Paper Mario X
Chapter 35: Not Your Average Yoshi's Island
The sea wind caressed faces, and the sea smell filled noses. Kolorado's endless talking drowned out the soft rustle of the waves and the seagulls cawing at the sight of some fish. The sun shone bright, and the sky was a brilliant blue, but they couldn't enjoy it due to the dangers that were on the horizon…
*^*
Everyone gasped at how such a beautiful island could hold such a dangerous volcano. Link shivered at the thought. Everything that was a plant was lush with green, and flowers were vivid with color. Bow breathed in the fresh island air and twirled around, making Kirby sighed at how her bows shined in the sun.
"Yes, well. Finally made it, eh? So this is Lavalava Island…Smashing!" Kolorado observed. He then saw something that made him jump three feet. "Gracious! Behold Mario! There! Off in the distance! The top of Mt. Lavalava! Triumphant! We must hurry! Make haste!"
Link and everyone else suddenly became alert and looked toward the volcano. Lava was already starting to pour out of it. Link gasped.
"We DO need to hurry!" he panicked. His heart was thumping in his chest. Bombette pleaded for him to settle, but he couldn't completely calm down. Kirby had ran into a tree and found a coconut. He tried to crack it open on Goombario's head, but nothing worked.
"What use does this have?" he complained.
"…throwing it at people?"
"Oh!"
"Guys…volcano!??!"
"Link…"
Nevertheless, Link was already running after Kolorado. The next area was a shore with crystal white sand. It slowed Link down, but the large triangular oval footprints kept him going. Bombette had to trip him so that everyone else could catch up.
"Hey! What was that for!" he shouted.
"You need to get over this! We'll get there in time Worry Wart!"
Before Link could very rudely reply, a cry for help rang out.
"YAAAARGH! Help, I say! Help!"
It made everyone run a little faster, but Parakarry had to take the time to pick up a letter. When Parakarry hopped off the rock, a gold fuzzy was jumping all over Kolorado. Link laughed. Kooper glared.
"Look how brave he is, fighting off that thing, Kooper!"
"I'm still not changing. It's probably very vicious!"
Link rolled his eyes. Mario moaned and bonked the Fuzzy with his hammer. He did it again since he got the first strike. They groaned when there were two Fuzzies instead of one. It didn't matter because Mario already took care of the first.
"That's…um, unexpected!" Watt muttered while electrocuting the second Fuzzy. Mario had perfect timing when it came to defending himself from the monster. No HP was taken. Link let Kirby and Bow go first once again, so the combined use of slap and hammer was effective. The last Fuzzy cowered as he fell.
"Phew…you save me! Many thanks, old chum. Well, enough of that! Let's pull ourselves together and press on, what say?" Kolorado didn't wait for an answered while he scurried off.
"This guy is going to be a handful…"groaned Samus.
A few more paces, and they were at Yoshi's Village, with a giant sign. Yoshis ran free and wild, others giggled and laughed. Bow and Bombette sighed at the beauty of the village. It had a few islands within the islands! Bow laughed and immediately tried to catch some rays on an isle in the pond while Bombette splashed in the water. Link would have played with Bombette too, but Sonic needed to be okay before anything. He told her to come on while Kirby urged Bow to continue. Kirby grinned as she pretended to pout, and followed Mario to the Yoshi Chief. He was a slightly plumper green Yoshi with a feather in his head and was chatting with a friend. Mario politely interrupted.
"Welcome to you, Mario. I am the leader Yoshi of Yoshi's Village…Ah, you come seeking help-"
"-and giving help!"
"-you wish to go to Mt. Lavalava, do you?" Chief asked. "How odd. I believe Sushie said she sent someone up there…ahem. The entrance into the volcano is in the jungle, but it's very difficult to get to it. The volcano has awakened as well. I think it may be too dangerous for you to go there."
Link had a twinge of hope. If no one could go up there, then maybe Sonic was still fine! But then, who was the person this Sushie sent up to the volcano? He should have asked if it was a blue hedgehog. Worry refilled him once again. Mario tugged on him to come on, and led the group to the east. In this open area, more Yoshis ran about, and even little baby Yoshi were among them. Bombette cooed at how cute they were. A little store hut was off to the side, next to a gate. Apparently, that was the Toad House/ hotel.
"This must be the main square!" Goombario randomly stated.
"Still! Would have never guessed…" grunted Samus.
"Over there is the Jungle! Let's check it out!" Bombette urged.
"I think I hear Kolorado again…" Kooper groaned.
Mario wasted no time in going east again. Yes, another shout was heard from Kolorado again, and after passing a beautiful flower that Kirby wanted to pick, they found Kolorado being hit with a Spear. Link cackled at Kooper's "savior" being beaten by a random enemy. Kooper tried to give him a dark look, but Kolorado did look dumb. Mario tried to hit the Spear Guy, but accidentally hit Kolorado instead.
"Ow! Get a hold of yourself! What do you say you attack the enemy instead of me, hm?" Kolorado snapped while still being beaten. Mario smiled sheepishly and went to hit the Spear Guy instead. Another Spear Guy brought him company. Mario used his second attack to use Star Storm, which quickly took care of both Guys.
"Mario! You HAD to hog the action?" Samus grunted.
"Seriously! Who died and made you superstar?" added Kirby.
"I'm his biggest fan!" Goombario said proudly.
Mario weakly gave a thumbs up while Kolorado dusted himself off.
"Phew…you saved me once more. You're top notch, Mario!" the adventurer told Mario. Mario only nodded. "Now, I feel our destination, the volcano, is quite near. Let's press on while our spirits are high eh?"
Everyone but Kooper thought Kolorado was acting a little strange. He trotted off furiously again, leaving everyone else in the dust. At the other edge of the jungle, Lava was oozing off the side of the volcano. Link's heart raced again.
"Ah! Mario…Have a look at this!" Kolorado pointed out. "Looks like the entrance to the volcano, eh, old boy?" He showed everyone that the path to the entrance was blocked. Not the entrance itself. Link breathed again. Sonic could probably survive that.
"Somewhere in that volcano are the treasures I'm looking for! I know it! The secrets of an ancient civilization! And yet…I can't find a way in. Bit of a sticky wicket, hm?" Link snorted. "But I shall not give up! A good explorer never stops gathering information! Let's go back to the village to look for clues. There must be a way in there! There simply must! Come now!"
As Kolorado hurried off, the rest of the group stared at the lava flowing out of the volcano. It had Link envisioning Sonic being tossed into the hottest batch of lava the plant could find and burn him to something crispier than a crisp. He snapped out of it when Kolorado yelped yet again. Though when they reached him, he was perfectly fine.
"…Oh ho ho ho! Did you think I was being beset by enemies again, old boy? Just a bit of a joke…Explorers must have a sense of humor, don't you know!"
"I agree!" Link cried. "But…that joke just plain sucked."
"Like all of yours!" Goombario cackled. A few people had to give him points for that one. Link couldn't think of a comeback and simply let it go.
"At any rate…let's move on hm?"
Back at the village, Yoshis were freaking out and some had tears flying off their faces. Some were twitching, and some were on the ground. It was not a pretty sight. Even the chief was having an episode.
"Oh such ill fortune! The children are missing! They seemed to have secretly slipped off to the jungle! They don't know its dangers! We must get them back here to safety!" the chief explained.
"Aw! We just came back from there!" Kirby groaned.
"But we didn't see any Yoshi children…" Kooper added.
"Mario, could I ask you to look for these lost children? As you can see, the Yoshis of my village are panicking. They aren't thinking straight. I'll try to calm them down. You just find those kids!"
The chief just went back to panicking.
"That guy must be a great chief!" Samus snorted.
"Just come on. We need to get those kids back before something happens!" Parakarry ordered.
"Are you trying to override your ruler?"
"…er, no?"
Samus gave a nod and followed Mario. Instead of going to the east, they went down a path that led to the north. It was swampy with a few floating islands, and the middle island had a Spear Guy dancing on it. Mario was staring at it until he accidentally ran into a Hurt Plant that attacked him. Link cut away its life supply and it wilted on the spot.
"That was weird. I've never seen a plant that just suddenly snaps at people!" exclaimed Kirby.
Mario shivered. Link shook him a bit to regain his composure. He moaned a bit, and then pushed away the bushes that were on the path. There was a dock in the water on that side, but there was no way to get across. Mario made a note of that while turning right. However, he had to return when Goombario stuck his nose in a bush and ended up being attacked.
Mario used Star Storm again, but now his Star Gauge was dangerously low. He then summoned Kooper to use Power Shell to finish up. Everyone else complained they didn't get a chance to fight. Again. Mario shrugged. He guided them back down the right path with everyone having sour faces. Immediately as they entered, someone was screaming.
"Get back here this instant! You little ingrates!"
They crossed a small tree root bridge only to be yelled at again.
"Hey you! Down here! Look up here!"
Mario and the rest looked up to see a Cheep Cheep in a tree.
"Okay. I've officially seen everything!" Samus burst out.
"This is so embarrassing…I'm stuck in this tree. Can you help me out somehow?" she asked.
Mario pulled out his Super Hammer and whacked the tree three times. The Cheep Cheep landed on her belly with an oomph.
"Oh phew…I'm saved. I feel like one big ache. Thanks for getting me out of that tree. I think I'll be okay now. Oh! Ooh…those little…I was chasing those naughty little Yoshi boys and I fell in their trap. Don't they know how dangerous it is in the jungle? That's why I sent my helper out there…I have to find them before they get in too deep!"
Link suddenly threw himself at the Cheep Cheep. "You sent someone into the jungle? Or was it the volcano?" The Cheep Cheep waved her fins and everyone had to pull Link away.
"Wait until she's done explaining! Holy!" Samus roared.
"She's probably that Sushie person, and she sent Sonic up to the volcano!" Link gritted under his teeth.
"You don't know that for sure!"
Link glowered at Samus as the fish caught her breath. "As for you, you'd better get back to the village too. It's dangerous out there!"
"Who cares?! That's all we're hearing! 'Oh no…super scary jungle! Stay away, yet I'll go in!' You hypocrites! We are going in no matter what, sister! Unless you tell me what I want to know, consider yourself in more danger than the jungle! You just pushed me off the edge!" Link bellowed. Samus hit him on the head with her blaster to knock him out.
"Why in this world did you come into the jungle anyway?"
"As our friend over there was babbling about, one of our pals ended up on the island, and the monster in the volcano guarding the Star Spirit we're looking for plans on tossing him into the lava! That's why he was so mad about how he thought you sent him up there…" Samus explained.
"Oh my! I did send a blue hedgehog up there! He arrived on the isle one day, weak and panting. Claimed to have run across the ocean! Such endurance! After a few days of rest, he became bored and was complaining of how actionless the island is. I was fed up and told him to go check the volcano for activity…but after he left, the volcano started to ooze down the side, blocking the entrance. He never did return after that…but I didn't know someone was planning to do something like that! I would have him put in a cage for protection if I knew!"
Link sprang up and in the same move had Sushie pinned to the tree. "You plain idiot!!! How could you do something like that? Send someone into an active volcano? That's…oh my god! He could be gone already!"
"Link! Ease up!" shouted Bombette, constantly trying to throw herself into his leg. Samus gave him another good hit on the head but he didn't pass out this time, though he swore he heard something crack. It finally took Goombario spitting in his face to calm him down. Samus trapped him to the ground as Sushie tried to breathe again.
"What's wrong with him?!?!"
"Anger issues!"
"He's very close to Sonic…"
"Ultra-Shroom Madness!"
Samus kept her canon pointed at Link just in case as Mario explained he was also looking for the little Yoshis, ordered by the chief.
"Well! So! You're looking for those little rascals too!" Sushie said. "Then, I don't see why we can't look for them together!"
"Except that Link might go berserk on you!" Kirby input, glancing at a sobbing Goombario with Link glaring maliciously.
"They really don't understand the dangers of the jungle, so we have to find them soon. Oh my! How impolite! I haven't even asked for you name! What is it, pray tell?"
Mario: Mario
"Samus here!"
"I'M KIRBY!!!"
"…and that's Link…"
"Hmph."
"Mario huh? Hmmm. Well, I've never heard of you before…you must be from far away or something…" Goombario spazzed while the rest fainted.
"You're kidding right? This guy is world famous!!!" Goombario gasped. He was ignored.
"Welcome to Lavalava Island. That's what I'd usually say, to a visitor, anyway, but first, could you help me find those boys?"
Mario nodded. Sushie grinned and told everyone she could take them across water.
"Sonic could use you!" Kirby noted.
"Why?"
"He can't swim and hates water…"
"Ah. I don't think he'd like lava either…"
Kirby cringed and walked away from Sushie. Sushie shrugged and started to follow, but was held back by a dark-looking Link. His expression cut deep. She made a scared face. He grabbed her by the throat and grunted.
"I swear, if anything bad has happened to Sonic…I will know it was your fault and hunt you down…and it will not be pleasant…" he threatened. Sushie nodded and gasped for air. He dropped her like the flopping fish she was. Bombette gaped from behind Link.
"You're going too far Link!" she boldly stated. "Hurting innocent people because of your uncontrolled emotions?! You're…deranged!"
"Am I?" he mocked, walking away. Bombette was infuriated with Link, but at the same time worried twice as much.
Surprise chappie! Wow, Link needs a stress ball...
I can't wait for the next chapter! it's my third fav! Yay! :D