Chrono Corruption
Act 5: Revolution
Chapter 27: King's Fall
*Chronopolis*
Crono and his friends power-walked through the halls of Chronopolis as they made their way back to Belthasar and the others. "Whew! We did it!" said Crono with relief. "We found all of our lost friends! Now it's time for us to talk about countermeasures."
"I'm sure Belthasar already has some kind of plan underway," Ty said reassuringly.
"Yeah, I wonder what our next move will be though?" Tomo added.
"Ayla happy to help!" Ayla said vigorously.
*Later*
With everyone reunited, they gathered before Belthasar. The old man stuck inside a synthetic creature spoke as he read from his studies thus far. "Ahem, now that everyone is here, we can talk about this... new timeline that Dalton has created.," said Belthasar with unease.
Melchior added, "This new world is vastly different than the one you all know."
Everyone closed in around a large machine that projected a three-dimensional hologram of the planet. Those of the past 'ooh'ed' and 'ahh'ed' while those of the future simply paused.
Belthasar began, "To begin, the era of Prehistory is the least affected so far. However, the Reptites have the Frozen Flame and thus it has allowed them to survive well into the Ice Age. Even with their newfound power, the Reptites do not wish to share the planet with us in harmony. As for the Ice Age, it is fortunately quite for the time being."
Ayla perked up, "Ayla bring down Tyranno Tower! Reptites not win!"
"Indeed," Belthasar agreed. "As for Antiquity, it remains largely untouched possibly because Dalton does not wish to disturb his own history or he may have other reasons. In 3000 B.C. or the Bronze Era as I like to call it, El Nido stands as an origin point for Dalton's religious indoctrination. In addition, a new humanoid species with lizard-like traits also lives here. They call themselves, Dragonians. It's not hard to connect the dots to see where they came from."
"That sounds bad," Lucca said with worry.
"Yes, an entirely new species is wreaking havoc in this era and Dalton has mostly indoctrinated them as well as our fellow Humans and Fiends," Belthasar claimed. "Speaking of the Fiends, they found themselves with a new Fiendlord in the Era of the Dawn of Guardia. We suspect this Fiendlord is the reason for their extinction in later eras but this remains to be seen."
Janus mused, "...This new Fiendlord must be a complete fool to damn their entire race to extinction. How does this affect what I have done in the Middle Ages?"
Belthasar paused for a second, "...There is no record of you rising as Fiendlord, Janus. The war between Guardia and Medina did not play out. All the Fiends were mindless zombies and ghosts by the Middle Ages. This brings me to the problems the Frog King has caused. He owns Guardia as well as the Grandleon. He dabbled in old Fiend magic and now adds zombie amphibians to his ranks."
"Exactly!" Glenn said in frustration. "I saw those nasty blobs of flesh in the catacombs!"
"Well, we know now where they came from," Belthasar deduced. "In Crono's era, Guardia is in shambles. The people of Guardia live in the surrounding fields as slaves to the descendants of the Frog King and Porre still seek to control the nation. With the nation's rise to power, they now control most of that era's nations."
Crono slammed his fists down on the edge of the hologram machine, "Dammit! My dad also seems to have found the Epoch that Lucca dismantled. The Central Regime told me that a red-haired man came to them and gave them guidance!"
"No, he has Epoch?!" Lucca asked. "But how? Without Guardia, we wouldn't be powerful enough to go on our first adventure! The 'us' that live in that timeline would be completely unfit to fight Lavos and that's even if we existed in the first place!"
"Porre must have grabbed the Epoch during the invasion," Marle deduced. "Which means they ransacked Lucca's house on the way to my wedding...," she finished sadly.
Lucca went pale as she swallowed hard, "I hope mom and dad made it to a safe place..."
"As for the future, in the year 2012 the Fiends have officially become extinct and it looks like Caelus has uplifted the Central Regime to take control of the world's nations with an iron fist. As it were, the Central Regime has been altered by the Flame's power and given magic and power as disciples of Dalton. Thanks to Janus, whatever they were planning seems to have been slowed down, but I wouldn't rest just yet. It's just a minor setback as by the year 2305, they seem to be trying to hunt me down after I arrived from the Ocean Palace debacle. That could be another reason Dalton left Antiquity alone. He still made sure the Zealians rose to power as they did before, but without Crono's influence it has played out like it did the first time."
"Why would they be trying to track you down?" Ty asked curiously.
"...Because, once I arrived here 100 years prior I began work on a way to undo all of this, but I knew I was already too old to see it through. Once I proved my brilliance to the folks at Porre, they placed me in charge of this facility, but at the time it was classified as a military installation. With it, I tracked down the Flame and subdued it with my magic and technology before Dalton could gaze through it. I managed to harness its power here while keeping it contained until now. Dalton cannot interact with this place while the Flame is locked down."
"Oh, no!" Tomo shouted. "That must be what the Central Regime wants! They want to find Chronopolis so they can retrieve the Flame before Dalton wakes up!"
"Which means we're in danger," Garet followed. "Still there are some things that don't make sense. If Crono never went on his first adventure how was Lavos taken care of?"
"Lavos hid within a pocket dimension," started Belthasar. "Crono's actions came before all these changes, so once he and his friends destroyed Lavos, it no longer mattered what happened to the timeline after that. Now, Dalton is fusing with Lavos's remains so that is our ultimate target."
Ty raised his hand like a schoolboy, "Question, how is 3000 B.C. a thing? I thought this facility going back to that era through the Time Crash was the reason it existed at all. Remember, Tomo and I came from a time when El Nido was just open sea and nothing more than ship trade routes."
Belthasar paused, "...I don't know, but Dalton and his followers must have found a way..."
"Well then, it looks like we got our work cut out for us don't we, King Crono?" Ty said as he patted Crono on the shoulder. "So where do we go from here and whose ass do we kick first?"
Crono gazed into space for a moment, trying to think of a good place to start. Belthasar interrupted, "It's time for the next phase of my plan," he started with a smile. "We used up the Time Eggs that were used to make the Rifts and it would take some time to make more. Time we don't have."
"Well, that was lucky that you made just enough for us then," Ty smiled.
"No, not luck, I made one for each era in time because that was all that was needed for my plan to work," Belthasar said with a smile. "This is because it's time for my new invention, the Neo Epoch to take center stage!"
Lucca did a spin on one foot as she pumped her fist, "I've been working on it since I came here. That new circuit board I created using the Sunstone gave it quite a boost! It isn't finished yet, but I also managed to fit a fourth seat in it! I'm such a genius!"
"Indeed, with the Neo Epoch nearly finished, we can go back and forth through time without it being a one-way trip like with the Rifts," Belthasar explained.
"Well, alrighty then! Let's choose a place and get started!" Ty said cheerfully.
As the group huddled together to choose their next path forward, another conversation took place. Janus approached Tomo who was rather idle about what should be done next. She looked up at Janus with a cheerful grin, "Hi, you must be Janus. I've heard a lot about you, both from these guys and from my time studying history," she said.
"Yes, well, my life has had..., well let's just say, I know my way around the world. To say the least...," Janus replied, unsure how to respond to her upbeat vibes. "I'll get straight to the point. Ty, your friend, had spoken of you when both he and I conversed last. I couldn't help but notice his Cloud Key. I recognized the artifact and he ended that conversation by saying that you had an hourglass that had similar properties." Janus spoke frankly to Tomo.
"Oh, yeah! It's one of many treasures that I loved to hold onto and ponder about when I was young. After I learned it had a mysterious power I held onto it ever since. I assume you want to take a look?" Tomo asked earnestly.
"If you wouldn't mind," Janus said politely.
"Sure!" Tomo agreed as she grabbed the artifact from its chain and handed it to Janus.
Janus took the hourglass and held it out in front of him and as he gazed into its simple beauty his memories came flooding into his mind.
A young Janus, bored and lonely, stared at the grains of sand passing through the bottleneck portion of the hourglass. Constantly he flipped it over and over until his sister Schala came to him. "Janus, are you up here?" Schala called.
"Yeah, I'm here!" replied Janus.
"Oh, good, I was worried that you might have wandered astray. What were you doing with the Guru's hourglass?" Schala asked curiously.
"Oh, just passing the time. Thinking...," Janus replied.
"About what?" she asked.
"...About mother..., she seems so, distant lately. Does she still love us?" Janus asked worriedly.
Schala embraced her younger sibling, "Of course she does," she said gently as she grabbed the hourglass. "Mother is... grieving since father passed. And just like the sand in this hourglass, it is a slow but steady process. I like hourglasses. This one, made from our finest metals and filled with ground sunstone, really lets us 'see' how time flows. If that makes any sense. Each little stone passes through the same point, just as many of us do. Time heals all wounds, Janus. If you allow it. If you don't the sands of time will bury those wounds and they will become irritated by the grains. I guess what I'm saying is..., give mother time. All we can really do is be here for her and watch. Just like this hourglass. Now, let's go do something fun. I'll return this hourglass to the Gurus. They are most likely seeking it."
Another tear rolled down Janus's cheek as he handed the hourglass back to Tomo, who also caught on to his emotional state. "...When I would look into this hourglass when I was a kid, I would wonder about who might have done the same. What thoughts did they have as they watched each grain pass through," Tomo said being sentimental.
Janus quickly wiped away the tear, "...Yes, I wonder how many times this hourglass has been flipped over the years. How much time has it measured. I'm glad it found its way to a proper owner. This Earth magic you possess interests me. I am eager to see what you will do with it."
Tomo chuckled, "I'll try not to disappoint!"
Just then, Crono turned to the party, "Okay everyone, the Frog King in the Middle Ages it is!"
Glenn seemed relieved, "I thought it would be best to vanquish him first as he seems to have little to do with Dalton. Killing him will bring much-needed repose to Guardia of both your era and mine!"
"So whose going to go and take him down?" Belthasar asked curiously.
Crono responded with a serious outlook, "I think it's best if us Guardians took back our own home. I will be taking Marle, Lucca, and of course, Glenn, to end this little game of the Frog King's."
"Very well, then it is settled," Belthasar said with a warm smile.
"Good luck you guys!" Ty said wishing them well.
With that, Crono and his party then made their way to the docks where the Neo Epoch was being held. Lucca gave the miraculous machine one more check-up before she nodded in certainty. "Alright, we're ready to take off! All aboard!" she said. The Neo Epoch was still very much a frame that had many visible moving parts and its engine sat bare in its fastenings. It was a beauty even in its current state.
Everyone boarded and got comfy. Marle wiggled in delight, "Oh, the Neo Epoch may be unfinished, but these seats are so nice!" she purred.
"No reason time travel can't be comfortable!" Lucca said with a light-hearted smile.
"Does this one fly like the previous one?" Glenn asked.
"Yep, all we need to do is fly it somewhere inconspicuous near where we need to be and we can go from there," Lucca explained.
"Good, we can fly it close to the King's encampment and join with him almost immediately!" Glenn said with vigor.
"All right everyone, the controls are in, let's take this puppy for a ride!" Crono said as he activated it. Like the Epoch before it, the Neo Epoch seemed to warp the very fabric of time around itself. It took off in a flash, vanishing with a boom as it flew off over the El Nido Sea of this era.
*Middle Ages, 605 A.D.*
The Neo Epoch appeared over the El Nido Sea and Crono quickly piloted it towards the north Zenan continent. The machine's incredible speed made this task seem trivial. Crono soon saw the Zenan Bridge and decided to land their new time machine north of the bridge outside anyone's view.
Everyone disembarked as they checked their things, "All right everyone, focus up!" Crono began strongly. "We have a 'King' to usurp!"
"Don't you mean, 'u-slurp'?"Marle said with a chuckle.
Everyone chuckled to a varying degree, "W-we have been speaking to Drayguard too much!" Glenn said with embarrassment.
"I agree, he rubs off on you after a while," Marle said, brimming with levity.
The party then made their way back to the King's encampment and they found what was left of the Guardian Knights assembling in well-organized platoons. Glenn called out to the King, "Your Majesty, I have returned!"
The King left his tent and welcomed him with open arms eager to hear of his findings, "Glenn my dear boy, what impeccable timing!" said the King.
"Sire, I have news, both good and bad," Glenn began. The King gave him his full attention. "The bad news is that there is no poison in the stew so Eston found nothing," he said. The King's mood seemed to sink a little. "...But the good news is, I have discovered that this tomfoolery is done with old Fiend magic. A... friend... of mine said that we simply stated that all we must do to break this curse, is to kill the Frog King and everyone that carries his bloodline."
The King's face brightened, "Oh, that is wonderful news, Sir Glenn! If that is all we must do, then I have been preparing a countermeasure with all the most strategic minds left in all of Guardia. I received word that the Knight Captain was beginning to make his way back to us, but with you here now, we should be able to clean out the castle before he even returns!" the King said with renewed confidence.
"That's wonderful, Sire! Ahem, Sire, do you remember Sir Crono and his companions?" Glenn asked.
The King gazed at Crono and his friends, but he could not seem to recall them, "I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest, Sir Glenn, but the blonde woman reminds me so much of Leene," he replied.
Glenn cast his gaze down as he bit his lower lip, "I see, well, I can vouch for their skill in combat! They are great friends and allies of mine! They have proven that I can count on them in dire situations! With their assistance, we will surely slay the Frog King!"
"Good, we need all the help we can get at this point!" approved the King with a smile.
"So, your Majesty, what is this countermeasure you have devised?" Glenn asked curiously.
"It isn't very creative I'm afraid," the King began. "I could think of nothing more than a simple charging invasion through the front door. With you here, though, I believe this tactic, as reckless as it is, will succeed."
"Very well, then," Glenn complied. "Just say the word, your Majesty, and I will rush in sword drawn!"
"Good, then we attack at dawn!" the King announced.
*Dawn*
As the morning dew-covered the grasslands of Guardia, what was left of the Guardian Knights stood before the Guardia Forest. The King stood before his people. "My people! This day will be remembered throughout history to come whether we succeed or fail. However, whether you are Guardia's finest or just the caretakers of our beautiful lands, I fully realize what I am asking of you all! Our home was stolen from us over a petty grudge. A creature sits upon my throne. A creature that does not belong there! Sir Glenn and his company have offered to take the Frog King's life personally. Please, if you all could make sure that he gets to the throne, kills the Frog King, and reclaim the legendary blade of the hero, I will work the remainder of my life to rebuild this kingdom!"
Everyone cheered as they raised their weapons of choice. The King then turned to face the edge of the forest as Frog Knights and other amphibious beasts began marching out from the forest line. "CHARGE!" announced the King as the army took off like a flood and with the sounds of clashing steel, the war began.
Glenn drew his sword and charged into battle with Crono and his friends. A large mutant frog with horns and four eyes stood before them and the entrance to the forest. Crono's party, now led by Glenn, began making their way to this beast as they cut down more frog monsters in their path.
The massive red mutant smiled ghoulishly at Glenn as he charged forth toward it. It opened its mouth and like a spring its tongue came barreling toward Glenn. Glenn rose his shield in defense but the monster merely pulled Glenn into him. "Crono, follow my lead!" announced Glenn as he let the frog mutant grab him. Glenn prevented himself from getting swallowed via his shield and used the opening to stab his sword deep within the beast's belly. "Now, Crono!"
Crono snapped his fingers and a series of lightning bolts came from the heavens and struck Glenn's sword, "I've missed making Lighting Rods," Crono said with a smile. The electricity clawed its way from Glenn's sword and drew in other monsters unfortunate enough to be close enough to the attack. "Correction, make that, Chain Lightning Rods!"
Glenn drew his sword from the smoldering remains of his enemy and the party entered the forest with other knights and villagers in tow. More monsters were there in the brush of the forest to meet them. "The Frog King sure has been busy while we were away!" Marle exclaimed.
"You ain't kidding! Here they come!" Lucca warned.
Marle and Lucca were suddenly surrounded and they began taking potshots with their weapons. They took some damage here and there from mostly blunt attacks, but the swords from the Frog Knights were punishing. Marle was struck, her shoulder bleeding as she fell behind Lucca. "Time to thin the herd, Marle!" Lucca said.
Marle ignored the pain in her shoulder, "The regular Antipode Bomb won't take more than one of these guys, let's try our new version!"
Marle and Lucca struck a cutesy pose as they clashed their hips together, "Antipode Splash!" they shouted in unison. A large monster was bombarded with super cold magic and super heated magic at the exact same time and the creature exploded from the two polar opposite forces colliding within the same space. However, unlike their original version of this technique, surrounding monsters were splashed with explosive energies from the initial blast. Some critters were left burned to a crisp and others were frozen to the bone.
Crono and Glenn clashed swords with the amphibious knights. They parried their strikes and returned with counterattacks only for their backsides to get struck by the other more monstrous foes. "Time for some magic!" Glenn shouted strongly as he sheathed his sword and raised his hands. "Deluge!" he shouted as a large wave of water generated in front of him and carried away several foes.
Crono applauded Glenn and turned his attention to his friends, "Great! The stairs to the castle doors are clear! Let's move before more guards show up!" Crono urged.
Everyone nodded in agreement and Marle unveiled a new spell. "I updated my Cure spell! I can now heal everyone with Cure Splash!" she said as she bathed everyone in a soft watery mist. For a brief moment, a refreshing sensation washed over the party and took away their painful injuries as well as washed away blood and soil. Then the party quickly began making their way up the cobblestone stairs and reinforcements followed suit.
They cut down the opposition only stopping to use a spell, "Hey, Lucca give me a Fire Blast spell on my crossbow!" Marle grinned.
"You got it!" Lucca obliged as she lit Marle's Tricky Arrow.
Marle shot the arrow high into the sky and flaming arrows rained down exploding with searing flames as they made an impact. "Yeah! Blast Arrows!" Marle cheered.
This cleared enough opposition for Crono's party to reach Guardia Castle. With caution, they opened the door and a swampy, damp odor filled their noses. "It looks like the Frog King has been redecorating...," Lucca said as she adjusted her glasses.
"The coast is clear," Crono whispered softly.
They entered the foyer of the castle and it had become overgrown with flora that commonly grew in swamps. Puddles of water, moss, kudzu and other vines of many kinds polluted the castle. Glenn's jaw dropped in horror, "What have they done to our beautiful castle?!"
Then, the Frog King's voice could be heard but he could not be seen, "Mwee, hee, hee, hee! Welcome home, Sir Glenn!" he mocked. "I bet you can't wait to get to me! What's wrong, I'm just ahead of you in the throne room! Come and get me, Glenn!"
Glenn took the Frog King's taunt and rushed up the staircase to the throne room's door and to his surprise, he was repelled by a mysterious force. Dark energy emanated from the large wooden double doors as two symbols appeared, one on each door. "What sorcery is this?!" Glenn said as he got to his feet.
The Frog King laughed smugly, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, haa! You fell for it! Why don't you take a little tour of my new abode? The Knight's Quarters and Dining Hall are quite a sight!"
"You vile fiend! I shall see you on the end of my blade before this day is done!" Glenn exclaimed.
With that, the party headed to the Dining Hall, not sure what to expect. As the party headed to the castle's right lower wing, they approached the kitchen with caution. As they entered they saw that it was ankle-deep with water and lily pads were strewn throughout the floor. The party entered cautiously and then suddenly, they were ambushed by three frogs who hopped onto the lily pads. The party quickly took out the frogs and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Enough games, Frog King!" Glenn shouted angrily. "What is the point of this?!" he continued, shaking his fist.
The Frog King's voice echoed, "Oh, but, Sir Glenn, I just wanted you to stay for dinner!"
As soon as the Frog King ended his taunt, a scratching noise could be heard coming from somewhere in the room. Crono looked up and was immediately disgusted, "It's a giant bug!" he said as the massive fly-like insectoid monster dropped down. It landed and separated the party. Ooze dripped from its proboscis.
"Meet Beelzebug!" laughed the Frog King. "These guys are my favorite food! Let's see, why don't you slice him up and bring some with you when you come?"
"THAT IS SO DISGUSTING!" Lucca squirmed.
"EW! Kill it, kill it, kill it!" Marle followed.
"I'll just Cleave it in two!" Crono said as he leaped high above the bug. With his sword pointed down he placed all his weight into his attack. Like any bug with wings though, it jumped out of the way with blinding speed only losing one leg in the process. Crono kneeled as he pulled his sword from the stone floor, "Wow, that's a fast one!"
Beelzebug retaliated by spraying the party with its acidic saliva. The party tried frantically to avoid each glob that rained down, but each was struck at least once. "Ow, that shit burns!" Lucca cursed.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Marle said as she tried to wipe the acid from her thighs.
"Sweetie, we need to hit it with something it can't dodge! I don't think an Ice Brand's gonna cut it," Crono said, turning to his wife. "I got an idea though. Use your Icefall spell! I got a new one I want to try."
"Right!" Marle said as she began the chant.
Crono followed with a new spell that wasn't electricity-based but pure light instead. The resulting spell was downright beautiful as Marle's blocks of ice broke up and merged with this new light. The Beelzebug was obliterated by a stream of lights resembling an aurora. "That was gorgeous, honey!" Marle said as the pretty lights faded.
Crono smiled as he rubbed the back of his head, "Heh, how'd you like those Polar Lights everyone?"
"A wonderful display of magic you two," Glenn complimented.
"What was that anyway?" Lucca asked. "That clearly wasn't lightning..."
"Yep, I figured undead beings would really hate this new one. I call it 'Holy Light'!" Crono explained.
"That will really come in handy!" Glenn praised.
"It's no Luminaire, but this one's made for a different purpose anyway. I dialed back some of the energy of Luminaire and channeled nothing but positive emotions into it! It should wipe out any fiend or undead being we confront."
"Good call, we're going to need that one!" Lucca stated.
"Well, we killed that big ol' fly. Let's get out of here my feet are getting soggy!" Marle wined.
The party laughed as the Frog King interrupted them, "Oh, it looks like dinner will have to wait!" he laughed evilly as his voice grew darker. "Oh, and Glenn, why don't you go down to the Knight's Quarters. I called a little dinner guest for you. He might be a little grumpy but he might lighten up if he sees you!"
A nameless fear awakened in Glenn's heart, "...," he gasped.
In a hurry, the party left the Dining Hall and rushed to the Knight's Quarters. As they entered, they quickly noticed that it had become a deep pool. Water had flooded the downstairs portion of the room where the Guardia Knights slept, ate, and gathered before their Captain.
Glenn gazed out over the railing and in the center of the water, bubbles began to form. These bubbles then became a trail that slowly began making its way up the flooded staircase. Finally, tension at its highest, something began to emerge from the water. First, a black helmet emerged, a visor over the eyes. Next is a torso, with a familiar lavender cape and black breastplate. Finally, black greaves and gauntlets gave full form to Glenn's worst nightmare.
Glenn's eyes widened in horror as the undead corpse of his former mentor and friend lumbered before him dripping wet as water left his armor. "...Cyrus..., what Ty said earlier... about you not being buried at the ruins... So this is where you went...," Glenn said trying to suppress his terror and rage.
A maniacal laugh could be heard, "How do you like that, Glenn?!" taunted the Frog King. "What's the matter? Don't you want to see your old pal? That old Fiend magic taught me a little more than just changing people's shapes! I do hope you enjoy... catching up."
"This is just too cruel...," Marle gasped.
"And all just to make Glenn suffer...," Lucca added.
"But how, though? There was no Magus on this new timeline. So who killed him?" Crono asked quizzically.
Glenn was shivering with raw emotion as he gazed upon his former mentor and friend. "Oh, Cyrus, why are made to suffer so?" Glenn's aura began to manifest. His magic power was rising. "You know, Cyrus, you were right. I am a marshmallow... I don't have it in me to draw my sword against you..., even like this. Seeing Crono and the others develop their magic further gave me ideas. I don't have the gentleness of Lady Marle to heal or the abundance of optimism like Sir Crono to Raise the recently fallen. I don't have the cleverness of the Drayguards but watching Ty at Chronopolis put such passion into using 'pollutants' as a weapon... gave me an idea." he proclaimed. Glenn stretched his hands towards Cyrus, "If he can use his magic to pollute, I will use mine to 'Purify'!" he finished as he used a new spell.
The bright blue light generated magical water unlike Glenn had used previously. This bright, clean water enveloped Cyrus and as quickly as it appeared, it dissipated washing down to Cyrus's feet. Like a burning sheet of paper, Cyrus's corrupted flesh burned away, leaving nothing but a bleached skeleton and shining armor. Cyrus's remains fell to the floor. Glenn approached the remains and stored them tearfully away, "After this is done, I shall place you back where you belong, old friend...," he finished. "No matter what timeline this is..."
Crono and the others gave Glenn a moment of silence as he recuperated. Glenn breathed deeply, "Ah, that felt exhilarating to get off my chest! Come, we must continue. There isn't time for mourning now. Every moment we tarry the Frog King gets another laugh and Dalton grows stronger. Onward!"
Crono smiled and Lucca and Marle wiped away their own tears. After regrouping, they made their way to the throne room door and the magic seal shattered. The party entered the large and empty room with cautious optimism. Then suddenly, torches began lighting the room one by one until the visage of the Frog King came into view. The party drew their weapons and starred down the invader.
The Frog King smiled wickedly, "Welcome, welcome, I've been expecting you. I have so longed for this day!"
"Silence usurper! I shall finish what Cyrus started! I will not let you leave this castle alive, Frog King!" Glenn announced vigorously.
"Oh no, Glenn, it is you who won't be leaving!" boasted the Frog King. "You seem to have a habit of 'vanishing' every now and again. You disappeared just after I took this kingdom, but I knew you would return. While you were away this time I spent some time with a special treasure I found in the catacombs of the castle. A flame, frozen in place emanated a beautiful glow! I communed with it and it showed me dreams and visions! I am not the same Frog King you knew all those years ago..., no! I am not even the same since I took this kingdom! And I shall show you!"
With a loud bellow, the Frog King summoned a sword as if from thin air. The sword levitated above the ground for a brief moment before planting itself in the ground before the Frog King. The sword's red blade was a twisted wavy shape instead of the standard form for a sword and it emanated a sickly aura. Glenn gazed upon the blade until he finally realized, "Is that the Grandleon?! What did you do?! How many innocent lives have been slain?!"
The Frog King grabbed the sword with his stubby arm and he began a transformation. The power of the Frozen Flame mutated the Frog King. His transformed state was more humanoid and much taller. His musculature made him appear as though he was a bodybuilder as he no longer had the large belly and short stubby limbs he once had. His head was sunk into his shoulders and his legs were reverse jointed. He wore iron bracers around his wrists and ankles, and his crown and a red cape were also present. Lastly, two long whiskers flowed from his upper lip like a mustache. "Enough...," the new Frog King answered.
"Crono, it's just like that Priest you saved me from back in 3000 B.C.!" Marle said astonished.
"Yeah, Dalton changed him using the Flame!" Crono said, turning his astonishment into a smirk. "And here I thought he wouldn't pose a challenge!"
"Eww, gross! Now he's even more disgusting!" Lucca squirmed.
"However more disgusting he may be, this changes nothing!" Glenn claimed as he charged with a war cry.
The Frog King met Glenn in battle as the desecrated Grandleon clashed with his sword. Crono followed and fought the Frog King with Glenn, 2 on 1. Lucca and Marle took potshots from afar. Due to his size, he had little trouble clashing blades with both swordsmen. Glenn was struck and he backed off, "How does it feel, Glenn?! How does it feel to be bitten by your own blade?!" gloated the Frog King.
Glenn struck back with a Shield Bash and a sword strike of his own, "You only fuel the flames of your own demise, Frog King!" he retorted.
While the Frog King was repelled, Crono leaped high and came down with a Cleave. The strike hit but it only seemed to scratch its mark. Crono growled, "His skin is so tough!"
"You'll need to hit me harder than that to get me to bleed, boy," the Frog King muttered with a smirk. The Frog King let loose his tongue and grabbed hold of Crono drawing him in. Crono tried hard to dodge to lessen the hit but the Frog King managed to swipe at his left leg and then throw him to the ground.
Marle covered her friends with curative magic and Crono and Glenn were ready to go again. The Frog King raised the Grandleon and shouted strongly, "Servants, assist me!" he said as two frog monsters emerged from a puff of smoke. "Kill the two girls!" he ordered.
"No today, bud!" Lucca said as she cast Fire Blast. The Fire Blast swept away the two frog monsters and scorched the Frog King.
"Vile woman!" the Frog King growled. Despite his size, he was agile. He leaped over to Lucca, landing right in front of her. He smiled as he was about to bring the Grandleon down on her.
Right before he could though, Lucca smiled mischievously as she snapped her fingers. Her body gleamed with a reddish aura. The Frog King struck her across the chest only to be met with a fierce fiery blast erupting in his face. Lucca staggered back laughing as she did so, "How'd you like my revised Protect spell? I call it, Blast Guard! Not only do I resist most of the damage from physical assaults but you receive a massive chunk of it right back in your face with an explosion!" she laughed.
The Frog King grew angry, "Y-you sneaky little!" he growled.
"Now guys, my burns have weakened his flesh! Hit him with something harder!" Lucca shouted as she retreated to a safer position.
The Frog King turned to see Crono and Glenn coming straight for him, but before he could react to them he was struck, "X-Strike!" announced the duo as they left an 'X' shaped gash mark on the Frog King's chest. While the Frog King was downed, Marle healed Lucca.
The Frog King recovered and struck Crono and Glenn with fierce blows, then held his sword in front of him as he began a spell of his own, "Let's see you dodge my Aqua Beams!" he said as began firing magical jets of water from his finger. Each beam was deadly in its own right and as each party member tried to dodge one, another one struck, piercing whatever it hit.
Marle was brought down to a sitting position as both her legs were damaged. Lucca's left shoulder took a hit. Crono and Glenn managed to dodge with minor flesh wounds. The Frog King noticed this. He smiled wickedly, "Ah, I see. All I need to do is kill your medic!" he said as he cast another spell. "I'll just take a moment to make myself a little more Nimble!" he said buffing himself. His speed and agility went through the roof. He leaped high and turned the Grandleon down toward Marle.
"Marle!" Crono shouted in horror as the Frog King impaled Marle's stomach with the sword.
However, a blast of fire erupted from Marle. Lucca had shrouded Marle with her Blast Guard. She still coughed up blood as she clapped her hands together and cast Icefall on him. The Frog King's back was smashed by boulders of ice.
The Frog King withdrew battered and bruised. Crono rushed over to his wife and he was about to cast Raise but was interrupted by Lucca who had yet another new spell. Marle was engulfed in colorful flames and both Crono and Marle were astounded as Marle got to her feet. Crono smiled as he giggled softly, "What was that, Lucca? It was pretty!"
"A new little trick I learned. I call it Rebirth. I can pick up a buddy just like you can with Raise. Instead, however, the person isn't only picked up, but I place a set of protective buffs on them. She's shielded from both physical attacks and magical attacks, has a speed buff and regenerates from damage!" she said proudly as she struck a pose. "Ouch, oh yeah, that still hurts!" she winced as her attention was drawn back to her shoulder.
"I feel great!" Marle said as she flexed. She cast a Cure Splash and healed the party of the Frog King's wrath.
The Frog King's jaw dropped, "I see now why the Frozen Flame showed me such visions! Neo Emperor Dalton showed me how powerful his enemies are! In that regard, I must not fail!" he said strongly as he cast another spell on himself. "With this spell of Vigor, my stamina shall not decrease!"
Lucca turned to him with an annoyed expression, "Shut up will you? I'm explaining something important to my friends...," she said snapping her fingers. Her finger snap made a spark and the Frog King was engulfed in green flames. He howled in an almost comical manner as he rolled on the ground.
"Yet another new one, Lucca?" Glenn asked eyebrow raised.
Lucca smiled, "Turns out Fire magic lets me branch out into just raw explosions. That Nitro spell I just hit him with deals more damage per buff a target places on themselves and then destroys those upgrades exchanging them for terrible burns! I'm such a genius!"
The Frog King stood back up undeterred, "Clever girl, what with your Fire magic and all! It looks like I'll have to put a stop to it!" he said. The Frog King cast another spell and a watery mist covered the entire floor up to their ankles. "This little spell I call, 'Frog Mire' soaks the battlefield in pure Water magic and will drastically reduce the effectiveness of your Fire magic!" he gloated.
Despite his injuries, the Frog King went on a rampage once again. This field spell also buffed the Frog King's overall powers as well as regenerated his flesh over time. He hacked and slashed and parried with Crono and Glenn as he attempted to make his way to Lucca. Marle interrupted, however, by casting another spell of her own, "Let me quicken this a little!" she said as she cast Haste on Crono and Glenn. They could now keep up with the Frog King as Glenn struck back hard.
She then focused her attention on the Frog King, "Your hopping around just a bit too much! Freeze!" Marle said as the Frog King was hit with a flash of frozen energy.
The Frog King expelled his visible breath as it was apparent he had lost a great deal of his agility. Crono and Glenn took the opportunity to hit him with a Lightning Rod attack.
The Frog King was now reeling from the damage. Glenn was now more confident, "Relinquish the Grandleon, Frog King! You cannot defeat us!"
The Frog King, weary, his eyes nearly rolling back into his head, met Glenn with a creepy smile. "You know, funny you should say that, because I was just about to stop going easy on you!" he said as he called up more water. "Aqua Ball!" he shouted as he hit Lucca with a powerful sphere of highly pressurized water. It knocked her down, but before she could recuperate the Frog King followed with another water spell. "Aqua Geyser!" he chanted. This spell placed highly pressurized water towers beneath the feet of everyone in the party and sent them flying.
Glenn cast a healing spell on everyone so they could regain some of their strength. "Is that all you got, Frog King?!" Glenn shouted as he rushed the Frog King again. "Lucca lend me your flames!" he asked vigorously.
"You want a Red Needle? You got it!" Lucca said as she hit Glenn's sword with a Fire Ball. Glenn struck the Frog King multiple times with his red hot blade. Mysteriously the Frog King did not bother to counter or even block, just laugh.
Glenn grew confused, "What are you up to, Frog King?!"
The Frog King laughed softly as he placed the Grandleon behind him. "I'm finishing this!" he spoke suddenly with a violent temper. "Frog Squash!"
Crono and his party looked to the sky in horror as a giant magical frog materialized above them and then began falling down. Crono's heart beat strongly as he gathered light magic in his hand all while not taking his eyes off the impending attack. "Glad I learned this!" he said as the light magic broke off from his hand and the little lights blessed Crono and his friends.
The Frog Squash flattened Crono's party knocking out all of them. The Frog King laughed as he danced with glee. "I did it! I did it! Don't you see? No King is without his trump card!" he gloated.
However, his gloating was quickly shot down as the light spell Crono had cast took effect. Crono and his party levitated and were restored of their wounds. They were weary but alive. Crono laughed as everyone seemed confused, "Previve! I'm so glad I decided to put more effort into that Raise spell!" Crono said to a stunned Frog King.
"Nice going sweetie...!" said a weakened Marle as she cast another Cure Splash.
"Crono, Lucca, I think it's time to use a Triple...!" Glenn said with fury.
"You know, I think we should have started with that!" Crono laughed as he took a spot around the Frog King.
"But what fun would that be?" Lucca stated as she too took a spot across from Crono and raised her arms.
Glenn stood directly before the Frog King as he threw his hands up. The trio then focused their magic and began to levitate. The stunned Frog King whined, "No, this cannot be..."
The room darkened as a triangle of magic showcasing the three elements of Light, Fire and Water appeared beneath the Frog King's feet. Crono and his friends shouted in unison, "Delta Storm!" He gazed in horror, eyes bulging in pain as the attack engulfed him and tore his body to shreds. His screams could be heard throughout the castle. Then suddenly, it had ended and the Frog King's body hit the ground with a loud thud. It was done, he was lifeless.
Glenn fell to his knees in exasperation. "Ugh, it has been a long while since we used that one!" he panted.
"Yeah, no kidding...!" Lucca panted also falling to her knees.
"Well, he's dead, that's all that matters, right? Power of friendship and all that?" Crono giggled with a warm smile.
Just then, Marle noticed something wrong with the Frog King's corpse. "Uh, guys, if he's dead, then why is he twitching?" she asked in terror.
The Frog King's body cracked and twitched as it stood back up. His flesh changed color to a sickly purple and his whitened eyes were void of life. He opened his mouth and a sticky substance oozed out.
"I think he turned into a zombie!" Crono deduced.
"His own research turned against him?" Lucca asked rhetorically.
"Or perhaps he was working on one last-ditch effort to preserve himself. It matters not, even the power of death won't help you, Frog King!" Glenn said stalwartly. "Crono, can you use that Holy Light spell? I have an idea!"
"Sure, I think I can muster the strength...," Crono said as he threw his weary arms up.
"Let's combine it with my Deluge spell!" Glenn said throwing his arms up one last time.
In a brilliant display of light and water, the zombified Frog King was enveloped in a sphere of water with strange runes floating around it on ribbons of light. "Holy Water!" Glenn and Crono shouted simultaneously.
Due to the Frog King's status as undead, he was completely obliterated. Not a single shred of him was left. The Grandleon stood stuck into the floor all by itself. Glenn wearily approached the sword, "Finally, he is gone... but now, I must figure out how to fix this problem..," he said glumly gazing into the corrupt light of the sword.
*End of Chapter*