Chrono Trigger

Behind Closed Doors; the plans of the Queen are made known to the party while Janus suffers "punishment" for his wrongdoings…

The royal prince regretted nothing. After all, great men taught him that truth should not be feared. He had also learned that the foolish and wicked often take the truth to be hard. Yes, let the kingdom defame those wise men who did nothing wrong, go on and take their honor, make them out to be less than beasts; it will not change a single thing. The men who Janus grew to love had a dreadful power over his mother that she could never shake from her. The fact that he too held this power made his vindictive heart burn with self-satisfied pleasure. He did not hold this power over his mother only, but to all those around him who feared what we all know must come: death.

He walked through the city, surrounded by members of the guard who wished they were someplace else. As he passed groups of civilians, they bowed respectfully but watched Janus with a shaky eye that wanted to look away. The hairs on the back of anyone's neck stood if those cold eyes should happen to glance in their direction, for everyone knew that this boy was a bad omen. Eventually, news of his passing went through the city and the streets were quickly thinned of the population until the procession passed. Janus could hear the window above him being slammed shut while those who were unlucky enough not to be warned of his passing were more subject to his gaze. While Janus was almost pleased to see the fearful reverence of a large crowd, a pang of sorrow touched his heart as a group of children knelt and quivered before him. He brushed this feeling away and strode forward, his princely head held aloft.

"We have very little time left. Please come this way."

The guide moved swiftly down the thinning corridors and toward the back of the library. He glanced about himself as if he feared he was being followed. Finally, they reached a room that whose only exit was the way they came. Also in the room were three tables that we all covered in books. There was a thick curtain that hung between the entrance and the hallway instead of a door. The soft murmurings of scholars could be heard through the curtain and so the guide spoke even softer than usual. "Now, I ask that you keep you keep your silence and watch your tongues. Will one of you find a book entitled 'The Endless Ocean?'?"

"Well…uh…"

"What is the problem?" The guide began impatiently. Suddenly a look of comprehension came over his face. "Ah, I remember now. They said that you would not know our script…please wait a moment. Would you please watch the entryway and make sure nobody is coming?"

"Who is 'they'?" Lucca asked. Her question was unanswered as the guide scanned the group for a willing participant.

Ayla volunteered for the job and crouched down on all fours, looking underneath the draping curtains. Meanwhile, the guide strode over the each of the three tables, pulling one member of the party and handing him or her a book that had been buried under all the others. He instructed them that they would return the books, placing them underneath as many books as possible, once he ordered them to do so. Before they could ask him to explain, he approached the center of the room and whispered a few words. "Water summons the wind, the wind makes fire dance…" He circled about and pointed to Marle who was holding one of the books. "You, open the book."

Marle furrowed her brow, "To what page?"

The guide gave her an odd look, "It doesn't matter. Just open it."

Marle did what she was told and shrieked at what she saw. As soon as she pulled the pages apart, a great spray of water rushed toward her face. She stumbled back and fell against the table. The book fell to the floor as she wiped her face only to find that it wasn't wet. She looked at the book and her person incredulously and noticed that now the book was closed and that they were both dry. "It is just an illusion?" The guide felt the great temptation to laugh, but the feeling of impatience helped to rid him of that. He urged her to open the book again, making sure to tell her and the others that whatever came from these books were illusions and would not harm them. Even so, Glenn nearly yelled as he opened a book that poured out fire, dropping his own copy.

"Alright, listen…" The guide was rubbing his face, "There is no need to worry. You, open your book first. Wind follows and that is you. As for you, my green friend, you open your book last, and please don't drop it, okay?"

"Easier said than done, since thou hast no need to hold the book." Glenn said indignantly.

The guide said nothing as they opened those same books. Suddenly, there was a slight click as if some locking mechanism had been released. To their surprise, a door suddenly appeared where there was only wall before. The guide turned to Ayla and asked if anyone stood in the adjoining hallway. Once she responded that the coast was clear he ordered the party to return their books and walked toward the door, bidding them to follow. He ushered them through the doorway, letting himself go last. He took another precautionary look toward the exit before closing the door. As soon as it was shut, the door disappeared and became an ordinary wall once more.

The convoy neared the royal palace with the stoic prince in tow. His small feet made nary a sound as he ascended the marble stairway, yet his attendants made a horrible ruckus as they forbade him to go any further. Janus eyed them with impatience as they bowed humbly as a show of repentance. "Your majesty, it is unseemly that you walk more than necessary. Please, let us send for the palanquin." They snapped their fingers without waiting for his dissenting opinion. Janus felt a sense of loathing as two ragged men approached, each on either side of a decorated sedan chair. Brand marks bearing the royal insignia rested on their hands and they looked forward as if they feared looking at their master.

"That is not necessary." Janus began, addressing the attendant, "And I am quite surprised you have the gall to make my decisions."

The attendant bowed low again, his head touching the ground, "It is only because it is ordered of the queen that you have no say in the matter."

Janus' eyes burned fiercely as he faced the attendant, "Did you just imply that I have to obey your orders?"

"NO!" The attendant half-shouted and half-pleaded with Janus. "It is the command of the queen and I shall suffer greatly if you do not comply. Please young master, board the palanquin."

Janus sighed, his shoulders drooping, "Very well. But I ask that my attendants carry me. Not the earthbound. They are weary and their bodies are weak for their wont of magic."

"That is not possible, your majesty. Your mother has ordered you to use these slaves."

"Very well…" Janus grumbled.

The guide led them through the hallway that was lit by the occasional torch. Every so often there was a descending set of stairs. Suddenly, the hallway came to an end and it had led to a dome-shaped room. A great chandelier hung overhead which illuminated the entire space so that nothing was hidden in shadows. The steady murmuring that filled the place slowly died as eyes turned to observe the new guests. Their eyes widened and they reverently bowed their heads, earning the surprise of the group.

"What is going on here?" Crono asked.

"Wait just a moment and all shall be answered," said the guide. He turned to a few men in the crowd, "Are we protected from prying ears?"

"Yes. We may speak freely. The queen's guard shall not hear us or see us."

"Good," said the guide, "then bring the prophets here so that we may answer the questions that have plagued our guests since their arrival here."

The room had several hallways that connected. Crono in his mind supposed that there were rooms down these hallways that the people occupied. He was proven right as two people strode down the hallways and out of sight. There was silence in the room until the sound of a distant knock could be heard. Soft murmuring reached their eyes and another knock came from a different direction. The people in the room backed up against the walls so that only Crono, Robo, Frog, Marle, Ayla, and Lucca stood in the center. They watched as two figures stepped forward and they were not the attendants from before. One of them, they did recognize.

"Balthazar?" Lucca stepped forward, reaching underneath her glasses to rub her eyes.

The wizened, yet mad man they had met in the desolate future stood before them. Within the drab setting of the future, his clothes stood out from among the populace. However, in this imperial land where everything was made with marble and gold, he seemed as ordinary as a humble monk. His followers, who made their station apparent by bowing reverently in his wake, were dressed far more regally than he. Another man came, and he was dressed slightly similar only they had never seen him before. There was something familiar about him and the way he stood, both of his hands resting on a cane before him.

"Yes, that is my name. However, my associates call me the Guru and Prophet of Reason. You may call my friend here the Guru of Time…he shall answer many of your questions."

Lucca scoffed, "You? A guru? Of reason?"

Crono put out a hand to silence Lucca. "Wait a moment. I never told you guys this, but after the race, old man Bal…"

"'OLD MAN?'" Balthazar interrupted. The group looked at him strangely and he cleared his throat by way of an apology.

"Anyway, Balthazar," Crono emphasized, "put me up to that race. He told me how to win but he also knew that we came from Guardia…he called it by name."

Marle's eyes went wide, "But how would he know that?"

"We have known of your coming for quite some time. It has been foretold by prophets throughout history. However, I am surprised that you knew who I was. This is the first time I have met you."

"This is…odd." Frog said calmly, scratching his head.

"Is it so confusing that there are certain faces you meet time and time again? Do you still believe it is only by chance that you are here, meeting with someone that has saved your life?"

"At least now I know that you aren't lying about not knowing us before." Crono said with a smirk. "You did anything but save my life when I last met you."

Balthazar chuckled, "I do not know the peculiars, but I do know what is to come and what may happen. I know the state of the world as it is in this time and the times to follow."

"Wait, wait" Ayla stepped forward, signaling for the room to cease conversation. "Why do you no tell us this until now? Why wait until we are here?"

"That is a good question." The man who escorted them earlier stepped forward. He smiled as his form slowly began to change before their eyes. Even the very robes which he wore changed color until they were a pure white. The skin turned from lily white to a bronze-like brown while the rounded fingertips grew into claws. The head turned color as well, the hair sinking into the scalp until it was gone. The eyes grew larger along with the pupils until most of the eye was black. The Guru of Time stretched forth his hand and said, "This is my servant, Doreen."

Marle thought for a moment, her pointed finger wagging lamely in the air as if she weren't sure was she was saying was the truth. "You were the person who saw us at the springs."

Doreen smiled, the corners of her mouth coming close to the bottom lids of her hawk-like eyes. "Close. That was my brother and a servant to Melchior…"

"Melchior? You don't mean the blacksmith?" Lucca raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, that happens to be a hobby of his, but…My, my…there is a lot you don't seem to know…Where do we even start?"

"Where else but the beginning?" chuckled Balthazar.

While the bewildered team struggled to come to grips about their circumstances there was still the matter concerning Janus. A few things can be understood if we only follow him for a short while on his way to meet with his mother. We last left him before he boarded the palanquin that made its way up the palatial steps. He was understandably cross as he dwelt on the stubbornness of the man who was meant to serve him. He was loath to use something he had no desire to use. Just as he was in the gall of his bitterness, fate saw to it that his distaste for life was intensified.

"Your majesty…"

"What do you want?"

A man came and joined his side, walking up the palatial steps alongside the prince and his palanquin. There was a slight inclination of the head, but nothing more by way of reverence or a bow. After all, there was not much call for it when it came to this man. After all, he was the right arm to the queen and the newly established prophet. Even then, the humble gesture from such a high ranking man was an accolade to a lesser man, which was where the prince happened to be on the scale. The prince should have been flattered; instead he turned away with a scoff. He could feel the sincerity coming from his addresser, yet he found something repulsive about this man who seemed to hound him and seek his approval.

There was something odd about this man. Janus did not know if it was his tone of voice, the dreadful dreariness that seemed to follow him, the mystery of his life and arrival, or the fact that the prophet had such affection for him even though hatred was all he received in return. It did not help that his eyes and face were hidden from him and that he seemed to know everything about everyone. Although he could not see his eyes, they seemed to peer into his soul and remove things he did not want to be known.

"I have come to speak to you about your dealings with the earth bound and your general attitude. It has put you in bad favor with your mother."

"You mean 'the queen'." Janus said between clenched teeth.

There was purpose in that statement and it was perceived, but the prophet said nothing of it. "I mean 'your mother'," he replied with sternness.

"If the queen wishes to send her lap dog to do the work before I even get to the throne then I say out with it. What does the great and powerful prophet have to tell me that my queen cannot?"

The prophet sighed, "I understand that you are upset for what has happened…I know that 'the three' were very important to you."

"Does your visit have a point?" Janus sneered.

The party sat on the ground at the bidding of the two gurus and Doreen. They wasted no more time and began to explain. "It had started eras ago when humanity first discovered magic. The coming of Lavos had literally darkened the world, and to his liking, caused much pain and suffering. It was a time of much sorrow, where people began to close their hearts and curse the heavens which bore them. However, God never bestows a trial that man cannot overcome. Just as humanity began to perish, they softened their hearts and the prophets had returned. Even in the cold and dark world below, trees began to spring forth and paradises were erected by the power to control the very elements which rests in us all. Just as it had happened before, prosperity had left the world due to the evils of men and returned when all had repented." The members of the party thought back to the mural they had seen before coming to Zeal and they realized that they were hearing the legends depicted on that wall.

"Yes, men are blessed, but unfortunately we are so foolish and forgetful. Perhaps it was wisdom in God that only a select few could use such power, for it called on the powerful to serve, yet the devil can also be wise for his purposes. He worked within the hearts of men to poison their minds. Slowly, they established themselves as lords over the people. They said that those who were not blessed with the knowledge to control elements were wicked and that they were cast off from God. They deemed that those who were not blessed with this power would have to earn forgiveness for their 'sins' by serving them. Prophets, who did and did not bear this power, spoke out against them. However, their hearts had already become hard and they were not moved to love their brethren. They further separated themselves and built a paradise in the heavens and began to seek out immortality."

"One of the blessings of controlling the elements is that it gives longevity to the body. Through your exertions it exercises the body internally and externally. While it is not obvious at first, you notice that you age slower than most. Through this way did they try to prolong their lives by exercising and misusing the gifts that God hath gave them. Even so, it was not enough. No matter how strong the body, all life was meant to come to this earth, to complete all things that have been given them, and return from whence they came. It did not matter how hard they trained or how powerful they became; within years their hair grew white and their bodies turned frail. However, one day a member of the royal family had a vision of what became known as the sun god…But we knew better…"

"Lavos…" Doreen added in, her head hanging low.

Crono thought back to the mural and finally understood the meaning of the final depiction. Throughout many cultures night had been the symbol of death. It made sense then that the sun stood for eternal life and youth. The final depiction was a preface to what their true aim was: immortality. Another thing that struck clear in Crono's mind was the depiction of the sun and the moon. Anyone who turned away from the sun withered in died, and that spoke volumes of how this place viewed those who were repulsed by Lavos. Finally, it all came together and he voiced it out loud for those who listened in: "So, that means that those people I saw working in the streets were slaves who cannot use magic or have fought against the advent of Lavos!"

"Yes." The guru of time said with a nod, "the people of this kingdom who use magic must acknowledge them as 'earth bounders' to deem them inferior. If not, they are seen as sympathizers and are immediately apprehended."

"But how can they know? How can they watch everyone?"

"That is what I want to know." Ayla said with a smile, seeing that her question was finally about to be answered.

"You may have noticed that there is a great variation of skills the people have here. While you are lucky enough to be able to control the very elements, or the most basic and complete parts of it," (Crono noted she emphasized "basic" as a means of explaining why the guard at the warp point named their powers such) "most people have limited but useful talents. Some can sense words spoken from distances away and can focus on their location, others can feel animosity, and some can even read minds. The queen has taken these people and keeps an iron grip on the population. Any who speak overly threatening words about the kingdom or condemn her lust for power are taken away and imprisoned. However, there are those here who have the ability to refute prying ears and minds and they are the reason why we may speak freely. That includes myself and these people." Doreen motioned to several people who stood in a circle.

"So, you snuck into the city and have been spying on the Queen and their operations?" Marle asked.

"That is not the way it has been, unfortunately." Balthazar began, "We were servants to the royal family who had been chosen by the late king. We served him diligently, even though we felt a stirring darkness within our breasts. We worked laboriously to bring about a way to harvest the energy of Lavos feeling that we worked toward the betterment of mankind, yet that dark feeling followed us. One day the young prince, who had been said to lack magical powers, miraculously prophesied; he cast us and his parents to their knees as he showed us power that we could never comprehend in this life. Although the memory was gone from him, he spoke many incredible things and he bent the very elements. To his eternal shame, he prophesied of the king's death and to our own. He spoke of our sins as if the voice of Almighty God spoke through him and told us what it meant in the hereafter. We softened our hearts immediately, but the king did not."

"And then, according the prince's words…the king passed away suddenly…and thus began the Queen's dissent into madness."

The cloaked prophet held his peace as he looked at Janus. "I know what the three gurus said to you so many times, but it is something that you must forget."

"Why should it matter to you?" Janus frowned.

"I know because…" The prophet paused for a moment which was very unusual, "…because I had a vision. Great sorrow will befall you if you continue to support those men."

"Those men are my only friends and they stood beside me when all others left."

"You know that is not true." The prophet said. Janus thought of his sister and realized that the prophet had a point. "Think of Schala," the prophet almost begged.

"I am." Janus said, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "For years now she has persuaded my mother to listen to the gurus. It is my mother who is not thinking, and I suggest you stop telling me what I should do. Also, those gurus knew things that nobody else knew. So, if they say that I am the guru of death, a person deemed to be a prophet, then that is what I am."

"It is your own stubbornness that leaves you lonely and despondent. It is your refusal to take upon your mantle as a future heir that prevents you from appreciating what you have before you. That is the reason why you spend all your time either spouting off your nonsense or with Schala or that damned cat of yours!"

This had been the first time that the prophet ever raised his voice to anyone, and he recoiled and said nothing more personally about Janus as a result. Nothing was said as the palanquin bearers grunted through the burden with the prophet watching them. The prophet began slowly, "You must understand…you are a prince. These lives are yours to command. This is your life. This is your responsibility. This is owed to you. You deserve this kingdom and you deserve to rule. It is in your blood. You are destined to take the throne. You are destined to hold this power…not to stoop down and work as some lowly missionary. Yes, the gurus were right when you said that you had great power, but they are foolish for telling you to squander it. You can still be a good man as a king…Do not do anything to jeopardize your chances at taking the throne…I had said the same thing to Schala many times, and for both of your sakes," the prophet breathed in deeply, "and for mine, I hope you listen."

The prophet walked ahead of the palanquin and ascended the stairs. He was stopped by Janus calling after him.

"There is more to life than power, you know. The gurus had told me that many times as well as Schala…"

The prophet turned around and said morosely, "Then I promise that you will see what little joy sacrifices and selflessness bring soon enough."

"Do you presume to threaten me?" Janus asked, his eyes growing wide in fear despite the fierce tone he took.

"No," the prophet said with a slow shaking of his head and a great softening of his voice, "I just care for your safety, even more than you know. For these many months I have been seeking a way for your favor…a way for you to trust me. I only wish you knew the sincerity of my words."

"You are a devil, and devils are not to be trusted."

The prophet froze in place as he watched the palanquin bearers ascend the steps. The little prince did not look, but he could feel those piercing eyes staring at his back. The prophet finally turned away, his hands hanging loosely at his side and his head hanging low.

"The Queen and King, although misguided in their goals, loved their children. While both lived they experienced much joy within their home. Although we felt we were doing the devil's work, we felt joy as well and purposely justified those feelings of joy for what goal we were trying to accomplish. The love had vanished within the home the moment Janus prophesied to us and the kingdom faced a great and tumultuous time. We began to prophesy to the people about what we had heard but the king ordered us to silence and we did not listen. One day, the king ignored the laws of the land and captured us. The kingdom was in an uproar for many people believed our words and the king believed that our death would be the only way to silence and end the debate. However, days before the execution, the king was taken for violently ill. The queen released us and brought us to his bedside, begging us to remove the illness from him. We could not, for we had not the authority. He passed away, and since that day the queen had gone mad."

"What did she do?" Robo asked, leaning forward.

"She grew distant and weary of us. She feared what consequences would befall her should she harm us. She took upon people who rallied against our words and put them in charge of governing Zeal. We were quickly silenced and most of Zeal had returned to their wicked ways. Only the few who had truly repented left Zeal and headed for the earthbound villages to aid them. As for Janus, the queen feared him more than us. In these times we were his only friends, but the final piece the queen needed arrived…a false prophet."

"A false prophet?"

"Yes. The people still feared us and dared not revile us. But then a man came and his 'divinations' came true. I know that it must sound strange to bill him as false and say that his divinations came true, but there is something strange about him. Something insincere. He earned the faith of the people and of the queen. He encouraged her to cast us out, the only people who fought against using the power of Lavos. With us gone for these months, they had worked hard and developed a way to channel the very energy of the great beast. With the death of her husband, her obsession of conquering death has enveloped her insomuch that she is possessed by the idea. The Mammon machine is the result of her earthly desires."

"The Mammon machine?" Lucca asked. She started paying closer attention, sensing that something about this concerned her.

Doreen laughed, speaking with the haughtiness and condescension toward man that all spirits seemed to share, "The name means 'the riches of the world'. What a perfect name for something that appeals to the base desires of man."

"The Mammon machine is a device that is said to conduct the very essence of Lavos and it can be used for many purposes. It has been in use these many months, and it powers the many facilities and now keeps this island afloat. At one point, it was knowledge of harvesting endless energy that was given to us by divinations which powered our land, but it does not grant eternal life. It is not perfect, but it has given people the illusion that they are young, yet they still suffer. They had even forsaken their gifts and now rely on the power of Lavos to fuel their powers."

The guru of time stepped in and said, "'Give a man a fish and he shall eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he shall eat everyday for the rest of his life.' That is the philosophy behind any knowledge we obtain. It is good for man to struggle, to continue to hone their skills and improve upon them. You know as surely as anyone else that it is exhausting to use your powers. The power of Lavos makes them weak yet through his power they feel stronger than ever."

Lucca felt a very dark feeling grow within her. Crono noticed and lightly touched her shoulder, asking her what had happened with his countenance. It did little to cheer her, but she patted his hand lightly in a sign of thanks and said nothing. To Lucca and Crono's embarrassment, they saw that everyone else noticed as well. The gurus stopped talking and Marle pretended to have not seen anything as she twiddled fidgeted on the ground. Crono quickly found something to say, and it was something he wanted to know. "Knowing what we do, why have you sought us out? What is it that you want us to do?"

The prophets hung their heads low and with hesitancy they said, "To restore peace and righteousness, you must assassinate the Queen."

"You cannot do such a thing!"

Everyone jolted their eyes to the back of the room from whence the sound came.

The magnificence of the palace was almost surreal. The many fountains and marble walkways gave a feeling of peace and comfort despite the underlying feelings of fear and animosity that prevailed here. Birds fluttered and filled the courtyard while scholars and elemental spirits alike moved swiftly to where they were needed. However, all movement stopped as the palanquin bearing the royal prince moved through. A feeling of anxiety filled the temple-like palace, for they had heard the moment it happened. The Queen was displeased and Janus was to answer for it.

The palanquin moved forward and up a grand stairway where attendants bowed in reverence. Finally, the bearers were stopped and ordered to kneel until they were needed. They hung their heads, showing shame, for they were not allowed within the antechamber of the Queen, being lowly in status and worth. Instead, the attendants took the young prince and carried him through the chamber and placed him before the grand doorway that led to the throne room.

Janus breathed in deeply and nodded, signifying to the sentries to open the gate.

He could hear a discussion carrying on quietly. The tones were that of approval and Janus noted with disdain that it had to do with something known as the Ocean Palace. To be seen, all Janus' mother would have to do was to look up from her conversation and note her son's appearance. She did not do such a thing, and to Janus it was purposely full of condescension. He began the stroll toward the throne which was two stone throws away for an ordinary child. He could see the backs of several advisors who wore pointed hats and ankle-length robes. However, there was one different in appearance. A lone black strap circled the rear of his head and it rested over his long brown locks that curled at the ends. At the appearance of him he seemed full of charm and culture, but to prove otherwise you would only have to listen to him speak…

"Dalton, how much longer will it take to complete the palace?"

"Oi, ya really don't need tah be so worried about that, your 'ighness. Anothah month or two and we'll we sippin' our tea with Lavos whenever we damn feel like it!"

The Queen half-smiled and frowned. "That is good news…but it still hurts my ears to hear you say it."

"Ah, be kind to me gov'. Ya know that us machinery types speak our own way an'…" Dalton grew quiet as he noticed the Queen's eyes fall behind him, or even worse, at him. He felt a chill as he saw them narrow. Dalton turned around and saw Janus approach and kneel before his mother. A smile graced Dalton's face as he realized he was not on a receiving end of some punishment and Janus sneered to the ground to hide his expression. "Hey, it's this li'l bugger that is in a spot of trouble, innit? Who'd you curse this time, li'l man?"

"Dalton!" The Queen suddenly barked. Dalton jolted and pretended that he was not frightened by straightening his robes. He understood the gist of the mood and turned to leave.

Dalton spun about and began to walk and noticed that nobody was following him. He gave the advisors an order by way of a loose whistle and they followed after him, leaving only the Queen and the Prince in the same room alone. The door closed behind them and the room was silent. Janus still sneered at the floor and the Queen watched him expectantly. Finally, Janus was able to still the expression on his face and he rose. "You have sent for me, your majesty?"

"You know that I have commanded that any prophesy you make is forbidden."

Something was different. She was usually more fearful and subtle about making her points. The progress they had begun making must have strengthened her resolve. Janus nodded, "I know this, but I have explained it many times: it is something beyond my control."

"How am I to believe that when I hear you use it to inspire fear in those you dislike? I heard that the very inhabitants of my kingdom are fearful of you because you advertise you damnable 'gift' too freely."

"Do you prefer them to be fearful of you?" The royal prince rejoined, a subtle nod of his head accompanying his remark.

"Prophesy and criticize all you want. The day that we shall achieve our goal has been drawing nearer and nearer for eras. You will see then that it is only your unnatural gift that has kept you alive all this time."

"Is that a threat, 'mother'?" Janus' voice dripped with sarcasm.

"No. It is a promise. Now be gone. I tire of your juvenility."

Janus turned to leave and the Queen, who sat with her back stiff and rigid, let it fall against the back of her throne. A hand massaged her eyes and she felt a sadness and anger that she did not understand. She even felt an urge to call after Janus and for what she did not know. However, the feelings were quickly drained from her and she somehow felt invigorated and unaffected by what had taken place. The retreating form of her angry son meant nothing now and she began to think about Lavos and how much faster the completion of the palace would be if she doubled the work force.

Her red irises gleamed, almost glowed even, in the soft light of the throne room.

A beautiful woman stood at the entrance of the underground lair. Her hair was like silver and it came to the small of her back. Her wrists were thin and delicate and she showed them often with her gestures. A simple robe covered tighter fitting garments, but they were mostly covered by the robe. Her eyes were very becoming of a compassionate woman; the pupils were large and they stared at the group intently as if they were begging. She leaned forward, almost guilt-stricken by her intrusion, but compelled to speak.

"Schala…I am sorry. You were not meant to hear these words." Everyone in the room, except for our familiar group, lowered their heads and were nervous of meeting her gaze.

"But you cannot! She can change! I know she can!"

"The scriptures say that it is better that one die than a whole nation perish in ignorance and disbelief. To let her live is to condemn these people to death."

Schala looked despondent as she searched for something to say, "Please, at least answer me this: has it been commanded of God that you take her life?"

A peculiar sensation filled the group at this point. They looked at this woman who clasped her hands together. There was a sort of conviction in her voice and they knew that if they answered affirmatively she would stay true to the plan. They looked toward the gurus who looked at her and shook their heads slowly. Schala smiled, her eyes growing wide. "Do you not see? Taking her life would only put her sins upon yourselves, and how much worse will it be that you have tried to convince these people to do your deeds and dirty their hands? Do you presume that your hands will be clean only because they had done the deed for you?"

"Of course not!" Balthazar seethed, quickly gaining control of himself, "It is just that our time is beginning to wane. Every day it is getting harder to conceal our location, more of our followers have been put to death, and we have not received any revelation since Melchior had been taken away."

"Then the answer is simple: we must save Melchior. I have discovered that he is being held captive at Mount Woe."

"The enchanted mountain?" The guru of time added with widened eyes. "That is possible, but we are trapped within the city and cannot leave. Also, the people are on alert for Melchior and we would never be able to sneak him in here…"

"Then we keep talking to my mother," Schala said determinedly, "there is no other choice."

"Your resolve is admirable, Schala, but we cannot risk waiting for your mother to change her mind. Every day the power of Lavos is further enveloping these people and they are beginning to hunger for his energy. The longer we wait the less likely your mother will change. She has lost herself, Schala. You must accept that."

Schala looked at him sadly, and said, "Wasn't it you who told me that no man is beyond redemption?"

Balthazar bit his lip, "Then there is only one other choice…but it is very dangerous. We must destroy the Mammon machine."

"But why do that?" Lucca asked.

"The land feeds off of Lavos' influence through the Mammon machine. They allow themselves to submit to his control, just as you had experienced the night before. Undoubtedly, you had those nightmares, yes? It is the same with every aspect of life here as it is with the dream: a great fear grips you. The fear continues and grows worse as you resist, but you slowly start to give in to his power. You curse your fear of this new power you receive and it literally becomes a part of you. Once you accept it, it is very hard to break."

Doreen added with a shiver, "It is possession…a soul controlling another soul…The people believed for a time that Lavos has delivered them from their nightmares when it was him who terrified their minds in the first place."

"So, if we destroy this machine," Crono began, "people will begin to break free of Lavos' possession?"

"And we could halt the work on the Ocean Palace long enough to save Melchior and inquire into our next step should Schala fail to change the heart of the Queen. Also, we could move with less restriction as the people who spy on us can only do so with the power of Lavos aiding them."

"It is a perfect plan. There is no need to end my mother yet. Please, give her a chance, I beg of you." Schala gave an imploring look which caused the gurus to groan underneath their breath.

"We must make the necessary preparations. It will take a night to put our people into action..." Balthazar leaned into toward Crono and his other visitors and said, "No doubt you were robbed of rest last night. Here you are protected from the influence of Lavos. You may sleep peacefully and you may inquire to our men here all you like about the situation in Zeal Kingdom and into the relationships of the royal family. I hope you find rest, but please prepare as well as you can. Should anything go wrong tomorrow, what you know about may help you blend in and escape."

With that, Balthazar left the group alone and the meeting had adjourned.

Author's Note: It's about time for an update, huh? Well, there are a couple of things I need your help on. First off, my new image of Zeal may seem incomplete, but I had dreamed up quite the fascist state and I really want speed up to get to the good stuff. That is why I didn't explain everything. It would be very long and difficult to explain everything through the gurus. I figured that maybe there were some things that you guys wanted to know about Zeal, the relationship between Janus and the gurus, and about the royal family. That is why I had Balthazar offer that final piece of advice. The next chapter is going to clear up any uncertainties about the whole affair if I hadn't explained it as well as I hoped. If there are things about Zeal that you are curious about and that you want addressed in the story, please write it in your review if you feel so inclined. (Or even my email if you like). If there are no questions, I'll think of something interesting to talk about. :) The second thing is that it is getting down to the final stretch of the story where relationships are going to be tested. It's a while to the finish line, but I want any changes in romantic direction to be flowing and it is hard to do that if I find out that everyone wants so-and-so to get together with so-and-so at the very end and I have to do one of those "hey-you-know-what-I-think-I-totally-love-this-person-instead-of-you" moments. It kind of butchers the story into an unrecognizable mass, not to mention it would be a bit unceremonious. So, I put up a poll on my profile with choices for who ends up with Crono. (Marle, Lucca, Ayla...Yeah, I bet you are wondering how I can make the last one work, aren't you. XD). If you want to see any other options, feel free to email me.

As always, you all rock. Thank you for reading.