Chrono Corruption
Act 3: Origin of the Flame
Chapter 12: Temple of the Red Star!
Crono unsheathed his sword, "Alright, finally some action!" he said excitedly.
"See, I told you, you would get to see us in action soon!" Lucca said as she loaded he slingshot.
Marle readied her Condor Bow, "That's right, just get a little closer...!"
As soon as the tribal warrior lifted his spear into the air, Marle unleashed her bone-crafted arrow. It whistled as it traveled the air and embedded itself into the warrior's shoulder. He reeled back and fell into the water. The two other warriors climbed the ice that Marle created and the first one received a pelt to the face from Lucca, who shot a marble-sized explosive from her tactical slingshot. The red marble burst upon contact and released a strange substance that burned like napalm but not nearly as powerful. Crono defended Marle with his sword before the last warrior could even make it to her.
"See Crono, not bad, huh?" Lucca said as she readied another shot.
"Stand back, sweety! Gonna make another berg to stand on!" Marle said taking her stance.
Crono happily obliged as Marle created another iceberg with her magic. The party quickly migrated to the next platform and more warriors drew near. One after another the party fought and dispatched the masked fighters with non-lethal blows. Marle then created a third iceberg and the party crossed successfully to it and then to the beach of the island. More warriors were present to greet them. They were surrounded, but then, as Crono's party began to defend themselves, a loud horn blew and it caught their attention. All while speaking their native tongue, the warriors looked at one another and then promptly retreated into the dense jungle.
Crono sheathed his sword, "Huh, hot date maybe?"
"I somehow doubt it's a date per se, but I think things are about to heat up nonetheless!" Lucca said adjusting her glasses.
"Then let's get up there and cool things off! I can see the temple mount glowing from here!" Marle urged strongly as she put her bow on her back.
With that, the party made haste into the jungle. As they entered the jungle, the party witnessed the scattering of jungle warriors. One, in particular, ended up falling into one of their own pitfall traps by mistake. Crono looked back, "Well, that makes things a little more difficult...," he said with a cold sweat.
Lucca sighed, "It's never easy is it?"
"How annoying!" Marle whined.
The party moved on with caution, now aware of the traps. They dodged arrow barrages, avoided pitfalls, fought local wildlife, and avoided swinging spiked tree limbs. As they moved through the maze-like jungle pathways, they saw the village at the base of the temple come into full view. Crono quietly pushed aside some heavy foliage, only lowering it when villagers passed by. "See anything, Crono?" Lucca asked curiously.
"Yeah, there's a broken wall here we can sneak past. There doesn't seem to be many people here in this little corner," he whispered.
"Good, let's hope they haven't sacrificed anyone!" Marle said nervously.
The party quietly snuck into the village and hid behind a hut just as two women passed by. The party tip-toed around multiple huts until they heard a familiar voice emanating from one of them. "Is that really the strongest poison you got? Oh, you'll have to do better than that if you wanna kill me!" egged on the voice.
Crono and company peered into the hut's open window and what they saw was a comical sight, "Ty?!" the party whispered strongly in unison. Ty was hanging upside down by his feet, strapped to the ceiling. He had many needles across his entire body. A witch doctor of some sort seemed confused.
Lucca pulled back a shot from her slingshot and hit the doctor, he passed out from the searing pain. Ty heard him hit the floor as he was facing the opposite direction. "Hello...?" Ty said trying to take in his surroundings.
"Quick, let's get in there!" Lucca stated urgently.
"Yeah, you go get 'im, girl!" Marle said with a blush.
"...Shut up Marle, would you?" Lucca said, also a bright shade of crimson.
Crono and the others managed to sneak inside the hut when the two guards made their rounds. Ty slowly swung around to meet them. "Oh, hi guys, you're just in time. I was just about to get myself outta this mess and go get that rambunctious tomboy," said Ty with a calm sarcasm.
"What the heck happened to you?" Crono said with a slight chuckle.
"Tomo..., is what happened if you must know," he started with slight irritation. "She got us bagged when she tried to speak their language back at the dam. She apparently said something that ticked them off. We got surrounded and I felt a rock hit me in the back of the head. Next thing I know, I'm here with my world turned upside down and feeling like a porcupine!" he said as he began taking the needles out of his body.
"What were they doing to you in here? Is this some sort of witch's hut?" Lucca asked as she took in the surroundings.
"Well, I think they were trying to poison me. I recognized some of the toxins they used by their taste. As you know, because of my family's unique biology, I am very resistant to toxins. Even very potent ones..., ack... you know what? Could you get me down from here first, I am getting such a headache!" Ty moaned in frustration as his face turned red.
Crono cut Ty down and he landed in an awkward position, "Oops, sorry about that..."
Ty nonchalantly pulled himself back up, "No worries, but a little warning would have been great... Anyway, their poisons weren't working on me, so now they think I'm some sort of God or Spirit to some effect," Ty said as he tried to walk. His legs gave out and he was brought to his knees. "Strange, I don't feel any negative effects from their poisons, but I can't walk!" he said alarmed.
"Hold on I got you!" Marle said as she chanted and her Aura enveloped Ty.
Ty felt like a soft song played in his mind as a calm warmth filled his body. He rose to his feet, "Ah, I feel better already! Urp, wait hold on!" he said as he rushed over to the window and vomited outside. He then regained his composure, "Okay, now I feel better. That was a pretty strong poison. Let me see something real quick," he continued as he rummaged through the witch's chemicals. He hummed to himself for a moment or two and then came to a conclusion, "Nice one, this Crippling Poison inflames joints and causes muscle weakness. It isn't fatal, but it makes faster targets easier to hit!" he explained as he placed the mixture into his bag. He then wandered over to the witch doctor, who was still unconscious. "Nice choice of ammo, Lucca! Sticky and burns like hell! Personally crafted ammo I take it?"
Lucca shot her gaze upward with a proud laugh, "Urm yeah, it's a little something I've been working on...!" she said soaking in the compliment.
"Anywho, we should find Tomo. I'm sure she's been selected for 'heart surgery' or something along those lines!" Ty said, sugar coating the ordeal.
"You mean they're gonna sacrifice her?!" Marle said in fright.
"Looks that way, she usually needs me to bail her out of these situations because she's so brash," Ty informed. "I'll sneak on ahead by myself. It's easier for me to sneak around undetected when I'm on my own."
"So I take it that you want us to be a distraction then?" Crono guessed.
"Oh, that would be really helpful if you did!" Ty replied, wide-eyed. "Just be sure to keep your healing magic ready and some Panaceas on hand just in case. They do indeed coat their weapons in heavy poisons as demonstrated here," he continued on. He began to walk out of the hut, but stopped as he seemed to get an idea, "Oh, I just remembered! Speaking of poisons, if you guys want me to apply my toxins to your weapons feel free to ask. I was taught how to share, so don't be shy if you want to add an insurance policy to your strikes!"
"I'll be sure to keep it in mind," Crono replied as he gazed at his sword. "Even if it does feel a tad underhanded," he mumbled.
"Alrighty then, wish me luck!" Ty said as he walked to a window and snuck out.
"I swear, his jolly personality juxtaposed with his ruthless fighting style is a little unsettling," said Lucca shaking her head.
"Oh? And your cold attitude juxta- err, jux, oh crud! I mean you're awfully cool-headed for someone who was experimenting with different ways to put creatures to 'Sleep' so they'd be easier to shoot at! Not to mention the 'Burns'!" Marle enunciated with a smile.
Lucca cleared her throat, "You and I both know that an immobilized target is easier to hit! Besides, it's no different from you 'Freezing' your targets to the ground!"
Marle simply grinned uneasily with a chuckle. Crono interrupted, "That's enough you two, I see you've been training and that's what matters. Right now, Ty needs a hand and so does Tomo. We gotta see what these people are up to and why they are worshiping..., well you probably guessed already."
Both nodded in agreement as they left the hut. A few of the natives witnessed them and they ran for cover as Jungle Warriors quickly took their places. Lucca sneered, "Well if Ty wants a distraction, let's give him one! I upgraded my Hypnowave to the Hypnowave Plus! It's 200% more effective!" she announced as she distanced herself from her friends and adjusted the device on her right ear and performed a strange series of hypnotic movements with what resembled a conductors rod. The warriors that closed in on her fainted and were asleep in mere moments.
"Nice one Lucca, that's definitely an improvement over the last version!" Crono praised.
"Yeah, considering the last one almost never worked!" Marle followed as she took a shot.
Lucca gave Marle a cross gaze, "Hey, it was experimental at the time! Give me a break!"
Marle giggled, "Then I guess it's time to show my own technique off! Watch closely Crono sweety, my Tricky Arrows can do many different things!" she said as she loaded a strange arrow into her bow and pulled back. Upon releasing the arrow it struck the closest warrior and when it hit it burst to cover the warrior in a highly adhesive putty. The warriors shrieked in comical horror as they struggled to escape. Others tried to help him escape, only to get caught in the putty themselves.
"Nice work, Marle! I've always wanted to see you develop your archery skills!" Crono stated. Marle responded with a blush and a giggle.
Lucca smirked, "Well Crono, we've shown you some of our new tricks! How about you show us what you've been working on?"
Crono chuckled, "I thought you'd never ask! Not that you needed to!" He finished as he took a deep breath and held his blade at his side. "Let's clear some of these guys with my improved 'Steel Cyclone'!" he said as he began a spin. Crono performed the supernatural techniques as he normally would until Lucca noticed something different.
"What's up with that spin? It seems like there are more blades than normal," she pondered. Lucca adjusted her glasses and focused her vision, "It is more than one sword!"
When Crono was done with his wild maneuver, the village was devastated. Marle rose from a crouching position, her hands planted in her chest, "Be more careful with that move, sweety! What was that anyway? Wasn't your normal Cyclone move mean enough?"
"Hey, did you just use multiple blades, or was that an illusion?" Lucca asked curiously.
Crono laughed as he scratched the back of his head, "Yep, it was real blades! I made my old Wooden Sword and my dad's Copper Sword levitate and follow my current sword!"
"That's incredible! Your Cyclone is more like a buzz saw that way!" Lucca said impressed.
Crono began to wobble a bit, he became dizzy, "I still gotta practice it, but I should be able to add more blades eventually," he finished as he bent down to catch his breath.
*Meanwhile*
The Temple Shaman and his bodyguards witnessed Crono and his friend's destruction from atop the temple stairs in awe. Tomo lies on a stone altar, bound and gagged with ancient ropes. She angrily growled and moaned. Ty stealthily appeared behind the altar and caught Tomo's attention, spooking her slightly. Ty placed his finger over his lips and shushed her. With quick precision, Ty cut her free. She sat up quietly and pointed behind Ty. Both gazed at a pedestal where none other than the Frozen Flame, in its compact inactive state, stood. Tomo whispered quietly, "What should we do? Should we grab it?" she asked.
Ty whispered in return, "No, let's help Crono and the ladies first!"
"Okay, how are gonna do that?" Tomo whispered anxiously.
"I'll take down the guards and you get the old guy," Ty said strategically. Using his Ghostly Strike, he removed all forms of his presence from the area. He sapped the two guards and the old shaman quickly noticed his bulky guards fall like statues at his side. He turned only to see the smiling muscular woman he tried to sacrifice staring him down. He backed up in fear until he hit Ty, who came back out of his stealthy technique.
Ty heard Crono's voice as he led the charge up the stairs of the ziggurat–like structure. Marle and Lucca tailed behind him. "Hey Ty, was that a good enough distraction?!" he laughed excitedly.
Ty shouted back, but didn't remove his gaze from the shaman, "Yeah, that was perfect, thank you!" he said seriously, but with a sense of kindness.
Crono and his friends made it to the top and noticed the Frozen Flame, "Hey, what's the Flame doing here?" Crono asked as he placed his hand over his brow.
"I knew it, this ziggurat was made to worship Lavos!" Lucca said with confirmation.
"Or at least a piece of it!" Marle added.
The shaman fell back onto his rear and scuttled away from the strangers. Choosing to ignore him, Crono approached the Frozen Flame. He blinked a few times as he closely inspected the relic. It then opened. Crono backed off quickly, spooked, as he drew his sword. "Crono, what did you do?!" Lucca scolded as she readied her shot. Everyone else readied their own weapons as well.
"I didn't do anything!" Crono assured, not taking his eyes off the flame.
Then, it began to glow menacingly with a strange hum accompanying it. A familiar voice emerged with a ghost-like apparition. The figure was that of Dalton, "Greetings puny ants! To think you've gone so far back in time just to mess with me!" he laughed eerily.
"Dalton, you monster, just you wait!" Crono threatened.
"Don't you understand fools? I'm immortal now! I am the chosen vessel of the Flame! It's mine no matter where or when you go! And once I master its power, even the flow of time and history will be nothing more than tools to use as I please! I will create a world where the people will worship me forever!" Dalton laughed maniacally.
"We'll see about that!" Crono said as he dashed for the Flame and struck it with his sword, attempting to destroy it. Crono's sword did no damage to the Flame, but something did occur.
The Frozen Flame flashed with a bright red light as the image of Dalton vanished. "What did you do?!" Dalton managed to say before he was completely cut off. The Frozen Flame enveloped the area as well as Crono's party with a familiar bright light. It knocked everyone to the ground as it shot into the sky and dispersed the clouds.
Crono opened his eyes and came out of his stupor like a patient out of anesthesia. His hearing had a slight hum in it that brought him some discomfort. He gazed at his body and saw that his blood veins gleamed with a crimson red color. He freaked out as he got to his feet, his friends in the same condition albeit still on the ground. The Frozen Flame calmed to a slow heartbeat-like state only giving off light in small pulses.
"Is everyone alright?!" Crono struggled to yell.
Ty was the first to respond, "Ugh, not this again...!" he moaned and gagged.
As Crono's vision cleared up he could hear the mystical chants of the old shaman. When he turned his head to the old man, shaking could be heard as a giant man climbed up the temple. The chanting then resonated throughout the village below as it turned into music. The fifteen-something-foot-tall man was rather strange looking. He was missing many human features. His head was large and his facial features chiseled. His bald cranium was even longer than normal humans and his ears were also large and bore many rings. His eyes were black with red pinpricks of light emanating from them. He had a very muscular build with six digits on each hand and foot. His grey-toned skin made him look like a living stone statue. Lastly, he wore a hide loincloth and carried a large wooden totem pole like it was weightless.
All of Crono's party, now more or less on their feet or at least crouching were in awe. Ty, however, was intrigued, "I-it's an actual living 'Giant'! Incredible! He looks just like those big stone heads on an uncharted island we found!" he elaborated.
Tomo was wide-eyed as well, "According to legend these Giants are the oldest known 'Fiend' or even possible crossbreeds between humans and the fiends!" she added.
"Well, either way, he's here to kill us!" Crono stated as he readied his sword.
The giant rose his totem pole above his head and with a roaring voice, he shouted, "Mamba Jamba, crush!"
"Hey guys, I think his name is Mamba Jamba," Ty said sarcastically.
Mamba Jamba, as he was now called, swung his totem pole down aiming for Ty who was able to dodge by a small margin. Crono seized the moment and dashed forward, lunging in with a sword strike. Mamba Jamba shrugged off the hit as he swatted Crono aside with the back of his hand. Crono picked himself up, "Ow, that hurt, he hits really hard!" he moaned as he rubbed his back.
"That's a fiend for you, resistant to physical damage!" Lucca said as she fired multiple shots and the giant's legs.
"So then let's just use Magic!" Ty shouted. "Come on, Tomo! Wind Spiral!"
"You got it, Earth Rumble!" Tomo followed.
Mamba Jamba quickly noticed and place his totem pole on the ground, standing tall. The top effigy that resembled a bird and the bottom effigy that resembled a beast opened, their orifices lighting up with flame, devoured the two spells.
Everyone was aghast as the totem pole retaliated with a fire and water spell from the two middle effigies. Ty caught fire and Tomo was trapped in a bubble.
"Help, I'm on fire!" Ty shouted as he ran in circles.
"Stop, drop, and roll, Ty!" Lucca instructed.
"I can't! I'm on fire!" he shouted back as he bathed himself in one of his own wind spells to blow out the fire. The bubble that encased Tomo snapped and burst with a nasty force. She lay on the ground struggling to regain her hearing.
"So the totem pole acts as a ward against magic?" Marle deduced as she inspected it more closely.
Ty managed to regain his composure, "Whew, good thing these clothes are thick! Yeah, it's Shamanism. His totem pole must absorb magic from Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind and counter with another type!" he said breathing heavily.
"So that leaves out Light and Shadow!" Crono said excitedly.
"I think I can slow him down a bit!" Ty said, poisons glistening on his daggers. Ty removed his presence and snuck away. Mamba Jamba closed his eyes and seemed to meditate. With blinding speed Mamba Jamba swiped Ty away, revealing his presence. He tumbled away hard, "Ow, what the hell?!" he shouted as he tried to stand.
The party took notice as their eyes widened in fear. Crono called out to him, "Hey, what happened?"
"He knew exactly where I was! I didn't even get a hit in!" Ty confirmed as he adjusted his neck. "He must have strong spiritual powers to notice me like that!"
"That's not good, even I couldn't detect Ty's Ghostly Strike," Crono thought.
"Hold on Ty, let me give it a shot!" Marle said as she loaded a Tricky Arrow. She shot the arrow and the arrow burst into putty that bound Mamba Jamba's foot. He growled in anger as he tried to get his foot free. Ty grinned as he once again performed a Ghostly Strike. This time he struck cleanly. Mamba Jamba's joints began to swell from Ty's poisons.
Mamba Jamba roared in anger and raised the totem pole to smash Ty. Tomo rushed in front of him and took a defensive stance, "Go ahead, try and attack!" she taunted. Tomo took that slam from the totem pole and she squatted as she was struck. She smirked and repelled the attack causing Mamba Jamba to stumble backward. Tomo then, with blinding speed, counter-attacked with heavy hammer swings, "Yes, indeed! Just what I was waiting for!" she said as she finished her barrage.
While Mamba Jamba staggered Lucca activated her Hypnowave Plus, "Nighty-night!" Lucca murmured. The combination between her conduction and hypnotic emission sent Mamba Jamba into a deep sleep. "Now Crono! Hit it with all you got!" she urged with tension.
"Alright, my turn!" Crono said as he had collected all the Light magic energy in his body. "Lightning Bolt!" Crono chanted as the energy lifted into the air. A massive bolt of lightning struck Mamba Jamba and he woke up in a rage. "Uh oh...," Crono said with sweat rolling down his cheek.
Mamba Jamba twirled his totem pole and swept it across the party, striking everyone except for Crono, who was able to dodge, but just barely. Ty shouted, "The rogue is down, I repeat, the dashing rogue is down!" he said comically accompanied by a moan.
Mamba Jamba chanted as his body was enveloped in Shadow magic energy. He produced a massive ball of black energy that almost resembled a red moon at its core. The attack struck Crono and he was enveloped in a dark bubble that brought him to his knees, "My body...! Is getting heavier! I feel like I weigh a ton!" he mumbled to himself.
Marle looked on in horror as she reached her hand out to him. "Crono! No, I can't lose you again!" she struggled as Mamba Jamba drew near. Crono rose his head to witness the monstrous man approach his young wife. Crono gnashed his teeth in anger as his blood vessels became prominent on his temples. Mamba Jamba lifted his totem pole vertically with the intent of smashing Marle's head. Marle's eyes widened as she was unable to even swallow out of fear. She closed her eyes... and then... a miracle occurred. The darkness Crono had been enveloped in was disturbed with a war cry and an explosion of golden fiery energy. Mamba Jamba brought the totem pole down only for it to be stopped by a transformed Crono.
Marle opened her eyes and bore witness to her beloved bathed in a fountain of fiery golden light. His red hair had turned the color of molten gold. He held the totem pole with one hand as he gazed toward Marle with reddish-gold eyes. His gaze turned to one of concern as he smiled with relief. Crono then repelled Mamba Jamba with ease as he turned to face the fiend. Mamba Jamba was fear stricken. Crono held up his sword to the giant. "I don't know what power this is, but I'm gonna kill you with it," he announced boldly.
The others also noticed Crono's transformation and were stricken by its beauty and power. "Woah, incredible...!" Lucca gasped.
"Oh, shiny!" Ty smirked with a weak chuckle.
"He's like a 'Super' self! Is this some kind of 'Limit Break'?" Tomo said as she pushed herself to get on her knees.
Crono gazed coldly at the monstrous giant and rose his sword to the skies above. Particles of light energy began congregating at the blade. With a deep breath, Crono attacked, "Sky Splitting Slash!" he announced as a light speed swing came from Crono's blade. Crono did not take his gaze off his target as a bewildered Mamba Jamba began to bleed from a paper-thin bisection. The giant split in half vertically and its corpse hit the temple grounds with a massive crash. The temple Shaman screamed in horror and began running down the stairs in an effort to escape.
The Frozen Flame reacted to the corpse of Mamba Jamba and its pulsing red light reduced his flesh to a flurry of particles it then seemed to consume. "What the hell?" Ty said with an eyebrow raised.
"...Did the Flame just... devour Mamba Jamba?" Tomo asked perplexed.
Lucca adjusted her glasses with a cold sweat, "I... believe so..."
"...Eww, disgusting...!" Marle shrieked.
Dalton's image returned and caught glimpse of the new and improved Crono. "What, what is this power? I must know! Was it from the Flame? If it is, I will have it!" Dalton claimed with a menacing laugh.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Crono said as he attempted to attack the Frozen Flame again.
"Oh no, you don't!" Dalton said raising his hand. "You morons have troubled me enough! To the darkness with you! I can't have you developing such a wonderful power! You might just cause a rebellion!" he finished as the Frozen Flame enveloped everyone in a cold, dark, time freeze spell. The ear-splitting roar of Lavos could be heard as a massive Gate opened and swallowed all five members of the party.
Dalton laughed maniacally as his visage slowly vanished from the feet up. "Enjoy the darkness I have endured you fools! May you wander the corridors of time for all eternity!"
*End of Chapter*