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A Kirby's Pinball Land story by Father Hulk

Author's Word: So! Look at me! I'm doing something never done before, for once. A story based on Kirby's Pinball Land! How do ya like that? In fact, I'd like you to tell me how you like it… in other words, please review! I don't own Kirby, but if I did, I'd be feeding him my vegetables under the dinner table. Enjoy!

It was a pleasant day in Dream Land. The land had been rid of evil once again, thanks to Kirby's heroic defeat of King DeDeDe on Mt. DeDeDe. The food and sparkling stars had been returned, and all was well.

It was on this pleasant day that we see Kirby, our pudgy little buddy, ambling along a road in the village of Green Greens.

"What a perfect day," Kirby said, looking at the big fleecy clouds and smiling. "Those clouds look like big lumps of mashed potatoes… and apples are hanging from the trees in the Whispy Woods, glistening with dew…" Suddenly, Kirby heard a familiar gurgling. He placed his paws on his stomach. "Uh oh… I'm hungry again!" Kirby decided to rush home and eat.

Along the way, he saw some other Dreamlanders having a picnic, scarfing down chicken, meat, vegetables and potatoes… Kirby didn't ask to join them, because that would be rude, but he ran faster, ever hungrier. He dashed past the fried chicken place, and the smell only drove him faster.

Kirby was almost home, so very close to home, when all of a sudden, a large beast fell on him from above, knocking him flat on his face.

"What the…?" Kirby moaned, and then he jumped to his feet and glared at the figure, for it was none other than King DeDeDe. "What do you want, slime?" Kirby growled. "Haven't you learned your lesson? Or do you need more schooling?"

"Ah ha ha!" DeDeDe laughed. "One so small has such a large mouth! There is no hope for you, Kirby, or your people."

"What are you talking about?"

King DeDeDe pointed behind Kirby. "Look!" Kirby looked, and saw a gang of Poppy Brothers rounding up all the food in sight, and then Kirby looked to the sky and saw Kracko on patrol for more. And all the trees in the woods were bending inward, for Sir Whispy Woods, the elder tree, was sucking up all food within a mile's radius.

"But… But you can't do this!" Kirby cried frantically. "I'm hungry! I need food or I'll starve!"

"I know!" DeDeDe gloated. "That's what makes this so funny! And you won't be stopping us either, oh no. We're going to lock all the food away in three large vaults, and then conceal ourselves in our top secret Pinball fortress! Normal folk like you can't get inside! Ah ha ha! Ta ta!" And with that, DeDeDe raised his hands to the sky, and large pinball bumpers appeared, upon which he jumped on and disappeared into the sky.

Kirby plopped down on the ground, helpless. He was going to die of starvation, and there was nothing he could do! But then, he was struck on the head again by one of those bouncing enemies that grants the Ball power.

"That's it!" Kirby cried happily. "I'll just copy the Ball ability! Then I can enter DeDeDe's secret Pinball fortress!" Kirby inhaled the ball dude and became a ball. Then he jumped onto the bumpers that DeDeDe left behind, and within an instant, he felt something smack him in the butt, and he was shooting up a long tube. Up and up he rolled, and then he popped out in a black-and-white checkered room, which was seemingly endless. The ceiling was a checkerboard pattern too. And there was a Warp Star waiting for him, upon which he jumped. He flew down a long hallway, on the walls of which were likenesses of King DeDeDe.

A voice echoed through the hall. "Well, well, well, Kirby! It seems you've managed to beat outer security! But you will never get the keys to the vaults! Good luck bouncing around for the rest of your life! Bwa ha ha ha!"

The Warp Star dropped Kirby off in the main hall of the fortress, where several enemies and mini-bosses were lounging about. Kirby released the Ball power but held onto the star.

"Hey look who it is!" Efreeti jeered. "It's Kirby!"

"Well… ssssso it is." Bugsy agreed.

Kirby looked around the room. At the far end was a huge steel wall, and there were three different chutes that led through it, and there were labels above each one: Whispy, Kracko, and Poppy.

"Come, Kirby, have a drink!" Wheelie said. "Join us!"

"I thought this was a fortress," Kirby said. "Aren't you supposed to be on guard or something?"

Captain Stitch laughed. "Did DeDeDe tell you it was a fortress? It's more of a fun house, something we use for recreation. DeDeDe is just using the storage rooms to keep all your food."

"Oh…" Kirby said. "Well… could I go get the food, maybe?"

"You need the keys to the vaults," said a Waddle Doo. "We don't have 'em. You'll have to go through the pinball machines and defeat their bosses to get the keys."

"Ah, but you'll need someone at the flippers," Blocky pointed out. "A pinball game is useless without someone at the flippers."

Kirby looked around, then said, "Master Green! Will you help me out by manning the flippers for me?"

"Why should I?" the large jellyfish asked.

"Well, if you do, I'll buy you dinner sometime. I'll take you to Mendy's. They have the best swordfish, man. The best."

"Well, okay!" Master Green said. He slithered over to the large flipper buttons. "Which of our little games do you want to play first?"

"I'm assuming the names above the chutes are the names of the bosses of the machines?" Kirby asked.

"Yes."

"So Poppy got a promotion then?" Kirby said, impressed. "When last I saw him, he was just a mini-boss."

"Yeah, daddy got promoted," said a Poppy Bros. Jr. nearby. "We're all so proud of him."

"Well, let me start with him," Kirby said. He ate the star he was holding and transformed back into Ball Kirby. He then bounced over and nestled himself in the chute leading to Poppy.

"Good luck!" everyone said, waving. Master Green pushed the fire button, and Kirby was jutted down the chute and onto a Warp Star. The most incredible adventure was about to begin!