Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross the breakdown
I typed a post just like this last night and lost it all because my computer froze so for all the effort, someone please read and post to this. Any real trigger/cross fan will appreciate it, want to add something, or want to argue something. I haven't posted in a LONG time here and I used to frequently be on EoFF. I just beat trigger 3 days ago for about the 50th time and immediately played cross straight through no breaks except food and bathroom and beat that last night for about the fifth time. Everyone says trigger and cross are so different, but I say they were 2 chapters of the same story (leaving room for a third IMO)
This talks alot about Cross, but you have to understand Cross to understand why it was made and how it connects with Trigger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~MAJOR SPOILERS~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The easiest way I can explain how these two games merge it is that the chrono trigger series is all based on the theory of time travel. Not just on one stream though but on the belief that certain events can go either way and there is an alternate existance with every possible outcome in each timestream (I believe it's called the "Many Worlds Interpretation" of quantum mechanics). Trigger shows the adventures of Chrono and Co battling to save the world from a bleak future they view in 2300 AD and see that a creature named Lavos is destined to destroy earth. Cross however is a continuation of that same story, but goes more in depth on the conception that time operates on different lines, each with alternate futures and outcomes. Cross discusses how FATE (the 2nd generation of MotherBrain from the Trigger sidequest) was created in 2400 and after a research group found a gravitational pull in the sea of El Nido (a body of water south of Guardia and Porre) they with the help of the Guru Belthasaur built a time research center known as Chronopolis. The time research also housed the Frozen Flame. In cross we learn that this Frozen Flame is a mere splinter of Lavos himself. But Belthasar and Lucca hand a hand in the construction of Chronopolis and designed a failsafe in FATE's circuits(the promethius circuit...aka robo..) just to make sure there would never be another motherbrain incident I'm sure.
Now in the research center (Cross) we learn that the counter-time experiments failed and resulted in the Time Crash. After the Time Crash Lavos pulled Chronopolis 10,000 years into the past ( I'm half guessing and Kid mentions it in the game as a Maybe, but I believe he was pulling back the Frozen Flame).Now maybe it was the planet (according to Kid) but to counterbalance Chronopolis, Dinopolis was pulled from a different timeline (one where dinosaurs had evolved more closely with the earth and man had never ruled). So now the sea of Eden housed a great beast known as the dragon god (in the research center you learn that all the islands of El Nido were artificially created by FATE, only Gaeas Navel existed previously and it is an island of Dinosaurs). Gaeas navel was the remnants of the society of dinosaurs that had once ruled (Chrono trigger...descendants of Azalas) . A great battle ensued and Mankind came out the victor. FATE sealed the powers of the 6 dragon gods away and made them into 6 quasi-gods and placed them on the artificial islands created in El Nido Archipeligo. FATE also created the 6 elements to house the natural energy of the dragons.
Now we never learn how Chrono and Marle die, But we do learn alot about Lucca. Lucca worked closely with Belthasaur in the post defeat of Lavos future. (I assume she went to see how things turned out...heck shes a scientist. Or it could have been when Chronos mom does in the gate, or to see Robo, or whatever. She went according to cross(. In Cross were told many times that she helped Belthasar and I believe it was here in the future that Belthasar told her his predictions. See, Belthasaur IS THE KEY TO IT ALL!! He predicted everthing in Cross and in Trigger. (He basically tells us so). In trigger in 12,000 BC Zeal tries to harvest the power of Lavos via the Mammon Machine and Schala, Janus, and the 3 gurus are all warped to seperate points in time. This is truly where the story of Cross begins (in fact, Lucca's ghost tells us the on Opassa beach at the end of Cross). Schala used her power to save Chrono and co but couldn't save herself. She was warped into a dimensional vortex with the mammon machine, and at this point combined with lavos to create the Time Devourer. Now Janus and the 3 gurus were warped to different eras in the original timeline. Belthasaur was warped to a future where Lavos had already destroyed earth, and Belthasaur knew that Chrono and co would be coming to his time in their fight against Lavos. So he built the epoch using the combination of his times technology (magic) and the futures technology (machines). He also knew that Chrono would die, so he created the Chrono Trigger (aka the time egg). Finally he used his magic to make the three poyozo dolls used to climb death peak. But he never finished the epoch. He programmed a Nu to finish that knowing his body would give out in the bleek future(in Trigger the Nu adds the engine before you fly it).
Now when Gasper gives you the time egg at the end of time he tells you "It will only work if this person is important to the fabric of time. Also it will only give as much effort as you put forth, no more, no less". Chrono was important to the existance of time and this again leads us into Cross. When Schala merged with Lavos her mind was torn in two. Half wanted to destroy mankind, half loved it. Now when Serge was a mere child he was attacked by a panther. Schala knew that he was important to the existance of time and knew that he could bring balance to the world. She heard his cry and cloned herself creating a massive electrical storm. Now Schala sent herself as a child knowing everything that was to take place in cross, which would lead Kid to travel from the future (post defeat of the time devourer) to rescue Serge from drowning as a child to ensure that he would come in contact with the flame and the events of Cross WOULD take place!! And Belthasar (post defeat of Lavos future Belthasaur)also predicted all of this, told Lucca all of it (probably told her to start the orphanage for the sake of Kid). He then created the Neo-Epoch and traveled to 1020 AD to learn of Chronopolis and FATE's plans and to watch how things happened in this era. Truely they all were merely setting up for what was to be!! (The end of Cross says something about how sometimes it seems like were all waiting for that one life to be born that will change existance itself, then it goes on about how we can all be that one life, and everyones important, etc)
(Still with me :-)!!!!!
Wazuki and Miguel were sailing to Marbule to seek healing for the poison in Serge and although great Fisherman, the storm was too much. Because they were so sea worthy they survived, but were blown far off course to the sea of Eden. Now during this storm FATE's system malfunctioned. At this VERY moment, the dragon gods seized opportunity and created Harle to go and steal the frozen flame. But the Frozen Flame called out to to the crying child Serge. when he touched it he was healed, but his father was driven mad. in his last effort he saw Serge off to safety. But in his weakened state, FATE found him easy to merge with. Because Serge had touched the flame all the security systems in Chronopolis could only grant access to him as the Arbiter (basically, his DNA was the password). FATE was pissed to say the least. After merging with Wazuki FATE took the form of the one thing Serge feared most....A panther (Lynx). When Harle showed up to steal the Flame and realized what had happened, she decided instead to convince Lynx to join forces with her to try and prevent Serge from coming in contact with the flame.
Harle and FATE (well Lynx now) knew that it was Kid (Schala) who rescued Serge from drowning. So she convinced Lynx to go back in time to when Kid was a child and kill her off to prevent her from ever saving Serge.They destroyed the Orphanage and think they've killed kid but we learn in Cross that Kid carries Schalas magical pendant, and whenever her life is in danger it takes her back to a previous point in time and she wakes up fine (we learn about this toward the end of Cross).
Now FATE knew that all they could do now is wait for events to take place up until Serge would one day try and come in contact with the flame. So Lynx joined forces with Porre in one world, and the Acacia Dragoons in the other. But Lynx(FATE) no longer had any control in the world where Serge was still alive. All that could be done was watch so Lynx spread his influence in other ways, gaining power and manipulating others. Lynx sent the expidition out for the Masamune and in turn eliminated Dario (knowing he would be in the way). He convinced Porre to invade Guldove and Terminia in search for the Dragons Tear, and to stop any resistance. He convinced the dragoons to explore Fort Dragonia (where he ultimately tried to kill Serge, Kid, and Viper). Needless to say he was a busy man.
Back on point though. So Serge does as FATE/Lynx predicted, and hears Kid call to him on Opassa beach from the other world. He sees his grave and goes with Kid to question Viper. Meets Lynx, saves Kid (or Norris does depending on how you play), Blah blah, etc etc,. Now he switches bodies with Lynx and now Lynx/Fate can be recognized as the Arbiter. Serge tries to stop him and collects the powers of the 6 dragon Gods to enter the Dead Sea (Guarded by Miguel, who was chosen by FATE as a gatekeeper if you will.)
In the Dead Sea he meets three childrens ghosts: Chrono's, Luccas, and Marles. Next to Nadia's Bell they blame Serge for what happened to this future, and call him the assassin of time. They tell Serge that he is responsible for this future becoming a reality, as it was the future they worked so hard to destroy. Miguel tell you to not worry about them and that they are just whispers from the past (If you notice there is an Enertron here from Chrono Trigger, and just like trigger it says HP/MP healed....but your still hungry). Miguel explains a bit about this future and how he came to be there and asks you to join him etc etc.
*On a side note for above nobody is really sure how the dead sea was formed. What I believe isc that because Serge came in contact with the flame he is linked with Lavos. The dead sea only exists in the world Serge survived in. How that affects Chrono and Co from not defeating him in 1999 is beyond me but maybe because Lavos was linked with Serge in 1020 AD still he was able to draw himself through time as a last fleeting effort after his defeat. In Trigger there is one bit left after the defeat of Lavos. If the frozen flame is a sliver of him and is this powerful, that bit may have had the power to travel across time due to Serge being linked with the frozen flame. Again, just my theory though
This is where the stories intertwine again though eluding to the fact that Serge is responsible for Lavos still destroying the future, and the efforts of Chrono & Co being in vain. The only main points to cross henceforth are getting the blessings of the 6 dragon gods, getting your body back, fighting FATE/Terra Tower/Time devourer, so I'll get off cross a bit and back to the crossES between the two.
Something else I loved about mixing the story lines was the bit in Chronopolis about the grandfathers diary. Who's Grandfather I dont know (Belthasaur?? Maybe Lucca had the kids call him Grandpa? He was a time traveler and all) But the bit from this diary was the opening text from Radical Dreamers (A text based game never released in US) This game was a semi sequal to Trigger, prequal to Cross (But I beat it and got all the endings...serge was kinda a pu$$y in it. Plus the whole thing takes place in Viper Manor tryin to steal the Flame from Lynx). I think that this piece being in the game was not just an easter egg, but hinting at the existance of other timestream and Kid being from one. Further supporting this is if you go back to the SS Zelbass in disk 2 with Kid in your party and not Nikki (you must have liberated Marbule) You will see a cutscene where Kid confusingly asks Nikki how he got the name for his band (Magical Dreamers) He says to her that long ago he couldn't play much and a mysterious girl told him to never give up and keep dreaming (or something close to that). Kid then says she thinks she knows who the girl was, and Nikki asks who because he'd like to meet her. Kid says when all this is done and over with she'll tell him about it. On the same Radical Dreamers not I loved how after it says its a diary entry but before the opening text to dreamers it says: Le Tresor Interdit--which means:the forbidden treasure. I wonder if this was eluding to the fact that it wasn't released in the US?
Also in Cross, Luccia knew Lucca Ashtear. If you go back late in the game (after you save kid with the Chrono Cross, or with the Mastermune) to see Luccia she has a letter from Lucca for Kid. Basically Lucca says that because of what Chrono and Co did someone might one day come after her etc etc. Then Luccia says something about how Lucca WOULD have been a better scientist than her (which I dont get because Luccia created GARBAGE like NeoFio,Pip, and some other trash, while Lucca replicated Belthasars time egg, created a gate key, Gato (LOL also in Cross) the promethius circuit, fixed Robo....the list goes on. To make it easy Lucca>Luccia)
Well I'm dead tired of typing and thinking now and it would be super cool if someone read and reposted to this. Add anything I forgot, argue any parts I didn't say where my opinion, gimme somethin!!
