Crash felt quite lightheaded as he materialized again. He stumbled forward, and then shook off the spinning sensation and gathered his surroundings. Once again, Crash found himself in the warp room he had originally found himself. He noticed he was still powdered in snow, so he dusted himself off. Instantly, he remembered the treasure he held in his hands. He admired it again, smiling as he caught his own handsome reflection settled in the amethyst depths.
Suddenly, the precious stone began to fade away. Crash gasped as the crystal slowly became translucent, and transformed into a flurry of violet dust. Crash would have been upset if he wasn't so shocked, but even more of a surprise was the next instant. The dust whirled around Crash, and it seemed as though it actually passed through him. After the dust disappeared, Crash stood there with a bewildered look on his face.
"What the…?"
Then he felt as though his insides were glowing, as if he ate something thick and hot, and it took a moment for him to realize that the crystal had actually passed into him. To test his theory, Crash concentrated on making the crystal reappear again. Just as quickly as it had disappeared, the crystal became solid once again in Crash's hands. Crash was more than a little perplexed by this. He was able to retract the crystal back inside himself just as a hologram appeared above him. It was Cortex, again.
"Well done Crash. I knew I could rely on you. Now that you have attained one of the three crystals, you must be aware on what I need them for. A massive energy is transcending the planet's natural limit, and as a result the world's inhabitants will cease to exist. I require these crystals for the purpose of redirecting that energy and keeping the earth safe."
Crash stuffed his hands in his pockets with a playful grimace. "With all do respect, Doctor, that's a load of bull."
Cortex continued as though he didn't hear Crash, and indeed he probably didn't.
"If we are to rescue the planet Crash, you must continue to collect the crystals. Good luck to you."
And then the ugly hologram was gone, for which Crash was eternally grateful. Yet Crash still couldn't get the thought of Cortex wanting to help the world out of his mind. Wasn't this the same guy who wanted to take over the planet with his army of mutant animals? Crash knew first hand how well that turned out. Crash couldn't figure out what his plan was, but since the quest was for a good cause, he didn't feel that guilty about helping out that jerk of a doctor. With a sigh, Crash turned to the next portal, and stepped forward.
"This is turning out to be a real pain…" Crash grunted as he moved into the path of whirling light.
--
Coco couldn't seem to find her concentration. She was typing without falter, but soon she realized that what she was writing didn't make sense. She had to delete more sequences than she typed, and it was starting to get on her nerves.
"Coco!"
Coco's head snapped up at Aku's call, and where she would have hidden in any other circumstance, she returned the shout.
"I'm right here!"
Aku burst out of the trees, looking quite frantic. Coco felt her adrenaline burn within her, but she didn't show it. She angled her brows.
"What is it?"
"Crash is no where on this island." Aku spoke with a rise in his voice. "Not on any of the islands in fact. In this I am positive."
Now Coco did get to her feet. "Well…where can he be?"
Aku gave her a stern look. "Coco, I need you to stay right here while I go and find him. Do you understand me?"
Coco placed her hands on her hips. "No way. He's my brother and I'm going to look for him."
Her courage faded as Aku looked at her as severely as he ever had before. "Stay here Coco. I don't want to loose you both. This situation is probably not a serious one, but we must be cautious nonetheless."
Then Aku Aku disappeared again, gliding quickly through the jungle. Coco sagged to the ground, mumbling angrily under her breath. Why was it that Aku always expected the only thing she was good at was getting into more trouble? She knew she'd be able to handle an adventure. It wasn't fair that her brother was such a lazy butt and he had already saved the world once. Coco brought her knees up and laid her chin across them with a deadly look churning within her light green eyes. Her gaze fell to her laptop, and she slowed felt a smile emerge. She cancelled her previous calculation and prepared to start a new challenge. Find Crash and figure out what the heck was going on.
--
As the portal dropped Crash into another peculiar place, he found the trip to be less jarring. He guessed he was just getting used to being turned into particles and flung around relentlessly. Whatever the reason, Crash welcomed it. He didn't like getting headaches. They bugged him. Crash yawned and stretched his arms above his head. When recovered from the monstrous yawn he stepped toward the edge of the platform he was currently standing on. Wiping his gaze across what lay before him, he whistled and ran his hand though his hair.
"Well, isn't that just fantastic?"
Although the ground was so dark Crash couldn't even make out anything down there, a city of ruins seemed to emerge from nothing. The sky was dark, but sporadically brightened by flashes of lightening. It was also raining, but since Crash was under a quaint little construction with a roof, he wasn't wet. At least, not at present. He wasn't looking forward to having to explore this creepy ancient city, especially in the rain. Yet although Crash wasn't fond of getting wet, he wanted to get through this dreary task as quickly as possible. So, without further hesitation, Crash leapt onto the next stone platform. Thankfully, Crash found the rain to be quite refreshing, and much more pleasant to wander through than snow. As Crash jumped from platform to platform, he began to grow a little cocky, as usual.
"Hey, this is a piece of cake."
Crash had barely finished the statement before the platform beneath him crumbled. Crash yelped and bounced off the unstable ruin. He landed quite ungracefully on his stomach, and when he slowly propped himself up on his elbows, he had a sluggish look on his face.
"I've lost count of how many things have failed to stay up under me. What's the deal?" Crash rose to his feet and continued to walk. "I'm not a big guy by any stretch, so there shouldn't be any problem."
Crash was still thinking about it when he noticed a small popping sound. The noise was so quiet it should have been inconsequential, but Crash had finally learned not to trust any little noises. Crash dove out of the way just as a burst of flame erupted behind him. It was so close that the fire had singed his pants. Crash sighed and got back to his feet. This place reminded Crash a little of the ruins that he needed to get through back home, yet he felt quite a bit more comfortable there, despite all the booby traps. These temples seemed quite eerie, and Crash decided it was probably just because it was dark. Crash looked up to concentrate on where he was walking, and found himself face to face with a very terrifying statue.
"Eek!" Crash shrieked as the thunder cracked.
Shaking off his unmanly outburst, Crash got up again and continued on his way.
--
Dr. Nitrous Brio blinked slowly, trying to calm his racing mind. He knew of Cortex's dastardly plan, and it was only a matter of time for his old colleague realized it. Though Brio did not have the recourses to create a grand space station, he was still able to concoct a maneuverable shuttle to hold his experiments. The lab within it was small but still satisfactory. After Crash had returned Brio's creations to him, the latter was able to make some minor adjustments. He had already used the evolvo-ray to create a few minions, but he had no need for the Cortex Vortex to make them mindless drones. Brio had always believed that evolved animals could perform their duties better if they had their wits.
Brio grimaced as he heard a loud smashing noise from within, shaking his lab slightly. He caught an instrument before it fell to the ground and shook his head. Unfortunately, some of the animals he evolved were already not too bright to begin with. The Tasmanian tiger he had evolved, for instance, had no desire to talk to Brio about what was irking it. Despite his rise of anger and desire for vengeance, Brio still had a nervous disposition. Yet he kept the tiger for the solitary purpose of defending his delicate plan. Brio touched a button, and some intricate designs whirled across the screen. Using his advanced machinery, he could pinpoint where Crash Bandicoot, Cortex's crystal collector, was at all times. When Brio got a lock on the bandicoot, he leaned back and scratched his head. He had been astoundingly surprised when he discovered Crash was in league with Cortex. Brio would never have suspected the bandicoot would join up with the deranged doctor, not in a lifetime. Yet he had obviously been wrong about the measure of that creature's intelligence. No matter, he would make sure Cortex did not get those crystals no matter what the cost. Brio activated his communication device.
"Komodo One, respond."
There was a static on the other line, and finally the call was received.
"Komodo One reporting sssir." The voice hissed smoothly. "What are your ordersss?"
"There is no other way through the t-t-temple." Brio was still fighting to control his stuttering problem, but so far it proved unsuccessful. "The bandicoot will come doubtlessly c-c-come to you. Intercept him, and t-t-take what crystals he has r-r-recovered."
"Yesss bossss." Brio was chilled at the eagerness in the other's voice.
"One more t-t-thing." Brio added. "Do not k-k-kill the bandicoot if he c-c-cooperates. I wish to speak with h-h-him before anything more is d-d-done."
The voice was obviously disappointed. "It ssshall be done sssir."
Then the connection was broken. Brio tossed his communicator back onto the table. He was still uneasy about all of this, but he decided he needed to speak to Crash Bandicoot. If the bandicoot did not surrender to him, Brio feared he would have to take measures to ensure that he would not ruin his plan. Whatever that entailed.
--
Crash was a little hesitant about going into the large temple that towered before him. In the past, going into ancient structures did not usually turn out very well. Especially since these structures turned out to never be abandoned. Gulping back his hesitation, Crash strode into the temple. A good thing about being inside was that he would have time to dry. Shaking off his fur as he progressed, Crash had expected the temple to be quite dark. To his surprise, there seemed to be quite a few torches lighting the walls. It was astounding how much they resembled the lost city on N. Tensity island, but Crash had tromped all over those ruins and he was defiantly not in the same place. Although the fire brought enough light that Crash didn't walk into anything, it was still sporadic. So Crash leaned his hand against the wall and followed it through the dim light, hoping the path didn't split off. He thought he was making pretty good time as he kept his steady pace, and was actually surprised that nothing had jumped out at him yet. Perhaps the people who built this place didn't believe in booby traps. Crash kyboshed that idea as he remembered the fire outside. However, it always paid to be a little optimistic. Crash decided optimism was not the best route to take, especially when he stepped on a diamond stone and felt it lower under his weight. Crash winced as he heard a very loud rumbling coming from far away.
"Well, so much for karma. I'm guessing I'm in massive trouble."
Indeed he was. Crash guessed that the noise growing louder by the moment was water, and if that was the case, the water would flush him out of the temple and send him out into the blackened depths. He needed to get out of the path of it, so he started sprinting deeper into the labyrinth. He was muttering some dreadfully frustrated curses as he ran closer to the rushing water. He rounded the corner, and grinned fiendishly as he found where he needed to go. About midway down the hall was a hole in the roof. Crash could just faintly see a dim glow coming from the hole, so obviously it led somewhere. The temple was now vibrating so loudly Crash could hear ringing in his ears. He started off again at a dead run for the hole, but felt his heat skip a beat as he saw water begin to flow toward him. Gritting his teeth with a near insane smile, he sped up, now in a race to beat the rushing water to the hole. Soon, the bulk of the water rushed around the corner and was heading straight toward him. The waves charged toward him like jaws, but Crash didn't slow down. In the nick of time, Crash positioned himself over the hole and jumped as high as he could. Unfortunately there was nothing for him to grasp on to. Instead of falling into certain death, Crash twisted, and held himself suspended only by his limbs pressing against the narrow tube of an opening. He didn't risk looking below him, but focused on above. There defiantly was some kind of light coming from above. Crash repositioned, and used his back and legs to slowly move up the tube. If he broke his leverage, he would be plummeting back into the river of water, and that was not on Crash's agenda. Crash continued to move quite slowly up the tube, wondering how he could make the trip any easier. Suddenly, his legs felt wet, and his heart began to pound so hard his chest ached. The water was already catching up to him, and if it surpassed his insufficient progress, Crash would be in really big trouble.
"Alright, no more dawdling. Let's get a move on."
Following his own motivational tactic, Crash moved his arms and legs so fast he could feel his muscles burn. He was out of the water now, and was making his way to the top at a very quick pace. He grinned, knowing he was going to make it. Without any warning, Crash's hand slipped and the bandicoot fell from his position on the wall and plummeted. He crashed through the water, and was momentarily stunned as he floated there underwater. Then he realized what had happened.
Shit.
Using the walls to assist him, Crash kicked his feet to reach air. He broke through the surface still using his legs to keep him afloat, and violently swung his head to get his hair out of his eyes. He needed to get out of this tube and away from the water before the stuff drained. The suction would no doubt yank him right back down, and frankly, Crash didn't want all his hard earned progress to go to waste. When he was close enough, Crash boosted himself out of the water and grasped onto the top of the narrow shaft. His feet were still dangling in the water, but know he was able to maneuver. Crash groaned as he hoisted himself out of the shaft, and as he lay there on his stomach he could hear the thick flush of the water draining. Crash's eyes were closed out of fatigue, and he would have been happy just to let them remained closed so he could sleep. Unfortunately, he was on a deadline. Crash got to his knees and shook the water out of his amber fur.
"So much for keeping dry." He mumbled to himself.
Crash looked up, and was quite thankful to see a beautiful shrine with a very precious piece of his mission contained within it. This crystal shone just as brightly as the other one had, and Crash was very happy to see it. He forced his feet to walk, and concentrated on one foot in front of the other lest he fall flat on his face. Crash grasped the crystal and lifted it from its protected place within the shrine. Just as he touched it, this one faded as well, locking itself within Crash's body. That part still freaked him out, he wasn't embarrassed to say, but at least he didn't have to cart the bulky things around wherever he went. Crash moved quickly out of the shrine, knowing some unseen danger was probably going to jump out at him at any moment.
--
Coco's fingers were starting to grow numb as she hacked her way through network after network. There was some signal tracing back to N. Sanity Island, but every time Coco tried to access it, she was blocked. She was getting quite fed up with the whole thing, but wasn't about to give up. She clicked furiously on her keyboard, and continued her attempt to break the lock so she could proceed. Suddenly, a light blinked admittance onto her screen, one that Coco was quite excited to see. She clicked a few more times, only to find herself stuck once again. She had broken through the first of the security systems, and she was not surprised to find out that Dr. Cortex was transmitting the signal. This was the same Cortex who Crash had fought, and, from what Coco could conclude, killed. Crash hadn't openly admitted it of course, but who could survive a hundred foot drop? Coco was glad she was making progress, but needed to take it a step further. To burrow her way into Cortex's computer, she needed to access a password. She had studied many of the most unbreakable codes on the Internet, just for some fun. Now that bit of knowledge was going to come in handy. Coco took a deep breath, stretched her fingers, and began.
--
After sliding through the shaft back to the ground, Crash darted quickly through the maze of hallways, starting to get a tad frustrated. The water was still draining, and shoes full of water wasn't getting Crash in any better a mood. Crash jogged through the shallow water, thinking he was on his way back to the exit. Yet all the chambers he passed through looked exactly the same. Soon, most of the water had dried up and Crash was walking on bare stone. He thought he'd be doomed to walk the narrow halls forever, when, with a jolt of excitement, he saw a door. At this point he wasn't worried where the door would lead, he was just hoping for a change of scenery. Crash threw open the door and bolted inside. Then he stood for a moment, looking around calculatedly.
"I wanted different, so I can't complain." He murmured, scratching his head.
This chamber was quite a bit larger than any he had previously entered. There were some long, artistically crafted pillars that bordered a rounded dome of a roof. Above, some very confusing yet quite beautiful designs were painted along the dome, and beneath it laid a circular pool of water. A spectacular fountain towered in the center, and sent slender streams drizzling into the lagoon below. The designs were reflected in the shallow water, and Crash wandered forward to get a better look.
Crash caught a movement from out of the corner of his eye, and ducked just as a shaft of metal hissed through the air over his head. Crash dove into a shoulder roll and snapped up to his feet.
"What did I sssay? Do not kill the bandicoot!"
Crash furrowed his brow in bemused hesitation. His attacker was apparently a giant lizard, or so it appeared. He was pretty massive, and was dressed in a strange purple dress, or something. What really concerned Crash was that the lizard was holding a impressively huge sword. Beside him was another lizard, but this one was far thinner then his scaly companion. Crash guessed the thin lizard was the one that spoke about not killing him, and Crash was pleased for that.
"I'm appreciative for the discretion mate, I gotta say, most people would rather knock me off first and ask questions later."
"Do not believe that we would prefer it thisss way." The thin lizard hissed. "If we had it our way, you'd be…hissss…decapitated."
Crash's slight smile dimmed, and he offered a half-hearted shrug.
"Well, don't feel guilty about it. I already pretty much figured that."
The skinny lizard glared at him with contempt, and the larger one looked as if he was ready to leap in for the kill. Crash remained unmoved, and unhesitant. The scrawny lizard stepped forward, his clawed hand positioned on the hilt of his sword.
"I am Komodo Joe. This isss my cohort and brother, Komodo Moe." Komodo Joe angled his eyes as Crash started to snicker, but continued on as if nothing had fazed him. "We have been sssent by one who desiresss those crystalsss you are gathering."
Crash crossed his arms defiantly. "So, what gives you guys the idea that I have any?"
Komodo Joe grinned slowly and quite creepily. "The magic of the crystal hasss left an impression in your eyesss. It is quite obviousss you hold them."
Crash frowned. "What?"
Komodo Joe flipped his hand in a dismissive gesture. "No matter. We know you have them, and that is all that need concern you. Now give them to us, and you ssshall not be harmed."
Crash thought about it for a second. If giving these crystals to these lunatics would get him home, he would be fine with that. But if what Cortex said was true, although doubtful, Crash decided it would be better for him to keep them for the time being.
"No can do fellas. I think it would be best if I keep an eye on them."
Komodo Moe made some kind of growling noise and stepped forward.
"I don't care what the doctor sssays." His hiss was a lot deeper than his brother's. "Let'sss finish him now."
Before Joe could stop him, even if he had intended to, the large dragon lifted his sword with surprising grace and lunged at Crash. The latter darted out of the way nimbly with a sour look on his face.
"Wait a minute. Isn't this a little unfair? Two against one and you guys both have swords." The dragon attacked again and Crash leapt over his head, landing softly behind him. He smirked. "I think I may have an excessive advantage, being smaller, quicker..." Crash dodged another attack. "…and handsomer."
Komodo Joe stood there with his hands clasped calmly behind his back. "There is no hope for a peaceful exchange if he doesss not cooperate. Perhaps if we destroy him, the crystalsss with reemerge."
Crash leapt high as Moe's sword swung underneath him. He used his momentum and flipped backward to gain more ground.
"Honestly, I don't think that's really going to help much." Crash admitted as continued dancing away from the lethal sword swipes. "But that's just one bandicoot's opinion."
Despite Crash's confident jeers, he was pretty sure he'd have a problem it Komodo Joe leapt into the fray. As it stood now, he seemed to think his brother could handle a scrawny marsupial. Crash hoped to keep it that way until he could formulate a plan. Moe's sword crashed downward, and Crash dipped out of the way as the ground shook with intensity. Crash gulped. If he was too slow to dodge an attack, Crash could be cleaved in half in one stroke. Crash forced that picture out of his mind and leapt onto the first level of the fountain. Crash grumbled as he splashed into the bowl.
Oh shoot, wet shoes again.
Crash looked down with a sly smile at Komodo Moe.
"Hey, before I forget, I just wanted to comment on how nice your dress looks." Crash giggled to himself. "Brings out the colour in your eyes."
Moe roared in anger and slammed his sword against the base of the fountain. Crash teetered, but caught himself before he tumbled off the side.
"Whoa, easy there. This is a rare ancient structure you're hacking at you know." Crash explained reasonably. "You wouldn't want to be involved in the desecration of a hundred-year-old relic would you?"
Moe continued to use his sword as a club against the fountain, and Crash stumbled back with a disapproving look on his face.
"Alright. I tried."
As quickly as was possible, which was considerable in Crash's case, Crash pulled himself up each level of the fountain, getting wetter and wetter as he ascended. He really had no idea at this point what his plan was, since it was obvious that if the fountain did fall, Crash would not be in the best position. Finally, Crash reached the top, and what he found up there made him grin. The very pinnacle of the fountain was some kind of creepy creature, but it looked as though it could be used as a projectile. Crash used the skill that never seemed to fail, the tried and true spinning technique. As he spun, he collided with the base of the weird statue. It took only a moment for the thing to topple over, and another for Crash to slam it against the topmost bowl and break it into throwable pieces.
"Get down here bandicoot!" Moe bellowed from underneath.
Crash leaned over the side, head propped eloquently on his hand. "You know, I think I'll be more comfortable up here, at least, until you stop flinging that sharp thing around."
Komodo Joe had made his way a little closer to the fight, or where the fight should have been. "Crash Bandicoot, I sssuggest you come down here ssso we can dissscusss this missssunderstanding."
"Tell you what, you quit trying to knock me off this thing, and I'll come down." Crash had no intention of doing so, but he also didn't feel like sitting in this fountain all day.
When Joe offered agreement, and Crash swung his legs over the side in the illusion he was going to slide down to the ground. Crash wasn't surprised when Moe smashed at the base once again, and because of this foresight Crash hadn't plummeted to certain death. Pulling himself back into the safety of the top bowl, Crash hefted the heaviest of his weapons.
"Okay down there, you asked for it!" Crash hollered from above.
Crash used all the power he could muster to through the ivory stones at the big lizard. Moe and Joe jumped out of the way to avoid being pelted, and as Crash kept whirling stones he realized it was not going to last very long. He had to formulate another plan, and quickly. Yet he needn't have worried about it. Right as he was about to toss his last projectile, he saw a blade sail through the air. He was so shocked that it was pure luck that he was able to twist slightly to avoid the most lethal of the blow. The steel sliced across Crash's arm, and in his futile effort to protect himself, Crash's twirl caused him to flip over the side of the fountain. As Crash flailed through the air, he made a mental note that the wound was not serious, but he was pretty sure the fall would be. Crash called upon his aerobic ability and began to spin through the air, and was very satisfied when he realized he was gliding himself down to the ground. Unfortunately, while he was flying through the air he hadn't a hope of directing his fall. He landed hard on a very large object, and when Crash opened his eyes he was staring into the livid yet quite surprised eyes of Komodo Moe. Crash glowered at him.
"You know, it's dangerous to throw knives like that."
Crash was about to say more, but was interrupted as Moe roughly pushed him off. Crash landed flat on his back, and as he laid there, he thought that behavior was slightly unnecessary. After all, he was the one who almost had his arm severed. Now Komodo Joe stood over him, a devious look sparkling in his garnet eyes.
"Sssso long, bandicoot."
Joe reared his sword back and prepared to chop through his orange adversary. Crash widened his eyes as he realized there was nothing he could do to escape this time. That didn't mean he wouldn't try. As the sword came down, Crash rolled quickly out of the way. He gained confidence as Joe's sword clanged on the marble floor. Yet Moe's sword was already in motion, and Crash had time to see his own horrified reflection in the steel before he shielded his eyes. At first, Crash had convinced himself that he was dead, despite the fact there was no pain and he was still hungry. He heard a surprised grunt, and this gave him the courage to take a look. Moe's sword was glowing with a magenta glow, and by the way the lizard was fiddling with it, the sword looked as though it was hot. Moe cursed as he let his weapon drop to the ground with a clattering echo. Joe had recovered from his first attack, and prepared to swipe Crash's head from his shoulders. This time, Crash kept his eyes open. Joe's sword changed the same way his brother's had. It began glowing and Joe let it fall from his grasp as though it burned him. The instant Crash focused on the stationary swords, they shattered into rose-coloured shards. A moment later, those shards disappeared, and only a faint pink residue left any trace of their existence. The lizards stared at Crash with their jaws hanging open in bafflement. Crash was just as if nor more surprised at what had occurred. Not that he was complaining about it. At least he was still alive. Crash grinned.
"Take that."
The dragons seemed to be looking at Crash quite strangely. Crash glanced himself over to see what had perplexed them so much, and so saw the reason with widened eyes. Crawling across his forearms in delicate swirling patterns were magenta markings, sparkling with their own light. Crash frowned.
What the heck was going on here?
As quickly as the stains appeared, they were gone, fading back into Crash's orange fur. Crash noticed absently that his two scaly enemies were still staring at him. Just as Crash was about to slip away while they were trapped in a state of shock, the two recovered. Baring their sharp teeth and extending their claws they slowly started forward.
"Whatever sssorcery the cryssstle has granted you is inconsssequential. We will still tear you to pieces."
Crash shrugged. "I think that opinion is in the eye of the beholder."
The dragons looked confused for the second time.
"What?" Joe hissed harshly.
Crash pointed behind them, and when the two dragons saw what their enemy observed, their eyes were instantly filled with worry. Apparently the fountain had taken too much abuse from Moe's sword, because it was timbering to the floor quite quickly. Crash didn't notice if Moe and Joe escaped the falling fountain, since he was already in a dead sprint toward the door. He really didn't know how those swords could have broke, but he didn't have the strength to think about it now. Instead, he focused on running from yet another crumbling structure before it crushed him to death. It seemed to be a pretty popular occurrence lately.