"And like a great angel of vengence, he cast out the demon, and his kingdom shall begin again in the hearts of all those he meets! A Prince of Shadows, a Prince of Light, he shall never die as long good remains in the souls of men!"
Magus sauntered through the corriders with a smug grin on his face, and that was all anyone could see of his face, which was all the better to him. So, this is how time flowed to you...perhaps I can change a few things while I'm at it... I seriously doubt you will. After all, this all already happened before, and nothing has changed... Magus growled as he entered his chambers. "You're a fool, little prince..." He looked to see a servent fixing his bed and nodded to her as she finished and left. "So, what happens now?" "Prophet..." I guess we wing it from here... Such sarcasm... "Yes, what is it?""The Queen requests your presence at the Ocean Palace." Magus nodded and turn to leave the room. "Very well..." He walked past the servent, striding towards the teleport chamber with a smug grin. The time is near...child...soon, your home will be gone, and I will conquer!
"All the preperations have been made," Dalton informed the Queen. "All we need do now, is awaken Lavos. "Excellent," Zeal replied, stopping as Magus approached them. "Ah, there you are..." She saw the look of slight troubl in his mouth."What is it, Seer?" "The strangers have escaped, but I have made sure they cannot return. They fled to the surface and went into a portal, I sealed it so it cannot be used again." "Excellent," Zeal replied, smiling a bit. "You have done well. Too bad we couldn't find out just why they were here." "It's doesn't matter," Dalton stated. "The point is, they are no longer a concern, and we can proceed with awakening Lavos. Prophet, what do you see for our success?" "Lavos shall awaken, and Queen Zeal shall bring about a new age," Magus replied coldly. "We should begin soon." "Dalton," Zeal stated, turning to the blonde, one-eyed general. "Fetch my daughter, and bring the Gurus. It's time their, 'doubts', were dispelled." "At once," Dalton replied, walking off to the transfer chamber. Enhasa turned to the prophet, gesturing for him to walked with her. "So, are you prepared to tell me where you come from?" "I told you, I am from that which you cannot see." "Come now, you really expect that to explain how you do what you do, and why you hold powers like us of Zeal, yet you are not from here? You aren't of the Earthbound, yet like those three strangers, you came to us through a surface transfer chamber. As your queen, I demand to know where you come from." Magus sighed as he lowered his head. "Darkness is my origin," he stated in his cold, hollow voice. "The flames of Hell my forging. If you wish to know from whist I came, look to your own black heart." Zeal laughed at the answer. "Be you mortal or demon then, you still are of much use to me. Very well, if that's how it is, then we shall leave it at that." "There is something else," Magus added. "The child, Janus...he must be there when Lavos awakens." "That powerless whelp? What for, he cannot aid the raising." "None the less, he must be there, it is written such in the future." That's when he felt the presence of the three from before, and he frowned. They've returned? That's impossible! Schala sealed that blasted Time Gate...unless...Belthasar finished that damn Wing of Time of his...they must have met him in another era and gotten it! He said nothing about it, instead bowing to Zeal as she opened the doors to the next chamber. "By your leave, my queen." Soon, you will be gone, and so will your pitiful kingdom of Zeal... And what of Lavos, Janus' voice replied in his mind. You may rule the body, but I rule the soul.Do not forget just who has the control...child... Magus snapped back, continuing on his way. I think that soon, you will be gone, and only I will remain...
Hours later, Magus arrived in the Mammon Chamber, ready to bring the downfall of Zeal. "As you called, my Queen." "Begin the summoning," Zeal ordered. "Immortality will be ours." Magus nodded with an evil grin. "Of course, your Majesty..." He held his hands together, energy flaring around them as he chanted. "Nee Tie, Kai Norsi, Mi Cont, In Su Ra...Kai Tarnee Sorai..." Dalton walked into the chamber as Magus cotinued his chant, bowing to Zeal and saying nothing. The look on his face said it though; the strangers were almost there. She hoped for Dalton's sake that they did not reach their presence. "Keonta Karova, Melanta Harkova..." Suddenly, the doors slammed open, everyone turning to see the red haired stranger and his two companions. "What in God's name are you doing?!" "Dalton, you told me they would never make it here!" Enhasa bellowed. "It matters not!" Magus bellowed with glee. "They're too late!" Suddenly, he collapsed, holding his head from the great pain suddenly inflicted on him as an alien scream filled the chamber, teleporting away. He dropped to the ground on the surface, screaming as his eyes blazed with white light. "No!!! You can't be...no mortal is this powerful!!!" Allow me to tell you a tale from before the family of Zeal ruled Earth...a tale of one who would be possessed by a demon, yet use the power of darkness for Light...Born of Light and Dark, he shall wield the Nightmare blade...The Elements are his allies, the Light his guardian, and the Darkness his servent...He shall come journey beyond the bounderies of time, and cast off the demon that holds his power...He is a prince of a lost kingdom, but he shall be know to all as the Prince of Shadows... I am that prince, demon!! "NNOOOOOO!!!!!!" Magus screamed as black light burst from his eyes and mouth, his screams fading as the light took the shape of his physical form. The body, however, shrunk slightly, the voice gaining back it's youth as it's face reshaped as well. The form fell to his hands and gasped with exhaustion. "I'm back..." "Damn you!! How could a mortal be that powerful?!" Magus bellowed at his former host. "I will return for your life!" With that, he vanished back to the underworld, leaving only Janus in the snow. "And I shall be ready." Janus stood back on his feet, his eyes glowing blue as he pulled out the scythe from his cloak. "Right now...I must preserve history...and take my vengence..."
"Good god," the female of the trio whispered. "Lavos..." The creature roared and swat down the three without much effort. Zeal laughed as she flew onto the shell of the creature, looking down on the three. "Puny fools! You though you could battle the might of Lavos?!" Suddenly, a cloaked form appeared, standing tall and proud, holding a scythe in his hands. "Zeal!!!" he called. "This ends!" "What is the meaning of this?!" Zeal bellowed. "Prophet, why do you bear arms against the might of Lavos?!" "Why does Light battle Darkness," he stated, grasping his hood. "Why does Good battle Evil...and why does the soul of a child battle the essence of a demon?" He pulled back his hood, revealing blazing blue eyes, his elegant elven ears, and long, waving light blue hair. Young Janus saw that the prophet had indeed been transformed. This wasn't the same man...it was a man free from evil. "Great Aldanya..." "False prophet!" Zeal yelled, pointing to her son, the future of her son. "You are a demon of the Underworld, and I shall cast you back to the fires of Hell from which you came!" "The demon is gone!" Janus replied. He thrust his weapon towards Lavos, contempt in his face. "That...beast...is why the demon came in the first place, why your children will suffer their lives destroyed!" "Then you may join them!" Enhasa replied, laughing as she pointed to him. "Who needs a family when you are immortal!" "Magus!" the amphibian man called, gripping his sword tightly. "Thou art not done with me yet!" "I don't have time for this, Glenn!" Janus replied. "I'm here for one thing, and one thing only! The death of Lavos!" "That which will not come!" Zeal stated, a beam of light flaring out from Lavos and slamming Janus to the ground. The light then began to pull him and Schala towards Lavos, Janus dragged as well. "Fools! Only now do you see your folly!" "Schala..." Janus whispered, trying to reach out to the Princess. "Janus, you must help me..." "No..." Janus replied, holding onto Schala tightly. "Please," the future Janus begged. "Or we'll all die..." "You would challenge the might of Lavos?!" Janus looked up to see the human male of the trio standing proudly before Lavos, staring intently at Queen Zeal. Time would not change after all. "No..." "Lavos, my ally, destroy them!" The red-haired one closed his eyes, and ran at Lavos, jumping into the beam that fired out, taking the full force of it. Janus could only stare in horror as red headed warrior was slowly vaporized into nothing. "No, not again..." "It can't be!" Zeal gasped in horror and Lavos was unable to destroy the rest of the group, drained from it's attacks. "How was a single mortal able to do this?!" Janus looked back to see his past self try to get to his feet, then gasp as a vortex open up beneath Belthasar, swallowing him up. Melchior and Gaspar shared his fate as portals opened beneath their feet as well. The younger Janus tried to flee, but found that he too was being swallowed by a vortex, screaming Schala's name as he was pulled into the void of space and time. "NO!!!" Janus knew he had no choice but to flee, he had to, it was the only way he could search for Schala as he watched her teleport the remains of the trio away, then vanish into a time gate. "Schala!!" "Why do you care about her now?!" Zeal bellowed. "You never showed compasion before!" Janus growled as he too began to fall through a time gate. "No!" He surged forward, slashing at Lavos again, this time causing it injury. Lavos didn't bother with a time gate this time, it merely flung the Zeal away into a warp. Janus screamed in anger as he went flying through space and time, crashing into the ground as he was flung from the warp vortex. He hit hard, his shoulder dislocated as he rolled to a stop, motionless as the vortex shut.
What was only hours gone by seemed like days as Janus finally opened his eyes, the pain of his shoulder hitting him almost instantly. "Damnit!" he swore, undable to move his left arm. He whispered of a spell, taking away the pain, then concentrated hard. He grabbed his arm and pulled as hard as he could, the socket popping back into place as his spell held off the pain. "Damn! What happened?!" He looked around and found that he was on some kind of bluff. He was tempted too say he was back in 600 AD, but the vegitation and area was all wrong. He was still in his home era. "The Earthbound..." He whispered to himself. "They'll..." He looked up as a low rumble sounded, only to see the Blackbird flying overhead. "No...Dalton survived?!" He stood up, ready to end Dalton's existence, then saw a small craft fly out of it. "Is that...the Wings of Time?" Watching for a few minutes, he saw blasts of light fire from the small craft and rip the left wing off the Blackbird, the giant aircraft falling towards the ocean. The much smaller craft flew to the surface, landing not far away. Janus knew that they would come soon when they heard of a vortex here. "Glenn...you're with them..." He turned and cloaked himself in invisiblity, waiting for Glenn to come, and for his chance to let the truth be known.
It was almost an hour before they arrived. The frog was among them, true, and that's exactly what he wanted. As the neared the bluff, he dropped his veil of invisibility, revealing himself to them. "I knew you would come..." "Magus!" the frog growled, drawing his sword. "Behold," Janus whispered. "Everything's at the bottom of the sea. Gone is the magical kingdom of Zeal, and all the dreams and ambitions of its people. Gone...is my home." "Your...home?" the blonde girl stated with surprise. "Wait a minute...your hair..." "I lived here once...when I was someone you didn't know...you once knew me though, Glenn...Cyrus couldn't tell you the truth of what had happened to me..." "What doth thou..." That's when the frog, Glenn, finally realized the truth. "Thou mean...thou art Janus?!" Janus nodded as he turned to face them. "I was once the 'brat' prince of Zeal, and I am the boy you knew as a friend before Magus awoke." "Hold thy lying tongue!" Glenn snapped. "Thou art not Janus! The Janus I knew is dead, by thy hands!" Janus shook his head. "Remember the pendent I showed you? The one I said was all that remained of my past and that only glowed for me?" Glenn blinked his large eyes at Janus, knowing that only his old friend would know about that. "How doth thou...." Janus pulled out his pendent, the crystal glowing brightly as he held it. "I am Janus Zeal...Prince of the Magic Kingdom that lies beneath the waves." Glenn, seeing the undeniable proof, lowered his head. "It is thee...but what made thou..." "I was possessed by the demon, Magus Daikat," Janus replied. "When I ran...I did so because the demon was waking up, I did it to protect you and Cyrus..." "That is why Magus said 'both'," Glenn concluded. "You were trying to stop him..." "Please forgive me for what my body was forced to do in those days," Janus stated. "If you don't, I will understand...All I want now..." "Janus..." Glenn began, sheathing the Masamune. "Tis not thy fault that Cryus died. T'was the work of the demon who controlled thy body...thou hast a score to settle with the monster Lavos just as we do...I forgive thee...and ask thou to join us..." Janus looked at his friend, seeing the old look of youth return to Glenn's eyes, then saw his own reflection in Glenn's large pupils. He was changing again... The others saw it and were shocked as well. His hair grew out even more, bangs returning as his skin gained a slight tanned tint to it. "I'm..." "You're the way you're supposed to be," the blonde female stated. "Magus is not our problem right now," Janus said, clutching his fist. "We may be able to bring your friend back, I owe him my life." "What? How?!" Glenn asked. "Gaspar, the Guru of Time may know a way to bring him back, but we must hurry." He turned to the two girls and bowed. "Forgive me, but we have not been introduced properly. You know know who I am..." "Lucca Ashtear," the purple haired girl stated. "Marle," the blonde added. "Also known as her real name, Princess Nadia," Lucca added with a giggle. "Hey!" Janus smiled as he gave another bow. "Well, then, your highness, may this Prince join you?"
Their craft blasted through time and space, Janus still in amazment at the vessel, the 'Epoch' they called it. "Did Belthasar build this craft?" "Yeah, just before he died," Marle replied. "We're almost there..." Suddenly, black space opened before them, the only object there a small series of connected platforms. Glenn piloted the Epoch to a small staircase and stopped, openning the hatch and exiting. "And now, to find this Guru of Time..." Janus nodded as he stepped onto the staircase, seeing some of Glenn past companions present there. "So this is where they all went..." he whispered to himself. "The End of Time..." "Hey, where's that healthy kid with the radical haircut?" an old man leaning against a lamppost stated. "Um..." Lucca explained what had happened to the man, who grew quite solemn. "This is terrible news," the old man stated. "I wish I could lend a hand..." "Only the Guru of Time can help us now..." Janus stated, finally speaking up. Everyone else save Glenn, Lucca, and Marle stared at him, knowing full well the last timne they had met his form. "And who are you?" the old man asked. "Janus of Zeal," Janus replied. "The Prince of Shadows." "My, my...just look at you now..." the old man commented with a smile. "You've become quite formidable!" "How do you..." "Can you tell us how we can find the Guru of Time?" Marle asked, cutting Janus off. "The Guru of Time, eh?" The old man chuckled. "Heard of him, of course, but what do you want with him?" "We've heard he might be the one to bring Crono back," Glenn replied "To bring back the loved ones...it's what everyone wants..." the old man said with a sigh. "Crono must be proud to have friends like you..." Janus growled and walked off back to the Epoch. "This is pointless!" "Hey," the old man called. "Here, take this with you." He held out a small golden egg and smiled. "Let us call this the Chrono Trigger. It is pure potential. By unleashing a specific course of event, it can have a powerful effect on time. Ask the one who made the Epoch, your Wings of Time, how to hatch it. Like any egg, it represents a possibility, it may or may not... hatch. But the Chrono Trigger gives you the potential to get your friend back. The egg will have an effect equal to the effort you put in your search. No more, and no less. Don't forget that. As long as you keep Crono on your heart. the day you are dreaming of shall arrive." Janus watched as Glenn took the egg, then realized the truth of the old man. "Gaspar? It's you..." The old man seemed to blush as he nodded. "Um...well...I believe that's what they used to call me...ages ago..." Janus smiled as he stepped into the Epoch, taking the helm. "To the future then..."
Soon, they had what they needed; a clone of Crono, and the path to Death Peak. Janus had to levetate them a few times with his powers, and they had fought several small versions of Lavos himself. It didn't take long before they reached the summit, where all that greeted them was a dead tree. "Tis this all that is here?" Glenn asked, looking around. Janus smiled a bit as he held out his hand for the Chrono Trigger. "Shall we?" Glenn nodded and handed him the Egg. "I hope thee knows what thou art doing..." Janus nodded as he held the egg. "All who fear the night and stand against the darkness...from darkest night to brightest day, let space and time be our guide!" The Egg rose into the air, hovering high...then shattering into sparkles of light. "No!" Marle cried. "We came so far..." "Hush..." Janus ordered, his ears picking up a faint sound. "Listen..." Suddenly, the sun eclipsed, the sky going dark, and then, they found themselves flying through time, landing at the moment of Crono's death. "A time freeze," Janus said in wonder. "I never thought it could be possible..." "But what do we do?" Janus smiled as he knew why they needed the clone. "We replace Crono with the clone doll, and take Crono with us." Glenn nodded and summoned the doll from the End of Time, carefuly replacing Crono with it. "The Time Freeze...tis..." "We did what we came to do," Janus replied as they flew back into the timestream.
The sky brightened again as the group returned to the Summit of Death Peak. This time, however, they had gained a member. "Crono?" "Easy," Janus stated. "He's almost been through hell..." Crono shook his head and opened his eyes, the first person they saw being Marle. The second was Janus. "Magus!!!" Crono reached for his katana, but Glenn shook his head, holding the boy's arm. "What?! Frog, he's..." "Tis the Prince of Zeal, Crono. This is Janus, a victim of Magus' control." Crono shok his head, not understanding. "But..." "We will explain to you," Janus replied. "However, we should return to the End of Time..."
When they had returned to the End of Time, Gaspar informed them of the things that needed to be set right in past, present, and future. They set out and began the task. Marle's quest finally helped her reconcile with her father, Robo's both healing the forests of Guardia and discovering the truth of himself. Glenn's allowed him to have his last words with Cyrus, and Janus had spoken to his old friend's spirit before he passed to the next realm. Finally, it came to one last mission before facing Lavos, and it was one Janus wanted to see to personally; Ozzie.
Janus growled as he kicked open the doors of Ozzie's fortress. "Ozzie!!" "Come on in!" came the reply from the top of the stairs. "This is the Great Ozzie's place! What the...whoa, Magus?!" "The name is Janus!" the prince replied scornfuly as he drew his scythe from his cloak. "I see you're doing well!" "You traitor!" Ozzie bellowed. "No..traitor is the wrong word...Magus wouldn't betray us...FREAK!!!" Janus smiled as he stepped towards the stairs. "Come now...I'm sure we can talk this out...you pay for the pain you put me through, and we'll call it even." "Uh...I'll get back to you on that!" Ozzie bolted from the room, Janus chuckling as he held his weapon like a walking staff. "Well, shall we?" Crono smiled as Glenn nodded, Janus leading the way up the stairs. "Why not? You know the way." Janus grinned coldly as he went up the steps, blowing the door open with a blast of magic. "I always loved making an entrence!" "Well, well, well! If it isn't Magus himself!" "Careful Flea!" Ozzie stated. "He ain't Magus no more!!" Flea blinked at Janus then saw that it was not the demon she knew. "Whoa...who knew having him in there did THAT much to you..." "Get ready to fall," Janus replied, twirling his scythe like a quarterstaff and taking stance. "Your sins are about to haunt you all..." Flea laughed as Ozzie vanished, ready to do her part. "Well, come on then!" "DARK MATTER!!!!" A blast of energy slammed into Flea, sending her sprawling to the ground in pain. "Whoa...didn't expect that one..." "Shall we continue?" Janus tauned. "Or do you want to quit now?" "You always knew how to talk dirty," Flea groaned. "I'll deal with you later..." she added, teleporting away. Janus smiled as he continued on his way, blowing away the doors and minor traps like they were nothing. "You still haven't given up?!" Ozzie bellowed as Janus blew away the doors. "Well, how about a good trashing! Slash!! Slash teleported in and smiled as he landed on his feet. "Yoooouuu rang?" "Don't let me down!" Ozzie replied before vanishing again. "Well, looks like little princey-kins got rid of the big bad demon. Let's see who strong you are now!" "With pleasure," Janusa replied coldly. "Dark...MIST!!!" Slash gasped as a blast of misty shadows energy slammed through him, sending him flying into the wall. "Oi...where did you learn that one?" "Call it experimentaion," Janus replied with a cold smile. "Round 2, Slush?" Slash growled and ran through the doors, Janus giving chase and blowing open the next room's entryway. "Now I..." "Welcome, great Prince!" Ozzie stated, standing between Flea and Slash. "Come to face your doom?!" "I pay you back for what you did, Ozzie!" Janus snapped. "Come and get your judgement!" Ozzie grinned, narrowing his single eye. "Not so fast, little Prince...We're not going to make this easy on you...Ozzie Pants!" "Flea Bra!" "Slasher 2!" "With these relics, we are invicible!" Ozzie finished as he cackled. "Oh really?" Janus retorted. "Then how about you taste Dark...MATTER!!!" The three Mystics gasped in pain as black energy blazed through them. Slash dropped his sword from the pain, teleporting away. Flea clutched her chest and screamed, forced to pull out as well. Ozzie, all that remained, gasped in horror to see Janus before him. "That's impossible! Not even Magus could summon that kind of power!" "I'm not Magus," Janus replied with scorn. "Say...can you hear that?" He smiled as a faint wind blew through the fortress. "Yes, I think you do...you've brought it to the Knights of Guardia for so long...it's the sound of the Reaper, Ozzie...he's finally come for you!!" Ozzie screamed and bolted, Janus again chasing after him in full flight, breaking down doors and blocking the objects flung at him. "Ozzie! Dark...BOMB!!!" Ozzie went flying up as the blast erupted beneath his feet and slammed into the ceiling, falling back to the ground in pain. "Whoa...damn he's gotten strong..." He was cut off as a strong hand grabbed his cloaks and pulled him up, spinning him around to see the extremely pissed off face of one Janus Zeal. "Uh oh..." "That's an understatement," Janus replied just before slamming his fist into Ozzie's face, sending the fat Mystic to the ground. He picked Ozzie up again and flung him into the statues nearby, fury in his eyes. "You once told me that all living receive their judgement...here's yours!" Ozzie screamed as he went flying through the doors to his "throne room", skidding to a halt at the back wall. "Hey, we can talk this over, right? I mean, come on, I did what I did for my kind, you can understand that?" "Understand this..." Janus snapped as he unleashed another blast of magic, sending Ozzie flying up the wall in pain. "Nineteen years, Ozzie, nineteen goddamn years!! That's how long I spent in the hold of that demon bastard, all because of you, and now it's payback time!!" "Whoa!" Ozzie yelled as he went flying again, this time slamming into several tables and chairs. "Hey, you're over-reacting. You're a fun loving guy, we can talk this out..." He yelped as Janus suddenly moved in a blur at him, stopping mere inches from his face. "Oh boy..." "Then let's have some fun..." Janus kneed Ozzie in the groin, the Mystic screaming in pain and he doubled over, whimpering like a baby. "How does it feel, to know that you were brought down by your own creation?" Janus asked, kneeling down. "I'm almost tempted to put you out of your misery right now...but that would be selfish of me...I don't want to leave the rest of those you've given pain to go without their vengence. So let's say this...the mystics now know you're nothing but a coward who hides behind his magic and his armies. They will press for peace with the humans, and you will be forgotten, while I will go on and restore what Lavos took from me..." "They'll never accept you..." Ozzie weezed painfully. "To the humans, you'll always be Magus Daikat...the King of the Mystics..." "If that's how they see me," Janus replied. "Then so be it, but I will not live the life your made me live...the humans can wait until after we kill Lavos...and after I find my sister." He stood and walked away, not looking back once. Ozzie smiled as he got to his feet and laughed. "Oh, Little Prince! Never turn your back on a My..." Janus spun around and flung a dagger, Ozzie ducking as it sailed overhead. "Never underestimate me..." Ozzie laughed at Janus' miss, then heard a creaking sound and looked to see that the dagger hadn't been aimed at him; it had been aimed at a switch! "Uh oh...mommy..." The floor beneath him dropped out and he fell into the darkness of the basement, his screams echoing as he fell. Janus smiled smugly before turning to his new friends. "Well, shall we tackle Lavos now?"
As the Epoch reached Janus' home era, he piloted the craft to the floating Ocean Palace...the Black Dream. "Mother...what did you become?" he whispered as he brought the Epoch alongside the massive flying palace. "The time for dreams has come...for nightmares to end, and for prophecy to be fulfilled..." Glenn looked at his old friend in confusion. "Janus, what doth thou..." "It was foretold long before my father rose Zeal to the skies that one would be born with hair of deep waters, and eyes of blue stones, who would be ally of the elements, guarded by light and served by Darkness...the Prince of Shadows...I am that Prince, the one who would slay the Great Beast of Fire." Crono nodded, understanding now why Janus had come with them all this way. "You have a destiny..." "We all do..." Janus replied before running and flying off the ground casting a blast of shadow magic at the laser turrets guarding the door just before he blew the panel in. "Zeal! Enhasa Zeal!" "Fools!" Zeal bellowed. "Haven't you learned your lesson?! We are immortal! We shall live forever with Lavos, who devours this planet even as he sleeps. In mere thousands of years, he'll become the ruler of this world. The Black Dream is a path which leads to Lavos. It is a shrine which provides us with limitless power. As long as the mighty one reigns, your dreams are hopeless! You should sacrifice yourself to the mighty Lavos!" "No!" Janus snapped back in anger. "Lavos is a beast of death, can't you see that?! I lost you and Schala because of that monster, I don't want to lose you again!" Zeal was caught off guard by those words, suddenly getting the feeling that this was someone more close than a mere Prophet. "I..." She teleported away, leaving a monster which Janus quickly dispatched with ease. "Mother!!"
Enhasa appeared in the center chamber of the palace, breathing hard as her eyes began fading from black to silver. "What's...who is he..." That's when tears poured from her eyes, realization of what was happening dawning as Lavos' hold on her faded. "Oh Aldanya...Janus..."
Janus snarled as he burst through another door, having finished off yet another mutated monster. After what seemed like ages, he saw that they were close to the top of the Black Dream. He was about to go charging up another flight of stairs, when a high pitched growl stopped him. A black gate open to reveal a hated foe, one that haunted his dreams. "A Lavos spawn!!" he roared. All three of them went fairly ballistic on the creature, but they were careful enough to remember not to attack the shell. Finally, when the creature looked just about spent, Janus charged up and rammed his scythe all the way through the front pod, severing it from the body. "You said you met some of these when you came to 'resurrect' me?" Crono asked. "Yes...a nightmare." Janus shook his head as he cotinued on his path. They stepped cautiously into the next chamber, and were all surprised to see images of Crono and Marle floating in pillars of light. Two more pillars contained Lucca and Robo, and another two behind that contained Glenn and Ayla. "Looks like I'm the wild card," Janus mused. "Destiny dictates it..." His neutral face faded to a frown as he approached what looked to be the blasted remains of the Mammon Machine. Zeal teleported into the air slightly above, then floated gently down until she was perched on it, as if it was her new throne. "Behold, Destiny, in its most brutal form," she said as way of a greeting. "All the dreams that might have been. All the happiness, and sorrow, you might have experienced. Gone forever!!! For you there will be no tomorrow! The Dark Dream transcends time and space, waiting for Lavos to awaken! Destiny has led you here. And here you shall rest forever, unless you can defeat me, and smash this Palace!" Janus snarled as he accepted the challenge. He drew his scythe, Crono and Glenn surrounded her and drew the Rainbow and Masamune, respectively. "And smash it, we will." "Come, dear friends. Perhaps I can persuade Lavos to share his dreams with you! Did I say dreams? I meant his eternal nightmare!" An odd rainbow colored light radiated out from Zeal, and everyone dropped to their knees. Janus gasped as he heard her mocking laugher, then channeled his energy and focused on a spell he knew was all in his own... "Shadow......REVOLUTION!!!!!" Ribbons upon ribbon of black light swirled about and wrapped around Zeal as white light focused in shards into an impossible pinprick point of light, then exploded into a dome of raw energy. Zeal went flying back and slammed into the remains of the Mammon Machine, gasping for breath. "My powers...how can they...Very well, I'll simply toss you into the Mammon Machine! You'll be one with the Dream, Lavos...and me!" The three were suddenly transported into the warped water zone, facing a new, silver colored Mammon Machine. It made no move as they began to attack it, until Janus struck a critical valve, and it suddenly released all the energy it had stored. That hurt pretty bad, but not enough to stop them. Except for occasional blasts of Flare magic, the Mammon Machine offered no further resistance as the three dismantled it and scattered the pieces to the four winds. Then, they were out of the warped area and back in reality, and Janus realized they were standing on top of the Black Dream. Blue lights began shooting out of the structure, eventually forming a diamond with Zeal standing inside. "You cretins..." she cursed. "I plan to live with Lavos, and control the universe forever. You will not get in my way!" Janus clenched his fist, and bowed his head. "Fool... Nothing can live forever." Then he glared upwards, and pointed at Zeal. "Enhasa Zeal... A pitiful woman, duped by Lavos! I, myself, will bring an end to all of this!" He drew his scythe once more, but more slowly this time. Zeal obviously wasn't intimidated. "Prophet! You are doomed! I haven't forgotten what you did at the Ocean Palace! You will now forfeit your life!" Lavos' energy surrounded her, and she became nothing but a large floating mask, and two gloved hands. "Is she flipping us off?" Crono wondered out loud. "It sure looks that way, kid. C'mon, let's wipe the smirk off her face!" The three proceeded to attack with their all, but apparently, Zeal was a little stronger then expected this time. She counterattacked with blast upon blast of magic, weaking the group to almost nothing, save for Janus, who withstood the assualt with all his might. Then, a purple beam of light shot out of each hand, knocking Crono and Glenn to the ground, where they didn't move. Janus looked at them, then up at her. "You know who I really am, don't you?" "Of course, Little Janus." The mask smiled. "Then can you come down and for once, speak to me for Aldanya's sake?" "Whatever you plan to say, it won't do any good. But you are my son, so I suppose I could grant you a final boon." "Oh, you're so incredibly generous." He grimaced as the human form of Zeal appeared in front of him. "I try. Now, what do you want?" she demanded. "Why do you want to be immortal? Why is this so important to you?" "I came close to dying once, when there should have been no danger. I don't ever want to feel that way again." "Death isn't necessarily an end." His eyes narrowed. "I learned that much from Schala." "My poor little girl..." Zeal whispered. "What?" Janus could hardly believe his ears. Could her son possibly have as much sway with her as her daughter? To be safe, he decided to pretend he hadn't heard that. "Besides, father saved you from dying. And he would again, if he were here." Zeal remained silent, and Janus came to a sudden realization. That's the key, isn't it? "Are you sure this is what you want, mother?" She remained expressionless. "Think a minute. If you become immortal, you will never see father again!!" She managed to hold it a split second longer, then her face contorted, and she burst into tears. "NOOOO!!!" "You want to see him again, you have to go. And I know the Zealin inside you does." She looked up at him through tear filled eyes. "Janus, you have to kill me, before Lavos takes control again. I want to see your father..." Janus hesitated, then raised his scythe again. "I...I." He lowered the point at her heart, then dropped his head. "I can't kill you...you're my mother..." "I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you Janus, for ignoring you, for never being there for you...I wanted to be your mother Janus, but Lavos could never allow it. I'm so sorry." Janus looked at her, for once without hate in his eyes, instead, love for his mother. "I'm sorry too, that I can't do what you want." Then, he drove the point deep into her side, tearing the wall of her ribs. "Aaugghhhh!!!" The side of her controlled by Lavos instantly took over again. "What has happened? Eyaaaaggggghhhh!!!" Lavos' energy consumed her, then faded as she collapsed. A small black creature sqiuirmed from the wound, hitting the ground and wriggling before Janus smashed it with his boot. Zeal gasped in pain as Crono and Glenn came too, her side bleeding uncontrolably. "Janus...at least, I can die knowing..." "You won't die, not yet..." Janus repied, dropping his scythe and holding his mother tightly. "I'm sending you where you'll be safe, and then Lavos will pay for what he did, to us and our world..." Glenn pulled out a small vile and poured it's contents on Enhasa's wound, the blood clotting almost instantly. "Gaspar's last gift to thee, Queen Zeal." "Gaspar..." "That's where you're going, to Gaspar at the End of Time, he can heal you." Janus' eyes began to water as he pulled out the Gate Key. "Hold this tight, you need it to get there..." "Janus..." He forced himself to close his eyes as his mother vanished, transported to the End of All Time as the Black Dream began to shake. He grabbed his scythe and stood up, energy flaring around him and his companions. "We end this now..." Suddenly, they found themselves back in the warped field, this time, Lavos stood before them in all his dark evil, screaming at them in rage. "Judgement comes to all beings, Lavos." Janus stated coldly. "And like a great angel of vengence, he cast out the demon, and his kingdom shall begin again in the hearts of all those he meets...A Prince of Shadows, a Prince of Light, he shall never die as long good remains in the souls of men..." As the alien beast before him roared in anger, Janus plunged forward with his scythe glowing with power, not just Shadow, but with the power of Holy as well. Destiny had arrived. With one powerful slash, he ripped into Lavos' head, causing a massive cut that bled with a green liquid. Lavos lashed back in retaliation, cutting Janus' arm, blue blood coming out. "Very well..." he muttered, hodling his scythe tightly. "Mysotura, kytoniaso, dywuratoni, satositinia..." His chant channeled a power into him like he had never known, the ancient words never spoken before save by his ancestors in mere legends. Flying up, his scythe blazed with light, the blade arcing downwards and cleaving Lavos' head in half, Janus launching into a fury of slashes, his final blow taking the head off the huge shell. "It's over," Crono whispered in awe. His words died as they left his lips as Lavos' alien scream echoed from withing the shell. Janus stood and cut away the entrails and tendrils of the head, revealing a large hole. "No...the end has yet to come..." Janus walked into the hole, dropping down a ways before bringing his flight powers to bear, lowering Glenn and Crono the same way. "He's still alive...this shell is nothing more than that...the real core...it waits..." Janus lead the way through the canyon like path, an omniuos breathing drawing them closer until they found a huge dark chamber. A shadowed form was before them, the breathing coming from all around. "Where is he?" "Right before us," Janus replied, readying his scythe. "Weapons out, now!" Crono quickly drew Rainbow, Glenn drawing the Masamune and gripping it tightly as the chamber lit up to reveal their foe. "Tis a beast of great power!"