Nope, still don't own anything. It's all
Squaresoft's property… even if this is a twisted thing ;)
Anyway… it'll be from Janus' point of view for a while now, to get his
character deeper. I felt I couldn't add any deeper thoughts in the last two
parts, and I don't like that. So, lean back and let him tell you his story. And
considering that this is his thoughts and he's got the two other versions of
him watching over him, you can await some rather interesting comments ;)
Author's note:
In order to let you properly get to know this new Janus, the following two chapters will switch from third person view to first. So, I now leave you to Janus' storytelling…
Throughout my entire life I have tried to do the right thing, to repay the people who protected me while I was weaker. I grew strong, fast. Thanks to my teacher, and I am him forever grateful for all he did for me.
As I grew up in the castle I also grew into the role I came to automatically fill, to become the "royal wizard". I got the title officially on my eighteenth birthday. Of course, "royal" was never really necessary, considering that I am the only human in this time that know magic.
Oh well, I used to be.
What my title, what my place has meant... king Guardia offered me a sanctuary while I was a child, and I chose to become the sanctuary for him and for his people.
But all the time, I knew I wouldn't stay there forever. I was waiting, everyday I was waiting for this moment, when I finally would meet the other time travelers.
I already knew Glenn, of course. Or Frog. I only call him Glenn when we are alone.
Despite my first views of him and Cyrus – the weakling and the towering guardian, rather pathetic – the three of us became friends.
I knew what could happen when Cyrus decided that he was going to find the fabled hero medal and the Masamune in order to help us in the Mystic war. I wanted to go with him and Glenn, I didn't want their possible fate to occur. But, as the knight managed to force into my head...
I had a duty.
Funny, isn't it?
Ironical that I, the bratty little prince of Zeal, would become such a responsible man.
Cyrus won, of course. He knew I wouldn't have the nerve to leave, knowing that the monsters could find out about it and take a chance to redirect one of my assassins to the king or queen.
Ah yes, my assassins...
I clearly remember my first one. I was twelve, and he was some kind of lizard creature that climbed up the wall of the castle and broke into my room during the night. Luckily I have a tendency to come awake at the slightest sound. This can be infernally irritating, but it does serve a purpose.
It wasn't my screams that called the guards, it was the beast as I hunted it back through the window with very irritated lightning bolts. My days were filled with studying magic, and I could become very grumpy when I didn't get the rest I needed. Especially if I was awakened so abruptly.
But even though I had beaten the first, Flea would send another. And another, and another, and another...
I wasn't kidding when I said that I'm being assassinated once a month. Roughly, that's the time span between the attacks.
Flea is too impatient to train his creations properly before sending them off. I don't even know what monsters he's using for the transformation spells.
I'll hand him two things. His stubbornness is admirable, and he can surprise me sometimes.
My face is scarred, so all of them aren't only laughable.
But their master isn't. After all he, Slash and Ozzie managed to kill Cyrus and transform Glenn into what he is today.
Someday me and Glenn are going to kill Flea and reverse the spell.
I came too late...
I knew I should have come with them.
Damn Cyrus.
There is of course a chance that I would have been killed as well. But even so, I should at least have tried.
It seems that whenever I make a mistake, it's deadly. Somebody always tends to end up bleeding, somebody that shouldn't have.
I even failed to protect the queen against Yakra. Once again I came too late. And I searched around the place where she disappeared, alone. And while I did, they found Marle and thought that she was Leene. And Crono and Lucca came to find her.
Those people that I had spent thirteen years waiting for. When they showed up, I was out. Looking for someone who already had been taken way away from where I strayed.
And Glenn met them instead. I knew he would. But when I finally came back, finding that I was late again, I could only feel disappointment.
Yes, they would be back. For one reason or another. So I just had to wait a little longer.
But I felt that I hadn't been able to do what I set out to do while in this era; protect everyone from those who were my possible masters.
And to top it all off, Glenn felt even more miserable since he had gotten the role as Leene's guardian. Despite his victory in saving her, he had left the castle to pay for his disgrace.
For one day I stayed in the castle, my agitation building up for every passing minute until I was about to explode.
It is said that a fabled hero will retrieve the Masamune and save the lands from evil in the darkest hour. My teacher had told me everything I needed to know to be ready. Glenn needed to be equipped with the Masamune and we had to fight Ozzie together with Crono and the others.
This is what I had been looking forward to for all these years.
If only Glenn wasn't such an idiot.
I went to the king and requested his allowance to leave in pursuit of Cyrus, Glenn and the Masamune.
Glenn couldn't live with telling anyone who the giant frog really was, and I respected that. Even if it meant that we had to live with being the only ones who knew that Cyrus wouldn't ever be able to come back and help us fight for the humans.
So once again I lied to my liege.
By the way... is "I'm not hearing this" your mantra, my friend?
'I'm not hearing it!'
I can feel the other voice in my head smirk a bit, as I do.
He may claim whatever he want, our older mirror... but I feel a sense of pride for my strength, that he cannot hide.
'Pah!'
You try to be the coldest one.
'Given. Old habit, perhaps. But I refuse to agree that I could have been you.'
And why do you sound amused, saying that?
I smirk a bit, turning my face away from Crono and Robo not to make them wonder about my behavior.
'Just go on...' he tiredly grunts.
Very well.
The king didn't want to see me leave into dangerous grounds filled with monsters. After all it's not unknown even to the humans that my head has a sky-high price within the Mystic's circles. Flea would by now do just about anything to get his hands on me.
'Now don't give me any mental images...'
Have to agree on that, now I feel a bit sick myself actually...
Eugh.
In any case, I am a very wanted man. But the king and Leene let me go after a rather long conversation of convincing matter.
Immediately I teleported to the Cursed woods to see Glenn. As the time travelers had finally come I knew there were only a matter of days before the Zenan bridge would be attacked.
Yes, I felt utterly guilty leaving the king's side when I knew such a crucial moment approached. But at least I would be able to teleport back if needed.
Admitted, I knew Glenn could be hard to convince back into fighting.
But that he would be that hard necked I hadn't expected. And I couldn't tell him of the urgency of action since I felt he wasn't ready for the entire truth. He had met our future comrades in arms, but not heard their full story nor traveled in time.
So I took a risk. I decided that I would go and try to find the Masamune's blade that according to Glenn had been stuck in the ground before Cyrus' dead body last he saw it. But back then, on the day when I came too late to save my two friends... all me and Glenn found on the ledge where the battle had stood was the hilt of the sacred sword. The blade and the remains of Cyrus were gone.
But in the area I sensed a magic surge that wasn't from a monster, that felt strangely familiar.
Glenn spoke of two peculiar creatures with pointy ears and noses, who had guarded the sword. Cyrus had defeated them to win it.
The description of the guardians also itched in my mind, but I could never remember.
But at least those facts led me to believe that those who had taken care of the sword earlier had chosen to retrieve what they could and keep watching over it.
So the hilt and the hero medal was all we had left of our friend. I wanted Glenn to have both the artifacts, since he had been by Cyrus side to the bitter end while I hadn't. But he insisted and the last part of the weapon is well hidden in my room at the castle.
Denadoro mountains were my only clue to the other half of the weapon.
By using the transporting spell I had already signaled to Flea that I had left the castle, though he possibly couldn't have sensed where I went. And leaving territory where humans lived created the risk that I wouldn't know if the Mystics launched another attack to reach the capital. And also, it would leave me personally vulnerable to attacks.
The problem with transporting spells are that other magic users that know the force can sense it vaguely. And if they manage to "catch" that sensation they will be able to prepare for further investigation.
Therefore I've tried not to use that magic too often in case something like this would happen.
Yes, I did teleport Marle back to Glenn. However, even though I was the one casting the spell she'd leave a different track than me, and would be safe.
Flea already knew I was out somewhere and he will try to find me, nobody else.
So, even though it would have been quicker and might have been safer in the short run I chose not to teleport to Denadoro mountains, but walk.
It would take much longer, and I could be attacked by regular monsters along the road... however it lowered the risk for nasty surprises in the mountains.
Should Flea manage to get a firm grip of my teleportation path, he'd be able to pinpoint my location and also follow me there via my own magic tracks. And he'd definitely bring company.
To keep fairly anonymous during my journey I bought that robe in Porre and headed north.
Of course I was attacked, but those encounters were sporadic by loose groups of monsters.
Those were no problem.
What I didn't count on was another assassin. The grasshopper came earlier than I thought my next foe would. And despite that he did put up a good fight.
Each one of the beasts I have faced have seemed to be able to smell me miles away. I have no idea how Flea does it…
But that doesn't matter.
Finally my waiting is over, the real battle can begin.
"According to my calculations a short rest would be in order," Robo suddenly beeps.
Crono agrees, in his strangely silent yet speaking way.
I have to admit that since we might face a couple of vicious sword guardians we should save our strength, even though I'm eager to get this over with as soon as possible.
Cyrus managed to beat them alone, but I've been taking enough chances now. I can take risks, never feared to do so. However, I never like to risk others' lives.
We sit down in the shadow of a cliff, well... if "sit down" is the appropriate word when it comes to Robo.
I suppose it's bound to happen sooner or later... I shouldn't hide everything to them. Since they don't seem to recognize my name I take it they haven't entered Zeal yet.
"Anyway, why are you looking for the Masamune?" I ask my two companions, innocently.
Crono shifts a bit, hesitating of where to begin. I hold back a smile.
Well... he finally starts, uh... I guess this might sound a bit weird, but since we might be fighting together I suppose...
"Oh, don't worry," I say while battling the smile even more furiously, "very little surprise me by now."
Okay then, the young man starts again, we, Robo, Marle and me aren't really from this time. That goes for Lucca too, she who helped me and Frog with the queen. We come from the future.
I raise my eyebrows, and even Robo seems a bit surprised at my calmness.
As I said, I won't hide everything, but let it out bit by bit. And a big chunk is approaching. But not just yet...
"So you say?" I calmly reply in a smooth voice, "and what brings you here then?"
Uh, aren't you shocked? Crono asks.
"Actually not very much. Sorry to disappoint you."
"Are we to understand that you already were informed about time travel?" Robo beeps.
I turn my face away and stare off in the distance, my fingers tapping against the staff resting across my lap.
"In fact, yes."
I turn back and smile a bit.
"I am a wizard, after all," I add to take the edge off of their suspicion.
It works. Crono relaxes a bit again.
Oh, I see... he says, you surprised me a bit.
"Fully understandable. Go on," I urge, not unfriendly.
Well, we got the idea that the Mystics here might have a connection to a fearful beast named Lavos, and...
I was waiting for that. Crono almost falls backwards and Robo beeps in alarm as I fly to my feet, staring down at the two of them with a dangerous scowl.
"What do you know about Lavos?" I demand, managing to make my voice as harsh as I hoped.
You... know him? the young man almost stutters.
"You can say that our connection is rather personal, yes," I grimly say and sit down again.
How then? he asks.
For a moment I glare at my staff.
"It's a long story," I finally tell the two of them, "for now, let's just say that since we have not only the search for the Masamune in common, but also share the same enemy, I'm going to come with you even further."
Finally I darkly look up.
"What do you know about him?" I repeat.
"Necessary data is missing," Robo sadly says, "the information we have is limited. We know that he is a dangerous creature that will arise in the year 1999 AD and almost completely wipe out life as we know it on this planet."
Slowly I nod.
"I see."
Say, what do you know? Crono carefully asks.
"I know that he's a parasite growing stronger with the life force of our world," I say through clenched teeth, "that he is an intelligent being who can fool and possess humans if he find use of it. I've seen that once too many."
To mark an end of the information stream I straighten up and grimly nods.
"I see what you mean," I murmur, "if the Mystics might have some connection to him this whole world and time is in grave danger. It can be that we only can fight them with the help of the fabled hero and his sword. In any case, I'll help you."
I stand up and look ahead on the waiting path.
"And Frog is going to take that sword and help us as well, even if I should have to run it through his thick little green head."
'Hah, there's hope for you yet...'
'Don't break my theater here!' I smirk in my thoughts.
And we begin to walk again, towards the summit of the mountain.