Author's Note : I hadn't planned on posting this chapter yet, but I think I will. Kelke's giving up didn't really work for me either (it's out of character) but here's the deal. Firstly, I suck at battle scenes and I didn't know how they were going to defeat him. Secondly, Kelke? Surrender? Yeah right! Read on…

Chapter Seventeen

"You win," Kelke repeated and dropped his hands.

Magus glanced around. Schala was up and was rousing the others. He knew he should be happy, and he certainly felt a lot better with his magic back, but something wasn't quite right. "Lucca, run."

"What?" Lucca asked, confused. "But we won!"

"You believe he's just going to let us get away with this?" Magus demanded, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room. "He has to be planning something! I know this because it's what I would have done. If you hadn't stupidly dragged Lavos into it when you defeated me, I'd have brought the whole castle down on all of us. Is everybody up?" He counted quickly. "Marle, how do we get out of here?"

"Right at the end of this corridor," she instructed. "I'll lead."

Magus had long since dropped his useless scythe and was carrying Alfador instead. Marle hesitated at the end of the corridor to select the right door and Magus quickly grew impatient. "Hurry up! It'd almost be better to wander lost in this place than to let Kelke catch us!"

"I don't know which door!" Marle wailed and selected one at random. "I think we turn left at the end here, but I don't know!"

Magus weighed up his chances, dumped Alfador in Schala's arms. "Look after him, feed him well and let him sleep on your bed," he instructed and she nodded, eyes wide with fear.

"This isn't strictly necessary. You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do," he responded. "You know I do."

Lucca, overhearing, stepped closer. "What are you doing?" she demanded, aggressive in her concern.

"At the moment? Something I've wanted to do for a very long time," he confessed and bent a little to bring their lips together.

He thought he felt her lips tremble a little under his, then she found the confidence to respond to him. He would have liked to take his time about it – this was neither the time nor the place in which he had thought he would show her how deeply he cared for her – but of all things, time was the one thing that none of them had. Not here.

When he drew back, he saw to his alarm that the others were already halfway down the corridor. "Go with Schala."

"Magus – " Lucca began.

"Go with her! Go!"

She started to say something, shook her head in confusion, and turned to follow Schala. Magus ran with them for a short while, then began to gradually slow until he had stopped. He watched Lucca and Schala until they were out of the corridor, then turned to walk back the way that he had come.

Frog, noticing that they had a few too little people with them, skidded to a halt to wait for the others. He ticked them off mentally, including Lucca and Schala as they went past. "Magus," he muttered to himself and started purposefully back down the corridor.

Magus didn't have to wait long for Kelke to catch up to him. "I thought you'd do this," he greeted the Mage with a confidence that he did not feel.

"We think alike, Magus," Kelke responded. "More so than you even know."

"No, I don't think so. I can think outside the square. You only think in terms of revenge."

"I have a level of power that you will never reach. Not now. You could have been great, Magus, but you threw away that chance. And for what? A group of children? A girl with whom you think you're in love? You don't love her. There's no place in your black heart for love."

"I love, and far more than you could."

"You love enough to sacrifice yourself for her?"

"That, and more."

"I almost killed you with this once before," said Kelke, moving forwards with his hands held out. They, and then the corridor around them, flashed yellow. "I don't know what it was that stayed my hand. Perhaps it was pity. Perhaps it was admiration for your potential. You ruined that for an emotion that will never last. I guess that's just too bad."

He had his hands on Magus' shoulders when they turned blue, the corridor swiftly following. Magus was absolutely powerless to stop him as Kelke increased the intensity of his most powerful attack. His hands began to glow red, then black, and finally grey.

"Prepare thyself for honourable battle, Mage, or cease to harm my companion!"

"Honourable battle?" Kelke laughed, allowing Magus to fall to the floor as he turned to Frog. "But I am not armed!"

"Seek not to deceive me, for I have previously felt the strength of your magic," Frog warned him, holding the Masamune at the ready. "What hast thou done to Magus?"

"Given him his just desserts. What, art thou so desperate for punishment?" Kelke mocked him. "Please, allow me to be the one to give it to you."

The others had realised too late that Magus and Frog were missing.

"We all go home, or nobody goes home," said Crono grimly and ran at full speed back down the corridors. He hesitated, unsure whether if he would help or hinder.

Frog certainly seemed to have it under control. The corridor was lit only with the uncanny different coloured lights of the magic that Kelke was throwing at Frog, who was deflecting them with the Masamune and attacking whenever he was given the chance. It was Robo who noticed the figure on the floor, illuminated only every now and then and very briefly as Kelke's magic shattered on the blade of the Masamune.

"Doesn't this Mage ever die?" Lucca demanded, helping Robo to drag the unconscious Magus safely out of the way.

"For Cyrus, as always," said Frog almost gaily as he danced forward. "As vengeance for thine unwelcome attentions to the Lady Schala, and this," at this he thrust the Masamune forwards as Kelke returned his hands to that crossed-at-the-wrist position to attempt a proper spell. Frog hissed, "This is for Magus," and leaned on the Masamune.

Kelke's feet became lost in a swirling black cloud. This anti-colour swept up him and, as he leaned forward to grasp Frog's shoulders, down his arms onto the swords frog as well.

The Masamune clattered to the floor.