When Lucca, Frog and Robo came back, Crono was sitting in a corner, next to Marle.
”Lucca...” Marle said.
Lucca didn’t answer.
”Ayla...” she said. ”You heard what I said, right?”
Ayla didn’t answer.
”Lucca...” Marle repeated.
”What?” Lucca said.
”I would like to talk with you.”
”What do you want?”
”In private.”
Lucca nodded.
”Okay... The gate room?”
Marle nodded and rose up.
She walked into the room. Lucca followed.
”What is it?” Lucca said.
”You know what it is.” Marle answered. ”Crono.”
Lucca looked down.
Marle tried to look in Lucca eyes, but it was almost impossible.
”Why?” Marle finally said. ”You said that he was like a brother to you, but you’re still jealous.”
”Don’t bother.” Lucca said, and looked away.
”What’s wrong?” Marle said. ”Why can’t you allow me to even touch him?”
Lucca didn’t answered.
”Look.” Marle continued. ”You ‘love’ him as a friend. And I... ‘love’ him as a friend.”
Lucca looked up.
”...Perhaps a little bit more...” Marle added.
Lucca looked down.
”I... Have known him for years... He was my only friend. A was so lonely when he wasn’t home.”
”I know.” Marle said.
”And in a matter of days, you came into his life. And you changed it. I feel like I’m not included in his new life. You have taken my place.”
A single teardrop fell from her eye.
Marle put her arm on Lucca’s shoulder.
”I won’t take him away. He’ll still be your best friend.”
Lucca dried her face.
”I know... But...”
Lucca nodded.
”I’m... Sorry...”
Marle nodded.
”It’s okay... Let’s go find that rainbow thing, Gaspar talked about!”
Lucca shook her head.
”No way! It’s Ayla’s turn. Ayla can take my place.”
”And Crono?”
Lucca smiled.
”He can go with you. But promise to take care of him!”
Marle nodded.
”Don’t worry!”

”Find rainbow?” Ayla asked.
Marle nodded.
”Yes we are.”
But Crono shook his head.
”Not yet. Marle? Lucca? You come with me. We have things to do back home.”
Marle and Lucca looked on each other.
”There are?”
Crono nodded.
”C’mon. In the epoch.”
Crono jumped down into it.
Marle and Lucca followed.
”What is it?”
”Don’t know.” Crono answered. ”First, we must tell everyone we’re okay. Second, we all need some rest.”
Marle and Lucca nodded.
Crono sat the time meter on 1000 AD and then pressed the button.
”How do you drive this thing?” He asked.
Lucca instructed him and then he landed it outside Lucca’s house.
”So...” Crono said. ”I’m gonna see my mom. Lucca?”
Lucca looked up.
”Oh... Well, I’ll be heading home too. I guess dad have made something for me. Marle?
You go with Crono?”
Marle nodded.
”Okay.” Lucca said. ”See ya.”
Lucca climbed out and entered her house.
”I guess...” Crono said. ”Your little chat was quite... giving.”
Marle nodded.
”Definitely.”

”Hi mom!” Crono said as he entered.
”Crono!” His mom said. ”There you are... I’ve been quite worried. Thank god your home at last.”
”Eh...” Crono said. ”I... Still got things to do.”
”Well...” His mom said. ”Hurry to finish them. I can’t have you gone all days.”
Crono nodded. He walked up to his room and threw himself on his bed.
”Ah... I’d almost forgot how soft this one was.”
Marle sat down on his chair.
”Yeah...”
Crono looked up.
”You’re thinking about return home... Right?”
Marle nodded.
Crono put his head back on the pillow.
”You don’t think it’s a good idea?” Marle asked.
Crono laughed.
”Of course it is! I just wonder why now? C’mon! Let’s go see him right now!”
Marle jumped up.
”Okay!”
They ran down.
Just as Crono came out of his house, he looked up on the Dark Omen.
”I wonder how much it has changed the peoples life, that one.”
Marle nodded.
”Yeah...”
Then Lucca came.
”Hey over there!”
”Hi Lucca!” Crono shouted.
Lucca ran the last part.
”Where’re you heading?”
Crono pointed on the castle.
”There. Finally.”
Lucca nodded.
”Okay... Let’s go.”
They walked away to the castle.

”Princess Nadia!” The guards said as she entered.
The Chancellor came down the stairs.
”I've been worried, Princess! I understand your pain.
But the king only really cares about his realm...
Yes, even when your mother, Queen Aliza passed away, he worked all day!”
Marle looked up on him.
”No one could do that! It's inhuman!”
The Chancellor turned around and started to walk up the stairs.
”Oh, child...” He said. ”It's ancient history now...”
Marle ran around and stopped him.
”Tell me more!”
The Chancellor looked away.
”This may be difficult...
Well, Queen Aliza's condition suddenly changed for the worst.
She desperately wanted to see the king one last time, but he couldn't find the time to drop by...
Said he had some work to do...
But knowing nothing about death, you waited faithfully by your mother's side...
Aliza passed away in sorrow...
It's as the king indirectly killed her...Such a shame...”
Marle starred on him.
”WHAT..!! Father KILLED?... MY MOTHER...?!!”
The Chancellor turned back to her.
”But what do I know! There are reasons for everything, right dear?
Now... so glad to see you back again. Please go and visit the king.”
He walked back into the throne room.
Crono looked suspicious on the guards.
”Eh... What happened after the... Incident?” Crono asked one of them. ”You’re not gonna arrest me again, right?”
”No.” One of the guards said. ”Since it is the 1000 anniversary, the King have canceled your sentens.”
Crono nodded.
”Actually...” The guard said. ”Only the Chancellor thought you were guilty.”
Crono nodded.
”I see...”
The other guard turned to the shocked Marle.
”I’m so glad you’re home, princess Nadia. The castle is dead without you.”
”I’m no sure I’m glad to be back...” Marle whispered to Crono.
They walked up the stairs.

”Oh... Nadia...” The King said as they entered. ”W, what do you want! I’m not giving in to your demands!”
Marle looked on him.
”......”
”It’s your fault for leaving the castle!” The king continued.
”And letting these... hoodlums in here!”
Crono stepped back of surprise.
”Hoodlum to you!” Crono thought.
”You might as well beg for bread on the street corners!”
Crono and Lucca looked on each other.
”Stop it!” Marle said. ”They’re my friends!”
”They’re a disgrace to this family!” the king said.
Marle looked down.
”Father, you, you...”
She looked away.
”You care more about your country than me... or mother!!”
”What..!” the king said.
Marle pointed on him.
”You, ...you killed mother!”
The king rose up.
”!!”
He looked down and gathered power.
”Get... OUT OF HERE this instant!!! I never want to see your face again!”
Marle looked on each person in the room.
”GOOD RIDDANCE!” she screamed.
Crono and Lucca jumped back of surprise.
Crono nor Lucca liked this way of talked to ones father.
”We’re no longer  family!” The king said. ”Do as you wish!!”
He walked up the stairs to his room.
Marle looked down.
Crono was just going to put his hand on her shoulder when he remembered all guards and then decided not to.
”I...” he said.
Marle looked up.
”You heard him...” she whispered. ”I can do as I wish. And I wish to kill Lavos. Let’s go do it.”
”And then?” Lucca asked.
”Who cares?” Marle said.
”Well, then...” Crono said. ”Shall we go?”
Marle shook her head.
”No... I must get something from my room first.”
”It’s getting dark soon.” Lucca said. ”I’ll get us a room on the inn.”
Crono nodded and Lucca ran away.
”I’ll go with you.” Crono said and followed Marle up.

”Who’re these?” Crono said as he entered her room. 400 years ago, this was Leene’s room.
Lucca had been right when she said the castles were much alike.
Crono was talking about three persons who were standing in her room.
They had probably got the news of that she had returned.
There was one old man, one middle aged man and one nun-looking woman.
”I’m in charge of the princess’ education!” the old man said.
”I’m in charge of her physical education!” the middle aged man said.
”I’m in charge of discipline.” the nun said. ”And she’s missed almost every lesson this year!”
”Eh... Hi...” Crono said.
Marle ran to her locker and picked up some bottle of some sort.
”I knew this one would become useful!”
Then she picked out different things from her closet, and then walked out.
”But, princess...” her teachers yelled. ”Where are you going?”
Marle turned around.
”Ask the king. He’s bound to know!”

”Crono?” Marle said.
”Go ahead.” Crono said. ”I have to do a few things first.”
”In the castle?” Marle asked.
Crono nodded.
”Well... I guess you have more permit than I... See you later.”
Crono nodded.
”Yeah, later.”
He turned back into the castle and walked down the stairs to the old Knights Quarter.
He walked down.
”What’s up with the king?” He asked one worker down there.
”I don’t know.” the worker said. ”It’s something. A just can’t figure out what.
Princess Nadia’s a dead ringer for her mother. That’s why the king is so strict with her.”
Crono nodded.
The worker continued.
”After his wife’s death, he only lived for Princess Nadia.”
Crono nodded.
He knew this wasn’t proof enough to suspect an old enemy but...
”I, too, hope the Princess returns. The castle is dead without her.”
Crono nodded.
”I see.”
”Why do you ask?”
”Oh... Well, I... Never mind.”
Crono ran up.
”Next stop... Truce inn!”

”There you are.” Lucca said when Crono came into the room.
”What did you do?” Marle asked.
”Just checking some info.”
”Marle told me about what happened.” Lucca said. ”Not very nice.”
Crono looked around.
”Not really. Shall we see what we have?”
Lucca nodded.
”Okay... All coins here.” she pointed on one bed. ”All items here.” She pointed on an other.
”And everything else here.”
They split up everything.
”Okay... Let see...” Crono said. ”13064 gold, 4 mid tonic, 1 full tonic and 1 ether, and... What’s this?” he pointed on one item. ”Was this the one you had in your room?”
Marle nodded.
”Yep. It’s called ‘MegaElexir. It’s a powerful variation of tonic.”
Crono nodded. ”Okay... One MegaElexir.”
He checked the weapons.
”We have one dream bow for Marle. That’s what it’s called, right?”
Marle nodded.
”And one shockwave gun for Lucca. And finally my sword. The Alloy blade. What do we need?”
Lucca looked on the ‘item bed’.
”More ethers. Perhaps some more full tonics. By the way,
I’ve got some more booom-arrows for a princess.”
Marle nodded.
”We’ll ask Spekkio about ether, right?” Crono said.
Lucca nodded.
”And Fritz about tonic?” Marle said.
Crono nodded.
”Good. Let’s get some sleep.”
”But the clock isn’t ten yet!” Marle protested. ”How are we gonna get some sleep now?”
”Let’s try...” Lucca said and smiled. ”Crono IS right. We need some sleep.”
Marle nodded.
”Yeah, but I just... Never mind.”
They picked down their stuff from the beds.
Marle picked out some pajamas looking outfit from her bag.
”Cute!” Crono exclaimed.
Marle looked on him.
”I DO have more clothes home, actually!”
”I didn’t mean that...” Crono said.
Lucca also picked up some night cloths.
”Now Crono... If you excuse us...”
”Oh...” Crono said. ”Sorry...” he walked out from the room.

Crono knocked carefully on the door after a few minutes.
”Come in!” Marle said.
Crono opened the door and entered.
He closed the door carefully after him.
Marle and Lucca were lying in their beds
Crono picked up his night clothes.
”Now, if you excuse ME...”
Marle shook her head.
”Sorry...”
”Wha...” Crono said. ”You mean I shall change clothes OUT THERE?”
Marle and Lucca laughed.
”Why not?” Marle giggled.
”You girls are...” Crono said and pulled away the sheet.
”What?” Lucca said.
”Wonderful...” Crono said a little bit sarcastic.
Crono changed clothes under his sheet and then tried to sleep.

”You think we can do it?” Lucca asked.
No answer.
”Don’t know.” Marle finally said. ”Hard to say.”
”Well...” Lucca replied. ”You’ve met him once...”
Marle looked on Lucca’s side.
”Then I would say he’s impossible to kill.”
”Really?” Lucca said.
There were a silence for a long time.
”Crono?”
”Mmm...”
”Who’ll you take?” Marle asked.
”Huh??”
”Who’ll you take? To fight Lavos?”
”Don’t know... yet...”
 

When Crono opened his eyes, Marle and Lucca were still asleep.
Crono got out of his bed and dressed quickly.
He took his sword and tied it to his belt.
Then he walked to Marle’s bed and carefully touched her.
”Marle...”
Marle switched side and said something.
”Marle...”
Marle turned from side to side.
Crono shook her body.
”Marle!”
Marle opened her eyes.
”Wha... Oh, Crono! Good morning... I guess.”
Crono walked to Lucca’s bed and woke her up too.
”I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”
Marle nodded.
Crono walked out of the room and walked down the stairs.
There were not very many people here.
”Excuse me...” Crono said to the servant.
She walked to him.
”Come on in! Take your bloody time...! I’d rather serve you than going to the fair, anyway...”
Crono backed off.
”Sorry!”
He turned to the door upstairs.
”Are ya coming?”
No response.
”Apparently not.”
Crono had to wait in ten minutes before they came down.
”Finally...” Crono said. ”Fritz next then?”
Lucca nodded.
”After you...”
Crono took the lead and walked out from the inn and towards Fritz shop.

”Welcome, Crono!” Fritz exclaimed as Crono came in. ”Oh! Hi Lucca! Hi... Marle?”
Marle nodded. ”That’s right.”
Fritz looked at her.
”You know... I know this sounds stupid, but... You look just like the princess...”
Marle giggled.
”Perhaps I do...”
Crono leaned over the disk.
”You got any tonics?”
Fritz nodded.
”Of course! What kind?”
”What do you got?” Lucca asked.
”Ehh... Let see... Ten mid tonics and one full. They’re all yours for, say.... 10000 gold pieces.”
Crono shook his head.
”10000! You must be kidding!”
Fritz nodded.
”Perhaps I am. Let’s say 2000.”
Crono nodded.
”That’s better.”
Fritz called for Elaine who came in with a sac full of bottles.
”Here you go.”
Crono handed over 2000 gold pieces.
”Thanks!” Fritz said and waved them good-bye as they left.

Crono, Marle and Lucca walked out and headed for the Epoch.
Then Crono saw an old friend.
”Cheren?” he said.
On distance, he could see a young man coming towards them.
”Who?” Marle asked.
”Cheren.” Crono said.
Lucca tried to see if Crono was right.
”Yep. You’re right. It’s Cheren. Please god, spare us...”
Marle looked supriced at them.
”What?!?”
Cheren came closer.
”Well... If it isn’t... Crono! And with your girlfriend! How’re you doing Lucca? Still busy with your explosives?”
Lucca looked mad at him.
”Not girlfriend. And not explosives.”
Cheren smiled.
Crono watched him.
”Hey Cheren... Look who’s here...” He pointed on Marle.
”Crono? What’re you doing?” Marle whispered.
Cheren looked supriced on Marle.
Crono smiled.
”Your future wife... Princess Nadia!”
Marle really wanted to disappear from the surface of Earth.
Cheren look on her.
”I tell ya... It really is you, your majesty!”
Marle didn’t answer.
”Why are you hanging around with wimps like Crono?”
”WIMP!?!” Marle thought. ”If you weren’t a citizen, I would kill you right here!”
”C’mon Crono!” Cheren said. ”Let’s show her who’s the man!”
Cheren draw two wood-sword. He threw one of them to Crono.
”C’mon! En garde!”
”This is pathetic...” Crono said.
Marle smiled.
”Have fun... Show him who’s the man... I ask you for the sake of Guardia.” Marle said, trying to sound as polite as possible.
”For Guardia, huh?” Crono said. ”Okay. Gimme your best shoot.”
”Ahhh.....” Cheren yelled and swinged his sword with enormous power.
Crono blocked it with his sword and jumped to the right.
Cheren tried to attack again, but it was to much distance, so he missed.
Crono knew this, so meanwhile, he dropped his wood-sword and draw his Alloy Blade.
With one strike, Crono cleaved Cheren’s sword in two.
Cheren threw himself on the ground and picked up the other one Crono had dropped.
”You... Cheat...”
Crono smiled.
”I do? Okay...”
He dropped his sword and fired a lightning bolt just a centimeter from Cheren.
”Now beat it!”
Cheren ran yelling away.
”That guy belongs in Ayla’s time.” Crono said.
Lucca shook her head.
”Weren’t you a little bit mean? To her, I mean...”
Crono smiled.
”Perhaps.”

”Ayla!” Lucca said as they came back to End of Time.
Ayla nodded and walked toward them.
Lucca turned to Marle.
”Take care of him now. Promise me.”
Marle nodded.
”I promise.”
Ayla jumped down and took Lucca’s place.
”Let’s go find that rainbow...” Crono said.
”Right.” Marle said. ”I guess it’s the mythical Rainbow shell. I knew that the great explorer, Toma, tried to find it, but failed. That was the only thing he failed to find. Let’s go ask him!”
Crono nodded.
”Okay... If I remember it all right, it was in the Middle age he lived.”
Marle nodded.
”Right.”
Crono set the time meter on 600 AD and flied the Epoch there.

”Set course for Choras.” Marle said. ”That is were he was born. I guess we’ll find him there also.”
Crono nodded and flied over Medina and came to Choras.
Crono landed the Epoch just outside a house.
”Ayla, you wait here. This won’t take long.”
Ayla nodded.
”Crono hurry.”
Marle and Crono walked out and entered the house.
”Who is it?” A voice said.
”Excuse me, but...” Crono said. ”We’re looking for Toma, the explorer. Do you know where he lives?”
”Try the café.” The voice said. ”He’s always there.”
”Thank you.” Crono said. They walked out and entered the café.
And there he was.
”Toma!” Crono said and walked towards him.
”Hey... Crono, right?”
Crono nodded.
”The Rainbow Shell? Do you know where it is?”
Toma nodded.
”I’ve got a track of it. But I’m not telling you where.”
”C’mon!” Crono said, but Toma shook his head.
”Sorry. But here... Take this.” He handed over a pop. ”If I don’t return, come to my grave and pour this on my headstone. Gee, isn’t this morbid?”
Marle pulled out Crono.
”He won’t return.” she said.
Crono nodded.
”I know. I’ve also read about him in school. Let’s travel 400 years forward in time and see his grave.”
Marle nodded.
They entered the Epoch and took it to 1000 AD.
”Stay here.” Crono said. ”This won’t take long. I’m just going to ask about the grave.”
Marle nodded and Crono ran away.
”You look for rainbow?” Ayla asked.
Marle shook her head.
”Not quite. It called the Rainbow Shell. It’s a sort of seashell that shines like a rainbow.”
Ayla nodded.
”Ayla understand. Rainbow have magic?”
Marle leaned back in her seat.
”I don’t know. Gaspar said that we would become more powerful against Lavos is we did these sort of things.”
Ayla nodded.
”Ayla understand...”
Marle looked out.
”How long it take!”
”Marle worried?” Ayla asked.
Marle turned to her.
”No. It’s just that I... I... Never mind.”
”Look! Crono come!”
Marle almost threw herself against the window.
There he came.
”Crono! You found it?”
Crono nodded.
”Yep. It’s at the north cape of this island.”
Crono climbed into the epoch and made it lift.
He flied it near a cliff who faced the ocean.
He landed just south of it.
”Let’s go.”
They walked up to the cliff.
On top of it was a gravestone.
”The great adventurer Toma Levine rests here... 3/6/634” Crono read.
Crono put the pop on the stone and stepped back.
Crono, Marle and Ayla waited for something to happened.
Slowly, a light came from the grave.
With a flash, a transparent image of Toma appeared.
”Crono, long time no see.” Toma said.
”It’s been a while...” Crono said.
”You kidding? It’s been 400 years! How did you... Never mind...
I finally located the Rainbow Shell. But I was too old then. Perhaps you can find it?”
Crono nodded.
”I wanna give it a try.”
Toma turned around.
”You see... It’s over the... What?!?”
Crono looked in the direction Toma pointed.
”What’s wrong?”
”It was there... A mountain... Called the Giant’s claw... But that was 400 years ago. What do I know about it now...”
”The Rainbow Shell was there?” Marle asked.
Toma nodded.
”Yep.”
”Thanks.” Crono said. ”We’ll find it.”
”Well...” Toma said. ”Time to show off...” He hovered up in the air and disappeared.
”See ya around...” His voice said.
”Yeah...” Crono said. ”See ya around...”

400 years earlier...
”There it is!” Crono exclaimed. ”The Giant’s Claw.”
”Can we land over there?” Marle asked.
Crono nodded.
”Yeah. There’s lot of space.”
He took down the Epoch just outside the cave opening.
”Let’s go in!”
Marle and Ayla followed Crono closely and they entered the cave.
The cave entry was first turning right and then left, after that, they came out in a bigger room.
Suddenly Crono felt a déja vu.
Marle and Ayla looked like they did too.
”Do you... Recognize this place?” Crono asked.
Marle nodded.
”Is this the Tyrano Lair?”
Ayla nodded.
”Lavos fall and Tyrano Lair buried underground forever!”
If Crono remembered things right, this was Azala’s room.
Yes...
There stood her throne...
There were the lights...
This must be the Tyrano Lair...
But how could the reptites survive that long?
Ayla didn’t seem to care.
She walked right in the opening across the room.
”Crono Marle hurry! We find rainbow!”
Crono and Marle followed her deeper into the nest.

”Woa...” Crono exclaimed as he was supriced by ANOTHER reptite.
The creature jumped over and tried to get a point-blank attack.
But Crono had too much experience of battles.
He leaped away and jumped back to attack.
”What are we up in now? 20? 25?”
”23.” Marle corrected.
Then had been searching for the Rainbow Shell for almost an hour.
The old Tyrano Lair had changed a bit during all years.
There were some parts who looked like the fortress and some parts who looked like a cave.
Many screams came echoing through the tunnels.
”At least they know we’re here.” Crono said.
”Yeah. Perfect.” Marle replied.
”Marle you think... Look out!”
Ten flying dinosaurs came in.
Marle dropped her crossbow and put her hands together.
She summoned all her magic powers and a shockwave of ice were shot out of her.
Huge ice blocks fell from the ceiling and crushed the dinosaurs.
”What do you think?” Marle said.
Crono looked around.
”I’m.... Impressed... You’re good!”
Marle picked up her crossbow.
”Well... I... I’ve trained.”
They walked deeper into the cave.
”Quickly!” Ayla suddenly said. ”Hide here!”
She jumped behind a rock.
They looked into a huge room.
In there were hundreds of reptites.
”Awesome...” Marle said.
”What are they doing?” Crono asked.
Ayla tried to see how they behaved.
”Ayla think...” she said. ”They plan to block all entries. All reptits here. We fight now!”
Crono shook his head.
”Against all these?!? You’re crazy! It’s just a matter of time before this island sinks into the sea, remember? We don’t have to kill ‘em all! We just have to get that Rainbow Shell!”
Ayla didn’t answer.
”C’mon Ayla!” Marle said. ”Let’s go find it instead.”
Ayla followed but didn’t say a word.
They walked into a new tunnel. This tunnel was heading upwards.
”I think this is it!” Crono said.
Then,
Everything turned black.
”Hey! What happened?” Crono said.
”Don’t know...” Marle answered.
Crono fired a lightning on of those torches.
It began to burn.
Then they saw they were facing a huge dinosaur, not much different from the one
Azala had in the final battle.
It roared and breathed fire.
Crono jumped away to avoid it.
Marle dropped her crossbow.
A shockwave of ice came out of her and freezed the nearby area.
Big ice chunks fell down on the dinosaur.
Crono leaped up and slashed it’s head.
But it was like stone vs. stone. Crono fell back, followed by a beam of fire.
A crashing sound could be heard.
”Crono?” Marle asked.
”I’m fine.” Crono said. ”But my tonic aren’t. They broke when I fell.”
Ayla jumped up and kicked the dinosaur.
”Not strong enough...” Ayla said.
The dinosaur filled the room with fire.
Left on the floor was Marle, Crono and Ayla laying.
The Tyrano roared gleefully.
”You... Okay... Marle...???”
”No.... I... don... ‘t... feel... very... well...”
Crono lifted up his head, but didn’t have the strength to keep it up.
It fell down and everything went black.

When Crono opened his eyes again, a dozen of reptites were looking on him.
”Wha...” he said.
Then the big one roared.
The others jumped up and down in happiness.
”Looks like we’re the main desert... Marle?”
Crono looked around.
”Marle?”
The dinosaur jumped up happy.
”Where’s Marle?”
The reptites laughed.
”What have you done with Marle?”
The reptites laughed.
Ayla was missing too.
”Ayla? Damn it!”
They had taken his sword.
He found himself in the huge room they had spotted before.
Crono felt on his back.
One tonic left. The others had been destroyed.
He took it.
In seconds, he could feel how strength came back to him.
In a fast handmove, a lightning came up, striking one of the reptites.
More lightnings came from his hands, forming a complicated chain connection.
The curious repitets turned into black smoking reptites.
Crono jumped away before a fire breath from the big one came.
He ran to the edge of the room.
His sword.
He had to get his sword.
He ran into one of the tunnels.
It ended up in a room.
He could hear the Tyrano call for more but he didn’t care.
The room was not big.
Just about ten meters.
A lot of thing were in here.
He searched through it.
There!
His sword!
It looked okay.
Crono picked it up and looked around if he could see any trace of Marle or Ayla.
And then...
Just beside a big boiling-pot, was Marle’s crossbow placed.
Crono picked it up.
No arrows were left.
He looked around and saw that many arrows were sitting on the walls.
Some of them were bloody.
Had Marle been here and fought against Reptites?
But where were she now?
Crono looked down in the boiling-pot.
And screamed.
 
 

”MARLE!!!”
Inside it, was a skeleton, not too big, not too small.
It was warm and bloody.
Crono felt on the edges inside the boiling-pot.
It was wet.
Crono didn’t want to think about what they had done to her.
He couldn’t believe they had ATE her.
Crono picked up the skull.
The blood around it painted Crono’s fingers red.
”Marle...
I’m... Sorry...
Sorry... for... everything...”
He took a shovel from the tools, and made a hole in the ground.
He put down the skeleton there, and placed Marle’s arrow on top of it.
Then he felt something hit his back.
He fell forward and lost his sword.
”Stupid human!” a grotesque voice said. ”You also want to be food for reptite like you friend?”
”Monsters!” Crono yelled and tried to kick the reptite away.
More came into the room.
They seemed to be arguing about what to do with him.
One of them picked up his sword.
They had decided.
Crono closed his eyes.
He wouldn’t do any resistance.
”Wait for me, Marle...” he thought.
Then he could hear strange sounds.
Something came in and seemed to be kicking the reptites.
When Crono looked up, all reptites were dead.
Ayla was there.
”Ayla...” Crono said.
”Ayla got free...” Ayla said. ”Me find you here. Me not find Marle.”
Crono turned around to the grave.
”I’m sorry, Marle.” he said.
Ayla walked forward.
”Marle... dead?”
Crono cried.
”She is... she is... Marle will no longer laugh. She will no longer cry. She will no longer...
be with me...”
Ayla looked down.
”Ayla understand. Ayla sad too. Crono not blame. Nothing Crono could do. Live and die. Rule of life. Ayla lost many loved too.”
Crono nodded as he cried.
”I just wished I could see her one more time...”
”Crono not go longer?”
”What do you mean?”
”Crono not fight Lavos?”
Crono didn’t answer.
”Answer, Crono...”
”I don’t know... If this is how good I am... I don’t know...”
”Crono not blame!” Ayla said again.
”Not Crono fault. No Crono could do!”
Ayla put her hand on his shoulder.
”Come. We go. Deal with reptite.”
Crono nodded.
”I will. Just leave me alone for a while...”
Ayla nodded and walked out.

- - - - - - -

”Hey!” he heard a female voice saying.
Crono opened his eyes.
"Ouch, that hurt!" the female voice said, "Are you all right?”
He checked what laid in front of him. A pendant.
Crono also rose up and check if he had lost something.
He took the pendant. Perhaps it was hers.
"Yeah, I'm fine." he said as he turned to see who it was. He saw a girl getting up, with long blond hair tied up in a ponytail. She was quite beautiful. "Are you?"
She looked at him.
She must be in Crono’s age, it was strange that he hadn’t seen her before.
"Yes, but my pendant fell off! Where is it??" she said as she looked around for it.
”Eh...” Crono started, ”This one?”
The girl looked at it, then she smiled.
"Oh! You found it! Thank you! It has sentimental value." the girl said, giggling.
"My name is, mum... Marle."

- - - - - - -

A big blue flash appeared and when Crono opened his eyes, Marle was standing in front of him.
”Huh?” She said. ”What happened?”
Lucca ran to her.
”Princess Nadia!”
Marle fell on her knees but got up after a few seconds.
”Crono! It  was awful... I can't recall it all...
I was somewhere cold, dark, and lonely...Is that what it's like to.... die?”
Crono didn’t know what to say.
”Welcome back Princess Nadia!” Lucca said.
Marle looked at her.
”You risked your life to help me too?” Marle said.
Lucca nodded.
Marle looked at Crono, and then back on Lucca.
”‘Princess...Nadia...?!’ Uh oh...” She made a small giggle.
”I guess you guys figured it out, huh?
Sorry Crono. I didn't mean to deceive you.”
She turned around.
”I'm Princess Nadia. My father is King Guardia the XXXIII.
I really enjoyed being with you at the fair.
But if you had known my identity...”
She turned to Crono.
”Crono, you wouldn't have shown me around the fair, right!”
Crono didn’t know what to say. Or what she wanted him to say.
He thought.
”Wrong...” he finally said. ”I would have anyway.”
Marle looked supriced at him.
”Really?” Crono thought he heard a bit of glee and relief in her voice.
She smiled.
”The real Queen's safe, right? So let's go home, Crono!”

- - - - - - -

Crono watch over an edge.
Marle was hanging there in one hand.
”Crono...” she said.
”I help you up.” Crono said, but...
”No.” Marle replied. ”I’ll jump.”
Crono looked down.
”But there’s no container under you... You won’t make the fall.”
Marle looked up.
”But he is up there...”
Crono thought for a second.
”Don’t fear the reaper!” he finally said, thinking about what Melchior once told him.
”C’mon!
Take my hand!
Let’s scrap him.”
Marle thought for a second. Then she grabbed his hand, and he helped her up.
”Let’s go get him!” Crono said, and turned around.

- - - - - - -

The cave was dark and scary, but luckily, didn’t contain any monsters so far...
”How long can it be?” Crono asked, didn’t really caring about what the answer would be, just interested to start a conversation.
”I don’t know.” Marle said. ”How far away did the island seemed to be?”
Crono shook his head.
”Dunno.”
”At least a few kilometers.” Frog said.
”Okay...” Marle said. ”How long have we been walking?”
”Not that long.” Crono said and smiled.
”I KNOW THAT.” Marle said, tried to sound irritated.
”You know...” Crono said. ”You’re cute when you’re angry.”
Marle looked at him.
Crono didn’t really expect this reaction.
”I’M NOT ANGRY AT ALL! GOT IT?”
”Sure!” Crono said and smiled as he looked away.
Marle looked in the opposite direction.
” ‘Tis isn’t the right time to think about ladies.” Frog said and held his Masamune harder.
”Fine!” Marle said. ”Sounds like you two heroes can make it without me!”
She stopped.
Frog croaked.
”You missed my point.”
Crono walked to her.
”Sorry, Marle... I didn’t mean to...”
”Well, well...” Marle said. ”Whatever you meant, I guess I just took it wrong. Now, we’ve got things to do. Let’s hurry.”

- - - - - - -

Crono came up, leaning on the tree.
”Crono! Welcome back Crono!!” Marle said, not sure if she was going to cry or laugh.
”I’m so glad your back, Crono!” Lucca said.
Crono opened his eyes. He looked on Marle.
She rose up.
”We...” she said.
Never had she thought about what she would say if Crono came back.
It was all so distant.
But now, here he was.
”We knew this day would come.”
Marle stood paralyzed. What should she do? And before Lucca did anything?
She smiled at him.
She walked forward, leaned down, and put her arms around him.
She gave him a kiss.
And then hugged him tight.
Crono was about to say something, but Marle stopped him.
”You mustn’t...”
”Just a sec...” Lucca said, but Magus stopped her.
”Leave them.” he said.
Against her will, Magus pulled Lucca back.
Marle and Crono didn’t even noticed what Lucca said.
They were both in another world.
”You can't do that ever again! While you were away... A lot of things happened.” Marle said.
”There's so much you have to know.”

- - - - - - -

Marle put her arm around Crono's shoulder.
”You feel better?” Marle whispered.
Crono nodded.
”Much better.”
Crono tried to hide his smile, but it was too hard.
”It's cold.” Marle suddenly 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.

- - - - - - -

”I’m sorry Marle.... Sorry for ever meeting you...”
He took his sword.
”But I shall not leave you here without justice.”
He thought of what Frog had said.
”Fortwith, I shall slay the Tyrano, and restore honor!”
He walked out.
”Let’s go, Ayla. We got some business to take care of!”
Ayla followed.
Two big dinosaur heard a noise from one of the tunnels.
They walked into it to check it out.
In the next moment, they flied out, without their heads.
The reptites in the big room got really supriced.
They all ran against Crono and Ayla.
With a big cyclone attack, Crono killed ten in one blow.
Ayla jumped up triumphing and dived down to kick a dinosaur in a three kick series.
In ten minutes, Crono and Ayla painted the main room red of blood.
The Tyrano watched as Crono and Ayla slayed his henchmen.
Crono walked toward him.
”You! Give her back!”
The Tyrano started to breath in.
”Crono move away!” Ayla said and leaped backward.
Crono watched the Tyrano.
Fire came out of it’s mouth. Fire to kill.
To kill Crono.

Crono closed his eyes.
The surrounding area felt warmer, but on the same time cold.
Was he dead?
He opened his eye.
A shockwave of ice had driven back the fire.
Marle came jumping in.
Crono almost died of the shock.
”MARLE!!! YOU’RE ALIVE!!!”
Marle looked at him supriced.
”Yeah...”
”But you... Ah... Never mind... Let’s deal with this guy first.”
Crono raised his hands. And so did Marle.
Ice and Lightning particles gathered in front of the Tyrano’s head.
It created a kind of surface.
Ayla jumped up and kicked thought it.
With extreme power, the kick blew right through the hard skin of the Tyrano.
The dinosaur died.
Crono ran and hugged Marle.
”Marle... Thank god your alive...”
”Well...” Marle said, a little bit supriced, ”I was a little bit worried about you too, but I... I knew you’d be okay.”
Crono hugged her hard as he could.
”Is something wrong?” Marle asked.
”No.” Crono said. ”Everything is all right.”

”Look!” Ayla said.
Marle and Crono ran into the room the Tyrano guarded.
Inside was a shell who glimmered in all colors.
”THIS’s the Rainbow Shell!” Marle exclaimed.
”Let’s try to lift it.” Crono said and they all grabbed it.
But they couldn’t lift it. It was too heavy.
”It’s too heavy...” Crono said. ”I wonder if the people in the castle can help...”
”Let’s go and ask!” Marle replied.
Crono, Ayla and Marle ran down in the hall.
”By the way...” Crono said. ”Marle? Do you have you’re crossbow?”
”Yep.” Marle said. ”They were too stupid to take it off. Why?”
”Never mind...”

There were less Soldiers in the castle now.
”Looks like they won.” Crono said. They had left Ayla in the Epoch since she didn’t really fit in here.
”Yeah.” Marle said. ”With our help, they did it. But they had won no matter what, right?”
Crono nodded.
”Yep. If we hadn’t interrupted Magus, Lavos would have killed him, and the mystic army would fall. We saw the result in Medina. They really worshipped him.
I wonder how thing are now, when we defeated Magus...”
”Hey!” One soldier shouted. ”There they are! Those who defeated Magus!”
Crono and Marle could just watch how dozen of soldiers gathered around them.
”Thank you! If they had broken through the Zenan Bridge, this castle would have been destroyed!”
Crono smiled.
”Don’t be too sure...”
After a few minutes, Crono and Marle got tired of all greetings.
”Sorry, but... We must see the King...” Crono finally said.
The crowd opened up and Crono and Marle could pass.

”Hello!” the king said as they entered the throne room. ”You're always welcome here!
What can I do for you?”
”Why can’t my dad be that nice?” Marle whispered.
”Sorry?” the king said.
”Oh...” Marle said. ”I was talking to him... Sorry. We are here to tell you that there’s a treasure to be found on the island northwest of Choras. It is the legendaric Rainbow Shell!
We just could get it here and wondered if you could...”
”I get it. You want me to keep that huge shell safe here until the next century, right?” the king said.
Leene turned to him.
”I ask for the sake of Crono. Please carry out their request.”
The king nodded.
”Done! I shall obtain the shell and store it in the castle, as a national treasure.
Knight Captain!”
The gold-armored soldier stepped forward.
”Yes, Majesty!”
”Go and obtain the Rainbow Shell, and bring it back in one piece!”
”At once, Sire!”
He walked out of the throne room.
”Thank you, your majesty!” Marle said. ”And Queen Leene too, of course!”
”Yeah.” Crono said. ”Thank you very much!”
On their way down, Crono turned to one soldier.
”How is it with the chef?”
”He finally made up with his brother. Right now, he’s working on a ‘great’ dish. I guess he’ll name it after his brother.”
Crono nodded.
”Yeah. Probably.”
They walked out from he castle and waved back to the crowd.
Then...
”Wait!”
Leene came out.
”Frog... Where is Frog?”
Crono and Marle looked on each other.
”We’ll get him. Don’t worry.”
They walked down to the edge of the forest and jumped into the Epoch, where Ayla waited.
”Let’s go. End of Time next!”

.
 
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