Chrono Trigger
The Battle and What came of it; the gigantic scope of the battle is revealed and Crono has regrets for his part in the battle…
The dense forest began to clear and when it did there was a tumultuous noise that greeted them all. Marle and Lucca looked upwards and saw all different kinds of people waving and applauding their return. Evidently the results of the battle were quickly known to the people and they came to cheer their protectors. It was a grand improvised ceremony; men threw rice into the air while rose petals fell from above. Streamers and banners draped from the fortifications of the castle. There were already signs of a future celebration as bonfires were erected with musicians playing music.
Marle could not help but smile despite her exhaustion. She looked around herself and felt the sincere and genuine applause that she had desired all her life. Until this moment she had never felt so important or vital. Although in her home she was the princess she felt far from important. She felt more like a pawn than a person born into power. She could remember the times she attended ceremonies and she could hear the pretended applause of those who whispered about her tomboyish acts. It was something that bore under her skin greatly, and she learned never to tolerate it nor reenact it under any circumstances. She was not fond of liars, and she was proud to say that she could spot a liar a mile away, although it usually seemed she was aloof. That was how she knew the applause was genuine, as well as the smiling faces that did not see her as a fragile flower. In other words she felt like Crono when he was knighted, as if she were in some pleasant dream.
Lucca was happy as well, but she could not help but glance over at Crono every other second. He walked as if he were like an old horse; his head looked down to the ground as his feet plodded up the castle stairs. He did not look left or right to the throngs of people that admired or fancied him. Instead, he seemed as if he wanted to be far away from this. His eyes held no mirth, but looked sagged and tired. It was a rare thing for Lucca to see him so upset. It also did not suit Crono and his current situation as well. To her understanding of his childhood wishes she thought that he wanted the strength that he had. Even she, one of the heroes, was awed as she watched him move through the enemy. Since he had been a child he dreamed of defending king and country. It was bewildering to her that he was not bounding up and down the steps out of joviality as he did before when they defeated Yarka.
"Ah, sir Crono!"
It was the first time since they left the battlefield that Crono actually looked up. She knew that Crono had thought of the same thing, because he rolled his neck in a bid to rid himself of any cricks. He was facing the chancellor who took his hand enthusiastically. Crono was smiling now, but Lucca could see that it was a forced one. Lucca took a quick look to the others and it was then, she realized, that she was the only one who noticed.
"It is good to see you again, chancellor."
"I agree, but I wish I could greet you under merrier circumstances."
"What do you mean?" Crono asked, his weak smile already fading.
"The king has summoned you to his quarters. He has something he wishes to discuss with you."
Crono seemed passive for a moment, but then said with impatience, "Couldn't it wait until tomorrow?"
"I know you are tired from the battle, but all men of importance have been summoned. Just because the battle at Zenan Bridge has been won doesn't mean the war is over yet."
Crono looked incredulous but shook his head disagreeably and muttered, "Fine, take us where we need to go."
The chancellor did not seem angry, but merely uncertain and confused as he motioned for them to follow. They entered the castle and a group of soldiers shut the massive gates behind them, almost silencing the continual cheers completely. It felt nice to be inside again, and they could already feel the numbness from the cold disappear. There were still more people inside who were lords and ladies. Marle and Lucca smiled excitedly, seeing that they bowed respectively while Crono and Robo were unresponsive. As they went through the castle they saw a further absence of people and guards in their place. Finally, they reached a pair of stately soldiers guarding a door. They bowed politely and stepped aside, allowing them to pass.
When the door opened the noise of clamor started up once again. First it was a gentle murmur of discussion, but once their presence was noted it turned into a congratulatory round of applause. Once again, Marle and Lucca smiled warmly while Crono went to his seat as fast as he could. It wasn't until he had a seat that Crono looked around the table. Among the group of people there he was surprised to see the very soldier that volunteered them for service.
"Toma?" Crono began incredulously, "You aren't a knight or an advisor; what are you doing here?"
"That is something you are going to found out eventually, eh Sir Crono?" He said this with a wink that Crono found congenial, but he was still annoyed.
Marle and Lucca had their seats while Robo stood. (He somehow quickly said to Lucca that "the device in question was not suitable in durability to withstand his mass." Lucca had to fight very hard not to laugh). Meanwhile, Crono had his arms crossed and a deathly serious expression on his face that hinted he expected something he did not want to accept. It was at that time that the king entered the room and it all came to a revered silence. It was quiet enough to hear the gentle shuffling of feet and the chair squeaking under the king as he took his seat. "My loyal friends, a tragedy has been averted." A strange tradition made itself manifest as the group around the table pounded their fists on the table before resuming their silence. Evidently it was a sign of unanimous agreement since the king continued. "Perhaps it was not known to all of you, but there were deeper schemes behind this attack. It seems that we were not the only kingdom subjected to this terror."
"Your majesty," began a counselor, "what could possibly be more nefarious than the battle that had taken place?"
While that meeting occurred there was another meeting being held miles from the castle and beyond the churning ocean. It was past insurmountable cliffs and beyond a dark forest where defeated demons trod. Past the forest there was a monumental castle. It was a truly terrifying thing to see at night. Mystics who resembled the stereotypical bloodthirsty monsters of fairy tales and fables were very real here. This was a hunted place where the darkest acts were performed and tortures beyond flesh and bone were commenced again and again. Dark chanting echoed up the unholy walls of this palace until it became a barely audible chorus to a certain tower. Inside that tower was the very meeting which took on a much more morbid tone.
"Master, please forgive my rashness. Please make me suffer no more." A cowering green monster feebly crawled on his hands and knees.
"Silence, fool." The voice held no forgiveness or sympathy. "Accept your punishment, for you are worthy of it."
A pair of glowing red eyes narrowed as Magus rose his gloved hand. Ozzie shrank back like a stricken dog at the sight of that hand and gaped in pain and terror. He had anticipated the pain and relived it so vividly it almost felt as if it had already happened. The true pain did not begin until Magus clenched his hand so tightly that it began to quiver. "My orders were simple, Ozzie." The cold voice sounded calm as if it were chastising a child. As the hand underneath the glove shook Ozzie's eyes went wide with pain and terror. Ozzie doubled over, convulsing on the floor while he yelped in pain. Even for a creature so cruel and wicked, this was a horrible thing to befall him. His legs kicked uncontrollably as he futilely tried to quell his suffering. At the height of his pain his back arched and his pupils contracted so that they were barely larger than pinpoints. His breathing became shallow and frantic as if he had been run through by a dull sword. His pain did not end until Magus unclenched his hand. Even then, it was some time until Ozzie was able to right himself and he did so, slowly.
Ozzie wiped a line of blood from his chin while his lip quivered, "My master, please forgive your foolish servant! It was not my fault! It was…"
Magus clenched his hand only for a moment, sending needles of pain jetting throughout Ozzie's entire body. A line of blood came from his nose as well as his lip this time. "It was your fault." Magus began again, "I gave you specific orders to hold them at the bridge. Blood was what I needed and you have inadvertently delivered those to be sacrificed from my hands."
"What do you mean?" Ozzie asked tremblingly, holding back tears.
"The whole purpose of stationing ourselves at the bridge was not to invade their land, but to prevent Guardia from sending assistance to other nations."
"What?" Ozzie said, realizing in fullness his folly.
"Had we held Guardia at bay our other armies would have attacked the other nations unhindered. It is not only blood that sustains Lavos. It is the pain that awakens his fury and drives him mad! The blood spared by your mistake has cost us the war and Lavos' creation."
"Sir, forgive me!" Ozzie prostrated himself on the ground.
"Right yourself, Ozzie. Stand as a general should, not as the coward you are." Magus was no longer watching Ozzie, but his gaze was directly behind him. The gaze was focused on two figures who emerged from the darkness, only to bow respectfully to Magus. He acknowledged them with a nod.
The two figures looked sideways to Ozzie with a strange air of satisfaction and sympathy. They also trembled when they realized Magus knew the thoughts of their hearts when he saw them look at their comrade. He pierced them with his gaze and their composure instantly crumbled. A tall and lean Mystic with purplish scaly skin averted his gaze by staring at his feet while his accomplice, a beautiful red-haired Mystic that appeared human, stammered a weak salutation.
"Flea, you were under assignment to attack Porre once I had returned to the castle. Can you please tell me what happened?"
Flea gave an apologetic look Ozzie before continuing, "We marched on Porre and forced the citizens inside the castle. They mounted a defense, but their walls were crumbling. Had we more time we could have mustered a complete invasion, but within a few hours we were attacked by Guardia from the rear."
"And Slash," Magus began with a dangerous look towards Ozzie, "You were to attack the city by the Denadoro mountains. What happened?"
Slash swallowed and for a moment thought of different words to say before Magus gave him a chilling glance, "We were surrounded within the hour. The Guardian troops were swift. If we were not so close to the caverns all would have perished."
Magus rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger, "I see. I suppose you both know the reason for the death of all your countrymen. However, I see that does not move you. I see that you are angry because your deaths were nearly the result of his fault." The pair looked at Ozzie helplessly. "Blood is what I needed." Magus began. In a flash there was the sound of scraping metal and the flash of a scythe. Ozzie gasped as he felt something cold and sharp against his neck. "I doubt it would be enough, but the blood of a frightened fool would be a good start."
"Master, we would not have been able to win the battle anyway! There were giants among men fighting in the battle!" Ozzie said weakly, almost imploringly.
"Giants you say?" Magus turned to him with a skeptical look. "How are they giants?"
"They used magic, sire!" Ozzie said, relief starting to show itself, "and one with the blade was a strong as any swordsman! Even my magic was not sufficient."
"You ran, you mean." Magus began, smoothly moving the scythe so that it barely made a cut. Ozzie clenched his teeth. "I am the only human able to manipulate the elements. There is no other."
"I swear upon my life, my master!" Ozzie bowed, "I swear upon my head that they did!"
"Your life and whatever may be in your head amounts to very little." Magus said curtly, "If you are to swear upon something, swear upon something of value."
"If you do not believe me, then please talk to Slash and Flea! They will confirm the truth."
The ever discerning eyes went to the trembling pair. "Master," Slash began, "we have lost the battle on the bridge because of Ozzie and his foolishness. However, it is true that there were warriors that fought as you have done."
Magus' eyes narrowed, "Was it the work of that accursed knight?"
"No, sire." Slash bowed. "They were wearing no armor and they dressed as peasants, although the make of their clothes are that of which I have never seen in my life."
"Different clothes?" The scythe dropped from Ozzie's neck and it was used to support Magus' weight instead.
"Yes sir," Slash said as Ozzie slumped to the ground, "their appearance was different, just as yours the day we found you."
A cruel smile formed on Magus' lips and it was far more unnerving than his deadpan guise. "Perhaps we shall have no need to spill your blood after all, Ozzie."
"Were they truly planning on conquering us all?" A knight asked, recovering from his brief ineloquence.
"We have known that their feelings of hatred were strong, but not so strong as to completely obliterate all of human society." The king said quietly.
"This cannot stand!" The chancellor began, his short body leaning against the table as he pounded on the surface, "We must put an end to this now!"
The king shook his head, "We cannot send our army. The enemy would see our number and the war would only end in utter devastation. We do not know how much more power they have on their homeland. If we struggled to end them here, surely we would lose to them there."
"Then what can be done?" A knight growled. "We cannot allow them to recover! We must strike while they are weak! I would gladly give my life to Guardia!"
"I know that, brave knight." The king sighed, "So would many others, but charging blindly into battle is useless."
"So, what shall we do?"
"A group can be seen. We must send someone to act as assassins and end this menace before he rallies the Mystics to anger once more."
This plausible and sound suggestion was greeted with argument and dislike. Crono could hear within the chorus of disagreements certain statements that created questions in his mind. "That has failed before" or "Must we suffer more brothers like Cyrus to die?"
"Cyrus?" Crono pondered, "Where have I heard that name before?"
The king silenced the congregation with a wave of his hand, "We have no choice. I ask that everyone here realize I mean no offense, but not a single one of you is capable of defeating Magus." The room was silent in agreement. "However, I feel that our visitors may stand a chance." A knowing silence engulfed the room.
That moment Crono expected had come, "So, you want us to do your dirty work for you then?" Crono said between his teeth.
"Crono…" Marle said with a tone of warning and confusion.
The king looked taken aback, "We have asked a lot of you, I understand, but you are the only hope we have. I was informed that you were attacked by the second in command; General Ozzie. I heard that you drove him back. Not even my best legion could accomplish such a thing, and you did it with swords dancing all around you. Your friends can heal the injured, punch through steel, conjure fire in their very fingers, who else could we ask?"
"You can't just rely on us for everything!" Crono shouted, his palms slamming on the table top. He pointed a finger towards the king, "You think just because you knighted me that I can do whatever you say? Do you realize what I have risked? Do you realize what I have done? Don't you realize that…" His voice faltered, silenced by his own thoughts. He slowly sat down and hung his head.
"He is a traitor for the Mystics!" A knight began. "He refutes his majesty!" Chimed in another.
"FOOLS! ALL OF YOU!"
The entire room was silent and this time there were no gentle shuffles of feet or clothing. Everyone was still as if the slightest movement would be devastating to their health. The king stood upright and his cheeks flushed while his chin quivered in anger. "He has fought and killed the enemy!" Crono's hand went to his forehead as the king said this. "How forgetful can my own knights be? How much more proof do you need before you see that these are friends of Guardia? Who shall go in their place if they are the traitors? Not a single one of you? Then perhaps you should all think twice before you offer up your criticisms to the very people who have even been considered for this task." The knights hung their heads in shame.
There was a prolonged moment of awkward silence before Lucca stood and said, "Your majesty, may we sleep and think it over?"
"You may." The king nodded. "Remember, if you assist us you shall be a friend of Guardia forever. Go and rest. You have earned it."
The gratitude that Marle had felt nearly vanished as she wondered what had happened. Truly, Crono would not be so argumentative unless he had a good reason. Or would he? There were many things she wanted to say; pointed things and questions about why he acted in such a way when it was an obvious choice. Whenever she felt the urge to say anything she would look over to Crono and lose all heart. Although his demeanor was stony and silent, his growing sorrow was almost palpable. She could not understand what had so unnerved him.
Lucca did not walk by Crono's side as she wanted, but watched Marle and Crono from behind. She could see Marle shooting occasional glances and periodically see her open her mouth only to have nothing come out. She knew that Marle wanted to know what Lucca wanted to know. Ironically, it was the robot that did what the humans wanted the most.
"Crono, why did you act in such a manner?"
Crono did not look up, but answered in a hallow tone, "Act like what?"
"Magus is our goal and we received the support of an entire country. Isn't that what we wanted?"
Crono shook his head and said, "I don't know right now."
"I think that is…" Marle began, her words suddenly finding volume. However, she was silenced as Lucca's hand clenched her shoulder. "Never mind."
They had walked up the stairways that Marle vaguely knew. Although the shape of this castle was nearly identical to hers, seeing everything is different colors and placement made the whole of it unfamiliar. It wasn't until she saw the large hallway that she remembered where this was. When she did she nearly squealed in delight. Lucca and Robo looked at her inquisitively, but soon the cause of her excitement was obvious. They passed a room in the hallway with an open door and saw the interior was massive. It seemed as if the interior gleamed in their passing, but that was because everything was exquisite in detail and preparation. If the king was sincere in his begging for assistance it was made known. He had let them room in the chambers of the castle reserved for guests of great importance.
Think about it! We can sleep under blankets and on beds tonight!" Marle's eyes glazed over in anticipation.
"Obviously you forgot about Alwyn." Lucca laughed, "He had beds too."
A door slammed.
The three looked behind them and saw that Crono went into a room. They gave each other skeptical glances before Marle shrugged and said, "Yeah, but those beds were for imps. Too small. My legs fell asleep when we stayed there!"
"Do you think Crono is okay?" Lucca asked.
"I don't know. Maybe he's tired." Marle said worriedly before yawning. "Speaking of which, I'm tired too. We better sleep it over and then he can talk in the morning." With that she walked into a room that was next to Crono's. Lucca was never sure if she did this on purpose or not.
"Well, I really have no need for rehabilitative facilities, but I will humor the people here and use a room for my power save mode."
Lucca gave him an odd look and said, "Yeah, sure. You do that Robo." He stomped off to a random room down the hall, but he chose one further away for some odd reason.
"Why would he go that far down the hall?" Lucca asked herself. She shook this from her head and went into the room across from Crono's, and to her knowledge it was slightly on purpose. As the door closed behind her she sighed deeply, feeling a strange gleam of excitement. It was nice and cozy in that room although the fire was now reduced to glowing embers with scattered flames. She was also rejoicing with herself when she saw that a warm bath had been prepared in an adjoining room. (And in the older days this was not an easy task, seeing that water had to be heated and carried upstairs). Without as much as another thought she made herself comfortable and washed off the grime that had built up after the trials of the day. She dressed herself in gold colored robes that were laid out for her. They were rather conservative and thick, but still comfortable. (These robes were made of the lightest and finest silk). She brushed the knots out of her hair and then took a running dive into the pile of blankets and pillows. It had seemed like ages since she slept in any bed, let alone a fancy one like this. She breathed in deeply and exhaled, letting her body sink into the bed.
One might wonder why she did not pace back and forth and wonder about Crono and his sudden depression, but in reality it was nagging at the back of her mind. All the things that she had done were meant to occupy her thoughts and get it out of her mind, but the feeling that gnawed at her stomach grew larger and larger until she was flailing in annoyance on her bed. It was almost as if she were trying to exorcise these feelings by exhausting herself. She let her limbs go limp as she breathed in deeply again, turning to her side and toying with her strands of black hair. "Why in the world do I want to bother him so much?" She sighed again, but turned onto her back and looked at the ceiling.
"He did seem sad today. Why shouldn't you go see if he is doing alright?" Lucca's mind began.
"Yeah," Lucca said to herself, "why shouldn't I go visit him?" She thought for a moment and then said in frustrated tone, "Ah, he's probably asleep now. It's been a few hours."
"That never stopped you two before. Don't you remember when you two were young you would sneak out in the middle of the night and go scavenging for seashells on the beach?"
Lucca blushed, but smiled as she remembered it, "Yeah, I suppose I did. But things are different now."
"What's so different?" Her mind asked.
"We are older now. We can't do stupid things like that anymore. Besides, he would probably get angry if I did. He seemed so upset…" that nagging feeling came to the pit of her stomach again.
"Don't you see? You won't sleep until you find out what's wrong. You're worried, but you don't want to admit it."
"Ha," Lucca scoffed at herself, "honestly. Crono never gets depressed so much that he needs my help. It's usually the other way around. Crono has always helped me out, but what can I do for him?
"I suppose you are right."
"Yeah, I am." Lucca said to herself again.
"Well, how about I get some sleep then? It should be a big day tomorrow."
"Well, maybe I can read for a little bit. I just can't seem to go to sleep right now."
"Well, why not just see if Crono is awake or not? Why not ask him for a reason why he acted the way he did?"
"No, things are different! Things are weird now!" She said exasperatedly.
"How so?"
Lucca rolled her eyes and slid her feet over the side of the bed. She put on a pair of slippers that lay on the floor. "Ugh, I probably won't give up until I at least see how he's doing. He's probably going to think I'm crazy. Alright, fine." She grunted as she pushed herself up from the bed and went to the door. She breathed in as if she were afraid the slightest sound would wake up the entire castle and she turned the door knob slowly. The door creaked much louder than she wanted, so she slid sideways through the crevice. She looked up and down the hall and didn't see a single soul. She went across the hallway and knocked on the door gently with the back of her hand. She looked to the threshold and saw that light was coming from underneath the door.
"Hmm, so he is either awake or he fell asleep with the lights on. If that's the case I should probably go in and blow out the lamps." She slowly pushed the door open and peered inside.
She could hear something although it was faint. She could tell that the shape of the room was different from her own, because the light came from what sounded like a fireplace. The flame bounced about, casting its shadows in strange shapes while Crono's slumped figure sat on a couch with his back to Lucca. She imagined that the sound was the fireplace and she slowly pushed the door further open. Suddenly she stopped and peered closer to Crono. The flames from the fire seemed to make his outline shake. As she peered closer she realized that his shoulders were shaking. She felt her heart drop when she saw the backside of his hand brush against his cheek. The light of the fire caused whatever was on his cheek to glimmer.
"Is he crying? No. He couldn't be…"
The noise she heard was suddenly discernable as soft sobbing and sniffling. A hand went to her chest in surprise and something else that she could not explain. I suppose that even I could not fully comprehend the emotion she felt, but it was powerful enough to cause Lucca to stop where she was. She could not make up her mind to leave or stay. If one were to feel what it would be like to turn to stone, one would only have to put itself in her position. No matter what her heart or brain told her, she could not move.
The silhouette's head shot upward, "Is someone there?"
What a horrifying predicament! At that moment Lucca felt herself tear in two. The feuding sides battled against each other, but both knew it was too late for any other action. She had been spotted and dashing out of the room would be the worst choice to make. The silhouette's head tilted, "Lucca? Is that you?" The silhouette's hands quickly and secretly rubbed its eyes.
"Uh, yes it's me." At least she had voice.
Although she could not see it, she knew Crono quickly put on a smile, "Oh, come have a seat. I was just thinking."
"Oh great, now I can move." Lucca thought sarcastically as she walked towards the couch.
She looked at Crono and could not help but smile back. She knew his smile was only partially genuine, but it had been years since she had seen him like this. He had dressed in his bedtime robes as well, his hair still slightly wet from the bath that he took. There was hardly a time when Lucca saw him without spikes, but there was a strange softness that surrounded him as his locks fell over his eyes. He almost seemed like a child again and Lucca suddenly felt easier and more confident as she had her seat.
Crono sat with his legs crossed while Lucca held her knees to her chest. For a time they sat in front of the fire and watched the logs until they eventually burned away and toppled over in a splash of fiery embers. They could feel the intense heat on their foreheads and noses, even from a distance, but they did not mind. Slowly, Lucca felt all her apprehension disperse and she felt pleasantly nostalgic. Meanwhile, Crono's brow furrowed as if he were deep in thought, as if he were thinking in his mind. Lucca had noticed, but was not sure if she should ask.
"I never told my mom, you know." Crono said abruptly.
"What?" Lucca leaned over.
"I never told her about traveling through time. I never told her about Lavos. I just couldn't do it." He stared into the fire, almost purposefully, afraid to look at anything else.
"Why would you not tell her?" Lucca began, almost wanting to admonish him. When she looked at him she suddenly realized it was not her place. "I'm sorry." She said hesitantly. "I suppose you did the right thing."
"Do you think so?" Crono asked in a funny tone, as if he suspected doubt in himself.
"Nobody knows your mom better than you." Lucca said with a smile.
"You're right, I guess." Crono only glanced over for a moment and then stared into the fire.
There was another moment of silence, but once again there was a palpable emotion that came from Crono. Lucca could almost see him squirm as words battled within his head. She did not enjoy it, but only wished she knew what he was thinking. Suddenly, she had a memory of a night long ago where she and Crono sat on a sandy beach by his home. They were children then and she squirmed in the same way. Someone had picked on her in school and it was the first time she ever fought back. It was a stunning thing for all the children to see back then. Even Crono was amazed. However, it was not because she was suddenly brave that she fought for herself. The reason was quite different, and one she never wanted to reflect on.
She thought back briefly to the most horrible moment in her life. She was only a little girl when something happened to her mother that was so terrible it scarred her for years. Only months after that horrible occurrence she was teased by her schoolmate. Suddenly she did not want to be protected. She did not want to Crono to fight off her offenders. After she was punished Crono offered to walk her home, but took her to the seaside instead. They sat there for hours until Lucca broke down and cried, unburdening her soul and crying about how responsible she felt for what happened. Is this how it felt whenever Crono listened to her? Could it be possible that the very feelings she had for him now were feelings that he had back then? She was not certain, but she knew that eventually he would tell her his problems. That was what he had done.
"You were always right, you know." He gave her a melancholy smile.
"What do you mean?" Lucca asked.
"Remember when we all fought with each other in the dome? Remember how you said we should have gone back and forgot everything?"
"Yes." Lucca replied softly, slightly embarrassed with that cowardly memory.
"You did not mean to say it like that, did you? You knew then that we would affect time in uncertain ways, didn't you?" His melancholy smile had teeth now.
Lucca said nothing.
Crono stared at the fire again, "And I didn't even try to be fair to you. I just didn't want to think that our world ended. I didn't think about the consequences or what could…" He stifled a sob and blushed.
"Crono?" Lucca asked, her hand slowly reaching out for his shoulder.
"…or what would happen if we interfered." His thumb and forefinger rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Are you saying that you're unsure about all this? Are you saying we should stop hunting for Lavos?" Lucca said firmly enough.
"No." Crono said with a frustrated tone. "I'm saying I should've listened to you! I should've tried to understand what point you were trying to make instead of simply choosing sides like I did. I mean, do you know what just happened today?" His voice began to break and rise in volume. "How can we know if we are doing the right thing? You knew back then and I didn't listen to you! Why didn't I listen to you when I knew that you are always right when it comes to things like this? Why did I have to be so stupid?" Tears were streaming down his cheeks now. "Why did I have to rush onto that bridge and start killing Mystics left and right? What the hell did I do Lucca? I didn't just kill those Mystics. I killed their future children, their grandchildren! I could've killed…"
"Who, Crono?" Lucca asked, scooting nearer putting her arm around his shoulder as he did for her countless times.
He looked up and at her and suddenly it all came out in a hushed and quivering shadow of a whisper. "I killed Alwyn."
He buried his head into her shoulder and started to cry without restraint as Lucca felt her own tears build up under her closed eyelids. Had Crono been the only one to think of that? Had he been the only one to truly sympathize with his enemies? Just how kind-hearted was he? Lucca hugged him tighter and his tears only stained her golden robe, but she did not care. She whispered to him softly as she told him that if history had truly changed then he could not even remember Alwyn's name. Just as suddenly he returned her embrace and continued to cry as she cooed constant comforts. They stayed together like that for some time and suddenly the informalities between them disappeared. All that was left was their bond as Lucca finally had the privilege to do what Crono had done for her so many times.
In some small way she was finally able to help him.