Chrono Trigger Prophecies Chapter 18

Puzzles and Enigmas

By Jerm

Janus was beginning to understand what was happening. In the beginning, it had just been him. Then, when Lavos had thrown him to the seventh century, he had been captured by Ozzie. The inprisonment had been brutal, something in his mind snapped and a Magus persona was created.

As Magus, he rose in the ranks and eventually took over Ozzie's control. Here, he tried to raise Lavos in an attempt to avenge himself. Janus didn't know from what, he wasn't even sure of this part. Something went wrong and he was sent back to Zeal. The memories, the familiar areas, the familiar people were enough to resituate the mind, allowing Janus to retake control. There, in an attempt to fix his past by preventing Lavos from sending his earlier self to the future, he dons the guise of the prophet. Using his knowledge of future events to gain the queen's trust. He had the chance to get near Lavos upon its summoning. He had failed and once again, Janus was lost.

However, his pressence as an oracle was made known. Treating him as a true prophet, his words were recorded and stored in a book of prophecies. Centuries later, Magus found these books and misread the section dealing with the raising of Lavos, seventh century. He now thinks that he's the object of armageddon for this world.

It was strange, Janus had, in essense, told himself to destroy the world. And he had listened. However, there was still a gaping hole in this story. Vili didn't fit in at all. Maybe he could ask him where he came from. But with his luck, Vili would avoid the question, as always.

Once again, Janus's mind wandered to possible escapes. How could he? He could try to fight Magus, but Magus had Vili on his side. The best way would be to convert Vili onto his side, but that was nigh impossible considering Vili wouldn't tell his reasons for choosing Magus. He was trapped.

And there was no escape other than death. And not his death, Magus's death. And he couldn't control that.

* * * * *

Magus walked up to the drawbridge, lowered and leading to the castle entrance. Before him, stood two guards blocking the raised portcullis. They peered back at him, waiting for him to cross and present his validity to enter. Magus smiled inwardly, they couldn't reject his ID. He took a step forward, his feet making no noise on the bridge other than a slight creaking. The guards continued to stand patiently.

Another step, more creaking. Magus bowed his head forward as he approached, hiding his face. The guards were edgy now, handling their sheathed swords with nervous looks. He was a stranger to them, and a very suspicious one as well. Plus, they had good reason to be afraid. He was now halfway across. He twisted himself about slightly, allowing his scythe to glint in the light for the briefest of moments. Not enough to show malice, but to make them even more nervous. It worked.

"Who goes there?" asked the guard on the right, showing no sign of his nervousness in his voice.

Magus didn't respond, he continued to bow his head, his cloak covering him from head to foot in darkness. He was now ten steps away. The other guard jerkily drew his sword, causing the speaker to jump in startlement. He repeated his partner's request. Magus took another step, the bridge creaking under him. Then, both of the soldiers were armed.

"Stop! Stop right now, I said!" the guard on the right began to yell at Magus.

Five steps away. Magus raised his head slowly, the light from above slipping into his hood, illuminating first his neck, then up to his nose. As he peered straight at the vocal guard, his face was visible. And the guard recognized him.

"Mag--" he began, then he was forced to stop as Magus closed the distance.

There was another glint of light, accompanied by a ringing noise. Something long and sharp was suddenly heaved into the air and swung back down at the man's head. The guard raised his shaking hand, forcing the sword to block the decending scythe. The two blades met with a clang. Magus reached out with his right hand and grabbed the soldier by the front of his chain mail and heaved to the right, throwing him off of the bridge.

The guard lost his grip on the sword and flailed his arms as he went over. The blade dropped to the bridge, clanging upon the wooden frame. Moments later, there was a splash as the guard hit the water.

Looking away from the fallen guard, he saw the other running into the castle to call for help. Calmly, he reached out with his mind and stopped the soldier. The man was pulled back screaming and drawing the attention of other guards. He landed back at Magus's feet, then died as the scythe tore into his chest. Magus withdrew the weapon and stepped over the body. With no emotion on his face, he entered the castle.

By the power of his mind, the doors shut and locked behind him, sealing off any attempts at escape.

* * * * *

"Vili?" Janus was still lying on his bed inside of his room. He was alone, his sister was off somewhere else for the next few hours.

"What is it?" the voice was familiar, Janus recognized it instantly as Vili.

"I have another question for you," Janus replied, sitting up in the bed, "How is it that you came to be."

"Why are you curious about that all of a sudden?"

Janus sighed, trying to find the right words that wouldn't scare off Vili again, "I'm starting to learn a bit of your plan, from what you said about the prophet; I'd like to know where your persona came from. Magus was created through Ozzie, I was the original, but I can't think of a place for you."

"Who says you were the original?" Vili's voice sounded amused now.

This blunt statement took Janus aback. He tried to hide his startlement as he replied, "Are you saying you were the original? You can't be, I remember all about this host's childhood. I know--"

"I have told you before that this is not your business to question that which you do not understand," Vili was no longer amused.

"Why won't you tell me?" Janus pressed, "You're hiding something, almost as if you're afraid of me."

"You're not a threat," Vili defended himself.

Janus stood from his seat, "Then tell me what I would like to know."

"I don't keep information from you out of fear, Janus, I keep it out of choice."

"And that is because....?" Janus asked sarcastically, becoming angry as well.

"You don't deserve to know everything that goes around you. No one does. Learn to live with ignorance, everyone else has to."

"I can lea--" Janus was yelling now.

"Janus? Are you okay?" Schala's voice entered from the far side of the door.

Janus sneered at the air around him, "You did this on purpose, make her leave again and we can talk this out once and for all!"

The doorknob jiggled for a second, then the door swung open to reveal a worried Schala, "Janus, who were you talking to?"

There was no reply from Vili, he had gone most likely, using Schala as a shield. Janus fought down the urge to use his will and destroy this world created around him. It was all he had, though, Janus reminded himself. Instead he sat back down on the bed, "Nothin--I mean, nobody...I was just talking to myself."

"Okay," Schala let it go, "Mother wants me to come with her to the meeting tonight and give ideas about the construction so I'll be gone for the rest of the night maybe."

"Construction of what?" Janus wasn't really interested at the moment.

"Of the ocean palace, remember?" Schala tilted her head, "Or didn't I tell you?"

The Ocean Palace. Lavos. What was he doing her in Janus's utopia? This was supposed to be a fixed world with no problems, what was happening? Something was really going wrong now. As soon as Janus felt that he was figuring things out, more things piled into the fray. He shook his head, but not in disgust. He was answering Schala's question, "No, not that I remember."

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