A familiar herd of yoshies eagerly thundered through the various environments of an island they called home. They stormed through lush jungles and open plains to get to one of the most remote parts of the island where no yoshi lived, yearning to respond to a recently-received invitation. This particular group of eight yoshies had only recently been involved in a grand adventure that sent them all around the island and then some, all for the sake of reuniting a pair of lost twins. The journey was perilous and full of obstacles and challenges, but the ingenious relay system they instantiated allowed the yoshies to persevere and accomplish their goal, despite the best efforts lauded against them by a Magikoopa and his petulant boss.

Nearly a year had passed since, and the yoshies had long-since settled back into their lazy lives, indulging in the many fruits and other edible things the island had to offer. The eight yoshies hadn’t even seen much of each other since their adventure, reunited only when they received anonymous invitations to a remote part of the island. They were being congratulated for their bravery and efforts, and were promised a party, buffet, and more at what the invitation called an “exclusive resort” to attend. The mere prospect of some of the foods listed had the yoshies salivating at the prospect. Starting out separately, the eight yoshies were happy to see one-another again, forming into a single stampede of dinosaurs as they made their long trek over to the remote part of the island.

The yoshies arrived at a wide, clean, sparkling beach some hours later, only somewhat tired out from the long run. They were grateful to see exactly what was promised and more from the invitations: Under the heat of the afternoon sun and among the salty smell of the ocean air was a wide spread of food, slathered across a huge table with eight places set. A roaring bonfire was burning not too far away, with more food and some sticks littered around it for night time snacking. Clearly whoever set this up had intended that the yoshies stay the night. Given the length of the trip, all eight were happy to oblige. Without so much as a word the hungry multi-colored yoshies raided the buffet, taking their fill and then some, sitting down flat against the warm comforting soft sand, and chowing down.

The party was on! The yoshies, friends separated by the daily occurrences of life on the island, were re-united and happily caught each other up while they gorged themselves in a way only a yoshi could. The subject of who their host was came up a couple times, and speculation was rampant. Was it the stork who they rescued? The parents of the twins? Someone who heard of their hard work? There was no-one else in sight save for the eight colorful yoshies that were clearing out the table fast. The speculation ran its course as the afternoon wore on, and by the time evening was settling, not one yoshi seemed to care who had sent them the invitations anymore: All the yoshies, male and female alike, had stuffed themselves to the figurative gills, stomachs sagging out against the sand, inducing food comas. The pleasant evening climate was further lulling the yoshies into more tired, lazy conversations. All of them ended up ringing the fire and lounging in various positions, some huddled together as the coolness of night was only just kept at bay by the bonfire. Night was upon them before too long, and, full on food and worn out from the day’s activities, the yoshies settled down into slumber, smiles on all their faces.

As the last yoshi’s eyes fluttered closed, a large frog watching from afar uttered a grumble. Not everyone was particularly appreciative of the yoshies’ exploits from a year ago. Prince Froggy was among the dissenters! The sight of the eight of them full and lounging, especially the yellow yoshi, made him flash back to some painful memories. The prince thought that, thanks to the Magikoopa’s spell, he’d finally get to enjoy a yoshi properly. One snap of his tongue, a swallow and a burp later, and the yoshi was his lunch. Some… unfortunate setbacks undid his meal, however, and the frog was left to wallow in his own pity and discomfort. Ever since that day, Prince Froggy had a lust for vengeance. Some days were harder than others, but he knew he had to wait for the opportune moment to strike. He looked over to the Magikoopa wand laying beside him in the grass, primed and ready for use, and smiled.

At last the prince could set things into motion.

After a lot of planning and plotting, collaborating with some other creatures desiring a little revenge (or simply a meal), acquiring Kamek’s own powerful wand, and more, Prince Froggy was ready to go. He collected the wand with a wet flipper, and angled in in the general direction of the yoshies and the bonfire. With a simple flick and gesture, a bright flash emitted from its tip, soaring through the sky and crashing into the bonfire.  The rush of air from the extinguishing reached even Prince Froggy, startling all the yoshies awake. With an eager grin Prince Froggy began hopping towards the beach, expecting his cue to alert the others lurking near the lounging yoshies.

The prince was not disappointed. Yoshi heads were on a swivel, eyes all squinting as their vision adjusted to the sudden darkness. What had put out the fire? The lapping waves of the ocean didn’t come close to reaching the beach bonfire. Collective confusion dissipated when the ground beneath yoshi boots rumbled, one or two stumbling. The yoshies saw large, looming, ominous figures sprout out from the grass not ten feet away from them. Big, bulbous red heads spotted white, with spiked stems leading straight down into the earth emerged. Those spheres split into sharp-toothed smiles, teeth glinting in what little light the moon and stars provided. Drool further added to the gloss of lips, piranha plants large enough to snap up a yoshi in one bite now looming threateningly all around the camping dinosaurs! The yoshies gathered, backing away from the hungry-looking plants, chubby, post-buffet bodies brushing up against one-another to form a semblance of comfort during the ambush. They thought they’d be safe staying in the sand, out of reach of the rooted monsters, until a loud splash roared from behind them. All eight turned tail and gawked out into the ocean: Familiar-looking fish, giant to their eyes, emerged from the salt water, shining in the night. Big-lipped monstrosities, all eyes focused on the plump yoshies with hunger in their eyes. The yoshies gasped and stumbled back, only for loud snaps of jaws re-alerting them to the piranha plants. Were they surrounded?

Not quite! The hungry creatures along the grass and the water both could not get to the beach, where the ring of yoshies were. A quick, sharp discussion between the experienced adventurers noted some paths of egress along the beach, which would let them avoid being fish food or plant fertilizer! With a collective nod all the yoshies, hearts pounding in their chests, scattered, half one direction, half another. They motored their fatigued, weighed-down bodies as much as they could. The fish awaiting their reptilian midnight snacks looked disappointed, and softly sank back into the depths of the ocean to try again when another opportunity came along. The piranha plants, however, never gave up, some yoshies feeling the wind on their backs as jaws snapped inches away from their hides. Already divided, the panicking yoshies split up further, only a couple ending up sticking together in unorganized pairings.

The green yoshi ended up on his own, dashing along the beach, the crunch of sand under his boots noisier than the lapping waves of the sea. The sudden onslaught of carnivorous plants was not on the invitation, he thought! Thankfully they were thinning out as he ran, other yoshies finding safe gaps through them as they escaped back into the island. The green yoshi kept to the beach, planning on heading inland only when the last plant was out of sight. That didn’t take long, the yoshi sighed in relief, jogging his chubby body along and panting: Just one more was rooted ahead, already gunning for him but clearly out of reach. The yoshi sped by, seeing nothing but open land inward now. He made it!

Or so he thought…

The yoshi gasped as something wet and slimy wrapped itself around an ankle, yanking hard. He fell forward and smacked his chin to the sand, stomach sprawled out either of his sides, tail in the air. He yelped and tried to shake whatever it was that had him off, the yoshi feeling something oozing down his leg in the process. Another cry escaped yoshi lips when he was being dragged backwards. A quick glance over his shoulder made him gawk: The yoshi was being dragged by something dark and red, leading into the darkness into the island. Between him and that darkness, however, was a big, drooling piranha plant! The yoshi cried out and began digging at the sand with his paws, trying desperately to stave off the pulls from the mysterious thing wrapped around his leg.

It proved worthless. The yoshi’s rear end pressed up against the spiky stem of the large plant, who he heard audibly licking its lips from above. What little light beamed down from the stars was blotted out by the large head as the yoshi managed to roll onto his back, panting and staring up in fright. The looming sharp-toothed plant grinned down at him, goopy strands of drool noisily splatting against his wide belly. The thing grasping his leg suddenly unwound and snapped away into the darkness, leaving the green yoshi free to escape! But the scared yoshi only managed to scuff his boots into the sand before the giant piranha plant maw sprawled open, blind darkness awaiting within. When the jaws shot down the yoshi threw his arms up in front of his face, begging not to be devoured. The plant ignored him, drooling heavily over his gifted yoshi meal, plunging his jaws down and around the fattened up yoshi.

Off at a distance, a pair of reptilian eyes, glowing dimly in the night, watched. Prince Froggy’s tongue settled back into his mouth. Settled on a lily pad, he watched those massive piranha plant jaws clench around the green yoshi’s fat sides. He heard the yoshi’s wails, and it was music to his ears. He sat quietly and enjoyed seeing his vengeance begin to get acted out, as the piranha plant feasted on the green yoshi.

Said yoshi cried for help. His pudgy form was easily hefted off the ground, arms, legs, head, and tail all dangling away, with his white underside of a belly remained lodged in the jaws of the drooling plant. He felt the mouth clench against his delectable form, thick plant tongue drawing heavily across the mass lodged in the mouth already, again and again. The yoshi whined when the plant shook its head back and forth, amused at the pleas from its prey and making the yoshi dizzy. When his vision realigned, he found the plant had pointed its large head straight into the air. The yoshi was held upward for a moment, tail and legs and arms all sagging down while he tried to fight his way free. One last squeal escaped the yoshi when the jaws suddenly opened wider, his body tipping headfirst into the slimy jaws of the piranha plant. The piranha plant’s jaws clacked shut, lips sealing around the green yoshi’s tail and legs, which protruded out sideways from the plant’s bulging maw. The plant lowered its head and pursed its lips around what remained of the green yoshi, whose tail and legs motored and flailed in utter terror.

Slimy drool trickled down the flailing outer limbs of the yoshi as he whined and tried pushing his body up and away from the gullet beyond. His arms became stuck to the sticky slobber that drenched the tongue that consistently rubbed up against his fat form and salivated further over his flavor. The piranha plant remained stable a moment, before it quickly tossed its head up and back, jaws opening and closing in a flash. Naught but a tailtip from the yoshi remained, wriggling and writhing like a worm on a hook. The yoshi squealed as his head slurched to the back of the throat and plunged into the gullet, cheek compressed to the sticky tongue. The piranha plant formed a drooling grin along its lips as it loudly slurped up the remainder of the yoshi’s tail. It sloshed its meal back and forth in its bulging jaws, keeping its teeth locked down to entrap its prey.

The green yoshi wailed when he felt gravity shift again, body rolling and belly splatting noisily onto the tongue. He felt the tongue worm up between his legs and press to the fat rolls of his underbelly and butt, squeezing him towards the back of the gullet. His last pleas to not get eaten alive were drowned out as the piranha plant swallowed the fat green yoshi whole. GLRP! SLRRK, GLP, ULK... GLURRRK! The plant clapped its lips together after gulping down the fat, squirming yoshi, its stem bulging out into a pear-shaped collection of bulges, the clear outline of a yoshi head and more loudly squelching down its throat. Yoshi exclamations were muffled as his body dug into the ground, the extremely tight squeezing past the earth into its depths almost too much for his body to handle. As the bunched up yoshi finally managed to SCRRRRNCH under the soil, stem returning to normal size, a very muffled slosh rang out from beneath. The piranha plant licked its lips an uttered out an ominous belch that carried out long and far, every other yoshi pausing and shuddering at the possible implications of what they had just heard.

More muffled whines managed to bubble up from beneath the ground, the devoured yoshi packed tightly into the piranha plant’s stomach. Acids and drool drenched the yoshi from head to tail, his body curled up in on itself, snout against his gut, tail folded over his head. The walls continually compressed against him, rubbing more and more plant-stomach fluids into his hide. His cries gave way to whimpers, the air-tight chamber not giving him very much to go on. Another raunchy OOOORRRP of a burp tore through the night, saliva decorating the imprint in the sand from which the green yoshi was plucked. The piranha plant, immensely satisfied with its yoshi meal, had unwittingly robbed the pudgy dinosaur of the last of his air. More fluids and saliva filled out the harsh, squeezing belly, the green yoshi’s consciousness finally fading away. With one last, slow lick of its lips, the piranha plant eventually receded back into the earth, to digest its fat yoshi meal in peace.

Prince Froggy watched the head of the plant slip back into the earth and disappear without much noise. He couldn’t help but lick his lips at the prospect of enjoying one particular yoshi in much the same the way that the plant just had. His stomach had even growled at watching the green yoshi get swallowed whole, imagining how scrumptious he must’ve tasted. After wiping some drool away from his mouth, Prince Froggy made sure the magic wand was securely in his grasp as he hopped deeper into the island, to further enact his plans of revenge.

One down. Seven to go.