To My World and Back Again Chapter 8

Settling In

By Ghost

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

Old children's chant

May 9, 2006
12:01 AM
Patrick's Home

Patrick had a time trying to answer as many questions in the time it took to get home. On the way, he stopped at a fast food place, known as Best Burger, to get the three something to eat. Hamburgers and French fries accompanied by some soft drinks filled the three up. Patrick still had to explain to Marle how food was supposedly made so fast, though, but she eventually understood. The questions continued even while they were eating. Patrick was not surprised that Lucca had asked the most questions, though he was finishing answering one of Crono's questions as he entered his home.

"…And since we're pretty good friends, she ended up like a sister. That's all there is too it. It's just like you and Lucca." Patrick had finally finished another question as he led the three into his home. This time regarding why Patrick considered Michelle Miller a sister and a friend. There were tons of questions asked during the thirty-minute drive. There were questions about his powers, his time experiments, who Michelle was, SROC in general. The list went on and on, just short of his parents, fortunately.

Patrick's home was situated several feet from the Pacific Ocean, and it was three-bedroom house with a kitchen, utility room, and a bathroom. The living room was clean, except for a few books and computer parts that littered living room. On the right wall of the living room was a katana in its sheath. On the left wall was a crossbow with one bolt in for show. Straight on was the kitchen and two hallways. The hall that went to the right led to Patrick's bedroom and the sole bathroom, and the left hall led to two bedrooms and the utility room. Past the kitchen, through a door was the back porch and the Pacific Ocean, bashing against the shore.

"Nice place," Lucca commented while picking a book up entitled Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Vern, "with these books and computer parts laying around, it feels kind of homey."

Patrick jerked his head around left and right, embarrassed about the mess. It wasn't everyday that he had guests so he was a bit lazy when it came to cleaning. He started picking up the mess, starting with the books when Lucca stopped him, telling him not to worry.

"Come on," he objected, "you are a guest."

"Then as a host, respect my request. We still have a couple of questions."

Patrick neatly set what he had gathered in a corner as Crono agreed. He invited the three to sit on a couch, big enough to fit four, by the wall adjacent to the door, which happen to be in front of a massive thirty-two inch television. Patrick took a seat in a recliner next to the couch. He swiveled it so to face the three, waiting for the next question.

"All right," Lucca continued, "what's this whole concept of different dimensions? I remember you mentioning something to that nature."

Patrick cleared his throat, well remembering the explanation about the changing physical properties of the gate. It was time to state the hypothesis. "Well, actually, I suppose you could call it an intertimelinear gate. As you know, that sounds a little…"

"Wacky?" Marle suggested.

"Yeah, 'wacky' would be a good term for it. You all know the concept of alternate timelines?" The three nodded. "Good. As we know, when a person goes into the past and changes something then returns to the present time, the world that the person returns to is not the same that he or she grew up in. There is something different due to the action the person took. This is the ripple effect. Well, you could call these alternate timelines alternate 'dimensions.'"

"Why is that?" Crono asked, well familiar with changing the events in time.

"Simply this: a dimension, according to one definition, is 'a level of existence or consciousness.' You can apply this definition to time, because there are an unbelievable number of timelines that we have no awareness of. That is why I called the gate an interdimensional gate." Patrick took a deep breath, having used quite a bit in the explanation. He smiled with pride.

"Amazing hypothesis," Lucca said after thinking about what had just been said, "however, we have no reason to completely accept it."

"That's why it is known as a 'hypothesis.'" Patrick replied smartly.

"Well how can you be so sure we are from a different timeline. Where is your proof?" Lucca countered.

"Well, look at the facts. Blue gates connect two different points in time, but not space. Red gates connect two different points in space and time. Black gates are random gates and seem to go hand-in-hand with evil. Green gates seem to be one way gates. Finally, there is the violet gate that you came through. I rest my case."

"I think you lost me," Marle said scratching her head.

Patrick ignored her. That was the best explanation that he could give at the moment and Marle was just going to have to let it sink in. "Anymore questions?"

"Yeah, just one more," Crono began like an interrogator, "how do you know us. We have never met you before tonight. That is something the three of us agree on. So how do you know us since you have never opened a gate?"

Patrick stood up as if gathering his thoughts together. He was unsure as how the three would react to the truth, but the truth is what they wanted to hear so he told them. "In the year 1995, a company named Squaresoft released a game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System platform, basically a semiportable game playing tool. This game had a story unlike any other, and it beckoned to the minds of young, old, male, and female. This game reached many across the world. It told of your adventures across time and against Lavos. It's name was Chrono Trigger."

There was a sudden intake of breathe from all three. Chrono spoke up first. "Chrono Trigger? Hold on. Isn't that the tool Gaspar gave the group to…"

"Prevent your death," Marle finished.

"Uh huh," Lucca said, though otherwise stoic. Patrick turned his gaze to her. She was so lost in thought. She was just thrown into this world. There were so many things for her to learn, to study. So he didn't think about it too much. Besides he was exhausted.

"Well, if that's about it, I'll just head off to bed. Now if you get hungry, just grab some something out of the refrigerator. Watch television if you need something to do. When you get tired there are two bedrooms you can use which are down the left hall." He began to head to his room when he remembered something. "Yeah, I know this seems a bit weird, but what are your last names?"

"Don't you know?" Marle asked. "Wasn't it in your game?"

Patrick blushed, feeling very awkward at the moment, "Actually no. Squaresoft didn't get to in depth with their characters at that time. Just for the record, what are your whole names."

Marle started first. "I was born as Princess Nadia Valeria. But that's kind of funny to say so let's keep it at 'Marle.'"

Crono followed suit. "I am Crono Kisaragi."

Patrick raised an eyebrow. "So your name isn't 'Crono Triggara' or anything similar?"

"No, should it be?"

"No, no, don't worry about it. How about you Lucca, what's your last name?"

Lucca looked to him, returned from her thoughts. She nodded her head as she said, "My name is Lucca Kepler. My father is the famous inventor Taban Kepler."

Patrick rubbed his chin as he repeated the names to himself. It was an interesting set of names all right. The names weren't too weird either. He wished the three a good night as he went to his room. He felt more excited than exhausted. Despite this, he never even remembered hitting the pillow.

9:05 AM

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP…"

The alarm on the night stand next to its master's bed continued to beep, urging its master from the serenity of sleep. It had beeped for the past five minutes with no success until now. Patrick Simmons finally decided to shut off the alarm and sit up, forcing the tiredness from his eyes. Strangely, he had dreamed the previous nights over again, but in the third person. He had seen it all, except just before he was knocked out and after he woke up. It was as if someone or something didn't want him to see that period of lost time or he just couldn't remember it. It didn't matter at the time. All he did think was that the events were a dream and the experiment was today, and he was ready to win.

Patrick made his way out of his bedroom in the previous night's shirt and jeans. He went into the bathroom to relieve himself. He felt like he was at that point between dream and awake so he didn't really think much of it as the bathroom felt humid inside, just like a tropical jungle. Nor did he really think it too odd that he heard what sounded like singing. He washed and dried his hands and left.

He made his way to the living room. Crono was glued to the television while watching the morning news about some intense thunderstorm, making no indication of seeing Patrick. Marle was actually cooking breakfast in the kitchen. She cooked quite well, having had a few years to practice with the Royal Cook before she began to leave the castle on her own. To Patrick, though, they were just figments of his imagination.

"Good morning sleepyhead!" Marle called. "How does some sausage and eggs sound for breakfast?"

Patrick figured he would humor himself and answer tiredly. "That sounds great. I'd love some."

He exited his house to retrieve the mail. The air was cool and smelled of the salty ocean. It was something that Patrick always enjoyed, especially because it had a tendency to wake him up completely.

With the mail in hand, he went back inside his home while reading what had been sent to him. "Bills, bills, 'you may have already won a million dollars,' bills, credit card." At this time he had entered his house. "Bills, Crono watching the news. Marle making sausage and eggs…"

He dropped the mail and did a double take. Crono Kisaragi was sitting on the couch and Marle Valeria was making breakfast.

"Holy…what…what are you doing here!?"

Marle looked puzzledly into the living room and Crono turned from the television to answer, "We came here this morning, remember? You know, in the gate you made with that bolt of lightening?"

"I must be dreaming this."

What is all the commotion in here?" a voice asked. Patrick looked to the source of the voice and almost hit his jaw on the floor. Lucca stood in the hallway just outside the living room with beauty that could only be matched by an angel. She was in nothing but a long towel wrapped around her slim, strong body. Her short, wet hair temporarily glued to the back of her neck.

"Oh man…oh man…I'm not dreaming." Then he blurted realizing something, "You were in the shower just now, singing."

Lucca crossed her arms and leered at him accusingly. "And how would you know that, Mr. Simmons?"

Patrick sunk to his knees feeling very nauseous with everything catching up with him. "Oh brother, what else can happen."

The doorbell rang at that moment, calling Patrick to the front door. He slowly rose up and walked to the door, unsure who would be there. He opened the door partly, cautiously, to see who it was. Standing outside the door on the wooded front porch was a lovely brunet in a sleeveless yellow shirt with short shorts and sandals. It was Michelle Miller.

"Good morning, Patrick, did you sleep well?"

Patrick's eyes darted left and right, hoping she brought none other. Fortunately, he found no one else. Patrick completely opened the door with a smile on his face. "Great. Thank you."

"Hope your guests slept well."

"They sure did."

Michelle smiled, "That's great because I wanted to take them shopping. I'm sure they could use some new clothes."

Patrick felt the blood rush into his cheeks. He was definitely hoping that she was kidding and would go her merry way, but knowing Michelle, that was not likely. "Oh that's okay. They have plenty of clothes. In fact, they have so many clothes that they're going to donate some to charity."

Michelle kept smiling. She had him caught and kept smiling as she simply said, "You're lying."

He was taken aback for the moment, wondering if she was serious. He quickly regained his composure and laughed nervously as he stepped out onto the porch. "Oh that's silly!"

"Really," she said slyly. "Good morning Crono!"

"Morning," came the reply. Then, all was silent. Crono, Marle, and Lucca, who had changed back into last night's clothes, crowded beside Patrick on the porch.

Patrick sighed with defeat, "Okay, how did you know I was lying?"

"Please," she said with a dismissive gesture. "I'm practically your sister. Last night when I was talking to you about your 'friends,' you kept averting your gaze, which is one sign of lying. Sign two. When I could get you to meet my gaze, you blinked like crazy. Sorry, Patrick, but I gotcha."

"This is entrapment," he mumbled. "You're not going to tell anyone are you?"

She shook her head. "Why should I tell anyone about this? You're the one that brought them here, so you should tell whom you please."

He nodded in agreement. "So what do you want to do?"

"I want to help. That's all, really."

"How do you want to help?" Crono asked.

Michelle giggled and gave them a reassuring smile. "I want to take all of you shopping. I'm sure you would love to get into some new clothes since you didn't bring anything with you, right?"

"She has a point," Lucca said, gesturing to the clothes she wore. "We do need something so we don't at least look too conspicuous. Plus, we can't wear the same clothes over and over again."

"All right!" Marle shouted with glee. "Let's go shopping!"

Crono agreed, leaving Patrick in last place. He was going to take them shopping eventually, but not this soon. The majority spoke, though, and there was nothing he could do about it."

Michelle placed a reassuring hand on Patrick's shoulder. She new him well enough to know that he had their best interests in his mind. He wanted to take things one step at a time, but as she saw it, no one was looking for the three or expecting them. So, it was time to live a little and spend a little money. Hell, she probably could convince Patrick to get a nice tie at least. Anything to get him to stop worrying so much.

"So, Pat, what do you say. Let's go shopping."

Patrick looked toward the ground in his own thought and reading some of Michelle's that she practically broadcasted. He did know her like a sister, and he had to admit that she was right. No one was looking for him so it was probably okay to take the three out for a while.

"Okay, you win," he finally said but thought to add, "but I'm driving."


Credit for the definition of "dimension" must not go to me. I found that definition in Meriam-Webster's Deluxe Dictionary
Tenth College Edition
Copyright 1998


Chapter 9

Chrono Trigger Fanfic