The One
Chapter Three, A New Threat

"And I woke up in the hospital with my mom sleeping in the chair next to my bed and a bandage over this." Magnus said, pointing to his scar.

"I'm sorry I asked you about it. Must be painful to remember it." Lucca said.

"Don't worry 'bout it, I mean, Crono and Marle should remember it pretty well. I just have one question for you guys. Do you know where the other man is who was with you? He left me wrapped in this shirt." Magnus asked.

"Magnus, I'm telling you, I don't know when this happened, but I have never been here." Crono said.

"Crono, I know what I saw, you had to have been..." Magnus was cut off by Marle's voice.

"Crono, do you think this has something to do with... you know." Marle said in a hesitant tone.

"Of course!" Lucca exclaimed. "Um, Magnus, this may sound hard to believe, but that was us who saved you and it wasn't us."

"What do you mean?" Magnus asked, trying to figure out what they were talking about.

"Well, to put it bluntly, we're from the past Magnus, and the ones who saved you were probably us from a future time." Lucca said, "I know it sounds ridicules, and a little confusing.

"OK, you guys had your fun, quit kidding around." Magnus said, figuring they were just joking around.

"No kidding Magnus. If what you say is true then I should be a lot older than I am now shouldn't I?" Crono asked.

"Well, now that you mention it... what's going on here?" Magnus asked, now completely unsure of what was going on.

"How's about we get something to eat and we'll try explaining it." Marle said.

"OK, there's a McDonalds down the street, I ate breakfast there, and I want to know what you guys are talking about, with the time travel stuff." Magnus said with a confused voice.

"We should probably try to find something else to wear." Marle said.

"I got some coats in my bedroom." Magnus said.

Crono, Marle, and Lucca quickly donned the coats, as to hide their clothes and Crono's katana. The four walked outside of the apartment, waiting a second for Magnus to lock it, then they headed outside. They walked past where their fight had happened and saw that a police line tape had been stretched across the opening of the alleyway and police were inside examining the fight scene. More were trying to keep back media and onlookers. They walked past as normally as possible and after a couple more minutes of walking arrived at the McDonalds. They walked inside and sat down.

"I'll get the food. Be right back." Magnus said, walking towards the counter.

"Well guys, I think we found our fourth person to travel to the end of time." Lucca said with a grin.

"Are you sure we should take him?" Marle asked.
"Well, it'll be an adventure for him for sure, and we get to go back home." Crono replied to Marle's question.

"OK. It's agreed then, we take him there, then he can go back home and so can we." Lucca said as Magnus came back with the food.

"Here ya go, I bought us all Big Mac meals, hope that's OK." Magnus said, sitting down and passing out the food.

Crono bit into his burger without taking off the wrapper. He spit it out and said, "Gross, what is this? It tastes like paper!"

"You gotta take the wrapper off first, then eat it." Magnus said with an amused look on his face.

"OK, and stop grinning Lucca!" Crono said, staring angrily at Lucca.

"I'm not the one who ate paper!" Lucca said with laughter.

The four ate in silence for awhile, until Marle asked, "So, where do we find a gate?"

"Well, it looks like we will have to look for a different one then the one we came out of, it's blocked off..." Lucca trailed off, realizing that they would have a long time to find one.

"Before you all go off looking for a 'gate', can you tell what they are?" Magnus asked.

"Well, I guess we should tell you the whole story then." Crono said, preparing to tell the long tale that had happened two years ago.

Back with Charles and the unknown man....

"Where should I start? I guess with what you should call me." The man said. "You can call me Kilborne."

"Fine then, Kilborne, why have you brought me here and what have you done with the princess and the others?" Charles asked.

"I already told you, to train you to your full potential. And the princess and the others are in a time where they have to be, for reasons you need not know for the moment." Kilborne said. "Now, for the rest of what I have to tell you, I shall release you from those chains." He said, waving his hand. The chains first turned rusty, then disintegrated. Charles floated for a bit, then was lowered to the ground.

"How did you..." Charles question trailed off in amazement, his worry lost for the moment.

'Another crack' Kilborne thought to himself. "Magic Charles, and you shall have it and more once I train you."

"You keep saying that, but what if I don't want to?" Charles demanded.

"You have no real choice, if you choose not too, you stay here, chained to the wall until you die. If you choose to train, you live forever." Kilborne said matter-of-factly.

"That simple, huh?" Charles said, "Fine, I'll train, but you have to guarantee the princess and my friends safety."

"Of course Charles, I give you my word, and my word is not given lightly." Kilborne said. 'And another.' Thought Kilborne.

"Fine then." Charles said. 'Train a bit, then I can break free.' He thought to himself.

'And another, the crack had become a hole in the armor. Little does the fool know that my powers allow me to sense his thoughts,' Kilborns thought to himself, 'and soon he will be mine!"

Charles did not notice the look of triumph in Kilborne's eyes.

"Now come Charles, my knight in training, you must be curious as of how I am going to train you further than your magnificent Guardia training." Kilborne said with a sarcastic laugh in his voice. Kilborne noticed the look of anger rushing into Charles eyes and quickly said, "Calm yourself, or you might find yourself back in chains."

Charles looked behind him, and saw a skeleton hanging by its arms to the wall he had just being chained to. A shudder ran through his spine that did not go unnoticed by Kilborne.

'Fear, that will guarantee his loyalty.' Kilborne thought to himself, then said aloud, "Come now, we wouldn't want you falling into the darkness now, would we."

Charles then noticed that the lighted path he walking on was slowly disappearing. Not wanting to be left in the darkness, he walked after him. Kilborne smiled an evil grin. He had almost won.

Back at McDonalds with Crono & friends..............

"And that's what happened, up until we met up with you." Crono finished, glad to be done telling the story.

"Amazing. I thought you guys were kidding around or crazy, but that story is too, well too real, to be a joke." Magnus said with amazement, his food forgotten and sitting on the table.

"So you see why we could have saved you and not yet have saved, right." Lucca said.

"Yeah, amazing...." Magnus trailed off.

"So now we have to find a gate that still works." Marle said.

"Well, that could be hard, it's a big world..." Magnus said, "And how would you know if it goes to your time?"

"Well, that's were we where hoping you would come in. You see, like we said, more than three people in a gate would take you to The End of Time...." Crono said, hoping that Magnus would figure the rest out and agree to help them.

"So you want me to help you guys out by going through the gate to the end of time place," Magnus said as Lucca nodded her head, "so you guys can find another gate to your time. But would I be able to get home by myself?"

"Of course, we just let you go first, then we go home." Marle said.

"So will you help us Magnus?" Crono asked.

"Of course! This sounds like some fun shit, and I owe you guys." Magnus said with enthusiasm.

"Great, but remember, we gotta find a gate first." Crono said.

"Well, we could try to find the one in the alley, but we would have to wait a while, the cops won't open it back up for at least a week or so, and ever then we would have to be careful there, they'll be watching for people." Magnus said. "I just guess you guys will just have to stay with me 'till we can get back into the alley."

"OK, sounds good." Crono said.

The four remembered the food sitting on the table, and finished eating the cold burgers and fries. After eating, they got up from their table and walked outside.

"We should avoid walking by the alley, someone might recognize us. Follow me." Magnus said, walking a different way then they had come from.

Back with Charles.................

Charles had been following Kilborne for about five minutes and he was wondering what the hell he was doing. Kilborne suddenly stopped and Charles almost bumped into him. At first he thought that Kilborne was shaking, but soon realized that he was laughing. Charles couldn't figure out what was so funny until Kilborne mumbled to himself, "Good, it's all going to plan."

"What's going all to plan Kilborne?" Charles demanded.

"You don't need to know that just yet Charles." Kilborne replied. "This is were you will sleep." Kilborne opened the door and Charles looked inside.

Inside he saw a comfortable, big bed and a window overlooking a garden. It was the bedroom he had always wanted as a child and had pushed out of his mind when he had figured out that his family would never be able to afford. He walked into and said "Amazing. How did you know?"

"I thought you would like it Charles. Get some sleep, we will begin tomorrow." Kilborne said, smiling.

Charles walked further into the room and the door closed behind him. Kilborne waited outside the door, looking through it with his powers and he smiled a wicked grin again. 'He doesn't see through the illusion.
Perfect, the fool is mine now.'

What Kilborne saw, and what was really there, was a dirty cell with a hard plank of wood suspended by chains. Charles saw it different thanks to Kilborne's illusions. Kilborne laughed again. Everything was going exactly as it had gone every time and soon it would be finish as it always had. He disappeared without a notice to his own chambers. He had things to prepare.

Back at Magnus' apartment..................

"Well, Marle and Lucca can take my bed, Crono and me will take the living room." Magnus said.

"Sure, sounds good, then Crono and Marle can't fool around." Lucca said laughing.

"Shut up Lucca!" Marle yelled.

"Damn. Are you sure I couldn't take the bed with Marle?" Crono asked with a laugh that was cut short as Malre punched him in the arm.

"You shut up too!" Marle said with a red face.

"Calm down guys, I'll be back in a bit, I gotta run out for a few hours. Stay inside. OK?" Magnus asked.

"Sure." Lucca answered for the other two and herself.

Magnus waved, opened the door and closed it behind him. Crono and his friends looked at each other, and they all wondered in their heads what they would do for a few hours to pass the time.

Meanwhile, Magnus had exited his building and started to walk quickly the opposite way he had to McDonalds. He was going to visit his mother. He walked for about fifteen minutes and came into a residential area, and soon came across a faded yellow house. He opened the front gate, closing it behind him and walked up to the door. He knocked and waited.

A couple of seconds an old voice asked through the door, "Who is it?"

"It's me mom." Magnus answered. The door opening quickly and a small old woman stepping out to hug him.

The hugged a bit and went inside. She led him to the living room and they sat down in two fluffy chairs. Magnus smiled and looked around, this would always be his true home.

"So how have you been mom?" Magnus asked.

"Fine, my old bones are aching a bit, but that's expected I guess." She replied.

"I'm glad to hear your OK mom."

"I'm glad you came over. I just baked some fresh cookies. They're your favorite. I had a feeling you would be coming over." She said, getting up to lead him to the kitchen.

They both went into the kitchen and Magnus smiled, she still had that sixth sense all moms seemed to have about their children.

"Thanks mom. You're the best." Magnus said, picking up a cookie and biting into it.

"No problem dear. So what have you been up to lately?" She asked.

"Well, that's what I came to see you about mom. I might be gone a long while, something happened and I need to see it through, in a sense." Magnus replied as they sat back down in the fluffy chairs in the living room they had walked to after getting the cookies.

"Magnus, what happened?" she asked gravely.

"I'm sorry mom, I've never kept anything from you, but I can't tell you. Please understand." Magnus pleaded.

"I don't like it, but I understand." She said with understanding and worry in her voice.

"I came by to see if you needed anything done before I left."

"Well, I need some groceries but that should be it." She said.

"Of course, anything for my favorite mother." Magnus said.

"I'm your only mom dear." She said, playing the little games they had shared since Magnus had been a little child.

"Shall we be off to the market mom?" Magnus asked.

"Let me get my jacket and then we can go." She said. She smiled, she was so proud of the fine man her son had become, she always had been.
Back at Magnus' apartment..........

"So what should we do until he comes back?" Lucca asked again.

"Well, I'm gonna get some sleep, I'm pretty tired." Marle said as she rose out of her chair and walked towards the bedroom. She entered it and a gasp was heard from within the room.

"Marle! What is it?" Crono asked with concern as he rushed in after her.

"Look at the wall!" Marle exclaimed, pointing to the wall left of the single window.

On the wall hang various medals, trophies, and pictures. And in between them all was an awesome looking katana. Lined up against the wall was a stack of four wooden practice katana.

"Whoa!" Crono said through a deep breath. "Amazing looking katana, he must be good. Look at all those things on the wall. They gotta be prizes of some kind."

"Looks like he's better than you Crono!" Lucca teased, finally entering the room after them.

"No one's better than me!" Crono joked back, "But man, Magnus must be good."

"Well, we shouldn't mess with his stuff. Let's go back in the living room. I don't think I could sleep with all the shiny things shining in my face." Marle said, walking out of the room.

The three friends all sat back down in chairs and looked at each other. They were all curious as to how good Magnus was with his katana, but on the other hand, they were all still bored out of their minds.

Back at Magnus' mother's house.......

"Well, I gotta go mom. I'll come visit you as soon as I come back, I promise." Magnus said, reluctant to leave his mother alone for any amount of time.

"Don't worry about me. I managed to survive this long, I can probably outlive you!" His mother joked, although she knew he feared the day when she would die and leave him alone.

"Every since dad died when I was a kid, I worry...." Magnus trailed off.

"I said don't worry! I'll be fine. Now go along, you'll miss whatever you're going to use to get where your going." She said, shooing him out the door, tears in her eyes, knowing that she didn't want him to go, but that she couldn't stop or that she would even try to stop him.

"Alright mom. I'll see you soon." He said, kissing her on the cheek and turning around to walk swiftly back home, his eyes also tearing up a bit from the love he got from his mother, and how he felt like he could never repay her for all her patience and unconditional love.

His mother walked back into her house and saw an envelope sitting on her table. On it was printed the words "Take care mom." She opened it and she saw several hundred-dollar bills in it. She started to cry as she put it on the table. 'How did he grow up to be who he is in this day and age.' She thought to herself.

Magnus walked back home slower than usual, but soon arrived back in front of his building. He looked up at his window and realized that the sun was starting to set. He didn't want to be on the streets at night in this neighborhood so he hurried inside and quickly opened up the tenant's door with his key. He walked up the stairs and walked up to his door. He opened it and saw that Marle and Lucca had fallen asleep in their chairs and Crono was staring out the window at the sunset.

"Nice view from up here, isn't Crono." Magnus said, softly as to not disturb the two sleeping women.

"Yeah, it's breath-taking." Crono exclaimed. "Can I ask ya something?"

"Sure." Magnus replied.

"Are you any good with that katana in your room or is just for show?" Crono asked pointing towards the bedroom.

"Well, I guess people would call me 'excellent' and 'exceptional', but I just like the katana, every since I saw you use it." Magnus said, looking at the room.

"Hmmm... well, I guess you would like this then." Crono replied. He walked over to the table where he had lain the Swallow. He handed it over to Magnus and said, "Nice sword, isn't it."

Magnus took it and swung it a few times, feeling the expert craftsmanship of it and the way it felt so light and agile, and said, "Amazing, this katana is the most beautiful weapon I have ever seen."

"Yeah, that guy we told you about, Melchior, made it and another that's at my house. The other one is called the Rainbow and it's ten times better than this one." Crono said.

"Incredible, I need to meet this man...." Magnus trailed of, imaging what this Melchior could make for him.

Magnus handed the Swallow back to Crono and he laid it back on the table.

"Well, I'm getting pretty tired here." Crono said with a yawn.

"We better put those two in the bed." Magnus said, picking up Lucca with no effort. Crono picked up Marle.

They put the two women in the bed and threw a blanket over top of them. The two men then walked out to the living room.

"Take the couch, I'll take this chair." Magnus said, motioning towards the couch for Crono to sleep on.

"Thanks." Crono replied.

Crono laid down on the couch and almost instantly fell asleep. Magnus sat down in his chair but could not get to sleep. He had too many thoughts in his mind, and with those thoughts came memories, bad memories. He realized that he would never get to sleep with the memories in his head. He knew how to get the out of his head. He stood up and went into his room. Careful not to disturb the two sleeping women, he grabbed two wooden katana and headed out of his apartment to the roof.