PROLOGUE: THE ALLIANCE

The young monarch of Valdir reclined in his throne, a smirk appearing on his lips. His thin brown hair, pushed down under the jewel-encrusted crown on his head, drooped carelessly into his eyes. For years, he had felt that his parents were too weak, unable to take total control over their subjects. They had had this idea that rulers should be fair and listen to the people. How pathetic... he thought to himself. In his mind, force was the only way to ensure control.

Only one month had passed since he'd assumed the throne at the young age of 26, and there was not a thing that he did not control. The people were appalled at his strictness, but he told them, "My parents were too lenient, and look at what happened to them. Now, I'm taking charge of the kingdom, and I'm making sure that never happens again!" The people were miserable, but he had no interest for their feelings or opinions.

His army was growing in strength and numbers. His generals were the best, and carried the ideals of the king. The power-hungry men of his kingdom were flocking to the castle, and training there with guns and swords.

The king was pleased. It's time to take over some new territory. Soon, the world will be under my control, starting with... Guardia. He growled inwardly and shifted in his plush throne.

The kingdom of Guardia was a peaceful country consisting of several islands to the east of Valdir. He had studied about it for years from books given to him by his tutors. Guardia had celebrated its first one thousand years of existence three years ago (it had been founded in the year 0), and the realm had been enjoying peace since the year 600 AD. Well, that peace is going to end very soon! he thought to himself as the smirk reappeared.

The rulers of Guardia tended to share the same ideas about running a kingdom as his own parents. He thought back to his history lessons when he learned about the brutal, dictator-like monarchs who had once run Valdir from the same throne that he was relaxing in. He had admired those men and women-they had truly been in charge of their country, and the people had obeyed them whether they agreed or not.

"King Damien?" An attendant entered the throne room, breaking into his reverie. "The king of Fortran to see you, sir."

"Show him in." Damien cracked his knuckles with pleasure as he awaited the arrival of his guest.

An older man in his forties entered the room as the attendant held the door for him. He wore a green uniform and a matching cape that trailed down to the floor. A small crown sat on his balding head. His steps were long and confident as he strode down the carpet to Damien's throne. The attendant quietly left the room and left the two monarchs to discuss the matters at hand.

"Your highness," Fortran's king said as he bowed before him. "You sent for me?"

Damien smiled slyly. "I did, Cedric. I plan on taking over the kingdom of Guardia."

A devilish grin appeared on Cedric's lips, as he chuckled softly. "Ah, that is fascinating news."

The kingdom of Fortran was a country of about the same size as Valdir on the other side of the Guardian islands. Fortran appeared almost backwards compared to the advancements achieved in Guardia. Cedric, who had been king of Fortran for about ten years, was jealous of Guardia's technological and other achievements. Guardia, on the other hand, was always willing to trade their products and was oblivious to the growing hatred of Fortran's king. He'd wanted to declare war on Guardia, but his forces were weak, and victory was unlikely for his country. So, he'd had to sit and wait for a chance to someday have his revenge.

"I knew you'd be pleased," Damien said. "We both share a dislike for Guardia. If we unite, we can take it over easily. I suggest an alliance. My generals can train your forces, and together, our armies could win."

Cedric pounded a fist into his other palm. "And then my country will take their scientists, and we'll become more advanced!" he declared. His face glowed with the prospect.

Damien was pleased. Fortran would make an excellent ally. Strategically, Valdir could close in on Guardia from the west, while Fortran brought in his army from the east. Plus, Cedric had no desire to rule Guardia as he did, leaving him with no competition for Guardia's soon-to-be-vacant throne. "When the world is mine, I will give you a high position in my cabinet," he said, getting off his throne and heartily shaking the hand of the other sovereign.

He went to the ice chest and selected a bottle of perfectly aged champagne. He found two glasses and filled them with the bubbly liquid. He handed one to Cedric and kept the other himself. "To Guardia and its forthcoming demise." Damien said, raising his glass in a toast.

"Here, here!" exclaimed Cedric, and the two men clinked glasses and drank the champagne. Their loud laughter that followed resounded throughout the castle as they made their plans. Within six months, the Guardia kingdom would be no more.

CHAPTER 1: A THREATENING PROPOSITION

"Daddy?"

King Guardia XXXIII turned around from his bedroom window, his red robe swishing behind him, and faced his daughter. He was only in his forties, but his forehead was creased with lines due to constantly worrying about his kingdom. "Yes?"

Princess Nadia stood in front of him, dressed as casually as a commoner. She wore a simple light green dress with a white tunic over it and a pair of boots. Around her neck was a glowing pendant of dreamstone. She was carrying a small suitcase as well as her crossbow. A quiver of arrows rested on her back. It still astounded the king that however much his little girl resembled her mother, she certainly didn't act like her, or any other queen or princess in the history of Guardia for that matter. While other royal women were content to spin on their spinning wheels for a hobby, Nadia happily played with a crossbow, and by now could outshoot most of the soldiers in the Guardian army, and give the others a good run for their money. He had always been overprotective towards her and never used to let her out of the castle, but he couldn't help it; she was all he had left after his wife died. But on the opening day of the Millennial Fair three years ago when she ran away, she'd proved that she was quite able to take care of herself, and others as well.

Another figure with thick spiky red hair, Crono, stood behind her, carrying a few more bags. His rainbow-colored katana was sheathed at his side as always. Even after she'd helped to save the world, King Guardia still wanted her to have a bodyguard for extra protection, and so her heroic boyfriend Crono had been employed in that position. Neither complained about the arrangement.

"We're leaving now for Lucca's," Nadia said to her father. Lucca was her other friend that she'd met on their little adventure to save the future. Lucca had invited her over to her house in nearby Truce for a month, and Nadia had accepted the offer.

"Have a nice time, okay?" King Guardia said.

"I will," Nadia promised, dropping her suitcase and giving her father a big hug. "Bye, Daddy!" She kissed his cheek, then picked up her suitcase and, with a final wave, left the room.

"Crono, keep an eye on her," the king reminded him with a knowing smile.

Crono nodded, returning the grin. "Yes, your highness." He winked and followed Nadia out the door.

When they were gone, the king chuckled softly to himself. The week before, when Nadia was up in her chamber, Crono had approached him and asked for permission to marry her. King Guardia had grown to like the young man and knew that he would make his daughter happy, and so had agreed to his request. Crono had said that he was going to present her with a ring and propose to her some time during this upcoming vacation, and was very much looking forward to it. I remember when I proposed to Aliza... so long ago... the king thought, remembering fondly when he was young and in love. Memories of his younger self and Aliza floating in a cozy rowboat for two passed through his mind.

Just then, the chancellor, a small man with a long white beard entered the bedroom. "There are two men here to see you, your highness," he said in his nervous-sounding voice. "They are waiting in the throne room."

"I'll be right down," the king said. He followed the chancellor down the four flights of stairs leading from his bedroom to the throne room.

One of the men waiting for him there was in his twenties and had thin brown hair that tumbled into his face. The outfit he wore had on it a symbol that King Guardia recognized as the crest of the neighboring kingdom of Valdir. The other man, who was older and balding, wore a green uniform. "King Guardia XXXIII?" the younger one asked.

"Yes," he said. "What can I do for you two gentlemen?" He held out his hand toward the men before him.

Neither accepted the hand. "I am Damien, king of Valdir," the younger man said. "This is Cedric, king of Fortran." He indicated the man next to him. "We have a proposition for you."

The look on his face did not look like he was about to begin discussing pleasantries, and King Guardia didn't know if he was going to like the upcoming discussion. But he gave an affirmation anyway. Cedric gave the chancellor a glance suggesting that he leave the room. The chancellor left the room, leaving his king with the two visitors. Then, Damien locked the doors to the throne room so no one could enter the room, now empty except for the three kings who were in there.

The other kings approached the throne where King Guardia was sitting and knelt down next to it. "Now," Valdir's king said in a fierce whisper, "in case you didn't know it, we're both armed, so just sit there and be quiet!" They both opened one side of their coats, each revealing a long sword hidden within.

A nervous feeling was building up in King Guardia's gut, but he said nothing. He simply nodded silently.

"One month ago, I took the throne of Valdir after my parents'... death, and the kingdom has bowed down to me. But I'm not satisfied with that. Do you know why?"

"Because he wants more territory, of course!" answered Cedric, speaking for the first time during the meeting.

"And guess what kingdom I wish to conquer first?" Damien asked. A wicked grin pinched up the ends of his lips as he brought his face closer to King Guardia's.

King Guardia gulped. "Um..."

"Yours!" Damien interjected with a snap of his fingers. "Now, Fortran and Valdir are now allied, and our armies are one gigantic unit. Together, our armies can destroy your kingdom."

"B, b, but my country has an army, too. And they're strong!" King Guardia protested weakly. He had heard a rumor about the strength of Valdir's army under the new king, but he hadn't believed them. Now, he knew his original belief had no more merit.

"But," Damien said, a sudden look of kindness on his face, "we will take pity on your kingdom. We won't destroy it." He paused slightly. "If..."

"If... what?" the king of Guardia was dreading what these men were about to propose.

"If you give us your kingdom quietly, we won't destroy you and your puny army," Damien said.

"Hey, I bet this guy doesn't even lead his own army!" said Cedric with a laugh.

That was true, but King Guardia did not intend to admit it. And he was not about to give his kingdom to these two men, either. "I don't believe you two!" he said with as much force as he could muster under the nerve-racking conditions.

Damien removed his sword from his jacket and held it up to King Guardia's neck. "Oh, we're very serious. And our armies will annihilate this entire kingdom until we own every last acre of land here. So, you can either pass the crown and the kingdom over to me peacefully, or we will declare a merciless war upon your kingdom! It's your choice..."

Cedric nudged Damien as though he had forgotten something. "Oh, yes," Damien added, lowering his sword. "I got a glance of your daughter as we arrived at the castle. She's a cute little thing. She comes along with the kingdom as my wife!"

King Guardia was horrified. Asking for the kingdom is bad enough, but not Nadia! "No!" he cried. "Anything but my daughter! You didn't... do anything to her?" he whispered frantically.

"No," Cedric answered, "but I think the first person to go when we take over Guardia is the punk with the red hair!"

The seriousness of this situation was much more than the king of Guardia had expected. He wanted to cry out to his guards who were waiting outside the throne room, but he knew that any sound he made would mean an instant beheading from the two other kings.

Damien returned his sword to King Guardia's neck, and Cedric took out his own sword as well. "Now from those suitcases she had, I'd say she was going away for some time. We will return in three months' time, and we expect you to have a ceremony ready to marry me to your daughter and to declare me the new king of Guardia. If you do this, we will spare the lives of your army and your people, and maybe even your own. But if either of those is lacking, we declare war on the spot! Remember, three months..."

With that, the kings of Valdir and Fortran unlocked the front door of the throne room and left, and the chancellor quickly came in. "Your highness! What happened? You look pale as a ghost! And you're shaking!" When the king didn't say anything, he added in a conspiratorial voice, "The guards were all fast asleep as though they had been knocked out when I went out there. I got nervous and tried to get back in, but the door was locked!"

King Guardia was lost in thought. He had no idea what he was going to do. All he did know was that he couldn't tell Nadia that she might end up with a power-hungry pig like Damien. This kingdom might be lost, as well as the lives of many. Nadia, please, don't come home. Go far away from here and stay safe with your friends. I don't want you involved in this horrible mess...

CHAPTER 2: TRIPLE DISASTER

Lucca was in her living room, trying to finish her telepod for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. She removed her green helmet and wiped her forehead. Then she pushed her thick glasses back up on her nose and screwed in the last four pieces. "There!" she exclaimed, with a sigh of relief. "Maybe it'll work this time!"

Lucca was a genius when it came to anything relating to science that needed to be done. However, her inventions had a tendency not to work quite the way she'd originally intended them to. The telepod was first displayed during the Millennial Fair three years ago, and the disaster that had ensued ended up sending her, Crono, and Nadia (who was at the time going by the alias of Marle) on a trek through time that turned them and four other beings into heroes.

The telepod consisted of two metallic platforms that were mirror images of each other. The metal extended up the back and formed a sort of suction funnel at the top of each pod. Each pod had attached to it a console with buttons and levers to activate its functions. The telepod supposed to be a teleportation device that would send someone or something from one pod to the other via a meltdown into component molecules.

But this time, she had a feeling that nothing could go wrong (of course, she thought that the last six times she tried it!). She called in her father, Taban, who was an inventor, too.

Taban, a plump man with a booming voice and a mustache, came into the room where Lucca was working. At that time, she was setting one of her cats onto the left telepod. "Ready, Lucca?"

She nodded. "Let's try it out."

Taban went over to the console connected to the left pod and started pressing buttons. "All systems on!" he called out.

Lucca ran to the right pod and pulled a lever. "Beginning energy transfer!" she cried.

The cat on the machine disintegrated with a meow into molecules that were sucked into the mechanism on the top as lights turned on around the two pods. A moment later, the molecules reappeared on the pod on the right and came together to re-form the cat, who seemed to be unharmed from the experiment. It meowed and began licking its paw.

"Success!" Taban was the first to look up and see the (thankfully) normal result of the experiment. Relieved, he went into the kitchen to get some lemonade.

"It worked!" Lucca exclaimed happily as she twirled around on one foot. She scooped up the cat in delight, and accidentally bumped into the telepod. She turned to see if she had damaged her invention and, not seeing anything wrong, went to check the data on the attached computer's screen. She took out her inventor's journal and jotted down several sentences.

As she closed her journal, a knock came at the door. She opened the door and found Crono and Nadia standing there, surrounded by a suitcase and several bags. "Oh, guys, you're just in time! I just tested the telepod, and it worked! Now, I need to use one of you two to be the first human to try..."

"Oh, all right," Crono sighed with mock resignation.

Lucca was relieved. Crono was used to being a guinea pig for her inventions, ever since they were children. The bond between them had grown strong over the years, and were like the siblings that neither of them had.

"Well," Nadia said, "if you don't mind, I'm going to bring my stuff upstairs while you two test it out." She picked up some of the bags she'd brought along and went upstairs to Lucca's bedroom.

Meanwhile, Crono got onto the left telepod. As she called Taban into the room again, Lucca was filled with a feeling of deja vu. The situation before her seemed so similar to the first trial at the Millennial Fair. She could almost hear her father's showman-like spiel that he'd given there, announcing the first trial of the telepod.

Taban carried his glass of lemonade into the living room, set it down on a table, and stood ready at the console next to Crono. "All systems on!" he said, pressing the familiar pattern of buttons.

Lucca yanked at her switch on the right console. "Begin energy transfer!" She was so excited, she did another twirl.

Crono, as did the cat before him, was reduced to his component molecules which were absorbed into the suction at the top. Lucca and Taban waited with held breaths for him to reappear on the right platform, but there was no response from the right suction mechanism. They stood waiting for a few moments, and then Lucca became antsy. "What happened? Where is he?"

"He didn't... get stuck inside, did he?" Taban questioned his daughter nervously.

Lucca swallowed. "I, I don't think so... but I'll check." With that, she ran over to the computer and quickly scanned the new data that appeared. "According to the computer, everything went normally, and Crono was sent... somewhere." She thought for a moment. "But there was no Gate that appeared, so where could he have gone?"

Just then, Nadia came down the stairs to get the rest of her things and observed the two people staring at the telepod in confusion. "So, how did the test go?" She giggled. "Did Crono run home so he wouldn't have to do it again?"

I really don't want to tell her this, but... Lucca prepared herself inwardly for what was going to be a very emotional reaction. "Um, Nadia, I don't know how to say this, but... Crono never made it..."

"WHAT?!!!!!" Nadia shrieked before Lucca had a chance to finish her sentence. "What did you DO to him? You didn't send him through time again, did you?"

"No!" Lucca answered. "There was no Gate. But we don't know what happened."

"Well, I'm going after him!"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Taban spoke up. "We don't know where this is going to send you."

"But we have to get him back!" Nadia protested desperately. "Please, Lucca! I'll go myself."

Lucca thought about it as rationally as possible. "Well, I suppose so. Find him quickly, and then both of you hurry to wherever you arrive. I'll turn the machine on, and hopefully it will bring both of you back."

Taban and Nadia nodded. Then the princess got on the left pod, carrying her crossbow and quiver. "Wait a minute," she said just as Taban was about to start his button sequence. "What about this?" She indicated the pendant around her neck, for it was that pendant plus the energy of the telepod which had sent them through time in the first place.

"Don't worry about it," Lucca said. "I revamped the energy of the telepod so it can't open a Gate anymore." She turned to her father. "Ready, Dad?"

The father and daughter went through the motions that were like second nature to them by this point, but the machine started shaking. Before they could stop it, Nadia, too, was reduced to molecular pieces and entered the suction mechanism. They waited to see if perhaps she would return immediately in the right pod, but nothing happened.

"Well," Taban said, "I guess we wait."

*******************

An hour had passed, and Lucca and Taban had restarted the telepod every five minutes since Nadia entered it, but neither she nor Crono had ever reappeared. The only result they ever got had been a short spell of shaking, followed by a soft groan.

"There's only one thing I can do," Lucca said determinedly. "I have to go and find them."

"But, Lucca...," said Taban, giving his daughter a hug, "I don't want to lose you in this machine."

She looked up at him and smiled bravely. "I'll be okay," she promised. "Let's go get Mom. She needs to take my place. But first..." She went to the computer, which was still reading the same data as it had when the cat had passed safely through the teleportation. "I'm going to save this information so I can study it more closely when I get back." She continued before he could interject. "I'm not doing it now because my friends could be in trouble, and I need to rescue them now. They could be in big trouble!"

Taban nodded, then ran upstairs to the room he shared with his wife, Lara, while Lucca saved the data. A moment later, he returned with the blue-haired woman, who had a terrified expression on her face. "Honey, be careful, okay?"

"I will," Lucca responded. She hugged both of her parents tightly and climbed on the left pod. She was putting on a brave face for the sake of her parents, but inside, she was just as nervous as they were. I'll come back though all right. She promised herself.

Her parents activated the telepod, and she felt herself falling apart. Then she felt the pull of the suction above her yank her inside. Then she lost consciousness...

CHAPTER 3: CASTLE IN THE SAND

Crono's eyes were still shut as he rematerialized. A light warm breeze blew by and bright light tickled his bare arms. Funny... he thought to himself. I don't remember it being windy and hot inside Lucca's house...

He opened his eyes slowly and widened them further in shock. He was completely surrounded by a vast desert that appeared to extend out forever in all directions. There was a lack of greenery or any type of vegetation in sight. The light wind that passed by picked up the tiny sand particles, blowing them around. The sun burned brighter than usual as it sent down its rays from the cloudless pale blue sky. To his left was a thick wooden pole with a pattern of long metal rods sticking out at the top. He didn't recognize this desert as anything he had ever seen in Guardia before.

Then he remembered just what invention it was that he'd just tried out-the telepod, which was famous for sending people through time. He realized that perhaps he was in a different time period. The problem with that theory was that he didn't recall entering a blue portal, which was the typical passageway through time's circuits. The experience was identical to the time when he had successfully tested the pods at the Millennial Fair. This location didn't bring up any recollections from the other time periods he'd visited either. "Maybe this is the new future that occurred after we destroyed Lavos!" he said aloud.

The gusts of wind became stronger and scooped up more of the sand around him, signaling the beginning of a sandstorm. He was having difficulty discerning anything around him, if there was anything to see besides the large pole. Crono was worried. He stood in the same location, waiting patiently for Taban and Lucca to reactivate the telepod and return him back to the Guardia he knew.

After several minutes, he heard the faint patter of the steps of work animals behind him. He spun around quickly, and a particularly forceful gust of wind blew sand into his eyes. After rubbing them, he scanned his barely visible surroundings for the source of the sound. Maybe it's my friends! Perhaps they've found a way to bring me back! he thought, hope growing inside him.

Two large yellow bird creatures suddenly appeared no more than three feet in front of him. The birds squawked loudly. Startled, Crono dodged out of their way. As he fell into a pyramidal sand dune, he heard a mechanical buzzing noise. Then a voice yelled out, "Hey, there's another one out here at Station 14!" Another person responded, but the words were soft and the accompanying static made them unintelligible to Crono.

He picked himself out of the sand. The sandstorm was beginning to weaken again, and he could better make out the creatures before him. The birds were of no species that he could identify. They were about seven feet tall each and they had long legs and plump feather-covered bodies. On their backs were saddles, making them appear suitable for riding. The two creatures were connected by reins and bridles to a cart of brown metal similar to the material that created the body of his futuristic mechanical friend Robo.

Riding in the front seat were two soldiers in green and red uniforms and matching helmets. Over their clothes were vests of silver mail. The soldier on the right was carrying a small machine with speakers and a metal rod protruding from the top, similar to those on top of the pole. The other soldier carried the reins. Crono couldn't see what was inside the cart, but the large moving shadows made him certain that it was carrying a large group of people.

The soldier who was carrying the reins turned to his companion. "Hey, check out the hairdo on this one!"

Crono sighed. Some things never change with time... he thought to himself. Everyone seemed to enjoy hassling him about his odd spiky hairstyle.

"Hey, kid!" the soldier with the machine called out. "Climb on!"

"What are you talking about?" Crono didn't know these men, and had no idea as to what they wanted.

The wind started howling again, and the conversation had to be yelled to be heard. "King Edgar is waiting for all of you to help with the renovations of the castle. So hurry up and get inside! We haven't got all day!" said the soldier with the machine.

"And if we don't hurry, another sandstorm will stir up, and we'll be stuck again!" the driver added.

"But I'm not..."

The first soldier interrupted before Crono was able to finish his protest. "Well, obviously you're one of the volunteers. No one ever enters the Figarian desert unless they're coming to Figaro Castle. Now, are you coming, or do I have to get down and pull you on board? Don't chicken out on your country, son!"

"Please! Let me explain...," Crono tried again, his frustration mounting. "I'm choosing to wait here... for the next caravan." If I even move from this spot, then I may never get home. Oh, hurry up, Lucca! He thought frantically.

"Well, kid, we're the last caravan back to the castle. There are no more chocobo carts returning to the desert today. Don't worry. There's plenty of room in there for you. Right, boys?" the second soldier said. Affirmative cries were audible from the cart's interior.

Crono remained silent. He would wait all night in the desert if he had to, but he had no intentions of leaving. The driver put down his reins and jumped down from his seat, grabbing Crono's arm. "If you don't come now, we'll have you put on trial!" he said angrily.

That sentence brought back memories that Crono had been attempting to drive from his mind for years. He recalled his trial from when he'd been accused of kidnapping Nadia, when the king had wanted to teach his daughter a lesson. Even though he'd done nothing wrong, he was still found guilty by the jury, and was sentenced to execution via the guillotine. Thankfully, Lucca had broken him out of prison just in time, and Nadia had gotten them safely out of the castle. Later, King Guardia XXXIII had apologized and had him acquitted of all crimes, but the memory of being in jail for nothing still remained a painful memory. He had no desire to see a courtroom ever again.

With that, he climbed reluctantly yet willingly into the cart, under the watchful eyes of the two soldiers. The cart was filled with fifteen other men of various ages, holding intense discussions amongst themselves. Crono sat down, sighing inwardly. That's it, he thought. I'm never trying another one of Lucca's inventions again. If I ever get home...

********************

Two bumpy hours later, Crono climbed out of the cart, and felt as if he was about to vomit. The cart had moved with incredible sluggishness, and the dunes throughout the desert made the voyage bumpier than he'd expected. He had ignored the conversations of his fellow passengers, and had kept mostly to himself.

Now he looked up and took his first glance at Figaro Castle. Though they were two different edifices, the building shared some similarities with Guardia Castle, such as the large stone walls and high-rising towers. In the sand around him were soldiers wearing the same uniforms as those who had driven the cart, riding the yellow birds, called chocobos. All around the castle were rotating fans, keeping the citizens of Figaro cool in the burning desert heat. It was an incredible sight to behold, Crono admitted to himself. Even though he had no desire to be there, his curiosity about this futuristic kingdom was increasing.

A tall man in a green and red robe and a feathered hat came through the front entrance of the castle. "Welcome to Figaro Castle!" he said enthusiastically to the sixteen men standing before him. "King Edgar is pleased that you are all volunteering your time to assist us in our renovations. Prepare yourselves for some hard work!"

Labor was something that Crono would rather have avoided. In his mind, he possessed no skills, save the katana, and so had avoided working for as long as possible. For the last few years, he had been employed as a bodyguard. He never considered that working; it was in truth just an excuse to spend more time with his girlfriend. This was a worse situation then what he had anticipated. He wished that he'd fought off the Figaro soldiers and just stayed in the desert, doing nothing.

********************

Crono was placed in the engine room in Figaro Castle's third basement, cleaning layers of grease off the huge rotating gears. He didn't know why a stationary place such as a castle would ever need an engine room, but he did not want to question his new employers.

He looked down at his loose-fitting attire and was dismayed to find it covered with spots of the same black grime that he'd been scrubbing at. He groaned softly enough so that no one else could hear him. There were two other men of about his age from the carriage he'd ridden over in cleaning the engines as well.

Crono wondered about what happened that had created this new kingdom from what seemed to be a perfectly fine one. Deciding that he could question these two about this new future, he jumped down from the platform that he'd been standing on and walked over to his companions.

"Excuse me," he said, "but whatever happened to the Kingdom of Guardia?"

One of the men turned to Crono and said, "Kingdom of Guardia? Never heard of it." He turned to the other man. "How about you, Gary?"

Gary shook his head as well. "Neither have I," he answered.

Could it be that this is the time after Zeal fell and the ice age ended? It was true that Zeal was a great civilization with advancements that rivaled even the ones in the present. "Well, what about the Kingdom of Zeal?"

Gary looked at him strangely. "Where have you been living? There's no such place as Zeal, either."

A queasy feeling came over Crono. Well then, where HAVE I ended up?

CHAPTER 4: IN THE MOUNTAIN CAVE

After the transport, Nadia found herself on a peak in a mountain range overlooking a lush forest that seemed endless. She gasped softly as she stepped up to the edge and looked down at how far it was to the ground below.

There was a staticy sound behind her, and she gripped her crossbow protectively. She spun around and found herself staring at a long metal pole that extended up into the clouds. At the tip was a tiny ball that was sparking. Relieved, she loosened her grip on her weapon.

She checked the side of the mountain again, searching for an indication of Crono's presence. There was none, and Nadia was actually glad for that; mountain climbing in a dress was a difficult task. She scanned the peak she was on for another place Crono could have gone to within the five minute timeframe between their departures from Guardia. She saw a wide path leading towards a cave in the distance.

Running the whole way there, she arrived slightly out of breath at the stony entrance. She peered inside and saw nothing in the barely lit cave. "Crono!" she called out. "It's me, Nadia!" She waited with held breath for an answer, but she heard nothing except her own echo.

The passageways were strangely wide, but Nadia didn't stop to think about why that was while she ran through the corridors. She had a limited amount of time to locate Crono and return to the peak where they had arrived. Lucca probably wouldn't be standing around all day activating the telepod for them.

Finally, she came to a tunnel that seemed more like a room than a passageway. To her surprise, there were various fruits lying on the floor and large blanket that seemed to be a bed. Several lit torches were along the wall and down the tunnels leading away from the chamber. Nadia gulped as she wondered what sort of creature lived there, and if it had... found Crono.

A moment later, a thumping sound that grew gradually louder echoed through the cave. Then a high-pitched squawk was heard. Terrified, Nadia pulled an arrow out of her quiver and notched it in her crossbow, waiting for whatever it was to come into view.

Suddenly, a large head poked into the chamber. It was shaped like the head of a white dragon, but there was a tuft of yellow fur growing between its ears. The beak-like mouth had several visible pointed teeth. It focused its gaze on Nadia, without malicious intentions. As she carefully lowered her crossbow, the white dragon came completely into the room. The large creature was not covered in scales, as the mythical creatures were rumored to be; instead, its back was covered with white fur. There were two pairs of nearly transparent multi-colored wings growing from its back.

She heard another loud thumping noise behind the dragon. Glancing behind it, she saw its tail thumping from side to side enthusiastically, whacking the cave wall. Nadia smiled to herself. This dragon is as friendly as Crono and Lucca's cats!

The thought reminded her of her mission. Questioning the dragon was an option, but she didn't know if the dragon would understand her. She was still going to try, though. There wasn't much time left. "Um," she started hesitantly. "Have you recently seen a guy around here with a red spiky hairstyle?" She indicated the spikes by mimicking their shape above her own head.

The dragon tilted its head thoughtfully, as if contemplating a response. After a moment, it shook its head.

Nadia sighed. There was no sign of Crono anywhere. Was it possible that the telepod had sent him elsewhere? Would they be able to find him? Oh, Lucca, what have you done this time? she thought angrily.

She turned to the dragon. "Thank you," she said to it as she stomped out of the room. The dragon turned its head and looked after her, confused.

The passageways flew by in her periphery as she sprinted as rapidly as she could back to the pole on the peak she'd arrived at, her fear and anger fueling her. The princess was an emotionally driven girl, and acted by her heart.

It didn't take long for to arrive back at her starting point. She stood next to the metal pole with arms crossed, impatiently waiting for a portal home to open for her. Her anger was already vanishing, and she looked forward to getting back to Lucca's so they could come up with a plan to find Crono.

********************

A little more than an hour later, as the sun was starting to set, the dragon left its cave and saw Nadia still waiting nearby. She was sitting down, leaning against the pole. A blank look was on her face as she stared at the air as if willing it to open into a portal. By now, her anger had completely dissipated and was replaced by quiet panic.

She knew that if she was going to get back to Guardia 1003 AD, she would have to come up with a plan herself. But even though she'd been to countless discipline sessions since her adventure three years ago, she was still unable to make her own decisions, especially when under extremely high pressure. Someone had always been there to make her choices for her. Now she had to make one alone. She nervously fingered the chain of the pendant around her neck.

The pendant! She brightened suddenly as she stared at the glowing red stone, recalling how it plus Lucca's telepod had opened the first Gate. She held it up and willed for it to create a way home, her eyes closed in concentration. Energy beams began sparking between the pendant and the air next to the metal pole. The air there seemed to liquefy as a dimensional warp began to form. Nadia's heart beat faster as she realized it was working.

But no sooner did the "Gate" appear than the pendant's glow began to fade, and the energy's flow ceased. In horror, she looked down and saw that the dreamstone now looked like any other red jewel. The Gate was closed again as well. "No!" she cried out in despair, sinking to her knees. Her eyes welled up with tears and she broke down into hysterical sobs.

The dragon remained just outside its cave and maintained a silent vigil over her.

Hmmmm, wonder where Crono and Nadia were sent... Will they ever find a way home? And what about Lucca? You'll have to wait for the next installment!

Love it? Hate it? Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Do you have a good suggestion for a title? Please, send me feedback at: smarle@hotmail.com

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