All right, fellow readers. This is the 33rd chapter of this story!
Now, this chapter is back to focusing on Andrew and his four partners as they plan to leave Glitzville while Andrew retires from the Glitz Pit.
In this chapter, Andrew starts having second thoughts about how he felt about this adventure at first, while Yoshiam gets to see the world outside of Glitzville.
Also, Yoshiam is amazed by seeing the Rogueport Sewers, and his thoughts on it are shown, just like those with Koops and Flurrie in the previous, and then Yoshiam gets to see the site of the Thousand-Year Door for the first time. The fourth location appears on the map, and a few other things occur. How will this go for them? Read and find out, now!
BACK IN GLITZVILLE:
It didn't take long for Andrew to enter the storage room, where he used the power of the Gold Star to resurrect both Bandy Andy and King K, getting them back to normal.
While he was at it, Andrew decided to restore the other missing fighters that Grubba was responsible for making them disappear. While Bandy Andy and King K decided to remain in the Glitz Pit, the other fighters that were brought back decided to leave Glitzville as each of them headed back home to their rightful places.
After that was done, Andrew placed the Gold Star into his backpack for now until he brought it to the Thousand-Year Door. From there, Andrew and his four partners were given quite a feast of a dinner for what they'd done. Mr. Hoggle had decided to give each of them several fresh Hot Dogs.
When Mr. Hoggle noticed Yoshiam, he concluded that he was the runaway egg that he tried catching before Andrew liberated him.
Mr. Hoggle admits that he was glad that he didn't use him as a Hot Dog topping, and he apologized to him for attempting to do such a thing. Andrew said that there was no harm done, and Yoshiam decided to let things go and say that it was all cool.
Aside from Hot Dogs, the five travelers were given other types of dinner food as well. There was some Spaghetti, Healthy Salad, Koopa Buns, Shroom Steaks, Shroom Fry, Shroom Roast, and a bunch of different fruits such as Keel Mangos, Apples, Melons, and Bananas.
Yoshiam settled on having the fruit, which he had gotten at least 8 of each, which got Andrew to raise his eyebrow at the appetite Yoshiam had. Nonetheless, he gave it a pass, given that Yoshaim was a Yoshi
As for the rest of them, they had different meals. Andrew settled on having some Spaghetti, Goombella had a Healthy Salad and a thing of Shroom Fry, Koops decided to have some Shroom Roast with a Koopa Bun served with it, and Flurrie chose to have the Shroom Steak and Healthy Salad to go with it.
Aside from dinner, Andrew got to meet his other fans in the Glitz Pit, each of them consisting of Toads of both genders, Doogans, and Lakitus. He was relieved that the hormonal teenage Toad fangirls didn't try jumping at him this time.
Which might have something to do with Goombella saying that she'd intervene if she had to. Additionally, he met with the Bob-omb family again, where Bub was thrilled to see Andrew become the champ of the Glitz Pit.
And then there was that aristocratic Toad woman who caught his fancy. 'Apparently', her name was Toodles, and she was in Glitz Pit on her vacation from home. She 'really' didn't give Andrew any thought in the beginning.
At least until he managed to beat the Rawk Hawk and became the new Glitz Pit champion, and that's when she attempted to flirt with him. Andrew was flattered by this and told her that it was nice to meet her.
After the five of them had dinner, they had dessert, which consisted of more Cake, much to Yoshiam's excitement. And just like before, the five of them decided to share the Cake by slicing it up.
Andrew and his four partners decided to spend the night in the Champ Room which was still their room until tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Andrew was planning on retiring from the Glitz Pit, telling Yoshiam that they'll be heading back to Rogueport, where he'll get to see the Thousand-Year Door for the first time. Andrew also told him that they'd meet Professor Frankly again after dropping the Gold Star off at the door and getting the location of the fourth Crystal Star on the map.
Needless to say, Yoshiam was eager for this but had to remain patient until tomorrow. For now, the five of them decided to make themselves comfortable in the Champ bed and went to sleep for the night.
The following morning, the five of them woke up and helped themselves to a rather balanced breakfast. While Yoshiam settled on some more Apples and Melons, the rest of the group had either Fried Eggs or Omelette Meals, with Honey Syrup served with them.
As for drinks, Andrew had some Zess Tea, as did Goombella and Flurrie, Koops had some Koopa Tea, and Yoshiam settled on having some Fresh Juice. Needless to say, the five of them had enjoyed their breakfast.
After they ate their breakfast, Andrew decided that now was a great time to head to Jolene's new office to give back the Champ Belt and retire. After getting out of his gym clothes and back into his normal clothes that he came to Glitzville in, he headed to the office to drop the news.
In Jolene's new office, Jolene herself had just finished setting up her new desk. Seeing that Grubba was no longer the promoter of the Glitz Pit, Jolene felt it was best that she take the reign in his place. As she had set her new desk up, a knock was heard at the door.
"Come on in!" Jolene called out.
From there, Andrew came into her new office with the Champ Belt in his hands, as he got her attention. "Excuse me? Ms. Jolene?"
"Oh, why hello there, Mr. Presto," Jolene gave him her full attention. "What brings you to my office this early?"
"I have to tell you something important," Andrew approached her new desk.
"Yes?" Jolene had wondered curiously at this.
With that, Andrew took the Champ Belt and placed it on Jolene's desk. This got her a little confused, as she wanted to know what this was about.
"Mr. Presto. This is unexpected," Jolene proceeded to ask. "Why are you dropping the Champ Belt on my desk?"
"I'm doing this because I no longer need to keep it," Andrew explained before he revealed it to her. "I'm officially retiring from the Glitz Pit."
This caught Jolene by surprise as she had to take off her glasses and wipe them so that she wasn't seeing anything. She put them back on and cleared her throat before commenting on this decision.
"Well, Presto. I wasn't expecting to hear this from you. I must say, I'm surprised by this," Jolene admitted. "You're retiring from the Glitz Pit?"
"That's right," Andrew nodded.
"Is there...any particular reason why you want to retire?" Jolene queried.
"I'd like to tell you in the Glitz Pit lobby," Andrew then made a request for her to follow. "I'd like to gather up some of the fighters in the lobby. Such as King K, Bandy Andy, the Armored Harriers, and the Rawk Hawk. I'll tell you why I'm retiring afterwards."
"Very well then, Mr. Presto," Jolene had to adjust her glasses. "I shall do that right away."
"Good," Andrew walked back over to the door, with his backpack over his back. "My partners and I will wait in the lobby for when you're ready."
"Got it. Just give me a few minutes," Jolene informed him.
"Right. See you then," Andrew opened the door and walked out of her office before closing it behind him.
Currently, Andrew was in the lobby with Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam there with him as Jolene had come out into the lobby along with King K, Bandy Andy, Rawk Hawk, the Armored Harriers, and a few other people. As soon as Jolene was in front of him, Jolene decided to ask Andrew for the reason behind his retirement.
Andrew went and explained that, since they have the Gold Star, they have to leave Glitzville since they have to get the other four Crystal Stars that are still out there. And they won't be able to stay in the Glitz Pit anymore because of that.
As soon as Andrew was finished, Jolene was able to understand everything that had come out of his mouth. Considering that he has had quite a journey in Glitzville, she figured that maybe it was time for him to move on. Still, to confirm that he was correct, Jolene had to get him to say it.
"So now you must leave..." Jolene wondered.
"That's right," Andrew nodded. "It's time for my partners and I to move on and leave Glitzville to get the other Crystal Stars."
"I understand," Jolene accepted as she adjusted her glasses. "If you must, you must. We won't delay you. I hope you succeed in finding the rest of the Crystal Stars. Good luck!"
"Thanks for that, Jolene," Andrew thanked her sincerely.
It was then the Rawk Hawk needed to tell Andrew something important as he got his attention.
"Presto, I wanna tell you..." Rawk Hawk started to make a promise. "Rawk Hawk ain't gonna fight dirty anymore. I'm gonna hit the weights, take some vitamins, and win the title fair and square!"
"Well, that's good to know, I guess," Andrew tugged on his handkerchief. "Glad to see that you've learned something from all of this."
"Yeah! And I'm never, EVER gonna lose again!" Rawk Hawk had to declare before advising Andrew. "Remember: when life rocks you, RAWK BACK!"
"Right," Andrew nodded before King K decided to say something.
"Listen, P-money... Thanks for everything, man," King K thanked him.
"It was my pleasure, King K," Andrew told him.
"You're the nicest dude I ever met, and if you ever need it, I got your back," King K said. "Me, I think I'm gonna chill here and improve my skills. King K's back, baby!"
"That's great to hear, dude," Andrew gave him a thumbs up and a fist bump.
"And it's all thanks to you, dog!" King K exclaimed. "You're my boy, Andrew!"
"Anytime," Andrew said sheepishly before Bandy Andy decided to say something.
"Eh...Heh heh. Yeah, I'm also in the same boat as King K," Bandy Andy told them. "Thanks for everything Presto. You are a cool guy, and it was a pleasure to have known you in the Glitz Pit."
"Well, it was nothing," Andrew rubbed the back of his neck.
"As for me? I'm just gonna stick around in the minor league locker room with King K and the others," Bandy Andy declared. "Now that all Seven Wonders of the Glitz Pit have been solved, thanks to your Goomba friend Goombella, I don't think I'll be roaming the halls of the Glitz Pit anymore."
"Aw, jeepers," Goombella said out of flattery. "It was nothing, Bandy Andy. Just trying to be a big help to solving the mysteries, being an aspiring archaeologist and all."
"Yeah," Bandy Andy continued. "And from now on, I'm gonna stay in my locker room and not snoop around the Glitz Pit and get into any more trouble."
"That's great to know Bandy Andy," Andrew had to smile.
"And it's all thanks to you, dude," Bandy Andy informed him. "You are the coolest fighter that I've ever met. So thanks again, Presto."
"It was my pleasure," Andrew said as he looked at the Armored Harriers, who didn't say anything.
Judging by their expressions, it seems that they were no longer sore or upset at Andrew for beating them. It would appear that they figured out on their own that Grubba was just pulling their chains and made that stuff up.
Granted, they wouldn't admit that they were wrong due to their pride, but the expressions on their faces said it all. And it was a start.
After looking at them, Jolene got his attention again as she needed to announce to him.
"Now that Grubba's out of the picture, I'm going to take over running the Glitz Pit," Jolene told him.
"I figured that out, given that you had already set up your new office," Andrew told her. "I'm happy that things turned out great for the better, Ms. Jolene."
"Thanks for that, Presto," Jolene told him sincerely. "If you ever decide to return to the ring, just come back! I'll keep your spot open."
"I'll consider coming back to the Glitz Pit to fight in the ring one day," Andrew informed her.
"You have tons of fans," Jolene had to tell him. "And they'd 'absolutely' love it if you made a comeback!"
"I figured that out," Andrew said sheepishly. "I guess it isn't a bad thing to know that I have a fanbase in the Glitz Pit."
"Anyway, think it over, OK?" Jolene told him. "And travel safe!"
"We will. Thanks for everything, Jolene. And take care," Andrew told her while waving before looking at his four partners. "Let's get going, guys."
Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam nodded as the five of them walked out of the Glitz Pit door and were planning to leave Glitzville.
As soon as they left the building, the five of them were psyched to have gotten their third Crystal Star.
"Well guys," Andrew told his team. "We got the third Crystal Star."
"Yes! We have three Crystal Stars now! We're rolling!" Goombella beamed.
"That makes three Crystal Stars!" Koops proclaimed. "We'd better get back to Rogueport, Andrew!"
"How marvelous! Now we have three of those Crystal Stars!" Flurrie had to admit in awe. "I suggest we make haste for Rogueport, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes, we should," Andrew then turned to face Yoshiam. "Yoshiam, I'm glad that you'll be accompanying us to get the rest of the Crystal Stars."
"No kidding. I wouldn't miss this for anything," Yoshiam declared. "Now, we should probably head back to Rogueport now, don't you think?"
"Yup. Let's get rolling," Andrew encouraged them to follow.
After saying their final farewells to some of the tourists and fans outside of the Glitz Pit, Andrew had approached Stewart the Cheep Cheep, to take the blimp back to Rogueport.
"Excuse me, sir," Andrew started to ask. "This blimp is heading back to Rogueport, right?"
"Yes. This Cheep Blimp is bound for the town of Rogueport," Stewart confirmed this to be true. "Would you like to board?"
"Yes. Yes, we would," Andrew proclaimed as his four partners also nodded.
"If I may, let me just check your ticket," Stewart requested.
"Of course," Andrew took out the Blimp Ticket from his pocket and showed it to him. "This'll cover all five of us, right?"
"Mhmm. Yup," Stewart then declared. "Very well, folks. Please watch your step as you board."
As soon as Stewart said that, the basket that was part of the Cheep Blimp lowered until it hit the ground for all five of them to get onto it.
As soon as Andrew and his four friends got into the basket, it went back up until it was connected back to the Cheep Blimp. Once it was in place, the Cheep Blimp turned around and made a course straight back to Rogueport.
While they were riding on the blimp that was heading back to Rogueport, Andrew couldn't help but think things over. Even after Grubba betrayed him, the muscular man was starting to realize that there might be plenty of things to this adventure than he had thought originally.
Maybe this adventure isn't so bad after all... Andrew thought to himself.
It was clear that his opinion on the adventure he's been on so far had changed after getting the three Crystal Stars. When he first came to Rogueport, he had not planned on going on an adventure to get the seven Crystal Stars, until he met Goombella and kept the possibility in mind that Peach might have gone to find them on her own.
Even after he had gotten the Diamond Star, he had wanted nothing more than to find the princess as soon as possible so they could get the heck out of the Rogueport Region.
That hope was dashed the moment he found out by e-mail that Peach was kidnapped again, this time by a 'complete' stranger, and that he'd be here for longer than he had hoped.
He soon started seeing the perks of the journey upon getting the Emerald Star, helped by the fact that Madame Flurrie decided to travel with him since he was a big fan of hers.
And now that they had the Gold Star, Andrew was willing to accept the fact that he had a fanbase gathering and that it wasn't a bad thing.
Make no mistake, Andrew still hated Rogueport with a passion. But he 'actually' started to enjoy exploring the other locations in the region. The Petal Meadows area. The Boggly Woods area. And now Glitzville. He had to wonder where they would travel next.
As he was thinking things over while looking out the window, Yoshiam decided to get his attention.
"Hey, Presto?" Yoshiam asked him.
"Yes, Yoshiam?" Andrew gave him his full undivided attention.
"What's the next place we gotta go to gonna be," Yoshiam wondered. "I hope that it's as cool as Glitzville."
"Well Yoshiam, we don't know for sure, just yet," Andrew told him. "But I do know that wherever the next place we're going to is might be just as interesting and exhilarating as our time in Glitzville."
"Yeah. That does sound pretty cool, man," Yoshiam smiled at that.
"Yup. We just hope that we don't have to deal with Don Pianta anytime soon," Andrew told him.
"Don Pianta? Who's that?" Yoshiam was confused by this, as Andrew then explained to him.
"Don Pianta is the man who is in charge of the Pianta Syndicate; a mafia that rules the west side of Rogueport," Andrew told him honestly. "And he isn't the most pleasant person to negotiate with. We were lucky to have gotten the Blimp Ticket when we did."
"You betcha," Goombella said in agreement. "I 'totally' hope we won't be worrying about him at all."
"Yeah," Koops shivered in agreement. "That man is scary..."
"I daresay, I hope we don't need to make further negotiations with the man," Flurrie had to comment. "I 'really' don't fancy the thought of doing another favor for a crime boss or it shall cost me my head. That would simply be devastating."
"Woah. I see," Yoshiam blinked before he had to say to Andrew. "Thanks for the heads-up, Presto."
"It's my pleasure, Yoshiam," Andrew had to rub the Yoshi kid on the head.
"Hey, Andrew!" Goombella ran up to him to give him a notice. "We're already arriving in Rogueport!"
"Already? Wow," Andrew had to blink and looked out the window along with his four partners. "That was fast."
"We better get ready to disembark once it stops," Koops advised them.
"Splendid. Simply splendid!" Flurrie had to say in joy. "I daresay, I'm simply curious as to where the fourth Crystal Star is."
"All of us are," Goombella beamed. "C'mon Andrew! We gotta get off once it stops and lowers the basket back onto the ground!"
"You got it," Andrew nodded as he had his backpack on his back.
The five of them waited patiently for the blimp to stop off at the Rogueport Station where the basket would lower and they would get off from there...
IN ROGUEPORT:
It didn't take long for the blimp to stop at the Rogueport Station. Once it came to a halt, the basket that Andrew and his four partners were in happened to be in started lowering to the ground. Once it reached the bottom, Andrew stepped out, with Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam following after him.
"Let's get going," Andrew pointed to the pipe that was nearby, as the five of them walked over to it.
They went down through it and then came out of the pipe that was on the other side. Once they got through, they jumped off of the pipe and casually left the Rogueport Station.
"Hey, Presto? Are you sure that Rogueport is one of the cool places you mentioned?" Yoshiam had to ask. "Cause let me tell you, this place stinks."
"I didn't say that Rogueport was a great place, Yoshiam," Andrew deadpanned. "Rogueport is a pretty terrible place, and I hate it. I got my first impression when I first got here. It's a very dangerous port town to live in."
"You got that right, Andrew," Goombella had to agree. "None of us are entirely fond of this dirtbag town."
"Yeah," Koops commented. "Rogueport's not the place for me. I'd rather live in Petalburg."
"I must admit, Rogueport is home to all the lowlives," Flurrie confessed. "I daresay, it's a privilege that we get to explore the other more fascinating locations that are surrounding it."
"I can agree with you on that, Flurrie," Andrew told her. "Well Yoshiam, ready to head to the Rogueport Sewers?"
"OK, Presto," Yoshiam told him. "I just hope that it's cooler than this place."
"It will be," Andrew nodded. "Trust me on that."
They didn't say anything else as they walked through the streets of the West Side of Rogueport. However, just before Andrew reached the sewer grate that was in the center, his Mailbox SP was going off. This caught the attention of his partners as Yoshiam was the first to comment.
"Presto! You got an e-mail!" Yoshiam pointed out.
"That's right," Andrew nodded. "And I already have an idea as to who's e-mailing me."
"Yup," Goombella beamed. "That's 'totally' an e-mail from Princess Peach!"
"Ummm... Andrew?" Koops had to wonder. "Do you think that's another e-mail from Princess Peach?"
"Andrew, dear! Look alive! That may well be an e-mail from Princess Peach!" Flurrie declared proudly.
"Princess Peach? You told me about her last night," Yoshiam had to double-check. "She's the Mushroom Kingdom Princess who was kidnapped by those X-Naut dweebs, right?"
"That's right, Yoshiam," Andrew took out his Mailbox SP. "And it seems that she had sent me another e-mail. Let's see what she sent to me this time."
All four of them nodded as Andrew opened his Mailbox SP and decided to read exactly what Peach had sent to Andrew. This is what the e-mail said in its entirety:
'Dear Mr. Andrew,
I have uncovered something terrible.
These things...the X-Nauts... They're planning to take control of the world! It's to that end that they're searching for the Crystal Stars.
I still don't know what the Crystal Stars do, but you must try to get them all...
I will gather what information I can...'
-Princess Peach-
All five of them paled on the spot as they read that message. Did the princess just say something about the X-Nauts wanting to achieve world domination, and they plan on getting the Crystal Stars just to accomplish that goal? This got all five of them to react on the spot.
"They wanna rule the world?!" All five of them yelped in shock.
"That does NOT sound like a friendly plan!" Goombella proclaimed in a panic.
"Ummm... I don't like the sound of that..." Koops had to stutter as he shook fearfully.
"Well, I refuse to bow to such megalomaniacs!" Flurrie had to huff at the thought of having to bow to the X-Nauts.
"That would stink!" Yoshiam declared honestly.
"Why am I not surprised?" Andrew sighed, putting his Mailbox SP away and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Most villains have the goal of achieving world domination. And these X-Nauts want to get the Crystal Stars just to accomplish this goal."
"Can't argue with you there," Goombella winked at him in agreement. "From what I've heard, most villains have that desire and will achieve any goals to reach it by all means necessary."
"Exactly," Andrew nodded. "Especially since it appears the Shadow Sirens are also assisting the X-Nauts, and they're probably after world domination as well."
"Uh, what? Shadow Sirens?" Yoshiam scratched his head. "What the heck are those things?"
"I daresay, I'm rather curious about it as well, darling," Flurrie had to query. "What are the Shadow Sirens?"
"Well, the Shadow Sirens are these three shadow witch women who we fought in the Boggly Woods," Andrew told Flurrie and Yoshiam. "'In fact', Beldam was the one who had your necklace, Flurrie. She's the leader of the Shadow Sirens, and looks like an actual hag."
"Oh my, my, my," Flurrie had to gasp at this. "Well, I'm simply overjoyed that you managed to get my necklace back from that wretched crone."
"No kidding," Andrew chuckled at that. "And they were also trying to keep me from getting the Crystal Stars. And they wanted to get possession of my map."
"Whoa, dude," Yoshiam rubbed his chin. "Sounds like they're a pretty big threat to us. Especially this Beldam lady."
"Yeah. I can attest to that," Andrew nodded.
However, I still can't stand the fact that Beldam is so horrible to her sister Vivian... Andrew thought as he furrowed his eyebrows and frowned at remembering Beldam beating up Vivian, lashing her with a tree branch, and bullying her right in front of him.
"You all right, Andrew?" Goombella had to ask while nudging.
"Huh? Oh yeah, yeah. I'm fine," Andrew decided to brush it to the side for now. "Just remembering something that happened."
"Hey ummm... Andrew?" Koops had to ask, deciding to get back on topic. "Shouldn't we tell Professor Frankly about this?"
"Yeah. We probably should," Andrew nodded. "But first off, we should head to the Thousand-Year Door, drop the Gold Star off, and get the location of the fourth Crystal Star on the Magical Map."
"That sounds like a terrific idea, darling," Flurrie agreed with him. "Shall we head to the Thousand-Year Door again?"
"Yeah," Andrew started walking for the East Side of Rogueport. "We better get moving."
"You guys better leave," Yoshiam insisted. "You know your way around the Rogueport Sewers, so I'll just follow."
"Right," Andrew nodded.
With that, he headed for the pipe in the East Side of Rogueport, with Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam tagging right behind him, as they decided to make their way into the Rogueport Sewers...
IN THE ROGUEPORT SEWERS:
It didn't take long for the five of them to get through that pipe, which led them straight into the sewers. Once they got out, they immediately headed in the same direction that the Thousand-Year Door was located.
As they were traveling downward, Yoshiam had to get a good look at his surroundings. Because he was born in the Glitz Pit, Yoshiam never got to see what the rest of the world looked like, let alone the Rogueport Sewers.
Truth be told, the Rogueport Sewers look far more interesting to the young Yoshi than Rogueport did. He could only wonder if other locations were just as interesting. And he could hope that the Thousand-Year Door was just as impressive and cool as Andrew says it was.
Whoa! This place looks cool. It's pretty rad! Yoshiam thought. I sure hope that the other locations that Presto will be going to are just as cool as this. And I hope that the Thousand-Year Door is just as awesome as he says it is...
Keeping that thought to himself, Yoshiam continued following after the others, who 'clearly' knew their way around the place, and which way to take to get to the ancient door. It was then that the five of them went down another pipe that led to the lowest floor in the Rogueport Sewers.
As soon as they got out of the pipe, Andrew took notice of that giant yellow block that he'd stepped on to get to the Thousand-Year Door the past couple of times or so.
Now that he has the right kind of bat to bash it down with, he no longer has to go into Paper Airplane Mode just to get over there. There must be a secret underneath that giant block.
"Hmmm..." Andrew was heard thinking while staring at the block.
"Hey Andrew? Whatcha thinking about?" Goombella felt like asking him.
"Well, it's that giant yellow block over there," Andrew pointed toward it. "Since I now have the Super Bat, I can bash it down. There must be something underneath it."
"Gotcha Andrew," Goombella beamed. "Go ahead and bash that block down for us!"
"I'm on it," Andrew took out his Super Bat and stood right in front of the giant yellow block.
From there, he twisted his body around a few times before spinning around and bashing the giant yellow block multiple times. He managed to demolish it, leaving behind a jump pad in its wake. They could use that to reach the ledge and get to the Thousand-Year Door.
"Wow," Koops had to comment. "Who'd have thought that a jump pad would've been under that giant block."
"Beats me, Koops," Andrew shrugged. "I just had a feeling that there'd be something underneath that block that'll help get us to the door."
"I daresay, that was a fabulous discovery you made there, darling," Flurrie gushed. "Now we shall make our way to the door with no hassle whatsoever. Come along, Andrew."
"Yeah! That's why you rock, Presto!" Yoshiam had to cheer. "You are the man who always finds the solution to our problems!"
"Well, thanks," Andrew rubbed the back of his neck out of flattery. "I try my best."
"Anyhow, we have our way to get to the door," Goombella then advised him. "Might wanna jump up onto the jump pad to reach the ledge leading to the door, don'tcha think, Andrew?"
"Yeah. Good idea," Andrew jumped onto the jump pad, reaching the ledge afterwards.
Flurrie was able to float up onto the ledge while Goombella, Koops, and Yoshiam followed Andrew's lead and jumped onto the jump pad, reaching the ledge that Andrew and Flurrie were on. Once they were all together, Andrew decided that they should get to the Thousand-Year Door.
"Let's go," Andrew motioned them to follow. "The Thousand-Year Door is just up ahead."
"Got it, Presto!" Yoshiam told him. "I finally get to see the Thousand-Year Door up close for myself!"
Andrew couldn't help but smirk at this as the five of them headed straight for the ancient door. Yoshiam was going to be in for quite a surprising treat once he saw the door for himself. That was already a given...
AT THE SITE OF THE THOUSAND-YEAR DOOR:
It took no time at all for the five of them to make it to the Thousand-Year Door. Andrew, Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie gazed at its sheer beauty. It hasn't even changed since they last came to the door.
Yoshiam, by contrast, was only able to get a good look at the Thousand-Year Door before he stared in amazement and awe. The door looked as impressive as Andrew said it was. And he was satisfied.
"Whooooooooooooaaaaaaa! Presto? Is this the Thousand-Year Door that you were yapping about?" Yoshiam said in fascination.
"Yes. This is the Thousand-Year Door," Andrew confirmed. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"Yeah, dude! This is SO AWESOME!" Yoshiam had to confess. "This is super cool! And this is the place you've been going to to drop off the Crystal Stars! Man, I look forward to traveling with you guys for sure!"
"We know how you feel Yoshiam," Goombella smirked. "Andrew and I felt the same way when we came to see the Thousand-Year Door with Profesor Frankly."
"Yeah... We were all impressed by it," Koops said sheepishly.
"My, my, it is as fabulous as it ever was," Flurrie had to comment. "Believe me, my little Yoshiam. I was just as much in a state of awe as you are right now."
"I can see that! This is too cool!" Yoshiam yelled excitedly.
"Well, Yoshiam, you haven't seen anything yet," Andrew informed him as they went down the stairs and approached the pedestal in the center. "What we're about to do is find out where the next Crystal Star is."
"Good idea, Andrew," Goombella winked at him. "Let's jump on the pedestal and get this show on the road."
"Got it," Andrew jumped up onto the center of the pedestal, with Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam accompanying him from behind.
"OK, guys," Andrew looked towards them. "You know what this means?"
"You betcha!" Goombella beamed. "Time to take out that Crystal Star!"
"Yeah, Andrew!" Koops agreed. "Hold up that Crystal Star over your head!"
"My dearie Andrew, you know what you must do," Flurrie smiled. "Take out that precious-looking Crystal Star!"
"You heard what they said, Presto," Yoshiam was eager to see this for himself. "Bust out the Crystal Star, dude!"
"Right," Andrew nodded at this as he took out the Gold Star from his backpack and held it up over his head.
It was then that the same light from the past couple of times surrounded the center of the platform, as the Gold Star Andrew held over his head had vanished in several sparkles.
Then the same diagram-like thing appeared surrounding the pedestal, as the Gold Star appeared in the circle that was next to the one that the Emerald Star was in. And just like the Diamond and Emerald Stars, it was shown rotating in place as the Magical Map floated out of Andrew's pocket again.
And just like before, the map unfolded itself. Andrew, Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie were smiling in anticipation at this, while Yoshiam was so amazed that his eyes had expanded as he was amazed by the bright shiny display that was happening before them.
Just like the first three times, the map rose in the air towards the door, right above Andrew as a bright flashing light occurred, where it had engulfed the map 'entirely' as something was happening to the map. A new location was just about to appear on the map.
And it was popping up from what was seen on the map above. Specifically, it was a location that was placed just to the far West of Rogueport. It was located in the depths of what appeared to be a spooky forest. It was revealed to be a tall-looking blue steeple of some kind, that was located in the middle of the spooky forest, with a couple of dead leaf-less trees surrounding the steeple.
Needless to say, this location would probably be spooky and scary compared to the previous three locations of Petal Meadows, Boggly Woods, and Glitzville.
As soon as this scary-looking steeple appeared on the map, something else appeared on the map. It was revealed to be the fourth Crystal Star; the Ruby Star.
Andrew then felt a special force overcome the map as he held his hands up. The location had officially appeared on the map. The lights died down as the Gold Star vanished into thin air, and the map itself floated back down, with Andrew catching it in his right hand.
Just like with the Diamond Star and the Emerald Star, Andrew can now summon the Gold Star whenever he may need it, just by using the Magical Map.
As soon as he grabbed it, he brought it down and unfolded it to look at the new location on the map.
"All right, guys," Andrew motioned them to look at the map. "The new location appeared on the map, along with the fourth Crystal Star."
Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam went up to look at it for himself.
"All right! There's the next Crystal Star!" Goombella beamed at it.
"Yup," Andrew nodded before looking at it. "It's red too. Does that mean it's Ruby?"
"Bingo Andrew! It's the Ruby Star!" Goombella cheered. "You're on the ball with this! You've got it all figured out!"
"Yeah, I sure do," Andrew said sheepishly as he then exclaimed. "Anyway, looks like the fourth Crystal Star is somewhere in the middle of a spooky forest."
"Jeepers. No kidding," Goombella gulped. "Well, there's the fourth Crystal Star."
"Can't that Frankly guy read it?" Yoshiam had to ask while scratching his head.
"Yes, Yoshiam," Andrew told him. "Professor Frankly can read it."
"Yeah," Koops nodded. "Professor Frankly better look at this."
"I suppose we also should tell him what Princess Peach wrote in that recent email." Flurrie had to guess about what they should do when they got to Frankly's home.
"Good idea, Flurrie," Andrew smiled. "Maybe he might've found out more about the cataclysm that destroyed the town a thousand years ago."
"Cataclysm?" Yoshiam queried, not liking the sound of it.
"Frankly will be able to explain it once we get there," Andrew folded up the map and put it into his pocket. "For now, we better get out of here and head to Professor Frankly's place!"
"Gotcha, Andrew," Goombella beamed again. "C'mon! Let's head to Professor Frankly's place!"
"Right..." Koops nodded. "Let's see the professor again."
"I am most certainly ready to see Frankly again," Flurrie admitted. "We shan't keep him waiting with the map and the e-mail we got from Princess Peach!"
"You got it, Presto my main man!" Yoshiam did that goat sign with his hands as he jumped up and down. "Let's go! I get to meet this Frankly guy for the first time!"
Andrew said nothing else. He nodded instead as the five of them left the site of the Thousand-Year Door, and they started making their way back to Frankly's place.
There was no doubt that Professor Frankly was going to be in for a horrifying surprise once the five travelers told him about what Princess Peach wrote in her recent e-mail to Andrew. That was a given...
END OF CHAPTER 33...
Yeah. That's it for this chapter. I do hope that you all enjoyed this chapter too, especially since we're gradually approaching Chapter 4.
Now, certain characters such as the Bob-omb family, needed to have at least one scene to them in a portion of Chapter 3. As for Toodles, well there was mention of her here since she was spotted in Glitzville.
This is also because Toodles, like the Bob-omb family, will have a little more of a prominent role in a later chapter, which is Chapter 6.
That chapter is for later, though. Right now, we're focusing on getting ready for Chapter 4.
Anyway, with that out of the way, the next chapter is going to focus on the five travelers stopping off at Professor Frankly's place. For that chapter, the group tells him of what happened in Glitzville, Frankly is introduced to a casual Yoshiam, they tell him about the e-mail Peach sent to Andrew, and they look for a pipe that leads them to Twilight Town, which rejects them, after getting a third Shine Sprite, and they are given a solution.
Additionally, Yoshiam gets a power too, Andrew stops at the Inn first, and they meet some guy in a dark alley who writes their 'individual' names on each of their bottoms, which should help with getting by that spooky pipe, and some other stuff will occur. How will this go for them? Find out next time, readers!
For now, only if you like, you can leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter overall.
Otherwise, I have nothing else to say. So until next time, I do hope you'll look forward to Chapter 4. And on that note, thanks again for reading, everyone!