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"I'm all right."
"I'm fine."
"This was all a nightmare."
"I'm not mute, and I never went to Truce
Canyon."
"When I wake up, I'll be at home."
"Mommy will be fussing over me because I
was so sick for so long. Yeah, that's it. I had a fever, but I'm
better now."
Reassured, Crono opened his eyes.
"Well, look who's awake!"
"That's not mommy!"Crono
thought desperately. "Where's Mom?"
He looked at the source of the voice. Across from
him was a stern, but friendly face. Crono nearly gasped; his ears
were pointed!
"Do not be afraid- I'm a friend. You took a
nasty fall, child. It's a miracle you survived."
Crono sat up, clutching his head. Then he remembered
that he couldn't communicate without his hands. He shook his head,
trying to clear the haze of pain that distorted his thinking.
Where am I? He motioned. Who are you?
"You're on the outskirts of Truce Canyon, Crono.
As for my name, I have none, but you may call me Snappdragon."
Crono looked at Snappdragon suspiciously. How
do you know my name?
Snappdragon laughed. "Oh ho! I've known your
name since before you were born, little one."
How?
Snappdragon sighed. "I know your father. He
created me to help you when the time came. And that time is now.
Although," he added thoughtfully, "He didn't tell me
you'd come exactly that way. In any case, I'm to help you."
Why cannot he help me himself, that-
"No, don't go thinking like that, Crono,"
Snappdragon cut him off. "Your father cares about you very
much, and that's why he left. He didn't want you to get hurt.
Or himself. If he had been around when you were born, both of
you would have been destroyed!"
Why? Crono wanted to know.
Snappdragon paled. "Don't ask, please,"
he said in quite a peculiar voice, Crono thought.
Suddenly, Snappdragon's face flushed again. "I'm
sorry, you must be tired. Sleep now, we have a long journey ahead
of us, child."
A thought struck Crono like a dead weight. Where
are they?
"What?" Snappdragon was genuinely confused.
I had two others with me. Where are they?
"I only found you, little one."
Stop calling me that! And I know they were with
me! His expression changed. If this
is a trick-
"This isn't a trick. I only found you- oh no."
"Oh no" what?
"Brigands. Your father placed a sp- he has a
way of protecting you once you are in Truce Canyon, so no one
who you don't want to touch you can't, but anyone else-"
Snappdragon's voice trailed off. Horrid visions filled Crono's
mind. Taban! And Lucca, his only friend! They could be tortured!
They could be-
The thought appalled and devastated Crono. They could be dead.
"Yes, child. We must find your friends before
it's too late."
It might be already, Crono
motioned out grimly.
Taban's eyes flickered open, suddenly alert. Something
wasn't right. Pain was clouding his thinking so it was a moment
before he realized that his hands were tied behind his back. There
was boorish laughter. A raucous voice said something inaudible,
and the laughter rose. Turning his head, he saw his daughter standing
straight and rigid, her head held high in icy pride. Lucca glowered
at the ruffians with cold disgust. Just a moment later he noticed
the two young men standing protectively near the girl.
One of them saw that Taban was awake and jogged over
to him. "Don't worry," he whispered, kneeling down so
the older man could hear him. "Your daughter hasn't been
touched, and we plan on making sure she remains that way."
"Brooklyn!" yelled the other young rouge.
Brooklyn ran back over to his partner and Lucca.
He said something swiftly to Brooklyn, and in response Brooklyn
stalked over to an older brigand, so angry Taban could feel the
boy's rage. But, being as he couldn't hear anything that was being
said in the altercation, Taban occupied himself by looking around
and getting his bearings, and nearly cried out in surprise. He
saw Crono and a pale-faced man watching the scene gravely, their
swords drawn. Crono looked up at the man expectantly, but the
latter just shook his head. My God, Taban thought. They're
going to try to take the camp!
Crono's companion watched intently. One weakness,
one opening in their defense… Then, he saw it. "Now!"
he shrieked.
Both of them leapt forward. Taban focused his attention
on the young red haired boy, who was fighting his way towards
Lucca.
Taban felt someone loosen his bonds, then cut them.
"Thanks," he said swiftly, then pulled the gun he kept
in his boot out and tried to make it to Crono and his daughter.
Meanwhile, Crono was only a couple feet away from
his friend. The young genius looked up. "Crono, watch out!"
Crono turned, only to see a brigand fall flat on
his face, dead. A crossbow bolt protruded from his back. The young
rouge named Brooklyn grinned at Crono. "Don't mention it,
kid." And with that, Brooklyn ran over to Lucca and started
to untie her bonds. Crono stood for a moment, trying to comprehend
what had just happened. Giving up, he joined Brooklyn in freeing
Lucca.
To make a long story short, the group managed to
reduce to raiding party to five living members, two of which were
rapidly dying and one more badly mangled. They ran. Crono spat.
Cowards.
"Hey!"
Crono, Taban, and Snappdragon spun around, on guard
once more. Brooklyn and his companion dropped their crossbows
and backed away from them.
Lucca ran up to them. "Stop!" She latched
on to her father's outstretched arm, the one that was holding
the gun, and tried to pull his arm down. "They're my friends!
They protected me!"
They hesitated. Then Crono seathed his katana, then
Snapppdragon seathed his weapon. Finally Taban lowered his gun
but didn't put it away.
"Thank you," Brooklyn said, relieved. "This
is Will, my cousin. We were-"
He was cut off by Will's urgent cry. "Look out!"
Crono felt a sharp pain in his back, as if he had
been bitten by a spider. He became immediately light headed, and
felt himself falling…. A long way down, a strangely long
fall… As he hit the ground, a numbness filled Crono's chest,
then his mind, and then Crono felt nothing.
Will and Brooklyn leapt forward and disposed of the
stray brigand with concealed daggers. Lucca ran to Crono, sick
to her stomach. No! No! Oh God, no! she thought, dropping
to her knees and feeling Crono's neck for a pulse. The cold fear
in the pit of her stomach spread to the rest of her, and her body
nearly rebelled.
"He's dead."
to be continued...