Video Game Journeys: Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

by CrashGuy41

Tiny Tiger: All Brawn, Little Brain

Now although Crash isn't too big in the brains department, he still has enough common sense to know when something doesn't feel right. In fact, in the next three levels, he started questioning the real reason why Cortex wanted him to gather the crystals in the first place. After all, given their rocky history in the past two years, it just doesn't seem like Cortex to immediately turn over a new leaf and renounce his evil ways. After finishing Road to Ruin with both the crystal and Death Route gem, much to Twilight's annoyance, the lights dimmed and a hologram of Cortex appeared.

"Crash, my boy, you are more than halfway there," Cortex congratulated. "But I'm sure you've noticed that things are getting harder. The last ten crystals will be the hardest to gather. And my.. AHEM! I mean, OUR enemies will be sending their strongest forces to thwart you. I'll contact you again when you have completed the next warp room."

And with that, the hologram disappeared and the portal leading to another one of N. Brio's enforcers, Tiny Tiger, activated. Twilight quickly took the glass elevator to the next warp room. As soon as she entered it, she returned the elevator, which allowed Rainbow Dash to follow suit. After her little episode with the Komodo Brothers, she definitely wasn't going to follow Crash into the next boss battle again.

---

Speaking of the boss, Crash was waiting on a bottom center platform of nine when he heard a fierce roar coming from behind two metallic doors in front of him. On the doors was a picture of Tiny himself, a fierce-looking tiger with large teeth. Tiny soon forced the doors open and made his presence known. He was a large mutated Thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, the last of his kind. He was an orange, muscular tiger with sharp fangs and pointed claws. He wore spiked shoulder pads, metal bracelets, a green leopard-spotted loincloth, and red sneakers. He looked around the arena trying to find his opponent. For someone that was ironically named Tiny, he wasn't very bright. As soon as he spotted Crash, however, he let out a fierce roar similar to that of a modern-day Bengal tiger.

Tiny then started hopping on the platforms, one at a time, making his way towards Crash. Crash, however, literally remained one step ahead of him every time. As they were engaged in their little game of platform chase, an alarm soon started to blare. Some of the platforms began to flash red, signaling a malfunction. Thankfully, Crash made it to one of the platforms that were still green as the red ones dropped from the arena. Tiny, however, wasn't so lucky, as he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. Because of this, Tiny fell into the pit onto one of the platforms that fell.

---

Meanwhile, in the fourth warp room, both Twilight and Rainbow Dash were watching Crash fight the tiger. As soon as Tiny fell into the pit, Rainbow Dash ended up laughing hysterically.

"You think that's funny?!" Twilight hissed.

"Oh, come on, Twilight. That big tiger is obviously even more stupid than your friend, Crash," Rainbow replied.

Twilight just rolled her eyes. Eventually, Crash defeated Tiny and made his way up to the fourth warp room. After getting two more crystals, the lights dimmed and a hologram of Coco appeared.

"Coco! What's going on? You look worried!"

"Crash! Twilight! Listen, I haven't got much time left to tell you this. I'm with N. Brio and the rest of your friends on the ruins of Cortex Castle," she explained. "Some of the gems you gathered are already assembled into his laser device. But that's not why I'm contacting you guys. I have to tell you that Cortex has almost completed the new space station."

"I knew that Cortex wasn't completely telling the truth! He must've been lying to us from the very start!"

"Maybe, but for now, continue to play along until the rest of the girls and I can find out more about Cortex's plan. But beware of the tricks he's trying..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the signal cut off and the hologram disappeared.

---

At the ruins of Cortex Castle, N. Brio groaned at the signal going bad.

"I knew I should've gotten a better hacking device," he chuckled.

"We can't worry about that now. The more crystals Crash gathers, the closer Cortex gets to his goal. And if I know Twilight, which I do, I'll betcha that she's going to question Cortex the next time he sends a message to him in the warp room he's in," Coco said.

"I still can't believe that Rainbow Dash ended up in that frigid wasteland," Rarity said.

"It is NOT a wasteland, Rarity! There was a cute little polar bear cub there. I think we should call him... Polar," Fluttershy said.

"He is kind of cute," Coco added with a giggle.

---

Back in the warp room, Crash had just finished the level, Bee-Having and had put in both the crystal and clear gem in the slots when Cortex's hologram appeared.

"So, Cortex! I take it you're here to tell us about our so-called opposition. Am I right?" Twilight snapped, folding her arms.

"Well, aren't you a clever girl, Twilight Sparkle," Cortex mocked.

"You're lucky we're in this warp room, otherwise, I'd give you what for!" Rainbow roared.

"Well, well, looks like we have a feisty one with you. A friend of yours?"

"Yes. This is Rainbow Dash," Twilight groaned.

"Whatever. Just remember to be on your guard and deliver the crystals to N. Gin!"

Crash mumbled some gibberish that was hard to understand, but decipherable in some cases.

"What did he say?" Rainbow asked, raising a brow.

"I believe he was asking who N. Gin is," Twilight answered.

Crash nodded his head in agreement.

"Long story short, N. Gin is Cortex's new right-hand assistant. He is very loyal and even helped to create Coco in the place."

"Create? What are you talking about, Twilight?"

Twilight sighed. It was time to explain the truth.

"You see, Dash, Crash was originally one of Cortex's evil experiments for world domination. But then I came along and sabotaged the Cortex Vortex so that Crash would be incompatible with it. And then, I was pretty much captured and forced to get a female bandicoot ready for brainwashing."

Rainbow Dash had her jaw on the floor. She couldn't believe that something like that could even happen. Yet, she was standing with a mutated Eastern barred bandicoot who was gathering crystals for his arch-nemesis. Things just got a lot weirder for her, but the weirdness was far from being over.

Comments

[zachary12]

nice work