Chrono Trigger Invasions Chapter 4
By Jerm
"Cid's here?" Marle was amazed, "What's he want?"
"I wasn't told," Tristan replied.
"I'm surprised he's still alive," Crono mused, "I'da thought he'd starve by now."
"Cut the boy some slack, he's been through quite a lot," Marshall replied.
Crono quieted down, nodding.
"Send him in, by all means," Marle said, then spoke to herself, "I wonder what he wants."
Tristan left, and moments later returned with Cid trailing behind him. Cid carried a book in his hand, which he clutched to his chest protectively. There was a haunted look in his face that showed that he hadn't been getting much sleep.
"Cid, how are you?" Marle asked.
"Fine, I guess," he replied quietly.
Marle looked up at Tristan, "If you'll excuse us, captain. . ."
Tristan bowed stiffly, "Very well. I was leaving anyway when I ran into this boy."
Tristan turned and left the throne room. When he was gone, Crono asked the fated question, "Whatcha got?"
"I. . .found this when I was searching Lucca's books," Cid opened the book and pulled out a sheet of paper, "It's a note to you all from her."
Marle accepted the sheet and began reading. Several moments later, she stopped and handed the note to Crono. After Crono stopped reading, he handed it to Marshall with a shocked looked on his face, "You'd better read this too, Marshall; it concerns you just as much."
Marshall glanced down at the sheet, skimming over it. The others waited expectantly.
You all know that magic came from Lavos. After the fall of Zeal, magic slowly died out. I had thought the fall of magic would take a long time, in which only a few could use it in our times and no one could use it in the future.
However, I'm wrong. Magic died much more quickly than that. Only several generations lasted before its existance vanished from humanity's grasp. We should not be able to use magic. And yet we do.
When Lavos was awakened in the Ocean Palace, gates opened, which drew Janus, Melchior, Belthasar, and Gaspar to different times. Only the queen and Schala were spared. However, history has forgotten the six guards who had stood post in the hall that led to the Mammon Machine. What became of them?
They too were victims of the timegates. Each was thrown into a different time. These people are very important to us. One was Marle's ancestor. One was mine. One Crono's, one Marshall's, and one Glenn's. That is only five; as everyone can see. However, the missing man isn't as important as determining our heritage.
I searched my parents room and was able to find a cache of items. One such item was my father's journal. In this book, I found that he wasn't sent to this time. He had been sent to the future. In the future, he used the technology to try and develop a machine to altar time. During this, he used an alias name: Nabat.
If you are familiar with the name, it is because it is one of Cid's partners. The one who Cid had said was interested in time when we first went out to Project Lavos. If you are to search for your lost heritage, you would most likely start with him. He can possibly give you names if he relents his disguise, and then you all can match the names with your fathers, grandfathers, and so on until you can find who it was that existed in Zeal.
Happy hunting to all of you.
Marshall handed the paper back to Crono, numb. Parts of his memory were suddenly triggered, but he fought the images down. For a moment, everybody was quiet. Then Crono asked, "So. . . .are we going to do it?"
"I've got so much to do here: the castle, the Mystics; but I'm sure there's time for this. Definitely," Marle replied.
Crono nodded, "How about you Marshall?"
"Give me time," the voice was strained.
"Are you okay?" Crono pressed, cocking his head.
Marshall didn't reply. Instead he walked right past Cid and to the door. The door was promptly shut behind him loudly. Moments later, they heard the startled yells of the two guards posted outside. Then quiet returned.
"I guess we can get him when we come back from the interrogation," Crono said.
Marle nodded, "Yeah," then she looked at Cid, "Are you coming with us?"
"I have to," Cid shrugged, "I'm the only one who has a chance of getting in to the Robotech building. . . .even though I haven't been there in about 3 months."
"We'll have to get Glenn, too," Crono said.
"All in due time," Marle said, "First, I have to get the chancellor to take my place for a while. Then we get get going."
* * * * *
Magus held out his hand, which ignited with a sphere of light. Now that he could see, he started down the halls that were only vaguely familiar to the place where Schala had sent them off.
Miraculously, the interior of the Palace was pristine. No cracks, rust, or cobwebs. Of course, it was underwater, there wouldn't be cobwebs. Magus berated himself for his silliness.
He came at a branch, trying to remember which way to go. He hadn't been in this place in years. Finally, his memory came back and he went left, continuing down the dark paths.
After several hours of walking, he was beginning to doubt his memory. He didn't recognize anything now. However, there were signs of distruction appearing all around him now, showing that he was nearing the place where Lavos had caused the gates. Some places looked ready to collapse, yet Magus knew that they would be strudy enough. They had held up for years now, why would they fall now of all times.
Because there was someone walking in the palace now
Magus shook his head visciously, shaking his conscience into silence. Doubting voices in his head was the last thing he needed. Obediently, the voices silenced themselves.
Then Magus turned a corner and entered the room that signified the last place he had ever seen Schala. A dim red light glowed from the middle of the room.
* * * * *
"Does the gatekeeper even still work? I mean, wouldn't it have shorted out or something?" Marle inquired as they stood before the said object.
"Probably not, it's only been three weeks," Crono said.
"Oh yeah," Marle remembered, "It seems like a long time."
Cid stepped forward and hit a switch, "Only one way to find out," the machine whirred loudly, causing Cid to nod, "It works."
"Do you know how to adjust the times so we don't get sent to the wrong time, or possibly the wrong dimension?" Crono asked, hoping the latter would not occur.
"Yeah, yeah," Cid said, doing something to the gatekeeper that the others couldn't make out.
A gate suddenly appeared in the center of the machine, startling Marle and Crono. When they realized how foolish they looked, they quickly tried to cover up their startlement, "Good, it's blue," Marle said, to which Crono nodded.
"And it leads to the future," Cid assured them, "Let's go."
They had agreed earlier that they would get Glenn later. His appearance might 'trouble' Taban just a little. That was the best way Crono could put it, anyhow. Most likely, Taban would develop apoplexy and call for the guards.
"Too bad Marshall couldn't come," Marle said, "He really looked troubled this morning."
Cid nodded, "He probably has some family issues that we shouldn't get involved in."
Crono stepped into the blue circle, followed by Marle, then Cid finally went through. The gate obediently closed behind them.
* * * * *
Marshall trudged through the dense Guardia forest, following a path only he knew. He was deep in the forest now, futher than most people have ever been. To the populace, this was unknown territory. But to him, it was memories.
Soon he reached his destination and stopped. Before him stood a wooden marker. A grave marker.
Marshall kneeled down before the graves of his parents and bowed his head. Finally he raised his head and looked up at the sky.
"I need advice, father," he spoke.
The wind picked up slightly, but other than that, nothing emmitted from the surroundings. Marshall continued, "Your past is about to be discovered. I can't explain the course of events that led to this, I'm just going to tell you that the secret is out, and might be brought into the open if I don't act.
"You must tell me what to do about this; should I let them continue, or do I stop them?"
In answer, there was silence. Marshall's face began to sweat as he waited. Finally, he spoke again, "You must give an answer! Please! I would never do anything to tarnish anybody's memory of you. You never told me about Zeal, father, you had secrets from your own family! Give me an answer!!"
The forest remained quiet in the aftermath of his outburst. Marshall sat down sulkily, wondering if life got any easier. He stared at the ground as the day wore on.
It was soon dark, but Marshall continued to wait.
* * * * *
"Where are we?" Marle asked.
"We're in the storage room again," Cid said, sighing, "I should have remembered this."
Crono reached out for the door and pulled; it was locked.
"It won' budge unless someone from the outside opens it, Crono," Cid said.
"Well, it's cold and I don't want to wait," Crono said, pulling yet again on the door.
"Try knocking," Marle added.
Crono knocked on the door, but it hardly made a noise. So then, Crono kicked the door. A dull thud erupted, but was no louder than the knock.
"There's no point to that, the door is thick and basically soundproof," Cid remarked, sitting down to wait.
"We sit and wait?" Marle asked.
"We sit and wait," Cid replied.
Just as the other two were about to sit, however, there was a popping sound from the door and it swung open to reveal a man in a labcoat.
However, it also revealed half a dozen soldiers aiming guns at them. None of them were smiling.
.