Marx could hardly believe this was happening.
He was in space.
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! I'm in SPACE!" The little jester screamed excitedly.
Kirby smiled, not expecting such a reaction from his lavender friend. He had thought that Marx would be startled or even scared of seeing space like this. It would seem he was wrong.
"So, where should we go first, poyo?"
"Hmm, well. I think the safest bet is the grass planet Floria. The planet is said to be mostly peaceful." Marx answered.
"To Floria, poyo!"
(watch?v=4C00_DqAkKk)
The Warp Star landed on the grass planet. The first thing Kirby noticed about the planet was that it seemed quite similar to Pop Star. The air was warm, and little flowers peeked from the bushes like little suns. He could hear birds chirping in the distance.
"Now, Kirby. I know you may think that this is similar to Pop Star, but there's something that you need to know about Floria."
"What's that, poyo?'
Before Marx could explain, the air became much thicker and sweat inducing. Even the constant battle between the sun and the moon did nothing to change the weather. Kirby turned to Marx for an explanation, only for a large gust of wind to interrupt. The grass beneath their feet changed to an orange brown color, and leaves began to fall from the trees around them.
"What's happening, poyo?! Is this because of the sun and moon?" Kirby asked in shock.
"No, Floria is always like this. The seasons constantly change with absolutely no consistency. Isn't nature fascinating!" Marx stated with enthusiasm.
The young hero's mouth dropped. How did the residents live in such conditions?
Not long after, they encountered their first obstacle. A gigantic tree was in their way, and for some odd reason, they couldn't just go around it.
"Wait for it…" Marx said.
Then suddenly, snow began to fall. The tree before them had so suddenly been chopped down by an invisible force, freshly fallen snow now on it's surface. Kirby and Marx hopped over the stump and continued on their way. The snow began to melt rapidly, and in the stump's place was now a fully grown tree. Kirby felt like he was getting a headache.
The pink puffball inhaled a hostile Simirror to gain the Mirror ability. With a Copy ability, it became much easier to get to their destination, as well as fend off some of the enemies inhabiting Floria. Eventually, the constant changing of seasons was no longer a surprise. The transitions were almost soothing.
Soon they entered a small forest with two large trees on either side. The trees suddenly gained faces and frowned.
"Excuse us, poyo. Would you happen to know where Floria's Dream Fountain is?" Kirby asked politely.
"We need it to stop the sun and the moon!" Marx quickly added.
One of the trees grimaced and tossed an apple. Kirby dodged out of the way, but Marx wasn't so lucky. The fruit had hit Marx in the forehead, making the poor child fall over on his back.
Kirby gasped. "You hurt Marx, poyo! You're mean!"
He immediately picked up his jester friend and placed him somewhere he deemed safe. He ran back to the trees and hit one with a Reflect Force. The trees dropped apples on the pink puffball, who shielded their attacks with his Reflect Guard.
Frustrated, the trees tried dropping Gordos instead of the red fruit. Kirby wasn't intimidated. He shielded himself, then attacked with a Mirror Cut, then finished the fight with another Reflect Force. The trees were felled.
"Are you alright Marx, poyo?" Kirby asked with concern.
"Yeah…those apples really smart, you know!" Marx responded.
The two continued walking for a short distance until they heard the sound of running water. They dashed towards the sound to see a large fountain. Kirby slowly approached the structure, then tapped it. A large beam of light suddenly blasted from the top of the fountain, and into the expanses of space.
"I think we're finished here…" Marx sighed. "I'm sorry you always have to protect me…"
"What do you mean, poyo? You're my friend." The young Star Warrior replied.
"It's just that…I wish I could protect myself…I'm completely defenseless."
"But you can kick really good!" Kirby argued.
"Kirby, I can't kick down a tree…I can't kick down anything…" The lavender clown frowned. "Don't look at me like that. I'll be alright."
"If you say so…" Kirby patted the child's back, who smiled a little.
"So…where are we going now, poyo?"
-
"This is Aquarius, the planet of water!" Marx announced.
(watch?v=jav-AziBDdk)
Kirby looked around at the palm trees and beaches Aquarius had to offer. It reminded him of the time he had went to Aqua Star to find the crystal shards. It felt like it happened so long ago…
They flew the Warp Star across the ocean, trying to find even the slightest glimpse of the Dream Fountain. Marx pulled out his map then suddenly groaned in frustration.
"Well yippee ki yay…the map says the fountain is in an underwater cave…" Marx growled.
"Why is that a problem, poyo? We can just swim to find it. I brought masks." Kirby said.
"Uh, Kirby…about that…I can't swim…"
"You can't? But how are we…I know, poyo! I'll tie a rope around you and you won't have to swim at all!" The pink puffball suggested.
Marx was quite visibly shaking, but he nodded slightly. "O-Okay…we can try that…"
Kirby tied a rope around Marx, who now had donned a scuba mask. Kirby put on his mask and tied the other end of the rope around himself. They both plunged into the water and Kirby began to swim. Marx wanted to shriek and kick to the surface, but he felt he needed to be strong like Kirby.
After what seemed like hours from Marx's perspective, they finally resurfaced inside a large cave. Kirby gaped at the sight before him. The cave itself was impressive, but what really caught his attention was the fact that there were bodies of water floating in mid air!
The water seemed to sparkle in the cave's low light, and there were little stars embedded inside the liquid. The young Star Warrior reached inside to grab one of the stars for himself, only for it too pass through his hands.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Marx asked.
"Yeah, poyo…" Kirby whispered, still in awe.
"Still, it's not as beautiful as the grove in The Broken Village!" The jester giggled.
"I still don't understand why you love that place so much, poyo…it's pretty, but what made you keep coming back?"
"Well…" Marx trailed off, smiling. "There's something very special there. That's all I can say."
They continued walking in search of the Dream Fountain. Fish swam around in the towers of water, staring at the two children with curious unblinking eyes.
"This is like an aquarium, isn't it?" The purple eyed clown asked.
"There are so many fish, poyo!" Kirby said.
"Don't eat them, Kirby. We don't know what kind of fish they are or if they're poisonous, you know."
"I wasn't gonna eat them!" Kirby puffed out his cheeks, eliciting laughter from his friend.
They soon found themselves in a large room with an underground lake. Suddenly, a large dark pink whale burst from the water and smacked them both with it's tail in aggression.
"Marx, stay here, poyo!" Kirby said, then inhaled a nearby enemy to become Fighter Kirby.
"Avast ye whale! Prepare to meet your doom!" Marx yelled from the sidelines.
The pink puffball ran towards the whale, then attacked with a Smash Punch, then a Vulcan Jab.
The whale jumped into the air and crashed into the lake, sending rocks of different sizes raining down. Kirby dodged the debris and used a Rising Break, along with a Down Kick.
The whale sped towards him and slapped the young hero with it's tail. He quickly recovered, then finished off his opponent with one final Rising Break.
After making sure that his friend was safe, they continued onward, convinced that the Dream Fountain was nearby. They were correct, as they found the fountain a short walk away from the whale's chamber. Kirby touched the fountain, and it released a beam of light to the stars above.
Kirby gazed at the sun and the moon as they fought with even more force than before.
"Marx…why do you think the sun and moon started fighting, poyo?"
"Who knows? Maybe the moon felt like the sun was too loved. Maybe the moon just wanted to be the center of attention for once, you know." The jester replied.
"But…why fight?" Kirby asked.
"Sometimes fighting is the only option. Sometimes there just isn't a peaceful solution…"
"Well, I wish that everyone could be friends! I don't really like fighting, poyo…" Kirby responded.
"As nice as that sounds, it's not gonna happen…some people just don't want to be friends…" Marx sighed heavily.
"Are you alright, poyo?"
"…Come on. We need to get moving."
-
(watch?v=AVuBrGMfSEU)
Kirby and Marx soon arrived on a planet of clouds. It reminded the pink hero of Bubbly Clouds back on Pop Star. It was rather windy as well, Marx's hat had almost flew away once.
"This is planet Skyhigh, the wind planet. Although that should be rather obvious."
The two friends fought the harsh winds as they searched for the fountain. Marx was afraid to take out the map, as his maps and his hat might blow away. He really wishes he had hands…
"Aah!" Marx yelled as he was almost swept away by a strong gust of wind.
Kirby quickly grabbed Marx, only to get flung along with the lavender jester into a pack of clouds. Marx emerged from the clouds in a panic.
"M-My hat! MY HAT!" He yelled, attracting attention from some nearby purple Waddle Dees.
Seeing Marx without his hat was quite a shock to the pink puffball.
"Wow, poyo…"
"D-Don't you say one word about this!" His face flushed as he ran around the cloudy region in search of his headgear.
Kirby quickly caught up with Marx. "Why is that hat so important to you, poyo. It's a cool hat, but it must be special to you for a reason."
"I got that hat when I decided to become a jester…it's a part of my identity. My hat is who I am…it's the eggs in my omelet…the teddy to my bear…IT IS THE ROCK UPON WHICH I STAND!" He declared loudly.
"Maybe one day, I'll be lucky enough to have such a hat…" Kirby said with awe.
"Oh, what if I don't find it?! I'll have to live a hatless life…but what kind of life is that? What kind of a life?!"
"We'll find it, poyo! It's hard to miss a hat like that, poyo!"
"Very true…my hat is special…it makes my head feel all warm like a mother's hug…or at least what I think a mother's hug would feel like…" Marx said out of Kirby's earshot.
"We just need to keep going in the direction the wind was blowing, poyo!" Kirby suggested with Marx following behind.
"There it is! My hat!" He yelled with excitement.
Marx's hat was resting atop a heap of clouds. He squealed and leapt into the pile, only for it to begin moving into the air. A large eye suddenly materialized, along with spikes onto the cloud. It grew angry and shook off the little jester, who landed on the soft surface below.
"I am so glad I didn't jump on any of the spikes…" Marx said with wide eyes.
"It still has your hat, poyo!" The young Star Warrior said.
He quickly inhaled a Chilly to become Ice Kirby. He leapt into the air and attacked with his Ice Breath. Kracko recoiled from the damage, then flew over Kirby and released several lightning strikes. He narrowly avoided being hit by the bolts.
He skated around the arena, then jumped in the air to release another Ice Breath. The eye widened, then the clouds began to evaporate rapidly. The eye soon evaporated as well. Marx jumped and his hat landed perfectly on his head.
"Hey, all of my stuff is still in he- someone ate my pack of peanuts!" Marx frowned.
A short time later, they finally found Skyhigh's Dream Fountain. Just like the others, when it was touched it released a beam of light.
"We're getting closer to NOVA, aren't we Marx?" Kirby asked, smiling.
"We are, but we have a ways to go before we can meet NOVA, you know. We have to go to Hotbeat next, and like the punk kid said, it's covered in lava. I hope you know what happens when you touch lava."
"I've been in a volcano before, poyo! It was on Neo Star and it was about to erupt!" Kirby said while making gestures with his arms.
"…Well I guess we'll be fine, but we may run into trouble if we upset the natives…" The young jester mused.
"Well I'm ready, poyo! What about you?"
"…Let's go for it!"
-
It was official. Neither Kirby or Marx liked the planet Hotbeat.
(watch?v=kxFJ3KIAyLU)
"My hat…it's so hot…my hat is trying to fuse with my skin…" Marx panted.
"This is much hotter than Neo Star, poyo…" Kirby stuck out his tongue in exhaustion.
They had been roaming Hotbeat for a while, but it seemed like an agonizing, excruciating eternity. Lava was pouring around them, and the small rocks were digging into their feet. It smelled like sulfur and brimstone, burning their nostrils with it's stench.
They made a turn around a corner, only to find the last thing Marx wanted to see.
A mine cart.
"No…" He whispered.
The two could hear small growls behind them. They slowly turned around to see a pack of yellow Scarfies licking their lips ravenously, their eyes wide.
"Look look! We have guests!" One growled.
"Mmm…haven't had guests in long time…Mmm…" Another drooled.
"Hehehe…we've been looking forward to eating you!"
"D-Don't you meen 'greet', poyo?" Kirby asked nervously while he stepped back with Marx.
"No, we definitely mean eat…" The Scarfy grinned, drool dripping from it's mouth filled with gleaming teeth.
The pink puffball could fight them, but that would risk endangering his friend during the fight. Kirby and Marx ran as fast as their feet would allow to the mine cart. Kirby chucked Marx in first, then dove in himself.
"They're getting away! After them!" A Scarfy barked.
"After the armless one! He's easier prey!" Another barked, salivating with an ecstatic look in the eye.
"AAAAH!" Marx screamed and hid behind Kirby in fright.
The mine cart began to roll with the pack of Scarfies just behind them. One Scarfy managed to climb into the cart and bite Marx's side. He yelped in pain, his eyes stung with tears from the impact. Kirby grabbed the violent creature and kicked it into the group of Scarfies behind them.
The old mine cart had managed to evade the group of ravenous beasts, but Marx had been hurt in the process. Kirby picked up the little jester and placed him onto cooler ground.
"Marx, how bad are you hurt?!" The pink puffball asked worriedly.
"I-I'll be fine…but Scarfies aren't normally like that, you know. On Pop Star, they were known for being territorial, but…I've never heard of Scarfies actually trying to eat someone…I've heard plenty of mauling cases though."
"Sir Meta Knight did say that these planets were more dangerous than Pop Star, poyo…but that doesn't make it any less scary…"
"Kirby, we need to get to the fountain…" Marx said shakily, as he slowly rose to his feet. He stumbled, only for Kirby to gently push him up.
"But will you be okay, poyo?" Kirby asked with eyes full of concern.
"Yeah, it'll take a little more to take me down…I've endured far worse…" Marx whispered the last sentence out of Kirby's hearing.
The two began their daunting search once again, with Kirby stopping every little moment to ask about his friend's well-being. Marx would smile a little and reassure him that he would be fine, but Kirby still felt that he could have done something to prevent the little jester from getting hurt.
They soon stopped at a large door with several symbols carved into it. Upon entering the room, they found several more symbols carved into the walls, floor, and ceiling. The room seemed positively empty except for the door on the other side.
"Kirby…do you suddenly have the feeling that we're being watched?"
"Not exactly, poyo…but…now that you mention it-"
Suddenly, a large red chameleon approached them from behind. It's long tongue immediately wrapped around Marx's foot and dragged him closer to it's mouth.
"MARX!" Kirby grabbed him and pulled with all his might to take him away from the chameleon.
With much effort, he managed to yank Marx away from the enemy. The little jester was shaking with fright, too stunned to say a coherent sentence. Kirby growled and inhaled a Burning Leo to become Fire Kirby. He ran towards the Chameleo Arm.
He attacked with his Fire Breath, all the while shielding Marx from any further damage. The Chameleo Arm rolled around the arena, then suddenly disappeared. Kirby continued breathing in every direction in hope of flushing it out.
The enemy reappeared, then jumped onto the wall. It's arms suddenly stretching towards the small jester. The pink hero jumped into the air and used a Fireball Spin on it's hand. The Chameleo Arm shrieked in pain, falling from the wall. Kirby ran towards it, then finished it off with a Fireball Inferno.
"Marx…I-I'm sorry, poyo…you keep getting hurt…"
"No…it's my fault. It's always my fault. I'm the one that keeps drawing attention to us."
"It's not your fault, poyo! It's just…everything here thinks that you look tasty…"
"They go after me because they think I'm weaker than you, you know. Those Scarfies even said so…"
They continued walking until they found Hotbeat's fountain. Kirby touched the fountain, a beam of light was released once again.
"Marx, poyo…are you alright? You're being really quiet…"
"…I'm just tired."
"Tired of being useless…"
-
Kirby knew that they needed to find the other Dream Fountains as soon as possible. However, it was obvious that Marx needed rest. Kirby also felt the need to rest, so he decided the best thing to do would be to find a safe shelter for them.
He landed the Warp Star on a planet only labeled as '?". It was very likely an uncharted planet, or there was the possibility that nobody ever cared to give it a proper name. The planet of '?' was very scarcely populated, and only a group of red TACs seemed to roam around the small jungle like region.
The TACs had surprisingly gave a few friendly hand waves to the pink puffball, then set off on their own. Kirby and Marx were completely alone. The two had set up camp near a small empty cave in the area, thanks to the supplies Kirby remembered to pack.
It was difficult to tell what time it was thanks to the sun and moon's struggle. But soon that would be over.
Kirby would find the other Dream Fountains, summon NOVA, make a wish to calm the sun and moon's fighting, and then order would return to the Gamble Galaxy.
Marx had barely touched his food. This was troubling, as the little jester usually had an appetite about as big as Kirby's.
(watch?v=EJy2-cysNSA)
"Is something wrong, poyo? You're not eating. Tummy ache?"
"No…well, yeah sorta…" Marx vaguely replied.
"What do you mean, poyo? Talk."
"Kirby…do I…bother you?" Marx asked, after a long moment of silence.
"No." Kirby replied, without even having to think.
"But…I'm just slowing you down. First there was me getting hit by that apple, then me not being able to swim and the whale, and losing my hat, and almost getting eaten by bloodthirsty Scarfies and a giant chameleon…"
Marx breathed a sigh. "Kirby, no matter how you look at it…I'm useless."
"No you're not, poyo! I couldn't have come here without you!"
"But…but I'm not as strong as you…I'm not strong at all…"
"You're strong in other ways…" Kirby said with a small smile.
Marx grimaced, his small fangs bared. "But I'm not strong like you! I want to be strong in the real way!"
Kirby gasped and could see such anger in his eyes, but it wasn't directed at him…it was as if he was looking directly through him. The little jester's eyes started to water as he noticed Kirby's shocked expression.
"K-Kirby, I-I'm sorry…I-I know you're probably tired of hearing me apologize over and over…but…" Tears started to roll down his cheeks.
"S-See?! I'm crying again! I'm so sick of crying at every little thing, but I can't help it! I'm sick of being useless and weak, and I truly don't understand why you put up with me, you know! I…I wish…I was more like you…" He tried to choke down a sob, little hiccups escaping his throat every few seconds.
Kirby stood up, then sat next to the crying child. "But Marx…I like you the way you are, poyo…"
Marx's only response was a few more sniffles and hiccups.
"You're my friend and nothing's gonna change that, poyo. And one day, you'll be strong in the real way."
Marx looked into Kirby's eyes with shock. "Do you really mean that? Nothing will change that? You really think I can be strong like you?"
Kirby nodded and smiled.
The little clown breathed a sigh of relief. "Hearing that from you…makes me feel a lot better…"
-
A while later they were getting ready for bed. Kirby rolled out their sleeping bags inside the small cave. He thought that it was quite similar to camping…but in space.
Marx was in much higher spirits than earlier. He was even humming and skipping about the small cave. It was as if his little depression had never happened. Kirby was very thankful that his friend was cheering up, but he still couldn't help but wonder what brought such grief in the first place. He wasn't so sullen and grim until so recently.
But at the moment, the little jester seemed on top of the world. He hummed little tunes to himself, and spun around in glee. It was as if he was back to his normal self, and it made the pink puffball feel accomplished that he could do something for his friend.
Marx hummed a little more, then started singing a song that Kirby had never heard from the lavender child.
"Os iusti meditabitur sapientuiam,
Et lingua eius, loquetur indicium.
Beautus vir qui, suffert tentationem,
Quoniqm cum probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae
Kyrie, fons bonitatis
Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison."
Kirby tilted his head to the side. "I've never heard you sing that before…did you make up the words, poyo?"
Marx giggled. "No. It's Latin."
"Wow! You know Latin too, poyo! You're so smart…you wrote a song in Latin."
"A-Actually…I didn't write this one…someone taught it to me…"
"It sounds so sad though…who taught it to you, poyo?" Kirby asked.
"…Someone very important…" Marx replied with a small smile.
"A friend, poyo? But you never mentioned them before."
"W-Well…I'm not sure if I can actually call them a friend or not…maybe a little more than a friend…" Marx said quietly, a small blush blooming on his cheeks.
"Well, you have to introduce me when this is over, poyo! I can't wait to meet them!" Kirby said excitedly, wanting to meet this mystery person that Marx seemed to admire so much.
"Yeah…I can't wait for you two to meet either…" Marx smiled before drifting off to sleep.
Author's Note: This chapter would have been posted a few days ago, but the holidays were here. And I got Kirby Triple Deluxe, Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, and Super Smash Bros. 3DS. Also, I got a really cute King Dedede plushie!
Ahem, anyway...back to plot related stuff...we've only got a few chapters left of this arc. I know that there's Revenge of the King! But I'm waiting until another time to write about that! I have my reasons. Also, if anyone knows the name of the song Marx was singing, I'll be quite impressed.
I've also received several comments related to Meta Knightmare Ultra. As for that...I have that planned! I really do! I have these other things planned out, so have a little faith in me, okay? It shouldn't be too long until the next chapter.
Happy Late Holidays from Leer Justice!