Chrono Trigger Prophecies Chapter 17
Prophecies
By Jerm
Janus closely followed Schala as she entered the town of Kajar, passing under the arches of the entrance. He was carrying Alfador in his arms now, so that the cat would not fall prey to anything or anybody not trustworthy. All around him, people were wandering about with varied destinations, the city was flourishing obviously. After a few feet into the town, Schala turned back to him, and he stopped to look around.
"So, where to?" she asked patiently.
Janus didn't answer immediately, however. He was still looking about him at the city, so changed from when he last remembered it. Remembered it from his future. When Lavos had turned the people into deadweight--
Don't dawdle on things like that.
Janus stopped looking around, caught offguard by the voice. Vili was still watching over him, it seemed. In his arms, Alfador meowed once more, breaking him out of his trance. He looked up to Schala, trying to think of a place to go before she became impatient.
Finally, he decided on a place, "Let's go to the far side, I wanna look at the clouds.
"You sure?" she turned to him questioningly, "It's a long walk."
"Yeah," he nodded, "I think it'll be worth it."
"Whatever for? You always seem so lively, sitting in one place calmly doesn't seem like you," Schala was curious now.
"I dont' know," he shrugged, jostling Alfador in his arms, "I just want to go there."
"Okay," she agreed, turning to begin walking, "It's up to you afterall."
He trailed after her, "Thanks."
"Vili?" Janus asked the air from his perch near the edge of the floating continent.
Behind him, Schala was walking away back into the city to find something to eat. She wouldn't go far, however. Alfador now sat in his lap, purring contentedly. He was alone for the moment, miles above the clouds.
"What?" came the reply, moments later, "And why are you trying to hide this? It's your world. If you don't want her to know about this, you could simply make her 'forget' you were speaking to me."
"I know," Janus nodded, "but I don't want to tinker with her."
"Hmm, a intriguing quirk," Vili seemed amused faintly.
Janus cut off his musings, "I called you because I want to know what's going on on the outside. I'll never see what happens there apparently, but I'd like to know how things fare."
"Curiosity? Why--" Vili began, but Janus continued.
"I could cease to exist at any moment in my life. I'd like to prepare for it a little," Janus retorted angrily, "You owe me that much, if not more."
"I owe you nothing. Remember boy, I gave you a new life to live so that you wouldn't be alone while you were trapped in here," Vili didn't seem angry, still neutrally voiced, but Janus knew he was trying this person's patience, "Besides, I know nothing."
"Nothing? He has you trapped, too, doesn't he?" Janus stood up, scooting the cat out of his lap.
No response came, however. Janus looked about him, wondering if he'd ever get the chance to look Vili in the face. He then wondered what the point would be, Vili would look like him, just like Magus did. But Vili had never had any control. He never took on the form of the host, he had never 'owned' the body. He had no true avatar, in most likelihood.
Maybe that's why he is never seen... Janus mused.
"Janus?" he turned back to Schala as his name was called, "Are you ready to go back? We only have about five more minutes to stay, then I have to get back to mother."
He nodded, bending over to scoop Alfador back up in his arms, "Yeah, I guess so."
Magus stepped off of Zenan bridge and pressed onward toward his destination. Ahead of him, above the trees and nestled on a small hill stood the castle, so many miles away. His target.
Magus smiled for a brief second, as he continued to walk at a medium pace, always calm. He would face competition, naturally. He was sure that the two, possibly three, survivors would hunt him down. However, he wasn't afraid. The Masamune was gone, the owner defeated. Nothing could stop him.
He would finally be able to fulfill the prophecies.
"Schala? Good, you're here," Zeal said from her seat upon the throne as Schala and Janus stepped into the room, "I have something to show you."
Schala seemed curious as she stepped forward, the doors shutting behind her, "What is it, Mother?"
"Or rather, someone," Zeal continued, "He's come from a far away land and wants to help."
Janus was curious now, as well, he didn't remember this very well. Beside the queen, somebody stepped out of the shadows, dressed all in black. A hood shadowed over his face, however. Janus at first thought the person was Vili, then looked harder.
The prophet.
It's me... Janus though to himself, Something's not right here.
The figure took another step forward, allowing some light to illuminate his face briefly. Janus almost gasped aloud, the figure's face wasn't his. It was a totally different person, maybe it wasn't the prophet after a--
"I would like you to meet my new advisor. He is an oracle, or so he says and he's been telling me some interesting things lately," Zeal continued as the figure stood beside her, "And you know what? He hasn't been wrong yet."
Watch him, Janus, Vili's voice spoke to him, He's a very important person to you, mainly to Magus.
What's this? Janus thought, but decided to wait until he was alone to talk.
Vili continued to talk while the queen made introductions, This is an ancient oracle--well, ancient to our time in the future--who was able to tell the future with no degree of mistakes. As time progressed, each of his prophecies became true, with near exactness. No one knew where he came from or anything, but in the short time he was present, a small book of his prophecies were written. Are you with me?
Janus nodded, realizing that for some reason his other personas didn't know about certain details in 'his' life. Vili continued after the nod, These scriptures fell into Magus's hands while in his time. In it, he found a small passage talking about an 'Ultimate Destroyer' of sorts. And in it, the description fit him. Perfectly. He found his mission in life through these sayings. However, during this something went wrong, and he once again lost control. You took over after he tried to summon Lavos.
But he is in control once more and he plans to finish his destiny. This passage in the prophecies is about to be finally fulfilled.
Janus was thinking wildly now, even as Schala turned to leave, the introduction over. Before him, the oracle stepped back into the shadows, to once again become invisible. Schala grabbed his arm carefully, pulling him with her, "C'mon Janus, we're done here."
Janus turned away from the prophet and followed Schala out of the room. He continued to think about what was going on. Everything was suddenly becoming jumbled. But why?
Magus had never been in control during his time in Zeal, apparently. Though Janus didn't know why, he knew it was so. If that was true, Magus and Vili would still have been able to find the information from his memory...Unless...
Unless he had them unconsciously blocked. If he had done that, Magus and Vili would know very little of his life while they were under control. The prophecies that he found could have been misread. Janus remembered telling Zeal that Lavos would later be recalled from his slumber as the ultimate destroyer. Not those exact words, but he had told her something like that while he was trying to throw prophecies at her left and right.
People had written down what he had said, he didn't know how many things he might have changed through mistranslations of these, but the prospect of altering history with words scared him.
After he had been found by Ozzie, he had lost his identity through the brutal training, Magus had been created in his mind. Janus was flung to the back of the host's mind. While in control, Magus found the book and read the prophecies, finding that he was a catalyst for destruction--thanks to a mistranslation--and also learned of Lavos.
But how could the book have been written before Magus/Janus was sent back to Zeal as the prophet. That constituted a time loop. Then the thought hit Janus, Magus already knew of Lavos. He was trying to summon him for more power, then lost control and was sent back, reverting to Janus, converting to the prophet. As the prophet, Janus used facts of future events to get the queen's trust and get close enough to Lavos to prevent his sister's 'demise' and his exile. These prophecies were put to book as the words of a true prophet, to be later read by the 'next' Magus; turning him into the object of prophecy, the destroyer. Janus had, in retrospect, done this to himself.
No, he thought to himself, Lavos did this; Ozzie, too, for creating Magus within me.
He had reached his room now, but still lost in thought. This didn't say anything as to where Vili came from, however. Maybe he was something created through Magus, Janus had no idea. Vili was still a mystery to him. Janus walked into his room, toward his bed and lay down.
Maybe he really was a false prophet.
.