Chapter 2~
"Out to find Lucca?"
"I see you finally remembered her name,"
"Uh-huh, ok you be careful!"
"Yeah alright mom,"
Lucca. Aside from being Crono's best friend, she was a super genius at repairing broken devises, and inventing the most notorious objects you could think of.Being in league with a brain had its advantages. She was a natural sucker for repairing and tinkering with her own brand of "toys".She would probably gladly miss the opportunity of the festival to play around with her home-made robot.
But Chrono knew the celebration would be a good one, even though he was still aching a bit from the gruesome long battle he had fought a week ago.
But he couldn't tell his mother that….
He was dressed in a simple laid back outfit and all ready to go by this time, so Chrono grabbed his blue spring jacket and set off for the fairgrounds, which were very close next door. After all, his heart was pounding to get a glimpse of who might be there.
Hurrying off to the market streets, he ran onto the rubble road that led up to Leene Square. That wasn't very far. As he looked up, he noticed brightly coloured balloons flying up into the sky. He smiled.
Amazingly the showground weren't too crowded yet, although it was busier than usual and Chrono could sense the anticipation building. Some of the races and tracks were going, with many sightsee-ers and tourists standing around the fences,
cameras flashing. Voices, shouts, laughs and cheery music were all that filled Chrono's ears. He passed many of the fun filled tents and passed many carnival-like games and many sidestands and buffet tables set up along the crowded sides.
After taking all the action in, Chrono began to side-step people all around him, careful not to miss one attraction of game, though he felt no urge to stop and play.He needed to see someone more important. He needed to get the second level of the Square, where the ceremony and speeches were being held by King Guardia.
That's where she'd be.
Dashing up the steps, Chrono had to come to a halt due to the wall of people
crowded around the little area, where the presentation and speeches of history were about to take places.
It was much too noisy for Chrono's liking, yet he did the best he could to see what was going on.
Overhead the Leene Bell still rang deeply, yet not so much as loud .Around the archway where the tolling bell hung, a few Guardia soldiers lingered about. His pulse quickened.
Muttering brief "excuse me"s Chrono elbowed and inched his way through the thick crowd until it opened around the archway area, where various devices were set up, and cords were draped along everywhere. They led to one secluded tent.
Crossing over a velvet rope, Chrono looked around eagerly. A couple guards gave him hard stares but remained silent. Many people, including children, started demanding why a stranger was allowed to pass through the ropes without permission.
Chrono ran into the nearby tent without hesitation wanting to avoid the watchful eyes of the steady guards. He pulled a flank of fabric over the doorway.
Looking around he found Lucca crouched behind what looked liked an amplifier. She had a screw driver in her mouth and her short chin-length hair was pushed behind her ears, with a pencil. She bore an intense, deep look in her eyes that told Chrono she was seriously busy.
"Need help?" He asked with a lazy-eyed smile.
Lucca seemed not to of noticed him for she let out a yelp, tossing her head back as the tool fell to the floor with a clatter.
"Workin' for the Royals, eh?"
Lucca smiled slightly and picked up her tool. "Yes, just small jobs here and there. Good for buying supplies I need and plus I get to keep some old equipment."
"Sounds good." Chrono sat down beside her and yawned. "Seen Marle?"
Lucca shook her head. She eyed Chrono for a minute. "Nope."
After a few seconds of silence, he said, "So what're you doing, anyway?"
"Trying to fix this amp so I can hook up to a mic for the King to speak in." Lucca grunted, preoccupied with her work.
Chrono looked around the tent. "Working for the Royals…."
"So what's up with you and Marle?" Lucca blurted.
Chrono's stomach went cold upon hearing someone else speak her name. He closed his eyes and chose his words carefully. "Um, I dunno. Just wanna see how the old gang's doing."
"It wasn't that long ago, we just got back a week ago. "Lucca smirked twisting her screw driver around into a panel in the amp.
"Yeah, but, I just want to know how everyone's…..coping since being back home," Chrono murmured, then put in drastically, "it's been such a big change."
Lucca patted his arm." I'm sure everyone's fine," She mocked with a coy smile.
Chrono detected the look in her eyes. Her ability to read people was utterly fascinating. He had to throw her off." Yeah," He turned away.
"And besides," Lucca went on, standing up," The only 'gang' around here is you, me, and Marle. Right?" She was hinting something. She could tell Chrono still had feelings for the princess…
He nodded.
"I assume they're all ok. From what Robo said-"
"WHAT?!"
"What what?" Lucca repeated.
He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders and frantically retorted, "You still talk to Robo?"
She pulled back and straightened her glasses. "Yes of course."
At once Chrono became a bit angry because he secretly wanted to severe all connections with his old friends so an event like so wouldn't evolve into him saving the world again. But he didn't show it." B-but how?"
"Easy. I already had a communicator built and just recently I completed it and upgraded it to span over certain eras. It's modelled to reach 2600AD.Quite advanced for it's time," Lucca put in, blushing and feeling quite proud. then gasping, she said happily, "Are you becoming interested in MY technology?" With her eyes shining, Chrono detected sarcasm as she added, "How delightful!"
"No wait Lucca-"
"Oh come on, you wanna talk to Robo, don't you? Just once, please? He'll be happy!"
"Uh, he's a robot…."Chrono muttered, as she grabbed his arm. Shaking his head as Lucca dragged him away, he knew he wouldn't be back for awhile, since when Lucca was set on something, she usually went full way in reference to her inventions.
Soon, He told himself. Soon I'll see Marle.
Lucca's room was incredibly messy. Well, so was her whole house, littered with parts and equipment and old books and chemicals .But her room was definitely the worst. Chrono felt surrounded by endless pages of data and theories and so much machines, he felt like a robot was about to jump up and kill him! But the thing that cluttered her room the most was her large, well built communicator. It was ratty looking, not the best built, with second hand parts and Lucca's sometimes delusional knowledge, but it worked. To his surprise it did work.
Her house was seperated from most of the village, on a little penninsula, which was good so Lucca and her father, with their devices, wouldn't blow up the neighbours. No one else was home, so Chrono relaxed a little, to become fixated on Lucca's ability to work her mechanisms.
"Ok there, it just needs to load. About a minute so…."Lucca explained, and pushed some papers off of her seat so she could sit down.
"Good, good." Chrono mumbled, wishing it would hurry up. He wanted to go back to the Square. Was Marle there by now? Was she looking for him? Of course. Did she think he didn't care? Chrono began to become nervous.
A large series of dial tones and annoying clicks interrupted Chrono's train of thought and seemed to disturb Lucca. He looked at her, and she turned a bit pale, before she rushed to a monitor and button panel. She began to furiously type in commands that aroused Chrono's curiuosity.
"What's wrong?" He asked, sitting up.
Lucca shook her head and replied quickly, "I don't know. When I try to contact Robo it usually takes awhile to reach him unless, he's trying to contact me…
Which he never does! Oh something's wrong….."
Chrono sneered in fustration. "Uh, what?"
"It means Robo is on the line right now and his urgency rate to reach me is 100%!"Then, going to another speaker quickly, she spoke in a voice loud and clear,
"Go ahead Robo"
Chrono was now fully aware of what was about to be said. He leaned forward to catch everything that would be spoken.
Another series of rapid beeps. Chrono began to sweat.
"…..coming in contact….Robo and Prometheus….."
"You're in," Lucca replied, and listened.
"…….my mother…..is repaired….reasons unknown. Is the Black Omen awakened?There seems to be bad life around…..Lucca are you still in contact with the Epoch?"
"Yes Robo, why?"
"You may have to come here and see this……I think something's about to happen……"
Chrono and Lucca heard an abundance of static which made their blood run cold. What was Robo trying to say?
"Robo what is happening?" Lucca called, her voice shaky. Chrono went over and listened by her .There was no response.
"Robo !Are you there?" He called desperately.
The line went dead.
And slowly Lucca and Chrono looked at each other solemnly, dreading Robo's message, and fearing the meaning behind it.