Diddy and Dixie traveled a long distance, things were running smoothely...No Kremlings, no hazards, it seemed like a perfect walk, had it been if they weren't on a Crocodile-infested island. Of course, with the encounter they had with Krow, they kept their guard up, something could attack them, at any moment.
As the Kongs traveled, they came up to what looked like the entrance to the Lost World. It was a toll bridge, guarded by a sleeping, muscle-bound Kremling, Klubba. The Kongs couldn't help but examine the area out of curiosity, Diddy tried to sneak passed the Kremling to see what was in the Lost World.
Klubba woke up, he could see the Kongs in front of him. "Oy, what're ye doin' 'ere!?" The Kremling growled, Diddy cringed in fear, Klubba grabbed both Diddy and Dixie by their backpacks and placed them on the ground in front of him. "Ye better leave if ye know what's good fer ye!"
"Why?" Diddy asked, he crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow, "King K. Rool's over there, isn't he?"
"An' so what if 'e is?" Klubba growled, "Jus' be lucky I ain't gatherin' reward money off ye filthy apes!"
"What are you talking about?" Dixie asked, Klubba pointed at the toll booth, "Yer answer'll be o'er there."
Dixie saw a poster near the Toll Booth. She saw there was a poor drawing of herself and Diddy. It read...
Wanted, two Kong Children exploring the island, one is a boy in red, one is a girl in pink. If you manage to capture these two, you will rewarded with 100 Kremkoins.
-Kaptain K. Rool
"Diddy..." Dixie came back to the duo, "We'd better go, before we're captured."
"Easy, lass," The Kremling said, "If ye filthy apes wanna cross me bridge, that badly, it'll cost ye 15 Kremkoins."
Diddy turned pale, "Kremkoins?"
"Ye 'eard me, lad," the Kremling said, "If ye wanna go into the Lost World, than ye 'ave to pay me 15 Kremkoins."
"That's not fair!" Diddy yelled, he took off his hat and started stomping on it like a 2-year-old, "You dirty no-good heartless Kremling!"
"Diddy, you idiot!" Dixie yelled in fright. Klubba raised his club, scaring the Kongs. Diddy grabbed his hat as he and Dixie ran away as fast and as far as possible.
"That's right, ye mangy fleabags!" the Kremling yelled, "Just be glad me brother Kudgel isn't here, or 'e'd kill both of ye on the spot!"
Both Kongs were making a run for it, Dixie pushed Diddy, the little monkey grumbled. "What was that for?"
"For losing your temper," Dixie replied, "And besides, it's bad enough you already have a few wounds!"
"I'll be fine," Diddy said, stubbornly, he was beginning to slow down. He looked behind himself, Klubba was nowhere in sight. Dixie had stopped running, Diddy did the same, afterwards.
The Kongs looked up at the island, it seemed like a long way ahead...It looked like it would give the Kongs a day or two to reach the top.
"Do you think we'll be able to make it?" Dixie asked, Diddy nodded, though in honesty, he wasn't too sure, himself. "Then, C'mon," Dixie gestured Diddy to follow her, "Off to the mines!"
"Hey, I thought you were the sidekick!"
Diddy and Dixie entered the mines. They were so different, compared to the mines back in Kongo Bongo. There appeared to be topaz and amethysts, lining the walls, though the mines in this area lacked mine carts. On the bright side, the Kongs didn't have to worry about the Rockrocs.
The two Kongs traveled deep into the mines, not a Kremling was seen or heard in the area. "We might bump into some crocs when we get outta here, so let's make sure we don't screw up like on the Galleon," Diddy warned. Dixie nodded in agreement. "So these Kremlings...do you think they're all bad?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean...have you ever met any nice Kremlings?"
Diddy had to think for a moment...Nice Kremlings? The only ones he'd met weren't exactly nice, trying to steal the Banana Hoard, trying to kill of the Kongs, how could there be nice Kremlings?
"Well, There might be good Kremlings out there," Diddy said, "but I guess haven't met any, yet."
"Oh..." Dixie scratched her head, "Well, they certainly don't seem all bad, that Kremling could've captured us, back there."
"I guess he could," Diddy said, "By the way, is it getting hot in here?"
Dixie noticed it, too...it was getting hotter as the Kongs traveled through the mines. A small rock fell from one of the walls, hitting Dixie on the head, "Ow, son of a...butternut squash!"
Diddy looked up from where the rock was, he could see Lava...at least that's what it looked like. "C'mon," Diddy said, "We've gotta keep going!" Dixie nodded, she continued to follow Diddy while she rubbed her head...The Lava, had eyes, it seemed like it was looking at the Kongs from a distance.
The two Kongs could see another ledge, it looked pretty high. Not only that, there were wasps patrolling the area. Diddy crossed his arms. "I guess they have Zingers here, too."
"Well, how do we get up there?" Dixie asked. Diddy had a solution.
"I need you to get on my shoulders," Diddy said, Dixie tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"
"You see, if you climb on my shoulders, I can throw you onto the ledge. Afterwards, you can help me up get up there, as well."
"Sounds like a good idea," Dixie said. She climbed onto Diddy's shoulder. Due to the pain in his back, Diddy wasn't as strong as he normally was, he struggled to stay on his feet, but he managed to throw Dixie onto the ledge. The little ape looked down, "You sure you can make it?"
"Sure I am," Diddy said, He tried to climb the ledge, but it was too steep for him, it was just like climbing a brick wall.
"Here," Dixie took off her beret and threw her ponytail over her face. "Grab my hair."
"Won't that hurt?" Diddy asked, concerned.
"It'll be fine," Dixie replied. Diddy reached above him and grabbed Dixie's ponytail, the ape pulled him over the ledge.
"I see you've got a pretty useful Ponytail," Diddy said, chuckling, "It's just like my tail...except for the gliding part."
"Well," Dixie said, placing her beret back onto her head, "it's nice to know someone likes my prehensile hair. After all, it took a lot of practice"
"Yeah, It's pretty special," Diddy commented. He couldn't understand why, but he seemed to have found her ponytail rather cute. Plus, it make Diddy feel better now that his friend was more than capable of doing things he can't do.
The duo continued to travel through the mines. It was getting hotter and hotter. The Kongs went from being inside the mines to being inside a volcano. The smell of ash was overwhelming, it was so hot, the Kongs felt they were being cooked alive. Diddy's only expierience with volcanoes was in Gorilla Glacier...and all that was there was the small Pool of Lava and the Tiki Tak Statues.
"H-How are we supposed to get through," Diddy asked, he started a coughing fit. Dixie examined the area, she could see light coming from the top of the Volcano. "We need to get out from there," Dixie said in a hoarse voice. Soon, she started her coughing fit, the air in the volcano was unbearable, the Kongs needed to get out as soon as possible.
There were many rocks sticking out from the lava, The Kongs climbed rock after rock, they knew they were going to make it... Until they came up to a narrow bridge. Diddy could make it over to the other side, just fine...but Dixie, on the other hand, wasn't sure of what to do, she looked at Diddy with a nervous expression. "How are we going to get across?"
"Well, we gotta keep going," Diddy said, he offered to grab Dixie's hand, "Besides, I won't let you fall in, I promise."
"I dunno..."
"The sooner we're outta here, the better," Diddy added, "So, c'mon!"
"OK, fine," Dixie grabbed Diddy's hand, the little monkey began to inch his way over to the other side. It looked like a short distance, but to the Kongs, it was like a mile. The Kongs were half-way there, the bridge was getting narrower, Dixie wasn't able to keep her balance.
"Hold on, I gotcha," Diddy said, reassuringly, trying to keep his own balance. He continued to inch closer to the other side of the bridge. However, he was losing his balance, himself, he was flailing his free arm to try to keep himself from falling.
"D-DIDDY!" Dixie had fallen over the ledge, Diddy fell along with her, he was still holding onto her hand while keeping themselves from falling by wrapping his tail around the narrow bridge. Dixie looked down, the lava was right underneath her. Needless to say, she was beyond scared.
"Look at me," Diddy yelled, "And whatever you do, don't look down!" Diddy tried to pick up Dixie, but his back pain was keeping him from performing the task.
"D-don't worry, I promised I wouldn't let you fall in!"
"HOW DO WE GET OUTTA THIS ONE!?" Dixie yelled in fright, she was in full panic mode. Diddy began to hear cracks. He looked up, the bridge was collapsing. "DIXIE, I'M SORRY THIS WAS ALL MY FAULT!"
Not a moment too soon, the bridge collapsed, the two Kongs began to fall to their deaths. The two Kongs shrieked, this looked like the end for them.
Diddy felt something clinging onto his feet, he looked down (or up?), noticing that his feet were covered in a sticky white string, coming from...lava, hanging on the wall?
Diddy looked down, he was still holding Dixie, "Were we just saved by lava?" Dixie shook her head, "I-I think you need to have a closer look at it."
Diddy looked back up, the "lava" was climbing the walls, taking the Kongs to safety. The Lava turned out to be a spider, roughly the same size as Diddy and Dixie. The spider pulled its web upwards, so Diddy and Dixie were sitting onto the ledge.
He was smiling, widely. "Who might you be?" Diddy asked the spider...though it didn't seem like it could speak.
"Well, Funky did say to look out for Animal Buddies," Dixie added, "Maybe he just wants to help."
"I guess so," Diddy patted the Spider's head, "Besides, we'd be goners if it weren't for him."
The Spider nudged Diddy, trying to tell the monkey to get on his back. "C'mon, let's have the spider help out, for a bit," Diddy suggested. He climbed on the Spider's back, Dixie climbed onto it, afterwards. Spider began to move through the volcano like a rabbit chasing a carrot, making sure the Kongs didn't fall off his back.
It traveled into higher ground, as far as it could get from the lava. It was much easier for the Kongs to breathe, though the smell of ash was still there. Diddy and Dixie got off the Spider, they saw what looked like a hot-air balloon. Diddy looked at the Spider. "Thanks for the help, buddy."
The spider smiled, Dixie patted its head, "I hope we get to see you, again." The spider nodded, it began to find its own way through the volcano, satisfied that it could help the Kongs.
...And that concludes another chapter...
