Nikki, Fargo, and Marcy--what the hell?!

[alfadorredux]

I just noticed something rather peculiar.

Nikki's age is given as 19, which is fairly reasonable, although it doesn't give him much time to have established himself as a singer.

Marcy's age is given as 9, which I suppose isn't completely implausible (although she's really precocious)...except for one thing. If Marcy is 9, that means that Fargo and Zelbess were still together when Nikki was about the same age (even if we don't trust the Ultimania guide, which indicates Nikki last saw Fargo in 1011). However, when the party first boards the Invincible, Nikki does not recognize Fargo until he's told the name of the ship and has a chance to work backwards, although he should remember his father quite well (Nikki (Home) even remembers the furniture, for crying out loud...).

I can only think of three explanations for this, and I don't really like any of them:
1. Marcy's age is incorrect, and she should be at least 13-14, making Nikki around 5 the last time he saw his father. (This means that the Ultimania guide is also out to lunch.)
2. Fargo has really changed a lot since Nikki last saw him. This is the most plausible explanation on the face of it, but how different could a grown man really become in <10 years, barring severe and disfiguring injury?
3. Fargo and Nikki actually parted ways several years before Marcy was even conceived--but why?

Does anyone have any better ideas?

[tiny260]

Well, I have one idea on how to answer this: Get a sugar high off Coke and play Chrono Cross 'till four in the morning. 

Seriously, though, I'm not sure. That is a very good question... hm... well, perhaps a traumatic experience happened right around when they parted, and her mind blocked it out?

[utunnels]

If Marcy is 9, that means that Fargo and Zelbess were still together when Nikki was about the same age (even if we don't trust the Ultimania guide, which indicates Nikki last saw Fargo in 1011).

3. Fargo and Nikki actually parted ways several years before Marcy was even conceived--but why?

I think the 3rd one is more acceptable.

1. Even though the Ultimania is not trustable, she doesn't look like 13 years old at all.
2. That is not possible. Fargo has been a sailor for ages. Otherwise, we can say he had white skin and different hair style 9 years ago, but the sunburn darkened his skin and he changed his hair style and grew a mustache. -- Even though, it is possible that Nikki couldn't recognize him at all?

[Licawolf]

2. Fargo has really changed a lot since Nikki last saw him. This is the most plausible explanation on the face of it, but how different could a grown man really become in <10 years, barring severe and disfiguring injury?

Maybe Fargo purposely changed his appeareance radically after what happened with Zelbess. I think it's possible for a man to change that much in 9 years if he tries to change himself deliberately. Maybe he built a stronger body, got a darker skin tone, a change of clothes and hairstyle, grew a moustache... maybe even he tried to change his manners and gestures (Fargo got a extreme makeover!   ) And Nikki may have noticed a familiarity but dismissed it.

Or maybe it's just like Clark Kent   It's all in the glasses the moustache.

[tiny260]

Or maybe it's just like Clark Kent   It's all in the glasses the moustache.

...this explains SO much, not just in video games and comic books but in life itself.

(The scary thing: I'm not being sarcastic.  )

[Acacia Sgt]

I'd say Fargo just changed that much over the years...

Also, it's not possible for Marcy to be at least older than 10 as otherwise Fargo wouldn't have that drastically different fates in each world. I think....

[alfadorredux]

@Licawolf: Nice to know I'm not the only one who thought of Clark Kent!

I did neglect a fourth possible solution (Marcy was in suspended animation for some period of time, so she's biologically 9 but chronologically older), but upon reflection, I think it was really a combination of factors: Fargo had changed somewhat, and Nikki didn't want this nasty underhanded pirate dude who sics giant parrot monsters on visitors to be his father, so he deliberately ignored the resemblance until it was effectively shoved in his face.

(And that should resolve my writer's block, which was my concealed reason for starting this thread in the first place.  )

[Licawolf]

I did neglect a fourth possible solution (Marcy was in suspended animation for some period of time, so she's biologically 9 but chronologically older)

It's Luccia's fault, she put some drops of anti-growth hormones in Marcy's breakfast cereal