Chapter XIII: Heroes Return
Chrono had never felt so good to be back in Truce. He was sure everyone felt about the same. (Everyone, that is, except Robo.) The boat ride had taken a little more than two days – two days of nothing but sea and sky and a lot of angry mystics. For the most part Chrono stayed out of their way. He thought the irony of dying ten steps from home too deep to be funny.
The boat stopped at the south end of Truce, nearest Lucca's home. So that was where they went first. Fortunately the sun was just going down, so it was too late for nosy passers-by to be out and about, and too early for thieves and prowlers to be on the loose. The darkness provided the cover for Lucca to sneak into the house, followed by her two friends and a robot. "Wait here a moment," she whispered, then snuck off leaving the others in the entryway.
Chrono noticed Nadia and Robo examining all the gadgets strewn about the room – hoses, wires, unrecognizable instruments. They took the time to pretend to be interested when they really didn't care or understand anything and were just passing time. Chrono didn't bother to even pretend, and so he crept toward the other end of the room to find out if he could hear anything.
First came a man's voice – Taban. "You've been gone all day, Lucca. You weren't doing 'nothing.'"
Lucca mumbled something, but Chrono couldn't make it out. Next came a woman's voice, softer – Lara. "Of course we're going to worry. You disappear for no reason leaving nothing but four words scribbled on a scrap of paper." Pause. "What's going on?"
Chrono could make out Lucca's word. "Nothing."
"Okay," Taban said. "How about you bring your friends in here and we'll talk about this." Chrono jumped at the word friends, though he couldn't figure out how Taban guessed he was there – almost like how his mother always knew where he was and what he was doing. He figured there was no sense waiting – he stepped in and motioned for Nadia and Robo to follow. They seemed happy for a chance to get involved, for up until then they had been admiring what looked like the remains of a metallic eggshell.
As Chrono stepped into the kitchen he felt the light leave the room. In fact, he could see very little aside from a lamp on the table, which illuminated Lucca and her parents in a sort of eerie glow. He noticed Nadia couldn't stop staring at Lucca's mother, especially at her legs – more specifically, at where most people had their legs. Usually Lara wore long dresses to hide that sort of thing, but not here – and with the glow from the lamp, Lara looked like the subject of a ghost story. Her face was gaunt, almost as if the loss of her legs had removed part of her face, too. For some reason, she chose to wear clothing that made her look like a large box with a head, for she always kept her arms close to her side, as if by holding them aloft they would fall off too.
Then, on the other side of the table was Taban, his muscular frame exaggerated by the frailty across from him. Chrono motioned to Nadia, telling her to stop staring. But apparently the girl hadn't seen this kind of thing yet.
"It's just you, Chrono," Taban muttered, sounding both angry and surprised. "How on earth…"
"We'll tell you later," Lucca cut him off. "Okay? I was out, and I wasn't expecting to be back this early. I came with Chrono."
"And his friends," Lara corrected wearily.
"Right."
"But what's this?" Taban turned his eye at Robo. "I've never seen you before."
Robo looked to Lucca. "May I speak?" he asked in his metallic voice - the lights on his "mouth" casting crisp shadows on the wall. Taban visibly backed away. "No, do not be alarmed. I belong to Madam Lucca. She fixed me."
"Yes," Lucca said, suddenly excited. "And I'm sorry I took so long. All right? Now I'm home. Let's talk tomorrow."
"Yes," Taban replied. "We will. Say good night to your friends."
"Just a moment." Lucca jumped up and led the others out the door. "Well, this is interesting," she whispered once they were out. "Today is apparently the day we all went to the future. You know, they day Chrono was supposed to be killed? That's today."
"So?" Nadia remarked.
"So we actually returned three days before we left!"
"I don't see what that – "
"Never mind. Chrono, you be the gentleman and get Nadia home. I'll take Robo – he'll stay here with me. Don't worry, my dad will be fascinated with him. He'll forget that I got in trouble at all."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I don't know what Lucca was thinking," Chrono said when they left. "There's no way we're walking to the castle in the dark."
"I could stay at your place," Nadia offered.
"Hm. No."
She put her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "Then what – I'm going to just sleep outside somewhere? I don't think so."
"We'll see," Chrono replied smugly. "Come on. It's only a five minute walk." When he reached the front door, he put a finger to his lips. "Mom's usually asleep by this time. Be quiet so she doesn't hear. Oh, and the stairs up to my room squeak unless you walk really close to the wall." He pushed the door open. Or – tried to push the door open. "Um… it's locked. Never mind. Would you believe I don't have a key? I know there's one around here somewhere. Help me look… it should be under one of these stones."
"Chrono?"
"Shh… not so loud. Just look… some of the stones on the path are loose. Usually there's a key under one of them so I can get in…"
"Hello, Chrono?"
"Don't make too much noise. Mom will hear you. Her bedroom is right up there."
"Why don't we just knock? I mean, what do you have to hide?"
Besides you? "Nothing. But I didn't want to be rude."
"Uh-huh." Nadia watched Chrono for a moment, then turned and banged her hand on the door. Whumph!
"What was that for?" Chrono whispered.
Nadia didn't have time to answer. Almost immediately, the door swung open – so fast it almost fell off its hinges. And standing there was Liza. Her hair was matted against her face, her clothes sagging as if they hadn't been changed for days. At the sight of Chrono, her eyes grew wide. She took a step back… and then lunged for the boy. "Hello, Mommmpphhh…"
"You… I thought… you were… that you would be…" she panted. Chrono didn't need good light to know his mother had been crying all day. "Five hours ago… they said you were dead. I thought after your father… not you too."
"Mom…" Chrono returned the hug. "I'm… um, sorry."
"They let you go? Just like that…"
"Sure."
"I knew it. Somehow I knew they wouldn't just… I mean, that you would be… that… you… Stop scaring me like that!" She started to laugh in the middle of sobbing, producing a strange choking sound.
"Come on, Mom… let's go in. I'm tired." Chrono led her inside, then motioned for Nadia to join.
"Don't look," Liza mumbled. "The place is a mess since you went on trial."
"I don't mind it at all. Why don't you just go get some sleep."
"Not yet. You're the one who needs sleep."
"Mom – please, not now."
"Go on up… I'll just stay down here."
"No, I'll stay. Sleep." Chrono gave his mother a quick peck on the cheek and gently shoved her toward the staircase. She turned to give him a funny look – and then seemed to notice for the first time that Nadia had been present the whole time.
Liza stared blankly at the girl. "Who are you?"
"Doesn't she look familiar? Marle – the girl from the fair."
Suddenly Chrono's mother didn't look so disheveled. She looked downright suspicious. "What? …Are you just dropping by before you take her home? Again? What's going on?"
"Nothing. Go to sleep, Mom."
"Oh…" She reeled back and put a hand to her mouth. "You weren't pardoned. You weren't let go. You're not my son. You're another ghost – come to taunt me? Get out… go away. You're not real. How could you do this to me?"
"Mom, calm down. It's me." Chrono stepped forward, arms wide. But his mother only shrank back, then ran upstairs. He just looked after her, then turned back to Nadia. "I'll handle this. Tomorrow she should be back to normal. You can have my room. But as soon as the sun comes up you are out of here."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It was a year and six months. Truce still awoke with the sun. The world was still unaware of its infection, like a human is unaware of his worm as he starves to death. Yet life continued – children going to school, growing older, leaving home. And every day, without fail, the sun rose. And again at night, it set in good faithfulness. Just like it had before, even though the sun would never look the same.
Chrono noticed that it had less color anymore, even though he knew nothing had changed. Days seemed to be darker, though he knew that couldn't be. He just assumed it was a kind of death pall hanging over the world – one that had been there his whole life, he supposed, though he never realized it existed. Sure, life went on, and would – for another thousand years. Then it would end.
Despite that, Chrono felt the most cheerful he had been in his entire life.
He closed his journal and started getting dressed. First he threw on a white undershirt, which had begun to feel tighter each month – in the arms and chest, he bragged. His blue pants and vest were starting to get ragged around the edges, but no one would really notice. For the final touch he wrapped his new orange bandana around his head, keeping the hair out of his face. He went to the wall journal to check himself out. He admitted he didn't mind looking at his reflection anymore, as he looked less like a friendless loser and more like a grown man. Of course he had to flex his muscles once or twice and grin as if he had the world's largest biceps and everyone else knew it. Nah, he admitted. Not yet.
"Chrono, are you up there?" a woman's voice. Chrono snapped into action – he rolled up his sleeves and ran downstairs.
Elaine. No one else was behind the counter, and the store was empty. "There you are – can you run things for a moment while I deliver these goods to a customer? Just down the block. Fritz is gone running errands for when daddy gets back. I'll be gone a few minutes." She came up and put a hand on Chrono's shoulder.
"Sure thing."
"Good." Elaine stepped back and winked, then skirted out of the store, vanishing into sunlight. Chrono wasn't exactly sure what she saw in him – she was the Guardian ideal: light hair, skin, and eyes, small and fair, hardly sixteen or seventeen or whatever, and so on and so on. Somewhere in her was a personality, he knew, and someday he might actually get a glimpse of it, but for now Elaine relied on her appearance to take care of everything. Chrono liked to think he was immune to that, but in his dreams he knew he really wasn't.
The day was looking to be slow, so Chrono busied himself with the usual cleaning up the store. He pretended to hate the job, but he found it more fun than helping people at the counter. Besides, any loose change he happened to find was his by right. Once a week or so a careless shopper would drop a couple gold pieces, enough to replace the bandana he lost last year. Now he was saving up for a new sword, a real one. He told everyone it was a new hobby.
He had still not found anything when he heard someone enter. On turning to look he recognized Benny, from Guardia. "Oh my… um, I mean, can I help you sir?"
"No, no, I'm here on behalf of the Chancellor and the King." Then Nadia walked in.
"Is she my next prize or something?" Chrono remarked, giving Nadia a comical once-over. She had certainly grown in the last year – in every way. She was no longer a girl, the kind that ran around at fairs and gave young men mild concussions – but a woman, the kind that gave young men vertigo. But she looked far too self-conscious in her dress. Her head was held high, nose in the air, as if hung there to dry. Chrono kept his cool. "It's been what, two months since my last one."
Benny smiled knowingly – or smiled to the best of his ability. It looked more like a friendly scowl. "His majesty bestows upon you this ticket – " he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a paper of purplish color – "which grants you access to the castle."
"In other words…" Chrono began.
"'Please don't tell.'"
"Normally I wouldn't be one to accept bribes but in this case I'll make an exception. What exactly am I not supposed to tell? I was acquitted for heaven's sake."
"You were. Not all the other… people."
"Right. Like Fritz… you never told me what went on with that. You promised me last time."
"Maybe so." Benny crossed his arms. "The Chancellor looks forward to your visit."
"I bet he looks forward to the day I leave Guardia forever." Chrono chuckled to himself as he examined the ticket again. "Good for one time, huh? At least it's free. But it's not as nice as that letter I got last year."
It was then Nadia spoke. "Sir Benjamin, I would like to speak with Mr. Chrono alone for a minute."
Benny nodded and concealed a smile. "Certainly – shall I wait by the door?" He didn't wait for an answer but stepped outside and shut the door.
Suddenly Nadia leapt toward Chrono, her royal attitude gone. Her green eyes turned wild, and Chrono wasn't sure whether to be excited or frightened out of his wits. "What's going on?" she hissed.
"I actually don't know what you're talking about."
"We haven't even seen each other for sixteen months and you spring this on me?"
"Ah, now I think I know where this is going. You know I couldn't see you at all – I mean I just got the ticket. And you know the Chancellor would kill me first chance he got…" Chrono leaned back as Nadia pushed her face closer.
"Not that!" She stepped back and began to pace. "I couldn't get out either. But I heard from Lucca. Through Benny. She said that we're going back!"
"That's right."
"No we're not! I can't. I may not care about being a… princess… but I do care about living!"
"Me too."
"But it's absurd. We're children."
"We're old enough to have children. I'm nineteen now… and Lucca is recently twenty. I say that makes us adults. You're close enough." Chrono paused. "Are you saying we should wait a few years or something?"
"Well we can't go back anyway. I was in Leene Square last month… and I snuck away from my escort for a while… and the gate was gone. It's not there anymore. We can't go back."
"I think Lucca's been working on it. I mean, she had me training the last six months. She was too… see, for a while I had the same thoughts you have. But I had a dream… it wasn't much, just my father setting me on his lap (and I was a little boy) and giving me advice. See, then he turned into that Spekkio creature. I couldn't just forget that, and you know not many other people can do what we can…"
Nadia put a hand to her forehead in resignation. "Okay, you win. To tell the truth, I had a similar dream. But it wasn't about your father. I've been using this magic too – not to train, like you said… it was for fun. You've never seen the looks on suitor's faces when they grip my hand and… well, try it for yourself." She extended her hand to Chrono, who took it immediately.
Just as quickly he pulled his hand back and put it in his mouth. "Ahh! It's like ice!"
"Like that," Nadia giggled.
Chrono gritted his teeth. "Well, I've been training a lot you know, and I have a few tricks too." He rubbed his hands together and pulled out a coin. "Watch." He placed his hands about six inches apart, one above the other, and dropped the coin into the bottom hand. After a moment, he bowed his head and closed his eyes tight, concentrating. In just a few seconds he felt the coin leave his hand – he opened his eyes to see it dangling a few inches in the air between both hands. In excitement, he shouted "Yes!" and the coin dropped to the floor.
"You're just showing off."
"No I'm not."
"That's not even real."
"Yes it is… Lucca said it's 'magnetism,' which is… well, I guess Lucca can tell you herself. She'll be meeting me here later today."
"Hm." Nadia bit her lip. "And I was just getting started."
Just then there was a knock at the door. "Oh! I almost forgot…" she cleared her throat. "Come in, Benjamin."
The man opened the door and poked his head in. "Your highness – Princess, I do not mean to pry, but we cannot remain all day."
Nadia appeared to be thinking for a moment. "Then go on without me. I will take a car back home." Benny leaned in a little, as if he couldn't believe what he heard. "Make up a story or something! Just get out of here!" The man nodded, bowed, and left. Nadia wasted no time and turned back to Chrono, the wild look returning. "What time will Lucca be here?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A half-hour later Nadia came down from upstairs, dressed in more humble clothing (as in, not yet paid for). She wore the green set (to match her eyes, Chrono guessed – women did that kind of thing) and gave Chrono the other sets. "Thank you. I was sick of that dress."
"Why do you wear that anyway?" Nadia ignored the question and wandered behind the counter. "Careful. If Fritz sees you there he'll have a fit… never mind." Chrono went to work putting clothes away.
He had just finished when Elaine returned. "I'm back! I know I said I'd only be gone for a moment, but I started talking with the lady down the street, and then your mother came by and said she wanted you home for dinner and…" her voice trailed off when she saw Nadia. "Who is that?" Chrono's voice stuck in his throat. "Chrono?"
Nadia answered instead. "Hello, my name is Marle." She took Elaine's hand.
"Wow, your hands are cold."
"Yes, I have that problem if I don't wear warm gloves."
Elaine rubbed her hands noticeably on her blouse. "Well we have some if you want them… they're quite cheap."
"No thanks. I didn't bring any money with me. I'm with him." Chrono shot her a look.
"Oh, he never said he'd have a friend in today… but I could swear I've seen you before." Now Nadia gave Chrono a look.
But just in time, Fritz came in the door. He was awkwardly trying to carry a large book, a jar of ink, and some feather pens without dropping anything and still keeping a moderate level of hand coordination. "Here, Chrono, Elaine, help me!" Chrono, thankful for the opportunity, rushed over and took the ink and pens. "Sorry, I had it until I came in… is father back?"
"No," Elaine said, taking the book.
"Then just put his stuff in his room." Finally Fritz noticed Nadia trying to hide behind a case of clothing. "Oh, are you looking for something, ma'am?"
She pointed at Chrono. "I'm with him. Marle."
"Hm… have you been here before? I swear I've seen you here…" Chrono held his breath. "Weren't you here last month for that one red dress? Or was it the cooking set…"
"I can't remember. I don't shop a lot."
Suddenly they heard a call from upstairs. "Fritz! Chrono! Can one of you tell me what this dress is doing here?" Elaine. Chrono and Nadia traded looks as Fritz ran upstairs.
"Here," Chrono whispered. "Why don't you go to Lucca's place right now. This may take a while."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yay! It's updated! (Angels break out in Hallelujah Chorus)
If you haven't already noticed, I've made a considerable change here, and I'd like to defend myself because it's one of the only changes I am dead-set on keeping: When I played the game, I wondered why three unexperienced kids who just saw the end of the world and almost got killed several times would be itching to save the world... I mean, that's kind of a hasty decision if you ask me. I think that in giving them time, the characters can grow and mature enough until they just know they are the only ones who can save the world. Besides, it gives them a chance to train their magic skills without having to fight endless amounts of filler battles. Whatever. Don't bother me - my mind is made up.
The only thing I'm concerned about is that you may have lost track of the characters' lives. I skipped a year and a half and gave just about no explanation for anything. I hope that Chrono and Nadia's stories are somewhat obvious from this half of the chapter - at least, I hope what you need to know is obvious. You can make up the rest.
I hope to update before April. Sounds easy, but I'll have like no time come the end of this month all through March. That means that all four of you on the edges of your seats can take a popcorn break. All plot holes will be resolved. Eventually. We authors fill those things with loopholes.