Long ago, in a world beyond worlds, in a time beyond time itself, a great creator smashed his fist into the vastness that was the known universe, and called it creation. As the years and light-years passed, the worlds slowly drifted apart into separate universes, and even different dimensions. Life was spawned, and it evolved on each world as a mirror that reflected the evils of the planet. The more evil and hatred that resides on a world, the more evil and bloodthirsty the inhabitants of that world become. And so it has been, for millions of years.

Time and distance aided the prevention of evil from spreading from world to world. Only in the land of Ni, the birthplace of the universes, could evil not exist. Hardly a star system, much less a life form, could penetrate the sacred realm of Ni. It was the connection point between each universe that held everything together.

So many different dimensions branch off from the land of Ni that trying to count them all would span over lifetimes. It is only with the power of the heavens that I am able to tell you of these few...

"Gr-r-reeeennn...." squealed a soft voice. "Don't take her away! No! Grr..." weak groans could be heard from the tangled underbrush. "Mamma!!!"

Walking the sandy tropical beach of Yoshi's Island was nothing out of the ordinary for the yellow Yoshi, who was leisurely enjoying his time picking up odd seashells and other ocean debris, but the sudden rustling and muffled sounds from a baby Yoshi nearby startled the yellow one. He edged closer to the jungle's rim, to try and spot the source of such noise, but only when the yellow Yoshi pulled away an obstructing fern leaf did he find what had whetted his curiosity. "YOSHI!" the baby cried in a loud tone as the yellow Yoshi was leaning closer. The Yoshi jumped back with a start, and stumbled over backwards as his foot caught a thick jungle vine. He hit the sand with a audible thud and a loud, "Oaf!" The Yoshi quickly pulled himself up to a sitting position, and rested back on his hands as he silently waited for the infant's next move. The baby Yoshi was in a restless slumber; completely oblivious to the yellow Yoshi sitting only inches away. Realizing that the child didn't notice his presence, the dinosaur cautiously crawled closer, to get a better look at what he was dealing with. He leaned over the baby's resting spot and peered down at the hatchling, who could only be a little more than a few days old. The Yoshi was pinkish in color, with pale shades of blue dappled on the skin like Dalmatian spots. This coloration obviously marked the young one as female. Unsure of what else to do with this amazing discovery, the yellow Yoshi cautiously lifted the crying infant into his slender arms, and waddled away.

"Queen Lucia, I have found something!" a yellow Yoshi was blurting out at the top of his lungs as he raced across the Yoshian village and burst into a small hut constructed of straw and tree bark. The doorway was a fine mesh of straw, elaborately beaded with ocean pearls, which the yellow Yoshi pushed aside in such a hurry that several pearls sprang from their straws and scattered onto the hard-packed dirt floor. The hut itself reeked of ripe fruit and freshly-cut straw, and seated on a wooden throne in the back of the hut was a female scarlet-colored Yoshi. She was dressed in a deep violet silk skirt, with a crown of brightly colored feathers resting on her head. She raised one annoyed eyebrow at the intruder as he rushed up to her with a small bundle held tightly against his chest. The yellow Yoshi nearly collapsed with exhaustion at the scarlet Yoshi's feet as he bent on one knee and extended his hands to show his prize.

"It is a h-hatchling, my queen. It was f-found in the jungle. I, ...I believe it is female," the Yoshi stuttered as he tried to catch his breath.

The scarlet Yoshi regarded the yellow one carefully before even considering to move from her comfortable throne. The yellow Yoshi continued to gasp for air, with his palms extended outward and his head held low in a clumsy show of respect for the queen Yoshi. When he heard no reply, the yellow Yoshi slowly raised his head to gain view of the scarlet Yoshi, only to find her apparently immersed in deep thought. "What do you want me to do of her, my queen?" the yellow dino interrupted the queen's train of thought, and she snapped out of her daze.

Queen Lucia shoved herself from her throne, and approached the sleeping child, who began to murmur and stir from yet another nightmare. The queen Yoshi stood silent as she scrutinized the infant's condition through her deep amber-colored eyes, while the yellow Yoshi shakily knelt before her with the hatchling still sleeping in his arms. The scarlet one nodded thoughtfully, then instructed the yellow Yoshi, "You shall take this child to the villagers, and she will be raised as one of our own. When she is breed enough, then the village shall decide her fate."

The yellow Yoshi gave a subtle nod, and replied to these orders as was proper.

"As you wish, Queen Lucia."

With these words in mind, the yellow Yoshi sprang to his feet, briefly recovered his bearings, then departed from the queen's hut with the intention to head out and show his fellow villagers his marvelous discovery.

Fox McCloud was preparing the team for a mission on the planet Titania, located far into the Lylat System. He was gesturing towards a map stretched out on a table in the main meeting hall, as Peppy and Slippy looked over it with great interest. Falco rolled his eyes and grumbled to himself as Fox was reminding the rest of the team to be careful.

"...Look, we don't want to happen to us whatever happened to Bill and his squadron. We all know that Titania isn't exactly the greatest place for a visit, much less a mission like this. Don't forget to stay close and keep up your guard... Falco, am I boring you?" Fox smirked at the falcon, who was leaning back in his chair and obviously not paying any attention.

"No. Go ahead. I'm listening," he spoke in a dull tone.

It was then Fox's turn to roll his eyes and ignore Falco's reply. "Well, normally I would split us up to cover more ground, but I don't feel that it would be the best idea at this time. I think it would be best to stay together, and fly across this area right here..." he moved his claw across the map to show where he was talking about, and Slippy nodded with agreement.

"Fox, what about over here?" Peppy interrupted as he reached over Fox's paw and pointed towards a mountainous region further north.

"Don't be stupid. That place is full of active volcanoes. We wouldn't be able to see three pebblelengths in front of ourselves from all the gases and smoke. Not to mention that place is almost completely uninhabitable. It would be impossible to find anything there, much less what we're looking for," Falco spoke up with a more defensive tone than he had used with Fox, as if to prove a point. He leaned forward in his chair and studied the map thoroughly while keeping a careful watch on Peppy, who was mustering up a reply to such an uninvited comment.

"No one asked you, Falco," the hare shot back quickly. "It's not as if you are participating in this meeting, anyway," he added.

"Yeah!" Slippy exclaimed defiantly.

"Shut-up, slimy lips. I listen when it's necessary," Falco retorted. He then turned away from the map with a disinterested gesture. "Besides, I know what I'm talking about," he continued before anyone could say anything else.

"How is that so, Falco?" McCloud questioned Falco's source of information. The fox glared at his teammate with an annoyed look on his muzzle that Falco apparently didn't seem to pick up. The falcon began to explain his answer while toying with a rubrics cube that Fox had been using as a paperweight for the map on the table.

"In case you forgot, I traveled there once... a long time ago," he spoke with a previously unnoticed contempt for the desert world. "I don't want to go into any details, but I was there with some of my old friends," Falco said just as the rubrics cube jammed up and stopped turning. He forcefully tossed it across the room, where it landed on a cushioned chair. Lombardi turned to face Fox and the others. "Not that I would want to go back, though. I don't know the place like the back of my wing, but I know enough to stay away," he finished his explanation, and shot everyone in the meeting hall a piercing look.

After noticing no one else come up with a reply, Fox spoke quickly to break the awkward pause following Falco's angered words.

"Okay, then. That answers your question, Peppy. Now that all matters are settled, this meeting is dismissed. I'll be heading back to my quarters, if you all don't mind. I expect to see you guys in the docking bay in half an hour," Fox concluded as he turned to leave. Peppy, Slippy, and Falco hardly moved from their chairs, until Falco got up and followed Fox out of the room.

"Slimy lips, indeed!" Slippy spoke to himself as soon as Falco had left. His words probably would have served him better had he mentioned them sooner...

A large mountain loomed in the distance. It jutted out from the flatlands like a dull knife, and quickly dominated the scene. Fox snapped out of his daze and shifted his course for the distant peak. The rest of the team promptly fell into formation.

As the mountain grew into his cockpit's viewing range, Fox's mind started to wander. 'Where on Titania are these ruins? I can't see anything for astrolengths around except for that mountain... what an unusual mountain, too. Out here in the middle of nowhere, as if someone just planted it there on purpose...' Fox's thoughts began to jump from one subject to another as he started to worry, 'We can't be too far from the ruins by now, if there are any at all...'

McCloud sighed and shifted under the weight of his commhelmet as he began to feel a greater concern for his lost friend. 'Could Bill really be trapped here? If so, where? What do these ruins have to do with him? He has to be here somewhere...'

"I hope he's okay," Fox muttered out loud. He winced as his own words brought him abruptly back to reality. Peppy Hare just then chirped in, "Me too." Fox could tell that Peppy was somehow thinking the exact same thing. This was a comforting thought, and Fox felt slightly relieved from the embarrassment of his unintentional comment.

The mountain seemed to leap out in front of Fox as he focused his attention and cleared his thoughts of such worries. Now was hardly the time to start losing track of the mission at hand. As the team approached the massive stone structure, they could notice some of the mountain's less distinct features, including several cave openings bored into the cliffside. Slippy couldn't help pointing that out, as he leaned over in his seat, looked over the edge of this cockpit's window towards the cliffs below, and croaked excitedly over the intercom, "Look, guys! It looks like some kind of tunnel network carved into the mountainside!" This seemed to be little more than an interesting novelty, and just as the team recovered from that brief distraction, Fox glanced back to his viewscreen.

"Whoa!" The mountain face was only meters away from peeling the paint job off the nose of Fox's Arwing! The fox instinctively pulled up on the controls, and veered away from a collision course. The rest of the team quickly followed his example, with Falco grumbling over Slippy's incompetence and poor timing.

As Fox's ship crested the first mountain peak of the desert world, he finally discovered exactly what the anonymous messenger was speaking of...

Through the winding trails and paths of a lush jungle scene, two Yoshi twins carelessly played on the sunlight-dappled forest floor, near a gurgling stream filled with swimming fish. It was a hot, humid day, with clear skies and the distant scent of ripe fruit drifting through the tropical air. The scent was enough to drive any full-grown Yoshi to hunger, but the two children were too involved in their games to pay any attention.

Barnoth and Baroth were the twins' names; two eccentric little Yoshies that could play all day and all night if it weren't for their parents interruptions. Barnoth, the white Yoshi, was leaned against the thick trunk of a large tree, with his face buried into his arms. He was quietly mumbling something to himself...

"48... 49... 50! Ready or not, here I come!" The little white Yoshi shouted into the forest as he jumped back from the tree and unshielded his eyes. Barnoth searched left and right, for any obvious sign of his brother. When he found none, the white Yoshi started to walk down the overgrown trail just behind him, while turning over every rock in the way. "You're here somewhere, I know it!" the little one told himself as he passed a gruffel bush, fresh with gruffel berries. Barnoth couldn't resist the small snack, so he started to pluck some berries from the bush.

"Baroth! Barnoth! Come here; it's time for dinner!" a distant voice carried through the jungle to Barnoth's ears. "Aw man... but I was about to eat these!" the white Yoshi complained as he threw the collected berries into the dirt and waddled away.

A smaller blue Yoshi emerged from the berry bush, with his mouth stuffed full of gruffel berries. He quizzically turned his head towards his fleeing brother, then chased off after him while shouting in a muffled voice, "Wait for me!"

"Salith, were are the kids?" a yellow Yoshi looked up from his cooking to ask another female Yoshi a question. The female was blue in color, with blonde hair running down her back like a horse's mane. She was stirring a boiling stew in a large kettle. Salith spoke softly when addressing her husband, "You know them, Meekachu. Off in the jungle; playing as always."

"Of course," Meekachu grunted as he sliced fruit into tiny bits with a sharpened knife.

Salith stepped away from her pot of stew, turned towards the jungle path and called again, "Barnoth! Baroth! Come get your dinner!"

"Coming, mom! A weaker voice emitted from the forest, just as a white Yoshi barreled through the bushes and charged up to his mother. A smaller blue Yoshi stumbled up right behind him. His mouth was stuffed with berries, which flew out of his mouth as he said, "I want some dinner!"

Salith groaned and shook her head as she frowned at the little blue Yoshi. "Baroth, what did I tell you about eating before dinner?" the mother Yoshi scolded.

The blue Yoshi took a big gulp, then answered back, "But I wasn't eating anything!" Barnoth snickered at the foolish display from his brother.

The mother was growing impatient. "Don't make it worse by lying to me. Look, you left a trail of berries all the way over here! I don't want to hear another word from your smelly berry mouth. Go over to the stream and wash up before dinner. You too, Barnoth. You both look filthy!"

"Yes, mother..." the twins grumbled as Barnoth turned around, and marched back to the forest, while dragging the whining Baroth away by the arm.

"Heheh... kids," the yellow Yoshi laughed to himself, while slicing through a thick melon with his blade. "Salith, watch this fruit for me. I shall be right back," Meekachu requested.

"No problem, Meek," Salith calmly replied. She gave a gentle smile towards her mate, then returned to her cooking. "Thank you, dear," the yellow one told his companion, as he set down his cutting knife and walked across to the other side of the village.

The Mulhollen tribe was the center of commerce of ancient Yoshi's Island: and just by looking around the village square that day, you would be able to see why. Meekachu enjoyed watching the activities of his village, and as he passed them, the yellow Yoshi would casually observe the trading shops and small stores, which were stocked with fruit, colorful beads, and glistening pearls. Animal skins were also being sold on the roadside to merchants from neighboring tribes. Every Yoshi was in an unusual hurry; cooking meals, cleaning their homes, and preparing for tonight's festival. The yellow Yoshi smiled as he recalled a day like this, many years ago. In fact, the last time he remembered everyone working this hard was on the day of his own acceptance...

Meekachu's trail of thought was put to a stop when he finally arrived at the other side of the village square. Just ahead was the queen's chamber. The yellow dinosaur took a deep breath, and marched ahead into the lone hut.

"My Queen, the ceremony is almost ready," Meekachu announced as he entered Queen Lucia's home. "The food is just now being prepared, and everything else is in place," he continued. The yellow Yoshi finished his report, and bowed before his female dictator.

"No... it is not," the queen Lucia sternly replied. She stood up from her throne, and approached the servant hastily. "Miya is gone. The chief reported her as missing earlier this morning."

The queen's words seemed to stand alone in their importance. The yellow Yoshi gasped at the shock of the news, and nearly fell over from his bowing position. Meekachu corrected himself before trying to speak again.

"But... how can that be?!? She would not disappear like this on such an important day. What am I to do of this, my queen???"

"Find her."

"Yes, my queen. Of course."

Meekachu finished his last sentence while running off in the opposite direction. He wasted no time in scurrying out of the hut and running to his mate's side to tell her of the news. The Yoshi stumbled past several stores and small homes, and nearly knocked over a pile of honeydew melons before finally reaching the blue Yoshi.

"Salith, Miya is gone! She ran away again!"

"Oh wow... look at THAT!" Slippy was first to speak. Even as Fox stared ahead through a clear sky, he still couldn't believe what he was seeing. Peppy gawked at the scene with credible awe and amazement, and Falco nearly froze in stunned silence, which was unusual for Falco as it was, and yet a relief from his odd behavior during the briefing.

A vast landscape poured out into the distance; At the back of the scene, high white-capped mountains reached towards the heavens, and were boosted from the ground by a wide, grass-covered plateau. Rolling hills of sand and boulders extended from the base of the plateau towards the foreground. Square patches of soil were scattered around the area in a seemingly random pattern, but that was the least of the mountain range's unbelievable features. A large monument, of incredible scale and size, was planted into the side of the plateau, as if the surrounding rock were chipped away to reveal such a marvelous oddity. Even more amazing was the creature that the monument resembled. Actually, it didn't appear to look like anything that the four Lylatians had ever known of. However, the team could have sworn that they were looking at an oversized frog, with an even larger round nose and bulging eyes dotted with large ruby-colored gems. At the base of the giant statue, there seemed to lay a wide staircase leading up to a large doorway... a way inside!

"Let's drop down here. Look for somewhere safe to land, guys," Fox ordered. The four Arwings carefully circled around the area, in a widespread effort to locate a good landing spot. Falco caught a glimpse of something from out of the corner of his eye. 'Huh? Something reflective behind that boulder... metallic, I'll bet,' the falcon rationalized. Falco eased up on his speed and lowered his altitude for a low sweep over the stone block. Again, he noticed a glint of polished steel as he flew past the boulder. Falco turned his head to look behind his ship, and prepared to flip around and fly over again for another peek at the unusual object. But before he even had a chance to power up the thrusters for a U-turn, Falco watched the object jump into the air!

'Oh crud!' his mind sounded its own alarm. Falco wasted no time in switching on the intercom and giving out a warning to the others. "We have a problem!"

No sooner did Fox begin to comprehend that message, when a whole fleet of starships emerged from the mountainside like a swarm of locusts.

"Whoa!" a simultaneous shout of surprise spat from Fox's and Peppy's mouths. Slippy immediately turned back and headed towards the others as soon as he heard their exclamations. "Ah!" the toad yelped at the sight of hundreds of ships pouring into the sky from the tunnels that he so carelessly pointed out only a few moments earlier. Slippy quickly turned away from one of the renegade starships while almost throwing his own aircraft into a granite column.

"Wha-what's going on???" Slippy stuttered in a panic as he dodged through a rain of laser fire from some of the ships tailing behind his own.

"Those look like Andross-class starfighters!" Peppy instantly recognized the attackers.

"What?!?" Fox gasped. "That's impossible, we wiped all of these guys out! Andross can't be alive!" Falco reasoned. There was no denying the resemblance, though. The ships they were being ambushed by were none other than the same ships that the team had encountered during Andross's invasions of the Lylat System. They looked somehow different... Improved in a way that Fox couldn't figure out. These ships were faster, lighter, equipped with more firepower, and in greater numbers than the four Arwings could handle.

Fox twisted his aircraft to the left and slipped through a narrow passage into the mountain, which sent the two ships in pursuit of him crashing into the rocky cliffside. Falco somersaulted around another pair of starfighters and rapidly fired shots into their engines, which caused both of them to explode in a brilliant flash of green and gold. Peppy came around and flew up behind Falco to lend him some support.

As for Slippy, he barely covered any airspace before the frog started to cry for help.

"Ahh! I'm hit!" he squealed. Slippy zigged over a fallen stone pillar, then zagged under another ship that zoomed overhead, in a vain attempt to lose his pursuers. Peppy immediately broke away from Falco to come to Slippy's aid. Fox flew back onto the scene, and shot off a fighter that was trailing behind Peppy. "Thanks, Fox," the hare gratefully replied. Falco was tailing after a ship that seemed to be already damaged, when two others approached from behind and opened fire. "Oh no you don't!" the falcon squawked defiantly. Falco shot into the ship ahead of him, which bent if off course sent it and crashing to the ground, then somersaulted around again to put an end to the other two fighters chasing after him.

"Yee-haw!" Falco proclaimed his victory to the wrecked starfighters as their explosions lit the surrounding area with flaming debris.

Despite their efforts, for every ship the Starfox team shot down, another would emerge from the mountain and join the fray. The battle grew more one-sided by the minute.

"The shields are gone!" Toad yelled to the others as he watched his Arwing's display panel shoot out sparks, then blink into static. "What's that, Slippy?" The fox sounded more surprised than confused.

"Our shields, they're dropping fast! There's some sort of energy build-up here! It's interfering with system controls!"

"What's happening??" Peppy wondered aloud. The hare's radar viewscreen could only answer with a crackling buzz and fuzzy static.

Fox realized then that their efforts at fighting off this attack was futile. "Guys, let's get out of here!" he ordered his teammates.

"I c-can't get away!" Slippy replied with a panicked voice. He was weaving between the high traffic of enemy ships, while once again trying to evade a trio of ships attacking from behind. Fox cut short his plans for escape and rushed towards Slippy's damaged Arwing. He was just within firing range of the three starfighters when laser fire from another ship tore through his aircraft's thick wing armor and sent the appendage flying off the Arwing. Fox's ship violently rocked with the impact, then plummeted towards the ground in a sharp twist to the right. Peppy turned around just in time to catch the drastic turn of events.

"FOX!!" the hare yelled in horror as he watched his friend drop from the skies. Fox struggled to level his ship and gain some altitude, but he had been hit while flying too low to the ground to pull back up at this point. Alarms and buzzers sounded off in the small cockpit, and Fox suddenly realized that nothing short of a miracle was going to get him out of this. Falco took a split-moment amongst the confusion and panic to check his radar... it took a second look to actually discover the disturbance.

"What the-?" he grumbled to himself. At the same time, Slippy let out a yell of surprise and fear that startled the bird. Falco glanced back to the scene near the ancient ruins, and found exactly what Slippy was screaming about. "Huh?!?" he squawked aloud.

The next instant was pure chaos. A massive wave of energy, several astrolengths thick and even longer across, erupted from the ruin's core like the blast from a bomb. It rippled through the air and obliterated every remaining enemy starfighter like popcorn in a microwave. The weak hulls of the ships would burst open, split into pieces, and burn from existence before even a single shard of steel ever hit the ground. Within a matter of seconds, the blue and violet rays of destruction consumed everything in sight: including the Starfox team.

The mercenaries were instantly thrown into chaos. Each Lylatian's ship was tossed upward and spun around in a dizzying whirl which only confused Slippy, Peppy, and Falco even more. Bright flashes whipped by their windows, but it was hard to tell if it was exploding debris from enemy ships, or their own ships falling apart. The steel armor of the four Arwings strained and buckled under the intense pressure, which sounded off even more alarms from the internal control panels. Fox didn't pay much attention to that, though. He could hardly react otherwise to the devastating explosion than by continuing to pull up on his controls while glaring ahead into the growing flash of white light...

A tall, pink Yoshi rested herself against a ringed palm tree as she collected her thoughts.

'They cannot expect me to do just as they ask all the time...' she argued with herself. 'I am a free Yoshi now. I can do what I want,' the pink Yoshi concluded as she put her thoughts to action and sampled a fruit from the nearest gruffel bush.

The pink dinosaur had been watching the waves slap at the nearby beach with endless rhythm for several hours now. Nightfall was approaching, and the once bright sun was now glowing a softer orange color, which fell through the trees like blobs of paint on a sand canvas.

The pink Yoshi enjoyed these brief excursions away from the 'little favors and chores' of daily life. And on no other evening would she enjoy such a trip more than this one.

"Yick! Bad berries," the pink one sputtered. She tossed aside the sour fruit then threw up her arms in a frustrated gesture. "What am I going to do?" the Yoshi asked herself aloud.

As if to answer her question, the fern bushes nearby ruffled slightly, then flew apart as a yellow Yoshi stormed through them. The Yoshi marched to where the pink one was relaxing, and then stood over her with a facial expression that was scornful, yet tinged with worry. He appeared to be waiting for the pink Yoshi to give an explanation, or at least a good story. Instead of allowing her to do so, he started to go off in a rant before the pink one could even open her mouth to say hello.

"Miya, you were due back at the village this morning! You can't just run off and hide whenever you want to! You do know that, don't you? About your responsibilities? To me, and your village!"

Miya jumped to her clawed feet in an instant, and replied with an equal amount of rage, "I know! I know my responsibilities! I've heard all about them more times than I'd like to from you and the rest of the village. If you'd ever once consider that I would rather do things for myself, instead of working for the rest of my life as a mindless drone for a senseless queen, then maybe you would understand... but you don't."

Miya turned away and trampled off towards the beach, where the yellow Yoshi followed.

"Miya..." he pleaded.

"No, Meekachu, don't even try. You came here to hunt me down. Hunt me down and bring me back, didn't you? Like a dog I am. Is that what you think of me? A dog??? I am no mutt! I am not your servant to be ordered around. 'Fetch me this, Miya.' 'Bring me that, Miya.' 'Clean out this, cook that.' I'll be damned if I ever concede to such a living. You can go tell the queen that I would rather live as an exile for the remaining years of my life than to spend another day back at her cruddy village. I am sick of it, you hear?!?"

Miya continued to walk away towards the surf, when she stumbled over a turtle's nest and collapsed into the sand. Meekachu scurried to her aid.

"Miya..." Meekachu repeated the word softly, as he helped pull the pink Yoshi from the sandy pit. Miya stumbled out of the turtle nest and crawled up to a sitting position, then turned to face the wide ocean sprawled out past the beach. Meekachu settled next to her, and peered into her deep blue eyes with a growing smile on his lips. Miya started to chuckle light-heartedly, as she pulled her long pink hair out of the way of her face and eyes. Meekachu joined in the laughter, and soon they were both enjoying the little joke.

"Hehe... I know how to make an exit, don't I?" Miya giggled. "I don't know what's good for me sometimes. If that turtle nest didn't stop me, I might have walked right into the sea! Right then and there!" she smiled at the thought.

"No... that's not true," Meekachu said. He looked again into Miya's eyes, and helped to brush some loose strands of hair from her face. "You always know what you're doing. I have known you from the day you were a little hatchling. I have raised you like a daughter, and loved you like one. And now..."

Meekachu was unsure of how to finish that sentence. Somehow, he knew that he didn't need to.

"I understand. Today, I'm not your little mutt anymore," Miya said with a humble grin.

"You are no one's mutt, Miya," Meekachu responded quickly. "And today, you can show the world that to be true. Come with me; back to the village," he pleaded with the pink Yoshi. Meekachu stood up on the beach, and extended a hand towards Miya. "It is almost time. Come nightfall, you will become a real Yoshi! And no one shall then keep you from your true destiny." He took Miya's hand, and helped her to her feet.

The pink Yoshi turned away for a moment and watched pleasantly as distant birds dove into the ocean and scooped up piles of fresh fish. She watched setting sun cast rays of warm light off the water's calm surface near the horizon, and the frosty look of rough seas near the shoreline. It seemed like a perfect evening. None better than this, for an occasion such as this. That thought pleased Miya, and she proclaimed loudly to the pounding waves, "Yes! I will be my own Yoshi!"

She looked back towards the yellow Yoshi and happily admitted, "You are right, Meek. I should stop trying to run away from these things, and instead embrace my future with open arms. However... "Miya paused for a moment, for now she was the one who was unsure of what to say.

"Is this really how I thought this day would be like? I somehow feel that I don't want to spend the rest of my life here... I want to do something! Be someone! Go somewhere! How can I, when my future is so limited?" Miya started to feel guilty again as soon as she asked her father that question.

Meekachu couldn't answer with anything else but a frown. He slowly started to lead Miya back to the jungle, as the sun faded behind them into the sparkling waters of the ocean.

However, just as the two dinosaurs had reached the palm groves...

The evening skies right above the shoreline of Yoshi's Island erupted into a blinding flash of white light, and an explosion of thunder. Miya and Meekachu at first thought of it as a storm, but there was not a cloud in the sky just moments earlier. Both Yoshies flew to the ground from a blast of wind, and by the time they had struggled back to their feet, the spectacle was already gone. Something else wasn't, though.

Starfox emerged from the 'explosion' one at a time, and onto an entirely different scene from where they were only seconds ago. The team was instantly flying over a wide ocean, with a strange island several astrolengths into the distance. All four ships were badly damaged, and could hardly stay airborne for more than a few minutes or so.

"Ahh! Where are we?!? What happened?!?" Slippy panicked. Falco couldn't shut off the alarms blinking in front of his viewscreen.

"Systems alert: extensive hull damage, wing damage, G-Diffuser damage, ejection systems damage..." the computer went on and on. "I realize that, ya worthless piece of crap!!" The falcon snarled as he banged his fist onto the control panels. "Hey, we've got to land these things. FAST!"

"Hold on, guys. There's some land right over there," Fox tried to calm the situation. He steered his damaged ship towards the island in the background.

"Fox, you're okay!" Peppy exclaimed with relief.

"Of course I am. You know better than that, Peppy," Fox replied with a sarcastic grin.

The Arwings glided to the isle with an increasing descent, and all four would have dove into the ocean had the beach not been there to break their fall. That doesn't mean they touched the ground safely, though.

Peppy got a quick burst of elevation just as he reached the shore, so he flew over the others and disappeared behind some trees further inland. "Whooaaa!!!" the hare shouted as his ship flipped over and smashed through the treetops. Falco also caught the trees, except he crashed straight into them, while knocking a few over. Slippy and Fox hit the beach directly, and both ships skidded along the sand before Slippy's grinded to a halt. His ship nearly turned over, but in the end rested upright. Fox's Arwing spun around as it headed for the trees, and by the time the ship's senseless spinning was starting to slow, Fox noticed the large boulder just ahead of him. "Ahh!!!" the fox cried out. The ship's nose dug into the sand as it hit the huge rock head-on, and the rear half of the aircraft was shoved into the air. Fox lurched forward in the small cockpit, and can only remember last his head hitting something... hard. The rest was blank.

"Oh my!" the pink Yoshi gasped. Miya was astounded. The entire ordeal had only lasted about two minutes, but the next thing she knew, there was a large, shiny... thing... right there on the beach! Wait, wasn't there four of them?

Miya was too excited to really care. She ran out onto the sand, and approached the odd-looking object. "Meekachu, come quick! This is incredible!" the Yoshi anxiously called her father, who was just getting his bearings back. "Miya, be careful!" the yellow Yoshi warned. He quickly stood up and joined the pink one beside the strange new thing. "It looks like a giant egg..." Meekachu noted.

Miya didn't hesitate to crawl up onto the boulder the object was propped up against, and peer down inside through a transparent-looking window. "Hrrmm..." she quietly growled. "Eh??? Meek, I think there's someone inside! Help me get this open!" Meekachu looked a little baffled at the request.

"Someone is in there???" he questioned. Miya didn't repeat herself. She instead started to claw at the 'large shiny egg,' as if looking for a way inside. Meekachu hurried away, lifted up the nearest stone he could find, and brought it back to the pink dinosaur. "Here, use this!" Meekachu said as he offered the stone to his daughter. Miya gratefully took the rock, and started to smash it on the clear surface. Not a scratch.

"Arg! It's not working! Work, darn you, work!" Miya barked with great frustration as she pounded on the surface of this giant egg. Meekachu started to hit on the side of the strange object, too, until a latch flew open after he had smacked it with his fist.

The yellow Yoshi stumbled backwards in a surprised shock, then frantically waved to get the pink one's attention. "Miya, look!" he yelled while pointing to where he had found the loose panel. Sure enough, there was a small display there. Miya tossed the stone aside, and jumped down from the large rock to more closely observe Meekachu's discovery.

"Hmm... there is some kind of writing here. I can't read it, though. It's not like anything I've ever seen before," Miya said as she continued to gawk at the colorful marks and circles. She reached out and traced her finger along the lines and dots of this unusual text. "Hey, what's this?"

Miya pressed on one of the circles, which seemed to be loose from the rest of the oval shapes. It snapped inward, then a strange humming sound was heard from inside the giant egg. "Huh?" the pink Yoshi gasped as the she stepped backwards. Miya and Meekachu watched with awe and apprehension as the transparent-looking window flew open with a great deal of noise and white smoke.

"We did it!" Miya leaped into the air gleefully. "Alright!" Meekachu joined in the brief celebration. The pink dinosaur immediately scaled the side of this shiny egg and peered into the opening she and Meekachu just created.

"Miya, careful..." Meekachu quietly muttered, almost to himself.

Miya wasn't listening. She climbed over the edge and into the opening, then sat down to see what she was trying to rescue. "Hmm... it looks like a fox," the Yoshi said to the yellow one, who wasn't about to try and follow after her. "I think it's stuck... I'm going to try to get it out," Miya quickly told Meekachu her plan, then got to work.

"Hmm... These vines are in the way," Miya grumbled. She searched along the strange vine that was holding the unusual animal inside this giant egg. "Hmm..."

She found a hard, reflective rock attacked to the end a tough, dark colored vine. Miya fumbled with the odd buckle, until it snapped apart and loosened all the vines. "Ah-ha! I think I got it!" Miya proudly declared to Meekachu, who was getting anxious for her to come back outside. "Come help me get this fox out!" she yelled for help before Meekachu could protest. The yellow Yoshi sighed, then grudgingly crawled over to assist Miya.

The two Yoshies dragged the unconscious fox out of the 'large shiny egg' and set him on the sand so that they could watch him more easily. Meekachu stared with bewilderment at the animal for a long time. He just couldn't understand exactly what he was looking at. "Well, it's still breathing..." the yellow Yoshi mumbled quietly, as if he wasn't thinking about what he was saying.

The pink Yoshi was also perplexed about the origin of such a creature. It definitely looked like a fox... except it was much taller, almost as tall as a full-grown Yoshi. It also wore clothing, which was made of a material that neither Yoshi knew of. The fox was also wearing a strange tag, which had the same foreign writing on it as the object the fox came out of. The weirdest part was, however, that the object just appeared out of the sky in a flash of lightning...

"We can't just leave this fox here like this, Meek. I'm going to stay until it wakes up," Miya spoke. She looked up from the animal's sleeping form into Meekachu's eyes, as if demanding permission from him.

The yellow one looked away and nodded. He did not really want to be a part of this, but it seemed like leaving wouldn't be the right thing to do. "We should build a fire. It could be a long wait," the dinosaur replied as he walked away to gather timbers for a campfire.

Miya sat herself beside the creature and watched the sky lazily grow darker as the sun dove below the ocean's waters. It was such a warm, relaxing sunset, which seemed to drain the excitement from the two Yoshies' discovery. The female dino sighed.

Miya's eyes widened as a thought suddenly struck her. She climbed to her feet, and yelled towards the disappearing Meekachu, "Meek, wait! Wasn't there three other of those giant things???"

The yellow Yoshi abruptly whirled around to face the pink one. "Yes, there was!!" he shouted back with an equal amount of surprise in his voice. Miya quickly scanned the beach to try and locate another of the giant shiny eggs. In the fading light it was hard to find anything, though. The pink Yoshi was about to start running away in search of such an object, when she spotted something moving from the direction she was looking!

"Look, look!" Miya crowed as she jumped into the air and pointed to the other end of the beach. Meekachu turned to where Miya was pointing. He strained his eyes to see what she was yelling about, and just then found that there was, indeed, something moving their way!

Both Yoshies froze. Besides the fact that they had no idea what to do next, they were also unsure of the intentions of the creature approaching them.

As the animal got closer, Miya could notice that it resembled a large frog... or toad. It was hard to tell. The creature wore clothing, just like the fox, and seemed to be moving on its hind legs, just like a Yoshi. Although it walked in such an odd manner for its species, the animal still looked shorter than the fox by at least a foot. Miya started to wonder if this creature came from another of the giant eggs.

Once the animal had finally arrived within a good viewing range, and Miya decided that it definitely looked like a frog. The animal squealed and gurgled at the sight of the pink Yoshi, and jumped back with a loud croak. Miya was surprised by this reaction, and she also jumped back a step. The Yoshi nervously turned towards Meekachu, who was frozen in his place with his eyes widened in fright.

The frog seemed to recover from the slight shock more quickly than the two Yoshies. It cautiously stepped nearer while softly croaking strange words. The pink dinosaur quizzically watched as the frog then carefully dropped onto his knees and started to crawl towards Miya, while never taking its goggle-looking eyes from hers. Miya couldn't exactly understand what this meant. This display hardly looked like a bow of respect, nor of greeting. She glanced at Meekachu again. He hadn't moved an inch. Miya started to wonder if he had died on his feet.

A green waving hand caught Miya's eye. It was the frog's. The creature was waving with one hand, pointing behind Miya with the other, and croaking loudly at the same time. The frog struggled to stay balanced while doing this, but its effort was in vain. The amphibian fell face-forward onto the beach.

Miya turned around to see what the eccentric frog was pointing at. The fox was soundly asleep right behind her feet, and was even snoring weakly. Miya blushed with embarrassment when she realized how foolish she was being. "Ohh..." the Yoshi said meekly, "You want your friend back." Miya willingly backed away from the snoozing fox, and watched from a distance as the frog hurriedly crawled over to it.

The clumsy creature croaked some barely audible words to the fox, then looked towards the pink Yoshi with a puzzled expression. Miya figured that the frog either didn't understand what was going on, or was waiting for her to do something about its sleeping friend. The dinosaur once again exchanged glances with Meekachu. The yellow Yoshi started to move a little closer, but only with slow, exaggerated steps. His curiosity eventually overwhelmed his sense of fear, however, and Meekachu broke into a full run across the beach. The frog looked startled from the second Yoshi's advancement, as far as Miya could tell. It gave a strange yelp of surprise, and nearly fell over again. Meekachu was also alarmed from the sound of the frog's yell, and the Yoshi retreated almost as quickly as he had approached.

All four stood in a pause of silence for what seemed to be infinity; the frog shifted his sight from the fox, to Miya, then to Meekachu; Meekachu couldn't shake his eyes away from the sight of the fox and frog; Miya took a moment to observe her surroundings; and the fox was still turned on his side in a deep slumber.

It was now even closer to sunset, and a shelter for the four creatures would soon have to be fabricated before nightfall arrived. The least Miya could do for the two new animals is leave them a place to rest... that is, as soon as she can find out if the frog and fox are friendly...

The pink Yoshi snatched Meekachu's arm, and dragged him forward.

"He-llo," Miya addressed the frog as clearly as she could, and also spoke slowly so that it could understand. "My name is MI-YA, and his name is MEE-KA-CHU," the pink Yoshi introduced herself and her companion with a loud voice and wide gestures to indicate which name belonged to which Yoshi. The frog only cocked his head sideways with the same blank expression, and started to reply in his own words. It didn't sound at all like Yoshian, the Yoshi's native tongue, or like any other language of Yoshi's Island. Miya was then sure that these animals were from somewhere farther away than she had ever imagined before, but at least they mean no harm.

Miya turned to Meekachu and tried to explain the situation. "I think we have a problem here, Meek. Quickly, finish getting that firewood before the sun falls from the sky. We will need to stay here for the night, and figure out what to do about this in the morning. I can watch over these two creatures while you get a campfire ready."

"Miya, what about your acceptance? The village is waiting for us," Meekachu attempted to reason with Miya. The pink Yoshi's decision was already made, however. "No, we can't leave. This is important, and you know that. You said yourself that I am my own Yoshi. Let me stay here with them for now, and handle the villagers myself when the time comes," she argued sternly with her father, while waving a hand towards the two animals before her.

Meekachu sighed with disappointment, but respectfully carried out his daughter's request.

Answers didn't seem to come fast enough. Fox sat up, despite the swirls of stars before his eyes, and looked for his ship. He didn't have to look far. It was only a few feet away; partially wedged under a huge rock, and scorched to a crisp in most places.

The fox groaned as the effects of his concussion hit him like a hammer. He tore off his commhelmet and drove it into the ground, then painfully clutched his head. 'Why do I have such a headache?? What happened...?'

Memories of the past events flooded back into Fox's mind. The battle... the explosion... the crash. He could easily dismiss it all as a dream, but everything at that moment seemed as real as the sand Fox was sitting on.

The Cornerian then realized that it was very late at night. The moon was glistening overhead, which provided ample light for the fox to see around himself. He looked away from his badly damaged Arwing just then, and noticed a campfire under the shade of nearby trees. Fox could see someone there, sitting near the bright flame. Two others were also basking in the light of the fire, and one of them seemed to be looking directly at him with strangely piercing eyes. McCloud watched the nearest of the figures wave an arm and shout with a familiar voice, "Fox!"

It was Slippy. Fox could only guess who the other two were. Certainly not Peppy or Falco. They were familiar, though. Something about their appearance that the fox recognized... but from where? It had slipped his mind.

Slippy got up from the small campfire and walked over to Fox. The frog hopped into the air excitedly while smiling broadly at his sleepy friend. "Fox, I'm glad you're awake! I want you to come meet someone! Hurry up!" Toad motioned for the fox to get up, then turned around and waddled back to the other two creatures across the beach. Fox was very confused, but he gladly climbed to his feet and staggered towards the warm fire. As he arrived at the tiny campsite, Fox immediately started asking questions.

"Slippy, where are we? What happened to Peppy and Falco?" the fox questioned the frog sitting before him. He then shot a glance at the other two figures, who were hiding behind the fire's flickering light. "Who are they??"

Slippy's cheerful grin hardly revealed an answer. His words did, however. "I'm not sure of where we are. As for Peppy and Falco, they're scouting the jungle," the frog said. He then extended a green hand towards the two figures ahead of him, and happily introduced, "I would like you to meet these two creatures. They saved you. They're natives to this island, too, from what I can gather. They don't speak our language, though, and I have been trying to communicate with them for the past hour or so." Slippy looked up at Fox, as he waited for a reply.

Fox nodded slowly, while trying to understand. "They saved me??" he asked with a tone of surprise. "Yes," the frog answered quickly, "They got you out of your ship, and watched over you until I found them. They're very friendly, by the way."

Fox turned towards the two creatures, and looked them over. They were VERY familiar. They resembled the ancient reptiles of Corneria, but those had been extinct for millions of years. Each one appeared slightly different from the other, too. One of them was pink in skin color, the other was yellow. The pink one did have some hair, which was tied into a ponytail and thrown behind her back. 'Very unusual,' the Cornerian thought to himself.

The fox bowed politely to the two entities sitting across from him, and smiled kindly. "Thank you," he said thoughtfully. The pink one smiled back, and grumbled something to the yellow one beside it.

"You can't understand them at all?" Fox frowned at Slippy, who was trying to listen to the pink one's words.

"No, but I can assume that they don't understand us, either," the frog confirmed. Slippy stopped trying to hear the creature's baffling speech, and instead peered across the campsite into the jungle behind them. Fox sighed, and seated himself next to the frog, who casually started a conversation while keeping his sight on the dark trees ahead. Upon sitting down, the fox's headache started to ease, and Fox felt much more relaxed. He intently listened to Slippy telling of the day's events.

"...Falco was very angry at me for some reason. He stormed off into the jungle, after Peppy told him to calm down. I think he said something was wrong. About Titania, I think," Toad tried to recall what happened as he spoke, "I wonder why he said that... I think it's funny, because he doesn't know anymore than we do about where we are and what happened. I think that scares him." The frog chuckled at the thought, as he gazed into the fire with thoughtful eyes. Fox grunted in agreement, "He would be. I don't know what his problem is recently."

"Yo, Yishia!" the pink creature snapped at the fox, who instantly looked away from the fire to see what was going on. The yellow one jumped up with a start and whirled around towards the jungle.

"Oh, I think someone's coming! I hope it's Falco and Peppy," Slippy interrupted the two animal's alarmed squeals. Fox watched silently while two figures stepped out of the thick foliage and approached the campfire.

"Geez, I hate this place already, and it's only been four hours!" Falco raved as he threw down his helmet and plopped onto the sand next to the fox. Peppy was close behind.

"Ah, there you are. Welcome back to the realm of the living, Fox." he joked. The hare gently dropped an odd assortment of fruits onto the beach and started to count them quietly. The two reptilian creatures appeared startled from the hare and bird's unusual entrance, but were quickly eased when Slippy started to talk. "Happy hunting, guys?" the frog asked, even as Falco glared at him like he was a circus freak.

"Eleven fruits, and some berries on the side," Peppy proudly declared when he had finished counting his prize. "I'm pretty sure they're safe, so come and eat."

The three other Lylatians jumped up and took their fill from the pile of food. The remaining two creatures watched from a distance, and then got up to sample the fruit once everyone else had taken what they wanted. The pink and yellow reptiles sifted through the mess of melons, apples, and berries, and only took an apple each for themselves.

Peppy held up a pear-shaped melon to eat, and was about to bite into it when... SMACK!!

The pink creature swiped a hand towards Peppy, and the strange fruit flew into the fire. "Yish yo Yoshi yik! Yiikka ya yosh! Yoshi," the animal spoke harshly.

"Hey, what was that for?!?" the hare asked angrily. Instead of trying to answer, the pink creature stood up, walked around the campfire, took several fruits from the other three Lylatians, and tossed them into the fire with these words, "Yish yo Yoshi."

"Hey!!" Falco protested to this 'fruit burning.' "What does this guy think he's doing? That was our dinner!" he complained loudly.

"I think it's trying to tell us that the fruit is poison," Slippy guessed. The frog crawled to his feet and stepped over to the pile of fruit that was left. He looked towards the pink one, and motioned at the fruit while saying, "What is safe?" The pink creature nodded, then walked to where Slippy was pointing. Fox and the others watched as the pink one delicately arranged the berries, apples, and melons into neat and separate piles. It then tossed all the melons into the flame, and evenly distributed the berries and apples to everyone sitting down. The pink one handed the remaining berries to Slippy, sat down next to the yellow one, and started to eat an apple.

"Oh," the frog said.

The six animals finished their meal of berries and fruit, then promptly went to sleep. The one who didn't seem to fall asleep right away, ironically, was Fox. He sat beside a dying campfire, while gazing at the sparkling stars and bright moon hanging over a vast ocean. It was surely one of the most beautiful sights that Fox had ever seen, and in a place that he had never been to before. But even amidst this splendor, Fox plotted escape. He knew it wouldn't be easy under any conditions, but especially this one. The Arwings were completely mauled; it would take weeks to repair. How the Starfox team even escaped from that explosion alive was beyond Fox's theories. Also, no one was sure of exactly where they were. This island was very strange, and the strangest of all was sleeping only a few feet away. The fox peered over the burning cinders at the two reptiles. The yellow one was sleeping soundly, but the pink one was no where to be seen. "Hmm..." he growled.

Something tapped Fox on the shoulder. The Cornerian jumped to his feet with a short yelp, and spun around to catch a glimpse of his attacker.

It was the pink reptile. The creature waved her hand for Fox to be quiet, then motioned for him to follow. It silently stalked across the campsite, and stopped at an entrance to the jungle. Fox crept behind the creature, while being careful not to awaken Falco as he stepped over him. The falcon grumbled something, then turned over, but did not wake up. When Fox had arrived the jungle's edge, the pink one was already starting to climb a nearby palm tree. Once it had reached the top, the creature plucked a strange fruit from its leaves, then jumped to the ground. The pink reptile presented the small fruit to Fox with a kind smile. "Yoshi yiika," the animal whispered to him. The fox smiled in reply, and gratefully took the fruit from the pink one. "Thank you again," he thanked the odd creature, who nodded politely, then turned around and ran away into the deep jungle where Fox couldn't follow. The Lylatian shrugged and wandered back to the campsite.

Instead of eating the fruit gift right away, Fox circled around the campfire and sat down beside Slippy, who was already snoring. The fox carefully placed the gift in his pocket, then stretched out on the beach to rest for the night.

Before closing his eyes and drifting into sleep, McCloud wondered to himself, 'What I should call these strange animals? I wonder what language they speak... it always sounds like the same word, used over and over. It would make a good name. I think I'll call this creature... Yoshi.'

The dawn brought a new scene to the shoreline of Yoshi's Island. Bright, warm sunlight poured through the treetops and gave the yellow Yoshi a cheerful welcome. Birds chirped their playful song, and fish splashed in the ocean's waters. Meekachu yawned and stretched out his arms. He sat up from his sandy bed, and took a deep breath of air. It was another great day for everyone else on the island, but the four strange beings that were sleeping right next to the yellow dinosaur served as a grim reminder for Meekachu of what was going to happen to him today. The Yoshi sighed. He openly wished that this could happen on any other day, but not this day. If only Miya wasn't of proper age yet, or even if he had never found her that day in the jungle...

'No,' Meekachu blocked out that thought. 'I must never think like that. I am grateful that I have Miya with me. She is like my daughter...'

It was on that exact moment when Meekachu realized that Miya was gone. He quickly searched the campsite, but the pink Yoshi was no where to be seen. "Miya??" the yellow one gulped. "Miya, do not hide. This isn't funny..." he started to scold the absent Yoshi, as he turned over the surrounding leaves in a frantic search.

"Hehe... you do not look for me very well at all," a female voice drifted down from the nearby palms. "Here, take these," Miya said from a lofty treetop. She tossed half a dozen melons in Meekachu's general direction, one at a time, then jumped down from her tree onto the sand. Meekachu couldn't easily avoid the melon assault, and he stumbled over several of them before collapsing to the ground.

"Hehe... sorry Meek. I'll help you," the pink Yoshi offered. She gathered the fallen melons and set them in a stack beside the pile of ashes that was the previous night's campfire. Miya then pulled the fallen Yoshi to his feet. "Did you sleep well?" the Yoshi asks her father. The yellow one muttered in reply, "Er... yes, and no."

"Well, we should wake up the newcomers soon. We need to be on the move in a few minutes," the pink one announced while taking a melon from the pile and cracking it open. Some of the sweet juice inside poured from the fruit and soaked into the sand, and Miya quickly drank the remaining liquid before it spilled all over her hands.

Meekachu looked back at the four animals, as he pondered what to do next. His eyes flickered with fear when he noticed something... The Yoshi grabbed Miya by the shoulders, causing the melon to drop from her hands, and forced his gaze into hers.

"This has all been a big mistake. Miya, you must realize that we are in VERY deep trouble. This isn't a game. If the village discovers why we were missing last night... in fact, if they discover us at all, we could get thrown out of the village! We must leave!" he demanded.

"And what of these creatures? What will become of them??" the pink Yoshi defended the stranded animals, who were still fast asleep.

"We must leave them here. They will be fine. Trust me. We can't stay with them. They don't even speak our tongue, Miya!"

"Tieka might. We can find Tieka, and she might help us understa-" Miya began to talk, but her words were cut short from Meekachu's interruption.

"Miya, you're not listening. We must hide! Get away from these creatures! And the village!" the yellow one whispered harshly into Miya's ear.

"I will not leave them behind! What harm can they do?!? We can escape into the jungle, where no one will find us. There is plenty room for four more in the jungle. But we can't leave them here. If the Mulhollens don't find them first, the dragons will! ...I saw a scout this morning."

Meekachu looked aghast at the pink Yoshi for a moment, while trying to comprehend. "A dragon scout? Are you sure??"

"Yes. It was here, last night. I saw it. Look, wherever we are going, we should leave now, and with them!" Miya growled while pointing to the four animals sprawled out on the sand. Meekachu studied the anger in Miya's eyes, and turned away at the thought of hurting her with his knowledge.

"Miya... listen to me..." he whimpered while approaching the sleeping fox. Meekachu knelt beside the animal, and gently removed something from his clothes. The Yoshi stood up, and held the item in his outstretched palms for Miya's eyes to see.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked her with a solemn tone.

"No... of course not. Why would I? It looks like a bent stick," the pink one replied with a hint of confusion in her voice. "Why? What does it matter?"

"Long ago, when this island was invaded by the strange ones, they carried great weapons that spat lightning and thunder. Weapons that kill in an instant. The tribes banded together, and threw out the evil ones with the ancient magic, but it nearly cost all our lives. The strange ones brought war, and destruction... and death to us Yoshies... with weapons... just like this one," Meekachu told of the story, and threw down the item in his hands with anger.

"Miya, these creatures are not our friends, or our allies... they are killers, Miya. We can't trust them," he concluded.

"That is just a story, Meek. It is not true! If they wanted to hurt us, would they not have already?!?" the pink one whined.

"I'm not saying that they would hurt us. But stop and think, Miya. The Mulhollen will find them, you are right about that. But when they do, what makes you think that these creatures will not use their weapons to avoid capture? It could start war. Many could die. Do you understand?" Meekachu questioned the pink one, who couldn't object to his reasoning at this point.

"What can we do!?!" Miya cried.

"Take their weapons; all of them, and throw them into the ocean. Then leave. It is the only thing to do," the yellow Yoshi ordered, then started to search the other animals’ clothes. Miya tried to protest, but the words would not come. She staggered towards one of the creatures, rummaged through its jacket, and swooped up another of the strange sticks.

Once a weapon from each of the creatures had been gathered, Meekachu and Miya carried them to the shoreline, and unceremoniously dumped the four objects into the waves. Meekachu started to walk away from their temporary campsite, without a tint of regret, but Miya lagged behind. As they left, she looked back at the fox, frog, hare, and bird, and mumbled a sorrowful goodbye, with no words sounding from her moving lips.

"Fox... Fox, wake up!" Slippy's high squeal was the Cornerian's only wake-up call. Fox groaned and opened his eyes, only to find the frog's bulky head hovering over him. "Fox, they're gone!"

"Arg... who's gone, Slippy?" the fox grumbled as he squinted his eyes from the bright morning sunlight.

"Those two lizards. They're gone. They left some fruits, though." The frog pointed to some melons stacked near the mound of ashes left from last night's fire. One of the fruits was already busted in half, and each piece rested nearby.

Fox sat up, and surveyed the tiny campsite. Falco and Peppy were still asleep. Slippy quickly remedied that, as he approached the sleeping creatures and nudged them awake. Both reluctantly crawled to their feet when Toad told them of the news.

"That figures..." Falco muttered. "So what now?"

"We're going to get out of here; that's what," Fox announced. He rolled over and stood up, then scanned the beach, as if it provided a means for leaving this desert isle. "Well..." he spoke, "First thing's first; we need to find some way to repair our ships. Slippy, any guesses on how long that would take?"

Slippy pondered that question for a moment, then answered as directly as possible. "Several weeks would be my best guess. Maybe four or five. I don't have many tools with me, like I would if we were on Great Fox, and then... well, they're in pretty bad shape to begin with," the toad replied grimly.

"Hmm..." the fox growled. This was going to be a LONG day...

"Well that sucks," Falco cut-in. "Falco," Peppy scolded. "Hey, it's the truth," was the falcon's only defense.

"Alright, this will require a little split-up. Falco, I want you to say with the Slipster here and take a look at the ships. Peppy and I can start some exploring. You said yourself the natives were friendly, Slippy. Maybe they can help us," Fox theorized.

"But that doesn't explain why those two natives left," Peppy pointed out. "What if this has been some sort of setup?" he asked.

"GGRRRAAAAAAAAGGG!!!!"

Before Fox could open his muzzle to reply, a fierce roar was heard from the jungle's darkness. The four Lylatians jumped up and turned towards the source of the noise, and just at that moment, as if on cue, a huge beast rose from the treeline and shot into the air! The horrible winged creature was at least fifty meters long, with large gaping jaws equipped with razor-like teeth. It gracefully dove into the clouds, then reappeared nearly on top of Starfox in the next instant.

"Ahhh!!!!" everyone yelled, then spun around and bolted for the ocean. Slippy dashed behind a sand dune, and tucked into a shivering ball. Peppy and Fox leaped behind Fox's Arwing, and cowered under the massive steel aircraft. Falco, with no where else to go, ran right into the sea! The beast flew in pursuit of the bird, who was rapidly swimming away. "Geez!" Falco exclaimed in great panic when he had looked behind himself at the flying monster approaching. In a final resort, the falcon dove under the shallow waters, and barely missed a swipe of the large foreclaw skirting the water's surface.

The beast, having missed its first target, whipped around and steered towards the beach. It climbed to the clouds again, then took a sharp turn into a vertical drop. Fox and Peppy, who were distantly observing the flying monster's aerobatic skills, realized who the beast's next target was, and started to yell across the sand, "SLIPPY!! GET OUT OF THE WAY!!"

Slippy uncurled himself and looked into the sky in time to hear his friends' frantic cries. "Huh? Oh no!" the frog croaked. Slippy blundered to his feet, and tried to scurry away to safety, but it was too late. The beast swooped over the fleeing frog, clamped his heavy claws around the Lylatian, and brought itself airborne again. The creature's powerful wings sprayed sand and dirt in all directions, as the monster tried to gain some elevation and depart from the beach.

Fox and Peppy gasped in horror as their friend was being carried away, literally, by air. "He's not going out today," the fox growled, and hopped to his feet.

'I've got to have something to fight this strange beast...' the fox quickly thought to himself. 'Of course!'

McCloud reached for his blaster... However, the holster was empty. The fox dug through his flight jacket, but the weapon wasn't there, either. "Huh?!? It's gone! What happened to my blaster?!?"

Fox pulled something from his pocket, with hopes that it would be what he was looking for... It's a fruit.

An idea stuck the fox just then. He looked from the small fruit, back to the beast trying to fly away, and knew what he had to do. Fox climbed over the glass window from his wrecked ship, and ran out onto the beach with the fruit clutched in hand.

"Come back here! Ya yellow-bellied, three-legged, one-eyed, turd face!" the fox cursed with rage, then hurled the fruit onto the beast's tough hide. It was a crude insult, yet very effective. The unusual melon striked the monster directly on its flank, and shattered into juicy bits. The winged menace immediately dropped its slippery cargo, and the screaming frog was launched onto the sandy beach with a thud and a cloud of dust.

"GGGRRRR...."

Fox gulped. He knew this wasn't the smartest move he'd ever made, and that was especially clear when the beast plunked to the ground and began a head-on charge!

The fox spun on his heels and dashed away from the giant speeding bulk. The monster was gaining distance faster than Fox could run away, though, and escape quickly seemed impossible. The fox caught his foot on something, then flipped around onto his back with a painful jolt. By the time he had gotten back up, the monster was on top of the fox; its swirling eyes a stunning yellow, with its bared teeth a color to match. Fox could only use an instant to see what he had tripped over... a turtle's nest?

If Fox didn't die on Titania, or in the crash on the beach, he surely would here. The beast reared onto its hind legs, and lifted up a giant claw ready to strike the fox down. Its terrible breath, the gleaming red scales in the morning sun, and the giant foreclaw lifted above his head were clear in Fox's mind. Peppy could be heard in the background... but his voice was muffled by the strong sound of the monster huffing in a giant breath of air. This was it. Fox braced himself for a grim fate, and could only wish that he was dreaming... everything.

WHOOSH!

Leather straps cracked through the air like whips, and launched themselves at the beast from all directions. Dozens of ropes and ties curled themselves around the monster's legs, arms, and neck like barnacles on an old sea vessel. The beast howled in agony, then hurled itself into the sky and over Fox's head. The Lylatian flew to the ground from the force of its beating wings, and his face buried into the dry sand.

The ropes gripping the monster were like heavy weights, quickly restraining even the simplest movements, and the creature could hardly stretch out another wingfold before crashing back to the sand. It snarled and thrashed wildly on the beach, and after many long minutes, the beast finally collapsed in a huff, and stopped moving.

Everything grew silent, and Fox carefully sat up...

Once the sand had settled, the monster was dead still. Not even a flick of its massive tail showed a sign of life. The tightly held ropes and straps were released from their hidden ends, and they snapped back to their proper lengths. Fox edged closer to the strange beast with slow, cautious steps.

Slippy emerged from the sand dunes, while brushing the gritty substance from his clothes. Peppy crawled away from the safety of the wrecked Arwing, and approached the dazed Fox. "Fox, are you okay?" he asked worriedly. "I-I'm fine," the fox stammered.

McCloud gawked at the strange beast just ahead of him. It was a sight to see for any Lylatian, and Fox certainly had a close encounter. He wondered what it was, and where it came from...

A gurgling squawk was heard from across the beach. Falco barged out of the waves, and staggered towards his teammates like a drunken sailor. He dropped to his knees and started to gag from swimming too long in the salty water. Fox and the others raced towards the drenched falcon, who was coughing loudly, "Birds... are not meant... to swim!"

"Sure they are," Peppy commented. "Ever heard of ducks?"

Slippy couldn't help but to laugh, "Hehe... you look like a blue rat!"

"Shut-up... grease... ball," Falco sputtered.

"Hey, what's that sound?" Slippy veered off the subject.

"I hear it too!" Peppy agreed with the frog.

The fox's ears perked up, as the surrounding jungle suddenly came alive. The bushes and shrubs jerked back and forth. The leaves rustled violently, as if something was moving closer... towards the beach! No... it wasn't another winged beast. This was smaller... faster... and coming from everywhere!

Fox REALLY wished he had his blaster now.

Now the sounds were nearer... and louder... a strange chant could be heard, and it increased its intensity as it got closer...

The ferns tore apart, and bushes split open, and dozens of the strange reptiles that the team had encountered last night stepped out onto the beach. Each wielded a polished stick, which was fashioned with a spearhead on the sharper end. All wore stern faces, and glared fiercely at the four Lylatians, who could do nothing but glare back.

"This is not good..." Falco muttered under his breath. "How obvious, Falco," Slippy said sarcastically. "Will you two shut up for once!" the hare snapped.

Fox set his eyes on the surrounding natives, completely ignoring his friends' quarreling. Their skins were all colored differently, like a reptile rainbow of some sorts. An elaborately dressed scarlet creature stood before all of them. It was shouting to the other reptiles while pointing in separate directions. Giving orders. 'This must be their leader,' the fox assumed.

The scarlet one gruffly whirled around and pointed a finger at Starfox. "Yika! Yaka!" it snarled. It was impossible to understand what it said, but the merciless glare in the creature's eyes told everything. A pack of the reptiles encircled the Starfox team, and cut off any possible escape. They held their spearheads level with their shoulders, and aimed directly at the four Lylatians. "Yo... yishi ya!" one of them barked. "Yishi ya!" the rest echoed.

Falco stepped forward and pulled out his blaster... then gasped at his empty hand. "Crud! What happened to our weapons?!?"

"Uh-oh..." Slippy whined.

The Starfox team was trapped. No where to run, no where to hide, and now nothing to defend themselves with. Fox could have easily taken down one of these reptiles -blaster or not- but the fact was that he and his friends were simply outnumbered. The team huddled close to each other, but it provided little protection. Fox wondered how many more times fate could save his fur. The whole world seemed to be spinning around him, and there was nothing the fox could do to stop it. 'Will this day ever end?!?' he wondered, even as the hoard of attackers closed in.

Miya and Meekachu continued to march. They marched through sand, and thick forest, and grassy clearings. The marched until their feet were blistered and sore. Miya had not spoken a word, nor uttered a compliant, until several hours later, when dusk was approaching Yoshi's Island once again.

"Meekachu... I am tired. May we rest now?" she asked the yellow one, who was strolling far ahead of the pink Yoshi.

"Yes. Let us stop here. We can continue tomorrow," Meekachu decided. He circled around a small clearing, then sat down on a cleared patch of dirt. Miya joined him, after only a few swaying steps.

Meekachu somehow enjoyed the way he had taken matters into his own hands. The Yoshi had always assumed a more passive role, especially with matters concerning Miya, but on this trip, he had to put his foot down and take the lead. It was the only way to convince Miya to leave those savage creatures back at the West beach...

Speaking of the creatures, that was the first thing Miya spoke of as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Do you think those animals are okay? I mean, from the dragons and all..." the pink one trailed off when she caught Meekachu's gaze. The yellow Yoshi frowned and replied quickly, "I don't know, Miya. Try to forget about them. They're not your concern now."

"How can they not be my concern!?! We found them first. When we get back to the village, if we get back to the village, we will probably be asked about them. Of course, that is assuming that they do not become dragons' bait first. What are we to say?"

"We are to tell the truth. The only truth there is. We saw them, we took away their weapons, and we left. That is all that happened. But we shall not worry about them now," Meekachu grumbled.

Miya didn't bother to ask where they were going, or how they were going to get there, or when they were returning to the village. She couldn't ask. Everything seemed so wrong right at that moment. The Yoshi knew she shouldn't have left those creatures behind. But was her father right? About the weapons? And the wars? Why was she not told of such things before?

"Aren't you worried? About Salith? And Baroth and Barnoth?" Miya tried to start a conversation.

"Of course I'm worried. She is my mate. They are my children. But I know they're safe. It's a sixth sense; I don't know how to explain it," Meekachu answered with a glazed look across his face. He was watching the skies, and the first bright stars making their evening appearance. The Yoshi looked troubled, as if his past were consumed by flames, which was reflected from the flicker in his hazel eyes.

The pounding of dragon wings against the night sky could be heard from above. An entire heard of the beasts was swooping down from the highlands. They scattered in the twilight, and searched the canopies for food... or a token to bring back to their filthy lairs. Miya and Meekachu fell back under the cover of a fern bush, with hopes that the dragons' sharp eyes would not detect their quivering bodies.

"What are they doing? What has brought their attention to this place??" the pink dinosaur whispered. "I don't know," Meekachu's strained voice replied.

Minutes passed, which slowly grew into what seemed to be hours, as the dragons' calls sounded through the night. The two Yoshies remained hidden in the ferns, while silently watching the skies overhead for signs of the giant beasts' return. Slowly, the creatures glided away back to the mountains, one by one, with giant scraps of polished rock dangling in their massive claws.

"Oh my... Meek, is that what I think the dragons are carrying away?" Miya asked with great concern. Meekachu gulped. "Yes... It is."

The pink Yoshi looked away from the sight with tear-filled eyes. She knew exactly what had become of the four animals. The dragons came. The beasts killed all four of them, and took their giant stone eggs back to their lairs like trophies of war. It was a terrible thought, and Miya couldn't bear it. It was all her fault.

Both Yoshies remained still and quiet throughout the rest of the night. Miya attempted to stay awake, and watch for approaching Yoshies, but the chanting insects and warm tropical breeze eventually lulled her into a peaceful sleep.

Starfox had marched all day through a hot, thick, bug-ridden jungle, with an army of grunting reptiles armed with spears surrounding all sides of the little 'parade.' It was an exhausting form of travel, and Fox could at least wish that his hands were not tied behind him so that he could swat at the flies hovering overhead. Falco, Peppy, and Slippy were close behind the fox, and marching in a single file line. Everyone was tired, even the tough-acting creatures that were holding the mercenaries prisoner.

The sun had already disappeared several hours ago, and besides the small torches carried by some of the natives, it was almost entirely dark. Not even a slice of moonlight cut through the forest's dense canopy. Fox stumbled over bits of tree root and clumps of grass protruding onto the thin path. He started to wonder if these creatures would ever stop to rest.

One of them turned to Fox and grumbled, "Yo yik ya," while smacking the back of his head. The fox instantly recoiled from the painful blow to his sensitive ears. "Ow! Geez, what was that for?" he growled angrily. The creature chuckled with a ghastly grin, and soon others joined the reptile's snickering. Fox smirked. Being laughed at was something he was NOT prepared for. Slippy briefly muttered something, but it was beyond the fox's hearing.

After many more minutes of endless walking, the group had finally arrived at the end of their long march through the jungle. A vast clearing lied ahead, dotted with small huts and several lit torches suspended on wooden stands. A small crowd of even more reptilian creatures, big and little, arrived on the scene to greet everyone. From the looks of things, though, the greeting more applied to the other reptiles than to Starfox.

For a village, this place was huge! Trampled paths rolled around the straw buildings and converged at the center of town, where an peculiar object similar to a stop sign was placed. Some of the huts where stocked with melons and berries, others with pearls and beads of all sorts, and the rest had nearly everything else. The air smelled of fresh fruit and smoldering fire, which reminded Fox of a trip he once took to...

"Yo, yoshia! Yo yishia!" one of the creatures' shouts interrupted the fox's train of thought. Fox, Slippy, Peppy and Falco were shoved ahead of the line and forced past the gathering creatures towards an aged hut lined with wet clay and sticks. Each Lylatian was pushed into the cramped structure, where only two of the reptiles followed.

"Yo yakka yi shi. Ya yo yi yii. Yishi?" a pale creature asked. It was handling one of the torches with one arm, and pointing into a caged room with the other. The other creature dragged Slippy into the room, and nearly slammed the frog into the opposite wall while attempting to do so. "Hey, knock that off!" Slippy yelled. Acting completely oblivious to the complaints, the reptile approached the frog, unsheathed a cutting knife, and snapped loose the ties that were holding Slippy's hands together. Falco attempted to slip out of the hut at the same time, when he was stopped by the jagged edge of one of the creatures' bone-handled blades. The falcon jumped away from a third creature who had wandered inside, then was snatched by the wing and thrown down beside the frog. Peppy and Fox were treated in a similar manner, before a barred door was slammed behind the four Lylatians, and locked tightly with a strange latch. The three creatures walked away with a haunting chuckle, and left Starfox in the darkness of the prison.

Slippy and Peppy immediately scrambled to the front of their cage, and tried to pick at the door's lock in the dim light. "Arg! It's useless!" the frog pouted. He sat back and folded his arms like a two-year-old. Peppy sighed, then stood up and walked back to Fox, who was sitting on a straw bed.

"Even if we could get out, how would we make it past all those creatures outside? You saw how many there were," Falco said while waving a blue wing towards the small window on his end of the room. He tried to help everyone relax a little from that fact, but his effort seemed to make the situation only more hopeless.

"Falco's right. There has to be a way to get out, though," the fox reassured his teammates.

"Well, I don't care right now. It's too late to worry... I'm going to sleep," the hare announced, as he propped his head on a straw pillow, and immediately started to snooze. "For once, a good idea," the falcon added. Peppy consciously raised an eyebrow at the comment, then shrugged and returned to his rest. Fox collapsed with a sigh onto the straw mattress he was sitting on, and silently gazed at the ceiling as Falco stretched out on the other bed. Slippy curled into a corner and started snoring right away.

The fox watched firelight splash through the prison's small window, and onto the ceiling caked with mud and dry grass. Oddly enough, he was pondering Falco's words from earlier that day.

Miya and Meekachu awakened the next morning, and began their traveling day anew. Meekachu started to lead the pair further inland, and at one point, Miya began to believe they were traveling in a circle. As the mid-day sun was streaking across the blue sky, she finally asked, "Meek, where are we going?"

"We are going to visit Tieka."

"But I thought you said we couldn't visit her yesterday."

"No, I said we couldn't take those creatures with us. I never said we couldn't go to her by ourselves."

"But Meek, she'll want to see them."

"We can simply tell her that the dragons got to them before we did. Stretching the truth a little never hurt anyone."

"I used that line on you, once. I told you that Barnoth stole the fire sticks when I was the one who did. You found out who was the culprit, and I was grounded. That line is a weak defense."

"Well, this is different."

"How so?"

For a moment, Meekachu couldn't find the words to explain this paradox. He finally answered, "This was a life and death situation. We had to leave those creatures before they endangered our lives. Not to mention that telling Tieka that will hurt her feelings."

"My feelings were hurt, but that certainly didn't stop you from leaving those creatures to die," Miya replied with a grunt.

"Miya, if you ever mention that again..." the yellow Yoshi threatened with a balled fist, but never turned around to look the pink one in the eye. He dropped his arm, and continued to explain their travel plans before Miya could muster up a smart reply.

"Besides, I promised Tieka that I would tell her right away if another of her kind ever came here."

At those words, the pink Yoshi slammed her foot onto the soil and planted herself at that very spot. She folded her arms across her chest and refused to move. Meekachu spun around to meet the angry Yoshi's gaze.

"I thought you said we couldn't go back to the village," Miya growled.

"It should be safe there by the time we get to Tieka's hut. We are taking the longer route around the village," the yellow one spoke with hardly a hint of remorse as he started to walk away.

Meekachu didn't seem bothered at all by the thought of bringing death upon four innocent creatures, but became very irritated when he got lectured about it. Miya frowned. She couldn't understand him at all, and didn't want to. It was too hot, too late, and too pointless to start that conversation again in a vain attempt to conjure up that Yoshi's conscience. The pink one sighed and began to follow after her father, who had already disappeared around a corner in the trail.

The two Yoshies stomped through the jungle for the remainder of the afternoon, and on into the evening, before eventually returning to the Mulhollen village. By the time they had arrived, another spectacular sunset was in the making, as the skies dulled into a deep red color and left the village square marked with the leaping shadows of straw homes and shops. Strangely, the town was nearly empty of Yoshies, and silent as the surface of the moon, spare one crackling torch burning to ashes.

"Where is everyone?" Miya wondered.

Meekachu didn't speak. He led Miya past a row of buildings, and into a hut marked with the insignia of the family residing inside. Meekachu's family has a symbol sketched into their door frame, too. It is a way to ward off evil spirits, and a convenient system of identifying houses. Miya marveled at this house's symbol, a large eagle with bright green wings. The bird represents courage, and the green plumage is the family's official color. The bird also clutches a sword in its talons, which represents strength. The pink Yoshi could easily tell that this hut is the home of a family of warriors.

Meekachu pulled Miya by the arm through the doorway and into the house, where a large black salamander was weaving a net from spider's thread and a bone needle. The animal was seated in a chair in the far corner of the room, and hardly noticed the two Yoshies walk inside until Meekachu grunted a hello. The salamander, who is referred to as 'Tieka', immediately looked up from her work and motioned for the two reptiles to come forward.

Meekachu whispered to Miya, who looked a little dazed, "Do you remember how to sign?"

"I know 'hello', and 'how are you', but not much else," the pink one whispered back.

"Alright, then I'll do the talking," the yellow Yoshi spoke. Meekachu stepped forward, and began to talk slowly in Yoshian while motioning his hands in correspondence to his words. "Greetings, Tieka. How are you today?"

Tieka gently placed her needle and thread down on her lap, and signed a message with quick movements and a keen smile growing on her face.

"Tieka says hello, Miya... She also says that her master is... dragon hunting... with most of the warriors of the village... Three dragons so far were killed..." the yellow one translated as quickly as he could as the salamander excitedly signed her news.

Meekachu's jaw dropped as Tieka finished her chattering. He gaped in awe and shock as Miya frantically asked him what she said. "Meek, what is it? What's wrong??"

The stunned Yoshi turned to Miya, and silently mouthed the words to himself before announcing them aloud. "She says... that four prisoners were taken from West beach."

Miya's eyes widened, then she stepped back from Meekachu while trying to grasp what was said. The Yoshi quickly understood, however, and started to ask questions faster than she could think them up. "S-she found out from whom? Ask her! What do the prisoners look like?"

Meekachu translated the message, and the salamander signed her reply with a curious click of her tongue.

"She says she hasn't seen them yet. She asks why we want to know," the yellow Yoshi spoke. Miya's expression grew stern, and she harshly whispered, "Tell her about the creatures, Meekachu."

Meekachu reluctantly did so, with Miya's angered gaze watching his hands sign out the words. Naturally, the pink Yoshi was upset. If it had not been for a fortunate circumstance or two, those four deserted animals would have been dead thanks to Meekachu... but... where they really alive? Miya needed answers.

Now Tieka was the one who looked shocked. Her eyes widened just as Miya's did.

The black salamander then jumped from her chair, sent the needle and spider's thread flying to the dirt floor, and leaped in front of Meekachu with a giant-size grin. Tieka hastily signed another message, which Meekachu replied to just as quickly. The salamander paused, glanced around the tiny room, then signed one of the few messages Miya understood, "Come." With that, Tieka ran from the hut and onto the village square. The two Yoshies scurried after her.

The village was oddly silent. The only signs of life from outside was a crackling fire left to burn.

Meanwhile, inside the prison cell, Fox was carelessly watching Falco as he peered out the window towards the empty streets and roads. The falcon was tapping his foot to a tune that only he seemed to know, and which gladly repeated over and over in his mind. For everyone else, this was growing irritant... fast.

Slippy threw a broken stick in disgust, and in Falco's general direction. "Hey, I'm trying to work here!" the frog said with great frustration.

"Oh yeah? It doesn't look like you're going anywhere with that," the bird contradicted his croaking friend.

"That just shows what you know," Slippy grumbled.

"I bet it does," Falco retorted.

Slippy rolled his eyes at the falcon, but it showed no affect, and the frog grudgingly got back to work.

"Slippy, what on Corneria are you doing?!?" Peppy questioned the busy frog.

"Trying to open this lock."

"No you're not," Falco remarked.

"No one asked you, Falco," Slippy turned to the bird again, who was still watching out the small window, and threw another stick.

"One more time and you're a road apple, frog face," Falco threatened.

Slippy held his tongue. He really wasn't in the mood for getting into a huff over Falco and his ill-tempered nature. Fox didn't seem to mind, however.

"What's your problem, Falco?" the fox couldn't resist asking.

"I have no problems, with the exception of that slimy lump sitting over there," the falcon gestured towards Slippy, who jumped to his feet at the insult.

"Take that back!"

"Do it yourself. I dare ya."

"That's it! You're getting on my nerves, Falco!" Slippy shouted. The frog stomped his foot and waddled towards the bird, who hardly gave him a second look before returning to his window-watching. "Well?" Toad spoke up.

"Well what?" Falco asked.

"Apologize to me, for calling me names."

Falco grunted and shook his head. "Oh please, you are so childish."

"You're the one being childish!" Slippy squealed. "Fox, do something!"

"See? Everytime something goes wrong, you run to Fox."

"I do not!"

"Wha'd you just do? I rest my case," Falco made his point, then looked back out the window.

Slippy was furious, but he had nothing else to say. He returned to his corner of the cell, and sat down in a huff.

"Aw... the baby has to go to time out," the bird snickered.

"Shut-up, Falco," Slippy grumbled.

"Falco, lay off the Slipster already," Peppy cut-in.

"That's none of your business, Peppy," Falco snapped.

"That's where you're wrong, my feathered friend. And you'd better shut your beak before I do something worse to you than 'time out'," the hare growled, and held a balled fist in the air.

Now Peppy was threatening Falco.

"Give it your best shot, old timer," the falcon challenged, then turned away from the window to show he was serious.

"Why you little..."

"Stop it!" the frog screamed.

Fox had heard enough. He didn't want to have an all-out brawl on his hands because Falco wouldn't shut that hole in his face. He climbed from his corner of the room and stepped between the hare and bird. His words were harsh, and directly to the point.

"I don't know what's the matter with you, Falco, but you've been acting like this ever since we started for Titania. Not that your little jokes aren't welcome when they're appropriate, but this time you're going way out of hand. If you know something that we don't about the past two days, than I'd be glad to hear about it, but not if you're going start bickering with the rest of my team. Do you understand that, Falco?" Fox finished his lecture, and directed his gaze towards the bird in an equally serious manner. At that moment the fox realized that the tables have turned his way. Falco's eyes grew wide, and he slumped into the corner of the room without another offensive word.

"I can't tell you guys..." he muttered.

"Can't tell us what?" Toad asked. Slippy's anger had melted away into a strange curiosity. The frog intently watched Falco, and could barely tell... was he crying?? Slippy tried to restrain a gasp of shock. Falco with a sensitive side was news to him. It was hard to tell if the falcon was really crying, because he had hidden himself in a convenient shadow. Now Peppy and Fox, too, were watching Falco, and waiting for him to answer.

"No. It doesn't matter. It was a long time ago... just forget about it," the bird forcefully shot to his feet and turned away, as if he were ashamed of something...

Fox barely picked up a sound coming from outside... someone was coming! "Guys, I hear somebody!" he announced. Peppy could hear the sound, too. His ears stiffened, and the hare turned to face the doorway of the hut. Everyone quickly brought their attention to the door, with the exception of Falco, who couldn't bring himself to even look up.

Two of the strange reptiles entered the hut. They were recognized instantly by Slippy, who croaked a greeting. "Hey, it's those two creatures from the night before!"

Fox was surprised enough by their appearance, and was taken even more off-guard when a third creature followed.

"Oh my stars..." Peppy gasped. "It...it... it's a Cornerian!"

The creature, a black salamander striped with red and yellow, was overjoyed by the sound of familiar voices. She smiled pleasantly, and replied in her native language, "Hello."

Slippy was thrilled. "Great! Someone that speaks like us! You're from Lylat?" Toad asked in a high squeal, as he climbed to his feet and approached the bars of his prison cell.

The salamander nodded. She looked across the tiny hut, and introduced herself politely, "I am from Lylat, yes. Zoness, actually. My Mulhollen name is Tieka." The salamander spoke with an unusual accent, which she undoubtedly picked up from the lizard-like creatures that live here.

Tieka was tapped on the shoulder by the yellow creature, then watched the creature signal something with its hands. The salamander nodded, then looked back at the four Lylatians... her eyes widened with gleeful surprise, with was proved by her broad grin. Tieka whispered a word softly to herself, leaned forward to look past the cage's bars, then called out with a gentle tone.

"Falco???"

The bird, having been identified by name, slowly gathered his wits and turned around from the corner of the room. Falco stared at the salamander for a long time... Fox feared for a moment that he would pass out from shock, but the falcon remained on his feet. He hoarsely replied with a single word.

"Sara???"

Slippy couldn't believe this. How was it, that this Tieka person not only knew Falco, but knew his name without even being told? Even worse, Falco knew her! He glanced from the salamander, to Falco, and back. It made no sense. The frog was REALLY confused now.

As for Fox, he knew something was wrong with Falco... but it was just starting to make sense. Falco not only knew this girl from somewhere, but fox would bet that they were friends, possibly girlfriend and boyfriend, not so long ago. Something went wrong, and this Sara person was left here... would this have anything to do with Titania? Was that why Falco has been so nervous all this time? Why didn't he say something before? Fox could only guess.

"Falco... is that really you?? It has been so long," the salamander starts off on her own little speech, "I have missed you, and Katt, and Dan so much. Tell me, what brings you here? Who are your friends? Don't be so shy. You were never shy around me."

"Trust me lady; this is a first for us," Slippy interrupts.

"S-s-Sara... I thought you were... were..." Falco couldn't end his sentence.

"Dead? I thought you would think that. That is also why I thought you would never return," Sara sadly finishes. "You know, I have been here for four long years... But stories can come later. You must introduce me to your friends, Falco."

Falco blankly glanced around the room, and seemed to be at an extreme loss for words. He finally spoke up at Fox's urging. "This is Fox, and Peppy, and Slippy. We're Starfox." The falcon grinned proudly as he spoke.

"Fox... McCloud? You're kin to James, aren't you? James McCloud?" the salamander addressed Fox cheerfully. "Yes I am. He was my father," the fox said politely. "I have heard of Starfox. Except there were only three when I last remembered. What happened to James? Is he still around?" Sara attempted to recall her life in Lylat as she asked Fox that question.

The fox saddened, and looked to the floor at such reference to his father. "He... died. My father died, a while ago."

Sara held a hand to her lips and gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I did not mean to hurt you. I really didn't know... See, Falco? See what I have missed? You've run off and joined the famous Starfox team while I am gone, and meanwhile, this kid's father dies."

"It's okay, really..." Fox tried to cheer up.

The two other creatures interrupted again. The pink one grumbled something to the yellow, who hand-signaled the message to Sara, who replied with more hand signs.

"Whoa! You can talk to them??" Slippy excitedly croaked.

"Oh, yes, I nearly forgot. I would like for you guys to meet Miya and Meekachu. They are some of the creatures that live here. The most advanced of the races on this world are the Yoshies, two of which are standing before you. They wanted to know if I knew you guys," the salamander explained.

"Oh... that's neat. We could use you as a translator!" the frog hypothesized.

Fox agreed with this idea whole-heartedly. "Sara, you wouldn't mind if we did that?" he requested.

"No, of course not. You see, when I came here, I was captured by this Yoshi tribe, much like you guys were just recently. This tribe is called the Mulhollen, and the Mulhollen are very vicious warriors. Also, in case you haven't noticed yet, the Mulhollen is a tribe ran by women. This fact served to my advantage, and I was taken into the tribe as a labor force. My slave master is a sapphire-colored Yoshi named Jara... He treats me kindly, but I have missed my home back on Zoness..." Sara sighed, but continued her story, "Well, I was taught to communicate to other Yoshies by using hand signing. Even so, I still have not learned to speak their language. Everytime the Yoshies try to teach me, it sounds like jibberish."

"So it wasn't just me. I thought at first it was simply a different language, but I've realized that these Yoshies speak in entirely different wavelengths! It is confusing," Slippy mentioned. Peppy broke into the conversation just then.

"Wait... if this tribe is more lenient towards women, then what will become of us?" the hare asked.

"I do not know... that is why I am worried. I know it can't be too bad, because Jara said that you all were unarmed at your capture... was that true?"

Fox was reminded of the attack at the beach, and recalled how his blaster mysteriously went missing. He wondered if...

"That was right, actually. Our weapons were gone when we woke up yesterday morning, and so where those two," the fox said as he pointed to the two Yoshies standing on the opposite side of the hut. "Sara... can you ask them why they left? Yesterday, that is. What happened to them."

Sara takes the attention of the yellow creature, and signs Fox's message to the Yoshi. The yellow one nods slowly, and grumbles to the pink one. The pink Yoshi turned furious in the next instant, and started shouting angrily at the yellow one in its own language, "Yish yo yoshi yak yoshi yi yoshi yi! Yo yoshia yo?!? Yoshi yo yakka? Yish, yo yakka yo yoshi." The yellow one harshly grumbled a reply, and both started a strange fight. Sara tapped the yellow Yoshi's shoulder, and the creature jumped back with a start. The yellow one signed a brief message, then returned to its arguments.

"What's he saying???" Fox asked curiously.

"Meekachu says wait..." Sara translated. The yellow one waved an arm wildly, and the pink one fell silent. The Yoshi then looked to Sara, and started to sign a message to her.

"Meekachu says... that he and his daughter were afraid of you, and that you would hurt them with your weapons... he says that he took your weapons while you slept, and threw them into the sea... then took Miya away from you," the salamander said aloud.

"He did what with our what?!?" Falco blurted out.

"What did what with our weapons?!?" Slippy squealed.

"What?!?" Peppy growled.

"It was him?!? I don't believe it!" Fox exclaimed. He fell back and smacked his forehead in a frustrated gesture. The pink Yoshi, quite startled from this spontaneous reaction, started grunting and growling at the yellow one, which started another squabbling fit.

The fox raised an eyebrow at the two bickering Yoshies, and started to laugh at the sheer irony of it all. Peppy faced the laughing Cornerian and spoke with a grunt, "What's so funny, Fox?" McCloud recovered from his senseless chuckling in time to answer, "Heheh... they remind me of us." Slippy snickered once he caught the joke.

"I don't think it's THAT funny..." Falco commented.

The hare looked back to Sara, and promptly asked, "What are they fighting about?"

Sara shrugged in confusion, and tried to speak with the yellow Yoshi; the one she called 'Meekachu.' The Yoshi whirled around and started to signal a frantic message before the pink one, or Miya, could reach out and stop him.

"Meekachu is angry at Miya, because she won't listen to him... she says that it would... have been safer... if they didn't leave you alone on the beach... She wanted to bring you all with her and Meekachu through the jungle... to avoid... a dragon attack??" Sara sounded unsure of those last words. Starfox exchanged puzzled glances, before Sara continued with her translation.

"Meekachu... didn't trust you... no gun, he says... He says.... something about a war... and a fire... He's making no sense now. I can't understand it," Sara finally gives up her attempt to translate the scrambled message, and instead tries to get both Yoshies to calm down. Fox jumps from the straw mat in his corner of the caged room, and steps up to the barred door of the prison. "Miya. Miya, calm down. Please," the fox begs. He reaches through the strips of rock and clay keeping him trapped inside the hut and waves to get the pink one's attention. The pink Yoshi sharply turns to Fox, and regards the tone of his voice carefully before lowering her own voice considerably. Meekachu also resumed a more relaxed disposition, then nodded his approval of the fox's actions. The yellow one signed to Sara with a single hand, then grumbled some soothing notes to Miya, who cooed in reply.

"Meekachu says thank you to the fox for calming his daughter. She is very distressed... and very worried," the salamander spoke.

"About what?" the frog asked out of curiosity.

"About you guys."

"Us? What do we matter to her?" Slippy questioned.

"I don't know. She likes you, I suppose." Sara grinned. "Young girls are always hard to understand, you know," the salamander chuckled.

"Wait, I want to know something," Peppy interrupted. The hare pointed over to the bird, who still looked a bit bewildered, and asked with a confused squeak, "How on in the world do you know Falco? And from where?"

Sara appeared surprised by the question, as if she wasn't expecting it. She gawked strangely at the falcon, who backed up a step. Falco didn't appreciate the unusual attention he was getting one bit. "Now wha'd I do?" he squawked.

"Ah! Falco, I don't believe you!" Sara scolded. She placed her hands on her hips and gaped at the falcon with a shocked expression. Falco shrugged helplessly. "What are you talking about?!?" he asked.

"I've been missing for four long years, and you never even mentioned me to your friends. And I thought we were close. I was holding on to the slim chance that you came back here to save me, but that's thrown out the window now," the salamander nagged.

"Save you?!? I thought you were dead, for crying out loud!" Falco shouted defensively.

"Then at least have the decency to carry on my memory, you witless blunder! No wonder Katt liked you so much. You both shared the same I.Q! I can only guess why you're back here now! I don't suppose that McCloud over there ever had a clue about what he was getting into, did he??"

"Now waitasec, I had no way of knowing..."

"You had every way to know not to come back to Titania! If you assumed I was dead, then why return?!? As a matter of fact, the first thing that should have came out of your beak when you headed out for that planet would be at least some kind of warning. And don't tell me that you told your friends about what happened, either, because I know you all too well. You kept your mouth shut, because you thought it wasn't important, didn't you?? You have no idea how lucky you are that the warp zone that brought me here didn't fry your ship and spit out your bones on this very island. I would kill you from here just for that, but I think that your teammates would rather have a piece of you first."

Falco froze in his place as everyone, even the two Yoshies, turned towards the stunned bird. He tried to say something -anything- that would serve as a good defense, but Falco knew he was screwed from the moment the angry fox laid eyes on him.

Fox was, indeed, about ready to kill Falco: right there, right then. It didn't take long for the Cornerian to piece together the clues...

"Grr... Falco!! You lied to us!! Geez, of all the rotten, stupid acts of history..." the fox cursed as he paced back and forth across the prison cell's dirt floor. "That Sara was telling the truth just now, wasn't she? You knew Titania was dangerous, you knew all about the explosions, and you knew what was going to happen before we even got near that planet, didn't you?!? Why? Falco, why?? Why didn't you say something, before you nearly got us all killed!" McCloud repeated the question, almost to himself, and his fury gave out to a baffling disbelief in what was going on. He stood before Falco with questioning eyes, but the falcon only backed away in shame.

"Stop it, Fox. He did not mean for this to happen, I'm sure. I got carried away," Sara's gentle voice interrupted. "Falco was never the one to talk about his past, anyway. He is always trying to live in the present, so it doesn't surprise me at all that he wouldn't mention such an important piece of information. Besides, it wouldn't do you any good to start yelling at him at this point."

Falco shot a look towards Sara, which seemed to say in itself, 'Who's side are you on, anyway?' The salamander laughed, "Oh, I'll never forget that look on your face right now, Falco. I'll never forget it."

Falco frowned. "Alright, that's enough of this. I didn't crash on this stupid island, get captured by hostile natives, and thrown into jail just to have you come out and save my feathers. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm getting out of here as soon as the chance arrives," he announced to the salamander, who rolled her eyes at the mention of escape.

"And... how do you expect to do THAT? I don't think you clearly understand the situation," Sara tried to explain.

"No, it's REALLY simple, Sara. Get out of this hole in the mud, find our ships, and fly outta here!" Falco yelled as he pointed outside the small window next to him.

"Your ships are no more."

"Excuse me??" The frog seemed perplexed by this unusual news.

"Yeah, what's going on??" Peppy demanded.

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but you guys fly Arwings, correct?" Sara tried to get her facts straight.

"Yes..." the fox confirmed. He had a bad feeling about what Sara was going to say next.

"Good. Because that's what the Yoshies saw being torn apart and carried away by the dragons. If you're getting off this island, you're not going to be doing it with those pieces of scrap metal," the salamander concluded. She crossed her arms in front of her and cocked her head sideways while awaiting a reply or comment.

"Scrap metal!?!" Slippy took the rough description as an insult.

"Oh, thank you SO much, Sara. Do us a favor and tell us some actual GOOD news for once!" Falco spoke sarcastically, while stepping forward and waving his large blue wings in an exasperated gesture.

"Well, I speak the truth, assuming that your Yoshian friends' description of your ships is accurate. I don't think they could have been referring to any other starships, do you?" Sara pointed out.

"We don't really need our ships to get out of here, do we?" Slippy asked with a hopeful voice.

Fox, Peppy, and Falco's eyes widened at such radical thinking. Falco was ready to step up and smack some sense into the frog, but he wasn't in the mood to start another fight... for once.

Miya, who had been watching the following events with great enthusiasm, grumbled something to the yellow Yoshi, who whispered something back. Meekachu shrugged, then spoke to Sara, who glanced his way and watched his signing closely.

The Yoshies were entirely serious when they brought up their question, and were shocked to see their friend Tieka jump up in uncontrollable laughter.

"What?? What did they say??" Falco and Peppy spoke at the same time.

Sara took a deep breath, and muffled herself for a moment to translate the message.

"Hehe... Miya was trying to guess who the leader of the group was... She said, it was Slippy, because everytime he speaks, everyone else grows silent and looks at him." With that, the salamander fell over and started to chuckle again, just before everyone else began to join in the laughing.

"That's not funny!" Slippy squealed, even as Fox, Peppy, and Falco were sprawled out on the floor in a fit of laughter. "Oh, lighten up!" Sara said to the frog.

Once everyone had caught their breath, Fox sat up and glanced across the room at Sara, who was signing something to the yellow Yoshi. The salamander pointed to the fox, and continued to communicate with the other hand. When Sara had finished, Meekachu growled to the pink Yoshi sitting behind him, and she nodded in return.

"So..." Fox spoke, "If we can't get to our ships, then what ways can we escape? There must be a way back to Lylat."

"Well, I was once told of an old story about a time, long ago, when creatures just like us would travel to this island. Meekachu told me, actually. He said, that the creatures were not properly understood, and when his race tried to talk to them, they started to kill the Yoshies. Meekachu said there was a great war, and that the ancient magic of the island, the sacred Yoshi magic, was the only thing that saved his race from destruction. The magic banished the creatures back to their homeland, and sealed the way to get back to the island with a special barrier. The place where the creatures were lured into just before the magic was used is largely unknown, but rumor said that it is on a great mountain surrounded by dragon beasts that forever guard the gates to the other realm." The salamander ponders this story for a moment before continuing, "But it is just a story. I never thought much of it. Personally, I consider myself lucky. Because of that tale, most Yoshies have never trusted someone like me, but I have not been mistreated very harshly at all."

Peppy was very intrigued by this story, which caused him to ask, "Do you know where this mountain would be?"

"Oh, it's very far away. Many nights walk from here. Not to mention that escape from this village will be difficult," Sara reminded the hare. "Not if our new friends help us," Fox remarked. The Lylatian stepped forward, and showed an eager grin towards Sara. "Go ahead. Ask them."

Tieka looked surprised from the fox's words, from what Miya could tell. She took a while to think of what to say before finally signing a translation to Meekachu. The yellow Yoshi then took his turn at being shocked.

"They want to escape..." he breathed, "They want us to help them get out of the village, and take them to..."

"Take them where? Where, Meek?" the pink one anxiously blurted.

"To M'hakashan."

"M'hakashan?? They want to go to that mountain? Isn't that in dragon territory?"

Meekachu started to speak as he expressed his thoughts to Tieka in hand-signals, "That is suicide. Dragons will kill you all."

Tieka hissed the words to the four imprisoned creatures, who started to discuss the topic amongst themselves, spare the bird, who remained in silence. The fox growled loudly over everyone else, and the talking abruptly stopped. Tieka gestured a message back to Meekachu.

"In a nutshell, they said that it is better to take a risk at dying than to stay prisoners," the yellow one translated.

"Than we shall help them," Miya declared.

"Miya, are you insane? We can't go off on some pointless crusade! Besides, have you forgotten about your acceptance??"

"You say that as if I look forward to it! I don't know about you, but I speak for myself when I say that the only pointless thing about these past three days is that I am about to get assigned a life-long assignment that's not even of my choosing! I don't care how this village is run, and by whom, but I'm not following along with it anymore!"

"If you won't listen to reason, than listen to me. We are not going to that mountain of death, and I don't care what you have to say about it."

"You are not my master. And I am no slave. I am going with them."

"We aren't going anywhere!"

"Who said you had to come?"

"You won't be able to understand them without me. You don't know how to sign."

"I'll learn," the pink one spoke. She gathered some spears and a pair of elaborately-carved strips of tree bark from the far corner of the room, and approached the prison cell's door. Miya slipped the strips of bark through a latch sealing the door closed, and it snapped loose and dropped to the floor after some effort. The Yoshi struggled to push open the cage door, and was instantly joined by Tieka, who was willing to help.

"Fine. I'll play along with this, but I'm telling you, Miya. It's not going to be a piece of cake, ya know," Meekachu warned.

"It's okay, Meek. You are working with the most reckless Yoshi on the island! We haven't been caught yet, and now's not the time to start," Miya proudly grunted, just as the barred door flew open and slammed into the opposite wall. Sighs of relief sounded from inside the small prison, before the four creatures and Tieka filed out of the hut and onto the village square for some fresh air.

"Miya, they can't stand out there! They'll be seen!" the yellow Yoshi panicked.

"Don't worry, Meek. Remember? Everyone is out dragon-hunting, like Tieka said. Now's the time to make a clean break," Miya reminded the worried Yoshi, then lifted up a pile of spears and ambled out of the hut to join the others.

"I hope you know what you're doing..." Meekachu grumbled. He glanced across the small prison at the empty cell, and shook his head. 'She's going to get us killed... again!'

By the time the yellow Yoshi had caught up to the others, Miya had already armed everyone with stone-tipped spears and was attempting to explain where they were going. She was pointing off into the jungle, and signing what few words she knew with the other hand.

The bird only shook his head and sighed, then muttered something to the fox, who in turn shrugged with confusion. Tieka caught Meekachu approaching from the corner of her deeply set eyes, and she signaled a message to him almost without thinking, "What is she saying?"

"Miya, allow me," the yellow one interrupted.

"Oh, please. If you would..."

Meekachu stepped ahead of the pink Yoshi, and started to signal Miya's ideas to Tieka while speaking in Yoshian, "We are going to head into the jungle, and follow the great valley until we reach the entrance to M'hakashan's caves. Then you are all on your own."

Miya groaned at the yellow one's last instructions, but quickly decided that she would allow that to be so. It was still an unsettling thought, however...

Meekachu continued, "We need to stay quiet and keep a low profile. No other Yoshies can find us, and we should avoid any dragons at all costs."

"Meek, what about Tieka? Is she going to escape with them?" the pink one asked, but she knew the answer even before the words shot from her mouth. Tieka considered the idea for only a second, looked to the bird standing behind her, then nodded and signed a reply.

"Tieka says yes, of course."

"Then we're ready. Let's go, Meek. We need to get started before everyone gets back from the hunting trip." Miya delicately scooped up a single spear with her small hand, then took the lead away from the village and onto the jungle trail. The fox, hare, frog, and bird all nodded after Tieka's brief translation, and started to march right behind the pink dinosaur.

Meekachu sighed. He had the keen sense of incoming danger fresh on his mind, but the Yoshi chased after the small party anyway. He figured that it just might be worth the trip, despite the consequences that would befall him along the way.

With that, their journey began....