Start Date: October 26, 2021
Windwillow
Chrono Trigger
Chapter Eleven
The trip home from the future led to a number of developments. Crono and the gang met the mysterious sage Melchior, Lucca had been wounded, and before setting out she and her father Taban decked out her friends with new goodies.
Next step, the Battle of Zenan Bridge.
Scene One
Leaving Lucca with her parents, Crono, Marle, and Robo set off for the past. Thankfully, due to the police chief's work, there were no soldiers guarding the Gate; the Chief was old friends with Taban and Lara.
They leapt through the spiraling sphere, flashes of blue and streaks of violet leading them back to Truce Canyon. By now the local Mystics were easily dispatched, so let's skip that. Our heroes departed for Truce, and there took up shop at the local pub. A notable face was Toma.
"Oy, friends!" he called. "Fancy a drink? I've some nice tidbits to share!"
A polite way to say, 'buy me booze.'
Well, they did, and Toma set about to give the latest news. And in the Mystic War news, this was about as big as you'd find: the Legendary Hero had reemerged, the War was heating up, and the King himself lay at the Castle wounded from battle. Using every ounce of their strength the Guardians pushed the Hero down south to find a magical sword rumored strong enough to slay Magus.
The Holy Blade, Masamune. Also known as the "Grand Lion."
"The King's injured?!" yelled Crono. "What happened?"
Toma took a swig of his drink.
"Took an arrow in the shoulder. One o' the Mystic archers nailed 'im. He's recovering at the Castle..."
Marle laid her head in her hands.
"Crap... if he dies, I'm dead again!"
Toma cocked his head.
"Come pardon?"
"She is fatigued," said Robo. "An adequate amount of rest will suffice."
With a sigh, Marle nodded. Lucca breathed a heavy breath. A quick slip like that could sink their ship.
Crono leaned back in his chair.
"So the King's wounded, I get that. What about a 'Hero?'"
"That," said Toma, "is simple: he who holds the Hero's Badge is the Legendary Hero, the one destined to kill Magus and end the war. The royal army forced their way south to get him to the Denadoro Mountains, where the Masamune is rumored to rest."
He took another swig.
"If I could get there I'd find it myself, great adventurer that I am. Right now the Zenan Bridge is under siege... no way to get there."
Robo shook his head.
"In that case, we must meet with the King."
Toma laid down the tab.
"All good, mates. Your treat?"
Crono wanted to strangle him, but thought better and bit his tongue.
Another Angle
"Magic, Chemistry, and Genius"
"Extract liquid magic from my fire, condense it, and we can create a tonic that can do awesome things!"
Taban sighed, and leaned back in his chair.
"Great, but we've gone through two tables already! Fire ain't easy to use gently."
Lucca scowled.
"Quiet! I'm trying to think!"
He slammed his hand on the table.
"Analyze it! If we assume magic acts as chemical energy, we need a way to control the energy first! So if we assume that we can harness magic using chemistry, can't we just blow something up- use it as a catalyst instead of trying to force it into a jar!"
Lucca leapt to her feet.
"Great! What should I blow up first?"
Scene Two
Our heroes passed through the forest to Guardia Castle, where they met with the King. He lay in his bed, shoulder bandaged and his sword propped at his bedside. Exhausted, but spirited.
"Yes, we found the Hero a few days ago... A young boy with the Hero's Badge. Seemed a mite young, but he held the Badge."
Marle sighed.
"What if he just stole it?"
The King scowled.
"Silence! Only a Hero can carry the badge, it's tradition! If he has it he's the Hero!"
Crono sighed. The logic seemed sketchy. And Marle was right: just because he HAD the badge didn't mean he WAS the hero. But the King was rigid and thus arguing was pointless.
"Your Majesty," said Marle with a bow, "we must go to the southern continent. Can you grant us passage?"
He shook his head, violently enough to give him a migraine.
"Unless the bridge is cleared of enemies, then no! You'd need to break the stalemate and defeat the whole blasted army!"
Crono grinned.
"Can we try?"
Another Angle
"Progress"
Now minus a chair, Lucca and Taban created a fireball. Through careful examination they'd deduced its energy into a mathematical formula, from which a new formula emerged: converting destruction into creation, i.e. healing.
"The principle is similar to a Power Spot," Lucca muttered. "Condense energy until it either explodes or finds a conduit to go through, like a body... But if we make a mistake I'll just be creating a liquid fireball!"
Taban took a drink of his coffee.
"Relax."
She kicked him in the shin.
"The hell I will!"
"Stop doing that!"
"Well, we can do it. We know that. That just leaves testing, refining, and ultimate success-slash-defeat. Keep up the caffeine!"
Taban held his knee.
"Great, but stop kicking me! The joke is too old now!"
Another Angle
"Battlefield Fatigue"
"Sir! The situation has become dire!"
The Knight Captain raised his head, as a soldier snapped to attention at the tent's opening. He furrowed his brow.
"We can't hold the Mystics back much longer! We must consider-"
"SILENCE! You WILL NOT finish that sentence!" yelled the captain. "We, the proud knights of Guardia, shall take not one step back! Dismissed!"
But as the lieutenant left, he sighed and leaned back in his seat. They had their backs to the wall... he shared the opinion that they must retreat. However, all of Truce and Guardia would be vulnerable to attack!
He buried his head in his hands.
"God Almighty, give me a sign..."
Scene Three
The trio had almost exited the castle when Crono felt a hand clap his shoulder. Turning around, he saw the Head Cook. He looked like he'd been crying. With a haggared breath he stuffed a piece of jerky in Crono's hands.
"Ah... want ye to give my brother that," he wheezed. "Mother's favorite... and tell the damn fool to come back alive!"
Crono grinned.
"Will do!"
They exited, and the Head Cook stood still, just watching them. He turned his eyes to the heavens.
"Mother'd never forgive mah if I didn't do SOMETHIN'..."
A tear ran down his cheek.
"Ah just wish ah didn't need tae rely on teenagers..."
Scene Four
"Knight Captain!"
"... yes?"
"Sir Crono wishes to see you!"
The knight rose from his seat as the heroes entered. He wanted to hope, but...
"What can I do for you, Sir Crono?"
Marle held back a sob as Crono, tapping her shoulder, stepped forward.
"Let us fight with you."
"Impossible!" the Captain shouted. "I cannot allow three children-"
He noticed Robo, cocked his head and paused.
"... two children and an unkown knight to fight for us. It would besmirch my own honor to ask this of you... especially, the young woman who looks so much like the Queen. Even you, Sir Crono, I cannot..."
Crono slowly clicked his blade's hilt from its scabbard.
"And if we try anyway? I can promise you we'll pull our weight."
The Knight Captain shook his head.
"Perhaps if you were stronger than me, I may..."
Crono fully unsheathed Byakko.
"Then I'll prove it. Fight me!"
The Captain paused. Sir Crono had rescued Leene, yes. He was a hero to the kingdom.
"Y-you... cannot... be serious! What right have you to challenge the greatest knight in Guardia?!"
Slowly, Crono placed the jerky in the knight's hand. He recoiled, stunned and without words.
"Because," Crono said quietly, "your brother asked us to help you."
"Yeah!" Marle exclaimed. "We can't let our friends lose the war!"
Robo nodded.
"Abandoning a promise is unforgiveable. Given that we made one, logic dictates that you allow us to help."
Without realizing it the knight's hand clasped his sword. He gave a nervous, forced smile.
"Only if you can best me. If you do, I will allow you to fight with us."
If his brother trusted them, he... he couldn't just dismiss his faith. Marle smiled.
"Yeah! We'll kick those Mystics from here to Denadoro! Then we'll get the Masamune and fight-"
Noticing a look of horror on the Captain's face, Marle stopped and giggled.
"I had too much sugar."
Crono shouldered his katana.
"Then, let's step outside."
Scene Five
"I warn you once more," the Knight Captain said, "that you can stop this."
A crowd of knights - those tending to the rear guard, the vanguard being busy - had already gathered. Marle and Robo stood with them as they watched and whispered amongst them.
"And I warn you," Crono said, "that you can't stop me."
Quietly the Captain drew his blade. Taking the initiative he rushed with remarkable speed, clashing broadsword with katana. Crono could feel the strength from the blow, a pressure he hadn't felt since Heckran. But he slid out of the way and parried. The soldiers murmured.
The Captain's eyes narrowed.
"I do not recognize your sword," he said. "It almost looks... Mystic."
Crono paused. The katana was a weapon originally from Medina. He'd gotten his from the old weapon monger, but it was unlikely he could say that.
"I had it made," he said with a nervous smile. "Know your enemy, right?"
Nodding, the Captain rushed again. Crono evaded and moved to strike, but was blocked by the knight's shield. He cursed, deftly swinging and being parried by the shield. He saw and opening and struck, but the knight's broadsword deflected that as well. The soldiers watched in amazement.
Damn shield! Crono thought. If I time it right they might not notice...
Crono dashed forward. As expected his enemy lifted the shield. This time, though, Crono charged Byakko with magic for just the moment of impact, cutting the shield in half and allowing him to place his sword to the Captain's neck.
The crowd went wild.
Kneeling, an incredulous look on his face, that shock shifted to a soft smile on the Knight Captain's face. Then it widened, and then he laughed.
"Welcome to the army, soldier!"
Another Angle
"Enemy Strategy"
Lead with Henches and Nagaettes, and follow with Imps and Gargoyles to mop up the resistance; they'd been short on magic-only troops to defend Denadoro, but there seemed little chance of someone finding the Masamune.
Moreover, necromancy would reanimate the dead knights to fight for THEIR side. What better weapon than having one soldier, friends and teammates, fight one another? The psychological warfare might be worth more than any troops.
"Kyeh-kyeh, yes! I am SUCH a genius!"
"Sir Ozzie!"
The enemy commander was a rotund, green-scaled beast. He was vastly overweight, foul-tempered, and outright evil. Rather than walk he surpassed the ground and floated instead.
He was Magus's Governor-General, Ozzie.
A gargoyle slipped through the tent.
"We're ready, sir."
Ozzie reared back and laughed.
"First the Bridge, and then the rest of 'em! Kyeh-kyeh-kyeh, we'll murder 'em all!"
Scene Six
Rows of soldiers, leading with spearmen and swordsmen, were reinforced with archers wielding both longbow and crossbow. Each column would proceed in echelon, keeping formation and acting as a phalanx to absorb enemy attacks and push through the bridge. Crono and his friends were stationed at the center-left, ready to provide backup.
Thus was the plan of action.
The Knight Captain peered through binoculars, and, sighting the foe, gave the signal. Slowly advancing, the knights moved gently and left no openings... or at least that was what it seemed. The enemy was equally briefed and prepped.
It happened slowly, almost delicately, as each army advanced. A steady pace gave way to a run, from there a sprint, until a full charge slammed the foes together.
Wielding sword and spear the Guardians fought through their foes, matching the Henches and Nagaettes blow for blow. Archers deftly picked off distant targets and allowed the infantry to advance.
But then, the Imps and Gargoyles attacked.
The new demons, immune to normal weaponry, quickly overran the Guardians. They slashed and stabbed with all their might, but couldn't pierce the Mystics' skin. As they advanced the Imps reaninated the dead troops, sending the humans to headlong retreat. Soon, no troops stood between Ozzie's army and the bridge.
No troops to watch magic in use.
"Marle, to the right!" Crono shouted, drawing Byakko. "I'll handle the left! Robo, guard the center!"
His friends nodded and took up positions.
As the Mystics advanced Marle rained hailstones and ice spikes, piercing and battering the right flank away. Crono's lightning surged and thundered, throwing back any Mystic in his way. Robo's task was defense, and this he did, deflecting Hench arrows and slamming them out of the way.
The undead were more difficult. Because they could disassemble and reassemble their bones only magic was effective. But soon the reanimated humans had been wiped out, reduced to bones.
"S-Sir Ozzie!"
A Gargoyle tore through the tent flap.
"Our forces are crumbling! Orders, sir! Orders!"
Ozzie picked a fishbone from his teeth with disinterest.
"What? Send in the Gargoyles; and wipe 'em out!"
"But, sir," the soldier protested, "they're being slaughtered!"
Ozzie slammed his hand on the table, breaking it.
"Dammit! Stupid fools can't even take out a few humans...?!"
He floated from the tent just in time to see his army break down and retreat. The bodies of both magic-resistant and weapon-vulnerable Mystics lay strewn on the bridge; most of them had already been routed. Ozzie's blood pressure soared, his brow furrowed, and his pants began to moisten.
"O-O-Ozzie's... in a pickle!"
Quickly he retreated, only for Marle and Crono to arrive. Marle froze the bridge's planks solid, creating a barrier of ice. Steadily Crono advanced.
"One left," he grinned. "Looks like a fat target, too."
Ozzie froze. His pants became a casualty.
"O-Ozzie's... in a jam!"
He broke through the glaciers with a fire spell and continued on. But Robo extended his fist, grabbed Ozzie by the neck, and dragged him back. Ozzie looked as Crono brandished Byakko, a sinister smirk on his face.
"Zombor, I hereby create and command you: crush 'em while I get the hell outta here!"
As Ozzie retreated, the bones of dozens of dead knights flew to defend him, stitching sinew and bone to create a giant skeletal demon. Its arms were half-detached at the shoulder, as were its legs, and its lower body seemed like a set of jaws themselves.
"No fair!" shouted Marle. "Get back-"
A bony claw scratched through her shoulder, sending her flying back. She caught herself quickly, grasping the wound and slowly healing it. Robo lunged with a punch, and blew the monster apart.
"Marle!" he bellowed. "It is not finished!"
The set of lower jaws detached and flew towards her.
An angry Crono swiftly bisected it, blasted it with lightning, and cut the entire thing from shoulder to waist in two deft swings. As it dissolved, he rushed to Marle.
The Battle of Zenan Bridge was over.