"So, what are we going to do to kill time?" Diddy Kong asked as he, Donkey Kong, Dixie Kong, and a tuckered and sleepy Kiddy Kong sat under the overhang patiently waiting for the storm to pass. "We have a few hours before the event."
The next few minutes were filled with brainstorming and throwing ideas out there while also trying to wake up a sleeping Kiddy. Not waking up the young Kong was easy as he was a deep sleeper. As if him sleeping through thunder so loud that it made the ground shake and the other three Kongs jump out of their skins wasn't enough proof.
Finally, Donkey Kong threw out an idea that piqued everyone's interest, "There's an island close to the shore called Krocodile Tooth Island."
'Krocodile Tooth Island? Never heard of it," Dixie chimed in. "Sounds dangerous."
"Years ago, Krocodile Isle wasn't the only island Kremlings lived. There was this second island called Krocodile Tooth Island. It wasn't as large or well known as Krocodile Isle, but had things that it was famous for like historical places, resorts, military bases, laboratories, Kerozene..."
"Kerozene?" Diddy interrupted. "What is that?"
"Kerozene is the largest Kremling to ever live," DK began as he pictured the red giant in his mind. "I went to the island once when I was really young, like five in human years. I never got to see him in person, but I've seen pictures and did research on him as I got older. He's apparently strong and can breathe fire like a dragon."
"Is he bigger than K. Lumsy?" Diddy asked.
"Much bigger."
That made Diddy and Dixie shift uncomfortably; meanwhile, Kiddy was still napping away and having good dreams.
"Don't worry, Kerozene died along with Krocodile Tooth Island. The island has been abandoned since the early 2000s," DK reassured his friends.
"What happened to it?" Dixie asked.
"Nobody exactly knows for sure. It happened on November 21 of 2000."
"Today is November 21," Dixie realized.
November 21 is cursed at this point. So many bad things that happened on the same day, different years, but still the same date.
"There's a lot of mourning for the Kremling species; today marks the twentieth anniversary of the Krocodile Tooth Massacre. The Kremlings are having a memorial event to pay respects to the fallen," Donkey Kong stopped to let that sink in. Everyone knows how cold of a species the Kremlings were. They rarely sulk over tragedies. For them to mourn over this event, it must've been hell on earth. Donkey Kong continued. "I remembered reading articles written about it a long time ago. Survivors described the creatures that attacked the island as musical demons."
"Musical demons?" Diddy questioned.
"Nobody knows for sure. The Krocodile Tooth Massacre happened at night and during weather like this. It made it difficult to take photos or video. No one who survived got a good look at the monsters either."
Silence smothered any further conversation to be had. Diddy and Dixie were each deep in their own thoughts, their minds working overtime to process the information. It was a silence that seemed to go on way too long. Finally, Diddy broke it, "Can we go there? I want to see it. Well, what's left of it."
DK nodded.
...
Like DK said, the island was close enough to the shore that it can easily be seen from the mainland.
On this rainy day, the silhouette just managed to grace lookers eyes. It was fighting for recognition as the rain continued to fall. The storm eased up a bit but was still at an annoying intensity. Its terrain is illuminated by electricity zigzagging across the sky like a light show, breaking the rainy covering and revealing a world lost to time. Ruins of once a bustling Kremling society littered the island's geography. This amplified the chilling atmosphere that radiated from the island ever since the horrors twenty years earlier. It was like a curse that never left, lingering for decades to come.
The angry ocean full of white froths and watery walls that divided the island from the continent didn't make things any better. A terrifying spectacular display of fury and unpredictability from Mother Nature. Swimming in those swells is a death wish. It also made taking a boat there unfavorable, unless you want to literally sleep with the fishes. This was a sea that even the largest of ships will fear. It is an ocean that can even make Funky Kong hesitate. It reminded DK and Diddy of the time where they got stuck in that storm during Returns, especially when they had to run for their lives from a Tidal Terror rushing towards the beach. The roar of it still haunted the two Kongs to this day.
"This is Krocodile Tooth Island?" Dixie asked. She tried to hide the unease and creeps she got from this place. It wasn't able to be contained and slipped out in her voice in droves.
DK just nodded his head.
...
After waiting a bit, a break in the weather allowed them to cross the waters without dying; though, it was still rather bumpy and felt like a rollercoaster. During the short yet nauseating trip, Kiddy asked, "Can I play in the waves?"
"No!" the other three Kongs in sync over the rain, thunder, and the waves.
"Why not?" Kiddy asked, disappointed.
"Kiddy, you can't breathe underwater," Diddy explained. "You aren't part fish."
"A fish like Enguarde?" Kiddy interrupted.
Yes, you aren't a fish like Enguarde. Enguarde breathes underwater. You can't. If you jump in, you could get carried away and possibly drown."
"I can swim," Kiddy argued.
"I doubt anyone can swim in that," DK said as he watched the rough waters rock the boat in rhythm and the island getting closer and closer.
As the four Kongs disembarked and stepped foot on the island, the discontent hit them like a truck. The only one who wasn't uneased was Kiddy. He didn't get why the older Kongs felt the way they did. For him, it was just a new place to explore. It was saturated with secrets that can't wait to be uncovered. There's nothing the youngster loved more than going on adventures. It gets even better when he is with family and friends. His innocence and ignorance is a thing of beauty. A ray of light that will inevitably fade one day when he understands the evils that plague this world. For now, it is shining bright.