Chapter 1: The Storm Before the Calm Before the Storm
Dark clouds gathered ominously in the air over the Wumpa Islands, swiftly blocking the clear, blue sky. Thunder boomed loudly as a violent wind storm threatened to destroy everything in its path, from the trees to the ancient ruins.
What was once a tranquil afternoon had suddenly become an evening of terror and chaos.
Coco and Tawna, both completely nude and exposed to the elements, ran from the shore as the ocean waves surged, sending water high up into the air.
Coco watched in horror as both her jet ski and her clothes (which had been folded neatly on the shore) were pulled in by the tide and swallowed up by the sea.
"Oh no! My clothes!" Coco cried.
Coco instinctively ran towards the ocean in a desperate attempt to save them, but Tawna quickly pulled her back with her grappling hook.
"Forget it!" she shouted. "It's not worth it!"
"But now I'm stuck being naked outside!" Coco said, feeling vulnerable by the elements.
"I think that's the least of our problems!" Tawna retorted, urgency in her voice.
The two jumped as a sudden bolt of lightning struck a nearby palm tree, setting it on fire.
"Whoa!" Coco said, jumping into Tawna's arms.
"Holy crap!" shouted Tawna.
They watched as the now-flaming tree was uprooted and blown away by the wind.
"What is happening?!" cried out Coco as she covered her breasts from the sand and dirt flying around her. "Everything just changed so fast!"
"I don't know, but I don't like it," Tawna replied grimly.
Several more lightning bolts illuminated the sky, crackling overhead against the dark clouds and striking the ocean below.
"We better find shelter. And quick!" Tawna said, urgently.
Without a moment of hesitation, Tawna grabbed Coco with her free hand and began running towards the mountains with her in tow.
As they ran, Coco looked back at N. Sanity Island in the distance. She was worried about her home and her brother, Crash. She could just barely make out her home on N. Sanity Island through the mist kicked up by the wind.
Wait a minute…perhaps we're getting ahead of ourselves.
How on Earth did Tawna and Coco end up in this situation?
And why were they both naked?
Maybe it would be best to go back to a few hours ago.
A FEW HOURS AGO
Everything was quiet on N. Sanity Island. It had been several months since the Bandicoots' last adventure and they were taking advantage of the peace and quiet.
Crash Bandicoot took advantage of this rare downtime the way he always did: with a leisurely afternoon snooze.
He slept on the couch in the living room, snored loudly with his mouth wide open. His head drooped off the side of the couch with his right arm hung over the back keeping him from falling off.
Coco popped her head out from around the corner. She looked around the living room and saw her brother sleeping on the couch, along with their two pets, Pura and Polar, sleeping soundly on the floor.
She let out a sigh of relief. "Good, they're all asleep," she whispered quietly. "Now's my chance!"
His sister Coco had her own idea for enjoying the break in their adventures.
She quietly tiptoed over to the couch where Crash was sleeping. She gently patted his hair and gave him a kiss on the head. "Bye Crash," she whispered. "I'll be back in a few hours!"
Crash began groaning as he lifted his head up, eyes still half shut. He lazily waved good-bye to Coco...right before falling back asleep, clutching onto one of the pillows.
Coco then quietly ran outside their house towards the beach.
But then, no sooner after Coco had left, a bright flash of light suddenly enveloped the living room. And just as quick as it appeared, the light disappeared, taking Crash Bandicoot with it!
Pura and Polar purred as they slept next to each other, completely unaware of Crash's sudden disappearance.
On the shore of N. Sanity Beach, Coco stood by her jet ski, prepping it for her adventure. With her heart full of excitement, Coco started the ignition and began revving up the engine. She looked out to the ocean towards another island off in the distance.
"Going somewhere?" said a voice.
Coco nearly fell off her jet ski as she looked up and saw Aku Aku hovering above her. "Aku Aku!"
"What are you doing?" he asked with a hint of suspicion in his tone.
"Oh I'm just gonna go…exploring. On another island. That's all!"
Aku Aku hovered over Coco's head, looking down at her. Coco flashed him a weak smile.
"Exploring, eh?" asked Aku Aku. "Without your computer or gadgets?"
"Uh, y-y'know," Coco said, nervously, "we all have to take a break from technology every once in a while."
He raised an eyebrow at her. "You're going to…that island, aren't you?" asked Aku Aku. "The secret one you and Crash like to sneak off to?"
He let out an exasperated sigh and shook his face. "Sometimes I wonder about you and Crash."
"Is it so wrong to do this from time to time?" Coco asked, indignantly. "We are animals after all. It's only natural."
"It's vulgar for you and Crash to be doing…such a thing in public!" Aku Aku shouted, suddenly.
"We're the only ones that are ever on that island! I'll be fine!" argued Coco.
Not wanting to hear a response from Aku Aku, Coco pushed her jet ski out into the water and hopped on.
"I'll be back in a few hours!" Coco shouted, as she drove away towards the island.
Aku Aku sighed again. Realizing that it was pointless to follow after Coco, he floated back into the house where Crash slept.
"I guess it's just you and me today, Crash," he said as he flew into the living room.
To his surprise, Crash wasn't on the couch like he was a few moments ago. "Um, Crash?" he asked.
He looked in the kitchen, then he looked up the stairs. But Crash was nowhere to be found. "Crash? Where'd you go?" Aku Aku called out.
MEANWHILE
Coco rode her jet ski across the water, the salty breeze whipping through her hair as she approached the secluded island. Coco took a deep breath, taking in the smell of the sea salt and feeling the chill sea breeze on her face.
She smiled to herself. As freeing as this was for her, it was nothing compared to the freedom and tranquility that awaited her on the "secret island."
It didn't take long for Coco to arrive at the secret island. As Coco circled the island, she was in awe at its lush greenery and clear blue waters. Like most of the other Wumpa Islands nearby, there were tall mountain peaks with waterfalls cascading down into a hidden lagoon.
Coco grew more and more excited as she looked for a place to park.
Eventually, she drove into a small island cove. As she drove onto the shore, she cut the engine off and hopped off the jet ski, pulling it up onto the sand to keep it from floating away.
Once the jet ski was firmly on the shore, Coco surveyed her surroundings. She took a moment to breathe in the sweet scent of tropical blooms, mingling with the salty tang of the ocean. Birds sang melodious tunes from the treetops. She could hear the distant roar of the waterfall as it rained down into the lagoon.
"So beautiful," mused Coco, as she closed her eyes.
She untied her shoes and flung them off, allowing her to sink her toes into the clean, white sand. She wiggled her toes, feeling the warm grains between them. "Ah, that's the stuff," she giggled.
Coco wandered deeper into the cove, finding her favorite spot shaded by a cluster of palm trees.
Then came the moment that Coco had been eagerly anticipating.
Coco quickly took her belt off, throwing it off to the side. She then unhooked the single strap of her overalls, allowing her overalls to fall to the ground around her ankles, leaving her clad in a white shirt and pink underwear.
Immediately, she could feel the wind on her legs. But Coco didn't stop there.
Coco quickly looked around her surroundings to make sure she truly was alone. She then slid her underwear down her legs, leaving her completely bottomless. She quickly followed it up by flinging her shirt off, throwing it to the side with the rest of her clothes.
She now stood completely nude with her bare furry body exposed to the wind and sun.
"Ah, pure freedom," Coco sighed, stretching her arms above her head. She reveled in being in her most animalistic form, free and unencumbered by clothes.
No clothes, no shame. Just pure bliss.
She walked to the edge of the lagoon and dipped her toes into the cool, refreshing water. Coco waded in slowly, enjoying the way the water caressed her skin. She swam out to the middle of the lagoon and floated on her back, gazing up at the clear blue sky through the canopy of palm fronds.
"This is paradise," she whispered to herself.
As she floated there, her mind drifted to the adventures she had shared with Crash and the challenges they had overcome.
This island was Coco and Crash's own secret island, which they discovered a few months after thwarting Dr Cortex and Uka Uka's plan to take over the world. It was peaceful and quiet, perfect for relaxing and distressing after another crazy adventure. With no one else on the island, it slowly grew into a place for them to both be undressed and enjoy the freedom that comes with being nude.
Now the thought of Coco (and Crash) Bandicoot being completely naked, let alone out in the open, may seem strange to some people. But as intelligent and anthropomorphized as she was, they were still animals, animals with a primal desire to be without clothes.
However, they both agreed to never be on this secret island at the same time. Even Coco found it too weird for her to be nude around him (and vice-versa).
Coco continued to float on her back in the water with her eyes closed.
After a refreshing soak in the lagoon, Coco wringed the water out of her hair. With only a few droplets of water cascading down her back, she then made her way inward to explore the island.
As she ventured deeper into the jungle, the dense foliage began to thicken, providing Coco with a canopy that filtered the sunlight and cast dappled shadows on the ground. Coco marveled at the vibrant flora and fauna, feeling a sense of wonder and adventure bubbling within her.
Just then, she looked up and saw a bunch of thick vines hanging from the tall tree branches above her. Coco had a mischievous grin as she suddenly had an idea, something that she had wanted to do for a while.
Without a second thought, Coco climbed up one of the highest trees in the jungle. She then reached out and grabbed hold of one of the vines. With a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, she gave herself a little push and swung through the air.
"Whoo-hoo!" she shouted, gleefully, as she soared through the air like a monkey.
Swinging gracefully from vine to vine, Coco lost herself in the thrill of the moment. Her heart raced with excitement as she navigated through the dense foliage. The wind whipped through her fur, drying off the last bit of water left from the lagoon.
With adrenaline coursing through her body, Coco couldn't help herself and let out a loud holler, like an ape man swinging through the jungles of Africa.
Suddenly, Coco heard another loud holler like hers just moments after she let out hers. It was louder and deeper than her own. Coco stopped momentarily on a tree branch and waited for the holler to come again.
Coco looked around, feeling slightly uneasy about someone else being on her private island. But apart from a few birds chirping, she heard and saw nothing.
"Must have been a weird echo," she shrugged.
Not wanting to let anxiety get the best of her, Coco hopped onto another vine and continued to indulge in her exhilarating, unclothed journey through the jungle.
But little did she know, she wasn't the only one on the island.
TO BE CONTINUED…