Chapter 3- New Kid On The Block

"Why don't these planes just hurry up and take off?" Ness grumbled.

"Oh, will you give it a rest?" the flight attendant snapped back, "You've been complaining for the better part of an hour."

"Whatever."

"Would you look at this?" Pika said showing Ness and Lucas a newspaper clipping. Pika read the report out loud, "A known puff snatcher has escaped from his high security asylum cell; we believe his name to be Fox McCloud." Above the caption a picture of their former friend gone bad was gazing rabidly up at them. "Poor Fox, I thought he would get over that spasm." Pika replied to the news he had just read.

Flashback

Fox sits down next to Ness and asks to change channel…

Ness punches Fox calmly in the face…

Blasters were fired; psychic abilities were pushed to the limit…

Fox had a small spasm and started frothing at the mouth…

Fox is locked behind asylum bars in a white padded cell wearing a straightjacket…

End of Flashback

"That must suck," Ness said gloomily, "I mean, no black at all, just white?"

"Ness, Ness, Ness. That isn't the point; the point is that Fox still hasn't recovered from his spasm!" Pika practically shouted.

"Aww, who cares about that, I think it would be pretty cool to be rabid. You'd get to have all of those little children running from you on Halloween, that would totally be the best costume…"

"Hey, uh, could you get off of me?" a small stranger in a dark red coat said in response to Ness falling onto his lap during his daydream, "Dude, seriously, gerroff of me!" the last three words he said came out in a snarl that jolted Ness out of his little dream.

"Oh, sorry. Hey, when did you get there? I didn't even notice you get in to your seat." Ness said very politely (How strange…).

"I am a ferret and I pride myself in my stealth. I'm sorry you didn't see me get into my seat…" his ending wasn't all that impressive.

Silence followed…

"You're pretty large for a ferret." Pika said.

"I am. Probably about five inches longer than most." His sentences were strangely halted.

"Well, what's your name then, ferret?" Ness demanded his rudeness having returned. (Aww that's too bad.)

"Sheesh, don't be so pushy. You know what just for that I'm not answering." The ferret replied to Ness's question.

"His name's…Rippy." Lucas spoke. Everyone seemed surprised that Lucas was still there. Wow that was hard; he must have defenses around his mind. Lucas thought to himself.

"How'd you get in, I've put countless spells around my mind to protect me from that kind of thing. Ever since Fox was on my tail I've had too."

"Wait how do you know Fox." Pika said.

"Eh, oh sorry. Well Fox had just escaped from his asylum cell while I was at school. We were alerted about it because our school is so near the asylum. Anyway, when I got home I found Fox there with his blasters pointed at my baby sister and my parents. I walked in and spooked him. In response he went all rabid and shot my family. He then advanced on me. I could feel something in my mind, but I dismissed it because I didn't believe in that sort of thing. Then Fox said, 'Little Rippy eh. You'll make a great addition to my army; the magical prowess is strong in you!' Then he cackled a mad laugh and the thing inside my head started to hurt unbearably. I shouted and something inside of me seemed to push him away along with the thing in my mind. Blew up half my house, I did. Been on the run since then, practicing the magic or whatever it is."

"Whoa, that has gotta be terrible." Pika said.

"Yeah, but I got over it. The magic inside of me, I think it's growing, or at least that's what it feels like. Now I think I can stand a chance against Fox, next time we meet that is."

"Dude, even I can feel the magic inside of you, and I don't usually notice that kind of thing." Ness said.

"You're in." Pika said, "You can help us to free our friend and we'll help you to get revenge on our old friend."

"Deal!"

The four new friends shook hands and settled comfortably in their seats. Ness hadn't even noticed that the plane had taken off…

"Hope ya enjoy that puff." Snake cackled as he threw Kirby and Blithen into a cell. Ooh, that was a good one, he thought to himself, although I should probably work on my evil laugh a little. He practiced his evil laugh as he walked out of the dungeons.

Kirby and Blithen heard Snake laughing madly as his steps receded down the hall.

"What are we gonna do?" Kirby said pacing back and forth in the near darkness.

"I thought you had a plan." Blithen said queasily, "You said we'd find a way. Ooohhh, will you stop pacing, you're making me feel sick."

"Oh. That's right; I know what we'll do. Whenever Snake comes in to give us some food I'll suck him up. Then when I'm Snake Kirby I'll go down the hall saying everything's fine while Snake is locked up in our cell!"

"What about me?"

"Oh, I guess we'll just have to steal his backpack too."

"I guess that's okay."

The two heroes sat in darkness awaiting Snake's arrival.

"You do think they'll feed us?" Kirby said as his stomach grumbled.

Just then Snake walked in saying, "Dinner my sweeties, and I've brought a friend with me."

They turned to see Snake walk in with a cat-like creature following him. The cat creature snapped his fingers and a ball of green fire popped up in front of him. The light illuminated the figure and Kirby's eyes widened with astonishment at the sight of…Fox!

Kirby wasted no time he sucked up both people spitting out Snake while keeping his backpack. Then he swallowed and turned into Fox Kirby. Kirby roundhouse kicked the dazed Fox into the cell alongside Snake and locked it shut with the keys he had found in Snake's backpack.

"Sorry Fox." Kirby whispered before he walked up the stairs.

"Wait put me into the bag before they see me, hurry!" Blithen said in a hushed tone.

"Okay, okay, there. Hmmm. Where are we?" Kirby fished around in the backpack searching for a map. He pulled out one RPG, two pistols, six grenades, and a silver dagger before he found a map.

"Okay, we are here," Kirby said pointing to the label that said Dungeon Entrance, "Now, I say we head up to Fox's Suite, seeing as that's who we're impersonating."

"Deal, deal," a muffled voice came from the backpack, "Let's just hurry."

When they arrived at Fox's Suite they found the door unlocked. They walked into a fabulous room fit for a king and stayed still.

"What do you think we should do?" Kirby asked Blithen.

"Search the room and get out, once out we can head to the airport and fly back to your house."

Kirby searched the room thoroughly and found nothing but a blaster and a picture of a large ferret in a red coat with the words WANTED printed on top of it. Kirby grabbed both items and hurried out of the room. The two friends stealthily snuck through the entire building until they found the door. They stepped outside and were immediately caught by a wolf.

"Hello there precious." The wolf said before grabbing Kirby and throwing him back into the dungeon.