Chrono Trigger

by Magus523

A novelization of the video game.

18. Chapter 17: Does The Term Overkill Mean ...

Chapter 17: Does The Word "Overkill" Mean Anything To You?!

JUNE 18, 0000 XD

"We're back." Lucca announced, climbing out of the Epoch with several green and brown hats. "Robo was right; they had plenty of 'em." The scientest and the robot had gone down to Fiona's Shrine to get some hats which would apparently protect the wearer from all hostile grey magic. They handed them out as Crono stood up, his face grim.

"Good. Now, is everybody listening?" The six other group members all nodded, Gaspar raised his hand and Spekkio just said "Yo." Crono continued on. "We've been at this for a long time. Bringing the end of the Mystic War... stopping the Reptites... witnessing the Fall of Zeal... and a bunch of other stuff along the way. Now, it's time to finish our ultimate goal. Lavos. Just for the sake of ceremony... Gaspar?" The old guru nodded and brought out the wooden disk. He was still dressed in that dusty brown trenchcoat and bowler hat. What was new was the bubble pipe hanging from his mouth, and the fact that his hat was no longer covering his eyes. Gaspar had undergone a serious attitude modification lately, and it showed. Seven of the jewels were shining brightly; only the black one remained dark. Crono pointed at it, and Gaspar laid his hand on the dark stone.

"One of you is close to somebody who needs help. Find that person... fast. The final battle approaches..."

"Yo momma." Spekkio intoned, pointing at Magus with his strange arms. The shape-shifter had changed his form again, possibly for the last time; he was now a bright pink Nu. He was still as wacky as ever, and the ever-present mug of beer was unchangably clenched in his fist.

"Yes. My mother... and the Black Omen." Magus said calmly. The dark mage had not weathered the second loss of his sister well, but remained the same outwardly; purple cape with sparse leather armor underneath, along with a simple tunic and leggings. His attitude remained similar as well; dry and sardonic, seemingly cold and uncaring. Most people would say Magus still wouldn't give a damn if all the others got mowed down by a freight truck someday.

"Queen bad! Ayla kick butt!" The cavewoman was probably the least changed by the goings-on. Ayla was exactly the same as she had been at the start, both outwards and inwards. Her grin was exuberant and vicious at the same time. Crono just wished she would put something more on besides those furs.

"It will not be that simple, Ayla. Lavos is also there, and we will have to battle him as well." Robo's words were gloomy, but his eyes were bright. He had finally laid the ghosts of his past to rest, and now he was eager to change his past by changing the others' future. His armor was shining gold, with the two arms from Geno Dome shining white. He was still wearing the Sun Shades; he had apparently taken a liking to them.

"Worry not, sir Robo! Our cause is just, and we must inevitably prevail!" Frog was nearly as excited as Ayla. His meeting with Cyrus had made the knight much less gloomy, even up to the point where he was willing to speak almost amiably to Magus. Frog wore the Hero Medal proudly, and in his hands he held the mighty Masamune.

"We're ready to go, mon capitan! Kicking butt is what we do best!" Lucca was unchanged and unchangable; the scientest was nearly as wacky as Spekkio sometimes, and that showed no sign of changing any time soon. Lucca would probably still be blowing up buildings and chugging alcoholic Poi when she was ninety. Her Wondershot was apparently itching for a trial run. Crono just hoped she would remember the weapon could punch through the enemies and hit things on the other side.

"Crono, we're with you all the way! Just lead us and we'll follow!" Marle smiled. Her mind was much more at ease now that she had been reconciled with her father, and now the only task left for her was Lavos. She definately had plans for afterwards, though, Crono realized nervously. He wondered if Magus and Robo would distract her while he got a running start. Marle looked positively stunning in the Prism Dress, but the Valkerie crossbow from the Ancient Ruins was all business.

"Okay, settle down, people." Crono began oration again. "You're correct. We're going to the Black Omen, and we're gonna blow that thing out of the sky, fix Queen Zeal's brain, and get that goddamn bug OFF OF OUR PLANET. And this time, nobody's gonna die." He looked calmly at Gaspar. "You've been asking who's coming. Well, I've decided. Everybody." The teen raised his hand to ward off interruptions. "Three of us will take the Epoch down, and I'll drop the other two off, then come back for two more. Then I'll drop them off, come back and get the last two, and we'll go in. Gaspar, I know this is against the rules. And I don't really care. There are seven of us and one of you, so I advise you not try and stop us."

"..." Gaspar was silent for a moment before throwing his hands up into the air. "Fine. See if I care. Just don't come whining to me if They decide to incinerate you because of it." Crono nodded and continued.

"We've been through a lot together. And I couldn't ask for a better te..."

"Oh, get ON with it." Magus yelled from the back. "Yeah, yeah, we're all lovey-dovey. So what are we waiting for? Let's get this show on the road!"

"AMEN!" Came from everybody save Frog. Crono smiled a bit sheepishly.

"Okay, enough with the dusty speech. Onward!"

"Not yet." Spekkio smiled. "Before you do, I have one last gift for you all. IPSO FACTO MEENIE MO MAGICO!!!" Rainbow light shone from his hands and formed into beams which struck everybody except Crono and Gaspar. They all glowed with the same light for a moment, then it all faded. Spekkio's professor's cap materialized again.

"Okay, we'll go in order. Blondie, your present goes on your natural healing power. If somebody gets knocked unconscious, you'll be able to bring 'em back fully healed, as if they'd never been hit. Geeky, I've seen you admiring spike-top's Luminaire. Well, now you can do something similar. The ultimate Fire Magic, Flare. Ribbit, you've actually gained a bit of Mystic-type. To be specific, summoning. You can summon a huge frog spirit to help you attack. The more you've been beat up, the more pissed it will be. Tinman, I've given you a final magic upgrade; a Level-X Lightning technique called Shock. It's not as good as Luminaire, but it comes damned close. Cave girl, you've got a new physical technique called Triple Kick. The term kick-ass will never be used so literally again. And finally, Magic Man, yours is the most unique. Remember how when you were little, Dalton had his own pocket dimension? Well, I've given you your own one. It's only starting, though, so for now it's only one-way. You can send them in, but you can't bring them out yet. And it won't work on anything TOO strong, either." The shape-shifter turned to Crono. "Sorry, kid, but you've already taken yourself to the limit. There's nothing more I can do for you. Your present... is this." The Nu tossed Crono a bag, which he caught and opened. Shining gold bottles peeked out.

"Megalixers... how many are there?"

"Enough." Was his answer. "Now get going!" Crono nodded. The seven charged to the back and departed, two at a time. When they were all gone, Spekkio walked over to Gaspar.

"They're not gonna be happy. This puts a damper on our surprise plan, huh? I don't think They'll be in the mood to accept."

"Give it a shot anyway." Gaspar responded. Spekkio groaned.

"Me? Why me? Why not you?"

"Because YOU're Their kin. I'm just a flunky."

"Fine, fine." Spekkio sighed and walked into his room, closing the door behind him. Gaspar waited outside for a few minutes before the shape-shifter reemerged.

"It took a lot of fast-talking, but They finally agreed." Spekkio announced. "Where's the first?"

"2300 AD." Spekkio responded as he threw off his trenchcoat. Underneath it, the red Guru wore a mystical-looking red robe. He concentrated and his bowler turned into a similar-looking hat. He then removed his bubble pipe and picked up a long staff of a mystical crimson stone. "He's currently in a sewer, chewing on some stale cheese. He's scaring the rats. Let's go!"

JUNE 18, 12000 BC

"So, there it is..." Crono said softly. The Black Omen. A massive floating fortress, spiked and pitted. It was a shining black laid with electrical red and blue lines and so many defense cannons that a head-on attack would be suicide. The only way in was a small dock at the very bottom. Crono pulled up and dropped off Marle and Ayla, then took off back to the End of Time. The girls looked around. The dock led up to a door, with six metal spheres over it.

"Must be some sort of security system..." Marle guessed.

"Correct." Crono called as Lucca and Frog got out of the Epoch. "They're from 2300 AD; seems Zeal's a plagiarist. Laser Guards. If you're gonna attack, do it fast before they self-destruct." When he returned with Robo and Magus, the girls and the knight had destroyed all of them. He smiled and exited the machine with the others, then turned.

"Epoch, you've been as much a part of this as any of us. I'm afraid you can't come in with us. Thank you for your help. Now, go back to Gaspar and Spekkio; I don't want you getting hurt or worse when this place comes down." Epoch silently closed its bubble dome and moved away from the dock, then time-warped, leaving a glowing trail of motes. Crono sighed, then led the way inside.

They were not unexpected.

"So, you've come here..." Queen Zeal purred. "We've been expecting you. You, who think you can challenge Lavos! You are pathetic. Lavos's power is the ultimate, and you shall all be consumed in it! This is the end for all of you. You should just give up and offer yourselves as sacrifices to the Great Lavos! Ka ha ha ha ha! Oh, but where are my manners? I forgot to introduce our bouncer!" Before any could make a move to stop her, Zeal faded out, laughing. In her place formed a monstrosity; a lifeform that could never have come from this planet. The upper body was mostly a chin pouch with a pair of baleful eyes above it and a long, spindly arm on each side. Below the pouch it tapered to an impossibly thin waist which grew into the top of a second head, which looked like the face of a whale. Shrieking a war cry, the Mega Mutant attacked.

OBSTACLE! The chin pouch opened, revealing a tubular mouth. The word was not spoken, for no comprehensible speech could ever have come from that twisted mouth, but was mentally spoken instead. From the pouch came a huge black orb that encompassed all of the group, then filled with blue electricity, overloading their minds and driving them insane.

Or at least, that was the plan. The Vigil Hats and Schala's Amulet protected the group, and when the Mega Mutant dropped the attack, they were waiting.

"ICE TACKLE!" Marle fired off a stream of blue energy at Robo, who absorbed it and lunged forward smashing the lower head.

"LINE BOMB!" Lucca tossed a stream of her new bombs into the air, and Frog caught them on his blade and dashed forward in a straight line through the Mutant, leaving a trail of explosions. The Mega Mutant was not amused; it poked its tubular mouth out again and spewed a cloud of neon pink gas. The adventurers took the attack in stride and charged forward again.

"DRILL KICK!" Crono began twirling his sword and Ayla jumped on, and was launched upward at high speed before landing feet-first into its upper head.

"DARK MATTER!" Magus's dark blast smashed both parts equally, slamming them backward as they writhed under its burning energy. The Mutant still wasn't done; exhibiting startling resilience, it dashed forward, and the lower head extanded three blunt protrusions, smashing into Crono, Frog and Magus.

"DOUBLE BOMB!" Robo jumped onto the lower head as Lucca tossed one of her new superbombs at him. He grabbed it and jammed it into an arm slot next to Atropos's Ribbon, and then released his Area Bomb combined with it in an explosion that temporarily blinded them all. The smoke cleared, and the Mega Mutant stood there, a flaming wreck. For a moment, Crono thought it was still alive. Then it toppled backwards, over the edge of the walkway they were on.

"So much for the bouncer." Crono commented snidely. He looked ahead. "It divides into three paths. Okay, we split up. Three groups. I'll lead one, Frog will be in a second and Magus a third. The rest of you, choose who you want to go with."

"I'm with Crono." Marle said instantly. "But first... Aura Wave!" She threw a bit of healing magic at Robo, who released a rainbow circle, healing them all. Ayla surveyed Frog and Magus, then also walked to join the teen. Robo silently walked to Magus, and Lucca shrugged, then joined Frog. Crono smiled.

"See you at the top!" With that, his group charged down the middle path, stopping only to obliterate a pair of large yellow masks. Frog and Lucca went left, and Magus and Robo went right.

***

"Huh... what are those?" Crono wondered, pointing at a dark blue metal lump attached to the ground with a single eye/gun. Frog, Lucca or Robo would have noticed it was related to the Turrets from the Blackbird, but none of the three in this group had been there. One of the machines' eye fell on them and immediately began flashing red. Crono swore.

"Sheeeit. Some kind of security system, I'll bet. Ayla, let's take 'em out!" Ayla smashed the one that had raised the alarm, and Crono took out the other. Onward, across the metal walkway that stretched over a pit of foreign machinery. A pair of hideous yellow demons swooped down.

"Great. Zeal sent some goons after us." They seemed to be an amalgamation of a yellow bat and a human press gang. One of them swooped down and picked up Marle in its claws.

"Aaah! Help!"

"LUMINAIRE!" The massive lightning attack failed to hurt the Goons; in fact, they actually seemed to enjoy it! Crono groaned.

"Gawdammit! They eat lightning magic! Ayla, now might be a good time to test that trick Spekkio gave you!" Ayla nodded, shook in place for a moment, then took off into the air so fast that Crono could barely follow her.

"TRIPLE KICK!" Her first kick made the Goon drop Marle. The second kick sent it crashing into its partner. And the final kick smashed them both downward into the dark chasm below. Crono moved to catch the princess.

"Oof... I'm okay, Crono. I'll just Cure myself." One healing spell later, they continued on. Another one of the blue domes was waiting for them at the end of a walkway; as soon as it saw them, two huge robots dropped from above.

"Those don't look friendly. Marle, take the dome!" The princess nodded and began firing at it while the leader and the cavewoman moved in to intercept the big 'bots. The dome, sensing it was under attack, began firing yellow lasers.

"Not good enough." Marle growled, nailing it in the eye. She turned around just in time to see Crono's enemy flip its top open and release a pink beam of Shadow energy. He ignored it and jammed his sword into the exposed interior. Ayla finished hers off a second later, and they continued on through a door.

"Huh. Looks like Zeal's been ripping off some different time periods." Crono noted. In front of them was a blue, metallic copy of the Mutants from 2300 AD, dancing wildly. Another was just around the corner. As the three walked in, the Metal Mutants squealed.

"Shining Bit!" Blue orbs came out of their mouths and encircled the girls, then exploded in electricity. Crono growled and went after one with his Confuse technique, while Marle and Ayla quickly recovered and squashed the other with a Cube Toss. When both were dead, the heroes journeyed on, across another winding walkway. At the end, two more Metal Mutants were guarding the door, with two pink imps similar to the Scouts of the Ocean Palace fluttering overhead. Crono sighed.

"More of these. Lovely." One of the Metal Mutants threw out a red tube which attached to the teen's head and began sucking out his life. Marle quickly analyzed the situation, then shot one of the imps out of the sky. It fell on the Metal Mutant and knocked the tube loose. Crono was not happy.

Sixty seconds later, the group walked into the next room, which was small and only had one feature; a pillar of orange light.

"Looks like a teleporter." Marle observed. Ayla jumped in and disappeared, and a moment later, Crono and Marle followed. They emerged in a room exactly like the first, and walked out onto an elevator. Crono pressed the button and they began going down.

"So... looks like we're not gonna be attacked." Crono noted after several minutes. Ayla yawned.

"Boring!"

"I don't mind it myself." Marle said. Several moments of silence. "Hey, Crono..."

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to do after this is all over?" The princess wondered. Crono smiled.

"Well, you'll go back to being a princess..."

"Yuck."

"No, check that. You'll be a princess who can kick the ass of almost everybody in the kingdom." He amended. Marle's eyes narrowed.

"Hmm... that has some interesting possiblities..." She looked at Crono. "And you?"

"Beats me." He smiled. "That's one of the drawbacks of an ordinary background. You don't have much to do when everything's done."

"Actually, I can think of something." She said a bit shyly. "My dad... isn't gonna live forever. I'll be queen one day... and I'll need a king." Crono's breath caught in his throat.

"Marle, are you..." His question was cut off by the crash as the elevator arrived, and Marle dashed ahead with Ayla. Crono groaned and slammed his head against the wall before following.

"Women!"

***

"Hmph." Lucca frowned. The hallway was long and straight. The only features were strange, vaguely humanoid robotic shapes embedded in the walls across from each other at strategic points. "Those things are gonna fight us. Ready, Frog?"

"You have to ask, lass?" He asked cheekily. "Tallyho!" The knight charged forward and ripped one of the Panels out of the wall with a single slash. Lucca groaned, then fired, knocking out its opposite before it could respond. The next pair was ready for them, though; as Frog approached, they fired out a salvo of missiles, blowing him back.

"Lass, this might be a good time for a double maneuver." The knight observed. Lucca grinned.

"Frog, I couldn't have said it better myself! Red Pin sound good?"

"Indeed!" The knight jumped into the air, caught Lucca's flame and smashed his Masamune into a Panel. Alone, the other was taken care of quickly, and they moved on.

"This looks like a teleporter." Lucca observed as they saw the orange pillar of light. It took them to an elevator like the one on the Ocean Palace, and they began descending.

"Frog, you've changed a lot recently." Lucca began a conversation.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Before now, you were all gloom and doom, but recently it's like you're full of energy. I think I even caught you almost being nice to Magus once!"

"A most acute observation, lass." Frog's brow furrowed. "I believe it be a result of my communion with Cyrus. It seemeth that a great weight hath been lifted from mine shoulders now that I doth know mine deceased friend be aiding me even from heaven."

"Aich... this is why we don't talk like you. I almost lost track of what you were saying halfway through that sentance." He even had the grace to laugh as she returned to thinking. "You're right. I've seen similar changed in Marle and Robo recently too."

"Thy own change hath been noted as well, lass." Frog observed. She inclined her head, acknowledging it.

"Crono and Ayla were fine already, which leaves Magus. Can't really blame him, though; he's been through the most of all of us, and it's still not over. For him, the fight with Lavos is personal."

"It be almost over, though." Frog said. "Lavos shall be slain." Further conversation was ended when the elevator stopped, signifying the ride was at an end.

"Huh, boy." Lucca groaned as they entered the next room. A monster resembling a blue Son of Sun had materialized with two smaller versions. It immediately blasted them with a purple wave, and Lucca cursed.

"That'll lock our magic for ten minutes!" Angrily, Frog cleaved the big orb in half, and with startled yelps, the small ones fled. Lucca looked left.

"A dead end. Right." They went down, going around several turns, and eventually found a platform-like area. As they prepared to enter, Lucca bent over and picked up a Megalixer. "Sweet!"

"Lass, up here!" Lucca looked up and saw Frog fending off a large robot and two flying pink imps. She shot the imps out of the sky as the knight dealt with the robot. Lucca walked onto the platform, and her eyes caught a glint in a dark alcove to the left.

"WHOA!" Her eyes widened. Thirty thousand Gold was just lying there. "Sheez, if this is dropped change I'd give an arm to get into the vault!"

***

"Yeah, get out of here!" Magus yelled, throwing the two halves of the Boss Orb after the fleeing small blue blobs. "And if you see any more big ones, tell 'em if they lock MY magic again I'll hang their guts on a fence!"

"I believe I see another set up ahead." Robo observed. Magus growled.

"Well, we'll just see about that! BLACK HOLE!" Squealing, all three were dragged into an orb of total darkness and disappeared. Magus actually laughed.

"Ha ha ha! I LOVE this thing! That shape-shifting fruit'll be getting a big christmas card from me this year..." They continued on, killing another group as they went. Magus sighed as they entered the room ahead.

"Gar. A teleporter. Let's get it over with..." They went through, and emerged. Robo blinked.

"An elevator. This seems redundant. Why not just make the teleporter lead to the next destination?"

"My mom never was too strong on reason." Magus admitted as they activated it. "Not even before she met Lavos."

"At least you had a mother." Robo frowned. "I never did, and I never met my father."

"Yeah, well neither did I." Magus retorted. "Dad fell off the island while mom was preggers with me. I think her grief was what drew her to Lavos..." The mage shook his head wryly. "We all have some screwed up lives, don't we? You had your family become Virus-Slaves, Lucca's mom got her legs exploded, Marle had that moron Yakra XIII screwing up her relationship with her dad, and the frog... well, that was kinda my fault. I was in a bad mood that day because the imps in dry-cleaning had mangled my cape." Robo nodded.

"True. But for most of us, that has been changed."

"Luckies." Magus growled. "You and me are still screwed, though. Your family aren't virused, but they're dead, and that's not much improvement. And I'm still minus a sister and my mom's wacko."

"You have us." Robo countered. Magus's head lowered. After a moment, Robo realized he was laughing.

"Are you kidding? The only reason I'm allowed in is because of my magic. If it weren't for that, they'd dump me back in 12000 without a ride."

"You underestimate our opinions of you." Robo said calmly.

"Yeah, right. I can't blame 'em; I'm not the friendliest character."

"I know that Lucca and Crono like you, and I do too. I'm fairly certain that Marle and Ayla do as well. As for Frog... he tolerates you since his meeting with Cyrus." Silence. The mage said nothing, and Robo pressed on. "And you? How would you feel if all of us were to die?"

"..." Magus sighed. "Look, I don't grieve. It's just not my style. But I'll say this: If it wasn't because of natural causes, I'd hunt down whoever was responsible and make sure their death took at least a week of suffering."

"So, you consider yourself one of us after all." Robo pressed. Magus shrugged indifferently.

"If that's what it comes down to, yeah, I guess so. The elevator's stopped, by the way." Magus walked out ahead, signifying that he was done with the conversation, and after a moment, Robo followed.

"Stop!" Robo suddenly yelled, and Magus halted in his tracks. "There are infra-red beams coming from the eyes of those mechanical wall panels in the center pillar."

"Aah... she's getting smarter." Magus conceded. With Robo's help, he moved around the pillar without touching them and the two went on. Another Boss Orb and its sidekicks were waiting, and were easily disposed of. Around they went, and they found two large robots waiting for them, with two blue domes. Robo blinked.

"This should be... fun."

"You're learning, rustbucket." Magus called as he moved into position.

***

"Funny... I thought there weren't any friendly faces around here." Crono said. The first Nu smiled.

"Hey, Zeal is one thing, but business is business." It put the money that the team had given it in its wallet. A moment later, the other Nu walked out of the back.

"Everything's packed. Ready to leave?"

"Yes." The first Nu said. "Good luck fighting the queen, and thanks for telling us. We don't particularly enjoy the prospect of being on this thing when it blows."

"I can relate to that." Marle smiled. The Nus disappeared, and the group walked on.

"Waa! Fire Eye come back!" Ayla yelped as their next fight materialized. Marle sighed.

"No, Ayla, it's not Son Of Sun. It looks like it, but it's not." The Boss Orb blinked, releasing waves of fire that washed over the three. The group ignored it and massacred the enemy before going on. A pair of flying imps were waiting, and they summoned two big yellow Goons.

"Luminaire don't work..." Crono remembered. "Looks like we're using physical attacks. Let's try Falcon Hit!" The old double tech worked wonders. The two Boss Orbs and four Sidekicks waiting next were no trouble either, and the group walked into the next room. Crono sighed.

"Another Teleporter. Dammit." The green pillar of light sucked them up, flew them through the Omen and deposited them... in front of another orange teleporter. Grumbling about incompetent architects, Crono led the way in. THIS teleporter led them to an elevator, causing Crono to begin banging his head against the wall. Up the elevator they went. After a couple moments, four forms began phasing in. "We've got company!" It was a gang of two-headed metal snakes. Ayla scoffed.

"TRIPLE KICK!" She smashed three of the snakes over the edge. The fourth yelped, and its two heads looked at each other for a moment before jumping off after them. Crono smiled.

"That was easy..."

"Don't speak too soon! INCOMING!" Marle yelled, and all three jumped aside as two huge blue robots jumped down. Crono sighed.

"More trouble. Well, let's get on with it." Marle nodded, then turned to a robot and slapped her hip mockingly.

"Come on, fatso!"

***

"What be those?" Frog asked quizzically. Lucca looked at what he was staring at, and immediately began spouting curses that made even the battle-hardened Frog go pale. "Lady Lucca, PLEASE!"

"I am gonna PERSONALLY murder that bitch for this!"

"Hath she affronted thee in some way, lady?"

"I'll say." Lucca growled. "She's ripping off my design!" Standing in front of them were two blue robots that looked almost exactly like the "Gato" battle trainer Lucca had designed for the Millenial Fair. As one saw her, it raised its microphone.

"Deh, deh, dee deh deh duh DEH!" It sang. The song apparently caused Lucca physical discomfort; she clutched her head and screamed.

"FLARE!" Red energy coalesced into the scientest until she was actually glowing with it, then exploded, releasing three waves of furious red magic that completely slagged the ripoffs. Frog blinked.

"I suppose it be true what they about a teenager scorned..." Shaking his head, he walked on, and after a moment Lucca followed.

"Aya..." She moaned. There were three spaces between a set of pillars, and a single giant yellow mask was moving back and forth between them at high speed, blocking one space at a time. Lucca thought for a moment, then smiled and pulled out a strange machine.

"I had forgotten about my Hypno Wave!" The machine released waves of green light which washed over the mask, and it dropped off to sleep, allowing the two to pass by. Frog groaned when he saw the next obstacle; a constant stream of metallic, two-headed snakes rushed by. Lucca stepped in and the stream stopped; four of them remained, though, and they didn't look friendly. Frog chopped one in two, then stopped and watched, wide-eyed, as a second swallowed a third whole!

"They're canniballistic." Lucca observed as the fourth then ate the second. The single remaining snake then began to inch towards Frog, obviously intending the same thing. "Hell no!" Lucca yelled, piercing both heads with the Wondershot. The two went on, through a green teleporter, and down past several statues, where they found a pair of flying imps. Shrieking, the imps fired a pair of yellow beams from their single eyes, which merged into a huge yellow lizard-like beast.

"Looks like Heckran... Zeal just can't make up her own monsters, can she? I'll shoot down the bugs. You take the beast!" Frog nodded and charged forward, attacking with the Masamune. The beast was a worthy opponent, though; its tough scales and many layers of fat served as an excellent defense, and it was surprisingly quick with its huge claws. Frog eventually brought it down, but not without suffering several wounds himself. Lucca had dealt with the imps, and the duo went on. Lucca sighed as the orange teleporter took them to an elevator.

"Whoever designed this place deserves to be shot."

***

"I don't advise swimming." Magus commented as Robo peered into the glowing white liquid that seperated two pieces of land.

"I wasn't considering it." The robot shot back dryly. They walked around until they came to the end of the moat, where something waited for them.

"Ugly bugger." Magus growled as the huge yellow lizard lunged for him. "Would you mind?"

"Uzi Punch!" The fist of fury knocked the foe into the glowing white goo. It screamed, repeatedly trying to get back up, but it failed, and on its last attempt, the flesh melted from it like wax, leaving only a skeleton. Robo winced.

"Painful."

"Truly." Magus agreed nonchalantly. "Let's hope it doesn't come breaking through a wall or something."

"The skeleton?" Robo scoffed as they walked on. "Are you joking?"

"Stranger things have happened." Magus sighed, walking in to the next room and through the green teleporter. "What's next? A maze?" They walked out. A maze over the white acid. "Me and my biiiiig mouth..."

"I can calculate the best path through." Robo beeped. Magus looked at him as they walked.

"Sometimes you can be useful, tinman... what ungodly thing is THAT?" He was referring to the pair of large, fat yellow monstrosities lurking on a large platform. Their faces were horribly bizarre. Robo beeped alarmingly.

"Error! Error! Biological makeup is completely foreign! They cannot be of this earth!"

"So, Lavos brought a couple goonies from another planet..." Magus growled as two twisted green blobs appeared as well. "Sounds like a good place to start my collection. BLACK HOLE!" One of each species vanished in, but the others remained. Robo jumped over and punched the Alien square in the face, but it survived and spat a black sphere which expanded into a rainbow-colored mist. Robo fell, deactivated.

"Damn you!" Magus swept its head off with his scythe, then turned to the remaining Blob, which hadn't moved an inch. He stared at it for a while, watching as it gazed blankly at thin air. Finally, he just ignored it and revived Robo before walking on. The next interruption came in the form of a Boss Orb with four sidekicks.

"Allow me." Robo said calmly. "SHOCK!" Before the Boss Orb could release its Lock All, Robo created a rotating pyramid of lightning which filled the room with purple-white electricity. All the monsters were instantly fried.

"Very nice." Magus called as they walked on.

"Thanks." Several minutes passed. "The exit is ahead!" Sure enough, it was there... and so were two more Aliens.

"I hate this place." Magus growled.

***

"That was a fun little ride." Crono commented as the group walked on. "I didn't care much for the service, though. OW!" The teen yelped as his face made contact with something metallic and solid. Looking up, he discovered it was one of the two big robots standing in front of them. "Uh... sorry?"

"TIME STOP!" Was the robot's response; blue vectors burst out from it. No effect.

"Vigil Hats save the day again!" Marle called as she and Ayla crushed one with a Cube Toss. Crono smiled and killed the other. The next obstacle was in the form of two little bats flapping back and forth at high speed across the path. Crono decided to try the friendly approach; after all, it had worked on the Nus.

"Um... hi, guys. Could you move or something?" The bats did not respond. Ayla growled and charged forward, knocking the bats aside. Squeaking angrily, the tiny winged rodents flashed white, then grew into huge Goons. "Damn Zeal anyway!" The teen cursed as he moved in. Ayla was grappling with the other, and Marle was sniping. The Goon he faced grinned widely.

"Hear ye, hear ye..." As it growled, sonic blades flew from its mouth and smashed into Crono.

"Ow! Ow! Buddy, you need to get some speech therapy! CONFUSE!" The complicated sword technique left the Goon without its wings, and with a despairing wail it plummeted over the edge into the void. Ayla had already taken care of hers.

"Now what?" Marle groaned some minutes later when they had come across a ring of white mist on the floor. As they advanced, the ring exploded into a beam of yellow light, then solidified into two large yellow reptilian creatures.

"Whoa! Heckran's great-great-granddaddy! Marle, ICE SWORD 2!" As Crono bantered, he and Marle iced one and cut it to shreds. Ayla ran to the other, picked it up and flung it over the edge. "Or, you could just do that..." Crono sweatdropped.

"There's the door." Marle called. The wall up ahead was intricately designed. As they approached, the door slid open futuristically. It led to a long, narrow walkway with no disruptions. The room after that was empty. As they started across, though, something appeared in the center.

"A Gate!" Crono gasped. "Here?!" Suddenly, the Gate opened, and something crawled out.

"A Lavos Spawn!" Marle shrieked.

"One of those? Well, judging from your stories of Death Peak, it shouldn't be TOO much trouble..." Marle's mind was racing.

"No, Crono! Lavos Spawn Gui here is much stronger than the others!"

"I've heard that before. Let's roll."

***

"Huh, boy..." Magus sighed. "I wonder what's up on that raised platform?" Eight square symbols were drawn on the floor of the raised platform, and as the two approached, they began flashing, one at a time. Robo groaned.

"Oh, no... immense magical presence detected..." In the center, a black portal opened, and out strode a monstrosity similar to the one that had greeted them in the Omen.

"Another Mutant?" Magus yelled, dashing in. "Cripes..." He swung his scythe, delivering a blow that would've felled a Gigasaur... and it barely did any damage. "Huh... looks like it's resistant to physical attacks. On the bottom at least... try the top, tinman!" Robo nodded and delivered an Uzi Punch to the top half, which did not have much effect either. The Mutant poked its mouth out of the chin pouch and blew a cloud of pink gas at Robo.

"DARK MATTER!" Magus's blast smashed the Mutant backwards. Robo smiled.

"Magic has a far more significant effect, it seems. SHOCK!" It was no Luminaire, but it did the trick, the Mutant squealed in pain and spewed a storm of green mist. The two heroes ignored it and continued pummeling their foe.

"Dark Mist!"

"Area Bomb!"

Finally driven beyond endurance, the Mutant seperated at the waist, then shattered into a million pieces.

"Pathetic." Magus growled. "Let's go."

***

"More of those Panels!" Lucca groaned. "We don't have time for this! I'll give 'em a taste of my Mega Bomb!" The scientest threw out a black metal sphere, and it caused a truly impressive explosion which enveloped all four Panels. Frog smiled.

"Very nice, lady Lucca. Onward!" As they ran past, though, the two panels ahead both emitted a beam of golden light. The beams merged, and out walked...

"Another Mutant!" Lucca yelled. Frog groaned.

"Blast! Come, then! Tallyho!" The knight dashed forward and slashed the lower portion straight across.

"LIFE SHAVER!" Shrieking, it seperated from the upper half, slid over to Frog, then jumped on him four times before causing an explosion and returning. Frog almost collapsed.

"Blast... I be a step from unconsciounsess... Cure 2..." He created a shower of gold sparkles over himself that rejuvenated him. Lucca nodded.

"Right. Aim for the top. FIRE!" Her blazing attack hit the upper half head-on. Angrily, it spat a cluster of energy balls at her. "Ha! Didn't like that, eh? Try some napalm!" The bomb damaged the Mutant further, and it stumbled backwards. The upper body opened its chin pouch to produce a long red tube, which it attached to the lower half. A few moments later, the upper half was fully healed, and the tube retracted.

"How did it do that...? No matter. LEAP SLASH!" Frog jumped high into the air and pierced his opponent with the Masamune. He turned to Lucca. "Lady Lucca?"

"Of course. Red Pin!" The previous maneuver was repeated, this time with a burning blade, and again the Mutant repeated the wierd red tube thing. "I get it!" Lucca yelled suddenly. "It's drawing energy from the lower part to heal itself!"

"So, how shalt we slay it?" Frog wondered.

"We have to kill the upper half very quickly before it can heal itself! Any ideas?"

"Yes, actually." The knight smiled. "When I tell ye, cast Flare!"

"Flare?" Lucca was confused. "But... well, okay!"

"Excellent!" Frog drew the Masamune again, ran forward... and attacked the lower half. The strange whale-like head repeated its attack. "Now, Lucca! FROG SQUASH!"

"FLARE!" Frog's attack summoned a humongous Frog Spirit. Seeing how wounded he was, the spirit croaked angrily and stomped with a vengeance. As it did, Lucca's Flare erupted, and the Frog absorbed it, becoming a creature of flaming fury. The Mutant didn't stand a chance; when the spirit left, the upper half resembled nothing more than roadkill which some bum has lit on fire. Without it, the lower half shriveled up and died. Frog performed Cure 2 on himself and wiped his brow.

"That may have been a little closer than I wouldst have preferred..."

"It worked, though!" Lucca grinned. "Onward, sir frog!"

***

Lavos Spawn Gui opened up the party with a rising pillar of water that smashed Crono into the ceiling. Ayla angrily Triple-Kicked the creature in the head, shutting off the waterworks. Crono smiled.

"Thanks, Ayla."

"Remember, everybody! No attacking the shell!" Marle called out.

"Gotcha. CONFUSE!" Lavos Spawn Gui felt the slicing and dicing sword attack and took appropriate response; a flaming red explosion that rocked the entire room. Marle shot off an Ice into its maw, and Ayla mauled it viciously. Gui was not happy.

"REEEEEOOOOR!!!" Somewhere between a roar and a squeal, the monster's noise signified one thing. The dreaded Needle Attack. Every spine on the Spawn's body stood straight up, then fired a cloud of deadly needles which descended on all three heroes. Crono and Marle looked at each other, then looked at Ayla. Ayla smiled, unworried.

"Crono and Marle cast Lightning big blast and Ice big blast at same time!" The teen and the princess looked at each other again, then shrugged.

"What the hell. Lightning 2!"

"Ice 2!" The two elemental attacks flew into each other and solidified into a swirling ball of power. Ayla jumped into it, and suddenly she was moving too fast for Marle to follow; almost too fast for Crono. One at a time, three massive kicks smashed into Gui's head, and each one unloaded a power that made Crono wince. The third one created a blinding explosion, and when it cleared, smoking pieces of Lavos Spawn Gui were littering the floor.

The next room was filled to the brim with Panels, even one on the opposite door. There were two other doors to the sides of the one they had entered, and the other four heroes were emerging.

"Looks like we're almost there." Magus noted. "On three. One... two... three! DARK MATTER!"

"LUMINAIRE!"

"FLARE!"

"SHOCK!"

"GLACIER!"

"TRIPLE KICK!"

The massive attacks did their work; when the smoke cleared, not a single panel remained. The seven heroes walked through the door, ready to face their destiny.

"What the-?" Marle gasped. Right in front of them, floating in a glass tube of green light, was a duplicate of Crono! As they stared, the mocking voice of Queen Zeal came from the air.

"Behold my first exhibit... a moronic, bolt-brained brat from 1000 AD. This spike-topped idiot thought he could fight mighty Lavos, and led a group of imbeciles to their deaths..."

"Mind games." Lucca growled. Ignore them. Oh, no..." The entire hall was behind the tube was lined on both sides with more. Sighing, the group went down, abiding Zeal's abuse.

"A stereotypical blond princess, who couldn't kill a fly, whose attempts at ruling a kingdom would be a total disaster... a would-be scientest with a baked brain, whose every invention explodes or fails... a pathetic wash-up of a knight, who could not save his friend nor deal with the murderer... an obsolete junkpot who failed his family and ran from his past... a brain-dead savage, all muscle and no brain, who brought about a genocide... a false prophet whose only skills are cheap parlor tricks, and who tried to kill the three who brought him up..."

She doesn't know! Marle's voice suddenly thundered through their heads. She doesn't know Magus is her son!

What?! Magus was stunned. They all heard it; apparently Marle could connect them all to each other, not just to herself.

You're right; Robo confirmed. Her speech indicates that she only knows him from 600 AD.

Okay, everybody, keep it quiet. Crono decided. I think this may be important, so don't blab it to her. Now the tubes had duplicates of friends and family from all the ages. Zeal's commentary continued.

"A sad excuse of a mother, who could only watch helplessly as her son committed suicide..." Mom... "...a pathetic old fogey who pretends to be a king..." King Guardia... "...an uncaring, heartless inventor and his whining, crippled wife..." Taban and Lara... "...a walking freak show without even a body..." Norstein Bekkler... "...a pathetic young king with no skill and his wife who was kidnapped without a struggle..." King Guardia and Queen Leene..."...a drunken "explorer" with one eye whose destiny was lizard food..." Toma... "...a "knight" whose best accomplishment was whacking a frog, and who died pathetically, leaving a nation in war..." Cyrus... "...a warrior woman from the future, who tried to kill the man she loved and ended up dying by his hand..." Atropos... "...six blue morons, who gave up their lives for their own brother, then beat him to a pulp..." The R-Series... "...a laughable excuse for a robot, who abandoned his home to go race back and forth on a single stretch of road endlessly..." Johnny... "...a primitive, blockheaded neanderthal, who expresses his love for another by stealing from her friends..." Kino... "...three old Gurus, who turned from Lavos and were sent away to time..."

Hey, Gaspar's wearing his Guru suit! Lucca noticed. And now that I look, Spekkio isn't even here!

It doth appear the queen canst not see the End of Time. Frog surmised.

Uwaaooo! Ayla head hurt. Good we almost done.

"A... a young zealean princess, who could not comprehend Lavos's power, and was lost forever..." It was Schala.

Hello... a bit of uncertainty there. Magus thought. Bingo... They were at the end of the hall now. A single tube stood in the center, and behind it was the twisted, slaggified remnants of the Mammon Machine. Inside the tube was...

"And the queen of a magical land, who went on from it to embrace immortality!" The glass tube shattered, and Zeal walked out, smiling triumphantly.

***

"So, you made it all the way here. Impressive, impressive, impressive." Zeal smiled, a smile with no warmth in it. "I'd offer you some wine, but I don't think you'll be staying that long."

"You've got that right." Crono growled. "We're here for a reason."

"Oh, really?" She laughed mockingly. "And here I thought you were on a picnic!" She suddenly stopped and glared at them angrily. "You fools. There is no resisting Lavos! All who try end up as dust. You found that out yourself, redhead." She gestured around at the glowing green tubes. "So many dreams that could have been true... so many fates that were open to you... all gone! For you, there will be no tomorrow! Today is your final day, worms!"

"OH, SHUT UP." Lucca snapped. "Yadda, yadda, yadda. Sheez, what's WRONG with you? Is your plan to kill us by BORING us to death?" Zeal looked indignant for a moment, then shrugged.

"It is of no moment. I had thought to give you one last chance at life, but now I see suicide is your destiny. Keep joking, little Lucca. I like it when people die happy."

"Then I doth hope ye be in good humor today, queen." Frog added. "For it may be that ye shall be the one departing this plane."

"Are all these insults and threats really neccessary?" Marle whispered to Frog.

"It be customary, lass. Besides, she did start it."

"Not amused, are you, Princess Nadia? Or may I call you Marle? You like being called Marle by your friends, and I'm one of them, aren't I?" Zeal called to her. "And Glenn... got a new lease on life? I hope you took out an insurance policy."

"Must we do this?" Robo sighed wearily. "It would be much more efficient if we were to just fight without wasting time with all this senseless bickering."

"Like you would know, Prometheus. Or R-66Y. My, you have a lot of names, don't you?" Zeal smirked. "Well, if you insist... it is time you succumbed to Lavos! HALLATION!" A ring of prismatic light spread out from her, and whenever it touched one of the group, it drained them of nearly all their life. Crono stumbled to his knees and took out one of Spekkio's gifts. The rare Megalixer washed over all of them, undoing the effects. Around the room, people joined into small groups for multiple Techs.

"ANTIPODE 2!" Marle and Lucca's ice and fire magics combined, creating a pillar of fire and water that seared and boiled Zeal.

"BLADE TOSS!" Robo grabbed Frog, dashed forward and released, turning the knight into a Masamune-tipped missile which crashed through Zeal's arm, drawing quite a bit of blood.

"DRILL KICK!" Crono spun his sword wildly and launched Ayla up off it in a brutal kick.

"DARK MATTER!" The Ultimate Shadow Attack blasted with pure, unaltered and unrestrained shadow energy from deep space.

"You... idiots..." Zeal struggled upright and smiled. "I am an extension of mighty Lavos! You cannot defeat me!" The life-draining rainbow shot out again.

"DINO TAIL!" Ayla stood up and concentrated, and a blue orb appeared over Zeal. Out from it came the back end of a mighty dinosaur. The tail alone was the size of a small bulding; Crono was glad he couldn't see the head. It thrashed around and smashed Zeal flat before disappearing.

"FROG SQUASH!" A mighty frog spirit jumped down and stomped around enragedly before departing. Zeal struggled back up and spat out a mouthful of blood as Crono tossed out another Megalixer.

"Idiots... you think you can..."

"Enough." Marle said calmly as she picked something up off the ground. A perfectly spherical white rock. As she did, a sudden surge of information surged through her. Lucca and Ayla also seemed to feel it, although they were not touching the rock. The three girls looked at each other, all with evil grins on their faces.

"Girl power! POYOZO DANCE!" All three of them began performing bizarre dance maneuvers as many different colors of light shone from all around. A tiny Poyozo Doll was the fourth dancer, hopping and skipping around wildly. Corno did not understand a single moment of it, but it seemed to have the desired effect; Zeal slammed back, into the slaggified Mammon Machine.

"N... no... I need time to recover... but what can I... aha! The Mammon Machine!" Zeal began laughing as everything turned white...

***

"Whoa... anybody get the license plate of that bus?" Crono asked as he got up, rubbing his head. Around him, the others were as well. They were standing in a strange blue vortex. And in front of them...

"The Mammon Machine!" Magus cursed. "It's a pocket dimension among other things, and we're inside it. We need to destroy this representation to escape!"

"Will it fight back?" Frog wondered. The mage smiled grimly.

"Yes. At first, it wil do nothing. However, every time we attack it physically, it will raise its defense, and every time we attack it magically, it raises its offense. Eventually it will turn all that energy back on us."

"Let's strike hard and fast, then!" Crono yelled. "CONFUSE... why the hell did I name it that again?"

"You six attack." Magus yelled as the teen performed the deadly sword dance. "I'll raise our Magic Resistance. MAGIC WALL!"

"GLACIER!" Marle and Frog smashed it with the ultimate offensive Blue Magic. The Mammon Machine glowed red.

"FIRE KICK!" Lucca shot a fireball at Ayla, who absorbed it and lunged forward, releasing it in a kick. The Mammon Machine glowed red.

"SHO-wait." Robo turned to his leader. "Crono, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The teen slowly smiled.

"Robo, you're talkin' my language. SUPER VOLT!" Purple, yellow, white and green lightning bolts exploded through the room chaotically with no sense of form or order. The Mammon Machine glowed red one more time, and then a massive pillar of destruction rose from the floor, encompassing them all.

"See? I told you these'd come in handy." Magus growled when the attack was through. Crono reached for a Megalixer, but Marle and Robo beat him to it.

"CURE TOUCH!" Marle threw a flood of golden sparkles at Robo, who absorbed and mixed them with his Heal Beam before releasing it on them all. Crono rummaged through his pack and pulled out a perfectly spherical golden stone, acquired from a Nu in the Denadoro Mountains.

"Time to slag this piece of junk!" He threw it to Ayla, who caught it. Her eyes went wide as information poured into hers, Frog's and Robo's brains.

"GRAND DREAM!" Frog held up the Masamune as Ayla and Robo danced; then all three disappeared as three huge Masa&Mune Fusions crashed down and went medieval on the Machine. As the heroes reappeared and the fusions faded, the Mammon Machine made a soft hissing noise, then crumpled and melted away. Everything went white again...

JUNE 20, 12000 BC

"You cretins..." They were on top of the Black Omen. Far below, the planet slowly turned; they were so high they could actually see its curvature. A blood-red moon hung above them. And in front of them, standing on empty air, was Queen Zeal. "Do you seriously believe you can contend with almighty Lavos? I will attain immortality with him, and you will not stand in my way!"

"Blah, blah, blah." Crono waved her aside. "Look, lady, we've already fought you. And as I recall, we kicked your royal ass. Now, we're going to have a chat with your boss." Zeal stared at him for a moment, then began laughing wildly.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You expect to just waltz over to Lavos just like that? What buffoons!"

"That's the general plan, yes." Marle nodded. "Now, move aside."

"Uwa ha ha... well, maybe I should put you out of your misery. I shall be much more merciful than Lavos... I shall end your existence quickly and relatively painlessly."

"Ha..." Everybody's eyes turned to Magus. "Hahaha. Idiots, both of you. Nothing can live forever. Zeal... a foolish woman, decieved by Lavos."

"Aah, Prophet." Zeal said sneeringly. "It's time for you to die. I still remember what you did at the Ocean Palace. You forfeited your life in that moment. Are you ready?"

"No. But you are. You've lived a cursed life for too long, Zeal. I'm going to do you a favor and give you peace. The only way I know how."

"Oh?" Zeal sounded amused. "And why would you give me a 'gift' like this?"

"Maybe I'll tell you after you're dead." He smiled. Zeal smiled as well, and then suddenly she began glowing with blinding white light. Robo's and Marle's eyes both grew very wide.

"What is it, Marle?" Crono yelled. "What's happening?"

"Something very unpleasant." Marle said weakly.

In the sky, something was forming. Two long, delicate green hands with clawed fingers, hanging in the air without arms. And between and above them, a cruelly beautiful demon's head. Zeal laughed insanely.

"Prepare yourselves for your ultimate fate!"

"Shit! Should've known it was too easy! Spread out, everybody!" A green globe of electric energy formed, then slowly released onto Zeal in the ultimate lightning attack. The head gasped in pain, but the hands glowed red. One of them pointed at Crono and created a magic-draining pillar of golden light, and the other slid over to beat him within an inch of his life.

"SPIN KICK!" Robo dashed over to Ayla, who was propelled him into the air with a swift kick, then curled up into a ball and launched herself at him. The midair Robo spiked Ayla straight into Zeal's face before landing. The queen growled.

"Worms! Taste this! HEXAGONAL MIST!" Blue energy coalesced as a strange geometric shape formed of some unknown liquid released its power on them all. Crono, already weakened, collapsed.

"AH! LIFE 2!" Marle concentrated her power, and a blue beam of light shone on him from the heavens. A moment later, Crono got back up.

"Okay, no attacking the hands. Go for the head!" The leader jumped into the air, caught Lucca's flames on his sword, then dashed downward multiple times in a pillar of fire.

"Well, that leaves out most of my spells..." Magus growled. Around the head, a globe of shadow energy erupted, fully encasing it, then melted back down. Zeal frowned.

"Very cute... here, you can play with one of MY toys! SKYGATE!" Yellow beams of light rained down onto Magus in a circle. While she was occupied with him, Crono, Marle and Frog were preparing another attack.

"ARC IMPULSE!" Marle prepared an Ice 2 while Crono jumped forward, bouncing off Frog's head. He then slashed downward as Frog went sideways. Where they met, Marle released her Ice 2, and they cross-cleaved the frozen Zeal.

"Idiots! You think that can stop me?" One arm fired a yellow laser at Frog, and the other released a shadow beam on Crono.

"DOUBLE BOMB!" Robo took one of Lucca's Mega Bombs and combined it with his Area Bomb module, creating a huge, fiery explosion. Immediately following, Magus released another Dark Bomb spell. Zeal was quite visibly starting to fail.

"You will all DIE!" A rainbow beam of light shone out from the demonic queen, draining them all of their energy. Frog and Lucca staggered up.

"FROG FLARE!" A massive frog spirit jumped in and began enacting a dreadful retribution for the wounds its master had suffered. Then the Flare eruped, and the flaming frog increased its attacks tremendously. When it left, the two hands commenced their counterattacks, but they did little that the Hallation hadn't done earlier. With the maneuver successful, Crono threw out a Megalixer.

"BLAZE KICK!" Lucca fired off two streams of flames into Ayla, who absorbed them and use them to propel herself into Zeal's head with three shattering kicks, causing an explosion with each. Zeal's face contorted into a dreadful mask of rage.

"THAT'S IT! NOW YOU SHALL PERISH! DARK GEAR!" Two starry rips similar to Magus's Dark Matter appeared and blew out purple lightning between them, then exploded in a huge display of raw power. All seven were caught in it. Zeal laughed insanely. "HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!! You are DEAD!"

Now! Now, while she's off balance! Magus suddenly straightened up and looked into her eyes. Zeal sneered.

"What is it, Prophet? Are you going to beg for your life?"

"No. And my name isn't Prophet... mother." Zeal suddenly froze in place, making no sound.

"M... mother... Janus?" She shook it off as Lavos's control resumed. "Ha! It matters not! You will die here as well!"

But that brief moment of distraction was all they had needed. In that moment, Crono had removed from his pack a perfectly spherical blue stone from the Giant's Claw and thrown it to the mage. Now, Magus reached his hand up and caught it without turning around. Lucca and Robo ran over next to him, and Magus looked up again.

"Game over, mom. OMEGA FLARE!" All three of them dashed to the head, and Magus and Lucca began moving around in a circle so fast that it seemed there were two of each of them, while Robo launched high into the sky. A huge laser, thick as a bus, rushed out of the sky and swept across Zeal chaotically, creating explosions wherever it went. It stopped on Magus and Lucca, and then, there was an impossibly powerful explosion of Shadow Fire energy. Everything was a blinding white; only the dark shapes of Zeal's head and hands could be seen. And then they dissapeared, burned away into nothing.

The white light cleared and Zeal stood before them, human again. "N... no... impossible... for you to defeat me... Lavos! Come to my aid!" She raised her hands, and far below, a massive circle of glowing blue appeared underneath the Omen. "Ha ha ha ha ha! At last, you shall face mighty Lavos himself! He will rip you... EH?!" From the gate blasted out a massive dome of white that exploded acros the Omen. For a moment, nothing happened. And then Zeal shrieked horribly, a shriek filled with a horrible, primal pain and suffering, and fell to the ground, clutching at her head. At that moment, there was a horrible crashing and rumbling. The Black Omen was coming apart at the seams.

"It be collapsing." Frog chuckled dryly. "It appears Lavos doth not respect failure." Queen Zeal moaned softly as her eyes opened, and they no longer held the same ancient, cruel malice that Crono had always seen in them.

"My... name was Zeal... I was the queen of a magical kingdom above the clouds..." Somehow, Crono realized that Lavos's rising had affected her as much as it did the Omen. The woman and the building had been linked somehow, and now that they had both failed, Lavos rewarded them equally. Zeal had finally been freed, but it was not to last. The Queen was dying. The fallen queen looked at them all.

"I... I thank you all. You have freed me from... Lavos's twisted domination. And now, I shall finally rest..." She grimaced in pain momentarily. "Now... please, come here... Janus... my son..." Obediently, Magus walked over and kneeled down. "Janus... can you forgive me? For all I have done... I destroyed Zeal... I ripped you from your family... and then there was... Schala..."

"What's done is done." Magus said shortly. "Zeal is gone, and we remain. It was not your fault; Lavos controlled you. I absolve you of blame. You are still my mother." She sighed, as if a great weight had left her shoulders.

"Thank you, son... thank you..." She turned her gaze to Crono. "Both of you. Now is the time. You and the others must rid this world of Lavos in this moment. If you fail, this world dies. You MUST NOT. Destroy Lavos. For the world." The queen looked back upon Magus, even as her eyes were clouding over. "Janus... my little boy, all grown up now, and so big... so strong... make us proud. I will always be with you... my son." She released one last quavering sigh, and was still. Magus said nothing, but stayed there, just looking at his mother. A dozen different emotions played across his face. Finally, he stood up and silently sent her into the Black Hole.

"...I'll have Spekkio bring her out when we're done. The least I can give her is a decent burial." He frowned then, and his face held the most rage Crono had ever seen on those hardened features. "But first, we have one little bug problem to take care of." The last of the Black Omen disintegrated, and the seven fell down into the blue portal. A Gate of tremendous power. Finally, the end of their quest stood before them. The seven calmly looked up, staring into the face of their destiny. THIS was why they had born. THIS was their purpose in life. The time had come, and the destined ones were ready to save their world.

And Lavos awakened.

DECEMBER 31, 1999 AD

"There it is." Crono said. "Lavos." They were standing in some kind of blue Gate-like zone, and Lavos looked down on them. Most of the monster was completely covered in huge, iron-grey spikes. What little of the undershell that was visible was red and black. On the bottom were several huge claw legs, and in the center of the bottom front, the head. It was composed of three beaklike sections, with nothing even resembling eyes. As the group stood, it sensed them somehow, and the mouth opened in a battle cry. All the seven felt the huge mind touch them, running through their memories. After a moment, it stopped.

"What the hell was that?" Lucca muttered. Crono and Fritz shrugged. The mystery was solved at the end of the bridge, as a huge mechanical Dragon Tank rolled out! Behind it, the Chancellor screamed. "Go, Dragon Tank! Crush them all!"

Lavos roared again, but this time it was a metallic shriek. Two long-legged insects with heads like his walked out from the shell on either side of the head as if it were insubstantial.

"It's imitating the Dragon Tank." Lucca realized. "Geez, how pathetic. One of those will be immune to electricity and fire."

"No problem for me." Magus smiled. "Dark Mist!" A roiling fog of shadow magic rushed past, sweeping away both bugs and hitting Lavos. The mental touch returned.

At the top, they entered a wide room, with one big door at the back. However, as they moved towards it, a huge robot fell out of the ceiling and knocked them all flying! "Guardian activated. Executing Security program... executing Bit program..." The three exchanged one glance, then lept to their feet, ready to fight. Two smaller robots of the same model floated down to the sides, and the fight began.

A pair of disgusting yellow blobs crawled out. "Guardian. Big deal. ICE 2!" Marle shot off a ring of blue energy which created a pair of giant crushing lumps of ice. The blobs were squished. The mental touch again, landing on...

At the end, the path went onto dry land again, and into another chamber. Inside, they all screamed at what lumbered toward them. It was like a throwback to prehistoric times. A massive, blue-skinned reptile with horns, spikes, claws and fangs everywhere you look. When they stopped screaming, it snarled at them, "Humans! You dare come in here!" Crono managed to stammer out, "We... we were told by the Chief of Medina to come here. We... we were told about you by Melchior..." The beast roared fearsomely. "Ozzie XIII has no power over me! And the fact that you know Melchior means nothing! Death to the Mystics' enemies!"

"Heckran. Ha. LUMINAIRE!" A massive globe of green electrical energy exploded on the head of the beast. Lavos returned to mind probing, and found...

At the end of the bridge, Ozzie was waiting. Marle was the first to speak. "I don't suppose you'd wait up for us next time if we asked nicely?" Ozzie pretended to consider it. "Hmm... no, I don't think so. Especially since there won't be enough of you left to wait up FOR." Crono scoffed at this. "Oh, right. And who's gonna do that? You?" Ozzie grinned evilly. "No. Him." The three turned to see a massive, two-story skeleton with a pair of strange skeletal wings. Ozzie laughed. "Go, Zombor! Crush them!"

A single bug walked out from the head, and Lucca laughed. "Zombor. Loser. Robo?"

"AREA BOMB!" Robo stood near Zombor and released a firey explosion from his own body, immolating the bug.

"ICE WATER!" Marle and Frog combined their magic to form a floating bubble with ice inside. It crashed into Lavos's head. This time, the mental probing selected...

"Ow... what a kick... they're pretty good, eh bro?" Mune observed them carefully. "Yeah. The only one better was Cyrus." "Well, ya know what that means. No more goofing off!" "Yeah! This time we're serious!" Lucca almost exploded. "THAT was goofing off?" The twins ignored her and stood across from each other, going into fighting stances. "With Masa's bravery and..." "Mune's knowledge!" "TWO BECOME ONE!" As they spoke the last part together, they charged and a hole opened up in the air. Flashing with prismatic colors, they disappeared in... and a nightmare came out. 10 feet tall, the yellow demon had a fat gut but incredibly muscled arms. The head sported a pair of horns, and the eyes shone with fury. "TIME TO DIE, LITTLE ONES!"

"Masamune? I think not. FLARE!" Fire power poured into Lucca for several seconds until she was glowing with it, and then released it in three gigantic explosions of red energy. More probing resulted in...

Azala was not amused. "Trying to be funny? We'll see how much you're laughing in a moment! Heeeere, Nizbel!" "Who or what is a Nizbel?" Crono asked Marle, who had gone white. "You don't want to know." As a huge form lumbered into view from the back of the cave, Crono went pale as well. "Oh, shit." It seemed a good thing to say. Nizbel was as big as Masamune had been, but where it had been yellow and fat, Nizbel had tough-looking grey scales and the figure of a master bodybuilder.

"LUMINAIRE!"

The room was pitch-black. As they walked forward, a voice called slowly, "Neuga, Ziga, Zimba, Zom..." The three slowly walked forward, and as they did, blue fires lit on either side of them. "Now the chosen time has come..." They kept walking, and when the blue fires stopped, so did they. "Exchange this world for-!" Blue fires, one at a time, formed a circle in front of them, connected to the lines to their sides. In front of the circle stood a massive, four-armed demon statue, each arm holding a red flame. The floor of the circle was decorated with strange murals. And standing in the middle of the circle, with his back to them... "Magus!" Frog drew the Masamune, and Crono & Marle followed. Their enemy did not speak at first, but was silent for an agonizing moment. "It... it's that stupid frog!" Magus finally growled. "Kissed any princesses lately?" Crono glanced at Marle, who was ignoring the comment. Frog, on the other hand, was smiling. "I hath gotten used to it. In fact, I rather enjoyeth this form now. And I oweth it all to ye!" Here, he raised the holy blade. "I hath something for thee... a simple gift, as a way of showing my gratitude..." Magus's head snapped up, although he did not turn. "Ah! The Masamune! Ozzie didn't mention that... now I see how you got past the Trio... and I bet you're just dying to use it!" From seemly nowhere, a wind began to blow. "The black wind howls..." Magus smiled. "Okay... give me your best shot..." He turned, and drew from nowhere a massive scythe. "..If you're prepared for the void!"

"DARK MATTER!"

The door led out to a long bridge, extending to a solitary tower behind the lair. As the three ran down to it, they saw that the front of it on their level was a huge opening. A pair of baleful red eyes glared out from it, and Azala stood on the upper-right rim of the opening, facing away from them. "Red... star... FALL!" As he chanted, they saw a very noticable red star, showing even in the day. "Stain the earth... RED!" He turned around, and they saw on his face a kind of hopeless despair, mixed with an insane resolution. "The stars have foretold that the Reptites will fall this day. However, we shall not simply hand the earth over to you!" He blew a whistle, and roaring, a THING came out. It was a huge Tyrannosaurus Rex, bound in a metal harness. Azala laughed as he jumped onto it's right shoulder. "Mwa ha ha! With this Black Tyrano, I can finally exterminate you filthy apes before my fall!"

"SUPER VOLT!"

As they climbed the last, completely vertical chain, the sky quickly darkened,and they could hear lightning. "Huh, boy..." Crono grunted as he heaved himself up. The mountain's peak was surrounded by many spiky edges. The back was a huge gorge, and before them, a podium held a large crystal block. "I wonder what that is?" Marle said softly. Ayla, ever the impetuous one, walked over and tried to grab it. The moment she touched it, however, it flickered and disappeared, and an angry rumbling came from the gorge. "That doesn't sound good!" Crono yelled over the shaking. A moment later, its source was revealed, as a gigantic stone guardian rose! The monster was purple and covered with spikes, and sported two massive arms but no body below the waist. The ugly face stared down at them, then grinned horribly.

"ARC IMPULSE!"

Lavos went through many forms; from Dalton toYakra XIII, from Son of Sun to Mother Brain, from the Terrible Trio to Zeal. Finally, though, it lost its patience. With a roar of rage, the mental probing ceased, and destruction rained from the heavens.

***

Each of the seven heroes looked up into the sky calmly as Lavos's destruction poured upon them. This was the true test of strength. If they withstood this attack, they had a chance. The flaming death fell, covering them all as it exploded, sending up massive clouds of smoke. And when it cleared, they were all still there; a little bruised and battered, but still there.

"Just like DBZ." Lucca observed. "ANTIPODE 3!" Marle concentrated her ice magic, and Lucca summoned a deadly Flare spell, and both mixed in a gigantic beam of fire and ice that covered Lavos's entire body. The beast roared. Ayla grabbed Frog and launched into the air, then dropped down in a head kick, the knight leading with the Masamune. Lavos screamed. Robo grabbed Crono by the feet and spun him around at incredible speeds with the teen's sword extended. Lavos roared and screamed. A black portal opened around the head and blue lightning struck out, attempting to scramble their brains. But the Vigil Hats protected them. The ultimate shadow magic poured massive amounts of energy into the head. Lavos writhed, his clawlike legs churning.

"DELTA STORM!" Crono, Marle and Lucca took up positions around the head to form a perfect triangle. Between them, a huge three-sided beam of power appeared. First, it struck with Fire. Then with ice. And finally with lightning. Lavos opened his maw in agony, and from a space above it, millions of needles shot up and poured down on them. The group ignored the pain; they no longer feared this thing. Crono saw that the head was badly scorched by their attacks. One good direct strike was all that was needed. "Frog! Catch!" From his pack, the teen removed a perfectly spherical silver rock, taken from a Nu in the prehistoric, and tossed it to the knight. Frog caught it and grinned, waving Ayla and Robo over.

"SPIN STRIKE!" Frog held up the Masamune as Robo and Ayla charged up power, then leaped into the air. The robot and the cavewoman dashed over and began blasting around the head, pummeling at incredible speeds. A channel of pure physical force was created, and Frog crashed down through this, legendary sword first. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then Lavos screamed one last time, and the head exploded with a force that propelled them all far backwards, leaving a ragged, smoking hole in the shell where it was.

"Unbelievable..." Marle sais softly, staring at the hole. A trickle of blood seeped out. "We actually did it... we won!"

"It's... it's over?" Frog asked slowly. Lucca sighed and shook her head.

"I wish it was over... but it's not. Notice something? This wierd time void we're in hasn't disappeared. Lavos must still be alive."

"Ayla not give up!" Ayla sniffed at the hole. "In here! Lavos in here!"

"Inside...?" Robo blinked. "Very well. There is no other choice."

"We'll get to the bottom of this..." Magus growled, and he walked into the hole. The others followed.

***

"Ugh... it reeks in here." Marle said, pinching her nose. "We're in pretty deep..." They were walking down a straight tunnel, glowing green. Neon green liquid pooled around their feet. Ayla sniffed at the air and made a startled exclamation.

"Lavos smell... stronger!"

"This be eerie..." Frog muttered. "It be worse than Magus's place.."

"No turning back now." Magus growled. "We're going on. And last time I checked, my castle didn't smell like rotten yak. Well, except for Ozzie's quarters." The group continued, occasionally stepping over unidentifiable lumps.

Hear me, all of you... The strange voice rang through their heads. Lucca frowned.

"What? Who is that?"

So, you are the ones foretold... I've been waiting for you...

"Waiting...?" Frog asked.

It is hopeless to come against me. Turn back...

"No. Nice try, Lavos." Magus chuckled. "We've come this far. We'll just keep going, thank you."

Foolish mage... you will die, just like your mother... Robo suddenly began emitting a siren.

"Aah! Power detected up ahead... unbelievable!"

You see? My might is unstoppable... continue, and you will face pain like none you have ever felt before...

"Ha." Crono grinned. "I think not. If you're so big and tough, then why are you trying so hard to get us out? I think you're not as strong as you say you are. So just shut up, because we're coming to kill you." There was silence for a moment.

VERY WELL! Lavos roared. COME TO ME, THEN! Suddenly, the floor shifted, and they all tumbled into a circular pit. In the center was a gigantic figure. It was attached to the floor at the waist, with a pulsing diaphragm just above. Green-skinned, the thing was vaguely humanoid. Two thick arms were crossed across the chest, and four long tubes attached to the back and the ceiling. A pair of spindly, skeletal arms each grasped a tube. The head was strange and alien; above a strange stripy bulge where the mouth and nose would be on most creatures, there were two eyes, burning with hatred. Robo made a noise of surprise.

"Amazing! Scanners indicate that it contains the DNA of every lifeform on the planet!"

Yes... The thought came from the monstrosity in front of them. I have been here for a long time, after all...

"It's not a shell..." Lucca murmured.

"What be ye talking about, lass?" Frog queried.

"The outer body. It's not a shell. It's a cocoon!" The scientest yelled. "The entire time, this body was developing inside!"

"This is... the true Lavos?" Marle gasped. Crono nodded, remembering how on Death Peak, he had seen a warped green hand reaching for him as they escaped through a Gate.

"That's why it came here. Lavos has been using this planet to develop its true body. It's almost done now."

When this body is complete, I shall be invincible! Lavos gloated. Your planet shall be mine!

"Not yet." Lucca shook her head. "If we kill you before you're finished, all your plans go down the crapper."

"Ayla fight! Not give up!" Ayla said again. "Make Lavos dead!"

"Sorry, Lavos." Magus sneered. "But you've finally met your match in the seven of us. The exterminators are here." He drew his scythe. "And we've brought plenty of Raid."

***

Very well! I shall open the Doors of Doom! Lavos gloated as its hands pulled open two plates on the chest, revealing lasers which sweeped over the entire party, creating explosions wherever they went.

"GATLING KICK!" Crono and Lucca combined their magic into a swirling orb of power which Ayla grabbed and slammed into Lavos on a kick. The effect... was jack squat.

"What?!" Crono choked.

Ha ha ha... I warned you! You will die, worms!

"Let's try something else..." Marle muttered. Her and Frog's second-level magics combined into a rushing tide and iceberg that slammed into Lavos head on.

AAAARGH! The main body and head were still undamaged, but the arms were frosted over. Angrily, the beast shook the ice off. Magus shook his head mockingly as he released a Dark Matter.

"Take out the arms. Can't you think of anything more original?"

So you've discovered a weak spot. That won't save you! Sonic blades burst out from the palms and cut through Magus and Crono.

"Let's try firepower again!" Lucca cackled. "FIRE ZONE!" Crono and Robo moved between the arms, where Robo grabbed the teen and began spinning him wildly, sword out. Lucca threw two streams of fire, and Crono caught them whirling them with his blade. Then Robo picked up the pace. Faster and faster and faster, until a massive blast of red energy exploded out. The arms burst into flames, and the one on the right melted off. The left arm shook off the fire and shot off a stream of golden sparkles at the head.

Aaah... time to power up the main body...

"Take out other arm!" Ayla yelled. "TWISTER!" Crono stood on Robo's head and Ayla stood on his. The three of them began spinning, spinning, spinning, until they had created a raging whirlwind. The left arm went down, and Lavos's eyes turned bright red.

Are you done with the warm-up? Goood! Now, let's get on with the main course! OBSTACLE! The black void of brain-scrambling lightning completely failed. WHAT? How?!

"Vigil Hats, stupid." Marle snapped. "And by the way, you're mixing your metaphors." Crono jumped into the air and caught her blue energy on his sword, then drove it into the demon's brain, creating a huge block of ice around it. Next, he chopped at it madly until the block fell apart in pieces. Lavos was not particularly amused.

It will take more than an ice-shaving to defeat me, whelp! SHADOW SLAY! Poisonous green clouds washed over them all... and did nothing. ACCURSED HATS!

"Aw... is wittle Wavos maaad?" Magus mocked as he fired off another Dark Matter.

I'll show you mad, mage! Flame Battle! A line of fire flew out from Lavos and hit Magus in the face, setting his hair on fire.

"OWOWOWOWOWOW! Damn, I wish I still had my elemental shield!" Magus cursed, rolling around to put it out. Frog and Ayla stepped up to bat next to their leader.

"3-D Attack!" Crono and Frog dashed forward, cross-cleaving it, as Ayla slammed down from above.

"It's a pity you weren't wearing 3-D glasses!" Lucca commented as she threw a Mega Bomb. "If you were, it would've been 9-D! Wouldn't THAT be something to see?"

Mock me if you wish, but now you shall learn your lesson in pain! Lavos exulted. SHADOW DOOM BLAZE! A massive, sweeping red beam came from between his eyes and washed over all of them. A moment of nothing passed, and then the entire room erupted in flaming death. The fires were actually white-hot, and every one of them screamed as they felt it sear through them. Then the fires receded. Frog and Robo immediately sprung up, and their healing magics combined into one huge beam that instantly repaired all the damage done by the Shadow Doom Blaze.

Heal as many times as you want! It makes no difference! I will destroy you utterly!

"Crono, we have a problem." Robo reported. "I can sense that Lavos is emanating some type of dark power that constantly increases its own attack. The longer this drags on, the stronger Lavos gets."

"Then we'll take it out fast and hard!" Crono yelled. "Spire!" Frog leaped into the air and plunged the Masamune into Lavos's face, where it acted as a lightning rod for the lightning storm raging around the inside of the cocoon. When the electricity was cleared, Frog recovered his blade, ignoring the retaliatory Obstacle and Shadow Slay attacks released by the furious Lavos.

"Going down the same path again? How unorginal." Marle quipped. She released a hail of blue sparkles at Lavos, and as it drifted around him, a pillar of Flare energy erupted and mixed, blasting Lavos with both fire and ice. Seemingly unperturbed, Lavos shot off another Flame Battle and met an answering Dark Matter before repeating Shadow Doom Blaze. The fire was even hotter this time, but the group endured and were healed by Frog and Robo's Cure Beam. Crono and Ayla then attacked with a Falcon Hit, and Lavos screamed in pain.

"We've almost got him!" Crono observed as he landed.

Hahahahahaha... too little, too late, little human! This attack here will finish you all!

"Crono, he's right!" Robo beeped alarmingly. "If he releases the energy he is charging, we're dead!"

"Then we'll just have to make sure he doesn't." Magus said calmly, walking to the front. "Blondie, geeky, get up here. Spike-top, the black rock." Crono handed over the stone from Zeal, wondering how Magus knew of it. "DARK ETERNAL!" The dark mage moved over to the foe and stood, chanting, while Marle and Lucca danced around him. He then turned to Lavos, raised both hands and began moving in a ring at such speeds, there appeared to be eight Maguses. Three humongous blasts of Shadow Energy followed, each one so tremendous that it filled the entire room in less than a second.

Noooooo... Lavos moaned. You can't have... you're only humans... ARRRRGH!!! A blinding flash, and the huge body was gone. In its place was a smaller, human-sized, humanoid creature. You... you will all pay for this!

"It looks... almost human..." Marle whispered. "I can feel it's vitality... it's like it'd taken a little bit of life from everything that's ever lived..." Frog shook his head.

"What is this?" Lavos stood up. Most of its skin was an orangeish-pink, with a white latex-like substance covering part of it, including both huge arms. Certain sections, including most of the bald head, were a deep purple. The face was horrendous; empty eye sockets and a missing mouth, showing through to a pulsing voice box.

Fools... did you think I came to this planet for the fun of it? You should consider yourself honored... you are the only food ever to have witnessed a Core...

"Food?!" Crono yelped. "FOOD?!"

I believe that is the correct word, yes... you have such a primitive language. Food. What else would you call something which you raise to consume? Your entire species owes its existence to me!

"I see..." Lucca whispered. "Raised like cattle, to satisfy your growth..."

"It is.. too much to bear!" Frog gasped. "We hath been reared like animals? Are lives hath been for naught?"

"All life on this planet, grown in herds to be consumed when neccessary... we're just cows to you, huh?" Magus growled.

Yes. Lavos laughed. It is part of the life cycle of our species... find an undeveloped planet as a spawnling, tunnel into it, raise it as you grow, create a core by combining the DNA of the dominant species with your own... then when maturity comes, feed on them and release more spawnlings to continue! I was almost at my mature state... until you destroyed my body! Now, I have to start all over with a new planet! Your Earth is worthless to me... I shall simply obliterate it as I leave!

"Lavos's goal... to use our DNA and evolve beyond anything ever seen..." Robo reported.

"No!" Crono suddenly shouted, pointing his sword defiantly towards the beast. "We are our own people... we have our own lives! You cannot control us!" Ayla nodded, agreeing.

"You no have right! Ayla strong! Ayla grow on Earth! Ayla and Earth good! But Lavos not from here! Not part of planet's life! This not your planet!"

"She's right!" Marle decided. "This is mine and Crono's... Lucca's and Frog's and Robo's and Ayla's and Magus's world... this is everybody's... and I mean EVERYBODY'S world! Everybody except YOU, Lavos!"

"I am not a natural life form... humans built me!" Robo declared. "Even if your story were true, which it is not, you have no power over me! I am my own person... and so is everybody else!"

What? You DARE call me a lier? Lavos asked disbelievingly.

"He's right!" Lucca suddenly growled. "You didn't create us... Ayla and her people and many other lifeforms existed before you came! You haven't done SQUAT! Your story's impossible... and you're going down! You can't expect to toy with an entire planet and get away with it!"

"My life retaineth its meaning!" Frog shouted at the monstrosity before him. "We hath our own will... and mine be telling me that ye hath lived long enough!"

"You bastard." Magus laughed angrily. "You think that just because you think you're more "advanced" than us, you have the right to do what you please? You ruined my life. You're sure as hell not ruining anybody else's! You're through, Lavos! This is the end for you! Your life ends here!" Lavos stared out of empty sockets.

You actually think you can destroy me? You think you have the power? You are only humans!

"And you... are only a BUG." Crono retorted calmly. "In summation... GET OFF OF OUR PLANET."

Very well, then! I shall show you myself! Prepare for direct extermination! Lavos raised its hands, and in each, a small fleshy floating pod appeared, then floated to the sides. The chamber melted away, and they stood in a massive null timewarp.

This is it. Crono realized. This is the time. The entire planet is depending on this. Everybody in the world is watching...

More than you know, kid! Came a familiar voice. Crono looked around incredulously. Around them, insubstantial, were the ethereal forms of millions... billions... of people! In the front were family members, and behind them close friends. Zeal, Atropos, and the R-Series were in the first row, with halos over their heads. Azala was similarly haloed in the second row. Crono thought about this for a moment, then decided he really didn't want to know. He might not have liked the answer. Behind them were rulers, then other higher-ranking people, proceeding down to soldiers, civilians and beggars as they went further back. They were from every civilization Crono had seen-prehistoric, Zealean, medieval, current and future-as well as some he hadn't. At the very back on a decidedly uncomfortable-looking tin bench were the fiercely glowering Terrible Trio. Above all of this, Spekkio and Gaspar sat in an announcer's box, the latter in his Guru uniform and the former as a pink Nu. Their mouths were moving, but Crono couldn't hear any words.

Don't worry about it, kid. Spekkio spoke mentally. We're just here to watch; we're not allowed to interfere. It's all up to you know.

The entire world... Crono's mind boggled at the thought. Every person from all time is here... watching us. Relying on us. Our entire existence is at stake here. If we lose, the entire planet loses. Forever. Crono's jaw set, and he moved into battle position. And I will NOT let this planet and these people down. I take up the task of saving this world.

PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR OBLIVION!!! Lavos screamed.

***

Mwahaha... Lavos gloated. I have the power to control time itself! Watch! Around them, the null timewarp suddenly shifted, and they were standing in the Hunting Range of 65000000 BC.

"Cute trick." Marle growled. "Crono! Robo! LIFE LINE!" The two addressed channeled their powers into hers, and a slew of small white cherubic shapes flew out of the heavens and into the seven heroes.

"What's that do?" Lucca called as she shot at a Bit.

"If we get knocked out, it'll wake ya back up automatically!" Crono yelled back.

Heh heh heh... well, isn't that cute... but it's WRONG! Lavos yelled. GRAND STONE! Above them, a truly massive grey boulder formed. Lucca choked.

"It's the size of a friggin' house! INCOMING!" The group sprawled as the boulder fell onto their heads. Magus angrily threw out a Megalixer as Crono, Lucca and Ayla moved up. Crono and Lucca's elemental magics mixed into a swirling orb of power that Ayla carried high into the air, then kicked it straight into Lavos.

ARGH! The timewarp shifted again. Now they were standing in the Ocean Palace of Zeal.

"Ya like it? There's more." Crono snarled, dashing over to Marle and Frog. Crono bounced off the knight's head and went high, then swept down with his sword at the same time that Frog cut horizontally and Marle powered both blades with ice. SMASH!

Pitiful worms, you'll pay for that! Lavos yelled furiously, clutching the gash in its side. INVADING LIGHT! Three beams of incredibly bright light began flashing down onto the group, pushing them back.

"Oh, no you don't." Crono and Frog dashed forward, cross-cleaving it as Ayla dropped down from above. Lavos buckled, and the scenery changed to Magus's Castle in 600 AD. The wizard frowned.

"I forgot... you also wrecked my house! That's another one I owe you, Lavos! DARK MATTER!"

Put it on my tab. Lavos laughed. One of the litle pods flew over to Magus and encased him in a cocoon of multicolored light, and the other dashed into him at high speed.

"DELTA FORCE!" All three parts froze as a floating pyramid of energy assaulted them with lightning, fire and water in turn. The main body and the left pod both fell to the floor, but the right pod was nearly undamaged. What's up with that? Crono wondered.

I'm not done yet! Lavos shrieked from its place on the floor. EVIL STAR! A gigantic red orb appeared, floating above them all, and was slowly ground away to dust by some incredible power. All the group choked as their life energy was neatly divided in half. With a final chuckle, the humanoid body melted away into nothingness.

"Looks like we won..." Frog murmured, using a Megalixer.

"No... no we didn't! That wasn't the core!" Robo suddenly announced. "The core is the right bit!" They all turned as the addressed pod suddenly turned pale and sickly. "Without the decoy, its Max Defense has been lowered! Take it down!"

"Ayla kill! Make dead! Marle! Lucca!" The three girls began dancing around too fast for anybody, even Crono, to track them as a little poyozo doll hopped about and a brightly flashing strobe filled the room. The Core shrieked under it. When the attack ended, both pods slammed into Ayla in the familiar X-Strike.

"Over here, butt-ugly!" Crono taunted as he, Frog and Robo all slammed into the Core, the former two with their swords and the latter in a crushing tackle. The pod flailed.

"GRAND DREAM!" Frog held up the Masamune as Ayla and Marle danced around it. All three faded out as three huge Fused Masa&Munes fell down and basically went medieval on Lavos's sorry ass. Eventually, all three faded out to be replaced by the heroes. Frog was immediately slammed with another X-Strike.

"Hey... why's the core glowing like that?" Crono wondered. Lucca frowned.

"I dunno, but I don't like it! Let's pick up the pace a notch!" Crono and Robo moved over to the Core, where Robo grabbed the teen and began spinning him wildly, sword out. Lucca threw two streams of fire, and Crono caught them whirling them with his blade. Then Robo picked up the pace. Faster and faster and faster, until a massive blast of red energy exploded out. The Core took the attack, but then began flashing wildly. Between the two pods, a starry rip appeared, and out walked a twisted, humanoid figure.

I'm baaaaack! Lavos exulted as the time around them changed to the Millenial Fair in 1000 AD. Did you miss me?

"Not particularly." Marle quipped. "Final Kick, boys and girls!" She and Crono combined their powers into a swirling orb of energy, which Ayla dashed through. The cavewoman then moved at an incredible speed that only Crono could track, unloading three kicks of an almost obscene power into Lavos. The humanoid staggered, then got back up.

Bad girl! He actually HOPPED over to the cavewoman, then floored her with a massive swing of his arm. Every one of the heroes winced at the thud except Magus, who just stared.

"...Did he just pimp-slap her? You did! You pimp-slapped her!"

Oh, very funny! Since you're such a comedian, allow me to grace you with a song! A pair of spotlight landed on him, and Lavos began warbling an incredibly bad tune. Nothing happened. Oh, yes, I forgot about those damned hats.

"You keep doing that, don't you?" Magus smiled. "I think your memory's slipping a bit, old boy. You ARE getting on in years, after all. Tell you what, how about you retire and we just save the world without you?"

But then who would you kill? Can't save the world without killing a villain! Lavos countered.

"Good point." Magus conceded. "Besides, I don't feel very merciful today. Oh well." Magus and Lucca dashed to Lavos and began moving around him so fast that there appeared to be two of each of them while Robo vaulted into the sky. A massively wide laser poured out of the heavens and swept over Lavos several times, leaving explosions in its wake. Finally, an explosion of dark fire of absolutely incredible energy erupted. As Lavos roared in agony, the area shifted to one of the ruined labs of 2300 AD.

You will all perish! None can contend with my power! Feel the agony of this time! DREAMLESS! A white triangle of energy floated in and began slowly rotating, seperating into segments. As it opened, untold amounts of destructive magical energy flowed out, bringing all seven to their knees. The attack continued for several agonizing moments, and then the triangle sealed itself again and disappeared. Robo threw out a Megalixer.

"TWISTER!" Crono stood on Robo's head and Ayla stood on his. The three of them began spinning, spinning, apinning, until they had created a raging whirlwind. Lavos released a string of obscenity as he fell down under the assault.

THAT'S IT! CRYING HEAVENS! The entire place stood still for a moment, and then a thick white bolt of accursed energy came from the sky and struck Crono down.

"AAAAIEEE!" Marle shrieked. But a cherubic shape appeared, and Crono got back up.

IMPOSSIBLE! NONE CAN SURVIVE THAT ATTACK!

"That Life Line was a good idea. Come on, girls. The three of us started this, and now we'll finish it." Crono, Marle and Lucca formed a triangular position around the humanoid, then filled the space with a triangle of pure energy. First fire, then ice, and then finally lightning. The humanoid melted down again, and as before, the Core's defenses went down.

"We need to strike fast and hard before it revives the humanoid again!" Crono ordered. "A simultaneous attack from both sides. Frog, Robo and Ayla, Spin Strike from the left. Marle, Lucca and Magus, Dark Eternal from the right. Remember, simultaneous!" The group all nodded, then moved into their positions.

"SPIN STRIKE!" "DARK ETERNAL!" Frog held up the Masamune as Robo and Ayla charged up power, then leaped into the air. The dark mage moved over to the foe and stood, chanting, while Marle and Lucca danced around him. Crono raised his sword. The robot and the cavewoman dashed over and began blasting around Lavos, pummeling at incredible speeds. Magus turned to Lavos, raised both hands and began moving in a ring at such speeds, there appeared to be eight Maguses. Crono crouched down, ready to move. A channel of pure physical force was created, and Frog crashed down through this, legendary sword first. Three humongous blasts of Shadow Energy followed, each one so tremendous that it filled the entire room in less than a second. Crono charged forward. The Masamune plunged through the Core at the same time as the Magic Blasts washed over it. In that exact moment, Crono seemed to disappear and reappear on the other side of the Core. A moment passed, in which everybody was completely motionless not even daring to breathe. The Lavos Core hung in the air without moving. And then, it fell apart in two pieces as thick purple blood appeared on the Rainbow.

"And so it ends, Lavos." Magus said calmly as the seven walked over to encircle the fallen Core. Around them, Crono was aware of the ethereal crowds cheering like mad. The Core twitched, its two halves leaking blood and other things. "Good fight, though."

No... you can't... I... I am immortal... I'm a god... you're just food... you can't...

"You are pathetic." Marle sneered. "Don't you get it? We're every bit as good as you. Better, because we don't need to cause misery to survive."

But... you're only...

"We're ONLY the people who just royally kicked your ass." Lucca finished. "Doesn't that suggest anything to you? Or do we need to set you on fire or something to make our point?"

Imposs... ible... I am the strongest being in the universe...

"The strongest single being, that ye may be." Frog frowned. "But together, we didst triumph. What one can do, many can do better."

How... could this have happened... it was a certainty... pure, logical fact...

"There is always room for error." Robo reminded him. "Nothing is absolutely certain. An absolute certainty is an impossibility."

I was so close... I would have owned this world, and made it over to suit my own needs...

"Uwaoo!" Ayla howled. "Lavos dead! Ayla win! Lavos shut up and die!"

After all I've done... all I've labored for...

"You stupid bastard." Magus laughed. "Don't you GET IT? That's WHY you're dying! We're here because of what you did to us! You brought this on yourself."

I can't... die... I am... immortal...

"Oh. Really?" Crono turned to his teammates. "Immortal, huh? Who feels like testing that theory?" Six nods. "Okay, then. Lavos, I think I speak for all of us, and for the entire planet..."

"GET OUT OF OUR PLANET!" The roar came from every single person in the world. The planet rejected Lavos. At that moment, all seven of the heroes plunged their weapons (or fists) straight into the core. And with a final, despairing shriek, it exploded into nothingness. The great leader turned to face his troops. Every face was calm, silent. They all looked at each other, solemn. And then, as if responding to an unspoken cue, they all broke into humongous grins and began yelling at the top of their lungs.

"WE DID IT!!! HAHAHAHAHAAA!!" Frog and Ayla were capering, hand in hand, in a strange little dance of glee. Crono grabbed Marle and kissed her fiercely as Lucca laughed. Even Magus was joining in, as he and Robo gave each other high-fives. The universal giant grin looked incredibly wierd on the mage's normally grim face.

"We did it, tinman!"

"WOOOOOOT!" Lucca pulled out a jug of poi and took a big draft. Crono looked up.

"Awright, you two. Get your asses down here." Slowly, the last two members of the group floated down to the party. Spekkio shook his head.

"Well, kids, you did it. Imagine... humans destroying Lavos. Sounds impossible. But you did it. And you know what THAT means!"

"Oh, come on!" Gaspar protested. "That was months ago when I was in my 'Gloom and doom' phase! I shouldn't be held accountable for-"

"Hand it over, cheapskate." The shapeshifter insisted, and with a muttered curse, Gaspar gave him 200 Gil-then screamed as Magus threw him up in the air. Spekkio stared, then moved over to Lucca.

"You gave the magic man poi, didn't you?"

"Just a little..." The scientest admitted. Gaspar crashed to earth.

"OW! Janus, what the hell was THAT?"

"Payback!" Magus laughed. "You used to do that to me all the time when I was little, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

"People, people. Settle down." Crono waved his hands in the air. Amid a few mumbles, they did as he said. "Thank you. We've done it. Lavos is dead, and the planet is saved. WE WON. Now, there's just one question left." They all bent forward, anticipating this. What was the question? What was left unanswered? Spekkio winced, getting an idea. Goddamn kids... they're ALL asking this question! THEY are not gonna be happy... Crono smiled.

"How do we get out of this dump?" Universal faceplant.

"THAT'S the question?!" Lucca shrieked.

"Well, yeah. I mean, do YOU know?"

"Well, no." She admitted. "BUT STILL!"

"WHOA!" Everybody stared at Robo, who had spoken. "I think the question's answered... INCOMING!" The time zone, which had frozen in the ruined 2300, slowly changed into a beautifyl, futuristic paradise. Then it suddenly flashed to 12000. Then to 600. Then 65 Million. Then 1000. Then back to 2300. 600. 1000. 12000. 600. 65 Million. 2300. 12000. 1000. 600. 2300. 65 Million. 600. Faster and faster and faster, until everything was just a blur. And then, with a rushing noise, everything went black. The last thing they heard was Crono's analysis.

"AS AN ENDING, THIS REALLY SUCKS!"