"Death and darkness...those are my allies..."

Screaming as he fell through a tunnel of light and flashes, Janus tumbled through the endless void, not knowing where it would take him, or if he would ever escape it. All he wanted was his sister, but even he knew that now, he would never see her again.

"Schala!!!"

"This is pathedic! You call yourselves Mystics?!"

"But boss, we can't fight the humans like this! They've got all the weapons, and we can't cast magic powerful enough to get through!"

The leader of the creatures growled as he paced about. "Damn you, Flea...always taking your sweet time to do things...when I get my hands on you, I'm gonn'a..." He stopped as a faint scream was heard, the sound coming out of thin air. "What the hell?! Who's there?!"

The only reply was for the scream to get louder as a swirling vortex opened in the air, the source of the voice appearing as a child was dumped to the ground, the vortex vanishing as mysteriously as it had come. The child, having ceased his screams, slowly got to his feet, shaking his head. "Where...where am I?"

"It's a HUMAN!!"

Janus turned and gasped at the group of creatures. These beings were nothing like Doreen, her family, or the Nus, and he could sense that they weren't friendly. "Aldanya above..."

"It's just a kid, let's kill him!"

"Ah! Dark Bomb!"

The three creatures were blown away by Janus' spell, vaporized into nothing. The largest of them, a fat purple monster, suddenly realized that this was no ordinary human. "Hold on! This one might not be something to kill..." He slipped a small pouch out as he slowly walked towards the child. "I'm sorry, my companions were little jumpy. Tell me, what's your name?"

"Stay away from me!" Janus yelled, backing away.

"I was afraid I'd have to do this." He threw the bag at Janus, silvery powered bursting out and covering the boy. He tried to wave it away, then felt tired, and fell to the ground.

"Take him to the fortress...he's got just what we need to destroy the humans."

Janus' eyes fluttered open as he woke up, finding his surroundings dark and dank. "Where am I?" He tried to sit up, and found that he was shackled to a table, unable to move. "What's going on? Who are you?!"

"My name is Ozzie the Great," the purple Mystic replied. "However, we have yet to learn who you are."

"Why should I tell you anything?!" Janus snapped defintely.

Ozzie sighed as he looked to one of his "mages". "Well, it seems that our friend will have a chance to prove himself after all."

"What do you mean?"

Ozzie grinned as he explained. "It's simple really. You've got power, we've got aims. Since you won't help us willingly, we've arranged for someone else to handle you."

"You kill me," Janus snapped. "And you don't get my powers, period."

"Who said we were going to kill you?" Ozzie said with a sadistic smile. "I think it's time our friend was invited into our home..."

Janus grew scared, then felt the cold chill again. "A thousand nightmares shall soon come true, as time shall twist and rip in two..."

"What?" Ozzie listened as Janus spoke, confused as were the other mystics. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Worlds will collide, realms shall shatter, as the dark Beast of death brings great disaster."

"Beast of Death?" Ozzie was confused. He turned to the mages and nodded. "Open the gate, and release our friend."

Janus regained his senses as a sickly looking portal swirled open, flames and lightning flashing from it's opening. "What's going on?!"

"Quite simple," stated a cold hollow voice. "You're to be my way into the realm of Life." A dark shadow surged out of the portal, flowing over the ground and up the table, engulfing Janus in darkness. He screamed as he felt his body being filled with evil, his very being violated beyond belief.

"Schala!!!"

"Did it work?"

"I don't know, what do I look like, an Oracle?!"

"I was only asking a stupid question!"

"Would you two knock it off?! He's waking up."

Janus' eyes fluttered open, but instead of the heartfelt blue color, the irises were pure black like cold stone. His hair had lightened to a bluish white color, his face becoming sharply defined. "What are you looking at?" he snapped in a hollow voice. "Is this so strange that you can't acknowledge your ally in his new form?"

"It's him," Ozzie stated. "So, who is the brat anyways?"

"Very interesting boy," Janus stated, although it wasn't his mind speaking. "His name is Janus Zeal...seems to be a bit out of his time era...he's from the Ice Age. Very powerful child...should last much longer than my other...hosts."

"He's a human," Ozzie stated.

"Not really...he seems to be descended of a race not fom Earth..."

"So, what do we do now, Daikat?"

"Begin the assualt, but I have a plan to undermine their defenses..."

"Do tell..."

Years passed by as the being who inhabited Janus' body used it to convice the people of Guardia that he was just like them, attacked by the Mystics. He used his childish form to learn their strengths and weaknesses. As the body grew, so did Janus' mind and soul, learning as the demon that controlled his body continued his plan. Despite what the demon thought, he was merely growing stronger in power.

There were those in Guardia, of course, who did not trust Janus, very suspicious of the child who claimed to be on their side. However, they said nothing, only aiding the coming disaster.

Under his guise, the demon befriended the son of one of the great knights of Guardia, a boy name Cyrus. Janus himself would have loved to be friends with the boy, but the demon controlling him would not allow him to reach the surface. However, even a demon needs rest, and the years of blocking out Janus had taken it's toll.

There came a time when Janus managed to gain control of himself, but he could not warn anyone, for fear that the demon would find out, and so would Ozzie and his generals. Instead, he learned what he could, growing up with Cyrus as his friend. All the while the demon was forced to sleep, Janus grew stronger and more powerful, learning more and more of this new world.

The day came when, as called by tradition, he was to be placed with a knight for training. This was exactly what the demon wanted, and what Janus knew he had to prevent.

Cyrus sighed as he threw a rock against the water, the stone skipping the lake. "Why so soon?"

"I share that feeling," Janus stated, looking at the night sky, longing to see his sister again, if only for a moment. He was now almost thirteen years old, a good seven years having passed by since he had arrived in this era. "Soon, this will all end."

"Hey," Cyrus said with a smile. "It's not that bad. Who knows, maybe you'll get Sir Dothin as your leige, and we'll be together again."

"That not why I'm worried," Janus replied. Despite his fears, he had to warn Cyrus of the coming danger. The night before, he had recieved a vision of the future, that in the years to come, Cyrus would die by his hands. "Cyrus...if I ever fall to the Mystics, or they use me to destroy our home...promise me this...you will remember that I would never bring harm to you or anyone else."

"What's gotten into you?" Cyrus asked. "You act like you're going to go over to their side."

"That may be my future," Janus stated. "As strong as I am, even I can fall to the control of a demon..." He was careful with his words, knowing the wrong ones could awaken the demon and cause him to bring the future too soon. "If I should become their pawn, promise me that you will do every thing you can to stop me."

"Janus..."

"Promise me!" he cried. "I'm too powerful to be under their control...Please, promise me..."

"I promise," Cyrus stated. "On my father's honor. But it will not come to that."

Janus sighed. A light wind blew and his shirt flapped a bit in the breeze, his hair waving in strands. "You're a good friend..."

"Bah, you are such a worrier," Cyrus said with a smile. "You and Glenn make such a pair, perfect team. I hope that you do get place with Dothin...you could learn a lot from him."

Janus smiled. Despite that Cyrus was six years older than him, the boy acted like he was Janus' age when he was with him. "Glenn..."

A flash came to him, a vision again of the future, except this one was of something worse than Cyrus' death...it was of Glenn's fate.

Knowing that soon the demon would awaken, Janus stood up and sighed. "I have to go..."

"Why don't you join us for dinner?" Cyrus offered. "Give you a chance to score some points with Dothin so he'll take you."

"No..." Janus replied. "I mean, I have to leave...or else disaster will befall us all." He ran off, Cyrus confused by his words.

"Janus...what's wrong with you?"

As he ran through the woods, Janus could feel the dark essence of the demon in him awakening. He hurried out of the forest and to a nearby cave, making sure he was seen by the knights. Even if he couldn't warn them of the coming danger, his going to that cave would tell them that something was wrong.

"Hey, where are you going?! That leads to the..."

"I know, the Mystics!" Janus raced into the cave and cast a spell, sending the knights to the ground as he ran into the cavern. If his going to Mystic grounds wasn't clue enough, his swatting them away would be more than enough proof that he was now a danger to Guardia.

As he ran out of the cave's other pathway, he screamed in pain, knowing that the demon had awakened from it's slumber. "Stop it!!"

You fool! I should have known better! You chose your words well, knowing that I would sense such a betrayal and awaken, so you gave them reason to believe you a threat! You've ruined my plans...so I shall ruin yours!

Janus fought off the demon's hold as long as he could, casting a spell that sealed the cave on the Guardian land before he collapsed in pain, losing his hold on his own body. "Cryus...forgive me..."

"You can't be serious!"

"I'm afraid so, your Highness. The boy Janus fled to the Mystics' stronghold and injured two of my best," Sir Dothin stated. "It appears that he was one of them all along."

Cryus hid in the shadows, shocked at what he was hearing. "No..." Unable to hear his best friend being branded a spy, he revealed himself. "Your Highness, he's not a Mystic!"

"Who let him in here?!" the chamberlin roared. "Guards, get that boy out of here!"

"No!" the king countered. "Cyrus, you know Janus better than any of us. Any reason you know of as to why he would do this?"

"He said that he feared the Mystics would gain control of him against his will," Cyrus explained. "Not outright, but his words gave me the idea that he had to be very careful of what he said...I believe he ran there to protect us from something that's in him..."

"A demon of the Underworld," Dothin concluded. "That would make sense...even demons must rest and rebuild their strength from such control...Janus had a hard edge to him before, then two years ago, he become much less agressive...I believe that Cyrus is right, Janus fled there to protect us from a demon that is inhabiting his body, one that must be in league with the Mystics. Why else would he have merely injured my men and not killed them, unless he was trying to warn us?"

"Your highness," the chamberlin began. "All we have is mere coincedence and the words of a knight errant that was friend to the spy. How do we know he's not one of them as well?"

"You can't be serious with that!" Dothin roared in protest. "Cyrus was born to my closest friend, how dare you accuse him of being a Mystic spy!"

"I'm merely pointing out all the possibilites," the chamberlin replied. "The point is, that boy Janus knows too much, be he possessed or not, and that knowledge will aid the Mystics in their war."

"Sires," Cyrus spoke up. "Janus has to know what he's doing...but I fear that I may be the only one who can stop him if the Mystics to indeed have control of his powers."

"Cyrus, you're not ready," Dothin stated. "Sire, I'll try and find out what's going on. If Janus has indeed been put under the Mystics' control, I will do what I can."

"Do not hesitated to kill him," the chamberlin ordered. "He is a danger."

"I will not have the blood of a child on my hands!" Dothin snapped. "We may yet have a chance to help him, but I must hurry."

"Do it then," the king ordered. "If he is being controlled by a demon, you don't have much time."

Dothin bowed and ran out of the throne room, Cyrus watching as he left. "Good luck, sire..."

Janus barely managed to crawl to the doors of Ozzie's fortress, collapsing as his strength gave out. unable to hold off against the demon anymore. It was enough though as Ozzie's soldiers dragged him inside to where Ozzie was waiting.

"Why the hell are you here so soon?!"

Janus' eyes snapped open as the demon took control, getting to his feet. "The brat managed to tip them off that he was a threat," the demon stated. "I spent years gaining their trust...now that brat ruined everything! We have to attack now, before they have a chance to prepare themselves."

"And what about you?"

"Most likely, that boy Cyrus has figured out what I am, and they'll be sending someone to save the boy from my hold," the demon replied, walking past Ozzie. "They want a foe, well, they'll get one...it's time I saw some real battle."

"And just what are you going to do?"

The demon smiled coldly as he pulled off Janus' shirt, conjering his own cloaks into his arms as he grabbed some armor. "I'm going to show them just how much of a threat I am...then we'll see how loyal young Cyrus is to his friend."

Dothin, after much trouble, drew his sword as he approached Ozzie's fortress. "Ozzie!" he called. "Release the child Janus!"

"I'm sorry, but Ozzie the Great can't bother with a lousy human right now!" a sadistic voice stated as its owner appeared before the knight. "However, I'm more than willing."

"Flea," Dothin snarled, readying his sword. "Where's the child?"

"Inside," the Mystic general stated. "However, he'll be none of your concern after I'm through with you. Luck of the draw."

"Indeed, fiend." Dothin quickly spun around and swing hard, catching Flea in the arm and drawing first blood. "Release the child."

Flea, holding his arm tightly, growled. "Maybe I'll just let our friend handle you..." He vanished as Dothin readied again, the knight racing towards the fortress. He was about to kick in the doors when a thud resounded from behind him. Dothin turned and gasped at what he saw. "Good god...Janus..."

The boy, clad in cloaks and chest armor, smiled evilly, raising the scythe in his hands. "Janus has gone away, I'm afraid. However, I'll be more than willing to finish you off."

"Demon, who are you?"

The demon laughed as he twirled his weapon, thrusting it towards Dothin. "Born in the fires Hell...Forged in Despair...Death and Darkness...those are my allies. I am the master of Death, he who drives fear in even the most foolhardy."

Dothin held his ground and charged, the demon deflecting his blow with the scythe and kicking the knight away, smiling as he readied himself. "Must you die so soon?"

"Death is not my concern, demon...let the boy go."

"And give up such power?" the demon replied. "I think not...perhaps I should show you the power this boy holds...control of the elements, master of the Shadows...BOLT SPHERE!!!"

Lighting cascaded out of Janus' body in waves, slamming into Dothin and surging his armor with electricity. The knight fell to his knees, then was blown back as a blast of wind sent him flying.

The demon laughed as he walked over, Dothin struggling to get up. "Such a pity...the boy ruined my plan to learn from you knights...it seems though, that I was more than able to compansate for that...you shall serve as a message to Guardia."

"Damn you, demon," Dothin cursed. "One day, that child will break free of your hold, and he will destroy you."

"Doubtful," was the demon's reply before he swung his scythe down.

Cyrus paced back and forth, worried not only for Dothin, but Janus as well. Several knights raced past him and out of the castle, the young man following them outside. "What's going on?"

"Mystics!" one of the knights replied, drawing his sword. "Where are they?"

"Only I have come!" came the hollow voice, Janus' form walking from the shadows. Several archers took aim, but Janus merely waved his hand, the bows flying from their hands and snapping in half. "I am not here to fight, merely to return what is yours."

"Janus!" Cyrus called. "What in god's name happened to you?!"

"Janus?!" the demon scoffed. "Do not bore me with such a weak being's existence or your concern for him! I believe that this belongs to you!" He tosses a sword to the ground, Cyrus gasping in horror as he recognized it as Dothin's. "Let it be known that the Kingdom of Guardia is near its end, the Mystics shall rule this world, and it shall be by my hand that death comes to you!"

"I am Magus!"

To Be Continued......

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