Chapter 8: Tickles

(Rosalina) Everyone sticks together. If you get lost in the mist, You'll stay lost.

As the gang kept going, Cera felt a gego touch her paw and screamed as she ran to a ledge.

(Littlefoot) Cera?

(Cera) Something slimy touched me.

The mist then covered the ledge and Cera witch made it hard for the gang to see her.

(All) CERA!

(Cera) AAAAAAHHHHHH!

(Mario) Come on. We gotta find her.

The gang looked for Cera. But the mist was making it too hard to see where she is.

Before anyone could see Cera, Luigi heard something. It was a stomping sound and it was getting louder. She looked back and saw a stampede of Struthiomimus coming their way.

(Luigi) LOOK OUT!

The gang moved out of the way as the herd of Struthiomimus'es ran by.

(Ducky) They look like Strut and Ozzy's kind.

(Mario) That's because they are Strut and Ozzy's kind.

(Rosalina) Strut and Ozzy?

(Mario) A pair of Egg-eaters we dealt with before. They tried to steal eggs in The Great Valley. And the 7 of us kept getting in their way.

(Rosalina) Oh.

However, the gang didn't know that Screech, Thud, and the Koopa Kids were following them.

(Screech) Did you hear that? They dealt with the same egg-eaters who ate almost all of Magnus and Tyra's eggs.

(Thud) And those same egg-eaters might be the ones that got eaten by them. Magnus and Tyra were dumb enough to spit out their bones.

(Ludwig) Their bones are still at the same place where they got eaten. Maybe this Night Flower the kids are looking for can bring them back and give them the power to talk to us.

(Iggy) And then they can join Red-Claw's Walking Terror army. That's a great idea.

(Bowser Jr.) Well what are we waiting for? Let's find that Flower.

And so they began their search.

Rain clouds came and covered the sun and thunder came as it started to rain. And it was heavy then what the gang was used to.

(Mario) There's a tree we can hide under.

The gang ran under the tree and waited for the rain to stop.

(Ducky) I do not like it here. Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

Just then they heard a screeching sound.

(Luigi) What was that?

(Petrie) I think it my teeth. Or knees.

Luigi looked up to see what it was. It was a herd of Jurassic Mice. One of them fell from the top of the tree and landed on Luigi's head and then onto his hands. The mouse screamed in fear and ran away as it looked at Luigi.

(Mario) Hey. Come back. We won't hurt you.

The mouse stopped in its path and saw that Mario was right. They were harmless. As the rain stopped, Spike walked to the mouse. Spike wagged his tail in excitement. The little rodent seemed to mirror him and did the same thing. He tilted his head to the right as the mouse did the same action on the opposite side. Spike then put his left paw in the air and then the mouse put his left foot up as well. Seeing this creature behave in a similar manner as him, Spike smiled and licked the little creature. The rodent replied with a happy and very squeaky laugh, tickled by the spiketail's tongue. Ducky then walked to the mouse as well and looked at it.

(Ducky) He is not dangerous. Oh no. He is harmless and cute.

The mouse walked over to Ducky and she gave him a hug.

(Ducky) He has tickly fuzzies all over him. I am going to call you Tickles. I am.

At that response, Tickles looked at the gang and liked the name Ducky gave to him. They had to call him something anyway.

(Littlefoot) Tickles. Can you go to the top of the tree and look for a Three-horn?

Tickles ran up the tree and looked around for Cera.

(Petrie) Petrie look to.

Petrie flew to the top and helped Tickles find Cera. Tickles squeaks when he sees her.

(Petrie) We see her.

(Ali) Great job.

(Petrie) Follow us.

The gang followed Petrie and Tickles to where they saw Cera. She was still at the ledge she's standing on. The gang saw her and she was alright.

(Peach) Cera, over here.

(Cera) Guys.

Suddenly, the ledge crumbled and Cera fell into the river below.

(All) Cera.

(Cera) HEEEEELP!

(Mario) Hang on Cera. Yoshi's gonna help you.

Yoshi stretched out his tongue to Cera and she grabbed it. However, it slipped out of her hands and she went under the water. But she grabbed Yoshi's tongue again and this time, she held on tightly.

(Mario) Alright everyone. Help me pull.

The others grabbed onto the rope and began pulling. Suddenly, a bird came and landed on the rope. It was Ichy.

(Ichy) Thanks for showing us that shortcut. To dinner.

Ichy tickled Yoshi's tongue with his feathers on his wings and he giggled that made Cera let go. Cera began flowing down the river again. Dil was swimming straight over to her. But she ended up feeling a log.

(Dil) Got ya.

But as Dil bit the log, she spat it out.

(Ichy) You bumbling Belly-dragger. That wasn't food! That was a log!

(Dil) I thought it tasted funny.

And then, Dil felt something hit her head.

(Dil) Ow! You hit me!

(Ichy) I did not! Though that's not a bad idea.

But then, Ichy felt another rock hit him on his head.

(Icky) Ow. Why did you do that?!

(Dil) Do what?

And then more rocks came and started hitting both of their heads.

(Ichy) That! Oh wait. It's just those rotten little animals.

The gang was throwing rocks onto Dil and Ichy's heads. Tickles rolling rocks down the slope. The Mario Bros, The Princess, and Toad throwing fireballs with their hands. Ducky and Petrie throwing smaller rocks. Littlefoot, Spike, and Ali using their tails to knock rocks down.

With the 2 carnivores distracted, Cera got onto a nearby rock. Ali and Rosalina saw her and ran to the ledge.

(Luigi) We're coming Cera.

(Ali) Hang on.

(Mario) Ali. Luigi. Don't. It's too steep.

But Ali and Luigi already slipped down the ledge and landed on a small piece of land next to the river.

(Ichy) Well what do you know? Desert. Head for shore Dil. My sweet tooth calls.

(Dil) But Ichy, you know the rooting. Dinner first. Then Desert.

(Ichy) What are you? My mother?

Luigi knew he had to do something. So he took out a Boomerang flower. He then aimed it at Dil and fired at her side. The Boomerang went past her but managed to cut her left side.

(Dil) ICHY!

(Ichy) It wasn't me, Leatherhead. It was Mario's Brother.

Ichy charged at Ali and Luigi. But they ducked and Ichy hit his head on a branch and got stuck. Ali and Luigi then jumped onto Dil and rode on her until they got to Cera.

(Ali) Come on Cera.

Cera jumped onto Dil. However, she started jumping and the 3 almost fell off of her but managed to stay on until they got to the land and climbed the ledge. Dil then ended up hitting the branch. Which allowed the 3 to climb back up to the others.

(Mario) Hurry up guys. Gators can't climb.

As Cera, Ali, and Luigi got back into the land, Ichy turned back to Dil.

(Ichy) You let them get away.

(Dil) Me? It was your fault.

(Ichy) Oh yeah?! Well you're the one with the big mouth!

(Dil) Oh I otta!

(Ichy) Nu nu nu nu! I can't hear you!

(Cera) Thanks guys.

(Luigi) No problem.

(Cera) Now let's get going. We have a flower to find.

As Screech, Thud, and the Koopa Kids looked for the Night Flower, they saw that the sun was setting.

(Screech) It's getting late. We better get back to Red-Claw and Bowser and tell him our plan.

(Thud) I don't think we have to find him. Here they come now.

(Bowser) What is it?

(Bowser Jr.) Dad. We're going to use golden flowers to bring back 2 dead egg-eaters.

(Red-Claw) The same ones that almost ate all of Magnus and Tyra's eggs?

(Ludwig) Yes.

(Red-Claw) Hmm. Perfect. They can join my army and help us get those kids.

With that, Red-Claw began looking for the Night Flower.