~~~~~Prologue~~~~~ In the depths of history, while the earth below is cloaked in the depths of a freezing ice age, a utopic kingdom floats in the sky. In this land in the clouds, every desire is fulfilled. Life is a paradise. The inhabitants live in complete bliss, their days filled with idle pleasures. Work is unheard of, thanks to the power of the land's source of energy, the Sun Stone. This stone has provided bountiful energy to the kingdom for many generations, leading to a belief that it's strength and power are unlimited. But the Sun Stone dims now. It's power grows weaker, barely able to supply negligible energy to feed the decadent consumption of the Zeal Kingdom. In this dark time in a bright land, a saving grace comes. A source of energy has been found. The undying power of the Earth has been discovered to be perfect for harnessing for Zeal's purposes, but to this end, Zeal's purposes will be changed. Only four people stand against the harnessing of the Earth's power. The three Gurus, Belthasar, the Guru of Reason, Melchior, the Guru of Life, and Gaspar, the Guru of Time, were once the advisors of the Queen, but now they oppose the Queen's plans. Although there is another opponent to the idea; Schala, the Queen's daughter. Her battle, though, is the hardest one, for it is not only against her mother, but also against herself. Her loyalties are divided; Should she fight for what she believes is right? Or, should she abide by her mother and aid her in fulfilling her dreams? Only Time will tell.... Chapter I – Kingdom in the Clouds The sun was streaming through the windows, illuminating Janus's face as he sat, gazing out into the clouds below. Turning away from the bright portal, he gazed down at his cat, Alfador, sitting patiently at the foot of the bed. "Well, Alfador, what are we going to do? Schala's against the plan, except unless she fights with the Gurus together, she'll never convince Mother.", he sighed to his friend, who always listened to him. Ascending the steps to the room they shared, Schala quietly observed her young brother. "He's so gentle," she thought, "but he never talks to anyone, so nobody knows how truly bright he is, especially for his age." "Janus..." Lifting his head slowly, unsure of the speaker, Janus saw his sister standing at the head of the stairs, as she always did when he was alone. A slow recognition of what news she had crept into his mind, and he guessed the outcome. "So, Mother has decided to forge ahead and get something other then the Sun Stone?", he asked, voicing Schala's exact words before she spoke them. "Yes.." Schala sighed, "The Sun Stone is visibly fading. We must find something." Janus shot up. "But the Ocean Palace is wrong!", he cried, clenching his fists and tucking his elbows to his sides, unable to contain his frustration any longer. Ashamed of what he had done, shouting at his sister when she had done nothing, he sat back down on the bed, his head in his hands. Schala quietly took several paces towards him. "Schala, I..", he began, lifting his head to look at his sister. "I know, Janus.. Everything will work out fine.", she reassured him, sitting down beside him on the bed, petting Alfador, who by now had climbed up the bed to play with his favorite humans. Silently, Janus turned his head and regarded his sister. Her gentle face was filled with a reassuring smile, but her crystal clear blue eyes showed worry, worry for her dear brother. She was always so worried about his well-being, his health, his happiness.. "Come," she suggested, breaking the silence that often filled the room, "Let us go down to your river. You've been cooped up in this room all day, just watching the clouds. Sighing, Janus stood up from the bed, all four feet of him, with Alfador cushioned on his shoulder. Glancing at Schala, who had also risen, he slowly made his way to the stairs in silent agreement. Chapter II – Resonances While Schala and Janus are enjoying the sunlight, a particularly stormy air has descended in the Queen's chambers of the Palace. Sitting on her regal throne in the heart of the Palace, Queen Zeal is not pleased. Dalton, her second-in-command, has just finished reporting his findings about Schala, and the Queen is not amused. Of course, then, neither is Dalton. "Schala, as well as the Gurus are opposing me?", she demanded at Dalton, who clenched his teeth and tried to suppress the feelings of anger he was having at the time. "I..I don't know, my Queen. She is against the construction of the Ocean Palace, but she seems reluctant to take action..", he stated as flatly as possible, working his lips into a position that was a cross between a snarl and a look of disinterest. "Well, I hope she doesn't stand in my way when the time comes! As for the Gurus, I may have to deal with them myself, unless they change, because they are becoming very bothersome.", she muttered darkly, a wicked smile passing over her face, like a shadow. "Enough. It is time for today's energy transfer!" "Yes, my Queen." Dalton mumbled. He disliked being the Queen's gofor. Her daughter or that rotten little Janus should be doing this. He, Dalton, of all people, should be doing something better then this. Clearing his mind of his private thoughts, and concentrating on Janus and Schala's room, he mumbled the incantation for teleportation. Before he could blink, Dalton was in the sunny, silent room where Janus and Schala lived. "Huh?! Not here?", he grumbled. A moment of silence ensued. "Where could they be?", he growled. Walking down the stairs and out the door, he spotted one of the servants in the Palace. "You! Where have they gone?", he demanded. "Miss Schala and Janus? They went down to the river, Sir Dalton.", he replied meekly. No one got in Dalton's way when he was like this. Nodding grim assent, Dalton walked darkly out of the Palace. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ahh, Janus.. Isn't this sunshine just beautiful?", Schala beamed. This had to be the most beautiful day of the year. The sun was just that extra bit brighter. Being that they were seated on the bank of Janus's favorite river, and the birds were all singing in the trees nearby. But Janus didn't respond. It was things like that that worried Schala. Her brother kept to himself too much. He never smiled, either. The only time Schala could recall Janus smiling was when he was given Alfador, who quickly became his constant companion. Right now, he was looking into the vast blue sky, focusing on some distant point, but Schala couldn't see anything but boundless sky going into infinity. "Somehow, I thought I'd find you here, Schala." Schala whirled around to find Dalton standing about ten feet away from them, his face showing an evidently bad mood. On impulse, Schala stood up, barely ahead of Janus. "What do you want, Dalton?", Schala asked, noting Dalton's expression of extreme annoyance. "It's time for today's energy transfer. You are needed at the Palace.", he said in an emotionless voice. It really angered him to be considered below Schala, simply because of her blood. He was much stronger then her, so why can't he do things worthy of his stature, instead of being the Queen's messenger, number 1? Sighing, Schala nodded. Turning to Janus, she asked if he wanted to stay here or go back to the Palace with her. Again, no response. His attentions seemed to be directed to the sky. What could be going on in his head right now, Schala wondered. He's always been a quiet fellow but he's usually not this preoccupied. "Well, I'll leave you here, Janus. Don't drown!", she added, with a chuckle. This was a private joke between them, as Janus had discovered the river by falling into it, emerging from the bushes right off the river bank. ~~~~~~~~~~~ "Schala, are you ready?", Queen Zeal asked, impatiently. "Yes, Mother. Of course I am.", she replied. Boy, was her mother in a bad mood today.. Schala's pendant began glowing blue, filling the room with a flood of blue-tinged brightness. At the peak of this brightness, a shrill tone shattered the silence of the room, and energy flowed into Zeal's palace, powering the needs of the kingdom. Her task done, Schala retreated to her room, not sure if Janus was still at the riverbank, and if she should go back to him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Queen Zeal, this cannot be permitted to happen!", Melchior shouted, becoming quite angered with the Queen, who once had listened to him. Behind him, Gaspar and Belthasar were becoming similarly agitated. Why was the Queen forcing the issue, and not heeding their advice? "Silence!", Zeal commanded. "If you stand in my way from building this Palace, I'll remove you from my path!" The Gurus pondered this, amid much anger. If they continued, they would be banished from Zeal. But they knew that they could not allow Queen Zeal to tap into the earth's power, for that would give Zeal absolute power. Absolute power corrupts. "Quen Zeal, we cannot allow the construction of the Ocean Palace to take place! It simply cannot be done!", Gaspar said, in a low menacing voice. "Fine. You refuse to obey me, so I'll have to deal with you myself.", the Queen growled, visibly infuriated. Standing, she lifted her arms. Around her arms, a yellow aura formed. Suddenly, a large black portal opened, drawing the Gurus into it. Before Gaspar could do anything, he was sucked into the portal along with the two others, and his cry of anger and despair could be no longer heard, truncated by the portal whisking him away to some unknown destination in space and time. "Now, does anyone else want to block my path?", the Queen snarled. That was all Dalton could take. He had put up with the Queen's temper and ego trips before, but this was too much. He had hated the gurus, because they had a better standing with the Queen, but not even his heart could stand such an act. "Queen Zeal, you've done injustice for the last time!", Dalton shouted, catching the Queen off guard. From his arms, pulsed a blast of black energy, hitting the Queen square in the chest, and making her slump against the throne. "Dalton, that was.. a mistake.", she said in a low tone, barely audible. "Pay for your treachery!!", she shouted, standing on her throne and surrounding Dalton with a yellow sphere. "You''ve been a good second-in-command, Dalton.", she said, almost apologetically. "But, I do not tolerate traitors. Goodbye, Dalton. Enjoy your trip!", she cackled, making the sphere vanish. Chapter III - Treachery? "Miss Schala?" "Huh?", Schala asked, looking up from the window. "Miss Schala, you're wanted in the Queen's throne room immediately, please." "Oh, all right. I'll be there in a few seconds.", she sighed. But, what was that sphere she spotted out falling into the clouds? Standing up from her seat, taking one last glance out the window, trying to spot Janus from high in the Palace, Schala walked down the steps, and towards the throne room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Schala, Did I forget to mention? The Ocean Palace construction started yesterday, secretly. All those of the earthbound that were fit to work were rounded up to work on it. Everyone else.. was sent down the skyway.", Queen Zeal said, with a smirk on her face, gauging her daughter's reaction. "Mother, how could you?! Construction of the Ocean Palace, I'm dead against that, but using the earthbound?!", Schala demanded, her face flushed with emotion. She, and she alone, had been an ally to the Earthbound, and she wasn't going to stand for this mistreatment. Even against her own mother. "Schala, I'm ashamed of you. You, of all people, a traitor. I didn't raise a traitor, did I?", the Queen asked, in a low tone, playing on Schala's emotions. "Mother, I'm not falling for that!", Schala screamed, refusing to play along with one of her mother's most often-used tactics. "Schala, I'll put it bluntly. Do not stand in my way. If you stand in my way, you're a traitor. Traitors get what they deserve.", she said, threateningly. "Traitors, like the three Gurus, and Dalton. stand in my way and you will suffer the same fate.", she added, darkly. "Schala, obey me now, or I will obliterate you!", Zeal hollered, standing to her full height and creating a crackling yellow aura with her hands. "Mother, I'll never, ever give up my fight against the Ocean Palace.. Do you hear me?", Schala said, in a wavering voice, shocked that her own mother would threaten this to her. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Schala!", Janus shouted with a start. Lost in his thoughts on the side of the riverbank, he was joltedback to reality with a feeling that Schala was in danger. Grabbing his small stick that he had found on the way, and had used to walk with, Janus ran at top speed towards the Palace. "I hope I'm not too late..", he thought. In his mad dash for the Palace, Janus didn't even notice the bright light coming from the throne room windows. All he could see was the path in front of him and the next ten feet. Busting into the Palace, knocking the guards at the doors over with such a tumulous entry, he dashed up the stairs and into the throne room. Chapter IV - Treachery? "Ungh.. I'll never give up, you hear me?" "Hahaha.. Oh, Schala.. You're so stubborn. You always were." Schala, bent over on her knees, was enveloped in a yellow electrical field, which was crackling with life while feeding on Schala's energy. "Come on, Schala. What's the matter? Too chicken to face the facts? Why don't you fight back? You've already betrayed me. Are you afraid to attack your own mother?", Zeal snarled. Schala just kept painful silence. "SCHALA!!!!!" "J.. J.. Janus?", Schala managed to say. "Quick, Janus! Run!" "Schala, I'm sorry, but I've lied to you.", he said softly. "Palatial.. Safety.. Dome.. FORM!!!", he shouts, over the crackling of the electric aura. Suddenly, a large red dome appears over and around Schala, breaking Zeal's spell on Schala. Janus runs forward, and passes through into the dome. Crouching beside his sister, he gently lifts her chin, so she would look at him. "A.. a dome? Janus, where did you learn this?", Schala asks, absolutely confused. "There's no time. I'll explain later. All I can say right now is, I'm sorry to have deceived you.", he says, holding Schala close to him. "What?! Janus, you too? Well, we'll have to dispose of both traitors at once!", Zeal screams. "Take this!!" Beams shoot from her hands, and strike the dome, changing it's color to orange, and progressively fading it to yellow, as the crackling wears away its strength. "Urg.. Dome's.. disintegrating.. She's too.. powerful..", Janus muttered, putting all his energy into maintaining the protective shield. "Janus, let it go. I can get you out of here!", Schala cried, afraid for the safety of her young brother, unsure of his capabilities. "NO! Hold my hands!", Janus cried, the strain of his effort clearly visible on his face. "Janus, you'll..", Schala cried. "No, I won't! We're both finished if we stay here! And I'm not leaving here without you!", Janus cried, wiping the beads of sweat forming on his brow, making his hair stick to his forehead. "Janus.. You..", Schala whispered, looking down at the floor. "You're my sister! Come on!", he said, grabbing Schala's hand in his, and holding his other hand out. "Hold my hand!", he shouted, falling to his knees. "Haha.. The little trickster falls!", Zeal cried, redoubling her energy at the dome, which was turning a bright orange and almost yellow. "Schala.. please..", Janus said, unable to say anything more. Nodding, Schala took his other hand, and they quickly vanished. Moments later, the entire dome turned yellow and promptly exploded, blowing the roof offof the entire Palace, as well as demolishing the throne room. The fragile link between Zeal and the Ocean Palace destroyed, the Ocean Palace initiated a self-destruct sequence, which it was programmed to do any time that the link was broken, in the event that someone destroyed the kingdom, they could not lay claim to the power of the Ocean Palace. Fortunately, there existed a link between the skyway and the Ocean Palace, and many of the Earthbound escaped, the Enlightened ones running side-by-side with them, too afraid to do anything else. Chapter V – The Final Resonance "Janus... Janus..." "Janus, wake up.." "Janus, please.. please, wake up!" In the light of the cave's natural illumination, Schala sat, kneeling, holding Janus to her chest. Tears streaked her face, burning hot against her cheeks. Her hand rested gently on his head, caressing his blue hair. "Janus!! Janus, please!", she pleaded, her voice shaking. "Uuunh.. Sch..Schala?" "Oh, Janus! You're awake!", she cried, as she hugged him tightly to her chest, her tears flowing his head and onto his shoulders. "You're finally awake.." "Janus..", she said, half-smiling, half-sobbing, "I thought I had lost you!" Janus lifted his head from Schala's shoulder, looked around, then with a start, cried, "Alfador!!" "Nyaoo....." "Alfador!", Janus cried, and nearly fell on his face, trying to jump to his friend while still embracing Schala. Schala, smiling gently, explained; "I got him out of Zeal just in time. He's been hiding in the shadows all this time. He woke me up, and I found us here. The sun was shining right where he was sitting. It's almost like he led us here." Out of the shadows, almost like a ghost, strode Alfador, looking as calm and thoughtful as usual. On recognition of his best friend, he immediately scampered over to Janus and cuddles up against his leg. For the first time, Janus understood where they were. This was the Sun Keep. It looked so.. different now that it was no longer feeding Zeal. It looked.. vibrant. Alive. Full of energy. "Janus..", Schala whispered quietly, "Zeal has fallen. I don't think anyone survived. I would have gone and found out, but I couldn't leave you. Janus.." Schala paused, before continuing. "Janus, I think we're the only ones left from Zeal..", she said, slowly. "And, with Zeal gone, my pendant's energy, along with my magic, is fading.", she concluded. The three of them sat in silence for a few moments, thinking about this revelation. Schala, her thoughts casting back to her home, which had fallen to earth, didn't notice Janus's increased perturbations, until he suddenly burst out; "That's it!! Let's get rid of magic forever! It's what caused this whole mess!" "But.. h-how, Janus?", Schala stammered. "You can project resonances which travel the world, right?", he asked sharply. "Yes..", Schala replied, "But I don't see how.." "You might be able to seal off your pendant, and the remainder of the world's magic, by projecting one huge resonance throughout this world.", he interrupted. "I.. I guess. It's worth a try." Turning back towards his sister, hugged her and said that they better had get some sleep. If they were going to try this tomorrow, they'd need all the energy they could get. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A few hours later, in the dim light of late-night, Janus awoke. Something inside of him made him rise, as silently as possible as to not disturb Schala or Alfador, who were fast asleep beside him. Something compelled him to leave the cave, to the starlit night outside. Gazing heavenward, he noticed how beautiful the stars looked from the ground, as he had only seen the stars from high in the clouds, in the now-fallen Zeal Kingdom. As if by force, his eyes locked onto the brightest star, which was hovering over the eastern horizon. "Starlight, Starnight, Magic power, dying might. Come the dawn, do the right, Give us strength, for we will fight." With those words, a tear formed in Janus's eye, and it slid down his cheek, falling silver, to rest on the ground. He raised his head once more, and, for the first time since he had gotten Alfador, he smiled to the heavens. As if responding, a falling star passed through his field of vision. Nodding silently, he turned to the cave, and fell asleep next to Schala, his mind and heart at rest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Schala, wake up. The sun's shining!" Kneeling beside his sister, Janus shook her gently to wake her up. There was a great task to be done today and the sun was already well above the horizon. Alfador awoke, stretched and yawned, and then proceeded to walk on Schala, trying to wake her up. Schala stirred, and turned over, opening her eyes sleepily at Janus. "Hmm.. What's going down, Janus?", Schala asked, still half-asleep. "Schala.. the resonance.. it's almost midday.", Janus reminded his sister gently. He promised himself that, from now, on he'd treat his sister better, and with more respect, for his outbursts in recent times were awful. "Mmm.. oh, yes. Okay, Janus, just give me a few seconds to wake myself up.", she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Helping to wake her up, Janus offered her a cup of fresh water from the clear pool that had formed near the cave. Just rising, she accepted it, and, clutching her pendant, drank it down slowly, enjoying the refreshment for the task ahead. Setting the leather cup down, she turned to Janus, her eyes sparkling. "Well, Janus? Ready?" "Of course, Schala. Now, let's head outside, shall we?", he replied eagerly. Together they walked outside, Alfador close on their heels. Noting this, Janus turned, and bent on one knee to address his feline friend; "Alfador, stay in the cave. It's safer. You can come out when we're done, okay?" Meowing assent, Alfador turned, but stood guard at the entrance to the cave, as if unwilling to leave his friends. "Here, Janus, wear this.", Schala said, as she undid her pendant from around her neck and presented it to Janus. With a slightly puzzled look on his face, he put the pendant around his neck, sensing its weakened power. It was weakening. Its glow had gone from a bright light to a small glimmer, hidden inside blue crystal. "Now, Janus, when I clap my hands, take the pendant off, and quickly.", she instructed. It had begun. The very air around them was charged with energy. Janus's hair blew, although there wasn't a breath of wind. Schala's elegant long hair was flowing behind her, like some regal blue cape. Her eyes closed now, Schala cocentrated all her energies into making one loud, magic-destroying blast. To do this, she must use her pendant as a focus, but, to keep it out of harm's way, it must be in the air. Only one chance at this, she reflected. If she missed, it was over. Magic had to be banished here and now! Recalling passages that she learned long ago but never knew why, Schala started chanting arcane incantations. The wind began to pick up, blowing Schala's hair all over. Janus, looking around, at the gusting torrent that was quickly forming around them, worried about his sister. Can she do this? Is she strong enough? Clapping her hands fiercely in the howling wind, she shouted hoarsely, "Take it off, Janus! Take it off!!" Quick to obey his sister, Janus undid the chain holding the pendant to his body, and held it in his palm, not sure of what to do next. Noticing schala stop chanting, but the wind increase in strength, he looked to her anxiously. She lifted her head, and their eyes locked. Janus knew what to do. Schala's chanting continued, her voice becoming louder, partly in increasing fervor, partly to be heard over the wind. Suddenly, she raised her arms, and shouted to Janus, "NOW!!" Janus, instantly aware of what was next, wound up and threw the pendant as high in the air as he could. The amulet, which had been Schala's prize possesion for years, glistened in the sunlight, twisting and turning in the maelstrom. From Schala's throat came an inarticulate yell, and her hands flashed with energy, pulsing out into the air, passing through the pendant. On contact, the pendant shattered, and a gigantic wave of sonic energy shook the entire ground, knocking the duo off their feet. "Sch.. Schala?", Janus asked, though the pain in his head was pounding, making it hard to even think. "Schala, I think we.. we did it." "Moaning, Schala sat up. Her head was pounding, too, but she forced herself to speak. "Yes, I think we did. That, or we just gave ourselves large headaches." "I.. I can''t feel any magic left in me. We..", Janus said, in increasing jubilation. Quickly standing up, the pain making it a chore, Janus sprinted across the short distance that separated him from Schala, and the two embraced. "Oh, schala! We did it! There''s no more magic!", Janus cheered, his eyes watering with emotion. Alfador poked his head from the side of the cave, and ran out into Janus''s arms. Still flushed with their triumph, Schala and Janus sat peacefully, and watched the sun shine over the water, much like it had, that fateful day by the river.