CHAPTER NINETEEN

Lucca made Magus sit down and while she worked called over to Marle, "Hey, what are you going to call your fish?"

"Um... I don't know," Marle replied.

"Battered and Crumbed," Magus suggested, flexing his freed hands. "It hurts, Lucca!'

"Live with it," she answered mercilessly, rising. "You were the one who wanted me to take them off. Crono, I'm bored. Can we go somewhere? On a picnic, or something?"

"I like the picnic idea," said Crono appreciatively. "We'll go and bother my mother. She'll make a picnic basket for us. We could have it at some clearing in Guardia Forest."

They somehow managed to squish everyone including Alfador into the Epoch. Crono drove to his house where his mother was doing some kind of housework in the kitchen. When Crono asked if she could make them some food for a picnic she agreed happily, although she kept flicking glances at Lucca and Magus. She had also heard about it but though she thought Lucca far too sensible to make mistakes she wanted to be quite sure about it.

About half an hour later they went off with a picnic basket to find a nice clearing in which to have their picnic. No sooner had they sat down when Magus jumped up again, Schala tensed, and Lucca shivered.

"The black wind howls," Schala murmured uneasily.

"That was really cold," Lucca announced. "But why could I feel it?"

"You have spent a lot of time with Magus," was Schala's reply.

"Kelke," murmured Magus softly, gazing into the shadows as if something would leap out and attack them at any moment.

"Who?" asked Crono, lowering the basket to draw his sword.

"Kelke," Magus answered. "Kelke Peatsar. He showed up at my castle five years ago and tried to smite me. It hurt a lot, but I survived. He's an evil wizard from another universe and wants to be the only evil wizard here."

"What, by killing you? No way!" Lucca snarled, drawing her gun.

"Kelke is very powerful," Magus warned. He recalled Schala's comment and turned to her. "What do you mean, Lucca's spent a lot of time with me? How would that affect her?"

"Oh, we meant to warn you but then you disappeared," Schala responded. "Those who are close to beings affected by the black wind can feel it too. We're not sure why."

Magus glanced at Lucca as if considering, then ignored her. "I'm not close to Lucca. I'm not close to anyone."

There was a sudden whirlwind, it began to rain, thunder boomed, against all physical laws a tree began to burn, the flames unaffected by the rain. Blackness fell. In it a person appeared, glowing white. He wore a white robe. He was yellow-haired and as he lifted his gaze to study them they saw that his eyes were an unusual shade of blue.

"Do not seek to trap them with illusions," Magus warned, moving forward. "You may wear the colour of purity but I know your manner is black!"

"As black as yours," Kelke noted, "or as it used to be. I come here, Magus, to offer you the chance to return to the dark side. Where you have always belonged, and you know it."

"I am not longer as evil as I once was," Magus answered. "I will not follow you to the darker side. I am... content to waver between good and evil."

"Then I will have to destroy you," replied Kelke.

"Hah! Just try!" Magus made some quick and intricate gestures, then pointed at the other wizard. Nothing happened.

Kelke laughed merrily. "I was present when Flea sent you to Ozzie. Before I let him touch you, I left you something I thought you'd enjoy. Namely the inability to use magic. Until you personally defeat me, you will be absolutely unable to use magic on your own. Isn't it great? Oh yes," Kelke remembered, "I forgot to tell you. Ozzie, Flea and Slash have worked for me for the last year. Reluctantly at first, but as soon as you were defeated Ozzie crossed over." He frowned. "Only Flea is left now. You killed the others. For that, I think I shall kill you."

Instantly, those with weapons readied them and moved forward protectively. Schala went to stand next to Magus, hands lifted threateningly. She had decided not to be a pacifist if someone was going to attack her brother.

"That's cheating!" complained Kelke. He glared at Magus. "Soon. I know what will hurt you. I'll destroy you- this is a promise. I will be the only wizard here!" With a black flash, he disappeared. The rain stopped, the fire went out, the blackness lifted.

"That didn't go too badly," said Crono.

Kelke reappeared, snatched the picnic basket, laughed maniacally and disappeared again. "Now he dies!" screamed Crono. "Revenge! He can threaten my wizard, he can mess up my hair, but he doesn't take my food and live to... to eat it!"

"I want to go back to the End of Time," said Magus quietly.

"Don't let him get to you," Lucca advised.

"Shut up," he snapped. "Haven't I told you to leave me alone? I am going to the End of Time and none of you children had better think to stop me. Come, Alfador!"

"I shall come with you," Schala announced as Alfador ran over to Magus. "I have to gather my things first. You go on ahead, I'll follow soon."

Magus did not reply, just stalked off. Schala, who had brought no belongings, went to talk to Lucca. "He means not what he says," she told Lucca quietly. "I did the same thing for a while when I was told that the black wind affects those close to me. I tried to push everyone away." She focussed on nothing, remembering. "I blamed myself when I first discovered that Janus also felt the black wind, but Queen Zeal explained that it wasn't my fault. I got over it. He doesn't want to hurt you- in fact, quite the opposite. He also won't want Kelke targeting any one if you because you get along with him. Now. I have to go and stop him from being nasty to you," Schala finished finally and went to do so.

"Don't bother telling me not to try to 'push the others away'," Magus greeted her coldly. "I should always have reminded myself that making friends anywhere is a bad idea. Something happens to me, or to them."

"It is not fair to do such a thing to Lucca, who cares greatly for you," Schala responded.

"She cares too much," muttered Magus bitterly, turning away, his cloak swishing most satisfactorily.

"Don't turn your back on me, Janus. Don't even try to push me away. It won't work," Schala scolded. "You can't live by yourself for all eternity."

"I won't be alone," Magus responded over his shoulder. "I'll have Alfador with me."

"You have changed so much! The Janus I knew at least gave others more chances and, although he would not admit it, cared for more than just his cat."

Magus turned and grabbed her shoulders. "The Janus you knew," he spat, "is dead! Don't try to resurrect him. Janus is no longer in existence, do you understand? There is only the Magus!" He let her go and started to walk away.

"Janus," she began, her voice uncertain. When she spoke again her tone was hard and cold. "Magus. Don't you treat me that way. Look at me when I'm talking to you! I don't know how those who took you in raised you, but it certainly wasn't as a prince of Zeal. How old are you now? Twenty, twenty-one? You still act like a selfish boy of about eight! People here care about you. Maybe you grew up in an environment where no-one really cared at all but it's changed. You don't have the right to intentionally hurt other people by hurting yourself or running off! Do you understand?"

"Um... yes," answered Magus meekly. "Sorry."

"I've been wanting to yell at you for a long time now," Schala admitted. "We know now that Kelke wants you to join the black side, and I won't let you go. You have to completely release the evil. You may have to work at it, but I know you can succeed. You may be unable to use magic, but fine! Work with the sickle, or scythe or whatever it is. And don't try to be alone. You may have to defeat Kelke by yourself, but you cannot get to him alone."

"He'll use you and Lucca against me."

"Only if he gets his hands on us," Schala countered. "He won't. I can protect myself, Lucca can protect herself, and we can protect each other. We will not give Kelke a weapon he can use to destroy you. Now come on."

They returned to the others, who were all complaining that they were hungry. They sat down for a chat and were surprised by several bellbirds. Destroying them was all too easy. Ayla eyed them hungrily, but no-one would let her eat them.

"What we do now, Crono?" Ayla asked miserably.

"I don't know," admitted Crono. "We go and fight Kelke in revenge for stealing our picnic, I guess... anyone have any ideas?"

"Indeed, I would like to battle Kelke," announced Frog suddenly. "There shalt indeed be but one evil wizard, and that shalt be Magus. No-one has permission to destroy Magus bar myself."

"Thanks, I think," Magus responded.

"Right. We battle Kelke," declared Crono. He paused. "Anyone know how to get to him? Lucca?"

"Well," began Lucca, "if we modified the Epoch to travel between universes..."

"We do not know in which universe Kelke resides, and may get lost," Robo disagreed. "I don't believe that method would be effective."

"What do you suggest then?" Lucca asked, curious.

Robo considered, shrugged. "I do not know. Perhaps some further research is required."

"How would we research alternate universes?" wondered Lucca. "Is there a library in the castle or something?"

"A fairly extensive one, yes," Marle responded. "I don't know if there'd be anything about different universes, though."

"There has to be a way," Lucca said to herself, cleaning her glasses on the hem of her shirt. "If Kelke can do it, so can we. Perhaps it's a magical thing... but how would we get to the right universe? Maybe we can just give it a go and keep trying until we get the right one. That would be a terrible waste of magic, though. You're right, Robo, we need to do some research."

Crono said, "Lucca and Robo, you go to the library. Take Schala with you. We're not far from the castle, so we'll all walk there together. Everyone else, we're going to take over the kitchen. Our motive? Because we can!"

They walked to the castle and went their separate ways, Marle going with Lucca, Robo and Schala to show them the way. Crono led Magus, Ayla, Frog and Alfador to the kitchens.

"We're taking over!" Crono shouted as they burst in.

The cook groaned. "Not again! This time when you tie me up, could you not do it so tightly, please? Last time you cut off the circulation! Why do you always want to take over my kitchen?"

"Because we like to!" Crono replied, making his way over. The cook stood placidly while Crono tied his hands.

"What shall we do here, Crono?" asked Magus eagerly.

"Ayla hungry. Make Ayla food!" Ayla announced.

"Shalt we let Kelke destroy our picnic?" Frog demanded. "I say, nay! I suggest that we make a second, more glorious basket and defiantly host a second picnic!"

"Hear, hear!" Magus cheered.

"We shalt have to work hard to create something more glorious than the delectable cooking of Crono's mother," Frog mused. "Alas, I cannot cook. Which of us present can?"

"I can make pasta," Crono volunteered.

"What 'cook'?" Ayla queried, her head to one side.

"Meow!" said Alfador.

"I can cook," declared Magus. "Honestly, there are other skills that can be learnt apart from those of battle."

"How did you learn to cook?" Crono demanded.

"Who do you think did all the cooking in my castle?" Magus replied. "Ozzie used to kidnap humans and make them cook for us. Several of them taught me, and I took over eventually. I mean, Ozzie and Slash just can't do it. And I still have nightmares about Flea's attempts." He shuddered.

"What can you cook?" queried Crono.

"What do you want?" Magus countered smoothly.

"This will be fun!" decided Crono and so began the Great Picnic Cookup.