Jimmy sat with a pencil and paper sketching out the final details of the challenge for the day. As he placed the final touches on it, a Poyozo approached him.

"Sir, lately you've been focusing all your energy on this game. Perhaps you should check to make sure there are no abnormalities in the space time continuum that might be dangerous."

Jimmy laughed. "It's only been about two weeks. What could have happened?" Jimmy tuned a monitor to 65,000,000 B.C. to see people in Ioka village using computers hooked into a giant network.

"Kino post message!" yelled Ayla's illiterate husband as he pressed random keys on the keyboard.

Jimmy looked over the scene. "Who is responsible for this?"

A Poyozo looked over a computer printout of the damage report. "Someone found Lucca's Gate Key and went back in time to sell computers to the people of Ioka."

"Well, that couldn't affect the future too much, could it? Maybe humanity will become smarter."

Back in the house, everyone sat around the table, eating breakfast. "DIS FOOD IZZ SUCKS" said Crono as he took a sip of the Power Soup that Magus fixed.

"Dont diss my l33t cookin skillz u nOOb," said Magus.

"LOL," said Lucca.

Jimmy quickly used his powers to activate the self-destruct mechanisms in every computer in the Prehistoric Era, correcting the great wrong that had been committed. "Ah, that felt good. Now, time for the challenge."

Magus picked up the plates off the table after everyone finished breakfast. "Any second now..."

Right on cue, the television flashed on. "Ah, good morning," said Jimmy as he looked over the people in the house. "It's time for today's challenge. It took me quite a while to borrow all this from other universes, but I think you'll like it."

Jimmy disappeared from the screen, replaced by a large yellow bird. "This is a chocobo, a bird from another dimension. Your challenge today is to ride these birds in a race, and the winner will receive valuable prizes."

"I suppose you want us ladies to ride in swimsuits small enough to make Ayla blush," said Lucca sarcastically.

Jimmy never thought of that. That was a pretty good idea Lucca had, but first he had to check the Chocolease contract... "Sorry, but that would destroy the wholesome, family-friendly image of the chocobo."

The housemates walked outside to find nine chocobos lined up in a row. The barren wasteland that resulted from the Cactaur battle was also gone, replaced by a variety of exotic landscapes, from jungles to snowfields to a volcano.

"It's beautiful," said Schala.

"They're so cute!" giggled Marle as she patted a chocobo on the head.

"How art these steeds manipulated?" asked Frog as he looked at the chocobos.

"It's very simple," said Jimmy. "These are well-trained chocobo. Lean to the left to make the chocobo go left, and lean to the right to make the chocobo turn right. Lean forward to make it go faster, and lean back to make it slow down."

"Also," Jimmy added, "there are various power-ups along the track that can help you. Good luck everyone." Everyone got on their chocobos, including Nu somehow. A Poyozo waved the green flag, and eight chocobos tore off into the distance.

However, a lone chocobo and its rider stood at the finish line. Nu dismounted his chocobo, and looked it in the eyes. "Be free, chocobo! Go, frolic whimsically in the woodlands with your animal buddies!" Nu smiled inwardly as he watched the beautiful creature run off into the distance. It gave him a warm, fuzzy feeling deep down inside, the feeling of subtly altering the world's ecosystem and furthering his plan for world domination.

Meanwhile, the race continued. Crono took an early lead, but Frog and Schala were only inches behind him. Frog pulled out in front as the racers entered the jungle area. The path made a sharp hairpin turn around a grove of trees, and Lucca's chocobo maneuvered in front of Frog, nearly ramming into him, to gain the lead.

Out of the corner of her eye, Schala saw a strange red vegetable along the side of the road. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she moved her chocobo over as fast as she could to check it out. Instead of stopping, the bird ran right into the red mushroom. In a split-second, the chocobo's speed doubled, and all Schala could do to keep from getting thrown off was wrap her arms around the chocobo's neck. Schala breezed past the other competitors and over a rickety bridge before returning to normal speed and leaving Schala comfortably ahead of the pack.

"What in the name of Pac-Man?" said Mysterious Voice as he looked over Jimmy's plans for the race. "You stole how much? The real Entity is going to kick your sorry hide into next week, literally."

Lucca and Frog led the pack as they attempted to catch up to Schala. Dodging boulders placed in the path for no reason, they were neck and neck as they entered the ice area of the course. There, the path became solid ice, and everyone had to either cut their speed or careen into the white snowbanks lining the course.

Alfador finally directed his chocobo somehow to the beginning of the ice area. There was floating in midair a block of some sort. Alfador jumped onto it, and a glimmering yellow star appeared. When Alfador touched it, he began glowing with the power of invincibility once again. Alfador ordered the chocobo to go straight forward. Plowing through snowbanks and destroying all in his path, Alfador was back in the race.

Magus edged in front of Robo when suddenly a yellow blur shot by him. "What the?" Before he could get a second look, all that was left of the blur was a chocobo-shaped hole in the snowbank beside him.

Marle fell behind in the running, barely ahead of Magus. As she raced along, she thought she heard something. She turned her head to the side. The second she did, from the snowbank beside her came a glowing chocobo and rider. The chocobo slammed into her a full speed, and Marle and her chocobo flew ten feet up into the air, then crashed down onto the ice with a thud. Marle lay sprawled across the ground, and her chocobo, lacking a rider, yelled "Wark!" and scampered off.

As Alfador exited the ice area and neared the volcano, his aura began to fade. As his invincibility faded, he pulled over to the side of the course. He dismounted the chocobo, curled up, and drifted off to sleep.

Using the shortcuts Alfador made, Lucca and Crono were able to nearly catch Schala. The three were fairly close, and Schala's lead had shrunk drastically as the racers entered the volcano area. Crono wasn't doing so well; Lucca and Schala were lighter and quicker than him. Growing from the barren black rock on the side of the track was a simple red and white flower. Maybe that was one of the "power-ups" the Entity spoke of. He swerved over to grab it, and when his hands touched the flower, he changed.

Crono's hair went from a flaming red to a nearly-white blonde. His jumpsuit flashed from blue to orange in an instant. What in the world did that do? Well, maybe it would help. Crono pointed at Lucca, the first person he would pass. Suddenly, a fireball shot from his finger, hitting Lucca's chocobo in the tail. The chocobo started running around out of control, and while Lucca tried to put the fire out, Crono usurped second place.

Crono was right behind Schala as the two raced around the side of the volcano. Crono lined up the shot. If he was going to take out Schala too, he would have to aim his fireball perfectly. He pointed his finger at the purple-robed woman and sent the fireball her way. Schala raised one hand in the air and a mist of water shot through the sky, intercepting and neutralizing the fireball.

Crono now knew he had to concentrate all his energy into one huge fireball if he was to win. Concentrating all his energy, he prepared to blast Schala away. Once he was done gathering energy, he put both hands together and released the energy. Schala swerved out of the way and dodged the blue beam. Crono, because he was busy trying to hit Schala and not watching where he was riding, ran into a rock.

Schala crossed the finish line first, and she hopped off her chocobo. Fireworks went off, and a huge banner above the goal unfurled that read "A Winner Is You." Schala was led by Poyozo to a podium, and she watched while Frog crossed the line, followed by Lucca, Magus, and Robo. The other four were retrieved by Poyozo dolls so they could watch the ceremony.

"A winner is Schala!" squeaked out a Poyozo. "Please pick three of the twelve prizes selected by the Entity." A table appeared with twelve items on it. Hmm... what to choose?

A card? No, she had no use for those. A Lode Shield? It would look nice in her room, but what good would that do her? An Enertron? No. Ozzie Pants? She wouldn't take them if someone paid her. Finally, something caught her eye: a blue silk ribbon.

"What is that?"

"That is a relic from another universe called the ribbon. It can prevent and reverse any and all status aliments such as poison and petrifaction."

"Yes, I will take that one. I need something to wear with these robes.

Schala looked over the rest of the items. She already chose something for herself, perhaps she should get something everyone could enjoy. A bag of jerky sat on the table. "I choose the jerky as well."

She had one more item. Frog came in second place; he really deserved something for that. What would he like? A bag of cat food? A Sexiness Tab? A Sword +1? A Prism Cloak... Why not? "I will take the Prism Cloak."

"Wise choice, Schala. Thanks for playing, everyone."

Back inside, everyone gather around Schala. Everyone kept asking her what she got, so she finally pulled out the ribbon and put it in her hair. Next, she pulled out the bag of jerky and sat it on the table. The scent of the perfectly spiced jerky filled the room.

"Here. Everyone can have some whenever they want it." Schala quickly became the most popular person in the house.

Supper passed. Crono served Power Stew again, this time spiced up with bits of real jerky. Everyone loved the meal, and there wasn't a drop of stew left after the meal was over.

After supper, everyone sat in the living room not doing much of anything. Marle tried to pass the time by making conversation. "So, Lucca, remember that party in 65,000,000 B.C. when we met Ayla?"

"I can't remember very much of it."

"Me either."

Crono shook his head.

Marle looked at Magus. "Remember that time that Alfador beat up Ozzie?"

"Yes."

"That was funny, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

The conversation carried on in this insipid manner for a few hours. Jimmy finally turned the sound on mute and he started working on some pure comic gold to put on the Crossover Exchange, a picture involving Nu and the ownership of a number of bases. By the time he finished, it was night and everyone was heading for their rooms.

As Marle walked passed Alfador's room, she though she heard some strange voice. She went back, and put her ear up against the door to listen.

"Mwa ha ha! Those fools! It is time I at last unleash the unholy power of destruction! I, Alfador the Omnipotent, will resurrect Lavos. Destruction shall rain from the heavens! Awake, Dark Lord! Exchange this world for..."

Marle burst the door open, only to find Alfador sitting in the middle of the room, perfectly still.

"Meow," said Alfador.

Marle closed the door, and the voice started again. "Idiot human! I am unstoppable! Soon you will know the true terror of I, the Almighty Alfador! Death awaits you! Mwa ha..."

Marle opened the door again. In the center of the floor still sat Alfador, perfectly still.

"Meow," said Alfador again.

Marle put her hand over her head. She really needed to get some sleep. Marle walked into her room and got right into bed.

Nu climb out of the closet in Alfador's room. "Mission accomplished." This ruse was one step closer to being rid of that purple feline forever.

Magus and Lucca sat on their own beds, talking. "So, we vote out Nu tomorrow," said Lucca as she stretched out. "Twenty-four hours and we're rid of that maniac."

"Agreed," said Magus. "Unless he gets immunity."

"We have to make sure that doesn't happen," Magus said quietly as he turned out the light.

Schala and Glenn sat at their table. "So, Glenn, there is another prize I got for you," said Schala as she pulled out a folded piece of jade green cloth. "I chose this one for you."

Frog unwrapped the cloth to see it was a Prism Cloak. "I thank thee, Schala." Frog took off his tattered old moss green cloak and threw it to the side. He slipped on the new cloak. "Aye, 'tis a handsome gift. I thank thee again."

Jimmy looked over the rooms. Could it get any more G-rated? He had quite a few schemes ready to up the ratings, but he didn't want to use them just yet. He sipped a bit of soda, then began working on the next day's challenge.