Amor Vincit Omnia Chapter 6
A New Face
By Minmei
Lucca ran across the bridge. What a day, she thought, catching her breath. I hope Mom already made dinner. She walked to the front of the house and opened the door, expecting to walk in and be greeted by her parents as usual. But as soon as she stepped inside, she knew something was wrong…
"Where have you been, my...little daughter dear?" asked Taban.
"Y-yeeeeeeesss, you're quite late, *snicker* honey," added Lara.
Why are they talking so strangely? wondered Lucca, frowning in confusion. "Mom? Dad? What's going on?" she questioned the couple.
"You are late," Lara responded without any emotion. "You're late. You are late. You're quite late. You should have been here to receive the gift."
"Gift?" Lucca asked, feeling the panic sweep over her.
"Yeeeess. The gift," Taban rasped, as if forming the sentence was a difficult task. "Gift. Gi-i-ift of eternal life."
"Huh? What?" Lucca wondered. She started to tremble when she saw the forces surrounding her parents. She saw no life in their eyes. Wait, what was that color? Oh, please, no. No! The black force seemed to be controlling her parents. Was it the same black energy Magus spoke of?
"Yes, my dear," Lara hissed, "it IS what you think. We are part of Lavos now. Lavos will rise again!! Hahahahaha!!"
"Noooo!" screamed Lucca.
"What is the matter, Lucca?" the sudden familiar mechanical voice asked.
"Robo! We have to do something! Lavos has my parents!" she cried, panicked. "Help me save them!"
Robo stepped out of the doorway. "I don't think so," he replied coldly, his stare even less expressionless than usual, that is, if that were even possible.
"What?"
The robot waited a while before answering. He let out what sounded like tiny snicker. "You see, Lucca, this is how things will be in the future. Those a part of Lavos live forever, those who are not, well...ha ha."
The energy surrounded him too, Lucca realized.
"Now, join us, Lucca, and we will all live together forever!" Robo said giddily.
"No!" she cried.
"You ungrateful little brat!! Join us, or you shall die!!" Robo screamed in a frightening tone of voice Lucca had never heard before.
Lucca stood there, helpless, as the energy began to surround her.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Lucca awoke with a gasp. Just a dream. It was only a dream.
And only a dream.
Lucca let out a sigh. What a nightmare, she thought, remembering. They...were all talking like Queen Zeal...well, before we rescued her. She slowly arose and put on her headgear. Her movement seemed to awaken the man sleeping only a few feet away.
A sleepy moan. "Mmm…Lucca? What time...the time? Time?"
"Oh, I don't know," she answered, turning towards him. "But since the sun is starting to rise, my guess is..." Her voice trailed off. Lucca gasped again.
"What?" the poor guy asked.
"You-you...uh, um, I-I-I...w-who..." Lucca stammered.
"Yes?" he asked again, wondering what was wrong with her.
She finally spit it out. "W-who are you?" she demanded.
And why are you so damn good-looking? she added in her thoughts.
Whoa! Where the hell did THAT come from?!
"Lucca, please. 'Tis not necessary for thee to playeth these games with me."
Lucca stepped backwards, stumbled over a rock and fell. "G-Glenn?!" she cried.
"'Twas the name which I was given," he answered. "Now, tell me, why art thou staring at me in the most peculiar way?"
Lucca let out a shrill cry, not believing her own eyes. The scream woke up everyone else.
"What's wrong?!" cried Marle.
"Hey! What's going on here?!" a grumpy Crono added. Lowering his tired eyes to the ground, he then noticed Glenn. Crono cocked his head and squinted at the man. "Hey, who are you?"
"What be happening amongst these woods?!" snapped Glenn, fed up with all the confusion, and still completely clueless about his transformation.
"Glenn-Glenn, I can't believe it's you," Lucca finally said. "But how did you change back to your old self?"
"Wh, what?!" Glenn cried.
"Whoa! That's Frog?" Marle exclaimed. "You're totally fine!...Uh, er, um, hehe, I mean, next to you, Crono, of course."
The other members finally overcame the shock of "rediscovering" Glenn.
"You mean-" Glenn started. "I hath obtained mine human form? How canst I be certain of this?"
"Get up, you stupid idiot! For starters, you're obviously a lot taller now!" The annoyed voice shot out from the figure in the shadows.
"Magus? Thou hast released the curse brought upon me?" Glenn asked.
"Magus!" Marle exclaimed. "YOU broke the spell?" She walked over and stood beside him.
"Umm..." he started.
"You actually chose to free him of the curse out of the goodness of your heart?" Marle interrupted. "You made him human again because you wanted to do something really nice to brighten his day, didn't you?"
"That isn't exactly what I-"
"Magus," she cut him off again, "I know you come off as a strange, selfish, reserved man, but underneath that cold, hardened, shell-like exterior lies a kind gentle soul. You're just a big sweetheart, aren't you? Aren't you?"
"What?! No..."
"Yes you are. You are such a sweetheart!" Marle declared happily, her tone dripping with her usually overexaggerated level of jauntiness. She threw her arms around him.
Oh God, Magus thought in exasperation. What in the hell was her problem? She was going too far about this.
The rest of the party seemed to find this little heartwarming scene quite amusing. They began to chuckle.
"Well, isn't this a Kodak moment?" laughed Lucca.
Oh, for crying out loud, she won't let go, Magus thought, feeling slightly embarrassed. She's starting to get on my nerves.
But I must admit, there is…something about her…
…something…
…her patience and understanding remind me of...remind me of...
…of Schala. Marle…Marle is the only one who has really made an effort to get to know me. You're as loving and compassionate as my Schala.
Oh, Schala. My poor Schala. I'm so sorry. But your memory lives on somehow...through Marle.
Damn, she still won't let go. Why won't she let go?! She needs to-she needs to let...ah, hell. With the thoughts that defeated him, he moved his arms around Marle to return the embrace. Marle smiled, and rested her head on his shoulder.
*Clink*
*Clink clink*
The sound came from Magus' amulet and Marle's pendant colliding. A mesmerizing force surrounded them, temporarily paralyzing the duo. It was so strong the team could also feel it.
"M-Magus?" Marle's voice came out weak.
"I know," he answered.
The two medallions began to glow. The same force that had surrounded them suddenly knocked them apart. They were thrown in opposite directions and landed hard on the ground. Magus groaned.
"Uh..." moaned Marle. She examined the necklace around her neck. "Oh no, my pendant's cracked! Hey, wait, what is that?"
The party looked at the blue spherical object forming where Marle and Magus had stood. "It's a gate!!" cried Lucca. "What's it doing there?!" The portal opened, and a girl Marle and Lucca's age stumbled out and fell to her knees. Her robes were not tattered, but dirty. The disheveled light blue hair on her crown concealed her face, but everyone knew who she was.
"Schala...?"
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Eh? Well, what did you think was going to come out? A chocobo? Wark! Er, I mean, chapter 7, next!
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