Chapter 7: The Trek up Death Peak

Death Peak was one thing that had not changed since Lucca and Magus had been up it before. Of course, there where no Lavos spawns, but everything else remained. The frigid wind blew at Magus, but of course, he could care less. Lucca however was freezing to death, and decided maybe she should stop wearing shorts all of the time. Johnny rolled up the hill, the cold of course not bothering his metal body. Eventually the group reached a part where the wind wasn't so unforgiving and continued walking, then as Magus predicted, monsters began to attack, hundreds of them, they had all banded together to defend their home. Magus drew his scythe, bloodlust showing in his eyes, Lucca pulled her gun out of her holster, the monsters charged. The monsters tore at Magus' cloak and face with their claws, raking his flesh, making him bleed. Magus had not only improved his magical, but physical skills as well. Magus did a move similar to Crono's cyclone attack; he spun around in a circle, his scythe ripping monsters apart as he spun. A monster charged at Lucca and she shot it in the face, Johnny was smacking monsters on the head with his tires.

After the long battle, the mountainside was painted red, bodies where strung across the ground, hundreds of corpses. Magus stood holding his scythe, his cape blowing in the wind; he gazed around for any survivors, there weren't any. Magus walked over to Lucca and Johnny, Lucca was on her back, she had been knocked down, Lucca raised a hand up for Magus to help her up, Magus just walked past her and continued up the mountain, Johnny helped Lucca up and Lucca took off after Magus. A hand grabbed Magus by the shoulder, there stood Lucca, a look of fire in her eyes, but Magus prevailed with his icy glare, without a word, Magus turned around and continued to walk. "Now she definitely doesn't love me. Foolish girl, thinking that she could ever have a relationship with the mighty Magus." Magus thought to himself as he walked. Lucca was of course no fool, and she knew exactly what he was doing, "Just you wait, I'll have you yet." Lucca thought to herself, a devious smile, something she had probably picked up from Magus, crept across her lips.

"I found the jewel." Magus said dryly. Lucca walked over to the stone, "Magus, hand me your knife." Lucca demanded, holding her hand out to him. Magus reached in his belt and pulled out his knife that he used to skin lizards with. Lucca jammed the knife between the wall and the rock and began to pry it out. "Come on you stupid thing..." Lucca grit her teeth and pushed the handle of the knife towards the wall, the blade pushing on the rock. Lucca pulled the knife out and jammed it on the other side of the rock, Lucca pulled the knife handle towards herself... with a loud pop the rock came out, Lucca flew across the room, she caught the rock, and tripped, Lucca looked down, many tall stalagmites waiting below her, a pair of gloved hands pushed her out of the way, Lucca attempted to get her footing, but her right foot twisted backwards and a loud crack was heard. Lucca fell to the ground, her ankle was twisted in a direction it shouldn't have been. Lucca screamed as tears streamed from her face, the bone was sticking out and blood was running across the cave floor. Magus rushed over to Lucca and looked her in the eye, "Lucca, I'm going to straighten this out, this will hurt a LOT." Magus said, seizing her ankle. Lucca nodded as she sobbed. Magus quickly twisted Lucca's ankle back to place, a scream echoed throughout death peak.

Lucca had passed out from the pain, she now slept soundly. "Johnny, go get me some small sticks for a splint and some firewood, also find something so you can carry snow in it. Johnny nodded and took off out the entrance to find what Magus asked for. Magus examined Lucca's ankle and cringed, although no one could tell, Magus was freaked out by injuries like that, only he and Alfador knew that. Lucca would be lucky if she could ever walk on that foot again unless they could get some healing magic, he felt stupid for leaving his Ultra Elixir in the jet bike. After about ten minutes, Johnny returned with what Magus asked for. Magus piled the wood on the ground and started a fire; Magus ripped a large piece from his shirt and wrapped it around Lucca's foot. Magus ripped a piece of cloth from Lucca's smock and placed some snow in an old helmet that a skeleton had been wearing. Magus placed the helmet above the fire and let the snow melt, then get warm. Magus dipped the piece of the smock in the water and placed it on the wound.

Several hours later, the twilight had set in and the entire world was asleep. "Magus, I'm gonna shut down for now. Is there anything you need before I do?" Johnny asked. "No Johnny. I'm just going to stay up and watch over her for awhile longer." Magus said, with not even the slightest emotion in his voice. Johnny nodded and went over against the wall; Johnny removed his sunglasses, which Magus had never seen him do. Johnny only had one eye, one was a sort of dim green like Robo's eyes, but the other was cracked and broken. The dim glow went away from Johnny's eye and his head faced downward. Magus stayed up for another hour before sleep got a hold of him, that night it snowed fifty six inches on Death Peak, the caves entrances where all blocked off.

Lucca woke up the next morning, Magus' cape was stretched over her a large stack of firewood was against the north wall, and a fire was next to her, Johnny was leaned up against the west wall and Magus was nowhere to be found. Lucca looked down at her ankle, it had swollen greatly. Magus came into view, "We're trapped." Magus said coldly, "What do you mean trapped?" Lucca asked. "Both the entrances to this cavern are blocked off by snow, we're stuck here." Magus said. "Have you forgotten that we can use fire magic?" Lucca asked. "I already tried that, it won't melt, some sort of mystical force keeps it from melting." Magus said, Lucca cast a fire spell on one of the walls of snow, nothing happened. "I see..." Lucca said. "How does your ankle feel?" Magus asked. "It hurts like hell, but compared to yesterday it feels great." Lucca replied. "Say, how did you become so good at dressing wounds?" Lucca asked. "Slash taught me... He taught me how to treat everything from a shaving knick to a punctured lung since I couldn't use any healing magic." Magus replied. "Magus... thank you." Lucca said. Magus realized that the moment was getting a bit too tender for his liking. Magus grabbed his cape from Lucca and fastened it back around his neck, "Well I only did it so I wouldn't have to carry you around all of the time." Magus said. Lucca smiled; she knew that that was Magus' way of saying "You're welcome."

The day was long, it was boring, the three just mostly sat around the fire and did nothing, Lucca and Johnny talked about robotics for a while, but that was mostly it. Magus just sat and stared at the ceiling most of the time, sharpening his scythe... "You know if you sharpen that scythe any more it'll probably be sharp enough to cut a hole in the fabric of time." Lucca joked. Magus looked down and touched his finger on the blade; warm crimson blood ran down Magus' hand. "You are really screwed up, you know that?" Lucca asked. "I was simply testing the sharpness of the blade." Magus said. "Well when I want to test the penetration of my gun I don't shoot myself in the foot." Lucca said. Magus ignored her.

There was a large rumbling sound, the snowdrift in front of the entrance burst open, and there stood Kraesh. "Now, I do believe that I was about to have my way with that Sheila before I was so rudely interrupted." Kraesh said. "Where's Drago?" Lucca asked. Kraesh laughed and held up a human skull, "What a pansy that boy was." Kraesh said. Magus stood up and said, "Not so fast. I fully intend to finish you off this time." Magus said. Kraesh laughed, "Ye tried twice, what makes ye think ye got what it takes. I'll kick your arse from ere to the moon." Kraesh said. A devious smile crossed Magus' lips, he gripped his scythe tightly. "We'll see about that." Magus said and began chanting. A large black portal opened behind Kraesh and began to suck him in, "What the? What're ye?" Kraesh pawed at the ground, trying to escape the vacuum. "I don't think so." Kraesh said and dove at Lucca and grabbed her as he was again caught by the vortex. "If I'm goin down, I'm takin this Sheila with me." Kraesh said. Magus reluctantly closed the black hole. Magus held onto his scythe tightly, hoping that he would be able to beat this behemoth. Kraesh began to leave the cave the way he had come in, carrying Lucca in his arms. Magus rushed forward and planted the Doom Sicle in Kraesh's neck. Kraesh spun around and smoke shot out his nostrils, "Leave me be, and I may spare you." Kraesh said, his voice was like it was when he saw Drago. Magus shook his head and said, "No. Kraesh if it kills me, you will not lay a finger on Lucca." Kraesh laid a major blow to Magus' face; Magus flew across the room and hit the far wall. Johnny jumped on Kraesh's back and began hitting him in the face. Kraesh grabbed Johnny by the head and slammed him on the ground.

Lucca pulled out her gun and fired at Kraesh's eye, each shot was a hit, and he closed his eye, but again the metal plate opened to reveal a reptilian eye. Kraesh growled at Lucca, "I have had enough of this. You girl will spawn my children. If you do not resist I may let you live." "No way!! I will do no such thing!!!" Lucca screamed at the top of her lungs. Kraesh began to grow, two large leathery wings protruded from his back, his teeth became dagger like, his skin became olive and scaly, his face protruded forward and a single horn came up from the end of his nose, and two parallel horns came from the back of his head. Kraesh was a very large dragon. "So the truth comes out. You're a dragon, and you're trying to keep your species alive, but why Lucca?" Magus asked. Kraesh looked at Magus, "The girl has the power of fire within her, and she has the power within her to make my children powerful." Kraesh replied. "I still will not let you have her Kraesh. Never." Magus said, pulling himself to his feet by the handle of his scythe. "No matter. I will kill you mage, you have been a thorn in my side for far too long." Kraesh said and released a spurt of flame towards Magus, Magus spun his scythe like a large fan and the flames shot off to either side of him. "This ends here dragon." Magus said, pointing to the ground he stood on. Kraesh sat Lucca down on the ground and rushed at Magus; Magus jumped up in the air and planted his scythe deep in the dragon's hide. Kraesh let out a loud roar and hit Magus with his nose, the horn gored Magus and he groaned in pain. Magus hit the wall, and struggled slightly to get up. Magus began to chant, but he was greatly drained, he summoned a spell that Flea had taught him and told him never to use unless it was an emergency, this spell would undoubtedly be his last. Magus turned to Lucca, knowing the spell would surely kill him; he turned to Lucca and said, "I love you." Magus turned to Kraesh and summoned something that looked like a lightning bolt, only it was dark black, and much larger. "Dark Lightning!!" Magus yelled, the bolt hit the scythe in Kraesh's back; he screamed in pain and fell to the ground dead.

Magus fell to his knees, and then planted his face in the dirt. Magus saw everything that happened in his life, a warm smile came to his face. Lucca rushed over to Magus despite her leg and sat down next to him, he was not breathing. Lucca flipped Magus over and pulled his armor off as quickly as she could, Lucca began to perform CPR on Magus, and she could not tell if it was having any affect or not. Lucca continued pumping at his chest with her hands, hoping somehow he would be all right. "Lucca, he has no life force. He's gone..." Johnny said. "No! That's not true, he can't die, he can't leave me!!!" Lucca said, she continued. Johnny put his hand on Lucca's shoulder, Lucca went to push it away but busted into tears. "Why!?! Why does everyone I love always die?!? What kind of god are you to put me through such torture?!?!?!?!?" Lucca screamed towards the heavens, she laid her head on Magus' chest and sobbed loudly, her tears ran down his chest and onto the amulet, the amulet glowed a brilliant green and a vision of Schala showed in the amulet, she gave a tender smile and Magus was engulfed in a green glow. Lucca sat up and looked at the odd sight, the glow dissipated and Magus' body was left there. Slowly Magus opened his eyes, "What the? Why am I here?" Magus asked. Lucca grabbed Magus in her arms and kissed Magus on the lips, she let go and said, "Don't you ever leave me again." Magus smiled and the two locked in a kiss once again, Johnny looked away as to not disturb them.

Epilogue: Home Again

Magus, Lucca, and Johnny made their way down the mountain with the blue stone. The three entered Keeper's Dome and gave the stone to Belthasar. Belthasar made several adjustments to the jet bike and Lucca thanked him for everything. Johnny, Lucca, and Magus got in the jet bike and headed through the time stream and reached Lucca's house in 1003 A.D. Marle and Crono where standing around the ruins of the Epoch staring at the burnt spot in the grass when the jet bike stopped and Magus, Lucca, and Johnny got out.

"Where have you guys been?" Marle asked. "That was a really mean thing to do to Marle, Magus." Crono said. "We got sucked into the distant future and just barely escaped with our lives." Lucca said. "So... Is Magus carrying you because you are hurt, or..." Marle began. "Does this answer your question?" Magus asked and kissed Lucca on the lips. "So who's the leader around here?" Johnny asked. "I am." Crono replied. "Good, I was wondering if you could get me a race track built." Johnny said. "Sure let's go make the plans." Crono said and he and Johnny headed for the castle.

Marle still stood shocked as Lucca and Magus kissed. Magus whispered something in Lucca's ear, Lucca smiled and said, "Marle, delay my welcome back party till a few days after tomorrow. Magus and I will be VERY busy tonight and, we'll be VERY tired tomorrow." Lucca said and smiled. Magus carried Lucca indoors, immediately Marle heard the door in Lucca's bedroom close and she looked up to see Magus pulling the window shades. "I must be delirious, yeah that's it." Marle said as she walked towards the castle.

The End

Well, that's the story... so... Till Next Time... -MasklessDuckman