The Unification of the Dimensions

[Kazuki]

During the "official" ending of Chrono Cross, you seperate Schala from Lavos, he's left to *finally* vanish from existance forever, and somehow the dimensions are rejoined to form a perfect, or ideal timeline. But what really is considered, "Ideal?" To the planet, it would be the reptite dimension, I assume. However, Serge waking up on the beach with his memories erased as if he never crossed dimensions disproves that. So does this mean that Home World becomes the unified dimension? Well, that would suck in my opinion, considering all these characters you're supposed to appreciate (The Dragoons, especially) might not exist in this period. But if it's Another World...than how is Serge alive?

I assume it's NOT one of the dimensions simply taking precedence, and that it is a combination of sorts. But what would be included, and what wouldn't?

If it really is ideal, than would the Kingdom of Zeal still stand? Would Lucca be alive and well (assuming she was killed by Lynx), and would Guardia reign again? Would FATE exist in the future to create El Nido, even though FATE seemed to be the planet's biggest enemy?

Thoughts are appreciated.

[nightmare975]

I think it just took the ideal things, such as the marshes not being poisionus, and the Viper Manor still standing, etc etc.

[Kazuki]

Ok, yes...but who is deciding what is or isn't, "ideal?" For example, complete ideality (word? Whatever) would be impossible for all sides. FATE is a good example; for the people of El Nido, they would consider a perfect archipelago as their ideal timeline, yet the planet would probably consider the creation of FATE and the terraformation of El Nido as an imperfection.

[nightmare975]

Maybe Schala is deciding it, hell I have no clue.

[Sentenal]

I say its a mix of Home and Another.

Zeal would not still be there, as it fell long before the split.  The ideal dimension would be from 1010ad forward.  Nothing before then would be changed.  Only afterwards.

As to what changed, we have no idea...

[fxar99]

For me, this is really the weakest point of the Chrono Cross story.

Hell, there's no meaning in saying that two timelines become one. They are different, so if they merge, some things should be both as they are in HW and as they are in AW.

For example, Hydra Marshes are poisoned in AW, but not in HW (or the opposite). When the two dimensions become one, the Hydra Marhses have to be both poisoned and not poisoned. Otherwise, the dimensions didn't merge.

The Viper Manor is intact in AW, but destroyed in HW. When the worlds merge, Viper Manor will be both intact and destroyed. Impossible, otherwise the dimensions didn't really merge.

Serge is alive in HW, but dead in AW. When the worlds merge, Serge will be both alive and dead. This is impossible. But if it is impossible, then the dimensions didn't merge.

[Eriol]

fxar99, it's completely possible the "powers" just went ahead and "picked one" for each inconsistency, rather than your idea of both needing to be as they were.  And there's precident for such: Final Fantasy V.  In that, you merge two worlds together that were once one.  Basically what happened is a lot of ocean disappeared, and some landmass did too.  So the "merge mechanism" WAS choosing what it "wanted" in the merge, rather than saying "both must continue to exist."

So your "well they didn't merge because..." statements are meaningless.

[Chrono'99]

Also, the 2 worlds in FFV were once one and the same, they got divided then remerged. So I suppose the mechanism applies to CC as well (and note that the 2 FFV worlds were divided for much more than 10 years, more than AW and HW were).

[Zaperking]

I think that history was re-written to the point of 1020AD from 1010AD to the point of idealness. Like because FATE, The Dragon God will not exist in this new dimension because they were killed in both of the others, they wont be in it. Hence no Lynx or Harle, no Burning Orphanage, or something similar.

[Sentenal]

Yes, its quiet probable that Lucca will be alive in the Ideal Timeline.

[AuraTwilight]

My theory is as simple as removing Schala's remote influence in the DBT from history. No magnetic storm for example, means that FATE never crashes, Serge never becomes Arbiter, and everyone is basically happy. Another example is Kid would never have to be made. These kinds of things.

It's not so much as merging the dimensions as it is backtracking and clicking "Undo" on a couple of Schala's actions.

[GrayLensman]

During the "official" ending of Chrono Cross, you seperate Schala from Lavos, he's left to *finally* vanish from existance forever, and somehow the dimensions are rejoined to form a perfect, or ideal timeline. But what really is considered, "Ideal?" To the planet, it would be the reptite dimension, I assume. However, Serge waking up on the beach with his memories erased as if he never crossed dimensions disproves that. So does this mean that Home World becomes the unified dimension? Well, that would suck in my opinion, considering all these characters you're supposed to appreciate (The Dragoons, especially) might not exist in this period. But if it's Another World...than how is Serge alive?

I assume it's NOT one of the dimensions simply taking precedence, and that it is a combination of sorts. But what would be included, and what wouldn't?

If it really is ideal, than would the Kingdom of Zeal still stand? Would Lucca be alive and well (assuming she was killed by Lynx), and would Guardia reign again? Would FATE exist in the future to create El Nido, even though FATE seemed to be the planet's biggest enemy?

This statement by Schala during the ending is the only basis for the dimensional unification.  

  Serge...!
   Don't go yet, Serge...!!!
   It's alright.
   Everything is alright now.

   Time, which has been divided,
   will be unified again now.
   
   The time for farewells has come...
   You will lose all memory of
   this whole adventure
   and return to your own time.
   
   But this time, you will be able
   to live your own life!

The meaning of this statement is up to interpretation, but I don't think that multiple dimensions would be physically merged.  My interpretation is that the dimensional split would be undone, removing Home World, and a new timeline would be created in Another World in which Serge lived.  The events of Chrono Cross effectively didn't happen for anyone except Serge and Schala.

This is my in depth analysis of the aftermath of Chrono Cross.

• From the perspective of the time-line, once Serge defeats the Time Devourer, it is as if it never existed.
• When Belthasar warps from Zeal to the new timeline, he does not discover that Schala had been absorbed by the TD, and he does not start Project Kid.
• In 2400 AD, FATE and Chronopolis were never built, the Frozen Flame lays dead on the bottom of the ocean, and the counter-time experiment does not take place.
• Lavos does not create a temporal distortion connecting Chronopolis to 10,000 years in the past, and the planet does not do the same for Dinopolis from the Reptite dimension.
• In 7600 BC, Chronopolis and Dinopolis do not fight and the Dragon God is not split into six parts by FATE and absorbed by the Time Devourer.
• Because the temporal distortion surrounding Chronopolis acts like a GATE, the Chronopolis residents appear in the Sea of Eden due to TTI and terraform and colonize El Nido as if FATE and Chronopolis still existed.  The same goes for Dinopolis.  In 2400 AD, the people who would have worked at Chronopolis mysteriously dissappear due to Time Bastard.
• The Records of FATE never work, except perhaps according to preprogrammed instructions.  Elements may or may not be developed.
• Serge is born in 1003 AD.
• Schala does not create Kid, but she may appear in 1004 AD due to TTI.
• Whatever happened to Guardia in 1005 AD hopefully doesn't occur.
• In 1006 AD, Schala does not create a magnetic storm, and Serge does not go to Chronopolis.  Wazuki does not become Lynx and Miguel is not imprisoned in the Dead Sea.
• In 1010 AD, Wazuki does not attack Serge and he does not drown.  The dimensional split does not occur.
• In 1015 AD, Lynx does not attack Lucca's Orphanage (if it exists) or abduct Lucca.
• In 1020 AD, the new version of Serge disappears due to Time Bastard.  The original version of Serge (protected by TTI from warping to the DBT) is sent to Opassa Beach by Schala.  Serge's dimension crossing adventure does not occur.  What happens to Schala and/or Kid is anyone's guess.[/list:u]

[Zaperking]

Well, with Kid and Schala and game evidence, it's suggested that Kid and Schala are defintely not affected by the remurging of the time line, though I think it is probable that they chose to remurge themselves.
And that Schala will look for him, possibly because he won't remember anyway.

I think all the events of CC would have happened, but once the dimensions re-unite, things between 1010-1020 are altered. And in that future, when Belthasar arrived (that or he uses the Neo Epoch to go back to 2400AD and check things out *OMG CHRONO BREAK IDEA!*) he may not even have to do Project Kid because it was alread done.

[Exodus]

fxar99, it's completely possible the "powers" just went ahead and "picked one" for each inconsistency, rather than your idea of both needing to be as they were.  And there's precident for such: Final Fantasy V.  In that, you merge two worlds together that were once one.  Basically what happened is a lot of ocean disappeared, and some landmass did too.  So the "merge mechanism" WAS choosing what it "wanted" in the merge, rather than saying "both must continue to exist."

So your "well they didn't merge because..." statements are meaningless.

Incorrect.

In Final Fantasy V, the planet had been split in two. After the events on Galuf's world, the planet is merged back into its previous form. Confusing as shit, because they never really delve on it, but yeah.

[AuraTwilight]

It's like Tales of Symphonia. Planet split into two dimensions, each continent becoming a massive planet in it's own right. Spell broken and true form of the planet returned, and the two continents have to be compromised.