Diaries~ Marle

by Lalita

Disclaimer~ *yawn* Chrono Trigger isn't mine...

Author Notes~ *dies of shock* HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE I'VE UPDATED?!?! I am soooooo sorry! *sobs* Can all of you forgive me? I've been so lazy... So I apologize. And now for the thank yous- I have A LOT!!!

Guinevere Koopa~ *sniffles* As corny as this may sound, you're reviews DO mean a lot to me and THANKS SOOOO MUCH!!!!

Goku's Girl~ Another one of my favorite reviewers... ^__^ Thanks a lot! I really appreciate how you tell me exactly what you like- or didn't- in the story. It helps a lot!

Rollie~ I'm continuing! Don't hurt me!!!

Xzanayu~ ^^ I can't say I hurried with this chapter... But I will try to with the next one!

Milz~ *ducks as several forks or thrown at my head*

Akemi Akebi~ Love your reviews too!!!

And that's all I have time for right now... Sorry if I missed anyone- I know I did- but I'll get ya next time!!! ^___^ But really, thanks. You guys are what keep me writing!

Marle's Diary

Chapter Elevel

" Hmmm.... So what's next?" Marle asked, as Crono and she made their way across the fairgrounds. She quickly scanned the place for something they hadn't yet done, and her emerald eyes rested a large, foreboding tent. A woman was proclaiming it as, " The Tent of Horrors ", and although she wasn't keen to go in it, Marle didn't want Crono thinking she was a coward. Tossing her blonde ponytail over her shoulder, she said, " Let's go in there." Not waiting for a reply, she headed off towards it, walking swiftly.

Crono followed behind her, looking amused, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Marle. " What?" she snapped, annoyed. " You don't think I can handle it, just because I'm a girl?"

Shaking with suppressed laughter, Crono managed to say, " No... I'm just not sure I can handle it."

Marle rolled her eyes and proceeded to the entrance, which was big and dark. Squinting inside, she could make out a small figure, seemingly floating in air... Floating in air!? What?!

" Are you sure you want to go in there, dear?" the old crone standing next to the tent whispered into Marle's ear. Her breath was foul and Marle wrinkled her nose. " There are horrors inside you have never seen."

Ignoring the woman's comment, Marle stepped inside, and instantly jumped back. The two torches inside, placed on either ends of a barred cell, had lept to life, but that had not been what had made Marle gasp. A face, with two hands, was levitating in the air, and at her astonishment, the face grinned, revealing its toothless mouth. " Welcome," it said, " to the Tent of Horrors. I am Norstein Bekkler. How many silver points do you wish to spend?"

Marle glanced over her shoulder at Crono, who was just as awestruck as she. Shaking his head, Crono stepped forward. " Forty points is all we have," he mumbled to Marle.

But the thing- whatever it was- heard. It clapped its hands in delight and exclaimed, " Forty points it is!" Abruptly, the cell opened. Marle stepped back uneasily, but she needn't have. Standing in the shadowed doorway was someone who looked exactly like Crono... Marle's head jerked from the real Crono to the one who had just left the cell. It couldn't be! What kind of trickery was this? She had never seen anything like it, even from the court jesters...

" Just mimic everything your clone does," Bekkler instructed. Crono nodded, eyeing the clone warily, and his hand was stroking his sword hilt, as if he would rather slice it to bits. The clone laughed, its noise hollow and rebounding across the tent, which looked more like a dungeon than a tent on the inside. Crono laughed. The clone went on laughing for a few more moments, then it raised its left arm. Crono did too. On and on it went, faster and faster, until Norstein Bekkler clapped his hands again and said excitedly, " Good! Good! The clone will be delivered to your house."

" I can't believe we wasted forty silver points for a stupid clone," Crono grumbled as they exited the Tent of Horrors.

Tilting head back to look at him, Marle said, " There's really not much more to do at the fair, is there?"

Crono shook his head. " Nope."

They decided to browse through shops, even though Marle had no intention of buying. She was looking at a particularly beautiful brooch, which sparked her interest, when the man sitting on the cloth gasped. He was garbed in heavy blue robes, several amulets hanging from around his neck. Swords and other such things lay beside him, temporarily forgotten. He pointed at the pendant Marle wore, a gleam in his eyes. " That... that pendant," he whispered reverently.

Marle looked around uncomfortably. Her fingers went to the pendant and stroked it, as she always did when she was nervous.

The man bowed, his robes sweeping low to the ground. " I am Melchoir," he stated, then his hungry eyes lifted to the pendant again. " I collect and sell many beautiful and rare items. That, my lady, is just a thing. Would you like to sell it? We could even make a trade-"

" I'm sorry," Marle interrupted. " It's very important. You see, it's a family heirloom."

Still, Melchoir persisted. When Crono appeared, standing beside Marle, the man turned to him. " Perhaps you can convince your lovely accomplice to sell that beautiful pendant?"

Crono stiffened. " It's not for sale," he said in a short, clipped tone. Steering Marle away from Melchoir, he murmured, " You might want to watch out for the salesmen here. They don't give up."

" Like someone I know," Marle said, grinning. Crono grinned back, and Marle reveled in how white his teeth were. Most villagers had yellow stained teeth, but, then again, Marle suspected that Crono was very different from most villagers.

A sudden shout made them jump. " Lucca's exhibit at the end of the fair is now open! Go, all who want to be blown to smithereens!" There was a fair round of laughter at this, and then the crowds resumed their activities.

Marle was bursting with questions. " Who's Lucca? Why did that man say anyone who want would be blown to pieces?"

Crono chuckled. " Hold it there, I can only answer one question at a time, you know." Marle tapped her foot impatiently. Still chortling, Crono said, " Lucca is a friend of mine. She's an inventor, so she's probably got another crazy contraption to display." He jerked his head in the general direction of Gato, the fighting robot. " She created Gato and loads of other things. The last time, though, her invention blew up and it took hours to extinguish the fire it caused."

" I'm surprised they let her come back. It sounds dangerous to me," Marle remarked, but her mind was occupied elsewhere. Crono had said Lucca was a friend of his... She wondered whether or not this Lucca was a friend like the millions of other girls were. Vaguely, she thought Lucca must be pretty. Why else would Crono bother with her?

" Candy! Candy! Right here, with a bit of gossip! Only two silver coins, or ten silver points!" A woman bellowed. She had set up her stall right next to the entrance to Lucca's show.

Marle, wiling to waste more time before meeting the " friend " of Crono, said absently, " I'd like some candy, Crono. If you don't mind."

Crono shook his head to indicate that he didn't mind, then dug deep into his pockets and withdrew two silver coins. " Go on, pick out some candy," the woman urged Marle. Then, while Marle was examining jar after jar of treats, she peered suspiciously at Crono. " Have you heard the latest gossip?" she grunted. Crono shook his head again, and the woman leaned in closer. " They say the king's daughter is running loose. Says he can't manage her." The woman laughed, but a little ways away, the color had drained out of Marle's face. She had heard every word. " What kind of man can't handle his own daughter! She must be no proper princess!" The woman cackled. " I says, all she needs is discipline. She's probably a spoiled brat, who can get whatever she wants. Let her life a peasant's life for a day! She'll become humble enough!"

Marle, oddly subdued, walked over and despondently announced she had picked out her candy, but all thoughts of candy and Lucca had been pushed out of her mind by a bigger, much more fearsome worry- her father. " If the common people already know I've run away, then that must mean father's looking for me. Oh... What am I supposed to do? I should go back, but I don't want to leave yet..." Marle trailed off in thought, her face pinched in a frown.

" Hey, what's wrong? Is the candy sour?" Crono asked, looking at Marle out of the corner of his eye.

Marle nodded, even though she had not taken a lick of her candy. Staring ahead at the upcoming display, she decided that she would stay to see this Lucca and her invention. After that, she would leave.

Marle fought the waves of disappointment washing over her.

Ending Author Notes~ So... What do you think? Is it good? Is it bad? Suggestions? Give me opinions! Please read and review!