Preparing for the Games

The next morning, I headed for the castle to register. Nobody was there. All I saw was a table with a Waddle Dee behind it. I went there. The Waddle Dee pointed to a poster. It said " State Your Name and Air Ride Machine".

" Kirby," I said. " I will be riding a Warpstar." The Waddle Dee wrote it down and pointed to a door into the castle. I opened the door and walked into the chamber inside. There was a large screen and a small, round platform in the middle of the room. Hovering just above the platform was what looked like my Warpstar, but smaller and it seemed very round.

" Welcome contestant. Please step forward," a voice said. " Step onto the Air Ride Machine before you. This is a Compact Star. It is one of many Air Ride Machines." I sat on the Compact Star.

" Excellent," the voice said. " Let's get started, shall we? Now, Air Ride Machines are always hovering inches above the ground." I had never noticed this. I got off the Compact Star and examined it. Sure enough, it was hovering just inches above the platform, never growing tired and sinking to the cold ground.

" Get back on your machine!" the voice shouted. Startled, I scrambled onto the Compact Star. " If you push your machine down, it will touch the ground. Use this action to slide across the ground while you turn to drift around any hair-pin turns. Also, while you are touching the ground, the machine will charge up energy, which will be released in the form of a speed boost when you lift off the ground. This function is called, this is genius, a 'Boost'."

" Oh yeah," I said sarcastically. " Very original name."

" FOCUS!" the voice said.

" Shutting up!" I said immediately.

" Anyways, let's begin the training simulator," the voice said.

" The what?" I said. Just then, the screen in front of me was covered with the image of what seemed to be an unending road.

" Now, begin by moving forward," the voice instructed. " Since this is simply a simulation, you will only appear to be moving on the screen."

I already new how to control since I had flown my Warpstar several times in the past. I began to move forward (or at least I appeared to be moving).

" Excellent!" the voice said. " Now ascend."

I angled the Compact Star so that the nose was facing upward. On the screen, I appeared to be gaining altitude.

" Very good!" the voice said. " Now descend."

I angled the Compact Star so that the nose was this time facing toward the platform. I could see on the screen that I was descending.

" Well done!" the voice said. " Now, the last thing is sliding on Boosting! Simply press the machine against the ground. While sliding, direct the machine in the direction you want to go. The light coming from your machine will show you how much energy you are charging up. When you are facing where you want to go, release the machine from the ground and hold on tight as you receive a speed boost." I just as the voice said. I succeeded.

" Excellent! You did very well!" the voice said. " The games begin tomorrow first thing in the morning! You may exit through the same door through which you entered. Good luck!"

I left the room into the sunlight. All I could think about right now was the competition that would begin the next morning.

" Guess I should get home and rest!" I said and rushed home.