Chrono Trigger Prophecies Chapter 15
Plans
By Jerm
Marle blinked her eyes open, which stung briefly from the sunlight shining in through the window. Looking around herself, she found that she was lying in a bed inside a small room, probably an inn of sorts.
How did I get here? she asked herself mentally.
"Do you fell okay?"
Marle jerked her head to the side to face Lucca, sitting in a chair beside her. The quick movement caused a brief pain in her neck, obviously a cramp or something. She flinched from the sensation and reached up to feel her neck.
Lucca stood from the wooden stool and walked over to her, "You've been asleep for about four days now. Luckily, you're still in working condition."
"What happened?" Marle asked quietly, dropping her hand back to the bed.
"Magus attacked us," Lucca reminded her.
"I know that," Marle nodded, "How did we get here?"
Lucca smiled, "Crono came back just in time apparently, "After that, it's a bit complex. Let's just say that we made it here."
"Who's we?" Marle continued to question.
"Me, you, Crono, and Glenn." "So we're all accounted for," Marle nodded, gratified, "Where's the other two, then?"
"Uh, Glenn's in the next room over," Lucca said, pointing to the wall behind her and to Marle's right, "And Crono," she shrugged, "Somewhere in town."
Marle stopped her questioning after that, and leaned back into the pillow as if trying to return to sleep. Lucca leaned against the wall while she got comfortable, then asked, "So, how do you feel?"
"Hmmm," Marle seemed to be thinking, she still appeared groggy, "Actually, I feel thirsty."
"Will water work?" Lucca asked, pulling away from the wall and stepping toward the door.
"Yeah," Marle nodded, then coughed.
"I'm on it," Lucca said, then stepped out of the room.
"Jackpot," Crono exclaimed, bursting into the room.
Lucca and Marle both turned to him in surprise at his sudden appearance as he shut the door behind. Marle coughed again and handed Lucca the half empty glass of water. Lucca accepted it and put it down on her chair, currently unused. Then she turned to Crono, "Where have you been?"
"Out and about," Crono shrugged, "But I found something useful."
"Like what?" Marle asked.
"First things first: Are you okay, Marle?" Crono asked.
"I'm fine now, I guess," Marle nodded, "Thanks."
"No problem," Crono smiled, trying to hide his excitement, then he began describing what he had found, "I--"
"Wait, shouldn't Glenn hear this, too?" Lucca cut him off.
Crono gave a brief glance around the room, "You mean he isn't in here?"
"No," Lucca said, "He's got his own room to sleep in, there isn't enough room for four people here. He's in the room right next to us, right over there," Lucca pointed helpfully.
Crono rolled his eyes and left to get Glenn. When he was gone, Lucca and Marle looked at each other. "He's a bit excited, isn't he?" Marle asked finally.
"Yeah, must be something big," Lucca agreed.
Moments later, Crono had returned with Glenn trailing behind. When both were inside the room, Crono shut the door and got down to business. While Glenn found a place to sit, Crono stood at the foot of the bed where he was sure everyone could hear him. They looked at him expectantly and he began.
"I was out asking around most of today, trying to find any information about where Magus might be. I was sure that after that earthquake, there might be some people investigating the forest. If that was so, somebody would have had to have seen him. Plus they would have had seen where he was going. It took a while, but I finally found somebody just returning from their curiousity trip. He says he saw somebody wandering around the forest...heading north. I asked for a description, and it fits Magus very well."
Crono stopped as the others stared at him expressionless. He seemed to be waiting for a response, but they could do nothing but look at him, trying to find something to say.
Finally, Crono added the last part, "I'm going after him."
"What?!" Marle gasped, throwing herself into a coughing fit.
She finally got herself under control, turning down an offer of water from Lucca to speak her mind, "He'll kill you, Crono, and you know that very well."
"It's obvious that he's heading toward the castle, probably to take out the monarchy and conquer Guardia," Crono added, "I have no idea why he's like this and why he wants to do that, but he is like this and he is attacking Guardia like a one man army. We need to stop him here and now before he starts killing others."
"If the whole Guardia army can't handle him, how could you?" Lucca asked, unconvinced.
Crono shrugged, "Tactics and methods. What do we have that no one else in the world seems to have?"
There was a moment of thought as the gathering glanced around, waiting for an answer. Finally, Marle spoke up tentatively, "Experience?"
"No..." Lucca corrected her, "Magic."
"Right," Crono nodded, "Not one of those guards in there has magic, and that's what's gonna be necessary to beat him."
Crono turned to Glenn, "I'll probably have to borrow the Masamune too, Glenn."
Glenn shook his head, "No."
Crono was slightly surprised by this, but didn't show it. He tried to point out why he would need it, "I don't--" Crono began
"You cannot use it," Glenn repeated, "for I shall wield it against the sorcerer myself."
"You aren't in a condition to fight," Crono pointed out.
Lucca smirked and began to sit in her chair, she realized that she had put the glass there and remained standing for the moment, "None of us are, if you've forgotten Crono. That includes you."
"I'm in better condition than the rest of you. That result came with being further than five miles from ground zero during that earthquake. It was a matter of coincidence, but it turned out that way nonethe--"
"It wasn't an earthquake," Lucca pointed out helpfully.
"I don't care. It shook the earth. Case closed, detective." Crono folded his arms in an act of finality.
"Despite your convictions, I shall accompony thee," Glenn pressed, "I am just as determined as thou art."
"I want to come, too," Lucca added her part.
"Me too," Marle said, sitting up in her bed.
"N--" Crono began, but Marle was prepared for his response.
"If he goes at Guardia, that's my heritage we're talking about. I'm not going to lie here in bed, wondering if and when I'm going to suddenly disappear. Don't put that on me, Crono," Marle shook her head, "I'm going down fighting."
Crono seemed to want to disagree, but found nothing to go against her with. Finally, he gave up. He heaved a sigh and shut his eyes, "Fine. We'll rest today, then leave tomorrow. That'll give each of us a day to think of what we're doing and to decide whether or not to turn back."
"My mind is set," Marle said firmly.
Lucca and Glenn voiced their agreement. Crono sighed again, then nodded and turned to leave the room, "Then at least use the time to think this through. If not to change your mind, at least to realize who we're fighting."
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