Chapter 2: Beyond The Mysterious Beyond

The next morning, Grandpa Longneck and the rest of The Great Mushroom Valley Kingdom dinosaurs and the Far Walkers were gathered up in a circle with Littlefoot, Mario, and the rest in the middle of it and Grandpa Longneck was in front of them.

(Grandpa Longneck) Now Littlefoot. I want you, Mario, and the rest to talk about it.

(Littlefoot) About what Grandpa?

(Grandpa Longneck) About what you kids saw last night.

(Grandma Longneck) Word has gotten around.

(Mama Swimmer) And it's made some of our guests upset.

Upon hearing that, the leader of the Far Walkers, Mr. Spike-tail and even Topps stepped in.

(Mr. Spike-tail) Upset? That's putting it mildly.

(Topps) No reason to get all huffy.

(Mr. Spike-tail) Hump.

(Topps) Hump yourself. Now you tell us Mario. What did you all see last night?

(Luigi) Well. To make it clear. We saw an asteroid.

(Topps) There. You see? There's nothing unusual about an asteroid. We see them all the time.

(Peach) Yeah. But this one was different. It shined like the sun. Except it was blue and it flew in a straight line.

(Daisy) And it was almost close to the ground. It made these cracking sounds as it flew by and it was amazing.

Everyone was shocked. But they also found this hard to believe.

(Mr. Spike-tail) Look here. Nobody else saw this asteroid. How do you explain that?

(Mario) I don't know. I guess everyone else was asleep.

(Littlefoot) You believe us. Don't you Grandpa?

(Grandpa Longneck) Usually I do Littlefoot. But uhh.

(Wario) But what?

(Grandpa Longneck) But prehaps you all saw an asteroid that only seemed different. Prehaps you were still a little sleepy. Or maybe it was something you kids saw in a dream. Isn't that also possible?

(Mario) Well I think it's real. When that asteroid flew past us, I saw the Time Stone flashing like crazy. Like it's telling me that asteroid is something important.

(?) Yes. I believe you young one.

Mario turned around and saw what he believed he's looking at. It was a dark green Gallimimus and a light green Gallimimus. The dark green one is a male and the light green one is a female.

(Dark green Gallimimus) It's always the same. Isn't it?

(Light green Gallimimus) Yes. If they don't see it with their own eyes then it doesn't exist. What iemited thinking.

(Mario) Gallimimus'es? Here?

(Peach) Uhh. Mario?

(Mario) Gallimimus'es are alien dinosaurs.

(Luigi) ALIENS?

(Dark green Gallimimus) Yes. We are aliens. Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Vladimir. And this is my mate Zilda.

(Zilda) It's a pleasure to meet you.

(Topps) Hold on a minute. Just what are aliens?

(Luigi) It means they're not from this world.

(Vladimir) And neither are you Mario.

(Mario) Hey. How did you know that? And how do you know my name?

(Zilda) The answer will come eventually.

(Grandpa Longneck) Uh, I beg your pardon Mr. Vladimir.

(Vladimir) As well you should. It's about that asteroid you saw last night. I mean, What if the little Long-neck and the humans did see something extraordinary?

(Zilda) Miraculous?

(Topps) Impossible!

(Zilda) Really? Have you seen everything there is in this world? Are there no mysteries left for you?

(Topps) Why uhh...no.

(Vladimir) Ah. Then why do you call The Mysterious Beyond mysterious? Why not call it The Boring Beyond or The Ooh Nothing Out There of Any Interest To Us Beyond?

That got Vladimir and Zilda to sing a song that they made up as they went along with it.

(Vladimir) Do you ever wonder what's out there? Beyond The Mysterious Beyond. Out pass the smallest light that's twinkling. You can not have a liking of what is going on. For example, If this enormous black uhh. Never mind that one.

(Zilda) Beyond The Mysterious Beyond. Out where the darkness is the scariest. Out where the wonders are the rarest. Passed the edge of dawn.

(Vladimir) There's so much more to everything than anyone supposes.

(Zilda) The answers lie inside your dreams and underneath your noses.

Then Mario saw the rest of the gang coming. Cera heard what Vladimir and Zilda were talking about and didn't believe them. She then sang the same song. But in a different way.

(Cera) Beyond The Mysterious Beyond. They act like they really think they know it all. But I won't believe it till they show it all. I trust what my eyes can see. Not some dumb beyond.

Then Topps looked back at Mr. Spike-tail.

(Topps) Friends of yours?

(Mr. Spike-tail) Err. Not really. They joined up with us some time ago. Always asking questions and talking in riddles. Harmless I think? But well, they are a bit strange.

(Topps) You're all a bit strange if you ask me.

Then Littlefoot, Mario, and the rest started to sing the same song as well.

(Littlefoot) Beyond The Mysterious Beyond.

(Luigi) Think of the things that we could see there.

(Peach) Oh how I wish that we could be there. All of my friends and me.

(Vladimir and Zilda) If stars can fall and rocks can fly. And mountains catch on fire. We can send our sights beyond the sky.

(Littlefoot, Mario, and the rest) Or maybe even higher. Beyond.

(Mario) Beyond The Mysterious Beyond.

(Littlefoot, Mario, and the rest) The Mysterious Beyond.

(Daisy) Trust in your own imagination.

(Cera) Hump.

(Vladimir and Zilda) You are part of the creation of all that lies beyond The Mysterious Beyond.

(Littlefoot, Mario, and the rest) The Mysterious Beyond.

(All) Beyond.

And that's when the song ended. Cera couldn't believe that they had believed all of that.

(Luigi) Wow. Can you believe that?

(Cera) No. Not unless I see it.

(Grandpa Longneck) I'm sorry. But what are you saying?

(Zilda) We're saying, what if this is no ordinary asteroid?

(Vladimir) What if it was for example, "A Stone Of Cold Fire"?

Now everyone was confused about this and started bickering about it.

(Toad) What is a Stone Of Cold Fire?

(Zilda) Glad you asked.

(Vladimir) Some say that these stones can shine light without heat.

(Zilda) They can give powers far beyond our potential. Heal the sick and other miracles.

However, nobody saw Screech, Thud, Strut, Ozzy, Ichy, Dil, and the koopa kids on a tree.

(Screech) So this Stone Of Cold Fire has many powers huh? I bet Red Claw and Bowser could use something like this.

(Thud) Think about what Red Claw and Bowser will be like with all of that power.

(Ozzy) Think about it, Strut. That Stone Of Cold Fire can give Red Claw the power he needs to be the next Walking Terror.

(Strut) Uhh. You think Red Claw and Bowser will let us use that Stone Of Cold Fire?

(Bowser Jr.) Why of course they will. If he and my dad want to. But we're getting the stone for him. Now where did Mario say it landed?

(Ozzy) He didn't say where it landed at all.

(Ludwig) Then we need to hear some more about this.

So they stayed hidden as the meeting went on.

(Vladimir) Then again, some others believe that such stones are a message.

(Topps) What kind of message?!

(Zilda) A message from beyond The Mysterious Beyond.

Everyone was amazed that they started talking about what they could with such power from that stone. But Topps thought otherwise.

(Topps) QUIET!. You really are not from around here. Are you?

(Vladimir) And you may say that again.

(Topps) Then let me tell you how things work in these parts.

(Vladimir) Do go ahead.

(Zilda) This should be fascinating.

(Topps) First. An asteroid is an asteroid. Second, fire can't be cold. And third, there is nothing beyond the Mysterious Beyond.

(Mario) Are you sure?

(Topps) Yes I'm sure. And I'm also sure that I don't want any rabbiting Rainbow Faces filling our children's heads full of rubbish.

(Littlefoot) This stone sounds important.

(Mario) Maybe it can give us power. We know where it landed. We can go find it and

(Topps) NO!. The volcanoes are too dangerous. There are lava rivers and earthquakes and they are off limits.

(Littlefoot) But

(Grandpa Longneck) Littlefoot. Until the Far Walkers leave The Great Mushroom Valley Kingdom, it would be best if you, Mario, and the rest didn't make a fuss over that stone. Besides. Even you know volcanoes are dangerous.

Mario knew that Grandpa Longneck had a point and sighed in defeat. At that moment, everyone else left.

(Grandpa Longneck) But, you all can always talk to me about it. I am curious about such things.

(Littlefoot) We know Grandpa. So what do you think it was?

(Grandpa Longneck) Well, that's hard to say.