Part 38: The Day After

SILENCE



Uh... Crono...





Crono..., Crono...!





Our party has survived, though a little worse for wear considering what they've just been through...





You were delirious.



We found no one else...
So it wasn't a dream.



This island was the only refuge left, after the Ocean Palace disaster.
'Tis a pity...



When the disaster struck, an eerie, black portal materialized. Melchior tried to save Janus, but he was also dragged in.
A "black portal?" A GATE!!!



I don't know. No one has seen her since.

Melchior, Janus, Schala, Crono, all gone...



Epoch! What fate hast befallen it?
Your ship is quite sturdy and safe. It's almost as if it followed you here...

The one positive note is that the Epoch survived the catastrophe.



Marle...



...

Marle in particular is taking Crono's death hard.





Young lady, I found it on your shoulder, almost as if it were guarding you.
Crono...



Crono's loss is an unfortunate one, but we must move on.



Naturally, this opens up the party quite a bit, mainly because there are no longer any restrictions on who can be in the party.

For now, Marle and Lucca could use a break since they were closest to Crono. And of the group, Ayla has the most leadership experience, so she can be leader.

Of course the main reason I chose this party was purely for dialogue.

Corridors of Time



This little island is all that remains of the Kingdom of Zeal. At least there are a few survivors, and at least we still get to listen to Corridors of Time, though now it's more a song of unity and renewed purpose rather than that of awe and wonder.



Since Lavos went berserk and destroyed everything, the Enlightened Ones have lost the use of magic, equalizing everyone once again.



Very old stones are required to harvest useful amounts of power.

Probably wish you had that around now, huh?



Right now, the Nu sells the usual consumables.



But wait for it to walk away, and you can snag a Magic Tab behind where it stood.





Nothing of note here other than the view.





The only other place we can visit is this common area, where the rest of the survivors try to cope with their new lives.



You don't need magic to survive. Besides, you're not alone!
You're absolutely right! We're alive, and there's always hope.

It's a shame it took such a catastrophe to unite the two peoples, but at least we see the resiliency and hope of humanity as it comes together to rebuild again. And as we know, everything will eventually turn out alright.



Exactly!



Hindsight and all that.



It's easy to forget that the vast majority of people perished in that carnage, including close allies and dearest friends.



The energy of Lavos may be what eventually ended this particular ice age.







As rested as we can be, considering the circumstances. I guess now's as good a time as any to consider our next move...



Oh you've gotta be kidding me

Battle 1





Wonderful, this blowhard had to survive.





YOU! You're alive!? Ah! That vehicle outside must be yours! It's just like the one Belthasar was building...





One of more understated moments of Chrono Trigger is Ayla's friendship with a time machine. I mean, everyone loves Epoch but Ayla probably develops the closest bond with it of any.



And now, as a token of my esteem for you...



What!?



Ha!





That's just terrible.





Well, isn't that just great.

Next time, we gotta get out of this pickle we're in and go give Dalton a bloody lip.