FreeCon - The Continuum Rebellion - Novelization

—The Continuum Rebellion—

Written by Ginny Fouts and Amanda Ellard

Edited by Eric Trombetti

Based on the FreeCon Mythos by Tony Nguyen

4 • FreeCon: The Continuum Rebellion

Introduction

“I am Order Zen. My mission: to stop this insurrection and to

kill its leader, Chaos Zen. So that this world may continue on, I

must remove that from which it began!”

“You shall not! I must be the one to control this world; it needs

a leader that can steer it towards a brighter future! I will not

allow this, Zero. Prepare yourself, for I will be ending this right

now!”

“Balance…the lifeblood of the universe. This world has had its turn, you cannot defy destiny.”

Zaffiro’s fingers strained for his gun, as he managed to grip the barrel, Verde put him in a headlock. Zaffiro struggled to breathe as Verde’s grip became suffocating.

“It is each individual’s responsibility to uphold balance. The tides of time determine when our destiny has been fulfilled. There are those who ride the tides, and those who control them.”

“We’ve been through a lot, haven’t we, boy?” Rosa chuckled. She stroked his ears gently as she recalled the wars she had seen with Rex by her side. Images of tragedy and loss reeled through Rosa’s mind like a film, but with each loss came a new joy.

“We can see and alter timelines from different eras, and it is our duty to use our power to guide humans through the tribulations of life.”

“Go now, I don’t know how much longer the portal will stay

open. No one has ever been able to exit the NANA System and

leave the Digital Era behind. You are the only hope for mankind,

Zero. I have complete faith that you can repair what has been

destroyed.”

FreeCon: The Continuum Rebellion • 5

His helmet breaks off showing more and more of his face.

“I am a Chronomancer, a master of time and space, one who

accepts their destiny to preserve the order.”

“Though you cannot see it in yourself, I know that you are the

only one who can save mankind. I need you to put an end to

Suzaku’s insurrection!”

“Onward! Together we can defeat it! Don’t hesitate and stand

strong!”

“But…how?” Noire asked Zero. “What can I do?”

“Ash, why did it become this way?”

“You must kill Empress Gwendolen.”

Noire cried out as the staff released her body, crimson tainted

her monochromatic dress. She fell to the ground, and Gwen’s

eyes widened as she realized what she had done.

“All endings are followed by a beginning, and it’s time for a

new beginning.”


Chapter One: Duet

Noire slowed as she turned the corner, a faint melody

floating towards her grew stronger as she approached the door

at the end of the hallway. The music was sweet at first, but

as she listened harder there was a tone of loneliness hidden

underneath. She paused at the door, hesitating a moment

before stealing a peek through the window. Her eyes widened

at the beautiful scene. A white haired girl standing in front

of a black music stand, pieces of crisp, white music were

placed delicately on top of it. The girl’s eyes were closed, as

she played a song that was undoubtedly solely her own. The

violin was perched securely under her pale chin and the bow

was moving across the taut strings in slow, fluid movements.

Noire felt her heart flutter and she instinctively moved

her hand to slide out her drawing pad from her book bag.

She glanced down a moment to locate a pencil but when she

looked back up the song had ended and the girl had turned

away, packing her violin into its case and the music sheets

into her school bag. The moment was broken. The white

haired girl started to make her way towards the rear door

of the room and Noire hurried to the double doors at the

end of the hallway, stepping out into the afternoon sun. She

couldn’t let this opportunity pass up. The scene she had just

witnessed was just the thing she was searching – craving

– for. The girl standing there with a tranquil look holding

such an elegant instrument… Noire was practically running

now in anticipation. The memory was already fading and she

needed to capture it before it was too late. She rounded the

corner of the building to the front where she knew the girl


should be coming out. Sure enough, the white haired girl had

just walked outside and paused, adjusting the violin case on

her shoulder. Noire approached her with confidence and an

outgoing smile.

“You’re music sounds beautiful; you really have a

talent for playing.” Noire said smoothly as she came to

stand by the interesting girl. The girl looked up at Noire and

brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“You heard?”

“I was just passing by, but you’re playing drew me in…

I just had to stop and listen.” Noire smiles back reassuringly.

“It was only my small part in a much larger orchestrated

piece,” she paused to shyly smile back, “but thank you for the

compliment.”

Noire giggled cutely. “You seem very nice! Mind if I

walk with you?”

“Ah, no of course not!” She followed as Noire started

walking towards the school gate. They walked quietly for a

few minutes as Noire contemplated the best way to ask the

question she wanted so badly answered. However, the other

broke the silence first.

“What is that notebook for?” Noire looked down at

her hands, having completely forgotten she was still holding

her drawing pad. She smiled softly and clutched it closer.

“This? It’s for drawing.” She looked over at her. “I was

actually kind of wondering if I could draw you playing your


violin. If you don’t mind that is!” She rushed the last bit,

afraid the girl would find it an awkward request. However,

the girl simply smiled sincerely back.

“I don’t mind at all. I’m Gwendolen by the way.”

“Noire, it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

They both continued to walk through the gate. Each

one stealing curious glances at the other until Noire noticed

a cute keychain swinging from Gwendolen’s bag.

“That keychain-It’s so cute!”

“Your’s too.” Gwendolen made a small gesture to

Noire’s keychain, which she had been admiring as well.

They both exchanged a wide, genuine smile; the tension of

meeting a new person seemed to have left the friends and

they continued on down the sidewalk together.

Over the next few weeks, Gwendolen and Noire

continued to meet up in front of that fateful music building.

During lunch break they would eat on the roof together

under the warm noon sun and after school they would walk

together to the train station before separating ways to return

home. Sometimes on the weekends they would meet up at the

park or go window shopping.

Today, however, they were back on the roof for lunch,

sitting beside each other with their lunches spread out in

their laps. They had been admiring the view of the hills in the

distance but now it had fallen silent again, both friends still

looking out towards the horizon. After a moment Gwendolen

turned to Noire with a serious expression.


“Noire…Can you promise me something?”

Noire looked up at her friend a little surprised by the

shift in tone from before. She wasn’t so dense as to not notice

how Gwendolen had seemed more contemplative as of late.

More than once Noire had caught Gwendolen staring at her,

a serious and concerned look in her eyes.

“Of course, Gwen, what is it?”

“Promise me,” Gwendolen eyes looked a little sad now

as she spoke, “…Promise me you will never betray me.”

Noire’s eyes widened a little in surprise at the unusual

request. Why? Does she think I really would? Maybe she just

needs some reassurance. Noire concluded that even Gwendolen

could get a little unsure of herself sometimes.

“S-Sure. But you don’t have to ask me that, it’s what

friends are for!” Noire smiled reassuringly and giggled, happy

to see a relieved, calm expression overcome her best friend.

The two continued to eat their lunch, chatting and laughing

until the bell rang for lunch to be over.

It hurt. She wanted to cry out, tell him to stop, she

knows already! However, crying out solved nothing, it only

made him hit her again, tell her she was weak. This time he

slapped her across the face and she crumpled to the ground,

a trickle of blood escaped from her lips where she bit through

the skin. Bruises littered her arms from his rough grips and

there were cuts across her cheek and hands from when he

threw the glass vase. She slowly looked back up at the man,

the one who controlled her and the one who gave her power


just to make her powerless again in these moments. She had

the freedom to change the past, yet she felt she was a slave

to his wishes for the future. The man stepped closer and she

quickly shut her eyes tightly expecting another violent blow.

“Gwendolen, oh Gwendolen.” He sucked his teeth and

pressed his foot against her side, pinning her against the

cold tile. “You disappoint me. When will you ever learn? You

can’t keep cowering; you have to stand up and face you’re

persecutors. This is why you are weak. Say it, Gwendolen.”

“I am…weak.” She looked up at him with narrowed

eyes.

“That’s right, and our little lessons together will

make you stronger. You need to be tough to face our enemies.

I’m doing this for your own benefit. This is all for the sake

of the good of the world. The world needs me. I know what

is best for its existence.” He smirked. Whenever he brought

up the idea of doing something “for the good of others” as

justification, the girl would always succumb to his orders.

She believed that everyone had a certain role to play in the

world and if she did not continue on with her own role, no

matter how painful, there would be an imbalance, like how

one instrument out of tune changes the entire orchestra.

He knew this very well, and played up her weaknesses.

Gwendolen started to get up, her eyes set straight ahead with

a determined glint.

“That’s right… This is all for your own good, so you

can play your role perfectly when the time comes.” Suzaku

released the pressure against her and stepped back, picking up


his sword. An image of Noire grinning and laughing happily

crept into Gwendolen’s mind, but she quickly pushed it back

down. She got up and wiped the blood from her mouth with a

frown. She opend her hand in front of her to reveal the small

item she had been clutching tightly. Noire’s school uniform

crest peeked out from her fingers as she spent a moment

gazing down at it. She quickly closed her fist , clutching

the token against her chest as Suzaku readied his stance for

another practice attack.

“Noire…I’m sorry.” She whispers into the air; her

emotions resonate within herself. She could only pray that

somehow, somewhere Noire heard her and would forgive

what she is about to do.

“Gwen-!” Noire started to raise her hand in greeting

and call out her friend’s name, but froze as Gwendolen passed

her right by. Noire shook her head, dispelling the shock and

hurried after her. She couldn’t let her go that easily! The

hallway was crowded as everyone was leaving class to make

their way either home or to their respective club rooms. Noire

shoved her way past people, getting bumped and elbowed as

she fought against the flow of the crowd. Gwendolen glanced

back at Noire and quickened her pace until she reached the

main doors that led outside. However, Noire had caught up to

her by then and grabbed her hand as Gwendolen reached for

the door handle. The two girls paused in pace, out of breath,

for a heartbeat until Gwendolen tore her hand away from the

imposing grip.

“Gwendo-!” Noire began to speak, however the same

delicate hand she had lost hold of took hold of the door


handle instead and Gwendolen’s voice cut her off sharply.

“I have to go home early. I’m sorry.” Her voice sounded

hollow and her expression blank. Noire’s eye widened in

surprised and she looked down, her bangs covering her eyes,

and tears threatening to spill over. She felt as if something

had just cracked inside her, like the delicate porcelain her and

Gwendolen had been treading on in the past week had finally

shattered under the weight of their feelings towards each

other: Gwen’s painful realization of what her new duty meant

for her relationship with Noire, and Noire’s heavy feelings of

confusion, rejection, and guilt as she misunderstood Gwen’s

actions in that moment.

Gwendolen stepped through the door without looking

back, but she couldn’t keep up the façade for any longer. Her

eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed in guilt and sorrow.

A single tear escaped and fell to the ground as she hurried

through the school gates. Noire stood where she was left, in

a daze.

Please don’t go.

Time rolled by painfully slow. Noire hadn’t been

keeping track, but it had to have been a few months now that

her birthday was tomorrow. Secretly, she imagined what it

would be like to spend a birthday together with Gwendolen.

Would they put on cute dresses and go to their favorite

restaurants? Would they take a walk in the plaza at dusk,

when all the lights turned on displaying soft hues across the

sidewalk and fountain as the stars made silly pictures in the

sky? Maybe they would have baked a cake, took funny photos,


and blown out glowing candles. However, she doubted it

could ever happen now. Even if she tried to talk to her best

friend she was sure she would not be able to break through

to her. Could she still call Gwendolen her best friend? Even

though Gwendolen had been avoiding her all this time, even

though she had walked away and didn’t even look back? Noire

had to stop herself as tears threatened to spill over from the

memory that had cut her the deepest. She refused to believe

it was all a lie when they met and became friends! Something

had to have happened to Gwendolen, and Noire wished she

trusted her enough to tell.

Noire gripped the edge of her drawing pad and slowly

peeled back the pages until a rough sketch of Gwendolen

was revealed. The picture was only half done and now Noire

didn’t know if it could ever be completed. The times she had

seen her friend playing the violin since the day she started

avoiding her, Gwendolen’s expression was not happy or

serene. Something in the Gwendolen’s life had crept up and

distorted the beautiful picture that Noire longed to capture

on a canvas. Before she could linger much longer on the

sketch, the bell signaling the end of the school day rang.

Noire quickly packed her things and rushed out of the door

despite the cheerful calls of her classmates. She needed to

find Gwendolen.

Gwendolen had left her last class in a daze. She hadn’t

been able to focus on any of the lesson yet again. Thoughts

of her new life and duty battled memories of the past in her

head, as if she wasn’t already lonely and stressed enough!

Above all the confusion and the fight between “what if?”


and what she knew “should be,” one thought echoed clearly.

She had to tell Noire they couldn’t be together. She had

been putting it off all this time hoping Noire would move on

and forget about her, no matter how painful that would be

for herself. It is what’s best. However, Noire still had that

wishful look in her eyes every time they happened to cross

paths. Gwendolen sighed softly, and then looked up startled

as she heard footsteps heading her way. It was Noire.

Gwendolen clutched her violin case and looked around

wondering if there was a way out this time, but it was just the

two of them alone by the bench and she couldn’t pretend to

not hear her or that she was too busy now that Noire had

caught her sitting here idly. There was no way she could bring

herself to make a show of deliberately walking away either.

Noire stopped in front of Gwendolen and took a breath.

“Gwendolen…Please just listen for a moment.”

Gwendolen loosened her grip; she couldn’t tear her gaze

away from the concerned and pleading look adorning her

most important friend. She didn’t even look angry right now,

either!

Once Noire knew she had her attention she continued

speaking. “I know something must have happened, things

have changed, but tomorrow is my birthday and I just wanted

to spend one day with you. Please, just put aside whatever it is,

and come.” She paused to take a deep breath and Gwendolen

began to protest, but Noire just shook her head. “You’re my

best friend! So please… Tomorrow morning at ten, come over

to my house like you used to. It will be fun, but even more

than that, I just want us to smile together again.”


Gwendolen seemed at a loss for words. That’s what

she wanted as well. However, that wasn’t an option anymore.

She looked back up into those glimmering eyes and found

herself nodding in agreement despite knowing better than to

do so. After a moment she replied. “Alright… I’ll be there.”

Noire visibly relaxed, looking relieved as a small smile crept

onto her lips and Gwendolen couldn’t bring herself to regret

it.

Gwendolen showed up right on time at Noire’s

doorstep. She knocked lightly and thought about what she

was doing. Maybe it wouldn’t end badly, maybe Noire would

get the hint and she wouldn’t have to break the news herself.

Gwendolen tried to convince herself of these things, but she

knew behind it all that today wouldn’t be what she wished

it could. Before she could had time to formulate another

negative thought, the door opened to reveal a grinning girl in

a cute sundress. Noire seemed very excited and relieved that

her friend really had shown up and she ushered Gwendolen

inside.

A few of Noire’s classmates had shown up with a cake

they baked together. Through the afternoon everyone was

smiles and giggles except for Gwendolen. At first Noire would

try to bring her into the games and conversations, but all

she got in return were single word answers or distant gazes

that purposefully avoided her own worried and disappointed

looks. Noire had hoped things could go back to the way they

were, after all Gwendolen had agreed to come and seemed to

accept Noire’s proposal of forgetting about it all, even just

for a day. And yet, she was still disconnected from what was


going on around her. It was like she came only because Noire

had asked her to, not because she really wanted to be with her

on a special day, or even because she wanted to make things

better. Noire felt a little guilty for being so disappointed

and selfishly foolish for asking Gwendolen to come here

yesterday. Of course she knew she shouldn’t feel that way,

but she couldn’t help it with the strange turn of events the

past few months. She couldn’t help but keep hoping their

relationship would go back to the way it was, too.

Finally that evening, after the cake had been long

devoured and most of her classmates had left, Noire practically

dragged Gwendolen out of the house by her hand and led her

to a swing set in the park across the street. She sat down and

looked straight ahead with a serious expression. Gwendolen

followed suit and sat on another swing beside her.

“Gwendolen… are you ok?” Noire slowly looked

over at the musician. Gwendolen looked down at her feet.

“Something happened, right? I can help-“Noire started to

try again but this time Gwendolen spoke up and cut off her

offers.

“Don’t. We can’t be friends.” Her hands gripped the

chains that suspended the swing. “We can never be friends.

You need to forget you ever got involved with me.”

Noire gaped at what she thought was her best friend.

Gwendolen got up; the swing made a rusty creaking noise as

it tittered to a halt. She glanced back at Noire with a look of

sorrow and distress before walking off.

The night crept in and engulfed them both in the


inevitable darkness, like the brokenness each felt in their

own hearts.

Noire was lying in bed; the party earlier that day

seemed so long ago. The clock turned 12:01. Her special day

had turned into a sort of nightmare, and now it was gone.

She sighed deeply, her face showed a clear view into how

distraught she was over what Gwendolen had said. She tried

to stop the words from echoing in her head. She shifted, her

black and white polka dotted pajamas were soft, the bed was

warm, and her eyelids slowly grew heavy. She would have

welcomed the escape of sleep, except suddenly her phone

went off with a piercing ding, breaking through her drifting

state. She scrambled to find the source of the startling noise

and saw that her phone was lit up with a message. She got

up, going to her desk in the dark, and picked up the phone.

It was Gwendolen. Noire, with shaking hands, opened the

text message, a thousand questions and hopes circling in her

mind. However, what she got instead was nowhere near what

she expected.

Save me.

As soon as she opened the message, a card fell from the

phone. She slowly bent down, phone clutched tightly in her

hand, and retrieved the card. “A tarot card…?” She looked

from the item back to Gwendolen’s message and before she

knew it dizziness overcame her and she stumbled backwards,

hitting the bed and falling back on the mattress and blankets.

“No…Gwen…” Her vision was already fading and her

mind going blank as she reached out with the tarot card as


if to grasp her best friend’s hand before she was lost forever.

Noire relaxed into the bed as unconsciousness overtook her.


Chapter Two: Hymn

A tan man with crisp, white hair stood at the edge of

a bright bridge, gazing downwards into what looked like an

abyss. However, what he saw was the embodiment of pieces

of time as they flowed into reality. He outstretched his hand,

focusing on the throbbing power inside him, and began to

delicately merge the streams of time to his liking. Paths

crossed, lives weaved into one another, and the moments left

behind either faded away or became distorted and grotesque.

From time to time he would draw out an instance and display

it in front of him, like a panel screen, to examine the moment’s

details or compare conclusions. Once he decided on the best

pathway he would continue his merge and weaving with

delicate precision.

“…and so begins the dawn of a new era.” The figure

spoke into the silence. Soon after the silence was broken by

the sound of soft feet approaching. The man did not have

to turn around to know who the guest was. The new figure

stopped behind him, its cloak bellowed around its thin legs

at the halted momentum. A pale hand reached out from the

hidden folds of the cloak to pull back the long hood, letting

it fall against the back of its neck. A woman stood there, eyes

transfixed upon the man before her, as strands of purple hair

fell back into place.

“Yes father?”

Flames licked at the edges of buildings as debris fell

like hail from the top. Screams could be heard from the

inhabitants of the area, but even those were soon drowned


out by the roar of a massive beast as it crushed structures

with its tentacles as if they were twigs. However, an urgent

shout could soon be heard above the chaos of the city. Its

owner stood, hand on hip in a confident gesture, on the bow

of a large flying ship. Strands of pink hair blew in the strong

wind and smoke bellowed across the deck.

“Onward! Together we can defeat it! Don’t hesitate and

stand strong!” The pink haired girl pointed forward towards

the robotic creature as her crew flew past her, attacking it.

By now her small army of courageous fighters were well

skilled and could easily execute strategic maneuvers; they’re

teamwork was second to none. One of the crew members,

Sally, kneeled atop the building across from the KRAKEN.

She leaned against the side of the wall, making sure to

merge with the shadows as she held the scope of her sniper

up to her piercing gaze. She mapped out the slightly curved

path in her mind, however a strong gust of wind suddenly

blew across the perch and she quickly adjusted the weapon

before firing off two shots. The bullets hit right in-between

the metal plating on the mechanical monster, directing its

rage upwards towards the potential source of its injury. Her

part was a success, and she watched with a smug look as her

crewmates attacked the distracted mechanical beast from

below.

Sally jumped up from her position against the stairwell

wall and watched in horror as a large tentacle fell with

crushing force right down towards one of the men, called

Chandler. He disappeared for a moment before a loud blast

was heard. The tentacle seemed to explode from the inside out


from the close range fire of his gun. Mechanical pieces, from

cogs to metal plating, showered down upon him and those

nearby, however he managed to cut through the large piecing

rendering them harmless with swift precision. He looked up

slowly, standing admits a pile of scraps, which were once a

much mightier force than they now seemed, wielding a twin

pair of curved hand blades. Sally let out a sigh of relief only

to look up in surprised as a multitude of aircrafts whipped

past overhead. More forces were joining in the assault now

that an advantage was secured. Sally spotted her commander,

Polly, up ahead. Her distinct pink hair and air of control

and confidence made her an unmistakable prescience on the

battle-grounds. Sally awaited her next order with a slight

smile. Maybe, just maybe, they could pull this off after all.

A purple and white haired woman sat in an elegantly

designed high-backed chair. Despite her efforts, her gaze

kept slipping in one of sadness, her lips drawing a solemn

line across her pale face. A few strands came loose from

the intricate way her hair was twisted up behind a metallic

headpiece as she looked down at her hands. A soft sigh

escaped her slight frown and she moved her hand to rest atop

a glass box set in a cool, black metallic frame. Helplessness.

Regret. Sorrow. Resignation. Her thumb lightly traced the

etching in the metal. Hope? She wasn’t so sure she could

apply such a word to the state they were all in. Her fate must

be sealed. She was certain there weren’t any more options

left to explore. A single path lay before her, and most likely

all of humanity past or future.

The woman, a queen now widowed, gazed down at the


box and the treasure that lay delicately behind the thin glass

wall. A pastel flower rested, as if frozen in time, its stem

curved slightly and its deep green leaves reached out as if it

tested the boundaries of its confinement. Her fingers moved

across the glass pane as if she were caressing the beautiful

plant itself, or perhaps, in a gesture of longing for what it

represented.

“Ash, why did it become this way?” said Queen Eva.

Her words drifted from her parted lips as a soft

whisper but the question bore far more weight to it. Her hand

stilled over the box as her mind became lost in thoughts and

memories.

A man stood before a white rectangular podium. His

green hair spilled from beneath a large top hat as he directed

his gaze upwards at Suzaku.

“You best be wary of him, Boss.”

Suzaku frowned slightly at the other’s suspicious

claim, but stayed quiet allowing him to continue. The man

fiddled with his pocket watch a moment in thought before

setting his gaze more sternly.

“I’ve been following your agenda, I knows ya boss,

Argent is siding with Zero. My instincts neva’ lie ta’ me.”

Suzaku stepped forward to the edge of the podium.

Black wrought iron staircases twisted and climbed in swirls

behind him, leading to nowhere and everywhere as they

continually switched their paths as the two conversed.


“Do you have any proof? It’s a bold maneuver

to bring into question Argent’s loyalty.” Suzaku’s voice rang

down with authority as Verde grit his teeth.

“I’m telling you’s what I see. Argent is all cold business,

boss… He’s gunna play you’s the fool! I’m an information

broker, it’s my business to look inta’ people. Argent isn’t fit

for this kinda work. ”

Suzaku pondered this a moment. While he trusted

Argent, he was aware that Argent didn’t approve of his

methods. While Verde was sly, he was also on his side. Suzaku

nodded showing that he was listening. He’d keep an eye on

the other and consider Verde’s warning, but it was still too

early to confirm any suspicions.

Argent spit in disgust the blood that had gathered

on his tongue. His jaw had brutally collided with the blunt

handle end of his opponent’s sword. He would be happy

being anywhere else but here right now. He looked up just

in time to counter another swing of the sword with the side

of his metallic gun. Argent twisted his wrist, planning to

fire off a shot, but the other quickly issued a second swing

upwards and Argent had to duck instead. He proceeded to

turn the duck into a drop kick. The other man caught on a

second too late and stumbled as he landed from the dodge.

The two faced one another, pulling in ragged breaths as they

composed themselves.

“You could at least allow me a few words. This may not

be entirely necessar—“Argent was cut off from his protest as

his brown haired opponent rushed him with another series


of swift and skillful attacks. Argent dodged all of them with

precision.

Frustration and impatience were making Copper’s

assault more predictable. The more force he pushed into his

swings, the choppier they became. He let out an annoyed

growl at the white haired man facing him. He hadn’t come

this far just to be bested by some petty back alley arms dealer.

Suzaku put his trust in him; he couldn’t let his mentor down!

“Suzaku put his trust in you! How dare you just—“

Argent’s eyes widened at the accusations. “So that’s

why…” Argent thought as he dodged yet another blow.

He didn’t want to kill the honest man before him but the

situation had pressured his resolve. He raised his gun, aiming

straight at the other’s head and pulled the trigger. The noise

of the shot rang through the trees, freezing Argent in place as

his eyes trailed the small stream of dark red liquid that flew

through the air. Before Argent could take another breath,

however, Copper lay dead at his feet.

Argent inhaled shakily and slumped to the ground,

eyes widen and mouth slightly ajar. He sat there in shock

a moment before clenching his teeth, composing himself,

and pushing up from the cold tile. This wasn’t the first time

he had killed someone, but images of the boy’s passionate

expressions flashed before him and earnest, honest words

echoed in his head. Argent forcibly pushed them away and

gazed down at Copper’s body coolly. He gently picked up

the other’s sword and approached a large oak tree, digging a

large hole at the base of it. Once he was finished he returned


to the body, hesitating a moment as he gazed down at his

now peaceful expression. However, he quickly shook off any

regrets and picked up the man, depositing him into the grave,

and then neatly burying him.

“You deserved better…” Argent muttered as he

stared down at the site. Gripping Copper’s sword tightly, he

stuck it in the soil, piercing securely through the roots of

the tree base. With his own knife he etched Copper’s name

into the trunk, with a message wishing him a peaceful rest. If

they had not been chosen as Chronomancers’ Argent felt he

could have met Copper with the dignity of a true soldier. No,

Copper was a true soldier, of this Argent felt confident.

“I am prepared for what is to come now, I helped

create these monsters.” Argent turned away from the solemn

grave with newfound resolution and disappeared through a

portal back to the Continuum Bridge.


Chapter Three: Prelude

In the point of view of Zero

I stood across another silhouette; the ever changing

wrought iron staircases made a hypnotizing back drop for

our heavy conversation. Bits of light shown through the

intricate designs on the railing, casting beautiful magnified

shapes that moved across the podiums and floors at different

speeds and angles, as if the Continuum Bridge was giving its

masters their own fitting light show.

Suzaku and I faded in and out of the beams of light

as we conversed. We had been working hard to establish a

balance and to fix the timelines that had been thrown into

chaos, but our efforts only obtained so much order. That

was when we decided that we needed help. We chose more

Chronomancers, twelve individuals who have lived decades

apart who would come together to form a single unit,

establishing a true timeline. Despite our agreement to build

up a Chronomancer force, Suzaku did not agree with my own

ambitions to restore order and peace. He felt that one true

ruler should stand above everyone else, and he aimed to take

the seat of the “throne” for himself.

It began with Copper, a man we had both molded

from the beginning to establish as the first of our selected

Chronomancers. Suzaku betrayed me and pushed his agenda

onto Copper, forcing me to have to look elsewhere to protect

myself from his insurrection and stop his goal at complete

domination. I had to recruit Chronomancers that would

follow me alone. Suzaku and I had split, creating two sides


of the battle. The Pandora went to myself, and the Arcadian

to Suzaku.

The first Arcadian Chronomancer was Copper. He

had been fated for this, in a way, years before he would be

presented with the opportunity and power. His home was the

streets of a small town. With his parents taken from him by the

military, life was harsh, painful, and lonely until he met a man

who decided to take him in. This mentor taught him survival

skills and how to handle a sword. This new skill brought him

attention and after one too many fights in the town he left

to join the military, successfully rising through the ranks

to eventually make a stand as a hero against the KRAKEN

army. However, their resistance forces were overpowered

and Copper faced eminent death as he lay on the battlefield.

This was when his old mentor, whom he had not seen since

childhood, approached him with the opportunity to become a

Chronomancer. Suzaku chose Copper for his skills and honor

and he became a faithful soldier, striving to prove to Suzaku

that he made the right choice and could entrust him with

whatever he needed to further his plans...

Next was a woman named Saffron, also from the Gaean

era. She was a succubus, a part of an ancient clan that still

lived peacefully. She was a somewhat introverted individual,

comfortable in her secluded world, feeling all she needed in

life was to live happily with those she was close to. However,

the destructive armies of the KRAKEN set its sights on her

clan to purge, like many before them, in the name of a purer

world. Forced into the terror of war, her clan fought bravely

for their freedom, but even they were no match. Saffron,


whom had been ordered into hiding before the KRAKEN

made contact, was left without a home and without her

loved ones. One by one those who were in hiding were found,

imprisoned, and executed. However, before it was her turn,

she was rescued from imprisonment and death by Suzaku

who offered her a way to bring back those she cared for and

to fight back against the KRAKEN which had caused her so

much pain. She accepted the responsibility with that specific

goal in mind, fueled by Suzaku’s promises. Her hourglass,

the ever-changing sands, she wielded as a power to change

the tides of time as well as a symbol of her anger and hatred

for those who took everything from her.

Verde was unlike any other Chronomancer on either

side of Suzaku or my forces. He was an information broker,

always finding dirt on people as leverage to get his way. Such a

life did not offer many allies, and soon even his one colleague

through life began to call him out on the terrible way he was

treating people. This colleague of his, Angelo Barco, ended up

being the only man without information to use against him.

Despite Verde’s numerous attempts, Angelo refused to work

with him on his various schemes and eventually went to the

side of the police. Faced with the prospect of incrimination,

Verde devised a plan to trap Angelo and the police, leading

to Angelo’s arrest for false information. From that point on,

Verde did not stop in his ambitions, as he came to learn under

KRAKEN extremist Slick Silvertongue, who was looking for a

successor. On top of the world but still with soaring ambition,

Verde met with a strange man at one of his business gatherings.

The man told him that if he wanted to climb even higher he

would have to betray his mentor. Verde, surprisingly, took


this advice to heart and did just that. Despite being warned

that his backstabbing may come back to haunt him later,

he continued on with his foul business until he found the

man from before, who was actually Suzaku. Suzaku offered

him the deal of a lifetime—to became a Chronomancer and

use his skills at a level above that of humans. Thus Suzaku

had gained a very valuable source of information and Verde

found an opportunity to grow his ambition even further than

he ever thought was possible.

Murasaki had grown up with next to nothing. Her

Father had passed away before her birth and her mother was

unknown. Survival became her first instinct and she grew to

be a greedy, yet very clever woman who put her own needs

and feelings before anyone else. She took it upon herself to

learn the art of Ninjutsu and Purification, even going so far

as to preach her ways across the land. Her natural talent was

no doubt a remnant of her father, and using these skills she

devised a successful plan to resurrect him. In return, he made

her a Chronomancer and she now serves close by his side.

She is a dangerous foe and is always striving to be noticed

by her father and to further his goals in the fight against me.

The Pandora Chronomancers began with Momo, the

first choice I made after Suzaku and I were forced to go our

separate ways. She was a faun living in the forest with the

rest of her people during the Gaean era. She was well known

for helping anyone in need, using her unique healing abilities

without discretion. Life was peaceful until the KRAKEN

forced began to expand their invasions on a quest to cleanse

their world. They marched on her home with the intent to


destroy all its inhabitants. Momo was quick to try and find

a way to avoid the war and save as many lives as she could

through evacuations, however her people decided to hide her,

so she could survive instead as tribute to all she had done for

them. She lost her family, friends, and the life she had known

that day. With great sorrow in her heart as I approached her,

for I had seen something in her I believed to be valuable. She

accepted my offer to become a Chronomancer, but instead of

using her new abilities to take back what she lost, she decided

she would use them to prevent the same thing from ever

happening to another. Her passion furthered my resolve and

under my guidance she was able to strengthen her healing

powers and became one of my greatest assets.

I had my eyes set on Rosa early on. Her passion

drove her to great achievements, and all for the sake of the

nation she loved. I knew I needed such a capable, skilled,

and dedicated person among the ranks of Chronomancers.

She was a fiery spirit, learning early on what it meant to

be a good soldier and yet still remain a free spirit from her

famous parents Chandler Sterling and Sally Rodriguez, who

were part of the Skull Squadron of the Sky Era. She was an

expert at long range firearms as well as close combat, and

roamed the skies keeping the nation safe from any terrorist

action with her co-pilot, and dog, Rex. She kept the streets

peaceful as well as she dug out and eradicated what was left

of the KRAKEN. She was reliable and tough, but knew how

to care deeply for others as well. However, misfortune struck

her on a certain mission as her plane broke down, stranding

her and Rex in a secluded area with no way to contact help.

After weeks of camping out in the dangerous wilderness, I


decided to appear, offering her a better life, an opportunity to

make world-altering decisions for the greater good. Despite

seeming skeptical at first, she could not bring herself to pass

up what I had to offer, saying she would use this new power to

protect the nation she treasured even further. I was rewarded

with the best marksman and battle expert; I could never have

made a better decision of choosing my most trusted ally.

Zaffiro was a simple man who liked to keep life easy

and peaceful. Married, he went into investigative journalism

with the law enforcement soon after. Life was pleasant for

him except for one reoccurring problem—his old colleague,

Leonardo Mercutio. That man was always stirring up trouble,

yet he seemed to always escape justice’s grasps at the last

moment. Zaffiro had been led on false trails by the man

before, nearly leading to his loss of position. However, there

was one trap that did change his life indefinitely. He was

blackmailed, with threats of harm to his reputation and to

his family, into joining the KRAKEN forces by a man named

Slick Silvertongue. He lived a dual life, spreading crime and

KRAKEN ideology through the lands. However, he eventually

caved in under the pressure and his shredded conscious and

he took everything and fled. Zaffiro, pinned with the blame

for all the serious crimes the organization had committed,

he figured his life over. Rather than wander with nothing

left but pain and regret, he decided to end his life in that

moment, by his own hands and gun, as it seemed the only

choice he had left that would be his alone, his own free will.

However, he was halted at the last moment by me, who had

watched his fight through life and bore witness to what

really lay inside his heart. Zaffiro agreed to take a new name


as a Chronomancer, seeing his new life as an opportunity

to brighten the future of others and to rebuild rather than

destroy.

Out of the Space Era came a man by the name of Argent,

one of the best arms dealers to ever touch a war. He knew

how to play for the winning team and deal good business,

despite the dangers. He was a key component, selling

weapons and tools, for the war on Hyperion, keeping Asteria

ever on the upper-hand with his supplies. He was an Animist

and discovered his knack for gun running early on. After

losing his friend and most trusted customer during the war,

he continued down the path of arms dealing, despite the way

times seemed to be changing. His customers dwindled down

to nearly nonexistent as society became peaceful. Without a

war, he was out of a job. However, extremists soon rose up,

bringing talk of a revolution based on old ideologies. People

in Hyperion still felt that becoming a machine was the surest

way to perfection. That was when I approached Argent with a

job—become a Chronomancer and continue his line of work

at an even greater level by providing us with the weapons and

supplies we need to stop Suzaku’s insurrection. However,

things did not go quite as well as I had hoped as Argent,

sticking by his original way of life, decided not to pledge to

one side or the other. I respected his decision however, as I

knew he still agreed with my plans over Suzaku’s and I have

been fortunate enough to benefit from his knowledge and

advisement regarding this war and Suzaku himself.


Chapter Four: Accelerando

Rosa tucked some loose strands of her hair under her

hat as she crouched on an overhang with her sniper rifle.

The shadows and shapes of the rooftops hid Rosa’s presence

for the most part, but she still couldn’t risk being spotted.

She watched as Zaffiro walked alone into the ghost town.

The buildings loomed with a sort of desolate aura. The little

shops and stores were falling apart, their lumber littering

the dirt path between the two sides of the barren street. The

wind moaned eerily as it blew past the old doors that were

falling off their hinges. Maybe this town had been glorious

and full of life in its earlier years, but now, Rosa couldn’t

imagine anyone hanging around in such a place.

“Are you sure he’ll be here?” Rosa had asked as she

followed Zaffiro.

Zaffiro nodded. “Old habits die hard, especially with

Verde. Trust me, I know he’s gotta be around here somewhere…”

Zaffiro walked along the edge of the abandoned shops

as he searched for the unmistakable man that he had spent

so much of his life chasing after. He knew how to track Verde

by now, but somehow, he was never able to beat Verde at

his games. Zaffiro’s gaze steeled as he became determined.

This time would be different. This time, he would be the one

thinking one step ahead of his opponent.

As Zaffiro neared the ruined saloon, he slowed his pace

and stopped. He narrowed his eyes at the figure crouched on

the corner of the porch.


“I know you’re there, Leonardo.”

The shadowed figure rose to full height and stepped

out into the middle of the porch. The stump of a cigarette

was held tightly in his teeth, and a grin adorned the hatter’s

face as he looked at Zaffiro.

“Well, well, look who it is.” Verde tipped his hat

mockingly. “Buongiorno, Angelo. Come have a seat, why

don’t cha?”

“I’d rather not.” Zaffiro drew his gun from his holster

and set his sights on Verde. “I didn’t come to talk,” he said.

Verde clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Angelo,”

he said. “I’m disappointed. You would shoot an unarmed

man? My, it seems the times have changed…”

Zaffiro scoffed. “You’re right, I am not the same man

I once was. But I highly doubt you’d come here unarmed. In

fact, you probably knew I was coming.”

Verde chuckled. “But of course,” he said. “Old habits

die hard, do they not? You chase me, I run. I beat you, and

you don’t give up. They say insanity is doin’ the same thing

over and over, and nothin’ eva changes. We’re madmen, don’t

cha see? Always runnin’ in circles like cat and mouse. Playin’

the same old games, over and over and over. The thing is, I

always knew this day was comin’. You were always smarter

than me, I admit it. But see the problem is, I’m still not gonna

let you win.” Verde dropped his cigarette and used his shoe

to snuff it out. He looked back at Zaffiro with a slight smirk.

“But let’s just say you somehow managed to win here. You


know that’d make you no betta than me. The world’s always

gotta have a madman, Angelo. If I were to die, you’d take my

place. It’s your destiny, and someday you’re gonna have to

come to terms with it. You will become what you hate.”

“I’ve heard enough of you!” Zaffiro growled, pulling

the trigger. The bullet resounded loudly in the empty town

street, but the shot missed its mark. Verde grinned as he

dodged Zaffiro’s shot and came running toward the other

man. Zaffiro was caught off guard as Verde drove a fist into

his stomach, causing Zaffiro to drop his weapon. Zaffiro

buckled but managed to escape the rest of Verde’s swings.

Zaffiro recovered quickly and made advances of his own. He

swung a punch into Verde’s side and delivered a few kicks

to reinforce the attacks. The two Italians fought for several

minutes, each one trying to discover the other’s strategy.

Zaffiro had known Verde long enough to know that the tiger

always had tricks up his sleeve.

Verde revealed a switchblade that he brandished with a

wide grin. The knife cut into Zaffiro’s clothes, barely missing

his skin. Zaffiro reached for his gun on the ground, but Verde

beat him to it and kicked the weapon away. He wrestled with

Zaffiro until the blade was wrestled from his own hand.

Verde, with hands free, now targeted Zaffiro’s weak points.

Zaffiro shook, trying his best to stand and continue fighting,

but he felt so powerless. Zaffiro’s fingers strained for his

gun, as he managed to grip the barrel, Verde put him in a

headlock. Zaffiro, was struggling to breathe as Verde’s grip

became suffocating. He used whatever thought process he

could muster to aim a secret but fatal shot at Verde.


Click.

Zaffiro’s heart sank as the gun did not fire a bullet.

Then, he felt the cold tip of a pistol resting against his own

head.

“On the bottom again, bucko. That’s how it always

works out.” Verde said. “You put up a good fight, really. You

always have. But I had to make things difficult for you in

order to even the odds. The world was never a big enough

place for the both of us, Angelo. It’s been fun, truly it has.

But now I gotta move past these little brawls of ours and

compete in the real game. Ciao, Angelo.”

Zaffiro closed his eyes as a loud bang echoed in his

ears. Zaffiro held his breath and opened his eyes, realizing

that he was still alive. Verde slumped to the ground at his feet,

a single shot fired perfectly into his skull. Zaffiro suddenly

remembered his wild card- Rosa. He saw the sniper gathering

her things on a rooftop barely in sight. Zaffiro caught his

breath and looked down at Verde’s lifeless body.

“You were right. I always was smarter than you. Even

though it took me most of my life and cost me everything, I

have finally repaid you your dues. Not just for myself, but for

everyone you cheated outta their lives.” Zaffiro paused for

a moment, remembering what Verde had said in their final

confrontation. “I may be mad,” he said finally, “But I’ll never

be you. Farewell, Leonardo.”

Zaffiro picked up the switchblade that lay beside Verde.

He reached for the other weapon, but the ground trembled,

throwing him off balance. Zaffiro coughed as dust filled the


air. The wind picked up sand, swirling around the man. A

childish laughter entered his ears, and Zaffiro spun toward

the sound. He struggled to focus on his surroundings, and he

wondered where Rosa was in all of this. The laughter didn’t

sound like Rosa, though. He knew it was someone else…

Saffron let a smile ease onto her face as she saw

a silhouette in the sandstorm. This would be too easy…

Saffron stopped for a moment. Since when had she taken so

lightly to preying on enemies? Saffron sighed. Ever since the

beginning of this war between the Chronomancers, she felt

as though she was not quite the same person. It’s true, much

had changed since Saffron’s peaceful days that she spent with

the other people of her clan. Saffron caught a glimpse of the

figure’s eyes, and she let out a gasp that was barely audible.

She quickly looked away, her eyes filled with sorrow.

Why… Why did it have to be him?

Zaffiro shielded his eyes as the sand swept around

him. He held his breath, waiting for the storm to pass so he

could rendezvous with Rosa. As Zaffiro thought about Verde,

he realized that he was no longer bound to his old adversary.

But Zaffiro was hardly free at all. His eyes widened ever so

slightly as he felt a presence behind him. Zaffiro could feel

the muscles in his body tense, as he knew exactly who stood

with her face to the storm and her back to him. How she got

there, he might never know, not that knowing would make

any difference now. Zaffiro held the small blade tightly in

his hand. This fate, this destiny shared by two people was

something that he could never have imagined in his wildest

dreams.


“It feels like just yesterday I had a home and a family,”

Zaffiro said to no one in particular. A sad smile hinted at the

corner of his mouth as the wind subsided to a light layer of

dust. He began to walk in a slow circle as his counterpart

imitated his movements.

Saffron’s eyes looked toward the horizon as she bit

her lip.

“You are not the only one who had a family, a life

before all of this. Many times I have wished I could go back

and save my people, but wishing has never helped me escape

my cruel destiny. I was saved by Suzaku, only to turn against

him when Zero preached a message of hope.” Saffron’s hands

clenched into fists as she spoke. “But Zero lied to me. I have

never felt so damned- forced to live on a hope that could

never be fulfilled, and now forced to kill the one person I

do not wish to live without.” Saffron smiled a smile without

emotion, perhaps to fool herself into thinking that she could

no longer be hurt.

“It’s a shame it had to end up like this,” Zaffiro mused.

“And here, without Verde in the picture, my life coulda taken

a new direction.”

“But yet, here you are,” Saffron said. “The threads of

destiny were always tied between the two of you, just like our

destinies intertwined. Threads become webs, and the deeper

you go, the more difficult it is to escape.”

Zaffiro considered the words of the succubus carefully,

as any moment could be his last. Zaffiro knew his task, as

Saffron knew hers. Only one of them was to continue their


existence. Images flashed in Zaffiro’s head as he raised his

gaze to Saffron’s and knew that she saw the same things. Her

golden hair shone like the noonday sun, but her matching

eyes were lackluster as she stared back at him.

“And now we stand, at last, in the center of the web,”

Zaffiro concluded.

Saffron nodded. “Yes, our final stand.”

“It...it never coulda worked, could it?” Zaffiro said

quietly, expressing the thought that held both of their minds

captive for a very long time.

“No,” Saffron replied. “Our destinies just wouldn’t

allow us to be together.”

“Destiny…” Zaffiro trailed off. “We’ve lost so much

to destiny already, I don’t think I can stand to bow humbly

before her this time.” Zaffiro fixed his gaze on Saffron’s eyes.

“Whadaya say we go out defying destiny?”

Saffron’s eyes glinted, or perhaps it was just the

reflection of her own blade as she spoke, “The only way it

was meant to be.”

As the two charged at each other, their hearts raced.

Zaffiro and Saffron knew that there was no turning back now.

Their final decision was an act of defiance, of desperation, of

love. This was the path they had chosen, for better or for

worse. At least once in their lives, they had chosen their own

fates and could smile in death, knowing that they made the

choice together.


Chapter Five: Cadence

Murasaki crouched silently in the shadows as she waited

for the distinguished redhead to appear. She could barely see

the motionless figures of Verde, Zaffiro, and Saffron from

the little alley where she concealed her presence. Murasaki

had followed Verde because her father did not place a lot

of trust in the Italian swindler. As she predicted, the three

Chronomancers killed each other off. Soldiers for Suzaku’s

cause had been lost, but Murasaki knew that the remaining

Chronomancers would now grow stronger. Verde, Zaffiro,

and Saffron allowed blind emotions to deliver their untimely

deaths, but Murasaki knew she was better than that. She had

seen the shot that killed Verde, so she kept her guard up,

knowing that Rosa was nearby. Murasaki flattened her back

against the cold wall that reminded her of the streets where

she grew up…

Life had never been easy for Murasaki. Even from a very

young age, she had to fend for herself. With no knowledge of

her mother and the death of her father, one thing became clear:

Murasaki was alone in the world, and the world had no room for

the weak. In order to survive, Murasaki trained to harness the

power she inherited from her father. Although her father had

passed away, he left behind a legacy that Murasaki would never

forget. Murasaki spent many years of her life practicing the

arts of Ninjutsu and Purification to avenge her father’s words.

She did not associate much with the rest of her world until she

discovered a cause worth fighting for. Murasaki watched as the

arts that were so sacred to her transformed into a disgraceful

practice that anyone could buy into without committing to


training and development, as she had always done so faithfully.

She was horrified and assembled a group of Anti-Arts activists

to poise an insurrection against Avalon. Murasaki’s powers of

Purification enabled her to re-animate her father, Astral Knight

Zen. This was the birth of Chaos Zen, and the start of Murasaki’s

new world order.

“Father, I will make you proud. I will do anything

to prove that I am wholeheartedly on your side. No matter

what the cost, we will succeed,” Murasaki said to herself,

strengthening her resolve as Rosa’s red hair drew nearer.

As Murasaki sprang to attack Rosa, she whirled and

ducked beneath Murasaki’s deadly weapons. Rosa had sensed

the presence of another Chronomancer just in time to brace

herself. She saw a flash of purple as her eyes followed the

other Chronomancer’s movements.

“Murasaki,” Rosa muttered to herself. “Esta mujer

siempre me fastidia.”

Rosa narrowed her eyes at the merciless attacker and

moved quickly to defend herself. Murasaki was extremely

agile, but Rosa was no amateur to the battlefield. Rosa kicked

Murasaki’s kunai from her hand, throwing her opponent out

of balance for a brief moment.

“You just can’t stop causing problems, can you?” Rosa

growled. “How many innocent people will have to suffer at

your hand before you realize your mistakes!?”

“What you consider mistakes, I consider a small

sacrifice for the benefit of the grand scheme.” Murasaki


replied. She scoffed, “Besides, you’re the foolish American

who crashed her plane and waited helplessly until Zero,

your knight in shining armor, came to rescue you. Do take a

step back before making judgments against me that apply to

yourself.”

“You’re a murderer!” Rosa accused, ignoring

Murasaki’s jabs. “You instigated the entire genocide of

Avalon, you witch!”

“You really don’t understand, do you?” Murasaki

said, sidestepping Rosa’s swing. “After King Ash and Queen

Eva took the throne, the orbital colony was flourishing. But

of course, all good things must come to an end. Asteria’s

mystical arts were no longer sacred, but rather, tainted.

Telekinesis, Cyber-telepathy, Animism, and Purification

were commercialized and sold to suit even the most needless

beggar. It was truly disgusting. People in Avalon could do

whatever they wanted as long as they could pay a price; no

one worked for anything. Power wasn’t earned; it was abused.

The arts were no longer respected like they should be. I,

however, always had the highest reverence for the arts. My

father’s legacy taught me that the only way to truly perfect

the mystical arts was through hard work and self-discipline.

I succeeded in truly mastering the arts, and I shared this

mystical aestheticism with others. I discovered that some

people still believed in my father’s ideals, and so I rallied

them to campaign against the monarchy’s discrepancies. By

my father’s word, we became the Anti-Arts activists in order

to stop the desecration of the sacred arts. Avalon was so

corrupt, and there was only one thing that could be done- we


had to completely destroy the arts in order to ensure equality

for everyone.”

“But Avalon was at peace,” Rosa said. “People lived in

harmony until you waged your war.”

“Avalon was out of balance!” Murasaki protested. “The

unrest was always there, just below the surface. Those who

practiced the commercialized arts began to oppress those

who did not. It was only a matter of time before all of Avalon

was crushed beneath the pretentious elite, so I took matters

into my own hands. I knew that this had to end. But what

would become of the world after the offenders were stopped?

Who would set things right? All of my life, I have had faith in

one person, and I know now that it is my destiny to help my

father purge the world of impurity! He will lead the people

into a new era of prosperity!”

“Your mind has been twisted,” Rosa told her. “You

think your destruction was righteous? Do you honestly

believe that persecuting others leads to any sort of equality?

¡Mentirosa! People lost their freedom because you enslaved

them with your own selfish ambitions!”

Murasaki sighed and she kicked Rosa to the ground.

“It’s not worth trying to explain to you, you’ll never be able

to get it through your thick skull. What’s done is done, and I

have no regrets.”

Rosa knew that her sniper rifle would not be ideal

for close-range firing, but she was smart enough to use the

weapon’s weight to counter Murasaki. “Don’t think for one

second that you can get away with this injustice! The blood


of Avalon is on your hands, Murasaki, and I will give the

people retribution! Represento libertad y justicia para todos;

vivo para darse esperanza.”

“You Americans sure have a lot to say,” Murasaki

laughed as she sliced Rosa’s sleeves, “but no strength to back

up your words.”

Rosa slammed into Murasaki’s side, and she fell to

the ground, instinctively rolleing out of Rosa’s range before

recovering and charging in for another attack.

“You’re wrong,” Rosa said. “Physical strength counts

for nothing compared to willpower. You lack the courage

and passion to win anything. The world may compete

for technology and arms, but a country’s true strength is

measured by the hearts of its people!”

Murasaki laughed. “You and your talk of courage!

What has heart and willpower ever done for anyone? The

world is a dark place where only the strongest can shine. No

one cares about communal success; it’s a dog-eat-dog world!

I never had a choice; I was forced to grow up alone. I had to

be better, faster, smarter, and stronger than everyone else or

I would not have made it this far. You must take what you

need to survive, or else you can perish with the rest!”

Rosa shook her head. “There is always a choice, but

you are a coward! Although you claim to work for everything,

all you do is steal. You are nothing but a greedy leech, sucking

life away from the innocent and feeding off the misery of

others. You say you fight alone, but you cannot even stand

without your father!”


Murasaki’s eyes filled with rage. “You know nothing

of my father!”

“But I do know about love,” Rosa said seriously. “The

noblest fate a man can endure is to place his own mortal body

between his beloved home and war’s desolation. Neither

you nor your father would ever know what that means. You

embrace war!”

Murasaki screamed in anger as she plunged her kunai

into Rosa’s chest. She gritted her teeth in hatred as she

watched Rosa bleed. Murasaki gripped her kunai in attempt

to further wound Rosa, but in her blind rage, she failed to

detect Rosa’s canine companion until his teeth sunk into

Murasaki’s forearm. She yelped and quickly disappeared

from sight as Momo and Rosa’s dog, Rex, came to Rosa’s side.

“You can’t run forever, Murasaki,” Rosa said.

“Someday, all that you’ve done will come back to haunt you.”

Murasaki’s face twisted with confliction as she ran.

She still believed that she was right in her decisions thus

far, but she also found Rosa’s words unnerving. As much as

Murasaki tried to mask her emotions, she could not forget

everything. There were nights when Avalonian screams

kept her awake until dawn. There were moments when the

people she encountered as a Chronomancer blurred with the

destitute faces of her past. Murasaki was quick to suppress

her struggles, but she could not deny the nagging guilt that

pecked at her mind from time to time. For now, she would

continue to fight karma.

“You can’t run forever, Murasaki.”


But running was the only thing Murasaki knew, and

she couldn’t turn back now.

Rex whimpered by Rosa’s side as Rosa rested a hand

on his head.

“Shh… Calmate, Rex.” Rosa smiled as she looked

into the deeply concerned eyes of her faithful companion.

“Everything will be alright.”

The dog’s unsettled whines diminished at his master’s

words, but he refused to move from Rosa’s side. He nudged

Rosa’s cheek and rested a paw on her leg, as if to comfort the

fallen soldier in an almost-human way.

“We’ve been through a lot, haven’t we, boy?” Rosa

chuckled. She stroked his ears gently as she recalled the wars

she had seen, with Rex by her side. Images of tragedy and

loss reeled through Rosa’s mind like a film, but with each

loss came a new joy. For every tear that Rosa saw strewn

across the faces of heartbroken citizens, she also saw a

radiant smile engraved on another face. Rosa learned that

there was always something worth fighting for, and that hope

will always prevail. Even in the darkest moments, the human

spirit can rekindle a light to penetrate despair. As long as one

person continues to fight for freedom, truth, and love, then

the world would always have a fighting chance. Even unto

her last moments, Rosa determined that she would be that

one person who refused to give up on a beautiful destiny for

everyone. Although the war was not over, Rosa was at peace,

knowing that she had done everything within her power to

protect the people she loved.


“Rosa!” Momo rushed to Rosa’s side, quickly surveying

the injury. “Stay still, let me heal your wounds…”

Rosa raised a hand to stop Momo, shaking her head.

Momo’s eyes brimmed with tears as she realized that Rosa

did not wish to be saved. Momo knew there must be some

way to help Rosa, but she also knew that Rosa was brave

enough to face death as it called for her now.

“Swim or sink, live or die, survive or perish with my

country was my inalterable determination. Keep fighting for

your people, for it is the people you save that will make the

hero. As soon as I fall in love, I fall dead. Adios, Momo.”

Rosa drew a deep breath and smiled as she closed her

eyes. Rex nudged his master, and when she did not respond,

he raised his muzzle and howled to the skies that would

surely be lonely without Rosa’s biplane.


Chapter Six: Nocturne

Noire’s eyelids fluttered as she eased into

consciousness. She turned her head, realizing she was not

in her bedroom anymore, but in a dreamlike world. Noire

rubbed her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. As she stood,

she found herself staring into an abyss filled with bright,

flashing images. Noire looked down at her feet and was

relieved to see that she was standing on a solid platform, since

the floating images were enough to make anyone a bit dizzy

at first. She watched curiously as moving pictures hovered

toward her. She reached out to touch the illustrations, but

her hand passed right through the beams of light and color.

‘It’s so beautiful,’ Noire thought.

At first, she didn’t recognize the people portrayed in

the images, but as she continued to watch, she began to see

famous figures. ‘I must be seeing what happened in people’s

lives,’ Noire concluded. She noticed historical icons and

personal friends alike. Noire looked fondly upon the timelines

of some of her greatest heroes, but watched in confusion as

events shifted and people performed scenarios that, to her

knowledge, never occurred. ‘But that’s not what happened…

At least, I’m pretty sure…’

Noire’s confusion was cut short when a distinct

timeline caught her eye. Noire gasped as she saw an image

of… herself! She then smiled excitedly as her dear friend,

Gwen, also entered the picture. Noire clasped her hands

together in fond recollection- everything about their meeting

was exactly as she remembered. Noire gazed a bit forlornly


at the moving pictures as she realized that she was not only

seeing the start of a beautiful friendship, but also, its gradual

deterioration.

“Gwen…” Noire said sadly, gazing at her friend’s

conflicted expression as she left Noire alone once again.

Noire continued to watch her life in pictures, until she saw

the tarot card. The Noire on the screen examined the card

and fell onto her bed, and then the picture went black.

“What? What happened?” Noire cried.

“The rest of your story has yet to be written.”

Noire spun around to see a solitary figure approaching

her. The figure was dressed in black from head to toe and

carried a peculiar sword; however, the most unique attribute

was the golden sundial that was set atop their mask, as if the

timepiece was the stranger’s head. Noire was not afraid of

most people, but this person did seem slightly intimidating.

Noire closed her eyes and pinched her arm, believing that she

was only dreaming, but when she opened her eyes again, she

found herself still staring at the dark figure and the endless

stream of images.

“You are not dreaming,” the unfamiliar figure told her.

“Noire, I am the golden knight Zero. I am a Chronomancer,

the First of Pandora. I have brought you here so that you may

also fulfill your destiny as a Chronomancer.”

“I don’t understand,” Noire said. “Where am I? What’s

a Chronomancer? And what do you mean, my destiny?”

“I knew you would have numerous questions,” Zero


said. “This is a lot of information to take in at once, but I will

do my best to explain everything to you.”

Noire nodded almost on instinct, almost shocked by her

quick acceptance, but still entranced by all the information

being fed to her.

‘I am… a Chronomancer…?’

“This is the Continuum Bridge,” Zero began. He

extended his arms, gesturing to the space all around them. “It

is a place that exists apart from reality where Chronomancers

administer the flow of time in the real world. Chronomancers

are masters of space and time. We can see and alter timelines

from different eras, and it is our duty to use our power to

guide humans through the tribulations of life. For many years,

the Chronomancers worked in harmony to ensure peace and

order in the world; however, things are very different now.

It is only natural that humans disagree and quarrel amongst

each other, and so it was with the original Chronomancers.

Many Chronomancers were sealed- completely erased from

existence in every timeline, as a result of the infighting. The

few remaining Chronomancers knew they needed to enlist

new Chronomancers in order to save their race, so they

searched across timelines for individuals who were best

suited for the task. I was recruited by a Chronomancer named

Suzaku, and eventually there were ten of us who worked

together to search for the last two Chronomancers. And you,

Noire, are the final Chronomancer to complete the circuit.

Your tarot card is proof of your abilities and a symbol of your

great destiny as a Chronomancer.”


“Wait… so, there can only be twelve Chronomancers?”

Noire asked, slightly confused.

“Yes, the maximum number of Chronomancers is

twelve- one for every hour and every month. For example, I

represent the first hour of the first month, and you represent

the tenth hour of the tenth month. There are twelve months

as well as twelve hours both ante and post meridiem, so there

are twelve Chronomancers.”

“Well do there always have to be twelve?” Noire

continued. “What if you can’t find twelve and have less?”

“Ideally, there should always be twelve Chronomancers

in order to divide and maintain the power. If there are less

Chronomancers, we become more powerful. This can be

dangerous, however, and may corrupt the balance or pose

the threat of authoritarian ideas. Sharing the Chronomancer

powers equally among twelve is a good method to keep each

Chronomancer in check and accountable to the others.”

Noire nodded. “I think I understand,” she said. “But

what about my home? I was in my house before this? How

can I get back home, to see my friends and family?”

“Noire, I’m afraid that once you enter the Continuum

Bridge, you cease to exist in the real world. Chronomancers

live in a different plane of existence, and we can travel into

the real world through portals.”

“I can’t go home?”

“As you are now, you no longer exist in the real world

Noire. We have the power to change events in the real world,


but we cannot alter the decisions or changes made by another

Chronomancer.” Zero explained.

Noire looks reluctant to accept her responsibility.

“There is no turning back on this patch Noire, you are

a Chronomancer, it is your destiny.”

“This is way too much responsibility! I just want to

see Gwendolen! I need to get back home!”

“Yes, being a Chronomancer is a lot to handle, but I

know you will succeed. I have been searching for what feels

like an eternity to find someone with your power,” Zero said.

“The man I told you about before, Suzaku, has been merging

all of the timelines. He has gathered Chronomancers to serve

his purposes, including one very powerful individual that

you must face. Suzaku hopes to unify every era under his

order and name himself king.”

“That sounds awful. I don’t believe that any one

person should have complete control, especially over the

entire world.” Noire shook her head. “But, I’m just a normal

girl. I go to school, I like art and anime… there’s nothing

powerful about me.”

“You’re wrong, Noire. Though you cannot see it in

yourself, I know that you are the only one who can save

mankind. I need you to put an end to Suzaku’s insurrection!”

“But…how?” Noire asked Zero. “What can I do?”



Chapter Seven: Adagio


Zero’s words hung like a solid anchor tied to Noire’s

heart. Noire stood frozen with shock as she tried to process

what Zero had just told her.

Kill…Gwen…

“No!” Noire shouted, breaking the chilly silence.

Zero may have been slightly shocked underneath his

mask, but he continued to stare unrelentingly at the girl.

“Noire, this is the only way to save mankind. You are the only

one who can help me make this right!”

“I didn’t even know Gwen was here! I’ve been trying to

find her for so long, wondering why she has been so distant

from me, and now you’re telling me she’s been here this

whole time? How do you expect me to kill my best friend?”

“You must try to understand. I know you are upset, but

this is much bigger than the two of us. The fate of the world-

the past, present, and future- rests on Chronomancers,”

Zero told her. “As I mentioned before, I am a Pandoran

Chronomancer. The Pandoran Chronomancers have been

trying to stop Suzaku and his Arcadian Chronomancers

and bring peace to the world. Many have lost their lives for

this cause; they sacrificed themselves for the good of all.

You never knew Rosa or Zaffiro, but they were both valiant

Pandoran Chronomancers who believed that Suzaku can be

stopped and that we can set things right once again. Noire,

would you want their efforts to go to waste?”


“Of course not,” Noire replied sadly. “I just…don’t

understand why Gwen has to die, too.”

“Suzaku has trained Empress Gwendolen to become

the most powerful Chronomancer of his Arcadian order. She

will instigate the destruction of order and seal away every last

Chronomancer so that Suzaku can seize the throne and place

the world under his control. Noire, you have an untapped

ability to become one of the most powerful Chronomancers in

existence, a Chronomancer strong enough the stop Suzaku’s

Insurrection and restore peace. We need you to fulfill your

duty and become all that you are destined to be, but Empress

Gwendolen stands in your way.”

“But…why does it have to be me?”

“Because it is your destiny.” I was with Suzaku for

a very long time. I worked with him, and I was one of his

companions. Since this war began, I realized that I would

have to face Suzaku. It is my responsibility to stop him, for

it was my failure to save him from what he has become. And

so it is with Gwendolen. It is your duty to put an end to what

has become corrupt. You may think that you can save her, but

she is not the same Gwendolen you once knew.”

Noire rubbed her forehead, her mind close to rupture

from all the information she had received. Her eyes were

filled with sorrow as she thought of Gwen. All Noire ever

wanted was for them to be friends. She hoped that they would

be inseparable; that they would share secrets, laughter, and

their entire lives with one another.

“You said that Chronomancers can see the past and


what happens in the future as a result, right?” Noire asked.

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Then…can’t I see what will happen to Gwen and me

in the future? I want us to be friends again. Maybe there’s

another way. Maybe if I just…” Noire trailed off. She knew

it must sound pitiful, but she wanted to believe there was

another way to get through to her friend.

“I’m sorry,” Zero said. “Now that you are a

Chronomancer, you do not exist in the real world anymore.

We can only see and change the events that happen in

reality. Chronomancers cannot see the futures of other

Chronomancers, including themselves. We can only see our

lives on Earth until we become Chronomancers. After you

received the tarot card, your life ended.”

“Oh…” Noire said. She sighed. “I mean, I guess that

makes sense. I know it was a long shot, but I just hoped that

there was something else…”

“I know this is a lot to ask of you,” Zero sympathized.

“If there was another way, I would not have you do this.

Unfortunately, Empress Gwendolen must be stopped. If she

succeeds in destroying the other Chronomancers as Suzaku

has commanded, the world will be thrown into complete

chaos. We cannot let that happen. You can stop Suzaku’s

Insurrection, Noire, but Gwendolen will do what is necessary

to prevent you from fulfilling your destiny. I am here to

protect and guide you. I can show you the path, but you must

be the one to confront her.”


Noire shook her head and took a step back. “I’m sorry,

Zero. I believe you have good intentions, and I really do want

to help you, but I won’t kill Gwen.”

Zero made a frustrated gesture as he advanced toward

the girl. There must be something else he could say to

persuade her…

Noire backed away from Zero, already feeling a severe

amount of pressure placed upon her by the golden knight.

Unfortunately, Noire failed to realize that she reached the

edge of the platform… until she fell over the edge.

“Ah!” Noire cried as she saw the platform moving

away from her.

“Noire!” Zero called out, quickly rushing to the side of

the platform. He looked down and saw that Noire had landed

safely on another platform a few feet below. Noire looked up

at Zero with an expression that was both afraid and apologetic

before she took off running. Zero gave an exasperated sigh

but did not go after her. There were few places to run to in

the Continuum Bridge, and since Noire did not know how to

use her abilities, Zero did not worry about her disappearing

through a portal. Maybe it would do her good to have a little

space for now.

“She will have to accept her duty eventually,” Zero

spoke into the abyss. “After all, it is destiny.”

Zero stared out at the vast expanse consumed with

luminous images. His eyes wandered aimlessly across the

pictures, as his thoughts were elsewhere.


“Rosa, Zaffiro,” he said. “Your sacrifices were not in

vain. I assure you, I will restore the peace that you fought so

hard to preserve.” Zero paused as he thought of the fallen

Arcadian Chronomancers. Although they were on opposing

sides, he still respected them for supporting their ideals unto

the very end. They were not true enemies, only pawns used

by Suzaku. And finally, Zero thought of Nana, where it all

began. After all, it was Nana who gave Zero his purpose…


Chapter Eight: Maestro

“This world has gone to ruin,” Nana said sadly. She

reached down and picked up a large, black helmet. Her fingers

traced the golden sundial before she looked back at Zero. “But

that is why I created you, Zero.” Nana carefully placed the mask

over his head and continued to speak. “May this sundial be a

reminder to you. It represents a time before technology became

the downfall of man. This Digital Era in which humans now

live… It may be a means of survival, but it can hardly be called

living,” Nana said.

“You want me to put an end to the Digital Era?” Zero

asked.

“I want you to save mankind from the Digital Era,” Nana

clarified. “This future must never come to pass…not again.”

“I understand,” Zero said. “I will do what you ask of me.

Where shall I begin?”

Nana led Zero to a small room in the back of her dwelling.

Her fingers worked quickly, creating sequences that Zero could

not see. He watched as a portal opened before them, shimmering

with an aura of mystery.

“It is time for me to depart,” Zero concluded. “This is

how I will carry out my mission, correct?”

“Yes,” Nana replied with a smile. “This portal I have

created will take you to a place known as the Continuum Bridge.

There, you must shift the sands of time so that the human race

may be saved from this horrible fate.”


Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Nana? Are you in there? Your performance will be

starting soon! You need to be onstage in five!” a loud voice

called from outside of Nana’s database that Nana considered

her home.

“You are not coming with me, are you?” Zero questioned

her.

“I’m afraid not, Zero. I must remain here and oversee

the Apploids. If I were to leave… Well, I’m sure you can imagine

what would happen.” Nana put a hand on Zero’s shoulder. “Go

now, I don’t know how much longer the portal will stay open.

No one has ever been able to exit the NANA System and leave

the Digital Era behind. You are the only hope for mankind,

Zero. I have complete faith that you can repair what has been

destroyed.”

Zero approached the portal with determination. He

would stop at nothing until his mission was accomplished. He

would not fail his master, and he would not allow humans to

fall into this desperate state of deterioration.

“I won’t let you down, Master Nana. I swear, I will do

whatever it takes to make things right,” Zero promised as he

entered the portal. Nana gave Zero a trusting smile before her

face faded from his sight.

Zero lifted his head, gazing at the timelines that

Suzaku had tampered with. He clenched his fists angrily as

he thought of all he had endured. So many people had fought

to make things right. So many people were counting on him


to undo the wrongs that had been committed.

“That’s right,” Zero said assuredly. “This is the reason

I exist- to ensure the future of the world. I will not lose hope

now, and I will not let Suzaku succeed! This is the fate I have

chosen.” Zero paused for a moment. “No, this was always my

purpose, whether I chose it or not. It was destined to be.”

Noire stopped running to catch her breath. When she

looked back, she could not see Zero. Noire sighed. She didn’t

mean to be rude, but she just didn’t know how to handle

his expectations. She simply couldn’t kill Gwendolen. Noire

missed her friend. She wished for the days when they sat

together and looked at Noire’s drawings, or those afternoons

when she listened to Gwendolen play her violin, and even

the times they talked about silly things like key chains. Noire

never took any of it for granted. She wanted to capture those

moments forever, but then again, she never thought those

moments would be lost.

“Oh Gwen,” Noire said sadly. “What happened to us?”

Chirp chirp! Noire! Chirp chirp!

Noire turned quickly, certain that she had heard her

name. Noire looked around, but saw no one.

Chirp! Noire! Tweet tweet!

“Who’s there?” Noire asked. Just then, Noire heard a

fluttering of wings as a small white bird landed on the ground

in front of her. The bird cheeped again.

Noire!


“So it was you?” Noire asked, kneeling down in front of

the bird. She smiled at the small creature and tilted her head.

“How do you know my name?” The bird did not respond as

it ruffled its feathers and hopped about on the ground. Noire

giggled. “You’re so cute!” She reached out to touch the little

white bird, but the bird flew up into the air and landed a

few feet away before looking back at the girl and chirping

again. “Hey, where are you going?” Noire asked, getting up

to follow the bird. Before she reached it, the bird flew away

again. Noire sighed and gave up. “I guess it doesn’t like me

that much after all.”

Tweet tweet! Noire!

Noire stood befuddled as the bird hopped on the

ground in front of her and then flitted farther down the path

again. “I don’t understand,” she said. The white bird then

landed on top of Noire’s head before repeating its pattern

of approaching and then flying ahead of the girl. It looked

back and chirped repeatedly until Noire came close. Noire

observed the creature carefully. “You… want me to follow

you?” she asked. She was answered with several excited trills

as the bird flew happily around Noire’s head.

Noire followed the bird through the Continuum Bridge

until she saw a woman with pink hair sitting on the ground.

She held a pink rose in her hand, and her eyes were closed.

The little bird landed on the ground next to the woman and

opened its beak.

Tweet! Noire! Chirp chirp!

“Um… hello?” Noire said cautiously.


The woman opened her eyes and looked at Noire. She

smiled kindly, and her gaze was gentle. She placed the rose

back in her long pink locks next to what Noire thought to

be… antlers?

“Hello Noire,” the woman said. “Please, sit.” She

patted the ground beside her as the bird moved, hopping

onto the woman’s arm.

“Um… if you don’t me asking,” Noire said, “Who are

you? And how do you know my name?”

The pink haired woman smiled. “My name is Momo,”

she said. “I am one of the Chronomancers of the Pandora

order.” The white bird flitted from Momo to Noire, perching

on Noire’s shoulder. Momo laughed softly. “It seems Ange is

quite fond of you.”

Noire! Ange cheeped.

“Well, I like you too, Ange.” Noire stroked the little

bird’s feathers.

“Zero has told us much about you, Noire. He seems to

place a high level of trust in you and your abilities,” Momo

told her.

“But I just got here,” Noire said. “I didn’t even know

I was a Chronomancer until today. How can Zero depend on

me so much when I barely even know him?”

“I know it doesn’t make much sense, dear. I understand

your confusion. Trust me, you’re not the only one who had

trouble adjusting to the responsibilities of a Chronomancer,”


Momo assured her. “When I became a Chronomancer, I was

in terrible danger. See, I am a Faun, as I’m sure you can tell

by my antlers. My homeland was invaded, and my people

were forced to either evacuate or perish. I couldn’t bear to

see my loved ones destroyed, and I tried to save as many

people as I could, but it was too big a task for one person to

handle alone. Zero offered to make me a Chronomancer, and

I agreed to help him restore peace. I am very grateful, but I

didn’t really have a choice. I had to accept my responsibilities

because we cannot afford to waste any time. The longer we

shy away from our duties, the easier it will be for war and

hate to divide us.”

“I’m very sorry,” Noire said. “I guess it must sound

pretty selfish of me to run away like this. Zero told me about

other Chronomancers who lost their lives already, and now

that you’ve told me your story…”

“It’s alright, dear one. Don’t worry. It’s not too late,”

Momo said.

“I just don’t see why I have to kill Gwen.”

“I understand your concern. I also choose to avoid

conflict unless it is necessary.” Momo sighed thoughtfully.

“I have done well avoiding bloodshed for the most part,

since I have the power to heal; however, I know the time will

come when I too must face the Arcadian Chronomancers. If I

choose not to harm them, I will surely die.”

“No, that’s awful!” Noire cried. “You can’t just…”

“Then help us, Noire,” Momo urged. “Zero has been


a Chronomancer much longer than the rest of the Pandoran

Chronomancers. He may seem a bit strict at times, but he

knows what he’s doing. Zero always has a purpose, and it is

not wise to disobey his directives.”

“Alright,” Noire said. “Like you said, I know I should

accept my responsibility and help in any way I can. I need to

help stop Suzaku’s Insurrection, right?”

“Yes, that is correct,” Momo said. She smiled. “I’m

proud of you, Noire. I know you have the gentle heart of a

lamb, but now you must accept your destiny with the courage

of a lion.”

“But Momo, there must be another way- a way that

doesn’t involve the death of anyone!”

“Is there, Noire?”


Chapter Nine: Overture

Zero stood on the Continuum Bridge. The shadows

looked longer and the lights seemed dimmer almost as if to

match his thoughts. People were gone—his Chronomancers

were gone—and what did he have to show for it? They were

sealed, believing their cease of existence was fate, helping

Zero to further his plan for the good of the world. Yet, he felt

as if he stood worlds away from the conclusion. So much to

still be done, so many who have lost their live, how could he

ever properly repay them for their faith and sacrifice?

Is this worth it, losing my colleagues, my friends, all

for this cause? The thought had surfaced so subtly he almost

missed his chance to grasp it. Once he did, however, he knew

its origin. He was quick to tear the thought apart. Regardless

of the cost, Suzaku had to be stopped. Zero’s agenda had to

follow through. This is the only way to honor those who have

already passed. I must finish what I have begun. This was his

justification, a stronghold. He embraced this thought wholly

and wore it upon his mind proudly. He turned quickly as a

voice pierced his deep contemplations.

“Zero, I must speak with you.” Argent stood before

the podium, gazing up at Zero with both seriousness and

concern.

“Argent.” Zero nodded respectfully. “Is something

wrong?”

“I came to warn you…Your armor is not enough, not

against Suzaku’s weapon. And now that Gwendolen is with

him, I’m afraid you can’t—“


“No! I cannot back down now! Too many have died

and been sealed for this… I must respect their wishes, and

their faith in me.”

Argent’s eyes widened at the sudden resolve. Could

Zero possibly think this is what his followers had wanted of

him? Suzaku and Gwendolen together were certainly stronger

than Zero. He had come to warn his friend of failure only to

be met with strong determination despite it all. He smirked

to himself. Nothing he could say would surely be able to deter

Zero now. He was glad, in a weird way, for Zero’s confidence

was oddly refreshing. However, one problem still chewed at

his mind as he turned to take his leave.

“But dying won’t respect them, Zero….” He said softly

as he exited the room.

Noire and Momo stood talking together as Argent

approached them, having gone straight to find them after

giving his exchange with Zero some thought. He approached

them silently as to not interrupt, however the two paused and

looked his way, seemingly fine to postpone their discussion.

“Zero wants to face Suzaku. But you and I both know

what the outcome of that would be…”

Momo looked down with a slight frown as Noire gazes

back at him with concern and questioning eyes.

“We have to make our stand now. Zero has decided

on his path, convincing him won’t work. But we still have a

chance to change his fate!” Argent continued.

Momo looked up at him this time, her frown still


holding. “You want us to fight.”

Argent nodded. “We have to take action now. It’s not

only for Zero, but also for humanity itself. Zero’s plan must

stay alive. It must succeed. Suzaku must be taken down.”

“But if we go now, do we not go against his plan? If it’s

so dangerous that you claim Zero had no chance, won’t we

too-…” Noire interjected, but unable to finish her sentence

as she realized what going now would mean for all of them.

Argent paused a moment and Momo spoke up. “Noire,

you have a very specific purpose, a part you must fulfil in

Zero’s plan. No, you won’t risk yourself on this endeavor…”

“So you will come with me, Momo?” She turned to

Argent as he spoke.

“I do not wish to fight. At least this much I have tried

to avoid. However, I must agree with you, Argent. This is my

purpose, it’s obvious to me now. If I perish, then it will be

with gladness to know that I have fulfilled my duty…”

“Momo! Why would you do this?!” Noire tried to

grab her hand but she had already begun to walk away.

“…You’ll die…”

Momo glanced back at her with a sad smile. “If that

is the path that awaits me, then I have accepted it. Do not

worry about us, have faith that we can find a way to stop

Suzaku’s corruption.” She turned back to follow Argent as

he hurried on, leaving behind the girl, hoping that with this

she will understand what it means to be a piece of a greater


composition. “And I’ll believe in you as well…”

Argent and Momo reach Suzaku

The two stood, squarely facing the perpetrator of their

leader’s grievances. Momo’s face held a calm solemnity as

she gazed bravely up at the man. Argent’s expression was

more unreadable and mixed; his resolve was indeed set, but

the realization of what they were about to do seemed all too

real as if the air was already heavy with the scent of blood.

For once, Argent was going to use these brilliant weapons of

his for more than just trade and fame. His stand here would

prove not only to his colleagues, but more importantly to

himself that he wasn’t afraid to get involved with a war if it

meant finally doing what was right.

However, an unexpected figure emerged from behind

their enemy. Murasaki stepped forward, glaring eyes piercing

through the ones who dared challenge them. She took up a

stance, weapon ready, in front of her father. Suzaku looked

as if this was only natural and paid her no heed as he gazed

steadily down at the two that had approached him.

“You would dare stand to face me? Don’t you know

what will become of you?”

Argent narrowed his eyes at the man’s words. “You do

not know what it means to have a pure resolve. We do what

our destiny asks of us, for Zero and his plan are worth any

sacrifice. We refuse to stand aside and watch as he tries to

bear this burden alone.” As Argent spoke he slowly stepped

forward with confident strides, watching Suzaku’s face twist

into a grimace of rage and hate. He drew his gun, discarding


its case, and ran to meet Suzaku’s charge.

Argent fired the first shot, but it was deflected as

Suzaku met it with Akagane, his trusted blade, at lightning

speed. As Argent closed in within range of the sword, Suzaku

struck at him with impaling force. However, Argent had the

advantage as he passed by on the left, for it only took a quick

flick of the wrist to catch the blade on the barrel of his gun.

The two passed each other with unparalleled momentum

and quickly swung back to face one another, as Argent fired

another shot, and Suzaku readied his defense to once again

deflect it. As soon as he did, Suzaku charged again, catching

Argent off guard. The arms dealer raised his gun, with the last

bullet inside, and fired aiming straight for Suzaku’s chest.

But, he was a moment too late. The bullet grazed Suzaku’s

shoulder just barely as he sunk Akagane cleanly through the

middle of his challenger. Argent doubled over against the

blade and slowly crumbled to the ground as the sharp metal

retracted from his flesh.

Suzaku stood over the lifeless body. Warm blood oozed

slowly from the wound, growing a steady dark puddle around

its host, just like the one now forming at his feet by the thick

dripping of his sword. The eyes were still open, a ghostly

white. Suzaku’s rage had seeped out of him the moment it

was over. It was not regret, however, but acceptance. He

exhaled softly as a thought of distant past floated through his

consciousness. He drew an object from his clothes, handling

it gently. It was the Magatama, something he received all

those year back in the Space era.

“You gave me this to treasure as a mark of our


companionship. I now return it, for all the honor you

deserved, yet never received in that battle.” He bent down

placing the object beside the fallen hero, staring into visions

of the past smeared across his face.

Momo carefully backed away. By now she was fairly

far from where she had started beside Argent. The woman

facing her seemed incapable of listening to reason. However,

she was not going down that easily.

“Listen to me! You’re rage is forbidding you from seeing

the truth! Endless dispute and violence is not the answer.

Whatever pain you feel, it can be healed through words and

a kind touch…Ending my life now will bring you no greater

satisfaction or ease than when you first began this madness!”

“You know nothing of me…” Murasaki growled lowly.

“I know what it feels like to crave revenge. However,

I also know that it is possible to overcome that feeling, to be

at peace with your destiny…”

“No! This battle is my destiny. The wishes of my father

are my fate. I will kill you here and now. After all, it will

be too easy, right? You come to challenge us without even a

weapon. Did you think some petty words alone are enough

to pierce me?” Murasaki looked the woman up and down.

Even if she had a concealed weapon somewhere on her person,

this weak-hearted girl cannot possible be a killer. She cannot

possibly have any skills to match my own.

Momo did not flinch at the other’s harsh words. She

refused to give her up just yet. “You have been consumed by


your need for revenge! You let your anger blind you, and now

look at yourself—you are acting like a monster! This path

will not save anyone nor accomplish anything. Your dark

heart and clouded mind will not be able to save your father!”

“Leave my Father out of this!!” Murasaki screeched

as she lunged towards the pink haired girl, blade raised and

ready to strike. Momo quickly took action, evading the stab

towards her.

“Your time ends now!!”

Momo bowed her head at the woman’s words. “I am

content with my death, as long as I have taught you the lesson

you desperately need. This is not what it means to be a good

daughter. You have twisted his vision, killing in some crazed

sense of redemption for him.”

Murasaki yelled out incomprehensibly as she charged

again in a blind rage, her weapon piercing Momo’s stomach

with ease. However, she refused to stop there, continued to

swing her weapon, slashing and stabbing the woman until

she collapsed to the ground. Murasaki stood over the torn

body, breathing heavy, before sinking to her knees over what

was left of the woman.

“For my Father!” She gripped the blade with both

hands, hoisting it over her head and bringing it down with

raging speed, embedding it in the still heart below her. She

let her hands slide from the hilt, watching the redness pour

out beneath her. She felt as if the empty hole inside her had

just tore open larger, engulfing more of herself within it. She

bit her lip, composed herself, and stood slowly, turning away


from the unforgiving scene. She walked away with haste,

refusing to allow even a single glance back.


Chapter Ten: Requiem

Someone was there, just behind her. Had he appeared

from thin air? Was she just imagining things? No, but she

couldn’t possibly have been that enraged…her senses had

never failed her before, she should have noticed… No matter

who it was, though, she would kill them. They were all her

enemies now, deserving to be ripped apart and—she spun

around quickly, fiercely striking with her blade.

But it stopped short, caught between two armored

hands. She thrashed, trying to get loose, but the man calmly

gripped the blade, tearing it away with ease. It clanked

loudly, jolting Murasaki out of her shocked daze, only to

gain an agonizing pain from her abdomen. A small gasp was

all that could escape her throat as her gaze drifted down to

the bloodied blade protruding from her stomach. She felt her

muscle give out, dark blood seemed to rush up inside her,

exploding onto the figure before her. Her eyes rolled back;

the last thing she saw before the darkness was a black and

gold helmet, with an invisible gaze piercing her as sharply as

its owner’s blade. She fell, staining the cold tile.

“I…I just wanted…to fulfill his ambitions….make his

vision a reality…I know now…that I failed my only job as

his daughter…” Her voice was soft and broken as she let a

shuddering breath. Zero sighed and knelt down on one knee

beside her. He reached out and gently closed her eyelids over

her pale, blank eyes. He stood up, looking down at the girl.

“You misinterpreted his words…”

As Zero spoke, a silver haired figure stepped out from


behind a podium. His eyes shifted to the bloodied heap at his

enemy’s feet. His frown deepens and he looks up, locking on

to Zero’s invisible gaze with malice. The other did not seem

surprised at all to see him there. He walked forward until he

stood before his enemy.

“You are only a fool Zero.” He watched, steadily

glaring, as the other did not reply but instead began to remove

his mask. Suzaku’s eyes widened for a moment and his mouth

opened as if to throw out a thousand questions.

A woman stood before him. The world has gone to ruin…

but that is why I created you. Zero lifted his eyes to meet her

own as she slipped a hand crafted helmet over his face. You

must shift the sands of time so that the human race may be saved

from this terrible fate….the future must never come to past, not

again. Zero was given a purpose. He was given a way into

the past to change the future; to save the world his master

cherished so deeply. A desperate state of deterioration… Bring

this world faith, hope, and change without fail. Zero thought

he saw the glimpse of a confident smile as he disappeared to

the continuum bridge. But if so, why did she also look so sad?

Hope…in the name of a better future and hope…

The man stood before Suzaku, holding his disguise in

his hands. His expression never wavered as he spoke with

wisdom and authority.

“I am Order Zen, and my mission is to stop this

insurrection and to kill its leader, Chaos Zen. So that the

world may continue on, I must remove that from which it

began!”


“You shall not! I must be the one to control this world;

it needs a leader that can steer it towards a brighter future! I

will not allow this. Zero, prepare yourself, for I will be ending

this right now!”

Zero dashed forward, gripping his blade by his side,

perpendicular to his body. Suzaku barely had time to move

a finger, before the blade impaled him straight through the

chest. However, it was Zero’s face that twisted in agony.

Suzaku gaped, first at his defeat, then at the phenomenon

before him. A wound identical to his own opened up upon his

counterpart. He tried to speak but blood was already pooling

in his throat choking away any exclamation he might have.

The two men began to fade from the bottom up, as if their

existence were being erased.

“You…You fool…what have you done…” Suzaku

managed to spit out the words, full of malice and bewilderment

before they were both completely gone.


Chapter Eleven: Resonance

Gwen… Where are you?

Noire hurried through the pulsating lights as she

searched desperately in the Continuum Bridge for Gwendolen.

The world around her seemed like a blur, but for once it

didn’t really matter to Noire what the scenery looked like, it

only mattered where she would find her. Noire wasn’t sure if

she had any way to save her friend, but she was the only one

who had a chance. If she was as powerful as Zero proclaimed,

then maybe she could make something work. Noire had to

try, and she needed to reach Gwendolen before it was too

late.

“Why do you persist?” Zero asked. “You cannot win this

war if you refuse to defeat Gwendolen!”

“I won’t do anything to harm her. I see now that

Chronomancers have so much responsibility, especially Gwen.

She has been carrying a terrible weight, and I refuse to let her

bear this burden alone!”

“You are a good friend, Noire,” Zero said. “I hope you

don’t think ill of me for asking this, but has Gwendolen really

been a friend to you? Does she deserve the help you wish to give

her?”

“It doesn’t matter if she deserves it or not,” Noire replied.

“I want to be there for Gwen. I love her, and I will never give

up on her.”

Noire tightened her fists as she broke into a sprint.

That’s right, she would never give up. No matter what


happened, no matter how much Gwendolen may have

changed, Noire believed that Gwendolen’s true heart was still

the same. Even though she was a powerful Chronomancer

now, the innocent and talented girl that Noire met in school

couldn’t be completely gone. If Noire could just remind

Gwendolen of their friendship, maybe it would be enough to

stop all of this suffering.

Suddenly, Noire noticed beams of light radiating from

her body. She stopped for a moment and stared down at her

feet. When she looked back up to her hands, Noire realized

that she was no longer in her pajamas. From head to toe,

Noire was wrapped in black and white patterns that proved

to be her Chronomancer guise. In her hand, she held a long

staff decorated with a clock and a large crystal set into one

end. Noire reached up and touched her head, where a cloth

hat fit comfortably over her hair.

Chirp chirp!

Noire smiled. “Well I guess I finally did something

right, huh Ange?”

Tweet!

“Any other day, I would stop and check out this new

Chronomancer outfit,” Noire told the bird. “But I have to keep

going. You can follow me if you want, but this is something I

have to do right now.”

Gwendolen walked through the Continuum Bridge,

slightly suspicious of the eerie silence that engulfed the

space.


“Suzaku?” she called out hesitantly. Gwendolen gasped

as she noticed two silhouettes slumped next to each other

on the ground. She approached the lifeless figures of Zero

and Suzaku and stared down at them. Although Gwendolen

was never overly fond of Suzaku, she still felt as though he

deserved better. After all, Suzaku was the one who trained

Gwen to make her a better Chronomancer than she could

have ever been without help. The least Gwendolen could do

was play her part and serve Suzaku’s wishes, even after his

death.

“I will do what you have asked of me,” she told her

mentor. “I owe you that much.”

Gwendolen turned as she heard footsteps drawing

nearer. So she wasn’t the last Chronomancer standing,

Gwendolen confirmed. She stepped away from Zero and

Suzaku and tightened her grip on her staff. The time had

come for her to fulfill her destiny.

Noire rushed to where she saw Gwen standing, tears

streaming down her face and into her long black hair.

“Gwen!” she cried. “Gwen, I-”

“Stay back, Noire!” Gwendolen ordered sharply,

extending her staff between them to put Noire at a distance.

Noire came to a halt and stared at Gwendolen. She smiled

halfheartedly, noticing that Gwendolen looked different

as a Chronomancer and wore a new outfit. The dress made

her look older, and possibly more beautiful than Noire had

remembered. She wished she had a sketchpad to draw her

friend, just like she used to do. But then, Noire could also


see the pain in Gwendolen’s eyes. Gwendolen had been a

Chronomancer longer than she had, and Noire was sure that

Gwendolen had a hard time accepting her responsibilities as

well.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Gwendolen

asked briskly.

Noire looked up and met Gwendolen’s clear blue eyes.

Noire could never quite capture the way Gwendolen’s eyes

sparkled with a sort of secretive but pure expression in her

drawings, and now, Noire noticed that look was missing from

her friend’s eyes. “I… I was just thinking about how much

I’ve missed you,” Noire admitted. “You look different, but

not in a bad way. Oh, and your bird is really cute,” Noire

smiled as she pointed to Gwendolen’s black bird, Phantom.

Gwendolen pursed her lips and frowned. “Did you

really come all this way to talk about cute little birds?”

“Well, no!” Noire replied. “But, I mean, we used to

talk about cute things all the time. Like our key chains-“

“That was a long time ago, Noire.”

“Oh… has it really been that long? Sometimes I feel

like it was just yesterday we were waiting together after

school-“

“Just stop, Noire!” Gwen cut her off and looked away.

“Reminiscing on our past will do nothing but harm us now.

You understand what I must do, don’t you?”

Noire shook her head. “No, I don’t understand. Why,


Gwen? Why are you doing all of this, and why won’t you

stop?”

“A symphony cannot be complete without all of its

players. I had a role to play, and I respect my duty. Do not

stand in my way, Noire, or you will surely come to regret it!”

Gwen threatened.

“If this is what’s keeping us together, then I will stand

in your way forever!” Noire replied. She rushed toward Gwen,

but Gwen was much faster and stronger than Noire. As Gwen

looked up to see Noire running toward her, she plunged her

staff into Noire stomach, even though Noire did not raise

her weapon in attack or even in her own defense. Noire cried

out as the staff released her body and crimson began to stain

her monochromatic dress. She fell to the ground, and Gwen’s

eyes widened as she realized what she had done.

“No…” Gwen barely whispered. “I can’t believe

I-“Gwen rushed to Noire’s side. “Noire, I’m so sorry. I know

I have no right to ask for your forgiveness. I hurt you when

you did not raise a hand against me. What…what has become

of me that I could do such a thing?” she lamented.

Noire touched Gwen’s hand and smiled. “I don’t blame

you for anything,” she said. “You only did what was asked of

you. It’s not your fault, Gwen.”

Gwen shook her head, her hands shaking as she cried.

Noire, her best friend, was dying because of her. How could

she say it was not her fault? Gwen looked down at Noire and

wrapped her arms around her neck, taking care not to touch

her wound. There was nothing that Gwen could think to say


now, no way to express her remorse. The only left to do was

stay with Noire until the very end.

“Gwen?” Noire said. Gwen wiped her eyes and looked

at Noire. “I’m sorry,” she said.

Gwen shook her head. “Noire, don’t-“

“I’m sorry for everything,” Noire continued. “I’m

sorry I didn’t come looking for you, for being selfish and

never thinking about how much suffering you could have

been going through. I’m sorry I was never there for you.”

“Please stop, Noire,” Gwen pleaded as tears filled her

eyes again. “You’re dying because I stabbed you, and you’re

still going to apologize to me? Just… please, be quiet and

rest.”

Noire shook her head, biting her lip from the pain. “I

can’t rest,” she said. “Not until I’ve found a way to save us.”

“But Noire, don’t you see? It is our destiny to fight.”

Gwen said sorrowfully as she stared at Noire. Gwen’s body

trembled. Although she was the Empress, one of the most

powerful Chronomancers to exist, she had never felt so weak

and broken inside than she was in this moment.

“Well it’s not my destiny, not anymore,” Noire

declared. “If it is true that we must turn on each other, then

I will create a new destiny.” Noire raised a hand and pointed

at her hat. “Hey Gwen, I remember I had something in my

pocket before I came here to the Continuum Bridge. I know

I don’t have any pockets now, but I never got the chance to

check my hat…”


Gwendolen reached up and gently removed the

sorceress hat from Noire’s head. She looked into the shape

and saw a piece of paper. Gwendolen carefully unfolded

it and gasped. She stared at the slip of paper as a smiling

Gwendolen with a violin on her lap stared back, reminding

Gwendolen of who she used to be. Tears streamed down from

her eyes, falling all over Noire’s dress and spilling onto the

ground. Gwendolen cried for several minutes until she no

longer heard Noire’s labored breathing. She looked up and

saw that the girl’s body was glowing where Gwendolen’s tears

had fallen. The soft light intensified, and soon, Gwendolen

had to shield her eyes from the luminescence that enveloped

Noire’s body.

“There is always another option, Gwen. And if you are

willing, I believe I have a solution.”

Gwendolen looked back at where Noire had fallen and

saw that the light had dimmed to a soft aura that surrounded

her friend. Except instead of lying in a pool of blood,

Noire now stood before Gwendolen, appearing completely

rejuvenated and even better than she had before. Noire

radiated power and light, and Gwendolen couldn’t help but

feel both relieved but also afraid.

“But how-?”

Noire raised her hand as if to stop Gwendolen from

asking any more questions. She smiled peacefully as she

walked to Gwendolen and embraced her. Noire could feel a

new energy surging within her, and she knew that she now

had the power to set the world right. But she didn’t want to


do it alone.

“Gwen, I want to give you the rest you deserve. You

have fought well, and I hold nothing against you. I think it’s

time we draw the curtain on this cruel reality, and I can offer

you a way out,” Noire said “What is it that you wish?”

Gwendolen wiped away a tear that rolled gently down

her cheek as she held Noire’s hands tightly in her own. “I just

want us to be together… forever,” she replied.


Chapter Twelve: Da Capo

The girls grasped hands, their eyes never straying from

one another’s. A flash of blinding light suddenly enveloped

them and they quickly embraced as the beam lifted them

from the ground. Noire glanced up, a smile spreading across

her face and the feeling of warmth in her arms, as she looked

on, forward, with purpose and freedom. The light flashed

once more, expanding over the world and smothering it with

a hazy, white glow.

“Noire…” She looked back down as her name was

spoken softly.

“Gwendolen.” She hugged her precious friend closer.

By now both girls were fading, but contently.

The earth was plummeting through time, It was

raced backwards through its history; wars reversed into

peace, spilled blood flowed inwards bringing back life. The

creations that were destroyed and the natural world that had

been maliciously desecrated were as if they had never been

disturbed in the slightest. The world turned from cold metallic

to radiating green to a blank canvas of rich soil overflowing

with the need to bear life. It was now the beginning. The

Factory Zero.

The light withdrew, hovering in a concentration above

the fresh earth. From the glow a divine-like being emerged

slowly. As it held out its hands, seeds began to sprout and

beautiful, clear water began to flow cool and crisp. The being

smiled, a soft gaze that reflected the hearts of the two merged

heroes perfectly, upon its new land before vanishing with


the bright light. The new beginning was left with the hopes

and dreams that it would flourish with greater perseverance,

purity, peace, and beauty than its erased counterpart, and

that the meaning in and respect for life would never be

forgotten or tainted again.


Epilogue: Swan Song

“Did Zero really do this for the benefit of humanity? Was he

supposed to be remembered as a martyr, eternally retold in

legends? Did Zero really think that removing himself out

of the equation would have ended his legacy? Did Zero real-

ly think that there would be no more traces of his ideologies?

Can you truly defy destiny?”

FreeCon - The Continuum Rebellion - Novelization

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