The Art of Joined Forces
Chapter 1: Freedom
Baboon had always been tired of working for Dragon, and being burnt by him, and he wanted to lead his own force, WITHOUT anyone leading him! Still, that kind of wish was hopeless, until now...
Baboon had just found a way to free his "master" from his prison. Tired of the slave labor he had to do for him, he finally decides to take this chance to earn his freedom once and for all, but he soon learns that freedom comes at a price, and that's something even his worst enemies aren't gonna let him have. Really, though, he intended no harm on them with this plan, but it WOULD harm them if Dragon had been freed, because he would destroy them for sure!
So, one day, Baboon went to Dragon's cave and blurted out the big news. He knew his master would be pleased. And he would finally get what he wanted all this time.
"Master, I've finally found a way to free you from your icy prison!", said Baboon with an excited smile.
"No way! Get out, this must be some sort of trick!", Dragon replied, thinking that Baboon was trying to trick him.
"Oh no, sir! No trickery involved here!", said Baboon, still trying to keep his cool.
"Well then, in that case, go prove it to me! Maybe then I will believe you!", said Dragon with a loud booming voice.
"Oh, just you wait, you're going to be free! Then you'll be able to get your revenge on the valley creatures! Heh heh! Won't that be fun?", said Baboon with a nervous smile.
He runs off very fast and heads for the opening of the volcano. He drops some kind of molten liquid into the volcano, and a shot of lava spurts out of it.
"Ah, perfect!", he said delightedly. "This will be the stuff that gives me my freedom! And then, with Dragon out of the way, I will soon rule all the land, and every puny inhabitant with it!", he said to himself. He chuckles evilly to himself, which bursts into heavy evil laughter.
However, the steam of the volcano did not go unnoticed. Some of the steam flowed through the valley, and many assumed something was on fire.
Meanwhile, all was at peace in the valley, until the steam caught everyone's eye. This also paused Skunk's training.
"Those monkeys! They must be trying to burn the valley!", shouted out Duck with a frown.
"Guys, hurry, Baboon's going to erupt the volcano!", exclaimed Snake as he rushed to Panda and the others.
"This is very bad! I feared something like this would happen!", replied Panda.
"Well, it looks like it's time to kick some monkey butt!", responded Rabbit with vengeful joy.
"Please, go check out what the monkeys are trying to do, then, stop them before they succeed. If the lava lets out, the whole valley will be destroyed, and Dragon will be freed from his icy prison at last.", Panda ordered.
"Alright, let's go!", said Rabbit, still excited. Skunk and Fox followed him, but they were worried.
"Aren't you at least a little worried about what Baboon's got planned, Rabbit?", warned Fox.
"No sweat! We just need to pound his troops, and STRIKE him!", he said with confidence.
"Don't forget, Rabbit! They've got their favorable terrain! This won't be as easy as it would be if they fought us right here and now!", Fox continued.
"Don't worry, Fox! I'm sure we'll be able to stop WHATEVER Baboon's planning! That guy's an idiot!", replied Skunk.
Fox sighs to herself. "Well, okay, but don't say I didn't warn you!", warned Fox.
As they leave the limits of the Valley, Panda sighs to himself. "I feared something like this would happen!", he said to himself.
"COME ON! FASTER!", shouted Baboon at his ninja monkey minions.
He and his troops were trying to disturb the volcano. To do that, they would pound at it over and over, until it finally was "angered" and erupted.
However, Skunk and company catch up with him.
"Not so fast, Baboon!", shouted Rabbit as he, Skunk, and Fox closed in on he and his troops.
"Ah, great! You three!", Baboon complained. He was annoyed by them coming to stop him yet again, but instead of trying to fight them off, he tried to warm up to them. "Look, I'm not trying to hurt you, valley dwellers!"
"Yeah, right! You're always planning to hurt us!", attacked Rabbit.
Baboon frowned. He was getting REALLY annoyed of them ruining his plans, but moreover, he was so annoyed that they tried to stop him even though he wasn't planning to do anything with them! "Well, not this time!", he assured. "I'm just trying to cause this volcano's lava to ooze out so it can flow to Master Dragon's icy lake, also his prison. Then, he'll be freed at last, as will I, with him off my shoulders!".
"No harm?! Yeah, and you're thinking of releasing Dragon, not that we actually believed you, anyway.", argued Fox. "If we let you release Dragon, he could destroy us and the valley!"
"We can't let you do that!", attacked Skunk.
Now Baboon's nostrils flared and he was just about ready to burst. He was growing really frustrated.
"NO! Can't you see?! I just want to earn my freedom, and now, you have to fight me for it! Hmph! Meddlesome VALLEY DWELLERS! You do nothing but always get in the way of my plans, even when I'm not planning to do ANYTHING to the valley or all of you, for that matter! WHY CAN'T YOU LET ME GET WHAT I WANT
"Because you're just planning to harm us!", yelled Fox.
Baboon couldn't take it anymore. He picked up a large plate of rock and threw it towards Rabbit and Fox, homing in on them at lightning-fast speed and crushing them beneath on impact. They were weakened and could barely move.
"Rabbit! Fox!", exclaimed Skunk.
"Stay out of my way, squirt! This situation does not concern you!", said Baboon with anger.
"If you're planning to free Dragon, then YES it does! Dragon's our worst enemy, too!", argued Skunk.
"Look, you've got issues! You need to learn to not meddle in the affairs of others! Hmph! It's no wonder no one outside of that poor valley you call home likes you!", attacked Baboon.
"Yeah, well, you need to serve someone other than yourself, and stop thinking so highly of yourself!", Skunk combated. He decides to mock Baboon. "Oh, I'm so smart, I'm so strong, and I'm better than everyone else!", mocks Skunk. "I shouldn't have to get my own hands dirty, that's the monkeys' job! The valley dwellers are PATHETIC compared to me! And anyone smaller than me can't possibly defeat someone of my stature and strength!, he continues.
"GRRRRRRR!!!!!!", growled Baboon with extreme irritation. "That's it, Skunk! I have no choice but to CRUSH YOU!", he roared. He charged at Skunk really quick and powerfully with his bamboo stick and swung at him, missing him, and Skunk kicked him in the chest. Baboon feels pain in his chest, but charges on at Skunk and swings his leg fiercely and with great speed, hitting Skunk on the head with great pain. "Ugghhhnnnn!", grunted Skunk. He falls to the ground with a loud thud and is then on the recieving end of Baboon's stick.
"It's all over, Skunk!", said Baboon, panting with anger. "That's ENOUGH of you being a pest in MY PLANS!!" He lunges over and is about to slam his bamboo stick down on Skunk's head, with Skunk flinching in fear and closing his eyes. "But you're too late!", growled Baboon. Instead of giving the finishing blow to Skunk, he runs over to the volcano and drops a fluid inside. He didn't feel the need to kill Skunk right here and now, and instead, he went to finally succeed with his plan. "This time, I WIN!", shouted Baboon with rage. The contents of the fluid caused an explosion within the volcano, causing lava to spurt out. "At last, Dragon shall be freed from his icy prison, and I will be freed from his dreadful control, at last!", said Baboon with aching joy. He turns to all the monkeys, who are screeching over the hot lava "MONKEYS! Gather all our stuff and flee this place AT ONCE!", ordered Baboon. The lava flowed into portions of the land, but flowed mainly towards Dragon's cave. It flows into the opening of the small icy lake Dragon is brooding in and Dragon is free to move within the lowing lava.
"YES!!! AT LAST! FREEDOM!!!!!!", yelled Dragon with joy.