We're finally at the end of Meta Knight Arc, the longest one yet...and probably the longest one period. Quite a few questions are going to be answered at the end of this chapter. But first, you get an awesome and hilarious fight scene! Ain't that nice?
Chapter 18:Destruction of the Halberd:Finale
The duo quickly flew away from the core just before it exploded in a massive conflagration, sending giant shards of metal soaring to the ocean below, and forcing Josh to continuously duck and weave their ride to avoid getting smashed out of the sky by the debris.
"Man, you're getting good at this!"Trent commented, having to shout over the roaring wind.
"It's actually starting to feel natural!"Josh admitted, doing the same as he flew about. As the debris fell into the ocean below, the two looped back towards the ship, flying straight towards the ship's control room. They flew into an opening and landed in a large hallway, seeing a few ability trophies above their heads.
"All systems failing! No. 3 and No. 5 engines are gone!"Axe cried.
"We're junked! Nothing left to do but crash!"came Javelin's miserable voice.
There was a small pause."Attention to all crew! Evacuate ship immediately!"Meta Knight's voice ordered.
Captain Vul screeched frantically."This ship is done for! I gotta get outta here!"The duo heard a rumbling behind them, but didn't turn around.
"Aaaaand that would be our cue to run like hell,"Trent said rather calmly.
"No argument here! Let's beat it!"Josh shouted, then the two began a mad dash for the exit, running right under the trophies without so much as a glance at them.
"I'm escaping now! Don't think badly of me!"Captain Vul called one last time, the two jumping over a small bridge of disappearing blocks. A multicolored machine over their heads fired a few energy balls at the two, but Josh quickly sliced through it with a rising slash.
"So...now it's time for the rest of you to escape as well,"Meta Knight said calmly as Trent smashed through a few star blocks in their way, then the two jumped over a large platform.
"I will stay until the bitter end,"Axe said solemnly, his voice resolute while the two continued to run.
"We should finish off Kirby, then all escape together!"Javelin called out.
"Dude, they really want us dead, don't they?"Josh asked breathlessly, ducking down and running through a crawl space.
Trent, after following him in Star form, dryly replied "No, they really want you dead."
"That's a lovely thought,"Josh muttered, slicing through some more star blocks, and then through another machine.
"...You are all about to perish. Do as you please,"Meta Knight said quietly. The two quickly reached a door and threw themselves through it. They found an elevator in front of them, then quickly jumped in and pressed the 'Up' button, beginning their ascent to the top floor. Once they stopped, the two dashed into another room, only for a few of the Meta Knights to drop in front of them after teleporting in.
"Wait, Kirby!"Axe called out to them from behind.
"I can't allow you to go any farther!"Javelin said, whirling a spiked ball and chain above his head.
"You've gotta be kidding me,"Trent growled, the duo quickly hopping out of the way of the ball and chain. Josh leapt forward before the armored figure could pull his weapon back, smashing his foot into him and sending him fly into the wall. Trent grunted as an axe suddenly lodged itself in his armored back, then he turned around and swung his hammer, knocking the skulled figure away. He reached behind his back to try and pull out the weapon, but couldn't get a hold on it. But then, he suddenly felt the weapon become dislodged, then glanced over his shoulder to see Josh standing there with the axe in his hand.
"Y'know, this makes me wonder if there's an Axe ability,"he quipped, dropping the weapon."Now, let's get outta he-huh?"The two in blinked in surprise as Axe Knight and Javelin Knight approach them, the former leaning on the latter.
"We're not giving up that easily!"Javelin growled weakly. The duo stared at the two knights in shock for a moment, then looked at each other, Trent giving Josh a questioning look, gripping his hammer a bit tightly. The puff ball shook his head silently, then, to the warriors' shock, the two stepped away from each other, pointing towards the way they came as if to let them by. The two soldiers looked at each other, then back at them. Before they could say anything, the two friends dashed past them and jumped on the elevator, quickly ascending with one last look at the two warriors.
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The great being watching the duo was wide-eyed. None that came before these two had shown mercy to any creature, simply destroying anything in their way with reckless abandon, even the creatures that never attacked. She had known something about these two was special when she first saw them spare an innocent Noddy, something none before them had bothered to do. And now, they had spared the two loyal knights and allowed them to escape.
The being smiled, knowing she had finally found the two she had been looking for.
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The duo arrived in a small, simple room with three trophies above their heads, as well as a Maxim Tomato. Josh jumped onto the wall ahead of them, then hopped up and sliced through it with his blade, the two peices falling into Trent's free hand. Josh hopped back down and took a half, then they gobbled down their halves in a single gulp. Afterwards, they looked at the door with hesitation.
"Well...this is it,"Trent said."Behind that door is our fight with Meta Knight."He glanced at Josh, who seemed very antsy. He knew that his friend was a big fan of Meta Knight."I'm going to assume you're nervous."
"Gee, is it that obvious?"Josh asked sarcastically.
"Do I need to kick you in there? I don't think we have a lot of time left."
Josh took a deep breath."Alright, let's go."They walked through.
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The room was simple, though large in size. It looked much the same way the rest of the ships rooms did, it was just larger.
And standing in the middle of the room, sword in hand, was Meta Knight, staring at the two with glowing green eyes.
"So, you are the two I've heard so much about,"he said coolly, eyes returning to normal. The duo blinked, glancing at each other in confusion."I know who you really are."That got their attention in a heart beat, the two staring at the star warrior in shock."Your names are Josh and Trent, two humans from Earth, brought here by means and purposes you are completely unaware of. Am I correct?"
It was a long moment before either of them spoke."How...how the hell...?"Josh asked, speechless.
"You know what brought us here?"Trent asked, barely managing to keep his voice from shaking."You know why we're here?"
"Yes, I do,"Meta Knight stated."However, it is not in my authority to reveal that information."
"Then who the hell's authority is it?"Josh shouted, becoming angry with one of his favorite video game characters of all time.
"Calm down,"Meta Knight ordered."You will both get your answers..."He pointed his sword at them."But only if you can defeat me and escape from this place. Come and show me your combined might!"The two looked at each other one last time, nodded, then charged forward. Smirking under his mask, Meta Knight flew towards his opponents.
It got nuts. Fast.
Josh, being the fastest of the duo at the moment, met with Meta Knight in the middle, their blades clashing for a split-second before they began slashing at each other at ridiculous speeds, their blades' collisions only visible to most as small flashes. Meta Knight, though cool and calculated with his sword, was actually having a slightly difficult time blocking Josh's fast and frenzied slashes. Meta Knight noted that Josh's attacks, though wild, still had an odd degree of precision behind them, and he found it was becoming harder to predict where each blow would come from next. Still, he wouldn't allow himself to be overwhelmed by such undisciplined swordsmanship.
Of course, that entire paragraph all happened in the course of three seconds, and thusly, his last thought became a moot point, as Trent leapt above the two, ready to come down and crush the star warrior under his armored girth. However, Meta Knight took a half-step back, just out of reach of Josh's next slash, whirled around and disappeared with a swish of his cape, all in less than a second, and Trent ended up smashing into the ground, nearly crushing Josh and snapping him out of his frenzied state.
The puff ball shook his head as Trent brought himself to his feet."Whoa...my head's spinning..."Josh muttered, blinking a few times.
"I must say, you are very fast, even by my standards,"Meta Knight remarked.
"Well, I'd probably be faster if it weren't for these stubby little arms,"Josh replied, waving his small limbs.
"Hmm, perhaps you would,"Meta Knight agreed."However, you will both have to give it your all if you wish to get past me."
"You asked for it,"Trent said, charging forward with his hammer reared back. Meta Knight raised an eyebrow at the blind charge, then, just as Trent swung, he teleported, allowing Trent's hammer make a dent in the metallic floor."What the-? Where'd he go?"
"Brute force? That's what you're going with?"Meta Knight asked from...the top of Trent's head?"You're going to have to do better than that."
"What-C'mere, you!"Trent growled, reaching up to grab Meta Knight, but he was already gone by the time Trent started lifting his arm."Now where is he?"He turned his head to see Josh walking up to him."He's just messing with us, isn't he?"
"Do you really need me to answer that question?"Josh asked, looking around cautiously."Well, if he's gonna pull this stunt, then we just have to beat him at his own game!"With that, Josh disappeared as well, leaving Trent standing seemingly alone in the room.
"Uhh, I could have sworn you said 'we',"the gorilla called out. No answer came, and he sat down on his rump, resting his chin on his fist as he scowled."Well, this is stupid...we can't waste time playing hide and seek. We gotta get the f*ck outta here..."
"I don't appreciate that kind of language on my ship,"Meta Knight, who was standing beside Trent, said, his calm tone betraying his irritation.
Trent shrugged apologetically."Sorry, old habit."He blinked, something clicking in his head, then he turned said skull to look at the small knight."What the-? GET OVER HERE!"He lunged at Meta Knight, who, instead of teleporting again, hopped to the side, causing Trent to clumsily topple over himself."Ow..."Meta Knight shook his head in disdain, but was suddenly caught off-guard as Josh reappeared and slashed at his side. Grunting, Meta Knight quickly flew back, bringing a hand to the cut on his side Josh had given him.
"Did you plan that?"he asked the grinning Kirby copy.
"Nope, but it did work out nicely,"Josh remarked as Trent stood up with a grunt. The ship suddenly shook violently.
"Hmm, I suppose I should stop playing around,"Meta Knight remarked, noticing a part of the ceiling fall down.
"We'd like that,"Trent remarked, then the two parties charged towards one another again. Josh, coming up with an idea in the spur of the moment, leapt up and then swung his sword at their opponent, shooting a sword beam at the knight and catching him by surprise. Meta Knight managed to block the attack in time with his sword, but was milliseconds too late to avoid a swing of Trent's hammer, which sent him flying through the room. The blue warrior managed to right himself in midair before he could smash into a wall, and watched as the two continued charging towards him. Meta Knight quickly flung a sword beam of his own, forcing them to split off and slowing them down. He then held his sword above his head and started charging energy into it as the duo ran towards him again.
But then they froze in their tracks, recognizing the stance Meta Knight was taking.
Their eyes went wide, then they both whispered "Oh, shit..." and turned on their heels just as Meta Knight jammed Galaxia into the ground, creating a massive energy tornado covered the distance of the entire hall. The two screamed at the top of their lungs and ran even faster as the attack gained on them at an alarming rate. However, they ran out of room to run far too soon, reaching a wall. Dreadfully, the two turned around to stare at the incoming attack.
"This is gonna hurt, isn't it?"Trent asked quietly.
"Quite a lot, I'd imagine,"Josh deadpanned, eyes wide. They were right, the attack smashed into them with incredible strength, tearing through them for a few agonizing seconds before puttering itself out, and the two dropped to the floor, writhing in pain. That had to have been the most painful thing they had felt so far on their adventure."Dude...th-that was...nasty..."The two slowly pushed themselves to their feet.
"Uuuggghhh, I'm hurting in places that d-don't exist..."Trent groaned, hand on his head as Meta Knight started approaching them. Josh started whispering to Trent, telling him a plan he was thinking up on the fly.
"Are you going to give up?"Meta asked calmly as he stood in front of him.
"You wish,"Josh said, then he lunged forward, swinging his sword at the knight. Meta Knight easily managed to deflect, but was then forced to jump to the side as Trent swung his hammer at him. Without giving him time to retaliate, Josh lunged again, unleashing a flurry of swings, that Meta Knight quickly deflected. The star warrior only had time to catch his breath before Trent swung again. As Meta Knight was forced to deflect another sword flurry from Josh, he believed he realized what they were trying to do.
"Your plan will not work,"he said, rolling away from another swing of Trent's hammer."You will not tire me out easily. I have fought armadas at a time on my own. I have much more endurance than you think."Neither of them responded verbally, but for some reason, they both grinned, Josh sending a sword beam at him. Meta Knight quickly deflected it and prepared to dodge another strike from Trent's hammer, but was surprised to find Josh lunging forward and swinging his sword. Meta Knight was barely able to parry it in time. For just a second, he thought they had stopped their tactic, but then Trent swung his hammer again. Now Meta Knight was actually confused, not entirely sure what they were doing. They kept attacking in irregular patterns for the next minute. Josh, Trent, Trent, Josh, Trent, Josh, Josh...
And it was then that Meta Knight understood what they were doing. They were mixing up their attack patterns to overwhelm him. Brilliant...but how did they decide which of them would attack next without speaking a word to each other?
With that distracting thought, Meta Knight let his guard down for just a split-second, allowing Trent to send him flying through the air. Before he could recover, Josh leapt straight at him, swinging his blade in a single chop. The two puff balls landed, then Josh turned around and the three waited for what would happen next...
Then Meta Knight's mask cracked, falling off his face and hitting the ground in two peices.
Meta Knight stared at the remains of his mask in shock, but then, he actually smiled, and then disappeared with a swirl of his cape, leaving the two to stare at each other.
"...Dude, did we just beat Meta Knight?"
"Uh-huh."
BOOM!
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"Josh, wake up! We gotta get outta here, man!"came Trent's voice. The puffball groaned, opening his eyes to see a Wheelie in front of him.
"Trent? What the...?"
"Get up already! The ship's about to crash!"
"Oh. Oh! Uh, coming!"Josh quickly scrambled to his feet and hopped on the living wheel, then the two began to drive forward at top speed, peices of metal falling in burning heaps around them. The duo saw the sky above their heads as they drove out of whatever room they had been in, and, as they continued driving over hills and jumping over holes in the ground, Meta Knight flew up next to them.
"Ah, crap..."Trent muttered.
"Dude, this is the worst possible time for your revenge!"Josh shouted at the knight angrily.
"I will not hinder you,"Meta Knight told them."I've seen what I need to. Come, I will lead you to where you need to go!"With that said, he flew ahead of the duo. Not bothering to question him, they followed the knight, ducking, jumping, and weaving around the crumbling wreckage to frantically avoid a crash. It wasn't easy, but they somehow managed to keep pace with their apparently former enemy. However, when they saw a jump ramp that they knew would lead to safety, Josh stomped on the the brake, causing Trent to suddenly screeched to a halt.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"Trent shouted at him.
"Look over there!"Josh shouted back, pointing to their right. Trent did just that, and what he saw nearly made his heart, if he had one at the moment, stop. Waddle Dee was lying under a small, broken girder, desperately struggling to free himself. Josh hopped off the wheelie and ran over to him to try and lift the obstruction. After a moment of hesitation, Trent screamed some very bad words, then burst forward and slammed into the girder to try and help his friend dislodge it. Meta Knight, hearing the frantic swear, turned around to see what was going on, and nearly dropped his sword in shock.
'I-...I left Waddle Dee behind...?'he asked himself in horror.'I thought he had evacuated...'Eyes narrowing, he quickly flew back towards them.
"If we make it out of this alive, I'm gonna kill you!"Trent rumbled, continuing to try and push off the girder with his friend.
"Just shut up and push!"Josh growled back, doing the same. They were suddenly caught off-guard by a slashing sound, then the girder snapped in half, and they managed to push it off the fearful Waddle Dee. They looked in shock as Meta Knight helped Waddle Dee to his feet.
"Go! I will fly him to safety!"the swordsman ordered. Not waiting for a reply, he grabbed Waddle Dee and flew off, then Josh immediately jumped on Trent, who sped off towards the jump ramp an instant later. Not knowing if they were too late or not, Trent gave a final burst of speed and shot off the ramp, flying through the air towards a cliff overlooking the ocean. For one heart-stopping moment, it seemed they wouldn't make it, but they just barely landed on the edge of the cliff, bouncing forward a bit and tumbling head over non-existant heels, before finally coming to a stop. Neither of them moved, or even breathed, for a long moment, the sudden silence vastly contrasting with the crashes that filled their ears only seconds ago.
"Are we dead?"Trent asked finally.
"Well, I'm aching all over, so probably not,"Josh murmured, pushing himself to his feet. He pushed Trent off his side, then the two went over to the cliff's edge, watching as the last of the Halberd sunk into the briny deep. They watched the scene until the last wave finally disappeared, and the world was silent once more, save only the wind that blew.
"That was intense,"Trent sighed.
"That was nuts,"Josh replied."Then again, anything we're involved with tends to be that way, huh?"
"True,"Trent admitted."But...wait a second. Meta Knight said we'd get our answers if we managed to beat him. What gives?"
Josh only shrugged, and then there was a flash.
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The two blinked, looking around the strange whiteness curiously.
"Huh, guess he wasn't lying,"Josh remarked.
"Hello? Anyone here?"Trent asked.
"We meet again,"a somewhat familiar voice said, the tone as sweet and kind as ever.
"Umm...ma'am, Meta Knight said you would tell us what's going on,"Josh said quietly.
"So...yeah...will you?"Trent asked just as quietly.
The voice giggled at them, and oddly, it made them feel a bit nicer."Of course I will. But first, I think it's best you actually saw me."Right after they heard that, a large ball of light whiter than the area around them appeared in front of the two. The light exploded outward, temporarily blinding them. When they could see again, they blinked in stunned silence. Floating in front of them was a tall, beautiful woman who looked to be in her early twenties, with long blonde hair that actually looked like strands of shining gold which fell past her shoulders. She wore a long, flowing white robe with a single shining silver brooch in the center of her torso. Her eyes were...blue. Just a pure, beautiful blue color that resonated with something buried deep within the duo the longer they stared into the two shining orbs. An odd feeling of the innocence of childhood, the joy of being a kid that had no worries in the world.
"Whoa..."they both said, their voices so quiet they could barely even hear themselves.
"Who...are you?"Trent asked finally.
The being smiled, and the two found it hard not to smile with her."My name is Destinia,"the woman said in the same voice as before, one they now thought they hadn't heard nearly enough times."I am the Goddess of Dreamland."
"...Holy crud,"Josh said, both of them feeling rather faint.
"As you have probably guessed, I am the one who brought you to this world,"Destinia said kindly."But what you don't know is why. You see, you are the latest in a not so long line of humans I have brought here to test."
"Wait, what?"Trent asked, slowly regaining his composure in the face of a diety.
"What do you mean?"Josh asked, in the same condition."This is all a test?"
"Correct,"Destinia said."Before you, I brought a dozen different humans duos to this world who I thought were worthy of what I had planned."
"And that is?"Josh asked.
"Something I'm afraid I can't tell you yet,"she said apologetically."However, I am more than willing to answer whatever other questions you have."The two looked at each other, then Trent (sort of) nodded at Josh, who looked forward again.
"Okay then, why did you pick us?"he asked.
"Well, for quite a few reasons, actually,"Destinia replied."For one thing, you're best friends, so I knew you would be able stand being near each other for long periods of time. For the most part, anyway."She added the last part when Josh opened his mouth to speak."Most of the other reasons are more specific to each of you."
She looked at Josh."Joshua. Despite your deep-rooted madness, you are a brilliant young man. You have a mind beyond that of most scholars. And, as you've figured out, it's a small part of why you're insane. You're mind is so complex that something would be very wrong if you weren't a madman. Combine that with the compassion you've shown..."She waved her hand, then a rip in space appeared that showed the scene where the two were facing the beaten knights. Trent had looked at Josh with an unasked, and hesitant, question:Should we destroy them? It then showed Josh shaking his head, then the two dashed past their opponents. The rip then showed the scene where Josh had spotted Waddle Dee in trouble, then immediately had run over to help without a second thought. Destinia waved her hand again, causing it to disappear as she finished her sentence."...It makes you an ideal candidate for my plans."
She then looked at Trent."Trenton..."The Wheelie grimaced (again, sort of) slightly. He didn't like it when people referred to him by his actual name."You have incredible willpower unlike anything I've seen in a human. Many would simply call you a stubborn fool, but I know otherwise."She waved her hand again, then a scene showed a time back when the duo were chasing down Dyna Blade. Trent was a Knuckle Joe and pinned down beneath Bugzzy, holding the giant bug's mandibles at bay and glaring holes at the beetle. Then, in a feat of what appeared to be brute strength, he pushed himself to his feet and held the now frantic beetle above his head. With a roar, he threw the bug away and smirked, clapping dust off his hands. The rip dissappated as Destinia spoke again."You shouldn't have been able to do that in your current form. What you did was with sheer willpower, not strength."
She looked at the two and smiled again."It is because of these traits that I know that you two are the ones I've been searching for."
"Umm..."Josh murmured, blushing.
"Wow,"Trent finished, not having blood to blush with.
"Hey, wait a sec, didn't you say most of the reasons?"Josh asked."Is there another one?"
She grinned at his question."Why yes, there is. The other reason is...you are both incredibly funny."She snapped her fingers, creating another portal that showed the many, many, many times the duo had gotten themselves comically hurt, as well as their different commentary.
"Huh, I guess alot of that stuff is pretty funny,"Josh admitted."Y'know, from a viewer's perspective..."
"Oi. Sometimes it's like we're in some crazy story made to make people laugh their heads off,"Trent muttered as the portal disappeared.
"Did I answer your question well enough, Josh?"Destinia asked. The Kirby nodded."Very well. Trent, what would you like to know?"
"Plenty,"Trent replied."Like, where's the real Kirby? Is he...you know...gone?"
"No, the true Kirby is not dead,"Destinia replied."He's dealing with another issue in Dreamland. One you need not concern yourselves with."
"Okay, then how did Meta Knight know who we really are?"Trent asked.
"Hey, it's my turn to ask,"Josh said irritably. Trent stared at him for a moment.
"Fine. Ask."
"Thank you,"Josh said. After a moment, he drooped, looking awkward."Um, how did Meta Knight know who we really are...?"Trent rolled his eyes and Destinia giggled.
"The thing is, the Halberd you destroyed wasn't the real one,"she remarked. The two blinked."It was an illusion of my own making. A very realistic one, as you've clearly seen."
"But...Meta Knight and his crew...weren't?"Josh guessed hesitantly.
"Correct,"Destinia nodded."You see, Meta Knight was originally aiding Kirby with his endeavors, but once I told him of you both, he agreed to help test you. His crew, however, is a different story. You see, I had to erase their memories of the first time they had tried to invade Dreamland, and Meta Knight was the only one who knew the truth. You destroying the Halberd and defeating Meta Knight was the latest of your tests. And you passed with flying colors."She smiled again."I must say, the way you defeated Meta Knight was nothing short of brilliant. He believes so as well."
"Oh, he figured out our little plan, huh?"Josh asked, cracking a grin.
"'Our?'"Trent questioned."You're the one who came up with it."
"And you're the one who got in the hit that let us beat him, so there,"Josh retorted."Not to mention you're the one who got us out of there."
"Are there other questions you wish to ask?"
"Just one,"Trent said."Back when you first brought us here, you were being all mysterious and dramatic. What happened to that?"
Destinia shrugged."I'm a diety. We like to be mysterious and cryptic every now and then. To be honest, I wanted to keep up that ruse for a while longer, but after doing it with all your predecessors, I got tired of it, so I stopped."
"Ah,"Josh said. The two looked at each other, not getting it.
"So, now that I've answered your questions, it's about time you were on your way,"Destinia said."There are a couple of things I would like you to do. First off, I would like for you to go back to the area where Dyna Blade was and find the Ability Hall. You have already found the Ability Tower, but I would like for you to find the hall as well."
"Why's that?"Josh asked.
"I want the two of you to train with all the different abilities, so that you will become stronger with them,"Destinia said."I have been rather leniant in letting you both relax between your adventures, but this time I would prefer if you tried to cut back on lying around."
The two looked at each other, then Josh shrugged."Sure, why not?"
"We have been kind of lazy about it, haven't we?"Trent admitted.
"Just one other thing,"Destinia said, gaining their attention."I would appreciate it if you didn't swear so often. It's a bad habit, you know."
The two looked rather sheepish at that."Yeah, we know,"Josh said."We were trying to stop before we got here, but once we realized it was just the two of us here with no one to scold us about it, we just..."
"Let it all out,"Trent said apologetically.
She smiled."I understand. It can be difficult to restrain yourself without anything to hold you back. Now, then, it was nice meeting you again."
And she snapped her fingers.
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The two blinked, finding themselves back on the cliff. They looked at each other.
"Well...that was very informative,"Trent said.
"I still wanna know what the real Kirby is actually doing, though,"Josh remarked.
"Hey, be glad we got the answers we did,"Trent told his friend.
"I am, I am,"Josh said."Still, that's curiousity for ya."He hopped on the Wheelie."Now, whaddaya say we go find that hall she told us about?"
"Let's roll,"Trent joked. The two chuckled. With a rev of Trent's engine, the duo drove off down a dirt path."Wait, which way do we go, anyhow?"
"I have no idea, buddy. I have no idea."
And so they drove on.
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End of Chapter
At this point, all I can say is review.
Next part, Great Cave Offensive Boss Rush.