The Dream Stone of Juno Cave
By: Mehron Abdollmohammadi
Chapter One: The Arrival
"Well, the bus is here. I wonder what terrible, nightmarish evil we'll face this year?" This comment came from Megastar Voughlnutt, a student at Starlatan Garden. He was like a type of robot/ human who could independently think. As he and his friend Wheels Casket boarded the bus to Starlatan, they recalled helping the Scouts with the final battle against Queen Metallia. She had hurled a deadly Negaball at them and all seemed to be lost until a silhouette appeared and quickly repelled the attack, causing Metallia's attack to be her own undoing. They all pondered who or what this strange person could have been. This had happened at Starlatan Garden, so they were pretty sure the silhouette was at the campus before the battle started.
The bus stopped. " Okay, ya scalawags, off ter class wit' ya!" ordered Maggie Periwinkle, the bus driver and good friend of Megastar. She was one of the suspects for the silhouette that had appeared. Megastar decided to chat with Wheels since they weren't due in until 10:00 a.m. " Hey, Megastar," Wheels said. "I've been hearing some rumors about a stone that grants your every wish. Do you think you'll go after it?" Megastar shrugged. I dunno. If I had it, I'd wish my father back." Megastar's father, Megaman was killed in a battle with Zero, Megaman's friend who was possessed by an evil entity called Sigma. When Zero was near death and de-possessed, he gave Megastar a Z-saber which is a powerful light sword. He used his last breath to ask his friend Bass to train Megastar in his absence. "Well, we'd better get to class," Angie informed. As they entered the building, Megastar thought he saw a silhouette. He turned and saw nothing. "Hmmmm..." He walked into the building.
Chapter Two: The Myth
" Now, class, today we will be studying myths," said their teacher, Ms. Bonne. " Now can anyone tell me the story of the Dream Stone?" Zell, the class clown and gossip's hand shot up. "The Dream Stone is a rock that hits you when you're sleeping." The class laughed uproariously. "Very funny, Zell. Take this." A detention slip fluttered onto his desk. "Aw, man..." Ms. Bonne cleared her throat. "The Dream Stone is a mystical stone that grants its possessor one any dream imaginable to come true. It is located inside Juno Cave, a fabled cave that is protected by Megaman Juno. " The class looked at Megastar. "I'm sure Juno has no connection with Megastar whatsoever. Juno Cave is located on Kattelox Mountain, right outside the Garden."
They all looked outside and saw a monstrously large mountain. "I'll bet Megastar's gonna add that stone to his collection ," Zell snickered. It was true- Megastar had a massive collection of rare stones at his house. He had dug them up during his many archaeological digs with Dr. Light, his old (in more ways than one) friend. "Ha, ha. Very funny," Megastar sarcastically said.
After studying for hours about the Dream Stone and writing a page on what they would wish for if they found it, the class was dismissed. "Wow, that was so fascinating," Wheels said with a grin. "Well, I'll see ya tomorrow, Robo-Boy," Wheels jokingly laughed. Before Megastar could reach his room, Zell popped out of nowhere and startled Megastar. "Whoaaaaaaaa!" Zell laughed. "Alright, enough with the sick jokes! What do you want to ask me?" Zell innocently looked at his shoes. "Oh, nothin' much. Just... when are ya gonna look for it?" "Look for what?" Megastar looked puzzled. "The Dream Stone, of course! Everyone in the Garden knows you want your dad back! So, find the stone and make a wish!"
"If you're so interested in it, why don't you climb the mountain yourself?" Zell looked shocked. "Me? Why only one with your superior power can retrieve it!" Zell sarcastically joked. "So, when are ya gonna look?" Megastar looked irritated. "I dunno. I'll tell you in the training area tomorrow after lunch." "OK! See ya there! " Zell had a grin on his face. Megastar was suspicious. What if Zell took it from right under his nose? "Oh, well. I'll worry about it tomorrow." And with that, he retired to bed.
Chapter Three: The Monster
A soft, pale pink light crept up Megastar's bed. He yawned and rose up. "Refresher sequence initiate." Immediately, a light shined over Megastar and he looked good as new. " Let's see, what can I do with my free time? Oh, yeah, go visit Zell in the training area. Oh, well! I've got some time before noon comes," Megastar thought.
Megastar entered the classroom and sat at his desk. "Oh, class, I just remembered," Ms. Bonne recollected. " Now, don't be frightened- a monster is rumored to have been seen on the campus. Five have been thrown against walls, according to their stories. Seven have been captured and escaped, barely with their lives intact." The class looked less than terrified. A boy piped up. " Hey! This isn't some stunt to get us training harder like last year, is it?" Ms. Bonne looked at him. "No- The headmaster himself was captured, or that's one of the suspected reasons for his absence."
Now the class looked terrified. "The monster is said to come every 1000 years, the same time Juno Cave is said to be opened. Myth has it that the monster is protecting the Dream Stone from anyone who wants to take it. Headmaster Tiesel had a strong greed for anything rare, so he was probably at the head of the list. Another myth is that souls who have tried to retrieve the stone are captured inside the cave until someone succeeds."
Megastar thought about what Ms. Bonne had said while eating hot dogs in the cafeteria. After lunch, he tried to sneak away, but Zell caught him before he got to the dorm door. "Oh, Megastar, you don't need to change for me! Well, maybe. But it doesn't matter! We've got to decide when you are going to climb Kattelox Mountain!
How about tomorrow?" Megastar shoved Zell. "I'm not going." Zell looked shocked, this time for real. "What?! Why not?! The only cons are the life-threatening dangers and the risk of having your soul trapped in a cave forever!"
Looking angry, Megastar let out a long, surprising string of thoughts, angry thoughts about Zell. " You are so selfish! Knowing you, you're probably conning me into stealing the stone for you so you can steal it from me! Then, you'll probably wish for something stupid, like a million Zenny(currency) !!!" Zell looked relatively startled for real. " Why would you say a thing like that?" Megastar looked bummed. "I dunno... I just want the stone badly so I can wish my dad back. But to enter the cave, I'll need a good Spotter."
A Spotter is someone who warns you about incoming danger while you are digging in ruins. "Why don't you ask Roll?" Zell suggested. Roll was Wheels' older sister, and Megaman's old Spotter. "No, she's digging with Dr. Light and her grandfather, Barrel over by the Clozer Sub-Gate. Hey, how 'bout Wheels?" Zell's eyes flashed with fear. " Wheels?! She's still a rookie! You could die in there!" What would you care, Megastar thought. "I know she's a rookie, but she's all we've got! I'll tell her it's a... practice run! Yeah! Dad, prepare for reentry!"
"And how do you propose to get the Stone by yourself?" Megastar heard a voice behind him. He turned around. "Bass!" Yes, it was Bass- a larger, more physically developed 'bot and Megaman's friend. " Hiya, Megastar! Ya miss me? Stepping from behind Bass, A tall figure with red hair appeared. " Roll! It's you! Yes!" Standing next to her was Wheels, her nose buried in a book with "How to be a Good Spotter" on the front. "Hi, Megastar! Roll heard about the stone, and we came to help you get it!"
"That's great! I won't lose myself in the cave!" Megastar cheered with delight. "And Wheels will get her first big mission! I can almost taste the Dre-" Roll was interrupted by a large thumping from not too far away. Bass drew his Z-Saber, as did Megastar. "Get ready, guys- that thing sounds big! " Roll and Wheels drew out two blasters. Rush, Megaman's Robo-Dog, and Cyclone, Megastar's little Robo-Pup got ready for battle.
Chapter Four: The Discovery
"Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"A huge, towering monster loomed over the team. "Megastar! Dizzy Strike Z!" Bass commanded. Immediately, Bass and Megastar began slashing in a synchronized pattern, this way and that way, here and there. They weren't hitting the beast in any way, though. "Guys! What are you doing?! Hit it already!" Roll shouted above the beast's tumultuous cries. Yes, it seemed as though their Dizzy Strike Z was doing nothing.
But what's this? The monster was beginning to teeter around. Now it was clear- Dizzy Strike Z made people, well, dizzy! The monster teetered and teetered until it fell. "Megastar! Laser Pit, now!" Bass yelled. Megastar nodded and shot a huge pit into the ground. Laser spikes covered the pit floor.
Now, any other monster that hit the laser spikes would have blown up and be done with it. Not this monster, though. It floated up into the air and back to Kattelox Mountain, leaving a note fluttering to the ground. Megastar ran up to the note and picked it up. "The print is too tiny too read- we'll have to blow it up at the lab." The note looked like this:
Dear Megastar,
If you are trying to retrieve the stone, you must know one thing: only one with a pure heart can touch the stone. After grabbing the stone, Juno will attack you from behind. You will need the ancient Shining Laser Sword to defeat him. This stone is located in Starlatan Garden in a hidden room. Good luck, fellow adventurer...
Anonymous
"Computer," Roll commanded. " Enlarge scanned data." Beeps and whirs followed after that. " Data enlarged," the computer replied obediently. A piece of paper came through the printer. The note now looked like this:
Dear Megastar,
If you are trying to retrieve the stone, you must know one thing: only one with a pure heart can touch the stone. After grabbing the stone, Juno will attack you from behind. You will need the ancient Shining Laser Sword to defeat him. This stone is located in Starlatan Garden in a hidden room. Good luck, fellow adventurer...
Anonymous
"Okay... 'Only one with a pure heart can touch the stone'?"
Roll said after reading the note. "Talk about corny! Pure heart, huh? I guess that leaves Zell out." Zell turned red. " Well, Bass used to be evil... Roll and Wheels were once hypnotized by Bass... and Zell? Ha! No explanation needed. Well, who's left?" Bass informed. They all looked at Megastar. "Well, I guess it fits- goody-two-shoes saving many lost souls from the Dream Stone's curse," Zell joked. "Well, Zell, he hasn't done anything evil or mean, Mr. Detention!" Wheels defended. "Well, then, it's settled- tomorrow, we go to Kattelox Mountain."
Chapter Five: The Ascent
After picking up the Shining Laser Sword from the trapdoor Ms. Bonne told them about, the tiny group, consisting of Megastar, Bass, Zell, Roll, Wheels, Rush and Cyclone, stood at the foot of a huge natural structure. "Kattelox Mountain," Roll told the gang. " 32,000 feet of solid rock- wih a Dream Stone just waiting to claim another 7 souls up top. Ours. How positive." Megastar looked up to the peak of the mountain, the sun glaring in his eyes. "Well, better not waste any time complaining- let's go."
The team started their long ascent up the mountain's treacherous traps and danger lurking around every corner, each evil with an invisible, smug grin. "What's that sound?" Wheels asked after awhile. "I dunno. It sounds like... wings?" Megastar awkwardly replied. All of a sudden, 50 annoying little Harpies and three Sirens appeared, ready to lull them to sleep and kill them. But they seemed to be flying stiffly, controlled, mechanically, almost... robotic.
The Sirens started their evil melody of sleep, bringing the three full humans, Roll, Wheels and Zell to their knees, deep in sleep. The four robots, Bass, Rush, Megastar and Cyclone, however, were not affected by this deafening symphony of evil. " One good thing 'bout being half-robot- you're immune to other robots' attacks!" Bass said as he reduced the three mecha-monsters to mere circuits with his Z-Saber. "Nice job, Bass! But there are still those other 50 mini-devils to deal wi-" Roll was cut off as she and her sister were lifted in to the air and dropped at 50 feet by 20 Harpies.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!" Roll and Wheels screamed in unison as they fell to the earth. Just before touchdown, though, Megastar leaped toward them and caught the two terrified screamers. "Whew!" Roll sighed, Wheels still paralyzed in fear. "Thanks, Megastar!" "I- abba-dabba- whoza- mama-" Wheels mindlessly babbled. "Snap out of it!" Roll said as she slapped Wheels. "Ohhhhhhhhh... thanks. I needed that," Wheels moaned. By the time this little rescue scenario had ended, Bass had fricasseed those annoying Harpies.
"Well, we've almost reached the cave- let's go," Bass said.
Chapter Six: The Battle
The gang had finally made it- before them stood the open mouth of Juno Cave. Inside laid a seemingly harmless stone. "The Dream Stone..." Megastar gasped. "A simple stone... yet the most powerful item in the universe," Roll chimed in. Megastar reached up and touched it gingerly, as if it were his own power jewel. (A power jewel is a jewel that robots wear anyplace they choose to give them life; Megaman's was broken.) Finally, when he couldn't bear the tension any longer, he reached out and grabbed the Dream Stone.
Immediately, a figure knocked Megastar down, causing him to drop the stone and fall to the ground. "What the..." Megastar looked up and gasped. He was staring at a robot with long pink hair, muscular arms and a drill where the legs should have been. "I am the guardian of the Dream Stone. I am the ruler-to-be of Earth. I am... Megaman Juno." He talked in a calm, almost happy voice that gave Megastar the chills.
"I've come for the Dream Stone, Juno. Just hand it over," Megastar said with a small quaver in his voice. "You'll have to fight for the stone and quite possibly your life if you challenge me," Juno replied in that freakily calm voice of his. 'OK. Let's go."
There they stood, facing each other. Megastar, a tense look on his face. Juno, with that weird grin on his face. "Uh oh... I left the Shining Laser Sword outside with Roll!" Megastar panicked. "Go ahead. I'll wait," Juno said calmly. "H-huh?" Megastar, with a surprised look on his face, went outside the cave and got the Shining Laser Sword from Roll. "Careful, Megastar," she warned. "Juno is very powerful. Just be careful, OK? I don't want to lose you, too." "OK, Roll. I'll do my best. I'm gonna get Dad back!"
"Are you ready yet?" Megastar walked into the cave. "Let's go." The battle commenced. Laser flashed. The fur flew high and low! Finally, Megastar slashed Juno's torso off, leaving him with circuits all around and his head on the ground. "Well, you have not beaten me yet, child. I have a little surprise for you." Immediately, a large, long-necked body appeared. Juno's head flew up and attached itself to the top. "Prepare to fry, kid!"
A laser beam shot Megastar, leaving a huge burn mark. Laser beams shot Megastar, suspending him in midair. When he finally dropped to the ground, he was sizzling. "You came, you saw, you... were lost. Ha ha ha!" A huge beam lanced through the air, leaving an oven-hot trail behind it. All of a sudden, a silhouette appeared to block the shot. "Bass!" It was Bass! "You were the silhouette?!" Megastar asked in disbelief. "Yup," Bass replied." I couldn't stand to be in Megaman's debt for saving my life twice, so I saved yours two times and I'm off the-" Bass was cut off abruptly as the blow overpowered him.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" Megastar and Bass both screamed. Just then, a smaller silhouette appeared. "Wheels?!" Wheels! It was her! She had a large beam coming from her hand. "Ugggggghhhhhhhhh-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!" Juno's beam shot back at him and he blew up in a flurry of circuits. Megastar staggered over and picked up the Dream Stone. "Finally..."
Chapter Seven: The Wish
A tornado of souls flashed. "Thank you... thank you... thank you... thanks... goodbye..." A series of voices followed the tornado. Then, silence. "..." "...'' "...'' "Yahooooo!!" "All right!" "Oh, yes! Righteous!" The small group cheered stupendously. "Well, I guess it's time to make the wi-'' BOOM! A thunderclap boomed loudly. "What the-" A spirit appeared. It was Megaman! "My son, you must go to my grave at the family junkyard and wish for my life to be restored. My power jewel will appear, good as new. Then, put it on my forehead and stand back."
The spirit disappeared. "Whoa, what was that about?" Roll asked open-mouthed. "I don't know," Megastar replied. "But let's get going!" They were now at the Voughlnutt junkyard-a graveyard for robots. There was a large mound in the center where Megaman's body lay. Megastar gulped. "I haven't been here since... the funeral." They walked up to the mound and looked at Megastar. "Well, do your thing, kid," Bass said. "OK, here goes... I wish my father's life would be restored!"
A shining light surrounded Megastar. Something was materializing in his hands as the Dream Stone disappeared. A power jewel! Megaman's power jewel! "YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Megastar cheered. He dug up Megaman's body and put in the glowing gem. Megaman started to twitch. A blue eye opened. Then another. His power chip was functioning fine! "Dad!" Megastar ran up and hugged his father. "We're finally together again..." They were reunited at last!
Epilogue
Afterward, there was a huge party at the Garden. Even Headmaster Tiesel was dancing! Megastar and Megaman were chatting about what had happened. They had a lot to catch up on! "I'm going to get some punch, OK?" Megastar asked. "Sure, that's fine," Megaman replied.
Megastar met Bass at the punch bowl. "We did it, Bass!" Megastar cheered. "Dad's back and all's well that ends well!" "Yup, I guess it is-" Something hit Megastar hard in the leg. "Uhhhhhhh..." Bass rushed up to him. "Are you OK?" Megastar looked up. A strange look was in his eye. "No, I'm OK- Bass," Megastar said oddly while walking off, laughing like a maniac. "Hmmm..." Bass muttered.
He noticed something on Megastar's leg that hadn't been there before- a small W tattoo.
By: Mehron Abdollmohammadi
Chapter One: The Arrival
"Well, the bus is here. I wonder what terrible, nightmarish evil we'll face this year?" This comment came from Megastar Voughlnutt, a student at Starlatan Garden. He was like a type of robot/ human who could independently think. As he and his friend Wheels Casket boarded the bus to Starlatan, they recalled helping the Scouts with the final battle against Queen Metallia. She had hurled a deadly Negaball at them and all seemed to be lost until a silhouette appeared and quickly repelled the attack, causing Metallia's attack to be her own undoing. They all pondered who or what this strange person could have been. This had happened at Starlatan Garden, so they were pretty sure the silhouette was at the campus before the battle started.
The bus stopped. " Okay, ya scalawags, off ter class wit' ya!" ordered Maggie Periwinkle, the bus driver and good friend of Megastar. She was one of the suspects for the silhouette that had appeared. Megastar decided to chat with Wheels since they weren't due in until 10:00 a.m. " Hey, Megastar," Wheels said. "I've been hearing some rumors about a stone that grants your every wish. Do you think you'll go after it?" Megastar shrugged. I dunno. If I had it, I'd wish my father back." Megastar's father, Megaman was killed in a battle with Zero, Megaman's friend who was possessed by an evil entity called Sigma. When Zero was near death and de-possessed, he gave Megastar a Z-saber which is a powerful light sword. He used his last breath to ask his friend Bass to train Megastar in his absence. "Well, we'd better get to class," Angie informed. As they entered the building, Megastar thought he saw a silhouette. He turned and saw nothing. "Hmmmm..." He walked into the building.
Chapter Two: The Myth
" Now, class, today we will be studying myths," said their teacher, Ms. Bonne. " Now can anyone tell me the story of the Dream Stone?" Zell, the class clown and gossip's hand shot up. "The Dream Stone is a rock that hits you when you're sleeping." The class laughed uproariously. "Very funny, Zell. Take this." A detention slip fluttered onto his desk. "Aw, man..." Ms. Bonne cleared her throat. "The Dream Stone is a mystical stone that grants its possessor one any dream imaginable to come true. It is located inside Juno Cave, a fabled cave that is protected by Megaman Juno. " The class looked at Megastar. "I'm sure Juno has no connection with Megastar whatsoever. Juno Cave is located on Kattelox Mountain, right outside the Garden."
They all looked outside and saw a monstrously large mountain. "I'll bet Megastar's gonna add that stone to his collection ," Zell snickered. It was true- Megastar had a massive collection of rare stones at his house. He had dug them up during his many archaeological digs with Dr. Light, his old (in more ways than one) friend. "Ha, ha. Very funny," Megastar sarcastically said.
After studying for hours about the Dream Stone and writing a page on what they would wish for if they found it, the class was dismissed. "Wow, that was so fascinating," Wheels said with a grin. "Well, I'll see ya tomorrow, Robo-Boy," Wheels jokingly laughed. Before Megastar could reach his room, Zell popped out of nowhere and startled Megastar. "Whoaaaaaaaa!" Zell laughed. "Alright, enough with the sick jokes! What do you want to ask me?" Zell innocently looked at his shoes. "Oh, nothin' much. Just... when are ya gonna look for it?" "Look for what?" Megastar looked puzzled. "The Dream Stone, of course! Everyone in the Garden knows you want your dad back! So, find the stone and make a wish!"
"If you're so interested in it, why don't you climb the mountain yourself?" Zell looked shocked. "Me? Why only one with your superior power can retrieve it!" Zell sarcastically joked. "So, when are ya gonna look?" Megastar looked irritated. "I dunno. I'll tell you in the training area tomorrow after lunch." "OK! See ya there! " Zell had a grin on his face. Megastar was suspicious. What if Zell took it from right under his nose? "Oh, well. I'll worry about it tomorrow." And with that, he retired to bed.
Chapter Three: The Monster
A soft, pale pink light crept up Megastar's bed. He yawned and rose up. "Refresher sequence initiate." Immediately, a light shined over Megastar and he looked good as new. " Let's see, what can I do with my free time? Oh, yeah, go visit Zell in the training area. Oh, well! I've got some time before noon comes," Megastar thought.
Megastar entered the classroom and sat at his desk. "Oh, class, I just remembered," Ms. Bonne recollected. " Now, don't be frightened- a monster is rumored to have been seen on the campus. Five have been thrown against walls, according to their stories. Seven have been captured and escaped, barely with their lives intact." The class looked less than terrified. A boy piped up. " Hey! This isn't some stunt to get us training harder like last year, is it?" Ms. Bonne looked at him. "No- The headmaster himself was captured, or that's one of the suspected reasons for his absence."
Now the class looked terrified. "The monster is said to come every 1000 years, the same time Juno Cave is said to be opened. Myth has it that the monster is protecting the Dream Stone from anyone who wants to take it. Headmaster Tiesel had a strong greed for anything rare, so he was probably at the head of the list. Another myth is that souls who have tried to retrieve the stone are captured inside the cave until someone succeeds."
Megastar thought about what Ms. Bonne had said while eating hot dogs in the cafeteria. After lunch, he tried to sneak away, but Zell caught him before he got to the dorm door. "Oh, Megastar, you don't need to change for me! Well, maybe. But it doesn't matter! We've got to decide when you are going to climb Kattelox Mountain!
How about tomorrow?" Megastar shoved Zell. "I'm not going." Zell looked shocked, this time for real. "What?! Why not?! The only cons are the life-threatening dangers and the risk of having your soul trapped in a cave forever!"
Looking angry, Megastar let out a long, surprising string of thoughts, angry thoughts about Zell. " You are so selfish! Knowing you, you're probably conning me into stealing the stone for you so you can steal it from me! Then, you'll probably wish for something stupid, like a million Zenny(currency) !!!" Zell looked relatively startled for real. " Why would you say a thing like that?" Megastar looked bummed. "I dunno... I just want the stone badly so I can wish my dad back. But to enter the cave, I'll need a good Spotter."
A Spotter is someone who warns you about incoming danger while you are digging in ruins. "Why don't you ask Roll?" Zell suggested. Roll was Wheels' older sister, and Megaman's old Spotter. "No, she's digging with Dr. Light and her grandfather, Barrel over by the Clozer Sub-Gate. Hey, how 'bout Wheels?" Zell's eyes flashed with fear. " Wheels?! She's still a rookie! You could die in there!" What would you care, Megastar thought. "I know she's a rookie, but she's all we've got! I'll tell her it's a... practice run! Yeah! Dad, prepare for reentry!"
"And how do you propose to get the Stone by yourself?" Megastar heard a voice behind him. He turned around. "Bass!" Yes, it was Bass- a larger, more physically developed 'bot and Megaman's friend. " Hiya, Megastar! Ya miss me? Stepping from behind Bass, A tall figure with red hair appeared. " Roll! It's you! Yes!" Standing next to her was Wheels, her nose buried in a book with "How to be a Good Spotter" on the front. "Hi, Megastar! Roll heard about the stone, and we came to help you get it!"
"That's great! I won't lose myself in the cave!" Megastar cheered with delight. "And Wheels will get her first big mission! I can almost taste the Dre-" Roll was interrupted by a large thumping from not too far away. Bass drew his Z-Saber, as did Megastar. "Get ready, guys- that thing sounds big! " Roll and Wheels drew out two blasters. Rush, Megaman's Robo-Dog, and Cyclone, Megastar's little Robo-Pup got ready for battle.
Chapter Four: The Discovery
"Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"A huge, towering monster loomed over the team. "Megastar! Dizzy Strike Z!" Bass commanded. Immediately, Bass and Megastar began slashing in a synchronized pattern, this way and that way, here and there. They weren't hitting the beast in any way, though. "Guys! What are you doing?! Hit it already!" Roll shouted above the beast's tumultuous cries. Yes, it seemed as though their Dizzy Strike Z was doing nothing.
But what's this? The monster was beginning to teeter around. Now it was clear- Dizzy Strike Z made people, well, dizzy! The monster teetered and teetered until it fell. "Megastar! Laser Pit, now!" Bass yelled. Megastar nodded and shot a huge pit into the ground. Laser spikes covered the pit floor.
Now, any other monster that hit the laser spikes would have blown up and be done with it. Not this monster, though. It floated up into the air and back to Kattelox Mountain, leaving a note fluttering to the ground. Megastar ran up to the note and picked it up. "The print is too tiny too read- we'll have to blow it up at the lab." The note looked like this:
Dear Megastar,
If you are trying to retrieve the stone, you must know one thing: only one with a pure heart can touch the stone. After grabbing the stone, Juno will attack you from behind. You will need the ancient Shining Laser Sword to defeat him. This stone is located in Starlatan Garden in a hidden room. Good luck, fellow adventurer...
Anonymous
"Computer," Roll commanded. " Enlarge scanned data." Beeps and whirs followed after that. " Data enlarged," the computer replied obediently. A piece of paper came through the printer. The note now looked like this:
Dear Megastar,
If you are trying to retrieve the stone, you must know one thing: only one with a pure heart can touch the stone. After grabbing the stone, Juno will attack you from behind. You will need the ancient Shining Laser Sword to defeat him. This stone is located in Starlatan Garden in a hidden room. Good luck, fellow adventurer...
Anonymous
"Okay... 'Only one with a pure heart can touch the stone'?"
Roll said after reading the note. "Talk about corny! Pure heart, huh? I guess that leaves Zell out." Zell turned red. " Well, Bass used to be evil... Roll and Wheels were once hypnotized by Bass... and Zell? Ha! No explanation needed. Well, who's left?" Bass informed. They all looked at Megastar. "Well, I guess it fits- goody-two-shoes saving many lost souls from the Dream Stone's curse," Zell joked. "Well, Zell, he hasn't done anything evil or mean, Mr. Detention!" Wheels defended. "Well, then, it's settled- tomorrow, we go to Kattelox Mountain."
Chapter Five: The Ascent
After picking up the Shining Laser Sword from the trapdoor Ms. Bonne told them about, the tiny group, consisting of Megastar, Bass, Zell, Roll, Wheels, Rush and Cyclone, stood at the foot of a huge natural structure. "Kattelox Mountain," Roll told the gang. " 32,000 feet of solid rock- wih a Dream Stone just waiting to claim another 7 souls up top. Ours. How positive." Megastar looked up to the peak of the mountain, the sun glaring in his eyes. "Well, better not waste any time complaining- let's go."
The team started their long ascent up the mountain's treacherous traps and danger lurking around every corner, each evil with an invisible, smug grin. "What's that sound?" Wheels asked after awhile. "I dunno. It sounds like... wings?" Megastar awkwardly replied. All of a sudden, 50 annoying little Harpies and three Sirens appeared, ready to lull them to sleep and kill them. But they seemed to be flying stiffly, controlled, mechanically, almost... robotic.
The Sirens started their evil melody of sleep, bringing the three full humans, Roll, Wheels and Zell to their knees, deep in sleep. The four robots, Bass, Rush, Megastar and Cyclone, however, were not affected by this deafening symphony of evil. " One good thing 'bout being half-robot- you're immune to other robots' attacks!" Bass said as he reduced the three mecha-monsters to mere circuits with his Z-Saber. "Nice job, Bass! But there are still those other 50 mini-devils to deal wi-" Roll was cut off as she and her sister were lifted in to the air and dropped at 50 feet by 20 Harpies.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!" Roll and Wheels screamed in unison as they fell to the earth. Just before touchdown, though, Megastar leaped toward them and caught the two terrified screamers. "Whew!" Roll sighed, Wheels still paralyzed in fear. "Thanks, Megastar!" "I- abba-dabba- whoza- mama-" Wheels mindlessly babbled. "Snap out of it!" Roll said as she slapped Wheels. "Ohhhhhhhhh... thanks. I needed that," Wheels moaned. By the time this little rescue scenario had ended, Bass had fricasseed those annoying Harpies.
"Well, we've almost reached the cave- let's go," Bass said.
Chapter Six: The Battle
The gang had finally made it- before them stood the open mouth of Juno Cave. Inside laid a seemingly harmless stone. "The Dream Stone..." Megastar gasped. "A simple stone... yet the most powerful item in the universe," Roll chimed in. Megastar reached up and touched it gingerly, as if it were his own power jewel. (A power jewel is a jewel that robots wear anyplace they choose to give them life; Megaman's was broken.) Finally, when he couldn't bear the tension any longer, he reached out and grabbed the Dream Stone.
Immediately, a figure knocked Megastar down, causing him to drop the stone and fall to the ground. "What the..." Megastar looked up and gasped. He was staring at a robot with long pink hair, muscular arms and a drill where the legs should have been. "I am the guardian of the Dream Stone. I am the ruler-to-be of Earth. I am... Megaman Juno." He talked in a calm, almost happy voice that gave Megastar the chills.
"I've come for the Dream Stone, Juno. Just hand it over," Megastar said with a small quaver in his voice. "You'll have to fight for the stone and quite possibly your life if you challenge me," Juno replied in that freakily calm voice of his. 'OK. Let's go."
There they stood, facing each other. Megastar, a tense look on his face. Juno, with that weird grin on his face. "Uh oh... I left the Shining Laser Sword outside with Roll!" Megastar panicked. "Go ahead. I'll wait," Juno said calmly. "H-huh?" Megastar, with a surprised look on his face, went outside the cave and got the Shining Laser Sword from Roll. "Careful, Megastar," she warned. "Juno is very powerful. Just be careful, OK? I don't want to lose you, too." "OK, Roll. I'll do my best. I'm gonna get Dad back!"
"Are you ready yet?" Megastar walked into the cave. "Let's go." The battle commenced. Laser flashed. The fur flew high and low! Finally, Megastar slashed Juno's torso off, leaving him with circuits all around and his head on the ground. "Well, you have not beaten me yet, child. I have a little surprise for you." Immediately, a large, long-necked body appeared. Juno's head flew up and attached itself to the top. "Prepare to fry, kid!"
A laser beam shot Megastar, leaving a huge burn mark. Laser beams shot Megastar, suspending him in midair. When he finally dropped to the ground, he was sizzling. "You came, you saw, you... were lost. Ha ha ha!" A huge beam lanced through the air, leaving an oven-hot trail behind it. All of a sudden, a silhouette appeared to block the shot. "Bass!" It was Bass! "You were the silhouette?!" Megastar asked in disbelief. "Yup," Bass replied." I couldn't stand to be in Megaman's debt for saving my life twice, so I saved yours two times and I'm off the-" Bass was cut off abruptly as the blow overpowered him.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" Megastar and Bass both screamed. Just then, a smaller silhouette appeared. "Wheels?!" Wheels! It was her! She had a large beam coming from her hand. "Ugggggghhhhhhhhh-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!" Juno's beam shot back at him and he blew up in a flurry of circuits. Megastar staggered over and picked up the Dream Stone. "Finally..."
Chapter Seven: The Wish
A tornado of souls flashed. "Thank you... thank you... thank you... thanks... goodbye..." A series of voices followed the tornado. Then, silence. "..." "...'' "...'' "Yahooooo!!" "All right!" "Oh, yes! Righteous!" The small group cheered stupendously. "Well, I guess it's time to make the wi-'' BOOM! A thunderclap boomed loudly. "What the-" A spirit appeared. It was Megaman! "My son, you must go to my grave at the family junkyard and wish for my life to be restored. My power jewel will appear, good as new. Then, put it on my forehead and stand back."
The spirit disappeared. "Whoa, what was that about?" Roll asked open-mouthed. "I don't know," Megastar replied. "But let's get going!" They were now at the Voughlnutt junkyard-a graveyard for robots. There was a large mound in the center where Megaman's body lay. Megastar gulped. "I haven't been here since... the funeral." They walked up to the mound and looked at Megastar. "Well, do your thing, kid," Bass said. "OK, here goes... I wish my father's life would be restored!"
A shining light surrounded Megastar. Something was materializing in his hands as the Dream Stone disappeared. A power jewel! Megaman's power jewel! "YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Megastar cheered. He dug up Megaman's body and put in the glowing gem. Megaman started to twitch. A blue eye opened. Then another. His power chip was functioning fine! "Dad!" Megastar ran up and hugged his father. "We're finally together again..." They were reunited at last!
Epilogue
Afterward, there was a huge party at the Garden. Even Headmaster Tiesel was dancing! Megastar and Megaman were chatting about what had happened. They had a lot to catch up on! "I'm going to get some punch, OK?" Megastar asked. "Sure, that's fine," Megaman replied.
Megastar met Bass at the punch bowl. "We did it, Bass!" Megastar cheered. "Dad's back and all's well that ends well!" "Yup, I guess it is-" Something hit Megastar hard in the leg. "Uhhhhhhh..." Bass rushed up to him. "Are you OK?" Megastar looked up. A strange look was in his eye. "No, I'm OK- Bass," Megastar said oddly while walking off, laughing like a maniac. "Hmmm..." Bass muttered.
He noticed something on Megastar's leg that hadn't been there before- a small W tattoo.