Chapter 10 - Bandicoot love
It was 10 in the morning, the day after the bandicoots had had their moment to relax on the beach.
For today, they had planned to go to a high point on the island, not so far from home, and camp. But they'll need more supplies, so Crash headed into Wumpa City to get some.
However, he was not alone. Isabella, his old trophy girl, accompanied him to do the shopping, since Crash could be very clueless without someone to supervise him. However, he also wanted to have time alone with her, so he can talk about what almost happened yesterday between and Megumi and him.
Both bandicoots were in the town square, checking the fruit and candy stalls.
"Thanks for helping me, Isabella" Crash smiled a little embarrassed as he checked an orange. "I didn't know who to talk to about this matter, and I think discussing it with Coco would make me feel a bit uncomfortable."
"Anything for one of my favorite racers" Isabella winked at him. "So… you two almost kissed?"
"It seems so..." Crash blushed intensely and scratched his head. "I don't know what she has, but she always manages to make me feel special. Every time we are close to each other… I feel more alive and happy than ever."
"Well, Megumi always had that touch with others" Isabella laughed. "I still remember when there was a role for a movie that I wanted so much, but they rejected me for not being… human" she got saddened a little, but then she smiled. "I felt so bad and discriminated that day, but Megumi was on my side trying to make me feel better with all the methods that came to her mind."
"Woah... really?" Crash was surprised by his friend's testimony.
"Yes" Isabella leaned closer to the hero and whispered in his ear. "That is why I tell you to not let her go. If she's a sweetheart as a friend... now as a girlfriend."
Crash didn't take long to imagine how would be the situation that his Italian friend describes. Megumi was already very close to him and her company was more than satisfactory, but in a hypothetical relationship they could be even closer to each other, which sounded pretty good.
Suddenly, Crash imagined himself sitting on the beach with Megumi by his side and about to kiss her. Just like yesterday, they both had their lips pretty close to each other, but soon his thoughts faded and he came back to reality, realizing that he had even pursed his lips as if he were going to kiss her for real. When the bandicoot hero opened his eyes, he noticed Isabella looking at him with a confused face, which made him feel ashamed. However, his friend soon found out what was happening and smiled.
"Fantasizing with my friend behind her backs, huh?" Isabella laughed.
"N-NO! I… I was just…" Crash tried to make an excuse, but nothing came to mind.
"Calm down, Crash. I won't tell her anything" Isabella winked and soon spotted a candy store. "How about we separate for a moment? I'm going to buy the marshmallows and some candy to go with the camping. Then I'll come to help you with the other things, okay?"
"Got it..." Crash sighed in relief. At least he could escape his friend's teasing for a moment.
After Isabella went to the candy store, Crash continued to check the oranges at the fruit stand, unaware that someone was approaching him.
"Crash Bandicoot, live and in person" said a female voice with a certain Texan accent.
When Crash looked to his left, he noticed a blonde opossum in a blue and pink racing suit smiling broadly at him. "Umm... sorry. Do I know you?" the bandicoot asked confused.
"I don't think you know me, but I know you pretty well" the girl said in a flirtatious tone. "My name is Pasadena O'Possum, and I'm a huge fan of yours."
"Nice to meet you" Crash said with an unsure smile. "And... what can I do for you?"
"Oh! Nothin' important in particular" she said, getting even closer to the hero. "It's just that I'm new on town, and I was wondering if you could take me to meet it better."
Crash noticed how close the girl was to him. It didn't seem like she had malice, but the hero was starting to feel uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry… miss, but I'm very busy now" Crash smiled nervously. "I have to buy some things for an important matter."
"Oh, come on…" Pasadena insisted, who leaned even closer to Crash and lightly brushed her finger across his chest. "Don't suppose a gentleman like you can help a little lady out."
"Hey, Pasadena!" said Hasty, who was waiting for her at some distance. "Hurry up! Tawna is waiting for us on the circuit! You don't want to give her a bad impression, do you?!"
The opossum groaned in frustration, but she knew her friend was right, so she pulled her last resort out of her pocket. It was a piece of paper and a pen. "Looks like I'm busy too" she smiled ruefully and wrote something on the piece of paper before handing it to Crash. "But if for some reason you have a free time and want to talk to someone... call me. I'll see you soon."
After giving the bandicoot hero a flirtatious wink, Pasadena went to meet Hasty and they left the place.
Crash was confused by what had just happened, and noticed that the piece of paper had the opossum's phone number on it. He was also surprised that the moose that accompanied the girl mentioned Tawna, but Crash preferred not to inquire into the matter. He wanted to completely forget about the blonde bandicoot and focus on Megumi.
"Crash?" A confused Isabella spoke behind the hero, making him turn to look at her. "Who was that girl?"
"I have no idea" Crash replied. "But she told me her name, and it was Pasadena O'Possum."
"Wait… Pasadena?!" Isabella was surprised to hear that name. "She is one of the best racers in the world!"
"Wait, really? I didn't know" Crash laughed a little embarrassed. "All I know is that she is very kind... maybe too much... and she gave me her phone number."
"Her number?" Isabella was surprised.
"Yes" Crash replied. "She told me that she is new to town, and she will need someone to help her know the city better."
"Or maybe for something else..." Isabella said with some suspicion.
"What do you mean?" A naive Crash asked.
"Crash… don't you see? That girl is interested in you. Why would she ask you precisely? Plus, you said she was too nice to you. It's very obvious."
Crash got surprised by what Isabella had just said. He didn't expect to be the love interest of somebody else, especially after Pinstripe nationally humiliated him by bragging about dating Tawna.
"I think we'd better hurry" Isabella said. "I know we'll leave late to avoid the scorching sun, but who knows if there are more inconveniences before the camping.
"Okay…" Crash was still slightly confused, but he listened to his friend and they continued checking the food that would be brought for today's activity.
"But tell me… What else did that girl talk about?" Isabella asked as she helped her friend.
"Nothing else, but it looks like she and her moose friend were going to meet… with Tawna" Crash replied a bit uncomfortably.
"I see…" said Isabella, whose surprise was not very big. She knew her former leader was looking for more members to the Nitro Squad, so it wouldn't be a surprise if that Pasadena girl was one of the new racers.
Meanwhile, at the Bandicoot siblings' house, a certain blue-haired scientist was doing activities not related to the camping.
Megumi had woken up early to test the strange fruit she found yesterday, and for that, Coco let her use the garage along with a few electronic equipment like food analyzers and some test tubes.
The bandicoot scientist was able to verify that the fruit was not poisonous. In fact, it was rich in nutrients and vitamins just like the Wumpa fruit, plus it smelled good.
"I wonder if…" Megumi thought in a low voice, but was interrupted when she heard someone breaking or moving objects from the house. Worried and confused, she left the garage to check what was happening.
When Megumi reached the main room, she could notice a confused Aku Aku, Ami and Liz waiting in front of a paranoid Coco searching between drawers and cabinets, pulling out everything in her path.
"No, no, no, no!" she said in panic. "It's nowhere!"
"Coco, calm down" Aku Aku said. "It will appear. It is impossible that it was lost."
"What thing?" Megumi asked. "What are you looking for?"
"Crash's engagement ring" Liz said. "Since Coco showed it to us, she doesn't remember where she put it."
"Are you sure it wasn't you, Liz?" Ami asked. "You said it was worth a fortune."
"Are you accusing me of stealing from my friends?!" Liz got angry. "How dare you?!"
"Could you both SHUT UP?!" a neurotic Coco said. "Crash told me that he planned to sell the ring and make some money. How am I going to tell him that I lost it?"
Suddenly, Megumi felt remorse and a little fear. No one knew that it was her who took the ring, but she understood that sooner or later the others would find it out, so she had no choice but to confess.
"Coco..." Megumi said with some fear and embarrassment. "The ring is… not here…"
Everyone turned to look at the Japanese bandicoot, at the same time that Coco stopped looking for the ring and approached her.
"What do you mean?" Coco asked confused.
"Megumi..." Aku Aku said. "Do you know where the ring is?"
Megumi was so scared to reply that she slowly sat down on one of the seats behind her and clasped her hands as she ducked her head in embarrassment. "Well... I ..." she was hesitant to answer.
"Megumi, answer me" Coco said in an impatient tone. "What did you do with the ring?"
Aku Aku didn't like the tone that her adopted daughter was using on her friend, but before he could say anything, Megumi confessed.
"I…" The blue-haired bandicoot lowered her head and clasped her hands in regret. "I gave it to Tawna…"
"YOU WHAT?!" everyone yelled in surprise.
"I'm sorry…" Megumi said still with her head down. "I was so angry about what happened to Crash that… I wanted Tawna to understand that she made a mistake. And… he's my friend, and it hurt me a lot that he was having such a bad time."
"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!" Coco got angry. "THAT RING WAS FROM CRASH! YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY RIGHTS! THAT MATTER WAS NOT YOURS!"
"I-I'm sorry… I just… I thought I was helping…" Megumi felt the tears beginning to flow from her eyes, but her friend continued to show no mercy.
"WELL, YOU DIDN'T DO IT!" Coco continued to release her rage. "ALL THE OPPOSITE! YOU MADE THINGS WORSE! NOW WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO TELL MY BROTHER?! DIDN'T YOU THINK THAT TAWNA COULD TELL PINSTRIPE AND SO HUMILIATE CRASH EVEN MORE?!"
"Coco… calm down…" Aku Aku tried to make her stop, but the little bandicoot showed no signs to listen."
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Coco yelled, but she soon noticed that she was answering her adoptive father in a bad way, so her anger quickly disappeared and turned into embarrassment. It didn't take long for Coco to notice that Megumi covered her face and began to cry, which caused her to feel remorse. "I…" she said with a trembling voice. "Megumi... I'm sorry. I didn't want to…"
"No..." Megumi said through tears. "You're right. What on Earth was I thinking?! When Crash finds out... he will hate me!"
"No, Megumi. Listen, Crash isn't…" Aku Aku tried to comfort her, but was interrupted when he heard someone outside the house.
When the door was opened, the group saw that it was Crash and Isabella with the supplies for the camping.
"We're back!" Isabella said. "Sorry for the delay, but we had some unforeseen events."
"Yeah… my fault" Crash scratched his head, but his smile soon faded when he saw his blue-haired friend crying. "Megumi, what's wrong?!"
Megumi kept her head down and didn't look at Crash. She was afraid of how he would react if she told him that she took his ring without his permission and gave it to his own ex-girlfriend.
"Megumi…" Crash approached his friend and leaned down to try to meet her eyes. "Please ... tell me what happens."
"Crash... I..." she said through tears. "I can't…"
"Of course you can" Crash wiped a few tears from his friend's face. "You helped me when I needed it most. Why can't it also be the other way around?"
Megumi raised her head, and saw a smiling Crash whose eyes showed genuine concern. She couldn't say no to him after he trusted her.
"It would be better to leave them alone" Aku Aku said. "Girls?"
"Of course" Ami said with concern as she left the main room with the others.
"But why?!" Isabella asked as Coco use the arm to guide her out of the room. "What happened?"
"We'll explain it to you in the kitchen, Isabella. Come on" said Coco, who before leaving the room gave her brother and her friend an uncertain look, but hoping that everything would go well.
After everyone else left the room, Megumi felt a bit of courage to speak. "Crash... listen..." Megumi tried to calm herself as she tried to explain the situation. "I… did something very bad."
"You? I don't think so" Crash sat next to her with a smile. "Why do you say that?"
"You see… It's about Tawna…"
"Huh?" Crash was surprised to hear the name of his ex-girlfriend, but he wanted to know what was happening to his friend, so he paid full attention.
"You see..." Megumi continued. "When I found out what she did to you... I did things without thinking clearly about the consequences. I was enraged. I wanted Tawna to see that she was making a mistake leaving you for that potoroo... and for that, I did something that was not in my right…"
"What do you mean?" Crash asked confused.
"I…" Megumi felt the tears coming back up her throat, but that didn't stop her in her confession. "I gave the engagement ring to Tawna."
"What?!" Crash got surprised. "But why?"
"BECAUSE WHAT SHE DID TO YOU WAS WRONG!" Megumi screamed as she released more crying. "You were willing to give the rest of your life to her, and this is how she thanks you?! I couldn't stand it…! She… had to know she was wrong, Crash! You are someone wonderful, and I wouldn't have let you go if I was on her place!"
Megumi's crying got louder and she covered her face again. She thought that after this confession, the bandicoot hero would never want to see her or speak to her again. However, she felt how two arms wrapped her in a warm hug, causing her to uncover his face and see that it was Crash.
"Don't worry" Crash smiled. "It was just a worthless ring."
"But…" Megumi was surprised. "It was yours... and I used it for things that weren't my business…"
"Well… to be fair, I don't consider me as an expert on these situations" Crash downplayed the matter and continued hugging his friend. "In fact, I'm not, heh heh heh. But I would never be willing to lose a friendship for a mere object. You are more important for me than that."
"Crash..." Megumi felt her heart warm from her friend's words and she smiled, returning the hug. "Thank you… and… I'm so sorry."
"Mehh…" Crash waved his hand dismissively. "Thanks to you, for being by my side through thick and thin."
Megumi smiled at the bandicoot hero's words and continued to hug him. Crash was definitely someone unique to her, and she wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.
Unbeknownst to both bandicoots, Coco was watching the scene looking from the hallway. The little bandicoot smiled when she saw that the two were even closer than ever, so she returned to the kitchen to join the others. However, she couldn't help but feel guilty about how she yelled at Megumi a few moments ago, so she wanted to do something about it to make amends.
When Coco returned to the kitchen, Ami spoke to her in a worried tone: "How are they?"
"Everything is fine" Coco smiled. "Megumi already told him about the ring, and my brother downplayed it. In fact, he hugged her."
"I'm glad to hear that" Aku Aku smiled. "See how there was nothing to worry about?"
"Yeah…" Coco felt a little embarrassed. "I owe Megumi an apology. It wasn't fair of me to scold her like that."
"Don't worry" Liz patted her friendly on the back. "It's about your brother. It is normal that you want to protect him."
"Thank you…" Coco was encouraged by the gesture of her friend.
"Just don't do it again, okay? Megumi is also like my sister…" Ami said in an awkward tone, but then she smiled. "Anyway... it is possible that we can finally see those two together soon."
"Unless it's too late…" said a doubtful Isabella.
"What do you mean?" Aku Aku asked.
"Today, when we went to buy the supplies for the camping, a girl flirted with Crash."
Everyone was surprised at the words of the Italian bandicoot, but they wanted more details.
"Isabella, are you sure about that?" Liz asked.
"Yes, she even gave him her phone number" Isabella said. "And it wasn't just any girl, but Pasadena O'Possum herself."
"WHO?!" Ami recognized the name immediately. "Pasadena?! But... what is she doing on Wumpa Island?!"
"Looks like she wants to join the Nitro Squad" Isabella replied. "Today, she and a moose accompanying her are gonna have a meeting with Tawna."
"Moose…" Liz remembered who was the only famous person of that species. "You must be talking about Hasty, the famous aviator. But... didn't they work for Von Clutch?"
"Whatever it is, I don't know why they're here" Isabella said. "But that's not the point. Pasadena seems to be interested in Crash."
"Do you think so?" Coco asked.
"I saw how she flirted with him, and Crash is so naive that he didn't realize it, so I don't see any other solution."
"What solution are you talking about?" Ami asked.
"Megumi needs to know about this" Isabella said. "And I think it's time for her to confess her feelings to Crash."
"Are you crazy?!" Liz was surprised. "It's still too early!"
"No... I think it's about time" Isabella smiled. "Yesterday, during our day at the beach, something happened between those two. They almost kiss."
"Huh...?!" everyone was surprised by the words of the blonde bandicoot.
"It's obvious they're in love." Isabella crossed her arms. "It's time for both of them to know, so let's encourage Megumi to take the step."
"Why Megumi and not my big brother?" Coco asked.
"She's the one who's been in love the longest, as well as being that detail one of the reasons she faced Tawna days ago. Crash will need a clearer reason for Megumi's actions, don't you think?"
The others thought carefully about Isabella's idea, but Coco quickly made her decision without hesitation.
"Let me talk to Megumi" Coco gave her a thumbs up. "After all, I need to apologize to her. I'll do it on our way to the campsite."
"Very well, Coco" Isabella smiled at her friend's support. "I think we better hurry to prepare everything."
"I agree" Aku Aku said. "Also, we will be under the stars, and soon there will be fireworks for the opening of the fair. It is the perfect occasion."
"Alright then, let's get to work" said Isabella, who soon heard Crash and Megumi's footsteps approaching. "Shhh… they're coming."
Everyone feigned naturalness as the two friends entered the kitchen.
"Well…" Megumi smiled. "We have talked, and everything is in order."
"That's good to know" Aku Aku said happily. "If this is okay, we would like to ask you both to help us organize everything."
"No problem" Crash raised his thumb up. "Can you give me a hand, Megumi?"
"You betcha!" she replied enthusiastically.
Without further ado, everyone began to organize the preparations for the camping.
Meanwhile, at the Nitro Squad circuit, Tawna was sitting in one of the audience seats wearing her motorsport suit. Today was the day Pasadena would start her test drives, so Tawna would be in charge of managing the opossum's performance on the track. But she wasn't alone, as Hasty was sitting next to the blonde bandicoot watching his opossum friend's trials.
Pasadena told Tawna that Hasty was her coach, so he was allowed to observe the trials and enter the venue whenever he felt like it.
The blonde bandicoot was quite impressed by her new racer's skills while driving one of her best karts; Le Chaux. She was not only fast, but precise, if somewhat reckless. This reminded her a lot to Ami.
"Look, mama! No hands!" Pasadena yelled cheerfully. It had been a while since she touched the wheel, and she wanted to get it back quickly.
"Yes! Ha ha ha!" Hasty screamed with delight. "Come on girl! You can do it!"
"Girl?" Tawna smiled a little intrigued. "I see that you are more than coach and racer."
"Well, we were friends since we were young. I know her pretty well" Hasty replied. "And by the way, thanks for letting me see my star racer's trials."
"No problem" Tawna was a little saddened. "Besides… in the current conditions of the team, any help is welcome."
"Yeah… I know your old friends left the team" Hasty empathized with the bandicoot. "They must have been very important to you."
"They still are" Tawna said. "But I don't know if things will still work out between me and them. Only time will tell…"
Hasty understood how Tawna felt. Losing one friendship was painful, but losing four was too much.
"It's just... I don't understand!" Tawna complained sadly. "Pinstripe is a good person now. He is willing to help me with all my problems and leave his past behind. I know he did bad things, but not everyone is willing to change. Why is it difficult for others to believe me?"
"Well…" Hasty said. "I don't know Pinstripe in person, but I've heard a lot about him. It's normal that your friends still distrust him, considering the things he did ... like trying to kill your ex-boyfriend."
"I know…" Tawna said. "He himself has told me that that was unforgivable, but he wants to make amends for everything he has done. However, it seems that no one is going to accept him. In fact, he told me that he tried to make it up with Ami when she came to left the resignation letters and I left them alone, but she despised him as a worthless object. Honestly, I never expected that from her…"
"Wow…" Hasty was surprised. "And do you believe him?"
"What do you mean?" Tawna asked.
"In a story, there are always two versions of events. You've heard Pinstripe's version, but not your friend Ami's."
"Are you saying Pinstripe is a liar?" Tawna got a little upset.
"N-no, miss! I didn't mean that" Hasty defended himself. "I'm just saying that you should listen to your friend too. It may just have been a misunderstanding. That's it."
"Mmh…" Tawna thought for a moment. "Yes… maybe you're right, but…"
Suddenly, their gazes returned to the track when they heard the roar of an engine near the finish line. It was Pasadena, who had achieved a time of 2:25.74 on the circuit, still lower than Tawna and Ami, but even higher than Isabella, Liz and Megumi.
Tawna and Hasty were impressed by the young racer's performance and quickly went down to the track to congratulate her.
"Amazing!" Tawna said with a smile as the opossum got out of the kart. "Your time is almost close to mine! I'm sure there's nothing more to say."
"That means…?" Pasadena asked excitedly.
"Yes" Tawna shook her hand with the one of her new team member. "Pasadena O'Possum, welcome to the Nitro Squad."
Pasadena was shocked for a few moments, but then began to jump with joy, a manifestation that she decided to share with Hasty.
Tawna smiled seeing the two friends very happy. It reminded her the moments she shared with the girls when they won a competition together.
"Great!" Pasadena said happily. "I'm gonna impress Crash next time we meet for sure, heh heh heh."
"Huh?" Tawna was surprised to hear her ex-boyfriend's name. "Do you know Crash?"
"I met him in the plaza" Pasadena smiled. "I have given him my number so that he can take me to see the city in case he has time. I hope you don't mind, since you and him…"
"N-no, no… Not at all" Tawna said a little unsure. She hadn't expected Pasadena to have feelings for Crash, and even though she was with Pinstripe now, there was something inside her that gave her some doubts about her decision to leave her former boyfriend, especially since Megumi told her about the ring.
However, the respective joys and confusion did not last long, as Pinstripe had entered the circuit and went to meet where the others were.
"Hey!" The potoroo pointed at Hasty as he approached. "Who is he?!"
"Oh, hi dear" Tawna said. "He's Hasty, He's the co-."
"Is he part of the Nitro Squad?" Pinstripe asked, ignoring his girlfriend.
"Well... no, but he is…"
"Well, then he can't be here" Pinstripe said bluntly. "He has to go."
"Excuse me?!" Hasty was annoyed by the potoroo's attitude.
"You are excused" Pinstripe said. "Now get out of here. Only members of the Nitro Squad can be here."
"Hey... homie..." Hasty approached the potoroo, preparing for a possible heads up. "You better shut your little mouth up if you don't want-!"
"Hey, hey!" Pasadena stopped his friend. "Relax, smarty pants. We can surely find a solution."
"And there it is" Tawna walked over to the potoroo. "Pinstripe, I let him in. He is Pasadena's coach."
"But he's not an official member of the team" the potoroo complained.
"Neither you are. Does that even matter?!" Tawna said. "We haven't signed anything yet, so I make the decisions for now, okay?"
"What? But…" Pinstripe tried to object, but his girlfriend wouldn't let him.
"No buts" Tawna spoke in a firm tone. "I'm still mad at you for kissing me in front of the cameras without my consent. Crash may not be my boyfriend anymore, but I don't want to hurt him more than I did."
"Well, let him get used to it! You're already mine, not his" Pinstripe complained, but she soon realized his last sentence and covered his own mouth.
"Wait... what did you say?" Tawna raised an eyebrow.
"I-I mean he has to get used to the fact that you're with me now" Pinstripe said a little nervous. "You cannot protect him forever. He has to come to the idea that the relationship with you is a thing of the past if you want him to get over it."
Tawna was thoughtful for a moment, but Pinstripe had a point. Crash had to come to terms with the idea that the relationship was over for good, or he will never move forward.
"Anyway…" Pinstripe said. "Someone has arrived. She is small, just like your ex's sister, but claims to have driving skills."
"Oh yeah?" Tawna asked. "Who?"
"Her name is Yaya Panda" Pinstripe said. "She comes from some bamboo forests from China. She says she knew about the interview and was interested in joining the team. A very… energetic girl without a doubt" the potoroo showed some disgust in that last sentence.
"Let's interview her" Tawna turned her gaze to the other two. "Sorry guys, but this is important. Make yourself at home every time you come here."
"No problem, sugarcube" Pasadena smiled at her. "Thank you for this opportunity."
"It's okay" Tawna gave him a thumbs-up before leaving. "See you soon."
As the blonde bandicoot retired to greet the new candidate, Pinstripe followed behind her, but not before directing a hostile glance at the two former racers from Von Clutch along with a finger gesture indicating that he will be watching them.
"I hate him…" Hasty held back her anger. "What did miss Tawna see in that asshole anyway?"
"I have no idea" Pasadena sigh of intrigue. "But surely what VC says about him is true."
"Most likely" Hasty said. "But until then, we need more evidence to ensure that he sabotaged the Nitro Squad."
The opossum nodded at her friend's affirmation. If they wanted to discover Pinstripe, they still have a long way to go.
Hours passed, and it was already 5 in the afternoon. The Bandicoot family and their guests were climbing a slope through the forest, being guided by a river. The pets carried the tent and food, while the bandicoots carried their sleeping bags and some backpacks with their hygiene utensils and other objects. The girls wore outfits necessary for the occasion, consisting of tank tops with soft shorts and comfortable tennis shoes. For Crash, for his part, it was enough to change into shorts, since he usually goes shirtless.
As they climbed the slope, Crash couldn't help but remember when he first came to this island on his journey to rescue Tawna. The area was so riddled with enemies at that time that he had no choice but to go straight up the river until he reached some small ruins, where he faced Ripper Roo for the first time.
Coco, seeing that Megumi was at a distance away from Crash, took this opportunity to walk beside her and talk.
"Hi Megumi…" Coco smiled shyly.
"Hi Coco" Megumi genuinely smiled at her friend. "What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to apologize for my attitude a few hours ago. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I'm sorry…"
"Hey, don't worry" Megumi said. "It is normal for you to get angry. It's about your brother, and what I did… it wasn't the smartest solution."
"Maybe not" Coco laughed. "But you've shown concern for him too, so I shouldn't complain."
Megumi smiled when she saw that things were still fine between her and Coco, but then she noticed a certain insecurity on the little bandicoot's face, as if she were going to talk about something uncomfortable.
"Megumi…" Coco began to explain. "There's something you have to know."
"What is it?" The Japanese bandicoot asked curiously.
"Certain things have happened... and it seems it's time for you to take the big step."
"I don't understand you…" Megumi said confused.
"You see" Coco began to explain. "This morning, when Crash was with Isabella buying supplies for the camping, a girl flirted with him."
"Huh...?" Megumi was surprised by that statement, adopting an insecure attitude. "And... what else happened?"
"Apparently she gave him her phone number, which means she has romantic intentions with him."
Megumi was a bit disappointed to learn that Crash accepted that girl's number. She thought that with everything that had happened between them in recent days, perhaps there was a spark of hope for opening her heart to him. However, she remembered that she had promised to help him at any cost, and that implied the possibility that they could never be together.
"Although…" Coco interrupted her friend's thoughts. "Crash is so naive that he didn't understand the girl's signals, and he took it as a possible friendship."
"Oh… I see" Megumi pretended to downplay it, but deep down she felt a bit relieved.
"But it's only a matter of time before things change if you don't act on time, so I'll give you some advice, which you can't miss."
"Advice? What do you mean?"
"Megumi…" Coco placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and smiled "I think it's time for Crash to know about your feelings toward him."
"Now?!" Megumi felt a little scared. "But… it's still too early. And what if he rejects me?"
"He won't. Trust me."
"How are you so sure? Also, I can't say it in front of others. I'm ashamed on doing that in public."
"We'll let you guys have some time alone, now listen" Coco approached her friend and whispered in a low voice. "This is what you'll do…"
Soon, night came in the Wumpa Archipelago, and the Moon had risen over the horizon. The bandicoots had the huge tent set up in an open space of grass, but surrounded by forest, and a short distance away were some ruins, which seemed to be the source of the waterfall that gave rise to the huge river.
The Bandicoot family and their group of friends, except Crash and Megumi, were sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows while recounting past stories and anecdotes. The former members of the Nitro Squad didn't have many stories to tell, but Coco and Aku Aku had a great deal thanks to their constant journeys to save the world.
"So it was on this island where Crash met Polar?" asked Liz, who was petting the mentioned bear and Baby T.
"Yeah, just when it was winter season and Crash was collecting crystals" Aku Aku said. "Polar was so affectionate and followed us around that he and Crash ended up being friends."
"Tell me about that with Pura" Coco said, stroking the little tiger. "And if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have been able to collect all the crystals at their respective times. We owe them a lot."
"How cute" Liz was proud of the two pets. "I have to confess that it was unexpected when they assigned me to be their trophy girl, but when I got to know them more thoroughly and saw how clever these little rascals were… I knew I had two very precious jewels."
Polar and Pura blushed at the brunette bandicoot's praise, while Baby Dino almost giggled.
"And... is this the place where Crash faced Ripper Roo?" Isabella asked after looking at the small ruins near them.
"That's right" Aku Aku said. "The battle wasn't very complicated, since he always followed the same jumping pattern, so we knew when to activate one of his many huge boxes of TNT. The only thing we didn't understand is… where did all of those boxes come from?"
"You know that crazy kangaroo" Ami laughed. "Wherever he is, there are always explosives."
"Yes, you're right" Coco laughed along with the others and then looked at certain two bandicoots sitting at some distance from them. Deep down, curiosity was killing her, but she knew that Megumi had to fend for herself if she wanted to confess her feelings to Crash.
Crash and Megumi were sitting on the grass looking away from the others, towards the night sky surrounded by stars and a crescent moon.
"...and those three stars that you see together is Orion's belt" Megumi pointed with her finger.
"Wow…" Crash was impressed by his friend's knowledge. "You're pretty good with this."
"Well, I studied physics in my youth" Megumi smiled. "And astronomy became a little hobby. It was a bit difficult though, as Tokyo or Sydney weren't well known for being dark cities."
"Don't you see skies like this from where you live?" Crash asked.
"Unfortunately not…" Megumi smiled sadly. "Artificial light blocks any star or celestial body that is quite far from us, and since Sydney is a tourist city in Australia, it is logically quite illuminated."
"That's a shame…" Crash said in an understanding tone. "But do not worry. Every time you come here to spend your vacation, I can accompany you so you can enjoy these views, okay?"
"Thanks Crash" Megumi blushed. "It means a lot."
"No problem" Crash shared the same expression on his face. "Anything... for a friend."
Megumi smiled seeing that Crash was so attentive to her, but she felt a little pang when she heard the word friend. However, according to Coco, there was a possibility that this situation could change for the better, but she had to be brave. "Well... here I go" Megumi thought to herself. "Don't get nervous" after carefully considering her words, the bandicoot scientist decided to take the step. "Crash" she said.
"Yes?" the bandicoot hero turned to look at his friend.
"Look…" Megumi began to feel nervous, but decided to move on. "There is something I want to tell you."
"Oh yeah?" Crash asked curiously. "What is it?"
"It's something I've been feeling for a long time." Megumi took a couple of deep breaths and continued. "You see, about Tawna…"
"Ohh, come on. Do you still feel guilty about it?" Crash interrupted her while giving a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm not mad at you. We all make mistakes."
"It's not that, Crash…" Megumi said. "I just didn't tell you the whole truth."
"What do you mean?"
"It's true that it hurt a lot, because you are both my friends" Megumi held Crash's hand with hers, causing both of them to blush. "But... there was another reason involved."
"Another reason?" Crash asked with confusion.
"Crash..." Megumi closed her eyes for a moment as she took a deep breath, but then she opened them again and continued. "Since I met you months ago, I have considered you a wonderful guy. I don't care if some consider you an idiot. Not only you're fun and attentive to those who love you, but you are always ready to save us all from any threat. Not everyone does that."
"Well…" Crash blushed at his friend's words. "I do what I think is right."
"Yes" Megumi smiled, still keeping her blush. "And that's another reason why my feelings for you are so strong."
"Huh?" Crash was confused by the scientific bandicoot's words. "Megumi… what are you trying to tell me?"
"What I'm trying to say is…" Megumi's blush spread to her entire face, but she gathered enough courage to finish her sentence. "…I love you, Crash. I'm in love with you."
Crash was shocked by what he had just heard, but deep down, his heart began to pound with joy. The sweet and caring girl he had been in love with had just confessed that she felt the same way about him.
"I know it's too early, and you might not feel the same way about me, but-" Megumi tried to continue, but was interrupted by something that was not expected.
Crash started jumping and screaming with joy, even doing his signature dance, but when he turned to look at Megumi and the others, he noticed that they were all wide-eyed, albeit blinking a few times. The hero blushed in embarrassment at all the attention he was receiving.
"Umm…" Megumi said, still confused by Crash's reaction. "What was that?"
"I-I'm sorry... heh heh heh" Crash scratched his head. "I can't help it when I'm very happy."
"Happy? But why are you-?" Before Megumi finished her question, she soon knew what Crash was referring to, which caused her confusion to disappear and be replaced by a wave of happiness, which began to take over her heart. "Crash... don't tell me that you…"
"Yes, Megumi" Crash shyly sat next to her friend, and decided to confess as well. "I'm in love with you too."
The blue haired bandicoot smiled widely and felt happy tears streaming down her eyes. Without wanting to waste more time, she hugged Crash tightly, who decided to do the same.
The others smiled as they saw the two friends finally expressing the love they felt for each other. In fact, Isabella and Liz had a few happy tears escaping.
"About time" Ami crossed her arms with a satisfied smile.
Crash and Megumi soon broke away from the hug and stared into each other's eyes with a slight blush on their faces. Neither of them knew what else to say right now, but they didn't care. Their mutual company was more than enough for both of them.
Suddenly, Crash had memories of the situation they both had yesterday, and felt the urge to relive it again, but this time... successfully, so he began to bring his face closer to Megumi's.
The blue haired bandicoot knew what the hero was trying to do, so she started to bring her face closer as well.
As the distance between the two lovers shortened, each slightly tilted their head to the side, as Crash's nose was very large, and they slowly began to close their eyes. Their heartbeats were so strong that they could hear them rumbling in their chests, and although their breaths were weak with nerves, each could feel the other's getting closer and closer and caressing their faces.
Despite the fact that the seconds seemed to be eternal, finally, the lips of the two bandicoots ended up meeting.
The kiss was tense at first, but soon turned tender and gentle as both bandicoots wrapped their arms around each other.
"Is this… really happening?" Megumi thought as she succumbed to her emotions.
Crash decided to let his instincts speak for him, and began to kiss the bandicoot scientist more passionately, allowing himself to be carried away by his desire and lust.
Due to the intensity of the sensations, Megumi felt herself lose her balance, so she slowly lay down on the grass while Crash landed on top of her.
Megumi felt Crash's tongue touch her lower lip, a sign that she understood, so she opened her mouth, allowing the bandicoot hero's tongue to enter and explore her interior. They both blushed intensely as their mouths intertwined in a fight full of love and passion.
Megumi never expected to experience these kinds of sensations. This was all totally new to her and exciting at the same time, but she never wanted it to end.
The scene didn't go unnoticed by the others. While the pets covered their faces to avoid looking, the talking mask and the girls had their faces completely red, in addition to Isabella covering Coco's eyes.
However, despite the unforgettable moment they were having, the two lovers had to break the kiss, leaving a small line of saliva between their tongues and gasping for breath, still with their faces blushed.
"Woah…" Crash exclaimed ecstatically.
"It was… amazing." Megumi smiled shyly. "Really amazing…"
Both bandicoots laughed shyly at the loud moment they had experienced. They had no words, save for the ecstasy that still remained from their moment of passion. As Crash retreated off Megumi, he soon regained his composure and an idea occurred to him as they both returned to a sitting position.
"Megumi… can I ask you something?" Crash asked as she grabbed his friend's hand with his own, playing a bit with his fingers.
"Sure, Crash" she smiled gently and caressed the bandicoot hero's face with her free hand. "What is it?"
"As you know… the fair opens today" the hero replied with some shyness. "But it will be there for three days. Would you like us to go together tomorrow?"
"Crash Bandicoot…" Megumi laughed a little. "Are you asking me for a date after what we just did?"
"Well… yeah" Crash scratched his head. "Would you like it?"
"I'd love to" Megumi winked at him. "Is 9 at night good for you?"
"Of course" Crash smiled.
Both bandicoots were soon distracted when they saw a light in the sky that exploded and transformed into different colored flashes.
"The fireworks are starting!" Coco exclaimed happily. "Crash, Megumi, quick! Come to see them with us!"
"S-sure, Coco" Megumi said shyly. "You come, Crash?"
"Yeah!" Crash stood up happily and grabbed her hand. "You're gonna love it."
Crash led his friend to sit together around the campfire, and they grabbed a few marshmallows to eat while they watched the light show. Megumi rested her head on Crash's shoulder, causing the hero to blush and wrap one of his arms around her.
Today had undoubtedly been the best night of their lives, but who knows what fate will bring them on the date they have planned for the following night. However, they were both sure of one thing: It will be a night they will never forget.
Author's Notes: I'm so sorry if the kiss scene was not of your liking. I don't have much experience writing this kind of stuff. ^^ '
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. See you soon!