Chapter 37: Kirby of the Stars

Giovanni leaned against a large tube, which illuminated the dark laboratory with a blue glow. While disappointed in his new recruits, their involvement in his grand scheme were insignificant. He had claimed the component need to realize his dream of world domination. To make Pokémon a weapon, an extension of his power.

He watched as the strange humanoid Pokémon continued its struggle for freedom – to dry its skin in the warm air. It jerked left and right, trying to remove the armor. But they remained latched to its body like massive, metal parasites. Giovanni couldn't help smirk in delight as the Pokémon squirmed; he enjoyed being in control of the situation. It only made his ego radiate within the dark laboratory.

"Submit to the resentment in your heart," Giovani said. "Let me take control of it. Struggling only leads to suffering."

The Pokémon was furious to be trapped. However, overtime, it became instilled with fear – terrified by the notion of losing its free will. For a long time, it refused to be subjugated by humans, believing them to be a menace – uncaring beings that saw themselves as the superior race. It wanted to prove them wrong – that Pokémon weren't just slaves.

But maybe it was their fate, after all. The Pokémon's body went limp from inevitable reality. A lone tear streamed down its cheek.

There was no escaping its inferiority in the circle of life.

A small, pink cat-like Pokémon with a long tail slept underneath a pickup truck, letting out a peaceful "mew" with each exhale. The truck provided a nice shade from the sun's relentless rays. But it awoke from the sudden roar of the engine. The truck pulled away, consuming the little cat in a puff of black smoke.

The Pokémon coughed as the fumes tickled its throat. Irritable, the cat hovered into the air, shouting at the driver with multiple "mews." It ceased upon sensing a power from faraway. The creature's blue eyes blinked in fascination; something about this energy felt familiar. Like a bee to nectar, it flew away, following the trail.

After being reassured from the nurse that Pikachu would make a full recovery, the group left the coliseum and returned to Traverse Town. Their first stop was to Captain Olimar, delivering Pikmin and missing ship pieces. Then, they made their way towards Kraden's house. Sora cracked his knuckles; he was ready for an afternoon of intense training. Winning the next round made his excitement plunge down a perpetual roller coaster drop; his emotions refused to quell.

He wanted to push himself past his limits – to be ready for another life-or-death bout against the Heartless. But his enthusiasm waned for a moment upon thinking about Riku. There would be an inevitable confrontation between them. While the idea of fighting Riku made his stomach hurt with dismay, he had to be ready. Riku would not relent. He had to condition himself in doing the same.

No matter how much the saccharine memories of yesteryear tried blocking his path.

Upon meeting up with Kraden, Sora handed him the two torn pages they found. The amiable scholar promised to place them back in the book with his psynergy. Luigi wished he could be pleased with the progress, but that was near impossible. The other three pages could be anywhere; as of now, the book was still blank. Every person residing in it no longer existed; it was like someone wiped the pages clean with an eraser.

But what worried Luigi most was, if they recovered the remaining pages, would life return to the book? If not, a dense piece of remorse would forever be sewn to his chest.. But trying to predict the outcome was meaningless. Only our actions can lead to results. They have been fortunate to find two pages so far. Perhaps they'd find the others on their travels.

Sora felt something roll into his hip. He gasped, forgetting about the summon stone, and hurried over to Mia, holding it in his hand.

"Excellent," Mia said, pleased. "You've done a great job at locating these pour souls. While I can't fully restore them, they can still see the world for a short time. Instead of being prisoners in this stone."

"What can you tell us about this one?" Sora asked, handing her the stone.

Mia examined it. Sora noticed her face riddled with intrigue, and a bit of confusion. "This one is particular. He appears to be…flat.

"Flat how?" Yoshi asked.

Mia opened her mouth, producing only silence. There was a massive pile up of words scrambling to form an adequate sentence that would describe this person. None came to her mind.

"Perhaps it's best you see for yourself," Mia said. She transformed the stone into another glass container.

Sora held it over his head, which made the glass break. A dark orb emerged and hovered onto the ground. What the group saw next was baffling. It was a tiny man that appeared akin to someone's silhouette: pitch black skin and no eyes. However, his nose was round like Luigi's, and he had two circular hands.

But the most bizarre attribute about this man was he appeared as a flat, two-dimensional model, like a cartoon character existing in the real world. Ever since the beginning of this journey, Sora had found himself jumping over fissures of logic, unable to explain things such as talking animals, magical weapons, etc. But this one made Sora stumble right into that chasm, as it took him a moment to process this person's outlandish presence.

"Oh, he's literally flat," Sora said. "How does he exist in a 3D plain?"

"Why's that a big deal?" Luigi asked, nonchalant. "Our friends from the paper world are also flat."

Sora narrowed his eyes. "Lived on an island my whole life, remember?"

"Right," Luigi said, blushing in embarrassment. "Forgot about that."

Startled by his new surroundings, the man opened his mouth to scream. But what came out of it were beeping noises, like something out of an LCD video game.

"Please, do not be startled," Mia said. "You have been given a second chance at life. With your help, we can restore the world you once knew."

The man turned to Mia, speaking with the same incoherent noises. His movements were stiff, as if they were cut from a film reel. This only made the confused circle around everyone spin inward.

Yoshi gasped. "Ooh, me bet he saying dirty words! Me telling!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Luigi said. "That's probably his native tongue."

"Excuse me," Sora said. The man faced him. "Hi there. I'm Sora. Can you…understand me?"

The man nodded. Wow, this is so weird, Sora thought. They didn't even exist in the same dimension, and yet, here he was, having a conversation with this strange little man. Sora explain the situation; despite lacking eyes, Sora noticed that the man lowered his head in sadness. His outward appearance didn't matter; deep down, he was experiencing the same emotional turmoil Sora had experienced from losing his word.

They shared the same goal: to defeat the Heartless and find their way home. That's what mattered the most.

After finishing his story, Sora asked, "So will you help us?"

With a smile, the man nodded. The same determined energy Sora carried permeated through the man's flat body. He was ready to fight. The two shook hands. Shaking his hand was like grasping the sides of paper.

"Man, this feels so weird," Sora said with a chuckle. "He's like something out of a cartoon."

"Do you have any abilities?" Luigi asked.

The man nodded, and made a frying pan materialize in his hand. Yoshi licked his lips; he was already liking this man. With a flick of his wrist, the man tossed sausages into the air. And you better believe Yoshi ate them all.

Yoshi rubbed his stomach in glee. "This best day of Yoshi's life! Now me never go hungry again!"

"Uh, that's neat," Sora said, somewhat impressed (he was mostly perplexed, though). A nice trick, but the Heartless' diet consisted of a certain organ. It would be meaningless. "Anything else?"

The man cleared his throat, pulled out a mallet, and tapped the table with it. In his opposite hand, he held up a rectangle on a stick; in the center was the number six. Odd maneuver, Sora thought. Suddenly, the table caught on fire. Mia used her water spell to extinguish it in an instant.

Kraden looked at his table, irked. "Why do fire keeps erupting here? Does my house just scream flammable to everyone?"

The man gave an apologetic grin. Sora admitted, the man's abilities were unconventional, but, sometimes, unpredictability can be useful in a fight. Any little bit helped in their everlasting struggle against the Heartless.

Especially if Riku was on their team now.

"I think we get the gist of things," Sora said, satisfied. "Looking forward to working with you."

The man started fading from the room. His energy was spent. However, he shared Sora's sentiments, and was excited to assist them against the Heartless. After waving, the man returned to the summon stone. It didn't matter the size or shape of a person – Sora was always happy to make a new friend.

In this time of uncertainty, he needed all the support. But, even then, it would never replace the immense bond he had with Riku and Kairi. Trying to suppress his sadness for them was excruciating. But he had no choice. Is wallowing in the past going to save their friendship? Not in a million years.

Pumping his sweat glands into overdrive was the perfect diversion. He asked Kraden if they could train, to which the wise sage responded with an ecstatic, "yes." Knowing Kraden, he couldn't wait to study their new spells, and bombard them with a long parchment full of questions.

Using his psynergy, Kraden moved furniture to the corners of the room, giving the trio some space. For the first hour, Sora and Luigi experimented with their spells, even using Yoshi as a test subject. The dinosaur had no objections, as he took the opportunity to practice with his shield.

Afterward, Kraden beckoned for everyone to join him in the center of the room. He was planning to teach them the art of transfiguration.

"The denizens of some worlds may be too frightened by your obtrusive appearance," Kraden said, adjusting his glasses. "Sadly, there are those who will make rash generalizations and assume a foreign body may be dangerous. Blending into the crowd will draw attention away, plus make others comfortable around you."

Kraden faced Luigi. "Since you are the oldest of the group, I will show you how to do this. Your responsible for radically changing everyone's appearances. Magic this powerful will need to be handled delicately. Alternating someone's appearance can yield negative results if not done carefully."

"Oh." Luigi was terrified by notion of transforming his friends. He felt a nervous twitch in his neck. "Glad there's no pressure or anything. Wouldn't want to have a burden on my head."

Kraden placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "Now, Luigi. I know this seems daunting, but I have faith in you. Much like with anything, proper training can reduce the anxiety you feel."

Luigi was still skeptical, but knew life would be so much easier with disguises. He wouldn't have to be concerned about keeping the world order in balance (although it was already leaning due to their involvements in past worlds).

"Okay." Luigi gulped. "I'll give it a shot."

Kraden was pleased. "Excellent." He turned to the others. "You may go about your business while I work with him."

"Awesome!" Sora said, thrilled to train some more. He turned to Yoshi. "Feel like sparring?"

"You bet!" Yoshi said with a smirk. He prepared his shield. "Sora going to wish he back in First District!"

Sora summoned the Keyblade again, grinning. "Is that a fact? Well, try not kick and scream too much when I end up dragging you back there myself!"

The two sparred; Sora had so much fun. Yoshi was a great opponent. His agility kept Sora on constant alert. Try as he might, Yoshi could not defeat Sora. His abilities and techniques were far more refined. But Yoshi never quit. He continued pursuing him, landing a few hits. Unfortunately, Sora hit harder. Yoshi fell on the ground, and sat up, panting. The fire in his eyes never stopped cackling.

"Hey, what happened to beating me so badly I'd end up in the First District?" Sora asked in an overconfident, mocking tone. "C'mon. I know you're better than that."

Sora slapped both hands over his mouth. It was like Riku's words jumped right out of his throat. What a strange case of Déjà vu. Only now, the roles had been reversed. He had forgotten how exhilarating it was to spar with a friend. Nothing was at stake – it was just a game. Despite how many times Riku trounced him, Sora would stand up again, believing he would win the next fight.

Those times were easygoing.

Yoshi noticed the crestfallen expression on his friend's face. It didn't take long for him to deduce why he appeared so glum. Their fight trigged memories of Riku, which left Sora with an ugly reminder of his current whereabouts.

And that their friendship was divided by a twilit line of resentment.

"It…okay…" Yoshi said, guilty. "We no keep fighting." But he was surprised to see a competitive spark in Sora's eyes.

"No way!" Sora said, smirking. "I'm having way too much fun! You're a good sparring partner, dude."

Yoshi blushed. "You mean that? Well, me going to give it my all then!"

"Don't get too carried away," Sora said, as his mood rebounded from the flat surface of depression. "Same some of that energy for when you sing my victory praises."

"Dream on!"

In an instant, the rousing sound of their weapons clashing drowned out the sadness in Sora's heart. Some time had passed; Luigi had been practicing with a few of Kraden's items, and showed great successes. It was time for the ultimate test. Kraden called the boys over. They both gave each other awkward glances, not sure what to expect.

"You two okay with this?" Luigi asked.

Sora released the nervous air from his windpipe, but tried remaining supportive. "Sure. I trust you. Just please be careful with the hair. Plenty of gel bottles were sacrificed to make these split ends."

Kraden advised Luigi to calm his mind. The plumber closed his eyes, following the gentle, rhythmic tones of Kraden's voice. Soon, everything was pitch black. His breathing was slow. He was at peace. Kraden instructed him to focus on the desired being they wished to become. Seemed easy enough, Luigi thought. He would use the Kongs as a blueprint for their new forms.

Upon snapping his finger, Luigi and the others exploded into a puff of smoke. Kraden watched in anticipation as their new forms came into view.

"Gracious!" Kraden said, looking overjoyed. "You did it!"

Eager to see the results, Luigi opened his eyes. And was met with disappointment. They did transform, but not into Kongs. Sora was a merman; his feet were replaced by a large blue fin. He also lacked a shirt. Yoshi had become a sea turtle; he lay on his belly and struggled to move.

Feeling a cool breeze, Sora hugged himself. "Geeze, it's cold!"

"Mama-mia," Luigi said. "This isn't exactly what I pictured."

"It was a good first attempt," Kraden said, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Luigi suddenly noticed his shirt was missing, too. "Where are my clothes? And why I can't I feel my toes?" He noticed his lower body was replaced with six green tentacles. "Oh, because I don't have any." The revelation soon connected like wires, and he screamed in horror.

"Why me feel like singing all of a sudden?" Yoshi asked, feeling a strange shiver in his vocal cords, as if they were being plucked by a finger.

After regaining his composure, Luigi said, "Don't. Singing would be entire pointless. And annoying, I might add."

"Hey, me a good singer," Yoshi said, somewhat insulted.

A slow realization started to squeeze against Sora's chest. "Guys. We're sea creatures. How are we talking on land right n—"

And then, his windpipe shrunk to the size of a pea, causing him to suffocate. The other followed with a duet of gasping and chocking. Everyone collapsed onto the ground, struggling to accept air into their mouths.

"Quick…do…something…." Sora said, barely audible.

Luigi focused what little energy he had into snapping his finger. The group reverted to their original forms. An overwhelming burst of air rushed into their lungs, providing instant relief. It was like being rejuvenated with a pump. Every muscle regained strength. Once they recovered, Sora stood up, agitated from the whole ordeal.

"I think I'm done for now," Sora said. "I can deal with monsters triple my size, but that was just too much!"

"Wait, Sora," Kraden said. "It's imperative that this spell be mastered. Luigi has proven to be a fast learner."

"Well, I'm not sure I want to master this spell THAT fast," Luigi said, skeptical. Kraden gave him an enraged look that pinned his feet to the floor in apprehension. "B-But if it means I don't have to do anymore pushups, then come on boys! We're going to have a makeover party!"

Sora and Yoshi moaned. They both noticed the grave expression on Kraden's face. Mastering this spell was important. It would be a major asset when they visited future worlds. With reluctant sighs, the two continued to be the dummies for Luigi's tests.

After an exhausting day, the group settled in for a good night's sleep. Sora felt like a boulder as he sunk into his bed, releasing the stress that latched onto him like dust. Practicing the transformation spell did boost Luigi's confidence. He no longer had to lean on a crutch of doubt. Hopefully, he wouldn't have any further difficulties with the new spell.

Morning seemed to arrive just as Sora's head hit the pillow. Of course, it was hard to tell with the sky dressed in a perpetual, black shawl. But Yoshi's wake up routine was an effective alternative. Least Sora didn't have to worry about dry skin on his face. Once everyone was ready, the group departed for the depths of space, where the potential worlds they would visit were as endless as the twinkling stars.

Isabelle sat up front this time, having gained immense courage in flying. She wrote in her journal, but would stop to gander at the vastness of space in front of them. So calm, so peaceful. She was at ease. Her brother was safe; the burden once strapped to her shoulder drifted away into the nothingness of space.

In the backseat, Sora and Yoshi were giving each other intense stares. They were preparing to partake in a massive undertaking that would test their mental endurance.

"This might get rough," Sora said, cracking his knuckles. "Sure you're up for this?"

"Me can handle rough," Yoshi said with a bold expression. "Me can handle soft. Any feeling no break Yoshi."

"Alright!" Sora said. "Get ready then! I'm not holding back!"

"Bring it!"

"Do you" –he dramatically holds up a playing card to his face– "have any fives?"

Yoshi glanced at his hand, and grinned. "Go fish, home slice."

"Aw, man," Sora said, displeased. "Guess it's time to go fishing again."

Luigi winced; he thought a blood vessel in his head popped from irritation. "A man's inner ear can only endure so much lowbrow humor."

"Whatchya mean lowbrow?" Sora asked, leaning over Luigi's chair. "My brand of humor is so highbrow that it'll make your brows shake from laughter."

Luigi glanced over his shoulder, glowering. "Do you want this ship to crash again? Because I can make it happen. On purpose this time."

"Nah," Sora said, smiling. "Don't trust my luck to survive another one."

Isabelle chuckled. "Such interesting conversations you guys have. I should've bought a second journal just to record your colorful commentary."

"Can't tell if you're being serious or not," Sora said, still retaining his playful grin.

"That's open to interpretation," Isabelle said, winking.

Sora laughed. "Isabelle! Methinks our colorful commentary has rubbed off on you."

"Perhaps," Isabelle said, shrugging.

Luigi glanced back at the dashboard, where the 3DS resided. His eyes brightened in excitement. "Getting a strong reading from this next world. Everyone be ready. It's coming up!"

As always, Sora couldn't wait to visit a new world. He and the others tried to take a gander at it. But, to their surprise, they were greeted by the blinking stars in front of them. Their heads spun around the cockpit, unable to see any world in view. Even Luigi tried taping the edge of the 3DS to see if it was functioning. It still showed the Star Spirit nearby.

"Being the gentleman I am, how about you guys go first?" Sora said in a joking tone.

"Quit clowin'," Luigi said. "This doesn't make any sense. The 3DS should be working. Professor E. Gadd might be...uh...uh…"

"Cukoo for cocoa puffs?" Yoshi asked.

"I wasn't going to say that," Luigi said, stern. "At first. But his inventions are usually efficient. Somethin' don't add up."

Isabelle squinted her eyes, focusing on the space in front of them. She gasped. "Wait, I see something! Over there!"

The others followed her finger. For a few moments, they didn't see anything. Upon squinting, they noticed a tiny five-pointed star. Two planetary rings crossed around it. Curious, Luigi held the 3DS towards the tiny star. The radar started beeping in a loud and continuous manner.

"I think we found it," Luigi said.

Sora was dumbfounded. He thought every world was of a similar size – places that anyone could visit. It was like finding a small piece of thread in a giant quilt. How would anyone know of its existence? "No way! Worlds can be that small!?"

"Sure," Isabelle said. "Why not? There's no rule that says they can't be."

"True," Sora said, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "Too bad we have rules when it comes to size. If we try landing, we'd crush it."

As if on cue, Luigi pulled out a group of small mushrooms with blue caps from the glove compartment. Sora noticed they had the same eyes as the Atmo-shroom. His stomach started to contort into an uncomfortable bow.

"These mini mushrooms should do the trick," Luigi said "We can use it on us and the ship. That way, we can become small enough to land."

Luigi instructed everyone else to eat their mushroom first, so that he could insert one into the ship's insides."

Sora held the mushroom up to his face. His face tightened. "I always feel guilty eating these things. Look at those eyes; it's like they are silently judging me for munching on them."

Closing his eyes, he swallowed the mushroom in one gulp. He exhaled as it reached his stomach. Upon opening his eyes, Sora noticed that the room was blurry. It was like someone dropped clear jelly on his pupils. Everything started growing taller. Sora felt like someone was pushing him into the ground. It was a strange sensation.

Once the crushing feeling ceased, he noticed his vision returning. It was clear as the sky.

But he wasn't the same size anymore. Sora stared upward, gaping; his seat was massive. The entire ship was vast; it could've belonged to a giant. He turned to his left, noticing Yoshi waving at him – a tiny spec in the passenger's seat. It wasn't long before the entire ship shrunk to their size. Everything was normal again. Sora thought he suffered a brief concussion, which wrung reality like wet clothes.

"Wow!" Sora said, shaking his head. "Not sure I'll get used to that anytime soon!"

Looking ahead of him, he saw the new world floating right in front of them; it was in perfect view. The murky feeling in his head was blown away by a breeze of agog. Sora was ready to visit a brand-new world. After taking a few minutes to recover from the mini mushroom's effects, the group prepared to disembark.

Planet Popstar was like walking into a storybook – a whimsical world with bright, vibrant colors. Overhead in the vast, baby blue sky were white clouds and rainbows. Birds flew through them without a care in the world, singing a pleasant duet with the gentle breeze. In the distance, one could see mountains covered with lush green grass. Sticking out of the grass were giant star-shaped rocks.

The water was clear and crisp. Not even the smallest fragment of sediment tarnished its translucent coat. It was paradise. Stress and anxiety fled in terror from the sugarcoated world's sight. Life was perfect.

But it was suffering beneath that chirper exterior. The citizens that helped maintain this world's luster were in a state of disarray. No longer could they enjoy their carefree lifestyle. Everyone's minds slid across grease, unable to maintain their sanity. An eclipse of distress had darkened the irenic world.

Little did everyone know, behind that eclipse was a monstrous entity that planned to devour what little peace remained.

Luigi approached the entrance to a quaint town. The road was paved with bricks, and most of the buildings were a story tall. It was inviting. More so than the last few worlds they've visited. Maybe finding the Star Spirit would be straightforward, Luigi thought. He glanced down to admire the handwork for his disguise.

His overalls and shirt morphed into a one-piece outfit. The only notable feature of his new form was the lack of legs. He had stubby brown feet. All the practicing had been successful. Blending in wouldn't be too difficult. Although the whole meddling was still an ongoing affair. No spell could ever get them out of trouble.

Luigi heard the others grunting behind him, and turned to see them stumbling over their own feet. Like Luigi, they lacked legs. "What are you guys doing?"

"Square dancing," Sora said, sarcastic. "What do you think? It's so hard to walk without legs."

"Me feel like penguin after too much cough syrup," Yoshi said, trying to retain his balance.

"Sorry," Luigi said, shrugging. "These are the types of people the Lakatus picked up on camera. Was the best I could manage. Would you rather I try something else?"

Sora shuddered upon remembering the various failed transformations Luigi performed on them yesterday. His feet were still cold from the slime he dragged along as a slug. "No, no. I'm good. Second times aren't always a charm, ya know. First tries are never really appreciated in this day and age."

"No, keep going," Luigi said with a teasing smirk. "I'm so enthralled by your string of excuses. Don't leave me in anticipation."

"Look, a sign!" Yoshi said.

The group turned to read what it said: Welcome to Dreamland, a place so wholesome that it puts singing unicorns juggling lollipops to shame.

Sora blinked in bewilderment. "Wow. Talk about overselling yourself."

"Never mind that," Luigi said, gleeful. "Remember when I asked for a world that was nothing but comfy pillows? Is my wish coming to fruition? Yes! A no coward zone! My kind of place. Come on, boys! Let's go meet the locales."

He strolled into the town, leaving all his cares and worries at the front entrance. Sora and Yoshi look at each other in confusion.

"Sometimes his state of mind would make for a good question on an essay," Sora said.

"And no one would be able to answer it," Yoshi said, "because Yoshi would eat it."

Sora chuckled, petting his head. "You'll really eat anything that's put in front of you."

"Me an equal opportunist when it comes to food," Yoshi said with pride.

Sora grinned. "I don't think you know what those words mean. C'mon, let's catch up to him."

The two followed Luigi into town. In all honesty, they have faced hardship during these past two days. Maybe an easygoing adventure was warranted. Sora needed time to rethink his own mission: major circumstances had scribbled over it, forcing him to start from scratch. Now, he stared at a blank page, unsure of what to write. How does he find Kairi's heart? How does he dissolve the stubborn rust coated on Riku's chest?

He sighed; there were times where he didn't want to think about it. But he couldn't continue to push the issue aside. Not anymore. He refused to give up on them, despite the odds. Perhaps meeting the locales will put his mind at ease. This world seemed peaceful enough; the denizens must exhibit a similar disposition.

Unbeknownst to them, someone was watching from behind a tree. His spherical silhouette was hidden beneath the shade's covers. A silver mask concealed his identity; only his bright, thin, yellow eyes crept out from abyss of the singular hole. They followed the group's every movement, as if prepared to lunge out from the darkness.

Luigi's usual nervous trembles made a triumph return as they walked through the town. This is why dreams never come true, he thought. It was quiet. If not for the birds chirping overhead, Luigi would've run for the exit. But as they walked towards the center, the group started noticing civilians. Most of them were circular creatures with stubby arms and feet. Some were taller than others.

There was something strange about their behavior. They seem sleep deprived. Huge bags were hung under their eyes like a hammock. Some did speak up, only through yawns. Sora saw a chef standing outside his restaurant, mixing ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon. He was an egg-shaped creature with orange skin. His eye lids felt like dumbbells – he struggled to keep them open. Soon, he fell asleep, and his face collapsed into the bowl, causing the ingredients to splatter everywhere in a white glop.

"Folks here sure are sociable," Sora said, uneasy.

Yoshi frowned. "Are we just that boring? Well, me fix that." He performed the detachable thumb trick for everyone in view. In an over the top tone, he said, "How does he dooooooo it?"

His performance was met with a less than stellar responses.

"I think you're act needs work," Sora said, snickering.

Yoshi sighed, deflated. "No matter how hard me try, Yoshi's talents always panned."

"Wonder why everyone's so sleepy?" Sora asked.

"It doesn't concern us," Luigi said, anxious. "Let's keep moving before we end up like them."

Sora saw a giant tree in the center of town. Throwing slow punches and kicks at it was a humanoid creature wearing white gloves and a blue jump suit. He had yellow spiky hair that was divided by a white headband; etched in the middle was a red jewel. Knuckle Koe was a karate fighter – a warrior fueled with a burning passion to push himself past his limits

But it was difficult to do so when your mental capacity was approaching the single digits. The only thing he wanted to punch was a comfortable pillow. But determination kept his eyes open like scotch tape.

"That guy seems awake," Sora said. "Maybe he knows why."

Luigi slumped his shoulders. He muttered, "Sometimes I think he does this to me on purpose."

"Excuse me," Sora said, walking up to Joe. "Would you—?"

Paranoid from the lack of sleep, Joe swung around, decking Sora right in the face. The boy landed right on his backside. He rubbed his cheek as Luigi and Yoshi hurried over to help him.

"Ow!" Sora said. "That is so unfriendly!"

Luigi raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought a punch to the face was a sign of endearment."

"Oh, no!" Joe said in a panic. "I-I'm so sorry about that! Are you okay?"

Sora stood up, continuing to rub the pain in his cheek. But he smiled. "Yeah. I'm fine. Got me good, though."

"Again, sorry about that," Joe said, his face riddled with guilt. "I'm not one to attack by simply being provoked." He yawned. "But lack of sleep puts me on edge. Don't know how you're full of energy. Maybe you're fortunate enough to not have nightmares."

"Nightmares?" Yoshi asked.

Joe stretched a tired arm. "Yeah. Ever since our king messed around with the Fountain of Dreams, we've been having the worst nightmares. Too hard to go back to sleep."

"Fountain of Dreams?" Sora asked.

Joe blinked at them in surprise. "How do you not know what that is? Maybe you really are sleep deprived."

"Just humor us," Luigi said. "What is it?"

While a tiny bit suspicious, Joe didn't see any harm in telling them. They seemed friendly. Or maybe his sluggish mind didn't feel like climbing into an interrogation chair to question them.

"The fountain provides us with good dreams, which helps us sleep peacefully," Joe said. "But just the other day, King Dedede came along and messed around with it. He broke the fountains power source – The Star Rod, and separated it into seven pieces."

Luigi was taken aback by the last sentence, as if mishearing it. "What did you say this power source is called!?"

"Star Rod," Joe said.

Sora gasped. "Hey, that's the same name as—" Luigi covered his mouth.

"I beg your pardon?" Joe asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Luigi said, trying to hide his nervousness behind a wide smile. He still held Sora's mouth closed. "I think he's starting to feel the effects of no sleep. Poor kid just blurts out anything. Right, Yoshi?"

"If a coin lands on it side, is it suffering from vertigo?" Yoshi asked, thoughtful.

Joe gave Yoshi a baffled look. "What?"

"See what I mean?" Luigi said. "Excuse us for a moment while we all take a moment to wake up." The three formed a huddle. He glared at Sora. "Did you forget what the word ORDER means? You're lucky he lacks common sense right now."

Sora rubbed his head. "Sorry. I was just shocked."

"Me too," Luigi said. "Doubtful it's the same one. What a coincidence, though."

"I'll say," Sora said. "What about these people? We can't just leave them like this."

"We have to," Luigi said with a regrettable expression. "Our mission is to find the Star Spirit, remember?"

Sora sighed. It wasn't fair to leave the citizens of Dream Land in such a tired, incoherent mess. Nothing would flourish. The town would end up in ruin from a blunder. Maybe catch fire. He foresaw devastation akin to Hyrule Market – a burial ground of broken rubble that were once buildings created from the once passionate, hardworking citizens. Now, the fruits of their labor would be met with everlasting failure.

Sora's conscience rolled back and forth like a tumbleweed, scratching at the walls on occasion. He didn't want these people to be miserable. It was wrong to just leave, believing the problem would correct itself. Ignoring Luigi's words, he faced Knuckle Joe again. And found him asleep against the tree. Noticing a branch, Sora picked it up, and poked him in the shoulder.

As expected, Joe was startled again, and he delivered a high kick. He shook his head, letting out incoherent mutters. Regaining his senses, he asked, "Wha? What happened? Did I hit someone again?"

"No, no," Sora said in a reassuring voice. "Everything's cool. We're all good. Thanks for your help, but are you guys gonna be alright?"

Joe was dejected. "Wish I could tell you that'd be the case. We could find the star pieces and storm the king's castle. Personally, I'm down for kicking his lardy posterior."

"I take it your king is not the benevolent type," Luigi said.

"Far from it." Joe's blood started to sizzle with anger. "He's loud, obnoxious, self-centered, greedy, and tries to ruin everything for us. And he's obnoxious."

"You said obnoxious twice," Sora said.

Furious, Joe said, "THAT'S HOW OBNOXIOUS HE IS!" He covered his mouth, blushing. "I-I didn't mean to lash out."

"No worries," Sora said, understand. "We get it."

"So what's stopping you?" Luigi asked, growing curious.

Joe took deep breaths, letting his temper wane. "These dark monsters that showed up. Won't let us go anywhere near the castle."

Luigi shot a glance to his friends. They've just devoured a scrumptious piece of information.

"Out of curiosity, where is his castle?" Luigi asked as he pulled out the 3DS and glanced at it.

"That way," Joe said, pointing towards the other side of town. "Why? Are you going to confront him yourself? Maybe you guys ARE just as tired as us."

Luigi shook his head. "Honestly, I sometimes wish I was."

"Well, if you're serious, I could accompany you," Joe said, his eyes flashing in eagerness. "Sometimes brute force can go a long away." He then let out a massive yawn that could shatter the nearby windows.

"Now that's a motto I can get behind," Sora said, impressed. "But, in your condition, I'm afraid we can't afford any 'friendly fire' on our team."

"Hey, I'm good. Haven't hit anyone below the belt yet." Joe noticed Luigi reeling back in fear, and he responded with a laugh. "Only joking. You're probably right. Just be careful out there. But if you need help dishing out bruises, you know where to find me."

The group found themselves in a large field, following the steady beeps from the 3DS. Sora took some time to gaze around at the area. It made Hyrule field look like a wasteland by comparison. His eyes took a moment in adjusting to the bright colors. It was like a kid's imagination spilled onto the scenery.

Sora pictured himself running through the grass, playing tag with his friends. Something about it gave him comfort; it was reminiscent of the Secret Place – mysterious, and yet, safe from the cacophonous sounds of negativity. Seems every day he was reminded of his island in some capacity. And it would continue to be a memory if he didn't remain proactive.

Taking his mind off home, he continued admiring Dream Land. Until he set his eyes on Luigi, who looked glum. "What's wrong?"

"I was so looking forward to a world without stress," Luigi said, disheartened. "When will my time come? Was comfy pillows asking too much?"

"Luigi, the day we catch a break is the day the Heartless decide to give us a great big hug," Sora said. He decided to change the subject. "So you think their king has the Star Spirit?"

"Why not? Every time we meet someone who's up to no good, they end up having one," Luigi said. "Come on. Mother Brain wasn't exactly Miss Mushroom Kingdom. More like Miss Hazy Maze Cave. He noticed Sora giving him confused blinks. Luigi sighed, and waved a hand. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

"Erm, okay," Sora said, a bit awkward. His focused then shifted back to the hapless citizens of Dream Land. Guilt still wrapped around his neck like a tight collar. "Still, wish there were some way we could help those people back there. They must have the worst nightmares if they can't even sleep."

"It stinks," Yoshi said, sympathetic. "Me had a nightmare once where Yoshi walked into a classroom fully clothed." He shivered from reliving that moment in his mind. "Yoshi can still hear the faint sound of laughter."

Luigi's moustache was brushed with confusion. "What wobbly tracks does your train of thought take, Yoshi? I'm so fascinated by it."

Their conversation was interrupted by a high-pitched scream that rung through their ears. Someone was in trouble.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "We'll have a sit-down discussion on that later!"

The three hurried to the source of the commotion.

He didn't know their origin. Every time he moved, the dark creatures followed with unnatural swaying. Their blank yellow eyes were always fixated on him. Trepidation started squirming through his insides like a frightened worm, but he restrained those feelings with absolute courage. He would fight to protect his home, no matter how much the odds pushed him into the corner of a hopeless alley.

The Heartless were fighting against a small pink spherical creature with rose red cheeks. His blue oval-shaped eyes stayed alert for even a slight flinch. One of the Heartless was in the shape of a star. It spun like a frisbee, flying straight for him. The creature leaped over the Heartless with his red feet. A blue Flying Heartless swooped in, grabbed him like a basketball, and slammed the pink puff ball onto the ground.

His body ached from the pain. Fatigue stared to shave away his confidence like a razor. Using his stubby hands, the creature stood up, taking slow, deep breaths. A red Flying Heartless launched a fire spell from its mouth. Before it could reach the pink creature, Yoshi leaped in front of him, deflecting the spell with his shield.

The creature was startled by the stranger. In all his years in Dream Land, he had never seen someone as peculiar as Yoshi. Something about his features were off-putting, as if they couldn't exist in this world.

Yoshi looked over his shoulder to see the creature. "You gather a lot of Heartless! Thanks! Me extra hungry!"

The pink creature watched in stunned, uneasy silence as another strange individual wearing a green cap joined the dinosaur. They both ran right for the Heartless, weapons prepared to collide with their bodies.

"You okay little guy?" Sora asked.

The creature turned to meet the eyes of a teenage boy with spiky brown hair. He seemed even more unnatural than the dinosaur. Especially with that hair. His face seemed like a plastic piece on an action figure. He wasn't sure what to make of the boy. An unsettling rope made the little creature lean backwards.

Sensing apprehension, Sora kneeled to his eye level. His expression was relaxed. He spoke in a soft tone. "It's alright. We're here to help you. Just leave these monsters to us, okay?"

The creature stared into Sora's blue eyes. Something about them seemed trusting. It was like seeing a calming whirlpool spin around the irises. He felt calm from the slow, continuous motion. Although Sora's appearance was baffling, cordial glitter emanated from his body.

The creature responded with a complying nod.

"Stay here," Sora said, firm. "We'll come back for you." He left to join the fight.

But the creature wanted to help. He hated the idea of others fighting his battles. What if they lose? He would never be able dispose of the regretful sap from his fingerless hands. But he needed a moment to recuperate. His round body was sore. He had to put his faith in them for now.

Despite lacking legs, the trio were able to adjust to their new bodies with relative ease. The Star Heartless fired an energy beam from its cat-like eye. Yoshi blocked the attack with his shield.

Sora appeared next to him, Keyblade held in the air. "Force!"

The Star Heartless plummeted to the ground, where Luigi slammed it into the earth with his hammer. Turning to his right, he saw another Star Heartless spin at him. Luigi caught it with the middle of the hammer, and then knocked it straight into another Heartless.

Sora hurried over and finished them off with a horizontal slash. He brushed his hair, grinning with pride, convinced they won. But he saw movement in his peripheral vision, and it closed in faster than a shadow from the clouds. Spinning around, he saw a spherical Heartless like the pink puff ball lunge towards him with a pointed spear. Below the tip was a star emblem.

Sora stepped back to avoid being skewered. The Heartless thrusted the spear at him. With the blade facing downward, Sora brought the Keyblade up at a diagonal angle to block the attack. He tried countering with a downward slash, but the Heartless deflected the blade with the staff's dull end. Then, it used the staff to knock Sora off his feet. He landed on his backside, wincing from the sudden jolt.

The Heartless tried to attack again, but Sora set the creature ablaze with his Fire spell. He stood up, ran over, and cut the Heartless in half.

"Sora, behind you!" Yoshi said.

Sora turned to see another spear flying right towards him. He performed a one-handed cartwheel to the left, just before it could impale his foot. Sora saw another spherical Heartless try to reclaim it. But Yoshi grabbed the spear with his tongue, held it over the Heartless, and slammed it on the head. Dazed, the Heartless was unable to defend itself from Sora's devastating strike.

It seemed the battle was over. The field was purged of dark, unflattering spots. Only the sounds of panting intertwined with the howling wind. Everyone was ready to let their guard topple onto a warm mattress of relief when more Heartless surrounded them.

Sora's shoulders tensed. "Jeeze, they're relentless today!"

"Well, they must be malnourished from the number of times we've denied them hearts," Luigi said, trembling in fear. "I bet their peeved!"

And so, the group fought the next wave. Heartless were entities that lacked the flaws of living beings; their stamina was limitless. Sora and his friends, unfortunately, were starting to feel the effects of exertion. Muscles started to wobble like gelatin. Sweat poured down Sora's forehead like a hot, sticky shower. They continued fighting until the vicinity was at peace.

At least, until a third wave of Heartless inundated the tranquility with their presence.

"There's no end to them!" Luigi said in a panic; his knees were buckling.

"We in big trouble!" Yoshi said, cowering behind his shield.

"I hate to admit it, but you guys are right," Sora said, his confidence kneeling before exhaustion. "We have to do something. And fast!"

They could flee the battle. But, in their current state, could they outrun the Heartless? It would be difficult, but taxing, too. The predators were playing with their food, giving the pray a sliver of hope before devouring them whole. Sora and his friends tried to think of a plan. But the Heartless wouldn't wait for it to be realized. Everyone prepared for the inevitable.

That's when they felt an aggressive tug of the wind.

A powerful force started inhaling the air around them. Their bodies started being pulled towards something, as if a ravenous tornado planned to devour them in one gulp.

Luigi held onto his hat, fighting against the ruthless suction. "Holy macaroni! What's going on!?"

Sora turned to lay eyes upon the source, gasping in surprise. The pink creature had opened his mouth wide, inhaling the air with unimaginable force. Heartless flew into the empty void that was his mouth, where it would never see light again. Sora had encountered many strange phenomena throughout his journey, but this was top tier on the impossible scale.

Trying to piece together the logistics was unimportant right now. They needed to survive becoming a part of this creature's digestive track. Noticing a tree nearby, Sora instructed everyone to latch onto it; as they hugged it with all their might, the three watched in awe as the little creature devoured Heartless double his size.

Soon, the last Heartless joined its brethren within the unknown, inescapable catacombs. The creature closed his mouth, gave a cheerful smile, and said, "Poyo!"

The group stared in astonished silence. Sora thought his eyes were going to roll out of their sockets from bulging so hard. It took everyone a moment to spread their jumbled thoughts into coherent sentences.

"D-Did he do all of that?" Luigi asked, still in denial.

"No way," Sora said, amazed. "How could a little guy inhale so much? And eat them up in one gulp? Is there still time to rule out that I'm in a coma?"

Something stung Yoshi in the back of the neck. Watching the creature eat the Heartless with one bite made him feel a bit inadequate. He always took pride in his eating abilities. Even more so against the Heartless. It's what made him unique. But when someone comes along to upstage your special talent, it was discouraging.

But Yoshi refused to let his pride meet the same fate as the Heartless. With a jealous snort, he crossed his arms. "Huh. That nothin'. Me could've eaten them in half a gulp."

"Poyo?"

Yoshi looked down see the creature staring right at him with a curious expression.

"Dah!" Yoshi shouted in surprise. "Personal space invaded!" He hid behind Sora, fearful.

The creature approached the three with wide inquisitive eyes. While sensing they were friendly, he was still entranced by their odd appearances. They weren't like anybody he had met before. His eyes didn't leave a detail unchecked.

Luigi remained still, just as anxious as Yoshi. "Don't move. Fear probably fuels its hunger."

"Luigi," Sora said, rolling his eyes. "He saved us, didn't he?" He kneeled to meet the creature at eye level again. "Thanks for the help. Looks like you're going to okay, huh?"

The creature examined every pour on Sora's face. Taking a stubby hand, he brushed Sora's hair.

"Uh, curious little guy, aren'tcha?" Sora said in an uncomfortable tone. "Guess you've never seen us around here before."

The creature nodded.

Sora scrambled through his head for a believable lie. "We're from another part of Dream Land. Came here to visit. Nice place you got here."

But the creature continued staring at them. Sora's eyes met with Luigi's in concern. Were their disguises easy to see through? It didn't seem to be the case. Unless this little creature had incredible perception. They waited in agonizing silence as the creature continued studying them.

Then, he hoped up and down in joy, saying, "Poyo! Poyo!"

"Looks like we're okay in his book," Sora said with a relieved chuckle.

"Oh, good," Luigi said, exhaling. "Having been accidently eaten by Yoshi before, I'd hate to see what lurks inside this thing's belly."

Envy started to climb Yoshi's scales. As it made a slow ascension, the features started becoming grotesque. He muttered to himself, "Me insides probably bigger than Pinkie's."

"So, who are you?" Sora asked.

The creature smiled. "Kirby."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sora."

Kirby repeated: "Name Sora."

"Huh?" Sora asked.

Kirby laughed and pointed his stubby hand at the boy. "Name Sora."

"I'm Luigi."

Kirby repeated his name, and did the same for Yoshi.

"Wow!" Sora said with a smile. "He's like a baby. That's so cute."

Yoshi's envy was halfway up his scales, growing larger, and more disfigured. With a huff, he said, "I cuter."

"And the way you handled those creatures was amazing," Sora said. "You've got quite the appetite."

Yoshi crossed his arms. "Yoshi's appetite bigger."

"And you're so….pink," Luigi said, as he glanced over the puff ball.

Yoshi sighed in defeat. That feature was incontrovertible. "Maybe it isn't easy being green."

"So why are you out here?" Sora asked. "Obviously, it's dangerous."

Kirby mulled over a proper response, and made a small golden star materialize in his hand. It spun around in a slow, clockwise manner.

Sora leaned in close to observe it. He had never been so close to one before. Its shining form was mesmerizing. "Neat. But what is this thing?"

Kirby's expression turned sour, as he was incapable of proper articulation. But as Sora continued studying the star, a critical sentence uttered by Knuckle Joe clicked in his mind.

"Oh!" he said in realization. "That's a missing piece of the Star Rod, isn't it? Are you looking for them?"

Kirby hopped up and down in delight, confirming his assumption. Luigi blinked as if the back of his head went numb from déjà vu. He still couldn't believe Dream Land's artifact bare the same name as the one they were trying to reclaim.

Sora was impressed. "Man, you're brave coming out here and searching for them. Then again, your appetite seems to be helping you get by. How many more do you need?"

Kirby held out his other hand for them to see.

"Yes, that is a hand," Yoshi said, tilting his head.

"Um, you don't have any fingers, man," Sora said.

Kirby blushed, and gave a sheepish chuckle for his mistake.

"Listen, that has been awfully riveting," Luigi said, somewhat impatient, "but we have a mission of our own to complete."

Kirby's lips curved downward in disappointment. His interest in them had spiraled up a never-ending staircase; he had so many questions about them. But, most importantly, he was becoming fond of Sora. His pleasant demeanor seemed to brighten anyone's day. You just wanted to soak in the positive vibes he dispersed from his being. Kirby hated saying good-bye so soon, but he was reminded of his mission. No one would be able to drift into the save haven of slumber if he remained inactive.

However, Yoshi was overjoyed to leave. The envy tumbled down his scales. He pulled Luigi into a big hug. "That the best news me heard all day!"

"Why are you so happy about this?" Luigi asked, grunting as his bones were crushed like peanuts.

Sora was sad to leave, too. He felt the same way about Kirby. It was like their positive energy complimented each other like a pen to paper. "Sorry. Wish we could chat more. See, we're off to see your king."

"Dedede?" Kirby asked with sudden suspicion.

"Uh-huh. Dedede." Sora mused over what he said. "That sounds like a bad wrestling stage name."

"Your king has something that belongs to us," Luigi said. "We need to get it back."

"Well, take care," Sora said; there was a hint of dispiritedness in his tone. "Nice meeting ya."

The three continued their adventure. But Kirby didn't want them to leave. Their time together was incomplete. He didn't want it to end. Kirby rubbed his chin in deep thought, determined to keep his new friends around (yes, even Yoshi – he was oblivious to the horrid growth of jealous taking shape).

An idea hit him, and he sprinted over to the group, sliding right in front of them.

"Whoa!" Sora said in surprise. "That good-bye didn't last long."

Yoshi felt the envy return, climbing up his scales at an alacritous rate. His cheeks expanded. "Okay. Now can we extend that good-bye to…never meeting again."

Kirby gestured towards the direction they were following.

"D-Do you want to show us the way?" Sora asked.

"Poyo!" Kirby said in utter excitement.

Sora chuckled. "I guess that means yes. But what about your mission?"

Kirby made the Star Rod piece materialize in his hand. A small energy beam emerged from within, pointing towards their path like a compass. At first, the three stared at the light, unable to comprehend the gesture.

"Oh, I get!" Luigi said. "Maybe the star pieces are used to track the other ones. It's probably in the same direction we're going."

Sora's chest expanded with frantic, zealous air. Kirby was going to join them on their quest. He couldn't wait to explore this new world together, and help vanquish the listless mist enveloping Dream Land's citizens.

"Alright!" Sora said in enthusiasm. "Sure! You can lead the way!"

Expressing the same uplifting emotions, Kirby grabbed Sora's hand (despite lacking digits), and ran through the field. Their laughter echoed throughout the air.

Luigi shook his head with a smile. "Boy, that kid sure has a knack for making friends quickly…despite their odd appearance. Come on, Yoshi."

Yoshi followed behind, grumbling to himself. Someone else was sharing the joy with his best friend forever. It made him feel left out of the adventure. He and Sora had a special connection that differed from the others. Now, it seemed Kirby swooped in like a magpie to steal the felicity away from him.

Unbeknownst to the group, someone had been watching them from behind another tree. He was the person wearing the mask. His mysterious, unreadable eyes never left their sight. But, behind those golden windows was a hint of concern.

"A Keyblade," he said in a deep, low voice. "This could mean trouble."

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