A Friend in the Undead: Tv Tropes: Tearjerker

Given how this is a fanfiction about how a Yoshi that loses his own life, I think at least ONE tearjerker moment is a given.

Chapter 1

· Before the main tragedy even starts, we get our first tearjerker moment in the form of Kaleb becoming distraught over not collecting enough fruits. He is quick to berate himself for his "shortcoming" as the others rush to comfort their sobbing friend. It really sets an early picture of how much he cares about his brothers, doesn't it?

o What's worse is that Kaleb's decision to stay behind and find more out of guilt is what sets the tragedy to follow in motion.

Chapter 2

· Crossing with nightmare fuel, the assault scene where the new unnamed antagonist pins down Kaleb and forces poison into him. Kaleb is seen begging for mercy and trying to get out, only to watch as he is overwhelmed by the toxic substance, turning pale and becoming motionless. The villain then takes it a step further, and throws the poor thing into some leaves to cover up the evidence. Kaleb tries to get out, but the brat coldheartedly stomps his hand at that moment, forcing Kaleb to withdraw into the leaves and hope that help will come. His last words in that chapter?

"Please… Someone… Help me…"

Chapter 3

· From Olly's perspective definitely, seeing Kaleb's dying state as soon as he's uncovered. Up until this point, Olly has never seen a Yoshi in person, so imagine the shock of seeing your favorite creature on the brink of death.

· Olly struggling to find his way out of the forest with Kaleb in tow. He knows that he's against the clock here, yet he's stuck in an endless loop in the place. He's starting to fear that he might not even be able to get Kaleb to his house before he passes on, until Kaleb himself shows him the way with what little strength he has left. By the time Olly makes it out of the forest, Kaleb has gone limp, to which he begs his patient not to leave so soon and to hold out just a little longer. This chapter ends with Kaleb looking at him with a weak but loving smile.

Chapter 4

· Olly showing his parents what has become of Kaleb can count, to include the parents' reaction. The author is REALLY trying to escalate the tension.

· Olly and his parents' brief yet strong debate. Olly knows that they can't get Kaleb to an official hospital in time, so he proposes that he use his knowledge and skills to save him. His parents object, his father saying that his skills aren't developed, and his mother blurting out on impulse that he might fail. Following this, Olly counters with the fact that he was searching for the Yoshis to find some friends, and that now it is time to be one to one of them in need. He is afraid of failure to, but as he says it, if not him, then who else will do it? His parents finally relent upon hearing this, and his mother even apologizes. As he takes Kaleb to his little makeshift lab, Kaleb gives a small wave to his parents. That right there… *sniff* Is a family…

· So, Olly has just administered the antidote to Kaleb, and following a brief conversation between the two, Kaleb seems to be returning to normal. As even Olly goes into shock that it worked, Kaleb gets up and profusely thanks his new friend, hugging him and reverting to his jolly old self. Nothing could possibly go wrong here, right? As Olly and Kaleb start heading upstairs to save the other Yoshis from the villain however, Olly hears some crashing noises from behind him. Turning around, it's Kaleb, and he's lying down on the brink of death again.

Chapter 5

· When Olly tries to find something else that can save his friend, his panic increases as he realizes that nothing more can be done. He himself breaks into bawling hysterics as the prospect of Kaleb's death dawns upon him. Like any good doctor that has failed, he begins breaking into tears… as Kaleb himself puts a hand on him with some final words…

o "I-It's… okay… I don't want- you- to think that y-you're a f-failure for this. Y-You w-w-were brave enough to t-try.."

o Olly then shouts in despair as Kaleb seemingly leaves the living. He then gets a front-row seat to his subsequent transformation. He watches in horror as he adopts the green and purple color scheme along with the jack-o-lantern smile that Spooky Yoshi is known for. He opens an eyelid, and sees nothing but a blank expanse of black. For what he knows, Kaleb's body is already decaying! He won't even get to bury him at this rate!

§ (Of course, this is just a transformation sequence, not Kaleb's absolute departure, so thankfully there isn't any decaying.)

§ HOWEVER, for the entirety of the time that Kaleb's eyes are blank, he is actually dead.

o Olly's family hears his crying, and they can't help but do the same. To have to jump into action at such an early age, only to fail to save a life… To say that their son is scarred is an understatement.

· Then comes the scene where the villain's family barges in. They show absolutely no pity or sympathy that Kaleb has perished, fully revealing that all of them are pure evil. While Olly's family doesn't know that they're the ones yet, they certainly pick up on the hints that they're here for Kaleb's body, and not for a good reason. As Olly himself hears the argument from below and rushes upstairs, not wanting to lose them as well, he ends up exposing the criminals for who they are as soon as he finds the poison attached to the boy responsible. Meanwhile, Kaleb has woken up in his new form, and instead of wondering what's happened to himself, goes upstairs and finds Olly defending his family from the boy he hoped he would never see again. Scared, he hides behind the door, only to regret doing so when he sees Olly's family being taken hostage by the other. Even as he musters up his courage to try and save his friend, Olly himself, as he's being walked out the door, sees what Kaleb has now become. The look of sheer horror on his face sells it to the viewers that he now feels guilty to the highest extreme. Then, as Kaleb looks like he wants to go after them, Olly just gives him a sad headshake, not wanting Kaleb to be captured as well as undead. It's almost like he's saying that he deserves his fate since he couldn't give Kaleb a better one himself. Kaleb then watches in tears as his family is driven off to who-knows-where, feeling guilty for cowering in fear. He feels like he failed to repay a life debt to his friend that saved him. He then spends the next few minutes sulking in the empty house before resolving to find his friends so that they can save Olly and stop the brat.

· Speaking of the other Yoshis, THEY feel guilt too for what's happened to their friend. Well, to be fair, they don't know yet, but they know that something's gone horribly wrong since he hasn't come back for the last FIVE hours. They're experiencing the most excruciating moment of adult fear where they must come to terms that something awful has happened to their loved one.

o In a good and heartwarming way, but the fact that Yoshi and his friends would go as far as go back into the forest to find their friend, despite the danger the forest might present them, especially as night approaches.

· Then of course… comes the big reveal for Kaleb. As he's going through the forest, he takes note of how it seems unusually brighter. He doesn't let this distract him from heading back to his friends, but what happens next does more than that. He encounters some of Bowser's minions who attempt to corner and pummel or capture him. Only… when they see his new face, they turn around and run about like headless chickens, hinting to Kaleb that something is very wrong. He's left in innocent confusion for a few seconds before he suddenly realizes that he fell unconscious during the treatment. Scared out of his mind as to what could have happened to him in that timeframe, he goes to a nearby river, and within an instant, his entire demeanor changes… Poor Kaleb…

o Poor Kaleb is an understatement really. His new appearance terrifies him not only because of how it looks to him, but also because it practically SCREAMS to him one message. He didn't just fall unconscious. He died. He knows in that moment that he's undead, and the revelation HURTS. He just breaks down on the ground, crying as visions of rejection start to enter his mind.

§ What's worse is that he honestly wouldn't blame his friends if they ran away from him. The author notes in a couple of conversations with others that he bases this story as a sequel to the German Yoshi's Story comic, in where the other Yoshis thought the black Yoshi that was introduced in that (named Parker in this story) was some sort of foreign being (which was of course before he saved them from Kamek). However, this is an entirely new case, as Kaleb, even though he might be the same in spirit (thankfully), is now the very first undead Yoshi of his kind. His fear of being rejected is justified, because he's become new AND supernatural at the same time. Oh, and in case we didn't make this clear, it's against his will.

o Then comes another revelation along with the first one shortly after it. As Kaleb begins bawling endlessly, he suddenly creates a whirlwind that lifts him into the air. As he crashes back down, he takes note that he has new powers that Yoshis aren't normally known for. Rather than be amazed or interested even that he has them now, he's so innocent that he leads himself to believe that his new abilities give him all the more reason to run away into the forest and into isolation. Kind of takes one back to when Elsa from Frozen felt like she needed to be shut off society for the safety of those she loved.

§ Even more so, this moment as a whole is reminiscent of the scene in Frankenweenie when Sparky sees that he's undead and breaks down.

· What would have happened if Kaleb had gone into the forest forever? Not only would things haven't gone so well for his friends in the future (due to future events that would have never happened), but Kaleb himself would have found himself in an eternally depressing life consisting of nothing but interacting with creatures the Yoshis consider enemies. While Kaleb himself would certainly never join them, one can only imagine the scenario of the poor thing being mocked endlessly by the neighboring monsters and crying rivers of tears, all while his uncontrollable powers cause him even more grief. It's a really good thing that the others found him when they did.

Chapter 6

· The opening of this chapter as Kaleb reviewing what has just happened in the last few hours, and it is depressing. He basically started the day out as a joyous normal Yoshi unable to contain his excitement for the upcoming Fruit Fest. Presently, he has been a victim of animal abuse, and as if that weren't traumatizing enough, he has basically lost his life (in the undead way of course). Who WOULDN'T want to break into waterworks upon such a discovery? Just makes you want to give poor Kaleb a hug.

o And think about this: throughout the story, it's implied that out of all of his friends, Kaleb is considered the youngest. He lost his life at such an early age when he still had so much ahead of him.

· Then, his friends come along and find him with his back turned, on the ground, sobbing. All the times before when he heard his name being called out by them (Take the beginning of the story, for example.), he would joyously rush over to his friends, unable to wait for what fun times he would experience next with them. This time? He bolts off in the other direction without hesitation, unable to imagine their possible reactions to his new appearance.

o The others know that something's not right when Kaleb does this. They're all left wondering what could have happened to their friend and brother back in the forest. As they give chase to him, they don't relent in their search for him, but they do start crying in desperation when they can't find him after a long time.

§ "Please, Kaleb!" "Why are you hiding?" "Please come back!"

· Yoshi finds him after what feels like forever, but he only gets to feel the joy of finding a lost friend for a moment before he sees that Kaleb has become so withdrawn into himself that he won't let his friend come near him. He doesn't understand why Kaleb is suddenly a recluse, and it worries him. Not helping is that Kaleb outright tells him that he's not the same person he once knew before. Kaleb feels like his personality is dying, and that he can't be saved by anyone, not even his friends. He keeps trying to shoo him away, telling him that he would just run away anyways if he saw his face. Yoshi does not relent in the slightest however, which causes Kaleb to scream in grief and frustration, giving up on any hope of making his friend go.

o Kaleb wants Yoshi to leave, not only for the latter's safety, but so that he can still remember Kaleb as the friend he was instead of the "abomination" that he's become.

o This scene is all to relatable to people who have been overcome with depression. To both them and their loved ones, it's like they HAVE become a completely different person compared to the bright and cheery soul they once probably were.

· Seeing how Yoshi won't back down from trying to help him, Kaleb gives him one last chance to go in the form of a warning; a warning that takes a line straight from Ben Solo/Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

o "If I show you my face, what do you think you'll see?"

· Naturally, Yoshi responds with, "What do I THINK I'll see? I KNOW I'll see the face of my dear friend! The friend I had ever since we were little toddlers!"

· Kaleb then turns around and shows him what happened while he was gone, which causes Yoshi to gasp in shock. Kaleb, taking this as a sign of repulsion, turns back around and continues sobbing, telling Yoshi that he would regret this.

o Yoshi didn't gasp because of Kaleb's appearance. He went into shock, because he basically got to see a visual of how he failed to protect his friend from harm. As if this didn't make him feel like a bad enough friend…

· As Yoshi tries to comfort his friend, he's met with a thundering "ENOUGH!" as Kaleb turns around, and his eyes are glowing red. Yoshi instantly gets the message through his friend's emotionally color-coded eyes that he's angry at him, but what he says next makes him wonder if Kaleb will ever come back.

o Basically, Kaleb is shouting in grief that contrary to what Yoshi might believe, he's stuck as an undead "freak" forever, and nothing can help fix that. He's absolutely done with feeling sunshine and rainbows now that he's an outcast to the Yoshis. He knows the gravity of the situation, and he's trying to make this point clear as day to his friend. All while this happens, Yoshi is trembling in teary fear.

§ The reason for his fear? He could care less if his friend's appearance has changed now. Except, his friend might be dying in the inside, and he may never come back to give the other Yoshis the joy that he brought them before countless times. Kaleb's trauma and immediate self-assumption that he's a monster now are robbing the green dino of his friend, and he's frightened that he may never see that loving heart he knew for so long again. He's holding the strong belief that he was a terrible friend to Kaleb. Not helping is that since the Yoshis have learned their lesson on diversity from the Yoshi's Story comic, Yoshi is certainly dealing with the guilt of treating new-colored Yoshis as foreign in his past.

· Following the outburst, Kaleb drops down again with blue eyes and continues crying, this time because he fears that he's lost his last vestige of his former self, which is his friends. He thinks that in frightening his friend, he has slewed off the last of himself, and that now, he is a lonely creature of darkness. Imagine his surprise when he sees all of his friends gathered around him, looking down at him in total sympathy with tears in their eyes as well.

· As a result of this heartwarming development, Kaleb is left in shock and awe of why they would love and stay by a "monster like him." As the other Yoshis are telling him otherwise, you can see the desperation to bring him back in their encouraging words to him. They know that they're in danger of losing their beloved friend, and they're doing all they can to keep him.

o Kaleb thankfully listens to these words of encouragement, and after Yoshi tells him that he's still one of them, he practically glomps his friend in tearful happiness. He feels that this moment is the start of his healing.

§ Unfortunately, he finds out in the next chapter that the trials won't be easy.

· When asked about how this happened, Kaleb is absolutely horrified to speak (evidenced by his dark purple eyes). He's reliving the terrible memory of the last five hours of his life, and it's a trauma trigger.

· When he finally finishes his story, the other Yoshis THEMSELVES are crying. They basically got to hear the story of how they failed to save their Kaleb from death itself, and now THEIR spirits have dropped. In their grief, they all feel like the worst friends ever… until Kaleb comforts him.

· For the first time in his new state, Kaleb's eyes glow a happy yellow when he realizes that they really do think of him as a friend despite his change. With his happiness back, he tells the others that it's not their fault, and the next words that he says are a mantra that's absolutely heartmelting.

o "You saved me from becoming someone else, because no matter how I might change on the outside, you reminded me that on the inside, I am a happy and cheerful Yoshi who won't let even death keep him down!"

§ To this day, it's a mantra he lives by.

· When Kaleb says that the situation isn't just his problem anymore, it can be kind of a shock to the readers (and the other Yoshis as well) that he would feel like that this is his problem. Yoshi states that it never was his problem, and he's 100% right. Looks like the scars of the event are still there unsurprisingly.

Chapter 7

· Kaleb calling himself a "useless undead being." The Yoshis and readers alike are left in complete shock of how Kaleb would just call himself that, and Yoshi himself is quick to try and patch up his friend's feelings by telling him that he is in fact useful. They're beginning to understand what exactly their brother went through, and for the sake of him, they try to talk about the better times of the past. The Yoshis of course are then motivated even more to find this marauder who hurt and nearly took their friend away from them for good. In a way, they ARE avenging Kaleb's death.

· So, the Yoshis are looking for the villainous boy with the poison, when all of a sudden, a rain of magical blasts comes out of nowhere. No one gets hit thankfully, but what happens next is nothing short of heart-wrenching.

o Kaleb, remembering that moment when his own emotions caused a miniature tornado to form around him, is quick to blame himself for what just happened. The other Yoshis go into shock and try to tell him that it isn't his fault, but Kaleb won't have any of it. He goes as far as abandoning his mantra and stating that he should have stuck with the belief that he's nothing but a monster, all while his friends are desperately trying to say otherwise. It's too late, though, and their beloved friend disappears off into the forest, most likely forever. They're then left to sob over how they failed to save him, voicing out loud that they just want him to come back to them. Unfortunately, things only get worse from here.

· Kamek and (Baby) Bowser then taunt them from the shadows before leaping out and abducting them, Parker included, a second time. Yoshi tries to play it brave and tell Kamek that he hasn't won yet, but by the end of his interrupted line, all of the Yoshis are tied up and muffled, screaming for help in tears. Luckily, this attracted the attention of a certain someone…

Chapter 8

· In a happy way, but the fact that Kaleb would put his friends before him and do all he could to save them (which turned out to be more than enough), despite his fears of himself and depression. That's a true hero AND a true friend right there.

· So, Kaleb just saved his nine friends and has banished the Koopa Troop to who-knows-where. You would think that after the battle that he would be amazed with what he can do now, or at the very least, less afraid of himself. The exact opposite is sadly the case, as when the others are congratulating him for basically soloing an army, he's left in his own fearful thoughts of what just happened and how these newfound powers might cause harm to his friends. As such, his fears feel justified to him now. (After all, what Yoshi can create a black hole out of thin air?!) Kaleb eventually works up the courage to tell his friends that they need to split for good this time, which leaves them at a depressed loss of words. They resume begging for him to come back, all while Kaleb, in tears, tells them that he needs to retreat into the forest for their own good. While Kaleb is trying to give them his reasoning, you can tell that he too doesn't want to go on with this, but if it will protect his friends, then he will do it without hesitation.

o Think about it. Kaleb basically has the body of a deity now, but the mind and heart of a Yoshi who's just past the age of a toddler (if the implications are anything to go by). He has every right to be scared.

· Only, as he begins to leave, the others absolutely lose it in tears, causing Kaleb to undergo some flashbacks. He remembers all the fun and laughs he had with his closest friends, which tells HIM one thing: he can't leave them, especially not after they put Fruit Fest on hold just for him. Blue eyes and everything, he runs back to his sobbing friends, who themselves start crying in tears of joy, knowing that he's staying for good this time.

o Kaleb's reason for staying? "F-Forgive m-me," Kaleb sobbed. "I-I-I'm not brave enough to leave you guys." Basically, he's not even considering his worth to them. Rather, he's admitting up front that they're the only source of comfort he's ever felt no matter what the trial, and that to leave them would be an eternity of tears and loneliness. In other words, losing his friends is scarier than death.

o At this, the others try to resume their encouraging and comforting him, telling him that it couldn't have possibly been his magic that targeted them in the forest, all while Kaleb himself is trying to tell them that it couldn't have happened any other way but from him. It's amazingly dark how much of an inferiority complex and self-depreciative this Yoshi is.

· When they finally start to convince him that his magic has only been used for good, and it looks like Kaleb's leaning towards the side of finally coming home with them, this line from Ralph sells the ENTIRETY of what the Yoshis have been feeling towards their friend and brother.

o "Kaleb, please… We want our FRIEND back… We MISS our optimistic and kind soul."

o It's at that moment that Kaleb begins to understand what worth he has to his friends. Even though this might be the most tragic day of his life, at the same time, it's also his happiest. Even in death, he means the world to them.

o His following response? "Oh, guys…" "I promise… I promise that I won't leave you anymore. I can't let what's happened to me separate me from you. I PROMISE this time that I'm still your jolly little Kaleb."

o And it's at that moment that the others know that they have their friend back. It took a lot of tears, as well as a battle, but they know then that Kaleb is saved. He may have been changed into Spooky Yoshi, but to them, he's still their own.

· However, as they leave for home, Kaleb's powers are set off again, causing the supernatural Yoshi to panic again. Give the poor thing a break, Pikmin-Volt! Let him experience some happiness! But wait…

· As Kaleb begins floating in the air and glowing pink for the first time, everyone begins to see that he's using his powers, this time to leech all the poison away that has thus far been implanted in the forest. And he's doing this how? Through the unconditional love that he feels for his friends that is reciprocated. Kaleb's happiness, friendship and love are cleansing the forest.

· When Kaleb finishes up with the purifying, even he is finally convinced that he's a pure-hearted soul who cares for those he loves. The chapter ends with him finally returning to his upbeat and cheerful personality as him and his friends walk out of the forest, hand and hand.

o Mikey, at one point, asks him where he sent the Koopa Troop when he drew them into the black hole. Kaleb, with a giggle, tells them that out of kindness and respect, he spared all of them, and sent them back to their castle.

Chapter 9:

· The other Yoshis beginning to fully understand their friend's feelings on the inside, and how terrified he must be. He was able to save the entire population as a result of his transformation, but he had to sacrifice himself for it. Indeed, they really can't thank him enough for his love and bravery.

· Kaleb's return to the other Yoshis. He's tearfully proven wrong that he would be a freak to them as they welcome him back, telling him how they were so worried for him. He cries a river of joyous tears, glad that they still think of him as their friend.

o When they too hear the story of how Kaleb became Spooky Yoshi, they also understand his sacrifice for them and how as a result of becoming undead, he did nothing but save them. Kaleb is then tossed in the air in celebration before Fruit Fest is to begin.

· When Kaleb tearfully thanks his friends for saving him, he's basically recounting the mixed tragedy and beauty of the day that changed everything for him.

· Then comes his memory of Olly. The others share his pain and grief of losing his new human friend to the heartless kid, and they hope against all odds that he's okay wherever he is.

Chapter 10

· Starting from the near end of the chapter, other Yoshis begin to change in appearance similar to Kaleb, and they too obtain more abilities. They are a little afraid at first, but who do they come to when this happens? You guessed it. As more and more Yoshis change, it becomes evident that Kaleb has basically started a movement on diversity and change, and he has become the living icon for it in their circle. Kaleb himself couldn't feel more included at that time.

Chapter 11

· Kamek's plan to basically cause the extinction of the Yoshis and build a castle out of their bodies is already tearjerker and nightmare fuel enough, but as the attack occurs on Kaleb's side…

o Basically, he and some friends are drained of their powers before they're treated to the sights of themselves being split into bundles of yarn, one after another. As Kaleb sees Kamek taking aim at a Shy Guy Yoshi, he jumps in front of the attack in an effort to save him. As Kamek sadistically points out, this only buys his friend a few more seconds before he too meets the same fate. His last moments are hoping that there will be survivors that can save them all.

· And save them all they do, Yoshi and Mikey so to speak. Through evading capture, they manage to start the rebuilding of Craft Island and the population of Yoshis, and as they get to the haunted lands, they manage to find all five bundles of yarn belonging to a very special friend of theirs. The reunion is this and heartwarming at the same time.

· Later, Yoshi and Kaleb make the final push towards the castle when Kamek attacks them personally again. He's about to restart the process of extinction again before Kaleb's powers come to the rescue and nullify Kamek's magic so that he can't do so anymore. Kamek then tries to ram Kaleb off the platform that he and Yoshi are standing on, which prompts Yoshi to tackle his friend out of the way and into the abyss anyways… Well… until they both grow wings and start flying.

· The reunion between the ten main friends shown in this story is nothing short of this and heartwarming, following Baby Bowser's defeat.

· Learning the fate of the Shy Guys that were turned against the Yoshis by Kamek's magic certainly counts as this, as they were basically used as puppets and discarded into jail whenever deemed useless.

· When the Yoshis and Shy Guys have finally found every last one of themselves, they get one more revelation from a strange telepathic talking egg. Said egg reveals that the Star Spirits created this world for the Yoshis to commend them for being such jolly little dinos, and how this was supposed to be their gift. It then apologizes for letting evil come into this world, to which the Yoshis and Shy Guys forgive it for. To make up for this, the egg then presents them with a few final challenges which they complete. Their reward? The egg generates four new Yoshis (bronze, silver, gold and platinum), and the Yoshis are tearfully thankful. A nice end to this part of the epilogue indeed.

Chapter 12

· This chapter opens up on Kaleb having a nightmare (turned dream). It starts all cheery, what with him playing with his friends, but then he's brought back to the time where he first gazed upon his new form via reflection by a pond. He prepares to be horrified and saddened just like the last time, but instead, he sees how he looked before he transformed. As he wonders why this is happening, Yoshi comes up from behind him and begins comforting the sobbing dinosaur, not wanting for him to feel any angst, and voicing his own regrets of how he wasn't there for him when he needed it. Everyone, Yoshis and Shy Guys included, then comes up to him and starts lift him into their circle again and cheer his name.

o Then Kaleb wakes up as soon as he realizes that his friends are calling for him outside the dream as well, and the first thing he does is hug them. They immediately get the message, and ask if he's okay.

o He responds by telling them that it started out as a nightmare, but then they appeared in his own dream to help them. The revelation moves them to tears and warms their hearts. They're glad that he knows that he can fall back on them.

· Then, Ralph correctly guesses why Kaleb had that dream. The Yoshis have always let little children visit their home for a few days. Now that they've discovered Craft Island, they've chosen today to show it and the new forms that the majority of them have taken to the kids. They immediately come to understand that Kaleb is worried about how they'll react to him after how it's been different all those other years. They spend the next few hours comforting him.

o When the time comes, the children arrive, and are amazed by the place and by what the Yoshis have become. Only, Kaleb is hiding in the crowd of his friends, still afraid of what will happen next. Some friends take him to the side to try and give him some courage, which eventually works…

· Only, when Kaleb tries introducing himself to the others, they practically panic in fear, which causes the undead dino to curl up and begin crying as his friends angrily defend him from their accusations. Things get really tense after they reveal that this "monster" is in fact Kaleb, the one who was kind enough to be one of the first to greet them all during the previous years. At this, the kids start to cry in remorse and beg for Kaleb's forgiveness. Kaleb, realizing that he really does have his friends to fall back on, thanks them and forgives the children, and within an hour, they're good friends again, Kaleb giving them rides and everything. However…

· Then, it's discovered that someone named Dan has gone missing. It's deduced that this must've happened when Kaleb first showed his face to them all. Notice how said Spooky Yoshi droops down in sadness and guilt when this is said. But right afterwards, he's the first to assure the children that this boy will be found and returned to them safely.

o And when Dan is saved, he too feels the guilt of mistaking Kaleb for a monster, which Kaleb, being a good boy, forgives.

· Following the ordeal and some tragic storytelling, Kaleb decides not to dwell on the sad moments too much, and announces play time during the night at the plaza for everyone. At that moment, he becomes so happy that not only do his eyes turn pink again, but he also grows wings, a power central to all Yoshis, whether in times of crisis or complete joy. The Yoshis and Shy Guys that see this are themselves overjoyed that Kaleb is ecstatic and feels included again, as they have constantly been worrying over him starting from that one fateful day.

· After that, and when everyone's falling asleep, Dan is about to, when he sees Kaleb sitting down, staring into the sky. Upon closer approach, he sees that his eyes are glowing blue. When he notices him, Kaleb, at first subtly, but eventually in hysterics, voices his regrets to him about not being able to save Olly that day months ago. He feels like it's his fault for not discovering his powers soon enough, and that if he used them, Olly would be okay. Dan, and eventually everyone else too, comfort him and assure him that Olly is surely still out there somewhere… alive. And ever since the talk with Dan, Kaleb has become a forest guardian, not only to scare off threats, but so that one day, he can find Olly again… Kaleb's friends note in the next chapter onward of how finding Olly might be the one thing that can permanently stop Kaleb's flashes of fear and depression.

Chapter 13

· Kaleb blaming himself for not waking early enough to say goodbye to the Heroes of the Four Sword, despite having run himself into the ground every single day and night in guarding the forest. His friends reveal that they're getting worried over the amount of commitment that he's putting in, and that they let him rest to get some strength back.

o Mitigated in that Kaleb gets to see the heroes later in the day.

· In a happy sort of way, but the fact that Red Link and Blue Link immediately take a shine to Kaleb following a skirmish with some enemy Shy Guys. This is the first time that humans (albeit those that have transformed into Yoshis themselves) have warmed up to him so quickly.

· The story as a whole is a very big tearjerker. Basically, Kaleb, the youngest of his friends, gets mercilessly killed off by a maniac, before someone attempts to save him but seemingly and accidentally turns him into Spooky Yoshi. Kaleb then finds out that that day was his last day alive as he is now undead, tries and fails to adopt a new personality because he feels like he's forced to, is saved by his friends, and in return, saves the entire population of Yoshis. He may be a hero, but he died an undeserved death.

· If you ever get the chance to say it, PLEASE let Kaleb know that his sacrifice was NOT in vain. If you ever see him feeling down, tell him that he is loved, and that he means so much to his friends.

· And if you ever run into anyone who considers themselves a freak, inside or out, you let them know that they have a place in this world, and a place in the hearts of many, especially yours.