Marle saw how Lucca, Robo and Frog disappeared to another time.
Then she looked on the others.
Crono... There he was. It looked like he was trying to sleep.
Marle really wanted to talk to him, but it looked like Lucca and Ayla had allied.
Ayla...
She was sleeping!
And Magus looked out on the gray void.
Gaspar was looking around, like he was in another world.
This was her chance!
Marle sneaked carefully to Crono and was just going to say something, when she forgot what. She looked on him, didn’t know what to say.
It all ended with that she touched his face.
Crono opened his eye.
”How do you feel?” Marle whispered.
Crono smiled.
”Much better.”
He was smiling to her... Marle’s heart started to pound louder.
”Say...” she said. ”You wanna go someplace else... And talk?”
Marle could see how Crono nodded.
She looked over her shoulder to see if anyone were watching them.
No one was.
She turned back to Crono.
”To our presence?”
Crono nodded.
”Sure. How?”
Marle put her hand in her bag and pulled up the gatekey.
”You stole it from Lucca?” Crono asked.
”Oops...” Marle thought.
”No... Just borrowed.” Marle said, hoping Crono wouldn’t be angry.
He just smiled.
Marle couldn’t resist to smile back.
Finally, she leaned down and grabbed him.
”I’ll help you up. Try to be quiet.”
Crono nodded and tried to rose.
With Marle’s help, they did it.
But the sound...
Marle was just waiting for Magus to turn around, or Ayla to wake up.
Marle helped Crono up to the gateroom, and she chose ”Leene Square 1000 AD”.
They flied up and was transferring through time.
It late afternoon when they came there.
The sun was about to sink under the horizon.
Marle helped Crono to walk.
The scene of Marle carrying Crono like he had broken something draw a lot attention, but only a few curious kids asked what had happened.
Marle thought of something to answer.
Then she saw that Crono was also searching for an answer.
”Nothing.” She said and continued to walk.
Mostly all salesmen were gone now, but there were still many days left of the fair.
”I think I can walk.” Crono said as they walked out of the area.
Marle nodded and let Crono try.
Crono took a few clumsy steps, but got it right after a while.
”Nice.” Marle said, and took his hand.
Walking hand-in-hand, they walked down to Truce village.
 

”Where are we going?” Crono said when they reached the center fountain.
”Don’t know.” Marle said and thought.
She would really like a place were they could be alone.
She thought of all possible places and finally, one came to mind.
”But I can think of one place where we can sit and talk.”
Crono nodded.
”Fine.”
They walked west of the town and through Guardia forest.
They sneaked around the castle and into the forest.
After many kilometers, they reached the ocean.
It was almost sunset, and the view was wonderful.
They sat down and looked out.
Marle tried to start a conversation. Nothing really came to mind, so she found herself ask:
”How was it?”
”What?”
”To... die? Was it like I described?”
Crono nodded.
”First black. Then white light and coldness. It thought I was going to freeze to death. Then I realized that I was already dead. Suddenly, something pulled me back, and I awakened on Death’s Peak.”
They became quiet for a while.
Marle thought of something else to talk about.
”Why did you do it? You... saved us. How did you know?”
Crono looked down.
Marle could see he was trying to formulate himself.
”I... Just knew it.”
”And you sacrificed yourself to save us...”
Crono nodded.
”Was it wrong?”
Marle shook her head.
”No. No... Not at all... Just...”
”What?”
”Just promise me that you won’t do it again.”
Crono nodded.
”Sure...”
”Promise!”
”Promise.”
”Forever? Promise me that forever?”
”Forever promise.” Crono confirmed.
Marle looked away and smiled. Not that she had any reason, but anyway... Crono’s presence made her so glad.
They sat in silence and watched the water.
Suddenly, Crono broke the silence.
”How did Magus get into our team?”
Marle laughed and leaned back.
”Well... It’s a long story.”
”Let’s take it later.” Crono said.
Marle nodded.
The evening turned into night, and to a starry one.
The looked up.
”Have you ever tried to count the stars?” Marle asked.
Crono nodded.
”Yeah. When I was younger.”
Marle smiled.
”When I was 7, I tried. But I could only count to 100, so I didn’t get very far.”
Crono laughed.
”I can understand that!”
They both laughed for a while.
Marle put her arm around Crono’s shoulder.
”You feel better?” Marle whispered.
Crono nodded.
”Much better.”
Marle could see how Crono tried to hide his smile, but it was too hard.
He loved her.
She knew it. But somehow, she had known it all the time.
”It’s cold.” she said. ”Hold me.”
Crono put his arm around Marle and hugged her.
”Thanks.” she said.
With Marle’s head resting on Crono’s shoulder, they sat there and moved slowly to a rhythm.
The night creeped around them.
They ended their moment with a kiss.
”It’s late.” Crono said. ”Shall I go for the sleeping bags?”
Marle shook her head.
”No. Just... Let me have this moment. Just a little bit longer.”
Crono nodded and carefully touched Marle hair, to put it right.
 

The sun was shining the next day.
It was because of the sunlight Marle woke up.
”Crono...”
She pulled out her hand from her sleepingbag and felt on Crono’s.
He was still there.
Sleeping.
Marle sat up.
Crono was sleeping like he hadn’t slept for a year.
Marle got up and took her towel.
She didn’t know the water temperature, but this far in the summer, it should be quite warm.
Even on the mornings.
Marle walked down to the beach and felt on the water.
It was cold, BUT not too cold.
Marle looked back, to check if Crono was up, but there were no sign of him.
So, she undressed and jumped into the water.
It took a while to adjust the body temperature, but once it was done, it was quite enjoyable. After many minutes, she swam back to the shore, and took her clothes out. After washing them, she placed them to dry on a rock.
Even though it was cold, she preferred to stay in the water while she had no clothes.
But in this sunlight, it didn’t take long for her thin outfit to dry.
Once she was dressed and dried, she checked the clock.
She had been here for 30 minutes.
She walked up to the place were they had slept.
Crono was still sleeping.
Marle placed her towel on the sleeping bag and grabbed her bag.
She took something to eat, and thought about something that worried her.
She thought a lot about it.
From time to time, she decided to wake up Crono, but everytime decided not too, when she thought of what he had been through.
After half an hour, she resonated different:
”What about me? I’ve been through a lot too...”
With a so sweet voice as possible, she called for him.
”Crono...”
He didn’t react.
”Crono!”
Crono eyes started to move.
”Wake up, Crono! It’s a beautiful day!”
Crono closed his eyes again.
Marle smiled.
”C’mon sleepy head, let’s get moving! I’ve been up for an hour already!”
”I’m not very much for mornings.” Crono said and sat up in his sleeping bag.
Marle giggled.
”I’ve noticed that.”
Crono looked around.
Marle thought of something to say.
”You should take a swim. The water is really refreshing.”
Crono looked on her sleeping bag and probably noticed that her towel was wet.
”Yeah, I guess I do.”
Crono took his towel and walked down to the ocean.
Marle sat down.
Alone.
She waited a long time, until she heard the splashing sound of water.
Then she walked down.
Crono was swimming around in the water.
”Isn’t it great?” Marle said.
With a rush, Crono stood up in the water and looked after her.
”Yeah, it is.” Crono replied.
Marle sat down on the sand.
”How long have you been watching?” Crono asked.
”Oh...” Marle answered. ”Not long. I just came down. It was so lonely up there.”
”Care to join me?” Crono asked.
Marle smiled and shook her.
”Nah... I’ve already been in. You should have go up earlier if you wanna bath with me.”
Crono smiled.
”Well... I’m finished for now.”
He walked up a bit, but stopped.
”Now, if you excuse me...”
”Oh!” Marle said and giggled. ”Sorry.”
She walked back to the camping place.
When up, she began to pack down everything.
When he came up, Marle was finished.
Marle decided that she would ask him about the matter.
”You... eh...” she said. ”Are you not worried?”
”For what?” Crono asked, seemed like he didn’t get her point.
”About when we... eh... Ah, forget it.”
”You mean when we...” Crono said.
Marle nodded.
”Right.”
”...Get back to End of Time?” Crono continued.
Marle nodded.
”I mean... By this stadium, Lucca have probably killed Magus, Ayla and Gaspar. And she’s now scouting the hunting ranch in 65000000 BC after you.”
Marle didn’t really want to make fun of Lucca, but it just went that way...
Crono laughed, seemed like he didn’t took it very hard.
”I guess that she’s... upset.”
Lucca...
She had to ask about Lucca...
”I guess I have to ask you... Lucca. What’s wrong with her? She said you were like a brother to her before we knew that it was possible to bring you back. But now she’s acting so odd. She truly tries to keep us apart.”
Crono smiled.
”She’s afraid of loosing me. I’m her only friend.”
”That’s it?” Marle said relieved.
Crono nodded.
”I see...”
Crono put suddenly his arm around Marle’s shoulder.
”Come. Let’s go.”
They walked of the open field, and headed out from the forest.
”You...” Crono said. ”Are not thinking about meeting you father? Don’t you think it’s a little bit silly to avoid him because of that... misunderstanding.”
Marle didn’t really want to bring up this discussion, but she didn’t want to say that she didn’t want to talk about it. So, she nodded.
”Well, I guess so. Let’s think about it later.” Hoping he would accept it.
Crono nodded.
”Sure.”
When they got back to Leene Square, it was already midday.
Crono opened the gate and holding in Marle’s hand, they entered.

With a smooth move, Crono and Marle landed in the gate room, back at End of Time.
They walked down and carefully opened the door.
Only Magus, Ayla and Gaspar was in there.
Good.
Magus didn’t react when they entered the room.
Ayla was still laying on the floor, but now awake.
”Crono out with Marle?” she said. ”Alone in the dark?”
”Nothing happened.” Crono said and sat down.
”Crono be glad.” Ayla continued. ”Marle like Crono. Same Ayla like Kino.”
Marle giggled.
”Right.”

.
 
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