We are at space again! Let's see what can go wild with this team.

Chapter 15: The Gates of Space, search for the candy

The team and Squirps found themselves floating in space again.

"This is the Space Bypass! Yeah, from somewhere in here, we can enter the Whoa Zone. C'mon, space grunts, look for the entrance, squeork!" Squirps commanded.

"Whoa Zone? What kind of lame name is that?" Heather spat.

"It's a prohibited zone, squirp. Some call it the 'Space Graveyard,' squoooinks. It's a complicated maze... They say once you go in, you can never get out... And supposedly, the Pure Hear t is hidden at the very back of that maze, squinkly!" the alien exclaimed.

All of them nodded and followed the creature. In their way, they defeated more enemies and won fifty dollars.

The ten came upon strange green pillars, conveniently with a hole in the shape of the alien. "It's a Space Gate, squirp! These lead from the Space Bypass to the Whoa Zone! Through this gate is the way forward, space grunts" he smiled.

Squirps quickly placed himself in the hole and the pillars revealed two doors. The alien got out of the hole and told the heroes to follow him.

Just as they finished traversing another portion of the galaxy and winning one hundred dollars from enemies, the team made it to another pillars, but these ones had one hole each.

"Another wonderful shape! I feel another compulsion... Must...get...twisted...into...there! Someone twist me in!" Squirps requested, Courtney eagerly pushed him and he trembled but nothing happened.

"Something... Something's missing, squirk... Definitely... I can't shake it... There's only one solution... That's right! Squirps must eat something yummy! Squirps will not move until Squirps eats something good! This I declare, squooooorp!

Squuuuuuurgh... So hungry... Squirps can't move... well, Squirps CAN move, but so very slowly... squirps needs to eat something yummy!" the creature shook his head.

"Now we have to feed him?! Ugh!" Courtney groaned.

"I'd say we split up again, but I feel that won't do any good. So let's go all together and look for something to feed him" the leader said.

This time, the teens agreed with Courtney and began to explore the space.

After many wormholes and avoiding undefeatable enemies, they eventually arrived to… a convenience store.

Confessional: Courtney

"Even for Mario's world, this is ridiculous" she rolls her eyes.

End Confessional

The owner accepted forty dollars for the best chocolate bar he had and the team returned to Squirps.

Peach carefully gave the alien the candy, who ate it and something strange happened.

"TH-THIS IS... It smells delightful, squiigs... It tastes delightful, squoort... It's perfectly PERFECT! Oh... Squirps can't see through tears of joy!

TOOOOOO GOOD!" Squirps shouted and temporally cloned himself to activate the gate.

"Squirp! Sorry about that... Squirps got carried away..." the alien blushed.

The team crossed the gate and found an entrance to a strange place.

Mario, Heather and their friends took the Space Byway and merged into the Whoa Zone.

Known to some as the Space Graveyard, it was said to consume all who entered it.

"Just a little bit longer... We'll be arriving soon," said young Squirps. With his unblinking eyes glimmering, Squirps continued to forge onward.

Would Mario, Heather and friends get their hands on the Pure Heart at long last?

They made it through the depths of space and reached a bizarre place, hope they won't go mad in there. Feedback is always welcome!