Chrono Continuum Chapter 26
Quest for the Sword
By Cain
602 AD
The hammer dropped out of the beast's hands, burning. It looked up in surprise, just in time to see a boot flying rapidly toward its face. With a resounding smack, it fell off the edge, into the cold waters of the waterfall. Glenn landed at the edge with a grunt, recovering from his flying kick, and Lucca blew the smoke off of her gun. Frog finished off the last Outlaw with the Masamune. Glenn had been amazed to see how Frog wielded the Masamune. It was incredible, as if it was an extension of his own body. It seemed to know where he wanted it to go, and moved to his command, regardless of momentum or... inertia. He smiled at the fact that he could remember the word that word, and the law that accompanied it. He smiled at the thought of some man in the far future discovering the idea long after Lucca thought the notion up. Of course he invented the word inertia. He looked again as Frog sheathed the blade, noticing that it was somehow as sharp and clean as before. He could hardly believe that he might be getting a weapon such as that. He thought of something.
"Lucca," he called. She turned to him, holstering her gun. "How dost thou know where the Masamune lies?" Lucca opened her mouth, and then shut it. The explanation she had seemed to leak away, until she was empty. She looked to him in disappointment.
"I don't. It could be anywhere, or nowhere." Glenn placed his hand over his face in slight embarrassment, both for Lucca and him. He looked back up at a ribbit from Frog, and the sound of a sword being drawn out of its sheath. Lucca did as well, adjusting her glasses. Frog announced, "Fear thee not, Lucca. I shall divine the answer from mine blade." He placed the silver sword against his forehead, shutting his eyes. He stood for a long time, utterly still, like a statue. Glenn noticed a faint blue glow beginning to emanate from the sword. He could now see the glow encompassing Frog. With his divinative sight, he could see the magic as almost a palpable force, growing stronger around Frog, and becoming more apparent as the Masamune began to slowly release its power. The glow intensified, as did the magic Glenn could see around the knight and his blade. A ringing sound came forth, and hung on the air, not lessening as time passed, and the mild blue glow changed to a shining bright gold. A wind blew from nowhere, and soon became a gale, blowing around Glenn's cape, and the remains of Lucca's dress, but not touching Frog.
Finally, he opened his eyes, and took the Masamune from his head. He pointed it up, towards the top of the mountain. A yellow ray shone forth from the tip of the blade, striking a cliff near the highest waterfall. Glenn turned to see Lucca's reaction, and saw her staring at the destination of the ray. On inspection using his new-found visual talents, however, he saw that she was focusing her magic, and focusing it on her glasses so that her vision was heavily improved. He'd have to try that, if he could get it to work without glasses. She nodded her head, apparently fixing the area in her mind. The beam died out, and the light around Frog and the Masamune did so as well. Frog blinked, and looked over to Lucca.
"Well," he asked.
"What," asked Glenn. "You don't remember?"
"No." Lucca allowed her vision to return back to normal, and turned to Frog.
"It's in the exact same spot."
"How is that possible?" She shrugged.
"All I know is that the Masamune pointed to the same area it was in when we found Masa and Mune." Glenn asked, "Do you think that it just pointed to where it was found, because that was what it knew?" Frog shook his head.
"No. I knoweth not if Masa and Mune hath spoked to thee," Glenn nodded, " but they are the Masamune. They would know where if the other Masamune is nigh." Lucca nodded in agreement. Glenn shrugged.
"Well, 'tis good enough for me. Away, to the Masamune!"
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Same Time
I say we test them all at the same time.
Are you joking? We got the story from our alternates. Those two are extremely powerful.
They're only human, Masa.
Yeah. But don't you remember? They were the ones who tried to destroy the Ocean Palace, and succeeded.
Oh, yeah. But where's the red-haired kid? He was the strongest.
Who the strongest was isn't important. What is important is that they were his friends. And besides, they already beat our alternates. How much you wanna bet they know how to beat us?
Huh. I guess you're right. We'll test Glenn alone. But surely the usual test is too much for one man. Right?
We'll see, Mune. We'll see.
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Same Time
They watched and waited. He was really bored. He considered telling a joke, but decided against it. His current partner was a no-nonsense person. He scratched his newly-healed face. He had no idea why it itched so much, but it did. A whisper from his commander made him stop.
"Stop that now. Shhh. They come."
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Same Time
"Help me up, Glenn." Glenn obliged, and pulled Lucca up over the edge. She scrambled to her feet, straightened her dress, and adjusted her glasses. She nodded her thanks. They turned to the cave. It seemed to beckon them. Frog looked fascinated.
"So many memories here. P'raps Lucca hath not told you of my past, Glenn, but here... here, my troubles began." A voice, a male voice, sounded out from all around them.
"And it's here that your troubles... and your lives, will end." And as they watched, a beam of light appeared before the cave. When it disappeared, there was a man floating, ten feet off the ground. He wore a white robe, engraved with a golden symbol on the chest. A spear was held in one hand. His eyes were violet, and his hair cut short. Frog and Lucca would have known without the fact that his hair was blue. It was Magus.
Frog drew the Masamune, and Lucca did the same with her gun. Glenn looked at the hovering man quizzically. The blue-haired man looked at their weapons drawn and smiled. Looking between Frog and Glenn, he remarked, "So you must be the ones who share my problem." Glenn wondered what he was talking about, but Frog and Lucca glanced at eachother. He looked like Magus, but he didn't talk like him. And he didn't seem to recognize them, at least by name. Glenn stepped forward.
"State thy name, wizard." The man raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, so you are one of them. You didn't say I was from the Kingdom. My name is Janus, and I was the prince of Zeal. By your expressions I'm gueesing you thought I was that man... um, Magus." Frog nodded. "Well, I don't know how he's related to me, but I assure you that I am in no way like him." Lucca laughed, drawing everyone's eyes.
"Great. What could be better than a charming, kind, caring, not-in-any-way-murderous enemy?" Frog didn't react, and Glenn got the idea that they weren't terribly fond of this Magus character. Janus cleared his throat.
"Indeed, woman, those qualities often describe me. But today, my assignment is different. I'm to perform my master's orders, though I do not relish them. You are to die." Lucca stepped forward.
"You know, I'd bet that Magus is more powerful than you, and we fought him to a standstill when we were younger and weaker, with one Masamune, and the weaker version at that. And with two Masamunes, one upgraded, how well do you think you'll fare?" Janus smiled.
"Well put. But I'm afraid you haven't done the math quite right. If the Masamune is that magical sword I hid away in here years ago, and the sword you're looking for, then you only have one of them. And besides, you won't be fighting me at all." He gestured, and two men stepped out of the bushes by the cave, and a woman jumped from the top of the cave. Glenn's and Lucca's eyes narrowed.
"What's the matter, Darlin," taunted Drissom, healed completely.
"You didn't want to see us again," inquired Clairdena, healed as well, armor repaired. The new man stepped forward, and they got a good look at him. He wore no armor, but light travel wear. A scabbard hung from his hip, an ornate hilt sticking out of its top. His arms were crossed confidently. Lucca smiled. His hair was green, and moved straight up twirling like Marle's favorite desert, and ice cream cone. Glenn smiled as well.
"Allow me to guess," he began. "Ledune. Correct?" The man nodded, and turned his gaze to Frog. His stare didn't waver. Frog looked back to his friends.
"Allow me to guess. Thou hast met these hooligans before?" Lucca nodded.
"The black-haired man seems to like, or at least seems to have been assigned to, fighting me. The woman fought Glenn. And my guess is the man with the ridiculous green hair is yours." Frog smiled.
"Yes, 'tis ridiculous, indeed" Frog replied loudly enough for all to hear. The man's gaze only darkened, but Drissom looked as if he was barely containing his laughter. Janus smiled.
"Now that we're all acquainted, why don't we get this over with. I don't want to watch you suffer unduly." Drissom snorted.
"Speak for yourself, Prince." The wizard smiled and shook his head ruefully, and with a simple gesture from him, the three Hellbound charged. Lucca admonished Glenn, "Go for the Masamune if you can. We'll hold them off." Glenn nodded, and they charged.
"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t
try."
-Beverly Sills
.