Chrono Trigger: Dare Chapter 7
The Story So Far
By Crono_12
I went ahead through the awaiting door, my sword drawn, and I motioned for the others to get their weapons out. They followed me though, Cid holding his sword, and Lucca clutching her Wondershot, a weapon made from energy drawn from the Sunstone.
"Lucca, are you sure that gun works? I mean, it’s been five years since you used it," I asked skeptically.
"Just watch," she replied nonchalantly. She looked around for a target, and spotted a small piece of over hanging metal. She took careful aim, then pulled the trigger. The piece of metal began to melt, then exploded, sending shrapnel flying. Lucca looked at me, a victory grin on her face, then spun the Wondershot around on her finger and stuffed it back into its holster. I whistled appreciatively.
"Nice. It seems a bit more powerful than I remember it though."
"That’s because it is. The sun here radiates more energy than our sun back at home, so the Sunstone is proportionally more powerful. When we’re in…."
"You know the Sunstone?" Cid interrupted.
"Yeah. Why?"
"So far, everything you’ve told me verifies the legends I’ve heard. You might want to sit down, as this could take a while," he told us. When we had settled ourselves comfortably, he began.
"Ok. As I said, if what you say is true, then by association I’ll assume that most of the rest of the legends are true as well. A long time ago there was a race of people who, traditionally, lived near the equator somewhere. They had no advanced technology of any sort except for basic machines like levers and pulleys and such. According to legend, a man by the name of Tsern was running from an animal. Presumably, although it is never mentioned, he was injured as well because in all the versions I’ve heard, he hid in a cavern and was knocked unconscious. When he woke up, he was in a cave lit only by a small torch in the far end. When he wakes up, he supposedly fights a beast that had been threatening his villiage, wins, and discovers the secret of the creature’s power; it had ingested a small, round, white rock and supposedly sparkeled as brightly as the sun itself. He called it the Sol-harness and headed home, where his village hailed him as a hero and named him their king. Several days later, Tsern had a nightmare and reached for the Sol-harness. When he touched it, it started to glow with a blinding light. He woke up, and found that it had lost most of its glow. Angry, he pounded his hands on the ground and the ground split apart. So according to legend, he had become the first magic user. The stone had given him his power. At the time, he thought it worthless and so threw it away. However, he underestimated his own power, and threw it ‘into the heavens’ as the legends say." Cid stopped to let us think.
"So, the Sunstone was actually the Sol-harness? And it got to Earth when this guy Tsern threw it? Amazing," Lucca commented.
"Yeah. This guy started all magic users on Aire," I added.
"And on Earth," Cid explained.
"But you said that the stone’s power was out!" I pointed out.
"Yes, but the Sol-harness didn’t just go from here to Earth in a day. It must have taken millions of years. From what I’ve found out about the Sunstone, it is completely indestructible. It might have gone through several stars, and thus replentishing its stores," Lucca theorized. "It would also explain why we have the same language, even though we are from different planets. I’m willing to be that the Sunstone can store information too. The Sunstone could have exchanged information with Tsern. He could have given it his knowledge of basic machines and language, while it gave him the power to cast magic. By giving us Tsern’s language, the Sunstone started us off on the same footing, and by giving us magic, it kept both our civilizations in step," Lucca speculated.
"But that doesn’t explain how people here have magic, and people in earth didn’t, or at least until Zeal," I said.
"It seems that magic is hereditary, sort of. If a child has a magic wielding parent, he or she will be born with the ability to use magic. But, they can only use magic if they have been taught how, and even then only the magic they got from the parent," Cid explained.
"I bet that’s what Tsern did. Since no one discovered the Sol-harness until the time of Zeal, no one was able to use normal magic. Physical magic, however, could be used, since it didn’t require special teachings, just an energy reserve and a way to use the energy for strong physical attacks," Lucca pointed out.
"Exactly," Cid summed it all up.
I was pretty confused about what had just happened, until Lucca translated it into something she thought I could understand.
"Sunstone from here, called Sol-harness. Guy get magic power, fling it into space, land here all charged up, give us power to use magic when Zeal find. You savvy?"
"Funny Lucca. I’m not stupid. I just don’t understand tech talk." I tried to defend myself.
"Yeah sure, whatever." Lucca rolled her eyes."
"It’s true!" I said indignantly, but this was only met by giggles Cid and Lucca.
I pursed my lips. It seemed that Lucca had found a new friend, and I had a feeling she like him a lot. And vice versa. I laughed inwardly, remembering the time Marle and I met. It too happened during a crisis: the Lavos crisis. Even though we were complete strangers in the beginning, we got to know each other, and eventually, two years ago, I proposed to her. I was eighteen, and she was seventeen, but her father agreed. However, he said we shouldn’t get married just yet. It was only recently that her father set the date for the wedding.
"Well fine. Be that way. See if I care. But shouldn’t we be looking for Marle?" I said after an awkward moment of silence, in which Lucca and Cid were exchanging glances.
Lucca nodded, then got up and brushed herself off. Cid did the same, but instead of leading us to Marle, he stood rooted in place, still staring at Lucca. I cleared my throat and he jumped, suddenly very self-conscious.
"Sorry. I uh…I was just…going over the recent events," he said as he looked away, embarrassed. "Come on. It’s not that much farther."
Around midmorning we entered the Dome, which seemed quite like the other one, and continued walking. Our destination, as I found out, was another hardly burnt house on the far end of the Dome. Once we were inside and in the room furthest from the entrance, Cid bent down and opened a previously invisible trapdoor in the ground.
"We have the best camouflage in all of Aire," he bragged.
"Sure seems like it. I’m a good tracker, but I don’t think I would have found that!" I added to his ego.
Cid motioned for us to go down, then he came down with us and closed the door, thrusting us into deep darkness. I could barely make out the trapdoor, and I knew if I waited a minute, I would be able to see no further than a hand length in front of me.
"Damn. The light didn’t switch on. The baynars must have been chewing on the wires again," Cid said.
"Great. No light, and we’re stuck here without Robo," I complained.
"Actually… you know, theoretically, we can call Robo back here." Lucca comforted me. "We are still in the same universe and-"
"-You forget. People can only be exchanged if they are in the End of Time. I don’t think Robo would be hanging around the End of Time anymore," I barked at her.
Lucca adjusted her glasses. "So sue me, I forget."
"Who is this Robo you are talking about?" Cid asked, and we forgot about the situation.
"Robo is an android. We met him in an alternate future of Earth," Lucca answered.
"You travel in time?" Cid asked, somewhat taken aback.
"Yeah," I said casually. Then I turned to Lucca. "Hey Lucca, should we tell him of our adventures?" I asked.
"I’ll do it. You’re getting the concise version Cid. When we get out of here, I’ll fill you in on more details," Lucca explained everything from the day Marle was sent into the past, until the time we killed Lavos. His only reply was "Amazing."
"Now, back to the problem at hand. We need light. Who’s got it?" I queried.
"Do any of you have anything that will catch fire?" Lucca asked hopefully.
I searched my pockets for something to burn. I couldn’t find even a piece of scrap paper.
"Nothing here. How ‘bout you Cid?"
"Nope. Sorry Lucca," he answered.
"Hey Lucca, can’t you just emit a small flame from your hands just so that we can see?" I asked with reproach.
"I can try. But even if I do, it’ll only last for half an hour to an hour max," she answered.
She brought her hands up, then whispered something unintelligible. A few seconds later, a warm glow came from her hands.
"Yesssss! Lucca! You did it!" I shouted.
But Lucca wasn’t sharing my enthusiasm. Her face was white, her mouth clenched tight. She was concentrating hard on keeping the flame going.
"Can’t…keep it. Too much strain…" She uttered.
"Lucca! If you can’t keep it up, then drop it! Come on Lucca!" I pleaded with her to stop. Magic users, Lucca included, can’t just conjure up any magic. They first have to have experience and knowledge. If a fledgling magic user tried to cast an extremely strong spell, he or she would strain his or her mental energies to the max. The spell wouldn’t be cast, and the magic user would be in no shape to cast magic for the next few days. Also, new skills that haven’t been practiced are tougher to use, like in Lucca’s case. She had never done this, and doesn’t have any idea how.
Cid grabbed Lucca, then pulled his hands back in surprise.
"Ahhh! She’s burning up!" He puffed on his scalded fingers.
Just as he finished speaking, I felt Lucca let go of the spell. I hurried over to where she was, making sure I didn’t bump or trip over anything.
"Lucca! Lucca! Are you all right?" I asked hopefully.
No response came. I bowed my head. Suddenly, her fire flared up again, throwing me back against Cid. I shielded my eyes from the glare. When I opened my eyes, Lucca was sitting up, rubbing her head. She noticed us, and closed her eyes.
"Ug…sorry. I can’t. We’re…going to have…to find our way…in the dark," Lucca apologized profusely.
"It’s all right Lucca. Rest now," I told her.
Lucca nodded, then fell asleep with her back up against the wall.
.