The freezing climate must not have been enough of an obstacle… without the combination of heavy snow and fog.
He peered down the slope from the hilltop, and was unable to see anything beyond the mist. "Are you sure about this?"
Beside him was his companion. Green, spirited, and confident, he beamed with uncontainable excitement. "I'm sure we'll be fine." He hummed and rock on his heels, holding his skis and poles in separate hands. "Ready to race?"
Again his gaze followed the path downhill, only to meet with the thick fog. "I don't think so, Yoshi…"
"Why not?" the reptile huffed. "It's really not that dangerous… Besides, we didn't climb all the way up here for nothing. Don't you even want to practice?"
"You're positive that it's safe?"
Glaring slightly, Yoshi sized him up. "Are you really that worried about the weather? Or is that just a façade?"
He only received a baffled expression.
"You heard me. You're just putting on a front… because you're too afraid you'll lose."
"What? No! I -"He froze when his sentence was halted by a sudden burst of laughter.
Yoshi placed down his skis, chuckling as he put them on. "Just messing with you, Silver." The hedgehog blinked as he watched the Yoshi walked past him to approach the slope. He got into a readying position, looking down the road ahead.
He looked back to meet a concerned expression, and flashed a mildly cocky grin. "See you at the bottom." Using his poles, Yoshi pushed himself forward before crouching and sliding down the hill. Silver watched the reptile slide downward and into the thick fog.
He was gone.
A moment had passed before the hedgehog finally equipped his gear with a sigh. He walked over to the incline and got into a starting position, releasing another sigh. Using his poles he pushed forward, crouching as he slid down the slope.
…
Silver was finally pulled from his daydream by the constant clicking sounds coming from nearby.
Yoshi was continuously pressing every numbered button on the elevator. Pulling him away from the selection of buttons the hedgehog pressed the correct number for their floor. As the elevator began closing Yoshi, now standing to the hedgehog's left, curiously stuck his hand between the doors, which reopened with a soft ring. Smirking in amusement the dinosaur did so again, causing the same reaction from the elevator. He laughed, as did Silver, who once again pulled him from the front completely.
When they got to their floor, Yoshi cautiously stepped into the golden and crimson halls with a baffled expression. He rocked on the plush carpet beneath him as he gazed at the ceiling, staring at the soft lighting of the chandeliers.
"What's wrong?"
The dinosaur turned to him, wide-eyed. "This place is so huge… I still can't believe we all live here." he paused. "Why are there so many different people living with us?"
Silver laughed. "No, no… We're staying at a hotel for the Sochi Olympics – like what Princess Peach told you. This is where we will be until the events are over, we don't actually live here."
"But where do we live?"
"In different dimensions. You're in Mario's group, and you're all from the same company. I am from a different team, therefore from another universe. Get me so far?"
"I guess that would explain why you looked so strange to me." Yoshi admitted with a sheepish grin. "No offense or anything…"
The hedgehog merely chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm used to it." he sighed as he moved his hands to the perky quills atop his head. Yoshi had took an interest in them suddenly, and watched as he smoothed them out. He stopped once he noticed the reptile's focused gaze, and forced a small smile.
"Do you like my quills?" It was an odd thing to ask. However, he wouldn't think the dinosaur would take note of that – especially in his current condition…
…which may have been his fault in the first place.
Yoshi smiled as he came back towards him with one of his arms extended. He began to stroke each standing quill, Silver flushed as he felt Yoshi's hand running between his quills. His touch was gentle and soothing, neither did he mind when those curious fingers found their way to one of his ears. He slowly traced the shape of his ear before travelling further towards the back, down one of the longer quills.
When he finally stopped he smiled again. He turned the other way and began walking down the hallway, humming. Silver watched after him with a dazed stare. Due to his amnesia, he had been so strange and curious. Yet, it made him cute and terribly innocent.
Not that he wasn't already cute and innocent.
He smiled inwardly as he remembered the first time they came to the hotel, and how Yoshi gawked at the place like he had earlier. And even how they both decided on a room together… His smile broadened as more memories of their days here in Sochi together swarmed his mind. A dreamily sigh had escaped him, even when the time at the hospital came to mind – right where Yoshi had called him pretty.
His cheeks heated into a light pink.
"Um… Silver?"
The hedgehog's blush deepened at the sound of his name by the adorable dinosaur.
"That is your name, right? Silver…?"
Suddenly a golden keycard was put to his face. Startled from his trance, Silver yelped and stumbled backwards… right into another person.
Now he was facing the ceiling, on the ground and on his back. Beside him was a man laying atop his luggage. Yoshi quickly came and pulled him off the ground while the man snarled up at Silver.
"Start watching where you're going, you oaf."
Before he was able to say anything, Yoshi made a response of his own – a rather sharp one at that. "Being rude doesn't get you anywhere, just so you know…"
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." the man stated dryly as he pulled himself up.
Instantly the dinosaur made another retort. "As well as you should, jerkoff." At this point Silver had already began pulling Yoshi down the hall to prevent anything else from initial. But then they came to an immediate stop when a long gasping sound was suddenly made. They exchanged confused glances, and hastily began looking around for the source of the sound.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S REALLY YOU!" Both looked down to find a beaming eight year-old boy. "YOSHI! HI YOSHI! WOW! THIS IS AWESOME!"
Yoshi smiled awkwardly at the little boy. "H-hi there…" he stammered as he gave a nervous wave. He yelped when something from beside him pulled him into a tight embrace.
A little nine year-old girl gawked up at him with her arms around him. "I'm you're biggest fan ever!" she squealed eagerly. The dinosaur flushed with a nervous smile, before looking over at Silver for help.
However, the little boy even had him cornered.
"No way. Silver the Hedgehog too? AWESOME!" he cheered, hoping around the hedgehog. He held his hand out to give him a high-five, in which Silver lightly gave.
The little girl, still holding Yoshi, looked up to him once more with a bright beam. "Can I have an autograph?"
"Me too! Me too!" the little boy shouted. Yoshi glanced at Silver again, looking upset and confused.
After a moment of thinking, Silver suggested, "How about a group photo?" The children glanced at their father who still stood in front of the elevator. With a sigh he nodded and took out his cell phone.
When they finally reached their hotel room, Yoshi was able to relax a bit. Silver had swiped his keycard to unlock the door to their room – which was actually called a suite.
Before them was a large room of ruby and cream. A wide inched flat screen TV that stood atop a TV stand was placed at the far left side of the room, a small desk to the right, and other exquisite furniture of padded chairs, a sofa, and a marble coffee table placed at the center of the room. The walls were adorned with golden-framed portraits and candelabras.
The flamboyance of this hotel is undoubtedly never-ending.
"This is the sitting room," he heard Silver spoke. "To your left is the bathroom. Over on your right is the bedroom."
Yoshi allowed his curiosity to get the better of him as he strode towards what was called the bathroom, a room of marble tiling and fine bathroom essentials. On the left side of the sink was the lavatory, on the right side was the bathtub. Furthermore to the right were the showers, which were behind the sliding glass door. The sink itself is actually a "double sink". Beneath the marble top it was wooden, with shelves for the rolled up towels and washcloths. Yoshi picked up one of the washcloths, and was impressed with the softness and warmth of the fabric.
It almost felt as soft as Silver's fur…
He instantly shook off the thought and placed the washcloth in its original place. Looking up he saw a reflection of himself through a large silver-framed mirror. For a long time he stared at his features: green and white, large blue eyes, round tummy… Gingerly he placed his hand to his nose, amazed over how incredibly large it was.
'So this is what I look like…' It wasn't before long when he noticed Silver staring at him from the background, who quickly looked away when he turned to look at him.
…Just like at the hospital.
Leaving the bathroom he traveled to the next room: the bedroom of which they supposedly share. A large room of crimson carpeting and king-sized beds greeted him, with a wooden desk sitting against the wall opposite of the bedroom door. Beside each bed was a nightstand with an ornate lamp, though only one had a digital clock. In front of the beds was yet another TV set, like the one in the sitting room. Yoshi walked over to the other side of the room, where the sunlight seeped through the closed curtains of the room's only window, and opened them.
The first thing that greeted him was the blinding shine of the evening sun. Below was the view of the parking lot, which felt quite bizarre. It was as if the world below him became very tiny – which was the best way he could describe it. It was such a shaky feeling, but at the same time it wasn't too terrible. Perhaps, it was just awkward…
"What do you think? Like what you see?" Silver came into the bedroom, and stood not too far behind him.
Yoshi turned around to face him properly. With a small smile, he replied, "Absolutely gorgeous. This place has yet failed to surprise me."
Silver smiled as well. "Good."
All of a sudden there was a knock on the door – the door that lead into the corridor, which for some reason made Silver huff and roll his eyes. He watched him march through the living room to reach the door, and he was taking his sweet time about it too. The action made Yoshi raise an eyebrow in mild curiosity… Does Silver not take kindly to visitors?
When the hedgehog finally reached the door and decided to open it, Yoshi was hanging in the doorway of the bedroom to see who it was at the door, and – hopefully – stay out of sight of their visitor.
This unwanted visitor turned out to be another hedgehog just like Silver. However, he was blue and his quills were in a different style, a more relaxed style. He wore red running shoes, with white straps and a golden buckle on the outer sides. His gloves were plain and white, and his eyes were a rather beautiful shade of green – resembling the most perfect emeralds imaginable. Even his teeth when he smiled were like polished little pearls.
He allowed himself into the suite without Silver's ok, still beaming. He seems like a really happy guy, Yoshi thought. Though he also seems like he believes it's okay for him to waltz into anywhere like it's nobody's business.
"'Sup Silver, heard Yoshi came back."
"Yeah, he did…" Silver sighed. "He's right in there." Not knowing that Yoshi was no longer in the bedroom, it looked like he was pointing directly at him. The blue hedgehog noticed immediately and zoomed right over to him.
It literally took him a second to do so.
He jumped back in shock. "W-whoa!"
"Hey Yoshi! How ya feeling, buddy?"
"Well… I guess… Wow, you're fast."
A cocky smile made its way to the blue hedgehog's muzzle, a type of smile that seemed all too familiar. "You know I'm the fastest thing alive, Yosh. Always had been the fastest competitor since the first Olympics… Haven't you and Daisy learned that by now?"
Yoshi slightly tilted his head sideways with a puzzled expression. "Who?"
His smile faltered slightly, but then picked back up. "Nice try Yosh, but that's a hard thing to miss. Even you know that."
Yoshi's expression never changed. "Still don't know what you're talking about." The smug smirk on the hedgehog's muzzle completely dissolved as Silver came over to join the both of them.
"Didn't Mario tell you?" he asked the blue hedgehog.
He shrugged. "All he said was that you guys brought Yoshi back."
Silver raised one of his brows. "Really? I find that hard to believe." Yoshi silently agreed.
"You think I would lie about that?"
"No, no… I just don't think he'd tell you about Yoshi without mentioning his amnesia."
"He has amnesia?!" he stole a glance at Yoshi, as he seemed full of shock and disbelief. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Another sigh had escaped from Silver. "Well, did he finish what he was saying before you came over here?"
His response was, yet, another shrug. "I dunno." Silver leaned to the side to pass Yoshi an exasperated look, the dinosaur only shrugged and shook his head in return.
"At the very least you know what your name is, right?" Yoshi asked.
"Ouch." The blue hedgehog stated, mostly in a joking manner. "To answer that ironic question: the name's Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!"
Silver groaned. "Be nice…"
"What? He started it." Sonic said as he stuck his tongue out at Yoshi, who was offended by the gesture.
"Frankly, I didn't."
"I'm only messing with ya, Yosh." he gave him a wink, before walking over towards the door. "Say, you guys wanna head to the restaurant with me? Everyone's meeting up there anyway."
Silver began following him to the door, along with Yoshi. "As long as we're walking. It's too dangerous to run."
"Obviously you haven't met me, Silv." Sonic teased as he opened the door. "Guess it wouldn't hurt to take a stroll since we're leaving a little early. Just be sure to keep up with me, alright?" he walked out of the suite and into the hallway.
Yoshi followed Silver into the hallway, who shut the door behind them. Sonic was almost at the elevator as they were slowly making their way to join him, only when he had reached the elevator they quickened their pace. However, Yoshi stopped himself and Silver when they were at a distance away from the blue hedgehog.
He whispered, "I don't think I like him very much…"
"Believe me, he's a really good guy." Silver whispered back. "He's just… Sonic." Yoshi simply nodded.
…
By the time the trio had reached the restaurant the sky became a bluish-purplish hue, the large patches of clouds floated like shadows in the sky. Yoshi couldn't help but notice how the city lights went beautifully with the backdrop, and how well the glistening snow stood out in the semidarkness. The black and burgundy building they stood in front of had a large lit up sign on top that read "Lucky Duck Buffet".
Inside the restaurant had a variety of red, blue, yellow, and green tables and chairs, with tatami floor mats and wooden walls. The room was illuminated by the crimson lanterns that hung on the ceiling, and swamped with people on both sides of the restaurant – those that were already seated and others who were up wandering about with plates piled with food.
Sonic began pointing towards one of the large booths. "There's Mario over there." He was right, as there was also Princess Peach who sat next to him. On her other side was another hedgehog, yet pink, dressed in a white kimono adorned with cherry blossoms.
Silver glanced over at the booth, then back at Sonic. "Double date?"
"Amy's idea…" he sighed, while Silver nodded. The three went over to the booth to greet the others who were engaged in a deep conversation.
The first to notice them was the pink hedgehog, who was strikingly attractive in Yoshi's opinion. However, she seemed like she only acknowledged Sonic as she shot up from her seat and glared harshly at him.
"You're late."
Sonic looked both shocked and confused. "We just left the hotel. When did you guys get here?"
"Fifteen minutes ago." Peach answered, looking up with a smile.
Mario looked up at Sonic, smirking. "You're in big trouble, mister."
"Shut up…" grumbled the pouting hedgehog.
"I can't believe you kept me waiting for that long… when you promised you'd be on time!" the pink hedgehog shouted at him. "Mario came with his girlfriend. I even suggested that you walk with us, but no…"
"Relax, Amy. I'm here now, aren't I?"
"Oh… Sonic! You always do this!" Amy, after stomping her foot, turned her head in the other direction and huffed. "I wouldn't be making such a big deal out of it if you hadn't done this constantly."
"It's alright, Amy." Peach intervened. "It's not worth creating a big scene over… As unfortunate as it is, men will be men."
"Hey!" Both Sonic and Mario exclaimed, while the girls shared a giggle.
Yoshi began to shift uncomfortably, and looked over at Silver who was pulling him towards the other side of the restaurant where rows of serving counters with a selection of food and dishes displayed were located. Silver picked up two plates, and handed one to the dinosaur.
"Just grab whatever looks good." he told him. "But we can go somewhere else if you don't find anything here that's enticing."
"I think I'll be fine." With a small smile, Silver turned and slowly walked down the aisle while observing each of the presented dishes.
Yoshi began to do the same, puzzlingly looking at each of the meals. He soon came across a red gooey-looking substance, and picked up the large spoon that sat in it. With the spoon he poked at the meal, which didn't feel completely soft. The next tray over contained things of orange, greens, and white – soaked in some sort of brown liquid.
'What is this stuff?'
The dinosaur's gaze switched to a short and bloated man in yellow, who was currently picking at a ball of white and olive green while scrunching his nose in disgust. Next to him was a lanky man in dark purple, who had a small amount on his plate. For some strange reason, just by looking at the two strange men he began to grow an unsettling vibe. It started to make him feel a little nervous…
"Good evening, Yoshi." Upon hearing his name by an unrecognizable voice, the dinosaur faced the owner of the voice behind him. There stood a magenta chameleon with his lips curved in a friendly smile, and a tray of food in his hands.
"H-hello…" His attention immediately returned to the food as he hadn't examined the rest of his appearance. The chameleon would have already been forgotten, had he not followed Yoshi down the aisle.
"I heard about the skiing incident… and hope that you are faring well." When Yoshi's response was a hardly audible 'Mm-hmm', he continued. "I just know that you will overcome your injury. Amnesia doesn't last for very long, and you're a very strong person…"
"Thanks. That's very kind of you, um…" For a moment he turned to face the chameleon before him.
A small and gentle smile had formed. "Espio."
Yoshi smiled, which did not feel like a sincere smile. "Well, thank you, Espio. That was very sweet." The chameleon, for some odd reason, seemed flushed. Brushing away the thought, Yoshi merely assumed that he was having some sort of heat flash. As it is very warm in the restaurant.
Being able to study his face for a moment, he noticed he had the same colored eyes as Silver – akin to piercing golden orbs. Though the more he stared at the chameleon, the more a strange burning sensation within his chest developed. He couldn't explain what it was exactly, let alone have the slightest clue as to what it could mean. It bothered him. Practically to no end, it was eating at him… and it deeply troubled him.
He began to wonder just who exactly this guy is before him. Does he mean something to him? Had he always been on good terms with him? …His train of thought trailed off course once he came across a green and mushy matter. He cringed, what was this supposed to be?
Suddenly, a snickering man in violet and navy overalls stood beside him, stroking his thin and oddly-shaped mustache. Up close, Yoshi was able to scrutinize him properly. His purple hat had an inverted "L" on it, just like his white gloves. To him, especially in the face, the man looked like a demented version of Luigi. Next to him was the stout man in yellow with his symbol as a "W". However, his overalls were purple and his shoes were green. He looked similar to Mario, but much more revolting in appearance.
Just now it dawned onto him that they were the guys he saw at a different aisle.
Once again the man in the purple had another laughing fit, which made Yoshi even more tense. He stared down at his empty plate, and tightly gripped it.
"That stuff is good, you gotta try it!" he said, pointing towards the green stuff.
Yoshi swallowed, staring at the substance once more. "W-what is it?"
"Ice cream." answered the smaller man wryly, before sharing a smirk with his taller look-alike.
"What does ice cream taste like?"
"Why dontchya find out?" Without further conversation, the man in purple took a large spoonful of the dish and slapped it on Yoshi's plate. Next he handed him a spoon, still smirking, while the other man had a glass of water standing by.
Yoshi scooped up a good amount on his spoon, and glanced at the peculiar pair with an irresolute look. With a thumbs-up and cheesy grin from both of them, the dinosaur shoved the spoonful into his mouth and reluctantly swallowed.
He waited.
They waited.
Everything that could be happening within the background was completely blurred out. It was almost as if they were the only ones left in the restaurant, and time itself had stopped between them.
Three… The air around them felt like it was becoming oppressively hot.
Two… Unless if it was his imagination, the smiles of both men were broader and more devious.
One… All was frozen once more.
…
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
All at the same time; the men before him exploded with laughter, he himself burst into tears, and his mouth felt as if it had became a cavern of flames. The commotion was enough to halt everyone throughout the restaurant in place. He was screaming in searing pain and running around in circles. A glass of ice water was found on the counter, he picked it up and drunk the entire glass in one large swig.
Alas… the pain only grew worse.
He cried, being the only thing he could do – or knew what to resort to. Silver, Mario, and everyone else there he already knew and or met came rushing around him. The men standing… or rolling around – in front of him did nothing… but die of laugher. They received the glares of daggers from around him. Mario and Amy were going off, the pink hedgehog even pulled out a rather large hammer and began chasing them around the store. The manager of the restaurant came and kicked them all out for the disorderly conduct.
Outside was a swarming crowd of the waiting cameras and microphones of reporters and paparazzi. The party had been successful in fighting their way through the crowd while leaving the restaurant, however unfortunate being stopped by the horde waiting in front of the hotel.