Author's Note: Does anyone want to be really nice to Imania?.In other
words, could I pretty please beg a favour from someone? For a story on
which I'm currently working (a Chrono Trigger story) I would really like to
know what the characters say while they're going to battle Lavos (and
during it, too, if that's possible.?) I did it once before losing both the
file and the game itself when my computer crashed and now have no access to
the game at all. If nobody wants to do all of them, then just Lucca, Magus
and Frog will do fine.? Please.? Or alternatively, could somebody please
tell me where to go to download both a good emulator and the game onto my
computer? Thank you very much indeed! I'll dedicate. um. the prologue to
you. I'm not exactly sure if this story on which I'm working is something
even I want my name on just yet.
Chapter Eighteen
Lucca wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and glared at the wires before her as though everything was their fault. The journey back had seemed much harder than the one they had undertaken to reach the Black Citadel. It had been, without a doubt, Frog's absence that had darkened their spirits. That and the continuous snow.
Three torturous weeks they had travelled. Their progress had been greatly slowed by Magus, who was gradually recovering. Three days ago he had reached the stage at which he could continuously complain and he had not hesitated to do so. "Lucca, how are you going?" Crono queried, coming over. He had carried the Masamune since their abrupt departure from the Citadel.
Lucca could still remember it. After Kelke and Frog had both disappeared, the very ground had begun to shake under their feet. Schala had shrieked to run, to hurry and get out of the Citadel. Crono had snatched up the Masamune and instructed Robo to bring Magus. They had barely made it out of the black gates when the entire Citadel seemed to sink into the earth. After that, the only path left to them had been the weary journey back to the Epoch and, with any luck, back to their own universe.
"Not so good," she admitted honestly, blinking her tired eyes. "I appreciate Schala's spell to somewhat repair my vision, but I really need my glasses. I can't see as well as I need to, and I'm not sure what to do to fix the Epoch. I had forgotten that we'd crashed it, and I think the cold has damaged it. How is Magus?"
"Still complaining. At least he's more on the planet now." Crono sighed. "I just wish we could do more for him. I know you, Schala and Marle are doing the best that you can, but I'm sure he needs something. If only we'd been able to find Tarreiz when we passed through Jeraska."
"If only," Lucca agreed. She would have been able to tolerate Tarreiz had she been able to cure Magus instantly, but the strange girl hadn't been anywhere in the city. Those whom they asked said only that they hadn't seen her after she had left with Crono and his friends.
"Take a break. You've been working on this thing for too long. Go and talk to Magus, he's feeling lonely."
"All right," Lucca said with mock exasperation and rose to do so. She was now completely unsure of her relationship with the good evil wizard. That kiss in the Citadel had practically caused her heart to stop beating, but she hadn't been able to talk to Magus about it. She hadn't told anyone else, either, although of course Schala had been present to witness it. Lucca didn't really mind Schala knowing.
She crouched down next to Magus, who was lying down as nobody would let him try walking just yet. "How are you feeling?"
"Cold," was his instant response. "And lonely. And cold. And I'm hungry. And cold. Oh, and I'm bored. And cold. And have I mentioned that I'm cold?"
Lucca glanced up at Schala, who said wearily, "He's cold. He's been telling me that all day."
The young inventor couldn't keep back a smile. "So have you worked out what Kelke did to you?"
"I know exactly what he did to me," Magus told her. "I haven't told anyone, because you're the first one to have asked. He used Oblivion on me. It's his most powerful attack, but he has to kind of charge up for it and it takes a lot out of him. That's why he didn't use it early in the battle, but it's also why he fell back on the less powerful attacks near the end and how we managed to get so far before he caught up. He needed the time. I was hoping we'd beat him out, but we couldn't. He used Oblivion on me before, as well. That's what he uses to smite people."
"I remember you telling me how he showed up and tried to smite you in our universe," Lucca nodded. "What did Ozzie, Flea and Slash do for you?"
"Nothing. They didn't know how, so they left me alone to heal by myself. It took me five months before I could walk again, and still longer to regain my full power. Not only have you wonderful people been doing things for me, but it wasn't as strong this time. I should be up and about again fairly soon. Speaking of which - "
"No," was Lucca's firm response. "You're not getting up. I didn't realise Kelke would be so hard to kill! I thought he'd never die. Well, I'm going to go and get some sleep. I'll do some more work on the Epoch tomorrow. Good night, Schala."
"Good night," said Schala quietly.
Magus waited until Lucca had walked away before lowering his voice to speak softly to his older sister. "You know the truth, don't you? You know just as well as I do."
"Yes. I know that it's impossible to kill a Mage. They don't die, they merely go. somewhere else. Do you think that maybe Kelke has taken Frog with him?"
"Maybe. I guess I hope so. Him and his damn heroics! I had everything under control!"
Schala gave him a Look. "Did you, now," she said, sounding unimpressed.
"Well. almost everything. I don't know how hard it is for the Mages to bring themselves back. Do you know if Frog is capable of travelling the whole way with Kelke?"
"I'm not sure. All we can do is wait and find out. Are you really recovering as easily as you tell us you are?"
"Yes. .Mostly. I'm not getting any worse, if that makes you feel any better."
"A little."
"A-ha!" came a triumphant cry from Lucca. "I've got it!"
"Lucca, weren't you going to sleep?" Schala asked suspiciously, rising to go to her.
"I was," admitted the scientist, "but just when I closed my eyes I had an idea that I knew would work. And it has! I have the Taban-finder right here. Come on, everyone, we're going home!"
"It's about time," Marle grumbled. "I never, ever want to come here again. I've really started to hate this place. But Crono - what about the other Mages? We've killed Kelke, but we still have to find the Eighth Mage."
"We can come back and look after we've dealt with Lavos," Crono told her shortly. "For now, let's just deal with getting home safely. Come on, everyone, it's time to squeeze into the Epoch again." He glanced at his old friend. "Lucca, take us home."
Chapter Eighteen
Lucca wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and glared at the wires before her as though everything was their fault. The journey back had seemed much harder than the one they had undertaken to reach the Black Citadel. It had been, without a doubt, Frog's absence that had darkened their spirits. That and the continuous snow.
Three torturous weeks they had travelled. Their progress had been greatly slowed by Magus, who was gradually recovering. Three days ago he had reached the stage at which he could continuously complain and he had not hesitated to do so. "Lucca, how are you going?" Crono queried, coming over. He had carried the Masamune since their abrupt departure from the Citadel.
Lucca could still remember it. After Kelke and Frog had both disappeared, the very ground had begun to shake under their feet. Schala had shrieked to run, to hurry and get out of the Citadel. Crono had snatched up the Masamune and instructed Robo to bring Magus. They had barely made it out of the black gates when the entire Citadel seemed to sink into the earth. After that, the only path left to them had been the weary journey back to the Epoch and, with any luck, back to their own universe.
"Not so good," she admitted honestly, blinking her tired eyes. "I appreciate Schala's spell to somewhat repair my vision, but I really need my glasses. I can't see as well as I need to, and I'm not sure what to do to fix the Epoch. I had forgotten that we'd crashed it, and I think the cold has damaged it. How is Magus?"
"Still complaining. At least he's more on the planet now." Crono sighed. "I just wish we could do more for him. I know you, Schala and Marle are doing the best that you can, but I'm sure he needs something. If only we'd been able to find Tarreiz when we passed through Jeraska."
"If only," Lucca agreed. She would have been able to tolerate Tarreiz had she been able to cure Magus instantly, but the strange girl hadn't been anywhere in the city. Those whom they asked said only that they hadn't seen her after she had left with Crono and his friends.
"Take a break. You've been working on this thing for too long. Go and talk to Magus, he's feeling lonely."
"All right," Lucca said with mock exasperation and rose to do so. She was now completely unsure of her relationship with the good evil wizard. That kiss in the Citadel had practically caused her heart to stop beating, but she hadn't been able to talk to Magus about it. She hadn't told anyone else, either, although of course Schala had been present to witness it. Lucca didn't really mind Schala knowing.
She crouched down next to Magus, who was lying down as nobody would let him try walking just yet. "How are you feeling?"
"Cold," was his instant response. "And lonely. And cold. And I'm hungry. And cold. Oh, and I'm bored. And cold. And have I mentioned that I'm cold?"
Lucca glanced up at Schala, who said wearily, "He's cold. He's been telling me that all day."
The young inventor couldn't keep back a smile. "So have you worked out what Kelke did to you?"
"I know exactly what he did to me," Magus told her. "I haven't told anyone, because you're the first one to have asked. He used Oblivion on me. It's his most powerful attack, but he has to kind of charge up for it and it takes a lot out of him. That's why he didn't use it early in the battle, but it's also why he fell back on the less powerful attacks near the end and how we managed to get so far before he caught up. He needed the time. I was hoping we'd beat him out, but we couldn't. He used Oblivion on me before, as well. That's what he uses to smite people."
"I remember you telling me how he showed up and tried to smite you in our universe," Lucca nodded. "What did Ozzie, Flea and Slash do for you?"
"Nothing. They didn't know how, so they left me alone to heal by myself. It took me five months before I could walk again, and still longer to regain my full power. Not only have you wonderful people been doing things for me, but it wasn't as strong this time. I should be up and about again fairly soon. Speaking of which - "
"No," was Lucca's firm response. "You're not getting up. I didn't realise Kelke would be so hard to kill! I thought he'd never die. Well, I'm going to go and get some sleep. I'll do some more work on the Epoch tomorrow. Good night, Schala."
"Good night," said Schala quietly.
Magus waited until Lucca had walked away before lowering his voice to speak softly to his older sister. "You know the truth, don't you? You know just as well as I do."
"Yes. I know that it's impossible to kill a Mage. They don't die, they merely go. somewhere else. Do you think that maybe Kelke has taken Frog with him?"
"Maybe. I guess I hope so. Him and his damn heroics! I had everything under control!"
Schala gave him a Look. "Did you, now," she said, sounding unimpressed.
"Well. almost everything. I don't know how hard it is for the Mages to bring themselves back. Do you know if Frog is capable of travelling the whole way with Kelke?"
"I'm not sure. All we can do is wait and find out. Are you really recovering as easily as you tell us you are?"
"Yes. .Mostly. I'm not getting any worse, if that makes you feel any better."
"A little."
"A-ha!" came a triumphant cry from Lucca. "I've got it!"
"Lucca, weren't you going to sleep?" Schala asked suspiciously, rising to go to her.
"I was," admitted the scientist, "but just when I closed my eyes I had an idea that I knew would work. And it has! I have the Taban-finder right here. Come on, everyone, we're going home!"
"It's about time," Marle grumbled. "I never, ever want to come here again. I've really started to hate this place. But Crono - what about the other Mages? We've killed Kelke, but we still have to find the Eighth Mage."
"We can come back and look after we've dealt with Lavos," Crono told her shortly. "For now, let's just deal with getting home safely. Come on, everyone, it's time to squeeze into the Epoch again." He glanced at his old friend. "Lucca, take us home."
