Chapter 5: The Trial

August 2, 1000

Act One

Crono slept that night in a prison cell. He couldn't believe it. He had just saved the chancellor from being trapped in a treasure chest. True, that had been four hundred years ago, but Chancellor Vanim's behavior still seemed like he had a big gratitude problem.

The next day, Crono was put on a public trial. It was not a good sign; Chancellor Vanim had recently became known for his kangaroo courts.

Gina was there, with tissues in her hand and tears streaming down her cheeks.

Lucca was there as well, seated next to Taban.

Lara was absent, mainly due to her mobility, rather than her disdain for Crono.

The head of government himself was prosecuting the case. Pierre, the public defender, was doing his duty as well.

"May I have the participants?" requested the judge.

"I'm the chancellor, the prosecutor!" announced Vanim.

"I'm the lawyer, Pierre," said Pierre. "I am here to advocate for the defendant, Crono."

"Crono who?" the judge asked.

"He doesn't have a last name," Chancellor Vanim announced. "He was born out of wedlock."

Crono was then led in chains to the court room.

Due to what the chancellor has just said, there was a loud uproar from the crown, where several people let fly an offensive insult that rhymes with 'dastard.'

"Present your case, your excellency," the judge commanded.

"Members of the court," began Chancellor Vanim, "we now bring forth the defendant, Crono, who is charged with abducting Princess Nadia. What shall we do with him? Fire, perhaps? Hang him upside down for a few years? Or shall we employ the scaffold? You, the jury, shall decide his fate. Now, let us begin."

"Crono, you are hereby ordered to tell the truth!" commanded the judge. "Public defender, your case."

"Crono is charged with 'Premeditated Abduction of Royalty,'" Pierre began. "The question is, did he kidnap Princess Nadia? The answer? No, he did not. In fact, no 'abduction' took place! The two met completely by accident. In fact, the princess asked Crono if she could join him!"

"Is this true?" inquired Vanim. "Who actually started this whole mess?"

"Technically, it was me," Crono began, "but-"

"Just as I suspected!" the chancellor interjected. "The defendant deliberately tried to get near the princess! The Princess then innocently followed you to one Lucca Ashtear's little sideshow. Whereupon you both disappeared! If that wasn't criminal abduction, I don't know what is! And I have facts that throw the defendant's character into question!"

"Objection!" shouted Pierre. "This can't have any relevance whatsoever to this case!"

"Care to respond, chancellor?" the judge offered.

"Crono's character is at the very core of this case!" Vanim insisted.

"Overruled," the judge announced.

"We have nothing to hide," Pierre insisted. "We have a witness. A little girl who will vouch for the character of the defendant."

A moment later, a familiar-looking girl appeared in the courtroom.

"This nice man," the girl began, "he brought me my kitty. Thank you for being so kind!"

"How about that?" Pierre informed the seven jurors, who were sitting nearby. "Doesn't this young man deserve a medal?" He then looked at Crono as if to say, "Looks like they're buying it." He then turned to the jury once more. "The issue here is motive. Was there any motive for this fine citizen to kidnap Princess Nadia? No! There was none."

"What about ransom?" Vanim inquired. "Crono, her fortune did tempt you, did it not?"

"No," Crono replied.

"Are you sure?" Vanim pressed. "You really weren't tempted?"

"Not at all," Crono insisted.

"That's enough," sighed Vanim. "I have no more questions."

"It is evident that my client is a fine, noble young man!" Pierre announced. "Your honor, the defense rests."

"Members of the jury," began the judge, "if he is guilty, stand to the left. If innocent, stand to the right."

The seven jurors came forward one by one and produced their unanimous opinion: not guilty.

"What?!" exclaimed Chancellor Vanim.

"Order in the court!" demanded the judge as he pounded his gavel. "A verdict has been reached! The verdict is not guilty!"

Taban and Lucca began to applaud, and Gina put her face in her hands and began to cry happy tears.

Then, the judge pounded the gavel again.

"But," he continued, "the fact remains that even if he did not kidnap her, he ran off with her. Three days solitary confinement as punishment."

Taban, Lucca, and Gina froze in horror.

"Take him away!" ordered Vanim.

At that moment, a familiar face appeared in the court room.

"Now just a darn minute!" Marle demanded.

"Princess!" shouted Vanim.

And then, King Guardia XXXIII appeared.

"That's enough, my dear!" he ordered.

"But, Father!" Marle pleaded.

"All I asked was for you to behave like a princess," the king snapped. "Even royalty must obey rules. Leave the rest up to the chancellor and forget about the events in town. We're leaving!"

Chancellor Vanim snapped his fingers.

On cue, two guards seized Crono by the arms, and dragged him away.

"Crono!" cried Marle as he disappeared down the hall.

LATER...

Crono was immediately dragged to the west wing of the castle. He was taken across the bridge and directly to the prison supervisor.

"This terrorist has tried to overthrow our kingdom!" Chancellor Vanim announced. "He has been found guilty, and you must now carry out his sentence."

"So this is the monster who kidnapped the princess!" the supervisor observed.

"The execution is three days away," Vanim informed him. "Do not let him out of your sight!"

"Execution?!" exclaimed the baffled supervisor. "Strange, but I don't seem to recall hearing anything about an execution."

"What?!" exclaimed Vanim. "How dare you question me! The paperwork's probably just been held up in the system!"

"Understood, sir!" the supervisor corrected himself. "Guards! Take the prisoner away!

Act Two

Crono sat alone in his cell.

Three days until the execution.

At first, he had thought Chancellor Vanim was simply paranoid. It was, however, quite obvious that he was spiteful.

He then saw the sealed burlap sack in his cell.

"Some sympathizers brought that stuff for you, you lousy felon," the guard informed him.

There was some fruit and meat inside. Knowing it would spoil, Crono opted to eat all of it.

He wouldn't live to starve to death anyway.

August 3, 1000

Two days until the execution.

Crono thought about his mother. She wouldn't be a mother much longer. What tore him up inside was the fact that she had given up the past seventeen years of her life for him. Now, it would all be in vain.

He thought about Lucca. She had been good to him his entire life, being his best friend and cousin. And, of course...no, it was too late now. He would never be able to acknowledge that to her.

August 4, 1000

One day until the execution.

Crono thought about Marle. It was a chance encounter at the Fair that had started it all. He had encountered new people all the time, but this time, it was different. He didn't realize it until she had disappeared; he liked her. And, as he found out right before their fatal return to the castle, she liked him, too.

And she wanted to be more than friends.

And she was famous.

Crono had never thought that someone famous would ever have the hots for him.

August 5, 1000

And then, finally, the day arrived.

Crono was droning by the time the warden approached the cell with two soldiers.

"We're here to take you to your place of execution," the warden announced. "Come along."

Crono duly went along. He had no escape; his sword had been confiscated, and he was surrounded by two armed soldiers. At least a beheading would be significantly less painful.

I saw him as he was being led to his death. His head was down, and he seemed thinner. Had I not been bounded in a scaffold myself, I would have felt sorry for him.

They took him to the room behind me. I heard them bound him in.

"We've sharpened up the guillotine," the warden announced. "Any last words?"

I grimaced, mainly because I knew I was next.

It was then that I saw Lucca charging into the room, carrying some kind of mallet. She darted right past me and into where Crono was being executed.

"Lucca?!" I heard him exclaim.

"Crono!" I heard her reply. "I've come to save you!"

"Who the heck are you?!" I heard the warden exclaimed.

"Get outta my way!" sounded Lucca's voice. "Take five, you mugs!"

I hear three thwacks, followed be three thuds.

"So, what do you think of my Zonker-38?" asked Lucca as she proudly flaunted her mallet. "Pretty cool, huh? Let's blow this joint!"

Lucca quickly untied Crono and tossed him his sword. They then returned to the room that I was in.

"Help me!" I begged.

"No problem!" Crono assured me as he cut my bounds loose and helped me to my feet.

"You're a life saver!" I said to him. "I'm Fritz. My dad runs a store in Truce village. Stop by if you're in the area."

"I would run now if I was you," Crono warned. "Everyone will be looking for me."

"Good call!" I said to him.

And off I ran.

Crono and Lucca began to run out of the dungeon. They ran and ran until they reached the castle again, only to find the supervisor laying unconscious on the floor.

"He passed out," Crono observed.

"This is what happens to fools who challenge the mighty Lucca!" she cackled.

They ran through the next doorway to find the bridge.

Halfway across, a rumbling sound began.

"What was that?" Lucca asked.

Suddenly, a wooden statue on wheels appeared from the other side, with an unpleasant, familiar face following behind.

"Forward, Dragon Tank!" Chancellor Vanim commanded. "Crush those rebels!"

"Now we're in trouble!" Lucca muttered.

Act Three

"This is your last chance!" warned Chancellor Vanim. "Surrender at once!"

"Will you still execute me?" Crono demanded.

"Yes," Vanim nonchalantly replied.

"Forget it, then!" Crono dismissed as he took his sword, charged the Dragon Tank, and sliced off its head.

Just then, two soldiers appeared.

"They got the Dragon Tank!" Vanim protested. "Fix it! Quickly!"

Suddenly, the bridge began to creak.

"That's not good!" Crono announced.

He and Lucca darted past Vanim, just as the dragon tank literally collapsed under its own weight, taking a portion of the bridge with it.

Looking back, Crono could see the chancellor and the two soldiers hanging on for dear life.

"Don't fool yourselves into thinking you've gotten away with this!" Vanim shouted.

"Speaking of us getting away..." Crono taunted as he and Lucca disappeared down the stairs.

When they reached the bottom, more soldiers were awaiting them.

"They're escaping!" one of them shouted.

"We have no choice but to break through!" Lucca announced.

Together, she and Crono pushed their bodies through the soldiers and continued their run until they were outside the front entrance to the castle.

Soldiers soon filed out the castle doors.

"They're escaping!" one of them repeated.

"Stop!" cried a familiar voice.

The soldiers stopped, and knelt.

Crono smiled; this voice was soothing.

A voice he had been waiting to hear.

Soon, Marle, dressed in a royal gown, appeared from behind the soldiers.

"Princess Nadia!" one of the soldiers exclaimed.

"This is my friend!" Marle snapped. "Show him your respect!"

"But..." began one of the soldiers.

"Can't you take orders?" warned Marle.

"Of course!" the soldier replied.

Just then, the castle doors opened. Out came the heads of state and government.

"Hold it right there!" commanded Chancellor Vanim. "Do as King Guardia XXXIII says!"

"Father," Marle began to plead.

"Silence, Princess Nadia!" the king retorted. "The throne comes before your personal wishes!"

"What!?" exclaimed Marle. "Just because I have a title doesn't mean I'm not a person!"

"You pick up strange ideas venturing outside!" the king observed.

"I didn't 'pick up' anything!" Marle snapped. "It's called 'common sense!'"

"Princess Nadia!" demanded the king.

"I despise you!" hissed Marle as she slipped out of her dress, revealing her usual white attire. "I'm leaving!"

"Princess Nadia!" demanded Vanim.

"Come on, Crono!" Marle commanded as she led him and Lucca into the woods.

"Don't just stand there!" shouted Vanim. "After them!"

Meanwhile, King Guardia lowered his head.

"Princess Nadia," he somberly muttered.

MEANWHILE...

Crono, Marle, and Lucca ran through the woods. All they would have to do was make it out of there. They would run straight for the Zenan bridge; once they crossed it, they would be out of Guardia's jurisdiction. Hopefully, Porre would give them asylum.

But they were on the run; they had no time to stop and think carefully. It was unknown which turn they missed, but they soon found themselves surrounded by rock walls on three sides.

"We're trapped!" Crono sighed.

Just then, Chancellor Vanim and a group of soldiers began to appear.

"There they are!" shouted one of the soldiers.

"Don't lose 'em!" shouted another.

"There's no escape!" shouted a third.

"Silence!" shouted a fourth.

"Looks like a dead end!" cried Marle.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Lucca noticed a blue sphere begin to react to her red key.

"A Gate!" Lucca exclaimed.

"Come on!" Marle commanded as she ran toward the Gate.

"But we don't know where it'll take us!" Lucca warned.

"Who cares?!" Marle dismissed. "This place stinks, anyway!"

"Princess Nadia!" the chancellor reprimanded.

"This is completely irrational," Lucca muttered as she eyed the gate.

"Hurry, Crono!" Marle pleaded.

Crono immediately ran toward the Gate.

"Princess, move away from that hoodlum!" Vanim commanded.

Lucca pulled out her red key.

The gate opened.

Crono, Marle, and Lucca stepped in.

The Gate closed.

Chancellor Vanim was suddenly alone with his guards.

"They…disappeared!" he exclaimed.