The adventure begins
As Gaspar was beginning to talk to the heroes at the End of Time a shadowy figure stepped out of a gate in 12000 BC.
"The Black Omen should be here." the tall figure growled as he looked into the sky.
He walked out a little further to the edge of the island and was shocked to see the black omen resting, broken and shattered, at the bottom of the ocean.
"How could this have happened? The black omen should have been here just like I saw it!"
He turned back to the gate and unsheathed his blade.
"I'm sure that old man Gaspar from the end of time has something to do with this damned screw up!" he exclaimed as he ran towards the gate and opened it with a wave of his hand.
*
"For the time being, as soon as Glenn arrived, I have shut down all the gates entrances to this realm…" Gaspar said rather calmly.
"Why Gaspar?" Lucca asked in a very concerned tone.
Gaspar sighed and turned to face the wall…taking a minute before turning back around and addressing the heroes.
"When I brought you here those 3 years ago I explained almost everything I knew to you in detail, about the Gurus of Zeal and of Janus…" as he looked to Magus.
"And his sister Schala. But there was one thing I did not tell you about…"
The seven warriors leaned in with great interest to what Gaspar had to say.
"There was indeed another Guru…perhaps the greatest of us all…" He took a minute again, as if every time he was about to explain something he had to build up the strength to do so.
"His name was Matzu…the Guru."
The rest seemed to wait for the remainder of the guru's title.
"The guru of what?" Glenn finally asked impatiently.
"Everything practically…" Gaspar said with a sigh.
"While I was the guru of time, and Melchoir the guru of reason and Balthazar the Guru of Life…Matzu had incredible knowledge of everything in existence…knowledge that even surpassed Queen Zeal's…when she still was sane."
Magus was somewhat surprised at this idea, but of course did not feel the need to show it physically.
"Anyways, after Zeal began to look deeper into the whole Lavos thing Matzu began to worry for her and tried to offer her some advice. Zeal refused it violently and although Matzu was a very wise and powerful man, he wasn't quick to anger…then."
Crono looked to Marle and Lucca as if they knew that what Gaspar had to say next wasn't going to be good.
"After trying to warn Zeal again and again of Lavos' awful power the queen finally got fed up and had her best magicians lock him away into a place similar to my own…however it was never locked in a specific time as mine is at the End of Time…this separate dimension of his flowed through time like a parallel dimension over the eras you knew well during your travels as well as others. From 65,000,000 BC to 2300 AD and beyond his parallel dimension granted him with strength beyond anyone's wildest imaginations because even though he was spending all that time in his dimension…he never aged a day."
The heroes were all enveloped in this grandiose fairy tale like children at a magic show.
"So after Matzu had increased his powers to such a level that he was able to grant himself his own elements of magic he was able to work his way up the Magic ranks until he was finally able to start distorting time and space itself…which was about a few months ago."
Crono's eyes widened as he realized that it was around that time that the tremors started.
Matzu stepped out of the gate in 65,000,000 BC.
"Dammit Gaspar! You can't have me running around like this forever…I'll get to you! Just wait and see!" he shouted into the heavens as he fell and landed on one knee.
A few reptites came out of the bushes…after the death of their King Azala they had become few and scattered…but some small tribes still lived up in the mountains feeding off the wildlife.
The reptites all eyed Matzu, licking their lips.
"Looks delicious doesn't it…?" one of them said as he took a step closer.
"Indeed…I'll take the left thigh…" one of the others said.
They all growled and jumped at Matzu. He smiled and held out his hand as they all stopped in mid air…frozen in time.
"Fools…" he muttered as he held out his blade he quickly moved it around…the blade moving so fast the only evidence it was there were the small gusts of wind as he slashed the blade.
Waving his hand he reanimated their bodies and instantly they fell to pieces…blood spilling everywhere as their bodies lay in pieces on the ground.
Matzu turned and headed back up the mountain to go into the Gate again…getting rather frustrated that he was running around in circles.
*
Gaspar sighed again.
"His power is beyond verbal description…he can bend time and space itself…he has acquired and mastered EVERY element…there is only one thing that could make him more powerful…" Gaspar said with a wave of fear sweeping over his words.
"If he passed the End of Time…"
The heroes all looked to each other with wonder.
"Passed the end of time??" Lucca asked with a ring of disbelief.
"How could he do that?"
Gaspar turned back to the heroes.
"Well, as I said his dimension flowed over the ages like a parallel dimension…from the beginning to the End…yes he was even over my realm for a short time. As he passed over the dimensions he was able to watch what was occurring. Including when Lavos destroyed the world in 1999 AD. Now this he saw as it was happening…what he didn't know was that you were able to travel back and save the past…and the future."
Lucca's mouth opened as she nodded.
"I get it…its kind of like when you're looking at something 500 light years away…what you see is how the object was like 500 years earlier since it takes so long for the light to get to your eyes."
Gaspar nodded.
"Somewhat…"
Crono sat down.
"So what you're saying is he saw the world get destroyed by Lavos…and he doesn't know that we saved it yet?"
The old man turned to Crono.
"He does now…I feel his power transferring from era to era…he's fighting with all his power to get here. Because although he has great control over time and space he can not create a gate to get here. He has to rely on the gates to get him here. And once he does get here…it will already be too late."
"Why is that?" Glenn asked.
"As I was saying before, the only way he could become stronger is if he passed the end of time…and from here he could create a portal to enter that area. What's out there I don't know…only one other creature has been past the end of time…" Gaspar slowly looked to the door that lead to Spekkio's chambers.
"SPEKKIO?!" The heroes all shouted at once.
Gaspar nodded.
"But we can defeat Spekkio's ultimate form rather easily now Gaspar…why are you so worried if all it grants Matzu is that kind of power?" Crono asked.
Gaspar shook his head and muttered.
"Foolish boy, do you ever wonder why Spekkio never comes out of that room? I was able to bring spekkio here as a companion and granted him speech so that we might be able to communicate…he would come out and talk to me and keep me from going insane most of the time. One day something went wrong and a portal opened up over there…"
Gaspar nodded to where they docked for the Epoch.
"And Spekkio was pulled in…instantly afterwards it opened back up again…this time in that room back there…" Gaspar showed them.
"Spekkio was instantaneously granted unfathomable powers…he had command over time, space, water, ice, fire, earth, lightning and shadow. His physical strength became unbelievable and became a menace to the entire universe throughout time. So he asked me to seal the room and cast a spell on him to help keep his powers at bay. I could only do this with his extreme cooperation…and I was able to lower his powers so he wasn't so much of a threat to himself…you must understand that merely thinking something in Spekkio's old form meant that objects utter destruction…"
"Then why can't you just open the seal, have him take care of Matzu and then seal him back up again?" Magus asked curiously.
"If I open the seal Spekkio will get the true feeling of what his powers are, and no amount of willpower could keep anyone from wanting to rule the universe with the kind of power that he has. I couldn't seal him again and we'd just have an unspeakable entity tossing events in time around like blocks."
The heroes all looked at each other as Crono stood up.
"How are we supposed to fight this guy if he's as powerful as you say he is? If he can control time what will stop him from freezing us in time before killing us?"
Gaspar smiled…
"You have the Time Gurus blessing…he can not distort your time fields."
"We need to go find this Matzu guy before he does something insane!" Crono demanded.
"Now now now..." Gaspar said quickly.
"I thought you of all people would take this matter slowly, you can't just run into battle against someone who's stronger than lavos... you have to go and find the 'Callers'."
Crono looked to Marle and then back to Gaspar.
"Callers? Who...or what are those?" Magus asked...he'd never heard of 'Callers' before.
"Callers are special magician elites...each specialized in an element. There is one for earth, fire, ice, shadow, lightning, water time and space. Each of you must gain the 'Callers' blessing to become skilled in each of these elements."
"I never heard of these 'Callers' before old man..." Magus said in disbelief.
"Your mother had to banish them to their own times shortly after you were pulled in with me and the other gurus...their powers were far too great and they were beginning to stand against her, except for the caller of time, who helped her banish them each to a separate era before Zeal backstabbed her and sent her off to her own era as well."
Gaspar looked to Magus.
"You have a head start, you already have Shadow, Fire, Lightning, Ice and Water. You still need to learn and master the magicks of Earth, Time and Space though."
Magus grunted and walked to the other side of the room slowly.
"Since I have closed all the gates your only mode of transportation would have been the Epoch... but I thought up something to help."
Gaspar looked back to the bucket.
"This is the one gate that I can change at will...it no longer leads to 1999 AD...I will change it to the first Caller location that you should go to, and continue changing it as you all acquire the Caller's blessings. Only after you receive their blessings can you fight Matzu on his level...until then its more of a suicide mission than fighting lavos bare handed..."
Glenn looked around at his comrades, surely this was a mission that needed his attention...even more so than the queen.
Crono silently unsheathed his rainbow sword.
"Eight different callers...all in different times?" He asked.
"Yes...a couple of them in times you've already been to...although most of them are in different years than the ones you went to." Gaspar explained.
"I see..." Crono silently looked at his rainbow sword...the blade changing colors before him.
"We don't have time to be sitting around!" Magus barked suddenly.
Glenn turned with a menacing snarl, hand on the Masamune's hilt.
"You watch your tongue!" Glenn demanded.
"That's enough from the both of you! You fight like children!!" Gaspar scolded.
"I know i need to help, but who will watch Kid?" Lucca asked in a concerned tone.
"I can watch her, and Spekkio can help...he's actually great with kids..." Gaspar said, his voice livening up near the end.
Crono sheathed his blade again as he looked around to everyone.
"This might be the hardest battle we've ever faced...it might make lavos look like a walk in the park...so I'm letting you all know if you want to walk out...I won't think any less of you."
Crono looked around...
"Crono need Ayla! Ayla strong! Ayla no leave Crono!" Ayla declared.
"Indeed...the queen is indeed important, but she will forgive me for such an action knowing that the world is at stake." Glenn said.
"I have things to get done, and if meeting those callers helps, then I'll do them...but not for any of you." Magus grunted.
"The future is looking brighter every day...and I want to keep it that way...I will fight with you!" Robo announced.
Crono looked to Marle.
"My love...when you fight...I will fight with you. We shall be together always...until the end. That I promise." Marle slowly wrapped her arms around Crono's neck as she kissed him on the lips, gently caressing his tongue with hers as she held him tightly. She finally pulled back as Crono turned to Lucca, who was blushing at the sight of the two.
"Well, if you promise to stop kissing like that while I'm around!" Lucca laughed.
Crono turned back to Gaspar.
"Alright old man...show us the way!" Crono stated.
They were ready to do it again, defenders of time, keepers of peace...the chosen seven were out on another adventure...an adventure that would be like no other.
*
There are eight of them as I've mentioned..." Gaspar continued.
"Each in their own time era...the first one I'd recommend is 65,000,000 BC...Ayla's time."
Ayla looked around...surprised.
"Ayla home have magic?! Ayla see this fast!" She exclaimed as she ran towards the bucket and was warped to 65,000,000 BC.
"Well...wai..." Gaspar sighed.
"For those of you who stuck around the 'Caller' in Ayla's time is Sherkal...the 'Caller' of Earth. She can be found near where Lavos landed, somewhere around that crater Sherkal has set up an underground lair of some sort. Go there and claim the magic of earth...and then come back to me." Gaspar said as he drifted into his usual slumber.
"I will be taking Marle and Lucca in the Epoch..." Crono stated.
"Very well..." Glenn said.
"Robo, myself and Magus shall go through this gate to get to Ayla's home."
Magus turned to the old man.
"Where does this bucket drop us off exactly Gaspar?" Magus asked.
"The same place the old gate did..." Gaspar said with a yawn as Robo, Magus and Glenn all entered the gate and Lucca, Marle and Crono ran toward the Epoch.
"I CALL SHOTGUN!" Marle shouted obnoxiously.
Lucca stuck her tongue out.
"There is no shotgun in the epoch...unless your flying it!" Lucca said snobbishly.
"Oh...yeah." Marle giggled and hopped in the back seat with Lucca.
"All right ladies, here we go!" Crono declared as they blasted to 65000000 BC.
Matzu sat in his realm silently...his thoughts racing around his head about times and people of long ago...and trying to think of a way to overcome that damned guru Gaspar.
~He can't keep me out forever...~ Matzu thought with a growl.
He stood and walked a few steps before turning and waving his hand, the chair dissipating into nothingness.
~And yet the fact that he's able to keep me out is wonder enough...~
Matzu paced back and forth...
~I don't understand...I control space and time as the humans know it...~
Then suddenly the idea struck him...
~The Callers!~ he yelled in his head.
~Why didn't I think of it before...the only one with more power over time than Gaspar would have to be the caller of time...but what was their name?~
He pondered and puzzled as he walked around, trying to recall a name from a memory that spanned eons was not an easy thing to do.
Finally he gave up.
~Oh well...~ he thought with a menacing smile.
~I shall find that person...in time.~ And as he realized his pun he chuckled and waves his hand, opening a gate to begin his search.
*
The epoch appeared in a blinding flash of light followed by a thunderclap...they were floating above Ayla's village...
"Well, there's Ayla's home...the gate would lead the others to the mountain back there..." Lucca pointed towards the mountain behind them and they flew over, landing at the start of the trail.
"They should be here by now..." Crono said.
"I'm sure they're just getting reacquainted with the land...or maybe Ayla ran off into the woods again..." Marle chuckled.
*
The reptites stood around Ayla in a circle...baring their fangs as they hissed and made short lunges towards her before peeling back.
"Ayla don't have time to play! Ayla need to help Crono!" Ayla shouted.
"Foolish woman, who said any of us were playing?" A reptite from the shadows said huskily.
"Ayla remember that sound..." She said with amazement.
"You should..." The shadowy figure replied...before stepping into the light.
"AZALA?!" Ayla cried.
Indeed, before her stood the king of the Reptites, Azala. Who was thought to be dead after the lavos impact a few years earlier...instead he was just horribly scarred.
"You thought you had gotten rid of me...but I was able to have my men take me to your land and into the woods where I was able to heal...and now I'm slowly gaining back the power I had before you filthy hairless apes showed up." Azala growled with frustration.
"No matter, soon my forces will be ready to make an attack on your remaining villagers..." Azala smiled, his talons coming out of his fingertips as he grimaced.
"...thanks to this recent cold weather the hairless apes have gotten weaker...even you're not in top shape Ayla..." Azala said with a confident air.
Ayla shot a spiteful glare towards Azala.
"Ayla no need to be in top shape to beat you!" Ayla spat.
"So confident..." the reptite king said. "...yet so foolish."
He smiled and leapt towards Ayla, talons extended...
As Gaspar was beginning to talk to the heroes at the End of Time a shadowy figure stepped out of a gate in 12000 BC.
"The Black Omen should be here." the tall figure growled as he looked into the sky.
He walked out a little further to the edge of the island and was shocked to see the black omen resting, broken and shattered, at the bottom of the ocean.
"How could this have happened? The black omen should have been here just like I saw it!"
He turned back to the gate and unsheathed his blade.
"I'm sure that old man Gaspar from the end of time has something to do with this damned screw up!" he exclaimed as he ran towards the gate and opened it with a wave of his hand.
*
"For the time being, as soon as Glenn arrived, I have shut down all the gates entrances to this realm…" Gaspar said rather calmly.
"Why Gaspar?" Lucca asked in a very concerned tone.
Gaspar sighed and turned to face the wall…taking a minute before turning back around and addressing the heroes.
"When I brought you here those 3 years ago I explained almost everything I knew to you in detail, about the Gurus of Zeal and of Janus…" as he looked to Magus.
"And his sister Schala. But there was one thing I did not tell you about…"
The seven warriors leaned in with great interest to what Gaspar had to say.
"There was indeed another Guru…perhaps the greatest of us all…" He took a minute again, as if every time he was about to explain something he had to build up the strength to do so.
"His name was Matzu…the Guru."
The rest seemed to wait for the remainder of the guru's title.
"The guru of what?" Glenn finally asked impatiently.
"Everything practically…" Gaspar said with a sigh.
"While I was the guru of time, and Melchoir the guru of reason and Balthazar the Guru of Life…Matzu had incredible knowledge of everything in existence…knowledge that even surpassed Queen Zeal's…when she still was sane."
Magus was somewhat surprised at this idea, but of course did not feel the need to show it physically.
"Anyways, after Zeal began to look deeper into the whole Lavos thing Matzu began to worry for her and tried to offer her some advice. Zeal refused it violently and although Matzu was a very wise and powerful man, he wasn't quick to anger…then."
Crono looked to Marle and Lucca as if they knew that what Gaspar had to say next wasn't going to be good.
"After trying to warn Zeal again and again of Lavos' awful power the queen finally got fed up and had her best magicians lock him away into a place similar to my own…however it was never locked in a specific time as mine is at the End of Time…this separate dimension of his flowed through time like a parallel dimension over the eras you knew well during your travels as well as others. From 65,000,000 BC to 2300 AD and beyond his parallel dimension granted him with strength beyond anyone's wildest imaginations because even though he was spending all that time in his dimension…he never aged a day."
The heroes were all enveloped in this grandiose fairy tale like children at a magic show.
"So after Matzu had increased his powers to such a level that he was able to grant himself his own elements of magic he was able to work his way up the Magic ranks until he was finally able to start distorting time and space itself…which was about a few months ago."
Crono's eyes widened as he realized that it was around that time that the tremors started.
Matzu stepped out of the gate in 65,000,000 BC.
"Dammit Gaspar! You can't have me running around like this forever…I'll get to you! Just wait and see!" he shouted into the heavens as he fell and landed on one knee.
A few reptites came out of the bushes…after the death of their King Azala they had become few and scattered…but some small tribes still lived up in the mountains feeding off the wildlife.
The reptites all eyed Matzu, licking their lips.
"Looks delicious doesn't it…?" one of them said as he took a step closer.
"Indeed…I'll take the left thigh…" one of the others said.
They all growled and jumped at Matzu. He smiled and held out his hand as they all stopped in mid air…frozen in time.
"Fools…" he muttered as he held out his blade he quickly moved it around…the blade moving so fast the only evidence it was there were the small gusts of wind as he slashed the blade.
Waving his hand he reanimated their bodies and instantly they fell to pieces…blood spilling everywhere as their bodies lay in pieces on the ground.
Matzu turned and headed back up the mountain to go into the Gate again…getting rather frustrated that he was running around in circles.
*
Gaspar sighed again.
"His power is beyond verbal description…he can bend time and space itself…he has acquired and mastered EVERY element…there is only one thing that could make him more powerful…" Gaspar said with a wave of fear sweeping over his words.
"If he passed the End of Time…"
The heroes all looked to each other with wonder.
"Passed the end of time??" Lucca asked with a ring of disbelief.
"How could he do that?"
Gaspar turned back to the heroes.
"Well, as I said his dimension flowed over the ages like a parallel dimension…from the beginning to the End…yes he was even over my realm for a short time. As he passed over the dimensions he was able to watch what was occurring. Including when Lavos destroyed the world in 1999 AD. Now this he saw as it was happening…what he didn't know was that you were able to travel back and save the past…and the future."
Lucca's mouth opened as she nodded.
"I get it…its kind of like when you're looking at something 500 light years away…what you see is how the object was like 500 years earlier since it takes so long for the light to get to your eyes."
Gaspar nodded.
"Somewhat…"
Crono sat down.
"So what you're saying is he saw the world get destroyed by Lavos…and he doesn't know that we saved it yet?"
The old man turned to Crono.
"He does now…I feel his power transferring from era to era…he's fighting with all his power to get here. Because although he has great control over time and space he can not create a gate to get here. He has to rely on the gates to get him here. And once he does get here…it will already be too late."
"Why is that?" Glenn asked.
"As I was saying before, the only way he could become stronger is if he passed the end of time…and from here he could create a portal to enter that area. What's out there I don't know…only one other creature has been past the end of time…" Gaspar slowly looked to the door that lead to Spekkio's chambers.
"SPEKKIO?!" The heroes all shouted at once.
Gaspar nodded.
"But we can defeat Spekkio's ultimate form rather easily now Gaspar…why are you so worried if all it grants Matzu is that kind of power?" Crono asked.
Gaspar shook his head and muttered.
"Foolish boy, do you ever wonder why Spekkio never comes out of that room? I was able to bring spekkio here as a companion and granted him speech so that we might be able to communicate…he would come out and talk to me and keep me from going insane most of the time. One day something went wrong and a portal opened up over there…"
Gaspar nodded to where they docked for the Epoch.
"And Spekkio was pulled in…instantly afterwards it opened back up again…this time in that room back there…" Gaspar showed them.
"Spekkio was instantaneously granted unfathomable powers…he had command over time, space, water, ice, fire, earth, lightning and shadow. His physical strength became unbelievable and became a menace to the entire universe throughout time. So he asked me to seal the room and cast a spell on him to help keep his powers at bay. I could only do this with his extreme cooperation…and I was able to lower his powers so he wasn't so much of a threat to himself…you must understand that merely thinking something in Spekkio's old form meant that objects utter destruction…"
"Then why can't you just open the seal, have him take care of Matzu and then seal him back up again?" Magus asked curiously.
"If I open the seal Spekkio will get the true feeling of what his powers are, and no amount of willpower could keep anyone from wanting to rule the universe with the kind of power that he has. I couldn't seal him again and we'd just have an unspeakable entity tossing events in time around like blocks."
The heroes all looked at each other as Crono stood up.
"How are we supposed to fight this guy if he's as powerful as you say he is? If he can control time what will stop him from freezing us in time before killing us?"
Gaspar smiled…
"You have the Time Gurus blessing…he can not distort your time fields."
"We need to go find this Matzu guy before he does something insane!" Crono demanded.
"Now now now..." Gaspar said quickly.
"I thought you of all people would take this matter slowly, you can't just run into battle against someone who's stronger than lavos... you have to go and find the 'Callers'."
Crono looked to Marle and then back to Gaspar.
"Callers? Who...or what are those?" Magus asked...he'd never heard of 'Callers' before.
"Callers are special magician elites...each specialized in an element. There is one for earth, fire, ice, shadow, lightning, water time and space. Each of you must gain the 'Callers' blessing to become skilled in each of these elements."
"I never heard of these 'Callers' before old man..." Magus said in disbelief.
"Your mother had to banish them to their own times shortly after you were pulled in with me and the other gurus...their powers were far too great and they were beginning to stand against her, except for the caller of time, who helped her banish them each to a separate era before Zeal backstabbed her and sent her off to her own era as well."
Gaspar looked to Magus.
"You have a head start, you already have Shadow, Fire, Lightning, Ice and Water. You still need to learn and master the magicks of Earth, Time and Space though."
Magus grunted and walked to the other side of the room slowly.
"Since I have closed all the gates your only mode of transportation would have been the Epoch... but I thought up something to help."
Gaspar looked back to the bucket.
"This is the one gate that I can change at will...it no longer leads to 1999 AD...I will change it to the first Caller location that you should go to, and continue changing it as you all acquire the Caller's blessings. Only after you receive their blessings can you fight Matzu on his level...until then its more of a suicide mission than fighting lavos bare handed..."
Glenn looked around at his comrades, surely this was a mission that needed his attention...even more so than the queen.
Crono silently unsheathed his rainbow sword.
"Eight different callers...all in different times?" He asked.
"Yes...a couple of them in times you've already been to...although most of them are in different years than the ones you went to." Gaspar explained.
"I see..." Crono silently looked at his rainbow sword...the blade changing colors before him.
"We don't have time to be sitting around!" Magus barked suddenly.
Glenn turned with a menacing snarl, hand on the Masamune's hilt.
"You watch your tongue!" Glenn demanded.
"That's enough from the both of you! You fight like children!!" Gaspar scolded.
"I know i need to help, but who will watch Kid?" Lucca asked in a concerned tone.
"I can watch her, and Spekkio can help...he's actually great with kids..." Gaspar said, his voice livening up near the end.
Crono sheathed his blade again as he looked around to everyone.
"This might be the hardest battle we've ever faced...it might make lavos look like a walk in the park...so I'm letting you all know if you want to walk out...I won't think any less of you."
Crono looked around...
"Crono need Ayla! Ayla strong! Ayla no leave Crono!" Ayla declared.
"Indeed...the queen is indeed important, but she will forgive me for such an action knowing that the world is at stake." Glenn said.
"I have things to get done, and if meeting those callers helps, then I'll do them...but not for any of you." Magus grunted.
"The future is looking brighter every day...and I want to keep it that way...I will fight with you!" Robo announced.
Crono looked to Marle.
"My love...when you fight...I will fight with you. We shall be together always...until the end. That I promise." Marle slowly wrapped her arms around Crono's neck as she kissed him on the lips, gently caressing his tongue with hers as she held him tightly. She finally pulled back as Crono turned to Lucca, who was blushing at the sight of the two.
"Well, if you promise to stop kissing like that while I'm around!" Lucca laughed.
Crono turned back to Gaspar.
"Alright old man...show us the way!" Crono stated.
They were ready to do it again, defenders of time, keepers of peace...the chosen seven were out on another adventure...an adventure that would be like no other.
*
There are eight of them as I've mentioned..." Gaspar continued.
"Each in their own time era...the first one I'd recommend is 65,000,000 BC...Ayla's time."
Ayla looked around...surprised.
"Ayla home have magic?! Ayla see this fast!" She exclaimed as she ran towards the bucket and was warped to 65,000,000 BC.
"Well...wai..." Gaspar sighed.
"For those of you who stuck around the 'Caller' in Ayla's time is Sherkal...the 'Caller' of Earth. She can be found near where Lavos landed, somewhere around that crater Sherkal has set up an underground lair of some sort. Go there and claim the magic of earth...and then come back to me." Gaspar said as he drifted into his usual slumber.
"I will be taking Marle and Lucca in the Epoch..." Crono stated.
"Very well..." Glenn said.
"Robo, myself and Magus shall go through this gate to get to Ayla's home."
Magus turned to the old man.
"Where does this bucket drop us off exactly Gaspar?" Magus asked.
"The same place the old gate did..." Gaspar said with a yawn as Robo, Magus and Glenn all entered the gate and Lucca, Marle and Crono ran toward the Epoch.
"I CALL SHOTGUN!" Marle shouted obnoxiously.
Lucca stuck her tongue out.
"There is no shotgun in the epoch...unless your flying it!" Lucca said snobbishly.
"Oh...yeah." Marle giggled and hopped in the back seat with Lucca.
"All right ladies, here we go!" Crono declared as they blasted to 65000000 BC.
Matzu sat in his realm silently...his thoughts racing around his head about times and people of long ago...and trying to think of a way to overcome that damned guru Gaspar.
~He can't keep me out forever...~ Matzu thought with a growl.
He stood and walked a few steps before turning and waving his hand, the chair dissipating into nothingness.
~And yet the fact that he's able to keep me out is wonder enough...~
Matzu paced back and forth...
~I don't understand...I control space and time as the humans know it...~
Then suddenly the idea struck him...
~The Callers!~ he yelled in his head.
~Why didn't I think of it before...the only one with more power over time than Gaspar would have to be the caller of time...but what was their name?~
He pondered and puzzled as he walked around, trying to recall a name from a memory that spanned eons was not an easy thing to do.
Finally he gave up.
~Oh well...~ he thought with a menacing smile.
~I shall find that person...in time.~ And as he realized his pun he chuckled and waves his hand, opening a gate to begin his search.
*
The epoch appeared in a blinding flash of light followed by a thunderclap...they were floating above Ayla's village...
"Well, there's Ayla's home...the gate would lead the others to the mountain back there..." Lucca pointed towards the mountain behind them and they flew over, landing at the start of the trail.
"They should be here by now..." Crono said.
"I'm sure they're just getting reacquainted with the land...or maybe Ayla ran off into the woods again..." Marle chuckled.
*
The reptites stood around Ayla in a circle...baring their fangs as they hissed and made short lunges towards her before peeling back.
"Ayla don't have time to play! Ayla need to help Crono!" Ayla shouted.
"Foolish woman, who said any of us were playing?" A reptite from the shadows said huskily.
"Ayla remember that sound..." She said with amazement.
"You should..." The shadowy figure replied...before stepping into the light.
"AZALA?!" Ayla cried.
Indeed, before her stood the king of the Reptites, Azala. Who was thought to be dead after the lavos impact a few years earlier...instead he was just horribly scarred.
"You thought you had gotten rid of me...but I was able to have my men take me to your land and into the woods where I was able to heal...and now I'm slowly gaining back the power I had before you filthy hairless apes showed up." Azala growled with frustration.
"No matter, soon my forces will be ready to make an attack on your remaining villagers..." Azala smiled, his talons coming out of his fingertips as he grimaced.
"...thanks to this recent cold weather the hairless apes have gotten weaker...even you're not in top shape Ayla..." Azala said with a confident air.
Ayla shot a spiteful glare towards Azala.
"Ayla no need to be in top shape to beat you!" Ayla spat.
"So confident..." the reptite king said. "...yet so foolish."
He smiled and leapt towards Ayla, talons extended...