Author's note: Yet another chapter I had to cut in two parts, it was just too big. The next chapter is already pretty advanced so expect it shortly. I also noticed that I had anonymous reviews blocked, it's will be unlocked as long as they are not of bad taste, so review away. Anyway, have a good read.

An Unending Struggle

Chapter Ten

Revelations: Crono's Burden

Zack never thought he would see the day that he would have to dodge a blow from the Buster Sword, in part because Angeal never used it in battle but that's not important right now. Never the less, life is full of surprises. Jumping to avoid the cleave, Zack landed on top of the Buster Sword and kicked his former student off his bike.

"Hey Cloud, did you hit your head or something? It's me, THE Zack Fair. You know: handsome hero, your teacher and most importantly your bro!" Zack shouted, not believing that Cloud had just attacked him.

"You aren't anything! Zack is dead!" Cloud shouted as he picked up the First Tsurugi. "I won't let you disgrace my friend's name any longer."

"Zack! We'll help." Shin said as he, Terra, Edge and Rydia arrived at the location.

Then Zack started to smile. This was fun for him, he always wanted to spar with Cloud and a little risk couldn't hurt.

"Nah, I'll handle this!" Zack said, noticing the Buster Sword beside his foot. "Hey Chocobo head… Do you really think you can beat me?" Zack said picking up his old sword. "Don't get cocky just because you beat Sephiroth!" That said Zack lunged at his friend in hopes of getting a good fight.

"Everyone, stay your weapons. This fake is mine!" Cloud ordered the rest of the force. Still boiling with rage, Cloud jumped into the air, gaining a blue aura and quickly descended towards Zack, the tip of his sword covered in blue energy. The latter simply stopped in his tracks and prepared for impact, covering his face with the Buster Sword. The impact only made Zack back down a few inches, taking the chance Zack pushed Cloud away who didn't have any leverage because of being in the air. The false SOLDIER hit the floor hard, losing his grip of his sword. As Cloud crawled back to his sword a foot stepped on its blade and he found the Buster Sword's tip a few inches from his cheek.

"Put your heart into it Cloud!" Zack shouted, trying to take the doubts off Cloud's heart.

"Shut up!" Cloud growled as he made a dash for the Fenrir, taking the remaining five fusion blades from it. Putting the front blades on his waist and dual wielding the back blades he rushed towards Zack before being blocked by an orange flash.

"Cloud, stand down." The orange haired girl ordered as she caught her returning Shuriken. "Long time no see, Zack." The girl said turning to Zack.

"You don't really believe that's him do you?" Cloud asked, enraged.

"If he wasn't… why would he have spared you? He could have easily killed you." The girl responded with an aggressive tone.

"Cissnei! The years have done you good!" Zack exclaimed happily after seeing his old friend.

"Always the flirt, huh Zack." She replied, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I believe you owe us some explanation."

"Oh god… Two times in one day?" Edge lamented.

"YOU… I don't even have the words to describe what I think of you right now! You inconsiderate idiot! You rash child! Act like someone your age." Rydia yelled at Edge with all her might. "Don't you ever think about the consequences of your actions? What if they had deemed us hostile? Do you realize what kind of…" She stopped as she realized that everyone was staring at her. "I'll deal with you later." She said as she calmed down.

Shin coughed to get some attention.

"If you're no longer trying to kill us can you get your military out of here? You just might be getting a bad first impression." He sarcastically said.

Cissnei picked up a black device, touched the screen and put it against her ear.

"Cissnei here, Tseng call off the assault, I don't have the authority to send these SOLDIER home." She said, seemingly speaking towards nowhere.

"If you insist… Just let me know about what you find out there. That would really help your return to the Turks." A voice came from the apparatus leaving everyone but Zack and Cloud astonished.

"Roger. Cissnei off." She said as she touched the screen and put it back on her pocket.

"You got an Iphone? They totally spoil the Turks!" Zack said amazed.

"Oh c'mon Zack it's not like you could get one, with your "status" until now. Besides, Cloud got one today." She replied, the last part being in a playful tone.

"DAMN YOU RUFUS!" Zack yelled, shaking his fist towards the sky.

"Hey Zack. What's an Iphone?" Shin asked.

"It's a popular telephone." Zack replied, but he soon noticed that Shin continued full of doubts. "What you don't know what a phone IS?" Edge, Rydia, Terra and Shin just shook their heads.

"A telephone is a device that lets you communicate at distance with other people. It would take a while to explain its workings so I'll leave it to another time." Cissnei explained.

"No fun, are ya Ciss?" Zack pouted.

"Duty first Zack." She replied.

"Zack… Sorry about that…" Cloud apologized.

"Don't worry man. Give this bro a manly hug!" He said.

"Huh… no thanks." Cloud replied as he extended his hand. "Good to have you back."

"Good to be back!" Zack said as he shook his hand. "Now, who wants to get inside?"

"You can't just invite them Zack!" Terra complained. "It's not our castle."

"Cecil will be more than happy to talk with more people from other worlds." Rydia said.

"Other what?" Cloud asked.

"We'll get to that latter." Shin said.

"Well I'm coming. I need to report to SHINRA." Cissnei said.

"And we're coming too, aren't we Cloud?" Tifa said as she put her arm around his neck.

"You're going to make me go aren't you?" He answered in dismay.

"Damn straight!" A rugged, blonde haired man said as he approached the group. "The rest of the group will catch up eventually too." He said before turning to Shin and the others. "Name's Cid, Cid Highwind."

"Another Cid?" Terra asked surprised. "That makes what? Three?"

"Awesome!" Edge and Zack said in unison, fist pumping as they noticed that.

"Well for now let's get back." Rydia said as she glared at Edge. "I've got matters to take care of." She said, making Edge gulp.

As they went back to the castle Zack pated Edge's back.

"Sorry bro… can't help you. Rest in peace." He said, manly tears flowing down his face.

"Don't worry, I've been in this for eighteen years straight… I just might survive." Edge said, giving a dramatic farewell.

"Better hurry up before the shippers get the two of you." Cuore said as she floated above them.

"When did you get here? Are you here to laugh in my face again?" Edge asked.

"I was here to help you get away but since you insist…"

"Nonononono. Please help me!" Edge begged.

"Okay, I'll go talk with Mother, just don't continue to get on her bad side okay?"

"Ohhh so you already HAVE a helper!" Zack said.

"Kinda… depends if I play with her or not. Playing with her isn't always nice however… She plays tag…with Flare." Edge replied.

"Ouch…" Zack said imagining himself in such a situation.

"Aren't ninjas supposed to be fast?" Rydia growled from the distance.

"That's our cue!" Edge exclaimed as he and Zack sped forward in the direction of the castle.

"Welcome to my castle." Cecil greeted. Cissnei and Tifa immediately bowed, with Cloud following quickly but Cid just stood there.

"Hiya!" Cid replied.

"Cid!" Tifa whispered.

"Now there, there's no need for formalities. You can make yourselves at home. But I must ask, is your name really Cid?" Cecil asked.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"My name's also Cid!" Cid Pollendina said.

"Weird… There was a Sword Saint in my world called Thunder God Cid." Ramza divagated.

"No way! The head of our clan was also called Cid!" Luso said as Adelle nodded.

"Dude! Cid was my best friend's dad and a judge!" Marche continued.

"My adoptive grandfather is also called Cid…" Celes added.

"This is getting creepy…" Terra said.

"What a coincidence." Locke began. "Or is it?" He turned to the "camera" and there was a dramatic zoom-in. "Damn you Square!" He yelled as he shook his fist in midair, an echo followed.

"He's finally gone mad…" Edgar said baffled.

"What relationship did I get myself into?" Celes lamented, facepalming.

"On to business." Crono dryly said.

"You might want to give a quick recap to them before discussing this any further." Cecil suggested.

"Fine, I'll do it." Terra said.

She started to explain everything, from what Shin told her about how he woke up, the parade, their meeting, the attack on the city and…. She arrived at the taboo part for Cloud.

"After fighting for a bit he told me his name." Terra began.

"Terra don't!" Zack warned but it was too late.

"Sephiroth." Terra finished.

"Sephiroth? Where is he?" Cloud said, grabbing Terra's shoulders and shaking her. "Not him too, why can't he stay dead? Do you know where he is? Tell me!"

Zack had to restrain Cloud for him to stop.

"Get a hold of yourself man! Yes he's alive, no we don't know where he is, yes you'll probably have to fight him again. Now let the girl finish!" Zack said with an authority unseen until now.

"Sorry…" Cloud apologized.

"No problem… I know how you feel." Terra said, thinking about Kefka. "But most importantly, why is he so familiar? And how did my esper know his name? Why did he appear on my dreams? And why do I get the brotherly vibe from him?" She thought to herself. Knowing that she wouldn't be getting any answers yet she continued with the story until the present moment.

"That's… I'm mind blown…" Tifa managed to say, her mouth wide agape.

"Rufus will like to hear about this." Cissnei muttered.

Cid just shrugged. "Figures… We never get some rest do we?"

"Yeah…" Cloud said, agreeing.

"Now that everyone is on par with situation…" Crono began." "The reason I'm here is because I know what could have happened. You see… I'm from the future." He stated as he left everyone jaw droped.

"About ten years from now if we trust the Epoch. As I was saying in my world It had been three years since me and some companions embarked a quest through time to defeat the alien parasite Lavos and prevent the Apocalypse. After we succeeded everyone returned to their time and I married Marle, a girl that I had met on my journey." Crono's face darkened after this. "One day I went to visit my mother alone, since Marle was pregnant and didn't want to take risks with the baby. What I saw was indescribable. Omega, towering above my home town, everything set aflame. No one survived." He said as he took a deep breath as he drifted to a flashback.

"Mother? Everyone? Lucca?" A younger Crono yelled. Omega stared at him, analyzing the young man.

"No risk detected, moving on to Guardia Castle." The beast mechanically said.

"You! You did all of this!" Crono shouted as he drew the Dreamseeker. "This is for every innocent live you claimed today! Luminaire!" A giant sphere of green energy erupted from Crono, fazing Omega a driving it backwards.

"Analysis incorrect. Deploying Wave Canon." The creature announced.

Crono tried to block the beam but his blade was damaged by it and he was sent flying towards a house. He slowly got up just to notice that Omega was laying siege to the castle.

"No! Marle!" Crono shouted as he raced to the castle. He managed to pass unnoticed beneath Omega's legs and managed to arrive at Marle's room.

"Crono, what's happening?" A distressed blonde asked.

"I don't know Marle, but we've got to get to the Epoch!" Crono explained, out of breath.

They ran through the crumbling hallways of the castle, every soldier urging them to get away, they eventually reached the dock where they had stored the Epoch since Lavos's defeat.

"I'll help you get on." Crono said as he got in to the Epoch and started pulling Marle up. Unfortunately the walls crumbled at that time, revealing a horrifying yellow eye.

"Time travelling device located, annihilation, Surge canon!" The metal monstrosity said as it prepared its strongest weapon.

"There's not enough time…" Marle said in a saddened voice as she pushed Crono into the Epoch and pushed the activation button. "Live for me…" She said as the cockpit closed leaving a tearful Crono to witness the giant white light, passing out.

I awoke in the place we used as a base in our last journey, the End of Time, the Epoch had stopped working and the gates of time were closed. Seeing no way out I started to look for survivors.

"Gaspar?" Crono called as he ran through the courtyard. Seeing that there was no response he opened the gate. "Spekkio?" He called but again hearing no response. He returned to main courtyard just to see a cloaked man that he quickly recognized. "Magus! You're alive!" He shouted in relief.

"Not for very long… " Magus said, revealing the gaping hole in his stomach. "Gaspar tried to pull me from my time to escape that beast… But it was too late for all of us. Crono time… doesn't exist anymore, this is the only place that remains of this world, and it will soon be
consumed by the Void as well."

"No that can't be true!" Crono desperately said.

"Alas it is… But I trust you Crono, you'll find a way out of this… and when you do tell me please… I still have to find my sister…" Magus said as life slipped of him.

"Magus!" Crono said as ran towards the man. Realizing he was dead Crono despaired. "What am I supposed to do?" he shouted.

"That is a question that is old man can provide an answer too." A cloaked figure said, appearing behind Crono.

"Who are you?" Crono asked.

"My name is of no consequence. I have outfitted the Epoch with a new function… To travel between worlds using the Rift as a bridge." The man explained as he pointed to the ship. "Take these with you." The man said as he threw some papers towards Crono. "In those papers is all the information that one who called himself The Great Will managed to write about the hero's in existence. Take it and ride the Epoch, this universe may be doomed, but we can stop Omega before he gain such destructive force!"

Thinking about Magus's words Crono grabbed the papers an nodded. "Your idea might just work, I will do this… for everyone."

"Good, just remember, never let revenge control you…" The man said as he disappeared into thin air.

"And that's what happened." Crono finished, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Everyone I know is dead." Crono whipped the tears and continued. "I found my way to Ivalice and searched different time periods to find its greatest heroes. I was unable however to pin point the location of one since the reports didn't offer the necessary information for me to find Vaan. I then found Aya, whose world had just been attacked by Omega and rescued her. Only then did I finally arrived at this time period. Point Zero… this is where it all began." He finished, leaving the crowd speechless.

"That's… horrible!" Terra said, overflowing with empathy. "So that's why you're always so serious."

"I don't need sympathy, I have accepted the facts." Crono said dryly.

"Well this was quite the story." Cecil said, trying to break the somber mood. "But I think we all need some rest don't we?"

Everyone nodded, some were physically tired other's emotionally tired because of the story.

"Well, we'll guide you to your quarters, a night's rest will surely help us sort ideas." Cecil said as he opened the double door.

"Follow me."

Everyone started to follow Cecil and as such they did not notice the man that floated at the window.

"Oh Terra, I almost feel sorry for you, that crystal has put a bull's-eye on your head. But I wonder… Do you want to hear what this bird as to whisper? Lost memories may be best left forgotten" The silver haired man chimed. "I think it's time to raise the curtain once again."

Next chapter:

"Interesting, there seem to be traitors everywhere I look…"

"That guy can only be one of these two…"

"I shall not let you pass."