All right, fellow readers. This is the 68th chapter of this story!
Now, I don't have much to say for this chapter, aside from the fact that the previous chapter was by far, the longest chapter I've written for this story yet. So this one is 'definitely' gonna be shorter than that one. I'll be sure to make that happen.
Anyway, for this chapter, the plot is simple. The Big Bomb Cannon gets ready to blast Andrew and his seven friends to the moon, with General White operating it with two of his Bob-omb comrades.
The only other thing that I can say is that the eight heroes find out that they arrived on the moon, and that all of them are still alive from the blast.
They explore the moon, find some goods, fend off some Moon Clefts, and find a strange and suspicious dome-shaped building in the distance, which they plan to explore. And a few other things will occur. How will this experience go for Andrew and his friends? Read and find out, now!
IN FAHR OUTPOST:
As it turns out, Andrew 'really' did need the rest after what he had been through. He had spent the following 4 to 6 hours sleeping at the Fahr Outpost Inn.
All seven of his friends decided to remain at the Inn with him, seeing that there was no way that they were going to go to the moon without him. That was definitely out of the question. They had grown so close to Andrew, so to leave him behind would've been the worst thing they could've done.
Eventually, Andrew was able to wake up from the bed he was sleeping in and realized something. He needed the sleep. And now he felt well refreshed. His friends told him what had happened, and that they remained by his side until he came to and was back on his feet.
He had gotten out of bed, stretched his arms, and yawned. He was given some Space Food and a cup of Zess Tea that he felt like drinking. Needless to say, this was something he needed more than anything at the moment.
"Thanks for allowing me to sleep like that, guys," Andrew thanked them. "I guess I 'really' needed the sleep after all that."
"Don't mention it, Andrew," Goombella said while winking at him. "We wouldn't want to go to the moon with you 'totally' out like a lightbulb. That wouldn't be fun."
"And we couldn't leave without you," Koops added. "Just wouldn't be right to leave you behind..."
"And I appreciate it. I don't know what came over me," Andrew put his Zess Tea down and put the Space Food into his backpack for now. "I guess I was just under some extreme stress and anger after all the nonsense that we were put through just to find and wake up General White."
"Sweetums? We understand, entirely. We shan't deny that," Flurrie cooed. "I daresay, seeing you get some rest after all of that was what we were concerned about. Why, I do believe that we shall never take that trip to the moon without you Andrew, my darling."
"Yeah. She's right," Yoshiam agreed. "Good to see you back on your feet, man. Seriously. It wouldn't be cool to take that joyride in the cannon without you, Presto. You're the greatest, and we all know that, dude."
"I think I already know that too," Andrew rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just glad everything worked out well for us."
"Andrew? Are you sure you're OK?" Vivian had to ask him. "I don't want you to put yourself through that again. I was worried about you."
"I know. I know," Andrew chuckled lightly. "But I'm all right now, Vivian. I'm still here. And that's all that 'really' matters."
"Ahem! Well, this has been quite the experience, old boy," Bobbery told him. "Sure is capital to see you back on your feet, and that you're in tip-top shape again, eh wot?"
"Right, Bobbery," Andrew smiled.
"Hmm mmm mmm. Yes. It wouldn't seem right leaving you here, especially since you're the reason we've all traveled together in the first place," Ms. Mowz had to admit. "You've helped us with our problems, and you helped us to see the light for ourselves. And you brought us together. The least we can do is remain with you until you are ready to ride the cannon with the rest of us, sweetie."
"Ah, well, that is very thoughtful of you guys. Seriously. I'm happy to hear that from you guys. Thank you," Andrew smiled. "Anyway, is General White all set with operating the cannon?"
"Totally!" Goombella beamed. "We told him and the mayor that you needed some rest after what you had been put through. They understand. And they'll be ready to blast us to the moon once we're ready!"
"Well, now I happen to be in great shape again!" Andrew smiled as he grabbed his backpack. "So that means that I'm ready for us to get to the moon! We should get ready then!"
"All right!" All seven of them cheered as they left the Inn.
Before they left, they decided to visit the Northwinds Mart to get some supplies that they'd need for their trip to the moon. There was plenty of goods being sold there.
In the end, Andrew had settled with buying 5 Ice Storms, 8 Super Shrooms, 4 jars of Maple Syrup, 2 Shooting Stars, and a 'Stop Watch'. Feeling that he had gotten plenty of stuff for himself and his friends, he decided to take his leave from there with his group.
He then walked over to the Mayor to let him know that he was feeling all better and ready for the trip to the moon. Once he was right in front of him, he cleared his throat, got out the Goldbob Guide that Goldbob gave him, and got his attention.
"OK, Mr. Mayor," Andrew held out the Goldbob Guide to him. "I got permission from Goldbob, General White agreed to operate the cannon again, and I feel refreshed and good as new after a nice well-deserved rest."
The Mayor then looked at Andrew as he then decided to ask in return, while taking possession of the Goldbob Guide from him. "So, cannon is back online? And you're well rested, da?"
"That's right," Andrew nodded with a smile.
"Well, I could just explode with delight!" The Mayor said in a tone that showed he was rather overjoyed with the results, and that this would be the first time they'll be using the cannon since right before the Fahr Outpost Big Bomb Cannon Crisis even occurred. "Now, let us shoot you guys to the moon!"
Andrew felt that he and his friends had just accomplished something. It seems all that he had been through with his friends had finally paid off. Now they can get to the moon, claim the last Crystal Star, and rescue Princess Peach. Maintaining a smile on his face, he turned to his seven friends and decided to comment on this.
"Well guys, you know what this means, right," Andrew remarked proudly. "We're in the clearing now. We can go to the moon like we've been wanting to do all along!"
"Yeah!" Goombella beamed and jumped in such a preppy manner. "We 'totally' did it, Andrew!"
"Cool!" Koops rubbed the back of his head before giving him a thumbs up. "We did it, Andrew!"
"We've done it, darling!" Flurrie boomed joyously as she gave Andrew a wink in his direction.
"Yeah!" Yoshiam was throwing the goat with both hands as he was jumping up and down. "We did it, Presto!"
"We did it, Andrew!" Vivian gushed as she clasped her hands together in excitement.
"We've done it, old boy!" Bobbery gave him a proud look that seemed like he was attempting to salute him.
"We did it, sweetie!" Ms. Mowz did a backflip and gave Andrew a wink at how he was so successful.
"We sure did, guys," Andrew beamed rather excitedly. "All right, Mayor? We're ready to get to the moon."
"Great. Now, you follow me," the Mayor walked off towards the western part of Fahr Outpost, instructing them to follow his lead. "You come this way."
"Got it," Andrew then motioned his friends. "Come on, guys. Let's get this show on the road."
All seven of them nodded eagerly as the eight of them headed to the area where the Mayor wanted to take them.
This eventually led them to the center of the other part of town, right in front of that igloo-shaped building, where the Mayor and General White were standing.
Andrew took notice of General White's newfound expression. It's as if a new life had been restored inside of him, as he had finally found the hopes and dreams that he was looking for. And the tone of his voice pretty much said it all.
"Preparations are complete! The cannon is fire-ready!" General White had to declare. "Hut! Let's do this!"
"Got it," Andrew then said to the Mayor. "All right. We're ready."
"Now, you stand here," the Mayor pointed to the center spot of the area.
"OK," Andrew said while raising an eyebrow along with his friends, as all eight of them were standing in the center. "But how is this going to allow us to be blasted from the cannon? Where is the...?"
He was unable to finish that question when a hole opened up from beneath them and they all fell right through. All of them yelped as they dropped one by one below.
It would appear part one of using the Big Bomb Cannon has been completed. Now it was time to move on.
"General White! Is big bomb cannon ready?" The Mayor had to ask him.
"Hut! Leave it to me!" General White jumped to show that he was before he looked at the four regular Bob-omb residents that were nearby. "Now, men! You know the drill! Load the big bomb cannon!"
All four of them had jumped and gave him the direct comment to show that they were ready. Judging by their tone, it seemed as if they were in the military. The Mayor was satisfied, as he decided to move forward.
"Now! Positions, everyone!" The Mayor declared.
General White and two of the Bob-omb residents jumped and obliged as the three of them headed to the igloo-shaped building nearby.
Meanwhile, Andrew was feeling like it had gotten cramped in the hole that he fell in. And his seven friends felt the same way. After finding his voice, he decided to ask all of them.
"Hey, guys? Is everyone all right?" Andrew asked. "It's starting to feel a little cramped in here."
"Duh! It 'totally' feels like we were stuffed in a closet!" Goombella had to yell. "And I feel like someone is pressing against my face! But yeah! I'm OK!"
"Ummm... I feel my claustrophobia kicking in, Andrew!" Koops had to remark. "But yeah! Should be OK once we're out of here. Think maybe this is the cannon we're taking?"
"By the stars! I do believe you're right! This must be the cannon!" Flurrie yelled dramatically. "A little bit of a cramp for my taste, but otherwise, I shall be fine as well. Thanks for asking, darling!"
"Woah! This is so cool! We're in the cannon! This is gonna be AWESOME!" Yoshiam had to cheer. "Although I do admit, it does feel like we're cramped into the cannon! But yeah, Presto! I'm fine! Just as long as we get to use the cannon to get to the moon, the extreme way, dude!"
"Yeah, Andrew. I'm OK, too!" Vivian yelled worriedly before asking. "Though I have to ask, did they have the Big Bomb Cannon under the ground the whole time? And why?"
"If I may add, it's been hiding under the surface on account that it was to be kept secret for a good number of years," Bobbery proclaimed. "The Mayor and the other Bob-ombs of Fahr Outpost certainly did not want to take the chances, from what I have experienced. Still, I'm feeling quite all right, old boy, given the circumstances that we're in currently."
"Yes. I'm all right too, Andrew!" Ms. Mowz called out. "True, it is a little cramped in here. But we should be fine, once the cannon fires us to the moon!"
"Well, that's good to know," Andrew remarked. "I just hope they know what they're doing..."
By now, General White and the two Bob-ombs had entered the abandoned building. It turns out the building was a control center for activating the cannon and adjusting its coordinates.
The two Bob-ombs got into the control seats at the bottom, while General White got to the seat at the top. Once he was situated in that seat, General White then got down to business along with his two Bob-omb comrades.
"Bring guidance system online!" General White commanded.
"Bringing system online..." One of the Bob-ombs proclaimed as he managed to press some buttons and activate the guidance system, putting it back online. "System now online."
"Great! System check!" General White declared.
"System check..." The other Bob-omb checked the system to make sure that it was running perfectly. "All clear."
"Prepare for detonation sequence!" A robotic voice blared while a siren was heard wailing in the background.
General White was satisfied with this, as he then declared to the two Bob-ombs.
"Open outer hatch!" General White proclaimed as they did what they were told.
Outside of the building, the floor opened up completely when the ground in the center, taking the shape of a giant square lowered before it opened up, revealing a bunch of silver shutters, with Andrew and his friends underneath them.
"Open the inner shutter!" General White ordered, which they did so.
In a matter of seconds, all four inner shutters opened up, revealing a giant hole underneath, where the Big Bomb Cannon was located.
"Elevate!" General White yelled. "On my mark!"
In a matter of seconds, the Big Bomb Cannon had surfaced up above. The cannon itself took the shape of a giant glass bottle, with a chamber hatch door in the back of it. Needless to say, it was massive, and it certainly lived up to its name.
"Sighting! Target is the moon!" General White had yelled.
The two Bob-ombs obliged as they were looking at the cannon's target, and were working on aiming it to the moon, as the cannon was pointing upward. General White then gave them the correct coordinates so they could aim for the moon.
"Direction: 75.38. Elevation: 54.66. Range: 389603." General White informed them.
The two Bob-ombs made sure to follow the coordinates as the cannon's target was set straight to the moon, which was as full and bright yellow as it was on a clear night. General White then gave them some additional information.
"Wind Speed 1.08. Correct Direction 3.03. Correct Elevation -2.39," General White informed them.
"Right, the Bob-ombs said as the cannon was repositioned so that it was aiming directly at the moon.
"Target locked! Chamber hatch open!" That robotic voice declared after the cannon repositioned itself.
The chamber hatch of the cannon opened up. The Mayor was impressed to see that they were doing this effectively, seeing that it's been a long time since they used it last. Upon seeing the chamber hatch being wide open, and the fact that they needed extra fuel to get Andrew and his friends to the moon, the Mayor then called out.
"Now! EVERYONE IN!" The Mayor commanded.
This caused a bunch of regular black Bob-ombs to come racing over, where they made their way up as they all went into the chamber hatch, where they were in a tight squeeze in there, seeing that there were many of them in the giant chamber hatch.
"Close chamber hatch!" General White commanded, to which the two Bob-ombs obliged to this.
As it closed up, the Bob-ombs in the hatch were commenting on how they were cramped up, how they were worried about how this would go for all of them.
Meanwhile, Andrew and his seven friends were wondering different things about the trip. Andrew was hoping they'd make it safely so they could claim the Crystal Star and rescue Princess Peach. Goombella was a little nervous but looked forward to the experience that they were going to go through.
Koops was nervous, hoping that they'd survive and that he'd get to see Koopie Koo again. Flurrie was awash in anticipation as she was fanning herself and feeling beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Yoshiam felt butterflies in his stomach, but he was eager to get going with being blasted from a cannon to the moon.
Vivian was a little concerned about this, hoping that they could safely make it to the moon, so they could get the final Crystal Star, and save the Mushroom Kingdom Princess. Bobbery seemed a little tolerant at this but also wondered if they'd be able to reach the moon's atmosphere without anything going haywire on them. And Ms. Mowz was simply curious about this experience while wondering what kind of badges could be waiting for her on the moon.
One thing was for certain. They were convinced that this was finally happening to them. They were about to make it to the moon. By now, General White was about ready to blast the cannon and send the eight heroes to the moon.
"Conditions all green!" General White declared. "Standby...OK!"
The Mayor was waiting for this moment to come again. And now, for the first time in so many years, it was about to happen yet again. He knew what this meant, and that the time had come. Therefore, it was about time to send the eight heroes to their destination.
"It is time!" The Mayor then gave the command that they were waiting for. "Big bomb cannon: FIIIIRE!"
In an instant, General White pressed the FIRE button in the control center, which instantaneously caused the cannon to fire and make a loud blasting noise. The impact of this was strong enough to shoot Andrew and his seven friends out of the cannon, as they were soaring through the sky.
"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAA!" Andrew was yelling with his friends in the distance.
Andrew was leading the way through the sky. He was followed by Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, Vivian, Bobbery, and Ms. Mowz. In that correct order. They were seen barreling through the air until they disappeared in the distance, in a sparkling star. Their course was straight for the moon.
Meanwhile, the black Bob-ombs that were in the chamber chute were now falling from the sky, with parachutes attached to their heads. They were temporarily Para-bombs, as they were heard cheering and hollering about how awesome that experience was for every single one of them.
The Fahr Outpost Mayor, for his part, was just staring off into the sky, gazing off towards the direction that Andrew and his friends were heading.
He and the other Bob-ombs of Fahr Outpost could hope that Andrew and his friends accomplish what they're planning to do and that he's successful in preventing the world from meeting its end. The only thing that he could offer was three simple words.
"Good luck, Andrew!" The Mayor said.
There was nothing else he could do for him and his friends. The rest was up to Andrew and all seven of his friends who made up the diverse group. He could only hope that nothing but good outcomes could come from this...
MEANWHILE - IN OUTER SPACE:
It didn't take long for Andrew and his seven friends to exit from the Earth's atmosphere, where they were now soaring through the starry sky in outer space. Each one of them was screaming upon zipping through the air, where they were getting closer to making an impact on the moon.
"YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKES!" Andrew shouted at the rather exhilarating experience that he was going through while he soared through the air towards the moon, with his friends right behind him.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Goombella screamed, sounding like her stomach was churning, yet at the same time, she was enjoying the thrill of this method of traveling to the moon.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Koops yelled, as he sounded like he was growing nauseous and worried about whether or not they'll survive impact when they land on the moon.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Flurrie wailed dramatically, feeling that this sensation she felt from being blasted from a cannon towards the moon made any exhilarating trips in the films that she starred in pale in comparison.
"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAA!" Yoshiam howled in excitement, as he was getting the rush from soaring through the air to the moon and how extreme it was for him, and that he was enjoying every moment of it.
"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Vivian squealed rather ecstatically, sounding as if she had been missing out, and she was strangely enjoying the feeling she got by traveling to the moon by being shot out of a cannon.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Bobbery bellowed, feeling like he was rather perplexed by the rather invigorating sensation he was getting, despite his old age, and that he was quite the fascinating trip to the moon.
"AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Ms. Mowz squeaked loudly, feeling the excitement from this little trip to the moon, and realized that, for how sly and mysterious she could be, this was one thing that she couldn't hide, in regards to how she was strangely enjoying this experience.
Eventually, all eight of them were closing in on the moon, as they were gradually approaching it, and were about to make an impact on it. As fun as this little experience has been, they could only hope they'll survive once they land on the moon's surface...
ON THE MOON:
In a matter of minutes, the eight of them landed on the moon's surface, one by one. Andrew was the first to make a collision on the moon, and he was shortly followed by Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, Vivian, Bobbery, and finally Ms. Mowz.
Despite some doubts that some of them had about surviving upon impact, particularly Koops, all eight of them were pretty much alive and well. Andrew was the first to get onto his two feet and moan, and his seven friends were quick to follow.
"Ugh...Some landing that turned out to be," Andrew shook his head and looked at his group. "Hey, guys? Is everyone all right?"
All seven of them nodded that they were as they regained their composure. This was all that Andrew wanted to see and to make sure that they weren't hurt by this trip to the moon.
"Good. Glad to know that you're all OK," Andrew proclaimed as he panted. "That trip was 'definitely' SOMETHING else! I never thought anyone could be able to travel in THAT kind of manner!"
"Yeah! I mean, wow! That was KILLER!" Goombella blinked before beaming. "I 'totally' never would've guessed I'd get to do THAT!"
"Man! That was something!" Koops huffed while dusting himself off. "Who would've thought I'd ever get to do THAT?"
"My! That was exciting!" Flurrie boomed joyously. "I'd never DREAMED I'd do a thing like THAT!"
"Whoa! That was AWESOME!" Yoshiam jumped up and down as if he had just gotten off of a joyride. "Man, who knew adventurers got to do stuff like THAT?"
"Gee whiz! That was wild!" Vivian caught herself, adjusting her witch hat and placing her right hand over her chest. "I never thought I'd take a ride like THAT..."
"Harumph! Well, that was rather a bumpy trip, wot 'wot'!" Bobbery exclaimed after getting a hold of himself. "Who would've guessed I'd get to do such a thing..."
"Oh, my! That was quite fun!" Ms. Mowz declared after she flicked her tail. "I can't say I ever thought I'd take a ride like THAT!"
"Yeah," Andrew then started observing his surroundings. "Well, this is it, all right. We're 'definitely' on the moon. The rocky surface here says it all."
There was 'really' nothing noteworthy around on the moon, aside from its rocky surface. Andrew couldn't help but notice how beautiful the starry sky looked, with several constellations being shown. They took the shapes of Mushrooms, Fire-Flowers, Stars, and even Chain Chomps.
He also could've sworn that the starry sky was rotating around them. Then again, the moon might've been rotating and he didn't appear to notice. He decided not to question this phenomenon, seeing that it would only further confuse him.
His Goomba, Koopa, Wind Spirit, Yoshi, Shadow Siren, Bob-omb, and Little Mouser friends were also observing their surroundings, and they were also convinced that they were on the moon.
"Well, so, yeah, here we are!" Goombella proclaimed proudly. "We're 'totally' on the moon!"
"Well, we're really on the moon, all right!" Koops stated upon looking around.
"Well, here we are, darling!" Flurrie remarked while rubbing her chin. "The moon!"
"Whoa!" Yoshiam rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "We're 'really', truly, no-fooling on the moon!"
"Well, we're really on the moon, all right!" Vivian said in amusement.
"Well, old boy, we're really on the moon, by Crabbery!" Bobbery declared, having adjusted his admiral cap a bit.
"Well, here we are, on the moon, dearie!" Ms. Mowz said slyly as she observed her surroundings.
"Yeah," Andrew nodded. "You know what this means? We're one step closer to achieving our goal!"
"So let's get going, Andrew!" Goombella beamed.
"Are you ready, Andrew?" Koops wondered.
"So, dear...let's move, hmm?" Flurrie then motioned.
"Let's rock out, Presto!" Yoshiam declared eagerly.
"Are you ready, Andrew?" Vivian asked him sweetly.
"So, what you say, hmm?" Bobbery remarked.
"Are you ready?" Ms. Mowz queried, seeming eager to get started.
"I sure am," Andrew then declared. "Now let's find the last Crystal Star and save Princess Peach, once and for all!"
And with that, they started touring the moon to see if there was any way of finding where the last Crystal Star and the Princess Peach was. Still, Andrew can't deny the beauty that he was witnessing as he was walking on the moon for himself, along with his friends.
"Wow. I can't believe we're on the moon," Andrew commented. "I never would've expected to have traveled here in these predicaments."
"I know, right? It's awesome! This is the moon I always look up at, can you believe it?" Goombella proclaimed proudly. "I mean, I heard they'd put a Goomba on the moon in '69, but who knew WE'D get here?"
"You're referring to Neil Goomstrong, the first Goomba to have set foot on the moon, right?" Andrew asked as Goombella nodded. "I heard that he came here during the Goompollo 11 mission, where he first set foot on here on July 21st, 1969."
"That's right," Goombella nodded. "Jeepers! I wasn't even alive at the time, and to me, it's astounding!"
"I must say, I do recall hearing about it on live radio," Bobbery felt like sharing. "While I was out on one of my many sea voyages, I heard tell on the radio that such a feat of docking on the moon proved to be groundbreaking. And it has been one moment that no one shall forget. I may not be of the same species, as I am a Bob-omb, but I do agree that it was a rather smashing experience, from what I've heard."
"That's interesting, Bobbery," Andrew nodded in amusement. "And to think that we're on the moon too, trying to complete this adventure."
"Boy, nothing's impossible on these adventures that we've been on so far, Andrew!" Goombella beamed as she winked at him. "You are the COOLEST!"
"Aw, come on. That's not true," Andrew said modestly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Not by myself, at least. I have to give you guys credit too. You've been a great bunch of friends that have been traveling with me throughout this whole adventure."
"Got that right, Andrew! And you know why?" Goombella beamed excitedly. "Cause we are the best group of people to have traveled together on a journey such as this one! We got each other's backs, no matter what!"
"No doubt," Andrew smirked. "And we're a rather diverse team too. Aside from a human, there's an aspiring archaeologist Goomba girl, a shy but breakdancing Koopa, a glamourous and famous Wind Spirit actress, a little Yoshi kid who knows how to fight, an adorable Shadow Siren, an old but resilient admiral Bob-omb, and a cunning, sly, globe-trotting, badge hunting Little Mouser."
"Omigosh. That's so true," Goombella said. "And we're eight different species to boot. That's 'totally' some sort of an achievement for us!"
"Wow... That is pretty neat," Koops said while nodding. "Man! We sure have come a long way! We 'really' are tightly-knit, as you say we are!"
"I have no doubts about it, dearie," Flurrie chimed. "I daresay, there shan't be anything that we can't overcome. I do believe we're capable of getting through anything when we work together. It is fabulous."
"Aw yeah! Tell me about it!" Yoshiam was boosting with energy. "I can't think of any group of people cooler than the likes of us! Presto is the man, and we're willing to fight for him, no matter what comes our way!"
"That's right," Vivian said meekly but confidently. "We are a close group. I'm glad that I decided to travel with you, Andrew. You guys have been nicer to me than Beldam ever was. I enjoy the eight of us traveling together."
"Ah, it is rather smashing for us, eh?" Bobbery proclaimed. "I'm simply charmed by this opportunity. Therefore, I hereby declare that I am certainly grateful for getting to go on this quest with you, old boy."
"Hmm, yes. This is certainly a treat for me too," Ms. Mowz said slyly. "I don't think I can see us traveling together under any other circumstances. Andrew, you made this all possible for us."
"Yeah. That's right," Andrew said. "Well, let's explore the moon a bit to find anything suspicious.
"Gotcha! Just be careful!" Goombella warned him. "Since we're on the moon, there's less gravity here. We might be able to jump higher, but that 'totally' means that we walk slower. So it might be best that we stick together while looking around, huh?"
"Good idea," Andrew advised them. "Let's stick together, guys."
All seven of them agreed as they explored the moon, making sure that they remained on guard and looked for anything that stood out amongst the moon, aside from rocks.
As it turns out, there were plenty of Moon Clefts abound on the moon, and they disguised themselves as simple moon rocks. Seeing what they were in for, Andrew took off his Fire Swing badge and replaced it with his Piercing Slam badge, which allowed him to break through armor with his badge.
Combined with Yoshiam's Gulp, Ms. Mowz's Love Slap, and Koops's recently learned Shell Slam, the Moon Clefts stood no chance against them, as they were dispatched in a matter of seconds every time they tried to ambush the eight traveling heroes.
Aside from that, Goombella tried to make some light talk with the atmosphere on the moon, claiming that there are only rocks on the moon, and she seemed kinda disappointed. They did, however, find a rather large abundance of items hidden on the moon, along with a single Star Piece.
Ms. Mowz was the one to point out when the items were nearby. This alerted Andrew into having Bobbery use his Bomb move to blow up all of the cracked rocks that had items hidden inside of them.
The items that were hidden inside of the cracked rocks included a Courage Shell, Power Punch, Ruin Powder, Stop Watch, and a Volt Shroom. The Star Piece was found behind a rock to the southeast of another rock.
"Well guys," Andrew said, having put the items he found in his backpack. "Looks like we found a good load of items from our little trek on the moon."
"You bet. The stars sure are pretty here," Goombella admired the starry sky. "I wonder if I can find my favorite constellation..."
"Yeah. It does look beautiful," Andrew proclaimed. "And I've seen constellations of Mushrooms, Fire-Flowers, Stars, and Chain Chomps. They all look lovely."
"Yeah, well, I'm such a 'totally' shameless romantic, it's not even funny," Goombella had to admit.
"That's nice, Goombella," Andrew told her honestly. "You'll have to tell me about it some other time."
"You betcha," Goombella winked at him. "Let's keep going."
With that, Andrew decided to continue traveling with his seven friends. As he was doing so, some thoughts were popping up in his mind. Once he finds the last Crystal Star and rescues Princess Peach, that would mean that his job in the Rogueport region was done and that he could easily avert such a disaster from unfolding thanks to Sir Grodus.
Unfortunately, that meant that he'd be leaving Rogueport with the princess and Toadsworth, and he would have to move on from his friends. He really would miss them when he goes home. He has grown incredibly close to each one of them. When he gets back home, would things end up going back to the way they were? Would he become a loner again, even after everything he had been through?
Then something else came to him. He had this weird feeling that Sir Grodus was NOT going to go down without a fight. Something was telling him that he might have taken the princess to a different location.
He wasn't going to jump to conclusions. But he was going to keep the possibility in mind, asking if he'd have one more journey to go on after getting the last Crystal Star.
I'll be sure to keep all of this in mind when the time is right... Andrew thought. Maybe it is almost high time that I finally tell these guys about my past. And WHY I had become a cynic in the first place. They helped me to grow as a person and gain more experience from this journey. They have the right to know about all the horrible stuff I had been through before I moved to the Mushroom Kingdom. Just not yet. Soon, but not too soon...
Andrew was so deep in thought that he didn't realize that Goombella was trying to get his attention until she nudged him in the right leg.
"Andrew? Andrew, you OK?" Goombella asked him.
"Hmm? Oh yeah. I'm fine, Goombella. Just fine," Andrew told her. "Just had some stuff on my mind, you know? Especially with what we've been through so far."
"I see. Well, I thought it'd be amusing if I shared something with you," Goombella started. "You see the Moon Clefts that live up here?"
"Yeah? There are plenty of them that we ran into and dispatched," Andrew nodded.
"Well, here's the amusing question that I had in mind," Goombella then asked him. "You think they live on green cheese, Andrew?"
"Wuh?" Andrew gave her a look. "Goombella? That's like the urban legend of asking someone if the moon is entirely made out of cheese."
"You know I'm kidding, right?" Goombella gave him a playful look. "I'm not that much of a cheeseball...get it?"
"Yeah," Andrew gave her a light chuckle. "I get it."
"Ms. Mowz might be," Goombella proclaimed. "But I'm not."
"Hmm mmm mmm mmm," Ms. Mowz decided to react to it. "Don't knock it till you try it, sweetie."
"Yeah," Goombella rolled her eyes. "I'm still bummed there are only rocks here."
"I think the moon has only rocks," Andrew sighed. "Which doesn't make sense since a Crystal Star is nearby."
"Along with that fabulously gorgeous Mushroom Kingdom Princess, darling," Flurrie pleasantly added.
"That too," Andrew rubbed his chin. "Still, the scenery looks nice when you're looking at the sky."
"Yeah! Hey, Andrew! Did you see that?" Goombella pointed to a comet that was seen zipping through the starry sky. "I saw a comet or something! It was all, like, 'PSHOOWEE!', y'know?"
"That's no surprise at all," Andrew shrugged. "We're technically in outer space. So there's bound to be plenty of comets, meteorites, and shooting stars zipping by the stars in the galaxy."
"Ummm...wow. Sure does look nice," Koops felt like sharing. "You know something? My dad and I would always go into the fields of Petal Meadows on a clear night when I was a kid. We'd always look for stars, constellations, comets, and shooting stars that pass by the starry night sky."
"That's 'really' nice, Koops," Andrew smiled. "It's very interesting."
"No kidding! Anyone would dream of traveling across the stars!" Yoshiam felt like remarking. "I think anyone who can fly through all those stars and stuff would be the coolest guy ever! I think Presto could do something like that too!"
"Maybe," Andrew tugged on his handkerchief. "But then again, Mario might end up traveling through the galaxy too. Perhaps in three years from now."
"We shall see, Andrew," Goombella told him. "Either way, should I try and make three wishes, d'you think?"
"Go ahead," Andrew encouraged. "Feel free to do so."
"Gotcha. I wish for..." Goombella then giggled before saying. "Hee hee hee! That's TOP SECRET!"
"I get it," Andrew said calmly. "Telling others about it would spoil the surprise and ruin the secret!"
"Exactly what I meant, Andrew!" Goombella beamed.
Andrew only nodded as he kept traveling for anything suspicious.
Eventually, after some traveling, the eight heroes ended up encountering something that wasn't a Moon Cleft. It was a variant of a Yux that they fought earlier in the Great Tree. The only difference was that this one was bigger, and was gray and red instead of lime green. This was known as a Z-Yux.
It proved to be rather difficult to fend off since it kept summoning Mini-Z-Yuxes to create a shield around it. But with a little teamwork, the eight of them prevailed and took down the Z-Yuxes that tried to fight with them. The Z-Yuxes exploded upon being dispatched.
"Whew. Those guys were tough," Andrew wiped his forehead. "I didn't know that a variant of the Yux species existed here."
"Me neither," Goombella did a shrug of some kind. "All that I know is that they're a genetic improvement on the original Yux. And that they can occasionally restore their energy on their own, something that the regular Yux couldn't do."
"No kidding," Andrew said. "Still, I'm glad that we got rid of them."
"Hey, Andrew?" Vivian decided to ask. "Since those Z-Yuxes were here, does that mean that the X-Nauts must be nearby?"
"It's possible, Vivian," Andrew said. "But where would they be hiding."
"By Crackifer's cookies!" Bobbery took notice of something in the distance. "Old boy!? Could it be possible that these Z-Yuxes might have some sort of a connection to that rather dome-shaped building over there, if I may ask?"
"Hmm?" Andrew saw the dome-shaped building for themselves. "Huh? I didn't notice that before."
"You aren't the only one. There's a weird-looking building off in the distance," Goombella remarked. "Why would THAT be there?"
"I'm not sure," Andrew shrugged. "But whatever the reason, it's too far away for us to reach from here."
"Got that right. Looks like we'll need to find a pipe to get there," Goombella then made the perfect suggestion. "So...let's look for a pipe."
"Dearie me, that would be a splendid idea," Flurrie shared her thoughts. "But wherever shall a pipe be hiding at anyhow?"
"Yo, Presto!" Yoshiam saw something. "You think that big rock with a massive crack on it might have that pipe underneath it?"
"Maybe. It wouldn't hurt for us to check it out, Yoshiam," Andrew then looked to face Bobbery. "Bobbery, if you wouldn't mind blasting away that giant rock for us."
"Certainly! I'll handle it, Andrew!" Bobbery marched up to the giant rock and lit his fuse.
He then stopped in front of the giant rock, and in a matter of seconds, he unleashed his Bomb move on the giant rock and blasted it to smithereens. In its wake was a green pipe, which led to the green pipe that was in the background.
"Wow," Koops wiped his eyes at this as Bobbery regenerated and landed right next to Andrew. "Sure seemed surprised seeing a pipe under that rock. Didn't know that was possible."
"Me either," Andrew shrugged. "But now we can use that pipe to check out that suspicious building in the distance. Let's go."
"You said it, sweetie," Ms. Mowz agreed slyly. "Let's see what mysterious suspicions might be in that dome-shaped building."
"Right," Andrew walked up to the pipe, with his seven friends following him.
Once he and his group jumped onto the pipe, they went through it and came out from the pipe that was in the background. From there, the eight traveling heroes made their way to the front door of the building, as fast as they possibly could with the slow speed that they were walking.
As soon as they were in front of the door, they managed to get it to open up for them to enter. The muscular man walked right in, with his Goomba, Koopa, Wind Spirit, Yoshi, Shadow Siren, Bob-omb, and Little Mouser friends entering right behind him. They were about to get more suspicions once they got into the building...
INSIDE THE SUSPICIOUS DOME BUILDING:
It didn't take long for the eight of them to enter the building and look at their surroundings. There was 'definitely' a suspicious smell in the building that they had entered, as there was an escalator ahead of them that led to the door at the top.
The pathway was also protected by a glass-made dome. The eight of them didn't notice it, but they were standing on the X-Naut insignia, which definitely should've been a massive giveaway as to who this building belonged to.
Still, the building that they had just entered gave him a churning feeling in his gut. And his friends agreed with him as they all frowned and grimaced.
"Hey guys?" Andrew started. "This building we've entered is giving me a funny feeling in my gut."
"You aren't the only one," Goombella agreed with a frown. "This building is so 'totally' suspicious, it hurts... Watch your step, Andrew!"
"Ummm... This building seems 'really', 'really' suspicious..." Koops gulped as he commented. "Andrew, let's be careful..."
"My, what a suspicious building..." Flurrie gasped as she crossed her arms. "Do be careful!"
"This building stinks of serious funny business..." Yoshiam couldn't help but pinch his nose upon smelling. "Careful, Presto!"
"What a suspicious building..." Vivian frowned as she quivered slightly. "Andrew, be careful, OK?"
"Rather suspicious building, wouldn't you say, old boy?" Bobbery felt his mustache twitch as he commented. "Do be careful, eh?"
"This building smells suspicious," Ms. Mowz had a suspicious look on her face upon smelling the place. "Let's be careful, dearie!"
"You guys be careful too," Andrew told them. "I don't want anything happening to you guys, so I'm gonna watch over you like you'll be doing with me."
"You got it, Andrew," Goombella then felt like sharing. "Still, who knew there'd be such a weird building on the moon... It's kind of crazy, 'actually'."
"No kidding," Andrew shook his head as the eight of them walked up onto the escalator which brought them up. "Must've taken quite a bit of work to put this strange building together."
"Totally. I mean, it's got a big glass dome to keep all of the air from leaking out..." Goombella proclaimed.
"Hey, now that I think of it, there is something else that occurred to me," Andrew felt like remarking. "Somehow, we were able to breathe on the moon, which has zero oxygen, mind you, and we didn't suffocate from lack of air. And we didn't even wear spacesuits either. Doesn't that strike you as strange?"
"Wowsers," Goombella blinked as she realized that. " Yeah, now that you mention it, I guess we were OK out there with no air to breathe..."
"I was wondering that myself," Koops scratched his head as he asked. "Shouldn't we have suffocated from not having air to breathe?"
"Uh..." Andrew was unsure of how to answer that question when he shook his head. "...You know something, Koops? That a question that you won't likely get an answer to."
"Yeah," Goombella agreed with him. "I'd rather not think about that too much, I guess. Let's change the subject."
"What a marvelous idea, Goombella," Flurrie agreed as she fingered her necklace. "I daresay, I must wonder what this strange dome-shaped building belongs to, precisely. I do believe that it 'shall' be something or someone that we're familiar with. But from whom?"
"Beats me," Yoshiam showed off his fists. "But whatever nutjob that owns this place must be is someone that'll pick a fight with us. So we should watch our back in case we'll have to brawl against any suckers that try to mess with us."
"Hey, Andrew? I can't shake this lousy feeling in my stomach that this place seems familiar," Vivian had to admit while fidgeting with her pink hair and rubbing her necklace. "Something tells me that we should expect the worst from this place."
"I know how you feel, Vivian. I feel the same way, too," Andrew patted her on the shoulder. "But we'll be here for each other in case something does happen. Just remember, that the Crystal Star MIGHT be in this building. Along with Princess Peach."
"I must concur with you there, old boy," Bobbery declared as the escalator almost brought them to the top. "Whatever type of hooligan is in charge of this rather suspicious building must be someone that we've manhandled before. So do be careful with what could be past that door, eh?"
"Of course," Andrew said. "Well, we're almost at the top. We better get ready."
"All right, Andrew," Vivian remained close to him. "And I'll take your advice to heart. Thank you."
"Anytime," Andrew gave her a warm smile. "Well, let's head on over to that door."
By now, the escalator was successful in getting to the top, as the eight heroes knew that this was where they got off. They approached the door in front of them, passing by another X-Naut insignia that was on the floor in front of the door.
"Hmmmmm... Andrew, I can smell something suspicious just past that door," Ms. Mowz exclaimed as she sniffed the air. "I suggest that we get ready to deal with whatever is beyond this door, sweetie."
"Good idea, Ms. Mowz," Andrew sighed as he approached the door. "Let's go see what's through here, guys."
They all nodded as the muscular man opened the door and walked through. The Goomba, Koopa, Wind Spirit, Yoshi, Shadow Siren, Bob-omb, and Little Mouser followed right behind him, as they went through the door which closed behind them.
The eight traveling heroes had no idea what was going to be in store for them once they found out who the building belonged to. But they would be given the unwarm welcome once they took in what was in that room that they just entered. There was no doubt about that at all...
END OF CHAPTER 68...
Yeah. That's it for this chapter. It's 'definitely' shorter than the other chapters, as I had said before. It's still as long as one would expect for the main segments focusing on Andrew and his friends. But it's far shorter than the previous chapters, especially the chapter before this one. Still, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, guys.
Anyway, there was not much to this chapter, aside from the eight heroes getting blasted off to the moon by the big bomb cannon. I must say, I did make mention of Neil Goomstrong like he was mentioned in chapter 66, ala Andrew's thoughts. And I enjoyed making that reference again.
Now with that said, the next chapter is going to be a big one. Andrew and his friends will get greeted by two X-Nauts of a different variant, who'll be sent running off by the group, showing that they're in the X-Naut's domain.
Aside from that, they'll have to solve puzzles, input an access code, collect two Elevator Keys to use the elevators, and collect some Card Keys to get to the furthest part of the base. They'll also have to take part in a quiz game similar to the one in Shhwonk's Fortress, they make use of a crane to collect two badges and a Star Piece after putting back in a cog, get through a factory of some kind. And some other stuff will occur. How will this go for the eight heroes? Find out next time, readers!
In the meantime, only if you like, you can leave a review and let me know what you thought about this chapter overall.
Otherwise, I have nothing else to say. So until next time, I do hope you all will take care of yourselves. And on that note, thanks again for reading, everyone!