CHAPTER NINE
Unexpected Meeting
The forest air was crisp and cool, perfect weather for the large insects to come out of their holes to feast without fear of their natural predators being about this night. Crawling from behind two bushes a couple of giant beetles scurried into the open trail. As they moved about, looking for smaller insects, they paused as an unnatural occurrence began happening before them.
As the air and reality started to bend, appearing as if a door was shimmering into existence, the creatures fled for cover. Something raw, powerful, was coming and the weak beetles didn't want their own existence to come to an end. All of the woods went silent as Noah and Euphrosyne stepped through their dimensional weave.
The woodland was thick and even the trails were showing hints of overgrowth. In all the forests in the world, Euphrosyne felt this specific forest seemed older and purer than any other she's ever seen. Taking in the sights as much as possible, the Chancellor of Inventions began wandering about, losing herself in the serenity of nature. Noah had more pressing matters to deal with.
Moving his hand in a circle, the sorcerer spun, focusing on the presence of magic that would be around. Summoning the power of the Black Wind, Noah felt a strong pull towards the north and south. Using his second acquired power—that of Spekkio—the sorcerer closed his eyes so he could focus, sending out his foresight to the north. Balancing both techniques became ever draining on Noah, but he knew that his dreams depended on his success.
Upon investigating the north, Noah saw in his mind's eye, an array of colored light, similar to seeing that of the Aurora Borealis. Swiftly did he turn south, immediately knowing that the Rainbow Shell was to the north but it, even with all of its natural power, was not the item that he was searching for. Focusing back to the south, the young wind mage locked onto the second magical source. In an instant, the wind mage was blasted off his feet as the sight of a brilliant light, as bright and magnificent as the sun itself, slammed directly into Noah's mind. Immediately, Euphrosyne was there, by his side and helping her lord up to his feet.
"Where are we?" the chancellor began but quickly changed the question. "What happened, my liege?"
"Worry not about me," Noah snickered while dusting himself off. Even though he would've preferred his chancellor to worry about him first, he also knew that she believed nothing could truly harm him.
"As for your first question, we are in Gaurdia Forest. As for the second, I am more than well," the sorcerer paused to grin the wickedest grin that Euphrosyne has ever seen on her lord. "The Sunstone isn't far from here. Let's go."
"What on God's green earth is he doing!" cried King Gaurdia as the very ground below him continued to shake.
The noble held on tightly to his throne, so tightly in fact that his knuckles were whitening in their grips of the throne's arms. The beautiful Queen Schala, on the other hand, couldn't remain seated as the room quivered beneath her. Before she slammed into the stone floor, the dexterous swordsman was there, catching her in mid-fall. Holding her by her hand and shoulder, Crono pushed his shoulder over her, using himself as a shield from the debris that fell from above.
"Your brother is going to doom us all!" the king howled through the rumbling. To Crono, that sounded exactly like Janus.
Meanwhile deep in the darkest dungeons of the castle of Gaurdia, no earth could be felt moving and only a gentle breeze flown through the dank crevice. As the wind blew his cape just slightly, the wizard extended his arms wide as if he was expecting to embrace someone. A black gate, darker than the shadows that surrounded the wizard, began to open to another plane. A beast of great proportions exited the portal, not appearing pleased or impressed in the slightest.
Janus lowered his arms before the demon, though it wasn't the weak creature he desired but he had to take what was given to him. Without even flinching as the demon starting attacking him, Janus felt confident that his circle would hold. Indeed, it did. As the great beast made of an oily substance continued its assault against the barrier, Janus just looked nonchalantly at his glove that he began to adjust. Even though the creature was beyond his control, the only thing the wizard could think of is that his gloves never would fit properly.
Now realizing that he couldn't break the barrier—since the first thing out of the ordinary he noticed was the pentacle was a hexagram and thinking the wizard erred in his designs—the demon took a step back. He knew the wizard was an odd one with how he created the gate but this mortal was obviously not unaccustomed to his kind or a least the depths of the void. For the demon to return home, he had to be dismissed, so he would listen to the foolish mortal.
"Are you done?" the wizard said passively as he adjusted his other glove. "You aren't the one I summoned. Who might you be?"
The demon who was no fool kept his mouth closed. Any mortal who knew the demon's name could summon that specific demon and would have some control over it. When the gate opened to the plane of Limbo—Dizalu the great demon tossed aside his weaker servant demon—so he could step through the gate himself to destroy the summoner. Though this wizard was a crafty one, he wouldn't be able to outwit the demon of eons.
"Alright," Janus began as he leaned on his scythe. "In the distant past, a Saturn Zeal lived—"
"YOU MORTALS! LIMBO HAS NO NEED FOR TIME! 'PRESENT, PAST, FUTURE' ARE IRRELAVENT! TIME, HA, DOESN'T EXSIST. IT IS NOTHINGNESS!" the demon bellowed, shaking the room with his booming voice. In response, Janus lifted his pinky into his ear, turning it ever so often.
"Whatever. Humor me. It may have been yesterday to you or it may not have happened yet, but I need the service of Saturn Zeal," the wizard calmly stated without taking his eyes off the beast.
"YOU'RE NOT LIKE THE OTHERS WHOM SUMMONED ME. ACTUALLY," the demon paused, trying to see a memory or perhaps a premonition. Either way, it seemed to notice something familiar with the wizard, "YOU. I'VE SEEN YOU BEFORE. ANOTHER FOOLISH MORTAL RISKED HIS ETERNAL SOUL FOR YOUR LIVING BODY."
Janus placed his chin in the palm of his hand as he nodded about the information that was given. The wizard was, though his calm expression didn't show it, was surprised about this turn of events. As luck would have it, that same demon that may have helped him out of the realm of lost souls. How coincidental things been happening, always that seemed to lead back to Noah.
"I can see you long for your home, so please, don't bother me with useless information. Saturn Zeal was banished from the Temple of Black long ago, correct? And I would like to know who did it?" though Janus was only guessing, he felt positive in his observations.
"YES, HE HAS FAILED AS GAURDIAN OF THE TEMPLE. THE ONE WHOM BANISHED HIM WAS A MORTAL NAMED, NOAH," Janus opened his mouth to, perhaps, ask another question, but the demon was already far ahead of him. "NO, YOU MAY NOT SPEAK TO SATURN ZEAL NOR CAN YOU EVER FREE HIM. UNLIKE YOU, HE WAS NOT OF FLESH AND BLOOD."
The news felt like it would put the wizard on his heels but with his mental discipline, Janus stood his ground. Even though he was anything but at that moment, Janus stood up to his complete six foot height, lifting his chin with great pride. The demon was not intimidated and it even seemed extremely annoyed. With a grin, the wizard whispered the single word that the beast been waiting to hear the second he got to this plane.
"Dismissed."
The demon leapt back into the gate, causing the foundation of the palace to tremble once more. Diving for cover as some large stones fell from the ceiling, Janus wondered if his sister was alright. Surprisingly enough, the wizard wasn't looking forward to telling Crono that he had no way of saving his friends from the grueling fate of Lavos.
The sight was pitiful. The swordsman fell to his knees and began to sob with the harsh reality of the life they lived. Janus gave his comrade some credit; though he sobbed he didn't shed a single tear. Though the sight of Crono, the 'leader' breaking down was sad, it hit a cord with the wizard. A painful memory came to the wizard that of a boy lost in a new world where he had no one to condole in. It wasn't a pleasant memory and it just aggravated the wizard even more.
"Get up, Crono, we don't have time for this," Janus crudely commanded.
"Janus," Schala gently said while lifting a hand to halt her brother from saying any more inconsiderate words. If the wizard was any other man, he would've bowed out but the dark wizard wouldn't bow to anyone, not even his own sister. Still, for her sake, he tempered his voice for the swordsman.
"It's alright, Crono," Janus strained the words out, even twitching and eyebrow as he continued. "Though we can't help our friends, we could at least have a talk with the one who destroyed our only chance we had."
It was suppose to be comforting but it was more than that to Crono. Those words set a fire off in the swordsman, one that the wizard never seen in Crono but has seen in himself, that of revenge. As silent as death, Crono rose from his position, ready to move out.
"Janus, you just got here. Can't it wait?" Schala asked sweetly, hoping her charms could detour her brother's course.
"You know they can't stay my love," King Gaudia spoke in, drawing his wife's attention to him. "This Noah had personally attacked your family. Janus has to go, to get his answers."
Schala smiled at her husband and nodded her concurrence, while—when no one but the king was looking—Janus also nodded at the noble for his understanding. The wizard wanted nothing more than to stay with his sister and maybe to take some time to get to know her husband more. He hated to admit it to himself and never would he say it aloud, the more he got to know Harold Gaurdia, the more he actually liked the man.
"I will return to visit but I know not how long I'll be gone..." before the wizard could finish the beautiful queen rose and wrapped her arms around her lost brother. The warm feeling was welcoming and a distant memory, almost forgotten, begged Janus to return the embrace. Damn his pride, only for that moment. Without missing a beat, the wizard returned the hug gently, worrying that his strength, if not controlled, could harm his sister or her unborn child.
A cough from behind broke the sibling's loving embrace. With a warm smile, Janus mouthed 'I love you' to his sister before turning to the waiting swordsman, whom had a stupid grin on his face. The genuine smile on Janus's face vanished with a deep scowl aimed at his comrade. Regardless of the silent death threat, both swordsman and wizard marched out of the castle of Gaurdia to the time machine, Epoch. Neither noticed Janus's handiwork of that of both southern towers, young of stone, were nothing but a pile of rubble. It would take a century to fix the damage that Janus's magic has caused.
"Why are we heading to the present?" asked Crono as they were already flying through the time stream.
"I like these controls better. The First Millennium Age sounds better than the present. Anyways, we need to search for Noah somewhere. If we go to the First Millennium, we can then work our way backwards," Janus answered as the Epoch exited time-space.
Flying the machine south some, the wizard landed on a small peninsula that homed Lucca's parents. If Noah was around, the wizard figured that Taban may know something, at least in Truce. Both men headed to the house of the great inventor. However, before they reached the door, Crono lifted an arm up to his friend. A quick glare from Janus followed, which the swordsman only shook his head.
"They know their daughter is dead," Crono whispered to the wizard, which settled the anger that began to build somewhat. "Let me talk to them. I can be more—"
Both snapped their heads to the door as a groan of pain came from that direction. The duo rushed the door. Crono was first, slamming his shoulder against the wood, splintering the portal at its hinges. The wizard charged in a heartbeat later, navigating his way through hundreds of books on the floor to the table where Taban was laying on. The inventor was not in the best shape. Appearing as if he was beaten into submission, Janus was still relieved that he was still alive.
"Taban," Crono whispered as he finally reached the poor man. "What happened?"
"W-wind. So much… wind. Look at… the mess," Taban weakly said.
It took everything Crono had to suppress a smile. Lucca's and Taban's place was always a mess but upon closer inspection, the books weren't in there normal stacks. They were actually scattered in disarray like…
"It looks like a hurricane blew through here," Crono spoke his thoughts aloud.
"Noah," the wizard nodded.
An explosion sounded outside, which had the swordsman running out of the house. Janus would've followed to see what caused that sound but a part of him felt he needed to stay. Needed to stay for the woman he loved, for her father. Taban reached out and Janus snatched it in a firm grip.
"Lucca's friend," the inventor managed to say in one long wheeze.
"Yes, I was. I'm sorry, I couldn't save her."
"It isn't… our duty… to control someone… else's fate. You couldn't save… her… and you can't… save…"
At that moment, the inventor's hand began to loosen. His words struck Janus hard. He lost Lucca, he couldn't save her. Grasping Taban's hand tightly, Janus didn't know what to do. All he knew was that he would be damned if he would lose Taban.
Suddenly, a green glow appeared in the wizard's hand and began pulsing into the inventor. Janus was wide-eyed, darting his eyes from his hand to Taban, shocked to believe what was happening but he wouldn't let go. In moments, Taban was up and off the table, looking as if he only took a punch in the face.
"How in the world?" Taban began but Janus was already out of the house.
The second the wizard stood beside Crono, the swordsman looked at his friend, asking the silent question about what took him so long. Janus seemed completely oblivious of Crono. The wizard didn't want to think about what just transpired. Never before could Janus cast any healing magic and no matter how hard he tried not to think about it, he thought about it all the more. Almost as an unconscious move, Janus lifted his gloved hand to stare at it hard, expecting it to do something else.
"Over there," Crono pointed over the ocean to the next continent.
The distraction was what the wizard needed. The sun was rising in the east, which helped the wizard see the outline of smoke coming from the south. The smoke was coming from the church.
"Noah," both men said in unison and strangely enough, in a very similar death tone.
The Epoch was tricky to land in the thick forest but Crono was more than capable of maneuvering the craft to the ground. Hopping out of the craft, the duo rushed to the fallen nuns who were outside the church, sitting against some trees. They were dazed but they didn't seem harmed. With an exchanged nod, both men charged into the church, full steam.
Turning his attention from Euphrosyne to the visitors, Noah tilted his head. As he seen the two interrupters enter, the sorcerer waved his hand to send his chancellor away with her strange device. The young sorcerer knew that she still needed time to complete the device with the newly acquired Sunstone shard and he was very interested in his guests. Euphrosyne headed to one of the private chambers as the duo continued their approach.
With a wave of his hand, the wind mage cause a sudden, extremely powerful gust of wind at the two guests. Janus was ready this time, embedding his scythe into the floor and holding on tight from the hurricane. Crono, on the other hand, wasn't ready for the quick reaction from Noah. The wind lifted him off his feet and blew the poor swordsman out of the church's double doors, which slammed shut the moment he was out. And to keep him out, Noah adjusted his wind so it blew back to him and back at the doors in two separate forces of winds, sending rows of benches against the doors as a barricade.
"I'm not impressed," Janus sneered as he retrieved his scythe from the floor.
"This is a most unexpected meeting. Last I checked, I left you three stranded at the End of Time," Noah returned that sneer with one of his own.
"I'm full of surprises," the wizard taunted.
As quickly as his hands could move, Janus began casting a spell. Instead of trying to outcast the wizard, the wind mage enfolded himself in his cloak. Pointing at Noah at the end of his spell, Janus released a rolling ring of fire at his nemesis. The fire hit Noah full force. Noah wasn't harmed in the slightest. Once the fire ended, the wind mage through open his cape and begun casting his own spell.
Janus also began casting but inside he cursed himself for not realizing that his enemy was wearing a fire resistant cloak. Why else would it be red? It was moot anyways as Janus managed to get his Magic Wall up in time for Noah's spell.
"Yes Indeed!" Noah cried as two yellow cyclones entrapped Janus and flung him hard against the ceiling and began to suck him back down so he would slam into the ground even harder than when he hit the ceiling. Janus remained motionless, defeated. With a snicker, Noah couldn't believe it was so easy to defeat the legendary Magus. He was just going to see his chancellor before he heard whispers from behind. Turning back around, Noah couldn't believe that he let his pride rule over his better judgment.
Smiling evilly, Janus was glad that the sorcerer fell for such a simple trick like playing possum. It gave him enough time to risk casting a long, powerful spell. Unlike the wind attack Noah use, it was minuscule compare to the endless void that Janus had planned for him. Bringing forth all of the darkness, all of his power, all of his energy, the dark prince release his terrible force of Dark Matter. Nothing happened except that the wizard fell to his knees, panting for every breath.
"That's it!" Noah whole-heartedly bellowed. "You couldn't have gotten a better chance at me than at that moment. So now it ends, Magus. Let me show you some of my real power!"
Janus closed his eyes, accepting whatever Noah was going to do. He was weakened, ironically by the drain of his own spell that failed. Noah's chant filled the dark prince's ears but all Janus could think about was Schala. As his last seconds neared there was only one thing Janus thought. Schala, I'm sorry. I'm not coming back.
"Prismatic Eraser," Noah called but Janus wouldn't open his eyes nor would he bow his head.
The agony the prince felt, as if every cell in his body was being ripped apart. Never had Janus felt such pain. But he refused to scream, refused to open his eyes, refuse to bow to this young delinquent. His blood felt like it turned to acid and his body felt like it was going to explode. Then, it was over and Janus welcomed the darkness of the beyond.