Chrono Trigger Invasions Chapter 19
By Jerm
"Still no red stars," Marshall said as they reached the gate at Truce Canyon.
"That's good," Crono said, "Where do we go next?"
"We go to the deep future, I think," Marle shrugged, "We have to give them warning."
"Is it necessary to do that, though?" Crono asked, "I'm sure they have enough technology to figure out what those things are in the first place."
"I doubt they'll figure out they are alien invaders until the invasion begins," Cid replied, much calmer now that he was earlier, "But they'll see how big those stupid things are and make sure they don't reach the planet."
"I really doubt they would pay any attention to us anyway," Crono added, "In the first place, how would we contact them?"
"By phone, I guess," Cid shrugged.
"I don't think they'd believe us, though. I say we try and figure out how to stop these things now."
"The firepower of the future is our best bet," Cid said, "But if we give it thought, we might come up with something else."
"End of time, then?" Marle asked.
Crono nodded, "Unless someone has thought of someone to get before that person's time's attacked. . ."
No one answered.
"End of time," Crono said, turning to Cid.
Cid pulled out the small box and began to tinker with it, adjusting the time frame. Then he turned to the closed gate and pressed a button.
The gate opened with a grating noise, showering blue light on the group. Without hesitation, they stepped inside. The gate shut behind them.
Above the now empty clearing, the midafternoon sky was oddly filled with bright stars. Several of the stars began to shift from white to red.
The next invasion was beginning.
* * * * *
"It's quite dark, isn't it?" Marshall asked, surveying the bleak, black, empty world around him.
"I think it has to do with there being no sun or anything," Crono replied sarcastically.
"Nikades could have at least left the lamppost," Marle complained, "He destroyed everything here."
"Gaspar was a guru," Magus reminded her, "Nikades wanted revenge on all of them. He wasn't going to leave anything unturned."
"He missed Melchior, though," Crono added.
"Can't we see all time frames from here?" Marle asked, looking around.
"I think so," Crono thought, "I don't know from where in here, though."
"I wanted to see which time frames hadn't been hit yet," Marle huffed.
That thought hit Cid, however. He spoke up, "I just thought of something. If the Prehistoric era is wiped out, why aren't all times and people after that period nonexistant?"
Crono got a thoughtful look on his face, ". . .I never thought of that."
"What effects the past has to damage the future. I don't understand," Marle added.
Crono looked at Magus, "Any ideas?"
Magus nodded, "When Lavos was attacking our world, he could warp and twist time. He could create time gates by his very pressence. Who knows what will occur when there are hundreds of them. My guess would be that they are purposely doing this, so that they can have a chance at destroying all mankind. Personally."
"Sounds good," Crono nodded, "I'm sure we would haved ticked them off when we killed one of them. Instead of just burning the bug nest, they're looking for each individual insect and squashing it."
"You shouldn't refer to us as insects, though," Marshall replied.
"That's what we are to them," Crono shrugged, "That's why they're not worried about being defeated. We did manage to kill one of them, but there's no way we could do that to more than one."
"Quit being so pessimistic, Crono," Marle said, "We're here to figure out how to prove them wrong."
Glenn spoke up, "Our first option is to hope that the future can overcome them. It's a low hope though. . ."
"And for our second option?" Marle asked.
"We die," Magus said.
Marle glared at the wizard, "I'm aware that that's an option. However, I'm not using it until we run out of options."
There was silence as they continued to think. Schala surprised them all and spoke up, "What Crono said about there being a 'bug nest' as a central point, would there be a central point to these monsters as well? If we destroy it, would we end them as well?"
"Yeah, that could work," Crono said excitedly, "but only if they actually do have a central 'nerve' to cut down."
"Where do they come from?" Cid asked.
Silence returned.
"That's option number two, anyway," Marle said finally, "If we get lucky and find their home's location, we'd still have to find a way to reach it, though."
"And that's twice as impossible as finding it," Crono added, not bothering to realize Magus's statement about two impossible's not being twice as impossible.
"How did they know we had destroyed Lavos, though?" Marle asked.
"Maybe Lavos sent out a signal when we killed him," Crono responded.
"Or maybe they are psychologically connected to each other," Cid added, "When one was hurt, they all felt it."
Marshall shook his head, "What about when Nikades killed him? Wouldn't that mean that he wouldn't be there to destroy the future?"
"Nikades didn't kill Lavos," Magus responded, "He merely drained it of its powers. It fled back to its lair and began to regenerate itself."
"So we have a point of time in which they were signalled," Marshall said, "That's a plus."
"Doesn't help us any," Cid replied.
"Maybe it would if we had a Chrono Trigger," Crono mused, "We could use it to go back to when Lavos was about to die. Then we could stop him from sending the signal or whatever he did."
"There are no Chrono Triggers anymore. Gaspar was the only one who knew about them. He's not here anymore," Marle argued.
"That's what you used to save Crono, isn't it?" Schala asked, "After he sacrificed himself."
Crono seemed to blush somewhat. Marle noticed this and smiled, trying not to laugh, "Yeah."
Thoughts were going through Magus's head. He was trying to recall something about the Chrono Trigger. Something that may be important.
"So that is option three," Marle said, "Even though we can't use it. I guess we still need something that will work."
"I have something that will work," Magus said, reaching into his cloak.
"Reeeeally," Crono said, masking the sarcasm, "Why did it just occur to you?"
Magus pulled the Chrono Trigger out of his pocket. The same one he had found in the End of Time after searching for Gaspar. Crono stared at it, ". . . . .Oh."
Crono had never seen a Chrono Trigger. He had been dead the whole time it was present. However, from the vivid descriptions his friends gave to him, ('It was shaped like an egg') he realized what it was almost instantly.
"Where'd you get that?" Marle demanded.
"I found it long ago," Magus said defensively.
"Can we actually stop the invasion with that?" Crono asked.
"Very much so!" Marle exclaimed happily.
"We'll have to go to Death Peak, however," Magus warned.
"Death Peak?" Marshall asked, "Now that sounds promising."
"Can't be worse than 'Cursed Woods,'" Cid retorted.
"Actually, it can," Marle corrected them, "Much worse."
"Great," Cid sighed.
"So we have a plan?" Crono asked.
"Yeah, and it might actually work," Marle replied.
"Good," Crono sighed in relief, "Now we'll have to prepare ourselves I'd say that's out of my expertise. I haven't been to Death Peak, really."
"Uhhh. . ." Marle thought, "We have a path to follow to get up there, there shouldn't be any more threats that the weather."
"And time," Magus added, "We have to reach the peak before that period is wiped out as well."
"Jeez," Marshall said, "It may already be gone."
"We'd better hurry then," Crono said, "This may be our last hope."
* * * * *
"I have orders for you two," Storimae stated to Dalack and Morlis, who stood before him.
It was only the three of them there in the council hall at the moment, yet both Dalack and Morlis knew that if they tried anything, Storimae's 'surprise' would destroy them in an instant.
Storimae was sitting in the chair at the far end of the table, the chair that had housed Thatos many months before. Now the spectres had a new ruler and the chair had a new user.
"What is it?" Morlis asked tiredly.
"It is time to move in on this world. The people of this world destroyed Thatos, we must return the favor. I want the two of you to search out and find the group that destroyed our once-king."
"Simple enough," Dalack said, "But what do we do when we do find them?"
"I'll leave that to you two. You are both much more intelligent that the others. I'm sure you can think of something. Just make sure that they are destroyed. If you want, you can follow them and discover anything that might be important."
The two bowed stiffly, "Very well," Morlis said.
They turned and left, wondering if this was any form of a test on their loyalty to him. They both knew that if they betrayed him, the dark figure would destroy them.
The door closed behind them, leaving Storimae alone. Yet he did not move. He merely sat on his 'throne' and thought about his next move.
However, moments later, there was a knock on the door. Storimae's head snapped up as the door was opened seconds after the rapping. A spectre came into the room with a bewildered look on its face.
"Storimae, there's something you have to see! I don't believe it. . ."
"What is it?" Storimae asked apprehensively, wondering what would send someone into such a fit.
The messenger gave him no answer. Instead, the spectre turned and ran back out the door before Storimae had finished his question. Storimae sighed and quickly left his office.
* * * * *
"I've heard from some of the scouting groups that this is happening in all of the times," the messenger said as Storimae stared at the red stars in the sky.
"What are they?" the king of the spectres asked, not turning from the view.
"Bad news, I think. These things have annihilated several of the other times, and I think they won't stop until all of this planet is wasted."
"So, something has beat us to these people. . .Well, that was the council's fault," Storimae replied, "Is this time next for these thing's attacks?"
"I'm almost positive it is," the messenger nodded.
"Do you know what these are? Their weaknesses, appearance, size, intelligence?" Storimae asked.
The messenger shook his head, "No. Nobody's even seen what they look like. After whatever-they-are finish wrecking each time, they disappear. Then, several days later, another time goes."
"Call a meeting," Storimae said, finally turning from the fire in the sky, "This one's an emergency."
.