Ayla felt weird. Really weird. Something in her stomach churned. Funny, she didn't have anything to eat in five hours.
The party finally reached the room where Queen Zeal waited for them, as Magus felt her presence in the room before. Everyone had done everything they wanted to do. Marle/Nadia had reconnected with her father, Lucca had built a powerful weapon (After a rather annoying monster.) and fixed the past to help her mom, Frog had fully regained his confidence with an empowered Masamune, Robo rediscovered his origins and Magus dealt with his old allies. All were armed to the teeth with the most powerful weapons and armor, and were ready to finally end Lavos. But first, Queen Zeal and the Black Omen had to be dealt with.
But Ayla felt…uneven. Good thing she was sent to the back row, allowing Crono, Magus, and Lucca to fight the Queen. Lucca had caught on, and agreed to switch places for the fight. Ayla just watched. Marle, Frog, Robo had went off to fight against any monsters that tried to interfere.
Halation proved to more than the party could handle. Lucca switched from attacker to healer, using up nearly all of the Megalixers that Ayla charmed several ugly snakes to get.
Maybe that. Maybe that was the reason that she felt sick. The snakes did follow them for a while, even after Ayla had removed them of everything they had. Actually, every time she charmed something, the target would become stalkers. The reptiles instantly dropped their hatred of humans. Ozzie started to make wolf noises. Slash's tongue got stuck to the floor. Flea even started to strip!
Thankfully, Ayla's fists were more than enough to handle these people.
Or was it love?
Kino was nice…but…well, he was…
She liked strong people. People. Not just guys. She had at least two small flings with girls in her tribe, all ending on good notes.
Maybe she was in love with a third?
Marle reminded her of the last two. Blonde and slim. Yet, Crono already had her.
Lucca was the opposite. Not her type, but still cute. Of course, being a scientist, she wouldn't think of having any sort of relationship with someone that lived and died billions years ago.
Anyone else?
…the queen? Queen Zeal? Magus' and Schala's mom? The one that pretty much controlled Lavos? Why would she think of that woman…
Nah. She focused on the fight.
Crono had fallen, thanks to Halation and a second attack. Lucca avoided the falling spheres of energy, while reaching into her bag to find a Revive. Magus, ever focused on revenge, just kept attacking, only stepping back after his mother cast Halation. The queen was getting tired, but not as much as the others. Her skin was dry, as if her power prevented sweat. Her mad smile stayed glued as she cast powerful spell after spell. Her long, light-blue hair flowed…
…she's the enemy, Ayla. She's evil. Tried to kill...you…at least…twice!
But…she's quite beautiful…even as a mother…uuuhhh…
Now, Crono and Lucca were down, and Magus wasn't going to last much longer. He leaned on his scythe, drained of both life and essence. The Queen moved in for the kill…
…and stopped.
Queen Zeal didn't know how to react to this. This hadn't happened to her in years. Actually, let's rephrase that. This hadn't happened to her in all of the years that she lived. But yet, this felt good. She felt warm, happy, and wanted to smile normally, instead of the smile that came from the rush of power she got from Lavos. She wanted this?
A kiss on the cheek from the cavewoman? She wanted this?
Magus fainted; he could no longer stand. He only saw this scene though blurry eyes. He wouldn't be able to figure out what happened.
"Cavewoman." Zeal said through gritted teeth, despite her inner feelings. "Do you realize what you've done?"
"Ayla…doesn't care…" Ayla said, breaking the kiss. The two starred into each other's eyes. Ayla's strong green eyes, and Zeal's cold blue ones.
"Care? Cave dweller, you just kissed the immortal skin of the queen of Zeal. It's called sexual assault. I can, and will, kill you."
"But you won't. Ayla…can tell."
"Tell? Oh, do tell how."
"Your eyes…sadness fills, yet…Ayla believes that you enjoyed kiss."
Zeal went silent. That was a short argument. She couldn't think of anything that would counteract that.
"Umm…" Zeal uncharacteristically scratched the back of her head. "…it's been awhile since I last…talked like this."
"Ayla can tell."
"Ah." Zeal's voice went from her royal voice to a kind, soft tone. Ayla also felt the energy of Lavos wane, as if her kiss had returned the queen's sanity.
"Well…can we sit down?" Zeal waved over to the steps. Ayla nodded 'yes'. So the two sat down, and remained quiet for about a minute.
Crono, Lucca, and Magus slept like rocks. Marle, Frog and Robo chased the monsters into a secret room.
"So…" Zeal tried to find something to say.
"Name." Ayla asked, though in a calm matter.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Name. First name."
"Oh. It's… Athanasia. But I go by Nadia." Ayla recognized it as Marle's real name. But wrote it off as mere coincidence.
"Ayla. Just Ayla."
"Ah." Nadia said, though nervously. They remained quiet. Nadia did think of something. "So…where's your friends?" Ayla just shrugged. "Do…do you want to help your friends up there?"
"Ayla wants…Ayla wants…Ayla doesn't know what she wants."
"Me too…" Nadia replied, sounding nothing like the old queen. "…I guess I got 'lost' for a while…" They remained quiet.
"Do you have any hobbies?" Asked Nadia a minute later.
"Ayla hunts."
"I collect rocks."
Ayla laughed, though forced. "Rocks? Too common, found everywhere."
"Mystic, beautiful rocks." A small hint of the old queen came into Nadia's voice, though it didn't last. "Not jewels, gems. Magic rocks."
"Like Lavos?"
"I guess I found a piece of Lavos and added it to my collection. Doesn't matter, it's under the water, with the palace. I was planning on living there…actually, we."
"We? Janus, Schala?"
"No. Me, and King Zeal…Alphard. It was meant as a retirement home when Schala found someone, and we would live the remaining years of our lives under the sea, together…"
"He passed on."
"Yes. I…think…Lavos did it."
"How?"
"He got sick and died. On the last day I ever sought out rocks. He helped…and he got scratched by a rock."
"Then Lavos got you."
"Yes…and here we are. I lost my kingdom, my family, everything I had…is at the bottom of the ocean with my collection." Her eyes started to tear up, but she blinked, clearing her eyes. She hadn't cried in years, her eyes were no longer used to that.
Ayla extended her hand out.
"After all I done…you want to hold my hand?" Nadia asked, looking at the hand with sad confusion.
"Frog forgave Magus. Ayla can forgive Nadia." Ayla said, without the slightest hint of hatred or hesitation. With a trembling hand, Nadia reached over to Ayla's hand, and grasped it, almost expecting to be crushed by the amazon's massive strength. But no, all she felt was a warm, calm, firm hand.
It's something that she hadn't felt in a long time. A normal smile crept onto her face.
Nadia decided to get closer, scooting. Ayla looked at her, so she scooted back. "I'm sorry."
"Don't." Ayla hopped over, bracing shoulder to shoulder. "You're warm." Nadia didn't react, just complied.
The weird feeling in both of their stomachs intensified, even to the point of Ayla wincing. Their faces got redder. Their breathing got heavy. They locked eyes, peering inside of the other, fully knowing.
"Do…" Nadia said under a cracking voice. "…y-yo-u…think thi-i-s…is going too fast? Or weird?"
"Ayla thinks both."
"But…"
"Ayla does find you pretty."
"I think…you look sexy."
The two's faces got closer. Their hands intertwined.
"Nadia…"
"Ayla…"
But, Nadia broke away at the last second, before their lips touched. "No." Nadia said. "This is wrong. We're both girls. We just met. I'm Queen, and you're some smelly cavewoman. We exist billions of years apart. This isn't love." She said these words with the emotions and tone she used before this.
Ayla took those words to heart. Every one of them spoke an entire speech.
Yet…she didn't care. Queen Zeal…no, Nadia…looked perfect…
Ayla dived, her lips gracing Nadia's lips, the two of them landing on the lower floor.
Nadia's eyes went wide, as she couldn't break free from Ayla's strong grip. She fidgeted, as Ayla kept the kiss going, but kept her tongue inside. 'This can't be happening. I can't feel Lavos anymore. Did I come this far, sacrifice so much for nothing?' Nadia thought.
'But…she's very attractive…and…uhh…I want her…"
Nadia's eyes closed, and she applied her own pressure to the kiss. The two's hands also reunited, moving with the motions of the two's bodies. They kicked off their shoes, to make the rolling easier.
A tongue war broke out, as the two tried to dominate the other. Ayla, having a little more skill, won easily, and enjoyed dancing inside Nadia's mouth. Not wanting Ayla to have all of the fun, Nadia rolled, placing her on top. Her tongue entered Ayla's mouth, as the amazon allowed permission, no fighting required.
The kiss ended, but the tongues continued. This time, the match was equal, with neither side gaining the advantage over the other. Plus, both made noises. Sweet noises that only excited the other. Ayla's hands broke free, and reached for the cape that adorned on Nadia's shoulders. With a swift, easy motion, the cape came free, taking her headband with it, sending a mess of blue hair down.
"Ah.." Nadia's tongue returned to her mouth. "What did have to go and do that for?"
"Ayla finds it sexy." Ayla remained on the bottom, despite the moment was prime for revenge. "Go ahead, choose."
"You mean strip you?" Nadia's torso leaned up, allowing her start removing smaller articles of clothing such as her earrings, her wrist bracelet, the two golden rings on her right arm and the smaller rings, all ending up in a pile with her cape and headband . "Ah. But I have on more clothes than you. That's not fair, is it?" She removed her belt and flung it to the pile. Her dress became very loose. Ayla followed suit with her fur cuffs.
"And now it is." Nadia said, grabbing the tail scarf and her 'skirt' (Or what could be called a skirt.) and removed them gently, but with speed. "But, now you're down to your fur bra and fur panties. I still have my dress, corset, and lingerie on. I guess you get to go next twice."
"First, Ayla has a question."
"All right."
"Somewhere more comfortable?"
Nadia finally remembered she was about to be naked near the steps to the Mammon Machine. With the chance that the three people sleeping at the top could wake up.
With a snap of her fingers and a real smile, the two teleported away.
Ayla's travels took her everywhere. She tried all kinds of food (Some which made her keep a mental note to prevent the food from existing.), beverage (Same thing before, but on a higher level.) and bedding. (How is it possible to find beds WORSE than the ones she slept during her time?) Opinions ranged from the group, usually a half wanted to go back to this inn that the other half hated. (Robo didn't add anything because he didn't need food or sleep, but still voted when Lucca told him to.) She always found herself comparing everything to her times, and either disliking due to nostalgia or liking because of how better it was.
The latter came true. She found the best meal and beverage, and the bed was the best she slept in. All the battles she fought to get here were forgotten on her skin. Sure, she was sweaty from another 'battle', but the bed and her bedmate were worth it. Her long, curly blonde hair stuck to her like glue, and a large part covered her right eye. Just the way she liked it; it was a sign of good times.
The room they settled in was actually Queen Zeal's former chambers, teleported away before Zeal fell. Even with powers of Lavos, she still needed sleep. Their clothes laid on two chairs, Nadia's was the biggest one of course.
Speaking of Nadia, she leaned up, holding a sheet to cover herself. Her long, blue hair shined in the sun, but didn't stick like Ayla's. She walked over to a door on the left side on the room (From the Ayla's perspective.) Ayla noticed that a smile adorned her face the entire time. The sound of running water came through the door on the left, and steam filtered out from the bottom.
Ayla knew that she did a good thing, but that was far worse. She pacified an enemy, but opened a can of worms. The Black Omen still stood in the sky, Lavos still remained a problem…and she left her friends behind to have a booty call with the enemy that probably would have been better off dead! As much she tried to reassure herself, she just had sex with Magus' mom, (That was worth at least ten or more cans.) whom everyone in the group hated.
Ayla never felt so confused in her entire life.
Kino. Damn. She forgot about him. His jealousy lead to a simple theft. But now…
Tears. All she could do was cry, let the tears roll down her face. Did she really enjoy her time with Nadia? Or was it nothing more than a road of regret?
A hand, no, two hands laid down on her shoulders. She stifled her crying to see, yes, a wet and towel-draped Nadia looking at her, with understanding in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" She asked. Her tone no longer had any hints of the older queen.
"N-nothing." Ayla said, her voice cracked.
"You have regrets." Nadia sounded sad, looked sad, but not angry. "You have friends you left behind on a mission. But don't worry." Nadia drew Ayla in for a hug, with Ayla's crying beginning anew. The two embraced, with Ayla still crying, letting her hot tears run down her face, and onto Nadia's knee.
"I can fix this." Nadia kissed Ayla on the cheek, like their first kiss. "I still have some control over Lavos. I can travel in time. I can fix this to where we can be together."
"Wha…" Ayla started to say, but Nadia graced a finger to Ayla's lips.
"Leave this to me. I arrange for the important events. Crono, Marle, Lucca, Robo, Frog, Magus, and you, il mio calendula, will go on that adventure to fight the monster Lavos. Every event has to play normally, like my madness, so Magus can exist in the Middle Ages, and the Sages in their places."
"I'm going to change the ending, though."
"You save me from the control of Lavos, down in the Ocean Palace. Though weak, I still help you fight Lavos, but first, we deal with Dalton, who first tries to take control of Zeal, only mildly ruined. Then, by making a pact with Lavos, he raises the Black Omen, and waits. We go after him, and beat him. We destroy Lavos, together.
"Of course, we get to know each other over the journey, as well when our allies have to do something. We talk, eat together, hug, kiss, anything to make sure that our love works in that timeline. Before you ask, I have a way of fixing the timeline so Marle can be born. I'll create a alternate version of you to marry Kino and carry the future children of Guardia. It's risky, but it will work. And because Dalton will fade into the darkness of time, he won't be around to destroy Guardia."
"Schala?" Asked Ayla, managing to control her crying. Nadia's face went from joy to despair.
"…she'll reincarnate. I…never was a good mother to her. If I tried to go back and fix my behavior, it wouldn't change a thing. I don't want to a mother to anything, again. I want to be with you."
Ayla smiled, knowing that in order to fix everything and be together, they would both would have to give up something. Ayla's former life as chief, and Nadia's kids.
"Ayla accepts." Nadia smiled, and kissed Ayla on the lips. She walked back into the bathroom, grabbing her clothes in the way in. After a minute, the fully dressed Queen Athanasia Zeal walked out, looking alive for the first time in years. Her smile was natural, not a product of insanity. "Does Ayla need to do anything?" Asked Ayla.
"Nothing really." A blue sphere surrounded Nadia, and she rose up into the air. "You'll probably keep the memories from this timeline and from the new timeline, so be ready for a massive headache. This place may not be well furnished in the new timeline, so be ready for that too." Wind whistled. Nadia rose a bit higher, and the blue aura got darker.
"Wait." Ayla, wrapping herself in the bed sheet and standing up on the bed. Nadia lowered herself down to eye level. "Before…you…go…" Ayla took a deep breath of air.
"I…love you." Ayla, with her free arm, gave a firm hug. Nadia, keeping the energy going, returned with both arms. They held each other in a embrace for some time, for when Ayla opened her eyes, Nadia was gone.
"I…love…you…too…" Said the bodiless voice of Nadia, going back in time to fix the past.
Ayla waited, patiently.
She felt fine.
It's cracktrastic, all right.
But it's the internet. This is normal. Don't be saying this is weird.
I accept flames.