Chapter Eleven

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12000 B.C.

Magus and Marle emerged in a snowy area in time. The land below was covered in snow and ice. There were only a few little huts on the ground below. Marle struggeled as she reached for the gate key, still in Magus' other hand. "GIVE THAT BACK!" In the process of her struggling, Marle grabbed ahold of his hair and, when her jerked his head away, she managed to rip a few strands out.

Magus held the gate key away from her. He lowered himself to the ground, threw the gate key in the dirt, and stomped on it until it was nothing but fragmented computer chips and bronze pieces. Marle's heart sank. How was she going to get home now?

Magus smirked at her. "You look so much like Leene..."

Marle stuck her tounge out at him. "Yeah, and I'm a lot like her, too... which means that we're both too good for you!" On that note, Marle was thrown to the ground with a loud thud. She cringed as she tried to make her way back up to her feet.

Magus stood over her. "Watch your mouth."

Marle just stared up at him angrilly. Then, out of nowhere, another blue portal opened up right above them! Chrono jumped down from the portal and walked toward them with his sword in hand. He looked a little older, and had a mustache. He paced over to them, held up his sword, and said, "Get away from my girl."

Magus held up his hand, ready to snap his fingers.

Then, the portal above Chrono began to grow... bigger. With a loud whoosh, something came FLYING out of it! It was a giant mechanical aircraft with a white body and yellow wings! As it landed, it produced a mighty wind. Marle saw that the pilot was none of than... LUCCA!

Lucca winked. "What do you think of my latest invention? I call it the Epoch!" she explained over the loud speaker. "It not only flies, but it can travel through time! This is gonna be the world's next best form of transportation!"

Magus was not impressed. He dissapeared into thin air, then reapeared in front of the portal. He flew inside just before it closed up.

As Lucca landed the Epoch, Chrono ran over to Marle. He bent down and cradled her in his arms. "Marle? Are you okay?"

She looked up at him in pure shock. "Chrono?... No, it can't be you... You're only eighteen and yet... you look--"

"--I'm twenty-one years old now Marle," he explained. "I've been traveling through time, searching for you for the last three years."