Of course I'm evil. I love being evil. And you haven't yet seen the height of it, either!
Actually it's only in writing that I'm really evil, but since things are like that I make sure to make the best of it! *cackles*
Chapter 15, Finale
Schala's neck couldn't support her head and it dropped, Cered helplessly watching her and trying to reach far enough to touch her, give just a tiny drop of comfort to the desert of her torn soul. But the dark nets wouldn't allow it.
Glancing at Lai with tears craving release in his big, dark eyes, Frog couldn't help but shudder. Her expression was not unreadable. But there was nothing to see. Her gaze was a void.
Molor wasn't moving at all, his head bowed. What he felt was shrouded by his cold eyes.
Small boots clicked against the floor.
Heads snapped up and finally a growl rose in Lai's throat as Flea bent over the fallen wizard.
"Heh. Well what do you know…"
Pink fingertips touched a clammy, pale forehead. Straightening up, the magician put his right fist on his hip and glanced at the others in the room. The wolf assassin watched her master together with the other transformed monsters, leaning on the lizard as she was still dazed.
Flea smirked slightly and announced the verdict.
"… The lil' wizard… is still alive."
The prisoners froze, far from relieved by the news. In Janus' situation that was hardly a blessing, it only meant he was still breathing – in the clutches of the Mystics'.
"Well damn, must be getting rusty," Ozzie said, cracking his knuckles.
"Don't look at me, you know I'm no good with magic," Slash commented with a wave of his hand.
A strange sound filled the dry air.
Flea laughed.
Lai clenched her fists, snarling furiously though the net plastered over her lips wouldn't let her curse the sadist. Her friends shared her opinion, sparkles of energy flying from Schala's new attempts to tear herself free.
The Mystics paid no heed to the pathetic hatred of humans and snake.
"You two…" Flea chuckled, hiding his lips behind a slender hand, "priceless!"
Slash and Ozzie exchanged rather puzzled glances.
"What did we do?" the swordsmaster asked, frowning.
"Ha!"
Flea nearly choked with glee, a "hanging" opinion being that him really dying with laughter was hotly desired.
'How can you laugh?!' Schala silently screamed in anguish.
Lai's thoughts were not meant for print.
But as the other's raged, a creeping suspicion began to grow in Frog's heart, although it was far too twisted to believe.
Or so he hoped.
It took the magician several seconds to recover from the hysterics, even his assassins eying him strangely.
"Alright, alright…"
The final giggles died away and he just snickered.
"… I'm fine. Sorry about that, cuties."
Confusion was replaced with careful relief among the monsters.
"Are we back on cute terms now?" Ozzie almost mildly asked.
The magician chuckled, but managed to control himself and just nod.
"Are you coming home then, Flea?" the king wondered, carefully.
"Oh I…"
Flea turned his gaze towards the hesitant assassins.
"What do you guys say?" their master cheerfully asked.
For a second they seemed stunned, then profusely and collectively nodded. Well, one could guess that the invisible one also agreed.
"Fine then," Flea smirked at the king and swordsman.
"Glad to hear it," Slash said with a slight smile.
"Ah yes…"
The pink skinned one looked at the broken body by his feet.
The humans hissed as a hand went down and Janus was lifted in his collar, hanging motionlessly in the grip of his nemesis.
"And this poor thing, what in the world shall we do with you?" Flea purred.
There was a silence.
Finally Ozzie spoke, sighing.
"As much as I hate saying it, king Guardia will want to hear a story he can believe, and with his servants dead I doubt he'll trust us."
Flea looked like he was going to explode with laughter again but managed to restrain himself.
Frog felt a spasm by his left eye as the suspicion grew stronger.
"Oh fine, fine…" the magician said and rolled his eyes dramatically, "no more trouble for anyone of us, right?"
"Sad as it is, I doubt we can take it."
"I guess I'll have to play along. He's a reasonable boy after all. Lemme just wake him up."
Flea's free hand pressed against the back of Janus' neck, supporting his hanging head as a deadly smirk grew on the pink face.
Slash's eyes bulged as he realized what the magician was about to do, Ozzie's triumph drowning in pure panic a moment later as his brain also caught up.
"Eh… Flea?" the swordsman said in a slightly high pitched voice, "there are other ways of working healing magic!"
"Oh shush you," the magician snorted, his smirk mere inches from Janus' defenseless lips.
Frog dared to tear his horrified glance away to worriedly glance at Lai. He quickly looked away again. Her eyes were about to pop out of her skull, the color of her face sickly pale with terror and rage. The general hoped that he'd someday be able to forget the look in her eyes.
And then Janus crashed on the floor.
Flea's snicker was one inch from exploding.
"You thought I'd really do it?" he squeaked as he fought to keep his voice under control, "powers of the world…"
For once, Slash didn't care a damn about his image. He sighed deeply, pressing a hand against his chest in an attempt to calm his heart.
"Lardon take you, you twisted… good gods…"
Ozzie was too busy rubbing his temples to say anything.
The nets sagged as the prisoners more or less collapsed in relief.
From Flea's hands a storm of healing stars flew, covering the wizard in a warm light.
"What kind of sick, twisted freak do you think I am?" the magician sniggered.
There was a weak groan.
Intent stares bore into Janus as he slowly moved his left arm and tried to use it for support, reaching a half sitting, half lying position before he managed to speak.
"To answer your question, Flea," he grunted and finally straightened up with a heated look through the exhaust, "be glad that you couldn't hear me screaming."
"Oh, I had a feeling you were watching from the outside," the magician evilly chuckled and poked Janus' face further upwards with a finger under his chin, "now… since Ozzie seems to have troubles with his stomach I guess I'll handle the diplomacy today."
The wizard just glared. Flea smiled cheerfully.
"I think the deal is that we let you and your sweet collection of family and pets go if you swear to shut up about this when you get back to the castle," the magician said.
He flicked his finger and in his weak state Janus couldn't help but waver at the small movement.
"I'd still like your head on a platter but I guess I can live with that," Flea added and straightened up.
"Deal."
Janus scowled.
"And are you 'dead', then?" he sarcastically asked.
"Like a stone, promise!"
Flea grinned and looked up at the prisoners, raising his hands.
'Oh, and by the way,' he chuckled to Janus, Slash and Ozzie only, 'you three can't act worth crap.'
Janus dearly wished he could have smacked his forehead, hearing the Mystics silently laugh after a moment of surprise. But if he gave an indication that something was wrong and his friends found out the truth, he knew that he'd wish he had been killed.
'That bad, eh?' Ozzie smirked.
'Saw straight through you,' Flea snickered, 'though you have to admit this wizard-muffin has guts.'
'Yeah… one of my worst plans ever,' Janus grunted, allowing himself to rub his forehead innocently.
'Oh, but you're such a dear…'
Flea nearly laughed aloud, snapping his fingers. The dark nets obediently shattered, leaving the prisoners gasping for air that had almost been neglected them, and of course due to the fact that they were now floating freely a couple of dozens yards above the ground. Supported by Flea only.
'Not every madman would let himself get beaten to a bloody pulp to cheer up his mortal enemy,' the magician cheerfully ended his sentence.
At that, Janus just snorted and let it be unsaid that he hadn't held back a single grain of power.
'And you still went with it?' Slash somewhat less than tactfully asked.
'Too good to pass up on. And I saw that you really did have fun, boys.'
Flea began to lower his hands, the levitation spell following his movements. Janus' gaze was set on the descending forms of his allies, tense like they were about their situation. As relieved as he dared to be, he all too well knew of the magician's unpredictable sense of fun and he was not in the mood for cruel, stupid jokes.
Apparently not very fond of it either, the released prisoners showed obvious signs of trying to keep from moving; the twitches of hands and nervous turns of heads spoke loudly.
Flea's eyes narrowed.
"Ah, one problem."
He bent the fingers of his right hand, all but the pointing one which he held upright for a moment before beginning to bend it towards and away from him in a quick pace; a summoning gesture.
Frog croaked in surprised protest as he helplessly shot forwards, ending up floating a couple of feet above the ground before Flea. The most primitive part of his mind decided that this was probably a really good time to start struggling, whether it brought anything or not.
"We better do something about you, I'm afraid," the magician said with a theatrical sigh, snickering in the next second.
"Let him down, Flea!" Janus harshly called, trying to get to his feet.
Slash grabbed his aching shoulder and threw him back onto the floor in a fluid movement.
"I will, sweetie," the pink-skinned Mystic promised in a smirk, "soon…"
Schala and the others touched the ground, but their dash forwards was blocked by the assassins, whom forced them back against the wall. The Masamune hit the hard stone floor with a sharp metallic clank.
For a moment longer Flea regarded the pathetically cursing and struggling green knight, leaning his chin on a finger.
"Ah, one of my grandest spells…" he finally sighed, "and it comes down to this…"
He raised his hands again.
"This won't hurt a bit. I think."
Janus' second attempt to help his friend was hindered in the same way as the first. He was too weakened to make it past Slash.
"Powers of the World, lend me pure power!" Flea hissed.
Sickly purplish light flowed from his hands as he chanted words in old Zealan that Janus couldn't really make out due to the loud buzzing of the magic itself. The ribbons of stained color encircled Frog's flailing body, forming a circle around him.
Flea suddenly called out in a wordless shout, spreading hands in a commanding wave. And the bubble obediently expanded. The shape vaguely seen within froze completely. Before a heartbeat had passed, pure white light exploded from the ball, crawling along its outer shell.
The imprisoned shadow didn't move.
But it grew.
Arms, legs and body stretched out, face flattened and Janus could swear he saw hair erupt from the once bald skull. The cloak that had frozen spread out behind the knight's back like a wing melted out of existence. The wizard's eyes widened.
And Glenn hit the ground with a groan.
"It wasn't irreversible, silly boy," Flea snickered at Janus while the shocked swordsman stared at his once again human hands, "you just didn't know the spell to do so."
The wizard held back a dear wish to say "I hate you so bloody much". It was the first thought coming to mind.
"If you're done," Ozzie gruffly cut in between everything, "I think we better leave before that banshee breaks through."
He motioned at the people and assassins by the wall. The mantis was trying to avoid being strangled.
"Surprisingly sensible coming from you," Flea nodded, apparently returning to his old self at top speed.
The king gave him a sharp look, with a smirk tugging at his fat lips.
"Don't push it too far, my friend," he said, "I'm fairly sure that my wife has plans on how to make sure that you stay in line in the future."
Flea winced briefly, then sighed and shrugged.
"Spoilsport. But oh well…"
He grimaced one more time, then clapped his hands.
"Always a pleasure to beat you up Janus," he said and winked with one eye, "let's do it again someday!"
"Over my dead body," the wizard replied, but Flea had already been swallowed by the teleportation light, taking Ozzie and Slash with him.
By the wall, five bright flashes signaled the exit of the assassins as well.
But before even Molor had made it over the floor, a still slightly shaking but strong hand grabbed Janus' crag and he came face to face with the face he hadn't seen since he had gone dimension hopping to save another version of himself and his nephew, and really hadn't seen "naturally" for several years. Red-brown, unruly hair seemed to flame in the dusk around the man's glare, the shadows crawling over the human face to turn it into an intimidating mask.
Glenn's voice was a low hiss, burning with a hardly contained mix of anger, disbelief and denial.
"Tell. Me. Thou. Did. Not. Tell. Them. To. Beat. Thee."
Janus knew that no matter what he tried, it wouldn't save his nose from being broken a second time.
"You're human again, Glenn!" he attempted, fighting to sound blank of faked remaining shock.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the other human-colored – and now that Glenn had his real body back, much bigger than before – fist clench while the knight's reversed, normally cheerful features constricted into a deadly scowl. Nope, didn't work. He hadn't really managed to hope it would, either.
Wincing, Janus tried to brace himself for the impact. But he got a respite for that moment as Lai more or less tackled him out of his friend's grip, pressing herself forcefully against him. Schala was more gentle, falling down on her knees beside her brother to enfold his shoulders into her embrace.
Chuckling dryly as he heard his friends weak groan at the weight, Molor slithered up to give Janus support with his long, bendable body. Cered meanwhile gave Glenn a hand to get up on rather unsteady, suddenly twice as long legs.
"Not half bad, really," Janus tried to assure Schala as she stuttered a question about how he felt, "Molor managed to rip my mind out of my body during their last attack, I was unconscious before it really hit me."
"Janus," Glenn scowled, still not halfway to forgiving the desperate idiocy, "shut thy mouth and suffer like a man."
"What do you m…" Lai began, turning to Glenn with a growing, angry frown.
Knowing well what would happen if his friend got tempted to tell everyone else about his conclusion, Janus let his undead survival instincts rule. Grabbing Lai's shoulder before she could finish her question he tore her upwards and forcefully pressed his lips against hers.
While she was still blinking and Schala chuckling softly at the strange sight, Janus smiled drowsily at his fiancée's surprised face.
"I'd like to just go home now…" he mumbled.
Then he fell backwards to be supported only by Molor, skewering the last will that kept him conscious despite his exhaust.
Glenn still broke his nose the next day after dragging the wizard away from the spying eyes of friends in Guardia castle. Then the general promised not to tell anyone else.
All that was quickly forgotten however, as Schala and Cered as carefully as possible told the rest of their already and future family about the remaining Lavos' spawns.
And in the Mystic's lair, Flea grudgingly put his glasses in place, disdainfully looking over his reflection.
"Horrible. And if I go blind over time, I'm blaming you and those meddling Guardians," he snapped at the smirking Skeeza.
She rubbed her chin with her still functional hand, gaze running over the once again male, but still dainty, form before her.
"I wouldn't say horrible," she finally said, "you're too harsh on yourself."
"Flatterer."
Flea smirked casually, glancing at himself in the mirror again.
"And my, my, Skeeza, you shouldn't go around saying such things, married woman that you are."
He would have started running right then if he had seen the queen's devious grin. A moment later he clearly heard it, however.
"True, true… but Flea, let's not talk about me. We were talking about you."
Every single hair on the magician's body stood on end as his worst qualms were proven true.
"Oh, no. No, no, no, no…"
"Oh yes!" Skeeza spoke with the voice of a titan, grabbed Flea's arm and dragged him out of the seclusion of the room, "but first of all, everyone will want to see you again."
Deaf to his whining, the queen dragged the head magician towards the fortress' center, towards the rest of the Mystics.
Flea sighed. He knew he was doomed if the queen had been scheming against his personality. But it wouldn't stop him from fighting against his fate with fangs and claws.
The throne room was filled to the brim, the screeches and sharp chirps of the monsters enough to turn a man gray-haired. And for a moment Flea's growing headache let him be as he brightly grinned at the chaos.
Ahh, sweet home…