A long time ago, in a universe far different than our own...
There was Aslan...
There was the White Witch...
And there was Narnia.
From the same lunatic who brought you Operation ArchAngel, Hellfire Paradox, and a lot of other fanfics, comes my first ever Chrono Trigger fanfic...
CHRONO TRIGGER: The Narnia Chronicles
Disclaimer: I don't own Crono, Marle, Lucca, Frog (I'm using his human name in this fic), Magus, or any of the other characters or concepts from the Chrono Trigger video game. I'll list those few characters that I do own, as well as who owns everything else, at the end of the fic.
Chapter 1- The Beginning of the End
Question: what has multiple dozens of centipede-like legs, is covered in towering spikes like a porcupine, is usually the color of liquid magma, and has a strange organ that serves as both it's solitary eye, and mouth?
Think you know the answer? Maybe, but what is it when, instead of red, it's a dark navy blue?
"What the heck are those?" Dalton exclaimed.
Magus and the others looked on in horror at six Lavos Spawn, their armor-like hides shaded the darkest of dark ice-blues. Each of the creatures in turn let out a mix of shriek and howl as it pulled itself out of it's subterranean tunnel, still half-concealed by the blizzard of snow it had created when it shattered through to the surface. Magus drew out his scythe and the others all quickly did likewise with their weapons.
"Evesca," Glenn instructed. "Stand aside and allow us do away with these beasts."
"I think it's time we pulled out the heavy artillery." Lucca stated, keeping one eye on the cluster of still-emerging Lavos Spawn while putting her backpack on the ground and pulling out a small, hand-sized rock-like object. She tossed the black stone to Magus, then she and Marle quickly rushed up alongside of him as the last of the Lavos Spawn pulled itself up onto the solid tundra that made for the ground of this place.
"You freaks should have stayed in the ground." Magus stated in defiance at the Lavos Spawns. He gave Lucca and Marle a quick glance, and they nodded in reply. "Now! Dark Eternal!"
The moment that the energy of the attack leapt into being around the threesome, the Lavos Spawn attacked. The air was filled with razor-sharp poison pins like huge spears as each of the six creatures let loose with it's most deadly attacks all at once. Crono managed to destroy the spears before they could hit by using his Luminar attack, buying Magus and the two girls just enough time to charge up and let loose the full fury of Dark Eternal, a full-force amplified blast of both Magus's Dark Matter and Marle and Lucca's lethal Antipode3 attacks. The energy flare from the attack flashed out in a massive surge towards the Lavos Spawns, sending the two nearest creatures flying through the air and landing on their backs some twenty feet away. Glenn took advantage of the momentary opportunity, with one powerful leap covering the distance between himself and one of the Lavos Spawns, then brought the Masamune down in a leap slash cleanly into the creature's unprotected underside. Before he could draw the weapon back out, Dalton had fixe spheres of yellow energy headed straight towards the other Lavos Spawn that was upside-down, the explosion sending small clumps of what had been a Lavos Spawn minutes before flying left and right.
Meanwhile, Crono and the others had gone of the offensive, hitting the remaining four Lavos Spawn with everything they had. Luminares, Dark Matters, Ice 2s, and Flares shot in volleys at the Lavos Spawns, which retaliated with storms of poison-spike spears that rained down without mercy or much accuracy either. Crono jumped out of the way of a cluster of them moments before they struck the snow-covered ground, and swiftly retaliated with a Lightning 2 blast, scoring clean hits on all four of the nightmarish beasts. Dalton did his best to jump out of the way as the deadly blasts came down, having one or two close calls where a spear left a hole in his cape. Lucca and Marle shot down as many spears as they could while at the same time aiming their own attacks at the remaining Lavos Spawn, and Magus protected himself withing a small cyclone of black energy thanks to his Magic Wall attack, only two or three spears getting through and forcing him to dodge out of the way. The battle raged for what seemed like forever, attacks and energy blasts practically gushing from both sides of the battle lines. After nearly fifteen minutes of combat, Magus eliminated the last of the Lavos Spawn with a well-aimed double slash from his scythe. The Lavos Spawn screamed in pain, nearly blasted off another volley of poison spears, and then collapsed to the ground, the spears on it's back going limp. Magus, just to be sure, blasted it apart with a Shadow Bomb.
"We must not be caught by surprise like that again." Magus stated, turning to the others. His left arm had a nasty open gash down it that looked like it was bleeding severely, but he acted as if it wasn't even there. But not even he could hide the exhaustion the battle had put him through. "That was no coincidence encounter; if I don't miss my guess, that's the White Witch's way of showing us she means business."
"Those things looked like Lavos!" Dalton exclaimed, likewise exhausted. "What were those??"
"Lavos Spawn." Lucca informed. "Basically the children of Lavos." She turned to Magus. "Those Lavos Spawn were a lot stronger than the ones we encountered on Death Peak and the Black Omen. You think the White Witch enhanced them somehow?"
"Likely. And they attacked in a group, meaning that they must be under her control." Magus paused for a long moment. "Did any of you notice something strange about when the Lavos Spawn attacked us?"
"Yeah, I did. It was like they didn't even know we were there until we charged up to attack." Marle interjected.
"My guess is that she's trained them to be like hunting dogs in a way." Evesca interjected. "Hunting dogs go after the scent of their prey. Those Lavos Spawn might have been trained to attack when they detected our energy."
"But does that explain the color differences?" Crono inquired.
"There art too many mysteries." Glenn noted, sheathing the Masamune and rejoining the group. "Perhaps we can discern them at a later time, but for the moment I recommend we rest so our strength might return to us."
"A Shelter won't provide much protection out here." Lucca noted. Then she looked over at the six holes in the ground nearby. "Maybe... maybe we can set up camp inside one of those tunnels."
"And put ourselves right in the middle of a Lavos Spawn highway? No thank you." Marle stated.
"Let's at least take a look first." Lucca replied. "I have a feeling that those Lavos Spawn might not have tunneled their way here at all, but might have been underground to start with. After all, if they'd tunneled here, then when they broke through the surface the snow would've quickly filled into the tunnels. But that wasn't what we saw; we saw six geysers of snow erupt OUT of the ground, meaning that those Lavos Spawn might have been buried underground like potatoes, absorbing power when we came along. Then, they might've blasted their way out of their catacombs, thus the explosions of snow we saw. Plus, if they had been traveling subterraneously to get here, they probably would've all come out of the same tunnel, not six different ones."
There was a long moment of silence.
"She's the brainiac of the group, right?" Dalton inquired.
"Yeah, but she has a good point." Crono stated, walking over and looking down into one of the holes. He whistled in surprise. "That's a pretty deep hole. Who're we gonna send down there?"
"I'll go." Magus said, and with a few hand gestures he vanished out of sight with a flash of black energy. Several minutes later, Magus re-appeared nearby with a similar flash. "Lucca's theory is right. We can set up a Shelter in one of the underground tunnels."
Two hours later, after everyone who couldn't use short-range teleportation climbed down into the tunnel and set up the Shelter, the group finally got to rest. Lucca had observed on the way down that nearly ten feet of solid ice covered the ground on this continent, and that when her feet were on the ground she noted that the soil below the ice was completely devoid of any nutrients whatsoever. Evesca kept herself busy cleaning everyone up from the battle against the Lavos Spawn, but deliberately stayed away from Dalton and Magus, Dalton for obvious reasons, and Magus because, by the time the others had made it down, Magus had already bandaged his injuries and also Evesca seemed to be hesitant to approach Magus for any reasons whatsoever, for fear of further alienating him from her, possibly. The depth of the tunnel offered a much more tolerable temperature than did the storm-filled world up above, and so everyone was able to get plenty of sleep without the cold and wind beating down on them.
But Magus wasn't interested in sleeping.
Magus moved with a silence and stealth that surprised even him, making his way amongst the group's many sleeping bags like some kind of phantom or illusion. It wasn't often that he found it nessasary to sneak about like this, but when he did need to his skill made those of ninjas look pale by comparison. Using his powers to float barely half an inch above the ground, the only noise he made as he floated towards the object of his search was that of his highly silenced breathing. It didn't take him long to spot the Masamune; Glenn had it placed directly next to his sleeping bag, easily withing reach in case of any momentary emergency. Magus touched down onto the ground gently and silently removed the Masamune and it's sheath from Glenn's side, then returned to hovering just above the ground as he thought about how to get his next targeted item. He knew that he'd need the Masamune if he was going to stand a chance in sole combat against the White Witch; he'd need every bit of power he could get. But there was one other item that he also had to retrieve before he left, and getting it wasn't going to be easy.
He hovered silently over to where Marle lay sleeping, her hair down and one hand half underneath her pillow. With the faded light coming into the Shelter through the opening above in the tunnel, Magus could only see a slight shimmering that proved the pendant's presence around Marle's neck. Gently, trying not to let his hands tremble, Magus slowly took hold of one side of the pendant's chain and brought it up so that it rested just above Marle's ear. Just as Magus had hoped, the touch of the pendant chain on the side of her face caused Marle to roll over, and in the course of the movement Magus was able to seamlessly slip the pendant off of Marle's neck. Had he been any less disciplined a person than he was, Magus might have breathed a sigh of relief. There were times, he thought to himself, when it was useful to have an understanding of the workings of the subconscious human mind and it's reflex actions. Ozzie had taught him that knowledge, amongst other subversive tricks that the Mystic had used many times towards achieving his tyrannical goals. With the Masamune in one hand and the pendant in the other, Magus quickly teleported out of the shelter, leaving only his scythe and sleeping bag.
But Magus's thefts hadn't gone on entirely unnoticed. Evesca, getting out of her sleeping bag and grabbing her fur cloak, said a quick prayer and then teleported off after Magus. There was no questioning where he was headed. Nor his intent. And Evesca knew she had to stop him, because the White Witch wouldn't even give Magus a chance to fight back.
Magus could tell that the White Witch knew he was coming. Even the slightest hint of wind had vanished from the snow-swept barrenness, but what's more is that he could feel the black wind blowing straight in the direction he knew the Witch's stronghold to be. Finally free of having to travel at speeds slow enough that Crono and company could keep up, Magus shot out over the frozen wasteland at superhuman speeds, appearing to the human eye as little more than a superspeed black blur as his shadow-element powers surrounded him like a blazing comet.
His plan was simple. With the element of surprise nullified by the Witch's uncanny ability to sense where he was, he would use every bit of power he could muster to destroy the White Witch, even if it meant he himself died in the process. Once the Witch was destroyed, whether he was dead or not, it wouldn't be long before the others came looking for him and were able to rescue Schala. Failure was not an option; he'd do whatever he had to, use every ounce of his strength, just so Schala could have a chance. He owed it to himself to give her a future, because he hadn't been strong enough, twice, to save her.
With the Masamune strapped at his side, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the pendant. Marle really had no idea the powers locked away inside this one piece of jewelry, but he was Schala's brother and knew much more about it's powers and abilities. The Masamune was strong, but if properly combined with the powers of his sister's pendant, Magus believed the sword would take on a whole new personality. Using the pendant, he could recharge his energy levels at any time, and that was only the beginning.
But would it be enough to save Schala? Magus could only hope so.
Suddenly, a number of surprises caught him by unprepared all at once. The first was that, without a moment's notice, the black wind seemed to vanish altogether. The second was that the air around him, nanoseconds before cold and dead, instantly became the most overpowering but gentle fragrance of flowers, specifically Lilies, anyone could imagine.
The third was a roar from behind him, one which undeniably belonged to a lion.
"Marle! Marle, wake up!"
Marle groaned in protest but slowly opened her eyes nonetheless. Lucca was next to her, shaking her shoulder gently. Marle could see panic on her friend's face and quickly sat up.
"Lucca, what is it? Is everything OK?"
"Magus, Evesca, and Dalton are gone." She explained. "They left their sleeping bags and Magus left his scythe here too."
"Huh? Where'd they go?"
Lucca rolled her eyes.
"Marle, were at the bottom of a forty foot pit; they couldn't have gone anywhere except up towards the surface, and that means Magus is headed out on his own to face the White Witch."
"But what about Evesca and Dalton? No way he let them tag along."
Suddenly, a panicked scream came from across the room. Both girls looked over to see Glenn scouring the ground near his sleeping bag in search of something, a panic-stricken look on his face.
"Where is it?" He exclaimed. "It's got to be here somewhere!"
"What? What is it Glenn?" Crono inquired.
"The Masamune!! I can't find the Masamune!!!" Glenn then paused for a minute and clenched his fists in rage. "It's Magus's doing!! He must've stolen it while I slept, the coward!!!!"
"And it looks like that's not all he stole." Lucca stated, turning and looking at Marle. Marle, reading the meaning in Lucca's eyes, quickly looked down. Her pendant was gone.
"We've gotta go after him!" Crono exclaimed. "He could get himself killed!!"
"But we can't." Lucca replied. "If we go after Magus now, the White Witch might decide to kill Schala." She looked down at the ground. "I don't like it myself, but we've gotta let Magus try. We give him until noon, then we go after him."
"But what about Evesca and Dalton?" Marle asked. "And why would he want my pendant?"
"I don't know, Marle. I just don't know."
"When I get my hands on Magus," Glenn fumed.
It had been the roar that had made Magus stop dead in his tracks, a roar so incredibly powerful and fearsome that it had made him tremble for the first time in his life. Now, his heart thundering in his chest and his mind ensnared in apprehension, Magus almost didn't dare turn in the direction the resounding roar had come from. At least not until he heard, in a loud and firm voice that wasn't quite human but something much more-
"Come here, son of Adam."
Assuming he was the person being spoken of, Magus slowly turned and faced the source of the voice. The lion's eyes were deep-set, the color hard to make out. It's regal mane was long and thick, a blazing golden color that almost seemed to be strands of fire. The creature was undoubtedly the largest lion Magus had ever seen, it's eyes able to look directly into his. In fact the lion's gaze seemed to almost hold Magus paralyzed, and he couldn't bring himself to look away from those eyes.
Without a doubt, this had to be Aslan.
"I have been watching you from a distance, Janus." Aslan stated, his voice neither giving away any tone of approval nor judgement. "Watching as you made your way to the White Witch's realm. I watched as you fought alongside your friends against the Witch's armies and I watched as you stole what belonged to them. Is friendship such an insignificant thing to you?"
"... They... aren't my friends." Magus managed to say, surprised he could even voice his thoughts. "I have never had any real friends since-"
"-Since the day Zeal fell; I know. But you do not speak the truth when you say you have no friends. Think about My servant Evesca."
"She especially." Magus paused for a moment. "I thought she-"
"-You thought you had finally found a true friend, ... but then you discovered she had a secret. Son of Adam, I know her secret, and I know that it pertains to your sister."
"You know??" Magus was taken aback. "... What is it?"
"There is a reason for all things, son of Adam. You were brought here by Evesca so you could save your sister and protect Narnia from destruction. If one simple dream can have that much significance, do you think a friendship any less important?" Aslan paused. "And there is also a reason that secret has not been revealed to you. But when the time is right, all things will be made known. For now, you have a mission to fulfill."
Assuming that Aslan had meant for him to continue on towards his destination, Magus turned to go. But before he finished turning around, Aslan interrupted him once again.
"Beware the White Witch. She will use any means of evil to achieve what she desires. If defeating you is her intent, be prepared for anything."
With that, Aslan's form faded out of existence, taking with Him every indication he had ever been there to begin with. Slowly, Magus began to feel the black wind once again, but now he feared the power it had.
Chapter 2- Mysteries Revealed
Evesca had felt Aslan's presence nearby, but by the time she'd gotten to the place Aslan had met with Magus, both were long gone. The frozen winds whipped at her face violently, and each step forwards was a battle against the invisible blades of air. Clinging tightly to her fur coat, now nearly covered in patches of snowflakes, Evesca trudged tirelessly onward. She had to get to the White Witch's castle in time to protect Magus from her evil scheme. No matter what the cost.
The towers of the castle cast massive, long shadows across the snow, jutting like mountains up out of the equally massive outer wall of the fortress. The entire castle was built of thick black ice that shimmered like a million diamonds, and yet at the same time seemed to suck down light like a black hole. The castle itself sat upon a large rise overlooking the ocean,... and the void. It literally stood only kilometers from the edge of the world, both the sky and the sea fading out of existence as they neared the edge and were replaced by a star filled blackness. The front gate of the castle was adjacent to a long bridge formed of what appeared to be millions of long, sharp icicles put together like strands of fabric, the entire bridge literally invisible at a distance and only barely detectable unless one was actually walking upon it. Seeing as the front gate, made of a dark steel-like metal, was open, Magus dashed quickly across the bridge and into the castle.
The gate closed with a resounding 'boom' right behind him.
The inside of the castle was even more eerie than the outside. To start with, wall, ceiling, and floor were all completely reflective, like as if the building had been constructed out of mirrors. The first room Magus entered appeared to be a long hallway, extending for a distance of roughly fifty feet and then a sharp corner turned towards the left. Magus looked the place over suspiciously. It was literally impossible for anyone to sneak up on anyone with mirror-like surfaces wherever one chanced to look, which was both good and bad for him. The White Witch wouldn't be able to sneak up on him, neither he upon her. One hand on the Masamune, Magus set off down the corridor.
Twenty feet into the second hallway, the corridor opened into a vast chamber with two other openings, the chamber equally as reflective as the corridor. At first Magus nearly ducked back into the hallway when he spotted other forms in the room, but upon second glance he discovered the floor of the room to be scattered with statues of many different kinds of creatures, all made of the same kind of dark grey stone. Magus stepped over and examined one of the statues. It was a dwarf, wearing battle armor and had an axe hung at his belt. Based on the statue's positioning, it almost seemed as if the dwarf were cowering in fear at something in front of him. Another statue was that of one of the storm gargoyles, the kind that had tried to sink the Dawn Treader. It looked as if it had been posed to appear to be preparing to lift off the ground, only one taloned foot holding it upright, it's wide wings fanned out and a panicked expression on it's face.
"Either the White Witch has strange taste in artwork,..." Magus thought out loud, but quietly enough so that anyone nearby might not hear him. He decided not to finish his thought, assuming the alternative to be utterly impossible.
But someone else knew better.
"Or those aren't statues at all..." A voice that Magus immediately recognized suggested, finishing his thought. "They're servants of the White Witch who, at one time or another, displeased her, and she turned them to stone."
The voice seemed to be coming from all around the room, and Magus quickly spun to try to identify it, but to no avail. He tightened his grip on the Masamune as he shouted directionlessly in defiance.
"Where are you, Witch?! Come out and face me. I won't be as easily done away with as these poor idiots you turned to stone."
"Oh, I have no intention of turning you to stone, brave warrior." She laughed teasingly. "But before I come out and face you, I want to show you something."
Suddenly, the ceiling lost it's mirror-like quality, transforming into a holographic image the likes of which shocked even Magus. Hundreds of dark-blue Lavos Spawn, so many they practically filled the view provided by the hologram.
"Behold my army, Prince Janus. Six hundred of them, and more being born all the time. They grow to maturity quickly, and it isn't long before they bury into the ground to begin absorbing power from this planet. Imagine the destruction when I unleash them upon the nation of Narnia!" She laughed for a moment at her own cleverness. "And that will only be the beginning of my power soon enough."
"You've got a sick mind." Magus challenged. "Besides, without you to guide them, I bet those Lavos Spawn won't be half as powerful as they are now."
"Oh, is that what you think they are?" She laughed, much to Magus's confusion. "They are only the tip of the ice burg, Janus. Behold, my real power!"
The image changed to show a strange snow-covered volcano, with a giant neon-blue Lavos seeming to feed off the dark-blue magma just inside the volcano's crater. Magus took a stunned step back; this Lavos was nearly two times the size of the one he'd battled against! And that volcano..., was that what was turning all the Lavos Spawn blue?
"By feeding off the magma from my dark volcano, what was once a Lavos that fell to Narnia from outer space has become an entirely different breed altogether. It feeds off of the cold, getting stronger and stronger over time. And the more that Tundros feeds from the dark volcano, the more it and I become one being..." She laughed maniacally. "Soon, Tundros and I shall become one!! No one, not even Aslan, will be able to kill me! I shall never again taste death! I shall become it!!"
"What are you talking about??" Magus wondered out loud.
"It was once written about me that 'Even now under earth I be, once all earth was under me'. Twice Aslan has brought death upon me, once Himself and once through the sword of that accursed Rilian." She paused. "While I lived, I had power over all Narnia, the whole world either groveled at my feet or suffered the fate of those stone statues. I made it so it was forever winter, slowly killing those who resisted my rule. When Aslan killed me I lost the powers I had once had in my mortal body. For ages I have searched for a body to inhabit where I would truly have my powers restored, and soon Tundros will make my dream come true." She paused for a long moment. "But you did not come here to know all that, now did you, Janus?" She said, the hologram fading.
"I came to get Schala, you monster." Magus replied, a disgusted tone in his voice. "Do your worst, but I'm not leaving here until you are dead,... again."
"Well,..." She laughed. "If it means THAT much to you... you may have your sister back."
Magus's jaw dropped in utter disbelief. Was this some kind of trick? Yet moments later, a flash of light materialized Schala, unconscious and passed out on the floor. Magus, after barely a moment's hesitation and a quick glance around the room, rushed over to her. Kneeling at her side, he shook her shoulder gently and, voice hoarse with emotion, called out her name. Slowly she began to open her eyes.
"... Janus...?" She exclaimed.
"It's me, Schala. I'm here to rescue you. Are you alright?" Magus asked, a tear of joy forming in one eye.
"Yes,... I'm alright." Schala said, slowly getting to her feet. Then suddenly, a strange expression, a mischievous smirk, came over her. "But you won't be."
Evesca could feel that something had gone terribly wrong. The black wind, moments before merely an evil breeze, had intensified to hurricane level all around her. It became so strong, in fact, that the very power of it forced her to cover her ears with her hands to try to block it out. The wind all around her had also intensified, sending blinding curtains of snow up all around her, blinding her vision so much she could barely see five feet in front of her. The black wind suddenly intensified yet again, so strong that all Evesca could do was drop to her knees, screaming in pain, and shout-
"ASLAN!!!"
Magus starred in utter horror and disbelief. The figure before him, whom he had always considered the very essence of serenity and compassion, was not whom she appeared to be. Looking into her eyes, Magus could discern an otherworldly darkness behind Schala's radiant blue pupils. In the back of his mind, Magus could hear the black wind screaming, it's power emanating from the one person in his life whom had embodied his purpose and mission.
"What's wrong, Janus? Or should I call you Magus." Schala laughed. "Surprised to see me?"
"...You..." Magus studdered, choked with fear and utter disbelief. "... this... it can't be!"
"Don't think this is really your sister?" Schala laughed. "Perhaps you think this is some kind of illusion? How could you be so naive? Whom else would have the power I needed to summon Lavos out of the earth and turn it into my Tundros?"
"You monster! How dare you!!"
"I dare all who think they can oppose me, Magus." She retorted, walking over and taking his chin in her hand as if he were a disobedient child. "You thought you could kill me and put an end to my reign. Most who think they can do that I punish by turning them to stone for the rest of eternity. But in your case I easily invented a much worse torment. You came here ready for the fight of your life,... but were you prepared to kill your own sister?" She pushed him backwards, away from her. "I think not."
"... But how? Is she-"
"Alive?" Schala laughed. "Why should I tell you that? Suffice to say this body no longer has any life in it but mine. When I found your sister she was nearly frozen in the snowy barrenness outside of my castle. I would have ignored her had I not felt an unusual power coming from her. When I possessed her, I instantly understood. I had all of Schala's memories. And that, dear Magus, is when I came up with my plan to become one with an enhanced Lavos. So, poor Magus, you can thank your sister for this wonderful plan of mine. Who knows, I might even make this body into a statue for my new castle after I become one with Tundros."
"So," Schala said with a cold smirk. "As you can see, Magus, you cannot fight against me. Your hands... are... tied."
Magus was taken aback. She was right; he couldn't destroy the White Witch without also harming Schala. She couldn't be dead, not after all this searching, but if he ever hoped for Schala to be alive he could not destroy the White Witch. This was what Aslan had tried to warn him about. The White Witch would stop at nothing.
"Stop gloating and kill me already." Magus mumbled, handing his head in defeat.
Schala only laughed.
"Oh really? You think I would lure you here just to kill you? HA! If killing you was my intention, I could also have lured you and all your friends here and eliminated them all at once. No, . . . because you see, all the battles you've fought until now have been tests."
"What?"
"You survived my storm gargoyles, and even managed to defeat six of my Tundros Spawn." She walked over and once more took his chin in her hand. "You have proven your worth, and now you shall reign with me as king of Narnia."
"You're crazy!" Magus retorted, backing away from her. "I'd rather die than serve you!!!!!"
"You won't have a choice. You've proven yourself, and now that you're here there's no getting away." She turned and pointed at a spot on the floor. With a crackle of electricity, the mirror-like surface of the floor began to melt upwards, slowly taking on a silver quality as it began to take shape. "King Rilian once escaped the power of my magic control, but you will not be so fortunate." She stated as the transformation solidified into the form of a metal chair, fierce and sharp in appearance. "Behold, my new silver chair. With it's predecessor I transformed Rilian into a loyal subject, ready and willing to lead an army of underworld creatures in my war against Narnia. With this chair, dear Magus, I shall form you into the true prince of darkness you were always meant to be, and side by side we shall conquer Narnia and all other lands!"
'Not if she can't catch me.' Magus thought to himself, in one swift motion turning and dashing towards the doorway. Suddenly, a barrier of solid ice materialized in the doorway, preventing his escape. Magus spun to see the other two doorways of the room sealed as well. Magus, acting quick, hit the ice barrier with a Fire 2 attack, but as the fire contacted the ice the barrier turned black, vaporizing the flames while taking no damage in and of itself.
"It is useless to resist your destiny, Magus." Schala stated. "There's nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide, and no way to fight. The silver chair is likewise shielded against all matter of magic attacks, and is formed of material so strong that not even that sword of yours can shatter it." Without a word, two storm gargoyles emerged from the walls like as if passing through water. Schala turned to them. "Strap him to the chair."
"I will not just surrender!" Magus shouted, black energy like electricity coursing through his hands. He glared directly at the storm gargoyles. "She might turn you to stone, but cross me and I'll turn you to dust!" He quickly pulled out the Masamune. "Who wants some?"
"Magus, Magus, Magus." Schala mused, waggling a finger at him. "You cannot resist me here. This is my castle; you cannot win."
"Maybe not, but I'll go down fighting!!"
With that, the gargoyles took wing and lunged at Magus. Magus, Masamune ready and the pendant around his neck and glowing with power, drew the sword into a battle position.
Without warning, a sudden burst of energy from BEHIND the ice barrier shattered it, sending shards left and right. Magus spun to see Evesca rush into the room, battle ready. The gargoyles, surprised and confused, hung in mid-air, awaiting Schala's next command. Schala, eyes burning with evil hatred, glared at Evesca from across the room.
"You wretch!" Schala shouted, her voice now become that of the White Witch. "How dare you interfere!"
"Give me my body back, witch!" Evesca returned.
Chapter 3- What the-!
"What??" Schala exclaimed, not defiantly but actually baffled by Evesca's challenge.
Magus was completely and totally speechless. Has Evesca just said what he thought she'd said??! But that was utterly impossible,... wasn't it? Suddenly, the thought that Evesca might somehow actually be his sister Schala both shocked him and baffled him.
"You insolent beast!" Schala shouted in rage, snapping out of her stunned expression.. "I don't care if you are Schala. You have just signed your tombstone! I'll destroy you now, once and for all!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Evesca returned, hot white energy building into a sphere in the open of her right hand. "Here's a little something the Gurus' taught me. Time Bomb!" She shouted, hurtling the sphere of light at her opponent.
"Two can play that game, fool!" Schala returned, throwing an identical blast to counter Evesca's. "I will not be defeated!!"
The gargoyles watched in stunned confusion as the two female warriors collided head-on in life-or-death combat. Magus took advantage of the situation, throwing a Lightning 2 at both monsters while their guard was down. Their electrocuted bodied thudded to the ground limply as the smell of brimstone filled the air around them. Magus them turned his attention to the battle between Schala and Evesca. There had to be a way to distract Schala so Evesca could gain the upper hand.
Suddenly, a distraction did come.
As the thundering roar pierced the walls of the castle, Schala clasped her hands over her ears as and shouted in either fear or pain, Magus couldn't tell. Seconds later, a flash of light like the explosion of a supernova erupted from the doorway Magus and Evesca had entered through, for nearly a full minute flooding the room with unbearable, painfully brilliant light. All the while, the roar continued, fading along with the surge of light to reveal Aslan standing in the doorway, a fierce expression on his features. He barred his teeth as Schala pointed one finger at him defiantly, obviously shaking not quite from fear at the sight of the mighty lion.
"...You!! You, You cannot do this to me!!" The Witch screamed from within Schala.
"Your evil shall not prosper in my world. Here and now, I order you-"
"NO!! NOOO!!!!!"
"-Come out of her!!"
"NOOOOOOOOOoooooooo........" Schala shouted as a grey mist began to raise off of her. Magus was frozen with astonishment as instantly, without warning or even just fading away as it usually did, the black wind that had invisibly filled the room with it's source being Schala, vanished. Blinked out of existence. Vaporized at merely a word from Aslan. Schala slumped to the ground, unconscious, and Magus quickly darted to her side, his eyes wide with amazement.
Suddenly, the voice of the White Witch echoed out from the walls of the castle.
"You have not defeated me yet, Aslan! For even now, Tundros nears ready to merge with me and transform into my new, ultimate form. Not even You will be able to stop me; the loss of the girl is of no consequence to me anymore!!"
"You boats in evil, Witch? Your tongue is swift to craft violence, but like a sharp razor in your mouth it shall be your undoing. Indeed, I shall not defeat you again at this time, for my victory over you is already secure." Aslan's voice was now calm and confident. "Instead, it shall be, like Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Susan, Caspian, and Rilian, that the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve shall bring about your downfall,... all in My name."
"We shall see how strong your pitiful humans are, Aslan. I killed you once, but the next time I'll kill you for good!!"
"I doubt that." Aslan laughed. Then, after a moment, He turned to Magus and Evesca. "Let us depart from this place. There is much we must talk about."
With a sound like a gentle breeze, Aslan and the others faded slowly out of view like as if all they had ever been were illusions.
They rematerialized in the middle of what appeared to be a large forest, a gentle river flowing nearby and a clear blue sky hanging overhead. Magus and Evesca gasped; their arrival in the place was such a welcome relief from the harsh winter of the White Witch's realm that it shocked them at first. The unmistakable scent of lilies hung in the air, the same smell that Magus had detected when he and Aslan had first talked only an hour ago. Schala was still laying, unmoving, Magus crouched over her, and Evesca and Aslan stood nearby.
"Welcome, children, to My kingdom, far east from Narnia." Aslan said. "Here you may rest for a time while I make clear the many mysteries of your journey."
Magus, tearing himself from Schala, turned and looked up at Evesca.
"... You... you're,.... but how??" He studdered.
"Allow me to answer that question, son of Adam..."
... The snow whipped violently about all around, mercilessly scarring the land with eternal winter and desolation. Suddenly, a large flowing blue portal opened in the midst of the winds, depositing a figure in thin white robes into the tundra and then closing slowly in on itself. For a long time she simply lay there in the snow, flakes of white beginning to coat onto her snow-blue hair as tears of unmistakable despair fell from her eyes. She had only the strength to utter one word.
"Janus..."
After a time she got to her feet and looked around, clinging to her garments tightly in hopes of warmth. As far as she could see, all was bleak and barren. Choosing a direction at random, she walked for hours until she collapsed, exhausted and nearly dead from exposure to the elements. At that moment something strange happened. An image of a lion and a woman much like herself with sea-blue hair and eyes, the image as if a hologram projected onto the walls of wind and snow, appeared before her. With her last breath, she reached out towards the image with one hand, her face and lips tinted blue by the power of the sub-zero temperatures.
"... Please,... help me..."
With that, Schala breathed her last breath. Or so it seemed to all but Aslan. He turned slowly to the woman at His side, who seemed somehow protected from the weather just as Aslan Himself was.
"This is Schala, the one you call daughter of the Queen of Zeal."
"Yes, that's her." She looked remorsefully. "Thank you for saving me, sir,-"
"Call me Aslan, young lady." He turned to look at Schala. "You are loyal to her, are you not?"
"... Yes, and we were friends... until her mother forbade us to see each other ever again."
"Yes, I know."
".. You do?" She seemed stunned at the tone of understanding and truth in His voice. "... but how could you-"
"There is nothing hidden from me, young one." Aslan then looked down at Schala. "But nonetheless, your friendship remained strong, despite the queen's disapproval. Would you be willing to trade your life for hers, young lady?"
"In a heartbeat." She said without hesitating. Then she paused. "Please,... Aslan, do You think can You save her, even now?"
"Child, nothing is impossible for Me." Aslan stated, then looked Evesca in the eye. "But there is a reason you were both brought here, and to fulfill that purpose I must now know if, from the depths of your heart, you are willing and ready to exchange your life for hers. Are you?"
"You,... you can do that??" She exclaimed.
"Are you willing and ready?" Aslan repeated.
"... Yes, yes I am." Evesca said, obviously drawing all her courage.
"Yes, I can see that your heart is indeed pure and that you are willing to sacrifice yourself to save your friend. It shall be so..."
When Schala woke up, the first thing that she saw was a giant lion looking down on her. Her first reaction was to scream, but the lion interrupted her.
"Do not be afraid, daughter of Eve. I will not harm you."
A talking lion?! Schala, eyes wide, tried to slowly move away from the lion, but Aslan interrupted her again.
"My name is Aslan, and I know who you are, Schala." He paused for a moment. "Look into that river over there and tell me what you see."
"Y-y-you-"
"Look into the river." Aslan reasserted. Taking a nervous gulp, Schala stood up and, keeping one eye fearfully on Aslan, walked over and looked into the small river that flowed nearby.
She gasped in shock. Her reflection was that of Evesca.
"Evesca and I found you dead in the White Witch's realm. To save your life, Evesca agreed to trade her life for yours, and now I have put your life in her body so that you might live." Aslan paused. "Now look again."
Looking into the river a second time, the image slowly began to change, becoming that of a dark castle, a six-armed bronze demonic statue standing on one wall with a ring of blue flames orbiting a large pentagram design inscribed on the floor in gold. Within the ring of flames, a figure wearing a dark outfit like as some form of warlock and carrying a scythe stood battle ready, glaring at three shadowed figures standing just beyond the circle of magic fires. The figure with the scythe leapt backwards towards the edge of the circle, a pair of fingers pointed at the other warriors as he unleashed a triangular blast of huge, rotating, star-swept black energy at his opponents.
"Do you recognize him, Schala?" Aslan inquired. "It is your brother Janus."
"What?!" Schala exclaimed, glancing between the image in the water and Aslan.
"He was sent by the portals Lavos created into the future of your world, where he sought to summon and destroy Lavos to avenge you." Aslan paused and let the image in the water fade away, returning the reflection of Schala in Evesca's body. "Sit down, child. There is much we need to discuss..."
"And that is how it began." Aslan concluded.
"But if you could transfer her to Evesca, didn't you also have the power to bring her back to life??" Magus questioned, at the same time confused, hurt, and angry. "Why??"
"Because, son of Adam, there is a way in which things must be done to fulfill destiny, the destiny I wrote upon the heart and soul of every human being who ever lived. Had I not done as I have, you would never have come here to Narnia, never met Evesca, and never finally realized the purpose for which you were created."
"And what is that?" Magus demanded, a pitiful and bitter tone in his voice. "To be tormented for my whole life by the nightmares of my past? To have my dreams haunted by the image of the monster that destroyed my home, my friends, and stole from me my sister? To endlessly and fruitlessly search for my sister only to find her possessed by a demon queen?? Is THAT the DESTINY You planned for me?!! Is that the meaning of my life?!!!!" He shouted, tears actually emerging from his eyes.
Aslan's tone was gentle and understanding.
"You have a right to be hurt, Janus." Aslan stated. "Few people have ever experienced what you have; few can understand the pain and bitter torment that you have experienced. But all that has happened to bring about an end result far greater than the whole. You may never understand it while you are alive, child, but one day all things shall be revealed. For now, though," Aslan looked at Schala's limp body. "It's time I returned everyone to their rightful places. Schala, come near to me, and Janus, carry your sister over to that boulder next to the river."
Evesca and Magus complied without a word, Magus gently laying Schala down on top of the large, smooth, flat boulder. Magus nodded to Aslan, and with one mighty roar that almost seemed to cause the very ground to quake, accompanied by a brief haze of light, . . .
Schala began to open her eyes. And for the first time in a long time, Magus smiled.
"Schala? Is it you? Really you?" He exclaimed.
She nodded in response, and the two embraced like the brother and sister they were, Magus practically gushing tears of joy for the first time in his life and Schala also pouring relieved tears in response.
"Can you forgive me for not telling you who I was, Janus?" She asked him in a low voice.
"Of course." Magus replied. "... I just can't believe it's really you,... after all this time..."
Evesca stood by the side, watching and smiling at the whole scene. Aslan came up alongside of her, and the two both watched as brother and sister were finally reunited. Schala, breaking from the embrace, quickly led Magus by the hand over to Evesca.
"Janus, I'd like to introduce you to, for the first time, the REAL Evesca." Schala laughed slightly. She then looked at Aslan. "Does she... does she remember any of what's happened?"
"She has been here, with me, watching your quest from a distance. She has seen everything that Schala has."
"It's an honor to finally meet you in person, Prince Janus." Evesca stated with a gentle smile that still reminded Magus of Schala's.
"I owe you a debt I might never be able to repay, Evesca." Magus said, taking her hand in both of his. "From the bottom of my heart, . . . thank you."
"Any time." She replied with a gentle laugh.
"I'm afraid there is no more time to waste. The White Witch has joined with Lavos and is beginning to transform it into her new body. Are you ready to face her?"
Magus nodded slowly.
"Good. Then I shall return these to whom they belong." Aslan stated as suddenly both the Masamune and the pendant began to glow hot-white, then with a flash vanished altogether. Magus was about to say something, to protest, when Aslan interrupted him. "And in their place, . . . I shall give you this."
A sudden bolt of lightning from above suddenly struck the ground barely a foot in front of Magus, causing him to jerk back in surprise. But the lightning bolt didn't just vanish. The thin tower of electricity remained in place, at one end connected to the ground and the other to the clear sky above. Then, slowly, some of the hot-white electricity began to slowly solidify, taking on the appearance of a long, trim, powerful, sharp double-edged sword. With a flash and a crash of thunder the electricity vanished inside the weapon, leaving it hovering at eye level just in front of Magus. He gasped in surprise; the blade was nearly five feet long and surrounded in a flame the color of the hot-white and neon blue lightning bolt, the blade seeming not to be burned by the 'flame' but rather the source of it's power. The handle was made of black and silver ores, accented by one large gem in the very center that flashed with billions of colors. Magus, slowly and uncertainly, reached out and gripped the sword's handle, instantly feeling a new energy rush through him like a million volts of electricity.
"This sword I forged here, in my country. It will have the power to defeat the White Witch, but use it on her only. I leave the battle in your capable hands."
With that, all three warriors slowly faded away, leaving Aslan, the forest, and the brook.
Chapter 4- Hour of Decision
The black wind surged onwards, spiraling and gusting throughout the White Witch's realm. There it had long stood, unopposed and unstoppable. After all, how does one kill a force of nature, an invisible current of evil power? It had never been done. So on it went, at blinding speeds swirling through the white-blanketed tundra without opposition and without concern.
Suddenly, all that changed.
The black wind found that out quickly as the intruder entered it's lands. Another 'wind'. An opposite force, a gale force of unprecedented danger. If the black wind could at any time find the emotions to be baffled, that was the moment. As this 'other wind' swept in over the kingdom, vaporizing the black wind as the two collided, it became apparent that this was a stronger force. A higher power. Far more than a worthy adversary. Mile by mile the black wind felt itself torn to vapors and then to nothingness by this intruder and, sensing it's own imminent defeat, changed it's direction from a carefree gust surrounding a continent to a fleeing refugee, running from something it could not comprehend.
Magus, Evesca, and Schala stood in the midst of this new wind, and could practically see the black wind as it fled in terror at the sight of the wind. A wind that was the essence of Aslan's realm. A wind that, as Magus stood there absorbing it, both surprised him and invigorated him. It was truly Aslan's wind.
Magus turned slowly to the other two.
"It's time we finished this conflict with the White Witch, once and for all."
"I agree." Schala stated.
"Three strikes; this time she's out." Evesca added, a keen, skillful look in her eyes.
Magus paused for a moment as he felt the winds' activities. Then, like as if whispering in his ear, he heard Aslan's voice...
"Hold out the sword,... I shall guide you."
Taking Aslan's sword in both hands, Magus lined it up with the horizon. Slowly, the sword turned and Magus followed it until it pointed 90 from it's starting point.
"This way." Magus said, taking the lead. Moments later, three blurs of energy were skimming over the snow and ice, headed towards danger.
The scene outside the Witch's palace was like something out of a nightmare, Magus's worst nightmare. Surrounding the castle like mutant flocks of sheep for a radius of what had to be a mile,... nothing but snow, ice, . . . and Tundros Spawn. Hundreds of them, a literal army! To look at it nearly made Magus tremble in fear, except for the sword he held in his hands, which he knew was the key to the Witch's defeat.
Suddenly, a shadowed form appeared on the wall of the castle.
Even though they were a far ways off, Magus could tell that this figure was no storm gargoyle. Bracing himself for the worst, Magus brought Aslan's sword to a ready position as Schala and Evesca got ready to fight. Suddenly, the figure blipped out of sight, only to rematerialize several dozen feet in front of Magus. The person wore a long black cloak that hid their face, much like the one Magus had worn while he was 'the prophet'. The figure snickered as he or she glared at the threesome with nothing short of total disgust.
"Who are you?" Schala demanded. "Identify yourself!"
"What's wrong, don't recognize your old friend?" Dalton snickered, throwing off the hood of the cloak. "Back from the dead I see, Schala. And do I finally have the displeasure of meeting the real Evesca? Oh, now this is a treat." He laughed evilly. Magus glared at him disgustedly. Dalton seemed unimpressed. "What is it, Janus? Offended you, did I?"
"No one talks to my sister that way." He glowered, turning the sword blade down and aiming one hand at Dalton. "I suppose your new outfit means you've switched sides."
"No duh, Janus." He smirked. "You see, while you were busy snatching the Masamune, I had an interesting little dream. You see, it turns out that, while the White Witch would have preferred you as her right-hand man, she decided that she needed a backup plan and told me, in the dream, to come to her palace. If you had accepted, she would have pitted us against each other and the winner would be her king, but since you turned her down you blithering idiot, I now have the honor of that position."
"You're so predictable, Dalton. Always what's best for you, always playing the angles, always-"
"Shut up, Schala; I had to put up with your mother but I don't have to keep you around. Prepare for the void, princess!" Dalton shouted, throwing wide his cape dramatically and letting the wind blow it.
"Feel Aslan's wrath!" Evesca returned, she and Schala getting into position alongside Magus. "The Witch's reign ends now!"
The battle began with Schala and Evesca throwing a pair of Time Bomb attacks at Dalton, but with a quick maneuver he evaded like a superhuman blur. Magus jumped backwards and let loose a Dark Matter, but Dalton shielded himself with his cloak, the energy reflecting off harmlessly.
"Fools." Dalton laughed. "This cloak makes me invincible; not even you can beat me now!" He stood straight up and laughed out loud. "Perhaps instead you'd like to play with some of my Queen's Tundros Spawn; that should keep you occupied for a while." Dalton stated, then threw wide his cloak and vanished.
A sudden rumbling like an earthquake resounded as waves of Tundros Spawn began to surge head forward at Magus, Schala, and Evesca. Magus, thinking quickly, used his Dark Matter attack to create a massive drop in-between himself and the hoards, but as the spears of death began pouring out of the sky it became clear that the Tundros Spawn didn't need to advance to attack. Schala and Evesca quickly leapt into action, throwing their arms wide and activating a pair of Moonlight Barriers, but as more and more attacks burst into explosions against the shield it became clear that the protection would not last forever, or even for very long.
Out of nowhere, a giant fissure split open the ground beneath the Tundros Spawn army, sending dozens of the mutant creatures falling into it's inescapable grasp. Magus, Schala, and Evesca spun to see Aslan standing nearby on a high hill that had not been there before. By the mighty lion's side stood a humanoid creature who looked to be a giant mouse. He was clad in intensely shining armor and held in one hand a long, thin sword. Aslan gave a loud roar, and the mouse quickly ran down to join up with Magus and the others as another earthquake, far bigger than the last, swallowed up even more Tundros Spawn. As the creature neared Magus, two other figures emerged over the hill and raced down after their companion.
"I am Reepicheep, a servant of Aslan." The mouse said quickly. The other two figures quickly joined at Reepicheep's side. One was a young boy clad in intense golden armor and holding a powerful double edged sword, had curly golden hair and blue eyes, and couldn't possibly have been more than 16 years old. The other was a figure Magus thought he'd never see again. Dark grey armor, a short dark purple cape, and a helmet that covered his face like a bird's beak; there was no questioning the identity of this warrior. Reepicheep continued. "Allow me to introduce King Caspian the tenth, now a prince in Aslan's lands. And I believe you've met the goodly knight sir Cyrus."
"King Caspian!" Schala exclaimed in stunned disbelief. "But how, I thought you were-"
"Dead?" Caspian laughed lightly. "I am, but today Aslan wants me to help you win this fight. Same with Reepicheep and Cyrus. It's a pleasure to meet all of you, but I think it's time we got the battle started; those creatures are starting to crawl out of the fissures."
"Magus. It's been a long time." Cyrus stated. Then, in a move of friendship, Cyrus put one hand of Magus's shoulder. "I want you to know I don't blame you for my death. For what was born in my place has been well worth it."
Magus nodded slowly in understanding. Together, the six warriors turned to face the hoards that were emerging in the dozens from the shattered ground.
"You go on ahead, Prince Janus." Reepicheep instructed. "We'll catch up with you, but your battle is with the Witch herself. Go, quickly! Time is our enemy!"
With a short nod, Magus shot towards the castle, easily speeding past the hoards of Tundros Spawn and with one awesome jump at super speeds making it over the fissures and onto solid ground. As Caspian, Reepicheep, Cyrus, Schala, and Evesca took aim and attacked the armies, Magus hurtled towards the dark ice castle with a strange new . . . hope in his eyes.
The Witch's castle was exactly how Magus remembered it, mirrored walls and floors on all sides. He dashed quickly down the corridor, past the first room, and down another series of passages until he emerged in a large room with a ceiling so high he couldn't even see the top of it. He would have continued on, towards the throne room where the White Witch, in her newly transformed body, was undoubtedly awaiting him, except the passageway was blocked. By a figure in a long black cloak.
"Not so fast, Janus. No one enter's the queen's throne room uninvited, and you are most definitely not wanted here." Dalton stated, pulling a black-ice sword out of literally thin air. "It's time we finished this little fight of ours, kid. Prepare for the void."
"If you think I'm going to let a fool like you stop me, Dalton, you'd better think again." He smirked. "Because even if you could kill me, Aslan has the power. The power over life and death, which makes you *nothing* by comparison."
"You think that old lion is the only one who can summon the dead?" Dalton laughed. "Time for a reunion, Janus. I've got three friends of yours who are just killing to see you again."
One by one they emerged from the walls like phantoms. Flea landed with barely a sound, her/his laughter being only the declaration of his/her arrival. Slash leapt out of the wall on Magus's left with a backflip, landing with the tip of his sword just touching the ground and a fierce glare directed at Magus. And as Ozzie floated down from the high up ceiling, echoing his own gluttonous laughter, it became clear to Magus that Dalton was stacking the odds against him.
"What's wrong, Magus; never thought you'd see your old teammates again?" Ozzie laughed.
"You should not have turned down the Witch's offer, Magus." Slash stated sharply, as was his usual style. "Now she is even stronger than Aslan."
"But there's still time to turn back. We can be a team again, just like the good old days." Flea proposed. "C'mon, you can't honestly tell me you didn't enjoy being the Great and Feared Magus, at least a little. Admit it; anyone in their right mind would've sold their soul to have what you had."
"Which was almost my mistake." Magus retorted.
"Schala will listen to you, you know. There's no need for you to ever be separated again." Flea added. "Why serve Aslan when you could be just as powerful as Him? You two could bring peace to every universe; no more starvation, no more disease, no more unnecessary death, no death at all! All you have to do is join us, Magus. Join us again."
Magus was silent for a long moment. Flea was obviously trying to trick him, but there was some truth in his/her words.
Then a whisper of Aslan's wind somehow got into the castle, through the corridors, and gently flowed around Magus. With a steadfast strength in his eyes, Magus confidently glared at Dalton.
"... How could I be so blind." He looked briefly at Ozzie, then Slash, and Flea. "No, Dalton, I won't fall for this. They aren't real. In fact, all they are is your deceptive attempt to keep me from fighting you and that Witch who dares think she's a queen."
"Aren't real?" Dalton laughed. "Let's see about that. Delta Force attack!" He ordered, Ozzie, Slash, and Flea jumping into position as multicolored yellow, red, and blue energy flashed like electricity in-between them. Magus braced himself, using his cape as a shield, and the powerful three monster attack faded quickly into being around him, surrounding him. Yellow, blue, and red light filled his field of vision as he felt the energy crash down on him from all sides, like being hit dead-on by three trucks at once. As it faded away, Ozzie and the others laughing in the background, Magus quickly stood up, silencing the laughter as he smirked in utter defiance.
"Pathetic." Was Magus's response. "The real Ozzie, Slash, and Flea would never be caught dead or alive using so weak an attack. Now it's my turn. Dark Matter!"
The massive triangle of black energy hit like an explosion, shredding the illusionary appearances of Ozzie, Slash, and Flea like cloth caught in the explosion of an atomic bomb. Beneath those magic guises, as Magus saw when the Dark Matter faded away in a sudden powerful flash, were three now-crushed storm gargoyles, their burn-scarred bodies slowly shriveling away on the floor. Dalton, who had shielded himself with his cloak, now threw it out of the way and growled at Magus in pure outrage. Magus, in return, aimed two fingers at Dalton, energy surging through Magus in anticipation of the upcoming battle.
"How!?" Dalton fumed. "They were exact replicas of the originals; how could you have known?!"
"I have my ways." Magus replied. "Now it's time we finished this once and for all, Dalton."
"I agree, Janus." Dalton sneered, sword ready. "Now to find out what that sword of yours can do."
"Oh, you mean this?" Magus said, thrusting the blade into the ground so that the weapon stood upright. "This sword is a little slice of nightmare that I'm saving for the White Witch especially. Besides, I don't need it to defeat you."
"You're confident now, Janus, but we'll see how confident you are when my sword is lodged between your shoulder blades and stomach!" Dalton shouted, racing forwards at Magus, black-ice sword ready. Magus quickly retaliated with a Fire 2, nailing Dalton dead-on and liquidizing his weapon. Magus didn't waste time; as soon as Dalton was down he quickly formed a sphere of black energy in his hands and hurtled the Shadow Bomb straight at Dalton, who dodged with a last-second teleportation. Rematerializing directly behind Magus, Dalton hit Magus from behind with a spin kick, sending him face forward onto the floor, then when Magus was down he attacked with an Iron Orb, sending the large metal sphere directly onto Magus's back with a fury that should've crushed Magus's spine. As the attack faded out of existence, Magus quickly got back to his feet, dodged a left hook from Dalton, and hit back with a punch to the chest. Dalton went back a few feet from the punch, but rebounded and attacked with a storm of black-energy spheres, sending up explosions as Magus fought to evade the attack.
"Admit it, you can't beat me!" Dalton shouted in rage, sending out so many black orbs that the room was practically filled with them at any given moment.
"Don't count me dead yet, fly boy!" Magus returned sharply. "Lightning 2!"
Dalton shielded himself against the attack, but didn't even have time to let his cloak fall back to his side before a jump kick from Magus caught him in the jaw, sending him onto his back several feet away. Dalton wiped the blood from his mouth and stood to face Magus, but by the time he did Magus had a Dark Matter spinning towards Dalton with incredible power. Dalton was thrown hard into the back wall of the room, where he collapsed, defeated. Magus, wasting no time, pulled Aslan's sword back up out of the floor, and raced ahead through the doorway towards the inevitable confrontation ahead.
(To be continued . . . don'tcha just love cliffhangers?)
The characters I own!
Evesca
Who owns everything else!
C.S. Lewis:
Narnia
Aslan
The White Witch
King Rilian
The Dawn Treader
Calormene
Squaresoft:
Crono
Marle
Lucca
Glenn
Magus
Lavos
The Masamune
Schala
Author's entry:
Whoa! I bet your first thought is 'dude, long fic'. Well, I've done longer, and besides, quality and quantity are both important factors in fiction. Anyway, this was originally going to be the final part of the chronicles, but instead I'm chopping it up to make one more fanfic. It's release date isn't certain yet, but suffice to say soon, K? Next story, Magus and the White Witch finally go head to head, and only one shalt survive. Now, considering the regular patterns of fiction (,the hero always wins), you probably think you know what's gonna happen next story, right? Magus'll kill the Witch with his new sword and then everybody's happily ever after? He...he...he..., don't count on it!!! I will not release any spoilers at this time, so you'll just have to wait and find out for yourself. Bye-e, fans!