Start Date: February 13, 2014

Windwillow

Chrono Trigger

Start Date: January 23. 2022

Windwillow

Chrono Trigger

Preface

What follows is a novelization of Square-Enix's masterpiece RPG, Chrono Trigger. It's always stood out to me as probably the greatest RPG I've ever played, and I hope someone else can enjoy reading this. If not, I just had fun writing it.

It's the year 1000, in the Kingdom of Guardia. To mark its thousandth year, the kingdom is holding a Millennial Fair, where citizens can enjoy themselves and celebrate their nation's glory.

Enter one young man, sixteen-year-old Crono. He lives with his mother Gina in the village of Truce, along with his childhood friend, the inventor Lucca Ashtear. The modern age is about, and television, radio, etc. have become part of life.

Yet, events will soon unfold that throw Crono's world into chaos. This is the story of his travels, trials, and tribulations - the things he sees and does, the people he meets, and the tale of a thousand years.

Enjoy.

Chapter One

Set against a clear, blue sky, the day of celebration was to begin.

Guardia had held power for several centuries; other, smaller nations and city-states dotted the world - few without the protection of this kingdom. That's not to say that Guardia oppressed the world... it had long since covered its iron fist with a velvet glove. The world's economy was stable, class distinctions slowly eroding, and most of all a growing sense of community.

The exception was Medina. The Mystics of the eastern lands cursed everything this day stood for to Guardians. Considering it was a centuries-old blood war, they had at least censored a few expletives from their official statement.

At the canyon east of Truce Village the Millennial Fair was in full swing. The square hosted vendors and entertainers renowned throughout Guardia. Even better? All services were free.

And yet, unbeknownst to anyone, the celebration of a thousand years would transcend millions...

Scene One

"Crono..."

Nothing.

"Crono..."

Nothing.

NOT nothing as Gina rolled her son out of bed. With a hard 'thunk' our spiky-haired protagonist finally woke up. His mother, hands at her hips, said with a sigh, "It's almost 10:00, y'know! I've got to get these sheets cleaned!"

The hero (who didn't know he would be) was a young man of around sixteen, Crono of Truce Village. His bright crimson hair, although normally spiked, was in an ungodly state of bed-head.

Crono groaned, turning to sit up. As he did so he flashed his trademark grin. Cocky, with just a hint of jackass.

"Glad you take maternal instinct seriously..."

Gina cracked a smile of her own. "Know what else is at 10:00?"

"The Fair?!" he exclaimed, "Why didn't you-"

It was at this point his ankle met the cat's head; Scratch was hardier than he was.

As he gripped the damaged appendage, Crono's mother curtly moved to the window; with a quick yank the curtains spread to reveal the Guardian countryside beyond.

"I also reminded you to set your clock!" Gina scoffed. "However that thing works..."

That brought a smile to Crono's face. Lucca's gadgets weren't her strong point. Not to mention he didn't understand it either... or any of her other ideas for that matter!

Crono rose to his feet (nursing the shiner on his leg) and shook his head. Within moments he had snatched up his coin purse, flashed a grin, and broached the door.

"Hey!"

That stopped him, turning to see his mother handling a wooden sword - his sword, all a civilian was allowed. She cracked her own smirk.

"What kind of 'great swordsman-to-be' doesn't carry a sword?"

"Aww, lay off," Crono chuckled. "I wanted to see if you'd remember!"

Gina curled a more mischievous smile. "Like you didn't?"

Wooden bokken sword tucked in his belt, Crono turned and skipped from jog to sprint out the door. It didn't take long to be out of sight, but never out of a mother's mind.

Scene Two

At the eastern side of the continent was Leene Square, hacked from a mountain into a sprawling commercial center. On any day it boasted merchants and craftsmen of all sorts; blacksmiths, tailors, woodworkers - the heart of Guardia's northern economy had it all.

But the Fair was a different matter.

All services were free (minus the merchants and peddlers) and a host of activities from foot races to a boxing robot were brand new. To cap it off was the spectacular Moonlight Parade at the Fair's end, kept in strict secrecy of what laid ahead.

"Made it!" Crono wore a Cheshire grin as he looked out on the Square.

"I've gotta get me some Porrean churros..."

A pause... and dammit.

"No wallet!?" he croaked, head hanging. "I didn't even get my allowance!"

Irked as he was he righted himself. "Guess I'll check on Lucca's new gadget!"

As he ran though, the phantom taste of churro panged him.

Taking two strides in a step he dashed through the Square, fleet of foot that depressed at least one of the racers, Crono sighted it - Leene's Bell, symbol of Guardia and the linchpin of the complex.

It wasn't till after the impact he realized what happened next. Crashing into another individual he slid to the side, as the other body fell oppositely.

And the bell rang...

[Perspective: Explanation]

Sometimes you have to let someone speak themselves. In these vignettes the thoughts and emotions of a character are expanded, in their own words. Forget the dialogue and see the monologue.

[Perspective: Runaway Princess]

You might think that living in a castle would be great, but I've always felt like a canary in a bird cage. Bodyguards and tutors and manners and... well I had good manners at least.

My name is Nadia, princess of Guardia. But call me Marle, 'kay?

I just can't stand all the attention and fuss. Yeah I'm heir to a worldwide kingdom, but no one gave me any freedom! And I never really had anyone to call my friend; isolation sucks.

Father's going to have a coronary but I just have to see what's beyond the wall!

Scene Three

Once a toll and then another, Leene's Bell slowly righted itself. Both Crono and our mystery lady just recovered.

The stranger got up first, followed by Crono.

"Uhh..."

"Are you okay?"

A nod.

Crono sized up the girl. She looked about his age, a bit smaller. Golden hair bound into a ponytail, her outfit consisted of a pure-white tunic, sandals, and bracelets the same as her hair.

But what struck Crono the most was her bright smile, a face you'd never picture a frown on.

"Sorry about that! I wasn't looking..."

"Hey, no problem."

The girl paused, a sudden panic rising.

"My pendant!"

She looked aroung frantically, not seeing what Crono had just sighted.

"My pendant!" she exclaimed. "Can I have it back? It means a lot."

Crono smiled, hand extended as long as his grin. The pendant itself, a bright blue surrounded in a ring of gold... almost seemed to glow with a flicker of crimson when the light hit it.

"Name's Crono," said the youth. "Y'gotta name?"

The universal "oh crap" face flickered.

"My name is... N... Marle! Yeah, Marle!"

Quick fix, but it sounded cool.

Crono turned his grin to a smile.

"Want me to show you the fair? Y'don't seem to have been here long."

Marle also cracked a smile, broader than she thought she did.

"Great! I haven't been to this part of the kingdom." With a bit of whimsy she added, "Wanna show me around?"

"Not a problem! First we should..."

Noting the pause, Marle asked, "Somthing wrong?"

"My damn cat!" Crono whirled around at the fleeing feline, hopping a chair and landing abruptly at the end of a stairway. As he stumbled up he remarked, "Scratch! Get back here!"

Crono whirled and rose towards the tabby-cat. This had to be, what, the ninth time?

And it was just as he fell face-first into a fruit stand that he noticed...

... it wasn't his cat.

"Hey, mister!"

... eh?

"Thanks for finding Tama for me!"

... pardon?

The mist cleared, and it all came together. Above him a sweet, smiling little girl holding a suspiciously familiar cat.

And as his vision stabilized Crono heard another voice, a sweet chuckle. To his back-left Marle wore a grin bigger than his. "You're so sweet, Crono!" she sing-songed.

Crono popped back up to an indian-style position.

"Ha! No sweat!"

...

Neither of them bought that, but what'cha gonna do?

Following the rescue of our feline companion Crono and Marle faced each other, both standing and both beaming.

"Do ya want to see the rest of the fair?"

A giggle.

"Sure!"

Another Angle (Explanation)

It is here that our story diverges. While the major plot unfolds in the main text there's more to the story! In these sections you can see minor events as a "bonus"! Think of it as an "Active-Time Event" from the game Final Fantasy IX.

Another Angle

"Let's get Hammered!"

There... isn't much to describe it; a big tower topped by a bell with a hammer next to hit.

Thrilling.

"Ooh, look!" Marle exclaimed, gazing at the tall object. "Looks fun! You should try Crono!"

"Heh, no sweat!"

He grabbed the mallet and gave it a confident smirk, lifted above his head and SLAMMED it down. The ring of his target sounded and he gave a v-sign.

"Excellent, sir!" Exclaimed the booth keeper.

"Hell yeah! What do I win?! A big trophy, right?"

Turns out the booth keeper handed a tissue to Crono, much to his dismay and humiliation. That was rough.

At that the bell sounded again - much louder than the last, and below it stood a beaming Marle.

"So?"

...

Nah, she didn't need the tissue.

Another Angle

"Another Hammer?"

Across the square several games and other attractions everywhere - given the size of it a lot of foot work was required. We bring our attention to the midway west to see a table lined with bottles.

"I'm gonna get hammered!" Crono exclaimed. "I... mean I can win, right?"

A burly fellow elbowed him back. Kind of a cross between an everyday thug without blinhg."

"Can't have a kid in here!"

"Hey, what?! Crono huffed. "I can drink cola better than you, tubby!"

"It's ALE you idiot! Now get lost!"

Another Angle

"Be Still, My Racing Heart"

"Hey, look! It's a race track!" yelled Marle.

Indeed it was, a circular pattern cutting through the soft soil. Four lines, four lanes, each staffed by a different racer. Now, like every good anime/video game moment...

First Racer! Armored and studded, he who carries the wishes of all around him! He is... Steel Runner!

... It looked like an old-time soldier with a heavy medieval breastplate complete with metal leggings and a thick helmet. For whatever reason a sword lay by his side. Your guess is as good as mine.

Second Racer! This vicious combatant masks a fierce heart with a bestial guise! He is... Green Ambler!

... There's no way anyone could pull off a full Reptite suit (indeed green and scaly) by chance so let's chalk it up to coincidence.

Third Racer! How patriotic can you be with this fine specimen? Slim figure and an iron-clad determination to protect our fine country! He is... GI Jogger!

... Well, he bought that suit in a resale store.

Fourth Racer! He doesn't need any more lives, 'cause he's rockin' this one! He is... Catalack!

... It's a cat. That sums it up.

Marle's eyes lit up, a wide smile crossing her face.

"Looks like fun!" she said with a chirp. "But why are they inside a big circle-thing?"

From one of the folk nearby the response was, "It's a race, milady! Four of the finest in Guardia!"

"Really?! But why do they keep going in circles? It's all a bunch of left turns."

The race official looked a bit strangely with her. That was... something hadn't thought of, but it did make sense...

"Well, folks! We have four great participants. Choose whomver you like, and find a nice reward for a win!"

"Very interesting," a withered old man croaked, a toothless grin forming. "They don't know who will win?"

Crono frowned. "And you do?"

"'Course my boy! Steel Runner! Wearing that heavy armor toned is abs, an' he'll make use of those muscles to win the championship!"

"Nar, it'll be the guy in soldier garb! Slim, fit, and made fo battle! No chance he'll lose!"

Putting her fingers on her chin, Marle spoke up, "It'll be the kitty, yeah!"

"Why?"

Marle gave a giggle with her tongue pointed, "He's cute!"

All parties involved sort of paused, but by then the countdown began.

The four racers jolted forward, the marked soil kicking up as they ran. At first the Green Ambler was ahead - and then along came G.I. Jogger right behind. They were all surprisingly quick for their goofy appearances - and the guy in whole plate armor took the lead with a surprise burst of speed.

It was as if they melded with the wind, flowing along like no video game character racer would be! Well, depends on the frame rate I guess...

G.I. Jogger hopped from point to point with side-steps darting ahead of Steel Runner, and was met with a deft flip from the Green Ambler. All of the three headliners approached the finish line!

Well, they tried to - each of them stumbled in sequence on one another, and so Catalak gracefully hopped over them all to win the race.

"Looks like the kitty won," chirped Marle. She beamed as both Crono and the old dude slunk in defeat.

Another Angle

"Battling Boxers! - Aka, I Got Fisted By A Robot"

At the furthest-west corner of the park the pair approached a wide area cordoned off from the rest. It was a nice-looking space cordoned off. In the middle was a bizarre construct looking like a large of tin pots stacked one upon the other, the top of it with a chunky, dumpling-shaped 'head' and a clear bulge in its center.

Marle's eyes widened at the sight of it, only barely stopping herself from tilting over.

"What in the world is this?! It's... huge!"

"Lucca calls this a 'raw-boot', or something. Says this moves on its own."

"Wh... whoa! Really?!"

Crono reached past Marle into a cabinet-like container, withdrawing with two fist-shaped gloves and fitting them together.

"She told me to wear these 'boxing gloves'," Crono said as he tied the second glove.

"Box? Why would someone punch a box with these?"

"Like I know? Anyway, the way it works is... um..."

He'd stopped talking when he caught Marle's alluring smile.

"You put these on and try to hit the center of that thing. If you do it you win, and get some SERIOUS Silver Points!"

"You... think it's too easy to punch that? Doesn't sound challenging to me. Is that all?"

Crono stepped forward with confidence. An odd bell-like tool sounded with a sharp cry, and the 'thing' went to work. As Crono dodges and weaved the construct met his steps with clunky, unrefined movement. With a confident smile Crono dodged beneath it's legs - and he aimed a stromg, gut-busting blow!

Or he tried to. The robot's stomach fired it's own boxing glove. Crono fell back with a slew of birds circling his face. Marle ran up to him.

"Wow, are you alright? You really... uh, sucked."

Jumping back to his feet Crono again took up his stance. This time it was a REAL boxing stance, no reason why he'd know it, but, whatever;

"Time for round two, punk!" Crono growled, lifting the gloves for another assault.

And a dozen or so times later, he finally just fell back and gave up.

Marle strode gingerly to him.

"You tried hard!" she smirked. "Kind of... cute!"

Crono blushed, even redder than his hair.

Scene Four

All manner of booths and games populated the Square - jugglers, spree ball, etc. By the time Marle and Crono reached three-fourths into the fair when she stopped, head cocking quizzically.

"Say, Crono... what's with that sword? I never knew they could be wood."

"Well... the Guardian law means you can't carry a real weapon, so a steel sword is out."

"Ahh..." Marle breathed; "Yeah, Dad said to never..."

Crono stopped and turned.

"Eh? Dad?"

Marle gave a nervous giggle, tongue out and eye blinking.

"Yeah, uh, my... Dad... he, uh... he's a smart soldier! Just a soldier, 'kay?"

The concept sort of tapered off. Crono shrugged it away. At least another lie worked!

Throughout the fairgrounds, past all the dunk-tank and the fire-breather, one single item piqued Crono's eye: a swordsmith selling his wares.

"Holy crap!" he exclaimed. Every sword they had, he wanted. Badly.

Crono ran towards the booth, Marle right behind him.

The gentleman running the shop was a peculiar figure, a man of about his seventies wearing a bright, blue and orange tunic. His eyes were bespectacled, and he wore an odd hat with, well, turned at the top to form a set of 'ears'.

"Anyone fancy a spear, a sword? Top-class mechandise!"

Crono's speed dropped as he sighted the armaments. These were way above the quality in the stores in town. For a youngster without anything made of steel, he may as well have been looking at a cannon instead of a pop-gun.

"Finest steel in Guardia," the elder said. "Buy from me and you'll never fear rogue beasts!"

Crono eyed the arsenal, a flicker of excitement crossing his face; all of them looked sturdy enough but one caught his eye.

"Hey, gramps," he said. "How much does that one cost?"

Melchior's moustache twitched.

"Total of 4,000 Gil, lad."

"WHAT? I never seen that much cash!"

"Not for you, then. Feel free to look at it if you want to relive your poverty."

Although Crono sulked, Melchior caught a glance at Marle's pendant. It was as if he'd made a billion Gil... but this wasn't about money.

"Say, lass!" he exclaimed. "That pendant of yours... how much can I buy it from you? Not less than 10,000,000 Gil I'd pay for it!"

Jumping from depression, Crono snapped, "She told me it's real important to her, so just back off."

"Ah, but I've an eye for that-which-cannot-be-bought! I've a liking to it myself, and I would'nt cheat the little miss for a single coin! Perhaps I'd offer double? Triple it? Match however many Gil you'd like and I'd buy it!"

Marle frowned, arms cross with a pout.

"Well you can't have it! Daddy would never-"

...

"It looks nice on me, so I'll keep it!"

Melchior's eye, and his alone, could see a faint, blue aura around the young girl. At once he stopped.

"My apologies my lady! I'll not burden you further!"

"He's... really weird, Crono. Let's go."

The two youths continued on, but he stroked his chin.

"Lord only knows," he muttered, "An aura of fine splendor about her, AND the pendant... Interesting..."

Scene Five

"So... all's 'bout left to see is Lucca," Crono said. "I hope I don't get covered in gunpoweder this time."

"Hmm... what's in that tent over there?"

Crono stopped with a confused look, noting with skepticism "Yeah, the skull on the top looks inviting. Let's move on."

Marle pouted, "Well I wanna see it! You wouldn't send a poor young girl to this thing alone?"

Well, that made sense. Withour further conversation the two youths drew open the curtains to find...

A big clown head with gloves. Seriously. Crono swallowed hard; Marle shrieked.

"Come one, come all to Norstein Bekkler's world of terror! Dare you dance with the Devil for a prize? Of course you will!"

A suspicious look crossed both their faces, but it seemed weird enough to work.

"A wondrous show today, an amazing prize to be won! All for 40 Silver Points!"

Between them they just made it; 46 points.

Still unnerved, Crono said "Let me try, then."

Bekkler nodded, and snapped his fingers to present a perfect replica of Crono!

"Holy hell!" Crono exclaimed, "You even copied the hair! You wanna know how much it takes to style every morning?!"

"A copy of you, perhaps? A mirror, an illusion, a dream? Try and find out for yourself! All you need to do is mimic every motion the doppleganger makes to earn your prize!"

That didn't make a lot of sense one way, but then it actually did. Crono stepped to the stage hesitantly, but firmly. The clone lifted its right hand; Crono did as well.

Right leg, left foot, raise the roof - a myriad of motions led to a loss with his left hand.

"Gah," Crono huffed; "All those points for nothing!"

Bekkler smirked. "The way of the world, lad! Why, only the goddess of fate can-"

At that he stopped, almost frozen. The red-haired teen was surrounded in a shimmering gold aura - wisps and lashes all across his body.

"Say, lad... I like you! Give it one more try on the house!"

The whole scene repeated itself, one hand, two hands, a jump, a spin, and...

A perfect left hand!

Crono fist pumped, "Oh hell yeah! Gotcha, sucker! Who's on top now!"

Marle and Bekkler stared in a mutual look of disbelief.

He grinned sheepishly. "Might've been too much."

Bekkler clapped both hovering gloves, which was still weird in the first place.

"Fine job, boy! And your prize IS..."

Silence.

"And your prize IS...!"

Silence.

Bekkler drew back and slapped Crono HARD.

"Never heard of a drumroll? Bah. Your prize is...!"

They all paused, and none of them really knew what was going on.

"It's the clone there. We cool?"

Crono stroke his chin, muttering "Guess I won't need a mirror, then."

Indeed, the clone stepped forward, fist-pumped, and backflip across the tent grounds.

"No need to worry! I'll have it delivered to your house. Make sure your cat doesn't piss on it."

Both of them looked at each other, and back to the clone. The scary part is that it stared at them, too.

"Uh... yeah, we're out of here. Thanks for the creepy doll, dude."

Crono and Marle exited the tent, leaving only Bekkler... and not realizing that he'd never asked where Crono's house was.

Perspective: Gina

I have a hell of a boy, let me tell you! He's brash, overconfident, snarky - all things he got from his father. When I first met him, Joaquim was an ass. We didn't date long before a one-night-stand mucked my life up. But y'know, I'm proud he was my husband.

And then I lost him.

Scene Six

The final space left at the Fair was far to the rear, a wide sunken platform built upon it. Both Crono and Marle didn't realize it until a young lass sighed, "The Ashtears have another toy; at least I'm caught up with my insurance this time."

"Yeah, that's right! Lucca and her dad set up a new project of theirs," Crono said, following with a weary sigh. "I'll be glad if that raw-boot boxer thingy isn't over there."

Both Crono and Marle walked towards the square; they passed Leene's Bell only for Marle to halt.

"I'm gonna buy a snack," she said; "mind if you hang on till then, 'kay?"

Crono sighed. Not much he could do but, well, do. Marle perused each candy maker around the central square, looking through all the sweets - cotton candy, chocolate cupcakes, a few early types of ice cream... The last part was brand new. The kingdom started adjusting to modern technology of refrigeration just in time for the festivities.

It took a few minutes for Marle to decide on the ice cream.

"Thanks for waiting," she chirped with a grin.

The two headed forward, past Leene's Bell, to a more level area, ground from the northen canyon into a risen platform; it was the sight of a strange machine that made it all look foreign.

It was a bizarre construct: two platforms across from each other joined with steel tubes, and a weird bunch of levers, buttons, and switches at the front.

All that seemed normal for the figure at the center.

She was a lithe, bespectacled young woman, around the same age as Crono and Marle, with vibrant purple hair capped with a helmet attached with on the right side with what looked like an antenna and a microphone. She carried a tunic with pockets and a large bag thrown around her shoulder.

"Come one, come all!" she exclaimed; "Witness the greatest machine EVER built: the Telepod! I know, you're salivating, so let me explain!"

Lucca gestured to her right.

"Step on this platform, stand for a second, and you'll be shunted to..."

Now to her left...

"This l'il baby! It works by disassembling your matter to energy! Then it goes - WHOOSH! - to the next one!"

A dumb silence was all she received.

"Fine, be uncultured as you want, but SOMEONE will try my masterpiece! And who better than my good friend Crono?"

Crono's face jerked, all the confusion focused on himself.

"You... mean... I want to get cut up and thrown on a chunk of metal?"

"In a word... yeah. Now get your butt up here, Crono!"

With great trepidation that he complied. He wasn't going to win the argument.

Lucca nodded to her father, the blacksmith Taban, and he pulled down a lever next to him. As he pulled Lucca twisted a dial sharply to her left, following with typing on the keyboard. At first it didn't do anything, but after around thirty seconds the platform glowed with blue light.

Crono could feel it; his arm, his leg, and the rest of him seemed to break into puzzle pieces, disassemble, and pull to the other stage. Just as quickly and fluidly he appeared again.

And he was intact, shivering with fear, on Lucca's other teleportation pad.

The crowd exploded into applause, wide eyes, and mouths gaping.

So did Lucca.

"Holy CRAP! It worked!"

Crono glared.

"What do you mean, 'it worked'?"

Lucca smiled sheepishly.

"Uh... shouldn't have said that, but whatever. See, my captive audience, the genius that is myself!" She cackled, not seeing the confusion on everyone's faces.

With her mouth wide open, Marle leapt up.

"Me too! Me too!"

Lucca blinked.

"How'd you find this cutie, Crono?"

Taban stood up, still tired from pulling the levers. He sighed, "You want me to do it again?! Fine... Behold, ladies and gentlemen, this vision of beauty!"

Marle stepped onto the first Pod.

"Hee-hee!" she chuckled. "So I'll get broken and fixed over there, right?! Cool!"

Crono's eye twitched. That was one of the stupidest thing he'd heard. She WANTED to do that?

Taban knelt at the levers, Lucca repeating her prepping moves.

"Sure you want to do this, lass?" Taban said with half a whisper. "There's still time to say no."

Marle huffed. Question answered, the two started the Telepod again. It was the same as before, a soft light opening beneath her, and an odd tingle.

But that wasn't all that glowed; the pendant around her neck burst with a flood of a deeper blue. The entire square seemed to shudder at the spectacle.

The distortion appeared, small at first but unrolling into a pulsing blue sphere. Like before Marle shimmered, but instead of moving to the Pod, she was dragged into the sphere.

"Crono!" she screamed. "Help me, Crono-!"

She hadn't finished speaking when Crono leapt towards her.

Time froze, Marle's slim hand nearly meeting Crono's own.

And then it all faded, the orb gone with Marle, and Crono crashing to the ground where she'd disappeared.

The doors of time had been thrown open...