The next morning after breakfast, Mashiro, Kokoro and Matsu continued their search for Ezra. After they looked high and low, Mashiro found her standing in a dim alley.
"Ezra!" Mashiro yelled to her, but she didn't answer.
Kokoro and Matsu followed him. Without knowing, Matsu growled at Ezra like an angry dog.
"Matsu, what's wrong?" asked Mashiro.
What he saw wasn't pretty. Ezra emerged from the shadows, looking bloody and beaten. Her gray eyes were hollow and soulless, as if in a trance.
"Is this the Ezra you were talking about?" Kokoro asked.
"Yeah, but- Grah!" Mashiro began to reply, but he gagged when Ezra grabbed his neck.
She then ripped the controller off him, bits of the chain flying everywhere! She ran off with it into another alley and through the Gate.
The three ran after her, heading through it and into what looked like a rainforest. Mashiro and Kokoro stopped.
"We must be in the Kongo Jungle..." Mashiro thought.
"Mushy, where are we?" Kokoro asked him, confused.
Mashiro couldn't help but laugh at Kokoro's new form. She had become a chimp!
"What's so funny?" she asked again, this time with a bit of anger.
"You're a monkey!" he answered amidst his laughter.
"Don't laugh too hard, chimp." Kokoro replied and pulled out her mirror.
Mashiro's mouth was agape. He still wore his jacket and tie, but he had become a snow monkey!
"Awesome! I'm like Donkey Kong!" he yelled in joy.
His happy shouting was briefly followed by rustling in the trees and the caws of several birds. After the sounds subsided, the two continued their path, walking like gorillas. Several minutes later, a coconut hit Kokoro on her head, rendering her unconscious.
"Neckies..." Mashiro thought as another came after him.
Luckily, he caught it and found the Necky that was tossing them. Before he could toss the sinewy fruit back, a barrel labeled 'DK' landed on it, making it fall with a raspy "Caw!" The barrel then made monkey noises as it shook.
Mashiro figured if he didn't toss the coconut at the Necky, he might as well toss it at the barrel. He tossed the sinewy fruit at it, causing it to explode into a heap of metal and wood.
Amongst the pile stood two primates. One looked like a brown gorilla with a red and yellow tie, another was a small monkey, also dressed in red and yellow, but with a Nintendo cap on its head.
"Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong... In the flesh and fur..." Mashiro thought.
"I wonder who tossed the coconut." the capped monkey asked, picking the loose nut up.
"Better question is, Diddy, who are those two?" Donkey Kong asked, pointing to Mashiro and Kokoro.
"Oh, I'm, uh..." Mashiro tried to reply, but was still washed up with amazement, "Mashiro, b-b-but my friends call me M-M-Mushy."
"Mushy..." Diddy chuckled at the nickname and added, "and who's your girlfriend?"
"Kokoro's not my girlfriend. Just a friend." he said to them.
"Okay, Mushy." the tie-toting primate replied, chuckling at his nickname.
"So what brings you here to the Kongo jungle?" asked Diddy.
"Well, my friend Ezra took my controller and we're gonna go after her." Mashiro answered.
"Count us Kongs in." Donkey Kong said to him.
"Sure thing, DK, but, uh, how're we going through the forest?" Mashiro asked the ape with a worry.
Matsu flew ahead of them and landed on a crate. The four monkeys followed him.
"Maybe Rambi can be your answer, Mushy." Diddy suggested to Mashiro.
"Good thinking, little buddy!" Donkey Kong congratulated the little monkey.
Mashiro tried to bash the crate open, but no luck; he was a complete weakling. He then climbed on top of the crate and, with a 'kablam,' busted it open. He landed on the rhino inside.
"Wow, I can't believe I'm on Rambi..." he thought, his eyes wide with joy, then asked Kokoro, "Need a ride?"
"No thanks, I can walk." she declined.
"Okay. Did you guys see anybody with a plate of silver with them?" Mashiro asked DK and Diddy.
"We saw a Kremling running to the oil factory with something shiny in its claws." Diddy answered.
"Alright then. Let's charge!" Mashiro yelled as they ran to the plant.