Chrono Trigger: Dare Chapter 17
The Recreation of the Wings of Time
By Crono_12
Crono
"Crono, where’s that wrench!" Lucca yelled at me from under the Epoch. "Crono? Crono! Snap out of it Crono."
"Huh? Oh…sorry Lucca. Wrench? Here you go," I handed the wrench to her, unaware that she had moved from under the Epoch and was now looking at me from he seat on a large rock.
"Crono, what’s wrong? You’ve been like this the entire time." Concern entered my former guardian’s voice. After all these years, she still did her job well. I smiled inwardly.
"I guess I’m still worried about Marle," I said shyly.
"Don’t worry Crono, she’s a big girl now. Even when she was younger, she had the strength and courage to lead us to Death Peak and bring you back. It was also your memory that kept her going. Besides, she has the others with her."
"I know, but I can’t help worrying. She means a whole lot more to me than she did five years ago. It’s like…"
"I know how you feel. I know how it feels to worry about someone special," she said quietly. She looked down at the ground, as if she were almost embarrassed. I knew at once that she was talking about Cid.
"You like him, don’t you. Cid I mean." I was testing the waters with this statement. For some reason, though I could tell her everything, I was never able to talk about touchy-feely stuff to Lucca. She seemed a bit taken aback by what I said.
"Well…I…uh…yeah, I guess. He kinda reminds me of…you. And those orange eyes of his are really…and his general knowledge and know-how are…amazing. Wonderful. Fantastic. Goodness, there are so many words I can use to describe him. I couldn’t even do it if I were given an entire CD to fill! You can say that…I love him. I love him Crono. And I’m worried about him too." There was a moment of awkward silence. "Well, I’d better get back to the Epoch. You’re going to love the adjustments and attachments I’ve made. And I’d like your help. Maybe when we’re done with this we can go see…them." The conversation ended suddenly.
The next few hours passed quickly. Soon enough, Lucca crawled out from under the Epoch, all stained and oily.
"There. Finished. No…wait…" Lucca disappeared under the Epoch. "There. Now I’m finished. Take a look."
I looked closely at the Epoch, examining the familiar machine. If anything, it seemed longer and thinner. The wings were a bit larger, and I noticed that they could be folded back like real bird wings instead of retracting. There was also a real nosecone, added on for more speed in the air. Other than that, I couldn’t see any other difference.
"I’ll bite. What have you been working on for the past eternity?" I asked.
"First, I have to tell you that it’s strange that I found exactly the type of equipment I needed for all of this. But anyways, watch," she whispered mysteriously. She pulled out a large metal rectangle with round buttons on it and a long metal pole on one end. She pointed the metal piece at the Epoch and pushed a button. Instantly, I head a low mechanical whirring. Our Wings of Time stretched out a bit more, then the nose tilted down as the rear went up. The Epoch was now tilted down at a 20-degree angle, and looked like a yellow and black bullet with wings, rear flaps, and a rudder. I looked under the plane and noticed it now had four wheels instead of three.
"Our Wings of Time is now configured for land use. Instead of walking all over this dead planet, we can ride anywhere on the surface. It also means we can land anywhere on the surface and not have to worry about sinking into the sand. Plus, the ATV mode takes up a lot less fuel. Now, look at this!" She pushed another button, and the Epoch went back to its normal shape and wheel number. I heard Lucca push a third button and the Epochs wheels sank back into the body of the Epoch. A sheet of metal slid over the three engines and a huge propeller was unfolded and placed behind them. Two holes opened right under the nose.
"What the heck is this?" I asked skeptically.
"This is my newest invention. It’s what I call a sub-oceanic-boat, or S.O.B. Wait…I don’t think that’s what I want it called." I rolled my eyes. "Let’s see…I know! It’s called a submarine. It can go underwater for long periods of time. And since it’s the Epoch, I’m pretty sure it can survive all types of temperatures."
I was amazed. I ruffled Lucca’s violet hair.
"You are so good. I just hope this invention works."
Lucca smiled mischievously. She remembered all too well what happened to her last invention. Robo was still a bit charred after the rocket pack she made for him blew up while he was wearing it.
"Oh! You forgot about the inside. Now six people and one captain can ride it comfortably. It also has stronger weapons, a set of shields, and torpedoes if it’s underwater. I’ve made the engines stronger too. And…" Lucca took a deep breath; she had exhausted all of her air. "And it has 4D radar and sensors. It can tell to a certain extent what is happening in all four dimensions. Each seat in the Epoch occupies a certain area of its weaponry or equipment: engines, shields, weapons, repair, and navigation."
"Yeah, but what if only two people are piloting?" I asked.
"It can be configured so that one person has to pilot. But it works a whole lot better if we have about three or four people riding with us.
"You know, you’ve finally finished what Balthasar started years ago. You’ve made his Wings into a Bird. Thanks Lucca. Now, let’s get some sleep. We’re going to need it," I told her. We set up a tent and built a fire using supplies from the emergency kit in the Epoch, and drifted off to a dream infested sleep.
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