Other notes: These Tropes will be written under the assumption that a fanfic and a fan game for this story was completed.
Obviously NOT the case, but I digress.
So let's start this bad boy!
General Tropes:
Adaptation Expansion - Of Antiquity as a whole out of necessity. The entire Kingdom of Zeal is overhauled into a City of Adventure, and characters such as Schala, the Gurus, and Dalton are given much more characterization as a result.
Arc Words - “Ours is the power to shape reality.”
An Aesop - Power in itself is not good or evil, but it is easily corruptive, and it takes wisdom and a strong will to avoid said corruption. At the same time, those without power cannot protect what they hold dear, so do not be afraid to seek it out as long as one is mindful of the consequences.
- You will fail. That is an unfortunate part of life. However, that doesn't mean you have to give up. As long as you can grit your teeth and get back on your feet, you can find a way to succeed.
And Man Grew Proud - The first half is the story of how.
And Now for Someone Completely Different - Beginning a New Game+ doesn't depict the prologue as normal. No, it puts you in the shoes of Kid post-Chrono Cross and her attempts to put things right when reality starts crumbling around her. Before that, you play as Crono during his Last Stand in the Fall of Guardia.
- In the altered timeline Schala becomes the controllable character when exploring the Lost Archives.
Anti-Frustration Features - Completing one of the bonus endings does not send you back to the title screen, but to the moment before entering the Green Gate with your progress saved and said ending unlocked.
- The Developer's Room is no longer tied to an ending, and is unlocked by beating the game once. However, it will be generally empty until the player unlocks all the different endings, in which it will be filled by bestiaries, music, character bios, and bonus artwork.
Battle Couple - It takes an altered timeline, but Cain and Schala eventually become this.
Beach Episode - The setting (an artificial beach in Tristan's territory) for an important New Game+ mid-game Side Quest, complete with the party in beachwear (which is even reflected by their dialog portraits). Besides being a source of fanservice, there's a more practical reason for the quest: The whole trip is a plot by Eiric to give Cain and Schala a moment to relax and reconnect without their respective burdens hampering them. Despite a couple of setbacks, it works. (This show of camaraderie ultimately inspires Schala to take action and investigate the Lost Archives for a non-violent way to remove Arvis from power, setting the altered timeline into motion.)
Big Damn Heroes - In the altered timeline, Eiric, Eva, Zhao, and Tristan come to Cain's aid during what was originally his Last Stand against Magus and giving him the opportunity to live to fight another day.
Big Damn Kiss - Between Cain and Schala. Who initiates it depends on the timeline; in the Original Timeline, it's Schala, both to prove she's committed to their arranged marriage and as an answer to Cain's Anguished Declaration of Love earlier. In the Altered Timeline, it's Cain, acting on impulse and not wanting to risk leaving things unsaid between them.
Bittersweet Ending - As much of a Golden Ending as the altered timeline is, it still has a bitter outcome in one regard. Because of Lavos, too much of the original timeline has been destroyed, with what's left being absorbed into the Dead Sea. Taking the sting out of this, however, is the fact that the original timeline Kid and Serge are reunited in the end, and that Guile/Janus was able to finally find some sort of redemption by helping forge the new path Cain and Schala will walk.
Bizzarchetecture - The second through fourth administrative floors of Zeal Palace is composed of a maze of interlocking rooms and teleporter traps, of which one needs magical clearance to bypass from the first to fifth floors. Justified as they double as the palace's security system, which Cain learns the hard way during his Last Stand.
Book Ends - At the beginning of the Prologue, Cain and Schala first meet and become friends as children during Zeal's Founder's Celebration. At the end of the original timeline before the climax, Cain dances with and reveals that he's been in love with Schala ever since as adults during Zeal's Founder's Celebration.
Boss Rush - As it was with Chrono Trigger, Lavos goes through a few phases before Cain puts it down for good.
Bullying a Dragon - Many Enlightened Ones end up having a nasty tendency to degrade, belittle, or otherwise antagonize Cain due to his negative reputation, seemingly ignoring the reasons why he has such. And he will remind them non-lethally (or in some cases, very lethally) that he is an Inquisitor, and will not be trifled with. Sadly justified, as their overreliance on Lavos power and indoctrination to Arvis' twisted ideals truly have made them that arrogant.
Cain and Abel and Seth - We have Cain, the anti-hero main protagonist. On each side of the morality spectrum is Abel, leader of the comparatively squeaky-clean Alphard Coalition who is upright to the point of concern that ends up ultimately hamstringing his own organization's efforts to avenge the king. On the other side, we have Seth, head of Zeal's Inquisitors, who in Cain's own words 'is a right dick', but is far more proactive and helpful in bringing Arvis to justice.
- For bonus points, Seth outlives both Cain and Abel in the original timeline, surviving the Fall of Zeal and helping Eiric lead the remnants of humanity as his Number 2.
Call Back - In the altered timeline base ending, Lucca discovers Cain and Schala unconscious by the same tree she found Kid by in the original timeline. Considered Heartwarming in Hindsight by the implication that Kid specifically chose that spot and that moment in time to deposit them due to her own memories of her Big Sis.
Central Theme - Justice, vengeance, and the razor-thin line that separates them.
- Power, and all its incarnations. The power to protect, the power to destroy, power's corrupting influence, and the pitfalls of overcoming said corruption.
Companion-Specific Sidequest- Each party member has a personal quest unlocked during New Game+ in which they have a problem that Cain can help solve, and completing each one is required to unlock the altered timeline.
- Eiric's involves him being forced to throw his hat in the ring concerning his family's Succession Crisis, and ends up fighting all four of his siblings to not only become head of the Guardia household, but to prevent it from joining Arvis' faction.
- Zhao's involves the forced closing of his forge due to 'royal decree', and has him confront a major proponent of the Anti-weapon law, a local lord (and former student) who enforces his personal views of pacifism even as monsters bleed his lands dry.
- Eva's involves the Coalition's spy network, specifically their leadership, switching sides to Arvis' camp, and Eva's conflicting loyalties between her mission for the Coalition and her duty to her organization.
- Tristan's involves the disappearances of his fellow empaths once employed by King Alphard, only to discover that the collective corruption of society has since transformed them into a hive mind.
- Schala… doesn't have a sidequest. Instead, she fully embraces the role of Dueteragonist as the majority of the Altered Timeline path is focused on her and her character development.
Conveniently an Orphan - Just about all of our main party is this in some way. Schala loses both her parents in the prologue, her father to assassination and her mother to Lavos-induced madness. Cain's mother died during childbirth; his father is still alive, but Cain orphans himself during the altered timeline due to said father being the Big Bad. Tristan mentions himself as the last heir of House Arlan, implying his parents have passed. Eva's boss mentions during a sidequest that she cut ties with her parents after they abandoned her sister for not having any magic potential. The only exceptions are Zhao, who's already in his twilight years, and Eiric, whose dialog implies that he wishes he was an orphan.
Crippling Overspecialization - The Enlightened Ones wholly rely on their magic, with very few of their soldiers proficient in actual close-quarters combat due to their false pacifism. This naturally ends up biting them in the ass in Another Path when Cain gathers an army in rebellion. Turns out that all the magical shields in the world aren't so effective against an arrow or a stone axe to the face.
Damned by Faint Praise - Played with. When Eiric speaks with Schala to try and restore her and Cain's strained relationship, the princess ultimately says of the latter that despite her disagreements with him, his willingness to stick to his principals is a virtue. While this may sound like faint praise, considering that many of the Enlightened Ones at that point had sold their souls to worship Lavos, Cain's stubbornness seems like a genuine breath of fresh air.
Dance of Romance - Cain offers Schala a dance during the kingdom's Founder's Celebration gala near the end of the story. This happens regardless of story route.
Darker and Edgier - While the Chrono series is no stranger to heavy themes such as prejudice and existentialism, Origins puts them on the forefront and beyond with subjects such as genocide and the inevitability of death… as well as the lengths (or depths) some people would go to stave off the latter. It also has much coarser language, with Cain in particular as quite the potty-mouth.
Darkest Hour - Almost all of the major Conspiracy players are dead, but the Coalition failed to protect the fleeing Earthbound, and the Underground is in complete ruins. All of this cascades to the point where Chancellor Arvis finally has justification to crack down on our heroes. Weapons are outlawed across the kingdom and the Coalition's reputation is in shambles with Abel bitterly parting ways, decrying Cain as a demon. Schala is under house arrest. Melchior, Zhao, Eva, and Tristan are arrested and sent to Mount Woe (with the latter three scheduled to be executed to make an example), while Eiric is spirited away by Seth and the remaining few sympathizers to parts unknown. Cain is utterly isolated…
Downer Ending - Due to being a prequel to Antiquity and most of the characters not appearing in Chrono Trigger, this was inevitable. A few of the bonus endings go down this road as well. Not so much in the altered timeline path, however…
Earn Your Happy Ending - Cain, Schala, and many others end up going through hell for it, but the altered timeline ends up saving the lives of many who would have otherwise died.
Everyone Can See It - The painfully obvious attraction between Cain and Schala when the former first arrives as a ward can be seen by everyone, especially King Alphard. Even with the changes in attitude the two undergo after the king's death, Eiric and the rest of the party still comment on the tension.
Evil Only has to Win Once - This is how Lavos still in play even after its defeat in Chrono Cross. All it will take is one reality where Serge gives up and doesn't use the Chrono Cross to stop it. Lo and behold, Serge is wiped from history and the world is sliding into chaos, forcing Guile and Kid to set up a massive gambit to save the one person who could possibly prevent all of this.
Family Unfriendly Aesop - Revenge is Not Justice. However, while this is true, some people are so selfish and monstrous that any peaceful solution is outright impossible. In such situations, there is no other choice. The Villain Must Be Punished.
Fantastic Racism - Unlike in Chrono Trigger, this Trope is in full force with the conflict between the Enlightened Ones and the Earthbound, to the point where the Greater Scope Villain of Antiquity actively preaches genocide upon the latter.
Five-Man Band - Cain's party runs with this dynamic.
- The Leader: Cain
- The Lancer: Eiric
- The Big Guy: Zhao
- The Smart Guy: Tristan
- The Chick: Eva
- The Sixth Ranger: Schala
Fix Fic - Of epic proportions. New Game+ outright establishes that the primary goal of the story is to save the lives of everyone screwed over by Lavos either directly or indirectly, with Cain, Schala, Crono, and Serge in particular.
Foreshadowing - During the Final Battle of the original timeline, blue flames begin sparking around Cain, and his actions start becoming more feral, causing Magus to take off the kid gloves and deliver a fatal curb-stomp battle to Cain. This foreshadows the Final Battle of the altered timeline where Cain fully awakens the Sixth Gate against Lavos and the potential dangers of the Seventh Gate.
- Near the start of the story, Cain witnesses on of Gaspar's lessons in which under very specific circumstances, the timeline can tweak itself to prevent possible paradoxes. Sure enough, in the altered timeline, to keep Chrono Cross! Kid's cessation of existence from creating a paradox and sending the timeline into the DbT, events are tweaked so that Eiric had rescued Cain. Cain is understandably confused at first because he remembers Kid's presence, but then remembers Gaspar's lesson and stops questioning.
Free-Range Children - There seem to be a lot of children in Zeal allowed to roam around without any adult supervision whatsoever, with Cain having grown up as such. Slightly justified in that 500 years of royal decree state that no citizen of Zeal is to be denied food or healing, more so in that the majority of these kids hail from the Enhasa area and thus their parents are assumed to be in a constant state of sleep.
Gameplay and Story Integration - Origins actually has quite a few good examples of this, especially concerning the altered timeline.
- During certain heated or emotional battles, Cain is in permanent Super Mode.
- In the normal story path when fighting the Prophet, not only does the above Super Mode apply, but Cain's HP bar shatters as he keeps fighting, showing that he's not going to survive the battle. On a related note, once he's down to a certain HP threshold, Magus counters every attack Cain makes for 9999 damage, further emphasizing the inevitable.
- Completing all sidequests being a requirement to unlock the altered timeline story route becomes this. By performing these goodwill deeds, Cain proves to many of the Enlightened Ones and some of his more skeptical allies that he isn't quite the demon their peers paint him as. In addition, the testimonies of his allies and those he's helped upon returning to Zeal ultimately convinces those fearful of reprisal from Queen Zeal and Arvis to rise up and oppose them.
- Getting (almost) all of the bonus endings to unlock the alternate story path is this as well, although the reasoning and the payoff isn't addressed until Fate's Cross. (Cain ends up viewing these endings in Chronopolis and comes to the realization of not only that he dies in every other timeline he exists in, but that it's by design, officially kicking off the endgame meta-plot with Thanaton.)
Garden of Love - Cain first falls for Schala in the palace gardens during the Prologue. Thus, it ends up being the place where most of the more romantic scenes in the story take place.
Golden Ending - This is one that takes a while to pull off. One has to complete the Normal Path, complete all of the bonus endings, and complete the New Game+ sidequests to unlock Another Path.
The Greatest Story Never Told - Due to most of its major players ending up dead in the original timeline, history has basically forgotten the struggle of Cain and his allies against his father's machinations prior to the Fall of Zeal, and the only survivors are compromised in some fashion. Magus keeps his silence due to not wanting his new allies to have another reason to despise him, Schala is on her way to becoming the Time Devourer, Dalton is in the Dimensional Vortex plotting his revenge, the Gurus are scattered through time, and Seth and Eiric are forced to throw Cain's memory under the bus so tensions between the newly united Enlightened and Earthbound don't resurface.
- Averted in the Altered Timeline. Because the Origins party survive, and the Earthbound ultimately unite with the moderate Enlightened to take down Arvis, Cain is remembered in the Last Village as a hero instead of a scapegoat.
The Guards Must Be Crazy - Rank and file security seems to be very lax in Zeal. Guards in areas typically don't recognize the party and allow them through without identification, security at the Biological Reserve let animals and specimens sneak out thinking it's not their job to catch them, and the local constabulary refuse to move an inch if the party or a bystander is accosted by ruffians.
Happy Ending Override - For Chrono Cross due to a rather cruel case of Surprisingly Realistic Outcome. The Chrono Cross in fact didn't retcon Lavos out of existence, because the Schala Serge and co save wasn't Schala at all. That means, of course, that the origin event of Schala being absorbed remained intact, thus giving Lavos another shot to finally achieve its victory.
Hotter and Sexier - Going hand-in-hand with the mature themes depicted in Darker and Edgier above. Eva is the story's resident Ms. Fanservice while Schala seems to be packing more than is advertised, with both girls having alternate outfits and swimsuits that emphasize their curves. The boys are no slouch in the fanservice department either, as Cain is somewhat Tall, Dark, and Handsome, Zhao has some impressive muscles despite his advanced age, and Tristan is straight up Bishounen. Even King Zeal is depicted as a Silver Fox.
If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him - Deconstructed in regards to the Conspiracy, as vengeance issues aside, Cain is an agent of the crown dealing with what amount to terrorist threats from within the kingdom, and killing Arvis in the altered timeline is seen as overthrowing a tyrant.
- Reconstructed in the story path where Cain fights Magus in the Ocean Palace, as both men continue to fight despite the fact that said palace is crumbling around them, and Cain continues pummeling Magus long after it's clear that the latter can no longer fight back. If it wasn't for Schala and Frog, Cain would have ended up sacrificing his friends, allies, and loved ones for the sake of his revenge, just as Magus had done in the original timeline.
In Spite of a Nail - In the altered story path, Schala still stays behind in the crumbling Ocean Palace. The difference is that Cain stays with her… putting him in the perfect position to thwart the creation of the Dream/Time Devourer.
- This is actually an in-universe phenomenon. Circumstances behind them may change, but some things in history will always be set in stone. Zeal will always fall, Guardia will always end up warring with the Mystics in 600AD, and Mother Brain/FATE will always attempt to seek absolute dominion.
Irony - Zeal was founded by six noble families who wanted to create a land that could withstand both the eternal winter and the test of time. 500 years later, their descendants all end up playing a part in its destruction.
Jurisdiction Friction - Plenty of it between the Alphard Coalition and the Inquisitors whose leaders can best be described as oil and water. Cain was assigned as an attaché to try and smooth relations and work together, but… well… It's Cain.
Lady and Knight - Cain and Schala's dynamic, especially during the prologue. After the first time skip into the story proper with Cain adopting his Terror Hero outlook, their dynamic transforms into that of the Light Leige, Dark Defender variety.
Loyalty Mission - Cain privately fears that the allies who end up joining him are Fair-Weather Friends at best, and unfortunately, that view is not without merit; Eva and Tristan join with noticeable hangups against Cain, while Zhao holds sympathies but worries that Cain's actions may bring more trouble than they're worth, and while Eiric personally has Cain's back, his household in general does not. These all lead to Cain's inevitable isolation during the Normal Path, and it is only after beginning a New Game+ and completing all other side quests that four new Companion-Specific Sidequests appear, in which all are required to unlock the Altered Timeline.
Luke, You Are My Father - In the altered timeline just before the Tower of Gheddon, Kid appears to Cain and Schala informing them of her and Guile's plan and what's at stake, revealing that she's their daughter in the process. Due to their pressing circumstances, the two are forced to take the revelation in stride until after Lavos is defeated, when they can finally process it.
Monster of the Week - The general structure of the story goes like this: Even from the Prologue, Cain does work for the crown, an incident happens that threatens to unravel the peace, Cain faces off against a member of Arvis' Conspiracy (at times with allies), and Cain finishes them off with his Super Mode. Ultimately subverted later on because, as it was in Chrono Trigger, Magus' presence changes the game entirely.
Mood Whiplash - In universe. For much of the story past the prologue, Cain is seen as an insufferable, hateful, and violent anti-hero, almost deserving of Schala's increasing wariness of him. However, when Eiric prods her to follow Cain to Alghetty, Cain shows for the first time in the story actual kindness, humility, and charity around the Earthbound, and that his negative traits and disdain are reserved solely for the Enlightened Ones and their society. The contrast is so jarring that Schala has no idea what to think or how to react.
Multiple Endings - It wouldn't be a Chrono story without them. To be more specific, there are two main story endings and eleven bonus endings. Due to revelations in the altered timeline, 10 out of the 11 bonus endings are also Non-standard Game Overs. To wit:
- The Normal Ending: The Hero Dies, setting up the events for Crono and co's arrival in Antiquity.
- The Good Ending: Lavos is vanquished for good before the creature can get its hands on Schala. She and Cain arrive in the present era two years after Crono's adventure, making it clear that they are in a position to prevent the Fall of Guardia. As a bonus, the Playable Epilogue has this come to pass.
- Bonus Ending 1: Trapped in Nothing - Cain attempts to rebel without getting stronger or acquiring any allies, which goes about as well as expected, and is thus sealed as punishment in a realm of utter darkness. Generations later, a couple of Mystics open a gate to this realm only to learn that yes, Cain died a loooooong time ago.
- Bonus Ending 2:
- Bonus Ending 3: Gladiator -
- Bonus Ending 4: The Eyes of Madness - Cain rebels before thinking of reconciling with Schala. Sure enough, she witnesses Cain killing her mother and completely snaps. Years later, a beaten and wounded Cain is brought before the new Queen of Zeal to be executed, and it becomes very clear that Schala has replaced her mother as Lavos' sockpuppet…
- Bonus Ending 5:
- Bonus Ending 6:
- Bonus Ending 7: Everything Ends With Nu - We see various Nu becoming caretakers of Zeal. However, as the credits continue to roll, it's clear that there are no other living beings on the planet. It's heavily implied that Queen Zeal summoned Lavos early in response to Cain's rebellion, with the beast concluding that humanity would be more trouble than it was worth and went full planetary genocide. The Nu represent the planet eventually restoring itself…
- Bonus Ending 8:
- Bonus Ending 9: Cain's Folly - Cain finally launches his rebellion on his own terms, but ultimately gives in to his hatred and becomes a tyrant even worse than Arvis. Years later, Schala, Eiric, Eva, Zhao, and Tristan are the only ones willing to stop him.
- Bonus Ending 10: A World of Light - Cain rebels, but on Schala's terms, and his plan to return Zeal to the surface goes off without a hitch. Enlightened and Earthbound are forced to reconcile, with Cain and Schala ruling the ever-thawing lands as king and queen. Sadly, it's implied that Cain will soon die to illness.
- Bonus Ending 11: History's Slideshow - The only true Joke Ending, where Eiric, Zhao, and Tristan rope Cain into a slideshow of women throughout history as a callback to a similar ending in Chrono Trigger.
Murder Inc. - Downplayed. The Royal Inquisitors are essentially Zeal's secret police, given an official license to kill and the authority to be considered above the law. Granted, they are considered a last resort, and they are only allowed to kill insomuch as to expedite malcontents on which the death penalty already apply. At least they're supposed to. Abel fears Cain gaming the system to enact revenge fantasies upon the Enlightened.
Mythology Gag - Some among the fandom dictate that the people of Zeal, especially the royals, dyed their hair. Turns out there is one who did just that. (It's Cain, who started off blonde but dyed his hair black in mourning for the King's death.)
Non-Standard Game Over - Due to the reveal in Fate's Cross that Cain dies in every timeline, 10 of the 11 extra endings count as this.
Once More, With Clarity - At the start of the game, we see the massacre that is the Benedict Estate Incident, and a younger Cain slaughtering everyone he can find. All of this is from Schala's perspective, and is the cause of her 'power is evil' mentality, as well as the cause of her and Cain's strained relationship. However, upon witnessing the slaughter of countless Earthbound Ones at Ophelia's hands and Cain's subsequent fury causes her to remember that the former incident only happened after Cain was wounded trying to protect her.
One-Winged Angel - Remember Queen Zeal's final form on the Black Omen in Trigger? This story reveals it to be a corruption of the Sixth Gate when the wielder is overcome by extreme negative emotion. Each consist of a disembodied face/head and cognizant limbs. The Queen naturally undergoes said transformation when fighting her for the bonus endings. Lavos goes through a couple of these in the Altered Timeline.
Perfectly Arranged Marriage - It's revealed halfway through Fate's Trigger that King Zeal planned one of these between Cain and Schala ever since the prologue through his final will, and not without good reason. Despite the rocky start after the king's death, his decision was ultimately justified in the Altered Timeline, as Cain ultimately proposes to Schala on his own before either of them learn of the arrangement.
Playable Epilogue - The Altered Timeline version of Porre's Seige of Guardia is basically one of these.
Poor Communication Kills - Ultimately happens between Abel and Cain throughout the story. Abel constantly criticizes Cain for his recklessness, Cowboy Cop antics, and vigilantism. Cain in turn accuses Abel for dragging his ass on solving King Alphard's murder and selling out his Earthbound roots. It all comes to a head after the destruction of the Underground when the two engage in a brief fist fight and are both forced to be held back by security on Schala's order. This ends up being that last time the two see each other as Abel is found dead in his office within the next few days.
Pre-Climax Climax - Due to the events described in Darkest Hour above, Cain is ready to die in a last stand against the Chancellor and the kingdom in the original timeline. Schala, desperate to stop him from throwing his life away recklessly, gives him a reason not to by invoking the arranged marriage her father set up for them. The brief exchange after their honeymoon and events depicted after the Normal Ending all but outright spell out (that Kid is the result of this union).
Pre-Mortem One-Liner - With the exception of Arvis, each member of the conspiracy (and Lynx in the altered timeline) is given one of these by various party members. Of particular note is the one given to Claudius by Cain in the prologue.
The Promise - In the altered timeline, Schala has Cain promise not to lose himself (as part of their wedding vows). Later, during Cain's rematch with Magus in the Ocean Palace, that promise becomes very sorely tested.
Prophecy Twist - Cain is prophecized from a young age to be the cause of the world's end (i.e. the Fall of Zeal), which is one of the many reasons he's ostracized, and implied to be the reason there are so many overworld fights with bandits and mercenaries in the so-called 'peaceful' Zeal Kingdom. The twist is that aside from ultimately inciting rebellion he never does anything that leads to Zeal's destruction while alive. It's his death that brings everything into motion, as it drives Schala head-first into nihilism and ultimately summoning Lavos at the Ocean Palace.
Punished for Sympathy - One of the major reasons why otherwise decent Enlightened Ones end up looking the other way towards the suffering of the Earthbound.
The Reveal - Being the first half of the saga's Grand Finale, there are plenty of these to go around.
- Those chosen to be Arbiter have their life force siphoned by the Frozen Flame, meaning that every interaction Schala had of communing with the Mammon Machine was slowly killing her.
- Schala died in the original timeline giving birth to Kid and getting her to safety.
- Due to the above, this means that Lavos created a false life form to replace Schala. Because Serge never met the original, Lavos was able to fool him into wasting the Chrono Cross' power, inadvertently giving the alien parasite a new avatar to continue its work.
Set Right What Once Went Wrong - Kid from the Original Timeline arrives in Zeal to set the wheels of the Altered Timeline in motion after Lavos destroys her reality. However, the success of this plan hinges on Cain being able to make connections with his allies and overcoming his prejudices towards the Enlightened Ones.
Shaggy Dog Story - Zeal's Underground. Originally sanctioned by King Alphard as a place where his people could 'let loose' from the pressures of society and give the increasingly ostracized Earthbound a place where their non-esoteric talents could be utilized. While his heart was in the right place, the story makes it abundantly clear that the darker and criminal aspects of human nature came to define it, with Rozencrantz's reign as Don being its lowest point. Although Tristan valiantly tries to return the Underground to its more noble roots, Arvis ultimately has the district destroyed in order to sow discontent towards our heroes, making it All For Nothing.
Stealth Sequel - The story is initially presented as a prequel to the events of Antiquity in Chrono Trigger. Once you start New Game+ however, the fact that Kid becomes a focal point reveals the story as a sequel to Chrono Cross.
Super Mode - Anyone who has fully mastered the Six Gates of magic theory is capable of incredible power, manifesting in-game as a colored aura tailored to the character's personality. (We only see it briefly in a flashback but King Zeal has a multicolored aura, Queen Zeal has a sickly green one with jutted spines not unlike Lavos during her fights in the bonus endings, Schala has a golden aura that occasionally manifests as dove wings befitting her otherwise gentle personality, Sigmund has a deep red aura with phantom swords representing his bloodlust, Cain has a royal blue aura with six phantom arms depicting his righteous fury towards the cruelty and corruption plaguing the kingdom, and finally, Magus has a dark purple aura that he can channel into a phantom red scythe.)
- Cain uses a minor version of this during the Normal Path. Yes, it makes him powerful as all get out for a few turns, but it doesn't have the aura, representing his stubborn nature and lack of focus at the time, which bites him in the ass when he becomes no longer of sound enough mind to control it.
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome - According to sources, the Chrono Cross was meant to pull Schala from the Time Devourer before its creation, leading it to be ultimately ret-gone. Unfortunately, Serge and his allies had never met Schala, and thus never knew what she looked like. With the reveal that what they saved was an avatar of Lavos in Kid's image, this means that the origin point of the Time Devourer's creation remained intact, and that Serge's party wasted their one chance to make things right, leading to the dire straits necessitating the altered timeline.
The Very Definitely Final Dungeon - The story has two of them, dependent on story path.
- Original Timeline: Zeal Palace. Having been framed for Abel's murder, Cain fights through five floors in a Last Stand before confronting the Prophet (and his own demise) in the Grand Hall.
- Altered Timeline: The Tower of Gheddon. Trapped in the Darkness Beyond Time after the Ocean Palace Disaster, Cain and Schala must work together to evade, and ultimately destroy Lavos once and for all lest the creation of the Time Devourer be repeated.
Tragic Keepsake - The Astral Amulet that Kid wears in Chrono Cross retroactively becomes this during the normal ending, as it once belonged to Cain.
Wham Line - “Inquisitor Cray! You are under arrest on suspicion of the murder of Commander Abel!” - A Royal Guard to Cain just before the climax of the original timeline story path.
- “Schala…? Oh, you mean my old host. All you livestock look the same to me. Do you want to hear how she died?” - Lavos' Avatar to Kid and Guile.
Wham Shot - In the altered timeline battle with Lavos, its future Avatar fuses it with the Time Devourer, becoming Lavos Terminus. Unlike the normal Time Devourer, its fused humanoid host is pointedly male, and then it unsheathes a corrupted yet familiar double-bladed spear/boat oar, sadly confirming Original Timeline Serge's fate.
The Woobie - Cain and Schala are both definitely this, as events of the original timeline push them both far beyond their breaking point. Compare Schala's cheer and Cain's cautious optimism from the prologue to their final mindsets of nihilism and misanthropy respectively, leading them both to become in their own ways…
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds
Would Hurt a Child - As Cain can personally attest to, yes, the Enlightened Ones can and will hurt a child if and when it suits them. In the altered story path, Dalton threatens this upon Janus to force Schala to return with him to the Ocean Palace.
Wretched Hive - The Underground of Zeal has this reputation, being a hiding place for thieves and killers, as well as being a 'red light district' where the citizens above indulge in various vices. Ultimately subverted in that in spite of the above, many of its denizens are simply exiles, social pariahs, and non-mages just trying to make a living.
Eiric: Welcome to the Underground: our fair Kingdom of Zeal's biggest, dirtiest secret.
Xanatos Gambit - Guile's plan to save reality post-Chrono Cross is for Kid to not only save Serge through time, but to save Cain as well, banking on the latter's loyalty and devotion to Schala to be at her side when Lavos attempts to absorb her. It ultimately pays off with the threat of the Time Devourer ending for good.
You Lose at Zero Trust - The major reason why the party fractures after the Underground is razed, and why the original timeline happens. All those side quests throughout the story? Your allies are paying attention to Cain's conduct. Do them all before the above event, and they'll trust him with solving a personal crisis for each of them. Unfortunately for narrative reasons, the first playthrough is railroaded so that Cain never does these important quests, causing the party's faith in him to nose-dive, and ultimately leading them (with the exception of Eiric) to abandon the cause after Ophelia is dealt with.
(To be continued)
