I really want to know where this red gate leads. Maybe it was just my curiosity, or maybe it's my desire for knowledge. No wait. I don't have a desire for knowledge. Lucca does, not me. Then what is drawing me to the gate?
I quickly duck into the bushes when Crono also walks past me. Are they all going into the gate? Then I should go too. It seems to concern everyone in the group. Crono has already entered the gate. I come from my hiding-spot and walk to the floating red bubble.
I take a look back, making sure no-one sees me. I simply touch the bubble, and it spats open, forming a red gate. I walk into it, and feel myself being lifted up.
Instead of the normal blue and purple colors I normally see while traveling through time, I can only see red ones. At the end of the gate I see a blurred image taking form. It looks like… like the Ocean Palace!
I'm brought back to the moment when Schala teleported us away, back to the surface. I land not far from Schala herself, but unfortunately, she can't see me. What am I doing here? Am I brought back here just to see her die? What's this all about?
Schala starts talking, probably to herself.
"Mother… you have doomed us all…"
She looks up to the ceiling, expecting it to collapse any moment. Then she starts looking around her.
"But there must be a way out of this…"
I try what I can, but I simply can't do a thing. If I try to push her into a direction, I simply grasp right through her. This is hopeless.
"There just might be a way … … I just hope someone will find me."
Schala starts casting a spell on herself. She extends her arms, while a small bubble starts to form around her. When Schala is completely inside of it, her body falls limp. I wonder what the spell had done to her.
Then it hits me. Of course! She is trying to protect herself. I know about the spell, I had used it a few times myself too.
But this would mean that… That she's still alive! I hear loud cracking noises coming from above me. The ceiling is about to collapse. Now what? How am I supposed to get out of here? But just when the ceiling is about to hit me, I'm teleported away, back into the red gate.
I land back in the forest again. I just can't believe it. Either it was all a dream, or my sister is still alive and well. I hear the gate open up again behind me, so I duck into the bushes again. Robo comes back out. He waits next to the gate, until Lucca comes out of it too.
Lucca and Robo talk about something called a Green Dream, then leave again. At that time Crono comes out of the gate. He mutters something about his father, then also leaves. Is this gate trying to give people the chance to change history for themselves? No time to wonder now. I should get back before they might miss me. Well, not really missing, but just wondering where I went. I silently walk back to the others, who seem to be asleep already, and lean against my tree. Now if I could only get some sleep…
Is it morning already? I hear everyone talking. Except Crono of course. I open my eyes and stand up straight. Everyone seems to be cheerful, even Crono who never likes getting up this early. I think everyone knows why they are so happy, but nobody says a word about it. Strange.
"Good morning, Magus!" a happy Marle says to me. She didn't expect the reply.
"Good morning to you too."
Everyone stares at me.
"What?"
"What be thy up to, wizard?"
"Nothing, tadpole."
I walk away from the group. Did I just say 'good morning'? Must've been the events from the past night. Did I really dream all that? I hear Robo walking up to me. He simply stares at me for a while, then breaks his silence.
"Are you thinking about the events from last night?" the robot asks in his monotonous voice.
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because you seem to be the most affected by it. And I can assure you, it was not a dream."
"How do you know?"
"Robots like me never dream, but I still experienced the travels through the red gate."
Then it wasn't a dream. Schala is still alive. I still can't believe it.
"Are you two coming?" Lucca asks.
We all returned to the End of Time. Everyone trained some more with Spekkio, except me. I don't need more training. Either I can take Lavos now, or I can't take him ever. I just keep waiting for the day that they would finally go and defeat Lavos. Or at least try to. I'm still not sure if we can do it. Not even with the help of myself.
The door to Spekkio's room opens. Crono, Frog and Ayla come out, bruised and beaten.
"My god! What has he done to you guys?"
"Marle not worry! Spekkio give healing stuff!" says Ayla, who shows some Mid Tonics and Mid Ethers.
While the three are healing themselves, Marle comes over to me. Why does everyone want to talk to me all of a sudden?
"Hey Magus, we're about to fight Lavos. Would you like to come along?" she asks.
I grin. Of course I wanted to. I've been waiting for this all my life.
"Of course I am! Who else is coming?"
"Crono and Frog."
I'm not particularly happy about Frog joining us, but he is one of the strongest, and his healing magic would come in handy.
"Count me in."
"Then that's settled. Hey guys! Magus is joining you!"
Frog glances at me. But I just grin to him, and turn the other way. Frog seems to be more upset about me joining than I seem about him. Sure, I killed his best friend and turned him into a Frog. He might not have really deserved it, but I was still under Ozzie's command back then so I had not much of a choice…
"Gyah gyah! What do you hope to do, you spineless wimp?" mocked Ozzie to the knight Cyrus.
The Dendaro Mountains. That's where it all happened. Me, Ozzie, Cyrus and Glenn. Cyrus had just acquired the Masamune, and was going to put it to use. Glenn just stood in the back and watched in horror at the events that unfolded themselves in front of his eyes.
"You treacherous fiend! You will pay with your life for the suffering you have caused!" Cyrus shouted to me.
I don't know why he chose to attack me, maybe because he thought that I was the most powerful one. He was true at that time though. But it didn't matter. As soon as he had attacked with the Masamune, I managed to fend of Cyrus, and break the mighty sword into two halves.
"Give him the treatment, Magus!" Ozzie commanded me.
I simply followed his order, and sent a lightning attack at the barely conscious Cyrus. He immediately catched fire. Not an ordinary fire though. This kind of fire wasn't as painful, because it was a result from a lightning attack.
"C… Cyrus!"
Glenn ran over to Cyrus' body, trying everything in his power to help him. Sadly, the few Tonics he carried weren't enough. Not by a long shot.
"G.. le…nn, please…run … Run for… your life…"
"Cyruuuuus!"
Cyrus vaporized into nothing. Glenn looked at me, both scared and angry at the same time.
"How about a little fun, Magus?" suggested Ozzie.
"Why not. There's always time for a little fun."
I must admit, it was kind of fun though, I had never tried any of my transforming skills on a human before. Only a few imps had the pleasure of being transformed into kangaroos and refrigerators before. I chose a more appropriate form though…
I charged up the curse, and aimed it at Glenn.
"Auu.. Auuugh!" was all he could say.
His body started to glow green. He lost his balance, and fell over, hanging with one arm over the side of the cliff we were on. When he tried to get up, he fell again. This time, he went all the way down. I kept silent for a while.
"So, what'd ya turn him into?" asked Ozzie.
"A frog. Thought it'd fit well to a human."
"Hehe… you should know, shouldn't you? Let's leave. Our job is done here…"
I never knew what happened to Glenn after our first encounter, until they arrived at my castle. At the exact time that I chose to summon Lavos again. It couldn't have been more inconvenient. But that's all history now.
"Magus."
I turn around again, to see Crono. Even he was going to talk to me now. How odd.
"What?"
"If you should have anything you'd want to do, I suggest you do it now. We just might not get out of the battle with our lives you know…"
"I know."
What is there left to do for me? Schala? If Lavos would win the battle, then she probably wouldn't want to live at all. And no one else besides is as powerful as us to be able to defeat the beast. Too bad.
"So? Anything?"
"No. As far as my life concerns, the only thing I have to do now is defeat Lavos."
"Right."
He walks away again, but not after coughing a few times. He really isn't used to talk, now is he?
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The next chapter will be the final one, so enjoy it while it lasts… (did I say enjoy?)
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