Chrono Trigger Invasions Chapter 27
By Jerm
Above the empty stretch of land, an epic battle occurred in the skies. Though it was night, the area was lit up brightly by the flaring meteors and the bursts of lasers. Every now and then, a missile would light up the sky with an explosion.
However, down on the earth, it was peaceful. The invasion had not been able to penatrate the defenses yet. If all went as planned for the human race, it would stay that way.
A small grove of trees sat several miles outside of Arris. It was a favorite place to 'get away from it all.' Out here, the stress of the city could be forgotten within a matter of seconds. Even the battle above seemed to be so far away from here.
Then, a rumbling noise came from below. Leaves on the trees began to shake first, then the branches. As the rumbling increased, the ground too began to quiver. No one was around to see this occurring, but as it intensified, it was obvious that its tremors would be felt for miles around.
Suddenly, there was the sound of tearing rock. A small crack formed in the dirt, below one of the madly shaking trees. The crack became longer as it widened. Light from the turmoil above shone erratically into the widening hole, but nothing could be seen inside at the moment.
The fissure was now ten feet wide, then reaching fifteen. Something inside let out an ear splitting gurgling noise, ending in a shriek. Then a blast of pure energy erupted from the hole. The blast was much wider than the fissure, but that didn't stop it. Rocks, dirt, and trees were blown into the air from the force of the blast.
When the energy died down, there was a fifty foot hole that led far into the ground. All around it began to rain the debris that had been displaced by the eruption. Unconcerned by the debris, something began to crawl out.
The Lavos let out another shriek as it escaped its earthly home, reaching the surface. Noticing that the war above it required its help, it quickly finished crawling out of the hole.
After it was free, it armed itself. The flattened spines that covered its back suddenly sung outward with a dull yet loud clanging noise. Row upon row of the weapons prepared themselves, the flow seeming very symmetrical and almost artistic. The last one rose from its burrowing position, ready to fire.
Then, with no warning, the quills were blasted off of the body, each flying into the air. Hundreds of them were airborne, hundreds more coming afterward.
Turrets that had been preventing an invasion were blown up from several of the weapons, their metal casings shattering and falling to the earth. The spines that reached the apex of their climb slowly spun around, so that they were now heading down. As they struck the atmosphere, the high percentage of gases in the air stimulated a chain reaction within the natural chemicals of the weapons. The quills burned away, leaving a focus of energy to fall in its place. Toward various cities and towns; places of population.
All around the first, other Lavos's were erupting from the ground. Having burrowed into the ground after numerous victories in the past, they were once again needed for a final act of destruction.
The real invasion had begun. And no amount of planning could have prevented this.
* * * * *
"What was that?!" Jim yelled, turning from trying to fix his computer and running toward the large windows that gave a large view outside outside.
As he ran, however, the earth shook heavily, throwing him down. He tripped over the shuddering ground and fell over on top of a desk, sending papers and other utensils spilling all over the place. Others in the room also fell. Several cabinets fell over with a metallic thud, spilling out papers.
"That was an earthquake," Brian said unnecessarily.
The president however, didn't think so. He quickly climbed up off of the carpet, muttering something. Then he ran to the door, saying spitefully and fearfully, "Project Lavos."
"What'd he say?" Brian asked.
"I didn't hear him, my ears are ringing," Jim shrugged shakily, slowly pulling himself off of the desk and pulling pieces of paper off of his sweaty arms where they'd stuck.
Then the building shook again, this time much more fervently. The lights went out instantly, throwing the room into complete anarchy. The building shook once more, then the ceiling caved in, being followed by a bright charge of energy that had come raining from the sky.
* * * * *
"So that's how they planned to take the future. . ." Crono said, facing the mainland far to the north, where several of the invaders had arisen to fire their projectiles into the air.
"We'll have to use the Chrono Trigger now, before we get killed," Marle replied, turning from the carnage to give a glance at Cid, "I wish I didn't have to do that."
"We all do, but it was what had to be done," Glenn comforted her.
Crono looked at the time egg for a moment, spinning it in his hand. Then he turned back to Marle, "You'll have to do it, I don't know how."
Marle snatched the object away from him, "Yeah, I almost forgot. Everyone follow me."
She turned away and walked up the mountain, past the tree and the edge of the peak. The others obediently followed, waiting for her to use it.
Marle lowered her head in concentration and began to speak, "Please. Allow us one more chance to right a wrong in this wrongful world. Give us a chance to save a nation, a world, a universe from this broken path of time. It is the only hope for this world."
She closed her eyes, not wanting to witness her own death if it failed and they were destroyed by the invasion. In her hands, the time egg began to tingle, then glow.
It spiralled out of her hands and into the air, floating over the edge of the peak, then stopping. It floated in the air, silently spinning. They waited hopefully.
Then it, like the one before, shattered. And the world--its noise, its people, its weather, its war--faded away into the abyss of another time.
* * * * *
Marshall tried to run, but found that it needed two legs to be done properly. He fell over into the snow. Quickly, he pulled himself up, coughing and spitting snow. He turned around, looking behind him for the spectre, but Dalack was either gone or invisible.
Marshall moaned, but continued up the hill. He couldn't allow the spectre to get him. He could only hold out for so long.
* * * * *
"What are you doing here?" Dalack asked as Morlis appeared.
Morlis appeared downright angry, if not a little mad. He ignored Dalack's question for the moment, instead asking one of his own, "What became of the large man?"
"He's alive, and I'm working on it," Dalack said, pointing up the hill at the struggling figure, "Now why are you here?"
"I underestimated the drive of these people. They were willing to sacrifice a friend in order to save a world. That royal girl shot him right in the shoulder with her 'bow."
"So he's dead?" Dalack asked unnecessarily.
"Not yet, but he won't last long. Why haven't you taken him yet?" Morlis looked back at Marshall.
"I have more patience than you, Morlis. I will take him when I have him whittled down enough."
Morlis seemed to snort, "Patience? Isn't that what Bastion used. He played the game of patience, now he's a permanent part of the black blade. There are some cases in which you do not wait."
"It's only a little longer, he has to rest sometime," Dalack retorted, annoyed at the pious attitude.
"We don't have time, you idiot! It'll only take them a few moments to gather their wits and use the egg! We have to get someone to stop them quickly! If not, we can't bring back Nikades."
"I thought you said we were bringing back Thatos," Dalack said, glaring at Morlis darkly.
"Nikades will be much more powerful if we can stop his demise," Morlis added.
Dalack sighed, "Very well. Any of them is better than Storimae."
"Then let's doubleteam the giant.
* * * * *
Marshall felt the thing's pressence once more and prepared for it. He stopped in his tracks and turned to where he had felt the pressence.
Then, suddenly, the spectre tried once again to possess his mind. Marshall strained his conscience against the attempt, throwing it out. Before he could rest, another spectre assaulted him. He tried to build his defenses, but they were too weak.
Dalack entered his mind, gaining control of him. And with that connection, Marshall found that he was going to be used for the death of his friends.
In Dalack's mind, he saw himself taking the group by surprise and slaughtering them before they could raise a defense. Magus was first. Then he saw himself stabbing Crono and Glenn, he threw one of his daggers and the princess was down. Then he chased after the running Schala. Where was Cid?
Marshall tried to break free, but failed. He couldn't allow this. He tried again, gaining a small foothold. It wouldn't last long however.
It's the life of one man weighed against the lives of five, he thought to himself, maybe more than five. I can't stop them from doing this through mentality alone. Give me strength.
The spectre tried to retake control, slowly throwing Marshall's conscience back. Marshall forced himself to draw his sword.
Your secret stayed safe, father.
"No, don't do that you idiot!" the spectre yelled at him.
Marshall steeled himself against what he was going to do. He closed his eyes, as he pointed the sword at his chest. He then muttered, "You lose, spectre."
He took a breath and divided his mind from what he was doing. Then he ordered his arms to plunge the sword.
* * * * *
"I am in charge now. Defy me not or you will die as well Mallegan." Storimae said, from his position in front of the podium.
Mallegan stared at the figure wielding the Murasame, then turned his eyes back to Storimae, "As long as I live, you have no power!"
"Is that so?" Storimae cocked his head, "So be it."
The figure swung the Murasame, ending the spectre's life. Mallegan's essence seeped into the black sword, the same fate as Bastion and the rest of the high council.
"Some people are too eager to die," Storimae muttered sadly as the figure and the Murasame faded away, "So sad to waste bravery on a lost cause."
.