Chapter Ten
Heart of Ice

"Brrr…" Crash shivered as the warm volcanic rocks soon gave way to colder, snow-coated soil, as the winding dirt path scrolled further up the volcano. Ahead, the two dragon whelps scaled the mountain path easily, looking back to the bandicoot to make sure he wasn't too far behind.
"Come on… Come on…" the blue fledgling Scorch barked, glancing at Crash who was a fair distance behind him.
"Hold onto your tail…" panted Crash. "You may be skilled at this, but I'm no mountain climber."
Puffing a cloud of smoke in annoyance, the blue dragon turned away, continuing the steep mountain path, flicking his tail in detest. The little pink one, Spark, turned back to Crash, "Don't mind him," she smiled sweetly. "He's just got issues with making friends…"
"It's ok I guess," Crash shrugged, as he attempted to haul himself up to the ledge where Spark stood looking down from. Scrambling a bit, Crash's fingers gave loose to the icy soil and he slipped back to the lower level, grumbling to himself.
With a small smile, Spark turned her butt towards Crash, allowing her tail over the ledge. "Grab onto this and I'll help you…"
Wrapping his freezing fingers around Spark's warm tail, Crash held on as the little dragon, with a surprisingly large amount of strength for such a small thing, hauled Crash up onto the ledge. "Thanks," Crash grinned, as he stroked Spark's head for a moment, the dragon giving a chitterling sound of content to the gesture.
"Hurry it up you two!" shouted Scorch from a larger distance ahead now. Though, he usually sounded mocking and nasty in his actions, Scorch's voice actually sounded slightly excited this time. "The top is just up here!"
"Alright!" Crash gave the blue dragon thumbs up. "We'll be up there in a few moments…"

Cassie glanced about, shivering slightly as she trudged through the deep snow. The air was thin up here, and the temperature very cold. "Oh man…" she shivered. "I so should've brought a thicker coat of fur…"
As she waded through the knee deep snow, her arms wrapped around her for warmth, Cassie wondered where the pathway to these higher ledges was. The open plateau of snow rested near the crater of the volcano, where a large deep hot spring rested. It looked heavenly to go for a dip, but to go from cold to hot then to cold again, Cassie was sure that wouldn't be such a wise move on her own behalf.
As she walked along the cliff ledge, Cassie was sure she'd eventually find where the pathway came to this icy paradise, and there she'd wait for Crash, ready to ambush the bandicoot.
"Hurry it up you two!" a voice whispered on the cold winds, and Cassie froze in place, her ears twitching to the sounds.
Kneeling down and peeking over the ledge onto the deep oblivion of a drop from the summit to the ground, Cassie spotted a blue dragon on the pathway below, the same one she'd captured. And a bit further down, she could just make out the pink baby and the bandicoot. They were still scaling the climbing path.
Running ahead in the direction of the path that the blue dragon followed, Cassie finally found the end of the path, to where the dragons and bandicoot would emerge. Spying several snow-coated trees nearby, Cassie leapt behind one, watching and waiting…
When the moment was right, she'd pounce and get that bandicoot for stringing here up to that tree…

A deep sigh echoed through the darkness as a shimmering light flickered once, twice, and then finally and ultimately died.
"Well, that's that…" Coco moaned as she sat down on the spot where she'd lay. She'd been spending the last few hours exploring the power-lost base in search of a means to escape, but to no avail. Now, with her torches batteries finally dead, and nothing to help her find escape, she accepted the fact, that she was to die here…
"Aku? Aku-Aku? Can you hear me?" She called out, hoping the mask would hear her pleas.
But there was no answer. The mask could not hear her voice. No-one could…
"Well, you gave it your all Coco," she whimpered, as she began to cry. "But it just wasn't good enough. Looks like Cortex got you in the end…"
As she sobbed, there was a distant, faint and static echo from some nearby intercom, as it crackled into life and a few low dimmed lights lit up. "Dr. Cortex has sent me to rescue you…" the voice of Nina Cortex. "He restored minimal power to a few functions so I could get you out of here. Though he was most considering letting you two lizards rot in here."
"Thank you Misssss Cortex," the voice of Komodo Joe hissed.
"But," Nina ordered. "There is one thing he wants you to do, in case any of the bandicoots are still in here, and he expects you not to ask questions."
"Of courssse."
Coco's heart leapt into her throat as she heard Nina growl the next words that most probably sealed her own fate.
"Flood the place completely. And get your idiotbrother off of leaning on that intercom!"

Panting as she pulled forward, Crash clinging to her tail, Spark pulled the bandicoot over the ledge and onto the large plateau of sleet and snow. Collapsing in a heap, Spark lay there resting, her tongue hanging from her mouth, rather like a dog.
"Thanks for all your help Spark," Crash commended, as he stroked the dragon's neck again. "Never could have done it without you…"
Spark cooed again, comforted by the touch of Crash's furry hands.
"This way!" Scorch called out, the male dragon pointing to a pile of snow he was melting with his tiny flame breath. "The treasure is in here!"
"Alright!" Crash started as he stood up, heading towards Scorch. "Now, all we need is to…"
"Ya!" a voice called out, as Crash turned, to she a foot connect with his face, sending him sprawling back into the snow. At once, Scorch and Spark hissed, raising their wings and scales to make them appear bigger as a scene from their recent past reappeared.
Clutching his sore jaw, Crash looked up again to see his attacker. It was a bandicoot, no doubt, with short blonde hair like Coco, though it was held in place with a hair-band. A purple shirt and light blue trousers she was dressed in, as a gold bangle dangled from the left wrist and a necklace of a heart from the neck. Her eyes stared in a fiery passion that could be described only as one word…
Revenge.
"You!" Crash barked, pointing his finger in accusation. "You're that female Coco told me about!"
"Oh yeah…" the female smirked, as she took a fighting stance in case Crash attacked while she was surprised. "My name's Cassie and I've got a bone to pick with you, Crash Bandicoot."
"What are you talking about?" Crash blinked, bracing him-self for another attack if it came. "What have I ever done to you? I've never even seen you before!"
"Liar!" Cassie snapped. "You hung me upside down from a tree, don't you remember? And you also took my Power Crystals…"
Spark was hissing towards Cassie, taking steps back from the bandicoots, towards the ledge and away from the trees where the two marsupials prepared to face off. Scorch looked about ready to charge Cassie, eyeing up for the perfect moment to strike.
Crash blinked, "What are you talking about? I've never met you, nor do I have any Power Crystals on me at the moment…"
Sneering, her upper lip curling, Cassie charged forward, drawing back her fist, "Maybe this'll jog your memory then!"

"Ah! Crud!" Coco cursed as the rising water began to reach her waist. She didn't have much time to find an escape route. The entire base was flooding fast and time was running out just as fast.
Wading as fast as she could, Coco panicking in her search for an exit, Coco raced through corridors low lights helping to light the way. This was getting dire by the moment passed.
Tap! Tap! "Coco?"
Coco spun around, looking for the source of the voice, but there was no-one in the corridor with her. The water was now to her chest.
"Out here!" the voice called again.
Glancing out the window, Coco spotted the faint shadow outlines of two dolphins and a killer whale. "Gleam! Is that you?"
"Aye! And Spot and Delphi are with me too," the larger figure nodded in the gloom. "We spotted you just now and you look in trouble…"
"Yeah!" Coco panicked as the water was now to her neck. "Can you get me out?"
There was a pause, then, "Take a really deep breath now… and hold onto that bar beside you tight!"
Sucking in as much oxygen as she could and wrapping her arms around the metal bar, Coco's mouth was now submerged as there was a slamming sound, a loud cracking, and then another slam and a smash as the window was shattered.
Thrown about as more water was rushed into the tunnel, Coco clung to the pipe as hard as she could, holding her breath as tight as she could. "Grab on!" a voice called next to her. As Coco opened her eyes, she saw Gleam there, offering her dorsal as she fought against the current.
Grabbing the dorsal with her paws, Coco clung for dear life as Gleam raced out of the pipe and headed for the surface as fast as her flukes could take her…

"Gah!" Crash growled as he threw the female from him, and into a tree.
"Ah!" Cassie squealed in momentary pain, before she leapt back up, charging Crash again. Swinging her punch, Crash grabbed the fist, spinning his body around and tossing Cassie again a fair distance, the bandicoot landing in the snow.
"Grr!" Cassie growled as she leapt up, ready to attack Crash back, when…
"Yeow!" Cassie screamed as a set of finely sharp jaws clamped about her butt. Scorch, having seized the chance, latched himself onto the bandicoot's behind. "Get off you!" Cassie cried out as she danced about, trying to shake the dragon from her caboose.
Losing his grip, Scorch let go and Cassie leapt a small distance away, rubbing her tender behind in pain as Crash charged up to Cassie, connecting the female's stomach with his foot.
Landing near the cliff ledge, nearby the cowering Spark, Cassie climbed to her feet shakily, before suddenly sinking to her knees in the snow, begging as her eyes wept tears. "Please… No more!" she knelt there, bruised and battered before Crash. "Just kill me and be over with it…"
Blinking in amazement, Crash stumbled upon his words, "K-kill you? What on Earth do you mean? I never had any intention to kill you…"
"But… But," Cassie pleaded, looking up to Crash, her face streaming frozen tears. "Cortex told me that you and your friends have tried to kill me before… That you want to take over the world…"
"He what?" Crash gasped, realizing what was going on now.

"Dr. Cortex! Dr. Cortex!" N. Gin panicked, pointing with his chubby finger to the screen. "Look! Cassie has lost to Crash!"
"WHAT?" roared Cortex, swinging around to view the screen and see what had just happened. Indeed, there was Cassie kneeling before Crash, crying and pleading, near the cliff's ledge. Snarling, Cortex knew all too well what would happen from here.
Crash would explain everything, undo all of Cortex's lies and he would offer Cassie friendship. Creating yet another infernal bandicoot foe for Cortex to have to contend with through his actions.
And this time, Cortex would not allow it.
Pressing a button, Cortex ordered to N. Gin as he took the joystick that appeared in hand, the screen gaining a cross-hair, "Tell the crew in that blimp to prepare to fire!"

"You… You mean…" Cassie stuttered as she grovelled in the sleet. "That Cortex tricked me? That he lied to me?"
Nodding Crash answered her. "Don't feel too bad. Cortex's done it to me a fair few times before as well. But if you join us, join our family, you can help us stop him." Winking to Cassie, Crash added, "After all, all the more friends we have, the merrier…"
Looking up, wiping away her tears with her hand, Cassie beamed, "You… You'd do that? You'd forgive me for everything and you'd…"
But Cassie's words were cut as a laser blasted the ground between them. Knocked back, Crash recovered and glanced forward just in the nick of time, to see Cassie and Spark screaming as their slab of earth ledge started to give way and slide into oblivion…