//------------------------------//
// Level 3: Nighttime Conventions 
// Story: Crash Bandicoot: Equestria 
// by Revenant Wings 
//------------------------------//

The train left the Crystal Empire station at precisely nine in the morning, bound for Ponyville.  Twilight and Princess Cadence had discussed things the previous evening and a decision was made to go to Princess Celestia, explain the situation at hoof with Crash Bandicoot, and use Celestia’s magic to find the remaining slave Crystals quicker.

I hope we’re not too late, Crash thought as the train sped out of the Crystal Empire.  Cortex isn’t one to sit back.  The longer we wait, the more he’ll destroy the islands.

“How would he do that?”

It’s not always obvious, Crash said.  He runs a power plant that spews toxic waste into the surrounding oceans.  He’s got a castle where he performs experiments on the local wildlife.  His minions like Dingodile threaten the natives and, using Dr. N. Tropy’s portals he can send his other minons anywhere.

“I’m afraid Crash is right,” Aku Aku said.  “Even when it seems like Cortex is idle, at the first moment he’s ready he will send his armies out to capture and conquer wherever he wants.”

“Then pursuing Princess Celestia is our best course of action,” Twilight said.  “With her power we should easily be able to pinpoint the locations of the crystals.”

“Is your own magic not strong enough?” Aku Aku asked.  “You are a princess like she is, after all.”

“I’m afraid my skill is more in variety of magic than raw power,” Twilight said.  “I can probably locate a general area but not an exact location.  But charging the crystals I should have no problem with, and performing a spell to take you home shouldn’t be a problem either once we have all of them.”

Aku Aku smiled warmly.  “Of course.  And I shouldn’t be too hard on you, either; you’ve already done much more for us than I would have expected.”

“It’s like I said,” Twilight said encouragingly, “we ponies will help you out to the best of our ability.  If more creatures like Dingodile are out there, then we’ll band together to help you get them out of here and back home.”

They’re not that hard to get rid of, honestly, Crash commented.  My main concern is those crystals.  If they start charging them up with their own power, we may have difficulties in finding them and getting them for ourselves.

“Shining Armor told me about what happened in the ice caverns,” Twilight said.  “If that is the case and the charged crystals can give them powers, too, then it’s best you have all the help you can.  In any case, I want to see this through.”

“And we are very grateful for your help,” Aku Aku said.  “Your knowledge and connections have already helped us out.  Any power you are also able to lend us would be helpful indeed.”

Twilight talked with Aku Aku and Crash a little while longer, informing them of the finer details of her plan.  At nightfall dinner was brought by and they ate and drank before going to their bunks to sleep, hoping that morning would find them back in Ponyville and preparing to go to Canterlot.


*		*		*


Twilight was alone.

She was standing in a large circular room that she immediately recognized as the Canterlot Castle Observatory, with vaulted arches and large windows open to the night sky and three differently-powered telescopes that observed the night sky.

It was night outside, the sky a deep purple and glittered with stars and a large moon.  Twilight went over and looked at the stars and noted that Luna had definitely outdone herself this time, the stars glittering like jewels and in a vast array of impressive patterns.

The only thing that was really glaring against the sky was a singular star that looked bluer than the others and was blinking brighter.  Normally bluer stars would be lost against the purple or dark blue background amidst other stars, but this one was very large and very bright.  Twilight decided to look into one of the telescopes to see what was going on.

It wasn’t a “star” at all; for some reason, instead of the star appearing when she focused, she could see Princess Luna herself flying around.  Twilight took her eye off the telescope to find that Princess Luna had come closer and was actually flying towards the Observatory.  Twilight ran over to a glass door leading onto a balcony overlooking the gardens and waited there for Luna to arrive.

The dark blue alicorn looked rather stressed; her mane didn’t glow so brightly as it did before and seemed to have less stars than ever.  She panted as though exhausted after a long flight and her wings drooped at her side.

“Princess Luna!” Twilight called.  “Princess Luna!  Are you okay?”

Luna panted a while longer before speaking.  “Dark times have fallen, young Twilight.  I perceive that you are safe for the time being, but I have important news for you.”

“Tell me, tell me!” Twilight said.  “And, if possible, I have news for you.”

“I believe I have heard the news you wish to tell me, but I shall see if they correspond correctly.  But first, listen closely: Canterlot has come under siege by beings from another world.”

Twilight gasped.  “What about Princess Celestia?  Is she alright?”

“Princess Celestia is harried, but unharmed.  There were six of them, five strange creatures carrying a sixth that appeared to be unconscious.  They disabled the guard and threw them in the dungeons, while confining Celestia to her room.  They carry strange things they call ‘guns’, and used them to disable Celestia, on whom they also put an inhibitor horn ring on her.”

Twilight gulped.  “I’m afraid I know who they are.  I have found someone who was thrown into this world, one called Crash who is a bandicoot under forced rapid evolution.  He was sent here by someone named Doctor Cortex, who wished for him to get out of the way so he could take over his home world.  But they mean to potentially finish the job and kill Crash.”

“Then our information is almost the same,” Princess Luna said.  “They have captured what seems to be his sister , I believe, and are using her to help them build technology to conquer our world as well as their own.”

“We have a plan,” Twilight said.  “If we find these things called ‘power crystals’, we may be able to use them to create a warp to send Crash and these others home.”

“I will try to assist you as much as I can, but I am on the run,” Princess Luna said.  “Princess Celestia managed to set off the warning signals before she was fully captured and I have escaped, but they know I exist.”

“Where are you hiding now?”

“I am staying at a guard outpost in Baltimare.  Ponyville is too dangerous for me right now, otherwise I would immediately come to your aid.”

“Can you sense the power crystals?   You may still be able to help us find their location.”

“I will have to risk a trip to Ponyville in the dead of night.  Wait for me, and I will be there in two days.  Los Pegasus may still be safe, or even perhaps Cloudsdale if they cannot fly.  But do what you can without me, as we have no time to lose and my own time with you will be short if they are pursuing me.”

“All we need is to give you even the essence of the power crystal and you may be able to help us locate them if you understand their magical properties.  Then even in dreams you can contact us and inform us of their locations.”

Luna’s initially severe expression changed to a warm and determined one.  “A brilliant mind as always, Twilight Sparkle.  I shall arrive in two days to Ponyville.  Wait for me at midnight on the night of the new moon; I will be there.  And have at least one of these power crystals ready.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded.  “I won’t let you down, Princess.  We’ll get Cortex and his partners, and hopefully with Crash’s help we will defeat them.”

“I know you won’t, dear Twilight,” Luna said kindly.  “I will send word to Celestia, that she may not give up hope and know her student is already at work.”

There was then a blinding flash and Twilight was awake in the bunks of the train moving steadily along.  Twilight glanced outside the window and noticed the sun was just coming up over the horizon; they would be at Ponyville in a few hours.  In two days, at midnight on the new moon, Luna would be coming under cover of darkness.

But there was no time to lose.   Twilight woke up Crash and Aku Aku and explained to them immediately her dream and the words of Princess Luna, as well as the change in plans.

Crash balled his paw into a fist and growled.  So, Doctor Cortex has finally arrived, he thought.  He doesn’t exactly know when to quit, does he?

“Furthermore,” Twilight said, “it appears they have your sister.  Cortex had apparently not thrown her through her own portal yet.  We need to get her back, as well.”

Crash’s eyes narrowed, and for once Twilight saw a strange fire come over the bandicoot.  No one messes with my sister, he thought levelly yet with a malice that even came through in his thoughts.  Your princess and mentor, and my sister.  I won’t rest until both of them are safe and Cortex is where he belongs: imprisoned on his own island in my world.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until this Princess Luna arrives,” Aku Aku said.  “As a matter of fact, I would advise you rest while you can.  We’ll have many long days ahead of us, and now that we know the rest will be centered around Ponyville we’ll certainly be moving faster than before.”

Then I will rest, Crash said.  But I will also be impatient.


*		*		*


Two days was a long time to wait.

Crash was once more kept inside a building and not allowed to go outside; Twilight wanted no signs of him to be immediately apparent if Cortex had found his way to Equestria.  But he was allowed free reign of the castle and a much better bedroom than before, and felt better than the small house in the Crystal Empire.

Crash spent most of his time in the library.  He didn’t know how to read, and between discussions and fielding off questions neither Twilight nor Aku Aku had the time to teach him.  But he found all sorts of books and looked at the pictures.  He particularly spent time looking at the Illustrated History of Equestria trying to make more sense of the place.

Twilight, meanwhile, spent a lot of time fielding questions about the strange creature that now inhabited the castle with her.  It certainly was a strange circumstance, she agreed; meeting Crash, less than a day later bolting off to the Crystal Empire, coming back in a week and now having it living with her.  But she quickly assured them Crash was harmless and they were trying to figure out a way to get him home.

She mentioned nothing of Cortex.   Someone taking over Canterlot Castle would easily stir them into a panic, and so would Celestia captured and Luna on the run.  Luna came to her in a dream for a second time, and told Twilight she had managed to direct most of the free castle staff to either Baltimare or Manehattan so the questions for Twilight would be less.  In the meantime, Twilight would have to work as hard as she could on her new plan.

Finally, Twilight closed the castle down for court on the second day.  She told Crash to go to sleep for a while before Princess Luna arrived, and prepared a pot of coffee and a timer.  She set the timer to go off for eleven forty-five and brought the pot of coffee and a cup into the library.

She poured her first cup and set to work resorting the shelves; Crash’s inability to read but voracious appetite for books – primarily those with pictures – left books scattered all around the library or put back in the wrong places.

A few hours and a second cup later and she was done resorting the shelves.  She checked the time; it was nine forty, not long after her usual bedtime of nine-thirty.  She poured a third cup of coffee, pulled out an assortment of her books on natural history, and started looking through them for any information possible on bandicoots.

Information on them was rare.  Even the most comprehensive of her books had barely more than a page on the bandicoot that existed within Equestria.  None of them had the exact same information, either; there were a few things all in common – size (much smaller than Crash), marsupials, diet (did not include Wumpa fruits) – but on others they were rather ambiguous or never exactly clear.

After a fifth cup and finishing off the pot, the timer went off.  Twilight closed the books, put them all away, and set the coffee pot in the kitchen.  The night was dark and Luna was not there yet, but that didn’t disturb Twilight.  She found the bedroom where Crash was sleeping and woke him and Aku Aku up for the arrival of Princess Luna, giving him an apple to tide him over until a proper meal could be made.

“Quite a bit changed when you went through the Evolv-O-Ray, Crash,” Twilight said as they went to wait in the main entry hall of the castle.

...what do you mean?

“Bandicoots are... well, they certainly look different from you.”

Huh... I really wouldn’t know.  Every bandicoot I know went through the Evolv-O-Ray, and that’s a small number as is.

“How small?”

Smaller than the number of ponies here in Ponyville.

“I believe we’ve only seen four,” Aku Aku expanded.  “There’s Crash himself, his sister Coco, a friend of ours named Crunch, and another female named Tawna.”

“Do you think Crunch and Tawna are around here, too?” Twilight asked.

“Crunch may be.  But even back at the Wumpa Archepelago, we haven’t seen Tawna for many years.”

Stupid potoroo... Crash muttered.

Finally, after a while longer, there came a soft knock at the door.  Twilight hurried over to open the door, revealing a dark blue alicorn that nearly blended in with the darkness of the night at new moon.  She hurried into the lit hallway and finally came into a more pony-like form.

“Princess Luna!” Twilight called.  She closed the door and went to hug the alicorn.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said.  “I am relieved you are still safe.  My sister is also very much relieved I’ve been able to stay in-contact with you.  Now, where is the bandicoot?  And the power crystals you told me about?”

Twilight led over and motioned to Crash Bandicoot and Aku Aku.  “This is Crash and the witch doctor’s mask, Aku Aku.  These are the two who were warped into Ponyville.”

Crash waved and smiled slightly.  Hello! he said.  You’re the one who’s going to help us find the crystals?

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess,” Aku Aku said.  “Thank you very much for helping us.”

“I’m afraid I can’t stay here for long,” Princess Luna said.  “But I have power over dreams, and will communicate that way with Twilight for as long as I can.  Now, where are the power crystals?”

Crash pulled one out of his pocket.  Aku Aku mumbled something and the crystal expanded, and Crash held out the full-sized crystal to Princess Luna.

“How many do you have, and how many are there?” Princess Luna asked as she took it in a dark blue aura.

“We have two,” Twilight responded.  “And, according to Sunburst, there are possibly four more.”

The magic around the crystal strengthened and Princess Luna’s eyes closed.  She stayed that way for a long time silently.

“The art of scrying is long lost and little used lately,” Luna said.  “I’m afraid I myself am not as precise as my sister, though I have found the location of the other four, though some are mistier than others.”

“You can see all four?” Twilight asked eagerly.

“One I merely know exists.  One I know exists somewhere nearby but it’s not exact.  One exists within a few miles of Appleoosa, and one is in the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters in Everfree.  Furthermore, someone has it.”

“Someone?” Aku Aku asked.  “Can you look further?  Can you see what they look like?”

“No,” Princess Luna replied.  “Only that it is in something’s possession.  It apparently has been, but they haven’t moved from that position for a while.  About two days.”

“I wonder if Cortex has already sent one of his minions there like he did with Dingodile to the Crystal Empire,” Twilight mused.

“I will probably go to the Crystal Empire, then,” Princess Luna said.  “If one of this Cortex’s minions is up there, I will want to interview him myself about their plans.  I shall also make sure Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor are ready in case of attack.”

“Has Celestia given you more information?” Twilight said.

“I’m afraid not,” Princess Luna replied sadly.  “She has been trapped inside her room and is unable to use magic due to the inhibitor ring.  I have been keeping her informed, and she is able to respond, but cannot do much otherwise.”

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to go get a map,” Twilight said.  “I’ll be right back.  We’ll mark the locations of the crystals you can find on that map.”  And she ran off.

Princess Luna opened her eyes and gave the crystal back to Crash, who had been looking on at the whole thing awestruck.  He gently took the crystal back, watched as Aku Aku shrunk the crystal again, and put it back in his pocket.  Crash looked at Luna with awe.

“Your sister is unharmed,” Luna said.  “I have been able to contact her.”

You talked with Coco!? Crash said eagerly.

“Yes.  They will not harm her until her job is complete.  She is working on assembling a robot for one of Cortex’s minions called N. Gin, as well as something called a ‘duplicator’ for making copies of his lesser henchmen.”

At least she’s alright, Crash said.  But I need to get her back.

“She is in Canterlot,” Luna said.  “Getting her back will not be easy.  But if you can keep up this pace and continue collecting the crystals, I am sure you’ll see her again soon.”

Any news of Crunch?

“I’m afraid not,” Luna replied.  “I have been told to keep a look out by Coco, but I have not seen nor heard any sign of him.”

Crash lowered his head and wiped his nose with a single finger.  I... I just want my family back...  I just want to go home.

Luna smiled at him.  “We’ll get them back.  And we’ll get you home.  With all of us working together, we’ll make it.”

Crash smiled at her.  I like her... he thought, not directed at anyone in particular.

Twilight returned with a map of Equestria and they began plotting out the crystals.  Twilight put one marker on Ponyville for Crash’s entrance with one, one in the Crystal Empire for Dingodile, and one in the Everfree Forest at the Castle of the Two Sisters.  She also put numbers next to each of them so they could easily tell which one they were searching for now.

“Well, a plan has been made,” Princess Luna said.  “Go now and rest, but tomorrow go into the Everfree and search for that third crystal.  I will inform Princess Cadence and the others of the plan, as well as search for Crunch.”

“Thank you so much, Princess Luna,” Twilight said.  “Keep in contact with your dreams, and keep us updated of things elsewhere in Equestria.  Who knows how far this thing will go.”

“With any luck,” Luna replied, “it is merely contained to Canterlot with an isolated incident in the Crystal Empire.  Hopefully we will be speedy enough that Equestria will never know, but we must be prepared in case of anything.”

Princess Luna opened the door.  “I have felt what a crystal’s magic feels like,” she said.  “When you have retrieved one, I will be able to use my magic from afar and tell you where the next one is.  And if I hear any news from Celestia, I will let you know as soon as possible.”

And she spread her wings and took off into the dark night.  Twilight watched her until there was no more sign of her, then shut the doors of the castle and made sure they were locked.

“We’ll make for the Castle of the Two Sisters tomorrow,” Twilight said.  “We’ll have to pass through Everfree Forest.  It’s dangerous and particularly wild, but I trust you’ll do fine.”

“With your magic and Crash’s own abilities,” Aku Aku said, “I think we’ll do fine.  Crash, rest up.  We’ll set off tomorrow.”


*		*		*


Twilight came and woke Crash up a few hours later, shortly before daybreak.  She brought more apples, toast, and some other fruits for him, and they ate quickly.  Twilight prepared a few maps and a scroll of easy enchantments and special ones needed to unlock various doors, and they left.  Twilight galloped as fast as she could, but it seemed like Crash could keep up with her no problem, and Aku Aku seemed to almost float lazily alongside.

They passed through Ponyville, crossed over a stream, and went by a farmstead where a large red pony was working in the orchards.  They left Ponyville behind and by the time the sun was up they had reached the entryway of the Everfree Forest, a well-worn path leading into the dark, almost jungle-like atmosphere.  Twilight looked up and wondered how something like this could ever have grown in the place where Princess Celestia and Luna once ruled.

“Right,” Twilight said.  “It’ll be a ways in, but this path will lead us directly to the Castle of the Two Sisters.  We’ll go there, and I’ll start using my magic to lead us to the crystal.”

“We can help look,” Aku Aku said.  “There are many ruins on our own islands.  Crash is nimble and we should be able to get to some of the harder-to-reach areas.”

Twilight smiled.  “Alright.  Let’s head out.  Stay close; the Forest is wild and no pony really likes what’s in here, and its plenty dangerous and confusing if we stray off the path.”

It feels like home... Crash mused to no one in particular.

Twilight shot him a look that suggested he was at least somewhat insane.  Crash ignored her.

“You call it a ‘forest’,” Aku Aku said, “but it looks like a jungle.  That’s the primary biome of the Wumpa Islands.”

Twilight still kept an eyebrow raised.

Cautiously and not quickly as before, Twilight led Crash into the darkness of the Everfree Forest.  They kept their footsteps as quiet as possible so as not to disturb any nearby creatures, and thankfully they were left in peace as they went through.

Once Crash spotted a large snake – brownish-green with large brown spots – but aside from a glance at them it merely slithered on by and across their path, forcing them to stop.  But it just kept slithering and slithering and slithering until Crash thought it was starting to loop around them.

Yeah, doesn’t feel like home anymore, he said when the tapered tail finally came into view and crossed their path away from them.  How big was that thing!?

“It looked like it was nearly forty-five feet,” Twilight said, somewhat horrified and momentarily rooted to the spot.  “They don’t normally grow that size.  Eunectes murinus doesn’t usually grow above twenty feet.”

“It must have eaten recently,” Aku Aku said.  “It noticed us but ignored us.  It certainly wouldn’t have done that if it was hungry, I’m sure.  Come on, we’d better go before it crosses our path again.”

“Shouldn’t be too far now,” Twilight said.  “I hope,” she added in a small voice.

They soon left the main part of the forest and emerged in a misty clearing with the sound of running water close by.  A large chasm separated them from a large, crumbling stone structure with many spires and vaulted archways.  Twilight led Crash around the chasm to a rope bridge that led them straight to the front entrance.  But something seemed off to Twilight.

“The bridge is cleaner,” she said as they approached the bridge.

“How so?”Aku Aku asked.

“The last time I came through this way, the rope broke,” Twilight said.  “The planks were rotting and the ropes themselves were frayed at multiple points.  But this looks like new wood and new rope.”

“Then I advise we tread carefully, and do not split up,” Aku Aku said.  “Do you have some sort of scanning magic?”

“I have a simple one,” Twilight said.  “Fifteen meter radius.  I’ll set it off every once in a while and see if we find anything.  Hopefully no renegade groups have come through here.”

Twilight sent out a pulse of magic, but the path across the bridge was clear.  They carefully crossed and watched out for any traps, but their trek across the bridge was unhindered.  Twilight pulsed again at the door and found nothing still, so they went towards the crumbling front entrance.

The large hall was untouched from the last time Twilight came; the banners were still down from when Rarity had taken them down to restore them (and now were generously donated to the Canterlot Museum of History) and everything else seemed to be in its proper place.  A faint mist crept silently into the hall but other than that the path was clear.

Where to first? Crash asked.

“This place has many secret pathways and rooms,” Twilight said.  “It could be anywhere.  But my first thought, as with many other problems, is to try the library.”

“Then lead the way,” Aku Aku said.  “But carefully, carefully!”

They crossed the entrance hall to a double door and Twilight tried the pulse again.  Nothing happened, so they made their way into a large hallway ending in a T-shape intersection.  Twilight pulsed at the entry of the hallway but found nothing, so they crept forwards.

At the T-intersection, Twilight pulsed and found something.

“Whatever’s here,” she said.  “It’s in the library.”

Twilight looked down the hallway towards where the library was located.   Nothing seemed to be there at first, but as they crept forwards they saw a sliver of light underneath the door.

“We aren’t many,” Aku Aku said quietly, “but we have the advantage if we surprise them.”

“Even so, if we can enter the room without being noticed, that would be optimal,” Twilight said.  “Then we can examine our odds.”

“Well, then, let’s go.”

The three ran down the hall as quietly as they could then shimmied up against the wall on either side of the door.  Twilight carefully grabbed the handle with her magic aura and tested the door.  It moved smoothly and without problem.  Twilight carefully opened it until there was enough room for her to squeeze through.

“I’ll go first,” Twilight said.  “I have barrier magic; it’s not as strong as Shining Armor’s, but it’ll have to do.”

“We’ll follow your lead,” Aku Aku said.  “Go!”

Twilight activated a shield spell and slipped through the door.  Crash slipped in behind her, and they ran over to a nearby column of books and ducked down behind it.

I assume all these books used to be in the bookshelves along the wall? Crash asked.

“That’s correct.”  Carefully, Twilight lifted a book off the top of the stack and searched through it.  “But the pages are clean and intact.  Whoever has been using these books is taking good care of them.”  She sighed.  “Makes me feel a little better about it.”

They both peeked over the pile of books.  Surprisingly, not too far away was a figure staring straight at them.  He looked like something of a stunted kangaroo in a rather off-putting shade of blue, wearing a top hat and a monocle over his attentive dark brown eyes, and a fake black mustache over his mouth.  In one of his hands, he held a long cane.

“Ah, Crash, there you are!” the figure said in a friendly tone.  “I’ve been looking for you for a while, but you disappeared on me.  But I’ve found you at last!”


*		*		*