Forward to the Past
A Chrono Trigger Fanfiction
By: Novalon
Chapter 3: Honor and enemies
601 AD, Guardia Castle
Standing on the battlements, his green spiky hair moved slowly in the wind as he felt the breeze across his skin.
Hair and skin… what an odd sensation to feel again…
The past few days were a blur, but they were like none other since he had fought against Lavos.
With his small stature, he had been speaking to the Queen, talking of various things he had discovered on his recent findings to the south of Guardia, a small collection of islands that the natives there dubbed "The El Nido Archipelago".
There was a shout from the guards. A suspicious man with blue hair had been sighted, but he was in the company of the Queen's look-alike.
Surprised that Magus would come this way, especially in the presence of Marle, he signaled to the guards to let the two in, instinctively drawing the Masamune.
The two entered, and he bowed to Marle, "Princess… it is good to speak with thee once more."
Marle smiled, before turning to Magus and whispering something. Angry mumbling could be heard coming from his lips, but then the man put a hand to his head and shook it, sighing.
She spoke up, "Sir Janus here has something he needs to say."
Frog noticed she did not use the other name he used, for she did not want to cause a panic.
Still, something seemed odd about their last exchange.
"Froggy… I think your little charade has gone on long enough…"
Frog looked towards the King and Queen in alarm, remembering that he had not told them who he really was.
"And as much as I hate to do this, it's time this little problem ended."
Was Magus challenging him to a duel? He gripped the Masamune securely, wondering why Marle was there with the dark one, was she…
A lightning bolt struck him with full force, as Magus chanted words he once heard before, and suddenly, all became clear.
As his form grew taller, an odd feeling washed over him. Would Magus remove the curse at the behest of Marle? Or was something fouler afoot?
Once the transformation ended, he rolled his head, a series of pops and cracks issuing forth, and he flexed his muscles with an odd sense of superiority. His green hair, which had sprouted during the transformation, was in wild disarray, the spikiness akin to his descendant.
He turned back to the King and Queen, kneeling before them.
"My quest to end my curse has ended, your majesties."
Leene stared at him in wonder, "Sir… you look as if you are the twin of Sir Crono… I… I…"
As he smirked, the recognition spread throughout the room.
"Sir Glenn!"
"Where the hell have you been!"
"Are you related to Sir Crono or something?"
"Glenn…"
The last one had come from Marle, who he stood and turned to.
"Princess… how… why… I…"
She smiled, "He's looking for Schala, and the only way I would help him is if he changed you back…"
"You… I… uh… wha…"
"You're welcome, Glenn."
Glenn, Knight Captain of Guardia, stood proudly over the battlements, watching over the treetops, as if to check on any would-be invaders.
"Glenn…"
He turned to see Queen Leene approaching him.
"My Queen." He formally bowed.
"It's about that blue haired man who changed you back to a human."
He stiffened as she continued.
"As you know, he requested to speak alone with me, and I would have been completely frightened if not for Marle being with him.
He spoke of a vast floating kingdom, one he had lived in as a prince, until a great beast of fire that lived within the planet had destroyed all he ever held dear. That was Lavos, the one you journeyed to destroy…
He went on to speak of one woman being from the area, who wore a blue pendant of unfathomable power. He spoke of while he was on the journey along with you to defeat the evil beast; he came across records of that woman being very integral to the history of Guardia.
He said her name, Schala, and I responded with it being common knowledge among my family that she was the first Queen of Guardia, and all the Queens wore her pendant to symbolize their devotion to the protection of the country…"
Glenn nodded, "When I had seen the woman when I journeyed to Zeal, I saw an uncanny resemblance to the Queen's statue, but I was sure that she perished with the fall of the kingdom."
Leene shook her head, "Though her journal has been hard to decipher by the scholars, what can be made of it is that she was indeed the same person as he had spoken of, and that she had been transported to General Guardia's fortress very soon after the fall… though she spoke of being trapped in darkness for much longer than she could have traveled.
Anyway… the man said that he was her brother, but he had done Guardia such a great injustice, not even knowing that it was his family. He looked at me in what I believe to be the closest as he had ever come to begging, which looked rather stern still, and he proceeded to beg in turn… I was afraid to ask him why he was so sorry."
Glenn sighed, "And when you asked…"
Her head fell, "He told me. He told me everything, including the horrible thing he did to Cyrus and to you. He spoke of why he started the war, why he was so foolish to try and create another Zealean kingdom… when there was already a kingdom run by the descendants of Zeal…"
Glenn's head followed suit, "Milady?"
She sobbed, "I embraced him as family… imagine being family of the Dark Lord… and yet… I feel so sorry. It pains me to think of what he went through. He told me of how the Mystics had only been kind to him once he rose to power. He told me of how he had never known kindness before, save for his own sister. He said this horrible man named Dalton beat him daily as a child, calling him all sorts of things I cannot bear to repeat… he grew up cold and tortured, and when the Mystics invited him in, he clung to it."
Glenn sighed, "Dalton… I took part in slaying that demon. Thou can be rest assured, milady, the one who created Magus t'was removed from the annals of time."
She continued to sob, "His view of life was so misguided, but it was Marle who fought to change him. Oh yes, she told me about how she was to be married to Crono, and asked for you to go, supposedly Crono needs a best man at his wedding, and you're the best choice."
Glenn nodded, smiling.
"By the way, speaking of marriage. How is Miss Clara? Have you proposed to her yet?"
Glenn groaned, "Milady, she had this uncanny fascination with me as a frog. Dost thou think she would even allow me to court her when the source of fascination is gone?"
Leene giggled, "I've heard that she's even more taken with you now…"
He put a hand to his chin in thought, "Truly?"
"You could ask, Glenn…"
"I could…" He mumbled.
"You could ask her to come to the wedding, at the very least."
The two turned to see Crono standing behind them, with Marle at his side.
Glenn smirked, "Perhaps."
"Are you blushing, Glenn?" Giggled Marle.
He suddenly went stoic, fighting hard not to laugh, but the mask could not be held much longer, and he chuckled while shaking Crono's hand.
"So, what brings the two of you to the past?"
Crono smiled, "It's three, but Lucca opted to stay back at the Epoch, evidently the new set of seats she added in there were adding a little extra weight, so she's doing a quick fix on the engines."
Leene nodded, "Whatever the case, it is still very good to see you again. What is this that you ask of my Guardian, though?"
Crono sighed, "It's about Mag-… uh… Janus…"
He could see Glenn stiffen, and though the man quickly covered it up with a stoic gaze, Crono had seen the look enough in the mirror.
"I know… it's a touchy subject for you. I know I already told you about how I had to live with what he did… well… uh… not really, whatever I told you no longer happened with the curse ending… well, I… erm… well, you know what I mean!"
Glenn nodded, "Aye, I still remember what thou hast told me, although memory suggests that thou couldst have very well said something else."
Marle tilted her head in confusion; "Lucca says it's the effects of changes in time working out… though we'll still remember due to having traveled though time… or something…"
"Like remembering Ozzie the VIII ruling Medina, though time has changed him to being a servant…" added Crono.
"Or the Mayor of Porre being virtuous." Offered Glenn.
"And Crono being alive…" smiled Marle.
Crono smirked at that one, "Ah, now that's the important one."
Glenn continued, "So to what does the dark one accomplish? What foul doings cause him to pervade others?"
Crono shook his head, "Quite the opposite, I'm sure you've heard of the 'Clairvoyant'?"
Leene's eyes widened in surprise, "The mystical warrior that trained 4 great warriors of Guardia to combat the evil Emperor?"
Crono nodded, "Yes, but you know what happened when he finally faced the emperor."
Marle sighed, "He died, though doing what, I can only guess. He was carried out along with his best student, a man who would have been the least likely in the group to have such magical prowess, had he not been blessed with such a stern and resolute mind."
"The great Warrior Monk, Tirion." Stated Glenn, "The tales state he t'was a constant rival of Sir Charles Triggare, our ancestor, Crono, and t'was none other that couldst meld the use of magic with physical prowess in the rest of time…"
He smirked, "Well, save for thou, Sir Crono."
Crono nodded, "Well… Marle wishes to save him, but I have feelings against it… though my real reason only stems from you, Glenn…"
Glenn dropped his head.
"I know… if you feel that he should be left to his fate, I understand… I understand all too well."
Glenn shook his head solemnly, "T'would be just as great of a sin to leave a man who has been trying to make a complete change of views."
Lenne stood by him, "Indeed, it is a tragedy that Cyrus fell, but you know as well that I do, Glenn, that if Cyrus were here, he would give him a chance too."
Crono nodded, "Cyrus fought for a reason, why he is not here is because he found his reason for fighting, to die to protect those he loves… Janus does the same thing now. Only this time, we can prevent this death."
Glenn put a hand to his chin, musing, "Unless the Lady Lucca can make her Time Machine to do a similar thing as a Chrono Trigger."
"Well, first things first, thank you, Glenn. We have to go, and save him."
Glenn held up a hand, "Halt thine haste, lad… whatever the case, I am going with thou. Mine mind portends great worry if I dost tarry here."
Marle nodded, "Come to think of it, I was thinking the same thing. I wonder…"
"The entity?" Crono mused.
"Perhaps he still has a hand in this, after all." Spoke Glenn.
Timeless Void
The silver haired man looked down from his post, grinning at what he had just heard.
The old man near him tipped his hat in exclamation.
"Hah, there they go again, talking about you, old friend."
He who was once called Spekkio chuckled, "They said their entity was touched by Lavos in some way… that is partly true, but the beast that defiled my mortal body was merely of the same race as that Planet Killer."
Gaspar sighed, "It all comes back to that, doesn't it? You still feel bad for what you could not help?"
Adjusting his dark trench coat, the man's bright green eyes glowed with resolution.
"I always will remember my mortal years, but I am glad I can still make a difference in spirit."
Gaspar smiled, "Good, because if this recent change in time they try to fix ends up causing their deaths, I'm going to need you to continue to back up your word of making a difference."
The Master of War nodded, his grim stare causing unease in the elder man, "Indeed, the cause of death will be averted, if it needs to be."
Author's Note: For clarification of Spekkio's odd nature, refer to my fanfiction entitled: "The Cause of Death".