Chapter 7 - Flying Pans

Bau, Shell and Kev woke up an hour after sunrise. They still ached after what happened the day before in Thwomp's Fortress.
Shelly yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as Kev stretched every available limb. Bau was looking into the horizon where a black square stood.
''What's that?'' Shelly asked sleepily.
''That's the place where I'm gonna get your food from.'' The Boo said, a sly tone creeping into his voice.
''That's the direction we need to be heading in anyway, so let's go.'' Kev said and strode forward.

They headed off across the meadow and towards the house that Bau had pointed out. Soon the sun was high in the cloudless sky and the squar dot was turning into a house, which in turn, was becomming more and more detailed with each step they took.
''What the-?'' Kev said suddenly, breaking the silence and they all looked down at what was lay in the long grass at the grey and black Koopa's feet.
''It's a Catterpillar.'' Shelly said pointedly.
''More to the point; It's a Wiggler.'' Kev said nervousely.
''Aaand you just stood on it.'' Bau added as they watched it's circular markings turn red.

They slowly backed away a few steps before turning towards the large house and breaking into a run.
''Are they chasing us?'' Bau shouted behind him.
''I don't really wanna find out, so keep running just incase!'' Kev panted.
''They? There was only one though! And that was tiny!'' Shelly huffed.
''The parents have a tendancy to hang around until they're old enough to fend for themselves!'' Kev wheezed.
''They can grow to the size of trains!'' Bau added and they all sped up, resisting the fear driven urge to look behind.

They crested the hill and started to slow down. The house was in clear view now, the large windows glinting in the bright midday sunlight.
''We're nearly there!'' Kev chirped eagerly.
They slowed down to a laboured walk and crept as quietly as possible towards the house, and hid in a bush outside a tall window. Bau disappeared through the wall and into the house in search of food whilst the grey and black Spikey Koopa and grey Panther waited patiently in their hiding spot for the Boo to reappear.

Half an hour passed and screams of anger and shock filled the silence. Shelly and Kev knelt upright in the bush to try and see through the window from their hiding place and only saw pots and pans being thrown, hitting the walls and clattering to the floor. They ducked down again as a frying pan crashed through the window and landed in the flower bed just infront of the bush. Bau quickly followed, grinning inanely with Shelly's bag in hand.

He darted off in the opposite direction as quickly as possible, paying no attention to the pair as more shouts, mainly anger, filled the air.
When Kev and Shelly caught up with Bau, they found him sat under a tree with the bag next to him. He was busy studying a silver disc that hung on a long silver chainm a grin pasted on his face.
''Bau!'' Shelly called.
Bau looked up.
''I found it!'' He called back as the two neared him. ''It was in a crate in the cheese cellar!''
''That's what you were looking for?'' Shelly asked.
Bau nodded and held it up to the light
.
''Woah, that's.... You found it in the cheese cellar?'' Kev said, gaping, his exhaustion forgotten.
''Yup. Been looking ofr it for weeks now.'' The Boo grinned. ''Er, what is it? I mean, does it do anything?''
''Y'know that hidden city I told you about?''
Bau and Shelly nodded.
''This is one of the pendants the guardians hid throughout the world for the outcasts to find.'' Kev said in awe as he looked at it closely.

Bau laughed. ''Now all I gotta do is find the damned city and I'll be made for life! Oh, and I also got your food. It's not much, but it's all that I could get my hands on.'' He finished and handed the bag over.
After they ate, they set off again, giving the hosue a wide berth. They followed the river that ran in the direction of the Power Star's location as the sun started to sink below the horizon. Bau stashed away his pendant in Shelly's bag for safe keeping as they travelled.

Soon a large mass of shapes appeared on the horizon and the faint sound of water could be heard. As they walked on in the fading light, Shelly squinted, trying to make out the shapes.
''Is that where we're headed?'' Shelly asked.
''I think so yeah. We'll have to check the map again, just to be sure.'' Kev said, settling down under a tree.
Shelly sat down next to him and pulled the map out, unfurling it and spreading it on the floor using a rock to pin down one end and her foot to pin down the other. Bau floated over and the three studied the large, yellowing piece of parchment carefully.

''Koopa Cape.'' Bau said after a moment.
''What's Koopa Cape?''
''A water park on the coast. It's sometimes shut down and used as a race track. There's several slides, a couple of which go under water through a massive see-through tube, rapids and a couple of waterfalls.'' Kev said.
''And that's where Karmella's Power Star is?'' Shelly asked, excitement rising.
Kev nodded. ''By the looks of what she's written on the map, yeah.''

Shelly lay in the grass under the tree listening to the gentle snores of the Boo and Koopa, wondering what was going on on her own planet. Had Lee got the promotion of had her passing out quashed his efforts to impress his boss. She wondered idly if this was just a dream that she was having or if it was real and that upon passing out, she had somehow been taken to this strange world. She also wondered if she would ever find what she had been looking for.

The many questions bounced about her mind as sleep finally took over, wrapping it's cool darkness around her, blocking out the sounds, sights and smells around her.

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