Chapter VI: Il Fateor

CRONO Crono was worried about Lucca. They returned through the Gate- which, mysteriously disappeared after they came through it- she hardly said anything. He could tell she was disturbed, after all, she just saw herself die.

"I-I'm not real. I'm dead. I'm dead." she muttered under her breath.

"Lucca! Are you alright?" hissed Crono, shaking Lucca's shoulders. Lucca looked up to Crono.

"I'm not real. I'm not real. I'm not real. I'm dead." Lucca's words struck Crono. After all, he had died once. He couldn't remember anything during that, everything was too muddled for him to do so.

Lucca, though. She was confused.

"Perhaps we should take her to Porre. Their hospital has a psychiatric ward." Suggested Glenn. Crono nodded, and helped Lucca to her feet.

"Lucca, can you walk?" asked Crono softly.

"No. I'm not real." said Lucca. Crono sighed, and picked Lucca up. They took turns carrying Lucca, and took a break once they had crossed the Zenan Bridge. After a short rest, Crono carried her the rest of the way. When they passed Mt. Denadoro, they saw a construction site. A sign read, "Future Site of New Dorino! Coming Soon!" The two didn't have much time to think on it, Lucca's craziness was occupying most of their minds.

They had reached Porre, a military, technology giant, a grand metropolis, largest city in all the Zenan Mainland. The peasants lived in poverty, and the city was almost under constant martial law.

As the trio walked through the city, they tried not to do anything horribly noticeable- until Lucca started going into violent fits. Crono struggled to keep Lucca from breaking out of his grasp, and Glenn had to help him get her into the hospital.

The receptionist stared at them oddly, and it took a team of medics to get Lucca onto a stretcher, and onto a bed. Five medics pinned her to the bed, while a sixth strapped her into it.

***~~~***

Lucca sat on a chair, at the Kingdom of Zeal, before it fell into the ocean. Zeal was a majestic kingdom, floating in the sky, with the mystical palaces Enhasa and Kajar, and the Grand Palace itself.

Lucca was playing solitaire at a table a crowd gathered behind her, watching as she almost beat the game she was playing.

"Go Lucca!" cheered Marle, clapping excitedly. Lucca grinned cockily, but without warning, the playing cards designs, changed into that of tarot cards, and Lucca was no longer holding them.

A dark, hooded man was shuffling them, and placing seven upside down. Without speaking, he turned them all over, and moving from Lucca's left to her right, he explained them all.

"Apollyon, the Destroyer," the prophet stated. "A great enemy fell upon you, bringing pain and misery. It seems he is destroyed. But like all demons, one cannot kill that which can be reborn."

"Serpensortia, the Temptress. You have loved once, but your love fell for another." At the prophet's words, Marle turned red with embarrassment and vanished. The prophet went on.

"Pylian, the Phoenix. A valued friend of yours fell in battle, but was resurrected. But even the phoenix must eventually meet his end." After the prophets interpretation, Crono looked at Lucca inquisitively, and also vanished.

"Alexander, the Valiant. You have a growing attraction to a knight in shining armor. But be warned: knights always sacrifice themselves protecting those they love." With that, Glenn winced in pain, as if stricken by an attack, and flickered out. The prophet didn't stop. he did pause for a second, but continued.

"Magus, the Prophet. A mysterious prophet shall reveal your future. to an extent." At those words, the prophet pulled his hood back, to reveal his face. It was Janus. This really didn't surprise Lucca, Janus had portrayed a prophet once before. But as Lucca was thinking, Janus smiled, and vanished like all the others.

He left two cards completely unexplained though. One portrayed a baby, and had "Kid, the Savior," and the other-

***~~~***

Lucca had no time to read it, for she woke up, strapped to the hospital bed. She felt very weak, and her eyes only opened partially. Crono wasn't there, but Glenn was, pacing across the floor.

"Glenn?" Lucca whispered faintly. At her words, Glenn rushed to her side.

"Lucca?! Are you alright?!" he asked in a panicked concern.

"I-I'm fine, Glenn.." She mumbled, her hair matted with sweat. Her glasses were on nearby nightstand, and she tried to reach for them, but the straps restrained any movement outside of the bed.

"No! Don't move, not yet." ordered Glenn, picking up Lucca's glasses, and gently placing them on her face. She smiled softly.

"I bet I look horrible." Lucca muttered under her breath.

"No. Stressed, perhaps, but nowhere near horrible." Glenn replied smiling. "Anyway, since you've calmed down within forty-eight hours, the doctor said we can take you home tomorrow."

Lucca smiled hopefully. Tomorrow. A new beginning. Tomorrow, she will create a new future, no matter what her fortune told her. She would defy fate, to the best of her ability.

"Fate has no forgiveness for those who dare stand against it." ~Chrono Cross' game over screen