Disclaimer: Chrono Trigger doesn't belong to me. If it did, Flea would be a main character. It belongs to Square and their creative minds. I'm not making any money of this. Don't sue, please?

Author's notes: This is Yaoi! Male/male relationships, that is. Also contains some graphic violence and sexual acts. Hints at non-con sex as well. This isn't beta-ed. Oh yeah; Magus might seem a bit OOC. I was trying to portray his inner despair over loosing Schala.

// = Flashbacks

A Trial of Hearts

By Shaded Mazoku

Part 5: Decisions are made.


Magus eyed Flea critically. The pink-haired Mystic had been crying for quite a while now, and for some reason, it unsettled Magus. He had known Flea for a long time, yet he'd never seen him cry before. It was just not something Flea did. He screamed at people a lot, sure. If you got him pissed enough, he would throw furniture after you. He'd even kicked Ozzie in the groin once, but he never cried. He never even seemed sad.

Marle was busy nursing her wounded hand, and Lucca was glaring daggers at both him and Flea, so Magus realized that it was up to him to do something. The problem was, he wasn't sure what. He had problems dealing with Flea on the best of days, as he had real big difficulties understanding the cross-dressing magician, and today was not a good day. He was tempted to reach over and shake Flea a bit, but considering what the Mystic did to Marle when she touched him, he figured that he better not try. Getting bitten in the hand was not one of his favorite pastimes.

As it turned out, he didn't really need to do much, because Flea stopped crying all by himself, and used a corner of his once white cloak to dry his eyes. Standing up, he tried to brush some of the dirt of his dress, and for a moment, he reminded Magus of the magician he remembered. Magus wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. He watched as the petite Mystic crossed the floor and walked over to the large, narrow window, perching himself in the sill.

Marle, who had healed her hand by now, followed him, and carefully reached out to lay a hand on Flea's shoulder. Magus chuckled. You shouldn't do that. Flea doesn't like to be touched. Marle glared at him, and placed her hand on the Mystic. Flea stiffened at once, but didn't react violently as he had when Magus touched him. Still the vindictive bastard, I see, Magus thought and watched Marle's silly attempts to hold a conversation with Flea.

You can just as well give up, Princess, he couldn't answer you inane chatter even if he wanted to, he said, tucking some of his hair behind his ear where it was supposed to be. See that scar on his throat? His vocal chords have been severed. Marle looked utterly shocked. Giving Flea a look of extreme pity, she turned towards Magus. But why would anyone do something like that to her? Magus, noticing the annoyed twitch Flea's ears got, let a mocking smirk grace his lips. Tell me, Princess, are you always this stupid? Use your brain! Lucca, who had been silent up until this raised her voice. It's to prevent her from casting spells, isn't it? she asked, adjusting her glasses. Magus nodded, and chuckled. But I think we should stop calling Flea a girl. It really pisses him off.

That comment let him enjoy watching their dumbstruck reactions. Flea really is a boy? Lucca asked incredulously. Magus nodded. Oh, yes. He is. Saying the opposite can get you hurt, he said, recalling the incident with Ozzie's balls again.

Deciding that he had spent enough time with those stupid girls, he requested his book back from Lucca, who ran off to get it at once, and tried to figure what to do with Flea. He walked over to the Mystic, and cleared his throat to let him know that he was there. The magician turned and gave Magus a very cold glare. Magus ignored it. Well, I'm not sure what to do about you, Flea. I could leave you here of course, in a cell, but I'd rather not. Even though you tried to kill me, you were always the one who treated me the best back when I first came to the Mystics. So, I'll give you a choice. Either, you stay in a cell here, or you can come with me. But, if you do, I will have to bind your life force to mine, so you wont even try to harm me. What will it be? Flea gave him a defeated look, and indicated that he would like to go with him. Magus smiled, satisfied.

He brought Flea to the village closest to his home, and dragged the Mystic to the local tailor. I'm going to leave you here, so you can get something new to wear. Behave, will you? I'll be back for you After that was done; he went to buy some more food. Even if he just had bought a lot of food, most of it had been lost in the fight he had gotten into with Flea. Besides, he needed more if Flea was going to be living with him. The man in the store was staring disbelievingly at him, as he piled the food on the desk. Magus growled, the man was acting all silly. As long as he paid, it wasn't the clerk's job to be noisy. It's not like it is my fault that Flea only eat fruit and vegetables, he thought.

When he came back to the tailor's, he found Flea waiting for him, now wearing a long lavender dress, and the tailor and his wife were both cowering behind the desk. He asked the wife what had happened, and learned that Flea had freaked completely out when the tailor touched him, and that the wife had to promise to do the work instead before he would calm down. Magus paid the two of them, gave Flea a nasty look and pushed the basket into the magician's hands. You can carry this, he said, and got a pineapple in the head as a reward. He had a feeling the next days would be a hell.

-TBC


Author's note: Sorry about the end, there. I had a dream in which, among other things, Flea threw a pineapple on Magus and called him an insensitive jerk. I just couldn't get it out of my head. Oh, and all the Marle bashing in this chapter is done from Magus' semi P. O. V. I figured he'd be rather annoyed with the perky princess