"Shortly after takeoff, we invite you to enjoy the video entertainment on your seat-back screen," the flight attendant announced. "Our first feature film is entitled Terminator Salvation."

"YES!" Dan said a bit too loud while doing a fist pump. The people in the seat next to us shot us a dirty look.

"Your dweeb-hood will be studied by future generations." I informed him solemnly.

Dan ignored me and turned on his Terminator movie, staring at the screen and munching on his chips intently.

I turned back to my book, re-reading the paragraph I had just read.

Nellie's music suddenly turned into a music fest as some heavy metal song came on came on, successfully distracting me. Realizing I would never be able to finish my book on this plane ride, I shut it abruptly and put it in my carry-on.

Dan folded his arms. "They lie." He glared at the screen.

I looked at Dan and gave him a look.

"Where's my terminator?

A palace scene abstracted the small screen. I turned on my own monitor, and the same setting took over.

I looked over at the dirty-look people, and saw a giant Cyclopes overtake the seat back screen.

"Why are we the only seats that have The Last Emperor?"

Dan looked at me. "You know this movie?"

"Yeah. It's really ancient movie about a young-"

"I do not need the whole back story on this lame movie."

I shrugged. "I guess it's a glitch."

Dan huffed. "I can't believe, that out of all the seats, we sit it the only two with the glitch. He reached to the adjacent cup holder and powered on his Gameboy.

Well, reading was out of the question. Not with Nellie's Music and the occasional BOOM from Dan's Game boy. So I turned back to The Last Emperor and watched.


I Shook Dan awake vigorously. He had fallen asleep playing that dumb game.

He blinked sleepily. "Whhaaaa?"

"Dan, LOOK." I whisper-yelled. He blinked his eyes experimentally. "Dude, I fell asleep to get away from this movie. Not to be tortured to watch it…."

I huffed and grabbed his head, forcing him to look at the TV. The screen showed the three-year-old Puyi, emperor of China, playing in the Forbidden City, the vast imperial complex. There were hundreds of ornately decorated palaces, temples, and statues. And there, painted on the side of a small building-

"The Janus Crest!" Dan exclaimed

"But why is it The Last Emperor?" I questioned.

"Maybe, the director was really stuck up and really wanted his branche's credit in the movie."

"I doubt it. This movie was shot in the eighties. The paint looks much older than that."

"Wait" Dan paused, "You mean Pee-yooo?"

I shrugged involuntary. "It doesn't have to be him. The Forbidden City has existed for centuries. It could be any royal or minor." I sighed.

"But I don't think this is a coincidence. Only two seats on this flight show a movie that is not the general entertainment. A movie that probably contains our next lead. And, WE- sit in those two seats."

"I think that maybe the other clue hunters are sending us on a wild goose chase."

I slumped in my seat. "It's a chance we'll have to take. At least now we have a lead."


The 39 clues was a life threatening hunt that rewarded ultimate power.

Yet they STILL somehow kept ending up at a Museum.

His sister told them it was 'starting from the Basics.'

Dan Cahill liked to often refer to it as living hell.

This was the 21st century, where nothing mattered except if you had the latest iPhone or not. So how did he keep ending up in a place that was completely based on history? The past? If he had to be forced to like some random dead guy, he would probably choose the creator of Wii.

But, since he didn't have to learn it, then he didn't know it.

"The Forbidden City has more than 300,000 porcelain pieces alone." The tour guide said lamely, motioning to a set of blue and white dinner plates.

Dan leaned over to Amy. "You could have a bowl of soup in a different bowl for like, a thousand years."

Amy ignored her idiotic brother. "This is the largest art collection I have ever seen!" She marveled. "Even the Janus would be envious."

"Seriously? All this tour is about is fancy dinner plates and tiny teacups that are Kabra-worthy."

Amy looked at him shortly. "Just listen to the tour guide. He might tell us something important."

Dan sighed and continued down the hallway lined with antique art. "This collection began in the Ming Dynasty, but the size increased greatly during the Qing." The guide stated. "The Qing emperors were renowned for their obsessive commitment to the arts."

Amy looked at Dan.

Dan looked at Amy.

The Janus? It all makes sense. The Janus crest wasn't just some random painting on the wall in The Last Emperor. It obviously had something to do with the next clue.

Amy snatched a walky-talky dangling from the oblivious guide's belt as they admired a set or goblet from the late Qing Dynasty. "If security sees us sneaking away, they'll think were up to something. Besides, we have no idea where to look. The crest on the wall could be anywhere."

Dan lightly took the brochure hanging limply from Amy's left hand. "Ah-ha. There's a complex map." Dan thought deeply back into his mind, back to the little part where he actually watched the movie on the flight.

"Let's see, the doohickey of supreme whatchamacallit is over here-"

"Hall of Supreme Harmony." Amy corrected.

"So I bet the crest is in this section, over by the whatchamacallit of tranquil thingamajig.."

"Palace of Tranquil Longevity."

A moment pasted, and then Dan declared, "I'll find it." He continue, "You create a diversion…."

"A diversion? Uhh… I can't exactly do cartwheels down the hall way Dan. I'll get kicked out."

"Hmmm… Yeah, this isn't exactly rocket science. Start asking lame-o questions to King of Lame."

Amy sighed deeply. "Whatever." Dan saluted her, and she turned around to the tour guide, or as Dan liked to call it, King of Lame.

"Excuse me, how old are these pieces-no, these, over here…-"

Apparently, Amy had chosen the most interesting artifacts in the museum- the tour guide set off into a stream of something she could not comprehend.

Dan wandered through the maze of glass exhibits, checking every now and then for patrolling security guards. He soon found the entrance and stepped out into the Forbidden City. It was truly an immense complex- it radiated with wonder. Everything screamed wealth and luxury, something Dan had never been familiar with.

People streamed through the streets. Every now and then, Dan would refer back to the cartoonish map, and look around at the complicated architecture seen on each building.

Using the Gate of Heavenly Peace as point of reference, Dan headed to the scene he last saw in the Last Emperor. He conflicted with himself. The crest probably wasnt there. He was searching for a crest that was 6,000 miles away on a decaying Hollywood set.

Yeah….well….YOLO.

Dan rounded the corner into a series of fairly shorter buildings. Even though the scene in the movie was not much of a help, he seemed like he was in the neighborhood. As he began searching the countless rows of midget buildings, he noticed that the tourists were thinning. Everybody must have been at plates "R" Us.

A Series of calligraphy, signs and artwork surrounded him. It seemed like a very Janus place, for sure.

So where was the Janus crest?

Dread tugged at his heart. This was their only lead. If this turned out to be a dead end, they we in elephant on steroids Do-Do.

His Frustration melted when Dan's eyes met a familiar S formation hidden in the numerous cracks lining the wall.

Light but faded, the Janus Crest symbolized in from of him.


Ok, Foreign people, YOLO means You Only Live Once. Just wanted to put that out there.
Now, I hope this popped up, because I know the prologue got booted out of the network. I know, Fanfiction is such a hater.

***Lots of people missed the prologue. Go back and read it!

If you are still reading this, then you are wasting your time.

Review!

YOLO, and review something that is YOLO worthy.

Like, once, my cat exploded, and I was like :D

Once I got a review like that. It totally made my day.

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Fool, just review already.