14. Dreams in the Forest
If this really was a dream, Luke didn't want to wake up right now. He'd helped hatch a blue Yoshi and won its friendship, and had spent much of the afternoon following Mario through the forest with it trotting at his side. When they found a second egg, he was treated to a repeat of the wonderful experience of a wild Yoshi being born, and the bizarre yet heartwarming sight of Mario bonding with the new hatchling. The plumber lay back against a tree, his overalls smeared with slime and bits of eggshell, feeding apples to the glistening Purple Yoshi and gently stroking its nose. It reminded Luke of documentaries he'd seen of scientists communing with gorillas in the mountains of Africa; Mario seemed so calm, so at one with the forest and the Yoshi species. He looked like he hadn't a care in the world - those dark, heavy eyebrows had lifted now and his bright blue eyes sparkled. This was the Mario Luke recognised from the games - the Mario his little brother Miles adored.
Blue Yoshi fidgeted, making little squeaks in its throat. It occurred to Luke this was the first time it had seen another of its kind, and curiosity was getting the better of it.
"Eeeyossshi..." it crooned, and looked around at Luke, before taking a short hop towards Mario.
Luke put a warning hand on its shoulder. "Not yet, Yoshi." Like the nest in which Blue Yoshi had hatched, this one was right within the blind spot of a sleeping Piranha plant. Moving too close and disturbing its roots would be disastrous.
Mario looked up and understood; he stood up and coaxed Purple Yoshi to a safer place. Blue Yoshi bounded towards them, and Mario beckoned to Luke, a broad smile on his face. "Look at that, Luke. Is it not wonderful?" The plumber folded his arms and watched the two Yoshi nuzzling one another, chirruping their own greetings. "The blue one looks stronger on its legs now. Ready to ride, I'd say."
"R..ride?" Luke gave Mario a sidelong glance. From the artwork on his games, riding a Yoshi looked like a painful business. How anyone could sit on one of those shells and not do themselves a serious damage, he had no idea.
"It's easy, once you learn-a the rules." Mario took him by the arm and led him towards the dinosaurs. "All of the commands are by touching Yoshi's face. Watch!" Mario reached out to Purple Yoshi and tickled it under the chin. It squeaked, then immediately dropped down onto its belly, its head resting on the ground. "There. So you can climb on." He pointed to the blue Yoshi. "Now you try!"
Luke took a deep breath and approached Blue Yoshi. He gently stroked its chin, and sure enough, it flopped down into the same position, its hind legs splayed to either side of its body.
"Now, climb aboard! When you're ready, touch its head just behind the eyes. Yoshi will stand up!"
Not daring to disobey, Luke clambered onto Blue Yoshi's back. To his surprise, the shell gave a little under his weight, enough to make a comfortable seat. He stroked the Yoshi's head, and sure enough, it stood. Luke grasped the front of the shell to steady himself.
"Good, good!" said Mario. He looked down at Purple Yoshi which had rolled onto its back, chirruping playfully. He chuckled and tickled its belly. "Ey, you pay attention to this, eh? Its-a your turn next!" He turned and faced Luke. "Okie-dokie! Now, give me your hands."
Luke reached forward, extending his arms either side of Blue Yoshi's head. Mario took Luke's hands and gently guided them over the white cheek-pouches on either side of the Yoshi's face. "See how the head swings left when you stroke him here... and-a right when you do it there... Now. Move your hands in a backward curve for stopping... and-a now... we start to ride!" Mario guided Luke's hands in a forward sweep and then stepped out of the way as the Yoshi started off at a trot.
"Whaa?" Luke grabbed the edge of the shell between his legs. "Mario, help!"
"Luke!" called Mario as he ran alongside. "Always ride with your hands forward, ready to steer!"
Luke gripped Yoshi's body with his knees but could already feel himself sliding off. "Mario!"
"Remember the 'stop' command!"
Luke lurched forward and traced his fingers backwards over the Yoshi's cheeks as Mario had shown him. Blue Yoshi stopped dead, throwing Luke out of his seat.
"Whooah!" Mario dived forward and caught him as he fell, and they both tumbled, landing in a heap on the ground. The plumber groaned, clutching his shoulder.
"I'm sorry..." said Luke, sitting up. "Are you okay?"
"Stop apologising! You are worse than my brother. Are you okay?"
Luke straightened himself up and looked at Mario with a grin. "Yeah!" he said. He'd just ridden a Yoshi.
ooo000ooo
It wasn't long before Luke had grasped the basics of Yoshi riding and was sitting astride the leathery shell on Blue Yoshi's back, following Mario on the Purple Yoshi through the rich and colourful forest. The two dinosaurs trotted along with their riders on their backs, snagging fruit from trees and plants as they went and occasionally chirping to one another. Mario would sometimes point out the more interesting plants and animals as they went, and Luke learned to make his Yoshi avoid the spinys and buzzy beetles that sometimes crossed his path. However, he was still far from being a proficient Yoshi-rider. Each time he made Blue Yoshi swerve the wrong way or fell off, Mario stopped and waited for him to catch up, giving words of encouragement. But his last fall had been particularly hard, and now the arrow wound on his arm was hurting.
Mario looked over his shoulder. "Whooah, Yoshi!" He dismounted from Purple Yoshi and hurried over to where Luke sat. "You're looking pale," he said.
"I'm okay Mario, honest!" said Luke, holding his injured arm. I'm just getting the hang of it..."
"It's been a day and a night since Luigi bandaged that up. It's about time I took a look at it." Mario swung his bag down from his back and pulled a medikit from his bag. He took off his gloves and cleaned his hands. Luke found himself staring at them. Rough, thick and hairy, they looked like the hands of someone who'd had to work hard all his life to get by. He wondered how old Mario really was.
"Turn around."
Luke obeyed, and sat still while the plumber unwound the bandage and removed the dressing.
"Ey, it's healing well." Mario cleaned around the wound and applied more of the green 1-Up paste from the medikit. Just as before, it felt like ice at first, but soon turned to warmth and the pain dulled.
"How far have we come?" asked Luke.
"Now we have the Yoshi with us, we've come half-a way. But we stop here. We eat now, and then rest for the morning."
"Why? It's not even evening yet."
"That is true, but it will be dark by the time we reach Boo Woods, and is best to tackle that in daylight. Besides, you must take more of the 1-Up medicine, and it will make you sleep." Mario put away the medikit and brought out a small glass bottle.
Luke made a face when he saw it was full of the same green liquid Luigi had made him drink the night before.
Mario chuckled. "Don't worry, Luke. I put sugar in it this time."
Princess Peach gazed out of her window at the sunset over Toad Town. She hated it when she and Mario argued. It was a small mercy that when he did lose his temper it was always shortlived, and they always made up. But this morning he'd left without so much as a goodbye or a blown kiss, and he'd stomped out of the castle gates with the boy running behind him.
"Ahem."
She turned, to see Toadsworth standing by the door of her room.
"Ma'am," he said, "I really don't think brooding all day has helped the situation."
"I've been so stupid. Stupid, stupid stupid. How could I have left things with Mario in such a mess! Now he's gone away angry."
"He's gone away with cake, my dear, and we all know the route to Master Mario's heart is through his stomach!" Toadsworth patted his own round belly and gave a soft chuckle, his white moustache quivering. "He'll be back, sure as eggs is eggs."
"Will he? What will happen once the Professor invents a way for that poor lost boy to go home... Don't you think Mario will be tempted to step back into his own world just one more time? What then, if he can't come back... what if... what if he decides never to come back? Oh..." She sat down at her writing desk, pulled a lace handkerchief from her sleeve and pressed it over her eyes. Tears would not be a good thing now. Not in front of Toadsworth.
"If I know Master Mario, he's made his decision to stay. Even if he could go home, he wouldn't."
"Even so... Luigi is another matter. He speaks of his home-world so often... Would Mario stay if Luigi decided to go home? There is a saying from their world, they say... 'Blood is thicker than water'..."
Toadsworth gave her a stern look over his pince-nez. "This is all hypothetical nonsense and now you're becoming hysterical. May I suggest you take some air young lady, to clear that dizzy mind of yours. Then perhaps you might find something more constructive to occupy it with."
Peach glared at her guardian. She hated it when he was right. And - in between the arguments that morning, Mario had asked her to keep an eye on his brother for him.
"You make perfect sense as always, Toadsworth," she sighed. "I think Luigi and I are both going to need cheering up while Mario's away. I'll think of something." She managed a smile that must have looked convincing enough to ease Toadsworth's concern, because he bowed his head and took his leave there and then.
The Princess clasped her hands together on the desk. According to Mario, Luigi would be working on a kitchen installation at Toadington's house all day today, but tomorrow his work diary would be free. She opened a drawer and pulled out her notepaper. If she hurried she could send a letter with Parakarry before nightfall, and then summon Luigi to the castle tomorrow.
Princess Peach took up her pen.
'My Dearest friend Daisy...'
The forest was as beautiful at night time as it was during the day. Ghostly fireflies flitted between the trees and some of the ground mushrooms gave off a gentle white glow. Mario leaned back against a giant toadstool stem, its red-spotted cap providing a natural shelter. He pulled his blanket around him and stared into the small campfire, its flames dancing in his eyes.
The two Yoshi had curled up together nearby, both of them making quiet purring noises. Luke lay wrapped in his own blanket, using his backpack as his pillow. What little he could see of the sky shimmered with unfamiliar patterns of stars. Even to someone like him, who had little knowledge of the constellations in Earth's skies it wasn't difficult to assume that Mushroom World was in a completely different part of the universe altogether.
He felt a pang of homesickness as he tried to comprehend how far he was from home. But the intoxicating warmth of the 1-Up medicine and the heaviness of the pasta meal Mario had made overcame him - his eyelids drooped and he drifted off to sleep.
"Luke? Hey Luke, it's me, Miles!"
Wow, I'm back! Miles! I... I can't see. Oh God, what's wrong? I can't move!
"They said I can come to see you. It's been so boring at Mrs. Baynard's house. The doctor was very nice. He talked to me and said you're in a coma, and you're having a hard time waking up."
What? No... it's okay. This is a dream, right? Miles, can you hear me?
"He said that if I come and talk to you, you might get better. He says he doesn't know why you're ill. I think it is because I saw you in the game, but I'm scared to tell him just in case he takes the game away from me. Did I do the right thing? Luke? Or should I tell him?"
No, no! Don't tell him! Mario's taking me to see Professor Ga...
"Well, I guess you can't answer... so I'll carry on talking. That's what the doctor told me to do. Just in case you can hear me. Ummm.. Soooo...
Miles I can hear you, dammit!
"You are in hospital, and you've got a tube up your nose. It looks gross. Oh yeah, and I've been watching you in the game. I saw that blue Yoshi break out of its shell and snot all over you, that was really funny! But it must be really cool to get to ride one - and to meet Mario. I mean, wow! I hope you wake up soon and tell me what he's like!"
You saw that? You can really see me in the game? Miles, we have to find a way for me to talk to you - Maybe there's a way you can help me out of here. Miles?
...
Hey, Miles? Are you still there?
...
Miles... Don't leave me...
...
Miles, please keep talking... I can't see anything and I can't move... please... Miles?
"Luke..."
"You're still there!"
"I'm scared, Luke. Because... I.. I know you told me to stay away from the game, but... well, this morning it let me play as Luigi. But I messed up really bad. I let him get caught. And... and... You got your arm bandaged... Can you really get hurt in there? Because if you can, then I'm scared for Luigi..."
Oh geez. Now he's crying... Miles, why didn't you leave the game alone? What have you done to Luigi?
"Ey Luke. It's-a me, Mario. You gonna wake the Yoshi at this rate. Who you talking to in your sleep, eh?"
Luke's eyes snapped open. The starlit sky shimmered behind Mario, who was sitting at his side. "My stupid, idiot brother!" He sat upright and grabbed the plumber by the arms. "Mario, Luigi's hurt. We've got to find him!"
"Luke, Luigi's OK. He's probably snoring like a motorbike in his bed right now. You're-a dreaming."
"I wasn't dreaming, Mario! I'm... I'm in a coma, in a hospital. That was my idiot brother talking to me - he's been playing Mario and the Spirit from the Outer Realm and he's got Luigi into trouble. We have to help him!"
"Hmmm. Maybe I gave a little too much of the mushroom medicine..."
"Mario... I know you're trying to help me, but I can't tip toe around what is a big solid fact for me just because you can't accept it. I am inside a computer game. I was playing it when I ended up here. Now Miles has been playing it and he's messed things up for Luigi."
Mario looked at him, his lower eyelids twitching.
"You have to believe me, Mario! Do you remember burning yourself in Bowser's moat trying to cross it? That's because my idiot brother was distracting me when I was playing. Do you remember smashing the wormhole machine with a koopa shell, and all those spirits flying out of it? That was..."
"A...game." Mario's voice was low and quiet. "You think all this is... a game." He stood up and walked away a few steps. "All this..." he turned around, gesturing at the forest, "...these wonderful creatures..." he pointed to the two sleeping Yoshi, "...you think is all a game." His eyes glittered with anger. "Does it look like a game to you?" The sudden change in tone made Luke jump. "Do I, Mario, look like a game?"
Luke pulled his blanket round his knees, not daring to move.
Mario paced around the embers of the fire. "If it isn't bad enough listening to my damn fool brother and his-a 'guiding spirits', you come along with your-a crazy stories and make him question our existance here. To think that he risked his life for you yesterday, gave up his bed for you..."
"So why won't you listen to me when I tell you that my damn fool brother has got him captured?"
Mario took a deep breath, trudged back and sat beside Luke. "Because it was a dream, Luke. I give you the benefit of the doubt because of the medicine. Remember, you dreamed about your brother like-a this last night, eh? When you had fallen asleep on the sofa. After Luigi gave-a the medicine."
There was truth in Mario's argument. Maybe the medicine was responsible. Part of him hoped it wasn't. He liked to think there was some link between him and the real world, however tenuous. Luke lowered his eyes.
"If this was a game, and you were inside it, you wouldn't be real here, would you? I think that arrow wound proves that this is real, no?"
Luke stared at Mario, and then looked at the forest around him. Although everything he saw he recognised from a representation on the screen of his console, he couldn't deny that this place, and Mario - and the Yoshi, were real. Something bubbled up inside Luke and he choked to hold it back.
Mario raised his eyebrows. "Tears...?" He spoke gently, now.
Luke lay down and covered his head with the blanket. Though he couldn't deny that everything here was real, he couldn't deny that he'd come here through playing Mario and the Spirit from the Outer Realm, either. And then there was Luigi's book, 'Spirits from the Outer Realm'... How could that be a coincidence? Luke shut his eyes tight. "I'm sorry, Mario," he mumbled. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it is just the medicine. I... I just want to go home."
Mario patted him on the back. "Sleep it off, Luke. We meet the Professor in the morning."