”Frog!” Leene exclaimed as Frog entered the throne room.
”So, you’ve teamed up with Crono! You’ve done a fine job. Please remain with us long as you wish.”
Frog fell down on his knees.
”...
My heart is glad... Thank you, my Leige!”
He turned around and walked out.

”That didn’t take very long...” Lucca said when Frog came back to the Epoch.
Frog croaked but didn’t say a word.
”Here we go...”
With a flash, they were in End of Time.

”Back already?” Marle said when Lucca and Frog came out.
Lucca nodded.
”Well... What’s next?” Crono said.
Marle thought for a moment.
”I would really like to see what changes the rainbow shell have created in 1000 AD.”
”Agree.” Lucca said. ”Will it be us three this time?” Crono nodded.
”Same old gang.”
They jumped into the Epoch, and with Marle in the front seat, they traveled to 1000 AD.
”Let’s go!”

Marle landed the Epoch just outside the castle.
”Let me do the talk.” she said.
Crono and Lucca gladly agreed.
Marle opened the doors.
”Princess Nadia!” one of the guards said. ”Hurry! The trial of the century if about to begin.”
”Who’s?” Marle asked.
”King Guardia’s of course!”
”For what?!?”
”They say the King sold of royal treasures!”
”WHAT!!!”
Marle rushed straight up to the court room.
Two guards were blocking the door.
”Move!” Marle said.
”No entry allowed!” the guards said.
Marle looked around.
Then...
”LET ME THROUGH!!!” she screamed in their face.
The two guards move surprised aside, and Marle, Crono and Lucca entered.

In the courtroom:
King Guardia the XXXIII stood in front of the suspects chair.
The judge were sitting as usual, and the Chancellor stood of the prosecutors side of him.
No defense.
The Chancellor stepped forward.
”Had any of you heard of the "Rainbow Shell"?
I too, had no idea until I found this...”
He held up a paper.
”It's an ancestral will. It says "Unveil the Rainbow Shell to the people at Millenial Fair."”
”What are you talking about?!” The king said. ”We have no family heirlooms here!”
The Chancellor took one more step.
”So this is a forgery?
Why does the defendant deny the people a glimpse of the "Rainbow Shell"?
Because he no longer HAS it!! He sold the heirloom for cash! Witness, please!”
The Chancellor pointed on the door.
But then Marle came in.
”Wh, what is it Nadia? We are conducting a trial here.” the Chancellor said supriced.
Marle ran beside the King.
”Father!”
”Nadia! The Chancellor is trying to frame me!”
”He hurls insults! Confirm your innocence with proof!” The Chancellor said.
”Proof?” Marle repeated.
”Yes. If he hasn't sold the heirloom, it should be in the castle.
Show me the Rainbow Shell, and I'll accept his innocence, heh, heh...”
The Chancellor turned around and walked back to his place.
”Chancellor!” The King shouted after him. ”What kind of trickery is this?!”
The Chancellor turned around and pointed on Marle and Crono and Lucca who was in the back.
”Remove them!”
A guard came in and pulled Marle out.
Marle tried to enter again.
”No entry allowed!” The guards repeated.
Marle scream to them once again.
”Let me through!”
But the guards didn’t back of this time.
”Princess, not even you may enter.”
Lucca pulled away her from the guards.
”Find the "Rainbow Shell", and we’ll be able to prove the King’s innocence!”
”What ARE you saying?! It's a lie! There IS no heirloom!” Marle protested.
”We changed history back in 600 AD, so the "Rainbow Shell" should still be in the castle...”
Marle thought.
”Aha!
The Rainbow Shell we gave to my ancestor 400 years ago is still here.
It's probably in the basement!”
Fast, Marle ran down the stairs to the ground level, and Crono and Lucca had some problems to keep the speed.
Then Marle changed stair and took the one leading down to the basement.
 

Once down they could hear a strange voice.
”The boss is itching to avenge the grudge that's been in the family for 13 generations! Gee hee!”
”He's gonna frame the king!” An other voice said. ”Go haw!”
Crono pointed on the floor.
A wounded guard laid there.
Crono draw his weapon.
Marle looked around the corner.
Two big snakes, so called Gnashers, stood there.
”Aahh...” the first one said.
Crono leaped forward and cut it in two pieces.
Marle let an arrow go off and killed the second.
Marle looked at the corpse.
”So there IS a plot! Let's hurry!”
They ran further into the basement.

Meanwhile, in the Court...
A witness had now entered.
It was a merchant.
”I confess. I bought it from the King. He said he needed the cash.”
The King looked at him.
”Liar!! I've never even seen you before!”
Many voices came up from the crowd.
”Order in the court!” The judge said, hitting his hammer against the table.
The Merchant walked up to the Chancellor.
”Heh, heh. Was I convincing?” he whispered.
”Perfect!” the Chancellor whispered back.
The Merchant walked out.

In the basement...
”Naga-ettes!” Crono exclaimed. ”It was a while!”
He slashed one mystic dead.
”How long?” Lucca asked and shoot another one. ”The cathedral?”
Crono nodded.
”Probably...”
Two more came in.
But they got caught by a huge ice block who fell down from the ceiling.
”Let’s go!” Commanded Marle and ran forward.
Crono and Lucca followed closely.
”There!” Lucca said and pointed on a door.
Two gnashers came down from the ceiling.
Marle hit the first one with her crossbow, and kick the second one out of her way.
She entered the door and faced the Rainbow Shell.
”The Rainbow Shell!!”
She ran in.
”Yep...” Crono said as he slashed the last gnasher who tried to attack.
Then he and Lucca ran in too.
Lucca looked into the shell.
”What’s this... a letter?” she picked out a piece of paper from the shell and gave it to Marle.
”To... Marle?”
She opened it.
"Dearest Marle, I know things are tough between you and your father.
But nothing can break your bond of blood. Neither words of anger, nor great distances.
Someday, when you have children, you will understand.
The special bond is a part of a family tree which links us together.
 - Queen Guardia XXI, Leene."
Marle stood freezed like ice for a moment.
Lucca corrected her glasses.
”Boy, can she tell it like it is!!”
Marle nodded.
”Father! Hang in there, we're coming!”
She walked to the Shell and took a shard of it.

At the court....
”Members of the jury...” The judge said. ”If he is guilty, stand to the left.
If innocent, stand to the right.”
The first one came in.
He walked to the judge.
”Guilty!”
He stepped to the left.
The next one came in...

In the basement...
Marle, Crono and Lucca dashed through the tunnels.
Two Naga-ettes showed up.
But our Marle didn’t have time to argue.
The first Naga-ette got an arrow in it’s throat, and the second a sword in it’s chest.
Marle ran up the stairs to the court-room, followed by Crono and Lucca.
The ran straight up to the door.
The Guards were still there.
”Princess, not even you may enter.” One of them said.
”You won’t reconsider?” Marle asked.
”No, Princess.” The guards answered.
Marle turned to Crono and Lucca.
”There is one way... It's a bit rough, but just follow me!”
They ran away.

In the Court had one member voted innocent. The rest guilty.
”The verdict is in!” The judge said. ”Guilty!!!”
The King turned around and looked down.
The Chancellor turned to the judge.
”The Guardia line ends here. The domain shall be mine! Take him away!”
Two guards came in and grabbed him.
They slowly pulled him back.
Then...
”Wait!!!”
The Chancellor looked around, trying to see from where it came.
”Who is it?”
A gray shadow could be seen on the mosaic window in the back.
The person climbed halfway up.
”FATHER!!!” Marle shouted.
Then she crushed the window and jumped straight through.
The jury became so supriced they backed out from the room.
”Nadia!” The King said.
The Chancellor starred on her.
”Princess! Control yourself!”
He looked more majestic on her.
”You're too late! The King's been found guilty. Even kings are subject to our laws.”
Marle turned to him.
”No, this was a setup!”
But the Chancellor was sure.
”Nonsense! The King's a crook!”
”But the treasure is right here!” Marle exclaimed and opened the main door to let Crono and Lucca in. Then she picked up the shard.
”IMPOSSIBLE!” The chancellor exclaimed when he saw it.
”Your little scheme is over, Chancellor!”
The Chancellor turn away.
”Grrr... I mean....uh...”
”Huh?”
”Hee hee hee! It's not the plot you think! I'm here to avenge my ancestors!”
Super, ultra, presto, TRANSFORM-0!!!!!!!!!!”
Flashes came out of him and he slowly transformed into a Yakra looking creature.
The only difference was his skin. It was more blue than Brown this time.
The King fleed out.
”Who’s this?” Crono asked. ”Yakra the XIII?”
Yakra answered by launching some red-brown clouds on Lucca.
She held a hand on her glasses. ”I can’t see!”
Crono helper her to remove the objects.
Meanwhile, Marle attacked with her crossbow.
An arrow hit Yakra, but he didn’t seem to bother.
A new sand blizzard came out of his mouth, hitting Marle this time.
Crono assisted her, while Lucca picked up a bomb from her bag.
She threw it on Yakra, and it exploded with a colorful explosion.
Crono whispered something to Marle, and she nodded.
Ice crystals surrounded her, and she threw the up.
Crono jumped up and caught it with his sword.
With massive power, Crono dived down and drilled the sword into Yakra.
Immediately, Yakra was trapped into an ice Chunk, and Crono circled around it and cut the ice chunk into smaller pieces.
Finally, Crono leaped backward, while the audience cheered.
Lucca picked up a new bomb.
”Fox 2!”
BOOOOM!!!
Yakra was thrown into the wall.
”OOOuurrrrgggg.....”
He jumped up and summoned a Quake into the room.
Crono, Marle and Lucca lost the balance, but were soon up again.
Crono counterattacked with his sword.
Then he jumped forward again, and hover around him with incredible speed, while he slashed Yakra one time, two, three and four!
He jumped back.
”That’ll confuse him.”
”DDDDrrrrroooo.....” Yakra roared and jumped up again.
This quake was stronger then the last one, but Crono, Marle and Lucca took far more to fall.
”Antipode!” Marle gathered all her ice power, on the same time as Lucca used her fire.
The entire room turned red and yellow explosions erupted all around Yakra.
Once Yakra got up, he said:
”Heard about it from the ancestors! You weaknesses are! This is it!”
He fired some black objects from his skin, who flied up and then hit Lucca.
Crono could see how they had transformed into big needles.
But it was a bad hit, and Lucca had the power to summoned powerful fire magic, for Crono to attack with. Crono jumped up and caught the fire coil.
It the same moment, a red cylinder surrounded him and Yakra.
Crono dived down with extreme power and hit Yakra with a mighty blow.
Marle put her cure spell on Lucca, who’s wounds disappear.
Yakra fired some new needles on Lucca, but she was fast enough to evade them.
Crono used his chain lightning spell, and Marle her most powerful ice attack.
”How much does he take?” Crono shouted.
Two new needles came up in the air.
Both hit Lucca.
But again, it was a bad hit, and Lucca’s west took most of the damage.
”I think he like you.” Marle said.
Lucca didn’t answer.
She took up a new bomb.
”Fox 3!”
BOOOOOOM!!!
Once again, Crono jumped up and used Marle’s magic to power up his attack.
But Yakra was alive and well.
An other bomb flied across the room.
Marle fired her crossbow.
It was a perfect hit, right between Yakra’s eyes.
”D... defeated again...” Yakra yelled and fired needles in every direction.
”AAAhh...” Marle yelled as one missed her head with a centimeter.
”Do something!” Crono said.
Marle finished it with an explosive arrow.
Yakra’s body became spread out over the entire room.
”Yuk!” Lucca said as she removed one needle from her helmet.
The King came in and looked around.
Marle holstered her crossbow and looked down.
”Father... I...”
The King looked away.
”No, don't say it. I was wrong to be so stubborn.”
Marle ran to him.
”No, I didn't even think about how you felt.
Um...
I know it in my heart, but the words just come out wrong.”
The King turned to her.
”I too, have that problem. I thought you left me, but realized that it was I, who abandoned you.”
Marle didn’t know what to say. Finally she said...
”But I'm here now. We'll talk about everything that's happened. About Crono, my mother, and...”
The King looked down.
”Your mother...
How sad! It has taken me so long to understand what Aliza meant with her last words.
"Someday when Nadia grows up, she will bring her beloved to meet you. Welcome him warmly.
It will be the day you remember forever." ”
Marle thought for a second.
Then she looked at him.
”You... heard her last words?”
The King looked up.
”Of course! You were so young!
You ran around saying "Daddy, it's fun having all my favorite people here!"
Seeing you so happy, she left us quite peacefully.”
Marle turned around and took a step away. She closed her eyes.
”So that's how it was...”
”Yes, why?”
Marle opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder.
”I used to call you "Daddy"?”
The King nodded.
”You did.”
She walked to him and let his arm around her shoulder.
”I'm sorry... Daddy. I'm really sorry for doubting you.”
Crono had listen very carefully on their conversation, though that it was quite private.
But after a while his eyes caught something glimmy on the floor Yakra dropped...

Later, down in the throne room.
”I'll let you exist the castle, BUT!” The King said. ”...you be careful, now.
Take care of her!”
”Yessir!” Lucca said.
”Don’t worry!” Crono said.
Marle looked at them and smiled.
”By the way...” the King said. ”Wait here a second.”
Marle nodded.
The King walked up on his room and came down with a crossbow.
”Funny you were so skillful on your crossbow...”
Marle grabbed it.
”Careful!” The King said. ”It’s heavy!”
But Marle found no difficulties of carrying it.
”It once belonged to an ancestor of yours. It’s called the Valkyrie. You won’t find a more powerful crossbow.”
Marle looked at it.
”I’ve seen it in your room... But I thought it was fake!”
The King smiled.
”I never let you look closer on it. But now, I would like you to have it. I’d feel more safer then.”
Marle nodded.
”Gee... Thanks dad. You can hang this one up instead.”
Marle handed over her dreambow.
”It’s the one I shoot Yakra with.”
”Ohh...” The King said, supriced by it’s weight.
Then, someone came in.
”It's my turn, now...”
Crono, Lucca and Marle turned around.
”Melchior!”
Melchior made a small laugh.
”Can't let you run the whole show. Let me make some weapons from the Rainbow Shell!
Finally time for me to do somethin'. Watch and learn!”
Crono, Marle and Lucca followed him down to the basement.
Melchior studied the Shell.
”This is a very rare! As armor, it deflects magic!
I can make you one Prism dress, featuring maximum defense.
Or I can make three less-effective prism helms. Which would you prefer?”
Crono thought for a long time.
Then he looked on Marle and her thin outfit.
”Let’s say one Prism Dress.”
Melchior nodded.
”All right! You just wait there!”

Half an hour later.

”There you are!” Melchior said, triumphing.
Marle looked at the armor.
”Awesome! But it’s... so thin!”
Melchior nodded.
”But strong! This one will give you more protection than a steel armor.”
Crono looked at it.
”Cool!”
Melchior looked on the Shell.
”I can’t make more things from it right now. I need something to mix it with.”
”Like what?” Crono asked.
”Like... Some power source of some sort. You heard about the sunstone when you were in Zeal, right?”
Marle nodded.
”Well...” Melchior continued. ”I doubt that you’ll find that one, but if you find any other power source, bring it to me!”
Crono nodded.
”We will!”
He turned to the girls.
”Let’s go.”
They walked out, as Melchior studied the shell more.
”Wait here.” Marle said as when they came up from the basement.
”I’ll go up and change to this.”
Crono nodded.
”Okay. We’ll be in the dinning room.”

”We owe it all to you! Eat what you want!” one of the chefs said.
Crono nodded.
”Oh... We’ll wait for our friend first.”
The chef nodded and got back to work.
Marle came down after not long.
”How do I look?”
Crono watched her.
”Pretty as usual.”
Marle smiled.
”I mean the armor! Can you see it?”
”Barely...” Lucca said. ”You’ve hid it well.”
Marle nodded.
”What’s for food?”
One servant came out.
”We have...
Refresh bread,
Power roast
and
Crono special”
Crono, Marle and Lucca almost jumped up to the ceiling once they heard the last one.
”CRONO SPECIAL?”
”A fine choice.” The servant said. ”This dish is named after a hero from the past!”
The servant went to the kitchen.
Marle looked on Crono and Lucca.
”As always... Crono gets all credit!”
Lucca nodded.
”Yep. I wonder if this is the ‘great dish’ the old chef worked on. The one that needed a great name... Well... It’s better than name it after the knight captain.”
Marle just giggled.
”A hero from the past!”
When the servant came back with the food, they were all laughing.
”Did I say anything funny?”
Marle nodded.
”Yes, you did!”

.
 
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