StarCrossed Foreword
By Cain
Thats right. The time has come. The eagerly-anticipated (by me) sequel to Chrono Continuum has finally arrived. StarCrossed is here, and I think itll be much better than anything Ive done yet.
However, I realize that not everybody is prepared for this story, and its complexities. As such, Ive decided to answer a few questions before anyone asks them.
Q: What does the name mean?
A: Star-crossed is an old term from when astrology was really popular. According to my dictionary, it means opposed by fate.
Q: Why did you call it that?
A: Well, like Romeo and Juliet, fate is going to try to keep the two lovers in this story from happiness. Whether they will live happily ever after or die horribly is yet to be seen.
Q: Who are the two lovers?
A: Next question.
Q: Who are all of these characters: Asellus, Thyme, Zozma, Rastaban, etc.?
A: These are all characters from a SquareSoft game called SaGa Frontier. You dont need to play the game, though; I should be able to explain all the necessary history.
Q: Who are all of these characters: Candy, Rimune, Rana, Tartingill, Masan, Connor, and the many nameless characters in the Prologue?
A: Most are original characters, though some are obviously members of the Chrono Continuum team.
Q: Why did everybody lose their memories?
A: For ineffable, inscrutable, unknowable reasons. And because it advanced the plot.
Q: It looks like Magus kept his memory. Why?
A: Just lucky, I guess.
Q: Its not because you just thought he was too cool to lose his memory?
A: ... Next question.
Q: Whats all this stuff Im reading about the Sol Dominion?
A: Ah, now you get to something important. StarCrossed is part of a project known as the World of Imagination. Other authors who participate in this project are Mox Jet and Nightsong. All of our stories take place in different time frames, and star different characters, but the project should eventually become a gigantic tapestry, with one story merging with every other. For more information on the WoI, please contact Mox Jet.
Q: Okay, but what about the Sol Dominion?
A: Grr... Just read the story, okay? Or read Dark Angel by Nightsong.
Q: Can I join the WoI?
A: Mox has had a lot of people ask that same question. Unfortunately, the WoI can only handle so many authors before it gets confusing. If you have a good idea, and youre willing to work with the other authors, talk to Mox. If youre writing blind, if youre a glory hog, or if you have no experience, I wouldnt recommend asking.
Q: How am I going to know all of these WoI terms like Finori, Sol Dominion, LEA, and Farilii?
A: Well, you could read all of the other WoI stories in existence (Planeswalkers, Dark Angel, Chrono Continuum, a few others), or you could wait for the WoI Glossary, hopefully coming soon to Icys page. Or you could e-mail me on a case-by-case basis, though Id prefer that you add some constructive criticism to your e-mail.
Q: Are you going to be lazy and not update for six months, like you did with Chrono Continuum?
A: I cant make promises, but I will try to have at least one new chapter every update, in StarCrossed or one of my other stories.
Q: Other stories? You mean youre still writing for them?
A: Yes. Updates for them should be coming soon as well, though SC is still my primary story.
Q: Are you going to just make up random crap as you go along, like you did with Chrono Continuum?
A: No, this time Ive actually got plans, and Ive got the other WoI members to help me out. Ones writing is always better with capable editors.
Alright, thats enough Q&A for now. A few last words before I let you go. For one thing, StarCrossed will be split into several parts, the first of which is Drifters. I dont know how long these parts will be, but count on around thirty or so chapters per part.
Also, you will notice that each chapter is much longer. In Chrono Continuum, I tended to end things dead at five pages, and the story suffered. With extended chapters, I should hopefully be able to get everything done that needs doing.
Additionally, I would like to offer the following thanks:
Nightsong, for letting me bounce my ideas off of him.
Mox, for not biting my head off when my plans were a little too big.
Nanaki, for his cool stories, which are an inspiration to us all, and provided many of the base ideas from which the WoI has grown.
Fantasy Finale, for providing a place where I dont feel strange; in fact, that place makes me feel average.
Technoprophet, for being the only Max I know.
Jayson. I dont know what hes doing now, but he started Crystal Quest, the first IS in which I was involved. Way to go, Jay.
Irish Red. No, not the beer. Im talking about the host of the now-defunct CTIS. Nice guy, although the women just cant seem to keep their hands off him. Poor bastard.
Krazy Sam. For making me change the name of my story from The Next Generation by calling her story that.
ZealPropht. For her kick-ass story about Magus.
Chris. I dont remember his last name anymore. However, he (yes, he) is the basis for Christina, a.k.a. Hotwire. The reason Christina called herself Hotwire (for those of you wondering why I added a pointless nick-name) is because that was Chris screen name. We were buds for a while, so I thought it would be a neat thing to do. Of course, he didnt care about that, since he was only really ever interested in Shadow of the Assassin, which should have more on it soon.
SquareSoft. Okay, I know Im getting kind of general here, but theyve made some good games. SQUARESOFT ROXXOR JOO!!!11
Dan Glockner. My neighbor across the street for the last ten years of my life, until I moved to South Carolina (hence my long absence from writing). He never read a single line of Chrono Continuum, but he kicked ass anyway, because he was the only person who could put up with me when we played games. What was so hard about that, you ask? When I play RPGs (even alone), I like to read out loud, with the characters voices and everything. Everyone thought I was crazy but him.
Greg Covington. Quite possibly the most unique person I have ever known. The only guy I know that will talk on the phone for three hours straight and still complain when I have to get off. Hes also an insomniac, very intelligent, but failing all his classes, a constant weight-lifter, and a fan of every type of anime but hentai. He bit our teacher in sixth grade, and hasnt changed much since then. He always chased every girl in school until a while ago, and now all the girls are after him! I just dont get it. Im not chasing the girls around, but theyre not chasing me either. What am I missing?
South Park. No, Im not a South Park fanatic, but I was trying to think of who else to thank, and Big Gay Al just popped into my head. Thanks, Al.
Dragon Ball Z. Flat-out the most kick-ass show on Cartoon Network (which is, by the way, my favorite station). Reboot (season 3) came close, and so did Gundam Wing, but DBZ is just da bomb. Seeing Gohan go Super Saiyan (or Saiya-jin, or whatever) level two almost made me weep. I was so darn proud of him.
Tenchi Muyo. No, Im not as much of a fan of this as I am of DBZ, but it had a few good laughs. Wonder where I can find the uncensored version...?
Batman. Yes. Batman.
Final Fantasy 6. For making me fall in love with RPGs.
Chrono Trigger. For making me fall even more deeply in love with RPGs.
FF9. For having one of the best endings Ive ever seen in an RPG.
FFX. For showing me that theres always a higher level of gaming experience.
Beyond the Beyond. For reminding me of the evil game developers who create piss-poor RPGs. Id almost begun to believe they were a myth, but BtB proved it.
Soul Reaver I. For being just one big CD of whoop-ass.
Vagrant Story. See above.
Breath of Fire III. For having Rei in it.
Threads of Fate. For being a neato-keen game.
Lunar: SSC & Lunar:EB. For being the only games that didnt disappoint me in any way whatsoever.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. For singing Mr. Bojangles.
J. Richard Gott, for his book, Time Travel in Einsteins Universe.
Icy, for being so patient with my many, many, many mistakes.
And for all you fans, from the ones whose names I stole (Wethreem and Geddicus) to that Hispanic guy who wanted my autograph, to those with advice and criticism (thats you, MidgarDemon), to those with plenty of praise and questions (EnChAnTrEsS).
Simon R. Green. For writing the incredibly violent and sarcastic Deathstalker series, with which I have fallen in love.
James Byron Huggins. For writing Cain, a somewhat religious, yet highly action-oriented book. I cant remember if I took my screen name before or after I read the book.
Sesame Street. For showing me why the Triangle is the coolest shape.
Ms. Price. For being the best 10th grade English teacher a guy could have. Shes was so nyce an purdy, tooo.
Mr. McIntyre. For shaving his beard to look like a Mongol.
Soylent Green. Its people!
Mario. For being the first video game character I ever got to play as. I whipped Bowsers ass.
Sonic the Hedgehog. For being the first cool video game character I ever got to play as.
Miles Tails Prower. For watching Sonics back.
Knuckles the Echidna. For being such a kick-ass secondary character.
Sir Daniel Fortesque. For being the first PlayStation video game character I ever got to play as, and for having a detachable head.
Courtney and Sydney. My sisters. For dragging me away from the computer to go swimming or talking, or some such nonsense.
My dad. For making me study so damn hard.
Candace. For making my dad a happy man.
The SAT gods. For allowing me to make a 1550. Booyah!
Dartmouth College. For accepting me into their fine school.
Garfield the Cat. For nothing at all.
Zippy the Pinhead. For being more confusing than my story (read the Washington Post comics section).
Magus. For being my role model. I will meet you one day.
And all you other people who tried to make me get off my ass (well, actually to sit my ass down) and write something.
And now that the thanks are over, on to the other crap. First off, the question marks. Yes, I realize that there was a grand total of about ten question marks in the first fifty chapters, and I have an explanation for that: I was stupid. Ive been trying to revise them, but Icys being deluged by schoolwork and other authors, so he doesnt have the time.
Secondly, the mind-boggling mass of confusion that was my story. What can I say? Im a big fan of foreshadowing. Maybe some of you (the really dedicated) will go back and read earlier chapters and say, So thats what happened. Cool! Of course, you could also say, Thats what happened? Stupid!
Third, Ayla and Kino. They are not brother and sister. I was stupid when I said that. So leave me alone about it, okay?
Finally, I would like to dedicate this piece of fiction to Douglas Adams. I hope he found the Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
-Gods final message to His creation, according to So Long, and
Thanks For All the Fish