All right, fellow readers! Here is the 60th chapter of this story!
Now, I've noticed that the past three chapters that are part of Chapter 6 have been ridiculously long. But that's because I've come up with several great ideas that I wanted to incorporate into it. It's been fun writing it out, even though it's been taking longer than I did the previous chapters.
Anyway, this chapter is 'basically' exploring the Riverside Station. For this chapter, we see Beldam summon that Smorg creature by using one of her magic spells, as a way of slowing down the heroes, which multiplies immediately afterwards.
Aside from that, the eight traveling heroes will tour the Riverside Station, collecting badges and finding a couple of Shine Sprites, solving puzzles, and needing to get the key to the elevator that's at the bottom of the station. Along with Andrew claiming a new pair of boots too.
Andrew and his seven friends find the Smorg creature multiplying as they fend it off to get to the switch to bring the drawbridge back down. And a few other things will occur. How will this go for them? Read and find out now, readers!
IN THE BRIDGE CONTROL ROOM - UNDERNEATH THE RIVERSIDE STATION BUILDING:
It was revealed that Beldam was the one who was responsible for flipping the switch which caused the drawbridge to go up. She had done this as part of Plan B to prevent Andrew and his friends from getting to the Crystal Star. Accompanying her was Marilyn, who had witnessed her pulling the switch to keep the Excess Express from passing by.
Of course, that was only part one of Plan B. Now was the time for her to 'really' get it into motion. Letting out her trademark cackle, she decided to make an announcement.
"Mwee hee hee hee hee hee! Now, that train shall not be able to go any further to Poshley Heights!" Beldam cackled. "Now to make sure that that bumbling fool Andrew and his goon of friends will not succeed with getting the train moving, so he won't be able to claim the Crystal Star in Poshley Heights!"
"Guuuuuuuuuuh!" Marilyn let out her usual grunts as she witnessed Beldam twirling her index finger on her right hand.
She was casting one of her magic spells to summon a creature. As soon as she was done, a small blob creature appeared in her hand. The creature was black with five small puffy-looking circles, with two yellow eyes in the center.
Beldam couldn't help but snicker at how she was able to summon this strange creature. "Mwee hee hee hee hee hee! This ought to take care of that Andrew pest, provided that he is successful with getting the elevator key that is needed to come down here."
"Guuuuh?" Marilyn wondered curiously.
"Yes, Marilyn. These are the Smorgs that were once used when summoned to guard certain places from trespassers, as demonstrated by our mistress," Beldam answered her as she understood what she said. "And you want to know the best part? They can multiply in a matter of seconds. This means that Andrew will be no match for these guys! Mwee hee hee hee hee!"
Beldam then placed the Smorg onto the lever switch. In a matter of seconds, it had multiplied into several Smorgs while making a screeching noise as a clustered group. Beldam was delighted to see her master work doing its job for her, as a means to slow down Andrew and his friends.
"Yessss... It's working, Marilyn. They're multiplying," Beldam said snidely. "Now Andrew and that homely traitor Vivian will NEVER be able to get past these guys! They'll outnumber the fools in a matter of seconds! Mwee hee hee hee hee! Together with Freak-sheet, we shall make sure that those fools never make it to Poshley Heights, and get the Crystal Star before we do."
"Guh-huh!" Marilyn hummed in agreement with that.
"Exactly, Marilyn. This is just as we planned since that sticky yummy scheme didn't work out," Beldam nodded before scoffing in disgust. "Which wouldn't have come to it if those bumbling idiots weren't screwing around with the Superbombomb back in Twilight Town. The Smorgs will rip Andrew and his band of foolish friends to bits for sure!"
Beldam then started letting out her cackle again, as this was her cue to take her leave along with Marilyn. Their work here was done. And just in case Andrew was to successfully drive them off, she would make sure that the Smorgs would cause a horrible nightmare to the travelers and the other passengers on the Excess Express.
"Mwee hee hee hee hee hee! Come, Marilyn! Our work here is done," Beldam motioned her to follow. "Let's go regroup with Freak-sheet before we move further with our plans!"
"Guh-huh!" Marilyn nodded in agreement.
With that, Beldam and Marilyn both departed into the shadows, leaving the multiplying Smorgs alone to occupy the switch and keep Andrew and his crew from flipping it back. This was going to be one heck of a harrowing experience for the eight travelers. And they would find out about this for themselves...
INSIDE THE RIVERSIDE STATION - UP ABOVE:
By now, Andrew and his seven friends had made their way inside the Riverside Station as they were taking in their surroundings. There were a few benches leaning against the wall, lantern lamps were dangling from the ceiling, a barrel with bottles in it, and there was a large map on the wall placed inside of a picture frame.
There was also an elevator that led downstairs that required an Elevator Key to activate it. And there was a shelf to the far left with a Close Call P badge resting atop of it. Needless to say, the group was rather impressed by what they were seeing, especially Andrew.
"Wow," Andrew let out a low whistle. "So this is what the inside of the Riverside Station looks like."
"You're telling me," Goombella agreed in amusement. "It's an old brick building with natural warmth."
"No kidding," Andrew said calmly. "There are a couple of benches with a map on the wall too."
"That's not all. Its antique elevator is 'totally' charming, too," Goombella pointed to the elevator that was nearby. "I am in LOVE with that thing!"
"I can see that. Looks like it's been used countless times in the past for the bridge operator to handle the switch that lowers the drawbridge," Andrew proclaimed. "I am more than certain that it hasn't been used in several years, though..."
"Probably," Goombella then felt like asking. "You think it works, though?"
"I dunno," Andrew walked up to the elevator and found the hole in the side of the wall for the Elevator Key. "Uh oh. Looks like we can't use this until we find the Elevator Key. I'm certain that this is where that bridge switch is located anyway."
"Well, duh! Of 'course' that's where it is," Goombella rolled her eyes before commenting. "I have to be 'totally' honest though, I'm not that fond of getting trapped in elevators..."
"Yeah... Me either..." Koops frowned in agreement. "Ummm...that doesn't seem to help my claustrophobia one bit..."
"I don't think any of us are fond of the possibility," Andrew had to shiver at the thought.
"I daresay, that would be unfortunate if we were," Flurrie agreed with them.
"But I doubt that'll happen to us," Andrew assured them. "We just gotta find the Elevator Key first before we can activate the switch. It must be somewhere in this station."
"Hmm? Hey. What is this?" Ms. Mowz sniffed the air before she took notice of the Close Call P badge that was on the shelf. "Hey, Andrew! Look at what's up on the shelf ledge over there!"
Andrew looked up and saw it for himself. His other friends were quick to notice it as well. Sadly, Andrew had to frown at this. He knew that he couldn't possibly reach it. Not from his height. And he couldn't jump to reach it either, as he could only jump so high to attempt to claim it.
"Whoa, Presto! There's another badge up there!" Yoshiam then jumped at this. "Score! That's another one in our possession, dude!"
"Yeah. Well, I'd LOVE to claim it," Andrew then pointed out a problem. "Except it's too high up from my reach, and I can't jump for it either."
"Gee whiz, sorry that you can't claim it Andrew," Vivian told him sympathetically. "And it 'really' looks nice too."
"I must say, this seems to be a pickling situation with getting it down from there, eh old boy?" Bobbery had to admit. "Perhaps it'd be best to search elsewhere, for something that could provide us with the assistance to get that badge down from here, hmm?"
"I guess we don't have much of a choice right now," Andrew frowned. "We might as well continue until we can find a way to get it down from there."
"Hmm, sad to say that we must. It's too bad," Ms. Mowz said. "It looked like it could've benefited us greatly."
"Yeah," Andrew found a door to the right. "Let's go through this door. It must lead us into another room into the Riverside Station."
And so the muscular man had opened the door and allowed himself to go into the next room. His Goomba, Koopa, Wind Spirit, Yoshi, Shadow Siren, Bob-omb, and Little Mouser friends all followed right behind him as they wondered what would be in there that could aid them.
The next room was another hallway in the station, with some posters on the walls, with one oversized one near the door. There were a couple of picture frames hanging up on the wall near the door that was locked with a padlock.
There were a couple of cross-barred fences that were made of basketwood material, with a slight gap that Andrew could slip through with his Tube Mode. And there was a blue switch on the other side of the fence that had to be pressed to get further.
Andrew wasn't focused on that just yet. Rather, he was more intrigued by its simplistic appearance. His seven friends were also a little interested in this as they were observing the room for themselves.
"Wow," said Andrew. "Some hallway, isn't it?"
"You're telling me," Goombella nodded in agreement. "This place has been out of use for a while, I think."
"I believe that's noticeable since nobody's been around to clean and dust this place in ages," Andrew proclaimed.
"No duh," Goombella let out a 'pffft' sound before looking at the lightbulbs on the lantern lamps dangling from the ceiling. "I love those solitary lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. It's so shabby chic."
"Yeah," Andrew nodded. "It gives the room a rather simplistic feel."
It was then Andrew saw a door that was up ahead. And noticed the padlock that was on the front of it. That meant only one thing. It was locked. And they needed a key to get by there.
"Uh oh. This door is locked," Andrew pointed out. "We'll need a key to get by here."
"Ummm... Andrew?" Koops decided to get his attention. "Look at what's behind this fence."
Andrew then walked over and saw what he was pointing at. It was a blue switch. And he'd have to press it to activate something. He then noticed that one of the fences was lifted slightly with a small gap that he could squeeze through while in Tube Mode.
"Ah! Looks like I'll have to press that switch before we can get any further," Andrew exclaimed. "And there's a slight gap underneath that fence that I can squeeze into."
"Oh, my!" Flurrie gasped before figuring it out. "Darling, I do believe that it is time to go into Tube Mode, is it not?"
"That's exactly what I had in mind," Andrew snapped his fingers. "I can go under there myself. You guys wait here for me, OK?"
"Got it, Presto," Yoshiam gave him a thumbs up. "We'll wait for you, dude!"
Andrew then went into Tube Mode by himself after going into Paper Mode and spinning around until she turned into a Paper Tube. From there, he rolled right under the gap that was shown in that slightly lifted fence.
Once he was on the other side, he turned back to normal, approached the switch, took out his Super Bat, and slammed it right on top of the switch.
As soon as he activated it, the switch disappeared and before his friends knew it, a couple of red stairs appeared out of nowhere, which now led to the area up above.
"Whoa. What just happened, guys?" Andrew was curious about this.
"Andrew! A couple of stairs appeared near the ledge to the right!" Vivian pointed out. "Now we can go upstairs and check out the room that's up there!"
"Really? Wow. That's rather odd, but we've been through stranger occurrences before," Andrew admitted. "OK. I'll be right out there shortly!"
Andrew then went into Tube Mode again as he rolled right under the gap, and he was able to regroup with his friends. Once he was in front of all seven of them, he turned back to normal.
"Well, that pretty much does the trick, I must say," Bobbery exclaimed. "Now, perhaps we should check out the floor upstairs to see where it'll lead us, eh?"
"Good idea," Andrew then walked over to the stairs. "Let's go check it out."
All seven of them nodded as the eight travelers went up the stairs before going up another set of stairs. Eventually, they made their way to the door, with a sign that was hanging on the hammered-in nail. This got Andrew a little curious as he raised an eyebrow at it.
"Huh? What does this sign say? Hmmm... 'This is the Gear Room. Employee's Only. Keep out!'" Andrew read it for them. "I guess that this might be where all the gears that run that clock outside are located."
"Hmmm, yes," Ms. Mowz nodded. "Only one way to find out for ourselves, dearie. Let's check it out."
"Of course," Andrew opened the door and entered the gear room, with his seven friends following right behind him.
As soon as they entered the gear room, they were greeted by two Ruff Puffs who wanted to pick a fight with them. Of course, Andrew was able to dispatch them quickly before he noticed the turning gear platform that was upstairs that led them to the area with all the moving gears.
"Hmmm, based on what I'm seeing, this 'definitely' is the gear room," Andrew nodded as he approached the stairs.
"You said it. This is the other side of the big clock," Goombella pointed out. "Lots of endlessly moving gears... A lonely clock, counting out the endless progression of hours, heard by no one..."
"Yeah. That is pretty sad," Andrew agreed. "And it looks like we have to use those rotating gear platforms upstairs to get to the other side."
"Yes. That's right, Andrew," Ms. Mowz remarked. "And there might be something hidden over there."
"You mean like the key that we need to get by the door that's locked downstairs?" Andrew asked her.
"That and there might be some rare badges over there too," Ms. Mowz added. "Let's check it out, sweetie."
Andrew only nodded as he and his friends went up the stairs, got past the moving platforms, and got to the other side. They then had to go into Tube Mode to squeeze by the gap that was shown underneath one of the moving gears.
It didn't take them long to get to the other side as they returned to normal shortly afterwards. As they were making their way through the gears that were in front of them, Andrew had something that crossed his mind.
Why did Ms. Mowz like collecting badges so much? Does she love collecting them so she can use them? Or was there another reason that he was unaware of? Figuring that they were now traveling together, it seemed like the perfect time for him to find out for himself. Surely, it wouldn't hurt for him to find out for himself, right?
With that on his mind, Andrew cleared his throat as he decided to get the attention of his Little Mouser friend. "Hey, Ms. Mowz?"
"Yes, dearie?" Ms. Mowz queried curiously.
"It's been on my mind lately, and I've been wanting to know," Andrew came out and asked her. "Why do you like collecting badges so much? Do you have a reason for hunting them down or something?"
"Hmm mmm mmm," Ms. Mowz smirked. "You're 'really' curious about that, dearie? Would you like to know the truth?"
"Yeah," Andrew nodded.
"Well then, I'll tell you," Ms. Mowz came out with it. "I collect badges from all across the region because they would make quite a profit for my business in Rogueport if people could come by and purchase the badges that I gather up."
"Business? What business?" Andrew was a tad confused by this. "And what are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the Lovely Howz of Badges that is in Rogueport," Ms. Mowz revealed. "Have you ever heard of it, sweetie?"
"I'm sorry. I don't recall hearing about it," Andrew shook his head.
"Well, if you are very curious about it," Ms. Mowz then gave him one heck of a whammy reveal to him. "I happen to be the manager of that badge shop."
Andrew could only jump and gasp at that. His other friends reacted similarly, with Goombella being the most surprised by it.
"Whoa! Omigosh! Hold on there! Do you mean the badge store that is located in the town's main square? The one accessible from the western door on the second floor of the inn?" Goombella was wide-eyed as Ms. Mowz nodded to confirm this. "Wait! YOU'RE the manager of that badge shop!? YOU!?"
"That's right, Goombella," Ms. Mowz nodded. "I happen to be the manager of that badge shop. And I am always out and about, traveling to different locations and collecting badges to make profits at the store that I run myself. With a little help from one of my Little Mouser friends. He runs the store in my absence during my globe-trotting travels."
"Wow. That's pretty interesting," Andrew seemed amazed by this. "Goombella? How did you know about that store? Have you been in there before?"
"Only a couple of times. But I never knew the manager was Ms. Mowz herself," Goombella exclaimed. "Then again, I 'totally' should've seen that something was off, seeing that she sure is gone from the store a lot, despite being a manager. The shop's small but it's 'totally' adorable. You can take my word for it, Andrew. She 'really' knows how to decorate."
"I appreciate that compliment, Goombella," Ms. Mowz told her. "Thank you."
"But... Now that I know who she is, I dunno what to think of it..." Goombella frowned.
"Goombella? Don't let your original opinion of it change just because you now know the identity of the manager," Andrew had to tell her. "I've never been in there, but I'm taking your word for it. Don't let the fact that Ms. Mowz is the manager cause you to change your opinion of the place. Do you understand?"
"Oh, you're right. I guess you're right, Andrew," Goombella sighed. "I mean, I didn't think it was noteworthy at the time, but the manager did have a heart-shaped tail, just like Ms. Mowz. She was wearing red regular shoes and didn't have that mask over her eyes. So y'know, I should've seen it coming. But I agree. It makes no difference to me whatsoever."
"Good. That's great to hear," Andrew nodded with a smile. "I'm just surprised that you were willing to tell me about this, Ms. Mowz."
"Hmm mmm mmm mmm, well since we're 'basically' traveling together, I thought it'd be best for you to know the truth," Ms. Mowz exclaimed. "Well, I hope you are satisfied with your answer."
"I am," Andrew said. "And I appreciate the fact that you came out with it."
"I must say, this is a rather intriguing twist of events that I have witnessed in person. You're the manager of that store that you just spoke of?" Bobbery felt like asking, with Ms. Mowz nodding. "Well, I'll be struck by a Bob-omb's final blast! I've always had been quite curious as to who ran the store near the Inn if I do say so myself."
"I daresay, I have to concur," Flurrie agreed. "I never would've expected to know that you, a rather mysterious and rebellious flirt, would happen to be the manager of that rather precious-looking store. Now, I must say, I've seen many kinds of plot twists in the plays and films that I've starred in. But this is something else!"
"Yeah. So you happen to be the manager of a badge shop?" Yoshiam seemed very interested in this. "That's pretty cool, Ms. Mowz."
"I think it's nice," Vivian admitted. "It's nice to have a store that sells badges in case you need some. And it's nice to know that you are the manager of that store."
"Ummm... Wow. Imagine that. You being the manager of that badge store that's near the Rogueport Inn," Koops had to admit in awe before trailing off in a slightly dreamy manner. "Never expected to hear that. That sounds pretty lovely... I guess..."
"Yeah. We all can agree on that," Andrew nodded. "Now that we got that out in the open, I'm not seeing anything in here. I found a nearby Star Piece, but otherwise, I can't seem to find the key."
"Oh! Hmm mmm mmm... Or perhaps you may've missed what could be right above you," Ms. Mowz found something up above on one of the gears. "Look over there."
Andrew then looked and saw it. On the last platform in the gear room, was the Station Key. And from the looks of it, he might have to do some jumping from gear to gear and get Koops to assist him in getting it for him.
"Well, that's a pretty good find. Now we have to go get it," Andrew then turned to his Koopa friend. "Koops, if you wouldn't mind helping me retrieve it?"
"Of course," Koops nodded as he followed Andrew who jumped onto one of the gears, while the rest of them watched them.
Both of them had to time it out just right before jumping to the next gear platform. In a matter of seconds, they made it to the platform that was separated from the last platform by a divider. Making sure to use perfect timing to achieve it, Andrew had Koops go into his shell, where he then jumped and kicked him forward to where the key was.
When there was a gap for him to get through, Koops launched himself to the last platform, where he grabbed the Station Key and went back to Andrew, like a boomerang. Andrew was able to grab the key and Koops got back onto his feet.
"Thanks for that," Andrew thanked him as he jumped back down with Koops to regroup with the others. "Well, let's get out of here. This key should unlock the door that's downstairs."
They all nodded as all eight of them got out of the room while going into Tube Mode to get out. Once they were back to normal, they left the room and went downstairs. Andrew approached the door with the key in his right hand, he then took the key and inserted it into the padlock hole.
With a single turn, the padlock unlocked itself from the door it then fell onto the floor, vanishing shortly afterwards. The door was now unlocked, and they could continue onward through the door.
"Well, that solves that problem," Andrew opened the door. "Let's go find that Elevator Key. It shouldn't be far from here."
None of them objected as Andrew went through the door. Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, Vivian, Bobbery, and Ms. Mowz followed after him, as the eight of them were about to step outside again, in the outside portion of the Riverside Station...
Andrew could feel the fresh air from outside. It seemed to be on the mildly warm but not too hot side. Still, the sunset being right in front of them was something that he was not expecting to see. Because of that, Andrew broke out his sunglasses and put them on.
With Ms. Mowz's help, Andrew was able to claim an HP Plus badge that was on a ledge on the northwest wall, which he was able to squeeze through the gap while going into Tube Mode. He then put the badge into his badge kit before putting it back into his backpack and he regrouped with his friends who were on the other side of the gap.
By this point, none of them were surprised. They've seen and witnessed Andrew collecting badges way too many times, that it has eventually become somewhat of a habit and routine for them on this adventure. Andrew was glad that they were accepting of it, as they continued on their merry way.
There were a couple of Poison Pokeys and Ruff Puffs lying around, but the eight of them were able to dispatch them quickly. Aside from having found a Thunder Rage in a hidden block above an already activated ?-block that he could reach by jumping, there wasn't anything noteworthy on the upper floor. So until they went downstairs, Andrew was happy to have Yoshiam carry him through this barren desert wasteland that was a part of the Riverside Station.
If one were to look at Andrew, one would think that all he was missing was a cowboy hat, and then he would've looked like he was in a Wild Western movie.
"Well, guys? This is pretty nice," Andrew said to his friends. "The air's pretty nice. And we're making some good progress."
"You're telling me. We're on the outer stairs," Goombella pointed out. "A door at the bottom leads to an underground office."
"Underground office?" Andrew looked confused by that. "Who would have their own office underground anyway?"
"Beats me. To each of their own, if ya know what I mean," Goombella exclaimed. "But listen, Andrew... Don't spend time worrying about posters that blow away in the wind. Let's just take in this killer sunset for a while before our next bad-guy appointment."
"No kidding. I never seen a sunset up close before," Andrew remarked. "It seems pretty nice."
"You said it, Presto," Yoshiam agreed, having no trouble with carrying Andrew. "That's one heck of a sunset. I wonder why we don't see any of 'em that often. Think it might be because we're constantly fighting jerks and punks just to get the Crystal Stars?"
"It's possible," Andrew just shrugged. "We're just too busy that we don't even have the time to see the day change right before us."
"That's true," Koops admitted. "Sure looks nice with us looking at the sunset up close, though."
"My, my! I do believe you're right, Koops," Flurrie agreed. "I must say, this reminds me an awful lot about one of those Western movies that I've starred in."
"Would one of them happen to be the one that focused on Billy the Koop?" Andrew guessed with a smile, as the eight of them headed downstairs.
"Yes! My, my, yes! I do believe that's the one, Andrew!" Flurrie beamed with excitement. "And may I say that was a rather good classic as well."
"It sure was," Andrew sighed. "Sure does feel like it, with all the posters on the walls below."
"Not to mention there's another Shine Sprite right there," Yoshiam pointed out.
"Ah! That's another one," Andrew jumped off of Yoshiam and took out his Super Bat.
With one swift hit, he smashed the clear yellow block, and it caused the Shine Sprite to be shot out, where it then landed into Andrew's right.
"Hmm mmm mmm... That was another lucky find, my sweet," Ms. Mowz admitted. "So does that make it 14 Shine Sprites that you have so far?"
"That's right," Andrew nodded as he put the Shine Sprite away in his backpack with the other ones that he had. "At this rate, we should be able to find that Elevator Key in no time!"
"I know we can find it, Andrew," Vivian proclaimed with a smile. "It's just like how you found that Superbombomb for me."
"That's right, Vivian," Andrew gave her a reassuring smile. "And if I can find that, then I should be able to find that key to the elevator."
"Omigosh! Andrew?! Look up ahead!" Goombella screamed before pointing out. "The door we're supposed to go through is right ahead of us!"
"Yeah," Andrew approached it along with his seven friends. "And there are a bunch of posters sticking to it."
"That's the thing. We can't get by with them in the way," Goombella proclaimed. "Remember how I said something about posters being blown away in the wind? That oughta be a clue to figuring this out, don'tcha think?"
"You're right. And we have a Wind Spirit who can resolve the problem," Andrew then turned to face Flurrie. "Flurrie, would you mind doing the honor for us?"
"Why, I would be certainly glad to, darling," Flurrie floated over. "I shall make sure that these posters are blown away so we can get by here!"
Upon taking a deep breath, Flurrie unleashed her Gale Force move on the posters, blowing them away bit by bit. Eventually, all of the posters were gone, and now they could get through the door that led into the next room inside the station. Flurrie then stopped as Andrew and his other friends were ecstatic by this.
"Ah! That was a rather smashing suggestion you had there, old boy," Bobbery exclaimed. "Now Andrew, I believe that we may continue to press on and find that elevator key that we seek, eh wot?"
"That's right Bobbery," Andrew approached the door and opened it. "And you know, I've seen her do that countless amount of times already. But I'm always reminded of another movie that Flurrie starred in. And since I remember, I know that the movie was called Vanished with the Gust."
"Mercy me! Andrew, my darling! That was an excellent classic that I ever starred in!" Flurrie exclaimed. "Why, I do believe that I had the most fun with acting in that film!"
"And you were given the freedom to show off your chops," Andrew added with a wink that he sent toward Flurrie. "Now, shall we get going?"
"You got it, Presto!" Yoshiam was eager to explore some more of the Riverside Station. "Let's see what else we can find in this station!"
Andrew nodded as he opened the door and walked right in, with his seven friends following right behind him.
Andrew had taken off his sunglasses afterwards since they were no longer outside. However, he had to cover his nose upon getting a whiff of the air that was blown into his nostrils.
"Geez! Goodness gracious!" Andrew gripped while covering his nose. "Goombella!? Is this what I think it is!?"
"Judging by your reaction, you're 'totally' right. This is the Riverside Station garbage dump," Goombella agreed as she had to gag. "Talk about an annoying place to navigate!"
"To say nothing about the horrid smell that's in here," Andrew added.
"No kidding!" Goombella yelled in agreement. "I mean, it smells like rotting Goomnuts..."
"Gee whiz... Ummm... Gosh," Koops frowned and covered his nose. "Feels like I could get nauseous if I breathe in here for too long... Ugh!"
"Mercy me! Oh, my word! How horrendous!" Flurrie was covering her nose too. "I do believe that there is a rather unsettling foul and rancid odor in the air. I daresay, that's likely why it's called a garbage dump. Still, I simply cannot stand that odor!"
"You and me both," Yoshiam had to cover his nose. "This place stinks. It reeks like wet smelly socks, rotting eggs, and decaying fish!"
"Bleeeeeeeeccckkkk! Thanks for that super gnarly image you put in my head, Yoshiam! I 'totally' appreciate it!" Goombella had a sarcastic tone in her voice as she felt green around the gills. "Seriously. This place is far worse than the hideout that Andrew and I went to when finding that Bandit who stole his money when we first met, y'know?"
"Yeah. That's pretty much the best way to put it," Andrew recalled that moment and how Goombella never wanted to go back there again.
"Andrew? I 'really' don't like the smell either," Vivian frowned in discomfort. "The horrid nasty messes that my sister forced me to clean are nothing compared to this. None of my strawberry perfume will get rid of this smell."
"By Blabberton's beards! I must say, the air in here is a tad bit rancid for the nostrils," Bobbery had to admit. "I've explored plenty of seas that had a little salty stench in the air, but nothing was as heinous as what we're smelling currently, if I may add."
"Hmmm, if there was any treasure here, it's hard to find with that smell," Ms. Mowz proclaimed. "Though I can faintly smell the presence of a badge nearby, it is overshadowed by the trashy smell in the garbage chutes down below."
"Yeah. Let's get through this place quickly," Andrew nodded. "Still, what do you think people throw away in here to make it smell so bad?"
"Beats me," Goombella admitted. "It's amazing how much people throw away. There should be a door to the underground office somewhere down here."
"Well, it'll have to be near the bottom of this place. So we better get this over with," Andrew sighed before walking down the stairs. "Let's roll."
"Right," all seven of them chimed in unison as they followed Andrew down the stairs.
Of course, they had two Spiked Parabuzzies to take care of, which proved to be annoying since they were flying and had a spike on their backs.
They weren't any problem for Andrew, since he was wearing his Spike Shield badge, which made him avoid taking damage when he jumped on them. They fell onto their backs and were easily dispatched shortly afterwards.
Afterwards, they approached a gap that led straight into a narrow tunnel that led to one of the chutes near the bottom.
"OK, guys. Looks like we'll have to squeeze through this gap to get by," Andrew pointed out to his group. "It's time to go into Tube Mode again!"
None of them argued with it as all eight of them turned paper thin before spinning around repeatedly. They then turned into paper tubes as they rolled right through the gap and made their way through the narrow maze, with the hope that they knew where they should go.
Andrew led the way as he rolled to the right with his friends rolling right behind him. They jumped over the gap before dropping into the hole that was ahead of them. After jumping over another gap, they made their way into a small cave inside the big maze, which is where another badge was waiting for them. It was a P-Up, D-Down badge. And Ms. Mowz took notice of it.
"Hmm mmm mmm! Andrew, my sweet," she pointed out. "There's a badge right over there!"
"Oh!" Andrew saw it for himself. "Well, that's an interesting find."
Andrew then turned back to normal and grabbed the badge, where he put it away in his badge kit, which he then put back into his backpack once he was done.
"Thanks for the find, Ms. Mowz," Andrew smiled. "You were an awful big help there."
"Anytime, dearie," Ms. Mowz exclaimed. "That's why I'm a badge-hunting extraordinaire. It's been a specialty of mine for as long as I can remember, sweetie."
"Is that so?" Andrew raised his eyebrow. "Tell me, when did you start getting interested in badges anyway?"
"Hmmm, an interesting question. And a question like that deserves an equally interesting answer," Ms. Mowz told him slyly. "You see, I've been interested in badges for as long as I can remember. I think it dates back to when I was a little girl."
"Just like how Goombella's been into archaeology since she was a little girl," Andrew exclaimed.
"Why, of course. We can go with that," Ms. Mowz then continued. "My parents gave me my first badge for my seventh birthday. I have been smitten and swooned by their sheer beauty ever since. And I only ever wanted more badges. Too bad I could never afford them in my age."
"Well, that's kinda sad," Andrew said. "But I'm sure your parents could've done something about..."
"That's the thing! My parents weren't exactly rich. Quite the opposite, if I may add," Ms. Mowz shared. "See, we were so poor that sometimes, my dad would have to steal food just so we could make it through the day."
"Oh," Andrew frowned at that as he felt somewhat sorry for her.
Truth be told, he wasn't surprised by that at all. From what he could remember, Little Mousers were known for stealing stuff and claiming possession of whatever they could find. 'In fact', he could've sworn that several Little Mousers were reported to have stolen Yoshi Eggs on Yoshi's Island.
He wondered if a Little Mouser may've been responsible for exporting the Yoshi Egg that Yoshiam was hatched from straight to Glitzville and made a quick buck from Mr. Hoggle as a result.
The possibility was likely, but it was no longer important. That was in the past. The important thing was that Yoshiam was alive and kicking it, and he was traveling with Andrew. That's all that 'really' mattered right now.
After shaking his head, Andrew got back on track. "So what about your mother? If your father stole food for your family, what did your mother do with her time."
"Well, my sweet. If you must know, my mother was a member of the espionage," Ms. Mowz told him slyly.
"Espionage? You mean she was a spy?" Andrew raised an eyebrow.
"Indeed. That's exactly what I mean, dearie," Ms. Mowz then motioned to herself. "I couldn't have become the globe-trotting master thief for nothing, no? You can say that it runs in the family, my sweet."
"Yeah. That makes plenty of sense," Andrew nodded as he recalled the first three times that he ran into Ms. Mowz, and it was becoming clear to him. "That's how you were able to get into Hooktail Castle, the Great Tree, and the Glitz Pit without being caught."
"Yes. Precisely," Ms. Mowz. "It's wonderful that you were able to figure that out, dearie."
"Well, I guess I just have it in me," Andrew rubbed the back of his neck before he then asked. "But what I wanna know is why were you willing to share this with me? For the longest time, you've been known as a mysterious woman by me and my friends. Why share it with me?"
"Well, my sweet. You've earned my trust, my respect, and my loyalty. And you've already gone through quite a harrowing trial, with a bit of a way to go," Ms. Mowz explained. "So I felt that it'd be fitting if I told you all about my harrowing tale of my youth, which got me into the badge hunting business as the manager of the Lovely Howz of Badge shop that I am in today."
"Well, that makes sense, I suppose," Andrew nodded. "I'm just glad that we can be friends, just like I am with the others who are also traveling with me."
"Likewise," Ms. Mowz smirked.
"Hey, by the way," Andrew decided to ask. "What was your first badge anyway?"
"Hmm mmm mmm," Ms. Mowz snickered. "I think you'll find out for yourself soon enough. That I promise you, my sweet."
"That works for me," Andrew sighed. "Now that we're done, why don't we regroup with the others and find a way through this maze and to the underground office?"
"Certainly, Andrew," Ms. Mowz nodded.
And so the two of them went back into Tube Mode to regroup with the others. Andrew's other friends had overheard what they were talking about, but they said absolutely nothing about the matter.
The eight of them jumped down the gap, fell down the edge to the left, and followed another narrow path that required lots of rolling and jumping to get through it.
After some navigating through it, the eight of them finally landed in a chute that was near a door leading to the underground office. They fended off a Spiked Parabuzzy and found a Dried Shroom. Andrew, of course, saw it as nothing more than useless garbage, so he tossed it over to the side, where it remained disregarded.
After jumping out of the chute, Andrew approached the door with his seven friends following right behind him. Feeling certain this was the right door, the eight of them went through it to see what the underground office looked like.
The underground office wasn't that spacious, even with the pipe bar that was right above the door. There was a discarded chair, and some taped-up boxes, the wallpaper looked like it was tearing up, and there was a caged area with boxes on the floor and the shelf. There was a ledge that had the Elevator Key on top of it. But Andrew was more focused on why the setup was the way it was.
"Uh, this is the underground office?" Andrew raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't seem all that spacious."
"Yeah. This is the Riverside Station office...but there doesn't seem to be anyone here," Goombella exclaimed. "Hey, and now that I think of it, why would they put an office down here anyway? ...Or was I not supposed to bring that up?"
"No. No. It's perfectly fine that you brought it up," Andrew exclaimed. "And truth be told, it makes me wonder why it's here too, and near the garbage chute no less."
"Think that might be why the wallpaper here looks like it's torn off the walls slightly," Goombella smirked and joked. "Because the smell is too much for the office to handle?"
"It's likely," Andrew grinned. "I wouldn't be too surprised either."
"Hey, ummm...Andrew?" Koops pointed to the cage. "There's a cage in this office."
"Yeah. I'm kinda curious by that as well," Andrew then saw that the door was chained up and taped up. "Looks like we can't into the cage since they chained and taped it up."
"My, my! That is rather unfortunate for us!" Flurrie declared. "Especially given the circumstances and how there looks to be something that could be beneficial to us in there, sweetums."
"Yeah. I know, Flurrie," Andrew sighed in agreement.
"Hmm? Oh! Hey, isn't that the Elevator Key right up on that ledge in the cage?" Ms. Mowz pointed out.
"Huh?" Andrew saw it for himself. "Yeah! That must be it. Only there are two problems. 1.) I can't reach that shelf either by jumping. And 2.) Even if I could, I can't get into the cage with the door being taped and chained up."
"Hey, Presto? There might be something in this room right here," Yoshiam pointed to the door ahead of them. "Let's check it out!"
"Good idea," Andrew nodded as he approached the door with his seven friends before he opened it up.
"Great Goobery," Bobbery was curious as they opened the door. "You think perhaps they'd make the setup of this office a wee bit more convenient for our taste, eh? Even if it's an underground office, a tad bit more adjustments to it would make it certainly more manageable, if I may add."
"Yeah," Andrew nodded. "Hey! Isn't this a room where they keep all the records regarding the station business?"
"That's right, Andrew," Goombella confirmed. "This is the Riverside Station records room. They file all station business here. ...Or at least I think they do."
"That's probably what it is," Andrew said.
"Uh huh," Goombella nodded as she was entirely convinced. "Yup, these are probably files."
"They probably have books in here too," Andrew scratched his temple. "It's big enough to have a library in here."
"You and me both," Goombella smirked. "It 'totally' looks like the kind of libraries I went to as a little girl. Particularly the library that I went to all the time at the University of Goom."
"I see," Andrew said in amusement. "That's very interesting Goombella..."
"Hey, Andrew?" Vivian got his attention. "See those crates with stars on them?"
"Well yes," Andrew rubbed his chin at this. "They look like they could be hiding something."
"That's not all," Vivian then had to bring up. "Take a look at what we have to deal with."
Vivian then directed Andrew's attention to the three Goombas that were guarding them. No, they weren't Paragoombas or Spiky Goombas. No, they weren't Gloombas, Paragloombas, or Spiky Gloombas. No, they weren't even Hyper Goombas, Hyper Paragoombas, or Hyper Spiky Goombas. They were plain, average, ordinary brown Goombas in the flesh. Just the sight of them was enough for Andrew to gain a blank look on his face.
"You gotta be kidding me," Andrew said. "These weak-looking Goombas have to be beaten to continue?"
"You said it, Presto!" Yoshiam agreed. "I bet you can beat these chumps with one hand tied behind your back!"
"I can do one even better," Andrew took out his Super Bat. "I can beat these guys all by myself!"
The three Goombas charged for Andrew, but he was one step ahead of them. One of them got stomped on by Andrew's right foot. Another one was met with a clonk on the head with his Super Bat. And the last one got greeted by a fist plowing it in the face.
All three Goombas were out cold and were no longer guarding the crates. They opened up automatically and revealed three blue switches.
"See? Too easy," Andrew dusted his hands off as he put away his bat. "That's nothing that I couldn't handle."
"Ummm..." Koops commented. "Am I seeing things, or am I seeing numbers in those blue switches?"
"Huh?" Andrew was curious about this as he looked at the three switches.
They did have a number in all three of them. The one in the center had a '10' on it. The one on the left had a '3' on it. And the one on the right had a '1' on it.
"Well, what do you know," Andrew seemed amused by this. "They 'really' do have a number on it. You're not seeing things, Koops. I can see them too."
"Hey! Y'know, that 'actually' reminds me!" Goombella decided to bring it up. "Didja know you have to hit some switches a certain number of times?"
"Whoa... Hey. I think you're onto something, Goombella," Andrew remarked. "And you know what? The numbers that are on these switch represents how many times I have to hit them."
"Totally!" Goombella beamed. "I'm pretty sure that's what it means!"
"Well, I might as well get this over with," Andrew took out his Super Bat again. "Here goes nothing."
With that, Andrew then slammed his bat on the right-side blue switch. Once he hit it, it turned red and started flashing, which amused Andrew.
Andrew walked over to the one on the left and slammed his bat on it three times. As soon as it was struck three times in a row, it also turned red and started flashing.
Finally, Andrew went for the center switch and smacked it with his bat ten times in a row. Once it was struck 10 times, it turned red as well. They were officially activated.
They then sprang up and disappeared. In return, a flight of red stairs appeared next to the wall, leading them up to the shelf above, along with another set of stairs that were above them. Without wasting time, the eight travelers went up the stairs and went to the very top, where another Shine Sprite was located in that clear yellow block.
Andrew got some help from Koops, who propelled himself into his shell and was launched and slammed into the block. He then grabbed the Shine Sprite and went back to Andrew like a boomerang.
"Thanks for that, Koops," Andrew smiled as he put the Shine Sprite into his backpack. "I guess I have 15 Shine Sprites now."
"By Chowderton's cheeks, you are right, old boy," Bobbery proclaimed. "We better press on through that pathway at the top. I am more than certain that something might be resting there, if I may add."
"Yeah," Andrew nodded. "Something tells me that we're gonna find something that'll be crucial to getting that Elevator Key."
"By the stars, you may be onto something, darling," Flurrie nodded. "Let's investigate, shall we?"
He nodded as he went up the stairs and walked through the walkway with his seven friends following close behind him. The pathway ended up leading them to fall below into an air duct of some kind that was above the office. There were plenty of taped-up boxes, a pipe that one could use to get by above, and a giant treasure chest in front of them.
"Whoa! What is this place supposed to be?" Andrew had to wonder. "Is this an air duct of some kind that's just above the underground office?"
"I think so," Goombella guessed. "Hey, Andrew! There's also a giant treasure chest in here. In case you were to miss it and all, y'know?"
"Yeah," Andrew said dryly. "Because it's rather hard to miss an important thing such as that. We better see what's inside of it."
"Well, go on, dearie," Ms. Mowz encouraged. "Open it up."
Andrew nodded as he approached the giant chest and opened it all the way. Once he opened it up, he was able to pull out something that was in there. In his hands were a pair of red-colored combat boots, which got him staring at them.
"Huh? What do you know," Andrew blinked upon seeing them. "These are a pair of new boots."
"Omigosh Andrew! Y'know what kind of boots they are?" Goombella decided to share with him. "Those are a pair of Ultra Boots!"
"Ultra Boots, huh?" Andrew gave her a curious look before taking off his Super Boots and moving them to the side. "I guess I better give these boots a try."
In no time at all, Andrew slipped on both boots as he felt something strange from wearing these boots. He then felt his right foot rubbing against a piece of paper of some kind. Seeming curious by this, Andrew took off the boot and pulled that paper out, before putting that boot back on.
"Hey! I should've figured," Andrew read what was written on the paper. "These are instructions on how to use the Ultra Boots properly."
"Well, what does it say, Andrew?" Goombella asked him.
"It says that when I wear these boots, I can use the Spring Jump," Andrew read it aloud to her. "To do this Spring Jump, I have to jump after crouching onto my knees, which will then activate the springs on the bottom of them. As soon as I jump when that is activated, I can spring myself into the air."
"Wow," Koops blinked as he was fascinated by this. "Pretty neat find you got there, Andrew. Way to go!"
"Wait. There's more," Andrew then continued reading it. "With Spring Jump, I can grab hold of bars that are over my head, and I can slide on the bars with my hands to get by certain areas."
"Why, that is 'absolutely' marvelous, dearie," Flurrie proclaimed in awe. "I daresay, that shall prove to be of help with the bars that are above us!"
"Yeah. I guess it should help," Andrew glanced at the bars that were over his head. "Oh yeah! I can use the Spring Jump in battles too. And my jumping seems to have gotten stronger from wearing these boots too."
"All right! Rock on, Presto!" Yoshiam jumped for joy. "That oughta teach whatever slimeball tries to pick a fight with us next!"
"Yeah," Andrew then put his Super Boots into his backpack. "As for these boots, I guess I'll leave them in my backpack until I can get back to the Rogueport Inn. I will leave it in the pile next to my black combat boots in the corner with my luggage and my wooden bat."
"Very good idea, Andrew," Vivian nodded with a smile. "Since those will be far more useful to you, I guess you won't be needing the Super Boots any longer."
"Exactly, Vivian," Andrew smiled in return.
"I must say, those rather fine new boots ought to do the trick in getting us into the cage," Bobbery pointed out. "And I believe that they'll help with getting the Elevator Key from that shelf in the cage too, eh?"
"Not to mention the badge that we saw earlier when we entered the station," Ms. Mowz pointed out.
"Right. But first, let's try using it to get to those bars above us," Andrew then did some thinking. "Now I think everyone will have to grab a hold of me so we can all get by this."
All of them nodded as they grabbed a hold of Andrew. Feeling satisfied, Andrew then approached the three black spots to the right that were below the pipe bar before he jumped once.
"OK. Here I go," Andrew then crouched down onto his knees until the springs on the bottom were activated and made a boingy sound.
With that, Andrew did the Spring Jump, which catapulted him up to the bar above, which he grabbed with both hands while his seven friends held onto him. Oddly enough, Flurrie and Vivian could just float over to keep up with him. Nonetheless, they remained with Andrew along with the others.
Putting his hands to work, he slid across the pipe bar until he was over the box. Once he was on the other side, he let go and landed safely with his friends as they were now near the air duct that they could slide through with Paper Mode.
Now with the new Ultra Boots to aid him, the eight travels went into Paper Mode to slide through the air duct and ended up back into the underground office.
Then with Yoshiam's help, Andrew made it to a pile of taped-up boxes, where he used his Spring Jump to reach the pipe bars that were right above him. He then moved to the left until he was in the cage, where he then let go and landed in the cage.
Using his Spring Jump, he then sprang right into the shelf, which caused the Elevator Key to fly off and land next to Andrew. He felt a slight bruise on his head. But otherwise, he was OK.
"Yowch," Andrew rubbed his temple after he came back down. "OK, that hurts. I guess I better get used to that."
"Andrew? You OK?" Goombella asked as she looked concerned for him along with the others, Andrew found the Elevator Key next to him and he grabbed it.
"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just something that I'll have to get used to. Besides, I got the Elevator Key that I wanted. That's all that matters," Andrew insisted. "Now wait for me, and I should be over there in a few moments."
They all nodded as Andrew used his Spring Jump to reach the pipe bar that was above him. In a matter of seconds, Andrew ended up outside the cage and was able to regroup with his friends.
"All right," Andrew then showed them the Elevator Key that was in his right hand. "Now that I have the Elevator Key with us, we can go down that Elevator. Let's head back up."
None of them argued as Andrew went back to the direction he came from. His Goomba, Koopa, Wind Spirit, Yoshi, Shadow Siren, Bob-omb, and Little Mouser friends followed right behind him as they headed back into the garbage dump room.
After they jumped off the ledge and dispatched a couple of Poison Pokeys, they found a jump pad which they then walked over to and jumped on. It propelled all eight of them back up to the upper floor where the door leading to the outside was located.
Once they hit the ground, they went up both flights of stairs walked through the opened door, and headed back outside.
After quite a bit more traveling, the eight travelers eventually made their way back to the first room where the elevator was located. Along with the Close Call P badge that was on that shelf. Ms. Mowz decided to remind Andrew about it.
"Andrew? I believe you have the means to get that badge that's on that shelf," she informed him. "If you want to claim it, I suggest using your Spring Jump to knock it off the shelf."
"Right," Andrew walked up to the shelf until he was right underneath it.
Once he was, he performed his Spring Jump, which careened up right onto the shelf, which caused the badge to be knocked off and landed on the floor. After Andrew rubbed his head some more, he saw the badge and then picked it up.
Taking out his badge kit yet again, Andrew opened it up and placed the badge into it. Once he was done with that, he then put the badge kit back into his backpack and then walked over to where the elevator was located.
"Well, that's taken care of," Andrew then took out the Elevator Key. "Now, shall we use the Elevator Key to use the elevator so we can flip the switch back?"
"Go on and be my guest," Goombella encouraged. "But we're 'totally' right behind you once it comes to using the elevator, y'know?"
"Yup. Here I go," Andrew then inserted the Elevator Key into the slot and turned it correctly.
This seemed to do the trick, since the elevator door opened up, allowing all eight of them to cram into the elevator to head down to where the drawbridge switch was located. Once all eight of them were in it, the door closed, and the elevator went down until it reached the bottom.
Once it came to a stop, the door opened, and the eight travelers were able to walk out. They were expecting to see the lever switch that would bring back down the drawbridge.
Unfortunately, they saw a group of rather hideous blob creatures flocking around the switch in front of them. These were the Smorgs that Beldam summoned earlier with her spell. All eight of them looked horrified and repulsed by their presence.
"What the...?" Andrew yelped." Uh, guys? What are those hideous things supposed to be?"
"Ick! They're disgusting!" Goombella felt like gagging.
"Andrew! What the heck are these weird things?" Koops wondered. "Do you think these little monsters flipped the switch?"
"Perhaps these things are responsible for flipping that switch!" Flurrie had to declare.
"Yeah!" Yoshiam howled. "You think these weirdos flipped the switch?"
"It's possible," Andrew shrugged. "Either that or Beldam must've summoned them with one of her spells so they could keep the switch from being unflipped and prevent us from lowering the drawbridge."
"Hmmm... Yes. They do look sorta familiar to me," Vivian murmured as she observed them from a distance. "Either way, we'd best find it quickly and switch it back!"
"I must concur, dear boy!" Bobbery agreed. "Let's make haste, find the switch, and switch it back to resolve this drawbridge debacle!"
"Let's hurry up and find it so we can switch it back!" Ms. Mowz remarked.
"I'm already on it," Andrew took out his Super Bat. "Flurrie? I'm gonna need a little Gale Force to fend off these strange blob-like creatures!"
"I am most certainly on it, darling!" Flurrie obliged. "I am beginning to grow repulsed by the sight of these foul creatures!"
With a deep breath, Flurrie used her Gale Force move to blow away some of the Smorgs in front of them, while Andrew spun towards them, whacking each of them with his Super Bat.
The rest of them decided to help too. Goombella used her Headbonk on several of them. Koops plowed into them with his Power Shell. Yoshiam laid several Mini-Eggs and tossed each one of them at the Smorgs.
Vivian unleashed her Fiery Jinx on several of them, scorching plenty of them into flames. Bobbery used his Bomb move to blast away the revolting fiends. Ms. Mowz used a good Love Slap to smack some of them a few times before doing a backflip strike on them with her tail striking them. They continued doing this for a few moments.
Afterwards, the Smorgs felt like they were outnumbered so they decided to flee from these eight travelers. Andrew blinked as he watched them scurry away from the station.
"Huh. That was easy," Andrew remarked as Flurrie stopped using her Gale Force move. "Now I think we can flip the switch back."
Without saying another word, Andrew pulled the lever switch the opposite way. This then caused another step to form in front of a platform. Appearing out of nowhere was a blue switch. This confused Andrew as to why they'd have to press this switch too just to lower the drawbridge.
He decided not to comment on it, as it would probably remain unanswered as well. Jumping up the step, Andrew then took his Super Bat and whacked it into the switch. It disappeared afterwards.
They then heard the sound of the drawbridge being lowered up above, which meant the Excess Express could continue its journey to Poshley Heights.
All of the passengers outside noticed it being lowered too, as once it was done, they all went back inside the train and waited for Andrew and his friends to get on board again before they could head to Poshley Heights.
As for Andrew, he felt that their work in the station was done, as they could now get back onto the Excess Express, and head straight for Poshley Heights from there.
"Well, guys? Looks like the drawbridge has been lowered," Andrew then pointed back to the elevator that led them back upstairs. "Let's get out of here and get back on board the Excess Express so we can get to Poshley Heights safely, shall we?"
"I'm 'totally' with you on that, Andrew!" Goombella beamed in a preppy manner. "Let's get out of here and take it easy on the Excess Express!"
"Good idea, Andrew!" Koops agreed while giving him a thumbs up. "We're done here. Might as well get comfortable on the Excess Express before we go finding the Crystal Star..."
"That would be a splendid idea, Andrew!" Flurrie yelled joyously. "I most certainly cannot wait to relax after what we've experienced in the station, darling. Come along, now!"
"You got it, Presto!" Yoshiam jumped for joy. "I can wait to unwind for a bit before we eat some dinner. I sure hope it's as delicious as it sounds! Let's rock, dude!"
"Sure thing, Andrew!" Vivian nodded with a shy smile. "Let's get out of here. We better get back on the Excess Express so we can get to Poshley Heights. Taking it easy sounds nice right about now."
"Aye! Capital thinking there, Andrew!" Bobbery remarked. "I must say, a little relaxation and a nice cup of Zess Tea would do the spirit some wonders before we get the Crystal Star, eh?"
"Hmm mmm mmm, I agree. Our work here is done," Ms. Mowz winked at him. "We got what we came here for. So we might as well get onto the Excess Express and move on for Poshley Heights."
"Great to hear, guys," Andrew walked over to the elevator and activated it. "Let's get going."
All seven of them nodded as the door opened back up. The eight travelers went into the elevator, which went back up to the surface. Once the door opened up, they stepped out and made their way to the door, leading to the front entrance of the Riverside Station.
By the time they were near the Excess Express again, they noticed that everyone had boarded the train again, which meant that they might as well get on board again too.
They walked back over to where the door to the Excess Express was. It was already open, as the train owner claimed that they were waiting for Andrew and his friends to return.
Andrew then convinced the Conductor that Ms. Mowz was officially traveling with him and that she was no longer a problem to the train.
Naturally, the Conductor allowed her to board the train and stick with Andrew. This was mainly because she had been a great help to him in regards to finding the real culprit who wrote that sticky yummy threat, who was Doopliss. So Ms. Mowz was allowed to ride the Excess Express to Poshley Heights with Andrew and the others.
As soon as all eight of them went onto the train, the door was closed and the train owner was convinced that it was time for the Excess Express to continue on its way to Poshley Heights.
"LET'S GOOOOOOOO!" The train owner had to bellow.
But before the train could get moving, three people were watching this from the distance. They were Beldam, Marilyn, and Doopliss, as they watched that Andrew was successful with lowering the drawbridge.
"Hey uh, Beldam?" Doopliss decided to point out. "I don't think your plan worked."
"Shut your trap, Freak-sheet! The plan is only getting started! Look!" Beldam sneered at him before pointing to the Smorgs that the travelers thought they had driven away.
The Smorgs were stowing away on the Excess Express by sneaking underneath the train before it could get a move on again.
"See? They're not done yet. They're stowing away on that stupid train, and they'll keep Andrew and his little goon squad stalled up and busy from getting the Crystal Star," Beldam informed him sharply. "That'll give us enough time to claim the Crystal Star before they get there! Mwee hee hee hee hee hee!"
"Guuuuuuuuuuuh!" Marilyn hummed at this.
"Uh, you know? My name is Doopliss," Doopliss insisted. "You know that's my name, don't you?"
"Bah! I'll call ya whatever I want, Freak-sheet!" Beldam snapped at him before pointing at him angrily. "Now shut up or else I'll have to be forced to punish you!"
"Fine," Doopliss groaned as he rolled his red pupils.
"Mwee hee hee hee hee! Now, I do believe that we shall take our leave from this station," Beldam then declared. "Come now, Marilyn. Freak-sheet. We're done here."
"Guh-huh!" Marilyn nodded at this.
With that, Beldam and Marilyn departed into the shadows, leaving Doopliss all alone to have to travel on foot.
"AW C'MON! You know that I can't do THAT!" Doopliss whined, stomping his foot. "I hate how they do that! UGH!"
Seeing that this was getting him nowhere, Doopliss had to run off in the direction where Poshley Heights was located. All while the Excess Express was shoving off with all of the passengers on board.
And of course, the Smorgs were underneath the train, ready to strike terror on the passengers and everyone on board first thing tomorrow morning. Andrew and his seven friends were gonna be in for a horrifying surprise when they discovered that they'd stowed away on the train.
They would end up finding that out for themselves. That was a given...
END OF CHAPTER 60...
Yeah. That's it for this chapter. I do hope that you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
That's right. I had Beldam be the one who was responsible for summoning those Smorgs to keep Andrew and his group from flipping the switch back.
This is in part, due to how early content of the game shows that Beldam was responsible for summoning them to slow down Mario and his team from getting to Poshley Heights. Even though it isn't explicitly shown in the game, it's shown here. I also added Marilyn here because she barely appeared in the chapter.
And yes. Doopliss is shown to be more of a punching bag to Beldam here, by being called Freak-sheet. A massive step down from the threat he was to Andrew during Chapter 4, and it'll be something Andrew will take notice of much later on.
Also, I gave Ms. Mowz some depth here since she's a mysterious person in the game with the most saying she's a globe-trotting badge thief. This story goes into further detail that she owns a badge shop in which she puts the badges she finds up for sale as profits.
It also shows that her family was rather poor and her father would have to steal food for the family so they could survive, something that's typical amongst certain Little Mousers, like the ones on Yoshi's Island that steal Yoshi-Eggs. Andrew has earned her trust, respect, and loyalty to the point where she was willing to share this with him.
Lastly, it looks like we're reaching the climax of Chapter 6. We still have the chapter boss before they make it to Poshley Heights. It'll be the first fight I've written in a while, so I'll make it as excellent as I had done with previous chapter boss fights.
Anyway, the next chapter will involve the eight traveling heroes having to fight the Smorgs that have stowed away on the train, after the eight of them see what the mushrooms Chef Shimi picked up from the station look like.
This is followed by the next morning being abnormally quiet, with Andrew and his seven friends being the only ones on the trains besides the shop owner (who is knocked out) and the Excess Express Engineer.
From there, they fight through the Smorgs until they reach the top of the train, they reveal the passengers that they've captured and the eight of them prepare to fight the Smorgs. And a few other things will occur. How will things go for them? Find out next time, readers.
For now, only if you like, you can leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter overall.
Otherwise, I have nothing else to say. So until next time, I do hope you look forward to the climax of Chapter 6. And on that note, thanks again for reading, everyone!