"Forever's Not Long Enough"
by: Ser Quicksand
(Having, embarrassingly enough, just recently finished Chrono Cross and getting the "real" ending, I thought I'd write this short bit about Serge/Leena's thoughts/feelings/whatever at the end of the game. Yeah, I admit it may be corny, but it's my first piece of writing in ages, so it might not be perfect. I'm not that great at doing summary things, so you'll kinda have to bear with me on this. Reviews are appreciated too. Also, if I missed/messed up on some detail of an event that happened in the game, please don't roast me for it. Oh, and yeah, this features some spoilers probably so just in case you're trying to avoid those, I thought I'd let you know now.)
"Serge and Leena...Forever"
Those were the words that Serge had inscribed into the rock at the top of Cape Howl back when he and Leena were younger. He had no idea then that they'd mean something very different to the both of them several years later. Perhaps it was for the best that they had to let things change as they had. A strange feeling of fatigue had washed over him, like he'd been away for a very long time, and like he hadn't seen Leena in what felt like forever. What was this 'Terra Tower?' This 'FATE?' This 'Other World' that he suddenly had memories of? Furthermore, who was this blond girl he saw? All of this seemed both very clear and very faint at the same time. To Serge, it was like it was a very real memory mixed in with a nonsensical dream. Even though he and Leena were close and talked about some day getting married and starting a family, they never took it entirely seriously and always thought of those days as being in some far off future.
However, since waking up on Opassa Beach, Serge had felt as if he had been taking Leena for granted almost. It was as if he'd, in the few minutes since he awoke, come to appreciate the fact that he had her with him much more than he had before. There was something different about things all of a sudden, something new. He quickly dismissed it though as he kicked around a small patch of sand with his shoe. The best explanation was most likely that he had simply had a bad dream when he fainted and he was just a little disoriented. Still, though, Serge couldn't help but shake the feeling that something had wanted it to be this way, that some outside force wanted to make sure he and Leena stayed together.
This wasn't to say that Leena didn't feel that something had changed, though. No, even without the sudden rush of visuals that Serge had, she could still sense something about him had changed. He seemed strangely more mature than he had earlier in the morning. Whether it was from his posture (which had seen him standing more upright than usual), his eyes (that seemed to open up and call out to her), or the general aura that he gave off, she wasn't entirely sure. What she did know, was that it gave her a new sense of hope, a hope that despite all her doubts, things would work out between Serge and herself. Maybe the stronger than usual feelings that Leena had for him were reciprocated by him, and he, like her, was just unsure of how to let them be known.
What had only been minutes felt like long, excruciating hours, and it certainly wasn't dealing with any of the concerns that either of them had been having. Despite all of this, though, Leena was relieved that Serge was okay and that nothing serious had happened to him. It almost reminded her of the time that he almost drowned years ago. She felt almost like she just wanted to grab hold of him and never let go, for fear of something happening to him if she did. After all, his mentioning of something called 'Terra Tower', or something called 'FATE' had worried her and she still wore a look of concern on her face. That seemed to slightly confuse Serge, as he was perfectly fine, but at the same time he could sort of understand why she would be worried.
Finally, Leena broke the long silence as she spoke up.
"Serge, is everything okay? Is something bothering you?"
He simply looked over to her with a smile on his face and slowly shook his head. The fact that he had been thinking about their future together was far from bothering him. On the contrary, it was actually making him feel good, and kind of warm and fuzzy inside. Even though he didn't utter a single word with his response, it was all the answer that she needed and it made her feel a bit better. Still, though, she had her own concerns about things, and as difficult as it may have sometimes been to bring them up, she didn't want to let the opportunity pass by.
"Uh...Serge? Do you think that we'll, uh...make it? I mean, 'us.' Do you think everything'll work out?"
Serge wasn't a particularly outspoken person, so to speak. He didn't really talk a lot compared to some of the other people that happened to be out there, but that didn't mean he was completely and utterly mute. After a brief pause, he nodded in response before he voiced an answer.
"We will Leena, I'm sure of it. Remember what we told each other that one time."
Half puzzled by what he meant, Leena had to take a few moments in order to understand just what it was that he was referring to.
"...You mean, at Cape Howl?"
Once more the blue-haired boy nodded with a smile as the waves in the water behind him seemed to calm entirely. It was a promise that the two of them had made, and even though it had meant something different to them now, he still had every intention of keeping it.
"Yeah. You remember what it says up there, don't you? 'Serge and Leena...'"
He paused in order to allow her to understand the direction that he was taking this. Fortunately, though, Leena had understood fairly quickly what it was that Serge had been trying to say.
"'...Forever'. But... I wonder how long we'll make it. I wonder if it'll really be forever."
Serge just put his arm around her to comfort and reassure her. She looked at his face, but instead of seeing the same doubt and questions that she had sometimes had, she saw nothing but confidence and hope in his eyes. He had confidence that Leena and himself would be together. As it stood, he wanted nothing more than for that to be the case.
"I know we will Leena, but right now I feel just like forever's not long enough. Not even close."
And with that last statement of dedication and anticipation towards the future, and under the warm sun of a late morning, he took her by the hand and the two young lovers began the trip back from the beach. Back to Arni Village, and on to their long lives... together.
"Serge and Leena...Forever"
-fin
Note: I decided on having it start and end the same way because I felt that it reflected an overlooked part of how Chrono Cross started and ended. The game sort of starts with Serge being with Leena in Arni at the very beginning, and ends with Serge and Leena on the beach (well, technically the last scene in the game involving Serge doing anything is...unless you count the game flashbacks in the credits movie, that is).