Terribly sorry for not updating. Junior year has started out hectic. Seriously, with Cross Country practice and then homework, I don't have time to do stuff until 9, then that gives me...what, an hour? Even then, I may not be able to get to the computer. Couple that with the fact that I was having trouble thinking of what to write for this chapter, and you can see where I'm coming from. Nonetheless, school started well. Except for that my Consumer Economics teacher speaks to us in a condescending manner, and that my Algebra 2 class is full of kids who came from the lowest math classes from last year, while I came from a higher up one. Lame.
Enough of my problems. Please enjoy this chapter, despite it's shortness.


Chapter 27: Wonderful Spelunking

"Well then, let's get going," Python said to Mario. Mario had gotten a bit more used to the surroundings of the cave networks, and thankfully was fully healed and ready to go. Python had grabbed several pieces of high tech detection equipment from his small base of operations. "To help us in finding the object. These things can lock on to the signature of the object, and will no doubt lead us to my…former partner." Mario nodded, and they began to set off into the dark cave network. Python had replaced his pair of sunglasses for a set of night vision goggles at the moment. "Let's move out! Quietly though…" The Monty Mole directed, immediately running out into the darkness.

Mario ran after him, unfortunate to have not been befitted with the same technology that Python had. Instead, the plumber had to follow after the mole by trusting his hearing, following the beeps and grunts of the mole. A few seconds more of blindly running and he ran into the back of Python, falling with a grunt. "Shhh…I almost forgot about this," Python said. Now that Mario was by him, he could make out a bit more with the lights emanating from the equipment Python carried. The Monty Mole pulled out a small cylinder with a grin. "I can't believe I forgot this. A good agent always leaves his base without a trace. And I happen to know the best way to get it done." He said, pressing down on the button.

Mario immediately ducked for cover as the explosion behind him echoed fiercely through the cavern. Light from the blast temporarily lit up the cavern as bright as day, something Mario had not seen in so long, thus hurting his eyes. All he could tell from then on was that Python was laughing hysterically beside him as the light quickly dimmed and gave back in to darkness. "Sorry about that chap. But I must follow protocol. HQ would never allow me to see the end of it if I didn't. Now let's continue."

Making sure he was closer by to the mole, Mario found it much easier to navigate the cave system. They came upon a few Dark Goombas and Dark Koopas for some reason, but they were made short work by Python. Once again, the darkness proved to be an inhibitor for Mario, so the Monty Mole just dug underneath them and pulled them underground.

They continued moving along; following the electronic beeps that came from a watch Python wore. This was perhaps the only way they actually knew the direction they were going in. At some point in time, Python shrieked in alarm at something in their path, which turned out to be two Swoopers that flew down from the ceiling. Mario tried to stop the mole, but the total darkness inhibited him from doing so. Instead, he could only begin to act when he heard a crashing sound as the Monty Mole ran into a rock wall nearby. Mario ran in the direction of the noise, and was surprised to see a faint glow from the equipment that was scattered all around Python.

As it turned out, Python had broken most of the equipment beyond repair when he ran into the wall, blindly going around and ignoring what he saw in his night-vision goggles. "Eh, a bit of help please, Mario?" Python grunted as he attempted to shake off the equipment from his body. Mario walked over and helped him to pull the bits of metal scraps off, allowing the Monty Mole to stand up. "Definitely not something I intend to do again. But look at this," he said motioning to the mess around them. "HQ will have my hide for this. Thousands of coins worth of technology and it breaks right here. Looks as if we'll have to follow base instincts to find our way through this place. That is, unless…blast, it seems not so." Python said as he looked down at his detector watch just in case it may still be functioning. Unfortunately, it was not. "So then, which way should we go? The light we have here is dying, and we may as well be lost. Why did I not think of this possibility before?" the mole berated himself, beginning to knock his forehead with a fist in frustration. Mario was about to try and cheer his partner up when a reddish glow lit up a passage a bit ahead of them. Both turned to the source of light and ran to see what caused it.

Upon reaching the corridor, they found not just one lit torch on the wall, but several of them lining the wall every ten or so feet, brightly lighting up the way. Python looked to Mario, uncertainty playing upon his face. "Astounding. As much as I would say we should take this way, a part of me believes that something could go quite wrong if we went this way. But we may find our partner. But he may want that. Grr…decisions can be tough to make, right Mario? Mario?" Python looked up from his mumblings to see the red plumber already making his way down the lit path. "Alright then. We take the mystery path!" Python said, running as best as he could to catch up.

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"Graves, you there?" Shelly called out as she continued to scale down the vertical wall of the hole. It had been hours since they started, and the darkness had quickly consumed them. The only light came from when William made occasional pass-throughs as he flew up and down the hole again and again, keeping within a close distance to the others. The Shy Gal received a squawk in reply from the Goonie pirate, whom she could only assume to be about the same level as her. "Whatcha need?" he called out in reply. Shelly sighed as she took a moment to stop. "Could you carry me the rest of the way down? Climbing gets a lot more tiring than it looks. And I think Boone wants a lift as well. Right Boone?"

"You kidding? I could go another day like this!" The Boomerang Bro. called out from the darkness. Shelly gritted her teeth and removed a small rock from the wall in front of her; throwing it in the direction she had heard Boone's voice. "Ouch! What was that?" he cried out as the rock hit him in the back of his head. Even with a helmet, he still felt the resounding effects of the hit. It took him a second to understand exactly what had happened, but he gave his answer quickly. "Er, I mean yeah! I'm wiped out, there's no lie to that! I need a lift the rest of the way down…"

In a split second, the cheerful hooting and hollering of William was heard as the Bullet Bill plowed his way upwards from the darkness once again, taking each of them by surprise. Perhaps Boone even more than the others, since the speeding Bullet came up underneath him, taking him along for the ride. "WAAHHHH! Definitely not what I had in mind!" Boone screamed as the two of them blasted upwards. A few moments later, they came back down through the others.

"Alright, now I'll do it," Graves said. "But don't mess my flight up!" he warned, softly gliding over to where he could hear the grunts of Shelly as she scrambled down. The Shy Gal tentatively grabbed on to his small body, making sure she wasn't at all about to fall off. "Hang on, or Davy Jones'll be seeing you quite soon!" Graves laughed, tucking his wings in and diving in after William and Boone. Duplissa had been quiet the entire time, but knew exactly what to do, following right behind Graves and Shelly as they dropped down to the cave system.

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"Land ho!" Graves cried out as he and Shelly began to make a soft landing at the bottom of the pit. William and Boone were already waiting for them, and Duplissa was still right behind the two of them. After touching down, Graves began to stretch out for a moment after having to carry Shelly down the rest of the way. "I'm never giving anyone a free ride again. It's hard enough to fly myself. Having to carry someone? That's guaranteed suicide!"

"Hey, no one gives a care Graves," Shelly remarked. She began to look around the general area, but was unsurprised to find that it was no more than a normal cave with the rocks surrounding all around them. She looked up and spotted the hole from which they came from. "Well, at least we know where we need to go if we need to leave. Just look for the hole in the roof. And for the rest, it's normal. Just a plain old cave, complete with generic lit torches and…wait, what? Torches?"

Sure enough, the entire cave was ablaze with light from multiple torches placed all around the walls. None of them had actually paid any notice when they were coming down, but seeing it all of a sudden seemed odd. "Obviously someone has been here before us, and probably taken Mario with them," Graves observed. "Otherwise, that plumber would be still lying here after his fall. Even if we woke up, I doubt he'd be in any condition to get moving anywhere. Now just where he could have been taken, that is the question."

"WELL, there's only way to find out, isn't there?" William asked sarcastically. "We GET lookin'!" Everyone began to mumble in agreement, but Shelly spoke up in objection. "Wait a minute. We can't just go off and look for Mario. We have no idea where he could have gone. Plus, we may just get lost. And then we'd die down here. If not resorting to cannibalism first."

Graves scurried back a few feet after hearing this. "My great grandpappy always told me of his infamous voyage. An absolutely massive Cheep-Cheep, bigger than any to have swam the seven seas, had annihilated his boat and supplies. The tales he told me of how they tried to survive until they found help…they gave me nightmares. Not something for a five-year-old to ever want to hear, much less anyone else."

Duplissa gasped in alarm. "I don't want to be eaten! Or have to eat anyone for that matter!" She sat in a little ball as she tried to pull herself together. Shelly smacked herself on the forehead. "NO! I wasn't being serious! No one will eat anyone else! No one is going to die! All we have to do is stick together and find our way around. We'll find Mario, we'll find the Star, and we'll get out of here. It's as simple as that." She said finally.

"Yeah, uh, can I add something to that?" asked Boone. Shelly shot him a look. "What could you want to add?"

"I don't know. How about something to do with that?" He pointed off behind him to where one entrance to the cave network went. A cloud of dust was beginning to pool out from it, until a giant mole came out, waddling at full speed. All five of them stared at it, completely terrified as it ran in their direction. Two more of the monsters came out from behind it, further enhancing the terror of the scene.

"Mega Moles!" Shelly screamed. "Everyone, move! We got to get moving!" She didn't even begin to wait for the other four, instead immediately taking off towards the closest hallway to her. "Wait for us!" Boone cried, screaming like a little girl as he and the others ran after Shelly, and away from the Mega Moles that were nearly upon them. "This is just like the Whacka family!" he yelled.


So, was it decent? Hopefully, the next one will be better. I don't know, these past two I'm kind of iffy on right now. Review if you want, and I'll see you guys next time!