Chrono Trigger

The Calm Before the Storm; we find out the consequences of many things since our group left their time…

Within the town of Truce, which was actually the capital of Guardia, there was a humble shop made of brick and stone. It was an old fashioned home much like all the others in this town; thick planks of wood flanked the walls, window panes that criss-crossed the glass, and light brown and red tiles adorned the roof. Talk within that house has been merry for the course of four days. There was much to be happy and thankful for, because this home belonged to the woman we had seen at the beginning of this story.

Claire of Truce; a woman who was undeniably shy, notwithstanding her natural beauty, had become a different person over a matter of days. If one were to go to the beginning pages of this story, they would see that she was distraught because of her brother. She feared the worst for him, and in this instance, she was right. He was sentenced to an unlawful execution, but was saved by another who was to be executed by resort of a hidden power struggle. As you have guessed, his hero was Crono, and the brother who had returned was Fritz. The last few days have been heavenly, because we can all understand that life is far better when you have nearly lost it. Also, a member of the family is far more enjoyable when they have not been seen for so long.

Fritz had told his story again and again, mostly by the request of Claire. Although she denied it, she loved to hear about Crono and his bravado. One would know this because whenever he recounted the story where Crono fought the tank dragon she would have a dreamy look on her face and sigh contently. It is one thing to be affectionate, but knowing that Crono saved her brother, her admiration swelled to the point where you could almost call it love.

"Everybody knows his name now." Claire said, snapping herself from her blissful reverie.

"There are some that say he's a loony storyteller." The mother said while filling her plate.

"Yeah, what was all that nonsense about traveling through time?" The father began.

"Well, what if the jury was bribed or forced to say such a thing? Maybe they meant to do that to further incriminate Crono. They are making him out to be a liar. They wanted to hide their mistakes." Claire stated. It is also worth pointing out that from the view of everyone else, nothing was known about Lavos, the escape, or anything else, and so in a sense many were in the dark. Therefore, even Crono's testimony, I'm sorry to say, was imagined to be invented by rumors. For the sake of protesting and the like, all things of supposed lunacy were forgotten or were thought to be the result of the majesty's cunning. The truth somehow stays, but it is mixed in with misunderstanding and lies. That was why Claire denied Crono ever saying he had traveled through time. She could not see him saying such a thing, and seeing that she cared deeply for him, she believed in the story that was invented by the people saying he was sound of mind and set up by the government.

"Well, they are dead wrong. I was up on that bridge and I know what I have seen and heard. The chancellor is a traitor. Crono says the king is being duped, but how would he know that? With the things you told me about the trial it would fit mighty well into the puzzle if the king himself was part of this." Fritz began.

"You aren't the only one that thinks that. There have been protestors in the streets. They have become more intense lately." The father said.

"Well, there is more than enough reason for that!" Claire began, fuming at what she said next, "I can't believe the court said he took advantage of the princess!"

"Jealous are we?" Fritz said with a smirk.

Claire blushed and gave him a slap on the shoulder, "What are you talking about?" Everyone laughed save for Claire and continued with their meal.

"Where do you think he is right now?" the mother asked.

"Who knows," Fritz replied, "all I know is that when I see him I will make it up to him one way or another."

"Speaking of which, how is his mother?" Claire asked.

"I dare not go there," Fritz began, "you know I have to stay out of the public eye for just a while. I imagine she must be beside herself."

"Ah, poor dear." Said the mother, "She is such a nice woman. I should visit her when I have the time."

Now we leave this home and go to another that was in a more quiet part of town. This was a home that was near the shore. It looked much like the home we have left, but the home was surrounded by dusty paths and less cobblestone streets. The last home was full of joy, but this home felt cold and empty. If we were to go inside you would not see the roaring of a fire nor lanterns lit. There was not a merry group of people, but a heart-broken woman who sat alone at her breakfast table, trying very hard not to cry…

It had been so hard for her to face the week. Every morning she woke up with watery eyes and a sorrowful disposition. After all, how would you be if you had lost your son and didn't know where to find him? She wanted nothing more than to go out into world and search for her son, but she did not know the first place to look. Instead, she stayed home and hoped against hope that he would risk returning home.

Crono's mother waited patiently and while she did the authorities of the kingdom would come and knock on her door. They would come in, dressed in armor and equipped with swords. They would search every nook and cranny of her home, but they found nothing. Then they would go as far as to offer a warning of severe punishment if she were to harbor her very own son.

Her only son…

The thought of her only son brought tears to her eyes again. Eventually, after fruitless attempts to hold it in, the flood gates opened and she wept bitterly. No matter how many of her friends came by, no matter how many people insisted that he was a hero, she would still say that her son was all that she wanted. She could barely eat, she could barely even sleep, and her cheerful nature was gone as well. It was as if everything disappeared when Crono was reported to be missing. She feared for his welfare exceedingly; that was because grim images would fill her head and they all consisted of Crono lying dead on cold earth. At that moment she cursed everything except her boy that she desperately wanted to hold again.

I am happy to say that her dream was upon the brink of fulfillment. Not more than a hundred yards away from their front door, Crono and his friends cheerfully walked down the pathway. Already he could see the ivy covered walls of his home and the same old trees he had climbed when he was younger. He breathed in the ocean air deeply, as if he were afraid it would vanish at any moment like a dream. He was eagerly telling his friends what a kind and wonderful person his mother was and all the great things she would cook for them when they came back.

Sometimes youth can be slightly inconsiderate and overly confident in the trust their parents have given them. It never once occurred to Crono that his mother was at home, crying for days on end. It wasn't because he was selfish or cruel (we have determined these facts from the story thus far) but he honestly thought his mother would know that he was fine. However, as they approached his home there was a sudden depression that took a hold of him. It was almost as if he could feel her sorrow afflicting him as he walked. His friends noticed as well and they grew uncomfortably quiet.

"I'm sure she's okay…" Crono said hopefully more than factually. He reached for the door handle…

Her head rose as she heard somebody turn the handle of her door. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks blotchy from stress, her hair was also haphazard and unkempt, but even then she tried her best to dry her tears before standing upright. There were already a chorus of footsteps pounding against the wooden floor and she thought for a moment that the guard had returned to her home. She sighed, holding her tears back and went around the corner that led to the entrance hallway.

She froze in place.

"Um…Hi mom…"

She stumbled backwards as if she were struck, a hand went for her face and then the tears started to pour down her cheeks without a sound. Her son stood in the hall, his friends standing behind him, and he was at a loss for what to do next. Therefore, his mother decided. She ran towards him, throwing her arms around him and gripping him so tight that he had to slide his arms from underneath her grip. He returned her embrace as she wept openly, her face buried into his chest. Although her actions showed happiness and relief her voice reflected different emotions, "Where were you? Where did you go? Why haven't you been home for long?"

Crono rubbed her back as she continued to sob, knowing that speaking now would accomplish nothing. All he could say was that he was sorry over and over. His friends stood in the doorway, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. Even during this time, Crono tried his best to think of everyone, (although he was also thinking for himself) and he turned to his friends and said, "Lucca, I think I need to be alone with mom for a bit. Can you take Robo and Marle to your house? I'll be there in a few hours."

Lucca nodded, turned about, and asked that Marle and Robo follow her. The door closed and it was only Crono and his mother. His mother gasped in between sobs and said awkwardly, "I'm just so glad that you're safe…I thought that you might have…been hurt or…or…"

"I know, mom…Don't worry. I'm here now…"

Lucca and Marle were friends, which became obligatory after they had saved and traveled with each other for so long. (It was not actually a lengthy amount of time, but when one travels through time you lose your interpretation of time, therefore it seemed like ages since they first met). However, even the longest friendships can have a strange wedge between them. When a wedge is remembered the wedge does what it was made to do; drive two sides further apart until the wedge splits the two opposing parts or is removed. Although they did not realize it, or at least denied it, Crono was their wedge. They traveled silently, nary saying a word on what transpired. Perhaps that was only natural, that being such a tender experience and tender experiences are never easy to share, but even then they did not say one word about it. It was almost as if they wanted to keep that knowledge hidden from the other, each for their own reasons.

They were thankful for Robo, because he was the first to say, "I wonder how Crono fares with his mother."

"Oh," Lucca began, answering in a way that made her sound like she were absolutely certain, "his mom will be fine, she was just scared, that's all."

"Even then," Marle began, "I wonder how she'll take this whole thing about Lavos and this mission we are on."

"Well," Lucca began, feeling a slight twinge of indignation, yet none was in her tone, "I knew her since I was younger, so from my experience she'll be fine."

Robo could sense anger (or in his terms, detected an increase of adrenaline) and quickly said, "Lucca, would there be engineering facilities near your home?"

"Are you kidding?" Lucca jutted a thumb at herself, "My home is the engineering facility! That was what I wanted to do; fix you up!"

The conversation changed so that Robo and Lucca talked amongst themselves, which was just fine for Marle. She could not comprehend the strange terms for tools and chemicals they discussed. Besides, there was something else that weighed heavily on her mind since she saw Crono hugging his mother. She barely gave him a thought since she ran away with Crono, but seeing his mother so worried made her wonder how her father felt. Would he be the same way if she came home, or would he order her to leave? She even wondered if she should go on home and meet up with the others later, but being so distracted by her thoughts she found that they were already by the seaside villa.

The home was beautiful. Even Marle, who was raised in an ancestral home, was impressed by the workmanship. The home and the lighthouse were connected, but the lighthouse was made of white-washed stone while the home was made of bricks and wood. There were stairs that spiraled around the outside of the lighthouse and ivy clung to the side of the home. The windows were bordered with dark planks which contrasted the light-tan of the outside wall. The roof was also made of red tiles, which made it stand out against the sky. It was not only the look, but there was a seaman atmosphere that surrounded this place; from the salty sea-air smell to the gentle wind that occasionally brought ocean spray with it. It made you want to put a chair out on the lawn and watch the waves.

"This is just heavenly!" Marle said, sounding as if all tension had left her.

"Yeah," Lucca nodded, "my dad actually owns several patents, but he used to operate the lighthouse here. When he started making things we ran into a lot of money and he liked this place so much he bought it." She walked up to the door, and pushed it aside, standing off to the right. She gestured towards the door and said, "Come in!"

Marle and Robo walked through the doorway and instantly remembered an old adage that has been passed through the ages in both our worlds; never judge a book by its cover. The oceanic scenery outside was almost mesmerizing in its tranquility, but the inside of their home was the exact opposite. It was as if a tornado tore through their home, throwing everything into a semi-organized pile of messes. There were books laying helter-skelter all about the floor, machine parts strewn upon flat surfaces (on top of a towel if they were covered in oil) with various tools of an inventor's trade. There were wrenches, drills, buffers, a lathe, and several clampers (which are sophisticated measuring devices that calculate width and length of an object down to the mere decimals of centimeters). There were also several machines that were anywhere from broken, completed, or under construction. Part of the reason why I say it is semi-organized was because the stacks of books were in groupings according to their topic and there was a pathway clean of filth all around the room. The entire room smelled of a print office, and if you ever smelled the pages of a new book in a musty room you would know what that is like.

"Well," Lucca began awkwardly, "have a seat and we can whip up some food."

Although it seemed dreadful, when Marle went inside she was suddenly enthusiastic. This is probably where the relationship between Marle and Lucca grew warmer. Lucca beamed with pride as the princess, whose privilege was to see all the most recent inventions in the kingdom, gawked and fawned over the many different prototypes. She reached one in particular, which was in the form of a large robot.

"What is this?" She said with awe-stricken amazement.

Lucca shrugged and said casually, "Oh, it's just one of the robots me and dad invented. I call it Gato. We were going to sell it to the fair, but we needed to work on it."

"Why were you so amazed when you found Robo? You already could make robots!"

"Well," Lucca's casualness faltered, "Robo is actually far more advanced than Gato. Robo can understand, reply to, and sense stimuli. Gato can only repeat a single song over and over again."

Marle, to Lucca's pleasant surprise, was still amazed. "Wow! Hey, do you wonder if we were to go to the future and look under robotics, we would find you there? Do you think they would call you the mother of robotics?"

Lucca was actually blushing now, and if you knew her as well as Crono did, that was not an easy thing to make her do, "No-nobody has ever said that before."

"Well, you probably will be." Marle said in a manner-of-fact way, crossing her arms and nodding her head affirmatively.

"Well, thank you very much…" Lucca avoided her gaze and rubbed the back of her head.

"Lucca, you seem to be experiencing an influx of…"

"Robo…" Lucca cut him off short with a zipping motion, which even Robo could not mistake for something else.

I must inform you that the next few events will be very brief, because much could be written about what occurred here, but it is all of little consequence.

Crono took much longer than they had expected. That was a good thing because there was far more things that needed to be done to Robo than they had anticipated. Spekkio had somehow magically restored him, but there were plenty of materials that were bare and loose. Marle and Robo also had the pleasure of meeting Lucca's father and the reunion was quite different from the one Crono had with his mother. They laughed and hugged each other and Marle wondered why he was not beside himself with worry. She found out that when they first entered the portal, Taban did it first, "I wouldn't be much of a father if I sent my own daughter in there. I was partially ashamed that Crono had the courage to go in there for you before me." Taban even apologized for all the trouble that came of his mistake, but Marle merely shook her head and shushed him with her hand, saying that this was the most incredible time of her life.

There was another thing worthy of note: Marle had finally met Lucca's mother. All at once Lucca's fascination with artificial and biological limbs back in the domes grew dreadfully clear to Marle. Taban had gone upstairs to retrieve her, but that left Marle wondering why she had not come down earlier. She knew the answer when she saw a smiling woman being carried downstairs; a woman without legs, the stumps stopping just below the knees. All at once, Lucca had become far more human to Marle than she could have possibly imagined. Marle did not only sympathize for her, but suddenly saw the part of Lucca that was full of concern and love. Although she hid it well behind her impertinence, she was a good person.

There was the inevitable retelling of certain stories, but they became so many that some facts were nearly forgotten. (Marle began to make a habit of writing down events in a diary which she bought before leaving for the past the next day). While the stories were exciting to Taban and Laura (whom was Lucca's mother) they were almost becoming lengthy and repetitive to them. They did not tell them about Lavos, and that was in their best interests.

It was nearly midnight when Crono came back to their home. He was happy to inform them that his mother was laughing and cheerful before he left. He showed her that the princess was actually with him and that she would help him in any way possible and that comforted her greatly. Later on they asked if he had told his mother about Lavos, but he wisely refrained. He did not even tell her about his newfound powers, but decided to wait until later. He also saw that there was a strange change with Lucca and Marle. They were no longer sitting at opposite corners of their small circle, but were actually drawing nearer, and even patting each other on the back every once in a while. It warmed his soul to see that.

They went to sleep that night and woke up early the next morning. They had been informed that the machines which opened the time portal were still set up in the fair. Lucca was angry about this, but Taban explained to her that the officials would not let all the exhibitions be moved until the end of the fair. He tried his best but was asked to leave. That was the reason why they rose early; so that they could walk through the city and not worry about being recognized. They even went as far to wear the same heavy mantles that Alwyn had lent them. By the time the sun rose they were already in front of the device.

"Alright…Let's get ready to go." Lucca walked over to the machines, which lay dormant. She pressed a few buttons, pulled a switch or two and it came to life.

"This time we are going back to see if we can stop Magus from creating Lavos. We will try not to get involved to deeply. Maybe we can suggest a war strategy for King Guardia and even offer him some technological advice, but we must be careful not to upset the time flow too much." Lucca began.

All agreed with a nod and within a second they were in the familiar tunnel of blue light.

Author's note: Next chapter is the battle against the Mystics. I will have Magus make an appearance and write a part of the battle from his view point. I think I kept you guys waiting long enough to hear from him:-) I really didn't mean for the story to go on this long, but I guess it ballooned on me, eh? Sorry if the last part seemed rushed...that's cause I guess I really was rushing. I just want to get to the good part right now, and I wanna be concise. Sorry I took so long. The whole family was here and I've been busy with work.