Author's note: A Crash fic featuring the characters N. Gin and N. Tropy (alt. dimension version). Oh, yeah, and it's ND N. Gin without a rocket in his head.

Warnings: Firstly, if you don't like shonen-ai (or, more accurately, two males getting REALLY comfortable with each other), then I suggest you leave now. The characters aren't necessarily homosexual, but there's some suggestion/implication. Also contains some brief het. Contains some sexual content. Nothing explicit, just some adult situations.

Disclaimers: Dr. N. Gin, Dr. N. Tropy and any other cameos from the "Crash Bandicoot" series that are mentioned in this fanfiction are copyrighted to their original creators (Naughty Dog).

Widget Bandicoot and Nefarious the dragon belong to me: Cloudie aka DrNGin.

Chapter I: Nefarious

It was the feeling of something rough brushing against my cheek that had awakened me from a deep slumber.

"Such soft skin." I heard a deep, gentle voice murmur. It was followed by a tsk, tsking. "But so dirty."

I groaned. My head ached. Then I remembered that while repairing a machine, I had slipped on some engine oil. But after that ... nothing. Did I black out? Whose voice was I hearing?

I opened my eyes. And decided that I must be dreaming.

Because in front of me, peering down, was the face of a colossal blue dragon. I was laying in its enormous palm.

"Hello, little one," it said to me.

Make that a dragon with a British accent.

I was speechless. It was a realistic dream. Here I was, tiny and vulnerable and terrified. I was about to become a bite-sized morsel. Maybe I would wake up before I was eaten, though.

I curled into a ball and trembled, whimpering, and praying with all my might that I would wake up. But I never did.

"There, there. No need to be frightened. You're safe." the voice soothed.

"Where am I? Why am I sitting in a monster's hand? How come I can't wake up!?" I blurted, in a panic.

"Calm down," the monster spoke to me again, "You are awake. I don't know how you got here, but you are fully conscious. And I may be a monster, but I promise that I mean you know harm."

"Ugh," I moaned, "I guess this is real. I have one hell of a headache."

"You did have a big fall. Maybe I should examine you for injuries." His other hand reached toward me, but I shied away from it.

"Now, now, there's no need to be modest ... er ... what is your name?" the dragon asked.

"N. Gin. And -- "

"Let me see, ," he said in a fatherly tone, pushing me gently with a finger.

"What's your name?" I asked, trying to change the subject. He smiled warmly.

"Nefarious," he paused, hearing me gasp at the name. He did look like N. Tropy; He was blue with golden eyes, a black mane, and long, flowing black whiskers.

"Now, stay still. This is for your own good," he placed me in his lap, pinning my chest down gently with one index finger, as he used his other one to slide under my labcoat and fumble with my clothes.

I yelped and erupted into a fit of giggling and twitching.

"Oh, God, no! No, no, no! P-p-please! Anything but that!"

"My apologies," Nefarious said, removing his finger, "I didn't mean to tickle you. But you're so tiny. I think, perhaps, it would be more convenient for us both if I were to take on a human form," he said, setting me down on the floor, gently. There was a puff of sparkling dust, and then a man in colorful robes stood before me. A man just like N. Tropy, only dressed differently, with a more mature, gentle face.

I wanted to run away, but I was too shocked to even stand up. I knelt there, staring.

"Does my appearance make you uncomfortable, N. Gin?"

"N-no. Not at all. You look great. Um, elegant, actually."

He smiled again, walking slowly toward me. I stumbled backwards and fell, landing on my rear.

"Now, don't make me go chasing after you, my little treasure," he said, lifting me up onto my feet. His tall figure towered over me. He pulled me close, so that my back was against him, hands on my shoulders. "Because I know your weakness." he bent down and purred in my ear, reaching around to playfully tease my belly. My eyes widened mildy at this gesture.

"I kid, I kid!" Nefarious patted my head and stood up to full height.

"All ready, then. I believe it's time for me to check you over. Let me see you." He turned me around and tilted my chin up. "Your face is a bit dirty." He licked one of his slender fingers and wiped some grime off of my cheek. Then he looked me up and down.

"Haha. Even after my transformation, you're still quite small," he chuckled, "Forgive me if this seems insulting, but you remind me so much of a child."

"It has its quirks," I responded.

The dragonish man motioned for me to sit down on a piece of furniture that I could only describe as being a giant mushroom.

"You said that I had fallen here, right?" I asked him, trying to figure out where I was, and how exactly I had gotten here.

"That's right," he replied, examining my head, "It was very strange. I had just returned from hunting, and I saw something fall from the roof of my cave. I even heard it when it landed. When I came over to see it, I saw that it was a tiny human. Luckily, there are so many mushrooms growing in here, or you would have fallen on the ground."

"How do you know what a human is?" I questioned.

Nefarious' face took on a slight grim look, "Well, at first I thought you were a faerie. They are quite common around these parts. But then I realized what you were, and I could barely believe it."

"Why is that?"

"N. Gin ..." Lowering his voice, Nefarious looked me eye to eye, and put his hand on my shoulder, "In this world -- my world-- human beings do not exist. Your kind is considered mythological."

I suddenly felt faint. "What?!" I whispered. "You! You're a dragon! You're the ones that don't exist! I believe in science, not monsters from childrens' faerie tales!"

Nefarious looked hurt at these words, but he stayed calm.

"And yet I am standing here, with the very same civilized appearance and behavior of one of your own kind. And since the very beginning, I have spoken to you. As a person. Just like yourself. My voice was the first thing you knew when you became conscious, was it not? I am just as real as you are, N. Gin. And I am more than just a make believe beast."

My heart had finally stopped pounding and I flushed slightly. "Forgive me. I ... I didn't mean to ... I ... it's just that ..."

"No need. It's quite understandable. Anyone who had found themself mysteriously spirited away would feel similarly, like as not. I have studied dimensional travel and astral projection. I wonder if, perhaps part of you is still in your own world, ensuring that you don't entirely lose connection? In any case, what matters is that you're safe. How does your head feel?"

"Just confused," I replied.

"I see. Well, if anything doesn't feel right, then tell me. Good old Dr. Nefarious will make you as good as new! Did I mention that I have a book on human anatomy? It's quite ancient, but ..."

I missed the rest of what he was saying. Doctor, I thought. He said "doctor".

"Would you like to see?" he asked me.

"Uh ... what?" I jerked. He cocked his head.

"My study, silly. Come, I'll show you." I climbed down from the mushroom-table. He took a hold of my hand and led me down a tunnel that I hadn't noticed. It was dark, but dimly lit by torches mounted to the walls. Without any windows, I couldn't tell if it was day or night.

If there is such a thing, I thought to myself.

+End of Chapter I+