Chrono Corruption
Act 2: The Fall of Guardia
Chapter 7: The Princess's Errand
*Manolia Town Ferry Station, Kingdom of Guardia*
Crono and his friends stood at the docks near the Explorer Corps' vessel, the 'Radical Dreamer' waiting for Ty and Tomo. Crono wore his trademark blue tunic over a dark green sleeveless shirt with tan baggy pants, dark green socks, and new strapped leather boots. He also wore a white bandana around his forehead and an orange kerchief around his neck. He kept a blue rucksack on his left side and his dad's sword. Finally, he wore gold bangles on his wrists.
Marle wore a white low-cut blouse and matching baggy white pants with a sleeveless blue vest and brown leather sandals. Her abdomen had a black basic corset that was zipped up in the back. Also, she wore golden bangles on her wrists and right upper arm, a Red Ribbon around her left upper arm, a golden plate girdle with a chain around her waist and a large black sheathe that held her hunter's bow.
Lucca wore a leather hairband that had a headphone with a small antenna covering her right ear, an orange sleeveless hooded sweater that was zipped up she wore over a dark greenish-brown long-sleeved shirt, black stretchy spats, socks that matched her shirt's color, brown leather boots, brown fingerless gloves, two gun holsters that held two pistols and a large case that seemed to hold other scientific tools strapped to her back.
Crono seemed a tad worried, "Ty and Tomo are running a little late, don't you think?"
"I'm sure they'll be here any minute, Crono," Lucca stated as she brushed her bangs aside.
Marle smiled at her, "Not used to wearing a helmet all the time yet? I think you look much cuter without it! That stylish new haircut is all you Lucca!"
"Gee, thanks Marle...," Lucca replied with a slight blush at the praise.
"Oh look, here they... come...?" Crono said as he saw Ty walking towards them with an overweight woman that was carrying a large box in front of her, obscuring her face. They came up to Crono and his friends and the woman sat the crate down. It was Tomo but in her original state. She announced reassuringly, "Hi, don't worry, it's still me, Tomo. This is what I really look like, heh!" she blushed nervously.
Crono and the girls' eyes were wide with amazement, "Geez! H-how, how much food did you eat last night?!" Marle asked in amazement.
"Well, she can use magic, so I guess this... means she can change her appearance with it?" Lucca asked curiously.
Tomo responded, "Yep, I didn't want any surprises, so I came as I truly am!"
"Wow, I think Janus did the same thing, y'know, to look like a Fiend?" Crono whispered to the girls.
"It certainly seems so...," Lucca deduced.
"Ty gave me more confidence lately, so I'm not so concerned about my body shape anymore!" Tomo explained. "I'm built like a wrestler..., more or less! I'm super strong so I wouldn't be a burden!" she said rubbing the back of her head.
"Give'em a quick explanation, Tomo," Ty said with a gentle smile.
"I was going to, don't rush me!" Tomo said nervously. Tomo took the time to explain her and Ty's magical abilities and how they were able to do what they did and how they understood it themselves.
Marle whispered to Lucca, "Awe, Ty is so sweet Lucca, he doesn't hold her appearance against her at all! Don't you think that's great!"
"...Um, yeah, that's... that's a major plus," Lucca said with a blush as her eyes darted elsewhere. "He made me feel more comfortable with what I was wearing after all, despite how embarrassing it was..."
"Hmm, a 'gentle giant', huh?" Marle claimed with a giggle.
"Can we just get aboard the ship now?" Lucca said growing irritated.
Marle cleared her throat, "Alright everyone, we should get going now! If we have everything we need then let's go aboard!" she announced loudly, yet majestically. With that, everyone boarded the ship and in no time at all, they sailed off as dawn came over the horizon.
*El Nido Sea*
As the party reached the El Nido Sea they noticed a storm began rolling in. It was not a large one, however. Nevertheless, Toma kept up his guard. Marle was on the bridge with Toma giving him clues as to where to go according to the archives about Crono's dad. "Let's see, according to these notes, there should be a place here called the 'Triplet Isles'," Marle said revealing where their search should begin.
"Ah, no problem, I know where that is, your majesty!" Toma said gruffly.
Toma turned the wheel, making the ship head south. In a short time, a small dome-shaped landmass came into view. They sailed over to it and two more could be seen in the distance. The waters in the center seemed illuminated. "This must be it!" Marle stated joyfully.
Toma's mouth was agape, "It wasn't like this before, why the light show?"
Toma and his crew readied the bathysphere and Ty and Tomo cringed a little. Lucca adjusted her glasses as she got a good look at the device. "Where did they get this technology?" she muttered quietly to herself. "It's years ahead of its time!"
"So who's going?" Crono asked curiously as he took a look upwards. "It only looks like it can fit two people."
"Hmm, Ty and Tomo will have to. I hired them for this remember?" Marle said with a giggle.
"Well Tomo, here we go again...," Ty said with an uneasy grin.
"Well, look at the bright side... maybe we won't have to go that deep this time," Tomo followed.
They both boarded and the bathysphere closed. Toma then used the crane to lower the machine into the ocean depths. Tomo was right, they weren't nearly that deep as before, but what they saw was astounding. Their expressions were in awe as they noticed the ruined structures of a lost civilization. Pyramids, ancient temples, and statues of mythical figures littered the seafloor. They were stepping on the grounds of something completely new to them. "Ty, none of this was here before!" Tomo gasped.
"Yeah, it seems that the Annihilation Fragment we gave that curator changed a few things, although I'm not sure how...," Ty responded.
The receiver sounded in Toma's voice, "Hey, can you guys hear me? Can you see what's causing the light in the water?"
The two came to their senses as they changed the bathysphere over to its robotic mode. "...Uh, hold on Toma, we're adjusting our position!" Ty said as he took control of the legs.
Ty turned the robot around and around looking for a source of light and finally found it emanating from the tip of a pyramid structure. "Wow, what is that pillar of light?" Tomo asked with wonder.
"Only one way to find out!" Ty said as he began moving the bathysphere. They moved the bot around the pyramid until they found an opening and entered. Inside was strange technology they had never seen before. It was small and cramped inside as they approached the source of the light. The tech in the room seemed like a cross between magical and mechanical. A strange blue miniature pyramid structure hovered at the very center of the room. It shined brightly as it slowly spun counterclockwise.
The receiver bellowed in Toma's voice, "Well, have you found anything?"
"Yeah, it's some... kind of device... We have no idea what it is...," Ty responded.
"I'm gonna touch it...," responded Tomo as she poked the structure with the robotic arm.
It made a strange sound as if she tapped a wind chime. It then began to spin rapidly and rise higher into the room until leaving through the roof.
"Tomo, what the hell did you just do?" Ty asked in surprise.
"I touched it...!" she responded defensively.
The receiver chimed with Marle's voice, "Hey, so the archives I have with me say that Crono's dad manipulated some device inside a pyramid. Is that what you two just did? Because if it is, then according to these notes, there are two more of those!"
"Okay, well it seems all we did is activate... whatever that thing was," Tomo replied. "Let's find the others!"
"Toma, do you see any more lights on the surface?" Ty asked curiously.
"Yes, another one is up ahead, but it looks pretty far, so I'll pull you guys back up so we can sail there safely," Toma replied.
And so, Toma pulled up the bathysphere and sailed his ship to the next destination. Ty and Tomo were lowered into the depths once more and entered the structure. The room was filled with red light as they approached the strange device. They activated it cautiously and it too departed. Toma clenched his fist with a cheer, "That's another one! Your majesty, do the notes say what will happen when we activate them all?"
"Yes, according to this, something will emerge from the ocean floor!" Marle replied with a hard swallow.
"What, a monster or something?" Crono asked, hoping for a fight.
"It doesn't say specifically, this was written in a hurry," Marle claimed.
"Well, by the sound of it, it must be large enough to be significant," Lucca said cautiously. "Let's be on our guard!"
Toma pulled up the bathysphere and headed to the next location. Once they arrived, they once again were lowered into the ocean. Pale green light illuminated this pyramid. Ty and Tomo quickly entered the structure and activated the green-colored device and it reacted in the same manner as the previous two. "Well, that's it, Ty," said Tomo. "Isn't something supposed to happen?" she continued as the bathysphere began to rumble.
"There it is...," Ty said rather calmly. They quickly left the building and the earthquake got worse until something emerged from the ruins. "What is that thing?!"
"I don't know, but it looks dangerous!" Tomo cried out.
The strange object headed for the surface and to the ship above. "We've got to warn Toma!" Ty said alarmed.
Tomo hit the button on the receiver, "Dad, something big's headed your way! Watch out!" she warned.
"Thanks, darling! Alright, it looks like something's coming up! Everyone get ready!" informed Toma.
"Alright, finally, some action!" Crono said as he darted out to the main deck.
"Hey, wait for us!" Marle shouted as she and Lucca followed quickly.
The party assembled on the main deck as a massive object emerged from the water. It was a strange robot with a geometric segmented body. The head resembled a sort of triangular spacecraft and had one single eye. Its body was a segmented spine that moved fluidly despite each vertebra not being connected by physical means. Finally, its two large arms had three long fingers and two guns were mounted on its shoulders. "Wow, this is incredible technology!" Lucca praised.
The robot hummed, "LACHESIS ONLINE...! REPEL INTRUDERS FROM GREAT TOWER!"
"I think it's gonna attack us...," Marle said nervously.
"Bring it on!" Crono taunted as he unsheathed his dad's sword.
Lachesis's eye glowed fiercely with a red color. Its opening attack was an eye laser that chased all three members of Crono's party. The laser followed each member along with the machine's creepy gaze. Luckily, Crono and his friends dodged most of the attacks while only receiving small burns in return. Lucca and Marle retaliated with their ranged weapons. Crono on the other hand, had a different plan, "I'll use magic, that should stir things up!" he said as he cast a Lightning Bolt. The Lightning Bolt spell connected and hit with great force. Lachesis took a considerable amount of damage.
Lucca and Marle pressed their backs together with their weapons raised, "Hey Marle, shall we hit it with magic together?" Lucca asked with a grin.
"Hell yeah!" Marle replied enthusiastically.
"Someone's been cooped up for too long!" Lucca said with a giggle. Lucca collected a sphere of fire in her right hand.
"You know it, sister!" Marle replied as she surrounded herself with an icy aura.
The two women synchronized their movements, "Antipode Bomb!" they said in unison. The Fire Ball and Ice Blast hit Lachesis at exactly the same moment to create an explosion caused by the collision of two opposing forces.
The damage done to the machine was staggering. "Wow, it's still functioning after all of that?" Crono said amazed.
"According to my Sight Scope, it doesn't have much left to fight with," Lucca claimed.
Just then, Lachesis tried another form of attack, "Amplify..." it whirred as energy was shared and redirected from its two arms to the eye on its head. It blasted the whole party with a massive wave of red energy. They screamed as they were sent to the deck floor.
Crono picked himself up and shook his head trying to regain his senses, "Ouch, that packs quite a punch!" he said shaking.
"Don't worry Crono, I got you!" Marle said as she enveloped Crono with her Aura spell.
"Thanks, sweety!" Crono said with a confident grin. "Lucca let's finish this thing off!"
"Okay!" Lucca said as she brushed herself off.
Lucca conjured another Fire Ball in her palm and Crono dashed towards Lachesis. Lucca tossed the Fire Ball and it collided with Crono's blade. Crono's sword was now red hot as he began spinning. "Let's see you survive a Fire Whirl!" Crono shouted as he flew around the robot like a tornado with his blade outstretched. Crono passed and passed Lachesis cutting deeply into it. Once the attack ended, Crono landed back on the deck and Lachesis fell to pieces. The pieces fell into the ocean and the party tucked their weapons away. "Ahh, that was refreshing!" Crono said as he stretched. Marle healed herself and Lucca as Toma came out.
"Great work, I didn't know you guys could use magic!" Toma said with surprise.
"Um, it's a long story. Shouldn't we get Ty and Tomo back up here?" Marle asked, changing the subject.
Before Toma could respond, the ocean became restless. A massive maelstrom formed and from its center emerged a large tower-like structure. The structure was a temple of some kind. Out from its windows, poured seawater as it saw the sun for the first time in who knew how long. "That's incredible!" Crono shouted in joyful awe.
"That must be the Great Tower that Lachesis mentioned!" Marle said.
"It must have been guarding the entrance! Toma, can you dock us at the entrance?" Lucca asked hurriedly.
"Yes, just after I reel in Tomo and Ty," Toma said as he went to the crane.
*Later, Anomalous Building*
Toma docked his ship at the strange building and the five of them disembarked. Toma shouted to his daughter from the main deck. "You be careful now dear, you hear?" he said with caution. The building was lined with large marble pillars and many were chipped and broken. The walls were lined with remnants from the sea and water leaked out everywhere.
"I will dad!" Tomo reassured with a cheerful wave.
"Wow, it's hard to believe this was able to rise out of the ocean!" Ty started. "Things were crazy under the water!"
"I'll bet, I'm glad you guys are okay!" Marle said joyfully.
"Me too, that must have been frightening!" Lucca said with concern.
"Hmm," Crono thought out loud as he gazed at the building.
"What is it, Crono?" Marle asked curiously.
"This place may not remain here forever. Marle, what do the notes say my dad's party did next?" Crono asked urgently.
"There isn't much left Crono, but Lachesis killed some of your dad's company, but it looks like they still managed to disable it using heavy artillery. The notes say..., oh hey, a page is missing...!" Marle said alarmed.
"Huh, a page is missing?" Crono responded.
"Yeah, it's the last one!" Marle confirmed. "It looks like we'll just have to go in and see for ourselves."
"Well, daylight's burning, so let's go!" Ty said as both he and Tomo headed in first.
"Hey, you won't get ahead of me!" Tomo responded as she followed.
"Quick after them! We should stick together!" Crono commanded.
*Great Tower*
The inside of the tower seemed to be a safe haven for undersea life. The crumbled walls and disheveled floors were infiltrated with coral and other minerals. Fish flopped around trying to find their way into the contained puddles and pools that were formed from the rubble. The room they were in was absolutely massive and cylindrical in shape. Finally, what was left of a broken stairwell lined the walls and led into the darkness above them.
"Hmm, this looks like some sort of altar room in a temple," deduced Ty.
"I wonder if worshipers gathered here?" Tomo asked rhetorically.
"The stairwell looks a tad unstable, we should be...!" Ty said as he was interrupted by Tomo who challenged Ty to the top.
"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Tomo taunted with a giggle.
"Tomo, wait a sec...!" Ty shouted with a warning as Tomo began to climb the stairs. Almost immediately, Tomo's recklessness got her into trouble. A portion of the steps collapsed underneath her and she comically dropped into a puddle below. She was slightly disoriented and had a fish on her head, but otherwise okay. Ty sighed then followed it with a laugh, "I told you they were a little unstable."
Crono and his friends joined in the laughter as Tomo stuck out her tongue with embarrassment, "Sorry, I guess it couldn't hold me!" she replied.
"I'm guessing this happens a lot?" Marle asked with a smile.
"Yeah, you could say that," started Ty with a shrug. "Heh, she's always running into some sort of trap that I need to bail her out of."
"And here I thought Ty would be the reckless one," Lucca quipped.
"Either way, Tomo and I will scout ahead for any traps," Ty said as he helped Tomo out of the water.
"Yeah, just leave it to us!" Tomo said confidently.
With that, Ty and Tomo went ahead of Crono and his teammates to scout ahead. "Well, we don't want to hang around here all day, do we?" Lucca asked impatiently.
Crono regrouped and headed up the spiraling staircase. It crumbled and cracked with every step and the sounds of small pebbles hitting the floor mixed with the distant sound of rushing water made them a tad uneasy. "Yeesh, I wonder how far it goes up? I don't even see those two anymore," Marle stated.
"It looks pretty far, oh wait, look at this," Crono said as he inspected the stairs as they moved further up. "This place is so battered it looks like we'll have to jump our way through," he finished.
"Cool, I'm good at jumping!" Marle claimed with a giggle.
"Yeah, you can't sit still, can you Marle?" Lucca quipped with a smile. Marle smiled in response.
Crono and his friends walked carefully up a fallen pillar to get to the other side of the broken stairs. They made it safely and made it to the first door since their climb from ground level. The sun shined brightly through. They went outside and found themselves on a stairwell that lined the outside. As expected, the steps were slimy and an assortment of Bellbirds hindered their progress, but they weren't much of a threat. As they continued to climb, they fought with continued resistance until finally reaching the next level of the structure. They could see everything from out on the balcony. "It looks like we're almost to the top!" Marle said with joy.
"Yeah, there's just one more level after this one. I wonder what's up there?" Lucca asked rhetorically.
"Hey look, it's Ty and Tomo, I wonder what they're up to?" Crono asked as he and his party approached them.
They seemed confused as they stood in front of a sealed door that had two pillars next to it. They bickered playfully, "Darn it, Ty, don't go wrecking everything with that Wind Spiral spell of yours! At least tell me before you use it so I can actually hit something with my Earth Rumble spell too!" Tomo whined.
Then Lucca stepped forward and caught their attention. "Hey, are you two having trouble timing your spells or something?" she asked.
"It would seem so, my Wind Spiral can wipe out most of these creatures before Tomo's Earth Rumble can even strike. I don't really see what the problem is though, she killed a giant oyster that was in front of this door after I stole 'this' from it!" Ty said with a smile as he held up a large clear crystal. "I think this is a key or something. This culture really uses crystals for lots of things it would seem. So if I just place this little doohickey on this pillar first...!" he said with Tomo shouting as he approached a pillar that stood next to the door.
"No, wait, the other one first!" Tomo cried out pointing to the right pillar.
"What's gonna happen...?!" Ty said as he was caught breathless as a flash of colorless light emerged. Instantly, the party was surrounded by Bellbirds from the sky and strange flying lionfish monsters from the water below.
Tomo slumped her shoulders and gave Ty a cross gaze, "I told you..."
"Well, this is a good opportunity to show you guys how to combine your spells with your friend's techniques!" Crono said as he unsheathed his sword.
"Combine our techniques?" Ty asked curiously as he unsheathed his daggers.
"You mean we can combine our magic?" Tomo followed.
"Yep, let's show'em, Lucca!" Crono instructed.
"You got it!" Lucca responded as she conjured up a Fire Ball. "Now watch closely as I strike Crono's sword with my Fire Ball spell!" she informed.
Crono held his sword skyward and Lucca gave her Fire Ball a toss. It enveloped the blade and it turned red hot. Crono dashed off with blinding speed and began a Cyclone attack. Only this time. It appeared as though he was emitting flames as he cut down the hostile critters.
"Heh, now that was a sight to see!" Ty said with a grin.
"Yeah, just like a fireworks display!" Tomo followed.
"I used to use a mechanical Flamethrower for that one, but my Fire Ball spell made that obsolete so I don't carry it with me anymore," Lucca explained as she placed one hand on the frame of her glasses.
"That's how you combine magic with skill!" Crono said as he came back.
The hostile creatures gained reinforcements. "Oh good, there's more! Hey Lucca, let's show them they can combine magic spells too!" said Marle.
"Right, not only can you combine spells with skills, but you can combine spells with other spells! Also, if one of your skills compliments another person's skill you should chain those too!" Lucca noted.
"Now watch closely, you have to time it just right!" Marle said as she clasped her hands together in a prayer-like state. "Ice Blast!" she chanted.
Lucca followed with her Fire Ball and tossed it at a Bellbird. The Ice Blast and Fire Ball collided at the same time creating a fusion of both spells that enveloped the monster. The two spells resulted in a powerful explosion that eliminated the critter.
"That's our Antipode Bomb, it's the combination of two strongly opposing forces that can't be in the same place at the same time!" Lucca explained.
"Now it really is a fireworks display!" Ty laughed.
"Hey Ty, let's try using ours like that!" Tomo said as she bounced around. Tomo squatted and braced herself as she radiated yellow light. My Earth Rumble spell is slow, so I go first!"
"Alright, I hear ya!" Ty said as he followed soon after. Ty rose his right arm into the air and his body radiated with green light. Tomo's spell shook the ground as a magically generated trail of dirt and rock emerged. Ty extended his right arm and a whirlwind consumed the stones. In an instant, the tornado broke the stones down into sand particles and it crashed into the incoming monsters with a howl. They were buffed into skeletons in a matter of seconds.
"Alright, it worked! We made a Dust Devil, Ty!" Tomo cheered with joy.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Crono cheered. "You two did it on your first try!"
"Well, we have learned to sync up our strategies, so it wasn't too bad!" Ty explained with a grin.
Lucca and Marle clapped while Crono made another suggestion, "Let's see how many other spells can combine with each other! Ty, throw another Wind Spiral my way, I just got a cool idea!"
"I think I know exactly what your thinking!" Ty said as he created another Wind Spiral. The whirlwind began twisting and turning and Crono jumped into it just as he performed his Cyclone technique. It was just at the right moment for the two to mesh together perfectly. Crono took Ty's whirlwind for a spin and the tornado cut away at the copious amounts of creatures.
It ended with Crono laughing to himself, "That was one wild ride, I'm calling that one the Aero Whirl!"
"Wow, jumping into a tornado, like that. You must have some crazy balance to not get dizzy or sick. I would be done if that were me!" Ty said with admiration.
"Hey Tomo, what do you get when you heat up stone a couple thousand degrees?" Lucca suggested.
"Oh, let's find out!" Tomo said as she used Earth Rumble again. The ground shook as the cracks shined through with yellow light. Lucca threw her Fire Ball into the largest crack in the center and suddenly, the ground began to move and glow reddish. Like a small volcano, molten rock burst from the magically generated earth and hit many monsters out of the air. "Magma Burst, that's what you get!" Tomo said, answering Lucca's question.
"Now it's our turn, Ty, I'll whip up another Ice Blast and combine it with your Wind Spiral!"
"You got it!" Ty said as he conjured another tornado. The tornado sucked up the cold spell with ease and it became a punishing winter storm. "Alright, an Ice Storm, nifty!"
"I knew that would work!" Marle said happily.
"We're not done yet! They keep coming so we gotta keep going!" Crono ordered. "Hey, Tomo can you use that whip?"
"I sure can, my Lady's Thong whip is the best!" Tomo said as she took the whip and started cracking it.
"I'm going to add some more crack to that whip so get ready!" Crono said as he conjured up a Lightning Bolt.
Tomo swung her whip in the air and caught Crono's Lightning Bolt and it absorbed it. Tomo took the charge of electricity to the flying Bellbirds and whipped a line of them with a swipe of the whip. The lightning discharged shocking the flying fish nearby. "Lightning Chain, that's what I'm calling that one!" Tomo said with a wide grin.
"I got one! Ty make another whirlwind!" Lucca said boldly.
"Comin' right up!" Ty said as he summoned more wind.
Lucca created another Fire Ball and threw it into Ty's tornado just as it was picking up speed. The two melded together creating a tempest of flames. "Look at those Scarlet Winds!" Lucca said proudly.
"Oh, that's just pretty!" Ty followed. "Roasted Bellbird anyone?"
Marle turned to Tomo, "Hey Tomo, can you use the Earth Rumble again? I have an idea!"
"Sure thing!" Tomo replied as she cast her spell.
The two ladies combined their spells and the ground instantly froze over only to break apart and shower targets with chunks of frozen rock. "Nice one, what should we call it?" Marle asked.
"Tundra Rumble!" Tomo shouted as she sported a peace sign with her right hand.
After the spell was over, the party quickly noticed that they had dispatched all of the violent critters. "Okay that's enough of that," Ty said as he took the crystal battery from its pedestal.
Crono clapped his hands as if to wipe dirt from them, "Well, that was a good workout!"
"Yeah, I'm impressed you two caught on to the combinations so quickly!" Lucca said with a bright expression.
"Woohoo, I needed that! That was the most fun I've had in a while!" Marle cheered as she hopped up and down.
"Good thing we met you guys, we needed those tips!" Tomo thanked them cheerfully.
"Thanks, you guys, it was very helpful," Ty said as he approached the opposite pedestal. "Hopefully, this pedestal will open the door!" he finished as he placed the crystal on it. The metal gate lowered instantly as it reacted to the crystal.
"Yay, it opened! Let's see what's inside!" Tomo said as she rushed to the door and flung it open.
The party followed and was met with a large room with windows lining the second story. It was in the same shape as the rest of the tower. Shelves made isles and isles that made one slightly dizzy upon inspection. "What is this place?" Crono asked a bit overwhelmed.
"It looks like some kind of ancient library...," Ty deduced as he ran his hands across an ancient tablet, wiping away the sea sand.
"Wow..., such a pity all the knowledge here is destroyed...," Lucca said with melancholy.
"Do you think Crono's dad came by this way?" Marle said with her hand to her chin.
Ty mused, "...Hey Crono, do you know if your dad carried anything of value to him? Like a personal possession, he always carried around?"
Crono thought deeply with his arms crossed, "Hmm, well..., I did find my dad's sword in the graveyard not too long ago. It was never there before and I heard his voice calling out my name! That's what led me to it," he said as he showed Ty the battered sword that looked as though it couldn't even cut paper.
Ty took the blade and inspected it, "Hmm, this blade..., it's a custom sword, not the typical standard-issue sword that Guardia Soldiers are equipped with. It's also beat to hell, so it looks like your dad was quite the active swordsman," he said. He inspected it further and found a compartment in the handle, "That explains the lighter weight a little better. Hmm? What's this? A piece of parchment?" he said as he extracted the paper. "Would you like me to read it, or would you like to?" he asked Crono.
"I'll do it...," Crono said as he took back the sword and letter. Crono read the letter silently, "Dearest son... This may be my last mission as the Sea of El Nido is filled with horrifying tales of disappearances. The Viper Clan of Porre have been sending a few of their own to this place for almost a century, but none returned. As a result, we've been tasked with our own search. We have been given help from some 'guide' from Porre, but he seems really suspicious to me. He always wears a hood and we can't see his face at all. Out of all the missions I've been on for Guardia, this one fills me with the most dread. If you choose to pick up the way of the sword one day, my boy, I know you'll do great things with it! I'll try to get this letter to you as soon as I can...," Crono said as he tried to soak it all in.
Marle came up to him gently, "This is the missing page from the files..., something must have happened before he could send it."
"...Yeah...," Crono said quietly.
Marle took the note and noticed more writing, "A P.S. is left on the back," she stated. "The man in the hood is a traitor... Only a handful of men have escaped. He said he wanted the 'Frozen Flame' or whatever. That library at the top of the tower reveals this... weird facility is hidden underneath all of this... If anyone finds this note, tell my wife Gina and my son Crono... that I love them..." Marle read with tears welling up in her eyes. "...And that's it...," she finished as she embraced Crono.
Lucca noticed the ghostly pale expressions on Ty and Tomo's faces. Something about the letter spooked them. "Hey, what's wrong with you two? You act like you've seen a ghost."
"The man in the hood..., it can't be... Can it, Ty?" Tomo asked worriedly.
"I think it is...," Ty snarled.
"What about the man in the hood?" Lucca asked as Crono and Marle turned to face them.
"Tomo, the note said there was something here that opened up a secret passage underneath us. I'll bet it leads to, 'you-know-where'!" Ty said as he darted off to start checking around the library.
"Wait for me Ty!" Tomo said chasing after him.
"What spooked those two? What are they talking about?" Marle asked dumbfounded.
"I have a feeling we're about to find that out!" Lucca stated. "Come on, let's move!"
The party began their search for anything that looked like a switch or a nob that may open a secret passage. Tomo was off in a corner searching through the broken rubble of ancient tablets until that is, she touched a specific one. In her hands, it conjured up a Fire Ball and she dropped it in surprise, "Woah, what the heck?!"
Crono recognized this, "Water summons Wind, Wind makes Fire dance...," he said quietly.
Ty managed to open an ancient safe and he frantically searched through the decomposed contents until he too found a tablet that summoned a tempest of wind in his hands. "Yikes, now that's freaky!"
Marle was in the center of the library looking at the massive pillar. She then noticed a small tablet like the others and touched it. It generated a splash of water on her face. "Oosh, that's chilly!"
Crono leaned over the railing and turned his attention to Marle, "Hey Marle, touch that tablet again!" he said as he then turned to Ty, who was closely examining his tablet with a magnifying glass. "Now Ty, touch your tablet again!" he said as Ty looked up and agreed without saying anything. He then turned his attention to Tomo and Lucca, "Now, one of you touch that last one again, hurry!"
Lucca touched the tablet and the third was activated. Once it went active a massive rumble generated by the sound of stone grinding on stone could be heard below them. Ty approached Crono, "How did you know to do that?" he asked curiously.
"...Because I've seen this puzzle before...," Crono stated. "Come on everyone, let's get back down."
Crono's party surrounded a cylindrical elevator that looked as though it was from the future. It was revealed when the circular stone pattern on the floor at the foyer of the tower had moved away.
Ty and Tomo seemed to recognize it, "T-This elevator, it's-!" Tomo started.
"The one from Chronopolis!" finished Ty.
Crono and his friends were astonished at their claim. "Chronopolis? What the hell's a Chronopolis?" Crono asked bewildered.
"We'll explain later, first let's take the elevator straight down to the bottom. I need to confirm something!" Ty said nervously.
"And just how do you expect to do that?" asked Lucca while she inspected the elevator. "This thing is broken, there's no power running to it."
"Like this!" shouted Tomo as she took her hammer and comically batted the entire elevator aside, revealing a deep dark hole. "Now all we need is a rope!" she said as she revealed a strong sturdy rope from her knapsack.
"And what if it's flooded as well?" Lucca asked, stopping Tomo. "We're still not above sea level!"
Marle approached the hole and knelt down, "Helloooo down there!" she yelled. The dark hole echoed. "Hey, I can hear my echo, that means we're clear!"
"Alright Tomo, since it was your idea you go into the hole first!" Ty suggested with a mischievous smile.
Tomo suddenly expanded to her fat form, "Can't, my hips are a... bit too wide for that hole...," she ended with a laugh.
"What happened to 'ladies first'?" Ty said sarcastically.
"I'll stay here and hold the rope and let you down! I make a great 'anchor' in case you didn't notice!" Tomo said as she tied the rope around her waist and legs.
"Oh, yeah, I noticed it alright, all 400-ish pounds of it!" Ty said sarcastically as he tied the other end of the rope around his waist.
"Hmph, you jerk!" Tomo said angrily as she pushed Ty into the hole and sat down with a pout.
Ty screamed comically as he fell into the dark hole. "Wind Spiral!" he shouted as he cast the wind spell beneath him to gently avoid the sudden stop at the end of the fall. He let his feet touch the floor and found himself in complete darkness save for the spotlight he stood in. "I'm'ma get you for that!" threatened Ty comically. He looked his person over for a flashlight, but soon realized he didn't have one. "Can someone spare a flashlight, please?"
"Yeah, I got one," Lucca said as she took one from her rucksack and tossed it into the hole as gently as she could, "Make sure you catch it!"
"Where is it, I can't see-! Ouch!" Ty said as he was cut off by the flashlight striking him. "Ow, it almost poked my eye out!" he said as he picked up Lucca's flashlight. He turned it on and began taking in everything he could see. Just like the time before, all that was revealed by the tiny light was broken and salt-covered machinery from a future time. He managed to slowly navigate a very slippery bridge. In the darkness, he could hear water slowly entering the chamber. "Got to make this quick!" he said aloud.
Ty made his way to a large metal door that was left ajar. He entered the room with a tight squeeze. He soon realized that this room was the same room where he and Tomo found the Frozen Flame, only now there was only darkness. "It's not here..., where's the Frozen Flame? Did Crono's dad find it or did the man in the hood? He was trying all this time to get it. That's it..., time to back to Guardia!" Ty mused aloud as he left the room and went back to the spotlight only to reveal water had already reached his ankles. "Or at least, let's get out of here first! This place is returning to the ocean! Hey Tomo, pull me up, the water's rising!"
"You got it!" Tomo said as she used her strength and bulk to easily hoist Ty to the surface.
As Ty reached the surface his face was met with a splash of water. "What the-!" he said as he spat water out of his mouth.
"The water's entering the building now!" Crono said as he helped Ty out of the hole.
"Anyone up for a swim?" Marle said enthusiastically.
"Enough chit-chat, let's just go!" Lucca said as she quickly left the building and jumped into the water. She was quickly followed by everyone else, one by one. They swam to Toma's ship and he threw over a rope ladder so they could climb up.
The party rested on deck, soaked like rats. "So, Ty, anything concerning my dad down there?" Crono asked still panting. "Oh, and you mind explaining what a Chronopolis is?"
Ty looked at Lucca who already heard the story from him and they decided to lay down their story to everyone. "Let's get cleaned up first and I tell you everything...," finished Ty.
*End of Chapter*