Chapter 18, Going home
The wind howled and tore at the ragged earth, but somehow it couldn't reach three small figures walking over the snowy plains.
"We should reach the cave in half an hour or so," Marle said, almost a little too hopeful to be believable.
Nobody minded much, though. It was no trying walk as they were all perfectly protected against the cold, the snow was a little hard to walk in but they were still living on the relief of getting away.
After the Pawn had returned from successfully leaving a message to Schala - without telling just exactly who he was, she had thought it was the grown Janus she had seen earlier – there were finally a full set of spirits in Janus' head again.
If still one too many to wish for.
'I'm waitiiing,' Flea finally said after a long silence.
Janus deeply sighed, but the howling wind drowned it.
'Fine,' he grunted, 'thank you for helping us back there.'
'You're welcome,' the Mystic said with a lovely smile.
The wizard grunted something, as did his two versions.
They all walked in silence for a while. Then suddenly the Pawn sighed.
'Fine, I give up,' he said, 'Flea?'
'Yes, cutie?'
'I have the time and nerve to ask now, might as well use it. Why do you look like that?'
The silence following was broken by Flea's finger snapping.
'You just made me loose a bet to Ozzie!' he sighed.
'Oh woe and horror…' the Prince said and rolled his eyes.
'I was sure the wizard here would be the first to ask,' the magician groaned.
'I was about to, but he bet me to it,' Janus smirked, 'I've been wondering too. Why the heck do you look like that?'
'Heh…'
Flea nervously scratched his chin, uncharacteristically.
'You're going to laugh,' he finally said.
'Try us,' the Prince said with a faint smirk.
'Alright, but don't tell anyone.'
The monster grimaced.
'I had two reasons,' he said, 'first…'
Marle and Crono looked up in surprise as they heard a choked sound and saw Janus trying to muffle a laugh with one hand.
What? Crono asked.
"Oh nothing," Janus said, his voice hardly steady with the suppressed laughter, "I just thought of something funny. Never mind."
"Alright," Marle shrugged, focusing on walking.
She was a bit too tired to bother about humor for the moment. Though she was happy to have gotten away, the past day was starting to eat on her. Crono glanced at her and offered her his hand for some new strength. She smiled gently at him and accepted the touch.
Meanwhile, three voices were still laughing, suppressed and otherwise.
'And secondly my eyesight was fading so I had to do something to keep from going blind!' Flea shouted to be heard over the noise.
'Ha!' the Prince almost yelled with laughter, 'it doesn't surprise me the least either!'
'Now you're being plain mean!' the Mystic pouted.
'You can't blame us!' the Pawn smirked through two explosions of laughter.
'Hey! Respect, somewhere?!'
'Not around here, Flea.'
'What do you expect? You are "so damn ugly as a man"?' Janus snickered.
'I told you you'd laugh…' Flea grumbled and sourly crossed his arms.
Trying not to chuckle the royal wizard walked on through the snow storm towards the distant cave.
Finally they saw the distant shadow of a cliff far a way and rushed forwards. More diving inside than anything else they found the dark orb waiting for them.
"Finally…" Marle sighed with relief.
"Have to agree on that," Janus said, absentmindedly painting the line of fire to get his staff to lean on.
His body was grunting in protest at every movement now; he was tired.
'When did I last sleep properly…?' he tiredly thought.
'Not since we showed up,' the Prince replied.
'Not a few days before that either, with my restlessness about missing the crew when they came to save Leene.'
Janus grimaced and stretched his back.
You alright? Crono asked, holding the Gate key in his hand.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need some decent rest…"
"You better stick to the plan and go back to Guardia for a couple of days while we go talk to that guru you mentioned," Marle kindly said, "you've been working non-stop lately."
Janus smiled a bit, tiredly.
"You're right, I better go home."
Three exhausted figures stumbled out of the pillar of light, almost crashing on the dark floor.
"You're back?!" Lucca's voice shouted from somewhere ahead, followed by running steps.
"Fresh and alive…" Marle grunted, leaning against the dark fence.
"What happened, did thee come to blows with someone?" Frog wondered, giving Janus some support as the wizard crouched against his staff.
"Yeah, Janus' daddy sure is persistent!" the princess said with a sigh.
"Much alike him," the knight mildly said.
Janus just grimaced at that.
No, we're fine, we just pressed ourselves a bit too much through the snowstorm to get back, Crono calmed everyone.
"Hello, prince Janus," an old man's voice gently said.
The wizard looked up and frowned. But that soon melted into a recognizing smile.
"Gaspar, what are you doing here?"
"Not much," the old guru smiled back and took his hand, "watching over time, mostly."
'Had to leave a couple of surprises behind, didn't I?' the Pawn said with a faint smile.
"You know each other?" Lucca asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The Guru of Time," Janus said, smiling.
"Not a trace of them, lord Dalton…" the soldier fearfully said.
"Hmm…"
To the warrior's relief the lord didn't seem as angry as he had feared. Instead, he was looking around the field, thoughtfully.
"They're clever…" Dalton muttered to himself.
The track had just ended, searching in the snow down there was rather pointless. But he wasn't going to give up that easily, those insects would pay dearly.
Something wasn't right here… not only that he was very curious about the truth. There was something more present…
The grass was clean of human works.
He smiled coldly.
Maybe…
He leaned down and touched the grass, then smirked.
"Here we go…"
And he followed the trace that the staff had left behind as it was summoned.
"… Though there's no real need, we'll need his help sooner or later."
"You're well informed, prince," Gaspar complimented, mildly.
"I had a good teacher," Janus said with a chuckle.
'Should have thought you some things about self-sacrifice though,' the Pawn grunted, not too serious however.
'Well now… huh?'
He looked around at a hissing sound.
"Strange thing!" Ayla howled, jumping up and down nervously.
"What's happening?" Marle called.
"The Gates are being closed by an external force," Robo beeped, concerned.
"Dalton!" Janus and Gaspar growled, both diving at the magical portals.
The light was steadily falling from all of the pillars, soon the time travelers would be completely locked in.
"Oh no you don't you one-eyed dog!" Gaspar snarled, stretching his arms straight aside.
Janus mirrored his movements and they both began chanting in low voices.
The light shivered and for a moment the pillars rose and fell until two of them suddenly went out completely and the rest flared up for a second. The two magicians sighed in relief.
"He got the ones to Zeal, but we stopped him from sealing the rest," the guru reported.
Well, I suppose we do need that other guru's help right away… Crono commented.
'This isn't good, boys…'
"Urgh…"
Janus swayed back and forth for a moment until everyone closed in to give him support. He faintly smiled through a veil of exhaust.
"The wizard Janus is suffering from extreme loss of rest," Robo informed, "breakdown estimated to occur within ten hours."
'That sounded familiar,' the Pawn said with a roll of his eyes.
'Indeed…' the Prince agreed.
"When did you last sleep?" Gaspar demanded.
"I was unconscious when I got to Zeal…"
Frog, bring him back to Guardia, will you? Crono suggested, we'll go to the future.
"Thy request is a wise one," the knight said.
He smiled faintly and continued:
"Powers of the world, I bid of thee to lend me the power of Water. Na matala sela."
Janus straightened up and smiled down at the swordsman as the healing stars reenergized him a little. It wasn't top notch but he was proud of his friend for learning.
"Let us leave this for a moment of history," Frog kindly said, "thou hast done more than anyone possibly could ask of thee in the past few days."
"And my reward is to be shredded and roasted alive by Lai," Janus dryly smirked, "thanks a lot."
They just chuckled then, the lot.
And thus, a plate went broke in the castle's dining room. It was rather packed and everything went silent at the sudden sound, surprised glances being thrown at the reason for the crash.
'Can you hear me, Lai?'
A hand clutched a flame-shaped gem.
"Janus?!" the young woman shouted, bringing the whole room to its feet.
'Frog and me are on our way, we'll be in town in half an hour or so,' the mental voice of the wizard softly announced.
"They're coming back! He's alive!" Lai called with overwhelming relief so loud half the castle heard it, "damn, he's back!"
If the other occupants of the building had not heard the female magician's cheer, they could not by any chance have missed the common rejoicing following her voice.
About one hour later Leene's guardian and Janus the royal wizard came through Guardia forest.
"Oh no, I hate that…" the blue-hair groaned as the two sighted the castle gates.
"Come on now, hero," Frog smirked and dragged him on towards the assembled crowd.
'Yeah, be a man!' Flea snickered.
'You're one to talk!'
'Well ow…'
The knight hardly had time to finish the sentence before the relieved soldiers, servants, advisors, Majesties and various other inhabitants of the castle rushed to meet them.
'I hate it when they put me in the center!' Janus tiredly grunted in his thoughts.
'Straighten up and be a royal wizard, young man,' the Prince cruelly smirked.
Janus rolled his eyes and then he had to try to keep breathing among all the worried questions and relieved smiles.
"Don't thank me for anything!" he shouted to be hard through all the other voices and easily threw a short friend up onto his right shoulder, "I would have been dead if it hadn't been for Frog and his friends!"
"My gratitude," Frog dryly hissed from the corner of his lips.
He didn't exactly like being in the center of so much attention either.
"You asked for it," Janus snapped back in a low voice.
"True."
With a chuckle Frog swiftly leaped down on the ground as the crowd split for the king and queen.
"You had us worried, Janus," the king said while both the knight and the wizard sat down on one knee in the grass to greet the royals.
"I apologize, my liege," Janus said with a neutral voice.
'Oh man, this guy is more whipped than you two ever were!' Flea groaned.
'If it wasn't for the fact that you're tragically right you'd dearly regret that,' the Prince surprisingly calmly said.
'Oh shut up, all of you,' Janus snorted, 'it's called respect and gratitude.'
'It's all your fault!' Flea stated, accusingly pointing at the Pawn.
'Now really, I just brought him here!' the one that had been enslaved defended himself, trying not to snicker.
'Bad enough.'
'Well your guardian angel version of this place could have done a better job then,' the Pawn said with twitching lips.
'Am I suddenly to blame? I handle other time streams, here I am as innocent as a flower!' Flea snorted.
'Excuse me while I laugh, again,' the Prince said in an expressionless voice.
Janus just rolled his eyes, but as his head was lightly bowed nobody noticed.
"Will you two tell us what happened?" king Guardia asked.
"If you allow, I would prefer to rest for a while," Janus said, "what has happened in the past days have been very tiring on me."
"I shall gladly tell thee all I know, my liege and friends," Frog offered, "Janus may fill in the details I lack knowledge of later, alas now he is in dire need of assembling his strength again."
"But of course," the king kindly said, "go to your room and rest then, Janus. We'll send up a meal for you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," the wizard said and stood, nearly swaying again but managing.
His green friend was about to stand up as well, but quickly sank back and watched the ground when another voice spoke.
"Frog…" Leene gently said.
"Your Majesty?" he said, swallowing hard.
"You have proved yourself a great warrior in saving Janus from the Mystics," the queen said, "it would be an honor for me if you would once again be my guardian."
For a moment Frog was silent, and the wizard towering above him was on the brink of sending him a silent threat of further body transformations when the big bulb eyes looked up.
"I cannot deny thee my aid if thee truly wishes for it, my liege," he said in a little thick voice.
"Thank you, Frog," the queen warmly said.
Janus bent down and offered his friend his hand to straighten up.
Though he hadn't had much time to look around the wizard had a strong feeling that he wouldn't be able to see the face he missed the most among those that surrounded him.
Lai hated crowds even more than he did, and he envied her slightly greater anonymity. Even though Janus was grown and had improved his liking for others he still had traces of the small prince left.
'I'm finally getting inside,' he sent out to her mind, wherever it was.
'About time,' she replied, and he smiled to himself.
'I missed you too.'
'You're dead, sweetheart.'
'Thanks.'
'I'll be there in a minute.'
It was with great relief the royal wizard finally made it to his room, threw the staff into it's corner with everyday practice and crashed on his bed.
'Cozy, but I always thought a room just misses something without a few torches,' Flea happily commented.
'I could always light a candle,' Janus grunted, 'that is, theoretically.'
Out of habit he reached for his forehead to remove the headband, then remembered that he'd lost that in the Mystic castle, like his shirt. That had been mended by Melchior though. Lacking purpose his hand thudded onto the pillow beside his head.
'Very theoretically…'
'If you even try to chant in your state I'll have to rip your tongue out,' the Pawn informed.
'Good idea.'
Janus shifted a little with a grunt.
'If an assassin shows up now I'm dead, end of story,' he muttered in his thoughts.
'You're pretty dead anyway,' Flea briskly said one second before the door slammed into the wall.
The staff and a few books that had been lying in a pile on the desk fell to the floor.
"God, Lai!" Janus groaned and covered his eyes with a heavy hand, "spare my poor head…"
"Sorry."
"What?"
He blinked at her as she put the tray she had been carrying on the desk, closed the door and carefully began to assemble the mess of books.
'I think we better take a look at what your friends in this world are doing,' the Prince emotionlessly said, mentally dragging Flea's spirit out of Janus' head by his crag.
'No fun!' the Mystic pouted, but had he not allowed it the warlock wouldn't have been able to get him anywhere at all.
'I think our old friend is getting softer minute by minute,' the Pawn mildly said as he also left.
'Be careful, you hear?' Janus called after them.
'Don't worry about us, bloodshed just bore us by now…'
'Nice knowing you!' Flea teasingly shouted from afar.
'Are they with me or not?' Janus wondered with a faint smirk.
His head felt a bit empty without the three, but at least it was finally completely silent.
"Hey now, Lai," he muttered, trying to get up to help her with the books.
"You stay right there," she ordered, throwing the books into a neat heap.
"Oh good, I thought you had lost it."
She straightened up and glared at him.
"Just how do you look?" she demanded, "you're pale as death itself!"
"I just need some sleep, I'll be fine," he replied with a faint smile.
Lai glared for a moment longer, then her expression suddenly softened.
"What have they done to you, sweetheart?" she asked, much more gentle than before.
Janus shook his head.
"Not nearly half of all they wanted to do, have to be grateful of that."
"Oh no, you're not giving me any of that crap."
She marched over and grabbed his shoulders, pushing him back down on the mattress so she alone could sit on the bedside.
"No subtle evasion, I want to know what happened," she said.
"Why then, it's not that funny," Janus pointed out.
"I know. It's so I can tear out Slash's heart and shove it down Ozzie's throat while dancing on Flea's rotting remains."
'Hold me, she's scary!' Flea's voice squeaked somewhere distantly in Janus mind.
This was followed by the Prince's very irritated voice:
'Get off me or I'll slice you up more thoroughly. And cut the damn anchor in his head!'
Janus chuckled lightly, at all the voices, present or no. This caused Lai to smile a bit.
"You know I'd do it too," she said.
"Yeah, I know. You're a demon."
The wizard put his hand under his head on the pillow.
"Frog is telling the story now, isn't he?" he pointed out.
"I don't give a damn about Frog's version. He wasn't with you all the time," Lai said, eying him more seriously.
"Alright, anything for my student," Janus gently said with a small smile, "but don't gut me if I fall asleep halfway through."
Lai smiled a bit, watching his weary, red eyes.
"You should eat something before you fall asleep," she kindly suggested.
"I can't eat and talk at the same time as I feel now."
"Alright, then talk. Here though."
He sat up leaning against the wall and accepted the glass of water that had been on the tray.
"Well, I was tired after the battle with Slash and lack of sleep, so the mantis thing that Flea had made up last was faster than me," he began, "but it did make Frog change his mind about battling or not, quickly."
It was natural knowledge that if she found out the truth about that, then she would kill him.
After emptying the glass Janus slipped further and further back on the mattress while his disciple kept listening. He fell asleep somewhere around his meeting with the others in Zeal, and as he was too heavy for her to move Lai wrapped the bedspread around him.
"You're overdoing it, sweetheart," she softly mumbled and forced herself to simply kiss his forehead before straightening up.
His blue hair gently tickled her cheeks as she moved.
She left the room without looking back.