Chapter VI: Time and Time Again

Upon their return, they witnessed the king filled with reilief and joy upon the lifting of the entire ordeal
'You all have my eternal gratitude!' declared the King. 'If there is anything you ever have need of, merely let me know. But I must ask, what became of that other girl?'
'Oh right! Princess Nadia!' said Lucca
A quizzical look came upon the King's face. 'Who?' replied Frog
Crono addressed the Queen. 'Excuse me for being, I don't know what, your Majesty, but you're not the same Princess I met at the fair earlier today are you.'

'If I am I don't know it. What's this all about?'
'It's a long story, and we don't really know all the details' explained Lucca. 'Are you sure you want to hear it?'
'Yes please'
Lucca and Crono retold the day's entire events. Frog, Leene, the King and the Chancellor looked on in disbelief.
'Why don't you join us next time, Frog?' He said nothing, only looked downward.
'It'd be fun.' said Crono.
'So you mean to tell me there's someone who looks exactly like me here in the kingdom?' inquired Queen Leene.
'Yes Ma'am'
'That's unbelievable!'
Frog nealt and bowed his head. 'Highness, Twas a fault of mine that endanged the Queen. I hath failed and disgraced the Order. Thus I shalt take my leave.' Frog hopped out.
Crono turned to meet him.
'Leave him be. Nothing any of us can say can be of any consolation to him. It pains us though, for he is such a noble, brave man.' advised the King. 'You need to go find your friend'
'Where though?' wondered Lucca
'I guess where upstairs where I found her.'
Crono and Lucca trekked up the seemingly endless flight of steps. Already weary from the perils of the cathedral, the stairs gave them no respite.
'I'd rather go through that stinkin cathedral again than climb up all these steps!' protested Lucca.
'Hey I don't wanna hear that. This is the second time I've climbed these'
'All you do is whine!'
'Like you're any better'
'Of course I am!'
Crono was far too winded to retort. Eventually, they scaled the mountain of steps. They stood against the wall, to catch their breaths.
'Well look who's back!' said one of the attendants.
Crono acknowledged. 'Is the Queen in?'
'Which one?'
'The wrong one'
'Don't know.'
Crono pushed himself off of the wall and went to Marle's door. Lucca followed. He knocked, but no answer came, as he expected. They entered the room, finding it still dark. THe room was very chill as well, raising goosebumps upon their skin. It posessed an unsettling atmosphere, as though a fight between two divorcing parents had just occured within the walls.
'This is where she disappeared from.'
'Princess Nadia!' called Lucca.
They looked about the room unsure of what to do. Slowly and subtly an ambiant light seeped into the quarters. Niether was overly aware of it, untill it congregated near the furthest wall. The light grew in intensity, like an approaching beacon. Crono gripped the hilt of his sword, weary of any incoming meanace. Soon they shielded their eyes, and with a bright flash, Marle sat before them.
She sat upon a knee, dazed and unsure of all that transpired. Marle shook the cobwebs out, and looked up. 'Hey Crono, what just happened?'
'Well, I don't really know.' he expelled a sigh. 'What happened to you?'
'I'm not sure. I can't really remember it but whatever it was, It was awful! I was somewhere alone, dark, and cold. Maybe I was dead. So what did you do after I left?'
Crono and Lucca explained the entire day's events. 'It's good to have you back Princess Nadia!' greeted a relived Lucca.

They descended the stairs into the throne room.
'So you're the real Queen huh? I'm glad I'm not!' Said Marle to Leene.' They looked at each other like two long lost twins. 'It was fun, but it's not for me'
'Wow you really could be my twin! This is so weird!'
'I never thought this would happen to me. whew! What a day!'
'If there's anything you all ever need, just tell us.' promised Leene.
'I'm glad I don't have two wives.' joked the King. 'Although today I did.'
'Yeah, well you two better get to going or I'll be in big trouble' declared Marle.
An awkward slience filled the room. Crono looked at Marle bewilderedly. The King and Queen looked at each other and back at Marle, unsure. 'What, did you mean with that?' inquired the King.
Marle's cheeks tinted a slight scarlet. 'O nothing. We need to get home.'
They exchanged farewells, and exited. Upon the Drawbridge sat a disheartened Frog.
'Frog!' called Crono.
'Ah. Thanks to thee again for thine skills and courage. Crono, thou dost hath unlimited potential as a swordsman.' Frog cought sight of Marle. 'Lady, thine semblance to the Queen is quite uncanny!'
Marle screamed,with such volume, she was heard back in their own time.
'Good tidings to all of thee' Frog bowed graciously, and hopped off.
'Yeah you weren't so bad either Froggy' stated Lucca.
'What was that?!' yelled Marle.
'He saved you.'
She stood silent and stunned. 'Oh'
They worked back the canyon to the pocket where all three had entered. In the pocket was a spherical tear in reality. It seemed out of place, and resonated with an eerie light. Only Lucca knew what it was.
'So how do we get home?'
'Ah I'm glad you asked Princess, er, Majesty, er-'
'Marle. I hate those stupid titles, just call me Marle'
'Okay Marle behold!' Lucca drew out an odd sort of object. It was a short narrow cylander atop which was a round head of sorts. Surrounding the head were several smaller spheres. Neither Crono nor Marle knew what to make of the object. Lucca took the object and walked to tear. She held the strange object up to the tear, and it expanded. Time and space rifted as it had at the fair.
Crono and Marle nearly jumped out of their skin. He felt his eyes wrestle their way out of his sockets. She had lost her breath entirely, and her jaw hit thr grass.
'that's amazing!' exclaimed Marle. 'You're amazing!'

'Ain't I though!' Lucca stopped herself. 'I mean, uh.'
'Oh enough with the false modesty you really have something. I'd trade my royal lineage for your smarts any day!'
Crono groaned to himself. The last thing Lucca needed was more ego stroking.
'If you say so. Anyways I call this thing a gate. And this thing, a gate key. From what I;ve observed it takes you to the same spot in a different time. They're really unstable as we all noticed, so that's why I made the gate key. Thus we can use the gate as we want!'
'But what caused the gate?' asked Marle.
'That I don't know. either the Telepod did, or something else made it?'
'"Something else?"' questioned Crono. 'What "Something Else"?'
'You're guess is as good as mine.'
'This is just getting weird. Let's go home!'
Lucca and Marle stood before the gate. 'Coming Crono?'
The three stepped into the gate. It closed upon them and were swallowed again and sent hurtling into the unknown.

'Oh. You came after me too?' She smiled. 'Wait' her simle was yanked off her face by a grave look of concern, the kinda of look one would get realizing the stove was still on. 'Did you just say "Princess Nadia?" Marle sighed and lowered her head. 'Oh no' She was unable to meet their gazes. 'I guess there's no hiding now, huh? Sorry Crono I didn't mean to decieve you. I'm Princess Nadia, my father's King Gaurdia the IXXXIVIY, I forget what. I really had a great time at the fair with you.' Marle grew more sheepish as she continued. Crono looked on unsure of what to make of it all. In a day of surprises, this certainly was the most expected.
'So why didn't you tell me?'
Marle decected a note of irritation in his tone. Her countinance grew grim. 'Well, I was afraid if you knew who I was, you wouldn't've shown me around, and been so nice to me and all. Right?'
Crono still had no idea behind the reasoning her motives. 'Yeah. I had a great time too.'
'Well would you have been so nice to me if you knew who I was?'
Crono found her question a bit proposterous, but he knew nothing of the behaviour of princesses. 'Of course I would've'
Marle brightened and opened the graceful, cheerful smile Crono had become familiar with in the short time that they knew each other. She even leapt for joy. 'Crono that's why I like you!' They all shared a smile. 'Besides I like Marle better than the real "Princess" anyways. Well the Queen's safe, so let's get home!'