Chapter 40: Pirate's Grotto: Part II

"HELLO? Hey, is someone out there!" A voice suddenly asked.

They all turned around quickly. A huge black treasure chest rested at their feet.

Though Double D and Goombella both recognized it, the others had no idea about it.

"Is that the treasure!" Eddy asked in glee. He rushed and started violently shaking the chest.

"Hey, hey, easy!" The chest shouted at him.

"C'mon, you stupid chest! Open up!" Eddy complained.

"Eddy, use your head. It is currently locked." Double D said.

Eddy let go of the chest, which he had overturned and folded his arms. "Useless chest. They're as good as birds."

"Anyways, we definitely want to leave this chest alone. If it is anything like what I've experienced in the past, it's going to curse us…"

Flashback

"You fools fell for my trap, and now you will ALL suffer. Be cursed!" the voice shouted.

There where blinding flashes. Double D fell to the ground. He felt as if his whole body was changing, though there seemed to be no physical changes on him whatsoever.

Another Flashback

"FOOLS!" the chest shouted, just like the one before it.

The area turned dark again.

"What's going on?" Koops asked.

"You fools have opened the cured chest, and for that I will curse you. BE CURSED!"

Once again, they all began to feel very odd, and Koops let out a shout, because he hadn't experienced anything like that before.

End Flashbacks

"What, curse you?" The overturned chest asked. "Preposterous! I will reward you, however, with… my treasure?"

"Treasure! Yippie!" Eddy shouted. He jumped and started running, but Double D grabbed his shirt and help him back.

"Whatcha doin'?" Eddy strained as he tried to release himself from Double D.

"You don't understand. The chest is deceiving us. There is no treasure in it." Double D said.

"Yeah…" Goombella said, next to Eddy. "They've done some weird things to us."

"Well…" Eddy said. He stopped trying to break free and sighed. Double D released him.

"Well, how can you be sure I would curse you?" The chest asked.

"We've met other chest in similar qualities that have all done this to us." Goombella said. The others looked at them with wonder.

"You are all twisted little people, you know that?" the chest asked.

"Whatever, you liar." Eddy said.

"Uh! All I wanted to do was jump out, scare some people, give out a curse or two, is that such a bad thing to ask?" The chest asked.

The others gave each other strange looks.

"And people call me obnoxious?" Flavio asked.

"Oh fine." Eddy said. "Anything to shut you up."

"Are you sure we got to drag that lug around?" Kevin asked.

"Rolf is positive." Rolf stated, carrying the heavy, unconscious Ed on his back.

"Why, what's the point?" Kevin asked.

"Ed-boy has shared valuable information with us. Rolf thinks it wise to heed the wise words of one who rarely speaks them." Rolf said.

"Uh! Walking around in this jungle wasteland is a complete waste of time!" The one called Four Eyes thought. "How can I complete my mission if we cannot even find the grotto they are in?"

"Uh, excuse me, guys?" Four Eyes said and the group stopped walking. "I think we can find him easier if we split up."

"Whatever." Kevin said.

Four Eyes ran off into the jungle alone.

"Hold it!" Eduardo Jr. shouted.

Four Eyes froze.

"Maybe one of us should go with you?" Eduardo Jr. asked.

"No thanks, I've got this covered!" Four Eyes waved and ran away from the group.

"Well, we're not going to get any info from Ed now." Kevin said. "Leave him here, and maybe we can get him later."

As the group continued talking, Eduardo Jr looked around. He waited for them to not face him, then ran in pursuit of Four Eyes.

"Kevin, we can' just leave the guy alone in this ember infested jungle. Who knows how much longer he can last?" Ralph T asked.

Kevin took a good look at Ed.

"I mean, he hasn't eaten properly in over a week. He can't even stand up, let alone put up a fight." Ralph T said.

"Uh… I'm too nice." Kevin thought.

"Fine. Just make sure he stays out of the way." Kevin said.

"Uh… where's Eduardo Jr.?" Koops asked.

The five-remaining people in the group (minus Ed) looked around themselves.

"He's gone!" Kevin said. "I guess it's the price I'm taking for being nice."

"We found the key… I guess we might as well get this curse over with." Double D said.

"Uh… I'm just going to wait outside." Flavio said, walking out a door and into another chamber.

"Coward." Eddy scoffed. "Can't even take an eternal curse like a man."

"Right…" Double D said.

He unlocked the chest and stepped back.

A few seconds past… and other few…

"Uh, that's your cue!" Goombella shouted at the chest.

"Sorry, I'm kinda new at this." The chest said. "Alright, It's time to do this… okay… ahem… FOOLS!"

The chamber they were in started becoming dark.

"Uh... is... this it?" Eddy asked nervously.

"Yes…" Double D said. "Now, he should come out about now, and say we have foolishly unlocked a curse. And something comparable to "be cursed!""

"Stop spoiling my performance!" The voice within the open chest shouted. Glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, like always. Only these looked depressed. "It's too late. Alright, just be cursed already."

"Cue flashing." Goombella said, closing her eyes.

A series of flashes began. They group let out a yell of surprise. As per usual, they felt weird, like some sort of changing within.

Finally, it came to an end.

"Now, it will explain some paper-based strange curse that will actually help us out." Double D said.

"Stop it!" the voice shouted. "Right…. Now, my curse is a bad one indeed! Yes! When even you should step onto a boat platform, you will undergo a strange transformation. When you do, you will become a paper boat!"

"Just what I always wanted to be." Eddy said sarcastically.

"So, you would float upon water. Ha! It would be most embarrassing! And remember, you can only turn back to normal by touching another boat platform!" The voice shouted at them.

The door opened slowly.

"Are you finished yet?" Flavio asked. He looked up and saw the large floating eyes. Flavio's eyes widened and his mouth opened, agape. "Okay, I see you need a couple more minutes…" Flavio said, walking back through the door.

"I say we head back to camp." Koops said. "We're not going to find them. And Ed's obviously got to go back."

"No, we can't." Kevin said. "We've got to catch up to them."

"And I need to get the treasure… in the name of my brother." Ralph thought.

"We must venture on. Everything else matters second." Rolf said. "Even Ed's safety."

"Well, that was weird." Eddy said.

The group had just finished with the chest.

"But helpful, I suppose." Double D stated. "Come, we cannot be too far."

They had reached a boat panel described by the chest.

"So, now what?" Nazz asked.

"Well, there's a river up ahead leading elsewhere. I suppose we go and see where it leads." Double D said.

Bobbery apparently led it from here. He was the first on the panel. The group watched him transform into a paper boat.

Double D sighed. He quickly followed Bobbery. Like any transformation, it was a bizarre feeling to experience. He started to follow Bobbery. He couldn't see too well in this state, though he knew the others were following close behind.

"Where are we?" Double D thought.

He had floated into a new chamber. It seemed debris and remains of pirate existence lingered on a few barrels, some lanterns hanging from the top, a small boat or too, a half sunken ship with a lot of people on it, some…

"What, what?" Double D thought.

"Hey, is that a ship?" One of the people asked.

"Help! Get us out of here!" Another voice shouted.

Double D couldn't do anything, especially in this form. Sighs of disbelief sounded as he and the rest of his group passed by.

"What? It's paper?"

"What the heck?"

"That's no fair!"

"Oh, not cool!"

Double D found another boat panel floating on top of the water. He jumped back on and regained his human form. A few seconds later, the rest of the group followed.

"Uh… who are those guys?" Eddy asked.

"Hello?" Double D called. "Do you need help?"

"YES! Thank goodness!" Someone in the large cluster of people shouted.

They seemed to be all toad sailors, each with an orange-spotted head. They were covered in dirt and dust. The people onboard the half sunken ship began chatting.

"We've been stuck here for a long time! Thank you so much for coming!" another said.

"No problem. In fact, another chapter to the amazing adventure and heroism of Flavio!" Flavio said.

"…" The people said nothing.

"Alright, we'll get you out!" Double D shouted.

After a few minutes, the group managed to get them onto solid ground.

"Hm… now how did you all get here?" Double D asked.

"Most of us are from different vessels." One said. "But we all tired to get to find the treasure, and all got stuck here."

"Hey, don't we know you?" a female voice asked suddenly.

Two new creatures emerged from the crowd. They where tall ones, one blue, the other yellow. The blue on was male, in a tuxedo and sunglasses. The yellow was female, in a dress, wearing a tropical hat.

"Goombella?" the female one asked.

"Francesca? Frankie?" Goombella asked.

"Who?" Double D asked.

Goombella turned to him. "Oh yeah, you didn't come with us that day. These are called Pintas. Let's see… This is Frankie, he's the runner up leader of the Rougeport syndicate."

"Yo." Frankie said.

"And this here's Francesca. She's the syndicate leader's daughter. She was once his boyfriend but…" Goombella smiled. "Judging from the ring, I'd say they've become more then that."

"Yep. We married!" Francesca said.

"Yeah. We got married on da syndicate yacht, but some weirdo blue, floating things just attacks us, and BAM! We're stuck in this place!" Frankie explained.

"It's the work of that curse. And the ringleader of those freaky embers in called Cortez." one of the sailor said.

"Wait!" a voice shouted within the large group. A few people seemed to be coming towards Double D's group.

"DUDE!" Nazz said in astonishment.

"No way. You're… human?" Eddy asked.

It was a completely bizarre scene. There were about five human adults, all standing right next to them.

"What the heck? I thought we were the only humans here." Eddy said.

"How did you get here?" Double D asked the human sailors.

"One minute, we were sailing on the open seas at home, next thing we know, we hit a storm, and get sent here!" one of the sailors said.

"Like us… I wonder how many others may have been sent here by accident?" Nazz asked.

"Well, there's no time now." Bobbery said. "We need to confront Cortez."

"Right." Double D said. "He's the one who got us stuck here, and according to tale, he's the one with the treasure, and the star."

"Cortez? You mean, THE EVIL CORTEZ?" Flavio shivered. "I'm sorry, but that's where I draw the line!"

Double D nodded. "Fair enough."

"Give him a whack, courtesy of the syndicate!" Frankie said as they walked into the next chamber.

"Will do." Goombella said.

Double D looked at his group. "Bobbery, Vivian, Eddy, Goombella, Nazz. We have almost finally found the star."

"Hopefully we can end this now." Goombella said.

"She's right." Eddy said. "It's about time I give this guy a piece of my mind!"

"Then we can finally go back." Vivian said.

"There's a lot riding on our next fight." Nazz said.

Double D nodded in agreement. "Let's get going."

The group proceeded into a half-flooded chamber. In the center was a boat. It looked very old. The wooden decks seemed to be rotting. On the top of the old boat was a skull. A dock from the door proceeded to lead straight onto the ship.

The group, without words, proceeded down the dock and onto the ship. They found a door on it, leading strait down within the old ship. Vivian opened the door with ease. The inside of this old ship was just as old. A rotting red carpet lay on the floor.

There were barrels, covered in cobwebs, scattered within the room.

"I don't know whether to consider this place a marvelous historical ship or this world's messiest room." Double D said. "I mean, it is interesting, but… messy, messy, messy…."

There was a door at the end of this corridor.

"Here." Double D said, opening the door.

The following room was a shock to them all. There was a desk in the center, and the rest of the room flooded with gold coins, gems, diamonds, pearls… everything.

Eddy got that insidious look in his eyes. "TTTTRRRRREEEEAAAAASSSSSUUUUURRRRREEEEE!" He let out a scream. "WE'RE RICH! YES!" He started laughing hysterically.

"Who is there…" A ghastly voice asked.

It sounded deep and came from nowhere.

Eddy suddenly stopped.

"Would you be Cortez?" Double D asked and then shouted. "Show yourself, you coward!"

"Heh, heh, heh… as you wish, fool." the voice said. There was twister of dust over the desk. The group watched something materializing within the twister. In a few seconds, the twister cleared. Before them was a floating skull. It was watching them, with blue glowing eyes. It wore a pirate's hat, and golden earrings.

"That's… huge!" Nazz said.

"Hm… and who would you people be to come here?" Cortez asked, with a strong Spanish accent.

No one responded.

"Trying to steal my treasure, are we? That's a mistake you'll live to regret. Or, maybe you won't live to regret it, comprende?"

Double D was waiting patiently with the rest of his team.

"Hm... Would you be interested in a battle?" Cortez asked.

"If there is no way around it." Double D said.

"Good. I shall even be sporty enough to allow you the first move." Cortez said.

Double D's eyes narrowed. "….FIRE!"

Fire shot from his right hand, striking the floating heat.

He waved his other hand. The fire disappeared. Cortez also vanished into the air.

"Did we win?" Eddy asked.

"No, that would have been too easy." Double D said.

There was a roaring sound. The dust twister appeared again. This time, it towered over them. A new figure materialized. It was Cortez, but in his full skeleton. He held two rusted old swords in both hands.

"….YYYYYAAA!" Nazz shouted.

She jumped onto the desk, then from there jumped onto a shelf. He kicked off the shelf and landed on top of the skeleton's colossal head.

"Nice move." Goombella said as Nazz landed back on her feet.

"It is one you shall soon regret." Cortez said.

He swung his left hand. The sword's flat end smacked Nazz's head. She fell down on the floor immediately.

"Nazz!" Double D shouted but in the quick second he lost his attention and took the flat end of the other sword.

He fell down aside Nazz.

"You're going to pay for that!" Vivian said.

"I'm so scared." Cortez said sarcastically.

Bobbery called out a battle cry. He stood nearby Cortez's feet. They noticed the fuse on his back had lit.

"Oh boy." Goombella said and called out. "Get behind me!"

Vivian and Eddy obeyed by running to her back.

BOOM!

Bobbery exploded. Some sparks flew about the area.

"Crouch!" Goombella said. Eddy and Vivian crouched behind Goombella, who sued her helmet to block the sparks and small debris that flew in from the explosion.

It ended after that. Bobbery ran back to the group. He seemed proud of himself. He had apparently blown the entire skeleton to bits. The bones laid scattered about on the floor.

"Uh, kinda gross, man." Goombella said.

"Good thing Double D's not up. Otherwise, he'd start complaining about how messy it was." Eddy said.

"Well, at least it's over." Vivian said.

"Guess again!" Cortez's voice echoed.

"What?" Bobbery exclaimed, spinning around.

The twister appeared again. The bones started reassembling themselves. This time, the huge skeleton was forming a new structure. Instead of having arms or legs, it possessed a long tail, with the two swords it had, plus a hook and a dagger. In its ribcage was a now exposed green heart.

"Oh, that's so wrong." Eddy said.

The skeleton's demonic laughter echoed in the chamber.

"Things aren't looking good." Goombella thought. Double D and Nazz are both down, and this thing has a new hook and dagger. It's also in a form I've never read about? What do we do now?"

The new Cortez struck Bobbery with all four swords. Bobbery screamed and exploded. The aftershock hurled the others a few feet away. They saw Bobbery lying on the ground, knocked out.

"This is madness." Vivian said.

Her face grew angry. She held her hands in front of her, curled up into fists. She started growling, and her fists glowed red. She ran up to the monstrosity. Coming into contact, she began making punches to the skeleton. The entity began to burn. Cortez screeched. It was a horrific sight. The skeleton was flailing back and forth, screeching, and screaming loudly while glowing red with immense flames.

"ENOUGH!" Cortez shouted in anger.

Suddenly, the flames subsided. Vivian was thrown backwards. She crashed into Goombella. Vivian immediately lost consciousness.

Cortez's old form was burnt away, replaced by his floating head and his four floating weapons.

"Not cool…" Goombella said. It had come down to herself and Eddy vs. Cortez.

"Your numbers are dwindling. It is a pity, really. I expected a better challenged." Cortez said and swung his four swords.

"AHH!" Goombella shouted.

She ducked down, allowing her helmet to take the hit. However, after they struck, a crack ran down its side. There was a crunching sound, as the helmet slowly broke in two and slid off her head onto the floor.

Goombella was breathing hardly. Her tie had been thrown to her back during the fight, and her exposed blonde hair in a mess.

"No!" She and Eddy shouted simultaneously.

"Now, it's time to say goodbye." Cortez said.

He readied all four swords again. They were all flying down right at her head. With no helmet to protect her, she was vulnerable to the hit. She squealed and closed her eyes.

But there was no pain. She slowly opened her eyes. Eddy stood in front of her. He held out both arms.

"Eddy?" Goombella was completely astounded.

"Is… that… the… best… you've… got?"

Eddy was struggling to get his words out.

"I…have… seen… Jim… my… hit… hard… er…" Within seconds, he fell onto the ground. Goombella looked him: his shirt had a large diagonal tear. His skin had a large scrape on it.

"Eddy…" Goombella turned to Cortez, teary-eyed but glaring. "You're gonna pay for this!"

"How? You're the last one standing." Cortez said.

"Well, I'm not going to give into a creep like you!" Goombella said.

"FIRE!"

Double D had regained consciousness.

Flames suddenly shot right at Cortez. He screeched and yelled. When he finished yelling, his head vanished into the air. All of his weapons had burnt away as well. There was no regeneration twister that time.

Double D was kneeling on the ground, breathing slowly. "Checkmate."