Chapter 3

Reality and Dreams, two different realms. What happens when those two realms collide? An unearthly conflict, or a pleasant agreement? I sincerely doubt it is the former of the two, because it seems that I am caught in a battle between reality and dreams. For this whole time, it felt like a dream, and I wish it was, but I know that this was all real.

Terribly real.

This conflict started as my second dream, except that I was in a different state than my dream. I wasn't floating along overhead, watching the three people battle, I was stalking them, causing chaos wherever I turned. Monsters appeared at my beck and call, and it is then I knew I wasn't myself. That was severely advanced magic at best, and near impossible except by the most powerful of mages, or the royal family. I was neither.

These monsters were not ordinary Beasts and Gargoyles. They were being made of pure evil and darkness, like the aura that emanated from Lavos. Only certain elements could harm them, and others beside the weakness were healed. If one of each element, lightning, water, and fire, were gathered, sometimes they would perform a dreaded Delta Attack.

Nothing seemed normal in this warped world. I seemed to be controlled by a powerful being of darkness, I could tell. This being had no weakness my mind could strike and held me quick. I was aware of all that was happening, but it almost seemed I had no free will. I, Rebecca, was being controlled like a human puppet. The puppeteer had no free will, either, as the person opened their mind to me as they controlled me.

Their identity remained secret, though, and whenever I tried to access the memory, I was met by a painful backlash, and my mind failed several times after these attempts. Once, when I tried to force my body to go the other way, the being's backlash of severe magic kept my mind off-line for several minutes. Finally, after long awaiting, I was left alone after the being had a burst of uncontrollable glee.

The three people that I had been so successfully following suddenly came out of one of the doors of the two in the hallway, and headed in my direction. I scrambled to get a hold of myself and rushed to the nearest statue. They stepped on to a blue panel of light on the floor, and a bridge started to form.

After I was sure that the last one of them had left through the newly formed door, I ran after them, knowing that I still had better stay out of sight. I rushed toward the next door, ignoring the sparkle of light on my right. What I saw was a recurring nightmare.

I slowly climbed up one of the statues, whispering sorry to the person who it was modeled after. I watched the three confront Dalton, and him summoning the Golomtwins. And then I saw Dalton fail.

It was just like my dream, my archenemy, the stupid, ugly big shot creep Dalton failed!

The three won, and his two golems were decimated.

He refused to summon the Golemboss, and he fled from a dark energy force.

I admit, there were a few changes, but the basic stuff was still there.

I have to stop the second dream from happening!

I jumped down from the statue, afraid for the leader and for myself. What would they do to me if they knew I had been causing all the trouble they had been facing? I decided on a one-word answer.

"Stop!" I said, and they faced me. They pulled out their weapons.

"Stop!" I repeated, and held my hands in front of me in a gesture of peace. They slowly put down their weapons.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, but if I have to, I will. I just have a few questions..."

"Crono, come on, time isn't on our side!" urged the blonde-haired one.

"Okay then, I'll ask quickly. Why are you here?" I said.

"Crono..." urged the blonde one once again.

"We're here to save Schala," said a brown-haired one with a weird looking helmet on her head, "Can we go now?"

"Save Schala? Of course you can go!" I said and quickly stepped aside.

A little while after I left, a Nu came rushing through the door, nearly killing me in the process.

"Mammom Machine, nu... Mammon Machine, nu..." It kept on repeating itself.

"Mammon Machine?" I said, and rushed into the room.

Crono and the others were standing in front of Queen Zeal, Crono holding a red knife. At first I thought that he was going to kill the Queen, but instead he threw it onto the Mammon Machine. Weird voices sounded around me, sounding like the green creatures that had been at the palace for a bit. The Mammon Machine sparked and the knife turned into a shining sword.

"No..." I whispered, and prepared for the immediate blast.

When I opened my eyes, the three were facing Lavos. It immediately did a strong attack, the same attack I saw in my dream. But the floors were sparkling and swirling in a hypnotizing matter. There was no dust to cover the immediate defeat.

"No... this can't be happening. I can't let it happen!"

But it always turns out for the worse.

The prophet appeared, and threw off his cloak. He quickly pulled out a scythe.

Queen Zeal appeared in front of me, and Schala, too. My ears were filled with the whine of Lavos's scream that had ended long ago. Queen Zeal jumped onto Lavos and sat herself on one of his spikes. The prophet attacked with his red scythe, but it failed.

"NO!" I screamed, and fell onto the floor.

You can't run from fate...

Even after my outburst, no one heard me.

Crono got up, and took out his sword.

"No... Please, no..." I sobbed.

A sparkle appeared before Crono. He dropped his sword and started floating in the air. His body was stripped away, and his spirit slowly faded, contained within a pendant once around his neck.

I couldn't say anything. It was so horrible.

What happens when you seem to be out of hope?

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Author's Notes and Disclaimer: Hello! I tried to add a bit more adventure to this chapter, and I hope it worked. All Chrono Trigger plot is owned by Square.

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