NOTE: Keep in mind that I discovered Simsala Grimm for the first time 3 days ago on Tvtropes. I only could find 2 English episodes on the internet but I was hooked. I just felt the need to write a sappy hurt/comfort oneshot fic about the two main characters, Yoyo and Doc Croc (I ESPECIALLY love Yoyo cause he's such an adorkable, sarcastic little bugger). Originally, the ending was much sadder and Doc Croc died in my original ending with Yoyo mourning his death (Inspired by the Hansel And Gretel episode where Yoyo thought Doc Croc was killed in an oven collapse) but I decided to let Croc live in this one. Still, you'll probably feel bad for both of them in this fic. Part of the reason I made this fic was to show a softer side of Yoyo. Feel free to read and review.
PS: I don't care how obscure it is, we need a Simsala Grimm section on this website ASAP!
It had been just another routine mission for Yoyo and Doc Croc. They had run out of Grimm fairytales to invade so they began taking on small nursery rhyme jobs, treating them like rescue missions. They helped Jack and Jill fetch the pail of water and told Jack Horner to use utensils when he eats and that pie isn't finger food. They even fought off the spider and saved Little Miss Muffet. Doc Croc noticed that Yoyo was getting bored when they completed all the Grimm Fairy Tale missions. Yoyo's adventurous spirit craved more action and Croc absolutely hated it when Yoyo got bored so that's when he came up with the mother goose nursery rhymes idea. They got all their jobs commissioned from the Fairy Guild.
The mission they were about to tackle? Rescue the three blind mice and relocate them to the forest so they could get out of harm's way.
Yoyo giggled as he crept around the barn. He had been making horrible cheese related puns along the way much to the annoyance of Croc but the lizard knew the tailless canine was only trying to lighten up the atmosphere. Yoyo chuckled a bit, "Three blind mice, eh? They're sure to get themselves in a not-so-gouda situation if they aren't careful!"
Croc rolled his eyes, "Please, Yoyo. That is the 8th cheese related pun you've made since we accepted this mission, why don't you cool down and take a break from the jokes?"
Yoyo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "Oh, all right. So, how do you suppose the mice got there in the first place?"
Croc shrugged, "Beats me. Maybe the d-d-daughter or farmer brought them in as pets and the farmer's wife didn't like it. She's probably allergic to c-cats so she didn't hire one to keep them away."
Yoyo smiled at the shorter lizard. He secretly thought Croc's stutter was adorable and remembered that when they first met, he would constantly tease Croc about it but stopped doing it when the doc wouldn't speak with him one day. Yoyo eventually apologized and cleared the whole thing up. The weasel-like canine nodded, "Yeah, maybe she just prefers to get rid of mice the old-fashioned neanderthal way."
Croc nodded, "Yeah, but nevertheless th-those mice could be in danger. We need to help them to s-safety."
The lizard headed towards the house from the barn and Yoyo smirked as he followed him, "Right behind ya, old timer."
Croc raised an eyebrow, "Old timer?"
Yoyo smiled mischievously, "Well, you seem to have been running out of steam lately when we go on these missions."
Croc raised an eyebrow, "R-r-running out of s-steam? I'm as healthy as a horse!"
"And as energetic as a turtle." Yoyo replied sarcastically.
Croc sighed, "Do you practice your snark in your s-spare time or does it come naturally to you?"
Yoyo shrugged, " I guess sarcasm's just part of my bloodline. I don't need to practice."
Yoyo and Croc slowly entered the house and the first blind mouse turned to face them. Although he could not see them, the mouse's hearing was amplified due to his lack of vision, "Who...who are you guys?"
Yoyo smiled as he bowed to the mouse, "I am Yoyo, great adventurer at your service."
Doc Croc nodded, "And I am Doc Croc. Me? I'm really more of a scholar than anything."
Two other mice dashed up to their friend and the second one smiled in Yoyo and Croc's general direction, "Are you the ones sent by the fairy guild to bring us home?"
Yoyo grinned and gave a thumbs up, "You bet we are! Just come with us, we'll set you free."
The three blind mice cheered but suddenly, a large, angry woman burst through the door and grabbed the third mouse. Yoyo immediately got into a fighting stance and turned to face Doc Croc, "You get the other two mice outta here, I'm gonna deal with the wife."
Croc nodded as he helped usher the other two mice out of the room, "All right, I'll l-l-leave this to you, Yoyo."
The woman pulled out a large, long knife and raised it above her head as Yoyo used his acrobatic skills to make his way up to the table. The tailless creature raised his hand, "HALT!"
The large woman turned her attention to Yoyo and he spoke to her, "Just what do you think killing that poor, helpless, blind mouse will accomplish? I think you should let him go!"
Smirking, the wife dropped the mouse and grabbed Yoyo instead. She grinned evilly at him, "I wonder just how much your pelt would cost on the black market..."
Yoyo gave her a stone cold glare, "Keep in mind that I am a rare mythical creature, so if you don't have a license, you could easily get hanged or guillotined if you so much as poke me with that knife of yours."
The farmer's wife raised an eyebrow, "So what? You're a pest just like those filthy mice but just for that remark, I think I will throw you around a little first before I kill you!"
Yoyo blinked and raised an eyebrow, "So, you're gonna torture me before killing me? Looks like you really do have a death wish not to mention a single digit IQ."
"YOU'LL REGRET THOSE WORDS, YOU LITTLE FREAK!" The Farmer's Wife screamed as she threw Yoyo clear across the room, his small body hitting the front of a cabinet. Yoyo slowly slid down the cabinet, his field of vision filling with stars from the impact on his head. Doc Croc noticed a dazed and helpless Yoyo sitting against the cabinet.
The striped lizard quickly rushed up to Yoyo and stood in front of his best friend in a protective stance as she hovered menacingly over the tailless canine, "You leave Yoyo alone, you mean old woman! All he wants to do is save lives and help others!"
Without a word, the farmer's wife plunged the knife into Doc Croc's chest and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. She then quickly stabbed his a second time in his gut and he let out another shriek. Yoyo's vision cleared just in time to notice his reptilian friend by his feet with a stab wound to his chest and stomach. There was a pool of blood slowly forming on the floor around him. Yoyo snarled and glared at the farmer's wife, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY FRIEND!?"
The farmer's wife grinned, "If I can't kill you, I might as well kill your friend."
"You son of a-" Yoyo hissed but then Croc began to stir a little, "Yoyo...we must retreat now...I'm...b-b-bleeding."
Yoyo blinked back hot tears as he took Croc's limp body in his arms, "I'm gonna get you to safety, don't worry, Doc."
And with that, Yoyo raced out the door with Croc's body in his arms. The farmer's wife grabbed a shotgun and started firing at them as Yoyo dashed out of the house and down a dirt road. Each shot missed them and then they found themselves in a nearby forest. The gunshots disappeared and it was clear to Yoyo that she wasn't chasing after them anymore. Yoyo laid Croc against a tree and took off his hat and tied it around Croc's chest. Blood slowly began to drench the fabric of Yoyo's hat, making it an even darker shade of red.
Doc Croc's eyes fluttered open and he turned his attention to Yoyo, "Yoyo...what are you d-doing."
"Making a tourniquet." The canine replied, "What does it look like I'm doing?"
Doc Croc hung his head and sighed with a tear of pain rolling down his snout, "I'm so sorry..."
Yoyo rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well sorry isn't gonna stop the bleeding, Crocky. What were you thinking trying to take her on like that?"
"I...was trying to p-protect you..." Croc replied softly, tears welling up in his eyes.
Yoyo crossed his arms and glared at Croc, "Yeah, well, if anyone needs protecting, it's you. Face it, Doc, old age is creeping up on ya. You really should know better and keep yourself out of harms way if you know what's good for ya."
Doc Croc grumbled a bit but he knew there was no point in arguing with Yoyo cause he knew Yoyo was right.
Yoyo dug into the Doc's bag and pulled out some medical supplies, a rag, some gauze and some rubbing alcohol, "Okay, Doc. This might sting a little but I gotta clean up those stab wounds of yours.
"I...I sure hope you know what you're doing, Yoyo." Croc replied nervously. The small blue canine wetted the rag with some of the rubbing alcohol and pressed it on Croc's stomach.
Doc Croc squeezed his eyes shut, feeling tears wetting his scaly face as the sting set in. He grabbed Yoyo's hand and squeezed hard. Doc Croc opened his eyes to see Yoyo smiling sadly at him. Tears were in Yoyo's own eyes, "Don't worry Doc, I'm gonna fix you up as good as new."
Yoyo pulled the gauze out and began patching up the stab wound on Croc's stomach. By the time he finished, he sniffled a bit. Croc blinked, "Yoyo?"
The sniffles soon gave way to gentle sobs. Yoyo closed his eyes and let a river of warm tears run down his muzzle, gathering at the tip of his nose. Croc watched in shock as the salty tears dripped off Yoyo's nose and into the soft green grass of the forest. Then, without warning Yoyo wrapped his arms around Doc Croc, resting his tearstained muzzle on the lizard's shoulder as he sobbed. Croc wrapped his own arms around Yoyo, giving him a back rub as his furry friend wept. Doc Croc couldn't believe it. His friend. His tough, cheerful, sarcastic, optimistic joker of a friend was crying and for once, it wasn't from laughter. It seemed for every snarky remark he made, Yoyo saved up a tear and now here he was in his best friend's arms, crying a monsoon.
It took 7 minutes for Yoyo's sobs to subside before he pulled away from Croc. Yoyo sniffled as he used his index finger to knuckle away a few stray tears from the bridge of his muzzle, "Sorry ya had to see that, Doc."
Doc Croc blinked, he was completely stunned by Yoyo's unexpected weeping, "No...no, it's all right. It's just...it seems a little strange seeing you cry like that, Yoyo."
Yoyo smiled sadly, "I...I guess it kinda built up inside me after some time. Ever since I lost Max..."
Croc blinked, "Max? Who is Max?"
Yoyo sighed and shook his head, "My old partner before I met you...you see, Doc. There was a time I was just like you, I was scared of my own shadow. Max was a little stuffed unicorn and he was very brave. I'd often look up to him as my idol. Just like us, Max and I would go on adventures together. But one day, things changed. Max was killed..."
Yoyo felt another tear roll down his snout at the memory of his long lost friend. Croc squeezed Yoyo's hand, "How...did he die?"
Yoyo wiped the tear away as he continued, "He got crushed to death by a pillar. We were escaping a crumbling castle. The last thing he told me was to not cry for him at his funeral and remember all the good times. He taught me so many things and I wouldn't have gotten this far with you if it weren't for him."
"Did you cry at his funeral?" Doc Croc asked.
Yoyo nodded, "I cried a waterfall when he died. It took me awhile to adjust to his death. Afterwards, I changed a lot. I took on many of Max's personality traits and then I met you. The Brothers Grimm had chosen you to replace Max."
Croc raised an eyebrow, "So th-this entire time I've known you, you were p-p-p-putting on a mask?"
Yoyo nodded, "Becoming Max was my own way of coping with his death. Everytime I was reminded of his death, I would try to smile and joke around, do anything I could to fight the tears."
"Why did you keep Max a secret for me for so long?" Croc asked, crossing his arms angrily.
Yoyo sighed and shook his head, "I wanted you to think I was a great and brave adventurer, not some sort of cowardly sidekick hiding behind a mask. Deep down, I'm just as scared as you are. Sorry about lying to you all this time."
There was a long silence before Doc Croc spoke up, "I forgive you, Yoyo. B-but don't doubt yourself. You've done many b-brave deeds when I was with you. If all that bravery and cockiness was just a f-facade, I'm surprised you kept it up for so long."
Yoyo shrugged and chuckled a bit, "I guess I'm a pretty good actor then, huh?"
Croc smiled and shrugged, "You sure had me fooled."
The two chuckled for a bit before Yoyo hung his head sadly, "Doc, can you promise me something?"
Doc nodded, "Mmmmm..."
Yoyo breathed a deep sigh, "Promise me you'll never put yourself in danger like that again. I don't want to lose you just like I lost Max. You mean too much to me, Crocky. We've been through so many adventures and done so many things. At this point, you're more like a brother to me than a friend. I know it sounds really sappy but that's how I truly feel. If I lost you, I don't know what I'd do."
A smile worked it's way across the lizard's lips as he faced his canine friend, "All right, I p-p-p-promise, Yoyo. No more hero stuff for me."
Yoyo hugged Doc Croc tightly, feeling warm tears of joy sting the backs of his eyelids, "And if you die on me, I'll kill ya, you silly old fart."
Croc chuckled a bit as he hugged Yoyo back, "Thanks for the heads up, Yoyo. H-h-hows about we get back home?"
A couple tears of joy slipped down Yoyo's face as he nodded, "I think that's a grand idea, Doc!"
"Simsa, Simsala, SIMSALA GRIMM!" The two shouted and the book of Grimm's fairy tales soared through the air in the general direction of Yoyo and Doc Croc. The canine and lizard hopped on the book and took off into the night. The wind whipped through Yoyo's fur and chilled Croc's scales as the book zoomed through the night sky.
Yoyo turned to face Croc and frowned, "You sure you're gonna be okay with that tourniquet and bandage on you? It's probably best you take a nice, long break from these nursery rhyme missions."
Doc Croc nodded, "You're right, Yoyo. After what happened to me, I'm sure the fairy guild would understand."
Yoyo crossed his arms, "I sure hope the fairy guild doesn't send me on any solo missions. I wanna stay with you till you're better."
Croc raised an eyebrow, "Are you feeling all right, Yoyo? First you break down in tears and now you're w-w-worrying about my well-being."
Yoyo rolled his eyes, "Hey, just because I have a sharp tongue doesn't mean I don't have a heart of gold."
Croc scatched his head a little, "I see you have a bit of a p-p-p-point there, Yoyo considering you saved my life back there."
Yoyo smiled at his reptilian friend, "I'd do that for almost anyone if I had to. Same goes for Max."
"Do you ever miss Max?" Croc asked, raising an eyebrow.
Yoyo sighed and hung his head, "I miss him all the time. I just prefer to keep it hidden away. I mean, the past is the past and there's nothing I could do to change his death. But I'm sure he's proud of where I am now and just how far I've come. I just wish there was a way you could've met him."
Doc Croc nodded, "Well, at least you remember all the good times you've had with him. I didn't really have any friends before I was drafted by the Brothers Grimm. You were the very first one I've met who never gave up on me and I thank you for that."
Yoyo blinked a few times, "Well, you don't exactly make friends by keeping your snout buried in books for so long. You gotta meet others face-to-face and say hi."
Croc sighed, "Yeah well, I've always been more shy than you, Yoyo."
Yoyo shrugged, "Like I said before, I used to be shy before Max helped me come out of my shell. Anyway, we're almost back home. Is it just me or is this the smoothest ride Simsala has given us in forever?"
Croc rolled his eyes, "Please, don't tempt her to throw us through the window again. Especially considering the d-d-delicate condition I'm in."
Yoyo smiled, "Don't worry, she knows. The Brothers Grimm can help fix you up better than I can. Maybe they'll even give me a new hat because well, let's face it, I'm feeling kinda naked at the moment."
Croc couldn't help but chuckle at Yoyo's remark as the book reached its final destination. The two knew that everything would be all right as long as they had each other. Although Max was hidden away and locked in Yoyo's memories, his friendship with Doc Croc more than made up for it. And as for Croc, he felt as if he could call Yoyo his brother they had become so close. Even though they finished all their Grimm fairy tale missions, they still had many more adventures to go on, monsters to slay and people in need of rescue. The end.
