Chapter 14

The Final Chapter

The outer form dissolved, to reveal the true form. It was a creature in a space-like suit, about twice Darcy's size, with gangly arms and legs. Darcy almost thought that it looked pretty wimpy, but it still made those awful hissing, rasping noises. And the face through the helmet...like out of hell. She was scared. More scared than she had ever been before, even talking into account all the times in 600 AD. Her heart felt like it would fly out of her chest, and she was breathing so hard she couldn't hear anything the three others were saying. Darcy sank to her knees, and cowered in fear. The most she could manage was to watch the battle.

Lavos created two pods, and commenced the attack on Chrono, Marle, and Magus. The pods started by both slamming into Chrono, knocking him on his butt. He stumbled to his feet, and slashed at the thing in the space suit. It had obviously taken some damage, but it didn't seem to care. It pointed it's clawed hand at Chrono, and fried him with a bolt of energy. Chrono fell to his knees in pain.

Magus took his turn. He moved his hands in a complicated sequence, and cast a DarkMatter spell. The pod on the right and Lavos, in the center, both made sounds to indicate that they were in pain, but the pod on the left didn't react. Lavos, in the center, raised it's arms and made a series of gargling noises. A HUGE rock formed above their heads, and smashed into them. Chrono keeled over, knocked out.

Marle didn't look too good, but she was still fighting. She placed both her hands together, as if praying, and smacked Lavos and the pods with a big block of ice. It didn't have much of an effect. Lavos just counter attacked by clawing Marle. She fell over, barely conscious. Then, it went after Magus. Lavos zapped him with a bolt like the one Chrono took. Magus nearly passed out. But he wasn't going down yet. Gripping his scythe tightly, he charged at the pod on the left. He slashed at it twice, then fell over. The exertion was too much for him.

They were in trouble. Darcy knew they weren't going to be able to defeat Lavos without her help. She reached into her book bag, and took out her science textbook. It was 1637 pages long, and hardcover, so if connected with Lavos it would probably do some damage. Or maybe not... But it was worth a shot, and she didn't like science very much. She swung back, and drifted it at Lavos with all her strength. It smacked Lavos full on in the head, but it didn't do much more than get its attention. Lavos turned to face her, Darcy made a little squeaking noise. She was in for it. Lavos clawed at her like it did Marle, but Darcy dodged the attack. As she did, she stretched out her hands, and cast a wind spell. Lavos fell over, and that gave Darcy a little time to thing of a plan. The pod on the left seemed to be the weakest, so it would be her first target. She removed her book bag, and held it in her hands, then, screaming at the top of her lungs "DIE!!!", she beat the pod over and over with it. It quivered, then died, like it was deflating. "I...I did it!... Holy shit!" Darcy said to herself in surprise. She just stood there, unaware that Lavos was planning a counter atatck.

Marle raised her head, and looked at Darcy. She was still wearing the cape, so Marle thought it was Magus. Her vision was too blurry to tell. "I gotta help..." Marle thought to herself. She took a full tonic out of one of her pouched, and used it. Feeling much better, she stood up, and prepared to cast another ice spell. But there was something strange going on. If Chrono was unconscious, and Magus was bent over trying to catch his breath, who the HELL was the cape beating up on the pod? Marle said to her "Who're you?!?!"

Darcy opened her mouth to say "Does it really matter?" but a bolt of energy struck her before she could say it. Then, before she could react, it clawed her. She collapsed next to Magus.

Magus hadn't been paying much attention to the battle. But the moment Darcy came into view, he snapped back to reality. He didn't have a clue what was going on, or why Darcy was there, and that only sparked his interest. His throat was too fry to allow him to speak, so all he could do was watch. But then Darcy toppled over next to him after taking the hits from Lavos. She was kneeling there, whimpering. He saw Lavos preparing to blast her again, and he shielded her with his body. It hit him right in the chest. Magus cried out in agony, but managed to say weakly ""Darcy...my love...I'm sorry...". He knew that this would be the end for all of them. He had failed. They all had. He gave Darcy a long look, and touched her cheek, at least he had the comfort of seeing her one final time before he departed. Then he shuddered, and slumped over, as if dead.

Darcy was badly injured. But she shakily turned to look at Magus. She placed her hand on his cheek, but drew it back immediately. His flesh was cold. And he was barely breathing. "...Magus! No! Don't die!! I'll kill you if you do!! You can't!!" she said, tears streaming down her face. She whimpered, and looked at Lavos. "You...it's all your fault!!! You ruined my...his...everyone's life!!!! YOU'LL PAY!!! I'M GONNA BEAT YOUR ASS!!!" she shouted, the rage growing inside of her. Stumbling to her feet, Darcy extended her arms, and shouted "LUMINARE!!!". Just as before, thin rays of light gathered, and exploded in a burst of purifying energy. Then she did it again, before Lavos could retaliate. Then, she did it again. And again. Darcy wanted revenge, at any cost. She didn't care about life after this. What life COULD she have after this? She couldn't live without Magus. She cast the spell a fifth time, and Lavos simply dissolved into dust. Darcy let out a deep, quivering breath, and fell to her knees. Placing a hand on Magus's chest, she mumbled "I did it Magus... I did it... You've been avenged..." she looked at Magus's still form one final time. He was gone. "I'll...I'll join you soon, Magus..." she muttered. She closed her eyes. It was the last thing she ever did.

The other two saw the whole thing. Marle had revived Chrono just as Magus lost consciousness. Neither of them understood what was going on, but they watched and listened, trying to. The only words they exchanged throughout the whole thing were "...Who is she?". Then, after Darcy dealt the final blow to Lavos, the shell and everything else around them dissolved in a burst of light. They were left in a field, with Darcy's body slumped over Magus.

Marle walked over to them, and felt for a pulse on Darcy's neck. There was none. "...She's dead." she said dully to Chrono.

Chrono walked over as well. Throughout the whole battle, he had never gotten a good look at Darcy. He did now, and received a shock. "She looks like...like me!" he said, astonished.

Looking first at Darcy, then at Chrono, Marle said "She must be your descendant."

"But... she seemed to know Magus... kinda well." said Chrono. He noticed the passion between Darcy and Magus, and almost felt sick for a second. Magus was his absolute LEAST favorite person in the world. Putting it out of his mind, he said "Maybe she's one of my ancestors..."

Marle thought for a moment, and then said "No. If she was, you wouldn't be here... I think." She was just as confused as ever.

Chrono looked again at Darcy, and said "Guess we'll never know for sure."

They heard a moan. It was Magus. He wasn't dead, after all. Just half dead. He sat up, then noticed Darcy's body lying across him. "Darcy...?" he said, his mind addled. He touched her cheek. no response.

Marle, a little surprised, said "Magus... She... Darcy's gone."

It wasn't news to him. Even as dazed as he was, he understood that. Yet, his face remained the same, even though his heart had ripped itself in half. He had spent years masking his emotions, and was simply too used to it to change now. Magus simply said "I know."

Chrono, however, took this to mean that he didn't care. "What?! How can you be like that?!" he shouted at Magus. "Me and Marle BOTH saw how she acted when we thought you were dead!! She loves you!!!"

With all his strength, Magus turned his head towards Chrono. "I care, boy... You wouldn't know... how much." he hissed. His shell of coldness almost breaking, he said "... I loved her."

Trying to both calm and comfort him, Marle said to Magus "It's alright... She didn't die in vain. Lavos is destroyed. She killed it."

You would think that would have been of comfort to Magus. He simply closed his eyes, and said "...Good." Then he was quiet for a long while. "No loose ends, then." With what strength he had, Magus took a small vial out of a pouch.

Marle blinked. Curious, she asked "What...what's that?"

"Poison." Magus stated. He then removed the stopper, and raised it to his lips.

Always the hero, Chrono seized Magus's wrist, and said "You're going to kill yourself? Are you crazier that I think you are?"

His red eyes almost glowing, Magus hissed "This is my decision. Don't... don't tell me not to do it, because things can get better. I've lived...28 years, and I know that they won't." Ripping his hand away from Chrono, and spilling some of the vial's contents, he continued "Nothing I've ever done had t...turned out for good in my life. Nothing. I thought that when I found Darcy, this was the one sure thing. That was...ruined as well." Then, with a bitter smirk, he said "This world will be better without... without me and my evil. I'm dying anyway. Just think of this...as speeding up the process." And before either one of them could stop them, he drank the contents of the vial. Shutting his eyes, he said softly "If there is...any justice, I...I will be with...her soon..." He made a choking sound, and slumped over.

"Oh my God...Chrono, he did it!" said Marle, sinking to her knees, utterly shocked.

"...Like he said, it was his decision." said Chrono. Marle looked at him in shock. He continued "Although I know it was the wrong one."

Always concerned, Marle said "We have to do something with their bodies. We'll take them with us for burial."

"No..." Chrono said thinking.
Marle was disgusted at Chrono. "What?! just because you don't LIKE Magus very much is no reason not to bury him!!!"

Chrono shook his head. "That's not it." he said. "I don't know where he would want to be buried! The Middle Ages, or 12000BC, or somewhere else!" The with a sigh, he said "And we don't know where... Darcy even comes from..."

"Alright, Chrono. But we have to do something with them." said Marle. An idea came to her. She took out a pencil, and a sheet of paper, and quickly wrote down a note.

Chrono inspected it. "Good idea. They would probably want it this way."

They placed it next to Darcy and Magus's bodies, and left through the gate.

Later, their two bodies were discovered in the field by the crews sent to investigate the site of the eruption. Magus was found embracing Darcy, and the note was next to them. It read as follows:

To the finder of this note:

These two people died in the fight to destroy the creature that erupted from the ground. Lavos. They gave their lives to save millions, present and future. We were with them, but unable to tend to the bodies. Please give them both proper burials. The man's name is (Magus was written here, but scratched out.) Janus. The girl's name is Darcy.

Thank You.

The End.

(A/N: I am proud of how the story turned out. I hope those who continued reading this story is pleased at how I finished it. Please give me your thoughts, and thank you for making it this far! Allysien.)