“Do you trust me?” asked Guido

“My life” she replied.

“Then, let’s go!” he said, while pulling her by the hand towards another window. However, the guards were waiting for them. Just when Guido managed to open the window, he was shot in his chest, what made him fell backwards, on the roof

“NO!” yelled Juba in the moment of the shot. She kneeled toward him, and put his head on her leap. “You’re going to be fine…” she said with some tears falling down

“You don’t need to worry, cutie, you’re going to join him” said one of the soldiers while pointing his gun toward Juba’s head. She just holds Guido’s hand and closed her eyes shut, waiting. And then…

… everything went black.

Juba wakes up. She had just fallen down, while sleeping in a tree’s branch, into a bush. It was all just a dream. No… it was just a nightmare. A nightmare that she doesn’t want to think about it.

“Nice fall!” said Coco, looking at Juba in the bush.

“Ai… Thanks… I guess…” said Juba, getting out of the bush.

“I though that cats always landed on they feet…” comment Coco

“Well, guess that I’m an exception…” replied Juba, taking off some leaves from her head.

“I’m glad that I found you.” Said Coco

“Why?” asked Juba.

“Crash wants to talk to you about last night.” answered Coco, while Juba just made a long sigh. “It was so bad?”

Juba was looking at the grass. Coco realized that she had a have though night.

“Well, just… take it easy with him, ok? He… well… Tawana cheated on him, and…he’s not in….” but before Coco finish her phrase, Juba had already left her.

“How I hate when she does that…” mumbled Coco, while going toward the camp.

The camp was located in the middle of a forest. All the tents were well hidden in the middle of all the green trees and high grass. The tents were placed so they formed a empty circle in the middle.

Though the battles and knowing about the danger, everyone was chilling out there, they were all relaxed. However, some of them were practicing for battle, while others were cooking, or on guard. When Juba arrived, she saw Crash. He was practicing and learning some fight skills with Crunch. Crash looked at her, what made him lose his focus, and when he realized, Crunch had just tagged him into the ground.

“Heh, you have to stop loosing focus when a girl pass by.” Said Crunch, just for annoy Crash, whose managed to get off Crunch’s grip.

“So… I heard that you wanted to talk to me…” said Juba, standing in front of the boys.

“Yes.” answered Crash, while getting some water to drink, and making a sign to Crunch. A sign that he knew that Crash wanted some privacy.

“Well… I’m here, so…” asked Juba.

“Why didn’t you went with you partner?” he asked, while going to his tent.

“Because he freaked out in the last minute, and I said that if I saw his shadow, he’s lost.” She answered, while following him.

“But you know that we can’t go out by ourselves” reprehended Crash.

“I know, but what chance to I have with a scared kiddo who didn’t even showed up!” she defended herself.

“Ok. So, what did you found out?” he asked while Juba looked down, concerned. “Well?” he asked back.

Juba made a big sight.

“The place was destroyed. All the papers, all the scrolls…” she answered.

“What about the survivors?” he asked.

“They didn’t have a chance.” She answered looking at the floor.

Crash just hit a barrel with strength, what caused a small crack on it.

“Cortex is advancing very fast. If we don’t discover what he wants…” he said while leaning his hand in the barrel

“Well… actually I kinda managed to discover how defeat him. Well, at least I…think so…” said Juba

“HOW?” asked Crash, going towards her, end holding on her shoulders, while he shaking her a little, what scared her a little.

“W..we…well… the 7 Holy Crystals…” she answered.

“But that’s a myth…” said Crash, letting her go.

“No, it’s not. They really did existed.” she said.

Crash just sit on his bed, looking at her.

“You see, they really were created, and somehow they do have powers to change the things back how they were before.”

“Well… we can give it a shot…” said Crash.

“So, how’s that girlfriend of yours?” asked Juba

“Don’t want to talk about it.” He answered.

“So, I was right, wasn’t I?” said Juba, but not in a provocative voice.

“What? Are you happy with that? Happy that she had cheated on me?” replied Crash.

“Geez! Calm down, I didn’t mean to..”

“To what? Make me fell hurt?”

Just when Juba was going to argue with him, someone got inside Crash’s tent.

“Excuse me, sir, but thy have arrived. They got one of Cortex’s wolfs!” said a brown bear.

“Well, let’s go talk to our ‘new friend’” said Crash, getting up and walking towards the outside of his tent, with Juba after him.