Chrono Trigger
The Truth and Sorrows of a Dead World; a chapter in which we learn the horrible mystery surrounding this world and how the true story begins…
There was plenty of time to rest although they were so close to the finish line of their journey. They were certain that anything they came across could not be as dreadful as that devil they dispatched. The whole experience left them devoid of any energy and their limbs were heavy like lead. Therefore, when Crono found his way towards his comrades he instantly collapsed onto the floor, staring at the ceiling as he breathed deeply and slowly as if his experience gave him a profoundly new appreciation for the simple things.
The girls mimicked him, each collapsing on each side of him, staring at the cables that were strewn across the ceiling, not caring if the floor was dusty and dirtied them so that their backs were nearly black. After a few minutes they rose to their feet as if they were reluctant to do so and headed towards the elevator. With a simple push of a button they neared the end of yet another journey that would lead them home.
Just like the floor above, there were thick bay doors that had the capability of flying open. With that familiar wheeze of pumps, the doors split apart in an instant, bathing the dark elevator shaft with light. What they saw was another interesting spectacle, although not so surprising since they sojourned much more shocking events.
They stepped into a room that was quite unlike anything they had seen in this place. The tile was not broken or popping from its caulking in certain places, but was only covered in a thick layer of dust that flew about their feet in the wake of their clothing. There were video cameras all about them with many cords protruding out of strange equipment. There were also many books (now barely legible due to lengthy negligence) resting in bookshelves that lined the walls. However, straight ahead of them was something far more interesting than whatever else existed in the room.
Perhaps it would be a good time to tell you that in their world they had video cameras and movies as well, however their cameras were primitive compared to these wonders. Also, movies, television sets, and screens were a rarity, seeing that their world never held much an interest in them in the first place. Their world was a world in which people could never sit still and watch someone else doing anything, however in this world there seemed to be endless lists of movies that even piqued their curiosity. While their movies were mostly about historical facts there were movies in this place that dealt with a wide variety of topics and they were endless in number, resting on the bookshelves along with the tomes.
"What are they? Are they like movie reels?" Crono asked, looking towards Lucca.
"I imagine, since they have the word 'movie' listed next to some random adjectives." Lucca replied with a sarcastic tone and smirk.
"If I wasn't so tired I think I would put you in a headlock." Crono said, his shoulders slumping.
"You'd go down faster than a sack of potatoes." Lucca said this with a whimsical air that made Marle laugh while Crono only rolled his eyes.
Even though these things were interesting to them, it is not the object of their attention that I had mentioned earlier; rather these videos pertain to what they saw before them. At the back of the room was the largest video screen they had ever seen. It took up the entire back wall and there was even a gap that separated them from getting to close to the screen. In the gap were endless cords that were entangled and mashed together so that it seemed as if it were a sea of dead snakes. Blocking them from falling over the gap was a console lined with several comfortable (yet dirty) leather chairs that seemed to burst at the seams. Marle sat herself down with a jump and hacked and sputtered as a cloud of dust rose from the chair and nearly suffocated her with its musty stench.
"Are you okay, Marle?" Crono asked with a diminutive smirk.
"Yeah, I guess I should have expected that."
The others followed, only taking the time to dust off the chairs and seat themselves slowly. Had they known about these chairs they would have descended instead of contenting themselves to a dirty floor as they did earlier. While Crono and Marle, plopping their feet onto button less parts of the console, Lucca was already at work, investigating the many toggles and devices at her fingertips.
"Man, I don't even know where to begin…" Lucca said more to herself than anyone else.
"Do you think you can get it working?" Crono asked, resting his hands behind his head as he leaned further back into the chair.
"Well, maybe I can start it up." Her eyes wandered to a large toggle.
There was a click and suddenly they were bathed in a blue light as the screen came to life. They waited a few moments as if they thought the machine would simply be able to answer there questions without any effort. The waiting turned to a minute and Lucca already began to grow slightly frustrated, "I don't know what this thing is, but I think I already don't like it! Come on! Why can't you work?"
"User help enabled…"
A strange voice filled the room, neither human nor mystical beast. They looked about, hands flying to their weapons, but were surprised to see nothing. They were on their feet now, peering into dark corners and around book cases until one of them finally said, "What was that?"
When the same voice answered them they nearly jumped out of their skin until they realized that it was coming from the screen. The strange voice almost seemed like a crude imitation of a man, but seemed garbled and pronounced certain words strangely. "User help is a program that has been developed to help beginners grow accustomed to the procedures and programs that exist on this system. Would you like to read the user help manual?"
"Hey, I'm no beginner! Just what the heck are you trying to pull?" Lucca said, gnashing her teeth.
"Answer does not compute. Please submit an answer pertaining to the question: Would you like to read the user help manual?"
The trio just looked at each and glancing back at the plain blue screen. What a strange thing this was! However, after a moment of silence it repeated itself again, causing the party to shrug and Crono finally ventured a guess. "Uh, no. No thank you."
"User help will go to standby."
"What convenience!" Crono crowed as he placed his hands on his sides. "I know what this is! It's like some kind of guide! One second; User help!"
The silent room was suddenly filled with that omnipotent voice, "Do you have an inquiry?"
"Yes," Crono had a beaming smile that could not contain his growing joy, "do you have access to something called a star sender."
"Yes, seeing that the power expenditure is equivalent to the power being produced."
Marle suddenly became as giddy as a child that made a great discovery, "Let me try! Can you detect strange emissions of energy?"
"Yes, the star sender is equipped with land mapping and other programs that constantly update photos and topographical datum."
Unexpectedly it was Lucca who finally realized its function last, "Ah, so can you detect a large energy source known as UGEE?"
"Yes. Would you like the world map to be displayed?"
They began to cheer loudly so that the last part of the question was barely heard. They answered unanimously and suddenly the blue screen showed a completely different image. All the blue was gone and there was a large orb surrounded by thick darkness. The orb was covered in swirls of red, white, and dark violet blues. There were bright yellow dots that began to appear all over the image, each dot accompanied with a name.
"Wow! It's the world! It's the entire world!" Marle giggled excitedly as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
Crono had no enthusiasm in his voice as he said, "It all looks the same…"
Marle stopped being so enthusiastic as the orb began to grow larger and larger, mountains and seas coming into view. All over the word were dark, gray spots that were massive. As the orb continued to grow and grow so they could not see the darkness of space anymore, they realized that they were entire cities with shattered roads and buildings. Marle let out a surprised gasp as she suddenly realized what Crono had noticed only moments before, "The entire world is completely dead. There is not a spot of green or brown anywhere!" Her voice held no small amount of dismay while the others only looked on.
Deep inside their hearts they imagined that they had happened upon the worst of the world, but that image of boundless hills covered in red sand only confirmed the awful truth that whatever happened here had affected the entire world so that there was no respite anywhere. Except for the occasional mountain covered in snow, the entire world seemed barren.
"I…I want to leave…" Lucca whimpered to herself.
"I know. I do too." Crono patted her on the shoulder in attempts to comfort her.
The image continued to zoom until a large circular building could be seen and they realized it was the very dome they were in! That released their sorrows slightly and replaced it with intrigue as the zoom and image became so detailed that they could see every beam from the shattered surface. If they had wanted to, they could have examined the very pebbles that lay outside the door. A yellow dot situated itself right in the center of the structure along with the name of the dome.
"Currently you are in Arris Dome. Do you wish to begin a new search?"
"Can you find the largest emissions of UGEE?" Lucca asked.
"Yes, shall I begin scanning?"
"Please." Lucca was already becoming quite fond with the accessibility of this device that probably saved her hours of research.
The world zoomed out and once again you could see the entire planet from a distance. There were numerous yellow dots, this time naming territories that seemed familiar somehow. Along with the yellow dots were several green dots that were dense in some areas. There was one area in particular that was covered in bright green, which was a snow capped mountain beside a solitary dome. They were quite amazed how quickly the information came to them and how responsive the strange program was. Within moments the omnipotent voice said in its calm, garbled tone, "I have encountered an anomaly while I have scanned for the UGEE emissions." The image zoomed in again, passing clouds and going over mountains in the east until they came to a small dome that was no more than fifty miles away from them.
"What is the nature of the anomaly?" Lucca asked.
"Typically, when there are large amounts of UGEE (unexplained geothermal and electric emissions) they are underground. However, this is a very large emission and it is above ground."
She gasped, "That's it! That's our way home! And it's close! If we leave tomorrow we could be home by afternoon!"
"You're the best, Lucca!" Crono gave her a tight hug, causing her to become momentarily speechless and causing Marle to frump only for a second.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go home!" Crono said with a beckoning hand.
Marle and Crono were already dashing towards the elevator when they were stopped by the sudden realization that Lucca was not following them. They turned back to see that Lucca was still looking over the counter, very pensively. Crono and Marle walked back towards her, each placing a hand on her shoulder, "What are you waiting for?" Marle said with a grand smile, "We can go home! We can leave this place!"
"What if we can't come back here again?" Lucca asked, looking very sad and hesitant.
"Why would you want to do that?" Marle asked with a small amount of unintended insensitivity.
"There are so many things that we can still find out! I mean, those people were experimenting with biology!" Lucca began, sputtering out thoughts rapidly.
Crono spoke, "I think it would be best if we didn't pry so much into this world. What if we find something destructive?"
"I won't go looking for anything like that! I promise! I mean, this has always been my dream, to find so much knowledge at once!" She began to plead.
"What can this world teach us?" Marle began, sounding a bit irritated, "To fight? To destroy lives?"
"To cure diseases! To make machines safe and functional!" Lucca began with an equally irritated tone which increased as she progressed down her list. "To find new means of transportation! To give immediate help to those who need it! This is what I do! I am an inventor so that I can help people! I am an inventor so that I can change the world and we have all the resources here! Think about it! We can prolong life! Make it possible to visit people we haven't seen for years at the blink of an eye! Maybe we can even restore lost limbs that, I mean, I…" At this point her voice broke and she was speechless for a moment. She looked into Crono's eyes and turned away once she saw that he was looking at her with a strange mixture of mourning and sympathy. Marle realized only in the slightest degree that there was something that she did not understand fully, because Crono put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Okay. We can take a look."
"Really?" Lucca looked up at him with misty eyes.
"Yeah, I know how important this is to you…"
She dried her eyes as she gave his hand a squeeze, "Thank you so much. I promise I'll only use what we need."
Marle watchedLucca hum happily to herself as she went through countless files. She gave the computer command after command so that she gained quite an insight to how advanced this world really was. For some strange reason she choose to look into merging biological limbs into a host body, which was beyond Marle but seemed to be quite important to her counterparts. There was a look of dismay their faces when they saw that the science was still under experimentation, but they took some strange comfort in knowing that such a thing was possible. After that, Lucca contented herself on viewing several movies concerning the inventions that had changed the face of this world.
This hollow corpse of a world was nothing compared to its formal glory. As they watched video footage they were awed by the things they saw, swearing that it had to have been a dream if anything. There were buildings that reached for the heavens, which would dwarf even the monolithic castle in which Princess Nadia resided. They were amazed by the single vehicle they rode, but when they watched this historical footage they saw them glimmering underneath a golden sun by the millions. They rode along highways that crossed over each other, but seemed to flow with as much as a steady stream as did a river. What surprised them even more was that this world had discovered the secret of flight that had eluded their land for so long.
There were strange machines that almost seemed like birds. Although they seemed to go very slowly across the ethereal blue skies, they were informed by the computer that they traveled much faster than any other vehicle they encountered. They also saw massive boats that went between continents, and harbors that stretched for miles so that ships carrying wares had vehicles to travel up and down the wharfs. Despite the fact that there were many boats, the water was crystal clear so that you could see all the way to the bottom. Then that led them to the wonders of deep sea exploration. They were amazed at all the different types of fish that this world had and were surprised to see that most of them were exactly the same as the fish in their world.
There were glass covered structures erected among green forests. There were snow capped mountains with white water rivers filled with wildlife. This was the future they had expected to encounter when they arrived, and although it was gone they were quite thrilled to see the possibilities that their world could inherit. However, there was something that haunted Crono and although he did not wish to speak it, Lucca could sense what he wanted to know.
"Computer, please show us the progression of weapons in this world."
They were surprised to see that this world once used primitive guns, swords, and bows as their world did. They were greeted with reenacted footage of battles while the computer discussed the strategies and plots that were used in certain wars. This was becoming oddly, and uncomfortably familiar. However, familiarity went to the back seat as the weapons displayed became increasingly intricate and complex. The battlefield had evolved to the point where there were so many different strategies that only one of many years could adequately know them all. There were guns that could snipe people from miles away, causing swords and knives to be used only as a subsidiary device. There were strange new types of hand to hand combat that involved spinning kicks and jabs in which fingers were extended, and it made Crono wish he knew those strange styles. However, there was one thing that surprised them more than anything else…
They had seen a small demonstration of explosives. Lucca saw to that when Crono escaped from the dungeon tower. However, there were similar inventions only they yielded many different variations. They had explosives that did not cause fatal damage, but only stunned the enemy until it went into a concussion. There were other grenades that would leek out a strange gas that seemed to hurt anyone who breathed it. There was another that caused flaming liquid to engulf all those who were caught in the blast. However, that was not the most surprising and horrifying thing they have seen.
"History has come far enough that the very molecules came into play, thus creating the most devastating bomb in history."
Suddenly the screen changed so that there was a spanning landscape. For miles there was nothing but golden sand showing that this bomb was experimental. They had expected nothing, but were engulfed in a dark chill when the screen suddenly flashed white. Although they could not hear the deafening sound, they could see that even from a distance the camera shook from the blast. Gusts of sand and wind blew past the lens as a distant wave of sand blotted out the sun, rising high into the sky.
"This was the first bomb of its kind and was later improved upon in these ways; the blast causes very little harm to the environment, and the blast radius, which originally reached fifty miles, had increased to three hundred miles with the most recent test."
"That has to be how this world ended up the way it is." Crono said, slumping into his chair in disbelief.
"No," Lucca said firmly while chewing on her thumbnail, "they said that the bomb was designed to cause little damage to the environment."
"I don't think they knew what they were talking about!" Marle said, pointing to the screen, "How could that cause 'little' damage to the environment?"
"I can't answer that," Lucca admitted, "but can you explain how the vehicle we use floats or how Crono did not get burned when he stuck his arm in electricity at the fair? I imagine you can't, so who are we to say that the world ended by using that bomb?"
Suddenly, Crono offered forth a suggestion that he almost dare not mention himself, "We could see how it happens you know."
"How what happens?" Lucca asked.
"How this world dies." He answered rather quietly, trying his best to sound lackadaisically about the whole thing.
"Crono," Marle began gently, "I don't think we should…"
"Well, what if we come this far in our society too? There should be things we can look out for, right?"
"Well, maybe some things aren't meant for us to know. All things happen for a reason, and who are we to change that?"
"Well, we brought you back." Crono countered.
"That's different." Marle said, crossing her arms and crinkling her brow.
"That's true," Lucca admitted, "but I am curious too. We might as well. Maybe there is something we can do to help?"
With the probability of aiding these people, her kind heart instantly conceded, "Alright. I suppose we can see."
Lucca smiled and turned towards the screen, "Computer!"
"What do you wish to know?"
"Can you show us footage of the most recent war on your files?"
The screen instantly changed to a strange type of broadcast. There was a woman standing in the middle of a group of men who were carrying large guns very much like the kind Marle carried with her. They could hear nothing while the woman talked into some strange object as she looked at the screen. However, there were words appearing on the screen that said things like, "Soldiers deployed at the central forest expanse. Daily death toll increasing." and suddenly…
"Guardian Prime minister to encourage troops?" Marle read this with a strangely weak voice.
"Medina troops stationed outside of El Nido islands?" Crono read with a growing sense of fear within him.
"They are the same names of our countries…" Lucca said breathlessly.
They saw a few minutes of brutal footage. The camera shook as smaller incendiaries detonated into soft earth, sending large veils of earth and the occasional body to fly into the sky. They did not only see people, but imps and ogres that inhabited their world. There were massive lines that formed and those same wonders they saw were being used in the most barbaric fights they had ever witnessed. However, the last scene they saw was a comforting one.
There was a different person speaking into the camera, and once again they could not hear their voices. However, they could still read headlines that were posted at the bottom of the screen: "War ends! Medina agrees to sign peace treaty between both countries! Soldiers are evacuated from El Nido islands! Economic reporters state that there will be large increase in the world wide economy due to mutual agreement between all countries!" There was a final clip of footage showing a man shaking hands with a mystic and then the screen faded to black.
"What is this?" Marle asked, rising from her seat and stumbling backwards.
"Is this our world?" Lucca asked, sounding very confused.
"I don't understand! There is peace! There weren't any bombs deployed like the one we saw." Crono looked round about as he said, "Computer, was there any bomb deployments like the ones we saw in the weaponry footage?"
"No. In fact, there are several quotes from treaties banning the use of such weapons. There is also a famous pacifist that stated the creation of the Great Destroyer was perhaps the greatest peacemaker invented, saying that fear on both sides caused a mutual desire to refrain from furious wars."
"What does that mean?" Lucca asked, pulling on her hair, "Did we somehow travel into another world in the future? Is this still some other world that has been observing our own? If our world doesn't destroy itself by using bombs, does that mean that this is still some other world that is observing our own world from the future?"
"Question does not compute."
That earned a singular guffaw from Lucca as she began to pace back and forth, her arms outstretched. Marle stood there, thinking very hard on what this could mean while Crono seemed stunned. However, he was the first to gather his wits and he asked, "Computer, what caused the decay of this world?"
Suddenly there was a very strange occurance. Very strange indeed. The computer which spoke with a calm and garbled voice began to speak very harshly and deeply so that it sounded as if it were a creature from your nightmares. The screen broke out into static and it seemed as if the screen would burst. The three looked at each other with frightened glances as the static suddenly disappeared, showing a still frame of something indistinguishable. Whatever it was it was red like fire and there seemed to be something like monolithic protruding from its surface.
"What is that?" Crono asked, squinting to see if he could see the picture.
"Lavos." Came the demonic sound of the omnipotent voice.
Lucca, despite the fact that the computer took on a frighteningly harsh voice still scoffed, "Lavos? That's a myth!"
"What? What is Lavos?" Crono asked.
"You haven't heard about it school?" Lucca asked with surprise while Crono shook his head in reply.
"Well, way before our time there was a civilization that worshipped a god called Lavos. They said that this Lavos gave them power and caused their city to float. The civilization disappeared without a trace and all we have are old stories handed down for ages."
"So, why would the computer say Lavos was the cause of the destruction?" Marle said, starting to become a little unhinged.
Suddenly, her eyes grew wide in understanding, "Ah, perhaps there was some natural disaster and they named it after him! Computer, can you show us all footage regarding anything concerning Lavos?"
"Do you wish to enable sound?"
"Yeah, sure." Lucca replied in a put-offish way, not really liking this strange new voice.
Now they were watching something that seemed very much like a documentary. There were several stone tablets that held depictions of a strange demon. There were many different interpretations as to what Lavos looked like and it didn't seem as there was any conclusions reached. While the cameras went over the tablets there was a solemn, scholarly voice that went on to discuss the further relevancy of Lavos and the history of their world. Occasionally pictures were shown of the topics and there were quite a few surprises shown to them.
"For most of the six and for the first year of the seventh century there were two armies that fought bitterly. Humankind and the mystics fought for supremacy. The battle was exceedingly costly on both sides. At the head of one army was the King of Guardia while the other was a supposed sorcerer named the Magus or among his enemies as the Black Wind.
There was a picture of a strong looking man. His face was very stern and everything about him looked fierce. He had pointed ears and a protruding forehead that was covered in long, silvery blue hair. About him was a billowing cape. At that instant Crono and Marle instantly recognized all their history lessons and remembered how hostile people were towards the Mystics even to this day because of the atrocities caused by him during the Great War. There were entire cities razed in a single night, there would be slain men, women, and children in the streets with Magus standing at the head of his advancing army. He was known as the cruelest dictator in all of known history.
"It is unknown how the war came to an end and it is impossible to tell, seeing that the story is shrouded in myth. According to legend there was a deformed knight that infiltrated enemy territory, enraged after a crucial defeat known as the Zenan Bridge battle."
"Hey, deformed knight…Could that be who I think it is?" Crono asked, turning to Lucca.
"Could it really be Frog?" Lucca asked, a deep sense of worry brooding within her, "Does he really die after the war? No…Why him?"
"As a result of the battle, many of Guardia's soldiers died and left the army crippled. Myth says that this knight and Magus engaged in battle, fought, and neither had been seen again. However, the second general in command was still left and was the reason why war still continued off and on for all these years. History says that Magus was a crucial key to winning victory. The mystics were reportedly astounded by the power that Magus possessed and were easily swayed into believing his story about a mythological god known as Lavos. (One might also be interested to know that the name of this creature appears in text long before the time of the Great War). He claimed that he could recreate Lavos and also claimed that it had the ability to obliterate the human race, thus ensuing Mystic victory. However, Magus disappeared with the deformed knight and was never heard of again…"
Suddenly the screen went blank and a completely different clip of footage came on screen. It did not seem to have relevancy to the topic at all! Lucca nodded in certainty as she turned to the others, "I was wondering why this machine was acting weird. I think it is having some malfunctions."
"No…"
They turned about in surprise. They waited for a response but heard nothing. They said to themselves that they imagined it, but they began to watch the video footage. The screen was blank, but then there was a single line that read thus: June 17th 1999. After that the screen came alive with color and what they saw was a sprawling city at nighttime. Countless yellow dots filled the landscape behind her like the stars that dwelled in the sky. There was a woman and she spoke about a certain fair that was coming on its way. She had a very pleasant voice, a very proper figure, and it was obvious that she did whatever this was for a living.
"Ah," Marle said with a clap of her hands, "I get it! This is like a newspaper, except they do it with video!"
"And now I turn the time over to our correspondent who is waiting with baited breath at Leene Square!" A male voice announced.
"Thank you very much, and I am very happy to be here. As you can see there are already preparations being made six months ahead for the new year?"
"Whoa! I know what they are doing!" Crono shouted, "It's another millennial fair! They still have them in the future?"
"I can see that you are excited for the activities!" The male voice said with a certain fake charm that meant to be humorous.
"You bet I am," the reporter stated, "there are rumors that many celebrities plan to frequent the fair. There have been numerous bands that have made contracts with the director of the fair and the festivities are said to last for three months this time around. Countries from all over the world are participating in the fair and it promises to be an event enjoyed by everyone."
"This fair could not have come at a better time."
"I agree with you. Some say that the treaty signed only a few years ago between Medina and Guardia was partially due to the fair itself."
"I believe it. So are there any bands you want to see?"
"Well, I really want to go see-"
The segment cut short and suddenly switched footage. This time there was a date that said it was September in the same year. There was a different report this time, a man with a bushy moustache and strange suit like none the trio had ever seen before. Instead of a darkened horizon with countless blinking lights, he was sitting behind a table with several papers in his hand, "Breaking news: tremors have increased all over the world by a considerable number in the last two weeks. We go live to our correspondent in Porre, where the most recent earthquake occurred."
"Thank you, as you can see I am standing in front of the Porre skyline where we can see several shattered windows and damaged buildings. The quaking began around ten this morning as a slight tremor before it began to shake violently."
"We have received word that geologists conducted research on this strange activity. Is there anything you can tell us from their opinions?"
"Unfortunately, no. They are baffled to the cause of the quaking and say that there are no plausible leads to go on."
The screen cut back to the same man from before and he said, "Although the tremors are being felt all through the western and eastern continents, the Prime Minister of Guardia announced that there will be no delays in preparing the fair."
"-Mystics accused of weapon testing despite former treatise. More later tonight…"
"-harsh words were exchanged as Minister Guardia verbally assaults the Medina nation."
"-Foreign relations decrease dramatically as tremors increase."
Suddenly the screen cut to black and there was a date that printed on the very bottom of the screen: December 28, 1999.
"-War has been declared once again. The fair has been put on hold due to fears of terrorist attacks."
Crono could feel tears swell in his eyes as well as the others and suddenly his legs felt very weak. He looked at the screen and said it so softly that the other could barely hear him, "So it is a war that destroys us all. Why didn't the computer tell us earlier?"
He could feel a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Marle smiling sweetly down at him, "You know what? I'm glad that we watched this. You know who I am, don't you? I am the future heir to the Guardian throne! The first thing I'm going to do is send an ambassador to Medina and put an end to this! You changed the future for me, so I can do it for the world too!" Crono smiled as he squeezed her hand in a silent reply, but his grip went slack as he looked towards the screen.
"December 31st, 1999"
There was another scene and this was perhaps the most chaotic thing they had ever seen. They were the capital of Porre and it seemed as if everything were in upheaval. There was a male reporter who was wide-eyed with fear as he stumbled around clumsily. In the back there were buildings collapsing all around as the public began to dash madly from the falling debris.
"This is the one! Earthquakes have seized the entire nation of Porre, causing death by the millions! Tidal waves are smashing into the mainland! There is so much commotion I can't explain everything that's going on! There is looting and automobile accidents occurring left and right-look out!"
The screen cut to static and suddenly there was a change of reports and a change of reporters. Behind this one was a city full of ruin and shattered skyscrapers.
"After much thorough investigation it has been determined that secret weapon testing is not the cause of the recent tremors. Geologists have located its source to an area outside of what remains of Porre's capital. The quaking has ceased and a team of scientists have been assembled consisting of the best from all countries, even Medina. Thankfully the war will be averted due to further talks; however there is the strange phenomenon behind the earthquakes. Despite this, the fair is expected to be held tomorrow, and understandably the turnout is expected to be dismal."
"January 1st, 2000"
Have you ever watched something so horrible that words failed you? Have you ever felt such a sense of fear and hopelessness that you could only continue to stare? That was very much the same feeling that Crono, Marle, and Lucca had as they saw the most horrible thing. There was a gigantic crowd of people standing a distance away from where a group of scientists began to excavate the ground. However, as the reporter talked there was a slight tremor which was ignored at first, seeing that it disappeared as quickly as it had begun. A hushed silence fell over the crowd as well as the reporter as the earthquakes started a second time, only more violent than before.
Suddenly the camera shook as if the man we jogging. The landscape before the crowd became a massive upheaval. The camera looked towards the sky and the sun itself was blotted up by the large burst of earth. That was not the worst of it. The earth began to rain down upon the people in the vicinity. Thankfully the camera shook so much that much of the gore could not be seen, but it was evident that people were being stoned or crushed by boulders that were spewed out by some immense power. Finally a large rock flew towards the camera and the screen turned to black. There was a new scene and this time it said in printed words at the bottom, "aerial view." Finally they saw what the subject in that picture was.
What they saw was some kind of creature that was as big as a mountain. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before. This monstrous creature was surrounded by clouds of dust that still continued to rain down from the sky. There were thousands of dead bodies strewn before its strange, shell-like body. There were hundreds of sharp spires, or spikes, which protruded from its ugly body.
"What you are watching is the cause of the quakes that have plagued the entire west and east continents. An emergency meeting has been among the nations to discuss how we are to deal with this threat. It has remained stationary for four hours now. Oh, the devastation is horrible…"
A voice belonging to another person asked him, "What do you think the most logical move is?"
"Well, to be honest, I think that…wait a minute! Something is happening! Are you getting this? It seems as if the creature is glowing!"
This is where our story takes a horrible turn and where our heroes realize just what this world really was. All this time they hoped that this was not their world and that this was merely a distant world that could be redeemed. When they discovered the truth they hoped that they could use their knowledge to change the course of the future by merely causing a friendship between two feuding countries. However, they realized with this terrible footage that an entire world was unable to stop this degeneration.
They watched as the many spikes that protruded from its back began to explode, propelling themselves into the air. They watched as they saw the spikes collide into the earth, the massive force tearing apart whole cities in a single blow. The entire sky turned red as the entire world was set aflame within a single moment. It was as if the devil himself was manifested as that hellish being that continued to destroy millions of lives every second.
There were many different clips that were shown, but one in particular that took place in a very familiar environ. They looked around them in disbelief as they realized they were in the very same room. There were a team of men standing at the very same console at which the trio stood, watching with a profound horror that hardly anything could ever match.
"No! It can't be! What the hell is going on?"
"We can't rally our defensives! All airbases have been obliterated! Our own weapons are detonating on us!"
"Sir, we lost contact with Medina!"
"Well reestablish contact, then!" A certain man stood at the center of the console, looking extremely composed. He was wearing a strange uniform.
"Sir, we have launched our own countermeasures! Even the latest in arsenal has no effect on it!"
"Well, then try again, dammit! Hit it with everything we have! It's doing the same thing to us! Fire arsenal at will!"
"No! Guardia dome and even the ancestral home has been wiped off the map, captain!"
"I said fire!"
"What? The hallways are collapsing! We need to get out of here!"
"You will stay and you will fight! Damn you all, I thought you were men!"
"Sir, we must evacuate!"
"I refuse to leave! I order you all to stay! If we don't win today we won't win at all! No, let me go!"
Suddenly the scene changed again. The chaotic rumblings and loud blasts of incedenaries disappeared and there was nothing but silence. Within that silence you could hear Marle shaking and Lucca rubbing her face and eyes as if she thought she were dreaming. The scene switched to a view of the planet itself and what they saw was perhaps the saddest thing of all. The world, which was once lush and green, was set ablaze and it almost seemed as if it were another sun. Slowly, the fires died and the world was left the way they had found it…
Dead…Barren…Devoid of all hope…
There was nothing but darkness now. The screen turned off and the three were only left in stupefied disarray. Whatever helped Marle stand on her feet disappeared as she prostrated herself on the floor. For a moment Crono and Lucca thought she had fainted, but then she let out the most painful and heart-wrenching sob while screaming.
"No! This can't be…this can't be how the…world ends…"
Crono and Lucca could do nothing more but follow suit as they sat on the dusty floor, no longer caring if it ruined their clothes are if it felt filthy. At that moment nothing seemed to matter and they did not want to do anything but sit and bemoan their fate for a time. Although the situation seems helpless now, a revolution is about to be set in motion. I have said that legends are made of those who fight against opposition. It is true that all legends have a starting point and I am happy to tell you that it all starts here...
Author's note: The next chapter is going to be short, I think, but it will be a cheerful one. I hope that people don't think of this as a bastardation of how they found out, but I thought it would be interesting to potray it by making it appear as news broadcasts. Oh yeah, I actually had someone tell me that he feels Magus should die and I was pretty surprised. Your opinion will go into account, but as it still stands there is unwavering support for Magus to live, and I would be a downright-big-time jerk if I were to go back on that...There would have to be a LOT of people to tell me otherwise to change my mind, and I imagine most of you want him to live anyway. Don't worry, though, I will make sure everyone is happy:-P