Soshi's Story-Fan Fiction by Monty Mole

Phoenix Rider

Phoenix Rider

Luma
Retired Wiki Staff
This is a Fanfiction I started long ago. It's not quite done yet, but very close. I'll post the story chapter by chapter.

Pre-Prologue

It was a peaceful day on Barrel Isle. A simple village existed here. At the base of a dormant volcano. All was calm. Ships
of all sizes imported and exported all kinds of goods. Winds were light, and it was a wonderful August day.

After lunch, one of the Toads living on Barrel Isle went out to play. However, he spotted a speck floating on the horizon. The speck got larger. And larger. The Toad could make out what appeared to be a dark blue Yoshi. However, it was flying! Indeed, the Yoshi was flying on majestic, yet draconic, wings. What's more, it was headed straight for Barrel Isle!

Dark clouds filled the sky. Everyone was puzzled as to what was going on. Suddenly, the Yoshi stopped and hovered above their village. Al was still for a moment. Noone dared move or even breathe. Suddenly, the Yoshi took a deep breath and spewed out a large, purple fireball! It roasted a nearby house, and the fire quickly spread. Chaos ensued as the Yoshi began its rampage across the island, burning and crushing everything in sight. As a bonus, the thought-to-be-dormant volcano erupted violently. The villagers screamed and docked boats as quickly as possible. They abandoned Barrel Isle, never to return. It was no longer safe.

However, the Yoshi also had to seek shelter from the magma flow. It found a crevice on the side of the volcano and decided to make that its home. There it rested, patrolling the island in seclusion, perhaps forever.

The abandoned Island was renamed Isle Soshi, after the dragon that attacked it. The island never dissapeared from anyone's memory, and all who were at Barrel Isle tremble at the mention of the beast's name.

This is his story.

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Prologue: Soshi’s Requiem

Soshi opened his eyes and yawned. His long tongue stretched out of his mouth, then curling backward to it's home. He shook his head of sleepiness and looked around. He was inside his cave of Isle Soshi, it felt nice and warm due to the volcano's heat. The blue dragon stood up on his clawed feet and folded back his wings. When Soshi looked out of the cave's entrance, he surveyed the volcano's edge. He spied a second figure at the volcano's top. It was also a Yoshi, with red skin, yellow spikes, and draconic wings. Soshi recognized the being as Soshu, his father. Soshi took to the sky and flew up to his father. He was about to say something but was stopped by his father's voice.

"Soshi... my child."

Soshi looked at his father, he did not turn when he spoke. His red tail flicked about, showing he was nervous.

"I have many things to tell you. Are you prepared to listen?" Soshu asked.

Soshi nodded in response, forgetting his father wasn't looking back at him. Before he could say yes, his father continued.

"Eons ago, before the time of the Mushroomers and the Koopa, before the time of the Kingdoms, when Plit was merely ripening..."

Soshu paused. Soshi was confused at why he was being told this, and why his father was acting so strangely.

"... The supreme species of the planet. It was the Yoshis. Long ago when Sky and Land Yo'sters got along peacefully. It was harmonious time when the planet's land was formed into a giant mass in the center of the sea. All refer to this as Panjeya, Plitian for "beginning"."

Soshi had heard this tale before. Why was he being told this again?

"Yes my child. I am aware you have heard this story. But I will tell you more now, heed my words."

Soshi nodded again, knowing his father wouldn't see. He paid close attention now.

"Though times were harmonious, those who were wise knew of the oncoming time of war. Something had caused a rift in the peace. Soon dragons and dinosaurs were enemies. The Land Yoshis had great numbers in their forces, but we were masters of the sky. This terrible war lasted centuries. When it was finally over, both sides had lost. So few numbers were left. During the war Panjeya had broken apart, and the land formations of today were slowly shaping. The Koopas and Mushroomers started their species' journey. Now after so very many years, I have this to tell you. Soshi, you are the last Sky Yoshi."

Soshi's eyes widened at the sound of these words. He had never seen other dragons like him before, but he never thought that was because he was the last. But... his father remained...

"Soshi, my time has come. You are the last. Your destiny ahead is very hard to see, but if you follow your heart where it leads you, the path will become clear."

Soshi finally spoke. "What you mean follow Soshi heart?"

Soshu sighed and held his head down. "I... I can't be sure my son."

Suddenly Soshu's wings unfolded and started twitching about. This usually meant something negative. A red claw moved onto the dragon's chest, over his heart. He closed his eyes and his breathing became longer, slower, and more labored. Soshi clenched his fists tightly, slightly digging his own claws into his palms. Then a chill fell down Soshi's spine when he witnessed his father collapse to the ground. Soshi bolted to his side, lifting him and placing his head in his lap. Soshi looked down at his father's face. His eyes were still closed, and he was still breathing heavily.

“Father! What’s happening to you?” Soshi cried.

Soshu forced a chuckle. “I told you, that you were the last... my son.”

Soshi thought for a moment, then looked angry as moisture was visibly gathering in his eyes. “No, father you can’t! I’m not ready...”

“Please forgive me Soshi, if I had the strength, I would never have let this happen to you...” Soshu paused. He spoke again and opened his eyes. “Your mother, Soshi...”

“What? My... mother?”

“Yes. I must tell you the… truth...” Soshu closed his eyes again and coughed. “She... she...”

Soshi’s face was streaming tears all over it, through all of the nooks and crannies between his scales.

“She was a... a...” Soshu coughed again, this time much more violently. His strong red color was fading to a paler tone. “Soshi, your mother is alive.”

“She’s alive! But you said...”

“Please don’t... I know what I have said... and I was foolish to say it. Find her, and you must know this...” Soshu’s breathing had slowed and was nearly inaudible. “She was a...”

Soshu’s exhale was his final breath. His son could feel that he was no longer there. He had died. But what was he telling him? Soshi’s eyes closed as well and tears ran down his cheeks. He set his father’s body down on the ground and fell on his back. Soshi fell into a deep sleep.

Great orange pyros ate away at Soshu’s body. His son had decided to burn the body in the volcano, wishing that somehow the spirit of his father would linger in the island watching over him. It was just a simple comforting thought. It was night now, far into the dusk. A single star shining a brilliant white peeked through the cloudy sky. From atop the edge of the volcano, Soshi watched the rest of his father’s body be swallowed by the lava. His head turned upward from the red fire to the black sky. A fire inside of Soshi was also burning. It had always existed, but as a few sparks only. Now it was a roaring flame. Soshi couldn’t handle the sadness of his father’s death, so he morphed the emotion into rage and vengeance. Irrational thoughts of trickery and deceit filled his unstable mind. He fixated on the idea his father was killed. He recalled the story of when his father had fought a Land Yoshi long ago; he was green and much smarter and stronger than any other of his kind. Soshu told his son that the Yoshi had cast some type of curse on him, mortally injuring his very source of life, his dragon heart. Soshi would find this green dinosaur, and destroy his heart as well.

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Oh, and I did borrow the main character, Soshi, from someone else. All other characters and writings are mine.
 
Chapter I-The Journey

Soshi was tense. He looked down at his hands and found there were small cuts where he had gripped them. He was still mourning his father's death, but he had calmed down and thought about what his father was telling him.

"Look inside my heart." The Sky Yoshi repeated for the thousandth time. Soshi just couldn't think. His heart hadn't always been his guide. He always focused on his mind. The more he repeated the phrase, the more the image of his father graced his mind, and the more difficult it was to hold back the tears. He turned his head to one side, and slammed his eyes shut, too proud to cry. Then an idea entered the Yoshi's head. He opened his eyes and gasped, realizing something.

He had once heard of Sky Yoshis living on the frozen ground of Proarctica, in the far north. He knew there weren't any left, but there could be clues about his past. Stretching his dark wings, he took flight. It would be a long journey, but Soshi was determined to make it. He gazed one last time at Isle Soshi, before abruptly turning and soaring off towards Proarctica.

The flight was long. Soshi flew for many hours. Soshi thought he had to be over halfway there. However, he felt soreness growing in his wings. Still, he pressed on, fighting the urge to turn back. He glanced down and saw nothing but water whizzing below him. He had to reach Proarctica, Soshi knew it. His wings were losing their stamina, and Soshi slowed down his flight considerably. He fought it more. Soshi tried to find a spot to land, however, none was found. Soshi contemplated stopping at the first land he could find to rest there. A harsh wind blowing in his face confirmed this idea. He had to stop soon.

After one more long hour of flying, at last, Soshi noticed a green shape on the horizon. It wasn't Proarctica, but at least it was land. Soshi used the last of his strength for a burst of speed and landed safely. He folded his tired wings. As he glanced up at the sky, he enjoyed the sunset, watching as the pinks and oranges socialized with the dark blues, not wishing to be dragged into night just yet.

Soshi wished it was dark, however. He enjoyed the stars. Still, he knew he would not get a chance to view them tonight; he needed rest. He curled up with his tail in front of him, breathing out a little fire. He tried to make this strange island as close to Isle Soshi as possible. At last, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, in a pitch-dark room in an equally dark castle, a figure shrouded in black robes hissed. It then laughed. It drew a picture of a Yoshi on paper. Then it added wings. Finally, all of a sudden, the paper burst into flames. The dark figure laughed wholeheartedly.


Soshi woke. He still had his eyes closed, however. Lazily rolling over he opened his eyes halfway. Immediately realizing he was not on Isle Soshi, he sat up, rubbing his eyes. It took him a second to realize where he was, and what he was doing there.

"Proarctica!" Soshi realized, and took off once again. He felt rejuvenated, more so than the previous few days, and knew he was going to get there today. Soshi took no time to explore the island; and wanted to get to the iced land as fast as possible. He flew, basking in the warmth of the sun, savoring his last few hours of it, before he would have to deal with the harsh climate of Proarctica.

Soshi glided through the air, at last the frozen wasteland coming into view. To the common eye, Proarctica looked like nothing more than a huge glacier, but Soshi knew better. He touched down and started sniffing the air. He walked around in a circle for a while. Then, he broke off in a run.

Soshi stopped suddenly. He stomped the ground, and waited. Nothing happened. The entrance was here, he knew it. Why couldn't he get in? A whooshing noise made Soshi whirl around, a little too late to see the person that knocked him out.

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Re-reading this, I know it's not one of my better chapters. Anyway, what do you all think so far?
 
I like it. Are any Mario characters going to be in it?
 
OK, next chapter!

Chapter II-Soshi's Discovery

Soshi came to. He looked around and saw he was in a rather large cave made completely of ice. Soshi exhaled and watched his breath crystallize on a nearby stalagmite. He stood up. This was Proarctica's interior. Soshi was determined not tothink about how he got here, and only wanted answers to his past.

He slowly explored each cave, seemingly unaffected by the cold. He used his sense of smell, and a little instinct to guide him. Of course, one could say he was choosing his paths randomly, but one way or another, Soshi wound up in an enormous cave, three times as big as the others. It was especially cold here; everything was even covered in a thin layer of powdery snow. Soshi now had to cover himself with his wings while he walked. Soshi stepped further into the room. He couldn't quite place it, but there was something almost...sinister about it.

"S-S-Soshi?"

Soshi whirled around at the sound of the voice.

"Huh? Who said that?" he asked, showing no signs of fear.

"Over here." the voice came from a wall on one end of the room. Soshi carefully walked over to the sound. As he did, he noticed multiple ice columns from the floor rising up to the ceiling. They were spaced only a couple inches apart, and it was impossible for Soshi to squeeze through. However, two violet eyes stared at him through the columns.

Soshi gasped and stumbled, losing his balance for a second. He dug his claws into the ice and got it back. He then turned his attention toward the eyes, and gasped again, realizing who it was. He blinked. A pair of eyes blinked back at him. He saw another Yoshi, taller than he, and green. She had gray spikes, and looked like any other Yoshi. However, her tail ended in a spade-shape, much like Soshi's and his father's. The Yoshi looked at him and smiled from behind the frozen columns.

"Soshi, it's been too long."

"Mo...M...Mother." It took a while for Soshi to get the word out.

"Hello, my son." Soshi's mother, Sosha, replied. Tears welled up in her eyes. They instantly crystallized and fell to the floor with a clack.

"Mother, what is this place?" Soshi asked in awe.

Sosha took a long sigh. "This," she said at last, "is the prison hold of the Ice Lord, Koujin."

It finally hit Soshi. It was a prison. And a very high security one at that. Upon closer inspection, Soshi noticed tiny video cameras disguised as chunks of ice. The cells were all open and empty, the prisoners having either escaped, or...Soshi didn't want to think about it. His mother was the only one left. What would happen to her? The same fate as the others?

"Soshi." Sosha said.

Soshi's train of thought was interrupted, and he snapped to attention.

"Soshi, listen to me. There are two things I must tell you. I know you wish to learn more about your past, and for that reason, you must head to Silver Isle, in the Tranquil Sea. I trust you remember where that is."

Soshi nodded. He recalled the stories he had heard from his father about the Tranquil Sea. True to its name, there were no waves, just beautiful, pristine blue water. HE had never heard about Silver Isle, however.

"The second thing I must tell you is that I-" Sosha was cut off by a loud thud. "Oh no! Soshi, you must go, now!"

"Mother, I'm not leaving without you!" Soshi tried to burn away the ice with his fire breath.

"It's no use, Soshi. The Ice is permanent. Only Koujin can control it." Soshi's mother quickly explained.
The pounding grew louder. "Now GO!" Sosha screamed and pointed to the exit. Soshi took flight, and glided as fast as he could, through the twisting tunnels, not daring to look back, fearing that whatever came for his mother might come for him next. He wound his way around them, making a left at one junction, right at another. How long he was in there, minutes, hours, years, he didn't know. At long last, Soshi came to a dead end, with a beam of light shining overhead. He sharply turned up, and flew out of Proarctica's interior. He looked back at the glacier, thoughts of his mother and father consuming him. He then forced himself to turn to the horizon, and fly towards the Tranquil Sea.
 
Very good Monty!

My fan fiction won't continue like in a week or so :-(

Marioverse Battles too. :-(

I'm busy with all the thanksgiving thing that happen.
 
Next chapter tomorrow, tell me what y'all think! Comments, constructive criticisms, anything.
 
Chapter III-Mysteries

Soshi enjoyed flying over the Sea very much. The calming waters seemed to alleviate his troubles. He was coasting just a couple feet above the water. He felt the cool energy refresh him. He was so relaxed that he almost didn't see Isle Silver cruising fast in front of him. He opened his eyes and swerved hard right just in time to miss a large white building in front of him.

After regaining his bearings, Soshi looked around. All of Isle Silver was covered in, well, silver. Everything from the houses and the port to even the trees and flowers. Everything shone so brightly, Soshi had to shield his eyes for a bit to get adjusted. The only thing that was not silver was the large white building towering over the trees. Soshi guessed that some big shot had to live there. Maybe he could give him some answers.

Soshi decided to give his wings a rest. He folded them on his back and began walking toward the tower. It was even bigger up close. Soshi was about to knock on the door when he heard footsteps coming from the inside. As he waited for whoever it was to come outside, Soshi couldn't help but wonder why a place of this magnitude and importance would have no guards standing out front. Soshi had to brush that notion away as the front door opened.

"Hello. I was told you might arrive."

The man who answered the door was...strange to say the least. He stood a little shorter than Soshi, and was dressed in a purple robe. He wore a rainbow-colored scarf around his neck.

"Uh...who are you?" Soshi asked cautiously.

"Oh." the man chuckled. "Forgive me. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the king of this island, Toukee."

"Too-kee?" Soshi repeated.

"Non! Toukee shouted. "Tou-KAY! It's French!"

"French?" Soshi had never heard of such a country on Plit before.

Toukee gave up. "Never mind. Please come in. I have much to tell you.

One castle tour and half an hour later, Soshi and the king were in a small, pentagon-shaped room. From what he had seen of the castle and island so far, he presumed that the people really liked silver. When he questioned the king about this, he simply replied,

"Oh, no. It's just the cheapest thing we can find!"

Soshi didn't question him any further after that. Now however, Toukee was dead serious.

He took a deep breath. "Soshi, you wish to know more about your past, is that correct? About how the Sky Yoshis came about?"

Soshi nodded.

"Then I shall tell you, but you might not like what you are about to hear." Toukee took another deep breath before plunging into his tale. "Long ago, when Panjeya was still one piece, there was an evil scientist, Koujore. Koujore had an evil pet Yoshi. It always followed him around wherever he went. Then, one day, a stray ray of electricity struck the dinosaur, carrying such a powerful shock that it actually changed the Yoshi's DNA and it sprouted wings as a result. It also grew enraged for some unknown reason. It rampaged across the world, destroying anything in its path, and from the fire, more dragons surfaced. The beast eventually collapsed in exhaustion and died, but not before thousands of dragons had been spawned." Toukee paused before continuing. "Many generations passed, and the Sky Yoshis eventually reverted to more humble ways. However, upon learning of the Land Yoshis, they realized they were much different. They felt as if they could never truly be a dinosaur, always a dragon. Over the years, this sadness turned to anger, and the Sky Yoshis unleashed a full assault on the Land Yoshis, the results of which you already know."

Toukee finished. Before Soshi could say anything, the king added, as an afterthought, "Since then, some, precious few however, actually crossbred. The hybrids were part land, part Sky Yoshi. Your mother is one of them."


Soshi sat in stunned silence for a minute. "Wait a second." he said. If-if my mother is a hybrid, then am I really all dragon?"

Toukee chuckled heartily. "Oh, what a silly question! Of course you are. You have wings, the trademark tail. What else could you be?" he laughed again.

Soshi nodded and forced a smile. "I...you're right. I wasn't thinking." Soshi began to hover in the air towards the door. "Well, Soshi won't waste any more of your time. Thank you." Toukee stood up, but Soshi stopped in mid-air. "Wait a minute...Koujore...any relation to Koujin?" Soshi asked. This seemed to provoke a horrified reaction in Toukee.

"K-Koujin? How do you know of him?" he asked, trembling.

"Well, my mother was caught by him. She's...being held captive in Proarctica." Soshi explained, looking down at the floor.

The king softened. "I'm sorry to hear that. But you must be careful. The Ice Lord is not to be trifled with. Whatever he's planning, we are powerless to stop it. I have tried to build an army here on my island, but the villagers would have nothing of it. I'm afraid all we can do is wait. Hopefully someone, somewhere, is, or will be, making preparations."

"That should be me." Soshi thought to himself. He thanked Toukee again, and started to leave.

He stopped again when he remembered something very, very important. "Do you have any fruit? Soshi starving. Soshi haven't eaten in 2 days." Another hearty laugh from the king.

At last, having eaten his fill of the best fruit he had ever had, Soshi left Toukee and Isle Silver, heading for Proarctica once more. At this point, however, Soshi began to feel suspicious. The Koujin character likely had been keeping an eye on him, if he captured his mother. Soshi also wondered if his father had ben involved in the struggle. So many questions remained. He decided it would be best if he circled Plit entirely, going the opposite direction of Proarctica. He readied himself. It would be a long flight.
 
ARRRGGHHH! What did I do? I've been neglecting this. OK, here we go. I'll be updating regularly from now on.
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Chapter IV-Land's Embrace

Soshi barely had flown for an hour before he noticed a peculiar island floating in the middle of the Aria Sea. Soshi thought there were no landforms here, much less whole islands. It was shaped rather peculiarly, too. Not quite a circle, for it had two oval-shaped peninsulas at the North end. Soshi then noticed a strange figure walking along the beach. It was green and rather tall. Soshi flew a little closer, being careful not to be spotted by it. As he neared it, he noticed some red spikes on its back, and it wore red shoes.

It was a Land Yoshi, and it appeared to be a well-trained one. Something about this particular one startled Soshi, however. When it turned its head, it revealed four large claw marks, two on each side of his face. His father had the same marks. Soshi gasped as he realized this was the Land Yoshi his father had fought before. Koujin would have to wait. The Yoshi began to run off, probably in response to a call, but Soshi wasn't going to let him escape. He dove down at a breakneck speed, kicking up a cloud of sand in the process. The Yoshi shielded his eyes with his arm. When the sand and dust settled, Soshi was glaring at the Land Yoshi, fists clenched.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm the one who will avenge what you did to my father." Soshi growled, and slashed at the Yoshi's throat. He instantly dodged, and began running in the other direction.

Soshi smirked. "This dinosaur doesn't seem like the fighting type." he thought. Soshi began the hot pursuit of the Yoshi, using his powers of flight to his advantage. His wings turned as hard as iron, and struck the Yoshi in the back, knocking him to the ground. Soshi flew up and hung a U-turn in the air, aiming directly at the Yoshi's head with his claws. Suddenly, the Yoshi stood up and grabbed Soshi by his feet. Soshi stumbled in mid-air, and the Yoshi flung him to the ground.

Soshi shook it off and growled. "So you can fight a little." The Yoshi said nothing. His cheeks puffed up and hesquirt out a burst of acidic juice at Soshi. The dragon dodged, conjuring up a fireball in his own mouth. Tasting the fire, he spewed out the purple flame. The Yoshi appeared to be hit directly, but when the smoke cleared, it was revealed he had curled himself into a ball to avoid the attack. Soshi brought up as much flame as he could. He waited for his foe to lower his guard, then spewed out a flame so large and powerful it propelled him backwards into the air. A small explosion followed the attack.

Descending lightly to the ground, Soshi's breathing was heavy. However, he had a triumphant and malevolent smile on his face. His job was done. As Soshi walked over to deliver the final blow, a green hand shot out of the smoke and choked the dragon.

"Impossible" Soshi thought as he broke free. This Yoshi had more tricks up his sleeve than any he had seen in the past. Soshi then noticed a long red object coming fast at him. He realized too late it was the Yoshi's sticky tongue. Since Yoshis can swallow any object up to twice their size, fitting Soshi into the Yoshi's mouth proved to be no problem. Soshi's foe then conjured up more juice. This time however, Soshi could not escape. His foe swirled the juice inside his mouth, suffocating Soshi. He finally spit him out. Soshi tried to take flight, but his wings were drenched, and useless. He felt exhausted. His combatant gripped his throat tightly, an enraged expression on his face.

"Father, forgive me." Soshi thought just before he blacked out.

Soshi opened his eyes. He was surprised that he even could. He was supposed to be dead. Soshi looked around. He was in a rustic-looking room, sticks and logs making the walls. Something was strangedly comforting about it, though. He climbed up off the bed he was on and looked at it. It was nothing more than a rather large log split in half vertically and covered in leaves.

"Some handiwork." Soshi thought to himself. He tried to fly, but a sharp pain in his wings prevented that. Soshi slumped to the ground in a heap and looked at his wings. They were still dripping with acidic juice from the vile Land Yoshi. He got to his feet and tried to walk around. He felt a shock of pain in his left leg. The battle had worn him out.

The battle! Where was he? Where was the Land Yoshi? Slowly, painfully, Soshi made his way down the flight of stairs in front of him. He saw the same Yoshi cooking something on the stove. It glanced at him, then went back to its cooking without a word. After a long, awkward silence, Soshi spoke up.

"Why did you bring me here?" No reply.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Soshi asked.

"Because." the Land Yoshi stated simply. Soshi waited patiently for it to continue. "Yoshi no like to kill unless necessary."

"Wait a minute...your name's Yoshi?" Soshi asked.

"That right. I brought you here because you seemed to need rest."

Soshi was thrown for a loop by this. Here this Land Yoshi was, him having attacked it. He gets knocked out and the Yoshi not only doesn't kill him, but brings him back to his house! Soshi couldn't understand. Never had he seen anyone so forgiving. However, that still didn't change things. Forgetting his gratitude, Soshi demanded answers.

"You were the one who fought my father, weren't you?"

Yoshi paused in the middle of his cooking and sighed. "That was a long time ago."

"You-" Soshi was interrupted.

"You wish to take revenge on me, right? For fighting your father. If you so wish, then I will not stop you. Kill me if you wish." Yoshi said.

Soshi blinked. The fool. He had practically handed his life to him. He looked at Yoshi to make sure he wasn't pulling any tricks. Yoshi's face was steel. Soshi pulled back his hand, claws glistening. He shot it full speed at Yoshi's neck, aiming for a clean cut...

And stopped inches from it. He couldn't do it. Yoshi grinned.

"Welcome to Yoshi's Island." he said.

Soshi looked up at Yoshi. His arm fell limp. The smile on the green one's face told Soshi that he knew he wasn't going to kill him. Soshi brushed it off.

"Soshi, there's something you don't know. About the battle, with...with your father. Come on, we'll talk outside."

Soshi followed Yoshi out to the front porch. Outside was nothing like Soshi had ever seen. Lush foliage covered every square inch of Yoshi's Island. Even more impressive, fruits of all varieties grew on them. Having spent most of his life on the volcano-dominated Isle Soshi, Soshi had never seen so many different species of plants in his life. Little Yoshi children were running around in their carefree world, and for a brief moment, Soshi wished he could be like them. He stared at his now-dry wings. He was proud of them, that much for certain, but he wondered what it would be like to be an ordinary Land Yoshi.

"Soshi, your father led a group of dragons to Yoshi's Island it a last-ditch attempt to get rid of us, the Land Yoshis. He headed straight for me, as I am their leader. Both of our small armies were crushed, and only we were left to battle, one on one. He was fighting to eliminate me, I was fighting to save both of us. I cut open his chest, then I let him go. His lesson was learned. Was yours?"

Soshi sat in silence for a minute. This was the Yoshi that almost killed his father. Why did he let him go? Soshi was too confused to be mad at Yoshi.

"All that doesn't matter now. We must prepare for the coming trials ahead." Yoshi explained.

"You mean..."

"Yes, I do. Koujin will not hide forever. We must prepare our army, and we must be on the same side." Yoshi said.

Soshi nodded. He understood now. "But now I must get to Proarctica. I have some unfinished business there."

"Then go. I will stay here, and hopefully be able to put together an army to stop Koujin." the green dinosaur responded.

Soshi unfurled his dark wings and hovered inches, then feet, then yards above Yoshi's Island. He flew off once again.

"What exactly is Koujin planning?" he thought, as Yoshi's Island dissapeared beneath the horizon.
 
*sigh* People. Look at all those art threads getting millions of comments. People just don't get the art of writing. It saddens me.

Chapter V-True Power

Soshi was reenergized. He didn't even seem to feel the nippy wind as he flew over the last stretched of the Aria Sea. He was, however, aware that he was approaching Proarctica. A slight noise made Soshi look down. To his amazement, there was a small boat heading the same direction, going slightly faster than he. Seizing the oppurtunity to shave some time off his journey, Soshi dove and alighted as softly as he could on the boat's deck.

Then Soshi began to wonder why this boat was here in the first place. Where was it going? Why was it going there? Soshi got the beginnings of a bad feeling. He snuck behind a few crates on deck, and thought he heard a rumbling sound beneath him. Hundreds, maybe thousands of footsteps. Soshi wondered how that was possible, considering the boat was about a twice the size of his small cave on Isle Soshi. He peered around and saw a shark at the helm of the boat. Soshi's first instinct was pirates. He had landed on a pirate ship, or boat. But upon closer inspection, he noticed none of the things adorning the shark that would give any clue it was a pirate. No bandanna, no skull hat, no peg leg, not even an earring. The only thing the shark did have was a long black-on-the-outside, red-on-the-inside cape, and, Soshi noticed, a golden sword resting in his belt.

"Whatever this boat is doing, he must be in charge." Soshi thought. Then he questioned why this boat was going to Proarctica. There were no jewels or gold or anything, just a barren frozen wasteland, to his knowledge. The only thing of value was valuable only to him. His mother. He wished to see her again and put a stop to this nightmare. Soshi knew it could only get worse from here.

Suddenly, the boat stopped with a thunk. The shark/pirate thing began to turn around. Soshi started to fly away, but quickly decided it would make too much noise. Out of other options, Soshi hid behind the crates and covered himself with his wings, hoping, praying that it wouldn't come his way.

Soshi heard footsteps. Then a clunk. Then more footsteps. He cringed at the thought of being discovered. The footsteps faded slowly away. Taking a chance, Soshi peeked out the side of the crates. He noticed a trapdoor the shark had opened leading downwards into the bowels of the ship. Slowly, carefully, he walked down the creaky steps into a dimly lit room. There was a table full of sharks, much like the one he had seen. He stood and flattened himself against a wall, trying to listen in on the conversation.

"All right. Then it's settled." one of the sharks said. "We'll infiltrate first thing tomorrow."

"But what if someone finds us?" another asked.

"You buffoon! No one travels out here except for you-know-who." shouted the captain, who proceeded to beat up the second shark. "Now, you all get a good night's rest. Tomorrow the hunt begins."

Soshi quickly scrambled up the steps as he saw some of them get up. What were they talking about? What were they infiltrating? Who was "you-know-who"? Soshi's bad feeling rose again. He tried to ignore it and focus on the task at hand. He needed to get inside Proarctica.

Soshi spread his wings and flew to the top of the glacier. Upon landing, he instantly and instinctively took off again and hovered a few feet above the ice. Proarctica was much colder at night. His claws already had frost on them. Nevertheless, he sucked in his breath and plowed through the ice, never stopping until he reached the frozen labyrinth inside.
 
Monty Mole said:
*sigh* People. Look at all those art threads getting millions of comments. People just don't get the art of writing. It saddens me.

Chapter 5-True Power

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Click to expand...

Whaddaya want, a review! Well all right...

The plot is really good. However, , it's moving slower than a chariot drawn by 2 dead butterflys. I like the main character fine, but I wish there would be a close ally eventually, I never liked books that were mainly solo adventures. You have No grammar problems, but that doesnt instantly make a terrific story. I'm happy to see Yoshi and Jonathan Jones (it IS them, right?) appearing, those are the kind of small cameos that I can't get enough of (Pan in the wind in the willows, etc...)

Considering it's fanfic, i'll give you a 8/10. It's better than some (most, for that matter) fan stories. Obviously it's no Lloyd Alexander or T.A. Barron, but hey, they rarely are.
 
Hm. That's just my style, I guess.

Chapter VI-Confrontation

Soshi remembered the path to the large, prison-like room. He quickly tore through the tunnels, searching for it. As he was travelling, he noticed a peculiar sight. All of the tunnels were empty. Not a single sould to be found. Soshi felt the slightest bit of discomfort in this deserted place; it was empty, but the tunnels could not have been carved by nature. No. Someone, or something dug them all, even if there was no trace of whatever it was left.

At last, Soshi reached the grand room. It was just as he remembered, cold, ominous, and most of all, lifeless except for his mother, still trapped, fitfully sleeping. He produced an apple and quickly chomped it down to give himself some strength. Then he went to work.

He focused his energy into his claws and wings, turning them stiff and hard as steel. He focused on his target, the icicles of his mother's "cell". The light glistened off his dark wings as he aimed and struck forth with all his might. There was a sound of connection, and a cloud of snow and ice was thrown into the air. Soshi was blinded, but he knew it wasn't enough. Quickly, he conjured up a fireball and spat it at the icicles. This time, an eerie purple glow was visible through the ice. He hoped he had done it. The cloud cleared, and to Soshi's chagrin, the icicles were still there, not a sign of a scratch on them as Soshi's embers died away.

Soshi's mother was wide awake now and looking bewildered and worried.

"Soshi! You should not have come back here!" she hissed.

"I had to, mother. I had to save you." Soshi responded tearfully, and stepped back to try once more.

A very faint freezing gust stopped Soshi just before he unleashed another fireball. He turned around, and lost all sense he had.


Soshi found himself staring at the Ice Lord himself, Koujin. He studied Koujin carefully. Koujin wore all black, and had a red collar that ended in two spikes around his neck. His face was completely hidden, except for two faint yellow eyes Soshi could see glowing. In his hand, he carried a jagged scepter made from an icicle with a deep sapphire gem at the top. In a hilt on his waist, Soshi saw a smooth blade carved out of a chunk of ice, judging by its reflective properties. He was levitating, and Soshi could sense the dark aura in him and around him. He gritted his teeth. This would not be easy.

"I see you have intruded on my palace." Koujin chuckled.

Soshi bared his teeth even more. "I did not expect you to come out of hiding so soon.

Sosha gasped and pretended to be asleep.

Koujin, with one wave of his hand, extended his scepter to twice its usual length and hovered higher into the air. He began shooting blue energy rings at Soshi. He dodged every single one, got a running start, and became airborne himself. He tried a head-on collision course with Koujin, who merely teleported out of the way, leaving nothing more than an illusion. Meanwhile, he reappeared behind Soshi and blasted him with his scepter. Soshi fell to the ground, frozen solid in a block of ice. Koujin landed and chuckled to himself. He began to walk away when he was hit square in the back by a large purple fireball. He gathered up his flaming robes and whirled around; Soshi was not out of the fight yet.

Soshi bared his claws as he swooped down with blinding speed at Kpujin. He raised his scepter just in time to make Soshi's feet scrape it. Koujin jumped in the air, unsheathed his blade and slashed in Soshi's back. Blood oozed out of the wound, but Soshi ignored it as best he could. He was fighting a losing battle, but he didn't care. He spewed out another fireball and missed as Koujin teleported again. This time, Soshi could not find him. From his hiding place in the ceiling, Koujin silently laughed as he fired black orbs from his scepter.

Soshi never saw them coming. They connected and seemed to latch onto him. A long, drawn out, sucking noise was heard as they started draining his energy. Soshi tried to flap them away, but there were too many. They engulfed him, turning his vision completely black, and still more came. Soshi fell to the gorund and still he would not give up. He would continue to thrash until his last breath. He knew it couldn't be the end; not yet.

Suddenly, they all dissapeared. Soshi flipped over just in time to be stabbed in the tail. Pain surged up through his tail up his spine, and it felt very cold, as some blood began to crystallize on the mark. Soshi glared at his adversary and let out a mighty roar which shook the whole palace. Koujin was only affected while it lasted, however and quickly regained his balance and flew toward Soshi even faster than Soshi had. A quick punch and slice to the gut brought Soshi to the ground once more, holding his stomach, and fighting back the tears of pain. Soshi coughed up some blood. He couldn't go on. Koujin was still unscathed and he was a wreck. Still, he had to try.

As he drew in breath for another fireball, Koujin dissapeared yet again. Immediately, Soshi felt a large pain in his left wing, and then, nothing. He looked over and Koujin's sword was embedded in it. It was useless now. He closed his eyes and let the burning flame inside him ignite. He didn't need his wings. He didn't need much of anything. All he needed was his life. Soshi drew in all the energy inside him, and let it loose before Koujin could strike again. The room shone with a brilliant white that Sosha even squinted to see. When it faded, Soshi was nowhere to be found.

Dashing through the ice caves, Soshi didn't dare look back to see if Koujin was chasing him. He carefully climbed up above the caves and into the snow, now picked up by blinding wind. Soshi pulled himself to the top of the glacier and covered his face with one of his hands to see. He struggled to stay standing, as that blinding flash had drained much of his energy. One peculiar thing he noticed was that the strange pirate ship was no longer there. He knew that couldn't be a good sign. There was only one thing he had in mind. He had to go to Toad Town, strange as it may have seemed, warn the people about Koujin and possibly the pirates, somehow convince the princess that something must be done and as much as he hated to admit it, he'd need Yoshi's help, too. Soshi had to put his past behind him.

With great effort, he took flight once again, and headed out in the direction he guessed was the Mushroom Kingdom's capital.
 
Chapter VII-The Meaning of Strength

A hatch opened up in the darkness. Slowly, a pair of eyes peeked out and darted back and forth. Silently, it hurried out of the hatch, making a beckoning motion toward it. More figures like the first hurried out. The last one slammed it shut, making a rather loud noise.

“Shhhh!” the first hissed. “Do you want to wake…you-know-who?”

“Sorry,” the other replied. “Er, with all due respect, Captain Kaller, do you really think he’s asleep? I mean he’s probably out patrolling the grounds as we speak.”

The shark captain grinned, revealing his many sharp teeth. “Well,” he said. “That’s just a chance we’ll ‘ave to take, eh?”

The dysfunctional motley crew made their way up the narrow steps. Captain Kaller wuickly brushed away the snow to reveal a secret entrance. A few more minutes of brushing and he had broken an opening big enough for them to crawl in. Captain Kaller looked at his fins. They were normally a straight blue, but their color had faded to pale blue, and the cold stifled his circulation. However, without any more hesitation, he stepped in, his crew of sixteen following close behind. Some whispers, “oohs”, and “ahhs” were heard as they traversed the icy cavern that was Proarctica. All preesent, including the Captain, were used to tropical weather, so this was a new, wonderful, and for some, a scary experience.

Soon, however, much of the excitement had died away, leaving curiosity and impatience. One of the sharks at the front of the group asked finally,

“Captain Kaller, what are we looking for?”

“I’ll let you know when we find it.” The leader snapped.

Suddenly, there was a slight sound, like wind whistling through branches. They were very far into the caves now, so the band of pirates was a little suspicious. They exchanged confused glances with a hint of worry. One of the meeker pirates rushed up behind the Captain.

“Sir, don’t you think we should move a little faster?” he asked.

Rapidly, their leader spun around and hoisted the minion up by his collar. “Look, Ankhlos.” Even as a whisper, the captain’s voice was intimidating. “I don’t want ta hear any more ‘a your blubberin’ You will not make a single sound until we are back on the ship, aye?” Ankhlos nodded, terrified. Captain Kaller threw him along the floor, adding “That goes for all of you, too.” Ankhlos slid along the icy floor before crashing into an ice sculpture of an intimidating figure cloaked in a robe. The ice was so expertly crafted, it looked as if the cloak was blowing in the wind. Underneath the hood of the figure, two round eyes seemed to glow eerily. The dazed pirate hurried over to the others quickly, but was too petrified to tell any of them what he saw. Soon, they turned into an extremely cold and dark room. Not a single thing could be seen, and as a result, the seventeen pirates stopped in their tracks.

“Now, listen closely!” the captain’s booming voice was heard. “Now, all of you keep walking, and follow my voice!” Murmurs from his crew, but began walking again anyway. “You-know-who cannot hear us in here! I will lead you to a place where an artifact of great power can be found!” The captain’s voice moved to the right. “It will bring us one step closer to our goal. Legions of the greatest warriors have fought for it. We will be the first to wield it!” The captains voice led down. “Now…follow my voice exactly to the letter. Straight forward!” Eventually, the sharks could see a faint gleaming light. Murmurs of awe struck them. As they approached closer, they could see the light turn green, and it was coming from a golden staff hung suspended in mid-air. It was shaped like a crescent moon with a huge emerald set between the points.

“This,” said the Captain proudly, “is the Essence Emerald. I will need all your help to dislodge it from it’s magical resting place.”

With all their strength, they pulled. The staff budged. Another pull. More movement.

“One more. All together!” Captain Kaller shouted.

A last burst of strength dislodged the staff, and it fell into Captain Kaller’s hands.

“Quickly! We must escape, now!” the Captain shouted.

On these words, Proarctica began shaking. Entire tunnels were collapsing, and everyone was hoping theirs wouldn’t be next. The Captain, with one wave of his wand, flooded the entire area in brilliant green light. The crew spred up a ramp, through the twisting tunnels, following the captain wherever he went. Some of the pirates slipped on the icy floor and hurried to catch up, fearing for their life. At last, they came to a dead end. A boulder blocked the path. Someone looked up and noticed another one. On his scream, everyone instinctively looked up. Captain Kaller looked just in time, to jam his new weapon into the rock, crumbling it into smaller pieces.

“Everyone, grab hold of one!” Captain Kaller commanded. Instinctively, all the pirates grabbed a piece of the now-shattered boulder. With another wave of the magical instrument, the rocks began to levitate, and move up through the opening to the cavern. Some were riding them from above. Others hanging on from below. But their leader managed to guide them all back onto the ship. A piece of Proarctica exploded in the distance. After a moment of catching their breath, the pirates saw their leader, a bold smile on his face, brandishing the Essence Emerald.
 
Chapter VIII-Foresight

Swerving left and right, trying to keep his control, Soshi glided jaggedly over the sea. He wasn’t even sure which one it was, though he had a gut feeling, an instinct, that it was the way he needed to go. His wing had been slowly getting its feeling back, in the form of excruciating pain. He pressed on, trying to stay on course and not veer off. It was hard, as he had to adjust his direction with every flap of his wings, which alone required much energy.

An object whizzed past his head. Soshi caught just enough of a glimpse of it to see that it was black, and spherical. Another flew at him, and Soshi had to dive to dodge it. Once he had, however, he instantly found he could not pull back up. The blue water was coming in fast on him. He mustered every ounce of his strength to regain control. He gradually leveled his flight, gliding inches above the surface. Now all that was left to do was catch a good updraft…

It never came. Barely making a splash, Soshi skipped along the surface of the water before finally coming to a complete stop some 60 feet from shore. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing heavily. He was still very conscious, just too sore and exhausted to move. All at once, he felt himself being lifted up, and carried. He didn’t dare open his eyes. All he knew was that whoever was carrying him was either saving him or sealing his fate.

Soshi felt the atmosphere about him change drastically. From the warm, humid air of the sea came a cold and empty feeling Soshi was certain he didn’t like. Soshi felt himself be thrown onto a hard, stony floor. He heard some bones in his spine crack, and flinched. He felt something cold wrap around his hands, and then heard footsteps fading away. When he was sure they were gone, he opened his eyes, and he found he wasn’t outside anymore. He didn’t even think he was in the Mushroom Kingdom, judging from where he was. He sat up, instinctively. He was in some prison cell. Not the worst he’d ever seen, but then, he haddn’t seen many prison cells, let alone been sentenced to one. His small hands were cuffed together by what looked like unbreakable titanium. The conditions in the cell were liveable, but all Soshi wanted to do was get out. As he struggled to his feet a single sandwich slid under the door.

“Oh, well.” Soshi thought. He might as well. After all, he didn’t think he’d be getting anything else for a long while. He took a bite of the sandwich and instantly gagged. Peanut butter and mayonnaise, who would come up with something like that? He forced it down anyway, and curled up and slept to wait for whatever it was fate had planned for him.

A few hours later, Soshi was awakened by a loud bang. The door to his cell had opened and a figure stood in the door. He was short, but his features were indistinguishable. It was very bright behind the door which cast a shadow over its face.

“Her highness will see you now.” It said in a gruff tone.

Soshi was led through the bright corridor into another room, which appeared to be a storage area. Then through another door into a bright, cheery hallway, not like anything he had expected. There were red drapes strung up through the ceiling, and gold borders on all the windows. The doors were all adorned with a star, and there was a huge double door at the top of the staircase Soshi was now in front of. Soshi knew it almost immediately. This was Peach’s Castle.

Soshi didn’t have much time to bask in the glory of it, as soon after he entered, the double door opened and a perfect vision of beauty, justice and fairness came out. Princess Peach had a frown on her face, however, as she eyed Soshi suspiciously.

“So,” she began. “You are the one which terrorized Barrel Isle so long ago. I never thought I’d see you.”

Something snapped inside Soshi. How did she know? Toad Town was nowhere near Bar-Isle Soshi, he corrected himself.

“Peach, that was a long time ago. I-”

“Enough!” Peach held her hand out. She obviously didn’t want to hear it. “You destroyed the lives of those poor citizens, and you have the nerve to come terrorize the central city, too? It’s only a miracle my cannon soldiers were able to stop you. I grow tired of this. Take him away!”

Instantly, two more guards, much bulkier than the first, grabbed the Sky Yoshi’s shoulders. Soshi struggled, but it was no use.

“Peach, wait! Don’t do this!” Soshi shouted. “The world is in danger! Somebody is plotting something up in Proarctica! He has my mother, and he’ll probably kill her and everyone else in the world if you don’t listen to me!”

Peach slowly stepped down the stairs and approached Soshi. “First of all, the world is definitely in danger. From you. Second of all, I have personally been to Proarctica, and there is nothing there but a big, boring glacier. Any more lies you wish to tell me?” she challenged.

Soshi made eye contact for one full second, then dropped his head to the ground.

“Please. Just give me one chance. One chance to prove it. I don’t mean you or the kingdom any harm, Princess. All I want is to stop this fiend.” Soshi said softly.

For some reason, the Princess must have sensed the sincerity in Soshi’s voice, for her next order was “Drop him.” The guards obeyed. She turned to Soshi again.

“I’m warning you, Sky Yoshi, any tricks, just one…and I personally will make sure you never see another living thing ever again.”

Soshi nodded. “My word is my bond, princess. It is a principle I live by.”

Peach immedately ordered the finest fleet of ships she had.

“Well, then, Sky Yoshi, I guess we’re going to Proarctica.”
 
Chapter IX-Proof

The day was calm and peaceful, seagulls flying overhead, as Soshi watched the sea aboard the S.S. Riviera, Peach’s best ship. With it’s sleek metal rod-like shape, coupled with its cleverly disguised cannons, missiles and the like, it looked more like in belonged in the air than at sea. It was well built for both speed and protection. Soshi was still handcuffed, and now he was tied to the mast. It was obvious Peach didn’t like him one bit. Not at this moment anyway.

Soshi looked over his left shoulder. The wind was caressing her blond hair, amplifying the expression of concern on her face. She was still skeptical about this whole thing. At one point, she started to get up, but then sat back down again, never changing her face, and never breaking her gaze at the horizon. Soshi looked to his right and found one of Peach’s guards looking sternly at him, keeping tabs on him. Behind the muscular being, he could make out the others at a small table playing Texas Hold-em.

Soshi sighed and closed his eyes. He questioned why Peach would endanger her own life trying to prove him wrong. Then again, she was royalty, and could do anything she wanted. Soshi looked out to sea and wondered whether Koujin would already prepared something for them.

“Land ho!” someone cried. Soshi looked directly overhead at a Toad in the crow’s nest, pointing frantically. Soshi looked and saw it once again. The infernal land that had his mother trapped inside. He didn’t want to come back, but he had had no choice. As he was untied, one of the guards brandishing a cutlass began poking Soshi in the back with it, guiding him along.

“Wait.” Peach said. “He’s our guide. Lead the way, Sky Yoshi.” There was a hint of disgust in Peach’s voice.

Soshi walked up front and led the crew through the tunnels to the prison hold. This wasn’t the way Soshi got it last time, so on a few instances, he had to spread his wings and catch the cold breeze coming from the room. Just as Peach was getting impatient, they entered the massive room. Soshi’s first instinct was to look to his left. When he did, he gasped and felt his world was shattered. There, in plain sight, was his mother’s cage, or what was left of it. The icicles had been cut clean off, and Sosha was nowhere to be found.

“Well, let’s spread out, search for anything suspicious.” Peach ordered. After a partial combing of the room, one of the guards pointed to a small rock. Inside was a tiny security camera. He took it out and tried to crush it between his fingers, but it was surprisingly sturdy. He threw it on the ground and proceeded to stomp it, but only slipped and landed in a heap on the ground. Soshi walked up to it, gave it one slash, and it split in two. Ignoring the gawks, he returned to his mothers cage.

“Look for more.” Peach said, and walked up to him. “What is so interesting about this spot?” she asked.

Soshi took a deep breath, and blew it out slowly. “This was my mother’s cell. This is where Koujin, the Ice Lord trapped her. Now she’s gone. He may have killed her.” Soshi stopped to suppress his tears. “He may have not. I don’t know. But I must stop him.”

“So, where is he now?” Peach questioned.

Silence from Soshi told her the answer. Actually, a rumbling sound did. A strong wave of absolutely frigid air swept the room, and when it left, there was a big stalagmite of ice in the center of the room. Immediately, it broke and the most terrifying thing anyone had ever seen flew out. Soshi had seen him before. He wanted to take him down here and now, but knew that was impossible.

Koujin looked down with bloodthirsty eyes. He took out his blue wand and pointed it directly at Soshi.

“Like mother like son.” He said and fired a deadly energy wave at Soshi. In his handicapped state, Soshi could do nothing but brace himself. He flinched waiting for impact. It never came. The soldier brandishing the cutlass used its shiny side to deflect the blast back at Koujin for a lucky direct hit. In the momentary confusion, Peach quickly undid the handcuffs binding Soshi and pointed to one of her guards.

“Alpha T. get everybody out of here!” She pulled out a walkie-talkie. Beta T., Gamma T., prepare the S.S. Riviera’s weapons. Koujin rose out of smoke and flew upward again. Peach, her guards and Soshi began running for the exit.

“Delta T-AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!” Peach screamed and fell flat on the ground, unconscious. Koujin had struck her in the back with the same energy wave he had used against Soshi. Quickly, Soshi picked her up and ran towards the exit. Small explosions came from both sides as Koujin pursued and the S.S. Riviera waiting outside fired.

Koujin was coming ever closer, he was slicing through the guards following Soshi one by one. He was only a few feet behind him now. Soshi at last saw the light, and sprinted for it. The blinding sun fell on his face as he jumped aboard the ship, carrying Peach with him. Two Toads on the upper deck proceeded to fire at the Ice Lord, who for once, wasn’t ready. Missiles screamed through the air, and cannonballs fired. A thick cloud of smoke was growing in front of the massive glacier.

“Hold your fire.” One of the toads commanded. The weapons stopped, and the smoke began to dissipate. Koujin was gone.

“He’ll be back.” Soshi said. Right now we must get back to the castle. He looked at the prone Peach lying on the deck of the ship. He knew it was too dangerous. She probably did, too. Why had she not trusted him? Soshi thought the distant past was behind him. He contemplated these thoughts, trying to answer them, the entire voyage back.
 
WHERES TEH TOAD!!!!!! But seriously, this is really picking up.
 
Well, not Toad, per se, but you shall see. Oh and thanks for reading! :)

Chapter X-Double Race

“Do you know what this is?” Captain Kaller asked his men.

“Some magic thingy?” one of the sharks ventured.

Captain Kaller sighed and brought the item down from above his head. They were sailing away from Proarctica, the artifact in tow. Apparently, Kaller was the only one who knew its true power.

“No, it’s not just ‘some magic thingy’” Kaller said patiently. “The Essence Emerald is one-third of a great treasure that can bring absolute power to anyone who possesses it. With it, no one will dare sail the same seas as us! We will be absolute rulers!”

Murmurs from his crew slightly brought him down. The timid Ankhlos spoke up.

“Um...what exactly do you plan to do with the, er, treasure, Captain?”

A glint in the Captain’s eye. “With it, I will become ruler of Plit! No one will dare oppose me! Ever since I got kicked out of the Plitian Special Naval Forces, I’ve been ridiculed! Mocked! And-”

“Oh, boy, here he goes again.” One of the pirates complained.

“Hmm? You dare interrupt me? We’ll just find something constructive for you to do, Tailan. I ‘ave it. Sweep the entire galleon!

“I just did before we left.” Tailan complained.

“Well, do it again!” Kaller commanded.

Tailan left, grumbling something about tyranny.

“Now then, we just have to find the next piece of the treasure.”

“And that would be where?” another pirate asked.

Captain Kaller thought for a minute. “I’m not exactly sure. I only knew af one location. And that was in Proarctica. But wherever the treasure pieces may lie, they must be spread out. So, Navigator, chart a course for the geologically farthest place from Proarctica. I can’t wait a get my ‘ands on the next piece.” Kaller almost drooled at the thought as the ship sailed to the southernmost Sea on Plit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soshi’s last thought before the ship docked onto the shore was where Koujin had taken his mother off to. He seemed exactly the type to kill first, ask questions never, and for this reason, Soshi almost had a nervous breakdown. Peach’s guards had to drag him off the ship. The large one obviously believed the whole thing had been a setup. As the princess was brought up to her room in the castle, Soshi was the last to step in.

“Well, what do you have to say for yourself?” asked Toadsworth, glaring at the dragon.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know this would happen. I was only trying to do what I thought was best.”

“You liar.” the elder Mushroom Retainer scoffed. “Now look at the poor princess! We cannot awaken her! She is doomed to this eternal sleep forever! DOOMED, I TELL YOU! And it is all your fault!” he shouted hysterically.

“It’s not my fault!” Soshi protested, backing up as Toadsworth advanced, rage in his eyes. Wait a minute. What was he afraid of? What was this old guy going to do, bean him to death with his cane? Soshi could take that.

“Look, old-timer.” He said, strength regaining in his voice. “If there’s anything I can do to help her, you just name it.”

Toadsworth started to shout something, but composed himself. Still glaring at Soshi, he conceded. “There is one thing. There is an…object, shall we say. Buried somewhere deep inside the Spire Mountain, a craggy volcano in the deep south. Rumor has it that it has amazing powers, whether healing is one of them, I don’t know, but go and find it, and bring it back here. Then, and only then will your remorse be notified.”

Soshi nodded. “I’ll find it.” He took off. Gliding through the corridors of the castle, he felt it was just one deviation after another before his final goal was to be reached. He knew he didn’t have much time before Koujin attacked again. When the sunbaked air outside touched him, he didn’t even notice. There was too much on his mind already.

Meanwhile, Toadsworth turned his attention to the guards. “Now, we must find a way to awaken the princess.”

“But what about that scary Sky Yoshi?” One of the Toads asked.

“Don’t worry about him.” Toadsworth reassured the little guy. “The artifact can only be touched by someone pure of heart. If someone else tries to steal it, they will be destroyed instantly. And as we all know, our “friend” is anything but pure. Now, I want the best medical help possible for the princess, now!”
 
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