Hurricane Island [Diddy Kong x Dixie Kong]

Chapter 84: Hard Evidence

A/N: Extensive chapter.

The people got back to that jungle-like open-air site, the same one where they had taken the little kongs the day before. Dixie hadn't seen that place yet, but being there, she also felt like she was on one of the islands, like for a moment she could feel at home even though she wasn't. Diddy, on the other hand, and having recovered his spirits this time, watched the site with greater attention too.

The doctors left all the little kongs in a corner among the trees, where there were wooden objects with white squares that appeared to be easels. The only detail in particular... was that four of those easels already had traces of paint with stains that seemed to have been made by the quartet, due to the crudeness with which they were painted.

"Ah, here again," Jemky said with some disgust but calmly, as people placed each one in front of the easels.

On the other hand, Diddy and Dixie were also placed next to the quartet and in front of easels for each of the two. Then, they also placed some containers of what appeared to be paint, in addition to brushes for each of the little kongs. Diddy and Dixie just took each one and looked strangely at the people, while the kids from the quartet had to be offered to take the brushes, in turn they took them reluctantly.

"Bah! Isn't there anything better to do here?" Mandrew said, dipping his brush into the paint container before roughly pressing it against the canvas and making some crude strokes.

The other three kids in the quartet proceeded to do the same thing with the same crudeness, until one of the people began to intervene.

"No, no, no, that's not how," the person said, taking Mandrew's arm. "You just have to do it this way."

The people took each of the children by the hand and corrected their posture to paint. Then, two other people also instructed Diddy and Dixie, who had no idea why they were being made to paint out of nowhere.

"Now do it yourselves," one of the people said, letting go of Melenky's hand.

The six little kongs proceeded to move their brushes as instructed, and now they seemed to have caught up with them. This time, the kids from Jemky's quartet, even though they still had reluctant looks, seemed as if doing that activity had captured their attention with greater interest. Meanwhile, Diddy and Dixie continued to stroke with their brushes too; they, on the other hand, looked quite calm.

"Hey... this is not bad," Melenky said with a small smile suddenly, before looking at the other paint cans. "I want another color!" he added before dipping his brush into another paint can and starting to make other strokes on the canvas.

"Wow, I think that's right," Jemky added, beginning to smile in the same way and making other brushstrokes in a calmer way.

"This is like what we used to do at the orphanage when we were little," Rocky said with the same expression.

"Which orphanage? Don't mention that dreadful place," Mandrew exclaimed with some disgust. "We could barely paint for ten minutes and were punished if we didn't do it well."

"I bet you can't do this!" Melenky exclaimed defiantly, making some more 'elaborate' scribbles.

"You don't even know how to paint; it's done like this!" Jemky replied, doing the same.

The quartet began to compete with each other to see who would do some scribbles faster or more interesting, although none made sense. The curious thing about it... was that the four children appeared calm this time, despite their rough attitudes; it was as if for the first time they were having fun in a relaxed manner.