Serge

Player nickname: Karma
Player LJ: shuyin
Way to contact you: AIM, PM, Plurk
Email: kadaj_strife@yahoo.com
AIM: GoddessofSaturn
Other: Plurk: stetsonarecool
Are you at least 15?: Y
Current Characters: Tidus | swordplay

Character: Serge
Fandom: Chrono Cross
Character Notes:
History: The first important even that changes Serge's fate occurs at age three, on Opassa Beach. A normal carefree day quickly turns into a race to save Serge's life for his father, Wazuki. Serge is mauled by a panther demon, his wounds deeply poisoned. His father, Wazuki, and Wazuki's friend Miguel, set sail with Serge for the Island of Marbule, hoping the sage who lives there could heal him. On their way to Marbule, a storm occurs, leading them off course and through the dangerous Sea of Eden to wash up on the island Chronopolis' shore.

Serge is called by the Frozen Flame, his wounds healed. However, in the process Serge is chosen by the Flame as the new Arbiter of Time, which leads to the Prometheus Circuit locking out FATE's access to the Frozen Flame. In retaliation, the supercomputer FATE infects and takes over the minds of both Miguel and Wazuki. Miguel stays on the island, but Wazuki, still mostly himself, takes Serge back to Arni.

Fast forward four years later. The years have not been good to Wazuki, his mind now almost fully corrupt thanks to FATE's control. FATE has Wazuki attempt to drown Serge so that it can reclaim control over the Frozen Flame, an event that leads to Wazuki fully snapping and becoming nothing more than a shell for FATE's wishes. Wazuki is reshaped into a demi-human known as Lynx, resembling a panther based on Serge's fear of them from the previous attack. This is when Kid meets Serge for the first time, time-traveling to the beach to save him. Her actions lead to two different outcomes: one where Serge continues to live in peace, another where Serge dies. The world splits into two worlds, Serge's world (Home World), and the other world (Another World).

On the Home World, Serge continues to live in Arni village with his mother, Marge. He develops a strong friendship with a girl named Leena, and is liked by the other villagers. His journey begins at age seventeen, on a day like any other. After meeting up with Leena on Opassa beach, Serge hears a voice calling his name. Before he knows it, the ocean seems to be rushing at him, he's surrounded by a strange vortex, and his world goes dark.

When Serge wakes up on the beach, he quickly discovers that he's no longer in his world. Somehow, he ended up in Another World, where no one in Arni village knows him (or believes he's Serge) and his mom is dead. After speaking to the Leena from Another World, he makes his way to Cape Howl, where he meets Kid.

It's the second time he's rescued by Kid, and Serge is given the choice to team up with her on his way to Termina to find out why he's dead in Another World or not. Regardless of the choice he makes, he eventually goes to Termina with either Kid or Leena (AW). In Termina, Serge finds out the Viper Manor may hold the key to why he's being targeted by Acacia Dragoons in Another World. Listening to Kid's suggestion, he and his party find a guide willing to help them sneak into Viper Manor.

His trip to Viper Manor leads to meeting Harle, Lynx's mysterious assistant, and a confrontation with Lynx. He and his party manage to escape, but Kid is poisoned in the process and in serious danger of dying. Serge is given another choice: try to help save Kid despite the low chances of finding the right antidote, or continue without her.

Either way, Kid is eventually all right, and Serge continues his journey. Kid gives Serge an item known as the Astral Amulet that allows Serge to cross dimensions provided he's in the right location at Opassa beach, where the dimensional rift exists. Fate seems to be against him, so he plans on going to Fort Dragonia, where the Acacia Dragoons have taken an interest in. Some sub-plots later involving asking wise old man known as Radius what to do, getting some ice breath for a water dragon, and being kidnapped by pirates which eventually leads to him saving his kidnappers from the ghost ship later, Serge is finally able to arrive at Mount Pyre, which its volcanic activity requires the Ice Breath to travel any further.

Serge and his party reach Fort Dragonia and beat a series of annoying puzzles to reach the top. It's there where Serge's recurring visions suddenly make sense. Lynx is waiting for Serge. After betraying and stabbing General Viper, Lynx uses the Dragon Tear for a body-switching ritual, switching his body with Serge's. In the body of the demi-human, Serge is unable to communicate with his friends and convince them that he isn't Lynx. Lynx uses Serge's appearance to his advantage, teaming up with Kid and the rest of Serge's party against him. Injured in battle, he can only watch in horror as Lynx in his body stabs Kid.

Lynx sends Serge to the Temporal Vortex, a not-world dimension that doesn't fit into either world. There Serge meets Sprigg, an old woman who has spent years there, and Harle. With Harle's help, Serge and Sprigg escape the Temporal Vortex and end up in the Home World. Pretty soon, Serge finds out he can't cross dimensions anymore. This leads to a quest to the Dead Sea, but in order to cross the dangerous barrier surrounding it, he would need the magical Fiddler Crab sculpture to open the doorway. After defeating the Sage of Marbule, Serge is rewarded the Fiddler Crab and is able to continue his journey through the Dead Sea.

At the Dead Sea, things don't quite go as planned. Serge meets Miguel, who confronts him and leaves him no choice but to fight. After being defeated, Miguel explains some things about Lavos and the Frozen Flame, but leaving more questions than answers. The Dead Sea begins to collapse. Things look bleak for Serge and his party. Fortunately, the Sky Dragon saves Serge and his friends. Serge's next goal would be to regain his body. He and his party travel to Opassa beach, where they find out they're able to cross dimensions again. Serge and his party needed to go to the Sea of Eden in Another World, but before that they would need to defeat the six dragons and regain his body using the Dragon Tear. Mentioning the Dragon Tear, Harle leaves Serge's party.

After defeating the six dragons, Serge proves himself. Steena (Home World), a spiritual Chief of Guldove, lends Serge the Dragon Tear. Serge and his party return to Fort Dragonia. After fighting Lynx, who has wreaken havoc and used Serge's body to win over Kid's loyalty, Serge is gifted with a new body-- in a way, he's "reborn". Serge also obtains the Tears of Love, the other side of the Tears of Hate, which were given to Serge by Karsh. With both, and Steena's assitance, he's able to merge the two items into the Chrono Cross.

With his real body, Serge will be recognized by the Frozen Flame, and he continue his journey to Chronopolis. All his original party members become available too.

At Chronopolis, Serge confronts Lynx for a final time, and also meets up with Kid again. After defeating Lynx and FATE, Kid falls into a slumber and Harle disappears. Unfortunately, that's what the Dragon Gods wanted. Serge was used for his power. The Dragon Gods are able to bind together into one more powerful being known as the Dragon God, raising Terra Tower from the depths of the ocean. The Dragon God takes the Frozen Flame, siding with Lavos--now called the Time Devourer--in an attempt of revenge on humanity.

Serge isn't about to let the Time Devourer consume all of space-time, but he has some things to do first. Kid is still in a slumber, and he wants to save her. With the help of Masa, Mune, and Dooreen's power, he's able to jump into Kid's past. He ends up in the orphanage Kid used to live in during the event when Lynx burned it down, kidnapping Kid's adoptive sister Lucca and instilling a hatred for the man later on. Serge saves many of the children, and escapes with the younger Kid. As he starts to disappear back to his own time, Kid notes the the tears on his face.

Serge returns back to his own time to find out it worked and Kid has woken up. Kid joins up with Serge again. After acquiring an anti-gravity device, Serge uses Korcha's boat to travel to Terra Tower, where he and his party will defeat the Dragon God. The Dragon God's defeat leads to Terra Tower's destruction. There's one more important event: The Time Devourer's defeat.

Serge, along with Kid and his other party members, head to Opassa Beach. The Ghost Chilren there reveal Serge's fate--that it was he who was meant to defeat the Devourer of Time to free Schala. That Kid is the daughter-clone of Schala, and that Lynx used to be Wazuki, Serge's father. With the Time Egg, Serge and the others can reach the Darkness Beyond Time, where the Time Devourer resides. Defeating the Time Devourer is more complex than simply using physical attacks and magic. It's Serge's role to use the Chrono Cross.

Using the Chrono Cross, Serge defeats the Time Devourer and frees Schala. As everything goes dark, Kid shares a few words with Serge for a last time, and Schala claims Serge's memories of all the events will be gone. The two worlds merge, and when Serge wakes up he's back on the beach with Leena. Yet he seems to remember some things, mentioning Terra Tower and FATE to his friend.

Even if he remembers some things, their summer has just begun.

Personality: Serge's dialogue is few and far between, but his actions and the dialogue he does get often reflect his personality.

Growing up in the small, beachside village Arni, Serge is a little sheltered, and naive about others. His skill with the Swallow, a weapon he has practiced with for a while, shows a determination and thirst for adventure. Serge is happy in Arni, often accompanying his childhood friend Leena on some sort of mini-adventure through the surrounding area. He is often content to go along with the plans of other, more exuberant people. Serge has a helpful nature, and he can be a good leader, though he may not seem like the first choice. Perhaps one of the reasons people look to him as a leader is because he does genuinely listen to people -- friends and strangers alike.

Serge's contact with the Frozen Flame, and his part in the splitting of the world leads to him being involved in a greater scheme whether he wants to be or not. While he's not necessarily happy to have such a heavy destiny, he does seem to enjoy the traveling aspects and meeting new people. Serge is easygoing enough to where he gets along with a variety of personalities very different from his own, and he has a sincerity about him, an openness to his reactions. Serge may not speak much, but his face and body language is expressive and geniune.

Unfortunately, Serge's sheltered nature can be used against him. That's not to say he's always trusting, or a pushover. He'll stand up for himself when he needs to. He just is easy to catch off guard at times. The fact that Serge isn't the most cautious person doesn't help. For example, he has the choice to tag along with a nearly complete stranger on an adventure and is willing to break into a mansion with her simply because she saved his life and made a few good points about finding out why the alternate world was different from his world. That's not exactly cautious behavior. Sometimes this more impulsive behavior works out pretty well for him, other times not so much. Coupled with the fact he tends to go with the flow more often than not leads to some bad events later on. For example, his visions of seeing himself stab Kid. Confused and upset by these visions, he shows some hesitancy toward traveling with Kid at first, as well as entering the location he previously dreamed of the scenario occuring-- Fort Dragonia. He lets himself by reassured by Kid's words instead, following someone else's opinion and leading the way to that very event occuring. He switches bodies with Lynx, the one who really stabs Kid, and watches the very visions he was dreading turn into a reality.

After this, Serge loses some of the lighthearted nature he had before, but nonetheless remains kind and well-meaning. He blames himself for what happens to Kid, becoming a little more wary, and a little more invested in what happens next. He quietly reflects on his memories with Kid, feeling immensely guilty for what happened, and depressed that so many of his previous allies now see him as the monster who has brought so much pain to the other world. Yet thanks to the help from his new friends and allies, he takes charge of the situation.

When Serge gets his body back (or rather, he's given a new, identical one), he's more mature, and more of the leader people looked to him to be. He has a renewed inner determination, and recovers all the friendships he had before while having just as strong ones with his new allies. He manages to do what people had faith he would do, helping save Schala, Kid, and his own fate as the two worlds merge into one.

Serge is someone who thinks more with his heart than his head, but he's relentlessly loyal and cares deeply for many people.

Other: Despite being titled as a Silent Protagonist, it's implied Serge speaks occasionally, unless even complete strangers are able to read exactly what he wants to say simply based on his facial expressions. Oftentimes, the characters will begin with a "What was that?" or something similar, which means Serge likely speaks very quietly when he chooses to. This, along with the fact that it's so rare, imply it's probably difficult for him to speak, for whatever reason. For the most part, he does try to get by with just expressions and gestures.

Additional Links: Chrono Wiki, Chrono Compendium

First Person (entry type): [Handwritten]

I overslept again. Leena's going to wonder why I haven't met up with her yet. We're supposed to go out to Opassa beach today to fight Komodo dragons for the scales to make her a necklace. Personally, I'm looking forward to the fighting more than the necklace. I keep having the same dream with someone I've never met, but...

Mom's calling, I must be really late! I gotta go and meet up with Leena! I'll see you later.

- Serge
Third Person:

"Are you sure you're ready, Serge? Who ever knew all the events would lead to this... It's a lot to take in,"

The words of his friend still rang through Serge's mind, whispering at him much like the gentle balmy breeze. He stared up at the stars. Was he ready? The battle--what he hoped to be the final battle--was tomorrow. So much had happened in the past few months. Who would of thought that him, some guy from a small fisherman's village, was the one who had to save not one world, but two. He shut his eyes as the weight of such a task seemed to press itself down on both his shoulders. In his mind, he saw the faces of all the friends he had met. And he had met so many in the different places he had seen. He was accustomed to being liked, as he was back in Arni, but he could hardly keep count of the people who had agreed to travel with him on some point or another.

He pictured all the amazing places he had seen with those people, saw their smiles as he grinned and heard their laughter as he tried to laugh as loudly as they did. He thought of his friends and their quirks: Riddel's graceful kindness, Leena's ability to have an iron will and gentleness all at once, Karsh's cocky grin when wielding his axe of his, Glenn's nagging that as much as Serge tried to ignore, he secretly admired him for, Harle's riddles and the mischeivous light in her eyes he would never wish away, Kid's driving will that had kept him sane many times during his adventure when he felt as if he would be lost in the tides of fate, and her smile when they had finally met again...the right way this time. He thought of how everyone had supported him, and how he wasn't the only one with something at stake here. All of them had something to fight for. They all had their dreams, their scars, and they had all stood by his side even when their lives were at risk.

Serge opened his eyes, and smiled. Despite everything and the fact that he was the only Arbiter of Time, he knew he wouldn't be fighting this battle alone. All of his friends would be with him, in one way or another.