The Shifters Part 4
By MeuShell
Crono, Ayla, and Robo entered the Cathadral.
"It seems strange to take Marle here," Robo said.
Ayla answered him, "Glenn say, Cathadral bigger than look. Robo see back door? Ayla open." Ayla ran to the door and tried to push it open.
Crono went to the organ and played it.
"No play organ," Ayla said, "Open door, fight Shifters, find Marle." Ayla said as she put all her weight on the door to open it.
The door opened and Ayla fell, "Ayla open door." She got up.
Crono laughed, he'd have to tell Glenn and Lucca.
They went through the door, no Shifters in sight. They went through the door ahead of them. To the left was a bucket. They went to the bucket and tapped it.
The bucket sprang into action. It did Water 2 on them and move a few feet back.
Crono, Ayla, and Robo surrounded the bucket.
Ayla hit hard with her fist. 97 HP was lost.
Crono slashed it with his sword soon after Robo hit it. 174 HP was lost all together. They were attacked again, this time with Ice 2. Then the bucket slid away and became like liquid and leaked into a crack in the wall.
"Yes," Ayla said, "We beat bucket."
"We didn't really beat it," Robo said, "It just ran away."
"Bucket run away from us."
They continued walking down the red carpet. They entered a door. Their was another door ahead of them up the stairs. They entered it. Another organ was to the left. Crono went up to this organ and played.
"Ayla confused," said Ayla, "Crono play organ again. What organ do?"
"My concern," Robo stated, "Was that their is no one to fight. This is easy, almost too easy."
"Not fun when no fight."
Crono went back through the door. They followed.
"Fun!" Robo exclaimed, "Fighting isn't fun. It is a battle between two enemies, not fun."
They went down the stairs to the right. The stairs collapsed as they went down.
"Ouch," Ayla glared at Crono. "Crono! Warn Ayla when something fall. Crono rude not too."
Crono got up frowning. He forgot that the stairs collapsed, by the time he remembered he was already falling. Ayla didn't need to yell. He shook his head and continued on his way to the door now in front of him.
"You wanted a fight." Robo said to Ayla, pointing to a chair in the middle of the next room.
Ayla ran to it and flicked it. She quickly moved back and got into her fighting possession when the chair started to morph quickly into a person.
The back legs became the persons two legs, the front legs became his arms. The back rest became the persons head, shoulders, and upper back. This person appeared to be a male with short blue-green hair that was combed neatly with a part in the middle. It was straight down and stopped above his ears. He had pale green skin and purple eyes. He wore blue jeans and a white shirt. He spoke, "You are early."
Ayla jumped forward, "Not expect us now? Good. Move or fight! We get Marle."
"I have no wish to move or fight." He put his hand out, a sword formed, "But, if you give me no choice."
Robo spoke quickly, "You don't want to fight? Is this your choice or do all Shifters feel this way?"
The Shifter (who was Swau) frowned slightly, then put his sword in a sheath that wasn't there before, "My choice, but I was put here to fight, so if your ready." The sword disappeared while it reformed in his fisted hand. Swau pointed it to them. "Fight?"
"Maybe we can make bargain Robo said, if this Shifter didn't want to fight then why should he. Meanwhile, Robo thought, I might get information from him.
"I won't move, I won't-" a small pause, "-betray my people."
Ayla spoke this time, "You not give choice to not fight. But you not want fight. We get through, fight or not. Save Marle."
"Fools." Swau said, "Why can't humans see the obvious
Ayla frowned, "Huh? No matter. Fight!"
Swau nodded, then he leaped into the air and landed in the middle of the team, spinning with the sword out, getting all of them. Then leaped back where he was.
"You fight good for someone who not want fight." Ayla said, then attacked with nails and teeth like a cat, she had proudly called it, Cat Attack.
"Thank you. You fight well also."
Ayla nodded her thanks and smiled.
Crono never understood how people can talk to who their fighting, but Marle, Ayla, Lucca, and sometimes Glenn all did it. He rolled his eyes before using Lightning on the Shifter.
Swau jumped again, he landed on Robo, slashed with his sword, then jumped back.
"You like Jump-Attacks?" Ayla asked.
"Depends on my mood, but I usually prefer it."
Robo Uzi-Punched the Shifter.
The Swau tilted his head as if hearing something, "Now you can pass." He jump and landed on the wall. "We shall meet again, probally in another fight."
Ayla nodded, " Ayla look for jumping fighter?"
Swau laughed, "Maybe. You fight well, Ayla"
"You too. What name?"
"My name in Swau." After that he grew smaller and darker until he was a spider. He crawled toward a crack in the wall.
Ayla watched this, "Bye Swau." she said as she watch the spider crawl in the hole and disappeared.
Robo watched Ayla, when she turned to Crono and him, he spook, "You just gave him your name and made friends with him."
"Swau seem sad." Ayla said.
Crono walked to pushed the next door open and went in.
Robo turned to Ayla, "What did he mean by 'Now you can pass'?"
"Ayla not know."
They followed Crono into a long room. Crono was at a opened door in the middle, looking at them, arms folded.
Ayla ignored this and went to him, she looked in to see a hall.
"Crono play organ, door open?"
Crono nodded.
"Ayla not open first door in first room."
Crono shook his head.
Ayla laughed. Then she started down the hall, "Come, we go now."
They walked down the hall. Another door was at the end of it.
Robo felt something was wrong, "Only two enemies, and one was put there obviously to stall us. I don't get. Something is wrong."
"Swau said Shifters not ready for us," Ayla pointed out.
"Yes, but then he let us go."
"Maybe Swau change mind."
"Maybe."
They got to the door and walked in. At least they came to the right place. Their was a big cage at the end of the room, Marle-Shifter was in it. A human sat on the floor in front of the cage. Marle-Shifer went to the front part of the cage. The human looked up at them.
This Human-Shifter had long black hair that was pulled back. The eyes were white. The skin was pink. It didn't look male or female.
"Marle," Ayla called.
"Ayla, you and Robo are here. How nice to think that you cared."
The Human-Shifter spoke, "Stop talking! Fight!" He attacked with Ice 2.
Ayla jumped and kicked it three times, "Not like talk. Rather fight. Then fight."
Crono laughed to himself before he attacked with Luminaire.
Robo used his strongest, Shock, also.
Each repeated it's attack, then the Shifter went down. As he few he became clear liquid. After he looked like a puddle of water.
Marle-Shifter raised her eyebrows, "Their true form looks like water, that's scary to think about."
Ayla ran to the cage, "How get out."
"Key." Marle-Shifter pointed to a key rack with a key.
Ayla went to get it.
Robo watched her then went to the cage, "Do you why their are not many Shifters to fight in here? Getting here was very easy."
"Maybe they weren't ready for you to find out where they were."
"But one didn't let us through, but after a small fight he did."
She shrugged, "Maybe Shifters are week. You fought him easily." Marle-Shifter pointed to the water puddle.
Ayla returned with the key. Then she unlocked the door.
Marle-Shifter hurried out and jumped, "I'm free!" She smiled and started heading towards the door. "Let's get out of here."
.
Almost the entire team was in Glenn's home. Five of them thought they were all they were all there. The other knew but acted as everything was normal.
"Now what?" Ayla asked, "See what happen next."
Lucca while cleaning her Wonder Shot, answered, "Wait until the Shifters make the next move, while we try to find their home."
"Shifton," Marle-Shifter said looking at Lucca gun, "That thing better be empty
"I'm not stupid, I'm very smart. Of coarse it's empty. How do know the name of the place."
"I heard them mention it."
"It is best," Robo said, "To do what Lucca says. We don't know if the Shifters want to continue the fight. If they do it is best to know where Shifton is."
"Maybe Shifters no want more fight," Ayla suggested, "Maybe most Shifters like Swau, not want fight."
Marle-Shifter quickly turned to Ayla, "What?!"
"Swau Shifter, Swau not want fight."
Marle-Shifter couldn't believe what she was hearing, Swau had given his name to these humans. She knew he didn't like the starting war with the humans, but she didn't know he was stupid.
"A Shifter gave his name and doesn't like this fight," Lucca said with curiosity and plans in her eyes, "This may become useful to us, if we can talk to him we may be able to convince him to go on our-"
"A Shifter would never betray his people." Marle-Shifter said quickly. She felt insulted that they would consider this.
"We don't know this," Lucca said, "Why are you mad?"
"We must find a plan that will work, not one that won't work."
"Nothing to get mad about. It is just an option."
Marle-Shifter sighed and tried to not sound angry, "It won't work. I heard this Swau talking, he hated humans."
"He didn't sound like it," Ayla said.
"You can't tell by the way people sound." Marle-Shifter said, getting up, "Uh, I kind of would like to leave and go to the castle. I want to talk to the one who tried to be me. But because of the 'Don't get replaced by a Shifter' safety procedures-
"I'll go," Glenn said. "I wanted to talk to some of the people there and see if anything has been discovered about the Shifters."
.
Marle was looking in her bag for something to eat when she heard the soft, quick footsteps again. She ignored them this time and dug through her bag. She found dried cinnamon bread, tonics, water, money, dried vegtibles, and the other supplies and food before she found what she wanted. "Ah," she said as she grabbed the dried berries, "I knew it was here."
The footsteps stopped. So she looked up to see herself standing in front of the cage. She watched herself pace in front of the cell smiling before finally saying something, "How is it in there? Not comfortable, ah, too bad."
Marle smiled and pretended she was enjoying herself, "Very comfy, why don't you come in and see for yourself. All you have to do is slip through the bars."
Marle-Shifter tilted her head and gave a fake sad face, "I would, but I can't. Sorry." Then she laughed.
"Leave me," Marle said, "You bother, and if you keep acting like that then everyone will know who you really are."
"I bother you. How nice."
Marle turned away from the fake, "If your not here to say sorry, then I have no time for you."
"I wanted to talk."
Marle ignored her.
"I wanted to talk." Marle-Shifter said again. No answer. So she left.
.
Marle woke up but noise she couldn't identify. Then she heard it again, something fell, it was in her cell.
She got up to check it out. Against the wall she found two bricks in her cell with a hole above them. She tried to look out but it was dark. "Hello?"
"Yes?" Someone answered.
Marle reconized the voice, "Glenn?"
"Yes."
"What happen?" She started to help remove the bricks.
"You probably can figure it out."
"Replaced?"
"Yes."
"Why are these bricks so loose?"
"I loosened the bricks." He put another brick on the floor, "Last one."
She looked out and then looked at him, she frowned.
"Uncanny," he said.
Marle giggled, "Scream."
Glenn laughed.
Marle climbed out onto a ledge, "How do we climb down?"
"The bricks."
Marle looked down, then back at Glenn, then nervously laughed, "Um, ok. That's pretty far down."
"Don't worry, besides we'll have other ledges to use." Glenn said as he started down.
Marle followed, carefully places each foot and grabbing the right places. She hoped there would be many ledges.
After climbing a bit she saw a ledge a about a foot below her. Glenn was already on it. She soon joined him.
"Do you think they know I'm missing yet."
"If they knew, we would know," he started climbing again.
Soon they got to a ledge that a hole that was in the wall. Marle glanced back and forth between the hole and Glenn before asking, "Couldn't tell which one I was in?"
"I knew which one you were in. I simply didn't want to climb all the way. So I started here. He went in and removed a sheet from the floor. "If they heard me, I would have jump in there." He went back out.
"So you made an escape rout for yourself. What would you have done if someone came while you were made that hole though?"
"I made it on the floor below, hardly any soldiers are there." He started to climb again.
While they climbed Marle laughed. Glenn didn't look up when asking, "What is funny?"
"Not only am I the first prisoner, not only am I the first innocent prisoner, but I'm the first to break out."
"I didn't think of that."
Marle laughed again. Glenn still didn't look up, "What?"
"Remember when we told you how Crono went to jail in our time and he used three holes to get to other cells."
"Yes."
"You just made those holes."
Glenn laughed, "So in 400 years they would have never fixed them. What's taking them so long?"
They both laughed.
Soon the climbing was done. They ran into the forest, "What do we do now?"
"Hide, I don't know where. I was thinking the Denadora Mountains would be a good place."
"Sounds good to me."
They came out of the forest and quietly ran to the bridge. On the bridge they found Toma. He quickly greeted them, "Marle, Glenn, what brings you here so late at night?"
Marle smile at him, "I was about to ask you the same."
"I am a great traveler and adventurer, I can be found anywhere anytime of the day."
"We're taking a walk," she said feeling a little guilty about the fib. Toma has traveled the whole world and did it for the adventure, she thought. It was why Marle had a small crush on him.
"Can I walk with you? I can show you places I bet you didn't know it existed
Marle would have loved to see something new on this planet, but she had to turn the offer down, "No, I'm sorry I can't."
Toma looked offended, "You sure, what about you Glenn?"
"No, we need to go now."
"Can I go with you then?"
"No." Glenn started to leave.
"Sorry." Marle said, "Maybe some other time."
Toma started walking the other direction, "Maybe. Good-bye Marle! Good-bye Glenn!"
"Bye Toma." Marle waved, then went to catch up with Glenn.
.
"She got out!"
The team had been talking in the soilders' quarters when a soldier came and told them the news.
Ayla turned to her friend, "Lucca, no need to yell. Not so bad."
Marle-Shifter walked towards the soldier, "How did this happen?"
"She broke through the wall," he answered.
Glenn asked the next question, "And what, flew away?"
"Evidence shows that she and another climbed down."
By this time Robo was also there, "Another Shifter? Why would they climb all the way down and not fly away as Glenn said."
"To make it look as if they are not Shifters." Marle-Shifter suggested.
"Maybe because whoever rescued her isn't a Shifter." Lucca added.
Marle-Shifter gave her a strange look, "What?"
"Well you took my idea."
The soldier gave more information, "That's not the worst of it." They looked at him. "We believe whoever rescued her was at one point in the castle. That is all." He left.
"If the Shifter," Glenn started, "Is still imitating Marle, then the other may be imitating someone else here."
Lucca sighed, "Why is everyone taking my idea?"
"Sorry."
"We find Shifters, ask Shifters things." Ayla suggested.
"Alright," Lucca said, "Did you guys find some kind of mind reading machine and didn't tell me?"
Everyone laughed. Lucca tried not to, but she couldn't help it.
.
Marle and Glenn were in the Denadoro Mountains in the cave the Masamune was found.
"Well," Marle said, "We may have to fight monsters every time we leave, but it's good. It's big and we have many places to hide if the others try to find us."
"Yes. If they come we can leave, if they find us, we don't want it to be here."
"Alright, but we need to think of a way to show our friends they are working with imposers
"When a Shifter is unconscious, relaxed, sleeping, or dead they turn to their natural form."
"How do you know?"
"The humans in 2000 B.C. learned a lot. It was confirmed when Ayla, Crono, and Robo rescued the other Marle. When they killed the boss there he returned to this form."
"What does it look like."
"They said it looked like water."
"Ew. I hope no one has mistaken a sleeping Shifter for water."
Glenn walked outside, he wondered how long he'd have to live here. Glenn looked toward the water fall. He sensed something wrong, he waved Marle over.
Marle came out, ready to ask what was wrong. But she knew right away what it was. It was voices.
To Be Continued:
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