Chapter Text
Come on, Yoshi, let out that chirp. They love it.
No, I can't. I don't want to. I just want to go home.
Then why are you even here?
I... I want to help.
Well, tell them you want to go.
No, they need me. I guess I can do this a bit longer...
I swallow the lump in my throat and paint a smile on my face as Mario lands yet another hit on Bowser. We're in another fight to save Peach, and if he's gone, then getting Peach back will be a piece of cake. I manage to force out that "Yoshi!" that Mario and Luigi love. Somehow, I'm able to keep my voice stable, while inside, I'm practically breaking apart.
The heat of Bowser's castle is terrible. It's artificial, dry, makes you feel like you're burning inside, and it always smells like sulfur. It's a stark contrast to the heat on Yoshi's Island that I remember: it's natural, moist, soothing, and emphasizes the salty smell of the ocean. Real heat comes from the sun, not fireballs and lava.
Luigi runs over and jumps on a Koopa Troopa. The Koopa goes into his shell, and Luigi kicks the shell towards me. But my sleep-deprived mind sees a green, juicy melon. Here? I think. That's weird. I'm not hungry, though.
I just sit there, not realizing what it really is. The shell rolls towards me, but I don't see the problem with that. It gets closer and closer, and eventually... smack! It hits me on my own shell. How ironic, right? The reality is that it just hurts. An impact like that rattles through your whole body and makes everything hurt. Even if it doesn't make a crack on the exterior, it definitely will on the interior.
I was almost able to taste the melon's sweetness on my tongue, something that made my mouth water. But the dark reality of the shell had slammed into me, and that had taken away an important memory of the place I desire so much.
The taste of the melon disappears into thin air, replaced by smoke and the rhythmic pounding in my back. I felt like I was dying. I don't think any of my bones were broken, but they were definitely barely hanging in there. I'm not a doctor, but I knew something happened.
But what if Mario and Luigi figure it out? I think. Would they think I'm just some dumb, weak dinosaur? Would they leave me here with Bowser? That's not happening.
I build up the energy to shake my head and pop up like nothing happened. But Mario and Luigi still seem concerned.
"Oh my God, Yoshi, it hit you on the shell! How did that not do anything to you?" Mario asks. "You must be really strong."
I shrug in reply.
Bowser takes our vulnerability to his own advantage and breathes some fire at us. But Luigi sees it and screams, and we dodge it.
"Lu, stop screaming like a baby," Mario says. "He's done that a million times."
"I know, but it's still scary every time," Luigi says.
Mario laughs, and I laugh along with him. But this time, it's genuine. It's always funny to watch Luigi be scared of fire. But the sound scrapes against the dryness in my throat from the castle's heat. My breaths get heavier for a few seconds, and I remember that even this short moment of joy is being suffocated by the world around us.
Bowser breathes fire again, this time specifically at Mario.
I don't know what to do. I don't want to eat it, since it tastes horrible and is really hot, and I know he can dodge it. But does he expect me to eat it? I start to panic. Maybe he won't dodge it, and I won't be there... and he'll get roasted! But he'll dodge it... right?
I don't go over, but luckily for me, he dodges it. I breathe a sigh of relief.
Bowser's fire reminds me of a memory from Yoshi's Island. So basically, Yoshi's Island is a large island surrounded by a few other smaller islands. A couple years before Mario and Luigi found me, it was a warm, sunny day. I was on a walk with my friend Asher, a kind light blue Yoshi, and I was looking out at one of the islands when I saw a fire stem on it. I pointed the fire out to Asher. We were both surprised, because everyone had thought that those islands were unpopulated. But we hoped that the people there were okay.
A few days later, we were on another walk when we heard someone's footsteps in the forest, coming towards us. It didn't sound like a Yoshi's footsteps, though.
We were confused. The Council had banned tourism to the island a while ago since the tourists were ruining the environment, so it obviously wasn't one of them. But who was it, and why were they here?
The person came out of the trees. It was a Toad. He saw us, but he just put his hand up like he was surrendering to us. "I'm not a tourist," he said. "I know that's banned here. I'm here for another reason."
We listened as he explained why he was actually here. Apparently, he was from the island that had the fire on it, and everything had been destroyed. Their homes, most of their food, literally everything that wasn't fireproof or was just okay when around fire. Asher and I were concerned for the people there, and we wanted to help. We told the Council about the situation, and they agreed to help, so we gave them some supplies and helped them rebuild their homes.
The thing is, my spirits after being taken away from that beautiful place weren't like the Toads' homes. I was dying inside, and that can't be rebuilt.
Mario runs up to Bowser and jumps on his head. Bowser then falls from his Koopa Copter and lands on the cold, hard battlefield. We all cheer as he struggles to get up... wait, struggles?
"You've won the battle, you three," he says, breathing heavy breaths. "But you haven't won the war." A couple Koopa Troopas ran over and helped him out of the battlefield.
The three of us went to go get Peach from her cell, and Mario and Luigi stomped a Koopa with some keys and took them. They then used them to open the cell.
"Oh, thank you, everyone!" Peach says. "It feels so good to be away from that monster."
We celebrate. It should have been a happy moment, but surprisingly, I feel concerned. Bowser did have a serious limp when he was helped away... had he broken a leg or something? He did always come back okay, though, so hopefully, the doctors would do their job. I was also just exhausted from being deprived of sleep. That was painful, for sure.
We leave the castle and start our trek back to the Mushroom Kingdom. We then start to go through a forest. But eventually, it's too dark to keep moving, and we have to make camp where we are.
I've always found forests like this scary. First off, you don't know what's around you. (Who knows, a Koopa could be waiting right behind you, ready to kidnap you and put you in the Koopa Castle's cells!) Also, it's dark, and that just makes the unease about what's around you even worse. And what if you don't have any supplies and can't find anything? Would you just starve out there, alone and weak?
I always keep a reading light, my journal, and a pencil in my pack, along with some snacks for the aforementioned reason. I grab my pack and take the journal, light and pencil out. But I remember that the others probably wouldn't want to be disturbed, so I decide to try to fall asleep first. But that proves difficult. I always have something on my mind, and this time, I wonder how Asher's doing. Maybe if I ever go back to Yoshi's Island, we can meet up... but it seems that that will never happen. I'm still hopeful, though.
I look up at the sky. The moon comes out, shaped like a crescent. I sigh. It feels like it's been forever since I was taken away from my true home, like I haven't felt true euphoria since I was there. But anything can happen, so who knows?
I wonder if Asher is looking at the same moon that I am. Does he think I've forgotten him? That I'm never coming back? Would he even remember my name if I don't come back soon?
The moon looks just like it does at Yoshi's Island. It feels like my only connection to where I belong, but I've always held onto my hope since I came with Mario and Luigi. I've always hoped that I will be able to go home, eat fresh fruit, see everyone, sleep as long as I want, and relax in paradise. Bowser also never attacks Yoshi's Island (I wonder if he even knows it exists), so it would be nice to get away from him, too.
But for now, that wasn't happening. I'm able to clear my mind, as they always do on Yoshi's Island to try to relax, and after a little while, I manage to fall asleep.