Chapter 12: The Rare Red Rock

Act One

August 11, 65,000,000 B. C.

The Gate opened.

Crono, Marle, and Lucca stepped out. Lucca was greeted by the warm feeling and humid atmosphere that she had previously experienced.

The Gate opened a second time, and Robo emerged.

"So this is the distant past," Crono observed.

"It seems so different!" Marle added. "It feels so hot!"

"Of course," Robo replied. "The earth was a lot warmer back then."

"This is almost a paradise!" Marle exclaimed.

"Be careful," Robo warned. "This era can kill you in a million ways."

"May I suggest we get the Dreamstone?" Crono insisted.

"Agreed," Robo said. "And then, we'll get out of here."

"Where is the Dreamstone?" asked Lucca as they began to descend the path.

"We'll have to find it," Robo answered. "I never knew it existed until now."

Lucca sighed as she realized that this was not going to be an easy quest.

At the bottom of the path, the four of them were greeted by the sight of no less that twenty strange creatures. They were green, with reptilian skin, and each stood about six feet tall. They were wearing what appeared to be brown tunics. They were squabbling over the remains of a triceratops.

Marle immediately gasped.

"What are those?" she exclaimed.

"They're called Dinosaurs," Lucca replied. "They're all green and scaly!"

"I'm not so certain," Robo said.

"What do you mean?" asked Lucca.

"Dinosaurs like this," Robo answered, "are unheard of. Some of them walked upright, but they never wore clothes."

"So they all went naked?" Marle asked, trying not to giggle.

"They were animals," Robo explained.

Suddenly, the Reptites noticed the intruders. They began to hiss and close in on them.

"I think you offended them," Crono said nervously as he drew his sword.

There were twenty of them against the four. It would not be an easy, if even possible, win.

"What should we do, Crono?!" Marle asked frantically.

"We're outnumbered!" Lucca exclaimed.

The four of them slowly backed away, but it was no use. The reptiles pursued them.

And then, something incredible happened.

A woman, appearing to be in her early twenties, and wearing fur that only covered her breasts and lady parts, appeared, sporting a giant club.

The woman drove her club onto the head of the nearest reptile, crushing its skull and killing it instantly.

Another reptile attacked her, but she killed it in the same manner.

"Goodness!" exclaimed Marle. "She is tough!"

Most of the reptiles, realizing their predicament, fled, leaving only three remaining.

"Who is that woman?!" Lucca asked.

Crono decided to make a presumptive guess.

"It's Eve!" he suggested.

"Her fighting capabilities far exceed those of humans!" Robo added.

Just then, the three remaining reptiles began to approach.

"Uh-oh!" Marle exclaimed. "They're coming our way!

"Now they're after us!" Robo announced.

As he did so, a small shaft opened on his right shoulder.

Suddenly, two missiles fired from the shaft. Each struck a reptile, killing them instantly.

The final reptile, knowing he was beaten, ran off.

Crono, Marle, and Lucca turned toward Robo.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "They weren't human beings."

Suddenly, the feral woman reappeared, scanning Crono from head to toe.

"What do you want?" exclaimed Marle. "Ack! Crono!"

"Do not upset her," Robo warned. "She's rather agitated right now."

"You strong. What name?" greeted the woman.

"C-Crono," he replied. "And you?"

"Crono, huh?" the woman said. "Good name. Me? Me Ayla. Ayla like strong people. So Ayla like Crono!"

"Get away from her, Crono!" shouted Marle, with an obvious tone of jealousy in her voice.

Ayla then turned to Marle.

"Sorry," Marle sheepishly apologized. "He's my boyfriend."

"You strong too," Ayla said with a smile. "Ayla respect strong people. Men and women."

"Oh, brother!" Marle giggled.

Ayla then scanned Robo.

"Yes?" he said politely.

"You different, but strong, too," Ayla said.

"It's because I'm a robot," Robo explained.

"'Rawboot?'" inquired Ayla. "What that? Ayla don't know."

"It's a machine that looks like a man," Robo answered.

"What you say?!" Ayla exclaimed. "No rubbish or Ayla, head go boom! Crono, where from?"

"The future," Crono replied.

"We're from many days ahead of tomorrow," Marle added.

"You funny," Ayla laughed. "Ayla like funny people."

"It's beyond her grasp," Robo lamented.

Suddenly, Ayla turned around and started down the path.

"Come to village!" she invited. "We talk and eat. Dance! Eat! Fun!"

"We'd love to go," replied Lucca, "but we've got to look for the Dreamstone now."

"Stone?" asked Ayla as she turned her head. "Plenty stones! Here, there, at village. You take plenty. Crono come, Ioka village this way."

Ayla ran ahead as the four travelers followed.

Robo, despite no displaying any emotions, produced a troubled vibe.

"What's on your mind?" asked Crono.

"This isn't right," Robo answered.

"What do you mean?" Marle asked.

"First of all," Robo began, "she speaks English. Our language wasn't around sixty-five million years ago. Not to mention people weren't, either."

"Come again?" asked Lucca.

"The cavemen and the dinosaurs were around at a different time," Robo explained. "They didn't even know about dinosaurs."

"Are you sure they're cavemen?" Lucca suggested.

"Honestly, I don't think so," Robo replied. "She looked homo sapien. Cavemen were Neanderthals. They didn't look like anyone we know." He then scanned her. "Yes. Definitely homo sapien."

"Homo sapien?" asked Crono.

"Humans, dear cousin," Lucca replied. "Us."

Marle took a look at Ayla's mostly bare body.

"Where are her clothes?" she asked.

"Prehistoric people typically wore rags, or no clothes at all," Robo answered.

Marle began to giggle.

"They liked to run around in no clothes at all?!" she exclaimed.

"They had no shame," Robo said.

"But you said these aren't prehistoric humans," Crono pointed out.

"Could they be time travelers, like us?" Lucca asked.

"That would answer the equation," Robo agreed.

Suddenly, Ayla turned to face the four.

"Crono too slow!" she complained. "Crono come, Ioka village this way."

MEANWHILE...

The surviving reptile returned to camp, which was basically four or five skin tents surrounding a place for a fire. He immediately went to the largest tent.

Inside, Azala, chief of the Reptites sat.

"What is it?" Azala demanded in the Reptite language. "Where is everyone else?"

"You're never going to believe this!" the Reptite frantically answered.

Act Two

Straw huts soon appeared as Ayla led Crono, Marle, Lucca, and Robo into her village. She finally stopped at a place were several large stones surrounded a fire. She turned around, and placed her hands on her hips.

"Good, Crono come," Ayla said. "Night soon and ready for party. Come Crono!"

She then disappeared into one of the larger huts.

Robo scanned the area again. He still seemed troubled.

"You sure they're not supposed to be here?" Lucca asked.

"I am sure," Robo affirmed. "But, more importantly, we need to find the Dreamstone and leave, as soon as possible."

Finally, Crono couldn't resist, and asked the inevitable question.

"What is it?" he inquired. "What happens here?"

"The Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction," Robo answered. "An asteroid crashes into the earth, wiping out three quarters of all living things."

"And when is that supposed to happen?" Crono then asked.

"Any time now," Robo replied. "Why else aren't there any dinosaurs in the present?"

SOMEWHERE ELSE...

Azala was pacing around her tent, still taking all of the information in.

"And you said they came through a portal?" she inquired.

"That's right," the Reptite replied. "It just opened, and out they came."

"How could they have arrived here?" Azala inquired.

"They seemed to be carrying some kind of key," the Reptite answered. "I'm guessing that's what they used."

"And they had advanced weapons on them," Azala continued. "If we can get our hands on that key, I'm fairly certain there are more of those weapons where they came from."

"That occurred to me as well," the Reptite agreed.

"Go to Ioka Village while everyone is asleep," Azala commanded. "Find that key, and bring it here."

"And if they come for it?" asked the Reptite.

"They'll never make it out of here alive," Azala replied.

SOMEWHERE ELSE...

Crono and his friends spent the day exploring the village. The village, which they learned was called Ioka, had a population of about twenty. They were mostly adult men and women with a few children, most of whom seemed interested in the visitors. One man, whose hair was blond, seemed to avoid the group.

Robo and Lucca observed the village from a hilltop. They both found it a lot to take in.

"So you're saying there were no human beings around at this time?" she began.

"That's correct," Robo replied. "Before humans, there were Neanderthals," he began as he displayed a holographic image of one. "Before that, there was Homo Erectus. And before that, there was Homo Habilis."

Lucca gazed in amazement at the hologram of the Homo Habilis.

"It almost looks like a chimpanzee," she observed. "Did humans used to be apes?"

"You got it," Robo answered.

"Wow," Lucca said. "That's amazing."

Robo paused and gave her a look, seemingly perplexed.

"That doesn't bother you?" he asked.

"Should it?" she replied.

"A lot of people refuse to accept natural selection," Robo explained. "They say it conflicts with their philosophical and religious beliefs."

"I'm surprised," Lucca observed. "The book of Genesis clearly says the earth brings life forth. That sounds a lot like what you're saying to me."

"I am amused it look someone from the eleventh century to point that out," Robo said.

"They think differently in your time?" Lucca asked.

"That would be an understatement," Robo answered.

Slowly, the sky began to change from blue to orange. Night was about to fall.

Marle gazed in awe at the sky. To the north, she could see a beautiful red star that she had never seen before.

It was beautiful.

Absolutely beautiful.

Act Three

Night had fallen, and all of the villagers were assembled in an area at the northern edge of the village.

"Listen all!" Ayla announced. "New friends here! Strong man. Crono! Friends of Crono. Marle, Lucca, Robo!"

All of the villagers cheered except for one of them; the blond man who had avoided them that afternoon.

"Now, we dance!" Ayla announced. "Crono, eat, sing, dance!"

Two drummers began to drum on skin drums. Two more villagers began to play on primitive horns.

It was enough to move one of the visitors.

"Come on Crono, let's party!" Marle exclaimed as she stood up and began bobbing her head to the music.

"This is no time to celebrate!" Robo dismissed.

Meanwhile, Ayla approached Crono with a stone bowl.

"Crono you try?!" she offered. "Special pork soup! Good stuff!"

Before Crono could respond, Lucca took a stone spoon and tried some herself.

"Crono," Lucca exclaimed, "you've got to try some!"

"Spoon it up!" Crono replied.

Lucca dipped another spoon in and presented it to Crono.

He downed it in four sips.

Lucca sighed.

"Are you a man or a mouse?" she exclaimed. "Do it in one gulp!"

"It's still good!" Crono insisted. He then turned to Ayla.

"Are you the village cook?" he foolishly asked.

Suddenly, Ayla lifted Crono off of the ground, and held him in the air.

"No!" she exclaimed. "Village chief. Great warrior!"

"Great warrior?"

"Ayla fight Reptites," she explained. "Their leader Azala. Very smart. All in Ioka village fight. No fight, go to Laruba village. Don't know where village is. Always hide. Azala want to destroy Ioka and Laruba. But Ayla no lose. Only when Ayla dead, give up!"

"Great," Crono gasped. "But could you put me down now?"

Ayla grinned and dropped Crono to the ground.

"Enough," she said. "Meet Crono today. Good day! Eat, party, sing, dance!"

Crono was able to stand up and breathe for a moment before he felt a tug on his arm.

"This is fantastic!" Marle exclaimed. "I want to dance, too! This is great! C'mon Crono. Let's dance!"

"Sure," Crono agreed.

Marle smiled as she took Crono to an open area of the grounds. She put her hands on his shoulders.

Crono put his hands on Marle's hips.

They began to sway as Marle kept her body close to his, never retreating more than a few inches. She smiled and looked him in the eyes before kissing him deeply.

And then, he felt her tongue in his mouth.

It was an incredible feeling.

Lucca, meanwhile, continued to indulge in the soup.

"Try some!" she offered to Robo.

"What an unpleasant substance," he observed. "And so many bugs in it!"

Lucca was about to dip for more when she noticed the unfriendly blond man approach her.

"Hello," she greeted.

"You outsiders," the man said. "But Ayla give party. Why?"

"I think it's because we're outsiders," Lucca suggested.

"Kino no like," the man dismissed. "All outsiders Reptites."

"Except us," Lucca insisted.

"You go away soon?" Kino asked.

"Very soon," Robo assured him.

Lucca, annoyed with Kino's rudeness, turned her head to see the four musicians.

"Good music!" announced one of the drummers. "We pass down to many generations!"

Lucca then turned her head further to see Ayla dancing in a way she had never seen before, chanting.

"Oohga, bunga, munga, meeple, dance with wind people," Ayla chanted. "Oohga, bunga, munga, meeple, dance with mountain people. Oohga, bunga, munga, might, sing and dance all night!"

Lucca was less than impressed.

"That dancing is kind of disturbing," she pointed out.

"In my time," Robo said, "we actually had a word for that."

"What word?" asked Lucca.

"Twerking," Robo answered.

A moment later, Crono and Marle, tired from their dancing, sat down to join their friends. Ayla joined them as well.

"We need to find the red rock," Crono began.

"Crono, you look for red rock?" Ayla replied. She then pointed to a red rock sitting on an altar. "Rare, red rock sign of power. Ayla strongest in Ioka village. So Ayla's rock! You want, you challenge Ayla! You win, then Ayla give to you. Challenge Ayla?"

Lucca looked at Crono as if to say: "The world depends on it."

"Yes," Crono responded.

Ayla immediately clapped her hands.

"Bring plenty soup!" she commanded. "Party now, so eat! Crono and Ayla have soup race!"

Two villagers brought two stone bowls of soup. There were no spoons; they were to drink straight from the bowls.

"We start now," Ayla announced.

And no, Ayla did not really say "push the A button much times." I found it amusing how the characters acknowledged that they knew they only existed in a game. The real Ayla would have ripped it out of the console and smashed it to pieces if she had noticed that.

Anyways, they began to chug. Now, normally, Ayla would have the advantage; she was experienced in chugging soup. But it just so happened that, during the contest, Marle made a funny face, causing Ayla to laugh the soup through her nose.

Crono, meanwhile, finished the soup without incident.

"Enough, Crono," sighed Ayla. "You win, I give you rock! Crono eat plenty."

Two villagers brought two more bowls full of soup.

"Eat last bowl for health!" Ayla announced. "Ok, eat. Maybe eat too much!"

What nobody noticed was that Kino was gone.

LATER...

Azala sat up to see the same Reptite from before, Burko, standing over her.

"Burko!" she snapped. "How dare you wake me?"

"I have an excellent reason," Burko assured her.

And he presented a familiar red key.