Chrono Trigger Dimensions Chapter 16
By Jerm
The castle stood there, a monument to a long dead war, in the moonlight. It had once been home to the great Magus during the war with the Mystics. It was now unoccupied, having been so since the failed attempt by Magus to raise Lavos. The castle had sustained the distortion, but it had taken a lot of damage, the foundation was cracked and chipping.
Still it stood. Surrounded by a forest in which the trees were all near dead from the gloom that permeated from the castle. They were starting to grow back, but the process was slow.
A wind blew and the tress began waving in the wind. A shadow appeared out of the moonlight on the ground. A figure flew through the air, finally landing near the entrance to the castle.
Shrouded in his cloak, with the hood drawn back to reveal the long dark hair, the figure looked up at the ruins with a sense of loss. In those eyes were a look of hatred and ages of suffering; yet deep inside, hidden behind the blockade of anger, was a sadness.
The figure looked back at the door and walked forward. His hand reached out slowly to grasp the handle. He turned back to stare out at the forest for a moment, then turned back to open the door and enter his home.
Magus had returned.
.
"Pret, is the 'job' done?" Nikades asked the air around him.
There was a moment of silence, obviously Pret still couldn't get used to talking with someone miles away.
Finally the reply came, "Yes, the king is dying. He won't last the day. I didn't do a thing to him. The stupid fool stood out in the open and allowed himself to be shot up. . .of course the land had been in peace for centuries, why would he know how to fight? Anyway, I've also removed the other two noblemen from Truce and Chorre. I'm next in line for sure."
"Good," Nikades said, "Are you sure that you are next in line?"
"Positive," Pret answered, "the only one left is the daughter of the king and she has been missing for a long time. I take it that that is YOUR doing."
Nikades smiled. He knew where she was.
"That is all for now, Pret. Be happy with your new kingdom. I will return when I'm finished with my 'errands'."
Nikades turned toward the gatekeeper standing in the grass. Now would be the time to instigate the next phase in his plan.
He reached for the device and began preparing it for another transport.
Where to begin, he thought. He now had two of the three sources of high magic. The Sunstone rested in the house of the inventor, now in his control. The Rainbow Shell would now be his from Pret. All that was left was the Dreamstone.
He could wait for that. He had other business to attend to. He activated the gatekeeper and a gate appeared.
A red gate.
.
"Cid! What are you doing!?" Lucca asked, grabbing Cid by the shirt and trying to pull him back in.
He turned back inside and looked at the others, "I'll go out there and tell them I'm alone. When they apprehend me, you guys hightail it out of here and through the portal."
He indicated the gate, which was now being inspected by several soldiers and a scientist.
"You have ten seconds to get out!" yelled the voice of the commander outside.
"What will they do to you?" Lucca asked slowly.
"9," the general said.
"I don't know," Cid replied with a shrug, "but this is the best way to find out."
"7."
"That's insane!"
"6."
"I know, but if what you told me is true, and there is a problem, then we're all in trouble anyway. I'm just making sure that someone can solve this problem."
"3."
Cid grabbed the ladder rung again, "Bye Lucca," he started to climb up, "bye all of you."
"One. . .there you are."
"Don't shoot." they heard Cid say outside.
"Are you the only one?" it sounded more like disbelief than a question.
"Yes, sir."
"You and you! Check inside to see if he's telling the truth!"
"Bu--" they heard Cid begin.
"Shuddap! Don't talk unless you're talked to! You've just done a lot of damage to 'my' domain. I'm none too happy about that. Don't make me entertain ideas of skinning your damn hide."
Cid was quiet. Suddenly, they heard sounds of footsteps above them.
"Uh oh, we'd better hide." Crono whispered.
They moved into the shadows as best they could as a soldier climbed down into the place. Lucca hid behind the ladder and Crono and Marle huddled under the cannon loading device.
The soldier finished his descent and looked around. His eyes passed over Lucca, but he didn't see her. He turned toward the front in the direction of the other two. He saw Marle.
The soldier turned quickly to yell up at the other soldier waiting outside but stopped. Lucca had her gun pointed at his head.
"Climb that ladder with your hands up. . .and give me the gun," Lucca said, remembering at the last moment that the soldier was armed.
Sweat was beading on the soldier's head. He reached out carefully and put the gun in Lucca's free hand.
Crono and Marle climbed out of their concealment; Crono had his gun in his hands. Lucca tossed the extra gun into Marle's startled hands. She eyed the weapon suspiciously.
The soldier started to climb, but Lucca held him back.
"No, wait a second. . .Crono, keep an eye on him. I'll take the other one.
"Find anything?" the other soldier yelled down.
"N-no!" the hostage yelled up.
"Lucca, what are you doing?" Crono asked pointing his gun at the hostage, even though he didn't know the first thing about guns.
"I'm getting Cid back," she replied climbing up so quickly, that Crono had no time to argue.
"Another one?" the general asked as Lucca climbed out.
He quickly became shocked as Lucca pulled out a gun and placed it against the head of the soldier on the tank. The soldier stiffened at the sudden movement, his eyes closed and his gun dropped from his petrified hands.
All of the armed soldiers around the tank instantly trained their guns on Lucca.
"What in the hell's going on?" the general asked, not getting an answer.
"Give me Cid." Lucca replied.
"What? The kid?" the general asked pointing his gun at Cid, "'Fraid I can't do that."
Lucca wavered, but didn't pull back the gun. She stomped down on the tank and said into it, "C'mon Crono, join the party."
Crono walked up with the soldier in front of him. Several of the soldiers turned their guns toward the newcomer. The general looked surprised ever so slightly, and lost his interest in Cid. Which was a bad mistake.
Cid suddenly grabbed the general's arm and twisted it. The general yelled in pain and Cid plucked the gun out of his hand. It was then put against the general's temple.
All of th soldiers turned their gun toward Cid. Lucca and Crono were forgotten for a second, then some of the soldiers turned back to the two.
"Stalemate," Crono sighed.
The tension was building. Everyone was highstrung.
Suddenly, the lights went out. Cid was shocked for a second and then hit the general over the head with the gun and turned to run toward where the tank had been.
But before he had made it two steps, incredibly huge arms had taken ahold of him. He was carried struggling toward a place he couldn't tell.
Lucca looked around in amazement before pushing her soldier off of the tank. A noise behind her told that Crono had done the same. The ran into the tank, preparing for gunfire.
Then Lucca remembered Cid. "Damn," she said climbing back outside. However a large shape blocked her path. The man climbed down the ladder and laid down another figure before turning to the three.
Lucca looked down to see that it was Cid the figure had been carrying. She then looked up a stared at the hidden face of the enigmatic man.
The lights turned back on outside, filling the inside with shallow light. Marle gasped.
The Marshall had indeed found them again.
"I'm not a genius, but I really think you'd better move this thing into the blue light." The Marshall said toward Lucca.
"I-I don't. . .I'll try." she stuttered, climbing into the seat at the controls.
He turned toward Marle, "And you. . .I'll have to return you to your father now."
Marle numbly nodded. Crono protectively put his arm around her shoulders.
The tank lurched forward, then stopped. Then lurched forward again.
"What are you doing, Lucca?!" Crono yelled.
"Who knows?" came the reply.
Outside, some order had been returning, however with the commander out of commission, most of the soldiers turned and ran as the tank started moving again.
"How did you find us?" Marle asked quietly.
"We'll have time to discuss that once we're out of here, princess."
Cid slowly got up, breathing heavily.
"You alright?" Crono asked.
Cid nodded dumbly looking at the Marshall. Outside gunshots began anew. But they were too late.
The tank ran through the gate and they were awash with the blue light yet again.
.