AUTHOR'S NOTE- To everyone who found this in Spanish, sorry! That was a mistake!! Yuffie-Girl, thanks for bringing that to my attention. I couldn't find this either!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Are you back again?" asked Taban with some surprise. "What is it this time, Janus?"

"She's fixing up my hair," explained Magus gloomily.

"It won't take long," called Lucca cheerfully as she went to find some scissors.

"You're letting her do things to your hair? Brave lad," was Taban's only reply as he turned back to his invention.

"Um..." said Magus nervously when Lucca returned, "is it too late to run away screaming?"

"Yep. When was the last time you washed your hair?!"

"Well... how long ago was it when I left Zeal?"

"Zeal? Right, that's it. Go outside!"

While he was waiting outside Arlen walked over to him, appearing out of nowhere. "What are you doing here?" she greeted him.

"Letting Lucca cut my hair. Why, what reason do you have to be here?" he responded coldly.

"Oh, I was just... visiting, but seeing as she's busy I'll come back later." Arlen wandered off.

"Hey you!" Magus called to her. "The bridge is that way!"

"I'll get there," Arlen responded.

Lucca walked out with a few items. "Hey Arlen!" she called cheerfully. "I can't talk to you now, but if you want to go inside, I'm sure my father needs some help."

"I'll check it out," Arlen called back and when neither were looking she hid behind a bush.

Lucca dragged Magus to one side of the island and set the items on the beach. "What are you doing?" he queried anxiously.

"Washing your hair. Get in."

"In the sea?"

"Yep," she answered and pushed him in, jumping in after him.

"It's cold!" he wailed.

"Get over it, you big wimp," she replied mercilessly and dunked him under. She washed his hair in the sea, then dragged him out and made him sit quietly and still while she combed and then cut it. She actually did a very professional job but also, accidentally, made him look absolutely evil. In an attractive way.

"Now I'm cold and wet," Magus complained. "And my neck is cold, and so are my ears. I'm really, really cold!"

"Well, at least you look nice."

"Nice? I didn't just hear you say that. Bring me a mirror!"

"Evil!" said Lucca quickly. "You look evil. And you can't order us around, we're not your henchmen. By the way, Flea ran off."

"Who cares? I'm still cold. And wet. And cold."

"You really feel the cold, don't you?"

"Nah, you think so?" he shot back. "Especially when I'm wet."

"Then don't be wet."

"I'll just miraculously become dry, shall I?"

She laughed. "You're silly. Do you even know how silly you are? You can come in and be dry near the fire. I'll see if my father will lend you some of his clothes."

"I am not silly, and I certainly do not desire to 'borrow' anything from your family," Magus responded icily. "Where did you leave the Epoch? If you don't mind, I think I will leave now."

"Not wet, you won't. Look, don't go all cold and evil or I'll have to push you in the sea again!"

"Oh no, you won't! I'll push you in!"

They had a small mock-fight (in which Arlen ran off to spread more rumours) that ended with them both in the water again. Magus had the upper hand and made Lucca say he wasn't silly before letting her go. She promptly dunked him in the water again. Their battle continued on to the beach where they raced each other back to the house. Magus won. He also cheated.

"Not fair not fair!" Lucca complained. "Floating is not allowed!"

"Get over it, you big wimp," he responded with an evil grin. Lucca jumped, grabbed him, and pulled him down, both of them landing on the grass. "Ow! Now I'm cold, wet, dirty, in pain, and cold!" he complained as he got to his feet and brushed himself off.

"I'll get you back for your cheating," she promised. "Hey, now you need cleaner clothes. You can't tell me you haven't changed since leaving Zeal..."

"Oh, I had to. I grew. It was quite annoying."

"What, you'd still rather be mini-Magus?"

"That's it, I'm cold, let me in," he commanded.

"What's the magic word?" she teased.

"Alakazam?" He sounded honestly confused.

"No, 'please'!"

"Really? That never gets anything done."

"Well, start trying to use it! You're being a good evil wizard these days."

"Must I?"

"I'd be happy if you were."

"All right then. Let me in, please."

"That's better." She opened the door and let him in, then followed.