Chapter 1: Some Reunion!

So they finally told Schala everything. At first she was angry that they'd kept the truth from her so long, then she became excited and demanded to see her brother at once. So Crono and Lucca set off in the Epoch for 12,000 B.C. to tell Magus the good news.

Marle stayed behind to tell everyone else the full story. It was a little difficult, but she managed to do it. Surprisingly, Schala seemed to take it rather well. Bleu was silent the whole time. Rydia was shocked and moved. Daria was disgusted, mainly because of his actions against Guardia.

Magus stood at the edge of North Cape, staring out at the sea. His quest for Schala had not gone well at all. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever see her again. He wondered if he should just give up and move on with his life. It would not be an easy decision, because till now his life had consisted of the search for his sister and his quest for revenge against Lavos. The latter was done. If he didn't have the former, what in the world would he do with his life...?

"Hey! There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"

Hearing all-too-familiar voices, Magus turned and noted Crono and Lucca's rapid approach with a frown. "Too bad I can't say the same to you," he muttered.

"Huh? What... was... that...?" Crono panted as they reached him.

"Nothing." Magus raised a blue brow as he regarded them. "You know, there was no need to run. I'm not going anywhere."

"How did... we... know that?" Lucca panted. "You could have just vanished before we reached you."

"Now why would I do that? After all, it isn't every day my dear friends pay me such an... enthusiastic visit." He smirked at them.

Crono glared at him. "There's no need for sarcasm."

"There's ALWAYS need for sarcasm."

"Hungry, Magus? You'll be eating sword soon!"

"That's if you survive the trip from there to here," Magus prepared to cast a spell as Crono advanced on him.

"STOP IT!!" Lucca screamed as she pushed herself in between them. Both men flinched. She glared at them. "Just shut up for once, will ya? I'm tired of playing mediator!"

"Yes, Lucca," Crono said obediently. Magus said nothing.

"Good. Now that we have that settled, we can get down to business."

"You mean there's a reason you're here?" Magus asked sarcastically.

"Why else would we come here?" Crono said cuttingly.

"Why, to enjoy my company. Why else indeed?" Magus smirked at him.

"Shove it, you two! Crono, just keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking!" She took a deep breath and let it out. "Magus, we have some good news for you. It's about your search."

"Oh, I suppose you have a lead, a little clue for me. Well, save it," he replied scathingly. "I've followed enough of those to dead ends. So if you don't have anything useful for me, be on your way!"

"But we do," Lucca said. "We found her."

Magus froze. She had just spoken the three words he'd never thought he'd hear. "W...where?" he managed. "Is... is she here?"

"No, she's in the future." "The... what?"

"The future. She got transported there like you were sent to the Middle Ages." Of course, her life was vastly different from his. "Come on, we'll take you there." Numbly, Magus nodded and followed them to the Epoch.

The second he entered Rydia's house he saw her, sitting, waiting for him. She looked the same, except for her modern clothes and slightly shorter hair. He wondered what she would think of him, how he looked now. So different, in every way.

That question was answered when she ran over and embraced him without a word.

"I never thought I'd see you again," she whispered. Her tears soaked through his clothes.

"Same here. You don't know how happy this makes me."

Pulling back to look at him, Schala smiled through her tears. "I'd guess about as happy as I am." She brushed a lock of his blue hair away from his eyes, like she used to. "They told me everything about you. What you've done since we were separated."

Magus's face lost its happiness. "And what do you think about that?" he asked quietly.

"I think I love you no matter what." Schala grinned at him. "You forget, you were never an angel, brother of mine. How many times did I get you out of trouble when we were kids?"

"I, um, I've forgotten," he replied, embarrassed. Schala laughed.

"Just as I thought. Oh! I haven't introduced you to my friends yet! Silly me!" She pointed to a tall, dark-haired girl wearing black pants, boots, a green shirt, and a long green cape. "This is Daria. She's the descendant of your friend Marle."

"Hello," Magus said.

Daria nodded. "Nice to meet you." It was only a half-lie.

Next was a shorter blonde girl who wore glasses and beat-up work clothes. "This is Rydia. She's a great inventor and scientist and Lucca's descendant."

"Hello."

Rydia smiled. "Hey." She was very happy for her friend.

"And last but not least, this is Bleu," she said as she pulled him over to a tall woman dressed all in black.

"Hello," he greeted her.

Bleu nodded. "Hello," she replied.

"Now that you've met my friends, I'll fill you in on my adventures. Not as exciting as yours, of course, but interesting nonetheless."

As they sat and talked about her life, and reminisced, Bleu watched. Her face was its usual cool, expressionless state, but behind it were a million thoughts. So this was the guy who'd terrorized Guardia so long ago. The guy she was constantly being compared to. The guy her best friend had been longing for for so long.

An interesting guy, to be sure. The story Marle had told had been fascinating, and tragic. And similar to hers, in some ways.

She discreetly studied him from a distance. Sad eyes in a haunted face. Sorrow... hatred... remorse. They surrounded him in a strange sort of... aura. Some things she could just tell.

Taking a sip of her glass of water, Rydia got up and walked over to the front window of her house. Everything was perfect. Everything was... scary?!

The glass slipped from her hand and shattered loudly on the floor as she saw what was rapidly approaching her house: a force of Mystics!

Bleu walked over to her friend. "Rydia, what the... oh my! Everyone get out of here now! Head for the back door!"

"Why? What's happening?" Schala asked.

"The Mystics are coming! They must have sent a spy..."

"What would they want here?" Magus asked, confused.

"Me." Bleu drew her sword. "Look, you all heard me. Get out of here."

"No way!" Schala looked grimly determined. "I can't just leave you here alone to fight them off."

"No one's attacking my house and getting away with it." Rydia looked equally determined.

"They're my sworn enemies, and you are my friend. Enough said. I'm in. And you three?" Daria looked expectantly at Crono, Marle, and Lucca.

"We're ALL in," Lucca replied, speaking for all of them. She looked at Magus. "You too. We need to work together."

Magus nodded silently. It looked like he had no choice.

Moments later, the door burst open and all hell broke loose.

Daria fired her crossbow, scoring yet another hit. She silently congratulated herself on her prowess. Then a Hench popped up in front of her. Recognizing Guardia's royal crest on her cape, he grinned.

"Wipe that smile off your ugly face before I shoot it full of bolts, bub," she snarled. "Then get out of my way!"

The Mystic ignored her. "Ah, the Princess of Guardia!" He leered.

"Yeah, that's me. Your point?"

"That you'd make a mighty fine hostage!"

"I don't think so!" Daria sneered.

But before she could say anything else, a Grimalkin came up behind her and brought a vase down over her head. As she crumpled to the floor unconscious, the Mystics grinned at each other. "That's what she gets for thinking."

It was a hopeless battle. There were so many more Mystics, and Rydia's house was too small.

Daria had already been carried off to a prison skimmer and locked up. Bleu soon joined her. The sheer number of their enemies had allowed some to surprise and overwhelm her. Crono, Lucca and Marle were being steadily driven back to the rear of the house. Rydia and Schala were struggling to defend themselves in the kitchen, while Magus battled by the front door.

"No!" Schala screamed as a Mystic scored a good hit against the weakening Magus.

His opponents looked over to see her trying to fight her way over. "Who's that?" one asked the other.

"Dunno. All I know is that she lives in the castle."

"And she seems to care an awful lot for this joker."

"So what?"

"So what?! You buffoon! We could get twice as much ransom if we take this guy, too."

"What are you waiting for then? Punch his lights out and let's get out of here! We already got what we were sent for!"

"Yeah, you're right." The Mystics knocked out Magus and dragged him away, oblivious to Schala's protests. Then they all left, but not before they set fire to the house.

Rydia hastily pulled a crying Schala with her from her burning house. Tears ran down her cheeks as well, not just over the capture of her friends, but over the loss of her house and inventions, not to mention Lucca's priceless journals. Her own she could easily duplicate, but not those.

Crono, Marle and Lucca soon joined them on the bridge, having escaped from the back of the house.

For a long while, no one spoke, just watched the house burn. Finally Schala spoke.