Chapter 16: Forward to the Past
And now, after long last, we finish the first half of our novelization.
I'm sure you noticed quite a few differences from the game, which I had mentioned was full of embellishments and omissions. Even I had to clean up the prison sequence a bit. I was there; the conditions were slightly worse. But, other than that, I swear I'm telling the truth. Just be prepared for more differences. There are three characters who die in the game that don't die in the novel, and there are two characters who die in the novel that don't die in the game. But the novel is what actually happened. Fritz's honor.
Well, in any event, I hereby present to you: the other half.
August 21, 1954 A. D.
Leene's bell rang crisply to signal the morning. On the second floor of one house, a frustrated housewife did her best to get the day going.
"Crono," she called as she stood over her husband's bed.
There was no response.
She looked back, and admired how her own twin bed was made.
"Crono!" she called again.
Still nothing.
"Crono!" she called once more, stomping her heeled foot in the wooden floor.
He finally opened his eyes.
"Honey!" called a familiar voice. "You'll be late for work!
Reality seemed to fade into view. Crono could see Marle standing over him.
But...something was different about her. She was wearing a pleated dress and pearls. Her hair was up, her nails were long and painted, and she had a wedding band on her finger.
And then, he realized that he could no longer see color. Everything was shades of gray.
This was odd.
Meanwhile, Marle cheerfully opened the blinds, bringing light over Crono's bed.
"I'd forgotten how beautiful Leene's Bell could sound!" she said happily.
Crono sat up groggily in bed. He scanned the room, stopping at his wife's twin bed. There was still no color anywhere.
"Are you alright, dear?" she asked as she walked over to him and placed her hand on his forehead. "You don't have a fever."
"I had a strange dream last night," Crono replied. "We were in a sorcerer's castle with a talking frog and a robot from the future."
Marle gave him a skeptical look.
"So you've been reading Tolkien and Asimov at the same time?"
Suddenly, the sound of laughter from twenty people came out of nowhere.
Crono looked around the black-and-white setting to figure out where it had come from. He then got out of bed.
"You're finally out of bed," Marle observed. "I guess you're going to live after all. Which means you have to get to work!"
Crono heard the laugh track again.
"I can't," he said. "I forgot to tell you I got fired yesterday for talking back to Mr. Burton."
The invisible audience gasped.
Marle put her hands on her mouth in shock.
"What happened?!"
"I called him a lying, sneaky, Commie pinko and told him to go back to Moscow," Crono replied.
"Whoa!" went the studio audience in unison.
"So you're just going to sit at home and watch Howdy Doody all day?" Marle snapped.
The studio audience laughed again.
"Yes," Crono replied defiantly.
"Crono!" she squealed. "We can't keep sponging off my dad! Go out and get a job!"
"Don't tell me what to do!" he retorted as he angrily pointed his finger. "One day soon, one day soon, you'll be the first girl to walk on Mars!"
"Ah, shut your hole," Marle scoffed.
The studio audience roared with laughter.
And then, a siren went off.
Marle began to tremble in fear.
"Oh no!" shouted Crono. "The Reds are nuking us to kingdom come!"
The siren continued to wail as Crono instinctively lay down on the floor and covered his head.
Marle remained standing and shaking; too frightened to move.
"Crono!" she cried. "Crono! Crono! Crono! Crono!"
She started running around the room like a chicken with its head cut off.
"Crono! Crono! Crono! Crono!"
August 21, 65,000,000 B.C.
"Crono! Crono! Crono! Crono! Crono! Crono! Crono!
Crono! Crono!" the female voice continued.
Only now, it grew deeper and more mature.
Suddenly, the siren had stopped, and Crono could see in color again.
Marie's pleated dress and heels were replied by a fur bikini.
And it was no longer Marle who was standing over him; it was Ayla.
"Crono awake?!" she asked.
Crono rubbed his eyes.
"So that was a dream, then," he muttered.
"Ayla!" Marle, who was now in her usual white attire, exclaimed.
"Ayla had strange dream," the feral woman began. "Went to Mystic Mountains. Everyone lie there, hurt. I carry back to hut."
"Magus!" exclaimed Frog as he sprang to his feet.
"Yummy frog!" Ayla observed as she eyed the possibly doomed amphibian. "For Ayla eat?"
"Perish the thought, lass!" Frog warned as he grabbed the Masamune. "By the way, whither the blue-haired one?"
Ayla shrugged.
"Only find you there," she replied. "Blue-hair one more tasty?
"We hath lost him," Frog lamented.
"Not worry now," Ayla assured. "You rest. Hurt bad."
She then turned and left the hut.
Defeated, Frog sat down.
"He only summoned Lavos," he muttered.
"But if Magus didn't create Lavos," asked Marle, "where did it come from?"
"It's a good question," Crono said. "One thing's for certain. There are other eras we haven't seen yet."
They spent the day in the village, with everyone meeting locals and attempting to obtain as much information as they could.
Late in the afternoon, Crono led Marle to a thicket near the edge of the village and sat her down next to him.
"What are we doing here?" she asked with a smile.
In response, Crono stroked her hair before pressing his lips gently against hers.
"I was hoping for some time alone with you!" she giggled as she prepared to kiss him again.
They kissed again, this time with their tongues meeting. They did not notice the rustling behind them.
"Crono, ok now?" called a familiar voice.
Crono and Marle broke the kiss. The former turned to see Kino standing over them.
"Shouldn't you be with Ayla," he asked in an annoyed tone of voice.
"Doing what we're doing?" Marle added.
"Ayla busy, look for Laruba village," Kino replied. "Fight Reptites together. Destroy Reptites or we no survive."
Just then, an older villager came to the thicket.
"Kino!" he called.
"What happen?" Kino called as he ran out of the thicket. "Quiet! Crono rest."
Crono and Marle were left alone in the thicket.
"Now," she began with a smile as she stroked Crono's spikey hair, "where were we?"
Just then, a giant snake presented itself behind them.
"Never mind!" Marle squealed as the two of them sprang to their feet and ran back to Ioka Village.
THAT NIGHT...
Lucca sat outside one of the huts in Ioka Village. Ayla had still not returned, and neither had Kino. She had to stop Frog several times from looking for Magus, who did not appear to be anywhere near the village.
Lucca looked up at the sky. It was a cloudy night, and she couldn't see the stars. She had though about what Robo had said, and that it was a doomed world. It was dangerous, but beautiful, and she found it a shame that this world had to end.
She also wondered how much time she and her friends had to escape.
Just then, Crono emerged from the hut.
"Can't sleep?" he asked.
Lucca shook her head. "It's kind of weird we've gone forward to the past. Or the doomed world, as Robo said."
"Neither can I," he said as he sat down next to her. He then paused. "I can't stop thinking about what Marle looks like naked."
"Boys," sighed Lucca as she playfully punched him in the arm.
"What's keeping you up?" he continued.
"Seriously?" Lucca asked. "Lots of things."
"Like what?" he asked.
"Like Melchior," she replied.
Crono gave his cousin a disturbed look before shrugging.
"Whatever turns you on," he sighed.
"That's not what I meant!" Lucca exclaimed. "How could his name be on a sword four hundred years before he was born?"
"Who knows?" he replied. "The world got ten times weirder for me just by traveling through time."
"Same here," Lucca said.
She then took off her glasses and examined them.
"You know," she continued, "I was fully resigned to my fate. I had a whole list of things I wanted to see before I went blind. And now I'm not going to go blind." She then turned to her cousin, smiled, and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Thanks for steering me here."
And then, the sky suddenly cleared, and all of the stars came out.
"Crono, look," she suddenly said.
Crono looked. The Red Star was ominously larger than it had been.
"I think it's getting ready to explode," Lucca continued. "Robo called it a supernova. It's too far away to hurt us. But I'd love to see it. It only happens once in millions of years." She paused. "Funny how that doesn't mean as much when we have the ability to hop from era to era. Don't you think, Crono?"
There was no response.
"Crono?"
Lucca then looked to her right, and realized Crono had fallen asleep on her shoulder.
"I guess I'm not going anywhere for a while," she sighed.
MEANWHILE...
Azala was also gazing at the unusually large Red Star as well when a sole Reptite struggled his way into her chambers.
"There's only one of you," she observed without looking at him.
"I know," the Reptite replied. "We found Laruba Village."
"Why do I have a feeling you didn't destroy it?" Azala inquired, still avoiding eye contact.
"Ayla was there," the Reptite pleaded. "She killed everyone but me. She chased me forever, but I outran her. Please don't kill me! There was nothing I could have done!"
"I believe you," Azala said. "Not to worry, I won't kill you."
The Reptite sighed in relief.
"The Red Star is glowing unusually bright tonight," Azala continued. "Would you mind closing the shade ?"
"I'll be happy to," the relieved Reptite said.
He walked over to the shade and pulled what appeared to be its cord.
And that was when the trap door opened below. The poor Reptite disappeared screaming into the abyss.
"I said I wouldn't kill you, didn't I?" Azala muttered sarcastically.
Just then, Burko appeared in the chambers.
Azala turned and smiled.
"I just fed the Tyrannosaur," she announced with a smile.
Act Two
August 22, 65,000,000 B.C.
The next morning, there was still no sign of Ayla nor Kino. As there were no clocks in prehistory, nobody could tell what time they had awoken (barring Robo, who had an internal clock). Still, they were well aware that Ayla had been gone much longer than she should have been.
"Something's happened," said Marle. "We all saw how powerful she is."
"Could she have gone back to the Reptite Lair?" Crono suggested.
"Unlikely," Robo dismissed. "We defeated Nizbel. That place is likely abandoned by now."
"What about that other village?" Lucca suggested.
"Other village?" asked Marle.
"Remember how people who didn't want to fight the Reptites went to another village?" Lucca reminded her. "Lorba?"
"Laruba," Crono corrected her.
"In any event, I've got a hunch that Ayla might be there," Lucca theorized. "What have we got to lose?"
LATER...
When they got to Laruba Village, it was a quite sorrowful sight.
All huts had been burned to the ground. There were several lone villagers, several families, and more than several bodies. All vegetation was dead and brown.
"What on earth has happened here?!" Lucca whispered.
Out of the corner of his eye, Crono spotted a lone child standing near one of the burnt huts.
"Reptites take Kino!" sobbed the child. "Reptites hurt all who fight! What do now?!"
"Reptites come!" sobbed another child. "Burn village!"
"Those who fight, killed!" said the second child's mother.
"Reptites follow Ayla. Ayla bad luck!" shouted the father. "You disobey, so Reptites mad!"
A moment later, Crono spotted what he had been looking for. There stood Ayla, who was standing across from an old man.
And he was furious.
"Ayla!" shouted the old man. "This your fault! Look at mess. Reptites followed you! So village now ruined!"
Ayla sadly lowered her head.
"Ayla feel bad," she lamented.
"Reptites strong!" the old man continued. "They live long time before us, they smart so we hide. But Ayla say fight together. Ayla still fight?"
"Reptites take Kino!" Ayla cried. "Ayla find! Ayla fight while alive! Win and live. Lose and die. Rule of life. No change rule. Save Kino! Old man breathe, but dead on inside."
The old man's eyes widened.
"Ayla, you strong," he complimented. "Can make big talk. We no have power."
"No!" Ayla objected. "Have power! We fight, gain more power! Ayla help you, but need Dactyl. Give Dactyl!"
"Need Dactyl?" the old man asked.
"A Dactyl?" Crono whispered.
"It's a flying dinosaur," Robo answered. "It looks like a giant bat."
Everyone then redirected their attention toward Ayla and the old man.
"Go to Tyrano lair?!" the old man exclaimed. "That Reptite's place. Dangerous! Ayla want die?"
"Want to live, so go there!" Ayla insisted. "Love Kino! Save Kino! Ayla be okay. Give Dactyl!"
"Okay," said the old man. "Go to Dactyl's nest and keeper will help. Careful, Ayla!"
"Thank you, old man!" Ayla said before darting out of the village, passing Crono, Marle, Lucca, Frog, and Robo as if she didn't even see them.
"You!" called the old man in Crono's direction. "Take care Ayla."
Half a mile down the path, the five travelers caught up to Ayla, who had stopped to catch her breath.
Sensing a presence behind her, Ayla immediately spun around.
"Crono!" she exclaimed.
"Going on an adventure without us?" Crono asked.
"You can't be serious about going alone!" Lucca added.
"No!" exclaimed Ayla. "Tyrano Lair dangerous Maybe all perish!"
"Listen, we owe you one!" Lucca insisted. "Right, Crono?"
"You got it," Crono confirmed.
"Ayla have strong friends!" Ayla said, realizing there was no talking them out of it.
"Ayla, let's go!" Marle declared. "Next stop, the Tyrano Lair!"
Act Three
Crono, Marle, Lucca, Frog, Robo, and Ayla stood at the entrance to the Dactyl Nest. It appeared to be a small lone mountain similar to Mystic Mountain in the year 600.
Ayla stood at the entrance for but a moment before charging ahead several yards. She was moving with determination.
"This is funny," Marle pointed out.
"What's that?" asked Lucca.
"How Ayla's out to rescue her beloved," Marle clarified. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"It's different in this time," Lucca pointed out. "I think it's great! Wouldn't you rescue Crono if something happened to him?"
"You bet I would!" Marle replied enthusiastically.
"Watch her rip Azala to death for taking Kino," Lucca said.
"Hey," replied Marle, "if anyone hurt Crono, it would be death for them!"
Crono, having overheard her, smiled. It was great to know that she had his back as much as he had hers.
Halfway up the mountain, everyone spotted a familiar-looking dinosaur grazing about ten yards away.
"Another triceratops," Lucca observed.
"Can we get by this one quietly?" Marle requested. "I don't feel like being chased again."
"It's blocking our way," Crono replied. "We'll have to wait until it goes away."
Everyone stopped and sat down, except for Ayla, who was pacing around impatiently.
Lucca, meanwhile, seemed quiet.
"What's on your mind?" asked Crono.
"I was thinking about the Red Star last night," Lucca replied. "I would love to see that again. It's a relic we'll never see in our time."
"There it is," Crono suddenly said as he looked up and pointed toward the sky.
"Very funny," Lucca chucked as she shook her head.
"No," Crono insisted, "it's there!"
"Crono, it's a star!" Lucca insisted. "You don't see any stars in the daytime!"
"Well, actually," began Robo as he looked toward the sky, "the sun is, in fact, a-"
He stopped dead.
Marle was the next to look at the sky, gasping in shock.
Finally, Lucca turned her head.
There was the Red Star. Only this time, it was the size of the moon. There were red streaks coming from it, and it almost appeared to be pursuing them.
An ominous feeling of dread filled them all.
"This is no star," Lucca said.
"This is a meteor," Robo announced. "The meteor."
"The one that destroyed the dinosaurs?" Lucca asked.
"That is correct," Robo answered. "The one that caused the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. It's about to wipe out seventy-five percent of all life on earth. It's called the Chicxulub Impactor, and it's six miles wide."
Everyone was silent, though everyone, minus Ayla, knew it was this world's fate.
Crono decided to ask the inevitable question.
"How long?"
"Three hours," Robo answered solemnly. "Three hours until impact."
"Three hours?!" exclaimed Marle.
"Well, actually, two hours, fifty-three min-"
"I think we need to save Kino and get out of the area!" Lucca interrupted.
"It won't matter what area we're in," Robo said. "This affects the entire world!"
Ayla, meanwhile, turned her head to notice that the triceratops had gone on its way.
"Kino in trouble!" she shouted. "We go!"
MEANWHILE...
Burko and Azala stood alone in the latter's chambers. They, too, had seen the Red Star grow, and were now fully understanding their fate.
"Must it be?" Burko asked solemnly.
"It must be," Azala replied. "The Red Star will fall. And then, it will be winter forever." She then turned to her lover. "But we will, no doubt, go down fighting."
"Ayla will be coming to rescue her poor Kino," Burko pointed out. "Perhaps she'll bring those people with the key again. If we can get the key..."
"We tried that the last time," Azala said. "We went further into the winter."
"Maybe there are other times we can go to," Burko suggested. "Ones that aren't so cold."
Azala gave him a look that was both hopeful and skeptical at the same time.
"There's only one way to find out," she said.
SOMEWHERE ELSE...
Crono and his friends, meanwhile, had reached the summit of the Dactyl Nest. There sat three Dactyls, waiting patiently for their riders.
Crono was skeptical at first, but once he saw how easily Ayla was able to climb on, he did so himself on the next free Dactyl. Marle climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso and holding him close; she was obviously frightened.
Lucca was somewhat frightened as well as she climbed the remaining Dactyl. She did not even object to having to share her Dactyl with Frog.
The poor, doomed Pterodactyls took off, completely oblivious to their fate.
Meanwhile, the ever-growing Red Star continued to bear down on the world.
