The first half of this chapter is kind of meh, but the second half is decent. I had a Chilly cameo because he is my favorite Kirby enemy! I once built a snowman of him and it turned out pretty great. Except for the part where he melted tragically.

EPISODE 6: Milky Way Wishes

Kirby yawned, forcing his eyes to open. He had slept a while, he could tell. Ever since that frightening episode on the Halberd, Meta Knight's face, which had resembled his own, haunted his dreams. Wherever he went, a shiver ran up his spine as he imagined two piercing yellow eyes watching him.

He'd been having trouble sleeping, so last night he had gone out and found a Noddy. After a midnight snack, sleep had come to him much easier. He crawled out of his little bed and headed for the door, rubbing his eyes. Why was it so dark?

Opening the door, he saw why. It was night! Oh no, I slept the whole day away! He sighed inwardly. Marx wasn't going to be happy at all, being deserted like that. Not that it mattered. Marx had been off on his own a lot lately, probably playing pranks. Still, his friend was unpredictable and you never knew when…when…

Kirby blinked. What just happened? All of the sudden, the sky had lit up and everything was as bright as day now. He had been so consumed with his thoughts, he hadn't realized it right away, but daytime had come in the blink of an eye!

Blaming it on lack of sleep, Kirby ran off to find his friends. As he ran, daytime disappeared and he was plunged into darkness once more. Now I know I'm not imagining it, he thought, dashing into the town square, wondering what time of day it was.

There, he found the villagers all gathered together, staring up at the sky. Some were wide-eyed with fear. Kirby plodded over to the usual group of friends—Waddle Dee, Bronto Burt, and Poppy Bro Junior. "What's happening?" he asked, shielding his eyes against the sudden brightness.

"Look." Waddle Dee nodded upwards.

Kirby squinted into the sky to see the sun hovering peacefully above them. Without warning, the yellow crescent moon flew from one end of the horizon to the other, grazing the sun as it went. The sun flinched, but as the moon flew by for another go, the two met each other head-on. They circled each other violently, bashing into one another with a terrible force. Then, the moon shoved the sun out of the sky, sending it flying out of sight, and took its spot.

"They're fighting…" Kirby breathed, as the sun hurtled itself at the moon once more. "But why…?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" A familiar voice snapped Kirby out of his thoughts. He turned to see Marx, hopping up and down on his ball as always, eyes wide with worry. "What's going on here?"

Bronto Burt, his voice tinged with annoyance, replied, "What does it look like? The sun and the moon have started fighting for no apparent reason. This can't be good for anyone."

"No more sunbaths!" Little Waddle Dee squeaked. "The flowers will wilt! No more watermelon!"

Marx turned to Kirby.

"Do you think you can make peace between the sun and moon?"

Kirby stared at his friend. Was he crazy? This wasn't Dedede stealing a strawberry cake—this was far out of his control. He hesitated, at a loss for words, as harsh daylight once again pierced the sky.

"It won't be too hard, Kirby. I have an idea," Marx went on. "You need to ask the giant comet Nova for help! But first, there's something we must do. To ask Nova, we must gather power from all the stars around us. "

"Nova?" Kirby had heard of it—the fabled comet at galaxy's end. If you journeyed to each of the seven planets in the solar system and gathered the Warp Stars that could be found there, Nova would grant you any wish your heart desired. Perhaps the best way to solve this was to wish for the sun and the moon to cease their fighting?

"You're crazy," Bronto Burt snorted. "Just how do you expect to travel to other planets?"

"Kirby's Warp Star will take us there!" Marx bragged.

Poppy Bro Jr.'s eyes narrowed doubtfully. "…It can space travel?"

"Of course!" Marx lied. Kirby shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. He had never taken it into space before. He hoped Marx was right.

"It will be difficult, Kirby, but you can do it!" Waddle Dee spoke up, eyes brimming with hope. Bronto Burt and Poppy Bro exchanged a glance. Then Poppy Bro stepped forward and nodded.

"We are counting on you. Good luck!"

"Thanks," Marx said briskly. "Come on Kirby!"

He led his friend away from the other three. "Marx…" Kirby said, feeling unsure of himself. "I don't think…"

"Don't give me that!" Marx scoffed, "All ya gotta do is get each Warp Star from the other Dream Fountains of planets in the area. It'll be a piece of cake."

Kirby's stomach growled at the thought of cake. "And you…you're coming with me?"

Marx forced a smile. "Yeah…it's been a while since our last adventure, don't you think?"

Kirby beamed. He would feel much better with his friend at his side as he traveled the galaxy!

"So where's your Warp Star?"

"At home," Kirby told him, as the two dashed back, stumbling in the dark. "I had to find it after the Halberd crashed."

The two arrived inside Kirby's little white house. Marx wrinkled his face with disapproval. "Ugh, I hate traveling on this thing. But there's no way I'm sitting this one out!"

The prankster's excitement was rubbing off on Kirby. Usually he wasn't so hyped to go on an adventure. Kirby grabbed the Warp Star and heaved it outside. It was day once more. Kirby briefly wondered what time it was.

"Okay, let's…" Marx trailed off, frowning. "Aw, shoot…I guess I can't bring my ball, can I?"

"Unless you wanna hold it the whole time," Kirby said bluntly.

Marx sighed. "I'll just leave it here at your house. It'll only get in the way if I bring it. And I don't think I can stand losing another ball." The puffball sadly rolled it back into Kirby's house and closed the door. "Okay, let's get going!"

The two hopped onto the gigantic star and sped off into the atmosphere. As they climbed higher into the sky, Kirby braced himself. Would they make it into space?

Yes! They sailed right into the sky and away from Popstar. The amazing power of the star allowed them to breathe and shot them towards the nearest planet—Floria, a beautiful planet that was constantly changing seasons.

They landed in a cold pile of snow. "It must suck to live on this planet," Marx said, kicking at a clump of the white powder.

Kirby stared all around. "We need to find the Dream Fountain."

It was well known that on each planet was a Fountain of Dreams. The fountains protected the planets whilst sprinkling each one with a magic that let the residents sleep peacefully at night. Popstar's fountain was where Kirby had discovered his Warp Star and started using it.

"Shall we ask someone for directions?" Marx wondered aloud.

"I can give you directions!" A voice made both of them jump.

"Who's there?!" Marx demanded, looking about fearfully.

"Just me." They looked on in surprise as a snowman came to life and shook himself off. He wore a little blue cap and a bell around his neck, which rang every time he moved. "My name's Chilly. I haven't seen you around before."

Marx gaped at him. "Wow, a talking SNOWMAN."

Kirby blinked. Honestly, given where they came from, it wasn't much of a surprise. "Do you know where we can find the Fountain of Dreams?"

"Of course! I'll lead the way." Chilly turned and slid smoothly through the snow. The other two followed. As they went, the snow around them started to melt and flowers popped out of the ground. "Oh shoot!" Chilly was starting to dissolve into a pile of liquid. "Just keep going without me, you'll find it eventually.

"Is this a normal occurrence for you?" Marx asked, watching with wide eyes as Chilly melted into the ground, now ridden of snow.

"Yes," Chilly said in a muffled voice, as the last of his body evaporated. "But not on Wednesdays. It's not…"

His voice thinned out until it was completely gone. They stared at where his body at been. "Like I said," Marx said in a dull voice. "It must suck to live here."

"It's getting hot…" Kirby noted, wiping sweat from his forehead.

They kept walking. Spring came and went. Then summer. All in about five minutes. As fall came to a close, snow drifted down in piles around them.

"HEY!"

"Eep!" Marx leaped into Kirby's arms.

Chilly rose out of the snow, shaking himself off. "You guys didn't get very far, did you?"

"How did you…?!"

Kirby sat Marx back onto the ground. Both stood there, at a loss for words.

"There's the Fountain of Dreams," Chilly said, pointing a snowball-like hand ahead of them. "Just over that hill. Is it okay if I ask why you're going there?"

"We're trying to get to the comet at galaxy's end," Kirby said, trudging over the hill to where the frozen fountain lay.

"Oh, awesome!" Chilly said, face lighting up. "What are you going to wish for?"

"The sun and the moon are fighting," Marx told him. "It's kind of a problem. Kind of like the one on your planet…"

"Ohh…" Chilly said, as if he didn't get it. "Well, I would be careful when you make your wish. Nova is known to…to…ah, crap." The piercing sun once again melted him into a puddle.

"What? He's known to what?!" Marx yelled at the few remaining drops of water. "Arrgh, this is so frustrating." He turned to Kirby. "Maybe we should take him with us. I kind of feel sorry for him."

Kirby shook his head. "We're going to a lava planet at one point. He'd be safer if he stayed here."

So the pair came upon the Fountain of Dreams and claimed the Warp Star that was there. After that, they went to the water planet, Aquatiss, and the wind planet, Skyhigh. On the fourth planet, Hotbeat, they met up with the awful lava Kirby had spoken of. Then they went to the cave planet, Cavius, and the metal planet, Mecheye.

Nothing gave them any trouble, but on the final planet, Halfmoon, Marx spoke up.

"We've gotten so far without even using a copy ability…" he pointed out. "Doesn't it all seem too easy?"

Kirby shrugged.

"Seriously, Kirby. Let's grab you a power somewhere. Something's not right…"

Kirby agreed. After going out of their way to travel a bit, they came across a clan of Simirrors living on a cloud. Ignoring the guilty feeling in his gut, Kirby picked one off of the group and swallowed it whole. The effects of eating it turned him pure white and gave him a fancy new hat.

"You're hat looks just like mine!" Marx exclaimed, grinning. "Except yours has stars and mine has circles and triangles. Heh."

Kirby smiled. "We're twins!"

After that side trip, they approached the final fountain. Just before they reached it, there was a rush of air and a ginormous dragon landed in front of them, his lips curled back in a snarl. "Leave!" it hissed, towering over them.

"We need to get to…" Kirby began, but the fierce beast opened its jaws and spewed fire at them.

"Look out!" Marx threw himself into Kirby's side, propelling him out of the way just in time. The little puffball screeched as the flames licked at his defenseless body. Kirby leaped to his feet and threw himself at the dragon, brandishing his mirror rod. Shards of mirror burst from the rod and flew straight at the monster's eyes.

Blood flew and the creature bellowed in pain. Kirby kept up a relentless attack. Tiny gashes appeared all over the dragon's body. Now for the final move…! Kirby thought. After summoning all of his power, a separate copy of himself split off from his body. Together, the two flew at the dragon and struck the final blow.

The dragon collapsed, eyes squeezed shut, leaking blood. Kirby's second copy gave him a high-five, then disappeared as quickly as it had come. Panting, he stepped over to where Marx lay on the ground, whimpering. His body was singed from the fire.

"I told you," he grumbled, as Kirby tried to help him to his feet.

"You did," Kirby agreed. The two limped over to the final fountain and gathered the last Warp Star. "Okay, we have all of them. Ready to go?" Kirby could feel his heart pounding with excitement. Soon, they would be able to meet with Nova and save Popstar.

"Yeah…" Marx mumbled. "Umm…hey, Kirby? There's something I wanted to talk to you about…"

Kirby looked at him questioningly.

"Do you really want to waste a wish on the sun and moon to stop fighting? I mean, you could have anything. Just think about it." His eyes shone with greed and he smirked at the idea. "Just think about it," he repeated.

"But we agreed to wish for just that," Kirby pointed out.

"Listen to me!" Marx flared up. "You can wish for anything you want! Anything. You could wish for peace to come to Dreamland forevermore. Or a lifetime supply of food!"

That did sound tempting. But Kirby didn't want to go back on his promise to the others. "I told everyone I'd stop the Sun and Moon from fighting!" Kirby said firmly.

"The villagers? They won't thank you for it," Marx growled, "They're weak. You were the one strong enough to gather the Warp Stars and fight that dragon. You should wish for what you want."

Kirby could see there was no point in arguing. "Let's go." He climbed onto his Warp Star, securing the others. Marx followed suit, not saying anything more. Then the two sped off into space. Kirby sat in silence for the whole ride. Should he wish for what he came for? Or maybe a different wish? With all he did for Dreamland, he deserved it, didn't he?

No…I want Dreamland to be at peace. That's my wish. And for it to be at peace, I have to wish for the Sun and Moon to stop fighting…

That's it, isn't it…?

Kirby's mind raced furiously as he tried to decide what was the right thing to do. His insides twisted with anxiety as they arrived at the end of the galaxy.

The time had come.

Kirby and Marx leapt off the Warp Star and floated behind it, weightless. The star drifted forward. The other stars they had gathered, all shimmering different colors, rose up around them, circling them. They sparkled and swirled through the air, faster and faster. Then, in a brilliant flash of light, Nova appeared before their very eyes.

He was far from what Kirby expected. Instead of a comet, he was a large, mechanical contraption. A face that resembled a sun gazed at Kirby with deep, blue eyes that brimmed with knowledge. Cogs and clocks poked out of his sides as if someone had just decided to glue them there—no reason, just because. But his presence was so strong, so overwhelming, that nothing else mattered.

"READY. -" The strange comet boomed in a deep voice, focusing its two eyes directly on Kirby. "I WILL GRANT YOU ONE WISH… -"

Kirby hesitated. Should he do what he came to do? Or should he wish for something else? Just say the words, and he could give Dreamland an era of peace…or he could fulfill all of his selfish desires. Kirby closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I wish…"

Without warning, something rammed into his side. The lack of gravity in space sent him spinning out of control. Feeling completely disoriented, he barely managed to hear Marx say, "Well, I want to control Popstar!"

Kirby's insides froze with disbelief. No, he had to be hearing things. Marx had seen him hesitate and taken his spot for him. He hadn't meant to send him spinning out of control. He had just interjected, so he could tell Nova, I want to save Popstar. But as Kirby regained himself, he could see Marx's eyes glinting with a hunger—a hunger that could only be satiated with power.

It was then he knew that Marx had given into his own selfish desires.

"OK. -" Nova boomed, his voice filling up all corners of space,

"3…"

"No!" Kirby cried out, making frantic swimming motions with his arms, trying to get to where Marx was. Marx was grinning, eyes sparkling with a mischief that he had never truly lost in the days he had been Kirby's friend.

"2…"

Something was happening now. Marx was changing. His body was starting to glow with a dark energy. His eyes widened with surprise as his body glimmered strangely…

"1…"

An ear-piercing shriek ripped from Marx's throat as he was consumed by this foreign power. He lashed out, struggling in vain to shake it off, but it clung to him. Kirby could only watch helplessly.

It was sickening.

For the first time in his life, Kirby didn't feel hungry. His eyes were glued to the scene that was unfolding before his very eyes. His friend, warped with the dark energy, was mutating into a hideous monster. Limbs sprouted mercilessly from his body, scattering droplets of blood. His face was pulsing and sweating feverishly, his eyes rolling around in his head. His mouth opened; farther than it should have, in a silent scream of pain.

Or was it a plea for help?

Kirby wished he could do something to help Marx. At the same time, he wished he could look away. But he couldn't move. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

When the gruesome transformation had finally come to a close, this newborn monster, which had been his best friend moments before, turned to him, dripping with blood.

"Isn't this great? And we can share this power…together…" Marx said, in a guttural voice that only faintly resembled his own.

Kirby couldn't speak. He tried to move his mouth to say something, but his throat was just too dry. He tried again and managed to produce one word.

"No."

Marx narrowed his streaming eyes, which were pointed different directions in an unnatural sort of way. He couldn't seem to focus his gaze on Kirby. "…What?"

"No!" Kirby repeated, eyes welling up with tears.

"Come on, Kirby!" Marx hissed. "Don't you get it? I've always been useless. I've always been knocked around. But now, I'm just as strong as you!" His eyes glinted dangerously. "Maybe even stronger…"

Kirby didn't say anything. Tears ran silently down his face.

Marx was growing frustrated with his friend. "Let me spell it out for you. We can do anything we want—we could rule Popstar." A grin that was just a little bit too big stretched across his face.

"No!" Kirby said strongly, surprised at his own fervor, "Everything is fine, just the way it was! We came here to stop the sun and moon from fighting! Why did you have to take the wish for yourself?!" He clenched his hands into little pink fists, a new sort of fire burning in his eyes.

If Marx was surprised, he didn't show it. "Maybe you came here to stop the sun and moon from fighting. But I sure didn't."

Shock gripped Kirby, once again leaving him at a loss for words.

"Yes…it all went according to plan," Marx cackled. "I got the sun and moon to fight. I got you to go into space. It was all according to my perfect little plan!"

"You were planning this…from the beginning…?" Kirby whispered.

Marx shook his head. "Not from the beginning. It just came to me one day. You had so much power—I wanted to find a way that I could have some too. So I could be a hero! But then I thought to myself, 'what's the point of being a hero? Kirby's a hero, but no one respects him. He doesn't even have any friends!'" He opened his mouth wide and a bone-chilling laugh emanated from it. Kirby shivered.

"…You're my friend," he whispered.

Marx scoffed. "Anyways, I realized that I could never be a hero, so I gave up on that. Besides, now I can cause all the mischief I want!"

"You are a hero," Kirby argued. "You came with me on all of those adventures. Please—let's take back this wish. Let's do what we came here for."

Marx's grin faded. "Have you even been listening?! You're so naïve, Kirby. You always do what you think is best. Newsflash, buddy: just because you're a hero doesn't mean your opinion is right."

Kirby tried to protest, but Marx interrupted him.

"I'm going to take over Popstar. I'm the strongest being in the universe now, so I can do what I want. I can take revenge on anyone who has ever wronged me. And if you've got a problem with that…" His eyes lit up dangerously. "Well, then, I'll just have to kill you."

"But…we're…friends…!" Kirby choked out through his tears.

"Are we?" Marx hissed.

Kirby knew what his friend was thinking. If you were really my friend, you would take over the world with me. But Kirby knew there was a distinct line between what was right and what was wrong. And Marx was in the wrong. He had to be stopped.

But how could Kirby attack his own friend? If only there were a way to rid himself of this wish—then maybe Marx would return to normal. Then things could go back to the way they were. All would be forgiven and forgotten.

And to do that, Nova was going to have to be destroyed. He granted this wish—he turned Marx into a monster. Marx had only wished to rule Popstar, yet Nova made him deformed and malicious. It was Nova's fault!

"Come on!" Marx snapped. "What's your answer?"

Kirby didn't answer. He raised his little fists into the air and the seven Warp Stars circled him, combining with his power. Marx shrieked furiously as the light blinded him. The seven stars combined to form a contraption that had only ever been heard of in legend—the Starship.

Kirby leaped onto the Starship and sped off towards Nova, disappearing into a hole in the side of the comet. Marx blasted after him, screeching for him to come back and face him. As Kirby sped through the depths of the machinery, he was faintly reminded of laying siege to the Halberd. Dodging around defense mechanisms, Kirby could hear Marx trying to force his new, mutated body through Nova.

"Get back here, you coward!" Marx shrieked. There was a loud crash. Suddenly, a bright blue laser shot by Kirby. He dodged. Then came another one, and he was a fraction too slow this time. It caught the tail end of the Starship, sending it spinning out of control. Kirby crashed to the ground and lay there, stunned.

Everything was oddly quiet.

Then he heard it—a steady clicking as Marx's clawed hands helped him crawl across the floor. He was drawing closer and closer.

"Come on out, Kirby…" He cooed in a drawn-out snarl. Kirby scrambled to hide in the shadows. The Starship lay on its side a few feet away from him, exposing his hiding spot.

"Come on out and let me kill you…" He was almost upon him now. Kirby took a deep breath and held it.

"Come on out…"