Chrono Trigger
The Kingdom of Zeal; A paradise exists within a frozen and lifeless world…
Lucca irritably brushed away the pine needles that continually found their way toward her eyes. She groaned in frustration and broke a branch, letting the stem and its irritants to fall to the ground below where her comrades watched. She sighed in satisfaction, raising the binocular to her eye once again.
The structure was too far away to make out any specific details, even with her tools. Resting on a hillside, supported by a dais with steps, stood a structure in the middle of nowhere. Lucca kept her eyes out for any guards or creatures that might have inhabited the strange ruin, but she saw nothing. It was a place made of strange, yellow stone. She could see that the dais was clear of snow and that there was no crumbling walls or any signs of vegetation retaking the land it once owned. It stood there, about three miles away, untouched by man and nature.
She sighed, clapping the binocular shut. She looked down below and warned everyone beneath her to move. They obeyed and she leapt a high distance down to the ground. Crono stood with wide eyes, forgetting for a moment that such a leap was child's play to them now. Lucca brushed any snow or stray needles from her clothing before she spoke. "I really have absolutely no idea what it is. But I want to go inside it."
Crono smirked, "No second guessing it, huh?"
"Not when we haven't seen something that even resembled a fraction of civilization for two weeks…unless you count aluminum cans and sleeping bags."
"Aye," Glenn said with a nod, "t'would be a boon if we found fresh rations inside. In my mind, it would be foolishness to avoid this place."
"Do you all agree?" Crono asked.
They responded by nodding in unison.
Crono began to lead the way in a show of silent agreement. The structure had gone out of view as they descended a hill and they found themselves in a thick wood. Robo took the lead at this point, using his sense of direction to navigate through the many crags, drops, and small rises that filled the valley. The forest seemed to grow thicker and thicker until it suddenly gave way to solid ground that did not crunch beneath their feet. They looked down and gasped in surprise.
"Is that…is that gold?"
The party bent down to examine the ground and were stunned to see that it was not only gold that served as the walkway, but many gems as well. They looked toward the structure itself and saw that it was of the same make as the walkway; only massive gems the size of boulders adorned the walls in decorative order. Giant pillars flanked a doorway that led to an open courtyard, from which the soft light of burning torches flickered.
"Hello?" Marle called out.
No answer.
"We aren't going to suddenly turn into gold, are we?" Lucca quipped with an uneasy smile.
They made their way into the open courtyard that was filled with more of the same. However, warm and friendly fires burned from torches and there were benches that lined the walls. Crono could almost imagine it as gathering place for scholars of old, who were content to sit and muse on the seemingly simple aspects of life and the orders of the world. However, there was nobody here and it was still far too cold to carry on normal conversation. It was while he was in that process of thinking that he spotted another entryway.
"Hey, what's in here?"
The party followed Crono as he entered the only enclosed room that existed in this place. The gloriousness of the architecture outside paled in comparison to the works of art they saw in this room. A simple flame was enough to light this massive room, seeing that any light rebounded constantly off the shimmering surface. It was somehow warmer in this room despite the continuous flow of cold air from outside. The walls were covered in carvings that were so realistic that the party would become lost in the detail as they examined them. It wasn't until Marle stood back that she noticed that there was a strange order to these pictographs. "Hey guys! This might be the clue that we were looking for! See?"
The party took her advice and smiled when they saw she was correct. There was indeed a story told in this hieroglyphics, yet there was not a character or sign of written language to be found. It was all the work of artists who depicted scenes of folklore and history. However, they all somehow seemed related. Lucca ran up to a single depiction and said, "I think it starts here."
There were many clues to be seen, but not a single one was clear to them. The only thing that struck them as familiar was a scene depicting the encroaching ice age. That part of history was made manifest through a barren tree that was surrounded by people who were huddled over for warmth. Although the artwork was beautiful, the scenes were depressing once the meanings were thought upon. There were scenes of starvation, infant deaths, and even skeletons. The depressing scenes grew more common as the party made its way down the wall. However, there was an abrupt stop to negative depictions as a significant portion of the wall was dedicated to a man who stood with his head held aloft. The scenes depicting deaths had ceased and were replaced with depictions of prosperity and happiness. After that, another depiction showed a group of people dressed as kings and queens, standing triumphant and pure over a group of people that stood naked and who hid their faces in shame. That, in its self, was not so much a negative depiction since something about the picture suggested justice and the righting of wrongs, whatever they may be. Next came a detailed relief of an island that hung between a sun and a moon raised by hands. And finally, there was a final portrait of stone that seemed to hold an ending of some kind. The depiction showed an alter holding a symbol of the sun, and all those immediately around it were young and fair while those who turned their back to it were shriveled and old.
"What do you think it means?" Marle asked, oddly feeling a bit troubled as she viewed the final picture.
"I know not, but look beneath thy feet." Glenn answered.
The party looked and gawked as they saw themselves standing on what seemed to be the recreation of a map from paper. After some comparing they noticed that the map on the floor seemed to have the same characteristics of the relief of the island on the wall. However, Crono noticed there was one thing that seemed out of place: the floor was made of solid gold except for one square section of the floor. Crono drew closer to the square and saw that it was made of marble instead. He reached out to tap it with his foot. He was hushed into silence as he saw dim red light rise from cracks within the tiles and then…
"Hey, where did Crono go?"
Everyone in the room looked up and glanced about the room. He was nowhere to be seen.
Ayla laughed and said, "Crono, where you go? How did you hide so fast?"
There was no answer.
Lucca groaned in annoyance, "Come on, Crono. I thought we grew out of your 'hide-and-seek' phase."
Still no answer. Everyone looked at each other with uneasy glances. Marle spoke now, "Crono, please don't do this. Now is not the time."
When he did not answer a third time, Glenn's face turned dour, "Where hast he gone? Shall we explore without?"
The party turned around, looking about nervously. They didn't know whether to be afraid of surprise or sudden death. They peered out into the courtyard and saw nothing stir. A sense of fear began to come over them and they started backing away from the room slowly. They screamed in fright when Crono suddenly appeared before them. He screamed as well, falling backward onto the ground.
"What the- why are you all screaming?" Crono asked.
"That wasn't funny, Crono!" Ayla said, stamping her foot. "How did you do that?"
Crono's face changed from annoyance to joy as he said, "Watch this."
The party gasped in horror as he disappeared. When he reappeared again their reaction was the same.
Crono had a look of incredulity and said, "Come on…step on this tile…I think there is something that you guys really should see…"
Their reactions to the astonishing beauty of the land were various. Marle lost her breath for a moment, her chest heaving when she finally found it. Lucca looked around, trying to make sense of where they had gone. When she could not, she took off her glasses, cleaned them, and then rubbed her eyes. Ayla had the dreamy, giddiness of a child while Glenn kept a hand on his hilt. Robo stood silently, as if he were analyzing every little thing that dotted the horizon.
They stood on a hilltop. A dais separated them from the earth as it did in the strange place they had left. The map, they found, was still underneath their feet and it matched the view perfectly. A sparkling lake lay off toward the west, reflecting the light of a baby blue sky. There was a pathway that led down the hillside and grass fields, which were long enough to show that wind passed through it. In front of them, there was a large city unlike any they had ever seen. Flocks of white birds soared across the towering structures that caught the light of a late afternoon. As the scene sunk in, they felt a warm breeze and their bodies relaxed.
"I think we can take off our coats now." Marle said with a grin.
They cast their dirty apparel behind a tree near the point of return and took in the surroundings again, seeing if there was anything in sight that should dictate their next action. As luck would have it, there was a waterfall that the women spotted just a short distance to their right. Even better was the fact that the reservoir of water it received was hidden behind lush trees and plants. Lucca, Marle, and Ayla looked at each other and seemed to think the very same thing.
"You boys stay here." Lucca said with sternness befitting that of a commanding mother.
"Huh? Why?" Crono asked, rounding to face Lucca.
She jutted a thumb toward the waterfall behind her. "You see that? You know what it's saying to us?"
Marle joined in, cupping her hands and whispering softly, "'Come…come to me…take a bath…you stink…'"
Lucca folded her arms and strongly voiced, "That's right. And if I know anything about boys…Heh…Let's just say that you all are forbidden to move from this spot."
Crono blushed, "Come on, Lucca…What makes you think I'm going to do that? You don't really think I'm going to sneak around and act like a pervert, do you?"
Lucca said nothing, not knowing that her style of flirtation was lost on Crono. "Come on, ladies. We got some scrubbing and soaking to do."
"I am confused," Ayla said as Marle and Lucca pulled her away. "Why they not bathe with us? Our tribe bathes together often."
"What? Are you kidding?" Marle said with a boisterous laugh.
As they disappeared into the woods, the men of the party sat around and looked at each other, merely at a loss for words. After some time, which was spent looking at the wide, new world before them, Glenn suddenly turned to Crono and said, "I do not understand…We hath arrived in a new land, we are about to see marvels that many shall never witness, and we are about to discover what lies in the past or our future for all of humanity…and the first thing they wish to do is to bathe?"
"Women…" Crono said softly under his breath.
"Well…" Robo began with the air of diplomacy, "you both really do smell terrible."
That remark earned a dangerous glare from the two swordsmen.
They sat there from some time until they saw movement from the woods. The women emerged, looking as clean and as immaculate as they had for ages. Their clothes were even clean and dry, for which they thanked Lucca and her magic. Crono could not help but admit to himself that cleanliness was next to godliness in this moment. They even seemed happier, moving in clothes that were free of muck and stains. "Alright. Your turn." Lucca said, pointing toward the waterfall.
"If it is all the same to thee, we prefer to continue on our journey…" Glenn rose, looking toward the city.
Lucca put her hands on her hips, "We aren't going anywhere until you boys clean yourselves up…and quite frankly, it would be embarrassing to be seen in public with men who haven't bathed for two weeks. Robo, go with them and bring back their clothes after they wash them so I can dry them."
Crono and Glenn sighed, trudging toward the waterfall while Robo shepherded them. The women laughed and talked amongst themselves when the men were out of earshot. It wasn't until Robo came back with their clothes that they asked him what they were saying and their responses to the men's complaints were scoffs. "What did they want to do?" Marle began, "Stroll into a strange city while smelling like garbage? Ha, good luck trying to find out anything about Lavos when the person you are talking to can't even resist fainting from your body odor."
"And all we did was ask them to wash up…ha! Did you see the looks on their faces? It was like we asked them to hold the world on their shoulders." Lucca guffawed.
"Men…" Ayla sighed underneath her breath.
Seeing that he didn't want to annoy anyone else, Robo held his peace this time around and brought the clothes back once they were dried.
Meanwhile, Crono and Glenn began to enjoy the water. While bathing outdoors has never been enjoyable on the account of freezing water, the water in this place was cooling to the touch, yet was warm enough to soak in and relax the muscles. The constant churning of the waterfall washed their bodies clean and they found that they had finished before the women did. Deciding that they must have taken time to relax and enjoy the water, Glenn and Crono felt they were entitled to do the same. They both sighed in contentment and Crono said, "Even though this is a distraction, you have to admit this was a good idea."
"Aye, but it is best not to say anything of the sort to a lass. If ye do, then they shall think that all their ideas are good ideas." Glenn said with a smirk.
Crono chuckled, "Well, with all chauvinism placed aside, I think that their hearts were in the right place…wait, do you hear that?"
Glenn perked his head up, trying to drown out the sound of the waterfall by focusing on the distant sound of rustling foliage. "It is only Robo bringing back our clothing."
Crono's face sunk into a state of unease, "No…it isn't."
Glenn noticed the look, and instinctively his hand went toward the rock on which they rested their weapons. His eyes went to the spot when his hand did not find his sword and they widened in surprise. Their weapons weren't there. Glenn called to Crono who turned and shared the same look of dark surprise. Instantly, their hands began to move, cracking with the power of the elements that showed they were far from unarmed.
Then came a surprisingly calm voice that seemed to sound from all around them, "Worry not…I have did not come to harm you."
"And that is why thou hast taken the only means of defending ourselves? Of course, how ignorant of me." Glenn shouted back, wondering if his voice would reach their watcher.
The voice came again, speaking softly, "I will show myself, but you must promise that you will not hurt me. My appearance is different from what you would expect."
Glenn and Crono looked to each other, nodded in agreement, and dropped their arms to the side. "Alright," Crono shouted into the woods, "come out."
A faint silhouette appeared before them in the shape of fog, which lost its opacity as it formed. A simple, white tunic formed first, followed by brown skin and sharp claws. Finally, the head formed and it was adorned with a beak-like jowl and round eyes like that of an eagle. The creature nodded sagely, opening up his arms in a welcoming gesture. He then stretched forth a hand and said in the most peaceful tone, "Do you know why humans shake hands? Generally, they grasp with their weapon hand. It comes from an ancient tradition where men would cast their weapons to the ground and grasp the hand of their enemy as a sign of peace; it was a sign that they would rather take the hand of another rather than their own weapon, showing vulnerability and their willingness to compromise."
Crono smiled and rose to grasp his hand, but was careful not to go too far out of the water. Glenn did the same. As they did their weapons reappeared on the rock that they were left upon. The creature motioned to the weapons, then he craned his neck as if his ears detected something, "Ah, and here comes another of your group."
He heard correctly, for something heavy stumbled through the underbrush with the grace of a cow. Robo emerged, holding out dried clothing and his eyes clicked and whirled on the new visitor. Once the presence of this strange visitor was acknowledged, Robo did not as much move or make a sound. The visitor watched Robo, bowed politely, and eyed him steadily or even meaningfully.
"Robo?" Crono ventured.
Robo still stood still, focusing on the creature without as much as a sound.
"Robo!" Crono said again.
Robo's head perked up as if he were called out of a dream and he even stumbled in his reply, "Oh, d-do forgive me Crono. Who is our guest?"
Crono sighed in relief, "I thought you were going to pounce on him."
Robo replied almost nervously, "Oh, I would do nothing of the sort! After all, I hardly know this person. Now, what is your name?"
The creature shook his head, giving Robo a quick glance before turning to face Crono. "My name is not important. What is important is this: I have been sent to you on this day on behalf of a good man…a man with whom you should speak."
"…And who is this man?" Glenn asked.
The creature was speechless for a moment and said, "I regret to say that I cannot tell you his name at this moment…"
"You cannot, or you won't?" Crono asked, showing doubt by crossing his arms.
"Crono," Robo said with a slight bow, "I feel very strongly that we can trust him. We must go."
Crono seemed surprised, "Why? Did you do some crazy adrenaline level reading to see if he was wanting to lead us into a trap or not?"
"I have never asked anything of anyone. I suggest that it is in our best interest to meet with this man."
Crono and Glenn looked at each other before Crono turned back to Robo, "Well, I suppose it is only fair to respect your opinion…but we should see what the girls think."
"Fair enough." The creature answered, a relieved smile plastered on his strange face.
"Now, if you don't mind, a little privacy would be good." Crono reached for his clothes.
"Of course." The creature said as he turned around.
The men were dressed and walked out of the woods. They could already see the women talking with each other and exchanging shocked expressions as a man-like creature followed them out of the woods. As they grew closer they could hear shocked gasps from Lucca and Marle while Ayla wondered what the big deal was. When Crono and the creature were in earshot, Marle spoke cautiously as if she were afraid of the answer, "Crono, who is that and why is he coming out of the woods?"
Crono rubbed the back of his head and said bracingly, "Because he was in the woods…"
Lucca looked toward the creature, her eyes dark and threatening, "And did you happen to see us?"
The creature nodded and Lucca and Marle nearly fainted while Ayla stood nonplussed. The creature calmly added, "I would have shown myself to you, but I believed that you would have tried to attack me."
"Attack you?" Lucca said with a waving finger. "Attack you? I'm going to kill you."
"Why?" Ayla shrugged, her hair falling limply over her shoulders.
"Man alive!" Lucca shouted with clenched fists, "Stay out of this Ayla! You just don't understand!"
"Do not be so quick to judge, Lucca." Robo said, stepping in between her and the creature. "He means no ill will; it is an elemental spirit, just like the Nu we found. Elemental spirits could care less about…well, you know."
"Oh yeah?" Marle sounded as if she were trying to find reason to be upset, "well he still could have told us he was there."
The creature laughed and sat down on a nearby rock, his back arching forward as a hawk searching the ground for prey. "I apologize, but please do not be alarmed. What I have to say is very important, and it requires your trust. I have chosen the best way to approach this group in hopes that what information I give you will benefit your search for Lavos."
The party unanimously had their attention stolen by this mysterious being, "You know about Lavos?"
"Oh yes," the creature said with an ever widening grin, "I know of your exploits rather well and I seek to aid you in your quest."
Crono stepped forward, being overly bold with the opportunity given them, "Tell us what you know. It would mean a lot to us."
"All that will come in due time. However, we cannot speak here and I feel it would be unfair to burden your minds with what I must tell you while you are still weary from your long journey."
"What do you know about our journey?" Crono asked, skepticism rising in his voice.
The beast clasped his claws behind his back and looked Crono in the eyes. "Do not doubt my motives, for your arrival has been foretold…among many other things." The pause, which seemed pregnant with purpose, was not addressed and the creature went on. "Who has informed us of your arrival, you might ask? It will be known to you, but not today." The beast gestured toward the city and spoke as if he were repeating orders he heard before, "You shall rest in that city which is known as Kajar, the city of rest and respite. When you pass the city gates a man dressed in brown and white robes will approach you and offer you a place to stay. Take his invitation. You will see cruelties and amazing sights that you have never seen before…I cannot stress this enough: you must hold your peace no matter what the spectacle may be. Be not amazed, and be not moved toward those who suffer or you will never learn what you wish to know. Do not mention the name of Lavos as something to be feared, and you must certainly refrain from asking anyone about him."
"Why not?" Lucca asked, her face scrunching as she frowned, "Does everyone know about him? What are they doing to prevent…"
"Silence." The mythical beast said with a stern face and swift motion of his hand. Lucca felt as if her jaw were wired shut. She squealed inside her mouth with surprise, but found her jaw could move freely again after she quieted herself. She gave a hard look at the creature that watched her warningly. "Have you not heard a word I said? You will not mention his name negatively. Doing so will cost you dearly. You will blend with the people of this kingdom. We may speak freely in due time, but not here and not today. Even within your bedchambers you will utter not a word concerning what we mentioned."
Marle looked about suspiciously, then leaned forward to whisper. The beast seemed frustrated this time as a motion of his hand stilled her lips. "Even a whisper is to speak too much…Speak good of Lavos lest you wish to raise the suspicions of the people. And if you cannot do so, do not speak of him at all."
"Who hast sent thee? Why all this secrecy?"
The creature nearly shouted, "Do my words shift through your ears like sand? Has nothing found its place within your skulls?" The beast forcefully calmed himself and added, "Doubt not, but be believing…you will have your answers soon enough. Now, I must go. Enter the city of Kajar and look for the man I have told you about. One more thing…you will cross a bridge. What you see may surprise and shock you. Do not speak to each other of it, for if you do you will surely give yourselves away…until we meet again."
The robe of the creature slowly began to flap in a wind that had been absent before. The creature slowly faded, his body disappearing as wispy fog that was carried away by the wind. The creature was lifted into the sky, toward the city. Within moments he was out of sight. The party looked at each other, wanting to speak about what they saw. They wondered if it was even safe to speak at all and decided to stay quiet for the duration of their travel.
Perhaps the creature had done wrong in arousing such great suspicion, because the party was now increasingly cautious of the world around them. They seemed even more out of place as they passed a group of humble looking people. They bowed respectfully, even subserviently, and the party merely nodded in reply and avoided their gaze. While the simple group didn't seem offended, they seemed surprised by some strange behavior that was not known by those they saluted. It was a lucky thing that there were no people around when they crossed the bridge.
There was a spacious gorge, its cliffs being made of smooth stone. The party thought nothing of it as they drew near the bridge, passing through a large trestle that was almost like a tunnel. They emerged and immediately felt a strong breeze tug at their clothing. Marle, curious as to why the wind was so strong, walked toward the railing to peer down into the valley below to see if there was some sort of river. The party leapt in surprise as she gasped sharply, her hand moving to her chest and clutching her pendant. They rushed to her side and ended up doing what she had done. They felt dizzy and light-headed as they peered over the edge to see nothing by sky.
They rubbed their eyes in disbelief and still did not trust in what they had seen. As their eyes scanned the crevice they came to the realization that this was no illusion. The murals they had seen in that strange temple not only told them of folklore, but it attempted to steel them should they come face to face with the surprising truth. The very land on which they stood hovered above the clouds and above the lifeless world below them. The murals, which they thought to be a figurative history, turned out to be very true about one thing. What else could be true? Did the murals hold the history of the world after the descent of Lavos? Or did the murals speak of the future?
"Where in the world are we?" Lucca asked, shaking her head in a mixture of amazement and disbelief.
Unfortunately, nobody was willing to hazard a guess nor wished to exchange theories for good reason. They walked on, their imaginations wildly and vainly trying to piece together what they had seen and heard prior.
Author's notes: You guys might have noticed that this part of the story is a little deviation, but I hope you enjoyed the mystery I tried to set up. Everything is explained next chapter. Now, to answer questions. Some people have wondered who took the food. Although I didn't think it would be important, I did have a scenario in mind. I can work that in if you guys want. I'll do it as a little sideways confession. Shadow, I definitely plan on doing the campfire scene and I was surprised when you told me that not many stories do. The little quests at the end of the game strike me as a must since they are pretty much the final bits of character development that shows how much they have changed. (At least game-wise, I think). Sailor, I got your message and tried to look at it but it wouldn't let me view it. I saw some of your stuff on deviant though and I liked it. :) (couldn't find the Crono piece though). As for Mission316, he gave very solid comments that I agree with. The diary might not live past the edits if I'm too lazy to include it earlier, but I'll still write the chapter so that her feelings and the occurrences from their exploration will somehow be mentioned. Sorry, my notes are getting longer and longer, so I better stop now. Thanks for reading.
P.S. This didn't feel like a solid chapter either, but the next one is going to be good. I can feel it. :3