He didn't answer, only stepped forwards until he was just out of the reach of Magus's weapon.
"For Cyrus," he said evenly, and charged.
Magus whirled his scythe up and above his head and the jar of Frog's sword visibly staggered him. Frog didn't hesitate, only pressed the advantage, putting Magus on the defensive and driving him further back towards the cliff edge.
"This is wrong," Lucca said, "He's weak. He can't hold Frog off."
"He's done so much evil, Lucca," Marle replied softly.
"Still doesn't make this right."
She shoved her gun into the holster and strode forwards towards the combatants. Magus raised a hand, shouted something into the artic air, and eldritch energy leap out from his upraised palm and impacted into Frog. The blast knocked Lucca onto her back, smashing the air from her lungs, and she coughed once before recovering enough to scramble to her knees to see what was happening. Frog and Magus were on even ground again, Frog staying low and Magus watching like a raven. Lucca found her feet, found her nerve, and ran between the two, skidding a bit in the snow.
"Stop this!" she cried and in response to her emotion, fire sprang up around her. She quelled it to small flickers around her ankles. "Enough."
Frog backed away; Magus let his scythe slip out of guard.
"This is insane," she continued, "Frog, you lost so much, yes, but so did Magus. Hell, we just SAW what happened. Does… can…. Can we just stop this?"
That was when Marle stepped forwards as well. Lucca let out a pent-up breath of relief. She'd seen Marle pull her full-royal act before and knew the girl was capable of stopping a crowd with just a few words.
"This isn't helping anything," Marle said, "Frog, put you sword away. Magus, I swear, try anything and –I'll- kick your ass. We're wasting time on these squabbles when we should be off trying to get Chrono back and stopping Lavos! Magus, you know more about that thing than anyone, right?"
The mystic nodded.
"But your friend is a lost cause."
"Shut up. Frog… I implore you… can you set aside this grudge you have, for us?"
He looked away and for long seconds Lucca thought he would refuse. But he slipped his sword back into his sheath and nodded.
"I can."
Marle turned back to Magus. But he was no longer paying attention, his scythe had fallen from his hand and after a moment, Lucca saw all the blood drain from his face, his eyes roll up and close, and then he toppled to the ground in a heap. The wind picked up and snow started to blow onto his face. Lucca broke into a run and landed on her knees by his side. Breathing, but shallow. She smelled copper and carefully felt around his torso to find the source. Around the edges of his armor were sticky wet spots. He'd been hurt in the battle with Lavos and all this time he'd ignored the wounds. Hell.
"Well, don't just stand there," she called over her shoulder, "Help me!"
Lucca was by his side when he woke. He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling and then turning his head to survey the room. How strange this all must seem.
"Unexpected," he murmured, and struggled to raise himself to a sitting position in the bed, "I thought I would be dead by now."
"There was a bit of a shouting match," Lucca admitted, "After you collapsed Frog turned all introspective and wouldn't talk for a while. So we brought you back here – to my house, in my time – and then Marle decided to go off and look for a way to save Chrono. I said I'd stay, since this is my house after all, and Frog protested that, but then he protested Marle going off as well. So we yelled at him for a bit, Ayla called him some names, and he got embarrassed and apologized and went off with Marle and Ayla. I think he's gotten protective with…"
She took a deep breath.
"With your red-haired friend dead." Magus finished the sentence.
"Yes."
It stung to say that. She had to stay silent for a few minutes, swallowing tears, and Magus continued to look around the room. This wasn't his time. Lucca would have to remember that.
Then he turned to himself, carefully pushing the covers away and fingering scars that had been left. Marle had healed him, but those were part of the healing.
"Lavos about killed you, didn't it?"
He shrugged.
"I lived though, didn't I?"
"Only because of us."
"You expect thanks?"
"If you want me to bring you any food, it would be wise."
She stood, and was starting to understand why Frog hadn't wanted to leave her here to tend to him. There was no danger… he was just… difficult.
"Very well. Thank you," he said flatly, "Bring me my tunic as well."
Lucca fought down her temper. He was still weak and injured; she could ream him out for ordering her around later.
"Eh, we got rid of it. You lost too much blood to repair it – I have a new one snitched from my father – give me a minute."
"They know I'm here…?"
His eyes narrowed and Lucca could see the muscles in his shoulders tense.
"No, no. Father is at the festival and will be there for a few days, staying in the inn. We're a ways out of town. Mother…" Lucca took a deep breath. "Well, she can't find out. And besides! You're just some name in a history textbook here."
She went for the door. Stopped at the frame.
"Magus," Lucca said softly, "I have to ask. You're going to help us, aren't you?"
A pause, and Lucca felt sweat on the back of her neck.
"You aim to destroy Lavos. As long as our goals coincide, then yes."
"Thank you."
She fairly fled the room to find him something to eat. The others promised they'd return before evening to share what they had found. Lucca silently hoped that it would be sooner – ally or not, Magus was a bit of a jerk. And, she reluctantly conceded, he was making her nervous.