Finally! After a year and a month of (admittedly sporadic) work, 'Halftime' is complete! Finally, I can turn my attentions to other, much shorter works that have been clamoring to be written. Or, just maybe, I can finally afford the time to have a life! (Naah. Why start now?) And, above all, finally my little sister'll quit bugging me to finish.
So what is 'Halftime'? No, it has nothing to do with football. Those who have read the introduction to 'Justice', my first completed 'Ranma 1/2' fan fiction, know that 'Halftime' is my first started 'Ranma 1/2' fan fiction (and my second overall, etc., etc.). It is a crossover with the Super Nintendo Role-Playing Game 'Chrono Trigger', a brilliantly designed game, and well worth playing if you haven't. (As a matter of fact, if you haven't played the game, and intend to, it might be best not to read this fanfic now, as it contains a number of spoilers.)
It is likely that many who read this story haven't played the game (or even heard of it). If this is because you hate video games and all they stand for, I hope you die a slow, painful, gristly death. For those of you who are merely unenlightened, I provide descriptions for each of the main characters from the game:
 |
Crono: This redheaded fellow is the character that is meant to represent You, the Player. He is Bold, Daring, Brave, and coincidentally a Great Swordsman even though he is still just a teenager. Basically, he is cut from the same generic cloth as any of a large number of RPG heroes (he's practically a clone of the hero of 'The Secret of Mana', another spectacular RPG). As he is supposed to represent You, he doesn't ever actually say anything during the game--he does communicate with the other characters, but you never actually hear what he says. As such, he'll not speak a word during my fanfic either, except when he executes one of his special fighting techniques, or 'Techs', as they're called in the game. His weapon is the Katana, of which he has a variety to choose from during the game. His brand of Magic is Lighting Magic. He lives in the town of Truce, in 1000 A.D. |
 |
Marle: Marle is a Princess. (Yes, she does eventually need to be rescued. What kind of game would it be without having to Rescue the Princess at some point?) She's also a dedicated Tomboy, and proud of it. She is enthusiastic and energetic in everything she does, though she is also somewhat headstrong at times. It is implied in the game that she and Crono may be forming a strong, romantic attachment to one another. Marle packs a mean Crossbow, but her real strength lies with her Water Magic (the solid variety of Water), and her many powerful healing spells. She lives in Guardia Castle, in 1000 A.D. |
 |
Lucca: Crono's best friend. She is extremely bright--a genius, in fact--and loves to tinker with machinery, and to invent new contraptions. She is extremely self-confident and determined, and never gives up. Lucca's chosen armament is the Gun. Her Magical alignment is Fire, and her Fire Magic provides the most potent Magical attacks in the game. Lucca lives in a house on an island south of Truce, in 1000 A.D. |
 |
Frog: A valiant Knight, transformed into the shape of a frog by Magus, shortly after Magus slew his best friend and fellow warrior, Cyrus. For a time, he lived alone with his guilt and feelings of inadequacy, afraid to face his Queen. Eventually, Crono and his friends convinced him to fight once more. Now he once again guards his Queen with self-confidence, having reconciled himself with Cyrus's death. Frog is trained in the use of the Sword--specifically the Masamune, a magic-resistant blade of legendary power. He can also cast some Water Magic (the liquid variety). Frog lives in 600 A.D., in Guardia Castle. |
 |
Robo: As his name would imply, Robo is a sophisticated mechanical man. Crono and his friends discovered him in the desolate future where a terrible creature known as Lavos has destroyed almost everything. Lucca repaired him, and he joined their group, feeling lost and not knowing his purpose or reason for being. Eventually he finds his Mother computer, and discovers that he was built to track down and kill the few humans still alive. He rebels, a testament to the his growing ability to feel emotions, and to the emotions he developed for his friends. Robo has a number of detachable Arm weapons. He has no magic as such, but his energy weapons possess Shadow-Magic-like qualities. Robo lives somewhere in 2300 A.D., a time period much less desolate by the end of the game. |
 |
Ayla: A cavewoman, and leader of the Ioka tribe. She is a skilled warrior, and dedicated in her duty to protect her people. When Crono and his friends first meet her, she is in the middle of a war against the thriving civilization of the Reptites, a race of intelligent, reptilian people. It is a primal struggle for survival of the fittest, and one that Ayla eventually wins, just before an ice age begins. Now, she and her mate, Kino, protect their people against an even greater threat: nature itself. Ayla's only weapon is her Fist (and feet, and head, and teeth, etc.). She has no magic at all, but more than makes up for it with her powerful Physical attacks. She lives in 65,000,000 B.C., in the Ioka village. |
 |
Magus: A ruthless and powerful sorcerer. He was thought to be the mastermind behind Lavos, before it was discovered that he, too, sought Lavos's death. Unrestrained by pathetic concerns such as morality, however, Magus's methods for achieving that end were eventually interrupted by Crono and his friends. After finally realizing that Lavos was too powerful for him to destroy on his own, Magus joined Crono's band. (See, I told you there would be spoilers! But would you listen? No.) Magus, grim fellow that he is, wields a Scythe. His Magic is Shadow Magic. While he has no real home, he resides in 12,000 B.C. |
As for those who are unfamiliar with the Ranma 1/2 cast and crew, fear not. I THINK I did a pretty good job of describing each character as he or she comes into the picture, so no previous knowledge is necessary. If, at any point, you are confused, or merely want to learn more about Ranma 1/2, I recommend the Anime Web Turnpike. It should be able to answer any questions you might have.
Finally, a few points about the game itself. In case you haven't realized it from the character descriptions, 'Chrono Trigger' deals with time-travel. Crono and his companions flit about through time in an effort to destroy a terrible monster known only as Lavos, who is destined to decimate the globe in the year 1999 A.D. On a more important note, everyone in the game, whether they be human, machine or monster, whether they live in a tent in 65,000,000 B.C. or hang out under a lamppost at the End of Time, they all speak the same language. So, in order to ease the crossover, I have decided that this language is Japanese, all conveniently translated to English by yours truly.
For those of you who have played the game, this story almost immediately follows the best possible ending for the game, in which Crono's mother chases Crono's cats into the last remaining time Gate just as it closes, and Crono, Lucca, and Marle leave in the Epoch to try to find her, wherever in time she may be. As for Ranma continuity, well, basically, I know squat about the Manga (other than a few synopses that I've read), so this story is placed after the anime, after the movies, and after all of the OAV's.
Thanks go to Josie, my sister, whose constant demands for me to write finally removed the last pesky bits of sanity that were preventing my work. Thanks also to Rumiko Takehashi, for providing the world and many of the characters featured in this story. Thanks to Squaresoft, for providing many of the other characters. Thanks also to my Dark Id, for not acting up as much as it did while I was writing 'Justice'. Thanks to the Chrono Trigger Temple, from which I borrowed the pictures of the Chrono Trigger characters above, 'cause I was too lazy to scan 'em myself. And, many thanks to Chester Castañeda, who drew the wonderful fan art that was so beautiful that I couldn't resist using it as a header for this page! (My first Halftime fanart! Woohoo!) As should be obvious with any fanart, please do not use it without his permission.
Chrono Trigger Tip #0:
Help! I named all of my characters "Bob", and now I have no idea who's saying what, and I'm all confused! What can I do???
Try naming your characters more sensibly next time. Moron.
Well, is there anything I can do NOW?
Depends on when "now" is. If you've played the game up to the point where Crono has died, then you can, indeed, rename your characters. Time travel to 65,000,000 B.C., and go to the ruins of the Laruba village. At the north end of the village, you'll see a Nu sleeping there. If you wake him up, he'll offer to rename whoever's at the head of your party.
Cool! Can I rename the Epoch there, too? You see, I named the Epoch "Dippy", and while it was really funny at the time (you had to be there), now it just seems kinda dumb.
Sorry, the Nu can only rename party members.
Crud. Am I outta luck, then?
Actually, no, there IS a way to rename the Epoch. Travel to 2300 A.D., and visit Belthasar's Lab, where you picked up the Epoch in the first place. Just after you go inside, you'll notice a computer terminal and a monitor. If you try to use that terminal before you get the Epoch, it'll flicker on for a moment, and then shut down again. But if you do have the Epoch, it will allow you to rename it.
This is great! I named Ayla Crono, Frog Lucca, Magus Marle, Crono Frog, Lucca Ayla, Marle Robo, and Robo Magus! That oughta make things interesting! And I called the Epoch "Beany".
*Sigh* Some people never learn...
* * * * * *
And now, without further ado (geez there was a lot of ado this time):
Click below to return to