Start Date: January 17, 2022

Windwillow

Chrono Trigger

Chapter Thirty-One

Now in the belly of the Black Omen, our heroes have fought two vicious mutants after having been seperated. Clearly Zeal didn't care for a fair fight, and yes, the bit's old. Let's skip that from now on.

Moving on, in all seriousness the situation continued to worsen. Zeal had another plan up her sleeve, one that would push the party to their limits... and beyond.

Scene One

"I'm guessing these things are the next guardians..."

Two massive monsters loomed, each the size of a tank with wings, claws, and fangs. They were golden, and roared with enough force to knock the party back. Crono drew Dreamseeker.

"And I'm guessing we're in trouble!"

The goons lunged, but Magus swept his arms and created a cushion of air that stopped them dead. As he grinned, he nodded to Frog and Crono.

"Holy swords... Aren't they wonderful for making mincemeat?"

Frog grinned, and he and Crono lunged with weapons outstretched. Both the Masamune and Dreamseeker cut through the goons, dissolving them and ripping open a hole in the wall. The two sheathed their swords.

"Door's open."

The team entered the next room, but to our three heroes' horror it was another elevator. Lucca yowled.

"Not this again!"

Marle shook her head.

"Well, there's more of us."

Crono nodded.

"We've got double the power we did then, with double the people. What could go wrong?"

Lucca sighed.

"Whenever someone says that, something goes wrong."

Scene Two

With a mechanical clang, the elevator started. Lucca drew her pistol.

"All our blind spots, guys."

Magus crossed his arms.

"There's always a blind spot, dimwit."

The elevator moved slowly, as the party watched every angle. When it stopped, the team readied for an assault. Which was good, given the impending assault by dozens of Dalton corps and several goons.

Magus swung in a wide arc, slicing in twain a group of flunkies. With the same, smooth motion, Crono diced into another group before locking blades with a Dalton elite. Frog and Robo fended off melee attacks with natural skill.

As the enemies approached, Lucca fired her gun several times in an instant, nailing three and allowing her to incinerate the others with a single swipe. Marle slammed her hands to the ground, and a group of stalagmites speared the enemies around her.

Crono slew the sword-wielder he clashed with, and then gripped his sword with both hands. He drove it into the elevator's floor, a wide explosion of lightning destroying still more flunkies. Without wasting a movement he held his hand and sliced through a final batch.

Marle and Lucca both blasted the remaining enemies with ice and fire, respectively, and thus the foes were dispatched. Lucca staggered, but grinned and chugged a Tonic.

"I need to make a strawberry flavored one."

Crono sighed.

"Please, just... no."

Magus cracked his knuckles.

"We can't be far now."

Scene Three

It was a vile room. Though it matched the look of the rest of the Omen - bloody veins, broken scales - Zeal's personal chamber was in a category of its own.

Withered skulls and rotting flesh dotted the landscape, no doubt remnants from what happened at the Ocean Palace. The room was jagged and twisted, with rubble and intimidating spires of segmented rock.

Most notably, six canisters lay in the room's center, near a broken Mammon Machine. Each contained a sleeping clone of a hero - minus Magus - floating in bubbling vats of liquid. They had their eyes closed, but a sinister air was about them.

"Well met, children."

All eyes turned to the destroyed, twisted Mammon Machine, as Zeal herself stepped from behind it.

"I won't waste words any longer."

Crono drew Dreamseeker.

"Then drop dead."

Zeal shook her head.

"That's not what I meant, boy."

Before anyone could react, Magus stepped forward. He lowered his head, clenched his fist, and released his grip.

"Look at you. There isn't a shred of humanity left in there, is there...?"

Zeal opened her mouth, but Magus screamed.

"I don't want to waste words any longer either, Mother!"

He turned to face the party.

"They are beneath my notice. All that matters..."

Magus drew his scythe and pointed it at Zeal.

"All that matters is laying you to rest... Free of Lavos."

Light burst from Magus, and as it lessened he growled.

"I didn't ask for anything, you dying chunk of rock..."

Lucca pumped her fist.

"We're in this too, jackass! Let's bury this witch and move on!"

Frog drew the Masamune.

"Burying this woman's madness is also our responsibility."

Robo nodded.

"She too is a victim."

Ayla cracked her knuckles.

"Ayla kick ass."

Marle folded her arms.

"I guess we do owe it to everyone to..."

Zeal clenched her fist.

"Enough! I AM free, you fools! The almighty Lavos has chosen ME and I shall serve the greatest being in existence!"

She snapped her fingers, and the canisters shattered. The clones within jolted in front of their original, smiled, and vanished with them. Magus growled.

"Bitch. What have you done?!"

Zeal drew a scythe.

"Words are meaningless."

Magus sighed.

"Fine. I don't need them."

They moved forward and clashed.

Scene Four

Marle awoke, taking stock of her surroundings. She found herself in a wide, open plain with mountains surrounding it. Shocked, she looked back and forth in stunned silence.

"There is nothing here, girl."

She startled, as a clone of her descended from the sky.

"Only you, and me."

Drawing her crossbow, Marle loosed a bolt. The clone slapped it away.

"Oh, please."

Marle growled.

"What... what's going on?!"

The clone stepped forward.

"You are in the depths of your heart... You've dived into your very soul, and this is the place it represents. A beautiful field, peaceful and bright..."

Marle growled.

"And who are you?!"

With a sinister smile, the clone raised its hand.

"You. The true you, that is. I am what you really hold in your heart..."

Marle snarled.

"What the hell does that mean?!"

The clone frowned.

"Fight me. Win, and leave. Lose, and... well..."

It clenched its fist, and a stalagmite jolted from under Marle. Though she dodged, it grazed her face and left a bloody wound.

"Try not to lose."

In a flash the two charged. Marle slung a blast of cold air, narrowly missing the clone. In turn it fired several spears, which she dodged and countered with a series of ice blasts.

The clone evaded and slammed its hands to the ground, creating a series of stalagmites that Marle evaded with backflips. When she landed, she drew her dagger, charged, and met the clone in a violent clash. It sneered.

"Not good enough."

Marle snarled.

"Shut it!"

With deftness of blade the ice daggers met, over and over in a flurry of blows. Eventually, though, the clone severed the dagger's ice sword, gripped Marle by the collar, and smiled.

"You lose, girl. Your sword is gone."

Marle grinned.

"You didn't get my dagger."

The clone shifted, but it was too late: Marle's dagger shot out and pierced its throat. She fell back, coughing, yet as the clone staggered she slammed her hands to the ground.

Ice flew towards the clone and covered it, leaving it in a giant glacier. It struggled, cursed, and growled.

"Damn! I'll make sure you never see that brat again!"

Marle paused, allowing the clone to clash again with its sword. Again the two met, but this time Marle disarmed the clone and grabbed it by the throat.

"I won't lose him again. EVER!"

The clone exploded as a giant stalagmite shattered its body from below. Marle gasped, and fell to her knees.

"Ugh..."

Slowly, her body began to glow blue...

Scene Five

"Whoa-whoa-whoa! Easy now!"

Lucca narrowly dodged a shot from her clone. Right now, they were inside a huge factory, covered with junk and debris. The clone reloaded and smirked.

"You heard the rules. Win or die!"

The clone loosed another barrage of shots, which Lucca dodged by hiding behind a wall. She turned on her heel and hurled a fireball, which skimmed the clone but made a nice sear on the ground.

Lucca slammed her hands to the ground, creating a circle of flames around her enemy. The clone backflipped away and shot again, grazing Lucca's shoulder, and she fell to one knee.

"Dammit!"

As the clone charged another fireball, Lucca flicked her fingers, releasing little balls of ember that rolled by it, pulsed, and exploded. The clone snarled, and hurled the fireball.

Meeting that attack with her own, Lucca parried and aimed to fire, but had her leg burned by a wave of flame. She fell to her knees and cried out.

"Ow! Ow-ow-ow! Hot!"

The clone sneered.

"Can't cook in the kitchen if you're afraid of fire!"

Lucca rolled away from another shot, and slung a line of fire that caught the clone and ignited it. She fell to the ground, exhausted.

"Urgh..."

She leapt away from a fireball, hurled one of her own, and mutually struck the clone. The two fell to the ground, wailing. Angrily, the clone staggered to its feet.

"I'll prove your own incompetence!"

The clone raised its hand and created a sun-like orb that reached to the ceiling.

"I can hit you from here before you hit me!"

Lucca coughed up blood.

It's right, I can't. I'd have to be next to the bitch to fry her. I'd need to be quicker than a freakin' supernova!

She paused, and grinned.

"Maybe I can reach you. In fact, I've got a good idea of how to do it!"

The clone frowned.

"And what does that mean?"

Lucca flicked her finger, a small orb of fire hovering in front of the clone's face. It slowly flickered, seemingly collapsing on itself.

"If I just compress your own attack, I can create a new source of energy with my own! It's simple: I'm taking YOUR matter, and making it MY energy!"

The clone glared in fury and surprise, but by then the ball had collapsed into itself totally.

"FLARE!"

With a furious roar, the clone was deconstructed and incinerated by the flaring energy, leaving Lucca to fall to her face in triumph. Sort of.

"How'd you like that?!"

Her body began to glow with red energy...

Scene Six

"I see... A duel it is, then!"

Frog and his clone slammed their weapons against each other. The two swiped, parried, and launched a mutual overhead strike that staggered them both. The clone shot a ball of water at Frog, who returned his own, and both were blown back.

Skidding to his feet, Frog slammed his hands to the ground, and his clone did the same. Two massive bubbles popped above each of them, and burst open into waterfalls. The clone and Frog evaded, slid on their heels, and clashed again.

"You're so damned strong!"

The clone sneered.

"I'm you, but better. Obviously!"

They broke off, and they landed on one knee. Frog growled.

"A forgery is a forgery. I shan't lose to you!"

Frog and his clone again clashed, holding each other back with considerable force. The clone made a finger gun gesture and fired a 'bullet' that pierced Frog's side and staggered him. Then, it coated its blade in water and slammed Frog away.

"Ha! Cyrus saved the wrong person if you're this weak!"

Twitching his eye, Frog skidded to a stop.

"I'll show you weak. Come at me!"

The clone grinned.

"Fine! I'll cut you in half!"

Both Frog and the clone lunged, clashing violently. As they struggled, the clone's sword began to crack.

"What?! What's happening?!"

Frog smiled.

"I told you before, a forgery is a forgery. The Masamune cannot be matched by a forgery!"

The Masamune shattered the clone's sword, and it fell back in two pieces, followed by its owner. Frog staggered, but smiled.

"Cyrus made his decision and I've made mine."

He began to glow with blue energy...

Scene Seven

The scene was a factory, one that matched the Geno Dome. Robo and his clone slammed their fists into one another, pushing the other back. The clone fired a rifle shot, which Robo dodged.

"You're a quick little bugger! Hah. But you don't have what it takes to beat a superior model!"

Robo opened his knuckle gatlings.

"I have not lost yet. I shall not lose. I must win and move on."

He fired the gatlings, but the clone blocked it with its arms. The clone shook his head.

"Inferiority is a sin. You've got nothing on me!"

The clone broke open its arms and fired a series of lasers, most of which Robo dodged but he was caught in the right arm by another. He dropped, as a piece of his face plate shattered. As the oil dripped, he slammed his hand to the ground.

"I am not inferior."

Robo launched a series of lasers, and several of them caught the clone's legs. It fell to one knee, but fired another laser that blew Robo back. The clone sneered.

"Your lasers are worthless. Mine are much better models!"

Falling to one knee, Robo fired a rifle shot, but the clone deflected it with its arm. The clone approached, and stepped in front of Robo and aimed its rifle at Robo's face.

"I've got you now."

Robo shook his head.

"I have one mechanism you do not. I installed it during my time in the forest."

A light shone, and a small sphere shot out from his chest. It turned into a triangle, sparked with electricity, and expanded to create a massive explosion that blew the clone apart. Robo wiped the oil from his face.

"I shall not give in, nor will I lose. My friends depend upon me."

He began to shine with a brown light...

Scene Eight

In an area surrounded by mountains and stone blocks, Ayla and her clone clashed. Ayla slammed her hand into the ground, creating a massive shockwave that broke open the earth. The clone blocked with its arms and lunged, knocking Ayla back with a violent kick. It sneered.

"Pitiful. A brutish ape can never defeat me!"

Ayla caught herself, and lined up a punch.

"Ayla not lose. Ayla WIN!"

She punched the air, and a pressurized wave shot out, nailing the clone in its arm. The clone screamed, holding its wounded shoulder.

"Dammit! You damned MONKEY!"

The clone lunged, kicked Ayla in the chest, and sent her flying through a mountain. She continued to fall, but caught herself and slammed her hand to the ground to stop her movement. Ayla coughed up blood.

"Planet give Ayla strength."

Ayla dug her hands into the mountain's rubble and grabbed a massive boulder from its remains.

"Ayla protect planet!"

As she hurled the boulder, the clone appeared behind her and slammed her head into the ground, creating a huge crater. It drove its foot into her back and blasted an even larger crater.

"Planet this, planet that. Think for yourself, you little twit!"

Ayla struggled, but failed to escape.

"Ayla think for Ayla."

She placed her hands against the ground and pushed, allowing her to launch herself away. As she caught herself, she glared at the clone.

"Ayla protect Ayla FRIENDS, too."

Ayla's body began to glow, and she shot forward, slamming her knee into the clone. It coughed up blood, was blasted back, and was almost immediately met from beneath by Ayla.

"Friends AND planet! Ayla protect!"

She kicked the clone high into the air, where it hovered in a haze of blood.

"Urgh... Simian bastard!"

Before the clone could react, Ayla appeared above it with her heel high in the air. She smiled.

"Ayla like monkeys. They cute."

She slammed her heel into the clone's head, launching it down and shattering the earth into a titanic crater. Landing, she wiped blood from her mouth, and smiled.

Ayla began to glow with a golden light...

Scene Nine

"Tch! She's fast!"

Magus and Zeal clashed, their scythes a whirling dervish of blades as they collided and pushed the other back. Zeal sneered.

"Fast AND strong, false prophet!"

Zeal lunged, and kicked Magus in the gut, sending him flying into the wall. As he fell, she loomed above him and raised her scythe.

"This is the end."

As she swung, to her surprise Magus dissipated to mist. She looked frantically around, finding him behind her tapping his scythe to his shoulder.

"Illusionary clone. Rudimentary, really... And you fell for it?"

Zeal snarled and thrust out her hand. A violent blast of dark lightning erupted from her palm, and slammed Magus into the wall again. She coughed up blood, but smirked. Magus wiped blood from his mouth, and smiled as well.

The two charged...

Scene Ten

Crono and his clone matched each other with a swing, parried, broke away and clashed again. As they struggled, they both pushed each other away. The clone lunged, and Crono swiped his hand to create a cushion of lightning that knocked it away; but it launched a flying slash attack the he only narrowly dodged.

Both thrust forward their palm and pushed their enemy back with a wave of lightning, and then the clone cut the air multiple times. The resulting shockwave blew Crono back, though he righted himself. The clone sneered.

"Face it, I'm better."

Launching a flying slash, Crono nicked the clone on the shoulder. As it screamed in pain, he smiled.

"Face it, I'M better."

They both charged, clashed, and ignited their lightning modes. Crono swept at the clone's feet, and as it jumped he punched it in the face. The clone kicked Crono in HIS face, and as they righted themselves they slammed their swords against the other.

The clone and Crono were pushed back, bruised and bloodied. Snarling, the clone swiped with its arm and blew Crono back with a shockwave. As he landed, the clone smiled.

"See? I'M better!"

Crono slammed his hand to the ground, and a torrent of lightning erupted beneath the clone. As it jumped back, the swordsman swept the air and launched flying slash attacks that the clone evaded, and blocked the final one before shattering it.

"Don't you get it? I'M better!"

Both growling, the two jolted forward and clashed again. As they struggled, the clone forced a smile.

"Guess we're even. My sword and yours can't cut each other."

Crono smiled.

"I don't know about that."

His body glowing brightly, Crono erupted in a sphere of light. The bright holy energy shattered the clone's sword and dissolved it to dust. He smiled. Then, his body began to glow with white light...

Scene Eleven

"D-dammit! I was careless!"

Magus fell to the ground, a gaping wound in his shoulder. Zeal loomed above, holding up her scythe with a sneer.

"Careless and dead."

As she swung, Crono and Frog caught the scythe with their swords. Before the astonished Zeal could react, Ayla slammed her foot in her face and blasted her back, blowing the Mammon Machine's remains to bits. The six heroes landed, weapons ready, by Magus's side.

"Little worms. When did I ask for your help?!"

Crono smirked.

"We took initiative."

Magus clenched his fist.

"Bastards..."

From the Mammon Machine, a violent tornado of energy blew the party onto their backs. Zeal, coughing blood and oozing it from her torso and face, emerged. She wiped blood from her face.

"Impudence."

Robo launched a series of gatlings, which she deflected with her scythe.

"Determination is one of our virtues."

Zeal fumed, and broke her scythe in two. She snarled, and held up her hand. A quiet rage surrounded her, as she lowered her voice to a whisper.

"Into the Mammon Machine with you, then."

She clenched her fist and hurled the heroes into the remains of the Mammon Machine, through a portal and resulting in the machine's ultimate destruction. She coughed blood, and staggered.

"Almighty One, cast judgment upon these blasphemers..."

Zeal fell on her face to the ground.