SHADOW YOSHI'S ERA: SHADOWS.
chapter one.
Disclaimer: Pff, I wish I owned the characters in SYE, but unfortunately I only own Chanaros, Shadow Yoshi, and, as of Supernova, Supernova.
Author's Note: This is the second in the series of SYE, and I would actually like everyone to read this one first. It contains no spoilers of the other two, even though the other two contain spoilers of it. This part takes place after the events of Rex though it should be read first. It occurs during Shadow Yoshi's reign. This story does not pick up where Rex left off, though Rex left an open ending! It takes place a few months afterward. Ahem, about this chapter -- it's more of a little overview of what happens, but from Kylie's perspective. The real action doesn't begin until Chapter Two.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS CHAPTER OF SYE: SHADOWS IS SET IN KYLIE THE KOOPA'S POV. (However, the whole story isn't!)
"Hey, wait up, whiskers!" I called out as I watched the disappearing forms of the twin whisker boys. Well, I guess you couldn't call 'em twins, because Luigi is taller than Mario -- however, I like referring to them as such. I was about to miss out on the biggest scoop of scoops, because there was trouble all over the place with the sky all black and an eclipse threatening to make its way over the sun, and the only ones who knew much about this strange occurrence were the whisker boys I have grown to know and love. I called out once more, "You gotta tell me more! Don't keep me in suspense!" But it seemed they were too busy to listen to li'l me, because by the time I called out again, they had completely disappeared.
I had overheard their plan when they were discussing it amongst each other. They had to find more information about Shadow Yoshi while we were toiling under his rule. Ohhhh, what a scoop this would be if I actually found some more information! Unfortunately, whiskers were all ahead of me, so it looked like this scoop was something I had to find on my own. 'No matter,' I tell myself. 'I've gotten scoops all by myself. I'm a grand dame; I can do this on my own.' Taking one last peek into the darkness where the two men disappeared, I headed in the opposite direction, toward Bowser's castle.
Immediately the noise of the grumpy Koopa King rang to my ears as he stomped inside the castle. I remembered that his castle had almost been taken under siege by Shadow Yoshi, and I suppressed a shudder. Shadow Yoshi seemed to show up everywhere at any time it was inconvenient for them; so far they had thrown a monkey's wrench into the plans that we had formed the last few months. I didn't even know who was responsible for Shadow Yoshi in the first place; all I knew was that we were in big trouble because of that big fellow.
"This is an outrage!" Bowser thundered, tearing through his castle, so much so that I thought the grainy ground beneath his feet would tear up because of his vicious claws stomping all that much. "He came back again?" I could hear the sound of gripping but I couldn't see anything because I had no point to look through into the castle.
Deciding that this was interesting and I needed a better look, I glanced around and saw me a window. I withdrew into my shell, darkness covering my eyes, and I spun as fast as I could until I felt that I was at the destination, and then I popped right back out of my shell. I grabbed the ends of the outside of the windowsill and I peered in, my keen Koopa eyes picking up the sight of Bowser talking to one of those Paratroopas. Pff. Paratroopas -- what was the point of them? I mean, all they had was wings; but that was besides the point.
"Yes, Your Badliness," the Paratroopa replied sort of like a robot. I flinched at how serious his tone was. Were things getting that desperate nowadays? "Apparently Shadow Yoshi isn't satisfied with what he has right now. He managed to capture and kill many of the Mushroom Kingdom inhabitants, but I'm afraid he's not just satisfied with the slaughter of those mushroom-heads. He wants us as his victims as well." He stated it so matter-of-factly, like as if it was old news! Meanwhile, I was scribbling all over my notepad all of the things I heard. This would make a fabulous scoop! I could already imagine the title -- Shadow Yoshi Feels Bloodlust for Koopas. It would not only be a best buy, but the Koopas would be thanking me with all sorts of gifts for letting them know ahead of time that the greater evil-doer was after them!
"So he's not just satisfied with dealing with them," Bowser snorted. "I seriously don't want to get in a situation with him again. It was hard enough guarding the fort the first time."
"Perhaps we can make a proposition with him, Sir," the Paratroopa went on quickly, and I knew very well that he didn't want Bowser to go into a hissy fit. Personally, I thought that didn't really have much reason to avoid it -- Bowser would probably go into a hissy fit anyway, I thought. However, I was proven wrong when I saw the interested look reflect over Bowser's dinosaur-like features.
"Seriously?" Bowser leaped and stomped on the ground, his twisted way of showing excitement, and I had to cling to the window frame in order to continue standing up. "And what proposition would that be?"
"Perhaps he can spare us," the Paratroopa explained, "if we help him capture Mario and Luigi. He had been complaining about how Mario and Luigi rescued the ones he was trying to slaughter."
I gasped, and turned around, my notepad papers almost flying off around me. The whisker boys were in trouble! Bowser was getting desperate; he wouldn't think up a bad plan this time as he usually did. I had to let the know, and they deserved to know -- however, I found that it was hard to move. What would I tell them? Where did they go?
"If we get rid of them, then my plans will go out well," Bowser agreed, but I barely paid any attention to his voice. Well, until the next thing: "I could also get rid of that little traitor of a Koopa as well."
Suddenly a tad of excitement hit my head, and my pen seemed to fly as I started yet again to scribble notes. 'Which Koopa?' I asked myself. There could be many Koopas that he would want -- Koopa the Quick, Mario's best friend; Rachel the Koopa, who abandoned the fort a long time ago; he could even get me. I shook my head incredulously as the idea came up in my head. Why would he do that? I was perhaps his only chance of surviving. 'But Mario and Luigi don't have any hope of not getting captured unless I warn them.' The flash of alarm that I had felt earlier for the whisker boys came back to me once again, and I knew, just knew, I had to let them know of this plan.
"So, what shall I do now, Your Evilness?" the robot (he definitely was like one by now) Paratroopa asked, tilting his head to the side. I used his attention-grabbing on Bowser to slip past the door.
"We shall capture --"
Creeeeeaaak.
GODDAMNIT.
I accidentally had pressed my hand on the doorknob, and its creak made a loud noise as I opened it. Now I was in a load of trouble -- if I honestly thought I would have my goose cooked by Shadow Yoshi when I decided to tag along with another one of those hare-brained ideas of the whiskers, I had to think again, because Lady Luck decided that Fate wanted me not to get in trouble there, but here, with my old boss -- Bowser.
I heard a deafening roar coming from the direction of Bowser, but it sounded pleased, not angry. I was hoping that he was pleased to see me to come with news. However, and my heart quickened and sickened at the same time at this -- he was pleased for a way different reason. "That's the traitor," he said in a satisfied growl. "Her. Kylie Koopa. She had been known to work with the Mario brothers!"
Did Bowser even say "seize her!" at all in that sentence? I certainly didn't think so. Unfortunately for me, the Koopas did.
Yet again, goddamnit.
I withdrew into my shell as fast as I could, and I spun as fast as I had ever spun in the whole of my entire life. I felt the thrill of the chase hit me like a bomb as I roared away from the Koopas. Though I couldn't see them (and stupidly, too) I knew for sure they were on my tail now. I wouldn't be captured though. I wouldn't let them capture me -- the reason being because I had a scoop of a lifetime, and I had to get to the whiskers, and I couldn't let the Koopas risk all of those things.
Happiness filtered inside me as I remembered a very important landmark! 'Haha, rock!' Quickly, I dashed my shell over to the boulder that I had seen much earlier very near and dear to the property of Bowser's castle. My shell brushed its side, making a hissing sound as I spun around the rock. I heard large cracks and assumed they came from the breaking of other Koopas' shells. Dizziness entered my mind as I kept spinning, round, round, round the darn rock. Some of the Koopas were persistent, and I instantly changed direction. Big mistake. I felt the skim of my shell next to another one and I was knocked off balance, flying into the air. I popped out of my shell and saw only sky above me, and below me, a sharp pointy rock that may hurt.
So when I landed on it, I was surprised. But I guess it's because I landed on my back.
I struggled to my feet, pushing my arms up like a pushup but getting completely on my knees and then my feet. I looked all around me. No signs of the Koopas that chased me. With a sigh of relief, I hopped off of the rock. Now to find the whisker boys.
Wait.
Shadow Yoshi doesn't have whiskers.