Chrono Trigger

The Recovery; a chapter in which hope returns and a new member joins…

And then Magus awoke.

There were two distinct feelings he felt. One was that he was very comfortable. It was mid-day and the birds tittered outside. The bed in which he rested was adorned with clean blankets that felt warm and airy against his seemingly feverish skin. However, there was a contradicting feeling of immense pain. He could barely move his arms, but they did not have to go far to touch the wound that Glenn had left on his side. It was bandaged. The skin near the wound felt hot and puffy. "Infection." Magus thought to himself.

"The frog had let me live…" Magus thought to himself. Magus almost laughed to himself. The thought of it was ridiculous, but it had to be true.

But why? Why would his nemesis even think of doing such a thing? As he moved to inspect his surroundings he had wished that Glenn finished the job. He grunted loudly, seething the pain out between his teeth. He realized that even though the room felt airy, he was sweating profusely. The infection had been worse then he imagined. Not only was he injured, he was very ill. He looked toward the ceiling and realized that he could do nothing else. He slowly drifted off to sleep.

If you have ever been sick to the point of delirium, you can easily relate to the sensations Magus went through. He had bizarre dreams that had so bordered on reality it made sleep undesirable. The ceiling moved with a life of its own, moving as if it were made of worms. At one point in his delirium it felt as if he were on a bed of them, their bodies crawling along his skin. He would open his eyes once in a while and see people standing over him. He would cry when Schala came to visit him, because he knew that had to have been a dream. Even Crono stood over him, smiling large and bright as if all the evils Magus had done to him never happened. The gurus would stand over him and he felt as if he was a child all over again and he had done something disgraceful. He had done something disgraceful. Glenn stood over him and knew it must have been a dream except it was so real. Marle, that seemingly cheerful princess, looked down with something that looked like caution and concern. Sometimes she was accompanied by Lucca, the strange eccentric girl with the glasses. He did not know if it was a dream or if it was real. Instead, he continued to lay there.

"Magus? I can see your eyes are open. It is hard to sense if you are truly cognizant. Your mind has extreme REM phenomena."

Had he fallen asleep? He could not tell. "What is happening?"

"You have been sick. You nearly died."

"Who is this? Am I dreaming?"

"This is Robo. The metal giant. And no, you are not."

"The metal giant" Magus thought to himself. Of course I am not dreaming. There is a metal giant talking to me.

Magus closed his eyes and opened them again. The sunlight was in a different place now. Also, he found that he could move his arms further. He touched his face and his face felt cold and clammy around the cheeks. He had never remembered a time in his life when he felt so weak. He fell asleep and when he awoke he found his arms no longer by his side but up against the headboard. He found that he had improved much and ventured some movement. It hurt his side tremendously, but he was able to sit up and look around his environment. He was in a clean room, simple and tidy. He could smell the sea and feel its breeze from an open window.

"Thou can raise thyself up upon thy own power. Thou'rt a quick healer."

Magus looked toward the doorway. Glenn walked to him with a cup of warm water. As he approached, Glenn bade Magus to lay down and he obliged. Magus felt something cool soothe his skin and realized it was the water. "Not only had he let me live, he is healing me." Magus thought with incredulity. After a few moments, he could bare it no longer. "What happened? Why am I alive? Why are you healing me?" Magus was surprised at the hoarseness of his own voice.

Glenn did not speak with impatience, but Magus could feel that Glenn loathed the thought of talking to him. "Thou had let down thy guard for a moment. I drove my sword through thee. When I asked thee to close thy eyes, I used the water to place thee in a slumber." Glenn made a face that showed disgust as he conjured the water from Magus' body back into the cup. The water was yellow with infection. Glenn tossed the contents of the cup out of the window with a grimace as if it contained a plague. He continued, "I then healed thy wounds until we were able to return to the Commons. We could not stay long. We knew that the people would not understand once they discovered thy role in the whole ordeal."

"W-where are we now?" Magus asked.

"We are in the home of Lady Lucca, who has been gracious enough to give thee a spare room."

Magus stared at Glenn who refused to return his glance. "Why did you spare me?"

Glenn was silent on this and refused to answer. Instead, he walked toward the door without looking at Magus and said, "Sleep. Ask no more foolish questions."

Magus stared after him, confused. Regardless, he let himself collapse onto the bed and he slept.

Magus' exhaustion was too great or the whole house was extremely well designed; whatever the case, Magus was not able to hear the ruckus downstairs. True to Lucca and Taban's lifestyle, books and machine parts were scattered across the living room. Nonetheless, Marle, Robo, Ayla, and Glenn sat at a round table, playing cards while Lucca occasionally chimed in with a smile. She sat with her legs crossed, her lap filled with tools and scrap metal that she had welded outside. She was in the process of hammering parts onto a gauge to make perfect rings to shackle conduits. Already, one leg was complete and Robo was willing to wait until they were both done.

They were in luck. Although Lucca would have found a reasonable excuse, she could not lie to her parents about Crono. Fortunately, when they returned, they had left a note on the door saying that they would be out of town for a few days for business. The flow of time had changed Lucca's situation in very pleasant ways. Her house was larger, her father was busier than ever with more clients, and she guessed that Lara must be happier in this life since she actually allowed herself to leave the house. "She never goes on trips." Lucca thought to herself.

In fact, that was not the only thing that had changed. They were amazed as they saw people all over Truce, conjuring little bits of the elements. Miguel had been right. Objects called tablets were the source behind a new science that Lucca had engaged herself in learning: the ability to channel magical energy through a catalyst. It was finally possible, and had been for millennia. It gave her frighteningly revolutionary ideas on creating energy weapons. Although they could see that people were not even a fraction as powerful as they were (since they relied on the catalyst more than themselves), this had limited the gap between humanity and the mystics profoundly once again. While the East was still a place of hatred and anger, it was isolated and other Mystics saw those who lived in their homeland as country bumpkin who refused to progress to a new era. This information was not hard to acquire. Ask any Mystic on the street you would obtain the same answers.

"Full house!" Marle sang out triumphantly. Everyone at the table groaned as Marle collected the pieces of chocolate that served as bargaining chips.

"Interesting that thou'rt so 'lucky' at this game, Marle." Even with his accusing tone, Glenn could not hide his sly smile that hinted at a joke.

"Hey, don't hate the princess," Marle said, putting her hand to her chest and holding her head aloft regally, "after all, ladies are gifted with luck!"

Ayla shook her head with a light growl, "Not all ladies, it seems."

Robo shook his head back and forth and mimicked laughter. Lucca could feel it coming. "Oh Ayla, you are such a 'card'."

Lucca groaned.

Marle giggled, "Oh Robo, that's such a typical reply from you. It really 'suits' you."

Glenn feigned exasperation as he put his palm to his face and shook his head. Lucca said without looking up, "I still hate puns."

"Aye, join the 'club'!" Glenn added, causing the table to burst into rapturous laughter. He tossed his Ace of Clubs to Lucca to get the point across.

"Looks like Glenn got to the 'heart' of the matter!" Ayla laughed along with everyone.

Lucca answered them with an honest chuckle as she kept working on the leg. Finally, she had finished both legs and held it aloft triumphantly. Robo looked at for a moment and Lucca could tell that if he had a jaw he would be smiling. "Excellent, Lucca! You truly are a genius!"

"I know." Lucca replied with a grin.

"Ah, don't say that!" Ayla grinned, "She's going to get -"

"There's a way to bring him back."

Although they knew he was weak, they could not help but jolt to their feet. It was the surprise, of course; they hadn't expected him to be on his feet yet. The sound of chairs scratching the wooden floor was loud, and Glenn had caused his to fall backward onto the ground with a clack. Magus did not flinch. Instead, he regarded them coolly as he leaned against the banister, waiting for their nerves to calm. Their shocked expressions turned to confusion. They eyed him cautiously. The women blushed and looked away save for Ayla. Magus was dressed in the same manner as he entered into the world. The only coverings he had were thick bandages on his front and back where he had been stabbed through. Although the wound healed tremendously, it was still a grotesque sight.

It was silent for a moment. He trembled slightly with effort as he continued to hold himself up but it was too much. Ayla caught him before he fell to his knees, "Stupid!" She muttered. She walked over to a couch and laid him down gently. Seeing that Lucca and Marle continued to look away, Ayla scoffed and covered Magus in the blanket she had been using. Magus frowned; he was thoroughly frustrated that he was being carted around like a baby. Almost as if he were reminding himself that it was only due to his injuries, he mindlessly touched his bandage.

"Didn't you hear me?" Magus said again, slightly annoyed that he had to repeat himself. "We can bring him back."

Ayla looked at Magus as if he were crazy, "There is no way we fight Lavos again. There no chance we can win."

"Besides," Marle said, suspicion heavy in her voice, "why do you want to do something stupid like that? Don't tell me you want a rematch."

Magus understood what they insinuated and grit his teeth. Did they really think he would be that foolish? He said, slowly and flatly, "Not Lavos. I'm talking about your friend. About Crono."

A gasp came from Marle and her hands involuntarily went to her pendant. Had Glenn been carrying his sword, he would have been fingering the hilt.

"You don't believe me?" Magus asked, his expression slightly blank.

Ayla frowned and leaned close to Magus. Even on her knees her hands were on her hips. She concentrated on speaking correctly so that he could receive the full impact of her message, "This is not something you should joke about. He died to save your life. Losing him still hurts us. It might hurt us even more than it hurts you losing your sister. If we were to joke about this and our situations were reversed, what do you think you would do?"

Magus sighed and said, "I would hurt you."

Ayla nodded, "So think carefully next time." The mood lightened. "You sick, still and not in control of your thoughts. You need more sleep." She reached out to pick him up, but he brushed her hands away.

"I am telling the truth." He stared into her eyes. "There is a chance we could bring him back from the dead."

Glenn stepped forward now, "Start making sense. Now."

Magus looked at the group who watched him intently and spoke. "One could say it was convenience or coincidence. The gurus, even before they were awakened to their sinful natures, were in the process of building wonders. Balthazar had searched for ways to manipulate time, Melchoir had focused on creating a source of endless energy, and Gaspar had focused on building an invention said to bring back the dead by altering the very flow of time."

Marle felt something in her mind. She could not tell if it was wishful thinking, but she thought she had heard something about this before.

"What do you know about it?" Glenn asked, leaning forward now.

Magus shook his head, "He vanished with the Ocean Palace as did the technology. But, if we search for clues in old tomes we might be able to piece together an idea."

"What if we talked to the Guru of Time himself?" Lucca asked, her heart beating wildly at the thought.

Magus scoffed, his tone very harsh, "Oh, so you can converse with the dead now? Interesting trick."

"Gaspar is alive." Robo said.

Magus grew visibly white, his mouth ajar with shock. "What? Are you certain? H-how can that be possible?"

Lucca folded her arms across her chest, "We don't know how, but they managed to wind up in different periods of time. Melchoir is in our time, Gaspar resides in the end of time, and Balthazar was in the far distant future where Lavos has subdued the world."

"'Was?'" Magus asked, solemnly. The party nodded and his head hung low for a moment.

"So, if we talked to Gaspar, we could figure out if it is possible?" Marle asked, her voice lightening with barely contained joy. Magus nodded.

Glenn cut the cheerful mood with folded arms and a searching gaze. "Why wouldst thou tell us these things? What dost thou have to gain?"

Magus thought for a moment and said, "What did Crono have to gain by sacrificing himself to save you? What did you have to gain by sparing my life? What did you gain by healing me?"

"No games or tricks of the tongue, Magus. Out with it."

Magus sighed and said, "I am in your debt and it frankly disgusts me. To be at the mercy of anyone makes my skin crawl. To aid you would remove this shame from me. And in truth, Crono had saved my life and I must save his if I can."

"It can really happen." Marle said, clasping her hands over her mouth. "It can really happen."

Ayla gestured for Marle to calm herself. "I want that too, but don't get your hopes up. Let us talk to Gaspar first."

"You are coming with us." Lucca said, her brow creasing.

Magus grew pale again, "What? No. Why would I need to come with you?"

Marle laughed and said sarcastically, "Yeah, sure. Like we are going to leave an all-powerful wizard behind in our house. I can only imagine what Lucca's parents would say when they came home." Suddenly, something clicked and Marle turned to Lucca. "Wait a minute. 'You're coming with us?' I thought you were done? I thought you weren't going to go through time anymore?"

Lucca grinned with genuine hope and winked, "Are you kidding me? And miss a journey to see if we can bring Crono back? Hell yes, I am going."

"Ayla?" Marle asked, her hands clasped over her mouth as she started jumping in place.

Ayla gave the slightest of smiles and nodded.

Ayla squealed in surprise as Marle and Lucca grabbed her into a group hug. Marle bounced on her heels excitedly. Ayla laughed, "So much for not getting our hopes up."

Glenn looked at Magus as if he were chore he had been putting off. "Well, I suppose this situation begs that we must make an effort at healing thee now."

Magus raised a single eyebrow. "What do you mean? You've been healing me this entire time! You healed me at the cape!"

"Ha!" Glenn bellowed, "Thou givest me too much credit! I healed thee with salt water. How dost thou think that so much infection occurred or that thy innards ache?"

"You healed me wrong on purpose?" Magus growled, his weak fists trembling as they clenched.

Glenn looked toward the ceiling as if he were thinking it over, "Hmm…aye; that is what I did. And not only that, I asked that Marle allow me to heal thee at my leisure." Glenn leaned forward and then returned Magus' glare. "Let us just say that we are only slightly even now, eh? I wouldst say that thou must suffer these pains for at least ten more years until we are truly even."

Magus frowned and averted his eyes, but said nothing more. In fact, he almost sulked. "Get on with it then."

Marle and Glenn worked together, their healing power sucking out the infection. Marle had remarked that it would have been a long process and that Magus would have had chronic sickness for years had he just healed naturally. Glenn did show a little remorse at those words, but tried his best to hide it. Finally, the water that exited the wound no longer carried yellow (and sometimes creamy) liquid with it. Next came the part that seemed to undue the actual damage. The water glowed as his wound mended together. Although his fever remained he imagined it was only because his body's resistance had not yet realized the disease was conquered. He felt better, but he ached if he moved to quickly and a permanent scar adorned his side.

"Thy clothes are at the foot of thy resting place. Dress thyself. We are going to speak with Gaspar."

While the others had been ill at ease within the End of Time, Magus found an odd sort of serenity here. While there did not seem to be an abundance of joy to be had, there was no sorrow either. No worries, no horrors, no responsibilities, and from the absence of these things there was no sadness. The gurus had spoken of a heaven that was beyond this mortal life and that its joys rivaled anything that could be experienced in corruptible flesh. However, his life had been so devoid of happiness and joy that this might as well been a paradise for him.

There was a man who stood underneath the single lamppost that illuminated the darkness. It occurred in Magus' mind to stay cloaked in the shadows, to hide from a remnant of his shameful failure. However, he was no longer that little boy who hid. Yet, there was a part of him that wanted to speak to Gaspar. What reason could it have been? Did he want to shout at him for entrusting such a horrible fate to a little boy? Did he want to call him a fool? Did he want to excuse himself? Did he want to be admonished and understand completely what he had done? Whatever the reason, he stepped forward into the light and the old man searched him over with his eyes.

"You are back." Gaspar said quietly.

Magus stood silently as stone. His gaze never left Gaspar. Gaspar did not move either. The party realized that they had put themselves in positions where they were a slight distance away from the two.

Gaspar cleared his throat and said, "Is there anything you want to say?"

Magus said nothing. So many words to say yet nothing was coming out.

Gaspar nodded and said, "I can feel your heart. There is so much. There is rage, sorrow, regret, indignation, fear, and even joy. I want to embrace you, Janus. I knew this day would come."

Magus stood, "If that is what you want to do, then why haven't you?"

"Because you do not want me too. As a boy, you loved me. As a man, you hate me. I know that we have given you more responsibility than anyone should receive. I do not know why we gave you that burden, save that the Lord commanded me. But everything has its purpose and everything will end well."

"But it didn't," Magus was quick to say. "I have suffered for nothing."

"I said 'it will end well'." Gaspar said, pointing a finger, "You are still alive and so it has not yet ended for you."

"Do you think I forgot what you said to me in the Ocean Palace? Do you really think I forgot the anger in your voice?" Magus hissed.

"What you experienced so recently was an experience that I lived over and over again in my mind for eons. I waited for the day that we would meet, hoping that it would be so. It pained me for so long. The words I have said, the anger that swelled in me…I was wrong. I hope that one day you can forgive me, as I have forgiven you."

"I have nothing left to say." Magus stated flatly, all emotion withdrawn from his voice.

"Very well. I hope that someday you will greet me as you have done when you were young. Until that day, I will say nothing more until you wish it of me. Just know I will always be here for you."

Magus said nothing and stepped back.

Gaspar looked to the rest of the party as Magus faced away, staring into the perpetual nothingness that was the end of time. Gaspar removed his hat, revealing his snowy white hair. "I knew that this was going to come. I am so sorry. Your friend was a good man. I could see the way you all loved and cared for him. I wish there was more that I could do. To express my condolences, please accept this gift…" Suddenly, a soft noise filled the air and it slowly built in volume. It was a delicate and beautiful melody. The sound of it was very calming and serene yet somehow inspired a strange sense of joy. Everyone looked to the sky, seeing nothing, as they searched for the source of the sound.

"It's…it's beautiful." Remarked Lucca, her eyes inexplicably growing moist.

Gaspar spoke softly; solemnly, "There is a strange, wonderful, and powerful magic to this place. In this place where all times converge, I can conjure up the memories of any being that had ever lived. Not their literal memories, but the stories that represent them. Their collective memories, their very essence, can be shown in a multitude of ways." The music continued as the blackness around them intensified, but it did not frighten them. Suddenly, the scene had grown lighter and around them was the sound of crashing waves and gentle wind. There were rolling hills of trees and grass, picturesque picket fences adorning the crests. The hills sloped down toward a white beach where azure waves lapped at the shore. The air was warm and caressing; almost as if it were the brink of summer yet the sun was not hot enough to make the sand or stone on which they stood scorching.

Even Magus at this point turned to Gaspar and listened.

"It's so peaceful." Glenn said, staring off toward the ocean as the melody played on.

"Yes." Gaspar said with a sad smile, "The very essence of his soul is within the melody, and his mind forged by his life is represented by what you see here."

Magus scoffed. Not at the beautiful depiction of Crono's mind, but in disbelief in at Gaspar's words. "I have seen his mind and his past. His life was anything but peaceful."

"That is where you are wrong."

Magus turned to face Gaspar.

"Do you not understand? It rains upon the just and the unjust. Would you be the kind of person who hides in the shelter, or the one who dances in the rain? Crono may have had troubles, and his death may have been a violent one…but it is a life that had few regrets and he did not dwell on them or let them hinder him. Love for others fueled his actions, and as a result his life was happy. Even his death, symbolized by the ocean we see, was calm."

"But-but, his death was horrible and violent…" Marle stated, trying to treasure the music as much as she could while expressing her confusion. It was almost as if she could feel Crono right next to her again.

"The method in which he died is not reflected, but how he faced it. Some men die with fear in their hearts, some die with regret, some even die with deep sorrow…but he passed on in peace because he had saved the ones he loved."

Gaspar groaned with a sort of exhaustion and the warm breeze and the sounds of the ocean disappeared slowly and all turned to calm darkness again. However, the music continued. Gaspar pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his brow while apologizing. "Excuse me," he said, "it takes much effort to attempt that. I did it because I wished to show you that your friend did not regret his actions. You may miss him, but he is at peace now. He has saved his friends and he watches over you all…he was lucky, you know. He was lucky to have friends like you…" Gaspar placed his hat upon his head as the music began to fade.

Marle started slowly, almost fearing what his answer would be. "Is there a way to bring him back?"

The music had finished by this point and Gaspar cleared his throat. He hesitated for a moment and pulled out a beautiful orb from his pocket. It glimmered in the dim light.

"What is that?" Lucca asked.

Gaspar felt the weight of the object that he had carried. His reaction to it suggested that he could not remember the last time he touched it. "This is a very special creation. I have named it the Time Egg, or the Chrono Trigger."

"Will it bring back Crono?"

Gaspar sighed, "I have called it 'The Time Egg' for a reason. Like any egg, this may or may not hatch." He handled the smooth orb in his hands and mused for a moment. "I remember carrying this with me as we went to confront Lavos. It had not been finished, nor would I expect it to be finished in many generations. However, against all possibility and odds, I have ended up in a place where time has no meaning. It could have taken eons, but I have finished it. Since that is the truth, it begs the answer to a certain question to be asked: was it by God's good grace that I was put in a situation where I could finish it? Or is this another one of Lavos' plans? Would I be putting you in danger of a trap if I give you this egg?

"Why would Lavos give us a chance to revive a lost ally? Especially one that was able to fight him off?"

"Maybe he is luring you into danger. Lavos is a cruel being who uses any leverage he can to turn the souls of men upon themselves. However, if this is truly God's providence, if your hearts are truly pure and your desire is strong, you might have a chance to bring him back."

Robo seemed cautious, "You sound very uncertain…"

"For the Time Egg to work, the person must be someone the time stream recognizes as essential to history. Not only that, the Time Egg operates on the dreams and hopes of those who use it. The orb is not necessarily an object that brings someone back to life only…it is an object that can change the very fabric of time itself to bring to pass your very desires…"

"But, we all want to bring Crono back!" Ayla answered.

Gaspar nodded slowly, but there was still doubt in his eyes. "Would you risk death as things stand, now, Ayla?" Ayla cast her eyes down. Gaspar looked to Glenn next, "And you; would you let yourself stay disfigured by your curse if it meant returning Crono? I know you would say yes, but would your entire heart and mind be focused upon it and not crave a return to your former self?" Glenn could not reply truthfully and looked down in shame. "And Robo, what if it meant that you had to pass up becoming human? Is that something you could do? Lucca, would it be-"

She stopped him as he spoke, her voice almost lifeless. "Alright…we get it…we understand…"

"I'm truly sorry," Gaspar began, "I don't even know how to even begin to operate it. You would have to speak to Balthazar. To make all that effort…and if it was for nothing?"

"We have to try." Marle answered, her hand clutching to her pendant.

"Wait!" Magus began. "Couldn't we use it to change the flow of time so that we eliminate Lavos completely?"

While the suggestion was a good one, it earned a few hard stares from the group. Gaspar shook his head and said, "It cannot be used that way. It was not a tool made to destroy and it cannot alter such large portions of the time stream. It can only create life."

Then, getting to the true point that was on his mind, Magus added "Where is Schala?"

Gaspar breathed in deep, looking at Magus with concerned eyes. "We only knew what we were commanded to do. We had the fear that the task we gave you might have been too much to ask of anyone. As a precaution, we prepared ourselves in case you failed. Immediately, when we knew something was wrong, we went to the Ocean Palace. Your sister's magic was very special in many ways: she could commune with Lavos as nobody else could. Had we not used her to seal Lavos back into the earth, he would have awoken and the world would have been dead right this instant."

Magus said it simply, almost as if he were stating a fact. "You used my sister to distract Lavos while you sealed him again."

"Yes. In so doing, Lavos had taken Schala with him into the prison we had banished him too. I am sorry, Magus."

Magus said nothing while Gaspar continued. "Our penance for putting that weight upon Schala was our banishment from our time. While I could see my friends from this place, they had lived their whole lives fearing for the other." He turned to Marle and said "I saw that Melchoir cried tears of joy when you mentioned Balthazar. He did so because at that moment his hope was revived. He knew we were well and he realized, just as I do, that fate and destiny will provide a way. I don't even know what a possible escape could be anymore. But I can hope and believe that something will happen."

Lucca nodded, "Maybe it will come to us."

"I hope that is so. Now, go. Bring your friend back if you can. Or at least prepare your souls and make sure they are ready."

As they began to leave, Gaspar watched them. He said a silent prayer in his heart, begging that he had not filled their hearts with fruitless hopes. Gaspar rose his hand, his open palm facing them. He whispered, "God be with you." Suddenly, he was alone in the silence and he bowed his head, allowing the serenity of the End of Time to flow into him.