A/N: Time for chapter 10!
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own the crash bandicoot series
Crash looked at the dense forest around him in confusion before turning to address his trainer. "How did you and Diane create such a beautiful place?" Jack just chuckled as he glanced up at the sky being partly blocked by the tree canopy, "Took us a LOT of time and patience.." he said trailing off as he turned to face Crash with a smirk, "..But you can see the results for yourself."
"Heh no kidding, so what's my first lesson Jack?"
"Straight to the point, I approve: First I wanna test your reflexes and reaction time.."
"Seems easy enough. What do I have to do?"
"..Just tie this blindfold over your eyes, and I'll explain." Jack said handing the bandicoot a black cloth to which Crash looked confused before doing as he was told.
"Okay..? What next?" Crash asked as he attempted to reach for something to hold himself up on account of his vision being obscured, Jack just laughed as he held out his empty hand (instead of grabbing one of his blades) as an object materialized in it which was a baseball bat.
"Now you just have to dodge when I try to hit you!"
"Wait Wha-"
BAM!
"OW! What the hell Jack?!" Crash shouted as he rubbed the top of his head which was now sporting a bump from being hit.
Jack just shook his head in minor annoyance, "I told ya to dodge didn't I?"
"You could have given me a moment to process that!"
Jack just growled in irritation before shouting back, "What, you didn't think this was going to be easy training did you?! You can't rely on your dumb luck to save your ass! not here!"
Crash opened his mouth as if to retort back but couldn't bring himself to do so, Jack smirked "See? This only adds more proof to my statement.."
Crash either didn't hear him or chose to stay quiet as he processed what his trainer and brother-in law had said.
He thought back to all the adventures he had been on and had taken part in, the time he had saved Twana from being experimented on, when he saved the world from being mind controlled by Cortex and even the times where he and Cortex had to save the world by (Albeit begrudgingly) working together.
Crash's eyes widened as the unbelievable truth of Jack's words set in. He HAD been relying on dumb luck for a long time nearly all of his life even!
Crash sighed as he gave his trainer a sad smile muttering "Your right.." under his breath Jack just nodded before Crash took on a more serious expression with fire in his eyes "..And I'll be DAMNED if I keep relying on that luck!"
Seeing the change in his student, Jack smiled feeling proud that his brother had overcome his biggest weakness.
"I'm proud of you Crash."
"Thanks.." Crash said trailing off as he bent down to grab the blindfold from off the ground, "What do you say we continue where we left off?" Crash said smirking as he began to put the blindfold back on.
Jack smirked as well, "Agreed." After that Jack began to swing the bat again attempting to hit Crash with said bandicoot dodging better then earlier, as this continued Jack began to count every time Crash dodged his swings. However the sudden counting caught the bandicoot off guard, causing him to be whacked in the head again.
"Ouch.. Was the counting really necessary?" Crash groaned out as Jack just sighed before elaborating, "Yes it is, like I told you I'm testing your reflexes and reaction time, this training will improve both of them as you go farther along."
Seeing what Jack was getting at Crash nodded "Okay then, let's keep going, maybe if I can dodge you a hundred times I can get a prize?" Crash asked joking a bit as Jack simply said "Very funny.."
Coco & Aku-Aku stood together in front of Diane as she held two staffs in her hands, "So, What are we going to be learning first Diane?" Coco asked curious as to why she had those two staffs, Diane smirked before replying "I'm going to give these to you two so you can learn to use them in close combat as well as to help Aku-Aku get used to his new human body." She said knowing the former tiki being was still trying to get used to his changed form.
Coco smiled, happy to see that her new friend & relative was showing compassion to her former tiki guardian friend.
Diane nodded before tossing the staffs at her two students which they caught with ease, "Don't relax now little miss princess, the fight hasn't even started yet!"
Aku-Aku laughed a bit at that as Coco was about to retaliate back in irritation before she noticed something, "Wait how are you going to fight us if we have staffs and you don't, don't you think that's a bit unfair?"
Understanding her curiosity Diane just smirked, "No need too worry about me.."
She said trailing off as she stuck out her left hand, her students didn't have too ask what she was doing because not two seconds after that lightning began to spark off of the outstretched limb, before it took the shape of a white staff with two lightning symbols at both ends and came to rest in her palm.
"Wow.." Coco and her partner said in amazement.
Coco took a moment to glance at her and Aku-Aku's staffs noticing that her's seemed to be made of very strong blue crystal, while Aku-Aku's looked to made of very solid wood with red and and brown coloring throughout. Diane's however looked to be made of a strong metal material as the sun shined on it's white surface. At that moment though Diane spoke up, startling the young bandicoot girl from her inner musings.
"To answer the other part of your question Coco, it won't be unfair because I never said you two would be fighting ME.."
Aku-Aku then spoke up, asking the question he and Coco were both thinking.
"What do you mean?"
Diane smirked again, "All three of us will be fighting ourselves!"
No sooner had she said this a bright light shined above the three making their shadows stretch out at their feet, before they leapt up becoming solid doubles of the three of them with weapons of their own.
"What in the world?!"
Aku-Aku shouted as he had to quickly put up his staff, to block an incoming attack from his shadow doppelganger.
Don't just stand there, mask boy!" Diane barked as she leapt into the air and kicked Aku-Aku's shadow in the side, shoving him away a few feet.
"Cause here they come!" Diane finished as she took a fighting stance, with sparks coming off of her body and her staff.
"Right!" Coco & Aku-Aku said simultaneously as they took stances of their own.
Crunch grunted as he had to jump out of the way of an incoming flaming boulder, that had come from the erupting mountain he was attempting to scale. "How are you so good at that!?" He half asked half shouted at his master who was a good chunk of feet ahead of him, instead of answering he laughed egging him on with "Come on slowpoke you can do better then that!"
This only succeeded in making the bandicoot even angrier, as Crunch began to use the spiked hammer he had been given as a makeshift slingshot, making John smirk and redouble his efforts. "Now your getting the hang of it! I'll see you at the top big guy!" He shouted as he leaped farther up the mountain before disappearing from view, (I really need to figure out how he does that!) Crunch thought to himself as he continued the trek up the mountain, after a few minutes he reached the mouth of the volcano finding his trainer doing one handed push ups as he wiped the the sweat off of his brow from being in such high heat levels.
"What am I-"
"Put these training weights on your arms & legs."
Crunch noticed four weights laying by his feet, not needing to be told twice he quickly put them on.
Before he nearly fell on his face from the weight placed on his limbs.
"WHOA! Just how much do each of these weigh?"
The bandicoot asked as he struggled to lift up his arms.
"About 50 lbs each.." John trailed, not stopping his one handed exercises.
"50 each? that would make.."
Crunch trailed off before his eyes widened in shock, "200 POUNDS!?"
At that John just laughed bragging "You think yours are heavy? mine go up to 400!"
This made the bandicoot's jaw go slack, "What are you?"
"Just a man with an effective training regimen. Now come on boy, I want to see you do 1000 push ups & sit ups within the hour! MOVE IT!"
The older man barked making a chill go down Crunch's spine before he began to do as he was instructed, albeit with much difficulty.
Only one sentence was going through the bandicoot's mind at that moment..
(GOD HELP ME!)
FOUR MONTHS LATER..
Crash grunted as he ducked under Jack whom had just tried to strike at him with his black scythe, the bandicoot didn't get a chance to catch his breath however as he had to quickly dodge out of the way of Cerberus who attempted to tackle him but failed. "*pant* *pant* You know you two tag teaming me isn't very fair.." Crash said exhausted from having to dodge so much. Jack for his part looked just as exhausted, if not more so then his student. However he just smirked retorting "*pant* *pant* You think the mutt & I are tag teaming on you? Heh he's going for me just as much as you! Heck, at this point I think Cerberus just thinks that this is just a fun game!"
As he said this the two of them looked to the dog in question, and true to Jack's words he did seem to look like he was playing more then training if the tongue hanging out of his mouth and frosusly wagging tail were anything to go by.
"You mean he's acting like this is just a game?" Crash asked, visibly a little irritated.
Jack just chuckled as he said "That's just the way he is Crash, let's keep it up! Double time!"
Crash just rolled his eyes as he shouted "Come on, you dang dog! Take this seriously!" The bandicoot said attempting to coax a reaction out of the husky. However much to Jack and Crash's shock Cerberus began to growl and bark at the two of them, seemingly doing as the bandicoot had asked. Crash laughed at that muttering "What do ya'know seems like he listened." Jack however didn't look very happy.
"I don't think that's it Crash, look closer..."
Crash just raised an eyebrow in confusion but did as he was told, on closer inspection Crash noticed the dog's eyes were giving off a odd glow as well as the fact that what looked too be an orb was forming inside of his mouth. "What's he doing?" "I think he's..." Jack said trailing off before his eyes widened in shock.
"Oh shit! Crash, I think you've made him mad!"
Crash looked worried as he shouted "What?!"
"LOOK OUT!" Without thinking Jack lept in front of his student holding out his scythes in an x fashion, not two seconds after he did the orb in Cerberus's mouth burst open shooting a large beam of energy at Jack!
Crash was about to try and help Jack but Jack's voice stopped him, "Don't Crash! Let me take care of this!"
As Jack said this he began to cup the beam in his hands before the beam started to flow into his body and he began to change.
Crash noticed that Jack's nails were getting sharper and his body began to be covered in a mix of white and black fur similar to Cerberus's, eventually Jack looked like an anthropomorphic husky.
"Whoa, what was that?"
"That Crash my friend, is what happens when I sync up with Cerberus. I call it my hell hound state.."
Crash gave his master a cocky smirk.
"What's with that look?"
Crash began laughing, "Coco will go crazy if she sees you like that haha!"
Jack realized what he meant and burst out laughing, "Oh man haha your right!"
The two shared a laugh before Jack spoke up again, "I had planed to show this form to you later, but a certain "someone" decided to do so now.."
Jack said as he sent his dog companion a look of irritation too which Cerberus just wagged his tail happy acting as if he'd done nothing wrong.
Crash just rolled his eyes before addressing his master with a simple question, "What were you planing to teach me after I found out about that form of yours?" Jack nodded before he responded, "Well I planed on showing it to you after I got you accustomed to moving and attacking without thinking.." Crash cut in laughing a little "That was hard the first few weeks but I got that down quickly."
Jack nodded as he thought back to when he and Crash first started their training "Been four months sense then right?" Crash asked looking nostalgic. Jack nodded as he continued where he left off, "Next I'll be training you to tap into a power like mine."
"Really? You think I have a power like that inside of me?" Crash asked, looking curious. Jack just laughed, amused at his student's question, "I do crash we just need to awaken that power in you. " Crash looked puzzled and said "How are we going to do that?" Jack laughed again, "The answer is simple my friend. I just have to bite you in my hell hound form. "
The two stood in silence for a few moments, before crash yelled out "YOU HAVE TO BITE ME?!" Jack just laughed at his students reaction, and explained. "Not fatally, just a nip on the neck." Crash calmed down a little and nodded muttering, "okay, But are you sure this won't hurt?" "Positive." With that, crash moved his neck to the side to allow his master access "Just get it over with…"
Not needing to be told twice, Jack went ahead and did as he said he would. With one fluid motion, Jack bit down on his student's neck making Crash jolt forward in shock. Within moments crash felt a power flowing into him feral and unknown, his teeth and claws began to sharpen his fur became shagier and his body began to bulk up until he looked like a combination of a bandicoot and a werewolf. The transformation subsided with Crash finally letting out a howl at the moon which hung above in the dark night sky.
Jack took action quickly attempting to console his student to get him to control himself, but in turn Crash just swatted him away with one of his clawed hands. Jack wiped away the blood dripping from his mouth and growled muttering "Okay if that's the way you want to play it…" Without another word Jack bulked up to match his student and brother and charged at him...
Coco awoke with a start as she heard a thunderous boom, "What was that?" Coco asked Aku–Aku who was just as confused, he turned to address their master asking "Diane, What was that?" Diane muttered with a serious expression on her face "I don't know, But whatever it is we need to stop it, Let's go!" Saying no more, Diane ran out of their tent to go investigate what that noise was with her two students close behind.
Crunch and John were already a ways down the flaming mountain when a loud boom rang out making the mountain rumble to life behind them, "What the hell's going on!?" The bandicoot shouted attempting to be heard over the rumbles coming from the mountain a few feet above, John glanced over at the sky noting that the clouds looked like they had been shoved apart by a higher power as he shouted back, "Whatever's happening I don't like it.." Without another word John and his student continued the rest of the way down the mountain, only just making it to the base of it before it could blow it's top.
Jack huffed out a exasperated breath as he dodged out of the way of another one of Crash's swinging hammer like arms, he knew if he wasn't careful he'd be on the receiving end of a very painful blow.
"I need some help here!" He shouted hoping someone, ANYONE would answer him.
Luckily Jack didn't have to wait very long as the voice of Coco shouted "Ask and ye shale receive! Crystal shackles!" fallowed by Aku-Aku shouting "Elemental magic: Wood Forest Encasement!" The moment those words were said Crash's arms were encased in wooden stumps and his legs were chained up by shackles made of crystalized ice, "Looks like we just got here in the nick of time!" Diane said getting a relieved nod from her son.
"What happened and how do we stop him!?" Coco asked with a grunt as she struggled to stop her brother whom, by now was bucking and thrashing attempting to break out of his restraints.
Jack was about to respond but another voice cut him off, "What the hell happened while we were gone?!" John shouted as he saw what was going on Jack then barked back "There's no time to explain, damn it! Just focus on helping those two keep him stable! I'll take care of the rest!"
"What are you going to do?" Diane asked getting worried.
"Something drastic.."
With that Jack leaped up into the air high enough to disappear behind a few dark clouds, (This might sting guys..) Jack said in his head as he held up one of his hands noting all the lightning forming into a ball in said hand. "Good that should be enough to knock him out at least.." Trailing off Jack made his lightning charged hand into a fist before he began to propel himself downward, He then reared back his fist before shouting out "DIVINE MAGIC: JUDGEMENT JAVELIN!" The moment his fist hit Crash the lightning began coursing through his body and jetting out in multiple directions as it reached his restraints, the others had to release their hold on him and jump out of the way to avoid all the lightning going everywhere.
Eventually all the lightning faded and Crash reverted back to his normal self as a low growl escaped his throat before he fell flat on his back unconscious, Seeing the worst of it was over Diane & John went about setting up a base camp where everyone could rest while they waited for Crash to come to. "Okay then while we wait for sleeping beauty over there. You want to explain why your in that state?" Diane asked giving her son a knowing look.
Jack sighed, "Basically Crash tried to get a reaction out of dog boy over there.." He trailed off glancing at his canine companion who just tilted his head in amusement, "As you can guess it worked a little too well." Diane nodded. "Makes sense that you would have helped him with that now." Coco gave Diane a questioning look, "What do you mean?" "what I mean Coco, is that when someone goes through the training we go through they tend to quickly gain access to an advanced state or form of some kind like with Crash or yourselves." She said, getting a nod from both of her students.
"I must say all of you have impressed me quite well, Coco especially.." Jack said trailing off as he gave his wife a glad smile, "Too think that you started out as a girl that just knew her way around a computer.." "And now?" Coco asked curious about her husband's opinion of her.
"Now you've grown into a woman that's not only smart, you know how too hit back, hard when you get threatened.." Jack trailed off again as he wrapped his wife in an embrace. "I like that in a woman.." He said in his wife's ear which made her blush profusely.
"SHUT UP!" The bandicoot girl shouted in embarrassment before punching him in the arm. "Ow! haha.." Jack gave his wife a smirk "Your just adding more fuel to the fire babe." he said before giving his wife a kiss.
"I love you." The two said in unison..
A/N: First I want to say I'm sorry if the ending seems weird I really couldn't think up a better ending for the chapter. don't worry the next chapter shouldn't take as long as this one too post, anyway don't forget to review like always! -Foxhound Out!