Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As the school bell rang, Pauline Andrews felt intense relief wash over her. It was the start of summer vacation, which meant she had plenty of time to practice her singing. But as she grabbed her school bag and walked out the classroom, the 13 year old felt a sense of embarrassment. After all, what was the point of practicing if she couldn’t even bring herself to sing in front of anyone except her family and friends?

Sighing, she made her way out to the school parking lot. There, she saw her mom, Paige, waiting for her in her car. After she pulled up, Pauline tossed her bag in the backseat before getting into the passenger side.

“Did you have a rough day at school?” Mom asked.

“No Mom. I was just…thinking about some things.” Pauline replied as she strapped herself in.

“Like what? About some of the stuff you wanted to do over the summer?” Mom said as she began pulling out onto the road.

“Sort of. I was just thinking about getting some singing practice. But then I just felt bad, because I still don’t feel brave enough to go out in public.” Pauline said, a frown evident on her face.

“Oh, don’t say that. My own mother said she felt the same way when she was starting out. It’s natural to feel scared at first. But you can’t let it stop you from doing something you love.” Mom told her as they drove down to their house in the New Donk suburbs.

Ah, Grandma Lana. In her heyday, she was a well known singer and actress. While nowadays, she’s stepped out of the public eye, her music is still well known, and she herself became an avid animal rights activist. And Pauline wanted to follow right in her footsteps by becoming a singer herself. But again, how could she if she just kept clamming up before a note could even come out her mouth? So, she just rested her head on her hand with a sad look on her face.

“We’re back!” Mom said as they walked into the house. As they went in, Pauline kicked both of her shoes off, while Mom took off her red hat.

“Oh, there’s my little monkey!” Grandma Lana said as she and Pauline’s dad came out from the living room. While she clearly aged since her days in show business, with fading blonde hair, she still retained a level of beauty. As she came to Pauline, she wrapped her up in a tight hug while giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Grandma, I thought I told you to stop calling me that! You know it embarrasses me!” Pauline said while a blush coated her freckled cheeks. Her mom had given her that nickname when she was younger due to her tendency of going barefoot and love of climbing on things, and it just sort of stuck around.

“She only calls you that because she knows it embarrasses you Pauline.” Her dad, Franklin, said, black hair under a nice fedora. “Besides, you know how much she loves monkeys, don’t you?”

Her mom and dad worked some pretty busy jobs. Mom worked as a secretary in New Donk City Hall. Meanwhile, Dad worked as a cab driver. Whenever their schedules were too packed to take care of her, Grandma was the person who looked after her. And what her dad said was true. Lana was well known for helping build better relations with Kong Island in the southern sea.

“Oh, that reminded me! You remember that we’re having dinner with the Morelli family tonight don’t you?” Grandma said.

Oh yeah, that’s right! They were going to the Morelli family’s apartment. Apparently, it had something to do with an incident involving the grandparents of both families. A long time ago, Grandma had gotten into some trouble involving an escaped gorilla. But a nearby construction worker named Marcus Morelli managed to get her to safety without hurting the gorilla. Ever since, there have been close ties between both families. Pauline herself was best friends with Marcus’s grandsons, Mario and Luigi.

Later in the evening, they made their way to the Morelli family residence. As soon as they stepped inside, Pauline immediately smelled the spaghetti Mario’s mom often made. “Ah, there’s our guests of honor!” Marcus said, walking up and giving Lana a hug. “It’s so good to see you all again! How’s work at City Hall going, Paige?”

“Okay. I had a bit of a headache trying to help the Mayor balance the budget for the next City Festival, but I think it turned out alright. How about you?” Mom said.

“Eh, nothing too crazy. Mario tried out for basketball recently, and man, can that kid jump! I’m thinking he’s got potential, if nothing else. And Luigi’s developed a real taste for tinkering with machines. But enough about that, come sit down and eat.” Marcus said, leading the family into the dining room.

As the 2 families chatted and ate their food, Pauline was still thinking about singing practice. She just needed to find a way to get over this stupid phobia. But the more she thought about it, the more anxious she got. What if her voice cracked in the middle of a line? What if she forgot the lyrics? What if…

“Hey Polly, are you okay?” Mario’s voice snapped her out of her spiral. “Are you still freaking out about singing?”

“Yeah. I know I want to be a singer, but every time I think about getting onstage, my mind just keeps jumping to the worst conclusions. I always think about what would happen if I screwed up in some way. It just sticks there and refuses to leave.”

“I know how you feel on that front.” Luigi said. She always knew Luigi was the less confident and outgoing of the Morelli brothers. But she also knew that Luigi worked surprisingly well under pressure. Maybe that was the key? Maybe she just needed to confront it head on?

“Hey, you wanna know something I heard? I think they're hosting a big talent show downtown near the square in a couple of weeks. I know you’d be a shoe-in to win with your voice! Besides, what’s the worst that could happen if you don’t win? It’s not the end of the world.” Mario said before returning to his food.

This could be her chance! And Mario did have a point. If she just starts out small like that, she can probably get over it in no time. She just needed to get used to it through exposure. So, she decided to ask Luigi for advice.

“So, Luigi, how do you get over performance anxiety?” Pauline questioned.

“Oh, me? Well, first I ask myself, “what would Mario do in this situation?” And most of the time, he suggests “go headlong!” But in your case, I think you just need to focus on singing. Just tune out all the other voices and eyes, and only think about how you feel when the notes come out.”

“Thanks for the advice Weegee.” Pauline said with a smile, using Mario’s nickname for his brother.

After dinner was over and the Andrews family headed back to their car, Pauline decided to tell them she wanted to enter the talent show. While Mom and Dad were somewhat surprised to hear that, Grandma was overjoyed to hear it. She said that, first thing tomorrow, they would go and get Pauline registered.

The next day, Pauline and her grandma headed downtown to the registration booth, But as they walked, a pit started appearing in her stomach. All those thoughts started creeping back into her head. Of people laughing and booing her for flubbing a line, her singing the wrong lyrics, whatever. Noticing her distress, Lana reached down and took Pauline’s hand. “Now, I know you’re nervous. But you wanna know what I did when I got nervous before a show? I hummed a little tune to calm my nerves. How about you try it Pauline?”

“Okay. I’ll try.” Pauline began humming a tune Grandma had taught her a while ago, and while she was still kind of nervous, it at least took some of the edge off. But before they could reach the registration booth, 3 figures in cloaks appeared before them.

Before either Pauline or Lana could ask anything, the tallest one spoke up. “Little lady, that voice sounds immaculate! Would you be willing to work with us for a project?” the figure said, an elegant lilt in their voice.

“I don’t know what project you want my granddaughter for, but I’ll have you know that she’s much too young for that. Now, would you politely move? There’s somewhere we need to be.” But as Lana tried to take Pauline down the street, the shortest figure spoke up.

“Alright, if you won’t come with us by choice, we’ll just take you by force!” they said, manic glee in their voice. They then produced a strange banana shaped device from their pocket, pointed it at Pauline, and pushed a button. Within seconds, Pauline was encased in a strange purple crystal that had tape all over it. As soon as Pauline noticed what’d happened, she began to panic.

“What did you do to my granddaughter!? Change her back this instant!” Lana said, enraged at what just happened.

“Sorry old bag, but I need your brat for something! Grumpy, grab her before she runs off!”

“Gotcha boss.” the large figure said, a gigantic hand picking up the now crystalline Pauline. And with that, the 3 of them began to run off, leaving Lana behind.

“PAULINE! SOMEONE HELP! THOSE 3 JUST KIDNAPPED MY GRANDDAUGHTER!” Lana yelled. But before anyone could do anything, all 3 figures disappeared in flashes of purple light. Lana then collapsed to her knees and began to cry. Her granddaughter was just snatched right in front of her, and she had no idea where she was taken, who did it, or even why.

Chapter Text

On a small island in the southern sea, there lie riches untold. When the extra rare mineral Bannadium was discovered on the island, Prospector Monkeys from around the world flocked to the island, hoping to strike it rich. The island would become known as Ingot Isle. But one ape in particular was extra excited to hear about the tasty treats growing in the caverns below, and rushed there as fast as he could.

In a small cave, Donkey Kong grunted with effort. He just knew that Bannadium Gems were around here, but he had no luck so far. So, with a mighty slap to the ground, he aimed to find his prize. There, to the north! He went to the cavern wall, and punched it. Still, it didn’t budge. Again, he struck the wall, forming sizable cracks. And with one final punch, the wall finally crumbled. And there it was! His tasty, tasty snack!

“BANNANA!” DK shouted as he ran forward and smashed the gem into chunks, rapidly eating them. That hit the spot! Now he just had to find some more! He broke through more walls, finding the Banana Mining Site, and a nearby Prospector Monkey.

“Whoa! DK!? You look happy! Did you find one of those Bannadium Gems?” the prospector asked.

“Yep!” DK replied with a thumbs up. “It tasted great! Y’know where I can find any more?”

“Yeah! Just keep following the conveyor belts! They’ve found a ton up there!” the monkey said.

“Thanks for the info!” DK said, right before running down the belt. There, another one! He charged forward, motivated by the sweet taste of bananas. After he got done with his snack, he smashed a hole in the floor to get further down. Eventually, he came across a group of Prospector Monkeys futilely trying to dig through a rock wall. DK pushed down on a nearby plunger, destroying the wall, and navigated his way through the cave system.

After beating up some weird crystal bug monsters, DK smashed up some gold. But then he saw it: a small pile of Bannadium Gems! He hit the jackpot this time! But right as he was about to enjoy his tasty snack, the wind across Ingot Isle began picking up, taking his mining helmet with it. As he tried to get it back, he failed to notice the Pay-Dirt Piledriver coming down from the sky. As the gigantic rock came closer, it began sucking up every Bannadium Gem in the area, including DK’s prize.

As DK grabbed onto one of the Gems, he was flung into the air. The Piledriver smashed directly on top of the island’s main structure, creating a gigantic hole in the process. DK yelled as he was dragged along for the ride, going deep underground.

Void Kong laughed as his machine did its dirty work. With this bad boy, they’d reach the Bannadium Root in no time! And when they get there, he’d have all the money he’d ever want! He could do whatever his heart desired! The world would be his to command!

Behind him, Poppy Kong sighed. While working at Void Co paid well, dealing with Void himself was a hassle. He was constantly chasing after whatever thing would get him more money, never being satisfied with what he had. She expressed her doubts about whether this “Bannadium Root” was even real or just a made up folk tale. But if there was one thing Void Kong truly was, it was ambitious.

Next to her, Grumpy Kong grunted. As the main engineer of Void Co, he knew the Piledriver would do its job. But he also knew that Void Kong rushed its completion, ignoring Grumpy’s suggestion to wait for him to perfect it. So, the thing would probably break down at least once along this journey. In his hand, he held the crystalline form of Pauline. He had no real idea why exactly the boss needed a kidnapped singer, but he said it had something to do with “awakening the Root”, whatever that meant.

“Let…me.. go!” Pauline said as she wriggled around in Grumpy’s hand. Eventually, she managed to free herself, plummeting down in the hole along with DK.

Void was furious after seeing this. “GRUMPY! YOU IDIOT! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP A GOOD GRIP ON HER!”

“Don’t worry, President.” Poppy said. “She won’t get very far in a form like that.”

At the bottom of the hole, DK landed. As he looked around, he wondered what just happened. He then heard a noise from above and looked up. He panicked when he saw it was a gigantic boulder that then promptly landed on top of him. With a grunt of annoyance, he punched up, smashing the boulder to pieces. He then got to work smashing his way through some dirt, helping a few Prospector Monkeys along the way. But when he finally made his way out and saw Baboomtown, he saw something else in the distance. A small purple rock fell from the sky and landed in a nearby alcove. 

Jumping down, he found some barrel cannons and blasted himself up to Baboomtown. There, he saw another barrel cannon, encased in a strange purple metal. He tried punching it, but the metal didn’t bend. He saw that the metal was coming from a strange purple generator covered around it. He tried breaking it, but again, it didn’t move. Out of options, he decided to check the small alcove he saw the rock land in. 

After jumping down the hole, he saw the rock embedded in the ground. With a bit of effort, he pulled until the rock finally popped out. But as he was looking at it, the rock began to move! “AAAGH!” the rock said, freaking DK out and causing him to drop it. 

“Where…am I?” Pauline said, unsure of what just happened. But then she saw a gorilla that looked similar to the one who kidnapped her! He must be working with them! “M-MONKEY!” she screamed and began jumping all over DK before running away.

Now DK was confused. He decided to follow the weird talking rock and get to the bottom of this mystery. As he followed it down a cave, he saw it being attacked by more crystal bugs. After taking care of them, he saw the rock cowering in fear. Knowing the rock was scared out of its mind, he began whistling a little tune.

When Pauline heard the song, she turned around. “You’re…the one who saved me?” she asked. As she looked to his face, she saw not the manic greed of her kidnapper, but a friendly warmth. “I..want..to go..with you!” she said.

She then noted the tie around the gorilla’s neck. “D…K?” Why did those initials remind her of something? “DK!” she stated before jumping onto his shoulders. “You and me… DK?”

“Yeah little rock buddy! Let’s do this!” DK said with a thumbs up, before climbing back up the wall.

Chapter Text

As DK emerged from the alcove with his new rock friend on his shoulder, he saw the generator. He knew he couldn’t break it. But he also knew he couldn’t get up to Baboomtown without the barrel cannon. But as he pondered what to do, his friend spoke up. “Maybe singing will help?” they said.

Well, it’s a better idea than what DK would’ve come up with. So, he began whistling a tune, with Odd Rock joining in. As they harmonized, the purple tape covering the generator turned yellow before disappearing. Success! With a grunt of effort, DK smashed the generator, removing the metal.

“Thanks for the suggestion, little buddy!” DK said while giving Odd Rock a thumbs up. He then began moving towards the cannon. Before jumping in however, Odd Rock started fidgeting. “What’s wrong?” DK asked, a concerned look on his face.

“Is it..safe?” Odd Rock asked. Oh right, they’ve probably never used a barrel cannon before. Rather than say anything, DK gently picked Odd Rock up in one hand before putting them to his chest. He then jumped into the barrel, and blasted upwards to Baboomtown.

When they landed, Odd Rock was somewhat shaken. But DK looked down to his friend with a kind look on his face. “See? When we need to use one, I’ll hold you like that to keep you safe!” he said with a grin. He then put Odd Rock back onto his shoulder, and talked to the nearby Prospector Monkey.

“Nice work DK! I saw how you destroyed that generator thing from up here. Up ahead is the main heart of Baboomtown! But you better be careful. There’re some weird creatures that showed up when that big rock came down.” the prospector said.

“Eeee! Sounds scary!” Odd Rock said while shaking. In response, DK started patting them on the head.

“Don’t worry little buddy. Whenever you get scared, I’ll sing a little tune to help calm the nerves. Besides, nobody can beat me in a fight!” DK said with a laugh. As they moved down the walkway, the pair saw the path was blocked by masses of green thorns. DK knew that putting his hands on them would be a bad idea. So, instead, he ripped up a chunk of ground, and used it to clear out the thorns.

As they started the trek towards the heart of Baboomtown, DK saw some disk shaped monsters. When he ran up to punch one, it burrowed its way underground. It then shot its way back up, with a pillar of rock beneath it. DK then climbed up the pillar and punched it off the scaffolding. Eventually, the two reached the square.

“DK! There you are! Baboomtown’s been burglarized! Every single banana we’ve dug up has been stolen! You’ll help us get them back, right?” a Prospector Monkey asked.

If there’s one thing DK hates more than anything, it’s someone deciding to steal another monkey’s food. “On it!” DK said with a thumbs up.

“Great! I’ve heard reports that something weird is going on at the top of the Banana Mine. Maybe try checking there!” the prospector said while pointing to a barrel cannon. Nodding, DK and Odd Rock went up to the cannon. Before jumping in, he turned to Odd Rock.

“Want me to hold you again little buddy?” DK asked. When Odd Rock nodded, DK once again held them to his chest before launching two of them up and over the gap. When they landed on the other side, they saw another one of those purple metal generators. With another bit of harmonizing, the protective seal on the generator was broken. DK then smashed it, allowing the two of them to progress further by getting into another cannon.

After another blast upward, DK saw some more mole monsters, and even more thorns. To deal with both problems at once, he ripped up a chunk of rock and began smashing everything in sight. As he swung the rock, both the moles and the thorns were cleared away. Satisfied, he pressed onward. 

Finally, they reached the summit of Ingot Isle, with a prospector and a barrel cannon nearby. “Hey DK! There’s a big stake with a weird, mean looking face on it up there!” the prospector said. “That's the banana bandit! His giant floating rock is the one who put it there! If you’re going up, be careful!”

With a nod, DK and Odd Rock climbed into the cannon before heading to the summit. There, DK saw the stake. But when Odd Rock saw it, they gasped and started shaking. “That’s him! That’s the guy who kidnapped me! BAD monkey!”

Before DK could calm his friend down, something strange started happening. Some bones in front of the stake were covered in liquid gold before standing upright. DK swore the skeleton looked familiar somehow. But before he could process that, the skeleton donned a rocky, head-like shell and brandished a large club with a key-like handle.

DK and the skeleton began trading blows. DK smashed through its armor before beating it senseless and launching it off the summit. But as it flew away, it dropped its key. Picking it up, DK noticed a keyhole in front of the stake. Putting 2 and 2 together, he inserted the key and turned it. This broke the defensive barrier around the stake. DK then began punching the stake, causing it and the large stone structure it was on to shatter and DK and Odd Rock to start falling.

DK landed butt first on the hard scaffolding before Odd Rock landed on his back. “DK! DK! Look!” Odd Rock said. When DK turned around, he saw liquid gold solidifying into a bunch of three Bannadium Gems! But as he reached for them, they went down the massive sinkhole. As DK looked down the hole, he realized how deep it truly was. But if he followed this trail, he could find that banana thief! And probably more bananas on the way!

Turning to his friend, DK grinned. “You good to go deeper, little buddy?” he asked Odd Rock. When they nodded, the duo jumped down the hole.

After a while, the duo emerged in a place DK never expected to see in an underground cave system: a large lagoon with a clear blue sky! “It’s so pretty!” Odd Rock said as they fell towards the ground. When they finally landed, DK saw the 3 Bannadium Gems and rapidly tore into them. Now, it was time to track down that banana thief! And so, the duo set out exploring his strange subterranean lagoon.

Chapter Text

To say that Pauline was having a strange day would be a massive understatement. Just a few hours ago, she was going to get herself registered at a talent show with her grandma. Now, she’s stuck inside a weird purple rock and riding on the shoulders of a gorilla like one of the Yoshis she had read about. Mario had always talked about wanting to ride those someday. But anyhow, DK was nice. Whenever she was scared, he always did his best to comfort her. Maybe, with his help, she can get back to normal and return home!

In this new lagoon area, they began walking up a hill. While going up, they saw a strange flying insect that began hurling rocks at them. DK retaliated by grabbing one of the rocks and throwing it right back, sending it flying. But as they got to the top of the hill, they saw a monkey holding a fishing pole. DK decided to spark up a conversation. “Hey man! Have you seen someone running around with a bunch of bananas?”

However, rather than answer the question, the monkey adopted a rather cold face. “You the guy that was hollering? If you are, buzz off. We don’t take kindly to outsiders around these parts.” he said. He then turned around and got back to performing maintenance on his fishing line.

“So rude! He was just asking a question! But how can I understand what he was saying?” Pauline thought. In fact, now that she thought about it, how did she know what DK was saying? Well, no matter. But as she and DK pressed on to the edge, she saw two other monkeys at the bottom. “There’s someone else down there! Maybe they’ll be friendlier?” she said to her friend.

Nodding, DK jumped down the cliff, creating a small crater at the bottom. He then walked about to the 2 monkeys Pauline had pointed out to him. “Hey, did you guys see someone weird running around her? He looked kind of like this.” DK said, trying to force his face into a wild eyed grin.

“Well, we haven’t seen anyone like that. But, there have been some weird monsters running around. And somebody has been going around and plugging up the reservoir. Maybe it’s the same guy you’re looking for?” one of the 2 suggested.

“If that’s the case, try using these boom rocks! They can blast those weird bug monsters and destroy most material!” the other suggested. He did so while gesturing to a large block of black and purple stone. With a nod, DK ripped a chunk off it and threw it at a nearby bug. With a resounding BOOM , the insect and a good portion of the nearby concrete wall was gone. As the two continued on, they destroyed more concrete and entered a sealed tunnel, finding some bananas hidden in walls along the way.

When they came out the other side, they saw another Salvager Monkey. DK went up to him, intent on getting answers. “Sorry to interrupt your business, but have you seen any guy going around here and causing problems?” he asked.

“Well, I don’t know if I should trust you on account of being an outsider, but someone went and plugged up the reservoir! He shoved some giant stake into it! It would be a real help if someone could get rid of it!” The Salvager Monkey then pointed to the stake in question. Sure enough, it was the same kind as the one on Ingot Isle. Nodding, DK went to go deal with the problem.

Noting that it was the same skeleton monster from before, DK went to go punch it. However, all it accomplished was hurting his hand. Pauline winced in sympathy before DK ducked under the monster’s attack. She then noticed some Boom Rocks nearby. “DK! Use those!” she said. DK then tore a chunk off the rock and threw it at the beast, destroying most of its armor and making it vulnerable. DK then ran up and decked it in the face, producing a key. Satisfied, DK grabbed the key, put it in the hole, and smashed the stake. Now they can get deeper!

Nodding to DK, the duo jumped down into the next sublayer. DK ate the Bannadium Bunch before moving into the nearby village. He then tried to strike up a conversation with a local. “Have you guys been having any trouble recently? Particularly of the stolen banana variety?”

“As a matter of fact, we have! Someone went and corked up the reservoirs around here. Now the water level’s gone down too much, we can't even see the village elder across the bridge, and they went and stole all of our bananas too! If only someone could open up the tank above us…” he said.

Looking up, Pauline and DK saw the village’s water tank plugged up by 3 purple seals. Nodding, the 2 of them set to find the 3 pillars keeping the seals active. Turning to a nearby metal pillar, DK began climbing it until he reached the very top. DK dealt with some more bugs by throwing more Boom Rocks at them before turning to a concrete pillar. Grabbing another bomb, he launched it at the pillar, destroying it. Water began flowing out, and raising the water level a little bit. “1 down, 2 more to go!” DK said with a smirk.

As the two began pondering how to get to the second one, a nearby Salvager spoke up. “You can get to that one by taking the Orangu-Hang Highway! If you wanna do that, you gotta head back up a layer!” he said. Nodding, the two went back to the village and launched themselves back up. After a bit of searching, they found another stake and smashed it, landing on the Highway. After climbing across the Highway, they found another pillar, and a mole monster made of Boom Rocks. After tricking it into surfacing, DK tore off a chunk of Boom Rock and threw it at the pillar, destroying it. Now they just needed to take out 1 more! And the water managed to rise enough to make the bridge usable!

The two of them jumped back down to the ground level and made their way across the bridge. After DK smashed and ate another Bannadium Gem, they saw the last and final seal. DK destroyed the pillar maintaining it, and the water levels returned to normal. The duo then took notice of the Elder. He was an absolutely massive gorilla, with banana-like hair, a plethora of rings on his fingers, and a giant headset. In front of him was what looked like a turntable and a microphone. “Is he asleep?” Pauline asked.

“Ho ho, far from it youngsters!” the elder said, opening his eyes. “Bongori’s the name, don’t wear it out! I was once the finest salvager in this little fishing village. Nowadays, I’m content with being a DJ and producing some banging tracks. But I’ve been watching you two tearing your way through this place, and I think you’ve both got potential! What is it that you two seek?”

“The surface!” Pauline cried out.

“Bananas!” DK responded.

“Well, if you want to make your dreams come true, you’ll need overwhelming power. Little rock creature, you can sing can’t you?” Bongori asked.

“Who, me!?” Pauline responded, shocked at being put on the spot.

“And you, young Kong, can smash through just about anything…” Bongori then put his hand to his chin in contemplation. “With a strong voice and body, you two might be able to perform my Bananza! Just get me my record from over there, and I’ll teach you something amazing!” he said while gesturing to a giant record in the distance.

“Gotcha Bongori!” DK said with a thumbs up before heading to the record.

As he made his way over, Pauline wondered what the heck a “Bananza” was. And given how Bongori had worded it, she would have to sing! Now she was nervous! As DK pulled the record out of the ground, Pauline began dreading what was about to happen. DK then went back up to Bongori and placed the record on the table, where it began rapidly spinning.

“Now combine your power and show us what you got!” Bongori said as two platforms raised DK and Pauline up. “BANANZA! Young Kong, get a beat goin!”

DK then began to pound on his chest like a drum, causing cracks to form in Pauline’s crystal prison. Eventually, the prison shattered, revealing her human self, to DK’s surprise. She then landed butt first on the platform with a grunt of pain. She then looked and felt her body. “I’m free!” she said with a sigh of relief. But she then noticed that A: there was a large crowd of Salvager Monkeys gathered around them and B: there was a microphone in front of her. Everyone looked expectantly at her.

“N-No way! I’m not ready for that!” she said while backing away. But then she started reaching out for it before pulling back. “The crowd is too big…” she stated while turning away from it. She then started anxiously pacing around. “I won’t do it…” and then she got on her knees and started panicking. “I can’t do it! Ahhh!”

But as she was freaking out, DK gently put his giant hand on her shoulder. “You can do it little buddy. Just believe in yourself, and things’ll work out.” he said while giving her a grin and thumbs up.

Swallowing, she reluctantly stood up. “O-okay… here goes nothing.” she said as she took the microphone. Guess she had no choice. She took a deep breath before shouting into the mike. “DKKKKK!”

What followed next was an absolute blast. Pauline forgot all about her stage fright as she just let the song come from her mouth. She even started doing that dance Grandma Lana taught her a few years ago! Behind her, DK had turned into a gigantic, black furred gorilla with golden decorations on his hair and wrists. The two of them danced and sang while all of the residents of Salvager’s Landing and Bongori danced and cheered them on. “That’s the power of Kong Bananza!” Bongori said after the performance was done. “With this, you can crank the power up, and bring the house down! But it’s not everyday a human finds themselves in the underground world. What brought you down here, little lady?”

“W-well, my name is Pauline. I was going to do something with my grandma before some jerks turned me into rock. I managed to get away from them, and that’s how I found DK.” Pauline said.

“I wasn’t expecting a human! I thought you were some cool talking rock!” DK said while scratching his head.

“Well, I don’t know how to thank you DK! Thanks to you, I’m me again!” Pauline said before hugging her friend, a smile on her face. DK then followed up with a smile of his own before returning the hug.

“Well, you have quite the powerful voice, young one! If you want to get home, you’ll need to keep heading down! All the way down to the Planet Core!” Bongori stated.

“Down!? But I want to get to the surface! If we keep going deeper, I’ll never get back home and see my family again!” Pauline responded.

“Well, let me give you some knowledge! Those that live in the underground world know of a legend: those that reach the Planet Core can have any wish of theirs be granted! Want tons of bananas? Wanna get back home? Then the Planet Core is the way for it to come true!” Bongori said with a laugh.

Now that got Pauline interested. A way to make any wish come true? “Well, if that’s the case, me and DK have just gotta go for it. What do you say, DK? After all, with a Super Simian like you, getting to the Planet Core will be easy!” she said, looking at her friend.

DK responded with a wide grin and thumbs up. “Yeah Pauline! Me and you, all the way!”

“Well, you two better watch out. Word is that there are some unfriendly people making a mess of things down here trying to get to the core themselves. But so long as you work together, I know you can get past anything.” Bongori stated with a big grin.

Unknown to anybody present, Poppy Kong was watching from a distance. “Hmm…the President will be most interested to hear this information.” she said before walking off.

Back with Bongori, he decided to do one last thing before seeing the two of them off. “Since you’ve helped out our little village, how about we get you some proper salvager wear as a gift? You two! Lead them to get fitted with the finest threads we got!” he ordered.

“Yes Elder Bongori!” the 2 salvagers responded. They lead DK and Pauline back to the village. There, they get some new outfits. DK got a new yellow and blue striped tie, and a blue pair of pants with a leafy pattern. Meanwhile, Pauline got a sun hat with a starfish on it, a shirt with matching pattern to DK’s pants, black swim trunks with a green stripe on the sides, and a blue vest. All-in-all, Pauline felt pretty stylish.

The two then made their way back to Bongori. “Now, when you’re ready to head on out, just go through that door.” he said while pointing to a bunch of shipping containers. “Best of luck to you two! Keep on jamming out!”

“Thank you Mr. Bongori!” DK and Pauline said in unison. The road ahead may look scary, but Pauline knows that they can do it. As long as she and DK were together, nothing could stand in their way!

Chapter Text

As DK and Pauline went through the door Bongori had opened, they saw a large concrete barrier. “You ready to start singing again, Pauline?” DK asked as he turned to look at her.

“Yeah. Just gimmie a sec to warm up first.” she responded. After a couple of deep breaths, she let out a powerful shout. “ DK!” And with that, Kong Bananza was activated. DK thought it was incredible! Pauline’s song not only made him stronger, but got him amped up. DK went towards the concrete wall, and with a mighty roar, smashed it apart in a single blow. Behind the wall, they went into a long tunnel, and saw another crocodile monster. DK shattered its armor in one strike, and as the duo went through the tunnel, they smashed more monsters and more concrete as they went. All obstacles were practically paper to Kong Bananza’s fists.

At the end of the tunnel, they came across another stake. Grunting, DK crushed it with a series of blows, opening the way downward. After he and Pauline nodded towards each other, they jumped down. When they landed, and DK had his Banandium Bunch fill, they moved down the corridor. Eventually, they came across a large gap. After analyzing the situation, Pauline pointed to the side. “Try climbing on those pillars.” she suggested. But as DK climbed and Pauline hung on for dear life, a rock turned into a bunch of multicolored squids that stuck onto DK! After a moment, he had successfully shaken them off and continued on the way to the other side. But as they touched the ground, Pauline noticed something in the distance. “Them! Those’re the guys who kidnapped me!” she exclaimed while pointing forward.

The first was a small monkey with wide, manic eyes, golden teeth, wild hair, and probably the tackiest purple coat ever riding on top of a floating stone banana. Next to him was a tall, elegant looking ape wearing glasses, a white shirt, and black and yellow pants. Finally, there was a large, bulky orangutan with red fur wearing construction equipment and holding a pickaxe. But behind them, DK noticed they had tons of banana bunches! His mouth almost started to water before the elegant one front spoke up.

“Mr. President, she’s here.” she said, having informed her boss of what she’d seen earlier.

“You shouldn’t have run away like that Pauline!” the small one said. “Come back to me! Right this second!”

“No way! You’re the worst!” Pauline said, furious over what he’d done to her. What made him think she’d want to go with someone who trapped her in a rock and separated her from her family!?

“Worst!? I am the mighty Void Kong! You call me MR. PRESIDENT, you hear me!?” Void said.

The elegant one started speaking again. “May I remind you that you’re speaking to the president of Void Company, the most powerful mining company on the planet. The president has started a new, very experimental extraction venture. Our destination is-” she said.

“Poppy, don’t speak when I don’t tell you to speak!” Void said, cutting her off. Poppy looked at her boss with disgust on her face. “We’re heading all the way down to the Planet Core!”

“The Planet Core!?” both DK and Pauline said. If someone like this gets his wish fulfilled, who knows what kind of chaos could happen! “Well, not if me and DK can beat you there first!” Pauline shouted at Void.

“You’re going with THAT moron!? AHAHAHA! Don’t make me laugh! We’re going to leave you suckers in the dust!” Void said before pushing a button on his banana shaped remote. With that, the Pay Dirt Piledriver began boring its way down once more, spreading that same purple metal as it went. “Grumpy! Get that brat to me! And don’t let her get away this time, you dolt!” He ordered the orangutan.

“Roger that, boss.” Grumpy said, leaping off the Piledriver to face the duo. “I can’t let you two hold the boss up…” he said while digging in his back pocket. He then held up a small golden device shaped like Void’s face. “This oughta do the job.” The device then floated upward before growing in size and being covered in those same squids from earlier. Eventually, it solidified into a large, cube shaped squid. “Let’s see you try Peekabruiser on for size!”

Peekabruiser then rushed forward, intent on crushing them. DK dodged out of the way, and Peekabruiser rapidly turned around. It then began backing up, all while shooting smaller squids out of its mouth. “Ugh, all the little ones are so annoying!” Pauline said as she and DK smacked a couple away. DK managed to get close enough to punch its main body, but found it too tough to break.

“We may need to use Kong Bananza, little buddy!” DK said as he juked around its charges.

“Okay, time for a trial by fire!” Pauline thought. With a shout, DK transformed and caught Peekabruiser mid charge. He then flipped the monster upside down, opening it up for attacks. As he smashed through its armor, he found its core. The core then began jumping all over the place. “Quick, after it!” Pauline yelled. Eventually, DK managed to corner it before beating the daylights out of the core.

The core then slammed down into the field of purple metal the Piledriver had created. And with a few punches, it was destroyed, creating a 5 Bannadium Bunch that then fell down the hole! DK was so happy he could do a dance! He pulled Pauline off his back and started dancing toward her.

“Hey, what’re you doing?” she said while backing away from him.

“The Monkey Dance! C’mon, do it with me!” DK said with a grin. 

After a bit of reluctance, Pauline joined in. And it was actually fun! The two then ended their impromptu victory celebration by pounding their chests with their fists. Afterward, Pauline was psyched. “I can’t believe I danced!” she said while climbing onto DK’s back.

“See? I told you it’d be fun!” DK said while giving her a thumbs up and a smile.

“Can’t believe you beat my best work.” Grumpy said with his arms crossed. “The boss gave me direct orders to capture ya…so I’ll finish the job next time. Bet on it!”

“ Huh. Weirdly nice for a guy who helped kidnap me. ” Pauline thought as she and DK prepared to dive down to the next layer. After taking stock and making sure they weren't too hurt, the duo then dived in.

“This tunnel is incredible!” Pauline said as they fell. “Y’know, this should be terrifying. But since I’m with you DK, I know I’m safe!”

“Thanks for the compliment little buddy!” DK said as he angled his body through the tube. Eventually, they saw a bright light at the end.

“There’s the exit!” Pauline stated. From there, they landed on a grassy hill, with a mountain shaped like a banana bunch in the distance. After DK ate his 5 Bannadium Bunch, the duo set off to explore the new environment, hot on Void Kong’s trail.

Chapter Text

As DK and Pauline walked along the grassy path, they noticed a blue crystal poking out of the ground. “DK, there’s something right there!” Pauline pointed out. But when they got closer, it went underground and popped back out further ahead. Eventually, the crystal led them to a small town, where it stopped and transformed into an arrow pointing to the square.

Leaping down, one of the crystals began talking to them. “Hello one, and hello two! We are the Fractones, and we welcome you.” the crystal said in a sing-song voice.

Pauline became somewhat concerned by this. “Did Void do this to you? Seal you inside of a rock or something?” she asked.

“Void who? We have always been us.” the crystal responded. “We’ve looked like this since we formed. For us Fractone folk, rock is the norm! This is our village. Just kick back and take the time to relax.”

“Thanks for the offer. But I’ve got a question. Have you seen another monkey running around here causing problems?” DK asked the Fractone.

“Which one?” the Fractone responded. “There was one with a purple coat that just came through here…and another one with a long white beard that’s staying in that hut over there.” They emphasized this statement by turning into an arrow and pointing to a nearby house.

Another monkey? And one with a beard? Now that’s something she wanted to know about. “Hey DK, how about we go check out the hut?” she asked. And with a nod, the duo went up to the small hut. Outside was a rhino of all things with some carpets on its back.

DK began gingerly knocking on the door, and frustrated grumbles came out from inside. Eventually, the door swung open. “Don’t you know I need my shut eye!?” the ape said. True to the Fractone’s words, he had a beard, was wearing glasses, holding a cane, and had a green parrot perched on his shoulder. But as he noticed DK, his eyes narrowed. “Ah, it's about time you showed up, you dunderhead! Don’t you know the amount of problems you caused by running off like that!?”

Well, this guy seems really rude. “DK, who is this guy?” Pauline asked.

“This is my dad, Cranky Kong!” DK said. Well, his name certainly fits him at least. “He taught me everything I know! But how’d you get down here, pops?”

“Well, after you abandoned your post, the banana horde got stolen again! So, me, Diddy, and Dixie came after you to get your butt back to Kong Island. But before we could find you, some giant rock thing fell out of the sky and separated us. I woke up down here to these weird rock people tending my wounds. But enough about that, why do you have a human on your shoulders?” Cranky said, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Well, Pauline here ran into some trouble, and I helped her out. Now, we’re on the way to the Planet Core to grant her wish!” DK hastily explained.

“Well, that’s all fine and good. But I’ve gotta get the banana horde back from those Kremling cronies before they get too far!” Cranky said.

“Uh, Pops, the Kremlings haven’t been causing problems for the last 2 years. For all we know, they’ve just decided to call it quits.” DK said.

“That’s what they wanted you to think to catch us off guard! They’ve been scheming and waiting for the perfect time to strike! Now get outta my way, me and Rambi got work to do!” he said while pushing DK aside. As he passed, he turned and narrowed his eyes at Pauline.

“Uh, is something wrong Mr. Cranky?” she asked.

“No, you just reminded me of someone. But as a bit of a thank you gift for listening to my rambling, take this banana.” he responded before pulling out a Bannadium Gem and handing it to DK. “I’m out!”

Before DK could take a bite out of his treat, he was cut off by a sound: Pauline’s stomach rumbling. “Oh. I guess it has been quite a bit since I’ve eaten something, huh?” she said while blushing.

“Well, I can share this one with you if you want it.” DK said while holding it up to her.

“Yeah, next time we get a break, let’s eat some lunch!” Pauline said with a fist pump. Nodding, DK carried her over to a shop. There, they picked up some drinks and got her changed back to her red shirt and torn jeans. Afterward, they began walking towards the village exit. But off to the side, they noticed a large gong. Curiosity getting the better of her, Pauline turned her head to DK. “Hey, what do you think’ll happen if we ring that?” she asked. Shrugging, DK went over to it and gave it a mighty punch.

The ground began to shake, and before long, a large crystalline eel with what looked like a traffic light hanging from its head burst out of the ground. “My, my! Are you the ones who sounded my gong? It rang out so loud and clear!” she said.

“Who are you?” Pauline asked in astonishment.

“I’m the Eelevator! I help escort people to and fro across the different layers of the underground world! Just ring my gong, and I can take you wherever you need to go!” she responded. “And just in case you need it, this flute can summon one of my babies to carry you throughout a layer instead!” she said before handing a flute to DK. “Just call me when you need me!”

“Well, she was nice. But now, let’s get back on Void’s trail DK!” Pauline said. The two of them walked close to the village exit, and noticed that they were on a steep incline with some of Void’s creations below. Forming a plan, she smirked and looked at her friend. “You thinking what I’m thinking, buddy?”

“Oh yeah.” DK responded with a grin. He then ripped up a chunk of dirt before putting it under himself to ride. The duo then accelerated down the slope, smacking all of the enemies away. Coming to a stop, DK looked back at the path they carved. “Let’s call that Turf Surfing!”

“And let’s do it again sometime! It was fun!” Pauline said. Moving forward, they noticed a large stone covered in that purple metal, with some Fractones nearby. “Hey, do you guys need some help?” she asked.

“Yes, we do! After that big rock came through here, the sinkhole has been blocked off, and due to this metal, we can’t get it back open! And what’s worse is that some of us got stuck in the metal!” a Fractone said. “We’re pretty sure it came from the top of Peel Peak!” they stated before turning into an arrow and pointing northward.

“Gotcha!” DK said before heading north. But along the way, he saw a Fractone in the shape of a house on the path upward. Curious, he walked over to them. “Hey, what’re you doing here?” he asked.

“My name is Architectone! I’m a real estate developer! Just hand me some gold, and I can build you a nice little Getaway!” they said.

Thinking for a second, DK and Pauline nodded to each other. They both really needed a break. So, DK handed over the gold, and within seconds, a neat little room was constructed, with a bed and closet. “Thank you Architectone!” Pauline said. “C’mon DK! Let’s have that snack and nap!”

Taking a seat on the floor, DK pulled out the Bannadium Gem he got from Cranky, and in one fluid motion, broke it in half. He then handed one half to Pauline before taking out a can of melon juice. Meanwhile, Pauline pulled out a can of apple juice.

Pauline took one bite of the banana, and she swore her tastebuds got sent to heaven. It was so juicy and sweet, and it practically melted in her mouth! No wonder DK liked them so much! And so, the 2 had their meals in comfort. Afterward, DK yawned before getting on the bed and gesturing for Pauline to join him. She took the offer by climbing onto his chest.

“So…” Pauline asked, drawing DK’s attention. “What made Cranky so, well, cranky?” she said.

“Well, it’s a bit of a sore subject he doesn’t like talking about. But he told me that, a long time ago, when he was about my age, some humans took him from Kong Island and treated him pretty badly. He got out eventually and was brought back home, but it’s still a sore spot for him.” DK said, putting his arms behind his head.

“And that’s the reason he was staring at me? Because he doesn’t trust humans?” Pauline asked.

“Maybe. All I know is that he doesn’t like humans stepping foot on Kong Island. He may seem like a jerk, but he’s nice when you get to know him better.” DK responded.

“And what about those ‘Kremling’ guys he was talking about?”

“The Kremlings were a bunch of crocodile people that kept getting into fights with us. Stealing our food, kidnapping us, trying to blow up the whole island, the works. After that last one, they kinda dropped off the face of the planet. Haven’t seen ‘em show their faces at all the last couple years. But anyway, what about your life back on the surface?” DK inquired.

“Well, my mom is an aide for the mayor in the city I live in. She may not have all the time in the world to be there for me, but I know she loves me. She even nicknamed me “monkey” because I like going barefoot and climbing on things. Guess we were fated to meet someday, huh? And then my dad loves taking me on tour through the city to see cool stuff together. One time, he took me to this big jazz festival that was going on, and it rocked! And then there’s my grandma Lana. She’s one of the sweetest people I know. Whenever I got scared about singing, she was always there to encourage me. And then there’s my best friends, Mario and Luigi. I’ve known them since we were babies, and they’ve always been in my corner too.” Pauline said, a sad smile on her face. “I just hope I get to see them again… they’re probably worried sick about me…” she said, knowing the last memory her grandma had of her was getting kidnapped.

“Don’t worry little buddy. When we get to the Planet Core, you’ll be back home and with them again in no time.” DK said with a kind smile on his face. He then began patting her head. “Wanna take a nap?”

“Yeah. Good night DK.” Pauline said. And so, both ape and child drifted off to sleep, hopeful for the future ahead.

Chapter Text

A little while later, the duo woke up. As Pauline blinked awake, she wondered how much time had passed since she’d been taken underground. A day? A week? She hoped she hadn’t been gone for too long.  She got off DK’s chest and turned to her friend. “You all recharged and ready to go, DK?” she asked.

“Yeah, just gimme a minute…” DK said while groggily getting out of the bed. Shaking himself awake, he turned to Pauline and hoisted her onto his back. “You dream about anything, little buddy?” he said while exiting the Getaway.

“Yeah. It was me and my family hugging after I got back.” Pauline said with a sad look on her face.

“Well, don’t worry. I just know we’re gonna get you back home safe and sound.” DK responded. She really did like her new monkey friend.

Continuing up the hill, they found another Fractone. “Hey, did you see any weird monkeys heading through her recently?” Pauline asked.

“We have indeed! A small one went up the top of Peel Peak. We don’t know why, but he set up a strange device. And soon afterward, that purple metal started spreading everywhere! Can you please get rid of it?” the Fractone said.

“Don’t worry, we’re on it!” DK responded. Turning to the cliff, he tried to climb it. However, his hands could get any grip due to the mud covering its surface. Pondering his options, DK began to look towards the ground. He then cracked a smile and turned to his friend. “You thinking what I’m thinking Pauline?”

Confused, Pauline shook her head. DK’s grin became even bigger when he tore up a chunk of grass, before jumping and somehow using it to propel himself up the cliff face. “I don’t know exactly how you did that, but let’s keep it in mind for the future.” she said. 

As they continued to ascend the cliff, they had to dodge rolling spike balls and kept Chunk Jumping upwards. Eventually, they reached the very top of Peel Peak. Across from them was that purple generator. But in the way was an entire field of spike ball launchers. Nodding to each other, DK Turf Surfed to the other side. DK then looked at the poster of himself Void had put up before throwing a ball of mud at it. He honestly looked better like that in Pauline's opinion.

After removing the seal and destroying the generator, they saw the metal fade from the rock in the distance. After eating a Bannadium Gem that had also gotten stuck in the metal, DK saw another Fractone that had been freed. “Was that your singing just now? Your voice rocks! You should perform a concert in our village!” they said

“That sounds like a great idea!” DK responded.

However, Pauline quickly interrupted the conversation. “No, no, no! Don’t volunteer me for something like that, DK!” she said with a blush.

“What’s wrong? I thought you liked singing. You certainly did earlier to help me transform.” DK said back. He thought Pauline sounded awesome, so why was she so against it?

“It’s not that I dislike singing. It’s just…I get a really bad case of the nerves when I have to sing in front of people I don’t know. I just can’t stop myself from thinking about all the worst things happening when I’m performing.” she said.

“Well, maybe we can try later when you're used to it?” DK responded.

“Maybe. But for now, let’s get rid of that rock and press onward!” Pauline said

Nodding, DK looked over the peak and came up with another idea. He saw that the peak was shaped like a giant ramp. Wordlessly nodding to each other, DK ripped up a chunk of stone before Turf Surfing all the way down from the peak, landing just near the rock. “That was so fun! It was like a rollercoaster or something!” Pauline said afterward.

As they climbed up, they saw a Fractone wearing a hardhat. “Thank you for getting rid of that metal! Now we can get rid of the rock and open the sinkhole back up! Just hand us some gold, and we can get started!” they said. Nodding, DK gave them the gold, and the rock vanished in the blink of an eye. The two then jumped down, finding themselves inside a large canal.

Grabbing a piece of metal and Turf Surfing over the mud and off a ramp, they found one of Void’s stakes. But before they smashed it, they noticed a stone with writing on it. DK walked over and began to read it out loud for Pauline.

“Saga of the Exploritone, Verse 1. Where did the Fractones come from? What is the origin of Us? Curiosity consumes us. After much research, we think we will know where we will find our answers. The road leads underground…so underground we shall go. Into the depths…Deeper than we can even imagine…We shall find the origin of Us.” DK finished.

“Huh. This Exploritone sounds like they went on a real soul searching trip, didn’t they? You think we’ll find some more of these in the future DK?” Pauline responded.

“Maybe. But we won’t find out until we get further down!” And so with that, DK smashed the nearby stake, opening the sinkhole and making a big Bannadium Bunch appear. Nodding to each other once again, the two plunged ever deeper.

As they fell, Pauline started talking. “The people down here are so friendly! Especially those Fractone guys! I wanna find a way to help them…and you too DK! If you’re ever in a tight spot, just know that my singing can help. I may not be able to sing in front of everyone, but I know I can sing for you, DK!” she said.

“Thanks for the assurance little buddy!” DK said as they fell towards the exit. Landing, and eating his snack, they found themselves in an abandoned mineshaft. After using Kong Bananza and dealing with some exploding pig monsters, they saw two Fractones standing next to a minecart. “Hey, did you guys need some help?” DK asked.

“Yes! Some weird scary guys from something called the Void Company have been going through here and stealing all the bananas! Can you help chase them off?” they said.

“You can count on us! C’mon DK, we need to catch up!” Pauline said. Nodding, DK climbed into the minecart and took off. As they rode, they saw that the layer was an arid, rocky canyon with smokestacks dotting the landscape. Pauline thought they kind of looked like…giraffes? But as they reached the other side, they began the pursuit for Void and his minions, determined to not let him get very far.

Chapter Text

As soon as they hit the Longneck Plateau they saw something intriguing: a Fractone with the shape and color of a giraffe! Pauline was surprised that even more animals had lived underground. DK then struck up a conversation. “Hey, have you seen three monkeys around here causing problems?” he asked.

“Yer darn right! Our banana warehouse was stocked full until those rustlers ransacked the place! Now the only ones we have left are the ones those varmints missed!” the Fractone said in anger.

“Well, do you know which direction they went in?” Pauline asked.

“Yeah! They headed towards the village! Could you please make sure everyone’s okay?” they responded.

“We’re on the job!” DK said with a thumbs up. As they advanced, they battled more crocodile monsters, and saw more and more posters of Void plastered everywhere. Eventually, they made their way into the Longneck Plateau Village. Thankfully, most of the buildings seemed to be intact. DK then walked over to a citizen to ask something. “Hey, do you know where those banana bandits hurreyed off to?”

“Those varmints headed off in the direction of the Bannadium Refinery across the canyon! Their leader just kept shouting “More! Gimme more!” as they hoofed  off to Big Stretch Peak.” the Fractone said.

Well, that certainly sounded like Void alright. “Well don’t worry! Me and my deputy here will bring those bandits to justice!” Pauline said. What was with that weird accent she was putting on?

“Well, if you are going to be lawbringers, you need to look the part! Get those 2 to the tailor!” the Fractone shouted. Soon, two other Fractones guided the duo to a shop. DK got himself a golden tie with his initials on it, along with pants that had a giraffe pattern on them. Meanwhile, Pauline got herself a tan vest, a neckerchief, a hat, jeans, and giraffe pattern leggings. Now, Pauline was starting to get excited.

As they exited the shop, Pauline jumped onto DK’s back. “C’mon partner! We’ve gotta stop those varmints before they get too far away!” she said.

Okay, now DK was confused. “Why are you talking like that?” he said.

“Well, back at home, my mom and dad really liked those shows where they wore these types of outfits. I’m just imitating how they talked in them. They just seemed really cool.” she responded.

“Well, if you wanna do it, then keep doing it little buddy.” DK said with a smile.

“With pleasure! Now giddyup, DK!” Pauline shouted. And with that, they made their way up a slope to a mine car station. However, it was covered in Void’s purple metal. Following its trail, they found the generator and smashed it. As they headed back, and DK ate another banana, they jumped into the cart. They began racing over the canyon, eventually ending up at the bottom of Big Stretch Peak. As DK went up to a Fractone, Pauline asked a question. “Heya! As the sheriff of these parts, do you know how to get into the Bannadium Refinery?” she said, clearly enjoying her goofy cowgirl impression.

“If it’s the Refinery you’re looking for, just head down that smokestack up there!” the Fractone said, emphasizing their point by turning into an arrow and pointing at it.

“Thanks. C’mon partner, let’s move!” she ordered. As they ascended Big Stretch Peak, they battled their way through more of Void’s monsters, eventually coming to the ladder. DK put his hands to work and began the long climb, Pauline clinging on for dear life. Eventually, they reached the summit. But looking over it, she noticed that Void had defaced the peak by turning it into images of himself, Poppy, and Grumpy! “Uh, is there anywhere that guy won’t plaster his face!?”

Seeing another smokestack, they climbed up even further. But as Pauline saw the vast canyon expanse, she couldn’t help but be amazed. “Wow…” she said.

“What’s got you so impressed, little buddy?” DK questioned.

“Well, back home, my mom would often take me to the city hall’s observation deck. Just seeing the entirety of the city’s skyline was amazing! And I think this may be an equal to that. I guess views like this just get you to appreciate the world around you, y’know?” she responded.

After a bit more gazing across the horizon, the duo jumped down the smokestack. At the bottom, they found Grumpy standing in front of a pile of rocks. “Here they are…” he said. He then began rapidly constructing something right of their eyes. When the construction was finished, a gigantic monster composed of several of the crocodile monsters stood before them. “Time for King Crockoid to finish the job!” Grumpy said as he  climbed onto the beast’s head. The King Crockoid then brandished an absolutely enormous club.

As the giant swung its club, DK rolled to the side. “That thing may be huge, but it’s gotta have a weakness!” Pauline said. DK began smashing the lower parts of its body, causing it to drop down. However, the next section only made DK hurt his hands.

“Time for Kong Bananza, little buddy!” DK said as they dodged around the monster’s flailing.

“Gotcha!” Pauline responded. And after a quick breath, she began singing in that high tempo song DK loved to hear. Within seconds, Kong Bananza shredded the King Crockoid’s concrete armor, before getting to Grumpy himself. Grumpy tried to defend himself by swinging his pickaxe at DK. However, Kong Bananza was simply too much for him to handle, leading to him getting absolutely clobbered. He then fell backwards as the remnants of the King Crockoid exploded.

“Ya two beat me, fair and square. Go on, take what’s yours.” Grumpy said before handing them the key to the nearby stake.

“Again, weirdly friendly for a guy who kidnapped me.” Pauline thought. But DK went forward and smashed the blockage, allowing them entrance into the refinery. After eating the Bannadium Bunch, they saw a gigantic machine going crazy in the distance, and a Fractone panicking. “Hey, what’s wrong down here?” Pauline asked.

“That brute broke into the refinery and made the mixer go haywire! We’ve gotta find a way to stop it before it explodes!” the Fractone said.

Well, that certainly wasn’t good! “C’mon DK, we’ve gotta hurry!” Pauline said. And so, the duo rushed off to prevent the entire refinery from going up in smoke.

Chapter Text

As DK and Pauline began making their way through the refinery, a laser suddenly went off in front of them. It was only DK’s keen instincts that prevented a close haircut, or worse. “Phew! Nice dodge, DK!” Pauline said. As the duo jumped and swerved around more lasers, they eventually came to a giraffe Fractone next to a mine cart. “Howdy! Do you know a way to get closer to the mixer so we can shut it down?” she asked.

“This here cart goes directly to the Refinery Offices! If you keep going, you can get close to the mixer. And as a plus, it holds tons of bombs to throw at stuff!” the Fractone said.

“Thanks man!” DK said. And with that, he and Pauline hopped into the mine cart and began speeding off. True to the Fractone’s words, it had a compartment that stored tons of Bomb Rocks to hurl. After a short ride ending with having to destroy a wall, the duo landed at the Refinery Offices.

Almost immediately, they were attacked by what appeared to be a stone monkey head on one foot. The strange enemy jumped high into the air before crashing back down. DK dodge out of the way, and the thing tried again. However, DK caught its foot, and with a mighty cry, chucked it off the edge. As they continued through the Offices, they encountered and defeated more stomping foes. Eventually, they came across another cart.

“Hop in that cart, deputy! We’ve gotta get closer!” Pauline yelled. With a grunt of affirmation, DK got in and made it start moving. But as the cart began getting close to the staff dorms, another laser fired up! Thinking quickly, both DK and Pauline ducked. When the cart reached the Staff Dorms, Pauline breathed a sigh of relief.

“Y’know, if we weren’t trying to keep this place from exploding, these mine cart rides would be a really cool rollercoaster ride or something.” she said.

“We have tons of mine cart tracks on Kong Island! They’re pretty fun to race on, if you know what you’re doing.” DK said as he began walking forward.

"Maybe after I get home, I could talk my folks into going to Kong Island for a vacation. You make it sound so fun! But…then we’d have to deal with Cranky…” she said, remembering what DK said about Cranky not liking humans.

“Ah, don’t worry. I can sweet talk him into letting you guys have safe passage. But that’s for later. Right now, we gotta deal with the Mixer!” DK responded.

“Ah, sorry. Anyways, let’s go, deputy!” Pauline said, putting on her silly accent. As the two advanced through the dorms, they found it partially covered in Void’s metal. “Ahh, the cart forward is covered in the stuff! C’mon, let’s find that generator!”

As they followed the trail of purple metal, they also found stomper enemies coated in it, making them indestructible. After juking around them, DK found the generator in a small shack behind some lasers. Seeing no way through it, DK opted to just smash down the wall and go to the other side. And with some of Pauline’s singing and DK’s monkey muscles, the generator was gone.

While making their way back to the cart, they dealt with the stompers and found a banana previously stuck in there. They then hopped into the cart itself. But as they got closer to the Mixer, Pauline noticed something. “Sparks are starting to fly out! We gotta fix this, and fast!” she said.

Now at the Mixer proper, DK noticed another cart track circling around it. As soon as he stepped into the cart, the Mixer seemingly grew a face and 3 walls of sediment began orbiting its core. “Pauline, you handle the driving! I’ll handle the bombs!” DK ordered. Pauline nodded in affirmation, getting to the front of the cart while DK began picking up Boom Rocks.

And so, the duo began battling the Mad Mixer. As soon as DK had a clear shot, he began hurling bombs at the main body. The bomb’s hit dead on, enraging the Mixer. In retaliation, it tried to launch a beam at the duo. But Pauline managed to make the cart actually jump over the beam before it could hit them. “Nice driving, little buddy!” DK said as he grabbed another armful of bombs.

“And nice throwing, big buddy!” Pauline said as she avoided another blast. Eventually, after another couple of cycles, the Mixer went down. But as it exploded, Pauline noticed the end of one of the above ground smokestacks come crashing down. “Hey, I think we have a new way forward!”

After DK ate another Bannadium Bunch, they began advancing further up the fallen smokestack. At the end, they came across a very long ladder. Nodding to each other, DK started climbing to the top. But as they did so, Pauline decided to ask a question. “Hey, DK?”

“Yeah little buddy?” DK said while grunting in exertion.

“I know this is a weird time to ask, but…do you think I’m becoming a better singer?” she shyly asked.

“Yeah, I think so. Whenever you start singing for Kong Bananza, it gets me all amped up! But why do you ask?” he responded.

“Well…I do think I’m a little less nervous than before. But only by a little bit. Still not ready for a crowd show, but I don’t clam up at the thought at least.” she said.

“Glad to hear it.” DK said. Eventually, the climb reached an end, ending up near another village. Noticing another giraffe Fractone, DK began asking questions. “Hey, have you seen three monkeys around here causing problems?”

“Yeah! Those bandits brought in some huge monster! Its feet were HUGE, and they used it to haul off all our bananas!” they said. As they were talking, a small tremor shook the area. “You feel that? Those were its footsteps! It stomped its way up into Click-Clack Smokestack!”

“Well, don’t you worry! My deputy here can beat that monster in no time flat! C’mon DK, let’s show that monster frontier justice!” Pauline responded in her silly impression. DK had to admit, it was growing on him.

As the duo began their ascent up the smokestack, a thought popped in Pauline’s head. “Hey, y’know how Fractones imitate all sorts of shapes? Like how the ones here look like giraffes?”

“Yeah, what of it?” DK said while climbing on some spinning wall pieces.

“Well…what if there was one that was shaped like a Kong or something?”

“Then it’d be the rockiest Kong I know, that’s for sure!” DK laughed out.

“And another one…what if there was one shaped like a banana? I’d probably have to keep you from trying to eat them!” Pauline said with a giggle.

“Hey! I’ll have you know that I have more self control than you think!” DK said, chuckling himself.

“Says the guy who mentally screams “BANANA!” every time he sees one in the open!”

“Okay, that part's true. But could you please quiet down, I’m trying to focus here.” DK said.

“Oh. Sorry!” Pauline said with a bashful grin. Eventually, they made it to the roof, and noticed another Void stake at the smokestack’s entrance. They began climbing up the spinning surface, going through mud and concrete. After smashing the stake, dropping down, and eating another Bannadium Bunch, she noticed another stone slab. “Hey, could you try reading that one please?”

Walking up to it, DK began reading out loud. “Saga of the Exploritone, Verse 3. We met some creatures here unlike any we’ve seen before. They have long, dappled necks, while their bodies were flexible and fur coated. We observed them turning Bannadium Gems into a sort of energy source. They hope to build the underground world’s greatest refinery someday. They have a great ambition, to have their long necks rise above the crowded throngs of history. But for now, it’s time for us to head to the next sinkhole. Who knows what creature we’ll meet even further down?”

“Huh. Looks like there was a giraffe civilization that lived down here. But if that’s the case, I wonder where they all went?” Pauline said.

“Who knows? Maybe they just moved out or something.” DK answered with a shrug. Turning, he jumped down the sinkhole, landing in a pile of crushed up minerals. He then saw an utterly enormous version of one of those stompers leap up and land right in front of them. “Okay Stompenclomper! Time for the sheriff and her deputy to bring you to justice!”

As Stompenclomper attempted to crush DK, he rolled out of the way. When it tried again, DK destroyed one of its feet, knocking it off balance. He then swung around, doing the same to its other foot and sending its head to the ground. He then began pulverizing its armor and core. But before he could outright destroy it, it emitted a shockwave, knocking him back. It then reformed its armor. Now, it was mostly made of concrete.

“Time to sing, little buddy!” DK said.

“Gotcha!” Pauline responded. However, before she could start singing, she began coughing. Confused, she realized what the problem was. “All these rocks and stuff are getting kicked up into the air and making dust! I can’t sing! Just hold out until I can clear my throat!”

“Alright little buddy!” DK responded. And so, DK had to keep dodging around Stompenclomper’s attacks while Pauline tried desperately to clear her throat. To try and speed along the process, DK handed her a spare can of melon juice he picked up earlier.

Grateful, Pauline practically downed the whole can within seconds. After doing a bit of a warm up, she was ready. “Alright, I’m good to go! Let’s show this bandit whose boss!” And with a triumphant song, Kong Bananza was activated. Right as Stompenclomper was about to crush them, DK caught its foot and knocked it off balance. He then absolutely obliterated its armor before destroying the core. Afterwards a Big Bannadium Bunch formed and fell down the hole.

“Hey DK, can I lead the victory dance this time?” Pauline excitedly asked as she climbed off DK’s back.

“Go right ahead, little buddy!” DK responded. And with that, Pauline hooked her smaller arm around DK’s and did a little spinning dance with him. Eventually, she climbed onto his back, and both of them pounded their chest in victory.

“I always wanted to do that! Just never had the courage before.” Pauline sheepishly admitted. Wow, DK really had changed her, didn’t he?

After one last check up, the duo dived down the hole. As they fell, Pauline struck up a conversation. “Y’know, I think I know why Void’s stealing every banana he comes across. I heard that those Bannadium Gems are a really powerful fuel source. His giant machine looks like it needs tons of energy to keep running. At this rate, Void’ll steal every last banana in the underground world!”

“Oh, I won’t let that jerk get away with that!” DK said.

As they fell deeper and deeper, Pauline noticed a change in the air. “Hey, is it me, or is it starting to get chilly?” she said.

“I feel it too, Pauline! There’s the exit!” DK responded.

When they fell out, they landed at the top of a snowy mountain. After eating his Big Bannadium Bunch, DK noticed a very big problem: Pauline wasn’t dressed for cold weather in the slightest! “W-w-we’ve gotta find shelter! O-o-or a place to warm up, at least!” she said while shivering uncontrollably.

Nodding, DK took off for a town he saw in the distance, determined to not let his friend turn into a popsicle.

Chapter Text

DK was rushing down the mountain as fast as he could. On his back, he could feel Pauline shivering and snuggling into his fur for warmth. He may be able to withstand the chill, but she certainly couldn’t! Partway down the hill, he found a peculiar sight: a zebra wearing a coat and standing up on their hind legs. He ran up and began asking questions. “Hey! Do you know places that have winter gear!? My little buddy needs to bundle up!”

The zebra jumped in surprise at the sudden visitor. But after they noticed Pauline, they started talking. “There’s a town with a clothes shop at the bottom of the mountain, brah! Just explain the situation, and they’ll get your friend warmed up in no time, brah!”

“T-t-thank you!” Pauline said with a shivering breath, trying desperately to keep warm. Nodding, DK picked up a nearby piece of concrete before using it to snowboard down the mountain. At the bottom, they saw more of Void’s creations in the form of stone balls with faces. After knocking them away, DK saw a bridge extending to the town.

But before he could take a step on it, a zebra pulled him away. “Don’t do that, brah! Only us zebras are fast enough to cross the bridge! If you try to, it’ll just crumble beneath your feet!”

“Then how am I supposed to get there!?” DK asked in a panic.

“There’s a path down below, brah! Get there before your friend freezes all the way!”

Nodding in gratitude, DK leapt under the bridge, moving as fast as possible. After crossing a freezing river, they entered a cave that, surprisingly enough, had lava inside! But as they went through, Pauline noticed a certain smell in the air. “Is that…chocolate?” she asked.

She tested her theory by picking up a clump from the ground and eating it. Her eyes widened in surprise. “It IS chocolate! That “lava” is actually melted chocolate, DK!” she said.

“We can think about that later! Right now, we need to get you some warm clothes!” DK responded. After rushing through the cave and back into the snow, he found a barrel cannon. After jumping inside, he launched upward into the village. Upon seeing a clothes shop, he immediately beelined right towards it and burst in through the door. “My friend needs help! Please!”

The shopkeepers, upon noticing Pauline’s state of dress, instantly got to work. They took Pauline off DK’s back and brought her to the fitting room. Meanwhile, DK himself got a fancy green and orange neckerchief, and pink pants with stripes on them. Eventually, Pauline came out of the backrooms in a green snow jacket, apron, snow boots, and a hat with zebra ears on top. In her hands was a cup of hot chocolate. “Oh, this feels so much better!” she said while climbing onto DK’s back.

Relieved that his friend was alright, DK exited the store and began asking around. He went up to a local standing in front of another icy bridge. “Hey, have you guys had any problems recently?”

“Yeah, brah! Normally, people come down here to enjoy some tasty treats. But ever since those three jerks came through here and messed with the cooling tower, it’s been way too cold! Could you guys help us out, brah?” they responded.

“We sure can! C’mon DK, let’s fix that tower! And hopefully, get some ice cream on the way!” Pauline said.

“Thank you, brah! Just head through Coolstripe Cavern to go down to the next layer and talk to Elder Zamba! He’ll tell you what to do!” they said in gratitude.

Nodding, the duo began advancing down the path outside the village. But their progress was eventually halted when they saw a cave entrance completely blocked off by voided terrain. Following the trail, they found the generator in a nearby hut. After breaking it, and finding another banana, they headed back to the entrance. Seeing the plunger, DK smashed down on top of it. This caused a large explosion, destroying all of the rocks blocking the way.

Progressing forward, they found themselves in a large, crystalline cavern. As DK skated across the ice, Pauline decided to strike up a conversation. “Y’know, I’m surprised you can handle the cold this well, DK. I mean, I like going barefoot too, but I certainly don’t think it’s a good idea in this weather! So, that you’re trudging through all of this is pretty impressive to me.”

“Well, trust me, I’ve got experience. Around a year ago, these guys called the Snowmads blew me and some of my friends right off Kong Island and froze the place over! After we found our way back home, we had to fight our way through a frigid version of the island. So, this ain’t my first rodeo in these conditions.”

“Oh, wow.” Pauline responded, impressed by another journey her friend had been on.

As they made their way through Coolstripe Cavern, they dealt with more rolling ball enemies, along with falling icicles. Eventually, they made it to the sinkhole, which was on top of a wall of lava. After launching a roller up the wall to clear a path, they busted the stake and dived down. What they found was an entire lake of melted chocolate lava!

“Oh, I wish this stuff wasn’t so hot! It would taste so good!” Pauline said. But upon noticing a nearby zebra, she asked a question. “Hey, do you know where Zamba is?”

“He’s up in Canter Creamery, brah!” they said while pointing to a cliff side covered in lava. “Just keep heading that way, and you’ll find him!”

“Thank you!” DK said before moving down the path. Thanks to some more icicles, they managed to cool the lava enough to walk on. Eventually, after throwing chunks of ice at the wall, they made it up to the Canter Creamery. After eating another banana, the duo found themselves in another small town, with tables and ice cream shops aplenty. At the end of the path was a large zebra with headphones, sunglasses, and a large banana-like beard sitting in a chair. “Hey, are you Zamba?”

“That I am, cool customers! I’m the elder of this super chill village. I used to be this creamery’s hottest chef, churning out new treats everyday, brah! Buuut, nowadays, I like making cool tunes as a laid-back DJ instead. So, what brings a Kong and a human to our frosty abode?” Zamba said.

“A way to the Planet Core!” DK and Pauline said in unison.

“Well, if that’s the case, you two have come at a bad time. Someone named Poppy from Void Company rolled in through here just before your arrival. She said she would share some tasty new ingredients with me, but the second I lowered my guard, she made off with all our bananas! And what’s worse, she broke our ancient record into pieces! If you can find those pieces, I can teach you my Bananza and help get this place chill again, brah!” Zamba responded.

Another Bananza!? Pauline immediately got butterflies in her stomach again. She knew she had to learn it to progress forward, but that didn’t mean she was happy to know she’d have to do another live performance! Noticing her discomfort, DK looked up and smiled. “Don’t worry, little buddy. After all, I’m here to help you!”

Breathing out, Pauline looked at her friend. “Thanks DK. But anyway, where are those record pieces, Mr. Zamba?”

“Well, one of them is at the base of the cooling tower,  the second is on the ceiling fans above, and the third is the lava field. I know you guys can get your hands on them!” he responded.

Nodding, DK turned towards the cooling tower. There, he saw a piece of the record on a platform surrounded by lava. But he also saw a contraption with a bunch of ice cubes inside of it. Seeing a chain to operate the machine, he pulled it, and a steady stream of cubes began falling into the lava, freezing it. After leaping onto the hardened lava, Pauline reached her hand out to grab a couple cubes and began eating some. “Oh, these are made of fruit juice! They taste so sweet!” she happily said.

“You have one heck of a sweet tooth, you know that?” DK said as he picked up the record piece and began taking it back to Zamba.

“You got me there, DK. I just love sweet stuff. I remember one birthday where my mom got this really sweet cake, and I practically fell in love with it at first bite! Kinda like when I tried one of your bananas, honestly.”

After reaching the record player and slotting in the first piece, DK looked up and saw the second one on the fans. Climbing up the village gate, he came across a fan covered in voided terrain. With a mighty slap, a pillar shot up and carried the two towards it. After destroying the generator, the fan began to spin once more. After some more climbing, including destroying another generator and grabbing a banana, DK got his hands on the second piece and jumped back down to the square to slot it in. “2 down, one more to go!” DK said as he began heading towards the lava field.

As they made their way down the path, they dealt with more exploding pigs before finding another set of icicles. After knocking them down to harden the lava, they began climbing the hill. Eventually, after dealing with some moles, they knocked down another icicle to create a path towards some voided terrain. Following the trail and breaking the generator, DK then flung a block of ice across the lava, creating a bridge to the final record piece. But now, they were stuck on an island surrounded by lava.

After a bit, Pauline came up with an idea. “Hey, you know how those records are basically indestructible?”

“Yeah?”

“And you see that slope down there?”

“Oh, I like the way you think, little buddy!” DK said. Upon saying this, DK used the record like an improvised board across the lava, grabbing a banana along the way before launching himself out of a cannon back towards Zamba.

And with that, DK slapped in the 3rd and final piece. The record began to spin as two platforms raised the duo up.

“Your great power…serve it up to me, brah!” Zamba said. “BananZZZAAA!”

Upon seeing the crowd of zebras, Pauline began to panic. “Not again!” she said while backing away.

But before she could freak out too much, DK wordlessly put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a big grin. Swallowing, she went up to the mike. “Guess I’ve got no choice in the matter…” she said.

Taking a big breath, she then shouted into the mike. “ZEEBRAAA!”

What followed was another crazy dance! DK turned into a giant zebra with a black body and a yellow mohawk on his head. As Zamba and the other zebras danced and cheered, the duo got lost in the frenetic rhythm of the song. Eventually, the song ended, with Zamba laughing all the while. “That, my friends, was one of the sweetest songs I’ve heard in a while! Your voice is so powerful, brah! Now you can get across the bridge to the cooling tower!”

“Thank you for the compliment! But first…would it be okay if we had some of your ice cream? I’ve been dying to have some!” Pauline said.

“Go right ahead, brah! You’ve earned it for helping us out!”

With that, DK and Pauline made their way to the Creamery square and ordered some sweet treats. Pauline got herself some lemon sherbet, while DK (of course) got a banana split. The two then walked to a table to begin enjoying their cold delights. But on the way, DK noticed another stone slab. With curious eyes, he began reading the inscription for Pauline.

“Saga of the Exploritone, verse 6. The stripey zebras gave us a warm welcome to their cold abode…A sweet artisan in training invited us to a taste of experimental delicacies. Of all of it, the Choco Banana had the biggest impact on us. Our feedback was that it wasn’t very sweet. They say they’ll work on that.”

“So the zebras have been making ice cold treats for quite some time, huh? Maybe that’s why they’re so good, because they have years of experience in their field! And that Choco Banana sounded really good!” Pauline said.

After the reading was finished, the two sat down at a table. As Pauline ate her sherbet, she looked down with a nostalgic expression. Stopping himself from devouring his banana split, DK looked at his friend. “Are you alright, Pauline?”

“Yeah. It’s just that, back home, we would have this on hot days. Last year, me, my dad, and my grandma all went to the park to help me get more confident. I tried to sing, but I panicked and couldn’t do it. So, my dad cheered me up by getting us some lemon sherbet. The taste made up for me feeling disappointed in myself.”

“Well, I think you’re getting better about singing in public. This time, you didn’t panic as much.”

“True. But that’s also because I have the best hype man in the world.” she said with a grin.

Grinning back, DK began eating his banana split in a particularly messy fashion. Thoroughly satisfied, the duo took a barrel cannon back up a layer. Now, they could get to the tower and solve this mess!

Chapter Text

Gazing upon the bridge, DK turned to Pauline. “Ready to try out the new song, little buddy?”

“Yeah. Let me just warm up.” Pauline responded. After a couple of deep breaths, she was ready. “ZEBRA!”

As the words came from Pauline’s mouth, DK took off like a rocket. He zoomed over the crumbling bridge, with Pauline doing her best to keep herself from flying off. When they reached the other side, they found a zebra waiting. “Hey, what happened here?” Pauline asked.

“It’s total sabotage, brah! Something’s blocking the air flow inside the tower! There’s an emergency exit further up!” the zebra said.

“Got it! C’mon DK, let’s zoom over there!” 

With that, DK took off running up the tower at breakneck speed. Eventually, they reached the very top floor and went inside. After breaking a sheet of ice, the duo fell down a level towards the blockage. In this case, it was a large golden platform shooting out pink smoke. But before long, Poppy emerged holding a bottle of purple liquid.

“Poppy!? How did you know we were here!?” DK asked.

“I’m the director of intelligence at Void Company. I have eyes and ears in places you wouldn’t expect. Besides, with your singing and smashing everything, it was quite easy to track you down.” Poppy responded while cleaning her glasses.

“Well, we won’t let you guys reach the Planet Core! You just know Void’s gonna do something bad with his wish!” Pauline said.

“Oh trust me, I think the President is an idiot. If it were up to me, I’d just keep running Void Co as it is. And honestly, I don’t have much of a quarrel with you two. But orders are orders. If you want to proceed further, you’ll have to go through me!” Poppy said before spraying herself with her perfume. The substance turned her completely invisible, and she landed on the ground in front of them.

As DK looked around, he was suddenly hit in the cheek. And right as he was recovering, he got kicked in the stomach. “DK, look at the snow! She’s leaving a trail as she moves!” Pauline said.

DK saw all of the snow being kicked up as Poppy moved as such, he adjusted his plan of attack. As Poppy rushed towards him, he suddenly ducked before grabbing onto her extended arm. However, she countered by stomping on his foot, causing him to let go. She then sped off across the room.

“Is that all you can do? I expected more, honestly.” Poppy said before launching another assault.

“Aagh, she’s too slippery! If we can’t grab her, we’ll just have to catch her! Time for Zebra Bananza, Pauline!” DK said.

“Got it!” Pauline responded. As she sang, DK transformed and rushed right at Poppy. She was clearly surprised at just how fast DK was now, as he rammed her right into a wall. But she quickly recovered and began zooming around the room once more.

This cat and mouse chase eventually ended when DK slid right into her legs, sending her crashing to the ground mid run. As she got up, she looked down and saw that her perfume had run out. She then shook her head before standing up. “So, my mission has failed. I didn’t expect you to see through my stealth perfume, nor be able to keep up with me. So, darlings, I’ll just give you the key.” she said before pulling a key from her pocket and handing it to them. With that, she began walking off.

“Y’know, for a bunch of people who kidnapped me and are terrorizing the underground world, Grumpy and Poppy seem like decent people.” Pauline thought as DK destroyed the blockage. Afterward, they dived down into the tower’s interior.

“Did you chase that lady off!? Thank’s a ton, brah!” a nearby zebra said. “But we still have a problem! That molten chocolate down there is blocking the way to the lower tower. Try using that ice cube maker to cool it off!”

“Gotcha!” DK responded. After pulling the cord, DK began digging a path for the cubes to fall down. Eventually, the cubes hit the lava, causing it to solidify. With a couple of punches, it broke, making a way towards the lower level. There, DK saw one of the stakes and destroyed it.

Jumping down, DK ate the Bannadium Bunch it left behind and surveyed the landscape. It was practically covered in molten chocolate, and it was scorching hot! “Oh great! First it was freezing cold, now it’s blisteringly hot!” Pauline said as she began taking off her cold weather wear.

“You said it, brah!” a zebra said. “There’s a crazy amount of heat coming from the Hot Hoof Heater! If you can take out what’s causing this heat wave, things’ll go back to normal!”

“Thank you! Let’s get that heat under control, or we’ll get toasted like marshmallows, DK!” Pauline said.

As the two progressed, jumping between islands floating in a sea of volcanic chocolate, they saw another ice maker up ahead. But after pulling the cord, DK saw that there was a blockage at the bottom. Seeing a crumbly bridge, Pauline sang the Zebra song, and DK began rushing up to the ice maker. After eating a nearby banana, DK smashed the stone blockage, allowing ice cubes to begin falling into the lava. The lava cooled and solidified, making an easy path forward.

As DK smashed through some more stone, he also smashed two more roller enemies. Eventually, they made it to the heater itself. “The heat coming out there is scorching! Be careful, DK!” Pauline said. Drinking some more melon and apple juice to cool off, the two then jumped down the hole. At the bottom, they found the source of the heat: a gigantic, superheated version of the roller enemies. But as it rolled past, a bunch of snow dropped onto it, causing it to get mad. It then began rolling its way towards the duo.

As DK dodged its attacks, it left behind a trail of lava. “If it’s too hot to touch, we need to find a way to get at it!” Pauline said. Eventually, after some more weaving around, it smashed into a wall, causing a pile of snow to drop onto the ground. DK then grabbed it and threw it at the beast mid roll, causing it to smash into a wall and making a ton of snow drop onto it. “There! Get smashing, DK!”

As DK smashed apart its armor, its mollusk-like core emerged and began to flee. As DK ran after it, it began creating crumbling platforms to climb up. As Pauline activated Zebra Bananza, DK took off after it, landing a solid hit on the core. It then regenerated the armor and began rolling once more. This repeated itself twice before it was finally defeated and the Big Bannadium Bunch fell down the sinkhole.

With that, Pauline got off DK’s back for another victory dance. This time, she and DK held hands before he spun her around in a circle like a ballerina. As she spun, she eventually jumped towards DK with a high five before they both started pounding on their chests. “Another layer down! Now the zebra’s home won’t be as cold anymore. But let's keep going, DK!” Pauline energetically said while climbing back on.

“You got it little buddy!” DK said before jumping down the hole.

As they fell, Pauline felt her clothes. She was totally soaked in sweat! “Ugh, that place was the worst! You can always put on more bundles to keep warm, but you can never take off enough layers to cool off! Next chance we get, let’s take a bath or something, DK.” she said.

The deeper they went, they began noticing planet roots extending through the walls. “Hey, it’s starting to get greener! Hopefully it won’t be as unbearable!” Pauline said as they reached the exit.

After landing and eating his snack, DK took stock of their surroundings. There were green plants and trees as far as you could see. In addition, there was a large, egg shaped building in the distance. But, there was also a purple tint to the water. DK then walked forward, avoiding giant red thorns, and began talking to a local ostrich. “Hey, have there been any problems down here recently?”

“Oh, yes! We’ve been overrun with those dreadful thorns and this poisoned water ever since that Void fellow visited. If you head to the Eggshell Hotel, you can talk to Elder Tristina to sort things out.” the ostrich said while taking off their hat.

“Gotcha! Maybe we can even get ourselves cleaned up while we’re at it, huh Pauline?” DK said while smiling at his friend.

And with that, the duo began making their way through the forest, aiming for the Eggshell Hotel.

Chapter Text

Walking past some more ostriches, the duo came across a seed, with a tree in the distance. DK pondered what to do, until he noticed a bullseye marking on the tree. He decided to pick up the seed and chuck it at the wood. Surprisingly, an entire branch grew from the seed, creating a bridge across the poison water.

Progressing further, they came face to face with another of Void’s creations: giant munching heads that extended forwards! “DK, try making it hit itself!” Pauline suggested. Through a bit of maneuvering, the muncher's head hit its own body, stunning it long enough for DK to smack it away.

After clearing out some more red thorns, they saw the Eggshell Hotel in the distance. Looking down at the sheer drop, DK jumped and made a crater when he hit the ground. He then noticed a nearby Fractone. “Hey, do you have any idea how to get to the hotel?” he asked.

“If you wanna get to the hotel, head through Bellhop Burb. All the hotel staff hang out there.” the Fractone said, changing into an area that pointed to the town.

“Thanks!” DK said as he began heading in that direction. As he headed through the wooded river line, he dealt with bomb pigs before finding another seed. Throwing it at a tree and making a vine, he ate a banana as he headed towards the gates.

As they headed through Bellhop Burb, they noticed one ostrich staring ahead towards the hotel itself. “Excuse us, but do you know how to get to the hotel, ma’am?” Pauline asked.

“Well, for us ostriches, we typically launch from here to get to the hotel. However, since you both clearly don’t have wings, you’ll have to take a different route.” she said. “Just climb along those trees, and you’ll get there in no time!”

Nodding, DK began venturing outside the village, seeing the large tree in front of the hotel. As he progressed, he saw a crocodile monster covered in red, thorny armor. With some quick thinking, he ripped up a chunk of wood and smashed the monster with it. Satisfied, he walked forward, seeing another seed. Making a vine, he climbed up to another platform where there was another ostrich waiting.

“Are you planning on checking into the hotel? Well, you’re in luck! Just climb up this tree, and you’ll be at the front door!” the ostrich said.

“C’mon DK, let’s do what you do best!” Pauline said. Grinning, DK began scaling up the tree. Along the way, he dealt with more brambles, and made more bridges to get up even further. In addition, he found a banana hidden inside of a tree. Eventually, they made it to the very top, where a barrel cannon awaited them. “Eggshell Hotel, here we come!”

Launching themselves in, they landed in a large reception area. A bellhop at the front desk greeted them. “Ah, another guest! It’s a surprise, considering the state the layer’s in right now. For your first check in, have a complimentary banana!” they said, before pulling out a banadium gem.

Before DK could greedily devour the treat, Pauline’s stomach began rumbling again. “Hey Pauline, you wanna share this one?” DK asked.

“Yeah. Maybe after we talk to Tristina, we could get a room here and take a break?” Pauline responded.

Nodding, DK walked further in. There, they saw a giant ostrich wearing headphones and a number of yellow feathers. “Are you Mrs. Tristina?” DK asked.

“That I am, guests!” Tristina said while opening her eyes. “I am dreadfully sorry about the conditions right now. Ordinarily, our hotel boasts a perfect 10 stars in hospitality! But after those Void Company nuisances checked in, they spread those unsightly hazards everywhere. But since you seem capable of utilizing Bananza power, I’ll teach you Ostrich Bananza if you can get the two record pieces back!”

Another one!? And so soon!? But before Pauline could panic, she stopped herself. She’d done it twice now, and she handled it fine! And she had DK at her back! “Okay! Do you know where the pieces are, ma’am?” she asked. 

“I’ve heard that one’s in the pool down below, and the other is in the gardens.” Tristina responded.

“On it!” DK said before jumping down the chute towards the pool. There, he saw one record piece sitting on top of a tree with a target. After some searching, he found a seed. Grabbing it, he returned and launched the seed at the tree to make a bridge. Grunting in happiness, he picked up the piece before launching himself back to Tristina’s chamber.

Slapping it in, DK headed back towards the reception area and dropped down a hole to the gardens. Aside from the poisoned water, it was filled with those munchers! “Everything Void touches gets made worse somehow! This place would look so pretty if he hadn’t shown up and ruined it!” Pauline said in anger. After some more searching, they found the record covered in voided terrain. Through climbing all over the walls, they eventually found the generator and broke it. Now free, DK grabbed the record before launching himself and Pauline back up to the chamber before putting it in.

As usual, the record began to spin as two platforms appeared beneath them. “Your impressive power…let it take flight!” Tristina said. “BANANZAAA!”

Some of Pauline’s earlier bravado began cracking when she saw the crowd. “So many of you…”

But when she saw DK grinning, she shook her head and grabbed the mike. “Ok, here I go.” she said before taking a deep breath. “OSTRIIICHH!”

The elder’s chamber erupted into cheers as Pauline sang the bouncy tune. DK had turned into a strange hybrid between ostrich and gorilla, with an ostrich’s head atop his body, and ostrich’s legs, and banana-like feathers on his arms. As she sang, she felt free as a bird in flight! As the song ended, Tristina congratulated the two. “Well done esteemed guests! Your singing was EGG-straordinary! It soared above the clouds! If I could, I would have you as a lounge singer!” she said.

“Thank you for the compliment! But before we go any further…do you have any spare rooms? Both me and DK need some rest.” Pauline said.

“Indeed we do! In fact, we even have some spare clean water so you can freshen up! And we’ll give you two some new clothes as a gift! But we also have another guest here. He’s a bit…cranky if you know what I mean.”

“Thank you very much, Mrs. Tristina!” Pauline said as they headed towards their room. But as they walked there, they saw an unexpected sight: Rambi, parked in the hallway!

“Well, looks like she wasn’t lying about a certain guest.” DK said as he knocked on the door.

A bit of squawking and grumbling emerged from the room. “First that obnoxious music, now someone’s knocking!?” a voice said. When the door opened, Cranky was standing in front of them, with Squawks perched on his shoulder. “Oh, it’s just you two. Well, I didn’t expect to see either of you here! What d’you want?”

“How did you even get here, Cranky?” Pauline asked. She was just as surprised as him. How’d he get through both the Canyon and Freezer layers without either of them noticing!?

“I have my methods. I’m not as frail as I look, y’know! But eventually, even I need some rest, so I checked in here. But anyway, was that you singing up there?” Cranky asked, pointing his cane at Pauline.

“Yeah, it was. What, are you finally moving on from that old record you keep playing at home?” DK asked.

“Hey! I’ll have you know that record was a gift, and it’s a timeless classic!” Cranky responded. “But now that you mention it…I thought Pauline’s voice sounded familiar… Bah! It’s probably just my mind playing tricks on me. Anyway, I’m getting my shut eye. Peace!” He then promptly closed the door in the duo’s face.

“Well, he’s still living up to his name…” Pauline said with a sigh. “Although…wasn’t he acting kind of weird at the end?”

“Yeah. Most of the time, he only acts like that when he’s got a lot on his mind. But let's think about it while we rest!” DK said while walking towards their room.

Upon entering, Pauline saw a cozy little room covered in greenery with a single large bed and a bathroom. Before freshening up, the duo decided to have their banana break. After pulling out the drinks, DK got the banana and snapped it in half before handing one piece to Pauline. As DK chowed down, Pauline tried to put a straw in her apple juice. However, as she put it in the can, she accidentally crushed it in her hand.

“Oh!” Pauline said in surprise.

“Is something wrong?” DK said, looking up from his meal.

“No. But I think hanging onto your back is a better workout than I thought!” Pauline said with a giggle.

After getting done eating, Pauline headed to the shower to freshen up. It had been so long since she’d had a proper shower, and the hot water felt incredible. Afterward, she found a white night gown the staff had put out for her. They truly did offer first class service!

Putting on the gown, she went to the room itself, where she saw DK laying down. When he patted his chest, she climbed on and put her hands behind her head. “Something on your mind, little buddy?” DK asked.

“Not much. The Eggshell Hotel is just such a neat place! They’ve got fancy furniture, a garden AND a pool! It makes me feel like a famous guest basking in eggy luxury. It’s definitely something I could get used to!” Pauline responded with a grin.

“Well, maybe someday in the future, you could have a house like this.” DK said.

“If I become a big star, definitely. But anyways…” Pauline said while yawning. “It’s time to rest. Good night DK.”

“You too little buddy.” DK said before putting his head down.

When they woke up, they found something neat. For one, they had cleaned Pauline’s usual outfit. And the other, they saw their new threads! DK got a new, flashy bow tie and completely black pants. Meanwhile, Pauline had gotten a pink bellhop uniform with poofy pants, a hat with a feather-like tassel, and black tights. After changing, the two walked out from the room to Tristina.

“Thank you for your hospitality, madam!” Pauline said while putting on a fancy accent.

“Is this another impression, Pauline?” DK asked, remembering the cowgirl accent from the Canyon Layer.

“Yep! People always sound a certain way when they want someone to feel welcomed. I just figured it’d be a good way to help out with my singing.” Pauline responded.

“And if I didn’t know any better, I’d mistake you as part of the staff!” Tristina laughed out. “Now that you’re all rested up, you can deal with Void Company’s mess, right?”

“Uh huh!” Pauline energetically said.

“Well, in that case, use Ostrich Bananza to catch the breeze! And be on the lookout for that other guest. He checked out while grumbling about something.” Tristina advised.

The duo shared a look, now wondering if Cranky was going to be alright getting through this place by himself…

Chapter Text

Noticing the fan next to Tristina, DK looked at Pauline. “Ready to soar, little buddy?’

“Yeah. Lemme just do my pre-song breathing exercises.” Pauline responded. After a couple of breaths, she cried out. “OSTRICH!”

With his transformation activated, DK got onto the fan and blew himself into the air, gliding over and landing in a nearby barrel cannon. They then landed on an island with one of Void’s stakes in the middle.

“Y’know, I’ve got a question.” Pauline said.

“And that would be?” DK answered.

“Since when do ostriches fly?” she responded.

“Well, I wouldn’t call it “flying”. More like “gliding with style”.” DK said. Afterwards, he surveyed the area, looking for a key. Eventually, he noticed it on top of a nearby tower that had a fan next to it. He rode up on the updraft and grabbed the key, then landed back on the main island. Destroying the stake, he jumped down and ate his Bannadium Bunch.

There, the duo found themselves in a large wetland environment. However, rather than pristine clear waters, the layer was filled with polluted sludge. Going up to an ostrich, Pauline asked a question. “Hey, do you know how to get rid of all this toxic water?”

“Three plants are spewing poison all over the layer! If you destroy all three, it’ll bring the clear waters back! There’s one right over there!” the ostrich said, gesturing to a nearby island.

“Don’t worry! We’ll be doing some high quality maintenance and cleaning for the layer!” Pauline responded, putting on that posh accent again.

Moving towards the island, DK noticed a fan protruding from the poison water. With some singing, he transformed and began soaring towards the first poison plant. Eventually, they ended up in a small village. They then saw what appeared to be a pitcher plant on top of a wooden ostrich head. After riding up another air current, DK destroyed the plant. This caused the poison water to greatly recede, exposing more of the layer.

“Alright! Now we can keep moving forward!” Pauline said. But as they leapt down and got closer to the village exit, they noticed platforms made of a strange material. “What’s this?”

After eating a banana on the platform, DK decided to test the platform by punching it. However, rather than breaking it, DK’s fist bounced right off of it! “So this stuff is all bouncy? We can use it to reach the second plant up there!” DK said, pointing to another poison plant on a higher building.

“Alrighty then DK! Let’s get bouncing!” Pauline replied. 

With that, the duo began hopping their way towards the building. The entire time, Pauline was laughing. It was like a huge bouncy castle! But eventually, they noticed some voided terrain, with a metal covered rock blocking the fan upward. Following the trail, they dealt with more muncher enemies before finding the generator. After destroying it, they bounced their way back over to the fan.

Destroying the rock and transforming, DK soared up the building. Upon landing, he saw the second poison plant and smashed it, decreasing the poison levels even further. Getting through the annex while ostriches commended them, they saw a large extent of rubbery platforms and fans. 

Grinning, Pauline began singing, and DK began gliding. After using the rubber and fans to get higher, they eventually landed on another island. After ascending even further, they found the 3rd and final plant. After destroying it, the poison dropped down lower, revealing one of Void’s stakes on an islet surrounded by giant red thorns. “C’mon DK! Let’s get to the bottom of this mess!” Pauline said.

Gliding over, DK smashed the stake, creating a way further down, and another Bannadium Bunch. But before he dived down, he saw another stone tablet. Walking over, he began reading. “Saga of the Exploritone, Verse 10. The tall birds here were very polite in their greetings to us…they call themselves “ostriches”. They have an enormous egg in which they host guests to their layer. Inside it are beds crafted from leaves and tree branches, and soft carpeting woven from grass. We saw no reason to decline their gracious offer of lodging for the night.”

“I guess even Fractone’s need rest sometimes, huh?” Pauline said. “And from the sounds of it, this place has always been super comfy! But let's get a move on, buddy!”

Nodding, DK jumped down the hole to the next sublayer. After eating the Bannadium Bunch however, he saw something that made him concerned: an ostrich tending to Rambi. But Cranky was nowhere in sight! Walking up, he began talking to the ostrich. “Hey, have you seen another monkey with a beard go through here?”

“Indeed I have! He was riding on this poor creature and grumbling when the foul cause of this poison water snatched him up! Abracajabya took him towards its lair on the central island!” the ostrich said.

So now they had two objectives: get rid of the brambles/poison water, and rescue Cranky! Donning a serious expression, DK saw the fans dotting around the bog. Upon transforming, DK began gliding his way towards the main island, avoiding brambles as he went.

Pauline was surprised, seeing her usually carefree friend so serious for a change. But she knew that just showed how much he cared for the people he loves.

Eventually, they landed on the island. There, the duo saw many enemies covered in thorny armor. So, rather than punching them, DK ripped up chunks of stone and began swinging them around, sending the enemies flying. Exploring around, they found a plunger, and upon pressing it down, destroyed a large amount of brambles. Inside, they saw the Void core…and Cranky strung up in vines!

“Pops!” DK cried out, rushing to help his father. However, upon getting close, the core sprang to life and went underground. The poison and brambles receded, and in the distance, DK saw Abracajabya’s gigantic main body emerge from the bog.

“Time to deal with this overgrown weed, DK!” Pauline cried out. Abracajabya shot forward numerous vines, intent on skewering the duo. However, DK managed to jump over and onto them, making his way towards the core. As he made his way closer, numerous brambles and waves of poison impeded his progress. But he managed to avoid the hazards, and eventually began pummeling the core.

In response, Abracajabya retreated, appearing on another stalk and shooting more vines. Pauline activated Ostrich Bananza and let DK begin gliding closer, with the giant plant shooting even more vines to stop them. After a close call, DK landed next to the core and began hitting it again.

With a roar of anger, the plant monster appeared on yet another stalk. This time, it created a gigantic wave of poison and flung it right at the duo. Thinking quickly, DK rode on the nearby air current to soar above the wave. But, predicting this, Abracajabya managed to grab DK with a tendril and brought him close. But DK managed to break free of his restraints and decked the core one last time. This finally destroyed the gigantic plant, and with it, the water and brambles cleared.

Rushing back to the main island, DK and Pauline found Cranky face down next to the sinkhole. DK then began shaking his father. “C’mon dad, wake up! This isn’t time for napping!” he desperately cried.

Eventually, Cranky stirred with a grumble. “What…the..heck…happened?” he said, getting to feet.

“You got grabbed by a giant plant monster!” Pauline said.

“Now it’s coming back to me…In my prime, I could’ve handled that thing no problem! But I also have to ask…did you help save me?” he said, gesturing to Pauline.

“Well, I may have punched the monster, but Pauline here helped me!” DK said.

“In that case…” Cranky said while stroking his beard. “Thank you both.” he said with a surprisingly warm tone in his voice. He then walked over and began rubbing Pauline’s head.

“Huh. Never expected Cranky of all people to be this gentle.” Pauline thought. But then, she got an idea. “Hey, Mr. Cranky! How about you join in our victory dance?”

“What’d you say?” Cranky said in surprise.

“Oh yeah! That’s a great idea, Pauline!” DK said. As Pauline got off DK’s back, she and DK both grabbed Cranky’s hands.

“Hey! What’re you doing!?”

“C’mon pops! Have some fun!” DK laughed out.

Despite Cranky’s protests, the impromptu trio did a circular dance together that eventually ended with all 3 pounding their chests with their hands. Afterwards, Pauline turned to Cranky. “Wasn’t that fun, Mr. Cranky?” she said with a smile.

“...I will admit, I did enjoy that. But next time, don’t force me to join in! You’re one of the very few humans I’ll actually tolerate! Don’t make me take you off the list. You two go on ahead, I’ll catch up after some R & R.” Cranky said before walking off.

“See? I told you that he’s nicer when you get to know him better.” DK said as Pauline climbed onto his back.

“Good to know! But who’re those other humans he mentioned?” Pauline inquired.

“Beats me. But let’s dive further in!” DK said before jumping down the hole.

As they fell, Pauline thought about all the damage the poison water did. “I thought Void Co was just a mining company! So why would they make some pokey poison plant witch? At the very least, we broke its spell! Now the forest can be all healthy again!” she said.

When they reached the exit, they found themselves on a metallic platform surrounded by a cloudy fog. After eating his Big Bannadium Bunch, DK saw something surprising: Void’s Pay-Dirt Piledriver!

“There’s Void! Now we can deal with him face to face!” Pauline said while clinching her fist.

Nodding, DK began running down the platform, intent on making Void pay for his crimes.

Chapter Text

As DK and Pauline rushed down the platform and past multiple Fractones, they heard Void, Poppy, and Grumpy having a conversation.

“Mr. President, we need fuel. If we don’t go back and get more bananas-” Poppy began.

“Silence! You didn’t do a good enough job stopping those two!” Void angrily cut in. He then turned to Grumpy, who was working on the piledriver. “Grumpy! Get this thing moving again!”

“I’m trying to, boss, but it was your bright idea to rush this thing out before I could complete it. And Poppy’s right, this thing burns through fuel at an absurd rate.” Grumpy said with annoyance.

“Hey! Don’t you dare talk back to me like that! Especially since it’s your fault we lost Pauline!” Void shouted. He then turned around and saw the duo barreling his way. “You again!?”

“Get em, DK!” Pauline said as DK kept running forward. However, before they could reach Void, he pushed some buttons on his remote. Within seconds, multiple black spikes shot out of the ground in front of them. Both DK and Pauline angrily glared at Void through the gaps, and he assumed a smug pose.

“I’m busy. I’ll deal with you two later. Byee!” Void said before flying off on his platform.

“Slippery little jerk!” DK said in frustration. He then noticed Poppy nearby. “Aren’t you two going to fight us, or something?”

“The President went up to one of the higher layers. Go and pester him. Me and Grumpy don’t have a reason to bother you right now.” she said while adjusting her glasses.

“Huh. I didn't expect that.” Pauline said as DK turned around. “But how’re we supposed to follow Void?”

After scratching his head, DK saw one of the Warp Gongs. “Hey, maybe we can use the Eelevator service! She’d probably know where that gremlin ran off to!” he said.

“Good thinking, DK!” Pauline replied.

Walking up, DK gave the gong a solid punch. After a bit of rumbling, the Eelevator emerged from the ground. “Oh, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you two! How has your time in the underground been?” she asked.

“Fun and scary! But we need to get up to one of the higher layers. That Void Kong jerk flew off, and we don’t know where he went!” Pauline replied.

“In that case, he’s in the Hilltop Layer! C’mon, I’ll take you there in my mouth!” the Eelevator said. Nodding to each other, the duo jumped into her mouth. “Going up!”

Eventually, the Eelevator resurfaced and spat them out in the Fractone Village. There, they saw Void in front of a large amount of Bannadium Gems and a crowd of terrified Fractones. “More! Give me more!” he yelled. He then noticed DK and Pauline. “Seriously? Do you two not know when to give up!?”

“No! And give those bananas back, you pintsized weirdo!” DK said, putting up his fists.

“In that case, I’ll just make you give up!” Void replied, pulling out his remote. After pushing some buttons, the terrain in front of him turned to mud to slow the duo down.

“That remote’s dangerous, DK! Do whatever you can to avoid it!” Pauline shouted.

Void started creating drills in midair to fire at the duo while flying away. Every time DK started getting close, Void would make a stone pillar appear right underneath him to send him skyward. But as DK lobbed chunks of stone at Void, he began retreating to the village outskirts. While barraging the duo with drills, he also made Crockoids appear to hinder their progress. Eventually, DK nailed him with a good throw.

“Ugh!” Void said while holding his head. But he then smirked. “I’ve got other places to pillage. See ya, losers!”

Void then promptly zoomed off. “C’mon DK, let’s get to the Eelevator and track him back down!” Pauline said. Nodding, DK went back and rang the village gong. After using the service, they ended up back in Salvager’s Landing in the Lagoon Layer. Right in front of them, Void had more stolen Bannadium Gems from the Salvager Monkeys.

Void turned from his ill-gotten gains. “Again!? You irritating pests! How many times do I have to keep telling you to go away!?” he said while brandishing his remote.

“We’ll keep fighting you until you leave everyone alone, you bully!” Pauline said as DK began charging forward

And so, the fight continued. Void continued to hang back and barrage the team with drill missiles, all while creating stone walls and minions to get in their way. As DK kept hitting Void with thrown chunks, the battle moved towards Bongori’s court. The fighting eventually ended when DK landed a solid punch on Void, nearly causing him to keel over. But he then smirked again.

“Got what I came for. I’m outta here!” he said before pushing a button on his remote, causing a purple light to envelop him and teleporting him away.

“Ugh, he got away again! He probably headed back down to the piledriver, DK! C’mon, let’s go get him!” Pauline said. She then turned back to look at Bongori. “Oh, and uh, sorry for the mess Bongori!”

“Don’t worry bout it. My salvager crew can get this place cleaned up in no time. Go and lay the smack down on that little creep!” Bongori said with a smile.

Nodding, the duo headed back over to the village and got Pauline changed back into her regular shirt and pants. They then hit the gong and warped all the way back down to the Junction. Once again, they saw Void. “Ugh, you guys are so annoying! But you’re too late! The fuel tank’s already full, losers!” he said before pulling out his remote and flying away. He then started his usual tactics of firing multiple projectiles and creating hazardous terrain.

“Hey Pauline, how about we use Zebra Bananza to close the gap?” DK asked while dodging a drill.

“Great idea, DK!” Pauline responded. When she started singing, DK rushed forward at breakneck speeds. “We’ve gotta stop him before he digs further down!”

After DK landed a hit on Void, the battle moved to the top of the piledriver itself. He then used his remote to create three generators, all of which coated some Stompoids in voided metal, and created a shield for himself.

“Smash those generators, DK!” Pauline commanded. As DK got to work doing just that, the first one created a wall of mud that DK easily smashed through. The second surrounded itself in ice, which was handily destroyed by a stray drill. And the 3rd one created a wall of lava, which DK chunk jumped over. With all 3 generators destroyed, Void’s shield was gone, and he dropped to the ground! “GET WAILING, DK!”

As Pauline triggered Kong Bananza, Void began frantically pushing every single button on his remote to try and keep them away. However, nothing he could create stood a chance against Kong Bananza’s raw strength. Eventually, DK was repeatedly punching Void in the face, sending him flying away. “You did it DK!” Pauline said while standing on his shoulder.

“DK…A name I won’t forget!” Void said while both Poppy and Grumpy gathered around him.

“The core’s not for you, so stay away you greedy creep!” Pauline yelled while pointing at Void.

“Don’t tell me what to do, you little brat!” Void said before pressing a button on his remote.

With that, the piledriver blasted out a wave of purple energy that flung the duo back onto the metal platform. After DK landed, Pauline crashed down right on top of his back. “Ow, ow, ow…” both of them said. They then saw the piledriver begin making its way down.

“Pauline! You’ll join me sooner or later!” Void yelled.

“Why!? Why won’t you just leave me alone!?” Pauline yelled back in defiance.

“Yeah, she doesn’t want anything to do with a freak like you!” DK said while glaring at Void.

“Huh? You don’t know about her special power?” Void said, eyes wide in astonishment. But he then quickly smirked. “So even IF you got to the Planet Core, your wish won’t come true!”

Pauline was confused. “My own…special power?” she said, while DK also looked up in confusion. They were then cut off by Void laughing.

“Come back to me, Pauline! I’ll tell you ALL about it if you work with me!” he said while the piledriver burrowed further down.

“After em, DK!” Pauline said as they climbed into a barrel cannon and launched themselves down the hole the piledriver created.

As they went through the sinkhole, Pauline pondered about what Void said. “What do you think he meant by my “special power”, DK? And why’d he wanna bring me down here in the first place? I’m just a regular girl!” she said.

“Well, it doesn’t matter! All that matters is that I’ll keep you safe from that creep, little buddy!” DK responded while giving her a grin.

Smiling back, Pauline responded. “Thank you so much, DK!”

As they fell, they eventually saw the light. “We’re about to land! Hold on!” DK said.

After falling out of the hole and eating his Big Bannadium Bunch, the duo found themselves in a large, tropical beach environment, with gigantic fruit strewn about.

“Oh, this place looks amazing!” Pauline said with sparkles in her eyes as DK set off towards the water.

Chapter Text

As DK and Pauline emerged from the sand dune, they came across a Fractone. “Greetings, visitors! You’ve arrived at the restful and relaxing Resort Layer. Giant fruits are our specialty, as you can see. But we must warn you, although this resort is usually quite peaceful, a giant dirt pile just flew through here, and things haven’t been as relaxed.” the Fractone said. “See those shark monsters over there? It dropped them off and just…left! So if you want to visit the Tropical Retreat up ahead, just be careful!”

“Oh, that Void! He just carelessly bulldozes his way through everything!” Pauline said as DK made his way over to a nearby boardwalk. “But while we’re here, we may as well enjoy the weather, right buddy?”

“You betcha!” DK responded while giving a thumbs up. Going up to one of the sharks, DK gave it a good punch. But to his surprise, it created a bridge of rainbow colored ore as it flew! “Cool!”

After crossing the bridge, they found themselves in a small beachside town, with a banana waiting for them. After eating the banana, DK noticed the abundance of rainbow ore around the town. Just then, a local Fractone began talking. “Hello, hello! You 2 are the first newcomers to visit here in quite some time. We hope you enjoy your stay!”

“Thank you for the warm welcome! C’mon DK, let’s change into some more fitting beachwear!” Pauline said. With that, they headed to a nearby closet and changed into the clothes they got from Bongori. “And before we move on…let’s have a piece of one of those giant fruits! They look so yummy!”

Nodding, DK went up to a giant strawberry that was sitting in the water and ripped out two big chunks. However, as soon as they sank their teeth into it, they spat it out. It was so salty! “Ugh! I don’t know if it was because it was in the seawater of what, but that doesn’t taste like fruit! It tastes like lies!” Pauline said with tears in her eyes.

“I hear you little buddy.” DK said in sympathy.

Instead of trying their luck with another sea fruit, they went up to a nearby store and ordered some melon and strawberry juice. After finding a nice place on the beach to sit, the two friends relaxed and began drinking their sweet refreshments. Small waves lapped over Pauline’s feet.

Pauline stared ahead, a nostalgic smile on her face. She turned to DK and began speaking. “This takes me back to a couple years ago. Me, my family, and my friends Mario and Luigi all went to the beach for a celebration. We all built sandcastles and relaxed in the cool waves. Heck, my grandma started singing one of her old songs!”

“Your family sounds awesome, Pauline.” DK said while drinking some strawberry juice.

“Yeah. They are. I just wish Void didn’t decide to kidnap me for reasons he won’t even bother to explain.” Pauline said, an uncharacteristic look of anger on her face.

DK then put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you back home, and then you can have all the nice beach trips you want.” he said while smiling.

Pauline smiled back. “Thanks, DK.”

After getting done with their juice, the duo decided to get back on track. Walking towards the village exit, they saw another Fractone. “Hey, what're you looking at?” DK asked.

“Some giant dirt pile breezed through here earlier. It stopped up there on the Big Watermelon. Not sure why, though. Speaking of that melon…did you two come here to climb its mighty rind? There’s a veteran melon climber on that nearby island. They’re bound to have some advice.” the Fractone said.

Upon noticing the giant watermelon, Pauline’s mouth began to water. It looked so juicy! But also, Void had landed at the top of it!? “Let’s get a move on, DK! We’ve gotta stop Void’s shenanigans!”

“On it, little buddy!” DK responded. Going to the outskirts of the village, DK saw another Fractone. “Hey, do you know how to get up to the melon?”

“That’s easy! Just tear off a chunk of Liftoff Ore! If you hold it above your head, you’ll fly all the way up there in no time!” the Fractone said.

“Oh, you mean that rainbow stuff?” Pauline said. But she then grinned. “Time to fly again, DK!”

After smashing apart a nearby giant fruit, DK ripped up a chunk of Liftoff Ore underneath. He then used the ore to fly up to a nearby floating island. This process repeated itself until they landed on the island highest in the sky. After eating a nearby banana, DK looked around the floating village. “Man, this view reminds me of home!” DK said.

“How so?” Pauline asked, also soaking in the sight of a beach from on high.

“Well, on Kong Island, there’s this big mountain in the center. If you’re at the very top, you can practically see the whole island! Growing up, me and pops would go there to watch the sunset.” he said with a smile. “And I also think Funky would love this place in particular!”

“Is Funky another friend of yours?” Pauline asked.

“Yep! He’s a pretty chill surfer dude. Loves planes and anything to do with machinery. But anyway, how do you think we’ll get to that melon?” DK said.

Pauline then noticed a boardwalk higher up. “We can try from up there! Let’s grab some more Liftoff Ore!”

Nodding, DK ripped up some ore and began flying up a series of platforms. Eventually, they made their way to the end of the boardwalk, with the melon directly below. “You ready to dive, little buddy?” DK asked with a smile.

“Oh yeah, big buddy! Let’s smash that melon!” Pauline responded.

Nodding, DK got a running start before jumping off the boardwalk, fist extended. He smashed directly into the melon, creating a large crack. As he dug further in, both he and Pauline ate some chunks of melon as they flew into their mouths. Eventually, they found the stake and smashed it. But as the stake exploded, it destroyed the rest of the melon. “Wow! Talk about making a splash!” Pauline said.

After some last minute checkups, the duo jumped down the sinkhole towards the next layer. “Bye, weird fruit! You were fun! We’ve had so many crazy battles, it was nice to have a little break, wasn’t it DK?” Pauline said they fell.

“Yeah, it was a fun distraction!” DK said as he angled his way through the tunnel.

“And that huge watermelon was so cool! Too bad it wasn’t a big banana though, huh?” Pauline said while smiling.

“If it was, I would’ve eaten the whole thing!” DK said while imagining a banana that size.

Pauline giggled. “I don’t think even a banana fiend like you could’ve eaten one that big, DK!”

Eventually, they exited the tunnel and landed. They found themselves in a large, rocky crevasse. But alongside that, there was a thunderstorm going on, with dark clouds hanging overhead. After eating his Bannadium Bunch, DK shook himself dry. “We’ve gotta find someplace to get out of this storm!”

“Okay! Lead the way big buddy!” Pauline said.

With that, DK marched onward, intent on finding a place to stay dry.

Chapter Text

Walking along the pathway, DK and Pauline came across the layer’s inhabitants: an elephant wearing a yellow raincoat and holding an umbrella in their trunk! “Excuse us!” Pauline asked. “Do you know any good places to wait out the storm?”

“Hm? Visitors? I almost missed you since I was so enraptured by the storm!” the elephant said while turning to look at them. “You two are the first visitors we’ve had since the Blusterwing went all screwy!”

“The Blusterwing? The heck is that?” DK asked.

“It’s a bird that controls the weather in this layer! It’s usually pretty friendly. But recently, it’s gotten some giant mask stuck to its face! Now there’s a permanent storm going on!”

Clenching her fist, Pauline already knew who did this. “Sounds like Void’s handiwork, DK." she said before turning towards the elephant. “Do you know how to get things back to normal?”

“Up ahead in Forecaster’s Refuge is this layer’s elder, Zouchi! She’s the underground world’s top weather forecaster! If anyone knows how to fix this mess, it’s her!” the elephant said while pointing further ahead.

“Thank you very much!” Pauline said. As DK moved down the path, she began grumbling. “Stupid Void. Everywhere he goes, he causes problems for no reason!” she grumbled out.

“I hear you, little buddy. Everything we see and hear about him makes me wanna punch him even harder next time we see him.”

After weighing down some platforms with some thrown chunks, DK made his way into Forecaster’s Refuge. Dead ahead, they saw a large, elderly elephant with yellow tusks and headphones sitting in her chair. Walking up, DK got her attention. “Uh, Miss Zouchi? Are you in there?”

“Oh ho ho, you bet I am!” Zouchi said, opening her eyes. “We’ve been expecting you two to blow through here eventually!”

That caught Pauline by surprise. “You mean you guys knew we’d be here?”

“Naturally. Word’s been traveling around the underground that a Kong and a human girl were making their way towards the Planet Core. We just knew it’d be a matter of time until we saw you. So, what is it you need, little clouds?” Zouchi asked.

“Well, we came in here to find a way to stay dry. But, we know that the weather’s been thrown out of whack by Void! Do you have a way to help out?” DK asked.

“I do know a way: teaching you my Bananza! With it, you can brave nature’s wrath together!” Zouchi replied.

Another Bananza!? Now Pauline was interested. She knew she’d have to sing in front of a crowd again. But this time, the thought wasn’t as scary. “Gotcha, ma’am! Do you know where the record is?”

“Oh, it’s down a tunnel near the village entrance. Just keep going down, and you’ll see clear skies in no time! But just in case, how about we get you two some new clothes to deal with the rain?” Zouchi said.

More new outfits? How could Pauline say no to that? “That would be great, ma'am!”

“Excellent! Just head down to the clothes store, and pick out the ones you want!” Zouchi said.

With that, DK headed over to the shop, Pauline dismounting as he walked over. DK got himself a tie with apple patterns on it, as well as yellow pants with raindrops on them. Meanwhile, Pauline got a yellow raincoat with lightning bolt patterns, as well as two flaps resembling elephant ears on the hood. “Ready to brave the storm, DK?” Pauline asked as she got onto his back.

“You betcha, little buddy! Let’s go find that record!”

And so, the two set off down the tunnel. As they went downwards towards a caldera, they were confronted by more of Void’s creations. In this case, they were bat-like creatures with masks on their heads and sticky, web-like wings. After immobilizing them by throwing a chunk at the wings, DK easily dispatched them. Eventually, they reached a metal platform on the lava.

Before them, two halves of the record began spinning around. Then, a giant masked creature appeared and swallowed both halves! “I think that’s the Blusterwing, DK! We’ve gotta get those record pieces somehow!” Pauline said.

The fight began with the Blusterwing shooting a tornado from its mouth, which DK dodged around. It then spewed a stream of sand towards them. Thinking quickly, DK grabbed a lump of sand and threw it at the beast’s wing. After seeing it get stuck on there, he then did it a second time. This sent the monster to the ground, where DK could begin punching it. But before he could break the Void core, the floor broke, sending it tumbling into the layer below. The Blusterwing then spat up both record pieces, and a Bannadium Bunch, before flying off.

“It fell down below! After it, DK” Pauline said, which DK obliged by jumping down the hole. After eating the Bunch, the duo saw that they were in a lava filled cave system. Looking ahead, Pauline noticed lava pouring from the ceiling. “It doesn’t look safe to go there unprotected. Maybe try using something as a shield?”

Nodding, DK ripped up a chunk of stone and held it over his head before walking forward. Eventually, they ended up in a safe zone on the other side. Looking over a cliff, DK saw the first record piece far below. He then noticed a series of ziplines leading over to different parts of the cavern. Ripping up a chunk of stone, he took two ziplines over to the first record piece before picking it up. He then launched himself out of a nearby barrel cannon, landing on higher ground, before launching out of another back to Forecaster’s Refuge.

After inserting the first piece, the duo jumped down the hole they’d created. After retracing their steps towards the zipline, they found an area covered in voided terrain. But even more than that, they saw the second Record piece on higher ground! After dealing with the generator, and eating a banana that had been caught in the metal, DK saw two Molevoids made out of liftoff ore. After dispatching them, he ripped off a chunk to begin soaring into the air. Landing, he found a crystal bug, which he easily smashed, and another zipline.

But there was a problem: the drop off for the zipline was on higher ground compared to the start. Noticing it was on one of those sinking platforms, DK threw a chunk of stone at it to weigh it down. Grabbing another chunk, DK ziplined over to the record piece. After dealing with more Batteroids, he picked it up before using it to zipline over to another barrel cannon back upwards. After entering Zouchi’s abode, DK slapped in the second piece.

As before, the record began to spin as two platforms raised the two up. “That power of yours…Rain it down on us!” Zouchi trumpeted. “BANAAANZAAA!”

Looking over the crowd, Pauline took a deep breath. “Stay cool…” she told herself.

After a moment, she took up the mike. “Alright!” she said. Taking one last breath, she yelled. “ELEPHANT!”

Now the party was booming! DK transformed into a large, black and yellow colored elephant. As Pauline sang and danced, he and the other elephant added their own trumpeting into the mix. The song just about made the earth shake! After the song was finished, Zouchi was laughing. “Your voice rings out like a thunderclap! With Elephant Bananza, you can inhale just about any terrain you see, and spit it back out!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Zouchi! We’ll be sure to bring back a clear sky!” Pauline said.

“If my forecast is correct-and it’s never been wrong before-you two will certainly make it to the Planet Core! Good luck!” Zouchi said as the duo walked off.

“Wasn’t that fun?” DK asked while looking at his friend.

“Honestly…yeah! I think I’m just about over my stage fright at this point!” Pauline said, grinning towards DK.

“See? I knew you had it in you all along, little buddy!” DK responded, putting his fist up.

“Well, I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you, DK. So, thank you.” Pauline said before fistbumping him.

And so, with a powerful new ability at their disposal, the duo set off to free the Blusterwing from Void’s control.

Chapter Text

Retracing their steps down the tunnel and entering Hot Shower Caves, DK and Pauline saw a bunch of lava off to the side. DK turned to his friend. “Ready for Elephant Bananza?”

“You bet!” Pauline responded. “ELEPHANT!”

With his new transformation, DK inhaled the lava, creating an easy way forward. After eating a banana that had been under the lava, DK spat up a chunk of lava before using it to zipline further down. Turning to a nearby elephant, Pauline asked some questions. “Hey, have you seen a big flying creature go through here?”

“Indeed! It just swooped right through here!” the elephant said. “It spat out a weird stake in the middle of the lava lake!” they said, gesturing in front of them. Sure enough, one of Void’s stakes was right there, with a key nearby.

Nodding, Pauline looked to her friend. “Ready to clear the way, DK?” she asked.

“You bet I am!” DK said with a thumbs up. After transforming, DK began inhaling the lava and made his way to the key inside of a tornado. After grabbing it, he made his way back over to the stake and destroyed it. Jumping down the sinkhole, a familiar sight appeared: the Blusterwing!

“Don’t worry big guy, we’ll get that mask off of you!” DK said as the Blusterwing flew towards them. Along the way it spewed out lava and tornadoes. Using Elephant Bananza, DK inhaled the lava before launching hardened stone out of his trunk. The stone stuck to the beast’s wings, sending it down to the ground, and exposing the Void core. As in the last bout, DK got on top and began pummeling the core. However, the floor once again broke, letting it fly away to another area.

“Ugh, it got away again! After it, DK!” Pauline said. Leaping down the hole, and eating a Bannadium Bunch, they found themselves in what appeared to be a giant sauna filled with elephants.

“Was that bizarre bat…our beloved Blusterwing!?” an elephant yelled out. “It went that way at high speeds!” they said while pointing towards the northern exit with their trunk.

“Thanks for the info! But first…” Pauline said. She then turned to DK. “...do you think it’d be nice to take a dip in the hot spring? I bet it’d feel real good!”

Pondering for a moment, DK gave a thumbs up. “Awesome!” Pauline responded.

And so, the two of them began relaxing in the spring, without a care in the world.

“After all the crazy stuff we’ve been through…we totally deserve this…” Pauline blissfully said while floating.

“Same here…little buddy…” DK responded.

Perking up her eyes, Pauline listened to the raindrops pouring outside. “Y’know…even the rain and rain can sound like music if you know how to listen…”

After a couple more minutes of peacefully relaxing, the duo decided to get back to work. Drying off, Pauline got onto DK’s back. “Wasn’t that relaxing, DK?” Pauline asked.

“Totally. I don’t think I’ve been that chilled out in a while.” DK responded, heading towards the northern exit of the building.

What the duo saw was truly a sight: a large, extensive valley with many ziplines and platforms. Turning to a nearby elephant, DK decided to get some info. “Hey, is anything going on here?”

“You betcha! There are so many tornadoes and lightning strikes going on! This might be the stormiest storm we’ve ever recorded! And the Blusterwing flew all the way down the valley towards Stormy Station!” the elephant said.

“Well, now we know where to look! Let’s go, DK!” Pauline said.

Walking forward, the first thing the duo noticed was the wind. Pauline was doing everything in her power to keep her grip on DK. After ziplining down, they noticed something else: lightning! In this crazy weather, lightning strikes became increasingly common, forcing the duo to remain on the move. Through the use of Elephant Bananza and ziplining, the duo kept pushing forward through the storm. Eventually, they decided to take a break under a stone outcropping. 

“Ugh, between all this thunder and rain, I feel like my ears are going to pop.” Pauline said while trying to massage her temples.

“I hear ya. Trying to keep on the move to not get struck is a pain.” DK said while shaking himself dry.

“Well, it’s not just that. Honestly…I’m kinda scared of it.” Pauline admitted.

“Well, don’t worry buddy. So long as you’re with me, you’ll be safe.” DK said while putting his hand out.

Smiling, Pauline began to shake it. “I know DK.” she said. Then, another thought popped into her head. “Y’know, Elephant Bananza reminded me of something back home…”

“And what would that be?”

“Well, I remember one time where my friend Luigi tinkered with his family's vacuum cleaner to make it work better. But, it worked a little too well and ended up tearing up a chunk of wallpaper!” Pauline said.

“Oof. That sounds rough.” DK responded.

“Yep. Luigi was told to not modify essential devices without testing them first. But anyway, let's move on!” Pauline said.

Climbing back on, the duo emerged from the outcropping and back into the storm. As they used Elephant Bananza to clear the way forward and deal with enemies, they eventually ended up at another shelter. Weighing down some nearby platforms, they came across a tower surrounded by Crockoids covered in lava. Thanks to Elephant Bananza, their armor was easily stripped away, leaving them vulnerable to getting punched away. DK then ripped up some Liftoff Ore to head skyward.

After eating another banana, they ziplined over to an area with tons of Batteroids and water. After dealing with the bats, they ziplined towards Stormy Station. There, they found more lava Crockoids and voided terrain. Defeating the Crockoids, DK came across another stone slab and began reading it.

“Saga of the Exploritone, Verse 17. With umbrellas in their trunks, the elephants guided us to the sinkhole…The weather and scenery has changed constantly since our arrival. Sometimes it snows. Sometimes there is lightning. But when we arrived at the sinkhole, the skies were completely clear.”

“Well, let’s hope that when we get that mask off the Blusterwing, we can leave with clear skies too!” Pauline said.

After using some platforms to get to the generator and destroying it, the duo found Liftoff Ore. Tearing up a chunk, DK soared upwards towards Stormy Station proper. Right in front of him was a sinkhole. Diving down, there was the Blusterwing!

“Nowhere to run now! Let’s get that mask off of you!” Pauline shouted. The Blusterwing roared in response before surrounding the arena with a tornado.

The Blusterwing shot streams of electricity at DK, who dodged and weaved as well as he could. He then noticed chunks of rocks swirling around the arena. “Hey, Pauline! Let’s use Elephant Bananza to suck up those rocks!” DK shouted.

“Gotcha!” Pauline said. After triggering the Bananza, DK began inhaling whatever rocks he could get from the storm. He then launched one ball at the beast’s left wing. Enraged, the Blusterwing attempted a dive bomb attack. However, DK dodged around and tag its other wing, sending it to the ground. However, before DK could break the mask, it shot a large tornado from its mouth, sending the duo skyward.

Forcing his way downward, DK eventually managed to reach the core and gave it a solid punch. This broke the mask, and revealed the Blusterwing’s true form: a blue, crystalline bird with a goofy trumpet-like beak. It then let out a melodic cry, ending the storm, and then flew up.

“Well, it’s nice to see clear skies again! But let’s smash that core!” Pauline said.

Nodding, DK walked forward and destroyed it. This time, the victory dance took the form of a silly marching dance, with Pauline using a stick she’d found as a baton, with her twirling it. Eventually, she threw it into the air, and she and DK pounded on their chests together.

“Now, let’s dive deeper!” Pauline said, climbing back onto her friend. Nodding, DK jumped down the sinkhole.

“Man, that weather was wild!” Pauline shouted, still trying to get the ringing out of her ears. “Although, I hope the Blusterwing will be okay…”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll be fine!” DK said. “Besides, right now, our top priority is to catch up to Void!”

“Yeah! If we let that maniac keep running wild down here, who knows what could happen!” Pauline shouted.

As the duo fell, they saw some small, blue creatures. Eventually, after they fell out of the tunnel, they found themselves in what appeared to be a large landfill.

“Whoa...why’s there so much trash here?” Pauline wondered.

After eating his Big Bannadium Bunch, DK scratched his head, not sure of what to do. But then, Pauline heard something in the distance. It sounded like…music?

“Let’s keep digging down, DK! We’ve gotta find where that music is coming from!”

Nodding, DK began punching his way through the ground, intent on getting to the figurative and literal bottom of this mystery.

Chapter Text

As DK kept burrowing straight down, he eventually came across one of those blue creatures again. However, when he walked closer, it scampered off, digging a tunnel as it went.

“Follow it, DK! Maybe it knows where to go!” Pauline said.

Obliging, DK followed the creature as it dug deeper. Eventually, they entered another pit, this one with multiple eel statues within it.

Looking around, DK saw a stone slab next to the largest statue. He went up to it, helping Pauline read it. “Saga of the Exploritone, Verse 18. There is something strange about the ground here…we looked closer and made a surprising discovery. Small scraps of debris seem to have settled in this layer, creating an unusual sediment. Strange, wiggly creatures spend their days swimming through these odds and ends. They have long, undulating bodies. When we asked, they told us they are underground eels. There was no sinkhole, so we didn’t know where to go from here. But the eels dug a hole, opening a way forward for us. Thanks to them, our quest to find the origin of Us continues!”

“That’s it!” Pauline said, drawing DK’s attention. “I was wondering why those little blue things looked familiar! It’s because they look like the Eelevator! Maybe they’re her babies or something?”

“I think you’re right, little buddy. But first, we gotta get out of this dump.” DK said, entering the large statue’s mouth and smashing his way downward.

As they kept digging downward, they encountered more mini eels, along with more of Void’s creations, like the little squids and the munchers. But eventually, the duo got tired.

“Ugh, there’s so much junk down here…” Pauline said while covering her mouth.

DK then came up with an idea. “Hey, how about we use Elephant Bananza? Y’know, give this place an industrial cleanup?”

“Good thinking, DK!” Pauline said. Triggering the transformation, DK proceeded to vacuum up more and more dirt, clearing the way further down. As they got deeper, the music became more clear. “Just a little further, DK! I think we’re almost to the source!”

After some more vacuuming, they finally found where the music was coming from: a small town, with Fractones and eels living inside it. “Whoa! A whole village made of trash!” Pauline said. After saying that, a Fractone came up to them.

“Welcome visitors, to Trashtopia! Down here, we use whatever odds and ends we can to make our little abode!” the Fractone said.

Right afterward, one of the eels popped up in front of them. “Yeah! My papa cleared this place out in a single roar! And we all love playing with all the stuff that falls down here!” they said.

“Well, are you guys having any problems right now?” DK asked.

“Well…” the eel said, adopting a sad expression. “For one, mom is worried about where dad has been…he hasn’t been home in a while. And the other is that stake over there. It keeps making some weird noises!”

“Don’t worry! Me and DK can fix this mess. Let’s break that stake, buddy! But first, let’s get me changed out of this coat!” Pauline said.

Nodding, DK went up to the nearby closet and got Pauline changed back into her regular outfit. Then, he headed towards the stake and smashed it apart, opening up a hole. After jumping down the hole, they got ambushed by more squids! After smacking them all away, DK used Elephant Bananza to keep digging further down. Eventually, they ended up in an even larger bit. Pauline squinted her eyes when they hit the ground. “Is that who I think it is over there?”

Sure enough, Grumpy was waiting for them. “Bout time you two showed up. Let’s get to work!” he said, holding out one of the cores. It then grew larger before more squids fell onto it, solidifying it into a cubical form.

Pauline wasn’t impressed. “Didn’t we fight this goon before? Have you run out of ideas, Grumpy?”

The fight against Re-Peekabruiser went much the same way as the first. Through Kong Bananza, DK easily smashed apart its armor. However, it kept opening up holes in the ground and spawning multiple squids to rush DK at once.But after fully exposing the core, it jumped on top of a mound, attempting to heal. However, DK was faster, and unleashed a series of blows that destroyed it, opening the way forward and causing a Big Bannadium Bunch to fall down the hole.

This time, DK took the lead. “Hey, how about we do the Monkey Dance again? For old times sake?”

Remembering how hesitant she was the first time, Pauline smiled. “Yeah, let’s do this!” she said, hopping off DK’s back.

The two of them did some silly hops towards each other. Then after some jumps, they both pounded on their chests in victory.

“Can’t beat a classic!” DK said, putting Pauline onto his back.

“You betcha, buddy! Now let's head further down!” Pauline responded. But before he could jump down the hole, she saw Grumpy sitting down with his arms crossed.

“I fine-tuned, souped up, streamlined…but I was still no match for you. You two ain’t half bad, you know that? The next scrape’s gonna be the one though. I’m feeling it…” he said.

“He may act like his name, but I think he’s kind of a softy now that I think about it…” Pauline thought.

Doing some last checks, DK dived into the hole. “Man, that place was deep huh? Good thing we had those little eel to guide the way. And given what that other one said, there’s apparently a REALLY big eel digging around down here too! I wonder if we’ll run into him at some point?” Pauline said

“Anything’s possible down here, little buddy!” DK said while smashing through some dirt.

“Well, if we do end up finding it, I hope he’s as big and cute as the other ones!” Pauline responded.

As the tunnel ended, the duo had to readjust their eyes to the sudden brightness. Then in the distance, DK saw a giant gold trophy with faces on it. As soon as he did, he got super happy. “Oh yeah!” DK said, eating his Big Bannadium Bunch and running forwards.

Chapter Text

Running down a girder, DK and Pauline ran into a Prospector Monkey. “Hey man! Long time no see!” DK said.

“Whoa! DK!? It’s been a while! How’s everything been with you?” the prospector said.

“Pretty good! Picked up a new friend along the way down here! But what’s with that huge trophy?”

“Oh that? It’s to commemorate something fun we do down here: the Rambi Rumble! Receptions right down there!” the prospector said, pointing forward.

And what DK and Pauline saw made him giddy. Aside from Cranky, there were two other monkeys. One of them was wearing a red cap and shirt with stars on it. The other was wearing a pink hat and shirt, and had a long ponytail.

DK then began rushing towards the reception. “Diddy! Dixie!” he yelled.

Hearing that, Cranky and the other two monkeys turned in their direction. “DK! You’re alright!” the one in the red cap said, before they both ran up and hugged him.

“We’ve been looking for you, you big lug!” the one in pink said.

“I’ve been wondering when I’d find you guys!” DK responded while returning the hug.

“Oi! We were in the middle of a conversation!” Cranky said. DK promptly looked up and hugged him too. “Hey, don’t do that!”

While the scene was sweet, Pauline was confused. “Uh, DK, who’re these two?”

Separating, DK looked up at his friend. “These are two of my buddies from Kong Island! That one’s Diddy,” he said while pointing to the one in red, “and that’s Dixie!” referring to the one in pink.

“You betcha! We’re DK’s BFFs! His Banana Finding Friends! ” Diddy said.

“We’ve helped him go on his fair share of adventures. In fact, one time, I even had to save both of them after they got kidnapped!” Dixie said. “And I’ll say…I never expected to see a human in these parts! How’d you and him meet?”

“Oh, uh…let’s just say he helped me out of a tight situation. Now, he’s helping me get to the Planet Core! My name’s Pauline. It’s nice to meet you two!” Pauline said while extending her hand.

“And it’s nice to meet you!” Diddy said, with both him and Dixie shaking her hand. “Y’know, you’re not the first person to ride on DK’s back. Me and Dixie have both done it ourselves!”

“Any friend of DK is a friend of ours, Pauline! Have you two done the Monkey Dance together?” Dixie asked.

“You bet!” DK and Pauline said.

“Then that settles it! You’re an honorary member of the Kongs now!” Diddy said.

Wait, what!? “Don’t go saying things like that! You don’t want humans getting the wrong idea!” Cranky angrily cut in.

“Aww, c’mon Cranky, lighten up!” Diddy said.

“Yeah! And besides, you were just telling us about how Pauline helped save you from a giant plant monster! So show her a little gratitude!” Dixie followed up.

Sighing, Cranky looked at Pauline. “I will admit, I do have a fondness for you. You just have this…air about you that makes you easy to approach.” he said before rubbing her head.

Blushing at the compliment, Pauline smiled. “Aw, thank you Cranky!” she said. But then she remembered what the prospector said. “And what’s this ‘Rambi Rumble’ about?”

“Oh, we just get on Rambis and compete on the racetrack! Would you be willing to enter?” Diddy asked.

Well, who could say no to that? “That sounds fun! Wanna race, DK?”

“Definitely! What about you, pops?” DK asked, turning his head towards Cranky.

“Ah, what the heck! May as well give it a go! But I’m gonna make you eat my dust!” Cranky responded.

“Great! Let’s get this show on the road!” Diddy and Dixie said.

After some preparations, they were seated atop Rambis. On the Rambis were barrels that could launch them into the air with Liftoff Ore. All of them were waiting for the race to begin.

“Oh, this is so exciting!” Pauline said, sitting behind DK.

Eventually, a loud bang signaled the start of the race, and they were off! Diddy and Dixie took an early lead, keeping ahead of DK and Cranky. However, with the usage of the barrels, DK was able to soar over a tunnel and take a shorter route. Meanwhile, Cranky just had Rambi smash through every obstacle in his way at top speed. As the laps went on, it remained fairly neck and neck. But moments before the end of the race, DK pulled ahead, earning him the victory.

“Oh yeah!” DK said while pumping his fists in the air.

“Drat! Beaten by a hair!” Cranky grumbled in frustration.

After getting off the track, Diddy began talking to DK. “Well, since you guys won, we’ll give you a complimentary banana!” he said, pulling out a Bannadium Gem.

As DK held it up, he looked at Pauline and noticed her looking tired. “Hey little buddy, wanna split this and have a nap?”

Yawning, Pauline smiled back. “Yeah, that’d be nice! Do you guys have anywhere good to sleep?” she asked Diddy and Dixie.

“Yeah, there’s a nice spot down in the stables!” Dixie said.

Nodding, the duo headed down into the stables and saw a nice bed. Pulling out the banana, DK once again broke it in half and handed it to Pauline and passed out drinks. The duo then engaged in their standard break time snack routine, with DK messily eating his, and Pauline making sure to eat slower.

Afterward, DK got on the bed, and Pauline climbed atop his chest. What Diddy and Dixie said earlier echoed in her mind. “Hey, DK? What was that about me being an honorary Kong?”

“Well, you’ve helped me out a lot on this journey, you like bananas like us, and we’ve done the traditional Monkey Dance together. That’s pretty Kong-like to me. Besides, didn’t your mom nickname you “monkey” back on the surface?” DK responded.

“Well, that is true…” Pauline replied. “In that case, what would my “Kong” name be then?”

“How about…Melody Kong! Cuz you like singing and stuff?” DK said.

“Melody Kong…I like the sound of it! But let’s get to sleep, DK. We’ve still got a long road to the Planet Core. Good night.” Pauline said, closing her eyes.

“Good night to you too, little buddy.” DK said before rubbing her head and closing his eyes.

When the duo awoke, they saw Diddy and Dixie, but no Cranky. “Hey, where’d Cranky run off too?” Pauline asked.

“Oh, him? He went down another layer. He was talking about being hot on the heels of the Kremlings.” Diddy said.

“We kept telling him that the Kremlings haven’t been active for years, but he just refused to believe us!” Dixie followed up while shaking her head. “But anyways, you can take this barrel cannon up to the trophy. It’s got the way to the next layer inside!”

Nodding, DK and Pauline headed up to the cannon. But before launch, Pauline turned and looked back. “It was nice meeting you guys!” she said.

“Don’t mention it! Just keep helping out our big buddy!” Diddy said while giving her a thumbs up.

Satisfied, the duo launched themselves up and jumped down the hole.

As DK angled through the tunnels, Pauline struck up a conversation. “I’m glad you got to see your friends again, DK! And the Rambi race was really fun, too! I guess life down here wouldn’t be so bad. But, I still have friends and family waiting at home for me!”

“Again, don’t you worry! I’ll make sure you get back home safe and sound! And maybe, after all this is over, I could take you to Kong Island to meet some of my other friends!” DK responded.

“That would be awesome, DK!”

Eventually, they reached the end of the tunnel and fell out. They landed in a sandy cave with pillars of light shining through the ceiling. After eating his Bannadium Bunch, DK pressed onward, intent on fulfilling his promise to Pauline.

Chapter Text

Walking forward through the cave, DK saw a scorpion covered in purple stone. He tried to punch it, but it had no effect. “The light! Lure it towards the light!” a fearful voice cried out.

Seeing a pillar of light, DK punched the scorpion into it, causing its armor to turn white and brittle. DK easily smashed it right afterward.

“Isss it gone?” the voice said, crawling out of hiding. They were a cute little snake dressed in fancy clothing!

Pauline had to suppress her squeal of joy. “Yep! You don’t need to worry any more! But something tells me something’s wrong down here.” she said.

“Yesss! A sssinister fellow showed up here earlier. He ssstole our precious light sssource, and then left us in darkness! That uncivilized brute and his friends ssslithered down onto a lower layer!” the snake responded.

“Sound’s like Void’s up to his old tricks. C’mon Pauline, let’s get some light back in here!” DK said.

Nodding, Pauline turned to the snake. “Is there an Elder on this layer?” she asked.

“Elder Sepek is on the layer below thisss one! You can’t miss him!”

“Thanks for the info! Now let’s roll out, DK!” Pauline said.

As the two made their way through the cave, they came across concrete pillars and more enemies covered in that purple material. Through Kong Bananza, they were able to create shafts of light, rendering them vulnerable to damage. Eventually, they found the stake blocking the way down. After dealing with the guards, they leaped down.

What they saw on the next layer made them both gasp. It was a large, subterranean cave system with glittering walls. But all along the ground was a glowing green material. “It’s so pretty!” Pauline said with her hands on her cheeks.

After eating his Bannadium Bunch, DK surveyed the area. Behind where they landed, he found another slab with a story. “Oooh, I bet we’re gonna find out what Exploritone saw here!” Pauline excitedly said as DK walked up to it.

“Saga of the Exploritone, verse 21. After following a long, snake-like path, the landscape suddenly opened up…Before us was a glowing lake…but not truly a lake. Instead, it was light refracting rocks that filled the grotto floor. The snakes told us they chisel off pieces of these rocks and use them to make light fixtures. Enlightening!” DK read out.

“So this place was always this pretty, even back then?” Pauline said. “And no wonder this place looks so fancy! All the snakes have quite the eye for aesthetics.”

Continuing onward, DK saw the stake leading to the next layer. However, not only was it on top of a curving plateau, the key itself was high above the stake. “Guess we’ve gotta find a way to get that high.” DK said.

“Let’s track down Sepek and get his input!” Pauline responded.

Continuing onward, DK saw more purple enemies. Thinking quickly, he saw the glowstone and how they stayed away from it. He then ripped out a chunk of glowstone and battered the enemies with it, clearing the path. But he then saw a cage-like bug covered in mean looking spikes. Knowing not to take it head on, he chunk jumped on top of it, then smashed downward, destroying it.

Climbing up a hill, the duo saw a fancy looking settlement around a pathway with glass on both sides. Pauline whistled when she saw it. “Y’know, these snakes sure are fancy! Even their ordinary work clothes seem to shine. Maybe they’ve got some real good threads for us to wear, huh DK?” she said while looking at her friend.

“Yeah, I wonder what kind of cool stuff these guys can make!” DK responded, seeing all sorts of neat ideas.

Eventually, they came across a giant snake wearing a hat and headphones and a long bushel of bananas hanging from his chin. “Are you Mr. Sebek?” Pauline asked.

“Sssure enough!” the snake asked, waking from his slumber. “Are you DK and Pauline, perhaps?”

“You already know our names?” DK asked while scratching his head in confusion.

“Yep! All the other eldersss simply couldn’t stop talking about you two! How you’ve been going around helping people down here and learning new songs!” Sebek said.

Well it was nice to be known, at least. “Thank you for the compliments. But, we’ve heard that Void’s messed this place up, and we want to fix it!” Pauline said.

“Well, he and his goonsss have gone and turned off our Synthetic Sun! And he also went and broke our Ancient Record into four pieces! No respect for art, that one!” Sebek stated with a scoff.

Typical Void. “Do you know where the pieces ended up?” DK asked.

“Well, he scattered them across four art exhibits we have here. There’s one in the Pitch Dark Pit, another in the Sizzling Sunbath, the third’s in the Sidewinder Slide, and the last one’s at the end of the Slithery Zip Line course! You know what to do!” Sebek chuckled out. “But first, let’s get you two dressed in our finest apparel!”

Two snakes slithered up to the duo, each one carrying a box with them. After finding a suitable area to change, they went ahead and put them on. DK had a banana shaped tie with a Bannadium Chip clip and his initials on it, along with purple pants with a snake-like pattern on them. Meanwhile, Pauline was now wearing a yellow shirt and pants with a snake pattern, a purple apron, a small hammer at her waist, and a bandana in her hair. “Now this is fancy!” Pauline said as she climbed back onto DK’s shoulder.

Walking away, DK looked at his friend. “You ready for this, little buddy?”

Grinning, Pauline responded. “Oh, you bet I am! Let’s get that new Bananza!”

And so, the duo scoured the four exhibits for the pieces. In Pitch Dark Pit, they had to use glowstone to create a path forward in near total darkness. In the Sizzling Sunbath, they had to deal with one of the cage monsters in a pool of lava. On Sidewinder Slide, they had to navigate a slippery pillar without getting shocked. And finally, on the Slithery Zip Line, they had to get a chunk of hard material from one of the scorpions to zipline across the large gap.

With all four pieces gathered, the recital could begin. As the record spun and the pillars raised them up, Sebek began to laugh. “The power you posesss…Let us sssee it!” he said. “BANZZZAAA!”

Pauline was excited. She was tapping her feet and snapping her fingers. She’s got this! Turning to her friend with a confident grin, she asked one thing. “Hey DK, could you please gimme a beat?”

Obliging, DK began pounding on his chest once more. “Oh yeah, that’s more like it!” Pauline shouted with glee.

The mood now set, Pauline took the mike in her hands with a smile and breathed in. “SNAKEEEE!”

The entire courtyard began to bounce! DK turned into a large green, black, and yellow snake with arms, his tail coiled beneath. As Pauline sang the jumpy song, she felt like leaping into the air herself! Eventually, the performance ended, and Sebeak congratulated them. ‘Ah, your voice is warm like the sssun! Now you can bounce to extreme heightsss!” he said.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Sebek! We’ll get your sun back in no time!” Pauline said.

“Ah wait! There’s one more thing you ssshould know!” Sebek yelled before they could run off. “Since you two are heading to the Planet Core, you should know about the Bannadium Root!”

“Bannadium Root? What’s that?” DK asked.

“Well, it’s the source of all the Bannadium flowing through the underground world! See those pillars of gold lying around? Those are extensions of it poking out from the deep below. But in recent times, I haven’t ssseen any new ones popping up…A shame, really.” Sebek responded.

“Thanks for the info! C’mon DK, let’s bounce!” Pauline said, directing DK towards the hallway.

As they went, DK looked up at his friend and smiled. “So, you’re finally confident in your singing skills?”

“Uh huh!” Pauline responded while nodding. “Growing up…I used to sing all the time. And my mom, dad, grandma Lana, even Mario and Luigi…they would always stop and listen to me. They’d smile and cheer me on, telling me to let myself be heard. But I was always too shy. Ever since I ended up down here though…I’ve been having the time of my life. I’ve seen so many cool things, met so many nice people…And it’s all thanks to you DK. Together, we can take on the world!”

“Good to hear that, little buddy!” DK said while putting his hand up for a high five. “Just remember this: you’re a Kong now, and we’ve all got your back too!”

Smiling back, Pauline high fived her friend. “And I hope to always keep adventuring with you!”

Using Snake Bananza, they leaped on top of the corridor and easily grabbed the key. They then smashed the stake and jumped down the hole. They found themselves in an incredibly dark area, with a tower in the distance. After eating his meal, DK soldiered on, to let the light shine once more.

Chapter Text

Walking along the blue crystal ground, DK and Pauline saw a snake. “Hey, that’s the place where we can fire up the Synthetic Sun, right?” Pauline asked.

“Indeed it isss! The entrance is down below!” the snake said. “But beware! That brute has taken it over. If you go in there, pleassse be careful.”

Nodding, DK saw a later that led deeper into the chasm. After climbing down, he saw Crockoids covered in clear crystal armor. After smashing his way through them, he entered the Sun Tower. Aside from some pools of lava, he also noticed an obstacle course leading higher up, with flaming barrels falling from above.

DK turned to Pauline. “Snake Bananza seems like it’d be a good choice for this, little buddy.”

“Agreed. SNAKE!”

With DK’s transformation, they bounded their way through the falling barrels. In addition, whenever DK felt that he needed to get somewhere faster, he could slow down time with his glare. As the duo climbed up, DK also found some bananas, eating them as he went. Eventually, they found a generator, and after smashing it, were able to create a barrel cannon upward. But before they blasted off, DK noticed something on the wall.

“Another one of Void’s posters? What’s it say?” Pauline asked.

Looking closer, DK saw that it was a giant, spherical golden object. Above it were the words ‘Surrender the Root!’ DK couldn’t shake the feeling that it felt familiar somehow.

“Whatever. We’ve got a sun to bring back, so let’s blast off!” DK said.

After reaching the top floor, the duo saw a group of 4 scorpions and a Crockoid, all covered in shade material. Pondering what to do, DK saw that the entire ceiling was made of glowstone. Thinking creatively, they used Elephant Bananza to suck up some glowstone, then popped a chunk out to batter the enemies. With the Crockoid’s defeat, they were not free to turn the Synthetic Sun back on.

DK hit the switch, and for a second, nothing happened. But then, in the distance, an incredibly large, coiled up lightbulb turned on, momentarily blinding the duo. But after their eyes adjusted to the light, they were overjoyed. “Woo hoo! The sun’s back!” Pauline exclaimed.

After making their way out of the control room, and eating a banana along the way, the duo saw the white sands down below, and an open door leading to the next layer.

Climbing back down once more, DK headed to the door and punched downward. But when they landed, they saw another golden platform, with Poppy waiting for them!

“It’s about time you two darlings showed up. Honestly, I was getting a bit impatient.” she said with a casual shrug.

“Poppy, just let us go further! There’s no need to fight!” Pauline said.

“On any other day, they would be the case. But unfortunately, the President gave me a direct order to halt your progress.” she said, a look of disgust on her face.

“Why do you even keep taking orders from him? All he seems to do is either yell at you, or ignore you.” DK asked.

“To be truthful? The pay’s decent.” Poppy responded. “But enough banter! Let the battle commence!”

She then sprayed herself with her perfume to become invisible before leaping down to face the duo. Once more, she assaulted them with a variety of high speed strikes and dashes. However, when DK tried to use Zebra Bananza once more, she flipped right over him. “If you think the same strategies are going to work a second time, you can guess again!” Poppy said as she flipped over DK’s back.

“She’s right. She’ll just keep running in circles around us at this rate.” Pauline said. But then, she got an idea. “DK, the glare!”

“Oh yeah! That’s a good plan!” DK responded. With Snake Bananza’s glare, they were able to slow Poppy down enough to begin landing multiple blows. Eventually, they launched her right into the center of the room. She sat there in a daze, her perfume bottle shattering on the ground. DK then flexed both of his arms, Pauline following suit.

After shaking her head, Poppy stood back up. “I see how things are. This operation’s a total joke. There’s no profit to be had, for certain. Well, I won’t waste my talents working for that oaf. I resign.” she said before taking off her glasses.

She then walked over to the duo before handing DK the key. “You won it fair and square.” She then directed her gaze to Pauline. “And you, little one…your singing is extraordinary.”

Poppy then put her hand on Pauline’s head and began rubbing it. Pauline was certainly surprised by this turn of events. “So, you won’t be getting in our way anymore?” she questioned.

“Nope. I have no reason to antagonize you any longer. And being perfectly honest…I want you to teach that idiot a lesson or 3. Anyways, I’ll be taking my leave.” she said before exiting the room.

“Huh. She really IS nicer than she looks.” Pauline thought. “C’mon DK, let’s go further down!”

Nodding, DK smashed the blockage before jumping down. All around them, they saw a vast expanse of white sand, with a couple of crystalline snake sculptures dotting the landscape. After eating a nearby Bannadium Bunch, DK noticed a town in the distance and began making his way there.

As they went, Pauline had to raise her hand to shield her eyes from the harsh glare. But she also thought back to the Rambi Rumble, and had an idea. “Hey, DK?”

“Yeah buddy?”

“I just had a really good idea: a Rambi taxi service in my hometown! The Rambi Taxi Service: He'll get you there in a SMASH!”

“Don’t you live in a city? Wouldn’t that be a really bad idea to have a rhino loose?” DK responded.

Pauline was surprised at DK actually saying something fairly smart. “Oh yeah…that idea certainly sounded better in my head. Whoops!”

Eventually, they got to Hiss Hiss Oasis.  As they entered the gate, a resident noticed them. “Excussse me! Are you DK and Pauline?”

“Indeed we are!” DK responded with a smile.

“Thank you for bringing the sssun back! But anyhow, a real mean looking fellow named Grumpy came stomping through here a while ago. He was grumbling about how “I’m gonna clobber em real good this time.’” They then gestured to a large collection of structures to the north. “He headed there to the deepessst part of our realm!”

“Thanks for the heads up! Let’s get that grump, DK!” Pauline said.

As they headed out north, the duo found an odd contraption that resembled a compass with a light on it. After turning it, they saw that it directed the sunlight, turning platforms tangible or intangible. After using it to make a bridge, they progressed down a corridor filled with glass windows and enemies covered in shadestone. Through clever manipulation of light and the compasses, they eventually made their way to the stake and destroyed it.

Jumping down, they saw more compasses and even more changing platforms, along with large towers. With some more clever maneuvering, they were able to open a hole down to the stake.

After smashing it, they jumped down once more, this time landing in a cavern filled with crystalline snakes, and another stake right in front of them. “Oh, this is probably the prettiest place yet!” Pauline said in astonishment.

After eating the Bannadium Bunch, DK saw a Fractone in the shape of a snake. Walking up, he started asking questions. “Have you seen a red haired ape walk through here recently?”

“We have indeed. He was grumbling about someone named DK and hauling around big rocks. And soon after he arrived the ground started shaking!” they said. Moments later, a small tremor shook the cave. “See!? Like that!”

“Gotcha!” DK responded. Heading to the northern part of the cave, the duo saw a crystalline barrier. Turning to his friend, DK asked a question. “You ready for another big showdown, Pauline?”

“You bet I am! Let’s show Grumpy that nobody’s a match for us!” Pauline responded while giving a thumbs up.

“Good answer!” DK said while giving his own. Smashing the crystal, they jumped down, where they saw Grumpy in front of a small tower of rocks. “You ready for another go-around, Grumpy!?”

Turning around, Grumpy scowled. “I’ve been ready! This is gonna be a career highlight for me!”

He then leaped on top of the tower and began assembling his newest creation. Now, he was riding on top of a new model of King Crockoid, this one covered in shadestone. “Lemme show ya TRUE craftsmanship with Emperor Crockoid!” he said before his creation brandished a large club made of boomrocks.

As he swung the club down, he caused a large cluster of explosions that accelerated towards them. As DK dodged out of the way, he tried to think of an idea. Last time they fought this thing, they used Kong Bananza to tear through its armor. However, shadestone was basically indestructible when it was dark. But then he noticed the ceiling and remembered the earlier brawl in the Sun Tower. “Hey Pauline! I’ve got an idea, but we need Snake Bananza!”

“On it!” Pauline said. As she sang and DK transformed, he bounded towards the ceiling and smashed a skylight. This then created a pillar of light and made the shadestone become brittle. Satisfied, DK began rapidly punching the Emperor Crockoid, knocking it down one layer at a time. Eventually, the cockpit and Grumpy became exposed. As DK and Grumpy exchanged punches, DK eventually nailed Grumpy with a full force uppercut, sending him flying across the arena.

“Guess it’s…time to clock out…” he said as he fell over in a daze.

“We did it again, DK!” Pauline said as she jumped off DK’s back. “You and me, we’re the best!” She then gave a thumbs up and a silly grin.

“Yeah! Nobody can stop us, little buddy!” DK responded, giving his own grin and thumbs up.

But as the two were celebrating, the ground began to tremble. Both of them looked down in concern. “Did you feel that?” Pauline asked as she looked at her friend.

Within seconds, a large, serpentine creature wearing a strange mask burst from the ground and sent them flying into the air. As Pauline began falling into the beast’s mouth, she reached her hand out towards her friend. “DK!”

“PAULINE!” DK responded, reaching his hand out to grab her. However, before he could get closer, the creature swallowed Pauline whole! “NO!”

The beast then dived down the hole it made, dragging the distraught DK down with it to who knows where.

Chapter Text

When DK next awoke, he found himself in a triangular cell covered in white paneling.

“Where…is..this place?” he said as he groggily got to his feet. But when he looked to check on Pauline, he remembered: she was eaten by that eel thing! As soon as he realized this, he began to panic and ran towards the bars. However, when he tried to break them, his hands bounced right off. “PLEASE LET ME OUT! MY FRIEND’S IN DANGER!”

In response, two Fractones appeared in front of him. “So, do you have anything to say for yourself?” one asked.

“YEAH! WHERE’S MY FRIEND!?” DK responded.

“Don’t talk nonsense. You’re being held in suspicion of wrecking our disco. Just stay put in there, and think about what you’ve done.” the Fractone stated.

“OH, I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!” DK roared. He then proceeded to smash the floor, sending him plummeting down below.

Both Fractones stood there in silence. Eventually, one spoke up. “Do you think we should’ve fixed the floor before putting the prisoner in there?”

DK landed in a body of water below the cell, and began swimming. Eventually, he found a rock wall that he could climb. After doing so, he found himself in the jail’s main area.

“What’re you doing outside your cell!?” one of the guard Fractones yelled.

“Finding my friend! Her name’s Pauline! Have you seen her anywhere!?” DK responded.

“Well…you don’t seem like that bad a guy. We threw that girl with you in a cell at the top floor.”

“Thank you! I’m coming for ya Pauline!” DK stated before using the guard as a springboard to get higher.

When he got to the top row of cells, he rushed over as fast as possible, intent on seeing his friend. But when he got to the cell, he saw someone he didn’t expect.

“POPPY!? What’re you doing here!?” DK yelled.

“Ugh, not so loud, please…” Poppy said in response before she noticed something wrong. “Wait…where’s Pauline!? Did that rampaging Harmoneel get her!?”

“Yes! I’m trying to find her! Do you have any idea how to find that eel!?” DK said in a panic.

“Oh dear…I got stuck down here when that thing was rampaging in the Radiance Layer. Void’s mind controlling that poor creature as part of his ridiculous plan. If we want to get Pauline back, we need to break the mask controlling it. Get me out of this cell, and I’ll help you out.” Poppy said.

“Gotcha!” DK responded. After looking around, he found some explosive gold ore. He then went back to Poppy’s cell. “Okay, stand back!”

Obliging, Poppy moved to the back of the cell before DK threw the ore at the bars. This destroyed them, letting her free. As she walked out, she stretched her back and arms. “It’s good to finally be out of that dreary cell. Now, let’s find that little singer!”

Returning to the bottom floor, the two saw another Fractone in front of the door. “Hey, can we go now?” DK said.

“Yeah, sure. Neither of you seem that bad to be honest. Lemme just open the door real quick.” the Fractone said before letting out a little chime. Afterwards, the door opened, revealing another path and a wall.

After smashing the wall, DK found a banana, and a totally empty and silent disco hall. The sight made him feel sad. He couldn’t bring himself to eat the banana without his friend, so he stored it in his back pocket for later. But the duo then walked up to another Fractone. “Do you know what’s going on around here? Why is it so silent?” Poppy asked.

“Well…the Great Harmoneel got a bit too rowdy during his last visit and trashed the place. Not to mention, some weird purple stuff is clogging up the 3 speakers we use to produce music. If we can get this place bumping again, we can call the Harmoneel back here!” the Fractone responded.

“Thank you! C’mon Poppy, let’s get this place fixed up!” DK said before grabbing Poppy’s hand.

Honestly speaking…DK intrigued Poppy. For most of the journey, she had dismissed him as a simple-minded dimwit. But recently…she was surprised by him. How he treated Pauline and everyone he came across stood in stark contrast to Void.

They decided to go from left to right to fix the speakers. Starting off they intended to find the Beat Source. Going down the hallway, they saw a wall. But as they got closer, Void’s face suddenly appeared on before trying to crush them! But it was no match for DK’s fists.

“Ugh, he just NOW finished making those things?” Poppy said in annoyance.

Eventually, they found the Beat Source, covered in voided terrain. Moving further, they found the generator and smashed it. With it, a rhythmic beat filled the air as DK and Poppy returned to the main hall via tunnel.

This process repeated itself for both the Bass and Melody as the duo freed their respective records. After all 3 were back to normal, the hall was alight with color and sound as Fractone's danced. “And just like that, 3 sounds became one. Music is simply different elements working in harmony. Now, let’s see what happens when we put that drumbeat of yours into the song.” Poppy said while gesturing to a nearby microphone.

Nodding, DK walked up and began pounding on his chest. Within seconds, the Great Harmoneel emerged from under the speaker, destroying it. The mask on his face then cracked and shattered. He then began to dance to the catchy rhythms.

DK ran up to grab his attention. “Hey, Harmoneel!”

“Yeah?” the Harmoneel asked, stopping his groove session.

“Spit Pauline out, NOW!” DK yelled.

“Pauline…is that a little girl I swallowed?”

“Yes! She’s a friend of mine!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry! That awful Void fellow had me under his control. And now that you mention it…my tummy does feel pretty funny. How about you dive in there and see if you can get her out of there?” the Harmoneel exclaimed.

“Gladly!” DK said before a barrel cannon was set down beside him. But before he blasted off, he looked at Poppy. “So, what’re you gonna do now that you’ve quit?”

“Probably start my own company. Working under that fool was a headache and a half. Maybe I’ll even get Grumpy to help me out. But anyhow, get Pauline back safely. That little star deserves to shine.” Poppy said.

"Well, that case..." DK said before pulling out the Bannadium Gem he got earlier. He then split in half before offering one to Poppy. "You want some?"

Poppy was surprised by the gesture. But then she smiled. "Sure, why not?" she said before taking it. Both of them then ate their halves, with Poppy finding it surprisingly tasty.

After finishing up, Poppy looked at DK once more. "And with that, I'll take my leave. Get her to the surface, and teach that fool a lesson for me!" she said before disappearing.

And with that, DK launched himself into the Harmoneel’s mouth. Inside, he found himself in a strange, purple colored tunnel. But further ahead, he saw Pauline, now back in her rocky cage, stuck in an even larger prison! “PAULINE! DON’T WORRY, I’M COMING TO HELP!”

“D..K! Smash the cage!” she faintly said. Obliging, DK caught rocks floating up from deeper within before launching them at support structures. Eventually, the cage itself cracked and shattered, leaving the two in freefall.

Pauline began humming the little tune her grandmother had taught her. Her prison shattered, revealing her human self, and she landed in DK’s arms. “I knew you’d come for me, big buddy! I just knew it!” she said while hugging him.

DK then returned the hug, happy that his friend was safe and sound.

When they separated, Pauline began talking. “DK…I know I’ve had a hard time singing in front of people. But when we’re together…I love to sing. More than anything. I’ve never told anyone this before, but I have this dream…but if we get to the surface…you and me…we can make it more than a dream. What do you say?” she said with a smile

“Gladly! Let’s make that wish come true, together!” DK responded while giving his own grin.

Eventually, the duo landed in a new layer, with pink rocks all around and a salty looking sand on the ground.

“Glad to be on your back again, DK. It feels like I’ve come home.” Pauline said, once again snuggling into DK’s fur.

Smiling, DK pressed onward, overjoyed that his little buddy was back at his side.

Chapter Text

As DK and Pauline advanced, they heard cheery music in the air. “Is that…carnival music?” Pauline asked. “C’mon DK, let’s check it out!”

Obliging, DK went down the road. Along the way, he saw a Fractone shaped like a lion’s head and began talking to them. “Hey, what’s the deal with this place?”

“Welcome guests to the Feast Layer! Here, you can join a factory tour and learn about the wonders of food processing. And please, you must try our famed Banana Burger!”

The thought made Pauline’s stomach begin to rumble. “You hear that DK!? A Banana Burger! And a factory tour! Sign me up! It doesn’t sound far. We should go!”

“But a fair word of warning, guests: some miscreant has gone and spread caustic muck everywhere! It would be grrreat if you could get rid of it by chucking salt at it!” the Fractone said.

“Great. Sound’s like Void’s been busy terrorizing this place, too.” DK grumbled. As they walked down the path, they saw a large wall of green slime. Following the Fractone’s advice, DK picked up a chunk of salt and hurled it towards the slime. Within seconds, the entire barrier dissolved, opening the way forward.

As they walked down the salt covered pathway, DK saw another stone slab. Intrigued by what it had to say, he began to read out loud. Sage of the Exploritone, verse 26. Just now, an appetizing aroma stopped us in our tracks. A gallant-looking creature with a bushy tuft of hair-almost mane-like-called out to us. His sharp claws and fangs were off putting to us, but he offered us a hearty (if not hairy) welcome. We must know what this “hamburger” he speaks of is about.”

Pauline then remembered the Canyon Layer. “So, this place used to have lions living here? Like how giraffes used to be in the Canyon Layer?” she said while putting her hand to her chin.

“Seems so.” DK responded while scratching his head.

“In that case…what kind of Bananza powers do you think they would’ve given you if they were still around?” Pauline said, envisioning DK with a crazy long neck, or a big mane around his head.

“Probably something cool. But we’ve got a carnival to explore!” DK said before taking off.

As they walked through the main gate and into the Mane Gate Market, they saw a large number of residents from all across the underground in attendance. But they also saw the star attraction: a large ferris wheel going around the head of a lion statue. “Oh, I wanna go on all the rides!” Pauline giddily said. But then, her belly rumbled, much louder this time. “But before that…let’s get something to eat! No offense DK, the bananas taste amazing, but it’s been so long since I’ve had something else.”

Nodding his head, DK headed over to a nearby restaurant, and ordered the two some food. Pauline got herself a Mini Banana Burger with a generous helping of fries and a diet soda. Meanwhile, DK got himself a plateful of fried banana slices.

As the two sat down, Pauline took a bite out of her Banana Burger, and her eyes widened in happiness. “Oh, this tastes so good, DK! It’s got the premiere taste of a good burger, but the bun’s made of Bannadium, so it’s surprisingly sweet!”

“Oh, it’s that good, huh? Better than my bananas?” DK said as he put a couple of banana slices in his mouth.

“I’d say it’s about on par with that. Again, I think those Bannadium Gems taste awesome, but it’s all I’ve been eating for…however long I’ve been down here, honestly. It’s nice to have something else for a change.” Pauline responded.

As the duo ate their food, a nostalgic smile began creeping onto Pauline’s face. “What’re you smiling about, little buddy?” DK asked, still eating banana slices.

“I just remembered a time where me, my family, and my friends went to a carnival together on the surface. We had loads of fun going on all the rides and eating the food there. And at the end, we even got to see a huge band performance! It was like magic honestly.” Pauline said while looking down at her meal. Eventually, she picked up some fries. “And my grandma always said that a singer has to keep their vocal cords “well-oiled”...I wonder if that means I’ll be a better singer if I eat a ton of these fries!”

Eventually, the two finished their meals and began to head out. However, a lion shaped Fractone stopped them. “Excuse me! As a thank you gift for eating at my humble establishment, let me give you some souvenirs for the road!”

The Fractone then gave them two boxes of clothes. Heading into a bathroom, they changed into their new outfits. DK got a pair of jeans with burger patches on it, and a tie shaped like a tall burger and a lion head clip. Meanwhile, Pauline now had jean shorts, a red letterman styled jacket with her initials on it, a banana bunch on the back, and a headband with a burger and small crown attached to it.

“Now we’re all ready to enjoy our time here, huh DK?” Pauline said as he climbed onto her friend's back. That distraction now out of the way, they ventured outside Made Gate Market towards the ferris wheel.

However, the gate was gummed up by more muck. In order to clear the way, DK hurled more salt towards the gate, dissolving the unpleasant substance. The duo then found themselves in Friend Pride Plaza, and a despondent looking lion Fractone standing there. Walking up, Pauline inquired about the problem. “Hey, is something wrong with the park? I thought there was supposed to be a HUGE burger around here!”

“Sorry to disappoint, guest, but the muck has stopped all production of our famous Banana Burger. If you’re willing, you could take the factory tour AND help resume production at the same time. Explore the grounds, ride some rides…and hit any Burger Switches you find along the way to start things up. Sounds good to you?” the Fractone said.

“Well, we can’t leave this place hanging! C’mon DK, let’s make that burger!” Pauline said.

“In that case, the first switch of five is right in front of us! Just push them all down!” the Fractone responded.

Nodding, DK walked up to the first switch and punched down. After doing so, a massive bottom bun, pattie, slice of tomato, and lettuce fell from the sky and landed in front of them. “One down, four to go!” DK said before heading to another area of the park.

The next attraction the two came across was an area decorated in cheese. Eventually, they found a large spinning contraption with a road made of brittle cheese. DK then walked up to a lion Fractone at the front desk. “Is there a Burger Switch up there?” he asked.

“Yes indeed, guests! We would go up there and press it ourselves…but we’re too much of a scaredy cat to deal with all of that muck up there.” they responded.

Surveying the fragile bridge, Pauline came to a conclusion. “I think it’s time for Zebra Bananza, DK!”

Nodding, Pauline began singing, and DK took off at high speeds. As he ran up the crumbling cheese road, he also punched his way through multiple wall enemies that tried to crush him. At the very top, they used some salt lying around to dissolve some more muck to clear a way downward. After leaping down the hole, DK smashed the second switch, causing more patties and a slice of tomato to fall. After eating a nearby Bannadium Bunch and smashing a nearby grate, they looked at a nearby map.

“Okay, if we’re here…then let’s go to the Kingly Swings next!” Pauline exclaimed, pointing to the north western area of the park.

As they headed away from the Grater Go-Round, they also saw a roller coaster track. “Oh, DK, can we go!? Just once, at least!” Pauline said with pleading eyes.

“Okay, little buddy! Let’s hop on the Roarcoaster!” DK responded. After a quick zoom that took them in a full circle around the entire park, they then made their way back to the Grater Go-Round station to continue their journey.

As they headed towards the Kingly Swings, they saw more Squeeloids that DK easily dispatched by punching them. As they flew away and exploded, they also turned out to be made of salt, dissolving more muck.

Eventually, they came across the attraction in question. It was a set of swinging platforms, with some being covered in much. After heading further up and dissolving another Muckoid, a fan began to blow. “Looks like a job for Ostrich Bananza this time, little buddy!” DK said while turning towards Pauline.

“OK, let’s go soaring!” Pauline said before singing. DK then used the fan to get into the air. As soon as they got to the swings proper, they glided between platforms and dissolved more muck as they went. They eventually reached the third switch after getting rid of an entire wall of muck. After the switch was pressed, even more giant ingredients fell from the sky. “3 down, 2 left! That burger’s looking mighty tasty!” Pauline said. But then she noticed a large pool of water below where they were standing. “Wanna take a dive, DK?”

Grinning, DK took Pauline in his arms and held her tight before jumping down below. They landed in the bubbly water pool with a mighty splash. After climbing out and shaking dry, Pauline took a look at the map. “So, let’s deal with the Ferocious Fryhouse next!”

Obliging, DK headed into the tunnel, where platforms of salt travelled along rivers of boiling hot oil. This whole trek had been a really fun breather after what the last layer had put them through!

Chapter Text

Exiting the tunnel, the two found themselves on a purple road, with fake gravestones lining the sides of the path and giant fries sticking out of the ground. “Oh, looks like we’re in the haunted house area! Don’t get spooked, DK!” Pauline jokingly said.

Pressing onwards, DK found the receptionist for the Ferocious Fryhouse. “Hey, is the fourth Burger Switch in here?” he asked.

“Indeed it is! But right now, something’s gone and spread muck in the fryer! We just need to clear it out!” the lion Fractone stated.

“Well, we’re on cleaning duty anyways, so just leave it to us!” DK said with a thumbs up.

Advancing into the Ferocious Fryhouse proper, the duo noticed what was in the fryer: a large, purple machine orbited by 3 walls of muck. “Hey, that looks familiar…” Pauline said. The machine then grew a face and became active. “I knew it! It’s Mad Mixer again!”

Seeing the nearby cart, the two jumped inside, with Pauline once again manning the controls, and DK handling bombs. This time around, DK had to alternate between throwing regular bombs, and throwing salt bombs to dissipate the muck. All the while, the Mad Mixer attempted to shoot beams at them. Eventually, after a couple of cycles, they destroyed it. Afterwards, a platform holding another switch and a Bannadium Bunch emerged from the oil.

After smashing the switch and eating the Bunch, the duo exited the Fryhouse, Pauline looking angry. “What’s wrong, Pauline? Are you not having fun?” DK asked. 

Her face then cleared up, a small smile present instead. “Oh no, this is fun! I just can’t stop thinking about that jerk Void. It's like he enjoys being such a demented weirdo. All he ever seems to do is go around causing problems for everyone he encounters. It’s honestly kind of pathetic.” she responded.

“Well, we’ll find that maniac soon enough. And when we do, I’m gonna give him a good punch for everything he’s messed up!” DK said while smiling.

Pauling then smiled back. “Good attitude, buddy! Now, let’s see where to go next…” she exclaimed before taking a look at the map. “Ah-ha! The last switch is in the Royal Oil Cruise!”

Heading out of the haunted house area, they came across another diving area, with a pool of bubbly water below. Once again, Pauline got into DK’s arms as they jumped down, landing with a big splash. Getting out and drying off, they headed to the Fractone in charge of the ride. “Is this the Royal Oil Cruise?” Pauline asked.

“Rrright on the money! This bad boy powers the whole factory! Although…we’re feeling powerLESS in the face of all this muck blocking the ride! We can’t even get close to the burger switch!” the Fractone said.

“In that case, let’s get to doing some cleanup, DK!” Pauline responded. After jumping on the fry platforms, they grabbed a chunk of salt from another Fractone to help clear the way. They then entered the cruise proper, riding on platforms of salt over the boiling oil and throwing chunks to dissolve more muck. Eventually, the cruise ended, and they climbed a ladder leading to the last switch and another Bannadium Bunch.

After smashing the last switch, Pauline looked excited! “Oh, I bet that Banana Burger is HUGE! I can’t wait to see it up close! And we can use it to get up the Feral Wheel! Let’s get moving, DK!”

After eating the Bannadium Bunch, DK moved out of the Royal Oil Cruise. However, unknown to either of them, Void was in the layer. And he was NOT happy as he surveyed the completed Banana Burger.

“It can’t be…All of those fools failed me!? Then they’re all…FIRED! FIRED! FIRED! FIRED! EVERY LAST ONE!” he screamed out, completely unaware that Poppy and Grumpy had already resigned.

But he then regained some of his composure. “Who cares. The plan hasn’t changed…” he said with ragged breaths. “I’ll reach the core first…and the Bannadium Root will be MINE!”

He then pointed his remote towards the sky, creating another stake that slammed down on top of the burger. “Once I put the final piece in place at the core, the stage will be set!” he said before flying off, laughing all the way.

Back with DK and Pauline, they made their way back towards Fried Pride Plaza, and they couldn’t believe their eyes. The Banana Burger was a gigantic tower, with loads of layers and people gathered around, all of which wanted to partake in eating it. “The Banana Burger is back on the menu, and stacked as high as they come! But you know what’s got us feeling low as they go?” the attendant Fractone said.

“Did something go wrong again?” DK asked.

“Well…a rude guest stuck a weird stake thingy at the very top. Now there’s this weird purple stuff in the burger! And who wants to take a bite of that!?” the Fractone responded.

Both DK and Pauline groaned in realization. “More of Void’s shenanigans as usual. C’mon DK, let’s get rid of that stake! Everyone wants to have their tasty burger!” Pauline shouted.

Nodding, DK began climbing a gigantic strip of bacon. He then started burrowing his way through a patty, occasionally eating some as he went. Pauline was right: this did taste good! Eventually, he made it all the way to the top of the 220 meter tall burger, and saw the stake. After eating a nearby banana, he pondered what to do. That is, until he noticed a key on top of the Feral Wheel.

“Oh, it’s time to ride that one!” Pauline exclaimed, excitedly pointing forward.

DK advanced down the Feral Wheel’s entrance and made his way up to the head at the center. There, the duo worked to smash the generator, letting the wheel begin to spin properly. DK then jumped down to a nearby platform and got on one of the cabins to ride to the top for the key. He then retraced his steps back to the stake and smashed it, opening the way down.

“Let’s get the bottom of this mucky mess!” DK said before leaping down the hole. When they landed, they found themselves in a large, kitchen-like area covered in what appeared to be melted cheese.

Pauline initially crinkled her nose in disgust before she turned to her friend. “If that thing was here, Void’s probably close by! Let’s hurry!”

After eating a Bannadium Bunch, DK began advancing through the kitchen. But now, they encountered a new problem: now, there were Muckoids that spewed caustic acid capable of melting steel! As they used them to their advantage to destroy barriers, they eventually came across another huge wall of muck blocking the way. But they also saw a large metal covering above a mass of salt.

By tricking the Muckoids into shooting acid at the floor, DK was able to begin hurling salt at them. Eventually, the wall of muck was gone, allowing the duo to progress further.

After climbing up, they discovered that they had entered the waste oil container for the entire park. Pauline’s stomach somewhat churned as soon as they stepped in. “I guess this is why kitchens aren’t walk in places, huh?” she said.

Through more careful maneuvering, they were able to melt more steel with Muckoids. As they entered the loading bay, they saw that all the walls were practically covered in muck! “The source of all this is nearby! I just know it!” Pauline stated.

Jumping down the hole in the center, the duo landed in a dingy green metal environment, and saw a Void Core covered in purple goo. It then grew two eyes before coalescing into a large, slug like monster.

“Alright, Muckety-Muck! Let’s get you cleaned up!” DK said, putting his fists up.

The muck monster spewed a stream of acid at DK, which he handily avoided. However, the acid melted some of the green metal, exposing some salt. DK picked up some salt and hurled it at Muckety-Muck. As soon as the salt hit it’s mark, the monster recoiled in pain before jumping across the room. When it landed, it made more muck and Muckoids to hinder the duo’s movements.

As more holes opened in the ground, DK got an idea. “Hey Pauline! Let’s use Elephant Bananza this time!”

Nodding, Pauline began singing the stompy tune. DK then used his trunk to inhale large amounts of salt before firing it at Muckety-Muck at a rapid pace. In response, the monster became even more erratic, haphazardly bouncing more wildly around the room. Eventually, the assault became too much, and the core became exposed. DK then easily smashed the core, finally bringing an end to the muck problem the layer had been facing.

Afterward, Pauline happily jumped off DK’s back. “Victory dance time!” she excitedly said.

This time, the two did a synchronized dance where DK tossed Pauline up into the air, where she twirled, before landing right back onto her friend’s shoulders. The two then happily pounded their chests together.

“Man, this layer was so fun! Even if we had to deal with some nasty muck.” Pauline said while sitting on DK's shoulder, happily kicking her feet and grinning.

“You said it! I remember one story Diddy and Dixie told me about some shabby amusement park they went to help rescue me one time. I’m sure this place blows that one out of the water!” DK responded while grinning.

Afterwards, the duo dived down the sinkhole in pursuit of Void. As they fell further, Pauline began noticing a change in atmosphere. “This place feels different…are we coming up on the Planet Core?”

“We’re probably getting close!” DK said while weaving through the tunnel.

“Oooh, I’m getting nervous!” Pauline responded before steeling herself. “Are you ready DK?”

“You bet I am! And I know you are too, little buddy!” DK happily said.

Eventually, they saw a brilliant golden light, surrounded by more gold outgrowths. “Look at that light! The Bannadium Root has to be up ahead!” Pauline shouted.

When they touched down, they found themselves in a corridor with concrete structures around them. After eating the Big Bannadium Bunch, the two noticed a strange sound in the air. “That noise…where’s it coming from?” Pauline wondered.

The two then noticed materials switching properties every time the noise sounded out. After making their way out of the corridor and out through another shaft, they saw massive concrete spires atop floating islands. “Is this the Planet Core?” Pauline wondered out loud. “...And why do I have a bad feeling all of a sudden?”

Undeterred by the unsettling atmosphere, the duo pressed forward, intent on finding the Root before Void could.

Chapter Text

As the duo jumped down, they saw Void’s giant piledriver in the distance. As DK landed on the sand, he also saw a nearby Fractone. Deciding to learn something, he got closer. “Hey, do you know what’s up with this place? It’s so…weird.”

The Fractone then turned around, surprised at the sound. “Oh, did you come from above as well? We’re glad to see some friendly faces. Something’s strange about this place. The Fractones here don’t seem to like us. Visit the others at the top of the tower, and you’ll see what we mean.”

Gazing at the tower, Pauline couldn’t shake off that ominous feeling. Something was very off here. But regardless, they needed to beat Void to the root. “Time to climb, DK!” she said.

Obliging, DK began climbing the concrete spire. At the very top were a group of Fractones, with a large grey one at the edge. But as soon as they saw the duo, their eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You shouldn’t have come here. Turn away, now.” the grey one bluntly stated.

OK, now Pauline knew something was bad. In most of the other layers, the Fractones were super friendly. Here, it seemed like they were trying to stop them. Drawing a breath, Pauline began speaking to the Fractones. “There’s a very evil person trying to reach the Bannadium Root! If we don’t stop him, who knows what havoc he could unleash! So please, let me and DK through!”

The grey Fractone was silent for a moment. Then, they began to talk. “We will let you pass…on the condition that we judge the contents of your heart. If you sing a truly moving song, you may go further.”

Nodding, Pauline did some vocal warmups before she started singing in harmony with DK’s drumming. After a minute, the two stopped, and Pauline looked at the Fractone. “What did you think? Did it move you?” she asked, eyes pleading.

The Fractone was initially silent. But then, they let out a chime, creating a blue field around the chasm before them. “You may pass. By throwing chunks into this field, they will turn into paths for you to walk on.” they said.

“Thank you very much!” DK said, ripping a chunk from a nearby Fractone and chucking it. Sure enough, it created a trail as it flew through the air.

But before the duo could press onward, the grey Fractone said something else. “But be forewarned: something wicked sleeps within this layer. Proceed with extreme caution.”

Now Pauline was truly feeling that there was something wrong. As the duo advanced past two more concrete pillars and collected some bananas along the way, they met two other grey Fractones. Much like the first, they had to be convinced to let them through. And also like the first, they told the duo about the danger dwelling in the layer. All this security was probably for a good reason: after all, a wish granting object would be super-dangerous in the wrong hands!

But that didn’t stop Pauline from feeling that something else was amiss.

Eventually, they made their stop at a large, cylindrical gate. “The Root has to be further ahead! I just know it!” Pauline stated.

After eating a nearby banana, the duo took notice of the small settlement of Fractones near the gate. After getting Pauline changed back into her regular outfit, DK saw another stone slab with markings on it. “Looks like Exploritone made it here too! Let’s see what they said about this place!” Pauline said.

“Saga of the Exploritone, Verse 28. This time, we are certain that we have found the origin of Us. Although…there’s no one here. We hoped we’d get to see some of the original Fractones living here but…nothing. It is a desolate place. Our saga ends here. We will have a look around for any stray clues. If we find none, we will head home to the Hilltop Layer.” DK read out.

Pauline felt saddened after DK finished reading. “Wow…that’s a sad ending for Exploritone. Spending all this time trying to find an answer…only to see nothing? That’s depressing…”

“Maybe they found a way deeper down?” DK said back, trying to cheer his friend up.

Pauline then smiled a little bit. “Hopefully. But let’s get that Root!” she said before pumping her fist.

Going up to the gate, they saw a concrete barrier covered in golden outgrowths. As they walked up, a Fractone began speaking. “Long ago, a surface dweller came here looking for the Bannadium Root. The intruder forced their way through here…and never came back out.”

Now a part of Pauline’s brain was screaming at the two to turn around before something bad happened. However, another part told her to keep pushing forward, if only to keep Void from getting his hands on the Root first. DK snapped her out of her thoughts with a question. “You ready for Kong Bananza, little buddy?”

Shaking her head clear, Pauline began to sing. After Kong Bananza smashed through the concrete barriers, they found themselves on a long, straightaway path leading to a chasm. Above them, Void’s piledriver loomed ominously.

In the distance, the two saw a golden, bulb shaped object sticking out of the ground, with more golden outgrowths surrounding it. “That looks like the Root!” DK shouted while pointing towards it.

“In that case, let’s get over there!” Pauline said. Using a combination of Snake and Ostrich Bananza, the two soared over the chasm. Running forward, Pauline couldn’t help being excited. “We’ve come such a long way to get here, DK! Let’s make our wishes come true!” As they got closer, they noticed that the Root was occasionally twitching.

However, before they could reach the Root, a familiar and obnoxious cackle rang out. “Not so fast, idiots!”

Void then promptly floated down and spread his arms wide. “Welcome to the Planet Core!”

Both DK and Pauline leveled angry glares at Void as he continued talking. “This baby right here…it can grant ANY wish! Isn’t that right, Bannadium Root?”

“There’s only one problem though…The Root’s taking a bit of a nap right now. And that, Pauline, means it’s YOUR time to shine!” Void said while pointing at her, a wild look on his face. “That singing power of yours that you refuse to share…You’re going to use it to wake the Root up! Sing for me! Use your power!”

“Power?” Pauline questioned, putting her hands to her chest. “My singing is THAT powerful?”

“You bet it is, little buddy!” DK said, shaking her out of her thoughts. “We wouldn’t have gotten this far if it wasn’t for that voice of yours!” He then gave her a thumbs up.

Pauline then smiled and returned the gesture before turning to Void. “I WON’T sing for a scumbag like you!” she said, defiantly pointing her finger at their tormentor.

Void was briefly stunned by this. But then, he got angry. “Oh, you’ll sing alright! AND YOU’LL SING LOUD!” he said before pulling out his remote and pointing it at the piledriver. “Amplification, ON!”

The piledriver began letting out a purple pulse of energy, blowing the two away from the Root and onto a faraway platform. Void then created 3 Crockoids to get in their way.

“No singing, no Bananzas! But I know you can beat him without them, DK!” Pauline encouraged.

The duo then fought Void across several platforms, with him firing more golden drills and creating rings of poison to protect himself. In addition, that blue field made it so that any material DK threw became a bridge. They used this to close the gap to Void and give him a good punch. All the while, Void was demanding Pauline to sing, growing more and more furious each time she rebuffed him.

Eventually, they made it all the way back to the Root’s platform, only now it was covered in lava. Void then used his remote to create three generators, cloaking some Rolluskoids in purple metal, along with giving himself a shield.

“Man, these tricks are getting dull!” DK said as he made his way over to the first generator, which surrounded itself in a wall of mud. After getting over it and smashing the generator, he then began making his way to the second, avoiding rock spikes bursting from below, and Void launching more drills. After breaking the second, he then moved towards the final generator, evading Void’s rapid onslaught before breaking it.

With all 3 generators destroyed, Void’s shield broke and he fell to the ground. He then pulled out his remote and began mashing buttons at an utterly breakneck speed.

“THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!” he frantically yelled, rapidly assaulting DK with more spikes and drills. DK expertly dodged and weaved his way through the storm of projectiles before unleashing a hail of punches on Void’s face. Void then flew backwards through the air, his floating platform breaking in two as well.

“My..precious..wish…My infinite gold…! All mine…!” Void said before passing out on the ground.

Satisfied, Pauline looked down towards DK, utter joy on her face. “I can go home now. And DK…you could eat ALL the bananas you could ever want!” she said, giggling.

“Well, in that case, let’s not waste any time!” DK said, turning around to face the pulsing Root.

As the duo moved towards the Root, they didn’t notice that Void was only faking being passed out. He then took out his remote for one last ditch effort. “YOU LOSE!” he yelled as he fired a blast straight at DK!

Whirling around, DK saw the beam heading towards him. But before it made contact, he made sure to shield Pauline.

Dropping to the ground, Pauline looked in horror as DK had been enveloped in the same crystal prison Void trapped her in. “DK!” she cried out.

Void then began cackling madly while pointing at her. “It’s like I told your grandma when I kidnapped you: if you won’t sing by choice, you’ll do it by force! So, what’ll it be, brat? If you wanna save that moron, you better give me a good effort and sing! Cause I’ve got you right where I want you!”

Pauline looked down in despair, before hearing a faint rhythm coming from DK’s statue. “That sound!” she exclaimed, recognizing it as DK’s drumbeat.

With conviction, she stood up. “We have the power…when we’re together!” she said.

She then began to sing, straight from her heart and tears beginning to form in her eyes. “When the world felt so cruel and bleak/when the hole looked so dark and deep/Hard as rock/cold as stone/I was scared, alone…/Then your beat showed the way to me.”

As she sang, the Root began vibrating more and more. And then, right as her emotions reached a fever pitch, she yelled, tears now streaming. “DKKKKK!”

As she screamed, she sent out a blast of energy that repelled anything around. Eventually, DK’s crystal prison shattered, revealing a very relieved ape. “DK! You’re alright!” Pauline shouted, running up and hugging her friend, a tearful smile on her face.

DK then returned the hug, also smiling. “Well, I saved you twice, so it’s only fitting that you had to return the favor, huh?” he said while stroking her hair.

However, their happy moment was cut short by Void running right past them to the Root. “MINE AT LAST!” he yelled out in manic glee.

DK and Pauline rushed forward in a panic, trying to stop Void. However, something nobody could’ve predicted occurred next. A bloodshot eye snapped open, and a large, green, and scaly fist connected with Void’s jaw, sending him flying. DK and Pauline watched in astonishment as Void slammed headfirst into the piledriver, knocking it out of the sky. Eventually, Void’s remote hit the ground.

Said scaly hand picked up the remote, and a familiar voice began speaking. “YOU’RE the ones who released me!?” they said.

DK could recognize that voice anywhere. As the duo turned around, they saw a giant crocodile man with a golden plate on his abdomen, a crown on his head, and a red cape on his back. The croc then slapped his large belly before turning his sights on them.

“K. ROOL!” DK yelled in anger, shocked to see his archenemy after so long. He then grabbed Pauline and moved her behind himself. “WHAT’RE YOU DOING HERE!?”

“King K. Rool is back in action!” yelled the croc. “I’ve been trapped down here with my Kremling Krew…” he said before rapidly turning his head. “Where’re those no-good banana bandits anyway!?”

He then turned away, looking towards the hole. “Toothless AND useless! But no matter!”

He then jumped right into the sinkhole. “Now I can finally get my claws on the Bannadium Root!” he yelled out, laughing all the way.

The duo then rushed towards the hole's edge, Pauline looking down in confusion, and DK with a look of rage. “Who IS that guy?” Pauline asked in confusion.

“I’ll tell you on the way down. But for now, we gotta hurry!” DK said before putting his friend on his back and diving after K. Rool.

As they fell deeper, Pauline lamented the situation. “Ugh, just as we think we think we’ve found the Bannadium Root, THIS happens! So, who was that crocodile monster?”

“His name is K. Rool. You know those Kremling guys I told you about a while back?” DK said, uncharacteristically serious.

“Yeah. You said they caused a lot of problems for you and your friends, right?” Pauline responded.

“Well, that big green menace is their leader! Greedy, selfish, and as ruthless as they come! Now at least we know where he’s been for the last 2 years!” DK stated.

Now Pauline was scared. “Well, we can’t let someone like that get the Root! We have to stop him!” she yelled.

As the duo fell ever deeper, they saw more and more golden outgrowths. Eventually, they landed in a rather dreary environment, with lit torches and a giant statue of K. Rool himself in the distance. After eating a Big Bannadium Bunch, the duo nodded to each other. No matter what, they couldn't let the Bannadium Root’s powers fall into the hands of someone like K. Rool!

Chapter Text

Rushing through the courtyard, DK saw some Fractones. But he also saw something else that surprised him: 4 Kremlings! As soon as they saw him, one raised the alarm. “Oi! There he is! C’mon boys, let's get him!” the leader cried out. Soon, the whole group had brandished clubs and cutlasses before charging at the duo.

DK easily dodged and weaved around the uncoordinated assault before knocking all of them unconscious. Tossing them in a heap, he walked up to one of the Fractones. “Hey, are you guys alright?” he asked.

“T…Thank…you.” the Fractone said in a shaky voice. “Since that brute…stormed his way…through here…the Root has become more active. Please…reach it before…he does!”

Pauline gave a thumbs up. “Don’t worry: we’ll do our best to keep it out of his claws.”

Afterwards, DK noticed a nearby minecart heading deeper and jumped in. With that, the duo headed down to the next part of the Planet Core. As it sped downward, they busted through a large layer of rock, a great golden expanse down below. Both of their eyes widened at the sight of something like this. Eventually, the cart stopped, and they got off.

The duo found themselves in a small settlement of Fractones. “Huh. Didn’t expect to see a place like this with all of those Kremling guys running around. Let’s take a look around, DK.”

Nodding, DK went and noticed a clothes store. Curious, he went up to the shopkeep. “Hey, what kind of clothes you got down here in the Planet Core?” he asked.

“O…Oh! It’s been…sometime since we’ve seen a non-Fractone or reptilian shopper!” the Fractone said. ‘We have…clothes for Kongs. Sadly…we don’t have…any for a human.”

Pauline actually seemed disappointed by that. Half the fun of going to a new Layer was seeing what new outfit she’d get. But…”Let’s see what you look like, DK!” she enthusiastically said.

Obliging, DK got the new clothes and changed. Walking out, he had a blue cravat around his neck with wave-like patterns, and his new black pants had pink girders and blue ladders all around it. “I’m feeling stylish!” DK said as he put Pauline onto his back. He then noticed another minecart that led further down.

As he walked over in that direction, DK saw one of Exploritone’s slabs and began reading it. “Saga of the Exploritone, verse 29. It wasn’t the end after all…We have reached the true Planet Core! This is the birthplace of all Fractones. At last, this is the origin of Us. The Fractones here look like us, but they do not seem capable of speech. No matter how long it takes, we will find some way to communicate with them.”

Pauline perked up when she heard that. “Looks like Exploritone didn’t quit after all! And we won’t either!” she said.

The duo then climbed into the next minecart and drilled down even further. This time, they ended up on another platform with a crumbling road. However, the entire time, they were being bombarded by vultures and giant wasps the entire way through. After they reached the end and saw another cart, Pauline looked at her friend.

“Hey, where did those weird birds and wasps come from?” she asked.

“Well, those’re Neckies and Zingers respectively. Think of them like the Kremling’s attack dogs in a way.” DK responded.

This process repeated itself twice as they went deeper. In the next layer, DK had to use Klaptraps to make platforms and reach higher ground. Then, in the layer after that, he had to use detonators to clear his way through an area completely covered in thorns.

Delving even deeper, the next layer had a wide open area. After jumping down, multiple Kremlings wearing spiked armor emerged. “We’ve got you surrounded, you wanker!” one yelled out. As soon as he said that, multiple Zingers emerged as back up. The small horde then charged at the duo.

Once again, DK easily mopped up the attackers by throwing chunks of explosive gold at them. As the Kremlings groaned on the ground, DK made his way over to a barrel cannon. “Man, no wonder K. Rool calls you guys useless.” he said with a scoff.

Taking the cannon, they saw another open arena. However, this time, a rebuilt version of Stompenclomper emerged and slammed down into the center. “Well, I know just the thing to deal with this guy again!” Pauline said. As she sang the Elephant song, DK easily destroyed the thing’s feet, leaving it vulnerable to him smashing its armor to pieces. As it exploded, it left behind another Bannadium Gem. “That was easy. At this point, I think the only thing that can match you is K. Rool himself!”

“As if! I’ll clean that croc’s clock in no time at all!” DK responded with a thumbs up and grin. After eating the banana, he took the minecart down even further. This time, they saw a large hole surrounded by golden outgrowths and a Fractone next to it.

“M…more visitors!” the Fractone excitedly said. “Just jump down the hole!”

Nodding, DK was about to head down. However, he saw another slab and began to read. “Saga of the Exploritone, verse 30. It took many long hours, but we finally taught the local Fractones to speak… Now capable of verbal communication, the Fractones here have enjoyed hearing tales of our underground travels. We have seen so much. We have met so many. Thus, we have a new quest! We are going to start a village here. We will invite creatures from all the upper layers to live and trade with us. This will someday be a thriving village that attracts all kinds of residents. This will be the origin of a new Us. As one saga ends, the next begins!”

“Aww, that’s so sweet! They accomplished one goal, and then set off for another! As my Grandma once said: Every night eventually leads to a new day!” Pauline happily said.

Jumping down the hole, they found themselves in another large Fractone settlement. All of them were surprised to see new faces for the first time in so long. But, after hearing Pauline’s singing, they all gladly crowded around and asked them about their journey up to that point. Eventually, one Fractone shared an important detail: that Pauline’s singing had woken the Root from the slumber it had been in after sealing away a great evil.

“Well, guess that explains why K. Rool was stuck like that.” DK said as he trudged over to the minecart.

“But that begs the question: HOW did K. Rool and other Kremlings even survive down here in the first place?” Pauline said, placing her hand to her chin in confusion.

“Well, you know how all of this gold is actually Bannadium and constantly growing? Maybe they just ate that?” DK responded.

“A likely option. But what’s important is that we need to beat that big green goon!” Pauline emphatically shouted.

Nodding, DK climbed into the cart and sped downwards. This time, the duo had to turf surf their way across a large stretch of thorny terrain, all while numerous Kremlings attempted to attack them. After reaching the end and eating another banana, they rocketed down even more. On this layer, they had to fight through an even tougher gauntlet of Kremling Krew members. Through the usage of various Bananza transformations, the duo eked out a victory before climbing into the minecart.

In the distance, they saw a giant golden mass, with various roots extending out of it in a vast network. “I think that’s where the Bannadium Root is, DK! We’re almost there!” Pauline shouted.

Upon touching down and walking forward, the duo saw another slab. “Oh, I bet that’s another verse from Exploritone! Let’s see what they had to say this time!” Pauline said, visibly excited.

DK went up to the slab. However, he looked sad when he saw what was written on it. “What’s wrong, DK?” Pauline asked.

“Well, it says this: Here lies Exploritone, the adventurer… May they rest peacefully in this land, in the warm embrace of the Mother Banandium Root.” DK said out loud.

Pauline put her hands up to her mouth in dismay. They had only heard about Exploritone through all those slabs, but she liked hearing about their journey to find their origin. So, as a little tribute, she began humming a little song. Then, something weird happened.

As Pauline finished singing, the ground moved a bit. Then, a Fractone popped out from in front of the slab! DK jumped back in surprise, and the Fractone began speaking. “Were you the one singing that lovely tune?” they said.

“Y-yeah…Who are you?” Pauline responded in a shaky voice.

“Why, we are Exploritone! After making our way all the way down here, we decided to take a little nap in front of the Bannadium Root!”

Both Pauline and DK were surprised to meet Exploritone after all this time. “Well, me and my friend here have been finding your slabs in all the different layers! It sounds like you had quite the journey!” Pauline said.

“That reminds me…we’ve gotta get to writing our next journal entry! Thank you for your time!” Exploritone said before heading back down the hole.

The duo made their way further down the platform before something else happened. “Hey! It’s about time I’ve finally seen you two again!” a familiar voice yelled out.

Turning their heads, they saw Cranky, with Rambi right next to him. DK walked about to see his father. “What’s been going on with you, Pops? And for that matter, how’d you even get here?” DK asked.

“It’s like I said earlier: I have my methods! And I also wanted to tell you something: I told you so!” Cranky said while pointing his finger at DK.

“What’d you mean by that?” Pauline questioned.

“You, Diddy and Dixie were constantly telling me that those Kremling creeps weren’t behind this mess. Well, take a look around you! This place is crawling with the suckers! So, I was right all along!” Cranky said while laughing.

“Uh, Pops, you’re missing a crucial detail.” DK said, interrupting his father’s laughter.

Stopping, Cranky looked at his son. “And what would that be, hm?”

“Well…from the looks of things, the Kremlings have been stuck down here for 2 whole years. There’s literally no way they could’ve stolen the Banana Horde like that.” DK said. 

Then Pauline followed up DK’s observation. “In all likelihood, Void probably stole all the bananas himself. So, I think you’ve been barking up the wrong tree this whole time, Cranky.”

Cranky’s eyes widened in realization before sighing. “Well, at least I had some fun on the way down here.” he said. He then turned and looked at Pauline. “And I think I’ve figured out why you’re so familiar to me, Pauline.”

Now Pauline was interested. “And why’s that, Cranky?” she questioned while getting off DK’s back.

Cranky pulled something out of one of the bags on Rambi before walking over to her. “Wear this for a second.” he said before plopping a blonde wig on Pauline’s head. Pauline stood still in surprise as Cranky looked her over before raising his hand to his chin. “Do you happen to be related to one “Lucky Lana”, Pauline?”

Now Pauline was even more shocked. “Yeah! That was my grandma’s stage name back when she was still a big singer! But how do you know about her?” she responded.

“Well, some 30 years ago, I got kidnapped from Kong Island and taken to some circus in the city. They constantly whipped at me in order to get me to perform. Eventually, we had a big act scheduled, and Lucky Lana was going to perform there. However, she noticed how poorly they were treating me, and helped me get out. However, the ringmaster saw her unlocking the cage, so I grabbed her as I ran off. Eventually, I climbed on top of a construction site before some guy in overalls helped calm things down. Afterwards, she helped me get back home, but not before giving me a record set of some of her songs.” Cranky explained.

The gears began turning in Pauline’s head, thinking about what she just heard. “That sounds like my friend Mario and Luigi’s grandpa Marcus! So that means…” she said, eyes widening when she realized why she thought DK’s name sounded so familiar. “You’re the Donkey Kong?”

“You bet I am! I’m Donkey Kong Senior, while that guy you’ve been hanging out with is Donkey Kong Junior! Cranky is just a name I picked up as I got older.” Cranky responded while slapping his knee and laughing. “It’s honestly about time you finally noticed! Did you never even tell her your full name to this point?”

DK then began scratching his head, seemingly in embarrassment. “Not really. Never even really felt the need to honestly…” he said.

But now, Pauline was excited. “Man, it really was fated for us to run into each other someday!” she said while hugging her friend. DK then reciprocated the hug before putting her back on his shoulder. “Well, it was nice learning about all that Cranky! I’ll be sure to tell my Grandma you’ve been doing well after I get home!”

“You better! And make sure to say that her music is still incredible!” Cranky said as he hopped on Rambi. “And make sure to give a pounding to that banana raiding cheat for me, sonny!”

“Will do, Pops! Now let’s get that Root, little buddy!” DK said as he headed towards the minecart. Noticing a huge iron ball in the way, he used Kong Bananza to knock it off the track. They then jumped into the cart and raced closer to the giant golden mass.

Chapter Text

When the two of them reached the pathway on the golden ball, Pauline noticed something in the air. It felt…powerful. “Hey, DK, do you feel that?” she asked.

“Feel what?” DK responded.

“Well…you know how each of your Bananza forms burns through energy? Something tells me that, since we’re so close to the Root, we can keep it up indefinitely!” Pauline stated.

DK then grinned at that. “Awesome! Now, let's deal with K. Rool!”

Smashing through multiple golden growths, the duo saw a large opening. Inside, they saw a circular object made of bananas, with liquid gold pouring out from it. However, they also saw K. Rool standing right beneath it! DK rushed forward upon seeing his hated enemy.

Hearing his footsteps, K. Rool turned around and smiled. But before they could reach him, the Root expanded outward, and turned a putrid looking brown. K. Rool then began to laugh wildly as he spread out his arms. “You're too late, fools! Bannadium Root…grant my wish!” he commanded. The brown goop then began to cover his body.

“Stop him, DK!” Pauline ordered, with DK obliging. However, before they could get closer, they were blown back by a blast of light. When it cleared away, they saw K. Rool now wearing a crown, cape, and wristbands made of bananas, along with both his eyes having turned gold.

The Kremling King began letting out a sinister chuckle as he stepped closer. “Behold the power of the Bannadium Root! I’ll change the WHOLE world into overripe, ROTTEN banana mush, then FEAST until I’ve had my fill!” he said as he smacked his belly with both hands.

Both DK and Pauline got into their fighting stances as the battle for the Root truly began. Pauline began singing, transforming DK into Kong Bananza. Meanwhile, K. Rool jumped back and created a massive cannon before taking aim.

With a mighty BOOM, a giant cannonball started rolling straight for DK. However, he countered by unleashing a mighty punch, sending it flying back into the cannon. The cannon then exploded in K. Rool’s hands, launching him backwards into a wall.

However, K. Rool just shook his head before continuing the assault. This time, he conjured up a triple barrel blunderbuss before launching another ball. Much like the first time, DK deflected it by punching it. This sent it hurtling right into K. Rool’s stomach. Now, he was open for some real damage!

Switching to Zebra Bananza, DK sped over to K. Rool and began hitting his stomach. While it didn’t do much, they were clearly hurting him.

After regaining his bearings, K. Rool lept away again. “You Kongs are SO INFURATING!” he yelled out. He then generated large hands made of rotten Bannadium mush, intent on crushing them.

This time, DK switched to Elephant Bananza to suck up the mush. However, it did something DK didn’t expect. After spitting it out, the mush had turned into gold! And it purified the mush where it hit! “We can use that to get rid of that rotten stuff! Keep at it, DK!” Pauline said.

K. Rool then created another cannon to bombard the duo. And once again, DK sent the ball rolling back into K. Rool, this time causing him to roar in pain.

The king then switched tactics once more. For his next move, he created a large vacuum, intending to suck the two in. But DK remembered what Diddy and Dixie had told him about their journey to rescue him from Crocodile Isle. Switching to Elephant once more, DK inhaled some mush around the arena before launching it back as a gold ball.

After sucking it up, the vacuum exploded. “We can do this! Start wailing on him, DK!” Pauline shouted.

Switching to Zebra, DK then closed the distance once more. As soon as he got within punching distance, he then swapped to Kong before unleashing a rapid torrent of punches on K. Rool’s stomach and face. Eventually, the assault overwhelmed the Kremling King’s defenses, and he was knocked out of his powered up form before being smacked into the wall. He then stumbled around and collapsed, the Bannadium Root emerging from his body.

“Yes! The Root’s free! C’mon DK, let’s make our wish!” Pauline excitedly said.

Nodding, DK walked up to the root and began thinking deeply. While he really wanted unlimited bananas, he had a bigger priority right now: getting Pauline home!

“Are you ready to have your wish come true?” Pauline asked, a small grin on her face as she turned to her friend.

“Yep. Are you?” DK responded as he turned and smiled right back.

Pauline gave an emphatic nod before turning to the Root. As the Root pulsed, Pauline closed her eyes and cupped her hands.

Home…I want to go home! Pauline wished.

Get my little buddy back to her family! And some bananas on the side please! DK wished.

Pauline then opened her eyes once more. “Oh, Great Bannadium Root…please grant our wishes!” she pleaded.

The Root expanded before letting out a blinding flash of light. When the duo opened their eyes, they saw a gigantic golden pillar extending its way outward. The pillar then shifted forms into a large mass of bananas before speeding towards them. The duo had no time to react before the tower of bananas collided with the ground. They then rode the tower as it drilled through the ground, screaming the whole time.

Eventually, they managed to sit up. “Where is it taking us?! Shouldn't it be heading up?!” Pauline shouted, trying to make sense of the situation.

“I dunno! Maybe it’s trying to take the fastest route to get you home, Pauline!” DK responded.

“Wait…you mean that the Root’s going to go all the way to the other side of the planet?!” Pauline exclaimed in surprise. But as she was trying to understand that, she saw the rocky mantle above. “We’re gonna crash!”

Before that happened though, the Root itself began spinning, opening a hole in the rock for the pillar to get through. The sight made both Pauline and DK ecstatic. “Just look at it, DK! WE’RE HEADING TO THE SURFACE!” Pauline said as she high fived her friend and cheered.

However, unbeknownst to either of them, K. Rool wasn’t exactly out of the fight. He sat up and shook his head before he noticed the tower going to the surface. “I WILL NOT LET VICTORY ESCAPE MY CLAWS THIS TIME!” he roared out. He then equipped a rocket pack before diving down the hole.

DK and Pauline heard a massive roar and a rocket. Hurrying over to the side of the pillar, they were shocked to see K. Rool gaining on them! “YOU FILTHY MONKEYS! THE BANNADIUM ROOT IS MINE!” he yelled.

“C’mon DK, we’ve gotta slow him down!” Pauline said in a panic. Nodding, DK ripped up some chunks of gold from the pillar and began pelting K. Rool with them. While he clearly reacted to the explosive substance being lobbed at him, he powered on through regardless.

Eventually, K. Rool reached the very top of the pillar, and began doing dive bombs against the duo. Pauline responded by triggering Kong Bananza, letting DK catch him mid charge and slam him to the ground. Eventually, K. Rool pulled out Void’s banana remote.

“Let’s see what this button does, shall we?” he said. Right afterward, parts of the pillar collapsed, nearly causing the duo to fall off. But DK still kept throwing gold at K. Rool to keep him from getting a stable flight path.

Eventually, Pauline looked up and noticed a light shining from above. “We’re almost to the surface! Just hold out a bit longer!” she said as encouragement.

After another chunk of gold was detonated on him, K. Rool looked woozy. But he shook his head and looked upward himself before turning to the duo. “I WILL CLAIM THE BANNADIUM ROOT! WATCH ME!” he said before rocketing upwards towards the Root.

“The exit!” Pauline and DK both cried out, seeing the hole the Root had made as it completed the tunnel.

The pillar burst out from the ground, sending the duo skyward. But then, Pauline looked around and saw all the various buildings she recognized. “This…this is MY home! We made it!” she celebrated.

DK then grabbed onto her before plummeting down onto the roof of an apartment building. The duo then began to look around. “Where is that Kremling creep?” DK said, still looking agitated.

As Pauline scanned the skyline, she saw something horrific: K. Rool standing atop New Donk City Hall! “Ah! There he is!” she cried out, pointing to the green menace.

K. Rool began laughing as shocked onlookers gathered around. “So THIS is a human city? Then I’ll take it for myself!” he said before opening his hand. To both DK and Pauline’s horror, he had the Root!

K. Rool held the Root out while putting his other hand to his chin. “Hm…first I’ll spoil this place rotten…” he said before raising it over his head, the gold turning that same rotten brown.

In a bright flash of light, molten Bannadium began flooding multiple streets, sending onlookers fleeing in terror! “...then I’ll open my jaws…AND DEVOUR THIS WHOLE TOWN!” K. Rool said as multiple buildings received a makeover in his image and a giant golden statue of himself emerged. “WELCOME ONE AND ALL, TO NEW KROC CITY! GRAHAHAHA!”

“Oh, I AM NOT LETTING YOU DESTROY MY HOME! LET’S GET EM, DK!” Pauline roared in anger.

DK beat his chest, ready to fight his way through the nightmare his arch enemy had created, and get Pauline back to her family!

Chapter Text

Everything had happened so suddenly.

It had been 5 days since Pauline’s kidnapping, and the Andrews family were running themselves ragged trying to get any sort of lead on where she had been taken. Paige tried getting help from the mayor. Franklin raced all around the city, posting missing persons posters everywhere he could. Even the Morellis had joined in, with both Mario and Luigi helping to find any scrap of information. And poor Lana was worried sick, with her last memory of her darling granddaughter being of her screaming for help as she was taken away.

And now, Paige was helping as many people as she could into City Hall, her family and the Morellis joining too. After that giant golden pillar shot out of the street, a wave of molten gold suddenly emerged and multiple buildings had been transformed, sending the entire city into a panic.

“Okay everyone, try and stay calm!” Paige desperately yelled out, her and Lana trying to keep the crowds of people under control. But even her presence couldn’t keep the peace, with many people screaming in terror.

“What’s even happening right now?!” Franklin cried out as he, Marcus, Mario, and Luigi helped guide terrified citizens to a safe space.

“I dunno Frank, but something tells me it had something to do with that big crocodile man!” Marcus responded as he picked someone up.

“Coming at you live from New Donk Broadcast Network, a crisis is occurring!” Lana and Paige turned their heads from the crowd and saw the TV above was broadcasting the full extent of the catastrophe as it unfolded. “Any citizens, try and make your way to any higher ground and shelters, immediately!”

As the footage from the newschopper played out onscreen, they saw something moving on the ground. “Hey is that…a gorilla?” the cameraman said in confusion.

Lana then reacted with surprise when the camera zoomed in and showed a gorilla racing along the rooftops of the city. But what caught her eye was what was on the gorilla’s shoulder. “It’s Pauline!” she yelled out, trying to grab Paige’s attention.

“What!?” Paige yelled, focusing her eyes. Sure enough, her daughter was riding on the gorilla’s back!

Franklin and the Morellis also began watching, and they all reacted with astonishment as the gorilla transformed into a bird-like form to soar over a gap. And Pauline was seemingly singing on top of that!

Back with DK and Pauline, they evaded and swerved around 2 giant snakes made of Bannadium Mush as they flew. When they touched down on the next building, DK shifted to Kong Bananza to climb his way up a building. “Keep climbing DK! We need to stay away from that Bannadium, or we’re toast!” Pauline yelled out.

Upon reaching the top, they saw a crumbling pathway. Shifting to Zebra Bananza, DK ran right across it at full speed, dodging swooping Neckies as he went. When they reached the other side, more Bannadium snakes swooped down and spread rot wherever they went. “He’s taking over the whole town! Get your filthy claws off our home!” Pauline cried out in rage.

Shifting to Elephant, DK began vacuuming up the rotten mush, and began throwing golden balls to purify any that was left. He even managed to smash through a giant spiked concrete wall with K. Rool’s face along the way.

Racing to the other end, DK saw some girders higher up. “Time for Snake Bananza, Pauline!” DK yelled.

“Gotcha!” Pauline responded. Shifting to Snake, DK rocketed upward with as much force as possible.

Upon reaching the girder, the duo saw another giant cannonball. Rapidly switching to Kong, DK knocked it forward, destroying a grate. Rolling to the other side, DK saw more Kremlings trying to get in his way.

“We don’t have time for small fry like you!” DK roared as he batted them aside and ran right for the end. Switching back to Snake, the duo launched up once again.

This time, there was a whole field of crushing walls and Kremlings wearing spike armor. Noticing another iron ball, DK switched to Kong before grabbing and launching it at the Kremlings like a bowling ball. The terrified crocs tried to get out of the way, but it was simply too fast.

Swapping to Zebra, the two made their way up a red tower, smashing some blocks that got in the way. When they got to the very top, they saw a gigantic arena emerge from the molten Bannadium, right in front of City Hall!

“K. Rool’s right there! Let’s take that King down, DK!” Pauline yelled.

Nodding, DK ran across the crumbling pathway, evading more rotten Bannadium snakes and Neckies as he went. Eventually, at the very end, they saw a barrel cannon. “Time for you to pay, K. Rool!” DK said as he climbed in and launched into the arena.

Upon touching down, they saw K. Rool standing in front of the rotten Bannadium Root. He turned around and looked at them. “You broke through my Kremling Krew…No surprise there. Your beat’s certainly strong.” he said.

But then he took the crown off his head before dropping it to the ground. “HOWEVER! I’ve got my own beat!” he exclaimed, beginning to rhythmically drum his belly.

“I’ve got the Bannadium Root! And when it comes to rot…” he said, right before transforming into a gigantic, bloated, and orange version of himself with a cape made of rotten Bannadium. Both DK and Pauline nearly recoiled in disgust at the sight of him. “...I RULE! I’M ROTTEN TO MY VERY CORE! NOW I’LL TURN YOU INTO ROTTEN BANNADIUM MUSH, AND EAT A MEAL FIT FOR A KING!” he roared while spreading his arms wide.

“NOT IF ME AND DK HAVE A SAY IN IT! LET’S RUMBLE, YOU OVERGROWN LIZARD!” Pauline yelled right back, with DK shifting into a fighting stance, a look of determination on his face.

K. Rool prepared a blunderbuss as DK transformed into Kong Bananza. As K. Rool launched a volley of 3 cannonballs, DK managed to grab one before hurling it right back. However, K. Rool proved to be surprisingly nimble, and dodged around it. He then jumped into the air, intent on crushing them with his sheer size. However, DK managed to catch him, and with great effort, threw him into the arena wall.

K. Rool shook his head before glaring right at DK. “Let’s see you keep up with THIS!” he roared before generating a cannon and taking aim. As the cannon fired out the ball, DK punched it right back, nailing K. Rool in the stomach and causing him to double over in pain.

“Get close and hammer him, DK!” Pauline shouted.

Shifting to Zebra to close the distance, DK then shifted back to Kong in order to lay into K. Rool. As DK rapidly punched his enemy, K. Rool regained his bearings before punching DK away. He then pulled out the vacuum again. But this time, rather than trying to suck the duo in, the device spewed out a stream of rotten Bannadium! The two nearly passed out from the unpleasant smell alone.

Changing to Elephant Bananza, DK began to suck up the mush from around the arena before launching gold balls at K. Rool. Eventually, one of the balls landed in the spewer, clogging it up and causing it to explode. DK once again rushed in closer before unleashing a rapid hail of punches. Eventually, K. Rool recovered and knocked them away with a roar.

“I AM TIRED OF YOU STUPID APES GETTING IN MY WAY!” K. Rool yelled. He then began creating more giant hands out of mush, along with dropping generators into the arena in order to flood it with more of the brown substance.

“Well, I’m tired of your scaly mug causing problems!” DK taunted back before he started sucking up the mush. However, as he was doing so, K. Rool began diving in and out of the mush to attack! DK then shifted into Snake Bananza to jump out of range, and then shifted into Ostrich Bananza to fly over to a safer part of the arena.

As K. Rool looked over to his hated enemy, he began to pant. Despite having seemingly every advantage in the world, Donkey Kong was matching him at his height. The mere thought of being defeated now infuriated the Kremling King. But he also noticed something. It was that human on his back that enabled his ability to transform. So…K. Rool donned a wicked grin.

“Let’s see you win without that friend of yours!” K. Rool roared. Before either DK or Pauline could even process what he meant, he created a hand out of mush and launched it directly at Pauline! The impact knocked her right off DK’s back and stuck her to one of the arena walls!

“PAULINE!” DK cried out. He then began rushing over to help his friend. However, before he could even get closer, K. Rool ran up and grabbed him. DK began to writhe in pain within K. Rool’s claws.

“DK!” Pauline yelled as she struggled within her mushy prison, trying desperately to help her friend.

K. Rool then hoisted DK up to his head, “I AM DONE LETTING YOU MAKE A FOOL OF ME! I HAVE BEEN THROUGH TOO MUCH TO LET A MORON LIKE YOU BEAT ME DURING MY FINEST HOUR! WHEN I’M THROUGH WITH THIS CITY, THAT STUPID ISLAND OF YOURS IS NEXT ON THE MENU!” K. Rool roared, flecks of rotten Bannadium sticking to DK’s face. K. Rool then proceeded to tighten his grip, electing a scream from DK. “GOOD! THAT’S MORE LIKE IT!”

Pauline couldn’t bear to watch. Here she was, stuck to a wall by some deranged crocodile monster as he turned the whole world into his personal buffet and tortured her friend. But right as all hope seemed lost, she heard a familiar song. K. Rool stopped his crushing of DK before looking around. “Where’s that coming from?” she wondered.

As she looked around, she saw it: Grandma Lana, standing right on top of City Hall! As she sang, a small beam of light headed towards DK. Then, more and more voices began to join in, creating more beams as well. Pauline realized what was happening. “DK! Get a beat going!” Pauline yelled before adding her voice into the song.

With a great deal of effort, DK managed to squirm his way out of K. Rool’s grasp before he started banging on his chest. K. Rool attempted to stop his enemy’s plan. However, he was too late. A blinding flash knocked K. Rool away. When he opened his eyes, he saw DK in a form resembling Kong Bananza. This time though, he was now even larger, on par with K. Rool himself, and his fur shimmered a brilliant gold. He then leveled a glare at K. Rool before reaching towards Pauline and freeing her.

As Pauline ran along his arm and climbed onto her friend’s shoulder, he looked up at her. “Uh…what just happened?” DK questioned.

“I think my grandma led everyone in song to power you up! Let’s call this one…Grand Kong Bananza!” Pauline said with a grin.

DK then smiled back. “I like the sound of that, little buddy!” he said before turning to K. Rool with a cold scowl.

Now K. Rool was outraged. “I WON’T LET YOU HAVE THE ROOT! I REFUSE!” he roared out before charging headlong at the duo.

Grand Kong Bananza caught K. Rool mid-charge and began to tussle, with all of New Donk cheering DK on. As DK’s punches hit K. Rool, they began breaking off the orange chunks of his body. Eventually, K. Rool was reduced to his original form. “Now’s our chance for some big damage, DK! Give him one from all of New Donk City!” Pauline cheered

Seizing the opportunity, DK began charging up a massive punch. K. Rool’s eyes widened as he saw the gigantic fist hurtling his way. With a mighty CRACK, the punch hit him right in the stomach. K. Rool was then sent hurtling into the air at incredible speeds.

“No…my victory…SPOILED AGAINNN!” K. Rool yelled as he flew into the sky, eventually becoming nothing more than a little speck on the horizon.

As DK changed back to normal, Pauline leapt off DK’s back and began celebrating by jumping up and down. “HAH! Take that!” she said in joy. She then heard the cheers from the people down below before she saw the Bannadium Root float back down. Turning to it, she began to speak. “Bannadium Root, I have but one wish: undo all the damage K. Rool did to my home!”

Obliging her request, the Root reverted the corruption on the buildings, and destroyed the giant statue of K. Rool in the city square. As the arena floated back down, Pauline and DK stepped out into the crowd of grateful people. However, within seconds, a familiar group of people burst out of city hall.

“PAULINE!” her family and the Morellis cried out as they ran towards her. Eventually, all of them grabbed her in one great big hug. Pauline began crying tears of joy as she hugged all of them back.

“I was so, so worried for you Pauline!” Lana said as she kissed her granddaughter. “I can’t believe you’re okay!”

“What Mrs. Lana said! We were all so scared for you, Polly!” Mario said while hugging his friend from behind. Luigi was also crying at seeing his friend return home.

DK looked at the reunion with a small grin. He then noticed the little banana flakes in the sky, causing him to get distracted. However, he shook himself to focus.

Eventually, Pauline pulled away from her family before gesturing to DK. “Everyone, this is my new friend, DK! He helped me get back home from the people that kidnapped me!” she said while smiling. Everyone present looked at the ape with surprise.

However, Lana walked forward, a gentle smile on her face. She then began shaking DK’s hand. “Thank you so much for getting my granddaughter back home!” she exclaimed, clearly crying.

Then Pauline began talking once more. “DK…I’m going to make my greatest dream come true. And that dream…is to sing for everyone here! Will you come with me, DK?” she said before extending her hand.

DK went to take her hand. However, he began noticing more banana flakes, and had to shake himself out of his trance. Pauline noticed her friend being split between his two desires. So, she decided to make the choice for him. “DK…Don’t worry about me. I don’t want to hold you back from your dreams!” she said behind a tearful smile.

“Are you sure? I’d still be willing to help you!” DK said, pulling himself away from more banana flakes.

“Again, don’t worry about me. Thanks to you…I’ve finally got the courage to make myself heard. Maybe we can visit each other from time to time?” Pauline responded, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

DK looked unsure for a second. Then, he flashed a big toothy grin before enveloping Pauline in a large hug. Pauline then responded by hugging him right back. And just for good measure, after the hug ended, both friends beat their chests in unison.

Pauline then formed a thumbs up and a fist before holding it out. DK pounded it in a fist bump. “See you around, DK!” Pauline said, a large grin on her face.

DK then began to run through the large crowd of people, aiming for the hole the Bannadium Root had made in the street. As he ran, Pauline and the rest of New Donk began waving goodbye. “Bye-bye!” Pauline said as she waved, tears now falling.

As DK reached the edge of the pit, he turned around and gave one last smile. He then dived right down, smashing through whatever obstacles were in his way.

After DK left, Pauline turned towards her family and friends, who were also smiling and crying. “Believe me when I say that I’ve got a story to tell all of you guys over dinner!” she laughed out.

Chapter Text

Three months later…

DK was currently relaxing in his house on Kong Island. After some more exploring in the underground world, he decided to head back home with Diddy, Dixie and Cranky. And thanks to Poppy and Grumpy, a warp gong now connected Kong Island and Ingot Isle, meaning they could come and go there as they pleased.

He had to admit, it was fun going through the underground and finding more Bannadium Gems to add to the Banana Horde. But he really did miss Pauline. DK began to frown, remembering all the fun times they had on their journey.

“Are you alright, DK?” a sweet voice said. DK turned and saw his girlfriend, Candy Kong, entering the treehouse. “You haven’t been outside all day!”

“Yeah man! What’s got you all down in the dumps?” another voice said as they walked inside. This time, it belonged to DK’s friend Funky.

DK then sighed before looking at them. “It’s nothing. Just…thinking about Pauline.” he said, somewhat sad.

“From what you’ve told me about her, she sounds so sweet! I would love to meet her someday.” Candy said as she sat down beside him.

“Yeah, that little tyke seems super tough! And from what Cranky’s told us, she’s practically a Kong herself!” Funky said while smiling. “If you miss her so much, why don’t you just drop by and say hello?”

“Yeah but…how? We don’t really have an easy way to get to her city.” DK responded.

“And that’s where you’re wrong, sonny!” a new voice cried out. This time, Cranky entered the room with Diddy and Dixie right behind him.

“Yeah buddy! Poppy and Grumpy have a bit of a surprise for you!” Diddy said while hopping up and down.

“Just come down to the beach, and we’ll show you!” Dixie followed up, taking DK’s hand.

DK began smiling as the group headed down towards the beach. There, they saw Poppy and Grumpy working on the warp gong. Poppy turned and looked towards them. “Ah! Perfect timing. We’re just about finished.” she said.

“It’s been a while, Poppy! Anything interesting going on with you and Grumpy?” DK asked.

“Not much. Our business just got off the ground, and we’re still dealing with some paperwork. We did manage to find Void though. He somehow survived getting launched into the piledriver, and we pulled him out. No idea where he went after that, though he’s out of money AND has no company. So, he’s all the way back to square one.” Poppy said while shaking her head.

Their conversation was interrupted by Grumpy’s grunt of effort. “And that’s that! The gong’s all tuned up! And it seems like we’ve already got someone who wants to see you!” he said, cracking a small grin.

The gong then began to vibrate before the Eelevator burst out. She then opened her mouth, and out jumped Pauline, who spread her arms and legs out in happiness. “DK!” she yelled out while smiling.

DK was surprised at first before he smiled. Pauline then walked over and gave him a hug. “Long time no see, little buddy!” he said while returning the hug.

Pauline then broke away, still smiling. “Yeah, sorry about that! But thanks to Grumpy and Poppy, we’ve got a gong in New Donk City! Now, we can come here whenever we want!” Pauline stated, still giddy with excitement. Then, she looked around. “So, this is Kong Island? It’s so pretty!”

“Oh my, aren’t you adorable!” Candy said as she knelt down and began rubbing Pauline’s head.

Pauline giggled a bit before looking up. “Thank you! But what’s your name, ma’am?” she said.

“Oh pardon me! I’m Candy Kong, DK’s girlfriend! You know, he’s told me all about you!” Candy said, putting her hand out.

Now Pauline began to blush, before she extended her hand and took Candy’s. “Nice to meet you, Candy!” She then turned and looked at the Kong wearing shades. “And I take it that you’re Funky!”

“You bet I am! DK’s been telling me about some super cool little star in the making! And you definitely fit the bill!” Funky said while smiling. “So, what’s been going on back home? Still singing?”

Then, Pauline turned and looked at DK once more. “Things have been going great! The city still kinda smells like bananas, but it’s all cleaned up now! And people have been noticing me singing on the street! But I’ve got some AWESOME news!” she said, excitement on her freckled face.

“And what would that be, little buddy?” DK inquisitively asked. Every Kong present also shared the same look of curiosity.

“Well…they chose me to do the main event at the New Donk City Festival! I’m gonna be singing in front of the WHOLE CITY!” Pauline yelled out in glee.

“That’s incredible!” DK yelled out, giving his friend a high five.

“And that’s not all! If it’s alright…” Pauline asked, suddenly bashful. “...could you guys please attend? I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for you, DK!”

DK then smiled wide. “Of course I will! But we need one guy’s permission first…” DK said. Everyone’s eyes trained on Cranky.

“...Sure, why not? It’ll be a better experience than the last time I was in that place. Besides, you’re one of us now!” Cranky said, cracking a smile.

Pauline’s eyes then practically began sparkling. “Thank you SO MUCH, Mr. Cranky! Oh, this is gonna be great! C’mon everyone, let’s get ready!” she said, leading everyone to the warp gong.

As soon as the gong rang, the Eelevator swallowed the whole group. Then, they stepped out into New Donk’s residential district. Most of the Kongs looked in astonishment at all of the tall buildings and structures. But Cranky just shook his head. “It’s been 30 years, but I remember this place like it was yesterday! See, there’s the building I climbed up last time!” he joked.

“Alright, now let's head for the main stage! It’s right in front of City Hall!” Pauline excitedly said. She then led the group of Kongs to a stage with a large sound system, and a large object with a large white cloth over it behind it. Overseeing things were Paige, Lana, and Marcus. “I’m back! And with our guests of honor!”

Upon hearing Pauline’s words, everyone turned around. “Ah, there’s our little star!” Paige said, walking up and giving her daughter a hug. She then turned and looked towards DK. “Once again, there’s nothing we can do to repay you for saving our home and bringing Pauline back to us.”

“It’s cool! I’m just happy knowing my little buddy’s finally got confidence!” DK said, giving a big smile.

Then both Lana and Marcus let out a noise of surprise when they saw Cranky. “Is that you, Donkey Kong?” Lana said, reaching out her hand. “It’s so good to see you again!”

“I go by Cranky Kong these days. And it’s nice to see you too, Lucky Lana! Your songs are still amazing.” Cranky responded, shaking her hand. He then looked at Marcus. “And where’re your overalls, Jumpman?”

“Ha! I can’t believe you remember that nickname. I can’t really jump like I used to anymore. But you should see my grandson Mario! That kid’s already a pro at that sort of thing!” Marcus responded, smiling and causing his bushy mustache to curl.

“Well, the show’s going to start in a little under an hour. So, let’s get everybody in their places!” Paige enthusiastically said.

“Gotcha, Mom! DK, you’ve got a real special role in this! Come with me backstage, please!” Pauline said.

“Alright, little buddy! Let’s make a festival nobody will ever forget!” DK said before following after her.

In an hour, an absolutely massive crowd had gathered to see this. In addition to humans from New Donk, various residents from all across the underground were in attendance, ranging from salvager monkeys, zebras, ostriches, elephants, snakes, and fractones. Even the five Elders had shown up to see the performance. It was in these conditions that Paige walked onstage, a microphone in hand.

“Good evening to all in attendance! My name is Paige Andrews, and I’ll be acting as the emcee for this year's festival! Just a few months ago, our city faced a crisis like no other. A vile monster known as K. Rool tried to literally eat our home. But, a mighty gorilla and a brave young girl stood in his way, and defended our fair city! And for that, we commemorate them with this!” she said before gesturing to the object with a tarp on it.

Hearing his cue, Grumpy pulled the sheet off. And under it was a large, golden statue of DK with his right fist raised to the sky. Standing on his shoulder was Pauline, her left hand pointing upward. At the base of the statue, it read: “The Saviors of Our City: Donkey Kong Jr. and Pauline Andrews.” Upon seeing the statue the whole crowd began to clap and cheer.

“And that’s not all folks! Because we’ve got those heroes in attendance, and they’ve got a song for you all to hear! Now, give it up for one of the world’s greatest duos!” Paige exclaimed. Upon her saying that, Pauline and DK walked on stage. Pauline had on a more refined version of her normal outfit, a pair of sandals, and a yellow tie around her neck with red letters saying “MK” on it. Meanwhile, DK was wearing a fancy bow tie and fedora. “Now, do you have anything to say to the audience before you start your performance?”

Taking a breath, Pauline began speaking. “Just a few months ago, I was a shy, scared little girl who was afraid of letting herself be heard. I let opportunities pass me by because I was too scared to take them. But that changed after I met DK. He taught me how to believe in myself, and protected me from people that wanted to hurt me. So, I dedicate this song to my friend, and I hope anyone who hears it can find the courage within themselves too!”

Paige quickly left the stage as the speakers began playing upbeat music. As the song reached the first set of lyrics, Pauline began singing.

This strange world, it's so vast and deep.

All these things, wild and new to see.

On my own, far from home, I was scared, alone...

when your beat showed the way to me.

We're breaking through, down to the core!

No stopping us, not anymore!

Inside the storm, I found the key!

Your beat rang out, my voice has been released!

Hear it call (from deep down inside),

it's whispering truth.

This melody, in harmony...

We'll strike a chord, that's gonna break us free!

When it all seems so dark and bleak...

When the hole looks so cold and deep...

I hold tight, leave it all, just let go...and fall.

Let your beat light the way for me.

We're breaking through, down to the core!

No stopping us, not anymore!

Inside the cage, in the beast,

your beat rang out! My voice has been released!

Hear it call (from deep down inside),

it's shouting the truth.

Just sing with me, this melody...

We'll strike a chord, that's gonna break us free!

Then, the music slowed down, turning into a quiet piano solo. Pauline turned and looked towards DK as she sang the next verse, smiling the whole time.

Look at us, so big and small.

Two together through it all.

Heart of gold, a wish come true...

You and me...unbreakable!

As soon as Pauline’s verse ended, DK picked her up and put her on his shoulder as he broke into his own verse as a drum beat began, to the audience’s surprise.

Ohoho Together! Ohoho Bananza!

Ohoho Forever! Ohoho Bananza!

Ohoho Together! Forever!

Ohoho! Bananza!

Ohoho! Together!

Then, on DK’s shoulder, Pauline picked up right where her friend left off, the song sounding utterly triumphant as DK provided backup vocals.

We're breaking through, right to the core!

No stopping us, not anymore!

I'm heading home, to city streets!

Your beat now mine, our dreams at last unleashed!

You and me (we're my favorite band),

my hand in your hand.

Our two voices entwined (voices entwined) in a crescendo...

spiraling up (spiraling up) rising forever, yeah!

You and me, we set the rhythm of my heart free.

(It was pounding in hopes that this day would come!)

It beat a tempo in time with your own heart,

playing a song just for us...to SING!

As the song ended, the duo received a massive amount of applause from the entire crowd, with Grandma Lana crying tears of joy seeing her granddaughter on stage.

The two friends looked at each other, and both cracked the biggest smiles. After all, this was only the beginning of her dream! And she had plenty of people at her side to help fulfill them!

And so, everyone in New Donk had a Bananza of their own that night, celebrating the birth of a new star.