Prologue: The Party
Music can be heard. Tropical trees line the ocean. Yes, it’s Yo’ster Isle, aka Yoshi’s Island. Yoshi is having a party! “This sure is good stuff!” said an orange-yellow Yoshi as he gulped down a pineapple. “Glad you like it, Doshi!” said Yoshi as he headed over to enjoy the music. He sat down in the grass and fell half asleep, listening to the festive and slightly relaxing music. He started to doze before a loud voice woke him up.
“ARE YOU READY FOR THE SECOND COURSE?!” yelled a blue Yoshi as he refilled the handmade bamboo tables with honeydew. There was a yell of approval from all the Yoshis. Yoshi slurped down a few, then slipped away from the hubbub so he could finish his nap; or at least tried to.
“Hey! Who took my melon? It was right here!” shouted a Yoshi as he gave everyone a surprised look.
“Hey, mine’s gone too!” More Yoshis discovered their melons gone as the music stopped and there was a large commotion.
There was a burp, and everyone stopped to look at a child Yoshi in the middle of the crowd, trying to get away with some more melons. “You little sneak! You took our melons!” said Doshi as they all directed their anger toward this little Yoshi.
“I didn’t mean to! I was hungry, and saw the melons. Everyone else was eating them!” pleaded the little guy.
“This is an exclusive party! Yoshi didn’t invite you, did he?” said Doshi with angry eyes.
“Well, no…”
“Then scat!”
“Aww, come on. He’s only a little fella,” said Yoshi.
“No! He stole our melons! We don’t want a little thief at our party!” The little Yoshi sniffled and ran off. The party resumed.
Yoshi sighed and walked away, towards the beach. The moon was in clear view, and Yoshi sat down for a little quiet time. His thoughts were interrupted by crying. Yoshi looked over and saw the little Yoshi sniffling, about 50 feet away. Yoshi walked over. “Hey. Are you alright?” asked Yoshi.
“I lost my way,” said the little Yoshi before he sniffled a bit. “I haven’t had anything all day. Then I have a few melons and the orange guy kicks me out,” said the little Yoshi before starting to sob again.
“I’m sorry about Doshi. He can be rash. What’s your name?”
“Gloshi,” answered the little Yoshi as his waling was reduced to sniffling again. “Well then, Gloshi, I’ll help you find your way back to your family.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Why are you named Gloshi, anyway?”
“I can do this!” Gloshi stood up and gave off a faint glow through his green skin.
“Hey, that’s pretty good. I’ve never heard of anyone who could do that before.”
They both headed back to the village. Yoshi stood up on a table with Gloshi to get everyone’s attention. “Attention everyone! This youngster, whose name is Gloshi, has lost his way home. I am going to help him. Is anyone else game?” There was a murmur throughout the crowd. The blue Yoshi who had been serving melons stood up.
“I’ll go.”
“Is there anyone else besides Noshi?”
There was silence for a moment before Doshi stood up. “I think I was a little harsh earlier. I’m going to make it up.”
“Alright, I think this is all we’ll need. Let’s go!”
Just before they left there was a yell
of approval from everyone. They all wished them luck, and Yoshi, Gloshi,
Doshi, and Noshi set off.
Mario walked over to the fruit bar to get some more. “Wow. Is this a vacation or is this a vacation?” asked Mario as he sliced a few more pieces of watermelon and popped them into his mouth.
“You bet this is a vacation!” said Luigi, who was sitting on the nearby beach on the other side of the island from the party.
Peach played the harp as the moonlight shone down on them. “I never even knew you could play the harp, Peach!” said Mario.
“Oh, just a little something I picked up when I was little,” Peach replied. Nobody had noticed two red eyes peeking at her from the bushes.
Mario went to join Luigi on the beach, while Peach stopped the harp and went to get some cantaloupe from their makeshift fruit bar. “I’m so glad that nothing has happened to us on this vacation,” said Mario.
“Yeah. I’d hate to see that fiend Bowser capture the prin…” Luigi’s sentence was left unfinished as they both heard a shriek. They looked back and the princess was gone. There was a rustling in the bushes. They noticed two red eyes looking back from the unknown getaway creature. Mario and Luigi dashed towards it. The figure sped off, surprisingly faster than Mario and Luigi. However, Mario and Luigi picked up the pace. The figure looked back, saw how close they were, and all of a sudden vanished into thin air, with the princess. Something dropped off of the figure. Mario and Luigi picked it up. It was a crown. “Could it be Bowser’s?” asked Luigi.
“Bowser never wears a crown anywhere…”
*****
“Okay Gloshi. Do you have an idea where your home might be?” said Yoshi as they reached the village limits.
“Uh, I think it was that way,” said Gloshi, pointing toward the west.
“But, over there are the caves. There are ghosts…” trailed off Noshi.
“Aw, come on! Show some grit! We could kick some monster tail anytime we want to!” said Doshi as he started towards the direction Gloshi had specified.
“Well, come on! It’s not getting any easier,” Doshi finished as they all reluctantly started towards the western caves.
“My home is just past there. There is another village,” said Gloshi.
“Alright, let’s go…”
Chapter 1: Capture and Escape
Inside a cave, there was a reddish glow. Three Boos were dancing around a cauldron full of a reddish liquid. Spooky music started to play. The Boos started to sing.
“Double, double, toil and trouble!”
“Fire burn and cauldron bubble!”
“I told you this potion would make a smelly puddle!”
The music stopped and the three Boos looked at him.
“What?”
“If you’re going to do it, do it right!”
“Oh. Sorry.”
The music started up again.
“Double, double, toil and trouble!”
“Fire burn and cauldron bubble!”
“Make this potion potent and true, so that we may have an old shoe!”
The music stopped again.
“What did I do wrong?”
“There is nothing in this spell about an old shoe!”
“I can fix that.”
The Boo threw in an old shoe. The others slapped their faces and started again.
“Double, double, toil and trouble!”
“Fire burn and cauldron bubble!”
“Make this potion potent and true, and turn my brother’s face blue!”
The music stopped once again.
“ARGH! Why don’t you take a hike and spare us your jokes?”
“We’ll never get anything done with your babbling!”
“Oh, alright. I’ll just make my own potion.”
The Boo set to work making another pot of the goopy, red liquid. While the other Boos did their song and dance, he made up his own lines. The potion actually worked.
“Now, why can’t I do that?”
King Boo suddenly appeared in the room. “What are you three fools up to now?” asked King Boo, raising a non-existent eyebrow.
“We were just making a potion, sir,” answered a Boo. “Well, never mind that. Look what I got!’ said King Boo, holding Peach and dropping her to the ground, still unconscious.
“Hey! Isn’t she Princess Peach? Won’t those plumbers be looking for her?”
“No. They don’t know who took her yet. I did drop my crown, though, so keep an eye out,” said King Boo.
“So, what should we do with her when she wakes up?” asked one of the Boos.
“How about suspend her over a boiling crater of lava?” asked the silly Boo.
“That would be fine, except we don’t have a boiling crater of lava,” answered the other one.
“Let’s just lock her up until we think of something to do with her,” suggested the first boo.
“That works.”
*****
Peach sat in the dark, dank cell, wondering what to do and how she got here. She had been sitting on the cold stone ground for three hours now. She quickly shrieked when another Boo appeared outside the cell. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. I’m just bringing you lunch,” said the Boo as he handed her a bowl of weird soup.
“Um, no thanks. How did I get here?” asked Peach.
“Well, King Boo came here to have a little fun spooking Yoshis, but on his way, he saw you and the plumbers. He took you and now you’re here.”
“Ohh, I can’t believe I’m talking to a ghost!”
“Well, you’re lucky. I was going to have you suspended over a lava pit! Hahaha…ha…hmm, yes,” trailed off the Boo when he saw Peach’s eyes widen. “Sorry. I get a little carried away sometimes. Well, see ya!”
“Wait!”
“Yeah?”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but could you help me out of here?”
“Well, King Boo won’t be pleased… but I guess I can help you.”
Chapter 2: Jungle Rumble
Mario and Luigi went in the direction that the figure had been hiding. As they made their way through the bushes on that side of the island, a growl was heard. “Hey Mario! What was that?” Luigi whispered.
“I don’t know. I think it came from over there,” whispered Mario back.
They followed the direction Mario specified. They couldn’t follow it for long. A large jungle blocked their way. Another disturbing noise came from deep inside of it. “…Are we going in there?” asked Luigi with a gulp. That was the only option. All around the forest were small hills and cliffs.
“Yep. We’re going in there.”
Mario and Luigi took a deep breath,
and walked inside.
“Hey, guys! I found a clear spot!” yelled Noshi to the others.
“Good work! I thought we’d never get past here!” yelled Yoshi.
“I knew we’d find it if we just looked harder,” said Doshi.
There was thick underbrush wherever they went, and not many clear paths through. They had been stuck for a long time in one area. Finally moving on, they soon came to the dense jungle. A noise, something like a growl, came out. “Uh, oh. I’m scared!” said Gloshi.
“Me too!” agreed Noshi.
“Stop whimpering and get in there! It’s the only way!” said Doshi, observing the mini-mountains blocking other paths.
“Come on, guys. There’s strength in numbers,” said Yoshi as he plunged headfirst into the mess of tangled trees. Doshi quickly followed. Noshi gulped and walked in. Gloshi started to step backwards, but he hit a bush, screamed, and ran into the jungle with the others.
*****
“Alright, Princess.” said the Boo as he led Peach to the exit of the caves.
“Thanks. You know, you’re pretty nice for a ghost.”
“Aww, thanks. Don’t worry, I’ll make up an excuse. Remember, just go straight and you’ll get out of the area and to the beach.”
Peach quickly started straight, but was stopped when she came to a dense forest. A small noise came from inside. Peach nearly fainted, but plucked up all her courage, picked up her dress, and went inside.
*****
“Where are we?” asked Mario to himself. Very soon after they had entered, they had gotten lost. After stumbling around quite a few times, they were now completely lost. They hadn’t dared go farther than a small river in the middle of the jungle, for fear they’d be stuck in the jungle.
There was another growling sound, this time louder than before. “Mario,” whispered Luigi.
“I heard it too,” whispered back Mario. “I’m going to check it out. You stay here,” said Mario as he disappeared into the mess of tangled growth. There was a rather loud roar a few seconds later. Mario came sprinting back. “Run! *pant* RUN!” shouted Mario. Luigi soon saw why. A large monster, looking something like a living tree appeared. It let out a roar and lunged at them.
*****
“Darn it, Doshi! Why did you have to show us the ‘shortcut’?” asked Noshi as they wandered around.
“How was I supposed to know that those trees were growing there?”
“Let’s see, maybe because THIS IS A JUNGLE?!”
“Oh, come on, guys. The point is we’re lost,” said Yoshi as he looked around. There was a rather frightening roar that sounded like it couldn’t have been more than 100 feet away. “Gloshi…” whispered Yoshi.
“Yeah?”
“Make a light.”
“Huh? Oh, right!”
Gloshi did his famous (or not) glow. The others “ooh”ed and “ah”ed. Then they looked around using the light. There was a stream, two plumbers, a monster, a small circle of trees… A MONSTER AND TWO PLUMBERS?!
“Hey, that’s Mario and Luigi!” said Yoshi.
That was a bad move. Now the monster knew they were there. It walked over and tried to crush them. The assorted Yoshis scattered. The monster went back to Mario and Luigi. Mario climbed up a vine and escaped a swipe of the monster’s hand. Mario let go, landing on the monster’s head. However, the monster easily shook him off into the branches. Mario fell unconscious. Now the monster was stomping around, trying to crush Luigi and almost succeeding. Luigi, unfortunately, was backed into a corner between two tree trunks. He closed his eyes and got ready for the blow, but it didn’t come. Instead, the monster let out another roar. Luigi opened his eyes and saw the four Yoshis attacking and distracting the monster. Gloshi kept his light going, and the monster headed for him. Doshi quickly came up behind him and tripped the monster. The Yoshis did everything they could, but without much success. The mysterious monster shook everyone off and got up again.
Luigi got an idea. He climbed a tree and plucked a coconut. “Yoshi! Catch!” said Luigi as he hurled the coconut to Yoshi. Yoshi ate it and spit it out at the monster, knocking him down. Yoshi ate it again, and repeated. Meanwhile, Mario woke up. He thought fast and climbed up another vine. Luigi saw him and did the same. Gaining momentum, they swung on their vines, each preparing a fireball. They finally let go and swung at the monster. They hit him, making him try to shake them off. They let go of their fireballs as they reached maximum capacity. The monster shook them off at that moment, and they each watched their fireballs hit the thick vines above them, which caught on fire. The fire soon roared to life all around the area. Mario tripped the monster again, and the Yoshis all ground pounded. The monster roared in pain, then got back up again. However, it tripped on a log and fell back into the burning trees behind it. It let out an ear shattering noise and burned up like common firewood.
“Nice work!” they all congratulated each other.
“Uh oh. It’s not over yet,” said Mario as he noticed that the fire had drastically increased and now was starting to block their path. “Hurry!” yelled Mario as they all headed away.
As the last one got away, trees collapsed on the spot. They made their way to the edge of the jungle. “Help!” shouted a voice.
Mario looked over and saw Peach struggling to get away. “Peach!” Luigi cried as he quickly led her away.
More trees collapsed. As they were about to run out of the burning jungle, the trees around the path caught on fire and fell down, cutting them off and trapping them in the rapidly closing in fire. “Everybody hang on!” yelled Mario as they all joined hands and plunged through the fire.
Chapter 3: So Close…
“How could you be so careless as to let her escape?!” asked King Boo to the three Boos.
“I’m sorry, sir. I guess we were just being unaware,” said one.
“FOOLS! I ought to have you trapped in the alternate dimension for this!” spazzed the giant poltergeist. “Well, there’s no helping it now, so get out there and find her! You can do whatever you want with her, just make sure she’s alive when you get her back!”
The three Boos came out of the cave, shocked to see a nearly destroyed jungle. “What happened?” asked a Boo to himself.
“Wow, somebody really did a job here. Well, let’s find the princess,” answered another.
“Wait a sec. I have a confession to make,’ said the other. “You see, I helped the princess escape.”
“You what?!”
“I told her to go through the jungle. Well, now it’s burnt down, so that probably means she’s burnt down with it.”
“Well, she’s gone, but King Boo wanted her alive.”
“I know, so that means we’re going to have to search the wreck for her just to make sure she was killed.”
“Yeah, alright.”
“Hey, wait a second. You’ve helped enough already; the princess would still be ours if it weren’t for you.”
“Well, what should I do?”
“Get lost. We’ll make up an excuse.”
*****
“Wow, that was a close call,” said Mario.
“Yeah. We would have been burnt to a crisp if it weren’t for Mario,” added Peach.
“What did Mario do again?” said Gloshi.
“Well, when we ran into the fire, some logs collapsed onto us. Mario shoved us out of the way. Then the entire jungle collapsed. Mario got us all out, and was almost set on fire himself. So now, we’re all hiding here,” explained Yoshi.
“Now, tell me again who all you guys are, and what you’re doing over here,” said Luigi.
“We’re from the Yoshi Village. My name is Noshi, the orange one is Doshi, and the little one is Gloshi. You already know Yoshi,” said Noshi.
“We all are helping Gloshi get back to the Yoshi Village on the other side of the caves.”
“There is another Yoshi Village?”
“I guess so. I’ve never heard of it, but I guess Gloshi is from there.”
“So what was that monster anyway?”
“It used to be a tree,” responded Yoshi. “I never thought it was true, but there’s some kind of rare disease that grows on fungi in the jungle. I guess that tree got infected. It turns them into mindless monsters. The monsters usually stay in the shadows, but that one must have been awful brave to chase Mario into the open.”
“Hey, about that Yoshi Village, Gloshi? Is it as good as the other one?”
“Well, um, you see, I think you guys should know something. You see…”
“Sssh! I hear voices!” said Doshi as they all crouched down.
“Well, that’s weird,” said a voice.
“Yeah. Not one trace of her,” said another voice. Yoshi slyly looked around the corner of the rocks they were hiding behind. Two Boos were searching the ruined jungle.
“Well, if she was here, she certainly was out of there by the time the fire struck. I guess King Boo won’t get the princess back after all,” said the first Boo.
The others gasped. “Did you hear that? They’re looking for Peach!” whispered Mario.
“I know. King Boo was the one who kidnapped me. He came here to scare the Yoshis,” explained Peach, “but then he saw me, and kidnapped me. One of the Boos helped me escape, and told me to go into the forest. I guess now they think I’m dead from the fire.”
“So he was the one who kidnapped you!” said Luigi to himself.
“What should we do?” asked Noshi. “Let’s get ‘im!” said Doshi as he tried to spring from their hiding. Yoshi held him back just in time.
“What was that?” said one of the Boos.
“I don’t know. It came from over there,” said the other. They both headed for the rocks that the Yoshis, the Marios, and Peach were hiding behind.
“Uh oh. Now they know where we are…” said Peach as they came closer.
The sun rose above the skyline as clouds started moving in from the east. “Hey, it’s getting dark!” said a Boo, stopping a few feet away from their hideout.
“Yeah. That potion must be starting to work,” said the other.
“What exactly is that potion supposed to do anyway?”
“It lets you transport any ghost to anywhere you want to. The only one that can use it is the master, King Boo.”
“That went over my head, but it sounded neat anyway.”
Fortunately, the Boos had now forgotten what they had come that way for, and moved away. The hiding heroes wiped their brows. They all stepped out carefully. “It’s pretty dark. I’m going to make a light,” said Gloshi quietly. Unfortunately, not quiet enough. The two boos saw them, and rushed them. At that moment, Gloshi made his light. The Boos shrieked as the light hit them.
“NOT LIGHT!”
“I CAN”T TAKE IT!”
They both flew away as fast as they could, into the caves. “Wow, Gloshi! Your glow keeps away Boos!” said Noshi in disbelief.
“That might come in handy soon,” said Gloshi, pointing ahead of them. They were right next to the entrance to the caves.
“Peach, you’d better get back to the Yoshi Village. It’s only a few miles away. It’s dangerous in the caves,” said Mario. Peach nodded and rushed away as fast as she could with a skirt on.
*****
“Fire and stone, water and storm, obey my command!” yelled King Boo as he shouted a few more incantations. “Transport this ghost to the prison!” he shouted out. Immediately the Boo floating nearby was warped to their special prison inside the caves.
“BWAHAHA! It works!”
“Great, sir! Now, uh, when are you going to let me out?”
“Hmm, I think I’ll just leave you in there for a while,” King Boo chuckled and left the complaining Boo in the prison. “Now to put this to work…”
Chapter 4: The Cave Secrets
Water dripped from the un-numerable stalactites all around. The ground was cold, clammy, and endlessly yucky. Quite a few spider webs were all around, and dead bugs littered the ground. Gloshi peered back at the tiny speck of light that was the entrance, then looked ahead again at the seemingly infinite area in front of them.
“Will this cave ever end?” asked Noshi, half to himself.
“Yes! Look!” shouted Yoshi in glee. As he spoke, a wall retracted, revealing a hidden passage. “This cave must spiral around. We’ve been going in circles, and that’s why it seems so long,” explained Yoshi.
“Brilliant! Let’s go!” shouted Mario as he rushed ahead.
“Wait!”
Mario stepped forward and the stalactites that were hanging from the entrance fell to reveal a stone gate that nicked his hat and tore off a piece. “Well, now what?” asked Luigi.
“I have an idea!” shouted Doshi as he walked up to the gate and pounded the ground. The old stalactites shook. Doshi did it again, and they cracked. One more time, and they fell apart.
“Let’s go!” shouted Mario as he led the way into the mysterious passage. There was a cackle as they disappeared around the corner.
*****
“I just know I should go back,” thought the silly Boo as he floated farther away over the forest. He got near the edge of the jungle and stopped. Taking a glance at the far off cliffs and caves, he turned around.
Arriving at the entrance to the caves, he spotted a figure seemingly going through the wall. He floated up to the area and saw that the secret passage into the heart of the caves had been discovered, and the stalactite gate had been shattered to bits. Looking around, he noticed a piece of red cloth on the ground, with one quarter of an M on it. It was Mario’s. Looking up, he saw his two other companions quietly chasing whatever had gone down the passage. He entered the passage and pursued the pursuers.
*****
Noshi peeked around the corner. At the end of the hallway was a large cavern. Boos were everywhere, seemingly preparing for some kind of attack. King Boo floated in front of them. “This is it!” said King Boo. “It’s time to fulfill the purpose for which we came here. By taking the Yoshis prisoner, we shall demonstrate that we still have the power that we used to. The boss shall be impressed!” said King Boo. The hidden eavesdroppers all gasped. At the end of King Boo’s words, they all floated up single-file through a hidden passage in the ceiling. “Assemble up top and wait for my command,” finished King Boo as he flew out of the cavern and into another set of small rooms.
“Did you hear that? They must be planning to ambush one of the Yoshi Villages!” whispered Noshi.
“Well, let’s get moving. We’re not going to save our friends by just standing here and watching the Boos!” said Doshi.
They all crept through the dimly lit room. The lanterns were of a strange blue light that seemed to glow eerily in a mixture between blue and pure light. Suddenly they all flickered and went out. The stone door shut behind them. The cackle off Boos was heard. All of a sudden a dim light seemed to appear from nowhere. The two Boos that had nearly overtaken them earlier were behind them. “You thought you got away, didn’t you?” said one.
“You can’t escape now. The way you came is shut and going in the next room will only yield you trouble with King Boo,” stated the other.
“We can take you!” yelled Doshi.
“Well, we’ll see…” laughed the first.
Doshi charged forward, ready to swipe at them. The Boos disappeared, appearing again behind him and bumping him over. Next the Boos targeted Mario. Mario hopped over them, coming down right on one. Mario immediately fell off. The Boo shot a bolt of purple electricity at Mario, keeping him down. Luigi shot a fireball at the Boo, distracting him. The Boo charged while the other Boo kept Mario busy. Luigi aimed a fireball, and let it go. It hit the Boo in the mouth, damaging him. Yoshi slurped the damaged Boo, turning him into an egg. Yoshi threw the egg and it hit the wall, releasing the Boo. He seemed unaffected, however. Meanwhile, the other Boo shot another lightning bolt at Mario, which Mario dodged, shooting another fireball at the Boo. The Boo laughed and the fireball dissolved. The Boo disappeared, reappearing behind Mario. The Boo was about to hit Mario when the Boo was knocked away by a yellow hand. Doshi landed on the ground, giving the Boo another swipe. The other Boo joined him in shooting a lightning bolt at Doshi. He was badly hit, and fell to the ground. The two Boo raised their arms, and a cold chill overtook Mario. He fell to the ground and was soon unconscious.
Now the two Boos focused on the three remaining Yoshis. The Boo shot out bolts of lightning at Yoshi and Noshi. Both were hit, but quickly scattered. Yoshi slurped up a Boo, then threw the respective egg at the other Boo. They collided and were thrown back quite a bit. The Boos rushed Yoshi but Gloshi, who had been quietly waiting for the right moment, jumped in front of him and glowed with his light, which seemed dazzling in the barely lit room. The Boos gave a spine-chilling screech and flew around the room as if crazy. Gloshi pursued them. The Boos both shot out lightning bolts, which missed. The Boos regained their senses and rushed the unaware Yoshi, who was hit and thrown against the wall. The Boos raised their arms again and Yoshi was soon unconscious. Noshi, who was quite scared, tried his best to ground pound them, but failed. The Boos saw his fear and did their best scare ability. Poor Noshi was paralyzed. The Boos shot out lightning, which quickly defeated Noshi.
Luigi, who was doing his best trying to awaken the others, was having no luck. He soon was stricken to the ground by more purple lightning. However, he withstood it and jumped over them, aiming another fireball at the Boos’ mouths. The Boos disappeared. Luigi looked around for them. He heard a cackle. The Boos were behind him and above, focusing energy on an orb of energy. It glowed with a purple light and seemed solid. Luigi fireballed it, but that only seemed to add to its charged energy. The Boos fired it at Luigi. It hit him dead on. Luigi was shocked and charred by it, and fell to the ground. The Boos turned to Gloshi. “So, my little friend, it seems you have outlasted everyone else,” said a Boo with an evil smile.
“So, that means we’ve saved something special for you,” said the other.
First the Boos shocked him with some of the purple lightning. This nearly paralyzed him. He tried to make the light, but all that came was a flicker that soon died. Now Gloshi realized that without his light, he was defenseless.
“How do you like our little way of dimming your light?” said one. They spun around each other, and suddenly stopped.
Before Gloshi floated a large Boo. It cackled. “You shall have the honor of our most advanced spell!” shouted the large Boo in a haunting double voice. “Ashnubai, harmana kamlan!” chanted the Boo. The words themselves sent a chill down Gloshi’s spine. A dark light flashed before the Boo as a formless energy gathered. Electricity sparked all around. The energy seemed to sink deep into the lightning before the electricity shot into one and created a formless mass of blinding light. “NOW YOU DIE!” shouted the large Boo as the light shot forward.
It never reached Gloshi. He looked up and saw another Boo floating in front of him, holding the energy. “Glorham khuba`n! Be devoured by your own flame!” shouted the Boo as he shot the energy back at the two fused Boos. The large Boo spun around and disappeared as the two fused Boos were thrown out of their new form in opposite directions. They gathered their wits and flew up.
“So, you traitor! You have turned against your friends! Now you pay!” said the two in unison.
The new Boo, who appeared to be on Gloshi’s side, rushed at the two other Boos. They both shot out bolts of lightning, as the good Boo shot out another one. They were neutralized by each other. The good Boo stared at the other two. Suddenly the two Boos were stricken by fear. They rushed the good Boo. The good one slipped out of the way, and chanted another word. “You can use your light now!” yelled the good Boo as he charged the others again. Gloshi made his glow to make sure. It was back. Gloshi jumped at the two others and made his light as strong as he could. The Boos were consumed by light, and nearly collapsed. The two, as a last attack, gave out more lightning, which was blocked by the other Boo. He hurled the electricity back at them. They screeched and vanished with a poof.
Immediately the others regained consciousness. “What happened?” inquired Yoshi.
“I shall tell you soon enough…” said the Boo.
Chapter 5: The King of the Undead
“Alright, line up!” ordered King Boo as he floated up to the top of the caves where his army was waiting. There were 50 Boos sitting there, all at his command. “You know what you’re supposed to do. Make sure you get every single Yoshi!” yelled King Boo as he started his chant.
“NO YOU DON’T!” yelled a voice from behind. King Boo turned around and saw Mario standing in front of the others.
“Aha! So we meet again! But this time you can’t win!” said King Boo as he fired a large purple bolt at them. All of a sudden, the good Boo came up from behind, blocking the lightning. “You traitor! You shall be locked away after I take care of them! Destroy them, my army!” yelled King Boo as all 50 Boos rushed them.
Gloshi jumped forward, his light blaring. The Boos all scattered, and some were defeated from it. King Boo himself fell backwards from it. “So that’s how you want to play, huh? Fine! I’ll destroy you myself!” said the enraged King Boo as he charged them. The good Boo fired a lightning bolt at him. The Boo army, who were now terrified at their king being challenged, scattered and rushed away from the caves.
King Boo let out a shout and fired an orb of energy at Yoshi first. Yoshi tried to jump but the orb was too fast. It hit Yoshi’s skull dead on, and Yoshi fell to the ground. He tried to get back up, but it was nearly impossible. Mario jump up and fired a barrage of fireballs at King Boo. None of it seemed to affect him except for one that hit his long tongue. He drew it in and fired a lightning bolt at Mario, keeping him away. Trying to get the good Boo off his back, King Boo fired an energy ball at the Boo. The Boo was not able to catch this, and was hit right on. He vanished before their eyes except for a faint silhouette that hung floating, obviously gathering energy to reincarnate.
Yoshi growled and flutter-jumped over King Boo, firing a readily-available egg at the back of King Boo. He was hit, but hardly any damage was apparent. King Boo turned around, firing a lightning bolt at Yoshi, who flutter-jumped over it once again. However, King Boo nailed him in midair with another lightning bolt. The lightning bolt, being much stronger than the ordinary, struck Yoshi immediately to the ground from the force. Yoshi struggled to get up. Gloshi jumped to his aid with his trademark glow. King Boo painfully made his way to Gloshi, then knocked him away with a swipe.
King Boo was then hit from behind with a hard punch from Doshi, who had snuck up behind. Mario and Luigi tried to keep King Boo busy from the front so that Doshi could plan some punches. King Boo just fired a lightning bolt at Doshi, then flew up over the Mario Bros’ heads, firing a quick energy ball at Mario. Noshi stood trembling, not quite sure what to do.
While King Boo was busy with Luigi and Mario, Noshi started concocting a plan. Mario jumped on King Boo, giving a futile effort to damage him. Luigi threw a few fireballs at the back of King Boo, which did a little damage, then accidentally misfired one, which went to King Boo’s mouth. King Boo screeched and charged Luigi. This gave Noshi an idea. He quietly snuck away from the fight and into the burned down jungle nearby.
Meanwhile, Yoshi got up and threw another empty egg at King Boo to give Mario and Luigi some leeway. King Boo tried to fire an energy ball at Yoshi, but he merely ducked and flutter-jumped over King Boo. King Boo swiped him away and fired an energy ball at both Mario Bros. They were downed by this. King Boo followed up his attack with lightning bolts, causing the Mario Bros. to faint. Gloshi gathered some strength and charged King Boo with his light on strong. King Boo screeched and fell back, apparently quite damaged. He fired a lightning bolt at Gloshi, which threw him back against the jutting rock area that was the entrance back down into the caves. A sharp rock nearly hit him and the jagged surface of it did. He passed out.
Now King Boo turned on Yoshi, the only one left. King Boo quickly gave him the lightning bolt treatment, then fired an energy ball. Yoshi was hit to the ground as King Boo prepared a final blow.
“Hey, King Loser!” shouted a voice from behind. King Boo turned and saw Noshi there. King Boo charged him. As he got near, Noshi grabbed a pepper, obviously gathered from the jungle, from behind him and threw it directly into King Boo’s mouth. King Boo let out a deafening screech as fire came from his mouth. Unfortunately, some of this hit Noshi, who was burned and thrown back against the jagged rocks. From the other side, Yoshi watched hopelessly as King Boo neared him to win once and for all.
All of a sudden there was a blinding flash from behind. King Boo and Yoshi both turned their heads to see what was going on. The Boo was there, now fully recovered. “WHAT?! How could you have escaped my hold on you?!” shouted King Boo.
“Because I’m not just an ordinary Boo,” said the Boo calmly as he starting morphing into another figure. He stopped as a ghost of a Yoshi, with a star showing on his saddle. “I am Yoshi the first, grandfather of Yoshis of the village, general of the old mushroom army!” shouted the yoshi ghost.
“And I,” said King Boo as he started to morph into a large Koopa ghost, much like Bowser, “AM KING MORTON KOOPA THE FIRST, ONCE RULER OF THE KOOPA CLAN, WHO BEAT THE OLD MUSHROOM ARMY!” said the Koopa ghost in a deep menacing voice. He blew white fire at Yoshi I (Yoshi the first), which he flutter-jumped over. Yoshi watched this and suddenly felt his strength renewed. How could he lay there watching when he had work to do? Slowly he struggled to his feet. He went around and rounded up the other Yoshis, who were also coming to. They all formed a line, with Yoshi in front. Yoshi I ran over and joined Yoshi in the front.
“So, all you pathetic Yoshis want to challenge me! I’ll take care of every one of you!” shouted Morton. All of a sudden, his menacing smile turned to a frown as he saw the look in all the Yoshis’ eyes, which seemed to say Oh no you won’t.
Morton jumped over and stomped the caves sending a shockwave out. The Yoshis all jumped over. Yoshi I was left to spar with Morton while the others threw eggs and cheered him on. Morton fired a few energy balls, only to be caught and thrown back at him by Yoshi I. Morton was backed into the rock. All the Yoshis charged forward at him. Morton thought quickly and jumped, sending out a large shockwave.
“I wouldn’t have done that if I were you,” said Yoshi I.
“Why?” asked Morton.
“Because…” trailed off Yoshi I as the ground started shaking. Yoshi and Doshi both grabbed the still unconscious Mario and Luigi and jumped off of the caves onto the ground below and ran off.
“NOOO! I’ll get you for this!” said Morton as the ground collapsed beneath him and he fell into the caves directly below.
Meanwhile, in the ghost prison, The still-trapped Boo looked up at the collapsing ground. “What the…”
Morton fell right beside the Boo and instantly reverted into his King Boo form. Rocks fell on top of the hole, blocking it up.
“Oh, uh, hi King Boo!”
“Grrr…”
Epilogue: Gloshi’s Confession
The living Yoshis coughed as the dust cloud cleared. Mario and Luigi started coming to. “Wha… What happened?” asked Mario.
“Where’s King Boo?” added Luigi.
“Don’t worry, he’s gone now,” said Yoshi.
“Yeah! We kicked his butt!” shouted Doshi.
“I hope that “King Boo’s” spell over all the ghosts is broken,” said a voice from behind Mario and Luigi. They turned and yelled at the sight of Yoshi I.
“Mario, Luigi, meet the ‘Boo’ that helped us,” introduced Yoshi, “…and my great-grandfather, who started the Yoshi Village.”
“Hello,” said Yoshi I, “and goodbye.”
“Huh?” asked Yoshi.
“Now that the spell over me is broken, I have to go from this world. I am a ghost, after all,” explained Yoshi I.
“You mean I’ll never see you again?”
“No, you won’t see me again of my own accord. But I’ll still be with you.”
“WAIT!” yelled Yoshi.
“Yes?”
“How did you break the spell?”
“I think once I let the princess out, the good started coming back to me, until I finally broke free.”
“And how…”
But it was too late. Yoshi I had already faded away. Yoshi suppressed a tear. “Hey, wait a second! We’ve been so busy, that we forgot what we even came this way for!” said Noshi.
“Hey, that’s right! Gloshi’s home should be right over this hill!” said Mario.
“Well, uh, you see, I have to tell you something,” started Gloshi, but the others were already halfway up the small hill.
*****
All the Yoshi’s were nearly at the bottom of the hill. The valley below was still covered in fog. “Just a little longer, and Gloshi will be home!” shouted Yoshi excitedly. The others chimed in also.
“I wonder why there aren’t any fires going yet?” asked Noshi out loud. They all flutter-jumped the rest of the way down to the valley. The fog started to lift, and all the Yoshis stared in shock. The only things in the valley were a few boulders and fruit trees!
“Wha…Where’s the village?!” said Mario as he and the others reached the bottom and saw this.
“This is what I was trying to tell you!” shouted Gloshi, sniffling. “There is no village!”
“WHAT?!” shouted everyone, staring as if they hadn’t heard correctly.
“The whole thing is a lie, okay?! I made it up! I don’t have any family! My parents died in the woods when I was five years old! I ate the melons because I hadn’t had a good meal since two weeks ago!” yelled out Gloshi defensively, then broke down sobbing, and put his hands over his eyes. Everyone stood there, still dumbfounded. The only sounds were the birds, the wind in the grass, and Gloshi’s sobbing. After about a minute of this, Yoshi walked up to Gloshi.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?” said Gloshi, not bothering to look up.
“You may have stolen melons. You may have lied about a village. We may have come all this way for nothing. But you know what?
“What?” asked Gloshi, finally taking his face out of his hands and looking up.
“You’re courageous. You stood up for us and yourself when it looked like certain death. You didn’t give up when there was seemingly no hope. And you’ve become my friend. Friends don’t desert each other, and I’m no exception. The others can think what they want about you, but I’m not going to leave you back out here, friendless, hungry, and cold. Are you coming?”
They were both silent, and stood looking at each other as they shared an emotional moment. Gloshi finally got up. Yoshi took Gloshi’s hand, and they walked away. The others looked at each other, smiled, and followed.
*****
The sight of smoke coming from the central village fire was a welcome sight for four Yoshis and two plumbers. As they entered the bamboo gate, Peach was there waiting for them. “Oh, Mario! Luigi! I was worried about you! I thought you would have been back by now!” said Peach.
“What do you mean?” asked Mario. Then he looked up and saw that the sun was already setting. It had taken longer than he had expected to get back from the caves.
Peach looked over at the Yoshis. “But, why is little Gloshi still here? I thought you were trying to get him back to his village!”
“Um, well…” stuttered Noshi.
“Uh, it turns out that he was actually from here all along and just got lost!” said Yoshi.
“Yeah!” said the others.
“Oh. Well, you should hurry up! The whole village is waiting for you!” said Peach as she led them towards the center of the village. They all walked into the light of the campfire, but nobody seemed to be there. As they walked towards the center, about twenty Yoshis sprung out of the darkness and into the light. They all cheered for them. They were all puzzled by Gloshi being there, but Peach told them what they had told her.
They all sat down and chatted for hours, recalling their adventures and leaving out the parts that would disprove what Peach told them. When Yoshi finally looked up at the sky, it was completely dark, and the stars were shining brightly. He almost thought he saw the figure of a Yoshi wink at him, but it was probably just his imagination. “Hey, guys, I have to go. You keep on talking,” said Yoshi with a smile on his face as he left the fire’s light. They continued talking for about an hour before Yoshi came back. “Does anyone realize how late it is?” asked Yoshi, drawing the attention of many of the Yoshis. About 15 of them left the circle. “Gloshi, I think you need to get to bed. Mario and me have something to talk about to the others,” suggested Yoshi.
“But, where am I going to stay?”
“I’ll show you.”
Yoshi led Gloshi inside his hut, where there was a newly erected hammock bed and a watermelon on the table. “F…for me?” stammered Gloshi.
“Yep. The watermelon too,” said Yoshi proudly. Gloshi beamed (almost literally) with delight. He slurped down the melon, and quickly fell asleep in the hammock.
Yoshi walked back out, and walked down the fire where only Mario, Luigi, Noshi, and Doshi were talking. “Hey, Noshi and Doshi, there’s something me and Mario want to…” started Yoshi.
“Don’t bother. They’ve already told us. When do we leave?” said Doshi.
“Two days,” answered Mario.
“This is going to be awesome! I’ve never been to the Mushroom Kingdom before!” said Noshi excitedly.
“But, what about Gloshi?” asked Mario.
“Oh, he’ll be fine. Well, I guess I’m off to bed,” said Yoshi. The others nodded and they all left the firelight as Doshi put it out for the night. Yoshi practically dropped into his hammock, and fell asleep. The journey home was over. But is this the end of the story? Probably not…
The End?
Not if I can help it!
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