Chrono Trigger Loops Chapter 5
By Reido Shougeki
Zac stepped out of the small clearing the group had landed in. They were on a mountain trail. The leaves around the area were ablaze with color. It seemed to be eternal autumn on Truce Peak. Zac and Niki looked around, taking everything in. Arris Dome did not look like this.
"Come on, you two," Crono called. He and the others were north, near a small bridge. Zac and Niki ran to catch up with them. Crono had his katana out. Marle and Lucca also got ready for something. Zac removed his blade, seeing why. Up ahead was a group of imps.
"Zac, you and Niki take care of them," Crono whispered to him.
"Why?"
"We need to see if you two can handle yourselves should we get separated."
"Okay..." He motioned for Niki to come with him.
"Niki, you take that one," he said, pointing to the farthest imp. She nodded, removing her gun. Zac leapt forwards, dashing at his target imp. The green skinned elf turned to face him, kicking a rock at him. Zac slashed downwards as he ran, cutting the rock in two. The halves fell to the ground behind him. Zac increased his speed, his figure blurring again. The imp glanced around, trying to locate his opponent. He found him.
Zac rammed his blade through the elf's ribcage, impaling him. Zac jerked his hand back, letting the imp fall to the ground. He swiped the Steel Saber on the grass, removing the blood.
Niki kept her distance, aiming at her imp. She fired a single shot, tearing through its skull. The imp screeched as it fell to the ground, blood forming in a puddle under it.
Zac turned, looking at the now deceased imp.
“Good shot,” he complimented Niki, who was walking up to him. She smiled.
“I know,” she replied cockily. Crono, Marle, and Lucca stepped out of the shadows.
“Whoa…you’re fast!” Crono said, stunned by Zac’s display of speed. “I lost you for a second there!”
“Shougeki style of fighting,” Zac responded. “My own style. Maybe I could teach it to you?”
“That’d be great!” Crono said happily.
“Okay, you two,” Marle said, breaking up the conversation. “We’ve got more important things to do.”
“Oh, right,” Crono and Zac said, almost in unison.
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“So,” Crono began.
“’So’ what?” Zac questioned.
“Shut up, Crono,” Marle snorted, extremely agitated. He and Zac had been going through the same routine for hours. Marle felt like snapping one of their necks. The group had started for Glenn’s home two days ago. It was a two-week journey.
“I have a question,” Niki said suddenly.
“Shoot,” Lucca replied.
“How did Zac and I get magic? I mean, from what I understand, magic doesn’t exist in the future. So how do we have it?”
“Hm…I’m not too sure,” Lucca responded.
“I have an idea!” Crono exclaimed out of nowhere.
“Oh, really?” Marle questioned. “Did it hurt?”
The prince glared at her.
“Funny, Marle,” he said angrily. “Anyway, why doesn’t Zac run to Glenn’s house, grab him, and bring him back here? It would save us a trip.”
“No can do, Crono,” Zac said grimly. “If I run for too long, I pass out, and don’t wake up for a week. I put all of my energy into it, and it wastes me.”
“Hm…oh, well.”
There was a rustling in the bushes near them. Zac looked to them, stopping.
“Huh?” he said to no one. A ball of what appeared to be nothingness suddenly erupted from the plant. Zac shouted and dove to the ground, the attack flying over his head. There was an explosion of nothingness, although Zac was sure it would have hurt, had it hit him. The group turned back to him.
“Zac!” Niki cried. The teen pushed himself up, the Steel Saber out in a flash.
“Come out!” he called into the bushes. No response, save a flock of birds that took off into the sky at the sound of his voice.
“Damnit,” he cursed softly, sliding the blade back into its sheath. Crono and the others ran to him.
“Are you okay, Zac?” Niki asked, concerned.
“I’m fine, Niki,” he responded, not taking his gaze from the bushes. The foliage suddenly burst into flame.
“What the hell?” Crono yelled, tearing the Rainbow out. Zac’s eyes went wide.
“Fuinaire,” he said softly. “Fuinaire!” he said again, louder. The group looked at him strangely.
“What’s Fuinaire?” Lucca asked.
“A fourth dimension being, exiled here, to the third,” Zac explained, although he was not quite sure what he was talking about.
“How do you know this?” Marle inquired.
“I…I don’t know,” he said, holding his head. “A voice came to me and told me about it…”
“Was that the same voice that said to duck before the earthquake hit?” Niki asked.
“Yeah…yeah, it was…Damn!” he shouted to the heavens. “I feel like a puppet, being played with in a twisted game!”
“No time to worry about that now, guys,” Crono said. “We’ve got company.”
“Hm?”
As if on cue, three scores of beasts tore forth from the brush, charging at the group. Zac’s saber was out in a flash as he took a stance. The others armed themselves as well, getting ready.
Zac and Crono leapt forward together, dashing towards a goblin-like beast. They crossed each other, slashing through the creature. The goblin fell to the ground, dead.
Niki aimed her gun at a bird beast that got too close, firing a shot. The airborne creature was literally blown apart, black feathers floating to the earth.
Lucca and Marle were back to back, shooting down any creature that came their way. Marle was overshadowed by a bear-like beast that was coming straight for her. She fired a crossbow bolt at it, only to have it batted aside as if it were a fly. There was no way she could stop it.
An ice javelin tore through the air, speeding towards the beast attacking Marle. It impaled the creature, the force of the impact throwing the bear back. Marle looked over her shoulder to see Zac, his face slightly contorted with concentration, his hand held up. Marle gave him a thumbs-up. Zac returned it.
Between the five, the monsters soon fell. The group stepped back together.
“Ten,” Marle said, refering to the number of monsters she had killed.
“Twenty-three,” Crono replied.
“Seven,” Lucca added.
“Twenty,” Zac continued.
“Nine,” Niki finished.
“There were at least sixty of those things,” Zac said. His hand suddenly shot up, a jet of water erupting from it. The magic shot over Niki’s shoulder, hitting a dog behind her. The monster was sent flying into a cliff. The sound of it’s neck snapping as it hit could be heard like a gunshot.
“Twenty-one,” Zac corrected.
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The group set up camp near the place that would become Fiona’s Forest over four hundred years later. Zac sat near the campfire, running a hand through his wild hair. Niki sat beside him.
“Whatcha thinking about?” she asked.
“What’s happened since we jumped into the gate. Life’s gone straight to hell. At least, that’s what it feels like.”
She rested her head on his shoulder, smiling up at him. Zac returned the smile.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the sound of lightning. Insane laughter could be heard from all around the area.
“Well, isn’t that sweet?” a voice said. A bolt shot down, crashing into the ground near Zac and Niki. Crono, Marle, and Lucca dashed from their tents. From the bolt a figure formed. It was at least seven feet tall, with long green hair and green armor of some sort. At his side was a large sword.
“Who the hell are you?” Zac demanded.
“My name is Gakuin, if you must know,” the man said. “First commander of Fuinaire’s army.”
He drew forth the sword, striking Zac across the head with the flat of his blade. The teen fell to the ground, blacking out. The last thing he saw was the others meeting a similar fate. His head slumped to the ground as he passed out.