That video made me suggestion crazy now, so here goes!
Could you make it look a little.. less End of Time? The End of Time, I think, looks so dull and small because it's The End of Time. The Dawn of Time, when time began, should be everything the End isn't. In my view, it should be sand and glass, and, if possible, artifacts (Like a greek pot), looking brand new.
Also, in Chrono Trigger, if oyu hang around on the map in 2300, Hp deminishes to 1 (I think.). So, if it's the Dawn of Time, when everything started, maybe give it the oppisite effect?
By the way, the time portal wasn't that bad.