2. The Celebration


"CRONO!"

Naturally enough, he was bombarded the second he walked into the square at the End of Time.

"Lad, thou'rt...verily..." Frog was too choked to say more.

"Crono, I'm so glad you're all right!" Robo placed a friendly hand on his shoulder; but the robot had to move quickly as Ayla bounded up and all but tackled the young man, embracing him fiercely.

"Crono... Crono alive!!" she shouted, hugging him so tightly he could hardly breathe.

"Yes, but--I won't be--" he wheezed out, "for very much longer--if you don't let go--"

"Wh-wha? OH!" Ayla pulled back, shamefaced. "Sorry!"

He took a deep breath, and tried to arrange his face into a reassuring expression. "It's all right."

A few steps away, the old man was watching him quietly from under the lamppost, eyes obscured beneath the shadow of his bowler. But as Crono turned toward him with a wan smile, he reached up and slowly removed the hat, holding it against his chest. Gaspar, the Guru of Time, regarded his charge with a steady blue gaze that seemed to speak volumes.

"It's good to have you back."

Crono just watched him for a moment, before offering a slow nod in acknowledgement. "Thanks."

Then suddenly, there was a pounding on the side door, and Spekkio's boisterous voice could be heard. "Hey, did I hear somebody shoutin' out there!?" The door opened a crack and the God of War poked his head through, glancing around at the group. He gave a start as his gaze came to rest on Crono, but quickly he recovered himself, flashing the young man a suave grin.

"Spikey! You're back! Great to see ya!" Throwing the door wide open, he walked over to Crono and gave the youth a good-natured, if condescending, pat on the shoulder. "This is a cause for celebration. You guys oughtta go out and have a party or somethin'," he said loudly to the group as he turned and headed back into his room, closing the door with a slam.

Marle winced at the noise. Recovering after a second, she rolled her eyes toward the door, then turned back to the group. "Well... As annoying as he is, he's got a point." She looked toward Crono with a mischievious smile. "I think we could use a break."

Magus was leaning against the wall near the far end of the square. At this suggestion he looked over toward the group, volunteering quietly, "There are somewhat more impor--"

"No one asked thine opinion, foul sorcerer," Frog hissed.

Magus simply gave him a long, very cold look, and continued.

"There are more important things to do currently than throwing a party."

Lucca, who had been looking frantic, punched a fist down into one palm with a decisive nod. "Magus is right! There's no time, we have to kill La--" She stopped, incredulous, as Marle began to laugh. Realization dawned on her face after a second, followed by a disgusted groan. "I can't believe I just said that!"

"...No time." Crono shook his head, lips quirking in a smile, genuinely amused. "Good grief, Lucca."

Looking around at the group, the cavewoman concluded ruefully, "Ayla think we really need break."

* * *

"So!"

Lucca clapped her hands together cheerfully as she threw herself down on the couch. Gesturing to the group currently standing around her living room, she continued, "I packed my mom and dad off to Gina's house for the night, and they said it was okay for everybody to stay here. So we've got the whole house to ourselves until tomorrow. I don't know about food and stuff..." she added in a thoughtful tone, kicking off her shoes and setting her helmet on the coffee table.

"How's your kitchen? Well-stocked?" Marle asked.

"Of course."

"That settles that, then!" said the princess in a satisfied tone. "I'll fix us some snacks and stuff. I think we need a little music!" she suggested, grinning, as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Music..." Crono smiled faintly as he sat down beside Lucca, propping his chin up with one hand as he gazed toward the floor. "Well, I guess we could sing karaoke or something."

"Karaoke?" Ayla wondered aloud.

Lucca gave a mock shudder. "You don't wanna know."

Chuckling, Frog rose from his seat, removing his green mantle and draping it over the side of the chair. He adjusted Masamune in its sheath and looked over toward Crono with a merry glint in his eye.

"Wouldst thou care to spar, my friend?"

Crono shrugged, smile widening. "S'pose so, sure. I'll go grab my sword and meet you out back."

"Aye, lad. I'll await thee." Frog walked out the back door.

It was a beautiful afternoon in Truce Village. The sky was a vibrant blue, the sun shone down golden and cheerful, and the sound of birdsong was carried on the gentle breeze. In the Ashtear family's backyard, the eastern ocean could be seen glittering like a sea of jewels from the grassy cliff all the way to the horizon. In Frog's eyes, it was a perfect scene, except for one unfortunate blot: the Magus stood leaning against a tree, arms crossed over his chest as he gazed out at the water.

"Thou must needs find a new place to brood," he said crossly as he walked by, stopping a few paces away and not bothering to look at Magus as he spoke. "Crono and I shall be using this yard shortly."

"Surely you won't be using all of it." Magus's voice was dry, and cold, and infuriating. "You're sparring, are you not? I might want to watch."

Frog scowled. "How didst thou know of that? Some unholy spell?"

If anything, Magus's tone became even drier. "These ears aren't solely for looks, you know."

"Frog? Are you ready?"

Crono's voice interrupted the confrontation. Frog turned to find the youth standing behind him, holding a sheathed katana in one hand and giving him an inquiring glance. The amphibian nodded.

"I am prepared, lad," he said, drawing his sword. Masamune glinted in the sunlight as he gave it a few experimental strokes and slipped into fighting posture. "Art thou ready to be defeated?" the frog knight asked playfully.

The young man's lips quirked, not quite a smile, as he threw his scabbard into the nearby grass and settled down into his own battle pose. "No offense, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna come out of this one on top."

"Thou'rt likely correct," Frog acknowledged with a rueful nod. "However, mind thee to underestimate not thine opponent, lad! Many a fighter have I seen in my span of years who wast defeated simply through his overpowering vanity. And now--" He raised his sword. "Have at thee!"

The sound of clashing blades rang across the yard, and Marle, Lucca, and Robo appeared in the back doorway to watch as the two expert swordsmen dueled. Crono had the advantage of height and reach, as well as the fresh, wiry strength of the young. But Frog had a solid strength that came from years of real life-and-death fighting of a kind Crono had only been introduced to recently; and the speed, not to mention agile tongue, that came with the knight's amphibian form nearly made up for what he lacked in other attributes. Thus, it was a fairly even match...except for the peculiar fact that Crono was being unusually sloppy.

Marle watched Crono's face as the youth half-heartedly blocked a swing, and she frowned. "Something's wrong," she murmured to Lucca, who stood beside her in the doorway.

Lucca just snorted derisively. "Thanks for that astute observation, Professor."

"Well, you don't have to be mean about it!"

"Lucca was merely pointing out that you stated the obvious," Robo intervened, standing behind the pair. "Something has been wrong ever since he returned from Death Peak. It is not difficult to determine why."

"I imagine it was quite an experience...just remembering how I felt back at the Ocean Palace, and multiplying it times ten... I think I'd be the same way, if I were in his place," Lucca murmured.

"But we saved him." Marle's countenance was worried as she continued to watch the young man. "He's alive! And not only that, he never died! What's there to be bothered about?"

There was no reply to her question; this startled Marle enough that she turned her gaze toward the girl beside her. Lucca just gave her a long look. Marle's frown deepened as a tense silence stretched between the pair.

"If you can't understand," Lucca finally said softly, expression hard, "why coming an inch from being killed would bother someone, then I'm not sure you should be around Crono right now."

Marle bristled.

"How dare you." It came out as a low hiss at first, then gained a bit of volume. "How. Dare. You."

She opened her mouth, as if to say something more, but evidently didn't trust herself to speak; turning away, the princess of Guardia stalked off. Nearby, Crono's sword fell to the ground with a clatter, followed by the youth himself. Frog had won.

* * *

" 'Twas not right."

The sun was setting now over the sea in the west. Frog shook his head, an odd feeling of trepidation growing inside him as he sat under the tree in Lucca's backyard, running a polishing cloth across Masamune's blade.

" 'Twas just not right..." he murmured to himself again.

"No, it wasn't."

Frog gave a start as the Magus's impassive voice came suddenly from behind his right shoulder.

"And what wouldst thou know of it?" he spat in the wizard's direction before returning his attention to the sword.

Magus leaned back against the tree as he had earlier that afternoon, glancing thoughtfully upward into the green canopy.

"He let you win, did he not?" There was a hint of interest in the question.

Frog looked almost surprised as he turned his gaze back on the sorcerer.

"Aye. He did. 'Twas too, too easy... I have never had such a match with him before. He always amuseth himself by drawing it out." The frog knight's gaze was troubled as he turned to look out over the ocean. "I do not understand," he murmured, half to himself.

"He wanted you to win. And more than that."

"Wh... what?" Startled eyes turned back on the Magus yet a third time.

Though his face, as usual, betrayed no emotion, there was a weary note now in his voice as the sorcerer said, "He wanted you to slip up. If you'd made a mistake, if you somehow had not been able to stop that last thrust as he went down--you would have run him through. Which is what he believes he wants."

The words were met by shocked silence.

"Art... art thou so sure?" Frog managed after a moment, voice strangled.

"I've been watching him," came the reply, tone flat and dead once again. "I have some experience with this sort of thing."

"I can imagine." Frog snorted. "Thou hast surely been the cause of it many a time."

Magus looked out at the sea, and made no reply.