Circa 1200 BC

Cecie sat, shivering, in front of a fire in a hut in the Earthbound Village. She held an earthenware bowl of warm soup in her hands, and a blanket made of hide was draped around her shoulders. Ayla sat next to her, noisily gulping down her own soup. Glenn, across the fire from her, was showing his knightly display of manners, and sipped his soup slowly and with less noise.

Risk was off checking the village out, and no one knew - or, frankly, cared - where Magus had floated off to.

Cecie raised her eyes at the sound of the mew of a kitten. A little boy was standing in the doorway, holding an adorable lavender kitten in his hands. He set the cat down, and walked over to Glenn and Ayla. That looks like the kitten Magus had earlier, Cecie thought.

"You two were here before, weren't you? When the Black Omen rose from the sea." Glenn nodded, and the boy let out an awed breath. The kitten mewed again, and ran out the door. The boy looked behind him, saw his cat was gone, and trotted after it.

Cecie took a drink of soup, but looked up yet again at the sound of a mew. She expected to see the boy yet again, but instead she saw the grim face of Magus as he entered the hut. She saw the kitten was following him, mewling at him for attention.

Weird, she thought. That cat seems to only like the boy. And Magus! She shook her head, and watched the sorcerer warily. He looked down, almost fondly, at the lavender kitten. He stooped and picked it up. Cecie's eyes widened, for she thought he was going to harm the small cat. But Magus stroked it absently on the head, the small thing purring loud enough to fill the hut with a content whirring sound.

Magus saw her staring at him, and his glare turned to ice. "And what, pray tell, are you staring at?" That was the second time he'd said that, and he had a feeling he'd be saying it a lot from now on.

"That cat," the Princess replied, "You were holding it at that cliff place. Is it yours?"

Magus glared at her. "That isn't any of your business."

"It was just a simple question; don't get all uppity on me here," grumbled the girl, sipping her soup while glaring at the mage. She set the bowl down, and wrapped the blanket tighter around herself.

Lucca ducked into the hut, and was closely followed by Risk. The boy set a braided whip on the ground next to Cecie, and sat down next to her. "I bout that for a coupla hundred gold. You'll need to learn how to use it to defend yourself."

Cecie waved her hand absently. "I already know how to use a whip. I'll be fine, don't worry so."

{BGM - Megumi Ogata - Can't Go Back My Mission}

Lucca clapped her hands, drawing all eyes to her. "OKAY! I think I can get us home, or at least to Fro-er, Glenn's time! My MiniTelePad," she took the device she had had earlier out of her bag, "has enough juice to send a forward in time a few hundred years. We may end up in 600AD, 1000AD, or 1100AD. Most likely 600. I've stabilized the structure of the Gate so it will open to hold a large number instead of just three. Anyone up for a little travel?" They all nodded, except Magus.

"Finally. Now all of you go along your merry way, and leave me out of this," the blue-haired man said, and turned to leave.

"Don't you want to find out what sent us here in the first place?" asked Lucca. He looked over his shoulder as he exited.

"No."

*

Cecie, Risk, Glenn, Lucca, and Ayla stood at the North Cape. Lucca set her MiniTelePad on the ground, and hit a few buttons. "Ready guys?" They nodded. "Right. Let's go!" She hit the "Teleport" button, and a Gate opened before them.

Ayla jumped through, then Glenn. After a moment's hesitation, Cecie and Risk jumped through the black hole. As Lucca was about to enter, Magus appeared.

"I have my own reasons," was all he said as he flew through the portal, dressed ready for travel. Lucca shrugged, decided not to ask, and jumped through herself.

The MiniTelePad began to glow blue, and in a falsh of white light, followed its creator to its newly assigned destination.

{END BGM}

*

Cecie looked from side to side. She - and everyone else - stood in the middle of a town. The buildings looked like they belonged in the Middle Ages.

"Ah," Glenn sighed. "Home!" he motioned for them to follow, and lead the party to a small house at the end of the town. "This be Truce, circa six-hundred four. 'Tis winter. I was in the middle of sword training when I . left. Yonder cabin doth be mine home." Cecie had to suppress a giggle at his Old English.

Magus rolled his eyes at the old building. "Quaint," he said sarcastically.

Lucca paused for a moment as her MiniTelePad materialized. She bent and retrieved it, then followed the rest to Glenn's cabin.

They entered the house, and Glenn led them to a fireplace. Within a fire was still burning. Cecie knelt in front of it, and warmed the chill of her hands. Lucca tapped Glenn on the shoulder. "We should go get some clothes for Cecie and maybe even Ayla at the Shop. Cecie shouldn't ruin that pretty dress." Glenn nodded.

Magus looked around then sat at the table, which stood in front of the fire, arms and legs crossed. He looked up at the ceiling, bored as all get-out.

Lucca and Glenn left, and Risk went to look for food.

*

Cecie woke with a start. She thought she'd heard a noise downstairs. She quietly threw off her covers, and creeped out of bed. The Princess grabbed a light blue robe that Lucca had bought her, and slid her arms into the sleeves. She walked slowly over to the dresser and picked up her whip, then sidled over to the door.

Cecie opened the door and peeked out into the hallway, looking left and right. No lights were on. No one else seemed to be up. She took a deep breath and walked into the hallway and to the stairs. She looked into the darkness before her, and slowly felt her way down the steps. When she entered Glenn's living room, she stopped, hiding in the shadow, and looked warily about.

She jumped when a hand grabbed her arm, and tried to scream as another hand covered her mouth.

"Be quiet," a harsh voice hissed in her ear. "Do you want to wake the entire household?" The hand on her mouth relinquished its death grip.

"Magus! " Cecie whispered as loudly as she dared. She wrapped her robe more tightly around her, aware of being dressed only in the thin nightgown Lucca picked up for her. Magus was dressed in a loose shirt of some dark color and a pair of travel-worn breeches now used to sleep in. His scythe was at his side.

"What are you doing creeping around down here in the middle of the night?" Magus demanded. She glared at him.

"I could very well ask you the same thing!"

"I heard a noise, and came down to investigate."

"So did I. What was it?"

"A cat. I took care of it."

Cecie stared at the man before her, his face unreadable in the dim lighting. "You better not have hurt the poor thing!"

Magus rolled his eyes and snorted. "Yes, to you I'm the ogre man. Well, I skinned it alive then ate it raw. I'm planning to go after the town's children next." Cecie didn't appreciate the older man's sarcasm.

"That wasn't funny, Magus!" she said. He grinned at her, flash of white in the darkness.

{BGM - Chrono Trigger -Magus' Theme}

"I don't have a sense of humor, princess. What I have is a sarcastic attitude, and a severe dislike for little bitches who don't leave me alone." Magus stepped toward her menacingly. Cecie barely noticed. She was bristling with anger at being called a bitch, and she wasn't about to let him talk her down!

"You, mage, will not speak to me that way! I am -"

"A princess? Well, sorry to disappoint you, girl-child, but I was the Prince of a magnificent Kingdom before you were even born - hell, before this time itself existed!" he hissed in reply. Magus sneered at her. "A Prince thrown off his throne only to become a very powerful mage. THE Magus, leader of the Mystics."

"So what? Your kingdom was destroyed, and my Grandfather along with Glenn and my Grandmother defeated you and your cronies! And from what I heard, your mother was nothing more than a loony who doomed her home, and you don't even know if you're sister's still alive!" Cecie exclaimed.

Magus's face lit with anger. He shifted the weight of the scythe in his hands, and Cecie knew she'd taken it one step too far. Her biggest fault was her short temper, handed down from her Grandmother, and it never failed to get in her into trouble. She took a fearful step back, and held her whip so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Magus was livid, and even paler than usual. He herded the frightened Princess back against the wall. Cecie's blue eyes were wide, the whites showing around the liquid blue pools of color in the center. Her face was noticeably paler, and she was trembling. Magus reached out and took her by the throat. He lifted her a few inches off the floor, and Cecie grabbed his wrist, trying to pull his fingers off of her neck.

"Listen to me, little girl, and listen well." Magus hissed. Black dots were appearing in the Princess's vision. "Don't you ever talk about my family or my Kingdom - EVER AGAIN!" He said all this in a voice so quiet, the suffocating girl had to strain to hear him. He dropped her, and she slid down the wall to the floor with a thud. Magus's eyes were unfocused, as if he were looking far away. "My sister is alive. Schala's alive. I'll find her. You'll see.."

Cecie brought a shaking hand to her throat. She breathed in great gasps of air, and when she had her breath back she stood. She stared at the mage before her with angry, hurt eyes. "You almost killed me," she whispered. Magus was snapped back to the present. "You almost killed me!" Cecie was getting frantic again, and Magus grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Dammit, keep it down!" he growled. Cecie was suddenly aware of their close proximity. Magus's face was only inches from hers, his violet eyes bright in the dim light of the approaching dawn that was suddenly slanting in through the window. Shadows played on his face, making him look younger - no, she corrected herself. Making him look his age. She saw the ageless, lost beauty of Zeal in his face. She began to tremble, but not as much from fear as from something deeper..

{Slow BGM fade to nothing}

Cecie stared into Magus's cold eyes, and unconsciously lifted a hand to his cheek. He started, and stepped back in shock. Cecie herself blinked in surprise, and stared at her hand. She glanced back at Magus as he turned and stalked back to and floated up the stairs. Was she imagining things? Was it just the rosy dawn light, or did she see a faint blush on Magus's pale cheeks?

*

{BGM - Sailor Moon - It's a New Day (instrumental version)}

Later that morning, Cecie trotted down the stairs. She was now dressed in a brown leather jerkin over a tan tunic and tan trousers. Her whip was secured at her side, and her hair was now pulled back in a braid to keep it from bothering her. Her feet and shins were encased in black leather travel-boots.

Risk grinned up at her from the breakfast table. "Nice!" he said jovially. "Hey, Glenn, doesn't Cecie look nice?"

Glenn, who was at that time stirring something - porridge from the grayish color and whole-grain smell - looked up. His green eyes smiled as he observed Cecie. "'Tis a fitting outfit for a traveling Princess, Risk. She doth look lovely," he said. Cecie grinned, and blushed faintly.

Lucca walked into the room, dragging a blonde behind her. "Come on! I don 't know what you're fussing about!" Lucca exclaimed, exasperated.

"Ayla no like sractchy skins!" the blonde grumbled, sitting huffily at the table.

"Ayla?!" Glenn exclaimed, raising brown eyebrows. "Thou art. clothed!"

Cecie looked Ayla over. The blue-gray skins were replaced with brown leather trousers and a white tunic. Her feet were encased in similar brown boots, and her hair was brushed so that the waves shone in the morning light filtering in through the window. "You look wonderful, Ayla," the Princess said with a smile. Ayla just absently scratched her thigh. Lucca sighed and sat next to her.

Cecie sat at the table, next to Risk. She smiled and thanked Glenn as he set a bowl of steaming porridge dusted lightly with sugar and cinnamon in front of her. She blew softly on the first spoonful, and then tasted it. It was surprisingly good for porridge.

Risk glanced up, and behind Cecie, who sat across from him. She was about to turn when Magus sat in the chair to her left, crossing his arms and legs under the table. He was ignoring her, but she figured he felt like she did - uncomfortable in their closeness.

Ayla hate greedily when Glenn set her bowl in front of her - by picking up the bowl and slurping it down like a glass of water. Cecie stared for a moment, then giggled softly. Risk looked at her in surprise, then grinned, and shoveled another spoonful of porridge into his mouth.

Glenn shook his head, suppressing laughter. He sat over by the fire, as there were no places left at the table - all the better. He could watch what was left of the porridge so it wouldn't burn.

{BGM fade}

*

(a bit earlier)

{BGM - Vertical Horizon - Miracle (softly)}

Magus stood in front of the mirror in his room. He adjusted the brown leather gloves for the fiftieth time that morning. His violet eyes glared back at him from the reflective surface. He whirled and grabbed his cloak, violently pulling it on over his narrow shoulders. Finally, Magus reached for his scythe. He stopped before his hand met the wooden shaft.

His eyes were on his reflection in the blade. On the cheek which Cecie had touched. His heart began to beat faster, as a strange, confusing feeling settled into his chest. He remembered returning to his room and seeing his reflection in his scythe, the faint blush on his cheeks. He gritted his teeth, and, growling, snatched up the weapon and placed it on his belt.

He took in a deep breath, and let it out as he opened his door. He floated down the stairs, and casually floated over to the table. He decided to just ignore the Truce girl, and sat in the only available chair - next to Cecie. He crossed his arms and legs and pointedly pretended he didn't see her.

He listened to her giggle at Ayla - it should have annoyed him. Why didn' t it annoy him? The others bugged him as usual - why didn't Cecie bother him? He rolled his eyes, and silently unfolded his arms and ate the porridge the ex-frogman had set in front of him. He felt Cecie's eyes on him, and glanced at her briefly.

Her eyes were filled with a childish wonder, and that sweet glow of happiness she seemed to radiate. Her blue eyes.. So unlike his own. So gentle, so soft.. So. happy.

Magus looked pointedly away. He had to ignore the girl. He had to. {BGM fade}

*

The group was outside now, riding horses. They were on their way to Guardia Castle, to meet with the King and Queen. Lucca rode behind Glenn, her arms locked around his waist. She dreaded horses. She'd fallen from one as a child, and hated them ever since.

Ayla was riding on her own horse, as was Risk and Cecie and Magus. Cecie and Risk never kept far apart, being new to this Age. The others weren't - they had all either lived or traveled the area with Cecie's grandparents.

{BGM - Chrono Trigger - Battle Theme}

Magus was about to alert the others to a strange set of presence when two people jumped out from behind the bushes on the sides of the road. One was female, dressed in a white cloak and tunic. Her shapely legs were encased in red hose, and a small teakettle hung from her belt. Her hair was red, long, and braided, and her exotic-looking eyes were purple-red.

The male had blue skin and a wide purple lips. He was bald, and his pointed ears were pierced. He wore a fancy white uniform with black boots. A sword hung at his hip, and his arms were crossed before him.

"Slash. Flea," Magus said in bored acknowledgement. Flea looked at him with imploring green eyes. She hit Slash and he dropped to his knees before them. He held up his hands, clasping them, and put on a sulky face.

{BGM fade into FF3/6 - Kefka's Theme}

"Let us come with you, Lord Magus! Please, since Ozzie's been.. Well.. Dead, we've been unemployed!" the blue man crowed. Flea nodded.

"We're flat broke. No one will hire us - they know who we are. And we were hoping you'd... Well... Take us in."

The group of riders stared at the two. They made a funny picture, the girl and the "man", the latter on his knees, begging Magus. The mage arched an eyebrow.

"And how am I to know you're not going to turn on me -- like you did before?" he asked. Flea blushed, and Slash sat stone still, waiting.

"We won't, Lord Magus," said Flea. "We did what we did before because Ozzie was our leader then and he wanted us to attack you, so we attacked." Flea's explanation was simple and true. Magus shrugged.

"Fine. But you do as I say. Your payment is being allowed to come with me." The rest in the group noted the replacement of the word "us" with the word "me". Glenn frowned. Cecie pretended not to notice. Ayla was preoccupied with picking at her tunic. Risk shot Magus a dirty look behind his back. As if he felt this, Magus turned and gave the boy an icy look. Risk pretended he hadn't done anything.

Cecie looked at Flea quizzically. "Uhh. I'm confused. You're a girl, right?" Flea arched an eyebrow.

"Damn straight, child."

"Then. why did you tell my Grandparents, Crono and Marle, that you're a GUY?" Flea laughed. She tossed her braid behind her, and placed a hand on her hip.

"Who knows? I guess I just don't care - after all," as she spoke, Slash mouthed her words with her, as if she said it often, "Beauty is Power, and I have the power!" Cecie gave her a blank look.

"Oooohhhkaaaaayyyy." Risk said slowly, then gave Magus a look. "OK, so what are THEY supposed to ride?"

"You and your princess have room - they can ride with the two of you."

Slash grinned, and gave Cecie a once-over. She made a gagging noise, jumped off her horse. "I'll ride with Risk, and they can have my horse," she said hurriedly. Magus shrugged.

"Whatever."

Their ride took them to Guardia Castle in about an hour.