Chrono Trigger Prophecies Chapter 14
Mystery Unsolved
By Jerm
Janus slowly stood back up, picking himself off of the stone floor of the castle's basement. The impact didn't hurt, of course, but he had a feeling that it would have if he had been 'awake.' He quickly looked around himself, hoping to find what had knocked him over. Nothing.
He had been trying to escape, trying to flee the bonds that Magus had set around him. Janus had been hoping that Magus couldn't see what he was doing, hopefully focusing all of his mind on matters existing on the outside. But to no avail, Magus was watching, always watching, forever watching. There was no escape.
As the doubt began to creep into his head, something flickered before him, a small movement that caught his eye. He raised his head and peered into the depths, straining his eyes in an attempt to locate the motion. His eyes focused with a snap to Magus as the wizard stepped into his vision.
"That wasn't a good time to test your limits, you know," Magus began to pace, slowly walking in a circle around Janus, who remained facing forward, "I don't have time to come back here and tell you over and over that it's hopeless."
"You never told me," Janus replied truthfully.
Magus continued to walk, now standing behind Janus, "He has been here to tell you, though. I've seen it. You know the rules I've set for you."
"Or what? You can't exactly kill me for breaking th--" Janus began, still facing away from Magus.
Suddenly, he was grabbed by the back of the neck and hoisted into the air. He instinctively grabbed at the hand there, but couldn't free the hold. Desperately, he began to kick wildly, trying to break the iron grip.
"No, I can't kill you, you're but an avatar, a symbol your persona has used to represent yourself. Physical abuse is nothing...But, your mind is still open to attack. Don't think I won't turn you into a raving lunatic, Janus," Magus was speaking harshly now, obviously angry.
Even so, Janus decided to push his luck, "Then why haven't you? If you're so much more powerful than me, why haven't you destroyed me yet? You fear me and know that I can be just as powerful as you are."
"Not quite," Magus dropped Janus, who fell into a pile onto the ground.
Janus picked himself up off of the ground and spun to face Magus.
He faced nothing.
"I tried to warn you," the voice of Vili reached his ears.
Glenn didn't know when he had fallen asleep. He had been staring up at the darkening sky one second, then the next he was being shaken awake by Lucca. He groggily tried to pick himself up off of the ground, then remembered that he couldn't walk very well. A quick glance to the side showed that Crono was there as well, he had indeed found them.
"Can you stand?" Lucca asked, after he fell back to the ground.
"Aye, but walking will cause an amount of trouble," Glenn said, then shook his head, "But I fell that I can manage."
"Are you sure?" she tilted her head curiously.
He put the Masamune into the ground and heaved himself up, this time without falling over, "Aye."
Crono spoke up next, "I hate to have to push you, but Marle needs some medical attention as soon as possible. I might be pushing you too hard, since I'm the only one who got through this unscathed--"
He turned to Lucca, "I know you're going to say it, I know about the knot on my head. Yeah, it hurts. But, technically, I'm unscathed--"
Lucca gave an innocent look to him and he continued, "We're going to have to travel nonstop to Dorino to be safe."
"I'll manage," Lucca said, nodding.
Glenn seemed about to say something, then shrugged, "Very well."
"Then let's go before Magus comes back."
"Why don't you tell me what's going on?" Janus demanded of the figure across the room from him.
Vili merely shrugged and began to pace slowly, "What do you understand so far?"
Janus sneered for a moment, then his face became neutral once more. However, there was anger in his eyes as he glared across the castle's basement. Vili ceased his pacing and faced Janus, "Well?"
"I know nothing of what's happening around me; why else would I ask?"
Vili shook his head, "If you don't understand what we've told you, how could you understand the deeper parts? You play a very minor role in this now, possibly nonexistant. Just enjoy life here, it's all you can do. No pain, no suffering. And your every wish can be manifested before you. Be happy with what you have."
"You sound as if you are on Magus's side," Janus accused the figure, "Why choose him?"
"He wished to make more of himself, Janus. At the rate that you were pushing the body with that worthless search, I would not exist much longer. With Magus in control, I can live a longer life," Vili was now scolding Janus, "You were going to destroy me, Janus. 'Why choose him?' indeed..."
"I fail to see the reasoning," Janus sighed, "Magus is on a vendetta against the rest of the world, no one can take on everyone else; he's even more reckless than I am."
Vili opened his mouth to reply, but Janus cut him off, "Why not take control yourself, then? If you want to exist, why steal from one reckless man and give to another. It solves nothing."
Instead of replying, Vili seemed to think for a moment, "It seems you're coming closer to realizing what we are doing through logical deduction. I have my reasons, and they are mine alone. Now if you'll excuse me..."
Vili faded away from view, disappearing once again. This time Janus made no move to stop him, there was no point. He started to turn around and begin exploration of this new world within his mind, when Vili's voice interrupted his thoughts again.
"Oh, one other thing. I brought you something to keep you busy so Magus doesn't have to reprimand you every thirty seconds."
Janus stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to face the far wall again. Standing in the shadows was a figure, though it was not Vili. The figure slowly stepped out of concealment, its footsteps clicking on the stone floor. Janus recognized the person instantly.
"After all, a deal's a deal."
He wanted to say something, desperatly attempting to speak. There were hundreds of things he would have wanted to say. However, he was momentarily speechless. Despite strong attempts, all he could do was look at the person standing in front of him.
At Schala.
.