The Folly of Magus

Disclaimer: All rights to the name "Chrono Trigger" belong solely to Square Enix. I do not own "Chrono Trigger" nor do I profit from the writing of this story.

Author's Note: Just want to go ahead and thank all those who have read and/or reviewed and/or rated. Just want to let you all know that I added a little bit more detail to chapter one to better flesh out this chapter. I'm typically not much into writing lemons (I usually write action/adventure stories) but I decided to give my perverted side a chance. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter.

--

For the longest time, all she could see before her eyes was darkness. There was not hint of sound, light nor comfort, just a black abyss.

Though she did not know where she was, she knew how she got there, at least partially.

Immortality had been within her grasp. The energy of Lavos had been successfully harnessed by the Mammon Machine and it was only a matter of time. She would gain immortality and rule all, an evil and beautiful sorceress, feared yet desired by all.

But her plans had been foiled.

How she had gaped in surprise when she saw the red-haired youth come out of nowhere to defy her with his brutish blade and basic magic. She was sure that he had died when Lavos awoke, but there he was, like a phantom lingering on the world to reap its revenge against all those who wronged it.

Then there was him.

So sure was she that Lavos had eradicated this man that she no longer thought of him, but there he was, ready to foil her plans once more.

The Prophet.

Truth be told, when she first heard of him through rumors going about the kingdom, she thought him to be some simple, earthbound druid who had keen insight and nothing more.

But when he had made his presence known to her, she felt as if there was a great weight bearing down on her, driving her to the earth. It was almost as if she was being forced to kneel before this man.

The black wind that surrounded him was immense. His eyes were cold and distant, his voice, deep as the depths of the sea, commanded utmost respect and his aura, it was...something else.

Though she knew a few basic spells when it concerned Shadow magic, she was essentially a Water adept, and the strongest one that has ever existed.

But even she shivered as she noticed the magnitude of his powers and that his primary element was Shadow, the strongest of all four magics.

Queen Zeal has lived a long time, longer than what most people would believe (partly due to her very young and vibrant appearance) and she had never encountered anyone whose magic element was Shadow.

Yet this prophet bowed his knee and offered her his services.

She knew that he was something else. For the first time ever in her life she felt a twinge of fear but she was a master at concealing her true emotions. On the outside, she appeared as she always did, tall, proud and confident.

As such, she knew that she could use him. All she had to do was practice a bit of caution.

Never did she believe that the Prophet would be instrumental to her downfall.

--

Faced with two people she was sure had died, she found herself on the defensive as she was attacked three to one. She could not recall the third person, so distracted she was on the newly revived red haired youth and the Prophet.

Unfortunately, she knew that the Prophet alone could have dispatched her at her current state so she was forced to borrow Lavos' energy through the Mammon Machine.

Power coursed through her veins, power she never even dreamed existed. She felt invincible, that nothing except Lavos could stop her.

So begun her transformation and she battled once more.

Yet, even this was not enough.

How she remembered the Prophet dispatching her at the last second, tearing through her with a weapon of unusual make, forcing her to revert back to her normal self.

She was angry, oh she was furious.

She had been planning for this for so long. She had put so much work and energy, she was so close that she could nearly taste the fruit of immortality.

But she was thwarted and while she spouted angry dialogue to the trio, mostly at the Prophet, on the inside, she began to feel great sorrow.

She wanted to cry.

It just wasn't fair. Was it so wrong to better one's self, to push the boundaries of death, and push until there was a point that the humble, weak human being could taste immortality and join his brethren in the heavens as one of the gods?

She wanted to be that one. She hated being weak, she hated being human, she hated to age and she hated the fact that despite all her power, death would ultimately claim her and she would have no chance to fight it.

Soon, the newly risen Ocean Palace began to crumble once more and she saw the trio vanish with a bright light.

She knew, without a doubt, that Lavos was finally weary of their intrusion and felt it necessary to end them personally.

But she was now forsaken.

The Mammon Machine was now destroyed and she could no longer borrow power from Lavos. All she saw from her great height was a deep blue abyss that was ready to catch her fallen mass.

And it was there that Death would wait for her she was sure. It would wait for her to fall in the water so that it could enter her lungs and suffocate the life out of her.

Or if it failed in that mission, it would enter her blood and freeze her solid, turning soft flesh into unforgiving ice. Once that was accomplished, she was doomed to sink to the bottom of the ocean where strange and exotic creatures would tear at her, dismembering her once beautiful body to that of an icy and bloody mass.

Yet the Queen, despite having lost the battle for immortality, would not die this way. She refused to accept her fate. She would be damned if Death claimed her in the murky depths of the ocean.

So putting forward the remainder of powers, she casted a barrier which would both protect her from harm and keep her afloat. She knew that she was far from shore and that her barrier would not last nearly long enough to insure her safe passage all the way to a beach.

But she wanted to live, no matter what, and live as long as possible. If Death really wanted her, it would have to commit fully to the effort because as far as the Queen was concerned, she was going to live no matter what.

--

After what she thought to be eternity, the darkness began to lift. Light began to flood her sight as her other senses were catching up.

She felt warm, which was a deep contrast to the utter chill she felt for the longest time and she felt dry.

As her eyes finally adjusted to the light and began function once more after being in darkness for so long, she began to make out her surroundings.

She was in what felt a paupers bed with a thin mat of fur over her. About her, she saw a fire with her robe and dress hanging over it.

From what she could make out, she was in what looked like an earthbound hut.

Maybe some kind earthbound found her body on the shore and nursed her back to health.

Well, whoever he/she/it was, she did not want to feel indebted to them. She was going to leave right now before anyone could take notice of her.

So she rose and her body protested. She ached all over and her head felt light and dizzy. But she would not stay. She hated the earthbound and while she thought herself fortunate to have been saved, she would never bring herself to give gratitude.

She had to leave and that was final.

So, pushing her protesting body up, she managed to get into sitting position on the mat. For some reason, her body felt oddly light and that was until she remembered her dress and robes drying over the fire.

She looked down to find herself dressed in a skimpy, pink tank top with matching tight shorts.

She scowled as she saw her state of dress and scowled even more that someone had the gall to take her robes off while she was unconcious and look upon her nudity.

But now was not the time to worry about that. She just had to get out and quick.

Yet, just as she was about to exit the bed she heard a deep voice that made her blood chill with fright.

"I would not move any further if I were you."

The queen suddenly froze solid as she heard those words.

"It can't be, there is no way." thought the queen as she turned her head, not really wanting to confirm what she heard with her eyes.

Unfortunately for her, as soon as she turned fully, she nearly gasped in fear at what she saw.

There, sitting in a seat made entirely of hide, was the Prophet.

Never in her life had she been so frightened. She knew that even at her best the Prophet had powers that exceeded her own and now, here she was as helpless as a baby.

But she would never admit fear.

Sitting in the most upright position possible, she glared at the Prophet's red eyes and spoke.

"So it seems we meet again Prophet." said Queen Zeal.

"Indeed." replied the Prophet.

For a moment, the queen observed the Prophet and noted his demeanor. He seemed ill at ease. She smiled, knowing exactly what to say to make him feel worse.

"Were you the one who brought me here?" asked the queen forcefully.

"Do you see anyone else in here who would have done so?" replied the Prophet.

"No, I suppose not. Then again, why did you bother to do so anyway?" asked the queen.

"I have my reasons." replied the Prophet.

"Tell me." commanded the queen.

"My reasons are my own." replied the Prophet though a bit of frustration was beginning to creep on him..

"It matters not whether they are your own or not. I demand to know." replied the queen.

"I no longer serve under you. You are in no position to order me about. I saved your pathetic carcass for reasons that are my own and that is that." replied the Prophet, who was now really beginning to get frustrated.


"What insolence. Perhaps you have forgotten to whom you speak to. Do you not know that I can end your pathetic life right now if I so-"

Queen Zeal never finished as she felt an iron vice grip her throat and slam her against the wall.

She saw stars for a moment as she suffered a very brief concussion before realizing that the Prophet had his hand about her throat.

She could still breath but she noted that strange weapon was now pointed towards her throat as well. She looked down to see the Prophet and she could feel his overwhelming intent to kill.

Queen Zeal knew that he could kill her now with little effort. She felt her body begin to shake from the fright and she cursed herself mentally. There was no way that she was going to satisfy the Prophet with her fear.

With great self-control, she stopped her shaking and stared hard onto the eyes of the Prophet. She then sneered, hoping that her bluffing might discourage him.

"You seem to be in a foul mood Prophet. Did you and your band of clots have to flee from the awesome power of Lavos once more?" asked Queen Zeal harshly.

The queen's response was a tighter grip on her throat, one which prevented her from breathing. She thought that at that point she went too far and that she just ended her life here and now.

But to her surprise, the Prophet let her go, dropping her back on the mat while she coughed and heaved to get breath.

For a moment, nothing happened while the Queen tried to get her bearings. Yet, once she recovered, she turned to see the Prophet going over a large bag. She was curious as to why he was doing this until he removed something that chilled her to the bone.

He grabbed what looked like a large mass of flesh. It was so big that the Prophet needed both arms to steady himself. He threw the mass at the Queen's feet while he went through another bag.

The Queen was curious as to why the Prophet would show her such a disgusting sight.

Not all too soon, the mass was met with an equally large head that rolled towards her.

At least, it looked like a head though it was nothing like she had seen before.

Like the mass, the outer part of the head's skin was a creamy yellow while the face was stark white. There was a purple gem that adorned the forehead.

Queen Zeal was disgusted with the sight and voiced her displeasure.

"Prophet! What is the meaning of this?" asked the queen sharply.

"Touch them and all will be clear to you." answered the Prophet.

The queen wrinkled her nose in disgust but she decided to humor the prophet if it meant that it would let her live long enough to get out of this place.

So she went over, and using both arms, touched both the gigantic head and mass.

At once, she knew the power that was eminating from these two masses. It had been an integral and crucial part of her plans for immortality and she almost did not want to believe it.

"Lavos...?" asked the queen.

"Indeed it is, the true form of the creature that has been feeding off this planet and where you borrowed all your powers from. What you have been seeing on the outside is nothing but a shell designed to protect this specimen. This before you is the head and heart of the true Lavos. Though it was a coordinated effort, I was the one who delivered the final blow and brought that eternal creature down low." said the Prophet.

For a moment, Queen Zeal was silent as she absorbed this and continued to identify the energy signals given off by the masses of flesh before her.

It seemed that the Prophet was right. She could not sense Lavos anywhere now. It seemed as if it disappeared from the face of the Earth were it not for the fact that its very essence were at her feet at this very moment.

"I do not believe it! You false prophet you, feeding me lies and twisted words like you have done before!" shrieked Queen Zeal as she kicked the masses away from her.

"Accept what is shown before you queen. Your idea for immortality was a fool's errand that was destined to fail. Your reckless ambition has caused the downfall of your own domain and now your people are either destitute or dead. You are queen of nothing now. Accept that Death is unavoidable for all will have to die sooner or later. Even Lavos, with its great power and might, succumbed to Death." said the Prophet.

"NO! I will not hear it. You are rambling now in an effort to subdue me. There is no way that an immortal being such as Lavos could have fallen prey to Death." said Queen Zeal.

"But that is where you are wrong queen. Lavos was never immortal. Its lifespan may be beyond our comprehension but it surely is not immortal. The evidence is before you. This is not one of Enhasha's dreams, this is reality." answered the Prophet.

For a while, there was silence between the two. The queen simply could not believe what she was hearing but there was no denying it. Lavos was now dead and her dream to become immortal has remained what it was the whole time, just a dream.

Then the Prophet spoke again.

"I should have finished you off back in Zeal when I had the chance, along with the Gurus, Dalton and the Mammon Machine. I had the power and the chance to do so. Perhaps the Kingdom of Zeal would not have fallen then." said the Prophet.

"Why would the welfare of the Kingdom be of any concern to you Prophet? As far as I know, I have never seen you in our Kingdom until shortly before the completion of the Ocean Palace." sneered Queen Zeal.

"I have my reasons." answered the Prophet.

"Really? And for what reason might I ask? You certainly are not part of the enlighted race." said Queen Zeal.

At this, the Prophet stared hard into the Queen's eyes. He chuckled a bit when he saw her withdraw her gaze before he continued.

"What if I were to tell you that I AM part of the englighted ones, at least, for a small time before I was...exiled." said the Prophet as he neared the queen, invading her personal space.

Feeling very uncomfortable and flustered, Queen Zeal immediately drew back before answering.

"Really? Unless my memory deceives me, I do not recall seeing you at anytime during my reign." answered the queen.

"Then let me give you a hint. You asked before as to why I would care for the welfare of the Kingdom. I will give you one word, one name....Schala." answered the Prophet.

"Schala? What does she have to do with this?" asked the queen.

"Think back queen. Back when we did battle with Lavos the first time we stormed the Ocean Palace. Remember what Lavos did to all those who got too near?" asked the Prophet.

For a moment Queen Zeal thought back to that first time. The red haired boy lost his life, or he should have. The Prophet made a bold but foolish stand and was unable to withstand the might of Lavos and was defeated. Then Schala managed to summon them away only to have the three Gurus come in and try to stop her. As if it read her mind, Lavos managed to spirit all of them away through a portal that formed underneath them.

"What is this leading to?" thought the queen as she began to sift through her memories once more.

Then she remembered Janus running in, looking for Schala. She remembered Schala trying to tell him to run away but Janus too got spirited away through a portal. Soon after, Schala disappeared and she, Queen Zeal, stayed with Lavos in her pursuit for immortal life.

"Welfare for the kingdom, Schala, portals...."thought Queen Zeal.

Then it hit her with a sudden force. She suddenly knew the identity of the Prophet.

"I-It can't be him. He died, how could he have...?"

"Seems as if you finally figured out who I am." said the Prophet.

"There is no way! You are lying to me once again Prophet! I will not be deceived by your venomous words once more!" said Queen Zeal.

"Then how do you explain this?" asked the Prophet as he held out a small accessory.

Queen Zeal recognized it at once and finally accepted the Prophet for who he said he was.

For there on his hand was Schala's amulet, the one she gave to her little brother before departing to the Ocean Palace.

The one that shone so brightly on Janus that even the queen noticed as he was being spirited away to some forsaken place.

And as she was trying to accept what was now the truth, she suddenly felt a sudden force grab her and slam her against the wall once more. She looked up at those red eyes once more and now saw utter hatred and disgust. It unnerved her.

"I think that it is now high time for you to pay for you sins...mother."

--

Author's Note: Yes, I know, no lemon. I had to do this chapter though to flesh things out but next chapter is going to be filled with goodies so stick around.