"Is that a challenge?"
"I happen to be here doing nothing of harm to anyone. Why stop me in the first place?"
Daisy noticed that as Yoshi spoke he kept hopping a little bit, bumping her up and down. Understanding his meaning, she jumped off and walked about ten feet away, leaving the orange on his saddle. Ludwig, meanwhile, had begun a villainous monologue about the inevitable defeat of Yoshis by Koopas.
"At the rate he's going Yoshi will die...of boredom! Seriously, why doesn't Bowser get a diplomacy unit installed? Alright. I might be invisible, but I'm not helpless! There's probably something around here I can knock Ludwig off his high horse with. Let's see..."
She noticed a bee's nest hanging from a tree fifty feet away. Walking to it, she took out her honey-scented perfume bottle and sprayed around the bees. It worked. Within seconds they were swarming out, looking for the source of the odor. She ran back to where Yoshi was standing, bees in tow.
"Well, I've got one shot. Wish I had a better arm Wait a minute! Yoshi! Oh, he can't...whatever. HERE!"
So saying she thrust the bottle into Yoshi's hands. Ludwig, whose speech was finally ending, looked down and laughed.
"You intend to fight me off with perfume?"
"All I want is to be left alone, Ludwig. Fighting is not my, um, task, er... I'll keep you away by whatever means necessary!"
With pinpoint accuracy he smashed the bottle against the airship's mast, splattering the perfume over everything and everyone on deck. The bees, passionate as ever, were close behind.
"What in the name of- TURN US AROUND!" yelled Ludwig to the Goombas on board. "I won't forget this Yoshi! Ow! Hey! GAH! GET US OUT OF HERE!"
Yoshi and Daisy watched as the airship floated haphazardly away, Ludwig yelping as it went.
"That was close. He'll be back with reinforcements, of course...oh, no. That's...a Magikoopa."
"Naturally!" shrieked their new opponent. "You didn't believe I'd overlook something like Ludwig yelling and screaming at a Yoshi, did you? Ah, but you seem out of place, friend. Perhaps if I escort you somewhere you'll be more comfortable!"
With this the Magikoopa fired the wand at Yoshi, but Daisy jerked him aside just in time.
"Strange! Where did you learn to dodge these moves? No matter, I could do this all day!"
"Daisy," Yoshi murmured, "Get out of here right now."
"I'm not budging!"
"You didn't budge, did you?"
"As a matter of fact," said Daisy, who's frustration at the delays had peaked, "if this turkey wants to get to you, he'll have to get through me! Come at me, Koopa!"
No one else could see, but Daisy took her stand in front of Yoshi. The next shot was fired.
"Wha-? Princess Daisy? I- I...you can't be here!"
"Can't I though? I've had enough of you and your compadres bugging my buddies. Now beat it! Hey...wait. You can hear me? And see me?"
"Not now, Daisy!" cried Yoshi, as the Magikoopa prepared another shot.
"Yoshi," replied Daisy, "I got this. Hey, Magikoopa!"
"What?"
"HI, I'M DAISY!"
With that, a beanstalk suddenly shot out of the ground and smacked into the Magikoopa with astounding force, propelling him into the sky and several miles away. With a face of pure calm, the Princess turned and faced a stunned Yoshi.
"Um, Daisy?"
"Yeah?"
"That was really cool."
"Yeah?."
"Can I ask you something, though?"
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you do that earlier with Ludwig?"
"I couldn't."
"Why?"
"I can only direct plants and speed up their growth, not make them just appear. I didn't see the beanstalk plant until after I stood in front of you, so I couldn't manipulate it."
"Oh. Why didn't the Magikoopa's blow hurt you?"
"It was designed for a Yoshi. All it could do was put me back to normal. At least, I think that's what happened."
"Oh. Well, you're visible now. We can go home."
"Well...I dunno about that."
"How do you mean?"
"Bowser's a little faster on the draw than he used to be."
"Oh, no. You don't mean..."
"Yep. Here comes the Koopa King."
They looked down at the black holes under their feet.
"Well," said Yoshi, "We weren't planning on meeting Bow-"
(Continued next week).
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