AN-And today, we will see something completely unexpected, since that's really all you can expect in Red's life. ONWARDS!
Chapter Fifty-Two-The Caliosteo Pipsqueak
Joe jumps off of the top of my pack, and looks at the stone chest. "This here's the stone chest where they were keepin' Zongazonga." He tells us. "Sure wish I hadn't opened it..." I pat him on the top of his skull.
"Don't be hard on yourself." I tell him. "You didn't know." Prof. Scatterly looks around the room.
"I've been searching high and low, but I'm no closer to finding a way to defeat Zongazonga." He looks at me and Joe. "I may need to enlist your help, my good eggs! What say you?" I nod, and start looking around the room. Joe sits by the stone chest, undoubtedly replaying the moment he opened it in his head. It must've scared him half to death. I look in the stone chest to see a molded pedestal inside, no doubt where Zongazonga's skull sat for all those years. I look at the opening switch, and realize that the chest couldn't be opened from the inside. I keep walking around, looking for anything, only to find nothing.
Dino...I just want to get out of here... I think as a chilly breeze springs up. The eerie gray light coming from the torches, and the moonlight streaming through the windows doesn't help either. The two lights whitewash the whole room, giving it a ghostly appearance. The wind makes a hollow moan that vibrates through my ears, making me shiver. I wander over to the arch behind the stone chest, and look up at it. It has three bars of a moon white stone, all of them near the bottom, with one vertical, and two other slanting downward next to it. Beneath the middle one is some sort of inscription, in the Caliostenise language. "Hey, I think I found something!"
"What, ho?" Prof. Scatterly says hurrying over. I take my flash light out, and shine it on the inscription, allowing him to see it, while Joe hops up onto my pack. The professor looks over the runes. "Ah, yes, quite. Allow me to work my deciphering magic!" He tells us. He looks back at the runes.
"To defeat Zongazonga, the rebellion leader used a powerful substance to create an ultimate weapon called the Caliosteo Pipsqueak." Professor Scatterly reads. "They used this weapon to knock Zongazonga's skull out of his the stolen body. The Caliosteo Pipsqueak could also keep Zongazonga from stealing bodies for a short time. The people used that moment to capture the skull and seal it away in the stone chest."
"The Caliosteo Pipsqueak?" Joe asks. "Seems like a pretty wimpy name for a weapon. But, if it helps us stop ol' ZZ, then I'm all for it! Where can we find this Caliosteo Pipsqueak, Professor?"
"Ahem!" Prof. Scatterly says. "Yes, yes. Please allow me to continue." He looks back at the runes. "We fear the seal holding Zongazonga may one day be broken. If such a day should come, know that we have hidden the Caliosteo Pipsqueak here. Press the crest on the wall, and accept the Trial of the Guardian. If you prevail, the ultimate weapon shall be yours."
"Guardian?" I ask. I look at the runes, and see a small, star shaped crest beneath it. I look at t closer, and see it has a letter in the Caliostenise language edged into it. "This must be it." I say, running my finger tips over the letter edged in.
"I dunno 'bout this..." Joe says. "Doin' a trial from some guardian sounds a mite bit dangerous."
"..." We all stand there.
"Yes, it's a difficult decision." The professor says. "Shall we press the crest, or no?"
"..." I look at it, my flash light making it seeable. 'What do you guys think?'
'I think we need to do it.' Air Strike says.
'I think we need to be careful.' Cloud Cover says.
'I think we need to consider every possible situation.' Flamethrower says.
'...' I reach out, and push the crest. It smoothly slides in, without any effort or noise, then glows. I let my hand fall back to my side, and the three moon white stone objects on the arch start to glow as well. The ground begins to shift some under our feet, and I hear a rumbling noise.
"Aw, horse feathers!" Joe says. "What now?"
"Now, I accept the Trial." I tell him taking a step back from the arch.
"The guardian is coming!" Prof. Scatterly says. He and Joe duck behind the stone chest as the arch, which was really a door, slides up to reveal two ghostly purple eyes, which hold a fire in them, and a bone chilling wind comes out, with some eerie fog.
"Who dares to disrupt my slumber?" It asks, projecting its thoughts so we can all hear it. It's voice grinds together like two boulders, and booms with power.
"I do." I say, stand there boldly. It looks down at me.
"You?" It asks. I nod with a confirmative grunt.
"Why?" I ask. "Were you expecting someone taller?"
"On the contrary, hatchling." It tells me. "I was expecting someone shorter." I blink with surprise.
"...Okay...then..." I tell it. "But look, we need the Caliosteo Pipsqueak."
"The Pipsqueak?" It asks. "Which one?"
"...Which one?" I ask.
"There are two." It tells me. "Haven't you wondered how it got its name? The rebel leader was referred to as pipsqueak, since she was so small."
"Ah..." I say. "But please we need it." I tell him.
"How am I to know that you are here because Zongazonga has sent you?" It asks. I think, then remember something. I pull off the medal the rebel leader gave me, and hold it up to the guardian, allowing it to see the symbol on it. It sniffs the medal. "It smells of her faintly..." It looks back at me. "He has escaped. You require the Caliosteo Pipsqueak, but you must pass my trial."
"Please," I tell it, putting the medal back onto my suit were it was. "you need to give it to us. I know everything can't just be fought for, and I don't want to fight you if I don't have to. Zongazonga has my best friend as his captive, and if something were to happen to him, I would never forgive myself. Please, you need to give us the Pipsqueak."
"..." It blinks "One who thinks before he acts, who speaks before he fights, and one who puts others before himself. I have no need to fight you, for if you have those qualities, and my master's medallion, then you are free to take the weapon. Use it wisely, for it is the only thing that can give you hope to stop Zongazonga."
"Thank you." I tell it, dipping my head in respect. It looks to the side, and I hear it make a sound between a snort and a scoff, ghostly purple fire appearing. It lights up some kind of powder, which then runs through the walls in the room the guardian is in, lighting up. WHOA.
The guardian is pure black, has a T-Rex head, a Brachiosaurus neck, an armored Ankylosaurus back with Pteranodon wings that are three times bigger and folded against it, Lambeosaurus arms, Triceratops horns, Stegosaurus tail, and much stronger and thicker Velociraptor legs.
Basically, it's a mix of every well known dinosaur.
It steps to the side, to reveal a pedestal with a set of steps leading up to it, and standing up on it, is the Caliosteo Pipsqueak. The periwinkle hammer head is almost as big as my head with the symbol of the Free Caliosteans, and the gray handle is about three feet long, with white glyphs edged into it in the Caliostenise language. I walk into the corridor, and towards it. I look at the walls out of the corner of my eye, to see the fire running through the walls has changed colors, and has turned into a pattern that looks like five people, standing tall with their arms crossed. One of them is yellow, one blue, one white, one brown, and one red. There's two of each person, one on either wall. The yellow is closest to the door, and looks like a man, then the white one which looks like a woman, then the brown one which looks like a man, then the red one which looks like a woman, then the closest to the pedestal is the blue one, which looks to be a man.
They seem so life like, I feel as if their eyes are watching me.
Behind the pedestal, is who I'm guessing to be the rebel leader due to the red fire and fire armor. They're in a triumphant stance, the Caliosteo Pipsqueak in one hand, raised to the sky. I walk up the set of steps, and look at the hammer. It reflects the light from the fire beautifully, yet seems to have a power around it. I reach out, and wrap my fingers around the handle.
Gray fire erupts around me.
"STOP HIM!" The rebel leader yelled. She was one the back of a dinosaur in water armor, with a man clad in water armor. They charged the dinosaur straight through Zongazonga's ranks, as if they were nothing.
"He's getting away!" The man yells to her. Zongazonga was running towards something on the top of the castle, that resembled a small ziggurat.
"You won't stop me!" He yells to them. Blood drips from his sword, his armor was splattered with more blood, and streaked with dirt while his brow shone with sweat. He runs up stairs, to the top of the structure, then drops his sword. He raises his arms and head to the sky.
"ZONGA!" He roars, making thunder clap and lightning strike. "ZONGA! ZONGA! ZONGAZONGA, ZONGAZONGA, ZONGA!" There's a low rumbling, and cracks appear around the structure's base as it begins to lift up from the ground.
"So long!" He calls to the rebel leader and the man.
"Give me a boost!" The rebel leader says. She gets on the dinosaur's head, the man on its neck. The dinosaur jumps in the air, then the man gets his hand under the rebel leaders foot, and pushes her up into the air as she jumps, giving her an airborne boost. She reaches out with one hand, and grabs the edge of the structures land with only her finger tips. She gets a better grip, then looks back over her shoulder at five people, all on different dinosaurs and different armor.
"Jacob!" She yells.
"Don't worry about us!" The man yells. "We'll be okay! You stop Zongazonga! GO GET 'EM PIPSQUEAK!" She nods, then pulls herself up onto the land. She takes the hammer off her back, and sprints up the steps towards the room at the top.
I open my eyes, and realize I just saw a memory from the rebel leader. I'm still surrounded by the gray fire, but it doesn't harm me. It merely brushes over my skin and clothes, feeling like cool water. I raise up the Caliosteo Pipsqueak out of its holder, then turn and walk back down the corridor, the fire separating as I walk down it. My face is hard with determination, and the fire parts to show the door to the chamber with the stone chest, Professor Scatterly and Joe standing there, shocked.
"...What?" I ask.
"..." They look at each other, then back at me.
"Do ya have any idea how much that startled us when that fire came outta no where?" Joe asks me.
"I'm fine..." I tell him. "And I saw a memory of the battle."
"You did?" The professor exclaims.
"Yes sir." I tell him. He stands there, shocked, and the door shuts behind me. "But still, I got it." I hold up the Caliosteo Pipsqueak.
"By Jove!" Prof. Scatterly exclaims. "The inscription on it!"
"What's it say, professor?" Joe asks, hopping up on top of my pack. I hold out the Pipsqueak to where Prof. Scatterly can see all of the letters.
"Cast with metal from the heart of a dying star, mixed with the rays of the sun and moon, foraged from the molten rock, made with the purest of the elements at the Lunar and Solar forage, and with the power to combat pure evil, a light to shine through pure darkness, the weapon shall destroy the shackles of Zongazonga, and let peace fall like rain, bringing beauty to the land."
"..." Me and Joe say nothing.
"Whoa..." I say. "Now THAT. THAT is how you make a weapon."
"It said ALL THAT?" Joe asks with bewilderment. "If I could, I'd whistle. But, that does sound pretty powerful."
"Yes, quite." Prof. Scatterly says in agreement. I sling the hammer across my back.
"We can talk about it later." I say. "But right now, we need to get back to the BB Brigade Base and plan an attack." Right as I say this, something hard falls on my head, then to the ground.
"GYA!" Prof. Scatterly exclaims, jumping back.
"What in tarnation was that?" Joe asks. I rub my head, and take out my flash light. I shine the light down on it, and freeze.
Todd's helmet.
I snatch it off the ground. "Todd's in trouble." I say. "We need to hurry."
"Why would he send Todd's helmet?" The professor asks me.
"Todd NEVER takes off his helmet." I tell him. "Let's go!" I run out of the room, hugging Todd's helmet against my chest while Joe rides on my pack, and Professor Scatterly hurries to keep up. We run down the long hallway with the murals, then outside. I throw out Water Logged's medal, and he comes out. "Hop on!" I tell the professor.
"That thing?" He asks, slightly worried.
"Yes sir!" I tell him pulling my goggles over my eyes. He scrambles up onto Water Logged, who then takes off. I sit there, hugging Todd's helmet and worried. PLEASE...let him be okay...
A few minutes later...
We run into Joe's Quarters at the BB Brigade Base, my goggles pushed back up onto my head, and I'm still hugging Todd's helmet.
"There you are!" Rupert tells us as we run up to them while Joe rides on my pack. "What happened? What took so long?"
"Long story." I tell them. "But...Something's happened to Todd." I hold out his helmet, and Pauleen's eyes grow wide.
"No, digadig!" She takes it from me, and hugs it. "No, digadig..." I put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'm going to save him, then kick Zongazonga's sorry skull to the moon." I tell her. She looks at me, worry in her green eyes and tears brimming them. "After all, we have this." I hold up the Caliosteo Pipsqueak.
"So that hammer will allow us to stop Zongazonga?" Rupert asks.
"It'll knock his skull out of Joe's body and restrict him of his powers." I tell him.
"I see..." He says, nodding.
"When can't use his power any longer, that's our chance to seal him back in the stone chest at the Stone Pyramid!" Professor Scatterly tells them.
"Well, digadig?" Pauleen asks. She hands Todd's helmet back to me, which I put in my pack and sling the hammer back across my back. "What are we standing around for, digadig? Let's go save Todd and stop Zongazonga, digadig!"
"Yeah dawg!" I say nodding.
"I shall make for the Stone Pyramid in anticipation of your arrival, eh?" The professor tells us. We all look at him. "I must prepare the chest so Zongazonga may never rise again!"
"Yes sir." I tell him. I hand him Water Logged's Dino Medal. "He can get you there, fast." He takes it.
"Thank you, I'm off!" He says. "Tallyho!" He hurries out of the room.
"All right y'all!" Joe says. "All aboard my B-Ptera! We're headin' for Wildwest Tower, Todd, and ol' ZZ!"
"Yes sir!" We all say, nodding. We run outside to the moon lit beach.
"Wait a minute!" I say we all stop.
"What's the matter pard?" Joe asks.
"We're going to have to fly around Wildwest Tower and approach it from the east side." I tell him. "They've undoubtedly caught on that we've kept heading to the west, so they've probably set up patrols."
"Red's right." Rupert says. "It'll take a bit longer, but better safe than sorry." Joe's B-Ptera comes out, and we climb onto it. I look at the position of the moon, and it's somewhere around two in the morning, yet the adrenaline in us keeps us wide awake.
Thirty minutes later...
Joe's B-Ptera glides smoothly on the wind, cutting through the silver clouds while the black sky is illuminated by the stars, and the rays from the moon wash over us. Rupert's in the front with the silver says making his hair shine brilliantly, with me behind him, Joe riding on my pack, and Pauleen behind me.
"I can see Cranial Isle." Rupert says. He looks over his shoulder at me. "We're almost to Wildwest Tower."
"Affirmative." I tell him. I can make out the lights and it's silhouette.
"Wait, digadig!" Pauleen says. We all look at her. "We-We're not moving forward, digadig!" I look, and se that she's right. The B-Ptera begins to fall, while the wind threatens to tear us from it.
"Is that Zongazonga's spell?" Rupert asks while holding onto the B-Ptera while I hold onto his shoulders, and Pauleen holds onto my backpack.
"We're losing altitude!" I say.
'RED!' Flamethrower says. He quickly tells me something, and I do it. I put one foot on the B-Ptera's wing, making it straighten out and making the B-Ptera flip right side up, then put my other foot on the other wing in the same spot. That wing straightens out, making it glide, but we're falling fast and at a downward angle.
"PREPARE FOR IMPACT!" I yell. The B-Ptera hits the ground, scraping against it and throwing us off its back. I hit the ground, and roll some before stopping on my stomach. Ohhhhh... I mentally moan. I manage to open my eyes, and see that Joe's B-Ptera left a skid indention on the ground, and to see Rupert and Pauleen on the ground as well.
"Come on, now!" I hear Joe say. "Giddyap!" I lift my head up, a scrap on my jaw, and look at Joe who's in front of me, the back of his skull to the Fighter Station. I feel the pain from my jaw disappear, and thank Lullaby for healing it.
"That hurt...digadig." Pauleen says as we push ourselves to our feet.
"We made it back to Cranial City, but my B-Ptera's plumb tuckered out." Joe tells us. "We gotta get to Zongazonga on our own."
"Okay." I tell him nodding. "Do you think you guys can make it?" I ask Rupert and Pauleen.
"We're okay." Rupert tells me.
"Let's just get to Wildwest Tower, digadig!" Pauleen says. Joe jumps onto my pack, and we run forward a few steps, only to see Terry. He whistles and thumbs the bill of his visor, and shines his flash light on us.
"Well now." He says, anger edging into his voice. "That's a bold plan." Stella appears, and shines her flash light on us as well.
"You think you can go after Joe?" She asks, anger already in her voice. "Think again!" Kent appears, shining his flash light on us.
"We're gonna dump some cold water on your hot scheme, little dudes." He tells us. Joe jumps off my pack, and in front of me.
"Stella! Terry! Kent!" He says. "Ya gotta listen to me! I'm the real Joe Wildwest! That thing up in the tower is just an evil skull that wrangled up my body! ...Sounds crazy when ya say it out loud, but it's true. Now y'all gotta let us pass!"
"..." They all stand there for a second. Stella jumps back on one foot, like what a woman would do if they saw a mouse.
"EEEEK! It's a talking skull!" She screams.
"Dude!" Kent says, a bit of fear in his voice. "It's Don Boneyard! He must be some kinda gnarly skull robot or something! ...That's seriously uncool, dude."
"Are we suppose to believe every skull that hops in here and starts flapping its mandible?" Terry asks, getting mad. "I think not!"
"It's the truth, pards!" Joe says. "Ya gotta believe me!" Terry takes a step forward, Dino Medals in hand.
"Enough!" He says. "I'm done talking. We'll let our vivosaurs handle it from here. Get 'em!" I take a step back, worried.
I can't get captured again. I think. I doubt Zongazonga will let me kick him like that again.
"We don't have time for this nonsense." Rupert says. "Go Red! Get to Zongazonga!"
"We'll handle these clowns, digadig!" Pauleen tells me.
"They're right Red!" Joe tells me, hopping back onto my pack. "You an' me gotta vamoose." I look back and forth between Rupert and Pauleen.
"Okay..." I tell him. "Just stay safe!" I tell Rupert and Pauleen. I charge, bend forward some and hold my arm up in front of me, allowing me to plow right into Terry and knock him out of my way. Stay safe you two.
"S-stop right there!" Terry says.
"I'd stop worrying about them and start worrying about us, digadig." Pauleen says.
"I'm going to teach you a lesson in manners." Rupert says. I sprint into the Fighter Station, and up the stairs to the upper deck, then towards the elevator, when I see a familiar face in front of it.
"Todd!" I exclaim, joy filling me as I see he's okay. His sandy brown hair shows easier since he's not wearing his helmet. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright! I thought-" I hurry towards him, and he suddenly punches me across my jaw, making me fall back against the railing. I sit there for a second, put my hand over the spot where he punched me, and look back at him with a sad look, and see an angry fire in his light blue eyes.
"What in tarnation did ya do that-" Joe asks hopping of my pack to the floor.
"SHUT UP!" Todd suddenly roars at him, making Joe get quiet. "I'm here for Red!" He looks back at me. "I know you never liked me! I know you made fun of me for losing to you in Round 1! You think I'm a joke? I'll show you who's laughing!"
"Todd, that's not true..." I say standing up. "You're my best friend, and my brother." I walk up to him, and put my hands on his shoulder. "Todd, I know you're in there. You're stronger than Zongazonga... Think of everything we've done together, everything we've been through. Remember when we came here and how excited we were? Remember our battle and how much fun it was? Remember when we joined the Patrol Team? When Joe saved us from the Allo? That crazy weekend? The crazy night? The crazy party? Please...You have to snap out of it...You're the closest thing I've ever had to a brother, and I love you... Please..."
"..." Todd says nothing, and he peers at me, his eye lids twitching. He squeezes his eyes shut for a second. "R-Red...?" He peers at me again, this time with his eyes. His real eyes.
"Yeah..." I tell him, a faint smile spreading across my face and tears brimming my eyes. He looks me in the eye, then shut suddenly squeezes his eyes shut again.
"NO!" He roars pushing me away. "You can't fool me anymore!"
"Todd, I'm not trying-" He looks at me, the angry fire in his eyes again.
"I'm gonna stomp you flat, and then I'm gonna laugh at YOU!" He yells, pulling out his Dino Medals. The words sting, and tears stream down my face.
"Todd..." I say sadly.
"All hail Todd!" He says maniacally. "All hail Todd! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!" He laughs evilly.
"Hold on Red." Joe tells me. "I reckon Todd here's been hypnotized by ol' ZZ."
"I'll have to fight him." I say, pulling out my team.
"YER gonna battle 'em?" Joe asks, looking at me.
"I'm not fighting Todd, I'm fighting Zongazonga." I tell him. "You have a better idea?"
"No," Joe sighs. "I reckon it's a fine idea. Just try not to hurt the poor feller."
"I'm coming for you Red!" Todd tells me, letting out his vivosaurs. He has a Barbaros, a Spinax with a silver head, making the top of it grassy green and it's underside a red velvet, and a Goyle with a silver body fossil, making it lavender with green spikes. The Barbaros is a bit bigger than a Stego, is built like one with black and gold spikes fanning off of the end of its tail, black spikes on its sides, back, shoulders, neck, knees, elbows, and has gold spines running down its back, shoulders and hips, with a tan underside, and royal blue on its back.
"Air Strike, Spinax Mega on Barbaros!" He attacks, doing one hundred twenty-eight damage. "Flamethrower, S-Fang on Barbaros!" He attacks, doing twenty eight damage.
"Pass!" Todd yells, his voice dark and threatening.
"Air Strike, Spinax Mega on Barbaros!" He attacks, doing one hundred thirty damage. "Flamethrower, S-Fang on Barbaros!" He attacks, doing twenty-eight damage.
"Barbaros, Barbaros Blast on Shanshan!" He attacks, doing one hundred eighty damage. I rotate my team to where Flamethrower is in the AZ.
"Flamethrower, S-Combo on Barbaros!" He attacks, doing two hundred twenty-two damage, sending Barbaros into his medal. I rotate my team to where Air Strike is in the AZ. Todd rotates his team to where Goyle is in the AZ.
"Goyle, Wind Spear on Shanshan!" He attacks, doing fifty nine damage, sending Cloud Cover into her medal. I catch her, and quickly put her into my pouch. "Spinax, Cyclone on S-Raptor!" He attacks, doing twenty-four damage.
"Air Strike, Spinax Giga on Goyle!" He attacks, doing two hundred damage, sending Goyle into his medal. "Flamethrower, S-Fury on Spinax!" He attacks, doing thirty-four damage. Todd moves his Spinax to the front AZ.
"Spinax, Spinax Combo on Giga Spinax!" He attacks, doing sixty-five damage.
"Air Strike, Spinax Giga on Spinax!" He attacks, doing three hundred fifteen damage, sending Spinax into his medal.
"GYYYAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!" Todd roars, grabbing his head. He suddenly looks around, then sees me, my eyes red from the tears. "Wh-what...? What... Oh my goodness Red! What have I done? I just...I mean...I was always cheering for you, but..." He looks away for a second, then back at me, with his real light blue eyes, which are now sad, and sees my sad, deep blue eyes. "...But I guess I was jealous the whole time. Jealous of the way you always won...Jealous of how easy it was for you..." Tears stream down his face. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry..." I suddenly pull him into a hug, my eyes closed and with tears streaming from them.
"It's okay." I tell him. "Todd, no matter what it is, no matter what you do, even if you tried to take my life, I will always, always, always forgive you. You'll always be my brother, and I'll always love you like one." He stands there for a second, then hugs me back, tears pouring from his eye.
"...Thank you..." He says sadly and quietly. "Thank you so much." We stand there hugging, and I hear a sniff. We both look at Joe.
"We hear that." I tell him.
"..." He sits there for a second. "Alright, so I'm not made of stone! Give me a break will ya?"
"Aw, come here Joe!" Todd says, scooping him up and hugging him. I hug Todd, and we all stand there in a group hug. We all separate after a moment, and Joe hops onto the top of my pack. "Red?"
"Yeah dawg?" I ask him.
"You're...not mad at me for being jealous?" He asks.
"Of course not!" I tell him. "Everyone gets jealous, it's human nature."
"He's right pard." Joe tells him. "Everyone gets jealous from time to time. Even ol' Joe Wildwest here." Todd smiles.
"What I can't forgive though, is Zongazonga twisting your mind to make us fight!" I say, clenching my fists.
"Yeah!" Todd says. "Let's go get Zongazonga, and give him what for!"
"Yeah dawg!" I say as we clasp hands.
"...How do we do that exactly?" Todd asks.
"With...THIS!" I tell him, holding up the Caliosteo Pipsqueak. "I hit ZZ, and he gets knocked out of Joe's body!"
"Oh!" Todd says. "Well, if you say it's a plan, then it's a plan! Let's go hammer a bad guy!"
"Not without the proper gear!" I tell him, pulling his helmet out of my backpack.
"My helmet!" He squeals. He takes it, and puts it back on his head. "Oh, I missed you..." He says running his hands over it. I smile, and sling the Pipsqueak across my back.
"Let's go!" We turn to the elevator.
"H-hey! It's Red!" We hear a man say. We all look to see two staff member rushing towards us.
"They're going after Joe!" The other one says. "Stop them!" Joe hops off my pack, and to the floor in front of the staff members.
"I reckon I can handle these doggies all by my lonesome." He tells us. "Go on now! Y'all get up there an' teach ol' ZZ a thing or two!"
"With pleasure!" I tell him. Joe hops towards the staff members, making the step back from him.
"I know y'all won't believe me, but lemme say it anyway..." Joe tells them. He jumps up in the air to their eye level. "I'm Joe Wildwest!" He tells them.
"Let's go Red!" Todd says. We step onto the elevator platform, and it starts going up. I think of everything I'm fighting for, making strength and determination build in me. The elevator dings, the panel opens, and we pop up into Joe's office. We step off the elevator platform, while Zongazonga stands in front of Joe's desk, his back to us. He turns around, and we look at his icy eyes with reptilian slits for pupils.
"...Huh." He says. "I must say, I did not expect this. Still, it spares me the bother of searching for you, so I suppose I should be thankful. Yes, well, let's not waste any more time with empty threats or the revealing of plans, mmm? You will give me your body, and you will do it now." He takes a couple of steps toward us, while we stand there, determined smiles on our faces.
"Red, why don't you serve a Caliostean dish to our PAL here?" Todd asks me. I hold up the Caliosteo Pipsqueak.
"EAT IT ZZ!" I tell him. He looks at it, his face pales, his eyes get wide, and he takes a couple of steps back.
"...Where did you find that?" He asks, a hint of fear in his voice. "That...That THING is not suppose to exist anymore."
"Well, too bad and boo-hoo for for you, it does." I tell him.
"Yeah, joke's on you chump!" Todd tells him. "And now we're gonna use it to knock you outta Joe's head!" Zongazonga looks at Todd.
"Bold words from a small man!" He tells him, anger and frustration in his voice. "You have won nothing yet..." Confusion spreads across our faces as an evil grin spreads across Zongazonga's. He lifts up his left arm, outstretched and to shoulder height. "KIYA!" he yells swinging it to the right. I feel like something rams into me, making me fly towards the destroyed wall, and tearing the Pipsqueak from my hand. I land on my stomach, and look up to see Todd on the pile of rubble, and the Pipsqueak nowhere in sight. Todd jumps up, gets in the window frame, and looks down out of it.
"NO!" He says, distraught. "The Caliosteo Pipsqueak!"
It...IT FELL OUT OF THE WINDOW? I roll over on m back, and push myself up, leaning back on my hands while my knees are bent.
"Now then," Zongazonga rumbles. I whip my head to look at him with wide eyes, to see him standing there, looking at me and grinning evilly. "can we PLEASE continue to the part where I finally steal your body?" He starts to walk towards me, and I begin to scramble back.
"Wait, Red!" Todd says. We both look at him. "I see the Pipsqueak! It's caught on the wall of the tower! I'm gonna get it! Just hold him off for a little while!" He carefully begins to climb down out of the window.
"Little fool!" Zongazonga says. "The wind will throw both him and that idiotic hammer from the tower before long." I get my feet under me, and stand up, ready to fight. Zongazonga looks at me. "...And yet you still defy me." I half smile.
"Yeah dawg." I tell him. His face hardens.
"Your friend is a mere boy for whom courage is but a fevered dream in the night." He tells me.
"He's my best friend." I tell him. "I know he can do it." He chuckles, amused.
"He is a FOOL to go out there, and you are a bigger fool to wait for him!" He laughs. "Oh, look at me. I promised not to stall, and yet here I am chuckling over my inevitable victory. Your body is mine, and I will claim it in the guise of your hero, Joe Wildwest!" He tells me whipping out some Dino Medals.
"Bring it, BONEHEAD!" I tell him, throwing out my team. He has a Berto with a silver head, giving it a pale yellow under side, greenish gray top side and gray rock like skin, a Sedion with a silver body fossil, and an Argento with a silver arm fossil. The Sedion is built like a long neck, is sea green with violet red running down its spine, white spines coming out of the top of its back, its sides, and the sides of its neck, and a purplish object on its face that has three crests that separates around its eyes. The Argento is built like a long neck, is a mustard yellow, and has spiked, grayish rock like skin that looks like a mountain range going down its back. I notice that their eyes contain a blank, zombified look to them.
'He must have taken their minds over!' Flamethrower says.
'To free our kin!' Air Strike says, anger building in him.
"Air Strike, Spinax Mega on Sedion!" He attacks, doing one hundred thirty five damage. "Cloud Cover, Shan Combo on Sedion!" She attacks, doing twenty-seven damage.
"Pass!" Zongazonga booms.
"Air Strike, Spinax Mega on Sedion!" He attacks, doing one hundred thirty five damage.
"Argento, Mountain Crush on Giga Spinax!" He attacks, doing one hundred eighty-two damage.
"Air Strike, Spinax Mega on Sedion!" He attacks, doing one hundred ninety damage, sending Sedion into his medal. I rotate my team to where Flamethrower's in the AZ. "Flamethrower, S-Combo on Argento!" He attacks, doing one hundred twenty-seven damage.
"Argento, Mountain Crush on Shanshan!" He attacks, doing two hundred eighty-three damage, sending her into her medal. I catch her, and put her in my pouch. "Berto, Blast Breath on S-Raptor!" He attacks, doing ninety-five damage, and enraging him.
ARGH! I think. He won't be able to land a hit if he's mad! I look at Zongazonga, to see him smirking. Grrrrr... I rotate my team to where Air Strike is in the AZ. "Air Strike, Spinax Tera on Berto!" He attacks, doing one hundred sixty-five damage. I rotate my Team to where Flamethrower's in the AZ.
"Pass!" Zongazonga calls. I rotate Air Strike back into the AZ.
"Air Strike, Spinax Giga on Berto!" He attacks, doing one hundred twenty-nine damage. I rotate Flamethrower into the AZ, and his anger subsides.
"Argento, Mountain Buster on S-Raptor!" He attacks, doing fifty-eight damage. "Berto, Blast Breath on Giga Spinax!" He attacks, doing forty-five damage.
"Flamethrower, S-Fury on Argento!" He attacks, doing one hundred four damage.
"Pass!" Zongazonga calls.
"Flamethrower, S-Fury on Argento!" He attacks, doing one hundred five damage.
"Argento, Mountain Buster on Giga Spinax!" He attacks, doing two hundred forty damage. Air Strike falls on his side, and goes into his medal, which I quickly retrieve.
'You did good out there.' I tell him. 'Me and Flamethrower will handle it from here.' I put him into my pouch, and look back to the battle.
"Berto, Vaporizer Combo on S-Raptor!" He attacks, doing ninety-two damage.
"Flamethrower, S-Fury on Argento!" He attacks, doing seventy-five damage, sending Argento into his medal.
"Pass!" Zongazonga calls.
"Flamethrower, S-Fury on Berto!" He attacks, doing one hundred damage, sending Berto into his medal.
"Oh ho!" Zongazonga chuckles, amused. "Well played indeed human." I catch Flamethrower's medal, and slip him into my pouch. "But I expect no less from my Majestic Vessel. And yet, without the Caliosteo Pipsqueak, I am invincible! So what will you do? Perhaps you will send your vivosaurs to attacks me, mmm?" I take a step back, scowl baring my teeth, and grunt with aggravation. "Ah, but you CAN'T do that. Because doing so would destroy the very body you came here to save. All things end the same. Your body will be mine, one way or another."
I need to stall... I think. My mind races, and something pops to the front of it. "How do you know you can take me over?" I ask him. "How do you I'm not like the rebel leader, the Majestic Vessel you couldn't take over?" Zongazonga scowls.
"I know I can." He growls. "She had something that would not allow me to...A kind of blockage almost. Something that wouldn't allow her to die...But, you do not have that, and you are not her. Therefore, I can take you." I notice something in his eyes that I never thought I would see. My eyes grow wide from it, and I point at him.
"You loved her, didn't you?" I ask.
"I DID NOT!" Zongazonga roars, his face turn a light shade of red. "She was thousands of years old despite what she looked to be, hated me, and...! I just didn't!"
"Oh, come on!" I tell him. "You did!" He waves a hand.
"FINE..." He growls. "I felt something for her, but...let's just say..." He grins some. "That I found her rather pleasing to the eye..."
"...You're gross man." I tell him.
"You shouldn't meddle in affairs you know nothing of..." He tells me. His grin returns, much wider this time. "Red Ranger."
My heart skips a beat.
My face instantly pales, my eyes grow wide, and I resist the urge to run. "Ah, I see you still remember your real name." Zongazonga purrs.
"How?" I ask.
"Someone told me." He tells me. "But, the real question is, have they told anyone else your little secret?"
"..." I say nothing, just standing and looking at Zongazonga, who stands there with a smug look on his face. "You...You're lying."
"I'm afraid I am not." He tells me. "But, what does that matter? I am going to take you body." He laughs evilly and maniacally. He then starts walking towards me, as I take a few steps back, my mind racing and panicking.
"I got it Red!" Todd says. We both look, to see him stand there, holding up the Caliosteo Pipsqueak triumphantly.
"Im-impossible!" Zongazonga says, panic in his voice. "There's no way you could-"
"I may not be good at much," Todd says. "but I'm REALLY good at climbing! Here Red! Catch!" He throws it, and I jump up in the air, grab the handle with one hand, and land on my feet in a ready stance. I look up at Zongazonga with a smile, to see him looking at the hammer with wide eyes and a pale face, undoubtedly replaying the moment it first hit him in his head.
"Yeah dawg." I say. I charge towards him, and he suddenly snaps back into reality.
"NOOOOOO!" He yells putting his hands out in front of him, and taking a step back. I jump up in the air, looking down at him, holding the hammer in both hands as he looks up at me with horror in his eyes.
"It's HAMMER TIME, BONEHEAD!" I yell at him. I swing the hammer, and it hits the side of his head.
Light blue lights appear around his head.
"JACOB!" The rebel leader yelled, looking over the edge of the floating structure. The room at the top had been blown off. Zongazonga laughs evilly.
"You FOOL!" He tells her. "Did you REALLY think that he could help you? That you could stop me? He is nothing but a weakling waiting for his end to come, and you are a fool to think that he can save anyone, when he can't even save himself!" The rebel leader looks at him, fire in her eyes.
"SHUT UP YOU CURSED DOG!" She roars at him, shooting up the stairs to the top. She was fast. Faster than anything I've ever seen. Her boots were on fire, she run straight up to Zongazonga, and kicks him between his legs, resulting in a loud CRUNCH. He falls to the ground, curled up into a tight ball. "YOU KNOW NOTHING! You think that you can't be stopped, but you have allowed us to invade your castle!"
"YOU...CURSED...CHILD..." Zongazonga squeaks, pain obvious in his voice. "YOU...DON'T HAVE...THE...HAMMER..." A name is suddenly yelled out, but I can't make it out. They both suddenly look, to see a man clad in water armor on the back of a flying air type dinosaur with another person on its back, but with air type armor.
In his hand, is the Caliosteo Pipsqueak.
"CATCH!" He yells, throwing it towards her. Zongazonga heals himself, and jumps up, just in time to see the rebel leader catch the hammer. She charges at him, he puts his hands in front of him, and she jumps high up in the air, holding the hammer in both hands.
"It's HAMMER TIME, BONEHEAD!" She roars at him.
I land on my feet, put the head of the Caliosteo Pipsqueak on the ground with the palm of my hand on the end of the handle, and look to see Zongazonga's skull on the ground, Joe's body face-down on the floor with the limbs flailed out. Todd run over to me as I smile victoriously.
"I bet he feels pretty LIGHT-HEADED!" Todd says. We laugh at it.
"Talk about a splitting head ache!" I say. "THAT'S gonna hurt in the morning!" We laugh. The elevator dings, and we look to see Pauleen, Rupert, and Joe hurry off of it.
"Todd!" Pauleen exclaims. She runs up to him and hugs him, making his face go red.
"You all right pards?" Joe asks.
"Joe, it's gonna take more than an evil flying skull to hurt us." I tell him.
"Zongazonga's skull is no long in Joe's body." Rupert says looking at Zongazonga's skull. "Quickly Joe! Reclaim your body!"
"I'm on it!" Joe says hopping towards his body. His skull disappears right into it. His shoulders rise as he sucks in a breath, and his eyes open. "..." He lays there for a second. "YEEEEEEEE-HAAAW!" He exclaims jumping in the air and miraculously doing a flip before landing right on his feet. "I feel like a million bucks!"
"And you look like a billion!" I tell him. He smiles. I hear a buzzing, but I ignore it. I've been promoted to Fighter Level 11. Joe smiles his wide, warm smile, which then disappears as he looks at Zongazonga's skull.
"But as much as I'd love to dance a jig," He says. "we got business to finish. Right now, ol' ZZ can't steal anyone else's body. Which means we gotta catch that skull and lock it away for good!" I sling the Caliosteo Pipsqueak across my back, and we surround Zongazonga, who looks at all of us frantically.
"Come here, you!" Todd says. He charges at him, but Zongazonga jumps towards Pauleen, who goes after him, being forced to run in zigzags from how Zongazonga's bouncing.
"Stupid...Digadig!" She says. "Get over here, digadig!" Zongazonga bounces around the elevator, Todd and Pauleen chasing after him, while me, Joe and Rupert run around the front to cut him off. He jumps in the air, and I jump at him, planning to grab him as I curl up into a ball, but he slips between my arms right before they close.
"This'll be easier than catchin' a greased pig at the fair!" Joe says running at Zongazonga.
His leg suddenly spazes, making him trip right over his own foot and fly through the air, only to do a face grind then flop over on his back.
We all resist the urge to burst out laughing.
"Dagnabbit!" Joe says, pushing himself to his feet. "I've been outta my body too long! My arms an' legs are movin' every which way!" Rupert charges at Zongazonga, but he jumps between Rupert's legs and onto the elevator platform.
"He's getting away, digadig!" Pauleen says.
"Oh no he isn't!" Rupert says, lunging at Zongazonga. The elevator platform lowers, Rupert and Zongazonga on it.
"Oh man!" Todd says we all rush to the front of where you get on, and we force ourselves to wait.
It comes back up, empty.
"Uh-oh." Joe says. "I hope managed to catch that slippery skull." We all get on, and ride down the elevator. We come out into the Lobby, to see Rupert standing by the elevator.
"R-Rupert?" Todd asks him. "The skull didn't get away...right?"
"Not to worry Todd." Rupert tells him. "I got it." We all sigh with relief.
"All right!" Pauleen say, jumping in the air. "Way to go, digadig!"
"Oh, you had us worried there for a second." I tell him.
"So what do we do now?" Todd asks.
"We take the skull to that Stone Pyramid place and seal it up, digadig!" Pauleen tells him happily.
"While y'all do that, I'll let everyone know what happened so they'll stop chasin' ya around." Joe tells me. "Now hurry! Get to the Stone Pyramid and lock that Zongazonga feller in the hoosegow for good!"
"It'll be our pleasure, Joe!" I tell him.
"I think you should be the one to carry this, Red." Rupert says. I look at him to see he's holding a skull. "You defeated Zongazonga, after all. It's only proper that you carry his skull to the end. I gave him a sound thrashing, so he should be quiet for a while."
"Alright." I tell him, taking the skull. I look at it. "Well, it looks like you are not to be, without a question Zongazonga."
"Let's get to the Stone Pyramid!" Todd says.
"Yeah dawg!" I say putting Zongazonga's skull in my pack.
"Professor Scatterly will be super happy to hear about this!" Pauleen says. Joe gets back on the elevator platform, while we walk down the stairs and out of the Fighter Station. I yawn. We've been up all night without a wink of sleep. At all. Then of course there's the fact that we've been running around all night, exhausting ourselves. The sky is still dark and dotted with stars, and the moon is getting close to setting.
We climb aboard the helicopter, ride to Ribular Island, and head into the Jungle Labyrinth, then to the Stone Pyramid. We walk down the long hallway filled with murals, while Todd and Pauleen stay close to me, then come into the chamber that the stone chest is in. I see Prof. Scatterly, sitting down against the wall, snoring.
Well...at least one of us got to sleep some... I think sleepily. I shake his shoulder to wake him, and pull Zongazonga's skull out of my pack, which really wakes him up.
"Quickly!" He says as we hurry up to the stone chest. "Let us seal this awful Zongazonga away while we can! It wouldn't do to have him escape and steal another body, eh wot?" He looks at me. "Quickly now old bean! Place it in the chest so we can seal it up!"
"Yes sir." I say nodding. I go up to the chest, and hold out Zongazonga's skull. "Goodbye, ZZ. May we never meet again."
"This is the end, digadig." Pauleen says. "Finally, digadig!"
"Yeah!" Todd says in agreement. "I never thought I'd see this have a happy ending!"
Zongazonga jumps out of my hands.
"GAAAH!" Todd exclaims, jumping back from it and shining his flashlight on it. "The skull! It's moving again!"
"Stand back!" The professor tells us. "He'll steal your body if you get to close!"
"Oh no he won't." I say, taking hold of the Caliosteo Pipsqueak. The skull looks at us.
"N-no!" It says. "I'm not Zongazonga! It's me! It's Rupert!"
"Yeah, right, digadig!" Pauleen says. "Diga-do I look stupid to you, digadig?"
"I'm not lying!" It tells us. "I'm Rupert! Please my friends, you must believe me!" I slowly walk up to it, and kneel down in front of it.
"Hey Red, watch out!" Todd tells me with worry.
"..." I sit there, looking at the skull.
And look...
And look...
"..." I stand up, and look at everyone. "...It's Rupert."
"...You're sure, digadig?" Pauleen asks.
"I've noticed that if I come in contact with something that has to do with the history of this place, I'll see a memory from the battle between the rebels and Zongazonga's army." I look at Rupert. "I didn't see a memory."
"Diga!" Pauleen says angrily. "We were so close!"
"I can't believe that's you, Rupert..." Todd says. "Your fans are gonna freak out if they see you like this."
"I managed to capture Zongazonga's skull in the elevator." Rupert explains. "But before I could subdue him, he struck me with a head butt. When I came to, I found myself in my current state."
"Blast!" Prof. Scatterly says. "The effects of the Caliosteo Pipsqueak wore off sooner than we anticipated."
"Diga, that skull is a good actor, digadig." Pauleen says.
"Wait..." Todd says. "If that's Rupert, and Rupert's body isn't here, and Zongazonga's taken over it...Then where is he?"
"No time to wonder." I tell Todd. I grab Rupert's skull and put him on top of my pack. "Only time to act." I run towards the exit.
"Why, digadig?" Pauleen asks. I stop, and look back at them.
"Because," I say. "every second we wait, Zongazonga is out there, a lion among sheep, getting stronger every second."
AN-YAY! ANOTHER cliffhanger! MWA HAHAHAHAHA HAAAAAA!
Adam Schmitmeyer: ...YOU COULDN'T OF TOLD ME THAT SOONER? *slams head down on desk*
Ben: YUSH!
Ninja of Night: Yes, poor Todd. But what's so EWWWWWW?
Oak: Great! Now I won't go to prison if you die! And that other review has just plain confuzzled me. :3
Greywing44: Oh, don't worry about the part where Red kicked ZZ. Zongazonga healed the wound...probably after he was able to sit up, which might have taken a few minutes.
corinster2: Yush, IT IS EPIC AWESOMENESS! :D
