A/N: This is perhaps THE longest document I've written in years. I think it took like three hours.
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"Wait a moment," Diddy began, as they approached the entrance of the Ruins. "How did you know to be here?"
"I go on walks through the area," Wrinkly responded, suddenly looking sad. "You are not the first Tail to fall down here, so my walks are to see if anyone new has come. It's been quite a while since the last one of your kind."
"Oh." Diddy kept his eyes on the floor, only half-lisening as she explained the mechanics of the puzzle before him.
It took him a little bit to realize she was waiting for him at the now opened door. He approached, flinching when she raised a hand and patted him on the head. She smiled warmly, but it did nothing to calm the fears that came from his new knowledge. Wrinkly noticed his tension and removed her hand from him, instead gesturing for him to follow her. Diddy hesitantly did as asked, emerging into the next room to find it empty of life except for them and some plants.
"This room has a few switches you must trigger to navigate it. They're labeled, so would you please flip them as we go past?" she asked politely. Diddy nodded, appraoching one and pushing it up, doing the same to a couple more they passed by, and they were across the room within minutes. "You're doing well, young one. Please don't give up."
"Ehr... may I ask something?" Diddy began, receiving a nod in return. "You said I wasn't the first of my kind to fall down here. Wh-where are the others? You yourself said these were ruins. Doesn't that mean this place is abandoned? And you being more docile than 'others'?! What does that even mean?! I knew it! Those old legends were true!"
A stillness rang loud through the room, and Diddy suddenly regretted everything. He honestly hadn't meant to explode like he had and so now feared the eerie silence this kind person had retained. He took a few steps back, cowering behind the threshold between the room they had just entered and the room with the labeled switches.
Wrinkly stared coldly at him, her mind returning to the previous Tails that had fallen and were beyond the ruins. Her entire demeanor changed to reflect these thoughts, but she hid it away before he could fear the worst.
"The others have since left the ruins," she began softly. "Despite how it may have sounded, we are a peaceful race unless provoked. I'm sure they are well. Why don't we continue on?"
Diddy nodded as she approached the other end of the new room and gestured to a dummy figure sitting near her.
"Regardless, certain ones that are a common sight can be volatile if approached wrong." The Tail frowned. "They may try to attack you, so it is very important you know how to defend yourself. Try striking a conversation with your opponent. Show it you mean no harm by trying to be friendly. Why not practice on this figure?"
Diddy approached the dummy, waving kindly to it as the red heart emerged once more from his chest. The dummy did nothing but stare back.
"Uh... hi," Diddy said. The dummy turned away, apparently not one for conversation, and the heart returned to within him. Wrinkly clapped softly.
"Wonderful work, child, that was very well done indeed. Come, come! There is another puzzle I want to see if you can solve in the next room!"
The young Tail followed the Kong through the next corridor, suddenly getting apprehended by a small creature. He knelt to it curiously and it blinked at him.
"Hello! You're such a cute little thing!" he said, genuinely intrigued by the critter, who cocked its head to the side and blushed.
It suddenly slunk away, terrified by something behind him. Diddy stood once more, continuing on down the corridor until he came across a platform with many raised spikes.
"Well, this is the puzzle," Wrinkly said, gesturing to the trap before them. Diddy stepped forward to work on it, but she held an arm out in front of him. "Wait. I... thought this would be a good one for you to try, but... now I'm not so sure. Come with me. I'll take you across."
The boy grabbed her sleeve, careful to remember where and how she stepped so as not to make a false move. Once on the other side, he let go and turned back to the puzzle, curious as to how he was supposed to have figured the solution out. He suddenly became very glad she had guided him across.
"That... was an interesting contraption," he said flatly as they began walking once more.
"Yes... Perhaps puzzles are a little too dangerous for now." She paused and looked at him. "If you wouldn't mind, could you please walk to the end of the room by yourself? I'm so sorry about this."
She began walking forward before Diddy ever realized what she had said. He tried to turn to catch up, but her stride was far too quick and he fell to his face. When he sat up, she was no where in sight. The room itself was pretty long, but also fairly barren save for some rather large growths of vines. When he reached the end, which took several minutes, Wrinkly emerged from one of the overgrowths.
"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry about that," she murmured.
"What was that about?" Diddy asked.
"Well, I-I'm afraid I have some business to attend to, so you'll be on your own for a bit. The only thing I ask of you is to remain here for the time being. But, if you need to reach me," She produced a small brick from the pouch sitting on her side and handed it to him," do not hesitate to call me on this. Please be good, OK?"
Diddy nodded, and she walked off. He examined the brick, finding it to be an very old model of a cell phone. How he was supposed to make calls on this, he wasn't entirely sure, but he held no intentions on staying put. As soon as he had left the doorway, the brick rang, signaling Wrinkly was aware of him leaving. He assured her he had not, and looked around the new room.
Directly near him was another of those creatures from earlier, and to his other side was a strange orb-like object. He touched it, and all feelings of tiredness vanished. Diddy was then face with the dilemma of which way to go, as a path sat on either side of him. He went for the path that was nearest to the entrance, and was rewarded with the sights of what looked like sweets. The sign said to take only one, but he only just then realized how hungry he was, and grabbed a couple, toppling the bowl over.
The candies proved helpful. As he treked through the room, several enemies attacked him and made the feeling that had come about after DK's attacks had hurt him return. He popped on in his mouth after he reached the other end, feeling a lot better instantly. The next room brought him an interesting dilemma in the form of cracks litering the floor. He attempted to tread lightly, but was ultimately sent through the floor, landing squarely on his rump.
Diddy noticed a door nearby and went through it, hoping it would lead to beyond the cracks. His assumption was right, and he entered the next room only to be face with a new puzzle. Wrinkly called him several times in the duration of solving it with some very odd questions, but ultimatley didn't seem to bother him after that.
The next couple of puzzles were simple upon realizing the answer. A few more crack puzzles (one of with rewarded him with a small bow) and a puzzle similar to the one with the caretaker's odd questions (inwhich he has to persuade a stone to stay on the switch at least until he crossed), and he was met with a blockade in the path. Sitting on a pile of leaves was a partially-transparent figure wearing what looked to be a blue coat.
"Excuse me?" Diddy said softly. No response. Diddy began nudging, which seemed to make the figure jump.
"Wh-what? I..." the figure started, his form becoming more solid. "I'm sorry..."
"I-it's fine. I didn't realize you were sleeping. Do you live in the ruins?"
"N-no, no one really does. I come every now and then to be alone."
"Oh.. Eh, if I may ask, weren't you almost transparent a moment ago? How are you solid-looking now?"
"I-it's a soul power thing," the Kong replied. "All of us have them. Mine gives me ghost like properties. You were trying to pass through here, right? Let me get out of your way..."
Diddy thanked the new friend and went on his merry way, solving several more puzzles before coming across a small dagger. He picked it up and examined it, finding it to be of the kind that was a toy and the 'blade' could be pushed into the hilt. He continued down the other path he had seen before finding the toy, coming into a wide clearing. A voice could be heard as he walked forward.
"Oh no, no, no... I took much longer than I intended to. I hope they're all right..." Wrinkly came into view then, spotting the young Tail. "Dearie, how did you manage to get here? You aren't hurt, are you? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you behind like that. I was just trying to surprise you."
"I'm fine, I promise," Diddy assured. "The puzzles weren't really all that hard."
"Well, if you're sure, please come along. I have something to show you."
Diddy followed her into the building down the path, stopping mometarily at the strange orb that appeared to be waiting patiently for him near the entrance. Touching the orb helped bring back what HP the candy had not, but it overall wasn't much when he stopped to think about it. Still, it was better he gain back to what he could now, seeing as he might have to fight something later.
With that done, he made his way inside. He took in the surroundings, recognizing it as nothing but a quaint little home. A staircase seeming to lead downward sat behind Wrinkly, who was waiting in what he could assume was a foyer of sorts. It was then he noticed a pleasant aroma in the air, and he could feel his mouth start to water.
"I smell food," the Tail said bluntly, placing a hand on his stomach.
"Yes, it's a coconut and banana pie," she replied smiling. "I figured it was OK to have something like that for a celebration, instead of something like a honey casserole, at least for tonight."
"Both things sound really good right now, to be honest." Diddy only became vaguely aware that he was drooling at the thought once Wrinkly had signaled him down a hallway.
They stopped in front of a door, which he was prompted to open. The door swung opened to reveal a cozy bedroom, a bed on one side with a wooden wardrobe sitting beside it. Diddy looked to the Kong, who was smiling warmly. The smile disappeared once a faint scent of smoke hit the air.
"Uhm... please get settled in, OK?" she said before running off in the other direction.
Diddy entered the room slowly, taking in the contents. He removed his shoes and sat on the pale blue sheets, only realizing now how tired he was. His mind raced a thousand miles a minute, over everything that had happened over the day. He still needed to find a way out. Maybe the Kongs beyond the doors could help him find a way out. He laid down, absent-mindedly fiddling with one of the odd stuffed toys sitting against the wall near the bed.
It wasn't until Diddy heard the door shutting that he realized he'd fallen asleep. He sat up, noticing someone had pulled the bedspread up to cover him. He put the oddly-shaped toy back against the wall once he realized he was holding on to it and got off the bed. He wandered blindly around the room until he found a lightswitch and flicked it, lighting up the dark and making him blink rapidly.
He noticed a plate sitting on a nearby nightstand and walked to it. A delicious slice of the pie sat on the plate, almost teasing him to eat it, leading him to believe it had been Wrinkly who had been in the room. Diddy sat on the floor and calmly ate a portion of the pie. He looked down at the half that remained sadly. He was greatful for the hospitality, but he could not stay. He had just been exploring Mt. Fox, trying to see if the rumors and legends were true. It wasn't his fault there was overgrowth in the area.
He stood to his feet, noting that he would have to wrap the dessert in something in order to take it with him, and located his shoes on the opposite side of the room. He slipped into them, made sure the bed was properly made, and walked to the door. He looked back silently, yearning to stay but fighting against his wishes.
"Oh, you're awake!" Diddy looked up as he neared the staircase and the entrance to the house, nearly bumping into Wrinkly. "I'm very sorry. Had I known you would have woken up soon, I would have just waited."
"It's fine," the Tail replied. "I feel much better now. Thank you."
"Did I give you too much?" she asked, looking at what was still left.
"I could probably have eaten it, but I think I'll save it for later." He smiled at her, trying to put off what he was aching to ask, and hurried off to find something to place it in.
He scoured the kitchen for a good five minutes before finding some plastic wrap. The pie would surely be squished before he could eat it again, but he knew it would still taste the same. He was actually half-tempted to cut off another slice of the pie and add it to his excess portion, but he didn't want to linger. With the pie safely wrapped and in his backpack, he hurried off in search for his new friend.
Diddy found her in the den standing near a bookcase, flipping half-heartedly through a book with a happy little bee on the front. She looked up upon hearing him approach and smiled gently.
"Whatcha reading?" he asked.
"It's a book on Zinger facts," Wrinkly responded. "I was hoping to see if you liked them and then let you read it."
"Maybe not tonight."
"That is quite all right. It's just... it's really nice to have someone here. I... don't receive visitors that often. You're free to read any of these books any time. I used to be a teacher, so it always makes me happy when I can pass along any bit of knowledge to someone."
Oh, this was going to hurt.
"I-if you don't mind..." Diddy bit his lower lip as she looked at him. How was he supposed to put this? "Um... h-how do I exit here?"
The only sound that was present then was Wrinkly slamming the book shut. He almost immediately recognized the on her face as the expression as the one she had gained when he asked about the other fallen Tails. Sheopened her mouth to speak but stopped, closing and pressing it into a thin line.
"Wh-what do you mean?" she stuttered after the silence raged for several minutes, her fingers digging into the book's cover. "Why would you want to leave here?"
"I want to go home," Diddy replied and instantly regretted it.
"Th-this is your home now! Don't be silly, dearie!"
"I want to go home," he continued, a little less hesitant.
"I'm sorry, I... I have something I need to do."
Wrinkly quickly placed the book back on the shelf and composed herself before hurrying in the direction of the staircase and descending them. Diddy followed her, hoping she wasn't doing what he suspected. Instead, he found her a little ways down a corridor, her back to him as she braced herself for what was to come.
"Wrinkly, I-"
"You said you want to go... 'home'... right?" He didn't like the way she said the word at all. "Down this path lies the exit you sought. It's tightly sealed, so only those of us on the inside can ever go through."
"Uh... um... listen, I-I'm really sorry about all this. I'm not ungrateful, really! It was by complete accident I even fell down here! I-"
"I'm going to destroy it."