Note: I have made the following changes to previous chapters:
I have changed a couple of scenes in the Prologue to explicitly forbid children from playing the game, and indicate that the players are all legally adults by the laws of El Nido. (I wouldn't want to get in trouble with the Acacia Dragoons, after all!)
Starting with Episode Nineteen Part One (Chapter 28) and continuing into this and future Episodes, I have modified the scoreboard to (hopefully) be easier to read when players are performing a number of dares.
I have updated Episode Nineteen Part Three (Chapter 30) with a more detailed description of the rules of the Gray Team's penalty, as well as various minor corrections.
Chrono Crossover: The Funhouse
by Chronos Cat
Episode Twenty
Round Six Part One Continued
Previously:
Leena painted herself with emerald body paint, colored her nails in a rainbow pattern, allowed the staff to put a neck-brace cast on her, and put on a Pirate Captain costume; Bekkler then made crystal grow on her left leg.
Lucca put on an impressive performance of the song "Domo Arigato, Mister Robo".
I showed up to congratulate the players on making it halfway through the game and to give them each their own straitjacket; while I was there I discussed time travel with Lucca, Robo, and Kid.
Then the players all participated in the Strip Dodgeball Challenge. Everyone took off at least few articles of clothing (such as shoes and socks) and most took off more; Robo, Ayla, and Harle took everything off. The Red Team won, meaning the Gray Team cannot put back on the clothes they took off until midday tomorrow.
o-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-o
Scoreboard:
Red Team (Team points: 36):
Team Prizes: Skeleton Key (Access to Cafeteria, Library, Hot Tub, Yard, Red & Gray Rooms)
*Crono: Points: 22; Vouchers: 1
Current Clothing: pants, underpants. (Pirate Costume suspended for Challenge.)
*Lucca: Points: 23; Vouchers: 1
Current Clothing: shirt, bra, panties. (Robot Costume suspended for Challenge.)
Other Current Dares: black latex on face, clay mud in hair,
*Robo: Points: 78; Vouchers: 7
Serial Dare: X – Metamorphosis into action figure.
Body: Head, right foot plastic
Current Clothing: None (Mummy Costume suspended for Challenge.)
(Robo Doll):
Body/Appearance: Head, right foot, right arm, right hand plastic. Wearing excessive makeup.
Clothing: Armor; helmet; leather tassels
Restraints: left & right purple short leg casts; gagged
Other Current Dares: covered in purple latex; leather tassels in "shirt" position
*Ayla: Points: 30; Vouchers: 4
Current Clothing: None (Cavewoman Costume suspended for Challenge.)
*Serge: Points: 13; Vouchers: 1
Current Clothing: Shorts, underpants (Cat Costume suspended for Challenge.)
Restraints: right short leg cast
*Leena: Points: 12; Vouchers: 1
Body/Appearance: shiny emerald body paint, left-hand fingernails colored in rainbow pattern
Current Clothing: Dress, bra, panties (Pirate Costume suspended for Challenge.)
Restraints: padded handcuffs, bluecrystal covering left leg, light blue neck cast
.
Gray Team (team points: 0):
Team Prizes: Yard, Hot Tub
*Frog: Points: 17; Vouchers: 2
Body: left arm turned to gold
Current Clothing: pants (Challenge penalty: cannot put on more clothing for 24 hours)
*Marle: Points: 22; Vouchers: 1
Body: right arm turned to stone.
Current Clothing: panties (Challenge penalty: cannot put on more clothing for 24 hours) (Snake-woman costume suspended for Challenge & Penalty.)
*Kid: Points: 0; Vouchers: 1
Current Clothing: shirt, panties (Challenge penalty: cannot put on more clothing for 24 hours)
*Harle: Points: 72; Vouchers: 0
Serial Dare: VI – Identity Crisis
Current Clothing: nothing (Challenge penalty: cannot put on clothing for 24 hours)
Role: act dim witted (until next bonus)
o-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-o
Day 19
A little after 4 in the afternoon...
Meredith, the elderly receptionist for the Funhouse (formerly Norstein Bekkler's "Tent of Horrors") was sitting at a desk set up in the lobby reading a book, when she noticed a change in the light. Glancing up, she saw that a dark figure stood in the door, casting a long shadow into the room, the late afternoon sun behind him.
The figure walked into the room, the light of the fires in the room revealing him to be a tall man with pale grayish-white skin, long pale purple hair, dark armor, and a dark red cape. His bearing was proud, and he scowled down at the receptionist as if she barely merited his notice.
"Welcome to the Funhouse. May I help you?" Meredith said in a bored tone intended to hint to him that she wasn't impressed by his theatrics or attitude.
"I've been told that a young lady calling herself 'Kid' is participating in this game. Is this true?"
"That name sounds familiar. If you give me a moment, I'll check." She opened a draw in her desk and pulled out a few papers. After a sorting through them, she answered, "Yes, here it is, Schala 'Kid' Zeal."
Magus dashed forward, stopping so close to the desk he loomed over Meredith. "Take me to her."
Meredith gulped, and suppressed the urge to quickly back away. "Now hold on a minute. You're not allowed to simply walk into the Funhouse to visit whenever you like. Unless you're law enforcement here on official business, you need to make an appointment at least a day in advance. Now, if you'll give me a moment to check the Funhouse schedule, I should be able to set something up for you within the next day or two..."
Magus' scowl deepened, and he tugged at his gloves in a menacing fashion. "You will take me to her now, or I will make things very unpleasant for you."
"Is-is that a threat?" Meredith said, trying not to sound scared.
"Yes, it is."
"In that case..." Meredith pressed a button underneath the desk, and the metal gate behind her opened. Three pairs of eyes peered out of the darkness. "Fluffy, Fuzzy, Furball, sick em!"
Bekkler's three Killwala-like Poyozos burst out of the darkness and advanced on Magus, while Meredith used the distraction to escape through the door they'd come through.
Magus pulled out his scythe and got into a battle stance.
Fluffy charged at Magus, swiping with her claws. Magus dodged, and swiped at her with his scythe. Fluffy yelped a bit and backed off.
Fuzzy attacked next, her claws scuffing up Magus' armor; Magus retaliated by hitting her on the head with the handle of his scythe.
Furball delivered a charging head-butt to Magus' gut, knocking the wind out of him for a moment. Once he recovered, Magus dashed in and struck Furball several times with his scythe.
The three Poyozos now began to dance, and the light in the room dimmed. Large glowing triangles began flashing in the air above them, coloring the room red, blue, green, and yellow. Meanwhile the Poyozos disappeared and reappeared throughout the room as they danced. Then there was a brilliant flash of white light, and Magus felt a wave of powerful magic wash over him, draining his energy.
As the light in the room returned to normal, Magus fell to one knee, breathing heavily. "I guess... I'd better... take this fight... seriously." Forcing himself back to his feet, he began chanting under his breath, and making mystical gestures with his hands. Several black spheres appeared and floated around him for a moment, then a huge black triangle appeared above the group, through which one could see the stars. It spun around counterclockwise for a moment, then a smaller white triangle appeared within the black triangle. The white triangle spun and flipped in a complicated pattern even as the black triangle continued spinning. Then the triangles disappeared in brilliant flash of light.
When the light in the room returned to normal, the three Poyozos lay on the floor, dazed and too weak to move.
Putting them out of his mind, Magus glided through the doorway the Poyozos had came from and the receptionist had fled through, into the darkness beyond.
o-o-o-o
While the battle raged, in a hidden room not far from the lobby Meredith stepped up to the com system. "Mr. Bekkler? There's a man here to see Miss Zeal; he didn't give his name, but he fits the description of this 'Magus' you told me about. When I told him he would have to make an appointment, he threatened to attack me, so I set the Poyozos on him; however he seems to be holding his own."
"Very well. If he beats the Poyozos, let him through and see to it the Poyozos are fully healed. Oh, and activate the Funhouse Maze."
"Yes, sir."
o-o-o-o
An hour earlier (around 3:00 PM)...
"Stop looking at Ayla's butt, Serge!" Leena said as the players made their way down the hall.
"What do you want me to do, walk with my eyes closed?" Serge asked.
Ayla turned around. "It help if Ayla walk backwards?"
As now they could see her breasts instead, Leena said in a strained voice, "No Ayla, not really."
Watching their antics, Lucca almost wished she hadn't put her shirt back on (or that she had worn a shorter shirt); it would have been fun to tease Crono by walking in front of him in her underwear. On the other hand, everyone else would have been able to see her too, so it probably wouldn't have been worth it.
o-o-o-o
Ayla was the first of the team to reach the Red Room; by the time Serge and Leena (hobbled as they were) made it there Ayla already had her leopard-pattern cavewoman costume tunic on (much to Leena's relief).
Robo soon began putting on his mummy costume; the rest of the team had to take turns getting changed in the bathroom and bedroom while those not in the process of changing waited in the main room.
As she had the most elaborate costume Lucca decided to wait until last. Serge decided to be chivalrous and let Leena go before him, so Leena and Crono wound up putting on their pirate costumes at the same time, Crono in the bedroom and Leena in the bathroom. Crono was done first, so Serge used the bedroom next to put on his cat costume; as before Serge had Robo (who was now done putting on his costume) paint his face.
Finally, after Leena was done, Lucca headed into the bathroom with her robot costume. She pulled on the rubber bodysuit and put her armor up to her waist, then called in Crono to help her put on the rest of her armor.
o-o-o-o
In the Gray Room, Marle and Kid put their pendants with their things; Frog put the Hero's Medal away too.
"So, what do we do now?" Harle asked.
Marle said, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to go check out that sports equipment, and maybe spend some time outside if it isn't raining. I want to take advantage of being able to walk around without a snake tail while I can."
Kid said incredulously, "You're going to go out dressed like that?!"
"Sure, why not? Everyone else has already seen me like this anyway."
"Yeah, but that was part of the challenge, and I'm sure it wasn't long enough for everyone ta get used ta ya wearin' just yer panties. Aren't ya at least a little bit embarrassed?"
Marle hesitated, then dropping her facade of bravado, she answered, "More than I've been in a long time. But I'm not going to let that stop me."
Harle said, "In zat case I shall not let embarrassment stop moi either! I shall join you outside."
Marle asked, "You were embarrassed to be seen naked?"
"No, not at all."
Kid groaned. "I had thought we'd all stay in here until the penalty was over, like we did after the pie-eatin' contest. But if you two head out there with only one article of clothin' between the two of ya, I'll look like some sort of prude for refusin' ta go out just 'cause I can't wear my skirt."
Frog croaked. "There is no shame in modesty, milady. Indeed, I too had been planning on remaining in our apartment until the penalty is over. I would be honored to have thy company."
Marle said, "I didn't mean to pressure you or anything, Kid. It's just that ever since I refused that dare to go nude I've been thinking about it, and I'd kind of like to get past my fear of letting others see my body. ...Besides, if I stayed in here until I could put my clothes on, that would be a whole day Lucca had Crono to herself."
Kid sighed. "Fine, you two go enjoy yourselves. Frog and I will stay here and keep ourselves occupied somehow."
o-o-o-o
A little after 4:00...
Magus frowned as he made his way down the corridor. There was no sign of that woman he'd talked to earlier, and up ahead the hall split in two, with no hint of which way he should go. On impulse, he headed to the right.
Soon, he found himself on the edge of a pool of green slime. The slime was several feet below floor level, and the only way across seemed to be a six-inch lip of floor running along the right side of the pool.
Magus raised an eyebrow at this development; it seemed this was no ordinary building. He considered going back to see where the other corridor led, but decided he wanted to continue exploring this one first.
Unfortunately, his ability to hover was extremely limited; he had to be over land to do it (and even then he couldn't be very far above it), and there had to be enough land to evenly distribute his weight. Instead, he was forced to crab-walk across the ledge on the side of the pool.
His next challenge was a tube-like section of hallway that was constantly spinning. Using his hovering ability he easily glided through the tube without even having to correct his course to compensate for the tube's spinning.
Beyond the tube the path split again, with the main hallway leading to a pit with rings hanging down over it; presumably one was supposed to swing from the rings to cross the pit. Instead, Magus chose to go down the side passage to the right.
o-o-o-o
Earlier (around 3:15 PM)...
The sports equipment had not been brought in yet when Marle and Harle arrived at the Dare Room, but it wasn't raining (in fact there were now some breaks in the clouds) so they decided to hang out outside.
"I never knew how wonderful it could feel to be outside au naturale," Harle commented, twirling around a few times as they made their way to the picnic bench.
"The breeze on my skin does feel nice," Marle replied as she sat down at the bench.
Harle lay down in the grass, and stared up at the clouds; Marle leaned back to look up at the sky as well, and the two simply relaxed for a while.
A few minutes later, Ayla came out. "No balls yet?"
"Not yet," Marle said. Marle had a brief impulse to cover herself, but the impulse passed when she remembered she'd seen Ayla running around naked without a hint of self-consciousness just a few minutes ago.
A bit tired after the game, Ayla sat down as well. Looking for something to talk about, Ayla commented, "Ayla surprised Marle, Harle take off so many clothes. Ayla thought people in this age no like do that."
Harle said, "Zat is usually ze case, but I do not know why. I see not'ing wrong with showing off my body. Perhaps ze other people do not like zeir bodies?"
Marle said, "I like my body just fine, it's just that we're not supposed to show them off in public... I'm not quite sure why either. Back in 1000 AD, as Princess Nadia, I can't afford to break that kind of rule, but here in the Funhouse, in 1020 AD... Well, I finally decided it didn't matter so much."
The three chatted for a few minutes, until they saw the resource room staff (Marian, Anar, and Reton) and Annette (one of the cleaning staff) bringing in a couple of large boxes, which they left in the Dare Room. Seeing the staff, Marle couldn't resist blushing and covering her breasts with her arm; a bit embarrassed by the reaction she tried to pose in such a way that it looked casual (but she didn't uncover herself).
Ayla and Harle got up and started heading out to the dare room even before the staff had left. Marle hesitated, but not wanting to seem afraid, after a moment she got up as well and followed after them, still trying to hold her arm over her breasts casually. To her relief, the staff had left by time she reached the door, so she was able to stop covering herself without risking them seeing her nipples.
Ayla was going to just lug the boxes into the Yard, but Marle convinced her they should look through the boxes first, in case there were things they wouldn't be using outside.
In the first box were three of the rubber balls they'd just been using as dodge-balls, several baseballs and tennis balls, a couple baseball bats, four tennis rackets, and some baseball bases.
They were just opening up the second box when Lucca, Crono, and Robo showed up. Marle covered herself again without thinking, but then it occurred to her that unless she was going to let the others do all the work she couldn't properly look through the boxes while covering herself, and she couldn't play with the sports equipment that way, either. Also, she didn't want to spend all day with her arm across her chest. She gathered her courage and as casually as she could manage lowered her arm. The act felt nearly as exhilarating as taking her clothing off in public had in the first place, but she couldn't help but blush again, particularly when Crono looked her over and gave her a smile.
Lucca said, "Wow, I didn't expect to see you out here, Marle."
"I wanted to check out the sports stuff we won," Marle replied defiantly.
Robo said, "That is why we are here as well."
Harle asked, "But what about Leena and Serge? Why are zey not 'ere?"
Lucca said, "Leena didn't want to see any more of you guys undressed, and she convinced Serge to stay with her. I tried to tell her you guys would probably be sticking to the Gray Room, but I guess I was wrong."
Harle said, "Kid and Frog are, as you zay, 'sticking to ze Gray Room'. Marle and I, howevair, are not afraid to show our bodies!"
Marle groaned, and rubbed her forehead. "Speak for yourself. And while you're at it, could you please not insult our teammates?"
"Insult? I do not understand. I waz just stating ze facts!"
Ignoring the argument, Crono looked over the stuff they'd pulled out of the first box, then went over and opened the other box; everyone else joined him shortly.
In the second box was a net and collapsible set of posts which looked like it could work for an informal game of either Tennis or Volleyball, a bag of golf balls, some golf clubs, and some portable miniature golf holes.
Marle commented, "You know, it might be fun to set up a miniature golf course in one of our apartments on a rainy day, or a day we don't want to leave our rooms..."
Lucca said, "Maybe in the Gray Room; there's really not enough room in the Red Room for that. And it might be fun to set it up outside, too; there's more room out there."
Crono said, "We should wait until everyone wants to come outside to set up a course in the yard. For now, Marle, why don't you see if Kid and Frog want to use the golf equipment?"
As Marle walked back, Lucca and Crono both found themselves staring at her pantie-clad rear. Lucca was so embarrassed when she realized what she was doing that she didn't scold Crono. Instead she decided to get both their minds off of Marle's body, saying, "So, why don't we get that net set up outside?"
o-o-o-o
Kid and Frog were playing a game of box-Jenga when Marle showed up.
"A game of miniature golf would certainly be a change," Kid commented when Marle told her about it. "Sure, bring it in."
Marle headed back to the yard, and got Robo's help carrying the box with the golf gear back to the Gray Room.
Marle considered sticking around to play some mini-golf (it did sound fun), but decided against it. As she turned to go, she said, "I hope you guys have fun, but I want to spend some more time with Crono, so I'll see you later."
o-o-o-o
They didn't have the net quite put together when Marle returned, so she offered to help; however Lucca told her she had enough help. Wanting to do something useful, Marle began bringing the balls out.
After a few minutes they finished setting up the net. "Now, all we need are the balls," Lucca commented.
"They're right here," Marle said, tossing one of the balls over the net and hitting Lucca's armored head.
"Hey!" Lucca cried, and tossed the ball back at Marle. Crono soon joined Lucca while Ayla joined Marle, leading to an impromptu volleyball match. (Unfortunately, Ayla didn't really know the rules, so they had to pause several times to explain things to her.)
Meanwhile, Robo brought out the box with the tennis balls and rackets. Harle asked what they were for, so Robo did his best to explain the game to her (she made it more challenging than it had to be by pretending not to understand even when Robo was being perfectly clear).
o-o-o-o
Around 4:15 PM...
Magus followed the hallway to a set of stairs – one going up, and one going down. He started to make his way up the stairs, but when he was halfway up it, the individual stairs all shifted to form a smooth slide, sending him back the way he came.
At the bottom of the slide, Magus picked himself up, glad there was no one around to see him fall on his behind. Refusing to be beaten by a staircase, Magus engaged his hover ability again, and attempted to glide up the slide. However, the limitations of the hover spell thwarted this attempt; the slide was too steep and slick for the spell to get a grip, and he soon found himself deposited at the bottom of the slide again.
Magus considered using his scythe to cut footholds in the slide, but decided it wasn't worth the effort when he didn't even know if that was the right way to go. Instead he headed down the other set of stairs. Thanks to his experience with the first stairs he wasn't caught off guard when these stairs also turned into a slide, and was able to slide down on his feet and land at the bottom with dignity.
o-o-o-o
Forty-five minutes earlier (around 3:30 PM)...
In the Red Room, Leena and Serge had decided to spend the time reading. Serge had sat down on the chair and Leena on the couch.
After a while, Serge grew restless. He was anxious to check out the sports equipment and maybe play some ball games, and found it annoying that Leena's rules were preventing him from doing so.
Sticking his bookmark in his book and closing it, Serge complained, "This isn't fair. Our team won the Challenge; we shouldn't be the ones stuck inside."
Leena sighed, putting her own bookmark in place but not bothering to put down her book. "I know, and with a punishment like that they really ought to stay in their apartment... But I don't trust Harle to have that much modesty or common sense."
"Knowing her, you're probably right. But I don't see why that should stop us from going out there and checking out the sports equipment."
Leena scowled. "Don't play dumb; you know exactly why I don't want either of us going out there; frankly I don't think Crono or Lucca should have gone either. If I didn't know better, I'd think you wanted to see the other girls naked or half-naked. Have some patience, the equipment will still be there tomorrow."
"I know. I guess I just don't think the others being undressed is as big of a deal as you think it is. I mean if a girl takes off her clothing knowing everyone will see it, and I don't stare, how does that hurt anything? I'm not going to stop liking you just because I see someone else wearing less than you. ...Sometimes I feel like you don't trust me."
Leena thought for a moment then said, "I'm sorry you feel that way. I do trust you, I just don't feel like it's right for people who aren't married to see each other undressed if they don't have to."
Serge sighed. "Okay. I suppose I can wait a day to check out the sports equipment if it means that much to you. But what are we going to do if someone gets a dare to take off their shirt or pants and accepts it? Are you really expecting us to just stay in here all day every day after that? And what will we do about Dare selection? For that matter, what if it's someone on our team, like Ayla?"
"I... don't know. If you'd asked me when the game began, I would have said we would need to quit then. But I'm not sure I would want to quit at this point over something like that... I suppose we'll just have to see how it goes."
"Alright." Serge got up and crutched over to the couch.
"What are you...?"
Serge sat down next to Leena, practically touching her. "If we're going to be spending time alone just the two of us, we should take advantage of it. I don't expect to make out or anything, but there's nothing wrong with cuddling while we read, is there?"
"I suppose not..." Leena said, blushing a bit under her face-paint.
Serge moved over the last little bit so they were touching, then put his arm across her shoulders. Leena leaned up against him, getting comfortable.
Leena warned Serge, "You'd better not criticize my taste in books, though."
o-o-o-o
Out in the Yard, Marle and Ayla won the volleyball match, in part thanks to Ayla's athletic abilities, and in part thanks to the distraction Marle's state of undress caused Crono and Lucca. After the match the four decided to take a rest, and headed over to where the chairs and picnic table were set up.
With the net free, Harle decided she wanted to test her new knowledge of Tennis, and challenged Robo to a game; he accepted.
While they watched Robo and Harle play, Marle asked Crono (with a hint of irritation evident in her voice), "So, Crono, what was the big idea trying to get everyone to throw their balls at me during the challenge?"
Crono glanced at her, but was distracted enough by her body to loose his train of thought, and looked away again to gather his thoughts again. Finally, he explained, "You have one of the best aims of everyone on the Gray Team, so it made strategic sense to take you out first."
"Really?" Marle said skeptically. "Harle and Kid are pretty good shots too..."
Starting to sound a little uncomfortable, Crono admitted, "Well, yes, but they're better at dodging than you... Targeting you was the fastest way to reduce your team's firepower."
"Gee, thanks," Marle said sourly.
Lucca teased, "You sure wanting to see Marle take off her clothes didn't have anything to do with it?"
Crono couldn't help but look back at Marle at this; both Crono and Marle blushed. After a moment Crono looked away again; he said nothing.
After the silence had stretched for a few moments, Ayla commented, "If Crono want Marle take off clothes, Crono plan work."
Marle blushed so hard she felt like her face was on fire. She turned her attention back to the match between Robo and Harle in hopes of getting her mind off her near-nudity; however thanks to Harle's own nudity, the match wasn't as good of a distraction as she'd hoped.
Pretending to watch the match, Marle turned her mind to what she'd just learned. Crono's explanation had been disappointingly impersonal; she didn't really like the idea that her boyfriend was targeting her just because she was a good aim but an easy target, but she had to admit it did make strategic sense. Lucca's explanation meanwhile was embarrassing yet sweet in it's own way; it was rather flattering to think that Crono wanted to see her body, but if so his timing left something to be desired.
Meanwhile, Lucca also found herself distracted from watching the tennis match. To her annoyance, she couldn't help but keep glancing over at Marle and admiring her body. Idly she noted that while Marle's arms were well toned, other parts of her were a little bit pudgy; Lucca wondered if Marle had always been that way, or if the Gray Team's poor diet and the relative lack of activity in the Funhouse was having an affect on her. Not that Lucca minded; she actually thought it looked rather cute.
Lucca didn't understand why she was so attracted to the sight of Marle now; she'd never felt that way about another woman before. Then again, the only other women she'd seen naked before were Ayla and Harle; Ayla already had a partner, and Lucca didn't really like Harle. Marle, on the other hand, Lucca had always liked. Was that what made the difference?
Lucca couldn't help but wonder, did this make her bisexual? And perhaps more importantly, what, if anything, was she going to do about this newfound attraction?
o-o-o-o
Around 4:30 PM...
Magus cursed as he encountered another dead end. It was now quite clear this place was not only an obstacle course but a maze. He only wished there were some opponents within it; he was getting quite frustrated, and it would be nice to have someone to take it out on.
o-o-o-o
Half an hour earlier (4:00 PM)...
Kid swung the golf club carefully, trying to avoid sending the ball all the way across the room. It headed toward the portable hole, went up the slope, flew over the hole itself, landed on the floor beyond the hole, and rolled a few feet further. Kid swore.
"I never knew golf was this bloody hard!" Kid grumbled.
"Indeed, it appears it requireth a great deal of skill." Frog tapped his ball with his golf club; the ball rolled up the slope of the portable hole, then stopped and rolled back down again.
They actually only had the one hole set up at the moment; they had figured it would be pointless to get creative with a course until they had developed a little skill at the game. After several tries, they had both actually managed to each hit a ball into the hole; however they still tended to miss more often than they got the ball in.
o-o-o-o
When Robo and Harle were done with their Tennis match (Harle won), they took a break, while Crono, Marle, Lucca, and Ayla decided to play a doubles match.
Marle insisted on being on Crono's team this time. Lucca agreed mainly because she figured teaming with Ayla would improve her chance of winning.
Early on, Ayla and Lucca managed to score a number of points. However the day full of activity was starting to take it's toll on Ayla (more so than the others due to the fact that she had been on the field for the entire Strip Dodgeball game) and she began to slow down as the match progressed; meanwhile Lucca continued to get distracted by Marle's state of undress. As such, Marle and Crono's team began to catch up to them in points.
o-o-o-o
Around 4:45 PM...
Before Magus another pit of slime blocked his path; this slime was blue, and it was a good ten feet below floor level. Only one way across presented itself – a rope bridge with wooden planks to walk on, but no railing. Along the right hand wall was a huge fan which would run for fifteen seconds or so then turn off for ten; when it was on it would set the bridge swaying wildly.
Magus waited for the fan to shut off then started to dash across the bridge. His gliding ability once again came in handy, as it kept the bridge from swaying much as he crossed it. However, he wasn't quite fast enough to make it across the bridge before the fan started up again, practically blowing the bridge out from under him.
As Magus tumbled down into the pit, the thought flashed through his head, "I can't meet up with Schala again covered in slime!" Desperately, he grabbed for the bridge as he fell, and somehow he managed to catch it. He pulled himself back up onto it, and keeping a firm hold crawled the rest of the way to the other side.
Standing back up, Magus took a moment to compose himself, then continued on.
After a few more twists and turns, he reached another intersection. This time his choice of paths was clear, as all the hallways seemed to converge on a doorway marked "GOAL". Magus couldn't help but be suspicious this might be some sort of trap, but he made his way to the door anyway.
o-o-o-o
Marle leaped up a bit to hit the ball with her racket. As she landed, the uncomfortable jiggle of her breasts made her wish, not for the first time, that she'd kept her bra on. As Ayla moved to hit the ball, Marle noticed out of the corner of her eye something moving in the hall between the player apartments. Marle glanced at it quickly, and then had to look back to confirm what she thought she'd saw.
"Magus?! What's he doing here?" Marle asked in shock, quickly covering her breasts with one arm.
Ayla hit the ball back over the net while Marle was talking, but then what she said registered, and Ayla and Lucca turned to see.
"That's strange," Lucca commented. "According to the rule book they're supposed to let us know if they're letting anyone besides the staff in here. Also, I wasn't expecting to see him again until the game was over. I wonder if something's wrong?"
"Ayla find out," Ayla said, rushing to the door and heading out to meet Magus. Once in the Dare room she called out to the approaching Magus, "Hey, Magus, nice see you! What you do here?"
Magus stopped in the middle of the Dare room, and crossed his arms. "My search for Schala led me here." He glanced over everyone in the yard (causing Marle to blush) and raised an eyebrow. "Why is that girl naked, and Marle dressed in just her panties? What's wrong with Marle's arm? And why is Robo covered in bandages?"
"Marle and Harle team loose challenge, now no allowed wear much for day. Marle arm stone and Robo wear Mummy Costume because Marle and Robo accept dares. Crono, Lucca, Ayla wear costumes too!"
"I... see..." Magus said, in a tone that suggested he didn't really, but he didn't really care either.
Just then Norstein Bekkler announced his presence with his usual cackle.
"Greetings, Magus, and welcome to the Funhouse."
Magus glanced at the floating clown head with a scowl, but still nodded his head slightly in greeting. "Bekkler."
Bekkler ignored Magus' antagonistic tone and continued, "I was told you might be showing up at some point, but I really wish you had arranged your visit in advance, so we could have chosen a good time and so the players could have prepared for visitors. As you can see, some of them aren't exactly dressed for company at the moment..."
Magus shrugged. "Sorry, but I don't like being kept waiting. Now, where's Schala?"
"I imagine she's probably in her team's apartment. But before you go meet with her, there's a few things I'd like to discuss with you."
"Didn't I just say that I don't like to be kept waiting?" Magus said angrily.
Crono, Lucca, and Marle had all made their way into the Dare room by this point (Robo and Harle were still making their way to the door), and now Marle spoke up. "You should at least give her a minute or two to freshen up. I'll go let her know you're here."
"Wait! You knew she was here and didn't come let me know?! You know how important finding Schala is to me!"
"Well, um... We only learned she was in this era when we all met to start the Funhouse; there was no time to find you before the game was scheduled to begin. Kid – I mean Schala – said she didn't mind waiting until after the game to meet with you..." Marle bowed her head remorsefully. "I suppose we probably should have tried to get in touch with you anyway. I'm sorry."
Magus grit his teeth, and growled, "Never mind apologies. Just go get her, and maybe I won't use you and your friends to test how rusty I've gotten with my transformation magic."
"R-right!" Marle dashed off down the hall.
After a moment, Bekkler coughed discreetly. "As I was saying, while playing the Funhouse, the players are supposed to be secluded from the rest of the world, and having visitors is disruptive to this goal. As such, I'd like to ask you to keep your visit to no more than three hours."
Magus said in anger, "I've been waiting to see Schala again for decades! Do you really think three measly hours will be enough?!"
"I understand your position, but this really isn't the best time and place for a grand reunion. If one visit isn't enough, you could always come back for another visit in a few days, though the same time limit would apply, and we'd want to restrict your visits to no more than once every three days. Alternately, if you really can't wait to spend more time with Kid, there are provisions for allowing new players to join the game, though there are a few steps you'll need to take first if you want to do that."
"You have to be kidding me."
"Only players and staff are allowed to stay in the Funhouse for more than a few hours at a time," Bekkler insisted. "I suppose I might be able to shuffle my staff around to make room for someone to help out with the dishes and laundry, if you'd prefer, but you don't strike me as the sort who would appreciate that sort of work."
"You're right about that," Magus growled. "How about this idea? I stay for as long as I want, and if you have a problem with that you can try to kick me out?" Magus tugged on his glove in a threatening manner.
"If that's the way you want it. However you should think carefully before choosing that course, as if we are forced to remove you from the premises you will not be allowed to return."
"You really think you and your men can defeat me?"
Bekkler chuckled. "In battle? Probably not, unless we got extremely lucky. However we don't need to defeat you to remove you from the Funhouse, merely temporarily incapacitate you, and I know a number of spells that ought to be able to accomplish that. And if they aren't enough, our patron Chronos Cat is quite skilled in both teleportation and time manipulation."
"I think you're underestimating my magic defense. But let's say you do manage to kick me out – what's to stop me from walking right back in?"
"Poyozos and a maze aren't the Funhouse's only defenses; if we didn't want you to be in here you'd have found getting this far much more difficult."
Magus grinned. "I look forward to seeing how challenging you can make it. Assuming you really can kick me out in the first place."
Bekkler sighed. "As you wish..."
Bekkler hesitated a moment, then added, "Considering your attitude towards rules, I don't know that there's much point in mentioning this, but I was going to ask that you not interfere in any of the player's dares, or go wandering around in the staff-only sections of the building. The players can tell you what you need to know."
Magus shrugged. "I'm not here to cause mischief or go exploring, I'm just here to see Schala."
"Alright then. I suppose in that case I'll see you in three hours. Enjoy your reunion."
Magus grunted in response, and Bekkler faded away as he was wont to do.
Lucca stepped forward and said, "Well, while we wait for Marle and Kid to get back, we might as well introduce you to the other players."
Magus stared at her in shock. "Lucca?! I didn't recognize you like that. Were you transformed into a robot?"
"There actually are some transformation dares, but no, this is just a really realistic costume. What do you think?" Lucca struck a pose.
"It looks like a good armor design. It ought to provide a lot of protection in battle – assuming the metal is high enough quality."
"I'm pretty sure it's not armor-quality, but I actually have been thinking of building something like this with the best materials I can get my hands on when we get out of the Funhouse..."
Lucca continued, "Anyway, getting to the introductions, I'd like you to meet Harle. Harle, this is Prince Janus Zeal, also known as 'Magus' and the Fiendlord."
Harle stepped forward and bowed. "It iz ze honor to meet you. I must say, I have heard many tales of you, but ze stories did not mention your fantastique physique. Ooh la la!"
Lucca added, "Don't mind her if she says anything stupid, she's been dared to act dim-witted." Lucca glanced around at the group, then said, "Leena and Serge are in our team apartments right now; everyone else you know. We did have a couple of other players earlier in the game, but they both lost and have left the Funhouse." Lucca tapped the side of her face-plate thoughtfully, then said, "Crono, why don't you show Magus around a bit while I go see if Leena and Serge want to meet Magus?"
Crono nodded, so Lucca headed off down the hall.
o-o-o-o
Frog was about to take a swing at the golf ball, when Marle stepped in the door.
"Done playin' with Crono and the new sports equipment?" Kid asked her.
"Not exactly. Magus is here."
"What?!" Kid shouted. Frog gave a croak of surprise as well.
"He just showed up out in the hall. Apparently he found out you were here somehow and decided he couldn't even be bothered to schedule a visit in advance, he just had to see you now."
"Magus, as in my brother Janus, is here?"
Marle nodded. "Yeah."
"This better not be some sort of joke," Kid warned.
"You know me, I would never try and trick someone like this," Marle protested.
Kid grew pale. "Wh-what am I gonna do? I ain't ready ta meet with him! I don't know what ta say, and... and..." She glanced down at herself. "And I can't let him see me like this! ...Ya have ta tell him ta go away. I'll meet with him another day!"
Marle shook her head. "You know he's not going take 'no' for an answer." She glanced at Frog then back to Kid, "In fact, he threatened to start transforming people if he didn't get to see you soon, and I think he might have meant it."
Frog croaked. "Lady Kid, I believe it is imperative that thee meeteth with Magus as soon as possible. I am certain thee canst decide what to say to him; as for thy clothes, though it pains me to suggest breaking the rules, perhaps in this case it is warranted."
"Frog, do ya know what the punishment is for deliberately not followin' the rules of a Team Challenge Penalty?"
"Nay, I'm afraid I do not."
"At first ya just get a warning, but if ya don't start followin' the rules again right away, ya loose six points (not that I have any ta loose) and have ta stay in a cell in the Dungeon for a day. 'Course we already did that before because of the Prison Break challenge, but I don't want ta do it again..."
Marle's eyes widened. "Wow, you'd think Bekkler would have told us about that."
"Well, it is in the rule books we all got."
"Yeah, but he had to know most of us wouldn't read them. I mean, isn't that why he explains everything as we go along?"
Frog pointed out, "Methinks we are getting distracted from the issue at hand."
Marle said, "Oh, yeah, right. Um... Well, Bekkler did say we could change our clothes so long as we didn't put on any clothing from the categories we took off in the Challenge. Maybe you could wear your bathing suit? At least then you wouldn't be running around in your underwear..." She frowned and added, "It's too bad the only bathing suit I brought along was a one-piece, or I might change myself."
Kid shook her head. "My bathing suit is a bikini; it covers less than what I'm wearin' right now. I don't think I'm comfortable wearin' it in front of my brother, not for the first time we see each other in over a decade... or for twelve thousand years technically..."
Kid frowned thoughtfully. "I do have a pair of panties that aren't too sexy but still kinda look like they're supposed ta be seen... It'll still be embarrassin' goin' out in them, but it'll be better than what I'm wearin' right now..."
Having decided on a course of action, Kid headed into the bedroom to change. As she headed through the door, she said, "Why don't ya go tell him I'll just be a minute."
o-o-o-o
"Sorry to break up this romantic moment," Lucca said as she stepped through the door and saw Serge and Leena cuddling on the couch, "but I thought you should know that Magus just showed up here."
Serge and Leena looked up at her (rather awkwardly in Leena's case as her neck cast prevented her from moving her head). Leena asked, "You mean, Kid's brother?"
Lucca nodded.
Leena complained, "Why now of all times?! The way Kid's dressed is not going to make a good first impression, and I was hoping to be there when they first met. She is going to meet with him, right? Or has she already?"
"Kid was staying in the Gray Room, but Marle's already gone to get her. I don't know if Kid's actually going to come out, but if she doesn't Magus is probably going to go in to meet her, even if he has to fight his way in."
"Oh boy. It sounds like you're going to need all the help you can get salvaging this situation." Leena put her book aside, and struggled to her feet. "Come on, Serge, if there really is a fight, you'll be needed too."
Serge was a bit surprised that Leena suddenly wasn't insisting he stay in the apartment, but not wanting to risk her changing her mind again, he got to his feet and grabbed his crutches.
Lucca asked, "Are you sure about this, Leena? I mean, Magus isn't familiar with the Funhouse or it's dares, so he's probably going to find your... ensemble... pretty strange."
Leena glanced downwards, but with her head facing forward she couldn't see herself at all. Instead she had to settle for trying to remember all her dares, and what she looked like performing them. It was hard to forget her neck cast, crystal covered leg, or handcuffs. She might have forgotten about her pirate costume, painted-green skin, or the rainbow polish on the nails of her left hand, but she had seen it all when she got changed after the Challenge. She did have to admit to herself that it would look pretty bizarre to someone who hadn't been in the Funhouse; however after a moment of consideration she decided she didn't really care.
As she continued toward the door, Leena said, "Ensuring their reunion is successful is more important than that. Besides, from what you guys have told me, I can't be all that much stranger than the company he used to keep."
o-o-o-o
"I wouldn't have expected a game like this to need a dungeon," Magus commented as Crono showed him around the Funhouse dungeon.
"Was used in Challenge," Ayla explained. "Everyone try escape; if no can, must stay in cell for day."
"So, you don't get sent here for causing trouble or breaking the rules?"
Robo answered, "There are some rules which result in a stay in the Dungeon if broken, but so far all players have followed all the rules."
"A pity, it would have been amusing to see some of you fools locked up in here."
As they headed back to the door, Marle stepped in. "Oh, there you guys are. Magus, Kid said to tell you she'd be out in a minute."
Magus stared at Marle for a second, clearly surprised again by her lack of clothing, then scowled. "So, she really goes by that these days? Such a strange name."
Marle put her left hand on her hip (she would have preferred to cross her arms, but that wasn't possible with her stone arm). "You can blame Lucca for it, her future self is the one who gave Kid that name."
"So I've heard."
As the group continued out the door and down the hall, Crono leading the way to the Library, Marle continued, "Now that I think about it, I suppose it shouldn't be big a surprise she'd name a kid 'Kid'; I mean when she first repaired Robo, she wanted call him by his serial number!"
Lucca stepped out of the Red Room just in time to hear the last bit of Marle's complaint, and called down the hall, "Hey, R66-Y is a cool name!"
Leena and Serge followed Lucca out the door. Crono, Magus, and company waited while they caught up, then Lucca introduced them. "Magus, I'd like you to meet Leena and her boyfriend Serge. Leena and Serge, Magus Janus Zeal."
Serge nodded, but Magus just rolled his eyes at him.
Leena said, "It's nice to meet you. We've heard a lot about you." Magus grunted, but his eyes lingered on her a while. Magus' face did not betray his thoughts or feelings on what he saw, so Leena just stood there defiantly and endured his gaze.
Finally, Magus said, "I suppose those manacles, cast, and that crystal on your leg are all because of dares?"
"That's right."
"Dares you willingly accepted."
"Yes." Leena would have nodded if she could.
"You're a brave one – or a kinky one. Either way, I'm impressed."
Leena blushed under her face-paint. "Thank you."
Serge moved a bit closer to Leena, and scowled at Magus. Magus just smirked at him.
Lucca asked Crono, "So how's that tour going?"
o-o-o-o
Kid looked at herself in the mirror over the sink, and frowned. "I wish I could tie my hair back. I've always worn my hair in one kind of ponytail or another, even as Schala. I wonder if I could braid it without a hair tie?" She had already touched up her makeup and quickly brushed her hair, though she wasn't satisfied with the results.
Of course, her outfit was even worse. Glancing down at it, she commented. "And I really wish I could wear my dress..." She had put on her best tank top (like all of her shirts it was white), and had changed into a pair of conservatively cut red panties. "Maybe I should wear one of my white pairs after all? These kind of stand out with this shirt. If I wore all white, I think I could pass it off as a really casual look..."
Kid stepped around the corner, and asked Frog (who was sitting at the table), "I need another opinion here. What do you think?"
Frog croaked. "Methinks that if Magus cared if thou looked thy best, he wouldst have given thee time to prepare for thy meeting. Furthermore, he is thy brother, not a prospective suitor."
Kid thought about that, then said reluctantly, "I suppose yer right..." After a moment, she added, "Which is all the more reason I shouldn't be wearin' panties that draw attention ta themselves. I'm gonna go change."
As Kid dashed into the bedroom, Frog shook his head and sighed.
A minute or two later, Kid returned, still wearing the red panties. At Frog's questioning expression, she said sheepishly, "I decided I feel more confident wearin' red."
She sighed and shook her head. "I still don't know what ta say ta him, though..."
Frog looked surprised. "Surely thou knew that Magus would likely one day find thee? Hast thou never thought on what thou wouldst stay when that day came?"
"Of course I did. But nothing I came up with sounds right. I don't even know whether ta talk ta him as Kid or Schala..."
"Is thy nature truly so dual? While thy manner and speech art different now than they were in Zeal, it has always seemed to me that the core of who thou are hast not changed."
"I suppose, but... Which 'manner and speech', as you put it, should I use? For I still remember well how to act as the Princess of Zeal." As she said this, she squared her shoulders and straightened her back, showing off a regal bearing at odds with her current attire.
"And dost thou intend to act the Princess whensoever the two of ye art together? For I sincerely doubt this shall be thine only meeting with him."
Kid's shoulders slumped. "Ya have a point. Actin' like royalty can get tiring after a while - just ask Marle. Besides, I don't want ta hide my 'Kid' side, and if I pretend not ta have changed at first it'll just make things that much more awkward when he finds out." She thought for a moment, then nodded and said in a determined voice, "...Right, so I should probably let him see my 'Schala' side, but 'Kid' is who I am now and if he don't like that, tough."
She took a deep breath, then let it out. "Well then, with that decided, I guess I'm as ready as I can be. Thanks for all the help, Frog. I know all this talk about Magus can't have been easy, what with your history and all..."
Frog shook his head. "Do not trouble thyself over it. Thou art my friend, and I am always happy to assist a friend. As for Magus, whilst he and I shall never be friends, I consider my score with him settled. Thou need not fear talking to me about him."
"Glad ta hear it. Yer a good man, Frog." Kid turned to the door. "Well, here goes nothing..."
o-o-o-o
"What? No, I'm not a demi-human, or a Mystic, or whatever you want to call them, I'm human!" Leena protested.
"Really? Then why are you green?" Magus asked.
"It's just body paint. For a dare."
"Oh. A pity; with a few exceptions, I find non-humans much better company than humans."
The Red Team, Marle, Harle, and Magus had completed their tour and were now hanging out in the Dare Room chatting, when Kid finally stepped out of the Gray Room. The chatter died down as she walked up to them.
Leena pinched Serge, eliciting a quiet "Hey" from him.
"Don't stare," she whispered to him.
Serge grumbled under his breath, but didn't argue.
Finally, Kid reached them and stood in front of Magus.
After an awkward silence, Kid said, "Hello, Janus."
Magus whispered, "Schala...?" He glanced at Crono, Marle, and Lucca, as if for confirmation. Crono nodded.
Kid assumed a regal bearing, and said, "Yes, Janus, it is me."
In a shaky voice, Magus said, "After all this time..." He shook his head and in a steadier voice, continued, "Belthesar told me you'd been reborn and now had the body of a teenager, but I wasn't expecting you to be so short, or blonde, or to wear face and body paint..."
"Hey, I'm not that short! You've just gotten really tall," Kid protested.
"...Or to be wearing so little clothing."
Kid rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms in front of her. "The others did tell you about the Challenge Penalty, right?"
Magus frowned. "Yes... Including the fact that you didn't have to take any clothes off at all."
Kid shrugged, though she looked a bit uncomfortable. "So I made a few sacrifices for the sake of the team... So what?"
Magus narrowed his eyes. "You look like Schala, other than the obvious differences, but you don't sound like her. And the Schala I knew never would have taken off her skirt in public for a silly competition."
Kid rolled her eyes. "First of all, the Funhouse ain't thatpublic. Normally there ain't anyone here but the players and staff. The staff expect this sort of thing, and the only player still here that I wouldn't call a friend is Harle.
"Secondly, I've spent sixteen years livin' as a commoner, a good chunk of them as an outlaw and a thief, and almost all of them with no memory of my life as Schala. Ya really expect me ta talk and act the same after all that?"
Before Magus could reply, Kid continued in a more formal tone, "...That having been said, I do remember that life now, and I can act the part when I wish. I did consider acting like my old self to make it easier for you to accept me as Schala... But it would have truly been an act, for that is not who I am anymore."
Magus was silent for several moments. He glanced at Crono, Marle, and Lucca, then back to Kid. "If this is some sort of trick or joke, you are all going to pay dearly for it."
Marle said in a pleading voice, "Magus, you know we would never do something like that."
Staring into Kid's eyes, Magus said, "If you really are Schala, tell me something only the two of us would know."
"Hmm... It is a little difficult as we had so little privacy, but one thing that comes to mind is how when you wanted to be alone you would often hide in the Royal Crypt. Used to really freak out the nursemaids when they couldn't find you."
Magus' eyes widened.
Quietly, Lucca commented to Crono and Marle, "I could definitely see him doing that as a child."
Kid smirked, then said, "But why should I be the only one who must prove who she or he is? From what I've been told, you've done many things which I never would have expected my little brother to be capable of. Also, if you truly are Janus, how is it your appearance is so different? My brother did not have pointed ears or gray skin, and his eyes were green, not red."
Magus looked a bit taken aback at this. Grudgingly, he explained, "The Mystics would never have accepted a human as their Lord; to become Magus I had to learn transformation magic, and change myself."
"I know you returned to Zeal and posed as 'the Prophet'. If what you say is true, why didn't you change back into human form? You would have fit in much better in that form."
Magus scowled. "I'm relatively skilled at transformation magic, but my skills do not extend to undoing transformations. Until recently, it never occurred to me I might need to undo a transformation." He glanced at Crono and friends. "That's also one of the reasons why I've never offered to undo Frog's transformation, even after we became allies."
Kid cocked her head. "Huh. I wasn't expectin' that, but I suppose it makes sense."
Marle whispered to Lucca, "And here I figured he just didn't want to change Frog back."
Turning back to Kid, Magus said, "As for proving I truly am Janus..." He held up the amulet he always wore at his side. "Is this not proof enough? You gave it to me shortly before Zeal fell, and told me if anything happened to you, it would protect me."
Kid drew in sharp breath. "You kept it... All this time..." She shook her head, then said, "Ya mind if I take a closer look at that? Just to be sure." She stepped closer to Magus; he removed the amulet and held it out to her, though he didn't let go even when she started examining it.
Kid studied the amulet intently. At one point, she ran her fingers over it, and it glowed with a pale light for a moment.
After a minute or two, Kid stepped back, letting Magus keep the amulet. "I must confess I asked for proof of your identity more out of spite than doubt. However, what doubt I had has been satisfied." She took a deep breath, and wiped a tear from her eye. "It is truly good to see you again, brother, even if both of us have changed more than we could have ever imagined..."
Magus nodded. "Since Zeal fell I have had but two goals: revenge on Lavos, and to be reunited with you. Now at last I have achieved both."
Unable to contain herself, Marle cried out, "Awww. That's so sweet!"
Ayla chimed in, "Is good brother and sister meet again. Now hug!"
Kid rubbed her forehead. "Maybe we should continue this reunion somewhere without an audience?"
Magus nodded. "Agreed."
Lucca muttered, "Good work you two."
Marle responded equally quietly, "Sorry."
Kid said, "The two most private places open to my team are the hot tub room and the dungeon. I'm assuming you'd rather go with the dungeon."
Leena burst out, "Kid, how can you even suggest sharing the hot tub with him? He's your brother!"
"First of all, I said the hot tub room. We wouldn't actually have to get in the tub. Secondly, in Zeal it actually wasn't all that uncommon for family members to share a bath together. Thirdly, I'm an outlaw and he's the Fiendlord. We make our own rules."
Magus glanced at Leena. "Schala's right." Looking back at Kid, he added, "You're also right about me preferring the Dungeon. I like it's atmosphere."
Kid smiled. "I'm not surprised. Let's go." She turned and began walking down the hall to the dungeon; Magus followed close behind.
After Kid and Magus had gone into the dungeon, Leena sighed and said, "Well, so much for refereeing the two of them."
Marle asked, "Do you really think they need refereeing? They seemed to be getting along alright at the end."
"Them getting into a fight isn't really what I'm worried about. Kid grew up not knowing she was related to Magus, and I'm not sure it ever really sunk in to her that he's her brother."
Marle blinked. "So?"
Leena tried to shake her head but failed. "Never mind, I'm probably just being paranoid. Anyway, I guess Serge and I ought to head back to the Red Room. Could someone let us know when those two come out of the dungeon?"
"Of course."
Robo interjected, "If I might make a suggestion, Miss Leena, perhaps you should head to the Cafeteria instead? It is almost Supper time."
"Already? Wow, I lost track of the time. I suppose since we're out here already we might as well..."
o-o-o-o
The door to the Dungeon had barely closed, when Magus burst out angrily, "Before we do anything else, I need to know: when you found out I was in this time period, why didn't you come find me?"
Kid gulped, and kept walking until she reached the center of the room, using the time to think. Finally she turned around and responded, "What I told myself when I found out was that the opportunity to play a game like this didn't come often, and it wouldn't hurt you to wait another month or two to see me again."
Magus growled, "After all the time we've been separated, you thought playing a game was more important than meeting with me?"
Kid said defensively, "I just got my memories of being Schala back a few months ago, and I don't really remember much of bein' part of the Time-Devourer. So to me it feels like it's only been a few months since we last saw each other."
Magus burst out, "Well for me it's been close to thirty years!"
Kid's eyes widened. "That much? ...I guess that explains yer recedin' hairline..." She shook her head. "I knew it had been more than a decade for you, and I'm sorry for not considering how you would feel about the delay in our meeting..."
She sighed, "Anyway, the whole thing about not wanting to miss the Funhouse was just an excuse. The truth is..."
She paused and scowled at him. "You'd better not tell anyone about this."
He didn't respond, but she continued anyway. "I was nervous. Terrified, really."
Magus looked confused. "Of what?"
"That you'd judge me for having changed so much, for being a thief and a commoner who never amounted to much. Or that you weren't as good a person as the stories Sis – I mean Lucca – and her friends told me about you made it sound like you were, and you were more like the monster the legends portray you as. Or that for some other reason we would find that we had changed so much that the bond we once had was lost."
Magus was silent for a while, then he smiled slightly. "Well, this is a bit of a role reversal. It used to be that I was the one always predicting doom."
Kid gave a weak chuckle at that.
Magus looked away, and said, "Seeing the changes you've been through have driven home to me how much I have changed as well. And it does seem our bond has not come through those changes unscathed. However, I'd like to think it's not too late to reforge it.
"...Am I a monster? I don't know. I won't deny I've done things many would consider questionable, even immoral. I can't even say I regret them. However, I never killed except in battle, and I never intentionally harmed anyone who had not made themselves either my enemy or the enemy of the Mystics.
"As for me judging you... I suppose that was a legitimate fear. I do see most people as beneath me, after all." Magus finally turned to face Kid again, and now he stared fiercely into her eyes. "However, just because I consider myself better than someone does not necessarily mean I do not respect them. I'm not sure yet whether I can call the new you my equal, 'Kid', but between what Belthesar told me of you, and what I've seen so far today, you do have my respect."
Kid blinked, and just stood there processing that for a few moments. Finally, she said, "Well, I guess that's a start."
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Author's Notes:
...It's nice to see you're still reading, Someone (assuming you're the same Someone who's commented on this story in the past, and I haven't lost you since I posted the previous chapter). It had been so long since I'd gotten a review, I was beginning to wonder if anyone was actually reading the story anymore.
Regarding your question, the players who lost the challenge aren't allowed to cover themselves up with pillows, blankets, or anything not a part of themselves (except the straitjackets they received a few chapters back, but they would have had to actually wear them), but as seen in this chapter they are allowed to attempt to cover themselves with their hands, for all the good it does them.