Chapter 1 - Morning Secrets Bright. Janus slowly opened his eyes, and blinked, trying to adjust to the morning sunlight. He sat up on the grass and leaf bough, and surveyed his surroundings as he remembered where he was, as he had every morning for the past two weeks. The cave Janus lived in with his sister, Schala, and feline friend Alfador, was not extremely wide, but it stretched quite a distance into the mountain, and ended abruptly on a flat rock platform. Another quirk about this cave, Janus remembered, was that it was eternally sunny. That had earned it the name "Sun Keep". Blinking once more as he turned to the mouth of the cave, Janus stretched and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Alfador, who had been catnapping in the shadow at the mouth of the cave, got up and strode over to his friend. Janus, who was not paying attention to anything other then getting the sleep out of his eyes while trying not to yawn too hard, didn't even see Alfador approach. He was rewarded for his vigilance by a firm pounce onto his back, knocking him off balance. Janus fell over, sideways, in surprise. When he turned around, he saw that it was Alfador, and he accepted the challenge for a wrestling match, laughing happily. After a few minutes of tussling around, making a minor disaster to his bedding in the process, Janus gave up. Alfador was too swift to pin him down with a lightning-fast pounce on his shoulder, which always knocked him off balance. With a merry laugh, Janus laid on his back and picked up Alfador, placing him on his chest, to wind down a moment. Alfador curled down into Janus's blue velvet tunic, and looked at him. Janus always knew something must be going on in Alfador's mind when he looked at him like that, as he seemed to be doing it more often. Figuring he was in too good of a mood to worry about it, Janus offered to give Alfador a brushing of his fur. Reaching over to get ahold of the makeshift comb Schala had made, Janus held it in front of Alfador so he would understand. Alfador, obviously thinking he needed a brushing, sat up on Janus's legs, just below his knees, so he could sit up. As Janus brushed Alfador's fur, he marveled once again on how his friend's coat seemed to be a uniquely rich blend of white and purple, which seemed to undulate from color to color. "Oh well," Janus grinned as he thought, "my hair's blue, so who am I to talk?" When he had finished, Janus put the comb down, and listened to Alfador's purr of sheer delight. Aware that the brushing had stopped and that something else was going to happen, Alfador looked up at Janus quizzically. "What next?" "Want to go find Schala?", Janus asked, with a bit of excitement in his voice. Alfador was so glad. Janus was acting like a kid again. It was something he hadn't done in a long time, according to Alfador's memory. Janus didn't notice Alfador's concentration. He was more excited about what might happen today. A sudden warning bell went off in his mind, alerting to him that he was forgetting something, but when he tried to remember, nothing happened. "Oh well, I'll remember soon enough." "Come on, let's go find Schala!", Janus exclaimed, gently grabbing Alfador and heaving him up to his shoulder. Before Janus stood up, Alfador draped himself around Janus's shoulder, his tail hanging down along Janus's back. Janus stood up slowly, as not to cause any mishaps with Alfador. He knew where Schala would be. She often went places, but today was too beautiful for her to be anywhere else: "Their" beach. It wasn't truly their beach, but since they were the only ones on the island, it might as well be. Janus stepped out of the cave, instinctively covering his eyes from the full force of the sun, until his eyes once again readjusted. He started down towards the path to the beach. She had to be there. The only other forest on the island was on the other side of the mountain, a good hour's walk. As Janus made his way down the winding path to the beach, he looked up into the sunlit canopy of coastal trees that sort of encircled the pathway. Funny, how the only trees around were directly between the cave and the beach. As he brushed away the leaves of various plantlife, and ducked under branches that were overlying the path, he was filled with awe of the beauty of this place. Why couldn't he have lived here his whole life, instead of in the near-sterile Palace of his now-destroyed home? As Janus reached the end of the path, he could see Schala looking out over the water, but only thinly through the branches of the long spidery tree limbs from the nearby trees that had grown in between the natural path and the sea. Janus walked slowly towards Schala, as quietly as possible. He might have been able to sneak up on Schala, but his bare feet were crunching against the pebbles. He brushed the willow out of his path, creating a distinctive wooshing sound as it fell back. "Good morning, Janus..", Schala said softly, aware of someone approaching. It had to be her darling little brother, as he was the only other human on the island. "Schala!!", Janus cried in happiness, and ran forward, to his sister. Schala turned around and bent down to embrace him, nearly smothering Alfador in the process. Complaining loudly, he sat up on Janus's shoulder and rested his paws on Schala's head. "Ow. Alfador, do you mind?", Schala said, muffled, her face half-buried in Janus's shoulder. Alfador jumped off Janus's shoulder, as Schala let go of Janus and straightened up. She sat down on a piece of driftwood, and motioned for Janus to join her. Janus accepted, and Alfador sprang into his lap. "So, Janus.. What're you doing today?", Schala asked, glad to see her brother so full of energy. He was so happy now, compared to how he was before.. Janus suddenly remembered: His secret agenda. He couldn't let Schala know, so.. "Oh, just more exploring, as usual. Is that okay with you?", Janus said, almost offhandedly, trying to dissemble his surprise. "Sure. Just be careful.", Schala said gently. She was always looking out for him. But, he could handle himself on a simple exploring trip, she was certain. Janus nodded. "Alfador, you better stay here with Schala, okay? I'll be fine.", Janus said quietly to his friend, because he couldn't let Alfador know about this. He'd lead Schala to it or something. Alfador sat there, almost as if he didn't hear Janus. "Alfador, did you hear me?", Janus asked. "Nyaoo.", Alfador replied. Of course I heard you. Why can't I come, though? Janus gave Schala one last hug, then stood up to leave. As he began walking, Alfador followed. "No, Alfador. Please stay with Schala!", Janus said, almost pleading. "Nyaoo." Janus walked back towards the path, giving the willow an unnecessary flick, just to hear the rushing of the leaves in the still air. He reached the cave, and, certain that no one was following him, ran down the hill towards the other side of the mountain at a full sprint, eager to get back to work on his little surprise. Chapter 2 - Sapphire Cascades Janus nearly shook with glee as he jumped down behind the vertical rock face concealing his secret cave. Was Schala going to be surprised about this! Once again checking to make sure, Janus took the scree of sapphire from his tunic pocket. He had retrieved from the washout where he had found it the day before. It was what he had been looking for for an entire week, and wouldn't have found it, if he hadn't heard the sound of that waterfall and stumbled across the washout first. Janus thought back a moment. The waterfall fell out of a rocky outcropping that protruded out of the side of the mountain, down into the forest in an ever-present plume of spray and mist. From this, Janus could tell that there was a lake concealed inside the mountain. The mountain was much bigger then it seemed, but that was an optical illusion due to the ocean all around. Janus had seen the mist and ran forward, nearly tripping into the washout itself. As Janus realized what he was standing on, an eroded stone pathway of granite, marble, and much sapphire, he knew what to do. He immediately got down on his hands and knees, looking for chunks broken off. Finding none, he decided to take a risk at damaging this natural walkway, and looked for the heaviest rock he could lift. Janus stumbled over with a very large piece of granite, closed his eyes, and let it drop on the washout. Figuring that the stone shards stopped flying the moment one hit his arm, Janus opened his eyes and looked at what his primitive stonemasonry had done. Perfect. Aside from a few large cracks, and a chunk that was about as big as three pebbles together, the boulder had merely bounced, and to Janus's fortune, away from his bare feet. Janus decided to leave the chunk there for the time being, hoping that if he put it under the waterfall it would smoothen slightly. And this morning, he had come to get it. It was surprisingly close to where he left it, given the incredible power contained in the water. And now it was in his hands! The pendant was almost complete! Janus crept over to the rock shelf where the rest of the pendant was, and contemplated exactly how this was going to be done. Despite all his education at the Palace, being part of the ruling family, he had never had much training in artisan's skills, and he did not have much of an idea of what he was doing. Janus decided that a knotting that wrapped all around the sapphire several times but not obscuring the gemstone itself would be good enough, he figured he could tie it, and it wasn't as likely to fall out. After two attempts, Janus managed to wrap and knot the sapphire properly, and he measured the length using the dimensions of his own head. Adding a little to the length, compensating for his somewhat immature physical body, Janus tied the final knot, nice and tight. He gripped one end with both hands and bit down hard on the other, as a last attempt at making it as tight as possible. Finally! Complete! Janus felt himself rise off the ground in a sense of total triumph. Holding the pendant in his hands, Janus decided that he'd wait that extra day, so as to surprise Schala just as she was waking up. After climbing out of his cave's natural cover, he skipped down the path, trying to hold in suppressed mirth and suspenseful delight, producing tears. On the return, he managed to calm down considerably, as he had a long walk down the narrow gravel path leading around the side of the mountain, to the cave, and managed to behave in a mood most would simply attribute to general happiness and specific jollity. He found Schala once again at the beach, but the presence of a food pouch proved she had left. Together, with Alfador, they spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the beach. When Schala remarked that Janus was happier then she'd ever seen him, he was able to cover up his anxiety of being discovered with some explanation of the adventures he had had that day, generally making it up as he went along. To Janus's intense relief, Schala seemed to accept every word of it and chalked up his excited behaviour for the rest of the day thusly. And why not? What reasons would she have for doubting her sweet little brother, whom was now the only living human she knew? Schala gasped silently as a stray thought blazed through her mind, in the wake of her previous thought. ..the only human alive.. Schala shook her head in silent protest to that very suggestion, but it was a very pale comparison to the titanic mental bellow of outrage, indignation, and self-disgust that thundered out inside her. She was his sister, for Gaea's sake!! He looked up to her!! After their mother became a tyrant, she practically became his mother, too!! Schala, how could you even consider that?! Of all.., she scolded herself. Suddenly aware of exactly where she was, Schala looked apprehensively in Janus's direction, but he was occupied in a wrestling match in the sand with Alfador, and by the looks of things, he was purposely losing. It was just as well, he hadn't been aware of her agitations. As the sun drew quiet in the sky and set low on the horizon, the sky grew increasingly dim. After watching the reflection of the giant celestial orb sparkle over the water, Schala rose to her feet. Janus, who had been sitting beside her, nearly leaning on her, looked up at her in the ever increasing night caused by the setting sun. "It's almost night, Janus. We should get back to the cave..", she said, responding to the unphrased question reflected silently in his eyes. Schala admired her brother's innocent beauty, not for the first time. He had such an innocent face, as he was still a child, but, what a brilliant one. Schala was infused with a feeling of love for the young child for beside her. Reluctantly grabbing a firm hold on reality, she extended a hand to help him up. Settling Alfador on his customary perch on his shoulder, Janus grasped Schala's hand, and rose, shaking the sand off his tunic. How strong she was! Janus reflected. He knew his sister to be a very strong-willed person, with more physical strength then belied her gaunt frame. Janus also knew his sister to be a fighter, their desperate battle against the Queen, their own mother, had proven that. Had it only been a month ago? One cycle of the moon since he had come to be aware of his own powers, and even less then that since he had lost them? Janus's head spun with the powerful knowledge of all that had been accomplished in the space of such a short time.. and all that had been destroyed.. Together, the three of them walked back up the dark path through the forest to the cave, each lost in their own thoughts. Janus, in awe of his sister, and trying to hide his secret to Schala, for at least this day. Schala, on her own, was thinking was an adorable and sweet brother she had, and she was cursing herself for even thinking up that concept. As they reached the cave, Schala collected a few berries and edibles for the next morning, while Janus arranged the leaf boughs they would sleep on. Soon after Janus finished his own, he lied down on it and was fast asleep, Alfador curled up at his shoulder. Schala paused, before going to sleep herself. This was when Janus's beauty was most apparent, when he was asleep and innocent as the day he was born. She bent down on one knee in awe, as she traced the path of the moonlight over his forehead and across the top of his head. Schala sighed, knowing what hardships her little brother had had to live through to be here, being raised by his sister after his father died and his mother all but abandoned him, growing up alone with no one in the world but her to talk to, risking his own life with newfound powers for her, and nearly being killed by his own mother, and last of all helping her in their triumph, banishing magic from the world. Schala bent down her other knee, and crawled to Janus's side. Bending over him, she brushed his hair back, and kissed him on his forehead. He stirred slightly in his sleep, but he did not wake. Schala stood up, and whispered, "Good night, Janus..." Chapter 3 - Alea Jacta Est (The Die is Cast) Janus awoke. Alfador was awake beside him, stretching lazily. Schala was fast asleep on her bough, just a short distance away. Perfect! Rising as silently as possible, Janus stood up, and walked outside of the cave. Getting his bearings on what was the fastest way to the cave, he set off down the path, as fast as possible while still maintaining silence. As Janus jogged down the gravel path, he noticed that there was a slope to it, and that along the edge was a long hill, not steep but actually rather high up, and rocky. He didn't even want to think about what would happen should someone fall down. It'd be a messy situation for sure, scraped and bruises no matter what. Ah, what a beautiful day it was! The sun was shining, the few birds that lived on the island were singing, and there was a gentle breeze blowing, keeping everything in motion. Not a thing in sight was still, well, nothing except the mountain, of course. When Janus reached the cave, he noticed for the first time that Alfador had followed him. In his haste to get there, he hadn't warned Alfador to stay away. It didn't matter, Janus thought. The importance of the secrecy of the cave isn't necessary anymore, now that the pendant was finished. Janus climbed up and jumped down over the wall in front of the entrance of the cave, and made his way over to the natural rock shelf where he had left the pendant. Admiring his work one final time, Janus reached in and put it inside his tunic, in a secret pocket he had sown, after getting the material for the pendant. Janus had been extra careful while adding this to his tunic, because it would have added insult to injury if Schala had found his cave, and him inside, naked, sowing something onto the inside of his tunic. Bending down, Janus couldn't help but apologize to Alfador, after seeing the annoyed look on his face at being left out of all the fun. Tucking the pendant away and making sure it was secure, Janus walked back out to the stone fence, and climbed up and over. Alfador sprang over, landing squarely on Janus's head, nearly causing him to lose balance. That wasn't fair, Janus, not fair at all, Alfador scowled. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I just wanted this to be a total surprise to Schala, okay?", Janus said, pleadingly, to his friend. He knew how sensitive Alfador was to secrets, but he had had to keep this one from him. Janus knelt down to his friend, and said in the most soft and apologetic voice he could, "Listen, Alfador.. when we get back, I'll brush your fur down, just as soon as I give Schala the pendant, okay?" Alfador, content with the reparations, purred slightly, to let his friend know, no hard feelings. We've got a deal. "Great!", Janus cried out, happy that his friend wasn't as mad at him to refuse a brush. Together, they ran back towards the cave. Janus was sprinting as fast as Alfador could go, letting him keep up. Chapter 4 - Airborne Alarm When Schala awoke, she looked over to Janus's bough and saw that he was gone. She looked out through the mouth of the cave, and saw that the sun was well in the sky. He must have gone exploring. Strangely enough, she'd overslept. Schala rose, and ate a short breakfast of the foodstuffs she'd collected the night before, leaving some for Janus when he returned. Then she sat down, deep in thought. Why was she having these feelings? Why was she finding herself thinking about Janus? It dawned on her. She was growing to a mature age, nearly 19, and she was all alone on the island, except her little brother. It all became clear to her, and Schala blushed at the realization. She was beginning to look for companionship, but beyond that of what her little brother could offer her, which was simply sibling love. That was why she had thought of him that way. Her body was telling her, her instincts were telling her. She was a woman now, not a little girl footloose and fancy free to run around in the Palace. Rethinking that, Schala amended that statement. She hadn't been a little girl for a long time, having to take care of Janus since he was a small child, but now that he was old enough to take care of himself sufficiently, she was more then just a young woman, a teenager, looking after her younger sibling, she was a fully grown woman, with all due connotations of the word. Schala's thoughts were interrupted when Alfador burst in, panic and terror aflame in his wide eyes. Pouncing, he flew across what seemed a very large gap and landed on Schala with full force, knocking her over. In her confusion, she only half-understood his frantic meowing, but one thing was clear: Janus was in danger! "Alfador, take me to Janus! Hurry!", she cried out, lurching to her feet and breaking into a dead run, a small white form flashing past her feet around the mouth of the cave and up the path. Chapter 5 - Misty Metal Janus was floating.. somewhere. There was no movement, no noise, no pressure. He felt no pain in his leg anymore, or anywhere else. He didn't feel any gravity pulling on his body, no weight anywhere. Opening his eyes, Janus cried out at what he saw. He was floating in a strange metallic world, with dark hazes encroaching on his field of vision, in all directions. There was light, but it was from no visible source and of equal intensity everywhere, bright enough only to see his immediate surroundings. To Janus's further anxiety, his cry made no noise beyond that of the immediate air. He heard no echo, no fade out. It was simply a piercing cry, and then all was silent again. Where is this? Where am I? Janus tried to remember what had happened. He had been running down the path, and suddenly he was on the ground, face up to the sky. His head had ached, but only for a second. He had felt a stabbing pain in his leg, but he hadn't the strength to lift his head. He thought he saw a flash of white and purple just before he closed his eyes, and everything disappeared. I..I.. must have fallen.. down the hill.. all those rocks.. but.. Janus closed his eyes. This couldn't happen! He was Gaea knows where, after a tremendous fall. The fact that he couldn't feel any pain anywhere made him even more tense. Janus tried to remember what Schala had taught him. Be strong. Breathe deeply, and concentrate on one word in your mind. Concentrate on that word and you will get through anything. Be strong. Janus searched through his mind for a word to focus on, before panic took him. Only one word shot to mind: "Alfador.. Alfador.. Alfador.. Alfador..", Janus chanted, trying to concentrate and to block out this harsh universe that he was in. "Alfador... Alfador... Alfa..dor.... Al..", Janus couldn't stand anymore. With a soul-rending wail, he burst into sobs, for the first time in his life totally alone and afraid. He was a lost child, alone without anyone to comfort him, in a desolate and misty universe, where anything could happen. Soon, Janus's fears took him so far that he was reduced to simply gurgling piteously, all curled up, trying to hide from the invisible enemies assailing him. Janus suddenly felt something warm in the air, a kindred presence. Something totally foreign to this terrible void he was trapped in. Reluctantly Janus lifted his head from the fetal position he was holding, and wiped away the tears that were blurring his vision. Out of the thick mists, right in front of Janus, came a blur of colour, soon becoming clear enough to be recognized.. "ALFADOR!!" The cry was one that would affect even the most stoic of hearts. Shattering the silence of the metallic world, a lone desperate plea rang out, to a saviour in this fearsome place. Janus was not alone. Holding Alfador tightly to him, Janus sobbed uncontrollably, Alfador licking his cheek in comfort. Suddenly, there was light. Janus opened his eyes, to see the familiar stone ceiling of the cave he called home. Trying to sit up, Janus immediately felt a sharp pain in his neck that spread down through his back. Groaning, he relaxed, and found that his head was bandaged in cloth, as was his arm. In a mistake, Janus tried to lift his leg. He was rewarded by more pain, sharper then before, and he knew that his leg was broken. The other one seemed to be okay, nothing seriously damaged, just some superficial cuts and scratches. Aware that his poor battered friend was awake, Alfador lifted his head and licked Janus's cheek. "Schala?", Janus asked, in a question. Janus saw a shadow move from the corner closer to him, and he was aware that it was his sister, as the light shone on her tear-streaked face. Sobbing, she bent down and hugged him tightly, causing him to yelp in pain as she accidentally put pressure on several cuts on his back. "Oh, Janus.. I..I thought I'd lost you again!" And those were the only words Janus heard for the rest of the day. Chapter 6 - Wooden Sapphire Janus awoke, groggily. Schala's mild sedative had worked, for a time. Janus had managed to get a few hours sleep, then it wore off and the pain returned, bringing him to consciousness. In the shadow of darkness, Janus had woken Schala, and she had given him a second dose, which had carried him through until morning. He had sunk deep enough into sleep the second time that the medicine had worn off but the pain had not changed Janus's state. The boy was now aware of this feeling now, as it returned with a vengeance. "Schala...", Janus moaned, almost a whine. Alfador bounded over to his prone friend, licking his cheek. Janus noticed that Alfador had a habit of doing so, and it had a strange calming effect on him. Seeing no immediate response, Janus rolled over, onto his right side, so that there was no weight on his left. Janus raised himself to a semi-sitting position, making all effort to keep pressure off his leg. A dizzying pain swept over him, and he realized that he was leaning on his left leg. Janus's only reaction, with such a clouding haze in his mind, was to release the pressure. His solution: Fall over sideways. When Janus had shaken himself out of the painful haze that had clouded his mind so, he thought, "This is crazy." Janus's hand reached out, looking for that certain object, the wooden machine that would save him all these tormented exercises. Slowly, Janus's hand passed over something that felt promising; Cold, solid but not hard, with a definite pattern to the surface, a unique texture. Janus grasped at the crutch, and, after several attempts at gripping it, eventually involving Alfador's help, got a hand on it, and drew it to well within his reach. Janus stood it upright, with his hands grasping for purchase on the trunk of the sturdy piece. Looping his right hand on a flimsy grip over the top, Janus pulled. At the same time, he tried to sweep his right leg under him, so he would be sitting on his haunches, well, one of them. Unfortunately, in doing so, he kicked his other leg, which sent stabbing jolts of pain throughout his entire body, inciting such a reaction that Alfador meowed in alarm. Janus fell onto his back, and rolled, all the way over so that he was lying on his chest. A strange protrusion under his tunic jab into his chest. Janus rolled over back onto his back, taking careful measures to see that he did not bump his leg in the process, and sat up. Slowly, with curious wonder in his eyes, Janus reached inside his tunic and pulled, from his forgotten pouch, the pendant. Before his wide eyes, the sapphire shone with a light that bordered on life. "Schala's pendant!!", Janus cried, as if his mind had only begun to function again since his discovery. Alfador purred, and carefully climbed up Janus's right leg. He snuggled against Janus's warm body, purring softly. Janus reached down with his free hand, and stroked his friend's colourful fur, such rich, undulating color, phasing from purple to white and back. In the near distance, Janus heard sounds of someone approaching. Blue beams of light passed across his gentle face, tinting his skin blue to match his hair. Janus's attention, regained by the gemstone in his hand, left behind any thoughts of the approaching individual. Chapter 7 - Rise and Walk... Schala approached the cave entrance slowly and carefully, unsure of the condition of her brother. She crept around the edge of the face to the cave, and stood quietly in the doorway. A small sigh of relief escaped from her lips, muted by the scene before her. Janus was sitting up, Alfador perched on his right thigh and around his waist. Janus's eyes were riveted on the object he held in his hand, a blue stone on the end of some kind of cord. A prism of blue flashed on the wall beside Schala, and passed swiftly across her face. Schala gave a quiet gasp, but was not fast enough to muffle her sound. Janus's attention snapped back to reality, and he swiveled his upper body around, nearly throwing Alfador for a ride. "Schala!!", Janus cried, simultaneously begging for mercy from the agony his leg caused him at all times, issuing surprise at her arrival, despite it not being exactly stealthy, recalling his intentions for the blue stone, and expressing joy for the arrival of his sister. Schala ran forward, and carefully embraced her little brother. Alfador took a playful swipe at Schala, for having the guts to embrace "his" person, and in return was bowled over backwards, but with a gentle hand, in no malicious intent. "How are you this morning, Janus..?", Schala said in a soft tone, as if her voice carried a physical embodiment of care, love, concern, and hope. Janus forced a smile, "I'm doing okay.. that medicine wore off, though.." Schala stood, reluctantly letting go of Janus, and went out to fetch some of those herbs she had seen growing, which with she had prepared Janus's sedatives, using the limited herbal lore she had. Janus grabbed at his crutch once more, and struggled to rise. The effort caught him at his knees, and Janus put all his weight on his right. Teeth clenched tightly, Janus hooked both hands on the top, and pulled. Through sheer effort, he staggered to a barely passable standing. Janus gripped the crutch under his arm, and tried to focus. Gasping from the pain, as well as dizziness for being upright for the first time in a week, Janus took a hesitant step forward. In absolute exhaustion, Janus's right leg buckled, and he fell to the ground in a bruised heap. Schala, alerted to her charge's plight from the noise of his unceremonious descent, as well as his muted yelp of pain, jogged in, a handful of greenstuffs in one hand. "Janus.. why? Your leg is broken. You cannot expect it to heal so fast.", Schala said in a consoling yet almost scolding tone. Why was Janus subjecting himself to this? His leg was broken a week ago. With her healing skills, it was doubtful that the bones had even set back together in the right position yet. Alfador licked Janus's cheek again, and he slowly opened his eyes. With agonizing effort, Janus untangled himself, cautiously avoiding any kind of jarring movement to his injured limb. Schala placed down the herbs she had amassed, and crouched down, to help, making sure she did not touch Janus's leg, or put any pressure on any of his many scrapes and bruises, which, almost thankfully, did not cause him any harm, unfortunately due to the pain his leg caused him. "Oh, Janus.. why? You know that fractures like this can't handle motion..", Schala said in a half-scolding tone, but at the same time consoled her younger family. He was trying so hard to overcome his handicap, but Schala feared he would succumb to the strains he was causing himself, and lapse back into unconsciousness, a fate Schala dearly wished to avoid. One day of a blacked-out Janus was enough. Janus sat up, and took a few deep breaths, trying to forget the pain caused by his little tumble. Triggered by the agony, tears formed in his eyes, and, as he blinked more back, Janus lied down, heralding defeat to the torturous agony caused by the injury in his body. Brushing the tears from his cheeks, Janus sighed, yet what escaped his throat was parallel to that of a whimper. Janus's eyes burned red with pain, innocent globes filled with a torture that was not deserving of its' victim. Such bright eyes could not comprehend the abyss of agonizing predicaments, that, within the last cycle of the moon, had been their domain. Schala quickly mixed up a dose of sedatives for Janus, as she felt he needed it, and badly. In light of the particular instance, she added more of one particular plant, the Tesa leaf, for sleep. To her relief, it worked, very rapidly, and Janus slept until the early evening, where he was given a second dosage. Janus's slumber lasted to the first rays of dawn, and his rest was not invaded by the dreams which had hounded him for nights. Chapter 8 - Moonprism Shadow Everything was silent. The only visible things were the stones of the path, and Alfador. There were but two sounds audible to Schala's ears; Her breathing, rapid and gasping, and the staccato crunching of the gravel under her feet. She was oblivious to the pain of running so far on bare feet. Every detail of the path was crystal clear; Every stone, outcropping of dirt, all in extremely sharp quality. When Alfador darted into her field of vision, it was as if Schala could track the displacement of every hair on his feline body, as he bounded and sprinted down the path. In sharp contrast to this infinite detail, Schala could discern nothing more then fuzzy shapes and colors outside her immediate line of sight, as if her young eyes were failing her, to begin the plunge into the abyss of blindness. She knew there to be birds around, as there were many inhabiting the island, but in her headlong rush down the path she perceived none. Keeping her eyes riveted on the path ahead and Alfador's flitting purple-white form, she nary deviated her eyes from that plane, save to blink. Suddenly, in a flash, she was motionless. She was standing on a particularly precarious bend of the path, with Alfador. Her only perception was the violently eroded lip of the path, scraggled and broken, then she once again took flight, pell-mell downhill. In her reckless descent, she spotted a small motionless form, prone on the hard earth. A synapse pulsed a ghost of a message through her head, and she opened her mouth to scream.. to scream the name of her dearest companion and greatest treasure… Schala sat up in the dark with a violent jerk, ready to scream. Realization of where she was swiftly arrived, but it did nothing to calm her pounding heart. Wiping the sweat from her brow, and brushing her bangs from the moist sticky surface they had affixed themselves to, she attempted to calm herself. She bit down hard on her lip to avoid crying out, completely numb to the pain she was causing herself. Taking deep breaths, she looked to Janus. Janus was sleeping on his back, his face illuminated by the moonlight. His bangs were slumped to one side, and the beams of yellow light gave his face the pale appearance of a corpse. Gently ajar, he was breathing softly through his mouth, and through the cloth of his one piece of clothing his chest rose lightly with each inhalation, to fall again as he returned the air from his lungs. Bent innocently as if grabbing something, Janus's arms were thrust out away from his body, then bent at the elbow so that they were parallel with the middle of his relaxed face. Schala trembled as she crawled over to Janus's silent, immobile form. With a shaky hand she timidly reached over to his forehead, and brushed back his bangs, to rest her hand on his forehead. A familiar body warmth reassured her, and she withdrew her still-unsteady palm. Lying back down, she continued to tremble uncontrollably, gripped with an unvoicable fear. What was happening to her? Why was she tormented night after night with that nightmare? Janus was recovering, albeit slowly, as her medical skills were limited and lacking to some degree. Schala blushed. She had been so proud of Janus, when he had tried to walk with that crutch that morning, through such pain.. She could tell. He had tried to reassure her, that he was okay, but his gentle innocent eyes betrayed his mask, delicate globes filled with burning agony and ferocious determination. Once she had allayed her fears of Janus further injuring himself, and her confidence in his ability to decide his capabilities with a broken leg increased, she had become more relaxed, and most of all, supportive. Schala sighed. Janus was so young, but... how strong he was, while learning so himself. He had genuinely tried not to let her panic when he first stood. When he took that first nervous step, there was such a sheer look of determination on his face, that Schala was almost scared of him. As sleep once again claimed her into its dark space of rest and healing, Schala was rejuvenated with a loving emotion for her gentle sibling. As dreams entered her subconscious, one theme permeated them all and wove her a restful and comforting tapestry of repose: Memories of her and Janus, life before their world became.. unglued. Chapter 9 - Stand Strong Against The Wind Janus awoke, as the sunlight danced magic on his young face through the billowy clouds of the mid-morning sky. Alfador was asleep beside him, and, as the boy found out quickly as he tried to sit up, resting on his arm. Janus tugged at his arm, finally wrenching it free from the warm feline body. Alfador woke up, from such a disturbance, and looked around. "Oh, it's only Janus". Stretching and yawning, Alfador went through his basic morning rituals, as he watched his friend wake up. Janus sat up, and rubbed his eyes, in the bright light of morning. Looking beside him, Janus saw that Schala slept just a short distance away, in peace. The young boy reached for his crutch, and rose, as silently as possible, Alfador lazily looking up at him as he rose to his knees, then pulled himself up by his crutch to a frail imbalanced position. Taking the crutch and placing it under his left arm, Janus then stood upright, favouring his left leg. Alfador looked at him expectantly. Janus nodded to his friend, and they made their way out of the cave in silence. Janus took careful, slow paces out. His leg had been healing, but it wasn't mended yet. Janus recalled the day that Schala had removed the bandage from his leg. She had warned him that she would put it back on if he had tried to do much. In compliance, Janus had rested for that entire time. Janus had now made it to the entrance to the cave, and realized that there was a definite breeze in the gentle air. Deciding where he would go, Janus set off at a crawl to the beach, a place that he had not been to in such a long time. When Janus had gotten onto the dirt trail that passed through the forest between the cave and the beach, Alfador took advantage of the fact that there was dense foliage all around. He scaled a tree with incredible speed, and with absolute grace he landed on Janus's shoulder, from an overhanging branch. Janus watched his friend pull this stunt, and grinned. Had it been so long since he had walked with Alfador on his shoulder? As Janus walked through the deep forest, the sun occasionally brightening his face in patches where no shadows lied, he reflected on the impact that injury had had on his life. What had happened? Janus still didn't know for sure. "I must have slipped.. fallen.. the last thing I remember is a flash of white and purple before blacking out.." Janus stopped. Purple and white.. The only thing that.. and Alfador had come with him.. "Alfador..? Did you try and rescue me when I fell?", Janus asked of his friend, who was perched on his shoulder trying to remove the leaves from his face. Alfador remained silent, but the expression on his face was something along the lines of "How brilliant of you to figure that out, my dear boy."