Someday, I will write out the other Jiggies… but for now, let's finish the main story.
Part 13: Threads of Fate and Friendship
Robi, Jolene, and Tooty returned to the top of the old lair with handfuls of Jiggies. They placed 20 Jiggies inside the puzzle, depicting Gruntilda posing against a dark, moonlit sky. The great oak door opened as Gruntilda's voice echoed from beyond. "I'm sad to say down there you'll stop. My little king won't let you up top! RAKAKAKAKAKA!"
"A king?" Tooty said. "Sounds like Grunty has one more minion waiting for us."
The trio walked up one more flight of stairs before reaching a room with a gray, faced cauldron wearing a crown. "Bloop-bloop. Grunty has made me king of the castle. Dingpot can't let anyone pass."
"Dingpot? Wait, you're the same cauldron that helped Banjo and Kazooie!"
"Bloop? Come to think of it, you're a bear, too."
"My name's Tooty, I'm Banjo's sister! Do you know where they are?"
"Well, I… saw Grunty take them up to the room above me a while ago. I saw her take some strange, pinkish humanoid up there, too."
"But… my mom is a strange, pinkish humanoid." Jolene said.
"Really? But you're a gray humanoid. I thought she'd be related to the orange humanoid."
"Sorry, my parents are peach humanoids." Robi replied.
"Will you quit talking?! Hurry up and fry them! Or in Clanker's gut, you will die in!"
"Boy, Grunty sure is mean to you, Dingpot. We'd really like to teach her a lesson. How do we get up there?"
"The only way up is with Grunty's broom. Although… I suppose I could shoot you up like a cannon."
"If you dare to send them up here, my filthy undies will be your greatest fear!"
"Shoot us up there, Dingpot!" Robi encouraged. "We'll make sure you never have to wash her clothes again!"
"I don't know…"
"If we beat Grunty, you'll REALLY be the king of this castle!" Tooty perked up. "How does that sound?"
"In that case, hop on in! I want to be a king!"
"WAIT UP, kids!" Uncle Raymond came racing up, the Friends of Time at his back. "You ain't getting started without us, are ya?"
"Hey! You all caught up!" Robi beamed.
"We would never miss out on the witch bashing!" Tupu said.
"Kent and your other friends beat up those other Gruntys!" Luca cheered. "So, let's finish her for good!"
"W-ho, is yo-ur, nnnnnew frrriiiiind?" Nefertine enunciated.
"Our new 'friend'?" Robi asked. "This is Tooty the Bear!"
"Kon'nichiwa, Tooty-chan!" Onari waved.
"Hi! Wow, I didn't think you two had so many neat friends."
"A talking bear?" Tupu asked. "And I thought Luca was the only animal that could speak human."
"What?" Luca flinched.
"And that ain't the best news." Raymond smiled. "Me and Jataro was able to contact Wendy! She and Mrs. Stork will be here soon to do something about all these time rifts and other leftovers of Grunty's magic. But for now, we gotta take care of business here."
"Aye!" Robi saluted. "The three of us will get started! We'll call you up when we're ready. Let's go!" He, Jolene, and Tooty jumped into Dingpot. The cauldron whirred and built up strength before blasting them up through the ceiling hole!
The trio faced down a torchlit corridor with several tables of honeypots and platforms over a honey floor. "Oh, the castle keeps going." Robi said, Jolene's gaze wandering around.
"I thought for sure this would be the top." Tooty said. "'Guess we gotta make one more push."
"Tooty," Jolene began, "since you're a bear, does it work if someone pretends to be dead?"
"What? What kind of question is that?"
"'Cause there's a big bear…"
The two turned… freezing in horror. An enormous, rasping bear with crazed eyes drooled over them, a giant red bird on his back. "B-B-BIG BEAR!!" Robi screamed. (Play "Final Beeting" from Yooka-Laylee!)
"GYUUUH! Gyubububu gyuh!"
His voice was distorted, but Tooty knew it better than anyone. "B-B…Banjo?"
"THAT'S Banjo?! I didn't think he would be so big!"
"No! Gruntilda did this to him!"
"I could think of no better end, but for you to be devoured by them! The heroes of the island, your own brother, will send you to your father and mother."
"NO! Banjo! Kazooie! It's me, Tooty!" The little bear bounced repeatedly and waved her arms. "You have to recognize me! AAAH!" Banjo snapped his teeth, Robi quickly pulling Tooty away.
"Just run, Tooty! We'll fix him somehow!"
Boss fight: Brainwashed Beefed-up Bear 'n' Bird, BANJO-KAZOOIE
Racing up the honey-covered hall, they jumped the available platforms and dodged the giant eggs Kazooie spat. "Hey, those honeypots have our favorite honeycomb cereal!" Tooty pointed. "Try to grab and throw them back!" Jolene used her Clay Arms to do so, chucking them into Banjo's maw. The bear stopped crawling for a few seconds to munch them, giving them time to keep running. The hall curved right, but became spiked, so they needed Sun Sand and Tooty's Sack Pack. There was a spiked staircase on the right, leading to a cauldron.
"Tooty, that's an Anti-form Cauldron! Jump up and try to push it on them!" Tooty nodded and used her high jumping to get up the stairs and reach it. When Banjo-Kazooie crawled under the platform, Tooty shoved the cauldron with great vigor, splashing both bear and bird. They seemed to swell in and out as their bodies glowed with magic. Tooty quickly jumped down to catch up with her friends, but the magic ceased as the monsters kept pursuit. "It looked like it was working. Let's try to find more!" At the hall's end, they ran up a flight of stairs, throwing more available honeypots for Banjo to munch. However, Kazooie shot hive-like eggs that exploded into bee swarms. Jolene swiped her clay to stick the bees and squish them.
The stairs led to an exterior walkway, a height from which they could see the whole island and the sea beyond it. They hurried over the wooden walkway as Banjo-Kazooie burst out of the exit, the bird flapping her wings to carry the bear. Kazooie spat Fire Eggs to set fire to the walkway, while also shooting Clockwork Eggs ahead of them. The trio jumped the Clockwork Kazooies that spawned from them and kept the pace to outrun the flames. "Look!" Jolene pointed upward at a sequence of high platforms. Tooty flip-jumped up the platforms and reached an Anti-form. Banjo-Kazooie dove toward the little bear, but Tooty shoved and splashed the potion over them. While they writhed from the magic, Tooty jumped down to rejoin her team. The walkway ended, but they could run up the tower via a footprint trail.
The buddy duo resumed chase and shot Ice Eggs to freeze further parts of the trail, but Jolene bent up Clay Fists with Crystal Jiggy knuckles, punching and shattering the ice. They reached a window and climbed in to a hallway full of Whipcracks. "We don't have enough Sun Sand. Gotta tear through these the gardening way!" Robi said as the earthbenders kicked rocks to crack the roots. Banjo-Kazooie broke in and crawled after. They reached an area full of honeypots, but it was unfortunately a dead end. "There's a small tunnel!" Tooty pointed. "I'll go in and try to find something! Hold them off as long as you can!" She shrank into her Shack Pack and waddled inside. Though the benders were able to hold Banjo back with his cereal, Kazooie spat Clockwork Eggs, the robotic Breegulls chasing Tooty down the tunnel. "TOOTY! THEY'RE AFTER YOU, RUN!"
There were gaps in the tunnel Tooty could jump, the Clockwork Kazooies getting stuck in them, while the ones behind used them as footholds to cross. The same applied when Tooty had to jump up ledges. The tunnel seemed to escalate upward, ending at a high hole directly above Banjo-Kazooie. Across from her and higher was a shelf with an Anti-form. Tooty flipped up, clutching the shelf and trying to pull it down. The shelf snapped as she and the cauldron plummeted, splashing all over the bear and bird.
"GYUUUUH! GUUUUH! GUH-HUUUUUH!"
"ARAG, FRAG, FRAGGLE-FRAGGLE, DAG!"
The giants' bodies were enveloped in a bright, magical light, Tooty clutching Kazooie's feathers as they continued to write. In a flash, she felt them shrink down… and she was slouched over their normal size bodies. (End song.)
"Ugh…oh, man…" Banjo moaned. "Why do I have… such a tummy ache?"
"I don't… care about that…" Kazooie groaned. "There's some… ugly thing on my back!"
"BIG BROTHER! KAZOOIE!" Tooty squeezed them with all her strength, kicking her feet in glee!
"ACK! It's trying to pump our blood out, Banjo! Get it off, get it off!"
"Guh huh huh huh! Tooty! Gosh, what happened? Where are we?"
"Gruntilda cursed you two! But you're saved now!"
"Now that you mention it, I remember something like that happening…"
"I feel like I just lost 100 pounds all at once… and gained 100 more thanks to Tooty." Kazooie said.
"Robi! Jolene!" They saw Onari fly up the hall on her cloud, carrying Raymond's hat. The witch-doctor and their other friends jumped out of it.
"That passage looked like a warzone!" Raymond said. "Guess it's a good thing we let you go ahead. You okay?"
"We're just fine." Robi smiled. "We just saved… Banjo?"
"Oh?" Banjo looked up at the Nimbi. Tooty climbed off so he could stand. "Is something wrong, little guy?"
"I thought Honey B looked weird, but what's this ugly butterfly-beaver hybrid?" Kazooie asked.
"Wait, I know you!" Robi beamed. "You were my Halloween costume! The one Dad got for me!"
"They're making Halloween costumes of us already? Guh huh huh, I guess we ARE famous, Kazooie!"
"I better be higher on the popularity polls!"
"We saw a large door the other way down the hall." Raymond pointed. "Grunty's probably up there."
"Then let's go—ow!" Kazooie winced when she tried to flap her wings. "Peck some… witch butt…"
"Just… give me a minute to…" Banjo held his upset tummy.
"Just stay here and rest, you two." Tooty said. "It's OUR turn to peck the witch's butt!"
"Yeah!" Robi cheered. "But maybe I'll just… kick it instead. My nose isn't good for pecking."
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Banjo asked.
"We're KND operatives, too! And we still got a score to settle, huh, Jolene?"
Jolene could almost feel her in the castle's earth. Her mother's breathing… and her heartbeat. She was close. "Mommy says… you can never have enough friends."
The Friends of Time chuckled in delight! They all walked to the other end of the hall and found a large oak door with several handprints. The kids all planted their hands to the door and pushed with combined strength. A stairway led outside the tower, with one more curving up to the very top. Gruntilda soared in the eye of the storm of dark clouds. The source of all the evils they had endured this past week, the witch who had all their homes under her thumb. (Play "Winkybunion Stronghold" from Banjo-Threeie!)
"I can't believe this small-minded bunch made it up here, on the crunch! Thinking you can defy my will, destroying you will be such a thrill!"
"This is the end, Grunty!" Robi declared. "After all you did to our friends…"
"For hurting the animals!" Tupu followed.
"For trapping us like animals!" Luca yelled.
"Fah-or, cuh-ursing us!" Nefertine continued.
"For plaguing our homes like the oni you are!" Onari declared.
"We are giving you a big time out!" Jolene concluded.
"Just hearing you babble and stutter is filling my head with clutter. By my wicked witchy power, be crushed by Grunty's magic TOWER!" The witch mustered a powerful spell and erected a 30-foot tower, situating herself at the top.
Final boss: Wicked Witch of the Mountain, GRUNTILDA
Several turrets emerged from the tower, blasting energy balls as the children scattered. Robi and Jolene stomped up stones and kicked them to break the cannons. "You ain't gonna hide up there, Grunty," Raymond declared, waving his wand, "after I make a-" he became frozen in place. "What?!"
"Sorry, but you'll be taking your leave, if you can't bypass this trick up my sleeve!" Grunty drew a deck of cards. "Did you think my quiz was over? I've still got questions to recover! Only by answering will you break my hold, or else I'll be coating you in gold. So, first question: the KND operative that Norton admires, tell me his Numbuh before the question expires."
"Oh, I remember!" Tupu jumped. "Norton admires Numbuh 4!"
"CRAG!" The correct answer broke Grunty's hold on Facilier. "I think this girl of the wild deserves a spell that's most vile!"
"Here, kids!" Raymond zapped magic around the tower, marking a footprint trail. "Run up there and kick that witch off her tower!" Jolene and Tupu ran up the trail, but Grunty willed parts of the tower to turn. Jolene clutched each part in her Clay Hands and twisted them to connect the trail, while also using them to shield from Grunty's spells. When close to the top, Jolene grabbed Tupu and chucked her, the wild girl biting Grunty's chin. The witch screamed, zapping a spell that would send Tupu falling, but the distraction allowed Jolene to grab Gruntilda and pull herself up. The claybender showed Grunty the first dose of her anger in the form of giant fists, repeatedly hammering the old hag before Grunty went flying. She summoned her Lardmaster broom to save herself.
"It's time for my tower to burst and blow, to send you flying, there you go!" As the magic tower threatened to explode, Jolene jumped down as all kids gathered around the benders. They stomped up a Rock Wall that barely shielded them from the tower's explosion. "But now to make sure we don't have friction," the witch cast another stunning spell on them all, "I'll ask this question in Egyptian!" She also sealed Nefertine's mouth shut to prevent cheating, afterwards displaying the Egyptian text in the air. "(The Crystal Jiggies, I will have them. The one in my aquarium, what was its gem?)"
"I remember enough Egyptian to read that!" Robi smirked. "Jolene, the Crystal Jiggy in the aquarium was blue. Do you know any gems that are blue?"
"Uh…sapphires are blue."
"DAG!" Grunty swore. The witch cast a spell to bring some clouds down to the tower's level, afterwards growing a brambly forest. "I'll retreat in my forest of thorns, and strike you with every ounce of my scorn!"
"Only a squirrel could get through a forest that dense!" Tupu said.
"Lemme help you three out!" Raymond turned her, Robi, and Jolene into squirrels. "No pools required this time!"
"Awe, they're so cute!!" Tooty cooed. "I wanna snuggle with them!"
"Huhu, you're pretty snuggly, too!" Robi blushed.
"Not the time, kids!" Raymond stated. The squirrels leapt and glid to the first safe branch. They climbed the side of it before gliding to a sequence of branches, each of which would get snapped by Grunty's magic. They skittered down a spiral path on one of the trees, then crawled upside-down along roots beneath the floating forest. They found a squirrel hole to crawl in, clambering up inside the tree before reaching an exit. "Their brains are small, those little squirrels." Grunty sneered, flying in search of them. "I'll blow their bodies across the world!"
Peeping out cautiously, they waited until Grunty had her back to them. "Jolene, when we get her distracted, fly in and stick it to her!"
"Stick what to her?"
"Hit her with your giant fist." With that, Robi and Tupu flew out, landing on Grunty's back. Thinking back, it was just like when they were doing the merry-go-round challenge! They skittered around and bit her anywhere they could.
"GET OFF MY BLUBBER, fluffy rodents! Or I'll make you all explodents!" Jolene quickly flew in as she molded a large Clay Fist, punching Grunty with great momentum into the brambles. "AAAACK!" Jolene landed on her belly as well to keep dealing punches, Grunty ordering the brambles to disperse. The squirrels glid back to the tower and changed back. "My homing spells will bring your deaths! It may fail, but I tried my best." Mustering a great surge of power, Grunty unleashed 10 homing spells that surrounded the kids and closed in.
"Got just enough Sun Sand to protect us, GET READY!" The kids jumped together as Robi flashed a brief jolt of Sun Sand the second the spells made contact.
"If I could split those clouds apart a bit, we could let in sunlight to recharge that." Raymond said.
"I don't think she's gonna let us!" Onari pointed as Grunty began to stir the clouds above her. She encased herself in a Protego as lightning struck down, catching it on the tip of her wand. "If she's using lightning, then it's up to me!" The Yōkai hopped on her cloud and took flight. Grunty zapped a bolt at her, but Onari caught it with Nimbo and increased its size.
"Puny Yōkai, noseless clown, I'll take my lightning and strike you down!"
"Quick!" Raymond zapped a spot on the tower and conjured a Flight Pad. "Use this to reach Gruntilda!"
"I'll take care of it this time, Jol-" Robi was about to run on the pad, before Grunty froze him with Quiz Magic!
"You're quite orange, and green, too. What other operative has skin like you?"
"Another op with orange skin? Oh, it's that girl from Sector GT! What's her name, what's her name…do, do, do, do, Doris Dodley!" Robi regained movement and took off in flight! Grunty tried to strike Robi, but he hid behind Onari's cloud as the lightning continued to inflate it. Soon, it had swollen up like a balloon.
"Robi! Nimbo-san can't hold any more! It's gonna pop!"
"Don't worry! I'll pop Grunty first!" Robi flew the opposite side of Grunty from Onari, the witch facing him as he gained some distance. The Nimbi Meteor Bombed feet-first.
"This freckled beaver's giant foots can't pop Grunty's barrier, toots!" Grunty fired strings of fast spells, but Robi swerved around them in his momentum. He kicked Grunty's shield like a giant soccerball, bouncing her into Onari's cloud. The problem was that Grunty still allowed lightning to pass through the barrier for her spells… so, inside the inflated cloud, she had no protection from the electricity! Onari smirked, jumped, and Ground Pounded. "RAAAAAAAAG!" The shocking explosion swallowed Grunty while Onari fell to the tower. "How dare you char up Grunty's skin!" Bones were showing in the burned gaps. "At least now I feel much more thin!" The witch flew away and summoned meteors from the sky. The kids hid behind the benders as they grabbed and hurdled them back, landing three good hits on the witch before she cancelled the spell.
Grunty froze them again. "My ancestor founded Luna Nova. Tell me her name or your life is ovah!"
"Brunilda!" Raymond yelped. "It was Brunilda!" Grunty's hold was broken.
"I need to cool off after that meteor shower. Perhaps a wet one, with my power!" Gruntilda conjured tidal waves from the lower clouds and sent them to wash over the tower. Robi stomped up a Rock Wall, but it steadily crumbled from the waves.
"It's MY turn to get her!" Luca declared with a firm step.
"Give her a good shock while you're at it!" Raymond turned Jolene into a jellyfish. Luca picked the squishy girl up and carefully set her on the back of his shirt. Mustering a courageous breath, Luca dashed out around the Rock Wall and, "Silencio, Bruno!" dove through the first wave. He pierced through each wave with a Torpedo Spin, using the momentum to reach the consecutive waves. Grunty hovered higher so the Fishman couldn't reach, but she was still low enough for Luca to throw Jellene. Her tentacles wrapped Grunty's face and shocked the witch, sending Grunty splashing into the cloud water. Luca seized the chance to headbutt and kick her repeatedly. Gruntilda ordered the wave to wash them back to the tower while she got back on Lardmaster.
A powerful surge of magic coursed through the air. "I reach beyond the veil of time, to summon my Gruntys to share in rhyme!" Flashes of bluish lightning ripped the sky, tearing open windows to Central Park, Italy, Egypt, and other areas. "EH?!" Kent Taylor was turning Mecha-Grunty into molten metal, her purple ghost flying out. Spike had totaled Bony Grunty's Hag 1 and trapped the witch's body in a Sand Coffin. He and Piramses were now playing kickball with her severed skull. Lily seemed to be smothering Capital B in a dense pile of pollen. "You trashed my Gruntys, you meddlesome peabrains! And Capital B, but he was lame!"
"Oh, hey, guys!" Spike waved. "You finally get around to beatin' the big one?"
"Want us to lend you a hand?" Kent asked. "I still got heat to spare."
"Well, since my pasts can't help, I'll take their chi instead!" Gruntilda withdrew a white Crystal Jiggy and attached it to her wand. "And since you're all here, I'll sap you dead! PARASITUS!"
"GUYS, MOVE!" Robi cried.
Grunty's spell zapped through each gap, sucking the power from her past selves and the Sector W members. "Wendy never told me Grunty was this powerful!" Raymond said. "She can just connect the time rifts directly and use Parasitus without contact?!"
"Guys!" Robi cried as his teammates fainted.
"And with this Earth Chi, I got my eye on you. Turn to stone and be a target for pigeon doo!" Gruntilda flashed a giant eye in the sky. Robi jumped to shield Jolene and became petrified along with the other kids, while Raymond cast a counter-spell over himself. The witch-doctor then had to fire a consistent beam of magic to intercept Gruntilda's next Parasitus. "I'll suck you next, mark my words! You're no match for me, you old bird!"
"Jolene! Use your earthbending to free them! But be careful!"
Jolene put her hand to Robi's statue first. She could feel the pulse of his heartbeat, the breathing of his body separate from the rock that encased him. She softly spread her chi through the rock and clenched her fingers, breaking it. "Hoof…huff…thanks, Jolene. I like rocks, but I sure don't like being 'em. …I can't stand…"
"Jolene, hurry and save the others! They'll get their muscle back in a minute!" Jolene walked to Tooty next and felt her presence next. She broke the rock and freed the cuddly bear who had joined them on this final stretch. Jolene felt for Tupu, their squirrely friend who guided them around the park and trees. She then went to free—"AAAH!" Gruntilda zapped Raymond off his feet.
"You're just like your father, a useless old fart! Try aiming like Grunty, for a start!" The witch began to muster a multi-homing spell.
However, one of the rifts opened to Peanutville, the gang of kids watching enthrallingly. "That must be the evil witch!" Patty pointed. "And there's Jolene!"
"I think she needs our help!" Charlie said. "But what can we do?"
"Hey, guys!" Lucy and Marcie came pulling a large shelf of footballs. "We ready for the Big Football-Off?"
"Perfect! We can throw these!"
"Wait, what's going on here?" Lucy asked.
"Alright, everyone, load 'em up!" Patty declared. "Throw when ready!"
"Ah, man! Do you know how long it took us to collect all these?!"
Grunty's spells were ready to- "OW!" cancel as she was pelted by footballs. "GRRRR! Curse you children with your sports! I'll be calling your school with scathing reports!"
Jolene freed Nefertine, their kind Egyptian friend who helped them solve puzzles and was trying to learn their language. She freed Luca, the nice, timid Fishboy who protected them in the ocean depths. She freed Onari, the noseless Yōkai who did her best to help despite having no lightningbending. The friends were stiff on the ground, felt too weak to keep fighting… but seeing Jolene standing firm and brave gave them the courage to rise on their own two feet. "You're a thousand years early to take a stand. Grunty's the master of this land. I am the power of the Jiggies!" Harnessing the Crystal Jiggy's power, an enormous Jiggy enveloped the sky. "To me, you're nothing but delicious piggies!" A light shone from the Giga Jiggy, shielding Gruntilda in a rotating Jiggy barrier.
"Jolene, I think it's time to show her your own Jiggy power!" Robi declared.
"When the bully is older and bigger than you, it's okay to beat them up!" With these words to give her strength, Jolene oozed with Claymation Fury! She became a giant of clay, but this time elevated most of her mass to avoid crushing her friends. She dealt the first blow, Gruntilda sent flying with her shield intact. The witch rapidly zipped around, blasting Jiggy Rings that would splatter Jolene's clay, but Jolene would lash out her Crystal Jiggies attached to clay strings and break the spells. She threw a punch at Gruntilda that would burst into smaller fists and home in, Gruntilda breaking some while two of the fists stuck onto her shield. Jolene spiraled and pulled them in along with Grunty, rapidly bashing the bubbled witch around the tower, shattering her shield, but Grunty would poof away.
Jiggy Meteors would rain from the sky Jiggy, lodging into Jolene's clay body before exploding. However, the ones that hit the tower became duds, so Tooty stuffed those Jiggies in her pack. The witch poofed and soared around the tower in rapid circles, confusing Jolene before diving straight at the Friends of Time. Tooty was ready for this, spinning and slamming Grunty with a Pack Whack stuffed with Jiggies! The witch's momentum knocked the kids down, but the blow to her face caused Grunty to spin dizzily in the air. Jolene stretched to grab the witch, rapidly bashing her against the tower. The furious witch poofed back over the edge and struck golden spells unto all the Friends of Time. They became trapped in portraits, which Grunty would then break into pieces!
"May you spend an eternity in my puzzles! It'll keep you more quiet than dogs with muzzles! OW!" A snowball hit Grunty's face.
"HAHA! Take that, you ugly witch!" Cartman laughed, the South Parkers armed with their weapons inside a rift.
"Hit her with everything you got!" Kyle declared.
"You're a bad witch!" Dot threw a boomerang from her own time rift.
"Try THIS on for size!" Matilda blasted her blunderbuss from hers and Jim's rift.
"(Robi and Jolene's enemies are our enemies!)" Chimi declared, loosing arrows.
"Do whatever you need to, Jolene!" Tanis said, she and her classmates throwing skulls and pumpkins. "We'll get this witch!"
"I'm tired of these meddlesome freaks giving Grunty swollen cheeks!" Grunty zapped spells into each rift. Jolene seized this chance to round up the puzzle pieces. It took her a few minutes to study them compared to the pictures, but she soon had all the pieces in the right places. Sadly, the kids weren't able to move inside the pictures… except Robi and Nefertine. Jolene lined the pictures up in a way that would connect the paths, allowing those two to platform their way through. They finally jumped out near an unsuspecting Grunty, grabbing and biting her. The witch furiously shook them off, but Jolene surprised her with a solid punch. The puzzle spell broke as the friends landed back on the tower.
Grunty's earlier attacks caused the Peanuts, South Parkers, and the other allies to fall out of the rifts, but all stood bravely beside Jolene. "I douse myself in solid gold, to be rid of the young in favor of the old!" Gruntilda's black garb became golden with black Jiggies stamped around.
Jolene enacted something similar: she encased all her friends inside clay and shattered the Crystal Jiggies to give them parts of them. "NOW we're talkin', kiddo!" Raymond cheered. "ENGORGIO!" He zapped them all and gigantified all the clay covered kids! Beaming excitedly from their new strength, Jolene used her bending to fly them through the air via their clay! The giants excitedly punched, kicked, and squished Grunty from any angle they could, all while the witch cast Jiggy Ring spells to splatter their clay and injure the kids, along with Jiggy Prisons they had to shake free from, but the amount of foes was too many for Grunty to keep track of. Her pudgy body was riddled by the imprints of giant, clay-made hands and feet. "BRATTY KIDS, PEACH OR ORANGE! I'LL BREAK YOUR HEADS IN THE DOORHINGE!"
The witch flew to the sky Jiggy's level and rained a storm of the powerful jigsaws, but all allies of the Friends of Time punched and kicked them back with the best speed Jolene could help with. Some of their fists were able to stretch up and punch the witch, with the crystal fragments adding that extra oomph to shred the witch's skin. When the Jiggy Storm finally died down, Jolene amassed the clay, fragments, and even the kids back into a singular mass. She firmly stomped the tower before thrusting her arms up, lung it all skyward as a ginormous fist. Gruntilda was squished against the sky Jiggy, shattering it into magic. The witch met the shredding shards directly, reducing her broom to straw.
Gruntilda poofed down to the tower's surface afterward, snarling at the imbecilic girl. "That idiot face… your mushed-up mind… can't possibly give me a hard time…"
"SURPRISE!" Facilier zapped her with magic. "Anti-Apparition! It's over for you, Grunty." Raymond smirked. The witch looked up aghast as the mass of clay began to descend… except this time, molded into Jolene's own clueless, big-cheeked face. "May this face be burned into your mind forever."
"Not so FAST, you little twit! I've one more trick and this is IT!" Grunty grabbed a strange pink doll from her hat, tipping her wand against it. "I turned your mother to a doll! Strike me down and she will FALL!"
"Mu…Mu…Mom?!" Jolene's firm stance began to wriggle.
"Make one small move! Yes, I dare! I'll vaporize her in the air! My years of knowledge, experience, and magic will not meet an end so tragic!"
"J…Jolene…" The doll wiggled. "You have to finish her… don't worry about me…"
"Mama…"
"YOU HAVE NO HEART!" Grunty snapped. "What I do is on you! Trigger one brain cell and she is through! Move that clay over the side of the castle. Let them all fall, it's no hassle! Do it! I will not be squished! Either kill your mother or let them die in a ditch!"
"Mu-mu-mu…ma-ma-ma-ma…" Jolene's mouth stuttered and her fingers wriggled.
"Jolene, I'm so proud of you." Carmine said. "You're a gifted child… and you'll have a wonderful life. Don't be afraid.
"This is too far, Grunty!" Raymond yelled. "It's too far! …?" The doctor noticed something: the Crystal Jiggy Grunty had dropped. It seemed some clay had attached to it. Jolene was very discretely levitating it behind Grunty.
"Nothing is too far for me! I've seen more than you'll ever see! All the years I've been in business are beyond all you've gone in distance!" The Jiggy slowly floated toward Grunty. "So, I will walk from here alive! Grunty will flourish and thrive! Even your silly Anti-Apparition will tremble before my ambition!" The Jiggy levitated above her wand. "There will be no end to my trickery! I'll drain every youth, enslave every bear, sap every Jinjo, and curse every kingdom on this world UNTIL I ACHIEVE VICTORY!!"
Jolene dropped the Jiggy and snapped the wand's aim downward—Raymond lunged, became a raven, and gouged his talons into Grunty's eyes. She dropped Carmine in trying to swat him off, the raven swooping down to grab Carmine and fly down the tower. "That's one heck of a kid you have there." Raymond said.
"She is…"
"Aaaaaaaaggg!" Grunty scrambled to stuff her eyes back in her sockets… in time to see the falling face. "AAAAAAG!" The force crushed and pressed Gruntilda through the tower itself. "AAAAAAG!" Banjo-Kazooie saw her fall through the next floor.
"Gosh! I didn't think she could fall inwards."
"Uh, Banjo, I think we should get outta here." Kazooie said afraid at the crumbling ceiling.
"I think you're right!" They leapt out the window.
"AAAAAAG!" Grunty fell all the way down Clickclock Wood, splashing in the freezing water and falling through the bottom. "AAAAAAG!" She fell into the Rusty Bucket room, splashed in the poison water, and through the bottom. "AAAAAAG!" She fell through Monster Mansion's organ pipes. "AAAAAAG!" Through Gobi Valley's quicksand full of biting snakes. "AAAAAAG!" Through the top of Freezeezy's snowman, collapsing the whole thing. "AAAAAAG!" Through the piranha-infested waters of Bubblegloop. "AAAAAAG!" Down Clanker's blowhole and through his garbage grinders. "AAAAAAG!" Through Treasure Trove's salty waters as Snacker took a bite. "AAAAAAG!" Down Mumbo's Mountain's tumbling totem poles. "AAAAAA—GUH!" Until she finally burst through the chin at the bottom of her lair. She crashed right on the ruined soiled of Spiral Mountain, sickly gazing at the underside of her crumbling castle. (Play "Grunty's Fall" from Banjo.)
Jolene's enormous head continued to plummet and crumble the great tower one layer at a time. "WHEEEEEEE!" The Friends of Time were safe atop Jolene's head, gleefully enjoying the fall. The head and chin of Grunty's Lair snapped off the cliff, completely burying the witch under thousands and thousands of pounds of rubble.
"… …mmmmhhhh…" The piles of rubble were still and immovable. "… … eeeeehhhhgg… … …so… heavy…" A peaceful air fell over Spiral Mountain. "…Beneath the bedrock… is where I lay? Have I overused my stay?" The earthbenders listened to the weak movement silently. "No… this won't be how it ends. Far does my witchy reign extend. But now, those children… can be safe in their nests. 'Cause… this is… where Grunty… rests…"
The feint quakes beneath Robi and Jolene's feet grew slower… and stopped. They could confirm with certainty… "We won."
"It's over?" Luca asked.
"That's right." Tooty affirmed. "Grunty… will never trouble our homes again."
Robi and Jolene felt a hand on their shoulders. It was Banjo's. "You kids… are the new heroes of Spiral Mountain."
And so, following Robi and Jolene's lead, the horde of kids all cheered: "HOORAAAAAAAAAYYY!"
"Eh, I would give them a C+ at best." Kazooie said.
"Kazooiiiiieee!"
"Oh, Jolene? I believe you dropped this."
Uncle Raymond gave her the doll. Jolene held her mother in her small, tired hands. Even in this inanimate form… Jolene felt her heart… her soul. "I thought I couldn't be any more paralyzed. But at least… I get to see my baby all grown up."
"… … …" Jolene smooshed the dolly to her cheek, moaning in happiness.
Jinjo Village; one day later (Play "Credits" from Banjo-Threeie!)
The Friends of Time were all invited to a barbeque. They took turns riding in Dot's kangaroo. The marsupial groaned trying to support Cartman's fat weight, earning the laughter of the kids and Cartman's resentment. Jim Lad gave cutlasses to Luca, Alberto, and Giulia as they practiced their pirate swordplay. As Jim and Matilda shared their seafaring tales, the three Italians began to strongly consider the pirate life. Schroeder would play his classic piano tune for them all. All the kids learned the Peanut Dance, except the South Parkers deemed it dumb. Onari was chasing the Ghoul School monsters around, pretending they were oni.
Chimi showed Nefertine how to use a bow-and-arrow. Raymond and Rico practiced magic together; the two mages felt a strong kinship. Peppermint Patty went shoeless as she practiced earthbending with Robi's guidance, struggling to help lift the Jinjo houses' debris back into place. Dot and Tupu got cuddly with Tooty and Banjo. Kazooie would then take them for a ride, racing Woodstock and Amaten. Lucy tried her football gag with Luca, who missed, flipped through the air, and fell flat on his back. An angry Alberto walked up to kick Lucy. Norton, Charlie Brown, Piramses, and Kappa played kickball with each other; Kappa tripped and spilled his dish, fainting.
"Man, you two made us look like total chumps." Spike grumbled.
"Oh, they deserved this victory, Spike!" Lily teased, poking his belly. "Besides, if those other Gruntys showed up, it would've been a lot harder!"
"I think you all did perfectly." Jataro smiled. "But to think if I didn't drive us to that park, we never would've saved all these people! Huh, Carmine?"
"Hehehe." The mother had been restored to normal thanks to Humba's Mega-Glowbo pool. "Fate has a funny way of working."
"But how did Grunty break all these time rifts in the first place?" Robi asked. "Was it just her magic?"
"I'm afraid this wasn't Grunty's doing…" a woman spoke.
"Hey, you're here!" Jataro beamed.
"Mrs. Stork?" Kent looked up. "And… Aria's mom?"
MaKayla and Wendy Conbolt descended, the latter carrying Kayla with her fluffy, feathered Nimbi wings. "I guess even old age didn't slow Grunty down." Wendy smiled. "Thanks for helping them, Raymond."
"Oh, I didn't do nothin'." Raymond replied to his godmother ashamedly. Wendy was a foot taller than her magic apprentice, as well as notably thicker. "All I did was lose my wand. These kids were the real talent."
"Mister, what did I say about lying?" Wendy teased. "Do I have to grow your nose out?"
"N-No, ma'am!" Raymond quickly changed airs. The kids laughed.
"Whew, who are these two hotties?" Cartman flirted. "If you angels are from Heaven, then you can call me Arceus~"
"Uh, no thanks." Kayla declined. "Anyway, my name is MaKayla Stork. I might not look it, but I'm the Guardian of Time. My job is to fix chronological distortions in the universe."
"So, does this stuff happen often?" Luca asked.
"Well, lately… yes. We fear something chaotic is happening in the universe. And not just Grunty, but other villains are taking advantage of it. But you won't have to worry. Soon, you'll be returned to your own times and any damages caused by Grunty will be fixed."
"That is good!" Tupu smiled. "But… does it mean we will not be able to meet again?"
"If you people from the past choose to stay in the future, you will exist as paradoxes. History will remain unchanged, but the presence of too many paradoxes will be dangerous for the continuum. And worse, you may end up dying by mere fate. It's better that you return to your own times and live the history you were destined for… even if that means not being able to meet each other."
"But I…I love my new friends."
"Me, too." Onari whimpered.
"We were having so much fun…" Charlie bowed.
"Eh, you kinda lost me there." Jim said, Matilda staring at him reprovingly. "Sounds like a bloody sci-fi movie."
"Why is it that Kenny's allowed to keep reviving, but we can't casually jump through time?" Kyle asked.
"It's alright, kids." Kayla smiled. "Even if you can't meet again, these bonds you've all formed will never go away. The memories you've made will be with you forever. Though we'll erase the things Grunty has done, you will have the experience you've gained and the bonds you've made to give you strength as you move to your future. Some of you may be even more connected than you realize."
"Can we at least leave the portals open a teeny-weeny while?" Robi asked. "If you're gonna fix everything, anyway, can they at least visit each other's towns first? Plus, we haven't fixed the last puzzle, yet! We could even explore Jiggywiggy's Temple together!"
"Hmmm…I suppose the gods can allow that!" Kayla smiled. "So, for now, just enjoy yourselves! Friendships like these only come once in several lifetimes!"
"YAAAAAAAY!"
The friends would treasure every last moment and treasure this happiness forever. However, MaKayla would banish the Gruntys back to their original times and wipe their memories, so they would live out their normal histories as fated. This would also include restoring Grunty's Lair back to its original form… while the rubble of the modified lair created by the current Grunty, along with Grunty herself, would be banished to a Limbo sub-dimension.
Though the friends feared their eventual parting, MaKayla's words would hold true more than they realized.
Dot would marry a man named Nigel Thornberry, an explorer of the world's wildlife. She would birth two children, one of which, Eliza, inherited Dot's animal communication. In Eliza's adult years, she would become pregnant with her own child… but during that time, the G.U.N. had learned about her "metahuman" powers and began hunting her. Eliza feared dragging her child into that, so when Tupu was born, she entrusted her baby to the squirrels of Central Park. Tupu herself would marry Norton and have a daughter named Apis. They moved to an island town called Water 7 with Norton's Arceist father, and it was there Apis would meet irreplaceable friends.
Inspired by Jim and Matilda, Team Luca would go on to become free adventurers. Luca and Giulia would marry and have kids and would later peacefully pass away. But in their afterlives, they wanted to start a new adventure. So, they chose to reincarnate… and then, Jim and Matilda would be born.
The Peanuts Gang rose against Chancellor Cole's demons and freed the slaves of the tapioca factory, not only thanks to Patty's earthbending, but Schroeder's newfound musicbending and Pig-Pen's poisonbending. Growing up, Patty would search for other earthbenders to train with and would one day meet a man named Howard Granite. They had a daughter named Angelie, who became a gifted earthbender as well. Angie would have a son named Anthony… and later a grandson: Robi McKenzie.
Banjo and Tooty lived peaceful lives in their homeland, meeting their own spouses and having kids. Unfortunately, in her later years, Tooty would die from the Vocal Parasite curse. Tooty was angry that Grunty was still alive, causing her brother and homeland harm even still. So, Tooty chose to reincarnate, hoping to be of help to them again somehow. And Jolene Kemuri was born.
…
…
…
Robi and Jolene asked their parents to bring them to a game store later. They searched the shelves thoroughly and hopefully. "…Three-ie!" Jolene pointed.
"HUUUUUUU!" Robi gasped with utmost glee. "THERE IT IS!"
There, in a Nintendo NW game case, right between Sly 5 and Dead Space 4… was Banjo-Threeie. A vast, gorgeous, platform-adventure masterpiece. It had Banjo, Kazooie, Tooty, Mumbo, and their friends on the greatest adventure ever. "It really did come…" Robi reached and pulled the gem of a game down. "…Jolene? Are you okay?"
He had never seen Jolene cry this much. "Huh?" Her expression was clueless as always. "I…I don't know. But I…" Jolene took the case and hugged it… and she felt as if another part of her were hugging even more. "I feel like I waited… a really long time."
Robi shared the hug with her. The children never felt more happy… and they would value this treasure always.