I'm Where!
Chapter four: Movement toward Matchmaking
"Hey Magus! Get yer rear in gear!" I yell, glaring at him.
He had not moved in… ten minutes. Okay, so maybe I'm a little impatient, but still. I have no doubts whatsoever that he's ignoring me just to get on my nerves after the little incident the day before. All I wanted to do was show him my amazing lightening sparkiness, but nooo. He couldn't play along!
Well, actually he DID kinda play along, in the whole 'get back here you damn brat!' and trying to kill me by sucking me into a 'big black vortex of death'. I just wanted to play lightening tag! I came up with the game and everything! But no, he's too busing having one major stick up his ass…
This, of course, forced me to use my pent up energy on more constructive things; such as shocking the hell out of Marle every time her and Crono got a little too close in a corner of the room - if ya know what I mean – making her hair frizz as if she got hit by lightening.
Wait, scratch that. She did.
Anyways…
We were supposed to be going off on a mission to find the rainbow shell - boring but necessary. Of course I'm not going to tell them exactly where to go though. Why you ask? It's simple: I want to see how they figure it out first. Of course I will give a little input every now and again, but… it'll be more fun to watch them suffer.
"Okay, everything's ready." Crono says as he jumps down from the epoch. "Who else is going?"
Ah yes, good question…
Let me think about it.
"LUCCA!" I suddenly yell, making Magus twitch. Heh, guess I shouldn't be yelling so loud right behind people, especially if said person has really long ears… I wonder if they're real…
"Hey! Don't touch me brat!"
Heh heh, guess they are…ooh! And they twitch!
"Um, did you just yell for me?"
AHH!
"AHH! Gosh dangit Lucca! Don't scare me!"
"Hugh? Oh, sorry." She says sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.
"S' k, Anywho, pack up yer gear, you're going with us to find the Rainbow shell!"
Her face lit up as soon as the words escaped my mouth. Hm, I guess she doesn't get to leave this place that often… Anyways, as fast as I could summon a lightening spell (which is pretty fast thankyouverymuch) Lucca stood before me with all her things ready. Did anyone see Marle cast a haste spell?
Ha no, she's making out with Crono again…
Hm, guess I should take care of the situation.
ZAP!
"(#$& YUMI!" Crono is now throwing out about every curse word I know. I didn't know he had it in him really, I'm touched. He has a redeeming quality. Marle, however, is doing an extremely good impression of a fish out of water…except with really poofy hair.
Yup, my job's done for now.
"An-e-ways" I drawl while trying to look as innocent as possible - hard considering they all saw me do it. In fact, they all seem to love it every time I shock them. Only Ayla has trouble to stifle her laughter though, as she is greatly displaying now. I have got to work out some prank with her if she enjoys it this much… "Who else is going to come?"
Crono is still looking pretty pissed but he answers all the same. "Well I think-"
Or rather, Marle answers for him while latching onto his arm. "I'm going! You guys will obviously need a healer no matter what mission it is, and since you don't have one already…"
Hallelujah! The girl has a brain!
"You volunteered." I finish for her. She plasters that bubbly grin on her face again and nods vigorously, which brings my attention to something…
I swear the girl has some kind of unnatural talent that I can't help but grimace at. In the seconds that this has all happened she's somehow managed to get her hair flawless again…
Damn.
"Well that seems to decide it then." Crono says, turning back to me. "Magus, Lucca, Marle, you, and I are all going to be going. This trip might take awhile so gather up some tents and the Gil, will you Lucca?"
She nods and goes to do his bidding. I snort. I wouldn't take orders like that.
"Yumi, Magus make sure I prepared the Epoch properly please."
Instantly we both tread over to the sleek futuristic machine and get to work….
Dammit!
"EXIT LIGHT! ENTER NIIIIGHT! TAKE MY HAND, OFF TO NEEEVER NEEEVER LAANDDDD!"
"Will you shut the hell up!" Magus yells at me as I continue my very awesome mimicking of Metallica's 'Enter Sandman'. Such a wonderful song. Anywho, I stop my head banging for a minute to glance up at him…and the rest of the evil glares in the epoch.
"Sorry."
But really I'm not. I had gotten tired of the lovey dovey cooing and cuddling of the couple sitting beside me (Marle's on Crono's LAP for god's sake!) and every now and then stealing a kiss from one another.
It. Is. Sickening.
"Whatever," Magus snaps, glaring at me from the front seat beside Lucca. Damn him! Who knew he was so good at rock, paper, and scissors? "Just don't do it again!" I snort.
"So sorry your highness – I forgot about the ten meter stick up your ass."
Everyone got a good kick out of that, well, except for Maggie-poo. His face is turning a nice shade of red. Oh! And there goes that nice shadow crack-i-ness that he's so fond of.
"You little -"
"We're here guys!" Lucca says as she eyes Magus sternly. He glares at her, but she only glares back making him grumble a few other colorful words beneath his breath before turning back around.
Ah yes, she already has him whipped. I wonder what she did to make him actually listen to her…
But alas the epoch is landing. Where you might ask? Well, we – they really. I knew where to go but had ruefully kept my mouth shut when they were deciding – decided to go to the 600 A.D. past timeline in search for clues, or more likely, rumors. Since they were obviously going the wrong way, I suggested that we go to the nearby island across from the actual cave we should be going in. When asked why I answered 'I have a feeling'. I should definitely pretend to be a prophetess more often seeing as how people seem to listen to you right away.
Anywho, all they have to do now is talk to Toma and get some drink to pour on his grave…I think…and then pour the soda or beer or whatever on his grave in the present timeline…I think… and then, finally, we will be there after talking to his ghost self!
Oh joy. I can't wait to get beaten to a bloody pulp by super dinosaurs that happened to become freakily stronger in the millions of years in the #$in cave…
I think I need some weapons…
Magus turned in his seat to, instead, glare at the landscape ahead of him rather than the offending and annoying girl behind him. He could just imagine her gloating little face right now… it was safe to say he was close to killing her.
Why did she have to suddenly drop in on them out of no where? He certainly had enough to deal with as it was - the team of adventurers he was currently with was a complex group complete with Grease Monkeys and Bimbos. He didn't even particularly like any of them as it was, in fact, he hated them. They always seemed to be everywhere at that particular moment to interfere when they shouldn't have and they didn't have any precise plan of action, merely hints from some old man…and yet, through his incessantly arrogant mind, he could still admit that they had powers – combined of course – to rival that of his own.
So why did he team up with them? It was painfully clear: it would be certain death not to.
But that still didn't explain why they had to go and accept that girl into their group.
Her mere presence irritated him, though that is helped by the fact that the 'prophet' seems to actually enjoy doing it. Doesn't she understand that he could kill her easily? But then again she did learn magic, in which she's surprisingly strong. However she did spend all of the previous day in Spekkio's room…
And all of the magic tabs turned up missing...
He was interrupted from his thoughts as the landscape suddenly became much closer and the epoch landed with a soft thud. Not wanting to waste any time – especially with the crew chosen – he immediately pushed the button to open the roof and promptly glided out with ease.
He watched with amusement as Lucca scrambled off the side clumsily only to fall on her butt. She glared at Crono as he helped his girlfriend down as any gentlemen would, then she turned her burning gaze on him. He simply sneered. What did she think he was going to do? Help her? Tch, like HE cared.
Out of the corner of his eye he caught Yumi take in the exchange between himself and the Grease Monkey with a strange calculating look in her eye. He didn't like that one bit.
She was too unpredictable as it was – he did not need her to be thinking up any other…things…to do to him; though he did fully approve of her zapping the hell out of the couple (Marle and Crono) every time they tried to make out. He had grown tired of the display of the raging hormones.
"So chums, where to now?" Yumi asked as soon as she had jumped from the epoch.
" Some prophet you are, shouldn't you be leading us?" he sneered.
Yumi glared at him. "I get feelings, not exact visions you ignoramus." He simply glared back.
"Okay, okay guys – enough of that. We should probably just ask people about legends or something." Lucca grumbled, pushing past everyone to lead the group off. Magus thought he heard a muttered 'grow up' somewhere in there directed at him as she passed. He could feel his lips pull upward resulting in the ghost of a smirk. She was obviously in a bad mood…
Perfect.
As hurtful as it was to his pride, he still had to admit that she was the only one in the mismatched group that could match his wit, albeit she was usually only fun when she was extremely mad. He watched her retreating form with a sense of bemusement in his blood-red eyes, those same eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out the best way to get a rise out of her - for his own selfish amusement of course.
Evidently Yumi, and her infinitely annoying sharpness, saw something. "What's the matter Maggie?" she teased. "Like the view?" she whispered slyly indicating Lucca's retreating form. He barely suppressed the red from tingeing his cheeks – why that statement aroused THAT kind of reaction from him eluded his mind at the moment - however he still managed to become pale…
Well, paler than usual.
"The hell? Just what are you implying brat?" he growled. She smirked and he saw that same calculating look in her eye.
"Oh nothing…" she said flippantly as she ran to catch up with Lucca where she started to talk animatedly.
He groaned. Being around these kids was starting to get to him, and not in a good way.
"Ah, civilization!" I yell as soon as we walk into the small and modest looking town. Really we had only been walking for, like, thirty minutes but… I'm impatient.
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious." Magus says sarcastically, walking by me. Tch, the least he could do is show respect to me: The Great Prophetess! …
Hm, maybe I should come up with a better name…
"Okay guys, since we're here let's split up and find out what we can. Meet at the inn at sunset, 'k?" Crono says in that 'Mr. Boss-man' leadership like voice. Really, it kinda gets on yer nerves after awhile ya know? I mean, it SOUNDS like he's asking a question, but nooo! It's a command. I hate following orders….
Anywho, everyone merely nods in confirmation – with the exception of me. I was too busy looking around at everything that I had previously only been able to see in 2D form from a bird-eye point of view – and immediately split up.
Magus, being the 'loner' that he is, went off by himself, disappearing into one of the pubs while Crono and Marle went to the inn - hopefully to only purchase some good rooms for the night. Lucca came with me.
"Hey Lu," I say as we start to walk in the general area of the item's store.
"Hm?"
"Weeeell, I was wondering if we could stop by the weapon's store – I think I might need a weapon in order to fight monsters… Lu?" I ask when she didn't answer. I turn around. She had stopped walking abruptly, causing me to address her once more.
Hm, she looks deep in thought…well, not anymore. "Oops. Guess we never really thought about that, hugh?" she laughs. I feel my lips quirk into a half smile at her embarrassment.
"I must say, I really am hurt. I can't believe you guys actually forgot all about little ol' me! I'm so harmless and fragile! I could be killed at any given moment!"
She laughs a little harder then grins. "Oh ya, so very harmless and fragile," she says, her tone ironic. "Weren't you the one who invented lightening tag and insisted to zap Marle every time…well you know!"
I can't help but laugh as her cheeks redden at the mention of 'that', but then, suddenly, she adopts the same spaced off look as before. I follow her gaze only to find a nice little scene of 'public display of affection.'
I snort. "Whoa! CHILDREN, NO PDA IN FRONT OF INNOCENT BYSTANDERS! SOME PEOPLE MAY GO BLIND OR PERVERTS WILL SUFFER FROM NOSE BLEEDS!"
They immediately quit their ruthless snogging that teenage couples are wont to do and look around in shock. Well, Marle's shocked, but Crono knows it was me and boy is he pissed! Damn those hormones, he's gonna kill me before long if he doesn't well, 'get some' to put it crudely. His eyes land on me.
Yup, he's pissed.
Time to take cover!
I grab Lucca's hand and run into the ally by the item's store. After managing to confirm whether or not Crono was still hunting me down, we walk out from our hiding place like nothing happened.
I should really be more careful you know…
Nah.
Too much fun.
"Well, that was interesting…" I say as I begin to walk to our previous destination. That's when I got the strange impression that someone was glaring at me. I turn…and Lucca is standing there looking all grumpy like. "What's eaten you?"
"Why did you have to go and do that?" she demands. "Sure, it's gross and annoying and they really shouldn't be doing anything like that, but…he loves that airhead…"
Whoa, is it my imagination or does she sound sad…and a little angry at the same time? Hm…
"They deserved it Lucca," I say, for once sounding serious. "It's great and all that they love each other and whatnot, but GROSSNESS!"
Heh.
You knew that the seriousness wouldn't last long…
"Ya, but he was just resurrected! He DESERVES to be with the one he loves!"
NO #$# way. She sounds…. $#. She can't be jealous, can she? Does she actually have a crush on Crono? Well, I'll just have to find out some time now won't I... and then proceed to convince her that it is absolutely futile and idiotic to have such feelings of course.
#(&, I hope it works. Maybe I can change Maggie a bit too… you know, make him into more of a gentleman or somthin' – anything just so long as it helps. I wouldn't be able to stand seeing her heart break at the thought of not being with her childhood friend, whom she probably thought she'd end up with.
Whoa.
Where did THAT spark of empathy come from?
"Okay," I say holding up my hands in a surrendering gesture. "S' doesn't matter. Let's just go, okay? I'm itchin' to see what weapon I can get!" And just like that I, in my infinite awesomeness, cleared up the tension! She's even smiling a bit while following me. Hm, she seems to be strangely quiet now though…oh well. I'll burn that bridge when I get to it…
Or is it cross the bridge?
Hm….
"Yumi? Err, we're here…"
"Wha? OH! Oooon to the sharp pointy objects!" I yell startling the clerk behind the counter. He looks through the window and regards me with a curious and slightly frightened expression.
Ha, I must be pretty darn loud for him to hear me through a frickin' door.
Oh well.
Inside, I immediately go to the weapons I know will be the only ones that'd do me any good: the gloves.
Ah yes, I have failed to tell the group that I can, indeed, fight. In fact I've been kickboxing for about four years now, and I must say I have quite a knack for it.
Anywho, gazing upon the gloves adorned in the glass case I immediately fall in love with a particular pair. This pair is freakin' awesome if I do say so myself. I mean, they have BLADES on the knuckles! PERFECT!
"I want those!" I exclaim, hoping up and down in my excitement. Lucca raises her eyebrow with a questioning look in her eye.
"Are you sure you'd be able to handle them?"
I stare at her, all excitement now thoroughly drained. "…yes."
"Are you sure?"
"…"
That is just insulting.
"Of COURSE I can! I wouldn't want 'em if I didn't KNOW how to #$en use them!"
After this temper tantrum I think it is safe to say that the clerk is now definitely afraid of me, but Lucca, having been around me enough so it seems, only raises her other eyebrow amusingly. I, however, am not amused.
"U-u-m I w-w-wouldn't argue with her miss," the clerk stutters, eyeing me wearily as if I might just jump up and kill everyone.
Hah, I wouldn't put it past me.
"Okay," she says while turning to the clerk who was, by the way, still trembling. Yes, that's right: quake in fear!
Did that even make any sense?
Oh well.
Now only slightly grumpy, I turn my gaze back to him. "How much do they cost?" I demand in a voice that screams authority. I don't know where I picked that up.
"Y-y-yes miss. I-it costs 15, 567,000 gil."
"What the #$? What are they made of? Gold?"
"No miss! They're just really strong and they're our best pair in the entire shop!"
"Sorry Yumi, but it looks like we won't be able to afford them after all." Lucca says sympathetically. Instead of taking any comfort in the gesture as I obviously should, I glare at her. Now what was I supposed to do? I can't fight without a weapon, and all the other gloves are #$#en useless!
I'll just pick out another weapon; yeah, that's what I'll do…
I slam my hands down on the counter, ignoring the voice inside my head. "I need those gloves you…gentlemen." He gulps as he clearly should – when I'm mad I'm mad.
"I-I'm sure that we can give you a d-d-discount miss…"
Instantly, I perk up again – I knew my natural charm would work! "Really? How much?" I eagerly ask, doing my best 'puppy dog' eyes.
"Well, I'm sure I can sell them to you for…13,000,000?" I look to Lucca, but she shakes her head indicating that it's still not low enough. I return my gaze to the clerk once more with glassy eyes. It worked. "Okay, okay. I don't normally do this, but I'll sell them to you for only 50,000 Gil, okay?"
My face cracks into a toothy grin and I launch myself at the poor man. He didn't seem to mind though – I mean, I AM startlingly bea-u-T-full! You know, now that I look closely, he only seems to be about 19…Hm….
"Thankyousoverymuch! I love you! You're my new best friend!" He smiles.
"Glad that I can be of use…now, can you please let go? I can't breathe…" Ha, oops.
"Heh, sorry." Releasing him, I step back to receive my gloves after Lucca paid for them of course. I slip them on and admire them for a while. A perfect fit. I turn to the clerk once more and do my best to give him a charming smile. It's about time I actually act like part of the team and do some investigating.
Let's see, what do I need to do to get some answers from a teenage boy?
Cleavage? Check.
Hair? Check.
Other seductive tendencies? Check.
Lucca rolling her eyes since she knows what I'm planning? Check.
Glaring at her until she succumbs and starts to do the same thing? Check.
"So, Roger," I say, flicking his name tag. "Have you ever heard of anything called a Rainbow Shell?..."
After a grueling day of flirting, yelling, and downright tiring detective work, we finally make it back to the inn for some rest. Evidently no one had THAT much luck on finding any info, except for Maggie who ran into Toma. He received some beer to poor on the 'infamous' travelers grave should he die.
Yup, that's really all we needed.
"So, what rooms are we in captain?" I ask Crono as we walk into the farely small inn. At the question, Crono and Marle both seemed to flinch a little. Hm, something's telling me that I, or more likely the other two travelers, aren't gonna like this…
"You see…" Marle begins.
"There weren't enough rooms left for all of us to have one..." Crono says.
"So, we kinda have to split up into two groups," Marle finishes.
Whew, I was expecting something harsher, but then again, Magus looks like he just swallowed a bug…OOH! We have to SHARE rooms! Mwahahahahahahhaha!
"So! I guess that means that I'll be rooming with you two then!" I exclaim, draping my arms around the couple. Crono didn't look too happy and neither did Marle, but this is my only chance to start something between Maggie and Lu…So, SUCK IT UP CRONO, MARLE!
"Actually we were kinda hoping to share a room alone together…" Crono says, slumping his shoulders forward a little while pouting. Man, he lies on that look heavy, but, unfortunately for him, I'm immune.
"Yeah Yumi! You can't leave me alone with Magus!" Lucca whines. Magus, however, seems to have nothing to say and instead stands there looking indifferent. If he had a choice he'd probably sleep outside, I'm sure.
I look to Lucca with an eyebrow raised. "There shouldn't be a problem with you two. I mean, it's not like you two are a couple."
"Well, ya…but…"
"Then there's no problem. Besides, do you want to hear groaning and moaning from the other room? I don't." Marle and Crono both turn a nice shade of red at this comment but we all ignore it.
"Still-"
"Whatever," Magus says, stepping up to Crono and grabbing a set of keys. "It makes no difference. I am tired and in need of sleep – I've no time for petty arguments. Room 12." The last part directed to Lucca. She slightly huffed, but said nothing else as she followed him up the stairs, however, before she left, she gave us all a nice murderous glare.
Ah, I do believe I've rubbed off on her.
I grab our set of keys and hurry up the stairs as well. I am freaking tired. Besides, if I can, I think a little spying is in order. I HAVE to see how these two will act in the same room….
Author's notes: Ta da! Another chappie! And look! Magus and Lucca are gonna be sharing a room together too! Anyways, as you can probably tell, I'm going to start to have Magus and Lucca's point of views...so ya. Thank you to all of you who reviewed! I love you guys so much and it really inspires me! It makes me think - "Man, If I don't update soon, there're gonna rip my limbs off." LOL Thanks again you guys and please continue to encourage me. I promise you there will be MagusLucca-ness going on soon...ish.
And sorry if the facts about the game are a little off. I haven't played the game for awhile now. Feel free to tell me anything about the time period I'm writing this in!
And in case you're one of those who skip the author notes...
REVIEW PLEASE!