Chapter 8 - Closing wounds (part 2)
It was already the sixth day since Ami and the others were guests at the house of Crash Bandicoot and his family. It was 2:00p.m. and everyone was ready for lunch, except for a certain inventive bandicoot.
Coco, who was awake since 6:00a.m., was doing one of her assigned works with the Project C. The UN had given her blood samples from cancer patients, and the little bandicoot was trying to calibrate the laser so it could cure the disease. However, she had tried several times for days without success.
In the middle of the investigation, Megumi entered the garage with a bag.
"Hi, Coco!" the blue-haired bandicoot greeted her. "Here I bring the motorsports suits as you requested."
"Great! Thanks, Megumi" Coco said cheerfully and pointed to a desk. "Leave them there, please."
"Very well" the scientific bandicoot obeyed and placed the suits on said furniture. "How is your research going?"
"Stagnant..." Coco had a disappointed tone in her voice. "With each test I do, the disease seems to resist the effects of the laser, or the blood simply evaporates."
"Don't be disappointed. Be patient" Megumi said. "Many scientists have taken years to find cures for other diseases. It's just a matter of time."
"I know... but imagine how many lives would be saved if I found it right now. It would revolutionize the field of science and medicine altogether."
Megumi smiled at the perseverance of her little friend. However, she knew that overexertion was never good, so she decided to convince Coco to rest. "Come on. You have been working for eight hours and we have prepared lunch. We're all waiting for you."
Seeing the concern in her friend's eyes, Coco decided to leave the investigation for today. "You're right" she said. "In addition, today we were going to take you girls to know the city. Let's have lunch so we can go, do you think?"
"Okay" Megumi smiled. "But there is something that intrigues me: Why do you want the suits?"
"Ami showed them to me yesterday, and I got struck by how good they were. Sewing, strength, flexibility… among other things."
"You won't break them, right?" Megumi said a little insecure.
"NO! Of course not!" Coco reassured her friend. "What I am going to do is nothing harmful. Trust me."
The scientific bandicoot thought about it for a few seconds, but then smiled. Coco was a reliable inventor, so she didn't doubt her word.
"I believe you" Megumi hugged her friend. "Let's go for lunch. Isabella has prepared macaroni with tuna and boiled eggs."
"Sounds delicious" Coco said as she left the garage with her blue-haired friend. "Oh, by the way, I have a surprise prepared for Crash in the city.
"What is it about?" Megumi asked.
"You'll know."
After a satisfying lunch, the Bandicoot siblings were taking their guests to Wumpa City. They wanted to know more about that district, besides the siblings needed to buy more victuals, so everyone agreed without problems.
The girls and the pets traveled on their respective karts, but Crash and Coco decided to use the Crikey and the Bandibuggy respectively. If they were going to carry the victuals and other little whims they wanted, they needed bigger karts to carry more purchases.
After 3:00p.m. and driving almost half an hour through the jungle, the group finally arrived to Wumpa City. Its size was 80km2 and it was located in the center of the island. Due to the great interest of millionaire families and large companies on the wealth that housed the place, the city was built in less than five years.
The group parked the karts in a parking lot, located on the city center. As they went down, they looked around. The city had buildings, yes, but not everything was pure and hard cement. There were also large green areas with grass and vegetation. The main reason was because several environmental organizations interposed red lines regarding the expansion of the urban area and preserving the island's environment.
The city also had a peculiarity: humans and anthropomorphic animals lived in community. From humans to felines, chimpanzees, birds, rodents... among others.
"All right, girls" Aku Aku said. "At 6:00p.m. we must go shopping for victuals. Meanwhile, during these three hours, let's explore the city and get to know places. What do you think?"
"Sounds good to me" Isabella said. "But where should we go first?"
"I have an idea" said Coco, who smiled in complicity with Megumi. "There is something I want to show Crash, but it's a surprise."
"A Wumpa fruit buffet?" Crash asked with a sparkle in his eyes.
"No" Coco chuckled at such a question. "It has nothing to do with food."
"Oh..." Crash got disappointed. "But what is it?"
"You'll know, Crash" Megumi said with a smile. "In fact, she didn't want to tell me either."
"Interesting..." Isabella said a little intrigued. "Okay, Coco. Guide us."
"It will be a pleasure" the little bandicoot replied as everyone followed her.
As they walked through the city, the family and their friends were the object of curious looks. Everyone knew perfectly who Crash Bandicoot and his family were, as well as the Nitro Squad, but that didn't stop them from following their path.
After turning in a corner, everyone saw what looked like a kind of entrance to a museum, but said something above the entrance: CRASH BANDICOOT MUSEUM.
"TA-DAH!" Coco sang happily. "What do you think?"
"Coco..." Crash was a little confused. "What is this?"
"Come in and see" she said with a smile.
After everyone entered the site, they were surprised by what they saw: photos, objects, memories and many other things from all the adventures that the bandicoot hero had had since he was created: The Lost City of the Middle Island, the forest of bees, ancient China, Arabia and Egypt... all about Crash Bandicoot and much of his life were here.
"Well, NOW what do you think?" Coco asked with a slight smile. "I was going to put some crystals and gems between the objects, but then I thought that Cortex or some thief would try to steal them, so..."
Coco was interrupted, because Crash hugged her with love. This gesture had greatly moved him. "Thank you, sis" he said happily.
"You're welcome, big brother" Coco hugged back Crash.
"How cute" Liz said sincerely. "What if you give us a tour yourself, Coco?"
"Yeah!" Ami agreed. "I want to know how you and your big bro kicked the asses of Cortex and his henchmen."
"Oh! Okay. Follow me" Coco said.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Nitro Squad circuit, Pinstripe was making a phone call. "Yeah, that's right. I want the news to be national in scope" he said. "All right, I'll be waitin' for you. Addio."
After Pinstripe hung up, he smiled with some malice. Although he had hired the news to attract more people for interviews, his main objective was another: He wanted everyone to know that Crash's ex-girlfriend, Tawna, was now dating him.
His hatred to the orange bandicoot was deep, so he wasn't going to waste any opportunity to humiliate him, especially if it's about doing it publicly. In addition, the more miserable Pinstripe makes Crash feel, the easier the plan of Dr. Neo Cortex will be executed when the new Evolvo-Ray is finished.
The potoroo was taken out from his thoughts when he heard Tawna leaving the compound. The face of the blonde bandicoot showed that she didn't agree on the news.
"I can't believe you convinced me to do this..." Tawna said a little annoyed. "Let's just do it fast, alright?"
"Easy, honey" Pinstripe said with a relaxed attitude. "There are still four hours left for the news interview. Meanwhile, why don't you go eat somethin'? I'll take care of the rest."
"Fine..." Tawna said. "Just don't do something again without consulting me, or you and I'll have a trust problem, sir."
While watching the blonde bandicoot re-entering to the building, Pinstripe sighed with slight discomfort. "She has been very cold with me lately" he thought. "As things get ugly between us, Dr. Cortex and Uka Uka are goin' to kill me..."
After exploring the museum, Crash and the others were chatting through the streets in direction to the town square, where most of the shops and stores were.
"It's incredible this madman still wants to conquer the world when his plans have already been thwarted several times" Isabella was referring to Cortex. "Can't he find a hobby or something?"
"He's someone with perverse ambitions" Megumi said. "I tried to convince him and Dr. N. Gin to give up those absurd intentions, but I only earned derogatory comments about bandicoots..."
"They are a lost case, girls" Coco said. "That is why we'll always be attentive to protect the world from their evil plans. Right, Crash?"
"You betcha" the bandicoot hero smiled and gave her a thumb up.
Crash and the others passed close to a group of teenagers from a school, who had just finished studying. They already knew the hero and his family, but were surprised to see the four girls.
"Hey! It's them!" said a young fox from to the group.
Crash and the others stopped and looked perplexed at the boy.
"It is true! It's the Nitro Squad!" a human girl with red hair said happily.
Many of the teenagers approached the group to ask for autographs. They were excited to meet some unusual celebrities.
"I feel a little overwhelmed" Megumi said with a slight blush at so much attention.
"Come on, girls" said Liz, who proudly signed a few autographs. "We are popular, and you have to enjoy that."
"Typical of you..." said Isabella, who was signing the autograph of a male weasel, who seemed to be a great fan of her. "Here you go, and study hard."
Isabella sent him an air kiss with her hand, which made the young weasel faint with an expression in love. Crash and his family smiled at the cute scene. They could tell that Ami and the others took their fans into consideration, but the beautiful anecdote unfortunately didn't last long.
"Oh, yeah! You… traitors!" said a blonde female rabbit a few inches from the group. She had an expression of arrogance and a few companions beside her with annoyed faces.
Ami and the girls were surprised at the declaration of the rabbit.
"How beautiful is friendship, isn't it?" she continued. "But what do you know? People who abandon one of their friends to her own fate"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Ami asked very annoyed with the attitude of the girl.
"Penny, stop!" the fox of the group said. "You know very well it's not their fault. Nobody wants people with bad reputation telling them what to do."
"Mind your own business, Dutch!" said a brunette human guy, friend of the female rabbit.
"Bite me, you idiot!" A raccoon girl came out in defense of the fox.
Soon, the students began to argue with each other. The Bandicoot family and the girls couldn't understand what they were saying, since they all were speaking at the same time.
However, Coco and the others, except Crash, knew why they were arguing. Apparently, the news that they left the Nitro Squad because of Pinstripe had spread throughout the city.
"Girls, what are these students talking about?" Crash asked.
"Ehh... nothing important, big brother" Coco said with slight nervousness. "Let's go before we get into trouble."
With slight doubt, Crash listened to his sister and they all left the place.
After walking for a few minutes, Crash and the others arrived at the square. There were shops everywhere: clothes, jewelry, restaurants, bars, supermarkets and even discos.
Isabella and Liz had little girl expressions on their faces. It seemed like paradise to anyone who wanted to spend money. Coco and Ami couldn't help laughing and turning their eyes at the expressions of those two. Megumi, on the other hand, noticed that Crash had an awkward expression on his face.
"This will be boring..." he said as he remembered how many times he had accompanied Tawna for shopping, and he remained insufferable hours waiting for her.
Understanding what he meant, the blue-haired bandicoot had an idea. "Girls, you can go without me. I'll stay with Crash" she said.
"Are you sure?" Liz asked. "You won't be able to make purchases."
"Liz… leave her" Isabella laughed. "If she wants to hang out with Crash, it's her decision. Also, didn't you hear him? He could get bored without anyone to accompany him."
"That and not to mention that you two are slow buying clothes" Ami said to her two friends.
"Oi!" Liz complained about that comment. "As women, we need to look beautiful. It's not my fault that you are so masculine."
"Ha! I can be feminine if I want to" Ami scoffed. "It is obvious that you don't know me well."
"Easy, girls... Don't fight" Coco stepped between her two friends with a nervous smile. "We just go shopping and meet with Crash and Megumi at 6 o'clock. Alright?"
Everyone nodded to the proposal of the small bandicoot, so Aku Aku decided to ask the scientific bandicoot for something. "Megumi, you go to the park with Crash and take Polar, Pura and Baby T. We will come for you at 6:00p.m. to buy victuals all together."
"Okay" she nodded. "No problem."
Needless to say, Aku Aku, Coco and the other three girls said goodbye to Crash and Megumi to head to the stores.
"Thanks, Megumi. You do me and them a great favor" Crash smiled and pointed at the three pets. "I don't mind coming to buy what's necessary, but when it comes to clothes and stuff... it's insufferable."
"You're welcome, Crash." she smiled back. "Let's go to the park."
Both bandicoots took the three pets to Wumpa City's main park. It had a wide expanse of grass, a small lake that connected in the distance with the sea and a few Wumpa fruit trees. It was designed specifically for pets and their owners.
Crash and Megumi sat at the foot of one of the trees while watching Polar and the others running and playing with each other.
"Your pets are lovely, Crash" Megumi said. "I see that you and Coco have educated them well."
"Thank you" Crash smiled. "Although, they had been that way since we met them."
"I see, but the most remarkable thing is that they are different from other pets. They know how to drive, they can reason like humans or anthropomorphic animals... Don't you think it's curious?"
"Uhh..." Crash was nervous about the question. So far, He hadn't noticed that important detail about the three pets. Not wanting to look like a complete idiot with her, he decided to lie, but his effort to sound convincing was dismal. "Of course I knew it! Heh, heh... Do you really t-think I wouldn't notice it with m-my dearests Polar and B-baby T? Heh, heh..."
"You didn't notice it until now... do you?" Megumi smiled sympathetically.
"No..." he admitted and sighed with disappointment when he saw that she hadn't believed him. "You must believe that I'm an idiot..."
"Crash, don't feel bad" she said as she patted him on the back affectionately. "Nobody is perfect."
"It's easy for you to say" he argued. "You are perfect in every way..."
"Umm... thanks" Megumi blushed at such praise. "But no. The truth is... I am very naive at times."
"Really? About what?" Crash asked curiously.
"I..." Megumi blushed again, but this time, in shame. "I thought James Bond was an actor instead of a character."
"WHAT?!" Crash shouted surprised, until after a few seconds he burst out laughing.
"Hey, it's no big deal!" Megumi pretended an annoyed look, whose falsehood was very obvious.
Crash didn't stop laughing for a good moment, almost unable to breathe, but then he calmed down and wiped away a couple of tears from the loud laughter. "I-I'm sorry… heh… heh, heh" he said with still some saved laughter. "It's just I didn't expect it."
"Well" Megumi sighed with a smile. "Now you see why I'm telling you to not feel bad?"
"Yeah..." suddenly, Crash's mood dropped a little. "But even so, Tawna didn't think the same..."
Noting that his friend was getting sad, Megumi put a hand on his shoulder in support. "You'll find someone, Crash. You are a funny, humble, heroic and brave guy. What girl wouldn't want to date you?" she blushed with that last question.
"Do you think so?" Crash asked.
"Yes, and I'm serious" Megumi gave him a reassuring smile. "Just don't let all this affect you. Be more positive."
"You're right" Crash adopted an optimistic attitude and stood up pointing at the sky. "From now on, I will think positive!"
As if fate wanted to make fun of him – or to encourage him – a Wumpa fruit fell from the tree and bounced on Crash's head, then being trapped by Megumi.
"OUCH!" Crash growled in pain and got a little annoyed. "What did I do to you, destiny?!"
Megumi couldn't help laughing, which caught Crash's attention. He had already calmed down, but decided to pretend to still feel angry. "Making a fun of me, huh?" he said in a threatening tone, which intimidated his friend a little, but then the bandicoot hero adopted a malicious smile. "Give me that Wumpa fruit if you don't want me to take revenge on you."
Understanding that it was an innocent game, Megumi decided to follow him and gave him an arrogant smile. "I'm sorry, Crashy. I caught her, so it's mine."
"But I touched it first, so it's mine. Give it to me… NOW" Crash said with his false menacing tone.
"You'll have to catch me first!" Megumi said while running out laughing.
"Hey, come back here!" the bandicoot hero came out behind her with a smile.
Crash was chasing her friend between the surroundings of the tree. Both couldn't help laughing at the good time they were having, so they enjoyed it to the fullest.
After almost a minute chasing her, Crash finally managed to reach her. "Got you!" he said as he grabbed Megumi from behind, causing her to laze on the grass. "Give me my fruit, you thief!"
"No! Mine!" she joked in a tone of little girl.
Amid the playfulness and laughter, Megumi ended up releasing the fruit and placed her face up, having Crash on top of her and grabbing her arms, which were expanded. Both continued to laugh a little while staring at each other until the manifestation of joy calmed down and turned into simple smiles.
As they looked at each other, Crash could tell in detail that she was really beautiful. Her hair blue like the sky, her cute and smiling face, her purple eyes that reminded him a lot to a power crystal... In other words, she was a beauty; not only inside, but outside.
At the same time, Megumi also got lost in her friend's face. His funny and caricatured personality had captivated her greatly, but his emerald eyes and his tender face was something that turned the scientist's heart completely crazy.
Both blushed at those thoughts, but despite their internal desires, they maintained composure in their minds.
"I… I'm sorry" Crash said as he pulled away from his friend and sat beside her.
"It doesn't matter..." said Megumi, who also took a sitting position. "It was fun."
Crash laughed shyly, but then remembered something. "Wait a minute. Where is the Wumpa fruit?"
Both bandicoots looked around until they saw the three pets behind them a few meters away. Pura had the Wumpa fruit under his right leg and was giving the pair of friends a playful look, just like Polar and Baby T.
Crash and Megumi understood the intention in the eyes of the three little animals, so they didn't hesitate to follow the game.
"So this is how things are gonna be, huh guys?" Crash smiled. "Megumi, who retrieves the fruit, keeps it. What do you think?"
"Okay" she said before running away. "Think fast!"
"Hey!" Crash said while going behind her.
Pura took the Wumpa fruit from the stem and ran along with Polar and Baby T, being chased by the two bandicoots.
It was already 6:00p.m., and Coco along with the girls and Aku Aku were heading to the park to meet with Crash and Megumi.
"I see you didn't waste time" Aku Aku laughed when he saw the shopping bags of Coco, Isabella and Liz.
"In a new place, you always have to take advantage" Isabella winked at him. "But not everything was shopping. We have seen sideways some leisure sites that seem to be popular."
"The one that catches my attention is that Electro Science disco" Liz said. "We may come one night to take a look."
"Don't forget about the fair that will be here in two days" Coco said. "Roller coasters, mini-games, cotton candy... You can't miss it."
"If we all go together, I have no problem" Isabella said.
"Look. There are the lovebirds" Ami joked while pointing at two bandicoots sitting next to a tree with Polar and the other pets. Everyone was resting.
"Crash and Megumi, sitting in a tree, kissing" Coco sang jokingly.
"Be careful, they will listen to you" Aku Aku laughed a little before calling the pair of bandicoots. "Hey, guys!"
Crash, Megumi and the others rose from the tree to meet Aku Aku and the girls.
"Tell me, how have you been during these hours alone?" Ami smiled at them.
"It was great. I can't complain" Crash said. "Megumi is someone with whom you can have a good time."
"Oh, stop..." the blue-haired bandicoot smiled with a slight blush.
"Well, guys. It's time" Coco said. "We are going to buy the victuals. Okay, big brother?"
"Alright, sis!" Crash said.
After buying the victuals, it was time to go home. The six bandicoots, the floating mask and the three pets were walking through a second park, where there were roads and benches, and it wasn't far from the parking lot where they left their karts. Crash and Megumi were walking together and chatting behind the group.
"Well, this visit to the city has been fine" Crash said.
"It's very pretty" Megumi referred to the city. "I see why you left N. Sanity Island to come here."
"Well... that and we had problems with Papu Papu" Crash said with some sorrow. "You know that potbellied boss is very territorial, and we didn't want any more conflicts with him."
"I understand you" the blue-haired bandicoot laid his hand amiably on the hero's back. "Sometimes, we have to undergo changes in our lives. I miss Japan sometimes, but I'm happy in Australia."
Crash smiled after seeing that she had some empathy with him. Moving wasn't always easy, and they both understood it very well.
As they walked through the park for returning to their karts, they spotted a couple of peculiar characters having ice cream on one of the benches, a few meters from a news van. They were two anthropomorphic chickens, each with the top of a blue tuxedo. One was called Chick Gizzard Lips, who had a brown crest, and the other was called Stew, with a tall and dark blue hairstyle.
The girls recognized them immediately, so they went to greet them along with Crash and the others.
"Well, well, well..." Isabella said with a smile, catching the attention of the two chickens. "But here we have my two favorite reporters."
"Isabella! Nice to see you!" Stew said as he gave a little hug to the blonde bandicoot.
"Hi! How have you been, girls?" Chick greeted them.
"Very well, Chick" Liz said. "We're spending our vacation with our friends: Crash Bandicoot and his family."
"Ohh! Crash Bandicoot in person?!" Stew said as he made his way among the others and took out a piece of paper with a pen. "Could you give me your autograph, please?"
"Sure! Why not?" Crash said as he signed the paper. "Here you have."
"Thank you very much, boy!"
"Stew... be a little more professional. Sometimes you look like a child" Chick said slightly awkwardly.
"Oh, come on Chick" Stew said without losing his moods. "Not every day you see one of your favorite heroes so casually. Don't be so uptight."
"Well... star duo" Ami interrupted them. "What brings you two to the island?"
"We've been hired to make a new about interviews" said Chick, who adopted a compassionate attitude. "We also know what happened ... I'm sorry, girls."
"Huh?" Crash was confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, no..." Isabella quickly intervened to prevent the chickens from mentioning Tawna and the issue of Nitro Squad. "Nothing... Crash... heh, heh... A small minor incident."
"Isabella, what are you...?" before Chick continued, he and Stew spotted Liz signaling them to stop talking, which they understood.
"Well... I'm glad to see you guys" Ami said a little nervous as she pushed Crash forward to continue on their way. "But we have to go. We'll talk later!"
"Hey, don't push me!" Crash complained while his friend removed him from the place.
The others sighed in relief when both bandicoots moved away some distance, but the chickens had blank expressions.
"I'm sorry, guys..." Liz apologized. "We haven't told Crash what happened."
"Really? But, why?" Stew asked.
"We don't want to give many details" Isabella said. "But things that greatly affected Crash happened, and talking about this would only make things worse for him."
"Does that have something to do with Pinstripe Potoroo?" Chick asked. "We know that he now leads the team in a certain way."
"More or less..." Megumi said with some discomfort.
"Hey! Chick, Stew!" someone said at a distance. It was a human with production equipment clothes that had come out of the news van. "In thirty minutes we must be there! Get ready!"
"Don't worry! We are going right now!" Chick said. "Sorry girls. We have to go. Ready, Stew?"
"You roared, Chick!" Stew answered with enthusiasm while he went to the van with his companion. "Bye!"
"Good luck!" said Coco, who then lowered her tone with a confused expression. "Whatever it is…"
With nothing more to add, Aku Aku and the girls went to catch Crash and Ami to return to their karts.
After a quiet twenty-minute journey through the jungle, the sun was setting over the horizon. The Bandicoot family and the former Nitro Squad parked the karts near the house and carried the shopping bags inside.
After unpacking everything and putting it in its place, the girls started talking to each other, while Crash turned on the television to relax a little. He was still confused by all the strange things that happened today regarding his friends, but he decided to ignore that for now.
"Let's see. What's on TV?" the bandicoot hero said while changing channels with the remote control. "No... no... already saw it... boring... no... no..."
"Come on... just decide something" Coco said as she rolled her gaze impatiently.
After changing a few channels, two known chickens appeared on the screen.
"Good afternoon everybody! I'm Chick Gizzard Lips and this is my co-host Stew!" the crested chicken spoke. "We are here gathered outside the Nitro Squad circuit in Wumpa Island, to interview the promoters of some inscriptions!"
"What the…?!" said Ami, who got surprised along with the others at what she was hearing.
"That's right, Chick!" Stew said. "Apparently, the famous Nitro Squad has suffered huge losses for a while now! All its members, except its leader Tawna, have resigned from the team long after a internal financial crisis was discovered!"
"What?!" Crash asked quite surprised. "Girls, did you leave the squad?"
"Crash... you'll see..." Isabella tried to explain the situation, but she was interrupted by the chickens on television.
"At the moment, interviews are being conducted to find new members!" Chick said. "And here we have the managers!"
The television camera soon focused on Tawna, who seemed quite uncomfortable, and Pinstripe, who had a serene and proud attitude.
Crash felt the sadness of a few days ago slowly returning inside him. Although the time with the girls had been comforting, getting Tawna out of his heart is something he has not yet suceeded.
"Turn off the TV!" Coco ordered immediately. "Where the hell is the control?!"
The girls and Coco started looking for the television remote control around the armchairs, but it turns out that Crash had it in his hand.
"Crash, give us the control" Liz said in a stern tone. "I won't repeat it twice."
"No, I want to know what happens!" the orange bandicoot said without looking away from the TV.
Liz tried to take the control from Crash, but she and the others got distracted when the television chickens continued talking.
"Then tell us, Mr. Pinstripelli Potorotti" Chick said. "You were aware that the Nitro Squad was at its worst. In fact, we know that miss Tawna is the only one left on the team. What motivated you to give her a hand?"
"Please, my dear Chick. Call me Pinstripe" the potoroo spoke elegantly. "About your question, Tawna's an unique woman. I couldn't let her face these challenges alone. As a gentleman I am, it was my duty to help her. Isn't that right, dear?"
"Yeah... I guess" Tawna said without much encouragement.
"Bastard..." Ami whispered in an annoyed tone. She knew how hypocritical the potoroo could be.
"Hold on... Dear?" Stew asked. "Are you two dating? Wasn't miss Tawna dating Earth's hero, Crash Bandicoot?"
"Well... I..." Tawna didn't know how to respond, but before she could bring a good answer, she was interrupted by Pinstripe.
"You see, Stew. Things change" the potoroo said. "Crash may have saved the world on multiple occasions, but he doesn't have what it takes to support a woman. My girl deserves to aspire to something else, don't you think? Someone of financial success who can give her everything she needs. Someone who's not a drag for her. Someone like me. Right, amore mio?"
Unexpectedly, Pinstripe gently grabbed Tawna's face and kissed her on the lips in front of the camera. The blonde bandicoot felt even more uncomfortable, because she didn't like to expose herself like this in front of so many people.
The reactions to the kiss were quite negative: Coco was furious, Megumi had a look of disapproval, Aku Aku felt very uncomfortable and Ami, Isabella and Liz showed expressions of disgust. However, everyone got distracted when they heard the door of Crash's room closing. When they took a look, they noticed that he was gone and had left the remote control in one of the chairs.
"No..." Coco said sadly. This situation brought her flashbacks of the day where all this started.
Tawna and Pinstripe stopped kissing on television, but the two chickens were a bit perplexed. Chick and Stew now understood why Ami and the others didn't want to discuss the matter with Crash.
"Well… uhh… you saw it, viewers" Chick said a little awkwardly. "The lady has a new love. And… speaking of important matters, have you already found any...?"
The image of the chicken talking disappeared, as Liz turned off the television. "Shit…" she said as she slapped her own face. "We could just simply disconnect the cable."
"That doesn't matter now" Ami said in frustration. "Crash need us."
The floating mask and the girls headed to where the entrance to Crash's room was. When Coco tried to open it, she noticed that it was locked.
"He locked himself up?" Isabella asked worried.
"Calm down" Coco said as she headed to get a key from the closet. "This is not the first time Crash has locked himself in his room. I made an emergency copy of his key when you arrived."
Very carefully, Coco used the key to remove the bolt and slowly open the door. After she and the others looked a little around the room, they noticed Crash sitting on the edge of the bed.
The sad hero was crying with his head bowed and his eyes closed, like he was trying to hold back his tears. The fact that Tawna was dating one of his former enemies was quite painful, but seeing how she kissed him directly, even if it was on a screen, was even worse. It felt as if a knife was stuck in his chest.
Crash heard the footsteps of the girls approaching. He didn't know how they managed to open the door, but now he didn't care. He was too affected to demand privacy, not to mention he didn't want to be rude to the others, since they weren't to blame for anything.
"Crash... I'm so sorry" Megumi said, who decided to sit on his left side and stroke his back in empathy.
"No..." said the bandicoot hero in tears. "It's all my fault… I was not good enough for her. If I were someone successful and with money, maybe we would be still together, even... even engaged! I am the worst boyfriend in the world!"
Crash's laments grew stronger since that last sentence. Seeing how depressed he was, Megumi moved closer and hugged him.
"Crash... come here" Megumi said in a warm tone. "Don't cry..."
The sad hero rested his head on his friend's shoulder and hugged her back, now crying louder.
Everyone felt their hearts sinking in sadness. During these days, Crash's mood seemed to have improved a lot, but now it seemed that all that effort had been shattered. However, they were still willing to help him.
Megumi continued to hug him for a few minutes until Crash calmed down a bit, so she decided to speak to him. "Please, don't think that about yourself" she said softly. "You are a great guy."
"That's not true..." Crash kept blaming himself.
"Of course it is. Remember all the things I said about you" Megumi pulled away a little and gently lifted the sad hero's face so he could look at her directly. "You're always willing to help and protect others, even putting your own life at risk. Also, I have seen how attentive you were with Tawna and how you tried to please her. The fact that she preferred something superficial as money is not your fault."
"But... all of you left the squad because of me."
"That's not true, Crash" Ami said in a sympathetic tone. "I know that Tawna is our friend, but what she did was despicable. No matter the reasons why she wanted to break up with you, she shouldn't have done it through a letter. That's one of the reasons we left the team; not only because she hid the matter with that damn rat from us, but because you didn't deserve something like that."
"That's right" Liz said. "And what if that potoroo has money? He's still a narcissistic egocentric who does not value others."
"And you want to know something?" Isabella gave him a comforting smile. "If any of us had to choose between that scoundrel and you, we would choose you a thousand times without hesitation."
"Girls…" Crash was moved by the words of his friends.
"They love you, Crash" said Coco, who sat next to her brother's right side. "You may believe you're worthless, but we don't see it that way."
"You are someone very special" Aku Aku said. "Not only Coco and I think so, but they do too. Just look how they are supporting you."
"Yes" Megumi said affectionately as she wiped the tears from the orange bandicoot's face. "And that's why we're here, because we love you so much."
"I... I don't know what to say" Crash said with a broad smile, though still a bit sad. "Thank you very much, girls. I love all of you too."
Megumi groaned in tenderness at that last sentence and kissed Crash on the cheek, causing him to blush completely.
"You are very sweet" she said while holding the hands of the bandicoot hero with her own.
Crash felt strange. The kiss, the caresses, the signs of support and affection... all this caused that these mixed feelings about his friend resurface and become even stronger. Of course, the others also provided constant support, but Megumi was always the closest to him since they arrived on the island, as if she were his confidant and best friend. In fact, when holding hands, he felt a kind of tingling, as if they were somehow sentimentally connected.
"Those feelings again" Crash thought to himself and then stared at his friend. "What's happening to me?"
"Poor Crash..." Megumi thought while blushing. "He's so cute and tender. I wish I could tell him about my feelings..."
The others noticed the affection in both bandicoots' eyes and smiled among themselves. It was obvious that Crash was developing feelings for Megumi, but only time would allow them to develop properly.
"Hey, guys" Isabella said, catching everyone's attention. "How about we watch some DVDs to forget this bad moment? I have brought my collection of the series Bay Waters."
"Great! I always wanted to see them with you" Coco said happily.
"Let's prepare dinner first" Aku Aku suggested. "It is almost time to eat, and it wouldn't be bad idea to have something to accompany the moment."
"You're right. I'm going to make some burgers" Coco said. "Girls, this is easy for me; You can start preparing the DVDs in the meantime."
"Alright, Coco. I'll take care of it" Isabella said.
After a few minutes, everyone had made preparations for a DVD night: The three armchairs in the living room moved so that they were in front of the TV, plus three small beds halfway between them for the three pets. They had also prepared some burgers along with some chocolate milkshakes to enjoy the evening.
Before the six bandicoots and the three pets got ready to take their seats, Crash decided to say something to his blue-haired friend. "Can… can I sit with you?" he asked shyly with a slight blush.
"Of course! No problem" Megumi replied cheerfully.
To make sure that was the case, Megumi sat down in the armchair on the left and set aside a place for Crash beside her. The bandicoot hero agreed to sit still with that blush on his face. As for the others, Ami and Liz sat in the chair on the right; Coco and Isabella sat in the middle one; and Aku Aku settled down along with the three pets in the small beds.
Without wasting any more time and with food in their hands, the Bandicoot family and their guests began to watch Bay Waters.
During the first episodes, Crash and Megumi felt very comfortable with each other's company, so much that they huddled between them, getting to blush each other. Liz noticed what they were doing and touched Ami gently with her elbow so her friend could also see what was happening. Both almost laughed, since their two friends almost looked like they were a couple.
After a few episodes, including those where Isabella appeared, everyone noticed it was dark and almost bedtime. In fact, Polar and other pets fell asleep, so Coco decided to turn off the TV and DVD player.
"Well, what do you think?" Isabella wanted to know the opinion of the others.
"You have been great!" Coco said honestly. "No wonder you're famous after this."
"I agree" Ami said with a thumb up. "In fact, you didn't look bad at all in that swimsuit. Surely you conquered many men with this series."
"You have no idea" Isabella said with a little pride. "In fact, I made a few photo sessions after this, except those where I was asked to reveal more than usual."
"Heh… I know" Liz said sympathetically. "I remember that Bandiboy once offered you a session, but they told me that you rejected it. You know we could have been coworkers, right?"
"I… I wouldn't be able to do the same as you, Liz" Isabella said with a little blush. "No offense by the way."
"I understand you" the brunette bandicoot commented. "At first I felt a little weird, but now it is natural for me."
"Why do they have to talk about these things in front of me?" Crash thought with a slight blush.
"I just remembered something, girls" said Megumi, who was still huddled next to the embarrassed bandicoot. "We have been here for almost a week, and still we haven't gone to the beach."
"We could go early tomorrow and spend the whole day" Aku Aku suggested. "What do you think, Coco?"
"These three days I have them completely free of work, so no problem" the little bandicoot replied.
"Well, it's decided then" Liz said. "Girls, I think it's a good opportunity to brand our new bikinis."
"Liz... about that..." Megumi stood up with a nervous expression. "It was a nice gesture from you, but I don't feel sure to wear something like that..."
That comment caused Crash's blush to become more intense, since he wasn't used to thinking of his friends on that way, much less Megumi. What he didn't know was that certain green-haired bandicoot noticed that reaction, which reminded similar situation when they arrived the first day.
"Poor guy, he won't be able to endure much tomorrow" Ami thought as she tried to contain her laughter.
"Oh, come on. It's just us" the brunette bandicoot leaned friendly on the blue-haired one. "In addition, you have a beautiful body. You deserve to show it."
"If you say so..." Megumi said not very convinced, but then gave a slight yawn. "Anyway, I think I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, everyone" before the scientific bandicoot continued its way, she approached Crash to say goodbye directly to him. "Well Crash" she said sweetly as she knelt to stare at him. "I hope to see you in a better mood tomorrow. Do you think you can do it?"
"I... well..." Crash hesitated a little while blushing at his friend's cute face. "Yes… of course, heh, heh."
"Okay" she smiled at him. "But if you feel bad, here you have me to talk. Remember that."
Megumi kissed Crash's cheek again, but this time, the hero let out an enamored look. In fact, the others seemed to see hearts flying around the hero's head.
"See you tomorrow, guys" Megumi said. "Ami, I'll be waiting you in the room."
"Alright" the green-haired bandicoot smiled at her.
After Megumi went to her room, Crash slowly got up from the chair and looked at her with an enamored expression, even giving a slight sigh, but when he turned around to see the others, his expression changed to a confused one when he noticed that everyone looked at him with a sly smile.
"Why is everyone looking at me like that?" Crash asked.
"Do you like Megumi, are you?" Coco said while smiling.
"What?! NO!" Crash defended himself, but his red face betrayed him.
"Crash, we're not ignorant" Isabella chuckled. "I know that look you were giving her. It's obvious that you like her."
"She's only my friend, nothing more!" Crash continued protesting. "Besides, I was just sad for another girl a while ago. Don't you think that would be too weird?"
"Come on, don't worry" Liz said quietly. "It is normal that now you want to look at someone else. Apparently, your heart is beginning to overcome that break."
"And we don't blame you for looking at our little Megumi" Ami said. "She's a sweet and kind girl. A good match for any boy."
"Maybe, but..." Crash tried to think for an appropriate answer, but was interrupted by his sister.
"Big brother, please..." Coco said as she approached him. "It's been more than a month since Tawna broke up with you. Don't you think it's time to leave all that behind and look forward?"
"She's right, son" Aku Aku said. "And who knows? Perhaps your destiny was not to be with Tawna, but with someone else. Someone you have had by your side all this time."
The words of his family and friends left Crash thoughtful.
"We'll leave you to meditate" Coco gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "We're going to sleep."
"And if you need to talk to someone, count on all of us, not just her" Liz said as she covered the three pets with a blanket.
"Tomorrow will be a long day in the sun" Ami said. "Rest, champ."
While almost everyone was heading to their respective rooms, Crash and Isabella were left alone in the living room.
The blonde bandicoot seized the moment to speak with him personally, so she came over and knelt to stare at him. "Crash" she said kindly. "What are you thinking?"
"That maybe they are right..." he replied.
"So, you like Megumi?"
"Yes..." Crash admitted. "But I'll never tell her."
"Great! That's…" Isabella stopped dead when she assimilated Crash's last sentence. "Wait, why not?"
"Because I don't want to go through the same thing. Let's suppose that Megumi and I started dating. What guarantees that the same thing won't happen as with Tawna? Besides, I don't want to lose her friendship..." Crash said as he looked down in resignation.
The room was silent for a few seconds until Isabella remembered something that could help with this situation. "Crash..." she said. "Do you remember what Megumi said to Liz on your circuit a few days ago?"
The hero recalled the conversation they had with Liz about her childhood friend, Arvel, and the advice Megumi gave her to overcome her remoteness from him.
"She told Liz that we all have a soulmate somewhere in the world" Crash replied.
"True" Isabella said. "But Megumi also gave her another advice, one that could apply to your case. Do you remember which one it was?"
Crash tried a little to remember what the Italian bandicoot meant, but he had completely forgotten it. "Don't... call the others' moms as armadillos?" he asked with a nervous smile.
Isabella laughed at such an answer. "No, you fool" she replied affectionately. "She told Liz to not lose hope."
"Oh, right..." Crash replied a little embarrassed. "But what does that have to do with me?"
"You're giving up too soon, and that's not good" Isabella explained. "What makes you think that the same thing will happen to Megumi? Do you think she would be able to do something she hates about a person?"
"What do you mean?"
"You see, when Megumi knew what happened to you, she got very angry. She didn't even hesitate to face Tawna and demand her explanations. In fact, she almost hits her."
"She what?!" Crash was surprised by that answer. He didn't imagine his blue-haired friend with a violent attitude.
"You weren't expecting it, huh?" Isabella smiled at him. "I understand your fear of failing again, and you do very well in not giving yourself false illusions, but if you continue with a defeatist attitude you will never succeed to anything. I won't say Megumi is the right girl, but I won't say she isn't either. It's up to you to find it out, don't you think?"
Crash was silent at his friend's words. Deep down, he knew she was right.
"We'll talk tomorrow, I'm a little tired" Isabella stroked her friend's hair and gave her one last advice. "I will only say that we all deserve love in our life, Crash. Don't lose hope, okay? There always is."
After carefully analyzing his friend's words for a few seconds, Crash smiled. "I understand you..." he said. "Thanks, Isabella."
"You're welcome" she replied as she winked at him and headed for her room. "Good night, Crash."
Noting that the others were not the only ones tired, Crash decided to go to sleep too.
After brushing his teeth and putting on his pajamas, the bandicoot hero wrapped himself between his sheets and looked at the picture he had on his nightstand. It was the same photo where the Bandicoot family and the Nitro Squad were celebrating the defeat of Nitros Oxide, of which they had made several copies for each bandicoot as a souvenir, including Tawna.
Crash looked at two girls in the specific photo: Tawna and Megumi.
It was true that he and the blonde bandicoot had a huge story together. After all, he rescued her from Dr. Neo Cortex and they lived happily ever since. But that is a thing of the past. It was her decision to end the relationship and leave him for Pinstripe, and there was nothing Crash could do about it.
However, as much as he suffered, he felt unable to hate Tawna. Crash didn't like to hold a grudge against anyone.
Then Megumi appeared. She dedicated herself to helping him after knowing what happened to him. No one had ever devoted so much love and affection like her, not even Tawna. In addition, there is the fact that the blue-haired bandicoot showed how much she hates when someone hurt her friends on purpose.
These thoughts and the advices of Coco, Aku Aku and the other three girls, especially Isabella, made Crash finally make a decision. "Maybe the others are right" he thought with a smile as he grabbed the picture. "It is time to look forward."
Crash looked fondly at the faces of both bandicoots in the photo; first his ex-girlfriend's, and then his blue-haired friend's.
"Goodbye, Tawna…" Crash thought as he put the photo back in its place.
Finally making the decision to move on, Crash closed his eyes until he fell asleep.