Chapter 10: Crouching gorilla, hidden Dragonoid
Universes away, Blue Firedrake returned to his homeworld in the center of the universe, the Krazoa Sword in tow. He walked to the center of a large room with ten different pedestals, two of which had different items on them. The first one held three golden triangles that Ryu had stolen from the land of Hyrule itself while the other held the Master Emerald. Firedrake's colleague, Red Wyvern, had snatched this from a persistent red echidna and shared the Dragonoids' first clash with the blue hedgehog and the hylian hero.
"My Lord, I return with the sacred Krazoa Sword." Firedrake said, holding out the sword in his outstretched hand.
A huge globe of fire appeared in the air and Ryu instantly materialized from it. The dark dragon touched down on the ground and took the Krazoa Sword in his mighty claw.
"Good work, general." Ryu said as he took the sword over to a pedestal near the Master Emerald and sat the item there.
"What orders do you command, Lord Ryu?" Blue Firedrake asked, cautiously.
Ryu spun on his heel and began to pace across the room. Strangely, he seemed to keep the same satisfied expression as he did so. Then, it hit him.
"Open the portal to the bronze world and take a break, Firedrake. I will send in Salamander." Ryu said as he went over to his throne.
"WHAT? You're sending in that deranged psychopath? I would be far better than that lunatic." Firedrake opposed, shaking his fist in midair.
Before Firedrake could even muster another point-out, Ryu had gotten up, crossed the amazing distance between the two of them, and backhanded his general. Firedrake careened to the floor and clutched his jaw as Ryu's sharp teeth clenched together so hard, you could hear them grind.
"Those are your orders, Firedrake. Remember your place!" Ryu snarled.
Blue Firedrake slowly got up and skulked off to fetch Salamander, still surprised at how brutal his master was.
In a flash of green light, Sonic and Link reappeared in a dense jungle. Sonic surveyed his surroundings, had no clue where he was, and turned to Link.
"Link? Where the heck are we?" He asked as he scratched his head.
"I think I have a pretty good idea…" Link began, but there was a roar in the distance.
"Talk later!" Link asked as he hurried off through the jungle with Sonic right behind him.
Miles away, King K. Rool; king of the Kremlings was marching an army of Kremlings through the jungle. There were at least half a million of these crocodiles behind him and he looked very ticked off.
"That bumbling chimpanzee won't get me THIS TIME! I'll make sure of it! Now hurry up you buffoons!" The tubby croc barked.
"Sir, I'm not a baboon! I'm a crocodile and you know it!" One Kremling commented.
"Either they're going deaf or they're just plain stupid." King K. Rool muttered under his breath.
"I'd say they're downright brainless." A cold voice whispered into K. Rool's ear.
K. Rool froze and slowly turned around to meet a large, green fist. As soon as he fell to the ground, the green thing laughed, almost maniacally. Then, he turned to the army, who just stood there in complete shock.
"Unlike fatso here, I have a different plan for all of you." The thing said to all the Kremlings.
Bright orange fire engulfed the Kremlings and they shielded themselves. However, it seemed to be for nothing. They opened their once-yellow eyes only that they were turned red.
Back in the jungle, Link was hacking through vines and branches with his sword. They had been in there for about half an hour when all of a sudden, something big came smashing into them. All three of them skidded across the ground and eventually screeched to a halt.
"Oh. S-sorry, Link! Sorry, Sonic!" The thing said in a deep voice that Link instantly recognized.
Link came back to earth and saw the familiar face of Donkey Kong. Sonic came to and his face instantly lit up with happiness as he saw the big ape.
"Hey, DK. Long time no see." Sonic pointed out.
"Uh, yeah. We can talk later, but we have to get moving in about…thirty seconds time!" DK said, trying to get away.
Link simply took out his sword and pointed it at DK so close, it was right in between the ape's nostrils.
"What's with all the rush, DK?" The hylian asked as he painfully got up.
"I was running from these NEW Kremlings! At first, I was creaming them. But then came some big, green, flying guy and those new minions of K. Rool's. I'm glad I ran into you guys! I NEED YOUR HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLPPP!!!" DK said urgently.
"It must be those Dragonoid creatures again!" Sonic said as he narrowed his eyes again in anger.
"Dragonoid?" DK asked as he scratched his head.
"How about you let Green Salamander explain to him?" A deep, roaring voice asked.
Everyone whipped around to see a large, green dragonoid. Unlike the others that came before him, he had no horns. His head looked something like a lizard's and neither its head, neck, or tail had spikes on them. Green Salamander's eyes were as orange as citrines and his claws, like the others, were pitch dark. DK's eyes widened as he recognized this thing and became paralyzed with fear as Link pointed up at the new beast.
"THAT is a Dragonoid." Link pointed out.
"Ohhh…" DK said as he stared, wide-eyed at the large dragon before him.
"Ah, Link and Sonic. My lord has told me all about you and how weak your little land is." Link scowled. "And judging from what I've heard, you'll make for an easy victory. When I'm through with you, my master will give me a reward worthy of a leading general like myself. And you won't like that! AAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Green Salamander cackled.
"Is it me, Link? Or is this guy as crazy as his smile suggests?" Sonic asked.
"It's not just you, Sonic. He IS insane." Link answered.
Salamander laughed like a hyena before he spoke again.
"Insane, am I? Well, I'll just let my army of Dragonoids do all the talking for me if that's okay with you." Green Salamander snarled as he put his index finger forward, his insane smile as wide as ever.
A whole army came out of the trees. They were Dragonoids alright, but they bore surprising resemblance to Kritters, Krushas, and Klumps with wings, horns, and large claws. Suddenly, King K. Rool rushed in from the jungle, looking as though he had just run a mile. When he caught his breath, he spoke, but through short gasps.
"Guys…BIG dragon…controlled my troops and…" K. Rool began, but then he saw the whole army in front of him. "Oh. I see the insane iguana has just found you."
Strangely, Green Salamander didn't take this insult too much. If it were Ganondorf, he would have exploded in a rage. Salamander, instead, answered it with a wide grin and a smug look crossed his face.
All three people were almost helpless as Salamander simply said one word. As Salamander began speaking, he pointed forward and his catlike pupils turned into narrow slits as he barked one word.
"ATTACK!!!"