Chrono Trigger Invasions Chapter 12
By Jerm
"I don't think we can take all of it with us," Cid said as they viewed the smashed epoch.
Behind them lay the epoch's wing, still half buried into the mountain. There had been no point in even bothering with it, it had taken too much damage. Besides, it had been driven in fairly far, there'd be no way they could get it out short of a bulldozer.
The epoch was now right side up once more. They had to be careful that they didn't cause it to lose its hold and finish its trip down the mountain. The glass covering was smashed. The broken shards were lying all over the mountain for several yards up. There was no point in trying to gather that either. Dents adorned the epoch's every inch from the dozen or so rocks they had struck.
They had piled rocks under the epoch so that it wouldn't slide off of the mountain while they were messing with it.
"It's not that heavy. At least not for four people," Marshall replied.
Cid bent over and scooped up and handful of snow. He held it out before him, "Where would we get traction to drag it up?" he turned his hand, dropping the melting snow.
"Fine," Marshall conceded, "But what DO we take?"
"Definitely Taban's time machine part," Marle said.
Cid nodded, "That's a must. That's about it, too. . .Oh, and anything that belongs to us that we might have left in there."
"I've got my sword, Marle has her 'bow," Crono pointed off, "Weapons, check."
Cid turned to Marshall inquiringly. He seemed almost to say something, then remembered Marshall's warning. He stuttered back his remark and looked at Marshall.
Marshall glowered, "I know you're gonna say it. Just go ahead and say it."
"Say what?" Cid asked innocently.
"You know very well what, Cid," Marshall wrapped his cloak around him, preventing the biting cold.
"I wasn't going to say anything," Cid replied, "I'm fairly sure if you'd lost something in there that it would take a long time for you to notice, due to the abundance of your supplies."
Marshall glared at Cid, "Happy?"
"Very," Cid nodded.
Crono changed the subject suddenly, "Why did we end up in Zeal anyway? I thought we had it set to our time."
Cid got a thoughtful look on his face for a moment, then he scratched the back of his head, "I was tinkering with the knob before the attack. I guess I forgot to switch it back in all of the commotion."
Crono nodded, "It's all right Cid. I was just making sure that the dial still wasn't messed up. I'd hate for that to happen."
"Like it was for Nabat," Marle added.
"I still hated having to do that to him," Cid said, "He was a nice man."
"We had no choice," Crono reminded him.
"Still doesn't make it good," Cid shrugged, "First I can't save Lucca, then it was him."
"Cid, what happened to Lucca wasn't anybody's fault," Crono said, "Quit trying to blame yourself."
Cid didn't say anything. He didn't seem to want to even listen.
"Who's going to help me get this thing out!" Marshall said, breaking the silence that had ensued.
Cid turned from the other two and walked over to the epoch, "I guess I will. I put it in, I should take it out."
Crono looked at Marle questioningly. She nodded back. Cid was still having some problems over that incident. They would have to be careful about what they said around him.
Marshall pulled out a dagger and crawled into the machine. Cid followed. Pulling open the control panel revealed the small device.
"Now what I need to know is which wires to cut that'll disengage the machine from the epoch," Marshall said, indicating the wires that ran from the time machine.
"All of them, Cid said.
"All?" Marshall examined the wires again.
"If you don't cut them all, how would we pull it out?" Cid asked.
"Oh, yeah," Marshall said, pulling the dagger forward to cut.
"If any are for the good of the epoch, it won't matter anyway," Cid added, "It's not like we're going to be using it again."
After the wires were severed, Marshall carefully drug the time machine out of its holding place, handing it to Cid. Cid took it and carried it out of the epoch.
"Here we go, kiddies," Cid said, offering it to Marle and Crono, who both declined.
"We'd better get this up to the cave to examine, then," Cid continued, "It's even colder out here than it was in the air vents."
"What do we do with the epoch?" Crono asked, pointing vaguely at the vehicle.
"We should just leave it. It's not any use any more. If you want, you can give it a push and watch it go down the rest of the mountain. Then we could decide if we would have survived or not if it hadn't stopped."
"Umm. . .I think we should leave it, then," Crono said, looking down the mountain.
Marshall crawled out of the epoch, sheathing his dagger. He then turned and kicked the crashed vehicle, "A lot of good you did us."
The machine inched forward a little, then stopped. Satisfied, Marshall turned and started to walk back up the mountain to Magus's home. The others followed, Cid still carrying the device.
Behind them, the epoch started to inch forward once more. Then the snow and rocks under it gave way and it dropped down the mountain. Nobody bothered to turn back and watch. They had already been on THAT ride.
* * * * *
"Are you sure of what you saw?" King Guardia asked Glenn.
"Positive," Glenn replied from his position before the throne, "They might move to another base, but for now, Denadoro is the spot."
Glenn continued to ignore the stares directed at him. This was necessary just in case the shadows attacked. His appearance meant nothing to the others if he is able to help them.
"Thank you," the king said, "I will deal with this."
"Thou art welcome," Glenn replied, bowing.
"You are dismissed, brave soul," the king said, "These fiends won't last long."
Glenn turned and left the room. When he was gone, the king turned to the knight beside him, "Send a couple of scouts to Denadoro."
"Very well, Your Majesty," the knight replied, saluting.
The knight left the room, his eyes seeming to shift into black for a moment as he tracked after Glenn. The scouts would have to wait.
* * * * *
"First thing's first," Crono said, "What happened in the future?"
They were back in Magus's cave; Cid had been examining the time machine while the other three sat in a circle trying to figure out their predicament. Magus continued to sit in the chair beside the resting form of Schala.
"I think it's a case of revenge," Marle said, "Those things looked much too much like Lavos."
"Right," Crono nodded.
"I would have never thought that those strange stars in the sky could be THAT," Marshall added, "There were dozens of them."
"Yeah," Crono replied, "And that leads to the next problem: There are those new stars in our time as well, not to mention this one."
"They're probably in all of the times," Cid added, "It's going to be a complete invasion."
"When and where do they strike next, then?" Crono added, scratching his nose.
"It could be any time," Marle replied, "They could have already decimated another time. Maybe our time."
"What do we do about this then?" Marshall asked.
"I have absolutely no idea," Crono said, "There is way too many of them to fight."
Crono hit his hand against the floor, "Why don't they stop? First, there was Lavos. Then Nikades. At least HE waited two years before coming at us. That gave us time to rest. Then, the shadows come. They only waited three months. Now, here comes the fire in the sky, before we even have the chance to try and finish off the shadows. We're fighting a two-way war and the enemies keep piling up."
"Right now," Marle cut in, "the big threat is the Lavos's."
She made a face, "That sounds strange to say Lavos in the plural. All this time we've been saying it as a name and not a race. But now that there are more, it's all that comes to mind."
"Mine too," Crono said, "It doesn't matter what we call them, anyway. We do need to stop them, though, and that's what counts."
"And that seems impossible," Marshall added helpfully.
Crono turned to the silent wizard, "Do YOU have any ideas?"
Magus looked up at him, "I think you need to get the others. Another time will be hit soon, and it would be best to make sure that you have your allies with you before they are added to the victim list."
"He's got a very good point," Marle said, "How is that thing, Cid?"
"It's scrambled," he replied, "but nothing that I can't fix. There isn't any damage that isn't permanent, at least."
"Good," Crono said, "How long?"
"Several hours," Cid said, not looking up.
"Great," Crono replied.
"Don't feel bad," Marshall said, then added, "So who's for sleeping on the cold, hard floor?"
* * * * *
Glenn sensed that he was being trailed. The Masamune seemed to even be cautious, preparing to be used in a fight. He looked over his shoulder once more, but only the bridge he was crossing was behind him.
About halfway across, he stopped and turned. Yet again, there was nothing. Glenn didn't care, "Who's there?"
No answer. Glenn shook his head, the bridge was completely clear. He turned to continue, and came face to face with his 'stalker'.
The knight smiled at him, "Having any trouble?"
"What are you doing here?" Glenn asked, his hand going to the Masamune.
Before he could draw it, his hands were suddenly held in place. He quickly looked down to see two pitch black arms sticking out of the knight. The spectre's arms held his in place.
The knight smiled again and drew his sword. Glenn struggled, but couldn't get the grip to release. Then, as the knight raised his arms to plunge the sword, Glenn kicked the side of the knight's leg. Losing his balance, the knight fell over, dragging the spectre with him. Glenn was released and he had the Masamune out in the blink of an eye.
"Who are you?" Glenn asked.
Bastion left the unconscious knight and hovered before Glenn. He seemed to smile at the amphibian as he spoke, "I've got another surprise for you anyway."
The form dropped through the floor of the bridge, disappearing below it. Glenn dove at the fading figure, but the sword merely struck the bridge, splitting the wood and becoming stuck.
Glenn wrenched the sword out and looked around for the threat. Then the bridge started to shudder. Bastion was destroying the support. Glenn didn't need to think about his decisions.
He started to run from his spot in the middle of the bridge, his hand bringing the Masamune to its scabbard quickly and easily. Behind him, the section of the bridge he had been standing on gave way. The knight still lay on the bridge, falling with it. Glenn didn't look back to see this however. He continued to run as the area under him began to shake next.
The bridge started to tilt to the side, to topple over. Glenn looked at the fifty yard stretch before him and doubled his efforts.
The section under him broke off, and Glenn jumped. He landed on a firm part of the bridge, not breaking stride. Behind him, he heard a loud splash as the fallen portion struck the waters below.
He was now closing in on the sturdy portion of land that held the bridge. However, the splashing behind him told him that he might not make it.
Once again, the part under him broke away. It would have to be a long jump this time. He bent his knees and heaved himself into the air, the end of the bridge rushing toward him. He reached out and felt it, then seized it in his hands. This part of the brige was being supported by the land it was connected to, Bastion couldn't knock it down.
He had made it. He pulled himself up slowly as the spectre's laughter continued to erupt from behind him. He drew his sword and turned.
.