(A Note from Lemmy: If you have not already done so, you may wish to consider reading How It All Fits Together, as this story makes a number of subtle references to it.
Prologue
After all those run-ins with the Bandits, the red coins, the giant monsters, the mini-games, the crying, the losses, and the defeats alike, the journey had finally boiled itself down to what was destined to happen since the beginning of it: It was the fearsome battle between the green one, Yoshi, and the giant one, Bowser. Thanks to the magic of his royal vizier, Kamek, he was big enough to practically take on the whole world. Of course, to the average person, this would have all spelled inevitable doom. But Yoshi was far from average. But Yoshi didn't know this, truly, until this moment had come. Giant Yoshi eggs were the keys to winning this fight, but they definitely would not have been there had it not have been for his seven friends. In the background, away from the real action, the others were working hard to provide Yoshi with the supplies needed for victory. While Yoshi and the baby on his back, Mario, took it at the location pertaining to what little was left of the Koopas' ruined, royal castle, the others were distant enough to be away from the actual action, but not too distant to make a difference. The red one, Rachi, would find the Fat Guy and swallow him. He would use his inner system to transform it instantly into a giant egg for the pink one, Pinky, to take and hold it out for the yellow one, Yazzee, to tie a balloon to. The string would come from the light blue one, Azure, the balloons would come from the blue one, Oshi, and the air would come from the purple one, Pish. It was the brown one, Xoshi, who would work in the background to make sure none of Kamek's toadies could interfere with the raging battle. So Yoshi had plenty of projectiles with which to defend himself and offend his opponent. It eventually narrowed itself down to an even tougher fight involving less ground and more fireballs. Bowser was furious and his mood worsened with each passing second of the bout. Yoshi then noticed yet another giant egg floating up to greet him. He took it, positioned it with his right arm, closed one eye for the extra accuracy, then let 'er fly.
Through the air, the giant spotted Yoshi egg hurled. Unaware of it, for the final time, Bowser just kept charging forward towards his prize. It detonated upon impact into a whole mess of shell and yolk. "YES!" shouted Yoshi, triumphantly. The beast then stopped his motion to let his final wound take over. With a stunned look of horror and defeat upon his face, he gave off an assortment of flashing, sparkling flashes of light. The spell was broken.
The others discontinued their organized duties to run up to Yoshi and watch the display together. They could each feel the previous events that had come to pass flash before their eyes. Their heads were filled with memories consisting from the moment the baby fell from the sky, to the first time they met Kamek, to the fight against Raphael the Raven, right down to the very castle itself. At last, after a round of red, orange, white, green, purple, and blue, the flashes ceased, and the monster disappeared. He reappeared a second later in mid-air, restored to his original size. He crashed down upon the very ground before the nine heroes. He lay there, eyes clenched shut, but twitching. Somehow, he managed to utter out a few last words.
"I'o get you fo dis, you gween donkey, if it's da wast t'ing I do! Ugh..." at that, he slowly slipped away into a rite of unconsciousness. His vizier, Kamek, had finally returned via his trademark broomstick. A look of horror came across his face once he laid his bespectacled eyes upon the wounded Koopaling. He flew in a little closer to the advantage of everyone.
"Never, in all my life have I ever witnessed such performances of raw tenacity," he spoke. "You, my 'friends', have severely crossed the line. The Koopa Klan does not ever lose. Mark my words, sinister Yo'sters: Each and every one of you will pay for what you did; for everything you did! This is completely unforgivable. We will return..." At that, he then grabbed a hold of the little terror's tail and flew off, romantically into the moonrise. Once again, the sun was already setting. It all ended the same way it began.
"Guys," their leader, Yoshi, spoke up. "None of us could have accomplished this on his own. It was a very long and very arduous task. For that, I shall thank each of you dearly."
For a response, he got a mixture of phrases like "Oh, it was nothing," "Don't mention it," and "What else are friends for?" They then stood for a little while to let it all sink in. Then little Mario tapped Yoshi on the shoulder to grab his attention.
"Hm?" he asked. Baby Mario pointed a little off in the next direction. There, hanging by a couple of loose threads from a tree branch, were their rescuees, Baby Luigi and the stork from long before. "Oh, my goodness! I can't believe this! It's them!" Excitedly, they each hopped and flutter-kicked their way on over, remaining careful to not fall into any bottomless pits.
It was such a pitiful sight to see them there, all tied up and helpless. They helped them out, though, so then another exchange of comments could ensue.
"Finally!" uttered the stork once he was back on his feet. "It was horrible! Do you realize how long he kept me there?! Oh, poor Luigi must be dreadfully starved! I'm late! Their parents must be terribly worried."
"So, you were with them this whole time?" said Yoshi.
The stork responded by saying, "Of course. It's a rather long story, you see."
"That's alright; we don't mean to delay your trip any further," said Pish. "You just go on ahead. It was nice working with you."
"Yes, quite," said the stork. Once the two babies were finally reunited and re-bundled up, he picked them both up with his bill, then turned around, about to take off. But he had something else on him. "There must be some way I could repay the eight of you..."
"How 'bout some money?" suggested Yazzee. The others elbowed him.
"Really, it's not-" Yoshi tried saying, but was interrupted by the stork.
"Nonsense! Why, I've been meaning to get rid of these things for years!" He then revealed a dusty, but still intact pair of shades. "Go on, take 'em; I don't need 'em. Neither does the doctor, for that matter."
"'Doctor'?" asked Yoshi.
"Yes, Doctor Kamenstein. He lives in Sarasaland and is currently working on his latest invention: genetically engineered treasure hunters. He's my boss, and he once stole these from his archnemesis, Foreman Spike."
"Really? He's a scientist?" said Rachi. "That's very interesting!"
"I'm more concerned about this Foreman Spike guy," said Oshi. "Tell us: Who was he?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I really must be going now. The parents are waiting..."
"At least tell us your name!" said Yoshi.
"It's... I don't really have one. According to my boss, I'm the 'Stork 64'," he said.
"Well, then, we'll just call you 'Storko'!" said Yazzee. "Is that okay with you?"
"Hm, 'Storko'; has a nice ring to it."
"Also, if you ever get time to tell us all about it, we'll be waiting, over there, at Yo'ster Isle." Yoshi pointed to the mass off in the distance.
"Yo'ster Isle it is. And now, I shall be off..." But just when he was about to leave once more, they stopped him again.
"Wait!" said Pinky.
"What is it this time?" he asked, beginning to lose his patience.
"Don't we get to say goodbye to the babies before you leave?"
"Oohh... Very well. But this'll be our last moment together; for now." He floated back down to fulfill their requests. One by one, they spoke to the babies, even though they were obviously too young to comprehend.
"Goodbye, little one," said Rachi to Mario. "Ever since I first saw you, I knew you had good taste; red: the color of fire and passion. I know both will serve you well in the future."
"I guess this is goodbye," said Pinky. "We hardly knew each other, but we had a lot of fun together. Just so you know, we won't ever forget either of the two of you. And that's that."
The yellow one, Yazzee, then spoke up. "You were a great companion. I always loved it whenever you grabbed that Star and became Powerful Mario. I know you'll go far."
Yoshi then took his turn. "Well, Mario, I guess this is it. We probably won't be seeing you ever again, but we helped you and your brother, and somehow, you returned the favor... I..." Yoshi couldn't find the right words. It was all just happening too fast. The tears started to form in his eyes as his voice croaked. "I'm sorry; it's just that I'm not used to these goodbyes. It's hard to describe; there's something unseen about you. I wish I knew what it was. Well... So long..."
Azure, being the mute one, could only take the tiny hands of the younger sibling in his own and lean forward to passionately press his forehead against that of the other. Then he leaned back, patted the little infant's hands, stepped back, and waved. Pish was the next to go. "If only this scene weren't so sad. If only I didn't have a conscience. Young Luigi, you've got your whole life ahead of you. I really shouldn't be delaying you any further. After all, your parents need you way more than we do." He stepped back, too. "I wish you only the best of luck when it comes to that-which-has-not-yet-come-to-pass. 'Til we meet again." He then took a bow and let Oshi have his turn.
"I don't know who you are, who your brother is, who your parents are, who or what that stork is, who he's working for, who the archnemesis was, where you came from, or where you're going, but... It's probably none of my concern. I can see that intelligence of yours just shimmering in your blessed eyes. May they never blind your path."
Finally, Xoshi stepped forward. "Fate; it's quite the unpredictable phenomenon, isn't it? Who'd have thought your brother would have just fallen right out of the sky? I live out each day uncertain of what's to come. But no matter what I do, it will always be there for me. Invisibly and mutually, it will accompany you, too, Luigi. And so will we. But remember: You must always live in the present. For yesterday is unchangeable, intangible, and the future continues to become the present with each passing second. May the power of the stars be forever on your soul. I bid thee farewell." At last, the goodbyes were over and Storko was off. The eight of them waved until the moment came and they each turned around to slowly make their ways back over to their homeland. That march of theirs was mixed with many emotions: happiness over the success of their mission, sadness over the departure of their friends, and pensiveness over Kamek's last words.
Fate, thought Xoshi to himself. Fate, indeed...
Chapter 1
As the Stork 64 (earlier re-named "Storko") drifted his way through the post-dusk sky, few were aware of just how closely their actions were being monitored. One of the many great things that the planet, Plit, has to offer is how it has so much more to offer than just a bunch of white dots irregularly placing themselves amongst the blackness of the sky. Plit has two moons: One of them, as odd as this may sound, actually is crescent-shaped. It is where bizarre occurrences such as inter-dimensional travel and "special" things go on. The other one is a pentagon where prayers get answered. To some, it is known as the "Space Zone", to others, it is known as the "Star Road", to some individuals, it is the "Star Street", and in other cultures, it is known as "Star Haven".
Yes, it was a magnificent realm of only the most spectacular wonders existing ever-so-high above the clouds, its purple surfaces and structures all blessed by the guardian angels of the planet, the Star Kids, as well as the glitter and such. Deep within the very center of this location lay the heart of it all: a sanctuary where only the most elite of wish-granters resided and the purest of water flowed: the revered, seven Star Spirits.
At the time, the seven of them consisted of the following: a plant-elemental by the name of Nay-Charr, an ice-elemental named Blizzarr, an air-elemental going by the name of Earhar, a fire-elemental that went by Pyrar, a water-elemental named Seastar, a time-elemental addressed as Mummar, and lastly (yet, actually also least, in a way), a neutral-elemental ironically named Eldstar. They actually went in that one particular order, from eldest to youngest. That made Nay-Charr the highest of the highest, of course. She was a green Star Spirit that wore a scarf of leaves. Her skin-color showed the pattern a man would see if he were to observe the wavy lines that trees form when they are made into beds, or other pieces of upholstery. Being female and so high-ranking, she not only watched over the mortals of the "real" world, but also the other six Star Spirits. Blizzar was a male donned in a fur hat, a scarf, and a pair of snow-boarding goggles to complement his sky-blue tone. He was the one with a real "chill-out" kind of personality. Earhar had a gap in her teeth to go with her pilot's helmet. She too wore a scarf. She could have been compared to the Goddess of Adventure. Pyrar's skin lay somewhere annoyingly between pink and orange so it was hard to tell which it was. His facial features consisted of a tightly closed mouth, droopy eyes, and a firm pair of flaming red eyebrows to represent his seriousness. Seastar was one to be considered beautiful by other Stars. Her skin was light pink and she wore an aqua-colored bow fastened to the top point of her star-shaped body. She tended to be a little more relaxed than the others on a regular basis. Mummar was a Star Spirit almost completely wrapped up in bandages, not unlike, well, a mummy. He wore an hourglass around his neck and only his two little eyes could be made out. Lastly, Eldstar was a yellow Star Spirit with a healthy black mustache and a nice pair of eyebrows to go with it. He was the pensive, philosophical one.
Their next meeting was just about to begin as they gazed upon the globe of magic amidst the center of their temple-like room, just above the altar of that room, which held their treasure, the omnipotent Star Rod. They were observing the stork as it flew its way through the clouds and between the mountains. Beneath the three-dimensional image, names could have been made out like "Yoshiki Haruhana" and "Shigeru Miyamoto". The ending credits were still being displayed before the Star Spirits as Nay-Charr was the first to speak. "Brothers and Sisters," she said, "what you are witnessing is far from the ending; it is merely the beginning; the beginning of the beginning."
"With all due respect, Nay-Charr, what is this you speak of?" Pyrar was the one who said that.
"Yes, I, too would like the answer to that question," said Seastar.
"Same here," "and here," murmured a few of the others. She picked herself back up with a little more elaboration. "Fellow Star Spirits, I've kept this from you until now: A higher power is at hand here; one not even I can confirm. The entire spectacle regarding the Koopa Klan, the Yoshi Clan, and the Mario Clan, was not in the least one of coinciding occurrences."
A few more murmurs ensued. "What do you mean?" said Blizzar.
"I meant what I said, and already, I have said too much. It's a rather complicated plan, you see, and I'm afraid I am not allowed to let you in on any further details." Of course, this resulted in a few annoyed arisings from the other members of the council. "Please, understand; but I assure you it's all only in the best of intentions. I only ask that you concede to it so the cards can be played out correctly. Perhaps, when the time comes, I, too, shall have the light unveil before me. But alas, now is not the time."
"Well, then, what is it time for?!" said Pyrar, a bit more than a little ticked.
"Patience, Pyrar, patience. The next step in our divine plan shall be to construct a seven-some of magic wands, each of them with our own respectable powers to behold. Each one shall be fought with against tyranny and for the side of justice. They will in the end, I promise you, form a new and improved world of balance."
"And then what?" asked Blizzar, again.
"Each of them will be given to a man; seven mortals. Only one among us knows of their exact whereabouts as well as what has given them the Divine Right to wield each one. These men will rise to power and thwart the oncoming evil that is approaching."
"And who is this that is among us you speak of, my lady?" said Eldstar, for the first time.
"He was the same Star Warrior who once smote the Shy Gang. The one to carry out this mission shall be..."
Chapter 2
While Kamek was taking care of things back at the castle, the real owners, Bowser's parents, Gorroh and Helga, were enjoying a vacation on their latest weapon, the Koopa Cruise. It was a big ship done over in mostly green with their logo on the side, of course. Gorroh was in his personal room, which, of course, was particularly bigger and fancier than the others. He was at his desk writing something. "...'My liege! Please; take me away from these ingrates!' Shmy Guy shouted. His 'queen' had but one thing to say to him..." He paused to chew the top of his pen a little before writing the rest out.
King Gorroh Koopa; he was a massive reptile donned in a red shell with maroon-colored hair to go with it. "Hmm..." he said out of contemplation. Just then, his wife, Helga, the queen, waltzed in.
"Dear," she said to him. "I'm back from the massage tables. You really should go there sometime."
"Really?" He looked up from his work to face her as she strode towards him. "So, tell me: Is it mutual? Do they like getting those skilled hands of theirs punctured by your lovely spikes?" The two of them laughed at the comment. Helga was a shorter, thinner Koopa than him. Her shell was green and her hair was a blazing red.
"Oh, you..." she said simply. She leaned in closer to examine his activity. "How are the memoirs coming along?"
"Splendid. I may have written myself into a corner, though..."
"Let's have a look..." At that, she picked up the page he was just on and started reading at some point. "Hm, I see. I must say the part when the shadowy figure reverted back to its female human form was a nice touch. I'd say at this point they'll be needing another line from your villainess here; perhaps something like, 'and one of you has decided to switch sides'. You know, to wrap up the speech and get the other characters all fried up."
"That's brilliant!" He then picked the pen back up and started scribbling. After a second or two he said, "Wow. This writes itself..." Then he put it down and got up. He made his way over to the table with the liquor. He poured two fancy-looking glasses. "You know, Helga, you've always had a knack for coming up with only the greatest of lies."
She meandered on over and took the glass he had held out for her. "'And that's why I married you'. Yes, Dear, I've heard the tale before." They laughed again and drank from their glasses. Once both were downed completely, they simultaneously turned to face each other, threw their beverage containers aside absent-mindedly, complete with a few shattering noises as they hit the floor, then they slowly advanced towards one another. Soon the two of them united themselves once more in a passionate embrace through their hugs and kisses. This typical makeout scene continued on further until a knock ensued at their door.
"Come in," said the Koopa King. In walked a red Koopa Troopa.
"Sir, your son and the royal vizier have just arrived. They-"
"WHAT?! What on Plit would they be doing in a place like this?!" Gorroh and Helga unlocked themselves so he could make his way on over to the door, which the Troopa was just in front of.
"They had a bit of trouble back at the castle and knew where to go."
"Well, that makes sense. But the point was NOTHING should have happened while we were away!" He was out the door and onto the deck at that point with his wife trailing just behind him. She pushed right past the red messenger.
"Oh, excuse me," she uttered unto a slightly bewildered Koopa Troopa. On the deck, the Koopa tyrants were greeted by a good number of servants ranging from variously other-colored Terrapins to Sailor Bros. In the center of it all, indeed, was their most trusted vizier, the blue-garbed Kamek, and their son, Bowser, the prince. They pushed their ways through until they were in the middle of a few words that were being exchanged between the Magikoopa and a green-shelled warrior.
"Yes, a Maple Syrup would do nicely. Ah! King Gorroh, my liege. Thank DAD you're here," he said once the other participant left to get the recovery items.
"Kamek! What happened?!" He was getting worked up since the base was left in the hands of Kamek, the man himself, while the others were away enjoying their vacation. Kamek was a trusted one, alright, but obviously the only reason why he would have returned would have been if it was an extra, EXTRA emergency. While Kamek was explaining it to him, the mother, Helga, was minding her unconscious son through a manner of hysteria.
"I would have consulted with you on an earlier basis, Sire, but you two really were in need of some time off." As he was saying this, some of the other Magikoopas on the ship were busy picking up and carrying off the young tyrant, since they were the ones specialized in the medicinal arts. A blue Koopa Troopa was busy guiding Helga to their room. "One night, taking place not long after the two of you left with some of the cruise minions, I had a dream. I was being guided through a temple of solid gold by a creature that looked like a towering humanoid owl. Once we made it to the altar, he then showed me an orb of magic in the very fabric of the air just above that altar. It first showed the image of a stork flying through the air with two infants in his bill. Then there was the image of the same two babies, one of them wearing a red cap, the other, a green one, sitting on the front step of... some greatly unrecognizable asylum. Then there was the image of two full-grown men, wearing the same hats, with plumber outfits to match, might I add, overthrowing a Koopa with a green shell and red hair. The last sequence showed the image of the stork, once more." At this point, there was less of a crowd polluting the space of Gorroh and Kamek. They had returned to their workstations. "I kid you not, Sire, it was far more than a dream; it was an omen. I couldn't let it happen to the Koopa Klan! I left things in the hands of Kammeron and sped off on my broomstick to change the future. I used my magic to cross over to the Light World, and there they were! With a definite 'THE BABIES ARE MINE!' I snatched the two of them, leaving the stork to spin in mid-air. However, it wasn't until I had returned to my lair when I realized that I had only one of the twins on me: Luigi Mario."
At that point, Helga returned to rejoin her husband and the advisor. "It's just a few bumps and bruises. My apologies for missing out on the story. Would it be too much trouble to have it repeated?"
Gorroh sighed. "No, my dear. In fact, why don't we start this conversation over in our room?"
"Yes, that sounds fair." They turned to leave, but were soon interrupted by the same green Koopa Troopa from before.
"Your Maple Syrup, sir," he said, handing the bottle to Kamek.
"Thank you," he said, and the three of them headed on back.
Storko drew ever-so-much closer to his destination with each flap of the wings he made. Down below, he could see the four-part kingdom of Sarasa Land amongst the waters of the endless ocean. He swooped down closer so the specific location he was looking for would come into view. It was set atop the edge of a cliff. A dome-shaped observatory sat lying in wait for him with the lights on. Like before, the stork lowered his altitude and became level with the doorbell. He pushed it with his long beak, then stood on the front step waiting for his master to open it up. "I'm coming!" he heard the mad scientist say. Finally, he opened up the door. Doctor Kamenstein was what looked like a Magikoopa wearing a white labcoat, hence forming what they would call a "Madscikoopa". "Yes, how may I-" he stopped himself in mid-sentence upon realization. "Where were you?! Did the princes make it back safely?!" He was hysterical.
"Yes, Doctor, they did. How exactly that is true would be a long story," his stork responded.
"Well, then, don't waste anymore time, now, we can talk about it indoors. Besides, your dinner's getting cold!" With that, the mad scientist stepped aside for Storko to walk through while he held the door open. Once that was over with, he closed it and the two of them made their ways on over to the "kitchen". It was a rather metallic room, chrome like everything else was in his "house". It had all the necessities required in order for it to actually be called a kitchen, complete with the counter, the stools, the refrigerator, and the automatic food-making device, which was the bulk of the kitchen. He made for himself a cup of coffee while Storky hopped back into his oversized cage in the corner where his birdseed laid in wait. As soon as he started pecking at his "cold dinner", the Madscikoopa got started once more. "So, tell me," he took a sip of his coffee, sitting down on one of the stools he pulled up to listen. "How come you're so late? You'd BETTER have a good excuse."
Storko finished swallowing the first round of his dinner before responding. "Oh, I assure you, Doctor, I do have a good reason; it's as good as they get, if I do say so myself..."
"Well, go on then." He took another sip.
"Well, see, it's like this: On my way back to the vacationing spot of the King and the Queen, I was attacked by this blue thing that just rushed at me out of nowhere and practically knocked the wind out of me. Man, was I dizzy. Once I came out of my daze, I made only the WORST of realizations: The babies were gone."
"Oh dear."
"Yes, I was quite panicked. I tried looking for them, but I just didn't know where to begin. There was a rock here, an island there, a mountain in the other direction... After a little while, I thought it almost might as well have been best for me to just give up on the mission altogether and head on back to tell you the bad news."
"But they did make it back safely in time, correct?!" He tended to be a little tense at all times, being the mad scientist that he was.
"Yes, Doctor, and I'll get to that in a moment. As I was saying, JUST when I was ABOUT to give up, these... hooded, red things with buck-teeth and glasses-"
"HEY!"
"It meant nothing, Doctor, I assure you that."
"Well... Yes, quite. Just be a little more careful next time."
"Yes, sir. They had these propellers on their heads to make them fly and they came up to me for some reason. I tried to go around, but the five of us were much more than merely a couple of parties coincidentally headed in the opposite directions of each other’s ways. Boy, was I wrong! They started attacking me! I just didn't understand why! All I could do was take the hits while at the same time try to maintain my airborne-ness."
"'Airborne-ness' is not a word."
"No, it's not, but you catch my drift. They knocked me out and the next thing I knew, I was in a... nursery of some sort. The plant kind, not the baby kind, mind you, although there was one right next to it, come to think of it..."
"Oh, oh, oh; speaking of 'nurseries', I- Oh, I'm sorry, go on."
"No, you can tell me, would it have anything to do with-"
"Never mind, never mind. I'll tell you later. You just finish your story."
"Alright, then. Anyways, I spent a good deal of time hanging upside-down from that tree with one of the other two babies next to me, still swaddled up in his white bundle and all. I could never tell if it was the red one or the green one because he was just always there. Except when they took him to do some other things, but anyway, he would always be there whenever he did anything bad, but I was a different case, so I was there, 24/7, with nothing to do besides plead with the guards, sing the 'bottles-of-beer' song, and think about questions that all started with the phrase 'what if'."
"You poor things."
"Oh, it was HORRIBLE!Well, at least they kept me fed. But the food was horrible, too. My assumption was that the baby wasn't really having it much better, and after such a long time came to pass, there was havoc everywhere! They decided to keep the baby next to me until they got the chaos cleared up. Apparently, the castle was being invaded. It was kind of like a dream come true since I didn't know how else they were going to rescue me and the baby. The next thing I knew, the place started quaking and there was this gigantic Koopa Kid off in the distance. He demolished the place! I could see eight Yoshis trying to fend off the monster. The green one had the other baby on his back! Since it was the red one, I found out which one I had through deduction, of course; Luigi, to be more precise. Oh, man, that was one fierce battle. But once the green guy dealt him the final blow, the Koopa Kid exploded and this miniature version of him took his place. They said a few things, and then, finally, they came over to our rescue..."
"So, lemme get this straight," said Gorroh once the three of them were back inside the big room, sitting down to talk matters over. "You had a vision that these two plumbers would eventually ruin the Koopa Klan, right?"
"Correct, sir" chided the Magikoopa.
"So, your plan was to recruit them?"
"Yes, sir. That was the plan. It was either that, killing them, or admitting defeat. As you can see, my preference was to upgrade our army even further through their recruitments."
"Even though they would have acted more like our other two sons rather than the latest new soldiers," said Helga.
"I suppose so, but that's about the gist of the story."
"Well, one way or another, we can't allow this to happen," said Gorroh. "Kamek, as soon as Bowser gets rested up, I want the two of you to go out there and look for those babies while I send a few of our crew members back to repair our castle. When that time comes, you'll find us in the Hidden Fortress of the Clattagin Woods. But, for now, I must have a word with the pilot of this ship. Is that all clear, Kamek?" He got up out of his seat.
"Well, number one, I don't understand why Bowser has to come with me, and number two, I don't think they're called 'pilots'."
"He'll be coming with us because it'll help him develop vengeance and fighting skills. Trust me, the experience will serve him well. It did for me..." He turned around and left the room, leaving both Helga and Kamek behind. Kamek removed the cork of his Maple Syrup and took a quick swig of it.
"Well, if you hadn't done it, someone else would have. I really have been meaning to get rid of those wretched sunglasses. They were such a painful reminder..." said Dr. Kamenstein as he led his stork through the halls of his dome. They stopped just before a certain door. "'Storko', hm?" he said, turning to face the bird.
"Yes, sir."
"Well, then. Wait until you lay eyes upon this and the names I gave them," said the Madscikoopa. Ever-so carefully, he turned the knob and pushed it open so as not to make any sound. Once he was in, he beckoned Storko forward so they could have a look. The room starred two cribs. One of them had a baby with a yellow cap while the other’s infant had a blue cap. Both of them were sound asleep. "I call them Wario and Waluigi," he whispered.
"Oh, they're so precious," said Storko, about as quietly as the doctor had done. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why Wario and Waluigi?"
"Well," he moved out of the room with Storko following. Once he closed the door, they started walking again; this time, they took a different course. "You are familiar with that one book I have on me, correct?" he said, this time with his voice raised a little bit hire. "The one entitled Words of the Past?"
"Yes, Doctor, I know that one."
"Well," once again, they were at another door. Dr. Kamenstein fumbled around with his pockets a little until he found what he was looking for. He flipped through his ring of keys a little until he found the proper one, which he used to unlock the door and open it. "I named them after an ancient term." They were inside and the room turned out to be some kind of miniature library, loaded with shelves of about a million books, not all of them in their respective places. Some were on the floor while others came in stacks. He then made his way over to a podium of some sort. He bent down, picked up one of the books, then set it atop the podium and started flipping through it. "This term... it came... from an ancient language spoken by the legendary Spritelings... or was it the Ravens? Ah-HA! Here it is," he placed his finger on a particular paragraph. "'*, pronounced "wa", ancient word coming from the language of the Stars,' oh, yes. I see. 'coming from the language of the Stars, meaning fixed, upgraded, recent, new and improved'." He snapped the book shut. "Wario and Waluigi: The new and improved versions of those babies you took care of a little while ago."
"You mean Mario and Luigi?"
"Precisely." The two of them got up and walked out of the room. Dr. Kamenstein locked it once more and stowed away his keys.
"Why must you always lock it?" asked the stork.
"You can never be too careful." They started walking down the halls once more. "Besides: It's not just you and me anymore, we've got the babies to worry about from now on. They are, after all, the ultimate treasure hunters." They came across another door for the Madscikoopa to fumble around with, what with his keys and all. Again, he found the right one, unlocked the door, then stepped inside. "At least, that's what I want them to become..." They were then inside the mad scientist's lab. They made their ways on over to the table in the middle where a whole bunch of blueprints lay in wait.
"You mean they could be failures?!"
"Let's hope not!" said the doctor. He picked up a few of the blueprints, then flattened them on the table before them. They showed all kinds of pictures and diagrams decorated with various lines and words and numbers, all of them done in white. He was focused on the one that showed the front-views and side-views of two scary-looking men. One of them was short and fat while the other one was tall and scrawny. "Behold," he started up again. "Once those boys have reached the peaks of their evolution, this will be what they'll look like."
"Frightening."
"I know! Look at this; they've got everything! Pointy ears for hearing things within a ten-mile radius, sharpened eyesight for even the darkest of evenings, prodigious pink noses to sniff things out... everything!" He put down the blue prints. "Currently, they're looking pretty good. But you can see why I don't want them to be failures."
"Yes, sir." Just then, they heard the doorbell ring. DING DONG! They also heard the sounds of two babies crying.
"I've got to get that thing fixed," said Dr. Kamenstein. "Storky, would you mind answering the door for me? I'll take care of this one..."
"Yes, sir." As the mad scientist ran off, Storko made his way over to the front door where their next guest lay in wait. "Yes?" he said as he opened up the door. There standing before him was this young woman and her two children, one male and slightly younger than his accompanying sister.
"I'm sorry if this seems rude in the least," said the woman, apparently the mother of the two children. "But we are in grave need of some shelter and we didn't know where else to turn."
"Oh, well then; come on in." Storko beckoned the threesome inside.
"Thank you, so much," she said. Once they were all seated, Storky got the conversation going.
"So, tell me: Who might you be, and what brought you here?"
"Well, my name is Marilyn Ice. These are my children, Tessa and William."
The two of them responded through a combination between a "hello" and a "hi". Stork replied through an "It's a pleasure to meet the three of you. I am called Storko. This is where me and the doctor reside; Doctor Kamenstein."
"'Kamenstein'? I've heard of him!" said the woman.
"He's a few rooms over, minding the babies."
"Babies?"
"Yes. He created them. It's a long story. Yours, please?"
"What? Oh, yes, of course. It's like this: We come from Gana Village. We were just finishing up the last bits of our chores when these evil clowns arrived. The villagers had little choice but to evacuate. My husband, Christopher, was one of the few they managed to capture."
Storko let out a "Hmm" when Dr. Kamenstein suddenly whipped himself out of nowhere from behind the corner over there. He spoke five words: "Did you say 'evil clowns'?!"
A yellow Koopa Troopa with a scar going across his left eye was the one steering the ship. Gorroh walked in to put the first few parts of his plan in motion. "Arris, head the ship towards the Clattagin Woods," he said.
"Yes, sir," the Koopa Troopa named Arris said. From a distance, the ship's turning around to head its way off into another direction was noticeable. They were being watched by a mysterious someone who was seating herself on her broomstick.
"Ah, so that's where they're going. They can run, but they can't hide. Not from the most beautiful Koopa in existance, they can’t! Bleh heh heh heh heh heh hehh..."
Chapter 3
"Oh, I am so glad our boys made it back home safely," said the mother of the Mario Bros., who was also the queen of Mario Land. As a Mario, her hair was brown and curly and put back in a ponytail with a black hairtie. Her eyes were blue as were those of her husband, who was tall and thin. His black, curly mustache formed an almost "W" shape, since it "bumped" twice at the bottom. It was noon the next day and they were talking amongst themselves inside what they called their "home away from home", a Mushroom house in a Mushroom village, near the beachy outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom. The mother was holding Luigi while the husband was holding Mario.
"But why did they disappear?" asked the man.
"I have no idea. Perhaps it has something to do with a bird? I mean, we did come across those feathers in the other room."
"Does it matter, dear? The point is we got them back and we have nothing more to worry about. As far as I'm concerned, it could have been aliens that were behind their absences!"
"I suppose you're right, but I suppose I'm right, as well. There were feathers there and the news has been talking about space aliens recently."
"Have they, now?" He moved his way on over to the television and turned it on. The screen showed the image of a Toad talking about something.
"-is only a matter of time. In other news, Castle Koopa has just been demolished! Repairs are currently under way, and, oh, what a sight it is! Right now, we're having a word with the head Magikoopa, Kammeron! Take it way, Nosey T!"
The image switched on over so the panel that once occupied the space of the TV's upper right-hand corner, then took up the whole screen. "Thanks, Spike. We are here at what was once the gothic architecture, Castle Koopa! So, tell us, Kammy: What could have caused such a disaster?" He shoved his microphone in the beak of a blue Magikoopa that was in the foreground of a bunch of Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and other Magikoopas, all of them working hard to repair their base.
"*sigh* First off, 'Shnozzy', it's Kammeron, not 'Kammy'. Secondly, whatever it was that reduced us to this state is none of your business."
"And it's Nosey, not 'Marzee'! Back to you, Ike."
"It's Mike. Next item: Studies have shown that you can prevent poisoning by consuming this Refreshing Herb! Speaking of herbs, if there's anyone out there who hates vegetables, it's the r-" He turned off the TV at that point.
"It's still the same old nonsense if you ask me."
"No, wait! Turn it back on! I think he was about to say something about the aliens!"
With a sigh, her husband turned it back on. "-ange circles have been appearing in Flower Fields! Right now, we're going to go back over to Nosey, here, so we can get a little more insight from one of the resident Bub-ulbs! Nosey?"
"Thanks, Mickey! So, Bubs, any comments regarding the strange circles that have been ruining your crops lately?"
"Um, I didn't say my name was 'Bubs'. I said it might have something to do with the ali-"
"You don't say! Well, it was nice talkin' to ya, Shrubs. Back to you, Michelle."
"It's Mike! In other news, Lavalava Island has recently been undergoing some serious-" CLICK! Once again, the TV was off.
"Nutcases," muttered the king. "But I'll give that they did mention something about aliens."
At that point, Luigi was already asleep in her arms. "Honey, you don't suppose there would be some kind of connection between the aliens, the castle, and how our children disappeared?"
He sat down across from her at the kitchen table. Mario was still resting on his right arm. "At this point, anything could be the case. But, like I said earlier, it probably doesn't concern us, and the important thing is we got 'em back."
"Yes, dear," she said, looking down at her green-capped son. "But I just can't shake this feeling that we have an enemy."
"Whatever it is," said her husband, leaning closer to her, "I'm sure we can take care of him."
"I suppose you're right," she said. "Again."
Chapter 4
Xoshi was in a cave with what looked like a Viking. They were standing before a wall with one big fancy-looking circle embroidered into it. It vaguely resembled a pentagon, but it also looked like some kind of official seal of notary. It was decorated with a dozen spectacular jewels.
"Ah, yes," said the man. "Just what we've been looking for. Xoshi, I'll need that pendent of yours."
Xoshi complied by removing from his saddle the very item, then placed it in the muscular hand of his companion. "Stand back!" he said. Xoshi obeyed that request as well. The Viking stood just a few feet before the center of the symbol, then outstretched his right hand with the pendent still in it. He closed his eyes dreamily, then started reciting something: "Hear me, great Star Spirits; lend me your power! Vanquish the evil that stands before us." As he was saying this, both the pentagon and the pendent started glowing a bright green. Upon realization, the Viking then opened up his eyes, gazed at the spectacles before him, then, as though it were his cue, he moved his way up to the symbol then stabbed the point of it into the center of the wall's pentagon. Once he did that, he stepped back, then let an assortment of differently colored lights squeeze their ways out of the prison that the symbol seemed to form for them. One by one, rays burst out. Both Xoshi and the Viking were covering their eyes just to make sure it wouldn't blind them. Soon, they started feeling a horrendous shaking as something started to split open.
Brace yourself, said a voice inside Xoshi's head.
And then he awoke. He and his seven other friends had finally made it back to their homeland, Yo'ster Isle, and Xoshi had just spent the last few hours in the hammock of his leafy hut. "Man," he said to no one in particular as he arose from his bed with a hand against his head. "What a crazy dream." He got up out of his hammock to perform his daily morning routine, keeping the dream in mind the whole way. Just when he was about to leave from underneath the shelter of his home, a coconut flew out of nowhere and hit him squarely in the center of his gigantic Yo'ster shnoz. "OWW!" he exclaimed. He picked up the fruit in one hand while rubbing his sore nose with the other. "Who threw that?!" he demanded.
"Oh, geez, sir, I'm so sorry," an orange Yoshi and his miniscule son ran up to him. "We were just playing catch and things got out of hand, huh?"
Xoshi handed the coconut back to him and said, "Just... be a little more careful next time."
"Thank you, sir!" he said, and the two of them ran off to continue their activity. Xoshi finally walked out and waded his way through the usual set of morning Yoshis. Some of them were gathering fruit, some of them were target-practicing with their eggs, and some of them, like the two he just encountered, were playing games with each other. He kept on walking until one particular Yoshi caught his eye. He was right there, leaning his reptilian body against one of the four poles holding up the hut he was nearby. The light blue skin color and the bare feet were recognizable, but, then again, so were the sunglasses. Well, they were and they weren't at the same time.
"Boshi?!" asked Xoshi.
"You got that right," said the azure Yo'ster in that deep voice of his. "You like my new shades? I got them a little while ago from a friend of mine. But if you want 'em, I suppose I could let 'em go for a little one-on-one, if ya know what I mean..."
"Uh…"
"And if you wanna go one-on-one you gotta bring the cookies! Catch my drift?"
Boshi had always been a little full of himself, what with being the "boss" and all. But those sunglasses of his seemed to bring out even more of his ego than what was already there! That was what was both recognizable and unrecognizable at the same time. "Boshi, you feelin' alright?" Xoshi asked.
"Better than ever, my brown friend! So, what's your story? You're looking as though you just got hit by a train or something." Boshi was referring to the sore spot on Xoshi's nose and his head.
"Oh," he replied, a bit taken aback. "Well, you know, it's been a rough couple of weeks and the morning's not exactly doing any better. I just had the craziest dream last night."
"Ya don't say."
"Yeah, it had me, a cave, some weird-looking symbol on the wall, a pendent, and... this Viking-guy."
"That sounds well and all interesting, but you know what they say: 'It was just a dream'."
"Yeah, but you know what they also say: 'Sometimes, dreams know more than we do.'"
"Whatever, Xosh," said Boshi, referring to his friend as though he actually had a shorter name to go by. "I don't go by all that Hippie-stuff, though."
"Suit yourself," said Xoshi as he began to walk off. Boshi called to him from behind though.
"Remember, you gotta bring the cookies! I'll be waitin'!" Xoshi turned around temporarily to give him a quick salute, then he turned back and continued his journey.
His feet carried him into the mere entrance of the woods. He kept on moving, careful to not make any insolent actions as he was maneuvering around the fallen sticks and the growing plants from beneath the soles of his Yo'ster shoes. Eventually, he managed to get himself through the obstacle course so he was then greeted by the next opening. Everything seemed to take on a bit of a yellowish-green glow since this all took place beneath the leaves of the trees that grew quite incredulously high. He was in the meadow but a few steps before his destiny. He was greeted by Yoshi, who was just returning from some fruit gathering. "Oh, good morning, Xoshi. Did you sleep well?"
"Well, yes and no. I had this dream, see..." Xoshi proceeded to tell Yoshi about his Viking dream and his bad morning. "...So now I'm here, telling you about it."
"Hmm. That's particularly interesting, Xoshi," said Yoshi. "Has the usual shortcut through the woods improved your day any?"
"Mm, a little, I guess; if I didn't know any better, I'd say it's beginning to flatten itself out in order to adapt to my frequent visitations."
"Well, don't let me stop you. Have a nice rest of your day, Xoshi!" called Yoshi as he began to walk off.
Walking backwards a little in the direction of where he was headed, he responded through an, "I'll try!" to his friend. Then he continued walking, forward this time. His motion was soon placed on the dirt road that Yoshi had just used respectively. That was so like him, Xoshi was thinking to himself. Yoshi had every last bit of a leader coursing through his veins. He always did things the right way, even if they were long and winding, not unlike the dirt road that Xoshi refused to take earlier, as he did the time before that, and the time before that, and so on. Xoshi, on the other hand, was a different one. He tended to go against the flow, but his moves always seemed to serve him well in the end, despite how odd they may have seemed. The road led him to an upraised ground where a hut sat on a hill. It was much more whole than the other ones would be since this one was donned in a variety of botanical forms, from daisies to Superball Flowers. Inside he met the stout, feathered Yoshi Priest. He was in the middle of the room, sitting Indian-style. He was constantly and rhythmically letting a high-pitched chant almost escape his lips.
"O-woh. O-woh. O-woh. O-woh..." and so on. Xoshi had to interrupt his chant, though.
He stepped forward, cleared his throat, then spoke. "A-hem," quoth the brown Yoshi. The priest awoke with a start, grumbling then in his normal, medium-pitched voice.
"Hm, rr, what? Xoshi, is that you, my son? How dare you interrupt my meditation, boy, I was just beginning to float, dash it all." He got up off the floor and brushed the dust off of his form.
"My apologies, sir, and you weren't floating. You were only making floating sound effects."
"Trust me, my boy, I know what I'm doing," retorted the elderly Yo'ster. "So, now that the spell has been evaporated, how can I help you?"
"I-" he started, but the priest cut him off.
"You need to pay the Super-Happy Tree another visit, yes?" he said with his right hand out, as though he was saying, "Halt!"
"Yes, sir," replied the younger Yo'ster.
"I am not surprised. Follow me, Xoshi, my boy." The two of them made their way on over to the backdoor which was connected to a long hallway of some sort, which was really composed of a fence, similarly decorated with flowers. It made a pathway leading from the hut to the big backyard. There, in the background, they could see the revered tree in all of its mighty glory. It kept appearing to grow larger as they advanced towards it. While they were walking, the Yoshi Priest was speaking with Xoshi. "Your frequent visits are quite noticeable, Xoshi," he was saying to him. "I swear, by the powers vested within me, someday your holiness may surpass even mine."
"I'm sorry, it's just that I feel, without its guidance, I would go through days feeling as though I forgot to place my right arm in its socket in the morning. It's happened before."
"You speak as though you were committing a sin."
"I-"
"You're a misfit, Xoshi, and you know it," the elderly Yoshi cut him off once more. "But, trust me, that's not a bad thing. No, it isn't; not in the least. Without Yo'sters like you, we would always be trapped in the past. If only more could follow your example. How do you think I made it to such an exalted position?"
Xoshi nodded softly in agreement. "Yes; I believe you're right."
"You know I'm right, Xoshi. Believing is one thing, but knowing is another. You must always be able to distinguish the two, and you must always live in the present."
Xoshi caught a glimpse of Deja Vu as he heard those words. He wondered for a split-second why he even bothered to say that to the young Luigi earlier on. He wasn't really allowed to contemplate any further on the matter since another Yoshi had come into view. It was a tan one, also donned in an assortment of feathers, not unlike the priest. But they were arranged in a more feminine fashion since she was a girl. She also had on her a blanket with intricate patterns going all over it instead of a saddle.
"Jeila!" spoke the Yoshi Priest to the newcomer, with a soft "J". "How has your morning been going, sweetheart?"
"Just fine, Papa," she responded to her father. Xoshi was well aware of who this girl was, since he tended to use the shortcut a lot, as well as consult the priest and the Super Happy Tree. Xoshi may have been a different one, complete with the philosophical side that his mentor seemed to share with him, but he sometimes considered himself an idiot for always missing out on only the grandest of opportunities, which were often ones concerning the ladies. More than enough times did the two of them wind up in the same room together. Also, more than enough times, did Xoshi miss his chance. The young female Yoshi, named Jeila, then turned her attention to her father's associate. "Hello, Xoshi," she said to him.
"H-Hi, there, Jeila," he said, timidly, as though this hadn't already happened before.
"Well, I'm done for the day," she summarized. "The tree is all yours, Papa."
"Thank you, sweetie," he said to her. They rubbed their bulbous, Yoshi noses against each other a bit before she left. "Take care, now," he said to her as she was making her way back to the flower hut.
"You too," her voice trailed off. "Bye, Xoshi," she said.
"Bye..." Xoshi barely said as he waved weakly to her. The old Yo'ster snapped him out of it soon enough.
"Boy oh boy, just you wait, Xoshi; someday you'll be having kids of your own," he said as they continued on further.
"Uh, yeah..." he mumbled. At last, there it was right before them: The gigantic, colorful, and oh-so-smiley Super Happy Tree. It was growing just out of the center of the pool, which had a waterfall just behind it. This was all on even more upraised ground, which seemed to be assisted by an assortment of rocks, all of them coming in only the most natural of circumstances.
"There she is, Xoshi, my boy," said the priest. Then he leaned in a little closer to whisper in his ear, "Run to her, boy, she's waitin' for ya."
"What?!" exclaimed the young Yoshi as he was booted forward by his eager mentor. A little bewildered, he looked back at him to see his little wave of approval first before he decided to ascend the rocks. Once he made it to the top of the hill, he could no longer see the Yoshi Priest. It didn't matter since he was finally going to do what he came to do all along. The tree spoke first, telepathically. It had a feminine, yet very authoritative "voice".
So, Xoshi, you have returned, once more, it said to him. He knelt down into a position with his eyes closed as though he were praying.
Yes, Mother, he responded.
What can I do for you? it asked
Oh, the usual. The strength to change what I can, the ability to accept what I can't... he said to it.
Let it be so, it responded.
Oh, one other thing... he said to it.
Yes?
I had a dream last night: I was in a cave, with a Viking... Once again, that day, he retold the tale. Tell me, Mother: What does it mean?
You'll find out soon enough, my child.
Yes, Mother, he said again. His next move was to gather a few of its fruits before heading back down. There, he met back up with his mentor and they proceeded to walk back.
"So, what did the two of you talk about?" he asked him.
"Dreams and stuff," he said before using his long tongue to instantly swallow one of his fruits.
"I see..." he said. Once they were back inside that one fancy hut, they were greeted, once more, by the priest's daughter, Jeila.
"Hello again, Papa," she said to him. She was on the ground examining something.
"Hello, Jeila. What's that you got there?"
"Oh, hi, Xoshi. It's a poppet, I think." She got up for the other two to see. She handed it to her father. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a stuffed doll of some four-eyed dog-thing.
"A voodoo doll," he exclaimed. "Curses, there's no safe way to dispose of these things. Where did you get it?"
"While the two of you were out there and I was walking back, we had a little intruder. Whoever it was, it scat as soon as I entered the room and left this behind." She was referring to the doll her father was looking at.
"Isn't there anything we can do, sir?" Xoshi asked his mentor.
"Well, it's not nice knowing we have an enemy. The only thing I can think of to do with this thing is to keep it where no one can get to it," he said.
"Um, I believe I can handle that one, sir," Xoshi said, a little unsure of himself.
"You believe, Xoshi?" said the priest as he turned to face him.
"No, sir, I know I can handle that one," he corrected himself.
"How?"
"I can't tell you. That's how you know that I know I can do it."
He was a little bit hesitant, but handed the doll over anyway. "If you say so, Xoshi," he said.
"Thank you, sir," he said with a bow. "See you later, and you, too, Jeila." He then turned and walked out the door.
"Bye, Xoshi!" she called out to him. Xoshi responded by turning around a little to wave back. He kept on going until he made it to what was previously the "exit" to his little shortcut. As usual, that time, when he went through it, it was ever-so-slightly easier than it was the time before that. He kept on going until he was out once more so he could then make his way back on over to his hut. He got stopped once again by Boshi, though.
"Hey, Xosh," he said again. "What's that you got there? It don't look like cookies..." He was referring to Xoshi's new doll.
"Oh, this? It's nothing."
"If you say so. Hey. Remember the cookies next time."
"Sure thing, Boshi," he said, a little tiredly. Inside the shadows of his hut, he then made his way on over to one of the few other things beneath the roof besides his hammock. He had a shelf of books, a big, bowl of fruit, and a trunk. He deposited the fruit he got from the Super-Happy Tree unto his bowl, then made his way on over to the trunk. Since it was behind his bookshelf, they didn't notice when he pushed the trunk aside, opened up a secret trapdoor, then dropped the strange doll in there to go with his other things. He closed it back up, moved the trunk back on top of it, then rubbed the dust off his hands in an "and that is that" kind of manner.
At the "door", he was greeted by another one of his Yoshi friends, Yazzee. "Hey, Xoshi! Me and Yoshi just came up with the greatest idea: You, me, him, and Boshi; we're all going to Isle Delfino! Isn't that great!?" The easily excited Yoshi was hopping up and down before the eyes of the brown one.
"Whoa. Isle Delfino?! That's great. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow."
"WHAT?!" said Xoshi, switching moods at an unbelievable rate. "Who set this up?!"
"I did! Sort of." He stopped hopping up and down to reach behind him and pull out a little piece of paper. "While you were praying, or whatever, I got this in the mail!" He handed it to Xoshi so he could see it for himself. It read:
Congratulations, Yazzee Yoshino! You have just won a free trip to Isle Delfino! Kolagokohonnokana-loo-hoo!
Xoshi paused a bit to look back up at the excited yellow Yoshi. "Cory-ronna-go-fooja-scummy-wummy-hoo-hoo?!" he said.
"Just keep readin' it!" said Yazzee as he stood in one spot, rhythmically tapping his left foot, then his right, then his left, then his right... Xoshi did as he was told.
Down here, we have everything you could ever ask for from hot springs, to rainbow waterfalls, to mouth-watering watermelons. (Ohhhh...) That's right, Yazzee; without even lifting a finger, you have just won all this plus many other spectacular sites you could only dream of before! Just bring 3 friends along. We'll do the rest! Kolagokohonnokana-loo-hoo!
Xoshi lowered both of his hands with the note still in it. A blank look was on his face. "This is..." he tried saying, but didn't really know what he was going to say. "It's... um, well, it's... something."
"Isn't it, though?!" Nothing could kill the yellow one's enthusiasm. "We'll be at the docks tomorrow morning. Be sure to bring all your stuff with you!" He almost turned to leave. "Oh, I'll need that letter back, please." Xoshi complied. "Thanks!" At that, he was off. Xoshi sat down on the floor to let it all sink in at his own pace...