, the old man couldn't help but stammer, "L..L..Lavos?"

"The ancient one seems to have approved of our quest," Glenn said, leaning against the railing and taking deep breaths of air. "I didst not get a full sense of its meaning, but"

"Lavos is the enemy, though," Gaspar protested.

"So is FATE. So are the Dragon Gods," Janus pointed out. "Each of them have a point, after all, though I think FATE's the one I appreciate least. Of course, the fact that it's her I'm going to get stuck with may have something to do with it."

"Aye," Glenn sighed. "The Dragons art right that humanity hath caused a great deal of harm in the world. FATE could have a similar view and seek her own form of order in her world of machines. Of a certainty humans have a rather chaotic way about them that must rankle on such as they."

The Flame seemed to grin wryly at Gaspar from within its Self. "Whereas all Lavos really wants is to get free. It doesn't really care who wins or loses, beyond that."

"Still" Gaspar couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea of Lavos as being helpful.

"It helped me then because it's only begun its imprisonment, because it hasn't become infected with the concept of living. When the time comes for Crono to fight it, it is not going to want to leave. It'll be too afraid of leaving the bars of its cage." Janus sighed, "I know how it feels. I didn't really want to become this, after all. But it had to happen and Lavos is going to have to be driven back out of time." His voice hardened. "But not before I get my sister back from him."

Gaspar sighed a little himself. This was a bit more than he could understand. And I'm the Prophet of Time. Some Prophet. Still, what was most important was repairing the damage. "So, what next?"

"It depends," Janus murmured. "Glenn, do you still say we should try? That we should go on? Lavos isn't the only one scared. I have a feeling this next step will be our last chance to change our minds. To try to prevent everything we've seen from happening."

"Nay," Glenn said quietly, voice determined. "We hath come this far. I wouldst see it through, no matter what the cost."

Gaspar looked at the knight. There was something about his tone, a sense of destiny that hadn't been there before. Janus spoke then, voice worried. "Glenn? Are you sure? We have to go to your time next anyway I could leave you there."

Glenn shook his head. "Nay. I wilt not leave thy side now, when we hath come so far."

"There was no sign of your presence in Chronopolis," Janus warned angrily. "What do you think that means for you?"

"I know what it means, I thank thee very much, my friend. Yet I wouldst rather die, fighting for this cause, than remain alive in mine own time and never know what happened to thee." Glenn took off the necklace and held it up to gaze directly into its flames. "I hath carried thee these many weeks. Fought beside thee and aided thee. Wilt thou deny me the right of closure?" He smiled wanly and added, "Besides, dost thou thinketh ye can convince Crono of thy good will without my help?"

The Flame was silent and Gaspar could almost feel its anguish. Then, slowly, Janus seemed to nod. "Very well."

To Be Continued)

Author's Notes: Not much really to say right now, but I've always wondered what the Dragon's Tear was. Maybe one of the FAQs explained the thing better, but I never saw anything in the game except that it was a dragon artifact. Has anyone explained it adequately?

The Tear in the story doesn't have sentience, however. Janus kept that for himself, just putting his power over there to help carry that world onto a new timeline. Makes it easier for the writer, since there' s enough tangled up knots to work my way through.

More coming in another couple of days!