Oneshot Contest Entries - Voting begins now!

[kaeim]

I hope people start taking ques from Blastoise. Its amazing the detail of the reviews made by her. If your reading this, then please make a contribution. Everyone should take lessons from Blastoise, especially the judges still doing their reviews. Shame on you, judges!

 

[Blastoise]

I hope people start taking ques from Blastoise. Its amazing the detail of the reviews made by her. If your reading this, then please make a contribution. Everyone should take lessons from Blastoise, especially the judges still doing their reviews. Shame on you, judges!

Some people get mistaken for girls because they have girl characters as avatars. Somehow I have a fat man wielding a fireworks cannon in my avatar and get mistaken for a girl: I think this may be a first.

 

[Ho-oh]

Mituski hasn't appeared since the 11th, and she's ill. Bad News. No idea on others.

Uh-oh... is she --?

My own progress is not good; I haven't even read them all. Please understand that real life is (for all of us, I'm sure) a greater priority, but please realize that I WILL finish ASAP! Not sure about the rest.

 

[kaeim]

Some people get mistaken for girls because they have girl characters as avatars. Somehow I have a fat man wielding a fireworks cannon in my avatar and get mistaken for a girl: I think this may be a first.

Isn't it obvious? The man is secretely a girl and has a fireworks cannon to overcompensate for not being a woman

 

[Jutlord]

My favourite of the lot was Two's Company. While I agree with the flaws my fellow reviewer laid out but a page ago, I feel the concept was the most engaging of the entries. Comparing it to Downfall of a Master, my second favourite of the entries, for example, one can see that the latter is more elegantly written, and manages to blend the past events with the present occurences in a more natural way, but what can I say? I suppose I like some action sprinkled into my drama as well, and Two's Company gave me some of that to boot.

And while the revelations about the truth of the clone may have stifled the suspence somewhat, there was still some apprehension delivered in the uncertainty of what could be awaiting him in the chamber, and I'm certainly glad it wasn't "Mewthree" or anything like that. And the hopelessness of Giovanni's situation was certainly conveyed well, as was the uncertainty of the ending, with neo-Gio being free to do as he pleased.

An obvious comparison can be drawn between Two's Company and A Dark Alternative, both being what-ifs featuring Boss Rocket. Of the two, I prefered Two's Company because it didn't debunk everything we already know, and the unbeatable threat was more original and interesting. Both stories also had their fair share of obligatory deaths, some of which felt unnescessary, but this was overlookable, and certainly added to the threat level.

The battle itself, could, as I think Blastoise probably already went ahead and said, have been a bit more dynamic. It was certainly stronger than Fighting's battles, which I feel were a hastily-written affair, but I would have liked to see the battling expert Giovanni pull out a few more tricks. Perhaps a few well placed Seismic Tosses to hurt Ditto's lacklustre HP stat, or an exploitation of his clone's possibly limited repertoire of transformations and dated knowledge, even if these efforts were to eventually prove futile.

Skimming through the first post, I can see I'm supposed to rate the story on Plot, Character, 'GSP', Execution, and Originality / Innovation, as well as my enjoyment of it.

-Seeing no problems with 'GSP', I can confidently give this a 10.
-Character also scored highly, as the story went quite some way towards getting into the head of a gang boss turned family man, so I can give that an 8.
-Originality and Innovation was another strength of the story and balanced the "cliché and original elements" well, so another 8 or perhaps even a 9 is warranted.
-As for Execution, it was well-described and written, although something like Downfall of a Master would score higher in this category. I feel a 7 is deserved.
-The plot, or more specifically, the delivery of the events is the story's main weakness. Considering that, I think a 5 would be fair for that category overall.

I'm going to be some kind of corny weirdo and compare the tale to a good pokemon; lets say Salamence or Gyarados. Formidable (or should I say Intimidating), but with a glaring 4x weak, in this case the early revelations and sacrifice of suspence.

Lets give it and 8 overall, and my personal vote and seal of approval.

 

[Gama]

This happening?

 

[Akiyama]

This happening?

One thing someone with influence here could do would be to actually private message some writers, reviewers, or someone to vote on these stories to get them to do the voting and reading. Sounds a little pushy, but it might actually work here, since people would know they're expected to vote now.

That depends on how much everyone here wants this to go through though. *shurg* The award kind of got rusty just sitting there, like we're forgetting it or something.

 

[KronosClownz]

Heres my Chrono trigger one...

Chapter One

Lucca was always jealous of Marle, Nadia, whatever that girl's name was. Stupid drop-dead gorgeous princess. She wasn't the one who grew up with him, for crying out loud! How could some random blond he bumped into during the fair become so attached so quick? And how could he even fall for some stranger? That Marle... She probably entranced Crono the very second that he laid eyes on her.

Lucca threw her hands into the air, and then shoved her science books off her bed in frustration. In a way, it was sort of her fault that Crono even met that clichéd blond haired, hot-bodied, blue eyed charmer. If she hadn't told him to check out her latest invention, he probably wouldn't have helped Marle up after knocking her down; catching that seductive and mischievous look in her eyes. Or maybe he had caught something else.

A teleportation device? How absurd! It wasn't that much of a big deal, to begin with, really. Well, the idea of it was huge, that much was for sure, but what did it do? Zap somebody from one transfer pod to the next a good 10 or 15 feet away. Pathetic! You could have walked that distance before the crazy thing even booted up! True, it was still a prototype, and all great inventions need to start somewhere, but Marle didn't really help things. Her pendant caused a strange reaction at the time, before they knew the history behind it, and that flung that babe into another time. Yeah, they all had one amazing adventure because of that mishap, and even made new friends, but it was so odd how Crono just rushed into the portal to ''save'' her or whatever he was thinking. She betted that Crono somehow felt obligated or such nonsense to chase after her; a girl he hardly even knew.

Although he did that without a second thought, Lucca couldn't forget the wonderful times that they all shared together. There were new friendships made, new abilities acquired, and new dangers they had to face. Lucca bent down to pick up one of her books off the floor, but one memory of those dangers forced itself back into her mind, making her grip her chest, spreading goosebumps all over her skin.

"Crono! No! Stop!" Marle cried out, reaching her already bleeding arm towards him, trying to inch herself forward and rise on her feet. "Crono! You're going to get yourself killed! Quit it!" Lucca's scream followed, hardly able to move her own damaged body.

Crono, shielding Lavos' energy from his two friends, refused to look behind him. His body was already battle-worn, hence the need of his friends' concern, but there was obviously much more. His katana had already been shattered from his previous attack; which is what caused their current life-threatening status. Marle and Lucca were brutally hurt, as he remembered their blood pooling in a small puddle underneath them once he stood back onto his feet, recovering from the blast.

Lavos' horrendous mouth was gaping wide, creating a small vacuum sucking them all into it very slowly. He was about to break; body, mind, and soul. His unique magic that was holding him together, also defended Marle and Lucca, and he couldn't hold out much longer. Crono knew that he stood no chance; that he'd die, but he had no choice but to expend the last of his resources if he wanted to save his friends. It was either this, or having all three of them die. Through his pain and bleeding skin, he smiled knowing that Lucca would never forgive him if he let her die.

As for Marle, and for some unknown reason, he always wanted her to be safe. He wanted to be there, in that safe place too, but not everything in life happens the way one would want. He was falling in love with her, which was kind of funny because of how they met, and how her father tried to behead him. The energy around Lavos and himself, mixed in with his own magic, cut deep into his body; slicing at the bone. He had to do something now, or else it would all be lost. A single, sorrowful tear ran down his cheek, as he released his spirit into Marle's necklace, transporting her and Lucca to safety. Before his body crumbled into dust, he could hear the final screams of both his friends.

"Crono! No! Don't leave me! DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" came the heart-breaking command from Marle. Not being able to comprehend his passing, and how illogical it seemed, Lucca's voice echoed after Marle's. "Crono!!"

Lucca's tears stained the pages of her open book, as she finished reading the painful memory in her mind. How long had it been since then? Three years? It took them so long to get Crono back, and during those excrutionating days, she would have probably give up hope if not for Robo. Her tears masked a slight smile on her face, recalling how he helped her through her crisis.

"What's wrong, Lucca? Is this emotion... sadness?" Robo asked her. Lucca sat still, very still, eyes wide open looking inside her small hut. Marle's pendant, or rather, Crono's spirit inside of it, had guided them here. Before Robo joined back up with them, he along with Ayla and Frog all witnessed Crono's demise, viewing from their waiting place at the End of Time. Robo asked the Guru to take Crono's place, because he was concerned (as much a robot could be) for Lucca. When Lucca opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was his sensors. She was inside a small hut lighted by a small fire, surrounded by a small village back onto the frozen tundra. She realized that she was on the surface with the Earthbound Ones, and they had nursed her back to health, but it didn't really click until she saw Marle on the other bed; still sleeping.

"Robo?" she asked, dazed and still feeling the hurt of her healing injuries. Why was Robo here? Wasn't Crono with them? "Crono!" Marle jumped out of bed and exclaimed. The shock hit Lucca like she had fallen off a cliff, and then surviving the landing. Her face turned pale with worry, and arms began to tremble.

"What's wrong, Lucca? Is this emotion... sadness?" Her response was vacant, falling into an unnoticed trance by the fire. Marle was frantic, screaming at the top of her lungs Crono's voice over and over in a desperate and agonizing voice. Lucca hid herself in a quiet place in her mind; shutting out Marle's screams, and her own inside her heart. Nothing existed here, it was the only place she could feel at peace. When a tear fell from her eye, it awoke her to see Robo, still waiting for an answer.

"Yes..." she told him, regretfully remembering his question.
"Lucca, it feels like my battery has been drained. Is it something like that?"
"Yes, Robo. It's exactly like that."

Marle had ran outside by now; she needed to find Crono. She loved him, she couldn't lose him. Lucca watched as the princess bolted out of the tent, bounding off into nowhere. She wouldn't be able to get very far, but it was no use trying to tell her. Lucca was left alone with Robo, and although he still couldn't quite get all of a human's emotions, he was somehow connected to Lucca's.

"Lucca, my memory still hasn't been deleted from when you put me back together. To equal myself to a human, I would have been considered dead."
"Robo..." Lucca said, staring off into the distance.
"But, you didn't give up on me, you worked night after night trying to rebuild me, finally rebooting my system. You gave me new life, Lucca."
"I know..."
"Lucca, don't give up on Crono. Don't shut down. We'll find him, and we'll reboot him as well, okay?"

She was surprised that she was actually being consoled by a robot, and by one that had her emotions pegged. She was crying then, resting her head on Robo's metallic shoulder. She wanted to stop crying, but she was happy that her friend was able to help her. As she sniffled and raised her head to smile at Robo, she noticed black oil leaking out of his ocular sensors. Could robots cry, too?

Lucca wiped away her tears with her short-sleeved purple shirt, and set her books back onto the bed. Too bad those were the only things she'd ever have on her bed. The memory that followed was both joyful and sad at the same time, despite obvious flawed contradictions. They had made their way atop Death Peak with the Chrono Trigger Egg in hand, and once Crono was spirited back, Marle was the first to greet him. More accurately, she threw herself onto him; unable to stop feeling him as she gave a long and pleasurable kiss. Yeah, sure Lucca was excited that her childhood friend was revived, ''rebooted,'' as Robo had put it, but she wasn't able to delete that pesky virus that was now infecting his lips and skin.

She wanted to be the one to kiss him! She wanted it so deeply, so passionately, so much so that her entire whole yearned for it. She wanted to be the one touching him, not Marle. She wanted to feel his strong chest, to slowly move her fingers up his muscles until she reached his neck, where she would then insert her mouth into his and keep it there as long as nature would allow. On the contrary, Marle was the one doing all of those, and she was still at it! Her hands felt freely around him faster and faster after every kiss, and Lucca thought that she'd actually witness them give birth to the next generation right then and there.

Their friction heat in the biting cold was burning up, only making the passion more furious, as Crono pushed her onto the snowy ground, laying on top of her. The two of them stared at each other, without making a sound or moving. Lucca became upset; she knew what was going on from Marle's shifting eyes, and from his. She knew exactly what Crono was looking at. That fine-featured face, that incredibly smooth and fair skin, and those... Well, yeah. Those.

"What are you waiting for, Crono?" Marle said with a wicked grin.

"He's waiting for ME!" Lucca shouted in her mind, almost ready to literally kick Marle off the cliff. No, she wouldn't do that. Those two were good friends, but when it came to Crono, Lucca stood no chance against someone that fine. And so, she would only fight her in her dreams and thoughts, but even in there, she'd always lose.

Thankfully to her benefit, the storms resided on the mountain once the residual energy from the Egg had gone away. They used the Gate Key to return back to the Guru, and many things happened from there. In the end, they defeated Lavos, and changed the world's history. That was three years ago, but nothing could have prepared her for what happened two years after their return.

"I'm getting married, Lucca," Crono said.
"What? Who? Marle?" Of course! her thoughts began to race.
"Well, yeah. Who else, Lucca?"

Me, you idiot! Me!

"I haven't even told her, yet. You're my closest and longest friend, so I wanted you to know first."

She doesn't know? Kiss him, Lucca! Kiss him! There's still time! No ring, no contract! Come on, girl. Just one burning kiss will make him forget all about that Ice Princess. Fire does burn ice, after all. Pure science!

"Lucca? Are you okay?" Crono asked, looking his friend over. She blushed and turned her head away.
"Yeah..."
"Lucca, I thought you'd be happy! We always supported each other. Aren't you glad?"
"What? Yes! You know that I am! I just can't understand why you'd tell me first, rather than her."
"Because you girls scare me!" Crono said, rather boyish.

"Oh?" she said, raising an eyebrow in a playful manner, "So you're confiding in one, then? A girl that the mighty Crono is scared of? That's a logical fallacy." She finished the sentence with a friendly smile, and scooted closer to him on the bench overlooking the glistening ocean. Yeah, but so is love, Lucca... Now Crono was the one blushing, as she moved even closer to him and touched his hand with hers.

You want to play with fire, Crono?

"So," Lucca said, breaking the now awkward silence, "Have you two...well...err...you know..."
"Had sex?"
Her face turned bright red. "You don't need to say it so bluntly!"
"Heh, you asked it, Lucca."
"Well? Have you?"

"She's tried, and believe me, she really has. It's almost impossible to resist someone like her, too."
"Yeah, I bet..." Lucca said softly under her breath.
"Well, no. We haven't. I told her that I wanted to save something like that for marriage, that it'd mean so much more."

No way! I don't believe it! Here's my chance! But, no, wait... Crono's my best friend, I'm pretty close to Marle, too. I can't just betray her like that. But still... I'm kinda feeling...

Her hand, still on his like back in their childhood days, found its way inbetween his fingers, locking them together with a very firm grasp. It was one of those holds that screamed out in desperation, "No! Don't leave! Don't go! I'm here! Right now! Look at me!"

Do you want to play with fire, Crono? she thought to herself again. A dangerous thought, she knew, but it didn't mean that she'd be the one getting burned. This type of thinking was strange for her; she was acting like Marle in a way. Perhaps her jealously of that woman caused her to adopt some of her mannerisms. Were these really her deepest and darkest desires now rising to the surface? Possibly, she always had those certain fantasies with this man. In fact, his getting married kind of made them burn even greater and higher.

She was a scientist! Not a seductress! Or even some love-struck dimwit! What was she really feeling, and did this mean that even the shyest and quietest girl could switch herself to the direct opposite? And then fling herself into it full-force without any type of limitation or reservation only because the thrill of something foreign and new ignited a brushfire? More like an explosion; he bent his fingers with hers and gave a genuine smile.

"Eep! What are you doing?" she panicked, only making her hold tighter.
"You grabbed it first, Lucca. It reminds me of our past as two little kids having fun."
"Crono... we're not that old! We're only 18! Stop acting like such an old man!" No, please. Tell me more.
"Ha. Remember when we used to sit in your room and I'd watch you build your inventions? And then I'd laugh at you when they blew up in your face."

"Yeah, I know. I hated you for that." But it also kept me going. Even at that young age, I really wanted to impress you. You were the only boy who ever came to visit.
"So, when's the wedding date, Crono?" Do you want to play with fire? Want to? Want to? You know you do. Just light a match, and I'm yours.
"I'll tell her tomorrow. She'd probably want to get married within the week after that."

There's still time, Crono. You'd better stoke this flame before it goes out. Still burning hot.
"Oh, so in a few days then, right?" her voice trailed off, depressed. Crono ignored her emotion, believing that it was still taking a while for the news to break in.
"Hey, Crono? You love her, yeah? I mean like, really, really love her? Not just the way she looks?"

"Yeah, I love all of her, Lucca. The way she looks, the way she talks, the part of her that makes me feel so worthless compared to her... I can look into her soul, and see her for who she really is. I can see all of her. Well, not just yet." Crono smiled and brought his punkish attitude back into place. "I'll have to wait for the wedding to see the rest."
"Crono! You... Did you ever want to see me in that way?"

"Hmm? I did, once," he said with a slight chuckle. "Probably why we're so close."
"No fair! Doesn't count! We were only 2 when our moms put us in those baths!"
"Well, nothing much has changed, has it Lucca?" Crono laughed and pointed to her torso in friendly jest. Lucca nearly pushed him off the cliff for that, but settled down, even though her red face was still showing. "That's not what I meant, Crono!"

"Then what did you–" She cut his words as her forehead met with his. "I meant now. Today." She ran her fingers through his chaotic red hair and then gave him a slight kiss on his lips, teasing the moment. Crono, stunned by her sudden request and action, and how it was so unlike her, was struck speechless at first, until Marle's face came into his mind's eye. He pushed Lucca away gently, and stood up.

"Hey, Lucca. You're coming to the wedding, right?" he said, turning his back to her.
Lucca, still red with embarrassment and passion, actually choked once or twice before she spoke her next sentence.
"You know I will. I've always supported you. Always will."
"Glad to hear it. I should leave now, Marle's probably destroying the castle trying to find me."
"Yeah, go." And thanks for completely avoiding the question, Crono! Gah!

She watched him face away into the distance, and her vision came back to present day, still wiping those tears away. It had been a year since he told her that, and they never spoke of her little outburst since. Had he forgotten about it? Or did he just not want to see her second-place body? Whatever it was, he acted like it had never happened. Marle probably distracted him from that thought anyways, with all of her charm. Any guy would be foolish to give up some girl like her for a lesser scientist.

Marle had the goods, and had a lot of them, but Lucca had the genius! Didn't that ever mean anything anymore? You never hear about the hero in storybooks taking a nerdy, four-eyed girl into his arms. No, they were usually blond, not brunette like her, and of course, they always displayed all of those other features...

"I haven't seen you in a while, Crono, but you're still the only boy who ever comes to visit. Maybe next time, we could spend the night together like we always used to a long time ago."

Chapter 2

Crono!" Marle shouted.
Crono, half-dressed from the previous night, rolled out of bed, hitting his face on the floor. "Eh?"
Marle, who was still on their white and regal bed, gave him a seductive look in her matching colored nightdress. At that, he crawled back onto the bed and tried to understand why she'd wake him up. "Why did you wake me, Marle? Everything okay?"

"I think so? You were pretty distant last night, Crono. Like... you weren't even trying. Something's on your mind."
"It's nothing big, Marle. You don't need to fear."

She shoved Crono onto the pillow and ran her hand up and down his bare chest. "You're not getting away with that answer, Crono. You promised me when you came back that you'd never hide anything from me. I expect you to keep that promise, and I'll force those words out of your mouth somehow, stud." Marle gave Crono a kiss, and he returned it with surprising ferocity. Afterwards, Marle ran her fingers through his hair.

"That was sexy, but still hasn't answered my question. I don't care how good a kisser you are, you're not getting away from this."
"It's Lucca..." he said, reluctantly.
"What?!" she screeched, becoming very angry. "Her? That flat-chested four-eyed geek? Why are you thinking about her when you have me?"
"She's not that flat-chested..." Crono said stupidly, trying to defend his childhood friend.

"Oh? And you'd know this, because...?" Marle asked, now tapping her fingers on the wooden night-stand.
"Whoa! No, no, no! Nothing like that, Marle! Honest! You're the girl I love; you're the girl I married. I wouldn't want anyone else in my bed."
"Well, technically, it's my bed, being in the castle and all..."
"Marle, why did you call her that? She's your friend, too. A rather close one, I might add."

"I don't know, sorry. She really is a good friend. How long has it been?"
"Been for what?"
"When you last saw her?"
"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe a month ago? Your father has me very busy, and well,"
"Yeah?"

"You have your share of work, too." Crono grinned, but that earned him a light tap on the head from Marle's palm.
"I'm sure she's just fine, Crono. You don't need to worry about her," Marle said, a bit nervous as to why he was thinking about Lucca in the first place.
"Yeah, you're probably right, but she is my best friend. I should go see her every so often. She isn't that far away."
"No...not really... I want you to stay here. With me."

"Marle, you never cared about the previous times I saw her."
"Yeah because I was usually there!"
"Marle, you're acting unnaturally jealous and possessive right about now."

"So what if I am?! I'm never losing you again, Crono! That pain is still there! Always makes my heart stop..." she said with tears, recalling the wretched event.
"I don't even remember it," he said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. Angered, Marle slapped him hard across the face because he didn't understand the weight of his words.
"Of course you don't!" she screamed, now pounding his chest as they still sat in the bed. "We went back and saved you before it even happened! We spent such a long time trying to get you back, Crono! You just don't understand!"

"So, technically, I never died?" he asked her, somehow thinking that'd help his conversation.
"Yes you did! It hurt a lot! I never, ever, ever want to see you be killed in front of me again! Got it?!!" Her voice hiccuped, and her eyes, already flowing with tears, poured out more. Crono sighed, and touched her right cheek. "I'm here right now, aren't I?"

"You better keep it that way! That was the worst possible thing that you could have ever done to me!" After taking a deep breath and still being on top of him, she positioned herself closer to his chest and he complimented her by caressing her arms; stimulating her and making her tense. "Crono..."

"Marle, just shut up. It's fine, okay? I can't ever leave you, I don't want to." She smirked and touched his cheek. "Don't ever tell me to shut up, Crono. That punk attitude of yours you sometimes decide to show can really annoy me."
"Blah, blah, blah, Marle. I know you love it."

"More than you'll ever know," she said, falling to his side.
"I want you to stay in here with me the rest of the day, Crono, but Daddy has a long day ahead of you. You better get ready. Next time, I won't wake you up."

Crono's mind was riddled with questions as he walked through the Guardia Forest, watching as the birds flew across the branches under the sunlight breaking through the leaves. He thought about Lucca before, sure, she was his lifetime friend, but why did this time feel so different? He had put off his duties for the day to walk towards her house; without Marle's knowledge. He didn't need her ''permission'' to meet up with a friend, especially one as close as Lucca. As he exited the shaded woods, the day's blinding sun had him squint and shelter his eyes with his hand. It was unusually bright today, which was fine, it carried a lovely scent in the air, but it'd be pretty easy for Marle to spot him if she ever looked out the window; assuming she was able to see past her family's forest. With his luck, she'd completely misunderstand his reasoning.

That woman, as much as he deeply loved her, had become a little irritating; seeing how possessive she was getting. Not to say that he didn't love her any less, but sometimes a husband just needs to get out on his own. Relatively speaking, of course. Even by himself, Marle was constantly on his mind. It was literally impossible to not think of her every single day. Her anatomy, her personality, just her everything. Those intimate nights they shared always made their bonds stronger. And where physical intimacy was always important and enjoyed, he would discover that more often than not, their strong bonds were also built by simple every day things. Emotionally, spiritually, and many other dimensions. Sex wasn't the apex of love, or the final checkpoint, marriage was; and through it came the most beautiful thing he could ever know.

Crono almost walked into a large oak tree outside the forest, having his mind filled with other thoughts, and rolled his eyes with a deep sigh. He ''snuck'' out of the castle to see Lucca today, that's why he was here, but as much as he wanted to, Marle's words hindered him from the act as he stopped in his tracks, overlooking his friend's house near the forest's clearing.

"I'm sure she's just fine, Crono. You don't need to worry about her."

"I'm not 'worrying' Marle, I just want to see a lifelong friend. Nothing wrong with that, you know," he said to himself, but still unmoving from his position. "Honestly, girl..." Looking back into the forest to see a very slight hint of the castle's stoned walls hidden behind the shadows of trees, he took one step towards it, but then turned around and faced his back to the magnificent structure.

"Marle, you can kill me later if you wish. I owe Lucca a visit after all this time, and after all those years we've grown up together."

He stepped towards Lucca's house with a smile on his face; excited to reconnect with such a dear friend. He wondered what she had been up to all this time, and how many inventions that had exploded in her face. He caught himself still laughing at that, he could never stop. On his way, he passed the fair that was now empty; no special event was taking place any time soon. He used to walk those aisles with Lucca until he met Marle and after that, his whole world was quite literally changed. Those pleasant memories crept back into his mind and he found himself tapping his forehead, trying to refocus himself. Maybe all three of them would visit that fair in the near future, and all enjoy the many memories shared and felt.

A few more steps and now he was at her door, and if he had doubted for a second that this was the right house, a muffled explosion followed by a, "Nyaah!!" was heard inside the building, with black smoke rising from the chimney. Yep, another one of her inventions had just failed. Too bad he wasn't there to make fun of her this time. "Lucca, I'm going to get in trouble for this anyways, might as well knock on the door."

Lucca heard a sound outside after her latest experiment decided to blow up on her, and she stuck her fingers in her ears, as if to rub out any remaining debris. Knock. Knock. There it was again, who was it? Person had lousy timing, that was certain. She was all covered in smoke and dust now, and it made her look like she had just jumped into a big pile of ash. Well, she should just answer the door regardless, it's not like anyone ever cared about how she looked aside from her family anyways. Knock Knock.

"Okay! Okay! I'm coming! What's with you? Give a girl a minute, alright?"

Crono waited ''patiently'' for Lucca to answer the door and he thought about knocking again; making the loudest sound he could think of just to irritate her. Just when he was about to try again, the door opened, and revealed what looked like a charred young woman standing in front of him. "Lucca? Haha! Oh man, what happened this time?" he said, jesting with a wide smile and hearty laugh.

"C-C-Crono?!" Lucca responded with a shriek in her voice and widened eyes.
"Hey there! What's been going on? Long time, huh?"
"It hasn't been that long, Crono. Only about a month." No, don't listen to me, Crono. It's been ages!!
"Really? Well, if you don't think it's that big a deal, I can turn around and visit you another time," he said smiling.

Before she could even say a word, her body spoke out for her. Her hand reached out to his without any type of thought; basically crying out, "No! Don't leave me!" Her clutch was tighter than she expected once she noticed what was going on, and Crono's face told her that he was confused. She let go, and her arm slowly returned down to her side. "Crono," she finally said, turning her head away to hide the blush, "You want to come in?"

"Is it safe?" he asked, pointing to her blackened clothing and the smoldering pile of junk that was still behind her.
"Eh? Oh, that... Yeah, don't worry. The dangerous part has already happened."
"Lucca, everything you do usually has a dangerous part to it," he told her, now jabbing her with his elbow. She almost locked arms with him right then and there, but forcefully held herself back, he was married, after all.
"So, Crono... What's new?" she asked, actually blushing.

"Same as always, I think. The king wants me to take over his crown someday, and he's putting me through all the hassles to obtain it; Marle included. She can be pretty rough!"
"Yeah, in more ways than one, I bet..." Lucca said under her breath.
"What was that?" Crono asked confused.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing. I was just agreeing with you. So, you coming in, or what?"

Crono followed her inside and made a slight chuckle about her house's decor. "Lucca, it's nice to see that your house always has wires and gadgets all over the floor," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah, well if you keep making fun of my work, I won't care if you trip over one of them."
"So, Lucca, it's been a while. I'm practically taking the whole day off. What do you want to do?"
"What? You're the one who came over here! You should give me some notice or something!" No way, Crono. That was pretty hot, what you did.

"Oh come on. A busy girl like you can't take time out of her schedule to hang out with her closest friend?" he asked, now poking her ribs. She blushed again and slapped his hand away. "Stop it! You know how much that gets on my nerves!"
"That's why I'm doing it."
"Crono... You never change. You're still that little punk kid."
"Ha! You haven't changed much, either, Lucca."

"So, what do you want?" Lucca snapped. Do you want to play with fire, Crono? Huh? Do you?
"I just need to chill, Lucca. King Guardia and Marle both have me running full speed everywhere. Though it'd be nice to wind down and spend some much needed time with a close friend."
"Just want to talk?"
"For now, yes," he said, sitting on a wooden chair while propping both his legs up on Lucca's dinner table; only to see her eye twitch in frustration.
"What? I do this all the time!"

"Not in my house you won't!" Lucca scolded, pushing his muscular legs off the table. She then sat across from him, taking in all of his gorgeous features as her head rested in her palms.
"Lucca... I know it's been 30 days, but it wasn't like 30 years. Do you really have to look at me like that? It's disturbing. I wasn't gone that long."
"Crono? I've known you all my life. I'm allowed to look at you any way I want."
"Yeah, but... Not even Marle looks at me that way. Could you tone it down just a tad?"

"Aww, alright..." Lucca said a little disappointed. Not even Marle, eh?
"Lucca, how's your family? They moved across the bridge to Parepoley Town last year. How are things going for them?"

"Yeah, ever since we went back in time and saved my mother from her paralysis, things have been much different. I never told her how she was before, it's weird how time-travel works, huh? I have the memory of her before and after, but she can't remember ever being in a wheelchair. I couldn't tell Dad, either. Just the thought of it would make him abandon all of his precious work just in case it would happen again. They've been okay, they still come over every now and then, but for the most part it's been lonely and silent."

"Except for the explosions," Crono added with a laugh.
"Hey! Yeah, except for them. Good thing you're not here when they happen, huh?" she also said with a laugh, but only trying to mask what she was feeling.
"I've come a few times this past year, Lucca."
"Yeah, but not too often and never too long." And always with her!

"I'm here now, aren't I?"
"Yes, and I'm happy because of it."
"Oh! Now you say it! You've been acting strange, I was beginning to wonder if I should have come."
"No, Crono. You're welcome anytime. Day or night. All night."

"What did you say?" Crono asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing! Crap! It slipped! Just forget I said it."
"Okay... Say, Lucca, if you're so lonely here, why not move in with us? It's a huge castle and has plenty of room."

Lucca's face flushed with color at even the mere thought of being in the same room as him, much less the house. "But...all of my science..." she trailed off. "You'd have your own room, Lucca. And there's a lot more space at the castle for your stuff than in here. Maybe even a few guards to watch over you, making sure you don't destroy the castle," he winked.

Her heart was racing now, making her hot. Unbeknownst to her, her right foot was tapping and her eyes shifting wildly from side to side. He wanted her in the castle? To live with him? Under the same roof, and sharing the same mornings, afternoons, and evenings with him? That'd make it easier to...

"What about Marle?" she asked, dropping those thoughts.
"Yeah? What about her?"
"Her and the king? Will they even let me in? Just waltz right on in there and say, 'Here I am! Where's my room?' Kinda quick, don't you think?"

"Well, you also helped save the world, and you're still regarded with high honor. They even refer to you as Lady Lucca now, despite your hatred for formal titles. And as for Marle, she's your friend! She wouldn't mind it at all! And if so, well... I can always ''persuade'' her," he said giving a wink.
"Crono! Do you always have to say such things so nonchalantly?"
"Ha! Why not?" he smirked.
Lucca rolled her eyes and just allowed the topic to drop.

"Lucca, it'd be fun having you in the castle. I've actually wished that you were there a few times. Marle's always there for me, but you're the only one who truly knows me and knows what I've been through. It's always so easy to confide in you."
"Because you're scared of girls, right Crono?" she smiled, remembering their conversation from what seemed like aeons ago.
"Haha! You'll never let that one go, will you? But yeah, truth be told, I've really missed you. Both of us have, although Marle's become a little obsessive."
"I don't blame her. You're quite the stud, know? Any girl would want to keep you. I know that I would." Slipped again! But, whatever Crono. Do you want to keep me, too? I'm yours...

"Lucca..." Crono responded, unable to think of any other word. Taking advantage of the moment, Lucca picked up her chair and moved closer to Crono; so that she could now feel his skin. "Lucca, what are you-" Crono's voice spoke, only to be silenced as Lucca surprised him again by pulling her hands away from his biceps and face. "Say, Crono... If you had never met Marle, do you think that we would have..." she asked, returning to her shyer self.

"What are you talking about, Lucca? We've always been close friends."
"No!" she exclaimed with emotion, "Take the hint, will you? That's not what I'm saying!" I'm asking if you want to play with fire, Crono. I'm burning up.
"Don't you want to find out? I've always wondered," she continued. She placed her forehead on his and held the sides of his clean-shaven face. Crono remembered this same scene from a year ago, and he tried to pull away.

"Come on, Crono. Let's see how you'd kiss me. Play with fire. Want to know how it feels?"
"No!" he shouted, pushing her aside. "I already know how it feels! From that stupid stunt you pulled a year ago!"
"I didn't hear you complain back then, Crono," Lucca said, her voice now becoming more passionate.
"That's not the point! How could I have? It was so sudden and unexpected!"
"You didn't care when Marle threw herself on you..."

"She was different!"
"How so, Crono? She somehow fell in love with you only after 5 minutes of meeting you? I'm your best friend! I've always loved you!"
"Yes, but that was a different kind of love," he said nearly tripping over one of her scattered cords.
"No...it wasn't... For the longest time, Crono. I've...I've..." she moved closer to him and before he knew it, his back was up against the wall. Lucca braced her hands on the wall behind him, boxing him in.

"Come on, Crono. Just one more kiss, okay? See what it would have been like? I know that I can't take Marle away from you, but... I've always wondered..."
"Lucca..." Crono said, somehow unwillingly breath taken.
"See? You're thinking about it, too. Don't tell me that you're not. She doesn't have to know. Anything. You never told her the first time, either. One kiss never hurt anybody, and a second is always better. Come on, whaddia say?"

Lucca, for some reason, wasn't acting shy at all. In fact, it was quite obvious that she was now acting the polar opposite. Crono had never seen her in this way before; it was so unusual. From what he always knew, she'd rather hold a book than the hand of a boy.
"What are you waiting for, Crono?" Lucca interrupted his thoughts, "Kiss me, a fire can only burn for so long."

At those words, Crono lowered his eyebrows in a small anger. "It shouldn't be burning at all, Lucca!" Annoyed and very much saddened that his friend would even attempt such a feat, ducked under her right arm to his left, and proceeded to the door with his back turned. "You're trying to escape the issue again, Crono," Lucca said, thus halting his movement.

"What?" he said, but refused to look at her.

"You never said anything back then, kid. What's so different now? I'm not asking for much." Not yet, anyways.
"Lucca, even a kiss is way too much. I'm married to Marle, that pretty much says it all. I don't like whatever's happening to you, Lucca, I never thought I'd see you like this. You're such a good friend, please don't ruin that for me."

"But I don't want to be your friend!!" Lucca proclaimed, making Crono turn around.

"I want to be..." she locked her arms around his neck, "your lover." This time, he couldn't break away. The smell of her perfume brought back hundreds of memories and by the time he cleared them all out of his head, it was too late. She was closing in, and he couldn't get out of the way.

When their lips met, she pushed his head farther into her mouth, heightening her own pleasure. As much she could, anyways; Crono didn't return and he had no idea what was going on. After three seconds, he broke out of the trance and shoved her back. Lucca felt like he had captured her once again, and without even wanting to; which made it hotter. What would it feel like next time, when he actually did kiss her?

Crono's face was red, but Lucca didn't know if he was blushing or enraged; probably even both. He didn't engage in the kiss with her like she had hoped, but he didn't stop it either. Crono took his shirt and wiped his mouth. "Lucca! What's your problem?! I told you no! Same as last time! For a scientist, you've certainly got a very thick skull!"

"That was some sexy 'no,' Crono," she said batting an eye.
"You! Stupid girl... Caught me off-guard again..."
"Maybe next time Crono, you'll kiss me back."

"No! There is no 'next time!' I hated that! I don't want you to ever do that again! Only Marle can! Get that through your head, already!"
"If you didn't like it, why'd you let me do it? There was something in there, Crono. You know it."
"You forced me into it, again! Trapped my head so that I couldn't pull away! I couldn't escape your initial contact! By the time I realized, it was already too late! You took advantage over the entire situation! What kind of friend are you?"

"I'm-- Whatever you want me to be, Crono. Just say the word. Anything."

"Whatever I--" he paused for a brief second, "I don't want you to be anything other than a true friend! Just like you've always been! I love Marle! I love you, too, but not in the way you want. Lucca, I still can't believe you. Marle was right, I shouldn't have come."

Before Lucca could stop him, he was already out the door. At first, she did feel hurt by his words and what she had done, but after she thought about what happened, she wanted more. And for him to return the next kiss she gave him.

"You've played with fire, Crono. Now... Do you want to see how it burns?"

Chapter 3.

The next day, Lucca lay on her bed with her eyes staring at the ceiling. The white spinning fan held a rapid pace, trying to cool her down from another sudden hot flash. She was still in the clothing she wore the night before: Loose pants and a tube top. She looked out her window, and noticed the sunlight beaming through her red curtain shades. Morning already? She slowly sat up and put her bare feet on the tiled floor, trying to avoid all of the cords and wires she had scattered around.

With her thoughts still on Crono, she raised a finger to her lips and touched them; his taste was still in her mouth. Did she really do that yesterday? Wasn't she supposed to be a civilized young lady, not a sex-crazed lunatic? Well, yeah. Supposed to be. Who said anything about her actually wanting to stay that way? She knew what she wanted, and why that burning fire in her soul was still lit aflame. She circled her lips again and lowered her hand with a sigh. It wasn't the ecstasy she wanted. Not by a long-shot. Although she had more or less tricked and forced him into it, she still thought he'd return her sentiment. Of course he didn't; he loved Marle. Not her. Well, he sort of did, right? As a friend, sure, but Lucca always wanted more. Needed more.

The kiss was empty, but it was still a kiss. Maybe next time, she'd let him do it; she did feel a little guilty in pulling that stunt. Oh, but guilt felt so good! Almost made her want to throw away all those years of elegant behavior and embrace every emotion that made her boil and burn inside, no matter how irrational it seemed. For that moment, however, all of those perfect lady-like attributes had left her, as she forcefully overtook Crono. It was true that throughout the years she had made a few strides away from those morals she held dear but for the most part, she was always that innocent, well-educated, proper young lady.

Elegance had nothing to do with what she was feeling now, however. Shoot, even Marle, who was raised a princess, never had much of that to begin with. She was moreover the flirty and outgoing type; not at all like an introverted scientist who wore glasses. "Oh Lucca. You're pretty enough, it's not the glasses," she whispered to herself, "it's Marle. She looks good in anything, the all-around storybook princess."

Crono, what would I look good in? Would you let me know?

At that thought, she slapped her face and woke up to real-life. She had work to do, today. Some much needed experimenting and testing to be done. Besides, it'd give her something to do and get Crono off her mind. She didn't want to become obsessed with him, especially after he told her he didn't like it that Marle was becoming that way. Obsession was a formula for disaster, no matter how many equations were thrown into it. Obsessed? No way! She hadn't thought about him that much! Only about... all her life. It wasn't that bad considering how she grew up with him.

Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Yeah, it was nothing. Nothing but love. She loved him so much that she'd do anything to be with him, regardless of how she thought about it. Wait a minute, now that was obsessive! "Lucca, get it together girl. He's with Marle. There's no way you can compete with her. Just give up on him, okay?" Eh? What are you thinking, Lucca? You almost had him last time. Don't let this flame die out so quickly.

Her thoughts left her with that as she changed into some shorts and a t-shirt to get on with her day. Her invention blew up yesterday, but she decided to try it again. She didn't know what happened to start with; it was a really simple design. She began to work on it and then Crono appeared in her mind. Ah, so that was the problem. Distracted from thinking about his amazing looks made that thing explode, that wouldn't happen this time. The object was something like a computer; inspired by seeing the broken, yet superior technology in their travels to the future. Perhaps she was the one who started that industry; using her brains to develop and benefit the world. Hundreds of years into the future, yeah, but it had to start somewhere and they were already beginning to see new progress.

If she could get this thing working, there was no telling what would come out of it; limitless possibilities. When she was ready, she grabbed her tools and walked down the stairs. Right when she was about to dismantle what little remained of her first failed attempt, Crono's words found their way inside her mind.

"It'll be fun having you in the castle. I've actually wished that you were there a few times."

The wrench in her hand dropped to the floor as a wryly smile etched itself across her face. "You really do want me, don't you Crono?"

Crono had been put through the wringer after he ditched all of his duties yesterday. Marle was mad at him for seeing Lucca after she told him not to, and the king was upset that his son-in-law decided to blow off all of his responsibilities. Crono didn't tell Marle about the kiss; he never told her the first time, either. It wasn't like it was a big deal, though. All Lucca did was one quick peck and nothing more. Shaking his head from the thought, he wiped some of the sweat off his face as he went through all of the paperwork the king had sent him. Double the amount this time, since he spent yesterday with Lucca. It might as well had filled the entire office space, and he banged his head on the desk looking at the stack.

At this point, he wished that he hadn't visited Lucca. If he knew she'd come on to him with such force, he would have taken Marle's advice, but she was still his friend. And now he couldn't get her off his mind. He wanted to and then again he didn't. What was going on with her and why in the world did he care? He cared on a friendly level, but now his thoughts were cloudy and confused. That dumb Lucca... He tried to tell her that he loved Marle, but she didn't listen. He still couldn't get that familiar fragrance that he'd known for so long out of his nostrils, and that kiss was still inside his mouth. "You stupid woman..." Crono said under his breath. "Lucca, I don't know what got into you, but if you're going to be acting like that, well..."

Crono's thoughts faded into the air as he inadvertently raised his hand to touch his mouth. Still not noticing, he looked around his silent office and saw all the beautiful oil paintings that were decorated across the maghony walls. This place was a fortress of solitude, away from everything and everyone aside from all the legal documents and so forth he always helped the king with. He had other responsibilities too, but the agonizing and boring task of paperwork had always been countered by this serene and private room.

"Thinking about me, huh Crono?" Marle said with a flirty grin as she leaned her back up against the doorway. She had snuck in without him noticing, and saw that he had his fingers on his lips. After that dramatic yelling scene she gave him the night before, and all the work he was doing now, she was thinking that he could use a little break. Crono dropped his hand in shock from her sudden arrival, and then gave a half-smile.

"Hmm? What was that? Maybe a shirt and jeans are too much for you? I could always change into something else." Crono snapped back into reality and rubbed his head.
"Sorry, princess. I had my mind on something else."
"Ah, and what would that be, my dear Crono?" she asked, holding him in embrace from behind his chair.
"Oh, nothing too special. Been occupied with all this work."
"Yeah, but it was your fault, Crono. Daddy wasn't too happy about it."
"Yeah, yeah. You're enough trouble as it is."

Marle's face formed a devilish grin. "Hm, yes. I know." She turned him around and gave him a kiss.
Woah! What was Lucca doing? Wait, Lucca? No... What was she still doing on his mind? This was Marle's kiss; the one that he never wanted to break away from.
"You're boring when you're down here, Crono. When will you be done? It's already evening and I haven't seen you all day."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry. That was a pretty rash decision I made, wasn't it?"
"True, but whatever. I'm just glad your visit with Lucca went okay. Like you said, always nice to see a friend. How is she, by the way? I felt a little bad from what I said, and I kinda miss her."
Lucca? Well she's... "She's just fine."
"Crono? Everything okay? That didn't sound too convincing."
"Yeah, she's just going through a rough phase in life right now. She'll be fine." That was definitely a lot more than just a phase, Crono.

"Oh. Glad to hear it. I think? Hope it all turns out well for her."
"Yeah, me too."
"Crono, since you love ditching your work so much, let's get out of here. I'll just make up some story to tell Daddy. It'll be fine."

Marle took his hand and nearly dragged him across the floor as he was pulled from his seat. They were about to exit when a castle guard stood in front of them. Seemed like everybody wanted to bug Crono tonight.

"Ah. There you are, Lord Crono. There is a guest in the main hall who promptly requests an audience with you."

Lucca stood inside the extravagant halls of the castle, still disbelieving she even had the gall to walk through those doors after what she had done. What would Crono say and how would Marle react? Bah! Who cared about Marle, anyways? Not her. Crono would still be there, so even if Marle did reject, she'd still get to see that wild boy she had fallen in love with for all of her life. It was late, probably closer to around 10:00 PM when she entered the building. She hoped that she didn't disturb anyone, and especially Crono, from arriving at this time of night. For no logical reason at all, from what she could concur, she could feel the heart in her chest pound rapidly, like someone had just injected it with adrenaline. Well, perhaps somebody had.

She took in a few deep breaths and long exhales, almost stumbling a few times from where she stood. An officer stationed near the door offered her assistance, but she kindly refused, regaining her composure. It was a good thing that some of that elegance still lived within her. She slowed her heart rate down, reversing it back to normal. It was a random attack, out of nowhere, even. All she did was think about Crono, nothing too out of place there. With the sound of a semi-distant footstep, her heart regained its speed. With every step the unseen person took, her heart beat even more. She caught one figure out of her peripheral, and then two. To make matters even more confusing, once her eyesight caught one of the persons, her heart didn't race any longer; it slowed down to a crawl, and then back to its regular beat. "Hey, Crono..." she said, turning her head away and hardly believing those two words even made it past her own shoulder.

Marle was the first to respond, displaying a mixed emotion of both excitement and jealousy. Why there was jealousy, she couldn't figure out, but it could have done with the fact that Crono actually knew Lucca better than he knew her. Marle loved Crono, but never shared the same life as Lucca did with him. "Lucca! What have you been up to? Crono told me you two had a wonderful chat last night, what's new?"

"He did?" So, Crono, what did you say?
Crono, wishing that Marle hadn't said that, placed his hand on her shoulder and walked down the steps ahead of her. "Hey, Lucca..." he said, almost the same way as she said it.
"I didn't come too late, did I? It's past 10:00, and, well...but you said that I could..."

Marle, always being an overly joyful person, tried to cut the unknown tension between the two. She didn't think much of it, Crono had said that Lucca was going through a pretty rough time. She embraced the two of them, and pulled each other close into her, so that now all three were in a tight-nit hug. Lucca was shocked by her action, and was then relieved to know that Crono hadn't told her what truly happened.

"Lucca! How come we never see each other? We're not too far away!" Marle said, brimming with a smile.
"Ah, I don't know. Life, maybe? Everything seems to get in the way." She looked over to Crono and said a whisper that only she could hear, "And I do mean everything."

As they all broke away from Marle's hug, Crono found himself running across a never-ending racetrack of memories. Even recent ones. Too recent, at that. He blushed at a particular thought, and Lucca caught his mistake and made a foxy grin. "Crono! Say something, will you?" Marle scolded, pushing him closer to his best friend.

"Lucca, what brings you into the castle?" he asked her.
"You said that I could come in tonight, remember? Told me that you had a special room for me," she said, failing at trying to sound provocative, but giving Marle a slight clue.
"Oh, he did, huh?" Marle said catching the hint and jerking her husband around to see his face, all the while tapping her foot. "And why would he want that?"
"Because... He-" Lucca started, trying to control both urges to blurt everything out and to remain silent on the whole matter.

"You gonna answer, Lucca? Don't think that I didn't notice that cute little smile you gave him a few minutes ago. And as for you, Crono, you've been acting strange, too. What's going on?" Marle was becoming defensive, she was glad that Lucca came to visit, but given the time of night and the way she had said her words and how she looked at Crono, Marle was beginning to think that something was up. She wasn't as smart as Lucca, but she knew enough.

Crono made a loud sound along with a sigh. "Marle, stop worrying so much. I told you that she was going through a rough time, yeah? Well, I thought that maybe she could move in with us. At the very least, she wouldn't be lonely anymore."

"Oh, so that's what's going on?" Marle said with a cheerful smile, almost forgetting the situation. Good thing she was still a ditz, that would never be said of Lucca. She was even surprised that Marle bought into that story with such blinding speed, even though that was the reason he invited her in the first place. His reason, at least. Lucca had a few reasons of her own, and she'd do her best to see them through.

"Yeah, sorry about that Marle," Lucca apologized, "I smiled at Crono because he's such a good friend. He has always been, since the very first day I met him. He said it'd be alright, can I just live with you guys from now on? It's so boring and lonely in that stupid house of mine."

"Lucca, you expect me to just let you inside my castle on a whim and everything will be okay?" Marle said, almost sounding serious until she burst into laughter. "Well, come on, girl! Welcome home!"

That felt good, it really did. She'd get to live with Marle and Crono and catch up on old times, and look forward to new ones. Everything was going the way she wanted it, the only thing left was...

"Marle," Crono said, "I'll go get the maids and tell them that we have a new resident. Want to come along?"
"Nah, thanks though. You go on ahead, okay Crono? Lucca and I need to have some girl-to-girl talk and catching up to do before the evening closes."

Marle waited until her husband walked up the many flights of stairs and when his footsteps were no longer heard. She turned to Lucca and gave her a scowl that surprised the both of them. "Lucca, aside from Crono, you're definitely one of my closest friends. We spent some really hard times with each other, but know this," she fixed her hair before continuing, "If you ever look at my hot Crono like that again, I'll freeze you in place. I haven't forgotten the use of my magic, Lucca. You try sounding all cute and sexy with him the next time, and you won't be moving anything at all."

"Well, then," Lucca responded with a harsh tone, "I haven't either, Nadia. He's my best friend, I'll look at him in any way I want. I've known him much longer than you have, so you can't tell me what I can and cannot do."
"Lucca, you really crossed the line on that one. I don't let anybody flirt with my Crono, especially when I'm standing right next to him. I know you guys have been really close in the past, and still are, but it really made me feel uncomfortable. Lucca, you probably didn't mean anything by it, as I know you'd never try anything so brazen, but please be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah... Whatever princess..." Hey Marle, do you want to play with fire? Let's see how fast ice can really melt.
"Hey Lucca," Marle said, but now in an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry that I just went off on you like that. I freaked because you two are such close friends and he talks about you every now and then. Besides, you really do have a cute face," she said, giving a wink and lightly flicking Lucca's forehead.

"I have nothing to worry about, right? I can't lose him again, Lucca. He's my Crono, and no one else's."
"Marle, you're acting irrational. Everything's stable, okay? You don't have to keep accusing me."
"Sorry! Not a very friendly house-warming, was it? That's okay, I think your room is ready, we'll all have some fun tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah, sure thing, Marle!"

Lucca walked up the stairway with Marle close behind, and was saddened that Crono was nowhere in sight. He was probably in his own bedroom waiting for Marle, and trying to stay away from revisiting the event that had happened the day before. Well, it didn't matter much anyways. Crono couldn't hide from her anymore. She knew exactly where he was.

Chapter 4

Marle woke up with Crono beside her, still sound asleep. She ran her fingers through his messy red hair; which was always worse in the morning. They got to bed late after helping Lucca move in, so all they could do when they got back was sleep. She sighed and rolled over to her side away from Crono, remembering her conversation with Lucca. It was pretty harsh for a usually friendly girl.

"I'll freeze you in place." Would she really? Seemed a bit drastic, especially given their friendship. It had been very good, but Marle felt that Lucca drifted away somehow soon after the marriage. She was still her friend, right? She hoped so, but after seeing those loving eyes and smile that she gave Crono; it looked like it was much more than just your simple ''thank you.''

What really happened during their meeting? Crono was acting a bit unusual when he came back. Then again, those two knew each other all their lives, and Marle had only known him for a few years. Been married one of those years, and she got to know him in many other ways and that made their connection strong, but Crono could trust Lucca with anything. Just like her.

She wanted to be the only person Crono trusted that way, not another girl, but they were married. She had nothing to fear. She hoped. "Crono! Darling, wake up!" Marle said, shaking her husband. He sounded a groan and turned over, wanting to stay in the bed.

"Crono! You never wake up!" She kicked him off the mattress, and he didn't wake up until his head hit the floor.
"Ouch! What in the... Marle? Did you just kick me?"
"Obviously. Get ready, Crono. We promised Lucca a good day, today."
"Huh? Wha? Lucca?" he responded, still dazed and partially asleep.

"Lucca! You know, your childhood friend? The one that you invited into the castle? Get up, already!"
"Already am, Marle. Kicked me off the bed, remember?"
"Yeah, well it's about time you're paying attention. Let's go."

"Woah, hold on there, girl. You okay? You're pretty brutal this morning." He stood up and rubbed his head from the fall. Marle, who herself was still in the bed, snapped her head back at his question, gripping the sheets. She wasn't okay; the arrival of Lucca had changed all of that. Her thoughts were in a state of confusion, contradicting each other. One part of her was that bubbly air-head that loved her friends, and the other was a jealous wife. And why, she still didn't know. There was no reason for it, however. It didn't matter if Lucca had known Crono all her life; Marle knew him in many ways that she couldn't. Nothing would ever pry him away from her, no matter how many beautiful women came across his way. Still, she did feel a bit antsy since Lucca came the night before.

Drama or not, Marle had enough of it and there was no reason to worry about anything. She looked into her husband's eyes as he still awaited her answer and smiled. "Sorry, Crono. I'm cool, just one of those moments."

"Marle, every day with you is 'one of those moments.'"

Marle finally got out of the bed and did a few stretches before continuing to speak. She noticed that it caught Crono's eye and she grinned. Things were still fine and she could always tell what he was thinking. And, this time, his mind was all on her.

"So, Crono, what are we going to do?"

Lucca never went to sleep, despite her late-night arrival. How could she when Crono was only a few rooms down the hall? The dark circles under her eyes would prove that she had stayed up all night. Hopefully she wouldn't look horrible because of them. Well, if they were noticeable, at least they'd draw his attention to her. She could figure the rest out on her own for sure.

She hadn't even changed her clothes; surprisingly enough. She still had that oil stained shirt and torn jeans that she wore whenever she was tinkering with something new. Her stuff was already brought in; all but her inventions and tools which would be taken care of later. A knock on the door broke her from the blank stare that she held on her legs under the blankets.

"Lucca, it's Marle. You ready yet?"
"Sorta. I'm awake, but not fully dressed."
"Well hurry up!" Marle commanded on the other side of the door. "We promised you a nice time out today! Get a move on!"
"What? What about my stuff back at the house?"
"Psh," she said with a wave of the hand, "We'll take care of that crud later. It's so boring when Crono's busy!"
"Crono? What about you? Aren't you the princess? A fairly high position, Marle. Bet you have things to do, too," Lucca said now finding her clothes.

Marle, still behind Lucca's door, raised a grin. "Nope! Not today! Plans have changed. My Dad wants Crono to attend meetings and yada-yada. I'm not allowed in for some dumb reason. He'll be free later tonight but as of right now, it's just us girls."

Crono wasn't coming? So much for that cute outfit she was going to wear. Just her and Marle today, huh? It'd be fun hanging out with an old friend. Even though the three of them had visited from time to time, both Crono and Marle could never stay for all that long. It'd be great spending some time with Marle, and Lucca could even get some inside information on her Crono.

HER Crono? Now, that was being obsessive and those kinds of thoughts could prove very deadly. She had to step carefully; Crono belonged to Marle and she knew that he'd never leave her. At least, not without some ''persuasion.''

"Lucca? You okay? You went silent," Marle's concerned voice asked. Lucca finished dressing herself in some jeans and a purple shirt to match her short hair and walked to the door.
"Yeah," she said opening it, "I was just trying to get ready. Where are we going and what are we doing? The fair's closed, Marle."
"Fair? Who needs that? I've bought us a private ticket to cruise the landscape on the ferry. You comin' or what?"
"Too bad we dismantled the Epoch, huh? That'd be loads of excitement." And I would have gone back to that time and kiss him before you did.
"True, but time's fine as it is. Assuming we decide to get out of here! Let's go, the boat's waiting!"

As they walked to the harbor, Lucca was actually grateful to Marle for taking her along. It was a gorgeous day, mixed with cool breezes and the songs of birds. She almost never left the house, always keeping to herself as she always had. This was a welcomed change, and good for the skin too; she was a little pale from lack of sunlight. Even though Crono was not with them, Lucca felt happy and decided to spend a wonderful time with her friend. They boarded the ship and as Marle had said, it was definitely a private ticket. It was just the two of them aside from the ship's regular crew. Marle undid her long golden hair, and allowed it to drop and blow in the wind as she danced about. She actually had never been on a ferry before; just like Lucca. That would make this day very special indeed. Two friends both experiencing something new at the same time. She motioned Lucca to come join her near the railing and smiled when she did. "That purple short matches your short hair, Lucca. That's kinda cute," she said with a wink.

Lucca, to her surprise, actually blushed at that. "Hey! I have fashion sense! Always have to look good, right?"
"You bet. Oh, I love this wind. So enchanting. I could just allow it to take me away."
If you want, Marle, I'll push you off myself.

"But I wouldn't be with Crono, right? This feels great, Lucca! We should do this every day!"
"Ha! You're as bubbly as ever, I see."
Marle smiled and looked into Lucca's friendly eyes with her own not being as such. "Lucca, do you like Crono?"
Like him? You crazy? I love him! "Um, what do you mean?" she asked, careful of how to answer Crono's wife.

"Like, you've guys been friends forever, right? Have you ever..." Marle's voice faded as she pointed her eyes to her toes.
"You mean have I ever been attracted to him?"
"You always look at him like you are."
Well, yeah! What girl wouldn't look at him?

"Tell me the truth, Lucca. Please. We've always been good friends."
"Is this why you took me out today?" Lucca said defending herself and trying to avoid the issue.
"Part of it, but I also wanted to spend some time with you. Besides, I need to get this off my chest."

"Yeah, a pretty big chest," Lucca said out loud without thinking it through and lifting her eyebrows up with a roll of the eyes. Marle turned red at the remark for a second or two, and then stared her friend down. "That wasn't necessary, Lucca. Just answer my question. Yes or no? I'll believe you either way if you're truthful."

"Either way?"
"Yes."

Go ahead and lie, Lucca! You've never done it before! Think of it as a new experiment and await the results. They may even be good.

"No."
"No what?"
"No, I don't like him. As a friend, sure, and I'll always hold him dear to me but I'm not attracted to him. I could never take him away from your arms, anyways." At least, you wouldn't notice it...
"So, Crono's only fallen in love with me? Not you?"
"Yes." Well, that part is true. You told me to be truthful, didn't you? Never said when.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. I'm a little overprotective of him, you see."
"Ha! Yeah, he's said that."
"He has? Heh, well maybe I should back off just a tad."
Yes, that'll be just fine, Marle. Just fine.
"Thank you for telling me the truth, Lucca. I'm really happy," Marle said with a beaming smile.

Truth? Oh man... What did I just say... I just...well... Whatever.
"You're welcome, Marle. Let's enjoy the rest of the cruise, I never get to go outside."

Marle gave her a tight hug and answered in agreement. The rest of the trip was peaceful; and the reflection of the half-full moon in the evening's sky glistened in a very surreal way on the water's surface. As they pulled into the harbor, Lucca took in the chill of the night air near the docks. The walk back to the castle was also peaceful, and her face lit with joy when Marle told her that the whole point of them coming out today was for her stuff to be moved inside the castle.

That was good because ever since she saw the computers in the future, she wanted to create one. And with more room to work, she wouldn't be as limited. Except that brief moment on the ship with that very uncomfortable conversation, the entire day and night had been fantastic. In fact, she had forgotten all about Crono until they entered the castle.

She had gone in before Marle, ecstatic that her equipment was finally there and as she rushed down the stairs to the former dungeon which would now be her laboratory; she found Crono putting the last box into place.




Thats all I can write before dinner.
Thanks.

 

[Aladar]

Even if this stuff didn't break the rules of the contest, you are more than half a year late.

Honestly, don't you people read first posts anymore! Lol xD

 

[Dorothy]

Since this is all clearly over, I'm closing this thread.