Tides Of Chaos Chapter 5

By John Donahue

"Well, now, that was an adventure," said Crono calmly. "What now?"

"Oh, the fun hasn't started yet, my boy," Tristain began. "If I know Baruda, he'll probably be coming through the Gate as soon as he can gather a respectable force of, say, considering the way we handled the last bunch, maybe 300 Knights. Or more. Luckily, that may take a few hours."

"So we had better use our time wisely," said Lucca."I'll go and get everyone, with Epoch, while the six of you prepare for the fight."

"Check. Good idea too," said Crono. "Okay, everyone, let's get busy." They spent the next two hours preparing. Marle got the Valkerye and quiver, Gaspar went to the castle for safety, Spekkio, Crono, and Tristain practiced, Dar called his boss to check in, and Lucca went home, got the Wondershot, went to the basement, and began to gather their friends. Setting Epoch's Time Gauge for 65,000,000 B.C, she hit the switch. Arriving at the Prehistoric Era, she immediately went to the Ioka Chief's hut.

"Hey, Ayla! Want to go bash some heads?" she asked, upon seeing her old friend again.

"Lucca! Where fight? When?" said Ayla, wrapping Lucca in a big bear hug.

"Come on, we need your help! There's a big problem in my time, and we need your help."

"Ayla help Lucca whenever need!" said Ayla.

Lucca led Ayla to Epoch. "Epoch! See not for long time!" exclaimed Ayla, as they got on. Lucca said, "Next stop, 600, and Frog!"

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Landing in AD 600, they proceeded down to the Cursed Woods, and Frog's home.

"Ah, to what do I oweth the honor of this visit, lassies?" asked Frog as they climbed down the ladder.

"Frog, we need your help. A bunch of weird guys are going to attack the future and we need anyone we can get!" exclaimed Lucca.

"Why didn't you say that in the first place, lass? Let's go!"

Boarding Epoch, Lucca set the controls back for the Present time. Trusting Frog and Ayla to explain why she wasn't there, she made a quick flyby of Leene Square, and Frog and Ayla jumped off. Then it was off to the Dark Ages to find Magus.

Landing quickly, she set off for Commons. After a brief discussion with the elder, she found Magus was staying in the old cave on the North Cape. Finding him there, she began explaining.

"So where do I come in?" asked Magus when Lucca was done.

"We need your magical abilities," she said. Magus looked out at the sea, his tattered cape blowing in the wind. "This...Tristain, you say he's a Shadow Knight?"

"That's what he calls himself, yes."

Magus looked over his shoulder at her. "No, I can't help, not yet."

Lucca sighed and started away. "You won't reconsider?"

But Magus had already jumped off the cliff and floated away.

Lucca trudged back to Epoch. She sighed, and took to the air. Setting the gauge to the future, she entered Time Drive. Arriving at the Future, she wasn't very surprised when she saw it unchanged. Landing at Proto Dome, she quickly re-activated Robo, and explained everything to him. He agreed almost immediately. Getting back into Epoch, Lucca checked the time. They had less than five minutes, according to Tristain's ETA. Quickly engaging Time Drive, they were back at Leene Square, and not a minute too soon. Landing just outside, the two rushed in, just in time to see the Gate open, and Chaos Knights come pouring out.

Tristain's guess was far off. There must be a thousand of them, at least. The four swordsmen, plus Ayla and Robo, made the front line, with backup fire from Marle's crossbow and Lucca's gun. Crono slashed and stabbed. Dar cut and run. Tristain held off four Knights at once. Frog impaled them with the Masamune. Ayla and Robo smashed them back and forth. Lucca's shots were raining down everywhere, accompanied every so often by a few of Marle's bolts. The bodies were massing up. Then an unlucky sword managed to get through, and Crono found a long, deep cut down his sword arm.

Screaming in pain, he ran back to the girls. Marle screamed and fired. The bolt went right through the eye slit of the man who hit Crono.

"We've got to get you outta here, Crono," Marle said. "It's not safe with that wound."

"You're right, get him to the castle!" yelled Lucca.

Marle took Crono to the castle, where the doctors took him.

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Back on the field, Dar looked up and shouted, "What the heck is THAT?"

High in the air, a giant gate opened, and out came three airships, vaguely resembling Epoch.

"Oh, crap," began Tristain, just before they opened fire.

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