My eyes flicked open. A familiar snail loomed above me. He was alright after all. I felt a tear roll down my cheek.
"E-Escargoon..." Leaping to my feet, I wrapped my arms around him and began to cry again. "Escargoon! I'm so glad you're alright! I thought you were going to die!"
Escargoon struggled and squirmed out of my grasp. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"H-Hugging you...?"
"Have you forgotten something? We hate each other!"
And no wonder. I'd forgotten how much of a mean old creep he was.
"I'm just trying to say I'm sorry!"
Escargoon smirked. "You should be. That little vampire of yours ripped me to shreds!"
I looked at his chest and shuddered. The wound had mostly healed, but it was still very red.
"Sorry about that. Cream Puff got me too-"
"Good, you deserved it!"
"-but now its roaming Cappy Town. Nobody knows where it is. Everybody is in danger."
Escargoon's eyes widened. "Does King Dedede know?"
"Yeah, but he's not doing much about it. He's expecting me to capture it, but how can I when I don't have a clue where to start looking?" It wasn't actually the looking I was worried about; it was the capturing. Cream Puff could easily attack me again. "Look, I know we're not exactly the best of friends but do you think we could put our differences aside while we look for Cream Puff?"
"We?"
I sighed and mumbled monotonously, "Will you help me capture Cream Puff?"
Escargoon's eyes glimmered. "Why?"
"Because I need as much help as I can get. I'm going to ask Tiff and Tuff and Kirby too."
"And?"
I knew what he was waiting for. I folded my arms and turned away. "I'm not saying it."
"I thought you wanted my help."
"Of course I do."
"Then say it."
I hesitated. "I... I can't do it without you."
Escargoon laughed triumphantly. "Alright, I'll help you."
I asked Tiff, Tuff and Kirby when we got back to the castle. They agreed to help too, but Tuff complained when I told him Escargoon was coming with us. Tiff didn't say anything but the look on her face was enough.
"Look, guys, I'm not exactly thrilled about working together with Escargoon either, but can we please just get along, just for now?" I pleaded. Tiff and Tuff reluctantly agreed.
"I think we need a name," said Tuff.
"What about Puffbusters?" Tiff suggested. "The Cappy Town Crew?"
"The Dream Land Team," said Escargoon.
"Poyo!"
"Yeah!" I laughed. "'Poyo' is a great name!" I meant it as a joke but Tiff took me seriously.
"Yeah, great idea, Kirby! We'll call ourselves the Poyo Posse!"
We all agreed this was a great name. Well, most of us did.
"I still think my idea was the best," Escargoon mumbled.
So the five of us gathered a map and an old bird cage, and headed out.
"Where to first?" asked Tuff. "We've looked all over Cappy Town."
"I was thinking Whispy Woods," said Tiff. The rest of us immediately agreed. I couldn't believe we hadn't thought of that earlier...
-x-
It was a simple five minute walk to Whispy Woods. We were all completely silent the whole way, listening for any sounds that might be Cream Puff.
SNAP!
We all gasped and looked around frantically.
"Sorry," Tuff whispered. "I stepped on a twig."
"Try to be more careful, Tuff," Tiff hissed. "Cream Puff could have heard-" She stopped. "Get down!" Tiff threw herself on the ground behind some bushes. The rest of us, although puzzled, did the same.
"What is it, Tiff?" I whispered.
Tiff pointed through the bushes. I had to squint to see past the twigs and leaves, but I could just about make out a fluffy cream-coloured ball floating past. I gasped. Tuff shushed me. We all held our breath as Cream Puff wandered past us.
"Get ready to suck it up, Kirby," said Tiff.
"No, he can't!" I cried. Quietly, of course. "If Kirby inhales it, it'll tear his insides to pieces. Kirby would be killed!"
Kirby gave a frightened 'poyo'.
"We gotta think of a plan," said Tuff.
"That would have been a smart thing to do BEFORE we came out here," Escargoon muttered.
"We don't have much choice," I replied.
"Erika," said Tiff, "how does Cream Puff attack?"
"It bites a lot. It's got these really sharp fangs."
"Is that all?"
"It'll do whatever its master tells it to." I paused. "Wait a minute. I'M its master!"
"WHAT?!" Tiff and Tuff cried in unison.
"Look, I know this is a bad time to be telling you, but Cream Puff is MY monster, not Dedede's."
"How could you do such a thing?!" Tiff hissed.
"I... I wanted revenge. But it backfired."
"Revenge on Kirby?" Tuff asked.
"Poyo poyo?"
"No, no, of course not Kirby. It was Escargoon."
"So that's how you both ended up in hospital," said Tuff. I nodded. Escargoon shuddered at the memory.
"If you're its master, that makes things a whole lot easier," said Tiff.
"Well, not exactly," I corrected. "Cream Puff doesn't always do as I say. THAT's how we ended up in hospital."
Tuff groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Do you think we should have brought Meta Knight with us?"
"Probably," I agreed, "but it's too late for that now."
"Is Cream Puff still there?" asked Escargoon.
Tiff peered over the bushes. "Yeah."
"OK, who's got the cage?"
We all looked at one other.
"Tuff, I thought you said you brought it with you!" Tiff moaned. "Now we'll have to go back to the castle."
"But we can't let Cream Puff out of our sight," I pointed out.
"You'll have to stay behind," said Tiff. "The rest of us will go back for the cage."
"No way! I'm not staying by myself!" I protested. "Can't one of you stay with me?"
"Not me!" said Tuff.
"I can't stay either," said Tiff. "I don't trust Tuff. I'm going back to keep an eye on him."
"Poyo poyo." Kirby hid behind Tiff.
There was silence. Then, surprisingly, someone agreed to stay. The someone I didn't really want to be left alone with.
"I'll stay with her." Escargoon placed a hand on my shoulder. "You kids go and get the cage."
"Thanks," said Tiff, and she skipped off with Tuff and Kirby closely following.
Escargoon and I were alone.
"Get your grubby hand off me."
"Don't I get a 'thank you'? I could have left you here by yourself!"
"I'd rather be by myself than with you."
"I can still catch up with the others, you know!"
"Go on, then. I'm not stopping you."
Just then we heard a growling noise. We both froze.
"Please tell me that was your stomach," I whispered.
Slowly, hardly daring to even breathe, the two of us turned around. A terrible sight met our eyes. Cream Puff had found us.