Not much to say about this chapter...except we're almost at the end.

It's a little hard for me to believe, actually.

Diddy couldn't believe what he was seeing, this was the exact same bird that tried to kill him before. He may be dead, but that didn't make it any less surprising.

"Wha''s wit' that look on yer face?" Krow teased. "Ye look like ye're about t' pass out."

"We thought you DIED," Dixie said bluntly.

"I AM dead," Krow replied. "I jus' haven't been able t' move on, yet."

"So then...what DO you want?" Diddy asked. "Are you gonna try to eat me again?"

Krow let out a hoarse laugh, startling Diddy in the process.

"Does it LOOK like I'd be able t' eat anythin'!? I be dead as a doorknob!" Krow started to calm himself, he ruffled his feathers. "Wha' I DO wants from ye be one more fight...at least 'til th' sun comes up."

"But why?"

"'cause I know yer journey hasn't been an easy one," Krow replied. "'n if I were t' fight ye right now, I could see how much stronger ye've gotten since then. Jus' think of it as a way t' see how far ye've gone."

Diddy looked back at Dixie with a curious look. "What do you think we should do?"

"...Well if it's to help him move on, I say we should fight him," Dixie said. "Besides, it could be sunrise at any moment."

"All right," Diddy said as he turned his attention towards Krow. "We'll fight you, but we're not gonna go easy on you."

"Fair enough," Krow said while opening his wings. "Jus' give it yer best shot!"

Krow flew high into the air, following him were the group of dead Neckies. Once they were above the trees, all of the Neckies started diving after the Kongs. Diddy jumped out of the way while Dixie started jumping on their heads. Once the Neckies were knocked out, Dixie managed to cling onto Krow's belt. However, Squawks wasn't able to stay on Dixie's head and flew off. Squitter managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

Meanwhile, Diddy was looking for something to hit Krow with. There weren't any eggs lying around like last time, so he'd have to look for something similar he could use. He eventually stumbled upon a barrel. While he wasn't as strong as DK, he was certain that he could throw it hard enough to do some damage to Krow.

Dixie tried to pull against Krow's belt in hopes that she could steer him. Nothing happened, as Krow started to dive towards Diddy's direction. Dixie panicked, she clinged onto Krow's neck. "LOOK OUT!"

With no time to think it over, Diddy picked up the barrel and waited for Krow to fly towards him. The Necky had his talons open, but his attempt to grab Diddy was in vein as the monkey threw the barrel at his chest. With Krow dazed, Dixie steered him towards the ground in hopes of knocking him out.

Krow stayed down for a moment, but he was far from done. He shook Dixie off his back before taking off again.

Dixie landed face-first in front of Diddy, the young monkey ran towards her and offered to give her his hand. "You OK?"

"I'm fine," Dixie said as Diddy helped her stand up. As they watched Krow fly towards them, the Kongs began to split. They needed to find another barrel, and fast.

Diddy ran along the ground while Dixie climbed along the houses. Eventually, Dixie found another barrel sitting on the roof...She wasn't sure how or why there was a barrel on the roof, but she had to make it work. Krow dived towards her, she lifted the barrel above her head. But as Krow ran into the barrel, he knocked Dixie off the roof. The ape had little time to react before she hit the ground. Nonetheless, she kept going.

The fight continued on throughout the night, and while the Kongs continued to grow more exhausted, Krow kept going without a scratch. Perhaps this was what it was like to be a ghost? Because as far as the Kongs were concerned, Krow hadn't taken any injuries at all.

Eventually, the Kongs couldn't fight anymore. They stood there, panting like a couple of thirsty dogs. Krow sighed as he looked up, he saw that the sky was starting to turn brighter. And as it turned brighter, he could already feel himself slowly fading away.

"All right, ye two," Krow said as he folded his wings back, "that's enough!"

"...So that's it?" Diddy asked, "You're not gonna fight anymore?"

"I couldn't fight even if I wanted t'," Krow argued. "Besides, I be startin' t' fade away."

After he had said that, the Necky showed off one of his wings. The ends of his primary feathers were faded, and was moving slowly towards his secondaries. Diddy stood there silently, he was unsure of what to do now.

"Is there a way we could help you?" Dixie asked.

Krow shook his head. "I only wanted t' fight ye 'til sunrise, 'n that's exactly wha' I got...But I shall say this, ye're nah as lily-livered as I thought ye were. I dunno if it'll be enough t' defeat K. Rool, but I be sure somethin' good'll come out o' this."

"...So you're saying we still have a chance?" Diddy asked excitedly. Krow replied with a shrug. "'tis a wee chance, but still a chance nonetheless."

"But what if I can't beat him?"

"Well...then thar's always th' ocean."

Before Diddy could ask anything else, Krow finally evaporated along with the other dead Neckies. He wasn't sure about what Krow said when he mentioned the ocean. Did that mean to send K. Rool to the ocean? Or maybe Krow was talking about his body after what happened back at the galleon? For all he knew, it was probably just nonsense.

"So now that he's gone, I think we can finally start wrapping up this whole quest," Squawks said as he returned to sitting on Dixie's beret.

"I agree," Rattly said as he fell onto Squitter's abdomen. "We've done all that we could do for Krow, ssso now the only thing we can do now isss sssave your uncle."

Diddy nodded in understanding as the group headed towards K. Rool's Keep. With all the other obsticals out of the way, all the Kongs had to worry about now was getting past K. Rool. They were only one step further from rescuing DK.

Sitting on top of K. Rool's Keep was the Flying Krock, it was resting on the floor like an actual crocodile. Sitting inside the Flying Krock was K. Rool, who was holding out a telescope. He was so high up, the air around him was freezing. And yet, he stayed still. He wanted to make sure those Kongs made it out of that forest alive. And if not...than hey, it wouldn't be that big of a problem for him.

"Did you see anything, yet?" Screech asked, sitting on a nearby bramble.

"Patience, Screech!" K. Rool hissed. "Those Kongs should be coming up any second now."

Screech nodded, though he had a doubtful look on his face. "What if this plan doesn't work?"

"It'll work, Screech," K. Rool assured him. "Besides, do you really think a couple of kids would stand a chance against Kerozene?"

"Not necessarily, but you know those brats are a lot smarter then they look."

"Well if worse comes to worse, you'll have to kill them instead!" K. Rool said jokingly. He continued to look down at the forest below him. Eventually, he spotted the Kongs trying to get through some trees. The Kremling King smiled, he put the telescope in his coat and headed over to the Flying Krock. "Go make sure Kerozene wakes up, I'll be keeping an eye out for those brats!"

"Yes, sir!" Screech said as he flew out of the vines and headed towards Crocodile Cauldron. For all the trouble that K. Rool is going through, it would've been easier to kill the Kongs right then and there. But of course, he knew better then to question the king. In the end, those Kongs were going to die anyway.

A couple of hours had gone by, though to Diddy it felt more like a couple of minutes. After all that he had gone through, after all the warnings he'd been given, he was finally standing in front of K. Rool's Keep. Dixie was standing next to him, she looked as bewildered as he was. Meanwhile, Squitter was already at the entrance. He was spinning a rope from his threads so the Kongs could easily climb upwards.

"So this is it, huh?" Diddy asked. Dixie replied with a nod. "It looks like it."

Diddy sighed, he gave Dixie a concerned look. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Dixie smiled patiently as she grabbed his hand. "Are you nervous?"

"...Yeah?"

"Well, we're almost done with this whole thing," Dixie said while trying to reassure him. "And once we're done, we can finally go home...OK?"

Diddy nodded. After all the trouble he'd gone through to get here, he knew there was no turning back. And as long as DK was safe, then that's all that mattered.

The group made their way over to the entrance, the time had finally teach K. Rool a lesson once and for all.