Note: I'm getting comments about how Serge's innate color is white, so he shouldn't be able to control water, and other concerns that are strictly game-related. I won't say this again (and I said it at the beginning of every part of "The Contest," anyway). This is NOT the game; this is MY story. NOTHING you see here could possibly happen in the game. Therefore, they will be DIFFERENT. If I get any more questions about why something isn't like the game, they WILL be deleted. If you haven't figured out by now that I'm not following the game, that's your problem, and I refuse to let it become mine.

2nd Note: Sorry this took so very long. Writer's block is a VERY bad and evil thing, so if you see it, shoot it. As my memory of Chrono Chross grows colder, I am forced to end my take on things in the CC world. It was a strange journey, and I hope I kept you interested for most of it. If you have questions about the story, work them into a review (PLEASE provide a valid e-mail address if you expect a reply!) or e-mail me (Be sure to put "SOS Question" in the subject). But, be sure you've read the note above, or I will delete.

... are thoughts.

Savior from the Seas, Part 4: Little Boy Lost


Serge wasn't sure if he'd ever been more confused in his life.

First, there were the other members of his party.

Kid: love of his life, tomboy personified, and all around tough girl. No real problem there, except that they hadn't been able to spend any time together lately, thanks to Marie and Dark Serge.

Harle: eternal friend, frighteningly loyal (and just as attractive), and somewhat of a mystery, thanks to her ties to Lynx. The fact that she had known so much about Dark Serge's origin wasn't helping much, either.

Marie: nicknamed "Serge's little shadow" by Harle, the little girl they had agreed to care for was more than a handful. She was energetic, interested in anything that moved or had pretty colors, and had a bad habit of liking anything Serge-related. Which included, to Serge's horror, Dark Serge.

Dark Serge: the sometimes evil, almost always scary, and possibly psychotic clone seemed to be the root of all the problems. When he wasn't playing with Marie (which disturbed Serge to no end), he was lusting after Kid (which would've been incest...at least, he thought so; Harle had been vague there...) or asking "Auntie Harle" strange and embarrassing questions about Serge (if he dyed his hair, why she always stared at him, if he preferred boxers of briefs). On top of that, though he considered Serge & Kid his parents, he was insistent on the idea that they never touch each other.

Then, Serge wasn't sure exactly what he himself wanted. Well, he knew what he wanted, he just didn't know how to prioritize what was more important.

He wanted some time alone with Kid, but Dark Serge prevented that. He wanted to teach Marie more about her powers, but she was spending more and more time with Dark Serge. He wanted to sit Harle down and learn everything she knew about Lynx and Dark Serge, but it would probably only put more strain on their relationship. He really wanted Dark Serge to either go away or lose interest in Kid, but neither was about to happen.

In short, Serge was becoming one very frustrated demi-god in training. That wasn't good for him, his companions, or anyone that had a fear of water.

* * * * *

It was a typical night at the inn...for everyone else, anyway.

Kid was working on one of her wood carvings. She hadn't said what it was, but it was starting to resemble the Dark Dragon.

Marie and Dark Serge were playing a game of "Hide the Gross Thing." Tonight, it was played with an object that Dark Serge swore was a dragon's booger. This was a slight improvement, because in the past few days, he'd used various body parts that were usually blood soaked and usually not his. No one dared to ask whom they used belonged to or how he had gotten them.

The game itself was simple and annoying. Dark Serge would hide the object, and Marie would do her best to find it. This included several minutes of her crawling over everyone and searching their clothes. When she did find the object, it was always in the worst places: the back pocket of Serge's shorts, under Kid's skirt, or even in Harle's pants. How it had gotten there was never discovered; Dark Serge seemed to be very good at teleporting things. At least, he SAID he teleported them...

Harle, who had learned her lesson from previous games, was sitting on the ceiling, safely out of Marie's reach. Of course, Dark Serge would probably just fly up and drag her down, but she was hoping he wouldn't.

Serge was attempting to create an ice sculpture of Kid. Of course, that was difficult, since Marie was currently crawling all over her. And he wouldn't be able to do it afterwards, since Marie would be searching him next.

Finally, Marie finished with Kid, smiling as she turned to him. "Serge, do YOU have the dragon booger?"

He wanted to say no, of course. But that was against the rules of the game. No one knew if they had the dragon booger or not, and they were supposed to say so. If they didn't, Dark Serge would get angry, and when he did that, someone usually paid for it, one way or another.

Serge sighed, staring longingly at Kid as Marie began to search him. For the past few weeks, they'd barely talked at all. Whenever he tried, Dark Serge would show up, or Marie would drag him away for something else. Harle tried to help by distracting them with stories, but Dark Serge could only be pulled away from Kid for so long.

That was probably what really got to Serge. Dark Serge was spending more time with Kid than anyone else, and she didn't even like him. Instead, she tolerated him, because he had saved Marie's life. She thought there was some good in him, but that it only surfaced at certain times. Serge hadn't seen any just yet.

"Is it in here?" Marie asked, squeezing his nose.

Serge frowned and shook his head.

Marie pulled off his headwrap, and after a quick glance in it, began combing through his hair.

About this time, Serge noticed that Kid was almost done with her carving. It was a great dragon, with wings outstretched and jaws gaping. He also noticed that Dark Serge was now sitting very close to Kid, trying to convince her that the dragon would look better with blood dripping from its jaws.

Marie's tiny hands slipped past Serge's collar, lingered on his chest, and then tickled his armpits. She frowned when he didn't laugh, and withdrew her hands from his shirt. "What's wrong, Serge?" she asked.

Serge wasn't listening. Kid was still carving, but Dark Serge's arms were now wrapped around her waist. She didn't want them there, of course, but they'd all learned quickly that Dark Serge was physically stronger than anyone else. Serge bit his lip and closed his eyes, silently counting in his head.

"Serge?" Marie asked again, worry creeping into her voice. She pressed a hand to his cheek.

Serge felt the hand pull away.

"Come, little one," he heard Harle say. "Let's leave mon ami alone for a while." Marie's whine of protest quickly faded as Harle dragged her away.

Silently thanking Harle, Serge opened his eyes and stood up. Before he realized what was happening, he was standing directly in front of Kid and Dark Serge.

Kid looked up from her carving, noticing him for the first time. "What is it, mate?" she asked, instantly recognizing the angry look on his face.

Serge's eyes drifted away from her and locked on his twin. "We need...to talk."

Dark Serge looked surprised. Kid looked shocked.

"Now," Serge added after a moment.

Dark Serge blinked and nodded. "Be back in a jiffy, Mother." He leaned over and kissed Kid's cheek.

Kid frowned and looked disgusted, but said nothing.

Serge's eyes narrowed. He knew that Kid didn't exactly appreciate Dark Serge's affection, but there was a time when she would've tried to stab him for it. Now she only frowned. She was growing...tolerant of him. And that only made Serge angrier.

The two teens (rather, the teen and his clone) walked into the next room. Serge remained standing, but Dark Serge sat down.

"What's on your mind, Father?"

Serge frowned. "First, I am NOT your parent, and neither is Kid."

"But you-"

"Shut up!" Serge snarled, resisting the urge to strangle him.

Dark Serge fell silent, something he didn't do often.

"I'm tired of watching you throw yourself at Kid. Maybe she isn't in love with me anymore, but I won't stand by and let you pretend to have some sort of romantic relationship with her."

"But-"

Serge silenced him with a glare. "I appreciate you spending time with Marie. While I don't approve of all your methods, I thank you for being her friend."

Dark Serge wanted to take that as a compliment. Yet, it sounded so forced that it was almost like an insult, anyway.

"However, I was allowed to bring her with me because I promised I'd teach her how to control her powers. I can't do that if you're always playing with her, and I wouldn't feel right if I never taught her anything. Besides, I'm sure you can find some other way to entertain yourself."

"What about Auntie Harle?" Dark Serge asked.

Serge frowned. "She is NOT your aunt. What about her?"

"Aren't you going to tell me not to do something to her, too?"

"Yes. Try to stop annoying her so much."

Dark Serge shrugged. "Okay. Anything else?"

Serge blinked in disbelief. "You're not going to do anything I said, are you?"

"Oh, sure!" Dark Serge smiled. "Except for that whole 'stay away from Mother' thing. That's just stupid!"

"No," Serge said coldly, raising a hand. "THAT was stupid." He made a fist.

Before he could blink, Dark Serge found his head encased in a large bubble. He gasped and grabbed his throat, his eyes bulging.

"You have about five seconds of air," Serge noted matter-of-factly. "Either you agree to stay away from Kid, or we find out how long you can hold your breath."

Dark Serge opened his mouth in a silent scream, then raised his own hand. A high-pressure stream of blood sprouted from it, heading straight for Serge.

But Serge merely slipped into his water form, and the blood passed right through him. "Your five seconds are up."

Dark Serge, in a final attempt, charged at Serge.

Serge knocked him to the wall with a water blast, where he fell to his knees. "I'm still waiting."

Dark Serge fell to all fours, still desperately attempting to hold out. By then, even his superhuman strength had failed him. All he had left was the will to survive.

"You can't last forever," Serge muttered.

"S-Serge?" a tiny voice asked.

Serge glanced at the doorway, then turned his attention back to his fallen twin.

Marie whimpered quietly and clung to Harle's leg. "W-Why's he hurting my friend, Harle?"

Harle had no answer for her.

"Mate, what ARE you doing?" Kid asked, coming up beside them.

Serge ignored them. "Do you really want to die so badly?"

Finally, Dark Serge shook his head.

"Then you agree to my terms?"

Dark Serge nodded rapidly.

Serge flattened his hand and spread his fingers. Instantly, the bubble around Dark Serge's head popped. Serge simply stood there, watching his twin pant for air. Then he reached down and grabbed him by the throat.

"Let's get one thing straight. There is only one true Serge, and I am him. There is no need for a Dark Serge. I can be very dark, as I've just proven. If you ever give me any reason to believe you're a danger to anyone, especially Marie, I will destroy you. Is that clear?"

Disbelief still in his eyes, Dark Serge nodded slowly, his knuckles turning white as he gripped Serge's wrists.

Serge released his twin and backed away. He started towards the door.

Marie gasped and ran away as he came closer.

"Mon ami," Harle said quietly, staring after the fleeing child, "was zat really necessary?"

"I leave at dawn," Serge announced. "I won't force any of you to come with me. Make sure Marie knows that, Harle. If she wants to go home, you'll take her back."

"Oui," Harle agreed with a nod. She made no further attempt to get her question answered.

* * * * *

Life had always been simple before. Be Good to Mother, More or Less Listen to/Obey Father (usually less), and Ask Auntie Harle Everything. Even Marie had her own subheading: Play Nice with Pink Hair.

But it was no longer simple. It was suddenly a lot harder.

In short, life had stopped being Fun. Now it was just...Strange.

Dark Serge frowned as a cold wind blew in. With little more than a thought, his blood temperature rose several degrees to combat the cold. His control over such things were very precise. It was being unable to control everything else that was getting him into trouble.

In his warped yet fragile mind, things had been fine. But, apparently, Father was not happy with his Son. That would have to be corrected.

I don't get it. Father never said anything before. No one said anything, except maybe Mother...but I thought she was joking.

"It's very confusing, isn't it, Chrono Trigger?" a familiar voice asked.

Dark Serge blinked and turned around. He hadn't expected anyone to find him on the roof, and yet, someone still had. However, he saw no one...at first, anyway. Then his gaze landed on the wooden sculpture a few feet away. "Guardian?" he whispered, kneeling to get a better look.

The very same carving Kid had been working on earlier twisted crazily and grew in size, until it was the same height and shape of the real Dark Dragon.

Dark Serge took a step back. "Guardian...have you come to take me back?"

The dragon snorted. "No, Chrono Trigger. I have come to correct a mistake."

"Was...I a mistake?"

"No, my boy. You were a promise. The mistake was mine...and it is one I shall correct now. Come closer."

Where anyone else might have shown fear, Dark Serge stepped forward without hesitation.

The Dark Dragon's mouth opened, and many rows of sharp teeth became visible. However, they were soon hidden by a great stream of black blood.

The stream hit Dark Serge in the face and forced him onto his back. "Guardian!" he sputtered, struggling to get up. "What are you doing?!"

The flow stopped. "Relax, boy. When I am done, all your problems will be solved." The stream started up again, only stronger this time.

Dark Serge felt as if he was drowning, but something else insisted that he was merely changing. But as the dark liquid shot up his nose and forced him into unconsciousness, he was left to wonder: But WHAT am I changing into...?

* * * * *

Kid was starting to guess just why Serge had attacked his twin. It wasn't that difficult, really.

Dark Serge was the physical manifestation of Lynx's wildest dreams. Serge hated Lynx. But it went deeper than that, of course.

By nature, Serge was shy around most girls, and Kid in particular. He had trouble expressing himself around them. Dark Serge, in sharp contrast, expressed himself a little too much. So while Serge was wary about becoming intimate with Kid, Dark Serge was most certainly not. He'd even tasted her blood once, something she suspected he'd done just to disgust her.

But Serge had changed during the time she'd been away. He was somewhat more adventurous, and not quite as shy as he had been before. She suspected that Harle was starting to rub off on him, or maybe it was Marie. Either way, he'd been willing to take their relationship further. Dark Serge had quickly put a stop to that.

For her part, Kid was sure that she loved Serge. She'd always flirted with him, but she'd known the day Lynx had returned. For a brief moment, she had broken Lynx's hold on her mind, only to find that Serge was still firmly in his grasp. She'd tried everything short of stabbing him, but Serge had been so taken by her beauty. The way he'd touched her, spoken to her in a hushed voice...she'd just known. Even though Serge was under Lynx's spell, Kid knew that she loved him. She would give anything to make that scene real...and free of Lynx's influence. She wanted Serge to hold her like that, not because he was forced to...but because he wanted to.

Only now did she realize how much Dark Serge must have been angering Serge. Though Serge hated his warped twin, he saw in it qualities that he wanted: a strong devotion to Kid, emotional freedom, and a certain innocence brought on by his insanity. Serge didn't really want to be insane, but no one tended to stay angry if they knew you were crazy.

Serge had finally lost it in a quiet explosion of violence against his twin. It wasn't really justified...but then, it was. She wasn't sure if Serge would've actually killed Dark Serge. In that moment, he'd been more like Lynx than his twin ever had. Marie was now afraid of Serge, while Kid and Harle weren't sure what to think.

* * * * *

Marie sniffled and buried her face in the soft pillow. Something was very wrong with Serge. When she first met him, he'd been quiet and nice. Now he was still quiet, but mean. He'd hurt her friend for some reason, and she was afraid he might hurt her. She wanted to go home to the village, back to her mother, and get away from him. She would miss Harle greatly, and even Kid a little, but it wasn't safe anymore. She had to get out, get away, and run far, fast, now...

Marie's thoughts were interrupted by someone poking her leg. She ignored it, but not for long.

"Pssst!" a voice hissed. "Pink Hair!"

She blinked and slowly rolled over. "S-Serge guy?"

But Dark Serge was not the person sitting on her bed. Instead she found a boy her age, his face and clothes stained with a foul-smelling, black substance. His hair was dark violet, and he peered at her through pale blue eyes.

"I think I did bad," he said slowly, staring at his hands.

Marie stared at him. "What happened to your clothes?"

"That was Guardian. He fixed me, I think. I remember I was messed up...up here." He tapped his forehead. "But I'm better now. See?"

Marie held her nose. "Um...okay. But...you're still Serge guy, right?"

"Yup!" He smiled and held out his hand.

Marie looked down and grinned. "The dragon booger! You had it the whole time!"

"Nope, this one's new. Guardian gave it to me. I think he's allergic to hugs."

"So where's the old one?"

"Oh, that?" The boy thought for a moment. "Mama's got it. Wanna go look for it?"

"Yeah! But we better get you clean first. You smell BAD."

The boy sniffed and frowned. "How come I didn't notice that before?"

"You're a boy. You never know you smell unless someone else tells you," Marie explained.

"Oh. Thanks." He held out the hand with less black stuff on it. "Still buds?"

Marie hesitated, then finally shook the hand. "Still buds. C'mon, let's go!" She dragged him off the bed and ran into the hallway.

* * * * *

Kid woke up to an unfamiliar pressure on her chest. She opened her eyes and frowned. "Oh. It's you."

"Hi, lady!" Marie said, smiling down at her.

"Yeah. Hi. Why are you sitting on me?"

"I'm waiting for Serge guy."

"Oh. You mean Dark Serge."

"No, he's not dark anymore. He's fun!"

"Sure. Why is it you have to sit on me, squirt?"

"So you wouldn't roll over and smush me."

"One, I'm not that heavy, and two, I'm not asleep anymore. In other words, GET OFF."

Marie bounced on her. "He's back!"

Kid winced. "Who's back?" Her eyes widened as the air above the bed shimmered in a swirl of bright colors. Then a second child crashed down beside her, shaking the entire bed.

"Mama!" he said, hugging her neck. "You're awake!"

Kid blinked several times. All grogginess slipped away, and she instantly recognized the child. "Oh, there has GOT to be a long story for this one..."

* * * * *

Serge yawned and stretched his arms. He felt refreshed and relieved. And then he remembered there was a good chance that he'd be traveling alone today. He pushed the thoughts from his head as he washed up, dressed, and grabbed a pear for breakfast. But as he stepped into the main room, he froze in mid-bite.

Harle was sitting on a bench by the door, holding Marie in her lap. Marie was busy explaining why pink hair was better than violet hair, while Harle just kept nodding and combing her hair, only half-listening.

Next to them, Kid was in a similar position, only she held a little boy in her lap, and she wasn't attempting to do his hair. The boy looked disturbingly familiar...and Serge could only think of one person who gave him that feeling.

Marie looked up and smiled. "Serge!" She scampered out of Harle's lap and launched herself at him. "Guess what? I got a new friend!"

Serge didn't know whether to be relieved that Marie had forgiven him, or upset that no one had thought to tell him about the boy earlier.

The boy crawled out of Kid's lap and slowly walked over, keeping his head down. "I'm sorry, Papa," he said quietly.

Serge blinked rapidly. "What...?"

"I got you this." The boy held up a red and white seashell.

Serge took the shell and stared at it. "Thank you," he said at last, still confused. "Where did you find this?"

"The beach!" Marie crowed happily in his arms.

"But...there aren't any beaches around here."

"We know," Marie replied, grinning.

Serge was about to ask when he caught sight of Harle, who was silently mouthing the words "Chrono Trigger" and pointing at the boy. "Oh. Right."

"So you're not mad at him anymore, right?" Marie asked hopefully.

Serge looked down at the boy. "Well...I guess not. As long as he's good, anyway."

"I'll be good!" the boy promised.

"Sure. You two go play for a minute. I need to talk to Harle."

The children nodded and ran off.

Serge sighed and looked at Harle. "Okay. What just happened?"

"It is a long story, mon ami. Let us just say zat ze Dark Dragon paid a visit last night and...made ze changes."

"Fine. But we're going over this in GREAT detail later on."

"Of course," she replied with a nod.

Serge walked over to Kid. "Hi."

"Hey, mate." She glanced over at Marie and her friend. "So what do you think?"

"I think being a foster father just got lot harder."

"No worries, Serge. He's not crazy anymore, from what I've seen. Just loud and energetic, the way a boy should be. And he's not clingy, either."

"Well, at least there's that." Serge lowered his head. "I've...missed you, Kid."

"I know. And if you miss your cue to kiss me this time, I will hurt you."

Serge smiled and pulled her close. "But then I'd be too hurt to kiss you."

"You're about to get there, too," she threatened, sticking a fist in his face.

Serge kissed the fist, and then pressed his lips to hers.

Kid leaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Suddenly, there was a disgusted squeal. "EW! That was gross, Serge guy! Now I've got cooties!"

"Do not!"

"Do, too! Why'd you do that?!"

"Well, Papa did it, and nothing's wrong with Mama!"

"That's different! They're s'posed to kiss, but not us!"

Kid broke the kiss. "You know, now you're gonna have to give him the talk."

Serge frowned. "No way. You're his mother, so you do it."

"But YOU have to tell him about his...equipment."

"Uh...if he's already kissing, I think he can handle himself."

"Serge, I'm serious."

"So am I!"

"I'll do it," Harle volunteered.

Kid glared at her. "No, you won't. I won't let you turn him into a flirting freak."

"Well, she DID explain it to Pip that one time," Serge pointed out.

"Oui. And I have much...experience in the subject." Harle grinned wickedly. "Isn't that right, mon cheri?"

Serge turned red. "How would I know?!"

"WHAT did you call him?" Kid asked heatedly.

"Hey, no fighting!" Marie said, stomping her foot.

"Yeah! You gotta get along!" the boy agreed.

"Why?" Kid asked.

"Cuz you're Mama and Auntie Harle!"

"That's no reason," Harle muttered.

"We'll play 'Hide the Gross Thing" again..."

"Now THAT'S a reason," Kid said.

"Good." The boy grinned. "Now hug."

Kid and Harle stared at each other. "Don't touch me," they both said.

"Let's make it a group hug," Serge suggested. "That way no one has to get stabbed."

Everyone agreed. Then they all tried to hug Serge at once.

Serge sighed and shook his head. "This is gonna be a long trip, I can just see it."

"Hey, you're smushing my dragon booger!"

"A VERY long trip," Kid muttered with a smile.


The End.