Chapter 38: A Brother in Arms
As the warpstar was drawing near Big Forest, Gooey suddenly said, "Trash your power, quick!"
"Why?" asked Darth Kirby.
"You're going into a dense forest. You don't want that light saber of yours cutting down every tree you pass, do you? It's too dangerous. Get rid of it."
"Okay," said Kirby sullenly. He was going to miss the double light saber. It sure was fun to wield. Kirby trashed the power and the warpstar landed in a small clearing.
All was quiet.
Kirby kept looking around... and around and around. The clearing was circular and all the trees around it were densely packed. Kirby just knew that at some point, an enemy would leap out at him and attack. That attack could come from any direction at any time. Kirby was forcefully reminded of his battle against Lololo and Lalala.
"What do I do now?" Kirby asked Gooey while still turning non-stop.
"Uh," answered Gooey, "I'm not sure. The sixth star rod shard must be hidden somewhere in this forest."
"Gooey," said Kirby, "this is Big Forest! The largest forest in Dreamland! I can't search this whole thing on foot!"
"Well, you can't use a warpstar. If you're above the canopy, you won't be able to see below it and you can't ride a warpstar through the trees around here. They're packed like Kabus in a Dekabu."
"Hey, I just got an idea!" said Kirby suddenly. "Gooey, do you have any means of contacting that animal group?"
"Yes!" replied Gooey. "As a matter of fact, I do! I have the phone number of their base."
"Then you can call them and request assistance."
"All right. Could you hang up for a moment? You see, I only have one phone–"
"I understand."
Kirby hung up and continued to turn on the spot, looking around.
A minute later, Gooey came back on the phone and said that he had gotten an answering machine.
"So," he said, "I left a message stating that you were in Big Forest and requiring some navigational assistance."
"Thanks," replied Kirby. "I'm glad I didn't have to call. I hate leaving messages."
Silence.
"So..." Kirby asked a minute later, "I'm just supposed to wait?"
"Well," answered Gooey, "what else can you do?"
"But, Gooey," complained Kirby, "we don't know how long this will take. I could be here for days."
Gooey didn't answer and Kirby continued to turn 'round and 'round.
Kirby suddenly heard a rustling in the bushes just outside the clearing.
"Who's there?" he said, stopping his turning and facing the noise.
Into the clearing came... something. It was as small as Kirby. It had huge eyes and a huge mouth. It was wearing shoes (something Dreamlanders never did). It was also wearing a jester's hat on its head and a bow tie below its chin. It seemed to not have any arms.
The creature's face was light purple and it smiled a huge two-toothed smile.
"Kirby!" it said in a baby-like voice.
It knew how to talk, that was usually a good sign. The pupils of its eyes weren't slits, another good sign. However, Kirby just stared at it. He was unsure whether to inhale it or ask who it was.
"Don't inhale me, or anything," it said. "I'm from the Nova Corporation. I have been assigned to guide you to the sixth star rod piece."
"Really?" said Kirby, greatly relieved.
"Really!" replied the thing enthusiastically.
"Did you say you were from the Nova Corporation?" asked Gooey, who must have been listening to the conversation.
"Uh, yeah!" answered the thing. "Why?"
"The Nova Corporation hasn't shown its face in... how many years? I thought they disbanded after one of their weapons destroyed Dream Course, the golfing club."
"We almost did, but instead, we kept a low profile for a couple years. You know, just until our services were needed again."
"Services?" Kirby interrupted. "What services? What is the Nova Corporation, anyway?"
"Let me explain," said Gooey. "The Nova Corporation once provided weapons for the protecting companies of Dreamland. They were one of the official protectors, like the four I told you about. But then, many years ago, they developed the biggest bomb that Dreamland has ever seen. The bomb, however, was launched accidentally and it turned an entire golf course into a crater. After that, they stopped with the development. They must have figured that if they kept building bigger weapons, eventually another mistake was bound to happen and Dreamland would end up just like Dream Course."
"Oh," said Kirby.
"I'd have thought," continued Gooey, "that the Nova Corporation would stay dead. They must have realized that destruction is not always how to win a battle. I sure hope they have turned over a new leaf. If they haven't, I'm not sure we can trust... you-know-who."
"Oh," repeated Kirby; he knew who.
"Hey!" said you-know-who. "I'm not a bad guy! I'm just here to help you through this forest. No weapon sales, no explosions! I just wanna help! What do I have to do to earn your trust?"
"Gooey," said Kirby, "let's trust him. Without his help, we'll be stuck here for days. He could be our ticket to the star rod shard."
"Well," said Gooey hesitantly, "I guess he can stay, but don't try any funny business... uh... what did you say your name was?"
"Oh," said the guy from the Nova Corporation who would now be guiding Kirby through Big Forest, "you can call me... Marx."