A/N: Here I am with a Mario story for this site – the first, but not the last. As for the dissy… Super Mario and all related indicia are property of Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto and not me. Now, on with the fanfic!
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The Pokémon were restless.
Their leader of craziness and all things mischievous, Pikachu, was especially affected. His grandfather, Jonah Bolt by name and right but Old Geeze to the thunder mouse and his friends, had a habit of coming to the Pokémon's small condo in southwest Santa Fe every two weeks or so. The last time he'd come to the door he had recounted an amazing adventure of a thunder Yoshi; a deep tale of adventure and true love. At this very moment, Pikachu's spine tingled at the thought. He could hardly wait – provided Old Geeze came, of course.
Suddenly, the door swung open on its hinges, seemingly on its own. A figure appeared in the doorway, his lithe figure darkened by the glow of the shining stars behind him. Behind Pikachu, Umbreon shifted so that his black ringed ears wavered. He inclined his head and angled a beam of purest moonlight to Old Geeze, who cocked his head and scratched one pointed yellow ear.
"Thanks, Umby," Old Geeze declared, leaning heavily on the cane that was always close to paw. His grizzled gray bangs fell over his bright black eyes, partly masking them from view so that they shined like beacons from in between the hair. "I could use that." He made his way over to the battered old stool that stood on three legs at the front of the room.
Silently, wordlessly, the Pokémon watched with bated breath as the old storyteller ascended his throne.
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Lila, the Yoshi's Island chieftainess, stood up and thrust her chalice into the air. She was rather young for clan leader on Junglestream Island; at twenty-two (in their years), it was said that she was younger than the first chieftain himself. But all this lay deep and unforgotten in Lila's memory as her silver gem-encrusted chalice touched the air; tonight was a time for celebration.
"By my cup and by my blood," Lila began excitedly, her red scales aflame as the arm holding the cup stretched, victorious and unwavering, above the raised heads of every Yoshi in the densely-packed room, "Let us honour these brave travellers from the Mushroom Kingdom and welcome them into our home." She slashed the chalice in a downward motion onto the white-clothed table, indicating the end of her speech and the beginning of the festivities. The Yoshis cheered, their hundred voices melting and fleshing together in a cacophony of welcome and happiness, along with five others clumped up in their midst. They didn't have to say anything, but Mario, plumber extraordinaire, got up with a bow and a flourish of his own silver chalice, tossing it from hand to gloved hand as he began his own speech.
"A-well, first of all I'd-a like to thank Daisy for-a convincing the good old Piantas at the Mushroom Express to fly us over here today," Mario began, the chalice flicking back and forth, back and forth, between his hands. Daisy, the princess of Sarasaland, got up and took a bow before quickly going down among the Yoshis. "Also, I'd-a like to thank Lila for-a doing what she did and accepting us here. And finally, I'd-a like to thank all the rest of you, for believing in me and helping me and-a Luigi when Peach was-a kidnapped. Thank you!" Done, he took another bow and sat back down, grinning happily from under his mustache.
That was too much for Yoshi, Mario's rideable dinosaur. He burst out laughing, his red scales bobbing as he leaned back in his chair and his dinosaur laughter filled the air. "That's a good one, Mario," he said through the snarks. "I can still remember the day when I had to save you!"
Mario paused a minute, considering his options, then laughed and slapped Yoshi across the back. "Yeah, but then again it's-a not my fault I-a got kidnapped." He stopped, thinking, mustache aquiver. "Besides, I was-a only a baby back-a then."
Luigi, Mario's green-clad brother, stretched from where he was sitting beside the eccentric duo, long arms extended until his silver chalice glinted in the light. "Either way, it-a comes out to the same-a thing, doesn't it?" the younger brother commented with a content yawn. "All-a five of us, we're the band of heroes."
Mario looked at Luigi oddly, his head cocked and his red cap slightly askew. "Gee, I-a never knew that, little bro," he said, sincerely (or so it seemed).
Luigi grinned at his brother's sarcasm, then turned away from the pair of them and turned to where his friend (and crush) Daisy was excitedly talking to a yellow blue-scaled Yoshi named Mera.
"You need a Yoshi, Daisy," Mera was telling her, the pointed blue scales behind her head rippling as she spoke. "I mean, Mario has one, so why don't you get one, too?"
Daisy shrugged, nonchalantly it seemed, but her bright blue eyes were glowing. "That would be a great idea, Mera, but where would I get one?" She went rigid for a second, as if considering her options, then went on, excitedly. "On second thought, where could I get a Yoshi?"
Mera grinned in all happiness, as if glad that Daisy had finally succumbed to her inexorable Yoshi power. "Well, there's a lot on the island that want to see the world," she continued, her own caramel-brown eyes twinkling mischievously. "You could bring one of them."
Luigi giggled slightly at the thought of Daisy, princess of the Chai Kingdom in Sarasaland, bringing home a Yoshi for her kingdom to enjoy. Or rather - to ride around everywhere, showing off her new dinosaur as she explored the nooks and crannies of her ancestral home. That was pure Daisy for you, as Luigi very well knew.
Meanwhile, the plumber-dinosaur wisecracks had now subsided and Lila, Yoshi chieftainess, was talking to Yoshi instead. The two were rapidly involved in conversation, and Luigi let his eyes glaze over as he listened to their chatter.
"What's it like out there, Yoshi?" Lila wondered, waving her arm in the air.
"In the Mushroom Kingdom?" Yoshi asked, reaching for his silber chalice and draining it. "Well…" The red-scaled Yoshi tossed his head back as he thought about it. "It's big. That's the first thing I can say about it. Gigantic, even." (Shigeru Miyamoto has got this VIVID imagination - I feel justified in writing that. XD)
Lila nodded with rapt attention, her eyes focused on the wall behind Yoshi. "What kind of places are there in the Mushroom Kingdom, Yoshi?"
"All kinds," Yoshi grinned back with a wave of his own hand. "There's Toad Town, Dry Dry Desert, Delfino Island, Boo's Mansion, Oho Oasis, and even a volcano! It's really awesome," he exclaimed, his green skin seeming to glow as he described the kingdom. "That's not all, though."
"What else is there, then?" Lila asked, reaching for a slice of strawberry-watermelon cake that had just been served (Oh, so that's what Yoshi's eat, Mario thought as he watched the pair of them. And I thought they just ate berries and fruit and stuff).
"Well, there's the Beanbean Kingdom," Yoshi mused thoughtfully, his big black pupils scanning the ceiling. "And Sarasaland, of course."
Lila's azure eyes were glowing so brightly that Yoshi unconsciously leaned back just looking at them. When he was younger, before he'd had all his adventures with Mario and the others, he'd oft seen her like that on his adventures on Junglestream (which was conveniently located a few miles south of Yoshi's Island). It usually meant something crazily insane was about to follow.
"Yoshi," Lila added, her eyes glowing, "This might seem selfish of me, but… Can you take me with you next time you go back to the Mushroom Kingdom?"
Yoshi had to bit his lip to keep from laughing. "All right," he said, barely holding himself. "You can come, but you'll have to stay at the palace."
Her bright blue eyes lighting up, Lila bowed her head and rippled her scales in the traditional Yoshi fashion. Yoshi inclined his own head and smiled. The two shook hands, signalling agreement.
Lila could usually contain herself pretty well, but Yoshi could see the light in her eyes as they broke hands she swivelled around to face her friend, the young red Alber. As soon as her back was turned, Yoshi broke out laughing.
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A/N: Well, there you have it – the first installment of this new fic. 'Til next chappie!