Moonlight Mysteries

The sun was gone now, all that remained was the moon. Kiddy lied asleep in her arms. He deserved it, they had a long day. Their hovercraft was still tethered to land, even as the lake's waves was getting a bit turbulent. It would fit the three of them, and nicely too. Maybe Funky planned this out, she'd have to thank him after she returned.

She reached forward her arm, placing her baby cousin into the wooden vehicle. A yawn escaped her, as she stared forward into the dancing night skies. Stars here, stars there, stars everywhere, all of them sprinkled in the nighttime blanket, swimming alongside the silver object known as the moon. Dixie couldn't wait to enjoy her own sleeping time, oh, the dreams she'll have.

Briefly, she turned around, her green eyes staring into the half-closed blue eyes of a certain elephant. Once said elephant noticed the simian was looking at her, she smiled, though this was weakly done, for she too was oh so tired. Dixie returned the smile, but that smile quickly faltered, when she noticed Ellie was having a hard time standing. She grabbed the elephant by the sides, and helped her step onto the hovercraft they would use to find safety. Once Ellie stepped on, the hovercraft shook and wavered. She was heavy, but not too heavy for the sea craft. Besides, she wouldn't be resting on it for too long.

Dixie stepped on shortly after Ellie. By this point in time, the elephant had already dosed off to dreamland. The blonde simian chuckled, as she the took controls of the boat. Cranking the vehicle on, she caused its loud sputtering noise to echo out. Surprisingly, the bark of it did not stir Dixie's traveling companions, for they were still sleeping through the night's waves. The blonde simian smiled at this, before she started pressing on the vehicle's gas pedal.

After a few minutes of tugging, the hovercraft broke from land, and started gliding along the lake. Dixie kept her verdant eyes trained on the waves before her. It was so dark, and the lake was so reflective, she almost thought she was driving on the stars themselves. A quick glance over the hovercraft's edge, showed her own reflection. She pressed her eyes, as she noticed bags sag under her verdant orbs. This meant one of two things, either she was extremely tired, and needed to get rest now, or this adventure was taking a worst toll on her body than she originally intended. If the latter were true, then she really couldn't wait for all of this to blow over.

Her eyes returned to the lakes ahead. She felt her chest heave up, as she let out a long and hard yawn. When her chest moved back down, her eyes started to linger open. She felt her body grow a bit loose, as it controlled the vehicle in her arms. She was getting a bit tired, anyone who was around could tell that. It looked as if she could fall out at any moment, so it was only a wonder how she retained consciousness this long.

In fact, Dixie was wondering the same thing. She felt the urge to sleep wash over her, but she had not yet done so. Maybe it was for the best. If she fell asleep, who would drive the hovercraft, after all? Maybe it was because, she wanted to sleep. She wanted to believe she was sleeping, for it was the only way to accurately describe what she was seeing as of now.

She wasn't sure if was flying above her, or if the skies were reflecting the lake this time. It was thing, for thing was the only word accurate enough to describe it. It had one singular thruster on the bottom of its body. Heat and fire was constantly expelled from this thruster, keeping the thing afloat in the air. It hovered in such an erratic fashion, but it was slow too, despite its jittery movements. The night was so dark, the simian could barely make out the definitions of the thing, but she could tell it was big. Bigger than her, bigger than Ellie, bigger than Kiddy, even bigger than their hovercraft.

The thing didn't notice the trio on their vehicle, it seemed, for the thing didn't pay them any attention. It just continued flying off, before vanishing into thin air, for its body was swallowed up by the night's sky. Dixie trained her eyes on the silhouette of the thing, as if it were still there. Her hand reached out too, in a failed attempt at grabbing its nonexistent body.

What was it? Was it actually there, or was her sleepy mind playing a cruel joke on her. She closed and opened her eyes, as if that would make some sense of everything. She even reached down to the lake below, and splashed some of the water into her face. That also served to do nothing, save for making her a bit grumpier.

She shifted her gaze back to the front of her hovercraft, and her eyes peered around the lake. Now that the vehicle sat in the middle of the lake, not moving in the least bit, the Kong felt a bit relaxed. After seeing that thing, she needed to relax. Her foot pressed on the pedal again, and the hovercraft started to glide over the lake once more. To Funky's Rentals she goes.

…

"It must be my birthday, Dixie girl!" Funky said enthusiastically, "Not only do you bring my Hovercraft back!" he started rubbing his face against the yellow ski in hand, "You bring me a ski too!"

He was showing so much love to the single object, even as he knocked various items down upon the floor. Dixie on the other hand, was understandably confused by Funky's actions. It didn't matter though, she just wanted to go to bed, and rest. More importantly, she wanted to get her baby cousin into a crib, and find Ellie a place to rest as well.

"Just keep it down over there," Dixie stated with a yawn, "I don't want Kiddy waking up and crying, and I definitely don't want you ruining Ellie's first rest in a while..." she yawned as well, "In fact, I don't want you ruining my rest as well..."

"Let me just tell you this one thing, Dixie girl!" Funky said as he sauntered his way over to her, "If you get your hands on another ski, I'll let you try out my newest vehicle first, free of charge."

"I can't wait..." she commented sarcastically, as she slid Kiddy into her arms, "See you in the morning Funky, and take care of Ellie... or else..."

"Will do Dixie girl," the funky Kong responded, "Will do!"

With Kiddy still in her arms, she waved goodbye to Funky as best she could, before stepping out the door. Stepping outside, she walked her way over toward Wrinkly's cave. At this time, she was sure the old Kong was asleep. It didn't matter, Dixie was confident in her skills of putting Kiddy to rest. All she needed to do was put herself to sleep, and try to parse the information she retained from seeing the thing that night.

She finally stepped foot into the cave. As she suspected, Wrinkly was sleeping in her chair, with the TV on full blast. Dixie chuckled at the sight.

…

"What do you mean by, disappeared!?" she inquired of the flapping green parrot.

Squawks' wings flapped loudly, keeping him afloat in the simian's midst. She was just swinging through the forest as she normally did, enjoying what Vine Valley had to offer. Then the green bird popped up in her vision, and flew his way to her face. Now, as she parsed the information he had given her, she wished he never did.

"I'm just telling you what I know, QUUUAAAAWWWKS! I haven't gotten a message from Diddy and Donkey Kong for a while."

"But I thought you've been getting letters from them steadily!"

"I have!" Squawks responded, "But... It just sort of stopped, a few days ago..."

But Dixie didn't accept that. Her face grew hard, and she leaned in a few feet. Squawks attempted retreat by flapping back, but Dixie wouldn't let him go any further. She grabbed his talons, and pulled him close, so that now his beak touched her nose.

"Squawks!" she said, and threatening as well, "What is going on!? How long was 'a few days ago'!?"

"Uh... Last week... maybe..."

"LAST WEEK!?" she barked, "Squawks the Parrot, Diddy and DK have been gone for four weeks now! Four!"

"I know! QUUUAAAAWWKS! That's why I came to you, Dixie!" she released him, much to his pleasure, "I figured you'd like to know this information..."

Her angry face melted into one of worry and concern, as she stared off into the distance. Diddy and DK had been gone for four weeks now. No vacation, no matter what, would go on for four long weeks. She fully expected them to enjoy their time, it was a vacation after all, but how much time did they need? Call her a bit of a worry wart, but something wasn't right. They'd be home by now, she knew they would. Then, why weren't they?

"Where are they Squawks?" she asked, stepping forward once more in a daunting pose.

"You know that..." he answered, flapping away, "The Kremisphere, Dixie..." his eyes closed, and when they reopened, they were a soulless white, "The Northern Kremisphere..." he repeated, but his voice was hollow yet satanic.

The blonde simian's face contorted into confusion, upon noticing the parrot's shift in demeanor and eyes. She reached forward in a vain attempt at grabbing the bird, but explosions suddenly riddled the land around her. Trees bursted into flames, sending shrapnel into the air, shrapnel that mixed with dust shot up from the earlier explosion. She waved her hands through the air, moving the dust in her eyes away. When she could see again, all of Vine Valley had been replaced. No more was there trees and forests, instead this factory with wooden walls and metal walkways.

Dixie turned away, rage placated on her face, while she wheeled around the axe in her hands. Her verdant eyes scanned the area around her, before falling upon the wooden barrel behind her. Its red eyes peered intensely into her soul, as it hopped up and down magically in an attempt to crush its foe. The simian refused to be bested when it came to advancements, and thus returned a glare of equal intensity.

Its mouth opened up, and a barrel was launched out. She struck the barrel with her axe, breaking it clean across the wind. Wood exploded in her face, constricting her view very briefly. When she could see again, gone was the factory, and here was this massive forest. Her feet stepped forward, meeting air, where she suddenly fell toward the ground. Her back landed on an elastic substance, making her launch back toward the skies. She struggled in the air, before falling onto this webbing.

Her axe still lied within her hands, even after the fall. She lifted it up, so the blade lied behind her head. Her fingers increased the hold they had on the tool, as she felt the web under her toes bounce up and down. The next moment, a long red appendage reached over her entire body, bathing her in darkness. She stared up, seeing the hairy leg touch down upon the webs. She watched the rest of the body pull itself over, and touch down some yards away. A red spider, with green eyes, and venom drooling from its lips.

This titan of a spider dashed left and right, and she watched it. Despite its size, it was quick on its talon-like toes. She watched it shoot a stream of webbing from its backside, and attach that stream to an adjacent tree. The next second, it leaped away, while venom was fired from its lips. The blonde simian leaped left and right, dodging that venom just barely. When the acidic green droplets touched down upon the webs, they dissolved the silk, making it rise into the air.

Dixie ignored it however, as her eyes were too busy scanning the daunting for to her front. She once again rose her axe, in preparation to battle the spider that wanted her dead so. Said spider focused its eyesight upon her, as its mouth rumbled with venomous ooze. When it fired, its attacks almost always missed. Dixie would leap this way, dodging venom, she would then leap that way, dodging even more of the acidic substance. One final shot from the spider almost touched down, but thanks to a well-timed spinning leap, she dodged that strike too.

But, as soon as she landed, she learned that she was no longer in the forest. She was on a mountainside, with a waterfall crashing beside her. She glanced up to the waterfall, seeing eyes stare back toward her. Her hands curled inward in an attempt to hold close her axe, but the axe was no longer in her hands. The eyes from the waterfall then disappeared back inside, while a tube-like mouth replaced it. Dixie brought up her hands in a defensive pose, right when the water was shot out. It crashed into her body, pushing her away, though she tried to fight it off. Her feet suddenly met air however, and she fell back.

But this time, she didn't stop falling. She spun her hair around, whipping it around in a helicopter-like fashion. Her deadly fall slowed into a decent, but the danger was not over. She stared to the waterfall she currently fell beside, seeing that face on the other end. The mouth stuck out, and fired out a stream of high-powered water. The simian dodged to the left, dodging it, but just so barely. A bit of it actually streaked past her arms, cutting in deeply, and making blood fly. She winced aloud in pain, while the focus she had on her twirling hair was shattered. She was falling again, and eventually crashed into this massive expansive lake. Just barely, she swam to the top, while her wound constantly expelled blood.

Gazing up, she saw a large barrel, with red eyes. To the left of the barrel, a large spider with green eyes. Pass the spider, a face that was attached to a wall, and was behind a water fall. But there was something farther pass all of that. This thing. She could only see its darkened silhouette, as it floated up and down in such an eerie fashion. She couldn't make out what the thing was, other than that it was titanic, and with such an overbearing stature.

Suddenly, the water she was swimming in rushed up. Gravity pulled her down, as she gazed doe-eyed into the expansive darkness of the sub-aquatic lake. When her feet touched down at the body, she felt the ability to move leave her. Instead, she stared forward, and her eyes came across an underwater island. This island held a large factory on it, a factory with large gas stalks on it. These great chimneys constantly expelled gas and flames, which went unhindered by the underwater lake.

There was something odd about that island, and no, it didn't deal with the fact that it was underwater. She had seen the island before, but where? The more she thought on it, the farther away the answer became. It was like the solution was fighting her. The answers lied within.

She stepped forward, but the island moved away. She stepped forward again, only make the island move away farther. The closer and closer she tried to get to it, the farther and farther away the island would move. When she stopped, the island didn't, for it was too late to stop. Eventually, it was swallowed by the darkness of the lake. Once the island disappeared from sight however, she learned of its name.

"Mekanos..." she whispered to herself as her eyes closed shut, "Mekanos..."

She fell back the next moment, her left hand curled over her chest, her right beside her head. Those verdant orbs of hers lied upon the ceiling of the lake, and she watched it recede, until the lake became nothing more than a desert. She couldn't move though, for she felt the strangest feeling of death swarm her body. At least she could still see the sun, shine upon her skin.

"DIXIE!" a voice called.

She knew that voice, she loved that voice, it made her eyes widen. She sprang up the next moment, as lively vigor took her.

"Diddy!?" she answered.

She stared left and right, searching out in vain for the voice again. But there was nothing there.

Nothing.

…

She inhaled deeply, while her eyes opened up wide. She stared into the ceiling of the cave, while the covers on her body was thrown off. Springing up, she closed her eyes, while this pain grooved through her chest. When her eyes opened up again, she found it so hard to see or breath. For a short while, anyway.

It seemed as if Wrinkly had woken up already, for her TV was off, and she no longer slept in her chair. It left Dixie alone in the cave, giving her the space she needed to think. Her eyes trekked along the walls of the cave, seeing morning light beam through the windows. Hand grabbing the edge of the covers, she moved them away, so she could be free from the couch. In her undergarments she trekked through the cave, eventually coming over to her clothing. Her normal clothing that is, the ones Wrinkly so kindly dried. She lifted the pink shirt and knee pads up high, while she thought on where she needed to go next.

Mekanos. Was the thing she saw the earlier night at Mekanos? Perhaps, knowing her luck, it was only a matter of time before she ran into the mysterious machine, if it was a machine, of course. She knew it now, Diddy and Donkey Kong were on that island. She knew the difference between a dream and a premonition, and that was most definitely a premonition.

Mekanos, such a mysterious name. What would she meet there? Judging from the dream and the sights she had of it before, the place was a massive factory. The only other factory the blonde Kong knew of, was the Kremkroc Industries on Donkey Kong Island, and she was always told not to go near there. It never stopped her from going, however, and this would be no different.

But, there was one problem with all of this, one that dealt with her beloved cousin. Was it right to bring him along, was it wrong? He would be safer if he stayed here, with Wrinkly. But, from all they went through, she couldn't just leave him, could she? Whether it be right or wrong.

She was really beginning to hate this adventure. If it wasn't dangerous monsters, it was moral questions she needed to decide. Crap like this didn't happen on Crocodile Isles, so why here? There was only one thing she knew. When this was all over and done with, she was going to sleep for a month or two. Hibernate, yeah.

She stared into the insides of the cave, while her hands clenched tightly her shirt.

…

She decided to leave Kiddy. He'd just be safer with Wrinkly, than he would be with her. She was tired of risking his life in her one woman mission to save her friends. She didn't want him growing up with these thoughts in his head. Thoughts of spider monsters and wall faces, not to mention an army of crocodiles, it wasn't something children his age should be exposed too. If he continued adventuring with her, his upbringing would be one of turmoil and pain, not to mention the unthinkable. What if he actually died when in her care? It was a question she had found herself pondering, despite the fact she didn't want it in her head. It was truly a painful thought, one that sent shivers down her spine. Or was that the subtle jumps of the hovercraft?

She gazed around herself in a radial way. When she returned her vision to the front of the hovercraft, she found her eyes gracing the edge of the factory island Mekanos. It was a mirror image of the island she saw in her dream, right down to the chimneys spewing out a dark haze of fog and flames. Just staring into the factory made her fear for her life. Not because of the enemies that probably lied within, but instead of the cancer she may gain from staying too long within. The sooner she found Diddy and Donkey Kong, the better.

Her foot pressed on the gas pedal, and the hovercraft glided forward. There was a pipeline she was heading toward. Bronze in color, it was also large enough for her to easily stand in walk in. Seeing as how it would be foolish to walk into the crocodile island through the front door, she figured an indirect path would be smarter.

Just like the last times, she tethered her hovercraft to the land. Stepping foot into the pipeline, she felt the air shift uncomfortably against her. Her verdant eyes turned to stare out of the pipe, giving her a few glimpse of sunlight, before she plunged into darkness. Even though she was a long ways away, she could still see Funky's Rentals. Inside, the elephant she risked her life to save. Not to mention the fact that, somewhere near the garage, her baby cousin was resting. He deserved his rest, Ellie deserved her rest, but Dixie, she felt as if she needed to gain the right of rest. Just enough to make these weird dreams leave her.

She turned and faced the insides of the pipes. It was time to continue this adventure the way she started it, the way she meant for it to be. It was time to continue on alone.