Chrono Trigger: Relationships Chapter 11
Fade to Black
By John Donahue
When the explosion was over and the smoke cleared, four bodies lay on the ground. Then, one of them started to move.
"Uhh..." Crono moaned as he tried to regain his footing. His head was swimming, and he couldn't focus on anything. He looked at the two that lay next to him, arms intertwined. Glenn and Elina were both unconscious- or worse. Both had many scrapes along their arms, legs, and faces. Crono looked around for the other man as his vision started clearing. The Captain lay perhaps ten, twelve yards away, unconscious. Crono shook his head and looked at the pyramid.
The structure had no damage whatsoever, aside from the blacked dirt the once green grass had become. Marle's body still lay intact, looking as if she were sleeping. But Crono knew better. Wordlessly, he drew his gun. He turned from Marle's body, tears streaming down his face. He lowered his head and cocked the weapon. Then, slowly, he placed it against his right temple.
"Marle, Lucca, everyone, please forgive me...I'm sorry," he said to himself. Then, bracing for the shock, he started to pull the trigger...
A shot rang out through the woods, but it wasn't from Crono's gun. A bullet tore through the air and knocked the gun out of Crono's hand. As he turned around, Lucca, behind him, lowered her gun.
Crono just stared at her. She looked away, and said, "I couldn't- can't let you do this, Crono. Just because Marle's gone doesn't mean you have to be too."
Crono lowered his head, tears flowing freely. "Without her, my life is nothing. I have nothing left, Lucca, don't you get it? My mother's gone, vanished into the mists of time, following after my cat, and now Marle's dead. I can't go on, Lucca; I can't because I have nothing left. NOTHING!" And he turned away, sobbing.
The Captain, listening to this dialog, inched ever closer to Crono's gun...
Lucca looked up at Crono's back and said, "You still have me..."
As Crono looked back at her, the Captain stood up, raised his borrowed gun, aimed at Lucca, and said, "And now, boy, you do not even have her." So speaking, he fired.
Crono's eyes went wide, and he acted before he thought. He dove into Lucca, shoving her aside, and as their eye's met, his head jerked. He landed hard, and his scalp was bleeding heavily. Lucca screamed, and fired. The Captain took a bullet in the stomach, and went down, his blood pouring freely. Lucca looked at Crono, and rolled him onto his back, trying to see if he was alive.
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