Author's Note : Let's play 'how long can Imania draw everything out and keep the poor little Chrono Triggerians from going home'! No, seriously, they'll be in the End of Time in the next chapter… which I may or may not get around to posting before I leave for the Eisteddfod. Well, I had ends to tie in the Alternate Universe, like Kelke. Wait… no. He's a loose end which can never be truly tied… I'm glad you like him as much as I do! Magus is still cooler, though. In my opinion, anyway.

Chapter Seventeen – The kitchen, Altrisiac

Tarreiz went instantly to the kitchen and Schala followed. Lucca moved to the stove as they entered. The young scientist's face was red, and Schala did not think it was heat from the stove. Magus gazed at them with that innocent expression that Schala knew meant he had been doing something he thought he wasn't supposed to.

"We created the Barrier," Schala explained, adding, "and I think you two got past one of some sort. Metaphorically speaking."

"And it's about time," Tarreiz added. "Janus, please call the others."

"I'll come with you," Schala offered, taking her brother's arm. "I think we need to have a bit of a chat…"

The two of them wandered out, leaving Lucca again in the kitchen with one other person. This time the air was slightly more awkward. For a start, Tarreiz wasn't Magus. Secondly, she was Tarreiz, of all people…

Lucca checked everything, found it cooked to her idea of perfection. "So is this the end?" she asked Tarreiz over her shoulder. "We're going home?"

Tarreiz stood with her arms folded, hardly a stance that invited conversation., Even her reply, which was simply, "Yes," was cold.

"That's good. I guess the others won't want to eat first. Pity to waste all this, eh?" she asked, vaguely indicating the food.

"You may put it in the icebox. Kelke will eat it when he discovers its presence."

Silence.

"Nice weather," Lucca remarked with forced cheerfulness.

The Mage's voice was sharp. "It's snowing."

"Well excuse me for trying to make conversation!" exclaimed Lucca defensively, turning to her. "I'm sorry that we've never managed to get along, but it hardly matters now."

"You are not sorry," Tarreiz said coldly.

"You haven't made it easy," Lucca pointed out. "If I could take you apart and find out what made you tick, we'd get along easy."

"People are more unpredictable than machines. Janus is more unpredictable than most."

Lucca bristled. "What are you saying?"

"I am saying that you will most likely find it difficult, trying… and always a lot of fun. The instant he realises that you won't get hurt because of him, it will work. And it will work very well."

"Oh." Lucca hesitated. "Are you saying that because of your… ability to see the future or…?"

"Partly that. Partly because I believe it will work and I know the two of you are crazy about each other."

"Oh," said Lucca again. She'd never had anyone crazy about her before. Then again, she'd never been crazy about anyone else either. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

A slight pause.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out between you and Tarkyn," said Lucca unwisely, realising only as she had finished her sentence that it had been the wrong thing to say. For a start, who knew if it really was Tarkyn? Perhaps Schala could tell them… well, she'd probably find out now, anyway…

"It's just too hard for you to let me try ending our acquaintance on a slightly positive note, isn't it, Lucca?" Tarreiz snapped back.

Then, mercifully, the others walked in. With a rather vicious glare at Lucca. Tarreiz turned to speak to Frog. "Your business here is not yet finished. You have a conversation with Kelke that needs to be completed." She hesitated, added, "And I ask you to see if you can change his mind. He has declared that he will no longer involve himself with the Mages, and if that decision holds, then there won't be an Alternate Universe. The Mages are necessary to hold this world together. We can let Schala go, provided she returns once every three years or so. We need Kelke, who is thoroughly of this universe."

"I will do my best," Frog promised.

Tarreiz smiled slightly. "Thank you. I will transport you to the Black Citadel. When your conversation is completed, call for me, and I will bring you back here. Only then can I transport all of you back to your own world," she explained to the others. "Frog? Are you ready?"

"I am," Frog responded, and Tarreiz sent him to the gates of the Black Citadel.

Frog could see the Citadel. He wasn't sure if that was because it was all in ruins now or because of the time he had spent in the Otherworld with Kelke or a result of something entirely different. The Black Citadel had previously been visible only to a Mage or to Marle, who had been momentarily gifted with some kind of second sight that had since gone away, to the relief of the princess.

Entering the ruins of the Citadel was like stepping into a different world. There was no snow but it was as cold and dark as death. The icy wind seemed somehow ominous. Kelke's white robes were dark grey in the lack of light but Frog could still pick out the Shadow Mage. He made his way over the rubble to stand beside Kelke and for a moment they surveyed the vast ruins in silence.

Kelke spoke, his tone slightly melancholy. "This is going to take so long to rebuild. I really made a mess of the place," he sighed, looking around. "I guess there's no point half-doing a job, if you're going to take the time to do it. May as well destroy the place totally."

"Why not go somewhere else?" Frog suggested.

"This is my territory," the Mage pointed out sharply. "There is nowhere else to go. Perhaps I won't rebuild it," he added as an afterthought. "Maybe me and my Citadel can fade into obscurity together. Keep each other company, in a way."

"Before thou fadest anywhere, I would ask of thee to fulfil thine promise," Frog put in. "I did not put up with thy inane chatter all through the Otherworld to miss out on thine own tale."

"Sit down," Kelke suggested, taking a seat on a handy bit of rubble. He eyed Frog, said again but more sharply, "Sit down. Thank you," he continued when Frog sat. "Before you get any tales, I have to give you your item, and I know I promised to show you a blade somewhat more decent than that ratty dagger."

"I have grown attached to the dagger," Frog protested. He still did not have the Masamune, as that was back in their own universe, but he liked the dagger.

"Here." With a flourish, Kelke handed over an impressive (and sharp) looking black sword. "It has the most imaginative name in the world. It's called the Shadowsword. So I was a little short on creativity," he shrugged. "Now, I know how much you like the Masamune – you even stuck me with it, which was very nasty – so hand over the dagger."

"Why?" asked Frog.

"Because I said so," Kelke snapped, and Frog reluctantly complied. Kelke balanced the dagger across the palm of one hand, and the weapon began to glow with a kind of black light. "Here," he said again and handed the dagger back. "Now it won't ever break or blunt, it will cut through almost anything except the sheath that I must remember to give you, it will continually decrease the life force of anything you cut with it so be careful, and you can have an item from me but continue to use the Masamune. You can carry a sword and a dagger at the same time, right?"

Frog nodded, asked, "Hath it a name?"

"It's called…" Kelke waved a hand vaguely. "The something. You can name it."

"I thank thee."

"Take this as well." Kelke handed over a sheath.

"I thank thee again," Frog thanked him again, carefully sheathing the dagger.

"Now…" The Shadow Mage hesitated, asked, "Do you really want to know my 'tale'? It's fairly boring…"

"I do. It is for thine tale that I initially asked," Frog reminded him.

"Very well." Kelke considered. "I spent most of my time on the streets of Kamai, which is a fairly large town somewhere near Synalair. I realised when I was about eleven that I actually had magic. I used it without thinking to defend myself when someone tried to kill me," he explained. "I didn't know exactly what I could do with it but it was a weapon and Kamai is a bad place to be by yourself, especially unarmed. I think… it took me three days after my initial discovery to teach myself how to kill someone instantly with it. I'm the Shadow Mage, my life was never going to be all fun and games," he said defensively at Frog's expression. "Got myself a reputation as a psycho kid you didn't want to cross, so the 'gangs' stopped going after me. Life was much easier then. A group of wizards who were wandering through picked up on the fact that there was a crazed, incredibly powerful murderer running around killing people with unusual magic, and you can imagine their surprise when they found me." He gave a small smile at the memory. "I was only eleven at the time, after all. Most of them wanted to kill me. One of them protested and they told him he could deal with me, so he took me in as his apprentice. A short time later he and I both realised that I was much more powerful than he would ever be."

"At what age didst thou come to this revelation?"

"Twelve. Well, I was almost thirteen when he ran out of things to teach me," Kelke shrugged. "I was a Sorcerer at the age of fifteen, and seventeen when I was initially called to Altrisiac. A bit like Tarreiz, but I was less powerful. I was not well received at Altrisiac. For some reason, people don't like evil much. Can't think why," he said partly to himself but with a wicked grin. "They gave me this area, the one that nobody else wanted, and I built the Black Citadel. It was easier to stay here and keep out of their way rather than put up with Jandegar's incredible arrogance. Have you met Jandegar?" he asked. "No, I didn't think so. Don't bother with him. So I stayed in the Black Citadel by myself and enjoyed my solitude."

"And what didst thou do here?" asked Frog, glancing around.

Kelke considered. "Practiced my magic. Expanded the Citadel. Made up spells. Went looking for other powerful people. Found Magus, tried to kill him, failed, corrupted his cronies, wandered around bored for a while, found Magus again, prevented his use of magic, and you know the rest of the tale. And that's my life," he shrugged easily. "Boring, isn't it?"

"There is one thing that thou hast not covered," Frog protested.

Kelke tensed. "And that would be what?"

"From where, exactly, came thy magic? Surely it must have been hereditary?"

"Where did you get your magic from?" Kelke challenged.

A pause.

Finally, Frog queried, "What happened to thine family?"

"What do you mean?" Kelke shot back.

"Thou spoke of the family of everyone else. I heard not a word of thine."

"I used to live in Synalair," Kelke snapped. "My mother and sister happened to be out on the streets too late. I have no idea what happened to them. Sold as either slaves or whores, is most likely. My father and I moved to Kamai, which was supposed to be safer. He was murdered three days later, killed for the seven silver coins he had on his person. The remains of our family 'fortune'. I couldn't support myself, let alone keep the house, and so I took to the streets. I was almost nine."

"I am sorry," said Frog gently.

"It doesn't matter," Kelke muttered. "I'm not evil because life drove me to it. I'm evil because I chose to be. I could have used my magic when I first discovered it to better my position in life. I opted to go around killing everyone who had ever wronged me in Kamai, and you can be assured, there were quite a few. I like to be evil. It's more fun than being good. And I don't need a family anyway."

"Is it not that the Mages are each other's family?"

"That lot?" Kelke scoffed. "I'd rather be alone than consider them family. They're all so useless, and we argue a lot."

Frog nodded. "Much like any other family, perhaps. Family life is rarely idyllic."

A pause.

"You know," said Kelke thoughtfully, "you just might have a point. Although I can't go crawling back, of course… that would make me look weak…"

"It seems to me that most of them are anxious to see thine return," Frog put in.

"You think?"

"That was the message that I was given by Tarreiz."

"Well then," said Kelke brightly, "I might give them a second chance. After all, the Citadel does get very lonely at times…" Another pause. Kelke brightened, asked hopefully, "So is this all? Are we finished? Time for you to return to your own universe?"

"Kelke…" Frog began reluctantly, and Kelke rolled his eyes. "Thou gavest to me mine human form. Why?"

"Because I can't heal frogs, I can only heal humans. I couldn't heal you like that. I had to undo Magus' spell if I was going to have your company in the Otherworld. That was what really wiped me out, because when the man casts a spell, he certainly doesn't seem to want it to go away," Kelke said admiringly. "Don't you dare tell him I said that," he added instantly.

"Never," Frog vowed. "I was wondering… is it capable… could I possibly be… a frog again? Please?"

Kelke stared at him. "You want me to turn you back into a frog."

"Yes," Frog agreed.

Kelke sighed. "Try to do a relatively good deed and this is what happens… don't you like being human?"

"I do, but I think I prefer to be… a frog. I am used to it."

"If this is what you really want…"

"It is," Frog stated firmly.

"Okay," Kelke sighed and turned him back into a frog. "Is that finally all? Can we part ways at last?"

"Yes," Frog agreed happily. "Yes, we can."