The guards were gone when Coco returned, just as she suspected. Still, it never hurt to be cautious. Coco slipped through the door, and before figuring out where she planned to go she leaned over the wall. She squinted to get a good look at the cave below, but she was unable to see Pura anywhere. Just as well, Coco couldn't go back into that cave now anyway. She sauntered over to the other side of the wall, and took a peek over. The view was absolutely magnificent. Although the sky was so cloudy that Coco couldn't see much of the colours, the glow of the sunset warmed Coco to the core of her soul. It was breathtaking. Coco realized she hadn't the time to admire natural beauties. She had a job to do.
She could see that not too far away, an exquisite oriental manor rose above the cherry blossom trees. Crash had said the structure that guarded the key was owned by a very rich family. Since Coco could not see any other richly crafted mansions nearby, she decided to try her luck with this one. Now there was the problem of getting herself down. Luckily, a tree was rooted not too far from the wall. With a deep breath and furrowed brow, Coco leapt through the air, arms outstretched. She felt the wind slam from her chest as she collided with the branch, and she wrapped her arms around the tree to keep from sliding off. She remained in that position for a few moments to catch her breath, and then she began the careful climb down to the grass. As far as she knew, she still hadn't been spotted. As she darted through the shadows toward the manor, she could see that there was a raised path that connected to the house, connecting it to the Great Wall. Coco pursed her lips. Sure, it would have been easier to just waltz up to the front door, but she could already guess that there were plenty of guards sanctioned up there. Coco went with her first instinct, and started for the servants' entrance. She was quite confident she'd find a window or something to slip through unnoticed.
--
Crash pushed past the squeaking cage door and started off at an easy pace down the rows of cells. It was dark, grimy and smelly, but Crash kept going however grudgingly. He glanced into every cell, hoping that each one was as empty as the ones he previously past by. So far so good. Crash flipped open the notebook, and read a passage.
He still couldn't really make sense of it. The best he figured was that this relic was stolen from somewhere else, and one of this tomb raiding family's most prized possessions. Crash smiled softly.
So these guys aren't going to be too happy when we take it off their hands.
From how the person writing in the notebook described the family, they weren't very nice anyway. They had been brutal tyrants a while ago, but there was only one living relative that remained. The author was convinced they killed each other off in effort to keep the inheritance to themselves. The last member of the family was a fellow named Deshi Huang, a cruel but eccentric man. There were also a few side notes that made Crash snicker. The author found the name association amusing, since according to him, combined his names could mean "virtuous emperor". Well, this guy wasn't an emperor, and as Crash read over his character description he wasn't too virtuous either.
Crash was getting tired of reading this stuff. What he needed was a map. Crash flipped through the book, looking for anything that resembled what he wanted, and a minute later he found it. It was old, and there were a lot of scribbles on it, but Crash could understand it if he squinted. He just needed to keep going down the passage he was currently on until he met a crossroads. Crash grinned. He could do that.
--
Coco pressed her face against the window glass, but no one was in the room. Carefully, Coco pushed open the window, and slid through as quietly as she could. It was lucky she was small, or she'd have never fit through that little opening. Coco started to tiptoe through what looked to be a magnificent closet. There were tons of weird items, as well as rows of dazzling outfits. Coco made it to the door, and tentatively looked through the crack. There were people walking all over the place. Most of them appeared to be women, and they were all completely dressed up with colorful outfits and exquisite hair styles. If Coco was going to get through there unnoticed, she realized she may have to disguise herself. She felt each dress on the rack with an outstretched hand, wondering which one she should wear.
She found a pretty pink one with golden embroidery winding up the sleeves and at the neckline. It was adorned in silver cherry blossoms, along with a deep scarlet sash. Coco realized that she wouldn't be able to wear her regular clothes underneath, considering how lumpy they were. So she took off her shirt and pants, leaving them folded tightly in a concealed spot. She would need to remember to return here later. She pulled out her pony tail, letting her hair tumble down her back. There were some convenient hair accessories and combs placed on one of the tables, so Coco got busy. She wrapped her hair in two buns on either side of her head, and let the remaining strands remain loose. There was no mirror, so she couldn't study her work, but she realized she didn't really have time to lose anyway. She slipped into some tiny sandals, and headed for the door. It was only when she remembered her face that she stopped suddenly. Her face was covered in short orange fur, and she was pretty sure someone would notice her pointy ears. She looked around the room again, and snatched an intricate headdress from a vanity table. It did the job, covering her ears and casting a thin veil across her face. It was the best she could do, and now she'd have to test it out.
Coco strode through the door, and immediately began to walk along the furnished hallway, purposely not catching the glances of any passerby. Since Coco didn't have a map, she would have to wander around until she found a way to the key herself. The majestic halls were lit with only dim lanterns, and the heavy shadows would conceal Coco even more. Or so she hoped. She wandered through hallway after hallway, having absolutely no idea of where she planned to go. Suddenly she felt someone grab her hard by the arm. Coco whirled about in surprise, holding the veil to keep it in place. The woman who demanded her attention was an older lady, but her face was scowling in an anger Coco suspected was directed at her. The woman started snapping at Coco in a dialect that she could only guess was Chinese.
What is she saying? What does she want me to do?
Coco shifted her weight from one foot to the next uncomfortably, unsure of what her next plan was. The woman continued to chatter as she took Coco's wrist and started dragging her off. Coco could do nothing but follow, unable to object since the woman probably wouldn't understand what she was saying anyway. She was brought to an elegant chamber, with beautiful bronze statues adorning the perimeter. The gruff woman all but threw a rag at Coco, and then she was gone. Coco stood there with her mouth ajar as she held the rag.
Does that old bat honestly expect me to clean up for her? She's got another thing coming.
Yet there were a few more girls in the chamber, and they were offering her some very suspicious looks. Coco decided to play it safe and tidy for a while, until she could figure out a way to escape without notice. She polished a statue of a very triumphant dragon, smiling with a sneer that made Coco shiver. Just as she was finishing the tail, she heard a rustling behind her.
"Well, you look new here."
Coco continued to dust until she felt a hand touch her softly on the shoulder. When the hand remained there, she froze, and gritted her teeth. She spun around and knocked the hand away.
"Hey, hands off buddy."
Through her veil she could just make out the features of a handsome young man, and the devious smile he wore reminded her instantly of the wily dragon she had just finished cleaning. It gave her the same chilly feeling. The man took a step closer to her, and Coco stood her ground.
"You speak English?" He asked in a low croon of a voice.
Coco nodded curtly. "I picked it up."
"I am sorry to sound offensive. Not many servants know the language, which is a shame. Yet I admit it is quite a tasteless dialect."
I'd say something else is pretty tasteless around here.
Coco inched back, feeling the corner of a pedestal gouge into her back. She'd rather that than being forced to stand so close to an uncouth character as the man who stood before her. All of a sudden, he bowed, and Coco jumped. He didn't seem to notice that he startled her, that, or he just wasn't concerned.
"I am called Deshi Huang, a pleasure to meet you."
Coco scoffed. "I'd like to say the feeling is mutual."
The man paused in mid bow, and tilted his head to face her. There was something in his gaze that made Coco's blood curdle. Then he smiled with crooked teeth that contrasted with his neat appearance.
"Not many girls would speak so freely to the master of this household."
Coco's breath caught in her throat. Oh crap. Coco immediately tried to back-peddle.
"Oh, I apologize sir, I meant-"
"Don't bother with apologies." The man interjected flippantly. "Had I wanted you killed for your boldness I would've executed you already. But there's something I like about you."
Coco felt cold at the casual way he spoke the words, but she dared not speak again. At least for now. The man took her hand and placed it in the hook of his arm. Without telling her where they were going, the man towed Coco along until they came to an extravagant golden door. Coco held her breath as she entered, staggered by the sweet and exotic smells that danced around her. The man was beaming.
"Welcome to my private chambers."
Coco swallowed sharply. This entire incident was becoming increasingly inconvenient. Huang placed a hand on Coco's shoulder, and the latter twitched.
"You're smaller than the others. Where are you from?"
His hands were big and ugly, which Coco realized was another thing that contradicted his well proportioned face. Coco slipped from his grip, knowing exactly what was going on and not liking it a bit.
"It smells…interesting, in here." Coco spoke rapidly, figuring how she was going to get this cad away from her so she could continue with her search.
"Don't change the subject." Huang appeared in front of her again, and this time Coco was too close to the wall to step away without the action appearing deliberate. He leaned toward her, and then reached for the headdress hiding her face.
"I'd like to see your face." Huang said quietly.
Coco kept the headdress in place with one hand.
"I'll bet you would." She returned angrily.
Just as Huang began to put more force behind the removal of Coco's disguise, there was a loud knock at the door. Huang stopped, and then spun around.
"This had better be important." The threat in Huang's words was not hidden in the slightest.
The door creaked open, and an elderly man poked his head through. He was dressed in the metal garb of a soldier, complete with helmet.
"Sir, there is a disturbance in the catacombs that I think you may want to look into."
The sleazy man groaned, and turned toward Coco with a regretful smile.
"Duty calls. Be sure to remain here until I return."
Coco returned the smile despite the fact that the cad couldn't see it. "Of course, I have nothing better to do." Her tone was full of distain, but the jerk didn't seem to notice.
Then, he was gone, and Coco had the room to herself. As soon as she was sure no one was by the door, she began rummaging though everything, looking for the key.
--
Crash rubbed his sore fists. Around him, five guards lay sprawled in various positions. Crash shook his head in bafflement.
Now where did these guys come from?
Crash figured he must be close to his destination now. If this Huang guy knew where the relic was, he probably had quite a few guards patrolling it. Crash wondered as he walked through the tunnels why Huang wouldn't just go and get the talisman himself, if he had the key. Then Crash realized if he hadn't received the inheritance yet, there would really be no need to unlock it. The book also said that these guys believed it held magic powers. Maybe Huang just liked the idea of having the relic, without needing to go get it so he could admire it every day before breakfast. Crash continued at an easy pace, feeling a bit uneasy as small clicking sounds began to echo across the stone walls. Crash grimaced.
Well, that can only be the sound of more shiny metal jerks coming to ruin my day.
--
Coco dashed about manically, hands a blur as she fingered through drawers and popped the lids off small trinket boxes. She was getting frustrated, and the damn veil kept getting in her way. She tossed it off her head with a snort, shaking her blond hair and causing the mousy buns to bounce with the movement. She was getting frantic. That jerk would probably be back any minute, and if she didn't find the key in that time she doubted she'd get a second chance.
During her snooping, she smiled slightly when she noticed a small ivory lever hidden behind a row of musty books. Coco gently tweaked the lever, and turned just in time to see a concealed door slide open, revealing a dark inner chamber within the wall. In too much of a hurry to be cautious, Coco strode into the tiny room, and reached for the box that lay on the centre table. Inside laid a marvelously elaborate key, decorated with a scarlet tassel. Coco snatched the key in her hand, and walked out of the little vault. She didn't have anywhere to put the thing, since the only pocket she possessed was holding the sapphire relic. Coco rushed toward the door, but then stopped when she heard raised voices.
"You fool. I have no time to give orders on the dealing with thieves, you must know the routine by now."
"But sir, he has disabled some of our strongest-"
"What gives you evidence that I would care in the slightest? Find him, and destroy him, the orders shouldn't be so difficult for any of your elite to complete."
"He has made it through our barricades, and has reached the end of the gate. He is very close to the treasure room my lord."
"Making it to the treasure chamber is useless without the key to unlock the door. And I hold that. Honestly, this entire experience is growing increasingly tiresome. Now, see to it that I am not disturbed. I have some business to attend to."
Coco rolled her eyes, and waited for the inevitable. Huang pushed open the door with a wide smile plastered to his face, but when he saw her standing directly in front of him with his key in her hands the grin disappeared. He must have noticed the characteristics that separated her from the human category, because the first thing he said was,
"What are you?"
Coco cocked her head to the side in an innocent expression, and then a moment later she kicked him so hard between the legs she felt the impact shudder up her leg. Huang fell with a gnarled gasp, and lay there as Coco towered over him with her hands on her hips.
"I'm a bandicoot, dirt bag."
After that relieving statement, Coco leapt over the man wallowing in anguish, and took off at top speed down the hallway. She dashed past wide-eyed servants scattered around, but thankfully no one recovered fast enough to try and stop her. A moment later she could hear the loud gongs and blaring bells of an alarm blaring through the household. She bit her bottom lip and picked up speed. She'd have to get out of here fast. Amazingly, she found her way to the front door, and threw open the large wooden thing by slamming her shoulder into it. She pushed, and it opened just enough for her small frame to squeeze through. Now she was outside in the moonlit darkness, and almost twenty guards were there waiting for her. When they saw her, they snapped to attention, raising their rifles fluently. Coco swallowed hard and couldn't move. Her legs were shaking as they aimed, and she waited for the inevitable. All of a sudden, the scene changed miraculously before her. Pura leapt out of nowhere, leaping atop one of the guards while wearing a frightening look to kill. While the soldiers were frozen in shock, Pura rushed toward Coco. Coco wasn't sure how Pura planned to escape, but a second later and she realized it. Quickly, Coco lifted a leg astride the massive tiger. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.
"Run." She whispered encouragingly.
Pura took off at a dead sprint, literally running over any soldiers that were stupid enough to remain in his way. Coco could hear the sounds of gunshots, and felt ridged as bullets ricocheted around them. There was still whirring sirens screaming even as Pura and Coco left the grounds of the mansion and were now directly on the Great Wall. From what Coco overheard, Crash was almost at his destination, and that was at the end of the wall. She needed to make it there before the moon reached midnight. Coco didn't have to direct Pura, for the smart feline already seemed to know where to go.
They continued at a galloping pace, and Pura didn't slow down for an instant. He was amazingly fast. Coco thought they may have made it without further interruption, but she was wrong. She could hear the smacking sounds of hard hooves over stone, and she held her breath as she took a look behind her. Close to thirty horses were running full out toward them, their riders had their guns ready for the moment Coco and Pura came into range. Coco turned back around when she heard Pura hiss softly. Coco's jaw dropped. Directly in front of them, a garrison of guards was positioned in an efficiently organized pattern. When they decided to shoot, Pura and Coco wouldn't have a chance. Coco could feel some blond hair escaping from her buns, but she didn't bother to brush it away. She held the key tightly in one hand and Pura's sleek fur in the other. She closed her eyes, the knowledge of what was about to happen hitting her hard.
The very next moment, Coco felt herself sailing through the air. Pura had leapt before they were in range, and all the soldiers could do was stare as the tiger cruised through the air above them. Coco was flabbergasted, but she wasn't willing to question such a fantastic turn of events. Pura landed delicately, and began to run again. Coco's pink kimono billowed in the passing air as she stroked Pura's neck.
"Now that was some jump."
Coco focused directly ahead, and she could make out the end of the wall. She needed to get the key down to Crash as quickly as possible. If Huang knew about Crash, there may already be too many guards for him to handle. Nevertheless, Coco slid off Pura's back when they reached their destination and dropped to her knees at a barred hole.
"Crash!" She called, desperately hoping for a response.
A minute past and only silence reached her. Coco took a look upward and noticed that the guards had recovered from their shock and were coming after her. She was about to yell again but stopped.
"Nice for you to drop by Sis. How was the tour?"
Coco sighed in relief, but her voice was serious. "I'm sending the key down there Crash, meet me on the outskirts by the biggest tree. Got it?"
"Crystal clear sweetheart."
Coco still would feel better if she could see him, but an echoing voice served to prove his present safety. Coco released the key and watched it slide down the hole.
"Good luck Crash!"
She couldn't wait to see if her brother returned the exclamation or not. The soldiers had just about reached them. Coco jumped on Pura's back again, and thankfully the tiger seemed to already have a plan. Just as the guards approached, Pura jumped off the side of the wall and slid down an angle of slippery stone. Suddenly, both Pura and Coco splashed into a deep body of water, and Coco was just able to take a gulp of air before completely submerging.
--
Crash was in a sticky situation for a while. He realized being pursued by armored guys with guns was not too fun. He sprinted through the tunnels, not even having the time to look at the map. After Coco had dropped the key, he had it in his pocket a moment later to continue his run. They were still hot on his heels, but Crash was confident he finally gave them the slip. He slid into a narrow crevice, and sidestepped through his escape route until he reached the other side. With a grin, he heard the gruff surprised voices of the guards who had run right by him.
Well, dodged that bullet.
Crash slipped out of the crack and into an open section of the underground labyrinth. He pulled back his shoulders in a quick stretch, and then took a look at the explorer's notes again. Although Crash was quite sure he had been on the right track, he had absolutely no idea where he was now. How was he supposed to find his way back, with guards patrolling the entire place? Suddenly, Crash felt an involuntary shiver and looked up. Positioned directly in front of him, embedded in the stonework, was a rounded mahogany door with gold bands that formed the symbol of the relic. Crash tilted his head.
"It's always nice when that happens."
Crash strode over to the door, ignoring how eerie the complete silence sounded, and placed the key in the lock. He then remembered the rule about the moon having to be positioned at midnight. Yet Crash realized he didn't have a clock. How was he supposed to know when to unlock it? All of a sudden, a beam of pure white light entered somewhere from the top of the chamber, and funneled into one sparkling silver ray. That ray touched the inner circle of the relic, and there was a quiet scraping sound as the bands of bronze and silver repositioned themselves. An instant later, and there was only silence. Crash grinned crookedly.
"Well, that would do it."
There was a clicking sound of a heavy bolt retracting as he turned the key, and then Crash slowly pushed the door open. He wasn't too sure if there would be any traps or anything, but he wasn't in the mood to be careful. Death by spears at least was a quick death, and Crash hadn't the time to be vigilant. The golden relic was cradled in an embrace of bronze and silver, wound about in an intricate pattern that resembled two entwined lizards. Crash edged closer and wrapped his hand around the relic, noticing that the lizards had wings. It was when Crash pulled the relic from its resting place that he considered…dragons. Crash began to leave, thinking that entire episode was quite simple. Suddenly, he could hear a loud rumbling. He turned to see that the iron dragons had crumbled to dust, and just behind the column that held the relic were two amethyst eyes, shining in the dark. Crash swallowed, and slowly backed away from the mammoth head that poked through the concealed darkness. It had a long, dagger-like snout, and a hood of prickly golden scales that bordered its scaly face. Crash continued to back away as the dragon started to snort up smoke, looking quite famished at it licked its chops.
"Look here fella. I didn't mean to wake you up or anything, so sorry 'bout that. Now, how about just going back to sleep and this'll be our little secret?"
Obviously the dragon didn't agree, because tiny flames were beginning to build up within the creature's mouth. Crash turned on his heel and ran, dashing past the crevice and taking off into the unknown tunnels. He could feel the heat of flame on his back, but he continued to run with the relic tightly grasped in one hand. He needed out of there, and quick. He dashed through winding paths, hoping to loose the dragon that was literally hot on his tail. Yet the giant lizard must have had wings or something because it seemed to be catching up despite the handicap its bulk weighted on it. Crash kept an eye out for any exit, but unfortunately his unaccustomed knowledge of the tunnels proved to be his downfall. The only thing ahead of him was a dead end. Crash snarled, but an idea came to his head quickly enough.
Fluidly, Crash slipped behind a jut of rock, concealing himself from his scaly pursuer. The dragon, gaining too much momentum, smashed through the stone wall and sent rock shards whirling in every direction. Crash walked blindly through the smoke, and suddenly he felt a blunt object hit him hard across the stomach. With a lurch, Crash doubled over, grasping whatever it was that smashed into him, and was quite surprised when the object pulled him out into the open air. When Crash's vision cleared, he could see that he was holding on to the dragon's tail, and the winged beast was flapping furiously through the sky. Crash held on tight.
Maybe he doesn't notice.
Just as the thought crossed Crash's mind, the dragon turned its frightening head and blew a billow of fire in Crash's direction. Crash instantly dropped from the tail, and found himself plummeting through the air. He sighed.
"Well, that was a long shot." Crash mumbled with a crumbling optimism.
Crash had fallen so many times before, that he was not nervous about gaining a few bruises. What he was worried about was hitting the ground so hard he'd be nothing but a splatter of orange goop. So he did one of the things he did quite well. He started spinning. The helicopter effect slowed him down immensely, but he still hit the ground hard enough that his knees buckled. Crash could see a white shaft obscure his vision as the impact shook his insides.
"Crash!"
Crash shook off the effect until he could plainly see his sister, a worried expression on her face. Her eyes were fixed on something above him, and Crash didn't need to take a look to know what the thing was. He started at a dead sprint toward Coco.
"Say those words again!" He yelled as he pumped his arms to gain speed.
Coco looked as though she was thinking for a moment, and then loudly called out:
"Time dimensional split initiate!"
Azure light intertwined with a golden glow as Crash got closer to his sister. Coco's arm was wrapped around the neck of a tiger, but Crash continued forward despite his confusion. An angry roar shook the ground as Crash picked up speed. Finally, the light obstructed the nightly surroundings and wrapped the bandicoot siblings in blended light. Crash and Coco reached out and grasped hands just as the time warp snatched them from their current dimension.