Without You, There's No Need

Chapter 12

-Flashback: During 'Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped'-

After another plan gone awry, Crash was battling Cortex yet again. Crash and Cortex were fighting hand-to-hand. Uka-Uka and his good twin brother, Aku-Aku, were also fighting near-by.

Crash pinned Cortex down to the ground and stated, "Cortex, we don't have to this. Please come over to our side. Nina needs to raised in a safe environment where she can learn about her powers properly."

Cortex responded, "I know that, Crash. But, Uka-Uka is dangerous more than you ever know..."

"I wish you were joking," said the south Australian bandicoot, white as a ghost.

Cortex shook his head and told Crash, "I wish I was." He mumbled, "And I wish Cosmo was here to grant that wish."

"Huh," asked Crash, confused.

"Nothing," Cortex said, quickly.

Crash changed the subject and asked, "So, what are you going to do?"

Cortex started to answer, "I'm not sure. Not of yet. But, I know we have to..."

Just then, a blast between the two masks occurred. It was something like Coco had never seen before. She was monitoring the battle on her laptop. N. Gin, Tiny, and toddler Nina were near-by also watching. Nina was at least four years old, short black hair, brown eyes, wearing a white shirt, black skirt, and black shoes.

Coco saw the girl and asked, "Uh, who IS this girl?"

N. Gin answered, without blinking, "That's Nina Cortex, Neo's niece."

Coco studied her and saw how good she was. She couldn't understand it. She wondered, 'How did this girl get mixed up in this?' Coco went back to the feed and saw that magic portholes opened up everywhere as the earth shook.

Dingodile came over as he picked up the toddler and stated, "Let's get Nina out of here!"

Tiny added, "Tiny says, the faster, the better!"

With that; Dingodile, Tiny, and Coco started running for shelter. N. Gin, however, went the other way.

"Hey, rocket head," Coco yelled, "Where are you going?"

No answer from him because N. Gin kept running towards the stadium Crash and Cortex was. Coco waved it off and started to run. Meanwhile, N. Gin got to the battlegrounds and saw the trouble unfolding. Crash got Cortex up and the two of them ran towards the two masks, trying to get them to stop. However, the power from the two masks sent both of them back. N. Gin also felt the blast but continued to pursue and enter the fray. He knew that he had to save his master. The blast finally stopped as N. Gin saw Crash going down along with Cortex. Both of their hands started to glow a strange light. N. Gin ran over to Cortex and tried to wake him up.

"My master," said N. Gin, worried, "You've got to wake up!"

Cortex opened his eyes and saw N. Gin and asked, weakened, "Nicholas?"

Uka-Uka saw this and was disgusted by this display.

Aku-Aku asked, "Nicholas?"

Uka-Uka answered, "It does NOT matter. What does matter is that I stop anyone that dares challenges me."

Uka-Uka activated the magical portholes again as N. Gin was thrown away from Cortex, like a rag doll.

Cortex yelled, "No! Nicholas!" He knew that he had to do something and fast. That's when he went over to his best friend, Crash. He shook the bandicoot in total fear and pleaded, "Crash, wake up! There is danger!"

Crash didn't stir but Cortex brushed his hand up against Crash's hand. That's when something unexpected appeared. Some sort of light appeared, coming straight from the heavens above, blinding everyone. It was a sight to behold. It seemed like it was pure island magic and it was a pure energy source, the kind the two masks had never felt before. This light disappeared as the magical portholes stopped instantly. Crash and Cortex got knocked out from this, however.

Aku-Aku asked, freaked, "What was that?"

Uka-Uka answered, "I'm not sure."

He thought, fearfully, 'But I think that's what the ancients once predicted...'

-End of Flashback-

...

Back on the island, Crash was in panic mode. He panted at the information he now remembered and everything he went through with Cortex. The south Australian bandicoot was determined to find out one thing: why.

Crash was pacing around the house as he commented, "Why did the Light make me forget my best friend? Why did it reset us? I thought it was supposed to reset Aku-Aku and Uka-Uka!"

Coco waved her hands defensively and stated, "Hey, we thought the same thing you did. It's only natural to be confused."

"Angry is more like it," Crash replied, snarling a bit (though it wasn't at Coco).

Johnny shook his head as he responded, "Crash, the best thing for you to do right now is to calm down. There has to be a logical explanation."

Crash roared, "To what?! Why did this happen Johnny? Why is this happening?!"

Johnny was surprised that Crash raised his voice so high, as was Coral.

She quickly defended, "Crash, cool it! We're just trying to figure this out, just like you!"

Crash calmed down a bit as John sighed sadly.

He whispered, "I should've listened to my instinct. Now Pete and I are farther apart than we should be because of all of this..."

Crash knelt down to his Pichu friend as he hugged him and said, "I'm sorry bud."

John started to cry as Nicky and Rachel felt bad for the little Electric type.

Cristaen was in her thinking position as Selma asked her, "You okay?"

"Just wondering if we could approach that girl," Cristaen answered. "She seemed so mysterious, just like this island and this place."

"You mean Belle," Rachel asked.

"You know her," Cristaen questioned, looking at her daughter.

Rachel shook her head and answered, "To be perfectly honest, no. But I heard Trinity talking to her."

Coco puzzled at this. Trinity was Sandy's sister. She was a magical mask with rainbow paintings on her face. She had blue eyes and was often working alongside of Aku-Aku, like Sandy was working with Uka-Uka.

Coco whispered, "That's strange. Why would Trinity talk to someone that might be dangerous...?"

"We could ask her," Selma suggested, pointing outside that Trinity and Aku-Aku were coming.

"Yes," Crash said, "Let's do that."

Crash and Cortex were finally back together again but had many questions to what was causing the trouble. While they had no idea, they knew that they could do it as long as they stayed together...

...

Wishmaker1028: Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!