Author Topic: Were Lynx's actions a design flaw by FATE, or FATE itself?  (Read 1371 times)

Beach Bum

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Were Lynx's actions a design flaw by FATE, or FATE itself?
« on: February 28, 2018, 05:48:22 pm »
So in 1010 AD, the dimensions were split and Serge was saved as planned by Kid and Belthasar. But in Another World, FATE was succesful in completely warping Wazuki into Lynx and making him its servant. Even though Serge was succesfully drowned in Another World, the existence of Serge in Home World still denied FATE access to the Frozen Flame. FATE reasoned Serge would eventually cross the dimensions, but by 1015 AD, FATE (or Lynx) got impatient and hunted down Lucca to have her disable the Prometheus circuit. This endeavor was unsuccesful.

Then, in 1020 AD, very soon after Serge has crossed the dimensions, Lynx's men are at his throat. The capture attempt fails, and after Serge and pals invade Viper Manor they manage to escape him once again. Lynx seems visibly upset by this. Then at Fort Dragonia Lynx finally managed to do the body switch with Serge.

What I'm trying to establish is, it seems like either FATE or Lynx were very impatient and eager to regain access to the Frozen Flame as soon as possible.

However, after Lynx has completed the body switch and obtained everything FATE needed to have access once again, all of this haste seems to disappear. Afterwards, for some reason, Lynx (or "Dark Serge") seems to be terrorizing the people of Arni and El Nido. Why would FATE want to do that? Isn't its purpose to create a peaceful utopia?

Even if we regard the endings involving Lynx as non-canon, by the time Serge makes it to Home World Fort Dragonia (which took forever), Lynx STILL hasn't returned to Chronopolis.

But that's not all. Even when he finally does make it back to Chronopolis, he seems to be waiting for Serge's arrival. Why is Lynx so obsessed with challenging Serge all the time? He went out of his way to have several battles with him when he didn't need to. In the end, he tells Serge to show him "What it means to be alive".

Now Lynx was essentially FATE's arms and legs, and to some degree he had some free will. Was all of this Lynx's decision? Or was it FATE itself that sought to challenge Serge?
« Last Edit: February 28, 2018, 05:55:12 pm by Beach Bum »

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Were Lynx's actions a design flaw by FATE, or FATE itself?
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2018, 06:04:36 pm »
This was all FATE as determined by Project Kid. After all, Lynx is FATE. It is literally FATE's humanoid-avatar, created by transforming Wazuki into Lynx. Wazuki was no more and Lynx inhabited once had been Wazuki. So, in my opinion, by the end game there shouldn't be a separation between FATE and Lynx. This is why, at Chronopolis, Lynx turns into the FATE complex and, when defeated, FATE is no more.

That being said, Lynx's attacks on Serge were all part of Belthasar's plan and predicted as part of Project Kid. Belthasar, who planned all the events in the game already knew the outcome beforehand. He ultimately controlled everyone until the final battle, when Serge consciously decided to face the Time Devourer and free Schala on his own merit. Part of this plan was to push Serge along, to help him become stronger, so he can claim the Chrono Cross and be strong enough to take on the Time Devourer.

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Ghost Lucca: And now, about "Project Kid" ... the time control project Belthasar planned out. The whole project existed to lead you to this one, special point in time! The founding of Chronopolis, the Time Crash, and the battle between FATE and the Dragon Gods... It was all coordinated so that you would get your hands on the Chrono Cross and come to this place! Of course, Kid was not to know anything about this whole plan until later, when all this will finish. Further in the future, Kid is meant to travel back ten years in time from now to save Serge from drowning. And then, Kid was also meant to call Serge into the other world as he spoke with Leena here on Opassa Beach!  You're our last hope... Our final chance... Only
you, who came into contact with Schala, and Kid, Schala's clone-daughter, can do it!
In the darkness that exists on the other side of time, Schala has been integrated with the
Devourer of Time! Please, Serge! Release Princess Schala from the binds of that monster and
her own hatred! Show us, the life-forms that exist on this planet, what our new future will
be...
« Last Edit: February 28, 2018, 06:11:40 pm by Boo the Gentleman Caller »

Beach Bum

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Re: Were Lynx's actions a design flaw by FATE, or FATE itself?
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2018, 06:52:24 pm »
In that case, maybe FATE was deliberately programmed by Belthasar to bear a hatred against Serge?

Although this is a whole different subject, it also surprises me how FATE completely ignored Harle. On the surface she seemed its aide, but it knew nothing about her. We know her true origins ofcourse, but as far as FATE was concerned she just appeared out of nowhere one day, and then after Fort Dragonia switches sides to Serge.

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Were Lynx's actions a design flaw by FATE, or FATE itself?
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2018, 08:59:56 am »
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In that case, maybe FATE was deliberately programmed by Belthasar to bear a hatred against Serge?

Oooooooh! I really like this! This may be my head canon from now on. This makes the character of Wazuki even more tragic.

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Although this is a whole different subject, it also surprises me how FATE completely ignored Harle. On the surface she seemed its aide, but it knew nothing about her. We know her true origins ofcourse, but as far as FATE was concerned she just appeared out of nowhere one day, and then after Fort Dragonia switches sides to Serge.

This is a great point to bring up. I've always wondered if FATE knew that Harle was the final element of the Dragon God from the Reptite dimension. I mean, think about it: FATE and the Dragon God are literally the same creation, albeit from two different dimensional evolutions. They are two sides of the same coin. FATE is the outcome of human evolution, while the Dragon God was the same of Reptite evolution. They are counters of each other, and fought against one another in the Dragonian War when the Terra Tower was pulled into our timeline as a part of Project Kid. FATE eventually kicked the Dragon God's ass, split it into seven avatars, and then send it along its way.

Thinking through it, Lynx - as an avatar of FATE - should have known Harle was the main piece of the Dragon God. After all, FATE was the one who split the Dragon God into seven entities to stop it. But why didn't Lynx destroy the Dragon God outright?

You bring up a great point. Did Lynx really know who Harle was? If it did, why did Lynx/FATE allow Harle to stick around? To keep tabs on her? To use her? Surely Harle was eventually going to double cross Lynx, and it wouldn't surprise me if the same were true in regards to Lynx double crossing Harle if necessary; I mean, the two are mortal enemies in times past.

But then again, what we are shown indicates that Lynx didn't know Harle was a part of the Dragon God. He seemed to literally have her as arm candy (haha) and maybe just allowed her tag along without really asking any questions.

Was this also Belthasar's programming into FATE? I mean, Project Kid was able to predict how the Dragon God would respond (by trying to reform and destroy humankind), but it couldn't control the Dragon God. Only manipulate. FATE, as the controller of Project Kid, could only directly "control" aka directly influence the people of El Nido (via the Records of Fate) to avoid outside variables of the Project.

I like where your head is at, Beach Bum. :)
« Last Edit: March 01, 2018, 09:04:04 am by Boo the Gentleman Caller »

Beach Bum

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Re: Were Lynx's actions a design flaw by FATE, or FATE itself?
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2018, 10:31:06 am »
Isn't it actually rather odd for Harle to be switching sides to Serge? After Fort Dragonia, Lynx has Serge's body and thus the key to the Frozen Flame. If she stuck with Lynx, she could have an opportunity to steal the Frozen Flame a lot sooner. I know she may or may not have had feelings for Serge and all that, but that didn't stop her from completing her mission in the end.

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Were Lynx's actions a design flaw by FATE, or FATE itself?
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2018, 11:27:50 am »
Very, very true.

I just looked up Harle to see if I could learn more, and I found out I was wrong about her creation. She was NOT created by FATE when FATE destroyed the Dragon God and split it into the six elemental dragons...

From the Compendium's encyclopedia:
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Harle is the enigmatic seventh Dragon, created in 1006 A.D. during the magnetic storm that temporarily brought down Chronopolis's power. The Dragon God, consumed by the Time Devourer, was kept in check by Chronopolis; the power failure allowed it to create a life form that could go undetected and act as an agent in El Nido. When created, she bore the resemblance of an eighteen year old girl, dressed in vivacious clothing. From her inception, Harle was given an order to retrieve the Frozen Flame for the Dragon God; to this end, she befriended Lynx and played him for a fool. In 1015 A.D., she accompanied him to Lucca's house, where they set fire and abducted Lucca in hopes of disengaging the Prometheus Circuit. When this effort failed, Harle and Lynx resigned to wait for Serge to cross the dimensions; in the meantime, Harle took up residence in Viper Manor's parlor. In 1020 A.D., she met Serge for the first time, playfully teasing him and angering Kid. She soon after developed an admiration and romantic affection for Serge, though she hid it behind her flippant advances.

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After he adopted Lynx's body, she personally helped him exit the Temporal Vortex and regain his footing in the world, employing several philosophical questions concerning reality to make him ponder the recent turn of events. Harle soon became despondent, as any relationship with Serge would be precluded by her mission to retrieve the Frozen Flame. As time went on, this became too painful for her; after the party's visit to the Pearly Gates, she cried aboard the S.S. Invincible. Though Starky pondered why she was sad, she soon left the party to lie in wait to seize the Frozen Flame. When at last Serge reached Chronopolis, she reappeared to hold off Kid from taking the Flame and allow the Dragon God enough time to fuse and claim it. As the Dragon God arrived, she bid Serge farewell and presumably disappeared into the newly reformed monstrosity.

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Harle bears a strong resemblance to Kid in facial and physical features. She also shares the same fortune as given by the Fortune Teller of Termina. Many attribute this to the fact that if the Dragon God were to create a human being, the closest set of genetics would be Schala trapped within the Time Devourer. Kid and Harle could thus conceivable come from Schala's genotype.

So FATE didn't create Harle; she was created by the Dragon God when Chronopolis lost power (and when Serge became the Frozen Flame's arbiter). Even though the Dragon God meant to use Harle to free itself from FATE and become the Dragon God super dragon-thing once more,   this was all still predicted by Project Kid.

But here's where things get interesting, and may indicate why Harle stuck with Serge: she was likely based off of Schala and Kid's genetic template. This is a detail I had completely forgotten about -- Harle and Kid have the same facial/body structure. This would help explain why Harle sticks close to Serge, but not Lynx.

Now I need to pull my strategy guide out of storage and see if they have the same height/weight/etc.