Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ It's just like a Sci-Fi show now... ( Chapter 40 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier. SquareSoft does, and they think a warp in time should've been used to explain the whole SGF II crossover I pulled. I can only say this: Oops.

 

The desert seemed endless. Without a watch, Blue wasn't sure how long they'd been walking, but surely it must've been for some time. They must've covered some level of distance. And yet it was hard to tell. Everything looked the same, in every direction, and without a landmark or natural outcropping of rock or trees, it was almost impossible to say where they were going and where they'd end up. Even the sun, which normally moved west during the course of the day, did not appear to complete its westerly descent. It barely seemed to have moved at all. But its effects were apparent. Blue found he was thirsty as all hell.

 

But he didn't complain, and he didn't state his findings to Rouge. As Blue glanced at his twin, he saw the man had his own worries, his own problems separate from those that currently plagued them. And while Blue wanted to know what was wrong, he understood how focused Rouge could get. Asking might just cause the young mage to shut down, and that was the last thing Blue wanted.

 

As they continued through the endless, stormy, sandy abyss, however, Blue found it harder and harder to keep his curiosity down. Normally, Rouge would've done anything to keep the silence away. Even as a kid, Rouge hated to be alone. But he wasn't saying anything, and in all honesty, Blue wondered what could keep Rouge so distant. It wasn't anger; what would Blue have possibly done, anyway? Nor did it have anything to do with Blue. The older mage was well aware of that. But what could it have been?

 

Blue tried to think on what was said when he first came to. Maybe that could explain Rouge's silence. But nothing much had been said at all. Literally, they had spoken just enough for Blue to understand they weren't in their world, nor were they in the time-space continuum. He tried breaking that little conversation down. Maybe there was something Rouge had said, something in his tone, that could help him figure out what was wrong. But there wasn't. Did he know where the others were? No, he hadn't. Did he see what happened?

 

`N-no. I didn't.' Blue suddenly stopped. That was what he had been looking for. Rouge had hesitated. Rouge never hesitated. But Rouge also never lied, either. Blue turned to look at his brother. Rouge didn't even notice he had stopped, and nearly collided with Blue until the elder mage stopped him. Rouge looked up at him with blank eyes.

 

“Rouge, are you sure you didn't see anything at all?” Blue asked again, this time his tone a bit more severe. Rouge blinked for a minute, and on the inside, he panicked. Nothing ever escaped Blue's attention. But for some reason, despite Ciato's previous behavior, Rouge didn't want to put him in danger. Even if he did deserve it; he didn't deserve to be erased from time. He took a deep breath. He'd have to be a little bit more convincing to get past Blue.

 

“Not really. I saw some explosions and that's about it,” Rouge lied, trying his best to sound casual and calm, “I think I had my eyes closed, but I can't really remember. The screaming makes everything a bit hazy.” Blue nodded, but wasn't entirely sure how seriously he should've taken the answer. But he let it pass anyway. Even if Rouge was holding something, it wasn't a problem just yet. He'd press again when it became one.

 

Pressing on, Blue began to see just why travelers had often said the most arid regions of their world were the most dangerous. The heat was beginning to play tricks on him. Off in the distance, the heat caused air to waver, rippling in the sunlight as if space were truly warping. This wasn't exactly a surprise; this happened anywhere when heat was applied. But actually seeing things within those spaces was another matter. And they weren't normally what you'd find in a desert, either. Blue had imagined, should he hallucinate, that he'd see an oasis or a cactus, or maybe a monster or two. But why, on all the realms of the universes, was he looking at the old boarding home he and Rouge grew up in? And was he the only one who could see it?

 

“Blue, is it me, or is that our old house!?” Rouge asked him, and ran over to see. That answered Blue's question, and he went to follow Rouge. As he ran down, however, memories began to play themselves in his head: how his parents had died in the wildfires that swept the kingdom, how he and Rouge moved into the house, and their first few days there. It sent shivers up his spine.

 

“I don't want to be here,” he said, almost silently enough to be to himself. But Rouge heard him.

 

“Aww, come on. We had a lot of fun here,” Rouge reminded him. But Blue wasn't convinced. He didn't have much fun. Most of his time was spent in his room, studying and reading as much as he could just to survive some of his tests. Then again, he was always in the highest classes. But so was Rouge, and Rouge always did his work half-assed.

 

“Studying wasn't fun,” Blue mumbled, but Rouge didn't hear him. He was already running up the old steps and pulling the brass door handle. But the door didn't open. Rouge tried again, and it barely budged.

 

“What the hell?” he blurted out, and banged on the door, “Hey!! Master Klastour! Open up! It's me, Rouge!” But there was no reply, and as he continued his assault on the door, Blue noticed that the inside sounded almost hollow. He grabbed his brother's arm.

 

“I don't think anyone's in there, Rouge,” he said gently, and frowned, “This has to be an illusion. A trick of the heat.” But Rouge wasn't convinced. After all, they were standing on this so-called illusion. He shook his head.

 

“I don't buy that. There's got to be a way in,” he insisted, and walked across the porch to a rickety window, “Help me bust this thing in.”

 

“Rouge!” Blue cried in alarm, “That's wrong! We shouldn't just break in, not to mention it's illegal!” But Rouge wasn't worried. In fact, he didn't seem as if he had even listened to Blue. He raised an amused brow as he lifted the screen, exposing the glassy surface beyond.

 

“You sound like our boss,” Rouge commented mockingly, and added, “Relax, bro. If no one's here, then no one's going to arrest us.” Blue was willing to say that that wasn't the point, but Rouge was already preparing to break the glass. How he did it, however, was something Blue wouldn't have thought possible. Especially since Rouge hated martial arts. But all he had to do was give it one good, sturdy kick, and the window was crushed into a rain of glassy shards. All of which shattered on the ground. Blue could only watch with a shocked expression on his face.

 

“Ha! Just like how Alkarl did it on Alkarl's Stream!” Rouge stated proudly, and hummed a tune as he climbed through the newly destroyed window. Blue blinked, but found himself too overwhelmed with the sheer stupidity of it all to say a damn thing. It wasn't like Rouge listened to him, anyway. Shrugging his shoulders, Blue thought it best to just follow for a bit. And he too climbed through the window.

 

The inside of the old boarding school was dusty and smelled of mildew, the motes swirling through the air looking a visible brown, if Blue looked at them closely enough. The air felt stale, and dirt seemed to cover the old wooden floor beneath them. From the state of the furniture, which was covered with mold, to the dirty windows, the place looked to have been abandoned for some time. Save for the mice that went scurrying as soon as the window broke apart, of course. Blue could hear them chattering in the walls, tiny little squeaks that meant nothing to him.

 

Rouge, however, took no notice of the mold or the smells as he walked around the living room, looking at the bookcases and their contents. Magicka Unleash, Aedra and Daedra, The Belmont Legacies, and Time: The complete Edition littered the middle shelf of one bookcase, and Rouge remembered reading them all. Everything was exactly as he remembered it, right down to where the coasters on the tables sat. It was too exact, to be exact. He turned and glanced slightly at Blue. The older mage looked like he couldn't decide whether to touch an old magazine or set it ablaze.

 

“Blue,” Rouge called right as his brother got the courage to reach his hand out, as if the magazine might bite him for it, “What do you think about this place?” Blue snatched his hand away and looked at. He didn't quite process the question at first.

 

“Oh, uh…” Blue looked around for a moment, and then frowned, “It's as you left it five years ago. Not a thing out of place.”

 

“That's what I mean,” Rouge replied, eyes narrowed, “It's just too perfect. Something had to have been moved when I was gone.” That was some solid logic, and Blue felt no reason to try and argue. He fully agreed, anyway. But as he looked around and saw the exact state of things, something new bothered him. Rouge had only been gone for five years, and he himself for less than one. The house wasn't this badly destroyed when he had left. Then again, someone could've easily Imploded the house…

 

No, even with magic, the house wouldn't have been this dilapidated. Shouldn't have been this dilapidated. Carefully, he stepped behind the loveseat, making sure to avoid putting his hand on any patch of mold, or on the furniture at all. Because the parlor and the dining hall were connected, the only barrier was that loveseat, and Blue found himself instantly within the old hall. It looked far worse, and he could smell the rot within the old wooden long-tables, as well as the benches. Already, he could see some of the cushioning losing their stuffing.

 

“This is wrong,” he whispered, as he heard Rouge come up behind him, “We haven't been gone long enough for this to happen.”

 

“It could've happened when Hell literally broke lose,” Rouge reasoned, and while that might have been true, there was just one problem: Blue had seen the boarding house. It wasn't like this.

 

“If it had, the place would have been incinerated,” Blue told him sternly, “Mold takes time to grow, and I didn't see any when I visited. And for this level of it…” Blue wrinkled his nose and pointed at a crusty, green-at-the-edges magazine to prove his point. Rouge nodded, not needing any further demonstrations.

 

“So, what caused it then?” Rouge asked him curiously, “Think everyone just left?” Blue shook his head.

 

“They'd have used it for another purpose if that was the case,” the older magician said, and his brows creased with worry, “But of course, we can't prove this because we're not even in our time zone. For all we know, this happened one hundred years from our time.” Rouge hummed. That was a possibility, and as he thought that, he heard clapping from off toward the left. He and Blue both turned. The Time Lord was walking down the old staircase, and didn't seem to care that he was kicking dusty spores up all around him. He looked serene; it seemed out of place in such a squalid environment.

 

“And you, young one, are exactly right!” the old Mystic exclaimed, his young face breaking into a gentle smile, “I have concluded that this poor establishment comes from approximately two hundred and six years in your future.” Rouge blinked, and Blue just glanced from the Time Lord, to Rouge. How on earth did he discover that?

 

“Sir, if you don't mind my asking, how can you be sure?” Blue asked him. The Time Lord took out a pocket watch, and Blue heard a soft ticking in the air.

 

“Why, my tools, of course,” the Mystic replied, and closed the watch, “Every patron to time has a set, though the more skilled you are, the more clocks and gadgets you own.” He strode into the dining hall, apparently ignoring the signs of decimation as he walked toward the two, “With quite a few, I was able to scan the micro-fibers of time and deduce their dates relevant to the positioning of space. It said clearly the year was 2205.”

 

“And you don't think your clock could've been messed up,” Rouge said flatly. The Time Lord noted the doubt in the young man's voice. He shook his head, also knowing that neither magician had any idea what he actually said to them.

 

“Impossible,” he replied, “The tools of Time aren't like the manmade clocks you humans are used to. They run off of crystalline cores, not off of gears. Therefore, unless my core's broken, it should work perfectly.” Blue and Rouge exchanged glances. There was a chance his clock was broken. After all, his most precious tool had been, which was what led them to this place in the first place.

 

“Are you sure?” Rouge inquired, as Blue said, “Sir, if Kylin accidentally broke your most sacred clock, wouldn't it stand to reason your other clocks would be affected?” But the Time Lord didn't agree. He smiled patiently and held up his pocket watch. Opening it, he showed them that it was working perfectly.

 

“Each core is different. Even if one in a series breaks, all others will go on,” the Mystic said gently, “Crystals, like people, have life. Only when that life is extinguished, will the clock no longer work.” But Rouge wasn't entirely convinced. Through some force Blue didn't understand, he was able to get the clock and open it up, past the clock face, and into the compartment where the gears and gizmos all stood. And in that center was the core in question: it was tiny, but it was pure white and shining brilliantly. If it did have life force, it was very, very strong. Rouge huffed and closed the watch back up. He didn't like being proven wrong.

 

“Okay, so then we're in the future,” he grumbled, “Any idea how to get back?” He looked directly at the Time Lord, but the elder Mystic seemed to have lost his serenity now. Worry crossed his face, and his smile faded. Which meant that what he was going to say, Rouge wouldn't like.

 

“We're not in the future, young ones,” the Time Lord told them, “That is what's bringing me to our problems. We are, to be sure, about two-hundred and twenty four million years into the past.” Rouge's mouth dropped. Did he just say two-hundred some-odd million years!? That was so far back that humans didn't even exist yet. At least, not in the state Rouge could imagine. He twitched. He couldn't live with himself and Blue being the only humans left now.

 

“I thought you said we were in the future,” he grumbled through gritted teeth. The Time Lord smiled again; unfortunately, right then wasn't the time for a cheerful attitude.

 

“I said this establishment was from the future,” the Mystic corrected calmly, “But we are in the past.” At that point, Rouge's mind was blown. He could sort of handle being in the Time Lord's realm. He could kind of understand being in space. He barely got being in the time-space continuum. But this? This was too much. He was so messed up that he heard his brain screaming at him. He looked to Blue.

 

“How the hell is that possible!?” he asked, praying to the goddess that Blue knew the answer. Blue's skin paled considerably. And that meant one thing: he obviously didn't. But he could wing it. For Rouge's sanity.

 

“I… guess that time no longer has relevance thanks to the destruction of the time-space continuum,” Blue began nervously, not knowing where to actually begin, “So, in effect, maybe there is no such thing as time?” That definitely didn't help Rouge.

 

“Wrong,” the Time Lord cut in, “But close. It's true that with the complete corruption of the continuum, there's little barrier between all of the eras known to man. But that doesn't mean all time zones have merged. It simply means that some aspects from one era can fuse into the timeline of another.” Blue seemed to have understood, but Rouge gave up trying to understand the concepts of modern time and physics ten minutes ago. He shook his head vigorously.

 

“Can you say that again?” the young mage asked, “A little slowly, and speak as if you're talking to a retard.” The Time Lord actually chuckled, and Blue patted Rouge's shoulder comfortingly. At least they had the decency to humor him.

 

“I wouldn't expect you two to understand this,” the Mystic said gently, and smiled genuinely, “But basically, time is beginning to merge with one another, so that certain artifacts or landmarks in one zone cross into another, one that has no relevance or connection, at least culturally, to the first zone. For instance, George Washington could be crossing the Delaware, but be doing it in the year 3215, with no idea that he's in the future, or that the Delaware might no longer exist.” That only made marginally more sense than before. Rouge decided that if Blue understood this bullcrap, he'd just nod his head and watch it unfold. That was easier.

 

“Why is the continuum corrupted?” Blue asked, and the question banged on Rouge's mind terribly, “Sir, what happened before the explosion?” The Time Lord looked at Blue seriously for a moment, and his smile faded again. Even in his mind, what happened was hazy at best.

 

“Unfortunately, young one, I can't recall it too well,” he replied, but Rouge caught the glance the Mystic gave him, “But I know we'll learn soon enough. Time tells all.” Blue nodded accordingly, but Rouge swallowed hard. If that was true, there really wasn't much point in hiding Ciato's actions. Except that there also wasn't a reason to make Blue angry, either. But did the Time Lord already know?

 

“I just hope whatever happened hasn't destroyed our timeline yet,” Blue said with a shiver, and looked at Rouge, “If even one thing comes out of place, our existence might end right now.” Rouge already knew that. Of everything he learned, that part, he understood well enough. But would Ciato, if he was truly responsible, do something so careless? He might have been a jackass, but he wasn't immature. Still, the look on his face…

 

“If we're quick, maybe nothing will happen,” Rouge replied, trying to force Ciato's expression out of his head. The Mystic looked so insane, so angry… so… desperate. As much as Rouge knew what he did was terrible, he felt for the man. It was akin to a rat being trapped in a cage, with a very feral cat. He defended himself. But would the others believe that?

 

As Rouge said this, Blue thought about how they could act. Technically, they were trapped in this era. With the continuum corrupted as it was, he had a distinct impression that the Time Lord didn't have use of his full set of powers. After all, if he did, why hadn't he warped himself back to the continuum? Blue tapped his chin. This was one case he wasn't sure could be solved. For all his studies, he couldn't recall anything that might help in the case of complete temporal meltdown. If only he weren't mortal…

 

As for the Time Lord, he seemed content to just let the two magicians think this through for as long as they needed. As Blue had guessed, he had not a shred of his former power, and therefore could do nothing to unmerge this era and preserve it. For that, they'd need the help of the time shard in this world, and that was if it even existed. And if the Time Lord was to remain the Time Lord, he wasn't allowed to tell them this. As a mere observer, he was forced to let them come to their own conclusion. It was common temporal law, of course: to observe, to preserve, and never interfere. And those who broke it, even a Mystic such as himself, would be flung into the endless abyss, the deepest part of Oblivion where time and space had been eradicated, and only the screams of nothing made those poor souls remember what had happened.

 

The Time Lord shook his head. Such terrible thoughts should be discarded. But still, that rule had been broken once, broken by a young time-keeper with a pocket watch… The Time Lord blinked. Of course! He should have thought of this. That time-keeper, back in Devin! What was his name? Aeon? He might be able to help them. He was a time-keeper like the Time Lord, and though he wasn't nearly as powerful, the adolescent should've been able to go forward and figure out what had transpired, and if recovery was possible. If Time truly collapsed, there would be no organization to penalize the Time Lord…

 

Then reality set in as Blue and Rouge continued to discuss their dilemma. Even if Aeon was alive, there was no way to contact him. There was no way to contact anyone. Not here, not in this era. There were virtually no modes of communication, and dinosaurs weren't smart enough to be able to read, write, and recite. The Time Lord's face scrunched into an ugly scowl. What was the point of immortality when it didn't even serve you in the first place?

 

“Perhaps we should have a better look at this world,” the Mystic suggested, seeing that neither magician was coming to the conclusion, nor would they. Only time-keepers, and a scant few Espers, knew about those time shards. No one else would have. But at his words, both Blue and Rouge looked back at him. And now that he brought it up, they both realized they hadn't seen much of the world at large. They merely went where they felt, without paying any attention. Was it possible there was something to be seen?

 

“Where do we start?” Blue inquired, as Rouge sighed and added, “And what do we look for? If it's sand, there's a ton of it right here.” Normally, the Time Lord would've chuckled, but being out of power made him a tad crankier than usual. His eyes narrowed flatly.

 

“We start where we please,” he said simply, as though that answer should've sufficed. Blue was more than willing to help, but Rouge, tired and wound as he was, was not. He crossed his arms.

 

“I want to start by going to sleep and pretending this didn't happen,” the younger mage grumbled. The Time Lord managed a chuckle, understanding Rouge's frustration. Unbeknownst to the young man, the Time Lord knew more than he let on. Including the incident Ciato caused. Knowing Rouge wouldn't be much help, the old Mystic looked to Blue instead.

 

“What of you, young one?” the Time Lord asked politely. Blue blinked, trying to get an answer straight. In truth, his idea would be as good as any; he had no idea where they should even begin. The desert, from what it looked like, spanned on for miles, endless miles in all directions. It could take days, weeks, even years before they came across anything, and who was to say that desert didn't cover the entire world? This was, after all, before humanity existed. The land wasn't cultivated, and with no discernable landmarks, their chances of getting lost were relatively high. And their chances of being killed? Well, if dinosaurs roamed the world, that'd be a pretty frequent, and much warranted, fear.

 

“I know nothing of this world, sir. I can't say for certainty that my ideas won't get us killed,” Blue stated simply, and frowned, “Do you know of this world?” The Time Lord's smile became weak, and he looked down. Obviously, the answer was that he didn't.

 

“I'm afraid I do not,” the Mystic admitted quietly, and then brightened, “But regardless, every wonderful adventure has a touch of danger! We shouldn't let this stop us.” Blue and Rouge looked at each other, wondering if the lord's previous question was rhetorical or not. He sounded as if he'd made up his mind long ago, and it didn't matter if the twins agreed or not. Rouge just shrugged.

 

“Sounds good to me, I guess,” he said simply, and laughed, “We might as well, seeing as how this place looks ready to collapse.” Blue, and more importantly, the Time Lord, couldn't have agreed more.

 

When they exited the old building, to their dismay, it had only grown hotter in that strange, new world as the day went on. The distance, not even that far at all, looked wavy and warped amidst the great heat. And with the position of the sun as it was, there wasn't a shadow that dotted the barren plains around them. Not surprisingly, Rouge had trepidations about wandering through such an area; mainly, he was concerned they'd burn to a crisp in about five seconds.

 

“Can it get any hotter!?” he groaned, as Blue walked past him, down the steps, and onto the hot sand, “My god, Blue, if your boots melt, I'm going back inside.” Blue looked down. The sand was hot, but it wasn't melting his shoes in any way. Then again, he was wearing the typical heavy-duty, leather-strapped, iron-toed boots that every officer in IRPO wore. He'd have to actually be on fire to have his boots melt, and even then, the damn things might hold up. He shrugged.

 

“If my boots melt, then I'll just run across the desert,” he reasoned. It was obvious the sun fried him a bit. Blue never gave such ridiculous answers. Now Rouge was really worried.

 

The Time Lord seemed to know where he was going, and when they left the building far behind them, Rouge learned that one loud and clear. The youthful-looking Mystic walked confidently, apparently paying no heed to how warm it was, how humid it was, or how heavily dressed he was, either. He smiled when any bugs buzzed by him, and he stopped only to look up at the sun. Either he was judging their direction, or trying to burn his retinas out. Rouge wasn't sure which was more accurate.

 

But on the inside, the Time Lord was doing neither. He was actually judging how warped space might've been, if there was any way to contact Kylin. Without his power, that would be a difficult task, and even with his power, space might've been corrupted too badly to make a clear connection. Whatever Ciato had done, he had done it well and in a timely manner. And how he had done it… well, that caused grave concern to the Time Lord. If he destroyed the celestial terminal used to monitor space-time, then there was a good chance the world was doomed.

 

Of course, the lord didn't dare say this to either Blue or Rouge. Instead, he had to keep them focused. He hated having to hide his knowledge from them, but mortals could only be expected to understand so much. And while he was confident Blue might have been able to handle it, he knew Rouge wouldn't have, and that eventually Blue's limit would be reached. Damn it all, he should have stayed in his own realm!

 

And still on the side of unfortunate, he wasn't even sure of how he was supposed to keep two young men occupied. He could lead them around, but to what, exactly? He may have thought about finding one of those time shards, but he didn't even know where one might lay. He couldn't even sense it. And perhaps, in so distant a past, so vague a time, perhaps those shards didn't even exist. Except that he was the Time Lord. He was at the beginning of the beginning, with Bahamut, Kylin, Goddess Dihanna, and Plotergratz. He was time itself, personified. If he wanted a time shard, one should have appeared there for him.

 

Yet he knew that life rarely worked so easily. Time rarely yielded to anyone, even to its own master. And without his power, it would yield even less. If only he hadn't been so careless. If only he suggested the other Mystics stay in Mosperiburg. If, if, if!

 

“Why don't you both tell me what you know about this era?” the Time Lord suggested gently, as if he were asking two children about their first day of school, “Let's see if you know your time well.” Blue tilted his head, wondering what relevance that had, or why the Time Lord didn't know this. Perhaps he was passing the time. Rouge just rose a brow.

 

“So far, I know it's hot and empty and huge,” the younger mage said blandly, almost sarcastically. The Time Lord blinked, taken aback by Rouge's continuing display of apathy toward the new world at large, and looked helplessly at Blue. Blue himself just shrugged; Rouge often went into emotional episodes. This might not have been much different. Except that Blue didn't know what was going on. He didn't know Rouge had seen what happened.

 

Wanting desperately to help the Time Lord out, Blue took a good look around. It hadn't changed much since they went into the building - it was still bright and the sun still high. And that brought to Blue's attention something very, very wrong. The sun still hadn't moved at all since they even came to this strange world. Time should have been passing as normal, and the sun, tied not to time, but to space, should have been setting at least a little bit by now. The world, whatever one they were in, should have been in orbit. But if space was corrupted, did orbits even exist anymore? Maybe this is what the Time Lord was worried about.

 

Then another thought hit Blue. One that, considering their recent plunge into the whole aspects and physical manifestations of time, should have occurred much earlier. Time wasn't warped. Time was frozen. Frozen, save for the three of them. And that could've only been because of their high magical tolerance. Blue shivered. Now that he looked, it really didn't surprise him. Nothing was happening in this desert. There was no wind, the sands didn't shift, and the clouds did not drift in the sky. Blue swallowed hard, and looked at the Time Lord incredulously. Only a powerful master could have been able to conjure this amount of absolute power, to completely freeze one world in a constant state of stasis. And there was indeed a powerful master right there…

 

“I know that time is frozen,” Blue said suddenly, and both Rouge and the Time Lord stopped so suddenly, they nearly fell. Rouge blinked a bit, wondering if he heard his brother right. But the Time Lord looked at him curiously, almost worriedly. Blue continued with, “This entire world is frozen. It has to be.”

 

“What makes you think that, bro?” Rouge asked him, his interest slowly beginning to return. Blue took a deep breath. If this wasn't the case, he'd make a fool of himself. But what was there to lose? The Time Lord asked for opinions, after all.

 

“Rouge, has it gotten any darker or brighter since we woke up?” Blue asked simply, knowing the best way to convince Rouge would be to let him figure it out, “When have we even seen signs of life from this world? Did the dust motes in the old building even float, or did they just stay in mid-air, unmoving?” Rouge tapped his chin as he considered all of these questions. And he realized that the answer to all of those questions were `no.' Well, `no' meaning that all of his answers implied that Blue was right about his theory. His lips thinned.

 

“What causes it?” he asked the Time Lord, and it was clear that Blue's theory threw the Mystic off balance. His skin paled a bit, his blue hair drooping a bit as he tried to think of an answer. Normally, no one dared to stop time. And time couldn't act of its own accord.

 

“I've no idea!” the Time Lord exclaimed in alarm, and then sobered, “I mean, there are enemies to the constructs of time, beings who wish to bring such a man-made system down. But I wouldn't believe they'd be responsible.” This was no good news for them. That meant that indeed, this was caused directly, possibly by the one who destroyed the celestial terminal. Both brothers glanced at each other, and then returned their looks to the Mystic.

 

“Why wouldn't they be responsible?” Rouge asked, as Blue's voice dropped, and he demanded, “What beings!?” Blue's stern tone, as well as the look of fury in his eyes, set the Time Lord back again. Normally, he shouldn't have even mentioned the enemies of Time. But if time was frozen, would anyone know? And was this not a special case? Knowing it was now foolish to keep his secrets, the Time Lord began to tell all that he knew.

 

“These beings, as we call them periodically, are known as Time Reapers, and there is almost always at least one every few thousand years,” the Time Lord explained worriedly, “But the reason I don't think they would be responsible is because without time, they wouldn't exist. Why would any of them destroy themselves?” Blue had to stop and think about that one, but Rouge already knew that whatever caused this probably wasn't a Time Reaper. His thought immediately went to Ciato and the ruined terminal. There was a chance that the incident was also responsible for this.

 

“What if it was just the terminal being destroyed?” Rouge reasoned calmly, and both Blue and the Mystic looked at him for a moment, “Think about it. You said yourself that time and space are corrupted. What if this is just one of those corruptions? Maybe there's nothing to worry about.” Hearing Rouge state this so calmly sobered Blue a bit. Even if the younger mage was right, it still didn't discount Blue's contribution, anyway. He smiled warmly at his twin. Sometimes it did pay to have him along.

 

The only problem now was that the Time Lord didn't share in the carefree idea.

 

“There is still much to worry about,” the Time Lord said grimly, ruining the relief both brothers felt, “If time has been frozen, we still must restore it. Even if there is no true being behind this, it cannot be allowed to continue.” That much, Blue had to admit, was true enough. If the world stayed in stasis forever, evolution would never happen. And then they'd really never exist.

 

“How do we restore it?” Rouge asked, and the Time Lord divulged his most well-kept secret of all. Those time shards he had wanted to find.

 

“There are, within each world, tiny crystals called Time Shards that allow us time-keepers to control the natural flow of time and awards us certain powers to do it,” the Mystic began, and both mages listened carefully, “Most, in your era, have been domesticated, and are produced only within a world called Equinox, scattered by the younger generations who've grown careless in their keeping. But in the past, these fragments of time could have possibly been found anywhere.”

 

“But you're talking two million years before our time,” Rouge pointed out seriously, crossing his arms, “Are you sure there'd be one here?” The Time Lord smiled gently. There was something up his elegant sleeves, both brothers understood.

 

“We are not at the beginning of the beginning. We are in time,” the Mystic said cryptically, “As long as time exists, we will find one. It depends only upon the size of the world and how magically encrypted the world is. But there is always, no matter the circumstance, at least one shard in each world.” Only because he was the master of Time, did either Blue or Rouge believe him. They glanced at each other, wondering whether the story could be true or not. There was no reason for it not to be. And perhaps they had seen a time shard themselves…

 

The idea was too much for Rouge not to follow. Any initial hesitation and apathy he had was gone. Actual time shards! Crystallized fragments of magic, and it could be harvested for their use! It was an opportunity he knew Blue would follow as well. Maybe that was why he himself had no trouble accepting it. He gave Blue a solemn look, and there was a seriousness to his older brother that Rouge knew was genuine. Whether it was for his own use or for general curiosity, Blue was more than willing to help find those shards. They both looked at the Time Lord and nodded.

 

“Count us in!” Rouge declared, as Blue asked, “But where do we start?” The Time Lord tapped his chin for a moment. That was a good question; anywhere seemed a good answer, but in such a vast world, they had to choose their battlegrounds carefully. He took a deep breath and looked toward the far distant mountains. The best place to choose would be a place secluded from human, or at least outside, contact.

 

But even then, that could possibly constitute everywhere in this world. It'd been a while, and they'd seen nothing except the sand. The Time Lord, however, had been alive long enough to give himself a few good guesses. For starters, a mountain was a good place: full of trees, clean water, and fresh air. Perfect conditions for a shard to maintain purity. So it wasn't much surprise that his instincts made him look up toward those distant ranges. There was a chance the range was as barren as the sands here, but it was a risk he'd have to take. He pointed toward them.

 

“Shards are sensitive, having a sort of `life,' if you will. They prefer purer environments than this,” he said to the twins, and seemed to assure himself of his point, “We'll begin in those ranges.” What surprised him most was that Rouge didn't offer a complaint. And those ranges were easily miles from them. Maybe he was that desperate to go home. Whatever the reason, the Time Lord took it as a blessing.

 

So, with a new objective, and with the Time Lord as the lead, the three of them started toward the northwest, where those mountains lay. No one was sure of what they'd find, be it monster or crystal, but for now, it was something to believe in. It gave them some level of hope. Rouge felt that was a good thing; he had lost hope when Ciato blew the terminal apart so forcefully, so carelessly. Hope was sourly needed, especially in a world where there was hardly anything at all. But could hope make a time shard appear?

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

After waking up and realizing that they're in a different world, Blue and Rouge set out to find any clues as to their friends' whereabouts. Instead, they find the ruins of what used to be their old home, when they were children. When they can't explain its mysterious appearance, the Time Lord suddenly comes out of hiding, explaining all he can to the two brothers. Now, armed with the knowledge of the collapse of time and space, as well as the mysterious time shards, Blue, Rouge, and the Time Lord set out to find just one of those shards in the hopes of finding their way home. But what else lurks in the ranges beyond the desert? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!