Chapter 3
Denadoro Mountains: 600 AD
Not being swayed by sentiment, like those foolish children from the future, allowed Magus' mind to consider one single question: who was that hooded figure? Could they have come from Zeal? Few of the Enlightened Ones would have been powerful enough to do what this one had and fewer still had survived the destruction of their kingdom. Could they have been one of the Mystics? Surely Magus would have known if one of his former subjects had been that powerful. Unless of course it had been an extremely well kept secret.
Magus conceded to himself that wasn't used feeling this helpless and this was simply an attempt to get SOMETHING done.
Hanging from the side of a cliff, there wasn't much else he could do.
He had the ability to levitate himself, but only a few inches off the ground. He didn't care to risk using that to save himself if he were to fall. He could use a Fire spell to burn away at the cliff face above him until he could climb his way up, but that could cause the entire face of the cliff to collapse
Magus didn't doubt that he'd find a way up. That was simply a question of when. However dealing with both his current situation and the issue of that mysterious newcomer at once was simply intolerable. It would be extremely helpful if the was someone around to lend a hand.
But, of course, there isn't, Magus thought, and he was right.
There was someone there to lend a flipper, however.
Magus first noticed it when its owner stretched it down in Magus' direction and called out, "Taketh mine flipper! Quickly!"
Though Frog wouldn't have been Magus' rescuer of choice, he hardly had an alternative. Grabbing the amphibian's arm, Magus pulled himself over the edge of the cliff.
He didn't thank Frog of course. He didn't think Frog would care to receive Magus' thanks anymore than Magus would care to give it. Besides, the situation was awkward enough without adding false gratitude to it.
After a few moments, Magus finally said what was now on his mind. "So, exactly how long were you following me?"
"Since thou first approached the mountains." Frog answered, unapologetic. "I believe thy quest to find thy sister is sincere, Magus, but I wondered what business thou might have had at the former resting place of the Masamune."
"Did you happen to see the individual who sent me over that cliff to begin with?"
"Indeed. He carried with him a stone he took from thee. What is its meaning?"
"It's something I saw long ago, a relic from the kingdom of Zeal, and we have to get it back at all costs. The Guru of Time would be a good place to start. He might be able to help. I presume Lucca provided you with a Gatekey."
Frog simply stared at Magus. "I do not understand. What is the urgency of recovering this stone?"
Magus' pale face took a distinctly darker tone. "Because what Lavos did to this world will appear downright pleasant compared to what someone with that stone could do."
Crono's House: 1000 AD
An experienced time-traveler, Crono was used to witnessing coincidences, but he couldn't believe he was seeing Lucca, her parents, and Robo rushing up to his front door just as he was going out to meet them!
"Crono!" Lucca called out, "I'm sure you've noticed some changes around here too."
Crono nodded. "My mother told me about some of it. Who in their right mind would change history so that Ozzie VIII was some sort of dictator?"
Lucca frowned in thought. "A wimp like him could never have set all this up on his own. Someone must have helped him. We should go to the end of time. I'll bet Gaspar would be able to shed some light on the subject."
Crono snapped his fingers. "Right, and it's a safe place where our parents can stay while we investigate! The gate should still be at the fair grounds. I'll just get my mother and we can go."
Lucca smiled. "Don't forget those cats of yours! Robo can carry them in his storage compartments!"
Lara finally spoke up. "Excuse me, Lucca, but you obviously know what's going on here. What's this about changing history, and who is Gaspar?"
"It's a long story, mother and I'll be happy to tell you once we get going, but I really don't know as much as you think."
Lara rolled her eyes. "I find that hard to believe. You always have."
Ten minutes later after Crono had finally convinced his mother to go with them, the six were headed for the Truce fairgrounds that held the Millennial Fair just days before. It was also the site of the gate that Marle had been sucked into that sent Crono and his friends on their great adventure in the first place.
As they approached the entrance to the grounds, Crono began feeling uneasy. Occasionally, he thought he heard whispering or rustling in the bushes.
"Guys," Crono whispered to Lucca and Robo. "I think we're being watched."
Robo twisted his head around, doing a thermal scan. "You are correct" said Robo, lowering the volume on his speech processor until it was barely audible. "I am detecting numerous heat signatures behind the rocks and bushes. Some of them are getting closer."
Taban was getting even more nervous than usual. "What do we do?"
Before anyone could answer, a horde of Imps, Henches, and Diablos rushed from their hiding spots and surrounded them. Taban and Crono's mother were quickly overran. One of the Henches picked up a huge rock and hurled it at Robo, knocking his head clean off. Without its head, Robo's body deactivated, dropping Lara right on her crippled legs. She cried out in pain but was quickly drowned out by the army of Mystics rushing at Crono and Lucca.
The took out as many as they could with Fire and Lightning techs, but there was simply too many of them. There must have been a hundred, maybe two. The Mystics grabbed them by their arms and legs and forced them to their knees. Crono had a feeling this wouldn't be the worst of it and he was right.
Approaching the group was none other than Ozzie VIII, carried on a massive chair by a dozen Imps who were obviously struggling under the weight of both the chair and its occupant. As Ozzie VIII chuckled at the two captors being forced to kneel before him, Crono could only hope Ozzie VIII was still ignorant about the events from other times. If he wasn't, there was a chance he could make things worse, especially for Crono and Lucca. He tried not to flinch as the hulking Mystic stared at them with his one eye.
"So you must be Crono and Lucca"
Uh-oh.
Ozzie VIII smiled as the color appeared to drain from Crono and Lucca's faces. "I don't blame you for being surprised that I know. I mean, who would expect a lowly servant of the head of Medina Village to be intelligent enough to figure how to do all this." He gestured at the army of Mystics standing around him.
Lucca gulped. "You know about--"
"About how you ruined things for me, my ancestor, and all Mystics at once without giving it a second thought?" Ozzie VIII asked, his voice rising slightly. "Yes, I know all about you two, your robot, that frog swordsman, your princess, the cavewoman and even the great Magus himself. I know all that you've done, going to other points in time, sticking your nose in things that don't concern you. Tempus was very thorough in telling me about you."
"Tempus? Who's that?" asked Lucca, mentally cataloguing that name, knowing it would almost certainly come up again in the future.
Ozzie VIII gave her one of his family's trademark cruel smiles. "Behaves yourselves and I may tell you... later... if I feel like it. In the meantime, I'd like you to learn how changing history can make things very unpleasant for people." He turned to the Mystics staring up at him in awe. "It's a long trip back to the castle. Our friends will need a rest before they get there."
Several of the Mystics started chuckling. Two Henches, looking just like the one Lucca was forced to kill earlier this morning, approached them holding large heavy clubs.
As one of them brought his club down hard on the side of Lucca's face, she couldn't help but appreciate the irony. The first thing I saw getting up this morning was a nasty-looking Hench with a club, she thought, and look what the last thing I'll see before I go out is!
Denadoro Mountains: 600 AD
Not being swayed by sentiment, like those foolish children from the future, allowed Magus' mind to consider one single question: who was that hooded figure? Could they have come from Zeal? Few of the Enlightened Ones would have been powerful enough to do what this one had and fewer still had survived the destruction of their kingdom. Could they have been one of the Mystics? Surely Magus would have known if one of his former subjects had been that powerful. Unless of course it had been an extremely well kept secret.
Magus conceded to himself that wasn't used feeling this helpless and this was simply an attempt to get SOMETHING done.
Hanging from the side of a cliff, there wasn't much else he could do.
He had the ability to levitate himself, but only a few inches off the ground. He didn't care to risk using that to save himself if he were to fall. He could use a Fire spell to burn away at the cliff face above him until he could climb his way up, but that could cause the entire face of the cliff to collapse
Magus didn't doubt that he'd find a way up. That was simply a question of when. However dealing with both his current situation and the issue of that mysterious newcomer at once was simply intolerable. It would be extremely helpful if the was someone around to lend a hand.
But, of course, there isn't, Magus thought, and he was right.
There was someone there to lend a flipper, however.
Magus first noticed it when its owner stretched it down in Magus' direction and called out, "Taketh mine flipper! Quickly!"
Though Frog wouldn't have been Magus' rescuer of choice, he hardly had an alternative. Grabbing the amphibian's arm, Magus pulled himself over the edge of the cliff.
He didn't thank Frog of course. He didn't think Frog would care to receive Magus' thanks anymore than Magus would care to give it. Besides, the situation was awkward enough without adding false gratitude to it.
After a few moments, Magus finally said what was now on his mind. "So, exactly how long were you following me?"
"Since thou first approached the mountains." Frog answered, unapologetic. "I believe thy quest to find thy sister is sincere, Magus, but I wondered what business thou might have had at the former resting place of the Masamune."
"Did you happen to see the individual who sent me over that cliff to begin with?"
"Indeed. He carried with him a stone he took from thee. What is its meaning?"
"It's something I saw long ago, a relic from the kingdom of Zeal, and we have to get it back at all costs. The Guru of Time would be a good place to start. He might be able to help. I presume Lucca provided you with a Gatekey."
Frog simply stared at Magus. "I do not understand. What is the urgency of recovering this stone?"
Magus' pale face took a distinctly darker tone. "Because what Lavos did to this world will appear downright pleasant compared to what someone with that stone could do."
Crono's House: 1000 AD
An experienced time-traveler, Crono was used to witnessing coincidences, but he couldn't believe he was seeing Lucca, her parents, and Robo rushing up to his front door just as he was going out to meet them!
"Crono!" Lucca called out, "I'm sure you've noticed some changes around here too."
Crono nodded. "My mother told me about some of it. Who in their right mind would change history so that Ozzie VIII was some sort of dictator?"
Lucca frowned in thought. "A wimp like him could never have set all this up on his own. Someone must have helped him. We should go to the end of time. I'll bet Gaspar would be able to shed some light on the subject."
Crono snapped his fingers. "Right, and it's a safe place where our parents can stay while we investigate! The gate should still be at the fair grounds. I'll just get my mother and we can go."
Lucca smiled. "Don't forget those cats of yours! Robo can carry them in his storage compartments!"
Lara finally spoke up. "Excuse me, Lucca, but you obviously know what's going on here. What's this about changing history, and who is Gaspar?"
"It's a long story, mother and I'll be happy to tell you once we get going, but I really don't know as much as you think."
Lara rolled her eyes. "I find that hard to believe. You always have."
Ten minutes later after Crono had finally convinced his mother to go with them, the six were headed for the Truce fairgrounds that held the Millennial Fair just days before. It was also the site of the gate that Marle had been sucked into that sent Crono and his friends on their great adventure in the first place.
As they approached the entrance to the grounds, Crono began feeling uneasy. Occasionally, he thought he heard whispering or rustling in the bushes.
"Guys," Crono whispered to Lucca and Robo. "I think we're being watched."
Robo twisted his head around, doing a thermal scan. "You are correct" said Robo, lowering the volume on his speech processor until it was barely audible. "I am detecting numerous heat signatures behind the rocks and bushes. Some of them are getting closer."
Taban was getting even more nervous than usual. "What do we do?"
Before anyone could answer, a horde of Imps, Henches, and Diablos rushed from their hiding spots and surrounded them. Taban and Crono's mother were quickly overran. One of the Henches picked up a huge rock and hurled it at Robo, knocking his head clean off. Without its head, Robo's body deactivated, dropping Lara right on her crippled legs. She cried out in pain but was quickly drowned out by the army of Mystics rushing at Crono and Lucca.
The took out as many as they could with Fire and Lightning techs, but there was simply too many of them. There must have been a hundred, maybe two. The Mystics grabbed them by their arms and legs and forced them to their knees. Crono had a feeling this wouldn't be the worst of it and he was right.
Approaching the group was none other than Ozzie VIII, carried on a massive chair by a dozen Imps who were obviously struggling under the weight of both the chair and its occupant. As Ozzie VIII chuckled at the two captors being forced to kneel before him, Crono could only hope Ozzie VIII was still ignorant about the events from other times. If he wasn't, there was a chance he could make things worse, especially for Crono and Lucca. He tried not to flinch as the hulking Mystic stared at them with his one eye.
"So you must be Crono and Lucca"
Uh-oh.
Ozzie VIII smiled as the color appeared to drain from Crono and Lucca's faces. "I don't blame you for being surprised that I know. I mean, who would expect a lowly servant of the head of Medina Village to be intelligent enough to figure how to do all this." He gestured at the army of Mystics standing around him.
Lucca gulped. "You know about--"
"About how you ruined things for me, my ancestor, and all Mystics at once without giving it a second thought?" Ozzie VIII asked, his voice rising slightly. "Yes, I know all about you two, your robot, that frog swordsman, your princess, the cavewoman and even the great Magus himself. I know all that you've done, going to other points in time, sticking your nose in things that don't concern you. Tempus was very thorough in telling me about you."
"Tempus? Who's that?" asked Lucca, mentally cataloguing that name, knowing it would almost certainly come up again in the future.
Ozzie VIII gave her one of his family's trademark cruel smiles. "Behaves yourselves and I may tell you... later... if I feel like it. In the meantime, I'd like you to learn how changing history can make things very unpleasant for people." He turned to the Mystics staring up at him in awe. "It's a long trip back to the castle. Our friends will need a rest before they get there."
Several of the Mystics started chuckling. Two Henches, looking just like the one Lucca was forced to kill earlier this morning, approached them holding large heavy clubs.
As one of them brought his club down hard on the side of Lucca's face, she couldn't help but appreciate the irony. The first thing I saw getting up this morning was a nasty-looking Hench with a club, she thought, and look what the last thing I'll see before I go out is!