Coo soared through the misty, early morning air as fast as his wings could take him. The sun hadn't risen yet, and Kirby was still asleep in his crib. Normally, Coo wouldn't be this anxious at this time, but both he and Kirby needed breakfast, and he hadn't seen a single fruit in the five miles he had traveled. If this went on too long, the boy would starve, and the thought of that made his feathers stand on end.
The bird flapped to a halt on a tree branch, startling some Bronto Burts who in turn gave him annoyed scowls and fluttered off. His wings ached from flying so fast, and his breathing was heavy and raspy from fatigue. He desperately needed to find food and return before Kirby awoke. He scanned the dim landscape, his sharp owl eyes piercing the fog. Just on the horizon, where the sun was beginning to rise, he spotted moving shapes. Ignoring his protesting muscles, Coo lifted off once more to investigate.
As he neared the figures, they became more distinct. It was a troop of Waddle Dees led by several Tacs, marching in the direction of a mountain close to Bubbly Clouds. The Dees were carrying something over their heads, and as Coo came closer, he made out foodstuffs of all kinds. Fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, and other such fare were being carted off to somewhere in portions ranging from a single apple to a procession of toy wagons. There were at least fifty Waddle Dees, if not more, and they all had something to transport.
A hundred questions raced through the scholarly owl's mind, but one objective silenced them all: Get the food. Coo swooped and sank his talons into a particularly large loaf of bread, snatching it from the Waddle Dee that held it. As he regained altitude, the weight of the Dee fell away. A chorus of shouts rose from the throng, but they quickly died out as Coo shot off through the skies. The sun began to burn off the morning mist, but it did nothing to help. The owl was gone.
The bread made a hefty thump as it landed on the kitchen table.
"Where did you go, poyo?" Kirby asked, articulating his words as carefully as one could through a mouthful of bread. He was starting to get the hang of complete sentences.
"I had to find our breakfast," Coo responded, wearily picking at the loaf with his beak.
"Hard?"
"Pardon?"
Kirby thought for a moment. "Was…was it hard?"
"Yes," Coo sighed. "I had to work extra hard to get it this time."
"Why?"
Coo almost didn't register the question. "…Why?"
Kirby nodded. "Why?"
The bird blinked, unable to answer. How was he supposed to tell the boy that he had stolen their breakfast? He would be setting a bad example at an early age. "It…took a while to find it," he explained. "I flew a long way away, and I didn't see any food for a long time."
The pink child gave a skeptical look and slid out of his chair. He trotted to the window and peered out, noticing the tree outside. "No apples…"
"No apples?" Coo hopped up to the window next to Kirby.
"Apples yesterday, no apples today." His expression of skepticism had changed to full-on bewilderment. "Why?"
"…I don't know." Blast! Those apples were their primary food source! Had those Dees taken them the night before?
"Someone take?"
Coo turned to look at Kirby in surprise. The boy was looking right back at him, genuine worry on his young face. The bird exhaled, unable to hide the story any longer. He recounted the story of that morning, condensing it into words the boy would understand.
Kirby listened calmly to the entire tale. When it concluded, he walked to the front door and pulled it open.
"Kirby, what are you doing?" the bird demanded sternly.
"Get food back," the child replied, his tone equally serious. "Get food back for everyone."
Coo's beak fell open. "You can't possibly be thinking about—"
"No, not take food back," Kirby said. "Make meanies give food back."
"You can't!" the owl squawked. "It's too dangerous out there!"
"So?" Kirby turned around and gave a knowing smile. "People need food, poyo. Meanies take food, and people don't have food anymore. Meanies need to give food back."
"You're a child, Kirby!" Coo pleaded. "You will get hurt."
The pink boy faltered, considering the possibility, but it didn't take long for determination to reappear on his face. "Everyone hurts if meanies don't give food back." He turned back to the outside world. "I go, only I get hurt. I stay, everyone hurts. I go so less people get hurt."
Coo wanted to argue so badly, his feathers stood up. But Kirby was right. The boy was so young; Coo couldn't believe how right he really was. What's more, he was willing to sacrifice his safety for the well-being of everyone, at the early age of nine, no less! How could he argue against such reasoning? How could Kirby even reason like that at all?
Without waiting for Coo to respond, Kirby marched out the front door and into the wide world. Turning on his heel towards the east, he walked off across the Green Greens of Cookie Country. He was going to save the people of Dreamland and get their food supply back from whoever had taken it. But, what was most important to him was that he was going on a real adventure.
And, of course, you should know the rest…
And so begins the entire Kirby series! This is the first fanfiction that I have allowed myself to consider finished. For those wondering where Endigo went, it's supposed to be a mystery. That way, I can get you to read all my other fanfictions come time to post them. ;) I'm so clever.
The universal disclaimer is in my profile and the cover is available for download from my deviantART. This fic is an opener to my entire Kirby headcanon. Stay tuned for many more stories in this category!
~XerxesTexasToast
