Mountiantop Stars (Mario x Ydris)

1. Curiosity

Ever since Ydris had first arrived in Jorvik, he had been fascinated by how different things were here. One would expect that, this being the world he would someday destroy, Ydris would not enjoy his time here. Certainly would not allow himself to get attached to anything. And oh, yes, the people here could certainly be pretty and interesting, sometimes both at the same time. He had, admittedly, also fallen in love with the horses, often wondering what it might be like to run free as a horse. Not that he had ever found a reason to do such a thing.

It was the night sky, however, that Ydris had most fallen in love with. For, when the day gave way to dusk, gradually transitioning into pinks and purples to match his tent (they were also his favorite colors), stars began to pierce the expanse of sky. And those stars, of course, reminded him of home. Home, where the Panda rays flew through the air, giving happy chirps as they flapped and spun around, the larger ones once hunted by his people when his people had existed. Oh, what he wouldn't give to go back there.

Night on Jorvik was a curious phenomenon, though. For, in the darkness of the night, lights appeared at different points across Jorvik. Curious, Ydris had followed the direction of one of these lights one night into the great forest of Greendale, ignoring the blue and white horse who had snorted at him before continuing on his way. Also ignoring the singing that he heard, the siren song that was not just from a rift to his world being open so close by. At last, Ydris had been puzzled to find a white contraption set into the ground in the forest, one that appeared to be a door. Crouching down, Ydris had run gloved fingers over the five-pointed star marked into the door, brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to puzzle out this mystery. There was a strange sound coming from beneath the door, mechanical in nature. What could this possibly be?

Ydris had returned to his wagon, to page through the many books that he had in an attempt to shed light on this mystery. No knowledge had been forthcoming, and he had at last resolved to ask any Jorvegian who came by.