Chapter 1: Chain Reaction

"No way!"

"C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Marle glared at Lucca. "That's what you said LAST time, and look what happened!"

Lucca shrugged. "So I did. But this time it's for real, because I've perfected it. You can even wear your pendant this time with no worries!"

They were standing in front of the Telepod Version 2.0. Lucca had spent the whole year since Lavos's defeat working on it. Nevertheless, Crono and Marle were understandably wary.

"C'mon, please?" Lucca pleaded. "The first one I only worked on four months. This time I spent a whole YEAR working out the kinks. At least THINK about it!"

Marle sighed. "Oh all right," she replied, to Lucca's delight.

Meanwhile, in 2300 A.D. ...

"Are you kidding?" Princess Daria looked at the huge machine with sheer amazement in her pewter-gray eyes. "You duplicated that thing and you want ME to try it out?! I swear, you spend WAY too much time in that chem lab!

Rydia looked irritated. "Alright, so my famous ancestor wasn't the greatest inventor, I'll admit that. But I am, and I believe that I have successfully corrected ALL the mistakes she made. And if you will kindly grow a spine, I'll prove it!"

While they argued, their two friends watched with amusement at a safe distance away. On the left was Bleu. She was tall, and thin, with a delicate appearance that belied her true strength. She was pale-skinned, with shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes that were her namesake. Bleu was very beautiful, though the Mystics, the race that was the other half of her, didn't think so.

On the right was none other than Princess Schala of Zeal. When she'd opposed her mother's plans for the Black Omen, the Queen had opened a Gate that had sent her hurtling forward to 2296 A.D. Daria, Rydia, and Bleu had helped her settle into her new time, and became her best friends over the ensuing four years.

Back in 1000 A.D., Lucca was impatiently awaiting Marle's answer. "Well?!" she demanded. "Will you try it or not?"

Marle sighed. "I suppose so," she replied, sounding defeated. With great reluctance, she stepped onto the left pod.

At the exact same moment, Daria was doing the same thing. Hastily pulling her long, messy blonde hair into a ponytail, Rydia began to work the machine. Exchanging worried looks, Bleu and Schala took several steps back. In the present, Crono did the same thing.

"Ready? Here we go!" The machines whirred. Both pendants began to glow. Then, all of a sudden, there was a bright flash and Lucca and Rydia were thrown back several feet. Bleu, Schala, and Crono covered their eyes.

Crono blinked. He'd closed his eyes when the flash happened, but it hadn't been quick enough and he was seeing spots. He could see that there was someone on the left pod, but he couldn't tell who it was. When his vision cleared, he realized that whoever it was, it certainly wasn't Marle. This person was taller, with short black hair and strange clothes -- black leggings, t-shirt, boots, and a green jacket. Marle was nowhere to be found.

Lucca was still sitting on the ground, rubbing her eyes. When she saw what happened, she blinked in surprise. "What the heck just happened?!" she exclaimed.

"That's what I'd like to know!" the two snapped.

Lucca pointed at the strange girl. "Let's start with you. Just who ARE you?"

The girl drew herself up regally. "I am Princess Daria of Guardia Kingdom in the year 2300. And you?"

Crono and Lucca gasped. "2300?!" they exclaimed in unison.

Daria looked irritated. "Yes, 2300. Don't make me repeat myself again. I'll ask you one more time. Who are you, and what year am I in by the way?"

"You're in the year 1000, and I'm Lucca. He's Crono."

Daria's eyes widened. "Wow, the famous Crono and Lucca. Cool." Just then, she realized what she was standing on. "Uh-oh. You weren't trying another Telepod experiment with my ancestor again, were you?"

"As a matter of fact, I was. Why?"

"Because my friend Rydia, your descendant, is doing the same thing in my time. Since neither of you solved the problem of the pendant, and the experiments were simultaneous, I can only assume the two of us got switched." Daria smiled. "Boy, would I love to see what's going on there."

At the moment, Marle was arguing with Rydia and deciding she liked the ancestor better than the descendant. Bleu and Schala continued to just watch.

"Deja vu, huh?" Schala whispered. "The princess has changed, but the argument is pretty much the same."

Bleu laughed. "Indeed. She seems to be holding her own against Rydia pretty well."

Schala smiled. "Yeah, but I bet neither of them could win a verbal battle against you."

Bleu smiled back. "Why, thank you, my dear friend," she replied.

"Welcome, of course." They grinned at each other. Out of the three girls who had welcomed her into this era, it was Bleu that Schala had formed the strongest bond with. They had the most in common, and were the same age. Now twenty, they were a year older than the younger Daria and Rydia.

Just then, Bleu's pager went off. Looking at it, she groaned. "Crap. I'm being summoned by Ozzie XXXIII. And just when things were getting good! Well, see ya, Schala. Tell me how it all turns out!" With that, she was gone.

Hearing other voices, Marle turned to see Bleu heading off and Schala waving goodbye. When she turned around, both gasped in surprise. "You!" they exclaimed in unison.

Rydia was confused. "You two know each other? How?" she asked in bewilderment.

Schala turned to Rydia. "She's one of the people I told you about, the ones who came to the Ocean Palace that night!"

"Wait a sec!" Marle broke in. "How did you wind up here, Schala?"

Schala sighed. "After the disaster, I had a terrible fight with my mother. She didn't like that I opposed her plans, so she opened a gate and pushed me through it to this era. It's been four years since I wound up here."

Marle shook her head. "Amazing. But what we need to concentrate on now is switching me and my descendant back."

Rydia nodded. "Agreed. But how...?"