It didn't take the group long to make their way back to Twoson and Burglin Park. They found Apple Kid dozing beneath a tree near the back of the park, south of Everdread's house. He awoke as they approached. "I'm feeling really out of it after working all night on this," he spoke up groggily as he held up a small device with a dish on one end and a single button at the other. "But I'm really proud, because finally the Pencil Eraser is ready!"
"The Pencil...Eraser?" Ness asked carefully as he took the device.
"Yup!" Apple Kid said proudly even as he swayed somewhat. "This machine will eradicate all pencil-shaped figures in just one second, no matter what they're made of! It's incredibly powerful!" He blinked a bit. "Just...don't use it near a store that sells pencils...or in the school supplies aisle of the department store." He noticed the odd look Moondancer was giving him. "Something wrong?"
"Not exactly," Moondancer allowed. "It's just..." She hesitated, trying to find a way to phrase her inquiry without coming across as ungrateful. "You're right that this is exactly what we need to continue our journey right at this moment - our path is blocked by a pencil shaped statue of all things - and this is, of course, an amazing piece of technology that it can do such things, be so small and portable, and never need to recharge...but..."
"But...?" Apple Kid prompted, enjoying the praise but confused about the direction the discussion was taking.
"Why?" Moondancer asked finally. "Why would you build such a device? What possible reason could you have to think making it was a good idea? Plainly you were right, but...how did you arrive at such a conclusion?"
Apple Kid blinked as he tried to make sense of what Moondancer was asking. "...I don't think I ever actually asked myself 'why' when it came to any of my inventions before..." he admitted in wonder. "I just...made them. It was just...the thing to do."
"...well, I've heard stranger explanations," Moondancer allowed thoughtfully.
"Any chance it was an odd talk with a member of the Runaway Five?" Ness asked suddenly, causing Moondancer to spin to stare at him.
Apple Kid blinked. "Come to think of it, I think it was a talk with Groovy - the Runaway Five's cellist - that made me start trying. See he'd asked me to work on a device he'd found..." Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out a strange device with multiple odd inputs and a strange shaped output. "He called it the Combinulator. Said it could combine two items into one, and as an example he talked about combining a pencil and an eraser into...something that wasn't a number 2 pencil with attached eraser. That's what gave me the idea to make the Pencil Eraser." He looked the device over. "He said it was useful, but only someone really smart could actually make it work. He was hoping I could simplify it so anyone could use it...but I couldn't even manage to make it work." He pointed to the multiple inputs. "All I managed to do was upgrade it to be able to use more than two items at a time. Maybe you'll find a really smart guy to make it work." He handed the device over to Ness. "I'm sure Groovy won't mind me giving it to you."
"I'm pretty sure he won't," Moondancer murmured thoughtfully, remembering when she'd last seen the device. "I'm sure it'll be useful...eventually."
Ness slipped the Pencil Eraser and the Combinulator into his backpack. "Well, we've got what we need. Thanks Apple Kid!" With a wave, he turned and led the way back to Peaceful Rest Valley.
"If I invent some other brilliant item, I'll call you!" Apple Kid called out as they left, before laying back under the tree to doze off again.
It didn't take long to get back to Peaceful Rest Valley, and the Pencil Eraser was as effective as they could have hoped. Before their very eyes, the pencil-shaped statue was erased right before their eyes, fading out of existence as though dissolving. "Wow," Ness murmured in awe as he watched it happen.
"Impressive," Moondancer murmured agreement.
After that, exploring Peaceful Rest Valley was simple if frustrating, as it proved to be a long winding path that went up and down slopes, across bridges, around the top of plateaus, and past quite a few pointless dead ends...the entire path swarming with Walking Sprouts, Shambling Oaks, UFOs, and Spinning Robots. It was eventually a relief to enter another cave passage.
"I never want to go through there again!" Ness murmured fervently. "At least, not until we find another Sanctuary and the mad things start running from us."
"It might be too far from a Sanctuary for the power to affect them," Buzz Buzz pointed out worriedly.
Ness groaned irritably. "I'm just glad you were able to grab hold of those UFOs to hold them still," he told Moondancer. "Otherwise, there's no telling how long they'd have kept zipping out of range of my swings and zapping us."
"Don't mention it," Moondancer murmured softly, glancing apologetically up at Buzz Buzz.
"Don't worry about it," Buzz Buzz reassured her. "That's...a past life."
"Well, at least we're past it for now," Ness declared in relief. "Now we just need to explore the settlement on the other side of this cavern, and figure out where Paula is."
"I should be able to lock onto her PSI signal," Moondancer reassured him. "That should make things rather straightforward. Once we find where she's being held, we can figure out how best to save her, and then find the Sanctuary."
"Agreed," Ness confirmed. "The sooner we're back past that Valley, the better..." His voice trailed off as he stepped out of the cave.
"Is something wrong...?" Moondancer started to ask, only for her own voice to trail off as she saw what had so stunned Ness.
As Buzz Buzz joined them, he found himself reacting to the scene...differently. "Yo listen up, here's the story, about a little guy that lives in a blue world-"
"Seriously, Buzz Buzz?" Moondancer demanded irritably.
"What do you expect? I used to be in a band."