*Chapter 2: Shocking News*
Crystal is outside of the house to check on her pet, Batty the purple bat, who is hanging upside down in a tree. She feed him the pieces of Wumpa fruit since Batty is a fruit bat. Batty grabbed the fruit with his little claws and devoured. Crystal smiled at her pet who is happily eating his lunch before returning to his sleep.
"How is your bat?" Aku Aku asked, coming by Crystal's side, looking at Batty.
"He's fine. Just doing usual things. Sleep during the day, eat fresh fruit, and come back here to visit me." Crystal replied. "How are you, Aku Aku?" The mask turned to her with a serious expression.
"I'm concerned." He told her. "There's something off about you, Crystal." Crystal turned to him in confusion. "I don't think you are ill in any way."
"It could be stomach issues. Maybe it's upset." Crystal said. Aku Aku then looks down to see a bruise on her stomach.
"How did you get that bruise?" He asked. Crystal only shrugged.
"Don't know. I don't think I bump into anything. It'll go away soon." She replied. "Don't worry about me, Aku Aku. I'm fine now." She turned back her attention to Batty who finished his meal and wrap his wings around himself to get back to sleep, blocking the bright sunlight. The female bandicoot smiled and walk away from her pet. Aku Aku watched in silent. He let out a sigh before he could follow her back to the house.
"Crystal, allow me to use my mojo to check on your body health. After what Crunch told me about Dingodile and N. Gin break into our home, they must've done something. I use my magic to check on my children's health, and they are fine. Allow me to check on yours." Aku Aku said. Crystal sighed in defeat and stood straight. Aku Aku uses his mojo to see through her body. Crystal could feel the warmth on her body, and the gold light is around her body. After a few seconds, Aku Aku opened his eyes in shock and his mojo stopped. Crystal noticed this, and she started to get worried herself.
"What? What is it?" She asked. Aku Aku shook his body in disbelief.
"It...it cannot be." He whispered. "Crystal..."
"What?!"
"You're holding a child!" Aku Aku said. Crystal felt her heart drop. Did she hear that right?
"Excuse me?"
"You're pregnant." Aku Aku said. He gave her a look. "How did this happen?"
"I...I don't know! I couldn't be pregnant! That's impossible!" Crystal said, starting to panic.
"Who have you been mating with?!" Aku Aku half yelled. "Or did someone force himself on you?!"
"No! No one! I didn't sleep with anyone!" Crystal told him. "I swear, I didn't sleep with anyone!" Aku Aku stared at her for a moment. He can sense that she is telling him the truth. No way that Crunch had anything to do with it, neither is Crash. How did this happen? How is Crystal pregnant with a baby? Aku Aku thought back of Dingodile and N. Gin break in the house, the bruise on Crystal's stomach. The ancient mask has to know. Dr. Cortex and Uka Uka must know about this.
"I'm going to have a little visit with my brother and Dr. Cortex. Don't tell anyone about your pregnancy yet. I'll be back later."
Uka Uka is floating by the window to see the view of the islands in the castle. Then, Aku Aku appeared in the room. The evil mask noticed him, but didn't bother to face his twin.
"Hello, feeble brother." He said.
"Uka Uka, what have you and Dr. Cortex done to Crystal?" Aku Aku asked. "That was out of line!"
"So it worked. Crystal is holding a child that will be ours once it's born." Uka Uka said, forming an evil grin. Aku Aku glared at him. "You cannot protect the little bandicoot offspring. It is already ours. Born or not."
"You and Cortex will never have this child. It is part of Crystal, and that means the bandicoot is hers. The bandicoots will do anything to protect the child." Aku Aku told him. Uka Uka chuckled evilly and turn to his brother.
"You accept the child as your own now? Don't make me laugh, brother! The bandicoot will be a bloodthirsty killer!" He said.
"It won't be! Once it is born, the child will be safe with us, and I will stop you along with Crash and Crunch. You and Cortex will fail! And the child will remain with us." Aku Aku said with a look on his wooden face. "I will protect it."
Crystal is pacing around the living room, twiddling her fingers. Crash, Coco, and Crunch are watching her from the couch, worried and concerned about her behavior. Coco asked what was the problem, but Crystal told her and the others to wait for Aku Aku to come back home. She doesn't know how the bandicoots are going to react the news. They would either faint or have a heart attack. Aku Aku then appeared in the living room and see everyone. Crystal came over by the mask's side.
"So?" Crystal asked, wanting details.
"My brother and Cortex are involved." Aku Aku whispered to her. "But, don't worry. Your child will be safe with us. I'll protect it." Crystal turned back to the bandicoots.
"What's going on?" Crunch asked. "Something's up."
"Was it Cortex again?" Coco asked. Aku Aku faces them with a serious look. Crystal took a deep breath, preparing to reveal the news.
"Everyone, it is...not easy to tell you this, but..." She trailed off, holding her stomach. "It turns out...I'm...I'm..."
"Oh my god, you're sick!" Crunch said by standing up. "Coco will find you a cure! You'll get better!" Crash made a panic expression, walking over to Crystal to take her hand, gibbering to her. Aku Aku shook his body at them while Coco stood silent.
"No. She is not sick." He told them. Crash and Crunch calmed down a little. Crash let out a sigh of relief. "Crystal, allow me to tell them." Aku Aku said. Crystal nodded at him. "Everyone. Crystal...is pregnant." The bandicoots are silent and still. Crash blinked at Crystal, Coco placed her hand over her mouth in shock, and Crunch suddenly walked over to Crystal, looking down at her.
"Who's the guy? I'll kill him!" He asked. Crystal shrugged.
"I don't know." She said. "Ask Aku Aku."
"Dr. Cortex uses some DNA sample to get Crystal pregnant. That means he uses science without having Crystal mating with a male. I don't know who's blood he uses belongs to, but right now it doesn't matter." Aku Aku told everyone.
"So, Crystal, are you going to keep the baby?" Coco asked, standing up from the seat of the couch.
"I have no other choice. I can't get rid of it or anything." Crystal replied, crossing her arms. "I don't know how to be a parent! I have no experience!"
"Crystal, don't panic. You have us." Crunch told her. "Look, I didn't expect this to happen. Since we're going to have another member in our team, it won't be so bad, right?" Crash turned to Aku Aku with a questioned look on his face. He wanted to know if Aku Aku had experience with children in his days.
"In my human years, the children are different in those days. They do love to play, but sometimes run into danger. So, when the bandicoot is born, we must protect him or her. The child must never be alone." Aku Aku exclaimed. Crystal sat on the pillow on the floor, holding her stomach. Crash walked over to her, touching her shoulder. He is giving her a comfort smile. Coco and Crunch joined him and went around Crystal. Coco held Crystal's hand.
"We will help you get through this." She said. "I will research about pregnancy and such. And hey, I could be an aunt."
"Yeah. And Crash here can be an uncle." Crunch said, pointing at the orange male bandicoot who nodded eagerly. "I can be an uncle too." Crunch continued. Crystal smiled at her friends.
"Thanks, you guys." She said. Coco turned back to Aku Aku.
"Say, you are going be a grandfather, Aku Aku. Since you are a father figure to us, you're going to be a grandpa to a bandicoot baby." She told him. Aku Aku chuckled. Grandpa Aku. He likes the sound of that.