"Well, I guess I'd better get outta here now,” said Pyroboo, as he fixed the bandana on his head and put the diary away for later. He was at the foot of the grave of his previous body, which he just buried. The tombstone read:
Herein lies
Matthew Yoshi of Blackberry Yoshi Tribe
Cursed and
Forgotten
Pyro floated through the Forest of Illusion, thinking to himself. Why do I have the Darkness? Does anybody else know how to control it? He then stopped in his tracks. How do I become stronger? While looking at his ghost-like hands, he sighed. That voice said that I wasn't ready to change time. I dunno if I can do that... But, maybe something else? Pyro felt the Darkness in him flow through his body, making him queasy. I ain't used to this yet... Gotta give it time, I suppose. The Darkness was a totally new power, and it felt unfamiliar. It wasn't like he could pick it up immediatly, he needed time to get aquainted.
While stumbling through the everlasting woods, Pyro felt another wave of queasiness. "I took you in, Darkness. What more do you want?" he said to himself, trying to sooth the pain. It had no effect. "Why do you want me? Couldn't you take somebody else?!" Pyro yelled, and his voice echoed through the forest. Still, no answer. "If you're supposed to make me stronger, then why annoy me?" he said once more, before he knew it held no aveil.
When more sunlight crept in the forest, the queasy feeling left Pyro. It then did something else to him. "... What tastes funny?" He licked his lips and thought for a moment. "It tastes like concrete... Oh yuck, now it tastes slimy!" He whined while rubbing at his tounge. The taste still didn't leave, no matter how much he griped. "Gross..." he said. Pyro's stomach then growled. He rolled his tongue back in his mouth, ignoring the foul feeling. "I definitely need something to eat... Got a serious case of the munchies." He looked around, and saw a blueberry bush. Pyro looked at the berries, and saw they were ripe, but still a bit green. "... I would've gone for apples, but unseasoned blueberries are better than nothing, I guess." He took one and chomped it, but immediatly spat it out. "BLEAH! Oh God was that disgusting!" It was because of the foul taste in his mouth. Normally, he really liked blueberries, even unseasoned ones, but it felt weird now.
"Do you like?"
"You!" Pyro looked around, but saw nothing. It was the voice!
"Don't you like the taste?"
"No, it's disgusting."
"You'll have to get aquainted with that taste, for it'll be around quite awhile."
"..." Pyro didn't know how to respond back. What was he supposed to say to that?
"It is the Darkness."
"In my mouth?!"
"In your senses." With that, Pyro started to smell something... dirty.
"Not my nose..." He whined as the voice laughed.
"You can smell us."
"You mean that Darkness has a scent?" Pyro was confused. Since when does an entity smell?
"Correct."
Pyro then got an idea. With a smug look, he said, "You smell different than me. Yet ya said you were me. I guess that means you aren't then..." He smirked childishly as the voice chuckled again.
"Trust me, we are one and the same."
"No, we aren't. You tried to kill me," Pyro said, getting agitated.
"Nay, you were already dead."
"I'm not dead!" Pyro stopped for a second. "... Just am not sure I'm alive."
The voice laughed,
to Pyro's dismay. "Not dead, not alive. Are you in a limbo between existence
and
non-existence?"
"... Shut up," Pyro said while cutting through the forest. He had been travelling for about seven years now since the destruction of his village, according to the note in his diary. Without food, water, or any nourishment of any kind, he was wasting away to nothing. What comes after death? A question he often wondered on the road.
Hours after hours of wandering, Pyro found himself stumble into an area without as many trees. "Finally... getting to the edge." He rejoiced, hoping shelter was not too far away. As he was about to advance forward...
CRACK!
Pyro got on guard and circled around. A tree branch broke, but they don't just break because. They need a reason.
"Get back here!"
"Chirp!"
Pyro looked upward, and saw a bird flying overhead. It had... something stuck in its beak. Suddenly, a rustle caught Pyro's attention. He looked upward, and saw a blue Yoshi jump out of the leaves!
"Chirpy, give me back that apple!" the Yoshi said as she skimmed across the branches, almost melodically.
"Chirp!" cried the bird as it flew away.
Pyro saw them disappear into the trees, when his stomach started to growl again. "Fruit..." he said, almost drooling. Overcome by hunger, he flew behind in pursuit.
Trying to keep up with the Yoshi, Pyro found himself constantly dodging branches jutting out from nowhere. She seemed to breeze past them without the slightest worry, while he was pushing them aside forcefully. "I wouldn't have to worry about these if I could just phaze through them," Pyro said to himself, cursing the fact that his powers were undeveloped. He did have the potential to do those things, while the Yoshi didn't, yet she gracefully moved through them as her boots barely kissed the branches.
When Pyro finally caught up to her backside, the bird gave up and stopped abruptly on a flimsy branch. Without warning, the Yoshi stopped as well, with her naval blue hair waving in the wind. Pyro was about to crash into her when he pulled up and went into an upper level of trees. He was concealed while she walked over to the bird like on a tightrope. "Are you gonna give me that apple now?" she asked, sounding half repremanding and half motherly. The bird sighed and rested the fruit in her paw. "Ok, Chirpy. Now we don't know where we are," she said, sighing as well. The bird chirped quietly in a sad tone while she petted it gently. "I wish I was outta here..." she said, looking up to the concealed skies. She rubbed at the apple with her forearm, and then bit it, enjoying its flavor.
"Uhh... Food..." moaned Pyro, his stomach growling. He hadn't eaten in so long... Fatigue was getting the better. He tried to keep his balance, but he was in a losing battle. With one last look down, his eyes closed and...
He fell.
...
"Hello?"
"..." Pyro shook his head and sat up. His vision came into play, and he saw a blue Yoshi with hair a shade of indigo who looked about twelve or thirteen, staring down at him. "What?"
"Oh good, you're awake. You took a bad fall there," she said. Pyro really didn't remember much, so he merely looked down.
"Where are... Oh." He sighed, feeling the plush forest floor under his hands. "Thank you."
"For what?" said the girl, preplexed.
"For caring for me while I was out," said Pyro, levitating off the ground. The girl shrugged and smiled, revealing two large fangs.
"No prob!" she said while running her left paw through her bangs. "So... Who are you?" the Yoshi asked while resting her hands on her hips innocently.
"I'm... Pyroboo," he replied, almost spurting out "Matt Yoshi". The girl gave a childish smirk at the name.
"Teela Marie Yoshi," she said as her fangs glistened in the little sunlight. "So Pyro, whatcha doing out here?" Pyro stopped and looked up at Teela's question. The sunlight was blinding him, but it seemed to have a distinct smell of roses. Almost like the opposite of Darkness.
"Solving a mystery," he answered. Teela looked at him with a cross of confusion and excitement.
"What kind?"
"Unraveling the mystery of the Darkness," Pyro replied with a hint of pride in his voice.
"Darkness? What's that?" Teela asked, giving Pyro a skeptical look. He tried his best to find the words to explain it, but nothing popped up.
"This," he said, holding up his hands. A light flickered and they were ignited by green and black flames, dancing in the wind.
"How'd ya do that?!" she said, staring at his hands. Pyro shrugged.
"I guess... I just call it!" He smriked as a bit of his hair caught ablaze. "Woah." He frantically patted it out while Teela giggled. "So why are you out here, Teela?"
"Oh, ya know, just hanging out," she said while looking up.
"... Your parents let you?" he asked. She just shook her head.
"... No. I don't have any... Well not here, at least."
"Me neither," said Pyro, getting a wave of deja vu.
Flashback...
"I kinda just blew in from outta town."
"Aren't you a little young to be doing that? My parents won't even let me! Yours must be pretty cool," Karma stared in wonder, while Matt turned his head down slowly.
"... Oh," said Karma, getting the message that he had no parents.
End Flashback...
Both of them were silent.
"Hey... Who was that bird?" started Pyro, hoping to end the awkward silence. Teela jerked her head back up abruptly.
"Oh yeah! That was Chirpy," she replied. Pyro just gave her a funny look.
"Chirpy?"
"Yeah... He stole the apple from me. A playful little bird, don't get me wrong, but... something's gotten into him."
"Like what?"
"I'm... not sure. But he seems to act a bit weird around you," she said, cocking her head back at a tree hollow. They both went over and saw Chirpy resting on a pile of leaves inside the great oak.
"But why? I never offended him... did I?" Pyro questioned, hoping not to offend her or the bird in any way. Teela merely laughed.
"Naw, you were asleep," she said, while extending a finger down and softly jabbed Chirpy's beak. "Hey... Wake up."
"Chiiiiiirp..." moaned Chirpy, wanting to still sleep. When he peeked an eye open and saw Pyro, he shuffled his tiny body around and faced the back of the hollow.
"Wow... Smart bird," said Pyro in a disappointed tone. Why does Chirpy dislike me?
"Yeah... Chirpy!" reprimanded Teela, jerking her attention from Pyro to Chirpy. The bird gave a half caring sigh and fell back asleep, ignoring Teela. She then turned back to Pyro. He seemed to be interested in getting out of the forest, or so his face read. "You want out?"
"Huh?"
"Of the forest. I know this place inside out." Teela seemed to be a trustworthy person, so he nodded.
"How'dja know?"
"It was written all over your face."
"Oh. Well, I've supposedly been trapped in here for years. That's how..." he pointed to himself, "this happened."
"You died?!"
"... I'm not sure I'm so much as dead, but I get the feeling I'm not alive." He looked to Teela, who seemed confused. "Sorry... I tend to be vague." He shrugged. "I know one thing, though. I hate this forest."
"Hmm... Did you try the treetops?" asked Teela while she pointed upward. Pyro looked up and scratched his head, and then understood.
"Shoot! I coulda flew up there! Awww!" moaned Pyro as he smacked his forehead. Teela laughed as she went back to the hollow Chirpy was sleeping in. She picked him up, and turned back to Pyro slowly. Chirpy started to stretch, and opened his eyes. When he saw Pyro, he jumped up and took flight. Teela and Pyro looked up and saw him disappear into the distance, chirping. Pyro looked to his new friend, and she held an outstretched hand in Chirpy's direction. Teela let her arms rest once again, turning to Pyro.
"Let's get outta here."
And with that, the two took to the treetops.