Chapter 1 – Washed Ashore

A/N: Hey everyone, I know this is a little late, but I wanted to write something for Crash's 20th anniversary since it's one my favorite childhood games.

Disclaimer: I don't own Crash Bandicoot.

Enjoy!

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The sound of waves could be heard nearby.

Crash slowly opened his eyes groggily and looked around to find himself lying on a sandy beach. His body was sore and when he tried to sit up he winced at the pain shooting through his arms and legs.

Looking down at his arms, he frowned when saw the small cuts on them. There were also some on his chest and he could feel a bruise blossoming in his side, but it was nothing too serious.

It wasn't long until the fog in his mind cleared that he remembered where he got them from. It happened when he had to fight his way to escape the doctor's lab. Slowly, Crash stood up and looked back at the sea where Cortex's island was.

Despite feeling tired and sore, Crash sighed in relief when he didn't see anyone coming after him. At least he knew that he was safe for now. He then turned around and stared at the jungle ahead.

Unsure of what else to do, Crash decided to explore the island. After all he needed to find out more about the place he ended up in.

Wasting no time, the bandicoot began making his way through the ruins. This was his first time coming to this place and he couldn't help feeling a little excited as he looked around at the trees and animals.

Just then, something fell on Crash's head and he yelped. "Ow!" wincing a little, he glanced down to see it was some kind of fruit. He couldn't tell if it was an apple or a peach since it looked like both. Confused, he grabbed it and looked up to the tree it had fallen down from.

A low grumble coming from his stomach reminded him that it had been a while since he ate anything. Sniffing the fruit for a moment, Crash took a bite from it and his face lit up. It was really delicious.

He didn't know how, but the pain in his body somehow lessened after eating from the fruit. His injuries still hurt a little, but not as much as before.

Crash continued his trek through the forest while munching on the fruit, unaware of the pair of eyes following him.

Suddenly, the bandicoot spotted something in the distance. Smoke.

Raising an eye brow at this, Crash threw the core away and ran down the forest path. He pushed his way through the plants until he soon saw a village not far from him.

Crash hadn't been to one before. He only saw pictures of them in the books at Cortex's castle. Curiosity getting the best of him, Crash was about to head there when someone shouted.

"Stop!"

Crash didn't have time to register what happened as an invisible force suddenly knocked him backwards. He quickly recovered and took a fighting stance, trying to find the person who attacked him.

There was bright flash of light all of a sudden and when Crash looked up he saw floating wooden mask glaring at him. He had some colorful feathers on his head and a green goatee.

"Don't go any further."

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Aku-Aku was flying high over the trees gazing at the ground below. His face then scrunched up when he spotted another destroyed area in the forest.

The magical mask had guarded this island and its inhabitants for centuries. He kept the threats of the outside world away.

Everything had been fine until Cortex showed up.

The man and his armies had destroyed huge portions of the islands just to build bases and factories to serve his evil plans. Aku-Aku had tried to fight them off and stop them as much he could, but he never managed to drive them away.

Over time his powers began fading and he realized that the more damage they caused to the islands the weaker he got. All he could do now is watch as the evil man and his minions destroyed Wumpa islands, their home.

Aku-Aku sighed dejectedly and headed towards the south. It was then he felt it, an invisible tug in his powers telling him that someone was near, someone who wasn't from the island.

Wasting no time, he floated downwards to where the feeling was coming from. The mask looked around for the intruder until he saw something moving in the shrubs. He quickly hid behind a tree and watched as the creature walked out of the shrubs, revealing himself.

He looked like some kind of marsupial with orange fur and wore a jeans pants. Aku-Aku could tell he was one of Cortex's creations, he sensed the same energy they all had in them coming from him. He looked like he had been through a rough patch based on how dirty and disheveled his fur was.

The wooden mask tensed as the bandicoot began heading toward the village.

"Stop!" Aku-Aku shouted sending a surge of his magic at him. "Don't go any further." He muttered after teleporting in front of him. The bandicoot quickly stood up and growled defensively, waiting for him to make the next move. He clearly wasn't planning on starting a fight.

That wasn't right. Usually, all the mutants who came here would attack the first chance they got, but for some reason this one didn't. Instead, he stood there firmly and stared him down.

The spirit shook the confusion away and glared at the bandicoot. "You came here to destroy the village, didn't you? Haven't you monsters done enough damage already?"

Crash raised an eye brow at him and shook his head.

"Don't lie, you mutants are all the same. All you want is to hurt and destroy." Aku muttered. "Turn around and leave, mutant!" he said commandingly, magical energy gathering around him.

Something unexpected happened.

The bandicoot's eyes widen and his stance flattered, his expression changing drastically. Aku blinked at the sudden change in behavior. He suddenly looked so lost, so vulnerable.

Without warning, the bandicoot dashed away and disappeared in the trees, leaving the confused spirit alone.

Aku couldn't understand what just happened. There was no mistaking the emotion in the bandicoot's eyes just earlier. It was fear. He was actually afraid of him, but why?

Aku couldn't think of a reason for that reaction. He didn't think it was even possible. Even though he was a flying talking mask, he knew he didn't look that imitating. So why did the bandicoot look so terrified of him? He didn't look scared when first saw him so why now?

He quickly shook himself out of the trance. It didn't matter, the mutant was still running freely in the island and could hurt someone. He had to find him.

With that thought in mind, the mask flew in the same direction after the bandicoot.

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Crash ran as fast as he could through the forest. He didn't how long he was running, but at the moment he didn't care. All he wanted was to get away right now.

It wasn't long until he had to stop to catch his breath. Looking back, there was no sign of the floating mask anywhere and he sighed in relief, but when he looked up he saw something else.

A giant dark structure loomed ahead at the side of a river. Crash walked closer to the edge of the cliff to get a better look at it. It looked like a factory of some kind. Crash didn't know why, but something about that place made him feel uneasy.

Shuddering a little, Crash turned around and began walking deeper into the forest.

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After a couple of hours of searching, Aku found the bandicoot napping under a tree. Aku kept a certain distance between them and watched him curiously.

For a creature that enjoyed spreading chaos and destruction, this bandicoot looked really peaceful in his sleep…

No!

The spirit quickly shook those thoughts away before he could dwell on them any longer.

Stop thinking like that. Mutants are evil. Remember all the horrible things they've done! He thought to himself and flew closer to get a better look on him.

It was then he noticed all the wounds on the bandicoot's body. They were cuts on his arms and chest that he hadn't noticed before.

Well, he did look like he was limping slightly when he ran off. Aku-Aku couldn't help feeling a little guilty for attacking someone who's already hurt, mutant or not.

Suddenly, the bandicoot stirred in his sleep and the mask quickly floated back to his hiding spot. The mutant scratched his head and stood up, stretching himself slightly.

Aku decided to follow the bandicoot for now. He was in the island for a reason, right? He needed to know why he was sent here, what he was looking for. Maybe if he kept an eye on him he'll find out what he wants.

Aku then floated after the menace without getting too close to him, always a couple of trees behind.

Crash suddenly stopped in his tracks when a distressed noise reached his ears. Confused, he followed the sound until it led him to a bush. When he looked beyond it he saw it was a small fox with its head stuck inside a small pipe, probably from one of Cortex's machines. The small animal kept trying to free itself, but never succeeded. Frowning, the bandicoot slowly approached the whimpering fox and knelt down.

Aku-Aku's face hardened. This was it. The moment where he'll show his true colors. There's no way the mutant will pass up the chance to hurt a vulnerable creature. The mask began gathering his energy, ready to interfere.

But there was no need for that.

The bandicoot got a hold of the fox's body and gently released its head from the pipe before setting it on the ground again. The fox looked up at Crash and yipped almost gratefully at him before dashing between the trees. The bandicoot grinned, feeling proud of what he did.

Meanwhile, Aku-Aku's jaw dropped, unable to process what he just saw. He couldn't believe it. Nothing made sense anymore. He thought for sure the bandicoot would attack the fox without hesitation, but the mutant had proved him wrong once again.

The mask couldn't remember any of Cortex's minions doing anything like this. They were all aggressive and cruel as far as he saw, but this bandicoot hadn't shown any of those traits. But why? Wasn't he meant to destroy and harm anyone in his way?

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After watching the fox leave, Crash was about to ready to explore the forest some more when a familiar voice called out.

"Wait!"

Crash looked over and gasped when he saw the wooden mask. He immediately took a defensive stance and glared at him.

"Calm down, I'm not here to fight you. I…I came to apologize to you," Aku stated guilty. Crash raised an eye brow in confusion and relaxed a little.

"I'm sorry for attacking you earlier. I thought you wanted to destroy the village. I was merely doing my duty and protecting everyone. All the other mutants who came before you caused nothing, but destruction to these islands. I thought you were no different from them." He explained.

"But after observing you and seeing what you just did, I see now that you're not like the others." The mask muttered and the bandicoot looked relieved at that.

"Oh right, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Aku-Aku, guardian of Wumpa Islands. What about you, what is your name?"

The bandicoot stared at him for a moment and then grinned.

"I'm Crash."

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A/N: Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think of this with a review!