Restless night in Guardia
A Chrono Trigger Fanfiction
By: Novalon
It was cold, he noted, a suitable condition he thought his own mind to be in.
It was depression on the inside and out, but damn what the Frog thought about it, he had no idea about depression even if he looked in the damn mirror and saw his own ugly face.
This was his own depression, for time's sake!
He looked to the corner, where the Frog rested in the bed opposite, obviously rather used to the cold, as he looked like no restless thoughts awakened him.
Not that the cold was anything new to him either.
He strode over to the door, gazing out of it. The moon illuminated the castle's corridor well…
He heard several small, fast steps, coming down the stairs, and he quickly shifted to the right side of the doorway, so he could see the nightly phantom pass.
It was quick, he noted, but the blonde hair and dreamstone pendant tipped him off…
What the hell was she doing awake at this time?
And why the hell did he care?
He shook his head, it seemed the princess was the only one of the group who held some tiny bit of trust, despite the fact he was cold and heartless.
Most of that had attributed to the fact that he had practically killed off all his emotions long ago, but still… there was something about her that made some of them want to come back…
So, he did the only thing he thought was perfect in his insomniatic state…
He followed her.
Down the corridor, she stepped quickly, and he followed with the gracefulness of a passing shadow… his outside reflecting what was on his very soul.
She had moved across to a door that was on the far east side of the castle, but it looked to be rather secret. He followed in wonder as she made her way past the door to the kitchens downstairs, and to a door that was previously unseen… it must have been secret passage, he noted.
Striding slowly down the stairs, he watched as suddenly the princess was unable to be found. He began to worry when he suddenly found a sharp pain hit his side. He turned to see the grim face of the princess, with her crossbow forcefully poking in a very dangerous position.
Most people, he would kill at the very attempt at this… but she was different…
He coughed, "Do you mind?"
This resulted in another poke to his side. He noticed her mood had changed for the worse, since they had yet to head to the distant future, and she was obviously upset at the fact that she had to come back here to make amends with her father before she would risk her life for a boy she barely knew…
And still she said nothing, he noted that he must have acted this way at one point in his life.
"… I suppose you're wondering why I am down here as well…"
Silence… she still stared at him with a confused glare.
"Oh please… don't flatter me, I wouldn't waste my energy trying to kill you. I've spent enough time in my life dealing with your family anyway…"
This warranted another sharp poke to his side. He grimaced as he realized his cold demeanor would cause him more pain than it was worth.
"Look…" he tried to reason with her, realizing that grasping the correct words would be harder than he realized.
"I followed you for a reason… I could not sleep either and I saw you come this way… and I must admit, I was concerned. Before you assume anything, realize that I am not just some one-dimensional villain that we view Lavos as… though he gets everything that's coming to him. I am concerned for you because you are keeping the fragile hold of the group together… it was Crono that truly brought you all together… but it is you who keeps that hold strong… strong enough to realize our purpose, but we will bring him back to make us even stronger…"
He could see a small twinkle appear at her left eye, the crossbow dropped to the ground as she latched her body on to his. Though he could have easily found many ways to find the show of emotion repulsive, and against every fiber in his body… the fact was that in a way, something about this simple girl brought him to her… especially the day when she had asked him to join after Glenn fought the urge to slice him into tiny bits.
He returned the embrace in a surprising show of compassion.
"Now… why are you down here causing me concern?"
She looked up at him, wiping the offending tear, "I came… to ask for the guidance of my ancestors…"
He nodded, "Mind if I stay here with you? I can't sleep anyway…"
This was so unlike him… what was it about her that made him feel almost as if he was still that child whose outlook on life was shattered by Lavos?
She smiled, though she was confused about his behavior as well, "I guess so… but I don't think Queen Leene would be very thrilled…"
He grimaced, "I suppose I will stay there to apologize to her watchful spirit…"
Her eyebrow raised, "Did you just say that you would apologize?"
"Don't think that I'll make a habit of it."
That was better…
They walked down the path of stone statues in the hallowed area, each in front of a door that he could only guess was the final resting place of that which the stony avatar stood in front of.
He had made war against this family… what would cause him to feel such belonging with the latest member of it's line?
Losing his mind… perhaps?
They came to the statue of Leene and her husband… he bowed his head…
"Perhaps when all is said and done… when this maddening charge in which we follow is finally at it's end… when the beast's blood flows back to the planet… I may find it proper to ask for forgiveness to her face…"
He looked at the face, finding that the princess very much resembled her.
"Excuse me…?" she seemed generally shocked.
"As I said before, don't think that I'll make a habit of it."
They continued to walk down the path, words of prayer being said by the princess, while more of a guiding presence was made by himself… finally, they came to a darkened door at the very end of the room.
She whispered, "This door… I never knew what was beyond it… my father says this is the burial chamber of the very first ancestors of the Guardia line… however…"
Trying to use his strength to push open the door, he found it would not yield for him.
He nodded, "It does not seem to want to open."
"I've always tried to read the letters on the door, and have traced my hands across them several times… but no matter what kind of light I bring with me… they don't seem to want to show…"
"What?"
"Didn't you…"
He shook his head, "Impossible… that kind of power is indigenous to the people of Zeal… if that is indeed so…"
His eyes took on a feverish look.
"Hold your pendant up to the door!"
"Huh? Well… I guess I've never tried that before…"
She reluctantly tried it, realizing that what she had traced several times finally grew brigh white in front of her very eyes.
However… she found she could not read the runes written on the door… but she didn't need to…
"Here lies the hallowed tomb of the first King and Queen of Guardia… a barrier of power holds this door firmly shut to the outside… God bless the knights and all the peoples of the Kingdom, wherever their journeys take them…"
He seemed to be in deep thought as he brought a hand up to the firmly shut door.
"There is a barrier of magic… let me see if I can…"
A bright white filled the room as he gently raised his hand…
There was silence…
Until the door slowly creaked open, allowing the two insomniacs to step slowly into the room.
"Odd… the magic held little resistance to me… almost as if it were connected…"
They stopped as the statue of the King came into view.
Here lyes his majesty, thine King of all of Guardia. Died so that his will t'would continue forever after, throughout his children…
"God Bless the people, for t'is truly they that make the kingdom possible. God Bless all that hath supported me through mine darkest times, and rise to mine greatness. God Bless my dearest wife, who came out of mine dreams, it seems… and God Bless our dearest children, and their children forever after…"
-Prometheus Tiberius Guardia
July 4th, 175 AD - December 26th, 225 AD
The princess smiled, "He must have loved his wife very much… saying she was like his very dreams…"
He shook his head, pondering more of the cryptic statement, "Perhaps… she came from an origin unknown to them…"
She looked up into his pained eyes, "What do you mean?"
He sighed, "How did you get your pendant?"
"My mother gave it to me… just as her mother had…"
"And so on and so on… don't you get what I'm saying?"
As he spoke, an unseen statue in close proximity to the King came into view, one that the two immediately recognized.
She gasped, "The first Queen of Guardia… is…"
He nodded, walking up to it.
"My sister… Schala."
He looked at the inscription in sadness.
Her Majesty, Queen Schala Elaine Enhasa Guardia.
God rest her, and whatever place she came from, for truly the perils she hast survived are far greater than any soldier hast ever faced. God be with she, who could stand up to the most powerful of warriors in the land, and take his very heart as hers… She who motivated our Lord to actually fight against the ruling dictators of the time, and urge an era of peace that t'would last as long as there is still love in the hearts of the people. Lady Schala, wherever you came from, and where you are now, with your husband… you will be in all our hearts forever.
"To all who stand before this testament to my life… know that I did not come from this original place… though I have learned to call it home. I ask that God bless all the peoples of this Kingdom that I have aided Lord Prometheus in creating: Guardia… and the Kingdom in which I have journeyed far from: Zeal. Wherever my mother be, I still love her despite her fall from grace… and my brother, Janus… wherever he has been sent… God bless him and save him… because I couldn't be there for him wherever he has went."
??? - September 11th, 230 AD
"Oh my God… She and I are…"
"Yes" he nodded, "And you and I are as well."
He put an arm around her, and they gazed upon the statue for nearly an hour, not a word being said, until…
"You know… I always thought there was some sort of connection between us the moment I met you… and plus, we are similar, though you may be forced to admit it. We both wear our guises: I as the Dark Lord of the Mystics, and you as a common traveler… and your cold demeanor when I entered in after you greatly reflected how I acted when I was younger…"
She nodded as he continued.
"We are relatives, princess… you and I… and all your family, including those that I wrongfully fought against… however, I renounce whatever I followed before."
She nodded, "I think she would find it in her heart to forgive you…"
He grimaced, "However… I don't think any kind of persuasion would cause him to change his mind."
"You could…"
"What?"
"Reverse the spell…"
He stood in though for a moment.
"Perhaps… I could find a time in which I could do that…"
She smiled, albeit, still sad.
"But for now, we wait till the morning…" he continued, "And we will bring back the boy… till then, let us get some sleep."
The two made their way outside of the room, the wizard putting his own form of barrier spell on the door. And it would stand there, until whenever he decided to visit the place again…
If he ever did…
To the rest of the group, this event would never be spoken of, but the two who found a connection… would remember this time as the 'Restless Night'.
I always had some thoughts as to if the pendant was passed down or not… this kind of clears up whatever thoughts I had in my mind… I don't really have a specific time in the chronology in which this fic is set, but all you need to know is Crono is dead and Lavos is alive… that's about it. And please… Read and Review!
- Novalon