Crash and Spyro, A Friendship Across Lifetimes

Chapter 22: Wedding Crashers

COCO and Crunch stood facing each other, holding each other's hand as the tribe priest married them in holy matrimony. Crash was in the front row, watching his adopted sitter begin her new life. It was a confusing time for Crash; he wasn't sure whether he should be happy or sad. But Crunch did love Coco; he has made her so happy since they started seeing each other. He was perfect for her, and could be the husband Crash could never be. Crash sighed as the ceremony continued.

<I will always love you> Kawabata whispered to Coco.

<And I will always love you> Coco whispered back.

They kissed, and the small congregation of Budakan's clapped and cheered once they finished. It was only when every stopped clapping but one person did everyone finally notice who was standing way in the back. Crash turned to see who kept clapping, and stared in disbelief.

"Oh my god." Coco could see him, but still couldn't believe it. It had been two years, but he was standing right there, perfectly healthy and in attendance at her wedding. Niko stopped clapping stared at his sister with a huge smile on his face. Coco left her husband's side and walked towards her brother.

"How... Niko I..."

"You thought I'd miss my own sister's wedding."

Crash got up from his seat and walked toward Niko as well, everyone in the crowd was astonished. He has been gone for two years, presumably dead in the fire two years ago. Where was he this whole time?

Coco went to embrace her brother tears streaming down her face, but he put his arm up to stop her from hugging him. The smile disappeared from his face, he raised his right hand, pressed his right index finger to his temple, and he began to change. Skin changed to metal, his Budakan clothes altered to a white uniform, his face scared with cybernetics and no hair on the right side of his face. Coco took a step back after seeing what her brother had become.

"Yes Coco, Niko did die two years ago." His voice had changed too, now a hybrid of Crash's SAD and a twisted from of his old speech. "What I believed in, who I loved, who I was, all burned away in the fire! Now, I only have one purpose."

"Niko... what..."

N-Gin slapped Coco across the face and she flew back towards the chapel. Crunch ran towards Niko to protect his wife. His robotic hand collided with Niko's and the clank echoed loud and intensely. Crash could only watch.

"Each breath you barbarians take is an insult to my master." He twisted Crunch's robotic wrist, throwing his balance off and flung him backwards."

N-Gin walked forward, the crowd of Budakans was ready to attack, but a spotlight appeared over them, freezing them in place. It was Cortex's zeppelin (a new one) shining the light on the congregation; the light reflected of N-Gin armor.

"And then there's you, Crash. Cortex's original creation. Why he chose a rodent like you is beyond me, but who am I to second guess. After all, second chances are hard to come by. But I got one, and now I'm going to kill you because of it."

Cortex descended from his zeppelin and appeared hovering over his two creations.

"I see you've met my new right hand man, Crash. Though I was hesitant to allow a Budakan to join my ranks, he was such a mess when I found him. I couldn't help but take pity on the young boy. I saved his life, you know. And now he's as loyal as can be. Who knows, if I could have cured Tawna all those years ago, maybe you wouldn't have defected. All well, I guess I just needed practice."

What did Cortex mean by fix Tawna? Was that why he wanted to euthanize her; she was sick and he failed to cure her? Crash again was flooded with the memories of Tawna. N-Gin grabbed Crash by the neck and lifted him into the air.

"You are nothing but a failure, an error that must be rectified" Cortex shouted from his perched position. N-Gin's robotic hand began to tighten, and Crash dangled in the air and couldn't breathe. Crunch tackled N-Gin, causing him to let go of Crash. He fell to the ground and gasped for air.

Tiny Tiger and another mutant Crash didn't recognize emerged from the woods. The new mutant was wearing a pinstripe suit and carried a gun. He began to open fire on the crowd, and screams of pain and terror could be heard over the gunfire. N-Gin and Crunch began to go at it, and Crunch's size proved to be useful. Crash ran to Coco to see if she was still alive.

"Coco."

She began to come to, and looked at Crash.

"What happened to my brother?"

She slowly got up, and saw her brother and husband still going at it. N-Gin then stabbed Crunch in the chest and he collapsed to the ground. N-Gin shook his right arm to get the blood off.

"No! Niko, how could you!" Coco stood up, and Crash stayed beside her.

"Cause I wanted to, sis!" He raised his arm, and it transformed from a blade to an energy pistol similar to Cortex's. He fired a shot at Coco, but the energy beam was deflected by a green sphere that appeared around Coco and Crash.

"I see you still have that trinket protecting you," Cortex said still hovering over the scene. "Well, let's just say we've come prepared to deal with your little party mask"

N-Gin's chest opened to reveal a Purple Power Gem hidden within. He grabbed it and focused. A dark aura formed around him and he then looked at his sister and adopted brother and smiled. He raised his left, still human, arm at the two of them, and dark lighting soon enveloped Coco and Crash. It was the most agonizing pain they had ever felt once the energy broke through Aku-Aku's shield.

"N-Tropy's research into the Power Gems came quite in handy. What he observed, creatures of the past harnessing this energy and ruling the world with it, was just the motivation I needed to find and collect them. Oh you haven't met him Crash, but he's partially responsible for your creation, you know. He was an old acquaintance of mine who was obsessed with the space time continuum. I though he was a nut case until he developed a device that allowed him to see backwards in time. He couldn't actually travel through time; he needed a different power source. That's when I told him of the Power Gems, and our acquaintance became a partnership. Why am I telling you all this, you may be thinking? Well, although you're a failed, rejected specimen, I still consider you part of the family. And you've proven to be quite the adversary in the past; though I've replaced you with your brother here. And I don't like loose ends. N-Gin, finish them off for me."

"Why of course, master." N-Gin willed the Power Gems to finish off Crash and Coco, and the pain they were in exponentiated until N-Gin flew backwards after he was hit with an energy blast from out of nowhere.

"What the hell was that?" Cortex said in confusion.

Dr. Nitrous Brio stood at the other side of the forest with a blaster in his arms. He was followed by two large mutated komodo dragons, Dingo-Dile, and a reformed Ripper Roo.

"You're not the only one who learns from his mistakes, Dr. Cortex. And I'm afraid I can't let you terrorize these people or use the Power Gems for you own malicious purposes, anymore."

"Oh, if it isn't the other defector" Cortex said rather annoyed. N-Gin slowly got up from the ground and reached for his Power Gem. "I see you created another Evolve-O Ray. Haven't you created enough monsters, N Brio? I thought you grew a conscience."

"No, I've just been shown the error of my ways, old friend. Dingo, Ripper, we need to get Crash and Coco out of here, leave Dr. Cortex to me. The more help we have, the better chance we have of shutting down Dr. Nefarious Tropy's Time machine."

"You made me Brio, why are you betraying me and my master!" N-Gin said in a rage.

"I saved your life, Niko. It was Cortex that made you who you are."

"That's not my name!" N-Gin fired more plasma attacks from his robotic arm towards N Brio. Brio than reached for a Power Gem from Ripper Roo and used it to form a barrier around him and the other mutants.

Auras of blinding energy formed around N-Gin and N Brio as they summoned forth energy from their Power Gems. The air around them began to crackle and darken as the energy pooled out of the Gems and become the will of its wielders. The resulting attack between the two sent out a shockwave that cause everyone within the area to be flown back.

"Moe and Joe, get Crash and Coco, we're leaving now." The Komodo brothers took off and grabbed the marsupial and the newly wed.

"Wait, I'm not leaving without Kawabata."

Crash helped Moe carry a bleeding Crunch, and N Brio lead his team to their escape plane.

"I'll never understand Cortex's obsession with zeppelins." N Brio said as they were running through the jungle.

Crash was hesitant following N Brio. He didn't know him as well as Cortex, but he is the man responsible for almost all of Cortex's mutants. Has he really had a change of heart? Everyone boarded the plane, and it took off at a remarkable speed.

Moe and Dingo-Dile placed Crush onto a table and N Brio went to work treating his wound.

"We can't just leave Budaka! My entire tribe is at the mercy of that basted Cortex" Coco pleaded.

"Don't worry about the Budakans. Cortex may seem like a sadist, but his main focus is the Power Gems, and I have one. He only indulges in collateral damage if it's part of his mission." N Brio responded as he continued to treat her husband.

Crash stared at Dingo-Dile in mistrust. He was mainly responsible for the burning of Budakan.

"Aye, I see you finally noticed that I'm alive, mate. After you thrashed me, I was brought back to Cortex's space station and received some of his top notch care. Look, I... hope there are no hard feelings between us. I heard what happened to your girlfriend. A shame. I know I've done some evil in my time, responsible for a lot of Budakan's deaths, too. Can't change the past, but I can change my future."

"We mutants did ask to be created," Ripper Roo interjected, "but if we have free will, then we have the choice to do good."

"Cortex is now onto his endgame, Crash." N Brio continued. "What he mentioned about N Tropy is true. He has learned of the true power of these Gems, and plans to go back in time to the moment they were created. There is a Time Twister device that he plans to use to do so, and he only needs three Gems to make it work. I know you've suffered; I know Cortex has hurt you, which is why I'm asking you to help me finish this. Make it so he can't hurt anyone ever again."

Crash thought about it. For too long he has reacted to Cortex. Now he has the chance to act. Crash walked up to N Brio and shook his hand.