Chrono Trigger: The Mistake Chapter 3
Attempts to Understand
By Jerm
"What have you figured out so far?" Crono asked as Lucca stepped down the stairs from her room.
Robo was still upstairs, but Crono, Marle, Glenn, and Ayla were sitting in her living room, wondering when it would be time for them to act. None of the four knew what was going on. They could only wait for an answer. Then they would be able to do something, implement a solution and possibly create one. They hated to sit here and make Lucca and Robo do all of the work, but she knew as well as they did that it wasn't their fault. Taban and Lara were still asleep upstairs as well, Lucca decided not to bother them at the moment.
"Not much," Lucca admitted sadly, "We've just been piecing things together. It's only occurring in our time and 1999. All of the other times are safe, so far. Plus, it seemed to occur right after we killed Lavos, who had created the time gates. Two things, if pieced together, can possibly lead to a third."
"And?" Marle asked.
Lucca shrugged, but gave out her information, "Putting those two pieces together, we can assume that this has something to do with the death of Lavos. Add that to the fact that it is also happening in this time and no other, I'd say that we are the other factor. I mean we as in me, Crono, you."
"Is that all?" Crono asked.
"Robo has a few theories," Lucca shrugged again, "But nothing official."
"Okay," Crono nodded, "Sorry to hold you back, you can continue researching I guess."
Lucca nodded back, then quickly ran back upstairs.
* * * * *
The sphere reached Truce. Buildings disappeared into the vortex, being replaced by a vast wasteland of dirt and patches of grass. People were running out of their houses, having been awaken by the roaring, and began to yell and scream when they saw the raging vortex devouring Truce.
Panick and anarchy quickly took command, and the town was thrown into chaos.
North of the square, whereever the vortex reached, the forest, still burning, the fire spreading fast, slowly disappeared to be replaced by skyscrapers. Smaller buildings appeared dotted around the larger versions, but they were shadowed under the taller ones.
To the west of the vortex, an ocean was forming out of the disappearing forest. A bluff that overlooked the forming ocean divided the ocean and land, where the crater lay not too far from the bluffs. To the east was the opposite. The ocean was being hounded away as the red vortex reached it. Dirt and rock replaced it, and a long stretch of highway began to form, leading north to the quickly forming skyscrapered town.
* * * * *
In 1999, Truce was quickly appearing south of the vortex. Most of the buildings were still in one piece, though many were burning from the turrent of electricity that seemed to be released by the rip in time. Bodies of the dead and unfortunate, those who could not run fast enough, littered the ghost town, the scene wavering through the still spreading light.
* * * * *
"Everyone?" Lucca asked meekly, as she slowly stepped down the stairs, followed by Robo.
The group quickly turned toward her voice, puzzled by her downward expression.
"Did you find out what's going on?" Crono asked.
Lucca nodded, "We think so."
Robo added, "Do you wish to hear?"
"Yes!" Marle exclaimed, "That's what we've been sitting her for the past thirty minutes waiting for."
"You'll change your mind after you hear this," Lucca answered pessimistically.
"What is it?" Crono asked apprehensively, repositioning himself in his seat.
"Who here knows what a time loop is?" Lucca asked bluntly, getting straight to the point.
There was a shake of heads, no.
Lucca sighed, "A time loop occurs when you alter something in another time that then alters you, in which the new you would not alter that thing. Then because it wasn't altered, you would alter. . ."
"Umm. . .What?" Crono asked intelligently.
"Ohh. . .Ayla head hurt," Ayla muttered, stating she did not understand.
Lucca sighed, then closed her eyes, "Let's try this another way. An example would work, I guess. . .This is grisly, but it serves the purpose; what would happen if you went back in time and killed your parents before you were born?"
Marle wrinkled her brow, "I wouldn't be born."
"Right. Now if you weren't born, how could you have killed your parents? So your parents are not killed, and you are indeed born. Since you are alive, you go back in time and kill your parents, causing you to not be born. But then--"
"I get the point," Crono cut her off.
"How does this match with us?" Glenn asked curiously.
"Lavos," Lucca said plainly.
"Please explain, then," Crono pressed.
Lucca thought for a moment, then went into her lecture, "We first found Lavos when we heard about him in the deep future. After that, we raced through time and killed him in 1999. But if we killed him in 1999, then the computer would not register his pressence in 2300. We would not have read the message on that computer, hence we wouldn't go after him and kill him. He would live and destroy the world in 1999. We would then read about it. . .and the cycle continues."
"Jeez. . ." Crono muttered, "How do we stop this?"
"I have no idea," Lucca shrugged, "I don't think anybody does. Once something happens like this, I'd assume that time will have a lot of problems. We're caught in a time loop, everybody."
Lucca sighed, "We made a big mistake, you all. 'Save the world! Be heros!' It sure sounded good when we were doing it, but now it's coming back to haunt us. What a way to mess up."
"What will happen to the times?" Crono pressed once again, a look of fear and nonunderstanding on his face.
"I don't know. Not even Robo knows. . .I doubt it'll be--" Lucca was cut off by a loud roaring noise; the noise of the vortex.
"What's that?!" Crono yelled over the din.
"Go outside and find out!" Lucca yelled back, running to do so herself.
The group quickly filed out through the door, running around the house to peer outside. Crono was first, gasping audibly as he spun around the corner.
The red vortex was huge now. It covered most of the northern continent, at least what used to be the northern continent. The entire geography, natural and manmade, of their planet was being changed, altered, and switched. Truce was no longer there, through the red haze, they saw a stretch of land instead. Far north of that stood a city. Judging from the technology of the buildings, it was from the future.
"Now what's going on?!" Crono yelled as the others caught up with him and peered in awe at the altercation.
"The times are transposing!" Lucca yelled back, ". . .I think! The time loop is throwing the two times back and forth, looping them as well! I think it'll do that until time becomes unraveled!"
"It's coming closer," Glenn acknowledged.
Marle suddenly hugged Crono, catching him off guard, "Is it. . .is it over?" she asked.
He knew what she was talking about, and was tempted to say 'no,' but he knew she was strong, "I hope not."
He hugged her back and looked inquiringly at Lucca, "I want to know how we stop this right now!"
Lucca shook her head frantically, "I'm sorry, Crono! So, so sorry!"
She leaned against her house and began to cry. She had finally broken down.
Crono closed his eyes, sadly. He was aware that Marle was crying as well, and he was aware that he was doing so too. It was a final farewell.
"It was very nice knowing all of you," Glenn said finally.
Crono nodded and heard Marle mumble an answer of her own. Ayla smiled somewhat, and replied, "You all good friends of Ayla."
"Time, what a dangerous thing," Lucca mumbled to herself.
Other than the roaring, that was the last thing Crono heard.
.