As the dreamless oblivion of Theo's slumber gave way to reverie, Theo found herself walking across an endless hallway. The walls to either side were made of stripped logs, like the interior of some great tree, cascading into a smooth point above. There were no paths nor doors except for forward, and Theo felt compelled to walk. As she looked at the floor, she realized that below her was only the nebulae and constellations of the night sky. A trail of broken crowns and wilted flowers followed her stride like footsteps.
When Theo looked back up, she found herself in a familiar place. The cramped hallway had given way to a larger wooden structure. To one side of her were holes in the wall; windows to the outside that resembled a face. Where once Theo had looked out at them to see the bright sun or the starry night sky, now she could only make out black. A void of emotions, tinged with the color sorrow. As she turned around, she saw the stone altar, with the unmistakable star-shaped divot in it's center. There was no question, this was the inner sanctum of Kabu.
Theo looked down at the floor again. The crushed diadems and daffodils were gone, the ground beneath her covered in colossal scattered tarot cards. Her gaze flitted back towards the altar. The star-shaped divot was gone now, and in its place was a small, narrow wooden box. Theo knew the box all too well, as she reached to open up the clasp. At her very touch, the pinewood lid melted away, the familiar shape of it's contents sat, gleaming in the dark. The star rod - Resting just as she had left it ever since Kirby had channeled its power to unmake Nightmare.
As Theo reached to retrieve the rod, she felt her hands begin to split and pull away at the seams. Flowering vines began to unfurl from where her hands had been a moment earlier. The box began to get farther and farther away, as Theo felt herself falling; floating. Tarot cards scattered around her descent; but the Theo could only make out the closest - the Hanged Man, her own visage reflected in the gilded illustration of a bound figure. As she fell, suddenly she stopped, her foot caught by a rope made of gold. She reached to free herself, but the vines that made her hands would not obey, instead binding her further as her form was spun slowly upside-down by the trajectory of the fall.
As Theo was turned, she stood face-to-face with the previously upside-down depiction of herself. When she looked closer, her hands were pressed against the edge of the card, the sleek edge impossibly smooth and cold, like volcano glass. Her reflection held out its hands, slowly matching her place on the black window. Theo could feel their heat; like gripping molten steel. Yet, she could not pull her hands away. When she looked down again, her wrists were grasped by her own reflection like shackles. The golden figure shifted, watching Theo in disbelief.
"Who are you?" The reflection slammed Theo's hands against the glass. It felt like touching molten lava now, as the oppressive heat threatened to consume her.
Theo tried to respond, but her voice didn't come out. Enraged, the figure began to pull her into the glass by her hands. Theo could feel herself suffocating as she struggled to breathe amidst a miasma of amber.
"Wake up. WHY WON'T YOU JUST WAKE UP?!"
"WAKE UP!"
"Wwwake up Point Cappy!"
Theo's eyes lulled open. The ebony sea was gone. All was quiet, except for the canned sound of a speaker from the nearby bed. Kirby's radio alarm flashed white on the small display as Theo stared up towards the noise with bloodshot eyes.
"Gooooood morning, Good morning, locals and visitors alike! Rise and shine, it's your main man, Charlie, coming at you live from the heart of the city! Hope you've got that coffee brewing and those shoes on, 'cause it's another beautiful day in our bustling metropolis! Now, I've been hearing some wild stories from the zócalo last night. Word on the street is that Kawasaki's was the place to be! And let me tell you, if you haven't tried their Bahn Mi yet, you're missing out on a culinary adventure, my friends."
The memories of the night previous slowly filtered back into Theo's consciousness, her brain slowly sparking back to life like an ancient machine. As Kawasaki's name was spoken, she could feel the presence of the alcohol still in her throat. There was no warmth and levity left, only the fruity and numb aftertaste of regret. Theo's brain was foggy, though whether that was due more to the cocktail or her nightmare was unclear. Theo rubbed the tips of her fingers against her cheek, feeling the clammy sweat on her face with some disgust.
"Aand speaking of adventures, have you folks checked out the new starport down by the docks? Man, the ships coming in and out, it's like watching a space ballet! And the tourists! So many new faces, so many stories. Point Cappy's becoming the galaxy's hottest destination! But hey, let's not forget our roots. Shoutout to all the OG Cappy Town folks! Remember when our biggest attraction was Tuggle's shop? Oh, how times have changed!"
The radio host paused as a canny, stock sound of a cash register opening it's drawer played for effect.
"Alright, alright, before I get too nostalgic, let's kick things up a notch. I've got a pair of tickets to Dedede Resort's exclusive spa day! That's right, a day of pampering, on me! Call in now, and tell me your wildest Point Cappy story. Best one wins! While we wait for those lines to light up, here's a track to get your day started right. Stay groovy, Point Cappy! Charlie's got your back!"
For a split second, a flash of light illuminated the whole room in a pale florescence. She squinted against the sudden brightness, her mind slowly catching up with the fact that a new day had begun. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and peered through the glass. Sunlight danced on the dew-kissed grass, painting shimmering patterns across the room. The morning was pristine, a canvas waiting to be painted. She glanced at the clock, realizing she had slept in a bit, a fact her craned neck reminded her of harshly.
Theo could feel the stiffness in her neck and the tingling feeling in her fingers, as she counted the seconds between lightning and thunder.
"'[One]' - '[Two]' - '[Three]' - '[Four]'."
Kirby was keeping count as well; his board nestled up next to him as he hugged his sheets, still sat up in his own bed. Theo didn't have such a luxury, having awkwardly shoved herself around the feet of the bed and the fireplace.
"'[Five]' - '[Six]' - '[Seven]' - '[Eight?]'"
The rhythmic digital voice from the board continued counting, each digit scored by the soft tap of a button from an increasingly confused Kirby. As he reached the end of the row of keys, he stopped, listening and scratching his head. The silence was eerie. As Theo listened closely, trying to pick out the sound of distant thunder, all she could hear was what sounded like murmurs, so muffled that she hadn't heard them until she listened carefully.
Then, another flash. And another.
Her confusion and curiosity overcoming her fatigue, Theo stood up to open the window. As she pulled herself up from the fetal position she had been stuck in, she could feel her shoulders tense and ache. Her ribcage felt like it had been dragged across cement. After a quick stretch of the arms, which was mostly hampered by the low ceiling, Theo crawled over to the windowsill, pulling back the simple white fabric curtain.
No sooner had Theo looked outside than another flash of white assaulted her eyes. Reflexively, Theo covered her face with her arm. When she recovered, Theo gawked in surprise at the scene outside. All around, a small sea of faces were craned in, admiring the small house. Some were children, clinging to their parents like a dog on a leash. Others were taking pictures of the house; the flowers, the front door - and, most irritatingly - the window Theo was pressed against. As the crowd of people - who Theo noticed on closer inspection appeared to all be off-worlders - noticed Theo in the window, a barrage of flashes blinded her once again.
Theo's eyes narrowed like a hawk. She grabbed the curtain rod with a shaking fist, nearly breaking it in twain as she pulled the drapes closed. Grabbing her shoes with a swipe and pulling them onto her feet, she grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open. With one motion, she ducked underneath the doorframe, slamming the door behind her as she stared incredulously at the crowd that had gathered.
Tourists. Wearing their floral pastel shirts, carrying their fanny packs, cameras slung around their necks, trampling flowers, leaving trash in the nearby bush. The kind of tourists who had been streaming in since Point Cappy put itself on the map, doing whatever they wanted and respecting nothing. Theo, feeling her temple about to burst a blood vessel, rubbed her brow and took a deep, choked breath. As she exhaled, she finally mustered up the resolve to speak.
"This is private property... You can't just go wherever you want. Now, if you could take your cameras-"
"Hey, lady? Is Kirby there?" One of the tourists in the front interjected.
"Does Kirby really live here?"
"My son is hungry. When do we get lunch?"
A torrent of questions bombarded Theo. As she tried to speak, each word was cut off by a different voice. Theo could feel herself coming close to shouting. Finally, when her anger reached it's boiling point, Theo raised her voice.
"Everybody, Shut-"
"Can I get a selfie, dude?"
Theo was once again cut short, as she felt a tug on her sleeve. As she turned around, she faced a lanky teenager, suited in a long trench coat and wearing a white shirt which depicted a figure, remarkably similar to Kirby - aside from the fact that the character was the color of an unripe snow pea. He was holding a camera up behind her expectantly, having inserted himself into a pose with Theo without even asking.
Theo was at her limit. The audacity of him finally pushed her over the edge, and Theo could only see red. As her anger overtook her, she was eerily calm, as she looked the boy in the eye for a long second. Without breaking eye contact, she snatched the camera from his loose grip, holding it in front of him as she slowly crushed it like an empty soda can with one hand. As it splintered, she opened her fingers, letting the destroyed components trickle out of her hand, all the while affixing him with a petrifying scowl.
The crowd was silent. A few of the people in the back started to whisper, sounds of confusion and amusement, mixed with annoyance. The teenager took a couple steps back in shock, kneeling on the ground as he tried to pick up pieces of his broken camera. For a moment that felt like hours, all were quiet. Finally, someone from the back started slithering her way to the front of the crowd.. She was a young woman, yet still taller than most of the mob of sightseers, wearing a set of black slacks and a loose floral shirt that had been thoughtlessly overlaid by a uniformed blue vest; a fit that reminded Theo of some of the other girls that had attended her senior class at Starlight Academy. Her eyes had the bags of someone who hadn't slept right in god-knows-how-long, silently begging for ibuprofen, but her pupils were following Theo's eyes carefully.
"Excuse me. Ex-cuse me! This is a - guided - tour. Just what the hell do you think you're doing? I. Will. Have. You. Fired. Do you really think you can act like that without consequences?"
As she spoke, snapping her fingers to punctuate her words, she stomped closer, until they were close enough to Theo that she could feel the warmth of her breath against her face.
"Stop - who are you?" Theo held up one hand to her brow, and the other out, as she backed up in confusion and annoyance.
"I'm June Halliday, the tour guide...? I don't know how you managed to figure out how to speak, let alone land this job, but you're gonna be flipping burgers at Kawasaki's when your boss-"
"I do flip burgers at Kawasaki's... I don't work for you. I don't even know who you work for! This is our house! You can't just show up and harass us like you own the place!" Theo interjected, exasperated. The part about her flipping burgers wasn't entirely true; Kawasaki didn't even sell them.
"That's not what the itinerary says... If you have a complaint take it up with Southpaw." Fora rebutted in a voice that was almost sing-songey.
"I don't care about your itinerary. Get these tourists off of *our* property." Theo backed up, partially to disengage from the woman in front of her and partially to get her searing headache out of the bright light. As she did, she opened the comically short door to the house behind her, forgetting just how short it was in the process and hitting her head on the lintel. As soon as the door opened, making Kirby visible, another barrage of flashes caught him by surprise, knocking him over from his position next to the window where he had been eavesdropping. Enraged again, Theo slammed the door on the mob.
Theo knelt down, offering her hand to Kirby. It took a few moments for Kirby to move off of the floor, but as he did, the ground was soaked with tears from where he'd fallen.
"Oh, Kirby... I'm so sorry. I think they had the wrong house." Theo tried to console him, offering the hem of her shirt to wipe a tear from his face.
"'[Not]' - '[Dumb.]' - '[You]' - '[Know.]'"
Theo quietly let out a defeated sigh. She couldn't argue that one. She pulled herself onto the tiny stool, rubbing her head in her hands. "No, you're not. I know that, Kirby. But... Sometimes, I wish that it was monsters or lunatic schemes we still had to deal with. At least with those, when the monster was defeated, it was over. But no copy ability is gonna beat standardized education or... Housing." Theo looked around at the tiny abode, remembering that this place was the only place she could sleep right now.
"'[Don't]' - '[Like]' - '[Everyone]' - '[Know]' - '[Me.]'"
Kirby took the base of his board, his little hands trembling slightly as he brought it up to his mouth. He gnawed on the edge, the familiar pressure calming him in a way nothing else could. His rounded teeth scraped softly against the worn surface, leaving tiny marks that had built up over time in the same location. It was a habit he'd developed when things got overwhelming, a silent way of coping when words—whether from his board or his thoughts—felt too heavy. Even now, he bit down a little harder, his eyes downcast, trying to work through the tension building in his chest.
"Kirby... I'm sorry. I really am. You save the universe once and-"
Theo was interrupted by a knock on the door, so faint that at first she thought she imagined it. The tapping barely registered, soft and uneven, like someone had used the last of their strength to reach the door. She paused, her brow furrowing, before slowly standing up. As she approached, she could hear the faint rasp of labored breathing on the other side. It was the knock of someone old, someone whose hands had long since lost their steadiness, and whose body had grown frail with age.
"Package deliver—Oh... Hey, sis," came a familiar voice as she opened the door.
There stood Tuff, holding a small package in one hand, his face still carrying that boyish charm but with sharper edges from the years gone by. Beside him, hunched slightly and leaning on the doorframe for support, was Melman. The old delivery man looked more frail than ever, his uniform sagging off his bony frame. He was the one who had knocked, though it looked like it had taken every ounce of strength just to lift his hand.
Theo blinked, taking in the sight of the two. Tuff was grinning, though a little tired, while Melman smiled weakly, clearly refusing to stop working despite his condition.
"Thanks..." Theo wearily held out her hands to receive the package, her shoulders sagging as she looked
"Hold on—technically need Kirby to sign for it. New regulations and all," Tuff interrupted, his grin shifting into something more apologetic. He raised the package slightly, teasing her with it just out of reach.
Theo blinked, incredulous. "You've got to be kidding me." Her eyes shifted from Tuff's mischievous grin to Melman, who offered her an almost imperceptible shrug. It seemed even the rules of Dream Land couldn't escape the creeping claws of bureaucracy, not even for the world-saving hero himself.
Kirby, who had been silently observing from the small stool, perked up at the mention of his name. His board slipped from his hands and clattered gently against the floor as he waddled over. The pink puffball looked from Theo to Tuff, wide-eyed and curious, before reaching up to the pen Tuff held out.
"Here you go, little buddy. Just a quick scribble," Tuff said, bending down to hand Kirby the stylus with a smile. Kirby gripped it tightly, sticking his tongue out in concentration as he dragged the pen across the digital pad in a series of loops and squiggles that ultimately indicated nothing.
Melman, still leaning on the doorframe, gave a quiet cough, more from exhaustion than the need to clear his throat. "Regulations change every other week now," he wheezed softly. "This time, it's 'cause of... some executive order or another. They're really cracking down on deliveries. Gotta make sure everything's official, signed off by the proper recipient."
Theo exhaled, running a hand through her hair, which had long since lost its youthful luster. "You'd think after all this time, they'd trust Kirby enough not to need paperwork." But she said it more out of habit, not really expecting the world to be as simple as it once had been. There was no Dedede pulling strings behind the scenes this time—just a tangled web of regulations, responsibilities, and a world that had grown far more complicated.
Kirby finished his signature, his face lighting up as he proudly handed the pad back to Tuff.
"Perfect, thanks, Kirby," Tuff said, handing over the package with a little flourish, though his grin faded a bit when he noticed the tiredness in Theo's eyes. "You okay, sis? You've seemed… off lately."
"It's nothing. Really—" Theo hesitated, her voice faltering as she tried to brush it off. Then she sighed, her defenses softening in the presence of her brother. "Well… has Mom already told you?"
Tuff's eyes widened in realization, and he straightened up slightly. "Oh, about the baby?" His grin returned, but it was gentler now, more understanding. "Yeah, she told me. Guess I'm not gonna be the youngest anymore, huh?" He chuckled, though it was clear he knew the news carried a different weight for Theo.
Theo was silent for a second, weighing the value of her words carefully before she continued. "Tuff... they want me to move out."
Tuff's chuckle died on his lips. His smile faded as he glanced around the cramped, modest space of Kirby's house. The small stool Theo had perched herself on barely supported her, and her knees practically touched the edge of the tiny table. It was painfully obvious this place wasn't built for someone like her, not anymore. Not someone who had grown up, taken on more responsibilities, and had no space left to breathe.
"Wait, move out?" Tuff's brow furrowed as he processed the weight of her words. "But you're staying here, with Kirby. Why would they—?"
"They think I need to 'make space for the baby,'" Theo said with a bitter laugh, though it came out more tired than angry. "Mom and Dad think it's time I 'find my own place.' It's not like they're wrong, but..." She trailed off, her eyes scanning the walls of Kirby's house as if seeing it for the first time again. "This isn't exactly permanent, and I don't know if I can afford anything better right now."
Tuff's expression softened as the realization hit him. "That's why you've been staying here, isn't it? With Kirby?"
"I didn't know where else to go," Theo admitted, her voice low. "I didn't wanna stay with them last night. It was… too soon, I guess?" She fell into a heavy silence, her hands gripping the edge of the small stool as though it might ground her in the overwhelming moment.
Tuff didn't say anything at first, just watched her with concern etched across his face. Theo had always been the strong one, the one with a plan, but seeing her like this, with the weight of her situation bearing down on her, made him realize how deep this went.
Theo's voice cracked as she continued, her words coming out shakily. "Tuff, I— I mean, I have money, but technically… I'm homeless." The last word hung in the air, as though she couldn't quite believe it herself. "Living here with Kirby, it's just temporary. I can't stay like this forever. I don't even know where I'm going next." Theo looked away, her gaze fixed on the far wall, as if searching for answers that weren't coming.
Tuff was dead silent. The weight of Theo's words hit him like a punch to the gut, leaving him staring at her, unblinking. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out. His usual quick comebacks and easygoing attitude vanished, replaced by a stunned, heavy stillness.
He had known things were tough, sure—but hearing Theo, his big sister, admit that she was technically homeless? That was something he wasn't ready to even broach, let alone process. It felt wrong, like something that shouldn't be happening to someone as capable and strong as her.
For a moment, all he could do was stand there, rooted to the spot, the gravity of the situation sinking deeper into him. He had no idea it had gotten this bad.
Theo, noticing his silence, offered a weak, half-hearted smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Guess it's not what you were expecting to hear, huh?" she murmured, the edge of her voice cracking just enough to reveal how raw the situation really was for her.
Tuff finally found his voice, though it was softer than usual. "No… I wasn't." He let out a breath, raking his hand through his hair as his mind scrambled for something useful to say, something that could fix all of this. But, when no answer came, he let out a defeated sigh, stepping away from the door. "Guess I'll be seeing you, then."
"Oh—one more thing, Miss," Melman awkwardly interjected, his hand shaking slightly as he held up what appeared to be an unsigned ticket. "Think someone dropped this by your door. Looks important." He lifted the ticket, and Theo immediately recognized the stamp—a bold orange paw, marking it as a still-valid pass to the spaceport.
Theo's eyes narrowed. "What…?" she murmured, taking the ticket from Melman's hand.
"Whoever it is also dropped a lotta litter," Melman added with a sheepish smile. "Would pick it up myself, but I might not get back up again." He chuckled softly, though the effort it took to stay upright was apparent. "And Tuff here's holding the packages for me until he's ready to do these routes himself."
Theo let out a defeated sigh, resigned to the fact that, on top of everything else, she'd now have to clean up after careless tourists. It seemed like there was always something. Her tired eyes flicked to the ground, scanning the mess outside the door, but something caught her attention.
The ticket wasn't just any spaceport pass. It wasn't addressed to Port Cappy like any of the usual tourist tickets. Instead, her eyes widened as she read the destination— PPX . A direct shuttle from Port Cappy to a place that was completely unfamiliar to her.
"PPX?" Theo repeated quietly, her mind racing. That wasn't a place she recognized from any of the usual routes.
"Think a tourist lost it," she said finally, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Don't worry—I'll take it back. Need to have a word with them anyway about private property."
Tuff arched an eyebrow. "PPX, huh? That's not exactly a common stop."
Theo tucked the ticket away carefully, her mind already turning over the possibilities. Something about this didn't sit right, and the fact that it was left at her door felt less like a coincidence and more like the start of something unexpected. "Mhm… Well, it's not my ticket and not my concern. I'll turn it in and be done with it."
"Good woman," Melman chuckled, leaning heavily on his cane as he shifted his weight. "If it were me, I'd have taken it and started retirement early." His old eyes twinkled with mischief, though it was clear from the way he steadied himself that retirement probably wasn't something he could keep putting off for much longer.
Melman chuckled one last time as he let the door close, efficiently—if not elegantly—slipping between the awkward exchange between Theo and Tuff. The soft click of the door shutting behind him left a brief but palpable silence in the small room, and Theo couldn't help but feel a rush of relief that the conversation was over. The weight of her worries remained, but at least now there was a moment of quiet.
Kirby tugged on the hem of her shirt, holding his board in front of him.
"'[Go]' - '[To]' - '[Port]' - '[Now?]'" Kirby blinked up at her, his hand a little sturdier on his board now.
Theo gave him a tired but affectionate smile. "Not yet, Kirby. First, we need to make a little stop with our old friend, Kabu." She glanced down at the mysterious ticket in her pocket, knowing they needed answers before anything else.