Disclamer: See part three.

The Shifters, Part 4, Another Double

Marle was looking in her bag for something to eat when she heard the soft, quick footsteps again. She ignored them this time and dug through her bag. She found dried cinnamon bread, tonics, water, money, dried vegetables, and the other supplies and food before she found what she wanted. "Ah," she said as she grabbed the dried berries, "I knew it was here."

The footsteps stopped. Marle looked up to see herself standing in front of the cage. She watched herself pace in front of the cell, smiling, before finally saying something, "How is it in there? Not comfortable? Aw, too bad."

Marle smiled and pretended she was enjoying herself, "Very comfy, why don't you come in and see for yourself. All you have to do is slip through the bars."

Marle-Shifter tilted her head and gave a fake sad face, "I would, but I can't. Sorry." She laughed lightly.

"Leave me," Marle said, as she turned away from her double. "You bother, and if you keep acting like that then everyone will know who you really are."

"I bother you. How nice."

Marle sat down, still not looking at her. "If your not here to say sorry, then I have no time for you."

"I wanted to talk."

Marle ignored her.

"I wanted to talk." Marle-Shifter said again. No answer. She soon gave up, and left.

Marle woke up to noise she couldn't identify. It was gone though, and she wondered if she dreamed it. But then she heard it again, and something fell in her cell.

She got up to check it out, still groggy, she stumbled a bit. Against the wall she found two bricks in her cell with a hole above them. She tried to look out but it was dark. "Hello?"

"Yes?" Someone answered.

Marle recognized the voice, "Glenn?"

"Aye."

"What happen?" She started to help remove the bricks.

"You probably can figure it out."

"Replaced?"

"Yes. I figured out the other Marle was not thee when she attacked me while I was walking her to the castle."

"Sorry," though she was glad that one of her friends knew who she was now. "Why are these bricks so loose?"

"I loosened the bricks." He put another brick on the floor. "Last one."

She looked out and then looked at him, she frowned.

"Uncanny," he said.

Marle giggled, "Scream."

Glenn laughed.

Marle climbed out onto a ledge, realizing she never actually heard him laugh before. Her thoughts left his laugh though, as soon as she saw what she had to climb. "How do we climb down?"

"The bricks."

Marle looked down, then back at Glenn, and then nervously laughed, "Um, ok. That's pretty far down."

"Do not worry, my lady, besides we have other ledges to use," Glenn said as he started down.

Marle followed, carefully placing each foot, and grabbing the right places. She hoped there would be several ledges.

After climbing a bit she saw a ledge about a foot below her. Glenn was already on it. She soon joined him. She closed her eyes briefly, feeling safe on the ledge for the moment. "Do you think they know I'm missing yet?" Hope we do not have to hurry down this.

"If they knew, we would know," he started climbing again.

Soon they got to a ledge with hole in the wall. Marle glanced back and forth between the hole and Glenn before asking, "Couldn't tell which one I was in?"

"I knew which one you were in. I simply did not want to climb all the way. This is where I started." He went in and removed a sheet from the floor. "If they heard me, I would have jump in there." He went back out.

"So you made an escape rout for yourself. What would you have done if someone came while you were making that hole though?"

"I made it on the floor below, hardly any soldiers are there." He started to climb again.

While they climbed Marle laughed. Glenn didn't look up when asking, "What is funny?"

"Not only am I the first official prisoner, and the first innocent prisoner, but I'm the first to break out."

"I did not think of that."

Marle laughed again. Glenn still didn't look up, "Aye?"

"Remember when we told you how Crono went to jail in our time and he used three holes to get to other cells."

"Yes."

"You just made those holes."

Glenn chuckled. "So in 400 years they would have never fixed them. What's taking them so long?"

They both laughed, which made the tension of the escape and climb much easier. Soon the climbing was done, and they ran into the forest. "What do we do now?"

"Hide, I do not know where. I was thinking perchance that Denadora Mountains be a good place. This forest is too well guarded."

"Sounds good to me."

They escaped the forest without getting caught, and quietly ran to the bridge, where they found Toma. He quickly greeted them, "Marle, Glenn, what brings you here so late at night?"

Marle smile at him, "I was about to ask you the same."

"I am a great traveler and adventurer. I can be found anywhere, anytime of the day."

"We're taking a walk," she said feeling a little guilty about the fib. Toma has traveled the whole world and does it for the adventure, she thought, which was why Marle had a small crush on him.

"Can I walk with you? I can show you places I bet you didn't know existed

Marle would have loved to see something new on this planet, but she had to turn the offer down, "No, sorry, I can't" She smiled.

Toma looked offended, "You sure? What about you Glenn?"

"Nay, we need to go now."

"Can I go with you then?"

"Nay." Glenn started to leave.

"Sorry," Marle repeated. "Maybe some other time."

Toma started walking the other direction, "Maybe. Good-bye Marle! Good-bye Glenn!"

"Bye Toma." Marle waved, and then went to catch up with Glenn.

"She got out!"

The team had been talking in the soldiers' quarters when a soldier came, and told them the news.

Ayla turned to her friend, "Lucca, no need to yell. Not so bad."

Marle-Shifter walked towards the soldier. "How did this happen?"

"She broke through the wall," he answered.

Glenn asked the next question, "And what, fleweth away?"

"Evidence shows that she and another climbed down."

By this time Robo was also there. "Another Shifter? Why would they climb all the way down and not fly away as Glenn said."

"To make it look as if they are not Shifters." Marle-Shifter suggested.

"Maybe whoever rescued her isn't a Shifter." Lucca added.

Marle-Shifter gave her a strange look, "What?"

"Well you took my idea. Besides, it's not entirely impossible they don't have any human support."

The soldier continued. "That's not the worst of it." He watched as they looked back to him. "We believe whoever rescued her was at one point in the castle. That is all." He left.

"If the Shifter," Glenn started, "Is still imitating Marle, then perchance the other is imitating someone else here."

"We find Shifters, ask Shifters things." Ayla suggested.

Marle and Glenn were in the Denadoro Mountains in the cave the Masamune was found.

"Well," Marle said, "We may have to fight monsters every time we leave, but it's good. It's big and we have many places to hide if the others try to find us."

"Yes. If they cometh, we can leave. If they find us, we don't want it to be here. It would be best if they find us on our terms."

"Alright, but we need to think of a way to show our friends they are working with imposers

"When a Shifter is unconscious, relaxed, sleeping, or dead they turn to their natural form."

"How do you know?"

"The humans in 2000 B.C. learned a lot. It was confirmed when Ayla, Crono, and Robo rescued the other Marle. When they killed the boss there, he returned to this form."

"What does it look like?"

"They said it looked like water."

"Ew. I hope no one has mistaken a sleeping Shifter for water."

Glenn walked outside, and wondered how long he'd have to live here. He looked toward the water fall. He sensed something wrong, and he waved Marle over.

Marle came out, ready to ask what was wrong, but she knew right away what it was. Voices.

Marle listened to see who it was, Lucca, Ayla, and Robo. The one that can figure out anything using science and logic, the one who uses and reads a lot of expression in communication, and the one who has senses a beyond humans. But this didn't help them see a Shifter when it was right in front of them.

Glenn gestured to the bushes nearby and climbed into them. Marle quickly, and quietly, followed.

Marle held her breath when Lucca, Ayla, and Robo went by. She watched them stop in front of their bush. They spoke quietly and watched it closely. Marle started planning what she'd do if they found them, but it wasn't necessary, they moved on. They climbed the rope that led to the higher land, and soon disappeared into the cave.

Glenn got out, pulling Marle out gently by the arm. He pointed to the waterfall.

Marle shook her head.

"Come on, my lady," he whispered, "Going down the waterfall will be quicker, we will be much ahead of them. I've done it before."

Marle gave him a strange look. "If we just leave they won't see us."

"They will leave verily soon and this way we will be way ahead of them."

Marle sighed, but finally nodded.

Glenn ran towards the waterfall, but he crept quietly when passing the cave. Marle followed his moves. Glenn hesitated a second before jumping. Marle grabbed the edge then climbed down. If she was going to jump she was going to make it so the ground was as close as possible. She couldn't let go by herself so she let the water push her.

Robo heard a noise outside. He ran out, but he saw nothing. Lucca and Ayla had followed him. Lucca shook her head, "No one is here. Let's go." She started walking.

"Either the Shifters are home or they have found a place we had not thought of looking," Robo said.

Lucca shook her head, "The others still might find them at the Magic Cave or Magus's Lair, but the Shifters most likely went home."

Robo looked at her, he knew they were both thinking the same thing (he didn't know about Ayla), and he was going to say it, "That is if, they are Shifters."

"You've thought of that too. Marle has acted strange lately." Lucca said.

"We talk to others about it?" Ayla asked.

"No," Lucca said, "We may be wrong. Also we are looking for what seems to be two Shifters."

"Then we must figure out who could not have been replaced and tell them." Robo said.

Lucca suggested, "I think we should try to do it ourselves. Then there is no risk."

Marle and Glenn were on their way to the Magic Cave. They turned to be in front of the cave, but they stopped quickly when they saw themselves and Crono. They back up quickly, but now didn't know what to do.

Can we go back to Denadoro Mountains? Marle thought, No, then they'd just chase-and there is Lucca, Ayla, and Robo anyway.

Ayla was the first to speak as they approach, "Fight." She put her fist up.

"Thy specialty," said the Glenn just on Marle's side (Glenn 1) as he grabbed his sword with his left hand.

"Thou soundeth almost fearful. Afraid to loose?" asked the other Glenn (Glenn 2) grabbing his sword with the same hand.

Ayla went to attack them.

"Wait-wait-wait!" Marle said quickly as she blocked herself.

"What?" Ayla asked.

"Six against two, don't you think that's a little unfair."

"No." Ayla went to attack again.

"Wait-wait-wait!"

"Now what?" Ayla asked.

"Well," Marle said, "You know, we didn't really plan on fighting. So don't you think it would be fair if you would let us plan a little."

Ayla didn't respond, but Marle-Shifter did. "No. You shouldn't be able to plan."

Marle had one last plan, she threw a temper tantrum, "IT'S NOT FAIR!! NOT FAIR-NOT FAIR-NOT FAIR-NOT FAIR-NOT FAIR-NOT FAIR-NOT FAIR-NOT FA-"

"Alright!!" Lucca yelled, thinking that the Marle she was about to fight could certainly could throw a tantrum like Marle could. "The two of you can discuss your plans with each other. But don't take too long."

"What!" said Marle-Shifter.

"It would be," Glenn 2 said, "Without honor if we won. The fight is unfair to them."

Marle-Shifter wanted to respond but doing so would be un-Marle like. Instead she glanced back and forth between the two Glenns. She felt ashamed that she couldn't tell which one was the real one.

Marle said her thanks and went a few meters away from them. When Glenn 1 joined her, she spoke, "What do we do, we can't fight them. I don't really want to fight them."

"We'll probably have to alternate between attacks and healing. You heal or give an Ether to who needs it, I attack, then we do Double Cure."

"Right, good way to fight, and the first thing I do is Haste, but I still don't really want to fight then."

"We attack Marle-Shifter for any one-person attack. She will return to her true form as soon as she looses conscious. At times we will both be able to attack, we use Glacier."

Marle nodded. "All right, so we take out the fake me. If they keep fighting, then we will take out the fake you."

"Aye."

They nodded in agreement, and then returned.

"Ready fight?" Ayla asked.

No, Marle thought, but replied, "Ready as can be." Considering it's six against two.

"Good." Ayla said, and then Cat Attacked Marle.

Ow, Marle thought slightly rubbing the claw marks on her side. She had always imagined that it would be painful, but it hurt more than she had realized. She ignored the pain, and brought her hands to her chest, closing her eyes, she Hasted herself. When she opened her eyes, she felt a surge of new energy flowing through her body, and she felt almost ready for another spell. She smiled to herself, though never did like the orange-red appearance everything had when under this effect.

Robo Rocket Punched Glenn 1, which knocked him on his back. Glenn 1 blinked, as he sat up, and brought up his arms, summoning for Water 2 where he sat. He watched as water hit the entire team, and directed one of the bubbles towards Marle-Shifter. He returned to his feet as the other team caught their breath, and felt Hasted by Marle. The extra energy put a little more spring in his way up than he intended.

Crono used Lightning 2, which left the two victims with a tingly sensation after the pain had gone away.

Lucca threw a Mega Bomb as she said, "Here."

"Here?" Marle asked, amused as she and Glenn 1 managed to dodge most of it, and then do Double Cure together. The air around her became filled with golden sparkles, and all her pains and aches quickly dissolved. She was able to stand straighter now that the scratches and burns were gone.

The battle continued, though five of the six were putting less and less effort. Lucca lost her health, and collapsed.

Ayla looked at Marle-Shifter to do Life 2, but then paid attention to the battle. Marle's lack of ability in her job to keep them healed and conscious was making her wonder. She noticed others were putting less effort in the fight as it continued.

Marle-Shifter put her hands to her chest, ready to perform Life 2, but was knocked down by Glenn 1. She felt his sword slash through his side, and vaguely watched him jump away. She put her hand to her side, as she faked bleeding. She winced as she stood back up, and ate a tonic. She could not lose conscious, or even become weak.

Soon Crono collapsed.

Glenn 2 revived Crono, but Glenn 1 and Marle's attack, Glacier, just brought him down again. The team had been hit by a large wave of water, which knocked them off their feet. They were lifted up by the water, and the humans waited for it to pass soon as breaths were held. They realized it wasn't over yet when seeing parts of the water freezing, and soon they were enveloped by ice. The ice finally released them by both melting and cracking.

Were they waiting for us to revive someone to make that attack? Glenn 2 thought as he watched Crono fall again, and Ayla follow. He sat up from ground, his lungs still burning from holding his breath. He brought up for arms up, and watched as an enormous frog came down the two he was fighting.

Robo at this point was more concern getting his health up than fighting. Marle and Glenn 1 saw this, and performed another Glacier, which left Robo unconscious, Glenn 2 gasping for air again, and Marle-Shifter briefly looked as if she had frozen with the ice.

Marle-Shifter couldn't believe this, they were losing. How is this possible? Now it was her and Glenn 2 against themselves. We keep this up, I'll be taken out, and they'll see what I am. Feeling panicked, she ran.

Glenn 2 couldn't believe it as he watched Marle-Shifter run, "Marle!" he called, "Where art thou going? We-" He shook his head and looked towards Glenn 1 and Marle.

Glenn 1 spoke, "Looks as if someone hath ditched you. Very un-Marle like. But now the important matter. I do not think thou can win now."

Glenn 2 sighed, knowing the Glenn was right. He nodded. "It seems thou hast won."

"You admit you lost? Grand. Then we we will leave." He headed off.

Marle watch as Glenn 2 took out a Revive. Then she looked at her friends, she didn't want to just leave them, "Shouldn't we help?"

Glenn 1 turned around. "And then what will come? They will attack us. They believe we art Shifters." He turned around and left.

Marle turned to Glenn 2, "If you do Crono first, he can help with Life." Then she turned and followed Glenn 1.

to be continued...