Title: The Shifters

Author: Meushell

Disclaimer: Square Soft owns all characters, except for the Shifters. They own the settings and the personalities. I own the story idea itself.

Summary: The Shifters, beings who can imitate anything or anyone, have come out of hiding to declare war on the humans. The Chrono Trigger team decides to help out, but are unaware they are slowly being replaced.

Rating: G

(Author's Note: This story is being rewritten. Here is the first part of the new rewritten The Shifters.)

Part 1, Needing Help

Frog, now human, walked down the bridge to talk to Queen Leene. Guards stayed a few meters behind him because they didn't trust him. He saw Queen Leene, the king, the chancellor, and knights building the new court. They hadn't noticed him yet. Frog, who now wanted to be called Glenn again, continued to walk as he wondered how he would explain himself. Would they believe him? What if they didn't?

Suddenly they looked up at him. Here it comes, Glenn thought, the questions, the disbelief. But something caught their eyes and they turned towards it. Glenn followed their gaze to see a small object moving in a straight line, and then it sped away with a trail a light following it. Glenn smiled to himself. It was the Epoch, he could recognize it anywhere. Probably Crono, Marle, and Lucca, he thought, but why are they here?

After the Epoch disappeared, Glenn turned back to the castle. To his surprise, Queen Leene was walking towards him. The knights watched him carefully, but weren't moving with her. She had obviously ordered them to stay back. She smiled as she stopped in front of him.

Glenn quickly bowed in respect.

"That's not necessary, Glenn." Leena said, "I didn't expect your return so soon. I thought you would stay longer with Crono and the others."

Glenn looked up in surprise, "You knew Frog was I, and how do you know I'm Glenn? It's been ten years since I was human. I barely recognized myself."

Queen Leene continued to smile. "You didn't change much. You just look more mature and stronger." She paused, and then continued, "When I first met you as Frog I suspected that you were Glenn. You acted the same, but seemed to hold anger and...shame. You knew things that only Glenn knew. It took a while before I was sure."

Glenn nodded, not sure how to respond to this.

Queen Leene tilted her head slightly with a concerned looked. "Why was the, what was it, the Epuk, why was it here in our time? I thought everyone was going to stay in their own time. Is something wrong?"

Glenn looked to where the Epoch had been, realizing he had forgotten about it. "The Epoch. I thought everyone was going to stay in their own time too. I hope all is well, but its presence would indicate otherwise."

Ayla and Kino laughed as they rode on the dactyls in the sky.

"Ayla back," Kino said, "Ayla stay long time?"

"Ayla stay. Have party. Eat! Dance! Fight! Fun!" She rode her dactyl higher in to the air, and looked back to see Kino was following.

"People small when we high." Kino said pointing to the people down below.

Ayla looked at the tiny people. She never paid attention to her surroundings when she was on a dactyl before. It was amusing to watch the tiny people walking, some running, around. They reminded her of insects scurrying on the ground. She had missed her clan while she was time-traveling.

Kino spoke, "Mountains beautiful. What that?"

Ayla looked where Kino pointed. "Epoch? Why Epoch here?"

"Ayla leave again?"

Ayla shook her head in confusion. "Why Epoch here? Ayla not understand."

Robo waited at the cliff of the mountain. Suddenly a familiar voice came, "Prometheus! How are you? It seems like it has been so long. Mother Brain and I have missed you."

Robo would've have smiled if he could at the sight of his girlfriend, Atropos. "I missed you as well. How are you? How is Mother Brain?"

Atropos took Robo's hand and they both sat down.

"We are both well. Everything here has been good. No more problems with humans or robots."

"That's good."

"Prometheus, do you think at one point Lavos wasn't killed in 1999 A.D. I mean, do you think anyone remembers what would've happen if no one beat him."

"I thought about that. Perhaps Crono, Marle, Lucca, Ayla, and Frog remember 2300 A.D. as it would have been because it was their future that changed, not their past."

"So you could've remembered 2300 A.D. that way until you came back here. That's strange to think about."

"Time-travel," Robo said, shaking his head, "We may never figure how it works."

"What is that?" Atropos asked, "It looks like the Epoch."

Robo looked towards where she pointed, "Why is that here?"

Crono, Marle, and Lucca rode the Epoch in 2300 A.D.

Marle was petting a kitten as it purred in her lap. "Ok, Crono, we got all three out of four of your cats." Marle said, "Now we just need to find that last cat and your mom."

Lucca shook her head, frustrated. "We check every time from 65,000,000 B.C. to 2300 A.D., and even the End Of Time. Where could she be!?"

"Don't get mad." Marle said smiling. "Now we can time-travel just a little more." Her smile suddenly became bigger, "Maybe we just might have to go on the ground on go door to door looking for her and that last cat."

"Probably will, by the way if there are three of us, and three seats. Where will she sit?"

"I guess one of us will have to stay at that time until the others come back-ooh cat alert!"

Crono parked the Epoch close to the cat, but not too close to scare it. He climbed out.

"Come on, Lucca, look how 2300 A.D. has changed. You must be dying to find Robo, and ask him about it."

"He won't remember us."

Crono picked up the cat, which was growling softly, but not fighting him.

"But you made a copy of his memories in case he forgets. Plus, wouldn't you love to get your hands on the computers here."

"Marle stop. Crono stop laughing."

"I bet they're even more advanced then the last time we were here."

"Marle!" Lucca tried to sound angry, but her giggles came through. She climbed up to the front seat of the Epoch so Chrono could sit in the back with the cat.

He climbed into the Epoch, and put the cat in his lap, who's growls had turned into purrs through petting.

"Why are you acting as if you're not enjoying yourself? What happen to the happy, smart, joyful, fun-loving Lucca I know?"

Lucca laughed, "She's still here. I'm acting this way because I...I just feel we shouldn't time-travel, and I thought acting like I didn't enjoy it would make it easier." She brought up the Epoch, and started tapping at the buttons to bring them back to their own time.

"Thought that would make it easier?! This is our last time-travel. We should be enjoying this. Where is your brain today? It's never left before."

The cat started fighting as the Epoch started traveling time. Marle tried helped Chrono to hold the cat down, but then her own cat started getting feisty. Chrono had to hold the last cat by himself, and hoped the Epoch would land soon. It growled, and managed to free itself as they were landing. It shot out of their arms, scratching him in the process, and headed for nearby bushes.

Chrono sighed as he got out of the Epoch, and headed for his house. They needed to find his mother, not go around looking for cats. The cat would return to his house on its own.

They reached his house, and Marle and Lucca sat down as Chrono fed his cats. He also put food outside for the cat who had run off. The females got back up when they saw him heading back for the Epoch.

65,000,000 B.C. and 12,000 B.C. were already checked. They were now on their way to 600 A.D with Marle driving.

Lucca planned everything, "We'll look in the houses in Truce. That town is nearest to the time-gate. Then we'll check Guardia Forest and Guardia Castle."

"We're here!" Marle announced more out of excitement, since they could already see they had arrived.

Lucca continued talking as they climbed out. "We'll spit up and each check -"

"Lucca," Marle interrupted, "We did this in the last two times. We know what to do."

"Yes, right." Lucca left.

Marle shook her head, and headed to the market.

Lucca found Crono's mom in the Inn.

Crono's mom had rushed over to Lucca as soon as she saw her. "Lucca! Where are we?"

Lucca smiled "We'll take you home."

"Where's Crono?"

Lucca led her outside and called the others. "I think it might be better if your son explains all this to you."

"I'll stay here while you take her back," Marle volunteered as soon as she returned. "While I'm here, I might as will visit Frog. It would be rude not to."

"Who's Frog?" asked Crono's mom, "Is that the green-toad thing I saw in our house?"

Before the Epoch even lifted, Marle was on her way.

Marle was in Cursed Woods fighting a T'pole. It hit her. She got mad, and an arrow flew into the T'pole. Half his health was lost.

"Another hit and I'll win." She told herself.

The T'pole striked her again.

"Take health from me, will you?" she said as she was pulling back her bow and arrow. "You wanted a fight. You got one."

The T'pole fell at the second strike, and Marle jumped in glee.

She continued her way to Frog's home, and got to the bushes that hid his home. She found the ladder, and climbed down. You better be here, Marle thought, I didn't come all this all for nothing. If you in the castle, I'll be disappointed. Marle jump off the second lowest step and took two steps when a human yelling, "Who's there!?" came flying into the room.

"Impressive jump," Marle said to this strange human with green hair and wearing Frog's clothes. She hoped he hadn't noticed that he startled her.

"Marle, I did not expect you."

Marle slowly circled man once, who sounded like Frog, but with some difference. Yep. Frog's clothes. The man appeared to be in his early twenties, and his hair held two loose braids in the back. Marle stopped in front of him, "Frog?"

"Yes?"

"You're...human."

"Magus said his death would break the spell, and he is dead. Also please call me Glenn."

"Glenn?"

"Yes?"

"You're different. I mean..."

"I understand your surprise. Others have been surprised by the return of my true form as well. It seems I am not the only one with news, why have you returned to my time?"

"Nothing big, Crono's mom went into the gate before it closed so we had to find her. We did. Crono and Lucca are bringing her back to 1000 A.D. Then they'll come back for me."

Glenn nodded, "Well, I'm happy to hear that nothing is wrong."

Marle recognized his tone of voice, "Don't tell me something wrong is here. That's the last thing this kingdom needs, and where is your accent?"

"I can talk normal now that I'm human. Before, I had the accent because I could not talk normal with a frog's mouth. I used the accent to disguise the problem."

"Ok, now tell me what the problem is."

"Have you ever heard of the Shifters."

"Yes, they can change shape, imitate anything or person. But they disappeared in 2000 B.C. They are here now?"

"We think they have been hiding for the last 2,600 years. We do not know where they are hiding. All we know is that they are here."

"How do you know they're here?"

"People found many notes all reading, 'We are the Shifters, and we want revenge. We will attack, and destroy all humankind.' "

"Revenge?"

Glenn shook his head. "In 2000 B.C. some of the humans experimented on whatever Shifter they found. We believe that is why the Shifters went into hiding. Now, 2600 years later, they want revenge."

"Oh, wait a minute, how do I know you're the real Glenn and not a Shifter?"

"When we first met I said, 'Your resemblance to the queen is uncanny.' Now prove to me to me you're you."

Marle frowned slightly, embarrassed about what she was about to say. "I screamed when I first met you."

Glenn nodded.

Marle wished she thought of something else, but it was too late now. "We'll help you."

"There is no need for you to get involved. You helped us enough."

"Come on Fr- I mean Glenn. Crono, Lucca, and I need more adventure...well, I do. You're kingdom has one, but doesn't want it. So, doesn't that state the obvious?"

"We will need to find a way to prove who we really every time we meet again."

"You'll say uncanny, I'll say scream. Crono and Lucca must be here by now." Marle spoke as she was jumping up and down. Then she ran to the ladder, "Come on."

"I'll follow. I have to get some things first."

Marle quickly climbed up the ladder. She got to the top to find Crono and Lucca walking towards her.

"I found an adventure. Glenn needs our help."

Lucca shook her head. "I knew you would do that."

"Tell us about it," said Crono.

Marle and Lucca both looked at him in surprise. Lucca spoke first, "Shut up, he doesn't just speak out like that."

Marle eyes widened, not able to believe what she was hearing, "Y-You're Shifters." She took a step back. Her heart was pounding. Why didn't I wait for Glenn.

The Lucca-Shifter suddenly jumped forward, and pushed Marle against a tree. "Humans are so weak," she said as she held down and covered the mouth of a struggling Marle.

Then she started to change. The antenna on her hat started to disappear. The colors in her purple hair pulled away showing red and blue. Her scarf shrunk, turning more golden. Her hat grew smaller and fell back. Her hair was longer, and by now each strand was alternating blue and red. Then the blue went down to stain her clothes a sky-blue, as it was replaced by yellow. Her glasses grew thinner until they disappeared into her face. The red and yellow strands in her hair joined to create orange. Yellow joined her blue eyes to make green. The scarf had become a necklace. The change took seconds, and when she was done, the Lucca-Shifter was a perfect image of Marle.

Marle meanwhile stopped struggling, amazed by the art. After, she looked at Crono-Shifter who had no expression on his face. She resisted turning to the bushes that hid Glenn's home, not wanting to give away that she was hoping he was there.

Marle-Shifter turned to Crono-Shifter. "Swau, fwr icwe gwew."

Crono walked quickly to her.

Marle-Shifter spoke English this time, "We'll take her back to Shifton."

Crono-Shifter nodded, and took Marle's wrist. Heled her into the thicker part of the forest.

"Don't talk," said Marle-Shifter as she followed.

to be continued...