Good evening Fanfiction. (Well it's evening where I am) Here I am to bring you chapter 8 of Time. This chapter also may tie in some loose ends from previous, but I won't say yet.

For now, enjoy!

Also for this chapter, I strongly recommend listening to Crateria Rainy Surface from Super Metroid

Crash is not my mine. Any OC's are mine.

Chapter 8 The Ominous Swamp

Crash and Coco had decided to take a nap before they continued on their quest. When Crash had returned, he didn't mention what had happened. It wasn't the fact that Dingodile himself had scared him; the fact was Crash would have to beat Cortex again. Only this time, Uka Uka was behind him. Leaving Crash very worried that Cortex could actually beat him.

Coco had suggested that they take a break and get some energy back. But, they both limited it to an hour at most.

Coco's watch started going off forcing the elder bandicoot to wake up.

Crash's face darkened; he hated that on every single adventure he had, he could only get 45 minutes to an hour at a time.

Crash saw Coco and Pura were still fast asleep. Pulling off his coat, he covered them with it deciding to let them sleep for awhile. He could continue to look for the crystals by himself for awhile.

Crash walked towards the third area of the hub. He noticed one of the coordinates would take to prehistoric times. Deciding that would be fun, Crash jumped through the portal, surrounded by a sea of blue.

"Where am I?" Crash couldn't help but ask himself.

Suddenly the form of appeared before him.

"Well, haven't we gotten far for a pair of fuzzy marsupials." The armored scientists demanded, coldly.
"Wait! Who are you again?" Crash demanded.

"I am Dr. Nefarious Trophy, master of time and inventor of the very Time Twister you see before you."

"This piece of crap." Crash laughed.

growled at this brazen bandicoot; he wasn't going to let this little rat stop him.

"Uka Uka and Dr. Cortex have sent me to stop this little charade."

"Whatever dude…talking fancy, fancy… You really think you can intimidate me?" Crash asked, a smug little grin was plastered on his face.

However smiled for the first time, speaking very lowly.

"You won't be leaving my area with the crystals. I swear it."

"Yeah... But, what if decide to leave with them? What are you gonna do?"

"Come and get them if you want, but where you're going: there's a little surprise waiting, your choice."

The image died leaving Crash standing in a thick ominous swamp.

"He really thinks I'm going to wig out? Hah! I'll show him." Crash looked up at the dark grey sky before he started to run

Crash ran through the murky swamp with the blackish water sticking to his fur along with the humid air making him feel uncomfortable. Crash avoided to falling completely into the water as monstrous looking fish tried to swallow him whole. The boy jumped above or tried to move around them. Hot lave pits and geysers surrounded him making the path much harder to move and any type of wrong movement caused Crash to fall into the water. Muddy water clung to him like numerous bloodthristy leeches. He needed to find the crystal and gems before the humid air drove him insane. Suddenly he noticed a head ominously lurking above the water.

Crash felt uneasy about the head and decided to approach the it cautiously.

"Hey, hey you are you okay? Do you need any help?" Crash asked, softly.

The head didn't respond.

"Can you understand me…? Are you alive at all?"

The head didn't respond.

Crash moved a little closer inspecting the head. As he got closer, the head began to move.

"Hey do you need…" Crash noticed the head's blood red eyes.

"You're one of Cortex's minions, aren't you!?" Crash demanded, frightened.

The figure rose from the water in a slow creepy manner. It was a male human; his face was as white as marble, his clothes were completely black from the murky water. He then lowered himself back into the water, moving quickly towards the boy.

Crash tried his best to keep away from the assistant. But, the water was to thick to run to fast and the assistant was moving through it with no problem.

Suddenly, the assistant leaped into the air, attempting to drag Crash under the water with him. Crash barely managed to avoid the silent assistant. The boy forced himself onto solid ground, panting for breath.

The assistant stood up, looking at the bandicoot with an expressionless face. Crash didn't understand why the assistant wasn't trying to come after him and he decided not to wait and see if he did.

Crash walked around the wasteland, the sounds of dinosaurs off somewhere in the distance. The world around him suddenly seemed to darken. The boy knew by now that there was as sinister presence near by.

"Whose there!?" Crash demanded.

To his surprise, Uka Uka emerged from the shadows.

"It's you, the mask that's helping…him…UkaUka, if I'm right." Crash was calm, but his eyes were filled with a little fear but mostly fire at the thought of his mortal enemy.

"You're the one who allied himself with my feeble brother aren't you, Crash Bandicoot?" The evil mask replied, coldly.

"Yes, yes I am. But I'm not your average Joe, I could probably put a stop to you if I really wanted to."

Uka Uka's dark yellow eyes bore into Crash's soft emerald eyes.

"You really think you can beat me? I have lived for centuries; I can see things some people don't even see."
"You spent a good amount in a prison. What do you believe you saw that othesr might have not?" Crash asked.

"Jane truly believing that you were better off with out her." The mask answered.

"But, I…" Crash felt his eyes widened.

"Yes Crash, I know about Jan… Lovely choice I must say."

"I didn't mean what I said: I only said that so she would leave, she couldn't stay with me." Crash could feel anger and regret within him.

"But, she doesn't know that. Besides, what could possibly come of a bandicoot and a human?" Uka Uka asked, smiling eerily.

"But that doesn't matter now, Jan is safe back home. Back where nothing can get to her (I would like to hope so)."

"You may be right; If only that could be said for you and the predicament that stands before you."

"I'm not afraid of you." Crash said, grinning slightly.

"You should be."

Uka Uka fired a stream of energy at him but the bandicoot managed to slide out of the way.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to stop me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a world to save." Crash ran off leaving the mask.

UkaUka grinned evilly as he formed into a black mist, trailing after the bandicoot.

Crash walked along the path, careful not to trip and fall into the lava on either side of him.

The the world around him suddenly seemed to darken. He couldn't help but wonder if he was entering some cave or if nightfall was approaching. However, images began to take form, twisting in turning to an alien location, although it seemed so familiar. When his vision cleared, he come to find himself in a city. A city he had come to twice before.

"Crap! I'm having that blackout again. Is there a reason this is happening? Sigh… This time, I need to see everything."

Crash walked through the desolate city. Rain poured everywhere as rivers of blood stained the streets. Bodies were in droves, so many Crash wouldn't be able to get an accurate count if he tried. He then found himself come to the infamous alley, knowing who would be there.

The boy swallowed as he walked into the alley where he saw her. Thankfully she was still alive. when he got closer however, he stopped in his tracks.

One part of her head had been shaved, revealing a rather large surgical scar that was more than likely from the surgery Jan must have gotten from the impact she had received from N. Gin. The bandicoot felt his blood boil as he was forced to look at.

Jan's fingertips rested against her sca,r tears were threatening to leave her emerald eyes.

"Everyone is dead; and nobody told me exactly how I got this scar. They said I hit my head and then wandered off, but it can't be. Could it be something else; could it have been connected to this?"

Crash just wanted to run to her and hold her tightly in his arms and tell her it would all be okay. However, he knew he would only pass through her body; he wasn't truly there and she couldn't hear or see him.

Jan sighed feeling defeated as she covered her head with a gray band hat.

"Jan I wish you could see or me… I'm right here." Crash whispered.

A pair of dark eyes appeared in the shadows, someone was there.
"Jan! Run! Save yourself!" Crash cried, of course she didn't hear him.

Jan noticed the eyes as well. Her body jerked.
"I-I-It c-c-can't be... It's impossible…! You died!" Jan whimpered, staring at the creature in the shadows.

Crash became alert; he needed to know who this being was. This was around the part he saw when he blacked out last time. This time he wouldn't end the blackout, he would see what hid there.

Finally, the creature emerged from the shadows. To both Jan and Crash's horror, it was Cortex. The wicked scientist was covered in blood, his eyes looked like an impure blood red and his face was twisted in a way that made him look certifiably insane.

"Hello Jane." Cortex replied in his sickeningly sweet voice. Crash could feel the cold feeling spread across him.

"How, how did you survive?! How could you do all this?! ARE YOU CRAZY!?" Jan screamed.

"A little." Cortex responded, calmly. The creepy smile not leaving him.

"You can't win Cortex. My father is commanding a resistance right now."

"Silly little girl. My minions killed the resistance hours ago… But since the power was cut off, you wouldn't know that would you?"

"Well then… Crash will…"

"Crash won't come." Cortex cut her off.

"Yes he will; he's never failed me!" Jan bit back

Cortex walked closer to the girl causing her to take a step back.

"Even with everything standing before you, you still want to stand by that?"

"You aren't going to get away with this Cortex…! Crash won't let you!" Jan whimpered

Cortex pulled a menacing looking gun from his lab coat; aiming it in the direction of the helpless girl, laughing lowly.

"On the contrary, my dear. I already have."
Before Jan had another to react, Cortex fired shattering her chest. Blood splattered everywhere. Jan crumpled to the ground, looking back up at the scientist with the world fading to black.

"A pity, my dear. Like I said, you would've made a fine addition." The scientists chuckled darkly before retreating back into the shadows.

Jan wanted to know what he meant as death quickly consumed her. As soon as Jan died, Crash's vision cleared to find himself in front of a menacing looking cave.

"Wait… Where am I?"
"Crash start running there's something dangerous in that cave!" AkuAku begged.

Crash still trying to process what was going on. decided to take the mask's word for it.

He started running as he could in the murky water when suddenly, a large triceratops started chasing after them.

"Exactly when did this dinosaur over here show up?" The bandicoot asked, incredulous.

"Were you even paying attention for the last 45 minutes?" The floating mask demanded, as Crash jumped over a lava bit and dodged some flying dinosaurs as he continued.

"In case you were wondering, no I wasn't. I had another vision."

"Can't you keep your visions under control?" The mask growled.

"What's your problem, Pine Sol?" Crash demanded.

"Can you just focus for a few minutes…"

As Crash and AkuAku were at each other's throats, UkaUka was watching from a safe distance. He had been the one to provoke the triceratops as Crash was blacked out. AkuAku had not been to snap the bandicoot out of it.

"This should be able to subdue that miserable bandicoot and my feeble brother. Once I get them out of the way, I will have my revenge." The evil mask chuckled darkly.

Crash was trying to move past the wild grass that was slowing him down along the path. The bandicoot was frustrated enough as it was and he didn't another obstacle holding down.
Crash decided after that to use his spin and cut away the grass. Even with his plan, he was still slowed down and the dinosaur was gaining on him.

Crash decided not to panic and keep running.
He suddenly came to a rather wide lava pit. Crash slid and then double jumped into the air, barely landing on the side. He quickly got up and continued. The creature walked in the lava as it was nothing continuing until he got claws on some fresh meat.

Crash slipped along some fast moving water as he felt himself being pulled forward.

"Okay Crash, stay cool you should be done real soon."

Crash then took notice of the of a crystal and three gems off in the distance.

"The final stretch, I can do this." He thought to himself.

Crash ran as fast as he could when he suddenly tripped and was falling toward a lava pit.

Crash squeezed his eyes shut as he waited for the pain to come.

None came when the bandicoot opened his eyes to see the bright light Aku gave off.

Crash breathed pulling himself quickly, the triceratops was getting closer now.

The prizes were just 10 yards away, and the triceratops was right behind. The bandicoot ran towards the crystal and the gems as the triceratops opened it's mouth. The minute he touched them, he teleported away just in time.

The bandicoot was again back in the hub.

"Wow Crash, you've done it again." Crash grinned sheepishly.

Aku just looked him looking strained.

"Okay, what's your problem?" Crash asked. looking irritated.

"What the hell happened; what were you doing conked out like that?" The floating mask demanded.

"Like I said: I had that vision. The vision I had back on the cold water and when I was breathing in the toxic seeds."

Aku's face suddenly softened. "Crash, I'm sorry, was it the same?"

"Pretty much, but it worse than before. When I saw Jan, a large patch of her hair was gone. They probably had to shave the patch when they were taking care of the injury along with a huge scar."

"Her hair will grow back…"

"I know that, it's just when I saw the eyes in the shadows last time, I didn't know who they belonged to."

"Did you get your answer?"

"It was Cortex… He shot her… He shot her with that smile of his." Crash could feel his entire body tremble when he recalled the vision.

"And that was it?"

"Yes… Is this some type of warning, or is this what worries me the most? That I will fail, the lives of many will be in turmoil and Jan will be killed to spite me, even after I'm killed?"

"Crash, these are just images in your head. It doesn't mean that have or are going to happen. All you need to do is just keep going and not doubt yourself. It's all any of us can do." The mask explained, gently.

Crash smiled confidently. "Your right. I will not let myself fall into the abyss. I value myself too much to do that; not when I have a life to live and people to help. And the dashing bandicoot that I am, is going to trek through."

Suddenly Coco and Pura reappeared in the hub.

"Where did you guys go?" Crash asked.

"We went to Atlantis and another part of route 66 and found some more crystals and gems."

"So how many does that give us?" The masked asked.

"Just two more crystals from this hub then we can move on."

Crash turned to see another part of Medieval Europe and another part of the Arabian times.

"Coco, I'll go to medieval Europe, you take the other one."

"But, Crash I…" The girl protested.

"Just do it… Okay?"

Coco sighed. "Pura be a good girl while I'm gone."

Pura mewed as she snuggled in the corner and fell asleep.

Coco sighed as she jumped through the portal.

Crash looked back at the baby cub before he and Aku jumped through the portal taking them to their next location.

That's the end of the chapter. Hopefully this finally cleared some things for anybody who was confused about the hallucinations in Alliance. This is the only blackout Crash has in this story, but there will be more in the stories to come so stay alert.

Until then. Read and Review.