@Katie Skyye: Well, if Kid found out while he was still in Lynx's body, poor Serge would
probably end up as additional surface texturing on a lunar crater.
And yeah, once
you prodded me into coming up with the scenario, I decided that Sprigg should get her
side-scene just like everyone else. It's almost a shame that I cut General Viper from
the list of PCs--they could have an old bats' convention.
Anyway, here is the second part (I can't say "half", because it's more like two-thirds)
of the Dead Sea chapter. Some things about how it worked out I like, others...not so
much. I've moved my specific notes to the end to avoid spoiling anything for anyone,
although I will mention here that "Nadia Marlene Guardia" is not in any way canon, as
far as I know--I was looking for a way to reconcile the variations of Marle's name,
and that's what fell out.
19. The Dead Sea - A place forsaken by the gods... Part II Max recruits: Lynx-Serge, Magus, Sprigg, Harle, Radius, Norris.
Recruitable: Non
===========================================================
Nadia's Bell, Ruined Future (Home)
===========================================================
[The ghost children are seated on various bits of rubble, old
railings, etc., just past the center of the square. As the party
approaches, they leap down and run upward, towards the fallen
bell, where ghost-Crono perches on the its supportive frame right
above the plaque, and the two girls chase each other across the
pavement in front. When the party examines the plaque, however,
they stop playing around.]
[Engraving]
~~~~ A.D. 1000 ~~~~
~~~~Nadia's Bell~~~~
May our prayers for peace
~ ring on for eternity...
[Lucca]
But Nadia's Bell will
never be heard again...
Never...
[Lucca teleports a few feet, from the pavement in front of the
bell to a position near the plaqueless pillar support.]
[Lucca]
We...
No... Everyone worked to
save the planet's future
for nothing...
It's all because of you!
You killed it!
You...!!!
So many lives were
supposed to be saved...
This planet was to be healed
with love, hope, and dreams...!
[Marle teleports a few feet sideways, and begins...not so much
shaking her head as rotating her entire upper body.]
[Marle]
How could you?
How could you do
such a thing...!?
It's all your fault that
the world is going to
end up like this!
It's all your fault, Serge!!!
[Crono]
Murderer!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[If Magus is not present, the child ghosts just vanish at this point]
Norris:
Who are those
children...?
Radius:
How can Serge be responsible
for all of this destruction?
Serge:
(I'd like to know
that myself...)
[Miguel]
Don't let it bother you.
It's just a distant echo
from ones far gone...
It's just an illusion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[If Magus is present, the three still vanish, but they reappear in a
triangular grouping with him at the center.]
[Lucca]
Janus, how could you
betray us like this?
Magus:
...!
I...I am...
[Crono]
You are Janus Zeal.
Don't you remember?
Your parents were the
King and Queen of the
ancient Kingdom of Magic.
When Lavos destroyed
it, you were thrown
forward in time.
Serge:
(!)
[Marle]
You hated Lavos so much
that you were willing to
do anything to destroy it,
even if it meant turning
yourself into a monster.
[Lucca]
But when the time came,
you weren't strong enough.
No one could have fought
that thing alone.
[Crono]
And so you came with us.
[Marle]
Do you remember us yet,
Janus? Say our names.
Magus: [turning to face each ghost-child as he identifies them]
You are...Nadia Marlene Guardia,
last Queen of that kingdom
before it fell to Porre.
Crono, her husband and prince
consort.
And Lucca Ashtear, the inventor
who was their friend.
Serge:
(LUCCA?!!! As in, Kid's "Big
Sis"?! She...the Queen of
Guardia...and Magus... What
in HELL is going on here?!)
Magus:
I know you now, but I still
have only faded scraps of the
past we share, and so I must
ask: Why do you claim that the
destruction we see here has
anything to do with Serge?
[Miguel]
They can't really answer
questions, you know.
[The children instantly disappear. Also, although the player cannot check
it at this point, Magus' origin as listed on the menu status screen has
changed from "???" to "Kingdom of Zeal, 12000 B.C." (or something similar
but tailored to fit in the space available).]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Miguel walks out from behind the plaqueless bell-support pillar-thing]
Man:
Welcome to the
Tower of Geddon...
Time Crash Ground Zero!
Man:
It's been a while, Serge.
...But...I guess you don't
remember who I am.
Serge:
I... You seem familiar,
but no, I don't. Sorry.
Man:
I don't blame you.
You were only a little
child back then.
Man:
I'm Miguel.
A friend of your father.
Serge:
You're...Leena's dad... The one
who sailed out into the storm
with my dad and never came
back...
(I should have recognized him
right away, but Leena doesn't
have any picures, and the hat
and the glasses hide a lot of
his face... Hey, wait a minute!)
Except that you're way too young
to be him. Miguel should be
almost fifty by now!
Miguel:
I know.
According to the time outside,
it's been about 14 years since
the night of the storm...
[Pan up and fade out for flashback]
===========================================================
Flashback, Chronopolis
===========================================================
[Miguel and Wazuki are standing together near the entrance
to the Chronopolis lobby. Wazuki is carrying a very young
Serge on his back.]
Wazuki:
What is this place?
Miguel:
I don't know...
but I don't think we're
supposed to know about it...
[Frozen Flame]
That child...
That wounded child...
Bring him to me...
Miguel:
W-What was that...?
Who's there!?
[Wazuki begins to walk forward]
Miguel:
Wait, Wazuki!!!
Where are you going!?
Wazuki:
There's no way we can set
sail again in this storm.
We don't have a second to
waste...
Or else...Serge will...
Miguel:
BUT...!!!
Wazuki:
I don't care what lies
ahead of us...
I'm going.
There's no way I'll allow
my son to die without
a fight!
I'd appreciate it if
you waited for me here.
Thank you for coming tonight,
Miguel... Thank you.
[Miguel starts running after his friend]
Miguel:
No! Wait!
WAZUKI!!!
[Fade out]
===========================================================
Nadia's Bell, Ruined Future (Home)
===========================================================
Miguel:
Yes... I've been here
in this very place...
For 14 years...
It wasn't like this
when I got here, though...
An incident that occurred
10 years ago, transformed
it into the Dead Sea.
Serge:
Ten years ago... You're saying
that this place got trashed by
the dimensional split, aren't
you? But that still doesn't
explain why you never came home.
Leena missed you, you know. She
still does...
Miguel:
Leena...
Serge: [making a violent sweeping gesture with one hand as he speaks]
Yeah, you know: your DAUGHTER,
Leena. The one I grew up with.
Who used to cry at night because
her mother was gone and her
daddy wasn't there! (Calm down,
Serge--yelling at him won't
help, even if he does deserve
it.)
Miguel:
I haven't forgotten her. How
could I? She's my only child!
But I can't leave this place.
Norris:
Why not? I cannot see anything
here that would stop you from
just walking away.
Miguel:
The chains that bind me here
are invisible, but that doesn't
make them any less real.
Miguel:
Don't you know...?
There's nothing in the world as
ruthless or impartial as death.
All living matter ages over time
and eventually dies...
No matter how mighty or tiny
its life force...
So being alive means
you're creeping closer to
death with every second...
Serge:
(Oh, hell, not more philosophy.
Why can't people ever give a
simple answer to a simple
question?)
[Miguel turns away to look at the sunset]
Miguel:
But there's none
of that here.
No one and nothing ages.
Nothing wastes away.
Radius:
Nor does anything change, or
heal, or grow. The ebb and flow
of time exists for a reason.
Sprigg:
You weren't lured away from your
little girl by some promise of
livin' forever, were ya? Could
have told ya that that never
workz.
Miguel:
Do you know how a fly gets
trapped in amber? It's in the
wrong place at the wrong time,
and a blob of tree resin hardens
around it... The heart of the
Dead Sea wanted to protect the
things that it held, and so
when a suitable guardian
appeared, it refused to let him
leave. And then, when the worlds
split, it warped space to close
the entrance and called what
you see here into existence as
a warning...
Norris:
Warning? Of what?
Miguel:
This is a fragment of a future
that was destroyed. What you
see around you is time that
might have been.
Miguel:
History is composed of
choices and divergences.
Each choice you make
creates a new world and
brings forth a new future.
But at the same time,
you're eliminating a
different future with the
choices you didn't make.
Miguel:
A future denied of all
existence because of a
change in the past...
A future that was destroyed
even before it was born
rests here...condensed
into the Dead Sea.
Magus: | Sprigg:
The future...that we killed... | And what woz it that made
Its remnants should be isolated | that possible? You can't just
in the Darkness Beyond Time. | go to the local Element store
What dragged them back into the | and ask them to show you their
light of day, and why? | dead futurez.
Harle:
......
[Miguel turns back to face the party]
Miguel:
'"Fate."'
Our lives are governed
by fate.
Fate knows all
and controls all.
No one can run
from fate...
Miguel:
Even your presence here
was predestined...
long, long ago.
Serge:
No.
Miguel:
What?
Serge:
No. If this is part of a future
that's been erased, that proves
there's no such thing as fate.
We can make choices. We can
change things. Otherwise, this
would still BE the one and only
future.
(I still don't like this
philosophical...stuff, but
anyone with half a brain would
be able to tell he was just
saying all of that to discourage
us. If fate controls everything,
the future is already set in
stone, so there's no point in
fighting, no point in doing
anything but what we're told to
do...and I just won't accept
that. I'm a person, not a
puppet!)
Miguel:
Every choice you could make
will eventually lead to
destruction.
Serge:
Doesn't that include choosing
to do what you want us to?
(I don't believe this--it's
like one of those silly word-
games Leena used to get me
tangled up in all the time
when we were kids!)
We've wasted too much time
here already. If you don't
have anything useful to say,
just get out of the way.
[Miguel shakes his head]
Miguel:
I see...
I guess there's only
one thing left to do then...
I take it you're trying to
restore the dimensional
distortion?
If you defeat me and liberate
this place, the distortion
will return to the way it was.
Norris:
So you were the one who
blocked it?
Miguel:
No, not me. Fate. Fate wants
to keep Serge here in this
universe, for its own purposes.
Miguel:
I guess this is it...
Just as there are times of
peace, there are times of war...
You don't have to hold back.
Attack me with all your
soul if you wish to live.
Let fate take
its course...!!!
[Combat. When the party wins, we see Miguel lying at the base of the
raised area where the bell is located, with the party standing over him.]
Miguel:
Well done!
That's the way, Serge!
My, you have grown strong.
Maybe...just maybe...you and
your friends have the power
to defeat FATE and build a
new future for humanity.
Serge:
(I thought he meant destiny,
not...whatever controls the
Records of FATE...which work
in the other world, but not
this one--why? Everyone says
they stopped...about ten years
ago...)
(!!! The split, the Dead Sea,
the Records of FATE, Dad
bringing me here when I was
a kid--it must all be connected
somehow! But there are still
too many pieces missing. For one
thing, how does Lynx fit in?)
Norris:
You still haven't explained what
the dead future we see here has
to do with Serge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[If Magus is present...]
Magus:
This is the original future--
the one where Lavos, a being
that descended from the heavens,
destroyed the world in the year
1999. The future that I and the
others fought to change, all
those years ago. With Lavos dead
at our hands, this future should
have been completely eliminated.
[The ghost-children reappear.]
[Lucca]
Except that nothing is ever
completely gone. You said it
yourself, Janus: the Darkness
Beyond Time still holds an
echo of the future that we
shattered. An echo...of Lavos...
Magus:
Then...Lavos still exists in
some form, and truly can
return...
I will not allow it.
[Magus spins around to glare at Serge]
Magus:
If you are the key, then killing
you will prevent it...unless it
is your death by violence which
is the catalyst... I am still
missing too much information.
Serge:
(Him too, huh? It's probably a
good thing, too, since I don't
want to die yet!)
[Magus prods Miguel in the ribs with his foot.]
Magus:
You claim that the ghosts of
my former...acquaintances...
cannot answer questions, but
clearly you can. Why is Serge
the key? What do I need to do
to stop this from happening all
over again?
Miguel:
I...don't know.
Magus:
Useless fool!
[Marle]
You've forgotten again, haven't
you, Janus? You can't do it
alone. Not even you are that
strong.
[Crono]
We can no longer change the
future. We can't turn aside the
vengeance of what we destroyed.
And Serge will be the trigger
that causes the end to begin
all over again!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[If Magus is not present]
Miguel:
The Dead Sea is the true
form of this planet's future.
Norris:
I think that you mean the
ORIGINAL form, rather than
the TRUE one. Was our world
slated to be destroyed, then?
Miguel:
Yes. In 1999, when the
parasitical alien life-form known
as Lavos awoke after centuries
of feeding off this planet.
Serge:
(Sort of like a worm inside
an apple... Ick.)
Miguel:
That's when our world faced a
death from which there seemed
no possibility of escape...
Serge:
But obviously someone did
SOMEthing, or this would still
be the One True Future, right?
Miguel:
A group of young heroes caught a
glimpse of this planet's future
destruction as it appeared in
the year 2300.
They realized they could not
turn their backs on our planet,
even if its death would not be
anywhere near their lifetime.
Time traveling from epoch to
epoch, they battled Lavos for
the future of our planet, and
eventually won.
But in saving our planet from
the death Lavos was going to
bring about, they also changed
the course of history...
[Ghost-Lucca appears off to the right]
[Lucca]
At that very moment,
this whole future time
axis ceased to exist.
Call it cause and effect...
It is just a problem of
possibilities, after all...
In this world, there are
no such things as
absolutes or certainties.
Serge:
(I only got about half of that,
but I think she means that we
really do have...free will, or
whatever it's called. Just like
I said before.)
(These ghost-kids are weird.
They're agreeing with Miguel,
but at the same time...they're
not. I wonder who they are and
what they're doing here...?)
[Ghost-Marle appears in front of the path leading back to the rest
of the ruined Leene Square...]
[Marle]
But the future that
was supposed to have
disappeared is about
to be restored here...
The future destruction
of our planet is going
to become a reality in
this world once again...
[Ghost-Crono appears standing in front of the bell itself]
[Crono]
The vengeance of the
future we killed is
about to begin...
With Serge serving
as the trigger...
Serge:
(Wait a minute--"the future WE
killed"? Then these are the
ghosts of the heroes who saved
the world? And they're angry at
me because they're afraid I
might...un-save it? This keeps
getting weirder and weirder...)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miguel:
Perhaps, or perhaps not...
Either way, it is all part of
the grand game of the gods...
and '"goddesses!"'
People are dragged into playing
this game...forced to put their
own lives on the line...without
even knowing the rules.
Serge:
(Oh, great, he's babbling
again.)
Miguel:
Three years ago, members
of the Acacia Dragoons
from Termina visited here...
Those knights were after
the Frozen Flame, of course.
But instead they became
salt for the Dead Sea...
You see, only the chosen
one can approach the
Flame...
Magus: [if present]
The chosen one? Do you
mean the Arbiter?
[The screen starts to shake]
Miguel:
It looks like Fate has made
its decision and has started
to carry it out now...
FATE doesn't want the Frozen
Flame to awaken in this place
at this time...
It would choose to destroy the
Flame along with the whole Dead
Sea, than to allow its enemies
to take hold of the Flame...
Magus: | Sprigg:
Then it knows very little. The | And we get squished like
Frozen Flame was ancient when | bugz if we get in the
the islands of Zeal rose into | way, eh? I don't think
the sky. I doubt it CAN be | I like this FATE of yourz.
destroyed, save from within. |
Miguel:
This lost future is about to
disappear into the darkness
beyond the dimensions again...
You have no time to spare.
You must leave here
immediately!
Quick...go!
[Lucca and Marle disappear, then reappear to either side of Crono]
[FATE]
I love you so much...
That is why I
sometimes desire to
smash you to bits!!!
Serge:
(I'm hearing voices again?! Oh,
hell...even if I'm not crazy
YET, I will be by the time
this is over!)
Norris:
Serge, we need to get
out of here!
Serge:
But Miguel--! (I can't just
leave Leena's father here!)
Miguel:
Don't worry about me!
You must go now!
Radius:
I don't like it either, but he
can't walk, and there is no
time! You will at least be able
to tell Leena what happened to
him...if we escape this place
alive!
Serge:
(Damn, damn, damn! I know he's
right, but Leena...)
[The party begins to run, but then stops and turns back for a moment.]
Miguel:
Farewell, Serge!
The future is yours
for the taking...
You...the one that the
Frozen Flame has chosen!
Magus: [if present]
...!
[The party runs away, but we're left with Miguel for a moment longer]
Miguel:
My dear Leena...
May you live in a
happier tomorrow!
[Miguel fades into nothing, and, one-by-one, so do the ghost children. The camera pans
up until we're looking straight at the sun, and then we're transferred back to the party,
which has just entered the main part of Leene Square. The screen is still shaking.]
Norris:
It's too far!
We aren't going
to make it!
[The Sky Dragon suddenly glides onto the screen from the right.]
[Sky Dragon]
Grab hold...
sons of man!
[It picks everyone up and flies off, the screen whites out, and we are treated to
FMV: destruction of the Dead Sea.]
===========================================================
Marbule Beach (Home)
===========================================================
Radius:
The dragons have not interfered
in human affairs since long
before I was born. Why did you
suddenly choose to help us?
Sky Dragon:
Because of the one called
"Serge".
Serge:
Me?
Sky Dragon:
I, too, would like
to witness this.
How thou shalt live
and how thou shalt die...
Serge:
Wha--wait, DIE? (I don't really
understand, but I don't like the
sound of that.)
Sky Dragon:
If thou art planning to bring
forth a new entity, prepare
thyself for anguish and sorrow.
[It launches itself into the air, and the party walks over to the edge of the beach,
presumably to watch the dragon fly away, and for a moment, the screen darkens.]
[Sky Dragon]
To the Sea of Eden...
If thou dost intend to
defy the Goddess of Fate,
speak with the ancient
Dragon Gods, who sit in
repose in El Nido...
Let the path to the Sea of Eden
be known when all the powers of
the '"Sleeping Dragons"' are
brought together...
[Everything returns to normal, screenwise.]
Serge:
WAIT! Damnit, I still had
more questions!
Sprigg:
I doubt it would 'ave been
interested in givin' ya
answerz.
Norris:
So where do we go now?
Harle:
Zat is obvious, non? If this
Monsieur Lynx wishes to follow
ze other Monsieur Lynx, we must
find ze dragons...
Serge:
Before we do that, I want to
see what's happening in the
other world. If Miguel was
telling us the truth, the
dimensional distortion at Opassa
should be working again now.
(I know it's crazy, but I keep
hoping that Kid'll be there
waiting for us, sitting on the
sand, and when we pop in, she'll
give me that look of hers and
say, "So what took ya so long,
mate?")
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[If Magus is in the party, he hesitates, looking out to sea,
as the others begin to leave. Serge notices and stops just before
he leaves the screen.]
Serge:
Magus... Janus? Are you okay?
Magus:
The Frozen Flame's part in
this...concerns me. There are
still many gaps in my memory,
but I remember enough to know
that the Flame is more dangerous
than you could possibly dream.
Why would it have chosen you, of
all people? You're no mage,
whatever else you may be. Why
would it want a crippled
Arbiter?
Serge:
A...what? (I'll try to ignore
the "crippled" part, if it gets
him to talk.)
Magus:
Were you listening at all to
what that man Miguel said?
Serge:
Yeah, but there were parts of it
I didn't follow very well.
Magus:
Do you remember what he said
about the lost Dragoons? That
they died because "only the
chosen one" can safely approach
the Flame?
Serge:
And I am that person? (That bit
I did get.)
Magus:
Yes. "Arbiter" is the title you
would have been given in Zeal--
mediating between the Frozen
Flame and humanity was an
important task in those days.
Serge:
And so...what exactly does my
being the "Arbiter" mean? (I
keep on picking up these weird
nicknames... At least I think
I understand what Lynx meant,
now, when he called me the
"Assassin of Time", but "Chrono
Trigger" still has me stumped.)
Magus:
I don't know...but I am quite
certain that it didn't happen
by accident. There hasn't been
an Arbiter in thirteen millenia.
Why would the Flame suddenly
decide it wanted one now? The
most likely explanation is that
someone set you up in order to
gain control of the Flame.
Serge:
Lynx?
Magus:
I don't know. I wouldn't have
thought him that subtle, but--
Norris: [from offscreen]
Serge, are you coming?
Serge:
In a minute!
...You will tell me if you
figure something out, right?
Magus:
Most likely. However...some of
the remaining gaps in my memory
occur in patterns, and one of
them seems to center around the
last Arbiter from the era of
Zeal. I know I knew that person,
but everything about them--name,
appearance, even gender--is
gone, as though I deliberately
erased that information more
thoroughly than anything else.
Under the circumstances, I can't
help wondering if that's
significant.
Serge:
(Oh, great. Just when it seems
like we've found an answer,
another question comes up...)
Serge's vehement defense of Leena took me a bit by surprise, although I think
it fits with his character. I had a very narrow line to walk with regard to Magus'
memories--it was pretty much inevitable that he would recover
something in
this chapter, but at the same time, I didn't want him derailing the game, so I
had to arrange to keep some key bits back until Terra Tower. Cutting Miguel's
speeches was something else that had to be done with extreme care; I think I managed
to retain all the important bits despite gutting a few of the lengthier sections.
With that kind of love of lecturing, Miguel should have been a university professor...
Anyway, for the next little while, I will probably be working on the next chapter
(relatively short) and some of the mid-game side scenes more or less concurrently.
Planned mid-game side stuff: the re-recruitments; another longish conversation between
Magus and Guile; Radius and Sprigg discuss "the young'uns"; a flashback covering Norris'
history with Luccia, Grobyc, and possibly Luccia's brother (I may even manage to rope
in Lucca); first encounter with Starky (which will be slightly different given that he
isn't a PC here); recruiting Dario; Home World Riddel resurfaces, creating a sort of
love quadrangle involving the two Riddels, Dario, and Karsh; the Home World Shaker
Brothers recover their memories and disgorge part of the story of What Happened at the
Dead Sea; Skelly's origin story (if I can figure out what it is); the Save Marbule
sidequest; and, if I decide to keep her, some Orlha stuff. I suspect I'll be posting
this in chunks in between the next few chapters.
