Disclaimer: See part 1.

This Shifters, Part 2, Replaced

Glenn climb the ladder hoping no one noticed how long he took. He found most everything right away, the Masamune, the Hero's Medal, his armor, and his helmet. The only thing that slowed him was the money. He put it in a new place, forgot, but then he remembered he had hid it in under his bed.

Glenn heard voices as he approached the top. Crono and Lucca must have arrived, he thought. When he reached the top he sneaked a look. Two Marles. He ducked down. No, no, why is this happening, he thought. Should help her, nay, if I do I will be captured as well.

Then Glenn noticed "Chrono" looking straight at the bush he was hiding behind. He kept still and slowed his breath. His heartbeat was a little faster than normal. He had no fear in capture itself, but the result of it. What his replacement could do while he was gone. He inwardly shuddered at the thought.

To his relief the Shifter turned away, and took Marle's wrist. He pulled her into a thicker part of the forest as Marle-Shifter followed. He let out a breath, and wondered briefly how long he had been holding it.

Where are they going? Did I make noise, and they heard it? Need to find the others. Crono and Lucca, you better be here by now. He climbed up, and ran out of the forest.

Marle-Shifter watched Glenn run out. She waited a few seconds before going back out into the open. Crono-Shifter followed her, still holding Marle's wrist. The two Shifters began to speak in their language.

"Swau, did you see if Glenn saw her capture?" Marle-Shifter asked.

"Yes, Viaat, I saw him."

"Good, now when we release her, they'll think she is a Shifter." She formed a smile.

"Do we let her go now?"

"Not yet. We wait a little so he can explain that she has been replaced."

Marle watched them speak their language. It sounded strange to hear such noises coming from something that looked human. What are they doing? She thought. She studied them, partly out of boredom. The female, if it's a female, seemed to be the one in charge. The male was quiet, and let her do most of the talking. I wonder what they are saying. Are they talking about me? Their home? Did Glenn see us? Is he telling the others? Will they be able to get me out of this mess?

Suddenly Crono-Shifter let go of her. Marle frowned, looking at him, startled, and afraid to react.

Marle-Shifter spoke, "Fi biq." Crono-Shifter started going back to the thicker part of the forest, and the other followed.

Marle didn't watch, and let them change their mind. I'll figure out what they are up to later, she decided as she ran out of the forest.

Meanwhile, Glenn saw Crono and Lucca climbing out of the Epoch as ran out of the forest. Lucca was talking, "Did you really except her to be right here waiting for us." She turned around, and jumped when she saw Glenn running to her.

Glenn stopped in front of her, "I apologize," he said as he watched Crono eyeing him as he came around the Epoch.

"It's ok." Lucca looked at him with curiosity. "Um, who are you?" Whoever he is, she thought, he's really cute. Where was he before?

Glenn sighed, "'Tis I, Frog."

"Frog?" she looked at him with distrust, then started to smile. "It is you, isn't it. You're wearing his clothes and you almost sound like him." All the while thinking, why didn't you tell us you were a dish? A frown formed. "Why are you running out of the forest, and where's Marle."

"Do you know who the Shifters are?"

Lucca's eye showed curiosity. "Yes," she said slowly, sensing something was wrong. She turned to Crono, "Do you?"

Crono nodded.

"They kidnapped and replaced her."

"Oh, um, if the Shifters are here how do we know you're not one of them?"

"Remember when we first met."

"Yes."

"The first thing I said was, 'Put down thy guard and thou art letting thine enemies in' and then you repeated over and over again how much you hated frogs."

Some redness showed in Lucca's cheeks, "Yah, I remember that. Why would they kidnap her?"

"She is human, and they plannest to destroy all humans."

Lucca glared at Glenn. "You didn't have to be quite so blunt."

"I apologize." He bowed his head slightly. "What shall we do about the Marle imposter?"

With perfect or not-so-perfect timing, Marle ran out of Cursed Woods.

Lucca was the first to notice. "Speaking of her," she whispered.

Glenn turned around, then heard Lucca add, "Are you sure she was replaced."

"There were two Marles."

"That would be pretty obvious."

Marle stopped in front of them, "The Shifters-"

"We're not fools," Lucca interrupted, "You would know that if you weren't a Shifter."

"What?!" Marle couldn't believe what she was hearing. So that's what the Shifters were up to, she thought, Glenn must have seen it, now they think I'm a Shifter!

Marle was taken to the castle for a trial in the new, just-built courtroom, which looked just like the court room in her time. Strange. The only difference was the stain glass window, which was a simple picture of the Cathedral, or at least that what she thought it was supposed to be.

She stood in her place. Indeed very strange...creepy. The Chancellor, who was the judge, explained everything. "Jeno, here..." the man on her left stepped forward.

Wasn't he a soldier, she thought.

"...will try to convince the jury you're guilty," The Chancellor continued. Jeno stepped back. "Zibik..." The man on her right stepped forward.

He used to be soldier too, she thought.

"...will defend you." Zibik stepped back. "We have one witness, Glenn. Afterwards, seven jury men will decide if you are guilty or not guilty. Understand?"

"Yes." Marle answered. Guess the court itself never changed.

Jeno stepped forward, "Have you ever seen this?" He held a piece of paper, and it seemed to be the one of the letters Glenn told her about.

"No."

"Never in your life?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Judge," Zibik spoke out, "Why ask the same question three times?"

Jeno answered, "To be sure of her answer. Do you have something to hide?"

"Nothing to hide, I just want to be out of here before the year ends."

Jeno rolled his eyes. "We have a witness that says you are a Shifter."

Glenn came in, and told everyone what he saw.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Jena asked Marle.

Marle told them what happen.

"Glenn," Zibik started, "Did you have time to speak to Crono and Lucca before Marle came out of the woods?"

"Aye."

"So, what she's saying might be true?"

"It is possible."

Glenn left, though he wished he could stay and watch the rest of the trial. There were a few more questions, and soon it was time for the jury to decide. "Guilty." "Guilty." "Not guilty." (Marle smiled.) "Guilty." "Guilty." "Guilty." "Not guilty."

Thanks for trying, Marle thought to the 'Not guilty' men. I'm going to be the first prisoner here that had a trial. Not only that, but the first innocent trialed prisoner.

She was quickly taken down to a cell. Once there, she was given some weird yellow stuff to eat, which tasted bland, but managed to have a horrible aftertaste. Good thing I brought my own food, she thought, though she wasn't really in the mood to eat. Marle wondered how long she would be in there, surely not for the rest of her life. Once they stopped the Shifters, they would realize it was really her.

She sighed and sat down. It was more boring and creepy than the End of Time. The cell seemed smaller and darker from the inside than from the outside. Marle shivered slightly.

She turned her thoughts to her friends, but she could not form happy thoughts from them. Even though they thought they were doing the right thing, part of it stung with betrayal. Glenn couldn't even look her in the eyes while he spoke out against her.

Marle hoped her friends would discover their mistake soon.

Glenn was in the Soldiers' Quarters sitting on one of the beds, cleaning the Masamune. He hoped he had done the right thing. If he was wrong, then Marle would have gone to jail because of him. He looked up as Crono came in being followed by Lucca. Crono sat on the bed across from Glenn. Lucca remained standing.

"We need to find the real Marle." Lucca stated.

"We do not know where the Shifters live." Glenn pointed out.

Lucca looked at him as if he should already know the solution to it. "Then we'll find it," she paused, not sure if she should finish. "Maybe we should get the others."

"Ayla and Robo?"

"Marle needs our help. I think they would want to help us."

"And add more confusion!" Glenn sighed, "But you art right. We may need them in this fight."

"Maybe they could think of someplace that hasn't been thought of before."

Glenn looked at Crono, and Crono nodded his agreement.

Lucca smiled, "Then let's get them."

"Waiteth," Glenn said, "It would be better if only one person got them. So getting them will take only one trip."

"I'll go." Lucca volunteered.

Ayla and Kino were eating when they saw the Epoch a third time.

Kino looked at Ayla, "Still no find Crono mom. Not good."

Ayla didn't respond, and she watched the Epoch land near her. Only Lucca was in it.

"Hello." Ayla greeted, walking to Lucca. "Why Lucca alone?"

Lucca jumped out. "I thought you should know something."

Ayla turn to see where Kino went, seeing that he left so they could talk alone. Good Kino, she thought, and then turned back to Lucca. "What wrong? No find Crono mom?"

For a second Lucca wondered how she knew about that. Then remembered they told her the second time they came here. "We found her, she is home and safe."

"What wrong then?"

"The Shifters are in 600 A.D."

"Shifters? Who they? Ayla eat Shifters?"

If they turn into food, Lucca thought. "No, they are beings that can turn into anything or anyone. They want to destroy all the humans in 600 A.D."

"Ayla help. Ayla fight Shifters." Ayla put her fists up.

"That's not all."

Ayla put her fists down. "More bad?"

Lucca nodded. "They kidnapped Marle."

Ayla put her fists up again. "Ayla fight Shifters. Save Marle. Not give up. Only when dead give up."

"We don't know where the Shifters live."

"Ayla find Shifters. Fight Shifters." Fists back down. "Where next? Lucca get Robo?"

Lucca nodded. "Lucca get Robo."

"2300 A.D. changed," Ayla said as they climbed out of the Epoch. "Look better."

Lucca went into the Proto Dome. She first met Robo here, maybe she could meet him here a second time. She hoped he'd remember her, she didn't feel like having to put the copy of his memories in, not when she was in a hurry. She called out, "Hello?"

Someone called back, but it wasn't Robo, "Lucca, Ayla, so good to see you."

Lucca looked to where the voice came. A female version of Robo stood there. Atropos XR?

Robo had spook of her so much. Lucca smiled. If Atropos XR know us, then Robo probably does too.

Lucca waved, "Hello." Now she wasn't sure what to say. Part of her was afraid to mention Robo, and find out he no longer existed. She decided to see what Atropos XR said.

"Lucca, Ayla, it has been long. Do you not remember me? Prometheus suggested your memories might be different than ours."

"Where Robo?" Ayla asked.

"He is in the Gene Dome with Mother Brain."

"Mother Brain?!" Lucca exclaimed.

"Yes, Mother Brain. I can take you to them."

Lucca and Ayla looked at each other and both had the same thought, Wasn't Mother Brain evil? However, Lucca decided to go see Mother Brain. If she recalled correctly Atropos XR was also evil. Things are obviously different. "Yes, please take us."

"Alright, we can take the bridge there."

Must be a long bridge. Lucca would have liked to see this bridge but being in a hurry, and not wanting to leave the Epoch alone in the new 2300 A.D..."Can we take the Epoch instead?"

"We can."

Ayla smiled. "Take Epoch. Get Robo."

The three of them got into the Epoch, and Lucca drove it to Gene Drome. As they walked in, they were quickly greeted by Mother Brain's voice. "Ah come, come. I welcome you back. Come!" With that the door opened. Atropos XR led the way through the door, which brought them to a conveyor belt that started moving when they stepped onto it. Mother Brian continued, "You're here to see Prometheus? He is by Computer 2. Why do you look for him?"

Lucca looked up, since that seemed to be the place the voice came from. "We need to talk to him. We might need his help."

"Shall I inform him of your arrival?"

"Yes, thank you"

The conveyor belt stopped at the door. Lucca walked through, and Robo was there to greet her. "Lucca, Ayla, I was told you were coming. How are you?"

"Fine."

"How is everyone else?"

Lucca explained what had happened in 600 A.D.

"Then I want to help, but I must ask Mother Brain for permission to leave. We should go to the main computer room to ask her," he said as he started walking. Lucca, Ayla and Atropos XR followed.

"Prometheus, I believe their memories of 2300 A.D. are different than our." Atropos XR said.

"Really? What do you remember?" Robo asked them.

"Well, 2300 A.D. wasn't in good shape." Lucca said.

"And ruled by-" Ayla stopped in mid-sentence. 2300 A.D. was ruled by monsters, which was all right to say. However, it was also ruled by evil machines, and that wasn't something you say in front of two of them, three if Mother Brain was listening.

"Ruled by what?" Robo and Atropos XR asked.

"By monsters." Ayla finished, they didn't need to know about the evil machines part.

"How was Mother Brain?" Atropos XR asked, "You were surprised when I mentioned her."

Lucca answered, "She was, um, malfunctioning.

"Lucca what are you hiding?" Robo asked.

"She was evil and hated humans." He wanted to know the truth, now he knows.

"Then she was indeed malfunctioning Atropos XR said, "Mother Brain would never hate humans. Humans are the ones who created her."

That is nice to know, Lucca thought.

They got to the main computer room. When they entered, Mother Brain appeared in front of them. She had a human face with hair to her shoulders. Her body was that of an insect with a cape. She glowed all the colors of the rainbow. She was very beautiful, which was something Lucca hadn't really noticed when she was trying to destroy all humans.

Robo explained the situation, and requested to leave.

"Then go," Mother Brain said. "You must help find Marle and stop the Shifters."

"Thank you." Robo said, and then he went out the door.

Lucca said her thanks, and turned to Atropos XR, "We can take you back to Proto Dome."

"Thank you, but I will remain here."

Lucca nodded and then left.

Crono, Lucca, Glenn, Ayla, and Robo were in Glenn's place. Lucca was putting Robo's old copy of his memories into Robo.

"We need to find a way to identify each other." Glenn said.

"How about, we never leave somewhere by ourselves," Lucca suggest. "Make sure there is always one person with us."

Glenn nodded. "That is a good idea. Now we need to find out where the Shifters live."

"Is there new places up?" Robo asked.

"No." Glenn answered

Ayla spook, "Shifters not in new place? Maybe old place. Soldiers check places others bad people live before."

Glenn tilted his head. "Now that you mentioned it, no one has."

"What's the place that the monsters first left?" Lucca asked, "The Shifters would have had the most time to settle in there."

to be continued...

(A/N: Six years after originally writing this, I realize how horrible their logic is in finding out where Marle is, so let's just say they made a lucky guess with their "logic.")