Chapter 3: Rollin into the First Sanctuary.
Moon and Buzz Buzz made their way back to the entertainers shack. Along the way Moon dropped off the cracked bat at his house and told Tracy to use it incase any crows, snakes, or dogs tried to attack her. After enjoying a bit of his favorite cake Moon waved goodbye to his family and retraced his steps backwards. He arrived at the door to the traveling entertainers shack. Inserting the key into the lock he turned it and the door clicked open.
"Oh my god...you got the key." One of the entertainers said. "Kid thank you so much." Moon smiled, "It was nothing...really." he said. "Still I want you to have this it's a trinket I keep for good luck. It's called the travel charm." Moon thanked the entertainer and slipped the charm over his head and around his neck. "Moon, good thinking, I've heard rumors that the Travel Charm can protect one from getting paralyzed" Buzz Buzz said to him. Moon wasn't super into luck, after all he had virtually none, but if someone was going to try and paralyze him, it'd be pretty handy to have the Travel charm on him.
He walked through the house which, apart from the giant hole blasted through the back of it, was actually tidy. He found himself at the entrance to the mountain side. "Alright so I just need to make it through here...and I'll be at the sanctuary right?" Moon asked. "Correct!" Buzz Buzz said.
Moon walked into the cave and was immediately greeted by a bunch of slugs. Moon wasn't exactly afraid of bugs...but they did disgust him a little, what was worse is that they moved really quickly and he suddenly felt them crawling up his leg...they weren't hurting him, but they were still on him which was less than comfortable he quickly brushed the slugs to the side and then whacked the few still coming towards him with his brand new bat.
Danger!
Suddenly, out of nowhere at rat leaped forward and sank its teeth into his deep into Moon's skin. He cried out in pain and swiftly kicked the rat off him the rat went flying through the air and hit a stalagmite in cave. But that wasn't it for the rat, it got back up and jumped towards him again. Swiftly Moon hit the rat using his bat square in the face breaking it's tooth and hitting it towards a wall. The rat collapsed onto the floor and moved no more. Immediately Moon tended to his wound using lifeup...the deep pain took a little bit longer to heal but it did eventually heal.
Suddenly, Moon found himself being swarmed by rats. Two rats jumped at him at the exact same time. "PSI Hypnosis α!" Moon said. One of the rats fell to the floor but the other got it's teeth into Moon leg yet again, however this time not as deep. Moon once again flailed his leg carelessly to shake the rat off it before whacking it into another stalagmite. Then turning to the sleeping rat before it could wake up and pounce he whacked it over the head with the bat. "These enemies really don't know when to quit." Moon said. "They will not quit." Buzz Buzz said. "Not with Giygas in control of their minds." Moon nodded, he couldn't let his guard down, even if this universal destroyer was only sending...rats...and...slugs to stop him.
"Buzz Buzz, I see one little problem," Moon said. "We need to go up...yet...I don't see a way to get up. I can't rock climb with my bare hands." The insect buzzed. "There is a rope up ahead can you see it?" he asked. Moon noticed the rope dangling from the side of the cliff. "That's just way too damn convenient." Moon said to himself climbing up the rope. Immediately has he got up he found himself met with yet another rat who lunged at him, Moon quickly jumped out of the way and the rat fell over the side of the cliff. "Stupid rat." Moon said.
He continued to walk through the cave when he noticed something strange...ants were starting to come after him yet their bodies were shiny...almost metallic. He quickly whacked one with his bat causing its body to shatter. However the other ant's...antennae flashed green and the body rebuilt itself. Moon recognized this as lifeup and was taken aback, Buzz Buzz said that he was special...so he had expected maybe only him and the other chosen ones...and possibly Giygas, to have PSI. But here these two robotic ants...antoids for lack of a better word were just using it like this was normal. Both of the ants climbed onto him and whacked him their antennas which, despite their absurdly small size, actually hit about as hard as the first rat's bite! Moon winced at the pain and immediately whacked the one that had used lifeup smashing it to bits, then immediately smashed the other one before it could heal.
"Buzz Buzz..how are these...things able to use Lifeup?" Moon asked. "With Giygas in control...some animals and humans might be able to use PSI attacks as well." Suddenly, Moon's eyelids began to feel heavy, he kind of just stood there with a dazed expression. He knew that he had a mission to accomplish and tried to press onwards yawning slightly as he moved on, then he collapsed onto the ground which jolted him awake immediately. "Buzz Buzz, what the hell just happened?" Moon asked. "You were put under PSI Hypnosis" Buzz Buzz responded. "What but...how?" Moon asked. Then he felt another slug crawling on him, how long had it been there? He quickly brushed it to the side and hit it using his bat. "It seems like the slugs need to take a bit of time before they are able to use PSI." Buzz Buzz said, "So try to make sure you get all of them off you before that happens." Moon nodded, so the slugs were weak...but if you underestimated them it could come back to bite you or in this case stick to you.
Moon arrived at yet another rope, grasping onto it he climbed up the rope and arrived at the top. He noticed an exit near the cave...that's odd he thought, Frank said something about a monster yet nothing here was really that threatening. As he finished his thought another rat jumped at sank its teeth deep into his skin. "DAMN THESE STUPID RATS!" Moon shouted in fury smashing it off him with his bat, he bent down to use Lifeup only he couldn't get his hand to flash green. "Um...Buzz Buzz...I can't use Lifeup!" Moon said. "You are out of energy Moon, you didn't honestly think you could use PSI infinitely, it drains a special part of your energy known as Psychic energy, as you grow stronger...you're Psychic energy will increase which will allow you to use more PSI powers before you drain your energy completely."
"You are making this sound more and more like a video game." Moon said. "Perhaps we are a video game...or a story." Buzz Buzz responded. "If we are in a video game then this is the best freaking video game in the world." Moon responded. "It's literally a real life game...how cool is that?" Buzz Buzz continued to buzz, "You really are enjoying this way too much." he said. "Just imagine how much better you're adventure will get with friends." Moon paused. He still wasn't sure about the whole "friends who've never met," his most particular worry was what the others would be like..would they be like him, grew up without a lot of friends...or small town. Moon certainly hoped this was the case...considering how his relationship with all the other kids at school who came from well respected, wealthy, families, like Pokey for example.
He exited the cave, he was exhausted, unfortunately, to his dismay, there was no giant footstep, instead there was another cave entrance. "Buzz Buzz...I'm kind of…" Moon was cut off a warm magically feeling flowed through him. He suddenly saw a bunch of purple, he blinked and everything was back to normal. A sparkling monarch butterfly flew off his opposite shoulder. He suddenly felt refreshed and energized.
"That's a magic butterfly," Buzz Buzz said. "If it touches you or you touch it, it'll energize you a bit." Good to know, Moon thought, if I'm ever low on energy I can just look for a butterfly. He entered back into the cave where another rat immediately jumped at him but Moon quickly knocked it to the side the rat hit the wall and fell to the ground. "Not this time." Moon said. Weirdly, in the distance there was a...fully wrapped...still warm hamburger. "The hell?" Moon said. "Who the hell leaves a perfectly good hamburger in the middle of a cave?" he took the burger from off the ground, it wrapping hadn't been opened so after opening it, he ate it. "Yep still fresh, those burgers stay fresh for a very long time." he said to himself.
Walking up through the cave he came across yet another rope going up...then it stopped on a ledge where yet another rope was going up. "Almost there." Buzz Buzz said. "Just up this ladder should be the exit to Giant Step." Moon began his climb, when he got to the first ledge he took a minute to eat the cookie Tracy had given him earlier, and then climbed the next rope as well. When he got to the top he saw a bunch of light flashing at first he thought that it was the outside, but then he heard Buzz Buzz say. "Oh crap." it took moment for his eyes to adjust to the bright light but when they did, he saw what Buzz Buzz had meant, along with two of the Antoids, there was now a Giant Metal Ant, and oh boy did he look mad.
"Buzz Buzz..what the hell is that?" Moon asked. "That Moon is a sanctuary guardian, it was placed here by Giygas to keep the sanctuary out of your hands." Buzz Buzz responded, "Okay but what is it?" Moon asked. "That is the Titanic Ant Moon." Buzz Buzz said. "It's giANT!" Moon said. "Yeah I know, it's body is also made of full Titanium." Buzz Buzz continued. Moon felt like he was going to have another heart attack. Solid Titanium...how the hell was he supposed to beat that with a freaking baseball bat?
"Welcome Moon," the ant hissed. "Master Giygas has told me quite a bit about you...this is the first your sanctuary location, but it's mine now...take it from me...if you dare."
"Don't worry Moon, I'll help you." Buzz Buzz said flying off Moon's shoulder. The little insect charged at the Titanic Ant and hit it hard. Moon could tell...the ant stumbled backwards. "Foolish insect." the ant hissed slapping Buzz Buzz against the wall. "BUZZ BUZZ!" Moon shouted. The ant turned back to Moon and charged straight on at him. Moon jumped out of the way. He needed some sort of attack plan...he wanted to just defeat the Titanic ant...but with those Antoids around, they'd just heal their master if need be. If he was going to beat this Ant, he was going to have to take care of the Antoids first.
"Defense Down α!" the Titanic Ant hissed. Moon instantly felt himself feeling a little weaker. The ant ran up and bit him in the arm. Moon cried out the bite was excruciatingly painful , he hit the ant over the head with the bat which at least made the ant let go. But as he expected, the Antoid's antennas flash green healing their boss. "Ugh..if this keeps up...I'll never defeat that ant." Moon said to himself. The Titanic ant charged at him. "PSI Hypnosis α!" Moon shouted. The Titanic ant stopped and collapsed onto the ground. Seizing his opportunity, Moon smashed the two antoids into bits. The he turned back to the Titanic Ant and using all his strength swung his bat at the back of the ant's head.
SMAAASH!
The ant woke up instantly and immediately kicked Moon. Moon went flying into a stalagmite nearby. He concentrated his thoughts on Lifeup when he felt his energy being drained...he didn't know what was going on it was almost the ant was some sort of...PSI Magnet. "Nice try." the ant hissed. "But you're not getting away that easily." The ant bit Moon's arm once again making cry out in pain. Then the ant let go, "one more bit oughta do it." it hissed. Moon's vision was getting blurry, he knew he couldn't win this fight...this was it...this was over.
Suddenly he had a flash vision...there were 3 kids about his age, a girl wearing a purple dress, a boy with glasses, and a boy who looked like a karate master. They were all saying something. "The world is counting on us." the three of them said. "They're counting on you...don't give up Moon...however dire the situation may be...don't give up hope..we'll support you...we're behind you every step of the way...rain...snow...extreme heat...whatever it is...whenever it is wherever it is...we're going to stand by your side...we are the chosen protectors...we're this worlds last hope…but most importantly...we're your friends...just keep on Rollin Moon...it's what you do best...we'll always be there for you." they said.
"That's right." Moon said to himself. "The world is counting on me...the other 3 are counting on me...I can't give up...not when there are people counting on us!" he felt something awaken within him...something incredible...something powerful...but he didn't know how to use it...he didn't know it's name. "Hurry." he said to himself, "Think...what was it that they told me. "Keep Rollin...it's what I do best...Rollin...that's what I do best?...is this newfound power...Rollin? With a bit of uncertainty in his voice he shouted.
"PSI Rollin α!"
Instantly, several giant, bright, multi-colored beams shot out of his hand. The Titanic Ant was enveloped by the beams of light and when the light disappeared, the ant fell to the ground with a dead, shocked look in its eyes. Moon stood there a bit dizzy, confused, and unfocused, then he remembered Buzz Buzz. He moved over next to the insect. "Buzz Buzz?" he asked. The insect buzzed for a bit but didn't go off the ground. "M-Most impressive...Y-y-you finally unlocked that power you needed." the insect said. "Don't bother healing me...I was already dying of age...I am an insect after all." he continued. "But Buzz Buzz, I need you!" Moon said. "You don't need me anymore. You know the road ahead will be difficult, but you need to stay strong...you're about to meet your first friend as well." Moon blinked, he was meeting his first "friend." he wasn't at all ready to meet the other kids destined to save the world, in fact he had hoped he'd have Buzz Buzz with him because he found it pretty hard to believe that 3 other 13 year old kids would believe the current story.
"Who am I going to meet Buzz Buzz?" Moon asked. "I've been talking with her for awhile, her name is Sarah, she lives in Twoson, she sounded pretty excited to hear about the whole thing, said she couldn't wait to make another friend." Moon's heart sank...the girl was supposed to be his first friend?...he wasn't disappointed with this, he was just worried...he already had no friends...and he couldn't really talk to anyone at school, not only that but girls absolutely despised him. he remembered all too fondly that everytime a girl was paired up with him for anything...that girl would instantly get the whole "I'm sorry." from everyone. Moon never understood why everyone hated him...he was pretty nice to people, he hoped Sarah would be different. "Thanks for letting me know Buzz Buzz." Moon said. "I can tell that you're nervous about meeting her," Buzz Buzz said, "You and Sarah are bound together, not just by earth, but also by your hearts. She will not hate you, nor will she ever dislike you, she is a kind-hearted, caring, loving, person."
"Bound by our hearts." Moon said. "Reminds me of a story I read long ago." he looked at Buzz Buzz who was now lying motionless on the ground.
Moon picked up the insect, despite being a bug, Moon only felt it was right to give the insect a proper goodbye, moving out into the sanctuary he saw the giant footprint he had seen from the top of the hill, as he approached it he heard a soothing melody start to play from somewhere, then he felt a sensation similar to that of the magic butterfly...only stronger. This is pretty relaxing. Moon thought. Then he saw a puppy happily barking playfully, the puppy ran around for a bit before finally stopping and fading. Moon pulled out the sound stone, it was glowing brightly, something told him to touch the stone to his forehead...he did and he heard the melody play again. "Very cool." he said putting the stone back into his backpack, "I guess as I visit more sanctuaries I'll eventually get the whole song." He picked up a few ordinary stones and started to make a circular shape near a tree, then he dug a small hole and placed Buzz Buzz's tiny body in there before covering it back up. He stood still for a moment, admiring his work, he wasn't sure he'd visit Giant Step again...but if he did, it'd be nice to remember where Buzz Buzz was. Turning away from the grave he began his trek out of the cave. "Well, things can only get better from here." he said. "Sarah...whoever you are...I hope your ready to meet me."
(Twoson)
A girl wearing a purple dress, with a blue ribbon tied into her long golden hair walked outside of a cave on the outskirts of a town. She happily hummed a song to herself as she made her way home. She was excited, delighted, and absolutely amazed. Why? Because she had been told that she was destined to save the world!
She always knew she was special, she had been able to shoot ice and fire out of hand since she was four! She grew up fascinated by her strange powers, she would often times venture out into the valley and test them on some of the plants there. She never felt different because of her powers, the townsfolk found them fascinating, the children that she helped watch at her home Polestar Preschool enjoyed watching her use her powers to cool them off on hot summer days, her parents were a bit overprotective but they never objected to her using her powers...they said that one day she might need them to protect herself. Now she was offered a chance to save the world accompanied by some new friends. The voice still rang inside her mind.
"You are destined to help save the world Sarah...This is the last you'll hear from me, but don't worry, I've sent a friend who you've never met to meet you, he is just like you. His name is Moon, he is your destiny Sarah you both are bound together, by Earth and by your hearts."
Her destiny...was to be with a boy named Moon, bound by their hearts. Everything she had heard about him made her love him despite not knowing who he was. "According to the voice, he is thoughtful, strong, and courageous. And his name is the best part about him...it's such a unique name...to be called the bright, beautiful, object that came out every night. He must have lots of friends based on that description." She said to herself.
Sarah arrived back in Twoson, there was chubby boy waiting on the outskirts of town. "Um Miss...pardon me." the boy said as she approached him. "I'm looking for someone name Sarah...do you know where I can find her?" Sarah stared at the boy blankly, was he Moon? She didn't believe in fairy tales...nor did she actually believe that she would be in love with him..but she expected someone...a bit more...cleaner, the boy had a bit of blue paint smeared across his face, wore a bright blue robe that had the letters HH imprinted on it. "That'd be me." she said to him. The boys expression suddenly became anxious…"Oh um…I heard that you know how to get to Peaceful Rest Valley...I need to return to Happy Happy Village, Mr. Carpainter requires my assistance...but I couldn't remember how to get back. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief, this couldn't have been Moon, not by a long shot. "Yeah, to get back to Happy Happy just go back through the cave that's down the road." She said pointing in the direction she had came. The boy smiled...though something about his smile gave her a weird feeling. "Shouldn't you get going?" she asked him. "Yeah...I just need to get one last thing before I do." he said. "Which is?" Sarah asked. The boy's smiled turned into one of an evil grin making her step back. "You." was all she heard before she passed out.
Author's Notes: It always bothered me that we never got an explanation as to when/how Paula was kidnapped. I'm well aware that it is hinted that Pokey was the one who kidnapped her, but it still made very little sense not include something about it at some point. That's why I decided to throw in that little last part at the end.
My desicion on keeping Buzz Buzz alive was very torn as well, first coming into this it I thought it would've been fun to toy around with this concept on keeping the guide around longer. I never intended to keep him for the entire story and was having trouble deciding on when I should take him out. In the end I went with the desicion that made the most sense by game logic. It occurred to me that had Buzz Buzz not died in the Minch's house he probably would've stay with you most likely would've stayed with you until Giant Step.