Author's Note: About my pen name, Janis. Before I played CT Janis was my nick name and pen name. Chapter 2 I doubt it was his or my fault things got worst. How would I know in years later this would be me wandering the cities? He came out of no where. A tall, broad shouldered man who was always cloaked in black and had a refusal to speak to any one for the longest time. I had seen him once or twice and I do remember talking to him once. I relived the speech again but it was different as the child. * * * "Hey!" The tall figure ignored Janus' cries as he wandered away form the small child. The boy frowned and pressed his pail lips together. He *hated* it when some stuck up asshole ignored him. He followed the figure who strode among the city of Kajar. Janus didn't like it very much, the people rushing about and questioning about where magic came from. He knew these people didn't care where magic came from. As long as they had the power who gave a damn? Janus did. Perhaps he cared where magic came form was that he couldn't not use the power himself. Not that he really wanted to, it was something he wondered about. The man in dark robes walked down the halls of Kajar as the child in lavender followed him. "Where the hell are you from?" He cried. The man answered with silence. "Come on! Don't tell me your mute!" The man turned slowly. "Go away." His voice was clam and yet angry and had an edge of darkness to it. "No! Why are you hanging around here any way?" "What business of yours gives me the right for you to question where I go?" Janus scowled. "I don't want you near my sister!" "I go where I please Prince Janus." "Hey! How do you know my name? How did you know I was prince?" "I have my ways-" He answered. Then with one smooth motion he picked up the child at the collar and raised the boy to his dark red eyes, the only things that where focused on the man's face. "-you little maggot. Mess with me again I swear to the Gods I shall rip you in half." "Go ahead." Janus dared. He had no fear of death. He didn't welcome the reaper yet if it was his time, it was his time. "I’m sorry." He said in a fearful tone. He couldn’t let this creep hurt Schala.The boy squirmed for a moment then the man dropped the boy on his feet. He glared at the man, too scared about Schala as he walked away. *** One of the more interesting times of my life I must say. When the Prophet came, Melchior had vanished. Belthasar and Gasper had escaped to an island before Zeal could get her hands on them. Strange how all of them where Guru's and so different. Gasper certainly didn't act like one when I spoke to him. He was quiet and didn't like to talk and loved to sleep. I rarely spoke to him. Bethasar, I only saw once. He was too busy working on his inventions to speak to anyone. He rushed here and there not knowing until it was too late that he was working on projects what would spell Doom to our world. If you rush around and don't take the time to see where you are going then perhaps you'll be writing the death of the world. Melchior was the compassionate one. It wasn't until I grew older before I understood Melchior's title. He was the one who cared about people and their problems. I think he was more worried about the Earth Bounders than with himself when he was on Woe Mountain. Strange how some people can think about others and forget themselves in times of need. Those times people should worry about themselves more. What I cannot not understand is why people who have been lustful, greedy and selfish all their lives are called 'Heroes' when suddenly they get offthere lazy asses and do something good for once in their lives. However, when a truly good person who has given to the poor and worked there asses off and for once, they chicken out. Then they are called cowards while the weak are cerebrated as heroes. I became more lost and alone when Melchior was captured and Schala grew weak and thin. She lost weight and her ivory skin turned even whiter and sickly. It was almost as pail as my skin, not quiet as pail but close. I began to hate my mother and Zeal Kingdom. I knew Zeal would fall very soon. It was a feeling buried deep inside of me. ******** I was wandering around Enasha when I meet a boy, a girl, and a frog. The boy was normal sized with wild red hair and a light built. The girl had golden hair and light green eyes and a crossbow was slung on her back. The frog didn't scarce me. After all, with creatures like Doreen and her brothers Masa and Mune, a race of creatures who where come times called Children of the Dreamstone who ran around Zeal all the time. The Dreamstone Children had long lives but few children and reproduction wasn't the Dreamstone Children's main worry. The Frog was nothing compared to them. Doreen liked dreams more than her brothers Masa and Mune. For a while I don't blame her and now I think how foolish she was. Doreen escaped form the painful world she was into her Dream World in Enasha. During the last months of Zeal I wanted to go with her into that world. Now I knew it was the best for me to stay in the world of pain and become strong form it. The weak only submit to dreams that cannot come true. Masa and Mune where more stronger than Doreen. Though Mune had a child's mind, but it was stronger than Doreen. That meant something. I glared at the boy, then the girl, then the frog. I felt the cold wind that shivered up my spine and then looked solemnly at the boy. He would die. Shortly. "The black wind howls..." I muttered to myself more than to the people and walked down the stairs. "One of you shall shortly die." It was a fair warning. I walked always form them and cries of protest towards Castle Zeal.In the castle, there was a rush about Zeal going to the Ocean Palace. I was extremely worried about Schala. I ran towards her room, scared Zeal took her, Schala was gone. "Schala?" I wailed out. I heard her voice answer form my room. I took off running towards my room and saw Schala waiting for me. Her face sad and white, her green eyes shinning with hope as always. "There you are Janus." "Schala, I am scared. I feel the black wind." "You feel it too?" I nodded. Her face frowned and she reached in her pocket and pulled out a amulet, a black stone encrusted in sliver. It was very beautiful to me. I could sense strong magic coming form it. Like an idiot I asked, "What is this?" My sister smiled and put the amulet around my neck. "Good luck charm. It will protect you. Janus," She paused for a moment. "I wish I could stay here and protect you. But mother has other plans..." Her eyes where batting away tears and I heard the whimper in her voice. She knew our mother better than I. Perhaps I am jealous of her. She knew Zeal as a mother, the most important person in your life, warm and loving.The Zeal Schala and the Zeal I knew where not the same. The Zeal I knew was a cold hearted bitch who strove for power, forgetting her daughter and son and perhaps life it's self. So I answered my sister. "She isn't our mother, she looks like our mother but she changed." "Janus-" "Miss Schala! Miss Schala!" A servant broke up our Kodak moment. A phrase I picked up form the girl, Lucca. As she left I looked at the amulet and fell asleep until Schala woke me up. I had a dream. It was a young woman walking in the grass. I never seen this woman before and yet I knew her. A snake came up to her and looked at her with innocent black eyes and asked for her to carry it. The woman agreed and she picked the snake up knowing it's nature. After a while the woman felt comfortable with the snake in her purse, then it bit her. It was venomous and the young woman died. An old story. The woman was The Kingdom of Zeal, the snake was Lavos' power. I had just seen the fall of Zeal. My first step into my world of darkness... Then Schala awakened me and told about the strangers who had come to Zeal Kingdom. She also told about Dalton's failed attempt to capture them and so Queen Zeal had captured these people and placed them in the dungeon of Zeal Castle. Gentle Schala wanted to save the strangers. At this time they had no cause so why bother in saving them? I though. Yet Schala wanted to help them so I agreed to help my sister. I was worried Zeal would find out and hurt Schala. Zeal seemed to forget about her little son, Janus. Schala had brought the strangers (who happened to be the wild haired boy, the blond girl, and the frog) form her the magical barrier to the floor when the Prophet came in. The man was cold as always, yet I notice how much he 'softened' up to Schala and I when we begged him form killing the strangers. I swore I heard something break down within him. He made the strangers take him to where they came form. By then I had lost interest and went to my room. Only hours later, Schala and I decided to visit the Earth Bounders again. We had heard that the strangers had come. We got this news from a new batch of slaves. Again, we headed towards the hell hole called Terra Cave. We found Mechloir and the strangers. I was disgusted how the cave had become. Terra Cave was bad but now it had be come cold, dark and damp. Schala talked to Mechior, the wild haired boy called Crono, the girl with the blond hair in a pony-tail was named Marle and a young woman with huge glasses known as Lucca. I wondered where the frog was at. For a while I listened when the flop came, Dalton. I attacked him, I wasn't much and he easily knocked me back with one signal swipe of his hand. The Elder of the Earth Bounders and Mechlior tended my wounds as the strangers rested up form the Mountain of Woe rescue. I was sore but anger was stronger and I slipped out during the night. At the castle I though, "Why would Zeal keep her lovely castle and Lavos unguarded?" I, until then, never used anyone in my life. Soon, almost everyone in my life, next to Schala, I would use for my propose and too make my life easier for myself. I knew the strangers would follow Dalton so I waited for them and followed then into the Oeace place. It was filled with odd creatures and such. A weak child that knew no magic had no chance of fighting the Soucts or the mages. I though I was in the clear until just before the reached Mammon Machine room when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I quickly spun around to see Mechlior and two other men, Gasper and Belthasar, behind him. "What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped. "I'd ask you the same thing, boy." "To save Schala you twit! God! *Your* a Guru? Damn, are you stupid!" "You are too young to go here!" "If I cared about that wouldn't be here, would I? Look, save the nagging after we get Schala." A huge flash of light projected form the Mammon room and the Gurus rushed off leaving me. Again I was almost forgotten, I rushed forward, following the Gurus into the Mammon room and gasped. Zeal was standing and laughing telling how cowardly the Gurus were. Schala's face was twisted in pain and tears ran down my sisters checks. Her green eyes looked at Zeal, begging her mother to stop. Her mother was dead. Zeal was in her place. I watch my sister and cried, "Schala!" She looked up and called back to me as I felt a great force under me. I glanced down and instead of seeing smooth title I saw a portal, black as my soul, gaping under me. I began to fall and I screamed out for Schala one more time as I fell. All went black. Janus died then. Magus was born when I woke up. Any questions, comments would be great! Pease email me at, janis14@hotmail.com. I also love flames so go ahead and flame me!