CTRO Recap!
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New to the comic? Want to understand what's going on? Here's a good place to start:
It all started out when the Player Characters of Chrono Trigger began a New Game +. Marle made the humble suggestion of selling off a few items to make some income, so she dragged Crono to the Antiques Roadshow to have them appraised.
Things got a little weird, though, when a mysterious shadowy figure stole Schala's Pendant from Marle's unknowing hands, replacing it with a worth less fake. The thief then escaped through Lucca's Telepod, which she had conveniently brought to have appraised.
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Realizing that the thief used the Pendant to escape, Crono, Marle, and Robo dove through the newly-created gate to catch him... only to find themselves in a totally new world...
Robo quickly recognized the place as the world of Final Fantasy IV (or 2, for us American types). They were immediately challenged by Cecil and Kain, who wanted to level up before delivering their package to the Village Mist. Unfortunately, they idea what they were in for...
After being resoundingly defeated and healed by them, Cecil invited Crono, Marle, and Robo to join them in their journey. Taking Robo's advice, they agree, and venture through the misty Cave of Mist. Back in their home world, after Frog and Ayla could not find the others, Lucca realizes where they have gone. But she also realizes that, since the game was only prepared for low-level characters, their level 50+ team could be affecting the code of the game itself! But Crono and the others are oblivious to this as they enter the Village Mist...
Back in the Chrono Trigger world, Lucca has finished modifications on the Gate Key to allow them to travel between games. Just as they are about to leave, Magus arrives, demanding the Gate Key, and assaulting them with new techniques when they don't. He then takes the Key and disappears through the Gate.
After the destruction of Mist, Cecil wakes up with only the young, foul mouthed Rydia nearby. Fearing for the worst for his companions, he takes the Celler to an Inn in Kapio, where they are attacked by Baron soldiers in the night. Luckilly, Crono, Marle, and Robo are staying in the next room, and are able to give him a hand...
Meanwhile, the overlords of Baron Castle, Golbez and Bagain, are assaulted by a stunningly overpowered Magus. In a decidedly one-sided battle, Magus defeats Golbez in his Mobile Suit, apparently killing him in the process. Magus, now calling himself 'Lavos,' usurps the role of puppet ruler of Baron.
Back in Kapio, the party is stunned to find Rosa, Cecil's comrade and love interest, sick with fever in one of the homes. The stunning part was that she had left after they had, and beaten them there. The 'doctor' there tells them that only the SandRuby from Damycan can heal her. As they cross the desert, Marle (finally) confronts Crono about their feeling for each other, and their lack of a relationship. They finally reveal their hearts to each other, but not without some onlookers ruining the moment...
The party enters the Watery Cave, where they encounter the forgetful Sage Tellah, who joins them to rescue his daughter from the loving arms of some spoony bard. They stop for the night at a Save Point, resting in one of Chrono Trigger's Shelters. During the night, Cecil talks with Tellah, Rydia has a disturbing dream, Lavos plots against both Cecil and Rydia, and Crono and Marle do not have sex. It was a busy night.
The next day, after being taunted by Crono, Tellah shows his power by using his 'Recall' ability, to remember and use a spell he had forgotten. Unfortunately, though, a glitch causes him to cast the spell 'Meteo,' which is too powerful for his elderly body to handle, and he dies. Shortly afterword, Robo is contacted by Lucca, who explains that their world has been decimated by Magus, who, without Crono to stop him, summoned Lavos, killed him, and somehow absorbed his power, and went mad, thinking he was Lavos. She believes that if Crono can returns to their world, they can stop it from happening. The party then continues onward, and Lucca begins refitting the Epoch for game-to-game travel.
On the outskirts of Damycan, Crown Prince Edward is overheard singing less than traditional Bard songs by the mysterious Thief from before, who turns out to be none other than Locke from Final Fantasy VI (3). After discovering that he slew the Octomamm in the Watery Pass, Edward treats Locke to a feast in his honor. Not long after, though, Baron's overly dramatic air force, the Red Wings, begin an assault on Damycan's castle, only to be assaulted themselves by a familiar face...
As the party, along with Golbez, race to try to save the castle, Edward and Locke chase down a Baron soldier who had procured the kingdom's Crystal. Enraged about the death of his beloved Anna, Edward tries to stop the soldier with his ultimate attack, but the soldier counters with his own ultimate technique, and escapes.
Upon seeing the party approaching, Locke flees the castle, heading for Fabul. After they meet up with Edward, it quickly becomes apparent that Golbez is not the upstanding citizen he pretended to be. After a few rough spots, Golbez explains how he escaped form Baron, and why he decided to help the party.
After a few obstacles, the party makes its way to the Antlion's den, where the mystic SandRuby is protected. Unfortunately, the Antlion living there doesn't feel like giving it up. It would have been a simple 'kill the monster, win the prize' scenario, if Marle hadn't decided to protect the 'endangered animal,' despite everyone' sprotests. In the end, though, the party gains the SandRuby, and an awful lot of irony.
The party returns to Kapio, where they stay after healing Rosa. During the night, she and Cecil catch up, Edward expresses his feelings over losing Anna, and the rest of the party decides to head for the third Crystal in Fabul, which, to several people's surprise, is a kingdom of master chefs. Before the night is done, though, Marle talks with Rosa, and becomes determined to make she and Cecil an 'item.'
The party reaches the pass through Mt. Hobbes, which is blocked by an ice flow. There they find Locke, who was also stopped by the ice. Crono tried to take the Pendant back from him, but in the process, the entire world warps around them, forcing him to replace it. Robo theorizes that it was the result of a temporal paradox, meaning that, for some reason, Locke is meant to keep the Pendant... for now. After a little violence and some missed plot, Locke is allowed into the party. The party reaches a Save Point near the summit, and, during the night, Marle implements her plan to hook up Rosa and Cecil... with unexpected results...
The party reaches the summit of Mt. Hobbes, where they find Yang, the last remaining Warrior Chef of an entire battalion, fighting for his life against an entire squadron of Dark Knights from Baron. But these are no ordinary enemies; they are Player Characters, with all of the strength and resilience that the party's members possess. After the party defeats one, the Dark Knights use their connection to the darkness to take control of Cecil, and use him as one of their own. Unable to attack without fear of accidentally killing him, Cecil renounces his ties to the Dark Sword. Cecil's helmet and weapon shatter, leaving him powerless, but the Dark Knights wide open for an icy butt kicking.
After defeating the Dark Knights (and meeting with some software problems with Robo), Marle is finally able to bring Cecil and Rosa together as a couple. However, back at Baron Castle, a newly converted Kain finds himself ready to do whatever it takes to ruin it. Jerk.
The party arrives in Yang's home in Fabul, where most of the party immediately speaks with the King, to convince him to prepare for an incoming assault. Meanwhile, Crono and Marle try to repair Robo, and gain some unexpected assistance from Locke, who seems to know more about Robo's systems than they do. As preparations for the battle get underway, is is agreed that the ladies and Cecil (because he fights like a girl) would stay with the Crystal, while the others tackle the main offensive. Locke disappears again, leaving Crono, Robo, Edward, Yang, and Golbez to handle the reappearance of the Dark Knights...
As the Red Wings begin bombing the castle, they are assaulted by an unexpected enemy; the Epoch! The airships land, as the secondary force of monsters, plucked from Chrono Trigger, attack the much weaker Fabul defenses. Ayla leaves the ship to disable the airships on the ground, about the same time that the rest of the party is forced into the Throno Room by the approaching enemies. In there, a slip of Crono's tongue has the native characters wondering about their 'wizard' companions. But, knowing they don't stand a chance, they retreat to the Crystal Room, leaving Crono and Robo to face the oncoming assault...
Inside the Crystal Room, the party tries to prepare another set of defenses as Golbez tries to make a play to take the Crystal for himself. Just as things get settled, Kain appears, coming from a previously non-existent back door to the Crystal Room. He greets Cecil warmly, then stabs him in the chest, but is surrounded by everyone else. It is just about then that Magus shows up, and things start going downhill...