An Ultimate Quest Chapter 5
By Karura
They all rise up early the next day, well, almost everyone.
While Barret, Sabin and Ayla snoring like an orchestra, the others prepared breakfast, then wake up their companions and ate together.
They ate in silence, and then set on the road in silence. No one was in the mood for chatting, not even the usually talkative ones. Being experienced warriors, they all sensed something uncommon in the air. Something devilish, evil, and patient. Yes, patient. It feels like they are walking into a trap, and someone is watching with a smile on the face.
The edge of the forest is just ahead, and the mountains became visible when suddenly Magus held out a hand, asking them to stop.
“Is there something wrong?” Marle asks.
“Yes... I sense something approaching…”Magus said in a low voice, “Something is coming on us…fast. I can feel its negative energy.”
Barret snorted, half-impatient and half-nervous: “Just who the hell are you? F*&^ing prophet in a melodrama or something?”
Magus ignores him, instead he held on to his weapon firmly: “Creature, come as you may, but hear the sound of my reaper!”
Magus does many things, but he never makes a fool out of himself. Seeing he is dead serious, the others all reached for their weapons, and the magical ones prepared to cast a spell.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a gigantic black dragon appeared in thin air and dives for the largest target: Barret.
“Holy $hit!” He rolled away; the dragon’s claws barely missed him by an inch. “Where the f&^* did this *&%@ overgrown reptile come from?”
“Be careful!” Cloud shouted while slashing his heavy sword at the dragon’s massive body, “Black dragons are shadow elemental, he may appear and disappear at any time he pleases.”
“Then we better get him before he gets away!” Edgar yelled, his chainsaw landed on the dragon’s left shoulder.
The dragon cried in anguish and pain, twisting his body to slash Edgar with his claw.
He rolled away to a safe distance, while Locke and Celes advance from the dragon’s behind, their swords cut deep into the dragon’s hind legs.
The dragon let out another cry and swings his powerful tail blindly, sending trees flying and the ground shakes with his movement.
“Crono, are you just gonna stand there and look pretty, or do something useful?” Magus demanded.
“I’m at it!” Crono muttered something, extending his hands above his head.
“Luminaire!” He shouted as Magus points at the dragon, “Dark Matter!”
Powerful magic rays blasted around the dragon. Within a second the beast turned to ashes.
“Ah, impressive.” Suddenly they heard a coarse voice, “Let’s see how you handle this. Enjoy, my friends.”
“Who is there? Show thyself!” Glenn called.
“Who cares, let’s handle the problem now and deal with other things later!” Marle yells, stepping closer to Crono, who was reaching for her hand at the same time, concerned for her safety.
They were surrounded by dragons, seven of them. There are two black dragons like the one before; a fire dragon, three green dragons who are fierce attackers, and an ice dragon who is the largest of all families of dragon.
Barret cursed under his breath: “Just what the *#^%*is this? Dragon’s hundredth year f%^#ing reunion or something?
“Well then, let’s throw in a party for them!” Setzer send a sharp-edged iron card into a green dragon’s left eye, with Shadow’s ninja star stuck into the beast’s right eye at the same time with the same speed and accuracy.
“Good work!” Edgar took this chance and charged at the blind beast, with Cyan right beside him.
“Chainsaw!”
“Quadra Slice!”
The beast howled, then drops to the ground, dead with fatal cuts all over his thorax and stomach.
“One down, six to go!” Edgar called in triumph.
“Working on it!” Sabin runs right into a green dragon with lighting speed: “Bum Rush!”
“Damn, you really beat the &*%* shit out of that sucker!” Barret admired, finishing the evil dragon with a blast from his missing score, right on its head.
“You are not half bad with that thing yourself.” Sabin grinned, turning to help the others.
Locke and Celes were fighting the last of the three green dragons. The fight was hard, for neither of them has magic, and Celes was using an ordinary sword which breaks easily.”
Terra was close to them, trying to morph into her esper form. She saw their trouble and unbuckled her Atma Weapon without hesitation.
“Celes, catch!” She tosses the sword to Celes, who grabs it with skill and immediately delivered a powerful blow at the dragon.
Apparently a little intimidated by the shining weapon, the green dragon stopped chasing Locke. Instead, he called on his dragon spell, which turns out to be Megabolt. Unfortunately, Celes was his opponent.
“Stupid thing, you asked for it.” Celes raise her sword high above her head and called, “Runic!”
Immediately, her sword absorbed the dragon’s magic completely.
“Good going, Celes!” Locke swiftly advanced to the dragon’s side, wounding him with both of his weapons, hard.
Sabin was about to give some help, when Ayla suddenly jump down from a tree, right on to the dragon’s head.
“Triple Kick!” She landed three powerful kicks on the dragon’s skull, knocking him out with the force.
“If there is one thing I learned, it is to never mess up with the ladies.” Edgar murmured, drove his sword into the unconscious dragon’s throat and ended his life.
Setzer, Cyan, Shadow, Edgar, Sabin, Barrat, Ayla, Locke and Celes smiled and nodded to each other. Between them, they finished the three green dragons on their side. Quickly, they turned to help the others.
Their companions aren’t doing badly on the other side either.
“Crono, let’s help this fellow cool down a little!” Marle put out her hands and starts chanting, “Ready?”
“Whenever you are.” He replied.
Together they shouted: “Combo—Ice Sword 2!”
A freezing aura of ice magic from Marle’s fingertip attached to Crono’s Rainbow sword. He charged at the fire dragon, circling him and lashes him with the ice sword.
“Crono, a little help perhaps?” Glenn joins in, “Combo—X Strike!”
With that, the two swordsmen cut the fire dragon dead.
“Yeah!” Marle laughed, tossed her crossbow into air and jumped, like a typical teenage girl she is suppose to be. Hard to believe she is the same powerful sorceress who helped to slay a dragon moments ago.
Close by, Magus and Cloud were locked in a fierce battle with a shadow dragon. Shadow dragons are usually harder to defeat because they fly more easily than other dragons. However, the magician, unlike others, has the ability to float in the air, the flying creature gains no advantage over him.
Magus distracts the dragon’s attention, lightly damaging him while Cloud slashes his gigantic sword from the ground and does the real damage. However, the dragon is well guarded by his long whip-like tail, and Cloud’s chance to do fatal damage is rare.
They are not getting very far. Then seeing Marle and Crono rushing toward them, Magus had an idea. “Marle, Crono, give me your magic!”
“Cloud, cover for me!” Magus then called to him, preparing a spell.
Cloud nodded, swings his sword into a series of complicated move which confused the dragon.
“Here it goes…”Magus shouted a command, borrowing Crono and Marle’s magical power, “Dark Eternal!”
Dark magic swallowed the dragon, sealing him into a force pyramid, and burns him with black fire. The dragon cried in horror, and perishes without a trace.
“One thing I’ll say, this guy is a total melodramatic showoff.” Setzer commented, turning to Terra, who faces the enormous ice dragon by herself.
“The girl’s got her tricks. ” Magus landed on solid ground, murmured.
Terra had morphed into a blazing creature, flying around the dragon, waiting for her chance.
Knowing her morph time is limited, Edgar used his Flash tool on the dragon, providing a distraction.
Terra saw her chance. “Fire3!” She shouted.
Even though she hadn’t used her magic for two years, it’s still strong as ever. Besides, in her Esper form, her magic is three times more powerful than usual. A sea of raging flame surrounded the ice dragon, burning with all the fieriness of hell.
Barret whistled: “Damn, the girl’s having a barbecue!”
Terra landed on the ground, reverting into her human form. She reaches for her sword, then belatedly remembers that she gave the sword to Celes.
Cloud walks over to her and grinned: “Need help?” He easily avoided the dragon’s claw, jumps onto the weakening dragon; his impressively huge sword followed through, cutting the dragon’s head into halves.
“Thanks.” Terra thanked him sincerely, a bit breathless from her effort to morph.
“Anytime.” He grins at her, which is rare for him. Somehow he found her a lot like himself, and can’t help feeling friendly toward her.
Locke was looking around: “Strange, I remember seeing seven dragons, but we’ve only got rid of six…”
He didn’t even have the chance to finish his sentence. The seventh dragon—a shadow dragon, suddenly materialized behind Terra, claws snatching at her with such power that is sure to tear her into pieces.
“Terra!” they gasped, but no one would be fast enough to do anything. Terra was right in between Cloud and the shadow dragon, he couldn’t have possibly slay the dragon before the beast gets Terra, without fatally wounding her. The only other person who is close enough for a magic attack is Edgar, but he doesn’t have any magic.
This split of a second seemed like a life long of torture for Edgar. How could it be? How could he let the beast kill Terra like that? She is so dear to him, if she was to die like this, what will become of him?
“Terra!!!!!!!!!” Edgar yelled with all his strength, throwing himself at her. He has to protect her, doesn’t matter what cost, even if it means his death, he doesn’t give a damn.
“Ultima!” In desperation he cried, completely forgetting he doesn’t have magic anymore.
A light blinding as lighting appeared, wrapping around the dragon just as his claws are inches away from Terra’s head. At the same time, Edgar bumped into Terra, knocking her down to the ground with him on top.
He felt heat and pain on his back; the dragon must’ve scratched him. He doesn’t care. Terra is okay, as long as she is okay, he doesn’t mind anything…
He has no idea how long he just stayed there, right on top of Terra, head buried in her wavy green hair. Then she pushed him lightly, emerald eyes full of wonder and worry: “Edgar, are you alright?”
“I…Yeah, I’m fine.” He forced himself to sit up, grimaced a little by the pain on his back. The shadow dragon is gone; not even a single scale was left behind.
Confused, he blinked: “What happened to the dragon?”
“You destroyed it.” Celes sounds like she is choking; “You destroyed it with Ultima.”
“Ultima? But I don’t have magic anymore!” Edgar remembers he cited the spell on desperation, but it couldn’t possibly have worked, his magic was long gone with the Espers!
“Edgar, you just have to believe me, we saw it with our own eyes.” Celes shake her head in wonder, “I haven’t seen anything so magnificent for the last two years…”
“But my magic…our magic was gone! The Espers…”
“Idiot, this is not your world.” Magus cut him off impatiently.
“According to you, is there a single person in this damn world that is not idiotic?” Edgar snapped, then turning thoughtful, “But you do have a point. This is, after all, the fairy tale land. Maybe the atmosphere itself restores our lost magic ability.”
“Edgar, you are hurt!” Terra was kneeling beside him, still a bit too weak to get up. She extended her hands and touched his back softly, “Here, let me try.”
She concentrated for a moment, then cited a spell.
“Cure3.” She murmured, then with a flash of green magic, Edgar’s wound was gone. He immediately felt coolness on his back.
“How is it?” She anxiously asked.
He smiles at her: “It works perfectly, now my dear, don’t overdo yourself.” He stands up and pulls her up with him, one arm under her waist to support her weight.
Terra lean gratefully against him, still dizzy from the fight, the morph and then the spell cast.
“So we have our magic back.” Locke grinned, “Now I can really kick that Lakefroth guy’s ass!”
“Oh, don’t be too sure about that, my friend.” Someone said, walking out of the shadow.
They recognize his coarse voice. He was the one who summoned the evil dragons in the first place. Now seeing his face, several people couldn’t help but grimace.
This guy is… Well, to be polite, he is down to earth homely; to be straight forward, he is about as ugly as one can possibly get, and his face is marvelously messed up like shit.
“Just who the hell are you?” Sabin demanded, slightly turning to avoid the sorry sight of the man’s face, “Are you the one who send those *&$% dragons after us?”
The man smiled, however this act did not add any charm to his feature: “Friends, you seek me yet does not know who I am? I’m Lakefroth the sorcer, future ruler of this world.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. If you are so powerful, why did you approach us with this pathetic spell?” Celes snorted, recognizing what they see is not a real person, but a crafty simulacrum spell.
“Why, my dear, I never leave my castle, not even for a pretty lady like you.” His laugh sounded like needle scratching on a piece of glass, which is not at all pleasant to hear.
“Then what bring thou here? Glenn asks.
“Why, nothing but to give you some friendly advise.” He crooked his head to one side, “You see, my friends, I know you well. I know what you seek, what you are after. So, let me tell you this: If you insist on pursuing your quest, you will all be very sorry.”
“What do you think about this generous advice?” Marle asks Crono in a tone of mockery.
Crono smiles and answered flatly: “I think he’s bluffing.”
Cyan shook his head: “To tell the truth, sorcer, I feel sorry for thou. Thy parents are quiet wondrous people.”
The knight is actually mocking! Barret was surprised, but is catching on pretty fast: “Yeah, sorcer, we all feel for you greatly. It’s some parents you have, damn! Messing up their own *&%^#$@ kid like that! …Damn, no offence but look at you! You are screwed like *&^%!”
Even though it’s just a simulacrum of the real person, the sorcer’s face turned red with fury. He stomps his feet: “How dare you to insult me! You’ll be sorry! Come to my castle, I’ll crush you all like bugs, bugs, you hear me? I’m going to destroy destroy destroy DESTROY everything!” With a crazy laugh, the simulacrum disappeared.
“Damn that was creepy. Say bro, did he remind you of someone?” Sabin asks.
Edgar nodded uneasily: “Yeah, he actually sounded like Kefka.”
“Who is Kefka?” Marle asked.
Setzer forced a smile: “He was our greatest enemy. That lunatic almost turned himself into a demi-god.”
“So are we gonna go on?” Marle asks.
“Don’t know about you guys, but we have to go. Our world is depending on us. If that was Kefka, we’ll just have to beat him again.” Locke said.
“I will go… This is my promise to Aeris.” Cloud is determined.
Magus simply gazes into the sky, and murmured the name of his beloved sister: “Schala…”
“That is settled then.” Edgar said, grinning, “C’mon, the mountains are just ahead. We better travel some more if we want to get there before noon.”
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