The Gift of Song

by Aylakat

Magus is evil now, but he once had his days. He might be evil to us, but what's to say that he wasn't once good to his followers? A good culture loves a good musical icon, no?

2. Parts 2 and 3 (my, isn't that original)

The Gift of Song, Parts 2 and 3

By The Storyteller (Aylakat)

It was early morning. Glenn was awake promptly with the sun, strolling through the castle as he hunted for his breakfast. He kept thinking about the guitar, its pretty red color, the way Magus held it… he was intrigued. What did it sound like when it was hooked up to those machines? Squeezing through the hallway that was half taken up by Spekkio's large Nu bulk, he made his way into the illuminated kitchen. He spotted the Media Crystal, sitting quietly on the kitchen table. It had been moved. He took the large round crystal and examined it. Finding a little black switch on the bottom, he turned it on.

"Huh huh-huh"
"Heh-heh Metallica rules! It rules!"
"Shut up, buttmunch!"

Glenn watched the crystal as two odd looking animated characters laughed endlessly.

"How stupid!"

Then they played a solid guitar theme, as the two faces looked at each other from the side, laughing. The theme didn't sound normal though. It sounded… enhanced.

"Is this what the guitar sounds like with those machines hooked up?"

Glenn looked around for an answer, and then realized nobody was there, except for the sleeping Spekkio.

"THAT'S IT!"

He walked over to Spekkio and stomped on his Nu foot. Spekkio didn't move.

"WAKE UP!"

He bonked him in the head. Nothing still. Then he remembered a little trick from the Zeal kingdom… he found the Nu's scratch spot on its back and scratched it furiously.

"AH! AH! Oooh… What! What! Why'd you have to wake me?"
"Because you're annoying."
"Fine. I'll move."
"No, just stay awake."
"No! Nus have a natural affinity for sleep. They, or we, need more sleep than any other creature in existence."
"Spekkio, I think I need your help. I need to put on a concert, to get an old band back together."
"Who? Why?"
"Magus's band. I want to hear what they sound like."
"Since when do you know about the band? That's classified information! Nobody knows about that but the Mystics."
"I heard from the front man. He told me about it last night. I can't say I believe him..."
"Your best friend had to die in a war over song. Wonderful, the truth is out now. And yes, humans forced Mystics into hiding hundreds of years ago. Wonderful unknown history your people have..."
"Really?"
"Yes. Now... what do you want me to do?"
"I want you to go and warm him up to the idea... he won't listen to me, he hates me."
"Like that is a surprise... well, I'll have to see, Magus isn't the warm friendly type, and he certainly isn't impressionable at this stage of his life..."
"Yes! A stage! We need a stage..."

Glenn sat and thought to himself in silence, until he heard a sudden roar from behind him. The loud sound was frightening at first, but it died away slowly. Glenn tried to follow the noise but he was too late, the sound was gone.

"That was weird..."

A sudden knock came at the front door. Glenn, still wearing only what he wore the night before, was unsure of whether to answer it.

"I ain't getting it, Glenn. Whoever is there will run away at the sight of my big red bum, that's for sure..."
"Oh! Fine! I'll get it. Sure, just have me freeze from the ice-cold weather since I have no shirt on. Fine..."
"Its summer. Get the door."
"Yah... sure..."

Glenn walked toward the front door and opened it carefully. Peeking outward, he noticed a face of equal height to his peek inward.

"Glenn?"
"Lucca?"
"Let us in, man!"
"Fine..."

Glenn opened the door, revealing Lucca, Marle, and Crono.

"Well well well, Glenn... not wearing much are we...?" said a smiling Marle, who stared at his formed chest.
"What are you doing at Magus's place?" asked Lucca.

Crono started to giggle.

"Not a word out of you, little punk man!"

Crono made a look, as if to say "as usual."

"Yeah, Glenn, what are you doing here, with no clothes on?"
"I convinced Magus to let me stay here since I can't live in the Haunted Woods anymore."
"How'd you go about and do that?"
"Well, you find a man's weak point, you take control of the man... he has an affinity for booze, which is much to my advantage."

The loud sound boomed again, louder, and it startled everyone. The sound vibrated through the walls and floors, and could be felt under Glenn's socked feet. This time, the sounds continued, each time a different note, each equally as loud. It sounded as if it were... music!

"What the hell is that?" asked Marle.
"Well, if it's what I think it is, I wasn't expecting it..." replied Glenn, smiling.

Lucca made her way past Glenn quickly, to find the source of the sound. Crono was about to speak, but Glenn saw this...

"I said not a word!"

He shrugged. Lucca followed the sound carefully, making her way in and out through rooms in a stupor, until she made her way upstairs... she then heard a voice, a sweet soft voice, singing along with the notes...

"MAGUS!"
"Mama.... oooooooooooh... I don't wanna die... sometimes I wish I'd never been born at all.."

His eyes were closed softly, as if he were almost feeling the words he said.

"Carry on.... carry on.... nothing really matters......."
"Wowie! Since when did you sing so nicely?"
"Hmm... a long time ago..."
"What? You're not going to snap at me? Wow... that guitar must be some kind of drug..."

Magus opened his eyes and gazed at Lucca.

"It's like nothing you've ever felt before."

Lucca watched as he held the guitar carefully in his lap. It was enhanced indeed, hooked up to what looked like an amplifier, plugged up to an electric generator.

"Where'd you get this equipment?"
"We've had it for years. It's a mystic secret."
"No kidding. Stuff like this was just invented in our time! I used an amplifier like that on BeBo!"
"Hmm... BeBo... I remember what it sung... I didn't like it. It needed more to it."
"Wow... this is like natural to you, isn't it. I find that amazing."
"Why, because I'm so evil?"
"You have more sides to you than you let on..." said Lucca, remembering what Glenn had told them about Magus's... transformation... "...and it seems you have a talent that should have surfaced ages ago. What was the name of the song you were singing?"
"It's called the Bohemian Rhapsody, by this group called Queen."
"Not by you? You didn't write it?"
"I'm not much of a songwriter, I just play what I hear on the Media Crystal."
"No kidding..." said Lucca, who became less excited at the discovery of Magus when she heard he didn't write his own songs.

Glenn, Crono, and Marle approached from the rear. Marle's jaw dropped when she saw Magus, guitar in hand.

"Since when was this going on? You? Rock star?"
"Twelve years ago."
"Damn! Play something! Play it!"

Magus sighed softly, and began to play the guitar roughly, a different song as before. Glenn listened intently, recognizing each note.

"That's that theme from that show!" yelped Glenn
"Beavis and Butthead?" replied Magus.
"The one with those two people laughing a whole lot! The one with that blond kid that pulls his shirt over his head and yells that he's Cornholio!"
"Beavis and Butthead." Magus said, as softly as last time.
"The one where they sit on the couch and eat nachos and watch this little box that has people inside playing guitars like that one!"
"BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD!" Marle and Lucca screamed in unison.
"Jesus, Glenn? What happened to your knightly attitude? You were so polite, and so... adult!" scolded Marle, annoyed.
"It went with the figure..."

Glenn smiled meekly. Magus started to play the song again.

"That sounds so cool!" said Marle.
"Thank you." replied Magus, soft voiced once again.
"Oh dear God, Lucca, hell has frozen over... Magus said something polite!" giggled Marle.

Magus sighed and brought the guitar to his chest, holding it like a child.

"Oh my red guitar... the sweet sound you sing to me... melts my soul away..."
"POETRY! He just did a haiku!" yelped Marle, her eyes bugging out wild.
"Wow... such inspired work..." sighed Lucca, softly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spekkio, who heard all the commotion from the lower floor, decided that if Glenn wanted a reunion tour, it couldn't all be done by Magus. The original team had its drummer, Ozzie, its base guitarist, Slash, and its backup guitarist, pianist, and vocalist, Flea. Spekkio took it upon himself to travel to Ozzie's Fort, a place he was relatively fond of. After watching the three of them bicker with each other constantly, Spekkio realized that if he was ever downtrodden all he needed was to watch a few minutes of them in battle, and he'd be laughing again...

"Well well well... the legendary "Master of War..." said Flea, giggling.
"I prefer to be called the God of War, now..."
"Sorry dude, you don't look much like Aries. You look more like... an Omnicrone!"
"Well, that's your fault."
"What?"
"Listen, Flea, put it this way. I know about the whole band deal."
"What band deal?"
"The band you guys had! The Tone-Deaf Evil Fiends!"
"How did you know about that?" asked Slash, who approached from behind.
"I lived in the cornerstone of creation, man! The End of Time!"
"The End of Time... what a riot!"
"Shut up Slash, this man knows what he's talking about." sneered Ozzie, who approached Spekkio from the side opposite of Slash.
"So come on, guys, are you in?"
"I'm not! I don't remember any of this!" yelped Flea.
"You don't remember much from back then, for a lot of reasons. Those days were glorious, though... me... you... Ozz in the back, Magus in the front... those were the days..."
"The days of Janus Lightning..." added Ozzie, sighing. "Janus Lightning, Magus's stage name... say, what did they do to ya, Flea? Did they give you a lobotomy along with that boob job?"
"It was a breast augmentation, and no, no brain surgery! I just don't remember anything about a band..."

Spekkio sighed.

"How can you not remember, Flea? Remember that one show, when you dove off the stage and the crowd carried you around? And they banged your head on the speakers and opened up your skull?" said Slash.
"No."
"Slash, that's why he doesn't remember! His head got busted!" yelled Ozzie, remembering the day. "Go get him one of the old guitars. Maybe he'll remember it all then!"
"I'm getting his guitar. He ain't touching mine!"

Slash ran off to go find the hidden stash of musical equipment. It was in a very secret place, hidden very near the hiding place of the Doomsickle, but not near the Gloom Helm. It was south of the hidden Magic Tab, and to the left of the Infinite Improbability Drive, which was the energy source for the entire fort. It was a secret place indeed.

"Well, mister Spekkio, if we're to get back together, we have a problem. Flea's strong point was that he used to go on stage wearing nothing but his underwear! That would be illegal now..."
"I may have a nice bust but it doesn't make me any less of a man!"
"I didn't say that, Flea. I just said you can't go onstage in underwear anymore."
"Why not?"
"Because its indecent!"
"Since when were we ever decent?"
"Since Magus beat the crap out of us right here in this fort..."

Spekkio listened to this and started to giggle. Their conversations were always hilarious!

"What are you laughing at!"
"Yeah! That's not funny!"
"Yes it is." Spekkio said, still giggling.

Slash came back with a guitar of the like that shocked Spekkio. It was long, and pink. The base of it was a giant heart, pink. It was simple, but not very… masculine.

"This is it. Try it out, Flea."

Flea took the guitar carefully in his hand and held it perfectly in position… the feeling of the instrument overwhelmed him, and he started to play… his eyes shut and he went into a trance like state. He started to play a theme… a sad theme…

"I think that's One, by Metallica. And he's playing it with his bare fingers." said Slash.
"Okay Flea, are you in?" asked Ozzie

Flea kept going on.

"Flea! Are you in or what?" asked Ozzie, angered.

Flea kept on, the sounds getting eventually faster… but they were barely recognizable due to the lack of amplification… it went faster and faster… then bang! Flea started to play the fastest and roughest part furiously…

"Flea! Wake up!"

Slash lost his cool, walked over to Flea, and snatched the guitar from his hands.

"Ooh…" said Flea, as if waking from hypnosis. "What the hell was that?"
"That was you playing like the wind, Flea, too bad it wasn't hooked up!" said Ozzie laughing.
"I'm still a little squeamish about this band idea…"
"He's in, mister Spekkio." said Ozzie, smiling.
"Well then, we have work to do…"

_____Part_____3_______________________________

"You three…"
"Eh… hello Magus… how have you been?" said Ozzie, weakly.
"Fine."

Ozzie shuddered. Magus stood tall and angry, his face as cold as ice. The word seemed to boom loudly and reverberate throughout the halls of the Poyozo Palace.

"So… I suppose we all should be practicing now…"
"What makes you think I like this reunion idea?"
"Well… I mean mister Spekkio…"
"Since when was Spekkio here?" asked Marle, who stood behind Magus, along with Lucca, Glenn, and Crono.
"Umm… well… Spekkio said we should get back together…"
"Since when does Spekkio know what he's talking about?" said Magus, like a wise-ass.
"Since I'm the God of War!"
"You're not the God of War. You're the Master of War." said Magus once again.
"I've been promoted to God of War."

Slash sighed angrily.

"Back to the point here? Please? Magus, we got the equipment, we've spread the word, all we need is good old Janus Lightning back on stage…"
"JANUS LIGHTNING?" said Marle, roaring with laughter. "His name was Janus Lightning? How cheap is that?"

Magus snarled at her.

"EEE… fine then. Janus Lightning… he he he…"
"Okay, Slash, Flea, Ozzie… I'll do it. But only the original songs! None of this new stuff I've been watching on the Media Crystal. None of this Marilyn Manson, Hanson, or any of that crap! Just the good stuff. The old stuff."
"Fine with us, Magus. We can't play any of this new stuff anyway, and that stuff scares me…"
"What, Marilyn Manson?"
"No, Hanson… I swear, those kids are demons!"

* * *

It took a few weeks of work and a lot of trips with the Epoch. Lucca was in charge of designing the equipment and the stage, a daunting task. Crono and Glenn were in charge of building it. The Epoch became the transportation for all materials needed for all tasks, not to mention the rides home Crono, Marle, and Lucca needed to keep their parents worry free. They set it up near the palace, covered by hundreds of Omnicrones acting as bodyguards. Spekkio became the band manager, and oversaw the practices that occurred between the four of them, Ozzie, Flea, Slash, and now, J.L., as Magus preferred to be called. He also did most of the advertising, making sure word was out but only to the younger crowd, staying careful in case anyone from Guardia Castle heard about it. During breaks, Lucca and Marle (who made sure the Media Crystal stayed safe at all times) would go to see them play.

"They're weak, Marle. Really weak. There's no fire in them."
"I know. Magus just stands there. He's supposed to be the lead! Put on a performance, Magus!"

He flipped her the finger and went back to playing Nirvana.

"How rude!"
"What do you expect, Marle? He may be named J.L. now, but he's still Magus… gay or no…"

Magus stopped playing immediately.

"I'm not gay! I am not gay!"
"Oh come on… just come out of the closet, Magus, be a man!"
"I am not gay! Flea is gay! I'm not gay!"
"Gay? You calling me gay? You fag!"

Lucca started laughing.

"Fag fight!"
"Shut up Lucca!" yelled Magus, in rage.
"Oh, shove it, you big sissy!"
"What, you're calling me a sissy now? Eh? You little tramp."
"You're calling me a tramp now? Hello, I designed your equipment. You should worship the ground I walk on!"
"Worship this, bitch!"
"No. You did not just call me that. You did not just call me that!"
"Well I did. Now get your little ass out of my castle!"
"Fine!"

Lucca took Marle's hand and left.

"Wow, Lucca, you really got him pissed off…"
"See? Now that's fire for ya. If he can just do that behind a microphone, he's set for life."

* * *

Concert night came. Word had been spread throughout the Mystic community, as well as in Choras. The word was spread quietly among the teenagers…

"Yo! J.L.! Get your little prepped ass out here!"
"Shove it, Lucca!"
"Oh shove this! Get your guitar and get your butt out there! What are you wearing? Nice, baggy jeans and a white shirt. You look like crap! You play like crap, too!"
"Play like crap? You say I play like crap? I'll show you crap, bitch!"

Magus stormed on stage. Hundreds of mystics had gathered, among drunken teenagers who were anxious to see what the hype was all about, and whether or not it was worth sneaking out of their homes in the middle of the night.

"Wake up you little assholes! You! Get that pipe out of your mouth… you're here to listen to me, not to get stoned on the funny stuff!"

Hundreds of boos came from the crowd.

"Oh man, Marle, he's screwed…"
"Come on! Let's go around front. We can't see anything from backstage!"

Lucca and Marle ran around front, pushing their way through crowds of mystics and kids. They stood just below Magus, who yelled into the microphone.

"Shut up! Shut your mouths and listen to this!"

He positioned his guitar pick between his fingers and ran it roughly down the strings, creating a very loud amplified guitar sound.

"You like that?"

He started to play a simple theme, a small warm up for the crowd. The cheers started to return with each note.

"Okay asses, we're starting with one of my favorites, and I don't care what you think about it because I happen to like it!"

He signaled the other three band members, who started to play one of the songs practiced, One by Metallica. His fingers plucked the strings carefully, playing each note carefully and loudly, so he could be heard above Flea's second guitar part, and Slash's bass. The slow, somewhat mellow notes rung out through the crowd. The vocals started off somewhat soft, but where said strongly when needed…

"I can't remember anything…
Can't tell if this is true or dream…
Deep down inside I feel to scream
This terrible silence stops me…"

"He's got a terrific voice! Lucca, listen to his voice!"
"I know! Wow!"

"Now that the war is through with me…
I'm waking up, I cannot see…
That there's not much left of me…
Nothing is real but pain now…

Hold my breath as I wish for death…
Oh please God, Wake me!"

"Look at him, Lucca… he's playing pretty harsh… and sweating like crazy!"
"He has the most beautiful voice…"

"Back in the womb it's much too real…
In pumps life that I must feel…
But can't look forward to reveal…
Look to the time when I'll live…

Fed through the tube that sticks in me…
Just like a wartime novelty…
Tied to machines that make me be…
Cut this life off from me…

Hold my breath as I wish for death…
Oh please God, Wake me!"

Magus started bobbing his head softly to the tune of the music, his sweaty hair flying all over, some sticking to his head, others giving off sprays that landed in the audience… he stopped and held the microphone tightly with both of his hands…

"Now the world is gone I'm just one…
Oh God, Help me… Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please God, Help me!!!"

Magus stopped playing. The song changed. He let his guitar hang at his side while he took his shirt by the collar and ripped it off, revealing his muscular chest and abs.

"Lucca! He's shirtless! I've never seen this before!"

Lucca was in a trance, staring at Magus as he began to sing again… harder, angrier…

"DARKNESS!
IMPRISONING ME
ALL THAT I SEE
ABSOLUTE HORROR
I CANNOT LIVE
I CANNOT DIE
TRAPPED IN MYSELF
BODY MY HOLDING CELL…"

He watched Lucca's gaze as he took the microphone in his hand and walked to her, kneeling before her… He grinned at her, as she slowly lifted her arms… he played with her, moving closer to her face… she could feel his breath on her face as her arms reached to grab him… and he yelled at her.

"LANDMINE!
HAS TAKEN MY SIGHT
TAKEN MY SPEECH
TAKEN MY HEARING
TAKEN MY ARMS
TAKEN MY LEGS
TAKEN MY SOUL
LEFT ME WITH LIFE IN HEEEEEEEELLL!!!!!!"

Lucca gasped in surprise as Magus screamed these words at her, grinning angrily… she stared into his dark eyes as he sung. He took the microphone away from his lips…

"You like that? Hmm?"

He then stood and grabbed his guitar again, and turned and walked back toward the drums…

"He's got broad shoulders and a nice back… and ooh! Lower…"

Lucca couldn't hear Marle's ravings about Magus's body, as she was still entranced, her arms still hanging in the air.

All eyes went to Flea when a sudden burst of high pitched guitar notes screamed from his location, at speeds unfathomable… and then it was Ozzie's drumming banging harshly… and then Slash's base rung forth with a deep angry sound. And half a minute after that, the song was over.

"Lucca! Lucca! Wake up!"
"Uhh… ohh… where… him…"
"Man, you were out of it! You were trying to grab him!"

Magus turned and faced the crowd again, putting his guitar at his side.

"DAMN! Look at his abs! Look at his abs!!!"
"I see it… I see it…"
"Ouch baby… ooh!"

Marle laughed loudly along with the cheering crowd, aching for more.

Magus played several songs that night, each one sung with more and more soul. He went on into songs like Sweet Child O' Mine from Guns N' Roses, Crazy Train from Ozzie Osborn (that Ozzie was hesitant to do ever since he met the song's creator...), Soundgarden's Spoon Man, and more, like songs from Queen and Kiss. He ended off the concert with the darkest version of Iron Butterfly's Ina Godda Da Vida that ever existed.

When the crowd left (and the female fans stopped trying to get at shreds of Magus's clothing) Magus left, worn out and very tired. Glenn, Crono, Marle, and Lucca spent their time dismembering the equipment, while Spekkio ushered Ozzie, Flea, and Slash back to their fort.

"Lucca, you were out of it for the entire show!"

Lucca snarled somewhat, realizing that Magus was aiming to embarrass her the entire time.

"Man, your arms were in the air the whole concert, trying to grab him... but I don't blame you..."

She was silent, and kept on stacking various items.

"Did you see him? I didn't know he was that ripped! And his voice... so deep..."
"JUST SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"
"Relax! Relax!"
"He was taunting me! He was shoving it in my face!"
"Shoving what?"
"That he was good! He was damn good! And he was trying to say I was wrong!"
"Well, you were wrong. You just contradicted yourself by saying he was good."
"But he is, Marle..."
"So you were wrong."
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"Could you both pipe down? The concert is over, you don't have to scream." said Glenn, annoyed.
"Glenn, what ever happened to you? You were so polite as a frog!" yelled Marle.
"It went with the figure, for the hundredth time!"
"That's it, Marle. I can't stand it. I'm going to get him."

Lucca left in a flash.

"Glenn... I have a bad feeling about her..."
"I know... I have the feeling only one person is going to make it out of there alive..."
"And this band can't afford losing their lead singer."
"I was taking about Magus... he may have not used much of it lately, but he still has that dark magic..."
"Glenn, have you ever seen a woman in anger?"
"Well, Lucca was just angry..."
"No. You will see Lucca's anger when Magus's head winds up five feet from his body."

* * *

Magus relaxed in his bed, showered and dressed to sleep. It was a hard night, but it was worth it... he had proved that he was good, real good. And not even Lucca could take that from him. He rocked the crowd. Now he just prayed that the word wouldn't get back to the king that the equipment was still operational, and that he had used it. He settled back and closed his eyes, thinking about the day's events...

Man, he really showed it to Lucca when he got in her face...

Suddenly, a door slammed shut.

"You PIG!"
"Who... Lucca!"
"You just had to shove it in my face didn't you... wait!"
"Huh?"
"That didn't sound right... I mean, why'd ya have to be so hot? No!"
"You're confusing."
"ACK! SCREW IT!"

She ran and jumped him in the bed. At first, Magus tried to defend himself from her raging claws and bites... until he realized she was kissing him.

Needless to say, both of them had a wild night...