Chrono Corruption
Epilogue: What a Weird, Strange Trip it's Been!
*Guardia Castle 1005 A.D.*
Crono's mother, Gina, came rushing through Guardia Castle until she made it to the Knight's Quarters. She flew through the door, "Where is my husband?!" She shouted.
"Down here, Mom!" shouted Crono.
Gina went down the stairs to the lower level and met with her son, his wife, and Lucca. Caelus was in a bed recovering. She was nearly about to cry as she laid eyes on her husband, "There you are, Caelus! And my precious boy, Crono! Marle, Lucca, I see you two are okay as well. Well, what has happened here, Crono?" She asked.
"Well, it's just been a weird, strange trip. Dad got mixed up with some bad people and we went through hell trying to solve it all! But we got him back!" Crono explained until his demeanor soured a little. "Well, he's alive at least. But, he's in a coma and we don't know when he'll wake up."
Gina smiled as she silently approached her husband and she kissed him on the lips. Caelus responded a little but was unable to awaken. "It's fine dear, he'll wake up, just give him time to rest," Gina said softly.
Marle came to Crono, "Well, I guess it's time to hold the funeral for my dad," She said sadly.
"Yeah, but we should say our goodbyes to everyone first. It'll take some time before we can hold the funeral. The Gates will all close before then," Crono said solemnly.
Lucca sighed, "Now comes the hardest part of any meeting. The parting... Only this time, it's the last time. We don't have a time machine anymore and the Gates are quickly sealing up. Let's go send everyone on their way."
*End of Time*
Everyone gathered around Gaspar, who had nothing but praises for them, "Well, it looks like this is goodbye," Gaspar said as he stood up from his lamppost. "With everything done, the End of Time needs to revert back to its natural state. Nothingness. I'll be leaving too, but you all go first."
"Wow, so, you'll be leaving here?" Marle asked astonished.
"Indeed, the fabric of time that Dalton stretched is now rebounding and returning to normal, so why shouldn't everything else?" Gaspar said with a shrug.
The party went to the chamber where the pillars of light resided. They were weak and some flickering. Ayla went first, "Ayla happy to see friends again! Maybe Ayla have one more kid! Name them Crono..., or Marle!" She said happily as a tear formed in her eye. She gave everyone she could a big group hug. Crono, Marle, and Lucca struggled to breathe. She then went to Ty and Tomo and embraced them as well, "New friends good too! Tomo eat well! No more monster! Monster not good for health! Ty not play with dead thing! That bad too!"
"Yes, mama," Ty and Tomo said comically.
Ayla embraced the rest and blew kisses as well, she then approached her portal, "Bye-bye, Ayla love everyone!" She said as she vanished, returning to Prehistory.
Janus quickly approached his Gate, "With my sister's fate sealed, I can finally rest. I know I have done some miserable things to some of you in the past. I will not ask for forgiveness. I have no right," He said as he cast his eyes upon Glenn. "But I do feel as though I have done my part as far as repentance is concerned."
Glenn approached him, "You needn't be dismayed, Janus. I know your life now. You have repented as the Fiendlord is no more. I cannot be hateful over a 'dead man'. Go and enjoy your life as it was meant to be and I will mine."
Janus smiled softly as he shook Glenn's hand. He then approached his Gate for the final time, "...Thank you, everyone...," He said as he vanished, returning to Antiquity.
With that, Glenn followed, "I too shall take my farewell. It has been truly an honor to serve with all of you again! And, it has been grand to come to know the newcomers. Ty, Tomo, I will be sure to keep a watchful eye over your ancestors. Your work was inspiring! I am truly grateful to have met and fought alongside you! Lex, I am glad we were able to spare your life in time so please, give it your all when protecting Lady Irma. Garet, a soldier, and a knight are not so different. I wish you rest in your future," Glenn finished as he approached his Gate. He turned to face them one last time with a smile, "Farewell...!" He said as he vanished, returning to the Middle Ages.
Lex approached his Gate, "Thank you for everything. I have a new lease on life. I can now follow my dreams. Lady Irma will be pleased to know that the deed has been done and I now can return to her side as her guardian. It is a shame we did not get to know each other a little more but perhaps you can get to know me through the history books!"
"Bye Lex, be the best cartographer you can be!" Crono smiled with a thumbs up.
Lex gave everyone a goodbye gesture and vanished into his Gate, returning to the Dawn of Guardia.
Garet then followed, "You know, I was not frightened of losing my life during all this. I was frightened of whether or not the future would have a place for me. Is there a place where a soldier can live without a war to fight? Can I even fit back into society now that it has come to an end?"
"Sometimes the best thing you can do for the fight is to step away from it, Garet," Crono encouraged.
"We fight for peace, Garet so we can all make our lives what we would like them to be. Make your future, Garet, you fought for it, you deserve it!" Marle added.
"Yeah, that cool robotic arm's gotta be useful for something other than battle!" Lucca followed.
Ty and Tomo merely nodded and Robo approached him, "Thank you for your time, Mister Garet. I spent many hours reconstructing you when you were hurt. So I feel joy to know that you have become so strong. We will meet again in the future. After all, we aren't that far apart and I can wait another 100 years or so. So for you and I, this is not goodbye, merely, a 'see you later'!" Robo said trying not to hold back oil from his eyes.
"I'm glad to have met you, Prometheus, err, Robo," Garet said as he vanished into his Gate, returning to the year 2400.
Robo tried to keep himself composed, "Well, friends, it's that time again! But we don't have to be sad because we know now the future definitely has a place for me!"
Lucca came up to him, "Damn it, Robo, I hate this so much! We have to say goodbye twice!"
"I know, I will remember you all when I return! Mister Drayguard, could you please cancel any plans you have when it comes to messing with zombification? It does not end well for you!" Robo said worriedly.
"No worries, I won't mess with 'dead things' anymore," Ty said uneasily, recalling Ayla.
"And Tomo, please take Ayla's words to heart," Robo added.
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Tomo said with a smile.
"Crono, Marle, I am deeply interested in seeing how you lead Guardia from this point on," Robo said with intrigue. He approached the Gate hesitantly, "Uh, I guess, this is goodbye..."
Lucca stamped her foot with tears in her eyes, "Damn it, Robo! You better take good care of Atropos too!"
With that, Robo stepped in, "Goodbye my friends!" He said as his voice echoed into the future with him.
"Well, that's everyone, shall we get going?" Crono said softly. "Oh, Ty, Tomo, would you guys attend the funeral for the King? It would be much appreciated."
"Sure thing, buddy," Ty agreed.
"Absolutely," Tomo followed.
With that, one by one, Crono and his remaining friends entered their own Gate, returning to the Present Age.
*Guardia Castle, A Few Days Later*
And so, the King of Guardia was laid to rest and the people were allowed to mourn. None more so though, than Marle and Crono. Once the funeral had concluded, Crono finally took his place as King. He was coronated soon after and the Kingdom went from mourning to rejoicing. And once the ceremonies had concluded and things began to die down. Ty and Tomo rejoined the Explorer Corps. They loaded up the ships and were ready to return to Choras.
Crono, Marle, and Lucca met Ty and Tomo at the docks in Manolia Town to see them off. Crono approached Ty with a smile, "It's been quite a trip hasn't it? Thanks for all you've done guys."
"Hey, no problem! It's been fun, really it has! I got to see history unfold and protect it all at the same time! But hey, if your dad starts having any health troubles, let me know, and I'll see what I can do. Unfortunately, I can't wake him up. He'll have to do that on his own!" Ty chuckled.
Marle and Lucca came up to them too, "It's been great guys. Sorry about trying to get Lucca together with Ty there, Tomo. I guess you two were inseparable when you first arrived," Marle said embarrassingly.
Ty blinked in confusion, "You tried to do what now?"
Lucca interrupted, "Oh, it's nothing, just girl talk is all! Don't worry about it! Uh, nevertheless, it was great to meet someone with as much brains as me, even if were specializing in two completely different subjects. Your work was really inspiring, Ty. Oh, and Tomo, take good care of him will ya!"
Marle hugged Tomo, "You guys are welcome here anytime, so don't be total strangers!" she said.
"We won't! We'll be around!" Tomo said reassuringly.
With that, Toma rang the bell aboard the ship and shouted down to them, "Hey, it's time to go! You coming or what?!"
"Yes, Dad!" Tomo shouted back.
"Well, be seein' ya!" Ty said as he and Tomo boarded the ship.
They all waved as the ship departed and soon Guardia was no longer in sight. "Well Ty, what do we do now?" Tomo asked as they both watched the water beneath them pass by.
"Well, it's hard to say. We kinda saw everything we wanted to see since we became part of the Explorer Corps.," Ty said.
"Yeah, there's not really much to explore when you've seen the world in multiple different eras, huh?" Tomo responded.
"Well, there is one thing I want to do when I get back to Choras," Ty began.
"What's that?" Tomo responded eagerly.
"You remember how I said I could never find the Drayguard Family Vault when I was younger? Well, I got a good idea now where to find it! How about it? You up for one more run?" Ty asked with a smile.
"You bet I am!" Tomo agreed joyfully.
Just then, Posh and Gosh came. Gosh pointed angrily at Ty, "I don't approve of your relationship with my fair Tomo, Drayguard!"
Posh came and embraced Ty's arm, "And I don't approve either! I am so meant for you, Ty!" She cooed.
"Ohhh, come on you two!" Ty and Tomo moaned in unison, their voices carrying into the sky.
*Guardia Castle*
All is quiet in Guardia Castle as a worried wife stays by her husband's side, just then, the comatose man stirs and he opens his eyes weakly to meet his wife's. He says nothing to her, but they meet gazes and tears fill her eyes. He smiles weakly and they embrace.
*End of Time*
The old Guru of Time watched the flickering lights of the Gates that were quickly fading. He turned behind him to see the construct he had built here via magic begin to vanish into nothingness. The way the End of Time should be. With one tip of his hat, he hopped into a Gate with a wink and it closed behind him. Away he went, to an unknown time and unknown place.
*The End*