Chapter 16
The Gate Is Open You
"So this is what has become of
that old metal punching bag that we used to beat up for silver points." Crono
said looking up at the terror that was before the both of them.
"Yes, I thoroughly remember
that. Now it is time that you both become the punching bags." An ominously
metallic voice came from the wall before them. He sat there in a throne that
looked like it was part of a larger computer behind him. He had seemed to go
through the same changes that Robo. Gone was the roundness, he was now sleeker,
much more human like. He was huge, towering over them; as tall as the building
itself.
"The bigger they are the hard
they fall!" Marle said as she readied her crossbow.
"You still don't understand do
you? You cannot change time for the better, you first attempt should have
taught you that. You got lucky before… now you die!" Gato retorted. Crono stood
there and listened to his words. Was he right he? Was there no way that they
could change time for the better? Then it dawned on him and his lance flared to
life.
"NO!" Crono screamed. Marle
turned to see him standing there defiantly and he saw the light in her eyes as
he felt the very courage return to him.
"We didn't create this future,
you did! We fought to create a peaceful future and we succeeded. It is evil
like you and Tempest that made our efforts seem worthless. However, I will not
allow them to be. I will not allow all those who have died on this journey to
die in vain. I will have my friend and my future back! Even if I have to go
through you to do it!" He yelled boldly as his lance shimmered with a light
that it had no possessed before.
"Fool, do you think that your
organic power is any match for me?" Gato returned as dense energy field filled
the room. Marle and Crono both dropped to their knees.
"That's right, organic insects;
kneel before your master. This is a neutron field… you should start feeling
your strength being drained from your worthless bodies any moment now, and to
think; you thought you could beat me." Gato said with a sound that sounded like
laugher. Crono gritted his teeth and force against the field holding him down.
He saw the images of Lucca, Ayla, Frog, and Johnny and knew that there he had
to stand.
"Wha… what is this power?" Gato
said stunned as he witnessed Crono's movement upward.
"You see this Gato… it is the
power of everyone who has every believed in me. No, my power alone probably
couldn't beat you but when it is combined with the power of all those who
believe in me… all those who have ever believed in me; I am more powerful then
you could ever comprehend!." Crono said as barrier of light formed around him
and he stood, undaunted by the field's energy. Marle felt the same power surge
through her as she forced against the field and stood beside him.
"Most of all you mechanized
monstrosity, we have a power that flows between the both of us. A power that
none of your little tricks could ever hope to stop." Marle joined Crono in his
defiance.
"So be it, I cannot fight this
power. But that does not mean you have the power to touch me! I am the most
power machine ever created, nothing can touch me!" Gato screamed as the energy
that filled the room disappeared. It is place a force field formed around him.
Crono and Marle just looked at each other and with a nod went to their work.
Gato looked on as Marle let loose a barrage of crossbow bolts and Crono slashed
his way at the field, both to no avail. Crono jumped up and released a crystal
cross at the field that appeared almost to absorb the powerful blow. Marle
seeing that her crossbow wasn't doing much good, threw it aside and started
casting spells. Giant icicles pelted the force field, once again to no avail.
Crono looked over to her and she had the same thought… they were getting
nowhere. Marle charged her powers and Crono knew what was next.
"Ready?!" She called out her
hair was waving in the wind of the energy cause by the spell she was preparing.
"Let's do it!" Crono called out
as he lept into the air.
"Icefall!" The called out in
unison as Marle released her power. The power accumulated in the ground below
where Crono had leapt. He came down and his lance came in contact with the
ground as a giant blade of ice blasted out from the impact. The collision with
the field shattered the ice blade but much to their dismay did nothing to the
field itself. Crono looked on as Gato charged an attack.
"Marle, look out!" He said as he
ran to her and just narrowly forcing her to ground avoiding a blast from Gato's
eyes.
"Gato, fight us!" Crono said as
he charged towards the protected machine king. Gato simply blasted him to the ground
without an effort.
"Crono!" Marle said trying to go
him but meeting a similar fate. Gato let out what sounded like a laugh and then
looked around at his handy work.
"Fools, I warned you. Now you…
huh?" Gato's attention was averted as Robo limped into the room.
"Ahh, Prometheus; you can be
here to witness my triumph over the last of those who can defend the organics
from me." Gato said as he charged his power for one final blast.
"No Gato, this time I do
something I should have done a long time ago. I have served you and your
murderous ambitions for too long. I may be just a robot, created by you; but
dammit I have a soul! And now, with one final selfless act I shall make an
attempt to redeem it. This time you fall! String Disrupter… FIRE!" Robo said as
his gun barrel clicked once.
"ENERGY TRANSFER COMPLETE,
FIRING" The voice in his head said as the energy ripped from his gunarm. The
recoil tore his arm clean off and he fell over like an empty trash can in a
storm. As the energy bolt struck the force field that protected Gato, Crono
shook his head clear. He look over at the now depleted Robo and then back at
the now defenseless Gato. He stood and heard Robo call out to him.
"Now… Crono, end this!" Robo
struggled to say.
"NO, This isn't possible! I
created you, how could you resist me!" Gato screamed as he saw his barrier
shatter before him.
"Because, he may have been
created by you; by he was his own person. This ends now Gato, you are in my
way. You have plagued this time long enough. I shall put a stop to once and for
ALL!" Crono screamed as his power grew. He felt an energy welling up in him
that he had not felt in a long time. However, this time it was much greater,
much more focused. He tossed his lance into the air as his hair changed back to
the silver color the transformation had left him with. With a primal scream he
leapt into the air an grabbed his lance. He flipped into a tuck and as he came
out of it, the power that had been welling up came to fruition.
"Luminaire!" He called out as
wave after wave of energy filled the room. This was not the same power as it
had been though. This was something greater. Gone was the spark of lightning
that had capped this attack before, now it was all light and energy. He felt
the power of everyone who he called friend course through him as a giant ball
of energy formed over his head. As he released his full power the energy flew
at the now help Gato. It struck with an explosion of light, as Gato was ripped
apart by the coursing waves of energy that now filled every part of the room.
With one final burst, the entire lab, as well as Gato, were destroyed as the
energy dissipated.
……………………………………………………………
"Umm…" Marle groaned as she
still felt the pain from the blast she had receive course through her. She
shook her head clear and nearly gasped at the sight she saw around her. The
entire lab had been destroyed and Gato was nowhere to be found. Instead, in his
place, was the very thing they had been searching for all this time. Before her
a gate had formed which she was sure would lead them to forever. She tried to
sit up and was gently pushed back down as she felt the pain rip through her
head.
"Careful there, you still need
some time." A voice said as she attempted to clear her eyes, which had been
blurred from both pain and the sun. The group had been in that darkness for
past three days and was going to take some time for her to adjust again. She know the touch that had place her down,
she had felt it on her entire body. Sure enough, when her eyes cleared standing
over her was the face of Crono. However, something was amiss.
"What did I tell you about your
hair?" Marle asked as Crono helped her up this time. Crono, for his part,
looked at his hair and realized that his power was still charged from his
strike on Gato. He calmed himself and released his power as his color returned
to its red and spiky self.
"Sorry about. I guess it happens
when I charge my power to full, just have to get used to it." Crono said let
her go to stand on her own. She attempted to walk forward and promptly fell
back into his waiting arms.
"I'll be alright." Marle told
him propping herself up. They both walked over to their fallen friend. Robo lay
before them, broken but victorious.
"Hey Robo, how are you doing."
Marle said kneeling close to him. As she placed her hand on his chest plate she
quickly retracted it as the heat of the plate was too hot to handle.
"I apologize about that, my
internal cooling system has been offline for awhile." Robo answered quietly.
"So, why didn't you tell us
about this? You knew that this was going to happen from the very beginning of
our trip towards Gato, in fact, you knew it ever since you found the info in
that file. Why didn't you tell us about this? We could have done something to
change this." Crono said taking a position across from Marle.
"Isn't there that you can do
about this. I remember Lucca once telling me about something… what was that…
Stasis Lock, I think." Marle asked in vain.
"No, my destiny was decided a long
time ago, but the world's hasn't. Make a world, where children run freely
without the worry of being destroyed by Lavos or anybody for that matter."
"We shall, for you and for
everybody. Until next we meet my friend…" Crono said clasping the remaining
hand on his friend, ignoring the searing heat.
"The light is gone, the energy
has been dispersed and I return to whence I came." Robo stated as his power ran
out. His systems with no power to supply them shut down… he was gone. Marle
stood from her position with a defiant look on her face.
"I shall no shed a tear… not
until this is over and we are reunited with everybody we have lost on this
journey. And when I do finally shed tears… they will be tears of joy." She said as Crono joined her.
"For a world where peace is the
law, not the exception." He said joining her in her defiance.
"For a world where children can
run free."
"For a world where we can live
free of fear."
"For a world where we are all
one."
"We shall fight the tide of
darkness and shall stand victorious!" They said in unison as the gateway opened
before them. They ran, hand in hand towards the path that would lead them to
the greatest battle of their lives. They jumped through the horizon and the
gateway disappeared behind them. As it did, images of Robo and Johnny appeared
on the field where the lab once stood.
"We have both completed our part
in the plan, the rest is up to them." Johnny stated looking over the debris.
"You and I both know that we are
yet to see our duties ended, the paradox has yet to be undone." Robo retorted.
"Correction, it has yet to
happen." Johnny returned.
"That's the whole point of a
paradox, it has no beginning or end, it just is."
"But it can be undone…"
"Yes, but they first must face
the most difficult battle they have ever faced."
"Do they have a chance to defeat
her?"
"Yes, but I hope the realize
that there is one overlying truth in this whole thing." Robo said as he lowered
his voice.
"What's that?" Johnny asked.
"That there is no greater power
then… Love on the edge of Forever." With that, they both disappeared.
Author's Note: And thus the title is explained. Stay tuned; next chapter is the climactic battle to decide the destiny of the world. I know you are just glued to your seat. Until next our fates cross…