Cortex felt another rumbling ache in his left temple, and he subconsciously began to massage the pain away as he grunted. His satellite was having a hard time tracking the small Australian island, probably due to all the mystical power located there. On screen, it was virtually invisible, and yet as Cortex looked into his telescope, he could see it clearly. He hadn't a clue what the bandicoots were up to down there, and it made him uneasy. Suddenly, Uka sailed into the room, and Cortex felt the storm approach with a ridged spine. There was bad news coming. Thankfully, this anger was not directed at him.
"Tropy tells me there is an interference with the time continuum." Uka spoke angrily. "He is unable to get a lock on the first relic, meaning it is not at rest. Apparently someone is interfering with our plans."
A guess came to Cortex's mind and he growled low in his throat. Uka did not seem to pick up on his distain, that, or he simply didn't care.
"Tropy has offered a plan to immobilize this threat, but to do so I need one of your strongest minions."
Cortex slowly turned to face the terrifying mask. He fumbled for words, but they came to him eventually.
"Great One, I regret to announce that all my previous minions have been either destroyed or stolen by my traitorous colleague. I have no-"
"You have the method, do you not?" Uka interjected harshly. "Make another. I will expect it to be powerful enough to destroy any creature that disturbs our plan."
With those last words, the mask was gone. Cortex sighed heavily. He still retained some of the notes of forced evolution, and yet he relied on Dr. Brio for their creation. Although it would be difficult, Cortex had no hesitation he would be able to accomplish it. He already had an image in mind for the creature that would be the decimation of Crash Bandicoot. Cortex had no doubt in his mind that the bandicoot was the stupid creature that dared interfere, and this time he would pay.
--
Crash kept his eyes closed as the strange air shifted around him. He felt as though he were in the centre of a tornado. He forced his hand to remain clasped around the relic's shaft, but despite his attempt his grip slackened. Crash thought he heard a voice call to him, but all he could feel now was the sensation of spinning out of control. He felt instantly nauseous, but kept his eyes closed out of sheer determination. Finally, he felt his whirling body hit something hard and level. The impact knocked the wind out of him, but he didn't mind at the moment. He was just happy to quit spinning.
With his eyes still closed he began to slowly feel around him, moaning, and wondered what kind of surface he had slammed into. It felt like some kind of prickly rock. With wary hesitation, Crash opened one eye, and collapsed back to his stomach when a head-crushing ache attacked his scull.
"Ow! What's with all this throbbing? Just cut me a break would yah?"
Crash kept his hand over his eyes as he struggled to a sitting position. Soon, his head calmed down enough for him to open both his eyes.
"Hey Coco, are…you…?"
Crash trailed off as he glanced around his surrounding. He was sitting in some kind of high cave, and yet he was able to see the sky though a few open gaps. Moss and grass grew over most of the ground, and trailed up the rock walls. Yet, Crash knew that he was most defiantly alone here.
"Coco?" He called, shakily getting to his feet.
She was nowhere in sight. Crash scratched his head. He knew that they had been separated during the time warp, but had they dropped in completely different time zones? Crash hadn't the faintest idea. As usual, he refused to believe his suspicion was true until he was able to prove it. Therefore, as much as how grudgingly he thought about it, he would need to search. As Crash began to walk through the cave, he noticed that the far wall was not alike to the stucco-like stone of the cave. He wandered over to it, laying his hand on the cold stone. Well, if Coco was in the same time zone, she'd probably be pretty excited to see the Great Wall of China first hand.
--
Coco landed quite inelegantly on a patch of grass. She kept the relic tight in her hand as she rolled over multiple times, finally stopping flat on her back. The sky was all she could see at her current position, and it was overcast. She rubbed her head with a soft moan, and rolled up to a sitting position. Her vision was still a bit distorted, but as she looked at what lay before her she gasped slightly. The field she was sitting in was adorned with beautiful cherry blossom trees, and the breeze carried small petals that drifted through the air like pink snowflakes.
Coco shakily rose to her feet, and stepped forward with one hand outstretched. She caught a blossom in the palm of her hand. It was exquisite. Letting the blossom fall from her grasp and join the others that decorated the grass, Coco turned her gaze to the horizon. She felt her jaw visibly drop.
"I…can't believe it."
Where the emerald shade of grass should have met the sky, a long trail of dull gray stone barred the two from one another. From the length, height, and general majesty of the wall, Coco knew that this structure could only be one thing. One of the wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China. Coco clutched the relic tightly to her chest, and in a memorized state she began to stumble toward it. She had only ever read about it, and wanted so much to see this magnificent structure with her own eyes. Coco picked up her pace as her excitement grew, and her feet slapped through a trickling creek as she got closer. Now she was directly in front of the amazing wall, her head held back as she admired the stone work.
"Just as I've always imagined it would be." Coco sighed.
Then, she felt a cold chill jolt through her. She just realized that no one was making stupid noises in her ear, and no one was complaining about her wasting time staring at a stupid rock wall. Coco whirled around.
"Crash?"
Her inquiry went unanswered, and as Coco scanned the wide open field she had yet to see a lazy orange blot on the beautiful landscape. She raised an eyebrow. Where could he have gone? She supposed she should look for him, despite the fact that she found it to be a pain. Anyway she had wanted to explore the Great Wall anyway, so if she found her brother on her walk that would be a plus.
Coco stepped into what looked like a cave, but possessed natural skylights within it that enabled it to stay light with the sun. Coco walked through it, quite cautious, but soon she gathered speed. She had no idea where the next relic was hidden, but she decided that she should probably keep an eye out for it now. As she rounded a corner, she stopped suddenly. Bulked together in the centre of the cave was a group of close to a dozen armored men. They were chattering amongst themselves in Chinese, so immersed in their conversation that they didn't notice Coco take a few slow steps backward. She held the relic tighter to her, and quietly blew out a hesitant exhale.
That was close.
She had resolved not to be placed in a position where she had to be rescued. Of course, she was the little sister, so it was kind of her obligation to do so, but she refused to let such a stereotypical occurrence come to pass. She was a little girl, sure, but she was not going to let that stop her from getting the next relic. Now she was going a decent pace in the other direction, wary for guards now. Yet as she continued to walk, she felt her ear give a slight twitch. She could hear something…the cocking sound of a rifle. Coco leapt back just as a shot rung through the cave. She pressed herself against the wall as she irritatingly heard multiple exclamations of an intruder. Coco grimaced. So much for not being caught. Just as she saw the troupe of guards dash around the corner, weapons raised, Coco started sprinting toward the only escape route she could see. It was a gap in the rock, big enough for her to get though and maybe too small for most of her followers. She flinched as shots ricocheted around her, and leapt into the crevice. Her shoes collided with slippery stone, and she fought to keep her balance as she slid.
She did alright for someone who had never slid down rock before, but as she flipped through the air to land, her feet met a rough patch and she went sprawling onto her stomach, scratching her hands and forearms on the sharp rock floor. She lay there for a moment, but finally began to get to her feet. She was kneeling when she looked up, and her shoulders went rigid as her breath caught in her throat.
Coco found herself looking deep into the mesmerizing golden eyes of a Bengal tiger. The eyes were dangerous and angry, and the instant rumbling noise suggested the tiger was growling. Coco slowly backed away, still on her knees, wondering what she should do. When she was far enough, and the tiger didn't move, she got to her feet and started to turn. Suddenly she caught a glimpse of why the tiger was not running at her. The poor thing had its hind leg trapped in some kind of chain trap. Coco felt a wave of guilt immediately. Could she risk trying to free the tiger? Coco glanced over her shoulder, and she could here the rustling and indecision coming from the gap she just slid down. It would not take long for them to come up with a plan. She bit her lip, and looked back at the tiger. It looked angry enough to attack her as soon as she got close, but she couldn't just leave it there. Coco took a deep shaky breath and began to walk toward the animal. The tiger stiffened, glaring at her with its beautiful molten copper eyes. Coco shoved the relic inside her pants pocket, and tried to look as helpless as possible. It wasn't too hard, considering she was terrified.
"Now, don't worry. I'm going to help you, okay? But after I get you out of that trap and it would be…really great if you didn't eat me." Coco kept her voice quiet and soothing, and gained encouragement as the tiger pricked its head up, hostility replaced with curiosity. Coco came forward, hand outstretched only slightly. She looked at the tiger with sympathetic eyes, and smiled softly.
"I'm going to help you." She repeated in a song-like croon, and stretched out her hand farther.
The tiger watched her movements warily, but to Coco's surprise it closed the distance between them, thrusting its head against her hand. Coco's smile brightened as she scratched behind the tiger's ear, carefully coming closer. She slowly knelt down, rubbing the tiger's side now, and looked at the trap. It was a medieval contraption, and Coco didn't know how she was going to break it. She had no tools or blunt objects to strike it with, but she had committed herself, she would have to find a way. As she stroked the jittery wild cat, Coco contemplated what she could do. Subconsciously, she removed the relic from her pocket, now holding it loosely in her hands. Something came to her. Could she somehow send the chains, and the chains alone, in some other venue in time? If she could do that, the chains would disappear. She looked at the relic, and closed her eyes tightly.
How can I do this? Help me.
She felt the sapphire grow warm against her skin, and again, words seemed to form from the silent movement of air around her. She opened her eyes slowly.
"Time recovery, object of exile separate from this dimension."
The words flowed like the poetic lyrics of a song Coco couldn't remove from her head. A bright blue light engulfed the chains around the tiger's leg. The tiger snarled at the change, and began to thrash about. Coco wrapped her arms around him, soothing him with soft shushing sounds. The tiger slowly became calm once again, and Coco watched with widened eyes as the chains dematerialized. Soon, the cave was quiet once again, and the instrument of imprisonment was gone. Coco sat back on her heels, and stroked the flabbergasted tiger's furry mane.
"There, you're free."
The tiger glanced at her, eyes sparkling, before he turned away and darted into a secluded exit above the cave. Coco watched the tiger escape, and sighed in relief. Yet her moment of contentment disappeared into nervousness as four guards finally appeared. They came down the same way she did, and looked just as clumsy with the landing. Coco heard the cold sound of metal scraping over steel, and she twitched when she realized she had no weapon. She didn't know how to use the relic to attack, even if it could, and feared that it was capable of doing as much damage to her as to her enemies. The enemies advanced, and Coco quickly reached for a rock.
"Stay back jerks or I'll let you have it!" Coco warned the soldiers with more courage than she had, and raised the rock to guarantee her threat.
The soldiers exchanged glances, and then began to laugh mockingly. Coco gritted her teeth, and tightened her grip around the rock. Just as the group came closer, she hurled the rock, striking the closest guard square between the eyes. He fell back with a grunt of anguish, and for a moment, the others simply stood there in bafflement. Coco prepared herself. She wouldn't be able to escape from this. With loud cries of anger, the guards ran toward her, weapons held high. Coco collapsed against the rock wall behind her, waiting. Suddenly, a flash of shimmering ginger sailed through the air, stopping to form the couching shape of a tiger before her. Coco's mouth fell open, as did the guards'. The tiger glared at them, paws pressed hard into the stone and hair pricked down his spine. From out of the shocked stillness, a strong and terrifying roar echoed throughout the cave, and the soldiers were gone, running away from there as fast as they could. Coco was still unsure what to make of the situation. The tiger turned around, and seemed to beam at her. Coco offered a smile as she patted the tiger's head.
"Thank you."
The tiger purred so loudly, Coco first thought it might be the preliminary noise of a rock slide. Coco's smile widened.
"You've got some loud purr there."
Coco began to walk, and she wasn't all that surprised when the tiger copied her pace, walking directly beside her. Coco scratched his neck as she continued on.
"You must not have a name, if you're a wild tiger. How'd you like the name Pura?"
The tiger didn't seem to even notice she was talking, but his gigantic purr that continued to rumble closed the debate. Coco rubbed the tiger's ears affectionately. Pura it was.
--
The entire place was crawling with soldiers. Coco at least felt a little better that Pura was there with her, but it still didn't help her rising unease for her brother. She still had seen neither hide nor hair of him, and her worry was beginning to escalate. What if something happened? Coco forced these pessimistic thoughts from her mind as she continued forth, an oblivious Pura right on her heels. Coco followed the wall until she came up to a dead end. She tilted her head, and evaluated her options. It looked as though she would be able to climb up the rocks, and after some maneuvering she'd probably get to the top of the wall with out too much trouble. She looked at Pura, and smiled softly.
"I'm going to have to climb Pura. It would probably be best if you stayed here, but I'll be back."
To Coco's astonishment, Pura's content face drew back in what appeared to be worry, as though he understood what she said. Coco laid a hand on Pura's head and stroked him affectionately. Perhaps the giant cat was simply attuned to her feelings. With a final pat, Coco lifted herself over the rock platforms. It didn't take her long at all to scale the rocky cave, and soon she was close enough that if she jumped, she could probably grasp the wall. With a careful inhale followed by a sharp exhale, Coco leapt into the air, and her fingers caught the edge of the wall. She hung there for a moment, unwilling to look down. She swallowed hesitantly, and her brows furrowed in determination. An instant later, she had swung herself over the top of the wall, and was now lying uncomfortably on her stomach as she caught her breath. She absently brushed some stray strands of hair out of her eyes, and struggled to get to her feet. With a quick look around her, she felt a twitch in her nose as she realized this was not what she had been expecting. Granted, she was at a very undesirable part of the wall. She would have to get a better view before they left this dimension.
Coco inhaled sharply as she heard something approach her. Without waiting to see what the noise was, Coco dashed across the stone and toward the only hiding place she could see. It was an old wooden door that seemed quite out of place in such a stronghold. Nonetheless, Coco shoved the door open and concealed herself inside a dark chamber. Coco took a peek out the crack and groaned.
Just my luck.
A pair of armed guards had begun to pace the wall close to where she hid. They must have heard some ruckus, but Coco was confident they would leave soon. This part of the wall that fed into the cave was probably the safest spot against enemies. Coco clicked her jaw. Or thieves. Coco decided that she could go nowhere else but though this dark chamber. Luckily, the sapphire relic provided its own dim light, and so Coco was able to see in the darkness enough that she didn't smash into any walls. She moved cautiously through the cold tunnels, wondering how she was going to find her way out. Then suddenly, the ground beneath her feet crumbled. Coco stifled a yelp and slid down the open hole she dropped into, holding onto the sapphire relic tightly. Somewhat to her surprise, Coco landed softly in a crouch when she reached the ground. She straitened and took a look to where she now found herself.
There was more light here, provided by flickering torches that lined the walls. As Coco gathered everything in, she realized that she must have fallen into a prison, or something. There were cells situated all around her, and some bars guarded holes to different levels. Coco began to walk, slowly, hoping she wasn't going to run into any escaped prisoners. As she wandered through the jail, Coco stopped suddenly. She could hear something, something that sounded like…snoring? Coco started to dash and winded through some of the tunnels, stopping when the rumbling noise was at its peak. Coco dropped to her knees, and looked through the bars that separated her from the next floor. Her brother was laying in one of the cells, having a pleasant nap. Coco's jaw dropped, and a moment later anger curdled within her.
"CRASH!"
Crash flipped off the pallet he was sleeping on and landed hard on his belly, he got to his feet an instant later and gazed upward. With a smile, he waved.
"Hey Sis, how goes the search?"
Coco clenched her fists. "What…are you doing down there?"
Crash offered a shrug. "I got caught. I don't really mind the prospect of being locked in the bowels of an ancient stronghold, but I was convinced that I'd be getting meals. I haven't got one yet."
"It's because they're leaving you locked in there to rot, you idiot."
"That would explain why they tossed me into a hole, and didn't just take me down here themselves. I thought they were just lazy."
Coco clenched her jaw. "If I'd describe anyone as lazy at this particular moment Crash, I don't think it'd be the guards."
Coco was appalled. She had been worrying so much about making sure she wasn't caught, that she didn't even fathom that her stupid hero of a brother would become imprisoned so easily. Coco let out a long sigh and rested her forehead on her hand.
"So how do you plan to get out of there?" Coco asked with exasperation.
Crash tilted his head, as though he didn't understand the question. Then he laughed.
"I've already worked on the old rusty lock, so I'm ready to go whenever."
"Then you've always been able to get out!?" Coco snapped.
"I can't sleep as well when I'm locked in Coco, really, that shouldn't be so surprising."
"That's not what I-" Coco stopped herself, since her brother was still grinning fiendishly.
He was just bugging her. Coco inhaled deeply through her nose to calm her frustration.
"So, while you were lying there uselessly, did you by any chance figure out how we're going to find the next relic?"
Crash's smile confirmed to Coco that her brother had good news regarding this, and that filled her with relief. She hoped that she wouldn't have to hold her breath until her lungs popped again. Crash reached for an old book that Coco hadn't realized was there.
"I landed on this book when I went careening out of control. I took a look at it. It's got some nice pictures, but all the writing in it just looks like gibberish."
"It's written in another language Crash, that doesn't make it gibberish."
"I can't make sense of it, and you probably can't either. Let's stick to calling it gibberish just for the sake of saving time."
Coco was ready to point out that the entire exchange had been a waste of time, but she let it pass.
"Anyway, I couldn't really understand what they were talking about, obviously, but then a nice chap seemed to make an English translation in the margins."
Coco shivered. It probably belonged to another prisoner that was caught in the cell, but if the book remained, it was probable that the explorer or looter didn't make it out.
"It just talks about an ancient family, some kind of conspiracy, and some other stuff like that."
Coco tapped her fingers on the bars. "Would you get to the point please?"
Crash
tipped his head. "Certainly. What did catch my attention was this
little picture of our little friend."
Crash held the book
upward, and Coco caught a glimpse of a rough sketch of the talisman
they were looking for.
"Gold then?" Coco guessed.
Crash nodded. "It's some kind of family heirloom or something, I don't know. It says a few years ago some monks stole the relic and locked it somewhere in the Great Wall. They mention a resting place, and that they forged a key that could only fit the rock when the moon reached the midnight point. I don't really get most of this, but I think this Chinese guy found the key, and keeps it locked away. There's a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo, but the only bit of it that concerns us is this fella's got the key, and we need it to get to the relic."
Coco nodded. "So what's the plan then?"
"You go get the key, and I start looking for the door. I think that's a fair compromise."
"How am I going to get into the house to get the key?" Coco was a little befuddled.
Crash closed the book and shrugged. "Hey, I'm going to be wondering through filthy rat infested tombs that are probably cursed, and all you need to do is sneak through some elegant mansion to get a key. Let's not be complaining."
Coco stood up, stretching the sore muscles affected by remaining crouched for so long. She kept her eyes focused on her brother.
"Well, that's settled then." Then Coco added awkwardly. "Are you sure you can get out of there?"
Crash offered a quick salute. "Don't worry about me Sis. I'm a pro at this stuff remember?"
Coco smiled slightly, and then started turned to follow her path back outside.
"Hey Coco?" Crash called, and Coco spun about to look through the bars again. Crash grinned. "Be careful, kay?"
Coco returned the grin and nodded. "Good luck big brother." As Coco started walking she added fiendishly, "Careful of rat bites."
"Aww! Why'd you have to say that?!"