Muskular took a big whiff of fresh air as soon as the group made their way out of Shy Guy's Toy Box and back to Toad Town. "Ahhhhhhhh. Thank goodness! Bowser was lucky he trapped is in those cards, otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to give him a walloping myself. As much as I appreciate the rescue, you guys still have a lot to go before stopping Bowser. Even though I'm just freed, I can still feel his power growing more and more the longer he holds that Star Rod."
"And we really don't have much time to dawdle," Twilight added. "But, Fluttershy and Applejack...Where could they be?"
"We'll find them, and still have enough time to stop Bowser before it's too late," Goombario said.
"Before we keep going, we'll need to give back everyone's stuff the Shy Guys took," Kooper reminded as he held a sack filled with all the stolen belongings after taking them out of Twilight's saddlebags.
"Pfft. I got this," Rainbow said, snatching the bag and zooming off with Wiggy on her back, the Shy Guy assisting in delivering the right items to the right owners. It didn't take long for the pegasus to fly around and come back, dropping an empty sac in front of everyone. "Ten. Seconds. Flat."
"I counted twelve," Bow retorted with a smirk, getting the reaction she expected from Rainbow as she leered at her.
"Well, I should probably head back to Star Haven and help the others try and get things under control with three of us still trapped," Muskular said. "But before I go, I'll give you some of my power to help you when you need it." The Star Spirit granted Mario his power as stars sprinkled over the heroic plumber. "When you use my ability, Chill Out, you can weaken opponents so they don't do so much damage to you. Pretty useful against tough foes that could knock you out."
"Mario!" Flying down from the sky, Twink dove straight down toward them, making sure to slow down before he accidentally rammed into someone. He didn't even notice Muskular floating before them, too focused on getting the next bit of information to them. "Guys, you won't believe where the next Star Spirit is located! It's down in-!" The Star Kid paused, slowly turning to face the recently rescued Star Spirit. Twink gasped, his body shaking in excitement as he was meeting one of the seven Star Spirits every Star looked up to. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh..."
Muskular laughed in amusement, never tired of seeing a new Star Kid who rose up to the skies meeting any of the Star Spirits with the same expression they always wore. "Well, nice to see you too...Twink, right?"
Twink gasped in surprise as a Star Spirit knew his name. "Wait, you know him?" Twilight asked.
"I'm a Star Spirit. I'm supposed to know every name of every young star that will one day rise along with the others," Muskular said. "And I knew this little guy had recently ascended from Starborn Valley a while ago, right before Bowser decided to rain on everyone's parade by imprisoning us and stealing the Star Rod."
"Starborn Valley?" Rarity asked. "Where is that?"
"I think it's up north in the Mushroom Kingdom," Parakarry said. "I deliver mail up in colder climates, too. And I've seen some young Star Kids in Starborn Valley. They're raised in the village until they're old enough to ascend to the skies."
"So, where do Star Kid babies come from?" Pinkie asked. "Star dust? Shooting stars? Thin air? A mommy and daddy star?"
"Actually, I don't think I want to know," Rainbow said. "That last one seems a bit...weird for stars to do."
"Yeah. Change the topic, please," Twilight said in agreement. "As much as I want to learn how stars in this world are made, I don't want that answer to be a reproductive process..."
"Ok, time for me to really get going," Muskular said, he too wanting to steer away from the birth of stars, especially with Twink around. He turned to face the awestruck Star Kid. "So, you're helping out everyone, huh, squirt?" Twink slowly nodded his head, unable to speak after learning Muskular and the other Star Spirits knew he would have arrived. The blue Star Spirit grinned, patting the Star Kid on the head. "Keep it up, kid. You might be an honorary Star Spirit like me one day."
Muskular gave everyone a salute as he flew back up into Star Haven with the other rescued Star Spirits. As soon as he disappeared, Twink jittered with excitement, squealing happily while flailing his arms.
"This is so amazing! I met AND talked with Muskular, one of the seven honorable Star Spirits!" Twink laughed cheerfully and flew around in the air, amusing the others, especially Rainbow Dash as Twink reminded her of Scootaloo and how much she freaks out about her as her number one fan. Her amusement turned to worry as she wondered how worried everyone else was back in Equestria. All their other friends and family could be worried sick about them. Twink finally stopped fanboying, remembering why he was in Toad Town in the first place. "Oh, right. I have important news from the castle I need to tell you guys. Peach and I found out one of the Star Spirits is hidden in Mt. Lavalava at Lavalava Island."
"Please don't tell me it's actually an island filled with lava," Twilight begged. "I've had enough heat strokes just from being in Dry Dry Desert."
"It's just a normal island, but there is a volcano that has does erupt from time to time. Thankfully, the lava flows nowhere near the mainland when it does." Kooper said. "In some of my archaeology books, there was once an ancient civilization that thrived inside the volcano itself, but the only inhabitants that live there are a village of Yoshis and some dangerous wildlife in the jungles."
"What in the hay is a 'Yoshi'?" Rainbow asked.
"We'll leave that as a surprise," Parakarry said. "And don't worry, they aren't dangerous. They're actually quite friendly."
"Yay! We're going to see the Yoshis!" Watt cheered, releasing sparks from her body in her excitement. "Umm, if we have time to see them."
"I have always wanted to go to a tropical island for a vacation, but at a resort, not with a volcano looming over the beach," Rarity grumbled. "I'm not going to have time to take a bath, am I?"
"Nope!" Pinkie said. "When we get to Lavalavalavalava Island, beach party with the Yoshis!...Whatever they look like."
"I'm going to head back to the castle," Twink said. "I hope Princess Peach saved me some of that delicious cake."
He flew back up to the sky to rejoin Peach, confusing the others at the mention of a cake. "Bowser let Peach have some cake???"
"Well, that giant numbskull has a soft spot for her and will do anything for her," Bow said. "Except free her, stop terrorizing the kingdom, give up after getting beaten, read a book-"
"I think we get the picture, Bow," Goombario interrupted, the Boo shrugging her shoulders as she made her point. "Luckily, we're by Toad Town Harbor. There might be a boat that can take us to Lavalava Island."
Now with their next destination given, Mario lead the way further west down the road. They could soon smell the salty sea air as they arrived at the harbor, though the docks seemed a bit barren of any boats. There was a building nearby that was a bar called "Club 64" in neon lights, faint music from inside able to be heard through the closed windows. A lot of crates filled with what could possibly be traded goods to and from other kingdoms were stacked on the far end of the docks. There were a few Toads wandering around, along with a strange-looking fisherman over by the edge waiting for something to catch on his fishing line. Over by the docks, however, Kooper recognized a familiar Koopa Troopa looking around for someone, and that was none other than his neighbor and idol, Kolorado.
"Hey, it's Professor Kolorado!" Kooper pointed out, running over to the explorer while the others followed after him. "Professor! What are you doing here!?"
"Hmm?" Kolorado spotted the blue-shelled Koopa as he halted his search for assistance. "Ah! Kooper, old boy! Been a while, hasn't it? Well, my findings in Dry Dry Ruins came up a little short. Couldn't find any ancient relics or artifacts of the sort in there. The only thing we discovered from the hieroglyphs were the Chain Chomps were quite popular in the area and were guards of the ruins."
"Oh...Well, that's a shame," Kooper said, mentally relieved that nothing was taken as they had promised Moustafa. "So, what are you doing in Toad Town?"
"Well, I've read up on an ancient civilization that once lived in Lavalava Island way back when, and I plan on finding me any traces of treasure they may have crafted in those days," he explained. "Problem is, I have yet to find a ferry to the island, and none of the Toads here seem to be savvy with commandeering a ship to take me."
"So, you're going on another expedition?" Kooper asked, giving his idol a dull gaze at his decision. "And you didn't tell your wife?...Again?"
Kolorado's eyes widened as sweat began beading down his forehead, his stunned silence turning into a reassuring chuckle. "Ah, no need to worry. I'm sure she'll understand when I come back after this expedition."
Kooper sighed heavily, hanging his head low at his idol's forgetfulness to warn his family on the dangerous expeditions he goes on. "You know she's going to kill you, right?"
"Oh, pish-posh! She knows I always come back without a single scratch," Kolorado said. "Now, to the matter of finding a ferry across the ocean to reach the island I tend to explore."
"You'd expect a harbor to actually have at least one boat floating around the decks," Bow said. "If it weren't for the club over there, this place would feel like a ship graveyard...Actually, I've always wanted to go to one. Wonder what kinds of Boos haunt sunk or wrecked ships."
While trying to figure out how they were going to get across the sea to reach the island, Pinkie spotted something odd at the end of one of the docks. Curiosity getting the better of her, she bounced over to the end, finding a strange blue mound of something. She crouched low by the edge like a curious cat, poking the object, which felt slick, smooth, and slightly rubbery.
"What is this?" she asked herself. Pinkie stepped onto the miniature blue "island", its rubbery texture almost feeling like a trampoline. She bounced on it a little, giggling as she jumped up and down, getting the others' attention. "Whee! I don't know what this is, but it sure is fun to bounce on!"
"Pinkie, what are you doing?" Twilight asked.
"I think the question is what she's jumping on over the water," Bombette corrected.
After Pinkie gave one hard bounce, the fleshy mound wobbled and let out a pained groan. "Ooogh! Who's jumping on me!?"
The pony yelped and stumbled back onto the docks in surprise. Rising up from the water, the strange thing Pinkie was bouncing on was actually a large blue whale with a white underside. The whale let out another groan as he opened his eyes.
"My word, it appears to be a giant tuna!" Kolorado exclaimed.
"That's a whale," Twilight corrected. "Tuna are practically five times smaller than this whale."
"Ooooogh, my belly!" the whale groaned again. "First my stomach's killing me, and now I've got a headache from something jumping on my head. Can today get any worse for me?" He winced and clutched his flippers around his gut. "Ow! Ow ow ow ow ow! What did I eat that's jumping around my insides!?"
"Wowie. That must be a bad tummy ache if somepony's jumping around in there," Pinkie said, wincing herself as she rubbed her own belly out of instinct. "I can eat a lot of yummy sweets, but too much and my tummy would be hurting for a long while."
"We should probably help the poor tuna out," Kolorado suggested, again mistaking the aquatic mammal for a fish.
"I'm a whale! I'm not even a fish!" The whale groaned again, unable to bear the pain in his stomach. "Look, is there any way one of you can look inside my belly and find out what's causing me so much pain?"
"Walk in your mouth and into your stomach!?" Rarity questioned in disgust. "We'll end up getting digested and eaten as well with whatever is in there!"
Seeing the amount of distress the whale was in, Mario decided to volunteer and take a look for him. He asked for Watt to join him, needing a little bit of light from the young Sparky to see what's causing the whale so much pain.
"Be careful in there, you two," Twilight said, the whale opening his mouth wide to let the plumber inside. "Is Mario going to be able to find out what's ailing this whale?"
"Well, I think Mario was also a doctor at one point," Kooper said, scratching his head in thought. "No idea how long it lasted, though."
"So can Mario do just about anything?" Rainbow asked. "Because if he can, he must be pretty good at everything."
"I think so," Goombario said. "He's good at sports, kart racing, party games, just to name a few."
"A jack of all trades, it seems." Everyone watched as Mario began his trek inside the whale's mouth, stepping carefully on the mammal's tongue as he delved deeper down in his esophagus.
With Watt held in his hands, her body illuminated the dark insides of the whale, stepping across his tongue and passing under his uvula. It didn't take the plumber long to reach the stomach, seeing what the large aquatic mammal had eaten in the past. Aside from a few crates, a small boat, and some empty bottles, one thing that was surely the cause of the whale's discomfort was a strange, fuzzy black caterpillar about as tall as him.
"Wah! Where'd that light come from!?" the caterpillar exclaimed, bouncing around and causing the whale to groan in pain as he leapt around.
"Oh, this must be what's making Mr. Whale all hurty," Watt said. "Umm, can you please stop jumping around?"
"Hey, no one tells Fuzzipede what to do!" he shouted, jumping around on the whale's sensitive insides and rib cage. Mario began chasing after Fuzzipede, but the black caterpillar-thing was too fast for him as he kept jumping around. The Lucky Star began glowing, only this time shining a bright blue, a blue aura appearing around his hands and feet. As he ran, Mario's speed increased substantially, though a bit too fast as he yelped and rammed into Fuzzipede, sending them both crashing into the whale's side, which brought him more pain than they didn't mean to intend. "Ow! Why ya gosh darned jerk!? Ya wanna have a go!? I'm ornery as all get out!"
Fuzzipede headbutted Mario, sending the plumber staggering as he let go of Watt. "Hey, it was an accident, you meany!"
"Like I give a Fuzzy's behind!" Fuzzipede reared back for another lunging headbutt, but Mario was ready for him this time.
With his hands and feet still glowing, he reared back his fist, but as he threw his punch, his arm moved faster than any of them could blink, slamming Fuzzipede back into the side of the whale. Mario finally noticed the aura glowing around his gloved hands, assuming this must have been the part of Rainbow's power bestowed on him: enhanced speed.
"Wow, Mario, that was amazing!" Watt complimented with a few light sparks. "But, umm, what was that?"
Growling, Fuzzipede hopped back up, only this time bouncing over to one of the whale's ribs, latching himself onto the tough bone and hung upside down out of his reach. "Hah! Let's see if you can try to hit me from here!"
"I can!" Watt said, floating up as she charged up electrical energy in her body.
"Oh...Right. Floatin' Sparky things," Fuzzipede muttered before Watt gave him a light tap, his body seizing as electricity surged painfully through his body. Unable to keep himself attached to the roof of the whale's body, he fell down toward Mario. The plumber decided to see what else his enhanced speed can do for him aside from running several times faster and attacking quicker. As soon as the caterpillar landed, Mario unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks that were only seen as red and white and blue and brown blurs. After what felt like a million blows striking him within a minute, Mario backed away as he watched the dazed caterpillar fall over in defeat. "Urrrrrgh...Why me?"
Mario relaxed his stance, his glowing limbs fading back to normal as Watt floated back down beside him to light up the cavernous stomach of the whale. "Wowie. You moved as fast as Rainbow Dash with those punches and kicks. I hope she doesn't get too jealous."
Fuzzipede sat up and groaned, shaking his head as he grumbled aloud. "Oh, this is just great. First I think I got away from that stupid fisherman who tried to use me as bait for his rod, then I get swallowed by a huge fish, and now I got my behind handed to me by a twinkling ball of lightning and some guy with a mustache. I've jumping out of frying pans and into fires ever since I was a grub. My life just can't get any better, can it?"
"Hey, Mario, it's me, the whale!" As the whale spoke, his voice echoed from inside his stomach. "I think my stomachache is finally gone! I feel great!"
Suddenly, the water inside the whale's stomach began rising, making the plumber, Li'l Sparky, and fuzzy caterpillar panic as they were about to drown. Before the water fully submerged them, the whale shot out water from his blowhole along with the trio that was inside of him, sending them flying back to the docks.
"Awww! No fair!" Pinkie whined. "I wanted to get shot out of the blowhole! I should have gone inside!"
"And cause more pain to the whale?" Twilight questioned.
Fuzzipede finally got his bearings as he stared at the culprit who ate him. "Hey, you're the giant fish who swallowed me whole! I thought I was a goner in there!"
"Oh, that was you jumping around in me?" the whale asked. "Sorry. I was just taking a nap with my mouth open. I don't really know what goes in me while I sleep."
"...Well, I suppose I'll forgive you since I'm still kicking, but you watch your sleep eating next time," Fuzzipede said. He then looked back at Mario. "And...I guess I should thank you for helping me. Even though we tried to beat the heck out of each other. I'm gonna head off and NOT get eaten by something else again. Hopefully, no giant birds. They're my worst fear."
Fuzzipede bounced off, staying far away from the fisherman who used his as bait as he went over to the piles of crates stacked up in the harbor. No longer needing to worry about the odd caterpillar that was the cause of the whale's pain, everyone turned to look at the aquatic mammal.
"Well, I feel a whole lot better now," the whale said with a grateful sigh. "They should call you Dr. Mario! How can I express my gratitude for your help?"
Seeing as there weren't any boats around, all of them hoped the whale would be willing to give them all a lift across the ocean, provided he can carry everyone. "We kind of need a bit of a ride to Lavalava Island. You think you can manage the trip with all of us?"
"Why, sure! As long as none of you start jumping on my head again," he said, staring at Pinkie, who gave him a nervous, apologetic grin. "What business do you have there? Lavalava Island is a great place to relax, at least on the beaches, but the volcano is probably on the verge of erupting. Pretty dangerous."
"Well, Mr. Whale, we need to get to the island to rescue one of the Star Spirits trapped there," Twilight explained. "I'm not sure if you've heard about what happened to the castle in town, but Bowser's caused a lot of trouble and he needs to be stopped before he gets too powerful."
"And we're looking for two of our other friends," Rarity added. "We all got separated a while back, and we're not from this world. You wouldn't have happened to see somepony like Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash, would you?"
The whale looked at the earth pony and pegasus, never seeing anything like the ponies in all his life. "No. I haven't seen anything like them around. But, if you're sure you want to go to Lavalava Island, I'll take you there."
"That's very much appreciated," Goombario said.
The whale lowered himself down in the water for the group to climb on his head, but Rainbow Dash decided to stay flying. "If it's alright with you, I'd rather stay in the air. I need to stretch out my wings after being trapped down in that toy box." Remembering the extra addition to their group, Rainbow didn't see Wiggy climb on board. The pink Shy Guy stood on the docks, not going any further. "You're not coming, Wiggy?" He shook his head, pointing over to the path back into town, hinting that he'll need to go back to Shy Guy's Toy Box. "Oh. Well, I guess your buddies need someone to help keep them in line and not steal from Toad Town again. See ya later, Wiggy."
Wiggy waved and ran back into town to return home, keeping order within the toy box. "Hopefully, we'll get to see him again before we find a way back home," Pinkie said. "Maybe the other Shy Guys will be nicer and we can all throw a big party when they become allies for Toad Town!"
"Maybe. I just hope he doesn't get the other Shy Guys to wear those wigs he kept in that bunker of his," Rainbow said. "He might like them, but I doubt the others would."
"Make some room, everyone!" Kolorado said as he hopped aboard the whale. "Hopefully you don't mind me accompanying you all. Adventure awaits for me, and I can smell the treasure from this distance!"
"Ok, hang on, everyone!" the whale announced as he rose up and began swimming out of the harbor. "The sea is calling us!"
"This is quite a peculiar day," Kolorado said. "And we're riding on a tuna of all animals." The whale stopped for a moment, groaning in irritation as the Koopa called him a tuna yet again.
"He's a whale!" everyone exclaimed, the archaeologist shrugging his shoulders before the whale continued swimming out to sea.
The sky was clear as the sun shined down upon the ocean, the light reflecting off the surface of salt water. It was smooth sailing as the group relaxed on top of the whale's head, some of them sunbathing while the others looked out for the island they needed to be at. On the ride over, Twilight introduced herself and her friends to the whale and told them of their predicament and where they came from in more detail. Rainbow hovered over the whale as she was the lookout, strange, round-bodied seagulls called Goonies flying around the pegasus as they looked at her curiously.
"Hey, buzz off, you weird seagulls," Rainbow said as she swatted her hoof at them, but they were too interested in her rainbow mane and tail. One of them tried to nip at her tail hairs, making her yelp and kick it. "Hey! Don't bite my tail!"
She didn't have to fend off the Goonies for long as the island could be seen in the distance. "There it is, everyone!" the whale said, getting their attentions as they looked forward. Aside from the volcano looming over the island in the back, they could see a thick jungle beyond the peaceful looking shores. "Lavalava Island. Peaceful tropical paradise, if you want to ignore the active volcano in the background. Are you all sure one of the Star Spirits is really inside Mt. Lavalava?"
"That's what we've heard from someone on the inside up in Peach's Castle," Goombario said. "This might be one of the most dangerous areas we've been in."
"And danger is my middle name!" Kolorado stated. The whale soon docked over by a peninsula where the water was deep enough for him to approach the island, which was close to the jungle with the grass growing around the area, some strange plants with curled stems, some coconut trees, bushes, and a weird looking flower with spread out petals that spun around on its stem. The Koopa explorer jumped off first, touching down on the island as his expedition of Lavalava Island began. "And we have arrived! Time to begin our quest to find the ancient treasures of the lost civilization from this island!"
"Professor, wait for us!" Kooper called out, but the archaeologist ran on ahead. "This place might be crawling with Bowser's troops!"
"Too late. He's off," Bow said blandly. "He's gonna get himself killed."
"Uhh, well, he's been in dangerous ruins before," Kooper said nervously in defense for his idol. "I'm sure he can fend for himself."
"AHHHHHH! Help! Someone help me!" Kolorado shouted from down on the shore up ahead.
The group disembarked from the whale and ran toward the Koopa. When they found him, he was being harassed by a group of Fuzzies, which made Twilight panic at the sight of the yellow fuzzballs.
"Not more Fuzzies!" the alicorn exclaimed in protest.
"They're Jungle Fuzzies," Goombario said. "They're far worse than normal Fuzzies or those in the Forever Forest."
"How bad?" Twilight asked.
"They're far more clingy and can continuously suck the life out of you if you don't shake them off of you." Luckily for Kolorado, they were all jumping on the defenseless Koopa as he helplessly flailed about on his back. "Looks like they don't find Koopas all that tasty."
"Yeah, just fun to tease and steal our shells," Kooper grumbled in annoyance.
"I'm just gonna stay back here," Twilight said. "If they excrete webbing like any other Fuzzy, I'm not going to be turned into a silk cocoon again."
"Ok, I need to hear how that happened later," Rainbow said with an amused smirk. "For now, incoming, you yellow fuzzballs!"
Rainbow charged headfirst into the attacking Fuzzies, bowling them over and away from Kolorado. Kooper tossed himself over, leaping up and drop kicking one of the Jungle Fuzzies through the thick foliage. He helped his idol up on his feet while Bow and Watt took care of the other Fuzzies, slapping and shocking them respectively until they fled back into the jungle where they belong.
"Professor, are you alright?" Kooper asked.
"Phew. Thank you all for saving me," Kolorado said. "But enough dawdling. Let us pull ourselves together and keep on moving, shall we?"
Before he could move on ahead, Twilight held the Koopa explorer in place with her magic. "How about you stick with us so you don't get yourself in trouble again?"
"Well, I noticed you backing away instead of helping me," the Koopa argued.
"I had a weird experience with Fuzzies when they invaded Koopa Village, and I did NOT want to relive that again if they focused on me!" she said.
"Yeah, I think it's better if you stick by us from now on," Bombette said. "There's a lot of dangerous creatures in jungles like this, and if one of the Star Spirits is inside the volcano, then Bowser's soldiers might be anywhere around here."
"Be that as it may, no danger is too great for the great archaeological explorer, Kolorado Koopa! Tally ho!" Kolorado tried to continue running off down the shore, forgetting Twilight was still holding him in her telekinetic aura. The group continued on, together, the Koopa groaning in disappointment as he slumped over in midair. "I don't think I'm ever going to find the treasure at this rate."
Walking down the long stretch of shoreline, they passed by some more exotic plants, like bell flowers that actually rang like bells when touched. Thankfully, there weren't anymore Jungle Fuzzies that got in their way as they reached a wooden archway with the words "Yoshi's Village" written on it, which must have been the place where the four ponies would see what the Yoshis looked like. Inside the village, they found a few inlets connected by wooden bridges not too far from the shore of the mainland, the one in the center holding a statue of a strange-looking bird the mares have never seen before. Though the layout of the entrance to the village didn't compare to the dinosaur-like creatures that were walking about, all of them varying in colors while wearing brown shoes and small shell-like saddles on their backs.
A red one spotted the newcomers and walked up to greet them. "Welcome to Yoshi Village! What brings you to-?" He paused when he saw Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rarity. They were just as surprised to see them, let alone hear them actually talk. "...Uhhh..."
"Oh my gosh," Twilight uttered, all four mares looking over to their Mushroom Kingdom friends. "Are those...Yoshis???"
"Yup. These are Yoshis," Parakarry said in confirmation.
"So. Stinking. CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!" Pinkie squealed, making the red Yoshi flinch and back away. "I wanna hug you! Come here!"
The Red Yoshi let out a surprised squeak as he tried to run away, only to be grabbed by a pair of pink forelegs that stretched out and pulled him toward Pinkie. He flailed his arms and legs as he was squeezed in a tight hug.
"Oh, that sound he made was adorable!" Rarity squealed. "I take back what I said! Ignore the volcano and pay attention to the cute...er, what exactly are Yoshis?"
"I...think they're some kind of reptile," Twilight guessed.
"Well, he's not scaly like Gummy!" Pinkie confirmed as she began rubbing the Yoshi's belly. "Soft and smooth skin, but he looks like a big red alligator!"
"No, not the belly rubbing!" the Yoshi protested, feeling his leg twitch from the pleasant sensation.
He let out a strained groan and fluttered his feet wildly, surprising the mares as the Yoshi began hovering in the air, bringing Pinkie with him before she let go in shock. He hovered a small distance away from the group before landing, then ran deeper into the village to avoid getting grabbed again.
"They can fly!?" Twilight asked, her inner scholar demanding to know everything about the Yoshis.
"That was more like hovering," Goombario said. "Yoshis can get some pretty good airtime, depending on how strong their legs are when they flutter jump."
"So, what do they eat?" Rainbow asked. "Twilight said they're reptiles, so do they eat meat? Or bugs?"
"They eat fruit," Kooper said, pointing over to a yellow Yoshi and a tubby green Yoshi with a feather on his head, too busy chatting to notice the visitors.
All four ponies watched as one of them opened their mouth, stuck out their long, elastic-like tongues, touching a bunch of bananas with the bulbous end of their organs before pulling it into their mouths, swallowing the whole bunch, peel, stem, and all. "Eww. They eat the entire fruit?"
"It's not that surprising," Rainbow said. "Pinkie can scarf down an entire buffet table of sweets in one gulp."
Pinkie shrugged her shoulders, not as surprised as Rarity was. Kolorado wandered off further into the village, which prompted the others to chase after him so he doesn't end up getting hurt again. They soon reached what appeared to be the main center of the village: there was a Toad House for traveling guests to rest in, a big hut that's set as a store, and there was a tree across from the shop that had living birds that looked like the statue back near the entrance.
"So, where do we go from here?" Kolorado asked himself as he looked over in the direction of Mt. Lavalava.
The others spotted the Red Yoshi they met earlier over by a group of younger Yoshis and, to the ponies' surprise, a purple and white fish actually able to live on land. The Yoshi seemed to be talking to someone, standing in front of their view to who he was talking to. When he turned around and pointed at them, he moved aside and, to Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rarity's shock, sitting around the Yoshi kids was Fluttershy. She was surprised to see them as well, relieved to know they were ok as she ran up to meet the other four mares halfway into a group hug.
"Fluttershy, you're ok!" Twilight said.
"We were all so worried!" Rarity added.
"I'm so glad you're all ok, too." When the mares broke apart, Fluttershy looked around, finding no sign of Applejack with them. "Where's Applejack?"
"She's not with you, as I figured," Twilight said. "We don't know where she is, but we can only hope she's somewhere safe out there."
"What about you?" Rainbow Dash asked, showing more concern as Fluttershy was her best friend since they were fillies. "Did these Yoshis do anything to you? 'Cause if they did-"
"Rainbow, the Yoshis are harmless," Fluttershy assured. "They helped me when I arrived here. Even the Yoshi leader found me and welcomed me as a part of their tribe. Well, after I mistook them for non-sentient animals and treated them like pets." The pegasus gave a shy grin as she looked down at the Yoshi kids and the adult Red Yoshi. "I couldn't help wanting to give all of them belly rubs."
Pinkie looked down at the Cheep Cheep listening in on their conversation. "Did that fishy enjoy the belly rubs, too?"
"Oh, no. This is Sushie," Fluttershy introduced. "And she's a Cheep Cheep, not just any kind of fish."
"And this old fish isn't all that fond of belly rubs, anyway," Sushie said. "Nice meeting you all. Fluttershy's told me about you, but it's a shame one of your friends are still out in the Mushroom Kingdom." The Cheep Cheep turned to the Yoshi kids who stared at the other four mares in awe. "Kids, why don't you show some manners and say hello to Fluttershy's friends." The five little Yoshis all mumbled their greetings, Sushie shaking her head in disappointment at their rude behavior. "Ugh. Little boys. They love getting into trouble and never learn their lesson."
"We like Miss Fluttershy better," one of them silently grumbled. "She's nicer than you."
"What was that?" Sushie questioned, the five troublemakers wincing at the Cheep Cheep's gaze as they pretended they didn't say anything.
Soon, Fluttershy was introduced to the rest of the group, happy to see Mario was ok after watching him get beaten by Bowser. She was even informed of their reason for being here on the island to stop Bowser and take away his powers with the Star Rod. Despite how terrifying this adventure might be, Fluttershy was willing to brave going into an active volcano to rescue one of the Star Spirits to defeat the Koopa King, doing it for the Yoshis who helped her when she needed it. Unfortunately, while Fluttershy got to know the other members of the party, the didn't pay attention to Kolorado as he began searching for a route from the village to Mt. Lavalava.
"...and that's how we got here on Lavalava Island!" Pinkie said, finishing her summarized story of their journey up to now to Fluttershy. "You should have met Chompy and the other Boos and a friendly Shy Guy who wears rainbow wigs!"
"...So, Shy Guys are those little guys with those masks?" Fluttershy asked. "Oh my. I think they're here on the island, too, but only in the jungle."
"I think those kinds of Shy Guys are called Spear Guys," Goombario said. "Not sure if they like stealing, but they can be aggressive if they thrive in a jungle."
Mario looked around as the mares told Fluttershy of their misadventures throughout the Mushroom Kingdom so far, but there was one head missing, and it was a certain explorer who had a knack for getting into trouble. He alerted the others about Kolorado, all of them finding no sign of him.
"Oh no," Kooper groaned. "He wandered off on his own again! Where'd he go!?"
"YAAAAAARGH!" Kolorado cried out from outside the village. Everyone turned to face the direction his yell came from, which lead to a bit of thick vegetation that headed toward the volcano that wasn't too far from the village. "Heeeeelp! Help me!"
"Not again. Come on!" Everyone ran off to save the Koopa Troopa, again, Fluttershy lagging behind as she stopped and looked back to Sushie and the Yoshi kids.
"Sushie, I'm sorry to run off, but now that I'm with my friends, I need to stay with them," Fluttershy said. "Are you able to watch the Yoshi children?"
"I've been watching these little scamps for a long while," Sushie assured. "I can handle them. You stick with your friends, and I wish you all luck on rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser...Again."
Fluttershy nodded and continued chasing after her friends. They soon arrived in a thick part of the jungle, which didn't seem all that dangerous aside from the grassy trail leading to Mt. Lavalava. Getting smacked repeatedly by a spear were a couple of the Spear Guys Goombario described, the two Shy Guys wearing a leaf skirt and two red vertical lines across both cheeks out of face paint as a sort of tribal sign signifying their status as warriors.
Mario flung his hammer at one of them, smacking it hard in the back of the head before levitating it back to him. Fluttershy was a little surprised to know the plumber was able to use magic, even though she was told after rescuing a Star Spirit, Mario gains a little bit of power from them as well. He even mentioned his enhanced speed in combat thanks to Rainbow Dash's gifts as he showed everyone, shoes and gloves turning blue as he zipped forward in a blur and roundhouse kicked the dazed Spear Guy, sending it sprawling down on the ground.
The other one let out a surprised yelp and thrust its spear at Mario, but with his magically enhanced speed, he was able to avoid the long and pointed weapon with ease. He then pulled the spear out of the Spear Guy's hands and threw a barrage of punches in the foe's abdomen, then sent it flying back with a swift uppercut into the bushes. The first one got up after snapping out of his daze, knowing it was outmatched and outnumbered as it took the smarter route and retreated, searching for its buddy in the deep foliage.
"Whoa! So that's what you were talking about earlier," Rainbow said. "I guess we make Mario even more awesome than he already is!"
Kolorado stood up, shaking his head as he brushed off the attack as if he was just picked on by a schoolyard bully. "Well, that was quite a close one, yet again. You saved me once more!"
"How about you stay put with us next time so that doesn't happen again?" Twilight reminded the Koopa irately. "Or you're going to ignore our warning yet again and focus more on the volcano, aren't you?"
"There it is! Mt. Lavalava!" Kolorado said, making the alicorn groan in irritation, the others agreeing with her as he was dead set on finding that treasure. Even Kooper began having some doubts, but he knew Kolorado was famous for a reason, though he's not as young as he used to be in his heyday. They walked up to the volcano until they stopped at the edge of a small ravine blocking their way, only instead of water, there was a flow of lava at the bottom. They could see the entrance inside the dangerous mountain, though how deep it goes was beyond them with how unbearable the heat was just from being close to the lava ravine. "And there's the entrance.
"Somewhere inside that volcano is a treasure from an ancient civilization that begs to be nabbed!...But, there doesn't seem to be any safe way of crossing." Kolorado turned to face the group, looking at the alicorn, two pegasi, and Parakoopa among them. "Hmm...Maybe if we fly across with a lift from our fellow flyers."
"Yeah, over a pit of lava, I don't think that's a smart idea," Rainbow said. "And Fluttershy's not exactly the strongest of us when it comes to lifting anything that doesn't weigh as much as a puppy."
"Y-Yes...I'm not that strong," Fluttershy admitted, rubbing her hooves nervously.
"And if we're going to be dealing with Bowser's minions inside that volcano while suffering from the unbearable heat, we all need to save our strength for what lies in there," Twilight added. "Besides, that lava is releasing hot air, which can unfortunately rise us up higher and miss that ledge if it gets under our wings. We need a safer way across."
"Maybe the Yoshis know a way!" Pinkie suggested. "They have that cool fluttery-kicky jump thing!"
"The Yoshis don't want to go near the volcano," Fluttershy said. "I asked them about it once, and it's so dangerous because of the eruptions...and...and the living plants that live in there..."
"What was that?" Bombette asked, everyone barely able to hear the last statement the shy pegasus said.
"It's silly. Forget it," Fluttershy said.
"Well, with how strange this world is compared to ours, darling, I'm sure it isn't all that weird," Rarity said, coaxing the pegasus to tell them why the Yoshis feared going near the volcano.
Fluttershy sighed and took in a deep breath. "...There are dangerous, sharp-teeth plants that live inside Mt. Lavalava and Jade Jungle." Despite the surprising news, the only ones who weren't shocked were the Mushroom Kingdom residents. Mario knew some Piranha Plants were able to shoot fireballs from their mouths, so knowing some of them were able to survive in heated environments around lava wasn't any surprise with the ones that popped out in pipes around lava pits in Bowser's numerous fortresses. Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, and Pinkie stared at their friend with jaws agape in bafflement. "I told you it was silly."
"...Ok, I know flora can't survive anywhere in lava back home...but I'm not going to question it when it involves living, meat-eating plants in this world," Twilight finally said. "What next? They also live in freezing climates?"
"Well, actually..." Goombario paused, the alicorn taking that as the answer to her question.
"I guess the only thing to do now is find a way into Mt. Lavalava, maybe get something out of the Yoshis in the village. Onward, everyone!" Kolorado said as he made his way back to Yoshi's Village ahead of the group. "AGGGH! Nooooooo! Stop! Stop hitting me!"
"Not again!" everyone said as they ran into the distressed Koopa, only to pause when they saw Kolorado was completely fine, laughing at the prank he pulled.
"Oh ho ho ho ho! You all thought I was attacked again, didn't you?" Kolorado thought it was funny, but the others weren't amused as he basically cried wolf. "Explorers need to have a sense of humor, don't you know."
"...That's it. I'm slapping some sense into him," Bow said, flying toward the explorer and repeatedly smacked him around. "Stop! Being! Such! An! Idiot! You! Old! Dunce!"
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!" Kolorado screamed as he spun around in different directions with each slap the Boo gave him. She was finally pulled away by Twilight and Rarity's aura, the others accepting the slaps as the Koopa's punishment for running off and getting into trouble, or pulling a prank making them think he was in trouble. Kolorado fell to the ground, his cheeks bright red with small Boo hand marks with his eyes spinning around in his head and groaned in agony. "...I guess...I deserve that..."