Expedition Day 4: Entry 4
Once our group got on the move to town with the Mothza Supreme in tow, I had to ask some more questions.
"I want to know something, Mothza. You and Megamaki know everything about who you were in the past, even your own identities and how you turned, and you can talk perfect English. So why did you only talk in your Bugsnax name when I first saw you... and why did you attack any ship that came into the place, including mine?" I asked, her groaning at that.
"The answer to both is one word. Elizabert," she said, me being surprised at that. "When the first quake hit, she fell into the Undersnax. And during the time you were unconscious, she became the queen through willpower alone. And when that happened, all of us hierarchies suddenly awoke from our feral mindsets. We remembered everything, because we couldn't remember a damn thing when we were without a Bugsnak queen."
"Huh... but then what about me?" I asked, as I was still flapping my wings in the Scorched Gorge, even going so far as to carry Cromdo when he complained about his feet burning. Shelda didn't care, mostly because she was wearing shoes.
"I don't know how, but you're the one the island wants the most as the next queen... but I do know who would know. Or, at the least, hold a clue to find out," Mothza said, that making Cromdo gawk.
"Ya do? Well, then, spill the beans!" Cromdo groaned.
"You're lucky that there aren't any bean Bugsnax anymore... anyways, defeat Mama Mewon and ask her. She's been around the longest and was the one that was the biggest subject of interest to the Snakolytes. She'd be able to tell you more," Mothza explained, which made Shelda gasp as well as make me confused.
"The SNAKOLYTES?! As in, that accursed cult that dares to claim they are children of Mother Naturae, while performing horrible atrocities?!" Shelda asked in absolute shock and disgust, which made me confused.
"Huh... I think I've heard of that group before. They have a habit of paying people off to keep quiet about anything they do, which includes horrid crimes like child trafficking, holding people hostage, and even murder. And if anyone doesn't listen, they use their insane money and lawyers to ruin their lines with hundreds of lawsuits. It's why I knew not to fight against anyone of the bigwigs in New Grump. It's no secret that they're part of that cult," Cromdo said before then spitting on a Cheepoof that was underneath us, which made it very grossed out.
"Ewwww! I need water bath... no fly until next day... ugh!" the Cheepoof groaned as it then flew to the watery river as we then finally got to the end of the gorge and on our way back to town.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but it sure sounds bad. But why would Mama Mewon be such a big subject of them?" Kimji asked in confusion.
"Because Mama Mewon used to be the wife of the founder, Eggron Hubbard," said the voice of none other than Megamaki as I saw she had arrived from the town alongside Snorpy and Floofty.
"Indeed, it is true. It turns out that, despite my best efforts to find out, according to the wife of the Grumpinatti's founder, their organization died out a hundred years ago. The true threat is the Snakolytes," Snorpy said, me gulping at that. A hidden enemy that I'd never heard of before?
"But... that means that Clumby's a part of that group, not the Grumpinatti? How could she betray me like this?! I can't BELIEVE that I'm an employee of a higher-up in a cult that kills people and sends kids underground into sex slavery!" I shouted in anger as Megamaki frowned.
"As Mothza said. Find Mama Mewon. She knows the most about the Snakolytes... and about someone very close to you... Johno's words, not mine," Megamaki said, me gawking at that... Someone close to me? And Johno knew? Who?! I then went back into the town and sought out the Shishkebug and his Poptick wife, them looking at Kimji and looking surprised.
"Kimji?..." Johno gawked as the Buffalocust child flew down and looked at her parents with her eyes going big and happy.
"Mom... dad..." she smiled, which made Snorpy surprised.
"How many Bugsnax are going to remember how to talk English so quickly? From what miss Nellie has said, Bugsnax only learn how to speak English after they remember over half of their memories of who they were before their transformations," Floofty said, which made Kimji smirk.
"The process has less power o'er children 'an it does to adults. I was only 9 when I turned, but 'cause I was so close to my mum when she turned into a Poptick, I managed to make it so both of us were able to remember everything through all the years. Dad was... less so. Mainly 'cause we didn't know where 'e was when we came 'ere to find him. 'E crashed here 'bout a year before we embarked to find him," Kimji smirked.
"Well, I'm glad we're all reunited once again. And from what Nellie has said, if we happen to remember everything, we can actually turn back to normal!" Omari smirked, which made me gawk.
"What?! You're joking, wight?! I have to keep wemembering evewything about my wife in order to become normal again?! I need to keep talkin' to Chandwo, then! I need to remember everwything immediatewy!" Solana said with seriousness as we then went into town and I had to make a new team to go after the big mama, and find out who this special someone could be that she knew of. And when I came back, I saw that the others in the town had actually finished work on the balloon and they were actually giving it a small test flight around the town before then letting it back down on the same cliff it was on prior!
"YES! Our ride out of this joint is finished! But as I said, we ain't leaving unless EVERYONE is coming," I said, Cromdo smirking at me.
"Right, I'm gonna go ahead and see if the others want a bit of a show," Cromdo said, me looking at him in confusion.
"You mean you want to sing in front of an audience?" I asked, him nodding.
"I say, that sounds like it'd be very amusing," Floofty smiled.
"If I find out you said or did anything during his performance that make him upset, I'm not going to be happy and you'll have strike one," I smiled, Floofty groaning at that.
"Yes, I have already been informed of the rules you set in place. And apparently it was during a big fight that happened after our first encounter?" they asked, me nodding at him.
"Yeah, and my jelly head erupted into a volcano of juice and grape bits when that happened. I had to wash my entire body in the river before then sleeping by the fire to dry off," I frowned. "But unfortunately, you and Chandlo are not going to be participating. You're joining me in going after Mama Mewon," I said, Floofty smirking at me.
"Hmm, I guess I could endeavor in a little recreation with the strong-armed Grumpus. You are okay with this, Snorpington?" Floofty asked as I saw Snorpy looked... concerned.
"Uh-uh... o-okay, very well... j-just uh, don't do anything that I wouldn't do. A-And uh... make sure you two stay safe?" Snorpy asked.
"Indeed. A battle against a giant watermelon tick is sure to be fraught with danger, so I shall watch from a safe distance while Felicia does battle. As for Chandlo, I'm unsure about what he'd do," Floofty frowned.
"Well, if he's able to climb an entire mountain for just a workout, he's going to help out in the fight," I smirked, Snorpy looking even more concerned as I saw that Chandlo overheard.
"Oh, yeah, Brodoga! I've been training for this one by working on that ship! I even made a watchtower in case any Bugsnax attack us," Chandlo smirked widely.
"Then let's get going! We need to do so before I go to bed. I don't want to end up wasting any time to save Liz," I smiled widely as me, him, Floofty, and my Bugsnax went up the hill to my ship and, after seeing that it was Filbo and Beffica that were flying it, I smiled at how they were all smiles after.
"Hey, Bestie! I see you got a giant pizza moth beaten," Beffica smirked widely.
"Don't push your luck," Motzha groaned as I then simply took her into the ship, got the shoebox out from under the bed of the ship and... saw something in it. A tape recorder? And it had a tape in it? I looked at it in confusion, but then decided to play it. And when I did?
"Hello, Felicia. If you're hearing this, then that must mean you have a good eye for detail, which is good for any reporter," said the voice of none other than Clumby! "Listen, if you've been on Snaktooth for awhile, you've noticed that you've been getting a bunch of strange powers, right? Well, that's because I gave you a small something on the one night you slept in your office preparing to leave for the island," Clumby said, me being surprised... she... she did what? "To put it in more plain speak, I gave you a serum that was made from a dominant Bugsnak. And don't even ask about how I know they're real. If you want to know more, ask the queens and king. You need to learn the truth that I've been hiding from you for ages... and if you find her, tell your mom that I'm sorry." And when she said that final part before the tape ended? I felt tears emerge from my eyes.
"Oh... my god..." I said with my mouth starting to blubber uncontrollably. I felt sadness, anger, joy, hope, and glee all at the same time! I felt sadness from the fact that my mother was here this whole time and I never knew that she had been here. I felt anger at how Clumby not only hid my mother away, but also that she was the one to make me the next candidate for Bugsnax queen. And all the positive emotions? I felt them for the same reason. I would be able to see my momma again! I hadn't seen her ever since she suddenly disappeared 7 years ago!
"No grumpin' way! Your momma's on this island?! We need to find her right away! But where do we even begin to look?!" Chandlo asked as I simply cried into his arms with happiness.
"I do believe that the owner of that tape gave us a clue. Ask the queens and the king. So, Mothza Supreme. What do you know?" Floofty asked as the pizza moth grumbled.
"All I can say is that her mother is in the hideout of the Snakolytes on this island. Its lone resident is away from the island as of current on a 'business trip' with children, so you can save her. But the only way in is known only to Mama Mewon," Mothza said, me sniffing in a booger as I then put the pizza moth in the shoebox and simply decided to put her into my bag, which made the others surprised.
"You're taking her with you? You okay, matey?" Applesauce asked, me smiling at that.
"Yes, I am. I need to ask her some questions on the way, just in case she has anything more to tell me," I said, her then speaking from the bag.
"I do, but we'll talk on the way there," she said as I then looked at my Bugsnak allies and decided that I'd be taking Johno's family, since the family did need to stick together... that, and I still felt concerned about leaving Nellie here, along with the threat of the Bugsnax coming from any of the hierarchies that I defeated.
"Well, go on then, miss Mothza Supreme. Start flapping your nonexistent lips," Floofty frowned as we got to the Garden Grove.
'Might as well... shortly after Bronnica Lottablog turned into a Strabby, she still had her memories, as the process of forgetting everything is slower on elderly Grumpuses. Using her journals, the Snakolytes knew that they needed a new queen of the Bugsnax, as they go berserk without one. So, they looked for one. And most agreed that Lizbert was the queen they needed. But she wasn't, and Clumby knew that very well. Being the third in command of the Snakolytes, she had studied the history for long enough to know that the island has a specific choosing. It will only accept a female as the queen, that female has to be of 20-30 years of age, and they must have a sense of justice and willpower to resist temptations. And knowing this, Clumby had a feeling the island wouldn't choose Lizbert, because she's actually 32 years old, which is not the age the island would prefer... as for you, Felicia Bundoga, you have all three of those traits within you, making you the queen the island truly wants," Mothza explained, me feeling a bit uneasy at that.
"So... it's either I stay here forever as the queen, or everyone dies? That doesn't give me much hope," I frowned.
"No, that's not what'll happen," the pizza moth said, me being confused before she spoke. "That is yet another lie that Lizbert has been spreading among the lesser Bugsnax. If you happen to become the queen of the Bugsnax, you will become eternally young, and you'll be able to control the island and its Bugsnax effortlessly. And you can change your form to be human or your queen form whenever you wish, as it was for Mother Naturae, the 2nd queen of the Bugsnax. Under her reign, the Bugsnax were able to be pacified and controlled, even to the point where the Grumpuses could build a civilization on this island... but Mother Naturae was killed by an uprising of the Sand Grumpuses, which resulted in the civilizations of the numerus Grumpuses of Snaktooth to be lost for centuries," Mothza explained... and when she said that, it made me gawk. Shellsy's goddess, Mother Naturae, was one of the former queens of Snaktooth?
"How many Bugsnak queens were there on Snaktooth?" Chandlo asked for me.
"Only the first and the second. The first was sacrificed to the Bugsnax on the sunken island of Broken Tooth, way back at the turn of BG to AD. And her death resulted in her wrath being expelled to all of the Bugsnax, causing them to be cursed to be frenzied without a queen to rule them. And Mother Naturae was the last queen... the Snakolytes put this plan into place to make the next queen one of their own design, who could be controlled along with the Bugsnax so they could gain the power to rule the world, not unlike Rudolf Gritler of the second world war." And when I haerd that, I felt upset, but also knew that there would only be one way to do this right.
"Then that settles it. I need to find Lizbert for sure, now. I need to free her from her shackles and become the next queen... but before that, I must ask. If I become the next queen of the Bugsnax, would I be able to leave the island freely? Or not?" I asked.
"You would, but you'd need to return at least once a month, lest the Bugsnax become frenzied, and you lose your queenly status and turn into food."
"That should be enough time to spread the word about the truth of what Bugsnax are, then. And when I become the next queen, I'm going to be even better than Mother Naturae. I'll lead the Bugsnax and Grumpuses with fairness and grace, as well as give a bold warning to the Snakolytes. If they even dare to try and kill me, then I will send the Bugsnax to destroy them and ONLY them. And if my story of the century doesn't hurt them enough, then I'll get Clumby on my side to unravel all of their secrets," I smirked.
"Great idea, but we need to find your mom, first. If she's been held captive in a Snakolyte hideout for years on end, she's sure to know even more than any non-Snakolyte out there," Floofty said, me nodding at that.
"Yeah, you make a valid point, Floofty!" I smirked as we then finally reached the Flavor Falls and I listened to Mothza's directions to get to Mama Mewon.
"Behind the western waterfall, over the rope bridge, and then behind a large door. Say the phrase Open Sesa-Wee to gain access to her lair." I did just that and, when I said that very odd phrase, we found the lair of the giant Bugsnak, which had to be about the same size as Lizbert's hut in town!
"WHOA! That Snak is HUGE! Come on, ya big bug! Here comes the Chandlo SLAM!" Chandlo shouted as he rushed in... only to get tackled back by the giant watermelon, me gawking at how he flew into the wall and looked to be sore.
"CHADLO! Okay, ya big bully, time to face the wrath of your new queen!" I shouted as I flew into the fray and proceeded to punch the top of Mama Mewon's body with the Snak Puncher, which, after doing it for four hits, managed to break open the melon queen in half, her growling at me.
"Ooh, you want to go a few rounds? Then let's dance!" Mama Mewon shouted as I saw that a bunch of small, red, spherical Bugsnax appeared from within the mama's broken body and they started to bounce around happily while the big mama was slamming her body into the ground before then using her destroyed upper half as legs, not unlike the Pinkle Bugsnak!
"Hey, Felicia! I got an idea!" Chandlo shouted as he then grabbed one of the little balls, them constantly shouting wee in adorable fashion and him standing underneath of a giant stalactite. "HEY! I GOT YOUR BABY BALL! COME AND GET IT!" Chandlo shouted, me then rushing in and grabbing Chandlo just before the Mama Mewon could tackle him again, me then using her confusion to my advantage as I used the grappler to hook onto the stalactite and sent it falling on the giant tick, her then losing the rest of her body and turning into just a small melon slice, her looking dazed and confused afterwards.
"Oogh, ow... you... did a good job, queenie..." Mama Mewon groaned as I then flew back down and saw the baby mewons were huddled in a corner and looked scared.
"Yes, I did. Now, Mama Mewon. I have one question for you," I said as I picked her up and looked her in the eyes. "Where. Is. My. Mother?" I asked, her then producing something from her rines... a triangular key of blue.
"Use this... there's a secret room where you fell down... on the cliff... behind a bush... you'll find her there... in the Triplicate Space... and thanks for... knocking the sense into me..." she groaned in pain, me smiling at her. "And this, too..." she said as I saw that one of her baby mewons gave me another tape recorder, this one being colored yellow. I picked it up and then listened to it.
"Plan of attack: Once we find a new queen of the Bugsnax that will obey our every command, we'll use her powers and knowledge to have the Bugsnax attack the mainland, forcing the citizens to become new forms. When the citizenry realizes the threat, we'll overtake the government at Grumpington DC and rule the country that dared to denounce us as a cult. And that's the first step. After that, we'll drop payloads of Bugsnak armies across the globe in the capitals of every developed nation. Britain, France, Russia, China, Australia, India, Israel. Nowhere will be safe when the Snakolytes take over as the new world power... also, it'll make it a lot easier for us to marry and have sex with our kids," the tape said, me being disgusted by that final phrase. But this tape sounded like it was from a voice I didn't recognize... but Floofty did.
"My god... that was the voice of Devilde Mistrilydge, the current head of the Snakolytes! He was the one that employed me and Snorpington to make a form of prosthetic limbs that were ten times stronger than normal Grumpus limbs! No doubt about it they plotted to use them to take over the world with super soldiers... I feel I need to apologize to my brother for daring to join that horrid excuse of a scientist. Had I known he was this evil, I would've joined Snorpington in defeating them in court, despite the heavy load against us," they said with disgust as I frowned.
"This is definitely going to be used in the story. Chandlo, for now, I'd like to ask if you and Floofty go back to the town with Mama Mewon. I need to find my mother," I said with seriousness.
"Before you open the way to her holding chambers, lay down a trip shot wire where you enter the Triplicate Space. You'll understand more when you encounter her new form," Mama Mewon said as I nodded.
"And thanks for telling me this... also, apologize to my best bud, got it?" I frowned.
"Fine... apologies, Chandlo. I was still a bit feral in the head, so that's why I attacked... I needed that cranial assault to remember who I was," she said.
"No hard feelings, dawg. Let's get back to town and prepare a little surprise for Felicia's mum when they get back," Chandlo smirked, which made me smile.
"Thanks, Chadlo," I smirked as we then did a fist bump, me smirking at how much of a bro he was.
"I'd do the same thing, but I have a terrible time with physical contact," Floofty admitted, which made me smile.
"It's quite alright, Floofty. I'm just grateful that you're helping out so much in our endeavors. Maybe I could make you the royal scientist?" I smirked, Floofty then laughing a bit at that.
"That sounds delightfully frightening. Right up my alley," they said with a big smile as our group then disperse, minus me and the family of Bugsnax. We then went to the bridge that I fell down at when I arrived, there still being a big puddle of jam where I hit my head on the rock. I placed the Lunchpad on the ground and had myself and my Bugsnax jump from the ground to the top of the bridge, us then finding the bush easily before finding a set of triangle-shaped stairs that went down the cliff of the side of the island and into a hidden cave halfway down the cliff. And I could feel an aura of mystery in this place.
"It's time to find you... please be okay, mommy," I said with a waver in my voice as I then boldly went to the complex.
