Chapter 3: The Archer in the Leaves

            Although they tried to simplify it as much as possible, it took them an hour to relate to Jack the complicated sequence of events which had brought them to their current situation.  The story he told them was a lot shorter and a lot simpler as he related it, which was ironic because while their story took place over a period of mere weeks (relatively speaking), his had taken place over more than two decades.

            "So we're all time travelers," Marle remarked at the end.  They were on the road now, hoping that it would lead to some city where they could get the fuel they needed for Epoch.  "Now that we have the whole story…Lucca, when do you think we are?"

            Lucca fiddled with her glasses, which she always did when she was thinking of how best to explain something.  "I'm not sure.  I think we might have skipped over into a whole other timeline.  This is obviously Earth, but it's a very different Earth."  She looked up into the trees, pondering.  "If we get Epoch refueled, it may get back into our own timeline when we make a jump.  If not…"

            Marle interrupted with a vehement "I don't even want to think about that!"

            "But we can still get to the End of Time," Crono pointed out.  "I mean, that would be the same no matter what, wouldn't it?"

            Lucca shook her head and admitted, "I just don't know."

            "So we are all trapped here," Jack said.  "But we can help each other.  I will help you get the fuel for your ship, if you will take me to the End of Time – then perhaps I can find a way back to my own time."  He sounded like someone trying not to sound too hopeful.

            "Sure," Marle chirped.  "Of course we'll help!  Making trouble for evil is our business!"  She grinned triumphantly.  Jack actually cracked a smile as he bowed to her.

            Now that we have a plan, Lucca thought, things don't seem that bad.  She found that she was actually enjoying herself – beautiful fall days like this one didn't happen very often, and even if this wasn't her proper time (or timeline, for that matter), that was no reason not to appreciate it.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the crisp, spicy air.  She had no trouble believing, at that moment, that everything was going to be just fine.

            "What was that noise?" she heard Marle say with a sense of urgency.  Everyone stopped in their tracks; Jack and Crono prepared to draw their respective weapons, and Marle had her crossbow in hand.

            Lucca, however, did not react as quickly.  "What noise?" she asked, and got a very unpleasant answer.

            Something behind her screeched very loudly.  She whirled around to see a dark shape with glowing green eyes leaping at her – in that short time, she couldn't really tell what it was or even what it might resemble, but she could tell that it had claws.  And teeth.  Very sharp ones.

            There wasn't time to draw her gun, so all she could do was duck and hope that the creature would pass over her head.  She heard a twang and a whoosh and a thwuck, followed by a most unnatural scream that degenerated into a gurgle and faded into silence.  All of this happened in the space of less than two seconds, but to her terror-stricken mind it seemed like forever.

            She opened her eyes.  The black thing was lying on its back on the ground, only a few inches from her.  The feathered shaft of an arrow protruded from its chest.  Then the black creature vanished in a puff of smoke; the arrow hung suspended in the air for a moment before falling to the ground.

~***~

            Crono rushed to Lucca's side, while Marle hurried to put herself between her fallen friend and the elm from which the arrow had originated, with her crossbow at the ready.  While the arrow had killed the beastie, the archer might have been intending to hit Lucca herself.  Jack, off to the side, had his sword out and was watching the tree intently.

            A figure in a hooded greenish-brown cloak dropped out of the branches of that tree, landing on the road in a crouch.  It was wearing a quiver on its back, containing arrows and a gleaming white bow.  The person rose, slowly, into a standing position, and Marle could see that it was a woman, in a pale green tunic, cream-colored leggings and supple leather boots.  A pair of pale blue-green eyes glared out at her from within the hood of the cloak, as if to say, Do you mind?  Whoever it was didn't seem to mean them any harm, so Marle lowered her crossbow.  Jack, though, did not sheathe his sword.

            Marle took a step backward so that she was standing with Crono and Lucca.  There was a silence that lasted for a few seconds, before Lucca spoke.

            "Thank you for shooting that…whatever.  My name is Lucca.  These are my friends Crono, Marle and…"

            "…Jack," the woman said.  "We've met before."  She raised her hands to her hood and pulled it back, revealing a spill of honey-colored hair, a face tanned to a pale golden brown, and a big grin.  She turned to the samurai, who was staring at her with his sword lowered and his eyes wide with surprise.  She bowed to him with a flourish.  He smiled, sheathed his sword, placed the palms of his hands together and bowed back.

            "It is good to see you again, Ketiya," he addressed her.  He stood upright again and turned to the other three.  "She is a friend of mine," he explained.

            Ketiya bowed to the three teenagers.  "Nice to meet you," she said pleasantly.  She walked toward them and shook hands with each in turn.  She had, Marle noticed, a surprisingly strong grip.

            "I hope I didn't startle you too much," she apologized to Lucca.

            Lucca shook her head.  "No, it's all right.  What was that thing anyway?"

            Ketiya pursed her lips.  "One of Aku's little pets.  They've been turning up around here a lot lately.  We got rid of most of them, though."  She picked up her arrow from the ground.  "But I guess we missed a few."

            "Why is Aku sending these creatures here?  And…what do you mean by 'we?'" Jack asked, peering at the spot where the black thing had fallen.

            Ketiya slipped the arrow back into the quiver.  "That," she began, "Is part of the reason for my being here.  It's not by chance that I've met you here.  I was told to look out for you and these three," she explained, indicating Crono, Marle and Lucca with a sweep of her hand.  "The Lady ordered it."

            "Who's 'The Lady?'" Crono asked her.

            Ketiya turned to him.  "That's a little difficult to explain.  But she foresaw your arrival and told me to find you."  She turned to Jack again.  "She and her people need your help.  She told me to bring you to talk with her."

            Jack looked pensive for a moment.  He turned to his traveling companions, a question in his eyes.

            Crono nodded.  "We'll help you too," he announced.  Neither Marle nor Lucca objected to this decision – they thought the same way.  "So, how do we find the Lady?"

            Ketiya moved to the trees and gestured for them to follow.  "This way, through the forest.  It's about three days' journey from here, but there's an outpost a few hours away.  We can stay there for the night.  Just watch out for more imps," she advised them.

            For the second time, though with better light and more energy, they set off into the trees, and it was not long before the road vanished behind them.