Amor Vincit Omnia Chapter 4
Still Missing
By Minmei
Crono, Lucca, and Frog landed in the new village.
"This place looks a lot like the Last Village, only bigger," Lucca commented as all three slowly climbed out of the vehicle. "The huts are bigger too."
Frog nodded. "Yes…"
"There it is," Crono said, pointing to a hut on the left side.
"Are you sure?" asked Lucca.
"Yeah, Lucca," Crono answered.
"Okay," Lucca said, "it's just, sometimes you think you know where-"
"It's THIS ONE, okay?" Crono insisted. They walked inside the new hut.
"Magus?" Frog hollered. No answer.
"Let's wait for him," Crono suggested.
A few minutes passed before Lucca asked, "Are you sure this is the right place?"
"Yes," Crono answered, "the Elder told me '3 houses from the left.'"
"Oh, okay," said Lucca.
A few more moments passed when he said, "Or was it 3 houses to the left?" Lucca and Frog stared at him in alarm. "Maybe it was 3 houses from the right..." Crono trailed off.
Lucca glared at him. "Crono, you moron!! You just had to go out by yourself and now you don't even know where Magus lives?! That's just great!"
"Hey, don't yell at me, damn it," Crono snapped. "You're the one that wanted to come along, remember?"
"Only because I hated doing nothing!" Lucca yelled back.
"Lucca, please, 'tis necessary thee remaineth calm," Frog pleaded.
"I will NOT be calm! He should have had one of us with him for directions so that he wouldn't have had to work so hard to think with that little pea brain inside that big ass head of his!!"
Crono cast her a dirty look. "'Big ass head'? That's funny coming from someone with bottle lens glasses and constant helmet hair!"
"Yeah, you're the one to be making hair jokes, punk head! I mean, what is up with that? You can find the time to see Marle any minute of the day, and yet you still can't afford to pick up a comb once in a while!!"
"Heh heh heh heh." The unfamiliar laugh came from above.
The trio looked up. "Who...?" Lucca started to ask.
The blue-haired man dropped from the hut's ceiling.
"Magus," Crono snapped, rolling his eyes, "do you always have to make an entrance?"
Magus started to answer, but just eyed Crono warily.
"What?" Crono asked, confused.
"I don't know," Magus responded softly. "It just feels like I'm hearing your voice for the first time."
"Magus!" Lucca finally said. "I didn't know you could laugh."
"Of course I can," Magus told her. "I'm not completely heartless. I mean, it's not like I come out during the full moon or anything."
"Actually, I was thinking more like, if your reflection showed up in the mirror, batty boy," Lucca cracked.
"Shut up," Magus told her.
Lucca giggled some more, then changed the topic. "How long have you been up there anyway?" she asked.
"Long enough to hear your ridiculous little spat," Magus answered. He turned to the remaining members. "So what are you losers doing here anyway?" he snickered. "Did froggy-face here mess up the Epoch controls again because I know you would never visit me."
"We sure wouldn't," Lucca muttered under her breath.
"Who wants to tell the story?" Crono asked. Lucca stepped forward and began speaking of the world's fate as Frog and Crono interjected.
"Lavos lives on through one of his children?" Magus asked angrily, finally showing a little emotion. "No. It has to die. Lavos already destroyed so many lives during his life. I can't allow his damn kid to do the same."
"Wilt thou join us?" Frog asked him.
"Of course!" Magus declared. "This thing has to die. I mean, there's no other reason I would ever want to join you." Shrugging off Magus' last comment, the team took Magus out to the Epoch.
"Wait, there's four of us," Magus observed. "We won't fit."
"Well, I was thinking," Crono said, "we could have Lucca on your lap, and-"
Magus raised an eyebrow at Crono. "Are you kidding?" he scoffed.
"Well then, we'll have more room if Frog sits on your-"
"No!!"
"Well, I won't sit on your lap; I'm driving," Crono told him. "And even if I wasn't driving-"
"NO ONE IS SITTING ON MY LAP, ESPECIALLY NOT THAT SMELLY FROG!!" Magus exploded. "I mean, damn, Glenn, when was the last time you took a bath?!"
Frog glared at Magus. "Magus, thou art-"
"Enough!" Lucca yelled. "Magus, grow up!" To Crono, she said, "Crono, why don't you take Glenn and I'll stay here with Magus?" Frog jumped into the Epoch with Crono. "Hey, Crono?" Lucca called out, her voice weak. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I was just stressed."
Crono looked down on his friend, his expression softening. "Hey, forget about it. I shouldn't have been so mean either," Crono told her as the Epoch ascended. "I'll see ya in a few!!" The vehicle disappeared.
A moment of silence. "Why didn't you just go with them?" Magus finally inquired.
"I wanted to give them a reason to come back," Lucca quipped.
"Whatever," Magus grumbled, rolling his eyes.
Lucca ended her laughter and turned to the blue-haired mage. "So Magus, what have you been doing in the last few months? Have you taken your old name back or do the people call you Magus or something?"
"They...know me as the Prophet, yes," he replied coldly. "What I have been up to is none of your business."
"Yeah, I'm sure," Lucca snorted. A moment of silence passed. "I don't know. I just thought you would take back your old name after you found Schala," she continued. "Hey, where is she anyway?"
Magus just stared at her, a blank expression on his pale face.
"Magus, you DID find her, didn't you?" Lucca asked eagerly.
He lowered his eyes and remained silent.
Lucca didn't know what to say. "I'll...take that as a no."
"I don't know where she is. I've been searching for months. She's nowhere to be found."
"I'm sorry, Magus," Lucca told him. "I can't believe she's still missing. Um... I know that you keep to yourself a lot, Magus, but believe me when I say we're here to help you. We'll help you find Schala any way we can."
Magus didn't respond.
Suddenly the Epoch reappeared. "Okay you guys, hop in!" Crono said as he landed. Magus and Lucca slowly climbed into the back seats.
.
In 1000 AD...
Marle looked up as the Epoch flew overhead.
"They hath arrived at long last?" Frog asked.
"Yeah. Oh good, Magus is here!" Marle said. "Hey Magus, how have you been?" she cheerily asked as the trio got out of the vehicle.
"That girl is just tickled pink, isn't she," Lucca remarked, shaking her head.
"Come on, Magus, you gotta meet Atropos," Marle said, leading him by the arm.
"Uh...okay..."
They entered the clearing. "Why is he here?" Magus asked, looking at Kino.
Kino stared right back. "Kino join Crono team," he declared. "Fight Lavos child. Save new future."
"Magus," Marle started, "you remember Robo's friend from the future whom we told you about? Well, here she is! This is Atropos."
"Greetings," Atropos said.
"Hmph. What's with the bow?"
"This ribbon is an accessory which provides me with maximum defense. Robo tells me I gave one to him similar to mine in the old future. He doesn't seem to want to talk about that moment much, though."
"So what are you, his girlfriend or something?"
"If that is what you call it here."
"Cut it out, Magus," Marle scolded lightly. "It's getting late. We really should turn in."
"Someone should stay up, watch out for Robo in case he comes," Lucca suggested.
"I'll do it," Atropos offered. "Let me."
And so, the party members looked on as Atropos turned and walked towards the entrance to stand watch for her mechanical friend.
.