A Dragon out of Time, A Crash and Spyro Story

Chapter 24: A Friendship Across Timelines

"We're close, but we still haven't solved the quantum tunneling problem. How are we on that, Professor?"

"According to my calculations, and that 'Coco' feller's notes came in real handy by the way, the tunneling issue will be resolved once we are able to bypass the coulomb barrier within the Power Gems. The energy contained by the Crystals is trapped within this barrier, and since we can't heat the gems to fifteen megakelvin, the only other way to extract the energy is to irradiate the crystals with a strong source of ionizing radiation. Once we tap into that pool of energy, the quantum tunneling issue will be resolved because the gravity lens can successfully contain the wormhole being formed."

"We have the iridium and a hadron accelerator to produce the radiation. Cynder and I spent a year building it. The gravity lens is also built and in place. All we need is the Power Gems to cooperate and after all this time we'll finally be finished. I... I can't thank you enough for doing this, Professor. You've helped me more than you know."

"Well you've helped the world more than you take credit for, Spyro. So helping you build this scientific wonder is the least I can do to repay you on behalf of the world. When you came to me five years ago wanting to build this, I thought you were crazy but my curiosity took over. And now that we're so close, I've got to say that this is by far the greatest invention... ever. I can't imagine all that can be done with a device like this... a Time Twister."

"Hopefully, it'll take me somewhere special Professor."

"And by that," Elora chimed in from behind, "you mean it'll take you to someone special."

Spyro turned around, glad to see his and the Professor's good friend Elora. The Professor walked up and greeted her, before walking out of the laboratory to retrieve something. Spyro made it one of his goals when returning to this timeline to forge a similar relationship he had with Elora as his counterpart from Crash's timeline a hundred thousand years ago did. It wasn't to say that he loved her or wanted to, but evidently she had a sizable impact on the previous Spyro's life, so he wanted to find out why. Getting to know her now, he understood why Elora was so special in both this timeline and the unaltered one. Once the Professor left, Spyro spoke. "I certainly do have a special friend waiting for me there. And he deserves to come home."

"Sparx" Elora replied. "It'll be nice to see a Dragonfly for the first time. From what you told me about him, I'm sure he can't wait to see you again. But I had someone else in mind, someone else that may just miss you as well." Spyro turned around and pretended to be looking at something important on the desk in front of him. Elora could tell he instantly became agitated. "You're still mad at him, aren't you?"

"What gives you that inclination?" Spyro responded quickly and with concealed emotion as he continued to fidget with the notes on the table in front of him, still pretending to be preoccupied with the Time Twister.

"You know, way back when, when you told me all about how you were raised by a stranger from way in the future, I thought it was such an inspiring tale. One of a stranger who rescued you from danger for no other motivation than because it was the right thing to do, and then raised you like a son of his own when he couldn't return you home. And as you told me that story, I heard in your voice just how much you genuinely loved him as well. So I find it hard to believe you truly hate him now."

Spyro stopped what he was doing and turned around. Even as an adult, twenty one year old, Elora could tell he was tearing up just barely. She could also see the anger, confusion, and pain displayed in his face. She knew he was undecided, even as he spoke his response.

"He abandoned me, Elora. If he really loved me, he wouldn't have done that."

Elora was silent for a few seconds before she responded. "Did I ever tell you about my father, Spyro?"