Welcome to chapter one of How to Save a Life! ...I don't know why I'm cheery and happy. This is actually quite a sad story. Reviews are always greatly appreciated, as well as flames, if you don't like this kind of thing. But please, don't send me any flames saying things like, "Magus is stupid/evil/etc. and he's awful to write about". Well, I disagree, since he's my favorite Chrono Trigger character. But besides that, please R&R.

Chapter 1- Silenced

A thousand cries fill my ears as Lovas reveals himself. They reach forward, trying to steal the souls of the Enlightened ones, just as one did to my mother. I cover my ears and wince. Alfador, behind me, raises his pale purple hackles and hisses.

A figure invisible to all but me rises from the onyx floor, reaching out for me. I yelp and stumble back away from it, attracting attention from all. I notice three figures identical to the one in front of me rise before the gurus, staring at me in shock.

"Janus!" Schala exclaims.

I turn to her, desperation in my voice, "Schala, they're everywhere!"

"What? Wh-what do you mean?"

I don't have time to answer her. The figure grabs the front my pale violet shirt, a wide, mad grin widening across its blank face. "Time to go," it cackles hysterically, blooming into a blue, green, and white swirling portal.

It's voice….

Schala cries out and reaches for me, but the Enlightened ones hold her back and drag her away from the portal. I struggle to free myself from its grip, but it's no use. I know that I'm going to get caught. "Alfador!" I call, reaching back. In horror, I find him running away. "Alfador! Schala!"

It has the voice of my father.

"My lord has a further purpose for you," the figure promises as I'm slowly pulled into the twisting mass. "You shall spread a blanket of blood across the land, swallowing those who oppose you with malice and hate." It's flashing smile fills my entire vision. "You shall become my lord's magus."

The begging, sorrowful cries of agony, it's outrageous laughter, the mighty roar of Lovas combining with the sickening voice of who was once my mother… they drown out all sound, swallowing me and making my throat tighten. I gasp for breath but find none as I lose all sight but that hideous smile. It's mouth opens….

"JANUS!"

…and I am no more.

((((()))))

My chest flutters to life as I breathe in fresh mountain air. My pale eyes fly open to see a canopy of trees above me, concealing the cerulean sky overhead and the white clouds snaking their way across the vast, open space. I swallow hard and look to my left- bushes and what looks like a stream bubbling past- then to my right- more viridian foliage and a shoe.

A… shoe?

I breathlessly jump to my feet, staggering slightly at feeling light-headed. The bushes around me start to rustle and short, cobalt blue brooding creatures appear. With no place left to retreat, I fall back and stare at them with tearing eyes.

The creatures turn to a hoarse, squeaking kind of laugh belonging to a dark green beast unlike the blue ones. "Heh heh, what kind of pipsqueak do we have here?" he chuckles darkly. He floats over to me and yanks up my chin. Tears now fall unguarded from my reddened eyes onto my pale cheeks. The monster curls its lip disdainfully. "Just a kid wandered off from Truce looks like," he says, drawing a blade.

I had never seen a weapon of any kind before, save the broad sword Dalton, body guard to my parents and later that woman, always carried stashed away. Schala before had told me that the Enlightened ones needed no weapons because of their magic abilities and the overall lack of enemies. There was never a need to protect one's self on the Sky Lands.

But now, with the blade so close to my neck….

He stops, staring into my eyes. Slowly, it lowers the blade. "You, boy…. Y-your eyes…."

The other creatures gather round to see what has upset their master. They too stand agape, staring at me. "M-magic! The boy has the tint of magic in his eyes!"

Their master nods earnestly, picking up a strand of my hair. "In his hair, too! It's not dye!"

I rub my sleeve across my eyes and hesitantly look to each one of them. No malice shows on their now confused, amazed faces.

"Kid… who are you?"

Startled, I turn to the green monster. It stands on its own two, curled and clawed feet, staring into my eyes with wonder. "Janus," I say. Both of us are met with confusion. I speak again, but no sound comes.

I grab at my throat, my breath starting to pick up again. "I… I…," I stutter, hearing no voice.

He gapes. "You're mute?"

I quickly shake my head, trying to speak, shout, scream- but again, I'm met with silence.

"Hey now," he warns, grabbing my shoulders. "Don't hurt yourself, kid. Just calm down, we'll worry about your voice later. Just nod, got it?"

Biting my lip to try to stop my teeth from chattering, I give him a quick nod. "Good. Now, are you from Truce?"

I shake my head. He cocks a nonexistent eyebrow and asks, "Then, do you, uh, have a family to go to?"

Family….

Father, mother, Alfador, Schala…. I can't help the tears that spring to my eyes again. The monster cringes as if I've slapped him. "Ah, n-no, don't cry, kid, uh…. W-we'll take care of you. Um… Gertal!"

One of the blue creatures stumbles up to him. "Yes sir, master Ozzie!"

Ozzie turns to me. "You follow Gertal back to the hideout, alright?" To the creature he says, "Get him some soup, a place to sleep, and something for his throat. I want to hear what this kid's got to say."

Gertal nods and awkwardly takes my hand. "Uh, come on, kid. We'll get you fixed up."

((((()))))

"Honestly, Salasha," a slightly nasally voice says as we climb into a cave, "I wish you'd learn to play with something other than those stupid swords."

"Then you, Felea, should worry more about honing your skills as a magician than perfuming yourself with that foul stench," a quieter voice counters softly.

Gertal slides a screen door aside and I'm hit full blast of a stench really quite awful. My hands instinctively go to cover my nose from the horrible smell. He wobbles inside, waving away the smell, and goes over to a pair of creatures more humanoid than those in the forest. "Master Ozzie has ordered us to take care of a… guest."

One of the creatures, a slender, pink-skinned redhead looks over the shorter one's shoulder at me. "A human? What's so special about him? Wait, is he supposed to be our dinner tonight?"

My mouth flies open and I stare at them all in mute horror, especially the giggling one who had suggested it.

"Felea," her blue-skinned, more muscled and stronger built companion sighed, "if he is to be our guest, let's not throw around things he finds offensive."

Felea giggles again and glides over to me. "Aw, what a little cutie. So cute I just want to eat him up!" She grabs my chin and crinkles her freckled nose, grinning. "Just kidding, cutie. So, what's your name?"

"He's mute. Er, but not permanently. We think," Gertal says, sending a sour expression to her face.

Salasha sheathes the blade he had been polishing and comes over to me. He swats Felea's hand away and kneels to my level. "You cannot talk? Whatever could your mother be thinking, letting you loose on your own with no way to call for help?" he asks, more to himself than to me.

My mother would have never allowed this to happen. She would have saw the danger and immediately set to having it permanently removed. But, left alone and frightened when Father died, she succumbed to that monster turned into someone hungry for power none of us needed.

I was now alone and afraid… would that mean I would give in like her? That I would eventually lose myself and turn into a wicked creature, destroying myself and those around me? I shudder, terrified at the thought.

Felea's delighted giggle makes me remember where I am. I turn to look at her, then to Salasha. I slowly mouth the words, "I came here by accident."

Salasha's eyebrows raise. "You… came here by accident."

I nod, sighing in relief that he understands me. Felea seems to melt immediately. "Oh, a majestic traveler! He's going to be the brooding mysterious type, ready to knock me off my feet one day!" She sighs theatrically and falls onto Salasha, wanting him to catch her. Instead, he and I walk away from her, slightly smirking at her as she falls on her back. "Ouch!" she hisses, rubbing her lower back. "You are such a naughty jerk, Salasha!"

"Call me what you will, sister," he calls to her, rolling his eyes and guiding me along.

He leads me into a cavernous expanse through another screen door coated in colorful fallals and other bright gems and ornaments. "This is our common room, so to speak. Ozzie has his meetings and such in here as well as his announcements and discussions of battles, jobs, and other things. Though there are not many imps and other mystics here right now, this area will likely be filled come morning."

"What are mystics?" Quickly remembering my muteness, I tug on his sleeve and mouth the question.

Salasha seems caught off guard a moment- too stunned to speak. "You do not know of mystics?"

I shake my head. "There were none where I come from."

"Where is there land without mystics?" Salasha murmurs, again talking to himself. "In short, Felea, Ozzie, Gertal, and I are all mystics. We are beings caught between a human a beast, if you will. Most of us have a magical ability."

Magic? That must be why Ozzie didn't kill me before. He thinks I may be a mystic, perhaps, or knows that I'm an Enlightened one. The Enlightened ones…. Were they here? Tugging on his sleeve, I silently ask him this. "What is an 'Enlightened' one?"

I sigh, my fears confirmed. These aren't my Sky Lands, nor the snowy wastelands that lie below us secured to the ground.

This- wherever it is- is most definitely not at all like my homeland. That portal must have took me someplace else far, far away where there are mystics and forests on the ground, free from snow dunes and raging storms.

I stop, my eyes going wide. If I'm so far from home, will Schala know where to look for me?

"What's wrong?" Salasha stops and asks.

I'm only able to shake my head, realizing that I'm all alone out here. I'm alone, surrounded by strange mystics and… and….

Felea gasps and runs to my side. "Look at this, Salasha! You've made him cry! Come on, then, you can come with me, sweetie. I won't be mean to you like old snooty-pants."

"I didn't make him cry!" Salasha panicks, nervously turning to her.

"Then what did!" she demands.

"I don't know!"

"So he just starts to cry for no reason?"

"It seems so!"

Neither mystic notice as I fall to my knees, sobbing into my knees. I clench the soft fabric of my pants, wanting so badly to have at least Alfador by my side. If only he or Schala were hear….

The thought of my sister stings my heart, making new tears stream down my cheeks. Just as Salasha said, as long as I'm mute, I have no way to call out for her to come get me. There's no way any one of them can understand me. Not even Salasha and Felea, the two siblings out to help me. None of them know of the land I come from, nor the people I know of! How am I supposed to get home with this? How am I going to get away from Ozzie, and get back to Schala and Alfador?

Felea's face softens and realization overshows her distress. "He's from far away, doesn't know what mystics are, and he's a little boy. I think… that he misses his home. Talking about all of these new things isn't helping that at all, brother."

The mystic girl gently pulls me into a hug. I blink startled, and don't return the favor. "We'll get you back," she promises. "You have our word."

I nod into her shoulder, not even bothering to mouth what I know no one will hear.

I want to tell her how much she resembles my sister like this.