Dementia Master.

[Lazo]

"Be logical in all things. Do not allow instinct or passion to cloud your mind."

Working group Title.

Re-weave of something I started a year ago, but never finished. I think I just might, if only for street cred. Still trying to find the most pleasing paragraph format.

Comments encouraged.

End function.

Y'know what...! Hunh, sometimes knowledge of errORs sooner would be nice.

[bloodoftheyoshi]

The link is F'ed up, again... you know what to do I guess...

[Lazo]

"No matter where you go, there you are."

Something was wrong.

Mardonius jolted awake. He whipped his head left, right, then left again, trying to find out what was causing the crushing pressure on his chest. It was excruciating, he couldn't breathe. His heart started pounding; his thoughts spun around him, he opened his mouth to scream.

He released a mighty sneeze. Groaning, Mardonius slid out of bed, thoroughly disgusted with the days start. Already I know today's going to be a bad day. What time is it... His thoughts plodded through his head as he slowly trotted outside, having difficulty maintaining his balance; his heart was still pounding from the Near Death Experience.

At least the weather was nice. It wasn't just nice, it was beautiful. Mardonius smiled as he stepped into the late-morning sun. He took a deep breath, feeling the cool breeze and letting the fresh air clear his head. He stood this way for several minutes, surveying the tropical plants and bright blue sky around him, basking in the sun's heat. His thoughts relaxed, maybe it won't be so bad after all.

A twig snapped, and Mardonius jumped, nearly out of his own shoes. But that wasn't what frightened him, it was the voices that followed. It sounded like there was an argument taking place to his left, a major one. He couldn't make out what they were saying exactly, but he recognized the voice of the one doing most of the yelling- it was the tough guy Monty. Mardonius remembered one particularly ugly incident, when Monty and another yoshi both claimed a last piece of melon. They went into a brutal fistfight. It lasted over seven hours. Seven whole hours of the most violent spectacle he had ever seen- even his most gruesome nightmares couldn't compare with the sheer destruction wrought in those seven hours. He chuckled; I almost feel sorry for that poor guy... but everyone around here should know what happens when you get in Monty's way, a week with the Apothecary- if you're lucky. It's not something I want to see. That one fight was enough. I have seen enough violence. Forever.

Mardonius was only mildly surprised to find himself walking towards the direction of the voices. After all, it had been a long time since anything really exciting happened with him. The only thing that even came close was when he got his tongue stuck under a rock about a month ago. Thinking back, he didn't even remember exactly how it happened. He went for an apple and missed, then the next thing he knew, his tongue was being crushed by a delightfully jagged boulder. It took 4 other yoshies to get it off, and by then he thought he would never be able to taste anything again. He made a full recovery, which happened to make some of the local gamblers more than a little upset. He shivered.

Something wasn't right. He stopped; his breath caught in his throat. He listened, and heard nothing. No animals, no plants, just the wind... and the voices, but even those were fading. Doubt crept into his mind, but he had already come this far, and he believed that he had almost made it, that they merely stopped yelling. It didn't explain, however, the sudden lack of life. Maybe one of them is doing it? Couldn't be, that's just crazy.

But was it? Was it really?

He pushed on, through the think underbrush- still empty of any life other then plants- and found them. The yoshi on the left was definatly Monty. His brown color and large size were unmistakable; however, he was in a position that Mardonius had never seen him in before- one of complete submission, even fear. Monty was sprawled on the ground, crying. Mardonius looked to his right, and saw a Light Blue yoshi looking right back at him. Mardonius was immediately struck by the Yoshi's eyes- they seemed to glow a bright blue. Monty turned to Mardonius. The Light Blue Yoshi smiled.

"Mardonius! Run! He's-"
Monty never finished his sentence. Ruby light surged from one of the Light Blue Yoshi's hands and struck Monty directly in the nose, cutting it cleanly in half. Monty yelped, rolled back and began bawling, desperately trying to cover his sliced nose with his hands.

One thought, and only one thought crossed Mardonius's mind. Run For Your Life!