Disclaimer: Chrono Cross isn't mine, in case you hadn't guessed. If I'd created Chrono Cross, then Harle would be alive, Karsh would marry Riddel, Guile really would be Magus, all those Trigger characters wouldn't be killed off, and there would be a lengthy hot-tub scene involving Norris, sex toys, and a can of whipped cream (kidding!!). Anyway, CC belongs to those all-powerful geniuses down at Square. Too bad.
Oh, and I also don't own Pinky and the Brain (man I love that show! ^_^).
Oh, and I had serious trouble going around the memory loss thing, about none of the characters remembering what had happened. How far does that memory loss extend – through the entire game, or just the fight with Time Devourer?
Then there's that world merge thing. For example: Fargo. Does there end up being two Fargos, or does one of them disappear, or do they somehow merge? I'm so confused. My brain hurts.
Third Wheel
I don't know what I felt when I found out Dario was alive. Maybe he wasn't the Dario I had known, but he was still Dario. Like Riddel said, 'I am me and you are you' or something like that. It was close enough. I was unbelievably relived that at least some kind of Dario had forgiven me, and had thought what I had done was right. I was happy that my friend was back. It wasn't until he looked at Riddel one more time that I remembered why I had enjoyed killing him.
It wasn't like I'd had a chance before. But now my chances went from point zero-one percent to zero percent. That point zero-one percent had meant a lot to me.
All I had to content myself with now was trying to do the best I could for Riddel. I would protect her, no matter what.
Fuck. Everyone got a happy ending but me. What's my problem? Is there some kind of Golden Rule in the book of fate that says 'Those named Karsh must not be content'? (A/N: Probably is, Karshie)
This sucks. This really does suck. And now Dario's invited me to be best man at their stupid fucking wedding, and I know I'm going to do it, and smile, because it's Dario's wedding. No matter that my smile is completely false, no matter that I just want to sucker punch Dario and walk off, no matter that when the priest says 'any who speak against them, speak now or forever hold your peace' I want to say, 'You don't want to marry this pompous, egotistical, righteous, self-assured numbskull! Why not marry me instead?'.
I think I need to go for a walk. A very, very long walk.
~*~
Karsh stomped around the newly rebuilt Viper Manor in Home. There always seemed to be something strange about the place, and about Termina, as well. It just seemed… slightly different than he remembered it. There was always something nagging at the back of his mind, some event or place that he couldn't quite remember. He didn't worry about it too much, though. Maybe it was just the changes of the Porre military.
Wait… when had Porre invaded? Karsh couldn't ever remember fighting Porre soldiers… they were just suddenly… there, then gone. This was very strange.
When Karsh sat down and thought about it, there seemed to be a chapter of his life that he couldn't remember at all.
Think. Systematic order, all the missions you've been on.
Well, there was that gang of bandits, then that bodyguard job…
Then… Karsh snapped his fingers. That ghost-hunt. I was sent to hunt down the ghost of a boy who had died ten years previous… man, that was a wild goose-chase. It wasn't Lord Viper who gave me that order, either. It was this strange panther guy.
Wait… Lord Viper. Where did he go? He just… disappeared. Whaat?
There used to be four Devas, I know that… Dario, Karsh, Zoah, and Marcy. Zoah and Marcy?? Who are they?? No, wait…
It was crazy. I – I can't remember. No, go from the ghost hunt. The ghost's name was… Serge, that's it. I remember, he had a blonde-haired friend named Kid. She took Riddel hostage, but then protected her from… who?? That… panther guy. They escaped. I didn't see them for a long time…
Then… I think I joined forces with him. For what reason? I know me, Zoah, Marcy, Glenn, and Riddel all helped him out. We were trying to beat something/someone.
What, for god's sake??
That panther guy… his name… what was his name? Lynx, that's it. What did Lynx do? Switched bodies with Serge? That's crazy! What kinda bullshit memory is this??
Hmm… I remember we went to… the Sea of Eden. The Dead Sea? Something like that. What did we do in the Sea of Eden?
…What the hell did we do in the Sea of Eden?
…I can't remember!
"I'M CONFUSED!!" Karsh bellowed at nobody. "This makes NO sense!"
Karsh decided he had to talk to Dario and Riddel.
~*~
"Don't you see? There's something completely wrong here!"
Dario shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Karsh. Have you eaten anything strange lately?"
Karsh growled. "Argh – I'm serious! Don't you remember at all?"
Dario shook his head again, sadly. "Karsh, this makes no sense. I can't remember anything even vaguely like what you're talking about."
"No." Riddel interjected. "Karsh is correct. It has been many little things… people slightly changed, pieces of memories not there. It's rather strange."
"It all comes down to the Dead Sea. I don't know why, but at one point I remember going to the Dead Sea – but I don't remember what I did there."
Riddel thought for a moment. "Myself as well."
Dario sighed heavily. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you two are talking about. Sleep on it, all right? It's nearly midnight."
"You're just making up an excuse to blow it off," Karsh accused.
"Maybe I am."
"Give me a straight answer, will ya!"
"I don't have to, Karsh." Dario said. "I'll have you remember who's in charge, here."
"You can't tell me what to do." Karsh fumed. "I'm putting up a perfectly good point and you're just ignoring it, like you always do."
"Excuse me? Since when was the last time you put up a 'perfectly good point'?"
"All the time, you boltbrain!"
"My ass, you ironhead!!" Dario was beginning to get angry.
"You never take anything I have to say seriously, do you? I'm just number two to you – Pinky to your Brain."
"Since when have you ever proven yourself better than that?" Dario's voice came coldly.
Karsh's fist smacked down on Dario's desk. "When I took my axe and smacked you over a cliff with it." He grinned, just as cold an expression as Dario's. "And believe me, I enjoyed it."
"You're insane, Karsh. That never happened."
Karsh smiled, turning to Riddel, who until then had remained silent. "Yes I did. You remember, Riddel?"
Riddel looked away. "Yes. When you told me the truth."
Dario went white as a sheet. "How…?"
"You died, Dario. Somehow. Maybe… you're some kind of second Dario." And that's when it all fell into place.
"You traitor! I can't believe you!"
"Dario, it's hard to explain – "
"That's it!"
They were all talking at once, then suddenly silenced.
"Dario," Karsh began. "You – the other you – was possessed by the evil sword Masamune. You would have killed me, and Riddel. I can't say how much I hated myself for doing it."
Dario looked at Riddel, and she nodded.
It took them hours to get themselves straightened out, but by the end, they could all recall that there was two separate worlds (at one time), but nothing much beyond that. It was all extremely confusing.
