Chrono Cross: Redemption!
By Michael
Disclaimer: All characters and settings in this story are the property of Squaresoft.
Author's note: I tried to make this as close to Chrono Cross as possible. This is my first story I've made for Chrono Cross, so please look it over and give me LOTS of feedback.
Prologue:
Saving the World
A dark wind howled across the heavens, carrying small particles of dust and ice over a land frozen in time. Various structures lay over a vast area, appearing as if they would topple over any moment. Surrounding the base of each these structures was what could only be described as a raging flood that had been frozen almost instantaneously. It was a world that could only be seen as a dead world.
From the largest tower, a single observer sat and watched the flakes of dust and ice settle on the ground. Occasionally his eyes caught sight of a spirit wandering out of the shadows and then disappearing into the shadows again. However, the observer paid them no heed. They were nothing more then wandering souls who died long ago. But after some careful consideration, he doubted that they ever 'lived' to begin with.
The observer then heard the sound of approaching footsteps from behind. Judging from the sound each step made, he recognized the approaching figure as his brother. "Has it been done?" the occupant demanded.
"Yes," the new arrival answered.
The observer let out a sigh and continued to look over the terrain.
"A haunting sight," the new arrival said.
"Get a good look at it. It may be a future we will face if we can't prevent it."
"Do you believe we can do it?"
"We will try. But until our numbers are united, we can do nothing."
"Why not just destroy the one who opposes us?"
"No. She is far more valuable alive then dead. We need all the power we can get, and she is the key to our success," the observer said. He then turned to his brother. "Do not worry. We will survive as we always have."
The new arrival let out a silent groan. "Just remember one thing, she is the one responsible for our defeat in the last battle," the new arrival said before returning inside the tower.
The observer returned his gaze to the barren wasteland. Memories of how close they had come to saving the world danced in his head. How close he and his younger brother and all the others came to saving the world. But one person prevented it from happening. However, the observer made a vow to himself that he would show his new prisoner the error in her ways and convince her to lend her powers to him. Once he had accomplished this, he knew it was possible to save what was left of the real world.
* * * * * *
Chapter 1:
Old War Buddies
"Serge."
No response.
"Serge," the voice called with more urgency.
Again, there was no response.
"Serge!"
Serge felt his head start to fall a short distance where it hit the top of his mattress. As he opened his eyes, he saw his pillow come crashing down onto his face. "Hmph!" Serge cried. His voice muffled by the pillow. The pillow was pulled off the next second, and Serge found himself looking into the eyes of a very disgruntled Leena.
"You awake yet?" Leena demanded.
"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Serge cried as he held his hands up in defense to prevent Leena from swinging the pillow in his face again. Slowly he sat up in his bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes and rubbing his head in pain. "What's going on, Leena?"
"Don't you remember? You promised me that you would go to Termina with me!" Leena sneered.
"Termina?" Serge said in surprise.
"Yes! Termina!"
Serge began to think back. After a brief second, he began to recall the promise Leena spoke of. Leena had wanted to pick up some new clothes for her family and had asked him if he would be willing to take her there by boat. Serge, without putting too much thought into it, had promised he would. Now he was regretting not thinking his offer through.
"You forgot, didn't you," Leena answered after a brief moment.
"No. I remember now," Serge answered.
"Good. I'll be waiting for you at the docks," Leena said as she rubbed Serge's cheek gently with her hand and made her way out. "Don't keep me waiting."
Serge watched as Leena exited his room. He then bowed his head down and rubbed his stiff neck. "Man. It's gotten so hectic around here that a person can't get a descent amount of sleep anymore. Don't I deserve some rest after what I've been through?" Serge cursed to himself.
* * * * * *
It had taken Serge a few minutes to gather all the equipment he needed, as well as make arrangements to borrow a old fisherman's boat. Once everything had been settled, he met up with Leena on the docks, and the two of them were sailing towards Termina.
"I really appreciate that you were willing to give me a ride to Termina. It sure beats walking there," Leena said once they were in open waters.
"No problem. Besides, this is probably one of the better days to go sailing," Serge said as he adjusted the sail on the boat. It did not take long for him to catch a good breeze.
Leena looked out into the open waters. The sun shined down upon them and only a few white clouds could be seen. Just clear open waters. It was the perfect atmosphere to sail by, especially with a friend.
"You know Serge…" Leena began as she looked toward him, only to stop when she saw him leaning against the mast, clutching his head in one hand. "Serge? Are you all right?"
Serge shook his head to clear it before turning to Leena. "Huh? Oh. Sorry. I got a little dizzy there for a moment," Serge said.
"You do look a little green. You're not getting sea sick, are you?" Leena asked.
"Me? No way!" Serge retaliated. The next moment he felt his head start to spin for a brief second. He clutched his head in response
"And I thought you were a man of the sea," Leena snickered.
"I am!" Serge growled. He was feeling a little embarrassed now. Quickly, he shook off the wave of dizziness. In truth, he was surprised himself that he was feeling a little sea sick. Having been born and raised near the sea, he should have been immune to the feeling. So why was he getting it now?
"You sure don't look like it," Leena added.
"Says you," Serge retaliated in mock frustration. He continued to shake his head to clear it. Within a few moments, the feeling of nausea and dizziness had completely disappeared. "See. I'm fine."
"As you say," Leena said. She figured she had embarrassed Serge enough. She then turned her head toward the horizon, gazing where the dark blue of the ocean met with the light blue of the sky. "So what are you going to do when we reach Termina?"
"Don't know. I don't know many people in that town," Serge began. He then gave the question a little more thought. "Maybe I'll see if Norris is still around."
"Norris? Who's he?" Leena asked.
Serge was about to answer, but then thought better of it. He had almost forgotten that Leena had never met Norris. The Leena from the other world had known Norris since they had fought together. But this Leena, his Leena, never heard about the soldier. In fact, Leena had never really learned the full story about his journey. The most she got were bits and pieces he accidentally leaked out. "Just a old comrade I fought with," Serge answered.
"Someone you met on your 'grand adventure'?" Leena asked. There was a hint of sarcasm when she said 'grand adventure'.
"Yeah. You could say that," Serge said. He knew Leena wouldn't believe his story if he told her. The events that happened seemed like an adventure from a fairy tale or dream. At least, that's what Leena thought from the bits and pieces she did hear.
At one point, shortly after the ordeal, Serge almost believed it was a dream. It was hard for him to believe that a young man like himself had gone off and saved the world from Demi-humans, dragons, and an evil Time Devourer. It all seemed utterly preposterous.
Only two things made him realize that he had not been dreaming. The first was the fact that he still had the Chrono Cross relic and the Astral Amulet, both of which he had hidden away. The second was the fact that Radius had also been a part of the events that happened. In fact, it was Radius who told him that it was probably best not to speak about what happened. Such stories were best kept secret.
"You know, it may help if you tell me about that dream you had. Why don't you tell me about it," Leena asked.
Serge smiled and looked down. Leena often tried to make him tell the whole story behind his 'dream', but Serge always heeded Radius's advice, in some manner at least. There were certain details he knew Leena would not like to hear. One was the relation he held with Kid. Another was the fact that he was responsible for killing Leena's father, Miguel. Leena's feelings would be crushed if she heard such things. "I'll tell you when we have some spare time."
"Why not now? We have some time," Leena answered as she looked back to Serge.
"Well – ah," Serge found himself at a disadvantage.
"Well?" Leena asked.
"Maybe another time. The story is to long to tell," Serge answered.
"Then give me the short version."
Serge gave this a few minutes of thought before answering. "All right. I saved the world from a evil Time Devourer," Serge smiled.
"Oh please!" Leena said as she rolled her eyes. She assumed that Serge was teasing her.
"It's the truth."
"Yeah, right," Leena groaned as she sat with her back to Serge.
"You wanted the short version," Serge laughed.
Leena let out a deep sigh of frustration. It was both annoying and disturbing for her to know that Serge actually believed his dream had happened. It was more frustrating that Serge wouldn't confide with her. A small part of her worried that Serge was loosing his concept of reality.
"Serge. You must understand that your so-called quest never happened, it was just a-" Leena paused in mid-sentence as she looked back at Serge. To her surprise, Serge was falling to his knees, gasping in pain. "Serge?"
Serge only groaned in pain. His hands clutched his head as he kneeled in the boat. Before Leena could ask what was wrong or stand up to aid him, Serge doubled over and fell over the side.
"SERGE!"
* * * * * *
The pain was intense as it ripped through Serge's body. All Serge could do was brace himself against the agonizing sensations that flowed through him. It was as if his entire body had somehow caught fire. Yet the pain was only the beginning.
As Serge tried to fight off the pain, images began to appear in his mind. Dark images of death and destruction that sent chills down his spine. Whether they were old memories or the future of what was to come, Serge did not know.
"Please! Stop!" Serge begged.
The images and pain continued.
"STOP IT!" Serge shouted.
Nothing seemed to hear him. The images only came in more rapidly as time went by. Serge was forced only to watch in horror. Desperately, he wanted to scream out, but he couldn't. The pain was too intense. Instead, he found himself gasping for air. But within moments, he found he could not breathe.
With ever increasing desperation, Serge tried to breathe again, but couldn't. He was choking on something. Struggling with all of his might, he tried to draw in another breath, but it was futile. With every moment, Serge's movement grew slower as he his strength drained away from the lack of oxygen. As his body sagged, he could only wonder of this was death he was feeling. Perhaps it was. Perhaps his time on Earth had ended and it was time for him to return to the sea.
"Serge…."
The voice seemed to echo all around him, but Serge could not answer.
"Answer me Serge…." The voice demanded.
Serge tried, but couldn't.
"Answer me!" the voice demanded again.
At first, Serge saw no point in answering. He couldn't. No matter how much he tried. He no longer had the stamina to. If not for a small part of him that urged him on, Serge would have completely given up. Serge had never quite on anything. He had always been too stubborn to quit. So why should he quit now?
"Serge!"
Trying once more, Serge tried to shout out. What emerged from his lips was not his screams, but the sound of him coughing out violently. He then felt air enter his lungs as he took in a deep breath. Slowly, he found himself returning to life.
"Answer me, Serge!" Leena cried as she applied pressure to Serge's chest, performing CPR. After a few quick pumps on his chest, she placed her lips on Serge's and breathed into him. She then quickly pulled her lips away when she felt Serge give a sharp exhale.
Serge awoke in a coughing fit. Water dripped down the corners of his mouth. Slowly his eyes opened and began to focus on Leena who was kneeling over him.
"Serge?" Leena said when she saw him stare into her eyes, "Are you alright?"
Serge coughed out in response and tried to sit up, but found his strength had deserted him. When he decided to try again, Leena offered some of her strength to help him.
"Are you okay?" Leena asked again. Her body trembled as she asked the question.
"Ye – Yeah," Serge gasped after a few moments.
Leena let out a sigh of relief. Her right hand was clutching at her heart.
"What happened?" Serge asked after taking a few more breaths of air.
"You fell over the side of boat and nearly drowned. If I wasn't here, you would have," Leena answered.
"I almost drowned?" Serge said in surprise.
"Yes. Your lucky I was trained in CPR and rescue techniques," Leena said.
Serge looked into Leena's face for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what had just transpired. He could see she was dripping wet like he was. Her face was filled with fear and concern. It didn't take him long to realize that she was responsible for bringing him back to life. "I guess I owe you one," Serge said.
Leena stared into Serge's face for a few seconds before she reached over and hugged him gently. She needed to know that everything was all right now. It wasn't until he returned the hug that she felt satisfied. After a few brief moments, she broke the hug and looked Serge in the face. "What happened?"
Serge found he could not answer her. All the images he had seen had disappeared from his mind. He could only look toward Leena, who still waited for an answer. "I don't - I don't know."
* * * * * *
A few hours later, Leena was found wandering through the streets of Termina. Though her main goal had been to go through the shops that lined street and purchase some supplies, she could not get her mind off what had happened on the sea. The thought of almost loosing Serge was frightening to her.
Originally, she had hoped to explore the town with Serge. The Porre army had withdrawn most of its troops in an effort to make people feel more comfortable under their rule. Only a handful of guards were left to police the city, which allowed many shops to open up once again. Termina was slowly growing into one of the biggest attractions now. It was something that she had hoped to share with Serge so she could strengthen her relationship with him.
But Serge was drained after the incident in the sea. He only wanted to check in at the nearest hotel and get some rest to recuperate. Given what happened, Leena had to agree with Serge that he needed rest. If something bad happened to Serge, she would not know what she would do.
Leena could only wander the streets blindly, trying to think about what she could do to help Serge. She just ignored the scenes and people around, nearly bumping into a few in the process. As she rounded a street corner, she failed to notice a man coming in the opposite direction, carrying some groceries. Before either one of them knew what happened, they both had collided.
Leena stumbled back in surprise and shock. The first thing that caught her eyes were the pieces of fruit and cans of food that came crashing to the ground. What followed were the curses of the man she had bumped into. Slowly, she looked up toward the man. Her hands covered her mouth as she gasped in fright at what she saw the next instant. She was starring at what looked like an officer of the Porre Army.
"Dam it!" the man cursed as he watched the groceries spread around.
"I'm sorry," Leena quickly apologized. Quickly she got to her hands and knees to pick up the food.
"No. It's okay. You don't have…." The man froze, looking Leena in the face. His jaw dropped open the next moment. "Leena?"
Leena gasped as she heard her name. Fear flew through her body as she realized the man knew who she was. This was considered bad since anyone who got involved with the Porre Army usually got into serious trouble, and she had, quite literally, walked right into a officer of the army. Leena wanted to run away and escape, but all she could do was look up at the man in fear.
"It is you. Don't you recognize me?" the man asked.
Leena looked over the man. She could find nothing familiar about him. "No," Leena said as she shook her head.
"You don't?"
"Uh – No. I'm sorry. I don't know who you are," Leena replied.
"Surely you must remember that excursion we had with Serge, Glenn, Kid, and all the others. We -" the man then stopped in mid-sentence as a realization suddenly struck him. He then turned his head away in embarrassment. "My apologies. Mistake of identity on my part," he then proceeded to gather his groceries off the ground.
Leena blinked as a realization struck her as well. The man had mentioned Serge's name. Though he mentioned some other names she didn't recognize, she was certain she heard Serge's name. Could this man know Serge somehow?
"Again. My apologies," the man said after he gathered the last of his groceries and started to walk away.
"Wait!" Leena called out when the man was a short distance away.
The man stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder.
"Do...Do you know Serge?" Leena asked.
"If your referring to the same Serge who dresses like some sort of pirate and wields a swallow, then the answer is yes," the man answered. He then proceeded on his way.
"Wait!"
The man stopped and looked over his shoulder again.
"You wouldn't happen to be Norris, would you?" Leena said.
The man completely turned around this time. "Maybe."
* * * * * *
For the better part of a day, Serge found himself lying in bed, trying to recover his strength, as well as figure out what had happened to him at sea. Desperately, he tried to remember what he had seen. Were they old memories of what happened, or premonitions of things to come? With all that had happened to him in his past, Serge doubted it was a good idea to just forget about the events that had transpired on the sea.
One of the greatest reasons Serge feared what he saw was the fact that it felt so much like the images he saw once before. Images where he saw himself, or rather Lynx in his body, stabbing Kid. He needed to know if what he had experienced on the sea was the same thing as his dream with Kid being stabbed.
Before Serge could continue his pondering, he heard a light knocking from the door. "Come in," Serge said as he sat up in his bed.
Slowly, Leena entered the room. "Hi, Serge. How are you feeling?"
"Better. Only a little confused about what happened," Serge confessed. Serge then noticed that Leena looked slightly uncomfortable. "Is something wrong?"
Leena remained silent for a few seconds, as if she was debating whether to tell Serge something. "I met someone outside that says he might know you?"
"Who?"
"Its been a while Serge," Norris said as he walked in.
Serge's face brightened almost immediately at the site of Norris. A small laugh escaped his lips as he got up to greet his old comrade. "I was hoping to meet with you again, Norris," Serge said happily as he shook Norris's hand.
"Me too. It's been a while," Norris smiled.
Leena let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Norris and Serge knew each other and appeared to be friends.
"How did you find me?" Serge asked.
"You could say I bumped into Leena and mistook her for someone else, if you know what I mean," Norris explained.
Serge gave this some thought before he caught on. "Right."
Feeling it was best to let Serge become acquainted with his old friend, Leena decided it was best of her to leave for the moment. "I'm going to go down and bring some refreshments."
"Are you sure?" Serge asked.
"Yes. Besides, you seem to have a lot of catching up to do with your friend," Leena said.
"All right," Serge said.
Leena then made her way out of the room.
Serge and Norris watched her leave before returning to their conversation.
"So alike," Norris said.
"I know. Its hard for me to believe sometimes that she isn't the same Leena who accompanied us," Serge said. The two then took a seat and began to reminisce about their past adventure and all that had happened afterward.
* * * * * *
Leena had had some doubts when she brought Norris to see Serge. She had asked a number of questions to test Norris so he could prove that he somehow knew Serge before bringing Norris to see him. Surprisingly, Norris answered all the questions correct, but still Leena had her doubts. It wasn't until she had allowed Norris to meet Serge did all of her doubts fade away. From the way she had seen Serge's face light up, she could only deduce that Serge and Norris were good friends. But how did he meet Norris?
Though Leena said she would allow Norris and Serge to spend some time together to reminisce, her curiosity overwhelmed her and she found herself listening in just outside the room. What she heard were stories about places she had never heard of and people she never thought Serge had met. She even heard her name used a few times, making her wonder if there was another girl named Leena. Or were they talking about her?
Another topic that peeked Leena's curiosity was someone named Kid. Though most of the conversation around her speculated on her whereabouts and the times they had together, she was getting the distinct impression that Serge had a deep friendship with this girl once. After hearing so much on this topic, Leena decided it was best that she did not listen to anymore of the conversation, and went downstairs to grab a bite to eat.
As she did, she began to wonder. Had Serge been telling the truth about him saving the world? It didn't seem possible. Serge had never left Arni Village except that one time to be cured of a poison from a demon panther. But that incident happened so long ago. There was also the fact that some of the things she heard sounded a little like what she had gathered about Serge's dream. Did something actually happen with Serge? If so, how come she didn't know about it?
"Its hard to believe that so much has happened. Yet, no one seems to know what happened. It's almost like a dream," Serge said after they were done talking about their adventures.
"I know what you mean. Its almost as if time just stood still, and only the people who participated remember what happened," Norris said.
"Do you think it was a dream?" Serge asked.
"When I woke up after our battle with the Time Devourer, I thought it was. Then I met Zappa and Van in town. They had the same memories as I did. Now, I just think that somehow either time froze or we went back in time before anything happened. Truthfully, I don't think I want to know what happened," Norris explained.
"Radius told me the same thing. Its like time just froze for everyone but us," Serge added.
A small grin then appeared on Norris's face. "It sometimes feels strange to see the people we fought with wander the streets, yet they are not the same ones who accompanied us, like Korcha. I almost believed the ferryman in this town was the same Korcha that accompanied us," Norris laughed.
"Like you did with Leena?" Serge asked.
"Exactly."
"I know what you mean. It is strange," Serge laughed.
Norris began to stretch in his seat. "At least it's over. Don't have to worry about some Time Devourer or other monster wiping out the world."
Serge sighed as he began to recollect the images he saw at sea. "I wonder if it truly is over?" Serge said.
Norris blinked in surprise when he heard this. "What do you mean?"
At first, Serge was willing to explain to Norris what happened, but then thought better of it. In truth, he had no idea what the images were or what they were for. He decided it was best to keep them to him-self, for now. "Nothing. Forget it,"
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry. If something does happen, you'll be one of the first ones to know about it," Serge reassured.
"All right. Just don't leave me in the dark."
* * * * * *
There was very little light shinning into the room where the observer and his brother now stood. The room they stood in was huge. It was cylindrical in shape and was at least three stories high. The many platforms and machinery that once lined the walls now lay on the floor, scattered and broken. Many corridors connected to the room, but either ended in a sharp drop, or had wreckage covering their entrance. Despite all the wreckage and ancient technologies on the floor that could be salvaged and used, only one thing caught their eyes.
In the middle of the room was a golden pillar of light. The pillar stretched out from the floor to the ceiling and was at least twelve feet in diameter. Directly in the center of the pillar was the dark silhouette of a young girl. The only visible features that could be seen of her were the torn clothing she wore and short hair that flowed freely. Occasionally, bolts of energy would appear along the floor or ceiling and race along the pillars side, where they would eventually collide with the prisoner inside. The prisoner could only let out silent screams or huddle in pain each time one of these bolts hit her.
"Does she still resist?" the brother asked the observer.
The observer only responded with a nod.
The brother groaned in anger. "How can she not realize that her actions will cause this future to happen?"
"I do not know."
The brother turned to the observer. "Haven't you been peering into her mind?" the brother demanded.
"I have. But, like I said earlier, she still resists us. She will not open her mind to me very easily. Only with patience and a lot of persistence do we have a chance to break her," the observer explained.
"How is she able to resist us? She isn't that strong. Is she?"
"She was strong enough to fight us and cause our defeat," the observer commented.
The brother groaned and looked toward the prisoner. It was hard for him to believe that this small one caused their defeat. Ever since they were defeated, a virus had grown and spread, consuming all life on the planet. If it had not been for the fact that the prisoner possessed the power needed to help him and his other companions save the world, he would have had her killed immediately. "Why does she resist us?"
"For one, she has always been stubborn. Another, she hopes that one of her companions can rescue her."
"Can she call on her companions for help?"
"I do not know. But she is very cunning and resourceful. I suspect by now she has figured out some way to."
"What shall we do then?" the brother asked.
"Nothing for now. I doubt she can reach out to them, at least not now. She does not have the strength. But if they do come, we will be ready for them," the observer said as he looked upon the prisoner. His brother followed the observer's gaze and watched the prisoner as well.
From within the pillar of light, the prisoner continued to endure the pain the energy bolts brought her. Despite the burning pain, she refused to give in. She had hope that the only one who had the power to kill her captors would save her. Over and over, she whispered his name, as if calling to him. "Serge."
* * * * * * *
It was already night when Serge and Leena walked the streets of Termina. Though he was still a little unsettled by the events that happened, Serge decided to spend some time with Leena like she asked him to. She had saved his life, and Serge felt he owed her a great debt. For now, the only thing he could offer her was his company.
The two wandered the lighted streets, talking and laughing as they went for what seemed like hours. They looked into every store that was still open and bought a few accessories they needed for the coming months. When some of the stores started closing down for the night, the two just wandered the streets, admiring the setting of the town.
"Thanks for taking me out, Serge," Leena said as she leaned up against him.
"No problem. I figured I owed you that much after you saved my life. Besides, you looked like you needed some fresh air," Serge replied.
"I was kind of surprised you didn't invite Norris along. You two seemed like good friends," Leena said.
"Nah. He hates shopping. Besides, he has duties to attend to," Serge explained.
Leena remained silent for a few seconds in thought before continuing the conversation. "How did you meet him?"
"Huh?"
"How did you meet Norris? It seems kind of strange that you would know a officer of the Porre Army when you never even left Arni Village," Leena said.
"Well…." Serge found himself speechless. He wasn't sure how to explain that he was in Lynx's body when he met Norris and that Norris mistook him for the real Lynx. He then remembered the person who convinced Norris to come with him. "Radius introduced him to me," Serge replied.
"Radius? You're kidding," Leena said in surprise.
"Nope," Serge smiled.
"But how did Radius know him?" Leena asked.
"He's a former Dragoon. He must have met Norris while in service," Serge said, even though it was a lie. The truth was that Norris knew Radius only by reputation and joined them only to find the Frozen Flame. However the story was to complex for Serge to explain to Leena. Not to mention, he couldn't really tell her.
"Really? I didn't know that," Leena said. She knew Radius was a good leader and fighter, but never did she get the impression that he was also a former Dragoon. Before she could ponder anymore, her eyes caught sight of something on the bridge that crossed the channel. "Hey Serge. Look over there!" Leena said.
"Huh?" Serge said. He followed her gaze to a fortuneteller's tent on the bridge. Standing at the entrance was an old man with a long white beard. He wore a white robe and matching turban. At the moment, he didn't appear to have any business at all and was in desperate need of some.
"Let's get our fortune read," Leena said.
Serge then felt his arm being tugged by Leena as she raced forward. "Hey! Wait a minute!"
"Come on! It'll be fun!"
"Whoa! I'm coming!" Serge said, nearly being pulled off his feet by Leena. He was struggling to keep up with her pace.
"Come one! Come all! See what the future has in store for you! Mysteries and suspense await you my friends!" the fortuneteller called out. For hours, he repeated this phrase, but not many had answered his call. He was about to call it a day when he noticed Leena coming toward him, dragging Serge behind her. "Ah! What do we have here? Two lovers itching to have their fortune read?"
"Hello, sir. How much is it to have our fortunes read?" Leena asked.
"For only five coins, I will reveal all I see," the fortuneteller said.
"Well? What do you think, Serge?" Leena asked. A gentle smile danced across her face.
Serge wasn't to keen on having his fortune read. Though he had his read before, he always got the impression that the fortunetellers were nothing more than con artists or low-level magicians trying to make a quick coin. Still, he figured he should at least make Leena happy. Her gentle smile was more than enough to make him do what she asked. "All right," Serge said as he pulled out the money.
The fortuneteller greedily took the money. "Now who should I do first?"
"Me! Tell me about my future relations with Serge," Leena said.
"Very well, my lady," the fortuneteller complied. He then closed his eyes and started wave his arms around. He emitted a low moan as he concentrated on reading Leena's future. After a brief period, he stopped and looked toward to Leena. "My dear friend. The secrets of one will compel you to find another. Only then will your happiness be complete," the fortuneteller said.
"What do you mean by that?" Leena asked.
"Perhaps you better read mine," Serge intervened. He didn't wish the fortuneteller to tell some of the secrets he had concerning his adventure. Not to mention, he didn't want Leena to get upset.
"Very well," the fortuneteller said before he began the same ritual over. Once again, he let his arms wave around while emitting a small moan. The man then let out a gasp of air as his eyes suddenly popped wide open in surprise. The next moment, he started to collapse.
"Whoa!" Serge said as he quickly caught the man. "Easy there."
"What's the matter with him?" Leena asked as she examined him.
Before Serge could answer, he felt a sharp pain on his arm. He looked down to see the man was clutching to him tightly. "Hey! Let go!"
"Be warned my friend! You will soon depart to cross beyond! You will fight those who wish to save the world! You must choose who will be your friend and who will be your foe! Choose carefully when you make your decisions, for some must be sacrificed! The one awaits!" the fortuneteller said as if he was in a trance. The man then fell limp in Serge's arms.
Serge looked at the man in surprise upon hearing the prediction. Leena could only share his startled look.
"What does he mean, Serge?" Leena asked.
"I don't know."
The next moment, the fortuneteller began to awaken from shock. As he looked around, he appeared a little confused about what had happened. He then looked toward Serge and Leena.
"Are you okay?" Serge asked.
"Ah…"
"Sir?" Leena asked.
The man remained silent as he began to recall what happened. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to alarm you," the man said once he had gathered all of his wits.
"What happened?" Serge asked.
"I don't know. It was if I was being overwhelmed by something," the fortuneteller said.
"By what?" Leena asked.
"I…I don't know. I never felt such a strong power or made such a prediction," the man replied.
Serge and Leena looked at the man in silence before turning to look at each other.
* * * * * *
The next mourning, Serge and Leena had finished their shopping. Once they were done, they loaded their belongings onto their boat and made their way back to Arni Village. For the most part, the trip was a silent one. Neither Serge nor Leena knew what to say to each other after the previous day's events.
For Leena, she was confused from all that had happened in Termina. To her surprise, she had learned more about Serge then she ever thought possible. It was if Serge was a completely different person then the one she knew. He seemed to have more secrets then she ever thought possible. Occasionally she would make a glance towards Serge before turning back to the sea.
She was also worried about the prediction the fortuneteller had made. What did he mean about crossing beyond or some must be sacrificed? Did it mean that Serge was going to die? Who was this 'one' the man spoke of?
In her mind, she knew she had to watch over Serge. Something inside her, call it woman's intuition, told her that something major was about to happen, and she wanted to be a part of it. If she didn't, she feared she would loose Serge….forever.
TO BE CONTINUED…..
Author's note: I hope I caught your interest on the story. I want a lot of feedback. The more feedback and reviews I see, the sooner I will be able to complete the next chapter. Please, no flaming. This is my first Chrono Cross fan fiction. Also, if your interested, I am open to suggestions, provided they don't take me away from the main plot of the story. You can E-mail me suggestions or reviews to me at MikeMuir78@aol.com or MikeMuir78@Yahoo.com.
