CHAPTER TEN
Noah's Kingdom
"Damn you, Noah!" the swordsman cried as he continued to slam his shoulder against the stubborn doors that just wouldn't budge.
Again, Crono got a running start, throwing all of his weight into his shoulder. The doors didn't give even an inch. As the swordsman took a breather, a bright light flashed out of the shrine's windows. Something bad had happened to his last living friend, Crono felt it in his soul.
Taking many paces back, the swordsman had enough of being useless. With a quick sprint, Crono leapt high into the air with his katana tip pointing downwards. Down he came, embedding the sword right between the double doors. Without skipping a beat, Crono lifted his arms up, calling forth the powers of the heavens. In a blink of an eye, a bolt of lightning struck the sword, blasting the barricade in as well as the strong doors.
Picking up his katana as he burst into the chapel, Crono almost stopped in his tracks as he noticed the whole room was not what it was when he entered. The walls, ceiling, floor; everything that had color was no more than a room painted white. The wooded benches, though scorched by the lightning, were also white. Even the once stain glass windows were just one pure color of white. If the swordsman wasn't watching where he was walking, he wouldn't have kicked the lump in the middle of the aisle, that of his friend Janus.
Wide-eyed in shock, the swordsman quickly flipped the wizard around. Unbelievably, Janus too, was without any color except white. Janus's hair was stark white as well as his chest plate and cape. His skin, Crono knew, couldn't become any whiter but that only added to Janus's appearance of a dead human being in his arms.
Crono didn't have much time, so quickly did he concentrate on Janus's life force searching for his friend's spirit. A smile came to the swordsman as he wasn't surprised that the stubborn wizard wouldn't give up his life without a fight. If Janus's spirit felt it wanted to move on...
Crono shook that thought out of his head, lifting his arms high again, calling forth the powers of the heavens. A moment later, a ray of sunlight shined from a window and covered the wizard in a golden glow. A groan escape Janus's lips as his eyes fluttered open. He was alive. Sitting up quickly, the wizard raced to remember his last few moments. His spell failed and Noah casted a nasty spell right back at him.
Noah! the prince thought, searching for his Doom Sickle. Only then did he realize the lack of color in the room. Spitting out his platinum hair, Janus stood but swiftly pulled some of his hair in front of his eyes. How quickly his eyes became inflamed of seeing his once beautiful blue hair being no more than the color of a man five times his age.
"Prismatic Eraser," the wizard whispered, remembering Noah's final words.
With a large grin, Crono handed his friend his whitened scythe. Feeling the weight of the item, Janus noticed its magic was no more. Too heavy it felt now. As useless as it was, it was still the only physical weapon he had. Placing it along his back, the prince turned to his comrade to ask about Noah but a surge of energy flooded out from a private chamber.
A tidal wave of gray mist engulfed the room, inverting the colors before their eyes. White became black and red became off-green. Similar to a negative photo, both the wizard and swordsman felt their limbs freeze up for only that immediate second. A black light that was difficult to see in the inverse began to glow from the duo's necks. Janus was quick to grab his amulet that Schala gave him long ago and Crono was curious about the pendant that belonged to his lost Marle shining darkly on his neck. Both stared at the other in disbelief.
"What's happening?" Crono had to ask, though his voice came out very slowly.
Janus didn't bother to answer the question. He knew Crono would have no idea what was happening but the wizard experienced something like this before. Upon Death Peak—a journey Janus himself started—the wizard, Marle and Glenn the frog traveled up to the summit to save Crono from his fate of death by the power of Lavos. It worked. The trio, with the help of Gasper's time egg, they were able to travel back to a frozen moment in time, right before Crono's demise. That frozen moment was inversed like it was now.
To test his theory, the wizard held out his scythe and let it go. The item remained suspended, unmoving from this moment in time. Crono was just about to say something before the wizard grabbed his weapon and floated swiftly towards the room from which the event happened. With a shrug, Crono followed.
Bursting into the private chamber for one of the nuns, Janus slashed out, hoping to connect with Noah's back. But no one was in the room. The room was deserted with the exception of a shimmering door, appearing like a time gate. Again, Crono was going to say something but Janus wasn't going to waste any time. Through the gate the wizard flew, Crono following suit shortly after.
The tunnel that the duo entered felt different than the time gates they've traveled in before. During their time traveling, the gates felt like they were falling and at a fast rate. This gate felt like they were slowly walking through a large invisible spider web that gently pulled on their hair and irritated their skin. After several moments of weaving through the gate, the wizard finally exited, preparing himself for anything.
Anything didn't include what he saw. All around the wizard, soared many pillars and walls, decorated with rich silk crests and expensive tapestries. The stone floor was smooth with a large red carpet from two large oak doors to a very large golden throne, lined with red velvet cushions. Crono finally left the portal, running back and forth trying to remove webs where there were none.
Another movement from the floor had Janus snapping his attention to a beautiful woman, wrapped in a white robe. She was rising from her knelt position with an expression of shock on her face. Janus ran just a bit passed and to the side of the woman, stopping suddenly to whip his elbow back that connected to the back of her skull, stopping her before she could call for help.
Crono moved hastily to his friend, giving the wizard a disappointed look. In response, Janus coolly pointed passed the swordsman, towards two large stain glass windows where in the center of those windows was a man, youthful, holding himself proudly with a red flowing cape and a golden crown on his brow. Immediately, Crono understood and also knew that where they were was not a place to be with the both of them being fatigued. They ran.
"Halt trespassers!" a strong voice boomed from around a corner.
Neither the wizard nor the swordsman wanted to confront any guards, so they ran all the more harder away from the intersection. As a rhythmic beat, the ground was still one moment and the next it was shaking. Taking a glance back, the swordsman saw three men holding huge spears, dressed in full platemail—leaping of all things—high into the air and landing hard to the ground, only to leap again. If Crono didn't know any better, he would've thought they were related to Glenn. The knights continued their jumps, gaining tremendous ground.
Tiring of running, the prince turned around, casting a powerful spell towards the trio. Crono didn't have time to see what his friend was doing for he knew these three would likely kill them. Lifting his hands up, Crono felt the power he needed to tap into to stop these men. Janus finished his spell, pointing up to the three knights in flight. In unison, both the wizard and swordsman let loose a maelstrom of lightning that focused on the metal of the knights. Crono flinched as he watched the knights get struck by not one but two massive Lightning Two spells. When the lightning storm finally ended, only the swordsman and wizard remained standing.
Janus continued his run while Crono winced at the jerking spasms from the three men. He hoped none of them were dead but it was difficult to tell when a body has been shocked. Crono would've begun casting his spell of life until he heard his friend from a distance.
"An open window," the wizard called from below a window, cupping his hands in front of him.
Crono knew he had to leave the knights, for he knew Janus well. If the swordsman wasted any time, the wizard would leave him behind. He did it twice already. Racing to the wizard, Crono pumped his legs harder during each stride, landing a foot on Janus's hands that shot upwards. It was high, maybe thirty feet, but Crono manage to snatch the edge of the windowsill; lifting himself up. When the swordsman turned to offer a hand to his friend, Janus was already levitating up to him.
"Jump," Janus instructed.
Crono looked at his friend skeptically and then out the window. A hundred foot drop into a dirty moat wasn't a pleasant thought. Still, he had to get out of this castle. Plugging his nose, Crono leapt from the window, hearing a chuckle as he fell. Only then did Crono realize that his friend was still levitating and could've carried them both to safety.
Several minutes after Crono and Janus's exit, did Noah finally stepped out of his tapestry. Holding himself high and proud, the sorcerer never felt so accomplished then he did now. His first step of his plan was set into motion. How quickly his smile faded as he saw Aglaia crumpled on the floor.
Tenderly cradling her head in his arms, Noah calmly called his chancellor's name. Though his mind was racing, the sorcerer kept his panic out of his voice. Brushing a strand of her blue hair out of her face, Noah was glade that she was only dazed. He continued to call out to her, hoping his voice could bring her around.
"My… my lord," Aglaia stammered, trying to orient herself.
"Who did this?" Noah asked gently as he slowly sat her up.
"White. A blur of white," the chancellor tried to recall. A heartbeat later, Euphrosyne stepped out of the portal, cradling her device in her hands.
"Your majesty, you've returned," a knight excitedly stated, running and kneeling before his sire. "We have a couple of trespassers in the castle."
"Please just don't kneel there waiting for permission to speak," Noah said softly for his chancellor's sake, helping her rise to her feet. "Tell me what these trespassers look like."
"Of course your majesty. The first was dressed in all white with long white hair that came to a sharp widow peak in the front. On his back I noticed a white scythe. The second had the wildest hair I've ever seen, red in color which spiked in any direction and it was full of volume. He wore a gi and a white headband. Both were obvious masters of the art of lightning, took me and two of my men out of the air," the knight recounted the best he could.
Noah blinked more than once, refusing to believe what he was hearing. The sorcerer hated being unnerved. Turning to Euphrosyne, he looked at her hoping she may have any answers. Beyond her, his portal remained opened; opened for two very unwanted visitors. Waving his hands angrily at the tapestry, Noah shut the portal as fast as his power would allow.
"Captain Dragoon Domino of the Light," Noah serenely said while gliding towards his throne. Though his voice was peaceful, the knight's muscles still tightened and immediately removed his helmet. Anytime Noah said anyone's complete title told everyone in attendance that the sorcerer was extremely angry.
"On your honor, Sir Domino, you speak truthfully about these men?" the sorcerer demanded gently.
"Yes your majesty," the dragoon knight confidently said. Noah put an elbow on his throne's arm and placed his chin in the palm of that hand.
"Magus and Crono," Noah spoke aloud, trying to sort out all the confusion that now came to his castle. Regardless on how impossible it sounded, Noah had to believe the two must have followed him.
"My liege, that can't be possible. You killed Magus and we used my device to hold their time in place," Euphrosyne said while shaking her head.
"Magus is a strong one. He should've died against Glenn in 600AD. He should've died against Queen Zeal or Glenn in 12,000BC. He should've died when he took his suicide run in the Black Omen. He should've died against Lavos. Let's face it; he's too difficult to kill. The fact that he is all white clarifies that he survived my spell. How they managed to move outside of time is a mystery but they did and they followed us through the portal I've weaved," Noah stated, picking up momentum as he began to believe his own words.
"How did they get ahead of us?"
"Your device must have slowed us down," Noah smiled. Everything started falling into place. His smile vanished when the complications of having those rouges around could be a huge problem to his plans.
"The question is what are we to do with these two pests that are running free in my kingdom?"
"Your majesty let me disperse the whole dragoon force. We'll hunt them down and—"
"Absolutely not!" Noah shouted, moving to the edge of his throne. "Don't be a fool, Domino! Those two, Magus and Crono, are legendary heroes that survived against Lavos. To have your men go against them would be suicide. I will not have my people be sent to the slaughter."
"My apologies your majesty," the dragoon humbly said, drooping his head lower. Noah sighed at the sight. Domino was his strongest soldier, wearing his shining silver armor and military buzz cut, which never looked good on one with blue hair, the sorcerer knew he wounded his pride dearly. But it had to be done. If Domino did go after the duo blindly, he would learn that he didn't stand a chance until it was too late.
"Sir Domino," Noah commanded, drawing the dragoon's attention to his liege. "Gather the Ring of Eight to hunt them down. Take heed of my warning. They are not to be taken lightly. Also, don't inform the public in this. I don't want any civilian turning into a vigilante."
With a pound on his chest, Domino bowed and left. Watching his great champion go, Noah wondered if his decision was the right one. Instead of dwelling on it, he moved to more pressing matter. His eyes fell on his Chancellor of Inventions.
"Euphrosyne, please take the Chrono Trigger to the private area only we know of," the sorcerer commanded, moving his eyes to his Chancellor of Knowledge. "Aglaia, please tell Thalia that I'll be in need my half-moons sooner than expected."
Night came quickly to the two strangers of this land. Anytime the duo heard hoof beats or footfall, they tried their best to hide in the trees in the forest they've entered several hours ago. It wasn't convenient and white wasn't a color Janus cared for. Crono been glaring more than once to the wizard, for whenever Janus complained about his clothes the swordsman groaned, since he still smelled of sewage from the moat he dropped into.
"You should take a bath," the wizard acknowledged out of the blue.
Crono moaned. There was no river around and he doubted that the nearest town would allow him entry just by his stench. Out of all of his friends that he could be with he was stuck with the one that tried his patience. He never even said thank you or gave Crono any form of appreciation for saving his life.
"A town," the wizard pointed out. Indeed, in front of the two was a large town but it seemed advance for Crono. However, Janus seen such structures before but he just brushed it off.
"Listen, we'll meet at that bridge over there," Janus said while showing Crono a small bridge that crossed over a wide, waist deep creek. "I'll go to the town and try to get some information. Stay here and take a bath."
Crono growled at the wizard who just simply ignored him and moved over the bridge and out of the forest, heading to the town ahead. Though the idea was a pleasant one, the swordsman knew he couldn't wash himself or his cloths at such an exposed place. Drawing his wooden sword, Crono thought of working on his new technique but decided against it. Sheathing his wooden sword, Crono just sat at the creek, bored and tired, waiting for his friend's return.
It was close to two hours later before Janus returned, kicking his comrade who was nodding off into the creek. Awaking completely, the swordsman stared daggers at his friend. Crono was getting tired of Janus's escapades.
"Bad news, Crono. We aren't in Gaurdia anymore. All I got out of a woman is that Noah and I'm guessing the Noah we know are one in the same, is the king of this land. So I don't think we should get a room at an inn, in Noah's kingdom," Janus finished but his ears perked up. It was faint but the wizard thought he heard footsteps.
Jumping in the creek, the wizard ducked under the bridge. Crono was sick of following Janus but he did trust the wizard, most of the time. Getting under the bridge beside his friend the two waited. The prince's senses didn't mislead him as a group marched up to the bridge and pause for what they thought would be a private meeting.
"Alright, listen up Ring. The two we are looking for are extremely dangerous. What I've heard from his majesty was that any one of us tried to go into single combat with either of them will not win. I believe him. Together they are an even more dangerous force. They took me and two of my best men out with one spell, I think. Anyways, do not, DO NOT try to fight them alone. If you find one or both use your horn. Understood?" a man instructed above the duo. Many concurrences followed along with movements from above. A heavy armored man moved over to the edge of the bridge.
"They're out there," the man paused and took a big whiff. "I can smell it. Move out."
"I told you to take a bath," Janus quietly snapped when all sounds of footfall was gone.
"They're gone, you two can come out now," a soft, feminine voice called.
Both remained still, not even bothering to answer. Crono tilted his head and gave a questioning gaze to the wizard. Janus scowled, well aware of Crono's silent statement that the wizard shouldn't have spoken. Hoping the individual would think they were mistaken, the duo remained motionless as statues.
Jumping beside the two, a beautiful woman dressed in a black, tight robe dropped onto the water. Standing on top of the moving current, the woman whipped back her head, sending her long, curly blue hair behind her back. Her deep emerald eyes locked onto the swordsman, holding him in place. Without breaking her stare, she reached into her robes, throwing three shurikens into the wizard's hand that was grasping his scythe.
"I don't wish to harm you any further," she said to the wizard though never breaking her trance over the swordsman. "In fact, if you come with me, I promise I can protect you."
Crono had no idea that his head was bobbing up and down but Janus knew the comment was aimed at the wizard.