Hoo boy... You have no idea how long I've waited to write this story. I had the concept made around 2008, and I've been wanting to write this since I first joined the site! But, I had other things I needed to take care of first, and it took a lot longer than I thought. Because of that, lots of other ideas were added into this.

Just a fair warning... Even though this is a crossover, it does contain some "original" content and characters. So, if that's not your thing... Well, this might not be for you. But feel free to read on anyway.

I also suggest that you check out "Chopper of Clara", before reading this too, as that story will mention some moments that might spoil the story for you. That, and it gives you an idea who the protagonist is. I might recommend looking at "A Thousand Years Ago" as well at some point...

Since this is a crossover between characters that are a part of the Smash Bros. franchise, I thought it'd be appropriate to put it in this category. As for what this is a crossover between... Well, you'll find out in this and the next chapter! :D

So get ready, folks... 'Cause this is gonna be a long story.

Chapter 1: Maquano's Return to Power

"Silvania... I've waited so long to reach this place. Let's not waste any time, my Tartaras. The Silver Star Sanctuary should not be too far…"

Maquano was the definition of evil. His appearance, his power, almost everything about the Demon Knight screamed evil. He was always seen wearing a black helmet with three gray spikes protruding from the top. A gray stripe was on the sides of his helmet, and there was one in the shape of a curved T on the front near his glowing red eyes. The Demon Knight was wearing red and black armor, black gauntlets with a red stripe going vertically down, and red shoulder pads with black spikes protruding from the bottom. Around his waist was a red belt. His armor legging was dark gray at the top, while the rest was black with a red diamond-shaped portion above his knees, and his boots were black with a red stripe like his gauntlets. Finally, this demon was garbed in a black cape, which flowed back from the wind.

"We're at your command, Lord Maquano! We will follow any orders that you give us!" the Tartara saluted. The majority, if not all of these lizard-like creatures were covered in red and black scales. Most of them were in red and black armor and carried red and black laser rifles. Their fiery orange eyes were enough to make anyone tremble in fear. Some of the soldiers even had black dragon-like wings too.

Maquano, meanwhile, had taken a look at the environment around him as he walked across the giant field. This world, known as Silvania, was not only massive, but also pretty to look at. The landscape itself was very vast composed of mostly green grass and a nighttime sky filled with stars of many sizes and colors.

"Lord Maquano... We spotted a town down the hill!" a Tartara Soldier informed, pointing to a town down a hill to their right. "Permission to destroy it?"

"As much as I'd like to cause chaos here... That's not why we've come here." Maquano stated, much to the Tartaras' disappointment. "Our main goal is to find the Silver Star Sanctuary, and our time is limited."

"Yes, indeed," a small, old Tartara agreed, flying back Maquano's side on a black broomstick with the front having two spikes and the back having five. The back was also round and sported something resembling a fiery eye. As for the old monster himself, he was completely red unlike regular Tartaras, and he had purple eyes and a monocle on the left. Along with that, he had short, gray hair on the back of his head, along with a large mustache and beard. Another detail to him was the black wizard's hat with a round, dark gray brim, along with a black robe with a dark gray trim on the sleeves. Finally, in his right hand was a small, black wand with four spiky protrusions coming out, and resting on the top of the wand was a red orb with darkness inside. "I'm finally here, and it wouldn't hurt to go attack that town."

"When the time comes, we'll have a chance at destroying that town. All that matters now is that I capture the Silver Stars and claim the power greater than anything I've known!"

"Ultimate power? That's your goal ever since you came back?" Camikon grimaced. "Sonny, that has got to be the most unoriginal motive I've ever heard!"

"Oh, really? What makes you think that?" the Demon Knight questioned.

"Well back in the old days..." This caused Maquano to groan. Old man talk. Always the best thing. "We always had more diverse motives to be bad, such as mugging people walking on the streets! And let's not forget about stealing the large bucket!"

"Camikon, I created you..."

"I wanna see you be like me when I was young, tall, and handsome!"

Maquano smacked his forehead, knowing he wouldn't stop rambling and turned to his Tartaras. "Let us move on!"

"As you command, Lord Maquano," the Tartaras obeyed him and followed the Demon Knight ahead.

"So, Lord Maquano..." Camikon began, flying by Maquano's side. "How is the new blaster created specifically for you?"

"You mean Darkness? I haven't gotten the chance to test it out yet..." Maquano answered, a blaster materializing in his hands. The design itself was nothing special, having a large front in terms of height. As Maquano inspected it, he heard the sound of music. Turning around, he spotted a Tartara Soldier banging its head to a song through earphones. "...But I think I just might get to now."

Maquano aimed his blaster without even looking at his target, and with one shot, a black laser had fired out and shot the Tartara Soldier, wiping it out instantly. The others turned their attention to the soldier that disintegrated into dust and then back at Maquano's smoking blaster.

"I thought I told you guys to not be distracted," Maquano hissed. "If I catch anyone else messing around, there will be more shots fired. Understood?"

All of the Tartaras nodded while trembling, and with that, they followed their leader onward.

"Youngins and their technology..." Camikon muttered. "I would've destroyed that Tartara like a man..."

Meanwhile, at the town, many had heard the march and took a look out their windows or out of the gates.

One person, in particular, had took a peek out of his blue house and spotted Maquano and his army moving away from the town.

"Who are those people?" the figure questioned, and noticing the direction they were going, his eyes widened. "Oh, no..."

A rainbow butterfly fluttered out of the house and went by the figure's side. "What's going on?"

"Those fiends... They're heading for the Silver Star Sanctuary!"

"That's not good... Is there anything we can do...?"

"Go follow them. See if you can find anything about them."

"All right..." the butterfly nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

Wasting no time, the rainbow butterfly flew with all her might to catch up to Maquano and the Tartara army.

Twenty, sparkling Silver Stars had circled around an altar in a large room with shiny, silver walls sporting stained glass windows in various colors showing several Silver Stars, a white floor with a circular symbol of a Silver Star on the bottom, and a white staircase made up of stardust. On the top of the staircase was the altar, which had two silver torches lit up, but a pedestal in the shape of a star was what the Silver Stars were staring at. In the spacey background was the multiverse.

But as of now... The Silver Stars' attention were drawn to the image of evil Maquano and his army marching their way toward the sanctuary.

"We must make sure that that Demon Knight doesn't break into this room!" cried the first Silver Star. "If he does, then it's all over."

"We kept this room sealed ever since we returned," another replied. "There's no way he'll break through. Our power is much greater than that demon!"

As they continued to debate, the large door at the front had suddenly been sliced in half before falling over. Light began to shine through the doorway, with Maquano stepping inside the sanctuary. In his hand was a black laser sword with a purple glow and a black hilt, which he named Dark Oblivion. Behind him was his army of Tartaras.

"Hello, Silver Stars..." Maquano chuckled darkly. "I finally get to meet you up close!"

"But... Our seal should've kept you from coming in!" one of the Silver Stars cried.

"A seal won't stop Dark Oblivion from cutting it. Just ask the planets I destroyed with it! ...Now, if you want to make things easier, you'll give your power to me."

"You may have broken into our sanctuary...but we'll never give in," another Silver Star declared.

"All right then," the Demon Knight aimed a finger at them. "Tartaras... Open fire!"

All of the Tartaras grinned as they started firing their blasters, but the Silver Stars had fired white energy their way. Several had fallen, but none of that concerned Maquano at the moment, especially now that they were distracted.

He flew up to the altar in a split second while the Tartaras kept them busy and brought his attention to the star-shaped pedestal. Looking down at it, he could see the multiverse before him. Just touching one of the universes had created a hologram that showcased what was located there.

"Now... Let's take a look at the multiverse..."

But before he could get started, one of the Silver Stars had looked back and noticed Maquano by the pedestal. It alerted the others, and eventually they were heading for the Demon Knight.

"Hmph... I was hoping this wouldn't have to happen so soon... But I guess everything can't go your way. Camikon, if you may..."

Before the Silver Stars could get closer, black magic suddenly surrounded them, freezing them in place.

"Don't think you'll be going anywhere!" Camikon sneered, flying over to Maquano. "Lord Maquano! I have them caught! Are you ready?"

"Oh, yes! Of course!" Maquano turned to the Silver Stars and aimed an open hand at them. "I'm sure you won't be needing those powers of yours!"

"No! Don't!" the Silver Stars begged.

A black spell had fired out from Maquano's hands and split into twenty smaller ones. Each one had struck the Silver Stars, and soon enough, their bright, silver bodies were becoming dull as a white light from each of them came out of their bodies and toward the Demon Knight. As they got closer, this light had turned into darkness.

And then he started to absorb their power, causing his entire body to glow dark purple, and a large, black beam fired upward, creating a hole in the sanctuary.

"This power... It feels incredible!" Maquano chuckled darkly. "It's more than I anticipated! This is more than enough to take down that annoying Chopper!"

"You don't know the consequences of us losing our power..." one Silver Star said weakly. "It is us that helps keep the multiverse under control, and without this power, chaos will ensue..."

"And that's exactly what I want," the Demon Knight smirked. "Now, what to do with you stars? …Ah, yes! Camikon, dispose of them. Throw them anywhere."

"All right, I'll do that for you!" Camikon nodded before flying over to the Silver Stars. "Nyeah heh heh har! Look at you worthless stars! You're simply no match for our greater power and tactics!"

Raising his wand, black sparks struck the twenty Silver Stars, making them vanish one by one. A couple begged Maquano not to finish his task, but all he did was chuckle as all of them disappeared.

"Ah, yes… Very good, Camikon! Now for the next step!" Maquano whirled over to the pedestal and raised his blade. "These Silver Stars were capable of universal teleportation thanks to this star pedestal. Just think of the things I could do with this type of power! No longer will it take months or years to go to another universe or world!"

Bringing his sword down, sparks began to come out from the bright pedestal, which slowly began to get enveloped in darkness. A dark surge of power had gone into Maquano's body, surrounding him in a black mist for a brief moment. When he pulled his sword out, the mist was gone, and he grinned in satisfaction.

However, he wasn't done just yet. Opening his hand, he fired a surge of dark power into Camikon's wand, making the old wizard's hand shake briefly.

"Lord Maquano! What in the world are you doing!?" Camikon exclaimed. "You could've made me drop my wand!"

"I gave you the power to teleport to any universe as you please," Maquano answered. "You are, after all, needed for my next phase of the plan."

"Ahhh… I remember now!"

"As for you, my Tartaras…" the Demon Knight slowly turned to his Tartaras. "All right, we're done for now. At least, you guys are."

"What will you do, Lord Maquano?" the Tartara Commander asked.

"I've got other things planned. You all can return to your base if you want. …And DON'T. RELEASE. THE DRAGONS!"

"Yes, sir! …Party!" the Tartaras all began to make their exit, eager for what was coming next down in their base.

"All right… Now it's time to test out these new teleportation powers." Maquano declared, letting his sword materialize away and crossing his arms. "I believe it is just like regular teleporting, except you have to mentally say where you want to go. Knowing my plan, of course, I'm going to need this kind of power to go to other universes."

"Other universes? But why is that?" Camikon gawked.

"Because not I am able to accomplish my plan on my own. I'm considering going to five other worlds, and if I'm correct, the villains of those worlds will be good enough."

"Wait... Who are these villains? And how do you know about them?"

"Let's just say I overheard about these places and bad guys while I was dead..." Maquano answered. "Anyway, let's go, Camikon. We don't have all day!"

At that instant, Maquano had teleported out Silvania. Camikon soon followed afterward, leaving the sanctuary completely empty.

"He actually succeeded..." the rainbow butterfly gasped, having just witnessed Maquano's actions. "I never thought this would happen... But who is this Chopper that he mentioned?"

Out on a grassy hill, a pink spherical creature with stubby arms, oval-shaped black and blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and red feet was resting right by a tree. Several apples were in front of him, and he dropped an entire one in his mouth. Even though he looked small and adorable, there were no limits to Kirby's appetite...

"Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby cheered, taking out a few apples that had fallen from the tree's branches. He stuffed them in his mouth, not noticing a red, spherical creature with a peach face, stubby arms like Kirby's and peach feet called a Waddle Dee running past him with a couple of delicious treats.

"Kirby!"

Opening his eyes, Kirby saw a round hamster with patches of orange on him, a round, purple owl with white wings, a blue fish that resembled a sunfish, a round, pudgy cat with orange spots, a pink octopus-like creature with a red bow, and a small, green bird. There was also a human behind them, donning an artist outfit, such as a red beret, a green smock, and a gray skirt.

"Poyo?" Kirby asked, holding out an apple to them.

"Kirby, where have you been all day?" the hamster named Rick asked.

"Poyo..." Kirby answered, pointing at the tree.

"Have you noticed anyone walk by with food?" Kine, the blue fish asked.

Kirby slowly shook his head, but Coo the owl pointed his left wing over to a dirt path where several Waddle Dees were carrying food.

"Poyo? Poyo?!" Kirby gasped.

"If Dedede keeps stealing more food, there won't be any more food on Pop Star!" Nago the cat cried. "And you wouldn't like that."

"Poyo!" Kirby replied with a shake of his head.

"If you need us, we're here to support you," ChuChu, the pink octopus assured.

"Chirp chirp! Yup!" Pitch, the green bird agreed.

"I'll go set up a place for me to paint an extra life or Max Tomato," the artist named Adeleine decided, running off. "I'll be near Castle Dedede!"

Kirby finally got up, putting on a more determined look. If there was one thing he kept personal, it was food most importantly. He wasted no time and began to run off. His Animal Friends, being supporters to the pink puffball, decided to follow.

Kirby continued following the Waddle Dees straight to a castle in the distance. However, before he could go any further, he ran into another enemy. It looked much similar to a Waddle Dee, except it had a large eye for its face. It shot a whip-like beam from its eye, hoping to hurt the pink hero.

However, Kirby never took the enemy known as a Waddle Doo as a threat. Opening his mouth wide, he began to inhale the Waddle Doo like a vacuum. It tried to fight it off, but it was no match and was sent flying into Kirby's mouth. Immediately afterward, he swallowed it whole.

With his orange and red jester hat - with the former being covered in white star-shaped polka dots, and his wand containing a blue orb on the top, Kirby defeated a couple of more Waddle Dees that tried to attack him with an orange beam that shot straight out of his wand in a whip-like fashion.

Kirby cheered as he moved through the grassy hills of Dream Land. He encountered a knight around his height wearing a golden helmet, red gauntlets, white boots, and a golden blade on top of its helmet that could act like a boomerang. The other enemy he saw resembled an elf with a humanoid appearance with a distinct head and torso. It only had hands, a light blue outfit and floppy hat, and also yellow, elfish shoes.

But to Kirby, these guys were nothing special. Charging up a beam, he fired it at the Sir Kibbles and Poppy Bros. Jr. and defeated them. With that, he carried on ahead to the road.

He crossed the river that led up to Castle Dedede, which wasn't much further ahead. Those angry eyes on the castle were enough to tell that this castle belonged to King Dedede.

Already Kirby was sensing trouble there. It was King Dedede after all. Him stealing food always meant trouble. All Kirby knew was that he was returning home with his food.

Reaching the gate to Castle Dedede, Kirby spotted Adeleine with her art board ready. When she saw Kirby, she immediately got to work and started to paint a Max Tomato. Once complete, it flew off the board. Kirby jumped and caught the tomato in his mouth.

"Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby thanked, giving Adeleine a wave.

"Good luck, Kirby! I hope you give Dedede what's coming!"

Kirby nodded and made his way to the front of the castle. He decided to take an easier route and took in some air to lift off the ground. Flapping his stubby arms, he began to float in the air and began to make his way over the gate, leaving some Waddle Dees surprised. Rather than go through the castle normally, he chose to make his way up to the window to King Dedede's throne room.

"Excellent work, Escargon! We got all the food that I wanted! I've been waiting AGES for this!" the blue penguin in a red robe named King Dedede drooled over the Max Tomatoes, soda, meat, candy, and the rest of the delicacies on the table. His throne room contained a red carpet and orange walls with his face as statues plastered on them. Even some pictures on the walls contained his pictures. A few looked like they were even forged!

A couple of Waddle Dees were carrying more food to the table, and beside them was a Waddle Dee wearing a blue bandana. There was also an anthropomorphic lavender snail with green eyes, a light green goatee, four teeth, and a dark green shell.

King Dedede couldn't help but gaze at the huge pile in excitement.

"WHOA! This is the most food I've seen you guys take in a while!" King Dedede gaped. "Seriously, you guys outdid yourselves!"

"Well, Your Majesty… Go ahead! Dig in!" the snail named Escargon moved away from the pile with a smile. "As the King of Dream Land, you've earned it!"

"Yeah, what he said," Bandana Waddle Dee nodded, also stepping aside.

King Dedede licked his lips as he prepared to dig in. He opened his mouth and prepared to inhale the pile of food...

"Poyo!"

King Dedede gawked when Kirby flew through the window. He let out the air he had in him and landed on the table with his wand. Escargon and Bandana Waddle Dee gulped and moved away from King Dedede. However, instead of reacting angrily, the king grinned.

"Well well well! If it isn't my good friend Kirby! I was sure you'd be here." King Dedede chuckled, grabbing a piece of meat and devouring it, followed by a loud burp.

"Your Majesty! Cover your mouth next time!" Escargon scolded, only to get whacked in the head by the king's hammer. Not only did it knock him onto the floor, but also left a nasty bump too.

"I do as I please, Escargon!" King Dedede growled. "Anyway, everyone better get outta here unless they wanna get clobbered! This is between me and Kirby!"

"I believe the correct term is 'Kirby and I'," Escargon corrected, only to be dragged out of the room by Bandana Waddle Dee and the other Waddle Dees. King Dedede, meanwhile, jumped off his throne and approached the pink puffball with his hammer ready.

"All right, Kirby… So you want the food, huh? Well, how about we settle this like old time's sake: a good ol' clobberin'!"

King Dedede raised his hammer and prepared to bring it down on Kirby. The puffball slightly jumped in fear and used his Beam ability to fire an orange Beam Whip at King Dedede, electrocuting him.

"YEOW!" King Dedede yelped as sparks came out of him. After quickly shaking off the hit, he grit his teeth angrily. "I forgot how much that hurt! Now to return the favor!"

King Dedede began hitting Kirby with his hammer as fast as he could. Though the puffball managed to dodge his attacks, he did manage to hit him twice. However, this didn't seem to slow Kirby down. King Dedede decided to use his own inhale ability to catch Kirby, but he easily floated over him and landed behind. One Wave Beam knocked him over.

Growling angrily, King Dedede got up and pulled out a black, spiky enemy with one eye known as a Gordo. With his hammer, he swung at it, sending the Gordo directly at Kirby. It bounced across the floor and hit the puffball, knocking his Beam ability away in the process. All that was left of it was a star with the Beam ability emblem bouncing around.

"Poyo!" Kirby cried.

"Heh heh heh! Now this'll be easy pickings!" King Dedede launched himself upward and struck the ground. Kirby had jumped out of the way and inhaled a yellow star that appeared from King Dedede's landing. Kirby spat it out, and the king was knocked back from the force of the attack.

King Dedede flinched as he rubbed his belly in pain. He decided to pull out another Gordo and whacked it toward Kirby. It was like playing golf – only here, the target was a moving pink puffball. King Dedede's face started to turn red as each Gordo missed, forcing him to rush at the pink puffball and try to hit him. But with the yellow stars it left behind, Kirby easily fought back and left the king exhausted.

"Looks like I need to change things up a bit," King Dedede grinned, opening his mouth and inhaling stronger than before. Kirby seemed surprised by this, as he was easily sucked in. But before the king could actually eat him, his hammer suddenly lit up in flames. "See how you like THIS, Kirby!"

King Dedede spun himself around, hitting Kirby several times. His last hit had swung his hammer like a golf club, which sent the pink puffball flying to the wall. When he finally fell to the ground, he started panting.

"Woo hoo! Way to go, King Dedede!" Bandana Waddle Dee cheered, as did many others behind.

"You've got this, Your Majesty!" Escargon exclaimed while raising a fist.

"Yeah, I do! Now shut up and let me clobber Kirby!" King Dedede suggested, silencing his minions. He finally approached the exhausted Kirby with a sinister grin. "Finally... It's time to put an end to this! Once I beat you, I'm gonna use you as a golfball!"

"Poyo…" Kirby gulped, his eyes filled with worry.

"So this Pop Star is my destination? How interesting…"

The two paused as they looked around the room for the new voice. The others watching from in the hallway were just as confused.

"What the… Who's there?" King Dedede questioned.

Maquano made his appearance in the throne via teleportating, along with Camikon. The former floated over the two, looking down at them with a grin hidden underneath his helmet.

"I happen to be here," Maquano stated. "You can call me Maquano."

"Maquano? What kind of name is that?" King Dedede gawked.

"Well, the same could be said about you, Your Majesty," Escargon informed, only for his eyes to widen as a Gordo came flying his way. Thankfully, he was able to get out of the way as it flew through the doorway and made a hole in the wall.

"Listen, whoever you are, I don't care who you are! Pop Star is MINE! Minions, go get him!" King Dedede pointed at the Demon Knight, and all of his Waddle Dees charged into the room, toppling over. Some leaped in the air and tried to tackle Maquano, only to bounce off.

"Nice," Maquano commented, dusting off his armor. "I've taken the power of the Silver Stars, which will surely intimidate people from other universes when I teleport there in no time. This power also means that you're not going to do much against me. Though, the results would probably be the same even without it."

"Nyeah heh heh har! You cannot stop Lord Maquano now!" Camikon cackled. "With his new power, he is invincible!"

"Poyo? …Poyo!" Kirby took action by inhaling a Waddle Dee and spitting it at Maquano. Much to Maquano and Camikon's surprise, he had been knocked toward the wall behind him.

"Wait... I thought it makes you invincible?!"

"I guess not," Maquano grumbled. "Either that, or this pink puffball is actually a threat. But I've got that taken care of!"

Drawing his blaster, Maquano started to fire Kirby's way. At the rate they were going, inhaling them would take some time. And unfortunately for Kirby, he didn't have time to dodge all of them when one shot knocked him against the wall.

"You know, that puffball reminds me of Chopper..." Maquano remarked, clenching his right fist while glowering at Kirby. "And after what he's done..."

"All right, listen here, dark knight! You're not welcome here!" King Dedede warned, gripping his hammer. "Either you take a hike, or my hammer will do the talking instead!"

"Now why would you want to hurt me, considering the offer I have for you?"

"Offer?"

"Poyo?" Kirby wondered, tilting his head to the right.

"Of course. But first..." Maquano fired a dark spell nearby, creating a dark portal that began to suck King Dedede, Kirby, and all of the Waddle Dees into it. As much as they clung to the floor, they could not escape.

"Your Majesty!" Escargon cried, diving into the portal.

"Wait a moment, Escargon!" Bandana Waddle Dee exclaimed, grabbing a hold of the snail before they got pulled in. When everyone save for Maquano and Camikon were sucked in, the portal closed.

"Excellent! We've got that taken care of!" Camikon smirked. "So, Lord Maquano... Where to next?"

"You'll see," Maquano answered, teleporting out of the castle. Camikon raised his wand and followed behind.

Unbeknownst to them, a blue, mysterious masked warrior and his two servants had been watching the entire thing in the hallway.

"That knight... I swear I've once seen him before..." the masked warrior remarked.

"And what were those Silver Stars that he mentioned?" one of the servants questioned.

"And did he say something about other universes?" another knight gawked.

"I'm afraid so..." the masked warrior nodded. "But if this demon wants King Dedede, then we might be in trouble."

"You have any ideas?"

"Yes. We must get the others ready." the masked knight stated, turning to face them. "I believe I might have an idea that will allow us to travel through other universes."

"You mean like that Lor Starcutter you mentioned to us?"

"Yes, but that one traveled through dimensions. Captain Vul and his crew are already coming up with something that'll help us travel beyond dimensions, so the Halberd should have greater travel capabilities than before."

"And where will we go?"

"Even I don't know. For now, we must go back to the Halberd."

Nodding, the masked warrior's two servants followed him through the hallways of Castle Dedede.

In another universe, several large capsules were on the green grass filled with several hills and trees. Inspecting them was a bald human with a long, light brown mustache and a pink nose. For the head area, he wore navy blue pince-nez glasses, and gray hexagonal-shaped goggles above his head. As for his large body, he was dressed in a red turtleneck jacket with a white accents on the front, back, and arms of his jacket, two white stripes on the left and right of his body with gold rectangular buttons in the center of each, golden cuffs on his sleeves, and white gloves. For the lower portion of his body, he wore black one-piece pants that went above his waist, and black boots with silver accents on the front and buttons on the ankles.

Right by the capsules were two more figures, only they were small and robotic. The first one had a head shaped like a half sphere, glowing light blue eyes and mouth, a torso compromised of a ball joint with a thin metal bar, and the bottom of his body was half a sphere. The top of his head, hands, and parts of his round joints were painted red.

Next to that robot was another that had the same glowing light blue eyes and mouth. Unlike the other, however, his head was shaped like a cube, having the top part of his head painted yellow, much like his hands, while the lower portion was black. Another difference was the yellow, cube-shaped body above the two spherical joints below him. The bottom part of his body was black and half of a cube that completed the yellow portion on his head.

"Hmmm… Let me see here…" the scientist began, continuing to inspect the capsules. "Orbot, Cubot... How many animals are in these capsules?"

"Well... I'd say there's a lot inside." the red robot answered.

"Why thank you for telling me the obvious, Orbot. Please, share some more with me."

"Ooh! I saw some more animals over by one of those loops!" the yellow robot spoke up.

"Then why are you sitting around and not getting them, Cubot?" the scientist growled. "We still don't have enough to get that hedgehog's attention!"

"Oh... Uhh... I'll get right to it!" Cubot replied sheepishly as he and Orbot began to move away. "Gee... The boss sure seems to be in a bad mood... Is it because I mentioned his mustache?"

"Cubot, you know that happened several months ago," Orbot assured calmly. "He's probably over it by now."

Meanwhile, the scientist looked down at the animals trapped in the capsules with a sinister grin. "Excellent! Just a few more, and Sonic is sure to notice by now! Then I'll finally destroy him once and for all! Gah ha ha ha ha-"

"Incoming!"

The scientist spotted Cubot in his cube form flying his way, but luckily, he was able to duck before he could get hit. As he finally sat up, Orbot had flown in next in his orb form and hit him in the face. He growled angrily as he turned to his two robots.

"Care to explain why you two hit me?" the scientist questioned, glaring at the two as they got out of their orb and shape forms.

"Over here, Eggface!"

The scientist immediately whirled around to face the figure speaking. It was a blue, anthropomorphic hedgehog with six quills on the back of his head, large pointy ears, green eyes, and a peach muzzle, belly, arms, and the front side of his ears. He was also wearing white gloves with sock cuffs and red sneakers with a white stripe, a yellow buckle, and white soles. Above his shoes were cuffs similar to his gloves. The hedgehog gave a confident smirk as he faced the evil doctor.

"I believe the correct name is Dr. Eggman," Orbot informed, but he was immediately ignored.

"Sonic? I had a feeling you would show up..." Eggman grinned. "So, you decided to leave your friends behind again?"

"Well I asked them if they wanted to join in on the fun," Sonic explained. "Tails said he'd be taking the Tornado here with Amy, and Knuckles... Well, he was just being Knuckles and taking his job too seriously... The Chaotix are too busy with a case... And Shadow and Rouge didn't seem too interested as usual. I'd ask Omega, but... He'd probably ruin the fun. So it's just you and me, Baldy McNosehair!"

"Figures..."

"Anyway, what do you have planned? Another ancient monster you resurrected that will eventually betray you?"

"No."

"Are ya kidnapping more aliens to make another amusement park?"

"No."

"What about wiping time itself?"

"No, but I'd love to do it again if I could."

"You tryin' to find another conch to get those Zeti under your control? Like they'd be willing to serve you again."

"Argh... If I found one, I'd have turned them into robots a while ago." Eggman growled. "And you'd be out of rings the moment I'd sick them on you. But no, that's not the case."

"Oh... Well, what're you doin' with those animals then, Egghead?" Sonic wondered as he stretched his arms. "You back to your usual plans that failed to stop me every time?"

"Actually, believe it or not, those animals are insignificant to me," Eggman stated. "Their only purpose was to lure you here so I could finally destroy you!"

"Boss, what about that new robot you got?" Orbot whispered.

"I was just getting to that..." Eggman whispered back. He looked back at Sonic with a grin. "Now, then..."

Pulling out a remote, Eggman pressed the big red button on it. At first nothing happened, but then Sonic looked up and saw something descending from the sky.

As it got closer, Sonic saw that it was shaped like a humanoid. It sported a jetpack, machine guns on its arms, along with missiles, lasers, and a vacuum. Unlike other robots, this one did not have the look of Eggman. In fact, it sported red eyes and a silver color scheme to it.

"Allow me to introduce you to my newest creation, the Egg Destroyer! With its mighty power, I will finally destroy you!"

"Really? That's all it can do?" Sonic asked, a disappointed expression on his face. "C'mon, Egghead! Whatever happened to that one mech I destroyed on the Lost Hex? That looked a lot more menacing than this pile of junk!"

"Oh, really? Then why don't I prove it?" Eggman grinned, flying into the cockpit of his new mech and activating the missiles. Several fired from its hands and homed in on Sonic. He easily sped past them and lured them back to the Egg Destroyer. The missiles clashed, but Sonic noticed that no damage was done to the robot. "As you can see... I made it so that my own attacks don't hurt this robot, considering that I foresaw something just like this."

"Oh, wow. I've gotta hand it to ya, Egghead!" Sonic grinned. "You finally used your brain for once!"

"Yes, that's rig—Wai-wai-wai…Did you just..."

"He criticized your brain and then called you an egghead, Boss," Orbot informed.

"Yes, I know what he called me, Orbot!" Eggman growled. "But I don't appreciate his criticism..."

Sonic curled up in a ball as he dodged the Egg Destroyer's machine guns. When he found the opportunity, he leaped in the air and hit the cockpit with his signature Homing Attack.

"Argh... You little...!" Eggman growled. "Let's see how you like THIS!"

"Bring it on!" Sonic taunted, rushing at Eggman again. He smirked, wanting the hedgehog to come at him again. Pressing a blue button, the Egg Destroyer sucked Sonic in with its vacuum and spat him toward a tree. Rings began to fly everywhere as he stood up and brushed off the dirt. "Should've seen that coming..."

"Oh ho ho ho! What's the matter, Sonic? Are you giving up already?"

"Giving up? I'm just getting started!" Sonic smirked, reclaiming the rings he dropped. Using his Sonic Boost to surround himself in a blue aura that resembled a comet, he managed to reach Eggman with ease. He then started circling around the Egg Destroyer until a large, blue gust of wind appeared around the robot. He finally stopped running and stepped back. "Sonic Wind!"

The blue gust of wind got even stronger as it sent the Egg Destroyer flying into the air. The robot landed harshly, while Sonic wagged his finger at Orbot and Cubot.

"You better tell Eggman to come up with better plans, 'cause so far, none of them has managed to take me down!"

"I actually tell him that often..." Orbot sighed.

"Yeah, me too!" Cubot exclaimed.

"Well that's a shame. I guess he's got a bigger ego than his IQ!" Sonic chuckled, only to stop when he felt himself get lifted off the ground by the Egg Destroyer's powerful stomp attack, along with Orbot and Cubot.

"Don't think that attack finished my Egg Destroyer!" Eggman cackled. "It can handle plenty of your tricks!"

"That's not gonna stop me from trying!"

Sonic dodged the Egg Destroyer's feet, jumping into his ball form once again to hit the cockpit. It tried to swipe away at the hedgehog, but he quickly avoided it and Spin Dashed up the Egg Destroyer once again, going in for another Homing Attack.

But Eggman foresaw this, and he made the Egg Destroyer whack Sonic away with a simply backhand slap. Sonic hit the ground harshly, but he managed to land on his feet while skidding back.

"Get a load of this!" Eggman exclaimed, activating the machine guns. Suddenly, the Egg Destroyer's hands turned into guns, which began to shoot yellow shots toward the hedgehog. Sonic merely grinned and started running to avoid the shots.

"Try all you want, Eggy, but you'll never be able to catch me!" Sonic taunted as he jumped off a tree nearby and used his Sonic Boost to knock the Egg Destroyer back. He then used a Homing Attack to strike its legs, then its arms, and finally, the cockpit.

"Gah! Why is it always so hard to take down this blue nuisance!" Eggman yelled, slamming his fists on the controls like a child.

"Well, Boss... Maybe you could have done away with the cockpit..." Orbot informed.

"I could do that... But how would I see my target then?!"

"Uhh..." Cubot began, his head turning sideways as he began to think. Meanwhile, Sonic had sped past the two robots, the wind knocking them on their backs.

"I think it's time to finish off your robot, Eggy," Sonic declared, adjusting the cuffs on his gloves. "It was fun, but I got other things to do!"

"Grrrrr! Well, I just so happen to have an attack saved just for this moment!" Eggman declared. "And I know it'll knock all of the rings out of you!"

"All right, bring it on!" the hedgehog smirked, revving up a Spin Dash and charging toward Eggman's robot. The scientist had charged as well, readying an attack that he knew would be enough to defeat his arch nemesis.

But as they got closer, a force had thrown them back.

Appearing in between the two was Maquano, along with his wizard Camikon.

"Hmmmm... Yes, this is it all right." Maquano nodded, taking a look at the grass, hills, trees, and the waterfall nearby.

"The terrain is a lot like that antennaed freak's planet," Camikon remarked.

"What? Who are you?" Eggman questioned.

"I'm referred to as Maquano," Maquano stated.

"Eggman, do you know this guy?" Sonic asked, now appearing annoyed. "I thought you said no ancient monsters?"

"I'm telling you, I don't know him!" Eggman complained. "He just appeared out of thin air!"

"Indeed. Thanks to the Silver Stars, not only have I gotten more powerful than before, but I can teleport to any universe I desire with little effort!"

"Silver Stars? What the hack are ya talkin' about?" Sonic questioned.

Maquano let out a chuckle. "It's so funny how no one knows about these Silver Stars. Just goes to show how people don't do their research on them."

"Look, I don't care whether you got these Silver Star things or not... If you're here to hurt my world, then you gotta get through me first!"

With that, Sonic went at full speed toward the Demon Knight and striking him with a Homing Attack. It threw him back, but Maquano merely brushed it off.

"You're a fast one... Much faster than my nemesis..." Maquano admitted. "But I know just how to handle a speeding bullet!"

"Lord Maquano, are you out of your mind?!" Camikon gasped. "Can you really handle an attack of a speeding bullet!"

"I'd listen to your old friend," Sonic advised. "I am pretty fast. Faster than anyone else on this world."

"I've handled an attack that was at the speed of light. I can surely handle him." Maquano smirked. "Besides... I have gotten a few new powers thanks to the Silver Star."

As soon as Sonic came charging at Maquano with a Homing Attack, his red eyes flashed and instantly froze Sonic in place.

"HA! This is too easy!" Maquano summoned his dark sword and performed an overhead swing that knocked Sonic to the floor harshly once he was able to move again.

"Ungh..." Sonic grunted as slowly got himself up and started panting. "OK, I gotta hand it to ya... You're pretty good."

Meanwhile, all Eggman could do was gape at what he just witnessed. This mysterious knight guy... The fact that he managed to bring Sonic down like that made him stare in shock.

And then this knight was turning to him.

"As for you..." Maquano began, and Eggman instantly fired the Egg Destroyer's machine guns. He simply held up a hand and blocked all of the shots. "Calm down. I'm not here to destroy you."

"Eh... You're not?" Cubot gawked.

"No. In fact, I'm willing to offer you something, scientist."

"Really? And what's this offer?" Eggman inquired.

"I'll discuss it later," Maquano answered, summoning another dark portal. Suddenly, everyone save for Maquano, Camikon, and the capsules were beginning to get sucked into the portal. Despite Sonic holding onto one of the trees, the current was too strong for him, and his grip had been released before getting sucked in.

"Lord Maquano... I don't know what you're planning here..." Camikon said.

"Like I said, it'll be discussed later. Anyway, let's move on."

Wasting no time, Maquano and Camikon had teleported out of the universe, just in time for a red plane to fly down. Two people were on the plane. The first was a yellow fox with large ears, three curved strands of fury sticking out from his forehead, light blue eyes, a white, furry muzzle, a white, furry belly, shoes striped red and white, and two, large tails with the tips being white.

The second was another hedgehog, only she was pink and had her quills combed down. Like the fox, she had three curved strands of pink fur sticking out from her forehead, a peach muzzle and arms, a red dress with a white trim, golden rings on her wrist, white gloves, and red boots with gray soles. On her boots was a white vertical stripe.

"Sonic! We're here!" the fox exclaimed, landing the plane and flying out using his two tails like a propeller. However, when he saw no sight of anyone, he blinked in surprise. "Sonic?"

"Look, Tails! There's some capsules over there!" the pink hedgehog noted, pointing at the capsules.

"Oh... Let's free them, Amy!"

Tails and Amy headed over to the capsules, and by hitting the yellow button on the top, the body of the capsule was destroyed, allowing the animals to escape. Despite this, worried looks were on the two's faces.

"The capsules are here... But where did Sonic go?" Amy asked. "And Eggman's missing too!"

"I... I don't know..." Tails answered truthfully, looking down at the grass in depression. "It's like no one was ever here..."

And that's the start of this story! Not gonna lie, it feels good writing characters like King Dedede and Eggman. It's been a while since I wrote something with them in it.

Originally I was going to show what Kirby said in parenthesis when saying "poyo", but since we never know what he's actually saying in the games, I just kept that word itself.

Also, I insist that people let me know if anyone's acting out of character, as it's the thing I want to keep in this whole story. Any other feedback is welcome as well.