KIRBY NO LAND 1
Kirby
No land
A fan fiction
Reason for T Rating
Don't worry, our Pink bud won't be saying anything out of character. I'm actually uncertain on whether I'll have him talk at all. Same goes for all the other characters (in regards for them saying anything out of character. All characters besides Kirby I know for sure I won't have any misgivings having them talk). I'm going for a dark narrative but not so much so that it's out of place. Basically what we're used to in Kirby games where there's these dark undertones but they're so masterfully well done that while they do leave an impact. It's not so devastating to make anyone feel uncomfortable. However there is a caveat to this. This is a written story and not something that does not rely on visuals and sound effects, and because of this. The attempts for subtlety and dark undertones can only be so effective because you can't exactly hide from what's being verbally described. I'll try my best though. But I believe this is the best honest rating. No smoking, no alcohol, no cursing, and no sexual innuendos (I mean I know Kirby is no stranger to those but I'd personally feel weird for adding that). I hope to hype people up but simultaneously send chills down people's spines. Both the good kind and the bad kind.
Preface
If you're taking the time to read this, thank you. Something that is very important that I emphasize to the readers. This is of course just pure fan fiction. I say this just so you keep this fresh in your mind as you read. A good amount of canon things will be retconned. Consider this my "What if" scenario. This is actually something new for me, I've never written a fan fiction for a series before.
The motivation for writing this is due to the events taken place in Robobot, but also of a song that was made through a talented artist who made their own boss theme around "True Zero", an enemy that doesn't exist (at least not yet or ever). This exploded an idea in my mind, and thus made me want to write. My story will revolve around several theories (that will be debunked by official releases by Hal undoubtedly) but also of "True Zero" which will be the main antagonist.
I've played with many theories in my head, some may not like the direction of where this will go of "who's who" but given the limited material I have, and I refuse to create something actually new that doesn't really exist in the Kirby universe (you will think what I do is hypocritical to that statement but what I mean is completely make an all new race.. you'll see). Anyways I hope my story will be entertaining. I hope to make this lengthy, in detail, but also keep the tone as familiar with the games as possible, but this is a darker setting. This is basically what I would have if I were to make the final Kirby game in the franchise.
Chapter 1
Recollection and Retrieval
Kirby watches as the heart of the Nova he defeated goes completely berserk. The entire event to him was bizarre, there was no reason for Haltmann to fall this far. There was more to Star Dream to just simply Malfunction. He thought. The combination of the Nova's roar and Maxx's scream startled Kirby as the Heart tries a last resort to take Kirby with it. It releases several bursts of raw corrupted energy. Kirby effortlessly dodges it's futile attempts. Once it stops, Kirby looks upon as the Heart compresses and decompresses, making a heavy loud metallic heart beat that renders the entire workings inside the re-purposed Nova silent. Thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump.
As the last heartbeat echoes inside of the vast chambers of the universe's most powerful machine, the heart completely crumbles as Haltmann's last scream is released slowly distorting as the heart is destroyed. It wasn't the heart of a Nova that Kirby saw break, it was the heart of a passionate father driven mad. All he could do is hope he helped Maxx find peace from all the grief and despair that was forced upon him, as well as hope that Susie recognizes that Maxx had never truly forgotten her. Just as Kirby was about to make his escape, he immediately collapses. Well that's not good. I seem to have over done it. But Kirby wasn't worried, he knew he'd be okay. He had faith in his friends outside of the Nova.
Veeeeeeee. The Robobot that was left behind as Kirby was sucked into the Nova starts itself up. Startled that it's currently working with no pilot to start it and operate it, it takes in it's surroundings. Meta Knight is watching from his broken Halberd hoping to see Kirby come out of the Nova. The Robobot then realizes it's acting on it's own. It's CPU hums as it "thinks" How did I achieve self awareness? My specifications were never meant to achieve that level of computation. The Robobot began to run diagnostics on itself, within seconds it realizes it's hardware had somehow upgraded and evolved. The original specifications of the Robobots units was to simply be dealing heavy punches and launching missiles. But ever since Kirby took control of it, it achieved astounding abilities to take in powers of organic life and appropriate it's armor and hardware to these powers so it could use them at their max efficiency.
But why? How can one lifeform change so much in one machine? VEEEEEEE.The Robobot's thoughts are interrupted as an Alarm goes off in it's interface. Kirby was in trouble, the Nova is about to self destruct as part of it's original programming had it's heart been compromised. The Robobot immediately spotted a stray missile and activated it's copy sequence. It wasn't much like the jets it had taken in previously but it could provide the same function of propulsion. As the Robobot re-purposes it's body for propulsion it lifts off at it's max speed to the Nova, it opens it's mouth and fires a missile toward it's eye and blows a hole open. Flying through the new debris and into the entrance it made, it searches urgently for Kirby. There was not much time left. It spots Kirby whom fainted, the battle had taken a toll on him.
The Robobot swiftly picked Kirby up as parts of the Nova began to fall apart and explode. It pushed itself even further past it's limits to quickly escape out of the Nova. Interesting. The Robobot knew immediately what was communicating with it, it flew with efficiency as falling pillars, gears, and exploding tanks came down without any regard of what it'll impact. To think my lower creations were capable of this much. Though it's only to be expected. Your models were specifically under my eye in your development after all. Star Dream was still active, but it's life was also forfeit, it's too ingrained in the Nova it re-purposed. The Robobot tried to ignore it's creator's words and it sees the entrance. It makes sense that the machine that has ran off of the power from the soul of the wa-. Just as Star Dream says it's last words, The Robobot made it out but had spun itself furiously around and directly fired a missile at Star Dream, shutting it down before the explosion had a chance, before that cursed computer had a chance to finish it's sentence.
While The Robobot's face will never change expression, it's inner parts were cranking and grinding, it was angry. It was about to put Kirby back in the pilot seat but now it refuses, instead holding Kirby in it's arms. It watches as the Nova and Star Dream explode that sends a tremendous shock wave. The Robobot however notices that it doesn't move, the parts of both the Nova and Star Dream fly about in spinning erratically. They fly at incredible speeds towards the Robobot and Kirby but a peculiar barrier completely disintegrates the material. What is this? The Robobot mystified at it's powers, it keeps evolving but it wouldn't last. Robobots no matter how advanced always need a pilot, it's energy will soon deplete. The Robobot looked down at Kirby and scanned it's life force. Kirby was absorbing the energy that the shield was disintegrating and at the same time taking in the same energy that powered the Robobot's shield, Kirby's soul was more powerful than ever before. What are you?
Meta Knight watches, he's not only happy to see that Kirby survived and succeeded in destroying the Nova, but also Star Dream along with it. However he knew immediately the cause of all of this. There is no way a Dark Matter would let themselves be defeated by anyone working under Haltmann, let alone have one of their own be experimented and cloned. Meta Knight was convinced they were never intended to actually fight Star Dream on it's own. He couldn't help but laugh at how ironic that the machine they relied on, was what drove them away when it summoned Galacta Knight. Galacta Knight is the ultimate bane of the Dark Matter. He's immune to being corrupted by them, but that is due to it's pride, and insatiable lust for more power. Meta Knight hopes that Galacta Knight never achieves his prime ever again, otherwise they'll have another universal threat on their hands.
What is Kirby anyway? Something about Kirby had always given Meta Knight the worst headache but since the beginning he felt like he could be trusted. As if any problem can be solved if he's the one willing to take it on. There was a connection that Meta Knight has felt with both Kirby and Galacta Knight he couldn't quite place. But Kirby was an even more complex mystery to him than anything else. Why did he show up in Popstar? Why did he seem like he had just been born when he first came? Where did he come from?
Meta Knight notices that the Robobot is unlike any of the others he's seen. It's operating on it's own, and it has a barrier that's protecting it from oncoming debris. Meta Knight was far away enough to not have to worry about anything coming to damage him or his ship. As the explosion settles, he leaps off his ship and flies towards Kirby at amazing speed and control. He stops in front of the Robobot, it's startled by Meta Knight's sudden appearance.
Meta Knight studies the Robobot, he's seen the one Kirby has controlled up close before, and has seen the ones that were controlled by the modified Dees. However this Robobot has a design unlike any of the others. He noticed immediately the the robobot was using energy from the stars, just like Kirby does. It had vents that not only cycle out the energy but simultaneously it uses the energy to shield the user from any impeding danger. Just what is Kirby..? What am I? Seeing the Robobot's abilities was triggering something in Meta Knight's mind but it wasn't enough to make him come to remember something important of his existence.
The Robobot remembers Meta Knight and urges him to take Kirby back down to Popstar. Meta Knight wastes no time in complying and swiftly flies Kirby back down to the planet he had once again saved. I need to investigate the remains of Star Dream, hopefully nothing important was lost in the aftermath. Meta Knight after having carefully placed the resting Kirby on the ground, he goes to fly up but sees Susie was watching them both, she swiftly lifts off with her mech, heading straight for the wreckage. Meta Knight pursues, untrustworthy of her motives.
Susie arrives at the wreckage and deploys her drones, and sets them to scan for anything that has a trace of Dark Matter energy. She grips the blueprints she was able to snatch from her father's quarters before Star Dream took control of the Access Ark when Kirby and Meta Knight were fighting it back. I will find out what the meaning of all of this is. The Halcaldrans would never create a machine bent on destroying all life. These blueprints had either been altered or these plans were fake. "If you wish to make that machine again, I won't let you live." Susie jumps out of her thoughts as she hears the dark serious tone of Meta Knight. She steels herself, she doesn't care if she's not trusted. "I don't mind fighting you if that's what it takes to get the answers I need." Meta Knight draws Galaxia, his spirit flares up the intensity of his blade and directs it straight at her. Susie stares him down just as he does to her. It's as if a century had passed before the Galaxia's blade disappears and it's nothing more than a hilt. Meta Knight decides to listen to Susie.
"Tell me what you know about Star Dream." Meta Knight doesn't drop the intensity of his gaze upon Susie. "Other than the fact that these aren't the original blueprints for it, I don't know. When my father decided to test out Star Dream during it's early stages of development something about the design and blueprints itself seemed off, not to mention when my father hired mercenaries to handle any Dark Matter activity and to bring back any samples they could salvage." Meta Knight was confused at this point and Susie didn't blame him. Why would a machine that's supposedly meant to grant wishes need Dark Matter samples? Susie continues "When the operation was a success, my father began to act strange immediately during the process of making the component out of the Dark Matter sample, completely converting it to a self recyclable source of energy. The blueprints state the reason of using Dark Matter is because of eventual stage of being able to turn into black holes once they have assimilated enough energy from other living beings or elements from across the universe. It uses this potential to basically make it fuel Star Dream indefinitely while leaving no footprint but also make it strictly gather energy via the elements."
Meta Knight still couldn't understand, Dark Matter while being a heartless force of nature that steps beyond it's boundaries without remorse for consequences. There is still no justification to make use of them like nothing more than a tool, you would be no worse than they are. Not only that, a simple mercenary no matter how skilled in their craft could ever dream to take on a Dark Matter. Just being around one would influence the dark desires of a Mercenary. They twist all without a strong will, and not many can fight against Dark Matter. Not even his master which he and Kirby had fought a clone of. Kirby of course had fought the original. "You say these are either altered or fake blueprints, but who was responsible for the original" Meta Knight knew the answer before he got it. "The Halcaldrans. They're the ones who created the Access Ark as well. As brilliant as my father is, he was a humble entrepreneur. Our technology on our system could never hope to reach the impossible feats of what the Halcaldrans were capable of." Susie pauses before she continues.
Having to bring up her father so much after knowing she lost him forever was taxing enough as it is, but she knows if she doesn't please Meta Knight she won't leave here alive. Because she refuses to back down without a fight to get the answers she needs. She knows if she leaves the Dark Matter component to them, they'll have their guards down and a disaster will happen again. "My father would often talk to me about the Access Ark among the myriad of other inventions the Halcaldrans made, they all sounded ridiculous to me because they defied logic and reasoning. It's like the Halcaldrans were all mad in the head. But the legends stated that the Halcaldrans were unlike any race in the universe. It's said the Halcaldrans were the only race enlightened enough to hear the stars." Meta Knight felt compelled to cut in, Susie predicted as much.
The premise of the stars being sentient was ancient doctrine that had been both ridiculed and had been under the works of fanaticism for millennia. Now no one thinks anything of the stars other than them being celestial bodies in the sky. "Maybe they were just mad zealots, a lot of their inventions seem to be the center of all the galactic proportion types of danger we've had to face." Susie shakes her head, of course a brute like Meta Knight wouldn't understand. "The Halcaldrans always made their inventions without any sort of bias towards anyone. They were guided to be completely partial to all, in hopes to help those who may stray a dark path to be believed that they can be trusted. Though this ultimately led to their demise." brip brip brip. Susie's drone had found and retreived the Dark Matter component but just as soon as it was on it's way back, both Meta Knight's instinct and Susie's DMA went berserk. Dark Matter was coming and it was a pack. Susie was prepared however, her mech after she had came back was specified to being able to combat even Dark Matter. As much as she detests what made it, it was very efficient. She however had a better idea. "Robobot, activate your copy sequence on my Mech right now." The Robobot outright refuses. "No Ms Haltmann.. Star Dream just.. it.." Susie cuts in while trying to contain the excitement she just felt at hearing it talk. Time and place Suze. "I know what it said and it's true, but it was only designed specifically to Kirby. I don't understand why it believed Kirby would completely drained by the time it reached my father but it clearly miscalculated. Not only that it was designed to extract all of what would be his soul but his only. His soul is not like the rest of ours. Really I want to know what makes that puffball tick but this isn't the time. You need to do what I say now, or we're never going to figure out what is going on!" Susie raised her voice at the end, as a large hole appeared but a red pupil rolled around at the center before finally shifting it's gaze towards their enemy.
The pupil disappeared as several Dark Matter began to swim effortlessly through the cosmos towards their targets. The Robobot willing to trust Susie, activates it copy sequence. In 5 seconds Susie's mech is completely assimilated and Susie is transported in it's cockpit. Her eyes sparkle with excitement. This Robobot is amazing. It's unlike any machine I've ever used before. I hope I can take it with me. Much like her father the impossible had made her drunk on curiosity and the desire to learn even more. The stars began to shift, and this caught Susie's eyes. Why are the stars..? "Ms Hatlmann the Dark Matter?" Susie snaps back into focus. "Yeah yeah, keep your fuel cap on. We'll make short work of them." Meta Knight is uncertain. "Are you sure that machine can combat them?" Susie snorts with pride. "Please my Mech alone can take on at least 2 at once (though just barely, I actually kind of ran after doing enough to the second one that came after), but with this baby who just took on one of the most powerful machines in this known universe. I doubt a pack of Dark Matter will be any different than those Waddle Dees. Let's go Robobot, we're gonna retrieve that component and teach those Dark Matter a thing or two about messing with Susanna Patrya Haltmann!"
Susie's mech was much more intimidating, it's body much more angular and has three screw drills rotating on the bottom, she's completely contained in a impact resistant glass. The same vents that recycled the star energy were present as well. Instead of 2 detachable remote arms, she now had four. Each with their own blasters. Susie could barely contain her squealing. What further possibilities could this thing even have? She quickly ran diagnostics and her excitement dropped, this personality that exists in Robobot now won't last much longer. You can only be you for as long as you have Pinky piloting you huh? Well don't worry, I'll make sure I find some way to make it where both you a puffball can enjoy each other's company without you draining him away. But for now. Susie takes complete control of the Robobot's software and begins deleting it's AI as she goes full speed towards her drone all the while evading debris. "Msss Ms Hal-Haltmann, whhh wha re rrrr yo uuuu ddddd do" This was harder for Susie than she thought, but she knew she had no time for hesistant decisions. "Look you pile of nuts and bolts, I need full control which means I can't risk having any sorts of failure due to your insecurities besides you're going to lose yourself very soon anyways. I promise, on my name and the pride of my Father. I will make it to where you and Pinky can have fun together again okay? I need you to trust me." There's nothing but the silent vaccuum of space and the rattling that can only be heard in the cockpit. But the Robobot as it's AI is about to be gone, it responds the only way it remembers how. Veee vee. "Atta boy" says Susie with a pure smile. "Now where ar- WHOA!"
The Dark Matter pack detach all of their orange orbs at once and flings them towards Susie at ridiculous speeds. Once they make a perimeter around her they began to form an orb around her. Susie was having none of it however. "I don't know what you freaks are trying to do, but I'm not going to give you the opportunity to pull it off." Susie hits a sequence of keys in her cockpit and her remote arms deploy. She makes them extend and rotate around her, her eyes sparkle and she can't help but squeal as well when she sees her options for energy output. "You are the most beautiful thing I ever had the pleasure of operating! OOOH Let's try this one!" She hits the option that says "Pulsar" and presses her face to the glass but notices that the vents begins to pull in large amounts of star energy. "Ooooooh" Chink as the sound echoes within the mech's cockpitseveral tiny covers reveal glowing points protruding outside on the main body on her mech. "WHOA!" Exclaimed the excited Susie. "Initiating Pulsar. Please make sure you're properly seated and restrained. This mode is not recommended for those who experience motion sickness." Susie looked confused and before she even began to ask beams fired from all point of her mech while simultaneously rotating at various directions at high speeds. Susie ends up glued to glass dome her face smudged as she watches lasers completely decimate debris and the orange orbs "HOOOOLY CR-"
Meta Knight sighs as he watches the erratic display. The drone that had found the component looked for Susie appears before Meta Knight. Meta Knight couldn't help but chuckle. "I guess you've had a hard day." The drone could only look at Meta like it was confused but handed Meta Knight the component anyways. Meta Knight nodded. "Don't worry I'll make sure it gets to her, now let's go help her." He and the drone fly towards the nearest Dark Matter they see, Meta Knight activates Galaxia. Only his own will drives the ferocity Galaxia when it's in his possession, and his will was greater than any alloy at this moment. The Drone distracts the Dark Matter that Meta Knight is targeting by spinning orbiting around it, the Dark Matter frustrated as it can't help but not try to focus on it as it continuously shoots lasers are it's body. Meta Knight does not waste the opportunity to impale it's blade into the eye causing the Dark Matter to explode with seconds. Susie's Pulsar mode ceases, no debris in her area was left and neither were the orange orbs from the Dark Matter. "yOu'rE ReAllY sOmeThiNg pInkY" Susie says while in a dizzy state, she falls back into her seat and recovers. This time making sure she's properly restrained so she doesn't put herself in the same situation again.
She sees Meta Knight also fighting against the Dark Matter and pouts "How is a girl supposed to properly benchmark if you're cutting into my workload?" Susie grumbles to herself. She looks at the other combat options she has. Lore Cutter. Her mind instantly flashed to the time when she had been forced into another dimension. One day she saw in the skies of whatever Star foresaken planet she was on that she saw the exact ship her father raved about to her when she wanted him to read her a bedtime story. Amazing, so my mech can now hop between time and space as well. She scrolls through more options. Meteor Shower. She chooses this and her 4 arms split each. Making double of what she had already. "Ohooo, let's hear how this works." She presses the information icon on her touch interface. "Meteor Shower mode enables the pilot to strike enemies with incredible force and speed. This mode is also good for tunneling through asteroids containing incredibly durable alloys."
Just as the explanation was over three Dark Matter hover menacingly over Susie. She wastes no time hitting the commands, her arms rotate around her body, this time the hands clenched into fists. The Dark Matter try to retaliate whatever she was plotting to do, so they fire their negative beams but they disappear due to her passive star energy shield. "I definitely owe that puffball one, alright time to punch some lights out." The arms rotate even faster around her. First arm shoots up but it misses it's target. Tch. But just as it passed the Dark Matter, a wormhole ring that circles the same circumference of the orbiting arms appears below and above the arms below the location of that arm, allowing them to stay in place as well as increase speed. One by one the arms shoot mercilessly. Some miss, others hits. Until finally it's like the fists are moving close to the speed of light after gaining so much speed that the Dark Matter begins to be pummeled until the arms full stop themselves on impact with the Dark Matter. One by one the Dark Matter explode with a brilliant light as the arms had collected star energy to completely neutralize their target.
Meta Knight had taken out his third Dark Matter. He cannot let himself get near them anymore, his mind can only stand against their oppressive presence before he reverts to when Nightmare had his grasp over him back when he was full of pride. He had hoped there were no others and it seemed to be the case, he looked upon Susie and witnessed the attack she unleashed. Just due to Kirby's pure influence it was as if the Universe helped fuel the very machine Susie piloted. The two eye the perimeter. Susie activates her scanner, originally her mech could only scan the surrounding orbit of a single celestial body in a system, but now she can scan an entire system at once. I don't think my heart can take this. Meta Knight flies up to her and knocks on her glass dome. Susie jumps out of her excited state and took a deep breath. "What?" Meta Knight shows the component. Susie quickly taps her commands as if it were as natural as breathing and one of the arm's fingers detached and reconfigured itself to a tiny hand and snatches the component. This was one piece of technology she held no excitement for. She had it stashed away in her storage unit.
"Where will you go?" Meta Knight asks, because he already knew she had zero intentions of staying at Pop Star. "I have a lot of jumping I need to do. But first, during our battle I realized I can't take all of this Robobot with me." Meta Knight was confused at that statement. "We need to integrate at least half of it towards your Halberd. If there's a chance Dark Matter may come more frequently you'll need to have something more than just Pinky." Meta Knight shook his head. "We have our other means, it's best you have as much protection as you'll need because you won't have 'Pinky' there." He does have a point. I'm kind of live bait with this component. Dark Matter are a hive mind that are born and receive orders under one being, any piece of energy that belongs to them they'll want to retrieve back. Even survivors of a Dark Matter attack in the distant past had faced completely annihilation after the events. It was because Dark Matter leave a fallout of their energy which causes inhabitants to slowly go mad and destroy each other or isolate each other. The Dark Matter only show up at that stage to not only retrieve the energy they left behind but to gain even more from the despair that loomed over the planet caused by the inhabitant's madness. These situations have ceased after 500 years but many speculated if this had been intentional or did the Dark Matter simply have a period where they could not contain their forms. Susie couldn't bear the thought of being controlled by them, she'd sooner end it all before she would let them get anywhere near her.
"Detected Dark Matter Energy within mech. Initiating proper containment." She looked outside her mech as she watches it pull in an even more intense amount of Star Energy. Even for an amount this small, it's potent enough to need this much just to keep it from corrupting me and this Robobot huh? "I'll return to Pop Star, I need to make sure Kirby properly recovers. After that I'll need to have each of us train to steel ourselves. Dark Matter don't typically risk coming into a system where Galacta Knight just appears. Meaning whatever is to come next in the future will revolve around why just that piece was so important." That's what Susie wanted to find out. "Regardless I've wasted enough time. I'm off. Be careful." Meta Knight nods. "Same to you." From there the two part ways.