-Chapter 57-
Dragons and Dome-People
The lullaby sung in this chapter, marked by a *, is sung to the tune of the music box theme played in the intro cutscene of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Lyrics by our own WindstarOsprey.
Yoshi's Island
"Uh-oh…" Yoshi gulped.
"What the?!" was all Mario could manage before Aobe rushed at him and Luigi, bulldozing them over with his powerful wings.
"Mario!" Peach cried.
"Luigi!" Daisy screamed.
"What the heck!?" MP shouted.
"This bad…" Yoshi said. "Aobe using Dragon Powers!"
"Dragon?!" Mario repeated.
Luigi turned to Yoshi. "Can you do that?"
Yoshi slumped. "No… Only special warriors can."
"Not just Boss!" Kuran gulped a melon. As soon as he did, he took a deep breath.
"Oh, no!" Yoshi screamed. "DUCK!"
They jumped out of the way of a triple fireball attack.
"Fire?!" Luigi cried out. "He breathes FIRE?! "
"Yipes!" MP cried.
"KIWI!" Kiwi puffed out her cheeks in anger.
"Going down!"
The girls looked up to see Lemo above them. He somersaulted before coming down tail-first.
"Scatter!" Peach cried.
They lept out of the way as Lemo dropped. When he landed, he created a miniature earthquake, kicking up large dust clouds and knocking everyone around.
"Ready to give up yet?" Aobe asked. "If so, give back baby and we not beat you up."
"Leave Yoshi's friends alone!"
Yoshi got up, snagging a watermelon. As soon as he gulped it, he took a deep breath, puckering his lips before rapidly spitting seeds at Aobe. The Yoshi yelled in pain as the seeds bounced off his face with great force. He gritted his teeth before powering through the attack, tackling Yoshi to the ground.
"Aobe always knew you trouble, Lyme." he spat. "You eat all our food. You weak little coward. And you bring egg stealing, Koopa helping, DOME-PEOPLE into village! Aobe gonna do us all a big favor and end your game!"
Aobe raised his club. Yoshi shut his eyes, bracing for impact… but before Aobe could bring it down, they heard a loud chomp. Aobe's eyes widened in pain behind his sunglasses, all eyes turning to see Kiwi, her teeth sank deep into Aobe's tail.
"Why you do that?! Aobe trying to help you!" he spun around, trying to dislodge the baby Yoshi. "Stop it, baby! Get Aobe's tail out your mouth! You have no idea where it been!"
"What is going on here?!"
Everyone perked, turning to see Ichigo running over, looking anything but happy. By her side was one of the dog-creatures, this one with a black studded collar and a brown spotted coat. It barked at Yoshi's condition, growling at Aobe and his friends.
"Ahh! Elder Ichigo!"
Kuran and Lemo immediately cowered in fear. Aobe sweated and looked worried, but was otherwise calm.
"Pink lady…"
"Aobe…" Ichigo began, calm but cold. "Get away from Lyme. Now.."
"Ichi... he..."
"Now."
Aobe flinched but obediently did so. With a satisfied chirp, Kiwi released his tail before waddling back over to MP. The dog ran over to Yoshi, nuzzling his side and gently licking his cheek.
"Poochy Jr…" Yoshi patted his snout. "Thank you.
"I should have known you were causing trouble the minute Poochy Jr. came to me. Now, you have ten seconds to tell me what you three think you're doing. Unless you want to spend the night locked up in the rookery."
"Elder, Lyme bring outsiders to village!" Aobe cried, pointing to MP's pin. "They steal egg! They friends of Koopas!"
"These are Suika and my guests. We invited them."
"You been tricked! They bad trouble! Big! They the ones behind Vanishes!"
"Vanishes?" Mario repeated. "What are you talking about?"
"Does this have something to do with how I got Kiwi?" MP asked, holding the small Yoshi close to her chest. "But she's been with me for, like... two, three months."
"No," Ichigo shook his head. "This is a recent event. It's why Suika wasn't here to meet you. I'll explain later. For now..." She turned to Aobe and his friends. "Aobe, take your friends and return to your duties. And if I see you harassing Lyme or our guests again… you'll be spending the festival on guard duty."
"But...!"
"No buts. Is that clear?"
Aobe flinched again before nodding.
"Good," Ichi replied. "Now go. All three of you."
Kuran and Lemo scurried off, while Aobe walked off, giving Lyme a nasty look and a growl.
"You lucky this time, Lyme," he spat.
Yoshi flinched. Once they were gone, he sighed.
"Big bullies... what Yoshi ever do to them…"
"Bullies nothin', those guys are total-" MP's attempted swear was cut off by a flurry of coconuts falling to the ground.
"I didn't hear a word of that, and I agree," Daisy remarked.
Ichigo sighed. "I apologize for them. Aobe, Kuran, and Lemo have always been... a handful."
"It was partially our fault," said Mario. "Unfortunately, our sister's... affiliations escalated the situation."
"We have a storied history with the Koopa Troop, particularly during King Morton's time. Most of Dinosaur Land beyond Yoshi's Island is their territory." At their worried looks, Ichigo held up a hand. "Don't worry, it's safe. We Yoshisaurs can handle a few Koopas."
"If your warriors are anything like them, I can believe it," Peach mused.
"How did they do that?" Aqua asked.
"Come," Ichigo motioned for them to follow. "I will show you. Lyme, are you coming?"
"Okay…" Yoshi followed, looking a little sullen. Something that didn't go unnoticed by a concerned Mario.
-X-
Sometime later, the group was gathered by a large mountainside near the village. A large mural showing a large, spiraling tree had been carved into the stone.
"Whoa..." Luigi let out. "Check out that tree."
"It's lovely!" Peach exclaimed.
"Like something out of a fairy tale," Daisy mused.
"You see before you one of our most sacred artifacts," Ichigo explained. "The Marvelous Tree of Mirth."
"Super Happy Tree!" Yoshi cleared.
Everyone paused at the goofy name. MP snorted.
"And that's something out of a child's cartoon."
"They don't seem to mind it," Mario remarked.
"It's what the little ones call it," Ichigo clarified. "But the name isn't important. What is important is its role in our culture. The Tree of Mirth is the source of life and bounty of our island. A mystical, sacred tree said to grow a never-ending supply of fruit from its vines and branches. Its roots rejuvenate the land, keeping it fertile for eternity. And most of all... it grants the power of the gods themselves."
They looked in awe.
"Seriously?" Daisy asked. "How does it do that?"
"There." Ichigo gestured to the top of the tree, on which grew a red fruit shaped like a heart, with a smiley face.
"Is that a... heart with a smiley face on it?" Mario asked.
"That is the Heart-Shaped Fruit," Ichigo replied. "The Fruit of Life. It grows only once a year. And whoever eats it will be blessed with longevity, good fortune, and their hidden potential unlocked."
"Hidden potential, huh?" Mario questioned. "Would that be what happened with the three musketeers back there?"
Ichi nodded. "Every year, we hold a festival. One of the events is a contest to determine the strongest and bravest of the Yoshisaurs. The winner is permitted to eat the Heart-Shaped Fruit and gain its power: the Blessings of the Dragon."
She gestured to a trio of drawings showing Yoshis using the powers Aobe and his goons used.
"The Flames of the Dragon. The Wings of the Dragon. And the Might of the Dragon. It all dates back to the first Yoshisaur to partake of the fruit." She gestured to one last drawing, depicting a green Yoshi using all three powers, fighting off what appeared to be a variety of demonic and undead creatures. "Tamagon, the Super Dragon. Legend has it that with its power, he fought off the legions of the Underwhere itself."
"Tamagon great hero of Yoshikind," Yoshi remarked. "All fighters want to be just like him."
"But thus far, every Yoshi who has received the Blessings has only ever received one," Ichigo went on. "It is said, however, that every thousand years, the Super Dragon will return to save Dinosaur Land from a great evil. This festival, every young Yoshisaur is hoping it will be them."
"Some more than others, I'm guessing?" Mario asked.
Ichigo nodded. "Especially since the Vanishings started."
"Right, those," MP piped up. "What are the Vanishings?"
"Yes, perhaps I should elaborate," Ichigo sighed. "It has been going on for a few nights now. Several Yoshisaurs have simply disappeared. We don't know why or how. Suika suspects that Bowser's minions or the Dome-People may be involved, so he left to investigate. As you can imagine, it has everyone in the village on edge."
"Should we be worried about Suika?" Luigi asked. "Even without the Dome-People, if the areas beyond this island are Bowser's territory…"
"Suika can take care of himself, don't you worry," Ichigo assured. "He might not seem like much, but he has partaken of the Fruit, and is quite powerful. While we wait for him to return, why don't you go relax? Some of my friends and I have set up some huts for you all on the beach."
"That sounds wonderful!" Peach smiled. "Thank you, Elder."
Sometime later, everyone had gotten unpacked and was relaxing on the beach. As they headed for the water, Aqua had a big smile on her face.
"Don't go out too far, Aqua," Mario cautioned. "I'll keep an eye on you-"
As they watched, Aqua lept into the water, graceful as a dolphin. With practiced ease, she began rapidly paddling around, even performing a casual backstroke.
"Yeaaah...water princess."
"Would you believe I could swim before I could walk?" Aqua asked.
"Yep," Mario nodded,
"Absolutely," Luigi agreed.
"Totally see it," MP confirmed.
-X-
MP was seated on a beach chair, reading a book when Aqua approached.
"You're not swimming?" she asked.
MP shook her head. "Not feeling it right now. I burn easily, so I'm waiting for the sun to go down for a bit. Plus, the local bookshop had the latest volume of Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear , and I absolutely had to read it."
Aqua tilted her head quizzically. "Kuma… Kuma… Kuma Bear?"
"Oh, it's a light novel series." At Aqua's look, MP bookmarked the page, turning to her. "Light novels are novels from Japan. They often have overarching plots across several books, and have the occasional illustration."
Aqua looked confused.
"Right… what was that geography lesson…" MP snapped her fingers before it came to her. "Here, they'd be from the Sakura Kingdom.
Aqua nodded. "Ah, okay. And what's this one about?"
"A girl gets isekai'ed into a magical world and has to rely on a magic bear suit to survive."
"Easy...kyed?" Aqua repeated, mangling the word.
"When someone from one world is transported to another," MP clarified. "It's like what happened to me. I lived in another world, but something happened that brought me here."
"Oh, like how your big brothers wound up here too?"
"In their case, it's a reverse isekai. They were born here on Mushroom World, then got sent to my world before they got sent back here."
"I see." Aqua looked at the book. "I like reading too. Mostly fairy tales and picture books that tell you fun facts about the world."
"Nice." MP looked down at the book she was reading. It was pretty light and fluffy most of the time. It could be appropriate. She reached for her bag, pulling out book one. "You wanna read with me?"
Aqua smiled. "Sure!"
She took the book, sitting down next to MP as she got to reading. Mario and Luigi watched this happen.
"That's so sweet…" Luigi mused.
"Yeah," Mario nodded. "It's good to see Mips making friends in this crazy world."
"Friends that aren't evil turtles?"
"Well... yeah." Mario looked over his shoulder. "Speaking of friends…"
Yoshi was sitting alone, looking depressed. A moment passed before he got up and walked over to him.
"Hey. You okay?"
"Oh…" Yoshi looked up. "Hi Red Man. Yoshi... fine."
"You sure? You seemed pretty rattled by those other Yoshisaurs."
"Yoshi used to it. Aobe do this all the time."
Mario shook his head. "That doesn't make it okay. Believe me, I know. Me and Lu used to get picked on all the time And Mips. God knows how many times I've fought off bullies who tormented her."
"You?" Yoshi was surprised. "But… You strong and brave and… You heroes."
"We weren't always," said Mario. "We used to be just two kids."
"Two weird kids who talked funny and who wore the same hat every day," Luigi added.
"There was also my weird lunches and your anxiety," Mario recalled. "We were magnets for trouble."
"Really?"
Mario nodded. "My whole life, everyone told me, 'You can't do this', 'You can't do that'. I was sick and tired of feeling so small... so I did something about it. I worked. I studied. I learned how to do… well pretty much anything I wanted to do until I could do it better than most everybody. Problem was, I spent so much time brushing up on whatever, for whatever I might need that I didn't put a lotta thought into what exactly I'd use it for."
"Me, I get scared all the time," Luigi added. "I'd jump at my own shadow, and after coming here? Hoo boy! That terrified me. There was even a moment, the first time we fought Bowser... that I straight-up cracked under the pressure and bailed. But I went back. I'm a chicken, I won't deny it... but I won't abandon my brother."
Luigi turned to Mario, who smiled in kind.
"That nice..." Yoshi gave a sad smile. "Yoshi wishes he were that brave..."
They looked at each other in shock.
"What?" Mario let out.
"Yoshi, you went with us to fight Bowser and the Koopalings!" Luigi said. "How is that not brave?"
Yoshi sighed. "Aobe right about one thing. Yoshi had friends. Help. When Yoshi have friends, Yoshi can do anything. But when Yoshi alone..."
"Hey," Mario cut in. "Lu and I were never alone. It's hard to be brave when alone, but I know that when push comes to shove, you'll rise to the occasion."
"Red Man think so?"
"Red Man know so."
Yoshi smiled at that, only to be startled by a thud and a cry of pain. They all looked to the volleyball court to see Kiwi sobbing, the ball seated next to her.
"Kiwi?!" MP exclaimed, everyone running over.
"Oh my gosh!" Daisy cried out. "I am so sorry!"
MP rushed to her Yoshisaur's side. "What happened?"
"We were playing with the beach ball and I hit it too hard and it went flying and...!" Daisy was in a panic. "Oh man!"
"It's okay!" Peach assured. "It's okay."
"Yeah, it's okay," MP soothed. "It was an accident." She fished into her bag, pulling out an ice pack. "Here Kiwi, hold this where it hurts."
MP gently placed the ice pack over Kiwi's snout. The little Yoshisaur held it to her nose, but she was still upset and sniffling.
"Oh, man..." Daisy let out. "What do we do!? How do we get her to stop crying!?"
"Try singing song!" Yoshi suggested.
"What song!?" Daisy demanded.
"Sleepy happy song!"
"Yoshi, we don't know what that is!" Mario exclaimed.
"He means a lullaby," Ichigo clarified as she walked over. "There's a special one Suika and I learned a long time ago. We would sing it for Lyme when he was upset. Here."
She took Kiwi into her arms, rocking her slowly.
"Shhhh... it's alright, sweetling. Don't cry."
As they watched, Ichigo began singing a gentle, soothing melody.
*"Sleep now, my darling, sleep now, my angel / 'til Brighton's shining in the sky above / From when you slumber, 'til you awaken / Know now and forever you are loved / Don't cry my darling, there's no need to fear / Just close your eyes and dream for a while / And when you wake up, I will be right here / To welcome you with a smile / Sleep now, my darling, sleep now, my angel / As Twila dances in the sky above / From when you wake up, 'til you next slumber / Know now and forever you are loved / But if you wake up, scared and alone / And we're lands or seas or worlds apart / Don't cry my angel, be strong and brave and know / I am here in your heart / So, sleep now, my darling, sleep now, my angel / I'm watching you from Overthere above / From when we part 'til we're reunited / Know now and forever you are loved…"
Mario stiffened, noticing something oddly familiar about the song as Kiwi slowly calmed down.
"That... that song…" he let out. "I've heard it before."
Peach turned to him. "You... have?"
"I-I don't know where… I just… I just know I have. It sounds so familiar... but I can't place it."
"Whatever it is, it's very pretty," MP remarked. "And it did the trick."
Ichigo looked down at Kiwi. "There, all better?"
"Kiwi!" Kiwi exclaimed.
"Good," she nuzzled Kiwi affectionately before putting her down.
"Well... with that out of the way, anyone for a game of volleyball?" Daisy asked. "I'll be sure not to spike it into anyone's face again."
"Yeah!" Luigi agreed, enthusiastically springing up out of his chair before catching himself "I mean, yeah. I'm game. Mario?"
"Sounds great! Lets-a go!"
They all got set up on the court, with Peach ready to serve. As they played, Kiwi crossed her legs, fidgeting before heading for the trees.
"Hey, where you going?" MP asked.
"Kiwi!" Kiwi made a walking motion with two fingers.
"Alright, just don't go too far."
Kiwi headed off into the bushes, squatting down as nature called... only for an old-fashioned-looking net to fall over her.
"Kiwi! Ki-!" Kiwi was cut off by a wad of fur being stuffed into her mouth as the net was picked up by two Dome-People.
"Heh heh heh... Gitoo! Gitoo (1)!" the first one cackled.
"Heh heh… Poobahs be wohga hapa (2)!" the second one gloated.
"Tabonga! Tabonga (3)!"
They ran off laughing as Kiwi let out muffled cries, desperately hoping to get the attention of MP or her brothers.
-X-
Sometime later, Mario and Co. had finished their game of volleyball and were taking a moment to unwind. All except one.
"Hey, has anyone seen Kiwi?" MP asked, looking around in concern. "She went potty, and I haven't seen her since."
"Haven't seen her," Mario replied, shaking his head.
"Me neither," Luigi added.
"Princesses?"
Peach and Daisy shook their heads.
"Sorry, no."
"Uh-uh…"
"I haven't seen her either," Aqua chimed in.
MP's face screwed in concern. "Hey Yoshi, is there, like, a certain spot for Yoshis to… go?"
Yoshi shook his head. "No, we just go out into jungle away from village. but Yoshi know how we can find her!"
At that, Yoshi leaned forward, closed his eyes, and began sniffing.
"Yoshi?" Mario began. "What are you…?"
"Shhhhhhh! Yoshi Sniff-Sniffing for Kiwi." He walked along, sniffing the ground as he tracked Kiwi's scent. As he got closer, he started sniffing faster until…
"Hmmm?"
The scent trail led him behind a tree. He yelped, waving his arms to get their attention.
"This way!" he cried out, pointing into the jungle. The others followed after him until they eventually reached a batch of bushes.
"Baby Kiwi somewhere over here," Yoshi explained.
"You sure about that?" Luigi asked.
"Positive, Yoshis have best Sniff-Sniff in all world. There nothing we can't find."
"Well, I hate to break it to you, Yosh, but all you've found is a whole lotta nothing."
"Daisy…" Peach chastised.
"I'm just saying. There's nobody here but us and the…"
"Come on, you miserable shellbrains! Move it! We're on a timetable here!'
"...and those guys over there," Daisy finished.
"That doesn't sound good," Luigi added worriedly.
"Let's check it out." Mario crept toward the bushes, motioning for the others to follow him.
They carefully peeked out, gasping at what they saw: squads of Koopas leading various Yoshisaurs in chains toward several airships. MP immediately began scanning the captives for Kiwi.
"Ohhhhh no..." Mario let out.
"Koopas," Peach whispered.
"The Vanishings…" Luigi said. "So this is who's behind it."
"To the surprise of absolutely no one." At their looks, Daisy rolled her eyes. "Guys, c'mon, you heard what Ichi said. They control everywhere else in Dinosaur Land. This is the last bit they need."
"Guys, I don't see Kiwi…" MP cut in, worriedly.
"It okay, Pink Girl," Yoshi soothed. "They probably not have her and do…whatever they doing."
"What are they doing?" Peach asked.
"Look!" Aqua pointed ahead to one of the ships, where the Yoshis were being led to several Magikoopas. They waved their wands, colorful shapes swirling around the Yoshis and trapping them in giant eggs, which were then loaded onto the ship.
"It looks like they're trapping them in... eggs?" Aqua mused.
"Don't they normally hatch from eggs?" Mario asked. "Why trap them in an egg?"
Just then, another Magikoopa flew over on a broomstick. For the most part, he resembled his fellow spellcasters, but his robes were more elaborate, having yellow accents and white, star-like dots all over the blue fabric. He also had purple, elf-pointed shoes, several gold rings with different colored gems, and a wide-brimmed hat.
"What is taking so long!?" he demanded. "We were supposed to have all these darned dinosaurs egged and loaded thirty minutes ago!"
"We're sorry, sir!" one of the Koopas replied. "There haven't been a lot of Yoshis wandering about! And we can't just go into the village or we'll blow our cover, Master Woozelhoomer, sir!"
"That's Wizzenheimer!" the head Magikoopa bellowed furiously. "You will address me by my proper name and only by my proper name!"
"Eep! Yes sir! Sorry, sir!"
"Wizzenheimer…" Peach whispered, her eyes narrowing. "He's a Magikoopa that's been vying for Kamek and Kammy's position for years."
"Suika and Ichi mention him before," Yoshi chimed in. "Say he most terrible Koopa Wizard in Dinosaur Land."
"Oh yeah…" Daisy nodded. "He's one of the worst."
"Monster!"
Just then, one of the Yoshis broke from the line and rushed furiously at Wizzenheimer.
"You no-good, stinking warlock! Give me back my son!"
The Yoshi leaped up, intending to bash the warlock with a powerful kick, only to gape in stunned shock as - without even looking at him - Wizzenheimer pointed at him, conjuring a shield that completely blocked the attack.
"Now, now..." Wizzenheimer wagged another finger. "No cutting in line."
He then proceeded to make a circle, trapping the Yoshi in an egg.
"Put him with the others," he ordered. "Make sure the ride is nice and bumpy."
The Koopas saluted as they rolled the egg away.
"What do you want from us?!" another Yoshi demanded. "Why are you doing this?!"
"Because I'm an evil Magikoopa, a member of Bowser's Minions," Wizzenheimer said matter-of-factly. "I don't need a reason to be mean and nasty. It's my nature."
"Master Wisenheimer," one Koopa began, "I thought it was because Lord Bowser was after the Heart-Shaped Fruit and we're questioning-"
That got him clocked on the head with Wizzenheimer's scepter.
"Shut up! And it's Wizzenheimer! Wizzen. HEIMER! GET IT RIGHT!"
"POOBAH!"
Wizzenheimer looked back toward the jungle to see a pair of figures in fur togas held together by rope belts, and wooden tribal masks racing toward him.
"Baktar, Wookgar, what did I tell you about interrupting me when I'm working?!" he snapped.
"P-Poobah! iwa bonto ta uyo (4)!" Baktar pleaded.
"Yah! Yah!" Wookgar chimed in.
"Oh, for the love of… I cannot understand what you're saying!"
Baktar and Wookgar raised their hands defensively as Wizzenheimer blasted them with more shapes from his scepter, and when the magic light died down, they were… perfectly fine.
"Nothing happen," Baktar said, now speaking perfect, albeit broken, Common.
"Maybe magic stick broked," Wookgar mused, his speech similarly altered, prompting the two to gape at each other in shock.
"There, the translation spell works." Wizzenheimer sighed. "Now, from the top! What is so important that you feel the need to disturb my important mission for Lord Bowser?"
"Ah!" Baktar perked. "Poobah! We get you this!"
He held up the net containing Kiwi. The second they saw the little Yoshisaur, everyone was on edge. MP gasped and was about to scream out loud, but Daisy clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Shhh! Don't give us away!" she hissed. "We'll get her back, but we gotta be smart about this."
"One Yoshi!?" Wizzenheimer demanded. "You spent all day sneaking around the village, and all you were able to get was one baby Yoshi!?"
"Not just any Yoshi," Baktar said. "This one impotent."
"Funny neck thing." Wookgar held her up. "See?"
Wizzenheimer got a closer look, going white as he saw a magenta collar and tag around her neck.
"Oh my non-existent gods…" he gasped. "You stupid, incompetent, literal Neanderthals! Do you realize what you've done!?"
"What we do?" Wookgar asked.
Wizzenheimer showed them the tag on Kiwi's collar. It had Kiwi's name, and a message reading "If lost, contact Mary Pat Marionetti" on the back.
"This Yoshi belongs to the Mario Bros.' younger sister. The Mario Bros. are in Dinosaur Land, and by taking this Yoshisaur, you've ensured they'll be sticking their big noses into Lord Bowser's business! They're probably looking for it as we speak!'"
"Duh... who the Mario brudders?" Baktar asked.
"Those funny dressed peoples who were with Yoshisaurs, from the big metal birdie?" Wookgar asked.
At that moment, MP pulled away from Daisy's grasp, jumping out of the bushes.
"HEY!"
Wizzenheimer perked as he saw her, his demeanor immediately changing from apoplectic to apologetic.
"Ahh! Captain Blue Hood, sir…err, ma'am! Errr…"
"That Yoshisaur is mine," MP hissed, scowling. "Let her go. NOW!"
"KIWI!" Kiwi cried in relief.
Wizzenheimer gulped. "You heard the woman."
"But, Poobah…" Baktar began.
"Now, troglodyte!"
"Gah! Okies!"
Baktar promptly did so, allowing Kiwi to run over to MP.
"Kiwi! KIWI!"
MP bent down to pick her up, hugging her in relief.
"Captain, sir, you have my sincerest apologies. My minions are... far from the brightest." Wizzenheimer cleared his throat. "But... I'm afraid that's the only freebie you get. You're not in on the plan and on your brothers' side in this case, so... " He prepared a spell with his wand, "I'm afraid that makes you our enemy."
"Not a problem," MP replied as she tucked Kiwi into her bag.
Just then, Mario and Luigi leaped out of hiding and onto the top of Wizzenheimer's head, knocking the Magikoopa off his broom and plummeting to the ground with a loud thud.
"The jig is up, Wiseacre!" Mario declared. Let the Yoshisaurs go, and we won't give you too bad of a beating!"
"That's Wizzenheimer, linguini breath!" Wizzenheimer snapped. "And I should like to see you try!'
"Well, he did ask," Luigi replied.
Wizzenheimer rose to his feet up, practically giddy. "Oh, this is perfect. If I end your games, Lord Bowser will promote me for sure! Kamek and Kammy will be things of the past! Now..." He raised his scepter, readying a spell. "Cower before my mastery of the arcane arts, plumbers!"
With a wave of his wand, he unleashed a barrage of geometric shapes at the siblings, forcing them on the defensive; ducking, weaving, and hopping every which way, lest they get hit.
The Bros and MP duck and weave, hopping every which way.
"Why couldn't he have mastery of the culinary arts?!" Luigi exclaimed, just as a spell blew up behind him, sending him flying.
"Luigi!" Mario cried out.
"BURRRRRAAAAAAAAAA!"
Mario looked to the side to see Baktar about to smash him with a crude-looking club. Mario barely jumped out of the way to avoid getting flattened.
"You no hurt Poobah!" the berserker shouted.
"Hey, I'm the good guy here, not him!"
Baktar just swung at him again.
"Hang on, Mario!" MP tried to run to him, only to be blocked by Wookgar.
"Baktar fight Red Man. No touch."
"Alright, fine." MP reached into her bag, which provided her with a baseball bat. "I'll make do with you!"
She swung at him, only for Wookgar to catch the bat with one hand. She pulled and tugged, trying to get free, but the bat wouldn't budge, no matter how hard she tried.
"Ohhhhhhhh…" Before MP could finish, Wookgar let out a ferocious roar and flung that bat into the distance… and her with it.
"MIPS!" Luigi cried out as he whirled on Wookgar. "You so shouldn't have done that!"
He charged at the masked man, who simply chuckled at the sight of his tinier opponent. Wookgar raised a fist, intending to pound him into the ground, only for Luigi to dodge his fist and deliver a jumping uppercut right to his face.
"HURRRRRRRRRRRGH!" the troglodyte let out. "H-How…?"
His response was another punch in the face.
"This is not good..." Wizzenheimer gulped. "I need to call for backup." He waved his wand, creating an opaque ball of light. "It's me. I need your help. … First off, it's Wizzenheimer! And second, it's the plumbers. … No, there's three of them. A fat red one, a skinny green one, and a magenta girl one … Hats? Yeah, they're all wearing hats, and they're beating the tar out of those sub-human twits King Bowser had accompanying me! Now stop fooling around with your boyfriend and help me, blast you!"
The ball blew up in his face, hanging up the call and covering him in soot.
-X-
While Wizzenheimer was making his call, Mario was in the middle of finishing up his bout with Baktar. The berserker let out a roar as he slammed his club around wildly, hoping one of the blows would flatten Mario. Unfortunately for him, despite his impressive size and strength, it did little against Mario's speed and agility.
"GRRRAAAAGH! Stop! Moving! Red! Man! And let! Baktar! Smash! You!"
Mario grinned…
"Alright."
…and proceeded to do just that, giving Baktar pause. "Huh?"
"You wanted me to stop moving, so I am," the Red Man explained. "So, go on, lemme have it."
Even though he couldn't see his face, Mario could tell Baktar was blinking dumbly as he processed what was going on. After five seconds, he finally figured it out and, with no doubt an eager grin, raised his club for one last attack. But before Baktar could swing his club, Mario rushed forward and jump-kicked him right in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him and him onto the ground, clutching his stomach.
"Gotcha!" he cheered.
"But… you… said…"
"Yeah, sorry… I lied," Mario apologized, prompting Baktar to fall over unconscious.
"Oh yeah!" Mario gave a V-sign. "Mario number one! Woohoo!"
"Ya-hoo!"
Mario turned Luigi, just in time to see him knock Wookgar to the ground as well.
"Owwww..." the other giant let out.
"I did it! Yay for Weegee!" Luigi cheered, hopping up and down before pumping his fist.
With that, they turned to face Wizzenheimer.
"Alright, Wiseguy, now it's your turn." He cracked his knuckles.
Wizzenheimer was sweating bullets. Official or not, Baktar and Wookgar were the strongest minions at his disposal, and this pair of pipsqueak plumbers pummeled them into paste! Taking them head-on was out of the question, plus he needed to get the few prisoners he had captured back to his master. He needed a plan. A diversion. A distraction.
"Nnnnnngh…"
And fate was fortunate enough to provide him with one in the form of a nearly unconscious teenage girl under a nearby palm tree.
"Any last words?" Mario asked.
"Here's some… ADAVA ARVADAK!" Immediately, he spun around and swung his scepter, firing a dark green energy beam right at MP.
"Mips!" Mario and Luigi cried out.
The beam drew closer and closer, but right before it could hit its mark…
"Look out, Pink Girl!"
Yoshi jumped out and lashed his tongue, snagging her around the ankle and pulling her out of the way.
"What!? What just happened!?" Wizzenheimer exclaimed in disbelief.
"HIIIIIIIIIIII-YA!" His reply was a jump kick to the face, courtesy of Daisy, sending him flying off into the jungle.
"Yeah! Direct hit!" Daisy cheered.
Yoshi dragged MP back to the others, leaning her against a tree. Kiwi popped out of the bag, holding out a healing Mushroom. Aqua quickly took it, shoving it in MP's mouth
"C'mon, MP!" she pleaded. "Wake up! Please!"
MP began choking and gagging while struggling a bit before she sat up.
"Ugh…" she shuddered. "It tastes like Pepto Bismol…"
"Oh, thank goodness, you're okay!" Mario let out.
"Thank goodness I had healing mushrooms in my bag…" MP let out.
"I stocked you up a long time ago," Peach explained. "And I'm glad I did."
"Ooooooogh..."
"Speaking of injuries…"
They turn to Baktar and Wookgar, who are on the ground, groaning in pain.
"So, what do we do with dumb and dumber?" Daisy asked. "And what's with these masks?"
She removed Baktar's mask, and recoiled at the sight.
"WHOA!" She let out. "Guys…!'
Everyone gathered around and looked on in shock, save for Yoshi, who was only mildly surprised.
"No way...!'
Beneath the mask, Baktar was indeed a caveman, with a prominent forehead and unibrow.
"Dome-Person!" Yoshi cried out.
"It's… It's a caveman!" Luigi let out in disbelief. "An actual caveman!"
"No way..." MP let out. "You guys really do have them!"
"Cavemen who work for Bowser, apparently."
"I dunno, Daisy," Mario mused. "They don't strike me as bad or evil. The Koopa Troop must've pulled the wool over their eyes."
Suddenly, Wookgar sprang up and swung at them, forcing them to scatter before grabbing Baktar.
"Hat Men pay for this!" he swore. "You feel wrath of cavepeople!"
With that, Wookgar fled with Baktar as the airships took off, leaving the rest of the Yoshis behind.
"Way over their eyes," Luigi mused.
"This bad," Yoshi said. "If big bad King Koopa get Tree of Mirth, Yoshi's Island in big trouble! Elder Ichi need to know!"
"But what about the Yoshis!?" Aqua demanded. "We can't just let them take'em away! We gotta go after them!"
"Then we split up," Mario decided. "Lu, you, Yoshi, and I will go after the Koopas that took those Yoshis. Mips, go with the Princesses and warn the villagers."
MP nodded. "Right."
"Be careful, okay?" Aqua told them.
Mario ruffled her hair. "We've got this, piccolo amico. Don't worry."
"Piccolo amico?" Aqua tilted her head quizzically. "MP called me that before at the Party Cube. What's it mean?"
"It means 'little buddy,'" Luigi clarified, eliciting a smile from the young princess.
"Kick their butts for me, alright?" MP asked.
"We'll give him a knuckle sandwich for ya," Mario promised, pounding his fist into his palm.
With that, the group split apart, Peach, Daisy, Aqua, and MP heading back to Yoshi Village while Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi gave chase to the retreating Koopas.
Meanwhile… Several minutes earlier…
In a castle... in a lavish bedroom, a vibrating magic orb appears. A groan sounded before a grizzled-looking Koopa warrior climbed out of bed, stubbing his toe against one of the two discarded armored shells, boots, gauntlets, and helmets lying on the floor. After letting out a string of expletives, he slapped the orb, answering the call.
"This is Basilisx. … Oh, it's you, Hasenpfeffer. ... Yeah, yeah, whatever. The plumbers? Those two losers? … The ones with the matching hats? … Alright, alright, we're coming!" He slashed at the orb with a blade, causing it to burst. "Spell-slinging jackass…"
"Nnnnngh... what's up Baz?"
Basilisx turned back to the bed, where his companion - another Koopa - was rubbing his eye groggily.
"Just got a call from the wizard, Zal. It appears the Mario Brothers are on Yoshi's Island."
Zalamandr blinked, his expression going flat. "You're kidding?"
"I wish."
"How did they manage to find out about our plan already? We didn't even tell Blue Hood about it!"
"I don't know, and honestly, I don't care. But, the Marios showing up is bad news, and since we're the only Elites not in jail, we gotta go there and stop them."
Zalamandr let out an annoyed sigh. "So much for our week off."
"Hey…" Basilisx took a seat next to his fellow Captain. "Look at this way, once we finish, we can probably ask King Bowser for an extension… and spend some time at the newly conquered Yoshi's Island resort."
Zalamandr grinned at the thought of a relaxing tropical vacation.
"And more importantly…" Basilisx leaned in closer. "We have a chance to redeem ourselves."
Zalamandr's grin redoubled. "Yeah… we do."
"Mario and Luigi have made utter fools of us. They utterly humiliated me when I tried to apprehend E. Gadd..."
"And they made an utter mockery of the Koopa Troop. Of Lord Bowser!"
"And now..." he flung his blade into an advert for Super Mario Bros. Plumbing, nailing the image of Mario on it right in the dead center of his forehead. "We're going to make an utter mockery of them."
They chuckled evilly.
"Tomorrow?" Zalamandr asked.
"Yes. For now... " he got back in bed next to Zalamandr. "It's us time."
Author's Note:
(1): We got one! We got one!
(2): Poobah be real happy!
(3): Let's go! Let's go!
(4): P-Poobah! We gots something for you!
Well, this is bad.
The Tree of Mirth is from Yoshi's Story; we expanded its story and lore here. Wizzenheimer is an antagonist from the Super Mario World cartoon. As for Basilisx and Zalamandr being a couple, that was inspired by a bit from Juno Songs' cover of Bowser's boss theme from Super Mario 64, where Bowser says crushing Mario would make him "so gay" before clarifying to the audience what he means: "Gay as in the synonym for happy. I see you typing in the comments section. Besides, even if I did mean it that way, there ain't a problem with it. Love who you wanna love, y'know?"
Also, Tamagon, as mentioned in Ichigo's story, is from Shigeru Miyamoto's Famicom game Devil World.
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Wizzenheimer - Tim Curry (Nigel Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys, Pennywise in It 1990, Anton Sevarius in Gargoyles, Darkness in Legend, Wadsworth in Clue, the Concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island)
* Baktar - Jeff Bergman (current voice of Fred Flintstone, recurring voice of Bugs Bunny)
* Wookgar - Kevin Michael Richardson (current voice of Barney Rubble, the Mauler Twins and Monster Girl in Invincible, Chairman Drek in Ratchet & Clank, Gantu in Lilo & Stitch, Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012)
Please R&R. Until next time!