Oh boy, oh boy! Plot! I'd like to thank my first two reviewers to this story for the positive feedback. I'll be sure to continue this further. …So, that's about it for this note. On to the thickening of the plot or something! (Oh, by the way, from now on, a triple zero (000) will denote a break since I can't figure out how to make those yet.)
Relocation
The Lor Starcutter, having defeated the Dark Matter cloud, traveled to NOVA's coordinated unhindered. Only, upon arriving at NOVA's presumed location, the group noticed a small problem.
NOVA was gone.
Magolor stared blankly at the massive screen aboard the Lor. His eyes scanned the space where NOVA should have been intently. Behind him, the group crowded around him, each wearing a confused expression, sans Meta Knight, who was lost deep in thought as Magolor was. The floating mage twitched upon noticing the closeness of the others, and he whirled around, wearing an indignant expression.
"Hey!" He shouted, "I get that everybody's confused but if you please, I could use some space! Back off!"
Everyone, even Meta Knight, winced at the usually pleasant mage's hostility. They forgot he had a nasty temper when something didn't go exactly to plan. They murmured their apologies and slinked away, waiting for something to happen aboard the silent Lor. Magolor scratched the back of his head.
"I just don't get it." He muttered, "I followed the coordinated to NOVA perfectly! How could he not be here?! You can't just move a giant stopwatch and nobody notices!"
He sighed, deflated.
"Okay, I got nothing." He said bitterly, "Anybody got any theories?"
Everyone looked back and forth at one another before letting out a collective shrug. Meta Knight stared at the empty space in front of the Lor and grimaced.
"This is most interesting." He started, "As Magolor stated, our coordinates are perfectly correct, to the decimal even. Why NOVA is not present is curious."
Dedede opened his yap, "Maybe he just up and moved? I'd get bored staring at the same stars for eternity if I was a giant space clock."
Magolor twitched, "That's stupid! You're stupid! This whole thing is stupid!"
Before Dedede or Waddle Dee could object to the outburst, the mage slammed his gloved hands down on the control board, "How do you lose a giant clockwork god?!" He shouted.
"Temper, temper." Ribbon chided, "We gotta stay calm."
Magolor stared at her, his anger fading, "Sorry. This is just ridiculous. We come all the way out here thanks to some stupid star on a stick to get lead to a blank space. How are none of you mad?"
Kirby shrugged, "I'm pretty used to something not going according to plan. I'm more of a play-it-by-ear kind of person, anyways."
Adeleine nodded, "Yeah, nothing we ever do goes right, right guys?"
Everyone agreed, even Meta Knight contributed a sharp nod.
Taranza studied the space.
"Say, King Dedede." He started, "You brought along the Star Rod?"
Dedede nodded, "Yeah, what's up?"
Taranza gestured to the space in front of the Lor, "If the Star Rod could show us what was wrong, maybe it can show us, or even bring us to where something is wrong."
Dedede was cautious in revealing the Star Rod. The King knew it was extremely important, and was careful not to damage it.
"Well, Pinky?" he held it out to Kirby, slowly, "Be careful with it."
Kirby took the Star Rod with his paws and studied it. It was almost fully gray, even the red ribbon around the hilt had faded. Kirby looked at it sadly before holding it up.
The Star Rod sparked once, the star at its tip glowing faintly, before dying out again. Kirby waved it around again, with similar results.
"Interference." Meta Knight suggested, "We need to get the Star Rod away from the Lor's interference. Magolor, would you mind letting Kirby out?"
"Certainly." Magolor said, calmly. Despite his temper, the Halcandran cooled down rather quickly, especially when a solution could be found.
Magolor opened the Lor's side hatch and the temperature dropped slightly. Despite it being outer space, the Gamble Galaxy was remarkably survivable without protection, as several members of the group could testify.
Kirby jumped through the hatch, leaving the Lor's artificial gravity behind. He could float freely if he wanted to, but decided he wanted to have something to stand on top of. Kirby floated his way to the deck of the Starcutter and planted his feet firmly on the silvery surface, the sail billowing behind him. He held the Star Rod up.
The Star Rod flashed brightly, projecting a tiny portal, fit exactly for Kirby's size in front of him. Kirby peered through the portal and glimpsed the great comet NOVA in its haggard state, nearly motionless in a dimension not seen by Kirby for a long while. Kirby stared determinedly into the portal for a moment before closing it with a swipe of the Star Rod.
Kirby floated over to the Lor's side hatch. Everyone watched him enter the ship expectantly. He padded over to Dedede and relinquished the Star Rod.
"NOVA was moved to Another Dimension."
Magolor, Dedede, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee all tensed at once.
"The Another Dimension?" Waddle Dee asked, remembering the collapsing violet force that chased them through shadowy replicas of both Dreamland and Halcandra, "That one?"
Kirby nodded, grimly.
"Another Dimension?" Ribbon asked, and Adeleine piped up.
"Where's that?" The painter asked, twisting her brush nervously.
Dedede looked to them both and made a face, "Long story. I'll give you two the short version. Help me out, Waddle Dee, in case I leave something out?"
Waddle Dee nodded and padded towards Adeleine and Ribbon. Kirby, Magolor, Meta Knight and Taranza congregated near the control board.
"So." Taranza stated dryly, "You all know about the gap between Halcandra and the Gamble Galaxy as well."
Meta Knight stared at Taranza coldly, "How do you know of it?"
"An accident." The spidery mage said simply, "I was experimenting with transdimensional spells."
Magolor cut in, "What I don't understand is how it still exists. It was really unstable, last time we all saw it. I thought it collapsed."
Kirby and Meta Knight both nodded.
"It did," Kirby said, "But I guess it didn't."
"I theorize that the dimension is so incredibly unstable that it cannot even destroy itself without reforming." Meta Knight reasoned, "I liken it to a volcano. As one part of the dimension collapses another forms."
Magolor nodded, "Of course. All of that absorbed matter had to go somewhere, and I guess it just got spat back out into the same place."
Kirby cut into the scientific theorization, "That's great and all, but what's the plan here? NOVA's in a whole other dimension. I know that you can take us there, Magolor, but is it such a great idea to go in blind? It could be a trap!"
Taranza eyed Kirby admiringly, "You know, for an impulsive creature, you sure have good ideas. Kirby is right, we need a plan."
Dedede had just about wrapped up the tale of his and Waddle Dee's, Meta Knight's and Kirby's adventure to Another Dimension, complete with Magolor's redemption and parting. Adeleine and Ribbon listened intently the whole time.
"Wow." Ribbon said when Dedede finished, "So Magolor was a bad guy?"
"Yeah, he was, not anymore." Dedede said, "You can kind of see it, with that temper of his."
Adeleine grinned, "You'd know about tempers, eh, Dedede?"
Dedede grimaced, "You know, if we weren't on good terms, I'd smash you into the floor."
Waddle Dee and Adeleine giggled, and King Dedede couldn't help but smile. Ribbon, however, wasn't exactly content.
"You trust Magolor?" She asked, "Even after all that?"
"Aw, c'mon, Ribbon." Waddle Dee groaned, "You don't trust anybody!"
Ribbon bristled, "I trust you three and Kirby and even Meta Knight! But those two floating guys…"
"Magolor was corrupted by that crown, you know." Dedede pointed out, "And if he was so evil, why would he go through the trouble of building a giant theme park in the sky to say he was sorry?"
Ribbon sighed, "Good point. But that spider guy?"
"Popstar would be ruled by a giant wasp if it wasn't for him," Dedede countered, "Right, Waddle Dee?"
"Yep." Waddle Dee said, "He even helps us around the castle, now!"
"They're both fine, Ribbon." Dedede said, "Trust me."
Ribbon thought for a moment, glancing over at Adeleine, who nodded at her, reassuringly.
"Okay." The fairy said, "I trust you."
"Good." Dedede said, proud of his persuasion, "Now let's see what we're going to do!"
"We have a plan." Meta Knight announced, "Using what we know about NOVA, we've devised a plan to free him from his illness."
"Do tell!" Dedede encouraged.
Meta Knight waited until everyone was close enough to hear him clearly before speaking.
"We have found a way to enter NOVA, but it will guarantee detection by whatever force has overtaken him. Kirby, after resetting NOVA's core during the battle with Marx, blasted a hole in NOVA's forehead area. The hole is large enough to fit the Lor Starcutter in, but we will have to fight off NOVA's infectors."
Adeleine and Ribbon both made faces of disdain. Ribbon was mostly a healer, being taught in various medicinal practices while on Ripple Star. She had a particular dislike of fighting. Adeleine, on the other hand, was reliant on her paintings and drawings to fight for her. She was rather weak physically, and was naturally averted from conflict.
"Isn't there a way to get there without being noticed?" Adeleine griped, "I'd rather not waste ink on anything that isn't a Maxim Tomato or something."
Ribbon nodded in agreement, "Maybe we could take the Warp Star?"
"Oh, right!" Kirby said, "The Warp Star's real small, but we could fit everybody on it no problem, I think!"
"They wouldn't detect the Warp Star?" Magolor asked.
Meta Knight shook his head, "No, the Warp Star is purely solidified heroic energy. Even the most advanced sensors couldn't detect it."
"It's settled, then!" Waddle Dee said, "We'll take the Warp Star!"
"Okay, everyone." Kirby said, "Stand back."
The pink puff produced his cell phone and pressed the star-shaped button in its center. He rocked on his heels impatiently.
Suddenly, in a burst of light, a five-pointed star exploded into existence in the center of the room.
"Alright!" Kirby cheered, "Everyone on! Make some room, it'll be a tight squeeze, got it?"
Magolor felt uneasy, "I'm not too sure how I feel about leaving my ship behind all alone."
"She'll fare better here than under attack by NOVA." Taranza mused, "Don't worry about it."
Magolor sighed, and grabbed a piece of the Warp Star.
Kirby eased the Warp Star towards the Lor's hatch, and with some difficulty, eased it into space.
"Magolor!" He called over the Warp Star's whine, "Tell the Lor to open a portal to Another Dimension!"
"Okay!" Magolor hollered back.
He concentrated hard on the Lor's control deck. With some effort, he willed the Lor to activate its Dimensional Drive. A brilliant white beam erupted from the Lor's emblem on the bow of the ship. The beam spread out into a star-shaped portal directly in front of the ship. Kirby nodded appreciatively at Magolor and aimed the Warp Star for the portal. The golden star rocketed into the gateway to Another Dimension with lightning speed. Kirby shouted with glee.
"NOVA, here we come!"
000
"Your Majesty!" The imp broke her concentration for the second time.
She turned briskly towards the imp.
"What now?" She asked sternly.
"I sense a portal has been opened nearby, from the other side."
The female clenched her gloved hands, "Is there no end to my problems?!" She almost shouted, "First, I am stuck with only the company of a deranged half-dead imp! Then, The Master wants me to channel him into the Heart of Nova! And now, I must deal with some pesky heroes in my way?!"
The imp slinked away, "I am sorry, Your Majesty, very sorry, profusely!"
She placed a weary hand on her head, "How far away are they?"
"Close, very close, indeed." The imp cackled, "I'm getting chills, they're so very close!"
"Stop that." She ordered, "Let them come."
"Let them?" The imp asked, "Let them?! Let them come in?!"
He burst into mad laughter.
"Yes." She said, "You will meet with them."
"Me!" He shrilled, "I'll eat them!"
"No!" She shouted, "You will not! You will bring them to our sleeping friend."
"The Sleeper?" The imp stopped cackling and his eyes fell, "I do not like the Sleeper. He sleeps but does not wake. He only sleeps. He is a sleeper."
"Yes." The female twitched, "He does. But if you bring them to the Sleeper, he will wake up."
The imp's eyes lit up, "He will wake? The Sleeper can't be the Sleeper if he is awake!"
"No, he can't." The female noted, turning back to her work, "But don't you want a new friend to play with?"
"I do!" The imp said happily, "The Sleeper will be my friend!"
"Go to them." She ordered, "And bring them to the Sleeper."
"I will have a new friend!" The imp cried out with joy as he left. He began to sing as he left, causing her to cringe.
"Now then." She said to herself, "The heart is almost removed. I need but a few more precious moments. And that imp will buy me those moments."
She laughed to herself, "When the Knight awakes I'll finally have someone sane to speak with. And when The Master is revived, I'll have my own beautiful corner of the universe to be as far away from that imp as I can be."
She sighed at the thought, "But I need to do this before I can have that. NOVA, you've been stubborn thus far, but your heart will leave its chamber today…"
Chapter Two draws to a close!
A lot of talking in this chapter, because I wanted to have as much action as I could fit in Chapter Three, and I promise, things will get interesting. A lot can happen when you're inside a giant space clock god. I just hope nobody gets tangled in all of those gears! How lame would that be? Anyways, until next chapter, and please drop a review if you liked or have any suggestions!
