Disclaimer: I do not owe Threads of Fate or Chrono Cross. Only the world, Cytherea and my characters. Enjoy the crossover
Chapter Two
The Time Keeper
Drip!
Awakened to the sound of water droplets, Serge gradually opened his eyes but shielded them away from the blinding light that shone above. As his vision focused, he felt the ground hard and cold, having expected it to be a sandy beach. Getting to his knees, he gazed around, hoping to find his friends but instead found himself in a place unknown to his knowledge.
The light, which made his eyes blink, belonged to the light bulbs of a lamppost that positioned in the center of the floor. The floor on which he stood was polished olive-green, bordered by old rusted fences. Beyond the fences was a void of nothing, of darkness, of whispering sounds that came from everywhere and nowhere.
His attention slipped as he listened. The sound of the ocean beating drifted and the laughter of children muffled above. Then the sound of the sea breeze howled and the talks of a crowd rained on. Sounds that belonged to the voices of people and nature whispered all around him, like melodies dancing in the air.
"Hello, Chrono Trigger." He sharply turned to the voice that suddenly spoke. And met the being that appeared from nowhere.
Feathers fluttered over the polished floor. A colorless luminosity beamed around the creature's fur of white and cyan. With two pairs of dove wings carrying the strange creature, it hovered tenderly like an angel. Its long thin tail tinted with stripes and its feathery ears stood demonic with talons. However, its creature face reflected gentleness and happiness. On one wing was a dyed tattoo showing an hourglass, a symbol meaning "hour".
"...Who are you?" Serge managed to ask.
"That's a first commotion I ever got from something who has control over time," it hummed with a smile with raised eyebrows. "My name is Hora, the Time Sylph."
"The Time Sylph?"
The creature nodded. "And where you are? You are in a place called the Bend of Time. Here is where your nightmares of the past come alive. And you must face them again once more."
"My nightmares?"
"Yes. But it also serves another purpose. The sounds you hear are the sounds from the past, present and the future, all outside of the Bend of Time. We are listening to people's emotions, nature's calls, monsters' battle cries and many more that has happened before, now, and after." Her attitude suddenly changed from softness to roughness. "But you're not here to listen to a lot of annoying sounds. You're here...because Articulus wants to see you."
"Who?" Serge asked.
"Don't make me repeat again," she groaned softly, giving a glare that made him shrug his shoulders. "Now, Articulus is-"
"Articulus is the watcher of eras, the Ladon of Time, one of the Spiritual Guardians that watches over our world, Cytherea and this world."
Hora glared back at the direction of where the voice interrupted her speech. "You be quiet, you Nu!"
Out of the dimness, a blue creature appeared. Serge wasn't sure if it was a creature or a human. It had a round-shaped body with two thin arms and two thin legs. It had scruffy green hair and a big mouth under its small eyes.
"Cytherea?" Serge repeated. Never once had he heard such a name before.
Hora looked back at him. "A different world where that girl in your dream lives upon, of course."
"How did you-!?"
Hora held a paw up as a halt. "You'll get your answers sooner than you expect. But I take you're curious about this question. What are Spiritual Guardians? Am I right?"
Serge fell silent but nodded.
"Well, so-called Chrono Trigger. Spiritual Guardians are-"
"The third division of deities," again the Nu interrupted. Hora glared at the Nu, bearing her canines. "The ones who have authority over small matters of a world, Cytherea alone, such as magic, dimensions, time, space, the moons and the sun. Hora, however, is not a Spiritual Guardian but rather a Demi-Guardian, a negligible ethereal creature."
"Do you have to give THAT detail!?" she snapped.
"Despite Demi-Guardians and Spiritual Guardians are immortal, Spiritual Guardians have the authority over Demi-Guardians and Guardians. Thus they are called the Demi-gods."
"Demi-gods? Wait a minute..." Serge muttered.
"One more word out of you and I'll send you to the time where volcanoes were still erupting," Hora threatened the Nu and turned back to Serge. "You got that right. Who you're dealing with happens to be a god. At least you're not dealing with the six Uber-Gods. And don't bet on meeting the Gods of All. Those guys aren't around anymore," Hora explained, despite Serge was semi-clueless of what she said. "Now, like I said before, Articulus wants to see you, the Assassin of Time. Kind of funny, he would usually erase you from existence because you were a threat to time, but he didn't. He used to be very protective about time."
"What do you mean?"
"What'd I mean? Sheez!" Hora slapped herself on the face. "You were the one who split the timeline of this world into two distorted times, changing the course of history. You created a world of illusion from the real world and brought characters to encounter those in the other. I still don't understand why Articulus let you off so easily."
Serge drew back in his thoughts. He was, in fact, the Chrono Trigger. If he was a threat to time, why didn't this Ladon of Time erase him from existence?
"Well, then. Are you ready for combat?"
Serge turned his gaze from the floor to the Time Sylph, puzzled by what she meant. "Huh?"
"I'm the only one around here who doesn't trust you because you're the Assassin of Time and it's my job to protect time, whether Articulus likes it or not. Get ready, Chrono Trigger."
"Now, wait a minute!" Serge hesitated.
"What for? You have nowhere to turn back. And Articulus wants to meet you. I want to know why...why of all people he is so interested in you. Even if you were to find a way to turn back, I would still fight you."
"Now wait, Hora. Articulus wants to see the Chrono Trigger and it is bad enough you fight against him because you are still a rookie," the blue creature said.
POW!
Hora, in a fit of fury, slammed her fist at the blue creature in the face without wheeling around. The Nu fell back, unconscious. Serge gave a silent stare at the Time Sylph as she took a deep breath to calm her anger down.
"What will it be, Chrono Trigger?" she asked.
"...If it's a fight you want." He seized the MasterMune, positioning himself into battle. "Then it's a fight you'll get!"
"That's what I wanted to hear!" she cried with a grin and soon enough her wings lengthened, wrapping around her small form. Light glittered over the feathers, changing to a black glow. The wings then swirled, distorting their feathery figures and soon broke away. Feathers exploded and a black panther leaped towards him with daggering claws.
'A demon panther!?' he screamed in his head, his heart skipping. Serge swiftly raised the MasterMune as the panther made contact to its crooked pole. He pushed the panther away and swirled the MasterMune in his hand. The panther got up and roared. Just like the one that attacked him when he was three.
"Chrono Trigger! You'd better be careful with Hora!"
A voice Serge recognized resounded from his MasterMune. "Doreen, you know her?"
"We go way back."
"Doreen once made Hora angry," a second voice resounded. It was the voice of Masa.
"Because she stole her favourite snack," a third voice resounded. The voice of Mune.
"You two be quiet!" Doreen yelled.
"Heh," the panther suddenly laughed. "So the tale about you having the MasterMune is true... But that doesn't mean you can defeat me with that! Ready or not, here I come!"
The panther charged towards the Chrono Trigger and leapt into the air. Serge swayed the MasterMune but surprisingly, the panther landed on all four on the metal blade of the swallow and somersaulted into the air, landing behind him.
"You got to be careful! Hora isn't your average enemy!" Doreen explained. "She is capable of modifying herself into anyone's nightmares from the past, present and future. Modifying herself into someone's nightmare from the future is far worse!"
Serge wheeled around, in time to avoid the panther's swinging claws. The panther skidded across the polished and hissed at Serge, giving a readied dash. Serge held the MasterMune in defense, blocking the panther's poisonous bite. The strength of the panther was greater than he had expected. Of course, he was dealing with a godly being that had the ability to turn into his worse nightmare.
Backing a step, he threw the panther aside and wielded the weapon in place as the panther recovered from its fall. The panther roared again and dashed towards him. With a swing, he wheeled away from the daggering claws and hit a strike at the beast's shoulder.
The panther skidded on the floor on four. Serge looked back, expecting to see it fall. He gasped.
The wound that he inflicted was slowly healing. It was regenerating.
"Hey! That's cheating!" Masa cried.
"Of course, she would cheat! She's immortal!" Mune shouted.
The panther turned to the Chrono Trigger as the wound completely healed. "This is the first. No one has ever struck an injury at me. However, it'll be your last!"
Serge gritted his teeth as the panther darted. He gave a sway of the MasterMune as it approached closer.
Suddenly, it disappeared like a flash. Gone before the metal would hit its fur.
"What!?" Serge yelled at its unexpected disappearance.
He felt a presence above him. He knew what it was. The panther was a few feet above him. Serge's eyes shot wide. How did Hora get up there, he wondered.
"This ends here!" the panther roared, pointing its poisonous claws at Serge as gravity seized it. Serge looked up, seeing there was not enough time to attack or avoid. He was sure to be poisoned by the panther's claws once again.
"Stop."
Then, it stopped. The expectance of the claws making contact to his skin, the hissing sound muttering in his ears did not occur. Nothing. It never happened.
Serge opened his eyes slowly and stared up to the frozen face of the panther baring its fangs. He blinked several times before taking the reality that his enemy was stationary in midair. He gave a wave of his hand to the panther, noticing its eyes not twitching.
"What the...?"
"It was Articulus."
Serge turned to the route of the voice. The Nu stood there, having gained its conscious during the battle. On its head was a bandage.
"Articulus must not want Hora to fight against you. He did say there should be no interruptions," the Nu said. "Didn't you hear him command time to stop her?"
"Hear?" Serge repeated. He thought for a moment, recalling a deep tone just before Hora froze. "Yeah, I heard someone say, "stop"."
"Chrono Trigger..."
Serge congealed in fear. He heard it again. It sounded ghostly but seemingly promising. It came from nowhere and everywhere, just like the sounds that surrounded him. Beyond the iron fence, he could have sworn he saw something within the darkness.
Crack!
Serge's eyes were wide. Within the darkness the swallowed around the realm, a small fracture was formed and then spread downward. It began to break wider and wider with pieces of obscurity scattering universally.
"There's a crack in the darkness!?" Serge yelled, unbelieving his eyes.
"The Doors of Instance is opening," Nu suddenly stated.
"Huh?"
In the midst of the growing cracks, a mere division of darkness shattered like glass, revealing a superior crack. A colossal doorway made of old oak wood, worth five thousand years, approached to the crack from the other side in slowness. There was no door handle to open it. Only a large symbol of a strange-looking clock that lacked numbers was imprinted on the doorway.
The hinges were rusty as a creak resounded in the realm. The doors were opening before Serge. He peered in, seeing a dark leading passageway, illuminated by small fiery lights. How deep it ran, he did not know.
"He is waiting," Nu exclaimed serenely.
Serge took a breath to calm his nerves but turned back to the frozen body. "What about Hora?"
"Oh. I believe the effect will wear off. Do not worry about her. She will be fine. She will most likely be upset later on since Articulus did stop the fight."
Serge took one moment looking at Hora before turning to the Doors of Instance and entering through the doorways. What would lie within was a question he dared not answer. However, he knew he would meet the Lagon of Time, the one who once believed that the Chrono Trigger was only a threat.
The passageway was long and deep. He wondered how far deep he would go. The blinking flames were Serge's only guides through the shallow dimness. The only sound within the passageway was the sound of his own footsteps echoing. His grip on the MasterMune tightened, prepared to strike if any enemy would ambush him.
He looked up. The end of the passageway was drawing near.
Serge gazed around, finding himself in a hushed large chamber of earth and stones. He examined the new surrounding and stared closer to the walls in a turn.
"Arghh!" he screamed. For he saw the skull of a strange animal, in the form of a gigantic shark, fixed into the walls. Its jaws were wide open, enough to swallow a Dodo whole.
Serge calmed down his beating heart and looked at it again. It wasn't going to pounce on him, he told himself. However, its massive teeth were much bigger than a lion shark's. Upon the walls, more fossils were in sight.
A light flickered.
Serge gazed up in surprise as a ball of light ignited before his eyes. It was harmless, small and delicate. Its light blazed a small portion within the darkness. Serge reached out a hand and surprisingly, it flowed onto his palm, like a dog responding in curiosity.
Light brightened more, making him shield his eyes with his other free hand. Focusing his vision, Serge looked up and gasped.
Above him was a cloud of glittering balls of light diffusing down slowly like snow. Like a display of fireworks in slow motion, it was a sight for sore eyes. Serge gazed around, wheeling in awe. The starlights flowed. They drifted. They hung in midair. They danced calmly in the silence of the chamber.
He stared silently at the scenery, dazzled. It took his breath away in a flash. It was like music in motion. For the lights were fluttered in rhythm.
"Magnificent, is it not?"
Serge's heart skipped a beat. He was not alone. He gazed to his left, seeing a space. Soft but heavy breathing muttered the air. Within the darkness, he could see one glittering sapphire burning in midair. The stars fluttered towards the dimmed space, bringing light to the surrounding walls and what slumber in it.
Serge's eyes went wide slowly as the light touched scales. Revealing behind the cloak of shadows that blazed away by the light, a creature lay on its four legs, old with age. Its wings dragged low on the floor, wrinkled with holes and tears. Its hide of scales that was once boldly strong shagged with fragile poorness. A beard stretched down to the floor from its chin and it had a sharp snout.
It looked like a dragon at first sight but Serge could tell there was a slight remarkable difference for the creature. It had three eyes. The sapphire he saw was one of them. For the middle eye was glimmering a deep blue color, veiling its pupil and whiteness. The left eye and the right eye were shut, closed from sight. The dragon was blind without his two eyes but could see with his center eye.
Serge kept silently. His grip loosened and the MasterMune fell to the ground. Serge stood still. The dragon stared at him. They did not move but stare at each other. Serge waited, wondering what would happen next.
The dragon lifted up its head to the caved lights unhurriedly.
"Those lights have lived in these worlds for eternity...and yet... They know many things that to us remain unexplainable..."
The dragon was talking to him in a voice Serge could not describe.
"No one can see them, the Spirits they are called...but sometimes, some mortals are given the chance to do so." The dragon then gazed down at the Chrono Trigger. "It is because the Spirits favor the ones who can see them... You can see them, can you not? ...They come to those they can trust... However, even a Spirit can deceive a god. Because they can speak the truth and also a book of lies... They shall speak the truth only to those they can trust...for they know more then we do... Trust is easily broken if not treated wisely, Chrono Trigger. Or should I address you as...Serge?"
That nearly made Serge jump out of his socks. "How do you know my name? Or who I am?"
The dragon lifted its head slightly upwards, crossing its front claws.
"I am Articulus, the Ladon of Time and the Fifth Spiritual Guardian. I see all that has happened, that is happening and that will happen. I see the past, the present and the future. I have the influence over time. That is my purpose and has been since the dawn of time. I know you as much as I know many people. But, for Hora, she knew your name because of the fact she can read minds. Gods like my brothers and my sisters have this power. I do not need it."
"So...you know I caused the-"
"The split between the timeline, yes. I know that incident. Why I did not prevent it from destroying time itself, there is a reason for that."
"...But aren't you protective over time? Hora said so," Serge exclaimed, puzzled by this.
Articulus let out a sigh, lowering his chin and neck.
"I have grown old for many years... Time has always been altered many times and yes, I have stopped those from happening to restore time. But, that time, it was because of a mortal who made me realized something... Some things are meant to change for the better or for the worse, no matter how many times you try to stop them. That is why I did nothing about the two timelines."
"...Articulus, if I caused time to be changed...what are you going to do with me?"
"...Nothing."
"Nothing? But-"
"The past is the past. Nothing can be changed. You are the Chrono Trigger. You are the Assassin of Time...but you live for a purpose. Every living soul serves a purpose. Your future awaits you, Serge. And the future of others awaits for them because of you. Without your reason, I would have not seen the many things you and your companions have done."
Serge stopped to think. To think back his time before he came to a beach called Opassa Beach. Before he fell into a whole different world and met people he'd never imagine. Before he set on a journey with a cunning thief and faced unexpected events. Many things had happen...maybe because of his very own existence.
"...Now...your purpose is needed again. Not for this world or the other...but a world bonded to one of these worlds."
This took Serge's attention. "What do you mean?"
Articulus drew his head closer to the Chrono Trigger and stared at him with his meaningful eye.
"You will meet your reflection as your companions meet theirs. The world is your world's reflection. However, chaos will soon haunt over the world called Cytherea. Agony comes upon your reflection, Serge. She is the Protector of people's fates."
"Protector...of people's fates?"
"Yes. She holds the sword of life and death. She was chosen by no one such as you were chosen to be a Chrono Trigger and yet no one chose you to be. She is in great danger...and once she is gone, both worlds will perish... She is the girl in your vision, Serge."
"The girl..." Serge gasped, remembering his dream.
"She is going to die soon."
Serge's eyes widened with painful awe. Flashes of the mysterious girl's death repeated in his mind, followed by the memories of Kid's casualty.
"What do you mean? Who is that girl? What's gonna happen to her?" Serge demanded.
"I told you before. I see the past, the present and the future. But what shall happen to her, I can say no more. Your questions will be answered in the future, Serge. All I can say is this... On your path, trust is needed at your side greatly. For you shall be blinded by others. But one shall notice you. And she shall take you to the light. The Protector will sacrifice her last breath for your lost identity. And you, the Assassin, shall sacrifice your only soul for her shattered heart."
Silence fell within the chamber. Serge didn't understand what Articulus meant but he could tell...it had something to do with him and the girl in his dream.
"I am sorry, I cannot help you further. But...as a Demi-god, as a Spiritual Guardian of both Cytherea and Terra, these two worlds...I know you are the Protector's saviour."
Serge glanced at the Lagon of Time.
"It is not because I foresee the future. It is because I can trust you to save her, Serge..."
His words took Serge's breath away, winning his heart. A god was trusting him, a mortal that altered time before to protect a person from his dream. Serge gazed into the dragon's eye, seeing only gentle wisdom and meaning to his declaration. Serge kept quiet.
He now knew he was to face new challenges, new people, and new encounters. He knew that the girl, the Protector, was in peril and if Articulus trusted that he, the Chrono Trigger, could save her then he knew he must do so.
"It is time for you...to continue your journey, Serge."
Serge looked at him, a bit surprised. How was he to continue if he was struck here with no exit out of the Bend of Time?
"Do not worry. Hora will escort you out of the Bend of Time. You must continue your journey. Time is not always by your side."
"...Thank you, Articulus."
"No. It is you who I should show gratitude to."
For just a moment, Serge could have sworn he saw a small but tender smile above the three-eyed dragon's chin. He returned a smile, turned to the passageway and disappeared into the tunnel.
Articulus slowly turned his eye to the sparkling snow of spirits, admiring their rhythm in mid-flight. For as long as he could remember, he had watched the starlights drizzle above him, listening to every whisper they mumbled, every single word of truth and every sly lie. He did not accept any whisper as true words for Articulus himself could see the reality within the past, present and future without being tricked easily.
"May I ask why did you not come out to meet the boy again?"
His deep-blue colored eye motioned to a feature in the shadows that was avoiding the light of the spirits. Seeing the demi-god spotting him, the being stepped forth, his glasses reflecting the light.
A man stood before the lagon under his brittle wing, looking at him through his glasses. A bonnet veiled over his orange hair, in which he tied a small ponytail. Over his white shirt was an orange fisherman's overall. In addition, he wore leathery boots and gloves that reached below his elbows.
"And I thought you said that gods can read people's minds," Miguel said with a laugh.
"Not if they ask for their own words and not their own thoughts. We have the wish to ask so."
Miguel sighed. "I'd wished you didn't ask..." He stopped, realizing he had made a mistake speaking in manner to a god. "I'm sorry if I offended you."
"Mortals need not to apologize. In doing so, they show fear to gods. We are the ones who created this world and Cytherea with the quintessence of our creator. However... we do not wish to be feared. If you wish not to answer, then I shall not ask again."
"You would already know my answer," Miguel chuckled kindly. He held back, his eyes to the floor, his mind frozen with questions and thoughts. "Articulus..."
"You wish your questions to be answered?"
Articulus turned to Miguel, a smile in his eye.
"Now that, I have read your mind."
Miguel couldn't help but smirk at the three-eyed dragon's humor. "Is it true...that you gods created this world?"
"Yes... For many years, we've watched these worlds like a child in a cradle. The Spiritual Guardians are the keepers of essences, the Elemental Dragons watch over the evolution of elements, all once under the authority of the Chromatic Creaturea, the Gods of All. If FATE did not seal us away from this world, we would have seen all that has happened here in Terra."
"Sealed?" Miguel uttered as he watched the Lagon of Time raise his head to the stars.
"FATE...believed the gods were parasites, enemies of this world and Cytherea. We tried to reason with FATE but it was only reasoning with our own fates. So, FATE sealed us away from Terra...and tried to demolish us from Cytherea as well. FATE did not realize what she was doing... Killing the worlds. We are the sacred incarnations of these worlds. Without us, there would be no such thing as Terra or Cytherea. Only I was left to survive because in slaying me is slaying time. FATE knew that. She only denied the others and tried to erase them."
"What happened next?"
"One mortal stood against FATE. She was an Aeon who welded a sword of both life and death. She banished FATE away from this world with a strike of that sword. If it were not for her, Anthea and her companions...existence would be lost without all of us. For such a mortal, she was the only one who made us change our minds about mortals. That is why, we did nothing to mortals but watch them from above." Articulus gave a deep sigh. "Mortals are careless, weak but strange beings. We find them amusing. For they have the one power we gods do not possess."
Articulus looked down, meaningful in his eye and in his words.
"They have the power to alter fate. You also have that power, Miguel. So do Serge and his friends." Again he sighed with a gentle smile. "Sometimes I envy mortals. They can go against fate to find a better future. Every choice, every decision leads to their destination. The future is never destroyed by what choice they make. Unfortunately, for us, we have no end, neither a new beginning."
"But fate-"
"Governs your lives. Yes. But it cannot take over your lives for eternity. Your presence will always be bound forever, if you do not make your own choices. The past is the past. But the future holds better things. Do you still regret being saved by Hora?"
Behind the glasses, Articulus could see the mortal's eyes widen. Miguel turned away quickly. The Lagon of Time knew what was in his mind, a replay of a memory.
"Hora went without my permission. You cannot blame a Demi-Guardian for saving you from the end of the Dead Sea. In saving you, she lost a pair of her wings in the destruction of the Dead Sea."
"No. I shouldn't..." Miguel muttered, remembering that time, recalling how close death was near him until an angel in light came to him, the Sylph of Time with a complete set of four wings. At first he found Hora shocking but then kept on refusing the Sylph's aiding claw. At last, Hora yelled angrily at him, demanding his hand. In the midst of the fall of the Dead Sea, he saw her pair of wings disappear in a burst of feathers by the destruction. Despite the pain she suffered, she quickly took his hand and they were gone before the Dead Sea vanished. "But why did she?"
Articulus gave a laugh. "I presume... she saw a better future for you instead of an end...to make such a sacrifice." Silence once again in the chamber locked away in time. "It may be for the better. You may even have a chance to tell your child how much you love."
"Leena..." Miguel whispered in pain.
"I do not have that chance to tell how much I care for Hora."
Miguel gazed up to the Lagon of Time in curiosity. "What do you mean by that?"
"My time draws near. My place shall be handed to my daughter... to continue the authority of time... to continue till the end of time. A year begins and a year shall end."
Articulus slowly stood on his weary claws, giving a shake to the chamber. He motioned his neck to the back. Miguel followed his gaze to the darkness that now was brightened by the Spirits' light.
"I must ask you to do me a favour..."
He shifted his wing away, veiling his treasure. Staggered into a rock a few inches away from Articulus' tail, a shabby sword was sighted. Its handle was rusty and the blade's edge nicked with marks. Stringed from it were cobwebs that have captured dewdrops.
"When you meet the Protector of people's fate, give her this sword. I will not be able to in person." Articulus turned back to Miguel, nearing to his surprised face. "I ask you to give her my sword, for I can trust you. After that..." Silence fell. "Do not run away from anything. Not even from those who you once loved. Your future rests in her hands."
Miguel fell silent.
"Will you do this task for me? I beg of you..."
Miguel looked at the three-eyed dragon, then at the sword and back to the Lagon of Time. He was given an option, a choice. He carefully recalled back what Articulus had said: every choice leads to their destination.
"Yes, I'll do the task...to repay back what Hora had done."
Articulus stared for a moment and then gazed back to the Spirits. "The wheels of time and fate have spun. The weaving battle has begun..."
"HOW COULD HE!?"
Serge exited out of the Doors of Instance and had wished he didn't. Outside in the squared grounds, Hora in her unusual saintly but satanic form was yelling into the Nu's ear. Rage burned within her eyes. Serge wondered how he could ask her to "escort" him out of the Bend of Time.
"I was in the middle of a fight, ready to smash that Chrono Trigger... and he stops time around me!?"
"You were wasting time just by fighting him," the Nu explained.
"Don't get smart with me!"
"Hello, Serge," the Nu greeted, noticing Serge's presence.
"Annoying me, will ya!?"
"Uh, Hora...?" Serge could only hope not to step over the border where she would rip him to pieces.
"WHAT!!!?" Hora hollered so loud, it brought Serge out of his boots and deafened his ears.
"...Art-Articulus has finished talking to me and he said you can escort me out... Please?" Serge managed to choke. He prayed hard that she would help him out of the Bend of Time.
Hora drew back her temper, taking minor small breaths. However, Serge could tell she was still furious.
"Fine," Hora grumbled, crossing her arms. Serge at last released a breath of relief.
"It was a pleasure having you here," the Nu said.
"Uh, yeah... Though I still have a lot of questions about what's going on," Serge exclaimed. "I still don't know who that girl in my dream is."
Hora stared patiently at Serge for a silent moment, observing his resolve to find his answers. "Hmph... Idiotic mortal."
"Huh?" Serge uttered, barely hearing her grumble.
"Nothing. You want to get out of here, or not?" A nod was her reply. "Just step in that ray of light over there."
Serge followed her pointing claw to an area he had not seen. Enveloped by the tarnished fence, a stairway led down from the squared floor to a small circular arena. Beaming down was a thin ray of violet light. Serge gazed up to see the endless light continually reaching into the darkness.
"You'll return to where your destination lies," the Nu explained.
"Thank you," Serge granted, not understanding what the Nu meant. Gathering his bravery, he strolled towards the unknown light. He stopped and cautiously stepped forward into the light. A strange breeze hovered below him, streaming upwards.
"Chrono Trigger..."
Serge looked back. Hora fluttered off her feet and drew close to the Chrono Trigger, her wings holding her in midair.
"Once you leave this place, you will face many challenges. Are you prepared?"
Serge gave some thought, and then said "...Yes."
"Hmph. Fine. Just remember this... The past may be gone but it holds the memories, the evidences," Hora explained, raising a claw to Serge. He felt the talon placed on his forehead. Serge looked at Hora, where he saw the deep look within her eyes. "You'll need it. The battle between fate and time has not ended yet."
A blast of light blurred his eyes. In an instant, Hora, the Nu, the Doors of Instance and the Bend of Time were gone, all in a flash. Holding tight to the MasterMune, he shielded his eyes from the light and the sudden powerfully gust of wind.
"I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for."
He gasped. A vision was before his very eyes, his very mind. Someone was speaking to him. It was the cerulean-haired girl, smiling lightheartedly. Her eyes still gleamed with life. Death wasn't pending to her in this vision. She was noticing his presence. She was talking to him.
"I'm still searching for the answers too."
A flash exploded. Then darkness again engulfed everything.
"... ...Serge! ...Serge!"
A mild voice was calling his name. It sounded familiar.
"BLOODY HELL, WAKE UP!"
POW!
"Ouch!" Serge's eyes shot open, waking to the stinging pain that smoldered in his left cheek and lower jaw. He felt a bed of fine sand beneath him and the sunlight streaming down at him. Shadowy figures haunted over him as he tried to focus his spectacle. He was relieved to see the familiar faces.
Looking down at him were Steena, Kid, Fargo, Glenn and Razzly.
"Did you have to hit him so hard, Miss Kid?" Glenn asked with a furrowed eyebrow.
"At least he's awake," Fargo stated.
"What happened...?" Serge mumbled as he sat up, holding his hand with one hand.
"Don't ya remember? We survived the most terrifyin' storm and were nearly electrocuted by an oversized serpent!" Kid yelled.
"And are currently stranded on an island we were heading in the first place," Steena added, looking to their surroundings. The others joined to the view.
They were indeed marooned on an island blooming with exotic plants and the sounds of gushing waterfalls muffled into the atmosphere, behind the curtains of trees. Songs of birds played about in the treetops. Razzly portrayed closer to the familiar trees.
"So is this...?" Serge began.
"Yes, it is," Razzly replied. Tears formed upon her eyes "...I'm home."
"Shall we play a little game for our little mortals?" a sly humanly voice inquired.
"Yes, it would make this interesting. We can have that 'person' distract them from us for a while..." a low-pitched reptilian voice added.
"Revive that mortal!? Hmph! That thing was the human incarnation of FATE and you want to revive him!?" the voice of a blue dragon snapped.
"He would foil our plans. Even bring back the Goddess of Fate!" hollered a red dragon.
"Not if he begins a new goal... If he hears of Cytherea and the Dragon Guardian, then it would make it easy for us. His presence will distract the Dragon Guardian from the Elemental Dragons," a soft manly voice explained, the likeness of a woman's.
"Yes... He will go after the Dragon Guardian. We know what the consequences shall be. He knows who she truly is..." a gray dragon proclaimed.
Six bursts of laughter exploded whilst three two-legged beings from the Mystic race stood with smirks. The gray dragon known as the Sky Dragon, held the tiny black crystal in his claw. It clenched the crystal tightly and a small rupture of light escaped through the gaps of his claw. Unknown magic of evil was seeping out of the crystal.
Down on the planet, in an isle called the Isle of the Damned, a set of bones rattled in the mass of rotten flesh and preserved skeletons, rising from the graves. A mist appeared sudden with gapping eyes and a mouth, scaring away the Will O' Wisps and the Airframes.
The ghostly mist swayed around the connecting bones. Only a skull remained unattached. However, from broken pieces, a skull took shape of a feline cat and attached to the skeleton. The mist soon engulfed the frame and formed into a being that soon took his first breath. He stood on the piles of bones. His coat of fur was his only clothes. His amber eyes opened sharply for the first time and examined his surroundings, noticing he was alive once more, until he spotted a mirror edged into a mountain of carcasses.
He walked closely to the mirror, at first seeing his own twin. But then a projection emerged within the reflection of the mirror. A motion picture that showed of another world. He could tell. It showed forests he knew did not grow in this continent or anywhere else, animals that did not exist in Terra.
"Cytherea..." he spoke.
The scene in the mirror changed, from nature to treasure that glittered of both indescribable light and power that could grant a wish for whoever possessed it.
"Relics..." That was getting his attention.
Lastly, people appeared in the mirror, living their daily lives in a town. Each was different from those in Terra by their cultural designs of clothes. Demi-humans were in the crowds, strangely not enemies as they were in Terra, along with humans and unusual races. But one consumed his awareness. He noticed her in a distance, talking to a female catty demi-human with a carefree smile. He recognized her by her cerulean hair and her role by her sword.
"The Dragon Guardian..." A smile stretched across his face, not pleasant but malice. Insanity and iniquity drowned deeply in his feline eyes.
He turned away and walked away, barefooted. He would need clothes and a weapon. After that, he would need a key to get to her. His smile stayed sinister for a very, very long time.
The group gathered what was saved from the vicious unnatural rainstorm and took off into the rainforest, crossing a great lake by having to hop upon large leaf pads that floated across the water surface. At first sight of the lake, they saw numerous waterfalls, all in sizes, raining huge amounts of waters into puddles that were imprisoned by terraces. Small waterfalls leaked out of the terraces, pouring into the great lake where marine life lurked. One, larger than the rest, poured down to the great lake.
Razzly was leading the group the way, since she was an inhabitant of this island. After crossing the great lake, they approached to a dry trail that slithered behind the blind of leaves. Sunlight beamed brightly behind the blind and what they saw next took their breath away.
Terraces stretched high, collecting pure water from pervious rainfalls. Trees encircled around the lively district while vines grew widely about, clenching to the pebbly terraces. Small falls dribbled down from the terraces to a shallow lake. In the core of the shallow lake were dry terrains where one rested a tree. The tree, however, despite the plentiful quantity of water, was bare and small. It grew no leaves and was a humiliation to the surrounding chiefly hierarchies.
But it was not isolated. As the group approached, small beings sensed their presences and quickly hid behind the trees. Eyes peered down, wondering what strangers were doing in the isle.
"Not a very lively place, is it?" Steena inquired.
Razzly rushed to the center of the district and gazed around in a circle. "Rosetta! It's me, Razzly!"
Silence fell. Then a voice came out from behind the terraces. "Razzly...?"
A Forest Fairy approached, at first glancing at Razzly, before her eyes grew wide. "Is it really you?"
Razzly nodded with a smile. Unexpectedly, the Fairy rushed out of her hiding spot. "Oh, Razzly, it is!"
"It's Razzly?" a Fairy uttered.
"I thought she wasn't coming so soon."
"And what is she doing with humans?"
Razzly gazed happily with tears and very soon, she dove to the Fairy with open arms. "Rosette! I miss you!"
BONK!
"You should be!" Rosette shouted as she surprisingly hit Razzly on the head with an iron fist. "Always leaving the isle! Getting into all sorts of trouble! Never listening to anybody about how dangerous it is outside the isle!"
The group glanced blankly shocked while Razzly whimpered in pain.
"I take it that she would be Razzly's sister or family member," Glenn uttered.
"What made you think that? Was it her arrogant demands or her fist that gave it away?" Kid asked.
"And I thought Fairies were peaceful and moderate," Steena muttered.
"Or it's become a fact Fairies can indeed come to blows," Fargo stated.
"Maybe it is how sisters are. You know, being the oldest and the youngest?" Serge inquired with a timid smile.
Despite Rosette's anger over her sister, she quickly hugged Razzly. Happiness engulfed her heart. "For a sister, you can be so bothersome."
Razzly smiled, as she hugged back tightly to her sister. The pain on her head was gone in a minute.
Rosette released Razzly from their embrace. "Oh, Razzly... I had thought something bad had happen to you ever since you left. I was worried. Why, if Grandmamma was alive, she would be worried sick to death."
"Well, something did happen to me," Razzly admitted. "But I wouldn't have come back here if it wasn't for Sergey and his friends."
Rosette looked over her sister's shoulder, spotting the humans. She fluttered towards them and gave a polite bow. "Thank you, kind humans for helping my sister, Razzly."
"No need to. We were just there when she was needed," Serge confessed.
"Oi!" Kid whispered sharply as she elbowed Serge's ribs. "Ask about this Undine."
"...Razzly told us about someone named 'Undine'. Who is she?"
Rosette was surprised to hear such a question. But she responded an answer. "We don't know much about Undine. Truthfully, we have never met her before. But we know from our ancestors' stories, she is a deity of this isle and all waters."
"Deity? You mean she's a god?" Glenn asked.
"Goddess, Glenn," Steena corrected him.
"Our elders have told us," Rosette begun. "That, eight centuries ago, before this isle was named 'Water Dragon Isle', Undine watched over the Fairies and the isle. It was said that she protected them with her shields of water. She did so with love and care. One day, she spoke to the Fairies and told them that she had to leave...because someone was driving her away from this world. She didn't say who or what. Our ancestors were saddened. They did not want her to leave. Before she departed, she left her shields within the earth of this isle and said that when she returns, she will give the descendants a gift before her finishing stay on this isle."
"What does that mean?" Glenn asked, interested in the depth of the story.
"We're not very sure but we believe that 'her finishing stay' might mean that she will forever stay in this isle again."
"After eighty centuries, she has finally come," a Fairy, an elder, spoke out.
"And she will also give us, the 'descendants', a gift. That means we may even see her in person!" a young Fairy cried contentedly.
"Sounds a bit farfetched to me," Fargo spoke while he chewed on the bit of his cigar.
"Hmm..." Steena hummed.
"Is something wrong, Steena?" Serge asked, spying her deep thought.
"Why do I sense this Goddess has a similar aspect to that of another god...? Serge, what comes to your mind when the words, 'god' and 'water' is told?"
"Godly water?" Glenn said dumbly.
"Fish?" Kid told after. Steena fell amused to see how well yet foolish their answers came out.
Serge nearly gasped. "The Water Dragon?"
Steena nodded.
"Ha! I bet that Undine is related to that fishstick!" Fargo hollered, remembering the betrayal the Water Dragon preformed on the group back in the past.
"May. We have no clue if they are. We do know they have a similar power. They control water. Rosette did say she is the deity of waters," Steena stated.
"But..." Glenn looked back, noticing the quantity of cheerfulness and joy the Fairies expressed, gleeful for the arrival of the Water Dragoness. "Don't you find it a bit odd that the Fairies are so happy because this goddess is here? It's as if they know her so well."
"From their tall tales," Kid grumbled. "Come on! Maybe they've been brainwashed by her! She could be that bloody damn dragon's sidekick for all we know of!"
"Kid, I think Glenn's right," Serge declared, looking back to the Fairies in high spirits. "Maybe Undine really is a kind and gentle goddess...that the Fairies trust greatly."
He remembered well of Articulus's words of trust. He still remembered.
"'Shields within the earth'..." Steena wheeled slowly to eye the dead tree in the center of the isle. Her suspicion stood for a moment. She knew the tree served a reason for withering in the fertile ground and that the phrase meant something. However, she could not put them together.
Night had fallen. Since the arrival of the Forest Fairies' guests to the dawning moons, a celebration began. The Elder of the Fairies announced a celebration to begin in honor for their guests' bravery and the arrival of Undine, the Water Dragoness after eighty centuries. Feasts had been prepared quickly, but only abundant tropical fruits were served as the Forest Fairies knew nothing of meat and has never tasted it before. Kid and Fargo wept silently to hear meat wasn't going to be served that night, as the Fairies were vegetarians. However, the group ate what was given to ensure they did not upset the Fairies. Music enchanted into the night sky as some of the Fairies skipped in traditional dances. In count, a release of colorful fireflies and a shower of flowers and elegant blossoms were freed, a resemblance of fireworks below the stars.
It was an eventful night. And as the rising moons painted into the heavens, the Forest Fairies and the group fell in slumber. Serge and his companies slept upon waterless land as their soft beds. Only the calm rushing water and the crickets were their lullaby.
"Serge..."
The Chrono Trigger opened his eyes. He heard it. A voice calling his name. The voice that spoke to him before the blue fish-like creature vanished with his bag.
"Serge..."
He got up, listening carefully to where the voice was coming from. He listened carefully. The wind now, only carried the sound of bells, the sound of the creature's earring.
"Serge..."
Serge looked up. It came from a cave among the terraces. The creature was in there, calling him.
"Serge... Danger is near."
"ATTACK!"
A voice disturbed the silence as a small army of dwarf creatures charged into the peaceful isle, alarming everyone from their slumber.
"Hi-Ho Dwarves!" a Forest Fairy yelled.
Serge looked up. Indeed, their enemies were short and stubby, clothed by their big noses and barrels of all sizes. Their eyes hid under metal helmets. The short people waved around with shovels as their weapons. One tall dwarf and one short dwarf were distinctive from the other dwarves by their white beards, standing up with leadership with a war cry.
"Seize the isle!" the short one commanded.
"Don't let any fairies live!" the tall one yelled.
The Forest Fairies scattered in fright and surprise but some seized their wands and attacked. The Hi-Ho Dwarves charged.
"Everyone! Grab your wands!" Rosetta shouted bravely, winning the hearts of the Forest Fairies. The armies on each side were equal and a fight to the death roamed.
"Bloody hell! What's going on!!?" Kid shouted.
"We're being attacked!" Serge replied.
Glenn took hold of the handle of his sword. Steena and Fargo stood up, ready for action. Serge grabbed the MasterMune. Razzly hovered behind him, gripping tight to her wand. She was ready to fight but for some reason, she was confused.
'What are the Hi-Ho Dwarves doing here!? They've never assailed us before...!'
Into the scene of conflict, another dwarf appeared. He differed from every dwarf because of his red and white head protector. He gazed around, seeing the surprise attack was a success, until he spotted Serge and his companions.
"You!?" He has met them before. Serge knew him as well. It was the Dwarf Chieftain. "Hmph, just when I thought it was a rarity to see humans on this remote isle, you all hi-ho along. Look at this isle... It's beautiful, a perfect fit for our new home! Too good for these damn fairies. You humans taught us that the world is built on the dead bodies of other species..."
"Serge, what is he talking about?" Kid whispered sharply. She looked around, seeing her comrades, Glenn looking worried while Steena and Fargo were puzzled. Only Glenn and Serge knew what he meant. Kid, Steena and Fargo knew least for they weren't around during the time of their first encounter with the Hi-Ho Dwarves.
"Sergey, have you met him before?" Razzly asked.
"Of course, we have," the Dwarf Chieftain exclaimed. "They were the murderers of our home!"
"What!?" Kid yelled. "Okay, pal! I don't know what you're talking 'bout but I'm gonna kick your arses so hard, you'll kiss the moons!"
"Because of you, our home is dying. Without the great Hydra, the tutelary deity, the Hydra Marshes will no longer co-exist!" the Dwarf Chieftain yelled, ignoring Kid's threat.
"Are ya crazy? We'd just visited the marshes and it was still kicking!" Fargo shouted.
"Lies!" the tall henchman-dwarf yelled in anger.
"What do you take us for? Fools!?" the short henchman-dwarf followed.
"Actually, dense miniatures is a better term," Steena stated.
"Enough!" the Dwarf Chieftain declared. "No matter. We will take this isle as ours and rid of every damn fairies...all thanks to you."
Serge clenched his fists tightly.
"Serge? What did you do to make the Hi-Ho Dwarves leave the marshes?" Fargo asked.
"...There wasn't any choice. Glenn, Korcha and I had to get a Hydra Humour..." Serge admitted.
"What? ...Serge, you didn't, did you...?" Kid asked with wide eyes. Serge could only bite his own tongue.
"I am sorry, Miss Kid," Glenn apologized. "It was the only way to save you. Don't you remember you were poisoned? We had to get the hydra humour for you by killing a hydra. The last one belonged to the Hi-Ho Dwarves."
Kid couldn't believe her eyes despite all were true. She was poisoned after taking a plunge to the sea with Serge in attempt to escape from enemies and fell sick in the bed of Guldove. Days after her illness became better, she had never asked of Serge's journey to find the cure. She had never thought of doing so.
"I see why. If Kid was poisoned by Hydra Vemon, the only antidote to neutralize the poison would be Hydra Humour," Steena explained. "While there are few still surviving in this world, there aren't left in the other."
Razzly gazed down, understanding the situation Serge and his friends had before in the time of Kid's illness. "So that's it. If Kid wasn't cured, then..."
"Now, hi-ho away with you..." the Dwarf Chieftain hollered. "Along with the fairies... to the deeps of the sea!"
"Leave..."
The voice gagged loudly above the noises. The Dwarf Cheiftan and his two stubby companions wheeled around to hear the speaker. Serge and the others did the same. The speaker was nowhere to speak highly.
"Who dares speak to us!?" the Dwarf Chieftain shouted.
"Be gone from this isle..." the voice spoke again.
"What is this!? A trick!?" the tall dwarf yelled.
"Leave, Hi-Ho Dwarves... This home is not yours to take. Your home still lives..."
"Undine!" Rosette cried out. She too heard the voice. With a beat of her wings, she flew into the cave, with the support of two fellow Fairies. They disappeared into the obscurity within.
"Rosette!" Razzly yelled but her sister could not have heard her call for she was long gone, into the depths of Water Dragon Isle.
"So... Undine has come back... After her! We shall take their precious 'Undine' away from them!" the Dwarf Chieftain announced boldly and before Serge and his companions could stop them, a troop of short soldiers was heading their way.
"Looks like we have to deal with them first!" Fargo bawled.
Serge spotted something move at the corner of his eye. Streaming slowly out of the terraces that stood near the cave, rivers of water flew in midair like snakes rising at a charmer's command.
"What the...!?" Kid yelled as she sighted the strange flows surging above them.
"Magic?" Steena inquired. However, it was far beyond than mere magic.
Like a flash in a storm, the streams fired towards the earth, forming a web as the troop charged. Only to be pushed away by the sudden web. A shield was shaped before the fighting group, protecting them from the war that was happening now.
Beyond the watery shield, supplementary waves rippled out of the outer terraces. The Hi-Ho Dwarves saw this and backed away. The Forest Fairies gazed in shock and prayed hard. Identical to living tentacles, the torrents shot, riveting moving to individual dwarf. Each punched a dwarf, giving minor damage but bruises. One smacked a dwarf away before it could bring harm to a defenseless Fairy. Another spun around a dwarf and as it held its breath in the mass of water, the torrent flung it away.
Aiding the Forest Fairies, the strange tentacle-like torrents did. Seeing this was a disadvantage, the dwarves dropped their weapons and scampered for dear life. The torrents followed them until the Hi-Ho Dwarves plummeted into the oceans and swam to the continent's shore. Soon, the number of the dwarves deceased. The Fairies saw a victory coming and cheered to the helping torrents.
"What is this magic!? I've never seen such power before," the short dwarf uttered in fright.
"Never mind! We have some fairies and their goddess to kill!" the Dwarf Chieftain barked and soon, the three dwarves disappeared deeply into the cavern.
Serge took notice that the three dwarves were gone and were going to be on Rosette's tail if no one helped her.
"Rosette's in trouble," he declared.
"No one's stopping ya," Kid muttered loudly. The group of six took a dash into the cavern. Their footsteps vanished every time they darted across shallow ponds, but on damp ground, they emerged.
Further within, Rosette and her comrades hurried deep in the cavern. Regardless of the fact they had never seen or met Undine before, they knew well from their ancestors' stories that she was worth not losing.
Unfathomable in the wet caves and tunnels, till the end of the cavern, a large creature lay in tranquility. Its eyes were first shut but they soon revealed open. The pair of motherly eyes gaped about.
"Come, Serge... You need to know," it spoke. "Before my fate arrives..."
Serge heard the voice. He did not stop in shock to hear it saying his name. He kept on running with his friends behind him. For whatever lied within the Water Dragon Isle was where his answers to his questions were.
Vickie: YAAAAAY!!! I finally finished chapter two! Hurray! -Somersults- Oh, and please note that Articulus, Undine and Hora are my gods from the ToF world and that Undine is the reflection of the Water Dragon so she isn't gonna be evil to Serge and his team. Her symbol of existence resembles forgiveness, motherhood and purity.
Aurora: You do know you're giving spoilers about Undine, right?
Vickie: I know but I don't want confusion around. Also, when I term reflections, I mean that Cytherea (ToF) is the opposite of Terra (CC). Pretend there's a mirror in between the two planets. Left is right and right is left on the reflection, thus it's different from reality. The Protector, being a girl and someone who protects, is the opposite of Serge, a boy and assassin. Of course, since reflections are different but similar, Serge and the Protector have similar aspects! Every citizen in Terra is an opposite of every citizen in Cyterea!
Aurora: ...And I bet no one understands you.
Vickie: Ha-ha. Now... onto the next chapter!