…This took me a long time to get put up… Sorry! Work has been giving me lots of hours now that school's started up again! When you're home schooled, you can work hours that other teens can't during the school year… Oh well! I'm getting paid for it, so… Bring it on! Ahem… Anyway the chapters up now… Sigh… So close to the end… the next one will be… the… final… battle… Sigh… I'll probably only be able to fit one more chapter after that too! Sigh. I wish I didn't have to finish it… Oh well! Back to the chapter! READ!
I don't own CC or any of its characters. Squaresoft, and only Squaresoft, does. I own Ana, Bob, and the story though!
Chapter 23: Surprise, Surprise
Lynx groaned slightly. He tried to move, but found he couldn't. His eyes snapped open and he looked straight into a huge boulder of ice. Memories of the events that had passed flooded his mind and he roared in anger.
Harle looked at the door where Kidd and Serge had both run out of. She sighed. "I'll be right back."
Crono heard Lynx walking back toward the area where he was chained to the wall. The grumbling and occasional roar that Lynx gave told Crono all he needed to know. They had made it out…
It didn't take Serge long to find Kidd. She was right where he thought she'd be. The boat from Chronopolis…
Serge began walking toward Kidd but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned around and found himself surprised to see Harle there. "I'll talk to her." She said. Serge was apprehensive at the idea of the two girls being alone so he agreed only if he could be nearby 'just in case'.
Harle walked closer to Kidd and cleared her throat. Kidd looked up only a second before turning back to the boat. "What do you want?" She asked right before setting the boat ablaze.
Harle looked at the burning boat and gulped. She didn't feel the least bit comforted by the fact that Serge was near.
Marle emitted a soft groan and she opened her eyes. At first, all she saw was a jumble of colors, but, after a little while, the colors formed shapes. The shapes took the forms of three people, two men and one girl, crowding around the bed where she lay. She didn't recognize any of them. At least not until she saw a third man that leaning against the wall across from her.
Marle's breath caught and she coughed. After being cooped up in a single room for thirteen years, barely ever being let out for fresh air, the air was harsh to her lungs.
After a few hacking coughs, she was able to speak. "Janus. Never thought I'd see you again." She said with a wink. Janus opened his eyes, "Surprise, surprise. The Prin—ahem, excuse me, the Queen awakens." Marle was about to reply, but soft sobbing originating from the girl stopped her…
"I need to talk to you." Harle said plainly. Kidd looked up at her and scoffed, "We have nothing to talk about." She began walking away. Harle simply appeared in front of her. "You're wrong, Kidd. We have plenty to talk about."
Marle looked at the crying girl and back at Janus quizzically. Janus smirked, "Why don't you ask her. She's your daughter." Marle was silent. She looked back at the girl. Blonde hair, red highlights. My facial structure. Crono's… eyes. Oh, Goddess. She's… "Ana?!"
"Kidd! Can't you just give me a chance?" Harle cried as Kidd pushed past her. Kidd whirled around, "Give you a chance?! You want me to give you a chance?!" Kidd practically screamed in Harle's face. "Like you gave me a chance?! Like you gave Lucca… a… chance?" Kidd's own words dawned on her. Lucca's… alive.
"Lucca's alive. I don't know why Lynx kept her alive, but she is. We can put that behind us." Kidd's eyes widened, "Put it behind us…? Put it behind us?! What about the innocents that you killed?! Should I put that behind me too?!" Harle sighed heavily. She didn't want to use this, but… "You gave Janus another chance, didn't you?"
Kidd froze in disbelief of what Harle had just said. The worst part about it; she was right. Kidd, or at least Schala, had forgiven Janus. Just as she had forgiven Karsh after bugging them when she first met up with Serge. Just as she had forgiven Schala after she merged the dimensions.
Ana stopped crying immediately at the sound of her name… originating from her mother's voice! She looked into the loving eyes of her mother and salty tears, once again, splashed down her cheeks. Marle was having the same reaction. Slowly, tentatively, as if they would break each other, they embraced.
Kidd gritted her teeth and tried to push past Harle again. She had no such luck this time, for Harle just moved with her and ended in front of her again. "Would you just leave me alone?!" Kidd cried out suddenly. Harle shook her head, "Not until you hear me out." Kidd sighed and plopped down on a large rock. "You got five minutes."
"Oh, Ana, I missed you so much!" Marle cried. They still hadn't let go of each other. Ana just nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. They held each other like that for what seemed to be a long time. Ten minutes later they separated and were surprised to find that the others had left.
"Kidd, all I want is for you to be willing to forgive me. I'm not asking for you to be my friend. I just want… forgiveness." Kidd couldn't think of what to say, so she just decided to stay silent.
Harle sighed heavily, "Okay. I understand." She began walking off. She stopped once to look back at Kidd. She was scowling now. Harle sighed once more and walked back toward the inn.
Kidd scowled. Why can't I just say those words? She's obviously not the same person she used to be… and I have no reason to hold Lucca's kidnapping against her… she was just following orders… from Lynx and the dragons… Kidd kept on thinking to herself.
Kidd was so engrossed in her thoughts that she never heard the figure walk up behind her. "Ya know. It's usually me who gets lost in thought." Kidd jumped at Serge's voice and then laughed. "Yeah. It usually is. So… I guess you were listening?" Serge nodded. Kidd sighed, "What do you think I should do?" Serge was silent. Finally, he spoke, "I think you know what you should do. It's the question 'What will you do?' that's the one that really matters."
Kidd sighed, Serge was right. She knew he was. It was just… Harle? She had to forgive Harle? It was something that Kidd had never even fathomed until now. "I know… But it's just…forgiving Harle… what she did…" Serge nodded, "Everybody deserves a second chance, Kidd. You were a thief and you got one. Why can't Harle get one?" Kidd was silent. Why did he have to use ME as an example? She wondered angrily.
"What happened? Where were you?" Ana asked excitably. Marle sighed, "I—we were being held by Lynx. I… don't know why he kept us alive, but he did for thirteen years. Only recently did Lucca break loose from her chains and free me. From there, we 'commandeered' a boat and, somehow, found our way here, not before kicking Lynx's butt in a battle though." Marle grinned at Ana.
Something passed through Ana's mind. Something that terrified her and excited her at the same time. Something that she wanted to avoid asking, but she knew she had to. "Is dad… alive?"
Serge put an arm around Kidd. "Think about it." Kidd sighed and nodded. "I will, Serge. I promise." Serge smiled, "Good. Now, let's get back there before they wake up." Kidd grinned and stood. Serge stood up after and they started walking back toward the inn.
Marle blinked. She couldn't believe that she hadn't told Ana! "Lynx kept us all alive, Ana. All of us. Including your father." Ana nodded, "He didn't come, did he?" Marle sighed heavily, "No. After Lucca got me out, he told us to leave. We didn't have enough time to free him…" Ana nodded, "We'll get him. I promise." Marle looked at her quizzically. Ana sighed, "I'll tell you later."
Serge and Kidd walked into the inn and found the entire group, minus Ana, in the men's room, talking in low tones. When Serge and Kidd walked into the room, the group went silent.
Glenn stood, "Serge. We were talking about what we'll do next. We were thinking about taking an extra day—." A voice behind Serge cut Glenn off. "We leave as planned." Serge whirled around and found three girls standing behind him. The one who had spoken was Ana. The other two, Marle and Lucca, were silent.
For a long time, Kidd couldn't speak. She couldn't even breathe as she looked at Lucca. Lucca seemed to be having a similar reaction.
The group filed out of the room, letting Lucca and Kidd have their time alone.
"You've grown so much, Kidd." Lucca said quietly. Kidd just nodded, unable to speak. "And you look so much like her…" Kidd frowned inwardly at that. It wasn't exactly what she was hoping to hear, but that was okay. "What have you been up to since…?" Lucca trailed off.
"I'm Serge." Serge shook Marle's hand. Marle smiled brightly, "I know who you are. Lynx was always raving on about you. When he thought we weren't listening or we were asleep, he would often talk to himself. It was very weird. Anyway, he'd often say things about you. About how you had foiled his plans, or he had underestimated you. Lately, it seems that he's been doing it more often. It's as if he's getting worried…" Marle trailed off as she saw Ana and the boy she was standing next to. It was more their hands that she was looking at though. Their hands were intertwined in one another.
"Ahh… Ana, introduce this boy to me." Ana blushed deeply, "I… uh… I mean…" The boy smiled and let go of her hand so he could shake Marle's hand. "I'm Glenn." Marle smiled, "I knew someone that went by the name Glenn before… He was a frog… literally." That got a couple of laughs from the group. Ana cleared her throat, "I'll introduce you. You know Serge and Glenn… This is Karsh." She said indicating Karsh. They shook hands. "And this is Harle. I guess you already know Janus too…" Ana thought about something for a moment, "I don't know if you remember Kidd, but—" Marle cut her off, "I know exactly who Kidd is."
"Now, tell me about this adventure you have been having. I know a little bit from Lynx's grumbling, but not much." Ana looked to Serge. "I… think we'll tell you when Kidd and Lucca come back. That way we won't have to say it twice." She said.
"After Lynx… kidnaped you, a man ran into the room and pulled me out. I just found out recently that the man was Serge." Lucca's eyes widened, "How could Serge save you?" Kidd smiled, "A little help from his heart and a lot of help from the Mastermune, that's how. Oh yeah. Can't forget the Time Egg either." Kidd winked. Lucca grinned, "Ahh… the Time Egg. I get it now. You know. I've heard that the Time Egg only works if the person using it is very passionate about what he or she is doing…" Kidd blushed, "Uh… yeah… anyway, after that I went looking for you. I traveled the Zenon Continent over and over again. Living off of what I could beg from others. Being as young as I was, that wasn't too hard.
"Anyway. During my travels, I met up with the Radical Dreamers. A renowned group of thieves. I traveled with them for about eight or nine years until I broke away from them and headed to El Nido after hearing that Lynx was going there. From there, I met up with Serge and… well… I'll let him explain the rest. He'll be able to explain it better."
The door opened and Lucca and Kidd stepped in. Serge gave her a reassuring smile. "Okay. Now that we have everybody here, we can start. There are no changes in the plans. We still leave tomorrow. Get some sleep everybody. Oh and Lucca? Marle? If you two are planning on coming too, I'd suggest that you get some sleep too. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow."
The next morning, nine people woke up at dawn and boarded a medium-sized boat.
"Okay. It all started about twenty-two years ago. It began with only seven people. These seven people, who will remain nameless, saved the world, through time travel, from a creature so monstrous, so evil, that it's food was the planet itself." Marle and Lucca laughed. Even Janus cracked a small smile. Serge smiled and continued, "Or so they thought. You see, they managed to destroy the physical self of the creature. But, they didn't destroy its true self. For you see, this creature, which will be known as Lavos, didn't only eat planets. It actually devoured time itself. A different set of heroes defeated this one. Not through time travel though, but through traveling the dimensions. This is their story."
Serge was trying as hard as he could to cheer up his friends. He knew that they had to be ready, not only physically, but also emotionally, for the battle that was going to happen soon. He knew that it was possible that some of them might not make it out and he needed to keep their spirits up.
"Two years ago, I was doing a favor for a friend. She's one of my best friends now, but she was more my girlfriend then. And because I had slept in and ended up missing our date, I was sent to collect some rare Komodo Dragon scales." Marle scoffed none too quietly, "You'd like Crono. You two are so much alike. Complete with laziness." Serge grinned, "If he's anything like me, he must be a very happy and fun guy to be around with." Marle smiled, "Yeah. As long as you aren't on the wrong side of his katana."
"So began the fight. Lynx, in my body, was powerful, but he underestimated my friends and me. We defeated him, but not easily. But before any of us could deliver the finishing blow, he disappeared. We decided not to worry about it very much at the time because we were so close to restoring me to my body." Serge's story seemed grow different from when he started.
Serge slashed at Lynx with his twin blades and Lynx, in Serge's body, roared in pain and frustration. "Give it up, Lynx! It's over!" Serge yelled. Lynx smirked, "Funny. I can remember Kidd saying the same thing." Serge bared his sharp teeth. "You are going to pay if you even harmed a hair on her head, Lynx! You will pay!" Serge let loose his bottled-up fury and attacked Lynx mercilessly.
Lynx had been outnumbered three to one. He had been keeping the battle at a stand still even with the bad odds. Now though, it seemed Serge was a different person. He went from the good-at-fighting-but-not-good-enough boy, to a warrior. For once ever since he had switched bodies, Lynx missed his old one. The old body had the thick fur that was like a lion's mane. Thick and hard to get through. Now, Serge had that advantage and Lynx was stuck with pitiful armor that had no use most of the time.
Serge landed yet another blow, this time across Lynx's face leaving a bloody gash from his ear to his mouth. It was followed by another slashing movement that connected with Lynx's arm.
Lynx grit his teeth and jumped back, away from the enraged teenager. "I sorely underestimated you, Chrono Trigger. You are a better fighter than I thought. But how about this?" The room seemed to grow dark and blood red eyes appeared out of thin air behind Lynx. Suddenly, the eyes sprang forward, bodies forming behind them. It Serge hadn't been getting hit so hard because of it, he would have seen that the bodies were like the bodies of cats.
"You like that? I'm not sure what to call it. It's either Feral Cats or Cats Reign. What do you think?" Lynx asked almost casually. Serge, who had been knocked down because of the intensity of the attack, groaned slightly and slowly climbed to his feet.
Serge slowly walked toward Lynx his hand clenched. What Lynx didn't know was that there was something in the clenched hand.
Lightning seemed to form a sphere around Lynx. Lynx looked up and growled. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! The lightning pummeled Lynx to the point he fell to the ground. After the element 'Electrobolt' finished, Lynx was lying on the ground, barely conscious. "Where is she, Lynx?" Serge asked through gritted teeth. Lynx groaned slightly then smiled. "I'd tell you, but I've got people to see seas to kill. Bye!" Lynx vanished. "Seas… to kill?" Serge figured out the hint seconds later. "He's going to the Dead Sea."
Serge sighed heavily at the memory. Marle laughed, "Yep. You're just like Crono. Always getting lost in thought." Serge laughed, "Yeah… that's me. Anyway, after getting my body back, I along with my friends, old and new, went to the Dead Sea, finding the strange city, Chronopolis…"
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There ya go! And this is the part where you push the little button on the bottom-right side of the page that says 'Click here to submit review'… Please! Sigh… I don't know how long it will be for the next chapter to be put up. It might be days or it might be… many days. I'll try to get it up soon, but I can't make promises. I've gotta make it the best one yet and all, so I'm giving this one more attention. So until then… R&R!
--Ben
BTW, Jedijessie, Smile! God loves you too! ;-)