Chrono Trigger

Journey's End; a chapter in which fears are expressed, anger rages, and paths separate...

Much like any other storm, this incident had come without warning. Rather, a more appropriate term was that it was never expected to hit them. Yes, it had been brewing, but much like those who fear a storm they had hoped it would pass them. They had hoped that they were all in silent agreement, and that their agreement was with their preferences and courses of action. However, this was not the case and the storm would not simply disappear. It had grown close many times, dangerously close, much like it had tonight. Yet, it did not ebb away, until finally…

"So, what do we do next?"

It was Marle who had broken the silence. Just as the others had been doing, she was silently eating her meal and staring into the fire. By this point they were in their own lodgings with nobody around them. There was no excuse or shelter to hide behind. There was no need to watch words or stay silent about time travel. The tone in her voice reflected her uneasiness yet still hinted at the opinion she held. Nobody returned the look in her eye and all either stared at their meal or into the fire.

"What do you mean, 'what do we do next'?"

Ayla spoke. Her words were meant to be nonchalant, yet her tone was menacing and her cadence was fast to the point of dismissive. She finished eating the meat off a bone and threw it into the fire, sending a shower of embers into the air. Instead of looking up she took another piece of meat. She clearly did not want to discuss the subject and her shoulders tensed as she felt Marle's eye on her. Marle did not stare with a glare, but a look of disbelief as if she couldn't believe that Ayla would have to ask.

"Exactly that," Marle said with a slight laugh, "'what do we do next?' I mean, we are getting to the point where we are better and we can…"

"You are right." Lucca cut in abruptly. "We should offer to help Gaway get settled. Maybe we can search for more survivors. We can endure the cold and walk further and faster than any of them can. We should also go around and see if anyone needs healing. I think we can handle it-"

"That's a good idea." Ayla said with a nod.

Marle's voice was shaking and her brow furrowed, "That is not quite what I meant. I mean, that is a good idea and I think we should help out if we can but what about-"

Glenn loudly cleared his throat, which shocked Marle into looking at him. Glenn wordlessly pleaded that she not press the matter further and whispered 'no'.

For a while, it worked. Marle stayed silent and ate her meal. However, the atmosphere of the room was becoming crushing. You could see it in her eyes; the battle that unfolded as she fought within herself against the desire to know for sure and to discuss what had been eating her up inside. Finally, she took a deep breath and put her plate on the ground where she had been sitting cross-legged like the others. "After we help the villagers, what's our next lead on Lavos?"

Robo's mind had been made up quite some time ago. He was ready to continue the journey. It was only a matter of finding out who would go with him. A great swell of happiness filled him as Marle had finally voiced her resolution to proceed. However, he could sense the hesitancy prevalent in the room. Ayla had stopped chewing her food, Lucca buried her face in her palm, and Glenn looked toward the floor. A long silence filled the room and Marle leaned forward with expectancy. However, there were no words. Finally, she could bear it no longer and said, "After we fix Robo and put some better parts on him we can meet up with Gasper and ask if he-"

"Shut it, Marle."

"What did you say?" Marle asked, her eyes turning to Lucca.

"Just stop it. That's enough."

"Well, when can we talk about this? I mean, we have to make up our minds about what to do next, right? If we just sit around and-"

"I said shut the hell up."

Marle gawked in response and the only noise that filled the room for that awful, horrible instant was the cackling fire.

"What is your problem?" Marle yelled.

"You! You are my problem!" Lucca yelled back, pointing at and mocking Marle while saying, "'what do we do? What do we do?' You can stop talking, that's what you can do. You'd be doing the whole world a favor."

"Well at least I am trying to get something going, at least I am not content just sitting around like a moping idiot!"

"This is not helping…" Glenn said slowly as he gestured them to be calm with his arms. "Please, let us just calm down…"

There was silence again. However, it did not sit for even a minute before Marle asked with some desperation, "Glenn, what do you think we should do next?"

"Hipos ka da!" Ayla shouted, throwing a bone toward Marle. Marle answered back with icy blue eyes that reflected the blazing fire in front of them.

"I wasn't talking to you, Ayla! I was asking Glenn!"

Her eyes looked toward Glenn with hope. However, her hope was crushed as Glenn adamantly refused to look her in the eye. She looked around the room, tears beginning to brim at her eyes, "Come on guys, we have to do something! What would Crono think if we just-"

"Don't you dare use him to sell us your 'plan'! Don't you dare!" Lucca growled, jumping to her feet.

Marle jumped to her feet too, leaning toward Lucca with her fists clenched, "Why? Because you know he'd want to keep going? Because you know he'd be disappointed that his so called 'best friend' would-"

Marle was unable to finish that sentence. Lucca leapt over the fire and tackled Marle to the ground, punching and kicking while Marle did the same. Robo and Glenn sprung to their feet and pried the two women apart. Ayla merely watched, a great sadness filling her eyes. She pushed her plate aside, no longer hungry. After a few moments they both stopped struggling and straightened their clothes. They did not move for each other, but their glare was still there. "So, is that how it is going to be? You are just going to let Crono die for nothing?"

"You think Crono died for nothing. He saved us and you just want to throw that away?" Lucca barked.

"What about you, Ayla?" Marle asked, her hands clenched together, "You are afraid of nothing! You know Crono would want this!"

"No…" Ayla said, shaking her head resolutely, "he would want us to live. You felt power, I mean, Lavos' power…we cannot win. We will die."

"You are wrong!" Marle shouted, tears streaming down her face now. "We can change the future! We did it before! Look at how far we have come! How can you both be so ridiculous?"

"Ridiculous?" Ayla restated, her nostrils flaring, "Ridiculous? You want to speak about being ridiculous? Have you thought about how we can fight him? Do you even have an idea?"

"No! I don't! That is why we need to talk about this!"

"THERE IS NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT! WE FAILED! CRONO IS DEAD! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?" Lucca screamed, before sobbing and burying her face in her hands.

Marle at this point felt no sympathy. All she felt was rage and disbelief. "So, who is using Crono to sell their plan now? You sit there and just give up, knowing full well that everything we know is going to come to an end unless we do something; and why? Because Crono is dead. You think this isn't hard on me? Do you think I am fine with this? Do you think I don't care? Well, I do care! I give a damn about what Crono was trying to do and at least I have the guts to do something about it! You call yourself his friend and yet you are ready to just walk out on this?" Marle finished this with stamping her foot angrily to the ground.

Lucca scoffed, "You are so idiotic, Marle, just like your father."

Glenn was still there to hold Marle back so no scuffle took place. However, he grunted with effort as Marle growled and tried to fight her way free. "You're just jealous that he loved me and not you!"

"Oh, go to hell!" Lucca said with a scoff, "You think that just because you shared a moment or two before he died means that only your opinion means anything? That you somehow loved him the most? Well, I have news for your princess: I have known him my entire life and you have known him for these last few months we traveled together. You know nothing about him or what he'd want. So don't go around and parading him around like some kind of proof that you know what he'd want."

"I'm done talking about this." Ayla said under breath as she hugged her knees against her chest.

"No, we are not. There is only one thing we need to know right now. Who is going to continue and who is going home?" Marle stated firmly, looking at everyone in the room.

"Well, I guess you know where I stand." Lucca stated with whimsical sarcasm.

Marle ignored it and looked toward Ayla who shook her head.

"What about you, Glenn?"

Glenn said nothing at first and then slowly said, "'Tis foolishness, but I cannot let thou undergo such a dangerous thing alone. Knowest thou this: I shall do my best to correct thy folly, for in truth it is folly Marle. I go only so that I may dissuade thee, but if I fail then we shall perish together."

Marle felt conflicting emotions; she felt such love and appreciation for Glenn's concern, yet she felt saddened by his certainty of failure.

"Glenn, you know that you will die? Why? Why go? What about your queen?" Ayla asked, reaching out and touching his shoulder.

"Aye, 'tis true, but I believe the royal family is in less perilous straits than the one before me."

"Or is it because you still want revenge?" Lucca cut in sideways. "Think about it, Glenn. It is your life."

Glenn was silent for a moment before he answered. He furrowed his brow, and it was not known if he did it to hold back his annoyance or if he pondered in honesty, "Perhaps. All I know is that I will not let another face their death alone again…"

"Thank you," Marle said softly, with a tremulous smile.

"Well, congratulations Marle. You have one more person to add to your suicide mission. I'm sure you and Glenn will die quick and painlessly." Lucca stated snidely before sitting back down.

"Make that three. I am going too." Robo answered.

Lucca turned to Robo, her face stunned. She stammered as her mouth fought to work, "But you know we have no chances of winning! You know this better than anyone else! I mean, you are a calculator for crying out loud! If anyone is able to figure out how miniscule our chances are it is you!"

Robo lowered his head, "So, after all this time is that what you think of me? That I'm just a calculator? That I follow the numbers, that I am all logic and no heart?"

Lucca shook her head, "You know that is not what I meant."

"I know," Robo responded, "and I do know the odds. I know that we have virtually no chance of winning. But after experiencing all that I have seen and felt, I cannot let this world end. You may pass on long before that day arrives, but I will live through the generations and I will watch your descendents die. That is something I will not watch. I am going, and nothing can stop that."

Lucca was silent and looked down while biting her lip. She sighed and furrowed her brow before saying, "Even if I won't fix you?"

"What are you saying, Lucca?" Marle asked incredulously.

"I'm saying exactly that: Robo, if you go with her I am not going to fix you. It is better for you to be broken than to be gone."

There was a dangerous tone to his voice when Robo responded, "I will go anyway, whether I am broken or not. I am not your trinket. I am not something to be owned."

"Then I guess that is settled." Lucca stared hard into the fire. "We leave tomorrow morning and part ways at the end of time."

"Lucca…" Robo started, but it was in vain. She abruptly rose from her spot and went toward her resting place. Everyone did the same.

The next morning was spent in silence. There were no questions from Gaway, who noticed the strange tension to the point where he knew asking questions would be a bad idea. Instead, he announced that progress on the village was proceeding very well and that they were able to sustain themselves. In short, he was allowing them to continue on with their journey no matter where it may take them. He bowed his head respectfully and told them that if they ever needed a place to stay they were welcome in the village and that the next time they returned they would receive a hero's welcome.

"May I walk you to your machine? There are a few people who would like to thank you for your service."

The party was not too pleased with the idea, but knew it was unavoidable since their machine was on the outskirts of the village and they were near the center. They agreed and walked toward the Epoch. As they strolled through the streets that were beginning to become more solid and organized, they received the stares and thankful smiles of all those whom they passed. It was much better receiving these non-vocal praises than it had been while they were ill and wasting away in their beds. Although there was still some resentment toward those who had changed with the disaster, it was a hope inducing sight. However, there was a small group of people who refused to make eye contact as the group passed.

"Gaway, who are those people?" Robo asked.

"I don't know. They were probably survivors we found in the wilds." He responded, thinking nothing more of it.

Robo stopped a moment and beckoned the others to do the same. Lucca looked at him with raised eyebrows and said, "What is it? What is bothering you?"

"I've noticed the pace of heartbeats and the chemical reactions in the brains of those we passed…they were thankful, a few were in awe, a few were even frightened because they had seen us during the siege of Zeal…but those people over there…they are not only frightened…they are nervous. Why would they be nervous?"

"What are you getting at, Robo?"

"They are hiding something. Watch them." Robo pointed toward them.

They did nothing at first. However, after a few moments they began shuffling off toward an alleyway or separating into different directions. Although it was odd that the group went their own way the moment Robo pointed, Lucca and the others were unmoved. Perhaps it was because they had more distressing things on their minds and they wanted to go on their way. Lucca shook her head, trying to ignore her own suspicion while saying, "Maybe they think we want to do something crazy…like fight Lavos." She finished this with a humorous yet pointed glare and walked on her way.

"I'm sure it is okay, Robo." Marle said, placing her dainty hand on his shoulder. "Let's go."

They arrived at the Epoch and it was surrounded by a crowd of people waiting to send them off with all the formality of a farewell ceremony. Many familiar faces were in the crowd. There was a quick sharing of handshakes and embraces before the party faced Gaway who hugged each one of them with his single arm. His grin was melancholy as he apologize that his embrace could not be fuller, but he gave thanks that he at least had his life and one arm still. He stepped away, wished them God speed, and watched as they clambered into the vehicle. However, they were stopped by a hooded citizen before they could leave.

"Everyone! Before ye go, we would like to ask ye for one more thing!"

Marle looked toward him with a smile, "What can we do for you?"

"Ye can get out of the E'poch."

Marle, caught off guard by the strange request, took it to mean that they didn't want them to leave. "I appreciate it, but there are places we need to be. We will visit. I promise."

"No. I want ye to get out of the E'poch now, or all these people will die."

The crowd that surrounded him swarmed the random citizen with shouts of "how dare you disrespect those people" and "you are going to kill us, huh?" However, they quickly dispersed with a collective scream as the hooded man revealed his identity. It was Dalton, who stood without fear and a devilish grin. In one swift move he removed the rest of his cloak to reveal strange canisters surrounding his body. He shouted, "Do ya know what this is? This is a chem'cal agent that will enter the lungs of all those around me. I 'ave spies in this crowd, and each of us carries an antidote. All I need to do is press this button and ya spend the next five minutes making your peace with God as you spasm and choke on your own blood."

"Dalton! You idiot!"

Dalton was lifted off his feet as Gaway leveled him in the face. Dalton landed on the ground and quickly jumped to his feet. He laughed and wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth. "I gotta say, ye shore got a strong arm on ye for an old git. 'Owever, if ye try that again, I'm afraid you'll give ev'ryone a nasty cough an' we don't want that, do we?" Gaway growled, but stepped away obediently and gestured for everyone to do the same.

"What is this, Dalton?" Marle shouted, "Why in the world would you want to harass these people! There's nothing here for you!"

"Ah, fo' a pretty lil' thing ya sure are a slow one…Why do ya think I tried to get rid o' the queen in the first place, eh? That silly cow ruined ev'rything. But now that she's gone, I wager we can build Zeal from the ground up again. An' this time, I'll be at the center. No more of these fools relying on their underground parasites. A nation of scientific progress is needed."

A voice shouted out from the crowd, "We will never follow your or any of those who were in league with the royal family ever again!"

A strong shout of agreement came up from the crowd. "You lied to us and left us to die!"

"Go to hell, Dalton, and take your flunkies with you!"

Dalton stood, biting his lip as the taunting and booing of the crowd grew. When he could bear it no longer he took out a gun and casually shot a random person in the crowd. Everyone screamed and backed away, which was the desired effect. He reholstered his gun and said, "It seems there is a gen'ral disagreement 'bout my succession. Lucky for me, this is no democracy. The blackbird is inbound, an' if I wanted to I could blow this measly little 'ovel to hell and back! I would much rather prefer ye to be with me in spirit, but I suppose gunpowder an' ball will 'ave to do instead." He gestured with an apologetic bow and turned to the party again. "Now, if you would so kindly step out of the Epoch…"

"What do you think you are going to do? You don't know how to use the Epoch…you don't know what it can do." Lucca started, her hands in the air.

"I'm disappointed lil' girl…seein' as you 'ave the big glasses I expected ya to be the 'alf smart one. I am a man of science…if anyone can figure out that lump of metal it'd be me! But that is not the reason why I am here…You aren't just getting out of the Epoch…you are comin' with me or all these people will die."

"Why? For what purpose couldst thou have need of us!" Glenn seethed.

Dalton grinned, "I 'ave to say…those creatures I made from ya worked beautifully…shame though, that in order to make more I need to keep you all alive. Genetic material, y'know…and considerin' the amount of people here to enforce, I am going to need a lot of it…"

Dalton reached into the folds of his clothes and pulled out a set of pills. He tossed a pill to each person aboard the Epoch save for Robo. "If ye want to save these people, swallow these pills…except fo' the big metal one there. I see the look on your faces, but ya forget I want ye alive. It's a sedative. As fo' you, metal man, you try anything your friends are dead. Understand?"

Robo stared at the pills in their hands and said, "He is being truthful. It is a capsulated form of nitrous oxide with a periodic release mechanism…there is enough to keep you sedated for two hours…"

Marle stared hard at Dalton, threatening him with her eyes. He only smiled tauntingly in return. With a swift motion she swallowed the pill and the others followed her suit. The effect was almost instantaneous. A great dizziness came over her and she felt her body fall backwards as her eyes slammed shut.

Author's note: The story shall not die! But, I apologize…it is going to be a bit long until Frog has the showdown with Magus. It's coming up though! I'm a bit impatient to get to all the sidequest stuff…I think that is going to be my better stuff. I had thought out the scenarios many times. :D

Anyway, more coming soon. :3