#melon's adventure

[earthnashes]

Meet Melon's pack! As the story of Melon's Adventure progresses, we will eventually see some, if not all, of these yoshi buddies, so what better way to introduce them than to show off their looks? :)

In order of appearance (in the full lineup image), we have:

Bread (brown yoshi): A very sweet yoshi with a love for bread. Interestingly, yoshis don't really cook... or bake. So where exactly does he get his baked goodness?

Butter (yellow yoshi): Bread's twin sister. She's feisty and fast, and has an odd love for butter. She's willing to eat it by itself, much to her brother's chagrin.

Coconut (blue yoshi): An inquisitive yoshi with a love for coconuts! He spends most of his time exploring the beaches of the island, sniffing for his favorite treat and for any treasures he can take home.

Chili (red yoshi): A large yoshi with a hot temper, and even hotter tastes; they love spicy foods, but especially chili peppers! They're quick to frustrate and is sometimes overly strict, but is fiercely loyal and protective of their packmates. They take their role as protector very seriously, and is often the one to join Fig on her patrols.

Potato (purple yoshi): A large, chomky yoshi with a love for potatoes! She love to eat and is always hungry, but is also very generous; when they forage for food she makes it a point to try and find every tasty morsel she can for her packmates. No one goes hungry on her watch!

Pitaya (pink yoshi): The smallest yoshi in the pack, Pitaya is a little lazy and prefers taking naps under the warm sun over any of the chores his packmates task themselves with. Still, he has the strongest nose in the pack, making him their best tracker. His favorite snack is Dragon Fruit!

Melon (green yoshi): The main character of the story and the leader of the pack! Melon is adventurous, kind, and curious; he isn't afraid to venture into the more dangerous parts of the island if it means mapping out safe paths for his pack. In fact, that was what he was doing when Mario landed on his head. His favorite snack is watermelons!

Fig (black yoshi): The largest, strongest yoshi of the pack, Fig is Melon's trusted second-in-command. Her scars are a testament to the fights she's fought for the safety of the others, and she always came out on top, even if it came with a price. She has a permanent limp and is also the oldest of the pack; in fact she was the leader before she passed the status to Melon. Her favorite snack are figs!

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These little rascals are all gonna be available as stickers and a stickersheet in my store's launch: Debuting TOMORROW! ;w;

Stay tuned! ^.^

[earthnashes]

The title card for Melon's Adventure, my retelling of the events from the game Yoshi's Island!

I wanted something that captured the grand adventure I always saw the game being as a kid, and this ended up being the result. I'm not gonna lie I'm very happy with the end result; this, alongside the rest of the art from the story, is probably some of my best work to date if only because I really tried taking a few steps away from my comfort zone regarding perspective and action! ;w;

Speaking of! I mentioned in my journal update that my first online store's themed debut is coming up! This Friday to be exact: this art is featured on two of the merch I'll be selling!

One is of a poster; the poster is actually the size of a standard movie poster you'd see at the theaters. The other is an illustrated book! All of the written and drawn parts I did for Arc 1 of the retelling has been compiled into what's basically a children's book. I took the liberty of updated some of the writing so there's gonna be some stuff that's new, but ultimately it's still very much readable and viewable online for free if ya'll aren't interested in spending any moolah. :] I'm extremely happy with how it came out though; I'll be sharing picks sometime Friday to showcase it! ^.^

Other than that though I'm just glad it's finally done. Roughly a year and some change in the making, finally coming to fruition. ;w;

[earthnashes]

The designs for the acrylic charms that'll be debuting in my shop this Friday! I wanted a batch to showcase Melon and Mario together, so I took some of the drawings I did for the book and isolated them, cleaned them up a bit, and baddaboom. :]

I think at some point after the release of these I may do another tiny batch; one or two, that features Melon and Mario in some behind-the-scenes extras. I enjoy the idea of Melon basically seeing Mario as his human son, so I think it'd be cute if I depicted that a tiny bit more; maybe of Melon hugging the lil bastard or offering him fruits. In any case, I can't wait to show ya'll the physical versions of these; they look pretty good! ;w;

[earthnashes]

Melon didn't stand a chance.

One moment he's staring the end of their journey over the horizon, and the next he's sent plummeting into the awaiting maw of the trench he stood over by a hearty smack of a claw.

He yelps as he tumbles, twisting in the air for a heartstopping moment before his back meets a crag. Mario's cries are muted by rushing wind as he slips again, falling falling falling--

A heavy thud echoes as he collides--bounces-- off another rock face. His ears rings with the rattling in his skull---

A sharp thwack of his head hitting a jutting ledge, and suddenly Melon doesn't hear-- or feel-- much of anything the rest of the way down.

A metal tang coats his tongue red, and the sting of the air bites against his bruises.

 No weight on his back anymore-- 

Everything hurts. 

--the boy...Mario. Where's Mario? D-did he fall too--

Can't move.

--he needs to get up. His human cub, he could be hurt o-or--- get up--

Stay down.

--get up get up GET UP-- 

Melon stays down, can't muster the strength to listen to the mantra in his head. Instead, all he hears is the desperate wails of Mario, and it's enough to force his eyes open just a sliver. He blearily looks up.

At the edge of the cliff he tumbled from stands the silhouettes he can only barely make out; three huge, three smaller, all laughing and pointing and grinning toothily at the heap of him. The leader- and he must be, with how he leers cockily over the ledge-- sneers down at him.

"Thank ye for the delivery, lad! We've been lookin' all over for this little bastard," he says, and without a care he swings a hollering Mario over the ledge by the scruff. The boy twists precariously in his grip --one slip from falling-- and reaches out for Melon with terrified tears in his eyes. He wails some semblance of his name, and Melon feels his gut twist.

no

"Come now, lad, I see that long face from here; ye nothin' to worry about! Brat may've been a pain in the arse to get, but it'll be worth it in the end. Pirate's Honor: we'll take real good care of 'em," The leader gloats, ugly grin stretching wider as he flicks the boy's nose with a sharp claw. "Just like we have his snivellin' flake of a brother. They'll fetch a fine cut yet."

No no no give him back

"I reckon ye wanna say g'bye at least, aye? I could grant that much, bein' a frog of honor and wot-not." The captain holds Mario high above his head, like an angler would his prized catch, and grins down at Melon from his spot above.

"Go on then. Tell 'em 'afore I change me mind."

Something twisted and ugly clogs Melon's throat with bile and copper. He bares his teeth and tries tries tries to bark, to roar, anything to demand his human cub back to him.

GIVE HIM BACK, his mind screetches. But all that crawls out of his mouth is a rattling, broken whimper. It drags his strength with it by the scruff, spilling in a tiny puddle of spittle and grime and blood as his vision begins to waver. His eyes glaze over and fall closed against his will.

And within the canopy of booming laughs and grating cackles, the last thing Melon hear is Mario's cries.

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AND HERE IT IS.

Part 10 of Melon's Adventure, FINALLY COMPLETE, and with it Arc 1 of this story has come to a close!

I'm glad I managed to finish this arc even with it being forced into a hiatus alongside my burnout months back; I had an absolute blast revisiting my childhood and telling the story in a way I've always imagined it as a kid.

Now, given that it's been a while since the last part, I've taken the liberty to compile all of Melon's Adventure into the #melon's adventure tag for ease of access if you'd like to read it back from the beginning!

Despite this marking the end of Arc 1, I'm hoping to make this the start of me delving back into my Super Mario AU, albeit in a slightly different way. There's still plenty of stories there I'd love to share with ya'll. :>

In fact, in related news: I'm actually planning on opening an online store, and my first planned launch will be themed on Melon's Adventure! More information to come on that relatively soon as more work is done.

At any rate, I hope ya'll enjoyed this story! More to come soon! owo

[earthnashes]

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I am EXTREMELY excited to announce that my first themed launch is now LIVE! It's been roughly a year and some hefty pocket change in the making, but it's finally done and I'm very happy with the outcome!

Thank you everyone for the support, I hope you enjoy what I have in store; more to come soon!

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Visit EarthnAshes's Ko-fi Shop!

I've opened a Ko-fi shop. Come take a look!

[earthnashes]

Melon leans down and stares at the tiny human, looking for all the world normal despite his circumstances. It's almost as if he didn't just fall from the sky and break his fall with Melon's head! The baby tilts his head, and Melon mirrors it.

A baby? Human baby? Here?? Surely he's far from home?

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BEGINNING(CURRENT) –>> Part 2

Retelling of Yoshi's Island from the perspective of one specific Yoshi (Melon) on a quest to get baby Mario home! I posted this ages ago with some of the other parts that are already completed, but will be posting them proper with small story snippets as I finish the story illustrations out. I predict I have about 4-6 drawings left, so you can expect a weekly update on this story! :>

But yeh! Our story begins! Here's hoping ya'll like the start so far. uwu

[earthnashes]

It's been a long day, and Melon is exhausted. Ever since escaping Hookbill and those pesky Lakitus, he and Mario had been on the move almost non-stop, taking advantage of the Super Star Fruit's power to cover more distance. But it had to wear off eventually, with Mario burping off the remnant of the magic before they slowly--but surely- sunk all the way back to the forest floor and in the middle of the Sluggy Snowdrift Mountains.

As soon as they touched ground a blizzard fell upon them, and Melon set out to find suitable shelter.

So far, no such luck. No matter where he turned, all Melon could see was the vast expanse of snow, the screen of heavy snowflakes, and the dark silhouettes of tall mountain peaks in the distance. As a yoshi the cold didn't bother him as much, but he could feel the shivering of Mario upon his back even wrapped so tightly in his favorite blankie (how he managed to keep it, Melon can't be too sure).

Melon stopped for only a moment, just to pick the boy up from his back and instead cradle him close to his chest. He huffed hot air across Mario's red-tinged face, tucked his blanket closer (if that were possible). When all Mario did in response was shiver even harder, Melon let out a trill of distress; he had to find something.

With his eyes straining against the blizzard Melon set off again, head on a swivel in hopes of finding anything that could work.

His luck finally earned him a place in the form of an old burrow. It must've been home to a Huffin Puffin before it migrated. Whatever the case, it was empty, and Melon wasted no time setting the place straight.

Snow was dug out and away, debris cleared, dirt scrapped until it lay flat and dry. Only when he felt it right did he set Mario down in the bare nest, being sure to tuck him into his blanket before he settled in himself. Melon positioned himself in front of the entrance to shield the boy from the cold, curling protectively around him.

He didn't dare sleep, not at first. He waited until he felt Mario's shivering subsided, until his breath evened out into the cadence of a peaceful slumber. Until he was sure the kid was warm and secure, red eyes trained on his face for any sign of discomfort.

Mario eventually sighs and snuggles deeper into the yoshi's side, chewing contently on his binki, and it's only then Melon allows the insistent pull of sleep to drag him under.

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Against the darkness of the night, three pairs of red eyes peek into the den. Even against the howl of the blizzard they can hear the reptile's rumbling from within; it's likely a purr, but one as small as a mouse can never be too careful.

Two of the three stay back, mindful of their distance, but one braves the entrance and quietly patters into the den. Closer to the yoshi and the human cub he's curled around.

The hidden mousers squeak out questioningly, but the brave one doesn't answer at first. It clambers up a rock and leans as far as it dares, peering into the sleeping face of the small child.

Brown hair? Check.

Big nose? Check.

Red hat with an M? Double check.

This is the one they were searching for. The Tweeters reported true.

Finally the brave Mouser squeaks its affirmative; perhaps a little loudly, if the sudden growl--sleepy but full of warning-- was of any indication. The rodents flee the den before they could wake the yoshi and his boy up, cowardly but excited nonetheless.

The boss will be very pleased with their findings.

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Part 7<<– Part 8 (CURRENT) –>> Part 9 (TBA)

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Part 8 of Melon's Adventure is here! :) We're now entering the home stretch of the first act of this story; only 2 more parts to go!

I'm super excited to finally get so close to the end, largely because I have plans on making mini artbooks out of the story's illustrations (it'll include both the art and the written shorts). The books is planned to also include things like concept art, a few WIP progress shots of some of the pages, character bios of the main characters + enemies, and unique cover art. It's gonna be a bit of an undertaking but I think it'll be fun!

At any rate, that's all for now! Apologies for the writing in this one; I've been a little sick the past few days so the quality may have suffered a little bit, but I wanted to deliver both to ya'll on time. ;_; I hope you enjoy! More to come soon!

[earthnashes]

Melon slows his gallop to a halt once he reached the break through the trees, and feels a strange sense of Déjà vu; he stood on this particular cliff edge of the island in what feels like ages, but familiarity settles in all the same. He looks out over the horizon into the vast open expanse, down at his map. Up, down, then up again.

As marked, the little human village is merely a day's trip away. Unlike the first time he searched for it on his favorite cliff-- with the jungles and valleys and caves and foes as obstacles-- the only thing between them and the end of their long journey is nothing but the calm sea.

Melon takes in a deep breath. This is it. All of the danger and hardship, finally coming to a close. He feels a sense of relief in it, but as he gives a playful trot in place--and hears the familiar squeal of laughter from Mario as the boy hugs his neck, just like the day they started this adventure-- Melon suddenly feels a sense of sadness.

Despite everything, something in the yoshi doesn't want it to end. Not if it means being separated from Mario forever.

He's come to care for the human cub as if he were his own, and the thought of parting ways with him hurts the yoshi in a way he didn't expect. He needed his new family; he needed to be around his own kind. But Melon knows he's gonna miss him terribly.

The yoshi's breath releases in a heavy, bittersweet sigh, and he allows himself to get lost in the memories of their journey, staring blankly ahead. So preoccupied with reminiscing, Melon fails to notice Mario's laughter suddenly stop. He doesn't notice the patting against his shoulder, growing more insistent the longer he remains still.

He doesn't notice how the light of the sinking sun is suddenly blotted out by incoming silhouettes. Not until it's too late.

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Part 9 of Melon's Adventure, donezo! Only one more part left before this ark of the story comes to a close!

I'm pretty sure I mentioned this a while ago, but this is where the story ultimately takes a turn to deviate from the canon plot of the game. This is specifically because Kamek and Bowser are not responsible for Mario and Luigi's kidnapping in this version. It's someone else! Can you guess who? The lil critters in the last two parts are hints. ;)

At any rate, giving ya'll this update early! Last part will take a little while because I got ambitious, so there’s likely no update for this lil story next Monday. I’ll instead post something else! Until then, thank ya’ll for taking a peek! ^.^