True beauty is found within a dying entity.

[MeshGearFox]

(Sorry if a similar topic already exists).

This line really stood out to me when replaying CC recently, partially because it doesn't seem to suffer from any omphaloskepsis (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ContemplateOurNavels) or fauxolosphical rantings, like that bit right after Serge turns into Lynx. Additionally, taken as a whole:

   You don't understand...
   True beauty is found
   within a dying entity.
   Therefore, I will watch over
   Marbule when its time comes...
   Furthermore, you and I
   have a contract.
   For the time being, you
   are in my possession.
   What am I supposed to do
   should anything happen to you?
   That would be a great
   financial loss for me...

You can see that it's fairly punchy and stand alone. I don't know if I'd call any of the Chrono games well-written as a whole, but they do have some really good standout moments*. That being said...

The other things that's really interesting to me, though, is the greater thematic thing that I think this is pointing at. There is a line of thinking that CT's story isn't so much about SAVING the world as it is about the Entity kind of narrativizing itself to Crono and co. by leading them through the time gates and just showing them the history of the world, which is an interesting concept.

The particular usage of the word 'entity' is interesting here, since I can think of a lot of synonyms that would've had the same meaning without... the sort of additional meaning entity has to it. And it's not like it's a hugely common word choice here, so I'd say the writers likely knew what they were doing here (Or translators at the least). But still, I think it leads creedence to the notion that maybe CT really did have a lot to do with a dying entity telling its own (beautiful?) story.

I'm not sure what it says, thematically, about CC, though. What do you guys think?

[Dark Serge]

Dunno, I thought it was just Fargo being cryptical. Never really sought anything behind it. Maybe it refers to the heroes of time as the "true beauty" on the planet that was going to be destroyed by Lavos, or "the dying entity".

[MeshGearFox]

Well, literally he's talking about Marbule, and why he doesn't want to save it. Marbule is dying, and he's finding beauty in this (Probably was referring to Zelbess at the same time, really). What I was talking about is more like, eh... assuming the Entity is the dying planet, maybe it was finding beauty in its own demise, which was the real reason it was shuffling Chrono and co. through the time gates, and that its intent wasn't actually to have Lavos stopped. The fact that Lavos can generally be fought by the player at their own volition sort of makes this seem more plausible to me too.

[Dark Serge]

But why would the Entity bother with the gates if it wanted to die? If it hadn't done anything, Lavos would have destroyed it anyway.

[Zephira]

The Entity was trying to tell its story. It wanted at least someone to see the full story, the full beauty of its history. Nobody likes to be forgotten when they die, and nobody really remembered anything before 1 AD anyway. So, shuffle these kids through time, let them learn the whole history, let them spread the story to others back home. And if the stave off the apocalypse? Bonus.

[V_Translanka]

All the Gates are linked to big conflicts between the Entity (/planet) and Lavos...I think it's obvious what was trying to be pointed out: HELP ME YOU EFFING KIDS!!

I don't think that's what Fargo is talking about necessarily though...Just a poor use of words...The White Dragon uses the word entity in a way that's more in line with the usage in CT after it saves you when you defeat Miguel...

I, too, would like to witniss this. How thou shalt live and how thou shalt die...If thou art planning to bring forth a new entity, prepare thyself for anguish and sorrow.

[Dark Serge]

But I thought that that dragon was just talking about the Dragon God? A new entity which will bring anguish and sorrow to the humans... I thought that was it. Then again, I'm not good at deciphering "hidden messages" >.>

[V_Translanka]

I don't think Serge was planning that though...and that wouldn't be new either since that's how they started but were then split into the 6...I think it's referring to the merged timeline in the end...the anguish & sorrow would be what he'd go through on the way to that end...

[Dark Serge]

That could be it as well, ofcourse. That being said, I wonder just how much the dragons know about Lavos and the TimeDevourer.

[Thought]

But why would the Entity bother with the gates if it wanted to die? If it hadn't done anything, Lavos would have destroyed it anyway.

We don't know anything for sure about the Entity's motivations. The closest we get was in the reunion scene in Fiona's Forest from CT. Then it was stated that the Entity is sharing its memories before it dies. Like many creatures, it didn't want to be alone when it died. Or so it seems.

All the Gates are linked to big conflicts between the Entity (/planet) and Lavos...I think it's obvious what was trying to be pointed out: HELP ME YOU EFFING KIDS!!

Right, never send the-vast-armies-of-all-of-time to do an unlikely hero's job.

[V_Translanka]

I think that the Entity's ability is limited to merely placing the Gates in certain locations. Its only option for allowing someone to open them was during the Telepod incident. Thus it created other Gates that would help them and also show them the power & devastation Lavos caused, as well as its origin and such...

[xcalibur]

i think its important to note that almost all of the times the entity sends you to are related to Lavos.

65000000 BC was when lavos landed
12000 BC was when lavos was awakened by zeal
600 AD was when lavos was summoned by magus

1000 AD is the time that chrono happens to be from, so that doesnt count. the only exception is 2300 AD, and even thats related to the aftermath of Lavos.


while its likely that the entity was looking back on its history and important events, its also likely that the entitys main issue was with lavos, and the defeat of lavos.

[Chrono'99]

It's both, as stated in CT.

[V_Translanka]

1000AD doesn't count because it's "just where Crono happens to be from"? Lavos is rumbling and there just happens to be a device capable of opening a Gate...I think that's pretty important stuff.

[Thought]

I've actually wondered if 1000 AD was originally supposed to be 1999 AD. The talk about earthquakes that was taken out seems to indicate something was happening underground. But that is just idle speculation.