Chapter Five: Out of Time
We have not touched the stars,
nor are we forgiven, which brings us back
to the hero's shoulders and a gentleness that comes,
not from the absence of violence, but despite
the abundance of it. The lawn is drowned, the sky on fire,
the gold light falling backward through the glass
of every room. I'll give you my heart to make a place
for it to happen, evidence of a love that transcends hunger.
-- Richard Siken "Snow and Dirty Rain"

Bleu lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Morning was going to come sooner than she wanted it to and she still hadn't thought of a plan to get Skye and herself to the continent below before disaster struck. Maybe Ankara was right and they really were stuck.

She sighed as she brushed the frog against her lips, then startled when she heard a quiet knock on the door. It was brief and business-like -- two raps with a knuckle -- and it sounded again after a few minutes passed. Bleu slipped the frog into her pocket before she slid off of the bed, then took her sword from the bag she'd set on the vanity.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"A friend," a male voice on the other side replied. "I've got some questions for you and I'd rather not whisper them through the keyhole. It looks bad for the both of us, plus it puts the worst crink in my back."

"Yeah, no." Bleu eyed the alarm pull by the door. Whoever he was didn't sound like Dalton, but she still wasn't about to trust any strange man this late at night. "Go away or I'm calling security."

"Kid, I am security." She heard him sigh tiredly. "Okay, I get it. I'm Spekkio -- Delightful Spekkio -- the Master of War. Now let me in so we can talk."

Bleu frowned. While his name and title were familiar from Crono and the others' stories, the speaker didn't exactly evoke the image of the giggly creature they had described. And the one they knew dwelled in the End of Time instead of Zeal. Still, if he was who he said he was... She took a deep breath, then opened the door. A tall Mystic -- a Changeling, like Slash and Shade -- stood in the darkened hallway, holding a quarterstaff. He knocked the sword out of Bleu's hand with it, then sent the blade skidding along the floor towards the opposite wall.

"Hey!" Bleu protested as he pushed past her into the room. "What the hell?!"

"Just being careful," Spekkio told her. He tossed the quarterstaff onto the bed. "See? Now we're both unarmed. You shut the door and I'll get the lights."

Bleu cautiously complied. Once the lights were on, she was surprised to see that Spekkio was far older than she'd initially estimated. The Mystic looked to be somewhere in his early sixties and was, despite his age, built like a gymnast. He had light purple skin and wore an ornate, sleeveless uniform that displayed the faded tattoos covering his arms from wrists to shoulders. A pair of fleshy barbs -- like something belonging on a fish -- hung from the corners of his mouth. She watched him do a quick sweep of the room, but stopped him before he could up-end her bag.

"Alright," he said. "Now care to explain who you really are and what you're actually doing here?"

"I'm Nigh--"

"Uh-uh. That little story may have worked on Her Maj, but it's not going to fool me. My boots have been all over the ground below and I know for a fact there's no such place as the Syrille Kingdom."

Bleu sighed inwardly. Crap.

"So I'm guessing you two have something to do with that half-demon sorceress who's popped up here recently. The Queen's gone mad and the Prophet's working towards his own ends and Dalton's Dalton, but they're all part of the same mess. That one's trouble of a different sort. Am I right?"

"Yeah, she's the reason why we're here. Her name's Ankara DuFarr," Bleu said and Spekkio bared his teeth. He swore under his breath before he motioned for her to continue. "Skye and I want to stop her, but we have to get back home first."

"Skye being 'Princess Kirine,'" Spekkio said. "Okay, kid... what about you? I think I can help you out, but I need to know what I'm dealing with."

"You're going to think I'm crazy."

"Not necessarily. I've spent nearly forty-one years listening to Gaspar's theories about space-time, plus I've had about four hours of sleep this entire week. You'd be amazed at what makes sense to me right now," he said. "So, who are you? Where's home?"

Bleu took a deep breath. Gaspar was another familiar name from the others' stories, and he had served as their guide through time. "My name is Bleu... Bleu Orina Nightshade. I'm a half-Mystic from Medina."

Spekkio's expression softened. "No kidding."

"I'm not lying," Bleu said sharply.

"No, kid... it's not that. It's just --" He sighed, then shook his head. "I believe you. Really, I do. It's just that... look, Medina was my mom's name. I've been working on evacuating the Mystics out of Zeal before things get any worse, and that's the name we gave the base of operations down below. It's not a real place yet."

"Yet," she echoed meaningfully.

"So that's what happened... god, I wish Gaspar was here," Spekkio said. "You all came through a gate, didn't you. Ankara's been opening gates and... okay, kid... Bleu. When are you from?"

"2301," Bleu said. She winced when Spekkio began to laugh; it started out giddy and punch-drunk and ended with a half-bitten curse. "Skye and I need to be out of here by tomorrow afternoon," she added. "You're not going to want to be here, either."

"Already ahead of you there," Spekkio said with a rueful grin. "You and your buddy are in luck: I'm moving the last of us out tonight, and I can make room for you on the transport if you help me. I want to make sure we get everyone before it all hits the intake. Sound good?"

Bleu nodded.

"It's a plan, then." Spekkio picked up Bleu's sword and handed it to her, then retrieved his quarterstaff. Bleu gathered up the rest of her belongings. "Let's get your friend and you two can fill me in with the rest on the way to the rally point."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but all this sounds way too convenient," Skye said once introductions had been made. "What's the catch?"

"There isn't one," Spekkio said. "Look, blondie: don't take this the wrong way either, but the evacuation has been fully underway for weeks. Heck, I'm even gonna guess the whole thing's already happened at least twice before because the Prophet talks like he's read ahead and Bleu's from Medina. I'm just including you two because you're here this time and you both stick out like sore thumbs."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense," Skye mumbled.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Spekkio said, then turned to Bleu. "Anyway, kid, it goes without saying that I don't want to know anything about what's going to happen tomorrow. I also don't want to know what happens in the future. If I ask a question that can't be fully answered, tell me as much as you safely can or just say you can't answer. You girls can ask me anything, though -- I'm an open book and I like to talk."

"I've noticed," Bleu said dryly. "So where are we going?"

"Kajar," Spekkio replied. "It's the closest thing we have to a city of our own, so it's got the highest population. Fortunately for us, the Queen likes to forget Mystics exist and all it takes to move supplies and run folks out is a bunch of paperwork with the correct seals in place. Unfortunately, that paperwork expires soon and..." He nodded towards his right hand, to the signet ring he wore. "This ain't the correct seal."

"This place is going to expire before that paperwork does," Skye whispered to Bleu.

"He can hear you," she whispered back and Skye's eyes widened before she muttered something obscene. Bleu heaved a sigh. "Sorry, but she's right."

Spekkio was silent for a few moments. "Can't say I'm surprised," he said. "Okay, let's go. We're cutting out of here by way of the soldiers' training room. You two need better disguises and uniforms'll do in a pinch."

"I've got a better idea," Bleu said. "Um... Skye, this might feel a bit weird."

Skye took a step backwards. "W-what do you mean? Weird... how?"

Bleu took a deep breath, but snapped her fingers instead. A very pink Trickster, whose features matched Skye's aside from color, stood in her friend's place. "It's an illusion," she told Skye, who was staring at her hands.

Skye nodded. She reached up to touch her ears and her eyes grew wide again as she ran her fingers along the points.

"Sharp work, kid," Spekkio said. "You've got some real talent there, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Bleu pushed her jacket hood back and shook her hair loose before she snapped her fingers again, transforming herself into an Outlaw. Skye turned from the mirror at the sound and her mouth dropped open. Bleu ducked her head down and looked away.

"Remarkable... just top-notch," Spekkio continued. "You could've gone anywhere in Zeal looking like that, and no one would've blinked an eye. Same with your friend. Why didn't you?"

Bleu shrugged. She took the frog from her pocket and looked at it before placing it in her bag. "Dad's an Outlaw," she said instead. Her stomach churned as she thought about how, at that moment, her father was both many years' dead and many, many generations yet to be born. She hoped their ancestors were already at the Medina base.

Spekkio nodded. "Good for your mama. He'd be known as a Tengu here, though; only the Blackbird engineers are called Outlaws."

"Tingu?" Bleu repeated the unfamiliar word.

"Close enough. You got any brothers or sisters?"

"Nope," Skye said. She had, Bleu noticed, arranged her magenta hair to best display her pointed ears.

"No," Bleu said. "...But my husband has a sister. She's my best friend."

"Hm. Well... I got you both beat, then. I'm the youngest of eight -- seven older sisters -- and Pops about put Mom in the grave to have me. He said he always dreamed of having a son; a boy who could follow in his footsteps and join the army. He wanted me to be strong and brave, loyal and true... a real man's man! The kind of guy others want to get behind, y'know?" Spekkio said. "I think I'm all those things -- just not all of 'em entirely in ways Pops hoped for." He paused, then chuckled. "Tough crowd! Usually that last bit gets a laugh or something. Anyway, I had it easy as the spoiled baby of the family.

"Now, Gaspar... he had it rough. His parents put so much pressure on him to set a good example for his younger brothers and marry well and all that crap that he just... crumbled, I guess. Gave up on becoming a Guru. Lost hope of the life he wanted. Joined the army. He met me and we got real close, but he struggled with life in the barracks and the letters from home weren't helping him any. The poor man was a mess." Spekkio sighed. "He left the army and went about courting some girl his parents liked. I had to yell at him to get him to stop running from himself and start following his own dreams.

"Been together ever since. Been right successful, too. Not sure what you know, but he's the Guru of Time."

"Impressive," Bleu said. While the others had spoken of the denizens of the End of Time, they'd neglected to mention the relationship between them. She glanced over at Skye, who raised her eyebrows questioningly, and gave a short nod in response.

"Yeah, I'm proud of him. No matter what, I'm proud of him."

"I think I know, uh... some of how he felt," Skye said. "My parents expect a lot out of me, too, and I'm the only heir to the Scorpion Army. It's like they've pointed my whole life towards this one goal and they keep driving me to be the best and I've never really been given the chance to just be. I don't even know if I have my own dreams because it feels like everything I want is part of what they want for me. What about you, Bleu?"

"My parents are dead," Bleu snapped. She wrenched open the door and stormed out into the hallway.

Once they left the palace -- and the warren of caves and transporters beneath it -- Bleu finally stopped to take a few deep breaths and collect herself. She squawked when Spekkio clapped his hand onto her shoulder and spun her around to face him.

"Okay, kid. It's time to talk," he said. "We were all having a nice little chat before blondie stepped on your tail, and I need your head in this. Got it?"

Bleu tried to push his arm aside, but he tightened his grip.

"My parents are gone, too, Bleu, and I lost them younger than I was ready to. Twenty-five for Mom, twenty-nine for Pops, and my oldest sister died last year. So don't tell me I don't understand."

"You don't! You knew them! My mom died when I was two!" Bleu said angrily. She felt Spekkio's hold on her shoulder go slack, so she took a step back and glared at him. Tears brimmed in her eyes while his arm fell at his side. "I don't even remember her! Dad said her head hurt when she went to sleep and she didn't wake up the next morning. That's all he told me about that -- I didn't realize until years after he was gone that it meant Dad woke up and found Mom dead next to him..." Bleu took a shaky breath. "I used to think that talking about Mom too much made Dad sad, so I didn't ask him a lot of questions about her... I wish I remembered more of his stories. He was murdered when I was seven and I can't tell you why!"

"Damn, kid... damn, I'm sorry. I'd hug you, but I think you'd bite me for it," Spekkio said. He smiled sadly when Bleu nodded. "I'll let you hit me, then. It might make you feel better."

Bleu considered that for a moment, her hands clenched into fists. "What happened to Gaspar?" she asked him. "He would've said if we were meeting him in Kajar, and it doesn't sound like he's at the Medina base, either," she added to Skye.

Skye nodded, frowning.

"He's not. He isn't," Spekkio said, then took a deep breath. Bleu watched his posture straighten further into a stiff, military stance. "A little over a week ago, I left on Her Majesty's orders to escort Guru Melchior to Mt. Woe for imprisonment. It was not a mission I wanted to accept, but..." His shoulders sagged. "Gaspar was in enough trouble already without me adding to it by refusing orders. He's my whole heart -- of course I wanted to protect him! I thought my going would keep him safe!"

He took another deep breath and the military posture returned. "Following my departure, Her Majesty deployed soldiers to our residence to... detain..." Spekkio stopped, then shook his head. "Alright, look... Gaspar isn't some helpless old geezer, okay? Yeah, he's a Guru and, sure, he carries a cane... but people forget he was a soldier! He's trained in all the same weapons I am and that cane of his ain't for walking." He smacked the quarterstaff against his palm. "From the look of things, Gaspar gave them hell for as long as he could. I don't know what happened after that... I came home to an empty house with everything a mess. Just... everywhere. I cleaned up the worst of it, but I haven't been back since. I've been looking all over for him, alongside the evacuation. I've about turned this whole place upside-down."

"Except for Kajar," Bleu said. She sighed inwardly. She had a very good idea of where the Guru of Time was -- unless Ankara had really screwed things up -- though she wasn't certain of how he had gotten there in any timeline other than the original one.

"Sorta. My Mystic troops have been helping out, but there's still places they haven't looked. I told them to focus on getting the civilians out, while I concentrate on finding Gaspar. There's probably still some stragglers in Belthasar's workroom, too, and I've got the authority to make them leave with the others."

"Wait... doesn't Bleu know what happened to Gaspar? And where he is?" Skye asked, brow creased, and a wounded look of realization crossed Spekkio's face. She looked from Spekkio to Bleu -- who nodded guiltily -- then looked appalled. "Why, Bleu?"

"Because I told her she could hit me and she went for what hurt worst," Spekkio said resignedly. "You got me good, kid. Didn't even see it coming."

"Sorry," Bleu mumbled.

"Fair shot, done and over," Spekkio said, then shrugged. "Anyway, don't tell me -- at least not yet. I still might ask you before we leave Zeal."

"That's the Blackbird," Spekkio said as they approached the hangar. The airship was docked outside the main building and it was impressive even in the darkness. Skye stared at the Blackbird with wonder and, Bleu suspected, more than a little bit of greed.

"This is way better than the ship I was using back in my world," Skye said. "It might even be nicer than the Falcon. What's the power source?"

"Hell if I know. It's Belthasar's, so it's probably something crazy," Spekkio replied. "I know the Wings of Time was supposed to run on some crap he called a 'reaction core,' but that thing never got built. He and Gaspar were working on it until Dalton commissioned Belthasar for his first golem. I got involved with the battle tests for that, then Gaspar and Belthasar had a falling-out after the golem blasted a hole in me." He pointed to his left side, just above his hip. "It was an accident. Live ammo."

"Ouch." Skye grimaced.

"Yeah, it happened about twenty-two years back. I'm just glad it didn't hit anything fun or important," Spekkio said. "It upset the heck out of Gaspar, though. He punched Belthasar square in the face when he tried to visit us at the hospital -- blacked up both his eyes and damn near broke his nose, too."

Bleu rolled her eyes. While Spekkio's tone made it clear that he considered the incident at the hospital to be a wonderfully gallant gesture, she doubted she'd feel the same glowing appreciation if Magus decided to punch someone on her behalf. "No wonder the Epoch got shelved."

"Wings of Time," Spekkio corrected her. "Yeah, they stopped being friends after that. I think Gaspar kinda misses the crackpot sometimes, but..." He shrugged. "Anyway, Gaspar's spent most of this year on house arrest because he refused to work with Dalton on the Queen's special project."

"Just for that?" Bleu asked.

"Mostly for that. Her Maj doesn't like being told 'no.'"

They stopped outside the hangar door and Bleu realized what had seemed so off to her during their approach: there weren't any guards stationed by the Blackbird or at the hangar. She guessed that the soldiers assigned to this particular night's watch had all been Mystics. She hadn't seen any Mystics -- aside from Spekkio -- since their arrival and, seeing the place now, one could think there had never been Mystics in Zeal.

"No guards?" Skye remarked with another furtive glance at the Blackbird. Bleu hoped that Spekkio didn't plan on using the airship for their escape; she wasn't entirely convinced that Skye could be talked into giving it back if they did.

"Looks that way," Bleu said. She looked over at Spekkio, who nodded as he yawned. Skye's eyes widened at the sight of his forked tongue and her face pinkened further when Bleu glared at her. "The evacuation's been a success," Bleu added to Spekkio.

"Yeah, time to check in with transport. You're about to meet a real Outlaw, kid, along with Abignale of the Goon Squad. Dunno if you've heard of them. Paratroopers." He rapped his knuckle twice against the door and it was quickly opened by a Tengu woman.

Bleu's heart dropped when she saw her. Every Mystic in Medina could claim ancestors from Zeal and, according to her dad, their lineage included the only female engineer that worked on the famous Blackbird. The Outlaw was short -- about Rydia's height -- and cute, with big, bright eyes and very fluffy feathers on her ears. She was also, judging by the fit of her otherwise-baggy jumpsuit, around seven months pregnant. Of course, Bleu thought. She reached into her bag and closed her hand around the frog.

The loading hatch beside the door raised to reveal an armored Goon. Bleu elbowed Skye before she could react, though Abignale was, admittedly, horrifyingly huge even by Goon standards. His wings were folded against his back and, unlike the vestigial wings of his future kin, they looked fully capable of flight.

"Myrsy, report!" Spekkio ordered.

"Last flight concluded an hour ago, sir! All present and accounted for... er, excluding yourself, sir, and the women in your company, as well as Guru Gaspar and any researchers you find in Kajar, sir!" Myrsy said, one hand held in a sharp salute and the other cradling her stomach.

"Glad to hear it, chickie. Damn fine work as always," Spekkio said and Myrsy's throat-feathers puffed with pride. "How's the co-pilot?"

"Just fine, sir, and kicking up a storm," Myrsy replied. "Eustis and I are thinking of naming this one 'Medina' or 'Sp--"

"Not after me," Spekkio said. "There's too many little Spekkios running around as it is -- sometimes I'm half-afraid folks'll think they're mine!"

Myrsy laughed. "It's a good thing Guru Gaspar knows the score, sir."

"Got that right! And look: if you two really wanna name a boy in my honor, honor me by naming him after my heart instead... okay?" Spekkio said and Myrsy nodded. "That said... go home, both of you."

"...What, sir?" Myrsy stammered, head tilted.

"What about the girls and geeks?" Abignale rumbled. "Sir."

"And your Guru and yourself," Myrsy added. "We can wait, sir."

"I said for you to go home and that's a damn order!" Spekkio said, then sighed. "Okay, look... I ran into pinkie and birdie here at the palace. They'd been saying goodbye to their boyfriends and they're still not sure if they're actually leaving. I roped them into helping me find Gaspar while they make up their minds. Me, well... my mind's made up: I ain't going anywhere without him 'cept to follow him. I'll send down a relay depending, but --" He saluted. "It's been an honor serving with all of you and I just want to say that, whatever happens, you've been some of the best crew I've ever commanded. Thanks for everything, kiddos. I mean it."

"Oh, sir..." Myrsy murmured, eyes wet. "Um... may I?"

"Yeah, sure -- bring it in, chickie," Spekkio said and Myrsy hugged him. He patted her on the back before releasing her. "Now go home to your kids and your hubby, okay? You, too, big boy -- go home to your girl and that little baby. They're all at the base waiting."

"Thanks. Been a real treat, sir," Abignale said. He huffed while Myrsy saluted again, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, then saluted as well. Myrsy waved a reluctant goodbye before Abignale picked her up and flew off carrying her.

Skye waited until Abignale and Myrsy were a safe distance away before she snapped at Spekkio. "Are you out of your mind?! That's our ticket out of here you just sent off!"

"So?! That 'ticket out' is also my whatever-many-greats grandmother!" Bleu snapped back. "I don't want her waiting around where Ankara could get her!"

"Well I don't want to be here for --!"

"Easy now, girls," Spekkio said. "I've got a plan. Worst case, blondie can take you both outta here on one of the gnat flyers. They're real easy to operate and it sounds like she knows her stuff. Otherwise, I'll relay the team. I can't promise a trip in the Blackbird -- Myrsy's staying put -- but I can say the Goon Squad's got us covered if we need 'em."

"Thanks," Bleu said. "How'd you figure out about Myrsy?"

"Truth is, kid, I didn't. I just did what I was already going to do. Glad to hear it was the right thing."