It's in the eyes. Always the eyes.

Chapter Twenty| Disturbing Declarations

Warning(s): Blood, Violence 

        With Aku-Aku and Lani-Loli guiding her, Penny safely latched onto the next ship, her grappling hook securing her path. She swiftly climbed up to the crow's nest, hoping for a better vantage point, and the view did not disappoint. From her high perch, she could see the wide expanse of the pirate fleet below.

"There!" Lani-Loli exclaimed, his voice quivering with excitement. "At the front of the ship, I see Crash and Coco just up ahead!"

Penny narrowed her eyes, following the mask's gaze. Sure enough, at the bow of the ship, she spotted them—but something was different. They weren't bound anymore. Instead, they were talking to a female bandicoot. Penny's breath caught when she took in the stranger's distinctive look—spiky faux-hawk with cyan-dyed tips, standing out starkly against her blonde hair. The way the bandicoot was casually talking to Crash and Coco made it seem like they were old friends. Relief flooded through Penny; whoever this stranger was, she had freed her friends, and they seemed unharmed.

Unable to hold back her joy, Penny shouted, "CRASH! COCO!" Her voice echoed across the deck.

Both bandicoots looked around, searching for the source of her voice, until Crash's eyes locked onto hers, wide with disbelief. His gaze traveled up to the crow's nest, where Penny stood, waving frantically, Aku-Aku and Lani-Loli floating beside her.

"PENNY!" Crash called out, a wide grin spreading across his face as he motioned excitedly for her to come down.

Not wasting a second, Penny slid down the wooden mast using her grappling hook, the wind rushing past her. The moment her feet touched the deck, she broke into a sprint toward Crash. He was already running toward her, his arms outstretched. Tears of joy welled in Penny's eyes as they collided in a tight embrace. Crash spun her around, his laughter mixing with her happy sobs. She buried her face into his fur, holding on as if she'd never let go. Finally, they stopped spinning, but Crash didn't loosen his grip, keeping Penny close in his arms.

Penny had longed for this moment, craving the warmth and comfort she missed while he and Coco were away. Without Crash's presence, the house had felt unbearably quiet, empty, and lonely. But now, here he was, holding her tightly as if he feared she might disappear again.

"You're ok... You're ok," Penny whispered into his shoulder, her voice trembling with relief. Crash, still holding her close, buried his nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling her familiar scent. It washed over him, dissolving the hollow ache he'd felt ever since he left her side.

Suddenly, Coco came running over, throwing her arms around them both. "Penny!" she cried, her voice full of joy. The trio shared a heartwarming embrace, holding each other as if time had stopped, the world around them fading into the background. For that brief moment, nothing else mattered—just the three of them, safe and together.

On the sidelines, the other female bandicoot watched with quiet curiosity, her eyes drifting to Penny, then to Crash, as if piecing together a story. But her eyes lingered on to Penny and that quiet curiosity morphed into something else.