The following day, Aku Aku took Crash at an isolated place in the island and asked him if he felt different, weird or anything like that.
Crash shrugged negatively, but alluded to the weird yet pleasant dream he had.
The voodoo spirit frowned. He explained (in simple words, so he'd get it) to the bandicoot his thoughts.
"Your dream... Could it be it actually is a vision? Crash, please, try to focus, to repeat what happened."
Crash, who was starting to eat a Wumpa fruit, indulged him.
And at both' astonishment, Crash's arm swelled in humongous muscles (crushing the fruit by the way), quickly followed by the rest of his body.
In barely a few seconds, the bandicoot went from his usual height and build to at least as tall and bulky as Koala Kong or Tiny Tiger.
While Crash's expression was torn between shock and pleasure, Aku Aku was completely flabbergasted.
He... He's downright channeling the energy of the Crystals and Gems in his body! And... With enough of it, he could actually generate energy by himself and keep going! Not even shamans like I or my brother could do that! Although neither of us did interact with these artifacts as much as he did. And now that I think of it, these Relics the Time Twister generated must play a role too... But better go slowly about it...
"Crash, can you turn back to normal?"
He could, as easily as he grew.
The sigh he made was somewhere between disappointment and relief.
"We'll have to test it, go slowly and..."
"AKU AKU!! BIG BROTHER!!"
Both turned towards the unexpected voice.
"Coco? What's wrong?"
"It's Polar, Pura, T and Penta!"
She was referring to the four animals the little family adopted during their adventures.
"What is happening, child?"
"They disappeared!"
"What?! How?!"
"This morning, they went to Wumpa Island for exploring! They were supposed to be back one hour ago, and there's no sign of them!"
"Calm down, Coco, maybe they just forgot the hour. Let us go the the island and find them."

Alas, Coco's fears were founded.
On the beach, they found traces of struggle and the ones a seaplane can leave on a beach.
Worst of all, sleep darts were lying on the ground.
There was only one explanation possible...
"They've been kidnapped..."
Coco cried in fear and sadness.
"It's my fault! I should have gone with them!"
Crash hugged her and gave her a look that clearly said "Don't say that".
"Crash is right. You couldn't know, and you'd have been kidnapped too."
"Who would kidnap them?!"
"Smugglers," replied Aku Aku, his voice filled with venom at the word. "Animals like them are rare and could mean a fortune in dark places. Especially for T."
"We have to do something!"
"And we will! I can find where they are thanks to a ritual. Let us go back home and cast it."
They went back to N.Sanity Island, not even giving a look to Cortex Island.
If they had, they'd have seen, even from far away, similar traces...

Art by  foxbtails
Original here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/25302855/
Crash © Naughty Dog