The End of Time Chapter 5
The Dirty Deed
By Arsenal
Tasha was right; they were found easily. An ogre called it in. Crono heard the yell and started running. Last night he had the advantage though. Adrenaline didn’t rush to his tired veins now and his pursuers weren’t shocked. The group caught up soon. They were in a clearing where the ground rose on the side. When they burst through the brush Lucca lay against a tree with Wondershot out in her right hand and in the other lay an unpinned grenade. She started shooting like crazy while she threw the grenade into the midst of the creatures, killing many and wounding more. The rest stead back from the barrage, waiting for Crono's appearance. They knew it was a trap and fifteen were dead in the first three seconds of the fight. Finally Lucca had emptied her clip. She remembered something: her extra clips were in Crono’s pack! She unhooked her hammer and prepared herself. Meanwhile up above in the trees Crono watched the opening moments of the fight. He readied himself to leap upon his enemies below. They never came. He wondered why. Then he realized why as the dark figure rushed from above. He raised his sword in time to block the blade, but the force sent the two figures to the ground. The dark figure pulled Crono around to absorb the impact. They fell ten feet to the ground. Cries of ‘Tasha’ came from the enemies. Crono and Tasha leapt up to face one another.
“So you’re Tasha? Why do you kill humans? Mystics and humans have been at peace for four hundred years.” Crono announced loud enough for everybody to hear. He was intent to make this a public spectacle.
“Peace? Why would I care about peace? I’m neither mystic nor human. I killed just to lure you here.” She spat at his face with fire in her eyes. She came forth in a twirling dance of death. Crono blocked every blade that came too close and spun forward with all his weight. Tasha jumped in close and avoided any major cuts, but she was knocked back a couple of feet. Crono sent a small bolt of lightning in her direction. Tasha rolled out the way, the tree behind her igniting into flames. She heaved herself to her feet and jumped forward with amazing agility. But Crono, though he was heavier, was just as agile and leapt straight up, ten feet in the air. They didn’t see him pull himself to the branch above. Tasha stead on the ground and threw poisoned darts into the air. Lucca saw the whole thing and laid by hoping Crono would be alright. Tasha tired of throwing ineffectual darts in the air and jumped up to Crono’s level. She saw the branch and congratulated his clever thought. She turned to the left in time to catch Crono’s blade on her short sword. The narrow branch wouldn’t let her bring her second blade to bear; she was at a disadvantage. Crono used his superior strength to slash viciously at Tasha, trying to knock her off the branch. When she kept her balance, as well as parry all his attacks, Crono chose another course. He leapt off the branch, slicing through it in the process. He landed on his feet while Tasha took a hard dive to the ground. Tasha had her feet under her more quickly than Crono thought though and they settled into another rhythm. Down here Tasha had the advantage. Her hands were quicker and she had two blades. Crono was stronger, but she kept coming in from different angles, using all his strength in parries. Crono backed up to a tree. Tasha jumped back and threw a dart, and followed it in. Crono twisted and avoided the dart. Tasha’s short sword was stuck in the tree. She didn’t pay any mind and slashed at Crono to her right. Crono wasn’t there anymore. She looked around. Finally in back of her she saw where Crono went: to the trunk of the tree. He had her sword now. The fight had finally changed. Crono was as good with a short sword as Tasha and he had her against the tree in no time. Crono slashed high in the air toward her face with both blades. Tasha blocked both blades with her remaining short sword and pushed them off in an act of defiance. She turned, ran up the tree and pushed off in mid-air in an acrobatic stunt. Her sword came to rest by Crono’s neck. Lucca cried out in horror.
“The fight goes to me, Hero of Time! You’re a feisty one for sure. Just like he said!” Tasha exclaimed, her sword biting into Crono’s neck.
“Who said? Who do you work for?” Crono demanded.
“You don’t need to know. All you need to do is die. Rest in hell, you spiky haired cretin!” The blade rushed toward Crono’s head. Lucca awaited the fatal moment. It never came. A loud rumble and a huge bang sent everybody from their feet. In the middle of the clearing a Gate opened up. Crono and Tasha were swallowed up. Lucca drug herself up on her one good leg and jumped toward the Gate. She saw only black as it swallowed her in. Black was all she saw for many hours.
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