Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the story except any characters that I have made up myself.

Chapter 1: A new (failed) invention!

Lucca sat on a chair in her house. She was working on another invention of hers. She picked up the screwdriver and started to tighten a few small screws here and there. Staring at it, she wondered how it would work out. She pressed a button and it immediately started to hum. It looked at Lucca and said, "What would you like to eat?"

Lucca was surprised but managed to reply, "Could I have some chicken soup?"

The robot replied, "Affirmative." It started to make many clicking sounds, and then it started to glow. Lucca looked eagerly in anticipation at the machine. If it actually worked, she would be so happy. If it did not... well, that was another story. Lucca watched as the machine started to glow brighter. Suddenly a spark flew across the machine. Before she could react, it exploded, sending live chicken flying around the room. Getting off the floor and sighing, she wondered what went wrong. The machine was only supposed to be a mechanical can opener, but somehow she created something entirely different. Sighing, she walked out of the house to get some fresh air. It was indeed a beautiful day. She decided to go to her friend Chrono's house. Shouting a good-bye through the doorway, she sprinted north toward the house that she knew all too well.

She arrived at the house and knocked the door. She stood there for a few minutes before Chrono's mother answered the door.

Lucca said, "Hello there. Is Chrono home?"

Chrono's mother said, "No, he's in the forest, training in his usual spot."

Lucca sighed then said, "Okay, thanks."

As she started off, Chrono's mother said, "When you see him, tell him lunch is ready."

Lucca smiled back and said, "Will do ma'am."

Lucca walked toward the former place for the Millenial Fair. Behind the area was a forest, and slightly further on is a clearing. This clearing was the favorite spot for Chrono to train. Chrono never really trained alone; he had Marle to train with. After they were married, Chrono and her never really gave up fighting evil, and had devoted most of their spare time to trying to fight crime. When there was not much crime, they came to this area to train. Lucca walked along the path, and sure enough he heard the sounds of combat between the two. In their training, since they were not opponents, they didn't use their weapons, but resorted to hand-to-hand combat. Lucca laughed the first time Chrono fought Marle. He lost to Marle, having underestimated her. Lucca finally arrived and saw the two training. Marle jumped away from Chrono and powered up to do a magic attack.

Marle raised her hands, looked toward Chrono, and gave a small laugh. She shouted, "Ice, power 2!"

Suddenly a block of ice appeared and sat gently on her hands. She used the rest of the power of the attack to throw it at Chrono. Intrigued, Lucca sat hiding in a bush, watching what would happen. The block of ice was too big and Chrono couldn't dodge it. It hit him, and he was thrown into a lake behind him. He climbed out and rubbed his head saying, "It feels like there's some kind of metal in there! Oh well, try this!"

Chrono then smiled at Marle in a rather peculiar way, raised his hands, and then he started to float off the ground. He shouted out, "LUMINAIRE!"

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light, and Lucca's hair stood up on end from the power of the attack. When the flash ended, Lucca's hair was standing up straight, all frayed on the ends. Marle was laying on the ground, her clothes slightly singed. Her hair was, surprisingly, still the same. Lucca then jumped out of the bushes and said in a playful way, "Hey guys, it's my turn!"

She raised her hands and said, "Flare attack!"

As with the other attacks, a powerful elemential attack ensued. The attack hit Chrono, since he was standing and didn't have time to dodge. He was engulfed by the fire and was thrown against a tree. Luckily, since Marle was on the ground from the Luminaire, she wasn't hit by the attack. The flare soon ended, and none of trees were set on fire.

Chrono shouted, "What the blazes, no pun intended!"

Lucca tossed an elixir to both of them, and both of them used them. Suddenly, they were healed of all battle fatigue and wounds. Lucca said, "Well, I decided to drop by for a visit. Perhaps we could even a small get together today?"

Chrono looked at Marle then said, "Sure, why not."

Marle said, "I don't mind. We can always train another day."

Lucca said, "Well, let's go to my place."

Chrono and Marle said, "Wonderful!"

Lucca then said, "After we stop at Chrono's. His mother invited us to lunch."

Everyone arrived at Chrono's house to eat when Marle said, "So Lucca. I hear that you're making a new invention."

Lucca smiled and said, "Yes, I am. Actually, I'm working on two. One of them is a mechanical can opener. The other one is an ultra-secret one."

Chrono groaned and said, "Telepod two?"

Lucca said, "How about after we eat, we go down and see them?"

Marle said, "Sounds great! I can't wait to see them."

Everyone had finally finished eating lunch when Lucca said, "These are inventions that I have been working on for a very long time." She smiled and added, "I hope that these don't turn out like the telepod."

When everyone arrived, Lucca had just remembered about the disaster with her invention from earlier that day. She laughed nervously to Marle and Chrono then said, "I, well, remembered something... I had a small accident with one of the inventions this morning, so the back room should seem a little messy."

Chrono winked at her and said, "Don't worry. Not all your inventions mess up. Some of them actually work."

Marle winked at Chrono and said, "Unless my pendant is involved."

Lucca said, "Yeah, well, I never expected it to turn out like that! Besides, if it never happened, we would never have had that adventure."

Marle winked at Chrono and said, "And other things spun off from that quest as well."

Lucca said, "Let me get the other invention."

Chrono smiled at Marle then turned to the window. He stared outside, looking at the clouds. As he was looking, he started to wonder about many things. He wondered how Robo was doing in his future world. He was wondering how Glenn was doing in the past. He was wondering how Ayla was faring in the far past. Finally, his mind set on Magus, and his quest for his sister. Chrono suddenly broke out of his trance and looked up. He saw clouds that looked like each of his friends before they drifted apart in the breeze. Lucca soon walked back into the room.

Marle said to Lucca, "Well, where is the other invention?"

Lucca said, "I don't know, I don't know!"

Marle said, "Well, did you hide it?"

Lucca gave a strange smile and said, "As a matter of fact, I did. I remember now... Come with me! I remember where I put it."

She beckoned them to follow her outside. Marle and Chrono exchanged glances before following their friend. Lucca led them past Chrono's house, past the site of the Millenial Fair, through the forest, and past the castle.

Chrono said, "Any further?"

Lucca said, "No, I wanted to make it well hidden. So, I hid it in the place no one could find it."

Marle said, "And that would be?"

Lucca emerged upon a rather large clearing in the forest. In that clearing there were a few trees, and a lake of clear water. A few hills surrounded the area. Lucca said, "Normally I would teleport to this secret spot, but the telepod is broken." She stood next to the lake and clapped her hands. A small sphere appeared on the water's surface and was bobbing gently.

Lucca said, "Well, it's time to show you the invention."

Chrono looked around, with a strange look on his face. Finally he turned to Marle and exclaimed, "I knew there was something metal in that lake! We were just training here!"

Lucca smiled and opened a door to the sphere. She went inside it, beckoning the others to follow. After Chrono and Marle entered the sphere, it closed it's door. Lucca smiled and said, "This is my prized invention. It will help feed all the starving children of all time."

Chrono said, "All time?"

Lucca gave a rare sinister smile and said, "You'll see my friend. You'll see... In fact, I used it to prepare for today's special occasion."

Chrono said, "What kind of special occasion?"

Lucca stared at him and said, "You've been so busy training and helping the forces of good that you forgot? I'll remind you when we get there."

As the pod took them underwater, chrono looked out the window. Deep down in the pond he saw a cave. Chrono pointed to the cave and Lucca nodded. Suddenly the pod tilted over and entered the cave. It right sided itself again, and floated up to reveal an underground cavern. The pod door opened and everyone stepped out. Chrono said, "A hidden place to experiment, no doubt."

Lucca smiled and said, "A scientist can't work on more dangerous experiments without a place to hide them."

She walked down the path and beckoned the others to follow her. At the end of the path, Lucca smiled and said, "Chrono, you go first."

Chrono looked at her and said, "I know you're up to something, but I guess I'll find out soon enough."

He walked through the doorway, followed by Lucca and Marle. As soon as they walked in, the lights turned on, and Lucca shouted, "SURPRISE!"

Chrono said, "A surprise party?"

Lucca said, "It's your twentieth birthday! And my new invention is a food materializer." She pointed to a machine in the corner and continued, "It can materialize food out of thin air, just by rearranging the atoms in the atmosphere! Neat, huh?"

Chrono smiled and said, "Yeah, neat."

Lucca walked forward and showed some food sitting on the table. There was pie, ice cream, chips, pretzels, and many other food items that were typical of a birthday party. Lucca said, "And I decided to save the best for last."

Chrono said, "Well, what is the best?"

Lucca said, "A birthday cake! Freshly made and ready to eat."

Chrono said, "You're going to make a birthday cake with that machine?"

Lucca said, "All the other food here was made in that way.

Chrono took a nibble at a pretzel and said, "It tastes real." He took a few pretzels and started to eat, while waiting for Lucca. Marle looked at Chrono, smiled, took some chips, and did the same. They watched as Lucca fiddled with knobs and handles, and typed at a keyboard. They marveled at her genius, wondering how she was able to make a machine like this. Finally, Chrono said, "With this, people will never have to go hungry again. You can throw dirt into there, and it'll rearrange the atoms for making food."

Lucca said, "Exactly! And now here's your cake."

Marle was staring at the machine."Awesome! Is it chocolate or van--" she paused halfway through her sentence. She put her hand to her chest, and pulled out the pendant. It started to glow again. Marle said, "Darn, not again!"

She ripped the pendant off, and threw it away from the machine. It flew through the air, but suddenly stopped. It was just hovering in mid-air, not doing anything. Suddenly, the machine let out a lightning bolt and it hit the Pendant. It suddenly created a bright red portal near the machine. The light was very bright, and the noise was deafening Lucca stared at the pendant and shouted, "It's disappearing!" Marle looked and saw that Lucca was right. In almost no time at all, the pendant completely disappeared. Chrono said, "What the hell?"

Lucca shouted, "I don't know what's going on! I really don't! It must have been a reaction, but the portal's bright red."

Chrono said, "Let's get out of here."

No sooner had he uttered those words that a strong gust blew the door shut. A boulder fell from the ceiling and blocked the doorway. Lucca shouted, "I'm going to activate the telepod to get us out of here!"

Just as Lucca uttered those very words, a sudden gust of wind blew. It was too strong to resist and almost everything was swept up into the portal, both food and people. The only thing that remained in the room was a solitary birthday card, with the words, "Friends forever, no matter how long time may last. Happy birthday." As the last breeze blew, the card fluttered motionlessly to the ground, where it made a slight rustling noise.