Chrono Trigger - Rewritten.
Oh, yeah, I don't own CT, I don't own Square, I don't own anything, really.
As you might notice, this would be my first story, and I'd rather stick to familiar territory *Big Grin*.
This will not be a line - by line retelling, as there is no point in writing something like that - it doesn't improve your skills. The amount of parts that will use the in-game dialogue will really depend on my mood, or how the characters develop. I will also be adding some background information, to make things fit better, and appear more plausible. (Or even crazier). And, please, if you are reading it, review it.
[Oh, and if I start to sound like Quark, can someone break my fingers? Please?]
Chapter 1 - Broken arms, and millennium fairs.
December 28th, 999
Crono sighed. Lucca has skipped their physics class - again. Perhaps, he thought grimly, she did have a good reason to - she could be teaching this class, and would do a much better job then the sad excuse for a teacher that they had. Crono smirked at the thought, because even he could tell the difference between a heterogeneous and a homogeneous reaction, and if that wasn't enough, he still didn't forget the day when the so-called professor decides to mix some copper coins with nitric acid to demonstrate the production of hydrogen. Fortunately, nobody was injured by the nearly explosive reaction, except Crono's desk, Lucca's goggles, and the teacher, who had to spend a week in bed, recovering from third degree burns. And he called that chemistry experiment physics!
It might have been for the best that Lucca was taking a break today... Dr. Colin was in an especially grumpy mood today, and they would definitely have some "personality" conflicts - specifically after the so-called accident Lucca had in PE. Crono felt for her situation as well - it's not easy when you are considered an outcast, and are smirked at, ridiculed, and unappreciated every day. His friendship with her also caused some of that hatred to be directed at him, but he knew that he could probably live with it. Sadly, Lucca did not seem to accept it.
It seemed that with each taunt, with each snicker, she alienated herself from the rest of the students. This... depression... seemed to engulf her. The more hatred she had to endure, the more introverted she became. She tried to gain respect, but that only made things worse. She was constantly working under pressure from herself, blaming herself for everything that went wrong - and inadvertently, more and more things did go wrong. She constantly thought up new ideas, but could never implement them - perhaps because of the pressure she was putting on herself.
Barring the unfortunate environment they had to endure, Lucca knew that Crono would be there for her, although sometimes, it seemed like this trust was the only thing holding her together.
Today, it seemed to be one of those days - and, if you would say that Crono was not affected by it, it would be a rather cruel joke, with a small helping of sarcasm as the topping. He tried to get the mess that started earlier this morning out of his head, and to concentrate on the notes. After staring at the board for a few minutes, the writing seemed to turn into a jumble of unrecognizable symbols. Abandoning the idea of getting any work done for today, he waited, in a half-comatose state until the class was dismissed.
The fresh, winter air was like a glass of water to a thirsty desert traveler. Crono felt as if the intoxication of the classroom was cleansed from him. While he still had some difficulty concentrating, he was coming around. Considering that this was the last day of school for the next 2 weeks, it could have been worse. After a short trip to his house, he headed for the cliff on which the house Lucca lived in stood.
The trip was, in any case, uneventful. Nothing was out of place - following an old tradition, students would get into groups of 10-20, and would (after about an hour of 'socializing' and gossip) head over to Leene Square, for celebration. Every year they would get annoyed glances from the shopkeepers setting up their business, as well as the traveling circus, and this year was no exception. This was the year of the millennium festival, celebrating the 1000 years that the kingdom of Guardia stood, and it would be a truly grand time of celebration, and business.
Crono didn't worry about all that. He almost reached his destination.
The cliffs on which Lucca's house stood were called the Cliffs of Fortune. From his history lessons, Crono remembered something about important information that had to be delivered to Guardia during the war against the wizard Magus. It was written down as a group of bold soldiers sailed from the south continent, and, how during a terrible storm they found refuge there. 400 years ago, they were inaccessible by land, but now a bridge connected them to the mainland - The sea shore along the southern side was a national heritage piece, so Lucca's house was built as far as possible away from the bridge, and the shore - the less tourists, and picnickers, the better.
The house itself was a rather modern building - Lucca's grandfather built it there. It seemed that, somehow, right next to the village, there could never be such a beautiful, or such a quiet place - especially at dusk. It was built out of wooden planks (A rather unwise decision, considering the work that went on inside), and was always covered with a new (as in, small town new) coat of paint. Behind the house, instead of the expected vegetable garden, was the Pit of Failure, or at least, that was how the passers-by referred to it. Instead of putting more thoughts in that, Crono rang the bell. Or, he would have, if the house didn't have an automatic bell, activated by motion. A few minutes later, and a knock on the door, it was finally open.
"Hello, Crono." - Lucca greeted him, without much enthusiasm. Her goggles were pulled up above her glasses, and she wasn't wearing her helmet.
"Hello. I thought you had an automatic bell. " - He replied, noticing a rather large bandage on her arm, his enthusiasm taking a nose-dive as well.
"Oh, that... Well, it had been set off by animals more then it had by people, and we, are ahem, ignoring it."
"I see... Oh, and, can you explain what happened in PE today?" - He asked, thinking of the magnitude of the "accident".
"Well... It was a complete accident... During another sword-fighting practice match, where I was put against Ara, she happened to accidentally 'use excessive force', incidentally, when I failed to block it. If you would remember, I predicted that would happen."
"How bad is it?" - Was his reply. Considering the relationship Lucca had with Ara, he did not even bother asking things like: "Are you sure it's an accident?" and "Was she the one that set your desk on fire?"
"Well, considering that it's a BROKEN ARM, it's rather good - the pain killers worked well. Now, the arm only hurts when I try to move it. Sadly, while we had some painkillers, we lack tonics. My father is going to the market to get some now." - She replied, as Taban came down the stairs, carrying a charred box that didn't bear much resemblance to the toolkit it once was.
"Hello, Taban." - Crono expressionlessly commented.
"Hello, Crono. I am just going down to the market to get a few tonics for Lucca."
"There's no need for that - I have some here" - He replied.
"Ah... That's very generous of you." - Lucca answered.
"It's quite all right." - He replied. I need to take a look at the fracture.
After removing the bandage, Crono inspected the fracture. He did pick up some rudimentary first aid in his PE class, and judging by the lack of a wound, it was an (thank god) internal fracture. The skin in the fracture's vicinity was slightly purple, but not bloated.
"There's no internal bleeding" - He thought, as he carefully poured some of the tonic on a piece of cloth that Taban provided. He poured the rest of the tonic over the wound, and covered it with the cloth.
"Now, you just need to bandage it up, and it will be fine by tomorrow. It might be sore for a few days, but as long as you don't move it for about 10 minutes, it will turn out fine." - He commented, as he thought about the reasons he constantly carried a few tonics, as well as a bandage around.
"Thank you again, Crono. It already feels much better." - She commented.
Taban commented about the method of treatment, but Crono didn't get it, nor did he deem it important. "Oh, and Lucca, I've ran a few tests on your invention today. I think it will be ready for the fair" - He added.
"Thank god for that." - Lucca replied. "I can't work on that thing for today, unless I want a crooked arm." - she added. Crono didn't bother to ask her about the invention, it was supposedly a very large secret. Unlike most people, he couldn't wait for it to be shown.
"Well, take a break for today. There's still 3 more days until the fair. I'll be upstairs if you need me."
"Yes, I'd say that would be a good idea." - She replied, as Taban went up the stairs.
"You better have a seat for a few minutes." - Reminded Crono.
Amazingly, Lucca supported that notion - uncharacteristic for her busy personality. She sat down on the "living room" couch, while Crono took the armchair.
"Now, was there anything that you were planning to discuss?" - The inventor added, unaware of the importance, or the consequences of that question.
Crono stirred. He had attempted to avoid the topic, as it would be unlikely that Lucca wanted to discuss anything related to the "little" incident - but it was an important discussion, one not to be simply put aside. He was planning to ask her about it for a few months, but the situation never presented itself. She had always been too busy, or too agitated.
"Yes. It would concern the problems that you are having in school." - He stated, as he thought about the best method to help her.
Lucca rolled her eyes, excepting another lecture about proper social behavior. Uncharacteristically for her, the reasons for it were not analyzed, or weighted, a she did with every little bit of information she received. Perhaps, this was too close to a sore spot, or perhaps, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Her reaction was that of the utter rage, resentment, and frustration that have been building up for the last 4 months.
"Considering the amount of garbage that you have to put up from the morons that I have to "get along with" every bloody day, you are not in a position to talk about it. Have you ever tried to be in my shoes, just for a day? Have you considered the fact that, perhaps, I have gotten my arm broken today? Or was it just too much to comprehend?" - She snapped back, flashing one of her semi-famous death glares.
Crono did not expect anything that harsh - he had definitely struck a nerve, and everything was falling apart.
"Now, please, try to hear me out. You have really been agitated for the past few weeks, and you need to calm down." - He blurted out, unsure of what to say. "You should avoid these situations as much as possible. Those people that keep doing this to you are just afraid of the fact that you are a much better person then them."
Lucca caught up with reality. After processing what she said, she felt both ashamed, and at the same time, relieved that Crono was simply trying to help. Lowering her eyes, she quietly said: "I'm sorry. It wasn't wise for me to have an outburst like that."
"And, this was not the best time for me to mention it either. However, I just had to get it off my mind. As a friend, I am asking you this: please, try not to pick fights. It just provokes more hatred." - He replied.
"I'm sorry Crono, but you just don't get it. It doesn't work for me. I tried, I really tried to avoid it, but problems like this won't go away. I'm already despised by my peers, and that won't change, not overnight, not in a year."
Crono sensed the futility of further arguments, and did not press the issue. Deciding for a change of topic, he made a suggestion: "Your arm should be fine now. Do you want to take a walk down to the cliff- face?"
"Why not? I won't be doing any more work today."
Grrr... This chapter was a pain to write - and the rest of the fic doesn't look any better... The absolute worst part was the conversation. I knew what the topic was, but the implementation was a PAIN.
If you are disappointed with the lack of action, this chapter would be called an antecedent - a beginning area of falling action. This is supposed to set up the characters. If I am doing anything wrong, please mention it.
PS. Oh, and yes, I am making Crono a very helpful person.
PPS. The next chapter might take a week.
PPPS. Again, please review.
Oh, yeah, I don't own CT, I don't own Square, I don't own anything, really.
As you might notice, this would be my first story, and I'd rather stick to familiar territory *Big Grin*.
This will not be a line - by line retelling, as there is no point in writing something like that - it doesn't improve your skills. The amount of parts that will use the in-game dialogue will really depend on my mood, or how the characters develop. I will also be adding some background information, to make things fit better, and appear more plausible. (Or even crazier). And, please, if you are reading it, review it.
[Oh, and if I start to sound like Quark, can someone break my fingers? Please?]
Chapter 1 - Broken arms, and millennium fairs.
December 28th, 999
Crono sighed. Lucca has skipped their physics class - again. Perhaps, he thought grimly, she did have a good reason to - she could be teaching this class, and would do a much better job then the sad excuse for a teacher that they had. Crono smirked at the thought, because even he could tell the difference between a heterogeneous and a homogeneous reaction, and if that wasn't enough, he still didn't forget the day when the so-called professor decides to mix some copper coins with nitric acid to demonstrate the production of hydrogen. Fortunately, nobody was injured by the nearly explosive reaction, except Crono's desk, Lucca's goggles, and the teacher, who had to spend a week in bed, recovering from third degree burns. And he called that chemistry experiment physics!
It might have been for the best that Lucca was taking a break today... Dr. Colin was in an especially grumpy mood today, and they would definitely have some "personality" conflicts - specifically after the so-called accident Lucca had in PE. Crono felt for her situation as well - it's not easy when you are considered an outcast, and are smirked at, ridiculed, and unappreciated every day. His friendship with her also caused some of that hatred to be directed at him, but he knew that he could probably live with it. Sadly, Lucca did not seem to accept it.
It seemed that with each taunt, with each snicker, she alienated herself from the rest of the students. This... depression... seemed to engulf her. The more hatred she had to endure, the more introverted she became. She tried to gain respect, but that only made things worse. She was constantly working under pressure from herself, blaming herself for everything that went wrong - and inadvertently, more and more things did go wrong. She constantly thought up new ideas, but could never implement them - perhaps because of the pressure she was putting on herself.
Barring the unfortunate environment they had to endure, Lucca knew that Crono would be there for her, although sometimes, it seemed like this trust was the only thing holding her together.
Today, it seemed to be one of those days - and, if you would say that Crono was not affected by it, it would be a rather cruel joke, with a small helping of sarcasm as the topping. He tried to get the mess that started earlier this morning out of his head, and to concentrate on the notes. After staring at the board for a few minutes, the writing seemed to turn into a jumble of unrecognizable symbols. Abandoning the idea of getting any work done for today, he waited, in a half-comatose state until the class was dismissed.
The fresh, winter air was like a glass of water to a thirsty desert traveler. Crono felt as if the intoxication of the classroom was cleansed from him. While he still had some difficulty concentrating, he was coming around. Considering that this was the last day of school for the next 2 weeks, it could have been worse. After a short trip to his house, he headed for the cliff on which the house Lucca lived in stood.
The trip was, in any case, uneventful. Nothing was out of place - following an old tradition, students would get into groups of 10-20, and would (after about an hour of 'socializing' and gossip) head over to Leene Square, for celebration. Every year they would get annoyed glances from the shopkeepers setting up their business, as well as the traveling circus, and this year was no exception. This was the year of the millennium festival, celebrating the 1000 years that the kingdom of Guardia stood, and it would be a truly grand time of celebration, and business.
Crono didn't worry about all that. He almost reached his destination.
The cliffs on which Lucca's house stood were called the Cliffs of Fortune. From his history lessons, Crono remembered something about important information that had to be delivered to Guardia during the war against the wizard Magus. It was written down as a group of bold soldiers sailed from the south continent, and, how during a terrible storm they found refuge there. 400 years ago, they were inaccessible by land, but now a bridge connected them to the mainland - The sea shore along the southern side was a national heritage piece, so Lucca's house was built as far as possible away from the bridge, and the shore - the less tourists, and picnickers, the better.
The house itself was a rather modern building - Lucca's grandfather built it there. It seemed that, somehow, right next to the village, there could never be such a beautiful, or such a quiet place - especially at dusk. It was built out of wooden planks (A rather unwise decision, considering the work that went on inside), and was always covered with a new (as in, small town new) coat of paint. Behind the house, instead of the expected vegetable garden, was the Pit of Failure, or at least, that was how the passers-by referred to it. Instead of putting more thoughts in that, Crono rang the bell. Or, he would have, if the house didn't have an automatic bell, activated by motion. A few minutes later, and a knock on the door, it was finally open.
"Hello, Crono." - Lucca greeted him, without much enthusiasm. Her goggles were pulled up above her glasses, and she wasn't wearing her helmet.
"Hello. I thought you had an automatic bell. " - He replied, noticing a rather large bandage on her arm, his enthusiasm taking a nose-dive as well.
"Oh, that... Well, it had been set off by animals more then it had by people, and we, are ahem, ignoring it."
"I see... Oh, and, can you explain what happened in PE today?" - He asked, thinking of the magnitude of the "accident".
"Well... It was a complete accident... During another sword-fighting practice match, where I was put against Ara, she happened to accidentally 'use excessive force', incidentally, when I failed to block it. If you would remember, I predicted that would happen."
"How bad is it?" - Was his reply. Considering the relationship Lucca had with Ara, he did not even bother asking things like: "Are you sure it's an accident?" and "Was she the one that set your desk on fire?"
"Well, considering that it's a BROKEN ARM, it's rather good - the pain killers worked well. Now, the arm only hurts when I try to move it. Sadly, while we had some painkillers, we lack tonics. My father is going to the market to get some now." - She replied, as Taban came down the stairs, carrying a charred box that didn't bear much resemblance to the toolkit it once was.
"Hello, Taban." - Crono expressionlessly commented.
"Hello, Crono. I am just going down to the market to get a few tonics for Lucca."
"There's no need for that - I have some here" - He replied.
"Ah... That's very generous of you." - Lucca answered.
"It's quite all right." - He replied. I need to take a look at the fracture.
After removing the bandage, Crono inspected the fracture. He did pick up some rudimentary first aid in his PE class, and judging by the lack of a wound, it was an (thank god) internal fracture. The skin in the fracture's vicinity was slightly purple, but not bloated.
"There's no internal bleeding" - He thought, as he carefully poured some of the tonic on a piece of cloth that Taban provided. He poured the rest of the tonic over the wound, and covered it with the cloth.
"Now, you just need to bandage it up, and it will be fine by tomorrow. It might be sore for a few days, but as long as you don't move it for about 10 minutes, it will turn out fine." - He commented, as he thought about the reasons he constantly carried a few tonics, as well as a bandage around.
"Thank you again, Crono. It already feels much better." - She commented.
Taban commented about the method of treatment, but Crono didn't get it, nor did he deem it important. "Oh, and Lucca, I've ran a few tests on your invention today. I think it will be ready for the fair" - He added.
"Thank god for that." - Lucca replied. "I can't work on that thing for today, unless I want a crooked arm." - she added. Crono didn't bother to ask her about the invention, it was supposedly a very large secret. Unlike most people, he couldn't wait for it to be shown.
"Well, take a break for today. There's still 3 more days until the fair. I'll be upstairs if you need me."
"Yes, I'd say that would be a good idea." - She replied, as Taban went up the stairs.
"You better have a seat for a few minutes." - Reminded Crono.
Amazingly, Lucca supported that notion - uncharacteristic for her busy personality. She sat down on the "living room" couch, while Crono took the armchair.
"Now, was there anything that you were planning to discuss?" - The inventor added, unaware of the importance, or the consequences of that question.
Crono stirred. He had attempted to avoid the topic, as it would be unlikely that Lucca wanted to discuss anything related to the "little" incident - but it was an important discussion, one not to be simply put aside. He was planning to ask her about it for a few months, but the situation never presented itself. She had always been too busy, or too agitated.
"Yes. It would concern the problems that you are having in school." - He stated, as he thought about the best method to help her.
Lucca rolled her eyes, excepting another lecture about proper social behavior. Uncharacteristically for her, the reasons for it were not analyzed, or weighted, a she did with every little bit of information she received. Perhaps, this was too close to a sore spot, or perhaps, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Her reaction was that of the utter rage, resentment, and frustration that have been building up for the last 4 months.
"Considering the amount of garbage that you have to put up from the morons that I have to "get along with" every bloody day, you are not in a position to talk about it. Have you ever tried to be in my shoes, just for a day? Have you considered the fact that, perhaps, I have gotten my arm broken today? Or was it just too much to comprehend?" - She snapped back, flashing one of her semi-famous death glares.
Crono did not expect anything that harsh - he had definitely struck a nerve, and everything was falling apart.
"Now, please, try to hear me out. You have really been agitated for the past few weeks, and you need to calm down." - He blurted out, unsure of what to say. "You should avoid these situations as much as possible. Those people that keep doing this to you are just afraid of the fact that you are a much better person then them."
Lucca caught up with reality. After processing what she said, she felt both ashamed, and at the same time, relieved that Crono was simply trying to help. Lowering her eyes, she quietly said: "I'm sorry. It wasn't wise for me to have an outburst like that."
"And, this was not the best time for me to mention it either. However, I just had to get it off my mind. As a friend, I am asking you this: please, try not to pick fights. It just provokes more hatred." - He replied.
"I'm sorry Crono, but you just don't get it. It doesn't work for me. I tried, I really tried to avoid it, but problems like this won't go away. I'm already despised by my peers, and that won't change, not overnight, not in a year."
Crono sensed the futility of further arguments, and did not press the issue. Deciding for a change of topic, he made a suggestion: "Your arm should be fine now. Do you want to take a walk down to the cliff- face?"
"Why not? I won't be doing any more work today."
Grrr... This chapter was a pain to write - and the rest of the fic doesn't look any better... The absolute worst part was the conversation. I knew what the topic was, but the implementation was a PAIN.
If you are disappointed with the lack of action, this chapter would be called an antecedent - a beginning area of falling action. This is supposed to set up the characters. If I am doing anything wrong, please mention it.
PS. Oh, and yes, I am making Crono a very helpful person.
PPS. The next chapter might take a week.
PPPS. Again, please review.