Crash Bandicoot: The Beginning

*Chapter 6: Great Aku Aku*

Crash hasn't made a sound. The mask is alive, and it talks to him. And it saved him from that snake by placing himself over Crash's face to fight it. The bandicoot never seen anything like it. The ancient mask has powers, and they are good powers when Crash felt them inside his body. They feel so warm. The mask stares at the silent bandicoot in concern, wondering why Crash didn't speak to him.

"Young man, I asked you a question. What is your name?" He asked. "Don't you have a name?" Crash stood up and nodded at him. He points to himself with a smile. But, the mask didn't seem to know what the bandicoot is doing. "I ask you what you name is." The mask said. Crash muttered, but found a stick. He uses it to write his own name on the dirt. The mask watched the bandicoot write his name. But, the letter R is backwards. "Ah. So, you name is Crash?" The mask asked. Crash smiled and nodded at him. "Nice to meet you, Crash Bandicoot. And, oh where are my manners? I am Aku Aku. The witch doctor of the island. I was...once a human decades ago, and my soul transfers to this mask I created, but I was put to sleep by the dark mojo. And now that you awaken me, I must thank you. This island is not what it seems." The mask said. Crash cocked his head to the side in concern.

"Huh?"

"Are you familiar with a mad man named Dr. Cortex?" Aku Aku asked. Crash nodded and pointed at a faraway island. He gestures himself, and the island. Aku Aku follows his gestures and sounds that Crash makes. "You mean you're from that island? And you are saying that you need to go back there? But why, if I may ask?" Crash tries to say that his sister is out there all alone, but all he can do is jibber jabber a bit. So, Crash has to act all girly, flicking invisible hair, winking at the ancient mask. "Oh! You're saying there's a girl out there?" Aku Aku asked. Crash nodded. "I see. So, you need to get her out of the grasps of that scientist." Aku Aku said, understanding what Crash is trying to say. The bandicoot smiled in relief. Aku Aku gave him a nod. "If you are going on a dangerous journey, allow me to help you. You don't know what it's like out there. There is a tribe of natives on this island who are against Cortex. If they see you, they will kill you and have you for dinner." Aku Aku told the bandicoot. Crash's ears lower a little.

"Yeesh."

"Yes. But, before we could get to that girl you are mentioning, you must help me first. This island, and the second island are filled with Cortex's deadly traps. Such as TNTs and Nitro crates." Aku Aku said. "I do not want the natives or innocent animals to be killed in these islands. I could sense nature is dying from the crates. So, if you help me, I will accompany you on the journey to save a girl." Crash turned back to the Cortex castle, then back to Aku Aku. He agreed to help the ancient mask by helping him put the islands back to the way it was with no deadly traps, and Aku Aku will help Crash get his sister back. "Thank you, Crash. Now, let us journey on this island. I will protect you. If things have gotten out of hand, I will grant you special powers if you wear me as a mask." Aku Aku said.
So, the two wander off to the jungle. Crash is happy that he made a new friend, and a real friendly one. Aku Aku is different. He is soft spoken, and full of honesty. Unlike Cortex who wants him as a killing machine.

Coco is looking out the window, worried about her brother who escaped last night. She doesn't know if he survived in the ocean and made it to one of the islands, or he could be dead. No, Coco doesn't want to think that. Crash is alive out there. She knows it. The door opens and Cortex is coming in, bringing his hands behind his back, smiling at the female bandicoot.

"Hello, my dear Coco." He greeted. "How are you this fine afternoon?" Coco didn't say anything to him. "Let me guess... You miss your dear brother? I'm sorry to tell you this, Coco, but he's gone now. Besides, the machine rejects him. You know what that means, right? You will be the general. I thought we discussed this."

"I won't be anyone's general, Cortex!" Coco said with a look. "Crash is alive out there! He will come back to rescue me." Cortex chuckled at her. "What's so funny?"

"Such a silly girl. Crash won't return after what he just experienced." Cortex told her, coming over to her to look out the window. "He's such a naïve little bandicoot. He won't survive out there if he is alive. The islands can be dangerous." Coco moved away from him, glaring at him. Cortex narrowed his eyes at her. "Two days for the Vortex to be ready for you, Coco. If Crash is alive out there, he will be stopped from coming here to get you out of here. So, enjoy your last two days here as a good girl." The evil scientist said leaving the room. He turned back to Coco before closing the door. "I will send my minions to look for that bandicoot if he is alive. I will keep you posted, Coco. Ta-ta for now." He said, shutting the door and lock it. Coco sat down on her bed and sighed.

"Crash is alive, and he will fight these creepy guys." She said to herself. "Crash, if you are out there, please hurry back. We need to run away together. We will start a new life as brother and sister."

Crash and Aku Aku are walking through the jungles, seeing more temple stones around. Crash notices the traps around this part of the jungle too. Rolling stones. Aku Aku instructed the bandicoot to jump over the rails before the stones could squish Crash. So, Crash did and continued down the path. He turned to see a big red plant with razor sharp teeth. It opened its mouth wide to eat Crash, but Aku Aku uses a force field to protect Crash from being devoured. The plant recoiled and Crash walked away.

"Be careful, Crash. Those plants eat anything it sees." Aku Aku warned. Crash just walked down the path with a grin on his face, half listening to the mask. He then spotted a skunk strolling across from him. Crash was about to reach for it to pet it, but the skunk scurried away. The bandicoot shrugged and continued on. Aku Aku keeps following him by his side, keeping his guard up to see any danger around this part of the jungle. Crash spotted a Wumpa Fruit on the ground. He smiled gleefully and picked it up. He took a bite out of it.

"Mmmm!" He hummed. The juices run down his mouth, he licked it up and eat the whole fruit. Aku Aku smiled at him a little.

"I see you are enjoying the Wumpa Fruit." He said. Crash nodded. "Well, don't eat too much or else you will get sick. But it does keep your energy up. Especially for this journey." Then, Crash started to hear sounds ahead of him. He follows the sounds that grew a little closer, but he can also smell fruit and...blood. Aku Aku noticed this. "It's the natives, Crash. They returned from the hunt for their village." He said.

"Whoa..." Crash gasped when he halts to see a gate. A native gate. Aku Aku looked up and notices the natives bringing in the food inside. He told Crash to hide behind the boulder before the natives can see him. Aku Aku and Crash watched the natives bring the food inside the village, and the two natives shut the gates and guard the place with spears in their hands, speaking in a native language. Crash cocked his head to the side, wondering what language they are speaking.

"We must be very careful, Crash. Those natives are very protective of their village and leader. We must pass by them quietly." Aku Aku spoke. He turned and realized that Crash is gone from his spot. "Crash? Crash?" He called, looking around. He spotted the orange marsupial walking towards the gates. "Oh no!" Aku Aku gasped.
The guardians turned to see a smiling bandicoot coming towards them. They point their spears at him, making him frown and held his hands up to surrender.
The left tribesman spoke to Crash in his language, pointing his spear at him. Crash only shrugged at him, not completely understanding the word he said to him. The right tribesman spoke to his friend in the same language, they are having a conversation. What caught Crash's attention is that they mention someone's name, and it is Papu Papu. So, the native men grabbed Crash's arms to bring him in the village. The bandicoot whimpered a bit. Aku Aku watched in silent, but in horror.

"This isn't good. I have to save the bandicoot. The chief of the village will kill him." He said, floating above the gates to keep track of Crash.