Chapter CCLXVIII: Dreams and
Promises ~Lich
In utter silence, a golden glow shot across the water, scaled the rocky cliffs
with absolute ease, and bathed the rolling hills in new sunlight. It rollicked
among them, before leaping, and bounced from one set of plate glass windows of
the seaside metropolis' skyscrapers to another, turning them into radiant
pillars of gold. Satisfied, it skipped from rooftop to rooftop of the houses,
before landing on a strip of sand near where a stream entered the sea, on the
other side of the island. The light then bounced, gave the sea a Midas touch,
before performing an act of chiaroscuro on a lone tower sticking out of the
depths of the
In this journey, the light caressed the features of an orange Yoshi lying on
the beach, dressed in scuba gear. His oxygen tank lay at his side, his flippers
hung limply on his feet, his breaths echoed inside his snorkel. As if it were
begging, the light stroked the reptile's eyes, and with a groan, Dyluck
Thanatos Yoshi von Kippo opened them.
The first word he used to greet the new day was a Pandoran expletive.
He heaved himself up, disconnected his oxygen tank from his back, removed the
mouthpiece, and sat on the sand, staring out at the lone spire of Dinokan, the
reminder of Golden Robo-Yoshi's devastating attack - he spat as he thought of
his name. His mind felt strangely blank, and questions were beginning to form.
Why am I here in my scuba gear? I was scuba-diving at Dinokan…Drepatos, why
would I be scuba-diving at Dinokan in the first place? Because…because…
Lich sucked air in through his teeth. He couldn't remember why, but a memory
floated into his head…
A boat trip…YoshiDude and Drakonis were with me…I told them something,
something important, or at least having that feel to it…parents. Tell parents
I'm dead if I don't come back in three months - why three months?
There was a journey. He knew he'd had a journey from the way his body felt
tired yet containing a strange feeling of relief to be home.
Home…maybe there's more answers there…
He removed his gear and placed all the pieces into his Mana Storage…there were
some changes to it…
How much time had passed, anyway?
He withdrew two watches from his Mana Storage, both containing calendars, but
one on Fa'diel Time (Pandora Mean) and one on Yamauchi Time (Kingdom Mean).
More than three months had passed since he'd last remembered looking at a
clock. The new day was subjected to another Pandoran expletive. He decided he'd
tell them later.
He got up and checked his side. Yes, it was there, the Boomerang of Light, the
Cyan Arc, the…Xol'Arago?
Lich wondered where the strange word that popped into his head came from. It
sounded very…Xel'Naga in origin, of course, Markior was always on about them,
so he'd be able to tell him. But it sounded like a real word, it was a
name…another name for the Arc?
Lich shook his head, bemused, grabbed his thongs from his Storage, slipped them
on, and trudged home.
He walked along the footpath on Yoshipuro Avenue before turning into Recugrian
Street, the signpost on the corner of the intersection announcing the two
streets' names to the world. He looked up at it. The name "Recugrian"
bore into his skull.
Something about nine…ninth son…a Prophecy…me.
Words seemed to flow out of his mouth as he said aloud,
"The time shall come to pass when the ninth direct son of Recugrian
will be born off this world. He shall come back from the dead, holding the
fates of his two worlds in his hands. He will fight for them, yet on another
world altogether."
Something told him he would be back from the dead as he surveyed his front
lawn. The grass had grown to knee height from no mowing, his Kippo Rentars were
looking rather sorry as they hung their heads limply in his flowerbeds. Yet the
thought remained in his head with utter conviction - he was the ninth direct
son of the warrior Recugrian. How could he prove that, though?
A tomb in the caverns beneath the Sanctuary, where Recugrian's body finally
came to rest. It was inscribed on the side of it…they could get DNA samples
from the bones and match against his, if needs be.
Drepatos, how do I know that?
He walked up to the front door, pressed the Boomerang against it and heard the
familiar click of the door unlocking itself. There was a sudden yelp and his
unusual pet, the Hydralisk known as Todd, came slithering around the side of
the house.
"No, Todd, stay down…stay dow - oof!"
Lich was now prostrate with the creature on top of him, its coarse tongue
licking his face merrily while he tried to defend himself with his arms.
"Yes - alright - I'm home - getoffme…"
The Hydralisk obeyed and slithered back around the corner of the house.
"I'm going to have to teach you not to do that," Lich sighed, then
entered.
A light layer of dust had settled on everything inside the house. An offensive
smell came from beneath the coffee table in the living room, where a box of
Fa'Dieli curatives sat. After dragging the box out, he opened the cardboard lid
to find that the Pakkun Chocolate and the Round Drops had melted and had
started to grow mouldy. He retched, before salvaging the Cups of Wishes from
the box and placing them on the table, taking the box and throwing it in his
garbage bin at the back of the house.
"I should never leave those out, especially at this time of year, keep in
the fridge - oh, heck…"
He spent the next hour with a cloth around his nose as he cleared all the
expired food from his refrigerator.
"I am never, ever going away for that length of time ever again with stuff
in there," he muttered.
Mowing, weeding and watering his garden took up the rest of the morning - he wondered
why he was so foolish not to ask someone to take care of it while he was gone.
He dared not wonder how Todd was looking rather healthy.
After consulting with Nessie to have his opinion on what had happened (he was
just as blank as he was), he flew on him to Olympus on his pre-determined
route. As he crossed into Yoshiville airspace, the air traffic controller at
the other end seemed surprised to hear his voice again as he announced his
entry into it. He left it a few minutes later, flew over the hills and into the
gorge created by Sparkle's Glacier. He rose to cross over the spires of
Markior's Lair…and found that there was no spires.
Indeed, there was no Lair.
Shocked, he descended over the piles of grey stone rubble to where the entry
would have been. Strangely, the doors still stood in their doorway. Confused,
he walked up to them and was ready to push one open when a green head popped
out from behind it.
"Ssssir Lich!" Klongo, Markior's butler greeted him in surprise.
"We all thought that you were dead!"
"No, I'm here, alive," Lich replied. "I don't know where I've
been all this time, but that's a different story. Klongo, what, by the
Elementals, happened here?"
"The Masssster went to Aiur to fight, and hassss sssstill not returned. I
sssseem to remember ssssome ssssort of battle that had him and ssssomeone
elsssse, but I think that'ssss a dream. Anyway, the Terran Ssssamir Duran came.
The other Godssss and Goddessssessss tried to fight him off, but he
desssstroyed the Lair. When the Masssster returnssss, he will not be happy.
I've retreated to hissss sssspayssss sssstation - thesssse doors act assss a
teleporter. Do you want to come onboard?"
"No thankss," Lich said, trying hard not to copy Klongo's lisp.
"My Heratu's ss -Syndrome will kick in. I'd better go and tell them at the
'Rorium I'm back. Ssee you later."
As he walked away, recalling Nessie at the same time, Lich ran his tongue
through his teeth, trying to get rid of the inclination to perform the
servant's speech impediment. He then began to think once more - why didn't
Markior return to prevent the destruction of his Lair? Why did I scuba dive at
Dinokan in the first place and wake up on the beach months later?
The memory of an inscription on the cliffs below the bridge, written in the language
of Mana, Rhenzin, telling me to go there, from…some name, began with
"H"…what was it? Hamling? Happening? Hurting? Haver - Havering. That
was it.
"Holy crap!" a voice reached him.
Looking up, he saw two Yoshies staring at him - Cammiluna, the yellow Sage of
the Underground (and Charizards), and her friend Pink, her colour self-evident.
"What the…" Pink started, approaching him. She poked his chest with
her finger, then turned to ask Cammi, "What was I smoking last
night…"
"Pink*crack, of course," Lich smiled. " You seem happy to see me
- are others in? Seen Dragon around?"
"Lich, you're not a zombie or a vampire or a ghost or anything, are
you?" Cammi asked.
Lich pulled back his lips with his fingers and asked, "No reary hointy
teehh?" He let go and walked a few steps, asking, "Am I
lurching?" He then grabbed Cammi's hand and asked, "Solid, not
gravestone cold?"
"No, except that it's gravestone cold," she gave a nervous smile.
"Satisfied, I hope," he answered, letting go of her hand. "Seen
Dragon?"
"She disappeared the same time as you did," Pink replied.
"People just - poof - disappeared, over the past few months, like you.
Have you got holes in your memory?"
"Yeah, there's a lot of fuzziness in my mind."
"So does Sixtyfourhundred. Though, he often goes down to what they call
the 'mortal realm'. But he's been more…quiet after this one, says he can't
remember much. Returned today."
"Yeah," Cammi agreed. "I don't know where Dragon's gone, she
might return soon."
Lich thanked them and continued walking to the Aurorium. As he went, he passed
many other Yoshies with exactly the same feelings as Cammi and Pink - some ran
from him, some approached him cautiously. Eventually, he reached the doors of
the Aurorium, went inside, and made his presence felt by yelling at the doors
to the chamber, "Parano!"
All the Gods and Goddesses turned their heads to see the orange Yoshi. The room
became was filled with uproar as they floated down to him and they all tried to
talk to him and congratulate him on his homecoming.
He couldn't remember anything throughout the next few hours, until he was
entering his house in Yoshibane again. He decided that he would go home to
Fa'diel and tell his parents that he was, indeed, alive, but a good night's
sleep would be better first. One thought kept tugging at his mind, though:
Dragon. What had happened to her?
A memory came down on him like a brick: a room of some sort, metal ceiling,
walls and floors, with many people - their faces flitted through his memory,
some of them entirely unfamiliar to him…Markior was there. He told Lich that
Dragon had received a calling…a calling to her homeworld…and was gone.
That can't be true! It's a dream! Who are these people?
Another voice suddenly interjected: Companions. It is true - she has gone to
her homeworld, possibly never to return. I hope you have gained much from my
time with you.
Who are you?
Your guide whilst on Zolott. But you have now returned home, though your
memories are shaky - I know particularly well about balance, and I will not disrupt
the balance of your memories with my name. You have no need for me now.
Zolott?
One thing I will tell you - you were taken from Yamauchi and placed on the
planet of Zolott as part of an elaborate game, with the dealer ending up the
loser. I must depart - but I have left a gift for you to find. Cyado aripa,
Dyluck von Kippo.
I don't understand! Come back!
There was no answer - but he could feel a strange emptying of his Mana force,
as if something had left and taken part of him with it.
A gift to find? Dragon…gone?
He sighed, his facial features becoming glum. He decided to get his mind off it
all somehow, by trying to remember as much as he could of the past few months,
and writing down the memories as they came to him.
He sat at his desk and opened the drawer where he kept blank paper - it was
empty. He reached into his Mana Storage and withdrew another piece of paper;
oddly, it was wrapped around three medals. Unfurling the paper, he could see
that it Koopan handwriting on it:
To my friend, D'krim, a.k.a. Dyluck von Kippo,
As we promised, I am about to travel to Ulrezaj's lair to rescue your love,
Riu.
Although I have seen classified KBT information regarding Ulrezaj, which should
raise my confidence levels, I am frightened. After reading the files on him, it
awoke a fear in me that I cannot conquer. I do not know if I will return.
Coupled in with this is the fear of Vatari, Garat and Kroko's safety from the
Gr'tokoru family, if I do not.
That is why I ask of you to restore my family to governance of Ket'nalkok in
return. You will find them at my house: Bauzur Udab'tek 38, B'kirik, Arez'ku
(we had to flee from Ket'nalkok). Take them to either Yoshiville, or the Koopa
Village east of Toad Town in the Mushroom Kingdom - they will be safe there.
Give them these medals - they will know you come on my behalf. I have left this
letter and the medals in the pocket of a pair of your shorts as it came back
from being cleaned.
Even if I do not make it off this accursed planet, I know you will, someday at
least. I have read of you in KBT information, and to have actually met you is
an honour I will never forget. I put my faith in you, Guardian of the Cyan Arc.
The shuttle will be ready soon, I cannot write anymore. Good luck, my friend, I
hope you will find your brother someday soon.
Telg B'ralku, a.k.a. Tob, KBT Agent 49248
Telg B'ralku…Tob…a KBT agent? What was I doing with one of them? A Koopa…a
friend? Yes…this person was a friend…I met him in a desert city…he asked me to
save his family and kill the other one - all the ongoing Koopa families taking
pieces of each other, he was set to be a governor…I made a promise to him to do
it. Then…there was a fight…a nuclear -
Lich gasped and drew his hand to his mouth.
"He died," Lich whispered breathlessly. "Before my eyes…and I
couldn't save him…"
Ark had gone in his childhood. Now, Dragon, his love, was gone. Multehx, his
other good friend, had disappeared. This "Tob" friend had died.
Markior…
A ship, a Protoss…carrier, I think. He piloted it…I was watching, he…
"No!"
This is how it's meant to be, he could hear Markior's voice say. He felt
very alone. He rested his arms on the desk, placed his head on it…
The doorbell rang. He got up and shuffled sadly towards the door. He opened it…
Someone leapt into his arms. The weight of the person made him topple backwards
onto the floor. He looked up…
"I've found you!" cried Ark Beruga Yoshi von Kippo.
"Ark?!" Lich sniffed, a smile filling his features.
"The one and only, Dyluck," Ark wiped away a tear.
The others didn't matter so much now - Ark was with him again, he felt whole
for the first time since his childhood. He had a promise to fulfill, but that
would come later. His dream had come true - he had Ark, and Ark had him.