"I Will Find You"
So, what the heck is this? A Chrono Cross fanfiction--well, duh. It takes place right after the end of the game--as in, the moment it ends, practically. So there are going to be spoilers, but the beginning, at least, shouldn't spoil much, if any, of the game itself. So who the heck are these people? They are Chrono Cross characters...however, they are living in a different world, living different lives. But it's not really an alternate universe...hopefully it'll all make sense in the future. As for who's equivalent to whom, that's something of a spoiler. If you really need to know, drop me an email at nh3avenue@aol.com.
Although the story is mostly going to be serious, the intermissions are just silly and pointless (as Sara points out). They're not meant to have a real connection to the world of IWFY, they're just strange little ideas the author had that don't really stand well on their own. Okay then, without further ado...
Chapter One: The Son That Got Away
"Hey, you, kid!"
She turned, her blond hair blowing in her face again. She pushed it away, but the wind didn't want to let it stay, and it continued to annoy her.
"Um..."
"Sorry to startle you, but you seemed to be in a trance there. Didn't want the tide to wash over you, miss."
"Oh, I'm all right." She smiled. "I appreciate your concern."
"Eh, don't mention it." The speaker was a man, his hair gone mostly to gray. She could only estimate his age as somewhere between forty and sixty, but he seemed nice enough. "Pardon me," he said, taking a closer look at her, "I guess you're not a kid."
"Don't worry about it," she said, with a bit of a laugh. "I haven't been called Kid in a long time. I didn't think anyone else came out to this beach-the water's too cold."
"Well, I live in the neighborhood. It's a nice place to take a walk. Kuren used to..."
"Huh?"
"Never mind." He shook his head. "You look familiar, for some reason," the man continued. "What's your name?"
"I go by Sara," the young woman replied. "May I ask who you might be?"
It was the man's turn to laugh. "There was a time when no one asked that question," he said. "Well, my name is Nicholas Ariar. Pleased to meet you, though I'm sorry that I still can't place your face."
"Nick Ariar?" Sara smiled. "Yes, I think we have met before-in another life, perhaps."
Nicholas laughed. "Maybe so. I'm surprised someone your age would even remember-"
"You made more of an impression than you realize, Mr. Ariar," Sara said. "Your music changed the world."
"Well, I'd certainly love to think so, but it's something I simply can't do." He shook his head, his smile falling. "I still feel like I failed. Well, that's neither here nor there. What brings you out to the beach?"
"I was just looking for someone."
"You found someone, if I'm not mistaken."
"Yes, I did! So the mission has been a success." She grinned. Nicholas Ariar struggled to remember what was so familiar about this girl. Maybe his wife would know...
"Where are you headed, now?"
"Oh, I don't know. I guess I'll keep looking."
"Do you have time to make a stop for dinner, first? My wife makes excellent sushi, and I'm not such a bad hand at cooking, myself. You're quite welcome to join us-we live over in that cottage up the hill."
Sara grinned. "I'd love to," she said.
The "cottage up the hill" was really more of a mansion, and Sara was awed by its size-and the way that it didn't feel like a rich man's house. She didn't know exactly what gave her that feeling; there were no servants about, the furniture was casual, and Nicholas's manner was down-to-earth and friendly-but there was something more than that. She liked it a great deal. I could be happy in a house like this, she thought. It's so comfortable. But now's certainly not the time to settle down!
There was a feeling of familiarity, a feeling that made her want to stay. She felt like she was getting close, that the object of her searching had to be somewhere in this area. And I knew him, she thought with some awe. I have to be getting close!
"What a cute necklace." Sara blinked-she'd been too absorbed in her thoughts to hear the woman approach. "I remember a day when I wore stuff like that-of course, all I'd get was stares for it now."
"And all you got for it was stares back then, too," Nicholas cut in.
"Well, it's a different kind of staring. Everyone thinks I'm a crazy old woman already."
"Crazy, perhaps, but not old." Nicholas placed his hands on her shoulders. "Sara, let me introduce my wife, Michele. Michele, this is Sara. I met her out on the beach-but I think we met before, somewhere."
"Pleased to meet you," Sara said smoothly, her smile genuine. I was right-I do know them! she thought triumphantly. I know them both!
"Nick may be rich, but he's too old for you, you know." Michele had only a few strands of white in her long, red-gold hair, and age had done little to dull her beauty, though she had probably put on a few pounds over the years. "And shame on anyone who tries to take advantage of a doting old man!"
"Doting? Old?" Nicholas's voice only mocked rage, and his wife giggled maliciously.
"Thank you so much for inviting me in," Sara said, interrupting their quarrel.
"Thank you for coming, Sara," Michele replied. "It does get sort of lonely up here. Please, make yourself at home."
Sara looked at the pictures on the wall. She knew that Nick Ariar had been a popular musician a generation ago, his wife Michele a dancer. And in another life, they had been...the boy pictured with them in some of the photographs also felt familiar to her, but-
"If you ever have children, encourage them to be whatever they wish to be," Michele said softly. "Don't expect then to follow in your footsteps, or you'll realize your mistake too late."
"He is your son?" Sara said, indicating the picture of a rather good-looking young man. His hair was grayer than either Michele's or Nick's, but he couldn't have been more than sixteen. No, he didn't look like anyone she knew-but the way he felt-
"That's Kuren," Michele said. "We thought he would grow up to be a musician-I suppose we pushed him too hard. We quarreled, and he left. It's been almost a year, now."
"Oh," Sara said softly. "I'm sorry to be intrusive..."
"Don't worry about it," Michele said. "All I want to know is that he's happy. I...I just..."
"I'm sure you'll see him again." Sara stared at the unfamiliar face. "I'm sure we can find him."
Michele stared at Sara. "When you say that-something makes me feel like we've met before. Were you a friend of his?"
Sara shrugged. "I don't know," she said, "but I've got a feeling that the answer is 'yes.'"
"If you ever see him, please, tell him we would welcome him back," Michele continued. She didn't quite understand Sara's answer, but it sounded like there was a glimmer of hope after all. "Nick-his father-misses him too. He's changed-he's opened up so much. We've more than forgiven him-it's only up to him to forgive us." She shook her head. "I'm sorry to burden you with an old mother's worries."
"It's not a burden. I really hope I'll be able to deliver your message for you. He still look like this picture?"
Michele nodded. "When we last saw him, he did." Sara just stared at the picture. "Cute, isn't he? Maybe if he'd met a girl like you, he wouldn't have run away."
Sara shrugged.
"Who knows? Well, I've got to go get dinner ready."
What am I doing here?
Sara's curled up on the bed that had once belonged to Kuren. They were nice to me. I couldn't refuse their hospitality.
Beds are nice, anyway. I didn't realize how tired I got of wandering. Would it really hurt that much to stay here for a little while? I'm so happy-I knew them. We've met before. And I think I've-what was that?
Then she heard another sound, something like someone coughing. Maybe Nick or Michele went out for a walk, or something. I should get to sleep. We were up so late, talking-the way old friends do. She made herself lie down again, and tried to go back to sleep. There were more scraping sounds, and Sara jumped out of bed.
Someone-is-climbing-up-the-wall.
Breathing heavily, she fumbled for the dagger she kept, just in case. I'm a bit out of practice, she thought wryly. But it's better than nothing!
Before she could plan anything else, a dark figure leapt through the window. She shrieked.
So did he.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, breaking in?!" Sara cried.
"What the hell are you doing in my room?" the figure replied. She saw the gleam of a sword catch the moonlight, and she stumbled backwards, groping for the light switch.
"Your room? This house belongs to the Airers!"
She flipped the switch-and saw the same boy she'd seen in the picture staring at her.
"I am Kuren Airer," he said. "Would you mind telling me what you're doing here?"
End of Part One. Intermission.
"General Viper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
(Enter General Viper, Karsh, Zoah, Marcy, Dario, and Riddel. Karsh, Zoah, Dario, and Viper wear ornate, shiny satin military uniforms. Music strikes up. Karsh and Riddel have electric guitars, Dario has a violin-shaped bass, and Marcy sits behind a drum set. Zoah has a triangle.)
Karsh: (Steps up to the microphone)
It was twenty years ago today
General Viper taught the band to play
We've been going in and out of style
But we're guaranteed to raise a smile
So let me introduce to you
The act you've know for all these years
Gen'ral Viper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!
Viper: (Pulls out a tuba and plays it.)
Zoah: (Dings his triangle at inopportune moments.)
Karsh, Marcy, Dario, Riddel:
We're General Viper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We hope you will enjoy the show
We're General Viper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We used to be dragoons, you know!
Karsh: General Viper's Lonely-
Dario: General Viper's Lonely-
Riddel: General Viper's Lonely-
All three: Hearts Club Band!
Marcy: It's wonderful to be here
It's certainly a thrill
You're such a lovely audience
We'd like to take you home with us
We'd love to take you home!
Riddel: I don't really wanna stop the show,
But I thought you might like to know
Dario: That the singer's gonna sing a song,
And he wants you all to sing along
Karsh: So let me introduce to you,
The one and only Zoah sings!
Riddel, Karsh, Dario, Marcy: And General Viper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!
(All pull out band instruments and play. Marcy hits Zoah's helmet with her drumstick, and it produces a ringing sound. He stumbles around the stage for a bit before regaining his balance.)
All but Zoah: Zo-ah-sings!
Zoah: What would you think if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk out on me?...
............. Sara: What the heck did that have to do with our story? Rei Helen: Well, um...nothing, I guess. But someday it might, so I figured I'd better tie it in with "I Will Find You" anyway. Doesn't really stand on its own well. Sara: That's because it's stupid. Rei Helen: (sweatdrop) Well, I hope someone thinks its at least mildly amusing. Sara: Obsess much? Rei Helen: Just wait until you see the next one.