A/N: Love will Save the Day is a Song by Usher. I'm not entirely sure it's called that, but I know that's the refrain.
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The first thing Lauranna felt that day when she began to talk with her best friend, Nicky, as usual, was an odd scratching sensation on her back. Her temper quickly rousing from its listless sleep, the periwinkle Yoshi whirled around. The only sound that met her -- uh, whatever Yoshis have in place of ears -- was a faint giggling and the rustling of leaves. Angrily grinding her teeth one against the other, Lauranna turned back to Nicky.
"Well, Nick, it's a beautiful day today… What should we do?" she asked, rubbing her back as if she could ward the pain away.
He shrugged. "I was thinking maybe we could go to the beach – you know, we could swim and play in the sand and stuff. Maybe we could go with some of the younger kids."
"Good idea, Nicky," agreed Lauranna. It was too soon, though, when she felt scratching on her backside again. The feeling was aggravating, but she mentally threw down the feelings that were quickly running through her mind and contented herself by stamping one booted foot into the grass. "Say, Nicky, do you see anyone behind me? I feel like someone's scraping against my back but I can't catch whoever it is."
"It's Alber… And Midnight, Gabe, Mera, and Rainbow." The expression on his face turned to one of annoyed-ness to one of shock. "Rainbow?"
"How in the world did Mer ever suck you into this?" Whipping around to face the motley crew, Lauranna kicked out viciously. Within an instant the Yoshis had jumped back several paces and Rainbow had now broken out in shivers.
"Hey, we were just trying to do something nice." A grunt was accompanied with this statement as Midnight pulled Rainbow away from the danger, gesturing for him to run away with Mera. "You know?"
Lauranna swerved to the side as a blue-booted foot came crashing down for her, but instead of landing on her spike-scaled head, it plopped right down on the grass beside her. The foot sent small cracks running through the ground; she had to jump backwards as not to trip from the mini-earthquake. On Nicky's other side, a red-booted foot had done the same thing, and Lauranna found herself frighteningly close to the pine-green Yoshi. "Uh oh," she muttered to herself, and not without reason; she saw a small red figure running off into the trees behind her.
In the corner of his eye, Nicky could see a small, flighty blue figure giggling wildly as it disappeared into the trees. He knew that the Yoshi was the owner of one of the booted feet that had brought them closer together. Nicky knew precisely which Yoshi he was.
And so did Lauranna.
She didn't return to Nicky until she had fully chased Alber and Gabe from their respective tree hideouts all the way to the shoreline. The two young Yoshis ran wildly for their lives as their periwinkle (former) friend pursued them over the grassy terrain. "You!"
"Yes, us," muttered Alber to himself, skidding to a halt. When he had jumped back to his feet and faced the horizon, Lauranna was gone.
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"She's with Nicky," affirmed a weary Rainbow later that day as he rejoined his friends in the tribe settlement's eating hall. "I saw them talking."
"Quietly?" queried Midnight, and Rainbow nodded glumly.
"I'm not sure I want to do this anymore… I mean, what if some of the Yoshis we're trying to set up get angry at each other instead of us?" Rainbow put voice to his fears, laying his head in crossed arms.
"Bud, you worry too much," came a cheerful voice from above, and the quintet looked up in surprise to find Yoshi standing there. The green rideable dinosaur looked pleased – which would explain his cheer – and none the least angry that they were playing matchmaker. "After all, with these guys on your side, you can't go wrong," Yoshi went on, tossing a pleased yet mischievous smile to Rainbow. "Especially with Mera."
"Hey! No fair!" cried Mera as she caught the sight of Yoshi's rolling eyes. "I always thought you were the crazy one."
"Yeah, you're just crazier." Midnight passed his own fleeting smile over to Gabe, who giggled.
"Anyway," he interrupted loudly – though happily, as it always was with Gabe – "Who should we set up next?"
Instantly, the rumble of chatter ceased and everyone exchanged glances with each other. Indeed, no one knew exactly who – with Rainbow in their mist, they couldn't play matchmaker with him and Canberra.
Or can we? Midnight rubbed his chin at the thought of setting Berra and Rain up together. Obviously, they would have to find some way for Rain to evacuate the room, but… The possibilities are endless, Midnight thought as he scrutinised the delicate leaf pattern carved into the table's palm tree wood. Absently, he traced one hand around the shape of a particularly pretty rose blossom impressed right in between a dancing, fluttering mass of leaves. He could see a story reflected right through the palm wood – it was the height of spring, and the roses were blooming. In light of this, the leaves had taken to honouring the rose's blossoming by flittering excitedly around it.
Dance of the leaves, Midnight though to himself, a smile slowly spreading across his face as he cast his eyes over other engravings nearby. Kinda like us – we're watching, like the leaves, as the roses, like the couples, are set up by us. We must honour these pairings lest danger ever come crashing down upon us.
The last thing was a most uncharacteristic thing to say, and Midnight wrinkled his snout at the thought. Where in the Mushroom Kingdom did that come from? It's just so not like me.
Nonetheless, Midnight looked up, a faint grin curling his features, at the forms of his fellow Yoshis, hard at work planning who they should pair with who. This strange smile flickering around the corners of his mouth, Midnight set to work with his plan. Well, in his mind, that is.
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"You sure you don't want us to help you and Violet?"
The expression on Mera's face was literally pleading, but Yoshi slowly shook his head. "Birdo, remember?" His face flushed as he launched on with his bit. "I didn't remember her before a few days ago… Anyway, I'm too young."
These were the sounds that met Rainbow's – uh, hearing organisms – as he stealthily left the tribe settlement. The young Yoshi was confused about what he should do – earlier, he had seen Midnight plotting. At least, that was what it had looked like to Rainbow. Any one time the dark blue Yoshi could be seen thinking could be a bad one – for him, anyway.
Rainbow also didn't know if playing matchmaker with the others was the right thing to do, but that only added to his dilemma. His real motivator wasn't even the crafty Midnight, but rather Tara and Beran.
His parents.
They were his parents now, at least. And Rainbow planned to see them, planned to find out what he'd been missing these last long years. He could do it, he knew he could. Or so he would have been able to, had something tall and shadowed been blocking his pathway.
"Going somewhere?" a voice inquired, and the Mythical Yoshi of Legend found himself backing up slowly.
"Uh… (Granted his shy and is-this-the-right-thing-to-do? nature, Rainbow wouldn't eve lie to save his hide.) "I…"
But then a beam of faint afternoon sunlight flung itself right into the figure's face, and the young Yoshi saw someone he recognised.
"Beran!" cried Rainbow, scampering forward. The middle-aged Yoshi smiled at him, rubbing one of his ridged scales as his adopted son came forward.
"You can call me Dad now," he began, but Rainbow shook his head:
"Nah, I prefer it this way."
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"Well, Joro, I feel oddly justified in-a saying that I'm a-gonna miss this place."
The tall green Yoshi nodded at Mario's positive statement as the red-clad plumber fondly rubbed the Mushroom Express. His gloved hand traced the loops and curves of the fifteen letters as he sighed contentedly.
"Yeah, but when you think about it, it's a good thing Mera and Midnight know just how to set up couples like that. Piece o' cake, isn't it, Mario?"
The plumber nodded at his friend. "Yeah – who would've a-known that the old meet-me-at-sunrise-under-the-palm-tree manoeuvre would actually have a-worked. At least-a, I think it did."
Giggling gently at his brother's expression of utmost shock, Luigi giggled and pressed one finger on his ribs - hard. Mario groaned loudly and lunged, but he only ducked cleverly again. The grin on his face was apparent. "Duh duh duh duh…" (Random Bach theme!) "Of course it did."
"Yeah, we saw Canberra and Rainbow before. They looked peacefully happy," nodded Olivia, and her friends chattered along with her.
"And," added Elsa with a quick look tossed behind her shoulder, "he's coming right now."
"I heard that," came a voice from behind them; the thick knot of Yoshis turned to see Rainbow walking toward them. The Mythical Yoshi of Legend – indeed – wasn't alone; he was with Canberra. The two of them had been talking together before Rainbow had hailed the others. "We have a right, you know."
It didn't take long for Midnight to notice that Rainbow's normally flashing, colourful scales had changed to one single colour – a dark, fresh midnight blue. Rain's version of a flush, he thought with a devious grin.
"Anyway," Canberra announced loudly - distracting Midnight from his devilish thoughts, "I notice nobody has dared to set up you and Mer yet."
This sentence was accompanied by a knowing smirk and a clever flashing of scales. Midnight flushed deeply and lurched for her, to be reined back in by Joro. "OK, buddy." The older Yoshi scolded him sternly. "That's enough of that." With that, he lifted him by his red ridged scales and deposited him safely out of the line of danger. Midnight squirmed, then ducked his head ashamedly as his tale drooped to the floor. "Erp…"
"I have to say, I'm going to miss you Yoshis when I'm gone." Peach wiped her eye with a blue lace handkerchief as she shook Lila's hand. "Living with you for a month can do that to a person, I suppose."
"I as well, Princess Peach." Lila inclined her head in the traditional Yoshi fashion; Peach, not knowing how to respond, bowed her head so that it glowed, a mass of molten butter-yellow curls, in the sunlight.
"Well, so long, Yoshis." His wingtips flickering to keep him afloat, Porgal shook Tara's hand. It was a strange enough sight: the thickly-knuckled, blue-veined orange-amber hand moving up and down with the small, swift green one. "I have to say this: our ways may part, but with hope our paths shall cross once more."
"Where did you get that quote?" asked Parakarry. The Paratroopa was carefully arranging some sheets of Yoshi leaf paper, a bunch of Tinkleberries, a ridged orange scale that had formerly belonged to Canberra, a blue jewel peacock feather and other assorted natural and Yoshi-made objects from the island in his rucksack. The items were just lightly sprinkled over with a thick coating of letters that were Parakarry's idea to deliver. "It doesn't really sound like something you would say."
"I made it up, though, old boy." His great-uncle cheerfully gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder. "I've got more smarts in me than you think."
"Right." Parakarry replied in a sarcastic deadpan before snapping himself out of hit and shaking Beran's hand. "It was an incredibly thoughtful and kind on you and your lovely wife's part to adopt the Mythical Yoshi of Legend." He adjusted his goggles slightly and released the middle-aged Yoshi's hand, floating higher all the while. "What I mean is, it was nice of you two to take Rainbow in."
"T'was nothing," Beran replied with simple a shrug and a smile.
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"Yoshi?"
The green dinosaur turned at the sound of the voice, but it was just Luigi. Mario's little brother looked at him curiously, a question in his blue eyes.
"Are you-a all right?" he asked, posing one hand on his red saddle as they boarded the Mushroom Express. "You're a-coming with us?"
Yoshi could have laughed out loud. "Of course," he grinned at Luigi, "Why wouldn't I be?" So that was all, he thought with a small chortle as he waited for his friend to answer. Still, though… I wonder why he asked me that.
"It's because I-a thought… I-a thought you would-a want to stay here with Violet," stuttered Luigi, a flush darkening his cheeks at the thought – anything could remind him of Daisy, including talking with his brother's steed about the Yoshi girl he liked.
"No, I can't." Yoshi shook his head vigorously as the two of them entered the plane's wide doorway and seated themselves among the other passengers – aside from their friends, the place was filled with travelling Piantas, exploring Nokis, voyaging Goombas, journeying Koopas and adventuring Boos (plus a whole lot of other races I shall leave for your imaginations to fill). "Back home… Back home, there's Birdo, you know? I just remembered at the eleventh hour."
Luigi whistled from under his mustache, his face still hotly flushed. "So you-a decided to go with us to-a hide the embarrassment."
Yoshi's face went red.
"N-Not exactly," he stuttered in answer, "but I don't want her to feel neglected."
And what is the fate of everyone's favourite Yoshi, caught between two admirable girls? (Actually, it was a plot hole. My bad. XD) Will he be like Archie, forever doomed to handle with one at a time while the other looks on and kicks sand in his face? Or will we have a happy ending?