Thicker Than Blood

Chapter 12

Enlightened


___________________________

Ayla know about leaving nest! Time pass, grow big, leave nest! Ayla leave nest!
Dactyl leave nest too. Big change! Leave nest! Have baby! Baby grow big!
Leave nest too! Sure you ready leave nest? Not too big yet.
- Ayla, Chrono Trigger


___________________________


12,002 BC

It was a bit past midnight when Dalton finally left his room. Janus had slept late in the morning to prepare for staying up half the night, but he was still on the verge of dozing off when he finally got his chance to sneak in to Dalton's room. He locked the door behind himself and began searching the room for a candle. He didn't like the way it smelled in there; musty, and old, like it didn't see fresh air often enough. It was just slightly too warm to be comfortable, and just enough to encourage the smell. Janus felt suffocated, and soon after lighting a candle he opened as many of the windows lining the far wall as he could. He leaned out over the sill, taking in deep breaths of cool, clean air before turning back to the room, which already seemed less stuffy with the wind blowing through it.

Janus wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for. Damning evidence that Dalton was planning something, of course, but what was that? Would it even be written down? Dalton was probably smart enough to know someone would find any physical evidence, but it wouldn't hurt to look. The drawers in the desk were all locked. The closet yielded only clothes.

It was beneath the bed where Janus finally found something. A mahogany wooden box, thick with engravings in a language Janus had never seen before, over which was inlaid a silver vine that held the entire box in its grip. It was a simple matter to snap the clasp and lift the heavy lid.

What lay inside was a book, and beside it a feather pen and bottle of ink. The book was old, in maroon leather covering that held what was easily hundreds of pages. Janus opened it to about the middle -- the box was large enough to allow that without his trying to lift the book. Most of the writing was scribble, blotted with ink, but some places were clear enough to read. Skimming over it a bit, Janus realized, uneasily, that the book was Dalton's diary. He let his eyes skip down the page until they caught on something.

...Getting it a little under control now. I can't make him stop, the bastard, but now that I've found the cause of it, and I've been...talking to him. I don't know what he wants, I don't know, I can't see, the waves, this damned black wind -- Dalton's writing scribbled off there, and Janus quickly scanned the page to find another place of coherency. One on the previous page looked promising, although nearly all of it was illegible as well.

...Yes, perhaps they're the key! If I can find a way -- there has to be a way -- if only I can hold it long enough, there must be a way!

How did the ancients do it? I know such madness did not run in their blood -- gods the blood! The blood! That must be it! It is his accursed blood in me doing this -- by Acies! I wish this had never fallen to me. I would end it if they would permit the action -- damn them! Damn all of them, they more than deserve what befell them.

Is there a way to reverse what he has done to me? The damned Machine... Dear gods! I cannot take this! If there were any humanity left in me, I would destroy it all, I swear I would!

The door handle rattled, abruptly, startling Janus. Pause, and then it rattled again, more insistently. Obviously, Dalton knew someone was in his room, so there was no sense in trying to hide it. Janus closed the diary, closed the box, looked around -- good, there was no sign he'd disturbed the diary but the desk and closet had obviously been messed with. At least Dalton wouldn't know what he'd been after. Dalton slammed into the door, growling curses loud enough to be heard from within.

Now Janus was left a bigger problem -- how to get out?

The obvious answer were the windows, one of which overlooked a lake. Thankfully, Dalton's room wasn't too high up, so when Janus jumped into the water it didn't hurt much. He hoped Dalton would think whoever'd been in the room had teleported away and wouldn't check the windows, which would give him more time to get to his room.

Janus' little adventure had given him much to think about, including when he would be able to get back in that room and finish reading Dalton's diary. Everything Janus did only left him with more questions -- What was Dalton after? Who was it that kept tormenting him? What was so important about the blood, and --

You promised me Schala!

And most importantly, how was Janus supposed to protect Schala when he didn't even know what the threat against her was?



___________________________




When Ivy woke up, it was with something cold burning down her throat and Kirby's face inches away from her own. She breathed in instinctively, and choked on what her mouth now recognized was water. Kirby took the cup away and brought a cloth to clean the water that had spilled on her.

"Ivy, we were so worried! Why'd you fight the Bloodreaver all on your own -- he almost killed you! Melchior says you have magic, is that true? But you're Earthbound, or at least Hedera was, I dunno about your daddy... Actually, I don't know even who your dad is. Isn't that weird? I've--"

"Uncle Kirby."

"...Yes?"

"Where is Uncle Siris?"

"...In...in there, with Melchior." He pointed to the door, and his eyes widened a moment later when she pushed the blankets away and dropped to the dirt floor of her bedroom, which she shared with Kirby. Hmmm. She wiggled her toes. No injuries. Her ankle was a little stiff and sore, but otherwise she was whole. Which meant Melchior had healed her.

Hmmm.

"Kirby, do me a favor?" He nodded eagerly. "Wait here with Thrustavies," she said, passing the stuffed toy to him. "I need to talk to them, and he doesn't like to be alone." Which was, of course, bullshit, but he bought it and didn't follow her.

Ivy stepped through the door and closed it behind her. It was colder in this room, the one that served as Siris' office, and he and Melchior were seated at the table, talking quietly in hushed tones that silenced when she crossed the room and sat across from them.

Finally, to break the silence, she said, "If I would have known it would be that easy, I would have killed him ages ago."

Siris only scowled at her, which quickly dissolved into sadness, and when he finally spoke, his voice was so soft she scarcely heard it over the howling of the wind. Which sounded, disturbingly enough, like Bloodreaver's roar. "Ivy, there are some things we need to talk about."

"I know," she said, leveling her gaze at him. Melchior sat forward with a sigh.

"I'm not sure you understand the implications of what happened--"

"No," Siris quickly cut him off, looking at her strangely, knowing her well enough to realize that the 'I know' meant I know what you're going to say, rather than I know we have to talk. Suspicion crept into his tone. "How much do you know?"

Ivy refused to look away, despite the intensity of his eyes. Maybe now he would understand. "All of it." Melchior was startled, but Siris wasn't finished.

Fraction of a pause. "Dalton?"

"Yes, Uncle, I know who my father is." Unfortunately, she added silently as she watched for his reaction.

His face went red -- with rage, Ivy knew the story behind her uncle and her parents, although no one had told her -- and he swallowed hard, clenching his hands into fists. His breath hissed out through his teeth. "If he finds out you exist he'll-"

"Kill me. I know." And now, for the obvious question.

"How?"

"The visions." How else? What, he thought she was psychic too? Siris cursed under his breath. Melchior's reaction was neutral. All right. Siris had already explained her visions to him. Good to know.

"Gods damned fucking--"

"Siris," Melchior said sternly, glaring at him, "that is quite enough."

For some reason, Siris suddenly became very angry. "Ivy, he's going to take you away, he--"

"Siris!" Melchior snapped again. "I think she has already proven that we have vastly underestimated her. I'll not allow you to compound that mistake."

"...Um, since it is me we are discussing here, would you two please stop behaving like children and explain?"

They started, as if having forgotten she was in the room. After a moment of awkward silence, Melchior allowed himself a chagrined smile.

"She calls us children."

"She certainly isn't one herself," Siris agreed quietly, the sadness returning to his eyes.

Stop talking about me like I'm not sitting here. Now for a few questions of her own. "Melchior, first off what the hell were you doing out there?"

He shrugged. "I always use the Skyway when I'm down here unauthorized. Zeal may know someone used it but she can't tell who, and can't trace it back to me. Safer than teleportation."

Oh. That made sense. Pretty smart of him, actually. "Okay, if they have it in them, kids get their magic at three. I'm eight, it shouldn't be possible. I know since Mother was Earthbound I have -- had -- a fifty-fifty chance of getting it at all, but that shouldn't affect it, right? What happened? Why do I have it, and why so late?" And Ivy could feel it, like thick, hot liquid streaming through her blood. But there would be time to puzzle that out later on.

The old Guru sat back in his chair, watching her closely. "I don't know. But you realize this means that you will have to come to Zeal, Ivy."

"...I can't stay here?" Her eyes flicked to Siris and the pained look on his face. He wasn't really even her Uncle, they weren't related at all, but he had been in love with her mother. Enough that he wanted to kill Dalton for having taken advantage of her. Enough that he had taken in Hedera's child upon her grisly death, although gods knew he had enough problems of his own between being in charge of the Earthbound, and his brother.

Melchior spread his hands on the flat table top, sighed heavily. "Yes, you could stay here, but... Ivy, a child with untrained -- untamed -- magic is like... You can't just..." He sighed again, through his nose. "It is a force inside of you, wild and volatile, and as with any beast of the forest there are rules for dealing with it safely. If you break these rules not only do you die -- usually a very painful, messy death -- but it, well, without any sort of control..." Melchior trailed off, not sure how to phrase it.

"Boom," she said.

"Well, yes, actually. Boom." He looked up, met her eyes, narrowed his own in something akin to enlightenment, and suddenly switched tactics. "Ivy, I'm offering you a chance to learn, to know things about the world. Do you understand me? Zeal Kingdom is very different from Algetty." Siris snorted contemptuously, and Melchior glared him into silence again. "It's safer, quieter, warmer. Ivy, have you ever seen the sun? Ever seen grass, a lake, a star? Ivy, what this is, it's really quite simple. I'm giving you a chance to live."

Simple...? When Hell froze over. He wasn't just offering her a chance to live, he was throwing wide the door to power, and he had no idea what he was letting in. It was the perfect opportunity for everything. Everything she needed to know, needed to see, needed to live firsthand. Would Schala be a better queen than her mother, or would she succumb to the siren song of Lavos as well? Would the Enlightened survive when his influence was torn away from them, or would the Earthbound be left to preserve the human species on their own? Was there some weakness of his they could exploit to increase their chances of destroying him?

More importantly -- and Ivy realized this was pure pride seeping through -- would there be a place of importance for her in their civilization? She would not be satisfied playing at the role of a child for long, not when the people in charge were fucking themselves in the ass. But would the next ruler, Schala, accept her counsel? It was the curse of intelligence. Ivy would not be content with a life of peace, not by a long shot. She needed to be out there, doing things, changing things, making sure no one made another suicidal mistake like Lavos again. Arrogance? Vanity? Maybe. But then someone who knew what they were doing had to be in charge. Settle down, be happy? Someday, maybe. She didn't care about the stars. For now Ivy was still too much the fighter. Behind the scenes semi-control would do, at present. Or after Lavos actually. Whenever.

Until then she would wait, learn everything they knew only learn it better, faster, more completely. Never again would anyone have an advantage over her. Behind-the-scenes she would be happy with. Second-best...? Like hell. She looked up at Melchior, met his gaze squarely.

"All right."

All the support in his bones seemed to dissolve with her words, and he sagged in his chair, a very old man. Ivy hadn't realized until then he'd actually thought she'd refuse. It was important to know how much he needed her up there. It was? she thought, then Yes. Leverage. Though she doubted she'd ever do anything against old Melchior. He was too vital in the Lavos plan, and beside that he was kind, and yes, all right, she cared about him.

"Can I pack my stuff, do we have to leave right away?" Then something else hit her. "Janus."

The Guru of Life looked confused for only a moment, then some sparkle came back into his eyes. They were pale green, Ivy noticed in some surprise. Like Siris'.

Then the vision-compulsion slammed sickeningly into her stomach, so hard and fast it made her want to vomit. Her body, long used to such things, gave no outward sign, save a subtle un-focusing of her dark blue eyes. Tell Janus. Tell him tell him tell him tell him tell him --

Hells! Tell him what?!

Everything, the voice seemed to hiss. Everything everything everything everything everything everything --

Melchior was saying something, and Ivy forced her awareness to focus back into the real world.

"--bridge when we come to it, I suppose, though I doubt he'll even remember you. He was only down here a few hours, and that was last year."

Whatever that bullshit was supposed to mean. Ivy knew at least to never underestimate the enemy, and was sure Janus was smarter than they were giving him credit for. He was the Prince of Zeal, after all, and even if -- supposing the rumors were true -- he skipped all his classes and frequently set the banquet hall afire, the bloodlines alone gave him more intelligence and power than all of Zeal combined -- aside from Schala and the Queen, of course. Obviously, she would have to handle the Janus thing on her own.

"You're probably right," she said. Then, not at all patiently, "So when do we leave?"


___________________________



Rast: A belated thank you to Mox Jet for letting me use his name for the CT planet -- Elosia. (And thanks for being so nice about the mess.) You can find his stuff here, at Icybrian.com and also at his own site, which you can get to from his profile here. I really recommend his works, especially the newer ones which are at Icybrian.com.

To Ollen70 -- The Guru thing? Just keep reading, s'all I have to say. Next chapter gets a bit more in to Melchior's motivation for helping the Earthbound. And I'm glad you liked my Dreamstone theories. I wasn't really satisfied with what little bit about it the game gave us, and yeah, no one else explains it either. Or at least not that I've seen. I'm also glad it made sense, I was a little worried about that.

Also, thank you MidnightW0LF for being my first fic-related email! ::singing:: Happy happy, joy joy! Happy happy, joy joy! ...Erhem. Anyway, thank you all again for the good reviews! ::hums the song again:: Hope you liked this chapter and I hope I can get the next one out soon enough! I hate it when it takes too long for people to update too, so I'll try my best. But it still depends on the library computers.

___________________________