Chrono Helix (script)

[utunnels]

What, Marge just knew Lynx? Quite unlikely in original CC I guess, if so, she would have another reaction when she saw Serge as Lynx.

[alfadorredux]

She said that Lynx came to Arni, not that she actually met him on that occasion--if she had any sense at all, she would have taken Serge on a trip to Guldove the moment she heard the name mentioned.

[utunnels]

Hmm, I must have missed a great amount of plots.
But still I think I'd prefer to leave the scene shortly before the final battle.

[alfadorredux]

This ended up being longer than I expected (par for the course, right?)
As a result, I'll be posting in three parts.


   25. Terra Tower - Caught in an echo of time... Part I
   Max recruits: Serge, Magus, Sprigg, Radius, Norris, Skelly,
        Guile OR (Glenn and Nikki), Karsh, ZOAH, Marcy, Fargo, Starky, Grobyc,
        Luccia, Dario, Leena.
   Recruitable: Kid. Thankfully, this is the very last recruitment
        in the game, meaning a maximum of 17 PCs at a time in a normal game and
        19 in a New Game+ (18 or 20 PCs total). It's still probably too many.

When you think about it, the titles of this chapter and the next one should
be reversed, because this one is about getting to Terra Tower... Oh,
well. Anyway, the creation of the Chrono Cross was too important a part of
the plot to be relegated to the side stuff, even though it doesn't really
have a fixed position in the game's timeline, so I left it at the beginning of
this chapter because I expected it to be shorter than the next one. Of course,
that was before Magus got the bit in his teeth again midway through and forced
me to write two scenes of him speculating about Kid and bitching about
Belthasar...

==============================================
Cave Interior, Divine Dragon Falls (Another)
==============================================

[Two of Toma's assistants are standing near the cave entrance.
If the party speaks to them...]

[Toma assistant #1]
   It appears that the altar
   at the back of this cave
   was made to house the
   Dragon Tear.
   But the strange thing is 
   that there was only meant 
   to be one Dragon Tear in 
   this land...
   And yet the altar has two
   holding stands! I wonder
   what that could indicate?

Serge:
   Please tell me that you're
   joking. (There is no way
   someone centuries ago could
   have known I would come here
   with pieces of two separate
   Dragon Tears in my pockets!)

[Toma assistant #1]
   A joke... Interesting. That's an
   interpretation I hadn't
   considered. The sense of humour
   possessed by members of the
   ancient cult...

Serge:
   That isn't... Augh, never mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus is in the party]

Magus:
   Apparently Belthasar is still
   one step ahead of us.

Serge:
   So you think this is something
   he did? But why?

Magus:
   I have no idea--I'm still
   missing some critical piece
   that would allow me to put
   together what he's trying to do.
   But clearly, only someone who
   knew about the dimensional
   split would have any reason to
   create this altar, and he's the
   only such person we know of who
   also has the ability to travel
   in time.

Serge:
   (I hope this doesn't mean that,
   instead of being needed to open
   a door, I was dragged into this
   to haul bits of crystal around!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus isn't there]

Serge:
   (Things have to be set up
   this way for a reason.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serge:
   ...Steena.

Magus:              | Sprigg:       | Luccia:            | Radius:
   That woman in    |    That'z an  |    Vhat are you    |    Yes, perhaps...
   Guldove?         |    idea.      |    talking about?  |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karsh:              | Fargo:        | Grobyc:            | Norris/Guile/Dario:
   What're you      |    Aye, she   |    Grobyc-does-    |    I believe I see where
   talkin' about?   |    might...   |    not-understand. |    you are going.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leena:              | Starky:       | Zoah:
   If you have an   |    Does shee  |    YES, SHE MIGHT
   idea, why don't  |    knoow      |    HAVE INFORMATION.
   you just say so? |    something? |

Serge:
   I mean, they still practice the
   old religion in Guldove, don't
   they? And Steena is a shaman.
   If anyone knows about this
   place, it would be her. (Or
   Direa, I guess, but she's not
   going to want to come help us
   check it out.)

===========================================
Shaman's Tower, Guldove (Either)
===========================================

[Speaking to the Steena from either world
will cue off this sequence.]

Steena:
   An altar? In a cave
   behind a waterfall?

Serge:
   Yeah. It's more than a little
   weird--that it has places for
   two Dragon Tears, I mean.

Steena:
   There are legends...but that
   place has been lost for years
   beyond counting. However, if it
   still exists...

   Will you take me to the cave?
   I must examine the altar and
   determine whether it is truly
   what I suspect.

Serge: [nodding]
   Sure.

[Fade back to...]

==============================================
Cave Interior, Divine Dragon Falls (Another)
==============================================

[The party is standing by the altar with Steena,
who is just straightening up from examining it.]

Steena:
   By the Great
   Dragon Gods!!!
   The sacrarium of the
   Divine Dragon Falls
   still exists...and
   it seems functional!
   It's just as the
   legends of old said
   it would be!
   What a blessing!

Steena:
   Utilizing its power, we
   just may be able to create
   the '"Chrono Cross"' here!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If the party hasn't spoken to Belthasar at Terra Tower yet]

Serge:
   What's a Chrono Cross? (And more
   importantly, why would we want
   to make one?)

Steena:
   It is a legendary Element. It is
   said that it can create harmony
   and understanding between all
   living creatures.

Serge:
   ...Like humans and the Dragon
   God?

Steena:
   Perhaps.

[Serge takes up a thinking-type posture, with his
hand on his chin.]

Serge:
   (It seems almost too good to
   be true...but the alternative
   is fighting the Dragon God...)

[Serge returns to his normal standing posture.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If they have talked to Belthasar at Terra Tower...]

Serge:
   (Didn't one of the ghosts the
   old man had with him at Terra
   Tower say something about that?
   Maybe we can use it against
   this "Time Devourer" thing...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serge:
   What do I have to do?

Steena:
   Try placing the two
   pieces of the Dragon
   Tear...
   The Tear of Hate and
   the Tear of Love...
   on these stands.

Serge:
   Okay.

[If the player does this, the stands light up and a ball
of radiance shoots out of each and, er, wibbles around for
a while. Eventually, the two balls of light merge and the
big ball descends on Serge.]

[System] 
   [Member] received
   the CHRONO CROSS!

Serge:
   (Awfully weird-looking Element...
   I wonder exactly how it works.)

[The light coming from the stands winks out, and control
returns to the player.]

==============================================
Refuge, Hermit's Hideaway (Home)
==============================================

[Kid is lying, unconscious, on a bed off to the
left when the party arrives. Radius is standing in
the middle of the room. If they speak to him...]

Serge:
   Radius, please tell me
   you have some good news.

Radius:
   Kid is resting
   in bed.
   She hasn't come
   out of her coma yet...

Serge:
   (Damn it all!)

[When Serge arrives at Kid's bedside...]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If he doesn't have the Mastermune, I assume that
the Time Egg activates on its own and pulls him
into Kid's dream (but isn't able to bring the party
along as well.) Unfortunately, I wasn't able to
find playthrough video footage for this branch.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Serge does have the Mastermune...]

Masa:
   Huh?
   Hey, it's the princess.
   
Mune:
   Lemme see...
   Whoa! I think you're right.

Serge:
   (...Princess? What are they
   talking about?)

   (And why am I hearing
   voices again?)

Masa:
   I wonder what happened?
   Do you think we should help her?

Serge:
   (Help...Kid? Is there really
   something they can do?)

Mune:
   Nah, it's not
   our job.
   
Masa:
   Yeah, I guess so.
   It's probably out of
   our league, anyway.

Mune:
   Yup.

Serge:
   (...One of the problems with
   disembodied voices is that you
   can't punch their faces in!)

Doreen:
   HEY!
   Aren't we heartless!

Serge:
   (Sounds like...Leena?
   Well, not really, I guess.)

Masa:
   AHHH!
   Sis...
   
Mune:
   B-But, the princess is
   bound by the past, and even
   we can't bring her back here.

Serge:
   (They ARE talking about Kid!
   But why do they think she's a
   princess? I mean, Riddel I
   could understand, but KID?!
   I don't think I've ever met
   a LESS princess-like girl in
   my entire life!)

Doreen:
   Look closely...
   See that?

Masa:
   Hey!?
   It's the...

Mune:
   ...the Time Egg?

Serge:
   (Time Egg? Where?!)

Doreen:
   Yes.
   Although it's not in
   its complete form.

Masa:
   Did that girl with
   the glasses make it?
   
Doreen:
   Probably.
   Even though it's in its
   incomplete form, if we can
   focus our powers into it...

Mune:
   Then maybe it'll work.

Serge:
   Maybe WHAT will work?
   (Oops, did I say that
    out loud?)

Doreen:
   We're going to lend you our
   powers for a little bit.

Mune:
   We're sending you back
   to the past where the
   princess is bound.

Masa:
   We only have 1 chance.

Doreen:
   Take care of the princess!

   '"Mastermune!!!"'

Serge:
   Wait! Why do you keep saying
   that Kid is a princess?!

[Purple light surrounds Serge, and the screen whites out.
Fade to...]

==============================================
Front Room, Lucca's House, 1015 A.D. (Another)
==============================================

[Some lines here are a bit different depending on whether
Serge is alone or with a party, but the differences are
not significant, so I'm giving only one version.]

Serge:
   Huh? What the-- Where is this?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus is present]

Magus:
   It appears to be the Ashtear
   residence in Guardia, although
   I admit I haven't seen it in
   more than a decade.

Serge:
   Ashtear? You mean, as in Lucca?

Magus:
   Precisely.

Serge:
   (So Kid's dreaming about
   how she lost her home...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus isn't present]

Serge:
   (I guess it doesn't matter.
   It's more important to find
   Kid than to wonder about it.)

[And the first time that anyone mentions
Lucca, or he sees her name written down,
he'll add--]

Serge:
   (Lucca? So this is the orphanage
   where Kid grew up?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Serge speaks to Gato]

Gato:
   Miss Kid and Mistress Lucca
   are stuck in the back room.

Serge:
   (Whoa, a talking robot?
   I guess this Lucca really
   was a genius.)

Gato:
   I am sorry that I lacka
   the power to help yoummm...
   Fizz...

Serge:
   It's okay. Really.
   (So I need to get to the back
   room--through that door?)

[There's a kid hiding in the corner(?). If Serge
finds him, he says--]

 [Boy]
   Th-Thanks a lot, m-mister!
   I didn't make it out in time
   so ha-hadda h-hide h-h-here!
   Th-There's still m-more of
   us h-hiding in them r-rooms!
   Ya gotta h-help 'em, m-mister!
 
   ~~~Yes, it's going to be okay |    ~~~Sorry, I don't have time
                                 |
Serge:                           | Serge:
   (These are Kid's friends.     |    (If I don't find Kid as soon
   She'd kill me if I didn't     |    as possible, something awful
   try to help them, and anyway, |    might happen. And anyway, these
   it's the only decent thing    |    kids aren't real--this is Kid's
   to do.)                       |    dream.)
                                 |
[Boy]                            | [Boy]
   Gee! Thanks, mister!          |    Uwaaaah...
   Here, take this!              |    Sniff, sniff...
                                 |
   [Member] received             | Serge:
   Rainbow Shell!                |    (Remember, Serge, he isn't real...)

[There's another kid under the table, and if Serge finds him--]

 [Orphan under table(?)]
   Wo-Wo-Wohoa!
   Ah! Are you here
   to save us, mister?

   ~~~Yes, leave it to me!  |   ~~~Sorry, too bad, kid...
                            |
   Reeeeally? Wow!          |   I didn't think so...
   But I don't              |   We don't know each other.
   even know you!           |
                            | Serge:
Serge:                      |    I came here because I'm
   My mother told me I      |    looking for someone...
   should be nice to people |    but I'm not about to leave
   I don't know, too.       |    you and your friends to die.

[Orphan]
   But anyway...here, take
   this...
   
   To put out the flames, you
   oughta try using
   Lucca's '"Ice Gun"' invention!
   Sis said she keeps it on
   the wall in her room,
   up on the second floor!

Serge:
   That would make it a lot
   easier to get around.
   Thanks, kid.

==============================================
Stairwell, Lucca's House, 1015 A.D. (Another)
==============================================

 [Boy]
   Pheeeew!
   I huff huff held
   my huff huff breath
   so long, I nearly
   huff'n huffed it...
   Anyway...here, huff 
   huff take this as my
   way of saying huff 
   huff thanks...
   
   [Member] received
   Nostrum!

Serge:
   Thanks. Um...can you tell
   me what's upstairs?

 [Boy]
   The kitchen is straight
   through that door.
   On the right's Granny
   Lara's old bedroom.
   Up on the left is
   Lucca's room!
   But Sis'll get angry
   if you go in there!

Serge:
   (That's pretty much the last
   thing I'm worried about.)

   Have you seen Kid?

 [Boy]
   She and Lucca went to Granny
   Lara's room.

Serge:
   (So that's upstairs on the
   right...)

===================================================
Lucca's Bedroom, Lucca's House, 1015 A.D. (Another)
===================================================

[There are several memos with different text on them
scattered around the room for Serge to read.]

 [Memo--on floor on lower left]
   There is a memo lying on
   the floor here.
   It reads...
   I have created a new
   code for a new generation.
   It now replaces the old
   one my father once used...
   Circle stands for '"O"'
   Square stands for '"D"'
   Triangle stands for '"A"'
   Cross stands for '"X"'
   Using this, for example,
   the children will never
   guess '"ROAD"' is spelt...
   R-Circle-Triangle-Square
   My father, Taban, would
   be proud. Not to mention
   my mother, of course...
   ~~~~~~~~~~ LUCCA

Serge:
   (That makes about as much
   sense as what the ghosts in
   Chronopolis had to say...)

 [Receipt--left rear of room]
     Receipt for
   Goods Received
   1 - KJ830
     - Porre Navy

Serge:
   (I wonder what a KJ830 is. KJ...
   Knitted Jug? Kangaroo Junkie?
   Killer Jerky? ...I give up.)

   (...This does show that Lucca
   was on good terms with Porre,
   though. That...surprises me a
   bit. I mean, Lynx was working
   with Porre at least some of
   the time...)

[Memo--near center of room]
   There is a memo lying
   on the floor here.
   It reads...
   Don't you children
   ever touch my
   '"Space Capsule!"'

Serge:
   (So what's a "Space Capsule",
   and what would touching it do?)

[???--dunno what this line belongs to]
   A beautiful view of the
   expanses of...space!?

Serge:
   (This is freaky...it's so real
   that it almost looks like you
   could touch it. I don't think I
   want to try, though.)

 [Memo--presumably somewhere in the mess on the left]
   There is a memo lying
   on the floor here.
   It reads...
   One month... One day...
   I failed! I was so close
   to stabilizing the time
   axis too...

Magus:                   | Serge:
   Looks like a leftover |    ("Time axis"...? I don't
   from her experiments  |    think I want to know.)
   with the Time Egg.    |

 [Memo on wall in right rear corner]
    IN CASE OF FIRE
   USE THIS ICE GUN!!!
    
   Not for children under
   12 or the mechanically
   challenged!
   ~~~~~~~~ Lucca

Serge:
   (This looks useful, but the
   question is, why didn't she take
   it herself?)

 [System]
   ~~~Take the Ice Gun
   ~~~Leave it alone

   Serge took
   the Ice Gun.

[When Serge takes the Ice Gun, if he has the Mastermune, we see...]

Mune:
   Sorry, master!
   This is all the
   power I have...

[...and the second party member, plus the three party non-combatants, disappear.]

Serge:
   (Damn! I wonder if there's a
   way to get them a bigger
   battery, or something...?)

So tomorrow, Serge finishes rescuing Kid, Kid gets a letter, and Magus
grumbles a lot.

[utunnels]

 

Yeah, the problem is the player or Serge has plenty of time to read random stuff found in Lucca's place, while the building is still burning and they are beening toasted.

I wonder whether you can add some dialogues for Magus when he sees Robo's head in Lucca's room.

Serge:
   (I wonder what a KJ830 is. KJ...
   Knitted Jug? Kangaroo Junkie?
   Killer Jerky? ...I give up.)

LOL

Hmm, just some canned food for Porre Navy I guess, Komodo Jerk.

[alfadorredux]

@utunnels: I think it must really have been Killer Jerky--I mean, jerky changed the
entire history of Porre, so it must be kind of important to them, right? And Lucca
really does leave too much stuff lying around. Presumably, the reason Serge gets away
with stopping to read it is that he isn't really inside a burning building--he's
inside Kid's dream of a burning building, which is probably frozen in the
burning-but-still-standing state until Kid gets snapped out of it.

As for the head...

Magus:
   Hmm... Is that the original,
   or merely a duplicate that
   Lucca created?

Anyway, herein we have Serge rescuing Kid, and Magus going off on a couple of tangents
that hopefully aren't too repetitious...


25. Terra Tower - Caught in an echo of time... Part II

===================================================
Balcony, Lucca's House, 1015 A.D. (Another)
===================================================

[I didn't notice where this kid was hiding]

 [Boy]
   Wow, mister!
   You sure are strong.
   When I grow up, I wanna
   be strong like you!

Serge:
   I'm sure you will be.

 [Boy]
   Oh, yeah...
   Here, mister!
   Take this...

  [Member] received
  Nostrum!
  
===================================================
Lara's Bedroom, Lucca's House, 1015 A.D. (Another)
===================================================

 [Girl hiding under bed]
   .........
   Th-Th-Thank y-y-you!
   Umm... Err...
   H-H-Here take this...
   
 [System]
   [Member] received
   Rainbow Shell!

Serge:
   Thanks! ...Hey, have you seen
   Kid anywhere?

 [Girl]
   Ummm...
   Th-Th-That floor panel
   th-th-there can be
   re-re-removed.
   L-L-Lucca and my
   f-f-friend Kid went
   i-i-in th-th-there but
   d-d-didn't c-c-come out!

[Serge puts his hand on her shoulder]

Serge:
   Don't worry--I'll find them.
   (I have to.)

=====================================================
Rec Room and Hall, Lucca's House, 1015 A.D. (Another)
=====================================================

[Upon emerging from the storage area accessed via the
ladder from Lara's room...]

Masa:
   Sorry master!
   That's all the
   strength I have...

[and the third party member disappears.]

Serge:
   (Damn, damn, damn! All alone,
   with all these damned monsters
   around...I need to find Kid
   fast!)

[The drawings are hanging on the wall in the hallway.]

 [System]
   A child's drawing
   hangs here...
     
   '"robo made the desert green"'
   
   '"Kid and auntie lucca...
   oops, I mean Sis, hehe"'

   '"ayla strong, grrr!"'

   '"crono is coool"'

   '"call me Sis!"'

   '"princess marle to the rescue!"'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus was recruited, Serge stops after the
first couple of drawings and says--]

Serge:
   (Those names... Are these the
   people that Magus traveled with,
   the ones who became the ghosts
   in the Dead Sea? And "Robo"...
   that's Prometheus from
   Chronopolis, isn't it?)

   (...Suddenly I feel like I've
   landed in the middle of someone
   else's story. I wonder if Magus
   ever feels the same way...?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus wasn't recruited, Serge says--]

Serge:
   (Some of these are really weird.
   What kind of stories has this
   Lucca person been telling these
   poor kids?!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Serge has to use the Ice Gun to get past the flames
and to the door of the back room--Lucca's former lab.]

=====================================================
Back Room, Lucca's House, 1015 A.D. (Another)
=====================================================

[Serge runs into the room and kneels briefly beside Kid,
who is out cold on the floor.]

Serge:
   Kid? Hey, Kid, are you okay?

[He stands up and turns to face Lynx and Harle, who are
looking out the rear window, and we are treated to FMV: 
orphanage in flames.]

Serge:
   Son of a bitch...!

[Lynx and Harle disappear in a burst of magic. At that
moment, Kid wakes up and tries to lunge after them,
but Serge grabs her by the wrist.

Serge:
   Kid, I'm sorry, but there's no
   way you can go after them now.
   We have to get out of here while
   we still can!

[He drags her out of the burning building. Fade to...]

=====================================================
Outside Lucca's House, 1015 A.D. (Another)
=====================================================

[Serge and Kid are standing under a tree. In the background,
the fire continues to rage.]

 [Kid]
   It's burning...!
   Our '"home"' is burning!
   Lucca...
   All my friends...
   They're, they're...!!

   Why...?
   Why did this happen!?

Serge:
   I don't know. Sometimes there
   really isn't a reason for things,
   or the reason only exists inside
   some crazy person's head. I'm
   sorry.

 [Kid]
   You...
   Are you going to go away?
   Are you going to leave me?
   I'm going to be left all
   on my own again, aren't I?
   Everybody I have ever
   loved has gone far, far
   away...

   ~~~I'm sorry...!        |    ~~~I won't leave you!
                           |
   No!                     |    Really!?
   Don't leave me!         |    Do you mean that?
   What'll happen to me?   |

Serge:
   Even if I have to go away for a
   little while, I promise it won't
   be forever, okay? One day, you
   and I will meet again.

   (I know how much it hurts to
   lose someone you love--I can't
   imagine how much more it must
   hurt to lose everything you've
   ever known. I wish there was
   some way I could really go back
   there and fix this for real.
   But all of this really happened
   years ago. Can't go back...so
   we have to go forward instead.)

[Kid moves forward and Serge crouches down. They hug.]

[Kid]
   Your cheek...
   It's wet...?
   Thank you...
   Thank you for
   saving me...
   You really did
   mean it, right?
   Your promise?

[Serge, still crouched, vanishes in a shower of sparkles.]

[Kid]
   What?
   Where did
   you go...?

   No!
   Come back!!!

[Kid sort of collapses on the ground]

[Kid]
   Don't leave me...
   Please, no...!
   Don't leave me all alone!

   ......!!!

[The screen pans up to show the crescent moon,
then fades out.]

==============================================
Refuge, Hermit's Hideaway (Home)
==============================================

[As the picture fades back in, Serge is kneeling at
the head of Kid's bed. He quickly gets to his feet
as she wakes, then stands up.]

Kid:
   Serge...
   How've you been...?
   I'm...right here...

[Serge nods]

Serge:
   Yeah. It's good to
   have you back.

 [System]
   Kid joined your party again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Leena is present]

Leena:
   Now, don't give Serge a
   hard time!

Kid:
   Eh? What's that supposed
   to mean?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Radius enters the area near the bed, and everyone
turns to face him.]

Radius:
   Thank goodness...
   This must be the power
   of Serge's love.
   Hoh-hoh-hoh!!!

Serge:
   That isn't funny!
   (Damn, I think I'm blushing!
   ...And so is Kid. Just a bit.)

   (Hey, does that mean--)

Radius:
   Ahh yes, Kid.
   Luccia is waiting for you
   in her lab in Viper Manor.
   She wanted to give you
   something.

Kid:
   Luccia? That crazy sheila
   with the test tubes? 

Luccia:              | Serge:
   Vell, it is more  |    That's the one.
   interesting to be |
   a mad scientist!  |

Radius:
   Anyway, there's
   no rush.
   I suggest you rest
   here for the day.

[Fade out, then in. We're in the same place, but Kid and Serge
are alone now.]

Kid:
   What...?
   My wound...?

[Serge nods]

Serge:
   Yeah, when Lynx stabbed you,
   I was afraid it was all over.

Kid:
   Lynx stabbed me...?
   What are you talking about?

Serge:
   (Huh? How can she not remember?
   Or maybe it's just that so much
   has happened since then...)

   I mean at Terra Tower, after
   Lynx stole my body.

[Kid spreads her hands and shakes her head.]

Kid:
   Ohhh...wait a minute...
   Not again...
   I lose my memory sometimes.
   Whenever I'm in a dangerous
   situation where I might get
   hurt, I just seem to
   disappear and vanish.

Serge:
   That's...weird.

[Kid folds her arms across her chest.]

[Kid]
   And when I come to,
   I wake up somewhere safe
   without a single scratch.
   But the thing is, I can't
   remember what happened.
   I don't get it...

Serge:
   Sounds kind of freaky.
   (Maybe even dangerous.)

[Kid laughs.]

Kid:
   Anyway, it's happened to me
   plenty o' times in the past,
   so it's nothin' to worry about!

Serge:
   (She sounds so certain...in her
   place, I'd be plenty worried.)

Kid:
   C'mon, mate!
   Let's go!

[Serge nods. Fade again, and we go to...]

==============================================
Exterior, Hermit's Hideaway (Home)
==============================================

[The following scenelet occurs only if Magus has been
recruited--if he hasn't been, the player immediately
resumes control of the party at the top of the stairs.]

[Magus is standing in a corner of the garden, staring
at nothing in particular, when Guile enters the area.]

Guile:
   Something...appears to be
   troubling you.

Magus:
   Those dream creatures referred
   to Kid as a princess.

Guile:
   ...And so?

Magus:
   To my knowledge, there is only
   one princess mixed up in this.

Guile:
   You are referring
   to your sister.

Magus:
   The thought of there being any
   relationship between the two of
   them is utterly preposterous...
   and yet I cannot get it out of
   my mind.

Guile:
   I see. On the one hand, she
   seemed familiar to you from the
   moment you met, and she bears
   an artifact that came from Zeal,
   your home. On the other hand,
   she has never shown any sign of
   recognizing you or being aware
   of a shared past.

Magus:
   It's more than that. My memories
   of my sister are extremely
   vague, but I am almost certain
   that she was gentle, even shy--
   Kid's precise opposite in
   personality. And her hair colour
   is wrong--that I do remember.

Guile:
   Could the dream-creatures have
   made a mistake, or perhaps meant
   something else?

Magus:
   It's even more improbable, but
   I suppose she could be Marle
   and Crono's daughter, which
   would make her a princess of
   Guardia. She's just barely
   old enough...and yet, if an
   heir to the Guardian throne
   were still alive, I would have
   expected to hear about it
   before now.

Guile:
   Indeed. Or she might simply
   be your sister's daughter.

Magus:
   ...

   I hope you are right. If Kid
   is her daughter, then that means
   my sister survived the disaster
   that felled Zeal. If only I
   could remember...!

Guile:
   And now you are feeling
   Belthasar's neck between your
   fingers again.

Magus:
   You know me too well. I'm still
   certain that the old buzzard has
   all the missing pieces to this
   puzzle. Why else would he have 
   gone into hiding?

Guile:
   I have no idea. That man's
   thought processes are a
   mystery to me.

Magus:
   Hmph. You must be finding all
   of this most amusing, then.

Guile:
   It is true, recent events have
   presented me with an entire
   series of fascinating enigmas.

Magus:
   And you so enjoy chasing after
   the invisible... Recently, I
   have often thought that you
   would have been quite at home
   in Zeal.

Guile:
   Thank you.

Magus:
   That was not a compliment.

Guile:
   Nevertheless, I will take
   it as such.

[The two climb up and into the burned tree. A moment
later, Serge emerges, and the player regains control.]
 
==============================================
Luccia's Lab, Viper Manor (Another)
==============================================

[Upon speaking to Luccia with Kid in the party--]

Luccia:
   I have been vaiting,
   Kid.

Kid:
   Yeah? What for?

Luccia:
   Dere is somet'ing 
   I vant to give you.

Kid:
   Huh? Me...? Why?

Luccia:
   I vas told to give it to
   you vhen the time vas right.

Luccia:
   It's for you...
   from Lucca...

Kid:
   !!!
   You knew Lucca!?

Serge:
   (You're kidding me!)

[Luccia nods.]

Luccia:
   Here...

[She hands the letter to Kid. Kid turns around to face
away from Luccia, opens the envelope, and starts to read.]]

 [Lucca's Letter]
   My dear Kid,
   How are you doing?
   I wonder how old you are
   as you read this letter?

   Perhaps you've matured into
   a beautiful woman, raising a
   happy family, by now?

   I was hoping to talk to you in
   person when you were old enough,
   but just in case something happens,
   I'm writing my feelings down on
   paper and leaving it with Luccia.

   Perhaps you already know...
   or perhaps you yourself are
   also now caught up in some
   historic crisis as a result
   of all this.
   But, anyway...
   
   A long time ago, we -- my friends
   and I, that is -- changed the future
   in order to save our planet from
   being devoured by Lavos, a monster
   from some unknown planet.
   
   We still feel proud of the role
   we played in saving our world,
   and in how we were so freely
   able to change the flow of time.

   But sometimes I think of the darker
   side of what we did...
   What has become of the future that
   was '"once"' supposed to have existed?
   Where did the '"time"' that now is no
   longer allowed to exist '"go?"'
   
   It is true that, thanks to our
   altering the flow of history,
   we were able to save so many
   lives and prevent so much sadness
   and suffering...
   But when you think of it, we also
   caused the deaths of so many that
   were meant to have come into
   existence in the time line we
   destroyed, and also caused new
   sadness and suffering further along
   in the new future we created...
   
   That is why I worry that someone
   might seek revenge on us for
   what we did.
   I have had a constant dread in my
   heart that someone in our new
   future will travel back in time,
   just like we did, and try and kill
   or capture my friends and me.
 
   So, even if something dreadful
   does befall me, Kid, know
   that what was meant to happen
   will happen, and that I was
   always prepared for the worst.

   Oh, but don't you dare think the
   Great Lucca is going to go down
   without a fight!
   (I've got a reputation to uphold!)

   Whatever lies waiting for us
   around the next corner better
   watch out, 'cause it's gonna
   find a pretty mean counter-
   attack coming its way!

   Kid...
   When I think of you,
   I remember someone I once
   met a long, long time ago
   in the distant past...

   Heh! But she was the complete
   opposite of the you in this
   time line...
   So quiet and gentle...
   
   Someday I'll also tell you
   about her...
   When you are ready to know
   of your real name and heritage.

   I'm not the slightest bit
   worried about you, Kid!
   I know that, no matter what
   happens, '"he"' will always be
   there looking out for you!

   Or perhaps he has already
   found you and is there by
   your side as you read this?
   If so, hello, Janus!
   Please take good care of
   my '"little sister"' for me!
   
   There is so much more I want to
   to tell you, but I must leave it
   for another time.
   Don't worry! Everything is okay!
   We will overcome whatever woes
   may occur! That's for certain!

   Later, when you're all grown
   up, I'll come visit you and we'll
   talk over tea.
   I look forward to that day!

   Well, anyway Kid,
   until we meet again...

   Forever and ever your friend,
   (No matter which time line it is!)
   ~~~~~~~~yours sincerely,
   ~~~~~~~~Lucca Ashtear

   P.S.
   Cut out the tomboy act!
   Believe me! You'll become a
   beautiful young lady one day, or
   my name isn't '"Lucca the Great!"'

[When she's finished reading, Kid continues to stand there
with her back to the party.]

Kid:
   Sorry, but...
   I'd like to be
   alone for a while...

[The other party members--and Luccia--leave the room.]

Kid:
   I can't believe you,
   Sis...
   You're the one who always
   laughed about how there's
   nothin' '"definite"' or
   '"certain"' in this world...
   Sis...
   
 [System]
   Received Rainbow Shell.

[Apparently, the shell was enclosed in the letter. The scene
then fades to the hall outside.]

==============================================
Basement Hallway, Viper Manor (Another)
==============================================

[Serge and the party are standing outside the
door to Luccia's lab.]

Serge:
   (So that was what Lucca Ashtear
   was like... I wish I could have
   met her. She seemed like a nice
   person--well, a little crazy,
   but you can't have everything.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus is in the party]

Serge:
   Huh...I guess that letter really
   proves that you did know Lucca,
   right, Janus?

Magus:
   Did you think I was
   lying about it?

Serge:
   No, it's just that, um, your
   memory...is kinda... (Oops, I
   think I just put my foot in it.)

Magus:
   Idiot. Yes, I truly did know
   Lucca Ashtear...which makes me
   wonder why some parts of that
   letter were so out-of-character
   for her.

Serge:
   What do you mean?

Magus:
   She wasn't the sort of person
   prone to dropping hints and
   then leaving them unexplained,
   but in that letter she implied
   that she feared reprisals from
   the future we wiped from
   existence...and then made a
   cryptic remark about Kid's
   origins. She knew something,
   and I think she expected me to
   understand it as well, but these
   damnable holes in my head... Did
   she know about Belthasar?

Serge:
   !

   Isn't that...a bit of a jump?

Magus:
   Is it? To my mind, the pieces
   are starting to fit together far
   too neatly for her to have meant
   anything else! Belthasar,
   Chronopolis, FATE, Lynx, the
   Frozen Flame, you, Kid, and
   Lucca...and me. All connected.

Guile: [if present]
   Interesting. The connections are
   so complex that one almost needs
   to draw a diagram to make sense
   of it all.

Magus:
   There are still vital pieces
   missing, however: Kid's origin,
   Belthasar's motives, and the
   reason that I wiped my memory...
   Lucca clearly had at least one
   of them, but it would require
   time travel to recover whatever
   she knew...which leads us back
   to exactly one source of
   information yet again.

Serge:
   Let me guess: you're talking
   about Belthasar. (He always gets
   this sour look on his face when
   he talks about the old guy...
   Well, okay, he USUALLY looks
   kind of sour, but this is a
   DIFFERENT sour look.)

Magus:
   Precisely. If I knew where
   to look for HIM, this would
   all be over.

Serge:
   (Yeah, and I bet it would be
   all over for Belthasar, too!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Kid emerges from the lab]

Kid:
   Well, let's get to it!
   We've got a tower to
   climb, mates!

Serge:
   (Oh, Kid... Don't force yourself
   to be cheerful. It hurts to
   watch.)

[Kid rejoins the party.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If they go back and speak to Luccia again afterwards...]

Luccia:
   Lucca and I go vay back.
   Ve vere great friends,
   both aspiring scientists.
   Had not the tragic incident
   occured, I am sure Lucca
   vould have surpassed me...

Magus: [if present]
   She already had. Lucca published
   very little of her research--she
   was more of a tinkerer than a
   writer.

Serge:
   (...I really do think I would
   have liked to meet her.)

And no, I don't think the junk found in Lucca's room in Kid's nightmare invalidates Magus'
last comment, since I can't see that any of it was in a format that a scientific journal
would accept.

Anyway, the third and final part of the chapter will contain flying saucers, flying boats,
and flying existential discussions. ;P

[utunnels]

He's inside Kid's dream of a burning building, which is probably frozen in the burning-but-still-standing state until Kid gets snapped out of it.

OK then. I think I misunderstood that part as a real time travel.

I think it must really have been Killer Jerky--I mean, jerky changed the entire history of Porre, so it must be kind of important to them, right?

Hmm, again, I failed to see the difference between jerk and jerky.  

 

[Member] received
  Nostrum!

Well, if it is a dream, then why they can get items?
And if it is not a dream, Lucca's orphans must be rich enough to eat Nostrums for food and make yo-yo out of rainbow shells.
 

Serge:
   (Huh? How can she not remember?
   Or maybe it's just that so much
   has happened since then...)

   I mean at Terra Tower, after
   Lynx stole my body.

Hum? Terra Tower?

[alfadorredux]

@utunnels: Terra Tower? I meant Fort Dragonia. I must have had Terra Tower
on the brain when I wrote that.

I will admit that there is some evidence supporting the idea that Serge's
visit to the orphanage is real time travel (Mune's "We're sending you back to
the past" line, the use of the Time Egg, and the fact that, as you say, items
can be physically removed from the orphanage), but there are also some things
that don't add up. The biggest one is the way Serge and the party "fade" back
to the present. We don't see this in any other instance of Chronoverse time
travel--regardless of whether the mechanism is a Gate or an Egg, it's
clear that people are physically and permanently removed to their new time
in every instance, or Magus wouldn't have been able to spend twenty-plus
years in 600AD. In the orphanage incident, by contrast, it's pretty clear
that the Mastermune/the Time Egg is exerting continual force to hold Serge
and the party inside the burning building.

The other big anomaly is...well, Kid's mind can't literally have been
transported back to the past, right? So the reason she wasn't waking from
her coma was despair arising from a nightmare about the past. If Serge had
actually changed that past, what was Kid doing in that bed in Hermit's
Hideaway? Without the despair and the nightmare, she should have woken
up before they had the chance to get her there. (Even if you subscribe to
the theory of Time Traveller's Immunity, she can't have it at this point,
and changes to the timeline were always retroactive in CT.)

I can see two theories that might reconcile these facts. One is that
the location Serge entered is Kid's nightmare, made physical by the
power of the Mastermune/Time Egg. In effect, it's created a pocket dimension
linked with Kid's mind. The dimension itself, and everything in it, is
physical, but because the nightmare is a recreation of the past, Kid "knows"
how the events in it are supposed to unfold, and Serge's attempts to interfere
make her subconsciously attempt to throw him out. That's what the continuing
power outlay is fighting. Mune's line becomes true in the sense that Serge is
transported back into what Kid perceives as her past.

The other is that the time travel was somehow seriously botched and Serge
was effectively transported to the past as a sort of tangible ghost that
could only be sustained there with a continuous energy outlay. This
also requires that Kid would still have taken until half past forever to
wake up even if she didn't need help from Serge.

Either way, the whole thing is a mess.

Augh. Anyway, Starky, flying boats, and Serge talks about "why" a lot.


25. Terra Tower - Caught in an echo of time... Part III

==============================================
Surface, El Nido Triangle (Another)
==============================================

[The moment the party sails up to him, this guy
starts talking.]

[Explorer]
   I've discovered a mysterious
   object down below, but there's
   a nasty monster guarding it.

Serge:
   What kind of "mysterious
   object"?

[Explorer]
   I don't know. It looks kind of
   like a saucer-shaped boat made
   of metal.

Serge:
   (It does sound weird. And just
   about every bit of Weird I've
   run across since this world
   sucked me in has ended up being
   important some way or other.)

   Have you got any diving
   equipment you can lend us?

[Explorer]
   You don't need any--that's the
   weirdest part! Somehow, it's
   possible to breathe the water
   here.

   But if you're going down there,
   I need to warn you about that
   monster. No matter how many
   times I hack away at it, it
   doesn't seem to have any effect.
   I've tried some Elements, too.
   There are some that
   work and some that don't.

Serge:
   I don't suppose you remember
   WHICH Elements worked.

[The explorer rubs the back of his head.]

[Explorer]
   Well, I was kind of...um...
   panicky, I guess. But I've only
   got three kinds of attack
   Elements: Fireball, Aqua Beam,
   and Bushwacker.

Serge:
   (So that's...red, blue, and
   green?) Okay, thanks for the
   advice.

 [System]
   Go in?
   ~~~Yes
   ~~~No


=================================================
Outside Starky's Ship, El Nido Triangle (Another)
=================================================

[The party can't approach the UFO until they defeat
the nuisance jellyfish loitering outside. When they
do get to the door, this happens.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Presumably, this is what happens if Starky hasn't
been recruited yet]

Serge:
   (...It's locked up tighter than
   Viper Manor in the middle of a
   Porrean invasion.) Anybody got
   any idea what this thing is?

Luccia:                   | Magus:                 | Norris:
   Dis alloy, and dis     |    Judging from the    |    This technology is far
   construction... It is  |    construction, it    |    more advanced than anything
   beyond our ability to  |    must come either    |    else I have ever seen, even
   create somet'ing like  |    from the future...  |    in Chronopolis. Sir, I
   dis. It must have come |    or from another     |    suspect it may not be
   from anodder vorld.    |    world.              |    from this world.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sprigg:                   | Radius:                | Dario:
   Not from around 'ere,  |    I have never seen   |    A container, or perhaps even
   it isn't--that's for   |    anything like this  |    some sort of boat? I have never
   sure!                  |    before, not even    |    seen anything like it before.
                          |    on the continent.   |    It is not from El Nido.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fargo:                    | Zoah:                  | Karsh:
   Arr... I have this     |    IT LOOKS ALMOST     |    It's too damned big for a
   feelin' that 'tis a    |    LIKE A SHIELD MADE  |    plate, and too small for a
   ship, but not like any |    FOR A GIANT, BUT    |    boat... Can't see it being
   other I've ever seen.  |    THERE IS NO HANDLE. |    much good to us, anyway.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glenn:                    | Nikki:                 | Marcy:
   I do not know what it  |    A UFO, maybe?       |    Maybe, like, a toy for a
   is, but the presence   |    Whatever it is, it  |    giant kid with no taste?
   of a door suggests it  |    sure looks cool!    |
   is hollow...           |                        |


Serge:
   (Now that I think about it,
   there's a weird story about
   the Triangle...that a star
   fell into the ocean here...
   and that there was someone
   riding on it. Maybe if we
   can find this thing's owner,
   he can tell us more about it.
   Assuming he's still alive.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Starky has been recruited, but isn't
in the party]

Serge:
   This has to belong
   to...Starky?

Norris: [if present]
   If you are asking whether this
   is a secret weapon from Porre,
   the answer is no--we could not
   create something like this. That
   it belongs to the star child is
   as good an explanation as any.

Lucca: [if present]
   De technology is certainly
   too advanced for it to be
   from dis vorld and time.

Serge:
   We need to bring Starky here,
   I guess.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Starky is in the party]

Starky:
   Woooooow!
   Starky's ship in this
   world not brooken!
   Starky am happy!

Serge:
   Is your ship the reason we can
   breathe down here? (It's nice to
   have some Weird actually come
   with an obvious explanation for
   once!)
   
Starky:
   Affirmative.
   Starky's ship creeates a
   special foorce fieeld.
   Starky think in the other
   world Starky's ship is in
   pieeces and the parts are buried
   underground, but still working.

[Starky opens the door]

Starky:
   Yeah!
   It oopened!

[The party enters the UFO]

==============================================
Starky's UFO, El Nido Triangle (Another)
==============================================

[Inside, Starky stops near a round blue...thing sticking
up out of the floor]

Starky:
   Yeah!
   Everything is in oorder!

[While he speaks the next few lines, Starky runs around
and looks at various bits of ship before finally settling
himself at the console in front]

Starky:
   The navigaation system
   is operaational.

Starky:
   Starky's bed is
   niice and coozy, too.

Serge:
   (So if this ship is in such good
   shape, what happened to this
   world's Starky? Or maybe I'd
   better not ask.)

   (Hmmm. You know, if this ship
   fell here from the sky, that
   means it can fly, so maybe...)
   Can you use this to get us to
   Terra Tower?

Starky:
   This ship is oonly big
   enough to fly Starky.

Serge:
   (Damn it all!)
   So there's no way?

Starky:
   Hmmm... Staarky has an iidea.
   Leeave it to mee!
   
Starky:
   The engine maay
   bee a bit rusty, but
   otherwiise, perfect.

Starky:
   Oh yeah!
   That...!
   Hmmmmmm...
   Maaybee wee can
   uuse this?

[A white thing that looks sort of like a cross between
a rubber ball and a fried egg hops out of the round blue
thing and onto the deck.]

Starky:
   Starky maay bee aable to
   scrounge up moore stuff.
   Starky will
   come back laater.
   
Starky:
   Eeasy does it.

Serge:
   Um... So what is it?

Starky:
   It's an anti-gravity deeviice.
   If youu attach this to youur
   booat, it will fly to
   Terra Tower eeasily.

Serge:
   A...flying boat. (I guess that's
   the best we can do under the
   circumstances, but it's going to
   look really silly!)

Starky:
   All wee neeed now is aa
   facility to install it.

Luccia:                 | Norris:                         | Serge:
   My lab does not have |    Chronopolis is very likely   |    (Arni or Termina or Guldove won't
   a dock... Perhaps ve |    the only facility in El      |    be any good... Hey, wait...)
   should try the docks |    Nido with equipment advanced |    What about Chronopolis? There was
   at Chronopolis.      |    enough to be useful to you.  |    a dock in the basement...
   
Starky:
   Alriight! Let's bee
   on our waay to
   Chroonopoolis.

[We fade straight to the next location]

==============================================
Docks, Chronopolis (Another)
==============================================

[Again, Starky pokes around as he speaks.]

Starky:
   Let's seee.

Starky:
   Starky neeed
   this and that.

Serge:
   (I guess it's a good thing the
   ghosts can't really tell we're
   here--they might not be very
   happy about us borrowing their
   stuff without asking.)

Starky:
   Oh yeah!

Starky:
   This should do
   the trick.

Kid:                              | Guile/Dario:
   Oi...                          |    I do not understand why
   All you have to do is load     |    you cannot just load the
   that thing on the boat, right? |    device on the boat.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Magus:                            | Karsh:
    Stop playing with tools you   |    Can't you just load it
    don't need and get to work,   |    on the boat? Aargh, we're
    you bubble-headed idiot.      |    wasting time here!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Luccia:                           | Norris:
   I had t'ought it vould be      |    I had thought your own tools
   sufficient to just tie it      |    would be sufficient to secure
   down--is it less automated     |    it in place.
   dan I believed?                |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Marcy:                            | Grobyc:
   I thought that you just had    |    Grobyc-does-not-understand-
   to, like, stick it somewhere   |    why-the-tools-are-necessary.
   on the deck.                   |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sprigg:                           | Radius:
   I guess just leavin' it on     |    The device needs some form of
   the deck isn't an option if    |    adjustment to do its job...?
   we want this to work.          |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Leena:                            | Zoah:
   Is it broken already? I guess  |    IF IT CANNOT ATTACH AND CONFIGURE
   they just don't build things   |    ITSELF WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, PERHAPS
   very well wherever you come    |    THIS "ADVANCED DEVICE" IS NOT
   from!                          |    TRULY ALL THAT ADVANCED.

Starky:
   What are youu
   talking about!?
   Wee neeed to attach aa
   staabiliizer to keeep
   the Autoo-gyroo from
   spinning out of controol.

Luccia:             | Kid:                 | Serge:
   It does not have |    I don't get it... |    Okay, whatever--if you
   vone built in?   |    but just hurry it |    really need to do it,
                    |    up, okay!?        |    then do it.

Starky:
   Tiime to get
   to work.

[Fade out, then back in. The anti-gravity device
is now resting in the back of the boat, rather than
on the deck.]

Starky:
   Pheeew.
   Starky am done.

Kid:                    | Serge:
   See!                 |    Um, you were talking about
   All ya did was       |    a stabilizer and an auto-
   load it on the boat! |    whatzit... This just looks
                        |    like you dumped it in the
                        |    back of the boat.
   
Starky:
   Negative!

[Fade again, and we're at the far end of the docks. Serge is
standing on the top level, and Kid is climbing up to join him.
The other members of the party are nearby, but on the lower level.]

Kid:
   So this is it.

Serge:
   I guess so.

Kid:
   Never expected our encounter
   to turn out like this,
   didja, Serge...?

Serge:
   No, I didn't. (This has all
   been so crazy from the
   beginning that I don't dare
   expect much of anything!)

   I still don't get it. Why me?
   It isn't like I asked to be
   put at the center of all this.
   (What am I saying? I should be
   asking her on a date or
   something, not whining about
   my life!)

Kid:
   Well, ya know, if ya hadn't
   gone up to Cape Howl after
   poppin' through to this world,
   nothin' much would've happened,
   mate.

Serge:
   So you're saying that I'M
   responsible for everything.

Kid:
   Not everythin', maybe, but
   some of it.

Serge:
   Okay, "some of it" I'll give
   you, but I didn't choose to
   end up in the Sea of Eden that
   night and meet the Frozen
   Flame. It could just as easily
   have been, say, Leena who was
   poisoned.

Kid:
   Maybe it had to be someone.
   If so, why NOT you?

Serge:
   Aah, forget it. Thinking about
   that kind of stuff gives me
   headaches.

   You know, I hope those stupid
   dragons are having a good time
   watching this. They were always
   babbling about wanting to see
   how I would live and die...
   It was like everything I was
   going through was some kind of
   joke to them. If there's no
   reason for me to be here...
   if it's all just fate--or FATE--
   flipping a coin... I think I'm
   going to scream.

Kid:
   Whether or not there's a reason...
   That's what we're gonna
   find out with our own eyes!

[Fade again, back to the boat dock. Kid is standing beside
the boat as Serge and the party descend the stairs to
board.]

[Kid]
   Let's go!

[Serge, Kid, and the rest of the party board the boat.
Serge places himself at the very front.]

Kid: 
   So this is it...

Serge:
   Looks that way.

Kid:
   Let's do it!

[The boat moves out of the Chronopolis docks, and we see
FMV: Flying to Terra Tower...]

Next, we'll have some assorted side stuff before hitting
Chapter 26. Man, I am tired. It's been a long day.

[alfadorredux]

So... ZOAH SPEAKS, Glenn gets his second Einlanzer, Magus
makes acidic remarks about the quality of the Criosphynx's
Latin, and Zappa hammers out a rainbow...

5. Behind the Mask

[This scenelet requires staying at the inn in Termina
with Leena and Zoah in the party. Then, when everyone
gets up in the morning...]

=====================================================
Inn room, Termina (Either)
=====================================================

Leena:
   Hey, aren't we short someone?

[Serge looks around]

Serge:
   Zoah isn't here.

Leena:
   So do we go look for him?

[Serge nods]

Serge:
   It's that or leave him behind.
   Besides, what if something's
   happened to him? Porre isn't
   exactly happy with the Dragoon
   Devas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If any of the other Devas are in the party]

Karsh:                     | Marcy:                     | Dario:
   Nah, he goes off alone  |    Porre? Are you, like,   |    I am not at liberty to
   this way sometimes.     |    kidding me? I bet he's  |    divulge what I know of
   Dunno why--I guess he's |    just off sulking again. |    Zoah's past, but I am
   just moody.             |                            |    certain that recent events
                           |                            |    have been hard on him.
                           |                            |    He probably went off alone
                           |                            |    to think.

Serge:
   (I hope that's all it is.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serge:
   ...I'll go up to the smith's,
   I guess. And we need to check
   the gates, the shrines, the
   docks, and, um, the shops and
   stuff. (I hope he's not in the
   bar.)

Leena:
   I'll go to the shrines.

Serge:
   Okay.

[Leena leaves, and the screen fades out as
Serge starts to say--]

Serge:
   If no one else has a preference,
   I guess we can draw straws...

================================================
Shrine Area, Termina (Either)
================================================

[ZOAH IS STANDING IN THE SHADOWS NEAR THE BASE OF
GRECO'S HOUSE when Leena enters the screen
and approaches him.]

Leena:
   THERE you are. What are you
   doing? Serge had to send
   everyone out to look for you.

Zoah:
   MY APOLOGIES. I WAS NOT AWARE
   IT HAD GOTTEN SO LATE. I HAD
   INTENDED TO BE BACK AT THE INN
   BEFORE ANYONE ELSE WOKE UP.

Leena:
   Why come all the way out here,
   anyway?

Zoah:
   I NEEDED TO THINK.

Leena:
   About what?

Zoah:
   THE PAST.

Leena:
   Well, that's...informative.

Zoah:
   ...

Leena:
   Say, I've been meaning to ask
   you--why do you wear that helmet
   all the time?

Zoah:
   ORIGINALLY, I WAS TRYING TO
   AVOID BEING RECOGNIZED. THESE
   DAYS, I SUPPOSE IT'S JUST HABIT.
   OR IT WAS UNTIL PORRE CAME TO
   THE ISLANDS.

Leena:
   So it's Porre you're
   hiding from?

Zoah:
   ...

Leena:
   Oh, come ON! You don't really
   think I'm going to walk up to
   some Porrean and say, "Hey! You
   know that guy you've been trying
   to find? He's right over there,
   wearing the helmet and the
   loincloth!"

Zoah:
   PERHAPS NOT, BUT I AM STILL
   NOT COMFORTABLE WITH BREAKING
   A SILENCE THAT HAS LASTED FOR
   TEN YEARS. I HAVEN'T SPOKEN OF
   MY PAST EVEN TO MY COMRADES
   AMONG THE DEVAS, ALTHOUGH THE
   GENERAL KNOWS A LITTLE.

Leena:
   I guess that means you aren't
   going to take that thing off,
   either.

Zoah:
   WHAT, MY LOINCLOTH?

Leena:
   NO! I meant--

   ...That was a joke, wasn't it?
   I didn't think you had a sense
   of humour.

   Oh, I'm sorry, that--

Zoah:
   KARSH AND MARCY WOULD AGREE
   WITH YOU. BUT...WELL, WE'RE
   PRIVATE HERE, I SUPPOSE.
   WAIT A MOMENT.

[The screen fades out as Zoah reaches for his helmet.
When it fades back in, he has his back to the camera
and the helmet under his arm. His hair is red, and he
wears it very short--brush cut or similar. During the
next few exchanges, he uses a different portrait--looks
a bit like Crono, but with grey eyes, the short hair,
and probably a scar of some sort.]

Zoah:
   Satisfied? Not that you would
   have known what to do with
   what's under my loincloth anyway.
   Not at your age.

Leena:
   Oh, quit it! But you do look
   better than I expected. Um,
   I mean--

Zoah:
   You mean you thought I would
   have only half a nose, or
   something like that. Don't
   worry--I'm used to it.

Leena:
   Umm... So why is Porre
   after you?

Zoah:
   Trying to change the subject?
   They aren't exactly. After me,
   I mean.

[Leena walks away a few paces, to the edge of the water, and looks
down into it.]

Leena:
   ...You know, my grandma used to
   say that if something was too
   hard to explain straight out,
   you should try to make a story
   out of it.

Zoah:
   A story?

Leena:
   Yes, you know--"Once upon
   a time..."

Zoah:
   You're a very stubborn girl. Are
   you really that curious about
   me? ...And you're blushing.

Leena:
   I am NOT blushing!

   ...But I guess I AM curious.
   Is that really so bad?

Zoah:
   I suppose I'm not used to having
   pretty girls interested in me
   anymore.

Leena:
   Now YOU'RE trying to change the
   subject--and you're no better at
   it than Serge is! Come on, now.
   "Once upon a time..."

Zoah:
   All right, I'll try, if it will
   get you off my back.

   Once upon a time...there was a
   boy whose father wanted him to
   be a soldier.

Leena:
   And he wanted to be a...a shop
   clerk or something?

Zoah:
   Heh. No, or this would be a very
   different type of story. No, the
   boy would have been quite happy
   to become a soldier--he'd always
   been good at fighting. What he
   didn't want to be was Porrean...
   or at least not the son of the
   High Commander of Porre. The
   idea was that he would go to
   officer's school and then be
   promoted through a series of
   safe postings until he could be
   appointed to the High Command
   himself. However, the boy wanted
   to fight, not become a
   politician in uniform. And so,
   the day before he would have
   been sent to the Porrean
   Military Academy to begin his
   officer's training, he took his
   armour and his sword and ran
   away from home. After that, he
   wandered around for a few years,
   trying to find a place as far as
   possible from Porre. El Nido
   seemed like a good bet.

Leena:
   That must have been a few
   years ago now--do you really
   think they're still looking
   for...that boy?

Zoah:
   Maybe not, but the High
   Commander is a very stubborn
   man. He doesn't like to let
   things slip through his fingers.

Leena:
   ...

Zoah:
   And now you look depressed.
   Don't be. I love El Nido--the
   scenery, the people, and
   especially the food--and I'm
   glad this is where I ended up.

   I'd probably better put my
   helmet back on and get up to
   the inn now--I've been holding
   things up long enough already.
   See you there.

[The scene fades out, but in front of the black screen we see--]

Leena:
   So I guess I finally found a
   guy who isn't crazy, ugly, too
   old, or in love with someone
   else...but why does he have to
   dress like that?

   I'm starting to think I'm going
   to end up being an old maid.

[The player gets control of the party back in the inn room.]
   
------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Knight Life

===================================================
Dario and Glenn's House, Termina (Another)
===================================================

 [Porre Soldier]
   This knight Glenn
   I hear is an extremely
   hot-tempered and
   hard-headed guy.
   My, my, that's why
   prehistoric soldiers
   like knights are
   such a nuisance.

Glenn:
   What was that!?
   Try squeaking that
   line out again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Dario is present]

Dario:
   Do not waste your time on men
   like him, Glenn. Getting angry
   at him only results in your
   descending to his level.

Glenn:
   You're saying...it isn't 
   something a knight should do...
   but he's insulting all the
   Dragoons, not just me! I have
   to defend our honour, brother!

[Dario shakes his head]

Dario:
   You are still more impulsive
   than is good for you. My honour
   wasn't harmed by his words...
   but you might have damaged it
   through your behaviour.

Glenn:
   ...I'm sorry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 [Porre Soldier]
   Huh, are you a knight also?
   That's why I say knights
   are so foolish.

Glenn:
   Tsk!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Radius is present]

Radius:
   It's at times like this that
   you remind me most of your
   father. Garai could be exactly
   the same way: stubborn and
   impulsive.

Glenn:
   I don't...really remember, but
   I always thought that he was
   more like my brother.

Radius:
   No, not at all. Dario always
   took after your mother--a
   remarkably gentle woman. I never
   was able to understand why she
   married Garai, because I cannot
   imagine two more different
   people.

Dario: [if present]
   They loved each other dearly.
   I think that perhaps he needed
   her gentleness to temper him,
   and she needed his fierceness to
   keep her moving forward. But I
   am not nearly as much like her
   as you seem to think I am. The
   Masamune would have made that
   clear to me even if nothing
   else had.

   I wish you had had the chance
   to know them better, Glenn, but
   you were still so small when
   they died...

Glenn:
   ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

===========================================
Shrine Area, Termina (Another)
===========================================

[I believe this is caused by examining the grave
late in the game, and with Glenn in the party...]
 
Glenn:
   ......?
   The Einlanzer is
   resonating...?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If the party never found Dario on the Forbidden
Island...]

Glenn:
   Brother...!?
   Yes, I understand.
   This sword I will
   take into my hands...
   And together, we will
   fulfill our unfinished
   dream!

 [System]
   Glenn has succeeded the
   Einlanzer!

Serge:
   (Nice to know I'm not the only
   one who talks to people who
   aren't there...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Dario has been recruited, or has been
discovered by the party but not recruited--]

Glenn:
   I cannot take it. It still
   belongs to my brother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Dario is in the party]

Dario:
   Go on. Take it.

Glenn:
   I cannot--the Einlanzer
   is yours, brother.

[Dario shakes his head]

Dario:
   No, Glenn. I am no longer worthy
   to wield the holy sword. I would
   even go so far as to say that I
   perhaps never was in the first
   place.

Glenn:
   Of course you are worthy!

[Dario turns away.]

Dario:
   ...No. If I had ever truly
   possessed the strength of spirit
   necessary to wield Einlanzer's
   full powers, the Masamune would
   not have dragged me down so
   easily. I...didn't even have to
   touch it for the darkness to
   fill my head. There is so much
   evil in me, Glenn. So many
   thoughts that I hide even from
   myself, repressed desires that
   I dare not even articulate,
   because speaking of them makes
   them too real...

Glenn:
   I think...that perhaps...you
   are too hard on yourself.

Dario:
   What do you mean?

Glenn:
   For as long as I can remember,
   you have been trying to be the
   perfect knight. And for as long
   as I can remember, I have wanted
   to be like you...but I never
   quite succeed. I make mistakes,
   I stumble and fall...and then
   I get up again, and usually
   I am the only one who feels that
   I deserve any blame for whatever
   happened. I cannot be perfect,
   but I CAN try with all my might
   to become the sort of man I want
   to be. And so can you.

Dario:
   Glenn...

   Take the Einlanzer.

Glenn:
   But--

[Dario turns back toward him, and shakes
his head.]

Dario:
   You misunderstand. I want you
   to have it...because you are the
   best knight here. All other
   qualities aside, you have just
   proven that you possess a
   clarity of vision that exceeds
   mine. Take up our father's
   sword, and use it well.

Glenn:
   Brother...

 [System]
   Glenn has succeeded the
   Einlanzer!

Dario:
   ...And please, do not tell Riddel
   any of what I said. It will only
   worry her unnecessarily.

Glenn:
   I won't.

Serge:
   (I wonder if he's ever going to
   remember that the two of them
   aren't alone here...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7. Riddle of the Sphinx

===========================================================
Cavern, Earth Dragon Isle (Another)
===========================================================

Serge:
   I guess the dragon isn't here...
   (Which means that this time we
   shouldn't have to fight. Good.)

Kid:                           | Guile:                   | Magus:
   Um, I think ya'd better     |    Indeed, it must have  |    Look up, fool.
   look up at the ledge, mate. |    died...or been killed |    The dragon may
   There's something up there. |    by that peculiar      |    not be here, but
   Don't think it's a dragon,  |    creature up on the    |    that doesn't mean
   though.                     |    ledge.                |    we're alone.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dario/Radius:                  | Sprigg:                  | Grobyc:
   The dragon may be gone, but |    Might want to check   |    Grobyc-thinks-
   there is a strange-looking  |    the ledge before ya   |    the-creature-on-
   creature up on the ledge... |    get too relaxed.      |    the-ledge-ate-it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luccia:                        | Karsh:                   | Glenn/Norris:
   De dragon may be gone, but  |   Guess it ran away...   |    Nevertheless, we
   dere is a creature of an    |   Well, maybe that thing |    should remain on our
   unfamiliar species on de    |   up on the ledge can    |    guard--there is a
   ledge above us, and it may  |   give us a fight!       |    large creature up
   be hostile.                 |                          |    on the ledge.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zoah:                          | Marcy:                   | Fargo:
   PERHAPS IT LOST A FIGHT     |    Maybe that weird      |   Look sharp, ye
   WITH THAT PECULIAR CREATURE |    thing on the ledge,   |   lubbers! We're not
   UP ON THE LEDGE.            |    like, chased it away. |   alone.

[The camera pans up to the ledge, where the Criosphynx is...wiggling.]


 [Criosphinx]
   Let those who disturb the
   peace of the land be punished...

Serge:
   Um, we'll just be leaving now...
   (Damn, I think it's going to
   jump!)

[The Criosphynx jumps down, and combat begins instantly.]

Mysterious Monster:
   Quid me vis?
   I am the Criosphinx.
   And thou hast trespassed on my domain!
   Why must thou bring turmoil to this land?
   Now turmoil unto thee, I give...
   Depending on how thou meet'st this trial
   Thou mayst be allowed to leave here alive!
   However, this is an island
   which no man hath visited for aeons
   and the Criosphinx is
   grown quite bored...
   If thou possessest the courage
   to match thy wits to mine,
   thy sins may be forgiven when thou
   answerest correctly my questions six!

Serge:
   (I know I've been saying for a while
   now that I wished something would just
   challenge me to a game of tiddlywinks
   or something, but this isn't quite what
   I had in mind!)

Criosphinx:
   Now riddle me this...
   Usus est magister optimus.
   Here is an easy one
   to start off with!
   Auburn nay the burn,
   Iron pyrite nay the fool,
   All that glitters is nay...
   But silence is...
   Answer my question!
   What am I?

Serge:
   (That's supposed to be EASY?!
   I mean, the answer's obviously
   not "a Criosphinx"...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If they try to answer the riddles, and the next thing the
party does is fire off a Yellow Element, the Criosphinx says--]

Criosphinx:
   Verus...
   Thou art correct.

[It will say that after every other correctly-answered
riddle as well.]

Criosphinx:
   Dimidium facti qui bene coepit habet.
   Well begun is half done.
   Now, here my second riddle be...
   In my anger, I see...
   Both the rag to charge at,
   And the flag to stop at.
   Blushing, I walk the royal carpet.
   Answer my question!
   What am I?

Serge:
   (Rag to charge at? Does it think
   it's a bull?)

[If the party uses a Red Element, we proceed to
the next riddle:]

Criosphinx:
   Now riddle number three!
   Bene rem gere!
   It isn't easy being...
   A friend of the planet,
   With the jealous monster's eyes
   Giving me a sign to proceed!
   Answer my question!
   What am I?

Serge:
   ("It isn't easy being a friend
   of the planet"? What the...?)

[The answer, of course, is "green...]

Criosphinx:
   Thou catchest on quickly!
   Question four...
   Accipe!
   Mare et caelum et viola,
   Give me a melancholy gloom,
   But a first prize ribbon,
   Makes me feel I've royal blood!
   Answer my question!
   What am I?

Serge:
   (First prize... Is that a blue or
   a white ribbon? I can never
   remember...)

[Blue...]

Criosphinx:
   Velim tibi ita persuadeas...
   Just two more to go!
   Like pontoon nay the knave,
   Or Jolly Roger nay the bones,
   Even the top rank of self-defense,
   Is no protection from the Plague.
   Answer my question!
   What am I?

Serge:
   (Or a cloudy night... Damn, I'm
   even starting to THINK like it.)

[Black...]

Criosphinx:
   Nigra in candida vertere.
   By deduction alone thou shouldst
   my answer already know ...
   What the extorted one is bled,
   With knuckles of fear.
   The plumage of a coward when
   Faced with the hottest of heat.
   Answer my question!
   What is it I be?

Serge:
   (Like it said, there's only one
   colour left...)

Criosphinx:
   Sat prata biberunt!
   Gratulor felicitati tuae!
   Well done!
   Thou hast solved all of
   my riddles!
   Thy brains are as strong
   as thy brawn!

   Bene vale! Bene valeto!
   Always be diligent
   in thy practice!
   Me tibi commendo!
   Vale!
   I take my leave of you!
   Farewell!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If the party either screws up or starts attacking the
Criosphinx without paying any attention to the riddles...]

Criosphinx:
   Quid est?
   Quidnam tu hominis es?
   What?
   Thou sayest thou canst
   not answer my question?
   Male factum!
   Then what have I to do
   with thee?
   Be gone from my sight!
   Abi in malem rem!

Serge:
   What can I say? I'm just a dumb
   fisherman. (And anyway, I can't
   even understand half of what
   this thing is saying! How am I
   supposed to answer riddles that
   are fifty percent gibberish?)

[If they succeed in killing it...]

Criosphinx:
   Quid ais?
   Mira narras!
   Impressive!
   Ne'er thought I there'd be
   humans who could defeat the
   Criosphinx by force alone!
   Thy way of life intrigues me!
   To conquer all obstacles with
   brawn rather than by brain!?
   .........
   But I warn ye, woes shall
   surely befall ones such
   as thee!

   Vale!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[When the combat ends, the Criosphinx disappears.]

Serge:
   In some ways, that has to have
   been the weirdest thing that's
   happened to us so far. And what
   was all that "quid" and "vale"
   stuff?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Magus is present]

Magus:
   It was using a dead language
   in a hopeless attempt to appear
   intelligent--and getting half
   of it wrong.

[Note: I have little Latin and less Greek, but if Squeenix
couldn't even get archaic English right, I expect the Latin
isn't any good either.]

Serge:
   So that's what they
   spoke in Zeal?

Magus:
   No--a far younger tongue than
   that. The sixth-century Mystics
   had some old books written in it.

Sprigg: [if present]
   Thought it sounded familiar.
   I never learned to read it,
   though--not me cup of tea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serge:
   Well, I suppose it really
   doesn't matter. Let's go.

---------------------------------------------------------

8. Over the Rainbow

[The version in which they don't yet have the Smith's Hammer is
in Chapter 20. I'm recapping a bit here to make certain everyone
knows what I'm talking about, because Ch. 20 was a while ago...]

===========================================================
Zappa's Smithy, Termina (Another)
===========================================================

[If the party has acquired an @Rainbow...]

Serge:
   (I wonder if he knows anything
   about that weird forging
   material we found, the stuff
   that looks sort of like shell.)

   Say, Zappa, do you have any
   idea what this stuff is?
   
Zappa:
   Whoa, is no that the
   Rainbow!?

Serge:
   Rainbow?

Zappa:
   'Tis a legendary material, lad.
   If ye don't mind my askin',
   where did ye get it?

Serge:
   Um... I think someone gave it to
   me. I don't remember exactly--
   there's been too much going on.

Zappa:
   When ah was a lad, ah traveled
   with me wife searchin' for it
   but...
   So, it really exists. Ah would
   love to get mah hands on it...
   but from what ah can tell, this
   thing can't be forged by meself.
   Now, if we had another skilled
   blacksmith like yours truly,
   that would be a different story.
   Rather unlikely story, though.
   Hahaha!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[If Serge also has the Smith's Spirit and the Hammer...]

Serge:
   (Well, there are two Zappas,
   but... Say, where's that thing
   the other one gave me? He said
   I could use it to call him...)

[The player needs to use the Smith's Spirit at this point.
Using it causes the screen to flash brightly, and suddenly
there's another Zappa in the room...]

Zappa[Home]:
   Ye called, lad?

[He looks at the other Zappa]

Zappa[Home]:
   Ye be me...!?

Zappa[Another]:
   Ah need yir help.
   Ah want to hammer this thing
   to make that ye-know-what...

Zappa[Home]:
   That thing ye have...
   It's the Rainbow!

Zappa[Another]:
   Aye, this lad says someone
   gave it to him--as though it
   were a Heal element or summat!

Serge:
   I don't think they knew how
   rare it was. I certainly didn't!

Zappa[Home]:
   So this ye-know-what ye
   be talkin' about is the
   Rainbow Axe, then?

Zappa[Another]:
   Ah knew ah could
   count on meself...
   So, shall we start
   hammerin'?
   It be a wee bit hard
   by meself, but two of
   us working together
   should be a breeze.

Zappa[Home]:
   Sounds interesting...
   Good timing too. Ah've just
   finished an order.
   We'll see what ah can do...

[Hammer-hammer-hammer-fadeout-fadein...]

Zappa[Home]:
   So this is the...
   Rainbow Axe!!!

Serge:
   It almost looks like it's been
   dipped in oil. (Looks kind of
   neat, really.)

Zappa[Another]:
   Hmm, it's probably radiating
   such beautiful colors because
   of its prismatic nature...
   The response from the hammer
   is as satisfying as its finish.
   It be truly an amazing material...

Serge:
   I still don't get what that
   Rainbow stuff really is, though.
   (It looks a bit like the inside
   of a rainbow shell, but you'd
   need a thousand of those to get
   enough to make one axe...)

Zappa[Home]:
   No one knows, lad, and that's
   the truth. Some say it be the
   Dragonians that brought it to
   this world. Others that it be
   made in the belly of some
   creature that lives so deep in
   the ocean that it ne'er sees
   light and so canna know the
   beauty of what it bears...

Zappa[Another]:
   That be almost as silly as the
   rumour that it be dragon dung!
   But it be a joy tae work with,
   whate'er it be.

Zappa[Home]:
   We should be able to do this
   on our own next time...
   That sure was a brilliant job.
   Ah hope ah can work with ye
   again!
 
 [System]
   Zappa learned how to
   forge the rainbow material!

Serge:
   (It's kind of weird how people
   always seem to get along so well
   with their other selves... Well,
   except for Fargo, who hates his
   own guts.)

   (...I wonder what it would be
   like to meet...me?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, next we have Chapter 26, In Which Magus Gets Really Angry At Belthasar, then one last
round of side stuff (mostly about Nikki, Marcy, and Fargo), then Chapter 27, In Which I
Will Gut the Conversation with the Ghosts (Which Will Make the Chapter Very Short), and
after that, I get to do endings, including at least one new one.

[Acacia Sgt]

Amazing... the added parts, was all interesting...

[Sailor Phantom]

  WOW. Love the bit between Leena and Zoah. I've heard(or read) debates on whether Zoah is actually Crono and the fact that you did something like that! But is it Crono's and Marle's kid? Will we find out? So many questions!

[alfadorredux]

Canonically, Zoah can't be Crono or Crono's son unless there's some time travel involved, because his age is wrong (Zoah is 28 years old, which would have made him 8 at the time of CT). It is, however, possible that he might be Crono's younger brother. In any case, the description of what he really looks like was indeed intended as a nod in the direction of those theories.

[Acacia Sgt]

Well, from what I remember, early ideas about Zoah was that he was going to be the prince of a far-off country and used the helmet to hide a battle scar. That heavily implies Guardia, but who knows what would've his exact relation if true...

[Mr Bekkler]

Well, if he was Crono's son, he'd be coming from a family that tends to time-travel. So who's to say he wasn't kidnapped and brought back in an instant, but for him it was about ten years?

[utunnels]

He's Crono's nephew.
 


But we see glowing eyes behind the mask. Does that mean something?
http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Zoah.html


Oh, wait, I think I know. He's the Terminator!