Crash and Spyro, A Friendship Across Lifetimes

Chapter 33: Your Future is Behind You

FOUR months had gone by, and for the first time, Spyro had finally visited all of the Dragon Realms. He was allowed to travel, to explore. He also no longer felt like an outsider, but instead as a role model. He was in attendance at the next Senate Meeting, this time formally invited. They discussed the remaining issue of the Sorceress, what she could be up to, and how the Elders could prepare Spyro to confront her. He may have only been ten years old, but they had confidence in him. When that day finally came, when Spyro had to fight for the survival of his species, he knew he would be ready. Everything seemed right in the world, except for one thing.

Crash remained on his beach. And Spyro couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He isolated himself, kept himself secluded from everyone including Spyro. He was concerned for Crash's health; Crash had told him about his suicide problem, and it seemed as if he had gotten over it, but Spyro couldn't be sure. He needed to talk to him. Today, Spyro was going to visit him unexpectedly.

Spyro landed on the beach to find Crash painting on a bolder. It was a portrait of a some kind, but he or she was so young. "Hey Crash" Spyro said as he walked up to Crash. Crash jumped and turned around to see his friend. Spyro had never actually startled Crash before; he always seemed to hear when Spyro was flying to this beach. He got up and turned to face Spyro. He looked like a mess.

"Hey... I'm... painting. What brings you here?" Crash said with his SAD as he looked around at his painting supplies. Finding the right colors was challenging, and he wasn't sure if he had enough.

"Painting, hugh? Who are you drawing?" Spyro asked as Crash continued to fidget aimlessly with his supplies, not really paying attention to Spyro. He seemed agitated and frustrated. From what Spyro could tell from the painting, it seemed to be an infant that he was drawing. Spyro had a pretty good guess at who that was.

"Crash... can I talk to you?" Spyro said concernedly

Crash halted in place and again looked at Spyro, this time with a saddened and lost look on his face.

"About what?" Crash asked with his SAD, although he had an idea where Spyro might be going with this.

"Crash, I'm worried about you. You being her on this beach alone, I think you're in pain and are not willing to heal. I can't stand seeing you like this."

Coco had once given Crash a similar speech on this beach.

"I mean... look at yourself Crash!" Spyro continued. "Have you seen yourself lately, seen your reflection? It looks like you barely sleep, and I can see your rib's. Once you told me how much loosing Tawna, Coco, and the rest of Budakan hurt you, plagued you with a pain in your heart. How you were considering killing yourself to end that pain. But now I think you're just wasting away here on this beach, trying to wither away slowly because you can't get over your losses. You're willing to fight for anyone but yourself. I don't know if it's because you feel guilty or responsible for all the tragedies in your life, but you're wrong if you think so. You deserve to be happy, to have a family again, but that can never happen if you can't let go of the past. Please Crash," Spyro said a little emotionally it this point, "Open up, and let me help you instead of shutting me out."

"I... already told you about my life." Crash said looking away from Spyro. His concern for him was breaking through.

"No, you only gave me an objective synopsis of your life. But now I want to know why you can't let go. You can't keep this inside of you forever. I'm your friend. I promised to stay alive for you, now you need to promise me the same. And it starts by getting over this, moving on and living your life, and to stop clinging to the past." Spyro was looking at Crash's painting and Crash noticed.

Crash didn't know what to say. What did Spyro want him to say, what did he mean by open up? He had already told him about his future. He must know why he feels the way he does. Why losing his love, child, and adopted sister tore him up so.

"I'm alone; I can never have a family or a 'life' again" Crash finally responded with his SAD. Tears were forming in his eyes. That was it, Crash thought, this was the reason he couldn't move on, twice he had a family, once with Tawna and once with Coco, and both times he lost them.

"That's not true, Crash" Spyro replied crying, too. "It may not be perfect; it may not make a whole lot of sense, but... I'm your new family. I'm your brother now... And family's look out for one another, no matter how grim or bad things get."

Crash remembered that line. He told Spyro the same thing in the Peace Keepers Realm. Crash looked down and closed his eyes, trying to flush out the tears, though more came. He collapsed to the ground with tear drops marking the sand. This had been bottled up inside him ever since he first arrived in the past. When he first realized he was trapped here. But now Crash couldn't hold it back anymore. He wept as Spyro came closer. Spyro leaned against his brother and gave him a shoulder to cry on.

"I can't be alone anymore" Crash said raspy and pausing several times to catch his breath. Though Spyro could barely tell what he had just said, he didn't care.

"And you won't be" Spyro said calmly.

"Thanks Spyro" Crash said more understandably without using his SAD.

"You're welcome brother."

They both smiled as they watched the sunset together, like how Crash and Tawna, Crash and Coco, and Crash and Niko had done together so many times before in the future.