Chapter 2 - Yoshi Village (DD)

Whether Yoshis reached maturity unusually fast, or his rapid growth could be accredited to his destructive shroom intake, Yoshi could not be sure. By the time he stumbled out of the jungle several weeks later, however, he had reached his full size.

Beyond the tree line was a raging river, flowing over a cliff roughly a mile away from where he stood. He followed it to its edge and peered over the waterfall. At its base was a settlement comprised mostly of straw shacks, bustling with indiscernible life. Suddenly, the rocks beneath his foot gave way, and Yoshi tumbled ever gracefully over the cliff. In that moment, the dinosaur spoke for the very first time. “Fuck.”

As he fell, Yoshi removed the shrooms from his bindle and stored them in his mouth like a majestic, scaly chipmunk. He untied the cloth from his stick and held it from opposite ends above his head. The wind caught it from underneath, and it billowed up like a parachute. After a lengthy descent, he floated gently onto the river bank.

He unloaded the bounty from his elastic cheeks in the grass and looked around. Interestingly enough, the village was inhabited by his own species. Until then, Yoshi had never seen another of his own kind. A single thought crossed his mind. “This is going to be some easy business.”

He walked into the settlement, looking between the unfamiliar faces to determine his easiest target. Immediately, a particular dark blue Yoshi caught his eye. Yoshi spotted him in the center of town, sliding down a rope into the well. Identifying him as one who clearly lacked standards, Yoshi began to walk over to him. He was quickly intercepted by a cluster of his own kind.

“Welcome to Yoshi Village!” the first shrieked.

“Thanks for coming out, stranger!” cried another.

“What’s your name?” asked a third.

Yoshi stopped in his tracks. He realized he didn’t have a name. “It’s, uh… Yoshi.”

“Wow, that’s stupid.”

“Yeah? Well, so is your face.” The crowd dispersed, and Yoshi continued toward the well. He pushed the shroom he had hidden under his saddle back up and let out a huge, exaggerated sigh. He had only just arrived, and he already hated his own species.