Coco Bandicoot: The Wumpa Games
By Mutitoon90
Chapter Eleven
Crash and Nathan reached the finish line first, greeted by the cheers of the crowd as Aku-Aku and Sash made the announcement of the winners.
"The winners are the Good Guys!" Sash's voice rang out to the crowd, but Aku-Aku added a question, "But where are the other teams?"
Everyone, including the winning team, looked at the finish line. The waiting was tense for everyone wondering about the Gun Men and the Half-Pints. Nathan and Crash were the most worried of all; Luna and Coco were very dear to them.
Then, a cart was seen by all, but none of them knew if it was a member of the Gun Men or a member of the Half-Pints.
"There's a cart," Sash spoke out, "but who is it."
Keeping an eye on the incoming cart, Megumi shouted out to the crowd, "It's Luna!"
The cart crossed the line, and it confirmed that it was Luna as the she-wolf exited the cart. Nathan and Crash went to Luna, who seemed to know what the males were waiting to know.
"Don't worry, guys. Coco's just fine."
"I hope so." Crash said, honest about his concern for his younger sister.
"Of course, you would say that." Nathan announced, taking the werewolf's words as truth.
Then, in the distance, another racing cart appeared soon after, grabbing everyone's attention.
"That's not Coco, guys." Luna announced, "It's Mario."
"What!?" The Good Guys shouted in shock before Luna added one more statement.
"Pinstripe's been in an accident."
"What!" Crash repeated himself at Luna, who explained her words by saying, "Pinstripe tried to knock her out of the race, but he ended up crashing into a tree."
"What about Coco!?"
"Don't worry, she managed to keep herself and the cart from being part of the crash, so she's all right; no cuts or bruises onto her body."
"That's good to hear." Crash sighed in relief as the cart that was being driven by Mario entered the circle of the crowd and stands.
Seeing this, Nathan went to the younger of the Gun Men and questioned him about the events involving Pinstripe and Coco.
"What happened back there?"
The Pinstripe younger brother answered in a sheepish tone as he spoke to the human male.
"Pinstripe tried to 'bump' off Coco in the race, but he ended up bumping into a tree."
"Where's Coco?" Nathan asked, "Crash is worried about her."
"And I can compeletly understand." Mario answered without wavering his words, "If I'd lost Pinstripe, who knows what I'd do? To answer the question, well ask her yourself."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Luna smiled a toothy grin before she noticed a third cart coming up on the track and towards them.
"Coco?" Crash asked out loud as the cart came closer to the crowd.
After a few tense moments, the cart entered the ring. Coco was the first to exit, but her passenger, Pinstripe, could not due to being unconscience. Luckly, the female bandicoots rushed out with medical bags to his aid.
"Sash told us to get the medical bags." Isabelle spoke to Nathan.
"Yeah," Liz said, "it's as if she knew what's going on..."
Nathan and Crash looked at each other in confusion and looked at Luna, who still wore a wolfish grin.
Luna, unknown to her and Sash's allies, was having a mental conversation with Sash.
"Good idea of getting the she-bandicoots to reach Pinstripe for medical attention, Sash. If it was you, they would have caught on our little game."
Luna heard a groan echo in her mind as the silver haired female spoke into her relative's mind, "You and I know very well that we're not suppose to use it for anything outside of emergancies!"
The brown haired girl shook her head, but Sash added another statement.
"If I recall differently, it was you that said that we could trust them via your empathic abilities."
"Well, you're right! And so am I. These guys are true friends, something most of our kind never had!"
Sash smiled, knowing that Luna, her cousin and closest friend, was right. Recalling that Luna's childish personality was merely a mask to hide her true intellingence.
Then, both werewolves returned their attentions to Pinstripe and Coco, who was being hugged by Crash, and by the redness in the younger she-bandicoot's face, Crash's embrace was too tight.
"Crash, let her go!" Nathan went to Coco's rescue, "You're choking her!"
Crash, hearing this, freed his sister and looked at his friend with a blush and a smile.
Coco managed to say, "Thanks" to Nathan before she fell, only to be caught by Luna.
"Thanks, Luna." The dizzy mammal smiled at the she-werewolf, who replied, "Not a problem."
An hour later, everyone in the race, including the recovering and cast-covered Pinstripe, were standing on the platforms resevered for the winners and the runners-up. Sash and Aku-Aku were next to them and gave each of them a medal.
Nathan and Crash were given gold medals, and everyone else were given silver medals due to the fact that Coco and Pinstripe crossed the line together, tying the teams.
"Can't believe that I lost!" Whined the leader of Gun Island about his placing.
"Maybe if you hadn't tried to knock Coco out of the race, maybe you would have won." Mario scolded his elder brother, who only glared at his brother.
"Maybe if you had done better, I'd win!"
Mario just rolled his eyes as he decided to ignore his elder brother as Sash made the final announcements via megaphone.
"Gave a round of applause for our teams."
As the crowd clapped and cheered, Aku-Aku, who managed to make his voice heard by everyone in the area, made an announcement of his own.
"There were many things that has happened in the Wumpa Games, but there are a few announcements I'd like to make."
Everyone looked surprise, but the mask expected it and continued to speak.
"There is one among us and that without her, there would be no Wumpa Games!"
More dumbfounded looks appeared on the faces of everyone as the mask floated to Coco Bandicoot. Seeing this sent a jolt of shock to the crowd as Aku-Aku spoke once more.
"Coco Bandicoot was the one who thought about bringing the Games to life and to our three islands for the purpose of bringing the islands together in the hopes of becoming stronger in union as part of the Islands."
The crowd blushed as they felt shameful about they behavior towards the youngest bandicoot, believing that she was more trouble than a help.
"And in addition to that, she managed the true meaning of sportsmanship by helping Pinstripe to reach the finish line."
Hearing about Coco's selfless rescue, Pinstripe wanted, at that moment, to disappear. Mario smiled, knowing the his elder brother was blushing, but he knew better to bring into any form of conversation, and then he turned his attention back to the magical mask.
"I have something to give to Coco." Announced Aku-Aku, who turned to Coco and spoke to her in a fatherly tone of voice, while everyone else heard this.
"I'm very proud of you, and so are your friends and brother. So, I shall present to you, Coco Bandicoot, the crystal medal of sportsmanship, telling all that of your mature behavior on the field."
As the mask spoke, a medallion of pure crystal appeared around Coco's neck and rested next to the silver medal. Coco was awestruck as the mask turned back to the crowd.
"This medal does prevent Coco from partaking in the next Wumpa Games, but she will give her medal to the next person, who shows such characterics in the Games."
With a smile on her face, she thanked the mask, who nearly chuckled in a fatherly manner.
A few hours after the honors ceremony, Coco was sitting on the stage by herself, looking at her medals and appearing to be sad. She was so distracted that she failed to notice Mario coming towards her.
"Hi, Coco."
The youngest of the bandicoots looked up, saw the potoroo and answered in slight surprise.
"Mario! What are you doing here?"
"Making sure that you're alright." The younger brother of Pinstripe replied with a sincere smile.
In the stands nearby, Luna and Sash looked at the young duo with their wolf-ears poking from the their heads. Both of them wanted to know about the conversation between Coco and Mario.
"Both our young lovers are interacting right now." Luna spoke in a hushed tone of voice, like a host of a nature show, "Shall they enter the courting ceremony, or will the rival families intervene once again?"
Luna's silver haired cousin looked at Luna, whose behavior was confusing even her. With a heavy and stressed sigh, Sash knew she had to ask, and she did.
"Why are you talking like you on a nature show?"
"Huh?" The brown haired female asked. Then, she answered, "Oh, yeah. I just like to see young love."
Questioning the intention, she added to the question as he asked, "What else?"
Luna smiled goofily, telling Sash that she was caught. Knowing that she was not getting away from her cousin's questions, Luna confessed after a moment of akward silence.
"All right, there's also a bet between me and Crash."
This confession perked Sash's interest, which caused to ask, "What kind of bet?"
"Well," Luna smiled normally again, "Crash believes that Mario is here to steal the crystal medal for Pinstripe, but I said that he was interested in Coco, not her medal."
"Yeah." Sash was hung on her relative's words, "The wager?"
"Crash betted on his Wumpa fruit stash, and I betted on a week of my services to him."
The silver haired werewolf was not surprised at the bandicoot's wager, but her golden eyes widened with shock at Luna's words.
"Luna, remember the last time you've made a bet?" Sash asked the other female, "Granted that's how we met Nathan, that's a good way of losing our home again!"
Making a mental note, Luna smiled again and announced, "You're right. However, that's why I've brought you along."
"Oh, yeah." Sash moaned out, "You keep forgetting the witnesses."
Keeping the smile out her face, the brown haired woman looked at the young duo, only to found out that they were gone! This caused the beam rider's cousin to freak out.
"They're gone!"
"Not exactly, Luna." Sash tapped out Luna's shoulder.
"Huh?" The brown haired girl looked at her family member, but she noticed something from the corner of her eye. Curious, she looked and saw the furiously flaming eyes of Coco and Mario. Dumbfounded by the sudden appearance, Luna smiled and said, "Hi, guys."
"Luna!" Coco yelled at the girl with the tree bark-shaded hair, "What's the big idea of cooking up the crystal medal?!"
The 'question' was confusing to her, causing her to ask the younger bandicoot, "It wasn't."
"Aw, come one!" Coco shouted at her former partner, "I know you were feeling guilty about making lose the Surf 'n Turf!"
"I was, but I got over it!" Luna defended herself, "The medal wasn't my idea!"
Mario and Sash looked at each other in confusion as the team that were formly known as the Half-Pints fought amonst each other.
"If you're not the one who did it, then who?" Coco asked Luna, who replied loudly, "I know it's not me!"
Ready to end the arguement, Sash and Mario pondered for a moment, but then a thought entered their thoughts, causing them to announce in unison.
"Aku-Aku!"
The announcement ended the bickering bewteen the Half-Pints, who looked at their friends in confusion.
"Aku-Aku?" The former team asked. Then, the answer became understanding to Luna.
"Well, duh! He's the only one who could see who's worthy of receiving such a reward."
"Of course." The mask's voice entered the minds of the four before explaining his actions.
"These were suppose to promote the union of the islands. So, I sure that there was more to the Wumpa Games than winning the medals."
"Well, that make sense." Mario shrugged his shoulders upon hearing the voice.
"I agree." Luna giggled a little.
Happy that it was never Luna's idea in the first place, Coco smiled brightly as she heard her older brother's voice calling out to her.
"Coco, time to go!"
Coco obeyed her brother with a contented smile on her face. Following her were the werewolves and Mario, who was more of a gentleman than his elder brother ever was.
Luna saw this and believed that the potoroo would bring a problem to Crash, who was truly an older brother to his sister. Sash smiled after reading her cousin's thoughts about Mario. Coco, however, did not notice the leader of Gun Island's younger brother.
By the time the four reached Crash, Nathan and Aku-Aku, they were more than ready to go home.
"Hey, girls!" Nathan greeted with a smile on his face, "Good news: Pinstripe finally ageed."
"Agreed?" The females of the returned quartet asked each other.
Mario, however, knew what was going on.
"It's wonderful. How did you guys do it?"
"Actually," Crash grinned widely, "that's a question you should ask Tawna."
"Tawna?" The girls and Mario were nothing short of being shocked by the news.
"Yeah," the male human nodded, "she laid down that law right there and then. Outside of business and positive outcomes of 'playing nice,' he was about to lose a little more than his dignity if he didn't comply to the agreement."
The girls giggled, knowing fully what Pinstripe was going to lose, but they chose to be quiet about it.
Mario smiled as well as he said, "I know what's going on."
Darkly smiling, Luna managed to keep herself from exposing too much detail when she spoke.
"Now, I know who wears the pants in that relationship!"
"That's a good way of putting it when it comes to them." Nathan nervously respoded to the announcement.
"I don't get it." The Bandicoots spoke out their confusion.
"Don't worry about guys." Mario said, "I'll explain it later."
"Okay!" Crash agreed with the reply.
"That's a date!" Coco added, unknowing that she had just in installed a ping of concern into her older brother, something that the other five noticed.
"Poor guy." Luna smiled.
"Big time." Sash agreed with her cousin.
"Now the question is which one to worry about." Nathan was nervous about the situation.
The mask said nothing, knowing that Crash had to learn sooner or later that Coco was going to grow up.
"Let's get home, guys." Luna suggested after sensing the tension, "It's getting late."
"Yeah." The silver haired female nodded.
Then, Nathan opened a portal, which led to Wumpa Island, allowing everyone in the group to enter it. Aku-Aku had no need for the portal, since the Islands were under his protection. Coco and Mario entered first with their elbows locked, followed by Crash, who had every intention of seperating them when they got through, and Sash entered after. Only Luna and Nathan were left of the small group on Gun Island.
"You think things are going to be more interesting?" The werewolf asked Nathan, who replied with a question of his own.
"When are things normal around Wumpa Island?"
Luna laughed at the response and added, "That's a good point." She turned to the portal and was about to enter it, when she returned her attention to Nathan.
"Hey, are you worried about what we're going to do for the Winter Wumpa Games?"
Usually a response to a concerning question, the self-orphaned boy sighed out his answer to Luna, "I'll think of something."
"That's not surprising." The wolf-eared girl, "You've got up to two years to figure it out."
Then, she entered the portal, leaving Nathan with his thoughts.
"I hope Brio would be interested in looking on a machine that controls the weather or something like that."
With that said, Nathan entered the portal, which closed a second later. As he left, Nathan believed that the future of the Wumpa Games is in the hands of those who wish to know true sportsmanship.