Start Date: January 8, 2022
Windwillow
Chrono Trigger
Chapter Twenty-Eight
One by one, Gaspar's hints had been solved. Now only one remained, what he referred to as the Sunken Desert. Out of the team, only Crono and Lucca hadn't had their moments of revelation...
But, those moments would affect them more than the others could understand.
Scene One
"So, no power-up, Janus?"
Magus shook his head.
"The swine provided nothing but satisfaction."
Gaspar tipped his hat.
"What a shame... Oh, by the way. I'd check out Medina in C.E. 1000 sometime. Ozzie's descendant is now the house butler for the new mayor. Emphasis on butt-ler."
Frog sighed.
"Can we get back to the matter at hand?"
Gaspar nodded.
"Next up, in the middle ages there is a desolate wasteland in southern Zenan where no trees grow."
Crono paused.
"The Sunken Desert. I hate that place."
Lucca sighed.
"It's... sort of a sore spot for him, guys."
Marle raised her hand.
"Question! How do we help this desert? Isn't it natural?"
Gaspar shook his head.
"No, I'm afraid it's artificial. As part of the Mystic War, Magus created a monsters' den there so travel would be impeded."'
Lucca groaned, and pointed at Magus.
"Okay, buster! You're gonna come clean up your mess!"
Magus crossed his arms.
"YOU clean it up. I'm tired."
Lucca flipped him off. Marle sighed.
"Look, me and Lucca will go with Crono. We can do the job."
She glared at Magus.
"YOUR job."
Magus sighed. Gaspar tapped his cane.
"Ah, but things are a bit more complicated than that. At Zeal, do you remember the woman you met with the seed?"
Crono nodded.
"Yeah. But what does that have to do with anything?"
Gaspar tipped his hat.
"A woman named Fiona in the middle ages holds that seed, passed through her family for generations. She holds the key to rejuvenating the Sunken Desert. Find her, fix the problem, and the desert will have never existed."
Crono paused. He shook his head.
"Then, let's go. Marle, Lucca, you're with me."
Another Angle
"Approaching the Anniversary"
"That boy! He's almost late for the anniversary. What a little nut."
Gina sighed.
"Oh, but I wish I could see you again, Joaquim... If only that damn desert hadn't swallowed you..."
Scene Two
"Oh, my! You like plants, too?"
Lucca nodded.
"I hear you've got a knack for botany."
Fiona cocked her head.
"Really? From whom?"
Marle sighed.
"A friend of a friend. Listen, we want to restore the desert, but we'll need some help once we clear it."
Fiona nodded.
"I... have some seeds I'd like to plant, but the monsters make that impossible. Why, you'd need to kill all the beasts! How could one do such?"
Crono was silent. Marle nodded.
"We can make it happen if you can do your part. Can we shake on it?"
Fiona cocked her head.
"Shake on what?"
Lucca sighed.
"They didn't say that back th... I mean, around here."
Crono gripped Dreamseeker.
"We can make it happen... We will. We have to."
Lucca paused, and sighed.
"What a mess..."
Another Angle
"Back at the End of Time: Desert Blues"
"Crono appeared shaken earlier. Do you know why, Gaspar?"
Gaspar sighed.
"When Crono was a kid, his father Joaquim was a merchant. He got himself killed in the Sunken Desert while on a run, leaving Crono and his mother alone."
Frog paused.
"So... This is personal."
Gaspar nodded.
"Yes."
Ayla cracked her knuckles.
"Gloomy guy make Cro sad. Me kick ass."
Magus sighed.
"Easy, now. The kids will figure something out. I'm sure they can."
Yeah, right. The Retinite I placed there will butcher them.
Scene Three
"Okay, we have the goal. How are we supposed to get down there?"
Crono sighed.
"I really don't wanna jump in."
Lucca grinned.
"I could blow it open."
Marle shook her head.
"I'll take care of it."
She stood above the sandy maw, and placed her hands in front of her. Slowly a spark formed between them, and as she hurled it down the sand split from front to back by a column of ice. What remained was a tunnel of frozen water, complete with a simple staircase. Lucca's jaw dropped.
"H-holy..."
Marle giggled.
"I said before, I got a lot more power now. Would you like a hand rail?"
Crono shook his head.
"No, I think we're good. Let's go."
Another Angle
"Back Then: Joaquim's Demise"
We now turn back the clock by ten years. The merchant trade between Zenan and Porre has always been strong, two cultures and two economies working in sync to create a thriving market. Porrean goods and Zenan's baked goods were lucrative to trade.
Joaquim was a merchant, one that carried baked goods and raw materials from Zenan to Porre. His trade was strong, but the path between the two realms was fraught with danger; the Sunken Desert was an omnipresent danger.
"Are you sure, Joaquim?"
Nodding, Joaquim hugged Gina.
"It's just another day. I'll be fine."
Gina paused, and hugged him back.
"Crono and I depend on you. If you die..."
He put a finger to her lips.
"I won't die. Don't be paranoid."
He kissed her goodbye, and left with his caravan. The trip was long and hard, with both desert and wasteland to contend with. Eventually they reached the halfway point, a large chasm of sand and stone they called the "Devil's Maw."
"It's just a bit further," said Joaquim, slinging his pack over his back. "We'll be there in a few days."
But, as he tried to cross, a violent rumble echoed. The Maw trembled and quaked, stones collapsing like a beast's jaws. The caravan drew back, but Joaquim continued carefully. The task had to be done.
The final cave-in ended his journey, and the family bond with his wife and son.
Scene Four
It was a quiet trip to the bottom of the chasm, no monsters in sight; it was chilly, though. The trio arrived and entered a cavern filled with sand, stalagmites, and stalactites. Almost immediately, a series of monstrous centipedes and scorpions attacked.
Crono deftly severed one head, as Lucca blew apart a group of scorpions. Marle, meanwhile, raised her hand and clenched it, releasing a cold shockwave that froze the remaining monsters solid. She opened her hand with a flourish, and the beasts broke apart. Lucca's mouth gaped.
"H-holy... what-the-what?!"
Marle giggled.
"Don't worry, you guys can do it too after this."
They descended lower, and after dispatching more Mystics - Crono and Lucca made a concerted effort to outdo Marle - they reached a vast chamber filled with sand. It was a sandpit, looking like it did up above except for a sinister rumbling.
A bony hand burst from the ground, dragging with it a skeletal monstrosity that resembled the Zombor that they fought at Zenan Bridge. One major difference was a writhing mass of flesh in its center. Crono drew his sword.
"Showtime!"
Crono crouched and ran, but jumped back as a lightning-fast bone was launched from the creature. He righted himself, sliding back, and the bone regenerated as a spike. Lucca readied her gun.
"Looks like it can control the calcium in its bones! Watch out!"
Marle heard a sound.
"Lucca, move!"
She pushed Lucca out of the way of a centipedal creature that broke open beneath her, which turned and hissed before retreating underground. Crono's eyes narrowed, seeing the center of the Mystic's core writhe.
"I think that was the fleshy thing in its chest. It's a giant worm's nest!"
Another bone shot out, as Crono evaded and lunged the spike from before thrust itself towards him like a spear. Before it could hit Marle froze it. She snarled.
"Watch it!"
The Retinite opened its maw and spat out a series of bone-spears. Lucca blasted them away, but as the second volley approached her, Crono severed them with a wave of lightning from his sword. Another worm burst out from beneath him, and Lucca threw out her hand and blew Crono out of the way. Scorched, he growled.
"The hell was that?!"
Lucca smirked.
"You're still there, right?"
Crono groaned.
"Gee, thanks. What next?"
Marle launched a series of crossbow bolts, but they were skewered by still more bones. She froze it before they could reach her, but still retreated harshly. Marle snarled.
"None of our magic works!"
Lucca paused.
"Then maybe all of ours will! Look at our formation!"
The three were in a vaguely triangular position with the Retinite in the center.
"Everyone at once!"
All three heroes slammed their hands to the ground. As they did an iceberg shunted upwards, freezing it. A whirling tornado of flame engulfed the Retinite, and a final thunderbolt broke it apart entirely. The central worm squealed and writhed before vaporizing. Lucca grinned.
"Uniting our powers is great! We've gotta do it more often!"
A slow rumble echoed, as the sands in the chamber slowed and stopped. The sunken chasm had been neutralized. Crono smiled.
"That felt great! Let's check on Fiona!"
Scene Five
"I-I cannot believe the sandstorm is gone!"
Crono crossed his arms and smirked.
"We did our part, so now bring the forest back."
Fiona shook her head.
"I can plant the seeds, yes, but to till and cultivate them would take centuries... How could we find a laborer that could finish the task?"
Lucca paused.
"We might have an idea."
As the three left the house, Marle sighed.
"What kind of idea is it?"
Lucca smiled grimly.
"Robo. We can leave him here to cultivate the forest for a few centuries and then retrieve him in our era."
Crono's mouth went open.
"Can we do that? Can he even stand working that long, that hard?"
Lucca paused.
"On both counts, I dunno. But we have to try... Let's head back and talk to him about it."
Scene Six
"I understand. I shall fulfill your plan, Lucca."
Marle cocked her head.
"You realize it'll be four hundred years, right? All alone?"
Robo nodded.
"I can do my part. Please, allow me to do so."
Lucca sighed.
"I dunno if this will even work, but... If Robo's on board, let's head back and bring that forest back! To think, I flunked botany class! Heh!"
Crono stood off to the side, lowering his head. He said nothing.
They dropped off Robo in the middle ages, and as they departed they watched as he tilled the ground and went about restoring the forest to its former splendor. After a quick jaunt with the Epoch they reached C.E. 1000, and were stunned at what they saw.
What was once a barren desert was now a thriving, sprawling grove of green and blue. The verdant land was caked with small rivers and lakes, and in the center was a large shrine. As they descended, Crono swallowed hard.
Scene Seven
"Well, he looks like hell."
Robo, indeed, had looked better. He was covered in mud and grime, laying on his knees on a pedestal. The shrine was covered with flowers and bright colors, with vendors handing out hand-made trinkets like hats and hairpins.
"I'll give him some juice."
Lucca kicked Robo in the shin, and he came to life. He shook his head.
"Has it really been four centuries...? It seems longer..."
Crono patted him on the shoulder.
"Rise and shine, big guy. You did it!"
Marle giggled.
"The forest is back!"
Robo nodded.
"I suggest we celebrate our reunion. Perhaps a nighttime party in the center of the forest? I know of a great place for a fire."
Lucca smiled.
"Sounds good."
Scene Eight
"This is great! You outdid yourself, Robo!"
Marle poured tea for Crono. He grinned and sipped it.
"It looks great."
Ayla raised her hand.
"Robo make desert green. Ayla happy."
Frog nodded.
"Another task complete."
Lucca glared at Magus.
"No thanks to SOMEONE who will remain unnamed."
Magus crossed his arms. Robo rose.
"I have been thinking much these past centuries. Many things have occurred to me in that time."
Lucca took a swig of cola.
"Like what?"
Robo paused.
"The higher power Gaspar referenced... I believe it is the planet itself."
Marle cocked her head.
"Why do you think that?"
Robo nodded.
"If we assume that a higher power wants us to defeat Lavos, that power would have a significant amount of interest in doing so. Look at the ages the Gates have sent us to: The fall of Lavos, Zeal's destruction, Magus's war, the Millennial Fair, and my time..."
Lucca gasped.
"The planet's reliving its own memories! We're being guided to save the world by the planet! The reason we came all this way... Is it because each era marks a turning point for the planet...?"
Frog nodded.
"Our world's grief created the Gates. We're the means to an end."
Robo shook his head.
"I believe it is more than that. This higher power - assuming it is the planet - gives us strength, by linking ourselves to it. Look at what we have accomplished: Frog atoned for his past. I destroyed Mother Brain. Marle reunited with her father. Ayla marked a holy occasion in her life."
Marle sipped tea.
"So, because we solved our problems, the planet gave us power?"
Robo nodded.
"Assuming Magus has no wishes to fulfill..."
Magus crossed his arms and sighed. Robo continued.
"... all that remains are Lucca and Crono. Crono's interest remains... uncertain, but what of Lucca? What is her greatest regret?"
Lucca paused and bowed her head.
"I'm gonna leave it at that, guys..."
Crono frowned.
"Let's get some sleep... Morning ought to pep us all up."
Scene Nine
What is my greatest regret? I can't fix that... I'd need to change my OWN past, not the planet's... And how would that even be possible...?
Lucca woke in a cold sweat. She looked at her friends, sleeping, as a strange feeling echoed through her mind, telling her to go... somewhere. Curiously she rose, and as she moved through the forest brush a large red orb formed before her.
"A... A Gate...?!"
The orb flickered and became a Gate. Lucca paused. Her voice lowered to a whisper.
"Can this really be happening...?"
Her heartbeat fluttered, as she touched the Gate and moved through it.
She emerged in her room, in a haze of emotion. Landing on her bed, she righted herself and assessed the situation. This was the day...
"My, my! Taban and his toys!"
Lucca's blood ran cold. She rushed to her window and saw her mother Lara, cleaning up one of Taban's devices. Her skirt was caught and she was slowly drawn towards a mechanical maw. Though she tried frantically to escape she could not.
"Mama!"
Feeling another chill, Lucca watched as her own younger self struggled to free Lara. But, that couldn't be done... Not without a certain word. She slipped by into her father's workshop, and found a strange device with a typing machine.
"The password..."
Lucca paused.
"The password is... the name of my lovely wife..."
She tapped in the word.
"LARA"
The machine stopped, and Lucca freed her mother. As they celebrated Lucca retreated to her room and fell onto her bed. She remembered, now. After Lara lost her legs, Lucca decided to become a scientist. All of her life had stemmed from this one moment.
In a flash, Lucca's body was engulfed in red light. She could feel the planet's power running through her, and as she clenched her fist, she smiled. The Gate opened and she exited the past.
Scene Ten
"I can't believe I did it!"
Lucca's eye caught Robo, as he stepped from the forest canopy. Without a word he opened a hatch in his chest, and withdrew a small green medallion. It glowed with a soft, gentle light. He handed it to her.
"I created this with amber from a sapling I cultivated... It took four centuries of work to make it, but I believe you would appreciate it more than myself."
Softly, Lucca smiled and took the amber.
"Robo, you're so sweet!"
In the morning the party awoke, and as everyone rose Lucca raised her hand.
"I need to use the Epoch. Can I?"
There was no objection, so she and Crono took the Epoch to her house. With an unsteady heart she rushed in, and as she entered she saw Lara walking in to serve Taban some cola. She could walk.
Lucca rushed forward and hugged Lara.
"I can't believe it!"
Lara struggled to right herself.
"Easy, dear! You made me spill my drink!"
Tears in her eyes, Lucca hugged her more tightly.
"Just let me have this moment... okay, Ma...?"
At the word Ma, a thought occurred to Crono; he'd forgotten his father's anniversary. He rushed to his house, and threw open the door.
"Ma, I'm sorry I forgot!"
Gina cocked her head.
"Forgot what?"
Crono paused.
"Wait... what?"
Another figure emerged, one with bright red hair.
"Why are you acting so strangely, son? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Crono fell to his knees with tears in his eyes. Although he tried to speak, no sound came out. He opened his mouth, but he began to sob.
"Oh, my God! Dad!"
He ran up and hugged Joaquim tightly. The merchant cocked his head.
"Why are you acting so strangely?"
Crono tightened his embrace.
"Just... just let me have this moment... okay, Dad...?"
A brilliant light emerged from Crono, nearly blinding his parents. As he rose, tears in his eyes, a weary smile crossed his lips. He murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
"Thank you..."