This chapter happened to be beta read in advance, so why not post it on the 2nd Anniversary of Kirby and the Forgotten Land? ;)
Disclaimer: Kirby belongs to Nintendo and HAL Laboratory.
It wasn't long before Dr. Blameworthy finished the physical exams for Kirby.
"Well," Dr. Blameworthy commented, "he's perfectly healthy, I think. It's…hard to say since most of his more critical anatomy is essentially impossible to see."
"Poyo!" Kirby chirped as he jumped up briefly.
"To be fair," he insisted apologetically, "I can't really say for sure, but I would say it's a safe bet."
"That's…understandable," Vesa agreed.
Kirby stepped towards Elfilin.
"We'll be using the data we gathered to work on the copy ability," Susie told them, "until then, you're dismissed."
"Of course," Elfilis warned, "I still advise you to exercise caution."
"Noted," Susie nodded.
Fecto Elfilis, Vesa, Kirby and Elfilin left the doctor's office. Making their way into the lobby, Vesa checked the station's directory. While examining the map, she took note of a hair salon in the northwest sector. Running her fingers through her hair, she realized it grew to at least reach her shoulders since she was awakened from her stasis.
"Vesa?" Elfilin paused.
Vesa snapped out of her thoughts and glanced over her shoulder.
"Uhh, perhaps we could visit some places in the station after we visit the trauma ward?" Vesa suggested.
Elfilis raised their brow as they curiously examined the directory.
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Elfilis replied.
Vesa smiled before she went back to searching the directory. She soon pointed at the location of the trauma ward, which wasn't far from where they were standing.
"Maybe if we took a left from here," Vesa mused.
Vesa tilted her head in said direction and started her stroll. Elfilis, Kirby and Elfilin followed close behind. The angelic space rodent would nudge her in the correct direction as they traveled, considering the maze-like structure of the station. It didn't take too long before they stopped at the door to the trauma ward. Stepping inside, they noticed there weren't a lot of people in there. Maybe the three patients present didn't seem to be critically injured and one of them resembled a nurse taking a nap in one of the patient beds. Disappointed, Vesa let out an exasperated sigh.
"Just great," she grumbled, "how else am I supposed to strengthen my healing magic?"
Kirby gave Vesa a puzzled look.
"Poyo?"
"I could injure myself and allow you to practice your healing that way," Elfilis suggested, "if you wish."
Vesa couldn't help but shudder upon hearing those words.
"Actually," she protested, "I'd rather you didn't."
"A-Alright," Elfilis sighed.
Kirby and Elfilin let out a sigh of relief, so Vesa wandered through the trauma ward, checking on the people still present while Elfilis just stood there. When she passed by one of the patients, he gave her a confused look.
"Do I know you?" the patient asked.
Vesa shook her head.
"How are you doing, sir?"
"Uhm," he blurted hesitantly, "fine, I guess?"
Vesa noticed the confusion in his eyes, considering she didn't wear any kind of uniform to indicate she was a staff member of the station.
"Alright," Vesa said, "take care."
Vesa approached the other patient; an older woman who sat up upon cue.
"How about you, ma'am?" Vesa asked.
"Are you with the hospital?" the second patient inquired, her tone hinting at confusion.
"N-No," Vesa blurted, lowering her head.
"Well then, what is it you need?"
Vesa regained her composure and clasped her hands together.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" she queried, "I am learning healing magic."
The old patient blinked twice.
"Ah," she mentioned, "well, I came in here for a fractured bone in my hand. Do you think you could help with that?"
Vesa felt a boost of confidence in her mind.
"Of course!" she smiled.
Vesa took a moment to examine the old lady's hand, locating the fracture with her index finger. She noticed as Elfilis approached her from behind.
"This might be the first time I repaired bones," Vesa admitted.
"There wasn't an opportunity to do so before," Elfilis added, "if I remember."
Elfilis knelt down while Vesa concentrated her mana into her hand. Green sparkles danced around her fingertips while she focused on the bone fracture. Holding the hand gently, she drew her index finger in a circular motion. The old lady seemed to relax as the soothing sparkles went to work burrowing into the hand and repairing the bone. Once the green particles dissipated seconds later, the old woman took a moment to flex her hand.
"Thank you dear, that feels much better."
"You're welcome, ma'am," Vesa smiled gently.
Vesa and Elfilis stood up just as the nurse stirred from her nap.
"Let's go before we cause any problems," Elfilis advised her.
Locking eyes onto her partner, Vesa nodded quietly before she and the angelic lancer nudged Kirby and Elfilin out of the trauma ward. After stepping through the door, they continued to rush down the hall. Turning at a few intersections, they set foot into the commercial district. Kirby and Elfilin climbed into a nearby bench while the human made a beeline towards a nearby directory. With a finger, she located the hair salon on the map, which should be a few stores north of her. Vesa glanced over her shoulder as Elfilis remained close to her proximity.
"Well," Vesa asked, "is there anything you'd like to check out while we're here? There are plenty of stores to choose from!"
Vesa stepped aside, allowing the tall space rodent to read the directory.
"I don't know," Elfilis admitted, drooping their feelers, "I'm not sure what I would even need from here."
Vesa sighed softly as she turned her head towards Kirby and Elfilin. She raised an eyebrow as the small chinchilla perched on top of the pink puffball.
"Maybe after I check out the salon," Vesa offered, "we could see if we could find a store for science equipment?"
"I don't think they would have anything I'd be interested in," Elfilis shrugged, "it's been said that after a certain point, science is indistinguishable from magic. Well, that isn't entirely wrong since after a certain point most societies typically fuse both together. I imagine my magical equipment is likely just as good if not better than theirs."
Vesa frowned at the thought of Elfilis being left out even when they were accompanying her. She beckoned her partner to follow her as they meandered through the hall, making their way to the entrance to the hair salon. Setting foot inside, Vesa checked the lobby for any other customers awaiting their appointment. With Elfilis standing at the entrance, she approached the receptionist's desk.
"Hello, ma'am," the receptionist greeted, "did you schedule an appointment?"
Vesa blushed.
"N-No," she admitted.
The receptionist nodded slowly.
"Well, we currently don't have anyone scheduled for the next couple hours," the receptionist told her, "so if you want to you can still come get your hair done."
"I would really appreciate it," Vesa nodded with a smile.
"Alright," the receptionist replied, "we have several different things we can do for you."
The receptionist pointed to a list on the desk, prompting Vesa to read the details of several different options of hair treatment.
"I would like just a haircut," Vesa requested, "not much else, other than that."
The receptionist nodded and turned her gaze towards the computer.
"Ok, wonderful," the receptionist grinned, "that'll be 20 newbucks."
Vesa paused when she realized that she didn't have the currency the people at the station accepted. She glanced over her shoulder, locking eyes onto Elfilis nervously. The tall angelic lancer took the hint and approached the desk, catching the receptionist's attention.
"Do you accept items of equivalent or greater value?" Elfilis asked.
Elfilis didn't hesitate to pull out an ornamented broadsword covered in gold and silver embellishments.
"Uhm," the receptionist stammered, "we do now?"
Vesa gave Elfilis an awkward stare.
"This weapon has no meaning to me other than its monetary value," Elfilis elaborated, "I carry the weapons of fools and slain warriors as things to trade on other planets. They are useful for that as their value is readily apparent. Gold and jewels are also things I have, but are not as easy to spend as you would need to have someone prove that they are real, which can be annoying. This is much simpler, and I have a lot of them."
The receptionist took a moment to think while Vesa scratched her head.
"We do have a pawn shop across the salon," the receptionist pointed out.
"It's fine, just take it. I have been alive longer than your species has existed. I have plenty."
The receptionist sighed and nudged the ornamental sword aside.
"A stylist should be on their way soon."
"Thank you for your time," Elfilis gave the receptionist a nod.
While Elfilis went off to sit down in a chair, they closed their eyes and their mind wandered while they set to work organizing the contents of their pocket dimension. Vesa took a step away from the desk and waited until a hairstylist set foot into the lobby a minute later.
"Afternoon, ma'am," the hairstylist greeted, "why don't you come this way?"
Upon cue, Vesa followed the hairstylist to the nearest vanity station, where she sat down in a chair while the stylist draped a smock cape around her.
"So how would you like your hair cut, miss?"
Vesa took a moment to think.
"I'd like my hair cut off by at least an inch and a half," Vesa requested, holding her hand parallel to the back of her neck, "same for the bangs."
"You got it, miss," the stylist nodded.
Soon enough, the stylist went to work. Over the course of an hour, Vesa relaxed as the stylist combed and trimmed her hair until it was back to the length it was when she was admitted to Lab Discovera. The stylist handed Vesa a mirror for her to hold while she spun the chair around until it faced away from the mirror on the wall.
"So," the stylist asked, "what do you think?"
Vesa took a moment to examine her reflection, noting how her hair now reached halfway down her neck and her bangs trimmed just above the eyes.
"This is exactly what I've been looking for," she smiled, "thank you!"
The hairstylist took the hint and removed the smock cape before brushing excess hairs off Vesa's neck. Vesa stood up and waved her hand at the stylist.
"You take care, miss," the stylist winked.
Vesa sprinted towards Elfilis. The ultimate life-form perked up their feelers and opened their eyes before standing up.
"So what do you think?" Vesa clamored.
Elfilis blinked while they ran their fingers through her hair.
"You look beautiful," they told her.
"Thanks, Elfilis!" Vesa smiled softly.
Elfilis placed their hand over Vesa's shoulder as they both walked out of the salon.
"Now we gotta go check on Kirby and Elfilin," Vesa paused, "they might've wandered off somewhere."
"I wouldn't worry too much," Elfilis shrugged with an amused expression on their face.
Vesa didn't say much as she and Elfilis wandered around the commercial district. For a brief moment, they stopped in front of the pawn shop. They took a moment to step inside while noticing a customer was in the middle of exchanging a toaster which he probably didn't need anymore. Once he finished the trade, he left the counter. The clerk shifted his gaze towards Vesa and Elfilis.
The tall angelic lancer returned their gaze, noticing the clerk seemed unnerved by their unblinking stare and large glowing eyes. Elfilis shifted their glance away, not wanting to cause discomfort. The clerk cleared his throat seconds later.
"Do you two have anything to trade in today?" he asked.
Elfilis paused as they and Vesa exchanged glances. The tall angelic lancer pulled a bar of pure gold out of their pocket dimension and placed it on the desk.
"I'd like the equivalent of this in cash," Elfilis requested.
The clerk blinked twice while he examined the bar of gold in front of him.
"This is pretty pure, it's just under 24 carat."
The clerk took out a high tech monocle and held it over the bar of gold.
"I can give you a good price for this," the clerk continued.
Sure enough, he set a large stack of bills on the desk.
"Feel free to count it," he added, "something tells me that you don't particularly care, however."
Elfilis nodded and handed the dollar bills to Vesa, allowing her to stash them in her pocket bangle.
"Thank you, sir!" she smiled.
"Have a nice day," Elfilis added.
The clerk waved them off while Vesa and Elfilis left the pawn shop. They set off to venture through the corridor until they reached the food court. There, they found Kirby and Elfilin surveying the food stands lined up along the circular wall. The small chinchilla perked up his ears when he spotted Vesa out of the corner of his eye.
"Hey!" Elfilin called over, waving his paw, "we're over here!"
Elfilis took a nearby seat while Kirby and Elfilin scampered towards them and Vesa.
"How have you two been doing?" they asked.
"Kirby and I are trying to decide where to get our lunch," Elfilin explained.
"Poyo," Kirby agreed.
"I gathered that," Elfilis remarked with a deadpan tone in their voice.
"Well," Vesa mused, "now that we're here, I guess I'll pick something for lunch, too."
Vesa examined the food stands for a brief moment until one eye spotted a pizza booth.
"How do you guys feel about pizza?" Vesa asked Kirby and Elfilin.
"Poyo!" Kirby chirped, jumping up and down.
"Pizza?" Elfilin gave Vesa a confused look.
"It's a dish originally developed by humans presumably," Elfilis replied, "it's hard to say since, like a lot of things, somehow certain concepts and ideas are universal. It's hard to say who invented it first, much like a lot of things."
"You never had pizza before?" Vesa paused.
Elfilin shrugged.
"Well," Vesa mentioned, "my hometown in Ioskaria had a pizza place my family would dine at sometimes."
"I find that I prefer plain cheese," Elfilis added.
Vesa placed her hand on Elfilis's shoulder, eliciting a blush out of them.
"Ok, I'll keep that in mind," Vesa turned her gaze to Kirby and Elfilin, "as for you two, would you like to come pick out your pizza?"
"Poyo!" Kirby nodded eagerly.
"Sure!" Elfilin chirped, "I'd love to try some."
"Thank you," Elfilis smiled.
Smiling, Vesa led Kirby and Elfilin towards the pizza stand and browsed the menu. The clerk greeted them with a smile.
"Welcome! What can I get for you today?" she greeted.
"I would like one slice of pepperoni pizza," Vesa requested, "and one slice of cheese pizza."
Vesa shifted her gaze towards Elfilin.
"Elfilin, what would you like?" she asked the small chinchilla.
"If Elfilis likes plain cheese," Elfilin said, "then I guess I probably would, too."
"Ok then," Vesa returned her gaze to the clerk, "make it two slices of cheese pizza."
The clerk nodded and glanced at Kirby.
"What about you, little guy?" she asked him.
"Poyo!" Kirby clamored.
Vesa's eyes widened in shock.
"You want a whole pizza?!" Vesa exclaimed, "really?!"
"Poyo!" Kirby nodded.
The clerk burst into laughter. Vesa and Elfilis shared glances.
"I don't see why you're shocked," Elfilis pointed out, "he could probably eat them out of their stock and still come back for seconds."
Vesa blushed while Kirby pointed at the toppings he wanted for his pizza. Once she added the drink orders, she made the payment. They waited a few minutes before the chef brought out their lunch orders, so they took the lunch orders and returned to the table. Vesa handed Elfilis a slice of cheese pizza and a cup of ice water before she took a sip of her lemonade.
"Thank you," Elfilis smiled before they slowly started eating their slice of pizza.
Kirby and Elfilin sat down, the small chinchilla nibbling on his slice while Kirby gulped down a slice of his whole pizza at a time. Elfilis eventually finished their pizza a short while after Vesa and Kirby did. They still had to wait a little longer for Elfilin to finish his slice. After clearing off the table, the four set off to venture through the commercial district, where Vesa took note of what stores she would shop at the next time she came back to the station.
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And leave a review so Kirby can use them to buy snacks for him and Elfilin.