Chapter 2: Flames of War

Bleu entered Ozzie's lavish mansion with an uneasy feeling growing inside her. It had started when she found Medina virtually abandoned. Now she knew why: they were all in here, milling about the mansion. An air of anticipation permeated the room. Bleu, however, felt only dread.

"Bleu! There you are! I've been looking for you!"

Bleu turned to see Jade, her magic teacher, approaching. Jade was a descendant of the famous Flea and was in charge of instructing young Mystics in the arts of battle, along with Shade -- How cute, rhyming names, she thought sarcastically -- Slash's descendant. Bleu hated both, but for some reason, Jade seemed to have a soft spot for her.

It had all started thirteen years ago. Ozzie had seized control of the Mystics then, after centuries of ruling by a family of simple, peace-loving Imps who had gotten along well with humans. Bleu's mother had been a human, and it was she that Bleu resembled, totally lacking Mystic characteristics. It was for this reason that the Mystics perceived her as ugly. Bleu never knew her mother, for she died when she was only two years old.

One of Ozzie's first acts upon seizing power was to execute Bleu's father for the "crime" of marrying a human. He would have killed her, too, if Jade hadn't taken pity on the "poor, pitiful creature" and convinced him to let her and Shade train the little girl. Bleu turned out to be the best student she had ever had, excelling in both Shadow magic and swordsmanship. There were some who said she was even better than the legendary Magus. However, Bleu was also extremely arrogant about her abilities, and refused to let anyone boss her around, making her difficult to control, and to tolerate.

When she was twelve, she met Daria and Rydia, and instantly became friends. Most Mystics saw her association with humans as disloyal, and hated her even more. Bleu, though, couldn't care less what they thought of her, and continued to do whatever she wanted.

"So, Jade, what does his Lardliness want that is SO important? I have better things to do than listen to his usual drivel, so this better be good."

Jade smirked at her. "Oh, it's better than good. Believe me, you won't want to miss it."

"All right, is everybody ready? Here we go!" Lucca pressed the button on the Epoch. But instead of blasting off, it shot a laser into the trees.

"Whoa!" Daria exclaimed. "What was THAT?!"

Lucca turned bright red. "Uh, sorry. Wrong button," she said in embarrassment, sinking into her seat.

"I'll say!" Daria exclaimed, shaking her head. "Boy, no wonder Rydia has to work so hard to prove herself. She's from YOUR gene pool!"

Lucca gritted her teeth. "You know, I don't HAVE to return you to your time."

Daria laughed. "Really, Lucca. Is THAT your idea of a threat? My staying in your time should scare you more than me."

She was right, and Lucca knew it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Crono chuckling to himself. "Laugh it up, spikehead!" she roared in his face. Jerking back as if shocked, Crono scooted over to the other edge of his seat. Ignoring Daria's muffled laughter, Lucca hit the right button and sent them shooting toward the future.

Robo fidgeted nervously as he waited for the meeting to start. The Mother Brain had been spending a lot of time lately with the leader of the Mystics, and he had a feeling it wasn't social.

Atropos, a pretty pink robot he was dating, nudged him. "Isn't this exciting? I wonder what it's all about." Robo hesitated. She was sweet, but not too perceptive. She might not believe his suspicions.

"I don't know," he said finally. "I wouldn't get too excited, though. Might not be good."

Atropos laughed. "How could it not? I swear, you're such a worrywart sometimes."

Yeah, and it's saved my circuits a few times, he thought darkly.

Bleu frowned as she noticed for the first time the presence of the R-Series robots. Ozzie had recently begun collaborating with their Mother Brain, and it was rumored they were plotting something -- something big. Since it was most often about her, Bleu usually ignored Mystic gossip, but this time she couldn't. This time it left a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Bleu turned her attention back to Jade. "So, why is it you think I'll be interested this time? You know I don't give a rat's ass about what goes on here."

Jade just grinned. "Oh, this time you will, believe me." With that she floated off to talk to someone else.

While Rydia paced around trying to figure out a solution to their problem, Marle and Schala sat and traded stories about their adventures. "I still can't believe after what happened the first time, you agreed to try out the new version. Even if that first time is what ended up saving the future," Schala commented.

Marle shrugged. "What can I say? Temporary insanity is the only explanation." She looked around. "Boy, did we really change things. In the old future, there wasn't even Guardia. The only descendant I had was an old man named Doan."

"Oh, yes, King Doan, Daria's father."

"That's the one. By the way, who was that woman that left earlier? I didn't get to meet her."

"That was Bleu, another friend of mine. She's half-Mystic, you know."

Marle's eyes widened. "The Mystics are still around?!'

Schala nodded. "Yeah. Boy, you weren't kidding when you said you really changed things. The Mystics are as strong as ever, especially since Ozzie XXXIII took over thirteen years ago, from the more peaceful family that used to rule them. There's been trouble between them and humans ever since, most of it recent."

That was a worrisome fact, but Marle's mind was elsewhere. She'd been racking her brains, trying to figure out how to tell Schala about her brother.

Marle thought about Magus. Right now, as far as she knew, he was searching 12,000 B.C. for the girl who sat beside her. And he'd never find her there, of course, not as long as she was here. And though she'd said almost nothing about the subject, Marle knew Schala was still missing him. She had to be told. But how? She'd seen Magus, but she knew him as the sinister Prophet, not as her brother. That was weird in itself -- that her little brother was now older than her, and going by a different name. Try as she might, Marle could not for the life of her figure out a way to break it to her.

"Marle! At last! Thank goodness!"

Marle turned to see Crono, Lucca, and who must have been her descendant Daria running toward them. She gave a glad cry and ran to hug Crono. Over his shoulder she glared at Lucca, who shrank back. Daria laughed and went to greet her friends.

"Man, it's good to be back! Hey, where's Bleu?"

"She got a page from Ozzie XXXIII and headed back to Medina," Schala explained.

"OZZIE?!" Crono and Lucca exclaimed.

Marle sighed. "I'll fill you in. You are not gonna like this." Marle told them what had happened, including Schala's story.

Lucca shook her head. "You're right. I don't like this. The last time there was trouble between Mystics and humans, war broke out. In this era, war would be much more devastating. And that may not be all they're planning. I wonder what..."

At the moment, Bleu was about to find out: the meeting was finally starting.

"My fellow Mystics, I have gathered you here today to announce the plan which will leave us in control of this planet and the pitiful humans our subjects." Ozzie gestured to the Mother Brain, who stood beside him. "As you all know, I have collaborating with Hera, here, for several weeks. Now that our plan is formulated, it will be put into action. And that plan is WAR! Yes, war! The Mystics and the R-Series will team up to attack and annihilate the silly humans. Our first move will be to invade and occupy Porre and Choras. Shade will lead the Porre force, and Jade will lead the Choras force. Jade, if it's all right with you, Bleu will be your second-in-command."

"Oh, great Ozzie, of course it is," Jade purred.

"Excuse me?!" Bleu exclaimed. "Your offer is very generous, but I can't accept. I have no desire to fight in your stupid war."

Ozzie smiled evilly. "My dear Bleu, that was not an offer. That was an order. You may not want to fight, but you will. I hereby officially impress you into the army. The fighting forces leave tomorrow. Guards, take her away."