Amor Vincit Omnia Chapter 20
Picking Up the Pieces
By Minmei
In 65,000,000 BC...
Crono's face started to flush. "You installed a device inside the Epoch and you didn't tell us?!" He couldn't control his tone of voice.
"Well, I didn't know something like this would happen," Lucca defended herself. "It was just a precaution."
Crono scowled at her, feeling deceived…and a bit disappointed as well. "Lucca! You should know by now that with Lavos, anything can hap-"
He was cut off by the roar of the Epoch overhead. It soared past, heading for the foot of the mountain. "Do you see what I see?" he said aloud in a daze.
Lucca was tempted to continue the next line, but held herself back. "Um, let's go see who that is," she suggested. They hurried to the entrance of the mountain and discovered the Epoch sitting there, with the blue-haired man in the vehicle's front seat.
"Magus! Over here!" Crono called out, running out of the Mystic Mountains.
"Magus!" Lucca cried, following closely after. "I'd never thought I'd say this, but am I glad to see you!"
Magus raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm deeply touched," he said sarcastically. "Now get in."
Crono and Lucca climbed into the Epoch. "Where's Schala?" Crono asked.
He didn't bother turning around to answer. "Back at the woods."
Lucca's mouth fell open in shock. "By herself?!" she cried.
"Actually, she's with Gaspar," Magus replied calmly. "He wouldn't let us leave the End of Time without him."
Her stunned look turned interesting. "Hmm. So Gaspar came..."
.
In 1000 AD...
Gaspar and Schala turned their heads to see the Epoch fly past and land closeby. "Oh, you're back, Janus," Schala said, her face lighting up. "I'm glad you're here." She rushed over, with Gaspar following behind her.
Lucca and Crono climbed out to greet the guru of time.
"Yeah," Magus answered. "Hmm. Where should I go next?"
"Chronological order, Janus," Gaspar instructed. "Go to our era, then the Middle Ages."
Magus shrugged. "I guess that makes sense..."
.
In 12,000 BC...
"That's...well, that's pretty understandable," the Elder said to Glenn. "Of course, I wouldn't have been so forgiving..."
Glenn closed his eyes and sighed. "'Tis all in the past..."
The old man's expression became stern. "But still, what he did to you was terrible. But at least he took the curse off of you."
Glenn turned to the Elder, nodding. "At times I appreciate that, but then I think back on what a horrible person he hath been-"
"Well, you'd better watch what you say about me cos I can turn you back at any given time."
Glenn whirled around to see Magus floating through the hut's entrance. Magus set both feet on the ground and placed his hands on his hips proudly, staring at Glenn, a grim smile on his face.
"Magus?!" Glenn cried, completely stunned. His expression then relaxed as he remembered something. "So Lucca's device worked?"
Magus nodded. "So hurry up and follow me."
Glenn and Atropos proceeded behind Magus to walk out of the hut.
"Hey you," the Elder suddenly said, grabbing Magus' arm. "Why don't you tell me about the first half of your life story sometime?"
Magus turned around. "But you already know part of THAT," he said, smirking.
"Huh?"
Strangely enough, the smile spread. "Don't worry. I'll fill you in on that in a few days or so, and maybe even reveal a thing or two..."
"Strange young man," the Elder muttered as the trio exited. He shook his head.
.
In 600 AD...
12,600 years and 13 minutes later...
"This is terrible news," King Guardia was saying as he, Marle, Ayla and Kino were walking up the stairs. "A spawn from Lavos still lives. And for the loss of your metal creature friend, my deepest condolences."
"Thank you, your majesty," Marle said as they went down the hall. "But I don't know what we're going to do, considering we're stuck here now." They rounded the left corner, then…
Loud, uproarious cackling could be heard from the castle's entrance.
"Hey, what's going on?" Marle asked, pointing to the developing scene at the doors. She looked back to face her friends, but found her question to be greeted with blank looks and utter silence. So she turned around, and then all four decided to take a closer look, slowly and cautiously starting toward the entrance.
"What makes you think we're gonna let YOU through?" a guard snickered at the guest.
"Yeah," the other soldier threw in. "How can you even show your face around here after everything you've done, you blue-haired freak?"
"Look, Magus!" Ayla declared. "Magus here!"
"Yeah...." Marle started to run towards the soldiers. "Hey, you!" she yelled at the guards, glaring. "Stop it! Stop that at once! This is my friend!"
The guards turned, startled. They then knelt before her just as they had when they knew her as Leene. "Oh…our apologies, Princess Nadia!" one of them said in shame. "But we don't trust Magus."
"It's all right," Marle sighed, her scowl fading. "And, it's 'Marle,' okay?" She turned to Magus. "How did you get here?" she asked him, puzzled.
"Lucca had fixed the Epoch to go to the End of Time, which is where Schala and I ended up," he answered. "Now, let us go. The others are waiting." Ayla and Kino followed Magus out of the castle.
Marle turned around to the king. "Goodbye, your Majesty!" she said.
"Farewell, um, Marle. I'll inform Leene about these events. Good luck!" He headed for his wife's room.
.
Outside the castle...
"There's four of us," Marle started. "I guess one of us has to stay here until Magus comes back..."
Magus was in the vehicle's front seat. He stared at her uncomfortably, then let out a sigh. "Uh, um, I guess you can, um...sit on my lap," he mumbled.
Marle shook her head. "But Crono said last time-"
"I don't…think that's really important right now. Come on."
"Okay, then." Marle reluctantly climbed up, and set herself on Magus' lap. She moved her arms around his neck as he adjusted his arm to the controls.
.
Up in Leene's bedroom...
"There goes that noise again," Queen Leene remarked. What she was actually hearing was the hum of the Epoch. She sneezed, then let out a hacking cough. I hope I'm not sick for much longer, she thought. There is a more important matter that I soon must attend to, and-
"Oh!" She could feel a single pulse. She looked down. "Oh, you," she sighed, "an eager one, aren't you?"
The sensation suddenly became threatening. She felt a sharp stab of pain in her lower back. "Aaagh!" she cried out. "N-nurse! Nurse!" The pain quickly took over her entire abdomen. "Aaaaagghh!"
The king bolted into the room. "Darling!" he cried.
"Sweetheart," Leene whimpered through short breaths, "i-it's...time..."
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