Start Date: January 12, 2022
Windwillow
Chrono Trigger
Chapter Twenty-Nine
They all had faced their demons and conquered them. Frog made amends with his friend. Ayla marked a vital moment in her life. Robo made a promise to a friend, and ended the vile A.I. Mother Brain. Marle and her father finally reconnected. Lucca repaired both her mother's legs, and her own broken heart. And Crono's actions brought a man back from the dead. Magus was, as always, grumpy.
Yet now, with all these tasks completed, only one remained, a floating abomination, helmed by a twisted soul...
The Black Omen beckoned.
Scene One
"My, oh my. You've all become so strong."
Gaspar tipped his hat.
"I'm glad you guys flew as high as you did... Impressive."
Frog nodded, and adjusted the Masamune.
"We've found the strength within us... as well as the planet's own will."
Gaspar chuckled.
"Cat's out of the bag, eh? Yes, you're being empowered by the planet. Its will to save itself and its dream? That is what has guided you. Now, it's shared its power with you... And it's time to bring down the curtain."
Ayla pumped her fist.
"Planet help Ayla, Ayla help planet."
Lucca adjusted her glasses.
"I never thought I could make things right... I'm in. Let's give the planet the tender lovin' care it's shown us."
Marle giggled.
"My fa... my daddy and I have a lot to catch up on."
Robo nodded.
"The wisdom I have received will be useful for my own life, as well. I have high expectations of my future."
Crono smiled nervously.
"Now my father HAS a future. I'll give a hundred-ten percent to save the world, now that I owe it so much."
Gaspar tapped his cane.
"Ah, but now we come to the elephant in the room. There is one final task! And anyone with eyes can see the unholy shrine that is your next destination. That poor, twisted woman must be put to rest... for her sake, and all of ours."
Magus sighed.
"She's my business. Stay out of it. I'm going to do the deed myself."
I owe it to her and Schala to end this madness.
Marle cocked her head.
"But, how to get there? The Epoch only holds three people."
Lucca raised her hand.
"I can fiddle with it a bit, but even then six is as many as I can fit. What about the seventh?"
Robo stepped forward.
"I believe I have a solution. Place me inside a Capsule and take me there."
Lucca shook her head.
"Absolutely not! We don't know what'll happen in there... You might not come out!"
Frog crossed his arms.
"Have faith, Lucca. We've come this far... and if Robo believes it, we can make it happen."
Lucca sighed.
"Fine. I'll get to work modifying the Epoch. Robo, I'll need some help. Let's start ASAP."
Crono paused.
"We gotta be sure we're ready. Once we get there, we're in for the long haul. If there's anything we need to do, we better do it first."
Marle nodded.
"I wanna see my dad."
Lucca raised her hand.
"After I'm done, I wanna spend some time with my parents."
Ayla smiled.
"Ayla like see Kino."
Robo nodded.
"I have no business to attend to. I shall work to my limits."
Crono leaned against a light pole.
"My dad and I have a lot to talk about..."
Frog sighed.
"Perhaps I could speak with His Majesty..."
Magus crossed his arms.
"I've got no one to care about anymore."
Gaspar tipped his hat.
"Right, then. After Lucca and Robo finish, I'd like you all to take some time with your loved ones. This isn't something to rush into, folks. If you don't want to follow through, I can't blame you. Now, this is your time to decide what you'll do at this fated hour... Go. Find your own answers."
I believe in you. You can do this. In fact, I wish I could go with you... if only these old bones could move. But... the planet would understand if you chose to walk away... These are your lives. Live them as you see fit.
Scene Two: Crono
"I'm glad you decided to go fishing, son. We don't have enough time like this."
Joaquim tossed his rod. Crono smiled and did the same.
We HAVE time. That's what counts.
A breeze wafted by. Crono was the first to speak.
"Y'know, I've thought about doing this for a long time. Whenever it came to mind, I tried to think about what we would talk about. I thought and thought, but in the end all I wanted was to be next to you, Dad."
Joaquim nodded.
"It's everything to me to be with you like this. More than anything else, I love you and your mother..."
Crono grew silent.
"And I know I haven't always been there... But everything I do is for your sakes. Because I'm always away, all I want is to come home."
Crono smiled nervously.
"All I've ever wanted was... to HAVE you home."
I turned sixteen a month back... Ten years I've been without you. Every time I look at Ma, I'd think of you. Now that you're back... I'm just so... grateful...
Joaquim smiled and reeled in his rod.
"Why so solemn? It's like you haven't seen me in years!"
Crono froze. Slowly, as a tear formed, he choked out a laugh.
"Yeah, it's funny. Heh..."
I know that Ma'd cried a lot. I didn't see her do it, but I just knew. Hell, I did it too. And if the planet felt that kind of grief, I...
Crono reeled in a fish.
I wanna wipe away its tears. I'm all in. Lavos needs to be stopped, and dammit I owe it to someone special to put a foot up his ass. This is my decision... and I'll fight with everything I've got!
Scene Three: Marle
"Easy on the jerky! I've got the castle medic raving about my cholesterol..."
Marle smiled, and took a sip of tea.
"Sorry. But I think we both need to celebrate us coming back together. How long has it been...?"
The King took a bite of jerky.
"Ten years. When Aliza died, we drifted apart... I'm ashamed it's taken this long to make amends."
So am I. Ever since I was six, you and I have been fighting like cats and dogs. We never agreed. All we did was yell at each other...
"Well... We're back together now. Isn't that what matters?"
King Guardia took a sip of tea.
"For the first time in a decade, I think I could face your mother. Without her, everything just sort of fell apart..."
Yeah. I remember now. When Mom died, I started rebelling. I just lashed out at the one person I had left to yell at. I just... wanted to let someone know how I felt.
Marle nodded.
"It's been a long time..."
The King took a large bite of jerky.
"Since what?"
She smiled.
"Since I called you Daddy."
Crono and I have each other now. But now, I've got you again. When Mom died... when Crono died... It all was so empty. I felt like I was ripped in half. The planet gave me the both of you... And... I wanna give it something back, too...
Scene Four: Lucca
"The way you look at me, it's strange... Why do you keep asking for more lemonade?"
Lucca took a sip of lemonade.
"I suppose I just wanna see you walk."
Lara cocked her head.
"What does that mean?"
Lucca shook her head.
"Nah, just forget it. I'm talking to myself."
Ten years... For ten years I watched you go up and down that escalator. I always wanted to take walks with you, just to talk with you... Every time I see your back when you go to the kitchen, I feel something I can't explain.
Taban took a swig of cola.
"You've been acting strange. Me and Robo have been bustin' our asses on this Epoch thing and you've been slackin'! Get it together, girl. We need ya!"
I've needed you, too. Every time you came home drunk I knew why... and all I could do was blame myself. I thought I was the one who brought everything down. Now that I've changed my life, it's the other way around: I was the one who brought everything back together.
Lucca smiled.
"Sorry, Dad. I've just been thinking a lot. And, I... All I think is it's so fun to watch you drink cola. It's nice to see you and Mom dance together. I'm glad you're there to help me with my homework."
I watch you two now, and... You don't fight anymore. You laugh, dance, kiss... Always thought that was gross. Heh. You've got your lives back. Thinking that the one who gave me this chance could lose its own...
"I love you guys. That's what it boils down to."
The planet gave me back my life. The least I can do is give back to it. I'll give it everything I've got! Lavos, watch out! I'm comin' for you!
Scene Five: Frog
It's been ten years... Ever since you died I've relived that moment. Every day, and every night before I fell asleep I saw your face. But, not just yours...
"To see you both so well fills my heart with joy."
Leene giggled.
"Why, thank you! You know, I still remember Cyrus... The two of you were inseperable. And after all of... this... happened, you hadn't looked me in the eye once. Now I can't avert my eyes from yours, your gaze is so tight."
I lost you, Cyrus, but not my King and Queen. Your last words were to protect Leene, to fulfill the will you had to serve our nation. I was always so soft. Never did I think I'd be fighting monsters and devils for friends I'd never met!
"Your beauty leaves me little choice, Milady. Each moment I see you is a moment I see Cyrus with the both of us. It's a privilege and my honor to serve yourself and His Highness."
The King smiled.
"It is our own privilege to have your service. Cyrus would be proud."
He would be, wouldn't he? His honor, his dreams, they are now my own. I am his living legacy. A knight's oath is to protect and honor his sovereign. In a way, the planet is also my sovereign. So, protecting it... It is also my privilege... and my sacred duty.
Scene Six: Robo
I lost consciousness in C.E. 1999. That was the last time I saw you, or my brothers. Three centuries later I fought and killed you all. Lavos's rampage deprived me of my family...
"It is the least I can do to lay you to rest..."
Robo stood above a small grave, where he'd buried Atropos' body. It was situated near Proto Dome, just to the southwest towards Death Peak. He could see the vile mountain from there, a spire of misery in an empty world.
"I wish to find the R-Series as well. They also deserve a burial here. After this, I believe I shall go to the Factory and retrieve their bodies. I am disappointed that I cannot place flowers above you, though."
There are no more flowers anywhere. If we change history, could we all meet again? We could watch the horizon, tread beside fields of verdant glory and beautiful flowers of all colors.
"Meeting Crono and the others has given me a purpose. Our friendship has created a new seed, one much like the ones I planted four centuries ago. To create a new garden for this world seems... a worthwile effort. We shall bring the forests and lakes back."
Robo bowed his head.
"I shall destroy Lavos... and we may be together for all of our years."
Scene Seven: Ayla
"Ayla find Kino years ago..."
Kino nodded.
"Kino remember."
Ayla smiled.
"Kino cause trouble for years."
Kino lowered his head.
"Ayla no like Kino?"
Ayla shook her head.
"Ayla like Kino best. Want be chief with."
Kino cocked his head.
"Kino be... chief? With Ayla?"
Ayla nodded.
"Together."
Ayla parents want protect Ioka, Ayla protect too. Ayla protect friends, protect planet, protect Kino... Ayla kick Lavos ass.
Scene Eight: Magus
"Are you sure you haven't got anyone to talk to? I'm kind of hurt... Am I chopped liver?"
Magus crossed his arms.
"That isn't what I meant."
Gaspar nodded.
"You mean Schala."
Magus paused, and lowered his head.
"I failed her. I... allowed Mother's sickness to fester and break open upon all I held dear. Losing her, I..."
Losing her, I lost the one person I loved. I haven't slept in decades, not without seeing her face - the last time I saw it, at the Ocean Palace...
Gaspar tipped his hat.
"We all bear that burden, Janus. Don't take it all on your back."
Magus shook his head.
"No, it is MY burden. I cannot save my sister, but I can save my mother... Heal her sick heart, and return Zeal to her final glory."
He raised his head.
"The Kingdom of Zeal is fallen, sunk by its own hubris and ignorance. Nothing can change that. What I CAN do is send it to the abyss with some semblance of honor."
My mother is sick. She cries out from her soul. I can feel her shrieks... Schala is... gone... but... I can still salvage one thing.
"I can make things right for once. Schala would want me to end this madness, and so I shall."
Gaspar nodded.
"Yes, I know. We'll give her a fine requiem from this side of the door..."
Scene Nine
"I take it you've all made your decisions...?"
As everyone nodded, Gaspar tipped his hat.
"Very good. You all have my thanks..."
Crono crossed his arms.
"So, what's the plan?"
Lucca raised her hand.
"I modified the Epoch for six of us... but I'm still worried about Robo. There's no telling what might happen to him in a Capsule. I'm still against it."
Robo shook his head.
"I have made my decision clear, have I not?"
Lucca sighed.
"Fine. We can leave anytime."
Gaspar tapped his cane.
"Be warned... The Queen will have decked the Omen out with every measure of arcane security her warped mind can create. I'm talking traps, puzzles, monsters... Knowing her I'd actually expect some nasty big bosses."
Marle cocked her head.
"Big bosses?"
Gaspar nodded.
"With Lavos's power at her disposal, she's bound to create a few monsters of exceptional quality. While she'll create normal monsters, she'll take no chances. She'll fashion demons of the highest order to kill you."
Crono sighed.
"Very encouraging..."
Frog brandished the Masamune.
"No demon can best a holy sword."
Crono grinned, and drew Dreamseeker.
"Remember, we have two now."
Gaspar tipped his hat.
"The fated hour has come. God be with you."
Lucca sighed, and held up a Capsule.
"Let's get it over with."
Robo nodded, and gripped the Capsule.
"I shall see you on the Black Omen."
Reluctantly, Lucca pressed the button and the Capsule drew Robo in with a poof of smoke. She sighed.
"I'll never forgive myself if this doesn't work..."
Magus clenched his fist.
"To the Omen. We go."
Scene Ten
With the newly renovated Epoch, the party headed up to a landing area on the Black Omen. As they departed Lucca hesitantly drew up Robo's Capsule.
"Now or never..."
Lucca pressed the button and Robo popped out, good as new. She hugged him.
"Hell, yeah! It worked!"
Robo nodded.
"I am intact. What next?"
A claxon sounded, as a series of lasers popped from the door. Crono grinned.
"I'm up."
He slowly gripped Dreamseeker, and with a single lightning-fast stroke diced each laser to ribbons. As he sheathed his sword he sighed in relief.
"That felt good. Let's head in."
Marle cocked her head.
"Uh, guys? I don't see a door..."
Lucca stepped up.
"I do."
She threw her hand forward and a monstrous fireball ripped open the Omen's entire side. Clenching her fist, she grinned.
"See? Door."
Magus crossed his arms.
"A woman's subtlety."
Scene Eleven
The inside of the Black Omen looked similar to the Ocean Palace, yet distinctly unique. Blood red runes and black muscle-like cords laced the walls and floors; a scent of carrion seemed to linger. Marle shuddered.
"If she wanted to scare us, it worked."
A light flashed, and an avatar of Queen Zeal appeared in the center of the room. Though everyone readied for battle, she held up her hand.
"Calm yourselves. Welcome to the Black Omen, temple of the almighty Lavos! You've done well to get here, but I must warn you of what lays ahead. I will spare neither expense nor opportunity to lay your broken bodies on Lavos's altar."
Crono drew Dreamseeker.
"I remember when we first met. Do you? I said I'd put a foot up your ass and I'm gonna deliver. We aren't scared of you, you old bitch."
Zeal laughed.
"Impudence... Interesting. Let's see you get to me, then. Ha!"
The avatar dissolved. Lucca turned her head to Magus.
"Is she always like this?"
Magus crossed his arms.
"It's... an old habit."
Where the avatar vanished, a black orb burst open, two tendrils dragging Lucca into it kicking and screaming. Ayla yowled.
"Lucca!"
She quickly dived into the vortex, which promptly shriveled into a tiny black ball. Crono frantically waved his hands through it, to no avail. He slammed his fist on the ground.
"What is that bitch up to now?!"