Chapter 0: The Ones They've Loved, The Ones They've Lost

Part 1: Tawna

In her meager life at N Sane's Carnival, Nina Cortex's favorite moments were when she got to interact with the animals. A particular pair of bandicoots she liked the most. They were both very old for their kind; apparently they had been around even when her uncle was here. She called them Willy and Wendy. Wendy had a small and almost unnoticeable streak of blond atop her head, and Willy a streak of brown. Willy was Nina's favorite of the two because of his playful and interactive nature. He wasn't afraid of her, and would spin on his two hind legs whenever she fed him. It always made her smile. A blip of happiness in her meager life.

"Hey Willy! Feeding time. Here you go. Hmm… where's Wendy?" Willy, upon eating the few pellets Nina gave to him, picked up a few with his mouth but did not eat them. Wendy appeared from her enclosure laboriously and Willy ran to her and dropped the pellet he had is his mouth in front of her.

"Oh Wendy, I'm surprised you made it this long. I'll be really sad when you go. I know it'll break Willy's heart". Willy watched as his partner slowly ate her food. "For almost ten years you two have been together. And even as simple animals you two love each other." Soulmates…


HE woke up on a beach after drifting ashore. He shook some of the sand clinging to his wet fur, and then looked up to embrace the dawning sun rising above the ocean. For the first time in his life he was free… but for the first time in his short new life he didn't know what to do. To his left lay the reason why he abandoned his former purpose, the female he had never said a word to. Several questions burned within his mind: who was he, what was his purpose, and most importantly: what was he supposed to do now?

"Ugh… what," Subject C2 said as she overcame her grogginess. Last night she had been stunned by Dr. Cortex's firearm and was knocked unconscious. Her voice instantly grabbed C1's full attention, so he nervously approached and knelt beside her.

"C1," she then yelled angrily, "where are we!" C2 got up by herself and C1 retreated from her without responding. "Well? Are you going to answer me or not traitor?" C1 looked upward towards her face for only a moment to see her frustration mounting because his wasn't responding, and then shamefully looked at the sand underneath him for he couldn't bear to look at her any longer. "You abducted me last night, why? You disobeyed Cortex and rightfully incurred his wrath. You are his general, intended to lead his Commandos to victory. But you betrayed him, our master and creator! You are nothing but a deserter, and now I will suffer because of it."

C1 felt horrible for her words hurt deeply. All throughout the night C1 thought about his insubordination and felt so guilty about it. He had overheard his master giving the order to euthanize C2, and something just snapped inside of him. Something just would allow himself to stand by as C2 was ordered to be killed like the dozens of the other failed creations of Cortex's. Even though they had never spoken to each other, never been in the same room together, even though C1 knew almost nothing about her, with every ounce of his being C1 willfully betrayed his master in order to save C2's life. He couldn't understand it, but C2 was somehow just more important than his loyalty to Cortex; her life wasn't to be thrown away. Her safety and wellbeing meant everything for C1 now, inexplicably yet exponentially more so than his duty to serve Cortex. He couldn't explain, couldn't understand this feeling inside of him, it was just true.

"I read your file C1. I know what that collar on your neck is for. I know most of what there is to know about you, your strength, endurance, mental acuity; I know you've never disobeyed an order from Cortex ever until last night. So answer me right now. Why did you betray everything you stood for?"

C1 couldn't look at her, couldn't face her anger and hate of him. It was killing him inside; he felt so ashamed and horrible for what he'd done but knew he would do it again if given the opportunity. He just couldn't let their creator harm her, not matter what.

"Because I… be- because I… love you." Love… C1 had kept searching in his vocabulary for a word that would justify what he had done; his understanding of English given to him by his master. But when C1 found the word love, he then understood why he did what he did last night. Somehow, in the brief moments he had seen C2, he had come to love her.

"You what!?"

"I… won't let him hurt you."

C2 looked at C1, shocked at his explanation and unsure what to think of it. Cortex was operating on me last night. His diagnostics of my vitals had warned him of a potential health issue and operated on me to fix it. And after the surgery I awoke to C1 grabbing my arm, fleeing from Cortex for some reason. Cortex stunned me with his pistol last night probably because he thought I was trying to escape with C1!

"Our master was trying to save my life last night. Maybe you've forgotten this, but we owe our existence to the brilliance of that man. If anything it's him you should love. Take your misguided feelings and stay away from me. I can't even stand to look at you. Not anymore. I thought you were Cortex's best creation. I… I even looked up to you. How wrong was I? I'm returning to our master, and for whatever little respect I have left for you will not tell Cortex of your location. I just pray he'll forgive me, and take mercy on you."

And with that, C2 turned around and entered the woods, leaving C1 alone on the beach. He watched her leave frozen in place. His breathing became somewhat irregular and his eyes started watering slightly. C1 had only been alive for a couple of months, his sentience manufactured by the Cortex Vortex, and as such C1 had never felt anything like this… love and turmoil before. Tears continued to seep from his eyes no matter how many times he blinked. The sensation was dreadful, and he collapsed to his knees and continued to lament. "I'm sorry" he just barely whispered to himself as he continued tearing up. He had betrayed Cortex and brought C2 down with him. He was unworthy, and this awful feeling he was experience was only what he deserved.


C2 made her way through the woods, trying to figure out her orientation and determine if she was heading in the right direction. She knew there were only three islands which made up the archipelago of N Sanity Islands, and she obviously wasn't on the third island, or else she would have recognized the landscape and easily could have found Cortex's castle. So the question was which of the other two islands she was on. She began to smell burning wood, which most likely meant she was downwind from the Budakan village. They were a primitive people, and Cortex had been in communication with the Budakans because of their knowledge of the Power Gems. She would need transport to the third island, and these simple folks would provide her with it, given their alliance with Cortex. C2 approached the large wooden wall which encompassed the Native Fortress of the Budakans and was confronted by a young man who was missing his right arm.

˂Halt! You a creation of Cortex's, creature?˃ The young man was speaking Budakan, which C2 did not understand. But she did hear her master's name mentioned among the incomprehensible words.

"Yes." C2 said as she nodded her head up and down, hopefully answering what she thought was the young man's question.

˂Follow me, I'll take you to Chief Papu-Papu˃ the young man gestured with his hand for C2 to follow him, and she did so. They passed through the small entrance barely noticeable on the large wooden gate surrounding the Native Fortress. For a simple people, their architecture was quite impressive. Though they were nothing to Cortex and his brilliance, C2 could at least understand why her master cooperated with these tribesmen. After all, she was nothing before Cortex made her what she is today.

"My name Kawabata" ˂blond creature˃ the young man tried his best to say in English as he and she walked towards the chief's hut side by side.

"I am Subject C2." C2 replied out of courtesy. She wasn't interested in a trivial conversation with a local; she needed to get to Cortex as soon as possible to explain herself as not to incur his anger. But what did this teenager call me, Tawna?

"C…2" the young man pronounced slowly as both he and C2 walked through Budakan together. C2 noticed most of the tribespeople staring at her as she passed by. They were somewhat familiar with the mutated creatures which had previously visited their home but were still getting used to the idea of walking, talking rats, mice, and kangaroos. Cortex has been on the third island for almost a year now; you'd think the locals would get used to this by now. Why do they have to stare? Ah let them gawk, their nothing in the grand scheme of things. "Name's… odd..." ˂Although, it is similar to the names of most of the creatures Cortex has spawned. We are almost there.˃ "Wait here" ˂blond.˃

Kawabata held out his hand and C2 stopped walking. Budakan was defiantly an annoying, difficult, and heavily accented language, but C2 could still recognize the word the young Budakan kept referring to her by. It was starting to agitate her, since she wasn't sure if he was insulting her or not. Kawabata entered the hut in front of him, and C2 could hear English and Budakan being spoken from within the wood and straw thatched hut. She cautiously approached a small window to better hear what was being conversed from inside. She recognized the voice of Cortex's agent communicating with who she presumed was Papu-Papu: It was Subject R1. Two the chief's right was a young girl who was translating the conversation between R1 and Papu-Papu.

"My boss… understands your tribe's concern over his use of the Power Gems. You feel they are your property and only yours to use. However, Dr. Cortex proposes a… mutual alliance of sorts to benefit both his interests and your tribe. You provide insight on the inner workings of the, ehem, magic surrounding the Power Gems, and in return my boss will supply medicine, clean drinking water, in general improve the living conditions of the Budakan people. I understand one of your warriors tragically lost his arm recently. Well if you are impressed with how I, a rat can walk and talk, I'm sure you'll be astounded with the, umm… healing powers of my master."

It sounded like Pinstripe was trying to coddle Papu-Papu into working with Cortex. R1 had earned that nickname ever since he had taken a particular interest in the persona of a Chicago mobster and donned his pinstripe suit. It was ridiculous in C2's opinion, but R1 took the role seriously and Cortex allowed it to happen, so she never questioned him.

It seemed demining that Cortex needed the aid of the tribesman to unlock the full potential of the Power Gems located on these islands. But evidently my master was humble enough to accept the Budakan's knowledge the Power Gems if he didn't know the properties of the Gems himself. The young girl beside Papu-Papu translated what R1 had said to him, and Papu-Papu responded.

˂Kawabata's injuries were attended to by his father, our tribe's witch doctor. My tribe, me included, is worried about the intentions of your master…˃ "Cortex." ˂He arrives from out of nowhere and builds a fortress on the third island. And now he intends to coerce us into aiding him in his goals using our tribes sacred Power Gem yet does not inform us of his intentions. The might of the Power Gems is not to be underestimated, nor is your supposed benevolent master. As evident by the creature standing before me, Cortex is quite adapt in whatever magic is required in transforming mere animals to people, as well as a multitude of other magics used to build flying chariots and self-moving contraptions. I worry the safety of my people if your master also harnesses the power of the Gems.˃

"A… very wise assessment, Chief Papu-Papu. However you and your people have nothing to fear of my creator. Yes, the magic uses to create me and Cortex's other loyal subjects is yet only one aspect of his brilliance, yet with a full understanding of the Power Gems, my boss will be able to accomplish the impossible. He is quite an ambitious man, but he needs your help to accomplish his goals. And he plans to substantially compensate you and your village for its compliance. You say you're tribe's witch doctor: Aku-Aku if I remember correctly healed Kawabata. What if I told you Dr. Cortex could give him a new arm? And this is just the beginning of my master's generosity. Cortex would like to invite you formally to his fortress on the third island so that he may show you some of the ways he plans to strengthen Budakan for its cooperation."

˂I saw it's worth investigating, my Chief˃ Kawabata said as he knelt to show his respect.

˂You have impeccable timing young warrior Kawabata. I guess the only way to truly find out the intentions of our new neighbor is to greet him man to man. I assume you will bring me, my daughter Coco, Kawabata, Aku-Aku, and a few of my tribe's warriors, to the northern island via one of your master's flying chariots?˃

Coco translated the last sentence her father spoke, and R1 then replied. "Why of course. Feel free to bring as many escorts as you feel you need, but I assure you that you will be safe while within the protection of Dr. Cortex."

˂I assume you will also bring the blond creature C2 with us as well. I brought her here for I assumed she was another liaison of Cortex's˃

Coco translated what Kawabata had said, and it confused R1 for a moment. "Blond creature, what are you… C2. The defector! You let me deal with her." R1 walked past Kawabata and headed outside with everyone inside following him out, though Papu-Papu instructed his daughter to wait insider for he sensed something wrong with R1's demeanor. C2, who was positioned outside by the window backed away and stopped when R1 emerged from Papu-Papu's hut.

"Well look who it is? Subject C2, the fallen general's breeding partner."

"And if it isn't Pinstripe the kingpin. I see you're really adopting the mobster persona. Although I'm not sure the red matches your complection."

"Real funny" to which Pinstripe revealed the Tommy 20 strapped to his back. "Cortex wasn't very specific on why you and C1 defected, though he was pretty clear on what to do if either of you showed you faces."

"I am not a defector. C1 is delusional and dragged me with him when he fled Cortex."

"So the general really has gone Ripper Roo on us? I'm not surprised. I sure as hell wasn't going to take orders from him. As for you, Blondie, Cortex doesn't tolerate failure, nor does he have any use for you. Without C1, you're useless."

"I am just as capable as C1 and ever more loyal than he is! And I am not a reject like Subject K1! I demand to see Cortex right now and explain myself."

"Sorry toots, boss's orders. A real shame, too. You and I could have had real potential. Ah well, maybe in an alternate reality."

"R1 wait! Cortex was trying to save my life last night, and I'm sure he wouldn't order my execution less than 12 hours later."

"Yeah, well I guess you'll be disappointed to know that you are in fact a reject experiment. Whatever it is that is killing you Cortex couldn't fix, so he ordered you euthanized last night. That, I assume is why you fled with C1 yesterday. So let me put you out of your misery."

What Pinstripe said began to sink in. A reject, with death impending because my mutation was flawed. C2 couldn't respond. Her loyalty, her purpose, gone because she was to die. Cortex, he in his brilliance in creating me, was not perfect and couldn't fix the flaw in my design. It made C2 wonder, was her life worth it? Was just having Pinstripe end it the right thing? And then she thought of C1; he said he rescued me from Cortex because he wouldn't let him harm me. That he loved me.

"R1, you cannot just execute C2 here within our tribe. It is not your right to take her life." Aku-Aku said as he approached from behind C2. Several Budakans had also approached curious as to what was transpiring outside of their chief's hut.

"Stay out of this witch doctor. We deal with our own."

˂Father?˃ Kawabata asked confused as he watched Pinstripe point the strange object he had in his hands at C2. He heard his father say the word "kill," which if it meant what he thought it meant, knew C2 was in trouble.

Just then, C1 dropped down from the top of Papu-Papu's hut and slammed onto Pinstripe, bringing him down hard to the ground to the shock of everyone. C1 kicked Pinstripe's gun away from him and dogged Pinstripes outstretched arms. Reeling and angered, Pinstriped reached for his sidearm tucked near his waist as C1 grabbed C2's arm and they both began to run away. Pinstriped aimed and fired once at C1 before Aku-Aku grabbed his arm and disrupted his aim. The loud noise of Pinstripe's gun startled everyone in the crowed and they began to panic and disperse.

"Get off me!"

"You're weapon may injure others in the crowd with you weapon, and I will not allow you to harm anyone within our tribe."

Pinstripe for a moment was about to lose his cool, when he realized he may have just jeopardized his mission of gaining the locals trust for Cortex. He calmed down and tried to explain himself. "Very well, but you must understand how dangerous C1 and C2 are." Pinstripe turned around and addressed Papu-Papu. ˂Forgive me Chief Papu-Papu,˃ "It was never my intention to harm any of your people, but instead to protect them from danger." Coco had emerged from Papu-Papu's hut because of all the commotion, but Aku-Aku father translated what Pinstripe was saying for her to her father.

˂The blond creature and the other, similar one did not seem dangerous, and I presume the male only attacked you because you were about to kill C2˃

"You have to understand… umm… C1 and C2, like me, are creations of Cortex's. You could say we are… his warriors. Yes! And they those two turned against Cortex and pose a threat against Budakan since they are hiding on your island. I probably shouldn't have tried to end C2 here so publicly, though I warn you that she and C1 are dangerous."

Aku-Aku translated for Pinstripe, though he had his doubts on what R1 was saying.

˂You earlier mentioned how gracious your master was, though this is how he deals with insubordination.˃

Aku-Aku again translated for Papu-Papu, emphasizing the obvious contradiction in Pinstripe's earlier description of his master.

"Well… C1 and C2 pose a grave danger to your safety. Dealing with them is the only way to ensure you or any other Budakan are not harmed by them."

˂Now that they have fled, and C1 appears to be wounded, I doubt they pose much threat to all of Budakan. I will honor your arrangement to meet Cortex. However I will come to him with certain… demands. One such demand is to not have warriors armed with such destructive weaponry enter my tribe again. All you mutated creatures seem dangerous on their own, as demonstrated today.˃

"Understood. You may bring your concerns to my boss, and I'm sure you two can come to an agreement."

˂As for C1 and C2, my tribesmen will deal with them since they intrude on our island. Hopefully Cortex can respect our tribes solidarity and wishes if he is as gracious as you say.˃

C1 and C2 continued to flee through the woods before they made it back to the beachfront and stopped to catch their breaths. C1 collapsed to the ground in agony as he presses his hand against his flank and covered the bullet hole which was bleeding steadily. C2 turned to C1 angrily once she caught her breath and began to yell at him.

"C1 this is all you damn fault! If it wasn't for you, Cortex and his henchmen wouldn't be trying to kill me!"

C1 looked at her grimacing in terrible pain as he leaned against a palm tree and didn't say anything either with his mouth or his SAD. Seeing him struggle to survive reminded C2 of her own mortality, and that what she had just said was not true. Before she went under for surgery, she was aware what Cortex was attempting to remedy was very serious. How much longer did she have left: a few months, weeks? How could she serve Cortex if she couldn't live long enough to see his plans come to fruition?

But then another thought then came to C2 as she leaned against another palm tree and looked at C1 breath heavily. Did C1 know of my condition? He said that he wouldn't let Cortex harm me, and that was why he stopped Cortex from euthanizing me. But he must understand that being put under was a blessing considering what my current fate is. C2 was determined to find out.

"C1," she said much more calmly than before, "why did you rescue me last night? Tell me the real reason. You must know why Cortex was operating on me?"

C1 looked at her, wincing in pain and contemplated a response. The truth was rescuing C2 was an impulse, something he did without thinking. When he heard Cortex gives the order to end C2, he couldn't imagine a life without her. It's why he followed her into Budakan after she stormed away furious at him. He just wanted to be with her. To finally know her.

"I don't have a reason. I just did. Because I love you, and I'm not sure what that even means" C1 said with his SAD.

He said he loved me again. C2 looked at C1, this time not angrily but sympathetically. She didn't know why she wasn't mad at him anymore, probably because she lost her purpose today and needed to find a new one for as little time as she had left.

"Here, let me take a look." C2 bent down and inspected C1's injury. "Seems to be merely a flesh wound. You'll live."

C1 looked at C2 and smiled for a few before he grimaced again because he agitated his puncture wound by moving too much.


The days passed by. C1 recovered from his gunshot wound almost completely, and he and C2 were able to avoid being spotted by the Budakans. C1 never spoke with his SAD or his mouth, which at first disturbed C2. Sometimes he would just look at her while they were resting, innocently with his green eyes, and C2 would always turn away or tell him to stop staring at her. C1 would then look away embarrassed. C2 had forgiven C1 for breaking her out of Cortex's castle, for in the long run it didn't mean much. Her fate was already sealed, she felt her body decaying slowly over in the days she had been free. She would grow fatigued faster when walking; sleep longer, loose her aplite frequently. As the symptoms slowly but surely started to show of her impending death, she also began to open up to C1. He was the only other creature on Earth who was there to care for her… Because he loved her and neither of them knew why.

C1 started a fire and began using a rock to open a coconut. C2 laid a few feet from him as she looked nowhere in particular, lost in thought. Finally, she broke the silence and for the first time, she and C1 conversed.

"You're voice, C1. It's a defect in your creation, right?" C1 immediately stopped what he was doing and looked at C2, her talking to him a complete taboo. For almost a week C2 had only ever spoken to him either to instruct him to do something or to tell him to stop looking at her. C1 understood her anger at him, he deserved it. But C1 was also sure that C2 would eventually leave him and attempt to survive on her own on the island. But she never did, and it was all C1 could ask of her. All C1 wanted was to be near her, but now she was talking to him, and C1 wasn't sure how to feel about it. So he shook his head up and down to answer her question, preferring not to use his SAD. The monotone, lifeless voice was not something he wanted attached to himself.

Defects… C1's was only his voice; mine was going to cost me my life. Lucky little bandicoot. But as she thought about it, C2 didn't stay mad at C1. Cortex was going to end her life almost seven days ago. And even though her days were numbered, she was beginning to enjoy them more and more. All of her previous life, it was taking orders and devotion to her master's cause. But in the days she had her own free will; they were beginning to become the happiest of her life. Absolute devotion was what C2 thought she wanted with life, but in the few days she had newfound purpose, living for herself was all she wanted now. She realized this tonight on the beach with C1: whom she had to thank for this realization.

"So, can you speak without your SAD?"

C1 again nodded his head up and down to answer C2's question.

"Can I hear it? I'd… like to hear it once instead of the sad voice of your SAD."

C1 chuckled momentarily at C2's joke, the laughter sparking a joy within himself he had never felt before. The sensation was a little overwhelming. Being on his own, free of Cortex's influence had begun unearthing several emotions that never before in his short life felt before. It was one of the reasons C1 was beginning to think abandoning his former purpose was not such a bad thing after all. C2 was the other. What should he say? He decided on something generic.

"H- ell o… C- 2." It scratched his throat and caused him to cough. C1's cheeks blushed in embarrassment as he looked at C2 trying to gauge her response.

"Wow. That was pretty bad. You'll have to practice speaking more. And… don't call me C2 anymore." The name was a remainder of her former life. It was no longer what defined her. "You know… I've never thanked you for freeing me…" She couldn't call him C1. His label by Cortex was not what his name should be. C2 thought about when C1 dragged her through Cortex's laboratory, and how he crashed through a nine story window and swam with her unconscious to this island, and how he crashed on top of Pinstripe to save her life again. "… Crash."

Crash looked at C2, wondering why she just called him Crash. "She just gave him a new name," he thought.

"Someday, I want you to come up with a name for me as well, okay Crash. But before you do, I want to tell you something… I love you too, okay. And I know why, I've just been blind to it until tonight." C2 reached her hand out and placed it underneath Crash's chin. The contact was electrifying, yet Crash was unsure of what to do next. "I'm sorry for yelling at you and being mad at you for so long. The truth is you rescuing me was the best thing anyone could have ever done for me. You're my hero; I want you to know that. Thank you."

They looked at each other, not breaking eye contact for the first time. Then C2 closed her eyes, leaned forward, and kissed Crash. It was gentle at first, Crash not expecting the gesture. He was blushing, he was nervous, and he was unsure of what to do yet again. Crash felt his body react to the contact; this was what he yearned for all along. He loved her, so he kissed back, their tongues contacting. They both breathed inward, their hearts now racing. Alone on the beach, the lust for each other which they never knew they had for each other until now turned into an intimate moment which cemented their love for one another for the very short amount of time they had left together.

Her hair began to thin and slowly fall out, her bones began to brittle, she lost the strength to walk, she lost almost all her muscle mass and thinned incredibly, and soon C2 was beginning to lose the will to live. She was confined to a makeshift bed which Crash had built for her as death slowly claimed her life.

Her death was tearing Crash apart. It left him in agony for there was nothing he could do for her. He brought her food and water and prayed for a miracle. But death would soon take the most important thing away from him. C2 contemplated just telling Crash that this was unavoidable, that she knew that this would happen to her. But something stopped her. Crash had saved her life because he thought Cortex was going to take my life. The truth was she would die inevitably, but in Crash's false sense of selfless duty to someone he barely knew, he had inadvertently gave me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for. Freedom and love. She loved him with all her heart, and she didn't have the heart to tell him that his heroic sacrifice was for nothing. Because that wasn't true, and she didn't want Crash thinking that it wasn't. Her death would pain him, but maybe in his lifetime he could move on. Freedom was what this lie gave him as well, it should remain that way. So she begrudgingly held the truth from him, and instead in her final moments told him a different truth.

"Crash" C2 said as she lay in her bed. She could barely get the words out of her mouth. But found the strength to deliver this final message to her love. "These few weeks have been perfect, Crash. Thank you for freeing me… for showing me what love is. For loving me..."

Crash held C2's hand as the sky slowly darkened. It was going to rain soon.

"I love you, Crash." C2's eyes closed and her head tilted to the side.

"I love you, too." Crash whispered to her after she passed.


"Crash, how long did you live on this beach before I spotted you that rainy night?"

Crash wasn't sure where this conversation was heading, it made him nervous.

"Four weeks." Crash responded to Coco's question using his SAD.

"When we first meet, I asked you if you there was someone who you needed to return to when you wanted to bolt from my home. Why did you lie to me?"

Crash tensed up. Coco walked over a good distance and stood next to a rock formation that outlined a rectangle pattern on the ground. Crash joined her side a moment later and knelt on the ground.

"Who was she?"

Crash did not respond to the question. When Coco knelt next to Crash and put her hand on his shoulder, she could see that tears were beginning to stream from his eyes. She hugged Crash as he broke down.

Coco now remembered that day when Crash and the other mutant fled from Budakan. He was shot by that rat creature in the pinstripe suit as they were fleeing. He and the blond creature. Apparently they were soulmates.

"She was blond, right Crash?"

Crash looked up at Coco and a thought came to his mind. He never did come up with a name for C2. She had asked him to do so, gave him that responsibility and he never fulfilled it. His blond love.

"My" ˂Tawna.˃