"No problem," replied Lucca. "I, Frog, and you can take the Epoch and the rest can take the Gate at the fair grounds. Just make sure that when we're all there Magus and Frog don't get into another fight."
"Don't worry, if they get into a fight I'll just step between them again. They can't hurt me!" declared Bowser, puffing out his chest proudly.
"Thanks, Bowser. You're a real help!"
"Don't mention it."
After a few seconds, the party that took the Gate turned up at the End of Time.
"Well, we must be here!" said Diddy cheerfully. But his smile faded as he looked around. "What kind of a bleak place is this?!"
"So, you made it! Let's go see Gaspar," Lucca said, walking up to them. When they had explained about Crono to Gaspar, the man frowned.
"Crono, dead? I don't think so," was his reply.
"But we saw him when he got crushed under Lavos, and--" Marle couldn't go on, because she nearly cried.
"Yes, but he is not dead. You might be able to find him somewhere in the Dark Ages."
"That must be 12,000 BC! Let's go!"
Crono shivered with cold. The unpleasant memories of Lavos came back into his mind, when he had tried to push them away and forget them. First, he thought about a blast from Lavos that could have torn him apart if his friends had not rescued him first. Then he thought about Lavos coming back after being defeated and crushing him to death. He had afterwards heard a distant voice that sounded like Marle's saying, "I wish he was still alive!" Then he had turned up here, in this freezing place. He sighed, suddenly feeling tired. It was too cold, he needed to rest. . .
"Okay, everyone! We're here! Let's go look for Crono." They all split up and went different ways. Marle walked towards a mountain. As she approached, she noticed a small opening at the base, and, deciding to investigate, entered the cave. She saw a few footsteps leading in and out.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called. Her voice echoed in the darkness, but she got no response. She spotted an opening to another room in the cave, and when she entered, she was startled to see a still figure lying on the floor near the back.
"Oh my gosh, Crono! . . .Wait. . .he's not moving. . ." She touched his arm. "He's nearly frozen solid! But he's just asleep, shouldn't he be awake by now. . .?" She took one of his cold hands. "Crono, can you hear me? Please wake up. . ." Crono seemed to hear, for at that moment he stirred and opened his eyes. "Crono, you're alive!" She hugged him. "I thought this time for sure I'd never see you again." Crono managed a small grin.
"You can't get rid of me that easily." Marle giggled. Just then, Bowser poked his head in and saw them.
"Time to go, you two!"
"Good-bye, everyone! Nice helping you!" The Mario gang and the Dixie Kong gang said their good-byes and wished themselves back.
"I wish we could all return to our own worlds!"
"Well, I'm glad those two reunited," said Mario, back at his Pad.
"Yeah, it was Marle's wish that saved him."
"So, what are we going to do now? I'll be glad to go back to a normal life after that experience."
"Wow, can you believe those people actually came here from a different world? That must have been some experience! I wish we could travel like that."
"I don't think you should say that--" Too late. A tornado picked up Marle, Ayla, Crono, and Magus.
CRASH!!!
A new Exor crashed through the Star Road, this time into Mario's Pad. Mario and Toadstool were thrown apart. Mario flew into Mushroom Way and happened to collide with the tornado. The force of the impact flung Crono straight up, while the other three were hurled far away. Crono landed right on top of Mario.
"What the heck is going on here?!" Mario cried in disbelief.