Chapter 7: Everyone Sucks in the Beginning

Popopo journeyed through Whispy Woods' Forest, destroying everything that threatened him. He encountered such opponents as Bronto Burts, which were round, pink, flying creatures, with large eyes and bug wings. He also fought Grizzo, which were white, bear-like animals.

It was the strangest thing he had ever experienced. As he continued, the battling became easier. His opponents fell with less and less effort on his part. A sense of power was building in him every time he inhaled. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder why he was taking so well to something so unlike anything he had ever done before.

When Popopo had given his consent to look for Whispy Woods, 'Gooey' had given some advice on fighting the tree.

"Don't bother trying to inhale Whispy Woods," he had said. "He's a tree, after all, and won't be pulled from the ground just like that. If he puts up a fight, inhale his apples and shoot them at his face."

As Popopo inhaled another Bronto Burt, he heard a rumbling sound coming from one of the trees around him. As he turned towards it, a face materialized on its trunk. The face was made of three holes, two for the eyes and one for the mouth, and a very short, leafless branch for the nose.

"So, you are the one who has been terrorizing the life in my forest," said Whispy Woods in a low, breathy voice.

Popopo opened his mouth to respond, but that caused the Bronto Burt he had inhaled to shoot out of his mouth as a star! This star hit Whispy Woods in the side of his face, blasting off all the bark on that spot.

Whispy Woods groaned in anger and Popopo let out a shocked little squeak.

"You seek to destroy me too!" bellowed Whispy Woods. "I would never have believed this of a Dream Lander."

"No, wait!" Popopo's voice was very high from panic. "I just need the Star Rod piece you have!"

"And so you tear through my forest, killing those who live in it to lure me out!" roared Whispy Woods. "You cannot be allowed to continue your savage mission, so I shall bury you alive!"

Popopo watched as the tree's leafy branches spread, creating an enveloping canopy above that was all their own. Apples grew instantly from every branch, and fell just as quickly.

Before the fruit came crashing down, he inhaled. All the apples falling near him were sucked into his mouth. But then a powerful wind suddenly swept him into the air.

He slammed painfully into a tree, and saw for a split second a barrage of apples headed his way on the wind. He spat the apples in his mouth at the oncoming ones, causing those that would have hit him to burst into stars.

He looked back at Whispy Woods and saw the tree stop blowing wind from his mouth.

Popopo quickly inhaled the apples that had fallen around him and shot them at his opponent. The condensed, star shaped projectile flew at Whispy Woods, whose roots immediately burst from the soil and extended in front of his face, attempting to protect it.

This defense was ineffective. The star smashed straight through the roots and struck Whispy Woods' face.

There was an explosion of bark and wood. When Popopo next saw Whispy Woods, all the bark had been blasted off his face, and sap was dripping from one of his eyes. The tree was still.

Popopo was panting. He was amazed at himself.

"Did you win?" asked 'Gooey'.

"Yeah," Popopo managed to say.

"Excellent! You have just secured the first piece of the Star Rod! Now, reach into Whispy Woods' mouth to claim it."

Popopo did so. The Star Rod shard looked like a piece of a candy cane. It was the end of the stick, white with a pink line spiraling up it.

"Got it," he said.

"Alright, now eat it," said 'Gooey', "and it will bestow its power upon you."

"Eat it?" repeated Popopo. That was an odd instruction.

"Yes, eat it. It will reside inside you until you have assembled all six others, at which point you will be able to summon the Star Rod into existence. In the meantime, each shard you acquire will give you a new power that will aid you on your quest."

"Huh? But..."

"Eat the shard first," interrupted 'Gooey'. "We can discuss any questions you have afterward."