A small monkey trembled beneath the boughs of shuddering palm trees, the winds whipping through their leaves and creating a crescendo of chaos. The young simian cried out in hopes of an answer from his family, yet none ever came. Terrified as the setting sun shed its final light upon ominous clouds, the youngster offered one final call before a low rumble of thunder echoed above. With a screech the little one darted toward a nearby tree – nestling within a small alcove at its base.

 

The shaken monkey whimpered as a few droplets of rain began to fall. The skies above revealed startling colors of vibrant orange that bled into sinister storm grey; which only became more horrifying as the darkness was illuminated by volatile bolts of lightning. Sobbing loudly, the child found himself at a loss. His family was nowhere to be found, the scents of his parents lost to the violent wind and falling rain. He was in an unknown territory and he was alone. There was nothing he could do…

 

While the youngster sobbed uncontrollably, he failed to notice a loud crackling from a nearby tree. By the time he realized the telltale sound of collapsing foliage, it was already too late. As he turned toward certain death, a sudden shadow of a massive figure blocked his view! “Banana slamma!” They shouted as their powerful arms held up the severed tree with brute strength. “C’mon little buddy! Move it!” The much larger of the pair yelled, an obvious strain tinged his voice as his arm began to shake from the tree’s weight.

 

The youngster froze – his eyes wide in astonishment as he witnessed the massive ape grit his teeth during his continued struggle to prevent the both of them from being crushed. The little one could only watch, his body unmoving and words failing him as the giant began yelling something else to him that just didn’t register within his frightened mind. Suddenly he noticed the ape shove the tree as hard as he could, giving them a split second to act. The small monkey remained still; however, he was suddenly scooped into warm arms before a sudden blast of cool damp air rushed his face.

 

CRASH!!!

 

The only sound the young monkey could hear was the pounding of his heart…

 

“Little buddy!”

 

The pounding of his heart and rapid breaths…

 

“Hey! Little buddy!”

 

There was nothing else… Nothing…

 

“Can ya hear me little buddy?!”

 

However, it wasn’t long before the petrified youth was shaken from his stupor – quite literally. The child blinked rapidly as his tears ran down his face. His wide-eyed gaze appeared to shake alongside his body; though whether it was because of the big ape’s rough handling or his own tremors was a different story.

 

“Y-Yes…” The little monkey answered in a tiny voice, his words trembling as he spoke. “Th-th-thank-”

 

“Hey! Don’t thank me little buddy!” A jolly voice answered before the little one could try to eke out a pathetic thanks. “I’m just glad I found ya when I did! Hehehehe!” A strange yet infectious laugh burst from the large ape before he lifted the small monkey from his arms and onto his back like it was the most natural thing in the world. “So what’s your name, little buddy? I’m Donkey Kong, but everyone just calls me DK!”

 

The little monkey quickly clung onto the larger ape’s fur and held on for dear life as he began to walk through the jungle at a brisk speed. “D-Diddy…” He managed to squeak while ducking under a low hanging branch that DK nearly charged through.

 

“Diddy eh? Well Diddy buddy, what were you doing here by yourself?” Another boom of thunder resounded from overhead, causing DK to veer off and climb up a nearby tree with ease – despite the additional weight of his small passenger. Grunting as he reached the top, DK leaped toward a vine and began to move at an even faster rate, thanks to the momentum the vines granted him.

 

Diddy yelped and clung even tighter to the powerful Kong’s dense fur. “I- I don’t know.” He barely managed while looking up toward the canopies above – his fear of seeing just how far they were from the ground overwhelmed him. “I dunno how I got here.”

 

DK didn’t answer right away, instead focusing on grabbing one vine and then the next. “Well… Don’t worry about it too much, little buddy.” With a particularly powerful swing DK leaped from the vine and burst through the treetops, landing atop their sturdy branches and squinting against the downpour that greeted him. “We’ll figure it out in the end.” For a moment DK’s eyes narrowed further before his gaze suddenly brightened. “Just hold on, we’re almost there!”

 

Diddy yelped, his vision briefly obscured by the trees before his face was pelted by the falling rain. Silently the young monkey simply observed DK, tensing slightly as the large ape seemed to grow frustrated – or maybe it was just the rain in his eyes, before his gaze went from aggravated to excited. “Wh-where’s there-?!” But before he could ask anything further they were off again, DK leaping from tree to tree, before he jumped down through the trees and landed onto a wooden balcony of a somewhat large tree hut.

 

A tiny gasp of surprise slipped from Diddy as DK quickly made his way inside. Once they were safe and out of the increasingly worsening weather, DK made it a point to shake his body dry once he made his way to the middle of the hut – however, due to his strength Diddy found himself becoming off balance and hitting the wooden floor with a soft thud. “Ow!” He half-cried, half-whimpered.

 

“Cranky! Cranky!” DK shouted, before noticing his distressed new friend on the floor. “Oh! Sorry little buddy.” He said sheepishly, before carefully helping Diddy to his feet.

 

“Darn it Donkey Kong, you good for nothing! Do you know what time it is?! Why I ought to-!” A harsh voice bit out before abruptly falling silent, their gaze locked on the small monkey who quietly cowered against DK’s arm.

 

“Now Cranky, before you say no-”

 

“No! No! A thousand times NO!” The older ape barked, his fangs bared as he slammed his cane against the wooden floor with finality – a loud burst of thunder further punctuating the elderly ape’s ire. “Donkey Kong if you don’t take that thing back where ya found it, I swear I will shove my cane right up your-!”

 

“He’s got nowhere to go! Please Cranky, just let him stay the-!”

 

“Are you deaf?! I already said NO doggone it! Now get that little flea-bitten brat out of here, fur for brains! If you care so much about that little whelp, why don’t you take care of him?! It’s too late and I don’t have time for this when there’s other things I need to worry about! Out! Out! OUT!” Before DK could utter another word of protest the older ape began wildly swinging his cane around, occasionally succeeding and clobbering the muscular Kong over the head.

 

“Alright! Alright! Fine! We’re going, we’re going!” DK shouted, picking up Diddy and quickly running out of the front door before it was abruptly slammed shut behind them. “Well… That didn’t go as planned.” DK mumbled as he felt Diddy shiver in his arms. “H-Hey! Don’t worry little buddy! We’ll find a place for you to go, I promise! I mean… If worse comes to worse, you can stay with me. I don’t have much space but… Well it’s better than being out here in this rain.”

 

As the weather worsened around them, Diddy found himself snuggling further into DK’s fur as the large ape closed his eyes in thought. “S-Sorry for this…” The young monkey whispered, only to feel DK shaking back and forth as though to tell him not to worry about it. 

 

“He’s always like that… Though I wish the old guy would just chill out.” DK sighed then, before quickly moving Diddy back to his shoulder. “I know another place we can try before it gets too late. I just hope he hasn’t had too many of his ‘Funky Rolls’… C’mon little buddy! Let’s go!” Hopping down from Cranky’s balcony, DK began running through the torrential rains, nearly slipping on a few puddles during their journey to the next prospective caretaker's residence.

 

By the time they arrived at the next treehouse, DK was visibly waterlogged and out of breath. However, the massive ape didn’t stop moving until his fist was beating against the door of a large wooden tree hut. “Funky! Funky you in there?!” 

 

As the door creaked open, Diddy found himself trying to hide in DK’s fur – fearful that this ‘Funky’ would be just as irritable as Cranky had been. Though once the door opened fully, Diddy found himself staring at an ape that looked eerily similar to DK, aside from his lighter fur color, cool shades, and laid back attire.

 

“Ayy Donkey dude, what’s brought you to the pad this late my man?” Briefly, the other ape seemed to have his shaded gaze set on DK’s shoulder, tilting his head a moment before lifting his shades and squinting toward the cowering monkey. “Dude… Ya didn’t mention a little passenger.” He said in a somewhat confused, yet otherwise relaxed tone. “What’s up lil’ dude? Name’s Funky Kong, but you can call me Funky.”

 

Diddy nodded slowly and cautiously lifted himself to get a better look at Funky. He was definitely less angry than Cranky had been; however, he did have a strange smell that somewhat confused the young monkey. It was an earthy scent that was infused with bananas… Strange indeed.

 

“Funky, mind letting us in so I can explain. It’s kinda storming out here.” DK asked in a somewhat deadpan tone, while making gestures toward the torrential downpour around them.

 

“Oh sorry dudes. I thought you two came from a wicked pool party.” Funky said with a laugh, before opening his door fully and welcoming the two inside. “Then again, I did try to infuse some ‘Funky Rolls’ with bananas earlier, stuff was gnarly dudes.” Funky proceeded to chuckle while closing the door and locking it, remaining in a state of ‘zen’ as DK once again shook out his fur once he was inside; however, this time he made sure Diddy was safe on the floor before doing so. “Mind filling me in dude…?” Funky asked while waving his hand in Diddy’s general direction.

 

“Yeah, well it all started when I decided to go on my evening walk…”

 

Diddy Kong slowly but surely began tuning out the two older apes behind him, instead focusing on the various tools and gadgets that Funky had strewn about his place. Carefully Diddy bit down on the metallic bits and bobs, testing their strength and getting a better idea of what he could potentially use the objects for. One particularly strange item caught the young monkey’s eye, prompting him to walk over and marvel at the odd design of it. Was it a hut? Why did it have a stick at the top of it, with a sideways pinwheel glued at the end of said stick?

 

“... And that’s why we’re here.” DK finished with a sigh, “Your place is almost as big as Cranky’s, so the little guy can walk around and not feel too stuffed up. I mean, your place is a lot bigger than mine, Funky.” 

 

“I guess? But dude, I dunno about you, but I’m not exactly cut out for little dude watching. I mean, there’s all kindsa stuff I don’t have on lock and key or nothin’ dude. What if the little dude gets hurt. That’s a lot of bad juju man. Hurt little dudes are bad juju…”

 

As the two continued their back and forth, Diddy continued observing the strange device before taking note of a controller nearby. With his curiosity piqued even further, the youngster quickly found himself fiddling with the controller, his thumbs flicking against the silver control sticks, as his fingers tapped away at the buttons before a green light flickered on. Well… That did something!”

 

“C’mon Funky. I’ll let you use my personal stash of bananas if you’ll just take him in. I’m sure he won’t get in too much trouble!”

 

Funky sighed and scratched the back of his head, before finally lifting his shades and propping them on his forehead to take a long look at DK. After a few moments Funky slowly shook his head and flicked his sunglasses back over his eyes. “Alright dude, but if I get bad juju, I’m blaming you for it.”

 

“Thanks, Funky! Thanks a million!” DK’s voice suddenly grew relieved, a wide grin easing on his face once his new little buddy’s housing situation had been resolved.

 

“Don’t sweat it dude-!” Funky started, before he seemed to grow unnervingly alert toward something just behind DK. “DUCK DUDE!” Funky dropped to the ground soon after his warning, arms flying over his head in case of incoming debris.

 

DK on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky, getting smacked in the back of the head by the unknown threat as a result of slow reflexes. Grunting in pain and rubbing where he’d been struck, DK turned around to find a strange device on the ground and Diddy with an odd controller in his hand.

 

“S-Sorry!” Diddy yelped, putting the controller down and dropping his head in shame. “D-DK are you okay?”

 

Gritting his teeth a moment longer as the pain began to fade, DK picked up the small object and tilted his head in confusion. “I’m alright little buddy. But you should be more careful.” With that DK looked over at Funky, who was once again staring with intense interest. First at the odd object, then the controller, then Diddy.

 

“Uh Funky…?” DK started, before Funky lifted a hand to silence him. 

 

Slowly Funky picked up the object, then the controller, and made his way toward Diddy – who was beginning to cower. “Dude… How’d you do that?!” Funky said with a shocking amount of enthusiasm. “I’ve been trying to get this baby up for weeks!” Grinning brightly at the youngster, Funky handed back the device to Diddy, who took it and began pressing the buttons in no particular order, all in the hopes of showing off to a new friend.

 

Witnessing the beginnings of their newfound bond, DK nodded once toward the pair before taking his leave…

 

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. And eventually, months turned into years…

 

Diddy lived with Funky for eight years; during this time, the young simian learned how to wield a wrench before graduating to connecting wires and fine-tuning components to build cool new inventions – all of which he used for mischief or lazy-resolution. Once he was around 12-years old, Funky began to entertain the idea of Diddy Kong leaving the nest – after all, the growing monkey was growing more rambunctious and stir-crazy, which was somewhat dampening Funky’s overall chill vibes.

 

“Yo little dude, got some time to chill out before ya bust up my newest TV?” Funky asked in an almost amused manner, while leaning up against a workbench and watching as Diddy’s head popped out from behind his television. The older of the two couldn’t help but chuckle as Diddy’s fur appeared to stand on end, likely caused by the sparks of electricity he noticed flickering from where the younger Kong had appeared from.

 

“Hehe, sorry Funky, just tryin’ to see how everything works. DK’s been needing an upgrade!” Diddy chirped, completely unbothered by his frazzled fur as he easily hopped onto the work table to be eye-level with his current caretaker. “What’s up?!”

 

Funky lifted his glasses and shook his head with a chuckle from Diddy’s unkempt state, yet didn’t bother making a comment. “Well little dude, I was thinking that it’s time you flew the coop.” Funky started while flicking his glasses back over his face. “You’re old enough and I’ve taught ya all I can. Now it’s time I let you vibe on your own terms.”

 

Diddy’s face shifted from excited to somewhat confused, a hint of worry filling his eyes as he abruptly plopped his bum on the table. “Yo, what gives Funky? If it’s the TVs, I can fix ‘em… Probably.” Diddy offered a forced chuckle, as a sense of dread clawed from within. It took everything in his power to retain a lax exterior, but even then his tail trembled – betraying his true emotions regarding Funky’s sudden proposition.

 

Silently Funky raised his hands and made a gesture as though telling the youngster to calm down. “Ease up and chill out lil’ man. I’m not just gonna leave my favorite little dude out on his own. I’ve been workin’ on your brand new pad, perfect for a little dude like you. I even posted you near DK, and you know I’m only two vine swings away.”

 

Suddenly Diddy’s tail stopped quaking, the worry practically evaporating from his being as he offered funky an open-mouthed stare. “Y-Ya mean I got my own spot?! I get to be l-like you guys?” Diddy stood abruptly and practically bounced in place. “I have a place here?!”

 

“Always have, little dude.” Funky said calmly while ruffling the top of Diddy’s head. “Oh by the way, the big dude wanted me to give this to you, but it kept slipping my mind. Think of it as a good home, good vibes gift.” With that, Funky reached under the workbench and pulled out a bright red cap, with the words: Nintendo on the front of it.

 

“Holy- Wow! Thanks, Funky… For everything!” Diddy offered a huge grin to the larger ape, and gave him a thumbs up before grabbing the hat and gently biting at the brim. Nodding once in satisfaction from the quality texture of the material. “Though what does Nintendo mean?”

 

Funky waved off the younger Kong’s thanks, “It’s nothin’ lil’ dude, you’re fam after all. Though as for what that means? Beats me.” The sunglasses wearing ape scratched his head in thought, “DK said something about having a hat with ‘DK’ on it wouldn’t work, and decided to go with that. Though I don’t think anyone would get the two of you confused. Anyhow, I once saw something on the Primal Primate channel, something about taekwon-do. If anything, I’d say it’s another one of those fighting styles.”

 

“Ooh… Ninten-do… That’s so sick! I wanna learn to fight like DK. Maybe that’s the style he uses!” With that Diddy popped the hat onto his head and bounced around on the table with excitement, before leaping down and making his way to the door.

 

Funky shrugged and turned to watch the younger Kong bound toward the door. “Ayy, little dude!” He called out while grabbing something else from under his workbench.

 

“Yeah Funky?”

 

“Catch!”

 

The sound of jingling metal filled the air as Diddy quickly lifted his tail and grabbed the object. Quickly he looked down and noticed a ring with a single key attached to it. “What’s this? The keys to the Funky Flight?” Diddy asked with a cheeky grin.

 

“No way, little dude. No one touches the Funky Flight except me!” With that Funky sat on his workbench and leaned forward slightly, lifting his glasses once again to offer a sly grin of his own. “Nah little dude, it’s just the keys to your place. Just act like you’re going to DK’s. It’s a few treetops away, but you won’t miss the bright red hut waiting for you. Even put two stars on the front door, just your style little dude.”

 

As Diddy removed the key from his tail and held it in his palm, the little monkey couldn’t help but laugh and turn away to hide the fact that he was nearly moved to tears. Clearing his throat, Diddy kept his back to Funky while waving over his shoulder. “Thanks man…” Unable to trust himself not to cry, Diddy quickly opened the door and began making his way toward his new home, both excited and relieved from all that transpired. He had a family, a real family that wouldn’t abandon him. The hat on his head and the key in his hand serving as proof to their familial bonds.

 

A few weeks after settling into his new place, Diddy found himself visiting Donkey Kong more frequently; due to the close proximity of their homes. DK was always happy to have his little buddy around, with the two often eating bananas and watching episodes of Swanky’s Sideshow together – though some days the two would just laze in each other’s company, simply appreciating the time they could spend.

 

Whenever Cranky Kong would demand that Donkey Kong get off his lazy butt and patrol the island, Diddy would be the first to volunteer to go along with him – an offer that DK was always willing to accept. As the two traversed the island, Diddy would chatter away about how awesome he thought DK’s job was, and how he wanted to be a hero just like him. And though DK would often laugh off Diddy’s praises, the big ape couldn’t help but appreciate his little buddy’s enthusiasm.

 

As time wore on changes began occurring during the night. Changes that caused Cranky a great deal of alarm and made him prone to making more and more demands of Donkey Kong in the process. Diddy would always be there, watching as the older ape berated DK while brandishing his cane and occasionally clobbering his grandson over the head. Diddy would usually speak up and insist that DK was doing his best, only for Cranky to round on him and treat him in the same manner he did Donkey Kong, referring to both as lazy want-to-be heroes who lacked discipline. With each tirade finishing in a ‘back in my day-’ story about how things were far more challenging.

 

However, Diddy couldn’t help but notice Donkey Kong growing more antsy after each report to Cranky, as though the larger ape was concerned that something terrible was going to happen in the near future. Despite this, Donkey Kong would quickly put on his usual bravado and easy-going attitude, which allowed Diddy to do the same. Whatever trouble there was, it was likely Cranky blowing things out of proportion as perusal – and besides, nothing could defeat DK. So really, what was there to be afraid of?

 

Little did the young Kong know that there were things in the world far more cutthroat than the usual island fare; however, he would learn soon enough…

 

As the weeks carried on Cranky became even more irritable than normal. Diddy also couldn’t help but notice that Donkey Kong seemed more and more exhausted each day. The older Kong’s exhaustion likely stemmed from being placed on night watch over the Banana Horde. Diddy felt sympathy for his adoptive uncle, taking it upon himself to help the older ape during his shifts by chatting with him for as long as possible. If he wanted to be a hero, then he could at the very least ease the burden of his idol.

 

During one fateful evening, DK and Diddy were making their way toward the Banana Horde; at least, that was until Donkey Kong suddenly fell forward, landing face-first against the ground. Panicked, Diddy immediately began shaking Donkey Kong until the large ape came to – the bags under his eyes more prominent than they’d been before.

 

“DK! DK!” Diddy shouted against the wind as Donkey Kong stared at him with bleary eyes.

 

“Little buddy?” DK questioned, while slowly rising to his feet, massaging his head and groaning from a combination of pain and sleep-deprivation. “I’m alright little buddy, don’t worry.” DK tried his best to sound strong and confident for his nephew, but as he wobbled and his forearms trembled, it was easy to tell that the larger Kong was not alright in the slightest.

 

“No you’re not DK!” Diddy insisted with a frown, his tail lashing around as he placed a hand on DK’s arm. “Look, lemme keep watch tonight dude. You need to sleep! Cranky’s been running ya ragged and you’re about to wipe out.”

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea-”

 

“C’mon DK, I’ve watched you night after night. I can keep up… I promise I can keep up!” Diddy insisted while looking at DK with a pleading and concerned expression. “Nothing happens. Besides, think of it as ‘Hero Training’!” The smaller simian added with a quick smile to try and reassure the older Kong.

 

Donkey Kong was silent for a time, looking at Diddy with a furrowed brow before relenting with a long yawn and sharp snap of his teeth. Diddy was right, Cranky had been demanding more of him than ever before, and he could barely stand up straight – much less keep his eyes open. “Okay, you win little buddy. I’mma head back to my place and rest, but I’ll come and relieve you at midnight.” Slowly DK lifted his arm and offered a weak thumbs up, “Thanks little buddy, I owe ya one.”

 

Diddy bounced away from DK and offered a small salute as the large Kong took his leave. With a small chitter of triumph, Diddy quickly made his way to the Banana Horde a short distance away, puffing up his chest and doing his best to appear intimidating. “Don’t worry DK, nothing’s gonna get our bananas.” The rambunctious youth said to himself, before spotting a wide-eyed beaver creature a few feet away. “Hey! Back off bro, this is property of Kong.” He snapped while flashing his teeth. The action seemed to work, seeing as the small beaver turned tail and disappeared into the jungle depths. “Heh, this is gonna be easy!”

 

Oh how wrong he was…

 

As night fell over the Kong Kingdom, so too did ominous storm clouds and savage winds. Violent bolts of lightning flashed above as angry rumbles of thunder echoed overhead. After a terrifying burst of thunder and lightning tore through the heavens, a torrential downpour of rain soon followed, soaking the young trembling monkey who cowered next to the Banana Horde’s entrance.

 

Diddy’s bravado had long since abandoned him, the young monkey now left trembling and whimpering as the storm made him flinch from the slightest sounds… Which were unfortunately coming from every direction due to the vicious tempest. Where was DK? Didn’t he say he would come for him at midnight? Was it midnight? How long had he been stuck out here? Should he go home? N-No! DK was relying on him, and heroes never backed down from a challenge, no matter how terrifying.

 

Unbeknownst to the smaller Kong, multiple sets of clumsy feet shuffled in his direction – however, due to the raging storm he was oblivious to their approach. It wasn’t until a loud crackle sounded from nearby that Diddy suddenly jolted to his feet, bearing his fangs and yelling out into the tumultuous dark, “Who’s there?! SHOW YOURSELF!” But despite his shout, the small Kong backed further inside the cavern entrance, for fear that a tree would snap under the strain and crush him beneath its weight.

 

But despite his fears, nothing came falling from above, nor did any opposition come bursting forth from the dense foliage. Maybe everything was alright… Maybe it was just his imagination. As Diddy took a moment to catch his breath, he found himself staring out into the wind-whipped jungle. And that’s when he saw it. Multiple sets of reptilian eyes gazed in his direction, glinting against the bolts of lightning that flashed across the sky.

 

Immediately Diddy felt his stomach drop, as scalie beasts emerged from their hiding places, their sharp fangs prominent as they slowly began to surround him. Heart racing and visibly shivering, Diddy grit his teeth before somersaulting into the fray and slamming into one of the crocodilians. Despite his best effort, the massive lizard was unmoved, merely chuckling before plucking the small monkey by the tail.

 

“Uh… What do we do with ‘em…?”  The reptile spoke slowly, almost sounding confused with each word.

 

“Get rid of him ya halfwit! Just throw him in this barrel! We gotta get these to the King on the double!” Another rotund lizard said hastily while directing a small platoon of crocodiles toward the Banana Horde.

 

“O-Oh… Okay.” The massive muscle bound lizard answered in kind, yanking a lid off of a nearby barrel and shoving the protesting monkey inside without a second thought. Slamming the lid closed, the crocodile lifted the barrel with impressive ease before chucking it off into the jungle without a care. “Uh-huh-huh, bye-bye…” He grumbled with a small wave to the flying barrel, before flinching from another round of shouted orders.

 

“Now hurry up before that big ape shows up! Krusha, help me with these barrels and crates. We need these bananas shipped out on the double!” The plump kommander demanded while picking up a barrel of his own. “Hip-hup hip-hup, what’cha got!”

 

“Uh… I don’t got nothing Klump…” Krusha responded, before having a barrel tossed at his head.

 

“That was rhetorical, ya bonehead!”

 

Diddy whimpered as the barrel eventually slammed to a halt. Shaking his head, his first instinct was to try and break free from the encasement; however, no matter how hard he kicked and punched, his wooden prison did not falter. As panic began to set in, Diddy started shouting from within, a series of “Ooks!” and “Acks!” muffled by both the barrel and the storm. Eventually Diddy stopped trying to call out, instead peeking through a small crack he’d made in the wood from his previous escape attempts.

 

Kart after kart rolled past, the hissing cackles of the reptilian band piercing his ears as they made off with mountainous loads of bananas. Just how much had they stolen? With how many kartfuls they had, Diddy could only assume the absolute worst. And to further rub salt in the wound, it was under his watch that this happened. Donkey Kong had relied on him, put his faith in him, and in the end… He blew it. Curling up in the barrel as tears filled his eyes, Diddy tried to fall asleep, hoping that everything was just a nightmare, that he would wake up and everything would be as it was…

 

The following morning Diddy was forced to accept reality. Lifting his head, the young Kong yelped as he slammed his head against the barrel. Immediately the small monkey’s breathing grew frantic, his movements becoming erratic as he pounded against every wall in a desperate attempt to free himself. What if DK never found him? What would he do then? Unable to contain himself Diddy released a screech that echoed through the forest, causing nearby birds to scatter from the disturbance.

 

As Diddy settled down and started trying to think of a way out, he heard something that gave him hope!

 

“Little buddy! LITTLE BUDDY?!”

 

It was DK! He hadn’t given up on him! Immediately Diddy began to yell through the small crack in the barrel, hoping that Donkey Kong could hear his shouts and find him. It wasn’t long before the barrel was being forcefully broken open, the worried face of DK soon appearing directly above Diddy.

 

“Little buddy!”

 

“DK!” Immediately Diddy jumped onto Donkey Kong’s shoulder, hugging his uncle tightly before a series of rushed apologies began to spill forth. “Oh DK, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! You counted on me and I… I…”

 

DK shook his head and lifted a hand, “Hey, don’t worry about it little buddy. I’m just glad you’re okay. I shouldn’t have left you alone like that.” For a second Diddy could have sworn he saw guilt on DK’s face; however, it was suddenly replaced with a wide grin and thumbs up from the other Kong, causing Diddy to assume it was merely a trick of the light.

 

“But DK, your bananas. They’re all…”

 

“Like I said, don’t worry about it. We’re gonna get our bananas back, and we’re gonna show those slimy banana snatchers whose Top Banana around here!”

 

Diddy smiled up at DK, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, we’ll get your bananas back, or die trying!”

 

Diddy and DK encountered trial after trial, facing down countless reptilian adversaries known as the Kremlings. Every battle won netted them returns on their lost horde, every ‘Boss’ they toppled yielding even greater rewards; until they finally faced down the so-called King of Kremlings. The duo ended up offshore on the enemy’s ship, staring face to face with a sharp-toothed brute of a croc that refused to hand over what was wrongfully taken.

 

The battle was brutal, yet in the end the two Kongs prevailed over the Kremling Kommander, sending both he and his crew of crocodilian komrades back to wherever shores they’d come from. For a time there was peace, the two Kongs being hailed as heroes by all… Well, all except for Cranky, who only offered a brief moment of congratulations before leading into another of  his ‘back in my day’ tales of grandeur. But despite the older apes backhanded praises, both Diddy and DK allowed themselves a moment’s respite, basking in their victory and casting aside all worries to enjoy banana milkshakes and catch up on the latest episodes of Swanky’s Sideshow.

 

After a few months without incident, a new family of  Kongs arrived on the island – seemingly led by a young female Kong named Dixie. Diddy took it upon himself to show the young band of Kongs around, and quickly made a good impression on their leader. Soon enough Diddy found himself hanging out with Dixie nearly as frequently as he did with DK, due to their shared love for music and exploration. Little did Diddy know that his new relationship would be put through the test of a lifetime.

 

Upon returning from one of their impromptu escapades, Diddy and Dixie noticed that DK had yet to return home, despite it being nightfall. Worried for the older ape, the two ventured to one of his favorite relaxing spots – the beach. Once arriving the two were greeted with a horrible sight, as their eyes fell upon hundreds of reptilian footprints all surrounding the smashed remains of Donkey Kong’s chair. Instantly Diddy wished to set out and search for his best friend, and though he attempted to recruit other Kongs to the cause, none wished to venture into enemy territory… None except for one. Dixie volunteered immediately, as she neither wanted to send Diddy out alone – nor did she want to abandon DK.

 

With that the two set out to Crocodile Isle, challenging many powerful opponents before Diddy was once again face to face with their King and Kommander. The battle was brutal, as the croc seemed to shed his royal image for one of a violent pirate captain. Yet against all odds, Diddy – with the help of Dixie, overcame the monstrous reptile and freed DK from his imprisonment. And though he was far from becoming a hero in the general public’s eyes, to DK, Diddy was as much of a hero as any other.

 

From that point forward, Diddy, DK, and Dixie went on many other adventures together, all the while defending the Kong Kingdom from the likes of K. Rool and his Kremling Crew. Though as time passed, threats like the Kremlings seemed to disappear without a trace; and while other fiends would attempt to overthrow the Kongs and take control, Diddy and DK would always be there to stop them in their tracks. For a long while life was good, simple, and easy, which was something that all the Kongs welcomed with open arms – well, all aside from Cranky Kong.

 

But as the age old saying goes, nothing lasts forever, with Cranky being sure to repeat the words over and over. And though Diddy disregarded the eldest ape’s warnings, he would soon come to learn that what he said couldn’t be more true…