**11-26-08: We're getting close to the end, my friends. Sorry for the delays; I make no excuses, so let's just get on with the show, shall we? Feel free to comment and tell me what a miserable bum I am, though. :) Happy Chrono Trigger re-release day!! Hurray for DS revivals! ~SLS**

Burning all your Bridges

Ch 28

The cold stone froze her flesh, the dirt and grit digging into her back as she lay huddled on the prison floor. Eä gazed out into the darkness, confused, forcing herself to sit up and scan the shadows. Her body felt numb and heavy, the scars across her back throbbing in the chill of the room. But it wasn't the cold air that caused her shivers; the memories welling up inside made her body curl into itself instinctively. She sucked in breath, trying to calm her pounding heart, and tried to think things through rationally. How had she gotten back here? Hadn't she been rescued by Flea and Slash? Hadn't she already gone through months of slowly regaining her sanity? Hadn't she started on her way to recovery, admitting her feeling to Magus and finding a new place where she felt safe and secure? Was this just an illusion brought on by some sort of spell, or a dream brought on by the fact that she'd fallen asleep in Magus' arms? Was she dreaming?

The stones shuddered with the opening of the door, the light blinding her as she leaned against the wall. She squinted at the silhouette framed in the doorway, but the light blurred out the details of the man's face, only the edges of his attire being framed in a halo effect of the light. He stepped into the room, boots clicking on the stones, and stopped in front of her, still unrecognizable. She slowly made her way to a standing position against the wall, wary of any moves he would make. He simply stood there, though, staring at her through the gloom, and as she watched him, she began to relax.

The man in this dream- for that's what it was, she'd finally recognized it as such- seemed familiar to her, his form reminding her of someone she'd met long ago, but whose name slipped into the shadows of her memory. They watched each other; Eä waited for him to say something, but he just stood there, blocking the doorway. At last, after what could be minutes or hours, he moved away from the doorway, motioning her through. She hesitated only a moment before running through the door- even if it was only a dream, she'd never again willingly stay in Guardia Castle for any amount of time.

She broke through the doorway into a cold winter landscape, the snow piled against the wall as she stumbled out into the flurry of flakes. She peered behind her to see if the man who'd opened the door for her had followed, and he had, but his hood was drawn over his face, and his cloak obscured the rest of him. Still, however, she thought she knew him, and felt oddly safe in his presence, allowing herself to relax as she examined the surrounding scenery.

She looked around, finding them alone in the snowy town, and turned back once more to speak to the man who'd freed her. But the hood had been thrown back, and she froze, seeing the blonde hair framing a strong, square face with cool blue eyes. Though his flesh was paler than she remembered, and there was an ethereal feeling of distance surrounding him, the familiar steely blue eyes of Cyrus were watching her, a sorrowful expression on his face. She stared at him, confused, surprised that while she was happy to see him, she didn't feel any of the old warmth she used to feel around him. She stepped forward, reaching her hand towards his cheek. But he flinched as she neared him, and she froze inches from his face, then pulled back her hand stare at it in horror.

Blood dripped from her hands, rolling down her fingers and caking along the edge of the knife she held in her hand. She frowned down at it, wondering how it had gotten into her hands, feeling even more confused. The now-familiar ache of the scars on her back pulsed with her heartbeat, but she knew she wasn't bleeding, so where was the blood coming from? Her eyes moved down the blade to the pool gathering at her feet, and she met the gaze of Ark, face blue and hair frozen stiff, the blood oozing from underneath him the only contrast in color in this wintry landscape. She stumbled backwards, only to trip over bodies that lay covered in a thin layer of snow. Disturbed by her movement, the corpses of the men and mystics alike that she'd slain lay sprawled around her, blank eyes staring up at her, gaping mouths frozen open in silent screams. She looked down at them, bile rising in her throat, then looked up at Cyrus, only to find him shaking his head. He gave her a resentful look, then put his helmet on, turning back towards the castle doorway, his heavy boots leaving no trace in the snow.

"Cyrus!" She cried out, throwing away the knife and running towards him. "Cyrus, I had to! They were going to kill us! I didn't want to kill any of them! Please, Cyrus, you have to believe me!" He didn't pause in his steady march towards the door, and she fought against the rising wind, attempting to catch up with him. But her foot snagged, and she looked down as she felt the cold fingers of Ark grip her ankle. He was mouthing something, using his other finger to point behind her, but she couldn't collect her wits enough to make out what he was saying. She yanked her foot out of his grasp, only to see the other corpses rising as well, their ashen faces splashed with blood, but their swords were bright and clean, glinting in an ethereal light. The only one who looked remotely alive was Tom, his face flushed with anger, the scar she'd given him a startling white against his reddened complexion. He snarled out curses at her, raising his sword to smite her down as she scrambled in the snow for the knife she'd dropped.

"Cyrus! Please! Believe me!"

Tom's sword whistled down towards her, but strong arms pulled her away from the path of the blade, and she fell back panting, trembling in the arms that held her fast. She blinked away tears to find herself in darkness, the heat of the blankets almost stifling, and the arms around her unyielding to her struggles against them. She gulped in shuddering breaths, the taste of the nightmare's blood coppery in her mouth, her ankle numb where Ark has grabbed her. She shivered again, the arms tightening around her, and she forced herself to relax into the embrace, clutching at Magus' shoulders as he held her. She curled into his chest, softly sobbing as she tried to will the images away. He simply held her, resting his cheek against her head.

They lay like that for some time, the silence of the room peaceful belying the chilling and oppressing darkness. Magus shifted so that they both sat up, then scooped her up to walk over to the fireplace, never letting go of her as he sat them back down on the sofa. With a flick of his finger, a fire burbled into life, and after several minutes, the soothing crackling of the wood calmed her sobs to sighs of sleep. Magus watched her as she slept, the stains from tears drying in the flickering light, and he shifted her to a more comfortable position with her head in his lap. When he saw her settle back down, he sighed, conjuring a drink for himself.

He wasn't a saint, for gods' sakes. When she'd come out and boldly propositioned herself to him, he would not have denied he had been tempted to take up her offer. In fact, they'd gotten to a point where he figured there would be no turning back, but when he'd accidentally touched one of her scars, she stiffened at his touch. It was only through murmured coaxing and several drinks that he got her to relax again, and by that time, any ardor either of them had entertained had cooled. She had been clutching at her drink, trembling, and when he moved to cover her with a blanket, she suddenly blurted out the memory which had stopped her cold. Consequently, through the rest of the evening she told him bits and pieces of what had occurred while she clung to his shoulder. What he heard disgusted him, but he made no noises other than soothing murmurs for her sake. If he showed some of the anger he felt towards the knights, she would, in her over-emotional state, think he was angry with her, and would withdraw from him, and then they'd be back to where they'd started or things might become even worse. She'd fallen asleep in his arms, curled against him and holding onto him with a death grip. But apparently discussing the memories only brought on worse nightmares, and it had taken him several minutes to wake her.

Which brought them to where they were now. A sleeping girl and a frustrated magician. Even thoughts of what he'd do to any knights he came across didn't help take his mind off of the fact that it would be a very long time before he could convince Eä to be intimate. Patience. Patience was the answer. And alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. He glowered into his cup when he found he'd already drunk the entire glass without really noticing it, and refilled it with the decanter beside his glass, sighing while he stared into the fire. What a way to spend an evening.

He sighed and slouched as much as he could in his position, glaring into the fire, absently running his fingers through Eä's hair. She, in turn, murmured into his shoulder and pressed herself further into his embrace, which only brought back to his attention the increasing problem of their situation. Muttering curses under his breath, he was contemplating casting a sleep spell upon himself to create a temporary solution, but his thoughts were interrupted when he saw a glowing flicker of green to the side of the hearth.

Sipping at his glass, he watched the orange tabby stalk out of the shadows and lie down in front of the flames, cleaning one delicate paw while watching the pair out of his eye. Magus didn't say anything, not wanting to wake Eä after she'd finally gotten back to deep sleep. The cat didn't say anything for some time either, and so the two listened to the crackle of the fire in companionable silence, Magus musing on where the animal had gone for the evening, and who knew what was going through the cat's mind. But when Eä shifted again, and Magus's attention was unavoidably brought back to the fact that she'd fallen asleep only to nestle close to some sensitive areas, the cat finally broke the silence.

~You know, you could wake her up and ask her again. She's dreaming about you right now, and if you were to interrupt her slumber, she might want to pick up where you left off.~

Magus peered down at the cat, raising an eyebrow, wondering not for the first time about the animal.

"How do you know that, Cat?" He kept his voice low, returning to his absent minded petting of Eä's hair. Where the hell did the beast come from, and how did it know what she was dreaming about? He seemed a normal enough creature, so why was it that not only could it somehow telepathically communicate with those who knew a high-level spell and had the magic to back it up, but could also mind-read to boot? The only explanation he could come up with was the fact that Cyrus was connected to Eä. It seemed that everything connected to the girl was weird. That's just the way things were around her, and it surprised him how easily that answer put to rest his questions.

~I can just tell. She's calmed down since she found out it was you holding her, and her sleep is restful, which is usually a good indication that she's dreaming about you. Besides, she smells content, and lately she's only been giving off that scent when you're about. Take that as you will. Just do me a favor– if you're going to engage in anything, be sure to keep the door open so I can leave you to your privacy. Plenty of places around here where I can find a nice napping spot.~

Magus raised an eyebrow, looking down at the girl in his lap. Tempting as it was to give in and wake her, take advantage of whatever dream she was having and kill several birds with one stone, he didn't feel right doing that. If she was truly content, then that probably meant that this was the first real sleep she'd gotten in some time, and he wasn't about to disturb that. Cyrus didn't give him time to reply, however. Instead, the cat jumped onto the sleeping girl, startling her from her sleep, and she muttered something under her breath as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. Eä stared down at the cat, who meowed plaintively, allowing her to scratch behind an ear for a moment before he jumped down and sauntered out of the room. She blinked after the cat, then turned to Magus, blearily looking up at him.

"Did he wake me up just for the hell of it, or was he just trying to get back at me for not falling asleep with him by my side tonight?" Magus blinked, somewhat surprised.

"Didn't he say something snarky to you before he left? He hardly ever leaves without trying to get the last word in edgewise." She frowned at the shadows the cat had melted into, chewing her lip in irritation.

"No. He hardly ever says anything to me anymore. Mostly it's normal cat noises, maybe a snide remark here and there, but it's more and more...." she drifted off, worrying her lip some more. " I don't know. It's hard to describe.... It just seems like he's acting more and more like his old self– I mean, the lazy house cat I had back home, not the magically talking cat he's come to be. He sounded normal to you?" Her brows furrowed deeper at his nod. "Hm. Maybe I did something to piss him off. Oh well, I'll ask him later. Anyway, now that I'm up, I've wanted to ask you something for a while, and it just came back to me, thinking about Cyrus."

He flinched as he heard the name come from her lips. He had no qualms about the cat, but that's what he called it, Cat. He didn't want to bring back any memories of the dead knight for either himself or Eä. He'd done what he'd had to do, and she'd been devastated. No sense in bringing up old wounds for either of them. But he had to wonder, looking at her as she gazed into the fire, which she meant, cat or human.

"What is it you've been meaning to ask me?" he asked, trying not to stare at the bare flesh that was revealed as the blanket slid from one of her shoulders. She didn't seem to notice it, though; transfixed by the flames, her thoughts seemed to wander from whatever question she'd meant to ask, and her expression had taken on a pensively sorrowful look. He hoped she wasn't going to start crying again. More crying meant more tears, which meant more cuddling and more soothing, which meant more physical contact, which brought back the problem that had forced him to move from the bed to the fireside in the first place. Forcing down those thoughts, he took her chin in his fingers and gently turned her head towards him.

"Eä?" She flushed, realizing she'd zoned out for a moment, and gave him a small smile, a ghost of those beaming grins she'd used to sport.

"What time is it?" she asked, looking up at him. He blinked, trying to figure out where this was going, but gave up, remembering his earlier 'weird' conclusion.

"It's several hours before dawn, if that is what you mean. Is that all you wanted to ask me?" She shook her head, running fingers through her slightly-mussed hair.

"No, it's just... I want to go somewhere." He raised an eyebrow at that, his head cocked slightly.

"'Go somewhere'? Eä, where do you want to go that can't wait until morning? Unless– " he broke off, realizing she'd shifted her gaze again. She was still looking up at him, but it seemed like she was gazing through him more than anything else. Her eyes were sad, but they didn't hold tears. Just regret, and perhaps even a little fear. He suddenly thought he might know where she wanted to go, and why at such an ungodly hour, but for the love of Jove he didn't know why she'd want to go there. He shifted the hand still holding her chin to rest his palm against her cheek, bringing her eyes back into focus.

"Eä, what possible reason would you want to go to the castle– ?" She shook her head, cutting him off, though it was more the pallor her face had taken on than anything else that quieted him.

"No, not there. Another castle, but... in a human settlement. Or at least, near enough that I'd rather go when there wouldn't be a possibility of running into any of the townsmen. I can't remember if they're allied with Guardia or not, but most humans don't like those who bear the mark of the Magus, so...." She trailed off, shrugging. Magus tried to think of any other castles in the area, but came up with a blank.

"There aren't any other castles that I know if that are still in use. Only Guardia, this castle, and Ozzie's keep. What place were you thinking of?" She shifted to face him more fully, his hand dropping to bring up the blanket before she revealed more than she'd be comfortable to show. Her hand fell on top of his, and she held it loosely, smiling slightly more.

"There's something I need to do in the ruins of the castle to the north east of here. I know you won't let me go alone– "

"Absolutely out of the question."

"– so I was hoping you'd come with me and help me get to where I need to be, then wait for me while I do what I need to. I.... I don't think what I need to do will take too long. I just need to go there." She was starting to get that far-off look again, so he kept her focused on the conversation.

"What do you need to do there? There's nothing there except ghosts and rotting masonry." She sighed, her smile fading.

"I need to get rid of a skeleton in my closet," she said, looking away. Her voice grew soft, as though the end of the sentence was only to herself.

"I need to say goodbye."

"Are you sure this is absolutely necessary? When you said you needed to get rid of a skeleton in your closet, I had no idea you were speaking literally. What on earth do you need in a haunted castle?" Magus sniffed derisively and nudged a pile of bones with his boot, holding a handkerchief to his nose as they traversed the rotting hallways. Eä coughed at the dust he'd disturbed, looking over her shoulder to glare.

"Do you mind? In this place, it doesn't take a lot to wake the dead, and you're making a fine racket. Quiet, I need to figure out where the stairs are." She turned aside again and continued her slow and methodical search, once again cursing the fact that there was more to this castle than in the game version she knew. What she hadn't realized was that there was a reason why the party never leapt over what seemed to be small piles of rubble and little pot holes. The broken walls piled nearly to the ceiling in some places, and in other areas the floor had crumbled away for ten feet, sinking into a gaping dark hole. Magus had had to pull her from falling into some of these more than once, as the stone, wood, and mortar beneath their feet had softened with the passing of time. When she'd almost brought a wall down upon them, Magus snapped, muttering under his breath, and scooped her up again, casting a levitating spell so they could float the rest of the way.

"This would be far easier if you told me what we were looking for, Eä," he intoned again as they glided along. She sighed, watching their path as the dim corridors came into view before fading back into the blackness. Every so often, she thought she'd see a ghost, but luckily she was traveling with someone who was creepy enough to scare the dead and kept them at bay. Or, at the very least, they respected his power, and appreciated not being destroyed by the necromancer. She wondered, not for the first time, if she should be worried that creepy things like undead skeletons were afraid of her companion, but the thought was quickly lost when she saw a familiar hall.

"Wait! Magus, I think this is it! Turn here." She waved in the direction of the dark hall, and Magus slowed, stopping completely when he saw the enormous hole that kept them from the heavy wooden door at the other end of the room. He put her down and crossed his arms, waiting as she stared at the pit in front of them.

"As great as my talents are, I don't think I can make it across the gap with both of us. Whatever inane thought that led you here will have to end here as well, because unless you can-" he ducked as the grip she held on the beam slipped, the wooden plank coming within inches of his head. "Dammit, woman, you-!"

"Help me with this," she interrupted," I think I can bridge it and get in this way. Can you support this end while I go across?" He stared at her as she grunted and shoved the beam into place, just making the lip of the hole. She smiled as she surveyed her handiwork, then turned to him again. "Shall we?"

He shook his head as she crossed a bit too quickly for his tastes, halting at the great door and staring at it for a moment. She turned to him as he floated over to her side, then looked back at the door, her momentary cheer gone.

"On the other side of this door is a grave. Well, a monument, really, but the ghost of the soldier to whom it's dedicated rests here. I need to... I just want to... Could you wait out here for me, while I go ahead?" She turned to look up at him again, her eyes pleading and wide, though serious. He blinked, then pushed the door open.

"No."

She stared after him as he pressed forward, her lips growing thin as she bit down an angry comment. He continued to walk, however, exploring the inner sanctum of the tomb, until he was sure that it was empty of wayward spirits. Upon finishing his inspection of the room, he walked over to the large slab that stood proudly in the center of the room, reading the name on the grave. He stood there for several moments, staring at the stone. Then, wordlessly, he turned and went out the door, leaving Eä alone in the room with the tomb of Cyrus.

As Magus left the room, Eä knelt before the large obelisk, her eyes once more tearing up at the memory of her dream. The Cyrus in her dream had been so cold, so… cruel. It wasn't like him at all. Still, in order to move ahead with her life, she'd have to try to come to terms with his disapproval, even if his ghost wouldn't show up for her. She reached up, touched the carved letters in the heavy stone. Sighing, she bowed her head.

"I'm sorry I never got to properly say goodbye to you," she said at last. "I was so intent on warning you, I didn't even think about what would happen if I failed. And then I did." She laughed, softly, then looked at the stone again.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me for what I did. I'm not sorry, no more than you were sorry when you slaughtered mystics in battle, or when you drugged me to make me stay put. I did what I had to do, played the role that I was fated to play. Maybe I did the wrong thing. Maybe not. But I don't have to answer to you. I don't owe you an apology, nor do I expect you to forgive me. I'll live with the consequences of what I did, and continue to do what I think is best. I'm not asking for your blessing, just that you allow me to live my life, and let me put the past behind me. I can't keep living in regret." She bowed her head again, resting her head against the cool dusty stone and closing her eyes.

"I never asked you to dwell on the past."

Eä raised her head, and the watery image of Cyrus stood behind the stone. He strode forward, removing his helmet to get a better look at her. She smiled gently, sitting back to look him in the eye. He was giving her that gentle smile he had when he'd kissed her goodbye, looking serene and heroic.

"Cyrus…" she breathed, swallowing repeatedly to stem the threatening tears. He came to stand in front of her, kneeling down to eye level.

"I never asked you to dwell on the past," he repeated, "I only asked you to think about your actions before you charged ahead. Look at the trouble you've gotten yourself into." His eyes didn't move, but they seemed chillier, and Eä could tell that he was well aware of the person who waited outside of the room, and that he didn't approve. His somewhat patronizing tone fueled her anger through her tears.

"You have no right to judge me!" she shouted at him, feeling foolish but feeling it had to be said. "I've done what I had to so that I could survive in this place! You've seen what happens to people who aren't accepted by society. You know what happened to me," she spit this last word out, but continued on. "Right now, I'm safer with Magus than anywhere else. And don't start complaining about me being fickle and bedding the enemy as soon as you were gone, because you know it's not like that, and it never was. I was fond of you. I still care for you, and losing you meant I lost the only person on this god-forsaken planet who truly cared for me enough to risk your own life. I know that." She trailed off, lowering her gaze.

"I know that you loved me. And maybe, if things had been different… but they weren't. You died. And I've been coping and trying to survive. Don't blame me for living my life. And don't blame Magus, he killed you because he had to. You would have done the same thing, if you could have gotten to him first, and you wouldn't have felt remorse, would you? What he did to Glenn was… it was terrible, but what remains is best left between the two of them. I have no basis for judgment. And neither do you." She broke off, realizing her words sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as Cyrus, but to her surprise, he laughed. She looked up at him once more.

"I'm glad to see that part of you is still the same, Eä. While I do not share your feelings towards the warlock, I agree that things went according to fate. And I don't blame you for what you've done, so much as I ask you to think about the future. Your position in this place is unique, and with that role comes certain responsibilities. I believe that while you've tried your best to do what you think is right, perhaps you might stop banging your head against the wall. There are other ways to get things done. I think you recognize that, too, if you'd only let yourself see it. You know what I'm talking about," he said, staring directly into her eyes. She flinched under that stern gaze, a thrill of cold going up her spine as she thought of Doreen's warning. His eyes softened, and he stood, turning from her.

"It's true, I loved you," he said simply, "and I'll continue to do so, even after all things have faded into the mists of time. Would that fate had turned out differently… but it's of no consequence now. Promise me, Eä, that you'll live, and be happy. That's all I ever really wanted of you." He turned and looked at her, replacing the helmet on his head, eyes crinkling at the edges.

"Remain true to your heart, and know that I will watch over you always."

Eä blinked as he began to fade from view. "C-Cyrus! Wait! I have so many things I want to say-!"

He shook his head, a mere outline. "I know, Eä… I know. But…I'll ..watch… you... Goodbye." The last visage of the noble knight faded from view, and she was left hugging the stone for support, sobbing into her shoulder. She gulped to try to control herself, emotions roiling within her.

"Goodbye," she managed when she had breath enough to speak. The soft word echoed around the empty room; she was alone once more.

Magus said nothing when she came from the small room, despite the fact that she looked a mess with a tearstained face and watery red eyes. She knew he'd heard most of what had been said. While he knew it was rude to listen, he wasn't about to let her stay out of earshot in a place filled with more sorrow and despair than the cliffs of Mount Woe. So he heard what had been said between the two. He was fairly sure the knight had been vague on purpose, but it was of no consequence. However, he was relieved to see that she seemed to have more energy than she had going into the ruins. If she felt she had needed to do this, he wasn't about to begrudge her the only request she'd made in months.

He watched her shivering form as she stumbled out of the room, scrubbing away the last remains of tears. She'd cried a good deal of the time, and she looked absolutely miserable, but he didn't feel that he could infringe upon her as she mourned the loss of her friend once again. He knew what it was like not to be able to properly say goodbye to those you loved– how many times had he wondered what he'd say if he'd be given only one chance to tell Schala everything?– and so he respected her desire to be left alone. She gave no indication of caring that he'd been right outside the door, no sign that she sought comfort from him, so he offered none. But the thought of teleporting them both back to the sure-to-be-cold castle, and letting her return to her own room alone while in this state didn't sit well with him, so when he walked over to grab her waist to teleport, it was to a very different location.

It took Eä several minutes to realize that they hadn't returned to the castle, nor any place she could recognize in the gloom of the early morning darkness. She peered up quizzically at him, though he shook his head, simply moving her towards the mouth of the cave. The sun still hadn't risen, and the air was chilly, the winter chill still present in the early spring air. The cave also looked remarkably inviting. There was no indication that anything living came in or out of it, but the entrance emitted a soft glow, and a warm breeze wafted from the mouth. Again, she looked up at him, but he guided her forward, and they entered together, scent of flowers tickling their noses.

Eä, despite her retrospective gloom, felt her heart lift as she realized they were in the Singing Mountain cave, a warm grotto similar to the sun cave. She hadn't visited it in some time, and the corners of her lips tugged at the memory of a very peeved Magus coming to find her sunbathing in the beam of light what seemed ages ago, but had really only been a few years. How funny that he would bring them here, and yet how thankful she was that they were there.

The cave had changed little in her absence; the small flowers still dotted the area bathed in sunlight, the warm glow of the magical light still emitted a golden warmth that touched both body and mind. She closed her eyes and breathed in the sweet air, letting a smile flicker across her face. She then turned to look at Magus where he strode into the beam of light. He didn't say a word, simply conjured some furs and blankets to cover the heated circle of light, then motioned her over. She sat, soaking in the delicious feeling of the sunlight, and closed her eyes.

"Thank you. How did you know this is exactly what I needed?" She could hear the slight smile in his reply.

"I simply didn't think either of us were ready to return back home yet. Besides, you are always happiest when you're in the light. Returning to the dark would have been cruel."

She sighed, the smile wavering a little. It was true; darkness meant dreams, and she couldn't take any more dreams tonight. The last one was still too vivid in her mind. She wondered what it meant when she could look upon the faces of people she's killed, friends she'd lost, and people who were close to her, and their ghastly expressions couldn't instill the same sort of sadness as a dream of a mundane morning in a halcyon life.

When he'd come into the small room, kissed her sweetly and then placed a hand on her slightly rounded stomach, she'd wanted to sob, crying like she had before when she realized that this was a new kind of nightmare. One where she wouldn't want to wake up, knowing that when she returned to reality, she'd just be returning to a place where she was living on borrowed time. And when the dream had shifted, and she'd seen what it would be like to live in complete and utter bliss, knowing she could have everything she could ever possibly want if she simply ignored her promise to Doreen and FATE. She wondered if she could really go through with her promise, and wondered what else could be done if she dared go against her word.

But at the end of that dream, before Cyrus had woken her up, she'd been lying next to Magus, and he'd brought her close to his chest, one hand cradling her while the other again returned to her stomach. She lifted her face to brush her lips with his, and he'd whispered goodbye to her.

Eä lurched forward, realizing she'd fallen asleep again while sitting in the sun. She was leaning against Magus, the blankets brought up around them to create a cocoon of heat, like a furry nest on the stone floor. He shifted as she sat up, and they gazed at each other in silence. In the back of her mind, Cyrus' words echoed.

"Promise me, Eä, that you'll live, and be happy. That's all I ever really wanted of you."

She smiled as she remembered the understanding in Cyrus' face, and leaned forward to bring a hand to Magus' cheek. He said nothing, simply watching her. Her smile grew stronger as she felt him lean into her touch without seeming to notice it.

"Thank you," she whispered, stroking her thumb over a smooth cheekbone, brushing away errant strands that fell into his face. He nodded slowly, bringing up his own hands to rest at her shoulders. She closed her eyes again, willing herself to find the strength to do what she was about to do. She pushed away memories of other distant stone floors, the cries of men who fell by her blade, the echoes of her own voice promising she would break away as soon as she could. And she would, she knew she'd have to, but for now, she'd live in the moment. Fuck FATE, anyway.

"Magus," she said, her voice strong and clear, a hint of mischievousness harkening back to earlier days inflected in her tone. He blinked down at her, taken aback. The shimmering light was hypnotic, and he'd gone into a trance again while staring at her. He figured she wouldn't mind, seeing as she hadn't bothered to open her eyes yet, and she seemed remarkably chipper, considering only two hours ago she'd had to say goodbye to and let go of a former boyfriend for the second time.

"Yes?" was his witty response. Her smile grew, and he found himself looking into the eyes of an Eä he'd not seen in some time. He found himself smirking as she grinned up at him.

"Do you think you can seal the cave's entrance for a little while? Just so that no one can come in or out, or see anything going on inside?" He froze, wondering if she was thinking what he thought she was thinking. The prospect made his heart thud in his ears, and blood rush south. Trying to keep his voice matter-of-fact was much more difficult than he'd anticipated.

"I believe I can do that, Eä." Her grin grew wider.

"Good. Because I think we're going to want some privacy for a bit."


The trio looked up as Magus and Eä came into the room, the former looking rather smug and satisfied, the latter grinning like an idiot and humming under her breath. The three mystics gaped in silence as she turned to Magus, stood up on tip-toe, gave him a peck and skipped down the hall towards her chambers. Magus, for his part, watched the show with an appreciative eye before turning to his horror-struck generals. He raised an eyebrow at them, glared at them as though to dare them to ask what the couple had been doing, then headed off towards his study.

The trio remained absolutely still for several minutes after the shock and horror had sufficiently worn off enough to enable the act of speech. Ozzie looked at the other two, a slightly yellow shade of green.

"...Did I just see what I thought I saw? Please tell me I'm mistaken." Slash, a similarly yellowed shade of purple, grimaced, looking queasy.

"I'm going to pretend I hallucinated it." Flea sighed in exasperation, putting her hands on her hips.

"Honestly," she said," it's like you two have no romantic bones in your body. It's so sickeningly wrong it's cute! Besides, things will be better now that they're over whatever it was that was between them. And as long as I don't have to hear it, and it doesn't hinder their work, who are we to say what they should be doing? You two need to grow up." And with that, she flounced down the hall, skipping to an off-key whistled tune.

"Ugh. Women," was all Slash muttered as he went to go find something to help him burn out his eyes. Ozzie pondered both of their responses for a moment before realizing something.

"So, wait, Flea IS a woman?"


Eä smiled across the room at Magus, watching him as he intently studied the book in front of him. He frowned at the yellowing pages and scribbled letters, gently flipping the pages as he searched for... well, whatever it was he was searching for. She hadn't really paid attention when he'd mentioned it; the spell had sounded long and tedious and so advanced she'd never have a hope in successfully casting it, so she hadn't bothered to listen to the details. She'd said she wouldn't bother him as he worked and had sat down to join him as he read. However, considering the only books he kept in his study were spell books, she was quickly growing bored, and had thus given up all together on reading, and instead doodled on some miscellaneous sheets of paper.

She'd filled an entire side of the page with sketches of Cyrus chasing rats, and had moved on to caricatures of the various mystics in the castle. Then, growing tired of drawing Ozzie as a toad and Flea as a naga, she'd moved on to the wizard sitting a few feet from her. In order to make the image more lifelike, she'd looked up from time to time to get the proportions right, but soon found she was staring at him more than drawing, so she gave up on that too. Instead, she let her mind wander, the niggling thoughts of the future pressing forward when there was nothing else to keep them at bay. She gave a small sigh, which made Magus look up from his reading. She blushed a little, realizing she'd been staring at him the entire time she'd been thinking. Not surprising, because she'd been thinking mostly about him, but still. Amused, he raised an eyebrow, page delicately poised between two fingers.

"Care to share your thoughts with me, Eä? I can hardly guess what's going through that devious mind of yours." He carefully bookmarked his page, then set the tome aside, leaning back and stretching. He gave a contented sigh as his fingers cracked, then he relaxed back into the lounge, studying her. She smiled back at him, resting her chin on her folded fingers.

"I was just thinking about old times, and what the future will bring, that's all," she replied. She let the sentence hang, and abruptly broke eye contact, getting up to stand by the window. "How long have we known each other?" she asked, although her eyes were focused on the courtyards below. Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't speak again.

Magus was somewhat confused. He was used to her mercurial mood swings, and always enjoyed goading her on when she was angry. But this tone was odd. It was light, almost cheerful, but… off. There was something in the way she asked that put him on edge, and he leaned forward, suspicious. Was she about to go off on another crazy adventure? She'd seemed content enough, especially since they'd started making frequent trips to the cave, but there was a new undercurrent in her manner. There was something restless about her. She stood perfectly still, but Magus recognized it as one of her typical flight patterns. Look like she's perfectly sensible, but then run off and do something absolutely vapid that required him to extricate her from trouble. She turned then, and smiled at him. While this put him on guard even further, she crossed the room and sat down beside him.

"It's been a little over 9 years, right? Give or take a few time traveling jaunts in between, that's how long we've known each other," she answered her own question, leaning on his shoulder. Magus was a bit leery of this position sometimes. Although with many other women, this contact meant trust, desire to be close, and possible invitation to sex, for Eä, it meant she was trying to keep her face from his view, meaning she didn't want him to see her expression, meaning she was up to something.

"Yes…" he replied, craning his neck to look down at her, unsure of what this tactic meant for him. He relaxed a bit when she smiled up and him, and they leaned closer. He was pretty sure he knew which signal this was, and he would be happy enough to respond to it.

"Sooo… I was just thinking it's been a long time." Magus stared at her smiling face, then he stilled, understanding flooding his thoughts. Of course, she'd acted normal enough the first month of their actual "relationship", such as it was, but then she'd started acting funny, and now he finally realized why. Damn! Women were so bloody devious sometimes, and now, if he tried to gently persuade her to think further on it, she'd sulk, and he'd be sleeping alone until he did what she wanted him to. He sighed, bringing up a hand to rub at his temples. When had he, Prince Janus of Zeal, the Magus who ruled the mystics, fallen into such a sorry and soft state? It was worse than pathetic, it was debilitating and humiliating.

"Eä…" he started carefully, weighing his words carefully as he continued, "I hate to think that I gave you any false impressions over these last few months. I mean, I care for you very much, but-"

"What the hell are you talking about?" she interrupted. Then, her eyebrows raised, and she laughed, burying her face in his chest. "M-My god," she gasped through her giggles, "I'm not asking you to marry me. So get rid of that ridiculous expression; you look like I asked you if you wanted to watch Slash and Flea make out." He let out his breath, feeling immensely better. Not that he'd never considered having a life, it was simply that he had too many other obligations. Sex was fun, and he enjoyed Eä's company, but he'd always have other duties, and those would, usually, come before sex. Certainly before marriage, if he considered it. Which he didn't. He always assumed Eä understood that; apparently, she did.

"No, look, what I'm trying to say is… it's been almost 10 years. A lot of things have changed in that time. We've changed. Some of those changes have been really great." At this, she gave him a lascivious grin, "last night's change was very nice. But other changes… haven't been good. Magus, when's the last time you tried to raid a village? Burn down Guardia Castle? Take over the world?" Magus stopped, pondering this line of thought. It was true, they'd been more or less plodding along, neither advancing or retreating, but he wasn't sure what that had to do with anything. She sighed, sliding onto his lap and holding his face between her hands.

"Magus," she said softly, "you're The Magus. If you stop now, the mystics will lose faith. They're already restless and getting irritated. Right now, it's just at the humans, but take too long to do something, and it will be you. Your know this, I know, but… think about it. Why have you stopped fighting?"

"We haven't stopped," he said somewhat irritably, "we're just regrouping and reassessing our moves. We'll attack again-"

"And you'll get foiled because there's a spy in your ranks," Eä said, interrupting. She sighed, and scooted forward. "I know you've been worried about your plans leaking out. I know you don't want more mystics to die than are necessary, if only so that your army remains strong. So, I want to help you. I'm not good at much else, at this point, but I want to help you out. Take it as my whatever-year anniversary gift to you, or as a 'thanks for the great sex' kind of thing. Please let me do this for you, Magus, so that you don't have to worry anymore."

She seemed oddly mature then, and Magus was suddenly reminded of the first time he'd met her, those many years ago at the ball. How irritating she'd been, how spirited, how mysterious, and how young. They'd both been little more than children then. They'd both changed, and this woman in front of him had changed most of all. He wondered how else she would change with time. He wondered if she'd still be there for him to find out. And, although there was no logistical reason for him to imagine it, he felt as though she was trying to say something important to him, and he just couldn't for the life of him tell what that was. It was like saying goodbye after pledging vows of eternal love, a thought that made him sad. He pushed that thought aside, realizing how foolish it was, and that she really was concerned for him. This mature, delightful woman understood him, and the only thing she asked for was a way to help him. There was sure to be some other motive as well, and he'd get it out of her in one way or another, but for the moment, he felt grateful for her presence and her offer. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers.

"I leave it to you, then," he said, and she beamed at him, leaning forward to kiss him. After a moment, he pulled back, and studied her. "If this is an anniversary gift, what is it that you expect from me?"

"Well…" she said, drawing out the word and waving her hand around. "I already have the ring you gave me, so I don't really need any other jewelry." She ducked her head, and looked at him from under her lashes. "But there was that whole "great sex" thing…" He grinned, bringing her closer again.

"I think I can help you with that," he replied.

Magus awoke hours later, the shadows of twilight casting purple clouds of darkness within his room. He took a deep breath and blew it out, comfortably relaxed and still somewhat asleep. He turned to look for Eä, but she wasn't in the bed. Even the damn cat was gone, although he noticed a few stray golden tufts of fur at the end of the bed. No doubt she'd taken the cat and retired to her own chambers to clean herself and dress. No matter. Guessing by the shadows, it was probably close to dinner, and he could see her then. Taking his time, he started to redress, enjoying the lingering effects of the afternoon. Eä hadn't been exaggerating in her descriptions.

He was preparing to leave for his study when a sharp rap on the door shook him out of his warm daze. He answered it to find Slash, the mystic's lips in a tight frown, his expression fierce. The swordsman's eyes scanned the room, and his frown deepened. He returned his gaze to Magus. "There's something you need to see," said his general, and Magus stiffened, reaching for his scythe. When the mystic spoke in that tone, it meant that all hell had broken loose.

They made their way down the stone hall, Slash refusing to speak as Magus tried to question him. The mystic simply said "You just have to see it for yourself, only you can figure this one out." Magus wondered what the hell that was supposed to mean, and if Eä would eat without him if he was late, or if she'd wait for him in the study, reading or drawing, or doing some other innocuous thing. He wanted to ask her what she planned to do to catch the spy that no one else had found; he'd been a bit too preoccupied to ask her before.

He realized he was still half asleep when it hadn't occurred to him that they were walking towards a very familiar section of the castle. "The dungeon?" he asked Slash, but the mystic simply gave a curt nod. When they reached the heavy doors, Magus saw Flea standing there, the mage looking pale and surprisingly unkempt. She looked to Slash, who simply opened the door, and the two followed Magus down the stairs.

Magus wasn't sure what he was looking for, but things seemed off in this dismal section of the castle. There was an odd, underlying smell, but he wasn't sure what it was. Then, as he continued towards the farther end of the hall, it hit him: blood. Granted, there was always a scent of blood in a place where prisoners were kept, but the scent was strong, as though someone had recently lost a large amount of blood. Magus turned back to his generals, who were in quiet discussion. Flea was shaking her head, and Slash's fingers played on the pommel of his sword.

"Which room am I looking for?" he asked. Slash nodded towards the last door, and Magus strode forward, reaching out to open the thick metal door.

Surprisingly enough, the blood was pooled in only a small portion of the room. The corpse's face was ashen, some blood trickling out of her mouth, but the expression was relaxed, as though in sleep. Of course, the wound in her neck made it obvious that she was in a deeper sleep than one any could wake her from, and the stake through her heart doubly attested to the body's condition. Attached to the stake was a note, the edges stained with blood. As Magus reached for the note, Slash nodded at the stake.

"She was dead before that thing went through her, if that gives you any comfort. But then, if what the note says is true, perhaps it's not comfort at all."

Magus silently read the brief note that was attached.

J-

Doreen contacted me, and told me everything; Miri confirmed. I did what was necessary, so that you didn't have to. Her contact is trapped in the cave, he'll confirm as well. I suggest you strike. Time to burn some of those bridges, I think. I'm doing the same. But they say time can mend bridges, too, so maybe we'll cross paths once more. For that, I'd be willing to wait until the end of time.

All my Love,

~E

Magus crumpled the note, staring at the corpse of his late head-maid, then spoke through clenched teeth.

"Where is she?" Slash shook his head.

"No trace. We're still looking, but there was a massive flux of magic some time ago. We sent a few soldiers to check it out, but by the time they got there, the trail was cold." The swordsman stared at the dead girl, frowning. "I wondered if it was one of the humans in the castle, and I even suspected your little maid. I never expected Eä to cut and run, though. Did she say anything to you?"

Magus didn't speak, forcing himself to look away from the dead woman in front of him, and trying to come to terms with what had happened. Eä had thrown herself on him, had her way with him, killed his head maid and run off into the sunset. It just didn't add up. And Doreen? What did Doreen have to do with anything? As far as he could remember, the ancient mystic had been cold to the girl. Their interactions had been brief and far between, Eä staying close to him and his sister, and Doreen assisting in the experiments of-

A cold realization thrilled through him again, and he looked to Flea again. "Did you feel any surges in magic today? Close to the castle or otherwise?" Flea looked at him, perplexed.

"Not really," she said, cocking her head to the side in thought. "There was a quick flicker earlier this afternoon, but I figured it was you two lovebirds. How was I supposed to know one of you had flown the coop?" She frowned, cupping a hand to her ear and listening. After a moment, she looked up at Magus.

"Ozzie is in the cave, and he found a small band of soldiers. He resurrected a few of them, and they all told him that they'd been coming over when Eä attacked them. She was using magic again; apparently, the last thing they remember is a blinding flash of light, and then she was gone. I'd say that it sounds like her, but she hasn't used magic for months, and that odd teleportation spell she used never killed anyone before. The soldiers said that it was the flash of light that killed them. Maybe a holy spell, or something lightning-based. Do you think she had help?"

"I would think that was rather obvious," Magus snarled through clenched teeth. He turned to Slash, pointing at the corpse. "Get Ozzie to clean that up when he gets back. While he's doing that, rally the men, and tell them to be ready to attack before dawn. You," he said, turning to Flea, "find the head jailer, and make sure he comes to my study. I want to talk about security. And see if there's anyone competent enough to replace him when he's dead. Maybe he'll make a better undead soldier than he does a watchman." Magus tugged irritably at his gloves, mentally going down a list of things he needed to get done. Slash and Flea stood motionless, eyes meeting for a moment before settling back on their leader.

"You don't want us to go after the girl?" Slash asked, frown furrowing his brows. Magus made a distracted gesture, and Flea stepped forward.

"Don't you want to know who helped her?" she asked. "I mean, if there's another spy in the castle-" Magus cut her off with an angry wave.

"I already know who helped her, and how she got away. She's given us the reason why she did what she did, and pursuing her would be useless, as she's now far from our reach." He looked at the two and grinned, his mystic fangs catching the torchlight, and the fire dancing in his eyes. "She even left us explicit directions. So, let's go burn some bridges, shall we?"


The next day's dawn broke red upon the smoldering remains of the Guardia Bridge. Magus's army has swarmed the structure and overpowered the knights, and the great wooden beams cracked under the pressure of their attack. A final barrage of dark matter obliterated the remaining timbers, and the day was won by the mystics.

Eä's name did not come up again, although his three generals would quietly wonder what had transpired between the two that fateful day. Magus's renewed efforts on the mystic attacks had been a welcome distraction for the troops, but the generals couldn't help wondering if Magus was simply biding his time, waiting to make his move. When he summoned them for a war council, there was little surprise when he mentioned that he had been working on a new spell. The name of Lavos sounded vaguely familiar, but they trusted in Magus, and so swore their fealty to him with renewed vigor. With Magus once more dedicated to their cause, how could they lose?

The high morale that they had worked so hard to gain had faltered very little when a group of teenagers, led by Glenn, retook the bridge. It was bad enough when their plan to kidnap Queen Leene had fallen through, but when it was clear that the group had easily gotten through their first few lines of defense, confidence faltered. It was apparent that the troublesome frog was leading the band on a war path, Magus' castle in their sights.

Some mystics fled, sure that the end was drawing nigh. Others remained, their confidence in Lord Magus matched by their hope that Lavos would rid the world of all humans. The generals remained because they had nowhere else to go, and because they knew that this would be the greatest, and perhaps final battle.

In the end, Magus- their leader, the brat that they had raised to become most powerful of all the mystics, the hero they sang songs about, the mage who would lead them into a better future- failed them. The castle was less than dust; it was simply gone. And with it, their leader. Many presumed he had fallen in battle, still other thought that he continued to fight for their cause, but that the strange magic that had befallen the castle had taken them into another dimension, where, even as they spoke, their leader was dueling the band of humans. The generals wondered if he'd simply run away, off to find the girl that had left him just when he'd started to feel happy and content with his life.

As it was, none of these things took place. Magus found himself in a land he had not dreamed he would ever see again, and he was forced to relive the events that had ripped him away from his beloved sister. As he stood staring at the sea, he realized that, once again, he was alone. His sister was nowhere to be found, and he would have to begin his search once more. The band of humans- time travelers, he realized- came to confront him, and he stood upon the snow-swept bank, gazing at them coolly. He could kill them all now, and be alone with his thoughts. Or, he could join them, and use them to continue his search.

His sister could be waiting for him, lost somewhere in the mists of time, as he had been. He had to protect her, beg forgiveness for being too weak to keep her safe when she needed him the most. He would do penance for what he had done, although he knew she would forgive him, no matter what. He had to believe that he would find her again, one day. He just had to build his own bridges to cross the gaps that separated them, and let the past guide his steps forward. He was the Magus. If it was his fate to die this day, so be it.

He took out his scythe and faced the pale, sorrowful children who stood before him. Glenn gazed back, fist clenched upon the Masamune's hilt. Magus laughed, thinking of what bridges he would have to make to reach a cordial ground with the amphibian knight. He wondered if the amphibian would let him cross the gap alive. He would not bow to the knight, and he would be strong, even if it meant that this was the end. He stood on the threshold; there was no point in remaining here. There were no signs of Schala, no hint of her laughter, no lingering ghost of magic to lead him to her. She had vanished, and with her, all trace that she had ever existed at all.

What he failed to say, or even let himself think about, was that there was no trace of Eä, either.

**estimated 2 more chapters. I'm working on them, I promise, although there's been a bit of plot-snarling with CC and DS!CT storyline involving Magus/Guile. After the story is complete, I'll be doing a final Author's note cleanup and general edit, and then will not touch this story again. Thanks for the patience, guys. 3

CONTENT NOTE- Also, Singing Mountain cave is based on original CT dungeon design- it was supposed to be a cave with a sun-spot, but the DS turned it into snow-fields instead**