Just a quick one, acknowledging my brother's collaboration writing this chapter. Thanks, Tony! ^_~
Shadows of Schala - Chapter Two
The timeship drifted slowly as Orion eased it into its berth. He leaped out and turned to offer a hand to Ariel, who bounded past him, her golden hair flying. Elora giggled at the hurt puppy expression on his face as she too, disembarked without assistance.
"You're welcome!" Orion muttered under his breath.
"Worry not," Glenn advised, "I'm sure she appreciat'eth the gesture. She simply know'eth not how to tell thee."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Orion responded, a devilish grin washing over his face, "But I can think of other appropriate gestures..."
"Of that, my friend, I doubt'eth not," Glenn laughed as he clapped Orion on the back.
"What are you boys whispering about back there?" Ariel called over her shoulder.
"Nothing!" Glenn managed to croak out before he succumbed to laughter.
They walked down a corridor, leading to a now-familiar lamp post, located in the center of the odd brick structure they knew as the "End of Time". An old man leaned on a cane next to the lamp post and dozed on, oblivious to the arrival of his visitors.
"Wake up, Gaspar," Orion said as he shook the old man's shoulder, "We might have a problem."
The old man, Gaspar, jumped slightly as he came to full awareness. He was dressed in an impeccable suit and a bowler hat rested lightly on his head. He pulled out a pocket watch, flipped it open, consulted the time, closed it with a snap and smiled benignly at them.
"Somehow," he began, "I expected to see you. You've actually arrived sooner than I thought. It's not nice to throw off the timetables of the Guru of Time."
"What are you talking about?" Ariel asked, "How did you know we were coming?"
Just them a heavy footfall sounded from beyond the corridor on the other side of Gaspar's post. The corridor's gate swung open and a metal boot stepped through the opening, heralding the arrival of another old friend. An imposing, massive, gleaming gold robot came through the door, closing it softly behind him.
"Prime!" Elora exclaimed as she rushed to greet her favorite out-time friend. She liked Alpha or Glenn, and Arvia, the girl from Prehistoric times well enough, but Prime was her special friend. Many were the times she had to repair him and she poured all of her mechanical skills into "healing" him unstintingly. Prime had begun to develop emotions and his first was an affection for Elora.
Prime caught Elora as she jumped the last few feet to him and swung her about. They circled three times before Elora put her hands on his arms and begged him to stop.
"I'm getting dizzy!" Elora laughed, "But what are you doing here?"
"Hello, Elora," Prime said as he set her on her feet and hugged her carefully with only a fraction of his great strength, "All of you?" he bowed to Orion and Ariel in turn as a greeting, "But who is...wait. I know you," he continued as his photoelectric gaze fell on Glenn, "Several people would wave to me as I tended Fiona's Forest, but it always seemed to be...more meaningful to you. Who are you?"
"'Tis me," Glenn replied with a courtly bow, "Alpha. The curse Magus placeth on me hath been broken."
"It does my processors good to hear that, Alpha," Prime said.
"Please," Glenn asked, "My days as 'Alpha' art behind me. Thou may'eth call me by mine own name, 'Glenn'."
"Very well," Prime acquiesced with a flash of his photoreceptors, "'Alpha' has been purged: you are now 'Glenn'."
"'Alpha has been purged'," Ariel repeated, "Why does that sound bad?"
"Just updating my memory codes," Prime responded, "Nothing to worry about. Tell me, how did you get here? I did not think you had contacted Melchior yet, Mr. Gaspar," Prime looked toward the Guru.
"It wasn't my doing," Gaspar said, "They showed up on their own."
"We used Ark," Orion explained, "Glenn contacted us..."
"Pardon me, Orion," Glenn interrupted, "About that, I fear'eth we may have a problem, one that span'eth thousands of years of Time. Of late, I hath had particularly compelling dreams, revolving around Magus' sister, Schala. I know'eth not what to make of them."
"Well, ever since I received a message from Balthasar that Prime noticed an anomaly, I've been scanning the time-stream. The overall fabric of Time has been unraveling, all leading back to a single event. That event is the rising of the Black Omen," Gaspar paused to let the significance of that last revelation sink in, "I've searched the length of Time and made a discovery. Ariel," Gaspar turned to address the princess, "Schala is your direct ancestress. Your line is starting to disappear from Time, starting from the Future, where Doan has vanished and reaching back to when Schala disappeared following the Ocean Palace disaster. The one that created the Black Omen."
"Wait a second," Orion interrupted, "You're telling us that Ariel is going to...to disappear because we destroyed the Black Omen and defeated Lavos? And there is nothing we can do?"
"Actually, there is one thing," Gaspar noted mildly.
"WHAT?!" five voices demanded in unison.
"Rescue Schala," The Guru of Time stated simply, adjusting his hat, "All you need to do is prevent her from vanishing when the Black Omen rises."
"But how?" Elora asked, "We destroyed it!"
"Duh, Elora. I thought you were the brains," Orion scoffed, "We have a time ship and we're close personal friends with the legendary Guru of Time!"
"It's not quite that easy, I'm afraid," Gaspar warned, "My visions regarding Schala have been shrouded in darkness."
"My dreams, too, hath been vague," Glenn said, "and rather...enigmatic."
"Yeah," Ariel agreed, "Those odd dreams that made me think of Alpha were that way, too."
"What be the thread that connect'eth us?" Glenn asked.
No one had an answer at first. Elora glancing from Gaspar to Glenn and then to Ariel, found her attention drawn to Ariel's pendant. It glowed softly as Schala's did.
"Could it be...Schala herself?" Elora ventured.
After a pause Orion spoke out, "No. I can see why Schala might try to reach Gaspar, since he lived in the same time, or even Ariel since she's descended from Schala, but what is Glenn's connection to her?"
Softly Glenn said, "I hath somewhat recently been...touched by the magic of Schala's brother. My dreams didst not begin 'til Magus' curse had been broken."
"Yes, but we've all been touched by Magus' magic..."
"Glenn was changed completely by that magic, down to the cellular level," Prime observed, "Unless you have been keeping something from me, no one else has been turned into another species."
"Glenn," Mune spoke in Glenn's mind, "You also carry us. We are another strong connection to Magus. We are from his time, we are specially enchanted to weaken him and we enabled Hero and weapon to slay him."
Glenn pondered that for a moment, then added, "I carry the brothers Masa and Mune. They art from Schala's time, they art enchanted to weaken Magus. I useth that enchantment to slay her brother. Perhaps these connections...attracted Schala's attention?"
Elora shook her head, saying, "It's possible Schala's not trying to reach you, any of you. I think she might be trying to reach her brother."
"If that's the case, why would anyone but Magus get her message?" Orion argued.
"For the very reasons we've just stated." Gaspar said, "We three have the strongest connections to both Schala and Janus."
"Too bad Janus, uh, Magus, is dead," Orion spoke into the following silence, "otherwise, we could just ask him."
"Perhaps...you still can," the Guru noted.
"What?" Orion derided, "You have a way to bring the dead back...to...life," he trailed off.
The Guru reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a simple egg, "Actually, yes! You would know that better than anyone!" he smiled at the young man.
"But we haveth not a copy of Magus," Glenn said, "need'eth we not one for the Chrono Trigger to work?"
"I will contact Melchior and have him convey our need to the magician Norstein Bekkler," Gaspar decided, "But it will take some time and I need to make sure that Janus' death was not a necessary step in the defeat of Lavos. Since the time stream is...clouded it will take me longer than usual. Rather than stand out here twiddling your thumbs, why not pay Spekkio a visit? It's been awhile since he's had company and he does get cranky."
"A cranky god of war? Wonderful!" Orion muttered. Gaspar chuckled and waved them off.
"Very well," Glenn said striding to and opening the door. He bowed Elora through with a tasteful flourish of his cloak, "Milady."
Elora blushed as she entered the room followed by Glenn and Prime. Ariel reached to catch the door, but Orion beat her to it, gallantly holding the door open for her.
"Humph!" Ariel humphed as she passed Orion tossing her chin in the air. Stung he let the door close after her.
"What am I doing wrong?" he beseeched Gaspar, "Glenn does stuff like that and it's charming."
"Yes, well, that is Glenn," Gaspar replied a small smile creeping across his features, "Believe me, young hero, I have spent much time here and unraveled many mysteries, and have yet to figure out women. Don't worry though," he patted Orion's shoulder, "Your future looks to be bright enough that I'd hang on to the Sun Shades that Taban made if I were you."
He smiled at Orion's confusion and shooed him, "Now get out of here! Your friends are waiting and I need to concentrate on my work."
Orion shook his head, tossed a last look over his shoulder at the mysterious old man, opened the door to Spekkio's pocket dimension and stepped through. Gaspar smiled warmly as he began the somewhat difficult task of contacting Melchior.
********
Orion stepped through the door, a puzzled look furrowing his brow. The first thing he noticed was a Nu. Nus are curious creatures, standing about two meters tall and two meters wide. They appear to be all face with arms and legs attached oddly, almost as an afterthought. They spend most of their time sleeping and appear at all times to be utterly harmless. They don't speak much, and what they do say is rather cryptic, and no one has ever seen them eat. If one was observant enough, one could find a Nu in every time period. It is almost as if they are monitoring the advancement of the human race. True to form, this one was sleeping and Orion's friends were standing about it afraid to wake it.
"What's going on?" Orion asked, "Where's Spekkio?"
"SHHHHH!" his friends admonished him, all at once.
"We are afeared to disturb'eth its slumber," Glenn explained quietly, "We know'eth not what it shall do."
"Oh, for crying out loud! It's a Nu!" Orion exclaimed, striding over to the bright red creature, "HEY! WAKEY, WAKEY!"
The Nu jumped, startled at the sudden noise. Everyone else jumped, reaching for their weapons.
"Sorry, I just dozed off for a few millenia...Oh, hey," it said, "Punk-head! And you brought everybody!"
Doubly shocked by the Nu's abundant use of language and it's obvious recognition of the party, Orion asked, "Spekkio? Is that you?"
Spekkio looked radically different from the last time Orion had seen him. He changed in appearance the more skilled the group became with magic and the last time Orion had seen him, he looked like...well like a demon. Now, he looked like a Nu. Orion wasn't sure if this counted as an improvement or not. Spekkio was certainly friendlier looking, but it must be hard to gain respect as the self-proclaimed "god of war", when you slept most of the day.
"In the psuedo-flesh," the Nu said, "Are you looking for some practice?"
"Actually," Ariel supplied, "Gaspar told us to come see you because you haven't had many visitors for a while. Some practice wouldn't hurt either."
"Hmmm," Spekkio regarded them, "Wait just a sec, okay?"
Spekkio glowed a bright white. The room filled with intense light. The light shrank back to the center of the room and coalesced into a rough Nu shape. Abruptly, it split in two and faded. Two Nus now stood where before there had been only one.
The Nu on the right spoke up, "I need a little help, since there are so many of you. Meet my alter ego, Nu."
"I'm not the alter ego," the left side Nu argued, "YOU are MY alter ego."
"That is not true," Nu-right said, "I am Spekkio!"
"Uh-uh," Nu-left retorted, "I am the god of war!"
"It does not matter," Prime interrupted, "You are both duplicates of the same being. Neither of you is more or less Spekkio than the other...other...other..." Prime's head began to spin like an out of control top as he kept repeating his last word.
Elora walked over, opened a panel on his back, hit a few buttons and scowled.
"What ail'eth our clockwork ally?" Glenn asked.
"His diagnostic readout says his logic chip has overloaded. Undoubtedly caused by two Nu-Spekkios arguing with each other," she cast a severely reproachful glance their way (each one pointed to the other), "I was working on an illogic chip to give him if I ever saw him again, but I left it at home."
She thought for a moment, scratched her head and pulled a tool from her belt. She walked around the robot, frowning as he continued to say "...other..." oblivious to the world. When she stood behind him, she wound her arm back, watched the timing of the oscillations and hit him sharply square in the back of the head with a mallet. His head stopped spinning and he finally ceased repeating himself.
"Thank you, Elora," Prime said, "I needed that," In a much softer tone he added, "I think!"
"Are you done playing with your toys?" Nu-right said.
"Yeah, we're getting bored," Nu-left agreed.
"Yes Spekkio," Elora replied as she hung her hammer back on her belt, "I'm through."
"Good," the two Nus said in unison, "Then we can begin."
With that, the two Nus began a cooperative spell know as Antipode, a combination of fire and ice, and the magical combat began.
********
Gaspar turned to look as the door to Spekkio's lair opened. He grinned as he saw Glenn's and Orion's clothes smoking, Ariel's hair severely, for lack of a better word, frizzed, and the robot dripping wet. Elora seemed untouched by magic as she toweled off Prime.
"Did you win?" Gaspar asked, unable to resist.
"Yeah," Orion replied with a twisted half-smile as he tried vainly to restore the 'punk' style to his hair, "We won an all expense paid trip for four to 'Spell Town', courtesy of the Nu express. 'Spell Town' has severe and rather unusual weather patterns. It rains fire, lightning and ice all the time. Elora got to see a black hole real close, otherwise it would have been a trip for five. Elora was the lucky one!"
Orion grinned his wide, sunny smile, "Good ol' Spekkio!"
Gaspar chuckled, "Well, do not worry overmuch about it. I found out some interesting news."
"Please," Glenn asked politely, "Share it with us."
"First things first," Gaspar responded, bringing his arm around in a gesture that included all of them. Their hair, clothes and armor returned to what passed for normal as he muttered, "Spekkio should have done this. He must have fallen asleep, irresponsible Nu."
"Now then," Gaspar continued retrieving his cane from the side of the lamp post, "The time stream is still...twisted, not irreparably so, but you must move fast. I can't be sure, but I think Doan's grandparents have disappeared, so the 'Chronal Eraser' is working its way back through Time. We need to decipher Schala's messages and we need Janus to do it. He can be restored, without altering the feats you have already accomplished, but there will be a price," Gaspar paused and looked at Glenn. Glenn regarded the Guru, a question forming on his lips.
"I fear, my friend," Gaspar said slowly, "That if you use the Chrono Trigger to restore Janus, it will also restore your curse."
"What mean'eth thou," Glenn demanded, "I hath broken the curse by slaying Magus!" Glenn blinked as the truth occurred to him, "Oh. I see'eth."
"I don't" Ariel stated flatly, "Why would Glenn turn into a frog again?"
"It is an unfortunate, but unavoidable side effect. When you restore Janus, it will be as if he never died," the Guru explained softly as Glenn walked to a nearby corner, "With Janus alive the curse remains unbroken."
"So why can't we go back and prevent Glenn from ever getting...frogged? And save Cyrus, too!" Ariel demanded, despair creeping into her voice.
"If we do that," Prime noted sadly, "Then Glenn as a frog would not be able to assist us in our defeat of Lavos. His abilities were necessary toward that end. Also I do not believe even the Guru of Time has the power to make all lives flow as we would wish them to," Gaspar nodded silently.
"We can, have to, save a mean, evil person like Magus and we cannot do anything as our friend bears up under a terrible curse again! It's not fair!" Ariel raged helplessly.
"The Chrono Trigger can only be used to restore events to their proper sequence in a broken timeline," Gaspar explained regretfully, "The Trigger's spell does have limits. It can't work miracles."
"Gaspar, can't you do anything?" Ariel asked, anguished.
"Child, my power is over Time. I have no abilities over frogs or curses."
"...the only way to save Schala, Leene, Doan and me is to..." Ariel halted.
"Is for Glenn to take up the burden of his curse once more," Gaspar responded.
Ariel mouthed "No!" as her voice failed and she turned away crying. Orion held her while she sobbed softly.
"Ultimately," Gaspar continued after a moment's pause, "The choice is Glenn's."
At this Glenn turned from his silent contemplation of the swirling mists of Time and regarded the Guru.
"If you choose to, you may return to your time, and live out your life as you are. You, and you alone, would have knowledge of a queen named Leene. Since Ariel will not be born in the future, her absence in the time stream will allow Lavos to rise from the depths of Oblivion and destroy the world as you know it in the year 1999," Gaspar paused to let the words have their impact, then continued, "Or, you can accept the curse of an altered form, and maybe one day, find a way to reverse the spell. Either way, you have a responsibility to do what is right in your heart."
There was a long moment of silence before Glenn asked, "Gaspar, please open'eth a portal to mine own time."
"WHAT?!" Elora screamed as she raced toward the knight, her fist clenched, "You can't just..."
Prime caught her as she dashed by and restrained her gently.
"Elora, please," Gaspar held up one hand, "He has made his choice."
A beautiful pillar of light formed and Glenn fixed his gaze on it. The only sound was Ariel's crying.
Glenn contemplated the portal for a long moment before turning to Gaspar and saying, "Closeth it again."
He walked over to Orion who released Ariel and stood aside. He took Ariel's shoulders in his hands and she looked up into his face, the tears streaming down her cheeks. A tear rolled down his face as he explained, "I canst leave Leene to the unforgiving Void or cast'eth thee into it. Whilst it may causeth me pain and hardship to be a frog again, I willing taketh that burden, so that others shall haveth more than just memories of thee."
Overcome by his sacrifice, Ariel simply hugged Glenn tight. After a moment Orion cleared his throat and Ariel took a step away from Glenn.
"Enough," Glenn locked gazes with each pair of anguished eyes in turn, "I hath said that I wouldst do anything to save Schala. It is sufficient that thee, my friends, hath known me, e'en if briefly, in my true form. Despiseth not...Alpha the frog overmuch," much lower he added, "I couldst only wish that a damsel could hath come to love me as Cyril, perhaps loveth me enough to...love also Alpha."
"Do not despair of love just yet, my friend," Gaspar advised cryptically.
"We hath a task before us. What need'eth we to restoreth Magus?" Glenn asked as he squared his shoulders.
"Well, you have the Chrono Trigger. I've keyed it to Rainbow. All you need is to go to Norstein Bekkler's lab and get a Clone of him. Melchior has it all arranged."
"Let us be off then," Glenn said heavily, "We need'eth stop in mine own time so that I may'eth retrieve the garments I used as a frog and I need to obtain another sword."
"Will...will not the Masamune suffice?" Gaspar asked, shocked that Glenn would leave that sword behind.
"I believeth not the brothers shall recognize me in frog guise," Glenn replied simply.
"Glenn," Orion began, "Didn't they tell you it was the heart of the Hero they recognized and not the outward form? I remember them saying something like that."
"When...oh, yes," Glenn said, the memory returning, "At Cyrus' grave. I remember'eth now."
"How could you forget?" Masa's voice rang in his head, "He doesn't want us, Mune!"
"Yeah," Mune's mental voice agreed loudly, "He probably has a sword of gold he's been hiding! Didn't even ask what WE wanted him to do!"
"Not as if he doesn't need us," Masa went on, "He couldn't be the Hero without us..."
"Had to be reminded by 'Spikey' over there..."
"He just doesn't love us anymore..."
"Stop'eth it, the two of thee!" Glenn demanded, his hands over his ears. Everyone blinked at him blankly.
"The Masamune wast speaking to me again," Glenn explained, "I managed to offend'eth the brothers."
"Ohhh..." the other five said.
"Prime," Orion asked, "Could you get Ark ready for departure?"
"Of course, Orion," the robot said as he went down the corridor.
"Girls, you will have to stay her with Gaspar. We'll bring Magus back, then figure out what to do," Orion said.
A look crossed Ariel's face, she grabbed Elora aside and the two of them began whispering and giggling, looking back to Orion and Glenn.
"I'm not so sure I like this," Orion pointed with his thumb over his shoulder at the girls as he and Glenn started down the corridor to the timeship.
"Remember, I'm not sure the Trigger will work. You can activate it with Rainbow. I would have keyed it to the Masamune...but Glenn will have his hands full," Gaspar warned, "I'll send the Chrono-wave from here when Ark materializes so you will not have long. If you should fail, return here and we'll figure out a new plan."
Orion stopped, "What about us? If you stop Time, won't we be stopped, too?"
"No," Gaspar explained, "The timeship will protect you and the Chrono-wave will only cover the Cape where Janus was killed. You will need to hover close to it but remain out of sight. You can't risk changing Glenn's memories."
Orion still looked confused and was about to ask another question when Glenn said, "We understand'eth," he pulled Orion along, "Let us go and thou canst have Prime explain'eth it to thee later."
When they were out of earshot of the Guru Orion said, "Glenn, can I ask you something?"
"Certainly," Glenn responded.
"Back there, when you had Gaspar open the portal back to the 6th Century," Orion said, "Were you actually going to do it? Were you going to go through it and forget about...well, everything?"
Glenn paused before answering, carefully choosing his words, "I don't believe so. I gaveth myself a test. Wouldst I chose the path that would mean I lead'eth a normal life and destroy a future I wouldst ne'er know, being none the wiser? Or wouldst I have the strength to suffer a curse and save my queen, my friend and her children's children? In the end I made my final choice."
"You made the right choice," Orion said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Nay," Glenn replied with a wry smile as he gently shrugged off his friend's hand and walked toward the Ark.
Orion paused for a second before he realized what Glenn had said. "Nay?" he repeated, jogging to catch up to Glenn, "What do you mean 'Nay'? How could you have lived with yourself?"
"It wast not a matter of the right choice or the wrong choice," Glenn answered, grinning at his friend's shocked reaction, "In the end, it wast the only choice I couldst make."
With that, Glenn leapt onto the Ark, as Orion stood shaking his head at his friend's humor. He chuckled and joined his friends on the timeship. As he strapped in, Orion saw Prime cycle up the engines and pull away from the berth. He noted the Time-gyro stabilize and his world became a flashing white light.
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Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get!
stargarde@stargarde.com