Greetings all. This has been my pet creation for a long time now, as much as I loved

Chrono Trigger, I was sorely dissappointed with Magus' lack of real history. So much

potential for a great story and Square skipped it. So I wrote it. The behind the scenes of

what went on in the Kingdom of Zeal, what we should have seen. I end abruptly, but I end

where anyone who knows the game would know how the game picks up from there. I do

intend to continue it, and show what I still left out, as well as what Square missed, but this

half can stand fine on its own I think.

Of course, I do this for no money whatsoever, and in no way intend to infringe upon

Square's copyrights etc. But the characters here that Square didn't create are mine, so don't

touch them, as is the major arc of the story. This is soley for the enjoyment (I hope) of other

Chrono Trigger fans, and because I enjoyed writing it a great deal. Please, any feedback

would be greatly appreciated at GabrielMagus@Hotmail.com

Fallen Grace

By Cristopher J. Grana

PROLOGUE

The royal figure looked intently upon his snow covered valley, knowing full well it would be the last time he would see it. A tear came to his eye which he quickly wiped away in fear of it freezing on his face in the harsh cold. The past year had been the worst recorded. The ever constant blizzard that plagued the entire world had done more damage than the citizens of Zeal could handle. Ægus, King of Zeal, stood upon the mountaintop which gave his pitiful kingdom a small amount of protection, preparing himself for the spell that would take his life in order to free Zeal from its inevitable end.

For more years than could be recorded, Ægus Zeal's world was covered by clouds so thick, so bleak, that the sun was thought of as a myth, with the only evidence being the few hours of light that brought no warmth to a single soul each day. The world was a cold, cruel shadow of life. Few were able to survive and none were happy. The human race was able to find shelter in a small snow valley, where noble Ægus Zeal ruled the masses with a fair and just hand. Dwellings were made for most underground in huge caverns, save for the palace, the only sign of human existence on the planet. Ægus had created this last sanctuary by his own gift of magic, and brought the few feudal lords which sprang up in the chaos under his own protection. Taking a daughter from a rival lord as his wife, Ægus united the scattered clans and created the single most powerful kingdom in the world, named after himself, the Kingdom of Zeal.

Human society began to flourish under his rule, but the harsh conditions of the world limited their progress greatly. Without any other alternative, Ægus and his closest advisors, the Gurus of Life, Time, and Knowledge, set out to save their kingdom. After almost two decades of work, the King, already fifty years of age, found the answer to his people's hopes.

The King, who was older than most could ever dream to live, was given two children by his good wife Schala. His first born was a daughter, and she was given the name of her mother. Like her father, she had a great gift for magic. Already eight years of life when her brother was born, she was already a highly skilled pupil of her father. The younger child was named Janus, after Ægus' father. But he would never remember his father, nor be able to learn magic from him as his older sister.

It was not yet a full year after his son's birth that Ægus was finally able to deliver his kingdom from the death of the planet, and he stood silently on the mountain, the freezing wind penetrating even his heavy purple robes. It soon would not matter, he thought to himself, his own life for that of his people's. Ægus began to chant the first part of the spell, knowing his loving daughter was weeping softly with his wife behind him.

Ægus began the third part, already feeling his life force slipping from him. It was the one component for the spell which the Gurus opposed: The caster must relinquish his life force entirely for the spell to be completed. But King Zeal never gave it a second thought, knowing it only to be his duty. My people will live and prosper, was the only thought he allowed to enter his mind. His only regrets were that his only son would have no memories of him, nor would he see Janus grow up and take the throne as king. A second tear came to his eye now as the words of the third part of the chant ended on his tongue, and the third feather dropped from his hand. The valley below, already prepared for what was to come, began to shake violently, as if being torn from the earth itself.

With his life ebbing away from him, the King of Zeal chanted the final words.

And with his final breath, the last feather dropped from his hand to the earth, and as his body fell to the ground, the valley of Zeal's Kingdom ripped free of the earth, rising high into clouds. It rose above the clouds, where the sun shone so brightly, so strong, that the snow was melted away from the ground in moments. Those citizens of Zeal on the now floating islands thought they might have left the mortal coil and joined some other world completely. The royal family and the Gurus wept for their king, but knew with his death came their rebirth.

I

Janus sighed loudly as the spell he cast did nothing to the slip of paper on his desk. He tried again, the words to the simple spell already memorized, yet as he finished, the paper was entirely unchanged. He looked to his left, down the rows of young students enrolled in the Magic Guild's basic studies, and sighed again as he saw the small pieces of parchment burning on every desk. Janus was already eight now, and, as all the wealthy children of Zeal, had been studying magic under the Guru of Knowledge since he was four. He was a healthy boy, even a bit tall for his age. His silvery blue hair was already long enough to be tied in a ponytail, as was the normal fashion, and he wore the light purple robes of a young mage. His deep blue eyes, though young, showed sadness and loneliness, and even signs of torment that one so young should not have known.

The son of the most powerful magic user to have lived, his mother and the Gurus expected him to have been in the advanced studies by now as his older sister was. Yet the young prince was not able to show any sign of talent for magic. Time after time, the spells he cast simply would not work.

Janus looked to his right, to see the same picture. He was the only member of the class unable to use "The Gift," as everyone called it. His face brightened momentarily though, as he noticed his best friend Noelaura seated two seats away, a smile on her face as she looked at the little flame on her desk. She was only seven, and one of the most advanced in the class. The daughter of a wealthy Lord, Noelaura had been brought up surrounded by magic. With long auburn hair, and a perfect smile, it was obvious she'd grow up to be a rare beauty, even if her own green eyes gave a hint of sadness as well.

She looked up from her desk, her smile fading as she saw the forced half smile on Janus' face. Both knew that most students were forced to leave the guild if they did not show they had the Gift by their ninth year, and both were scared that Janus, even though the prince, would be sent away from the studies' dormitory in the Guild, back to the palace.

The Guru of Knowledge frowned as he saw the two children's expressions, knowing exactly what they were thinking, and fearing the same himself. He knew Janus would not be forced to live on the planet below, with all the poorer families who lacked the Gift, but to see Janus returned would no doubt bring shame upon him and his family. More so, he very much liked the young prince. He and Noelaura would often come to his dwellings in the Guild after studies were over to hear his tales of before the Great Rising, and more importantly to the young prince, tales of the late King Ægus. Janus would listen awestruck to the old Guru, and always seemed happier hearing the tales, forgetting his failure with magic, and how he missed his sister at the palace.

Schala was in the advanced studies, which were given by the Queen and the Guru of Life in the palace. She was the youngest student in the studies since before the Great Rising. She had been Janus' only friend until he met Noelaura, as the other children often made fun of his ineptitude with magic. Being the prince simply made their laughter increase, and Janus became quite isolated in his first two years at the Guild. A year into Noelaura's studies, she still was unable to use magic, and the older children began to laugh at her as well. The two ostracized children became soul mates because of their shared torment, spending all their time between studies together, always trying to figure out why they lacked the Gift.

It was Noelaura who had won the bet they made on their first outing together as to who would learn magic first, yet they remained friends none the less. She quickly became one of the top students, striving to prove herself better than those who had laughed at Janus and her before.

The Guru gave a sigh and looked to his timepiece. Class wasn't over for another fifteen minutes, but he had nothing else planned for the day.

"All right young lords and ladies, very good. I believe I'll let you all go now, seeing as we have finished more than I had expected today. Tomorrow we will continue with the fire element, and how we tap it's strength. Remember to use the Void Tables while practicing, I'd hate to see the dorms burn down tonight in such warm weather." With a laugh the Guru bowed to his giggling young pupils and returned to his desk to prepare for his next class.

Janus began gathering up his things, relief and frustration creeping over him again. He finished taking his grimoires from his desk and started after Noelaura. Today is it. I'll show her today, he thought as he walked quickly after his friend.

"N'aura!" She smiled as she heard his nickname for her, meaning "beauty" in the words of magic, and turned around to see him run over to her.

"Hey, Magus," she said, the only teasing of him she ever did. She grinned as she saw him scowl playfully.

"You wait, I'll learn it. Then I really will be a magus." He stuck his tongue out at her and ran off, Noelaura in the chase. They ran through the halls of the Guild, trying to keep quiet enough for the studies still working not to yell at them. It was not usual for the younger students to be allowed out of the Guild, but Janus being the prince, they gave him leave to wander outside. The two companions normally waited until their days off to venture out of the Guild House, but today was the anniversary of the Great Rising, and Janus promised her a surprise.

They reached the streets of Kajar, where the Lesser Guild House was located. Kajar was the center of research, science, and development of Zeal. The Guild's other half, the Greater Guild House, was located in the palace. A third, separate Guild House was in the city of Enhasa, on the second largest of the four floating islands that made up the Kingdom of Zeal, but it was more of a library and archive than anything.

More or less a planet of it's own, Zeal had doubled in size after the Great Rising. The late King Ægus' powerful lifeforce empowered the floating kingdom high above the planet with unwavering endurance. Four floating islands made up the kingdom; the largest containing the palace and the city of Kajar, as well as the main water supply for the entire kingdom; the second largest island had the city of Enhasa, a more rural city than that of Kajar; the third island kept the old military base and arsenal, but such a place was unneeded in the peace that existed in the world, not to mention that Queen Zeal's vast power alone was more than capable of defending her kingdom; the final island held the sacred temple of the Sun Stone, the main source of energy for the planet.

Janus and Noelaura slowed to a walk, tired from their chase. They had stopped at a food shop to purchase some dinner rations and a bit of candy, as Janus had said it'd be a long walk to the surprise. Janus walked with a staff and their packs, Noelaura keeping up with him at his side.

"Well Magus, where is it?" she asked, on the edge of anticipation and impatience.

"Don't worry N'aura, we'll get there some day," he said, smiling his rare smile that only she saw.

"Sheesh, this better be worth it Janus. Dragging me out of the city to who knows where.." She dug into the pocket of her light purple robe and brought out two pieces of jelly root, handing one to Janus and biting off a piece for herself. Janus smiled. She knew jelly root was his favourite, and he bit off a piece.

"It's worth it, I promise. Now speed it up a bit, you, we have to be there before sundown." He nudged her, succeeding only in making her nudge him back, which of course demanded a retaliation from him, and eventually became another chase through the streets until the outer Gates of Kajar.

They stopped running when they reached the gates, laughing and trying to catch their breath. It was then that the small tremor hit, shaking the floating continent violently enough to throw the two companions off their feet. It lasted only a moment, but it was long enough to make the citizens of Zeal scream in terror all in unison. The worst fear of the people was that their kingdom would fall, and it seemed to be happening. Yet after the tremor had passed, not a building was damaged, not a street was cracked, and everything was normal. The people immediately calmed themselves, being a kingdom of thinkers and rationalizers. Messengers were immediately sent to the palace and to the Guild to find out what had happened, but for the most part, business went on as usual, if not a little cautious.

"Are you all right N'aura?" Janus asked as he helped her to her feet. She had started to cry and was shaking noticeably. Janus held her to stop her shaking, not knowing what else to do, and began walking back to the Guild with her.

"No, no, I'm fine Janus, really, let's keep going. I was just really frightened for a moment," she said, calming down a bit. She stopped to turn around.

"Are you sure? It can wait until tomorrow. Maybe we should get back and find out what happened" He looked at her, quite concerned.

"No, come on, I don't want to have to come out here again." She smiled and began walking to the gate again.

"Fine, but if we get in trouble, it's your fault!" They walked to the gates and followed along the wall around the city to the small hole they used to leave. Younger children were rarely allowed out of the Guild House, let alone the city, so the two companions had to find their own way out.

It was nearly sundown when they reached the great lake of Zeal, well away from Kajar. Janus looked up to the north, high in the mountain caverns. The palace was brightly lit, and the sight of it brought a surge of homesickness to him. He felt a tug on his arm and looked down at Noelaura, then smiled.

"Are we there yet?" she asked, the tiredness very noticeable in her voice.

"Almost. We have but to follow the shorter river to the edge."

"The edge!?" she yelled in disbelief. "Are you crazy? What if a wind--"

"Shh, trust me, I know what I'm doing. And you better not be getting tired on me N'aura, I don't want to carry you back."

"Humph." Noelaura quickened her pace, walking ahead of Janus. He laughed softly behind her as they walked on. They got to the end of the river that flowed south from the lake, vanishing off the edge of the semi-continent. A longer river cascaded off as well, just east of its twin. The source of the lake was said to be a magic cavern in the mountains. Janus and Noelaura walked slowly along now, both aware that a strong gust might just take them off the edge, but there was rarely a gust capable of that, this high in the air. Janus stopped and sat Noelaura down, telling her to wait, then walked a little further to the edge. A few feet away, he stabbed his staff into the ground, making sure it was sturdy. He set the packs he was carrying down and took a rope from his own, then tied one end to the staff. Janus made sure the knot was good, then stood up and looked at Noelaura, who was getting rather scared of his closeness to the edge. He smiled at her and waved, then turned and jumped of

Noelaura screamed as he jumped and she crawled as fast as she could to the edge. She looked over, beyond shock, to find Janus standing on a ledge just below, smiling up at her.

Noelaura screamed at him, then ran back to get the rope he set out. "You better start running Magus Zeal, because when I get down there I'm throwing you off!" She carefully climbed down the rope to the ledge, to find Janus laughing uncontrollably near the rock wall. Seeing him laughing just made her angrier and she started to pummel him as hard as she could.

"Don't you ever ever ever do that again! If you do, it better be for real." Eventually he stopped laughing enough to defend her blows.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't pass that up! Come on, we're here, and we only have a few moments left." They walked along the ledge, which was wide enough to walk with ease. The ledge led to a small cavern just behind the western waterfall. They stepped into the dark cave and Janus motioned her to sit. In the last few moments of light before sundown, they got a small place for a fire ready, but left unlit.

"Well?" Noelaura asked. "Where is it?"

"N'aura, shh. Just watch." They sat behind the waterfall, the rush of the water magnified in the small cave, but not deafening. With a start, Noelaura saw it. The setting of the sun on the horizon was a grand sight. It was the only time the grey clouds below didn't seem as harsh. Noelaura watched the sun set with a smile, but a bit of disappointment. She had seen the sun set before and was about to say it when the water in front of her began to change colours. It turned from the crystal blue to a purple, then red, then pink, and finally became a rainbow of colour, lighting the entire cavern. The rock wall sparkled with colour, as if there were diamonds embedded in them. She looked around in awe, her mouth open and saw Janus smiling.

"Was it worth it?" he asked, but all he got was a slow nod, words unable to come to his friend. His smile broadened and he looked around too. The light began to fade as the sun finally winked out behind the horizon of clouds.

"That was incredible... I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful.." She reached over to hug Janus, but as she did, a second tremor shook, though not as strong as the first. Noelaura was up with a yell and ran toward the back of the small cave. As she did, she was shocked to see a hole tearing open in the space before her. It was a circular void of some sort, and she was headed directly into it. She tripped and went headlong into the void as another tremor began.

"N'aura, no!" Janus screamed as he made a jump for her. Everything was moving in slow motion for him, seeing her run, the void opening, her tripping on something and falling into the void. He reached the void in time to catch her leg, but some force was pulling her in. His young body didn't have a chance of holding onto her, and she soon slipped free, making Janus tumble to the floor. He got up to jump after her, but the void closed as soon as he was on his feet, leaving him crying there, the last image of her turning to see him and calling his name as she fell through nothingness. It was too much for him to take, and the young prince collapsed right there, falling to his knees, then lying down and passing out..

II

The storm grew fiercer, rain pouring down like blood from an opened wound. And then came the wind, the Black Wind, racing through the trees like a wolf on the trail of his prey. Janus screamed out in agony, but his voice was muted by that of another. He recognized it immediately as his own voice, but deeper, stronger, older.. He looked up to see a towering figure of a man, his face hidden in the shadows. The figure wore a long cape that whipped about in the wind, and he wielded a long sickle. Janus thought he was staring at Death himself, and began to back away, more terrified of that being than any terror that might surround him. Lightening flashed, giving features to the figure's face. Blood red eyes burned in the skullish head, with skin as pale as bone. Fangs could be seen in the still screaming mouth, the voice growing louder all the time. The sight of the evil being before him sent chills through the young prince's body, and he looked away, up to the sky, letting the rain pou

The rhythmic drip of water from the ceiling of the cave onto his cheekbrought the prince slowly out of his sleep. Janus bolted upright, the haunting dream still with him. He tried to shake off the terrible feeling of doom the nightmare placed on him and tried to figure out where he was. A cave.. The cave!

"N'aura!" Janus jumped to his feet to look for her, the events coming to him with crystal clarity. He got to his feet and ran to where she had disappeared, but his boot caught on something and he fell to his knees, skinning his hands on the rough rock floor. Janus looked up to the wall in front of him, seeing nothing there, and his heart sank. He looked back to see what he tripped on. Noelaura's book pack was there on the ground, her grimoires spilled out.

Holding back the tears that were welling up in him, the young prince tried to calm himself down and think. Whatever it was she fell in, it was not natural. And sulking here won't help me find out who did it. His thoughts went over what had happened again and again, trying to make some sense of it. The picture of the circular void that swallowed Noelaura came to him, opening into what seemed like oblivion.

Perhaps they know something at the Guild, he thought. With a sudden surge of hope, Janus went about gathering his things. As he picked up Noelaura's pack, he heard a soft sound. Curious, and thankful for a distraction for his thoughts, he opened up the pack and looked through it. At the bottom of the leather bag was an odd blue box, with holes cut in the top. He noticed a card attached to it, and removed the box to read it. Again he heard a soft sound, coming from the box. Janus took the small card and read it:

Janus quickly opened up the box, knowing exactly what was inside. Lying on the bottom of the box was a small animal, with purple fur. It was a greymalkin, as he had expected, a feline that grew to be very faithful to their owners, but kept the feline detachment to other persons. He had wanted one since his father's own greymalkin passed on. It had taken an odd liking to the young prince after its master had died. This young one now still in the box lay asleep, the atmospellets keeping it fully supplied with air, even at the bottom of the book pack. He sighed and closed the box, taking his packs and making his way carefully to the ledge.

As Janus walked back to Kajar the images in his nightmare began to come to him. A chill ran up his spine as he again saw the tall figure standing in front of him, with the face of cruel detachment. His dreams often told him things about the future, and he did his best to write them out and interpret them, but this was one dream he hoped would hold no meaning for his future.

With a sigh, he continued. They're probably worried about us back in the Guild. Belthazar will be angry. Maybe they think we were lost in those tremors that hit last. Maybe the Guild's destroyed.. Janus cradled Alfrador in his arms and quickened his pace.

The streets of Kajar were busier than normal. Rumors of a great beast caught at the palace were told at every corner. People even began to talk of the great legend of Lavos, and how the Gurus have the monster trapped in an isochamber. Janus quickened his pace now, hearing the talk even at the doors of the Guild House, but brushing it off as nonsense. He passed easily through the people, being the prince, straight to the Guru of Knowledge. Entering the Guru's chamber, he found the Guru sitting at his desk, speaking to the Queen over a holoconnector.

"It is confirmed then, Belthazar.." said the holographic image of Queen Zeal, projected from the small box on the Guru's desk. "The tremors that have hit our kingdom are the result of the legendary Lavos. Our scientists in the Earthbound village have even obtained a seismic mapping of it's location under the ocean."

"Amazing. And the odd disappearances?" Belthazar asked, waving Janus to come closer as he saw the young prince peek around the door.

"We believe Lavos to be the cause as well, though what exactly has transpired, we know not." The Queen smiled as she saw Janus enter the field of view. "Hello young prince, I'm am glad to see you are well. We had just sent the order for a search party as you were spotted entering the city. What happened?"

"A thousand apologies mother. Noelaura and I left the city yesterday after studies to explore." He stopped, trying to calm himself down. "We were in a cave, when the tremors hit and.. And this, hole, opened up and swallowed her. It was all my fault, I should have brought us back after the first tremors hit, and-"

"You say you saw her disappear then?" the Queen asked.

"I'm not lying mother, I-"

"Janus, I believe you, it has been happening all over the kingdom. I had feared the same fate had fallen upon you. As of yet, no one has witnessed it take place. My son, I am sorry for your friend, but we have more important matters to attend to. Guru Belthazar, bring the prince to the palace at once, and send word to the other Gurus. This must be resolved before any more calamity hits." The image of the Queen faded and went blank. Janus stared at the spot for a moment, a strange bitterness creeping over him.

"Come Janus. We must leave for the palace at once. There will be time for grieving later." Belthazar placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, trying to console him.

Janus stepped off the telepad in the palace's linking chamber, moving out of the way as Belthazar materialized into view. He took a moment to admire his home, realizing just how much he missed the palace in the four years he'd been away. The walls of light purple and blue stone, decorated with beautifully hand-carved reliefs. He saw his father's crest, the White Robed Angel, set against a deep purple banner above the exit. Janus touched the same emblem he wore on his robe, surrounded by a circle of gold embroidery, and found his sadness grow further. He had not known his father, save for Belthazar's stories, and his heart often sank when he thought of the late King. And now she's gone too, he thought with a sigh.

The familiar sight of the palace's architecture was rather soothing to the young prince as he followed the old Guru to the throne room, with little Alfrador in his arms. The classic use of high arches and stone pillars, as well as stained glass windows came together with the advanced technology and science of the kingdom. Belthazar and Janus met the Guru of Life, Melchior, and the Guru of Time, Gaspar, at the sealed door to the throne room. The Gurus stepped aside as the prince moved forward to open the large, magically sealed door. He raised the small pendant that he wore about his neck to the crest of his father on the door, and it slide slowly upwards. Janus gave out a sigh, knowing that it was the only magic he was capable of doing, and it was not even he who did it.

Upon entering the throne room, Janus was immediately attacked by the barrage of hugs and kisses his older sister poured on him. Already sixteen years of life, Schala was nearly as beautiful as her mother. Her long silvery blue hair, which both children had received from the Queen, was tied in a high ponytail by the red scarf young Janus had given her. The long purple robes she wore fell gracefully about her. Janus gave a smile to his sister as they moved to their seats at the grand table that was set before the throne. All the great scientists of Zeal, as well as the Gurus were brought together to discuss their findings. The Queen entered with her Grand Advisor, Dalton, and seated herself in the throne. Janus and his sister didn't care for Dalton, nor did the Gurus as far as he could tell. The rest of the assemblage sat after their Queen. Janus watched the magic seal to the room slowly come down, and as it shut, the meeting began.

III

Belthazar looked on with concern as the young prince walked by, his slow, quiet manner betraying the sadness in his youth. Two years had passed since the discovery of Lavos, and Janus' spirits had only fallen further in that time. His studies at the Guild had been postponed, as did all the student's, for the Guru was needed daily at the Queen's side. At that great Assemblage those two years ago, and during the many that have met since, Queen Zeal and those present wrought plans that would bring about change for the entire planet.

The entire kingdom was in a constantly excited state. Messengers ran to and fro perpetually, it seemed, bringing news and information from place to place. Belthazar himself was on his way back to the Queen as he saw Janus walking along, his greymalkin Alfrador always at his heels. He thought for a moment he should stop and talk with the prince, but he knew Janus would say little, as the prince rarely spoke anymore, save for with his older sister. Since he was living back in the palace, the two siblings grew closer than before.

The Guru of Knowledge shook his head, knowing his business with the Queen to be exceedingly important and let the young prince walk off in his sulk. He tugged on his robes and hurried off to meet the Queen.

Outside the throne room, the Gurus of Life and Time stood waiting for the third of their triumvirate of wisdom. Belthazar pressed his fingertips together and bowed his head to the Gurus, as was the proper greeting, and received the same from his old friends. Old even during the late King Ægus' reign, the three Gurus were an ancient trio. They had collectively seen the worst trials the human race had ever been through, and, along with the King, had been responsible for the greatest hope for human prosperity. But on this hour they nodded solemnly, for each new that the upcoming events may prove to be the undoing of any chance of survival the human race might have.

Melchior, Guru of Life, raised his short walking staff, the crystal on it's top glowing on the sealed door to the Queen's private throne, and the door opened. Life, Time, and Knowledge entered the room and were greeted by the Assemblage already gathered. The Gurus returned the greeting, then took their seats at the table. The Queen sat in her throne on the far side of the chamber, at the head of the long table which the Assemblage met over.

Schala sat just next to her mother. The mage Dalton stood at the Queen's side, carefully watching the chamber, as was his custom. He was a cold man, rumored even to be a pirate during the Old Kingdom, before the Great Rising. But his skills with magic and insight into many workings of the public mind won the Queen's favor and she granted him his title.

All but one was not present at the Assemblage. Ordinarily, in the Queen's constantly busy schedule, the proceedings would have begun as usual with a member missing. In the odd case of this certain individual, however, there was no choice but to wait.

Janus turned down another corridor in the palace, heading to his dwellings with his furry companion at his heels. He moved with his head bowed somewhat, but could still see in his mind's eye the looks of pity he received from those he passed. The young prince ignored these as he ignored much of the activity in the kingdom. At least, he had made it appear he ignored what went on in the Assembly gatherings. His sister was always present at the meetings and would tell him everything that went on. Janus was permitted to attend, but stayed away on his own accord, or dismissing himself shortly after arriving. Neither of the royal siblings liked how the meetings were going.

As Janus made the final turn towards the stairwell that lead to his and his sister's separate rooms, he collided into a very tall figure walking the other way and promptly fell to the floor. A chill blew through him, one that came only with the arrival of death. The Black Wind, as his mother had said, for despite his lack of magic, the young prince had grown adept at reading his environment and the feelings of those around him. The Black Wind always made Janus afraid, ever since his childhood friend was displaced, for he was able to sense it's presence ever since then. Often he heard the howls of Black Wind at night, and more unsettling was it when it came during the gatherings of the Assemblage, making him more concerned for the business his mother had begun.

The foreboding wind unmistakably came with the new figure in the path of the prince, and as Janus looked up to him he could see why. A dark blue cloak shrouded his entire body, opening some at the bottom to allow movement. Runic symbols were embroidered in gold thread along the {seam?} of the cloak, up to the separate hood of the same dark blue. The hood was trimmed with gold and was pulled low over the man's face, hiding all but an unnaturally "V" shaped chin of the palest skin colour in dark shadows. He stood over the prince, offering a gloved hand from the folds of his cloak.

The prince stood on his own, ignoring the hand and the figure as he quickly moved passed, and he could not help moving with a bit more alacrity than he would normally, hoping his Alfrador would keep up with him. As the prince realized that there is nothing down the corridor but his and his sister's rooms, he turned around to question the man what business he had in the hall, but he and his dark wind had gone without a sound. Janus then remembered hearing of a stranger to the kingdom, a mysterious prophet that claimed knowledge of the future, and even proving so to the Queen. He was allowed into her court and immediately became rival for the Queen's second with the mage Dalton. The Queen admitted to her son and daughter in one of their brief and rare family conversations that it amused her greatly watching the silent prophet and the boisterous mage try to out do each other.

Not sure if he liked this new advisor, who, Janus was told by his sister, was simply named Prophet, any more or less than Dalton, the young prince quickly hurried to his dwellings to check for any intrusion.

The Prophet moved silently through the palace, and those who saw him coming, before moving quickly from his path, would swear later on that he had been floating in that dark cloak, rather than walking on his feet. He knew the

queen would not begin without her precious soothsayer, and so he had made the stop to visit the prince's chambers. He hadn't intended on meeting with the prince, and regretted the encounter just now. The Prophet had hoped he would not see the Prince at all, but he should have known that wouldn't be possible. Time, he thought, is not entirely bendable. You should have remembered that. With a scolding grimace to himself under the shadows of his hood he continued on towards the throne room.

Coming to the door, it slide open for him as he passed the pendant he wore over it, the pendant that shocked the court of the Queen, as no one could obtain the royal key without special ties to the family. The Prophet explained that his travels through the "mysteries of time" gave him many such treasures. All a lie of course, but one he knew would pass in the eccentric minds of the kingdom as proof of his powers. He entered the throne room and greeted the anxious Queen and the Assemblage and crossed the chamber to sit opposite the princess Schala.

"The Assemblage is of course aware," began the Queen, her voice loud with power but with a fair edge of femininity, "that the Mammon Machine that our revered Gurus each have worked on since the discovery of Lavos is now complete, and in the process of being set up in it's temporary position in the palace." She paused to allow the nods and small words of approval of the Assembly to pass, then continued in her voice of power. "What I have not revealed to this Assembly, save for my advisors and our Gurus, is that we have finally found the exact location of Lavos under the waves of the icy ocean." To this she paused a moment longer for the applaud the scientists of the Assembly let out, nodding her head and then raising a hand for silence. "Thanks to Prophet," with a small gesture in the darkly clad mystic's direction, "we now know the exact place to begin work on the Underwater Palace. Once this is complete, the Kingdom of Zeal will know endless fortune and prosperity!" She ended on a power

Only the Guru of Life remained seated. As the cheers silenced, Melchior stood to protest his objections to the Queen. "Your Majesty, I have served you faithfully, just as faithfully as your husband before you. But I must again protest against this.. madness." The Guru stopped to read the Queen's reaction, but she remained calm and allowed the Guru to continue. "To better the lives of our people is a noble cause, one I would give my life for, as would the other Gurus. But how does this include," he paused seeing the Queen's face grow darker with each word, "bringing immortality to ourselves through the power of Lavos?"

Melchior's words were met by disapproval of the rest of the Assembly, some murmurs of how much a greater race they will all be once the Mammon Machine began to drain off the power of Lavos, others mentioned how the people of Zeal deserved nothing less than immortality given by the power of Lavos for the greatness they've achieved. The Queen's raised hand put the voices silent.

"Dear Melchior, you have indeed served my faithfully and I doubt not your wisdom or judgement. But how can we, the Enlightened Ones, the people of Zeal, not raise ourselves higher than King Ægus' first vision, but into immortality itself! We are a people of reason, knowledge, magic, and for this I believe we should live on not only in legend, but in body." The Queen's words were met again by applaud and cheers, again murmurs against the Guru of Life's words of warning.

"My Queen, you play the role of God! Surely we of Zeal were not meant to go above His authority?" The Guru stated loudly.

"It was His influence that brought the drifting Prophet to our court. It was His decision to give him the knowledge of the future. And Prophet is responsible for our new opportunity for greatness! We do not go against His will with this matter, we follow it." Again, applaud and cheers filled the chamber.

The Queen's daughter, still unsure of who's view she leaned towards more, had remained as silent as the man of clairvoyance across the table from her. For a moment she could have sworn she saw an odd expression cross the man's stoic face, but the heavy shadows of his cloak made her doubt it. She knew for sure, though, that the Prophet was not at all what he seemed to be. Schala turned her attention back to the verbal duel between the Guru and the Queen, but knew nothing would come of it. Her mother had changed greatly in the last two years. She admitted to herself that the Queen had changed the most since the Gurus' completion of the Mammoth Machine. Made of the same royal stone as her own pendant, the machine was being set in a special room in the palace to begin it's cyphoning of the Great Lavos' power, a task which, according to the Prophet, could be completed easier in an underwater location just above Lavos. His dormancy would create no more quakes in the floating continents, and

The Guru bowed to the Queen. "Yes, of course your majesty." Soon after, the Assembly was dismissed, for little else had to be discussed. The Gurus left for Kajar to begin new tests on the plans of the Queen. Schala remained to see the other members of the Assembly off, then left herself to join her brother and relate the news. Only the Queen and her two advisors remained, but for whatever discussions went on between the three leaders of the kingdom, no one was privy.

IV

Janus sighed as he looked at the timepiece he kept in the pocket of his robe. He began to pace again, his furry companion racing along side contentedly. He had secretly left the Palace and traveled back to Enhasa to speak with Melchior. The Guru had moved to the farther off, and less busy, city, to continue his research on the Mammon Machine. Janus had been in the city for the past two days, making regular trips to see the old mage, but the Guru would not leave his tests to speak with anyone, even the prince.

Janus sighed again out of annoyance. He had been waiting outside the Guru's laboratory for at least two hours, hoping the Guru would come out, though he heard that the Guru had not left the room since he began work. The prince heard many rumors spreading through the kingdom recently, more so than any time before. The Kingdom of Zeal had changed since the Queen announced her quest for immortality. Janus remembered with a frown how the pitying stares he received for his loss and sorrow changed nearly over night to smug superiority over the magically inept prince. His mother herself changed just as quickly with the first Great Assemblage. The entire kingdom seems on its way to a great fall, thought the prince with dismay. As if cued, he heard the Black Wind blow faintly in the city, bringing him out of his thoughts. Realizing it useless to stay any longer, he decided to go back to his chambers and ready himself to leave. His sister said she'd cover his absence, but it was time he

He began down the stairwell leading away from the Guru and nearly bumped into three very odd travelers. It took only a moment for the prince to take in the trio, as they pondered the prince's jaded appearance as well. Their leader was barely a man, no more than eighteen years of birth, but with the quiet presence of a seasoned warrior, though Janus almost snickered at the insane red hair he had that spiked in all directions. Following him close by was a beauty in white. The young woman looked near the red-haired leader's age, with golden hair set in a long ponytail, and green eyes that sparkled with youth but kept a fair edge of sadness behind them. The oddest of the group brought up the rear with a watchful eye, though quite an odd one. Shorter than his companions, but somehow obviously older, the last warrior had the head of a frog atop the body of a human knight of some order. A broadsword hung at his hip with a hilt of gold, and on the golden breastplate shone an even brighter meda

The appearance of each was so foreign that the prince could not fathom where they came from, but he decided to move on without a word to them. He ignored the remarks of their curiosity in him, which he found very amusing when he thought about it later on. But as he passed them, he could not think of anything except the strong auras of each traveler, with a goodness he could remember seeing only in his lost companion Noelaura and his older sister. As a smile was forming on his face, he felt the Black Wind blow once more, nearly ripping the smile from his body as it pointed Death's finger to one of the trio.

"The Black Wind howls.." was all he could say, his detached shell coming back to him. He turned to the group, who still looked upon him with confusion. "One of you will soon die." With that, the prince left, his ridiculous feline at his heels, again ignoring the oddly accented words of the travelers. He continued on to his chambers, a sadness ever present finally returning to him.

Janus thought it odd to see his mother's advisor this far from the Palace, especially going to see the Guru of life. Janus learned to despise Dalton during his renewed stay at the Palace. He saw Dalton go on errands more often since Prophet came to the kingdom. Prophet had indeed taken Dalton's place as the Queen's right hand man, much to the dismay of the rumored ex-pirate. Janus was uncomfortable around Prophet as well, but it was only for the drifter's cold aura and the howls of the Black Wind that seemed to follow him, but never call his name. In the young prince's mind he could even fancy himself much like the quiet, detached soothsayer, though he had felt Prophet's strong control over magic, something the prince believed he'd never have. Janus shrugged as he finished gathering his things and left for the Palace.

The prince returned to the Palace by the next morning and headed straight away to his sister's chambers. Passing people told each other the many rumors that were now always spreading in Zeal, but Janus paid them no attention. He wanted to see his sister before the Queen called her off on another cursed errand.

Schala awoke with a start and tried to erase the image of her nightmare from her mind. The same dream came to her so frequently she knew it by heart, always ending with a terrible expression on her mother's face, one of anger and cruelty. One that the princess once would have never believed to be on the Queen's face, but with the changes throughout the Kingdom of Zeal it was very easy to picture, even while awake. She left her bed and hastened to dress herself before the Queen called her off again. Everything in the Kingdom seemed in a rush to the princess, with construction of the Underwater Palace well underway. Schala was constantly called off to work with the Mammon Machine, as it was her youth that gave her an advantage over the power of Lavos. She hated the machine, and the evil that it seemed only her, her brother, and the Gurus, could perceive. But there was naught she could do, the Queen was still her mother, if now only by technicality.

She had just finished putting on her robes when there was a knocking at her chamber door. It opened immediately and up the steps leading from the door to the room itself came a small figure.

"Schala!!"

Schala smiled as she saw her younger brother and the two siblings embraced. "You're back Janus." She stopped as she noted a graver look than normal in her brother's eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"The Black Wind.." Janus stopped, letting the sound of the ominous breeze make his point.

"You feel it too?" She sighed, knowing the answer already. "Don't worry, it'll be alright." She gave her brother another hug and turned to a drawer in her bureau, taking out something wrapped in a silk. "Now hold onto this," she said, and handed him the small object.

"What is it?" Janus asked as he unraveled the bit of silk. Inside was a small medallion of sorts, with the angel crest of their father intricately set into its face. It was obviously magical, as it had the telltale iridescent glitter even when there was no light upon it.

"It's a kind of amulet," she answered. "If something should happen, it'll protect you." She paused, her voice getting a little deeper. "I wish I could be with you always... But mother has other plans."

The young prince's face contorted with mixture of sadness and understanding, but he spun about on his heel and tried to compose himself. "She is not our mother!" A slight bit of anger crept into his young voice as he continued. "She may look like mother, but she has changed." He looked back to his sister and thought for a moment he saw tears in her eyes, but she turned around herself and walked a few steps away. After a silent pause for them both, she said, "Still, I can't... Janus, I'm sorry."

As Janus was about to say more, a voice came from the stairs. "Excuse me Highness." One of the Queen's messengers entered the room, a nervous tone in her voice. "The Queen asks for your immediate presence at the Ocean Palace."

Schala nodded to the messenger, "All right" then turned to her brother. "Well Janus.." She paused as her brother's shell cracked momentarily to let a tear fall from his eye. "I'll be going.." She turned away and followed after the messenger, who had already left down the stairway.

Janus heard her sister say to someone on the stairwell, "Oh! Who might you be?" but the voice of the servant interrupted the hidden person, "Miss Schala, please hurry. If you're late, I'll be punished!"

"Oh yes, I'm sorry." With that, the princess and the servant were gone. Janus walked over and stood next to a table in the middle of the room. Alfrador curled up next to his master's leg playfully, but Janus' thoughts were too troubled to play with the little greymalkin. His mind raced over his sister's submission to their mother, even though she knew nothing good could come of it. It was then that the same strangely accented voices called his attention. The odd trio of travelers came up from the stairwell and attempted to introduce themselves, but as curious as the prince was to meet these new strangers, he simply waved them off and told them to go away. They nodded and went on their way, leaving Janus to himself.

Schala checked one final time that her work was finished, then headed as quickly as surreptitude would allow, back to the palace to speak with Janus. The image of her mother and what she had just done was still in her head, the same horrible expression as that in her nightmares. She cursed herself for not standing with the Gurus before, for this was too much for the princess to bare. I will take Janus and we will go to Melchior, she thought, as she went through the Ocean Palace to the telepad. She hoped no one would notice her return to the Palace.

Down the final corridor of the winding underwater temple to Lavos, Schala stopped and ducked behind one of the many fallen angel statues that decorated much of the Ocean Palace. In an odd, distant thought, she reminded herself how much she hated the statue, with it's clipped wings and evil eyes, for it went entirely against her beloved father's angel crest. But her mind was presently thinking of the words to a spell that would render her invisible, for Dalton was coming up from the opposite end with two of his personal guards.

"You're sure the old man won't be found up there, yes?" came the less than eloquent voice of Dalton, asking the closer of the two guards. He had an annoyed look on his face, which was only more menacing with the black eye patch on his left eye.

"Y-yes, Sir Dalton. The Guru is on the Mountain of Woe. Giga Gaia guards him now." The soldier beamed as he received a nod of satisfaction from Dalton. As hated as he was with the masses, the soldiers of Zeal were more loyal to Dalton than the Queen herself, as most were bored of the peacefulness of the Kingdom.

"Excellent. One less obstacle between me and the throne. Soon, I'll have that pesky gypsy Prophet run out of here, then the royal family." Dalton stopped walking when he finished speaking and turned around. "Did you hear that?" he said more to himself than to the guards.

"Er, what Sir?" both guards said almost in unison.

Dalton narrowed his good eye, peering in the shadows, but found nothing. "Never mind.. Cursed palace, I'm starting to hear things. Well, come on, the Queen won't like us being late.." The three continued on their way down the corridor to meet the Queen.

"I tell you Janus, the three of them are good! Their leader's name is Crono, the young woman is Nadia, and the frog knight is Kaeru. They some how entered the throne room to talk to mother, but Prophet said they were the evildoers he foresaw, come to ruin to the Kingdom." Schala stopped. Her brother nodded with a thoughtful look on his face, but kept quiet until his sister finished.

"Dalton sent one of his Golems on them, on mother's order, but the three defeated it.. With magic." Schala paused again, nodding to the surprise on Janus' face. The thought of Dalton reminded her of the plans she overheard, but she decided that Janus need not know about it just yet. "Then Dalton trapped them in an antiforce grid and sent them here." Schala motioned to the three travelers floating in suspended animation in the isochamber in front of them. She walked closer, looking on each.

"Hmph!" Janus came up next to his sister, looking on the group as well. "Idiots.. Captured by that fool, Dalton." He looked up to his sister, her face thoughtful. "What will you do Schala?"

"Let us rescue them," she said, eyes still intent on the floating prisoners.

Janus looked back to the group with a shrug. "That's useless, what good will it do?" Janus paused, looking back to his sister. "Besides, if they escape, you'll be in trouble."

Schala looked down to her brother with an odd smile. "Don't worry about me. They might be able to rescue Melchior." Janus gave a hesitant nod, seeing his sister's point. Schala looked to the controls of the prison and released the lock on the travelers. Each slowly floated out of the isochamber and down to the ground, collapsing to their knees, as the prison purposefully left its residents weakened temporarily.

The frog knight was the first to bring himself somewhat off the floor. "Pray tell, lass," Kaeru began, his voice an odd combination of human and frog sounds, "why dost thou release us?"

"There's no time for that, friends. Quickly, you must escape from the Palace and save our Guru Melchior. He was sent to the Mountain of Woe for opposing the Queen." Schala paused, looking at each of the group. "I know you are all good people, and the only ones who can stop Queen Zeal.."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that.." All eyes spun around to the shadowy figure that stood in the entrance. The figure came forward from the darkness, revealing the evershadowed Prophet. He came directly up to Crono, who made a weak attempt to reach for the sword at his side, but with a single, impossibly fast motion, Prophet took the sword from the hand of the young swordsman and knocked him away. A sharp turn on his heels allowed him to parry the feeble slash of the frog knight's broadsword and shove him into the girl, which knocked the cross bow she had just managed to train onto him from her hands.

Suddenly, a crackle of electricity flashed and hurtled from Schala's outstretched hands to the agile soothsayer, but it simply fizzled on a barrier set about him.

Prophet turned to Schala as the blast hit, entirely unscathed. He cast down the sword he took and returned to his normal, stoic posture. "Now, if we are all quite done.." He turned from Schala and Janus to the group of travelers, each motionless on the ground. "The weakening fields will wear off soon, but I can't have you fools causing any more trouble. Your meddling tires me. You'll, just have to disappear.." Prophet extended a hand to the group to call forth a spell, but as he did, Schala moved between them.

"You mustn't!" Schala stood before the towering figure of Prophet, unwavering in her stare at the hidden face of the soothsayer. He paused, lowering his hand as he faced the young princess. Janus jumped in front of Schala, his ridiculous greymalkin still at his heels as if it were a game, and made his own protest to Prophet. The royal siblings' request took Prophet by surprise and left him confused for a moment.

"All right.. I shall spare them. But in return, princess, you will cooperate." Schala nodded, and Prophet turned to the Crono, who gathered enough strength to get off the floor and sit up. He moved closer to Crono and crouched down slightly. "Now, show me how you came here."

Janus gave a quick look to the hidden depths of Prophet's hood as he trudged across the stormy snow field. The permanent shadows kept the mysterious visage of the man quite concealed, even in the whiteness of the stormy surface. Crono et al had led Prophet and the royal siblings through the Sky Way to the surface of the planet below Zeal. Off in the mountains, they said, was a cave where a gate brought them here from their era. Janus, knowing enough about time from his studies with Gaspar, figured this meant the trio was from further off than he had first expected. He turned back to the blinding white blizzard ahead of him, pulling his heavy cloak tighter about him.

Crono led the way to the cave, Kaeru to his left, Nadia to his right. Their weapons were returned to them, but Prophet kept the royal children close to him so the three would not get any ideas. It was a long walk, and the party had to stop in two places to warm themselves in a waystation. By the third waystation, the young prince became too close to illness for him to continue, forcing Prophet to let him remain there until he was done with the travelers.

They finally reached the cave in question, and the trio came in to face an odd, swirling, circular doorway. Prophet entered just after and inspected the bluish gate.

"So you came in through here.." He turned as Schala entered the cave, who immediately became hypnotized by the bluish, swirling void in the middle of the cave, giving an odd glow to the grey stone of the mountain.

Prophet gave a look to the swordsman, knight, and beauty, then turned to face Schala, who was too entranced by the void to notice anything else. "Now, Schala.. After I throw them in, I want you to seal the portal shut."

Schala turned, the soothsayer's words breaking her mind's drift. "N, no! You can't make me!"

Prophet raised a hand to the still weakened bunch, and a faint glow of energy surrounded the gloved fist. "Obey me! Their lives are at stake.."

Schala gave a helpless look to Crono and his friends, then looked to the ground. "I... oh.. all right.."

Without a word, Prophet raised his hand and grabbed the three in a force of magic and flung them into the portal. He then motioned to Schala, who put her arms outward and chanted a low, inaudible spell. As the travelers disappeared in the void, a pyramidal locking field closed over the portal, locking it from either end. Prophet nodded silently and left the princess alone in the cave. As he left, Schala took a single step towards the glowing red lockfield and fell to her knees, disbelief of what she did, and of everything thus far, breaking her. She simply stared into the sealed portal, eyes unblinking, unseeing. She said, almost as a whisper, "Please forgive me.."

V

Janus paced along the marble floor of the waystation. The quality craftsmanship and architecture of Zeal's culture reached even this small safe house. Janus stopped to look over his father's angel crest every time he walked past it, trying not to think of what might have happened to keep his sister so long. He cursed his youth for preventing him from continuing along outside, but he knew he could not take much more. It was the second time in his life where his lack of strength prevented him from doing something important. If his failure to save his lost friend did not set his mind to it, this most certainly gave him the motivation to strengthen his body along with his mind. If magic will never be an option for me, then I will not be denied physical strength.

Janus nodded to himself with the unspoken vow, knowing he would accomplish it in the future. His mind turned again to his sister and the travelers. Briefly, he wondered how and why they knew Prophet, but he didn't much care about that, he was more worried that his sister would return to him unharmed. "Prophet better be true to his word, Alfrador.. If anything happens to Schala, I don't know what I would do." His faithful greymalkin trailed quietly at his heels, following the young prince's fretful habit. Its natural element being the cold weather of the surface, the small animal had little problem with the trip.

A soft whisper came from behind Janus, gradually growing louder to a sizzling burst, the telltale sign of a teleportation spell. Janus spun around on his heel to greet his sister as she faded into view from a glowing white silhouette.

"Schala, thank goodness, you're all right!" Janus ran to hug his sister, noting the tears in her eyes with a frown.

"Yes Janus, Prophet kept his word, he did not harm me." Schala embraced her younger brother, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Where is Prophet?" Janus asked after noticing he did not appear.

"He left as soon as Crono and his friends were gone. I thought he might have come here, but I'm glad I was wrong." She stopped for a moment, thinking about what happened. "Janus, we can't go back to the palace.. This has all gone too far, we have to stop mother."

"But what can we do? As powerful as you are, you're still no match for mother, let alone her entire court. I haven't noticed any magical growth in myself either if you recall, we wouldn't have a chance.." The young prince looked down to the floor at the hopelessness of their situation.

"Don't be so cynical Janus, we'll find a way." She paused a moment, thinking about what they should do.

"If the Gurus were around," Janus continued his pessimistic rambling, not hearing his sister, "then we might have someth÷"

"That's it Janus, you're a genius!" Schala interrupted, remembering her encounter with Dalton in the Ocean Palace. "We'll find the Gurus and stop mother."

"But Schala, no one knows where they are! The whole Kingdom believes mother killed them when they refused to continue with the Mammon Machine."

Schala shook her head at her brother. "The Gurus live, and you know it. The Black Wind would have called their names otherwise." Janus nodded to the truth, for they had both been listening intently for the ominous wind that few would ever hear and live to speak about it, just to make sure the Gurus still lived. Schala continued speaking before he could retort with another protest. "I know where Melchior is. Dalton sent him to the Mountain of Woe. Come, let us go back to the palace one last time. We'll make preparations to leave after Moonrise for the Guru."

"It will be dangerous, Schala. The Mountain of Woe is not named for its friendly inhabitants."

"I know, but we'll have a better chance sneaking past them in the light of the moon than in the daytime." Schala knew his protest was not genuine, but said only out of habit. They both knew what must be done. She quickly looked through her robe for the pouch containing the spell ingredient she needed. Removing the three aeral seeds required, Schala began grinding them between her hands. The white powder produced from the delicate seeds floated in the slight breeze of the way station, as Schala began the simple teleportation spell to take them to the palace.

Janus went over the list a third time in his head, checking to make sure he had packed everything they would need. The two siblings needed to travel light, but if they were forced to battle some of the creatures that lived on the Mountain of Woe, they would need all the help they could get. He had chosen to prepare for their departure and let his sister regain her strength.

Janus decided to make a quick pass through his own things to see if anything had been misplaced. A glitter of metal caught his eye in a small jewel box, and he immediately knew what it was. He picked up the thin silver chain carefully, a smile coming to his lips. It was a gift from his lost friend, Noelaura, for his birthday. Janus realized, as he replaced the simple chain his sister's amulet was on with the silver one, that he would never return to his old life again, having nothing else to leave behind. It was hard even for Janus to cut all ties with his past, but he knew finding the treasured gift meant he could go forward without anything holding him back.

He looked around again. Satisfied that his sister's more useful grimoires and trinkets of defense were packed, he headed off to wake his sister. It was only an hour until Moonrise, and they needed to be ready.

Janus slipped silently into his sister's room, just down the hall from his own, his ridiculous greymalkin at his heels. Schala was already awake, with a mage's battle staff in hand. The sight of his sister wielding such a staff took Janus by surprise, and he stood for a moment by the entrance of her room with a puzzled look on his face.

"It was father's, Janus," Schala said with a sad note in her voice. "Mother let me keep it here when I entered the advanced studies." The staff was a fine weapon, indeed fit for a king. The long ebony pole was strong enough to fend off blows of even the strongest sword. Runes of silver were inscribed along the entire length, each phrase bestowing a shortcut to a magical spell, allowing it's master to cast spells of the greatest difficulty with ease. Atop the staff was a blue crystal angel, wings spread in intricate detail, the symbol of the late King.

"I won't be bringing it with us, but I usually commune with it before tests in the srudies with mother. It helps me concentrate." Janus came forward to inspect his father's treasure, recognizing the arcane language of the runes and the spells they represented. Schala turned and put it back in the cloth shroud she kept it in, returning it to her closet. "Well, are we set?"

Janus nodded. "Everything you asked for. Are we teleporting straight to the mountain?"

"No, we can't," his sister responded. "The entire floating island has a locking spell to prevent teleportation. Besides, I can't risk another teleportation, I need my strength. We'll have to enter from Terra Cave.." Schala braced herself for her brother's reaction, knowing all too well his hatred of the Earthbound Village in the cave.

"Oh no, Schala must we go there? It's horrid down there, all filthy and awful!" He knew his protests were in vain, but he stated them anyway.

"We have to.. Now hurry, we have to unlock the Sky Way to reach the surface." On his sister's command, Janus took up his pack and walked off silently, his faithful pet at his heels. Schala looked about her room for what she knew was the last time and followed after her brother.

Janus was glad the winds on the surface weren't as horrendous as they could be. The royal siblings made it across the frozen plain of the planet below their Kingdom just as it neared the hour of Moonrise, though the time standard of the floating Kingdom meant little below the perpetual storm clouds.

As they neared the cave that led to the Earthbound Village, they heard a dull groaning sound, steadily increasing to a deafening roar. They siblings looked to the sky to see the large chain that held the magically floating Mountain of Woe still shatter and the entire mountaintop come careening into the dark ocean. Startled, and fearful that they were already too late to save the Guru, they quickly entered the village, hoping to find out what happened in the home of the village Elder.

Janus looked on with disgust as he and Schala followed after the servant who was leading them to the Elder's home. The village was peopled entirely of those who lacked the talent for magic. Shunned by the citizens of Zeal entirely, save for a handful of people. Among them were Schala and the Gurus. Schala would often descend to visit the village, using her magic to cure the sick, or simply to stir the hopes of the dying surface dwellers. Janus knew his hatred of the village had little to do with the squalor they lived in, but was merely a hatred of his own weakness, for he lacked the Gift as they did. Being in the village was a painfully constant reminder of his ineptitude.

The servant entered the Elder's home to introduce them and gestured for them to follow when they were announced.

"Miss Schala.." came the Elder's old voice, a perfect match for his ancient appearance. "Why have you come to such a miserable place?"

Schala took the old man's hand in hers, bowing her head to him as she always did. "Please old friend, stop degrading yourself.. We Enlightened Ones were once as yourselves. The only difference now is that we are under Lavos' control.." The bitterness in her words against her own people could have rivaled even that of her brother Janus.

The young prince stood at the entrance to the home, dug out of the very cavern the village was in, as was all the dwellings. Janus held his greymalkin in his arms looking around the room, muttering to himself his opinions of the home, but keeping quiet enough not to be heard. His muttering ended when he recognized the trio of people that stood just behind the Elder as Crono and his friends, and just next to them was the Guru Melchoir. Janus went quickly to his sister's side as she approached the Guru and they bowed simultaneously.

"Melchoir.." Schala began, relief clear in her voice. "We saw the fall of the Mountain of Woe and feared the worst. I assume we have Crono and his friends to thank for your safe return."

"Aye child," Melchoir answered, "they are quite the trio of heroes. But, is it safe for you both to leave the palace?"

"That doesn't matter now, the Ocean Palace is operational!" The news silenced the entire room, for they all knew it spelled certain doom.

"Then all is lost.." Melchoir bowed his head, more in disapointment than anything else.

"But without my magic, the Mammon Machine won't work. Janus and I have turned our backs on mother and her insanity.." Schala gave a quick look to her brother silently at her side, then looked to Crono, Nadia, and Kaeru in turn. "Friends, I've opened the Sky Way to return to the Palace.. Please, you must stop our mother.. I don't have the strength to defy her face to face." The regret in her voice registered on the three travelers' faces.

"Why don't we keep it right there!" yelled a new voice from the entrance, interupting Crono et al. All eyes spun about to see the Queen's evil henchman standing in the door.

"Dalton!" Schala moved involuntary away from the ex-pirate even though she was on the other side of the room. She couldn't believe her mother could have found them so soon, let alone that she'd send Dalton to retrieve them.

Dalton smiled his crooked grin, nearly reading the princess' thoughts. Entering slowly and as dramatically as he could, he spoke with a feigned politeness "Tisk tisk my dear. Your presence is required elsewhere!"

"Dalton, leave her alone!" Melchoir stamped his long staff on the floor in protest, looking on the ex-pirate with nothing more than disgust.

Just as quickly, Dalton was behind Schala and gave her a hard smack in the back of the head, sending the princess to the ground also. "You'll come to the Ocean Palace with me Schala!" Dalton continued despite the fact that Crono and his friends already had their weapons drawn and were prepared to attack. "Do anything funny, and Schala's dust! Got it?"

Janus's fear turned suddenly to rage and he ran to his sister's attacker, wielding a magic rod from his pack. He was able to land one good blow on Dalton while he faced Crono, but it was not enough to stop the ex-pirate. Cursing the prince's attack, Dalton spun about and smacked Janus in the face, sending him across the room and knocking him unconscience.

"The Queen's children all seem to have a problem with authority, don't they?" Dalton asked nearly chuckling. He spun around again to see the trio advancing on him. "Stay back! I tell you, the life of this woman means nothing to me!" His ultimatum on Schala's life stopped the group where they were, bringing Dalton's crooked smile back to his face. "Shall we get going, Schala dear? Your mother awaits." He spoke the words to a teleport spell and their bodies began to shimmer in the air and fade away in a white glow. Dalton's rumbling, harsh laughter lingered loudly even as they vanished.

Janus opened his eyes slowly, still feeling the blow from Dalton's fist. His head pounded fiercely with pain, making it hard to concentrate. Where's Schala, was his first clear thought, and he fought the panic that started setting in. He looked around the room, seeing Crono and his companions leaning over the Guru to see if he was okay. Janus shook his head and tried to think. Dalton must have taken Schala to mother.. He knew there was little chance he'd be able to free her by himself, but he had to try. Pulling a small ring from his robes and placing it on his finger, the young prince, and the small greymalkin tucked into his robes, promptly disappeared from sight. That is, had anyone been looking in their direction they would have disappeared from sight, but all eyes were on the fallen Guru. The ring's power of invisibility was not indefinate, but it would be enough to help the prince avoid questioning by Crono. He waited only to make sure the Guru was alive, then le

He couldn't prevent being spotted by the few peasants of the Earthbound Village as he raced to the surface, for the little ring's power had faded before he could reach the cave entrance. Janus was able to gain a head start on Crono and his gang without them knowing, which was all that mattered. Keeping his fast pace, he quickly made his way through the snowy valley between the cave village and the Sky Way. Janus was glad they left it open, or he'd have never been able to return. Entering the oddly shaped teleportation complex, the prince made his way past the general access telepad to the pad reserved for the Royal family and court. Set in a room as ornately designed and decorated as the rest of Zeal, much like the rest of the complex, the royal telepad went directly to the Palace of Zeal, which would give him a further advantage on Crono. Janus stepped to the pad and a glow emmitted from the crystal in the center, soon filling the prince with the familiar, but unnatural sensation of th

Janus returned to a palace in turmoil, citizens rushing about with messages, gossiping about the completion of the Ocean Palace and what it meant. He shuddered, remembering a similar chaos when Lavos first "appeared" to the Kingdom of Zeal.

Shrugging off the feeling of doom, the young prince moved as secretly as he could through the palace, heading to his mother's throne room. Using the pendant key, Janus opened the magically sealed door and entered. A small telepad was set into the intricately tiled floor, just before the Queen's grand throne. It led to the Ocean Palace, where Janus was sure Dalton had taken Schala to. The odd sensation of teleportation filled him again as he stepped into the pad and was whisked to a warped immitation of the beautiful Zeal above.

Janus stood in the main entrance chamber of the Ocean Palace. The walls, floor, and ceiling a cold, lifeless metal. Odd designs were etched into the metal, in an almost mocking immitation of the beauty his late father had wrought in Zeal. The wingless, fallen angel that he and his sister both hated so much were set upon pedistals in the four corners of the room, as if they were to be praised. Janus realized then why his sister never allowed him to come along with her as she worked. Not for the danger he possibly could be put in from the magicks that were used, but because she knew the chilling dread the sight of the palace would instill in him, the dread that was filling in him as he looked about now.

With a final shudder, Janus fought to get a grip on himself, something that even at his youthful age, he was quite adept at doing. Shaking himself free, he focused on what had to be done and looked for the secret door that would lead directly to the control complex of the palace. It was the passage that the Queen and all the royal court used, when they did not merely teleport instead, devoid of the monster sentinels that had been placed in the rest of the palace to take care of intruders. Janus, unable to perform what most of the court took for granted, was thankful for the more practical provision. He removed Alfrador from his robes, who had faithfully waited there until his master decided he could come out, and set the animal to the ground. Immediately it began to leap playfully about, ignoring the fact that he himself was being ignored.

With a small, "Ah!" of satisfaction, Janus found the notch in the wall that opened the secret tunnel. As he peered into the dark tunnel, he was forced back by the full raging howls of the Black Wind, blowing strong and loud from the other side of the passage. Janus, shaken slightly, listened for the names of those he still cared for being called to their death, but out of the great number of names said by the ominous gale, none were of those he feared to lose. Hopeful for once, Janus set out more determined than before down the corridor, his feline follower in tow.

The Prophet watched in grim silence as the final communion with Lavos began. The Queen's Assembly of scientists, minus the three Gurus, stood in two rows, each along the edges of the long walkway to the Mammon Machine. The huge chamber they all were in, most of which was a chasm that lead down further into inky darkness, was at the heart of the Ocean Palace, allowing the Mammon Machine a direct channel to Lavos' energies. The Queen stood before the evil device, chanting quietly the spells needed to prepare the machine for it's final drawing of energy, the final step towards immortality.

Prophet turned away from the Queen in disgust, his dark gaze falling upon the young princess just across from him. The sight of the hopeless expression on Schala's face made him cringe inwardly, though he did not make a move. She silently went over the spells she would soon be forced to cast, for her magic was the key to the Queen's success.

He shifted uneasily at the thought of what was to happen. How can I let this happen? Why do I do this? His mind's voice questioned the plans he had long worked on, for deep down, the dark mystic knew he should not have let things go this far. Shaking under his heavy cloak, the questioning voice in his head was silenced by the reasoning that had brought him this far. You do this because you know you cannot help these people. Time will not conform when ever you wish. It is you who must conform to time, and take what it is you want when it is not looking. This is your only time, your only vengeance. Not to take it now would make you as great a fool as these people were. The mystic nodded to himself, his determination returning, ridding him of the slight guilt his plans brought to his mind.

He looked back to the Queen to see her complete the primary incantation, then motion for Schala to begin. Soon, the Mammon Machine would be fully operational, and then.. It begins. Now, I will have my revenge.

It was taking longer to pass through the corridor than young Janus first expected. The Black Wind screamed in his ears as he made his way through, yet it never said his name. Janus had to pick his way carefully through the poorly lit hall, which had grown hazardous from neglect. An idea struck him and he reached into a pocket in his robe, removing a small glow globe. He hit it hard on the metal wall and it jumped to life, giving a good radius of light to work with.

Able to see better, Janus pushed on ahead faster. He did not know how far was left to go, but Schala told him it was a large complex. He walked on steadily, noticing the howling Wind's ever increasing volume. The Black Wind seemed to grow even louder with every step. Janus had never heard the Wind wail so loudly before, and it frightened him more than anything his mother could be doing.

He walked on, unyielding, picking up the pace every time the Wind grew louder. Soon, the end of the tunnel came into view, giving the young prince a deep feeling of relief. It would not last long however, for a heavy quake soon shook the entire complex. He was forced to the floor from the power of the quake. In the distance, he could hear parts of the complex breaking apart and falling to the ground. Janus jumped to his feet, fearful that the ceiling might collapse on him, and ran as fast as he could to the end of the corridor.

A lever on the wall opened the door that lead straight into the center chamber of the Ocean Palace. He quickly passed through into the chamber, the floor still rumbling. The assembly of scientists were running for their lives, as if they had just seen the terrors of hell and made it back alive. Janus came up slowly, his greymalkin faithfully at his heels. The Gurus were all standing in front of the Mammon Machine, with the Queen and Schala. Janus was terrified by the quake that rocked the complex and the booming roar of the Black Wind, so he did not notice the black portals that were opening in the chamber.

"Schala!" he called, and began to run to her side.

"No Janus! Stay away!" It was too late, she watched as the Gurus one by one were drawn into the black voids. She was about to cast a teleport spell to save her brother, but a fourth portal had already opened up to take the young prince. Schala screamed as Janus slowly faded away into the void, along with the Gurus.

Schala knew the Ocean Palace would soon crumble. Lavos' wrath would see to that. The young princess fell to her knees, weeping. Janus, I'm sorry.. So much destruction from so much insanity. A final, chilling realization hit her as she sat with her face in her hands: Zeal has fallen from grace.. Only moments later, the Floating Kingdom of Zeal fell from the sky.

END