A Warrior's Bane by Ersatz Sobriquet

He just needed one more piece and he’d have the tree finished. He scoured the table, prodding and moving the other pieces that tried to fool him, throw his judgment off. He thought he saw the piece twice, but it was just a small part of a shrub. Silently scolding himself the second time for being fooled so, he sat back in his chair and glazed over the table. It HAS to be here, he thought. Finally he saw it, rejoicing inside, and placed the odd cut shape into the base of the tree.

There! he thought. Finally got the tree done. Now, I just have... A quick estimate and then, 250 pieces left to go. He sighed. When he brought this puzzle from a shop at a Market near Guardia Castle, he didn’t think it would take him this long to complete it. But that was a good thing, he figured. Business was slower than usual anyway, so he might as well have something to occupy his time with.

As he started work on putting together another tree that was in the foreground, the door opened and a rather short man walked in. “Ahh, finally,” he sighed a relief. “A customer!”

Getting up from his little table behind the counter, he greeted the stranger, “Welcome to Yei’s Specialty Gun Shop! How may I help you?”

The man stopped short of the counter. Not a very pretty looking fellow. He wore a slightly faded green shirt the sleeves being ripped off, with a scar running up his left arm. His pants were clean, but had that dirty look to it. His bearded face hadn’t been trimmed in weeks, and his hair was as messy as it’ll ever get. Normally, Yei wouldn’t even consider serving such an unruly looking fellow, but his family had to eat.

Staring at Yei for a moment, the unruly fellow pulled out a piece of paper and said, “I need you to make me this gun.” His voice was gruff and a bit hoarse.

Taking the paper from his dirty fingernails and looking at it for a minute, Yei replied, “Sure thing. Just need to see your gun license and then I’ll tell you if this design is feasible and give you a rough estimate.”

Staring straight through Yei, it seemed, the stranger replied, “It is feasible... And I have no license. Just make the gun according to the directions, and I’ll be on my way.”

“Oh, we have a problem then, friend.” Yei replied, trying to sound cheerful. Deep inside he was kicking himself for having to let another customer go. “I can’t make a gun for you if you don’t have a gun license. You’ll have to get one of those first before I can considering making this. Sorry, that’s the law.”

The man just stared at Yei for a moment. “Look, slick, there isn’t any question about this. You...”

“I know there isn’t any question.” Yei quickly cut him off. “I can’t make the gun, plain and simple. Now, please be on your way before trouble arises.” His tone became dangerously serious, his eyes locked on the stranger.

A moment of silence on the stranger’s part, and then he turned to leave, snatching the paper from Yei’s hand, saying, “Trouble will arise, boy.” And then he was gone.

Yei always hated persons like him. Ever since Guardia imposed the new rule that it’s citizens needed to have a license to carry a gun, not only has his business been slower, but the few customers he did gain always had to be turned down, them lacking a license. Something about that fellow though, frightened him some. The way he moved, carried himself, it was like he was hiding something. Something... dangerous, troublesome.

Yei laughed at this thought. Hiding something. What citizen here at Guardia isn’t hiding something? Oh sure, everyone knew everyone else, but someone always had a secret to tell. Guardia Castle, people’s homes, the few monsters in the forest of Guardia... Everyone!

Not only was the stranger’s persona a bit questionable, but that gun design was illegal. It’s was banned by the government officials a little over two years ago because of it’s powerful design. A triple barrel shotgun. Triple barrel. Not only was that triple barrel nigh more lethal than a regular two, but the sheer force the bullets were shot from out of the barrel could easily rip through ten people if they were standing one behind the other. Easily. Walls subjectively crumbled at the force two shots produced from such a gun.

An exceptionally large amount of gunpowder was used in each bullet, allowing it to fly off with such intense speed. Since the bullets were larger, each barrel was also larger. About 15 mm larger and that makes a big difference when talking about a barrel of a gun. The outer shell of the barrel was reinforced with steel, so that it wouldn’t buckle from the pressure of the blast. Though guns weren’t as popular in that day and time as the sword still was, some, the revolutionist as some people called them, did indeed use guns. The original designer of this modified gun, Yei garnered a lot of money. The fact that he patented it guaranteed that only he could exclusively make the gun.

But this guy made a threat just because Yei wouldn’t make the gun. Well, it was kind of like a threat, Yei thought. He didn’t know what trouble would arise, but it probably wasn’t anything major.

The boy tried to scream, but the blood in his mouth was too much. He knew he’d choke if he did try to scream. He almost did already. The blood gushing out of his mouth in a sickening, unnatural way, sought to quickly silence that attempt if it was made. But the pain! It was so excruciating! He didn’t know how he was coping with such intense pain. Maybe a well placed blow to the head with a rock would do the trick and end his sufferings. That would work if his arms weren’t tied behind him.

A man within the shadows just looked on, reserved to do nothing to comfort the boy’s pain. Why should he? He did cause it, after all.

“Yei, where’s Crono?” a voice called out to Yei, who was still immersed in his little puzzle. He’d finally finished the tree in the foreground and was working on the sky when his wife called him.

Looking up, he replied, “Huh? Oh, I think he’s playing with Lucca, Qintte. He’ll be fine.”

“But it’s getting late, and he’s usually back by now,” Qintte said with a hint of worry in her voice, looking out at the setting sun. “Maybe you should go to Lucca’s house to see if he left already. I don’t want anything to happen to him.” She wrapped her silk shawl around her a bit closer. Fall was around the corner, and Qintte’s frail form already was freezing cold.

Qintte always worried about her little child, Crono. He was a special son in her eyes, and she knew he had a bright future ahead of him. She would often cuddle him in her arms late at night, even at his size, and read to him various fairy tale stories. One of Crono’s favorites was the Warrior’s Bane. It was about a warrior who wanted to do good, but a evil hindrance always tried to prevent him from doing such. In the end though, the warrior ended up warding off the evil and led a good life.

Not only was that story one of Crono’s favorites, but it also seemed to reflect the demons within Qintte. Qintte would positively feel awful if anything were to happen to her little boy and would do anything to stop badness from falling on him. She probably, like many other mothers, would blame herself for his misfortune, and that was a thing she did not want to live with. She wants to do good for her son, but always felt like she was letting him down.

“C’mon, Yei. Get going! I’ll close up shop, you go make sure he’s okay.” she again said, this time pushing Yei slightly out of his chair.

“Fine, fine, I’m going. Boy...” he trailed off, muttering a few more words before heading out. And he was just about to finish half of the sky, too.

The boy was now whimpering slightly, still sobbing because of the intense pain in his mouth that didn’t go away. His teeth were stained red and so were his lips and chin, traveling all the way down to his shirt. The man looked up at the boy that sat in the corner and yelled for him to shut up. The only thing resulting from that was him whimpering even louder.

The room was dark, the only source of light was streaming through a little hole in the wall that stood above the boy. Varmints of all kind lurked within those shadows, and most of them were drawn to the boy, his blood attracting them. His eyes became adjusted to the darkness, even with the stream of light entering the room and he could see his persecutor. He towered over the young boy after he still refused to quiet down.

A firm slap in the face undid the work his body was trying to do in calming the blood loss from his mouth and again, blood incessantly poured out. The boy whimpered some more, the taste of blood becoming very sickening. How much of his own blood did he digest up till that point? He didn’t know, but his stomach groaned and moaned with the uncommon substance it was being given.

“Shut up, boy,” his attacker hissed. “I don’t want to hear anymore of ya!”

The boy closed his eyes tightly, allowing a tear to escape. It ran down the side of his face and mixed together with the mangled mess of blood and saliva.

“Yeah, he’s out back playing with Lucca, after I told him to go home over an hour ago.” the big man bellowed out. “Thought he was on his way, but I just found out he never left. Figured you were going to be over here to look for him. Well, I figured Qintte was going to send you here, I should say.” he ended in a wink.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Yei replied, scratching the back of his head. “Let me go get him.”

“Now, your the electron and I’m the nucleus. I am the center of your world, and you have to help me be the best nucleus ever!” the little girl proudly said.

“Huh?” the boy questioned. “What are ya talking about? What’s a electron?”

Laughing, making her oversized glasses rattle a bit on her head, she said, “Silly, I already told you what an electron is!”

“Well, your gonna have ta tell me again, Lucca cause I don’t remember...” the boy trailed off, swirling the stick he held in his hand a bit in the sand.

“Crono, your in big trouble now!” Yei burst into the backyard, interrupting any conversation that happened to be going on.

“You know what. You were suppose to be home hours ago. Mr. Taban even told you to go home, didn’t he?” Yei questioned.

“Yeah,” he replied, lowering his head a little “but I thought you said I could spend the night?” he lied, hoping that would work.

“I never said that, and you know it. Now get moving.” he commanded, tugging Crono’s shirt collar some. Waving bye to Lucca, he dropped his stick as Yei apologized to Taban for causing so much trouble.

“Oh, don’t worry about it! Lucca’s in as much trouble as he is for holding him up, the two playing their little games.” he glared at Lucca. Her sight immediately fell to the ground as Taban walked over to her. “Your in a lot trouble too, missy.”

Stumbling before his father after he was pushed forward, Crono tried to reason with him. “I didn’t do anything though, dad! I was just playing.”

“You know good and well you shouldn’t have been out and about at this time of night. Who knows what kind of danger you might have gotten into.” Yei angrily told his son, brushing away some of the branches that stood in the midst of the path. “Your mother would have a fit if anything were to happen to you.”

“Aww, c’mon dad. You know nothing would ever happen to me. I mean, really,” Crono replied, slowing down a bit so he could actually be walking side by side with his pop. “I’ll always be fine with my Katana!” he proudly proclaimed reaching to his side. Realizing he was grabbing only air, he exclaimed, “Oh no! I must of dropped my Katana back at Lucca’s house! We have to go back and get it.” Crono pleaded.

“You mean your little stick? Boy, keep walking. You better be happy you left that thing behind. Then I’d have something to whup you with. Besides, you’ll never gonna need that old thing, anyway.” Yei flatly said.

The sun was setting now, and the little light that once invaded the room was slowly dwindling down. The young boy’s torturer was sitting within the shadows, whittling and humming softly. The boy simply looked on, tears still in his eyes some. How long had he been in this room, he wondered. Days? Weeks? He didn’t really know. The pain in his wrist began to be as great as the pain in his mouth, the burn from the tightly tied rope cutting into his skin. The bleeding in his mouth stopped some, but that pain was still unbearable as well. Why would someone do this to him, he questioned over and over in his head. He found no consolation in what his voices said.

“You are a horrible boy!” the voices would say. “That’s what you get for being so smart all the time. You got some sass in you, boy. Some crass and sass. Better be glad your here so no one will have to worry about all your back talk!!”

He tried to shrug the voices off, but they continued to grow louder and intensify even more so. So many voices telling him that he was evil, that he caused this pain and suffering on his own. No one was to blame but himself, he finally reasoned. But that wasn’t enough. The voices were going to make sure he knew that he was the worst person that ever walked the face of the earth. Why else would he be going through such an ordeal?

These thoughts made the young boy cry some once more, little sobs cutting through the tears and anguish. The man looked up at the boy, annoyed that he was making any kind of noise... again. Setting down his jack knife and piece of wood, he walked over to the boy, talking through his teeth, “I thought I told you to shut up!” Yet, another firm backhand was felt and the wound again opened, another flood of blood erupting from his mouth. Twisting the boy’s face to meet his, he said quietly, “If I hear so much as another peep from you, I’ll cut ya foot off.”

The boy cast his eyes downward, too afraid to look at the man. He knew he would do it, too. Cut his foot off. He was just crazy enough to do that.

The man walked off into the darkness annoyed that the boy had interrupted him, and asked the darkness, “Are you okay, darling?”

“It’ll be okay, dear. I’ll make sure that boy doesn’t disturb you anymore.” The boy could feel the man glare at him. “It’ll be okay. You just sit there and rest.” the man spoke softly. “It’ll be all over soon.”

Who was he talking to? Had there been someone else here all this time, the boy wondered, a bit confused. He didn’t hear anyone come in before. As the boy pondered this, the man went back to his little chair in the corner and sat back down, picking up his block of wood and jack knife and began whittling again.

Finally, Yei said to himself. The sky is finally finished! he happily said as he relaxed some in his chair. It took him almost a whole day, but he finally finished the sky section of the puzzle he was working on. Business, of course, was still slow. The afternoon sun sat high and it’s light flooded the little shop, giving it a warm glow. A nice breeze was also coming through the open window and Yei relished in such a moment. Serene days like this balanced out the lack of work on his part. Everything seemed to go right for him. His beautiful wife was out back washing clothes and his restless son played out front. A bit annoyed, too, Yei thought.

Crono had wanted to go play at Lucca’s house, but after the previous incident the night before, Crono’s punishment was staying home to play. And for Crono, that was worst than getting no supper, a tactic Yei and Qintte found was useless when trying to punish the lad.

Crono had found another stick that was identical to his other and was sitting on the ground, swinging it over his head for no real reason. How bored he was! He laid back on the grass, and placed his stick to the side of him. Putting his hands behind his head, he looked to the sky wishfully. He wished he could go on some kind of adventure, or have something interesting happen to him, at least. Anything but being here on such a lackadaisical day.

As he laid there wondering what ever it was he could do on such a boring day, he heard a crack. Looking to he side, he only saw a foot step off of his now broken stick. Looking behind him, he saw who the foot belonged to, a rather short ugly, from what he could tell by looking at his back, fellow. Who dared to step on his stick, at that! Without saying that he was sorry, even!! Crono sat up and watched with a frown as the man went into Yei’s shop. Crono gingerly picked up the remaining pieces of his stick and just looked at them and then back at the shop. What a rude man, Crono thought indignantly.

Yei looked up to see the man he had turn down the day before wearing the same old tattered clothes. Getting up from his puzzle and walking over to the man, Yei greeted him with the same greeting used earlier. The man again stopped short of the counter and made the same request he made earlier again, handing him the same piece of paper.

“Sir, I’m sorry,” Yei said, trying to sound sympathetic, “but, you can’t own a gun if you don’t have a license, sir. I’m sorry.” Yei finished, handing him the paper again.

The stranger just looked at him for moment then at the paper, then back at Yei. Outstretching his arm once more, he said, “Make this gun, or you’ll regret it later.”

A threat. Whatever, Yei thought. “Can’t do it sir, I’m sorry. Now, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Yei replied, reaching underneath his desk and revealing the very gun the stranger wanted. Placing the gun on the desk, he said, “I don’t want any trouble to arise, okay?” He was hoping that warning would be taken seriously.

That bastard, the man thought. Teasing me like this, he thought, looking at the very gun he wanted Yei to make. It was so beautiful in his eyes. So many problems would be solved if he had that gun in his possession, but here he was teasing him. Stinkin’ bastard.

“Just make me that gun, and I’ll be out of your life.” the stranger hissed.

“No,” Yei replied resoundingly. “Now get out, before I drag your body out,” he returned a threat.

Looking at him through narrowed eyes, the man soon stormed out of the store, trying to figure out a way to get that gun made. As he made his way through the field, he heard a little voice call out to him.

“You better apologize for stepping on my stick, or I’m telling my dad!” Crono said, holding the broken remains of his stick in his hands.

“You just finished talking to him, idiot!” Crono spat, pointing back towards the shop. “Now apologize before I get my pop to beat you up!” Crono was now yelling.

Laughing slightly at this, the man replied, “Your pretty fresh kid. How old are you?”

“Seven, fool. What, you can’t tell how old people are? What are you, some kinda bum? Now apologize!” the boy was now fuming.

“I’m not apologizing for anything. Just find another stick. And watch that mouth while your at it. It’s going to get you in trouble.” he said, waving his hand.

“I don’t want another stick, I want this one! And you broke it. Your a bad man! A bad, stupid, ugly face man!” Crono retorted, sticking his tongue out.

A slight grin crept on his face as the man said ever so softly under his breath, “Cute kid.”

It was now completely dark outside, but the man had lit a candle and placed it in the center of the room. The odd placement of the light gave the room an eerie glow, the boy watching the shadows dance along with the flickering of the flame. The man was still whittling away, into what shape, the boy didn’t know. But whatever it was he was shaping it into, he worked at it constantly.

After a while, the man stopped his whittling and walked to the corner, asking “You need anything, dear?”

“Don’t you worry, everything will be okay in a few days, don’t you worry.” the man reassured an unknown person, oblivious to the boy.

The boy tried to cock his head so as to get a better view as to who this man’s listener was. But, it was too dark in that corner.

The man walked over to his chair again, and glared at the boy, hoping he would give him a reason to hit him again, but the boy made not even a peep. Angry even at this, the man went back to his whittling.

“Crono! Crono!” Qintte called out, receiving no answer, though. Looking out into the field, Qintte could not find her son anywhere. Where could he be? Dare he go back to Lucca’s house after they specifically told him not to? He wouldn’t be any other place, she reasoned.

Going up to her husband, she said, “Yei, I think Crono went back to Lucca’s house. I can’t find him anywhere, and it’s almost dark. Can you go and see if that’s where he went?”

Yei was tired that day, despite the fact that he hadn’t done much work. And if Crono was at Lucca’s house... Crono’s backside would experience many pains that night. Begrudgingly getting up, Yei grumbled, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll go get him.”

Qintte walked Yei to the door and watched him until he disappeared from view. As she walked back into her house, a figure crawled out from her bedroom window and slithered into the forest.

“That boy’s in so much trouble,” Yei thought to himself as he started knocking on Taban’s door.

A few moments past before the door opened, reveling a nightgown wearing Taban. “Ahh, Yei. What can I do fer ya?” he asked, scratching his eyes some.

“What th... you was sleepin’? Oh, I’m sorry, I thought Crono was over here.” Yei apologized.

“Naw, naw, he hasn’t been here all day. Lucca was so sad because of that.” Taban said, a consoling look plastered on his face before realizing that he shouldn’t feel bad since she did do bad the previous day. Stronger in tone, he finished, “But Crono was not here. Sorry, Yei.”

“No problem. He was probably in some tree hanging out. Thanks again, and sorry for waking you.” Yei said, waving good-bye.

It was now dark and Yei hoped Crono was in his room sleep. Where he wished he was, too. Sleep. He was so tired that day and he didn’t know why. Work was slow as ever, so he shouldn’t have been tired from lack of work. But then thinking about it, lack of work probably would make him tired. It was all the same, though.

Yei stumbled into the house and yelled out to Qintte that he was home, but heard no response. He called out once more, but still nothing. Walking slowly in, perking his ears and eyes up, he heard a slight whimper off in his bedroom. It was his wife. He ran into the room and saw he wife sitting on the bed rocking softly and crying heavily, short sobs cut off from lack of oxygen flowing into her body. Throwing his arm around her, he asked what was wrong. A paper that she had held close to her Yei didn’t see before was handed to him as she continued to cry profusely. The top of the paper was stained a reddish color, and the words were scribbled out in a hurry.

I want that gun made! I will give you till morning tomorrow to make the gun and bring it to me. I am at a makeshift hut close to the Cursed Woods. Bring the gun and the rest of the boy will be spared.

The rest of the... what did he mean? Crono?!? Does he want that gun so much he would do this?? Why, tha... Yei angrily thought. Crumbling the paper in his hand, he stormed out the room, but not before calming his wife down some, and telling her that Crono was going to come back. Alive. That didn’t help calm her fears much though. All she knew was that Crono was in danger now and she was his mother. The very one that was suppose to protect him from danger. And this is what she let happen to her baby.

Yei ran and pulled out the gun design that this... Gaoyt wanted made. I always wanted to test this thing out. This psychopath is going to get what’s been coming to him for a long time... Yei thoughts screamed out. Kicking the door open, gun in hand, Yei ran out into the cool, moonlit night ready to take revenge on whatever sick, malicious thing he did to his son.

Qintte still slowly rocked back and forth on her bed, now clenching her knees. She was a bad, appalling woman. How could she let this happen to her son. Even if Yei brought him back, he wouldn’t be the same. Oh god, why did this have to happen, she questioned herself over and over again in her head. Her tears began to form once more, and even more so as she looked at what the madman had left on a plate by her bedside. A dried up, blood stained tongue.

It had to be eleven, or close to midnight, Gaoyt thought. And he was tired, too. Being alone in that little room was starting to make him sleepy. He was happy he finally finished whittling away what he was trying to form, at least. The shape of a heart. It was so lovely in his eyes.

“Now you got a heart again, Pazllia.” Gaoyt told something in the corner. “Now you’ll be all better.”

Crono had regained consciousness a little over an hour ago, his head still hurting, his mouth ever in so much pain, and his wrist, burning ever still from the tightly tied ropes. He still didn’t know who that madman was talking to, and why he was ever taken. Well, sure he was pretty mean to him, but that didn’t mean he should have been taken like he was, he reasoned. He did step on his stick.

While all those thoughts were mingling with one another in his head, there was a knock at the door that startled the both of them. Gaoyt stood quickly, and crept to the door. Looking back at Crono, he gestured for him to be quiet.

As soon as those words were uttered, though, the door came crashing down on him as Yei yelled out, “Where’s my son?!!”

The door’s edge landed square on his corner lip and after he stumbled back some, Gaoyt instinctively wiped his lip. He then looked at his tainted sleeve. Blood. What a grand color! he thought. I’ve seen a lot of that today. A evil grin appeared on his face, and Gaoyt started to laugh slightly. Looking at the little fellow laugh like a maniac, slightly perturbed at seeing such a thing, Yei pulled him up and yelled, “Where’s my son? Where’s my boy?!?”

Gaoyt finally stopped laughing and looked Yei square in the eyes. Then pointed behind him to a little corner. Yei dropped him and ran to see his blood stained son, crying tears of gladness of see his father again. Immediately, Yei released Crono’s bonds and held him in his arms tightly. He asked if he was okay several times, never allowing an answer from young Crono.

“C’mon, we’re getting out of here,” he finished, picking Crono up in his arms as he began to carry him out the room.

Gaoyt just looked at the whole proceedings until Yei made way for the door. “Wait. My gun. Where is it?” he questioned, walking in front of the door.

Raising an eyebrow, Yei looked at him indignantly. “You want this gun?” Yei asked, shaking the gun in the air. Gaoyt just shook his head, a small smile on his face.

“You cannot own this GUN!!” he spoke, words harsh and spiteful. “What kind of freakin’ idiot are...

“Shut up, just shut up!” Gaoyt lashed out back at Yei. He was tired of being toyed with. With being taken advantaged of. If the gun was made a long time ago, none of this would have ever happened. Yei had no right, in his mind, not to make that gun. “You don’t know why I want that gun! You can’t say anything! Just shut up!” he angrily spat at him.

Even though he was the one holding a gun in hand, Yei felt a certain fear fall on him that emanated from this man. Still trying to keep his composure, he angrily asked, “Yeah, so why do you want this gun then?”

“On those who... injured my wife.” he said, revealing a sickening scene that lay behind him. It was his wife. She sat in a chair, her guts pouring out from her side as she slumped a bit towards the side. Her eyes were wide, mouth the same, depicting fear and agitation. Half of her face was... gone and her skin was deathly pale. It was obvious she was dead. The dried up blood that lay on the ground from her torn out stomach attracted many flies and other insects and buzzed slightly.

Yei almost threw up from such a viscera scene. Crono almost got a glance of the woman, but Yei turned his head around quickly. “Who did this?” he asked sympathetically.

“A cursed man named Kila. He came to my house one day asking if he could lodge here at our modest dwelling. Said that he needed a place to relax at.” Gaoyt started, looking back at his wife. “He carried a big gun, the exact same one I want you to make. After the first night, we thought that he would be on his way. He didn’t leave.”

Gaoyt walked over to his chair and sat down. “He stayed here a few more days. Now, I have a big family, all mostly on her side, and her sisters always came over to visit. They are all as beautiful as she is.” he said, longingly looking back at his wife. “He thought I was running a whore house, though! Can you believe it?!? I guess because of all the girls running in and out of the house constantly. He wanted to make out with my wife. Of course I refused it, and asked him to promptly leave. He did, and I was thankful for that.”

He paused for a moment and looked to the ground. Running his fingers through his hair, he continued, “So, I left out for work the following day. I.. I work at the marine port, make sure the boats are all loaded off before they set sail.” He stopped himself. No need to give a job description, he thought.

“I came home that day and heard crying. Soft... crying. I walked into the bedroom and I saw Kila and my wife completely naked. Kila was on top of my wife... inside her with a gun pointed to her head. I gasped in horror at the scene and Kila turned around to see me. He smiled... he smiled at me and... and he... the trigger, he pulled it.”

“As he stood up, he fired another round in her stomach. He would have shot me, too. But he ran out of bullets. He just smiled as he left the house. He just smiled. That bastard just smiled!!” Gaoyt yelled now, tears swelling up, fist clenched tightly.

Yei still said and did nothing but only stood there in awe. He shifted a lightheaded Crono in his arm a bit as Gaoyt started again.

“Now, I need that gun. I need it to kill him. Just like he killed my wife. But, but, I’m going to have the last laugh! I made... I made a heart,” he fumbled the words, bending over and picking up the little wooden heart he whittled at all day. “See? I’m going to put this in my wife and she’ll be all better, and Kila will be dead.” he smiled evilly. “He’ll be dead, isn’t that great? He’ll be dead and she’ll be alive.” he started laughing. “But... But, I’m going to need that gun,” he said, walking towards Yei.

Yei was scared. And confused. He came here wanting to kill this man. Now, he felt sorry for him. This man was capable of anything now. Reasoning wasn’t going to work, but there was no harm in trying. “Look, Gaoyt. I see your in a lot of pain, and I’m sorry. But, I’m not giving you this gun. Now, just back up.” he said, pointing the gun at him.

“Oh, I’m not worried about a little wound from that old thing. I’ll just make me a new heart,” he finished, lunging at Yei.

Having no choice, Yei pulled the trigger. The four bullets connected Gaoyt’s side, tearing pieces of it out. Gaoyt fell to the floor, shocked a bit that he’d been shot. Yei looked on, shocked himself that he’d pulled the trigger. Gaoyt looked at Yei and then to Crono before closing his eyes. Dropping the gun as if it were an asp, Yei ran out of the little house, scared and afraid... afraid of everything.

The gun fell to Gaoyt’s side, most of the blood from his side drenching the tip of the gun. Yei left that house feeling bad. Feeling bad for his son, and whatever torture he was put through, bad for Gaoyt’s wife and the fate that befell her, and bad for Gaoyt. He didn’t deserve to die. He didn’t mean to kill him. Whether or not Yei would have felt at ease at knowing he didn’t kill Gaoyt or not was soon to be answered as a bloodied hand fell on the barrel of the gun.

It had to be two o’clock at that moment, and Qintte was still rocking back and forth on her bed as she heard a slight noise at the door. Could that be them, she thought, running to the door. She opened it to see an exasperated husband collapse on the floor and a bloodied, pasted out Crono falling out of his grasp. Breathing deeply, Yei smiled wearily at Qintte and said, “I told you I’d bring him home.”

She held the past out Crono in her arms while on the floor and looked worriedly at his dried up bloodied face. She guessed how that happened, and looked up to her husband only to hear a piercing sound and then the splatter of blood hitting her person and Crono, as pieces of Yei’s head showered all that surrounded him. Crouching there in total surprise and shock, she looked on in sheer horror as his headless body toppled to the floor. Looking out the door to her house, she saw a wobbly man, blood literally pouring out from his side, gun lazily slung over his shoulder.

He sloppily walked up the steps and muttered, “If I can’t kill Kila... I’ll kill the gun’s maker.” He then fell to the floor, dead. He had used up all his remaining energy to follow him and the final bit to pull the trigger and proclaim those last few words. Revenge was executed in one way or another, he reasoned before breathing his last.

She had left the bodies there on her doorstep. She would deal with them later. The trauma was too much, and her shuffling around bloodied bodies in the middle of the night wouldn’t calm her down any. She didn’t know how this could have come about. She probably never will. What horrendous deeds had she committed to allow such things to fall upon her household like this? She had questioned herself numerous times, but sought no answer. She only wanted the best for her family, but this is what happened in the end, instead.

She had put Crono in his bed, and tried to clean up his wounds as best she could. He was still unconscious from sheer exhaustion and fear. More of the latter though. She thought it was better that he had past out. At least he didn’t see his father die so... viciously.

He was gone. Her husband was forever lost to her, the only man she ever loved. What happened, what happened? she questioned herself over and over again. Why did this happen, why, why?

She went back to her room. The sun was slowly creeping over the mountains off into the far background. Day already, she sighed. Why me? She’d been on her bed all night long, asking that same question in her head, over and over again. Why? I take care of my family. I... I try to provide as best I can. I only want the...” she couldn’t continue her thoughts as she erupted in tears once more.

Crono would never be the same again. She would never hear him call out for his mother ever again, or complain about a “boo-boo” or tell about his adventures for the day. She would never hear that again. She looked back at the plate and the thing on it that kidnapper left behind. The tongue. What would possess a man to do such a thing. To a boy, no less?!

She looked out at the morning sky. At the leaves and the colors they were changing into. It seemed like they were just green the night before. Everything changed so fast. she thought. She just looked on, tears still streaking down her face. She had to be stronger for Crono than she was at that sad moment. But, how could she be stronger? She lost her husband and her son will never be the same. How can she be any better than she was before without the full support she had?

The sky had a slight purple tinge to it, little puffballs of white littering it. She looked at the little puffballs float on by ever so slowly. She sighed deeply. Her life forever changed in the blink of an eye. She held onto her knees a bit tighter. She had to be strong. This event is just a bane in my life, she reasoned, thinking back to the story she would always read her son. To make rasing little Crono more difficult. I know it is. But, I’ll over come this. I have to.

Another tear made it way down her face as she resolved to always do good for young Crono. Her young warrior’s bane was still sitting on the plate by the bed stand, and he’ll overcome it, she knew. His life will be difficult no doubt, but she was determined to help him. It seems like he is that warrior and not me. she thought, thinking back to that story she would always read her son. A little warrior is what he always wanted to be, anyway. She would help him be even that, if he so desired.

I’ll be strong for Crono. she resolved in her heart once again. I’ll help him be the strongest warrior. I’ll help him overcome his warrior’s bane.

~FIN~

More often than not, when reading a fanfic dealing with Chrono Trigger, Magus is always the subject of storytelling and how he's still searching for his long lost sister long after the game is completed. Rarely is a fanfic dealing with Crono, and if it is, the topic is usually one and the same. Crono and Marle finally getting married, or a new evil that has arisen that must be stopped. Each one has been used and reused all too often, as well.

I was looking for something a bit more original when trying to write a Chrono Trigger fanfic, and I always found it odd that other authors would portray Crono in their works as someone who can talk. I think the producers of the game didn't have Crono talk for a reason, and that was because he was a mute. I never really imagined Crono being born mute, but something happened to have caused that, and that's what caused me to originally write this story.

I portrayed Crono as being a sassy, smart-aleck for a reason, thinking that his timid attitude we saw of him in the game was slowly converted to that after this incident. Psychological damage, you could say; the shock from losing his father as well as not being able to talk caused him to retreat into hiding, more or less and just practice being the best warrior ever. Thus, why his fighting skills weren't too shabby when we saw him in the game.

I also wanted to address the fact that Crono didn't have a father and why he didn't have a father. I assumed that he was killed when Crono was very young, and not be the type to just walk away from his family. That just didn't seem likely. So, I also addressed that issue in this story as well. The fact that Crono's tongue was cut out was suppose to be the resolution to the whole story, but as I started incorporating the fact that his father would have to die, I decided it would be better if that was the climax.

Please forgive me if any of names of the various locations were a bit off. The forest that Gaoyt’s home was close to, I’m not sure at all if the Cursed Woods is the correct name or not. I don’t have the game in my possession, so I had no way of finding out the correct names of those locations. I did try to look it up in various online FAQ’s but that didn’t work out too well. So, please pardon those errors.

An argument that might arise from this story is the simple fact that I assumed Crono can’t talk. Something that has been made mention is that one of the endings apparently has Crono speaking. I’m not sure how true that is, seeing as how I only unlocked about six of them, but if it is indeed true, this whole story is just based on all the other endings where he doesn’t speak. People also say that Crono can speak cause when Marle first encounters him, she asks what his name is. And then she replies, if my memory is correct, that Crono is a funny name. He just has to be able to speak to tell her what his name is, is what most people argue. Well, I’m going with the thought that Crono has a little card he carries around just in case some pretty girl asks him what his name is. Far fetch? You betcha, but I’m sticking with it.

One final note is the characters themselves. I'm not too sure how well fleshed out they turned out to be. Maybe I should have made this story two chapters, to help give the characters more motivation and feeling, letting you, the reader care more about them. Maybe not, I'm not too sure. So, please send some feedback and tell me if the characters were fleshed out enough or if I should have split the story into chapters, allowing more characters thoughts and emotions to flow freer. Thanks for reading!