Blood Relations Chapter 1
By Mirai Gen
Gaspar looked amongst his warriors, Crono most of all, as they lined before him.
It was a year after Lavos was destroyed. Crono’s instincts told him to keep training, and he stuck to his instincts. The more people knew him, the more they knew how he reflected Magus.
Marle was close to the same. As they stood before Gaspar, her fingers were wound in Crono’s hand. She had merely turned 18, but she looked very much the same minus a few inches in height and such.
Lucca had abandoned the headgear. She held smaller glasses now, and she too had finished off her maturity. Her purple hair fell down to just below her shoulder-blades.
Frog was no longer Frog. By some fluke or Magus’ irritation at staring at the frog-human, his spell wore off or he removed it. He now stood at just Crono’s height with greenish hair that fell down to about his ears, split down the center.
Magus was the same. He hadn’t aged a day, from the looks of it. He still kept secluded to the world, standing with his cloak wrapped around his body tightly.
Ayla and Robo were gone. Robo was in the future, still, trying desperately to restore what little he could. There was no time change for some reason, and although the world was rebuilding, it was still bad. Ayla was needed in her tribe, under more reptite attacks.
“I’m guessing you are wondering why I called you here.”
“Exactly.” Magus said rather angrily. “Especially me.”
He looked up and spoke one word that changed Magus’ ideas about his meeting. “Schala.” He said simply.
Magus’ face nearly went into shock, but he stopped and managed to remain hard while he kept his mouth shut.
Crono nearly smiled. The sorcerer, for once, was speechless. It was not a reaction Crono saw much in anyone, particularly Magus himself.
Gaspar looked amongst them before he spoke. “Now, as I understand it, she vanished from the area as soon as you destroyed Lavos, correct?” A nod from most. “Well, there is something you must understand about Schala. Magus,” he turned to him. “I request you restrain yourself for what I am about to say.” Crono, who happened to be closest to him, edged over closer to Magus, masking it as though he was simply shifting. His hand freed itself. He wasn’t going to have Magus destroy Gaspar in the least.
“Schala…” He paused, then said. “Schala is very much dead, I am sorry to say.” Magus let nothing more than an angered sigh out. Crono could tell he focused intensely on merely doing this, and it was all he could do from roaring in anger. “However, that is not why I called you here.” Gaspar turned and took a few steps away, towards the Gate room. “Schala…was not alone during Zeal’s time. Far from it. She was with another. A man.” He gave a pause, then said. “She was not even a virgin. This man was named Aaron.”
Marle couldn’t help it. “Gaspar, are you trying to tell us what I think you are trying to tell us?” She said, her voice slow as she dared to believe what her mind was telling her.
“Yes, Marle, I am.” He turned and looked at them. “She loved Aaron deeply. The two would have married under different circumstances. They were together for a year until Lavos. And, in the point of this all, the reason I called you here…” There was a pause again. “…Zeal may not have known it, but merely months beforehand, Schala was pregnant.”
A silence of complete shock surrounded them all, and none moreso than Magus.
Magus either not able to find the words to describe what he was trying to
say, or simply still in shock, said nothing. Crono said it.
“But…”
“It is a girl.” Gaspar interrupted. “She was born merely months before Lavos struck. Schala did some of her motherly duties, but Aaron was the caretaker for that time. He still lives, as does Iris.”
“Then-“ but Gaspar again beat Crono to it.
“The reason I have called you here, the reason I have told you this and not let you discover it, is because Schala was not the only one pregnant during that time.” Gaspar recited.
Shock about Schala was nothing on this news. Lucca was the first to understand it perfectly. “Oh my god, Zeal was pregnant!?”
“Yes. Lavos used her by unnatural means.”
Magus no longer could take it. He let out a savage, screaming roar and pushed in front of Crono, hustling by Gaspar before he let out an angry kick, shattering many bricks on the wall before he was silent again.
“Schala is now dead, true, but Soval is not.” Gaspar continued. “Half brother or not, Magus, you must destroy him. He now has your niece.”
Magus looked up. “What…?” He began.
“Yes. Soval has kidnapped Iris, and he has been raising her in a time of his own.” He breathed once. “Your job is to go get her. As soon as you can.” He looked at them all. “Go. You do not have much time.”
“I would have laughed if I had remembered how.”
-Max Payne