Disclaimer: This story is not owned, this game Fossil Fighters Champions was published by Nintendo, and developed by: Nintendo SPD, Red Entertainment, M2, and Artdink.

A/N: Note next week there will definitely be no chapter as I'm going into finals. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Chapter 32 – Plot twist

POV: Sarah

Time: 12:00

Location: Joe's Suite (Cranial Isle)

So… the elevator rides up to Joe's suite was one in silence. Rather Todd was very excited, but I wasn't. To be honest I should be as joyful as Todd. Why? Well, I just won the Caliosteo Cup, and Joe Wild West asked me to come to his Suite.

But for why I'm not excited, has to do with my twin brother, Rex. He realized something… something he can't tell me in public. I'm not sure what he noticed, but it's something important, and most likely has to do with Joe. So right now, I have pit in my stomach as I ride this elevator up. "*Hmm… maybe this is what rex feels like when he rides in a vehicle. *" I mumble to myself.

"Hey, Sarah! We're gonna see Joe! Perk up!" Todd exclaims enthusiastically. "C'mon you just won the cup, show some excitement!"

"Heh, sorry Todd." I feign a smile at Todd. Todd he's gotten impatient it seems. Why, well the first time we met Joe, he saves me, Todd, and Rex from an allosaurus. He even gave me an Aeros dino-medal. Though… the next time he met us he didn't seem to remember that event. And cause now Joe suddenly wanted me to visit him, Todd for some reason or another thinks that Joe finally remembered up… but I'm not so sure about that…

Ding!

The elevator dings as it reaches the top floor of the building. Joe's suite, as the door opens, I see Joe sitting at his desk, scribbling on a few papers. He doesn't look up, but he still greets me. "I'm glad you came, Sarah."

"The pleasure's mine sir." Is it me… or is there something ominous in the air…?

"It's nice to see you sir!" Todd not reading the room joyfully speaks.

"…Oh." Joe looks up and sees Todd there as well, he doesn't look to pleased to see Todd. Probably doesn't remember us then… "You brought Todd… Well, this doesn't exactly concern him, but… fine."

"Huh?!" Todd has an audible gasp.

"He's here. How very nice for all of us." Joe mutters, but it doesn't seem nice right now… "Let me give you two a little history lesson. I want to talk about a king. A great man who once ruled over all the Caliosteo Islands." Joe smiles, and it sends a shiver down my spine. "I want to talk about Zongazonga."

"…" That name sounds familiar… but I've definitely forgotten where and what I've learned about it.

"Zongazonga? You mean the guy they talked about on the Calio Slablets?" Todd asks and Joe nods. "How was he great? He was some horrible sorcerer that implanted his skull in other people's bodies! Didn't they lock him in a chest and seal him in the Stone Pyramid?"

"Well, well… Look at the big brain on Todd." Joe's smile widens. "That's exactly Right. But that's not where the story ends."

"*Gasp*" I just come to the realization that Rex has… This man before me and Todd…

"Ah, so you realize… Why don't I explain it so that Todd understands." He notices my gasp… How am Todd and I going to escape? "Though you also don't know the full details either. Well, there's a second act that no one knows about. It takes place in the Stone Pyramid uncountable years after the skull of Zongazonga was sealed away. A single man, acting on pure chance, found the Stone Pyramid and the chest, with no idea what was inside. And the moment he cracked the lid of that stone chest, the poor man's body was stolen by Zongazonga. Do you want to know the name of that poor, wretched man? Sarah has already realized."

"…" Todd shakes and gulps as he stares at the man. "Joe…"

"Now you both are beginning to understand." Zongazonga smiles with Joe's body. "I am not your foolish cowboy friend. I am King Zongazonga!"

"So, why are you doing this?" I ask, trying to stall for time. How are me and Todd going to escape?

"You see, this body is old. And because of his origins and fame, living in this body forces me to fake that ridiculous accent!" Zongazonga shouts. "I need a body that's strong and full of life if I want to regain the full measure of my powers. Though I couldn't just foolishly take the body of some random person. While there is the worlds strongest fossil Fighter out there, even with Joe's fame I had no chance to meet with him. So, I held the Caliosteo Cup. Just as I did long ago, I used this tournament to select the Majestic Vessel." Zongazonga looks at me, the victor of the Caliosteo Cup. "And now I have done so once more!"

"…" Really, were over fifteen maybe even twenty stories up… he probably already has the elevator locked…

"You should rejoice, Sarah!" Zongazonga extends his hand to me. "You will become the new body for the great Zongazonga! With you as my vessel, I will have no trouble regaining all of my former powers… And I will use those powers to rule the world! And when your body withers with age, I will simply choose another. And another. …And another! I am eternal! I am immortal! I WILL NEVER DIE!"

BOOM!

The building shakes, the wall of the suite is blown off. I quickly look to see something I really wasn't expect, but extremely grateful for them to show up. It was none other than a B-terra.

"Ah!" Todd and Zongazonga jumped at the sudden explosion.

"Hop on you two!" I hear someone shout, my vision flashes. This scene all too familiar. An enemy that has us cornered and a flying Vivosaur rather Boneysaurs coming into to save us.

"C'mon!" Without a second thought I grab Todd by the hand, and rush to the hole in the wall.

"Wah!" Todd meeps out at the sudden motion. But quickly moves his legs as he sees that We have an escape route.

As we get to the hole in the wall, the wind is strong up here. No time for hesitation, both me and Todd jump onto the B-terra. As we land onto it, I hear a someone say. "Get a move on, now!"

"…" Without lungs or a voice box… or whatever the thing that allows us to speak, the skeletal creature starts to fly away from Cranial Isle at a blistering speed.

Looking back, I might not hear him, but I could see Zongazonga Cursing us out. Though looking toward ground, the pit in my stomach is still there… as Rex is still on the island… Though he already figured it out.

"…" Todd looking confused and scared holds my hand.

"It'll be fine." I say smiling at him forcing myself to stay calm.

Time: 13:00

Location: Bonechip Island

"…" The B-terra slowly glides downward as we arrive at a familiar island.

"Hm… Seems like the skull is still up." I say remarking how even after the Bare Bones Brigade base was raided. It didn't really look that much different

"…" Todd was silent… rather I think he might have fallen asleep? I don't know, maybe he just couldn't take the fact of what just happened.

It's less then a minute when the we finally land, and the B-Terra returns to its medal form. Rolling it over to a skull on the ground.

"Y'all alright." I was a bit startled to see the skull start talking. But it was voice that I couldn't have been happier to hear.

"Waaah!" Todd screams in surprise. "Th-That skull is talking!"

"…" I try to suppress a laugh.

"W-wait. I know you!" Well, he should have the moment we landed. "You're Don Boneyard!"

"ha?" I give out sigh of confusion… I think it this should be pretty clear by now. "While that is correct… you're also wrong. It's Don Boneyard, but the real Joe Wildwest."

"What?" Todd looks at me as if I was hit in the head. "You think this skull is actually Joe?!"

"I'm afraid Sarah's right there, small fry." The skull of Joe bounces as he talks. "I really am Joe Wildwest. I reckon I know how crazy it sounds, but I need y'all to believe me…Especially you, Todd."

"…How do you know my name?" Todd questions as he never had his name told to Don Boneyard. For the record at least.

"Because he's the one who saved us." I say blatantly… but it doesn't seem that Todd understands.

"I remember it, 'cause ya told it to me. Remember? Two years ago, after we battled that angry Allosaurus?" Joe says.

"…Two years ago? The Allosaurus?" Todd suddenly blinks in realization "Only Joe could know about that! It's Joe! It's really him!"

"…" Between me and him… I'm dumb one. Is this seriously how it goes? "So… I have and idea… But what happened?"

As I ask, Skull Joe sighs. "I used to dream 'bout a place where Fighters could dig up fossil rocks and battle to their heart's content. That's why I built this here Caliosteo Fossil Park. But just before the doors opened, I stumbled on the Stone Pyramid and decided to take a peek inside. That's when I found me a big stone chest, and… Well, I reckon y'all know the rest. The Skull of that Zongazonga feller flew up and took over my body! And here I am. Rollin' around like a tumbleweed on the plains. But my body's got a few miles on it, so Zongazonga started lookin' for a new Majestic Vessel. He organized the Caliosteo Cup and summoned Fighters from across the world. I knew I had to stop it, so I disguised m'self as Don Boneyard and formed the Bare Bones Brigade. But flyin' skulls warn't the only thing I found at the Stone Pyramid. I also tracked down some Boneysaurs. I took as many as I could find and gave 'em to the BB Brigade. And after that, we did everything we could to disrupt the Cup. …'Course you didn't make it easy there, pardners. Every time we got close, y'all pushed us back again."

"Sorry about that…" I bow my head.

"Aw, heck. Don't go apologizin' now!" Skull Joe shouts. "Y'all were just doin' what ya thought was right. But I gotta admit, y'all have surprised me at every turn. I never reckoned to get beat by the small fry I rescued two years ago!"

"heh, well… beating you was one of the goals we had." I laugh… We all wanted to try to be just as impressive as Joe Wildwest if not as glorious as Hunter.

Skull Joe nods, and hops around a bit. "Well, I wish we had time to sit around and jaw, but we don't. Ol' Zongazonga went to lot'a trouble to hold that Cup, and he's gonna want Sarah's body. He ain't gonna give up until he has it, so y'all need to vamoose from these islands right now."

What did he just say? "…"

Todd clearly saw the hesitation in myself. "Sarah, joe's right! We should get out of here!"

"Why?" I question him. I don't think running is an answer.

"Why?! Are you saying you're not leaving?!" Todd shouts at me surprised.

"Joe saved, you me and Rex, two years ago. I think it's time we try to repay the favor. We should get Joe back to his original body." Respond to Todd. "Besides who's to say he won't just chase us down. We should fight back."

"Sarah. I appreciate ya sayin' that. I really do. But I'd feel terrible if something happened to ya. Don't be a hero." Joe says. "Run while ya still can."

"I think that option is long gone." It's my honest opinion.

"Sarah, I don't want to sound like a chicken or—" I cut Todd off.

"I'm not running." I say to him coldly. "Todd how long have we been friends. You of all people should know that I can't run. Especially when Rex is still on those islands."

"Rex would be saying the same thing! He would agree that—" I cut off Todd again. He still seems to be living in the past. Things have changed its about time he realized it.

"Rex would say the same thing as I." I'm getting fed up with him. "It's scary, I know. But there are times when you need to preserver through. You don't know how scared I was when I nearly lost Rex years ago. How I needed to be strong for the both of us. Rex is possibly in danger. I'm not taking the cowards path of running and hiding."

"…" Todd bites his lip… maybe I was a bit too hard on him… "Fine, then! Get your skull stolen! …See if I care."

"…" He runs out of the room… well… That's something I'll have to fix later… just add that to the to do list.

"Ya sure about this, pard? Yer riskin' an awful lot to help little ol' me." Joe looks and asks me.

"Of course. If Zongazonga really wants me that badly he'll do something that will make me want to return on my own accord." I respond to Joe.

"I owe ya more then you'll ever know." Joe says. "But I gotta tell ya, I don't have the first idea 'bout how to beat this Zongazonga feller. I know them ancient folks managed to seal him up somehow, but I don't understand how they did it. Aw horse apples! I wish we had someone around that knew the history of these here islands…"

… That reminds me… Wasn't there that professor who knew of Spinal pillar… didn't have something to do with those Calio Slablets… Oh. "I think we have a person. It's Professor Scatterly, curator of a museum on Cranial Isle. He seems to know a lot about the islands. I think he can help us.

"…How's that now? Ya say Professor Scatterly knows all about the history of these here islands?" Joe asks me.

"I'm pretty sure." I start to explain what happened right as the Cup ended. How Rex most likely figured it out minutes before.

"Well, heck! Maybe they already figured out how to defeat Zongazonga then!" Joe bounces up, then into a sack. "Come on! The teleporter is still working. Let's go see Professor Scatterly right away!"