Outer Space, 52,000 light years from Planet Popstar

Three hours ago…

On a Sinister Fortress floating in the depths of space, there laid a large, black crystal heart. Floating up to it was a figure cloaked in white and gold to look like a sorcerer, but his arms were covered by long sleeves.

"It's time…." He said with a wicked voice. "Time to resurrect our dark lord."

He approached the large black heart and raised his arms, conjuring magic circles.

"I break your seal now, my Master! The time has come for you to spread your darkness all over the world once more! Rise, from the ashes of your dark heart, and wreak chaos again!" He shouted.

The seals stuck through the large heart were broken immediately, but instead of reforming into this "master" the sorcerer referred to, the heart shot up into the starry void. In a flash of light, the heart shattered into millions of pieces, showering down over the cosmos.

And as if that was not coincidence enough, a large part of it, forming a meteor was sent crashing down on Popstar, hitting the ground and breaking into many fragments. This was noticed by the likes of Metaknight who looked to the sky to see the shards raining down.

One such shard reached the castle of King Dedede, in the middle of his lunch. As a Waddle Dee was giving him some food, the shard smashed into his terrace, sending them scattering as Dedede took a look.

"Wh-What's this thing?" Dedede asked looking at the shard. It was a miniature, clear version of the black heart, and it pulsed with power. "It's… It's so… I'm so…" He said as the hearts appeared in his eyes.

But all of the hearts were not black and corrupted. A shiny, pink heart sailed down and touched the Star Warrior, Kirby, promptly waking him from his Afternoon nap, having no idea what was happening, but looked to the road ahead of him. A foursome of Waddle Dees were carrying food to King Dedede's castle, this act was more than enough for Kirby to jump up and leap into action.

As he ran though, he soon stopped when he saw some familiar ships touching down in the grass as their doors opened up.

"Kirby! Hey! I see you're already up and at em!" Hope said.

"Poyo!" Kirby said as he smiled and ran over.

"Yeah, we've missed coming here too." Hope said. "Here, lemme introduce you to some new friends of ours. This is Spectra, Volt, Zexi, Connor, Skyler and Ace Neptune…" Hope said as Ace stared at Kirby. "Uh… Ace? You feeling okay?"

"Oh my goodness...You're so cute!" Ace said as he picked up Kirby and hugged him.

"Hi!" Kirby said.

"Aww, it's so nice to finally meet you." Ace said as he put Kirby down. "You never told me Kirby was this adorable."

"Well, he is the cutest hero on this side of the Standard Universe." Jexi said.

"But it looks like we got trouble here if he was running off." Indigo said as Kirby pointed to the Waddle Dee's stealing food.

"What are those little guys?" Ace asked.

"Waddle Dees. Henchmen of King Dedede himself. Though, something's a bit off." Erica said.

"I feel it too. There's some kind of dark aura coming from that castle." Spade said pointing to the castle.

"Seems something up with the king...again." Dan said.

"Ah, speaking of which… There's someone else I'd like you to meet." David said.

Kirby tilted his head in confusion.

"You might not remember her since she wasn't like this when you encountered her, but…" David said moving to the side to reveal Sectonia.

Kirby looked at Sectonia with curiosity as he looked her over before giving off a cheery "Hi!"

"Heh, I guess he doesn't really care who you are like this, Sectonia." Hope said.

"Whew… That's a relief." Sectonia said. "Nevertheless, I never thought the day would come when we fight side-by-side, Kirby."

"Poyo!" Kirby said with a smile as he looked at the Hero Alliance.

"Yeah...we're a big group. But...we are those who bring the name hero to incredible heights!" Heart said posing.

"If he keeps doing that, I'm gonna faint." Kagura said.

"Guys? Waddle Dees? King Dedede's castle? Dark Cloud?" Connor said.

"We need to move." Celeste said as they started the march before jumping from the bushes was a creature in blue holding a bomb.

"A Poppy Bros. Jr!" Tails said.

Kirby was panicking before a heart materialized above him. Grabbing it, he tossed it at the Poppy Bros Jr, as soon as it hit, it's hat became a pointed one as it happily went to the heroes side.

"Um… what just happened?" Korra said.

"I think Poppy Bros. Jr became Kirby's ally." Ace said.

"More like he brought it over to our side. Not sure what that was...but I think Kirby just became a natural born recruiter." Lacy said.

"It looks like when Kirby threw that Pink Heart at Poppy Bros. Jr, it must've made it think we were its friends and came to us." Volta deduced as Poppy Bros Jr nuzzled Kirby, then gave him a high five.

"We can use this ability to our advantage...recruit more enemies to our side." Spectra said.

"That's some good thinking." Hope said.

As they continued on, Kirby also manage to recruit a Sir Kibble. Progressing further, they soon came across a materializing Burning Leo. Kirby recruited him without a second thought.

"Stranger and stranger this keeps getting…." Rose said before Burning Leo tapped on her side. "Huh? You want something?"

Burning Leo pointed to Rose's daggers.

"I think he wants to look at your daggers, Rose." Marino said.

"What, this?" Rose asked taking one out as Burning Leo blew fire on it as it ignited. "What the?!"

"Whoa! He imbued his element onto your daggers!" Stoj said.

"I've heard they can do the same for other compatible weapons, too." Sectonia said.

"Is zat so? Well in zat case…" Rachel said bringing her naginata out.

Burning Leo blew fire on that as it ignited like the dagger did.

"Whoa! Check it! They can do that for almost any weapon!" Leia said.

"That's interesting." Aya said.

"This could really help us for when we need to deal with different types of enemies." Hope said.

"Yeah, but we would have to recruit other elemental foes for more effects, right?" Ace asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." David said.

"No worries. Then we'll just have to recruit more of these star allies." Zexi said.

"You know, your name-dropping kind of scares me sometimes." David said.

"Wait. I think he's onto to something here. The guys Kirby recruits will be known as Star Allies." Ace said.

"And he's already in on it…" David said.

"There's nothing wrong with the name. I think it sounds cool." Tatsumi said.

"Now if only we could get people already…" Tokoyami began before the bushes shook as tripping out of them was a Waddle Dee in a bandana.

"H-Hello." Bandana Waddle Dee said.

"What? A Waddle Dee that can talk? And has fashion sense?" Rarity said.

"Y-Yeah, my name is Bandana Waddle Dee. Nice to meet you all." B Waddle Dee said.

"Hey, aren't you the guy who tosses Kirby reserve food for certain fights?" Connor asked.

"Yeah! I'm one of his friends. Are you guys heading to the castle? Can I come with?" B Waddle Dee asked as he hugged Rarity's legs.

"A friend huh? But don't you work for King Dedede?" Mikleo asked.

"Yes but...he is not himself. Since that meteor shower, our king has gone greedy and started stealing food from all over Dreamland." B. Waddle Dee said.

"He's obviously not himself. Well, we'd better make him stop." Hope said.

"Yes, but to get to Dedede's castle… you're gonna have to go through the Whispy Woods." B. Waddle Dee said.

"Oh come on, how bad is one measly forest?" Ochako asked as they ran into a large tree. It shook for a second before it glared at the group with anger.

Guardian of the Forest

Whispy Woods

"You just had to say that." Stoj said.

Whispy started shaking as hundreds of apples started falling.

"Crap. We need a shield or something." Connor said.

Kirby then had an idea as he tossed a heart right into the air as it hit something. Falling to their side was a Waddle Dee with a parasol. It then opened it up making a large umbrella shield. A chumbrella as it were.

"Wow, nice thinking!" Hope said.

"I bet this thing doesn't like fire too well." Rose said. "Rachel, Burning Leo, let's give this thing something to hate about heat!"

"On it!" Rachel said as she planted the naginata on one of the roots.

This angered Whispy as it somehow jumped into the air and planted itself in the center of the forest and sent the three on opposite sides. It then doubled in size as it leaked purple smoke.

"I think we just made him angry!" Connor said. "But let's just keep up the fire!"

"Let's try not to hurt it too badly." Kohaku said.

"Still thinking about Grace?"

"Well, yes… I'm really sorry about that, I didn't know." Kohaku said as she casted Fairy Circle, healing everyone's wounds.

As Whispy was looking weak, Kirby then took a heart and tossed it as Whispy, expelling the heart as Whispy shook out some food from its branches as the heart fell to the ground.

"Well, this is unusual…." Betty said looking at the dark heart. It suddenly floated up into the air, pulsed, and flew away.

"That was...unusual." Kagura said.

"That dark heart must've messed with Whispy's mind a little. Maybe that thing is causing Dedede to go all food nuts?" Peridot asked.

"Possibly. Shall we continue on to the castle?" Harpuia asked.

"Yes. We must hurry. The King needs our assistance." B. Waddle Dee said.

The group finally made it to the castle as they saw Waddle Dee's running back and forth, carrying food as a Penguin shaped figure in king clothes was eating it.

"Wow, he stole all that just to eat it for himself?" Hope said.

King Dedede lifted his head up as he looked at them with blood red eyes as he roared and pulled out his hammer.

His Royal Nemesis

King Dedede

"Yup, he's definitely not himself!" Connor said.

"And he seems to be pissed off as well." Ace said.

"It might be the influence of the dark hearts. Which means we'll just have to knock him out." David said.

Dedede then ran at them swinging his hammer as the heroes were dodging out of the way.

"You never change, do you?" Gemini said kicking him in the stomach and slicing his hammer in two.

Dedede roared again before his arms and body bulked up in size, shocking everyone.

"What the hell?!" David asked.

"Holy crap, he's huge!" Ace said before King Dedede punched the ground as it collapsed causing everyone to fall in. "Hope, could you get off me please?"

"Sorry, yikes!" Hope said dodging Dedede's attack. Burning Leo then jumped over him and fireball dashed into his face.

"Nice one, Burning Leo!" Fefnir said.

Dedede then slammed the ground again, knocking them all to the bottom floor. He then grabbed a pole and swung around with it, jumping from pillar to pillar.

"Alright, I've had just about enough of this." Locks said. "Up Hair….Punch!" she shouted as her hair delivered a swift punch to Dedede's face, knocking him out and sending him bouncing around the room. He then landed in the pile of food, barely moving, but twitching a little as another heart came out of him.

"I think you knocked him unconscious." Hope said as Kirby threw a heart at him.

"Dedede, are you okay?" Sectonia asked.

"I think so." Dedede said. "Wait… Sectonia? When did you..."

"Long story. All I'm going to say is that I'm not an enemy anymore." Sectonia said.

"You better not be! I gave you a whupping when your little sidekick went and kidnapped me!" Dedede said.

"Are you sure that's what ACTUALLY happened?" Hope asked. "Taranza was carrying you around like a doll, he trounced you hard."

"What? No way. I coulda beaten his hide." Dedede said. "I just...didn't want to."

"I can break this tie. Hope and his Lunala were the ones that killed me. You and Taranza used that cannon to get him there." Sectonia said.

"Okay, that makes sense." Dedede said. "Though if I hadn't fired him, the day woulda been lost so I still saved the day."

"Whatever you want to believe. But I think there are more pressing matters at hand." Sectonia said as the dark heart started floating away.

"Yeah...I'm gonna smash whoever made that thing into pancakes!" Dedede said grabbing his hammer. "Kirby...we're moving out!"

"Poyo!" Kirby said as he ran out with his Star Allies.

"Uh… does anybody wanna tell me what all of those enemies are doin following Kirby?" Dedede asked.

"Long story." Connor said.

"Nevermind. We're moving out either way." Dedede said.

"Yes. It's best we explain on the way." Sectonia said.