Chrono Corruption

Act 6: Preparations

Chapter 39: The Last Days, Part III

*Antiquity, 11,995 A.D.*

The Neo Epoch tore through the skies as it appeared in Antiquity. Crono spoke without turning to his friends, "So where do we go first?" He asked cheerfully.

Janus paused, "To Raven. If anyone knows the location of the Shadow Dragon, it is her."

"Y'know, I kinda thought that that's where we should go," Crono chuckled.

"Then why did you bother asking, knucklehead?" Lucca scolded with a smile.

Marle laughed along with them as Janus stayed quiet.

*Raven's Palace*

Raven's Palace had not changed since their last visit. As before, they parked the Neo Epoch nearby and she welcomed them with open arms. "Welcome, once again, Lord Janus," Raven said with a soothing tone. "I trust you are here about some... personal things," She said as she showed Janus Schala's Pendant.

Janus's eyes lit up slightly, "...That, among other things...," He replied.

She clasped the pendant in her ivory hands, "Tell me, Janus. What is it you truly seek? Is it your sister? Or perhaps something much deeper?"

"...?" Janus mused with a raised brow. "For now, we seek the Shadow Dragon god. We were informed that it skulks the lands, not settling down in one place," Janus stated.

"Then the Goddess of Fate has taken pity on you this day, Lord Janus. All that your heart seeks is within the ruins of your kingdom that floats upon the waves," Raven claimed. "Visit the ruins of your fallen kingdom and put to rest the supernatural influence that causes them to linger and you will be satisfied."

Janus paused for a moment with hesitation as his eyes drew away from hers for a brief moment, "If that is where the Shadow Dragon currently dwells, then that is where I shall go," Janus said with a slight tone of unease.

With that, Crono's party thanked Raven and they left her palace. They took off into the skies and began searching the vast ocean for the ruins they had once found the Rift in.

*Ruins of Zeal*

It took no time at all for Crono's party to spot the seemingly ethereal ruins of the fallen kingdom. The sunlight shining on them as dusk approached truly made them feel haunted. Crono found a safe place to land and the party disembarked. With hesitation, Janus gazed into the ruins and he grew quiet.

Crono lurched toward him curiously, "Janus? Are you...?"

Marle stopped him, "Shh, he's retreating deep into thought." She whispered. "Let him deal with this on his own."

"I hope revisiting this won't be too much for him...," Lucca added with a soft whisper.

"Let's stay close behind, but give him a little space," Crono recommended.

Then suddenly, Janus's attention was caught by something and he flew off. Leaping and levitating across the debris. Crono's party silently followed. Janus found it to be an orb of light, a spirit. He followed it diligently. As he did so, ghostly apparitions from the people of his former home echoed throughout the ruins. Then, as the sun began to set more and more, the image of his father and sister, Schala, came into his view. "I-is that a mirage...?! No, it cannot be!" Janus said wide-eyed with astonishment as he found himself in a small clearing.

Janus approached and the apparitions became more visible. Crono and the others stayed back to view the interaction. "Is that Schala?" Crono whispered.

"Looks like it," Marle replied.

Janus approached, "My... father...?" he asked.

"Janus, my son, I am relieved to see you prospering," said King Zeal.

"Yes, I too, am relieved," followed Schala.

Janus fell to his knees, "I..., it would seem like my search for you has come to an end..."

The spirit of Schala bent down and touched his face with her ghostly hand. "Janus, I had tremendous guilt in my heart for what had happened to our kingdom, to Mother. It prevented me from moving on. I died in such fear after I sent Crono and his friends away. As the Ocean Palace collapsed around me, the last thing I could hear was the rushing of the ocean coming down on me. Everything went dark," she explained as tears began to fill her eyes.

"Sister, I... searched for so long... hoping you had escaped the destruction," Janus began as emotion began to rise in his voice. "...But, I was unable to do so. Now I see how foolish I was..., for thinking you were still alive..."

The King also moved in closer and placed his hand on Janus's shoulder as he stared into his eyes, "Janus, I can see the great turmoil you have endured after I passed. If only I could have been there, perhaps our family and our kingdom would not have suffered as they did so."

"...But, it seems as though you pushed through that strife, Janus," Schala noted. "I can feel that you have done some terrible things since you were sent through that dark, lonely portal. All of it done out of revenge and a need to survive."

"But you may rest now, my son, let your heart grieve, let it mourn," Zeal said restfully. "Your sister and I can rest easy now knowing you have carried on so well despite your circumstances."

With that, Janus collapsed into a bowing position and he wept. For the first time in many years, Janus wept. The spirits of his loved ones embraced him as he did so. Crono and the others witnessed this, also with tears in their eyes. "To think..., that was all he needed," Marle said quietly.

Lucca wiped her eyes under her glasses, "Yeah, he just..., needed time to mourn his loss."

Crono smiled, "It is amazing how our emotions can so negatively affect us. Ever since Lavos sent him hurtling through time, he's lived through the darkness, unable to move on. Even now, he had some reservations left. I think that's what Raven wanted him to do but she couldn't just bluntly tell him that."

"Yeah, that was nice of her. She was empathizing with him before he knew her. I think they'll make a great pair!" Marle said happily.

"You better hope they do! Janus is the only person left in your historical bloodline without Schala!" Lucca stated.

The party talked amongst themselves as night finally fell. They didn't interrupt Janus for some time, allowing the hurting man time to deal with himself.

*Later*

The full moon rose high over the ruins of Zeal as Crono and his party gazed at the stars. Lucca and Marle fell asleep and Crono could no longer hear Janus. He got up and began to look for Janus and the man was standing quietly, meditating over the ruins. Crono approached him, "How do you feel?" Crono asked with concern.

Janus paused, "...Relieved, is the word I suppose. For a long time, I wandered the shadows in search of anything I could simply... grab onto. But now, I see, that all I needed was to simply... let go. Now, my heart feels like the night sky on a cloudless evening," He took a deep breath.

"Good, I'm glad you came to terms with everything," Crono said with a smile. "If I can separate my dad from Lavos, maybe I can get my dad to do the same."

"...We will...," Janus said.

Crono smiled warmly, "Well, shall we be headed back to Raven's place?"

"When the dawn comes. Allow me to meditate a little further," Janus asked.

"Sure thing," Crono said as he began walking back to the girls.

As Crono made his way back to the girls he heard a loud noise off in the distance. It repeated itself like footsteps as Crono analyzed his surroundings. These footsteps grew in strength until both the girls and Janus came to him. "You guys heard that too?" Crono asked with a serious tone.

"How could we not? I thought a thunderstorm was coming in!" Lucca said as she adjusted her glasses.

"A very dark presence approaches," Janus said quietly.

A dark silhouette in the distance caught Marle's eyes, "Could that be?" She said as the moonlight illuminated the saurian form of the silhouette, "The Shadow Dragon!"

The Shadow Dragon emerged from the darkness of night. It did indeed resemble a tyrannosaurs rex but it stood more upright with dorsal plates lining its back and ending at its long tail. Its mouth was filled with gnarled teeth and its eyes glowed yellow. It also wore a strange spiky black collar with chains dangling from it.

"Humans...," spoke the Shadow Dragon with a gravelly male voice. "This planet has been through such turmoil because of you," it continued condescendingly.

Janus stepped forward, "And I suppose under your care it would not see such things?"

"The Reptites had a much more intimate relationship with the planet! This destruction that is seen around you. Was that not caused by man?" asked the Dragon.

"Humans certainly had their role to play," Janus began. "But this destruction was caused by Lavos. The same creature that ended your species."

The Shadow Dragon seemed to ignore Janus's speech and continued with its own narrative, "If your greed had not awakened Lavos, perhaps this kingdom of yours would still be floating in the skies."

"And if it were not for the Reptite's pride, they would not be a dead species," Janus spit back calmly.

"Enough, it is time for a little snack! I shall make you bleed!" roared the Shadow Dragon.

The Dragon lunged in as it cast a spell on itself. A magic circle appeared beneath it and its magical potency increased. Janus, with a sour expression, went through a series of hand signs as he unleashed his most powerful spell, "So, think yourself a 'Genius' do you? Do you know what Dark Matter is!" he announced. The Shadow Dragon was consumed in a distortion of space. The very fabric of the dimension seemed to shatter like glass as a triangular void resembling the depths of space danced around the beast. However, once it ended and the dimension was restored, the Dragon made a creepy grin as it proved to absorb the spell instead of taking damage from it.

"Janus don't tell me you let it get under your skin?!" Crono asked as he unsheathed his sword.

"Hmph, I was simply curious is all," Janus claimed stoically.

Marle and Lucca drew their weapons, "Alright, what's the plan here? Most of our magic combos result in Shadow damage!"

"We still have plenty of options!" Crono said as he raised his sword. "Janus is that Soul Geyser a Shadow spell?"

"No, it's neutral," Janus replied.

"Good! Cast it for me! I got a cool idea!" Crono requested.

"Very well," Janus replied.

Janus cast his spell and Crono rushed the Dragon. Crono leaped into the geyser and began his Steel Cyclone and the souls of Janus's defeated foes were caught by Crono's blade like cobwebs on a broom. He spun around the Shadow Dragon causing deep cuts as it roared in pain. After it ended, the Dragon seemed to shake off the damage and it gleamed with dark power. It laughed as it cast a spell on Janus. A dark circle appeared beneath him and he felt heavy. His magical potency dropped considerably.

The Shadow Dragon bellowed, "Heh, 'Imbecile'. You humans seem to really depend on your magic. Let us see how you fight with it Diminished!" announced the Dragon as the battlefield became flooded with dark energy.

Everyone felt drained, but Crono threw up his hands, "Well, better try the spell that always works!" He said with a grin.

"Crono! Luminaire won't deal as much damage if our magical potency has been halved!" Lucca warned.

"I know, but we don't have many other options!" Crono shouted back.

However, before he could cast it, the Shadow Dragon head-butted Crono away and sent him flying into the ruins. It then spun around and swept the rest of the party away with its tail. It laughed heartily, "HA! Without your magic you're not as powerful as you thought, are you?"

Crono unburied himself and wiped some blood away from his lip, "Heh, not bad! You'll have to do better than that though!" He announced confidently as he threw his hands back up.

"Crono! Luminaire will just be weakened! You shouldn't be wasting so much power so soon!" Lucca claimed.

"I know, but what else can we do?" Crono said as the Shadow Dragon set his sights on him.

Thin beams of light shot into the sky in all directions beneath the Shadow Dragon's feet. It quickly noticed this and before it could let out a grunt or growl, Crono's Luminaire erupted beneath it. The light from Luminaire lit up the ruins as if it were daytime. It was so deafening, that if the Dragon was roaring in pain, it couldn't be heard. The dome of light slowly lowered until Luminaire dissipated. The Shadow Dragon stood as its body smoldered a little.

"Damn, Crono! Your Luminaire was still that strong?!" Lucca said in amazement.

Crono let down his arms and breathed heavily. "I...I may or may not have put more power into that...!" He huffed.

"More power? You don't mean like, everything?!" Marle asked in astonishment.

Crono gave them a weak chuckle. The girls rolled their eyes in disbelief.

Then the Shadow Dragon moved as it shook off the shock from Luminaire. "Impressive, but I am nowhere near defeat!" He grumbled. "Light magic user, I would not fly so close to the sun if I were you! You might come down in a Free Fall!"

The Dragon began to pulsate with dark power and Crono became the target of the Dragon's wrath. In an instant, Crono was shot into the air like a bullet. He gained incredible height until he reached a pinnacle. He could see clouds beneath him. The spell then suddenly dropped him like a rock and brought him hurtling back toward the ground with increased gravity. He slammed into the ground hard. He was unconscious and badly damaged.

The two women went running to him, "Crono, no!" Marle shouted in horror.

"Damn, that spell did that much damage even when halved by the Dragon's own Diminishing spell?" Janus thought out loud.

"Any ideas, Janus?" Lucca asked as the Shadow Dragon approached cautiously.

"We have not many spells to play," Janus claimed. "Get Crono up with some Athenian Water and restore him. Lucca, lend me a Fire Blast. Send it into my Soul Geyser."

"You got it!" Lucca growled with fury as Marle resuscitated her husband.

Crono's eyes opened after drinking the mystical water and he was just in time to see Janus and Lucca stop the Dragon in its tracks with flaming souls screaming and biting down on the Dragon's flesh. The Dragon howled in pain and made a sickening symphony with the screaming of the souls.

Crono tried to get to his feet but stumbled, "Hold on, Crono, let me patch you up!" Marle said hastily as she cast her Cure spell on him, restoring him completely.

"Thanks, sweetie, you're the best!" Crono said with a wide grin.

"Crono, what are we gonna do? If you strike him with another Light spell, he'll just wipe you again!"

"I know, so it's got to be one shot!" Crono said as he held up the White Summon Gem.

"How are you going to summon the Archangel?! Using Light magic ensures the Shadow Dragon will retaliate!"

Crono took an Ether out of his pocket and chugged it, "That's better! Who said anything about attacking? I got an idea!"

Janus's attack had ended and the Shadow Dragon was still as its charred flesh still smoldered. The Dragon grumbled as its eyes glowed. The beast cast a spell and everyone braced for some kind of impact. Instead, the Shadow Dragon cast its own Shadow spell upon itself which it then absorbed. It shed the burned skin, "Ah, that is better. With a body like mine, I do not need my victim's magic to restore me. I merely need to cast any offensive Shadow spell upon myself and I recover!" He explained confidently.

"Oh, no! Now what?!" Lucca asked hopelessly.

Crono and Marle came to Janus and Lucca, "I got an idea! I need you guys to stop with the magic and just get reckless with physical attacks!"

Janus raised his voice, "Have you gone mad? We will be slaughtered if...!" He then paused as he realized what Crono was capable of. He responded with a sigh, "...You do realize the pain you are about to put your own wife through, do you not?"

Marle shivered as Crono nodded, "Yeah, but don't worry, I won't let him kill any of you! If we can summon this Archangel, it'll be enough to smear this Dragon off the map!"

Janus continued with another sigh, "It would seem emotional pain is not all I shall endure today..."

Lucca toughened up as she braced herself. She cocked her gun, "I'm ready! I just hope this is quick!"

"I trust you, sweetie...," Marle said as she armed her bow.

"I'll make it count!" Crono began as he faced the Shadow Dragon. "If you're going to 'make us bleed'! Then go right ahead! Humans can make great sacrifices with our blood!" he said as he cast his Previve spell. Everyone was given a small orb of bright light that entered their chests and Crono stood back to await the cue. His friends let out a war cry as they charged the Shadow Dragon.

The Shadow Dragon laughed deeply, "Ha! So, you could not take me with magic so you reverted to the measly animals you truly are!"

Crono's friends attacked with their weapons but were easily beaten down by the Shadow Dragon's head butts, tail whips, scratches, and bites. Crono chugged Ether after Ether to rebuild his stamina.

"It is time, Humans! I shall end this!" bellowed the Dragon as it whipped Lucca into a stone pillar, knocking her out. It then head-butted Janus and he slid across the ruins like a rag doll, knocking him out. And then he approached Marle. The Dragon lifted its large foot and sneered as it brought it down on a softly smirking Marle, knocking her out.

The Dragon stepped back and set its eyes on Crono, who once again had his arms raised to the heavens. The Dragon looked at him curiously. His eyes burned with fury as just then, the Previve took effect and with three surges of Light magic, Crono's friends all got to their feet. They were just in time to see the spectacle as the night sky suddenly brightened. The Shadow Dragon quickly realized what Crono had accomplished.

"You! You tricked me! I will bite off your damn head!" roared the Dragon as it made a mad dash for him.

It was too late, the sky opened up with rays of holy light separating the clouds and a majestic being descended in a hurry as if awaiting the call. Archangel was massive and had six wings that were whiter than snow. It was clothed in white garments and golden metal accessories and armor. Finally, its face was obscured by a white hood and a golden light emanated from the facial area.

The Archangel attacked before the Shadow Dragon could even respond to its presence. With a mighty flash of light, the Shadow Dragon was consumed in a torrent of light that could only be called, 'Judgement' itself. Golden ribbons of light with lettering of an unknown language danced around the Dragon with quick whips and snaps as the torrent consumed the beast. The attack ended and the Shadow Dragon was frozen in place.

The Shadow Dragon's voice echoed forth, "This is far from over, Humans. We will have our revenge, for this is Fate! Not even the Angels can stop us forever...!" He said as his body turned into slices of meat that slowly faded away into a purple glitter that rose into the night sky.

The Archangel blessed Crono and his team and all their wounds were healed. The being gave them a friendly gesture as it departed for the heavens once more. The sky then became night once more and the stars in the sky could be seen clearly again.

"Wow, that was incredible!" Crono said strongly as he leaped for joy.

The party quickly reunited and the girls cheered as they embraced him. Janus on the other hand picked up a Black Relic and stored it safely away.

"Crono, I knew you would do something amazing!" Lucca said triumphantly.

"How did you know Previve would work like that? You filled the field with Light Magic so quickly!" Marle asked astonished.

"Heh, just call it 'A Leap of Faith', Marle!" Crono said with a wink.

Janus came up to him, "Impressive, you are beginning to be as proficient with your magic as you are with your sword. Come, let us return to Raven. We have two more Dragons to purge."

Crono fist pumped, "Alright!" He cheered.

*Raven's Palace*

Janus met Raven and she stood before him, "It does my heart good to see you have been able to let your heart mourn, Janus. We should never run from grief. Now, I shall return to you what is yours," Raven said as she lifted Schala's pendant and was prepared to hand it to him.

"No, keep it. Think of it as proof of our engagement," Janus said as he took the pendant and placed it around her neck. Her eyes sparkled as she blushed deeply.

Marle cooed with delight, "Awww! How sweet!"

Lucca adjusted her glasses, "How can Janus get hitched just like that?"

Marle pulled her aside, "Because, in this era, people would rarely marry for love alone and would always do so out of some sort of special obligation or to strengthen certain positions. Janus is still a prince after all. I mean, without Schala, I have no other ancestor in this timeline left. So he has to marry someone to keep things going!"

"Point taken!" Lucca said.

Raven then handed him a special set of clothing. It was armor and a cape, but they were damaged and old. "I hate to try and give you these as they are in poor condition. However, it is all I have."

"Not to worry," Janus said softly. "We can repair them and make them better than before."

Crono brought out the Smith Spirit and Janus handed the Spirit the armor along with some Denadorium and leftover hide parts from the Shadow Dragon's remains. After some time passed, the Smith Spirit handed Janus an entirely new outfit. Janus changed in private. He now wore a navy blue cape with a black feathered collar and a white jacket with a popped collar and wide shoulders. His blue cloth belt now came with a blood-red loincloth that replaced his codpiece. He retained his gloves, boots, and pants.

"Those clothes suit you, Janus!" Marle said with a smile.

"..., I suppose this Crowfather Hauberk and Cape belonged to your father?" Janus asked.

Raven blushed slightly, "Yes, they were his when he wed my mother."

"And I go and refit them for war," Janus mused.

"Only for a little while longer," Raven said softly.

"I thank you kindly, Raven, for everything you have done," Janus said. "But it is as you said. I must ask you to wait but a little longer," He finished as he approached the Smith Spirit again.

The Spirit handed over one final item, a new scythe, "Hmm, this scythe is the darkest weapon I have ever held. Made from the Denadorium and fangs of the Shadow Dragon. This 'Reaper's Requiem' will be my last weapon."

"Oh, speaking of Reaper, I have held onto this Gem for many years," Raven claimed as she handed over a Black Summon Gem.

Spekkio chimed in, "Woah! If it isn't old Grim himself! This guy can make others ride the River Styx in a heartbeat! Give him a call sometime!"

Janus took the ancient jewel and stored it safely away, "Thank you again, Raven," He finished as he approached Crono. "Shall we be off? I do not wish to keep her waiting much longer."

"You got it! I let mine wait too long too! So I can relate!" Crono said with a laugh as everyone expressed their joy in various chuckles and smiles.

*End of Time*

"All right, another one down!" Lucca shouted strongly with excitement. "Since the next one is the Fire Dragon, I'll take point with this one! And I want Marle, Ayla, and Glenn to come with me!"

"Why do you want the Fire Dragon, Lucca?" Crono asked curiously.

"You said the Fire Dragon was in the Ice Age and that the Snowmen know about it! I was with those very same Snowmen, remember? Maybe I can get them to tell us more about it!" Lucca explained.

"Okay then, you heard her everyone! Let's keep things moving!" Crono instructed urgently.

*Ice Age*

The Neo Epoch opened the fabric of time in the skies above the Ice Age. Lucca piloted it north in the direction of the light phenomenon that danced across the mountains.

Once she arrived, she landed the machine near the cave entrance to the Snowmen's Den and the party disembarked. They quickly moved through the snow and picked up the pace as they entered the cave. The party took a moment to relax once they made it out of the cold.

"Whew! I will never get used to the cold in this era!" Lucca said with a shiver.

Ayla also shivered, "This not normal cold! This deep cold!"

"Meh, I could do better with my magic!" Marle giggled trying to bring levity.

Glenn ran his hands up and down his arms to warm himself as he heard something, "Shh, do you all hear that?" He asked as he lent an ear in the direction of the noise.

The others came to him and Ayla kept low to the ground as she approached cautiously. "Ayla hear screams. Screams of fighting!" Ayla whispered strongly.

"Quick, let's go!" Lucca said urgently.

*Quarry of the Sunstone*

The moment Lucca's party emerged, they were greeted with a horrific sight. The Snowmen and newly migrating Demi-Humans were fighting with Dragonians in mid-clash.

"Oh, no! The Dragonians from the Temple of the Red Star are still at it!" Marle shrieked.

"And these bastards wonder why they're extinct?" Lucca asked rhetorically.

"Let's help out! The Fire Dragon can't be far!" Glenn claimed.

Lucca's party jumped into the fray and began beating back any Dragonian that came their way. The Snowmen were quickly alerted to their presence and their leader came up to them, "You come back?! Help fight lizard people? Yes?" asked the Chief.

"You bet we will, how did they find you?!" Lucca said as she put a bullet into the head of an oncoming attacker.

"They come for Sunstone! They bring great Fire Dragon! It absorb light from Sunstone! Grow strong!" explained the Chief.

"Quickly, you must tell me where the Fire Dragon is!" Lucca said urgently.

"Atop quarry! See magma trail, follow trail!" pointed out the Chief.

Lucca gazed around the Chief and saw a magma trail cooling behind him. "Come on, guys let's go!" She said with a wave.

The party continued and fought off the Dragonians as they hissed and growled at them on their way through the caverns, tunnels, and small living spaces where the peaceful Snowmen and their Demi-Human neighbors took shelter. They tried everything from the direct approach to guerilla tactics to take on the party but they were thwarted with every turn. Eventually, the party made it to the top of the other side of the quarry and the Fire Dragon was in sight. It had some lackeys by its side as if to serve its every whim. The giant fin on its back was absorbing the light from the Sunstone seemingly giving it strength.

The party approached its makeshift altar and the two servants stood in front of it with their spears ready to defend it. Lucca and Marle put a bullet and an arrow in their heads, respectively. The Fire Dragon came forth and hissed at them as its eyes lit up. "Humans..., what do you want with the heart of our world?" He asked with a slithering voice.

"Technically, nothing. We're here for you actually!" Lucca said as she readied her gun.

"Oh? Zelah warned me of Humans that would come solely for my life! If that is the case, then so be it! Can you put out my flames?" hissed the Fire Dragon.

The Fire Dragon wasted no time attacking as it spat up a gooey substance that burned like napalm but luckily, it missed as the party leaped out of the way. Lucca turned to Glenn, "We can't use my Fire Magic since it will just absorb it, but I can still use it to heat up one of your water spells, Glenn! Give me a Deluge!"

"Ah, I see what you are going for!" Glenn said as he cast his spell.

Glenn's spell surrounded the beast in a flood of water which then was superheated by Lucca's Fire Blast. "Let's see if you can handle a pool of water when it's at its 'Boiling Point!'" Lucca announced strongly. The Fire Dragon seethed and squirmed from the water but after it had ended the Fire Dragon was only scalded a little. It immediately retaliated by breathing an intense amount of Fire Breath at Glenn. It was almost like a torch as it engulfed him. He became badly burned as Marle rushed to his side.

"Hold on, Glenn!" Marle said as she hit him with a Cure spell, removing the damage.

"Thank you, Lady Marle! I would surely have been ash if that attack was any stronger!" Glenn said with relief.

"Triple Kick!" roared Ayla as she bounced furiously on the Fire Dragon's head. It was dazed from the three rock-crushing blows but it fought back with a less powerful smoke breath that gave Ayla minor burns.

Lucca took potshots at the beast to draw its attention away from Ayla while Marle and Glenn hatched a plan, "Let's douse it with Ice Water!" Marle said confidently.

"But will it not simply counter?" Glenn asked with concern.

"We don't have many options, plus, we have lots of healing magic, so we should be fine!" Marle claimed.

Glenn merely nodded as he silently agreed. Both Glenn and Marle cast their Ice Blast and Bubble Burst spells and a massive ice crystal became encased inside of the bubble. It floated over the Fire Dragon who noticed it and countered with another Fire Breath before it could even connect. The Fire Breath evaporated the spell with ease.

Glenn was astonished, "This thing hates water magic so much that it broke away from attacking us to attack our spell!"

"We just need something stronger! Something colder!" Marle claimed.

"This might help!" Lucca said as she whipped out her Hypnowave Plus device.

She activated the device and like a snake being charmed, the Fire Dragon fell asleep. Ayla came to Marle, "Now, give Ayla big ice! It no counter if asleep!"

"Great idea, guys!" Marle said as she cast her Icefall spell on Ayla.

Ayla caught the massive boulder of blue ice and with every fiber of her every muscle, she roared, "Iceberg Toss!" and gave it a throw.

The Fire Dragon was hit hard as it writhed underneath the pile of crushed ice that quickly began to melt. The Dragon awoke but was too confused as to whom it should attack so it simply went on a rampage and attacked everyone with bites and slams. The Dragon was so hot that even its mere physical strikes caused burns. "Miserable, Humans, do you think a little water and ice will put out my flames?!" it taunted.

"Let's do this again!" Lucca said as she stumbled around. "Hypnowave Plus!" She shouted as the Fire Dragon was once again lulled to sleep.

"Let's take a moment to recover!" Marle said as she turned to Ayla.

"Give Ayla Cure! Ayla dance!" Ayla asked strongly.

"What, and do like, a Healing Hustle?" Marle responded as she blessed Ayla with her Cure Splash.

Ayla did a Primal Dance that splashed healing magic all over the team. Glenn tossed Marle and Ether to restore her stamina. "Thanks, Glenn, that hit the spot!" She replied with a smile.

"Lady Marle, I think this Dragon can be defeated much easier if we can freeze it solid! Then one powerful attack should simply end it!" Glenn said. "We should strike it with a Glacial Freeze!"

"I hope that works!" Marle said as she cast her Icefall spell.

Glenn followed with his Deluge spell and the Fire Dragon was submerged in a rather comical water tank made from ice. "Come on, freeze you, bastard!" Glenn shouted angrily.

Unfortunately, the spell dissipated without freezing the Dragon and it woke up in a rage. "Gahh! I will not be extinguished!" it roared as it went into another rampage. Its belly glowed like flames as it began striking every member with spurts of flame from its mouth. It was sneezing flames.

After it stopped, the party picked themselves up, "It didn't freeze but it caught a cold?! Of all the stupid things...!" Lucca shouted angrily.

Ayla came to Glenn with a stagger, "Give Ayla Heal, Ayla give to everyone...!" She panted.

"Very well..., then...!" Glenn said with a cough as he threw up his hands.

Glenn blessed Ayla with his Heal spell and she blew magical kisses to everyone as she ended with a Group Hug, "Ayla like hugs and kisses!" she said warmly as the party recovered.

"I do too, Ayla, but I also like my ribs!" Lucca said comically as she broke from the woman's superhuman strength.

The Fire Dragon was indeed sick, "Blech, what have you done to me?!" hissed the beast as it sneezed flames and coughed up burning phlegm.

"Should we try to freeze it again?" Glenn asked cautiously.

"Yeah, but first, let's put on a little dance girls!" Marle said with a snap of her fingers.

"Yay!" Ayla cheered.

"Oh, this embarrassing thing again...," Lucca mumbled.

Lucca used her Hypnowave Plus and began dancing with the other girls. A mystical air filled the atmosphere and the Fire Dragon became cautious. As it watched the girls dance, it began to get disorientated and confused. Then illusions of the sheep-like Poyozo Dolls began jumping around the Dragon in an antagonistic manner.

"And that's a wrap, girls! So, Fire Dragon, how'd you like our little Poyozo Dance?" Marle asked tauntingly.

The Fire Dragon was fraught with confusion and dizziness as it continued to sneeze and cough. "Lady Marle, another Ether!" Glenn said as he tossed her one.

"All right! Time to end this! It should be weak enough!" Marle said as she cast a spell. "Freeze!" She chanted as a harsh flash of light hit the Fire Dragon, causing it to flash-freeze.

"Now Ayla, let's strike it really hard!" Glenn said vigorously.

"Ayla ready!" She followed.

Glenn encased Ayla in a Bubble and she floated high above the Fire Dragon and it burst, releasing her. She used the momentum with her Roundillo kick, "Bubble Bash!" She yelled as she hit the Dragon. The Fired Dragon's body shattered and its pieces littered the ground. Those pieces then quickly thawed and its head spoke, "Y-You wretched Humans... will never win this... world's heart... You will always be... at enmity with it...!" it hissed as its remains turned to red dust that flew high into the sky.

Like the others, the party scooped up what remains were left and a Red Relic it supposedly had with it. Lucca admired the relic for a moment before stashing it.

The Snowman Chief came running up to the party, "Woo! Victory! Lizard people destroyed! Great job with Fire Dragon! You strong!"

"Thanks, I suppose so!" Lucca said bashfully.

"We give Demi-Humans safe place to call home, then nasty lizard people attack everyone! We not know why!" the Chief said with distress.

"Don't worry Chief, we had our own encounters with them. They won't be bothering you anymore. What with the Fire Dragon now being extinguished and all," Marle claimed.

"Thanks much!" said the Chief as he suddenly grabbed the entire party with a group hug.

"My ribs!" Lucca called out.

*Later*

As Lucca's party flew above the Sunstone, the Snowmen, and the Demi-Humans all waved goodbye, and the party went back with a loud boom.

"Say, Lucca, what do you think happens to the Sunstone?" Marle asked curiously.

"You know, I'm not sure. Maybe the Kingdom of Zeal has something about it in their history books. But we'll never know for sure now!" Lucca laughed heartily. The party followed her in her laughter.

Instead of appearing at the End of Time, Lucca took the Neo Epoch back to the Present, "What are we doing back here, Lucca?" Marle asked.

"I just want to check on home for a minute. I want to see how my parents are," Lucca claimed.

She flew the time machine to her island home and settled it down. As it was, Lucca became saddened that it was indeed damaged by the Porre Military. Luckily, Taban, her dad, was working tirelessly to rebuild. Her mom, Lara, was trying to serve him lemonade while he pounded nails into some boards.

"Well, it's good to see my parents are still alive and kicking!" Lucca sighed with relief.

As Lucca approached, her parents dropped what they were doing and came running up to her, "Lucca, my precious daughter! Where were you all this time?!" asked Taban with manly tears of joy.

"Oh, what a relief to know you're okay!" Lara followed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. We just had some kinks to work out," Lucca said with tears forming in her eyes as she tried to laugh it off.

"After Porre attacked we haven't been able to find you at all! We were so worried!" Taban said. "But I knew, I knew my daughter would be safe!" He followed with a strong flex.

"I see your friends are all okay as well. You all look exhausted, why don't you all stay the night, it's getting late," Lara urged.

"How about it, guys?" Lucca asked. "We could use another upgrade to our equipment anyway."

"Sure, I've never had an actual sleepover before!" Marle said excitedly.

Ayla wasn't sure what was going on, but she cheered anyway. Glenn turned to Lucca, "Should we invite the others?"

"I don't see why not!" Lucca replied.

*Later*

Crono's entire party stayed at Lucca's disheveled house. They all helped with a few things while Lucca attended to her equipment. She spoke to the Smith Spirit, "What kind of equipment can you make with this stuff?" Lucca asked as she handed over Denadorite and the Fire Dragon's remains.

"I'll see what I can do!" said the Spirit.

And so, a small party took place as Lucca's parents got to know her new friends and catch up with old ones. Then a knock at the door came and Lara opened it. Crono got shocked as it was his mom, Gina, standing outside. "Mom!" Crono cried.

"Oh, I didn't know you were all here!" Gina said as her son came rushing up to her.

"Crono, where have you been all this time?! You had me worried sick!" Gina scolded.

"Mom, I think I'd better explain some things," said a saddened Crono.

Crono took his mom in and he explained, as best he could, about finding Caelus and what had become of him. Gina was shocked, saddened, then finally emotionless. "So that's what happened...," Gina said with her eyes downcast.

"Yeah, we're gonna find him and bring him home," said Crono.

"Well, when you do, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!" Gina said with levity.

As the party settled into the night, Gina got to know Crono's new friends. She looked at Ty and sized him up, "My you're a tall glass of water aren't you?" She said in a friendly manner.

"I get that a lot," Ty said with a smile.

"I bet you bump your head on a lot of things!" Gina said with a smile.

"Sometimes, but you learn to dodge!" Ty replied with a chuckle.

The conversation broke and Gina met Tomo, "My sweetie, you sure have quite the appetite! I'll bet you can outdo Crono!"

Tomo blushed, "I like to think I'm the opposite of Ty. He's tall and thin, while I'm short and fa- err, stout!" she chuckled.

"Do you like Ty, sweetie? Be careful not to let yourself go too much! He might get up and go with someone else!" Gina said with a wink.

"I'm not worried, Ty's really sweet! He's not offended by my weight at all!" Tomo claimed.

"Oh, then he's a real keeper!" Gina whispered.

As the conversation broke, Gina made her way to Garet, "My, what happened to your arm young man?" Gina asked with surprise.

"I am a soldier. I lost my original one in a war and it was replaced with this prosthetic," Garet said stoically.

"You pore thing. Thank you for your service young man! We all appreciate your sacrifice!" Gina said with a bow. Garet blushed lightly.

Finally, Gina made her way to Lex, "Another tall one, robust too!"

"You are the King's mother? Pleased to make your acquaintance madam," Lex said politely.

"Crono, I think this is the most polite friend you've made yet! And he looks like such a ruffian. I guess you shouldn't judge a book by its cover!" Gina said happily.

After all, was said, everyone turned in for the night. Everyone, except for Lucca that is. Lucca acquired her new equipment as well as some for Garet. She suited up in the moonlight. A new Sunstar Hoodie and matching spats a Dragon's Eye Scope. She took her new shotgun and fired it across the ocean. "This new Dragon's Breath Shotgun is a chef's kiss!" She said with a kiss motion.

Crono and Marle came out to greet her. "How are you feeling, Lucca?" Crono asked curiously.

"Oh, just releasing some stress by trying out the new gear," Lucca said with a sigh.

"Something else on your mind?" Marle asked gently.

"Hmm, well, yeah I guess so. It seems like everyone is getting some kind of closer lately," Lucca said as she stared out to sea sorrowfully.

"Yeah?" Marle urged on.

"Marle can I confess something to you and Crono real quick?" Lucca asked as she turned to face them while the moon shined behind her.

"Yeah, please do!" Marle encouraged.

"Do you know why I've been so resistant to your attempts to set me up with Ty? It's because I still love Crono...," Lucca said as tears formed in her eyes.

Marle shot her gaze downward while Crono was astonished. "I know, Lucca. Somewhere deep in my heart, I knew," Marle said as she bit her bottom lip. "I knew I sort of came in and took Crono out from under you but I didn't really realize it during our last adventure. Not until I had time to actually think about it. Needless to say, I felt a little guilty over it. Here you are, my best friend, and I end up taking your love interest away. I'm sorry for that, Lucca," Marle confessed. "I thought that, if Ty proved to be a good replacement I wouldn't have to feel guilty but I think that would have failed no matter what. Ty and Tomo and practically made for each other."

"That's okay, Marle, really, it is. I just needed time to get my feelings straight, so I could move on," Lucca said as tears ran down her cheeks. "But now, that you're married, I think I can let go. At least of the romantic side of love. I'm a clumsy, nerdy woman that doesn't know how to handle love. Someday, I will though. Thanks for listening. I feel so much better now!"

"I..., uh, um...," Crono mumbled, trying to think of something to say.

"No need, Crono," Lucca said with a smile. "Take good care of Marle would you?"

"Okay...," Crono mumbled further.

"Let's turn in for the night, we have one more Dragon to get rid of," Lucca said with a smile.

"You said it! Come on, Crono, I'm sleepy!" Marle said childishly.

Crono smiled as he joined them and they entered the house to turn in for the night.

*Morning*

It wasn't long before everyone was ready to take off again. Lucca handed Garet his new gear as well. He got changed into the new set of Energizer Fatigues and a set of Denadorium Dog Tags. "This Nightstalker Submachine Gun doesn't seem to overheat. And it has low recoil. It will prove very useful," He stated calmly.

"Well, everyone, shall we get going?" Crono said with urgency. Everyone gave out a cheer in agreement.

*End of Chapter*