#chrono trigger slash

[ksera-sera]

[zeal-ascendancy]

Interlude: In the Lair of the Mad King…

Before Crono and his friends began their journey across time, a war raged on in the Dark Ages as it had for decades…

The great leader of the Mystics, Demon King Ozzie called his two top generals, Shadow Swordsman Slash, and the Void Mage Flea, to his keep to discuss his latest plans. When they arrived, he smiled and showed them the map of the Guardia and Porre continents. He explained how he wanted a full force to storm the Zenan bridge that connected the two lands.

“We have those cursed humans on the run!” he cackled. “Once we take Zenan bridge they’ll be cut off from their supplies and the their army will be divided.”

“Guardia has a port city. Storming the bridge is a waste,” Flea remarked, pointing to Truce. “An attack on the bridge will either end with us taking heavy losses at worse or a stalemate with the humans at best. This plan won’t work, Ozzie.”

“Are you questioning me?” Ozzie asked as he looked up from his war plans, floating over to Flea. Before Flea could reply, Ozzie moved with surprising quickness and grabbed Flea’s long braid, wrapping it around the surprised mage’s neck. He slammed Flea against the table and pinned him down. Flea resisted the urge to cry out in pain. He didn’t want to give Ozzie the satisfaction.

“Question me again, Flea, and I will have you delivered wrapped up in a pretty ribbon to the humans you seem to sympathize with,” Ozzie hissed. “I will not tolerate traitors in my midst.”

Letting go of Flea’s hair, Ozzie floated back over to other side of the table. Slash looked to Flea, who was doing his best to keep his composure, then to Ozzie. “I think your plan is brilliant. I’ll gather the troops and head out as soon as possible.”

Flea rubbed his neck and fixed his dress. He bowed to Ozzie and said, “Please forgive me, Great Ozzie. I did not mean to question you. I will send word to my own troops as well.”

Ozzie waved his hand dismissively and said, “Go. I have my own preparations to make.”

Flea bowed graciously and left the room, only glaring angrily once he was out of sight of Slash and Ozzie.

“You think I’m a traitor? Very well, I can play that role very well… Demon King…” Flea thought bitterly as he floated down the hall. “And I think I know exactly who can help me…”

[ksera-sera]

Chronotober Day 19??: Redesign!

(We’re back!) As some of you may or may not know, I have had Chrono Trigger on the brain for over a year now and I wrote an AU long-fic series that retold the entire plot as if a certain character never became a villain. Naturally, I made the three baddies involved with him have more depth and with that, slightly better fashion sense? (Flea definitely needed a makeover from his official art outfit and Slash needed armor)

[zeal-ascendancy]

“What the fuck?! I can’t see!” Slash yelled. “Who did that?!”

Flea teleported to Glenn and helped him up. Seeing that Crono and Marle had taken care of the monstrous skeleton, Zombor, Flea looked at Glenn.

“You need to hurry, Ozzie is almost done with his preparations,” he said. Glenn nodded and said, “Thank you, Flea.”

“Flea?! You traitorous bastard!” Slash snarled as he blindly turned towards the sound of Flea’s voice. Flea turned to him and replied, “Don’t act so surprised. You and Ozzie both accused me of being a traitor long before I took the role.”

Turning back to Glenn, he said, “I’ll keep Slash busy. You three deal with Ozzie.”

Glenn nodded. Flea reached out to him and said, “One more thing before you go.”

“This might be the last time we see each other,” Flea said, holding Glenn’s hand. Leaning forward, he planted a kiss on Glenn’s lips. As Flea stepped back, Glenn looked at him in surprise. Flea sighed and said, “I wish we could have met under different circumstances. Good luck and may we both survive this.”

Crono and Marle called out to Glenn. Glenn lingered for a second, looking at Flea before wishing him luck as well before turning around to run after Crono and Marle. Flea turned to Slash as a wicked grin grew on his face.

“Not only are you a traitor,” Slash growled, the blindness having worn off. “But you’re a human lover too?”

“Jealous?” Flea retorted. “I can fix that.”

With a wink, Flea blew a kiss at Slash and a dancing swirl of fire flew from his hand and engulfed Slash. Glancing back at Glenn as he disappeared down the stairs with Crono and Marle, Flea privately hoped that Glenn would succeed. He turned his attention back to Slash. Uttering an incantation, Flea’s eyes became black as the void and a sphere of darkness surrounded him and Slash.

Glenn glanced back one more time to see Flea and Slash become engulfed in a sphere of darkness. He found himself hoping Flea would survive before he turned his attention to following Crono and Marle down the stairs.

[zeal-ascendancy]

He eyed Glenn curiously as Glenn unsheathed the Masamune. Glenn looked him in the eyes and said, “You must be the Shadow Swordsman Slash.”

Slash smirked. “A fancy blade isn’t going to help you, human, and if you think you can stop the great Demon King Ozzie, then you are sorely mistaken.”

Without warning he charged at Glenn. Glenn quickly deflected the attack. Slash went for another strike, this time Glenn dodged the attack and countered, forcing Slash to parry.

“Impressive,” Slash marveled. “I didn’t think there was a human alive who could dodge me.”

He looked to Crono and Marle and scoffed. “Are you going to challenge me as well?”

He dashed over to attack Crono who barely had time to dodge the attack, receiving a cut along his arm. Crono quickly gestured with his good arm and sent a bolt of lightning at Slash. The Shadow Swordsman jumped back as the bolt grazed his shoulder.

“Impossible!” he snarled. To Slash’s surprise, Marle also cast a spell, this time to heal Crono. Slash stood there stunned and began to ask, “How do you two-“

He stopped and turned to parry blades with Glenn. He scoffed and said, “Hardly honorable to attack from behind, human.”

Using his sword to push Glenn’s blade away, Slash leapt back. Shaking his head, he said, “Shameful to see such dirty tactics from you humans but unsurprising… I suppose I will have to even the field.”

Taking out a small crystal, Slash dropped it and stepped on it. A faint screeching sound could be heard down the hall beyond the doors the group had entered. Soon the rattling sound of bone and metal could be heard drawing near. A swarm of a dozen skeletons burst in as they merged into one monstrous skeleton and roared at Crono and Marle.

“Much better,” Slash said, turning his attention to Glenn. “Now let’s finish this, human.”

[zeal-ascendancy]

Shadow Swordsman Slash

One of the Demon King’s most trusted and definitively most loyal follower, Slash grew up a warrior. He received the scar on his face as a young boy when a group of human brigands thought they could kill Slash and his family. They thought wrong and Slash showed no mercy protecting his family.

Like all Mystics he can use magic but unlike Flea or Ozzie, he honed his magic to enhance his physical skills, making him unnaturally agile and strong.

And like all Mystics, Slash grew frustrated by the constant persecution by humans and found his answer in Ozzie. Ozzie rallied the Mystics into a single force. They had magic, they were clearly superior even if their numbers were smaller.

Slash was in awe of Ozzie’s magical prowess and followed him in the assault on Choras. Ozzie recognized his skill and immediately recruited him to be one of his generals.

He is loyal to Ozzie and no one else. He also constantly seeks a challenge but has yet to find a swordsman, human or Mystic, that he can consider a peer in the art of swordsmanship.

[zeal-ascendancy]

The sun was at the horizon and the full moon was well on its way into the night sky when they finally emerged from the tunnel. They could see the broken ruins of a fortress within the forest ahead. It had to be Ozzie’s fortress.

A swarm of bats took off from the trees and to the sky. Marle privately wondered if Flea was among them as Glenn looked towards the ruins.

“Unfortunately we don’t have time to rest,” he said as he stowed their camping gear in some bushes. “Let’s hurry.”

Crono and Marle nodded and followed Glenn to the ruins. It didn’t take long to find the door hidden behind some ivy. Glenn cracked open the door and peered in. The darkened courtyard of the fortress was eerily empty. He gestured for Crono and Marle to follow inside. They snuck along the shadowed wall to a wooden door that was barely on its hinges.

Entering the interior of the fortress, it was still oddly silent. Crono whispered, “What if we have the wrong place?”

“This has to be it, it’s where Flea said it would be,” Glenn whispered back. Marle looked around and asked quietly, “Did he write down which way to go?”

Glenn nodded and gestured for them to follow. They snuck down the hallway. Someone must have been living in the fort because the sconces along the walls were lit. After a few minutes, they heard the faint sound of voices.

Going down the corridor and peering around the corner, Glenn saw an imposing looking figure in armor and a helmet that hid its face. It commanded a group of skeletons to fight each other. Both the commander and the skeletons were preoccupied so Glenn gestured for Crono and Marle to follow him down the hall past the Mystics.

They made their way down the halls past more skeletons that seemed to be in a trance until they came to two large, heavy wooden doors. Glenn turned back to Crono and Marle.

“Ready? The Sanctum is just past this grand hall,” he asked. Crono nodded and said, “Let’s do this.”

Marle loaded her crossbow and nodded. Glenn and Crono pushed the door to open it. It groaned and creaked as they pushed it open. The hall was well lit by many sconces and candelabras along its walls. The room was empty, save for a single figure standing at the far end, guarding the hall beyond.

There stood a tall and imposing Mystic with blueish skin, his head shaved and wearing armor that looked suited for agile movement. A single faint scar ran across his face.

“So the rumors were true,” he said, unsheathing his sword. “Three foolish humans would dare intrude upon the Demon King’s ritual…”