All right, fellow readers. This is the 46th chapter of this story!
Now, there isn't much to this chapter. It's just the crew of the S.S. Flavion settling themselves on Keelhaul Key, with the camp set up and everything.
Aside from that, Andrew finally wakes up after a couple of extra days, thanks to Goombella, where he is as fit as a fiddle again and is shocked to know that they're on Keelhaul Key, that the S.S. Flavion was shipwrecked, and that they're stranded on Keelhaul Key.
Other things that'll happen include how Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam express relief to see Andrew has finally woken up and is feeling a lot better, Vivian still shows signs of nervousness when she panics and begs Andrew not to punish her, Andrew deals with Flavio and Pa-Patch who are in a heated confrontation, with the latter calling the former a name that sets him off, and more Embers appear at the campsite for Andrew and his friends to fend off.
And some other stuff will occur too. How will things go for the group now that they're stranded on Keelhaul Key? Read and find out, now!
ON KEELHAUL KEY:
It was now a brand new morning on Keelhaul Key, as the sun was starting to rise over the horizon. Several hours before, in the early morning hours when it was still dark, Flurrie had managed to make it to the island with Goombella and Andrew's backpack on her back.
By the time Flurrie realized that she must've made it to Keelhaul Key, she was so exhausted that she floated down onto the ground where she fell onto her stomach and passed out, falling asleep on the spot.
She rolled over onto her back, just in time for Goombella to roll off of her a few feet where she was also out cold. It was clear that the events that took place proved to exhaust the Goomba girl as well as the Wind Spirit woman.
Flurrie kept Andrew's backpack on her back which she was laying on while Goombella was sleeping on her back, her helmet rolling off a couple of feet before it spun in place and fell flat; the light part was facing Goombella, whose blonde hair was looking a little messy as she slept away.
The rest of the S.S. Flavion crew that didn't jump overboard before it got shipwrecked ended up getting washed ashore while they were out cold. They remained like that until the following morning, when they would take in their surroundings, set up camp, and get things settled while starting the expedition, on top of figuring out how to get back to Rogueport.
Then there was Bobbery, Four Eyes, and George T. No one knew where they disappeared too. It was likely that the three of them also ended up on Keelhaul Key with the others.
But since they were nowhere to be found, it was evident that they were either dead or MIA (missing in action). Their whereabouts on the island would be revealed later on too.
As for Koops, Yoshiam, Vivian, and Andrew, nobody knew where they were at the moment. But it was clear that the four of them would pop up safe and sound just like Goombella and Flurrie were. The Goomba girl and the Wind Spirit woman would encounter them soon enough.
Currently, the sun's rays ended up shining onto Goombella's face, who squinted her eyes and started muttering to herself.
"Ooooh... Ooooh, is it time for breakfast already Mom?" Goombella muttered as she was talking in her sleep before she woke up. "Uhhhh...Wuh...What happened... I feel like I slept like a rock. Jeepers. That was nuts..."
It was then that Goombella shook her head and yawned, taking in her surroundings and where she was currently.
"Omigosh. This must be Keelhaul Key," Goombella noticed strands of her blonde hair dangling in front of her face. "Ugh. I look like a mess. First thing in the morning, my hair looks gnarly. Guess I better handle that."
Goombella took out a brush and started neatening out her hair when she saw her helmet nearby. Once she was done brushing it, she made sure it was back into a ponytail before she walked over and placed the helmet back onto her head.
"There. I don't feel like a million bucks, but, whatcha gonna do," Goombella commented when she saw Flurrie sleeping nearby. "Hmm? Flurrie?"
Goombella was convinced that she was Flurrie as she saw her sleeping, and rolling over as the Goomba girl walked over to her. She then tried to her attention.
"Hey Flurrie? Are you all right? C'mon," Goombella tried to wake her. "C'mon. Get up!"
"Mmmm mmmm mmmm mmmm..." Flurrie was making some rather pleasant humming sounds in her sleep, which almost sounded suggestive and erotic in tone.
"Huh?" Goombella was confused by this until she heard what Flurrie was saying in her sleep.
"Ooooh... Andrew? Andrew, my handsome darling... Please share some of that Couple's Cake with me..." Flurrie moaned in pleasure while sleeping. "Mmmm... Yes. Yes, sweetums. This has been quite a marvelous date that we've been on while boarding the Excess Express... The Shroom Steak was so divine, and this Couple's Cake has been as sweet and tender as your rather manly lips..."
Wowsers. She's dreaming... Goombella thought. And it sounds like she's dreaming about being on a date with Andrew on the Excess Express, huh?
"Oh my, my, my! Mercy me, Andrew you handsome devil you! You are a fabulous ballroom dancer..." Flurrie talked in her sleep some more, growing more seductive with each passing second. "You have made this the best night of my life, sugar. Now come here and give me a big old kiss, Mr. Hunky Muscles... Let me taste your tender, gentle manly lips of yours, sweetums..."
Flurrie then started puckering her lips, acting like she was about to kiss Andrew, as Goombella only gave her a bewildered look. After shaking her head, she decided that now was the best time to wake her up.
"Hey Flurrie? Hey Flurrie, wake up!" Goombella shook her with her feet. "Wake up already!"
"Huh? Oooh... Ooh... Oh..." Flurrie then sat up and yawned as she stretched her arms. "Goombella? Would that be you, dearie?"
"Yes, Flurrie. It's me," Goombella told her as Flurrie was floating again. "And you still have Andrew's backpack on."
"Oh? Well. I must've forgotten to take it off since I was just simply exhausted," Flurrie took it off. "Huh? Pray tell me for asking, but I do believe that we're on Keelhaul Key, aren't we?"
"Yes, Flurrie. This is 'totally' Keelhaul Key," Goombella told her. "Unfortunately, we're pretty much shipwrecked here without a boat. And that means we're stranded on Keelhaul Key."
"Oh my! That does seem like a dilemma that we're stuck in," Flurrie admitted before asking her upon noticing something missing within their group. "Oh, now that I remember, have you any idea where Vivian and Andrew are currently? I don't seem to find any sight of them from what I'm looking at."
"I'm afraid to say that I haven't," Goombella had to shake her head. "Jeepers. Where is Vivian and Andrew?"
"I'm right here," that shy, sweet voice that belonged to Vivian had spoken out of nowhere, getting Goombella and Flurrie to jump around.
Moments later, Vivian emerged from the shadows, with Andrew still resting in her arms. Goombella and Flurrie took notice of this instantly as they went over to where she was standing.
"Vivian! You're all right!" Goombella had to exclaim as she seemed relieved by her safety.
"Yes. I am," Vivian nodded before directing their attention to Andrew. "And Andrew is safe too. He's still sleeping."
"Omigosh. He's still asleep," Goombella couldn't believe her eyes. "I can't believe that he managed to sleep through everything that had taken place. That's 'totally' something, huh?"
"Mercy me! I shan't deny it," Flurrie agreed. "I do believe that the Tasty Tonics he's had has certainly done the trick. Now it may seem that he managed to sleep through all of the catastrophic chain of events that transpired the following night. Kudos for him not being awake to witness it all unfold before us."
"Yes. I'm surprised by it as well," Vivian said shyly. "I've been protecting Andrew all night, making sure nothing happened to him. I...I hope that he'll wake up soon..."
"So do we, Vivian," Goombella assured her. "I'm sure that he'll wake up soon."
"Hmm? Pardon me for just a moment, but doesn't something seem a bit off to you girls?" Flurrie commented as she took note of something. "I daresay, Yoshiam and Koops aren't anywhere in the vicinity. Where do you suppose they wandered off to?"
"I dunno," Vivian shook her head. "I've been with Andrew this whole time, so I have no idea where they are..."
"Me either," Goombella then had to wonder. "Where is Yoshiam and Koops? Do you think they may've drowned in the ocean or something, y'know?"
"Aw, don't worry about us," another voice got their attention. "We're right over here!"
"Huh?" Goombella, Flurrie, and Vivian looked up and stared at the water when they saw where that voice came from.
It was from Yoshiam. And he was doing something cool in the water. As for what he was doing, he was 'basically' surfing in the ocean. Except instead of riding on a surfboard, Yoshiam was surfing on a Koopa shell. Rather, he was surfing on Koops's shell.
Yoshiam was surfing through the water in confidence while on Koops's shell as he did some flips and cool tricks while remaining on Koops's shell. All while Koops was starting to become nauseous on the inside.
Goombella, Flurrie, and Vivian couldn't believe what they were seeing as their mouths were open. In a matter of seconds, Yoshiam and Koops made it to the shore when Yoshiam jumped off of Koops's shell and ricocheted Koops forward onto dry land before Yoshiam did some flips and flutter-jumps before landing on the shore.
"All right!" Yoshiam cheered as he was bursting with energy. "That was extreme and awesome! I'd like to do that more often! Yow!"
By contrast, Koops managed to get out of his shell and stood back up as soon as his shell stopped spinning. By the look on his face, he was 'clearly' dizzy and nauseous as he kept his hands on his head.
"Ooohh...man... I feel dizzy..." Koops uttered in a daze. "Sure glad that's over... I never wanna do that again... Ooohh..."
With that, Koops fell onto his back, completely wiped out as Flurrie decided to help him up. It didn't take long for all five of them to regroup with Andrew still in Vivian's arms.
"Omigosh, glad to see that you two are all right," Goombella expressed. "And to see that the six of us are back together."
"You kidding? It takes a lot just to wear me down," Yoshiam told her before doing a double take. "Wait. Did you say all six of us are together?"
"That's right," Goombella nodded. "Us and Andrew are here."
"Ummm...really?" Koops shook his head as he trailed. "Cool. Where is Andrew?"
"He's right here," Vivian told him as Yoshiam and Koops saw Andrew in her arms.
"Wow. Guy sure knows how to sleep," Koops said in awe. "Did he manage to sleep through all of this?"
"Yes he did, dearie," Flurrie nodded. "He has been snoozing away for quite some time. Since the previous night."
"Whoa. Dude's got some guts to sleep through what happened last night," Yoshiam admitted in admiration. "Presto sure is a fighter."
"Can't argue with that," Goombella agreed with him. "We should let him continue to rest for a little longer. The Tasty Tonics he drank 'totally' did the trick."
"Good call," Koops nodded before asking. "Hey! Where's everyone else? Flavio, Pa-Patch, and the others who were on the S.S. Flavion. Where've they gone to?"
"Well, now that I think of it, I do believe that they've woken up quite some time ago," Flurrie exclaimed. "Perhaps they already went ahead and set up a camp not far off from here. I daresay, it's probably our best course of action. Cause if it weren't obvious already, we've been stranded on Keelhaul Key."
"Really? That isn't good," Yoshiam frowned at this before remembering something. "What about Bobbery, Four Eyes, and that George T guy? Where did they go?"
"I'm not sure," Vivian answered. "They jumped off the ship too fast that I didn't see where they swam off to..."
"If you ask me, I'm pretty sure that they're on the island somewhere," Goombella exclaimed to them. "Dunno where, but they should be on Keelhaul Key too."
"What should we do now?" Koops had to ask.
"I don't know. But for now, we might oughta work on setting up a tent for Andrew to sleep in until he finally wakes up and is no longer feeling sick," Goombella explained. "Then after that, we can give Andrew the scoop on what had happened to the S.S. Flavion, and then we can work our way from there, depending on what Andrew has planned to help us get the Sapphire Star and find a way to get us off the island."
"Why, that is most certainly a fabulous course of action," Flurrie exclaimed. "We mustn't start searching for that precious Crystal Star until Andrew wakes up and is feeling healthy. Then we shall work from there, find those three souls that are in the jungle, even the Four Eyes cad of whom we already know his identity. That poor Bobbery fellow is someone that I am most certainly worried about. I hope we can find him soon."
"Same here, Flurrie," Goombella agreed. "And we will. Until that happens, we might wanna get started on setting a tent up for Andrew, don'tcha think?"
"Yeah! We can do that!" Yoshiam remarked. "Then we can find some fruit on this island that I can just chow down on and eat some breakfast!"
"Oh, Yoshiam! We just got here and you're already thinking of eating," Goombella shook her head. "Well, I guess we can do that. But first, we take care of Andrew and 'totally' set up a tent for him. Does that sound good?"
"Yes, Goombella," Vivian nodded. "I think that's a good idea. I guess we better get started before it gets too hot out here."
"No kidding. The UV rays will leave a sunburn on us in a matter of seconds," Goombella agreed while panting. "So let's get cracking before the sun leaves a gnarly mark on all of us!"
None of them objected to that as they started setting up a tent for Andrew to sleep in, as soon as Vivian gently laid him down without hurting him or waking him up. They could only hope that Andrew would wake up feeling as good as new soon before they decided to set off for their next course of action...
A couple more days have passed since then. At this point, the other members of the S.S. Flavion crew had managed to set up camp, using flotsams and parts of the S.S. Flavion that were salvaged and used to set up the new store that was placed, along with a tent that 'basically' serves the same purpose as an Inn.
There was also a lounge chair, a parasol, a bucket of water, a tea kettle, and a fireplace in the center near the shore, and there were two flags hung up near a couple of rocks. Needless to say, they had something to settle with for now until they could find some way to get back to Rogueport.
As for Andrew, his tent was put up a good distance away from the camp. This was to make sure Andrew could sleep peacefully and not have the commotion of the others such as Flavio and Pa-Patch wake him up.
Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian had waited patiently while remaining concerned about Andrew and his state. He hasn't woken up in a couple of days, and they still have three missing crew members to find in the jungle. And they couldn't do that until Andrew was fully awake and no longer sick. And that was something that would be happening very shortly.
Then there was Andrew, who had been sleeping for the past couple of days, and he looked like he was feeling at ease and in a comfortable state. It was unclear about what he was dreaming about, but by the look on his face, it seemed to be a good one.
In Andrew's dream, we see Andrew frolicking through a beautiful grassy field, in perfect shape. And from what was seen, he was heading over towards his five friends that he hadn't seen in ages.
All five of them looked happy to see that Andrew managed to show up, as they were looking forward to going on their next adventure with him.
Andrew then came to a stop once he was right in front of Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian. As soon as he did that, the muscular man then started to...
BONK!
It was then Andrew felt something collide with his head as he sat up instantly and shot his eyes open. Standing in front of him was Goombella, and he quickly figured it out. He must've been woken up by a Headbonk, courtesy of the Goomba girl that stood before him. He then reacted accordingly.
"OUCH!" Andrew yelled as he rubbed his temple. "Goombella! What did you do THAT for!?"
"Just making sure that you are finally up and about, sleepy head," Goombella told him in a teasing manner while she smirked.
"Well, thanks a lot, Goombella. But I-" Andrew then paused as he realized something; this looked nothing like the S.S. Flavion. "Wait a minute. Where are we? This doesn't look like the S.S. Flavion at all."
"Yeah. I think you should know," Goombella decided to inform him. "We are currently on Keelhaul Key."
"Keelhaul Key?" Andrew was confused as he stopped rubbing his temple. "The Keelhaul Key that we were supposed to go to? The Keelhaul Key that happens to harbor the fifth Crystal Star; the Sapphire Star? Is it that same Keelhaul Key?"
"The one and only," Goombella nodded before realizing something. "Omigosh Andrew! You don't sound sick anymore!"
"Yeah," Andrew was able to breathe properly and was no longer coughing or hacking. "Hey, your right. I do feel a whole lot better!"
"That is 'totally' awesome Andrew!" Goombella beamed.
"So what happened? Where is everyone?" Andrew had to ask. "And how did we manage to get to Keelhaul Key?"
"OK, Andrew. Long story short, on the night you fell asleep for a couple of days, the S.S. Flavion had gotten shipwrecked," Goombella explained. "And now we're stranded on Keelhaul Key."
"Stranded? Wait, a couple of days!?" Andrew blinked. "I've been asleep for that long!?"
"You betcha. It was from all the Tasty Tonics you drank," Goombella told him. "You were so wiped out from it that you fell asleep for a couple of days, which helped with getting rid of your sickness."
"Well, it certainly did the trick," Andrew stood up. "How did we get shipwrecked?"
"On the final night that we were on the S.S. Flavion, a bunch of Embers ambushed us and attacked our ship," Goombella told him.
"Embers?" Andrew asked.
"Yeah! They're blue-colored flames with yellow eyes," Goombella continued. "They left us shipwrecked and now we're stranded on the island. Most of us made it to the island safe and sound. Though three members are still missing, I'm 'totally' convinced that they're on the island."
"Wait, three members of the S.S. Flavion have gone missing?" Andrew queried.
"Yeah," Goombella then revealed. "They happen to be Admiral Bobbery, Four Eyes, and that George T. Toad that came with us."
Andrew could only shake his head and blink. He was out cold for a good amount of time until this very moment. The S.S. Flavion got shipwrecked while he was on a snooze cruise thanks to the Tasty Tonics that he drank. It was then another question popped up in his mind.
"Where are the others in our group?" Andrew asked, referring to the group that has been collecting the Crystal Stars.
"They're right outside," Goombella informed him. "They are waiting for you to wake up and come out of the tent all healthy and such, y'know?"
"Yeah," Andrew then stretched his arms as he got ready to walk out of the tent. "Well let's not keep them hanging. We better go see them."
"Gotcha, Andrew!" Goombella beamed again as the muscular man exited the tent, with Goombella following right behind him.
Once he stepped outside, he felt the tropical air that surrounded them, which convinced him that this was Keelhaul Key. Nearby the tent that he came out of, he saw Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam standing there, wondering if Andrew would ever wake up.
He decided to surprise them with a smirk on his face as he then got his attention.
"Hey guys," he called out to them. "What's going on?!"
This got all three of them to turn around as they were completely over the moon when they saw that it was Andrew, awake and no longer sick.
"Andrew! You're awake! And no longer sick!" Koops walked up to him. "You sure had us worried. Ummm...good to know that you're all right and healthy again."
"Ah, I'm happy to be healthy again too, Koops," Andrew told him before he found himself scooped up and brought into a hug by Flurrie.
"Oh, my darling Andrew! I am certainly glad that you're awake and well," Flurrie told him sweetly, giving him a few pecks on the face to let her know how she felt about this. "I daresay, it's a pleasure to see that you're quite all right!"
"Oh, Flurrie. Of 'course' I'm all right," Andrew said as he was blushing from the kiss marks that Flurrie left on him. "I was never planning to leave any of you either."
"And I must say, we're glad that you aren't," Flurrie said. "We shan't ever abandon you again, and we intend on maintaining that promise, dearie."
"I know," Andrew said as Flurrie kept Andrew in her grasp.
Meanwhile, Yoshiam walked over, as chill as ever as he seemed eager to see that Andrew was back up and about.
"Aw yeah! Way to go, Presto," Yoshiam had to give Andrew a high five. "This is awesome! Good to see that you're awake and kicking it as always, dude!"
"I'm glad too, Yoshiam," Andrew then decided to say to them. "So, Goombella informed me of everything that happened. We've been stranded on Keelhaul Key, with no way back to Rogueport, huh?"
"That's right," Koops nodded along with the others.
"And Bobbery, Four Eyes, and George T are still missing in action on this island," Andrew proclaimed.
"That's what we think, and what we hope for," Flurrie proclaimed. "I do hope that they're quite all right and haven't been devoured by whatever is lurking in this dense jungle."
"I'm worried too. And we will find them, even though we already know who Four Eyes is," Andrew had to add. "So Flavio, Pa-Patch, and the others are at the camp just nearby, correct?"
"That's right, Presto," Yoshiam bounced. "They have already settled onto the island, wondering when we can start our expedition and find a way off of this island."
"Not to mention find out where the three missing crew members are," Goombella had to add. "Don'tcha know what I mean?"
"Yes. And I'll be sure to find them soon enough," Andrew then declared. "The important thing is that all six of us are safe and sound on Keelhaul Key and..."
It was then Andrew paused as he noticed something. Currently, there are only five of them. Wasn't there supposed to be six of them at this point? While maintaining a calm expression, Andrew had to ask in a rather low tone of voice filled with concern.
"Guys?" Andrew started to ask. "Where's Vivian?"
"Omigosh! How could I forget?" Goombella then remembered to tell him. "Andrew, I didn't tell you this, but Vivian was the one who made sure you got off of the S.S. Flavion safely."
"Just as I made sure your backpack was safely brought out too," Flurrie declared as she handed him his backpack. "I do believe this belongs to you, darling."
"Thanks, Flurrie," Andrew took the backpack and put it back on. "Wait, Vivian was the one who got me out safely?"
"That's right," Koops confirmed. "She was so worried about you, that she couldn't stand leaving you behind like that."
"Yeah. So I guess she decided to protect you while you were out on a snooze cruise and whatnot," Yoshiam remarked. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"I guess so," Andrew then asked. "But where is she?"
After all, this is the second time in a row that Vivian has saved my life... Andrew thought in a rather graceful manner. Where would I be without her?
"Well Andrew, let's just say that Vivian feels that she messed up," Goombella told him slowly.
"Messed up on what?" Andrew was all confused. "What are you talking about?"
He immediately got his answer when Vivian emerged from the shadows behind him, looking completely distraught as she managed to get Andrew's attention. Before he could say anything though, she wrapped him in a hug and started having a panic attack as she started begging frantically.
"Andrew! I'm...I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry that I didn't wake you up before the ship got destroyed!" Vivian cried. "You...You told me to let you sleep, and I did! But I couldn't let you sink with the ship, so I had to do something! I'm 'really' sorry!"
"Wuh?" Andrew was confused as he felt Vivian's grip get a little tighter as she continued.
"Please don't be mad at me, Andrew! I didn't mean to make you upset! I...I was just scared about your safety! I'm sorry!" Vivian yelled. "Please don't punish me for saving you! Please don't punish me! I won't make you angry again! I promise! I don't want to be punished! I swear! I didn't mean to hurt you!"
"Vivian! Listen, Vivian! Listen, it's OK! It's OK Vivian! It's OK!" Andrew yelled, trying to get her to calm down. "It's OK! Really! It's fine! I'm not angry at you!"
"What?" Vivian stopped as she looked at him dead in the eyes. "You're not?"
"Not at all," Andrew shook his head. "And I'm not gonna punish you either. I would NEVER think of punishing you for anything, even for making a simple mistake!"
"Oh...OK," Vivian felt embarrassed as she said shyly and quietly. "Still, I'm very sorry that I didn't wake you up. I just wanted you to get better and get all the sleep that you needed. But I wasn't going to let you sink with the ship either. So I hope you forgive me for doing so."
"Vivian, you have nothing to be sorry for, because you did NOTHING wrong," Andrew told her softly. "'In fact', you pretty much saved my life for the second time in a row. And for that, I am 'really' grateful to have you travel with me. Thank you, Vivian."
"Oh, Andrew. I...I shouldn't doubt just how kind you are," Vivian hugged him again. "Thank you for not being angry with me. I'm sorry I reacted like that. It's just that I..."
"Say no more, Vivian. I understand," Andrew nodded. "The way Beldam has treated you over the years has caused you to feel frantic about certain things, and that you're afraid that I'll punish you. Is that right?"
"Yes," Vivian nodded shamefully.
"Well, let me tell you, I have no intention of punishing you like she did. EVER!" Andrew told her. "And just like you've been protecting me, I promise to protect you too whenever something happens. If Beldam ever does try to hurt you again, she's gonna have to get through me first. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Vivian said. "Thanks for being here for me, Andrew."
"Anytime," Andrew smiled. "'In fact', all of us are here for each other. Right guys?"
"Totally!" Goombella beamed. "We're the greatest team out there because we got each other's backs!"
"Yeah," Koops agreed. "We are a 'really' close bunch of people traveling together. No doubt about that. We're all close friends, no matter what."
"Absolutely," Flurrie proclaimed. "I do believe that the possibilities that are in store for us are endless. All because we've showcased just how well we all work together! It's exactly like the stage troupe that I was in when I was a touring actress!"
"Aw yeah! You can count on it, Presto!" Yoshiam cheered. "The six of us are a rad team all right! And anyone who tries to mess with us will be met with a serious whooping!"
"That's the spirit!" Andrew yelled. "And now that I'm awake and healthy again, we can make some progress with finding the Sapphire Star and finding a way to get off the island afterwards!"
"I understand, Andrew," Vivian let go of Andrew. "And I'll continue helping you any way I can from now on."
"Along with the rest of us," Goombella had to add.
"Exactly," Andrew nodded with a smile as he decided to get them back on track. "Now, I believe that the camp that the other members of the S.S. Flavion were on is just up ahead, right?"
"Of course," Goombella pointed towards that direction with her foot. "It's that way."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Andrew then made the proper suggestion. "Let's go check on the others and let them know that I'm awake and feeling healthy again."
"I couldn't have said it any better myself!" Goombella beamed. "Let's go check on them!"
With that, Andrew walked off toward the direction that the camp was in. Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian were trailing right behind him as he made it to the camp a few moments later.
Andrew took it in and was impressed. Whoever set it up did a fine job with the details. There was even a shop and an Inn for their convenience.
"Wow," Andrew had to blink. "Nice setup they got here?"
"Isn't it? This is a shantytown built by Pa-Patch and some of the other sailors who came with us," Goombella pointed out. "Blue ocean, sandy beaches... A shop, an inn... You could live pretty comfortably here. You'd always have to worry about harmful UV rays, though, y'know?"
"That's why I brought my sunglasses," Andrew pointed out. "And some sunblock if we need it. But we're not here on vacation. Not this time at least. We need to find the Sapphire Star and resolve this stranded problem that we've been struck with."
"You got it, Presto," Yoshiam said. "There will be time for fun later. Right now, we got some stuff to square away, some crew members to track down, and then we can find this Cortez dweeb and kick his butt and get that Crystal Star."
"Yeah, I can't argue with that," Andrew said with a chuckle.
"Hey! Captain!" One of the Toad Sailors rushed up and saw Andrew. "You're awake and no longer sick!"
"That's right," Andrew pointed out. "I'm back up on my feet and I'm feeling great as I should be!"
"Oh, just in time too!" The Toad Sailor then begged. "Please, help us!"
"What's wrong?" Andrew had to ask.
"Flavio and Pa-Patch are in a huge fight!" The Toad Sailor pointed out.
"A fight?" Andrew tilted his head in confusion. "What are they fighting about?"
"Just come and see for yourself!" The Toad Sailor escorted him over to see it for himself, with his five friends following behind him.
Andrew was met with a rather irritated Flavio and an equally peeved-off Pa-Patch.
If he wasn't mistaken, Flavio looked like he was ready to put up his dukes and start decking Pa-Patch. And if they both had swords, they would've started slashing each other by now.
But be it as it may, they had to settle on a petty argument over what had happened the night of the shipwreck. He overheard everything that was being said as he walked over.
"And what about you, Squinty?" Flavio was just about ready to punch Pa-Patch. "You turned to jelly when you saw all those ghosts!"
"Guys? What's going on here?" Andrew deadpanned at this.
"What are you talkin' 'bout?!" Pa-Patch bellowed, attempting to body slam into him before calling Flavio something that he never expected. "You were the one quakin' in 'is boots, fancy pants!"
"What's this all about?" Andrew asked again in a dry manner as Flavio felt his pupils shrink.
He didn't just hear that. He just didn't hear Pa-Patch call him such a name that discomforted him, did he? He had to make sure for himself that he was only mishearing things.
"...Wait. Wait one moment," Flavio then had to ask slowly and cautiously. "Did... Did you just call the great Flavio 'fancy pants'?"
"That's right, fancy pants!" Pa-Patch admitted straight up, not feeling any shame in it as he rubbed it in his face. "Fancy pants! Fancy pants! Fancy pants! Fancy pants!"
"Guys?" Andrew tried to get their attention again but to no avail.
It was then Flavio was getting furious. How dare this so-called Bob-omb sailor try to make a mockery of his name and degrade him even further than he already was? He wasn't gonna stand for it. He wanted some retribution for this outrage.
"Why, you little CYCLOPS!" Flavio bellowed angrily in a rather immature manner, shaking his fists over his head like a little kid. "Flavio demands satisfaction! You! Me! Hammers! At dawn!"
"Guys, aren't we taking whatever this is about a little too far?" Andrew tried to ask them, doing his best not to laugh at the immaturity of the situation.
"Oy, that's right fine by me!" Pa-Patch spat in Flavio's face, ignoring Andrew, and decided to rub some more salt into Flavio's wound. "I can't wait to put a few dents in those fancy threads!"
"I think this is getting ridiculous," Andrew had to comment while pinching the bridge of his nose. "Aren't you two being a little immature right now?"
Neither one of them commented as they turned around and stomped off like little children into the jungle. This resulted in Andrew gaining a rather annoyed look as they were thinking irrationally. His partners felt the same way as they all had to comment on it.
"Jeepers. They are being ridiculous," Goombella retorted while rolling her eyes. "They're acting like a bunch of spoiled children."
"Ummm...Gosh. Gee whiz, they're 'really' going overboard," Koops admitted. "Sure hope that they won't do anything they regret. Don't want them to go too far and all, you know..."
"Oh, my! I do desire drama, but this is something else," Flurrie had to admit. "I do suppose that those two are acting a little brash about the predicament that we've gotten into!"
"Well, there they go. What a couple of nutcases," Yoshiam snorted. "What makes them think that fighting is gonna solve their problems?"
"Coming from the guy who enjoys picking fights with people that mess with us," Goombella pointed out dryly.
"HEY! I happen to have a limitation, you know!" Yoshiam had to defend. "Even I think they're being a bit stupid about this."
"Gee whiz... I hope they realize that they're making a big mistake..." Vivian commented meekly. "They're gonna get hurt out there in the jungle..."
"I know, Vivian," Andrew agreed. "Let's hope that they'll learn the error of their ways and come running back to the camp."
Then right on cue, they heard both of them yelling fearfully in the distance, which got their attention.
"THEY'RE HEEEEEEEEEEEEERE!" Flavio and Pa-Patch came racing back to the camp as if their life depended on it.
"Huh?" Andrew was confused as Flavio and Pa-Patch both hid right behind Andrew for protection.
"C-C-Captain 'Uscles! Glad to see you're doin' better!" Pa-Patch then got to the point. "[Them] ghosts are back!"
"Ghosts? What ghosts?" Andrew was confused by this as he raised an eyebrow.
Then to answer his question, three Embers entered the camp, and they were the same ones that shipwrecked them the other night. All of the crew members were shivering in fear as they stood a good distance away from them. Andrew and his friends, though, weren't scared, as Andrew got a close look at them.
"Those are the same Embers that destroyed the S.S. Flavion the other night, aren't they Goombella?" Andrew had to ask her.
"That's right," Goombella nodded to confirm it.
"A-Andrew! F-Front and center!" Flavio spoke up from behind and he then gave him a command. "This is an o-o-o-o-order! Take care of those ghosts!"
"Me? Oh, OK. I'm feeling energetic anyway," Andrew stretched. "I could use the workout after being sick for so long."
"All right, Andrew!" Goombella beamed as she and the others were willing to back him up.
"But first things first, Goombella, you got the information on these hotheads, don't you?" Andrew asked her.
"Don'tcha worry! I'm already on it!" Goombella took out her Tattle Log as she then skimmed through the pages until she found which page the Embers were on. "Ah-HA! Here it is! Ready to hear what it says?"
"Of course," Andrew encouraged. "Let's hear it!"
"Here we go! Ahem!" Goombella cleared her throat and then read from the Tattle Log. "That's an Ember. Sort of a pale-blue flame spirit. Kind of spooky."
"No kidding," Andrew admitted. "But we can take them."
"Yes. Of course, since this thing is a flame, touching it will hurt. Didn't Mama teach you that?" Goombella continued in a rather sassy manner.
"Yeah. No direct contact with it," Andrew exclaimed. "Otherwise we'll get a nasty burn."
"Duh!" Goombella nodded before she kept reading it. "Looks like it's susceptible to ice or explosive attacks, though, so that's something."
"I still have an Ice Storm on hand if that helps," Andrew suggested as he saw one of the Ember trying to launch a Fireball at Goombella. "Goombella! Look out!"
Without warning, Andrew then jumped in and grabbed Goombella in the nick of time as he once again, saved her from getting scorched by that Ember. Of course, by this point, Goombella was not surprised by this.
"Well Andrew, I'm 'totally' not surprised. You've done that so many times, that I kinda expect it from you," Goombella told him with a sly smirk. "Still, I'm grateful that you always look out for me. So thanks again."
"Anytime," Andrew gave her a thumbs up.
"Anyway, if you get hit by a flame attack, you'll catch fire, so try to dodge it before you get struck by them," Goombella advised him before putting away her Tattle Log.
"Right," Andrew then took out an Ice Storm that he had in his backpack and held it over his head. "Let's see how these Embers like being put on thin ice."
As soon as he said that, a snowy blizzard was blasted into the Ember, which did quite a bit of damage. One of them got frozen in a block of ice despite being a flame.
"Omigosh! One other thing I should warn you about!" Goombella had to warn him. "Using fire attacks on these Embers won't do anything to them! Not only will they recover in health and energy! They'll even multiply, leaving us completely outnumbered!"
"Thanks for the heads up. So we're not fighting fire with fire for this fight," Andrew proclaimed before facing his Shadow Siren friend. "Sorry about this, Vivian. But you won't be able to do anything to these guys."
"Oh, that's OK, Andrew," Vivian wasn't upset by this. "I don't think I'd be much help here anyway..."
"Well, I'm willing to help fight!" Yoshiam let out a battle cry. "Let's see how one of these hotheads likes getting a whipping from my tongue!"
With that, Yoshiam was able to wrap his tongue around one of the Embers before he put them in his mouth. Andrew was surprised that Yoshiam was able to do this without burning his mouth. Then again, it was likely that Yoshis had strong mouths and could withstand anything. So this shouldn't have come as a surprise to him.
In a matter of seconds, Yoshiam unleashed his Gulp move by spitting one of the Embers out, causing it to collide with another one. It was then another Ember that wasn't frozen was about to unleash a Traveling Flame attack, which caught Andrew's attention.
"Guys? We better get out of the way," Andrew informed them.
All six of them scattered as they got out of the way just in time before they were scorched by a massive flame that could've left a nasty burn on them.
It was then Koops got into his shell and prepared to plow into all three of them with his Power Shell. He struck all three of them, leaving behind some damage. He then got into the middle of the camp and did a breakdancing move.
The members of the crew were somewhat amused by this. They had no idea that the Koopa who was their captain's friend was a good breakdancer. This was something new to them.
"All right, Koops," Andrew gave him a thumbs up. "That never gets old!"
"Yeah... I always enjoy doing that..." Koops admitted shyly.
"Wow," Vivian had to comment on what she saw. "He's pretty good..."
"Yeah, Vivian," Andrew informed her. "All of us are impressed by how Koops can breakdance."
It was then another Ember who tried to jump onto Andrew's head. Fortunately, he saw it coming as he ducked out of the way and rolled to the side until he was back on his feet. It sure felt great not being sick anymore. He was able to fend off these Embers.
Yoshiam then stepped in and laid three Mini-Eggs right on the spot. From there, he threw each one of them at the three Embers, with one of them shrinking in size.
"Wow. That was pretty impressive," Andrew took out his Super Bat. "Let's see how they like this."
Andrew then performed a Power Swing on the frozen Ember. It made direct contact as it smashed through the ice. Yoshiam then decided to grab one of the Embers with his tongue and performed his Gulp attack again.
"Good idea, Yoshiam!" Andrew readied his bat and held it correctly. "Now launch that Ember over here and my bat will do the rest!"
Yoshiam nodded as he spat it out in Andrew's direction. Once it was close enough, Andrew swung his bat and sent the Ember spiraling into the air like a baseball.
It managed to regain itself though, as it and the other two Embers gathered together to unleash a Traveling Flame in unison. By then, the small Ember returned to normal size and was no longer affected by the shrinking status.
Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam took this as their cue to move out of the way, while Vivian grabbed Andrew and showcased her Veil ability so he wouldn't be struck by it. Moments later, Andrew resurfaced along with Vivian.
"Thanks, Vivian," Andrew thanked her before wiping his forehead. "Wow. These guys are tough."
"Omigosh! We need to know how to beat them!" Goombella yelled. "What can we do?"
It was then Andrew decided to do what he did best; come up with a strategy on how to beat these three Embers.
He then examined the blue flames and realized something. They were just that; flames. And like any other flame that's on a candle, these flames can be blown out with a strong enough wind.
Wait a minute! That's it! Andrew thought. An idea had been formulated. We can blow the flames out of these Embers to beat them!
"Guys, I have an idea!" Andrew exclaimed. "I know how we can beat these Embers!"
"What is it, Andrew?" Goombella looked at him curiously.
"We just need a strong enough wind to blow out these flames for good," Andrew revealed before he turned to face Flurrie. "Flurrie, do you think you can use your Gale Force to blow away these Embers for us?"
"Why, I would be glad to, dearie," Flurrie nodded. "I am getting a tad overheated from dealing with these flaming scoundrels anyhow!"
After taking a deep breath, Flurrie then unleashed a powerful Gale Force attack on the three Embers, as Andrew hoped that they would be blown out as he had planned.
Fortunately for him, in a matter of seconds, all three Embers vanished once their flames went out like the flames on the candles of a birthday cake being blown out. It would appear that the plan worked.
"All right! We got rid of them!" Andrew had to exclaim. "Good job, Flurrie! You did it!"
"Well, was there any doubt at all that I couldn't do it?" Flurrie asked calmly. "In any case, I was honored to have helped out."
"Yeah!" Goombella beamed. "We got rid of those Embers!"
"Uh huh," Koops nodded. "Man, they were pretty tough..."
"But not tough enough for us," Yoshiam exclaimed. "We sure sent them packing!"
"That was nice," Vivian commented. "You came up with a good plan, Andrew."
"Yeah. Well, I do the best that I can," Andrew rubbed the back of his neck at this.
"Yes!" Pa-Patch had to exclaim. "Yer a bloomin' BEAST, Captain 'Uscles!"
"Ah, well, it was nothing. Really," Andrew said in a rather modest tone while rubbing his right arm with his left hand.
"Too early to celebrate, no?" Flavio then got their attention. "There are surely more of them elsewhere, ah? ...Someone must investigate the rest of the island. Yes. That is what must be."
"Yeah," Andrew nodded. "There's also the fate of the three missing crew members that had boarded the S.S. Flavion that need to be found."
"Ah, yes! That too!" Flavio then cleared his throat and continued. "As leader of this expedition, I, of course, should stay here. On this, I brook no argument."
"That figures," Goombella retorted dryly as she rolled her eyes at this.
"Ah, yes! Of course!" Flavio knew the perfect person who could tour the island and find the three missing crew members that were lost on the island. "Andrew! Seeing that you seem to be standing on your own feet again, and you're no longer suffering from a sickness, perhaps you could handle the exploration of this island?"
Andrew had a thoughtful expression on his face. Truth be told, he was feeling a whole lot better and could use a little moving around after having been cooped up in a bed for several days due to being sick.
Besides, not only does he have to find Bobbery, Four Eyes, and George T. He also has to find out the whereabouts of the fifth Crystal Star. Wherever it may be on the island.
After thinking it over, Andrew decided to smile as he nodded at this.
"All right, Flavio," Andrew told him. "My friends and I will be willing to tour the island and find the missing crew members and make sure they make it back safely."
"That is my boy! I knew you would go forth with boldness!" Flavio was impressed by how eager Andrew was now that he wasn't sick. "We count upon you!"
"You got it," Andrew then turned to face his three friends. "All right, guys! You all ready to tour the island now that I'm better?"
"Totally!" Goombella beamed in a preppy manner. "We'll make some progress in no time!"
"Yeah. I'm ready too," Koops nodded. "Man, sure hope we can find those missing crew members... Even that Four Eyes creep..."
"Why, I do believe now would be the appropriate time to explore the island and find those missing souls," Flurrie admitted. "As the adventurers here, we MUST find them and make sure they make it back safely! And we shan't fail them NOW!"
"Aw yeah! Now we're talking! We get to do some exploring, at long last!" Yoshiam cheered in excitement. "Now we can see what kind of fruits they have here, and if there are anymore of those monsters who want their tushies spanked!"
"Of 'course' I'm ready Andrew," Vivian exclaimed. "I'm willing to go since you are. Let's find those missing crew members..."
"All right! Glad to hear it, guys!" Andrew was happy to hear this from all five of them. "Let's get started!"
With that, Andrew, Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian all walked away from the camp and entered the jungle, as the six of them were hoping to find Bobbery, Four Eyes, and George T and make sure they make it back safely.
They had no idea what they'd be in store for, as their quest to explore the island of Keelhaul Key was just getting started. There was no denying that at all...
END OF CHAPTER 46...
Well, that's all for this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it.
Yeah, this chapter was pretty basic, with Andrew having recovered and is back on his feet again, and his five partners are happy to see him up and about. Still, I enjoyed writing this chapter out since it displayed their characters nicely.
I liked writing out the dream that Flurrie was having as by this point, it's been established that she has eyes for Andrew since he's the apple of her eye, and she 'really' fancies him. Goombella was easy to do too, acting as a voice of reason when Andrew was out cold.
As for the scene where Yoshiam was surfing on Koops in his shell, I thought it was pretty cool. I always pictured Yoshiam doing something extreme like that and cheering about having done it. And I can see Koops getting nauseous and dizzy afterwards, not enjoying the experience too much.
Then there's Vivian and how she was frantically apologizing to Andrew and asking not to punish her. This shows that Vivian still has self-esteem issues and she doubts herself. She'll eventually grow out of that the longer she travels with Andrew. Don't worry about that.
Lastly, I enjoy how Andrew and his friends are close and willing to stick by each other, no matter what. It shows how close they've grown to each other. And this'll also apply to the last two partners that Andrew will be getting.
Now, the next chapter will involve Andrew and his five friends trekking through the jungle, finding some badges and Shine Sprites, finding Bobbery, Four Eyes, and George T to be alive and well, and the six travelers will work on saving the Admiral from some Embers. And some other stuff will occur. How will this go for them? Find out next time, readers!
For now, only if you want to, you can leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter.
Otherwise, I have nothing else to say. So until next time, I do hope you all can take care of yourselves! And on that note, thanks again for reading, everyone!