Birth of the Blade Collin Dyck cdycker(@t)hotmail.com When I played Chrono Trigger I loved it. It was one of the best games ever and had an awesome soundtrack. I loved the game but it left me confused when it came to the whole Masamune/Mammon Machine/Pendant and so on. So after reading some of the stories on your site I came up with the idea to make a story to try and guess what might have happened. It's a Fanfic, so that means SPOILERS so watch out! This story is gonna split from Masa and Mune, to a narrator and if I get enough support and positive feedback I might continue to even some of the owners of the sacred blade. Might even go on to explain its purpose in Chrono Cross....... "Hey Mune! We got company!" "Hey alright, and it ain't that spiky haired kid, is it?" "Nope, someone else. Hey it looks like they want us for something." "Well sure. Hey. I said HEY! There we go, now what do you want to hear?" "....I don't know if we know everything! How about something else?" "Well that sounds more reasonable. Now where should we start?" "How about from the start?" "Oh yeah, thanks Mune, but wait, which start?" "How about from the very start, you know, before we came in the picture." "Sure, ok, sounds good, let's get started...." "Be quiet and tell the story!" "Okay okay, here it goes!" - - - - - - - - - - - - Think back, far back, as far as you think that time has existed, now go even farther back and that's where we start. First there was nothing. Not even space or time. Then "mother" made the universe. She made many worlds, big worlds, small worlds, good worlds and bad worlds. Then she slept. While she was sleeping something bad came. It had no name, no face, no identity. It came without warning or innocence. It created greed, chaos, evil and injustice. It also too made creations of evil, which Evil called Lavos. It ruined Mother's creations and almost destroyed her entire universe. Some worlds were left untouched by the plague called Lavos. These worlds were quickly gathered and protected by Mother. To the others she couldn't reach in time she sent aid. She sent some of her power in giant rainbow meteors, which were meant to spread her love throughout the land and be used to destroy this "parasite" named Lavos. Mother sent thousands of her rainbow meteors to her unprotected worlds. Some of these meteors made it while others got destroyed, or damaged. One of these meteors made it to a world called "Earth". This great evil sent out a legion of darkness to destroy the meteor before it reached its destination. The meteor was savagely attacked and sent burning out of control to the small blue planet. The dark entity thought that the meteor would be destroyed once it entered its atmosphere. Mother never gave up and still hoped for her creations. The meteor was not destroyed but only fragmented into many multiple rocks. These rocks were scattered around the world, diving into oceans, crashing into mountains and some deep into the world's crust. Then it went black. - - - - - - - - - - - - "Now what Mune, what do we do now?" "How about when the people found the rocks." "Oh yeah the people." - - - - - - - - - - - - The mother's creations grew, learned and lived. They too were tempted by the unknown evil and embraced it while some others fought it. One day on Earth a man was walking by a mountain and found an odd glowing rock. He picked it up and he suddenly felt a powerful force flow through him. He went home to his village and showed the rock to the people there. They immedietly started to search for more of these powerful rocks and more were found all around the mountain. - - - - - - - - - - - - "Masa! Masa! Tell about us Masa!" "Shhhhh quiet! We're almost there." "All right, all right! Go on then." - - - - - - - - - - - - People then started to collect these rocks and started to use their mysterious powers only known as "magic". For some the rocks granted this magic, while others couldn't do or feel anything from it. These people that could use the stones were called Mystics and the others that couldn't were called Naturalists. The Mystics found that they could make fires or create lightning and many more amazing feats. Through countless hours of practice and overuse of this "magic" the mystics soon had the powers permanently bestowed on them and could do these feats without the use of the rocks. They also found that this power could be passed on to their children. Even to both kinds of people, these rocks were held sacred to the people and were protected. The Mystic society started to reject the Naturalists and ordered them to give up their stones for reasons no more than that they were not of use to them. Even though the much more powerful Mystics ordered them to give up their precious stones, the Naturalists held on to the stones, knowing they would easily lose a fight because of their lack of ability. Instead they made jewelry, weapons, armor, clothing and other things to hide the stones from the Naturalists. This angered the Mystics and they waged war on the Naturalists. This war was quickly over. The Naturalists were greatly outnumbered, over powered and humiliated. The victory went to the Mystics. After their victory the Mystics decided to leave the earth to "enlighten" themselves. This meant no interaction with these "Earthbounders" and together they used magic to raise land from the sea to create a separate nation governed by the most powerful family, Zeal. They raised rock and soil from the earth and made portals to transport water. They raised large pillars of rock and beautiful sand to form huge glimmering cities that sparkled even in the moonlight. The Mystics then moved from the horrible stench of Earth to the mystical cities of Zeal. Only people with the magical power could be able to enter the city of Zeal by ways of portals, which numbered few. This made the world into two separate lands, one was the mystical land of Zeal and one was the dirty, uncivilized land of the Earthbounds. Years passed and the ancient war between the Mystics and the Earthbounders was soon forgotten. Then one day a young girl was born in a village of the Earthbound. Her abilities were amazing to her people. She could see the future, people's pasts and even had control of magic. She grew into a wise and powerful prophet and she went out across her land to many villages to spread her knowledge and use her abilities rightfully. She sprang water up from the ground where drought had been known for ages, she sprang up trees of fruit for food and many wonderful achievements. The people began to call her "the cloaked prophet". Her fame spread to the far out reaches of the surface land and the mystical land of Zeal. This made the people begin to think that the Earthbounds did have some potential and this scared the queen. This showed that the Earthbounders might gain power and rise against her nation. With this girl's ability the Earthbounders might have a fighting chance of taking over her mighty nation of Zeal, so the queen acted fast. She quickly called a message to the prophet and demanded that she give her a prediction. The girl gave no objection, she held a grudge or prejudice to no one. She went peacefully. . . . . . . . . . . . The prophet arrived in the great civilization of Zeal wearing nothing but simple pants, sleeveless shirt, backpack and a long hooded cloak. She was dressed in browns and greys with a dusty rim around the edge of everything she owned. She was met by an escort of five armed guards upon exiting the portal. Wearing large white breastplates and each carrying a three pronged spear they approached her quickly from the side of the portal. The sun's reflection bounced off their chests as they approached. They had only simple shorts and sandals with no other armor, they needed nothing else for no fear of invasion from below had come before. A larger man with showing only a red tassel over each shoulder and on the spear approached her while the others stood in ready position, still holding their spears in a tight grip. "I have been ordered to accompany you to the queen" the tasseled leader said. The prophet looked up at their captain and pushed her hood back. Her blond hair and pale face gazed at him for a second and gave a small smile. Knowing that what they were doing was truly orders she would be safe, as long as she didn't do anything aggressive she would be fine. She nodded and the guards filled in beside her, their leader taking walking in front lead the way down the smooth stone walkway towards a town with a large castle seeming to be embedded into the mountain. She walked with a guard on each side. Her soft cloth footsteps silenced by the clicks of the sandals of her escort. Approaching the town it seemed strangely familiar. The tall white walls of building seemed only different in color to the cave walls she lived in on the surface, the trees she could see shaded the path and some building windows, and the road paved with smooth stones in an exact square shape. On the surface the roads were made with what stones people had found, their skewed design accenting their buildings and architecture, they lived where they could in nature. Soft earth gave way to homes for many and trees gave fruit and shade at times in the day. Here in this hovering world, nature was bent by these people to fit their wants. Her soft feet traveled on stones smoothed by magic, not by others like herself. She approached the town and the guards slowed their fast walking pace. Immediately a few people had seen her and scrambled off to the sides of the path. Feet shuffled and some ran to get off the path, as if suddenly it became diseased and foreign. Gasps and whispered works filled the air ahead of her as some scurried off into open doorways. She entered the town and she could hear the people's voices. She heard "The first of the invasion", "They have come to ruin us!" among the leader's order of "Stay steady". They continued walking. The escort walked straight, unmoved by the town or citizens, but definitely more cautious. A silence even quieter than the walk there fell over the area. The tasseled man's eyes peered left to right, but never back. The guards looked all over; the roofs, the sidewalks, one even turned around to see the group gathering in their midst. They didn't expect trouble but if it came they would be ready and prepared. The prophet walked on, head straight and high. The town started to give way back to the path in green fields before a mountain and the whispers were once replaced with the clicks of sandals which seemed even quieter than their first steps on the floating land but echoed loudly compared to in the town. They kept walking. The path soon split before the summit of the mountain. A narrower path branched off the larger and they followed it and soon came to a large raised pedestal, like the one she arrived on. It was only three feet high with four steps up to it but it was large, enough for fifty people to stand on with still a bit of elbow room. On the platform there was a ringed indent all the way around it which gave only a foot space of stone between it and the pleasant grass beside it. The group stopped. The tasseled man stepped onto it and kneeled down. He extended his bare hand to a small hole in the stone. A spark of electricity shot from his hand and into the hole and stopped shortly after starting. The tasseled man stood again and said, "Come onto the platform." just as a hum grew from nothing to a whisper. The girl and escort stepped onto the platform and the hum got louder. The leader bent down again and repeated the shocking control and the stone disc in the pedestal began to rise. It disc lifted higher and higher but didn't waver. Judging by the hole left in the platform it was only about one foot thick. The pedestal became smaller and smaller. It shrunk with the town while the palace grew larger. The wind became more apparent and the prophet lifted her hood over her head. As they ascended the prophet could see the path they were on, it snaked up the mountain, staying straight mostly but turning at each side of the giant mound but ever rising. The platform rose higher. "This is used only for royal servants and high guests. It is a shorter route than the road you see there. This will take us but a step from the palace entrance but today we can take it to a loading area right at the queen's chambers." The tasseled man explained. The prophet stared on but turned to look at the man. She looked at him quizzingly and the tasseled man stammered for but a second. "The mountain was to.. uh.. well.. halter an invading force if one ever came." The prophet turned back to her view of the road and the mountain. The platform stopped in a pedestal like the one below and the hum stopped. Two guards dashed from her side to a set of large doors and stood on either side. Their armor and feet clunked as they ran to the close door. Each one grabbed a handle and pulled it open. The tasseled man led her and her remaining escort through the door. Their feet landed on a soft red carpet similar to a fur from an exotic mammal found on the surface. Once inside the other part of her escort stopped and positioned themselves like the two before them, one on each side of the door with a simple sidestep. The tasseled man turned to face her and took a place by her side. His steps were silent on the fine carpet. He faced forward and walked beside her. The prophet walked on and examined the room. Many things she hadn't seen before. The floor was smooth black stone that reflected the room's image dully, everything in black. The side she came in from was open to the outside but little light came in. The side in front of her held several pictures of past royalty with alternating large windows that let some daylight in but still didn't provide much light. The majority of the light was coming from silver pedestals with a single large flame, burning from an unknown fuel. These pedestals were following a large long red rug trailing from an even larger ornate door to the steps at the other end of the room. The prophet walked with the tasseled man straight in front of the larger door and stopped. The tasseled man nodded to his men and the two by the door nodded back and left. The tasseled man looked down at the prophet. "I have other pressing matters to see to now. I wish you health and happiness. Goodbye." He grasped one hand in palm of the other and gave a slight bow. The prophet smiled. "Thank you. May your time be filled with a happy life." The guard smiled and with that, went through the large door which was promptly closed behind him. The prophet turned to see the other end of the room. It was still dark. There was a clap of hands and the pedestals by the steps burst into flame with a flaming roar. The pedestals of flame circled around and behind the throne to illuminate the scene behind the throne. Behind the throne was a picture of a single person standing on a hill raising a mountain with outstretched arms. Peering into the floor, she saw the picture with a black glaze and looked down to see the queen. She sat on a mighty throne ordained with shiny metals of gold and yellow and jewels that glistened and seemed to sweat with the flickering light from the flames. The queen herself was dressed in a white robe with red strips running down the front that flared into the bottom of her robe. To the right of the queen was a smaller, less decorated throne seated by a young blond girl wearing only a white robe. The prophet was quiet as she walked down the carpet towards the queen, her feet never making a sound. The only sound was the swish of her pants. She stopped just paces short of the few steps to the throne and stared straight at the queen. The queen shook with a feeling of prying eyes and regained herself. "Speak now woman!" demanded the queen. The prophet shook back her hood to reveal a short blond haired sea of curls. She kneeled then spoke. "The world of Zeal will see great disaster. This nation will crash into the sea by the weight of the greed of its people and queen then the world will be covered in darkness." The queen sat attentively and waited for the rest of the prediction. The prophet flipped her hood back and gave a sharp smile. She turned away from the queen and then the room erupted in an explosion of sound and blackness. The room was pitch black. Light from the outside didn't seem to exist and the flames from the pedestals didn't stretch further than the pedestals themselves. Only the two people on the thrones and the prophet could be seen clearly. The prophet stood and took a step back and was swallowed by the black, she reappeared thirty paces back with six kneeling strangers replacing where she was. All the strangers were standing and looking down: a wild red-haired boy, a blond woman in white, a young girl with an odd hat and glass covers over her eyes, a large green frog with facial hair, a shiny humanoid that had no human face and a woman that looked like one of the Earthbounders. The prophet's loud voice filled the room without an echo as the rest of the prediction went on. "Wielding the power of their bodies, mind, heart, and spirit these people will come. They will come from long distances to try and save this already dying world." The strange people raised their heads up at the queen then faded. Life like images appeared of the strangers fighting in strange places, using incredible magic and devastating attacks. The sounds of the weapons hitting their mark and screaming creatures filled the room. Explosions from magic deafened the squealing animals in front of the queen and the images continued to change. Images of the strangers flashed in front of the queen and girl, images of the group talking casually, laughing around a campfire and running across dying ground to fight an incredibly large mass of shadow. One image was of them gong up the steps in front of her palace. The images continued on as the prophet, still behind this image show, raised her arms to point at these strange people. "These strangers will either save their world or die trying but regardless, their victory will have a great consequence." The images stopped and faded like the six strangers did. A single man with pointy ears and purple hued skin appeared on the steps. He was dressed in black and was holding a large scythe up. A bone chilling wind filled the room but didn't change the room temperature at all. "A member of your bloodline will determine the outcome of this epic battle. He will give the travelers valuable knowledge and test them for the concluding battle. He might even fight. Your blood line will tell where his heart will lead." The prophet waved her arms and the man disappeared and the light filled the room again. The room went back to normal and it was silent for some moments. The queen's wide eyed look lasted for only a few seconds then was shaken off and replaced with a laugh that broke the silence. The younger girl gave a quiet sniffle. The queen stood and pointed a ringed finger at the prophet in her robes. "The mighty land of Zeal would never fall into the sea. That idea is foolish! We grow more and more powerful each day. We shape the land for our bidding! We can destroy whole forests in mere minutes! Your false predictions spread nothing but distrust and confusion through my people. For those crimes I find you guilty and you will be executed. Guards!" The doors busted open and guards ran to surround the prophet with outstretched arms. Their tasseled leader wasn't seen. The prophet stood still, unmoving since finishing her prediction. "Take her away and execute her quietly, I want no word of this to leave this room!" The guards grabbed the prophet by the arms and dragged her out the door. Unmoving and staring at the queen's eyes the prophet frowned. "It has begun, the cogs have begun to turn..." . . . . . . . . . . . . After the prophet's disappearance the people started to wonder. Rumors quickly spread and Mystics found out that the prophet was killed and the queen refused to accept the prediction. This raised a debate that maybe the "dirty Earthbounders" might actually have some magical power. The message was slowly whispered back to the Earthbounds where they wept unheard for their prophet that they thought could bring change to the world. The people soon began to become afraid. With the world slowing getting colder, the people started to get scared and worried. Earthbounders thought it was the god's revenge on the world for letting the prophet be killed and they lived in ever increasing fear. This made one family to make a drastic and daring decision. The family lived in the tropical canyon of Uyul where people came from all over the other Earthbound villages to sip from the water, which were rumored to be able to enhance one's being to give them magical powers. The people thought that they would be allowed access to Zeal if they drank of this water. This particular family had been living there as long as they could recall from grandparents and village elders. They lived in an old part of town and were a very well known family. This family helped fight with the others in killing the beasts that attacked their village each spring. Late one dawning night the family brought their six year-old twin sons to the mouth of the waterfall to finally make a difference in the world. - - - - - - - - - - - - "You mean us right Masa?" "Right Mune, you and me. We were going to save the world!" "Your right Masa, and we did, didn't we? You know that if you and I weren't there, those kids wouldn't have saved the world!" "I know Mune, I was there too remember? Well anyways that day was the last day that you and I were just some kids. We were changed forever that day. Well anyways back to the story." - - - - - - - - - - - - That night the parents of the children took their prized possession, one of the mystical stone that had been handed down in their family for what seemed as an eternity, and took a walk with their children. The red stone had been rumored to have great magical power but no one, not even Mystics, could do anything with it. The parents walked for a while. They held each other's hand with the other occupied by a skipping boy. They left their home late one evening and headed to the village center and started walking out. The parents took the twins to the small waterfall that was on the edge of their village. The water seemed cold and reflected the pale moon as it fell smoothly off the edge and into the pool, almost gracefully. The waterfall was only a bit over a normal persons head but the pool beneath it was large and only ankle deep. It ran off on the side into that would later join a larger river. The family stood on the edge of the pool. The father turned his head to the boy clutching his hand with a strong childhood grip. "Stand behind the waterfall, okay?" The majestic waterfall was told in stories to have been a sacred place for their ancestors that once lived there long ago. The children enjoyed the soft sounds of the water and felt very peaceful but yet powerful. The flowing water seemed to radiate strong flowing powers that the children could feel as a gentle breeze on their bodies. They stepped into the pool and stepped to each side of the falling water and stood behind the falling water. They looked at their parent's distorted faces through the waterfall. They looked sad but hid an overwhelming feel of pride and honor you could see in their smiles and tears. The boys felt a sudden sorrow as if they would know they would never see them again. The mother stared at her children and could feel great potential but still couldn't fight of the feeling of sadness because she knew their future would not include seeing her again. The father gazed at them through the waterfall and pulled out the stone from in his shirt pocket. He knew this was what he had to do. At night he had dreams, dreams of his twin sons standing in the waterfall like they did before him. They would touch the stone and would glow a white light that didn't hurt the eyes to look at. He had the dream over and over, each time the light getting brighter and brighter. A few nights ago the dreams changed and continued. The light stopped and was replaced by a dagger. He felt it in his hands, felt the tough of his sons, the pride of his village and the hope of the world. But why his sons he asked, why them? The answer came to him when he awoke from the dream several nights ago. He checked on his sons and found them sitting on the floor of their home hands pressed together and giggling. The father walked in and stopped only a step in. Above the two boys were several wooden toys floating smoothly and flowingly, something like a small current in water. The boys saw their father and smiled. The wooden toys floated down to the floor and landed with a gentle stop. "We heard a voice." said Mune. "It told us we were special. What does that mean father?" The father stood stunned. Mouth open but no wind came through. The two boys seemed to control all air in the room. Mune took the lead, "It told us we had powers, we were special and had to do something. I don't know what but I know we got to do it." The father brought back his voice and control over himself. "I know. We need to talk. There is something we need to talk about." . . . . . . . . . . . . The stone was a deep red color that felt somewhat warm to the touch and held it in front of the waterfall. He felt great satisfaction and adoration knowing that his children would help this village and future villages and more beyond just that. The twins were confused and slightly scared but knew that this was their purpose in life, their dreams told them it was. Their mother started crying harder and grabbed her husband and held him close. She rested her head on his shoulder and stared at their children's distorted image through the waterfall. They looked different. Their heads look bald and smooth, their ears more pointed and longer and their eyes slightly larger, their skin a distorted green. The image reminded them of creatures in tales that would grant people their wishes. The father held the stone out, shaking with emotion, took a deep breath and said, "Concentrate on one single thought, one single idea: the future." The twins looked at each other and held theirs hands. They both turned and walked towards the rock. The water pushed them down on their shoulders but they stood tall and grabbed the end of the stone and felt a sudden surge of power and purpose which gave them goosebumps. They held their hands tighter and closed their eyes. They thought about their family, the village, its people and their future. They heard a thousand voices, from the past and the future and of the ones in the present. They heard pain, joy, hopes, prayers and pleas but over all the voices they heard only one voice that was louder than the rest, a voice they trusted and felt comforted by. The voice sounded like their father's but also like their mother's. It sounded like the one they heard that one night. Together they realized that they would be needed in the future for good and the destruction of a great evil. The stone then glowed a red light and grew brighter. The father closed his eyes and a single tear fell down his face and fell into the pool. "We love you, and we always will. Goodbye..." Together the twins embraced and slowly molded into a single brightly lit white mass. The father let go of the red glowing stone and it stayed suspended in the air by the white light that was their children. The water then rippled out from where their father's tears with a gentle wave of colors. It grew outward and eventually up the fall into a brilliant cascade rainbow of color that climbed up and up out of sight. The parents then stepped away from the rainbow but didn't cover their eyes. The stone glowed brighter and brighter tell it drowned out the white light of their children. It grew brighter and illuminated the whole village like the light of a bright sun of spring. The parents stood still and kept their eyes covered. The light dimmed and shot straight in to the air above the pool. The parents were knocked down by a huge blast. When they recovered the light, the stone, their children were gone and only a gentle fall of the waterfall was heard. The parents stood and held each other and embraced. They held each other tight and looked at the pool. There, in the bottom of the pool was a small knife lying gently on the pool bottom. The father reached down and picked up the small blade and saw on the side the name of the children that made the ultimate sacrifice. Masamune. - - - - - - - - - - - - "Wow what a day, I sure felt different about everything after that." "Oh yeah, well that day we had to start thinking about how we were gonna save the world!" "Oh sure, the only thing I wanted to know is if I'd ever see mom and dad again!" "Well you knew the answer before we changed. I miss them too but let's not bore our guest to death with our grievances, on to the story!" - - - - - - - - - - - - The knife was used to find the way for the people to find shelter from the great cold, to fight the great monsters that appeared and many more tasks. The knife was held as a great treasure of the Earthbound people as it always seemed to shine with a great inner light and bring hope to the people until the knife was lost in a great battle with a great monster of the earth called Giga Gaia. An elder of the village of New Uyul had been fighting this monster to protect his village. The monster was raiding their food storages and destroying their homes and needed to be stopped. The man was a great fighter and a braver man. He fought so long and hard with the monster that his courage would span into legends that would be talked about for centuries to come. The man eventually started to succumb to fatigue and the mighty monster grabbed him in his claws and was squeezing him slowly. The elder decided to sacrifice his life in a last chance that would kill the monster. The elder took all of his strength and whirled the blade deep into the monster's head. The monster shrieked in pain. It arched his neck back and wailed a deep monstrous scream. The monster dropped the elder and fell back screaming. His arms wailing while backing away, reaching for the blade but not reaching. A bright light was seeping out his head wound and reached up into the sky. A lightning bolt cracked from the sky and struck the source of the light and there was a huge explosion. A deadly shriek filled the air and a wind started to rise and blew the monster far away across the ocean with the blade hurling high into the sky. The elder knew that his job has been fulfilled and smiled, feeling a great sense of honor in his already stopped beating heart. The blade sliced through the air and landed in the kingdom of Zeal in the fountain of the queen where a young girl would often sit and think quietly about her life. One day the princess was thinking about the Earthbound people and how they are surviving under the layer of ice and snow. She then glanced over her shoulder and saw an odd light from a corner of the fountain. She cautiously walked to it and picked up the knife. The blade shone slightly in her hand and an insignia on the side revealed its name, Masamune. She looked hard at the blade and noticed that even in the bright fountain the blade shined brighter but from an unknown light source. She hid the blade in her robes and quickly ran home to further examine the blade... Editor's note: Hope you enjoy the story. I have played Chrono Trigger through countless times and have played Chrono Cross too. I have finished t and enjoy it almost way too much. Any responses for the story be mailed to cdycker(@t)hotmail.com with Masamune fanfic in the title or else it will be deleted. Thanks for your time and wait for more stories about the Masamune and Chrono Cross. Hehe, enjoy your time. Collin Dyck.