Next chapter done!
Enjoy! ;)
Chapter 10: Gritzy Desert and the Koopaseum
The heroes arrived back in the Mushroom Kingdom's past at Gritzy Desert: a large, barren desert in the northeastern-most part of the Mushroom Kingdom. There was a large colosseum at the heart of the desert and dark caves located under it. Cactus and buried tracks fill this hot landscape.
"Geez…it's piping hot out here!" Sonic wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"It's not that bad, actually… It sorta feels like Dusty Desert." Tails stated.
"I don't care…it's still hot as hell…"
"You know, Sonic does have a point…" Mario said.
"Maybe we should go in there to cool off." Luigi pointed to the colosseum.
"Alright, let's go in…because I'm DYING out here!" Young Sonic shouted as they went inside.
"Umm… I wouldn't go in there if I were you…" Veronica protested and stayed outside instead.
Then…
"WAH!"
"MAMA MIA!"
"OH. MY. GOODNESS."
"…Oh…hello…"
Veronica heard the boys' voices from the inside. They probably saw something not good…
"%$#*$(&!" suddenly, Veronica heard a Shroob noise next.
"RUUUUUUUUUUN!" she heard Luigi's voice.
Veronica watched the boys running out of the colosseum in panic before noticing a Shroob at the entrance.
"Uh oh!" she quickly flees.
The Shroob ordered many Shroobs that were inside the colosseum to go after the heroes.
Back with the boys, they decided to hide behind one of the pillars, followed up by Veronica joining them. They peeked out to see the Shroob leader looking around before commanding his troops to head to the left.
"I think they're gone…" Baby Luigi guessed as he and his brother walked out of their hiding spot, thinking they're safe.
"NO! WAIT!" Luigi panicked and got in front of the babies. "What if they come back?" he warned them…only for the Shroob leader to come back. "Oh, crud…"
Luigi and the babies immediately ran as the Shroob started to chase after them.
"Oh, brother…" Mario sweatdropped.
"How come he gets to have all the fun?" Young Tails questioned.
"Well, not on our watch!" Young Sonic grinned. "Come on, Tails!"
With that, the two young animals went off, chasing after the Shroob.
"Ha! You saps are all wet!" a voice came.
Mario, Sonic, Tails and Veronica looked up and saw a spinning pink shell that went down and Kylie Koopa came out from it.
"Oh, hello Kylie." Veronica greeted politely.
"Waltz into the dome's front door and you're sure to get spotted and carted away lickety-split!" Kylie warned.
"That's what I was trying to warn you guys, actually." Veronica eyed at Mario, Sonic and Tails.
"WAAAAAH! GET AWAY!" Luigi screamed at the background during the chase.
"Keep him distracted, Luigi! We got your back!" Young Tails called out, firing a blast from his arm cannon at the Shroob.
"So what are you doing here, exactly?" Tails asked.
"Well, here's the scoop: Princess Shroob's gonna be arriving here any minute now!" Kylie said as she took a snap with her camera.
"Wait, really?!"
"Yeah, there's gonna be a big to-do celebrating the conquest of the Mushroom Kingdom!"
"GOTCHA!" Young Sonic managed to tackle someone down. However, he actually tackled Luigi.
"THAT'S ME YOU'RE HOLDING DOWN!" Luigi yelled.
"Oh…" Young Sonic replied nervously as he let go of Luigi, who ran off as the Shroob ran past the young hedgehog. "HEY! GET BACK HERE!" he shouted angrily as he chases after the Shroob.
"And that's just the fries, guys: here's the burger! Some other princess-type's coming too!" Kylie continued.
"What?! No way! Could that be Peach?" Mario was shocked.
"Well that depends: how is she like, Kylie?" Sonic asked.
"My sources indicate this other damsel likes pink, and she MAY be royalty of some sort." Kylie answered.
"Yep. That's definitely Princess Peach." Sonic concluded.
"WHAT? Princess Peach? The doll they're bringing here is Princess Peach?" Kylie questioned.
"TAKE THIS, YOU UGLY PURPLE THING!" Baby Luigi yelled and swung his hammer at the Shroob, causing him to spin around but accidentally knocked down Luigi. "Whoops! My bad..."
"WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU GUYS ON?!" Luigi yelled in annoyance as he gets up and runs off from the Shroob again.
"Princess Peach came here in a time doohickey and got pinched by Princess Shroob?!" Kylie said in shock.
"Yup. That basically sums up everything." Sonic said.
"I gotta get this straight… You're snooping about trying to rescue the adult Princess Peach? Sounds like balloon juice to me, fellas…but what a scoop it'd be if you're on the level!"
"TAKE THAT!" Baby Mario threw his hammer at the Shroob, but he sidestepped out of the way…and the hammer's head hit Luigi instead.
"OWWWWW!" Luigi winced in pain.
"Oops…" Baby Mario flinched.
"OH, COME ON!"
"Alrighty then! You need to get into the dome so you can nab that princess, right?" Kylie guessed as she strikes her pose.
"That's right." Mario nodded.
"Well, word on the street is there's supposed to be a secret entrance around here… Word on the street ain't so specific, though, so I dunno about its whereabouts…"
The Shroob went back, looking for Luigi, until the babies appeared from behind him, with Baby Luigi on top of Baby Mario, and they spun their hammers together, sending the Shroob flying. However, Luigi was backing off directly to the babies, and because he didn't see where he was going, he was caught into the mini-tornado as well.
"WOOOOOAAAAH!" he screamed as he flew off.
"There he goes…" Young Tails watched Luigi flying into the air once he and Young Sonic came back.
"What a crazy chase this was…" Young Sonic remarked.
"You're not getting in through here, regardless, so you gotta find that secret entrance!" Kylie said. "Here's the only dirt I got: the entrance is connected somehow to four desert statues. Now knuckle down and find that entrance, ya big lugs! I've got some sleuthing of my own to take care of. Good luck!" she then left.
"Hey, where's Luigi?" Mario asked as he looked around.
"Uh, Mario…" Tails pointed upwards.
Eventually, Luigi came crashing down faceplanted into the sand right in front of Mario.
"Are you okay, Luigi?" Veronica asked.
"Where have you been?" Mario questioned.
"Flying…" Luigi muttered in the sand while the kids regrouped with the adults. "Kids are a pain…"
"Well, what are we going to do now? We can't go through the front door again." Young Sonic said.
"For my sake…we shouldn't…" Luigi sighed as he got up.
"I can see a couple of switches in this place as well as four Dry Bones statues. I assume those are the statues that Kylie mentioned." Veronica explained. "We should head to each statue and activate them. There's one at the northwest, one at the west, one at the east and one at the southeast. You guys head to each of them while I watch from above."
With that, the adults with their younger selves split up to each of the statues while Veronica flew into the air to take a nice view of the four statues. She then saw Sonic and his younger self, who were both at the eastern statue, hitting two blocks and a blue star thing flew towards the western statue.
"Mario! Baby Mario! Hit the blocks, now!" Veronica called out as she flew to the western statue, where Mario and Baby Mario were.
"Okay!" both Marios nodded before hitting their blocks, and another blue star flew back to the eastern statue.
Eventually, both statues' mouths opened and fired a laser.
"Looks like part of it is done. Now I'll do the same with the others." Veronica said and flew off.
After doing the same instructions with both Tailses and Luigis, the lasers finally collided with each other into one pillar, and it opened the secret passage to the colosseum, which was located right above the front door.
After regrouping, the heroes went above the colosseum and walked into the entrance.
This colosseum was called the Koopaseum: a large structure with golden walls and pillars with a green floor. The dome's exterior had a circular red carpet. The heroes reached the dome's exterior, where they met up with Kylie.
"Gee whiz! You guys found the secret entrance after all! Color me bamboozled!" she exclaimed. "Now listen, and listen good! Princess Shroob should be arriving any minute now! All the Shroobs are gathered on the other side of this wall. Let's take a look-see through these windows!"
Everyone nodded and walked towards each of the windows and peeked.
They saw a large stadium loaded with Shroobs, making it look like they were in a live-action show.
"Boy! Just look at 'em, fellas! Look at all them Shroobs!" Kylie exclaimed.
"Golly…" Luigi's eyes widened.
Soon, two Shroobs walked at the front of the main stage and announced in their language:
"#(%!"
The Shroobs at the audience cheered. Then, the lights went off; only laser lights were illuminating the stadium. Just then, a large Saucer arrived in and the Shroobs cheered again as they saw Princess Shroob coming down from it and landing on the stage. She walked towards the main laser light illuminating the stage as the Saucer left.
"&$!" Princess Shroob exclaimed. "*%!" the lights lit up again. "%()!" she spoke, and the Shroobs cheered. "%()!" she spoke louder, and the Shroobs screamed louder. "%()!"
A Shroob brought her a drink via tray. After Princess Shroob finished her drink, she resumed speaking through her microphone: "*%!"
"EEEEEEEK!" suddenly, Peach let out a shriek as she showed up in, tied by a UFO. "Help me!"
She was dragged at the front of the stage, over a green pipe, where Petey Piranha showed up from below.
"$%*" the Shroobs at the audience chanted.
"$%*!" Princess Shroob commanded.
The UFO let go of Princess Peach, and Petey Piranha ate her! Having finished his meal, Petey went back into the pipe. Princess Shroob let out a cackle in glory, and all of the Shroobs joined her.
Back with the heroes…
"OH. DEAR. GOD." Veronica's eyes widened.
"D-Did you SEE that?!" Luigi asked in shock.
"Petey Piranha just ATE Peach!" Mario exclaimed in complete shock.
"YOIKS!" suddenly, they heard Kylie screaming.
"Hold on, was that Kylie?!" Tails questioned in surprise.
"What just hap-*loud gasp* NO WAY!" Sonic shouted in horror as he and the others looked to the left.
They just saw Kylie being carried away by two Shroobs while tied in ropes!
"Oh NO! Kylie!" Young Tails cried out.
"After them!" Young Sonic demanded as everyone ran after the Shroobs.
After going through multiple obstacles in the Koopaseum, they eventually reached a strange blue platform on the ground. They decided to hop on it. That's where they realized that this platform is actually an elevator, taking them upwards…on the stage.
"Uh oh…" Sonic gulped as the Shroobs stared at them.
"Lookie! We're on the stage!" Baby Luigi exclaimed as he and Baby Mario went to the middle of the stage and giggled happily while waving to the crowd, even if it was loaded with their enemies.
"God help us…" Luigi sweatdropped.
"&%!" Princess Shroob commanded the Shroobs on the stage to ready their laser guns and point at the heroes. "#(!" she gave the signal.
Four Shroobs at the left shot a laser at both Marios and both Sonics, but they avoided them by leaping high into the air like if they were doing a performance on stage.
"Wahaa!" Mario stomped the upper-left Shroob.
"Woohoo!" Baby Mario stomped the lower-left Shroob.
"All right!" Sonic stomped the far-left Shroob.
"Yes!" Young Sonic Spin Jumped the middle-left Shroob.
"#(!" Princess Shroob gave the signal to the Shroobs at the right.
The four Shroobs at the right shot their lasers at both Luigis and both Tailses, but they also leapt into the air.
"Yeah!" Tails stomped the far-right Shroob.
"Yay!" Young Tails Spin Jumped the middle-right Shroob.
"Oh yeah!" Baby Luigi stomped the lower-right Shroob.
"Yahoo!" Luigi…didn't stomp the upper-right Shroob. Instead, he leapt too far away that he went off our point of view.
"Uhh… Where did older me go?" Baby Luigi questioned.
"&%!" Princess Shroob called forth somebody.
"*(&!" a Shroob's voice was heard from the left.
This Shroob was blue with yellow spots on his cap and was holding a lollipop; he was known as the Shrooboid Brat. He came in while holding on a chain moving to the right.
"Eh? GAH!" we heard Luigi's scream, followed up by an earthquake.
"Ack!" Baby Luigi flinched and ran behind Baby Mario when he saw his older self being dragged back to the stage by the Shrooboid Brat.
"…Luigi?" Mario's eyes widened.
"What the heck is that thing?!" Sonic questioned.
"And why is it holding a lollipop?" Young Sonic added.
"%)?" Princess Shroob asked.
"Well…" Luigi said in an awkward tone.
"#(!" Princess Shroob yelled.
"What the—AAAAAHHH!" Luigi screamed when the Shrooboid Brat threw him and he crashed on the bottom wall of the audience.
*CRASH!*
"Older Luigi!" Baby Mario cried out.
"Uh oh! Let's hurry and help myself!" Baby Luigi said and he and Baby Mario went off the stage to retrieve Luigi, now unconscious.
Upon reaching him, Baby Mario picked him up and carried him on his back.
"Careful… Don't drop me…" Baby Luigi warned as he held his adult self by his back to prevent him from falling off of Baby Mario.
"Look! Baby Mario and Baby Luigi are helping Luigi!" Tails exclaimed.
"Hey! Thanks for doing that, babies!" Mario thanked.
"No problem!" Baby Mario replied as he and Baby Luigi let Luigi get back on his feet.
"Alright, I'm ready now!" Luigi grinned as everyone got in a fighting stance.
"#(!" Princess Shroob growled and sent the Shrooboid Brat to attack the heroes.
The Shrooboid Brat let out a roar and threw his lollipop at Mario, but Baby Mario countered it with his hammer. But what surprised the heroes was that the Shrooboid Brat pulled out another lollipop from his mouth.
"Jeez! How can he store lollipops in his mouth?" Young Sonic cringed.
"Who knows? Let's just attack that annoying brat!" Sonic demanded as he Home Attacks the Shrooboid Brat while Young Sonic Spin Jumped.
The Shroobs at the audience threw three Fire Flowers to the Shrooboid Brat. He ate them and spits out fireballs at the heroes. Baby Mario and Baby Luigi blew them out with their hammers while Mario and Luigi took the chance to stomp the Shrooboid Brat.
The Shroobs at the audience then threw two mushrooms to the Shrooboid Brat, and once he ate them, he spat out two Poison Mushrooms, who were heading towards the heroes. Luckily, Veronica stopped them in place and both Tailses knocked them back at the Shrooboid Brat with their tails. The Shrooboid Brat was now suffering with Poison status.
"Hurry! While he's sick, use this, everyone!" Veronica summons an orange trampoline.
"You guys have your own spring? Cool! Let's do this!" Sonic grinned.
The four boys and their younger selves hopped on the Trampoline and were sent high into the air. They then came back down in random orders to stomp the Shrooboid Brat on the head before jumping back on the Trampoline. They continued this cycle until the Shrooboid Brat was finally defeated and exploded.
"&%!" Princess Shroob's eye twitched and commanded some Shroobs to surround the heroes, who looked at them confused.
"What are they doing?" Young Sonic whispered in his older self's ear.
"No idea…" Sonic whispered back.
"&%!" Princess Shroob demanded, and the Shroobs took out mallets.
"T-That's not good!" Mario flinched.
The Shroobs smashed the ground with their mallets and the floor beneath the heroes cracked.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!" they screamed as they fell.
All of the Shroobs, including Princess Shroob, cackled in glory. Princess Shroob then leaves the stage, accompanied by another Shroob.
What could of have happened to our heroes?
To be continued…
I wouldn't love Gritzy Desert's song if it wasn't for its amazing remix in Super Smash Bros Brawl! Seriously, I was actually listening to this remix while writing this chapter! It was so good! Today, Gritzy Desert is one of my favorite songs in Partners in Time, but there's another song that totally beats this one. The place holding this other song won't show up until much later on.
I had a bit of fun writing some dialogue for when the heroes arrive at the stage. I also loved the part where the babies carried Luigi back to the stage before the fight with the Shrooboid Brat.
The heroes were taken underground! Until the next chapter! Please review.