1 ~*~Chapter 12 Four dead, not deaths~*~
The first king of Mystics chuckles, places his free fist against his chest and bows.
"At your service," he says.
The voice that ripped out the dark heart.
Warrior gives a laugh and thumps his leader's back so hard that Lizard almost falls over.
"Shame on you, my friend," the powerful voice of Slash's ancestor booms, "you said you'd die
before bowing for another human."
You now face two of the four dead…
The black wind wasn't warning for deaths to come, but announcing those who already are…?
"He is dead, barbarian," the doubting voice smiles, "or rather, not even born yet."
Magician, Flea's forefather, materializes just beside his companions.
You now face three… the black wind softly whispers.
"A promise is a promise, right?" Warrior merrily grins.
"Indeed."
The grin on Lizard's lips dissolves, and he watches me gravely.
"And I swore that I would repay your and your friends' help, which was vital in our battle for
freedom," he grimly says and sighs, "or if I wouldn't be able to do so, one of my family line would
repay you in my place."
Oh.
Magician chuckles and points at Lizard with his thumb.
"Would you believe it?" the softly red skinned monster snorts, "he spends his life fighting against
humans and then he turns heaven upside down until they agree to let him return in order to help a few
of you."
"Now, now," Warrior snorts, "don't get condemning just because they are humans."
"Mind your manners both of you," Lizard grins.
Behind their backs, Charash is moving again. He's obviously surprised, and very frustrated. His
great tail hits the floor and causes another earthquake.
Magician almost falls over, but Warrior grabs his shoulder as all three of them sway by the
tremors.
"My belief was that ghosts were untouched by such mortal troubles," Frog says and scrambles to his
feet, his voice slightly unsteady of the remaining surprise.
"Frankly we're not really ghosts," Magician confesses, "we're a little more sturdy than when we
were during our life span, but if we get killed we're going back up without further notice."
"But you're not even born!" I point out, frowning, "how can you return as ghosts three thousand
years from your existence?"
"You are getting on my nerves!" Charash growls and opens his mouth again.
"Spirits have free insight in the whole history, it's really nothing," Warrior calls as he leaps aside
with his sword on his back and a companion's shoulder in each hand.
I throw my cloak at Molor, Frog and Crono and then clumsily jump to avoid the flames.
It wasn't really needed.
"Powers of the world, lend me the power of Water!"
The roaring flames drown the chanting, but despite that a seemingly fragile figure dressed in a
purple cloak halts the powerful heat with an enormous wall of ice.
"What the...?" Charash growls, irritated.
The flames disappears, and after them the ice.
"I don't like it when evil beasts mess with my children," queen Zeal coldly says.
And the fourth, whom you've already met, prince of a fallen kingdom…
"Mother?!" Schala gasps, taking one step backwards.
Marle's jaw is about to hit the floor. Schaliya just watches her own mother with confusion. I'm
surprised, but less than my sister and the princess of the future.
"I am sorry from the bottom of my heart for all the terrible things that happened, and I truly mean
it!" queen Zeal honestly calls and hurriedly throws up a second wall for the fire.
But this time, she's forced several feet backwards.
"Any of you have strength enough for another magic blow?" Magician shouts, his eyes going over
the stunned Cered, Lucca, Marle and me.
"Are you pulling my leg?" the inventor calls back, helplessly shaking her head.
I'm also far too drained of power, and I'm certain that the people still inside of my cloak and mind
haven't anything left to give either. Marle shakes her head.
No can do.
Mother is forced to back even more for yet another attack from the dragon.
"Well, I guess we have no choice then!" Warrior merrily says and throws Lizard at me.
The green monster spins around and lands on his feet, looking over his shoulder with a roll of his
eyes.
"Stop doing that, for heaven's sake!" he sighs.
"Lizard, quit fooling around!" mother shouts, backing again.
The first king of Mystics gravely nods and turns to me.
"I think we have to try that saving theory again, my friend," he says, "I need to see the snake."
My eyebrows twitch, but I shake my cloak without really questioning him. Frog, Crono and Molor
steps out of it.
"What..." my kindred spirit begins.
"Care for a second round?" Lizard says, grinning.
He takes the scythe I'll give him in the future in his left hand instead and reaches out his right hand
for Molor.
"I demand that this curse shall be lifted immediately!" the king of monsters growls.
By the powers...
"I accept!" Molor screech, almost madly triumphant.
His long body is covered in a red light, and as soon as it ceases he begins to grow.
"Why you little...!" Charash roars and flies to his feet.
"Keep him occupied, I need a moment!" Molor hisses with an evil grin, his voice growing deeper
and more powerful for every single word.
My only begun transformation was burning torture, but my kindred spirit seems to morph with
pleasure.
"Janus, take this!" Frog growls.
I spin around at him, and he sends a small bottle filled with a yellow liquid through the air. My
hand grabs it by instinct.
"Why didn't you tell me you had one earlier?" I mutter, not really mad at him.
"Thou did not speak the query," he says and rolls his eyes.
I turn around.
"Use everything you've got!" I shout as I rush over the floor towards Cered, "we have to slow him
down for a few moments!"
"What..." Cered begins as Lucca's strained but resolute chanting starts somewhere behind the sound
of Charash's movements.
"Use that Spirit Flame again!" I tell him and push the potion called full ether into his hand.
He grimly nods.
"Very well, brother."
"And tell your blasted princess to stop looking at me like that," I growl without even looking at the
cut off corner of the cave.
"Huh?"
"Looking at thee?" Frog's voice calls behind me, disbelieving.
"Oh, good grief..." Marle groans.
"What?" I growl, irritated.
"Cered," Frog yells, grinning, "I fear we must ponder the way that the mind of thy princess works.
That lady must simply be mad."
I look around, finding a very stupid grin on both the knight and Crono's lips. The realization makes
me feel sick.
"My ears hear naught!" I snarl, "stop being idiots and chant!"
"Thy 'ears hear naught'?!" Frog laughs despite the fact that our situation requires focusing, "Janus,
thou art in grave danger!"
"Shut it, reptile!" I growl, and I'm becoming really angry.
Still grinning Frog turns to Charash. The dragon's nostrils and the back of his throat are flaming;
he's trying to build up a massive fire this time.
"Now that's not going to work, my friend!" Molor roars mockingly as thin black legs, as a burned
skeleton's grow out of his sides, "you should know well that such a move is a grave waste of power."
Charash hesitates for a moment, giving Lucca and Marle time to finish their chanting. The princess
has more power left, therefore the inventor's flames are nothing but shadows on the blocks of ice.
"Powers of the world, lend me the power of Water!" I mutter.
Marle's magic is the one that seem to work best since it's a magic of material, and it's about what I
can handle for the moment.
It could be that the dragon is resistant, but the weight of the ice is still there.
Cered's chanting drowns mine, and I duck to avoid the power dashing from his magic. This blow is
weaker than the last one, but still effective. The dragon is forced a few steps backwards, and I drop a
couple of cold rocks on his neck. Magician follows my example.
Before the king of dragons' has fully recovered the cave shivers by an unearthly screech. I look up.
Charash looks up.
Both of us freeze. And so does everyone else facing Molor.
His transformation is completed.
He is hideous.
His body is black and thin, not at all muscled as Charash's. He seems to be built up mostly by
scales and bones, using as little flesh as possible. More like a skeleton than a living dragon. The
enormous wings on his back are shining like fresh blood against the rest of him, his white, bent teeth
not hidden behind any lips simply because there are none.
He is absolutely hideous.
And the power he emits is overwhelmingly fascinating; how that thin body can seem so strong.
I get to my feet, and there's a cold smile on my lips.
Molor turns his enormous head at me, and in his yellow eyes there is a triumph that I share with
him.
'I will take care of Charash, friend,' he whispers in my mind, in a low voice not to disrupt my spirit
with his force.
'That would be appreciated,' I reply, grinning.
He smiles coldly, since he has no lips that smile is living only in my mind.
His long, sharp tail moves into my reach, I grab it with both hands and he sends me flying to the
corner where the prisoners stand. I land on my feet without any trouble and reach out my hand for
Schala to awake her from the shock.
"Uncle!"
Schaliya lets go of her mother and reach up to take my hanging hand. With a smile of relief I
bend down and take her small face between my scale free fingers and palms.
She's safe.
"I felt no fear, I knew that thee would come!" she smiles.
"You're much braver than I thought, little one," I tell her with a smile, "now I'll bring you to safety."
Schala's hands grab my shoulders as I straighten up, and then she throws her arms around my neck.
"Thank all the powers that you are alright, Janus!" she grimly whispers.
I don't say a word at first, just place my hands on her shoulders and nod.
"Are you alright?" I ask.
Schala's breathing gives away that she's about to speak again, but all of us startle at the two roars. I
spin around to see Molor and Charash's heads dash against each other, their claws tearing off scales
and dark flesh wherever they can reach. Despite his seemingly loss of muscles my kindred spirit is
obviously truly very strong. Charash seems unable to force him backwards even when attacking with
all his might.
"Shall we move a little?" Marle suggests with a rather weak voice.
"Yes."
I turn my head and find myself staring into the eyes of Lashey. Her silly little snake is on her
shoulder, watching me with similar cold fascination.
"You might as well dream about flying, lady," I sharply say.
Lashey's eyebrows twitch a little, but the creepy interest in her eyes only grows.
Can't I say anything to make her angry?!
"Thou art a proud and stubborn man, lord Janus," she says with a cold smile, "and that is rare these
days."
"Charming. Now shut up."
I grab my cloak and sweep it through the air, sending all of the female prisoners and the white little
pet out of danger.
At least I won't have to see her when she's inside of my closed mind.
I run and leap past the abyss as Molor crash into the wall where Lucca stood a few moments ago.
The inventor had wisely moved though, and is unhurt.
"I can't really see how you can like him," Marle's voice says inside of my head, "but if you're that
determined there's a few things I could..."
"I warn you, Marle," I sharply say while Molor gets to his feet and sends a wave of flames at
Charash.
The red dragon has to back off, thereby forcing me to hurry down the cave, so as not to get too close.
"Janus, don't be so cold blooded," Schala grins.
"I see you find this really amusing!" I snarl while running.
"Please shed no fury upon thy sister, lord Janus," Lashey calmly says.
"Oh, he's not really mad," my sister tells her.
"Like hell I'm not!"
"Mind your manners, my son," mother smiles, rushing up beside me as she also moves away from
Charash.
I snort.
"You're telling me how to behave, mother?" I snap.
"I'm just taking my chances now since I wasn't good at it earlier," she merrily replies.
"Aww, show your mother some respect!" Warrior calls, grinning.
I glare at him. Lizard and Magician are behind the purple monster, grinning teasingly.
"Is this something that all of you have planned behind my back?" I growl, "I don't find it
entertaining."
"But you'd make a sweet couple for sure!" Marle teases, laughing.
"You say so?"
A cold smile comes to my lips.
"Then tell me, Marle," I say, slowly, "do you actually want me to be your ancestor?"
There's a silence, and I feel Schala fight against a loud laugh.
"You know what," Marle finally says, nervously, "Janus has some really bad habits. Turning
his best friends into amphibians and stuff..."
"Frog is certainly not my best friend, lady!" I sharply snap.
"Thou break my poor heart," the knight snorts, hurrying down the wall to escape Molor's violent tail.
"My pleasure."
"Still I find him genuinely intriguing," Lashey says with a cold smile.
I'd threaten to break her neck if it wasn't for Schaliya...
Closing the room so that I can't hear them at all seems tempting, but I don't want to risk those
ladies planning something. I really thought that Schala was on my side...
Molor and Charash's heads almost hit the ceiling of the cave as they stand on their back paws,
violently scratching at each other with their several feet long claws.
"I defeated you once, elder!" the blood red one snarls, "you are too old to fight!"
"And you are tired after battling the humans," Molor replies, in his voice a cold sneer, "and anyhow
I'm not that old!"
"A wise king should have stepped down by seven hundred years!"
"I still have a couple hundred left, youngster!"
I suppose that he'll live past me, then... if he survives the battle.
Both of the dragons have deep cuts on their backs and front legs, dark blood is streaming over the
cave's floor and makes it slippery. It's impossible to judge which one of them who is the strongest.
They are swaying back and forth, trying to keep their balance while standing only on insecure back
paws and attacking at the same time.
Charash sends out a clawed paw for surely the thousand time, and this time Molor doesn't have the time to
move off. He is thrown down, but before the younger dragon has time to close his jaws around the
long, black neck Molor sends out his long tail and wraps it around Charash's left back leg. With a
roar of surprise the red beast falls, slipping on his own and Molor's blood. His heavy landing causes a
smaller earthquake. Cered, who was exhaustedly leaning against the wall after his massive
consumption of power, stumbles and falls to his knees. Frog hurries over to him to help him to get up
again, I rush trough the air towards them without even touching the ground with my feet. Meanwhile
Charash manages get up before Molor can finish him off.
"Get in!" I snarl and hold up my cloak.
"And should the beasts crush thee, all of us will perish together," the knight sighs, but dives into the
cloth together with Cered.
"Father!" Schaliya's voice calls.
"Hello, sweet flower," my brother in law tiredly smiles, "art thee all well?"
"We're fine, love," Schala smiles.
"It warms my heart to hear those blessed words, rose of the desert," Cered mumbles in a rather
muffled voice.
"Good to see you in one single raw piece, Frog," Marle says with a trace of embarrassment in her
voice, surely because of Schala and Cered's kissing.
"I cherish thy faith in me," the knight snorts.
"Thou art as brave as my parents and my uncle!" Schaliya says with a big smile.
"I thank thee, little lady."
"Be thee not a monster?" Lashey asks with astonishment.
"Nay," Frog chuckles, "my guise speaks against me, alas I am human."
"See?" Marle nervously says, "I'm telling you, Janus has a sick sense of humor!"
I would have smiled is it wasn't for the princess' reaction.
She's laughing.
I could shout at her to go below. The only reason I don't do it is that it seems like Schala is on her
side and for the moment I haven't even the nerve for a jocular argument. You traitor, sister...
"Ah, 'tis a story I must hear one day," the emperor's daughter grins.
"I fear thee will not escape this lady too quickly, warlock," Frog sneers.
"Stop mocking me or I'll throw my cloak down the mountain!" I snap, irritated.
"Dost not be mean to my uncle!" Schaliya snorts.
"No, we're just joking," Schala says with a short laugh.
"Fantastically amusing," I say, cold as ice.
The whole world seems to shiver by Molor's roar.
Charash has buried his teeth in my kindred spirit's back. By instinct I reach for my scythe in order
to help, but before I even remembered that it's meaningless, Molor has swung his long neck
almost completely around. His teeth disappear into the foundation of Charash's neck and with a roar
of pain the red dragon is torn away and down on the floor.
Molor places both his front paws on the battered chest of his opponent before Charash has time to
make an attempt to break free.
The black dragon snaps his head upwards and secures his teeth just below the younger one's head.
One movement from either of them and Charash will be dead. He becomes completely tense, his
yellow eyes wide open.
'This seems familiar, doesn't it?' Molor snarls with a telepathic voice that everyone can hear, since
his mouth is too occupied to use for talking.
Charash says nothing.
'Your life is mine this time, youngster,' my kindred spirit spits out, 'I hope you learn a little respect
from it.'
His great eyes move to me.
'I will let you decide this time, friend,' he gravely says, 'I owe you that.'
I look at Charash.
It seems as if everyone is holding their breath. The dragon's eyes are as wide as they possibly can
become, staring at me.
I remember the flaring torture, the feeling of being torn into pieces from inside. The bitterness
when Molor wouldn't tell me the truth, when the dragon forced him to turn away since that was the
law. That deed, persuading my kindred spirit into almost violating our alliance, it was far darker than
my agony.
Of course I know what Magus thinks, his voice is calling out to me from deep inside my soul.
I slowly shake my head.
"You know my verdict, Molor."
'Very well.'
Charash blinks as the black dragon's teeth move away from his neck.
"What?" Frog gasps inside of my head, disbelieving.
Lucca and Crono are staring at me, just as surprised. My back is turned at the four ghosts, but I can
imagine the looks on their faces.
I smile coldly.
There's nothing I enjoy more than defying Magus.
"Return to your world and don't dare to show your face here again," Molor coldly says.
Charash scrambles to his feet, his wild eyes moving between the black dragon and me. The he
turns to the closest wall, which is facing the entrance to the cave. The stream of fire leaving his mouth
is rather thin and weak, but it seems to work anyway.
It looks like an enormous Gate. A black, flashing hole opens in the cave wall, and with one last
glare at Molor Charash dives into it, fleeing.
The portal closes.
Molor takes in a deep breath.
His thin legs bend, and he crash on the floor.
With a growl fused with a shout I rush over to his head, very concernedly putting my hands beside
one of his gigantic eyes.
He watches me exhaustedly.
"That was... rather amusing..." he mutters, hoarsely.
His whole body is covered in a red light again, and he rapidly shrinks.
In only a few seconds he has turned back into a snake, bloodied and torn. I sit down on my knees,
carefully lifting his head from the messy floor. Lucca, mother and the three monsters walk closer,
silently watching me and my kindred spirit. Those that I surpassed to my mind stumbles out of my
cloak, joining the others watching.
"You did well, Molor," I say, with my thumb drying away a stream of blood that almost runs into
one of his eyes, "very impressive indeed."
"I thank you, my friend..."
"Powers of the world, lend me the power of Water..." mother calmly chants.
Marle and Frog join in into her praying and chanting. Golden stars fall into Molor's battered body,
softly covering him in a healing light.
"I thank you," he says and straightens up, freed from wounds.
"Tell me, why hast thee not spoken before, my friend?" Cered asks, carefully.
Molor's forked tongue dance between his naturally cracked lips, a silent laughter.
"The human language burns my throat," he says.
"Personally I always thought that the humans copied our language," Warrior grins, making
Magician slap the back of his head with a chuckle.
"You have a wonderful daughter, Schala," I hear mother say, but I don't look up.
"Who is that, mother?" Schaliya asks.
I hear Schala take a deep breath. She's surely tormented by memories and confused gratefulness,
and she has to go through all of it by herself.
But I already know the final conclusion.
"She is your grandmother, Schaliya," my sister finally says with a careful smile.
"Hello," Queen Zeal tentatively says.
"Hello, grandmother," the child happily replies.
Ah, Schaliya...
I look up to see the two blue-haired women reach out for each other's hands, carefully. In the end
they hug each other tightly, making up for the wounds that Lavos left. As mother looks up at Cered
she smiles warmly. He smiles back, a bit unsure about how to handle meeting the ghost of his wife's
mother.
'Why wouldn't you stay a dragon?' I ask Molor, silently.
'Your cloak would be too small,' he says with a short, dry laugh.
I have to smile at that. Then I turn my head and look at Lizard.
"Thank you for lending a hand," I gravely say.
"No problem whatsoever," he smiles.
He turns to Crono, still smiling.
"Ah yes," the first king of Mystics says, "there was one other thing. Both of your cats are in a
crumbling castle, one in a distant past and one in the future. And your mother is..."
He frowns and rubs his forehead.
"Help me out, Magician," he finally sighs.
"Seventeenth February, 1984 AD. Just by the Sun Keep," the softly red monster says, grinning at his
forgetful friend.
"That's it."
"Are you sure?" Marle asks, frowning.
"Oh, please!" Magician sighs with a laugh.
Lucca is scratching her helmet.
"Hey, now that you mention it... wasn't there a cat in the Tyrano Lair, and one helping us out in
Ozzie's castle?"
"Yes indeed, inventor," Warrior says, smiling.
Crono speaks out a very heartily thanking to the three monsters.
"It's only because watching you three going like mad through history was such a sad sight," the
ancestor of Slash says, waving with a hand.
"Ignore him, he's a barbarian," Magician sighs.
"Don't tell me you suddenly like humans," the purple one grins.
"You're not going to make me believe that you don't care about those here."
"I only came for the same reason I'm fighting by your side, oh great magic user," Warrior snorts,
"because Lizard keeps telling me to."
"This seems somehow familiar," Marle grins, looking at me and Frog.
I ignore her, turning my gaze over the four ghosts.
"You wouldn't possibly have any information to share about these dreams I've been having?" I ask,
with a grain of sharpness in my voice.
Mother lets go of Schala and shakes her head.
"No Janus, none of us have anything to do with that. Yet, I have been watching."
Oh, that really brought me into a much better mood. I turn back to Molor clenching my teeth to
fight back the feeling of bitterness that someone more has seen me that weakened.
"It couldn't have happened to you," mother calmly says, as if reading my mind, "you are far too
strong."
I don't answer. But to hear those words, true or not, lit up some dark part of the shame.
"It's true that we don't know anything about the dreams," mother continues, "but somebody else
who's not here suggested that they perhaps are caused by your many journeys through time."
"That my mind somehow caught up with another path, so to speak?" I ask, looking up at her again.
"It's a possible theory, isn't it?" she says, shrugging her shoulders.
"I have to agree on that."
Lizard holds up his left hand, examining it. Looking closer, I notice that he's slowly turning a little
more transparent.
"Well then, my friends," the king of Mystics says with a slightly sad smile, "it seems as if we're
considered unneeded down here now. Warrior, mind your manners."
The purple monster rolls his eyes, but when he speaks it's with another smile.
"Goodbye. It was really fun."
"Listen to him," Magician sighs, so faded that I'm able to see the cliffs behind him, "now he
thinks that it was amusing."
He shakes his head, smiling.
"My blessings, humans and... similar," he says with a wink of his eye.
"You were the one who doubted in Lizard's chances of taking care of the dragon's curses,"
Warrior points out.
Their voices are still to be heard as they turn into sparkling contours and disappear up through the
stone ceiling.
"You weren't too enthusiastic either."
"And you still owe me twenty gold pieces."
"What are you going to do with gold if you're dead?"
"Why would you want to keep any if you're dead?"
They are gone.
Lizard's scythe dissolves in his grip as he reach up to massage his forehead.
"You know, I'm the one who has to spend the eternity with those two..."
"I have noticed that you turn to Snake for help when they become too much for you," mother points
out with a laugh.
Lizard tiredly smiles and shakes his head, his gaze going over us living people.
"Fare well," he says as he looses his body more and more, "I look forward to seeing you again."
"Goodbye," I say with a small smile.
As Lizard comes to the roof, he reaches out his arms and pulls the Masamune free from the stone's
grip. The sword floats down into Frog's grateful hand. It seems as if he has made peace with his blade
once again. I guess that's a good thing.
Mother smiles carefully.
"We will meet again, therefore I don't want to say goodbye," she says and begins to ascend.
"Until we meet again, then," I say, not calling.
I know that she can hear me anyhow, no matter if I speak or merely think the words.
That's my mother, after all. Not the Queen Zeal I killed with Frog and Crono's help.
Schala waves after the disappearing ghost, a warm smile tickling her lips.
"Be well, grandmother!" Schaliya calls and waves with both her small hands.
"Take care!" mother smiles.
She's gone.
"How utterly mystifying..." Lashey mumbles, absentmindedly caressing her snake's head with a
fingertip.
Intruding, silly little...
I grit my teeth, trying to ignore her presence completely.
'I, for one, do not find it amusing,' Molor mutters with a shudder.
My only true ally in this matter, perhaps...
"Maybe it's just me who finds this place rather uncozy," Lucca says, "but I'd be really glad if you
would find in your heart to get us away from here, Janus."
"I think I can manage."
I straighten up and throw a glance at Lashey with an inner sigh. Then I put my fingertips together
and start to chant the teleportation spell.
The first king of Mystics chuckles, places his free fist against his chest and bows.
"At your service," he says.
The voice that ripped out the dark heart.
Warrior gives a laugh and thumps his leader's back so hard that Lizard almost falls over.
"Shame on you, my friend," the powerful voice of Slash's ancestor booms, "you said you'd die
before bowing for another human."
You now face two of the four dead…
The black wind wasn't warning for deaths to come, but announcing those who already are…?
"He is dead, barbarian," the doubting voice smiles, "or rather, not even born yet."
Magician, Flea's forefather, materializes just beside his companions.
You now face three… the black wind softly whispers.
"A promise is a promise, right?" Warrior merrily grins.
"Indeed."
The grin on Lizard's lips dissolves, and he watches me gravely.
"And I swore that I would repay your and your friends' help, which was vital in our battle for
freedom," he grimly says and sighs, "or if I wouldn't be able to do so, one of my family line would
repay you in my place."
Oh.
Magician chuckles and points at Lizard with his thumb.
"Would you believe it?" the softly red skinned monster snorts, "he spends his life fighting against
humans and then he turns heaven upside down until they agree to let him return in order to help a few
of you."
"Now, now," Warrior snorts, "don't get condemning just because they are humans."
"Mind your manners both of you," Lizard grins.
Behind their backs, Charash is moving again. He's obviously surprised, and very frustrated. His
great tail hits the floor and causes another earthquake.
Magician almost falls over, but Warrior grabs his shoulder as all three of them sway by the
tremors.
"My belief was that ghosts were untouched by such mortal troubles," Frog says and scrambles to his
feet, his voice slightly unsteady of the remaining surprise.
"Frankly we're not really ghosts," Magician confesses, "we're a little more sturdy than when we
were during our life span, but if we get killed we're going back up without further notice."
"But you're not even born!" I point out, frowning, "how can you return as ghosts three thousand
years from your existence?"
"You are getting on my nerves!" Charash growls and opens his mouth again.
"Spirits have free insight in the whole history, it's really nothing," Warrior calls as he leaps aside
with his sword on his back and a companion's shoulder in each hand.
I throw my cloak at Molor, Frog and Crono and then clumsily jump to avoid the flames.
It wasn't really needed.
"Powers of the world, lend me the power of Water!"
The roaring flames drown the chanting, but despite that a seemingly fragile figure dressed in a
purple cloak halts the powerful heat with an enormous wall of ice.
"What the...?" Charash growls, irritated.
The flames disappears, and after them the ice.
"I don't like it when evil beasts mess with my children," queen Zeal coldly says.
And the fourth, whom you've already met, prince of a fallen kingdom…
"Mother?!" Schala gasps, taking one step backwards.
Marle's jaw is about to hit the floor. Schaliya just watches her own mother with confusion. I'm
surprised, but less than my sister and the princess of the future.
"I am sorry from the bottom of my heart for all the terrible things that happened, and I truly mean
it!" queen Zeal honestly calls and hurriedly throws up a second wall for the fire.
But this time, she's forced several feet backwards.
"Any of you have strength enough for another magic blow?" Magician shouts, his eyes going over
the stunned Cered, Lucca, Marle and me.
"Are you pulling my leg?" the inventor calls back, helplessly shaking her head.
I'm also far too drained of power, and I'm certain that the people still inside of my cloak and mind
haven't anything left to give either. Marle shakes her head.
No can do.
Mother is forced to back even more for yet another attack from the dragon.
"Well, I guess we have no choice then!" Warrior merrily says and throws Lizard at me.
The green monster spins around and lands on his feet, looking over his shoulder with a roll of his
eyes.
"Stop doing that, for heaven's sake!" he sighs.
"Lizard, quit fooling around!" mother shouts, backing again.
The first king of Mystics gravely nods and turns to me.
"I think we have to try that saving theory again, my friend," he says, "I need to see the snake."
My eyebrows twitch, but I shake my cloak without really questioning him. Frog, Crono and Molor
steps out of it.
"What..." my kindred spirit begins.
"Care for a second round?" Lizard says, grinning.
He takes the scythe I'll give him in the future in his left hand instead and reaches out his right hand
for Molor.
"I demand that this curse shall be lifted immediately!" the king of monsters growls.
By the powers...
"I accept!" Molor screech, almost madly triumphant.
His long body is covered in a red light, and as soon as it ceases he begins to grow.
"Why you little...!" Charash roars and flies to his feet.
"Keep him occupied, I need a moment!" Molor hisses with an evil grin, his voice growing deeper
and more powerful for every single word.
My only begun transformation was burning torture, but my kindred spirit seems to morph with
pleasure.
"Janus, take this!" Frog growls.
I spin around at him, and he sends a small bottle filled with a yellow liquid through the air. My
hand grabs it by instinct.
"Why didn't you tell me you had one earlier?" I mutter, not really mad at him.
"Thou did not speak the query," he says and rolls his eyes.
I turn around.
"Use everything you've got!" I shout as I rush over the floor towards Cered, "we have to slow him
down for a few moments!"
"What..." Cered begins as Lucca's strained but resolute chanting starts somewhere behind the sound
of Charash's movements.
"Use that Spirit Flame again!" I tell him and push the potion called full ether into his hand.
He grimly nods.
"Very well, brother."
"And tell your blasted princess to stop looking at me like that," I growl without even looking at the
cut off corner of the cave.
"Huh?"
"Looking at thee?" Frog's voice calls behind me, disbelieving.
"Oh, good grief..." Marle groans.
"What?" I growl, irritated.
"Cered," Frog yells, grinning, "I fear we must ponder the way that the mind of thy princess works.
That lady must simply be mad."
I look around, finding a very stupid grin on both the knight and Crono's lips. The realization makes
me feel sick.
"My ears hear naught!" I snarl, "stop being idiots and chant!"
"Thy 'ears hear naught'?!" Frog laughs despite the fact that our situation requires focusing, "Janus,
thou art in grave danger!"
"Shut it, reptile!" I growl, and I'm becoming really angry.
Still grinning Frog turns to Charash. The dragon's nostrils and the back of his throat are flaming;
he's trying to build up a massive fire this time.
"Now that's not going to work, my friend!" Molor roars mockingly as thin black legs, as a burned
skeleton's grow out of his sides, "you should know well that such a move is a grave waste of power."
Charash hesitates for a moment, giving Lucca and Marle time to finish their chanting. The princess
has more power left, therefore the inventor's flames are nothing but shadows on the blocks of ice.
"Powers of the world, lend me the power of Water!" I mutter.
Marle's magic is the one that seem to work best since it's a magic of material, and it's about what I
can handle for the moment.
It could be that the dragon is resistant, but the weight of the ice is still there.
Cered's chanting drowns mine, and I duck to avoid the power dashing from his magic. This blow is
weaker than the last one, but still effective. The dragon is forced a few steps backwards, and I drop a
couple of cold rocks on his neck. Magician follows my example.
Before the king of dragons' has fully recovered the cave shivers by an unearthly screech. I look up.
Charash looks up.
Both of us freeze. And so does everyone else facing Molor.
His transformation is completed.
He is hideous.
His body is black and thin, not at all muscled as Charash's. He seems to be built up mostly by
scales and bones, using as little flesh as possible. More like a skeleton than a living dragon. The
enormous wings on his back are shining like fresh blood against the rest of him, his white, bent teeth
not hidden behind any lips simply because there are none.
He is absolutely hideous.
And the power he emits is overwhelmingly fascinating; how that thin body can seem so strong.
I get to my feet, and there's a cold smile on my lips.
Molor turns his enormous head at me, and in his yellow eyes there is a triumph that I share with
him.
'I will take care of Charash, friend,' he whispers in my mind, in a low voice not to disrupt my spirit
with his force.
'That would be appreciated,' I reply, grinning.
He smiles coldly, since he has no lips that smile is living only in my mind.
His long, sharp tail moves into my reach, I grab it with both hands and he sends me flying to the
corner where the prisoners stand. I land on my feet without any trouble and reach out my hand for
Schala to awake her from the shock.
"Uncle!"
Schaliya lets go of her mother and reach up to take my hanging hand. With a smile of relief I
bend down and take her small face between my scale free fingers and palms.
She's safe.
"I felt no fear, I knew that thee would come!" she smiles.
"You're much braver than I thought, little one," I tell her with a smile, "now I'll bring you to safety."
Schala's hands grab my shoulders as I straighten up, and then she throws her arms around my neck.
"Thank all the powers that you are alright, Janus!" she grimly whispers.
I don't say a word at first, just place my hands on her shoulders and nod.
"Are you alright?" I ask.
Schala's breathing gives away that she's about to speak again, but all of us startle at the two roars. I
spin around to see Molor and Charash's heads dash against each other, their claws tearing off scales
and dark flesh wherever they can reach. Despite his seemingly loss of muscles my kindred spirit is
obviously truly very strong. Charash seems unable to force him backwards even when attacking with
all his might.
"Shall we move a little?" Marle suggests with a rather weak voice.
"Yes."
I turn my head and find myself staring into the eyes of Lashey. Her silly little snake is on her
shoulder, watching me with similar cold fascination.
"You might as well dream about flying, lady," I sharply say.
Lashey's eyebrows twitch a little, but the creepy interest in her eyes only grows.
Can't I say anything to make her angry?!
"Thou art a proud and stubborn man, lord Janus," she says with a cold smile, "and that is rare these
days."
"Charming. Now shut up."
I grab my cloak and sweep it through the air, sending all of the female prisoners and the white little
pet out of danger.
At least I won't have to see her when she's inside of my closed mind.
I run and leap past the abyss as Molor crash into the wall where Lucca stood a few moments ago.
The inventor had wisely moved though, and is unhurt.
"I can't really see how you can like him," Marle's voice says inside of my head, "but if you're that
determined there's a few things I could..."
"I warn you, Marle," I sharply say while Molor gets to his feet and sends a wave of flames at
Charash.
The red dragon has to back off, thereby forcing me to hurry down the cave, so as not to get too close.
"Janus, don't be so cold blooded," Schala grins.
"I see you find this really amusing!" I snarl while running.
"Please shed no fury upon thy sister, lord Janus," Lashey calmly says.
"Oh, he's not really mad," my sister tells her.
"Like hell I'm not!"
"Mind your manners, my son," mother smiles, rushing up beside me as she also moves away from
Charash.
I snort.
"You're telling me how to behave, mother?" I snap.
"I'm just taking my chances now since I wasn't good at it earlier," she merrily replies.
"Aww, show your mother some respect!" Warrior calls, grinning.
I glare at him. Lizard and Magician are behind the purple monster, grinning teasingly.
"Is this something that all of you have planned behind my back?" I growl, "I don't find it
entertaining."
"But you'd make a sweet couple for sure!" Marle teases, laughing.
"You say so?"
A cold smile comes to my lips.
"Then tell me, Marle," I say, slowly, "do you actually want me to be your ancestor?"
There's a silence, and I feel Schala fight against a loud laugh.
"You know what," Marle finally says, nervously, "Janus has some really bad habits. Turning
his best friends into amphibians and stuff..."
"Frog is certainly not my best friend, lady!" I sharply snap.
"Thou break my poor heart," the knight snorts, hurrying down the wall to escape Molor's violent tail.
"My pleasure."
"Still I find him genuinely intriguing," Lashey says with a cold smile.
I'd threaten to break her neck if it wasn't for Schaliya...
Closing the room so that I can't hear them at all seems tempting, but I don't want to risk those
ladies planning something. I really thought that Schala was on my side...
Molor and Charash's heads almost hit the ceiling of the cave as they stand on their back paws,
violently scratching at each other with their several feet long claws.
"I defeated you once, elder!" the blood red one snarls, "you are too old to fight!"
"And you are tired after battling the humans," Molor replies, in his voice a cold sneer, "and anyhow
I'm not that old!"
"A wise king should have stepped down by seven hundred years!"
"I still have a couple hundred left, youngster!"
I suppose that he'll live past me, then... if he survives the battle.
Both of the dragons have deep cuts on their backs and front legs, dark blood is streaming over the
cave's floor and makes it slippery. It's impossible to judge which one of them who is the strongest.
They are swaying back and forth, trying to keep their balance while standing only on insecure back
paws and attacking at the same time.
Charash sends out a clawed paw for surely the thousand time, and this time Molor doesn't have the time to
move off. He is thrown down, but before the younger dragon has time to close his jaws around the
long, black neck Molor sends out his long tail and wraps it around Charash's left back leg. With a
roar of surprise the red beast falls, slipping on his own and Molor's blood. His heavy landing causes a
smaller earthquake. Cered, who was exhaustedly leaning against the wall after his massive
consumption of power, stumbles and falls to his knees. Frog hurries over to him to help him to get up
again, I rush trough the air towards them without even touching the ground with my feet. Meanwhile
Charash manages get up before Molor can finish him off.
"Get in!" I snarl and hold up my cloak.
"And should the beasts crush thee, all of us will perish together," the knight sighs, but dives into the
cloth together with Cered.
"Father!" Schaliya's voice calls.
"Hello, sweet flower," my brother in law tiredly smiles, "art thee all well?"
"We're fine, love," Schala smiles.
"It warms my heart to hear those blessed words, rose of the desert," Cered mumbles in a rather
muffled voice.
"Good to see you in one single raw piece, Frog," Marle says with a trace of embarrassment in her
voice, surely because of Schala and Cered's kissing.
"I cherish thy faith in me," the knight snorts.
"Thou art as brave as my parents and my uncle!" Schaliya says with a big smile.
"I thank thee, little lady."
"Be thee not a monster?" Lashey asks with astonishment.
"Nay," Frog chuckles, "my guise speaks against me, alas I am human."
"See?" Marle nervously says, "I'm telling you, Janus has a sick sense of humor!"
I would have smiled is it wasn't for the princess' reaction.
She's laughing.
I could shout at her to go below. The only reason I don't do it is that it seems like Schala is on her
side and for the moment I haven't even the nerve for a jocular argument. You traitor, sister...
"Ah, 'tis a story I must hear one day," the emperor's daughter grins.
"I fear thee will not escape this lady too quickly, warlock," Frog sneers.
"Stop mocking me or I'll throw my cloak down the mountain!" I snap, irritated.
"Dost not be mean to my uncle!" Schaliya snorts.
"No, we're just joking," Schala says with a short laugh.
"Fantastically amusing," I say, cold as ice.
The whole world seems to shiver by Molor's roar.
Charash has buried his teeth in my kindred spirit's back. By instinct I reach for my scythe in order
to help, but before I even remembered that it's meaningless, Molor has swung his long neck
almost completely around. His teeth disappear into the foundation of Charash's neck and with a roar
of pain the red dragon is torn away and down on the floor.
Molor places both his front paws on the battered chest of his opponent before Charash has time to
make an attempt to break free.
The black dragon snaps his head upwards and secures his teeth just below the younger one's head.
One movement from either of them and Charash will be dead. He becomes completely tense, his
yellow eyes wide open.
'This seems familiar, doesn't it?' Molor snarls with a telepathic voice that everyone can hear, since
his mouth is too occupied to use for talking.
Charash says nothing.
'Your life is mine this time, youngster,' my kindred spirit spits out, 'I hope you learn a little respect
from it.'
His great eyes move to me.
'I will let you decide this time, friend,' he gravely says, 'I owe you that.'
I look at Charash.
It seems as if everyone is holding their breath. The dragon's eyes are as wide as they possibly can
become, staring at me.
I remember the flaring torture, the feeling of being torn into pieces from inside. The bitterness
when Molor wouldn't tell me the truth, when the dragon forced him to turn away since that was the
law. That deed, persuading my kindred spirit into almost violating our alliance, it was far darker than
my agony.
Of course I know what Magus thinks, his voice is calling out to me from deep inside my soul.
I slowly shake my head.
"You know my verdict, Molor."
'Very well.'
Charash blinks as the black dragon's teeth move away from his neck.
"What?" Frog gasps inside of my head, disbelieving.
Lucca and Crono are staring at me, just as surprised. My back is turned at the four ghosts, but I can
imagine the looks on their faces.
I smile coldly.
There's nothing I enjoy more than defying Magus.
"Return to your world and don't dare to show your face here again," Molor coldly says.
Charash scrambles to his feet, his wild eyes moving between the black dragon and me. The he
turns to the closest wall, which is facing the entrance to the cave. The stream of fire leaving his mouth
is rather thin and weak, but it seems to work anyway.
It looks like an enormous Gate. A black, flashing hole opens in the cave wall, and with one last
glare at Molor Charash dives into it, fleeing.
The portal closes.
Molor takes in a deep breath.
His thin legs bend, and he crash on the floor.
With a growl fused with a shout I rush over to his head, very concernedly putting my hands beside
one of his gigantic eyes.
He watches me exhaustedly.
"That was... rather amusing..." he mutters, hoarsely.
His whole body is covered in a red light again, and he rapidly shrinks.
In only a few seconds he has turned back into a snake, bloodied and torn. I sit down on my knees,
carefully lifting his head from the messy floor. Lucca, mother and the three monsters walk closer,
silently watching me and my kindred spirit. Those that I surpassed to my mind stumbles out of my
cloak, joining the others watching.
"You did well, Molor," I say, with my thumb drying away a stream of blood that almost runs into
one of his eyes, "very impressive indeed."
"I thank you, my friend..."
"Powers of the world, lend me the power of Water..." mother calmly chants.
Marle and Frog join in into her praying and chanting. Golden stars fall into Molor's battered body,
softly covering him in a healing light.
"I thank you," he says and straightens up, freed from wounds.
"Tell me, why hast thee not spoken before, my friend?" Cered asks, carefully.
Molor's forked tongue dance between his naturally cracked lips, a silent laughter.
"The human language burns my throat," he says.
"Personally I always thought that the humans copied our language," Warrior grins, making
Magician slap the back of his head with a chuckle.
"You have a wonderful daughter, Schala," I hear mother say, but I don't look up.
"Who is that, mother?" Schaliya asks.
I hear Schala take a deep breath. She's surely tormented by memories and confused gratefulness,
and she has to go through all of it by herself.
But I already know the final conclusion.
"She is your grandmother, Schaliya," my sister finally says with a careful smile.
"Hello," Queen Zeal tentatively says.
"Hello, grandmother," the child happily replies.
Ah, Schaliya...
I look up to see the two blue-haired women reach out for each other's hands, carefully. In the end
they hug each other tightly, making up for the wounds that Lavos left. As mother looks up at Cered
she smiles warmly. He smiles back, a bit unsure about how to handle meeting the ghost of his wife's
mother.
'Why wouldn't you stay a dragon?' I ask Molor, silently.
'Your cloak would be too small,' he says with a short, dry laugh.
I have to smile at that. Then I turn my head and look at Lizard.
"Thank you for lending a hand," I gravely say.
"No problem whatsoever," he smiles.
He turns to Crono, still smiling.
"Ah yes," the first king of Mystics says, "there was one other thing. Both of your cats are in a
crumbling castle, one in a distant past and one in the future. And your mother is..."
He frowns and rubs his forehead.
"Help me out, Magician," he finally sighs.
"Seventeenth February, 1984 AD. Just by the Sun Keep," the softly red monster says, grinning at his
forgetful friend.
"That's it."
"Are you sure?" Marle asks, frowning.
"Oh, please!" Magician sighs with a laugh.
Lucca is scratching her helmet.
"Hey, now that you mention it... wasn't there a cat in the Tyrano Lair, and one helping us out in
Ozzie's castle?"
"Yes indeed, inventor," Warrior says, smiling.
Crono speaks out a very heartily thanking to the three monsters.
"It's only because watching you three going like mad through history was such a sad sight," the
ancestor of Slash says, waving with a hand.
"Ignore him, he's a barbarian," Magician sighs.
"Don't tell me you suddenly like humans," the purple one grins.
"You're not going to make me believe that you don't care about those here."
"I only came for the same reason I'm fighting by your side, oh great magic user," Warrior snorts,
"because Lizard keeps telling me to."
"This seems somehow familiar," Marle grins, looking at me and Frog.
I ignore her, turning my gaze over the four ghosts.
"You wouldn't possibly have any information to share about these dreams I've been having?" I ask,
with a grain of sharpness in my voice.
Mother lets go of Schala and shakes her head.
"No Janus, none of us have anything to do with that. Yet, I have been watching."
Oh, that really brought me into a much better mood. I turn back to Molor clenching my teeth to
fight back the feeling of bitterness that someone more has seen me that weakened.
"It couldn't have happened to you," mother calmly says, as if reading my mind, "you are far too
strong."
I don't answer. But to hear those words, true or not, lit up some dark part of the shame.
"It's true that we don't know anything about the dreams," mother continues, "but somebody else
who's not here suggested that they perhaps are caused by your many journeys through time."
"That my mind somehow caught up with another path, so to speak?" I ask, looking up at her again.
"It's a possible theory, isn't it?" she says, shrugging her shoulders.
"I have to agree on that."
Lizard holds up his left hand, examining it. Looking closer, I notice that he's slowly turning a little
more transparent.
"Well then, my friends," the king of Mystics says with a slightly sad smile, "it seems as if we're
considered unneeded down here now. Warrior, mind your manners."
The purple monster rolls his eyes, but when he speaks it's with another smile.
"Goodbye. It was really fun."
"Listen to him," Magician sighs, so faded that I'm able to see the cliffs behind him, "now he
thinks that it was amusing."
He shakes his head, smiling.
"My blessings, humans and... similar," he says with a wink of his eye.
"You were the one who doubted in Lizard's chances of taking care of the dragon's curses,"
Warrior points out.
Their voices are still to be heard as they turn into sparkling contours and disappear up through the
stone ceiling.
"You weren't too enthusiastic either."
"And you still owe me twenty gold pieces."
"What are you going to do with gold if you're dead?"
"Why would you want to keep any if you're dead?"
They are gone.
Lizard's scythe dissolves in his grip as he reach up to massage his forehead.
"You know, I'm the one who has to spend the eternity with those two..."
"I have noticed that you turn to Snake for help when they become too much for you," mother points
out with a laugh.
Lizard tiredly smiles and shakes his head, his gaze going over us living people.
"Fare well," he says as he looses his body more and more, "I look forward to seeing you again."
"Goodbye," I say with a small smile.
As Lizard comes to the roof, he reaches out his arms and pulls the Masamune free from the stone's
grip. The sword floats down into Frog's grateful hand. It seems as if he has made peace with his blade
once again. I guess that's a good thing.
Mother smiles carefully.
"We will meet again, therefore I don't want to say goodbye," she says and begins to ascend.
"Until we meet again, then," I say, not calling.
I know that she can hear me anyhow, no matter if I speak or merely think the words.
That's my mother, after all. Not the Queen Zeal I killed with Frog and Crono's help.
Schala waves after the disappearing ghost, a warm smile tickling her lips.
"Be well, grandmother!" Schaliya calls and waves with both her small hands.
"Take care!" mother smiles.
She's gone.
"How utterly mystifying..." Lashey mumbles, absentmindedly caressing her snake's head with a
fingertip.
Intruding, silly little...
I grit my teeth, trying to ignore her presence completely.
'I, for one, do not find it amusing,' Molor mutters with a shudder.
My only true ally in this matter, perhaps...
"Maybe it's just me who finds this place rather uncozy," Lucca says, "but I'd be really glad if you
would find in your heart to get us away from here, Janus."
"I think I can manage."
I straighten up and throw a glance at Lashey with an inner sigh. Then I put my fingertips together
and start to chant the teleportation spell.