Amongst a sea of hundreds of siblings, one stood out from the crowd. Zero scanned over their creations, snagging on a particular child.

Oh, it was wrong. If Zero felt, they would cringe. It was defective, resembling an Astral borne of positivity. Disgusting. They could not feel a connection to them, either. Severed from the hivemind. Useless. Zero was planning a heist upon a planet- this specimen would be no help to them. Zero did not blink, and rallied their children together to expel the defect. We will not see it again. We have no use for one that cannot listen.

♡

The power of the Love-Love Stick pulsed throughout Popstar. To Gooey, it felt sickening. Like honey, oozing across his very being. Sticky. Sweet. He knew it was a good thing, though. It only felt bad because he was Dark Matter. Dark Matter that was navy blue, had two eyes and a tongue. And yet, still, Zero was his creator.

☆

We see it. Kirby and Gooey had entered the Hyper Zone. To Kirby, this felt like horrible sweet honey. To Gooey, it was home. He did not exist here for long, but yet, something pulled at him.

Zero peered at the defect. It looked even worse, now. They were surprised it could still fly, in that sorry form.

Though Gooey was not part of the hive, Zero could still tug at his mind. He was their child, after all. They spoke to him. Why show your face to me, one without use? You are unlike anything. You do not fit in with the dark. You do not fit in with the light. Why continue to exist?

Gooey prodded back,
Parent Zero. I have two eyes. I have a mouth and tongue. I am a boy, too! Maybe all of that's weird to you.

But I don't have to fit.

Somewhere in the world,

There's a Gooey-shaped hole out there,

Just for me!

○