Warning! I don't own Chrono Trigger OR Chrono Cross (or anything related to them), I just own the disc I'm writing it all down on. SPOILERS are contained within, so unless you've beaten the game (or games), read at your own risk!

Beauty or a Beast?
by Al Kristopher

Lucca Ashtear was born in Truce, in the country of Guardia. When the kingdom celebrated its thousandth birthday, she was sixteen years old, and to her reckoning, she would age a lot more by the time she hung her toolbox up for good. Lucca was an inventor-an amateur inventor, to be more precise, although she could have passed as a professional without much effort. She loved to create, make, invent, tinker, pull apart, put together, assemble, disassemble, repair, improve, tweak, fix, or just fiddle around.

Lucca's life was filled with many outstanding events, with many unusual people and exotic locations nestled in between. A younger version of herself preferred the outdoors; the metamorphosis of puberty turned her life completely around, and now she was a little more technological-like her father.

In the year 1000 A.D., Lucca went on an adventure with her friend Crono. She met many new faces and even found several very dear friends: the Princess Nadia (or Marle to her friends), the fierce and fun Ayla, the noble knight Frog, the bitter wizard Magus, and of course, Robo. Of course, she had also made a few enemies-enemies like Azala, and Queen Zeal, and Magus (who was still more foe than friend), and Yakra, and Mother Brain, and, and…

Lavos…

But that was all ancient history now-literally. Or to be more precise, only a portion of it was history. Parts of Lucca's adventures were prehistory; others had yet to be written. For example, Lavos was completely destroyed in the year 1999-nearly another thousand years in the future. So technically, even though it had been defeated, Lavos was still very much alive and well in this time. Alive and well, and doomed to die.

This odd paradox made Lucca smile as she walked through the woods. A few short years had passed since the end of her adventures. Crono and Marle were married and expected a child; the three friends were closing in on their third decade in life. Lucca's nineteenth birthday had been celebrated in the past month, along with Crono's. There were great festivities to celebrate his birthday, but Lucca's was only recorded by a gathering of the three friends.

Time mercilessly ticked on.

A child sat singing on the beach, haphazardly piling sand onto a small hill. He wasn't in school just yet, and wanted things to stay that way for as long as possible. The sand and the surf and the cry of the gulls could not be enjoyed inside a stuffy old school building. More sand went onto the hill, and then a scoop of water, more sand. It was going to be a castle when it grew up.

A dark shadow overcame the child. It was a warm sunny day, with nary a cloud in the sky, and the closest obstruction was a cape, several miles away in the west. Seeing the large shadow, the child scooted around, glanced up at the figure, and screamed.

"Wait!" exclaimed the figure, holding out his hands. "I'm not going to hurt you!" But that did not convince the small boy, and before the tall figure could twitch his nose, the little child ran screaming across the beach, abandoning his castle. The taller man sighed, mentally recording that that had been the eighteenth child that had ran away from him. But children were not the only ones that expressed fear in his presence: dogs, cats, or most any kind of animal ran away in fright, as did young people, teenagers, adults, seniors, priests, musicians, and maybe even a few fellow demi-humans.

The man was a tall, panther-like creature, with dark creamy fur bristling around his entire body. Two golden eyes glared calmly at the outside world. A cloak of black and gold covered his body from the elements: leggings with boots, sleeves, even a helmet-hat to shield his head. His tail was concealed, little good that did. His name was Yamaneko, but the good people of El Nido had lovingly dubbed him "Lynx".

"Children," said Lynx to himself. He sighed, his voice a gruff mixture of a growl and a purr. "I scare children." He grunted and fell on the sand, his mouth somewhere between laughter and weeping. He smiled joylessly and stared up at the hot sun, he himself rather warm from his fur and the black cloak around his body. But he loved the heat-he adored the heat, just as he adored the hospitality that a lonely blind man gave him. The man's name was Reinier, and the condition of his heart more than made up for the condition of his eyes.

Lynx laughed, allowing a tear to dry up in the fur and the heat. He was caught somewhere between hilarity and grief, and the only thing that could determine the outcome would be whatever happened to him within the next hour. He laid in the sand for five more minutes, bored and tired and somewhat thirsty. A crab crawled onto his stomach, ignoring the large obstacle before him. Lynx nabbed the crustacean with a swipe, but did no harm to it.

"My little friend," said Lynx, pinching the crab's legs so it wouldn't run away, "are you afraid of me?" The crab made no response, so Lynx smiled and let the creature go free. A fisherman would see to it that the small animal met a tasty demise; in the meantime, Lynx leaped out of the sand, brushed himself off, and went in search of a spring.

I have chosen you. I have chosen you. I have chosen you, among so many others. You are to receive honors beyond your wildest fantasies. You will have the joyful privilege of becoming my mindless slave, my soulless servant, my obedient pawn! Do you feel the joy? Do you feel the infinite rapture of such a wonderful honor?

No? You will. You will. You will, my beautiful pussy! You will, my beastly warrior! You will, perhaps much sooner than you may want to.

You KNOW what you must do, Yamaneko.

Nineteen-year-old Lucca Ashtear hummed a song she had picked up at the tavern as she walked through the woods. Her face was becoming pale from lack of sun, and her body was becoming weak from lack of exercise, so a walk through the woods would invigorate her well. Besides, she had a powerful thirst going, and although her house had "plumbing" (as her father called it), she still loved to take a drink at her favorite river.

She had met Crono down by that river, and they had played a thousand different games down by that river. When they were twelve, they shared their first-and only-kiss by that river. He told her he was getting married there, and he told her that he would be a father there. It was near this river that Lucca rewrote history a portion, and it was here that her most intimate moments with her six friends had taken place.

Quietly, she took her helmet off in the heat, wiping her brow with her arm. The day had gotten warmer, but that was good: Lucca's room was far too cold to stay in for long periods of time, and the heat of the day did her health good. She stripped off her outer jacket, took off her boots and socks, and sat down in the grass. Her mouth met the water in a refreshing kiss, then her feet dipped in. The water was cold, but not too cold to drink, nor too cold to bathe in.

A wicked idea struck Lucca just then. She quickly glanced around her: nothing to the left, nothing to the right. She was in the middle of nowhere. Nobody was around, not even an animal-well, maybe an insect or a fish, but nothing else. Carefully, Lucca removed her shirt and shorts, giggling to herself as the warm day struck her mostly-bare body. A white undershirt and white shorts protected her smallish body from the elements, and nothing more.

Lucca nearly screamed as she dipped into the river. It was deep and slow, and allowed her entire body inside. It was also colder than originally thought, and the young inventor was struck with a rush of freezing pain for awhile. She cursed to herself, nearly shouting out to the heavens because of the cold. But, oh! it felt refreshing, and in no time at all, she was swimming in the small pond.

Despite her precautions, Lucca Ashtear was not as alone as she thought…

The young woman sighed, dipping her entire body in the cool water. The heat of the sun had warmed it somewhat, and it had just became bearable. This was not the first time she had bathed or swam here, and it was not the first time she had been alone, either. Despite her physical appearance, Lucca was a powerful swimmer. Even though she wielded fire magic, Lucca felt closer to the water than most frogs would have. Perhaps here she could be freed from the distractions of the world; perhaps here, she could be as strong as she was smart. Perhaps here she could be a hero; Crono nearly drowned in this pond.

Lucca didn't hear the small rustling sound at first, nor even the second time. But as her head emerged from the water, dripping and freezing, her waterlogged ears picked up the sound of bushes being pushed aside, and the ground vibrating as a figure walked towards her. She froze, her legs barely making a move as they kept her afloat. She was smart enough to NEVER dive into this water with nothing on, not even at night, but the thought of somebody seeing her frozen wet body with only two small undergarments…

Being a girl of modesty, Lucca hastily scrambled out of the pool, her body going into shock from the sudden temperature difference. She nearly let out a sigh of contentment as the warm air struck her chilled body, but then the rustling grew louder. Lucca cursed to herself, unsure as to where she had laid her glasses. Carefully, she crawled down on the ground, feeling around for her trusty goggles. Her hand brushed up against something hard, and her pulse froze. It was a boot.

"It's all right," said a gruff voice suddenly. "I've been watching you for some time now. Oh, I'm not some kind of perverted Peeping Tom, I just came by this river and saw you swimming around. I actually made some noise so that you'd know there was someone else here." Lucca swallowed, perspiration building on her cold brow. She peered up at the voice, but was unable to make out a face. Just a dark blur.

"Oh," she said, squinting at the figure. She smiled weakly. "Well, I suppose I could forgive you if you help my find my glasses."

"You mean these?" said the man, tapping her cheek with the rim of her goggles. Lucca breathed out a sigh of relief and put them over her eyes.

"Oh, thank you, mister! I'm practically blind with… out… them…" Lucca swallowed again, her improved vision telling her that a monster was standing over her. She grinned meekly, squatting half-naked in the grass, still shivering from the water, helpless.

"My name is Yamaneko," growled the creature, holding out a furry paw, "but everybody calls me Lynx. You should too, if you are to be acquainted with me." Lucca froze, staring at the fuzzy hand in front of her. It has claws, she thought. The monster above her smiled, his hand still stretched out. But I've seen much worse than him, and he doesn't look like he's going to hurt me… Lucca swallowed, silently praying as she grasped the monster's hand.

"I'm Lucca," she said, standing up. "Lucca Ashtear. It's, ah, nice to meet you, uh… Lynx."

The one who can unlock the chains that Prometheus has wrapped around me… You must find her and bring her before me, my slave. That is your reward: to find Lucca Ashtear, and to bring her to me, ALIVE.

"Would you care to get dressed?" asked Lynx, his hand still clutching hers. She laughed weakly, and the demi-human let Lucca get dressed in privacy.

"Lucca." The scientist turned around, a towel scrubbing her wet purple hair. The creature-no, its name was Lynx-was leaning against a tree, staring at the ground coolly. He smiled. "You know," he began, "I couldn't help but stare a little as I saw you swim. I know it was rude, but one cannot help but appreciate such beauty."

Lucca flinched and blushed a little when she heard the sudden comment. Only a few people outside of her friends and family had called her beautiful, and most of them had been intoxicated with something other than her looks when they said it. All the others were women-and they only said that after Lucca had moped about how unattractive she was.

"Y-you… what?" she stammered. She swallowed, unprepared for such a sudden compliment. Should she be flattered, or afraid? Lynx smiled away her questions, his mouth curving. "You really think I'm pretty?" she shivered.

"I know you are," he replied huskily. "Even among the loveliest of demi-humans, I cannot find a single one that matches your radiance. Forgive me for saying so, but I cannot let such words go unsaid." Lucca swallowed again, shivering in the warmth of the day. He was a beast-a demi-human, not even her own species, and he said…

Perhaps it was a trick.

"You're trying to trick me," she stated. "Well, it's not going to work."

"Of course it will," said Lynx darkly, standing to his full height. Lucca wasn't a short girl, but the panther-like creature completely towered over her. She was 5'6", but he had to be at least 6'3", if not larger. The sheer size of the creature intimidated the inventor, so much that she couldn't even find her voice.

"Well I think you're beautiful too," she said, a slight snicker in her voice. You go, girl! Give him a taste of his own medicine! Trick the trickster, I say! But Lynx was unfazed; he merely advanced towards the smaller girl, looming over her like a tree. He suddenly smiled warmly, a smile so soft and warm that it rivaled the heat of the sun overhead. Lucca swallowed, her throat dry as Lynx bent his head down, tickled her brow with his whiskers, and injected sleeping juice into her body.

What a waste, thought Lynx as he loaded the snoring girl onto his boat. He looked at her, a serene look on her snoozing face, and smiled. She actually is very beautiful, but it's a pity that our little meeting must be cut so short. She may even die at the end of the day. He jerked, suddenly stopping his boat as that last thought ran through his mind.

I scare children. Why do they fear me? Why do I enjoy heat so much?

"Because," replied Lynx, "I am cold." He shuddered, hugging himself in the middle of the ocean. The mainland was far away from him by now, and the closest strip of land was the El Nido Archipelago. He was alone with Lucca, out in the middle of the ocean, in the heat of the day, and his heart was the coldest it had ever been. How dare he do such cruel things? How dare he commit such vile atrocities as to kidnap this precious jewel, this innocent girl, this unsuspecting pawn?

How dare he use her like that? Beautiful indeed! You are truly a beast, my friend, he thought to himself. Lynx growled, clenching his teeth at his own cruelty, and decided to amend his ways. Quickly, he dipped his furry hands in the warm waters of El Nido, and splashed them at the sleeping beauty that was resting in his boat.

Lucca Ashtear woke up, feeling both warm and wet at the same time. She groaned, her body somewhat stiff. A rocking sensation nearly lulled her back to sleep, but soon gave way to sickness. As her eyesight returned to her, Lucca could barely make out a large body of water surrounding her. She was on a boat, and the only other being with her was that trickster, that monstrous creature, Lynx.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing she heard. She grunted, looking up at a distressed Lynx. His whiskers drooped, his ears sagged, and his face hung low. Golden eyes glowed dully as they begged for her forgiveness.

"Is that all you can say?" asked Lucca, rubbing her bleary eyes. Still not awake yet…

"Yes," said Lynx quietly. "I'm sorry for deceiving you. I'm sorry for kidnapping you, and for taking you somewhere against your will, and for spying on you, and for not telling you why I'm even doing this." She grunted, staring at the ocean. She couldn't swim back-not even a whale could swim back to shore now.

"You forgot one thing," she said, holding up a finger. "You forgot to apologize for lying about me being beautiful."

"That wasn't a lie," whispered Lynx. A look of sadness was still on his face. "That was, ah, the truth. I really do think you're… uh, very pretty." He paused, stuttering, unsure as to where he should go from there. Lucca did not smile.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Wherever you want," replied Lynx, begging for forgiveness with every word. He swallowed. "We were originally going to a place called Chronopolis, which lies somewhere in the Sea of Eden." He paused, stuttering as her cold blue eyes stared back at him in judgment. "I, ah, was assigned to kidnap Lucca Ashtear, and to bring her to Chronopolis. You have a special skill that, uh… somebody needs to utilize." He paused again, gazing back at her blank face.

"What for?" she asked, and a frightening hope leaped up in his chest.

"It's very simple, really," he said. "We, uh, just want you to… uh, release a lock on something. A lock that only Lucca Ashtear knows how to release." She paused, staring at the monster doubtfully. He reminded her of Crono's cat, just a little bit.

"Be more specific," she said. Lynx swallowed, gazing back at the girl nervously. They were in the middle of nowhere, and even if the boat had a motor to it, it would still take them hours to get to the Sea of Eden. Might as well pass the time telling her everything.

"All right," said Lynx, sitting down on the boat, "where should I begin?"

Lucca Ashtear sat in a stupor, her mouth open slightly. She blinked, slowly letting Lynx's story seep through her brain. She swallowed, wiped the sweat off of her brow, and gazed at him doubtfully.

"I had a friend named Prometheus," she said, referring to Lynx's mentioning of the Prometheus chip that had invaded FATE. "A robot from the future. Its serial number was R6-6Y, and it was… it was my closest friend." She smiled weakly, and almost chuckled. "And now I have to shut him down."

"I was unaware that Prometheus was your friend," said Lynx softly. A pause hung in the cool evening air, and several gulls cried overhead. The golden-orange glow of a setting sun set the sky on fire, and every little wave was a reflection of the burning atmosphere above. Lucca was even more beautiful in the flaming light of a sunset.

"Don't get me wrong, Lynx," said Lucca after the pause completed itself. "If I can do anything to keep the Dragons from terrorizing the world, then I will. I… I'm sure Robo would say the same. But…" She stopped herself, hanging her head in defeat. "But, he's my friend." Another pause. Lynx slowly reached his hand out, aiming it towards her scalp.

If she resists, or if she fails to cooperate, kill her. Kill her. Kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her-

"It's going to be all right," he purred, stroking her purple hair. She sniffled. "I'm sure you'll do the right thing when we arrive. I'm positive. But in the meantime, please make yourself comfortable. It's another two hours until we reach Chronopolis, so in the meantime, I would very much like to hear about your past." Lucca sniffled again, raised her head, and smiled weakly.

"You know," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, "y-you are kinda beautiful, in your own way."

For the time being, Chronopolis stood naked to the outside world.

Lucca gasped in awe as the boat neared the futuristic city. It was hideous, hideously beautiful, with such architecture, such construction, such magnificence that she could only dream about-or have nightmares about. Chronopolis-the Time Fortress-reminded Lucca of a wonderful dream she had, and enjoyed, and never wanted to see again.

"We have arrived," growled Lynx, standing tall and proud. Only three other islands dotted the inner Sea of Eden; Chronopolis, like a shining jewel in a tiara, stood out in the center of the sea, almost as if it was protected by the other islands…

"It's gorgeous," shuddered Lucca. She wept, but whether it was from amazement or terror was left to debate. Lynx nodded his head silently, docked the boat at the port, and helped Lucca off. Their hands touched briefly.

FATE smiled.

Quietly, Lynx led Lucca through the bowels of Chronopolis, showing her such wonders that not even the minds of Zeal could comprehend. Mechanical creatures, even more advanced than Robo, patrolled the corridors and passageways of the city. Great shining elevators and doors led to unknown rooms, powerful computers displayed status and activity, horrible beauty.

"Where are we going?" asked Lucca. She stopped herself, unaware that her arms were around Lynx's. Lynx smiled and forgave her, and the two continued walking in silence.

"The basement," he replied after a pause. "The lock is in the basement. I will guide you there, but you must do the work. That is, if you decide to." A thick pause, and Lynx apologized for the unnecessary comment. He grunted, and decided to add, "I will protect you from the robot guards if I need to." Lucca smiled, but did not reply, and together the two of them made their way towards the elevator.

There was no time for Lucca to be amazed. A mask of concentration was pulled over her face as she began her work, Lynx standing quietly behind her. Usually, one would be killed if they manipulated with the "Arbiter" computers, but Lynx knew ways of getting inside. How else was Lucca expected to perform?

Quietly, Lucca isolated the Prometheus chip, performing movements and twists and turns she never thought possible until that day. Several minutes went by, a few more, more still, and the Prometheus chip was vulnerable at last.

"Here, I got it," said Lucca blankly. "All I have to do is shut it down, and then… Well, you know." Lynx nodded and chose to remain quiet. This was a tense time for Lucca: whether to chose her friend or her duty, order or chaos, protection or death, love or logic…

She paused. He's my friend. It's just a computer chip. He's my friend. It's a machine, uncaring, unfeeling. He's my friend. If you disable it, order will be restored. He's my friend. Fate rules over all. He's my friend. You cannot escape or defeat Fate. He's my friend. Do it, or die trying.

Lucca reached for the chip… A twist here, a turn there, several pokes…

"What are you doing!" growled Lynx, rushing towards the frantic Lucca. But the damage was already done: the Prometheus chip was hidden for good, and only one thing would disable it. Lucca threw her tools away, halfway between a giggle and a sob, and hugged herself in the cold room. She had just damned the entire human race with that little maneuver.

But… he's my friend…

Lynx reached his hand out, ready to crush her skull…

If she resists, or if she fails to cooperate, kill her. Kill her. Kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER-

"It's okay," he said, stroking her beautiful violet hair. Her body racked with sobs and chuckles of triumph. His hand was so warm, so soft, so delicate… "It's going to be all right…"

Lucca woke up comfortably, surprised to find herself alive and well. Alive and very well, she thought, noticing the bed underneath her. She sighed, snuggled up in the covers, and smiled childishly.

A scream pierced the air.

"Who are you!" she shouted, leaping out of the bed. Thankfully, she was fully dressed, sans glasses and helm. Her gun-Blast! My gun's gone! She panicked, slowly stepping away from the floating girl at her bedside.

"Do not fear moi," replied the girl in a foreign accent. She smiled impishly, almost giggling. She looked like a harlequin: blue baggy leggings, a jester's frock over her lithe body, and a funny hat with bells adorning her head. Her face was painted a pure white, and her eyes burned a maroon red.

"Who are you?" repeated Lucca in a calmer voice. The harlequin giggled, span around in midair, and landed on her feet.

"J'a ma'pelle Harle," she said, bowing gracefully. The smile on her face would have calmed down a rabid dog, but Lucca was still doubtful.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. The harlequin laughed.

"Moi ees here to asseest Monsieur Lynx, of course! I am, ow' you say, 'ees right-hand Harlequin, oui!" The clown smiled, but Lucca was still nervous.

"I see," she said. Nervously, she reached her hand out. "I'm Lucca. Lucca Ashtear."

"Ah, zo vous are Mademoiselle Lucca! Eet ees a pleasure meeting vous at long lazt!" The clown smiled and took Lucca's hands into her own. They were soft, and cool, and very delicate.

"Harle, did you say?" asked Lucca. The clown nodded her head.

"Vous are in very much trouble, mon suere," she giggled. "But, Monsieur Lynx forgeeves you, az do I. After all, Prometheus waz your friend, oui?" Lucca smiled lightly and nodded her head.

"Where is Lynx?" she asked, and Harle nodded her head. Lucca turned around, seeing Lynx standing in the door. His face was emotionless; not even his eyes revealed anything.

"Bonjour, monsieur Lynx! Eet seemz as eef our friend haz finally awoken, non?" Harle smiled and tilted her head innocently, but nobody else was quite as jovial.

"Yes," said Lynx slowly, gazing at Lucca. A pause. "Harle," he said, "when you have the time, I want you to show her around. Make her feel as comfortable as she can get. The boat's broken and it'll take me some time to fix it." Harle smiled and saluted obediently.

"Salute! Az vous weesh!" Lynx nodded his head and left the girls to themselves. Harle smiled at her new friend. "Ee' eez in amore weeth you, moi can tell." Lucca flinched, the slightest of rosy hues on her cheeks.

"Huh? What makes you say that?"

"Oh, do not be so blind, mon suere!" chuckled Harle. "Even moi can tell zat he haz taken a shine to vous! Surely vous haz felt eet?" Lucca gulped, shaking her head in denial. "Oh, silly! Why else does Mademoiselle Lucca 'ave to stay behind? Monsieur Lynx could take you back, eef 'e wanted to. Ze boat haz never broken before, and moi doez not s'ink eet ever weell." Harle smiled innocently, and Lucca blushed a little deeper.

"J-just forget about it," she stammered, her hands behind her back. "A-and make me feel comfortable. R-right now, I-I'd love t-to take a s- swim." Harle chuckled, putting her arm around her new friend.

"Zen you shall. Ze waters of ze Sea of Eden are tres relaxzing."

Time mercilessly ticked on.

Lucca sighed, playing with an unused computer she had found. Restless and bored, all she could do was tap on the keys, hoping that something would just pop up. Just a jumble of words and numbers: igdjugyjtf5^^^YU%YYG^R.t7o tsrtj^y88;r. Just like her life in the city, it meant nothing. Just like her life outside of science, it meant nothing. Just like her relationship with Lynx…

Tap, tap, tap-went the keys. Lucca unconsciously tapped in more letters.

She didn't even notice the next set of keys.

And the final keying was just as hidden.

But when she examined the keys, she froze.

igdjugyjtf5^^^YU%YYG^R.t7o tsrtj^y88;r. LucCa3LyNx

A droplet of icy sweat ran down her brow as her eyes ran over the haunting words, over and over and over again, hoping to erase them. Lucca loves Lynx. Lucca loves Lynx. Lucca loves Lynx. It was like a death- knell, like the sound of a guillotine being dropped, like a noose tightening, like the bells of doom going off, like…

Like poetry.

A smile made its way to Lucca's mouth, and she typed it out again.

igdjugyjtf5^^^YU%YYG^R.t7o tsrtj^y88;r. LucCa3LyNx Lucca loves Lynx

"Is it true?" Lucca's heart nearly exploded as the familiar voice entered the room. Hastily she turned the computer off and span around in her chair. A tall demi-human stood there, his face emotionless. A scythe was in his hand, much like the one that Magus had. It was as clean as the floors of the well-kept city.

A dense pause, thicker than the silence of Magus' Castle, hung in the stale air. Hours crawled by, the two figures staring at each other in the awkward quiet. One, a girl, anxious, intelligent, human. The other, a monster, a beast, powerful, tall.

"Is it true?" asked Lynx again, staring at the blank computer screen. He slowly walked over to it and flicked the power back on. Lucca loves Lynx. It was on there, plain as day, for the whole world to see. Lucca loves Lynx. Lucca loves Lynx. Lucca loves Lynx. It was maddening, sickening, horrifying, beautiful.

"Just kill me now," whispered Lucca weakly, staring at the weapon in his hand. She swallowed, preparing herself for the blow that she knew would never come. She knew he would never raise it at her, would never strike her, not even with those hands. He would never hurt her, ever, the demon, the monster, the beast, the beautiful creature…

"You first," said Lynx, tossing Lucca her gun. HER gun. She grasped it, examined it, stroked it with weak hands, nearly laughing, nearly crying as she thought of how many lives she had taken with that gun. True, they were all in defense, and most of those lives weren't even human. But still… such a deadly weapon, this gun… How many more lives would it end? How much more death would come from her hands?

Lucca smiled. She was a monster. She was a beast. She had made this object, this thing, this weapon of massive destruction. She was just as much of a beast, and as much of a beauty as Lynx was.

The quiet room erupted in a shattering, metallic bang as the sound of two weapons falling towards the floor broke the silence, but the clattering noise of smashing weapons and dented floors was soon drowned out by a cry, a sigh, and a long, loving, passionate kiss.

Time mercilessly ticked on.

Lucca Ashtear, now twenty years young, held her month-old son in her arms. With all the love of a new mother, she gazed down at her child- their child-and smiled. He cooed, playing with his mother's long hair. She chuckled, babbling nonsensically at her son's playful antics. So strong, she sighed to herself, just like his father. His father… Lucca looked over at the boy's father-her lover, her husband in a way-and smiled warmly. He was asleep, snoring lightly.

She had wanted to name him Crono, Glenn, Kino, or Taban, but after a long time of pondering things over, she finally came up with a good name for her son. Being born a human, he had bits of his mother's hair and bits of his father's hair; his eyes were a yellowish-purple glow, his body strong like his father's, his smile warm like his mother's. He was a joy, a jewel, a gem, and Lucca fell in love with him instantly. She had named him Serge.

FATE, however, was not so happy.

One day, as her rebellious slave was alone, FATE struck him down with robot guards. Lynx fought well, fought bravely, fought valiantly, fought in vain. Bleeding, broken, battered, and nearly lifeless, Lynx continued fighting against the large Combots. Even one of them was difficult to kill; several dozen crowded around him. Lynx managed to cut several down, and blasted a few with his wild powers, but fell down on the cold, hard ground in the end, and never got back up.

FATE smiled, though-not out of malice, but out of thought.

You may still serve my purpose, slave!

"Mon suere! Mon suere! Mademoiselle Lucca! Sil' vous' plait, get up!" Lucca groaned, her weary body being shaken by Harle's quaking hands. She grunted, squinting in the early morning darkness.

"Harle," she coughed, "what do you want?"

"Non time to explain!" she stated, flitting around the room like a fairy. "Geet dressed! Geet packed! Geet on vous feet! Geet going!"

"Whuh?" Lucca rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, still confused. Her son was gurgling playfully as he saw Harle run around the room.

"Non time to explain!" repeated Harle, shaking Lucca's shoulders. "Just truzt moi! Geet up and geet going!" Lucca looked up at Harle's desperate face, saw the horror in her friend's eyes. Saw the love, the terror, the admiration, the mischief, the fear…

"All right," she whispered. She slid out of her bed, shoved her feet in her shoes, and gathered together a few personal items. Harle quickly gathered everything she could carry, and together the two friends rushed to the docks, baby Serge giggling innocently.

"Vous muzt escape," said Harle as she threw Lucca's items in the boat. "Eet ees not safe in here anymore."

"Why? What happened to Lynx?" Harle froze, her friend's innocent eyes staring back at her expectantly. She swallowed and sighed out the truth.

"Ee' ees dead," she whispered. Lucca covered her mouth in horror, groaning out painfully as the thought of her beloved being killed ran across her mind.

"But… but…" She shuddered, nearly vomiting in agony. "We… we loved each other. We had a son together…"

"Ee' ees no more, mon suere!" hissed Harle. She stared at her friend sympathetically, and Lucca began crying quietly. "Ee ees dead! Moi is sorry zat moi muzt relate such terrifying newz, but eet ees ze only s'ing moi can do now! Zey weel be after you, mon suere, so eet would be wize to run, non? Protect your child, protect l'enfant Serge, and raize heem well." Lucca trembled, ill with grief and confusion and doubt and worry and sickness. Her arms went around Harle's, and the two friends shared a tight embrace.

"Stall them, my sister," whispered Lucca weakly, kissing her cheek. Harle smiled.

"But of course!" she exclaimed. "Who do you s'ink vous ees addressing?" Lucca chuckled sadly, shed a few more tears, and waved good- bye to her dear friend as she sailed to freedom…

Lucca Ashtear, three months pregnant and holding another child in her arms, knocked on the door softly. She bit her lip in anticipation, hoping against all hope that this would work… The door opened, and an old friend gasped with delight.

"Lucca!" she squealed, gently hugging her friend. Baby Serge grunted. The other woman smiled at the boy, and winked slyly as she saw that he would soon have another sibling. "Looks like you've been seeing some action, Lucca!"

"Oh, stop it, Marge!" blushed Lucca. Marge snickered.

"Well, are you going to just stand there, or are you going to come in?" she offered. Lucca smiled and carefully stepped into the house of her friends, Marge and Wakuzi.

"…and that's why I came here," she said, staring down at the floor. Only baby Serge made a sound; everybody else was as silent as stones. Wazuki swallowed hard, looking at his old friend's son.

"So… you want us to adopt him and make him our own son?" he asked. Lucca nodded her head.

"I know I'm being selfish, but after I escaped, I didn't know who else to turn to. Besides, he looks so much like you that… well, he just might believe that you're his dad." Wazuki grunted, resting his chin on his hand. He stared at baby Serge, then at Lucca, then at his wife. They had no children-they never would, not after that debilitating disease. He sighed, knelt down on the floor, and held his arms out.

"We'll let the baby decide," he said, softly cooing at the child. Baby Serge smiled a toothless grin, and slowly scooted over to Wazuki. Marge chuckled softly.

"It seems as if he wants to be raised by us. But are you sure you want to give him up?" Lucca sighed sadly, her eyes glazed over with grief. Her hand stroked her belly softly, the thought of another child entering her mind.

"I don't want to," she replied, "but I have to. Serge needs to be protected, and what better way to protect him than to entrust him with my friends?" She managed a weak smile, and Marge rested her hand on her friend's shoulder. Wazuki and Serge were already playing, as if they really were related.

"We'll guard him with our souls," she whispered, rubbing Lucca's shoulders. Lucca smiled softly.

"Thanks," she said. "I think I'll stay a little while longer-at least until I figure out what I'm going to do next." She sighed, stroking her belly again.

Oh, Lynx… why did you have to die?

Time mercilessly ticked on.

Years passed. In response to her parents passing away, Lucca turned her house into an orphanage, and welcomed all kinds of children into her arms-especially her newborn daughter. A name for the child escaped Lucca for the moment: should she name her Lara, Marle, Nadia, Schala, Ayla, what? Finally she decided on a name, but by then, every other child in the orphanage was calling her "Kid". The name seemed to suit her, so Lucca gave it to her: Kid Ashtear.

Wazuki… return to me, my slave… You, who have disturbed me, who has glanced at the Flame… you, who has been such a thorn in my side, come to me!

That's a good boy. Stand still. This is going to be very painful. Very painful, my precious pawn. Does it hurt? I know it does, but the pain will go away. Eventually.

Ah, yes. The traitor. His body is still here. Come here, Wazuki. This body has no spirit, and you are too injured to have a body. Let us compromise. Here, come here, my child. There is nothing to fear, my beloved slave. Come here. Much better. The boy fears you now. The boy FEARS you, his own father, the traitor. The traitor is now feared once again.

And she… That girl just may fear you as well. Do you see, my traitorous slave? Do you see? I still have a use for you. And you look exactly the same. Only one who was close to you will be able to tell that you are different. And even then… you are still just a beautiful beast…

And as it always has, and always will, time mercilessly ticks on.

Even if she is asked today, Lucca will never explain how the fire got started. She will not reveal anything-not even the intensity of the heat. The heat… She remembered the heat more than anything… except maybe the screaming. And the hurt, and the anguish, and the hate, and the tears that died…

"Why?" was all she could say. Her lover, her husband, her life's reward, her beautiful beast, stared back at her coldly.

"Let's just say that you have another appointment with an old friend," he hissed. Gone was the loving glow in his eyes, gone was the gentle roughness in his voice, gone was the tender touch of his hand. Now, only hate and death and blood and death and enmity and chaos and death and death and kill her kill her kill her kill her KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILL THEM ALL MY GORGEOUS, MINDLESS SLAVE!

"You're not Lynx," whispered Lucca, feeling the flames lick behind her. Children were screaming, burning, dying, helpless… For what? So they wouldn't be in the way? So they wouldn't interfere? No. Lucca would have gone-would have gladly gone, would have begged to go, would have bled to go, if it spared this misery. "You're NOT Lynx!" she repeated, spitting the words out with all the hate she could muster.

Tears flowed freely as her friend, her sister, her comrade Harle appeared.

"Harle," shuddered Lucca, quaking like a leaf. The two friends gazed at each other, intensity between them. Harle sighed, and allowed what seemed to be a cruel smile on her painted lips.

"Do not worry, mon suere," she said. "Ze children, zey are all right. Zey have escaped, every lazt un of zem, exzept for un." Lucca nearly smiled at the news. If the only damage done was to her house, then she could live with that. She would have burnt three houses to ensure their safety. But as Harle's last words rang through her ears, she became dejected.

A wail of grief poured out of Lucca's mouth as Harle presented a beautiful sapphire-red pendant. Lucca recognized it immediately: she had used it before, many times in the past. It was Schala's pendant and Marle's pendant and, and…

HER pendant. Six years earlier, Lucca had found a child in the woods, abandoned and helpless. This child was wearing that same pendant.

"Oui," said Harle in a hushed voice. "She ees dead too." Harle tossed the pendant away, over Lucca's sobbing eyes, and it landed in the hands of her daughter. Her daughter-THEIR daughter. The young child yelled something, but was restrained by an unknown savior. Lucca turned her head briefly, seeing a very familiar man grab her daughter and rescue her. She smiled at the boy sadly, although he couldn't see it, and Lucca was once again taken to Chronopolis.

"Mon suere!" Lucca was already prepared by the time Harle visited her. It had been too late in the night to deactivate the Prometheus lock, so Lucca was given time to rest. Big mistake-she had used her precious night hours to pack her things again, and was ready to escape via boat to the mainland. That man-that creature-was no longer Lynx, was no longer the man she loved, the man who gave her two precious treasures. He was no more-Lynx truly was dead.

"I'm ready, Harle," said Lucca, hoisting her backpack across her shoulders. Harle nodded in the dark, and the two girls hugged tightly.

"Mon suere," whispered Harle, "does vous steel love Monsieur Lynx?" Lucca shuddered, nodding her head as she cried.

"With all my heart," she managed. "And I love you too, my sister…" Harle smiled in the dark, kissed her friend's forehead, and giggled.

"And moi lovez vous too, ze both of vous. But vous cannot escape now- -ze boats have been destroyed. And moi ees not making zees up-Monsieur Lynx haz damaged the boats beyond repair." An awkward pause.

"Then how…?"

"Ssh," whispered Harle, placing her fingers over Lucca's lips. "Juzt let Harle take care of zat. Moi only asks for deux single requests."

"Anything."

"Do not hate Monsieur Lynx. And sil vous plait, mon ami, stay 'appy?" Lucca smiled, chuckled warmly, and hugged her friend again.

"But of course!" she said. "Who do you think you're talking to?" They both smiled, clown and scientist, friends for life, and quietly said farewell as Harle teleported Lucca to the mainland.

"Life goes on," sighed Marle, stroking her husband's red hair. He was asleep, as was their children. The former princess turned to her friend and smiled. "Although you can never expect what'll happen next. Take our case for example."

"I know," said Lucca, sighing somewhat. "I still can't believe that Guardia fell. A kingdom that lasted for 1,005 years and it falls in a manner of weeks. I still can't believe it!" Marle nodded her head, cradling Crono's cranium in her lap. The two friends sighed deeply.

"Everyone fought so valiantly," said Marle nostalgically. She pointed to a terrible scar on her face. "Even me. Crono says that this scar makes me look cool, and I'm beginning to agree. He's got more than I do, though. Out of all the soldiers, Crono fought the hardest. I lost track of the number of people who fell at his sword, or even my bow." She paused, halfway smiling at the gruesome report. The smile faded, though, and a sigh took its place.

"But, we couldn't go on forever, just as Guardia couldn't go on forever. The people in the year 1999 proved it. Anyway, an agreement was drawn up and we all signed it-basically recognizing Porre's might as a military country. We let them have their silly land, and they let the survivors live out their lives." Marle sighed, running her hands through Crono's hair as she spoke. Despite having such a bad hand dealt to them, the former monarchs still found lots of time to be happy with each other.

"I don't think either one of you were cut out to be monarchs anyway," said Lucca wryly. Marle smiled lightly and winked.

"Nah. And we all know that nothing lasts forever. Someday the Porre military will fall, and whether Guardia will make a comeback or not is a mystery. But, life goes on. Cyrus and Fiona prove it." Lucca smiled, her eyes gazing over at Crono and Marle's adorable children. Barely four years old and already they have their parent's qualities, thought Lucca. She sighed, memories of losing her own loved ones flooding back into her mind…

Lynx… Serge… Kid… Harle…

"So," said Marle slyly, trying to change the subject, "have YOU found anyone special yet?" Lucca kept staring at the floor, desperately wishing that her friend hadn't asked that question. I found someone special, all right. Someone strong, and gentle; someone tall, and proud, and humble; someone grave, and fun; someone not human, although more humane than anyone else; someone who was a beast on the outside, someone who was so very beautiful, a love doomed to die… Lucca sighed again, and gave her reply.

"No comment."

The End