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Prelude

Crono was awoken from a fitful sleep, his wife of many years still slept soundly beside him. It was cold that night in the forest near the ruins of Guardia Castle. He did not know why they had returned, both knew how dangerous it would be with Porre no doubt still searching for them, even after five years in exile. They had never strayed too far, having had to leave their friend Lucca behind.

He stood up and went to the nearby stream to splash water over his face. As he looked up to the south he saw a red glow in the sky. He had seen a glow like it before, when Porre sacked Guardia and burned his home town of Truce to the ground. Now he saw it again and immediately knew its source.

He held back from muttering a curse under his breath and returned to where his wife slept. He picked up his katana from where it lay next to their makeshift bed and shook his wife awake.

“Crono,” she muttered as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. Crono motioned to the south, where they could see smoke rising off the horizon. She jumped up, grabbing her crossbow. “By God!” she exclaimed. Crono gave her a look meaning for her to stay put, but Nadia, the last Queen of Guardia would have none of it. “You don’t really think I’m going to stay here while my friend is in trouble do you?”

Crono shook his head. He knew her better than that. He then gave her a nod of approval. For a moment, he was reminded of when they first met, and she now showed for the first time in nearly five years some of that old spirit which had nearly disappeared after they lost Guardia. He pushed those thoughts aside as they began running towards the old orphanage, expecting at any moment a contingent of Porre soldiers to come running after them, knowing they kept a close watch on both Lucca and the Orphanage.

They traveled easily over the wilderness, only ten years had passed since their adventure through time and both were in top shape. Any soldiers that did come after them would have a hard time keeping up.

They arrived to find the house in a blazing inferno. Crono didn’t see how anything could have survived in there, but to his surprise he saw two figures emerge from the house, a young boy that could not have been older than he and Nadia when they had their grand adventure all those years ago and a young girl holding onto him tightly. While they had not spoken to Lucca in years, both knew that it must have been Kid, the child found by Lucca shortly after their adventure.

Seeing them safely outside, Crono started to run towards the house, but Nadia grabbed him and held him back.

“Crono, no!” She cried as the house collapsed in on itself. “It’s too late,” she said sadly, tears freely flowing down her cheeks. Crono knew she was right. They could both hear the sounds of screaming children who flocked around the boy who helped them escape. Crono looked frantically around for Lucca, but she was nowhere to be seen. The young girl in the boy’s arms was crying out for her big sister, crying out for Lucca.

Crono could not help but feel his own tears in his eyes as he thought of his friend, if only they could have been there. Absently his hand fell to his chest, where he had a scar from the battle with Porre five years ago. If only he had been stronger.

He watched with interest as the boy carried the young girl away from the orphanage. They could hear alarms from the distance and knew that Porre was on its way to put out what was left of the blaze and clean up the mess. Crono wanted to help, but knew they would have to leave quickly if they wanted to escape from the armies of Porre.

“Lucca wasn’t in there,” Nadia said firmly. “She just wasn’t, I know it.” Crono nodded in agreement. He had known Lucca almost his entire life before his exile. The thought of losing her saddened him greatly. But he also knew that they had to get away, as they could see the soldiers of Porre approaching. They silently slipped away into the darkness of the forest, and as they did, Crono looked back for the boy. He saw the girl still standing on the hill crying, but the boy was now gone. The soldiers had arrived to put out the fire and Crono lingered at the edge of the forest watching, amazed to see that the girl, too, had vanished.

They did not sleep the rest of the night, talking about what would become of the children and if they could help. They decided to stay in the area for another day or so, any longer and they would take an even greater risk than they had of detection by Porre.
The next night, they returned to the remains of the Orphanage, Porre had already gone over most of it, and they had to dodge an encampment that was set up nearby to conduct the investigation.

They searched the grounds as best they could, looking for any signs of Lucca and where she might have gone or who might have taken her. They discovered by listening in on the contingent stationed there that all the children save one was accounted for, which Crono assumed was the girl, Kid.

“I searched for the Epoch,” Nadia said later, when they were a safe distance away and could speak freely. “There was no sign of it.” This troubled Crono, as it clearly did Nadia. “She wouldn’t have abandoned her kids would she? I hope Porre didn’t find it. It could have been the reason for the attack.” Crono said nothing. He doubted Porre found it, or the soldiers might have mentioned something. Still, he said a silent prayer for the future, and the past.

Where, or when, the Epoch and Lucca had gone to, neither had the answers for…

The shadowy figure approached the beach, summoning up magic to float on the air and meld with the shadows to avoid detection. He saw the two figures sitting there, half expecting one of them to be Schala, his lost sister. He was disappointed to see that the girl had red hair, not the natural blonde of Schala or the blue headpiece she wore in Zeal. The boy sitting next to her was of great interest to him. He had been touched by Schala, had met her recently. Then this was the last piece of the puzzle for him to find her and be at peace.

Still, he hesitated for a moment, perhaps out of sentimentality, but more likely as regarded to two in a slightly different light. Something felt wrong. The girl had her head on the boy’s shoulder, and the boy had his arm around her. But in his visions, he had seen Schala embracing the boy as might a lover, indicating some destiny between the two. Of course, none of that matter now. Destiny, as the shadowed man knew all too well could change, and soon there would be no more destinies to be fulfilled.

“So, I have found you at last,” the man said, melting away from the shadows into the sunlight of the beach.

Serge leapt quickly to his feet, lifting his swallow in front of him as he did. Leena remained on the ground behind him, Serge taking a defensive position in front of her. The man raised his hand and sent forth a burst of magical energy, meant to disarm the boy, but the boy raised the Mastermune in front of him, deflecting the burst harmlessly away.

The man took a step back, his mouth agape. “The Masamune,” he whispered. He thought it to be lost, corrupted after it’s theft from Guardia, and yet here it was and as great a force of good as ever. “How very interesting, it’s power, it’s all there.”

The swallow quivered in Serge’s hand, feeling the energy from the man. It remembered him from so very long ago.

“Who are you?” Leena demanded from behind Serge, not nearly as afraid as she had been a second ago, Serge had that affect on her.

The man smiled and lowered his hood, revealing his pale features and long silvery hair. His ears ended in sharp points and his canine teeth appeared slightly elongated as he spoke. “I am called Magus.”

The Mastermune quivered in Serge’s hand at the mention of the name. He was wary, staring at the man claiming to be Magus. Even in El Nido, the legend of that name proceeded him, a wizard from the 7th Century who was defeated at the hands of the great Sir Glenn wielding the very blade Serge now held in his hands. Serge gave Magus an incredulous look, there was no way the wizard could still be alive after 400 years, and yet something about him felt familiar.

“I have been searching for you, Serge,” Magus continued, noting the look in the boys eyes. “You and I both are looking for the same thing, or perhaps, the same person.”

Serge’s eyes now flashed wide and he lowered his swallow a bit, the girl. I’ll find ya, Serge…Serge…KID! The name came flashing back to his brain and he gripped his head in pain, dropping the swallow completely.

“Serge!” Leena shouted. “What did you do to him?”

Magus stared hard. Then the boy did not remember. Memories came flooding back into Serge’s head, he remembered Kid now and looked up at Magus.

“That’s right, my sister Schala, or as you knew her, ‘Kid.’” Magus said as Leena helped Serge back up to her feet. “Help me find her, and you too shall know peace, no more dreams, only reality. I too have sought her out, ever since the defeat of Lavos by Crono of Truce and Nadia of Guardia. I played my own part in that struggle, now I wish only for my own peace, to find my sister before the end. I had nearly given up, until I found out about Kid and your adventure this past summer.”

“What are you talking about?” Leena demanded. “Serge has been here the whole ti—“ She paused, and then she knew, that was what changed Serge when she found him on the beach, that was what he couldn’t tell her about, because he didn’t even know himself. Serge once more gripped his head in pain and Leena held onto him tight.

“My sister, she must have buried those memories, at least until she found him again. But she underestimated the strength of those memories and Serge’s love for Kid.”

“Serge,” Leena pleaded, “Let’s go. Magus was supposed to be a cruel man. Let’s go back to the village.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks, what if he were telling the truth, what if Serge did love this Kid and not her. Serge remained still.

Magus paused, he was cruel wasn’t he, but he also was not the villain here, “My dear, Serge knows the truth, he wants to find Schala as much as I. He knows that I can help him. Come with me and together, your dream will come true.” Serge looked up at him, still shaken by the pain in his head. Magus smiled at him, “Oh yes, I know of your dream. Schala is waiting for you at the beach. I have seen it as well in my dreams.”

Magus held his hand out to him. Serge paused looking at the hand and considered for a long moment.
“He’s at the beach,” Marle explained to the three visitors to the small hut in Arni Village. “He went there not long ago with Leena.” Marle smiled at the mention of the name. “What do you need him for?”

“Oh, we wanted to talk with him about something that happened earlier this summer,” Marle explained.

“He’s not in any trouble is he?”

“Oh, no,” Marle said. “We just need to talk to him about it.”

“You know, he has been acting strange since a few weeks ago, even for Serge. He’s never been much on conversation, but sometimes I just don’t understand the boy.”

Marle giggled, “Oh, that I can understand, believe me.” She nudged her husband just a bit, who sat in the hut recovering from his injury. “We’ll do what we can to help him.”

In fact, she didn’t really know what that might entail. Crono and Glenn stood, bowing neatly to Marge as they left the hut.

“Thanks again,” Marle called as they left.

Marge waved to them as they left, but she was worried for her son.

“I know of the beach,” Glenn said as they walked from the village. “It’s not far.” He led them down the path to the beach, but when they arrived they noticed a figure which was quite recognizable to both Crono and Marle.

“Janus,” Marle whispered. The last they saw him, he was in 12,000 B.C. looking for his sister, Schala. Marle and Crono exchanged a look and then Crono motioned for them to hide in the bushes and watch. Both silently dreaded what Magus’s true purpose here might be, as even though he helped them against Lavos, Magus kept his own agenda.

Magus still had his hand held out to Serge. Glenn in the bushes nearby dropped his hand to his sword, instinctively not liking the wizard. Crono put his hand on Glenn’s shoulder and shook his head. Now was not the time.

Serge then looked up into Magus’s eye and his expression filled with resolve. He took Magus’s outstretched hand, prompting Leena to collapse back in the sand beside him, eyes filled with tears freely flowing again.

Serge bent down and picked her up, wiping the tears from her face and giving her a smile. He embraced her briefly, and Leena stopped crying. For the first time, she truly saw the old fire return to Serge and knew this to be the right course for him. She parted from him and looked him in the eyes, making a resolution herself.

“I’m coming with you!” Leena stated firmly. Serge nodded his approval and smiled at her. Magus was silent beside them for a moment, considering.

“If you must,” he said finally. “But come, we should retire back to the village, I doubt I am the only one looking for you.” He cast a glance into the bushes and Crono and company tensed for a second. But if Magus saw them, he gave no indication, and he led Serge and Leena back to the village.

Crono, Marle, and Glenn lingered at the beach for a moment after they left. Crono went to stand on the spot that Serge and Leena had occupied a few moments before, bending down to examine the sand and closing his eyes as if feeling a presence there.

“I don’t understand,” Glenn said when he felt it safe. “Who is Janus?”

Marle smiled softly, “he was better known as Magus throughout Guardia over 400 years ago. The question is, why is he here? After we defeated the Entity the Gates were closed and he was left in 12000 B.C.”

Glenn’s puzzled expression grew darker and he sat down on a nearby tree stump. “Guardia, the Entity, 400-year old wizards, I’m completely lost.”

“Janus Zeal was born in the ancient Kingdom of Zeal thousands of years ago. When the kingdom fell trying to harness the power of Lavos, he was sent to the 6th Century where he was raised by Mystics and became known as Magus, an enemy of Guardia. Though, his true goal was the destruction of Lavos and to that end, he eventually allied himself with us,” Marle explained as sympathetically as she could.

Glenn scratched his head, “So you are telling me this is the same wizard that my ancestors fought against all those Centuries ago?”

Marle nodded.

Glenn stood up, hand falling to his sword. “Then I shall finish the job if need be.”

Crono put his hand on his shoulder and again shook his head.

“Again you hold me back?” Glenn frowned. “Is he not evil?”

Marle smiled, “it’s not as simple as that. Janus can be misguided, but he did help us fight Lavos.”

“Just who are you, how do you know all this?”

“All in good time,” Marle said. “It’s starting to get dark, we should head back to the village and keep an eye on Janus. The ship for Choras leaves early tomorrow and we’ll all need our rest.”

“Am I to come with you then,” Glenn asked.

“Of course!” Marle nodded. “General Viper did put you at our disposal did he not? We’ve got a long journey ahead of us and if you haven’t noticed, we’re not as young as we used to be.” She gave a sympathetic smile to her husband, who she knew must be in considerable pain at the moment.

“Who are you?”
Back in Arni, Magus and Serge settled at the local restaurant run by Belcha. Over a bowl of Heckran Bone soup, Magus explained a bit of the next step. “We’ll have to open the gates,” he explained, but Serge was hardly listening. Leena had returned home for the night and Serge intended to leave early tomorrow without her.

Magus continued, “I’m not sure how that might be accomplished. Perhaps we might find something at the ruins of the orphanage.” That sounded familiar to Serge, the orphanage, but what memories had returned were still a jumbled mess. The thought of flames crossed his mind and he shuddered at the thought. But then there was Kid… what did she have to do with the Orphanage?

“In any case, we’ll travel to Zenan, though I am loathe to confront the armies of Porre. Lucca must have left something else behind that we could use.” Serge remained silent, not really understanding what Magus was talking about and not much caring either. His thoughts centered on Kid, he tried to pull out more memories of all, each one precious to him, but no more came. I’ll find ya.

Shortly after, Serge returned to his hut. When he returned, he searched below his bed where he found a strange rock he had in his hand when he woke on the beach those weeks ago. He didn’t know what it meant at the time but now, thinking of Kid and the Orphanage, he wondered if it might be connected. He put it in his pocket and collapsed on his bed, soon sound asleep.

The ship arrived at Choras a few nights later without incident. When they arrived, Marle breathed a sigh of relief that they had not been attacked during the trip. There was talk of increased pirate activity on the waters, and a ship from El Nido could appear as an appetizing catch.

She was equally relieved not to find a Porre contingent awaiting them. Their descriptions had spread too quickly through El Nido as it was, and word was sure to reach back to Porre. Marle prayed that they did not learn that General Viper had assisted them there.

Crono was doing much better thanks to the tender care of Marle, with some assistance from Glenn’s healing Elements. Magus remained in the cabin during the trip, sullen as ever, not uttering more than a few words the entire way. It was just as well, he previous comment had stung Marle fairly deeply, even after fifteen years since she was ousted as ruler of Guardia. As such, Marle avoided him the entire trip.

Serge was equally quiet, partly due to his own injury which he was attempting to hide, and also because he kept being lost in his own thoughts. He could feel her, could feel Kid calling out to him, and he had to resist the temptation to run back to El Nido and to Opassa just to see if she might be there. He learned very little more about the former King and Queen during the trip, but he would help them if he could.

If he understood what he did know correctly, Kid has initially been raised by Lucca. If he could help them find her, perhaps they could then help him find Kid. They seemed to instill a different kind of confidence than Magus did, and almost regretted his deal with the wizard. However, Serge was a man of his word and would help Magus find his sister Schala as best he could.

He wanted to ask Marle about Magus, but he was ever present in the cabin, and Marle refused to leave Crono’s side, probably would not have eaten if Glenn had not brought them food. But Crono was now on his way to recovery and they had arrived in Choras.

The port was fairly new, having been built in the last fifteen years. It was fortified and guarded, no doubt in defense from Porre’s aggression. Marle sadly knew that if Porre threw the entire weight of it’s military vessel against Choras, the port would quickly fall.

As it was, Choras did trade with both the Porre Regime on Zenan and El Nido, and as such was not on bad terms with the military state. Their wealth was not great, but it had been enhanced through the healthy trading with El Nido.

The companions did not go towards the inn, which surprised Serge. Marle explained that Porre had spies here and they needed to keep a lower profile. Instead, they headed north, towards an old keep called the Heroes Grave. It looked abandoned and in disrepair. They all entered, Magus somewhat reluctantly. Glenn however was in awe.

“The Heroes’ Grave. It’s said that Sir Glenn himself is interred here,” he said reverently. This prompted a snort from Magus. Glenn flashed him an angry look, but held his tongue. They descended into the castle’s basement and to the grave of the hero Sir Glenn. Marle knelt before it.

“Hi there, Frog old friend, sorry it’s been so long.” She placed a kiss on the stone slab over the grave and smiled, a tear falling from her eye. Crono placed his hand comfortingly on her shoulder, and then moved towards a nearby drape. He moved the drape out of the way and removed a stone from the wall, knocking in a series on a piece of wood behind it. A similar knock followed and Crono knocked a final sequence and stepped back.

The wall opened up into another chamber and a soldier saluted Crono.

“Your Highness.” Crono returned the salute and Marle stood from the grave. Glenn looked amazed and Magus could simply smile.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding all these years,” Magus said. “The Remnants of Guardia.”

Marle nodded solemnly. They were taken to an open chamber, where a few soldiers held conference with Crono. Marle excused herself and went to check on Serge. Serge had gone out to the grave of Sir Glenn while Crono held his meetings, lost in his own thoughts.

“You know, Janus’s heart is in the right place. It really is,” she told him. Serge looked at her surprised. “You really are like Crono, aren’t you? Neither of you say very much, yet you can say so much to those that know how to listen. I’ve learned quite a bit from Crono over the years. Janus does truly want to find his sister, but be careful, he’ll use just about any means to achieve his ends.” Serge nodded quietly. “But don’t worry, we’ll be here to keep an eye on him,” she said with a smile.

Serge wondered for how long that would be true.

Magus then appeared out of the shadows behind them. “Your words are almost too kind, Queen.” He uttered the last word with a sarcastic sneer. “But you know me too well.”

He turned to see Crono and Glenn appear from the passage.

“Alright,” Marle said. “Spill it. What do you intend to do?”

Magus regarded her for a long moment. “Open the Gates,” he finally said, gravely.

“What? Why! You of all people know how dangerous that can be!”

“I do. I also know that it may be the only way I’ll ever be reunited with my sister. As you said, the ends justify the means.”

“But Lavos?”

“Lavos is no longer an issue. None of it matters, the Black Wind has started to howl, and I intend to find my sister before the end.”

“What does that mean?”

Magus was silent. “It no longer matters,” he said after a long pause. “But, you will help me, and in turn I can help you find Lucca.”

“What!” Marle was taken aback. “You know where Lucca is.”

“It is not a matter of where, I last saw her with him.” Magus indicated the grave.

“How is that possible?”

Magus smiled at her, “I pray you never learn the answer to that, for your own sake.” His tone was icy cold as he finished the words. Glenn could only stare at him, a gaze as cold as Magus’s words.

“How do you intend to open the Gates?” Marle asked finally, deflated.

“Now that is the problem. The solution I think may be the boy. As you know he was able to unlock a Gate to travel and save Kid from the Orphanage.”

“How do you—“ Marle began.

“I was there as well,” Magus admitted.

“What!” Marle’s hand curled into a fist. “If you had anything to do with that fire!”

“I guarantee you I did not,” Magus retorted quickly. Then, smoothly, he said, “I was merely watching over Kid.” Marle thought this was a lie, but said nothing about it.

Serge reflected on his dream for a moment. There was something about it, some clue. Was he seeing through Magus’s eyes then? If so, why was he so interested in Lucca?

“In any case,” Magus continued. “We need to find the Gate Key, or even better the Epoch. Though I have a feeling Lucca took that when she left. It probably would also not hurt to have a Time Egg, though I do not believe Lucca ever succeeded in creating one.”

Serge’s hand fell to his pocket. A time egg. Then a flash of memory came to him. A time egg! That’s how he got to the Orphanage! He now remembered rescuing the children and saving Kid there. He still gave no indication to the others that the memory had returned, save for what was shown in his eyes. The others seemed to distracted by Magus’s words to take notice.

Marle frowned, “we never did find the Gate Key that she had, not that it would have been much good with the gates closed. But, we also never found the Epoch. Our spies also hadn’t indicated that Porre had found it. If they had, wouldn’t we notice something?” She looked to Crono, who had a look of serious contemplation on his face. Marle’s face shared his concern as both had the same thought.

There was a long silence, finally Marle said, “I can’t imagine Lucca taking the Epoch and just leaving the children like that.”

Magus’s expression never changed as his cold eyes met Marle’s, “no, that wouldn’t be in her character at all would it.”
The meeting didn’t last much longer, there was nothing left to say, and so each of them retired to the quarters that the Remnant of Guardia had prepared for them. However, sleep did not come easily for Crono, who was lost in his thoughts about Porre and his own failing to protect Guardia. Some king, hiding away in abandoned ruins.

Crono got up from his bed, Marle only stirring slightly as he left her and went out into the cold night air, surprised to find that the door was left open. His hand went to the hilt of his sword as he walked cautiously out of the keep.

He relaxed when he saw Serge, sitting alone looking up at the night sky. It was quiet, the last quiet night they would get for some time, thought Crono. His hand left his sword and he went and sat next to the young boy.

They both sat there for some time, neither knew how long exactly. Not a word passed between the two, but then neither needed them. As the first rays of sunlight started to rise over the valley, they both stood and returned to their quarters. As they left, their gazes met and both smiled, having bonded in their own special way.
Morning came, and the companions awoke and began planning over the meager breakfast prepared for them. Magus woke with a renewed sense of urgency and pushed the other to get moving.

“Our time is running out,” Magus stated simply, opening the meeting. “We must open the gates tonight.”

“It will be difficult to get into Porre, we don’t have many option left to us,” Marle replied, tiredly.

“But not impossible,” Magus said. “And we have an advantage over them.” He looked at Glenn. “Acacia and Porre are on speaking terms.”

“It would draw notice,” Glenn said. “What hasn’t been make public knowledge is that things are getting strained between us. If we go by sea, which would take time, then we would need to remain hidden as much as possible, but I’m certain I could get us passage there.”

“Maybe a trader’s ship, someone who is friendly to our cause?” Marle suggested.

“It’s a possibility.” Magus admitted.

“Good then perhaps you will come with me?” Glenn said, wanting to keep an eye on Magus.

Magus shook his head, “no, I have my own reasons for wanting to remain hidden from the eyes of Porre. Reasons that I’m sure Crono will understand.” Crono looked up at Magus, not saying a word. Could Magus have had something to do with Porre’s rise to power? It was a mystery better left for another day, but Crono felt he was indeed beginning to understand.

“Very well,” Glenn said grudgingly.

“I’ll go too,” Marle said. Looking over at Magus, wondering just what both he and Crono knew that they were not telling her. Crono told her everything, in his own way, but she couldn’t help feeling kept in the dark by both of them.

Crono gave her a look of concern.

“Oh, don’t be silly, I’ve gone out many times before and Glenn will need someone to direct him to the right people,” Marle stated. Crono nodded in agreement, but still he didn’t feel right about it.

Glenn and Marle left together, leaving Serge, Crono, and Magus alone together. Crono and Serge went up to the grave of Sir Glenn, Crono wishing to pay his respects again before leaving. He knelt down in silence in front of the tomb.

Magus then approached, staring down at Crono as he floated along gently on the air.

“Your wound,” Magus said.

Crono remained silent, but opened his eyes and raised his gaze until it locked with Magus’s. He thought of his final battle with Porre and the blow that was delivered to him that fateful night. More than a physical wound, it had pierced his soul leaving wounds both physical and spiritual that would never heal. While he never really talked much, he never spoke of the wound.

“You are wondering if I am responsible for the rise of Porre and subsequently the Fall of Guardia,” Magus stated.

Serge stood nearby, watching, but then something behind the gravestone of Sir Glenn caught his eye. He went back to look for it, but couldn’t find it. Magus continued to speak to Crono, but Serge was no longer paying attention. His eyes fell on an engraved image on the gravestone and then realized he had seen it before, the Masamune.

Serge knew the legend, knew that Sir Glenn had reforged the sword and wielded it in battle, obviously in a larger battle than just the one against Magus, as the stories had indicated. After which it became an heirloom within the Kingdom of Guardia, until it was stolen shortly before the kingdom fell.

Legend had it the sword appeared in El Nido, legends which Serge now thought true. Sir Glenn may have wielded the Masamune, but Serge had mastered it. Memories came to his head, using the Einlanzer to dispel it’s evil energy, of a great battle and finally taming the blade, making it won with his swallow. In his heart, he knew these to be his true memories, and understood more about what happened earlier this summer. Now if he could only find Kid.

Lost in thought for a moment, he then caught movement from behind the tombstone. Serge reached behind it, grabbing ahold of a small creature and pulling it out. It gave a squeal catching the attention of Crono and Magus who both drew their weapons. Magus relaxed when he saw who the creature was.

“Doreen,” he said, putting away his scythe and regarding the impish creature. “I suppose you were the missing link in what happened to the Masamune when it passed to the boy.”

Serge set Doreen down who brushed herself off.

“Janus!” Doreen said. “So you’re the reason Masa and Mune ran off again, just like when you were a child. Always ‘black wind this’ and ‘black wind that.’ When you showed up here it gave them quite a fright.”

Magus snarled, “Why? I only seek to find my sister.”

“Because, the black wind swirls around you. Surely you’ve felt it,” Doreen replied.

Magus was silent.

Doreen continued, frowning, “Well, I suppose its good Crono found you when you did. You would let everything pass away just to find her, including the boy Serge, who if I need remind you saved your sister.”

Crono looked over at Magus, there was something the wizard was not telling them.

“It’s also a good thing they respect Crono, or they might have caused more damage to the village than they did,” Doreen stated, flashing Crono a smile.

“Yes, good for Crono,” Magus muttered.

“The black wind almost corrupted them again, just like when the sword was stolen. I wish Sir Glenn hadn’t left them all alone.”

Magus sneered in contempt. “You mean died,” he said coldly.

“No, he left them. Watch.” Doreen floated above the tomb of Sir Glenn. A bright light enveloped her and the tomb, when it faded the slab of marble covering the tomb was gone along with Doreen. A dagger appeared in Serge’s hand, Doreen’s voice whispering in his mind, we’ll find Masa and Mune together and stop the Black Wind.

Magus and Crono peered into the tomb, finding it empty, save for an old helmet and pair of glasses.

“Lucca,” Crono said.

The companions could not rest long, as on the horizon; they saw the first light of dawn. Normally a glimmer of hope, each had a sense of dread floating over them as they saw that pale light. They didn’t have much time left if the gates were to be open by dawn.

Magus drew on what little magic he had left and cloaked them in darkness as they moved through the continent. They approached the Zenan Bridge to find it heavily fortified and a contingent of armored vehicles passing over it. Each passed swiftly through the shadows, aided by Magus’s spell to remain hidden in the darkness.

Finally they arrived on the other side, the former Kingdom of Guardia. They moved through the forest, Marle glancing sadly at the ruins of Guardia Castle. Crono placed his hand on her comfortingly. They had no time to stop and reminisce, time was growing short.

What remained of Truce was little more than a Porre military base, a few of the buildings had been rebuilt to cater to them, but it was a shadow of it’s former glory. They avoided patrols and finally arrived at the ruins of the Ashtear home.

There was little left of the house, a few piles of rubble here and there, all of it now overgrown with weeds. They knew that it was the right place, Crono and later Marle having come here countless times in happier years now nearly forgotten.

“This is it,” Marle said sadly, taking a moment of remembrance for their old friend. “We searched around here as best we could after the fire, but never did find anything.” When they had originally returned to the site years ago, Marle dreaded finding her friend’s body, hoping that they would find her alive. They found neither.

Glenn shook his head, looking around, “There’s nothing here. Porre would have swept the area after the fire, hoping to find bits of technology that had survived or been left behind.”

Crono nodded in agreement slowly, stoking his chin in thought.

“They did,” Marle conceded. “And they found some of it, I’m sure. There was plenty we left behind here, not having the time or resources to recover all of it while avoiding the patrols. But there were no signs of Lucca or anything from our trip through time.”

Serge walked through the remains of the house, retracing the steps he took when he rescued the children. He could now see vividly the burning walls, could smell the tick smoke, even did a few turns as if battling unseen demons. Then he stopped. He remembered his vision and slowly retraced the steps of Lucca through the flames, finally coming to where she stopped.

There was rubble here, but Serge picked through it until he found solid earth. He paused, disappointed that his vision was wrong.

“Then I doubt we will find anything now,” Magus said slowly, having remained quiet until now, merely watching Serge and paying little attention to the conversation at hand. “Unless Serge can provide us with some insight.”

Serge looked up at them, thinking of his vision. He was missing something. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he started digging.

At that point, pain ripped through his head and he gripped it, dirt and soot covering his hair.

Find me, Serge, a voice implored. Find me.

Serge gave out a shout, “KID!” then began to dig quickly, forgetting everything else.

The others could only stand back and watch shocked.

“I think he’s finally lost it,” Magus snorted. “We better hurry, Porre will have heard that shout.”

Then, Serge’s hand caught hold of something metal and he pulled with all of his might. At the same time, the sound of turning gears filled the air, grinding together from years of neglect and the earth swung open beneath Serge, sending him toppling over.

Crono and Marle both appeared shocked at what they saw, a staircase descended down under where the house would have been. Glenn could only star wide-eyed and Magus had a cold look of amusement on his face.

“Seems there was more to Lucca than what she told you,” Magus said coldly. Crono flashed him a look of anger, and felt his hand ball up into a fist. Lucca was his best friend outside of Marle. What secret could she have possibly kept from him? Only the sound of Marle’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“She had her secrets the same as us,” she said. It was only partially true, there was precious little they had kept from Lucca. Marle’s tone reflected a degree of hurt that echoed Crono’s thoughts.

Serge moved down the stairs. His vision had ended when she had descended the stairs in the house, and he needed to know what was down there. The others quickly followed him, Magus taking up the rear.

The stairs led down into a large laboratory, well kept save for a layer of dust that covered everything. As they entered, electric lights turned on automatically. There were devices in various stages of construction or repair in nearly every corner, littering the floor. A chalkboard still had complex equations written in nearly every free space on both sides and schematics covered the walls. One of the schematics was clearly the Epoch.

“It was here!” Marle exclaimed. “The Epoch was here!” The was an area large enough to house their time ship, but now it was empty save for the docking rig Lucca had set up.for it. Marle began to search through Lucca’s desk, finding a leather bound book which she quickly flipped through. It was equal parts technical journal and personal diary. She found one of the last personal entries and took notice of the date. Our wedding? She thought, noting that it matched the day she and Crono were married. She tucked the book away and continued looking as did the others.

“Maybe she took it with her,” Glenn suggested. Crono considered this as likely, and some things started making a bit of sense, Lucca no doubt didn’t want either of the items to fall into the hands of Porre so she hid them away somewhere in the past. But still, he didn’t think she would abandon the children.

Magus looked around, moving almost casually. Serge was keeping his eye on Magus, thinking that he was up to something. Serge felt his pocket to make sure his rock was still there. It was. Then he jumped as something small bumped into his foot. It was a tiny robot that looked up at him expectantly. He picked it up and held it in his hand for a long moment. It cocked it’s head slightly and pointed to a schematic on the wall. It appeared to be a schematic of the robot which he held. Serge shrugged at the robot who again pointed, this time with more urgency. Serge walked over to the schematic and pulled it down from the wall. There was a safe on the wall with a keypad.

Marle looked over with delight, “Prometheus!” She exclaimed. “He’s tell us where the key is!” She approached the safe, wondering what the combination would be. Crono also looked on. Serge scratched his head at the symbols there, thinking. Finally, Serge inputted the code, having remembered something similar from when he rescued the children: LARA.

The safe opened and Marle gave a cry for joy, there was the time key. “How did you know?” Marle asked. Serge merely gave a wink and a shrug. His memory of those events was getting clearer, but he also wondered if something else wasn’t guiding his steps, FATE maybe? He dismissed the thought.

“Obviously, she kept these things hidden away from prying eyes,” Magus stated. “If stories of your, ahem our adventure spread, others would want to go back and right their own wrongs, no doubt causing more problems then you already have. Lucca was right to keep it here.” It was almost comforting, strange to hear it from the enigmatic wizard.

“And now we have our own wrong to right,” Glenn said. “What happened to Lucca and Schala.”

“Well, we have the key,” Marle said. “That’s something, and we also know that at some point she met up with Sir Glenn.”

“The gate at the fairgrounds,” Magus said. “It will take us to the appropriate time. But the gates are still sealed after the Entity was destroyed. To even have a chance at opening them we would need to have a Time Egg, seeing as the Epoch is gone along with the one person who would know when or where it would be.”

Serge frowned and he reached into his pocket, pulling out the small stone. He held it up for the others to see.

“Is that?” Marle asked, her eyes growing wide.

“The Time Egg,” Magus finished.
They took with them several of the schematics relating to the Gate Key and Epoch. Porre would soon find the hidden lab as they were no doubt on their way. Time had run out. There was not much else of use, although Serge did keep Prometheus with him. Something was bothering him about his vision of Lucca, she seemed off from everything else he heard about her. There was something else in his memory that didn’t add up, something else he knew about Lucca, but the memory had not come to him. Eventually, he knew that he would sort it out, but for the time being they had unlocked a big piece of the puzzle.

They emerged from the lab to hear alarms coming from Truce Base. Soldiers were already starting to mobilize.

“We need to move now,” Magus said, cursing that he did not have enough energy left for another cloaking spell. They ran for the forest, disappearing into it just before the troops would catch sight of them. The sun still had not appeared over the horizon but the sky was bright enough for them to know it would at any moment.

The troops called out about their finding and cautiously descended into the laboratory. This provided the companions enough of a distraction that they could move towards the old fairgrounds.

They darted between the ramshackle buildings that remained in Truce or had been hastily rebuilt, arriving at the fairgrounds. The Porre base had been built on top of the site, and they had to be careful not to get caught by the troops on high alert after the earlier commotion. They could see the remains of the old bell which had rung so clearly all those years ago when Marle first met Crono, it was in the center of the base and served as a grim monument to Guardia’s Fall.

Finally they arrived at the old clearing where Crono and Marle’s adventure had begun so long ago, in another lifetime. Crono could feel the energy of the Gate there, as could Serge. The Time Egg quivered in his hand.

“I can feel the energy of the Gate,” Magus said, eyes closed in concentration. “It’s waiting for us. I can almost feel the energy of Schala… or Lavos. Something is on the other side.”

“But how can we open it?” Glenn asked. They heard shouts of soldiers running towards the clearing. They looked back over their shoulders, they had been spotted with no where else to run.

“Now, Serge,” Magus said. “Use the Egg, open the Gate!”

Crono and Glenn drew their weapons engaging the first of the troops as they arrived. Crono was obviously straining and Marle too drew her crossbow and was firing at the enemy soldiers as they poured into the clearing, threatening to overwhelm them. Magus had his scythe at the ready, but did not engage the troops.

Serge held the Time Egg high, energy swirling out of the egg around him. It reacted with the energy of the Gate. Tendrils of light and energy burst forth as the Gate opened, swallowing Serge with it.

“Serge!” Marle shouted, jumping in behind him. Crono grunted and fell, clutching at his wound, blood staining his tunic. A soldier had broken through Crono as he fell, engaging Magus. Magus quickly cut him down, but others were swarming in.

Cursing, Magus leapt through the Gate, looking back at Crono as he did. The Gate closed behind him just in time to see Crono and Glenn overrun by Porre’s soldiers.

She felt it, a change in the darkness around her. For a moment she thought the Black Wind had finally caught her and it was over, then the pendant around her neck glowed, cutting through the darkness. She fell through, breaking free and then falling endlessly through the void.

...... and, that's it. Some of the text may have gotten messed up during the transfer, but I haven't changed anything intentionally. I hope you enjoyed it.