Chapter 10 – From Our Dear Ones Parted
As they walked down the winding path in the forest, Chrono kept watch for anything potentially hostile while Coppelia concentrated on the hilt of Chrono's sword, hoping to glean from it some information on their whereabouts. But little came of it; Coppelia found herself utterly unable to make out anything other than a dark, glossy, empty surface.
"I see nothing here," she said.
"Did that fairy girl lie to us?" Chrono wondered. "I wouldn't be too terribly surprised."
"I can not say for certain," said Coppelia. "What I can tell you now, Mister Chrono, is that I can read nothing on your sword at the moment, but given the transient nature of all things in this environment, there might appear something more helpful in the future. I suggest checking back from time to time in case anything appears."
Chrono took his weapon back and marched onward. The trees grew thicker as he went. Some green light filtered down through the canopy above him, but less could reach him as the sky more and more disappeared behind the leaves. The trees were not any kind immediately familiar to Chrono; those near the clearing had been mostly pines or trees closely resembling pines, but the farther he traveled, the more variety he saw. Some looked about right for a forest of mild climate, but others were clearly tropical. It was as if the forest were a collection of plastic models set up for display by someone with no knowledge of botany whatsoever. The only common thread among the trees was that they were all very tall, with the exception of a smattering of shrubs and bramblebushes blocking passage away from the beaten path.
"This is just as monotonous as the cave," said Chrono. "What's with these trees, anyway?"
"Mister Chrono is a very astute observer," said Coppelia. "The trees defy common sense in a way quite similar to our being here."
"Huh?"
"I was joking." Coppelia sounded disappointed. "I fear this place will make less sense the more we see of it."
"Maybe," said Chrono, "or maybe the madness will coalesce into something more manageable."
"How do you reason?"
"I don't," said Chrono. "But I have a friend who would say that all the time. She usually doesn't make much sense, but sometimes she says something I can understand. One of her favorite ideas is how when things don't make sense, they add up to a clue of sorts. She told me if I see everything in tidy order, I can't really say much about it, but if I see something disturbed—something I wouldn't expect to see—then there must be a reason why. By looking hard, I can find that reason."
"I understand," said Coppelia. "Have you ever followed her advice?"
"Many times. For example, I once lost a valuable rock called the Moon Stone. I found it again by looking at something out of the ordinary. In that case, it was a glowing house. That was the only thing different from how things were before I lost the Moon Stone, so I figured it should be my first stop."
"Is that so? Could something else not have caused the house to behave like that?"
"Well, it was a glowing rock, and it takes something strange like that to cause a house to light up like it's the Millennial Fair."
"I see your point," said Coppelia. "Your friend must be a genius on the order of the great Lucca Ashtear herself."
"She certainly sees it that way."
"Do you count yourself fortunate to have such friends as she?"
"That's kinda why I want to go home," said Chrono. "My friends, and Nadia."
"Such passion."
"I have to have passion. I have to have a reason to live and a reason to keep going with whatever I'm doing. Nadia is like that, too. On our journey, she believed in what she set out to do, and she helped the rest of us keep our goals in our hearts. I fought for others, certainly, but whether I would have admitted it or not back then, I fought mostly for Nadia."
Chrono spoke confidently, but he trailed off at the end. Talking about Nadia encouraged a fleeting vision of her to dance in front of his face. A memory of the Millennial Fair floated to the front of Chrono's mind. In it, Nadia—then called Marle—watched as he chugged several cans of soda, and then the two of them danced with some revelers dressed as cavepeople to the music of a "rock" band. Chrono had never established precisely when he fell in love with Nadia, but he never doubted that the Fair itself, as short and heavenly as it was, had been the point of no return. Nothing could have stopped him from wanting to be with Marle that day. Even then, Chrono would have risked his life for her, as he eventually did.
A rustling noise in the underbrush brought Chrono back into the present. Instinctively, he brought his sword into the ready position, and he waited for whatever made the sound to show itself. When it did, Chrono found himself face to face with not one, but two of the largest imps he had ever encountered. Immediately, each imp pulled a rock from behind its back and threw it at Chrono's head. Chrono dodged to his left and charged with his sword. Two quick slices later, one of the imps lay on the ground, lifeless. The other hopped back a step. For a second it looked like it would retreat, but instead of darting back into the trees, it pulled another rock from its pocket and threw it.
Chrono's instinct this time was to duck, though he had no need to. The rock flew to his left and landed harmlessly in the middle of the dirt path. Without stopping to size up the situation, Chrono dashed forward to take out the remaining imp. When he brought his sword down, though, the imp parried the blow with its forearms by folding them over its head and counterattacked with its feet. A swift double kick send Chrono sprawling backward on the ground.
Slightly dazed, Chrono's vision of Nadia reappeared behind the imp. As if drawn to Nadia's image by what Lucca would have called a magnet, Chrono sprang to his feet, charged the imp again, and faked a slash to its head before redirecting his sword to a point lower down on the target—its knees. That didn't kill it at once, but it left it defenseless against Chrono's finishing strike.
"That wasn't an ordinary imp," Chrono said to Coppelia. "Hey, did you see that?"
"I saw your fight, Mister Chrono," said Coppelia, "but you left no time for me to intervene. I counted fewer than five seconds between the start of the fight and your final attack. You appeared to have been strongly motivated to finish that battle quickly."
"I was," said Chrono. "I was thinking of Nadia."
"How did that help you?"
"I felt I had to get past them to see Nadia. When I think of it that way, it makes me stronger."
"I can not argue with your results, Mister Chrono."
"Don't you love your friends?"
"I would not say that."
"I would," said Chrono. "I mean, if I were you, I'd find it easy to say. You said you came here to find one of them, didn't you?"
"That is my mission, yes," said Coppelia.
"Don't talk about it like it's your duty. It's not like you were made to be someone's servant. You're doing a good thing by coming here."
"I suppose that you are correct."
"And I suppose you're just as eager to see your friends as I am. And I'm sure they want to see you again, too."
"That I have reason to doubt," said Coppelia. "They prefer to keep me locked in a closet."
Chrono stiffened. "Is that another joke?"
"It is, indeed, Mister Chrono. Miss Orchid tells me constantly that I must learn to tell jokes. Do you sense something amiss with my sense of humor?"
"Don't be hard on yourself over that. The world is full of people who think they're funny but aren't. It's refreshing to meet someone who is the opposite." Briefly, the image of Nadia in Chrono's head replaced itself with an image of Lucca. Chrono shook his head until his imagination righted itself.
The two continued down the path in silence until the trees began to thin. Just when Chrono was about to guess how far they'd gone, he and Coppelia noticed the same thing at the same time.
"It's the end!" Chrono shouted first. Sure enough, as he rounded a corner, he could see a streak of light cut down the path from an opening in the trees a hundred yards or so ahead. Chrono took off at a sprint, eager to drink in the daytime like a long awaited meal after a fast.
"Mister Chrono, please slow down!" Coppelia called after him. "We must discuss something before we wander into the open like that."
Coppelia's voice broke Chrono's concentration, and he tripped on a tree root jutting out onto the path and tumbled onto his face. Pulling himself up quickly to salvage dignity, Chrono turned around and waved to Coppelia.
"Mister Chrono!" she called again. "Please look at your sword."
"I'm okay, really. It was just… my sword?"
"It glows."
Chrono glanced down, unsheathed his blade, and passed it to Coppelia. "Can you tell what's going on?"
"There is writing," said Coppelia. "I can read little characters glowing on the hilt. They are a bit messy, but I believe I can comprehend what is written."
"What does it say?"
"It appears to be a story. Do you wish for me to read it aloud?"
"Of course."
Coppelia held the sword close to her face with both of her hands. Squinting against the light at the end of the forest, she assumed her best narrative voice and read to Chrono a story called "The Dream of the Heavens":
XXX
Long ago, the King of the Dead, who oversaw all who came to the land to which all time would flow, found that his kingdom was prosperous and wealthy. He ruled his land with the help of his Eight Guardians: Plum Blossom, who governed the northwest; Cherry Blossom, who tended the northeast; Chrysanthemum, who reigned in the southeast; Bamboo, who handled the southwest; Yu the Fisherman in the north; Chiao the Woodcutter in the east; Keng the Farmer in the south; and Tu the Scholar in the west. This system of government worked admirably until the Calamity.
A new star appeared in the sky one day, and it shone bright enough to divide the heavens. When the star fell, the kingdoms of the Eight Guardians plunged into darkness and vanished into the depths of the other side of the sky. Try as he might, the King of the Dead could not bring back his friends the Guardians, so he was forced reluctantly to redivide the heavens into four new kingdoms and appoint new rulers over each area. In the north, he assigned his good friend Kuei; in the east, Lung; in the south, Feng; and in the west, Qilin. That is why the stars in the north are dark, the stars in the west are yellow, the stars in the south are red, and the stars in the east are blue. For many years, this setup pleased the King and his followers, and the star that split the heavens bothered no one.
The peace did not last. One day, Kuei ran into the Castle of Dreams and addressed the King: "My lord, my land has been invaded, and I am not powerful enough by myself to withstand the invasion."
"Tell me," said the King, "who is invading your land? Is it your neighbor, Qilin? Is it Qilin's brother, Hu?"
"Hu has been missing since the start of the invasion, my lord," Kuei answered, "and Qilin is not at fault. No, I believe the enemy is connected to the star that banished the Eight Guardians."
"This is troubling," said the King. "I believe I can handle things, however. Give me some time to call a council, and you shall have enough aid to prevent any further attacks."
"Thank you, my lord," Kuei said, and he left.
The King thought the problem over for a day and a night, never once leaving his chamber while he wrestled with how he could properly protect his vassals. When he emerged, he immediately called his top advisors for a meeting.
"My trusted servants," he said, "I have called you here to bring grave news. Kuei has reported that invaders have crossed into our realm once again. It is with a heavy heart that I tell you this, but nonetheless, the news does not surprise me. The star from long ago was an ill omen. Nothing can ever be completely right again while it is fallen, but we must not despair. There is a way to protect ourselves. I will summon the twelve greatest warriors from the four corners of our land, and they will take their places alongside Kuei, Qilin, Feng, and Lung. Together, they will protect us all from the merciless armies that plunged my kingdom into darkness in the past. Back then, I was unprepared, but now, I can think more clearly. I will not be caught unawares twice."
"My lord," said one advisor, "I do not see how you can choose the twelve best. There are millions out there, and if you take the time to examine each one, we will be overthrown."
"I have thought of that," said the King. "I wish to have warriors who are both brave and intelligent, so I have devised a test to pick those who best fit those criteria. Anyone wishing to become one of the chosen must cross the Sea of Sadness and fetch a budding rose from the bush on the Island of Paradise. Those capable of performing that task should report back to me for further instructions."
Messengers took the King's edict throughout the land, but the response was less than what the King expected. The Island of Paradise lay in the middle of a particularly dangerous stretch of water, and few dared challenge it, even in hopes of being named a special servant to the King of the Dead. All in all, only thirteen succeeded. Those thirteen were the Cat, the Dog, the Dragon, the Goat, the Horse, the Monkey, the Ox, the Phoenix, the Pig, the Rabbit, the Rat, the Snake, and the Tiger.
When those thirteen returned to the King with their rosebuds, they listened intently as the King gave another speech.
"Brave, valiant servants, you have done well to make it this far. And yet, I can only choose twelve, so that I can assign three to each direction. That is why you must now compete against each other in order to secure a place at the side of one of my vassals. The competition will be simple. You will again run a race, this time bringing back a peach blossom from the very same Island of Paradise. You will return as quickly as you can, and your order of finishing will determine who will serve in each position. Each vassal of mine has sent a representative to draw lots for the positions in the race. I will not reveal the results until you return, so you will not fight amongst yourselves during the contest. Simply return as fast as you can. Let it thus begin."
The King bowed at the end of his speech, signaling the start of the race. Immediately, all thirteen animals dashed for the Sea of Sadness. When they reached the water, some of the animals became afraid. A storm had swept upon the waters, rendering the path treacherous for all those animals forced to swim. The Snake found the most clever solution to his dilemma, attaching himself to the Horse's leg and making the Horse do the difficult work of swimming. The Monkey and the Goat begged the Phoenix to carry them. The Cat and the Rat rode on the back of the Ox. The Dragon flew, and the Dog and Pig swam. The Rabbit feared swimming too much to try and instead built a boat out of a tree felled by the storm. All of the animals made it safely to the Island of Paradise, but the storm refused to die before the trip back.
"Let us wait here for better passage," said the Pig to all of the others.
"The King told us to hurry," said the Ox. "We must be strong enough to pull through the storm."
The rest agreed with the Ox, so everyone set off back across the raging sea. Just as they were about to reach land, however, a bolt of lightning startled the Rat. He shoved the Cat aside and jumped from the Ox's back to land, whereupon he sprinted for the castle in an effort to be the first in the race. The Cat fell under the water, and the waves swallowed him into the timestream, to be forever lost. The remaining eleven watched the Cat disappear before trudging sadly to the finish line.
The King greeted them warmly, but his smile faded when he saw them crying.
"What makes you so sad?" he asked them. "And where is the Cat?"
"The Rat pushed him into the water, and the waves took him," said the Snake. "The Rat was afraid of losing his position, you see."
The King became angry at the Rat, but the Rat begged for mercy. "My lord," he said, "I did not mean to push the Cat into the water. A bolt of lightning from the storm startled me, and I accidentally pushed off for land."
The King could not determine whose story was correct, so he grudgingly announced the results of the race. The Rat took first place, the Ox came in second, the Tiger third, the Rabbit fourth, the Dragon fifth, the Snake sixth, the Horse seventh, the Goat eighth, the Monkey ninth, the Phoenix tenth, the Dog eleventh, and the Pig twelfth. With the Cat not finishing the race, the rest of the competitors gained seats defending the heavens against the invaders, with the Snake, Horse, and Rooster serving Kuei, the Pig, Rat, and Ox serving Qilin, the Goat, Monkey, and Dog serving Feng, and the Tiger, Rabbit, and Dragon serving Lung. Thus order in the heavens was restored, and the invading forces were beaten back, thanks in large part to the cleverness of the Phoenix and Snake and the strength of the Horse. Now, whenever the heavens are threatened by any outside force sent by the fallen star, these twelve band together with the Four to restore peace.
XXX
"Interesting story," said Chrono. "Any guesses what it means?"
Coppelia shrugged. "It appears to be a legend or myth of some sort. While I have heard it in slightly altered form back on Earth, I must wonder if it was invented here. It seems to describe the origins of the current system of rulers and deities."
"I didn't see Jiao in there anywhere."
"She is a minor figure in history. These characters in the story may be nothing more than symbols representing other figures or, perhaps, dynastic lines. We can not be certain at this point."
"Any guess as to why it appeared now instead of earlier?"
"If that is all that is written on the stone, then I do not know, Mister Chrono. However, if there is more, then I have an idea. Perhaps the volume of information stored in magical form—the magical data, in other words—is so great that it could not all surface in readable form at once. In fact…."
As Coppelia spoke, the marks on the jade moved to form new letters, and those letters moved to form new words and sentences. Coppelia read them to Chrono:
A sea of sadness a thousand miles wide
To leave your loved ones so far behind
When you happened upon that otherworldly door
And saw her waving from the distant shore
Venture into worlds wild
While looking back at her royal smile
Do you still think your grief so great
That others do not share your fate?
Precious broken-hearted hour
Right for those who're parted now
Weep not, Nadia; I'll keep my vow
"It is a poem," said Coppelia.
Chrono raised an eyebrow. "Nadia?"