CHAPTER SIXTEEN

They went back to the Prehistoric Age and Lucca had to drag Magus into the meeting place. The others were quite happy to have an excuse to party but Magus, who had unknowingly supplied the excuse, didn't really want to join in.

"Don't you ever have any fun?" Marle complained and handed him a cup of sweet water. "I mean, honestly!"

"I'm an evil antisocial wizard, what do you expect?" Magus shot back. "I don't even want to be here! What's in this?"

"Water," Crono volunteered. "As far as we know."

"Are you sure? You wouldn't nastily try to poison me on the day that might possibly be my birthday, would you?"

"No! Don't be so suspicious! Just drink it," suggested Lucca.

"You're all out to get me," Magus sulked but he drank it anyway. Crono held a box out to him. He looked at it suspiciously but didn't take it. "What is this?"

"It's a present," responded Crono and waved the box a bit. "I swear we're not trying to kill you."

"Well... all right, then." He accepted the box. "Could someone open it for me, please? I can't move my fingers, if you recall."

"Oh. That's right." Crono opened it for him and took the cloak out.

"Oh, how pretty! It's black and it shimmers! I like it already," smiled Magus happily, putting the box down. "Of course, I can't put it on either, but..."

Taking the hint, Crono put it on Magus and went back to the main group. They watched with badly concealed glee as Magus bounced around, trying it out. It made pretty noises and he was satisfied.

The prehistoric people came to gatecrash. They played party games, ate a bit (or a lot if you were a prehistoric person) and drank a lot of sweet water. Schala drank one cup, decided it was alcoholic, and opted not to drink any more. The prehistoric people departed at about midnight, taking Kino with them and leaving the mostly tipsy group to do as they would.

Schala, Alfador and Robo were the only ones currently in the village who were not slightly intoxicated, and Schala watched the others carefully to ensure that no-one did anything they'd regret in the morning. Robo was content to let the crazy humans do as they would, even joining in on occasion.

"Truth or dare?" Marle was asking Lucca.

"Um... truth," Lucca answered.

"Okay... what really happened that day you cut Magus' hair?"

Lucca giggled. "I can't remember."

"It was fun," added Magus.

"Um..." said Lucca. "Frog. Truth or dare?"

"Truth," replied Frog.

"Right... do you really want to be Glenn again?"

"What kind of a question is that to ask at the hour of midnight?" demanded Frog. "Marle, truth or dare?"

"I'll be different and say 'dare'," grinned Marle somewhat drunkenly.

"Very well. I dare thee to go to the midst of the village and to scream as loudly as possible, 'I give up! I give up! I AM a chicken'."

Marle scrambled off to do so, and they heard her voice from where they sat. When she came back she picked up something and said, "I know! Let's play 'spin the'... 'spin the prehistoric eating utensil'!"

She crouched down to spin it. They watched. When it came to a halt they looked at it some more. Finally Marle said, "Okay Crono, your turn!"

Everyone had a go at spinning the prehistoric eating utensil. Finally Crono said, "You guys, we're not playing it properly! We should play it properly!" He told them the rules of 'spin the bottle', adapting it to a prehistoric eating utensil.

Crono set the ball rolling (or spinning) and it pointed to Marle. He kissed her on the lips, and eventually Schala had to say, "Okay guys, that's enough! Moving on now!" Marle reluctantly pushed Crono away and had her turn, the prehistoric eating utensil pointing to Robo. After her initial outburst Schala spectated in silence but when Lucca spun the prehistoric eating utensil and it landed on Magus she intervened. She was actually quite curious to see what would happen but she knew that had Crono or Marle been able to think they would have prevented it. "I think you've played enough of that," she said firmly. "Why don't you go to sleep?"

"Because we no tired!" Ayla declared.

Several crazy games later Schala was sick of them. "It's two in the morning! I'll be really grumpy if I don't get some sleep!" she warned. "Fine, I'm taking Alfador to the village to get some sleep. You lot can do whatever, I don't care!" She picked up Alfador and stormed off.

Crono looked around the party. Magus was asleep. Everyone else was laughing about something. Crono rubbed his hands together gleefully and said, "Okay, someone wake up Magus. We'll play 'spin the prehistoric eating utensil' again!"