Chapter 24: The Time Egg

Act One

August 30, End of Time

The Epoch slowly pulled to a stop at the End of Time at the edge of the platform; it almost seemed as if that platform had been built expecting the the eventual arrival of the Epoch. Everyone slowly disembarked, setting foot on the cobblestone.

The old man was standing there by the lamppost as Marle, Lucca, Robo, Glenn, Magus, and Ayla approached him.

Magus squinted; he felt as if he recognized the old man from somewhere.

"It's been a while," the old man greeted. He then spotted the sorcerer with the long blue hair. "The great Magus," he greeted.

Magus was silent, still attempting to decipher where he knew the old man from.

The old man then spotted Glenn.

"And you are?"

"It's me," Glenn replied. "Frog. I've been changed back into a human. Sort of."

"He's a were-frog," Lucca added. "If the moon is clear, he turns back to normal."

"Still, you're human for part of the time," the old man said. "I would count your blessings."

And then, the old man finally addressed the elephant in the room. It did not take him long to realize who was not there.

"Hey, where's that healthy kid with the radical haircut?" he asked.

Tears welled up in Marle's eyes.

Mind you, he had only been killed three days prior. The sting was still in her heart, whether or not there was hope in changing the situation. She closed her eyes, and could clearly see the image of Queen Zeal casting that fatal spell. The look in her eyes was pure evil. Meanwhile, the look in Schala's eyes were pure despair.

"Crono died," she sobbed. "Queen Zeal killed him with a spell. There was no way he could protect himself. There was no way we could save him."

The old man removed his hat and lowered his head.

"This is terrible news," he said. "I wish I could lend a hand."

"We're looking for the Guru of Time," Marle said. "Have you heard of him?"

"The Guru of Time?" replied the old man. "Heard of him, of course, but what do you want with him?"

"We believe he knows how to bring Crono back to life," Lucca replied.

"To bring back lost loved ones," sighed the old man. "It's what everyone wants. Crono must be proud to have friends like you."

Marle stood hopefully, waiting for the old man to tell her where Gaspar was.

"I've known a lot of people over the years who have died," the old man continued. "And I've never met a person who is not going to die. It's not a pleasant thing. It's probably the worst fact of life."

Marle felt her heart sink, realizing that the old man wasn't going to be any great help.

Sadly, she turned and began to walk away.

It seemed more and more likely that Crono was gone for good.

"Hey," the old man suddenly called.

Marle turned to face him again.

"You young people are too impatient," he reprimanded.

He then stretched out his right hand; there was what appeared to be a crystal egg in his palm.

"Here," he said. "Take this with you."

"What is it?" Marle cautiously asked as she accepted it.

"Let us call that the Chrono Trigger," the old man replied. "It is pure potential. By unleashing a specific course of events, it can have a powerful effect on time. Ask the one who made the Epoch, your Wings of Time, how to hatch it."

"Belthasar," Marle said.

"Like any egg," continued the old man, "it represents a possibility. It may or may not...hatch. But the Chrono Trigger gives you the potential to get your friend back. The egg will have an effect equal to the effort you put into your search. No more, and no less. Don't forget that. As long as you keep Crono in your heart, the day you are dreaming of shall arrive."

Marle quickly looked at the old man with sheer joy and hope; she suddenly realized who he was.

"I get it," Magus also realized aloud.

"It's you, isn't it?" Lucca inferred. "You're Gaspar, the Guru of Time!"

The old man looked at her sheepishly.

"I believe that's what they used to call me ages ago," he said.

He then scanned Magus, and recognized his identity as well.

"Prince Janus," he said. "Where have you been?"

"Seeking revenge," Magus simply replied.

"So that's your story," Gaspar said. "And just look at you now. You've become quite formidable!"

Magus gave him a strange look.

Marle suddenly felt the urge to jump for joy.

"Crono!" she exclaimed. "Let's go get Crono!"

Act Two

In the second room in the Keeper's dome, Marle, Lucca, Glenn, Robo, and Ayla stood before the sleeping nu that carried Belthasar's memories.

Marle attempted to envision the most polite way to rouse him, but someone else beat her to the punch.

"Wake up!" commanded Ayla.

The creature's eyes slowly opened.

"Please don't tell me the Epoch broke down," Belthasar pleaded. "It's rather durable."

"Far from it," Lucca replied. "We were even able to take it to the End of Time and met your old friend, Gaspar."

"So that's where he went," Belthasar said. "I was always wondering what happened to everyone at the Ocean Palace."

"And he gave us this," Marle added as she presented the egg.

"The Chrono Trigger?!" Belthasar exclaimed. "W-why did he give it to you?"

"Crono was killed," Ayla replied. "Old man said you know how to use it to bring him back."

Belthasar hesitated for a moment.

"So," he finally said, "the time has come."

"For what?" Ayla inquired.

"On Death Peak," Belthasar replied, "you will find the power to restore life. But to activate this power, the deceased must be important to the space-time continuum. And you must have a clone identical to that person. Only then, can a Chrono Trigger work its magic."

"A clone?" Marle asked. "What's a clone?"

"An exact copy," Robo explained, as best he could. "But where would we find one? I have no record of an adult human being ever having been cloned."

"Need a clone?" Belthasar replied. "The magician, Nolstein Bekkler could whip one up in the wink of an eye."

"Where can we find him?" Marle asked.

"West of Bangor Dome," Belthasar answered. "But beware. He once got too close to Lavos. He hasn't been the same...since..."

LATER...

Marle nearly gasped as she beheld Nolstein Bekkler in his lab.

He's only a head and hands! she exclaimed. And he's meshed into the floor.

Bekkler simply cackled.

"At least you all know to stay away from Lavos!" he observed in a cheery voice. "What can I do you for?"

"We were told you can make a clone of our friend, Crono," Glenn replied.

"Who told you that?" Bekkler replied as he continued to look up at everyone. "Let me guess. It was old man Belthasar."

"More or less," Lucca admitted."

"Can you help?" Ayla asked.

"So!" Bekkler replied. "You want a Crono clone?"

"More than anything," Marle replied.

Bekkler cackled.

"Normally I'd never do this, but today I'll make an exception."

"Thank you!" the grateful Marle said.

"First, I'll need a sample of his DNA," Bekkler commanded.

"What's DNA?" Lucca asked.

Bekkler gave her a skeptical look.

"Born before 1953?" he laughed.

"Yes!" Lucca truthfully replied.

"Watson and Crick would turn over in their graves," Bekkler sighed. "And probably Einstein, too."

"Hold on," Robo commanded.

With that, he opened a compartment in his shoulder and took out a threat of red hair.

"Did you pluck that?" Lucca asked.

"As part of my programming, I had to have your DNA on file. To help prevent harm to you."

"Asimov was a genius!" Bekkler declared. "Give me a couple of hours."

THREE HOURS LATER...

"Sorry to keep you all waiting," Bekkler apologized. "Behold, your Crono clone.

The gate in the back of the lab slowly opened, and Marle placed her hands on her mouth and gasped when she saw who was standing behind.

It was Crono.

She wanted to run to him, but she knew it was just a clone; the real Crono was still a mission away.

"Thanks again!" Marle said. "We'll bring the real Crono back here to thank you as well!"

She began to approach the clone.

"Hold it!" Bekkler announced.

"Excuse me?" Marle asked skeptically.

"Challenge me, and I'll give you the clone," Bekkler clarified.

"Challenge you?!" she asked.

"It won't be so hard," Bekkler assured her. "I promise."

The "challenge" Bekkler demanded simply involved the Crono clone raising one arm or both, laughing, and acting surprised. Marle was required to imitate each move as best she could.

The concern didn't come until Bekkler kept raising both of the Crono clone's arms while ogling Marle at the same time.

"He's staring at her chest," Robo observed.

"But he can't even fornicate!" Lucca whispered.

Robo simply shrugged.

"Okay, that's enough!" Bekkler announced after several more minutes.

The Crono clone collapsed to the ground.

"Crono!" Marle exclaimed.

"Didn't I say it was a clone?" Bekkler continued. "He was never 'alive.' I was controlling him."

Marle quickly regained her composure.

"How will we transport him?" she asked.

"See that hanging on the hook?" Bekkler asked.

"That?" replied Marle as she noticed the large, blue plastic bag with a zipper on it. "What is it?"

"It's called a body bag," Robo answered.

"A cadaver pouch," Bekkler corrected. "Young lady, I recognize your Scottish accent!"

August 31, 2300

"We got the clone," Marle announced.

Belthasar opened his eyes.

"It's in the body bag on Robo's back," Lucca replied.

"Enough," replied Belthasar. "The time has come for you to attempt Death Peak. It's the only chance you have of reviving your friend. The last program I've implanted in this creature's memory banks will help you up the mountain. Stand back."

Belthasar turned around, and opened the door behind him.

Marle looked on in curiosity until a small white creature emerged from the room.

Robo recognized it as a Poyozo Doll.

"Executing program!" the doll announced as it took off into the air, breaking through the dome's ceiling.

A moment later, a second doll emerged from the back room.

"Executing program!" the doll announced before taking off as well.

A moment after that, a third doll emerged.

"Executing program," the doll announced as it took off into the dark.

Finally, Belthasar emerged from the back room, and sealed the door shut.

"The three entities you saw will help you climb Death Peak," Belthasar explained. "This ends my message."

Marle smiled.

"Thank you," she said, with sparkling eyes.

"It was a privilege," Belthasar replied. "Now I must ask you for a favor."

"Anything," Marle agreed.

"This creature has executed its program," Belthasar replied. "Please let him sleep. The switch is on his stomach."

The smile immediately faded from Marle's face; she knew exactly what he meant by that.

She gazed at the nu, which had since fallen asleep, and was snoring peacefully. He had given them the chance to revive their friend.

It was only fair she honored his wishes.

Marle reached out her hand. And, before she could change her mind, she switched the creature off.

The snoring immediately stopped. The nu continued to stand in front of the door, with its eyes closed.

Marle, unable to take the pitiful sight, flipped the switch again.

But the strange creature did not move.

"This creature sleeps beyond the flow of time," Lucca said solemnly.

Act Three

Marle encountered the first Poyozo Doll at the foot of the dreaded mountain.

"Walk when the wind dies," it commanded, "and hide behind trees when it blows."

At that moment, Marle could hear a gust of wind in the distance.

Everyone ran for the nearest tree and held on for dear life.

The strong wind came. It was so powerful Marle thought she would be ripped from the tree she was holding onto.

But then, the wind died down, and the six continued their trip up the mountain.

A few hundred feet later, another gust of wind sounded the mountain.

Everyone again ran for the nearest tree, and waited the wind out.

They then continued on their way.

And, suddenly, the wind stopped. The snow continued to fall excessively, but the wind had stopped.

The ground was now even, instead of slanted.

"We got past the wind," Magus observed.

"Let's hope it's easy from here," Lucca said.

"Beware," Magus warned. "I am quite certain we will find things up here worse than mere wind."

No sooner did he utter those words, then Marle spotted spherical creatures hopping about, opening an closing their mouths, as if they were trying to bite something.

"What are those?" she exclaimed.

"Creatures that got too close to Lavos," Magus replied. "Possibly squirrels, possibly rabbits. No doubt, a similar fate will befall us if we stay up here for too long."

They thus carefully meandered up the path, destroying any hopping creatures that came too close. Around one bend, they were attacked by a skeleton with a scythe. Magus destroyed it with his own.

"I would say that was a human at one point," Magus said. "One that tried to climb up here."

Realizing they were on a time limit, the six pursued the summit as quickly as they could.

Eventually, they came to a cave.

And inside, they saw a familiar-looking creature. It had a shell with spikes all over.

"It's Lavos!" Marle exclaimed.

However, the creature was only seven feet high.

"Wait a minute," Lucca said skeptically. I don't recall Lavos being that small."

Everyone silently hesitated for a moment.

Lucca was the first to realize it.

"It's a spawn," she observed.

"A baby Lavos?!" Marle exclaimed.

"It appears so," Lucca replied.

At that moment, the Lavos spawn noticed the intruders. It slowly turned, and hissed at them. It then began pursuing.

"This is dangerous," Robo warned.

And then, a very surprising thing happened. I never bothered to ask her what was going on through her head when she did it. Maybe she felt like she had nothing left to lose.

"Get out of our way!" Marle exclaimed as she kicked it in the nose as hard as she could.

The Lavos spawn appeared to squeal, almost as if it was in pain.

Magus gripped his scythe.

"So be it," he announced. "If I can't kill Lavos, I will kill his son!"

With that, he drove the scythe into the creature's nose.

The Lavos spawn let out a hideous noise before becoming silent and motionless.

Everyone stood for a good five minutes, waiting for something to happen.

But nothing did.

"Did I kill it?" Magus naturally asked.

"I'd rather not wait to be sure," Lucca replied as she spotted the back exit beyond the Lavos spawn.

Outside, the snow fell even harder as the path was so narrow that there was a chasm on each side.

The six carefully made their way across. After a few yards, three more skeletons attacked them. Magus put an end to them with a lightning spell.

"I think we're lucky he's a good guy now," Lucca pointed out.

Marle simply shrugged; something about him left her hesitant to trust him.

They entered another cave, and were attacked by three more round snappers; Ayla stomped each of them to death one by one.

They exited the cave at the other end, and immediately stopped; outside, several yards away, stood another Lavos spawn.

"Look out!" Marle exclaimed.

"Worry not," Magus assured them as he nonchalantly walked up to the creature and stabbed it in the nose with his scythe.

A few yards later, they spotted an even thinner path with, much like the previous one, had a chasm on each side.

At the beginning of the path stood the second Poyozo Doll.

"Be careful!" it warned. "It's slippery. Fall, and you'll have to start over."

"I suggest we take this slow," Robo said.

Cautiously, they began the trip down the path, slowly taking one step at a time. The path felt very slippery, and one wrong move could send someone over the ledge.

One step, then another.

The wind began to pick up again.

Marle was sorely tempted to run, but she stopped herself; it was not a risk worth taking.

And then, the wind died again.

One step, then another.

And then, Ayla lost her balance.

She slipped, fell, and began to slide toward the ledge.

Fortunately for her, as a feral woman, she had learned to grip hard surfaces with her fingers. She carefully helped herself to her feet.

"That was close," she said.

One step, then another.

Finally, they reached the end of the path. The easy, snowy surface greeted their feet once more.

Around the next bend stood the final Poyozo Doll.

"Push the shell," it commanded. "Climb the shell."

"What shell?" Ayla inquired.

"I think we're about to find out," Glenn replied.

And then, all of a sudden, the moon became clear.

Glenn attempted to say something, but, a moment later, he was Frog again.

"Curses," he muttered.

"You can quit the chivalry talk," Lucca reprimanded. "We all know it was fake."

Frog sighed and trudged on.

Around another bend stood a third Lavos spawn.

"How many spawn does it have?!" Marle exclaimed.

"Too many," Magus replied as he marched up to the spawn and stabbed it with his scythe.

Beyond the spawn was a small cliff that was ten feed high.

Marle immediately started looked for a rock or a tree they could climb, but none could be found. There was only terrain.

"No," she whispered. "We can't be stopped like this!"

Lucca kicked the snow in frustration, with some accidentally striking Marle in the eyes.

"Careful!" Marle reprimanded.

"Sorry," Lucca apologized. She then turned to the dead Lavos spawn. "I should have kicked the shell."

Suddenly, Marle realized it.

"The shell!" she exclaimed. "The doll said to push and climb the shell!"

Marle immediately ran to the shell and began to push.

Her grunting signaled her sheer determination; everyone soon pitched in to help. Soon, the shell was against the cliff wall.

One by one, everyone climbed the shell.

The night dragged slowly on. The moon remained clear, and, thus, Frog remained Frog.

And, finally, they reached the spot where they could go now further; a simple tree stood at the top of the mountain.

"So, this is the summit of Death Peak," Marle solemnly observed.

This was the moment of truth. Would Crono be able to return? Was he gone forever? In a few moments, she would know the answer.

She took out the Chrono Trigger and gently cradled it in her hands.

She closed her eyes.

"All who fear the night and stand against the darkness, please give us strength!"

For a few seconds, nothing happened.

Then, a glow appeared below Marle's neck.

"The pendant's reacting!" Ayla exclaimed.

Slowly, the Chrono Trigger lifted itself out of her hand. It rose one foot. Then another.

It rose slowly until it hovered twenty feet in the air for a few seconds.

And then, it loudly disintegrated, with tiny, barely visible shards flying in all directions.

"It-it shattered!" cried the horrified Marle.

Tears immediately came to her eyes as she collapsed to her knees and began to sob loudly.

"This is such an awful place!" she cried. "We got no reward from coming all the way up here!"

"Marle," Robo began.

"But...we've come so far!" she interjected.

Her desperate voice echoed through the mountain, but she didn't care.

She didn't care that her friends saw her.

She didn't even care if it revealed to Lavos where they were.

Suddenly, Marle sprang to her feet, spread her arms, and called out into the night sky.

"Please answer me!" she pleaded. "Don't leave me! Crono!"

Lucca, meanwhile, angrily kicked the snow.

"It was silly to think we could get him back," she muttered, holding back her own tears.

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble.

"Lavos," Frog said. "Have we awoken him?"

"Humph!" Magus grunted. "We're leaving."

He turned, and started to descend the mountain.

"Look!" Ayla exclaimed.

All at once, everyone looked at the moon. As they gazed on in awe, a large black sphere eclipsed the moon.

A moment later, Lavos appeared.

But it did not attack them. It stood still as a statue. Mounted on Lavos was Queen Zeal. On the ground, they could all see copies of themselves doubled over. They could also see the defeated Schala, frozen in time.

And, suspended in the air, was Crono.

Each of them realized what had just happened.

"Crono!" Marle exclaimed.

"The Chrono Trigger," Lucca added. "The Guru's Time Egg! And there we all are! We're back at that instant!"

"It appears that time has been suspended!" Robo said.

"Like stone statues," Frog observed.

And then, everyone turned to view Crono, frozen less than a moment away from death.

"We'll just exchange the clone for Crono!" Marle announced.

Robo nodded. He then lowered the body bag and opened it, taking out the clone.

Marle pulled down the frozen Crono, and Robo placed the clone in his place.

"Crono?" Marle exclaimed as she shook the frozen boy. "It's Crono! Crono?! You're alive!"

"This is an eerie place," Frog said. "Let us withdraw quickly."

A moment later, everyone found themselves back at the summit of Death Peak.

Marle desperately looked around, but only saw Lucca, Magus, Frog, Ayla, and Robo.

"Where's Crono?!" she nervously asked.

And then, she saw Crono, still frozen in the same position as before, descending from the sky to the surface. He softly landed under the lone tree at the summit.

For a moment, he simply lay there.

Then, he sat up, and opened his eyes.

"Crono!" Marle exclaimed. "Welcome back Crono!"

"It's about time!" added Lucca.

"It's good of you to return, Crono," Frog said.

And then, Marle realized that Crono was looking directly at her.

Marle suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

"We...we knew this day would come," she choked.

She slowly walked up to Crono and knelt down next to him.

And then, she finally lost control of all emotion, and threw her arms around her man, crying tears of joy and bliss.

"You mustn't!" sobbed Marle. "You can't ever do that again!"

She broke the hug, brushed his spikey hair back for a moment, and pressed her lips against his. She then threw her arms around him once more.

"While you were away," she continued, "a lot of things happened. "First, we saw Zeal get destroyed. And after that, we got captured and taken to the Blackbird. But..."

She broke the hug again, and noticed that Crono seemed up in the stratosphere.

"Crono!" she exclaimed. "Are you even listening?! There's so much you have to know!"

It was then that she realized she was hogging him. Blushing, she stood up, and signaled for Lucca to come over.

Lucca stood over her cousin for but a moment before collapsing to the ground and throwing her arms around him in similar fashion.

"You dummy!" Lucca sobbed as tears welled up in her eyes.

Crono looked at her in a daze.

"While you were gone," Lucca continued, "we had a terrible time! Marle had to get her hands on this thing called the Crono Trigger, and see Belthasar. So then we had to get a clone of you, and I had to..."

She then, like Marle, noticed Crono was in a delirium.

"Hey!" Lucca snapped. "You listening, Crono? You can be so irritating sometimes!"

She promptly yanked him to his feet before throwing her arms around him again.

"I love you to the moon and back!" she declared as she kissed him on the cheek. "But you mess up again, and we won't save you!"

"Enough of this sappy stuff!" Magus demanded. "You know what happens if we stay here too long."

"Right," Lucca agreed.

She and Marle each took one of Crono's arms and began leading him down the mountain.

"Look at you," sighed Frog. "Ladies weeping over you left and right. You're a lucky lad; your friends are loyal and true. But you are exhausted."

"I know a safe place he can rest," Magus suddenly announced.

LATER THAT NIGHT...

Magus had led them into a cave just a few miles away from the mountain. Inside the cave, the seven beheld a Zealian interior. The warmth and light was almost reminiscent of Enhasa. Even after millennia, the aura of Schala's goodness filled the room.

"Where is this place?" Lucca asked, her arm still locked with Crono's.

"The Temple of the Sun," Magus replied. "My sister built it herself. It kept Zeal's power."

"Are there beds here?" Ayla asked. "Ayla tired."

"There are," Magus replied. "There are private rooms for each of us. But one thing."

"What's that?" Lucca asked.

"Don't go into the hall of the Son of Sun," Magus warned.

"I don't like the sound of that," Marle groaned as she squeezed Crono's arm.

LATER...

"Dead?!" Crono exclaimed, after finally regaining his senses.

"I'm afraid so," Lucca replied. "Queen Zeal killed you will a spell."

"But she met her end when the Ocean Palace collapsed," Marle added. "What goes around comes around."

The three of them were sitting on the bed, making sure Crono would be okay. For him, it had been a quick hop, though he had just went through the Ocean Palace.

He then remembered the reason for his sacrifice in the first place.

"What happened to Schala?" Crono asked.

Marle lowered her head; he did need to be told eventually.

"Crono," Lucca replied. "I'm sorry. She was killed. The whole Kingdom of Zeal was destroyed."

Crono was silent.

"So we failed," he said.

Lucca silently nodded; she didn't yet have the heart to tell him that they had abandoned their mission to stop Lavos.

"We also had to say goodbye to Belthasar," she continued. "He helped bring you back as well. So did Gaspar; that's the old man at the End of Time."

"Looks like I really missed a lot," he sighed.

"I'll tell you more tomorrow," Lucca said as she stood up, and turned to face him. "But right now, I'm going to go to my room and pass out."

She then hugged him, and kissed him on the forehead.

"Don't ever put us through that again!" she warned before retiring to her room.

Marle continued to sit next to Crono, gently stroking his spikey hair.

It's time to tell him, she realized.

"Crono," Marle began in a shaky voice as she gripped his hand, "it's time to tell you what I've been wanting to tell you."

"Go ahead," he gently permitted as he noticed her palms were sweaty.

"I think..." she began.

This is it. Don't turn back now.

"I think..." she again attempted.

This is harder than I thought it would be, she realized.

"I think..."

She felt Crono place his free hand on her shoulder; it finally gave her the confidence she needed.

"...I think I love you."

She looked at him directly in the eyes for what seemed like an eternity.

Crono gently put his hand on her cheek.

"I love you, too," he replied.

And he pressed his lips against hers.

LATER...

Marle had retired to her bedroom, knowing she would finally be able to sleep well that night. Tomorrow, they would take the Epoch home, and she would plan her future with Crono.

She smiled at the idea as she dimmed the lights and tucked herself into bed.

And then, a vision of Schala appeared. She smiled for a moment before vanishing again.

"You don't need me anymore," was the last thing Marle heard her say.

Marle was indeed happy the man she loved was returned to her.

And yet, she still remained somewhat sad.

"Rest in peace, Schala," Marle lamented. "I'll never forget you."

Marle fell asleep grieving for Schala's death.

Of course, loyal gamers know better.

Rescue came at last to poor Schala.

But that's in a story my daughter wrote. I "Kid" you not, if you'll pardon the pun.