OK, fellow readers. Here is the 49th chapter of this story.
Now, there is plenty of stuff that'll be happening here. In this chapter, Andrew and his five friends deliver the Chuckola Cola to Bobbery, who feels that his final wish has been fulfilled and supposedly departs.
Andrew, Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian all give their thoughts on Bobbery who they thought had passed on, with Andrew expressing how he knows what it was like to be a recluse without giving any information about his past, only to find out that Bobbery isn't dead.
Bobbery comes to his senses, Andrew tells him what he said during his eulogy, Bobbery makes a pledge to Andrew, and Andrew also gets his sixth partner and friend overall. Additionally, Bobbery finds out from Andrew that he and his other friends are hunting for the Crystal Stars which is what they came to Keelhaul Key for.
Other stuff that'll happen include Flavio being forced to accompany the travelers to that strange rock Bobbery saw earlier, needing the Skull Gem to solve the puzzle, Andrew using that song Flavio's been singing as a key to solving it, and a few other things will occur. How will this go for them? Find out now, readers!
AT THE FARTHEST RIGHT SIDE AREA - ON KEELHAUL KEY:
After quite a bit more traveling through the thick jungle, Andrew and his five friends made it back to the area where they saved Bobbery from those Embers.
And to their complete relief, Bobbery was still there. He looked as exhausted as he did before. And from the looks of it, he was zoning out, wondering when that Chuckola Cola was ever gonna be delivered to him.
"Well guys," Andrew pointed out. "There's Admiral Bobbery. Still in that same spot."
"Yeah. It's good to know that he didn't go anywhere," Goombella expressed as she sighed in relief. "Might be a good idea to give him the Chuckola Cola, don'tcha think?"
"Good idea," Andrew nodded as he approached Bobbery, with the Chuckola Cola in his right hand. As soon as he was in front of him, Andrew got his attention.
"Excuse me? Admiral Bobbery?" Andrew started as he opened the bottle for him. "We brought that bottle of Chuckola Cola that you wanted. As we had promised you."
"Hmm? Sniff! SNIIIIFFFF!" Bobbery got out of his little zoning-out moment when he recognized the smell and realized that they had fulfilled his final wish. "Ah, that distinctive bouquet! You... You've brought it?"
"That's right," Andrew nodded as he gave him the bottle. "Just like we promised."
"Gulp... Slurp..." Bobbery took his time to drink and consume the bottle himself, enjoying every last drop there was before his time came to an end. "AHHHH! This glorious flavor, dear boy... It awakens the mouth!"
"We were glad to get it for you," Andrew told him after he was done drinking it and put the bottle to the side.
"So, the sea was generous enough to deliver me this one last grace, eh?" Bobbery said quite sadly, feeling that his time was up.
"I... I guess so..." Andrew frowned, realizing what he meant for them.
"I have nothing left in this world now..." Bobbery exclaimed weakly. "Thank you for granting my last wish... Now I shall be reunited with my dear Scarlette..."
"Right..." Andrew tried his best not to tear up at this.
"Fare... well... Captain...Andrew..." Bobbery trailed off as he slowly closed his eyes.
And at that moment, Bobbery stopped moving, at least according to Andrew and his friends. To them, he was gone.
"Well... I guess that's that," Andrew sniffed, wiping his right eye before sighing. "He's gone."
Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian were all frowning at this.
As Andrew took off his blue ballcap and placed it over his chest, he then asked his friends. "Do you guys want to say anything about Bobbery and what you thought of him now that he's departed?"
Goombella followed suit as she took off her helmet and placed it next to her. Vivian also did the same with her witch hat as she placed it over her chest, with her pink curly hair still covering her eyes. Since Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam didn't have any hats on, they had to settle with placing their hands over their chest.
"Ahem...I...I guess I should start...sob..." Goombella sobbed. "Jeepers! I hope this doesn't make a scene and mess up my eyeliner!"
After clearing her throat, Goombella started. "Look, all I can say is that I never met the Admiral personally. But from what I've witnessed, he was a great guy and a great sailor. Not to mention he was a great husband to his late wife Scarlette. I 'totally' felt so sorry for him! I...I'm glad that he was finally at ease with himself and that he got the chance to sail one last time, y'know? And...And... Omigosh, I can't stand it! Admiral Bobbery? You will be missed! Thank you for sailing with us one last time before you went out, not with a bang. But with a whimper... See ya..."
"Ummmm...I... I guess I should go next," Koops cleared his throat and commented with a depressed sigh. "I...I never had a proper funeral for my father when he got eaten by Hooktail... But...But I'm willing to do so for the admiral here."
With that, Koops then spoke. "Admiral Bobbery? Seeing how broken you were when you lost your wife made me feel sorry for you. It must've been depressing to find out that your wife perished when you were out at sea... Just like how I felt when my dad never came back ten years ago, I...I understood what you were feeling... I'm...I'm sorry that you had to go, and that you had to put yourself through so much suffering. I'm just glad that you went out to sea one last time with us, to help us get to Keelhaul Key. I...Ummm... Gee whiz, I dunno if I have anything else to say... Admiral Bobbery... This is my final comment that I had to say to you... Thank you, and farewell... Sir..."
"Mercy me, I do believe I shall be going next," Flurrie then had to admit with teary eyes that she had to wipe away. "Dearie me! I don't know if I shall do this without showering tears from my eyes and messing my precious eyeliner. But alas, I shall give my final respect to the poor, poor Admiral and what he went through."
After wiping her eyes, Flurrie then decided to say something about it. "Admiral Bobbery, you poor, poor man... I shall let you know that while we haven't known each other for very long, I daresay that you were a sweet gentleman and a loving husband to your already departed wife Scarlette. It must've been 'absolutely' tragic, seeing what you put yourself through and that you gave up the one thing that you loved most besides your dear wife. But I must say that it was truly remarkable to see you come out to sea with us one last time before you had to depart from our world... Mercy me! There is not a single ounce of drama here, and already I am tearing up! Admiral Bobbery?! Let me be the one to say that you have done all of us and your wife a favor to come out to sea one final time. I shan't lie when I say that you will be dearly missed by us all. For that, I bid you farewell, admiral. Thank you..."
"Gee, is it my turn already?" Yoshiam said with a frown. "Well, I've never had to do something like this before, so I'm gonna give it my best shot here."
At that, Yoshiam shook his head, cleared his throat, and came straight out with him. "Admiral Bobbery? Let me say that it must've stunk with how you lost your wife while at sea. But despite all that, you showed to be a true hard fighter to the bitter end, and you kept hanging in there anyway you could. It 'actually' makes me respect you for how far you came, and that you were willing to help us get a lift to Keelhaul Key. Dang, this is gonna be tougher than I thought. Admiral Bobbery, you were a wicked cool guy and a great sailor. So it is such a downer to see you go like this, man. Guess there's not much more to say except...thank you. For going out to sea with us one last time. And, well, later, dude..."
Yoshiam looked like he was tearing up as he had to wipe his eyes. Vivian sighed and decided to go up.
"OK. I guess I can go next," Vivian said sadly. "I...I don't think I'll be any good at this, but I'll give it my best anyway..."
After sighing and wiping the tears that were dripping down, Vivian decided to start. "Admiral Bobbery? I cannot begin to describe how much pain and suffering you put yourself through, all because you lost your wife, Scarlette. I'm...I'm sorry that such a tragedy had to happen to you. You are a sweet man who suffered a serious loss, but you were also a great sailor. Just like the others have said, thank you for going out to sea with us one last time, before you had to...well...leave us... Admiral Bobbery? I would like you to know that none of us will forget what you've done for us. And what you've done for your wife. Uh...I uhhh... So thanks...for doing this with us. We'll all miss you. Goodbye, Admiral Bobbery..."
"All right, if everyone is done, I think I should say something about him," Andrew decided to take his turn. "Is everyone ready?"
All five of them nodded sadly, as they were willing to have Andrew say his part to this eulogy that they were holding for Bobbery.
"OK. Here goes nothing," Andrew sighed before he started speaking. "Admiral Bobbery? I want you to know that you had all of my condolences for what had happened to Scarlette. And, there's something else that I must say. I know that you must've been a recluse after losing your wife and not willing to go out to sea anymore. But I just want you to know that I know what it's like to be a recluse. I was also a recluse for the longest time. At least, until I headed for Rogueport. That one faithful day..."
Andrew had to clear his throat and wipe his eyes before he continued. "Let me just say that I'm glad that you were at least able to see the light for yourself and that you should go out to sea one last time... Before you had to leave us like this... You haven't let us down at all. You are a great man, an excellent sailor, and a faithful husband to your late wife, Scarlette. And you proved that to us while sailing on the S.S. Flavion. And I want you to know that I...I...I..."
Andrew couldn't help but tear up at this. It was bad enough that he had trouble containing himself when he gave the eulogy to his mom at her funeral. This was just as sad as his mother's funeral. To say that he was beyond distraught with this would've been an understatement.
"Andrew? You gonna be OK?" Goombella asked him in concern while giving him that worried look along with Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Andrew insisted before he resumed. "Admiral Bobbery, we will dearly miss you. Thank you for getting us to Keelhaul Key and sailing with us one last time. None of us will ever forget you and the honorable things that you've done for us. What you've done for others that were joining you on those sea voyages many years ago. And for showing your loyalty and dedication to Scarlette. With a heavy heart, the final thing that I have to say before we put you to rest is...is...is..."
Andrew was unable to say goodbye since his eyes were watering up. His five friends were concerned for him and that maybe he was putting too much pressure on himself.
None of that mattered though, for at that moment, they heard something coming from Bobbery.
"Huh?" All six of them looked up and stared straight at Bobbery, who was making some sounds in his current state.
"Snuuuurgh... Pshooooooo... Snorrrrgggghhhhhhhh..." This pretty much revealed that Bobbery wasn't dead after all. He was just sleeping.
"WHAT THE...?!" Andrew yelled, wiping his eyes and putting his cap back on.
"Hey, Andrew, I was thinking..." Goombella shook her head and placed her helmet back on her head. "You don't think Bobbery's just like, sleeping, do you?"
"Yeah. Do you think maybe Bobbery's just sleeping 'really' heavily?" Koops scratched his head, shaking off the sadness that was in his eyes. "You know what? He is!"
"By the stars! You're right," Flurrie gasped. "I am quite sure of it!"
"And here I was, getting all choked up!" Yoshiam had to huff at this. "This old coot had us worrying about him for a second there!"
"Oh for the love of..." Andrew furrowed his eyebrows at how Bobbery had them worried to no end about him.
"And I was so sad for him!" Vivian had to shake her head after putting her witch hat back on her head. "Whack him awake, will you?"
"I'll do one even better," Andrew then took out something from his pocket.
It was revealed to be an air horn. Once he was in front of the sleeping Bobbery, Andrew pressed the button on top of it, which caused the air horn to blast a loud sound for Bobbery to hear. And from the sound of it, it sounded an awful lot like a foghorn that came off of departing ships.
It was that noise that suddenly jolted Bobbery up from his sleep as he shot his eyes open and started looking all around him.
"HUP! HUP! WOT WOT?! Yobbity yobbity...PIRATES!" Bobbery yelped. "Where are those pirates?!"
As he was looking all around him, Andrew's five friends all had to comment on his behavior.
"Bobbery... He's still kinda out of it, I think..." Goombella proclaimed.
"He's not quite with it yet, I don't think..." Koops shook his head.
"He's not quite himself yet, I don't think..." Flurrie said slowly.
"Not quite with it yet, huh?" Yoshiam frowned at this.
"He's still pretty shaken up..." Vivian had to admit meekly.
Andrew didn't say anything as he was still frowning. At that moment, Bobbery took notice of Andrew who was standing right in front of him.
"...What, now? Oh... Andrew, old boy, it's you!" Bobbery still didn't have his head straight just yet as he declared. "You have adventures in the afterlife, as well? Capital!"
"You're still alive, you crazy old coot!" Goombella yelled, not happy that he had them worried like that.
"Ummm... Admiral Bobbery, you're still alive, sir!" Koops had to tell him.
"Dear man, you are still very much in the land of the living!" Flurrie proclaimed.
"Hey, you're still alive, you nutcase!" Yoshiam bellowed, shaking his fist as he didn't appreciate how Bobbery left them worrying like that.
"But, Bobbery, you're not in the afterlife!" Vivian had to admit. "You're still alive and well!"
"Don't EVER do that to us again!" Andrew scowled at him for a good reason. "You had us all WORRIED SICK about you!"
"Well, I beg your pardon old boy," Bobbery had to defend. "But in my defense, I truly did think that it was my time to depart!"
Andrew had to sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose before he exclaimed to him. "Look? The important thing is that you are still alive and well with the rest of us."
"Ah, yes," Bobbery shook his head and got himself together. "I've already figured that out the moment that I took notice that this isn't a tropical paradise for fallen sailors."
"Right. But more importantly, Admiral Bobbery. Everything I said in my eulogy is true," Andrew calmed down before he confessed. "I know what it was like to be a recluse like you were when you lost your wife in such a way. But I am also proud that you were able to see the light and realize that you shouldn't give up your favorite hobby of sailing the sea just because of something that you had no control over in the past. And for that, I'm 'absolutely' proud to have met you and sailed on the same boat as you did, sir."
"Ah, hmm... Indeed. Uh, very well put, old boy," Bobbery agreed with him. "And let me be the first to say that I was happy to have seen the light that my dear Scarlette had wanted from me. And for allowing me to come to my senses and set sail again, let me commend you for doing quite an honorable thing yourself Andrew, dear boy. Very smashing decision you made there."
"Well, thanks. I was happy to help out and all," Andrew said modestly as she rubbed the back of his neck. "But we still have a bigger problem that needs to be solved."
"Ah yes! Now I recall!" Bobbery then had to comment. "Andrew, old boy... We still have work to do!"
"Right. We still have an expedition to accomplish on Keelhaul Key," Andrew pointed out. "And we still need to find a way to get off the island, too!"
"That we do, old boy!" Bobbery then had to say to him. "You'd better take me with you, I should say!"
"Wait a minute," Andrew had to double-check to make sure he had heard him correctly. "You want to accompany me and my friends here on the quest that brought us to Keelhaul Key?"
"Aye! It seems to be the most honorable solution," Bobbery confirmed. "I'm sure my sea legs and explosive personality will be rather useful, eh?"
Andrew had to think for a second as a thoughtful expression emerged on his face. One minute, he thought that Bobbery was pushing up daisies. The next, he was revealed to be alive and well.
And now it appears that he was giving a pledge to Andrew, and insisted that he should travel with him and his friends on the quest to get the Crystal Stars. Seeing that Bobbery was a great person that he got to be acquainted with during their trip on the S.S. Flavion, Andrew saw no harm in having the admiral himself become a friend of his and travel with them.
With that, Andrew had to smile and exclaim. "Ah, what the heck! I've started to grow fond of you since we've been on this trip. And I've even grown to like you. I would be happy if you'd travel with us!"
Andrew then asked his five friends for their approval. "How about you guys? Is it all right for Admiral Bobbery to travel with us?"
"Omigosh! I'm 'totally' down with that!" Goombella beamed. "We'd be happy to have him travel with us!"
"Ummm...sure. I'd love to have him along," Koops nodded. "It would be nice to have him travel with us."
"Why, I do believe that I'd love for him to accompany us on our quest," Flurrie exclaimed. "I daresay, it would be an absolute divine privilege to have you join us, Admiral Bobbery!"
"Yeah, I'm cool with it too!" Yoshiam nodded before jumping. "I think it'll be awesome having you travel with us, Bobbery!"
"I'd...I'd like for the admiral to join us too," Vivian smiled shyly. "It'll be nice to have you with us Bobbery."
"Well, looks like my friends and I have spoken," Andrew was satisfied with this before saying to Bobbery. "Welcome aboard, Admiral Bobbery."
"Ahem, I beg your pardon for just a second, dear boy. But since it would seem that we'll be traveling together, I believe that there is no need for any of the formalities," Bobbery insisted. "I insist. Just Bobbery should work."
"All right. If that's what you want, Bobbery," Andrew told him. "So I guess that as a Bob-omb, you can blow up and blast away any cracked walls, rocks, and anything else that could be blown up, right?"
"Aye. You would be correct, dear boy," Bobbery confirmed. "And if you ever need me to go up onto a higher elevation, just toss me up wherever you may need me to go, and I shall blast away in that manner too, I should say."
"That's incredibly helpful," Andrew proclaimed with a smile. "Now that that's all set, how about we all head back to the camp?"
"Indeed. Heading back to the camp would be our best course of action," Bobbery nodded in agreement. "Let's head back and check on how the other chaps of the S.S. Flavion are holding up, shall we?"
"Right," Andrew remarked as he nodded along with Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian.
And with that, the now seven travelers left the jungle and made their way back to the campsite where the others were residing. As they were heading back, however, Bobbery was still curious about something.
What was the reason for Andrew and his five other friends to have wanted to come to Keelhaul Key anyway? Since they would be traveling together, now would be as good of a time as any to ask him.
"Ahem! I beg your pardon for just a second, dear boy," Bobbery decided to get Andrew's attention. "But I've been meaning to ask you something for quite some time. But considering the sudden ailment that you succumbed to, not to mention the treacherous shipwreck that unraveled soon afterwards, I haven't been able to get to it until this very moment."
"Sure," Andrew looked at him. "What is it, Bobbery?"
"Andrew, I've been meaning to ask, what may be the reason for you folks to come to Keelhaul Key?" Bobbery asked him. "I take it that you aren't here for treasure that the others such as Flavio; that old cash-grubber, are after, eh?"
"Yeah. We aren't," Andrew then explained to him. "We came to Keelhaul Key because we are looking for a Crystal Star that's located here."
"Crystal Star, eh?" Bobbery then had to query. "Do tell old boy, you wouldn't be referring to the Crystal Stars that are connected to the legendary treasure rumored to be underneath Rogueport, would you?"
"Why yes. That's exactly it," Andrew nodded. "Have you ever heard of it?"
"Have I? Indeed I have, dear boy," Bobbery confirmed. "Why, I have managed to hear all of the tales and legends told by street urchins and merchants alike. I also must say that many of the sailors that I've traveled with in my time on the many sea voyages I've been on have told tales about it, if I may add."
"Wow," Andrew blinked before taking out the Magical Map and unfolding it. "Well, that's the reason. We're hunting for the Crystal Stars. And this is the Magical Map that has been leading us to each Crystal Star that we had to find."
"By Blubbery's blotches! That happens to be the map itself that's been told in many tales over! Regarding the legendary treasure resting beneath Rogueport!" Bobbery was surprised to have seen the map up close for himself. "I must say, I never would've imagined seeing the map itself up close."
"Well, it's true! It's the real deal," Goombella spoke up. "We've already found four Crystal Stars so far. And the fifth one is on this island!"
"Yeah. We have the Diamond Star, the Emerald Star, the Gold Star, and the Ruby Star," Andrew pointed out after folding it back up and putting it back into his pocket. "We found those in Hooktail Castle, the Great Tree, Glitzville, and Creepy Steeple. And we're hoping to find the Sapphire Star on Keelhaul Key."
"Well, that's quite the tale you've accomplished so far, old boy," Bobbery had to admit. "Very well. I shall make an effort to aid you and your 'fellow' comrades with finding and claiming the Crystal Star on this here island."
"Great. And we'd love to have your help Bobbery!" Andrew gave him a thumbs up before seeing the campsite up ahead. "Look, guys! There's the camp! Let's get going!"
"'Totally', Andrew," Goombella beamed. "D'you think that Flavio is doing some of the work here? We might as well find out for ourselves!"
"OK, Andrew," Koops nodded. "Sure wished that Flavio could help out instead of having us do all the work for him... Ummm... If that makes any sense..."
"A very splendid idea, Andrew my darling," Flurrie proclaimed. "We shall see if this Flavio fellow has truly decided to put in his efforts to assist us!"
"Right on, Presto," Yoshiam cheered. "Considering how that Flavio guy is lounging around on the chair, he hasn't done anything for us. I wonder if that Coconut did a lot of damage to his head."
"Sure, Andrew. I'm ready," Vivian said shyly. "I hope Flavio doesn't have to make you do anymore work without his help. You deserve to have a break too since you've been doing all the hard work."
"Harumph! I must decree, that Flavio gent hasn't done a whole lot for the crew since we've been stranded here," Bobbery proclaimed. "But I believe that we should see for ourselves, eh?"
"Very good guys," Andrew smiled. "Let's go check with him."
And so Andrew headed off to the campsite. His Goomba, Koopa, Wind Spirit, Yoshi, Shadow Siren, and Bob-omb friends followed right behind him as they wondered if Flavio had done anything productive since they'd been scouting the island as he insisted.
AT THE SHANTYTOWN:
As soon as they reached the shantytown, Andrew and his six friends all approached Flavio, who was lounging around in the chair, apparently resting off the headache that he got from the Coconut earlier. He was then brought out of his little relaxation by Andrew, who had cleared his throat and spoke up.
"All right, Flavio. We've returned," Andrew told him. "And we brought back Bobbery with us!"
Flavio then sat up in the chair and jumped down to see Andrew with his friends. Among his six friends, he saw that Bobbery was indeed, standing there. Alive and well. And brought by safely by Andrew and his crew. Flavio had to express his relief towards Bobbery's safe return.
"Ah! It is Bobbery! Welcome back to you!" Flavio expressed before going off on his 'own' problems. "Do you know how worried we were?! My stomach has been most upset! I must worry about everyone here, but who worries for Flavio? No one! Do you know how hard that is for me, to sit here in safety and worry so much? I do not know what is out there, waiting to lurch in and snack upon me!"
It was then Flavio pointed out the obvious problem and about how they should take action. "We do not even know how to get home, for the sake of the blue, briny sea! But no more yelling! Now is the time to pull together and work as a team!"
Andrew and Goombella couldn't help but roll their eyes at that, seeing how Flavio has been making Andrew do all the hard work for him while he just lays around and remains at the camp with the others.
Bobbery, meanwhile, had to scoff at this as he then told him straight up what he thought about him.
"Flavio, old boy..." Bobbery said sharply. "I must say... You talk rather too much."
This didn't sit well with Flavio at all, as he gritted his teeth, furrowed his eyebrows, and shook his fist in his face. "Such insolence! Grrrrrrrrr! I growl at you like an angry jungle beast! I ought to..."
Bobbery simply brushed this off as some form of rabble-rousing as he turned his attention back to Andrew, to tell him something important about what he found earlier.
"...So in any case, Andrew..." Bobbery started. "About that Crystal Star, you spoke of earlier..."
"Yes?" Andrew had to gaze at him. "Did you happen to find anything that could help us?"
"'As a matter of fact', I have," Bobbery then told him. "There was a rather odd rock in the far east of the jungle with a skull carved into it..."
Could he be referring to the one on the map? Andrew thought. The one that leads us into Pirate Grotto, like Goombella said?
"Call it an old sea bomb's intuition, but that skull rock smells...suspicious," Bobbery had to proclaim.
"Yeah," Andrew had to rub his chin. "Suspicious is the best way to describe it, Bobbery."
"Heh heh... Hey, Bobbery," Pa-Patch turned around and decided to get Bobbery's attention. "You wanna know what 'really' smells suspicious?"
It was then Pa-Patch managed to make some armpit farting noises as he then whispered 'Flavio's armpit.' He then cleared his throat and decided to speak up again.
"Oy, smells like low tide! WAAAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!" Pa-Patch then dropped the childish act and then said. "But, seriously... You may be onto sonefin' wif that skull rock... I say that's where the treasure is..."
"Well, anyone could figure that out, you mutinous joker," Flavio had to roll his eyes at how Pa-Patch was acting. "I mean, HOW obvious! I was already saying in my head that the treasure is certainly behind that rock!"
Flavio then held his index finger up as he declared. "And as such, I will continue the noble duty of protecting this camp from invasion..."
"Invasion of what?" Andrew had deadpanned. "Some headhunters?"
Flavio then had to give Andrew his next command as he pointed towards him. "Captain Andrew! Carry on! I am sorry to make so many requests, but, you know..."
As Flavio was trailing off, Andrew felt his left eye starting to twitch again. He couldn't believe it. What was happening? Did he suddenly become the errand boy or something?
He's been the one doing all the hard work of investigating the island, and Flavio feels the need to pile up more.
He might not be sick anymore, but he had just gotten over being sick. And while he was healthy, he didn't need to be placed under the burden of having too many tasks when he had to find the Sapphire Star with his friends.
He was willing to oblige, but this was becoming a bit too much for him. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that Flavio hasn't been doing anything to contribute to aiding them in finding the treasure where the Crystal Star is.
Flavio had to do his share of the work, and not have Andrew do it all for him. Needless to say, Andrew was getting rather upset by this, since it just wasn't fair.
Fortunately for him, Bobbery seemed to take notice of Andrew's rather irritated expression, and he decided to step in for him.
"Flavio, you old cash-grubber!" Bobbery had to tell him. "If you want the treasure, why don't you go get it yourself?"
This put Flavio on the spot again, albeit not in a good way. He was 'clearly' not enjoying the thought of going through the jungle and running into whatever dangerous creature was out there. He then stuttered again.
"Oh, well... Yes, uh, Admiral... You see, I..." Flavio trailed off when he saw that Andrew was giving him a stern look.
The same went for Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian. Even Bobbery wasn't too pleased by the fact that he was just stalling for a way out of this. Seeing that there was no way out, he sighed and decided to resolve this democratically.
"...Well, yes, you have a point. Let us decide this fair and square, shall we?" Flavio then got the attention of everyone else that was in camp. "Listen to me, everyone! Who thinks I should go along to investigate the skull rock?"
It was evident that by the tones of their voice, all of them were hoping that he'd go along with them and get lost in the jungle, so they'd be spared the annoyance of his complaining all the time.
Some of them referred to him as a jerk and a moron. One said that he was both a moron and a jerk. And another called him a loser. One of them even expressed hopes that Flavio would get ambushed and eaten alive by a Putrid Piranha or something equally dangerous.
Andrew had to admit, that comment was rather harsh. But it's about time that Flavio had to step in and do his share of the work as well.
"There you have it, Flavio!" Bobbery had to exclaim proudly. "Fair and square, eh wot?"
Flavio couldn't help but frown and scowl at the other crew members. They have truly shown quite a mutinous behavior, while also adding to the unnecessary mockery towards him too. Letting out a growl, Flavio then had to voice how he felt about this.
"...Um, no. Not fair," he told them all rather angrily. "Flavio hates you all."
"Well, glad that's been settled," Andrew sighed. "I'm guessing that you're gonna be accompanying me and my six friends to the rock that Bobbery saw earlier, right Flavio?"
"As much as I hate to leave the camp alone and unattended, yes. I must travel with you fine adventuring folks," Flavio groaned. "Let's just get this over with so that Flavio never has to deal with such a travesty again."
"Very well," Andrew shook his head. "Just be sure to stay with the group and don't wander off on us."
"Oh, believe me, Captain Andrew, if I had wanted to, I would've," Flavio griped. "Now lead the way back to this rock that you speak of, Admiral Bobbery!"
"As you may, it's this way," Bobbery pointed out as they headed in that direction. "And do try to keep up with us too, you old money-grubber."
"Yes. Yes," Flavio huffed as they headed off into the jungle. "Flavio hears you loud and clear!"
"Hey, Andrew? I'm glad that Flavio is helping us," Vivian had to utter to him. "I don't think it's fair that you should do all the work for him."
"It wasn't fair, Vivian," Andrew agreed. "But it's a good thing Bobbery squared it away and now he has to accompany us to the skull rock."
"Yeah. No kidding, Presto," Yoshiam huffed. "Let's just hope ol' whining Flavio doesn't hold us back while we get through these jungles again."
"I daresay, I have to agree with that," Flurrie admitted. "The thought of having to stop every so often for Flavio to complain while we're the adventurers here would be quite the devastation for us and our quest to claim the Crystal Star. That would be unfortunate for us, Andrew."
"Ummm... Yeah, Andrew. Flavio needs to stick with us," Koops commented. "Man... Hope he doesn't get himself into trouble. We might need him for whatever this skull rock might have in store for us..."
"I know how you feel Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam," Andrew nodded. "But let's just make sure that he stays with the group and doesn't try to sneak off on us. Unless he wants to be attacked by a Putrid Piranha or something."
"No kidding, Andrew," Goombella agreed while rolling her eyes. "C'mon! We gotta skull rock to check out like Bobbery pointed out!"
"Yes," Andrew pointed. "Let's get going."
And so the seven travelers & Flavio headed into the jungle, with the ambition of getting to that skull rock that Bobbery mentioned encountering earlier while waiting for his Chuckola Cola. The group was going to be in for a big surprise when they'd have to solve an ancient puzzle to reveal the way to Pirate's Grotto...
AT THE LOCATION OF THE SKULL ROCK - ON KEELHAUL KEY:
After quite a bit more traveling through the jungle, Andrew, his six friends, and Flavio managed to transverse through and made their way to the location of that skull rock. Of course, Andrew, Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, Vivian, and Bobbery all had to put up with Flavio's constant whining and complaining.
From how hot the sun is, to how this intense heat is ruining his precious face, to how the soil-filled ground is rather discomforting to his feet. He even complained about how climbing a mountain is not something that a brilliantly young and handsome man such as himself should be subjected to doing regularly. They were surprised that Flavio hadn't mentioned being afraid of heights when crossing that bridge.
Nonetheless, they put up with it. And their patience had paid off since they had finally made it to where they had to be. Andrew didn't notice the skull rock at first, as his attention was on the two statues that were the 'Stache brothers.
Flavio decided to speak up first as he noticed that they had reached a dead end on this little trip.
"Ah! Now what is all this?" Flavio rubbed his chin. "A dead end, taunting Flavio with its dead end-ness..."
"Aye. I think every bloke in the shantytown would be making such a mockery out of you," Bobbery grumbled under his breath.
"Hey, guys? I just noticed it now, but look at those two statues," Andrew pointed out to the shorter red 'stache statue and the taller blue 'stache statue. "Check out their mustaches."
"Yeah, Andrew," Goombella agreed. "Here are the red 'stache and blue 'stache brothers."
"You know something," Andrew had to share. "They kinda remind me of the Mario Brothers in a way."
"Omigosh! You're right!" Goombella blinked before admitting. "The smaller one's like Mario, and the taller one's like Luigi. Are they...looking at us?"
"I think so..." Andrew said. "Or maybe they hold the key to some type of puzzle..."
"Hey ummm... Andrew? That's not all," Koops had to point out. "See that skull rock over there..."
Andrew's attention was now entirely on the skull rock. "Hey! You're right, Koops!"
"Is this... I think this is the skull rock Bobbery blabbered about," Flavio felt like pointing out upon gazing upon it.
"Indeed. This happens to be the skull rock that I have spoken of earlier," Bobbery confirmed.
"Well, it positively reeks of ancient secrets, yes?" Flavio wondered, resulting in seven collective nods. "Let us plunge into this puzzle!"
Flavio then stood to the side as he allowed the seven travelers to figure it out. Goombella, being the aspiring archaeologist that she is, rushed over to the skull rock, examined it, and was astounded by what she was seeing.
"Omigosh! He's right! There are some ancient secrets and mysteries to this puzzle!" Goombella had to beam. "As an aspiring archaeologist, I have to look into it!"
"I beg your pardon," Bobbery had to find out about this for himself. "Uh, perhaps I must have some anchors in my ears. But did I hear you correctly when you said something about being an archaeologist?"
"That's right, Bobbery. I haven't told you this yet, but Goombella here is very fascinated with archaeology," Andrew had to inform him. "She's been into archaeology ever since she was a little girl."
"You got that right, Andrew," Goombella smirked. "And I've been exploring many mysteries in the Rogueport region. With the most important one being the one involving the legendary treasure that's resting behind the Thousand-Year Door."
"Ah. I see. Well, that is very fascinating," Bobbery exclaimed. "In any case, I happened to have heard about tales of the Thousand-Year Door too from many of the urchins that lived in Rogueport. As well as those who've set sail on sea voyages with the likes of me back in my time as an experienced sailor of the seven seas."
"That would make sense, Bobbery," Andrew had to nod.
"Dearie me, Andrew," Flurrie had to make a suggestion. "I do believe we have to investigate this skull rock for ourselves, shall we not?"
"I think that's a good idea, Flurrie," Andrew nodded with a smile. "Let's go check it out."
It was then the seven travelers grouped just to check the rock out for themselves. 'Needless to say', they were pretty curious about this.
"Hmmm... Well, that's peculiar," Andrew had to rub his chin. "There's a space in one of its eyes that looks like we can conceivably place something into it..."
"Yeah, Presto!" Yoshiam agreed. "It looks like you could put something that's small, red violet, and shaped like a skull."
"It would be some kind of Skull Gem," Andrew had a musing smirk on his face. "But there's only one of us that has one?"
"Hey, uh, Andrew..." Vivian decided to speak up. "Doesn't Flavio have one of those? You don't suppose it might go in the space in the eye, do you?"
"Flavio does have a Skull Gem, Vivian," Andrew nodded. "And something tells me that it does go into that hole in the eye."
"Well, you are rather sharp, old boy..." Bobbery exclaimed in agreement. "Because I've got a gut feeling that Flavio's gem might fit in that eyehole..."
"There's no doubt about that," Andrew nodded as he slowly turned to where Flavio was standing. "I'm gonna have to ask Flavio to fork it over for a few minutes."
As Andrew approached him, with Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, Vivian, and Bobbery trailing right behind him, Andrew noticed that Flavio was singing that song of his, and he managed to overhear every word that he was singing this time.
"Skull captain casts his gaze! Red jewel shines and plays! Boom-bassa-boom festival!" Flavio sang in a rather jovial manner. "The 'Stache brothers, best of friends! 3 times Red 'Stache lands on his end! Blue Stache's belly 4 times 'is' whacked, so let's hear those fireworks go BOOM! At the boom-bassa-boom festivaaaal!"
"Hmmm..." Andrew mused at this as he crossed his arms. It's as if that song Flavio was singing was the missing piece to solving whatever puzzle needed to be solved to get into Pirate's Grotto.
"I am just singing to while away the time..." Flavio told him after Andrew caught his attention. "It is not like Flavio is scared or anything!"
"I never said you were," Andrew deadpanned.
"But do you know something?" Flavio felt like sharing with him. "I have never been able to know that song's meaning..."
I think I know the meaning of it... Andrew thought. It might be the piece we need to solve this puzzle to get into Pirate's Grotto...
Deciding to keep that thought to himself for now, Andrew decided to get to the point as he asked the yellow-skinned man.
"Uhhh, listen Flavio. This might be a tall request," Andrew started. "But we need you to lend us something that we need to borrow for a second."
"Huh? You want Flavio to lend you something, is this correct?" Flavio made sure that he wasn't hearing things, to which Andrew nodded. "Now, what could I possibly have that you would need with such anxiousness?"
"It's simple," Andrew then told him. "We need to borrow your Skull Gem for a few minutes."
"What?! My Skull Gem? You 'really', 'really' need it?" Flavio had to ask him before pointing it out. "This is the heirloom of the House of Flavio, you know..."
Seeing the rather desperate look on Andrew's face however got Flavio to concede to this, as he sighed. "...But I suppose it is all right... Because I am Flavio! He of such ludicrous wealth!"
"OK," Andrew sighed as Flavio got out his Skull Gem. "We appreciate this."
"Yes. Yes. But remember, I'm just LENDING it, though!" Flavio had to warn him. "Do not dare run off with it! Do not make me dock pay!"
"Don't worry," Andrew held the Skull Gem in his right hand. "We only need it for a couple of minutes."
With that, Andrew went back over to the Skull Rock and inserted the Skull Gem into the eyehole. Once it was pushed into the hole completely, the eyes of the 'Stache Brother Statues flashed and opened up their eyes that were the same color as their respective mustaches. The shorter one had red eyes, while the taller one had blue eyes.
"Whoa...Gosh. What was that?" Koops yelped. "Kinda creeped me out for a minute there..."
"Mercy me! That was unexpected!" Flurrie agreed. "Andrew, darling? Whatever shall we do now!?"
"Yeah, Andrew," Goombella had to ask. "What do we do now?"
Andrew didn't respond right away as he was thinking about how to solve the puzzle. That boom-bassa-boom festival song that Flavio was singing was fresh on his mind.
It was apparent that the red jewel was 'actually' the Skull Gem, which shined and played for the 'Stache Brothers to open their eyes. He then started recalling each part of the song afterwards while doing exactly what he was able to interpret from the song itself.
"3 times Red 'Stache lands on his end!"
With that, Andrew went over to the short red 'Stache Brother statue and jumped on top of it. From there, he started spin jumping on the end of the statue's head three times in a row, with its red eyes flashing with each hit.
"Whoa! Look at Presto go," Yoshiam seemed a little interested. "You think maybe he has some sort of plan that he's going through?"
"Perhaps," Bobbery shrugged. "Well, whatever the dear boy is doing, we're about to find out momentarily, I believe."
After doing three Spin Jumps, Andrew got off the short red 'Stache Brother' statue and approached the tall blue 'Stache Brother' statue.
"Blue Stache's belly 4 times is whacked!"
From there, Andrew turned his back towards the tall statue where he then proceeded to do his Super Bat swing to its stomach. With any amount of luck, he managed to strike the front of it four times with two spins, with its blue eyes flashing with each hit that it took.
It was then a couple of flashing lights from those eyes that flashed like crazy, which got their attention.
"Oh, my, my, my!" Flurrie gasped. "Mercy me! That handsome muscular man sure is quite the player for trying something so bold but smart!"
"Jeepers! He's becoming good at solving puzzles just like I am," Goombella had to admire before she noticed something happening. "Omigosh! Look!"
All six of Andrew's partners saw a ledge open up above the skull rock, right underneath the diamond with a bomb in the center of it.
Andrew was more than confident by now, as the last line to Flavio's song rang loud and clear in his mind.
"So let's hear those fireworks go BOOM!"
"All right, now here's the final piece of the puzzle," Andrew then had to turn to his Bob-omb friend. "Bobbery, would you come here for a second?"
"If you insist," Bobbery walked over to him. "And how may I be of assistance, old boy?"
"It's simple. I need you to light your fuse," Andrew suggested. "I'm gonna toss you into that ledge that opened up right above the skull rock. And once I help you get into it, you get ready to explode and blast this rock away. Does that sound good?"
"Aye. I'll be willing to light my fuse," Bobbery then lit his 'own' fuse as Andrew went to scoop him up. "Just be sure to give me the signal for the likes of me to bomb this skull rock, eh dear boy?"
"Sure," Andrew then went and lifted him and pushed him into the opened ledge for him to walk to the dead end of it. "All right, Bobbery! Blast away!"
With that, Bobbery stayed in place before he used his Bomb move in the open ledge. Then just as Andrew predicted, his little plan worked, as the skull rock was blasted to smithereens while the Skull Gem went flying. The entrance to Pirate's Grotto was now open, and Andrew was ecstatic about how his plan worked.
"Well, there's the entrance to Pirate's Grotto," Andrew said confidently, crossing his arms as Bobbery regenerated and landed right next to him.
"By George, I think he got it," Bobbery had to blink at what Andrew had done. "Andrew, old boy, do tell me however you had known to do something such as this, if you please?"
"I was wondering about that, myself," Goombella had to ask as she approached Andrew with anticipation on her face. "How did you figure out how to solve the puzzle, Andrew?"
"Well, it's simple," Andrew explained as Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian went over to join them as well. "It was that boom-bassa-boom song that Flavio was singing. I figured that it held a clue as to how to solve this puzzle."
"Omigosh! Really? No way!" Goombella blinked at this. "I 'totally' would've never expected that song that Flavio was singing would help us!"
"Ummm... Gee... It did?" Koops had wondered in amazement. "Wow... Never would have thought of that..."
"Well, I'll be," Flurrie had to sigh and smile. "Andrew, you handsome darling, I do believe that you were magnificent and clever with how you solved this puzzle with that Flavio fellow's song. I thought it was marvelous, dearie!"
"Yeah! Rock on, Presto!" Yoshiam jumped up and down. "That's why you're the coolest, dude! Every time we get stumped by a puzzle, you're the first to figure out our way around it!"
"Yeah, Andrew. That was so nice," Vivian commented shyly. "With how you figured out how to solve that puzzle. I thought it was amazement."
"Well, old boy, I thought that that was some smashing thinking on your part," Bobbery commented. "And so, once again, I must commend you for your hard work. Capital thinking there, dear boy."
"I know how you guys feel," Andrew rubbed the back of his neck. "But I must admit, Flavio 'actually' gave us some help with solving this puzzle. It was rather amazing."
"YES! FLAVIO WAS BRILLIANT, WASN'T HE!?" Flavio had to cheer at how the cave entrance was revealed. "OH, SUCH EXCITEMENT! The cave entrance!"
It was then Flavio noticed something missing; his Skull Gem. The one that he entrusted to Andrew for a few minutes. It was gone.
"Hm? Huh? What? Ah! My Skull Gem!" Flavio then had to fret about this. "A-A-Andrew! What were you thinking? That gem was part of the House of Flavio!"
"You mean the Skull Gem that landed right in front of you?" Andrew pointed out dryly as the Skull Gem landed right in front of Flavio.
"Oh. WHEW! Oh, what a happy day!" Flavio expressed his relief. "I have my Skull Gem back! My jolliness has no end!"
Flavio then scooped up his Skull Gem and put it back into his pocket. Once he was done with that, Flavio then had to give Andrew and his six friends some disappointing news.
"Now, then... I'm sure you're all disappointed, but Flavio must be heading back now," Flavio had to give his reason for this. "I cannot let those back at camp worry about me further. You seven explorers understand, yes?"
"Oh, yeah. We understand," Andrew said dryly while nodding. "Just don't get lost in the jungle while heading back."
"Fret not, Captain Andrew. I know my way back to the camp. So Flavio shouldn't get lost," Flavio then trailed off. "...So... Let me know when you find that glittery treasure, all right?"
"We'll try not to forget," Andrew deadpanned yet again.
"Good. I knew you'd understand, Andrew," Flavio said with a smile as he headed back to the camp, having to brave through the danger that was the jungle to get there.
"Bah, we don't need him anyway. He can leave the rest to us," Andrew waved off before he asked his six traveling friends. "So, are you guys ready to explore the Pirate's Grotto and find that Crystal Star; the Sapphire Star?"
"Totally!" Goombella beamed in excitement. "Let's explore the Pirate's Grotto, and find that Sapphire Star that's supposedly in Cortez's treasure hoard!"
"Ummm...OK. I'm ready to explore too," Koops nodded in determination. "Better get this done and over with, and find that Crystal Star that should be in there..."
"Why, 'absolutely' dearie! I shall be ready too," Flurrie remarked in joy. "Let's make this exploration in this cave a rather delightful one as we find the Crystal Star and claim it from that Cortez fellow."
"Aw yeah, I've been ready, Presto!" Yoshiam bounced up and down. "Let's find this Cortez, kick his butt, and claim that Crystal Star that he's guarding!"
"Right. I'm ready too," Vivian nodded meekly. "Let's be sure to stay together while we explore this cave and find that Crystal Star."
"I say, I am most certainly ready for this as well," Bobbery stated. "Let us get by whatever treacherous traps and ruffians that 'dare' to cross our path as we hunt to get the Crystal Star, eh wot?"
"All right! That's the spirit, guys," Andrew was happy to hear how his six friends were eager to explore this place. "Let's get a move on!"
With nothing else to say, the seven travelers went ahead and entered the cave entrance that would lead them to Pirate's Grotto.
They could only wonder what kind of danger and obstacles would be awaiting them in there, whether they happened to be Cortez's traps or something else that was unrelated to him. They would find out for themselves. That was a given...
END OF CHAPTER 49...
All right. That's it for this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it, and I hope you've been enjoying Chapter 5 too.
Yeah, I 'actually' enjoyed writing out how Andrew and his five friends felt about Bobbery like it was a funeral, thinking that he was dead, only he wasn't. And now Andrew has six friends traveling with him, with Bobbery being the sixth.
I also like how I handled how everyone feels about Flavio and that he had to accompany the seven travelers to that skull rock, and his song on the boom-bassa-boom festival was the key to the puzzle that needed to be solved. Just throwing it out there.
Aside from that, there 'really' isn't much to say here. The next chapter will focus on Andrew and his six friends trekking through the Pirate's Grotto. The seven travelers will have to solve puzzles and find plenty of Shine Sprites and badges, including one badge that isn't found there in the game.
Additionally, Andrew encounters his fourth and final black chest, which will bestow his final curse on him, which will allow him to travel through the water, and they encounter some stranded Toads in the Grotto, along with two familiar-looking Piantas. And some other stuff will occur too. How will this go for the seven travelers? Find out next time, readers!
For now, only if you want, you can leave a review and let me know what you thought of the chapter.
Aside from that, there's nothing else to say here. So until next time, I do hope you all can take care of yourselves. And on that note, thanks for reading once again, everyone!