The Absence of Friends Chapter 5
An Old "Friend"
By Cloud Strife
Crono opened his eyes. He saw the blurred vision of a small room. Suddenly, the picture became clearer, and clearer.
....Where am I?
Crono was looking around the small room. He was in what looked like a jail cell! There was an opening, But it was blocked by security lasers. Crono then noticed that his sword was gone! Finally, Crono looked behind him and saw Robo, who was dismantled and lying next to him. Crono remembered seeing Lucca repair Robo before, and she taught him how Robo functioned. His head was missing; it was in the other corner of the cell. So he reattached the wires from the body, to the head, but nothing happened! Crono thought for a second, and remembered that Lucca gave Robo an electric charge to start him up.
Ha ha..That's no problem for me! he thought.
Crono raised his hands and brought down a small thunderbolt on Robo. He heard a few beeps, clicks, and blips, and when the smoke from the attack cleared, he saw Robo, standing once again.
"Awright Robo! You're back!" he shouted.
"Wh....Where is this?" asked Robo. "Wait....I recognize this place. It's the Geno Dome!"
Crono was suprised. "The Geno Dome? How did we get here?"
"GOOD QUESTION!" a booming voice came from outside the cell!
"Who is it?" Crono yelled.
A figure floated into view. It was green, and it hovered above the ground. Crono tried to remember it's name.
"O.....Oz...." he started to say.
"Ozzie. I remember now." Robo finished.
The old enemy of Crono and his friends, Ozzie, hovered in front of Crono and Robo, and stood just outside the prison cell. He was green, short, and fat. He was only 4 feet tall, and he always wore a green, medieval tunic. But something was wrong. Crono remembered that Ozzie belonged in the year 600 A.D. Why, or how, did Ozzie reach the year 2301?
"Ozzie?" Crono started. "You don't belong here!"
"And neither do you." Ozzie sneered. "What are YOU doing here?"
"(click, whirr.) Let us go! You don't want to mess with us again!" said Robo.
"You'll never leave here. It's our boss's orders." replied Ozzie.
"We'll see about that.." Crono whispered.
Boss, huh? Who could possibly be commanding Ozzie now? He must know about my friends! I gotta get outta here...fast.
Crono whispered to Robo a plan that he had just devised. Ozzie had his back turned as they began. Crono's plan was to short circuit the security lasers! He summoned energy from the skies, raised his hands, and brought down a volley of thunder on the beams! But the attack had no effect!
"Trying to escape, huh? This system is escape proof. You'll never get out!" Ozzie shouted.
Robo whispered to Crono another plan. Crono began to use the same attack, while Robo overloaded his own generator, and the two combined the lightning attacks, for a force that blew Ozzie down the hallway!
* * *
Crono and Robo woke up. Their own attack knocked them unconscious, But he also noticed that the security beams were gone! Robo and Crono memorized the attack, and since it was a lightning 2 attack, combined with a shock attack, they named it, "Lightning 3." Crono and Robo ran down a dark hallway with a few occasional lights around the ceiling. They finally spotted Ozzie, lying on the ground. As he woke up, Crono and Robo took a fighting stance.
"WhAzZ?" Ozzie groaned. "Uhghhhhhh. What.....happened?"
Ozzie jumped up as he saw Crono and Robo.
"Escaped, eh? Well, I won't take care of ya, but someone else will! TAKE THIS!"
Ozzie whistled, and a debugger came running between Crono and Robo! They recognized the common security robot, equipped with green armor and a deadly eye laser. But the drone was way too weak for the two. Crono poked it's eye out with the edge of his sword, very gently. The drone ran around frantically, and then shut down. Ozzie turned 18,000 shades of red, and then regained his composure.
"Oz.....Ozzie's in a jam!" he exclaimed.
"Ya damn right you are!" shouted Crono. "Now tell me what's going on here!"
"Not yet! I've got one more suprise for you!" said Ozzie. "Slash! It's your turn now!"
A shadow appeared, and took the form of a muscular, tall human. He had sturdy blue armor, a purple cape, and a mean sword, which he always carried with him. The man had pointy ears, and dark blue flesh. He was not a pretty sight to look at.
"Youuu ranggg?" said Slash.
"They're escaping! Take care of them!" exclaimed Ozzie.
"Why don't you? You're just too damn lazy to do it yourself!" retorted Slash. His pupiless eyes narrowed.
"WHAT?! How dare you insult me! I'll have the boss on your ass so quick that you'll-"
"AHEM." Crono interrupted the argument.
"all right. I'll do it, But you do the next one, Ozzie!" Slash finally agreed.
Ozzie hovered down the hallway and out of sight.
"So, did you like my welcome gift?" asked Slash.
"What are you talking about?" said Crono, confused.
"Look at the bump on your forehead!"
"Wha?" Crono remembered when he had been knocked out. "So that was what hit me."
"Yep! Correct! Then, I disconnected your little high-tech friend here, and we used your nice flying machine to bring you over here!" said Slash. "And.... I took something else while I was out there..."
Slash showed a briefcase to Crono and Robo. He opened it, and he saw some familiar looking capsules.
"(blip) Speed tabs? Where did you get those from?" asked Robo.
"Lab 16 has very bad security. I stole these from their "tab lab."
"(click. whirr.) You know Slash, too much steroids aren't good for you."
Slash held about ten capsules in his hand. He quickly swallowed them, and drew his sword!
"There's no way I'm losing this time!"
Crono had no sword, so he could only use his techniques. Robo had the Terra arm, But he soon realized that it wouldn't be of any use. Slash stood still at the end of a dead-end hallway. Crono decided to test Slash, so he tried a lightning attack, But to his suprise, Slash charged forward at lightning speed and slashed through Crono! Robo defended himself, and stood still. Crono couldn't even see the attack, and by the time the bolt came down, Crono was already bleeding from his lower chest!
"It must be the speed tabs!" shouted Crono.
"(beep) Indeed. This will be more difficult than I thought!" responded Robo.
Slash suddenly leaped in the air, and was preparing to finish Crono off now, But he dodged, and Slash's sword smashed the metal floor! His sword was stuck, and Slash pulled frantically, trying to get it out!
"Dammit! I'm helpless without my sword!" Crono cried.
"It's my turn. (click, blip.)" said Robo.
Robo tried his tackle attack and pinned Slash against the wall! He also released Slash's sword, and it clanked down the other hallway.
"Crono!" said Robo. "Get it!"
"Fool!! I can fight without my sword!" shouted Slash.
Slash was still pinned against the wall, But he unleashed a fireball against Robo to free him. Robo released Slash from against the wall. Crono and Robo now remembered that Slash had fire magic capabilities! Crono ran down the hallway and picked up the Slasher. He tried it out, and charged back towards the fight. As he was running towards Slash, he attempted to do a spincut attack, but Slash unleashed another quick fireball, and Crono dropped the Slasher and fell to the ground! Slash had a menacing smile on his face as he picked the Slasher and quickly struck Robo's right arm.
SSSMAAAAASSSSHHH!!
Robo's right arm was torn off!
"Ahh. Crono, I'm not in good shape. (click.) I may not last long, so try to hold out!" admitted Robo.
"I need my sword!" Crono cried.
Suddenly, Robo noticed a pink glimmer, coming down the hallway!
"Atropos..." he said.
"What? What is it?" asked Crono.
Atropos, the pink robot friend of Robo, was coming down the hallway! She had pink armor, and was equipped similarly to Robo. She could even use most of his attacks! Atropos soon reached Crono, and she handed a long bag to him.
"(click, whirr.) Is this yours?" it asked.
Crono opened the bag and found the Rainbow inside!
"Yeah! Thanks!" he replied.
"I found this during cleaning. It was inside a locked room." Atropos said.
"Hey, HEY! What is this? A time out?!" Slash shouted.
"All right then, TIME IN!!" Crono shouted.
Robo stood back, injured. Atropos tried to repair the damage, But it was useless.
"Crono!" shouted Atropos. "Do you need assistance?"
"No. I'm fine. I'll take care of him myself." said Crono.
"Very well." replied Atropos.
Crono was alone against the pumped-up Slash. Slash tried another quick charge at Crono, But Crono held up his sword, and stopped Slash in his tracks. The two swords were now crossed, But the rainbow was stronger, and the Slasher didn't have the power to last. The Slasher broke under the immense pressure!
"C....Crap!" said Slash.
"All right. (humm. blip.) I have some power left." said Robo.
He tried a shock attack, and the hallway was lit up with a blinding light! When the light faded, Slash was nowhere to be seen.
* * *
Crono ran down the hallway to the entrance, But was stopped when he heard Atropos yelling.
"What? What happened?" asked Crono.
"Robo disappeared right in front of me! He was right here! But now he's gone! What happened?!" cried Atropos.
"........That leaves me the lone survivor." noted Crono.
"What? What are you talking about? Please, do you know anything about Robo?" Atropos continued.
Crono ignored the robot and walked towards the daylight. He spotted the Epoch close outside, but he also saw Ozzie, climbing into the Epoch!
"HEY! OZZIE!" Crono yelled. "GET YOUR ASS OUTTA THERE AND FIGHT!!"
Ozzie was startled, but instead of taking off, he climbed slowly out of the Epoch, and hovered towards Crono.
"Where's Slash?" he asked.
"Dead. He couldn't handle his little drugs."
".....That bastard! I told him not to do that! Oh well. No matter. I'll finish his job."
Ozzie unleashed his indestructible shield, and Crono started to swing his sword at it. He remembered one year ago he had tried everything possible against Ozzie's blue shield. He couldn't do any damage at all, so he stopped. Ozzie taunted from inside, But Crono realized something. He couldn't see from inside his shield! Crono silently crept behind Ozzie and climbed into the Epoch! He started it up, and took off!
"Huh?" Ozzie was confused by the loud noise. "What is- Oh..... Oh, CRAP!!"
Crono had already flown away from the island where the Geno Dome was.
"YOU COME BACK HERE WITH THAT THING!! THAT'S RIGHTFULLY MINE!! GET BACK HERE NOW!!" shouted Ozzie.
Crono turned back towards Ozzie and hovered 50 feet in the air above him.
"All right. Now it's my turn. I have a deadly weapon attached to this ship. Talk now, or I'll kill you."
"Ha!! You'll never get anything outta me!" replied Ozzie.
Crono pressed the trigger, and a large, blue beam of light shot towards Ozzie! Ozzie ducked to the left, and he missed the laser by inches!
"Tell me now. Where are my friends?" Crono demanded.
"No!"
Crono pressed the trigger again. This time, the laser landed right in front of Ozzie!
"This is your last chance. I'll shoot you this time."
"No way. I'll never talk." Ozzie retorted.
Crono pushed the trigger once more. He aimed directly at Ozzie, and this time, he didn't dodge.
* * *
Crono stood alone on the bridge at the End Of Time. He wasn't exactly alone, because Gasper, the Guru Of Time, was there. Still, the place seemed empty, and without his friends, Crono had completely lost it. He realized that without them, he's absolutely nothing. The sadness and loneliness quickly overcame him, so he decided to see the only place that he hadn't visited already. Gasper was standing at his usual lamp post, snoring loudly. He decided not to wake him. Suddenly, Crono noticed a few pillars of light across the bridge! He walked to them. They were the gates to the other time periods! There was one for 601 A.D, 18,000 B.C, 2301 A.D!
I...understand now. Someone is tampering with the past! But who? Ozzie, Slash, and Flea are gone! At least I know how they traveled to 2301 AD...
But Crono had another sudden thought. This one struck him harder than anything.
...Those gates...were sealed! How did they use them?! And then there's the gate key! They need that to use the gates!
Crono ran to Gasper and shook him awake.
"Gasper! Wake up!" shouted Crono.
"Whazz? Huh? I'm too tired to- Crono? What are you doing back here?!" he grumbled.
"Gasper, listen. Has anyone come through here besides me?" he asked.
"Well now, let me think. I believe I was falling asleep when it happened, But someone came through before. He went through the "Day Of Lavos" gate. I tried to warn him, But he just went through. I didn't see him, so I can't tell ya what he looked like."
Day of Lavos. Of course. All 7 of us were together. Anyone who had time traveling capabilities could travel to the Day Of Lavos. If they killed any of us there, we wouldn't exist in the new era, created after the death of Lavos. That's why they're all gone, and according to our current team roster....
...I'm the only one still alive.
Crono bolted toward the bucket. He noticed a strange looking item inside. He reached his hand in, and sure enough, picked up the gate key! He quickly raised the key, and opened the gate. As he jumped in, he thought of finally seeing his friends again. As he stepped out, he saw the gigantic shell of Lavos, lying not too far away. There was also a hole in which the head used to be.
They're already inside... he thought.
Crono rushed inside the hideous monster, and saw the same pit he had fell down before. He jumped down inside, and followed the final path, where he would find the core. He ran down the dark path until he came to a clearing. And in one second, the whole mystery was solved. Crono could see the Lavos Core, and in front stood Lucca, Marle, Frog, Ayla, Robo, another Crono, and Magus. But next to the core, stood another figure. This obviously was the culprit of the whole ordeal, and it was none other than-
.