The Millennial Fair

Chrono jumped to his feet. Surprisingly, the landing didn't injure his head (but it would surely be throbbing tomorrow). I think I ran into someone – hard. Where'd he go? He didn't look far before seeing another figure getting to its feet. Being the gentleman he was, Chrono knelt next to the stranger.

The first thing he noticed was that the stranger was a girl. A young girl – probably no more than, say, seventeen. She either was intensely anti-fashion, or a rebel, Chrono could see. Her light blue clothing was quite loose-fitting, and he got the impression that this was the first time this girl had ever worn casual dress. He wasn't sure what impression she was trying to make – was she trying to be edgy? She had her head down, as if checking for something.

Chrono put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

The girl probably didn't hear him. "Oh no! Don't tell me I lost it!"

"Lost it?"

"Yes – my pendant. – Er… it's a family heirloom. It's really valuable!"

Chrono paused a moment. Oh my. Imagine if she told that to an unscrupulous weasel. She'd never see it again.

"What does it look like?"

The girl paused. "A pendant."

"Be more specific."

She laughed. Actually, she giggled. Chrono found it a pleasant and contagious laugh. "I mean, it's on a string… and it has a jewel in the center. You know, like a pendant! It can't have gone far."

Chrono stood, looking around at the ground. "Well I don't – "

The girl cut him off. "Oh! There it is! You must have stepped on it when you came to help me. It got wrapped up around your foot."

"Ah." Chrono stared at his foot for a moment before bending down and removing the pendant. He reached out his hand for hers and got his first good look in her face.

First he saw her eyes – green cat-eye marbles, or so Chrono thought. She had long reddish-blonde hair which was tied up in a ponytail. She also seemed to have a congenital disease that had frozen her face in a radiant smile as contagious as her laugh. Chrono also believed she had eaten just a little too much sugar in the last hour or so. She never stopped moving. Ever. Perhaps she was a little excited to be here?

"Thank you so very much." All of a sudden the girl blushed. "Er…" she faltered a moment. "I'm kind of new around here."

Never would have crossed my mind, Chrono thought.

"My name is… Marle," she stammered. Something was wrong with her, that was sure.

"Ah, yes," Chrono returned. "My name is Guardia."

"But that's impossible."

"I know. But I figured since we were doing names…" he paused to let his sarcasm sink in. "Chrono."

"Okay… Chrono. Well, I've never been here before, and I'm kinda lost. Would it be okay if you stay with me awhile? I mean, just to show me around?"

Chrono nodded. If there was one thing he needed, it was company. Sure, it would look strange to everyone he knew to see him walking with a strange girl… but she was a new girl in town, and he wanted to be a gentleman. A gentleman would help her.

"Thanks!" Marle strode over and took Chrono's hand. "You can show me everything! Where should we go first? How about over there – what's that?"

"Um… that's – "

"Let's try it! Whatever. It looks fun from here. C'mon, do I have to force you or something?"

Chrono sighed but followed the girl to a dancing circle. Boy, she would be a tricky one. He figured he could keep his eye on her at the dance, but she quickly broke her grip on her escort and leapt into the circle of dancers, shrieking in delight the whole time. Chrono thought of following at first, but, not being a good dancer himself, chickened out. He'd just find a seat and wait for the hyper girl to lose energy.

"Come on, Chrono!" Marle shouted from the circle. "Come on and dance. It's fun!"

"Oh, no – I don't… dance."

Marle ignored the reply, leaving Chrono alone at a table. The boy sat, putting on his best "bored" face. So far this day was turning out to be terrible. But this girl, she was a lot of fun – maybe she wouldn't be so bad. Chrono smiled at the thought of her giggling, full of life and happiness. He found himself watching her as she danced – enjoying her beaming smiles and laughter. He didn't know why - but something about her was exciting.

All of a sudden the dance was over. Chrono stood and approached the girl. "Shall we continue?" he asked gentlemanly.

"Sure!" She giggled again and grasped Chrono's hand. "What else is around here?"

Chrono figured if he didn't act now, he would never see his friend's show. "Actually, I heard that some girl is setting up a little show…"

"Great! Where is it?"

"That way – Yikes!" Chrono yelped as he was suddenly tugged toward the sideshow. Who's doing the leading? You or me?

Marle probably would have dragged her escort all the way to the show, had she not run smack into some stranger's back. "Oh, I'm so sorry sir!"

As the stranger turned around, Chrono recognized him as the Old Man Melchior. He had heard so much about him, and sometimes seen him at odd celebrations and such, but had never actually met him. Not that he had a yearning to meet the man – Melchior had a reputation for eccentricity, to put it politely.

Old Man Melchior was the kind of man whose age was impossible to determine. His hair was snow white, including the thick, bushy mustache which competed with his mouth for size. But unlike most old folks Chrono had seen, Melchior did not have very wrinkly skin. Aside from the usual aging blemishes – marks and such – his skin nearly matched Marle's in healthiness. He was quite plump, but not grossly overweight, possessing the "young" fat which clings to the muscles, rather than the "old" fat, which hangs loose and wobbles and threatens to pull off a person's face. Chrono was sure that, if dressed in the proper attire, Melchior could pass for a whimsical grandfather. However, dressed as he was now, he would scare away all his grandkids. He had at least six layers of robes and tunics adorning him as if he were some kind of royalty from the dark ages.

Supposedly he was a weapon smith, but Chrono could not be sure, or even less care. Old Man Melchior was the kind of man who you smile and nod at while simultaneously alerting the proper authorities. Chrono had an odd feeling just looking at him. Marle must have had the same feeling, for she backed defensively into Chrono.

"Oh, hello children!" he smiled, black eyes sparkling and squinting.

"I… er, I didn't see you there."

"That's all right by me. Barely felt it there, with all my padding," the old man laughed as if he just invented the funniest joke. Marle chuckled a little, a Chrono couldn't help smiling. "How about I pretend it never happened! Nice to meet you. And you are?"

"I'm Marle! And this is Chrono. I bumped into him, too. Send him flying to the ground, too – he's a perfect gentleman, you should know. I'm new in town, and he's showing me around the fair – "

Melchior held up a hand. "Whoa, there! I wasn't looking for a testimonial. But I appreciate your openness. Well, nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, too, uh… er…"

"Melchior. Or, as I am known, Old Man Melchior."

"Ah. Melchior. Well, goodbye, then," Marle waved and turned to leave, her pendant flying around her shoulder.

"Wait!" the old man gasped. "That pendant. May I see that?"

Marle whirled around toward Melchior. "Sure thing." Smiling, she pulled it from around her neck and dangled it beneath the old man's nose.

"Marle!" Chrono shouted, instinctively grabbing the jewel.

"What?"

Melchior seemed unfazed by Chrono's outburst. Rather, he seemed in a trance. "It reminds me of… say, could I interest you in selling that pendant?"

Chrono beat Marle to the answer. "No! Sorry, but it belongs to her family. It's real special to her!" He winced at his own harsh answer but glared Melchior in the eye.

The old man snapped out of his trance. "Oh! I am so sorry. I didn't mean to be so forward. It's just that the pendant reminded me of something I knew… a long, long time ago."

Chrono took Marle's hand and for once, pulled her away from something.

"Chrono, what was that? He was just being nice." Chrono didn't respond, still pulling Marle toward the sideshow. Of course, Marle couldn't think of the old man for long – "Hey, Chrono, look! A candy stall! Can I get some candy? Please? I have some money! I'll pay!"

Chrono sighed, then took her to the stall. No one was behind the counter. "Hello?" Marle called. "Is anyone here? Hello, I just want some candy!" Still no one came. After about twenty seconds, Chrono took the girl's hand and started to leave.

"Hey, wait, Chrono! Just be patient!" Marle refused to follow. Chrono dipped his head and returned to her side.

"Marle, there is no one here. Let's just go. Lucca is waiting."

"Lucca! Who is Lucca?"

On cue, the stall tender appeared behind the counter. "May I help you folks?"

"Yes," Marle said. "I'd like some of this… and some of that."

"Yes, ma'am."

Marle turned back to Chrono. "So, again, who is Lucca?"

"She is – "

"Here you are!" Marle turned to see the shop keeper extending a bag of sweets.

"Thanks," she said, then turned to Chrono. "Oh, and thanks for waiting. Let's see that show you promised me."

"But..."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Already a crowd was gathering at Lucca's show when Chrono and Marle stepped up. Luckily, the two of them arrived near the show's start. They were amazed to see two very large structures resembling capsules standing about twenty feet apart. A strange contraption lay in between them, connected to the capsules by hundreds of tubes and parts that probably had quite interesting names and quite complex construction.

As soon as Marle laid eyes on the girl standing by one capsule, she knew her to be Lucca. The girl looked about Chrono's age and about a hundred times as bizarre. She wore a helmet, which probably was equipped to protect her from flying objects, but just made her look like a visiting alien from a nearby planet. It was the color of Lucca's hair that was most striking – purple. Marle had never seen such wild hair color. The girl must have dyed it. Add to this description a pair of two-inch thick glasses, and already Lucca was a triply disturbing girl to see.

Marle had to admit that the girl had a good face – there probably wasn't a blemish on it, and if she wore makeup, it wasn't noticeable. She couldn't help but wish for a moment she was as blemish-free. Her height made Marle realize how short she was in comparison. The girl must have been taller than even Chrono, whom she guessed crept up on six feet.

But if Marle was jealous for a moment, the feeling passed considering Lucca's attire. The girl looked as though she would fit more in some bomb squad than a millennial fair. She must have been hot and sweaty under that thick top. Who knows, it might have even been bulletproof. The skirt was a relief to see – it matched her complexion well and looked almost comfortable.

"Step right up!" the girl was shouting. "Step right up! Behold my new invention, the Telepod!"

Before she got any farther, she was met with a few sarcastic remarks. "Hey, will it work as good as the last one? I hope not!" "Does it fly? Does it turn into a toad?" Lucca ignored them and continued.

"No! This thing will actually take a person and teleport him from one end to the other! All you have to do is step in this side…" she pointed to the pod on her right, "and you'll come out on the other. It's as simple as that!" Lucca stepped back to the machine in the middle. "And now to demonstrate, I will bring one of you in the audience to try my new invention!"

Chrono's eyes widened. So this was the surprise. "Oh, no," he whispered. He tried to make his escape, but he was spotted.

"There he is!" Lucca shouted. "Chrono! Come on up and give the Telepod a try!"

It was no use resisting. Though the crowd never believed the Telepod would work, they weren't about to pass up the opportunity to see some guy make a fool of himself. The people formed a ring around Chrono and moved themselves to force him toward Lucca and the Telepod. Once there, Lucca grabbed Chrono on the arm and tossed him into the first pod. "All right, Dad, let's start this baby up!"

Chrono stood virtually paralyzed as Lucca's father stepped out of the crowd toward the machine.

"Power on," Lucca told her father while heading to the pod.

"Power on!" he repeated in a false deep voice, flipping a few switches.

"All systems full." Lucca began to fiddle with something behind that capsule.

"All systems full!"

"Ready…"

"GO!" The two of them roared. Chrono was suddenly blinded by a blue flash, and he felt as if his own body were leaving him. The feeling left him dizzier than a dog in the dryer. And as soon as it started, Chrono found himself back in the fair – but twenty feet to his left.

The crowd stood in stunned silence for a minute. Finally, Marle let out a cheer. "Wow! That was awesome!" Soon the crowd joined in the praise. As modestly as she could, Lucca proceeded to take all the credit.

"Thank you! Thank you! Yes, now who else would like to try this! Ha ha!"

No one stepped forward, but Chrono did stagger down from the other pod, looking more than a little dazed. Marle immediately ran up to him. "Whee! That looked like fun! Can I try? Can I?" She ran to the first capsule.

Lucca poked her friend in the ribs. "Say, Chrono, where did you pick up a cutie like her?" She laughed, enjoying watching Chrono's face turn redder and redder. "So, how did you get your clothes all wet? Did you rescue her from the fountain? Didn't think you had it in you!" She jogged back toward the machine and yelled to Marle. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"You can always change your mind!" Lucca's father added.

"No way!" Marle giggled. "Throw that switch!"

Everyone enjoyed a chuckle. Then Lucca rolled up her sleeves and headed to the pod. "Power on!"

"Power on!"

"All systems full!"

"All systems full!"

"Ready…"

"GO!"

The crowd watched, waiting enraptured for the blue light to return. But it didn't come. Where was that light? The other boy had it last time they threw the switch. What was taking so long?

Suddenly Marle jumped. "My… my p-pendant!" she stammered. The crowd looked at her neck to see Marle's necklace glowing and pulsating. The girl screamed, as if the pendant had become heated beyond comfort by the strange glow. She pulled it off her neck and dropped it to the ground, whereupon she disappeared.

All seemed well for a moment until everyone realized that Marle was not reappearing at the other pod. Then, out of nowhere, a strange blue sphere opened in midair between the two pods. Nothing seemed to be inside the sphere; it looked like a portal into emptiness. But then, a form began to take shape – a shape of the girl! Marle began to scream. At least, that's what the crowd thought, because her mouth was open wide. Not a sound escaped the nightmarish vortex. No one got to savor this moment, though, for the sphere immediately closed, swallowing the girl whole. Chrono instinctively ran for the portal but his hands grasped emptiness.

"What! What happened?" Lucca shouted.

Everyone sat dumb for a long time. The first to snap out of the numbness was Lucca's father, who immediately began to herd the rest of the crowd away. "Let's go folks. Nothing left to see here. Show's over."

"Chrono! Why did that happen?"

"Do you think I know?"

Lucca started pacing, a sign that she was in deep thought.

"Her pendant. It was glowing when she was thrust into that portal." She stopped to look at Chrono. "Maybe the energy from the pod reacted with the material in the girl's pendant and completely offset the coordinates for the teleportation… but to where?"

While Lucca contemplated her failure, Chrono strode over to the Telepod and picked up Marle's pendant.

"But what kind of material would divert that energy that way. I would have expected a diversion like that to have killed her! After all, it's absurd to assume that all the diverted energy went to one spot! You'd think it would have been sent every which way. She should have been cut up into a million pieces!"

Meanwhile, Chrono stood waiting in the pod.

"Chrono, do you…" Lucca glanced up at her friend. "You… you're going after… going… you're going insane!"

"I'm going after her," Crono said as coolly as he could. "Throw the switch, Lucca."

Lucca conceded. "Okay, hero. But, I can't run this by myself. I'll be back with Dad."

In a moment she and her father were at the machine. "All right," Lucca was saying. "you'll follow the girl wherever she went. I'll go home and research what went wrong – then I'll follow you two. Well… good luck, Chrono! Power on!"

"Power on!"

"All systems full!"

"All systems full!"

"Ready…"

"GO!"

Chrono braced himself, but no bracing would prepare him for the next feeling. Suddenly the pendant grew hot. So hot he could not touch it without being burned – he tried to throw it off, but he was too late. A force sucked him out of his body, sending fire through every bone and sinew. He closed his eyes and screamed, but could not hear himself. When he opened his eyes, he saw Lucca staring back at him, real as if she were standing not two feet away. Chrono reached out with one hand but hit some invisible wall. He whirled around and stopped cold. There was an infinite field of blue pulsing light, starting to pull him towards it.

In a frenzy, he began to grope in every direction, but the Millennial Fair was gone. His world faded to blue, then to black, as he was pulled violently forward into infinity.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Okay, I know it may not be the most realistic of moves to suck you out of the story and give you a sermon. And to think I used to be annoyed when other writers did this. Now I see that it may be important. This is my only chance to speak my mind with my readers (all two of them or something), so I'll give a note after each formal chapter (the chapters in roman numerals).

First, reviews: I do not know why there are any reviews at all for this story, as there is only one chapter to read. There isn't a whole lot you can say... though I appreciate the thought. If you want to make a serious comment, I would like feedback on the characters (after all, this chapter is an introduction for three main characters and three other characters). Be as specific as you can - don't just tell me it's good or bad. I need to know if the characters work for you. I don't care if your review is longer than my chapters. I'll read fast.

Second, updates: I was lucky and got today off, but I do not know how my schedule will pan out. There will be periods coming up where I will probably not update this for days, maybe a week or two. I apologize - it's cruel to start a story and leave you hanging (as if you are clamoring for the updates anyway). Long story short, updates will come in my spare time. That's all I can promise.

Finally, story: it's quite obvious I have changed some story elements. Use discretion in notifying me. Chances are that I am aware of the change because it is on purpose - but if a change just didn't work for you, then you can point it out because I probably screwed up royal. Now, about this particular chapter: we all know that the events at the fair are in preparation for the trial, and I changed those events. Remember, I have the trial in mind, and everything said or done will come up then.

There. I'm sorry to bore you with a really long note. The next ones will be short. Honest.