Chapter 3 / Trial, Execution and Fate

I somehow didn't expect this to happen. Upon returning with Marle to the castle I was immediately detained even with Marle protesting along the way. I noticed as they were bringing me into the courtroom that while the King was present that Princess Nadia...or rather Marle was absent...more than likely because she would try to stop the hearing at all costs. I find it somewhat funny in a way...but also somewhat concerned why the Chancellor had so heavily pushed for this and for it to happen so quickly. Strangely enough I was sure that us saving Queen Leene in the past had somehow brought upon these stiff laws in the present. So I go into the past to save the Princess...end up having to save the Queen to save her, which prompts a policy change that effects 400 years in the future. So in a really messed up way...I did this to myself? I wanted to laugh, but the many eyes on me made me more focused on the present.

I could hear the quiet whispers that were no doubt in reaction to me. I understood what the Chancellor would do. Since he had no real case he would attack my character and paint me in as bad of light as possible. But it didn't make sense to me as to why they would go this far. Or maybe it was more simple than that.

I looked up at the King as I realized that his eyes bore into me with disgust. It all made more sense to me now. I was to be punished one way or another...either for kidnapping the Princess or simply for running off with her. I looked to the man that had volunteered to be my defense attorney he approached me with a smile. I was grateful but there was little he could do to prevent a bad outcome. It was all rigged. My punishment was not for me to learn a lesson...but for Marle, Princess Nadia. It was to scare her from ever leaving the castle. I should have suspected as much considering what she had told me in the past. Marle was forbidden from leaving the castle after her Mother died...so she snuck out to see the fair after years of faithfully following her Father's decree. Yet now he was going to use me to tighten his grip on her. Perhaps...coming back to this era wasn't the best of ideas. Ultimately...I guess there would have been no avoiding it.

"How do you feel, Crono?" Pierre, my attorney, asked.

"Hmm...Like I'm about to be accused of kidnapping a Princess...honestly it is a very unique feeling," I couldn't help but laugh. "Really wish I knew sooner she was the Princess, maybe I would have had time to enjoy the complications of being with her."

"They don't have anything against you...I'm unsure why they are pressing this like they are," Pierre shook his head.

"I'm here to be punished...not for my sake...but to teach her a lesson. Thats what this is about," I said glancing at him before looking back to the King. "None of what is happening has to do with what I did, or didn't do. He doesn't want to have his daughter leave her cage, ever again."

Pierre nodded, "I see...scare tactics on his own daughter? I can't approve of something like this...I have my own daughter and I know this will only serve to push the Princess away more. Tell me how is your relationship with the Princess?"

"Enough to know she isn't going to just sit by and do nothing. Especially when they refuse to listen to her or I about what really happened. Truth be told it wouldn't exactly be the most believable story I've ever told," I said as I saw the Judge entering the room. "There could be another motive at play here."

"Now presiding, Judge Malister," one of the soldiers announced.

"Be seated. We are here for Crono who is charged with abducting the Princess," the judge announced. "This trial shall start with the testimony of the defense."

"My concern," I whispered to Pierre. "Is how far they are willing to go to teach her a lesson."

Pierre nodded and stepped forward, "Ladies and Gentlemen...the defendant Crono is charged with premeditated abduction of royalty. But I'm here to tell you that no such event ever took place. Crono and Princess Nadia innocently ran into each other at our Millennial Fair...a celebration of our one thousand years as a Kingdom. The Princess who has been forbidden to ever leave the castle did not know who she was as there is no depictions of any kind of our Princess outside of the castle. Many to this day still do not know how the Princess looks. Crono comes from our beloved Truce. He is a monster hunter who does his work to keep our Kingdom safe for our merchants and our personal travels. This upstanding citizen of our country had no possible way of knowing she was the Princess. As a matter of fact she asked him to show her around the fair."

"Is this true?" The chancellor asked flippantly. "Are you saying it was the Princess that initiated contact?"

I eyed the Chancellor...he was already making the first move. First his intention was to cast doubt as to what my motives were.

"Indeed, it was..." Pierre started.

"I was not asking you, Pierre," Chancellor cut him off.

I looked to the judge and it was obvious he wanted me to answer. "No, it was both of us."

"Both of you?" Chancellor moved towards me. "Please elaborate for the court."

"The Princess and I collided with each other by Leene's Bell. I had been absorbed in my own thoughts and I assume the Princess her own, but you would have to ask her that," I said simply...I knew I was being set up to fall but that didn't mean I couldn't make it difficult for him.

"So you presume the Princess actions and..."

"I presume nothing, I only give my thoughts as the Princess, apparently, has not been allowed to speak for herself," I said calmly but sharply to which immediately caused a commotion within the courtroom. Well if I was going to be used to punish Marle...I could get in a few blows myself.

"Order! Order!" The judge beat the gavel down. "Keep such comments to yourself, Crono."

"Then you are asking me to withhold the truth," I countered. I was hardly afraid of the consequences, even if it meant execution. I wouldn't be any less than who I was. My Mother would never want me to be anything else. And I could have a little bit of fun along the way.

Again the Judge had to bring the court under control. I'm sure he wasn't liking me at this point, but I didn't allow myself to express anything either way. I knew what was going on. But if I could get anyone in the crowd to question what was going on...then it would be a small victory.

"You may say this, but I have an eye witness saying you identified the Princess before hand and then proceeded to make it look like an accident," the Chancellor sneered as the eye witness came forward. Not surprising that I had not only never seen this person before but recalled my actions leading up to me colliding into Nadia with vivid detail. There would be no point in calling him out as a liar.

Pierre and I shared a look...he knew I was being set up. Yet I had no witness about my actions except for my Mother and Nadia herself. And a few after that...Lucca didn't see me until the demonstration of her invention. They could possibly aim to blame her as well. Doubtful though...it was probably already clear to the King that punishing me was all that was needed.

"Eventually you would both go to Lucca's invention show and would somehow disappear, we have several witnesses to the Princesses disappearance," the Chancellor said as he turned to the nobles that were in attendance. Never mind the fact that no one in the crowd knew that it was the Princess...and I doubt that he went to Truce to find people that had...because that would mean informing the people that Nadia was a Princess and the person they saw had been her. Again...this was all apart of what the Chancellor wanted. I was hardly going to refute it...this part of it was true.

"I also have eye witnesses of the acts this man has done that calls his character into question," the Chancellor continued.

"Objection!" Pierre was not happy with what was happening before him.

"Pierre, its fine," I said. He turned to me with a confused look. I sighed and shook my head, "It's no use."

"Crono...if you convicted for this they'll..."

"Execute me, I know," I sighed, I was being framed to look guilty...and they would force a decision with only circumstantial evidence...and all because Daddy wanted to keep his precious daughter under lock and key. "Anything we say or do he will have a counter for...even if it is faked. All he has to do is convince the nobles and then he can get what he wants to teach Princess Nadia a lesson. One she'll likely have on her mind every time she wishes to leave."

"And you're okay with this?" Pierre asked as the Chancellor was now bringing fake eye witnesses to claim I did horrible acts to defame me.

"Of course not...Princess Nadia is trapped with an overprotective asshole that would kill someone just to control her...I'm not okay with any of this," I said looking up to the King. He was enjoying this. And the Chancellor was rather...this seemed too familiar of a situation actually...or rather it felt that way.

"Even in this situation...you seem more worried over the Princess than yourself," Pierre smiled. "She was lucky to have met you."

"No, Pierre...I was the lucky one. Even if it was a short time...Marle...or rather Nadia showed me how to truly enjoy myself and taught me that there is something I would give my all to fight for...even if it was as selfish as to spend more time with the Princess herself," I smiled grimly and recalled my short time with the girl that had introduced herself as Marle. A sheltered girl who simply wanted to have fun and see the Millennial Fair. Enough to risk leaving the castle after never doing so before in her life. Now after everything that happened she would be oppressed and kept under control...and they would do that by killing me...using my death to serve as a reminder of what happens if she leaves the castle. Princess Nadia was imprisoned in the place that should have been her home. "Pierre, support the Princess if you can...she will need it in the coming days...I'm sure of it. Especially after I'm gone."


As I had assumed, I was found to be guilty and that I would be executed in three days time for the kidnapping of Princess Nadia. At the end of the trial Nadia managed to burst into the courtroom...and I had been the coward in that instance. As in those moments I realized the most painful truth...I would never see her again. And what was hard was seeing all the emotions in her face as they dragged me away...guards holding the princess back as she cried out to me. I never wanted to see someone make that kind of face...not over me. We still barely knew each other...but our short time together had been incredibly meaningful to me. And hopefully for her too.

She yelled...she pleaded with her Father. "He saved my life...I'm only alive because of him and you would kill the man that had protected me!? You can't do this! Father!" Naturally there was no convincing him. This was the response he had hoped to get from her...to make her understand that it was her fault. He only replied with, "This man dies because you left the castle." It left no room for her to question what was happening. The truth of the situation. She knew then...that it didn't matter if I had been guilty or not. I was being used to punish her...in the most cruel way possible.

Princess Nadia broke down...lost her composure. "No...no...Crono...I'm so sorry...I'm so so sorry." That was the last thing I saw...the last thing I witnessed before pulled away. Princess Nadia collapsed on the ground, crying for me. Now...she was likely blaming herself for this. The Kingdom of Guardia deserved a better King than this...or a Chancellor that propagates this kind of punishment on the Princess of the Kingdom. Marle...she deserved so much more than this...Nadia...

I was brought into the damp, dark dungeon to spend my time until my execution. All I had in this space was a bed...which probably only had broken springs so it hurt like hell to lay down on, a chain connecting me to the wall and...a toilet. There was no light except for that of the torches that lit the corridors on the outside of the cell and the solitary window that looked out into the forest surrounding the castle. Well I suppose the view wasn't all that bad considering I could have been locked underground. Guess it was weird that the dungeons was basically a set of towers that were next to the castle but connected by bridges.

There was only a day left now until my execution. And the past two days had only made me angry or depressed. I'm not sure which one I was more at this point. Marle was trapped...imprisoned in a life with people that didn't care about her. She was just Princess Nadia...to be kept under lock and key in her glass case, never allowed to leave. She had escaped and taken up a different name just to experience the outside world. And now they would guilt her with my death...if I could I would escape so at the very least she wouldn't have that guilt over her head. But there would be no time for that. The guards were currently gone...but since I was chained to the wall I was hardly going to go anywhere further than my bed anyway. So I was definitely surprised when suddenly the door to my cell opened and an individual entered. They had on a long dark cloak that obscured their face so I couldn't make them out as they approached.

I was sitting on the bed as they approached but it only took a moment before they pulled the hood of the cloak back, revealing her face. Princess Nadia rushed over to me...not allowing me to say anything she moved onto me and straddled my lap and captured my lips with her own before I even could realize what was happening. I really wanted to resist her, push her away...don't let her do this. Kissing me wasn't going to make things easier for her after I died...her coming down here was a mistake and...but I couldn't. The moment her lips met mine I felt an immense hunger and need come over me and I gladly kissed her back. It was pretty obvious that neither of us had ever kissed before so it was definitely a bit clumsy to start...but after a moment Nadia and I slowed and took our time to enjoy ourselves. Nadia set out to explore my mouth with her tongue and I found myself wanting to do the same...we went back and forth for quite a while before the two of us separated to go for air...the desire for more couldn't have been more apparent for either of us. But it needed to stop. She needed to get out of here...

"Crono," her just saying my name told me just how badly she wanted to continue. Well not the act of her saying my name, but how she had said it. "Come on, we're getting out of here." She pulled out a key and took off the chain from my leg.

Hold on a minute. She was planning to help me escape? That wasn't the greatest of ideas for her. "Nadia...if you do this then..."

"We're leaving and we are never coming back," she said defiantly and the look in her eyes left no room for question. I, honestly, didn't consider she might run away from the castle again...and bring me with her. Doing that also meant we couldn't stay in the kingdom of Guardia...We would have to venture to a different country. "I know I'm asking a lot...we barely know each other but I..."

"Nadia," I stopped her and impulsively quickly stole a kiss from her. "It's true we haven't spent much time together...but that time definitely left an impression on me. You showed me so much about myself in such a small frame of time. And yeah, it won't be easy for us but we have to try, right? Besides, I don't want you to stay in a place with a Father that would do this to control you." There was no other choice now...if we could get away...then it would be better for the both of us.

She nodded, "Crono...I'm so happy I met you."

"I feel the same about you, Nadia," I said with a smile. Well I think my feelings for her were a bit complicated because I hadn't known she was a Princess for that long...and being involved with her is...well considering I'm trying to escape my own execution now, I guess it doesn't get much more complicated than that.

She got to her feet and pulled back her cloak and revealed she had my sword and bag hiding underneath, "Also we had a little help."

Another individual stepped into view at the entrance to my cell. It was Lucca, "I figured something bad had happened. So I manage to sneak my way in and talked to Marle. It was actually easier to get to her than you, as odd as that is. I was planning to break you out but...Marle insisted she help and...well I think its pretty obvious how she feels about you at this point." Lucca looked somewhat amused...although all three of us were about to become fugitives.

"I...um...yeah," Nadia's face grew a little red in response. "Is that...okay?" She looked at me. So...she liked me? Well...dating a runaway Princess would be high on a list of things unlikely to happen to you in your lifetime. But no...I was certainly attracted to her...but we needed to focus.

"It's new territory for both of us...but maybe we should talk about this once were a few dozen miles away from the castle," I got to my feet as Marle handed me my katana. "Ready to be fugitives?"

"Not exactly how I thought life would go for me but I can live with this," Lucca said as she readied her new and improved gun...no doubt thinking she needed the firepower. I noticed my katana had been recently sharpened. She had been prepared for something.

"Let's find a new place to call home," Marle said from my side.

This was hardly what I wanted...but still I had to try...even if it meant actually taking Marle this time. I had no qualms now about taking her away from here...especially after I've seen how her Father treats her. As we left I saw that several guards were knocked unconscious and Lucca was quick to show that she developed something to knock them out. Still we quickly made it our way through the dungeon which apparently was a detached part of the castle and only connected by a bridge. We stopped when I realized I knew one of the prisoners. He was in a guillotine, likely he was to be executed...soon. "Fritz?"

He looked up at me...he was locked in a well...it was obvious he was about to be executed. His eyes came to life, "Crono! Help, get me out of this!"

I quickly moved over and used my sword to cut through the lock and pulled him free. He rubbed his neck as he took steps away from the guillotine, "Why are you even here?"

"I don't really know...I was asked a bunch of questions about you and when I didn't give answers they liked they..." he sighed. "Crono...what happened? They were asking me to lie and when I refused they put me here."

"Apparently I kidnapped a Princess," I shrugged.

"I wouldn't mind if you kidnapped me though," Marle said from next to me. "I'm sure Dad will think you've corrupted me or something this time."

"Well now you don't mind. But I didn't even know you were the Princess then. Besides I have a feeling you're the one that will be doing the corrupting," I shook my head. "Anyway follow a ways behind us and we'll clear the way. They should be too focused on us and make it easy for you to sneak out."

"That's the Princess? Princess Nadia? What have you gotten yourself into, Crono?" he asked me. He looked concerned...well Fritz and I had been friends since we were kids.

"It might be a while before I get the chance but one day I'll tell you," I said as I turned to leave. "Give my best to your Father and Elaine."

"Good luck, Crono," he said as we all walked away and Fritz stayed back. It was best he followed us from the Shadows from here on out.

"Did my Father really go that far to just...teach me a lesson?" Marle muttered from next to me.

I shook my head. "I doubt it...I doubt he knows anything about what the Chancellor has done. While your Father may have wanted to teach you a lesson...I don't think he wanted go to such extremes." I had no proof of this, but if it was like what had happened in the Middle Ages...either way something felt wrong. Despite what the King had said at the trial, and my previous statements something just rubbed me the wrong way about the situation. So for the moment I would hold judgment on her Father. Plus I found it hard to believe that Marle could be the way she was without her Father being a somewhat decent man. Likely there was more information that I didn't have.

"This is why I like you so much Crono...even after everything that you've had to be subjected to because of me...you're still not blaming anyone for whats happened," Marle said softly as we went up a flight of stairs. "How can you be this way?"

"My Mother taught me to always ask questions...and never except what seems obvious as truth. There is always a story...always a reason why anyone does anything in this world. Your Father has a reason...a strong reason to be so overprotective of you. And you have your own reasons for not wanting to be protected. I'm not the one that determines who is right and who is wrong. I simply act based on what I do know and try to do the best I can. And I can't say I agree with your Father's actions but I also believe that the Chancellor is more aggressive than he should be. So that in itself is more curious to me," I said as we came to the door that opened up to the bridge...the one that left to our exit.

"Your Mom sounds amazing," Marle smiled from next to me.

"You'll meet her eventually," I said as I looked across the bridge and saw something...crazy. "Is that...what I think it is?"

"Yeah...that's definitely my Dragon Tank design," Lucca said as she stepped forward. "It was just a silly thing I drew when I was a kid and...and they made it? As a guard for their prison?"

"Looks like its our only way out of here...someone must have realized we came to free Crono," Marle pulled out her crossbow from under her cloak.

"Crono, if I remember that design I remember that I made the frame too top heavy because of its attack possibilities and the wheels are not structurally sound. I don't think they would have changed my design so if we take out the wheels it will severely limit its options. Let's focus on the left wheel," Lucca quickly chimed in. All three of us readied our weapons.

The dragon tank charged towards us. And we charged forward in turn. We ducked off to the left as the tank unleashed a line of fire towards us. This bridge didn't offer much room but it was enough. I struck the wheel expecing it to bounce off but...I put a good dent into it. And the wheel itself was...how long had it been sitting without being used? I drew back and hit the same spot again, causing a break. The dragon turned to throw fire at us again but both Marle and Lucca fired at its head diverting its attack away from us. Then it tried to move. When the wheel turned it moved onto the side I had weakened and there was a snap and the wheel collapsed. Marle and Lucca unleashed everything they had on the head of the dragon tank while I jumped onto its back.

"Crono! Aim for mid section! That's where the power source is!" Lucca yelled.

I didn't have much time to approximate but I took a firm grip on my sword and stabbed down with all of my strength. It went past the outer and slipped down and hit something. Sparks came flying out and I quickly jumped back and withdrew my sword. I retreated back with Marle and Lucca as the Dragon Tank rolled to its side and then...exploded. Part of the bridge collapsed.

The fight didn't last long, but when fighting something like that you wouldn't want it to be. We rushed over what was remaining of the bridge and I made sure neither of them tripped up or fell by following behind them but I took the lead again as soon as we were on the other side.

"Take the next left, Crono," Marle said from behind me. We continued running through the corridors and we ended up at the entrance but not surprisingly blocked by two guards. But then we were suddenly surrounded by other guards.

"Stop right there! King Guardia XXXIII comes before you!" It was the Chancellor who entered with a smug look. All the guards fell to a knee but we did not.

"You would take my daughter again? Do you not understand what you do?" the King glared at me.

I laughed, which seemed to shock a number of the guards that I would be so defiant, "Daughter? When was the last time you were a Father to her? If you opened your eyes you would see that you're the one that pushed her to this, not anyone else. She came to me...she wanted to escape from this place. Maybe if you had been the Father she wanted she would have never ran off to begin with." Harsh words that I probably had no right to say. However...he needed to think about the situation...and possibly if there was something out of place...he would seek to find it. Or this situation was a lost cause and the best solution would be...to run.

"Silence! Don't speak of matter to which you know nothing about," The King's voice came out as a growl.

"A man who keeps his pain and worries to himself will only push those he cares about away from him," I said repeating what my Mother had told me time and time again.

Marle was at my side and took my arm, "Father...you would have killed Crono...and for what? To scare me from ever leaving the castle? To make me believe I could never get close to anyone that it would only get them killed? I hate you...I hate the Chancellor...you prosecuted someone who risked his life to save me and you would have him executed for doing so? You can all go to hell. I'd rather die by his side then live the rest of my life in this prison you claim is my home."

"Nadia, there are dangers in the world that you don't..." The King was then cut off quickly by Marle.

"Shut up! The only thing dangerous in my life is you! Crono will be here with me, and he'll protect me. That's all that I need," Marle clutched my arm closer to her. I knew this is what she was feeling...but it sill must hurt her to say them.

The King halted for a moment and then frowned, "Do you...love this man?"

Marle shook her head, "I don't know yet...but I want the time to find out. But I can't stay here anymore. So I'm going to save him, and Crono and my friend Lucca are going to take me far away from here. Lucca?"

"Leave it to me, Princess," Lucca pushed up her glasses and then pulled out something from her bag and down onto the ground. A smoke bomb. We pushed past the two guards at the front door and exited out in the confusion with guards yelling out different orders. We ran down towards Guardia Forest from the castle, having no issues getting out of the door.

"I suppose that could have been worse," I said as I noticed soldiers rushing out of the castle to chase us. "I suppose we aren't out of this yet."

"Crono! There is another contingent of guards ahead," Lucca warned.

"Take the left path we can try to head through the dense part of the forest, and they won't be able to easily follow us," I said. It wasn't the best plan but we had little in the way of options at the moment. So it was easy to dodge the soldiers but the forest got dense very quickly. The three of us ducked behind a tree for a moment to catch our breaths. "We should be fine after we get past this..."

A beep came from Lucca...specifically in her pocket...she pulled out the Gate Key. "There...is a distortion near by." She looked to me for a moment.

"You can't escape! We have troops surrounding the forest!" a soldier yelled out.

"Couldn't we use the distortion to get away?" Marle asked.

"Yes...but we'd have no way of knowing our destination or even if we could come back," Lucca protested looking to me for support that it was a bad idea.

Unfortunately I was leaning more towards Marle on this. Though it was a stupidly reckless move, "But here we're all fugitives and we'll be hunted down even after we get past the forest. Look, I'm just saying there isn't an option here that is necessarily better than the other. Plus the forest only gets denser here and will be hard to make any progress at all. They may not follow us in but we can't move through that dense of forest without noise...and we aren't supplied to..."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Lucca sighed.

"Don't worry Lucca, it will all work out, I'm sure!" Marle tried to cheer her up.

"Let the record be shown that I am completely against this," Lucca said as she was looking at the readout on the Gate Key to approximate the position of the Gate.

"Noted," I said with a chuckle. "Lets just try not to change history this time."

Lucca held up the Gate Key...and instantly...the distortion...the Time Gate appeared before them. She looked back, "Come on, the distortion only stays open for a short time." She then jumped in.

"No time to change our mind now," I said as I took Nadia's hand. "Ready?"

She nodded, "As long as I'm with you."

We both leaped into the Gate. Our time was behind us...and who knew what waited for us on the other side. Yet we had little choice about this...it was either go through or take our chances with being hunted for the rest of our lives. But I was just as aware that whatever awaited for us on the other side...could be much...much worse.


I pulled Marle to me as we came tumbling out of the gate and I hoped I cushioned most of the impact and we came to a stop on what seemed to be an exceptionally cold floor. We stopped and Marle got to her feet...I sat up and looked around us...it was dark...cold and somewhat damp. But we were surrounded by...machinery? No it seemed more advanced than just to be mere machines...more complicated that even what Lucca was capable of creating.

"No power, but whatever this place was...it was pretty advanced. A few hundred years I would guess...maybe more," Lucca pulled out another device from her bag. "No good, judging by the rust and other indicators I'm getting this place has stopped functioning for at least..." She stopped and put the device away. "I want to say at least twenty years or so...but usually in that time frame plant life would have claimed more of this place if that were the case."

"We'll need to get a feeling of our surroundings first so we know where and possibly...when we are," I said but the atmosphere here was not shaking the ominous feeling I was getting.

"Is this...really our world?" Marle asked as she moved next to me.

"Lucca if this is tied to locations then..."

"I know," she said cutting me off. The looking over at me, "Let's focus on getting answers first."

She was right...there was no point in needless speculations...it was easy too it was to jump to bad conclusions. This place at least had signs indicating to the exit. So we walked...the facility was dimly lit by what looked like emergency lighting. Lucca speculated they were run off a different power supply than the rest of the building because the rest had zero power. There was a definite chill as we saw the exit come to view...and then we stepped out and the landscape was all around us.

It was barren...nothing green...no plant life whatsoever. And we were close to the ocean...and it looked...I shook my head...there was a staleness to the air...and another smell that seemed to be inescapable...the smell of death.

Lucca pulled out her device once more and apparently was scanning our surroundings, "I don't get this at all. The scans I'm getting don't support what we're seeing."

"What do you mean?" Marle asked.

"Well, Marle, normally these kind of readings indicate that life should be...well growing. It may be related to the soil and I'd have to do a test to verify it but there isn't pollution in the air but..." Lucca bit her lip...she didn't know what to say to describe it.

"But we all feel it...something just feels wrong. Something is stopping life from even happening," I said as I took a few steps out and put my hand on the dirt. "Either way, we won't get answers here. And we need to focus on our first problem here."

Lucca nodded, "We need to find water we can drink. I brought some tools to purify if needed but..."

"Crono...I'm sorry...because of me..."

"I'm alive," I interrupted her and only glancing back at her. "Because of you, I am alive. We knew the risks going into the Gate. And pointing the blame isn't going to help us."

"Right," Marle looked down. "Sorry."

I sighed and moved to her and gently guiding her chin to look up at me I gave her a smile. "We'll get through this...one way or another. For now, we take this one thing at a time...even if it means just focusing on our next step. Step one...find water. If we can find a water source we'll be one step further than we are now."

She finally smiled, "You're right! Alright guys lets get going!"

That was definitely more like her. Obviously I was scared about our situation but for now we needed to be optimistic and keep pressing forward. If our morale fell now...then we could be in a lot more trouble. Everything in me told me we were in a distant future...and if that was true...then what happened to cause this? First...survival...then after that...we find answers.

"One thing at a time," I muttered to myself to push myself forward. "One step at a time..."


A/N:

I meant to get this up earlier, but got a bit delayed because of my crazy work schedule.

Anyway, no real time to go into this. I wanted to make it a bit more believable in Crono's escape but also keep the pace up. I probably could have gotten over it again but I think it came out okay. This is a bit of a short chapter in comparison to the first two, but that's because I only wanted to include the trial and the escape. I know I skipped the part of getting to the trial but honestly there wasn't much that would happen in that time so I just skipped ahead.

Next chapter will be a pretty big size. So please look for it about this time next month! See you next time.