Chrono Trigger/Walkthrough/Chapter 24
Chapter 24: The Time Egg (2300 A.D. third time)
Introduction
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You begin this chapter after confronting Magus in 12,000 B.C., with the option to let him join your party. It takes place from when you're first able to fly anywhere you wish with the Epoch, and until you rescue Crono. At this point, you can do any number of sidequests listed in Chapter 25: The Fated Hour, but this chapter is written with the assumption that you'll spend your time saving Crono first. If this is your first time through the game, you'll almost certainly want to complete the quest to save Crono before doing anything else, and if this is a New Game + you won't need the equipment that the other sidequests offer since you'll have them already. So I'll assume you're just going to proceed with getting Crono back.
You'll start out in 12,000 B.C., you can say hi to Alfador in the forest area if you want but Magus won't show any emotion. The Nu will also sell some new items in the center hut. Take to the skies in the Epoch, and you'll see the Ocean Palace rise into the sky, it will show up in all future time periods from this point on. For more details, see the next chapter. Head to the End of Time to talk to Gaspar.
Incidentally, Gaspar will have a special bit of dialogue talking to his old pupil if you talk to him with Magus in the party and without Marle. He'll play a song, "memories of Crono" and offer you a Time Egg, or a Chrono Trigger, which gives you the chance to alter history. To use it you'll have to go to Death Peak and have a clone of the person you want to save, but Gaspar will just tell you to visit Belthasar. Head to 1000 A.D. with the Epoch (fly around and hit Y to change time periods) and compete for a clone of Crono at Bekkler's lab if you don't have one already, and pick it up at Crono's house once he has one. After that, use the Epoch to fly to the Keeper's Dome and talk to the Nu there. Belthasar will have one final program to execute to help you climb Death Peak, then ask you to let the Nu sleep.
Also, talk to everyone at the end of time if you want to get their reactions to Crono being gone, and challenge Spekkio if you want, for me this was the first time I had a chance at winning the level 30-39 set. Keep in mind the form you fight depends upon the level of the character in the lead of your party, which you can now select.
Death Peak
editThere are three main "challenges" to climbing death peak, during each of which you will be assisted a Poyozo doll. The first section is dominated by fast-blowing winds which can knock your character out of the area. Hold down B and race to the first Poyozo Doll, then rest behind the tree. Grab a power tab to the right of the tree, and race forward when the wind dies down and walk steadily behind a tree to hold your place when it blows quickly. After passing by a second tree, you'll be in another area. Fight a few enemies, grab a magic ring, then move to a new area with a wall ring and a save point. If you go inside the cave nearby you'll have to fight a Lavos spawn. The trick to fighting these guys is to only attack the head, never the shell unless you want to be hit by a Lavos needle. You'll need to avoid all techniques which attack multiple targets or rely on physical attacks. After the Lavos needle the head will just use a few annoying status affecting spells, just take your time and heal if necessary.
Pick up a weapon for Robo, cross a cliff, and pick up another weapon for Frog as you keep moving. Use the blinking blue dot to open up a passage in the rock cliff, and backtrack around and go through the cave you opened. After another battle with a Lavos spawn, you'll meet the second Poyozo doll which will just advise you not to fall off. My advice when crossing the bridge with the wind blowing on you is to hold up the whole time to hold your position, and press B to run only when you need to move up. Head into the next area where Krakkers keep falling from the cliff, pick up a VedicBlade, and head south. You'll meet the third poyozo doll and backtrack above the area you walked around earlier, make sure you head down a ladder to reach a save point and pick up a Doom Helm, which cuts shadow hits in half for the guys/frog/and robot. The third doll said to "push the shell, climb the shell", so after fighting a third Lavos spawn push its shell so the top of it roughly lines up with the ladder in the cliff, and climb it.
The next area will be a clear one at the summit of death peak, and you'll attempt to rescue Crono. Magus has some interesting reactions to the time freeze which takes place, and Marle naturally a vested interest in getting Crono back. And as usual each member of your party has a few unique things to say if you bring them along. Anyway, you'll travel to the instant before Crono died and freeze time so that you can exchange the clone for Crono's body right before he was destroyed by Lavos. Your party members will be glad to have him back, and you'll be ready to confront Lavos and finish off the final quests Chrono Trigger has to offer.
Challenging Lavos
editIf you challenge Lavos during this chapter (While you have the Epoch flying but before you rescue Crono), you'll get The Reunion Ending. There are several variations depending on whether or not you crashed the Epoch into Lavos, spared Magus, and whether or not you got the clone or the time egg. The basic theme of the ending is that Marle and company go back to rescue Crono at Death Peak since you didn't do it yourself.
Continue to Chapter 25: The Fated Hour(All Time Periods)