What exactly is the Chrono Cross?

[Rabid Joe]

This is the biggest thing that I don't get about Belthasar's plan and the game in general.  From what I can tell, Belthasar's plan seems to have been to go have a Schala clone go back in time and save the Arbiter to the Frozen Flame (did Belthasar intend to use Serge for this role?  Did he send the panther demon after him?) , causing a dimension split, which would allow the arbiter to cross dimensions and obtain the Dragon Tear from both dimensions to combine them into the Chrono Cross, which would free Schala from TimeDevourer.  But how could Belthasar possibly know what the Chrono Cross was and how he could bring it into existence?  Oh yeah, and what is the Dragon Tear?  How is it that the two alternate versions of it could create the Chrono Cross?

Sorry if there is another thread about this, I couldn't find one.

[ZeaLitY]

Belthasar has godlike foresight, probably thanks to the FATE computer. I understand the issue here, though --

"Why split the dimensions and then sow them back together?"

My belief is that, aside from Belthasar's own reasoning and motives, separating Schala from the Time Devourer the right way and ensuring the safety of the universe required the Chrono Cross. The Dragon Tear has healing properties itself, but the Chrono Cross, being from two different dimensions and fused into one item, can seemingly have extra-dimensional powers, and other special stuff.

[Leebot]

The Dragon Tear is just a Dragonian artifact. Who knows why they made it, but it certainly is powerful.

[DivineDragoonKain]

Call me crazy, but I always got the impression that the Dragon Tear was simply a Dragonian power source, albeit one of high energy. The Dragonian's harmony with nature would certainly allow for the capturing of energy in crystalline form.

Having said that, the Chrono Cross appears to be an entire elemental affinity in itself(also supplemented from the in-game description). Two Dragon Tears from opposite dimensions, both of which shattered after being overloaded for different purposes... Different residual energies from the same source combined to form a product greater than the normal sum of the two.

The way the Time Devourer disintigrated, it's likely that the Chrono Cross is the true power of the planet as a whole, or at least forms a medium to harness it.

I think it's also the elemental property involved in helping Serge traverse dimensions, but I have no proof to back that up.

[V_Translanka]

Just like the three sealed dragons from each dimension form the Dragon God, the six seperate melodies of each six Elements seem to combine to give the Chrono Cross it's power. The Chrono Cross itself seems to be more of a unifying force than a stand-alone power...deal...thingy...

[Rabid Joe]

V_Translanka, I think you're on to something with what you said about the three dragons in each world.  Perhaps because each dimension only has half of the dragons, the dragon tears have only half the power, and both of them need to be combined to gain the full power, which is the Chrono Cross?  And because the Chrono Cross is made from artifacts of different dimensions, it has the power to heal split dimensions, which a fully powered dragon tear would not?

Thanks for all the input.

[Faulce]

V_Translanka, I think you're on to something with what you said about the three dragons in each world.  Perhaps because each dimension only has half of the dragons, the dragon tears have only half the power, and both of them need to be combined to gain the full power, which is the Chrono Cross?  And because the Chrono Cross is made from artifacts of different dimensions, it has the power to heal split dimensions, which a fully powered dragon tear would not?

Thanks for all the input.

Yes but there are more than two dimensions, at least one more that we know of (the room in chronopolis with the discussion about Kid and her mates).

[Leebot]

Plus the Dragonian dimension.

[AuraTwilight]

So the Chrono Cross only effects Home and Another?

[Legend of the Past]

So the Chrono Cross only effects Home and Another?

The Chrono Cross affects life. It's called the song of life. And the reason you needed to use the seven colors is rather simple: It's not the Chrono Cross' healing power isn't strong, it's not strong enough. It's six colors put together, so if you use the six colors that construct it in order, and then unleash the poewr, it's like you doubled the effect.

[AuraTwilight]

Yea, I understand that much. And that totally doesn't answer my question. Since it was born of Home and Another, does it ONLY effect Home and Another? Can it effect say, the Radical Dreamers timeline or the Reptite dimension.

[teh Schala]

Skimming through this thread, I'm noticing a pattern in the mention of things being combined and separated...  It kind of makes me think of a balloon of sorts...  If you squeeze it in one area, it gets larger in another, and vice versa.  I wonder if this works the same way.  Separate one, and its opposite combines.  Obsoive...

Dragon Tears:
Same Dragon Tear but from different (separated) dimensions.  Each Dragon Tear has been shattered, or separated from itself.

Chrono Cross:
The combined form of the 2 dragon tears.

Time Devourer:
Combined form of Lavos + Schala.

Home & Another:
Two timelines that have been separated.

So originally, everything stood at this status:

Dragon Tear 1 & 2 - separate
Lavos & Schala - Combined
Home & Another - separate

Then, we combine the Dragon Tears...

Dragon Tear 1 & 2 - Combined (forming Chrono Cross)
Lavos & Schala - Combined
Home & Another - separate

The Chrono Cross combines the power from 3 dragons in the 2 worlds, using that power to thus unite the 2 worlds.

Dragon Tear 1 & 2 - Combined
Lavos & Schala - Combined
Home & Another - Combined

Going back to that balloon analogy, something has to give.  As a result...

Dragon Tear 1 & 2 - Combined
Lavos & Shala - Separate
Home & Another - Combined

That's by no means a great scientific Lucca-like theory, but it might at least connect the threads of how the whole Dragon Tear-Chrono Cross-worlds concept might work.  Thoughts?

[AuraTwilight]

That's actually pretty cool, but I think the Producers just thought of the Chrono Cross as the convienent cure all solution with no inherent logic behind it other than it's pwnage power.

[Lordchander]

Why of course, Square never bothered to fix any of the plotholes they found in either game. They TRIED to fix the ones in CT by making CC, but that, as per usual, created even more plotholes.

One tip of advice: Never make a timetravel game unless u know what ur doing!




~LC

[Legend of the Past]

That's actually pretty cool, but I think the Producers just thought of the Chrono Cross as the convienent cure all solution with no inherent logic behind it other than it's pwnage power.

No, it has logic, you just seem to miss it. The Dragon tear bestowes life (Having Serge reborn), thus it is the best path to use a song of life. Besides the fact that you look at them as Dragon Tears, not shards. The shards are important. The tears of Love and Hate. And like Lynx said:

Now, let love bleed!
   Darker and deeper
   than the seas of hell!
   Heh heh heh...!
   HAH HAH HAH HAAAH...!

The Tear of Hate turned Serge into his nemesis, and the Tear of Love turned Serge back into a human.  Love and Hate are two forces that build the world, that build any life. A mother needs to hate the enemies of her child and love the child himself. Otherwise, the child could never survive.

As for what worlds it affects... You may of forgotten where it came from. If you would be right and the world of origin is effected, the human world would never be able to use the Chrono Cross, as it came from the Reptite Dimension.