Chapter the Last: The Final Battle
Act One
For a moment, Crono, Marle, Lucca, Glenn, Robo, Ayla, and Magus scanned the empty room. There was no sign of Queen Zeal. All that filled the room was silence.
"Is it over?" Marle asked. "Did we stop Lavos?"
"It would appear so," Lucca replied. "It was Queen Zeal who caused it to erupt. And now she's been defeated. I think it's safe to say that we can sleep easy tonight."
There was silence again.
It felt troubling.
"So that's it?" the perplexed Ayla inquired. "That's the end of our adventure?"
"It would appear so," Robo answered.
"That's almost….disappointing," Ayla said. "Kind of a weak ending, yes?"
"We're all alive, aren't we?" Crono said. "We should count our blessings."
"So we're no longer in danger of an eruption?" Lucca asked.
"I'm no longer detecting any surging energy from Lavos, Ayla," Robo informed her.
"But….Lavos is still alive, right?" Marle asked.
"Affirmative," Robo answered.
"And someone else can just as easily wake him," she added.
"Who would even know about him?" Lucca asked.
"Lots of people," Marle replied. "They made our adventures into a video game, for crying out loud!"
Everyone was silent. She had addressed the elephant in the room; Lavos was still there.
And it was known of.
"And even if nobody wakes him," Marle continued, "couldn't he eventually wake up on his own?"
"Eventually, yes," Robo answered. "But there's no way to tell whether that's ten million years from now, or tomorrow."
"If we fight him now," Crono began, "and we lose, what happens?"
"Then we'll be destroyed," Robo replied. "And the future will refuse to change."
"We're between a rock and a hard place," Lucca said. "But, if Lavos does wake up in the future, the weapons will likely be much more powerful by then. He might not be as dangerous."
"But what if he wakes up sooner?" Marle asked.
"It would be unlikely," Robo answered. "Again, I'm no longer detecting any surge."
Marle turned to her love.
"Crono?" she asked. "What will we do?"
For a long time, Crono was silent. Then, he realized what had to be done.
"We'll vote on it," he finally answered.
"Vote on it?" Ayla asked skeptically.
"Yes," Crono affirmed. "We'll go in alphabetical order. Those of you who want the story to end now, and for a future generation to finish Lavos off, say 'wait.' Those of you who want to destroy Lavos now, say 'defeat.'"
Everyone was silent. It was a tense moment.
"Well," Crono began, "you're first, Ayla."
"Wait," she voted.
"I'm next," Crono said. "Defeat. Glenn or Frog, by any other name, you're next."
"Wait," he replied.
"Lucca?" Crono summoned.
"Wait," she answered.
"Marle?"
"Defeat," she voted.
"And last, but not least, Robo," Crono said.
"Wait," he answered.
"Then it's settled," Crono announced. "Four waits and two defeats."
Marle looked very disappointed, but she was well aware she was duly outvoted. With nothing further ado, she turned to Magus.
"So Magus," she began, "or Janus. Whatever you prefer. You're going to look for Schala?"
Magus was silent. It had barely crossed his mind.
"Far from it," Glenn interjected. "He's going to pay for what he did to Cyrus. And Gaspar!"
"Gaspar?" Marle exclaimed. "You found him?"
"We found him," Ayla angrily replied. "And Magus executed him with his scythe!"
"He what?!" Lucca exclaimed.
"Gaspar is dead," Glenn announced solemnly.
"I knew he couldn't be trusted!" Marle exclaimed.
"He's not going to get away with this!" Crono declared.
"Speaking of Magus getting away!" Lucca alerted as she pointed her finger.
Behind him stood Ozzie, Flea, and Slash.
"This is our place now!" Ozzie declared. "Leave!"
Crono chuckled.
"Your place?!" he retorted. "This won't be anyone's place once it's destroyed."
"You think you can catch me?" Ozzie taunted as all four of them turned and disappeared into the next room.
"One way to find out!" Crono replied as he began to give chase, with all five of his friends following him.
A moment later, they had all passed through the door. None of them were in the room.
But somebody else was.
Queen Zeal suddenly rematerialized in her human form in a corner of the room.
I suppose I could say that it had been Queen Zeal; she had been pulverized completely. Her hair was completely burned off on her left side, her skin on that side was practically singed off, and the respective eye was exposed. Blood was coming from her nose and mouth, and her singed left arm was paralyzed.
Needless to say, she was mortally wounded.
"No, you fools," she growled. "It's not over yet."
She barely had the strength to drag her ruined body across the room to the console in the center. Supporting herself on her knees, she prepared to press the console.
Act Two
The next room was a long, narrow hall with mahogany walls, red carpet, and many, many turns.
Crono and his friends continued their pursuit, though little progress was being made. Because of all the corners and turns, it was impossible to catch sight of Magus.
But persistence ultimately paid off. They reached a dead end in the maze, where Magus stood with Slash, Flea, and Ozzie behind him.
"End of the line!" shouted Marle as she aimed her crossbow.
"Fools!" Magus taunted. "You don't know what your dealing with!"
"I think we do," Glenn retorted as he drew his Masamune.
"If that is the case," Magus said, "then you'll know that in a little more than an hour, the whole world will bow to me!"
With that, Magus, Ozzie, Flea, and Slash disappeared into a trap door in the floor.
"Quick!" Crono exclaimed. "After him!"
They tried to pry and stomp on where the trap door was, but to no avail.
Robo scanned the floor.
"It's shut tight," he announced.
Lucca turned around and gasped.
Before them stood a horrid creature ten feet high.
He had a man's chest. Yet his head and his legs were that of a bull.
And he was armed with an ax.
"A Minotaur!" she exclaimed.
"That's a huge hamburger!" Crono said.
"He's thinking the same thing," Lucca informed him. "He's a man-eater."
The Minotaur swung his ax directly at Crono, who ducked just in time.
Glenn, knowing he had no time to spare, charged the creature and drove the Masamune into his thigh.
The creature made a hideous noise and collapsed to the ground.
Glenn stabbed the creature again, this time in the chest.
The monster died in ten seconds flat.
"Goodness!" Glenn exclaimed. "What else is up here?!"
"I don't know," Crono replied, "but I don't like the sound of what Magus said."
"Yeah," Lucca added. "What did he mean by the whole world bowing to him?"
"I suggest we check the console in that other room," Robo said.
"Let's," Crono replied.
The six turned back and headed from where they came.
When they returned to the room with the console, they saw what you would expect them to see: the bloody Queen Zeal on the console.
Marle immediately drew her crossbow.
"Pathetic cretins," Zeal gurgled, "you are too late!"
Marle, taking no chances, kept her crossbow aimed at the dying queen.
"Give it up!" Lucca demanded as she aimed her blaster. "There's only one way out of this."
Queen Zeal spat out blood.
"Is that so?" she hissed. "Oh mighty Lavos, lend me your power!"
And she pressed a button.
The console began to light up.
"What did you do?!" Crono demanded.
"See for yourself!" Queen Zeal wheezed.
The large screen above the console showed it all. As the six of them watched helplessly, a beam lowered from the Black Omen.
It disappeared into the ground.
And then, the beam stopped.
Apparently, it had done nothing.
All weapons remained aimed at Queen Zeal, who was in labored breathing at this point.
Then, a rumbling began on the screen. As everyone watched, a large, gaping hole burst out of the intersection of two busy streets.
From that hole emerged a familiar set of spines.
The moment had come.
Lavos had awoken.
Act Three
The dying queen watched on the monitor as Lavos stepped foot above ground.
"If I am to die," she whispered, "it will not be in vain. Lavos is awake. The final battle begins. Your time of judgement is at hand!"
Lucca cocked her blaster.
"You'll pay for all the lives you cost!"
Queen Zeal simply cackled.
"You're going to kill me?!" she taunted. "Only a moron would try to kill something that's already dead!"
"Then I guess I'm a moron!" Lucca announced as she began to squeeze the trigger.
"I thought you'd want to kill yourselves fighting him!" Zeal said. "But if you kill me, you'll never find the fastest route down there!"
"Fastest route?!" Crono inquired.
"There's an escape pod down below," Zeal informed them as she struggled to point to a hatch in the floor. "It's your way out of here if you dare to challenge Lavos."
"Let's do it!" Marle insisted. "Lavos will be up against six. He doesn't stand a chance!"
"You idiots," muttered the queen. "The pod won't take four."
Everyone was silent, realizing that three would need to remain on the Omen.
"You three go," Robo commanded suddenly.
"Who?" asked Lucca.
"You, Crono, and Marle," he clarified. "You two have the most powerful combination of spells and weapons. Marle is the most powerful healer. It makes the most sense."
"Are you sure?" asked Crono.
"Trust me," Robo insisted. "I'm a robot. I make the least mistakes."
"What about the rest of you?" Marle asked.
"Gehrig will pick the rest of us up," he assured them.
"How can you reach her?" Crono asked.
"Leave that to me," Robo assured him. "But time is short. You three need to go. Now."
Crono, Marle, and Lucca complied. They opened the hatch in the floor, and climbed into the pod.
Glenn then turned to Robo.
"Well," he began. "Now what?"
"We need to look for another way out," Robo informed them.
"The way we came had no traps," Glenn said. "It would probably be the safest way out."
"Then it is decided," Robo agreed. "Please show us the way."
Glenn then led Ayla and Robo to the room adjacent to the main control room that he had come from after chasing Ozzie.
"What about her?" asked Ayla, pointing to the bloody Queen Zeal.
"What about her?" Glenn echoed. "We need to stop Lavos!"
In the next room, there was a long hallway with a small computer console.
"Where are we?" Ayla inquired.
"According to the data I've collected," Robo answered, "there's a roof access just fifty yards away."
"And then what?" Glenn asked, wondering how they would escape the Omen.
Suddenly, red lights began to flash.
"WARNING!" the computer voice suddenly announced, loudly over the intercom. "LAUNCH SCHEDULED IN T MINUS THIRTY MINUTES."
"Launch?!" Ayla explained. "What launch?"
"I'm about to find out," Robo answered as he plugged his finger into the console.
Ayla and Glenn stood patiently as Robo scanned the system.
He then solemnly removed his finger.
"The Black Omen harbors what can only be described as nuclear missiles," Robo explained.
"Is that bad?" Ayla inquired.
"Right now, Magus is twenty-eight minutes away from firing them," Robo answered. "Philadelphia is a target. So are New York, Baltimore, Boston, Washington, Atlanta, and all the way down to Miami. The launch will result in over a hundred million deaths, and the East Coast being uninhabitable for many thousands of years."
"That's bad," Ayla said.
"Well?" Glenn demanded. "You're from the future! Surely you can stop it!"
Robo inserted his finger into the console again.
"I cannot," he replied. "The missile launcher is separate from the mainframe computer."
"Then blow up the Omen!" Ayla demanded.
"My programming will not allow me to terminate any human lives," he dismissed. "Or self-terminate, for that matter."
"What can you do, then?!" Glenn pleaded.
Robo inserted his finger into the console again.
"Hold on," he commanded.
"Hold on?!" Ayla snapped.
"My CPU exceeds the human brain," Robo answered. "But I still need your patience."
"We're on a time limit!" Ayla exclaimed.
Act Four
Meanwhile, Crono, Marle, and Lucca arrived at their destination.
Lavos was there, right at the intersection of Oxford Valley Road and Lincoln Highway.
"Quickly!" Crono commanded as everyone assembled a mere yard in front of it. "Aim for the nose!"
Marle began to fire her crossbow.
Lucca cast a fire spell.
Lavos took damage, letting out a squeal as Crono slashed at its nose.
And then, Lavos' spines began to illuminate, with lasers firing out in all directions.
"Destruction rains from the heavens!" Crono called out as the lasers shot for the ground.
One of them struck the bridge over I-295, smashing it to pieces.
Another one of them struck the Macy's, causing it to explode.
A third one struck a Jiffy Lube down the street, leaving it a shouldering crater.
"We're running out of time!" Lucca shouted.
And it was true.
This was not a test of strength; it was a race against time. The longer they took, the more destruction would occur.
Crono struck the nose again, as hard as he could.
This time, the nose opened up, revealing a blue eye in the center.
Crono quickly deduced that it was the weak point.
He raised his sword, and prepared to strike.
And then, the nose closed again.
"When I get that nose open again," he called out, "aim for the eye! It's the weak point!"
"But Crono!" Lucca protested. "We could hit you!"
"We'll have to take that chance!" he insisted.
With that, he struck the nose as hard as he could.
The nose opened.
Lucca and Marle fired like mad.
Lavos continued to squeal; it was being beaten.
And then, Lucca fired her laser blaster again.
The beam hit Crono.
He collapsed to the ground.
"No!" Marle squealed.
She resisted the urge to run to him, but she knew what was at stake. Shaking somewhat, she continued to fire.
And then, Lavos let out an incredibly loud squeal. The nose faded away.
All was still.
At this point, Crono was lying with his eyes shut.
"Crono!" cried Marle as she and Lucca ran over to him. "Crono!"
"Speak to me, Crono!" Lucca pleaded.
Marle nervously bent down to her love, and checked for a pulse.
"Oh, thank God!" she sighed as she cast a cure spell.
Crono opened his eyes as Lucca knelt down next to him.
"Crono!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry about it," he sighed. "Looks like you did the job."
Lucca laughed and helped Crono to his feet.
"We did it!" Lucca announced in relief. "We stopped Lavos."
Crono solemnly shook his head.
"Not yet," he informed her.
"What do you mean?" asked the perplexed Lucca.
"We encountered a Lavos spawn on the Black Omen," Marle replied. "That shell is, well, just a shell. The real Lavos is deep inside."
Lucca slowly turned her head to the gaping hole.
"So we all have to go….in there?" she asked skeptically.
"I'm afraid so," Crono replied.
Lucca took another look at the gaping hole. It was pitch black inside.
"Who gets to go in first?" she asked.
"Whoever's the last to say 'not me' on the count of three," Crono replied.
"Fair enough," Marle admitted. "Can I count it off?"
"Go ahead," Crono permitted.
"Okay, here we go," she said. "One, two, three! Not me!"
"Not me!" Lucca quickly followed.
"Not me!" Crono trailer.
The two girls grinned at him.
"Oh, come on!" he complained.
Act Five
Crono, Marle, and Lucca hit the ground.
They were inside the shell, and completely cut off from the outside world. The interior was dark blue-green, and the structure seemed to be between that of rock and flesh. The smell was nearly unbearable.
"We're in pretty deep," Marle observed.
"We're okay...right?" asked Lucca.
"We're fine," Crono assured her. "Until the job's done and we need to find a way out."
"Please not the other end!" Lucca groaned.
"Ew!" Marle exclaimed.
There was only one way forward, and that was a tunnel. Crono led the two women down, keeping vigil for any surprises, though none came. They could hear the sound of a heartbeat, though none of them could tell whether it was Lavos' heart or their own.
Gradually, the tunnel became darker.
Then, there was no light at all.
Crono stopped in his tracks.
One of the girls, whom he presumed was Marle, clung to him; he could feel her heartbeat against his back.
Then, a strange, metallic sound began.
Another girl grabbed his arm tightly; the firmness of the grip suggested that it was Lucca.
Then, slowly, the room illuminated.
The armored creature that stood before them seemed to grow out of the ground. It had one eye, two arms, and seemed to be connected to the roof of the chamber by six wires.
It look identical to what he had seen on the Black Omen.
Only it was fifty times bigger.
"This is Lavos!" Marle exclaimed as she armed her crossbow
"This is the real thing?!" Lucca added.
"You got it," Crono replied as he drew his sword.
Lucca immediately fired her blaster at the creature's eye, but it had no effect.
"I knew it wouldn't be that easy!" she groaned.
The creature then appeared to open its chest with its arms. Moments later, the chest fired lasers at the three. They were able to dodge them, but realized that they had little room to dodge.
Unless they acted quickly, Lavos would get them.
Then, Crono eyed the wires above.
"I've got an idea," he said aloud.
He then ran forward and disappeared behind Lavos.
"Crono!" Marle squealed.
Then, Lavos opened its chest again.
"Hang on!" Lucca commanded.
The beams fired from Lavos' chest.
Marle managed to dodge them.
Lucca was less fortunate.
"Ow!" she exclaimed as she grabbed her arm.
The beam did not break skin, but it left a burn mark that hurt to touch.
Meanwhile, Crono appeared from behind Lavos. He had climbed up the armor, and was now on top of the head. Wasting no time, he cut each wire one by one.
When he cut the last wire, Lavos finally sensed him, and threw him to the ground.
"Crono!" exclaimed Marle as she quickly ran to him and cast a cure spell.
Crono rose to his feet as Marle fired her crossbow directly into the eye.
This time, Lavos took damage.
Lavos let out a roar.
Then, it opened its chest again.
"No way!" Lucca exclaimed.
A moment later, it fired the beams.
Crono and Marle managed to dodge them.
Lucca was struck in the other arm.
"Ow!" she exclaimed.
"Hang on!" Crono pleaded.
"You!" shouted Lucca as she angrily pointed her finger at Lavos.
And, to her surprise, a large fireball shot out of her hand.
It travelled to Lavos in two seconds flat.
A moment later, Lavos was immolated in fire.
Marle put her hand over her mouth in surprise.
Lucca had cast flare.
In shock, she covered her mouth as well.
Lavos continued to burn. Two minutes later, when the flames finally subsided, it was charred and stiff.
Crono and Marle both turned to Lucca simultaneously.
"Good heavens!" Marle exclaimed.
Act Six
"Are you okay?" asked Crono.
"My arms hurt," Lucca groaned.
"Oh, sorry!" exclaimed Marle as she raised her finger. "Here you go!"
A moment later, the burns on Lucca's arms were gone.
"Thanks!" she said with a smile.
The three then turned to the charred Lavos that still stood before them.
"It seems dead enough," Lucca said cautiously.
"Well," Crono replied, "what should we do with it?"
"I say we blast it to smithereens!" Marle insisted.
"I could live with that," Crono said.
"You know," Lucca said, "such a blast could take us out as well."
"Oh, you're no fun!" Marle sighed. "Okay, okay. Why don't I wash him away?"
"Sounds good to me," Crono said.
Marle cast a water spell.
The water came, and gently washed the charred Lavos away.
It was Lucca who spoiled the victorious atmosphere.
"Guys, look!" she exclaimed.
A figure was crouched in the fetal position.
As the three of them watched, it stood upright.
It stood eight feet tall.
It had two arms and two legs, just like them.
It had webbed feet, with three toes and three fingers to match.
It had a green upper torso and feet, with red lower torso, and a purple, brain-like mass where its face should be.
"So," Crono inferred aloud. "This is Lavos' true form.
"It's humanoid," Marle observed. "It seems like it has collected all of the vitality from the creatures who have lived on this planet."
"Now I understand," added Lucca. "It lives on a planet for as long as possible, stealing away the most vital resources. It combined the DNA it found here with its own, and gave birth to those creatures up on Death Peak. Eventually the young must migrate to other planets to repeat the cycle."
"It must have altered the course of life to serve its own benefit," Crono suggested.
"Are you saying it's the reason we're all here?" Marle asked.
"It needed a human to awaken it," Crono replied. "And Queen Zeal did just that."
"Grown like farm animals, waiting to be slaughtered," added Lucca. "All of our history…our art and science...all to meet the needs of that...beast…"
"But its reign ends here," Crono announced as he drew his sword.
Marle cocked her crossbow.
"This is Crono's and ours...Leene's and Doan's...everyone's...and I mean everyone's world!"
Lavos let out its trademark squeal, louder than ever.
Two orbs appeared from behind Lavos's humanoid form. The background changed to streaks covering a bottomless field of green.
Crono, Marle, and Lucca aimed their weapons at the humanoid form.
Marle and Lucca fired like there was no tomorrow.
Lavos raised its arms, and, curiously, the background changed. Behind the streaks, there appeared to be Zealian statues and architecture.
"We're back in antiquity?!" Marle inquired.
And then, three beams of intense light struck Crono, Marle, and Lucca. They did not appear to do any serious damage, but they were quite painful.
"Ow!" exclaimed Marle. "Take this!"
She fired her crossbow, striking Lavos where its face should be.
Crono followed suit, stabbing the monster in the torso with his sword.
Lavos dropped to the ground in agony.
"This is easier than I thought," he said to himself.
And then, the left pod cast a healing aura on Lavos, which immediately rose to its feet.
"Are you serious?!" he exclaimed.
MEANWHILE….
Glenn and Ayla paced the room as Robo continued to analyze the console. Sooner rather than later, Magus would launch his missiles, destroying half of the entire eastern United States. And, worst of all, even Robo apparently couldn't stop it.
"Robo, you have to do something!" Ayla pleaded.
"I'm trying to process all possible relationships," he replied. "Patience!"
"Patience?!" Glenn exclaimed. "How long before the missiles launch?"
"Twelve minutes," Robo answered.
Ayla and Glenn both began to pace the room again as the console screen continued to display pictures that went by too fast for anyone to process.
Everything seemed hopeless.
"This is interesting," Robo suddenly said. "Eureka!"
Glenn could see a giant, dark blue planet with a dark spot appear on the screen.
And then, an option appeared: EXECUTE.
The option suddenly flashed.
Robo then immediately grabbed Ayla and Glenn.
"Hey!" Ayla exclaimed. "What's happening?"
"We need to get out of here!" Robo explained as he began to run as fast as he could, with Ayla and Glenn captive. "In less than ten minutes!"
"What's going on?" Glenn demanded. "I thought robots can't kill!"
"They'll live," Robo assured them. "This option costs the least amount of lives."
Glenn sighed as Robo quickly carried him and Ayla through the halls.
MEANWHILE…
"Aim for that left orb!" Lucca commanded.
"What about the right?" Marle asked.
"Forget it!" Lucca dismissed. "It's not doing anything. And look how it's glowing! It's like it has some sort of barrier protecting it!"
"But why would a useless orb be so protected?" Crono asked.
"Cousin!" Lucca reprimanded. "Even I would admit it's not the time to think!"
Marle fired her crossbow at the left orb.
Lucca fired her blaster.
Crono cast lightning.
Lucca cast fire.
Marle fired her crossbow again.
Suddenly, the left orb shattered.
"Yes!" Marle exclaimed.
Suddenly, Lavos raised its arms, and the background changed. It almost looked like the prehistoric era, with lush vegetation behind the streaks.
"What's going on here?" Lucca inquired. "Why are we in the prehistoric era?"
It was fortunate that Crono looked up when he did.
A giant, gray stone was falling their way.
"Look out!" Crono commanded.
He, Marle, and Lucca quickly jumped out of the way as the stone landed and shattered to pieces.
Lavos then raised its arms again.
The background changed again, this time to appear like Magus's castle.
"The Middle Ages?" Crono deduced.
"These must be illusions it generates," Lucca suggested.
Then, a red moon appeared in front of everyone. It began to distort in all directions. A moment later, an intense pain befell the three to the point they had difficulty standing.
"The healing pod is gone!" Marle shouted. "Let's take him out!"
Crono, despite the pain, charged Lavos, stabbing it in the chest. He repeatedly stabbed everything that could possibly be a vital area.
Lavos wailed in agony before collapsing to the ground, and disintegrating.
"We did it!" he announced.
"Hold it!" Lucca reminded him. "What about the right orb?"
Crono turned to the right orb to see that the aura was no longer glowing.
"It shut off its defense!" Marle exclaimed.
"Now why would it do that?" Crono asked.
"Maybe it can't go on without its other parts?" Lucca quipped as she aimed her blaster.
She fired, and appeared to do damage to the orb. Marle fired her crossbow with the same results.
The right orb stood still.
"This is almost too easy!" Crono declared.
And then, without warning, a black circle appeared to the left of the orb. Moments later, both the left orb and Lavos had rematerialized.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Marle exclaimed.
MEANWHILE…
The mortally wounded queen, now all alone, was able to remain conscious up until this point.
"No," she gurgled. "You can't destroy Lavos. Compared to him, you are like germs….indulge in such regrets….in…the….next…..life….."
And, with that, her pupils dilated, and she moved no more. Her body slowly slid off the console, and hit the floor hard.
All was still.
And that was the end of Queen Zeal.
MEANWHILE…
"Unhand me!" exclaimed Glenn as Robo brought them outside.
To everyone's surprise, the Epoch was waiting right there, with Gehrig in the cockpit.
"How did you know to get us?" Ayla asked.
"Robo shot me a text," Gehrig replied. "How long do we have?"
"Four minutes," Robo answered.
"Four minutes until what?" Ayla demanded as Robo forced her and Glenn onto the Epoch.
"My programming didn't allow me to harm them," Robo answered. "But that didn't mean I couldn't send them a thousand light years away."
"What?" Ayla exclaimed.
"The Black Omen is going bye-bye," Gehrig replied.
"Don't worry!" Robo assured them. "They'll live."
The Epoch ascended off the Black Omen, and quickly moved to a safe distance.
And then, suddenly, the Black Omen began to glow.
A loud sonic boom sounded the sky.
A moment later, the Omen was gone, leaving behind a few streaks in the sky.
MEANWHILE….
"What happened?!" Magus angrily demanded as he stared at the blue gas giant that was before the Black Omen.
"It looks like an accident?" Ozzie sheepishly suggested.
"That was no accident!" Magus hissed. "That metal fiend sent us here. How he did it is beyond me, but we need to go back as soon as possible!"
Ozzie gave Magus another sheepish look.
"Yeah, about that," he began. "At normal speed, it would take us twelve years to get back."
Magus silently gave Ozzie a look. He then retired to the next room.
Moments later, the sound of objects breaking in that room became audiable.
"He's going to be furiously vengeful when he gets us back," Flea sighed.
"Yeah," added Slash. "If he gets us back."
MEANWHILE…
The Epoch landed on Oxford Valley Road, a mere twenty yards from Lavos.
Ayla quickly hopped off, as did Robo.
Glenn hesitated for a moment.
"So Glenn," Gehrig began, hoping for a good luck kiss.
"There will be more time later," he assured her as he disembarked.
Gehrig sighed in disappointment.
Glenn, Ayla, and Robo arrived at Lavos a mere minute later; the first thing they noticed was the missing nose.
"That hole," Glenn observed. "Did they do that?"
"I would think so," Robo.
"Is Lavos dead?" Ayla inquired.
Robo quickly scanned the shell.
"I'm detecting four life forms inside," he answered.
"Crono, Marle, Lucca, and someone else?" Ayla suggested.
"Lavos must still be alive in there," Glenn deduced. "They may need our help."
MEANWHILE….
Lavos raised its arms again, and the background changed once more. They now saw the desolate future.
Marle continued to fire her crossbow like there was no tomorrow. Indeed, if they failed, there would be no tomorrow.
She was firing it endlessly at the right orb; as long at it was alive, it could always resurrect the other two parts.
She continued to fire as Lucca did the same, and Crono cast lightning spells. It took tremendous damage, and the battle seemed endless. Marle feared the orb was invincible.
Still, there was a lot to look forward to if they were successful. If they were successful, Crono would take her home and marry her. That thought encouraged her to keep going.
And then, she felt the presence of three more people beside her.
It was Glenn, Ayla, and Robo.
"It's about time you guys showed up!" Crono exclaimed.
"We had to save the East Coast," Glenn explained. "Whatever that is."
"Where's Magus?" Marle asked.
"Exploring strange new worlds," Robo answered sarcastically. "Hopefully Neptune suits him."
"And Zeal?" Crono added.
"That poor woman can finally rest now," Glenn replied.
"She dead!" Ayla interjected.
"Everyone!" Lucca called. "Aim for the right orb! It can bring anything else back to life!"
Glenn slashed at the right orb with the Masamune. Ayla performed a triple kick. Robo fired missiles. Lucca fried her blaster. Marle fired her crossbow. Finally, Crono slashed it with his sword.
Suddenly, the right orb began to glow red. A wave of heat began to emanate.
"Uh-oh, stinky!" Crono muttered.
"It's gonna blow!" Lucca exclaimed frantically.
Everyone tried to back away from the right orb as the glow grew brighter.
But the orb followed them.
It would not go down without taking its enemies with it.
This isn't good, Crono thought. There's no way to outrun it.
The heat intensified; an explosion was seconds away.
There's no sense in attacking it; it'll explode faster.
It looks like we're about to make the ultimate sacrifice.
I'm so sorry, Marle….l love you…
"Good-bye!" taunted Ayla suddenly as she kicked the orb with all her might.
She then cried in pain as she collapsed to the ground, clutching her foot.
But the damage was done.
The right orb hurled four yards backward and exploded, taking the humanoid form and the left orb with it.
Everyone, who had ducked and covered, could now see a persisting white light.
The white was almost blinding.
And then, it was pitch black, and all noise had stopped.
AND….
September 8, 1000
Am I dead? Crono thought to himself.
Pitch black, as far as the eye could see. He could not even see himself, nor hear, smell, or touch anything.
What is this? he wondered. Am I dead? Am I asleep? Am I in some strange limbo?
That last thought frightened him the most.
Lavos was seemingly destroyed but….did something happen in the process?
And then, he heard at least something.
"Crono," a voice called.
Crono was perplexed.
This was not his mother, and it wasn't Marle, either.
"Crono!" the voice called again.
It was a man's voice.
But it wasn't Glenn's.
And it wasn't Robo's, either.
"Crono!" the voice called a third time.
Crono opened his eyes.
"It's time to rise and shine!" the voice continued. "We have a little surprise for you!"
A surprise? Crono thought to himself.
And then, focus set in.
A Guardian soldier was standing over him.
This can't be good.
"What surprise?" Crono asked nervously.
"Your stay of execution has been cancelled," the soldier continued. "We must now carry out your sentence."
"What?!" Crono exclaimed.
"You heard me," the soldier replied.
Crono immediately felt the urge to run, but he saw additional soldiers outside his room. He also heard voices outside his window.
He was trapped; there was nowhere to run. Any attempt to do so would get him killed for sure.
Crono was allowed to bathe and change his clothes, but was immediately escorted out of his house.
He didn't even have time to say farewell to Gina, who was sitting at the table, tears streaming down her face, and her eyes bright read.
The outdoor world seemed peaceful without all the technology he had seen in the twenty-first century. He now wondered if he had even been there, as it all seemed like the past five weeks had never happened.
Had it all been a dream?
Some of it had to have been real for sure. Otherwise, he wouldn't be in trouble with the king. He regretted not checking the calendar before being arrested.
Crono had some time to ponder the situation as the soldiers led him across the field and into the forest. He wondered how soon the execution would be, and who would show up at his funeral.
And then…
Finally, they arrived at the castle. The head of state was there, sitting on his throne. To his right was Chancellor Vanim. To his left was Pierre, the advocate.
Crono duly knelt, though he felt it would do little to reprieve him.
"We've been looking for you, Crono," greeted King Guardia XXXIII. "Where did you take my daughter?"
A moment later, Marle appeared in the throne room, dressed in her eleventh century white attire.
"Daddy, don't!" she pleaded. "Crono hasn't done a thing!"
King Guardia turned to the head of government.
"She says Crono has been a perfect gentleman, but what do you think, Chancellor Vanim?"
"Crono's deeds have had an enormous impact on the kingdom!" Vanim replied.
He then turned again.
"Pierre, what do you think?"
"I think Crono's been keeping himself rather busy!" the advocate replied.
"Chancellor, how could you?!" exclaimed Marle. "And just what are you saying, Pierre?!"
"It is now time to respond to his actions," Pierre replied.
"Please!" Marle pleaded. "Just listen to me! We had to-"
"Save the future, right?" the king interjected.
"Huh?" Marle exclaimed.
Suddenly, many familiar faces began to emerge from behind the throne.
"You saved the future," said Doan, "and gave us hope."
To his left stood the other King Guardia, along with Queen Leene.
"You fought Magus's troops, and brought peace to the kingdom in the year 600," the past king announced.
"And saved me, of course!" added Leene.
To the left of them was Kino.
"Crono beat Reptites!" he praised.
"I'm still getting over the fact it's all true!" Gehrig Cline added. "This was definitely no game!"
She was standing to the right of Doan, along with Mary Ellen.
"What's going on here?" asked the bewildered Marle.
And then, Lucca appeared from behind the throne, wearing her eleventh century attire, but retaining her glasses.
"Lucca!" Marle exclaimed. "You brought them here, didn't you?"
Lucca simply giggled.
"Our kinsmen told me all about your incredible mission," King Guardia XXXIII said.
"Kinsmen?!" exclaimed Marle. "You mean these are my ancestors...and descendants?"
"Here I was fussing about my kingdom, and my daughter," sighed the king, "and you were saving the past, present and future!"
"So Crono's pardoned, right?" Marle asked with a smile.
"I'm afraid not," King Guardia dismissed.
Crono felt his mouth dry again.
"What?!" Marle exclaimed as she put her hands on her hips. "What did he do wrong?"
"He violated his probation by continuing to run off with you," the king explained.
Is this a joke? Crono thought to himself. After all we've been through!
"Can't you pardon him?" Marle pleaded.
"I would not be setting an example," the king dismissed.
Marle began to shake. Tears threatened her eyes.
"But I love him!" she pleaded. "I really, deeply love him. More than anything!"
"I'm aware," the king said, "but the law is the law. I can only commute his sentence to life."
Life in prison, thought Crono. I almost wish it was a death sentence!
"There's nothing that will change your mind?" Marle begged. "Please, daddy, please!"
King Guardia XXXIII shook his head.
Everyone was silent.
Defeated, the broken Marle turned to Crono.
"I'll come visit you every day," she sobbed. "And I'll never move on. I love you now and I'll love for the rest of my life!"
"Marle…." Crono began.
He wanted to tell her that she couldn't throw her life away. She could learn to love again.
"It is now time to hear your sentencing," Chancellor Vanim announced. "Turn to His Majesty at once!"
Crono did as he was told.
This is it, he thought. It's official.
"Crono," the king began, "I hereby sentence you to life."
There was silence.
Crono lowered his head.
Marle lowered hers.
"With my daughter," the king added.
Every head sprang up in unison.
"W-what?!" Crono exclaimed.
"I order you to marry my daughter!" King Guardia XXXIII repeated, no longer able to feign the facade.
Marle placed her hands over her mouth; she could not believe her ears!
Then, a high rush of joy went through her. The moment she had been hoping for was arriving.
Crono was completely stunned; he really thought that was it.
"Well?" the king continued to Crono. "Aren't you going to propose?"
Crono was about to admit he hadn't a ring, when he noticed that King Guardia XXXIII himself was presenting one to him. It was pure gold, with a perfectly cut diamond on it.
"This was the ring I gave then-Princess Aliza when I proposed," he informed him.
Crono accepted the ring and turned to Marle.
Marle's heart began to accelerate; even though she knew what was coming, she still felt suspense.
"Marle," he began, "or Princess Nadia."
"Call me Marle!" she interjected with a giggle.
"Marle it is," Crono conceded. "Ever since I bumped into you at the Millennial Fair, I knew my life would never be the same again. Since then, we've almost never been apart. And I want to continue not being apart. I want to wake up next to you every morning. I want to share everything in life with you. The good and the bad. And it's not because you're a princess. It's because you're you. The bright, optimistic girl who always brings me up when I'm down. The girl who's always been my champion. And this has only been over the course of five and a half weeks, but I want it to continue for the rest of our lives. So…"
He bent down on one knee, and presented the ring.
"Marle, Princess of Guardia, will you marry me?"
"Crono, yes!" Marle exclaimed happily.
Crono stood up, slipped the ring on her finger, and pressed his lips against hers.
When the kiss was broken, Marle buried her head in Crono's shoulder and started crying tears of joy and bliss.
"Now," King Guardia said, "for a true victory parade! Tonight we celebrate...you!"
"Thank you, Daddy!" Marle sobbed.
After a few moments, she calmed down, and turned to those in the throne room.
"Sorry, everyone," she giggled. "That wasn't very princess-like of me!"
The king simply smiled.
"Now Marle," he said, "go out and enjoy the last night of the fair!"
THAT NIGHT….
The rest of the day played out as expected. The sun set, the moon came out, and everyone entered the Millennial Fair for the last time.
Crono and Marle participated in the moonlight parade, which was really a walk around the front of the fair. There were knights, common folk, and dancers jumping out and blowing kisses. It was over in less than two minutes, but they didn't care. They wanted their first date as fiancé and fiancée.
As Crono and Marle strolled through the fair, practically clinging to each other, they happened upon Elaine and I.
"This is fantastic!" Elaine said, spotting the engagement ring on Marle's finger.
"The princess is gorgeous!" I had the nerve to say to Crono.
He gave me a look.
"Don't get me wrong, of course you are too," I added.
He seemed even more uncomfortable after that.
Next, they passed Melchior, who was packing away all of his swords.
"Not much business in weapons anymore," he said. "But I like it that way."
"What are you going to do now?" asked Crono.
"Wine!" the old man announced. "There will always be business there. People will always need to get drunk!"
The newly-engaged couple continued through the fair, almost spooked by the dancers that would occasionally jump out of nowhere.
Eventually, they passed Gina.
"You saved us all?" she asked her son. "That's nice, dear, but I wish you spent more time around the house. It's a real problem when the person who's in charge of the cat is gone!"
"What do you mean?" Crono asked.
"You have to feed your cat!" she insisted. "You would be heartbroken if it ran away!"
"There's always the mice and bugs," Crono assured her.
Crono and Marle continued through the Fair, with Marle continuously glancing at her left hand. Just a little more than five weeks before, she had no idea this man existed. Now, she was deeply in love with him, and they would spend the rest of their lives together.
It was beginning to overwhelm her, and I mean that in the best way possible.
Finally, they passed Lucca's parents.
Taban was sitting on a wooden stool at a table, chugging what appeared to be a beer. On closer inspection, Marle could smell lemonade.
"Yum!" Taban said. "Lemonade sure tastes great outdoors!"
He then noticed the couple.
"Crono, have a sip!" he insisted. "You're the hero today."
Crono had a sip.
Meanwhile, Lara, who now had legs and was standing, poked Taban on the shoulder.
"Honey, don't just be a sack of potatoes!" she protested. "Dance with me!"
She still refused to acknowledge Crono, but it didn't seriously bother him. He was well used to it by now.
Maybe someday, he thought to himself.
But, in any event, there was a wonderful young woman by his side who wanted everything to do with him.
Marle kept glancing at the engagement ring on her finger. Her heart was happy when she realized they would never be apart from her love again.
When they were a reasonable distance from Lucca's parents, Marle turned to Crono.
She took both his hands in hers as tears welled up in her eyes.
"I don't think I've ever been this happy," she began.
"Neither have I," he replied as he freed one hand and stroked her hair.
"Crono," she continued, "I love you so much. Thanks for letting me follow you at the Fair!"
"I love you, too," he replied. "And I was happy to do it."
They kissed as more dancers jumped out of the foliage.
Marle then closed her eyes, and allowed Crono to lead her on. She was excited at what the future held for them.
When her father's life came to an end, she would become queen; she had known that since she was little. She and Crono would obviously have children, as Mary Ellen, Gehrig, and Doan were all her descendants. Yet she was still free to speculate over what their wedding would be like. Would it be in a church in the eleventh century? Would it be in the twenty-first century? Or even the twenty-fourth?
And then, her mouth dried. Whatever they did for their wedding, it would follow with the wedding night. She would see Crono before her in all his naked glory. It gave her the jitters.
The thought of him seeing her naked gave her the jitters as well.
When Marle opened her eyes, she noticed that they were standing at the spot where she had first been sent to the Middle Ages.
There stood Lucca, along with Robo, Ayla (now in her fur bikini again), Robo, Glenn (who, as it was a full moon, had reverted to his frog form), Gehrig, and Mary Ellen. Kino was also there, as was King Guardia XXI and Queen Leene.
Behind them was the Gate, which was wide open.
Both Crono and Marle suddenly felt a wave of sadness.
They both knew exactly what was coming.
It was, indeed, inevitable.
"Well everyone," Lucca began, "this is it."
"Each to thine time," Frog said solemnly.
"The Gate has grown weak," Robo added.
"I need my technology," Gehrig added.
"We've got to say our goodbyes before the Gate closes," Lucca said.
"You're all leaving?" Marle asked sadly.
Nobody had to answer, for it was obvious. None of them belonged there.
"Crono was strong!" Ayla said before approaching Crono, and kissing him on the cheek.
She then gave Marle a kiss as well.
"Marle too!" she added. "I had fun."
"You're my distant ancestor," Marle said. "So you'd better have tough kids or I'll be in trouble!"
"No worry!" Kino chuckled. "Ayla's very strong!"
"Right!" Marle agreed. "Hey...what do you mean by that?"
And then, Ayla grabbed him by the ear.
"Kino, you dummy!" she snapped. "We go now!"
Ayla first shoved Kino through the Gate. She then turned, blew everyone a kiss, and stepped through, vanishing from sight.
"'Tis a feisty crowd!" Frog said, in his chivalrous tongue. "But they are thine kin, and 'tis of consequence."
He turned to King Guardia XXI.
"Queen Leene awaits," he announced. "Your Majesty, we too shall take our leave."
King Guardia XXI stepped through the Gate.
Frog prepared to follow suit.
"Mr. Frog," Marle began.
"Long farewells ne'er were necessary," he said.
"Right!" Marle agreed as she approached him, and bent to his level. "Besides, actions speak louder than words!"
And then, to everyone's surprise, she kissed him on his slimy head!
Frog was utterly speechless.
"Yeah," Lucca realized. "Don't these things end with the princess kissing the frog?"
Frog laughed as he stepped through the Gate, disappearing from view.
And then, as I looked on from a distance, I felt as if something was wrong.
Gehrig turned to everyone.
"I swear I'm going to track that amphibian down," she giggled. "So the whole thing was true all along."
It felt as if there was a loose end that still needed to be tied up.
"Gehrig," Marle began, "thanks for everything. We couldn't have done it without you. And thanks for saying I would make a perfect…dizzy princess?"
"Disney princess," Gehrig corrected.
Something was definitely off. What could it have been?
"I've donated my eggs," Mary Ellen began. "You'll have lots of descendants!"
The cougar then stepped through the Gate.
Gehrig then approached the Gate herself.
It felt like something was definitely supposed to happen, but didn't.
I continued to glance at Miss Cline, wondering what it could be.
"Winning!" she whispered with a wink before disappearing into the distortion.
This left only two more time travelers not native to the era.
"Lucca," Robo began, "I will miss you."
Lucca was silent; tears were streaming down her face.
"What's wrong Lucca?" Marle asked. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to Robo?"
"She knows," Robo answered.
"Knows...what?" Marle asked with concern.
"Robo was born in a bleak future," Lucca explained. "When we defeated Lavos, we changed history. Robo...may not exist in the future."
"Please relax," Robo assured her. "The new future has a place for me!"
"Darn it, Robo!" Lucca snapped. "Don't pretend you don't care when you're really sad! It just makes things worse!"
"Lucca," Robo said softly, "you have taught me these emotions. Thank you."
Lucca wrapped her arms around the robot and began to sob.
They then broke the hug, and Robo slowly walked to the Gate.
"Tears don't become you, Lucca!" Marle assured her. "Robo'll be there in the new future!"
"Good...bye," Robo said as he entered the Gate, disappearing from sight.
Lucca slowly dried her tears.
"Caution!" his voice suddenly sounded. "Oil has washed over my sight sensors. Sight diminished."
Lucca smiled, knowing that he was still there, that he still existed.
And then, it was just the three of them, staring at the waning Gate.
"Do you remember that talk we had?" Lucca asked. "In the forest?"
"You mean about whether our lives flash by before we die?" Marle inquired.
"Yeah," Lucca confirmed. "I get the feeling that the entity is finally at rest."
"Yes, I feel that too," Marle agreed.
Lucca then turned to Crono.
"I will miss you," she said sadly.
"Me?!" Crono inquired. "We're both from the same time!"
"That may be," Lucca admitted. "But you're about to start a new chapter in your life. Your future is somewhere else."
Marle immediately nudged Crono.
"You mean with Marle," Crono replied.
Lucca silently nodded.
Crono let go of Marle's hand and walked over to his cousin, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Lucca," he began, "I'm not going anywhere. You and Marle are like a table and a stove. You're both equally important to me, just in different ways."
"You mean it?" Lucca asked.
Crono nodded.
"You're more than just my cousin, Lucca," he continued.
Please call her your sister, Marle thought. Please call her your sister!
"You're my best friend," he finished.
Lucca dried another tear and wrapped her arms around him.
I guess that will have to do for now, Marle thought. Maybe one day.
"Lucca," Marle began as she ran over to them and took Crono's hand in her left and Lucca's hand in her right, "Crono will be here as much as ever. I'll make sure if it."
"Are you sure?" Lucca asked.
"Of course!" Marle insisted. "He's getting married, not dying!"
Crono then took Lucca's hand into his free one.
"There's plenty of room in my life for both of you," he assured them.
The Gate continued to grow weaker. A few more moments, and it would close forever.
And then, Marle yawned.
"Time travel," she sighed. "How exhausting!"
"We should dismantle the Epoch," Lucca suggested. "Its job is finished."
And then, without warning, a rabbit ran by, and straight into the Gate. It was quickly followed by a predator.
That predator was Crono's cat.
A moment later, Gina appeared at the southern end of the area.
"You naughty thing," she snapped, "come back here!"
She then turned to her son.
"Look, Crono!" Gina reprimanded. "Your cat's running away because you haven't been feeding it!"
Then the cat, sensing the rabbit, charged through the Gate.
"Hey, come back here!" Gina called as she pursued him.
"Mom, wait!" Crono protested.
But it was too late.
Gina had passed through the Gate.
And then, a moment later, the Gate closed forever.
"Oh, great!" the agonized Marle squealed. "Crono, that Gate will never open again!"
Crono was surprisingly calm about the fact that he was apparently never going to see his mother again.
"Looks like we got another rescue mission," Crono announced.
"I'm up for it!" Marle agreed. "Let's rescue Crono's mom!"
"How?!" exclaimed Lucca. "The Gate closed forever! Even with Gate Key won't work!"
Marle simply giggled.
"Lucca, don't turn off your brain yet!" she reminded her.
"Oh yeah, I forgot!" Lucca admitted. "We have a time machine!"
The three of the walked to the southern end of the Millenial Fair. There sat a silver Toyota Camry that someone had somehow smuggled back from the twenty-first century.
"We've got the Epoch hidden in a vault under the castle," Marle explained. "I figured this would be the fastest way."
"You can operate that thing?" Lucca asked.
"There's only one way to find out!" Marle giggled as she unlocked the car.
Crono got in the passenger's seat and Lucca got in back.
As Marle prepared to get in the driver's seat, a Guardian soldier approached her.
"Oh, Princess," he greeted, "the King asks for your presence."
Marle sighed.
"Just a second," she promised.
She then followed the soldier back to Leene Square, where King Guardia XXXIII was waiting for her.
She noticed that Leene's Bell was missing.
"I'm so happy!" her father greeted. "Now there's no reason for you to go away anymore."
"Well…." she began, thinking of poor Gina.
"I have a gift for you," he continued, "to commemorate this day, Princess Nadia."
Marle looked to the south, to see two soldiers carrying a shiny new bell into the square.
"This is Nadia's Bell," he announced. "It will ring out across the land."
Marle turned her attention to the parked Camry.
She knew she was still on a mission.
She walked five feet in its direction.
She knew her calling.
"Marle...where did you go?" asked the king as he lifted up the bell and prepared to fasten it. "Could someone please lend me a hand?"
"Daddy," she began sheepishly, "I hate to say this but…I can't sit around doing nothing!"
With that, she darted for the Camry. She hopped into the driver's seat, turned the key, put the car in drive, her hands on the wheel, her foot on the gas, and off they went.
And I must say, Marle could drive better than most people.
Meanwhile, back at the bell, Taban approached the king with a bucket full of fireworks.
"Made it just in time!" he greeted. "Shall I fire one off?"
"Uh, no Taban," the king admitted. "Actually, I could really use your help."
So you might be asking: "Wait, it's over? Is that all?"
To this story, the answer is yes.
I know quite a few of you would be disappointed in not seeing Crono and Marle's wedding, or the events that led up to it.
But there is a reason for that.
Because that, my friends….is another story.
Remember, there are three stories. The second one will have the answers to many burning questions.
Will Crono and Marle get married?
Will they reunite with their friends?
Will Crono find his mom?
What will Magus do if and when he returns?
Will Lara "forgive" Crono?
Will Taban acknowledge Crono as his son?
Will Crono acknowledge Lucca as his sister?
What new threats will arise?
What will the new future be like?
And, finally, what will Marle say when she finds out her mother is still alive?
THE STUFF THAT MIGHT HAVE GONE UNNOTICED:
When Fritz mentions something off about Gehrig (her not being dead, of course), she says "winning," a parody of the last line from Two and a Half Men. I was originally going to have a piano drop on her, but I thought that would be too out of place. So I let her survive the novel. How long her lucky streak will continue remains to be seen.