Chapter 4
Xoshi was in a cave with what looked like a Viking. They were standing before a wall with one big fancy-looking circle embroidered into it. It vaguely resembled a pentagon, but it also looked like some kind of official seal of notary. It was decorated with a dozen spectacular jewels.

"Ah, yes," said the man. "Just what we've been looking for. Xoshi, I'll need that pendent of yours."

Xoshi complied by removing from his saddle the very item, then handed it in the muscular hand of his companion. "Stand back!!" he said. Xoshi obeyed that request as well. The Viking stood just a few feet before the center of the symbol, then outstretched his right hand with the pendent still in it. He closed his eyes dreamily then started reciting something: "Hear me, great Star Spirits; lend me your power! Vanquish the evil that stands before us." As he was saying this, both the pentagon and the pendent started glowing a bright green. Upon realization, the Viking then opened up his eyes, gazed at the spectacles before him, then, as though it were his cue, he moved his way up to the symbol then stabbed the point of it into the center of the wall's pentagon. Once he did that, he stepped back then let an assortment of differently colored lights squeeze their ways out of the prison that the symbol seemed to form for them. One by one, rays burst out. Both Xoshi and the Viking were covering their eyes just to make sure it wouldn't blind them. Soon, they started feeling a horrendous shaking as something started to split open.

Brace yourself, said a voice inside Xoshi's head.

And then he awoke. He and his seven other friends had finally made it back to their homeland, Yo'ster Isle, and Xoshi had just spent the last few hours in the hammock of his leafy hut. "Man," he said to noone in particular as he arose from his bed with a hand against his head. "What a crazy dream." He got up out of his hammock to perform his daily morning routine, keeping the dream in mind the whole way. Just when he was about to leave from underneath the shelter of his home, a coconut flew out of nowhere and hit him squarely in the center of his gigantic Yo'ster shnoz. "OWW!!" he exclaimed. He picked up the fruit in one hand while rubbing his sore nose with the other. "Who threw that?!" he demanded.

"Oh, geez, Sir, I'm so sorry," an orange Yoshi and his miniscule son ran up to him. "We were just playing catch and things got out of hand, huh?"

Xoshi handed the coconut back to him and said, "Just... Be a little more careful next time."

"Thank you, Sir!" he said, and the two of them ran off to continue their activity. Xoshi finally walked out and waded his way through the usual set of morning Yoshies. Some of them were gathering fruit, some of them were target-practicing with their eggs, and some of them, like the two he just encountered, were playing games with eachother. He kept on walking until one particular Yoshi caught his eye. He was right there, leaning his reptillian body against one of the four poles holding up the hut he was nearby. The light blue skin color and the bare feet were recognizable, but, then again, so were the sunglasses. Well, they were and they weren't at the same time.

"Boshi??" asked Xoshi.

"You got that right," said the azure Yo'ster in that deep voice of his. "You like my new shades? I got them a little while ago from a friend of mine. But if you want 'em, I suppose I could let 'em go for a little one-on-one, if ya know what I mean..."

"Uh..."

"And if you wanna go one-on-one you gotta bring the cookies! Catch my drift?"

Boshi had always been a little full of himself, what with being the "boss" and all. But those sunglasses of his seemed to bring about even more of his ego than what was already there! That was what was both recognizable and unrecognizable at the same time. "Boshi, you feelin' alright?" Xoshi asked.

"Better than ever, my brown friend! So, what's your story? You're looking as though you just got hit by a train, or something." Boshi was referring to the sore spot on Xoshi's nose and his head.

"Oh," he replied, a bit taken aback. "Well, you know, it's been a rough couple of weeks and the morning's not exactly doing any better. I just had the craziest dream last night."

"Ya don't say."

"Yeah, it had me, a cave, some weird-looking symbol on the wall, a pendent, and... This Viking-guy."

"That sounds well and all interesting, but you know what they say: 'It was just a dream'."

"Yeah, but you know what they also say: 'Sometimes, dreams know more than we do.'"

"Whatever, Xosh," said Boshi, referring to his friend as though he actually had a shorter name to go by. "I don't go by all that Hippie-stuff, though."

"Suit yourself," said Xoshi as he began to walk off. Boshi called to him from behind, though.

"Remember, you gotta bring the cookies!! I'll be waitin'!!" Xoshi turned around temporarily to give him a quick salute, then he turned back and continued his journey.

His feet carried him into the mere entrance of the woods. He kept on moving, careful to not make any insolent actions as he was maneuvering around the fallen sticks and the growing plants from beneath the soles of his Yo'ster shoes. Eventually, he managed to get himself through the obstacle course so he was then greeted by the next opening. Everything seemed to take on a bit of a yellowish-green glow since this all took place beneath the leaves of the trees that grew quite incredulously high. He was in the meadow but a few steps before his destiny. He was greeted by Yoshi who was just returning from some fruit-gathering. "Oh, good morning, Xoshi. Did you sleep well?"

"Well, yes and no. I had this dream, see..." Xoshi proceeded to tell Yoshi about his Viking dream and his bad morning. "...So now I'm here, telling you about it."

"Hmm. That's particularily interesting, Xoshi," said Yoshi. "Has the usual shortcut through the woods improved your day any?"

"Mm, a little, I guess; if I didn't know any better, I'd say it's beginning to flatten itself out in order to adapt to my frequent visitations."

"Well, don't let me stop you. Have a nice rest of your day, Xoshi!" called Yoshi as he began to walk off.

Walking backwards a little in the direction of where he was headed, he responded through an "I'll try!!" to his friend. Then he continued walking, forward this time. His motion was soon placed on the dirt road that Yoshi had just used respectively. That was so like him, Xoshi was thinking to himself. Yoshi had every last bit of a leader coursing through his veins. He always did things the right way, even if they were long and winding, not unlike the dirt road that Xoshi refused to take earlier, as he did the time before that, and the time before that, and so on. Xoshi, on the other hand, was a different one. He tended to go against the flow, but his moves always seemed to serve him well in the end, despite how odd they may have seemed. The road led him to an upraised ground where a hut sat on a hill. It was much more whole than the other ones would be since this one was donned in a variety of botanical forms, from daisies to Super-Ball Flowers. Inside, he met the stout, feathered Yoshi Priest. He was in the middle of the room, sitting Indian-style. He was constantly and rhythmically letting a high-pitched chant almost escape his lips.

"O-woh. O-woh. O-woh. O-woh..." and so on. Xoshi had to interrupt his chant, though.

He stepped forward, cleared his throat, then spoke. "A-hem," quoth the brown Yoshi. The priest awoke with a start, grumbling then in his normal, medium-pitched voice.

"Hm, rr, what? Xoshi, is that you, my son? How dare you interrupt my meditation, boy, I was just beginning to float, dash it all." He got up off the floor and brushed the dust off of his form.

"My apologies, Sir, and you weren't floating. You were only making floating sound effects."

"Trust me, my boy, I know what I'm doing," retorted the elderly Yo'ster. "So, now that the spell has been evaporated, how can I help you?"

"I-" he started, but the priest cut him off.

"-You need to pay the Super-Happy Tree another visit, yes?" he said with his right hand out, as though he was saying, "Halt!"

"Yes, Sir," replied the younger Yo'ster.

"I am not surprised. Follow me, Xoshi, my boy." The two of them made their ways on over to the backdoor which was connected to a long "hallway" of some sort, which was really composed of a fence, similarily decorated with flowers. It made a pathway leading from the hut to the big backyard. There, in the background, they could see the revered tree in all of its mighty glory. It kept appearing to grow larger as they advanced towards it. While they were walking, the Yoshi Priest was speaking with Xoshi. "Your frequent visits are quite noticeable, Xoshi," he was saying to him. "I swear, by the powers vested within me, someday your holiness may surpass even mine."

"I'm sorry, it's just that I feel, without its guidance, I would go through days feeling as though I forgot to place my right arm in its socket in the morning. It's happened before."

"You speak as though you were committing a sin."

"I-"

"-You're a misfit, Xoshi, and you know it," the elderly Yoshi cut him off once more. "But, trust me, that's not a bad thing. No, it isn't; not in the least. Without Yo'sters like you, we would always be trapped in the past. If only more could follow your example. How do you think I made it to such an exalted position?"

Xoshi nodded softly in agreement. "Yes; I believe you're right."

"You know I'm right, Xoshi. Believing is one thing, but knowing is another. You must always be able to distinguish the two, and you must always live in the present."

Xoshi caught a glimpse of Deja Vu as he heard those words. He wondered for a split-second why he even bothered to say that to the young Luigi earlier on. He wasn't really allowed to contemplate any further on the matter since another Yoshi had come into view. It was a tan one, also donned in an assortment of feathers, not unlike the priest. But they were arranged in a more feminine fashion since she was a girl. She also had on her a blanket with intricate patterns going all over it instead of a saddle.

"Jeila!" spoke the Yoshi Priest to the newcomer, with a soft J. "How has your morning been going, sweetheart?"

"Just fine, Papa," she responded to her father. Xoshi was well aware of who this girl was, since he tended to use the shortcut a lot, as well as the consulting of the priest and the Super-Happy Tree. Xoshi may have been a different one, complete with the same philisophical side that his mentor seemed to share with him, but he sometimes considered himself an idiot for always missing out on only the grandest of opportunities, which were often ones concerning the ladies. More than enough times did the two of them wind up in the same room together. Also, more than enough times, did Xoshi miss his chance. The young, female Yoshi, named Jeila, then turned her attention to the father's associate. "Hello, Xoshi," she said to him.

"H-Hi, there, Jeila," he said, timidly, as though this hadn't already happened before.

"Well, I'm done for the day," she summarized. "The tree is all yours, Papa."

"Thank you, sweetie," he said to her. They rubbed their bulbous, Yoshi noses against eachother a bit before she left. "Take care, now," he said to her as she was making her way back to the flower hut.

"You too," her voice trailed off. "Bye, Xoshi," she said.

"Bye..." Xoshi barely said as he waved weakly to her. The old Yo'ster snapped him out of it soon enough.

"Boy, oh, boy, just you wait, Xoshi; someday you'll be having kids of your own," he said as they continued on further.

"Uh, yeah..." he mumbled. At last, there it was right before them: The gigantic, colorful, and oh so smiley Super-Happy Tree. It was growing just out of the center of the pool which had a waterfall just behind it. This was all on even more upraised ground, which seemed to be assisted by an assortment of rocks, all of them coming in only the most natural of circumstances.

"There, she is, Xoshi, my boy," said the priest. Then he leaned in a little closer to whisper in his ear, "Run to her, boy, she's waitin' for ya."

"What?!" exclaimed the young Yoshi as he was booted forward by his eager mentor. A little bewildered, he looked back at him to see his little wave of approval first before he decided to ascend the rocks. Once he made it to the top of the hill, he could no longer see the Yoshi Priest. It didn't matter since he was finally going to do what he came to do all along. The tree spoke first, telepathically. It had a femine, yet very authoritative "voice".

So, Xoshi, you have returned, once more, it said to him. He knelt down into a position with his eyes closed as though he were praying.

Yes, Mother, he responded.

What can I do for you? it asked

Oh, the usual. The strength to change what I can, the ability to accept what I can't... he said to it.

Let it so, it responded.

Oh, one other thing... he said to it.

Yes?

I had a dream last night: I was in a cave with a Viking... Once again, that day, he retold the tale. Tell me, Mother: What does it mean?

You'll find out soon enough, my child.

Yes, Mother, he said again. His next move was to gather a few of its fruits before heading back down. There, he met back up with his mentor and they proceeded to walk back.

"So, what did the two of you talk about?" he asked him.

"Dreams and stuff," he said before using his long tongue to instantly swallow one of his fruits.

"I see..." he said. Once they were back inside that one fancy hut, they were greeted, once more, by the priest's daughter, Jeila.

"Hello again, Papa," she said to him. She was on the ground examining something.

"Hello, Jeila. What's that you got there?"

"Oh, hi, Xoshi. It's a poppet, I think." She got up for the other two to see. She handed it to her father. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a stuffed doll of some four-eyed dog thing.

"A voodoo doll," he exclaimed. "Curses, there's no safe way to dispose of these things. Where did you get it?"

"While the two of you were out there and I was walking back, we had a little intruder. Whoever it was, it scat as soon as I entered the room and left this behind." She was referring to the doll her father was looking at.

"Isn't there anything we can do, Sir?" Xoshi asked his mentor.

"Well, it's not nice knowing we have an enemy. The only thing I can think of to do with this thing is to keep it where noone can get to it," he said.

"Um, I believe I can handle that one, Sir," Xoshi said, a little unsure of himself.

"You believe, Xoshi?" said the priest as he turned to face him.

"No, Sir, I know I can handle that one," he corrected himself.

"How?"

"I can't tell you. That's how you know that I know I can do it."

He was a little bit hesitant, but handed the doll over anyway. "If you say so, Xoshi," he said.

"Thank you, Sir," he said with a bow. "See you later, and you, too, Jeila." He then turned and walked out the door.

"Bye, Xoshi!" she called out to him. Xoshi responded by turning around a little to wave back. He kept on going until he made it to what was previously the "exit" to his little shortcut. As usual, that time, when he went through it, it was ever so slightly easier than it was the time before that. He kept on going until he was out once more so he could then make his way back on over to his hut. He got stopped once again by Boshi, though.

"Hey, Xosh," he said again. "What's that you got there? It don't look like cookies..." He was referring to Xoshi's new doll.

"Oh, this? It's nothing."

"If you say so. Hey. Remember the cookies next time."

"Sure thing, Boshi," he said, a little tiredly. Inside the shadows of his hut, he then made his way on over to one of the few other things beneath the roof besides his hammock. He had a shelf of books, a big, bowl of fruit, and a trunk. He deposited the fruit he got from the Super-Happy Tree unto his bowl, then made his way on over to the trunk. Since it was behind his bookshelf, they didn't notice when he pushed the trunk aside, opened up a secret trapdoor, then dropped the strange doll in there to go with his other things. He closed it back up, moved the trunk back on top of it, then rubbed the dust off his hands in an "and-that-is-that" kind of manner.

At the "door", he was greeted by another one of his Yoshi friends, Yazzee. "Hey, Xoshi!! Me and Yoshi just came up with the greatest idea: You, me, him, and Boshi; we're all going to Isle Delfino!! Isn't that great!?" The easily excited Yoshi was hopping up and down before the eyes of the brown one.

"Whoa. Isle Delfino?? That's great. When do we leave?"

"Tommorrow."

"WHAT?!" said Xoshi, switching moods at an unbelievable rate. "Who set this up?!"

"I did!! Sort of." He stopped hopping up and down to reach behind him and pull out a little piece of paper. "While you were praying, or whatever, I got this in the mail!!" He handed it to Xoshi so he could see it for himself. It read:

"Congratulations, Yazzee Yoshino!! You have just won a free trip to Isle Delfino!! Kolagokohonnokana-loo-hoo!!"

Xoshi paused a bit to look back up at the excited yellow Yoshi. "Cory-ronna-go-fooja-scummy-wummy-hoo-hoo??" he said.

"Just keep readin' it!" said Yazzee as he stood in one spot, rhythmically tapping his left foot, then his right, then his left, then his right... Xoshi did as he was told.

"-hoo!! Down here, we have everything you could ever ask for from hot springs, to rainbow waterfalls, to mouth-watering watermelons (Ohhhh...) That's right, Yazzee; without even lifting a finger, you have just won all this plus many other spectacular sites you could only dream of before! Just bring 3 friends along. We'll do the rest! Kolagokohonnokana-loo-hoo!!"

Xoshi lowered both of his hands with the note still in it. A blank look was on his face. "This is..." he tried saying, but didn't really know what he was going to say. "It's... Um, well, it's... Something."

"Isn't it, though?!?" Nothing could kill the yellow one's enthusiasm. "We'll be at the docks tommorrow morning. Be sure to bring all your stuff with you!" He almost turned to leave. "Oh, I'll need that letter back, please." Xoshi complied. "Thanks!!" At that, he was off. Xoshi sat down on the floor to let it all sink in at his own pace...



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