Star Allies, Unite!

Chapter 2
Welcome to Another Dimension

(Uploaded on December 20, 2018)


Summary: A familiar, star-shaped Warp Hole stood alone in the Divine Terminus, and inside awaited a nightmarish reality, where no hope could be made—only extinguished. But to Kirby, that didn't matter – he and his friends would charge in head-first, and together, they'd find a way to make a happy ending.

(Because how could he call himself a hero if he didn't at least try?)

Notes: This chapter covers the first portion of Heroes' first level, Dimension I.


The wind howled furiously past her ears, bringing with it a hailstorm too deep for her to see through, and a blistering cold too freezing for her to stop anytime soon. Her surroundings were completely whitened out, and the ground below her several inches deep; a testament to just how terrible the blizzard striking Blizzno Moon truly was.

But as much as she wanted so dearly to right now, the girl couldn't stop. She had no place to stop. She had no way to stop. She had to continue onward, no matter how blue she currently looked or felt. (There was nothing else she could do.) And thus, though the only things she had on her were a light pair of clothes with very little protection, she kept trudging on through the bitter, bitter weather.

T-T-This is…! she thought, her teeth clattering. T-This is… t-too… c-c-c-cold…! B-B-But… I h-have to… have to f-f-find…!

Once, in earlier, happier times, she had family by her side – a twin sibling, who always stood by her through thick-and-thin, no matter what happened; and an elder sister, who cherished the both of them as the last remaining lights in her life. They would frolic and play and laugh and be happy together, while their father watched a soft smile on his face. They were a trio with an unbreakable connection, an inseparable existence—

yet, here she was now, suffering through the after-effects of an indeed-broken connection.

And she barely even knew where it all went so wrong.

One moment, everything was okay, and the next thing she knew—

She was just so… so…

empty.

(…did she always feel so lost?)

C-C-Can't… t-think… her mind glazed over. M-Must… k-keep… m-m-m-moving…

The wind picked up, hail flinging past her face with increasing intensity. She didn't even know where she was going anymore, or even if there was shelter around—but she forced herself to keep walking either way.

It didn't matter where she was or what was happening; she had only one goal in mind: she needed to survive and find her sisters.

Survive and find her sisters.

Survive—and find. Her. Sisters.

So long as she had the strength to do that… then nothing else in the world mattered to her.

But the rest of the world made it its mission to make itself matter – in all the worst ways possible.

Soon, she was too frozen to function, her limbs too numb to take any further step forward. She let out a weak yelp and tumbled into the snow still building up, a virtual avalanche of frostbite practically falling on top of her. "N-No!" she cried, stretching out her hand in a desperate attempt to continue moving onward. "I c-c-can't… I c-can't stop h-h-here! T-They're w-waiting—they're s-still w-waiting f-for me!"

Much to her dismay, however… she was out of strength. She couldn't go on. "M-Move, d-damn it!" she pleaded. "M-Move!" But no matter how much she willed her body to even shake, it refused to do as she wanted.

This was it.

She was done.

She was absolutely, positively—

D-o-n-e.

This snowstorm, which she had tried her hardest to fight off, her hardest to survive against—had finally, utterly, defeated her.

And the only thing she had to show for it… was a volley of tears, steadily dripping down her distraught face. "T-T-This c-can't be… t-the end…!" she clattered. With the cold beginning to become too much for her, she curled her body up and hugged herself in an attempt to keep what little warmth she had left.

Snow piled up around her, and the wind mercilessly blew past her feeble face – and all she could do was lay on the ground as she slowly—but surely—froze to death. With nothing else left, she began to recall the two people most precious to her.

"B-B-Berge…" she choked softly." (Her fiery sibling, fighting onward with her tenacity—) "Z-Z-Zan…" (Her precious elder sister, cuddling the two of them as hard as she could—) Their faces flashed by one more time as her vision blurred out. "I-I-I-I'm… I'm s-s-sorr-r-r-r…"

Finally, her eyes closed shut, and she at last succumbed to the wills of the weather.

This was it.

This… was… it…

"…Goppoko!? L-Little girl, are you alright!?"

Something stirred from within her. Just in time, a voice managed to hit her ears—and a figure, presumably her savior, picked her up and kept her awake.

…who… who's… there…? she mentally wheezed.

"This is terrible!" the voice continued—sounding kind, almost sympathetic; and it almost made her think that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't a desperate hallucination. "You are—you are just too cold! I can't just let you die here!" His tone turned distressed: "But there is nowhere I can go for aid, and if I do not do something soon…"

…heh heh… she weakly laughed in her mind. It's… It's nice to… have someone… wanting to help… but… it's… already… too late… for me…

But just when all hope was lost… "…no, wait. There is still one more thing I can do…" A warm sensation suddenly began to travel through her body, the mysterious stranger chanting something barely audible to her ears. She didn't understand it at all – none of her family knew or taught anything but a single language – but as the chanting grew louder and louder, so too did the feeling beneath her skin.

It was… nice.

It was cold, sure… but it was a different kind of cold.

It was a warm kind of cold, if that made any sense.

And before too long… a rush of adrenaline shot through her body, her energy reserves instantly replenished, with the cold finally bothering her no longer. Now, it felt… natural, like an old friend she never knew she had.

But, most importantly of all… she was alive. Alive and living and free to seek out her sisters—and she had this kind stranger to thank for that.

Her eyes shot open, and quickly, she flew out of the stranger's arms. She felt no numbness from the bitter atmosphere that had assaulted her earlier – in fact, it was basically like it had never existed at all. "This is… This is amazing…!" she whispered. "I'm… I'm alive… I'm actually alive…!" She laughed, a little hysterically, at the miracle that had come before her – the miracle of life which she once took for granted.

She turned to the kind stranger. He was a strange figure. His clothes were nothing to talk about, being bright white robes with gold trimmings at the edges. (The sleeves seemed too long for him, though.) His face, however, was a different story entirely: his nose was big and drooping, his ears were striped yellow and blue, and his eyes were just the same. It was like looking into the eyes of madness.

But despite all that, there was a warmth and softness to him that felt noble and genuine. And the girl certainly couldn't let that go unrewarded.

"T-Thank you so much!" she stated. "I… I thought I was going to die out here!" Die and have my sisters never really live again because I won't be there—"B-But…" Now that she thought about it… "…why did you save me? M-Most… Most people wouldn't do something like that…"

The crazy-eyed stranger smiled. "You were freezing," he put simply. "That was a vun jorrow thing that I could not let happen. It would break my heart – and I am sure it would break yours as well."

"O-Oh… O-Okay. That's… That's good to hear." Altruistic people were hard to find on out-of-the-way satellites like this; it was good that he was at least one of them. Then, she realized—"H-Hey, what's your name?" she asked. "Dad—Dad always… told me and my sisters never to talk to strangers you don't know…"

She frowned and drew her eyes to the floor.

Her father…

Just like her sisters, he was another big part of her life, the kind of part that seemed like it would last a very long time—except, the last thing she saw him, he was…

'Franny! Berge! Zan! R-RUN—!"

Dad… Why…?

"…Little girl? What's wrong?" the stranger asked in concern. "You… You okay? Did… Did something happen to your family? Your father…?"

"…Dad… Dad's not… here. He's… He's gone." And boy, that still hurt to admit to herself. How could it not, when she was still so young, and not supposed to be thinking about topics like this?

"O-Oh!" The stranger had not expected this. "I—I'm sorry! Japologa vun."

"N-No, it's okay. I—I think… it doesn't bother me anymore." That was a lie of epic proportions – but there was nothing else she could tell herself. (She was already struggling to keep herself together.) "B-But my sisters… Berge, Zan, they're still out there somewhere! And I need to find them. I—I don't want to let them…"

A brief moment of silence.

"…I get it," the stranger nodded. "You want to make sure they're safe." Briefly, he brought his gaze to the sky—or tried to; it was still blocked out by the massive blizzard—and then he brought it back to the young girl. "Say, little girl… Would you like to come with me, to find your siblings?" The girl looked up at him in surprise. "I have knowledge in how to travel space myself. If you would grant it, we could perhaps look for them together…?"

She knew she should've hesitated—but after her near-death experience moments before… "Y-Yes!" she exclaimed. "I'll—I'll do it! T-Thank you again, M-Mister!"

"Oh, you don't need to call me that. I am Hyness, an officiant of the gods above. Who are you, pray tell?"

"My name's Francisca. It's—It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hyness!"


[King Dedede]

Gamble Galaxy
Lor Starcutter – Cockpit

Watching the stars fly by from the window didn't do my nerves any favors. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to pass by both familiar constellations and planets – Aqua Star's still as weird-looking as always, on that note, how the heck does it stay up like that – but every time I let my guard down a little… I keep remembering that we're basically about to go into the depths of darkness.

Now, mind you, I haven't been in as deep as Kirby has. I mean, out of the five True Arenas that's been hosted in the Gamble Galaxy, I've only personally been involved in two of them. (And by 'personally been involved', I mean 'actually doing the gauntlet'.) But that doesn't mean I don't know how bad this situation is. Two True Arenas is two too much, in my opinion.

I sighed, sitting my arm by the window's edge and letting my head lean on it. I remember Another Dimension. It was the place where half of Magolor's Energy Spheres were… and also the location in which we beat his traitorous behind… twice. (I wonder if the True Arena is just cursed to have Soul Bosses, or something… Seriously, all five times, there's been one. Sheesh, what's up with that?) I don't know all too much about it other than the place alternates between drab color schemes and blue Aurora Borealis all over the sky, but knowing that it's where the Sphere Doomers originate… well, that tells me enough.

…you know, sometimes, I wish that these kind of things didn't happen so often. Every two-or-so years, we get dragged into galaxy-threatening events like this because some chuckleheads out there see our planet as some sort of cosmic plaything. I get it, we're the World of Miracles: the Fountain of Dreams and the Dream Palaces are proof enough of that fact.

It's just that—sometimes, it sucks having to be so serious half the time.

It really, really does.

"Great King? Are you okay?" Instantly, my face softened, and I turned to see my good assistant Bandana Dee walk up to me. True to his gentle, all-loving nature, he was staring at me with raw concern in his eyes. "You… You look pretty worried, just looking out the window like that… Is something wrong?"

I made a sympathetic expression. "I'm… I'm alright, Dee," I answered. "I'm just thinking." Thinking about things I wish I couldn't be thinking about. "You don't need to worry."

Dee waddled over to my side and joined me in my impromptu stargazing session. In our heads, we counted all the brightest stars as we passed them by. There were a lot of them. Quite a lot.

"…I'm getting too old for this," I chuckled lowly. "Doing this kind of thing every year is gonna make all my hair go gray, I swear."

"But Great King," Dee started replying in confusion, "you don't have any hair."

I grinned. "Proves my point! All the hair turned gray and then it fell out. Simple as that!"

Despite the situation, Bandana Dee started to giggle himself. "I—I don't think hair works like that, but—okay, Great King!" We laughed together a little, and for a minute, it was like we were back home in my castle, enjoying another day in lazy, sleepy Dream Land, about to open up the cake fridge for Kirby's daily slice of strawberry shortcake.

Man… I remember when Kirby and I were bitter enemies, once upon a time. Heh heh… Ten years can go by before you even know it.

We sat there a little while longer, just enjoying the sense of serenity around us – and doing our best to ignore the hyperactive chaos going on elsewhere in the cockpit. When you have a team of colorful personalities like the Star Allies, there's no such thing as 'a quiet, normal day'.

(Marx's voice drifted into range: "C'mon, guys—if you want this paintbrush back, you'll have to work for it~!"

"No fair, Marx!" Adeleine protested, Ribbon following close behind. "Give it back!")

"…I like this," I finally said, a smile coming onto my face. "This—this chaos… It's really something else, y'know?" I shook my head. "The heroes and villains and in-betweens of Pop Star gathered together like this… there's nothing else in the galaxy like it."

Really, there wasn't. In another dimension, maybe (no, not the one you're thinking of), but otherwise? We're one-of-a-kind. "There really isn't," Dee agreed. His eyes lit up. "It's so great! All of us friends, ready for another adventure… Even though I know that this is something serious, I can't help but enjoy our time! E-Especially with you, Great King! It wouldn't be as good as it is without you!"

"Ain't that the truth!" I smiled and joked, "Look at me, the great King Dedede, offering his blessings on this trip through the cosmos. Makes it all the more perfect!"

"I dunno," a voice teased—Kirby's voice, of course; who else would it be—and sure enough, the Super Tuff Pink Puff himself came into view, equally as jovial as the two of us. "I think perfect may be stretching it a bit. Didn't you just say you were getting on in years? I don't think people would like being blessed by an old man now."

"You're one to talk, Mr. 'I'm-a-Thousand-Years-Old'," I fired back in rhythm. (Ah, friendly banter! The perfect identification of a strong bond.)

"Hey—at least, by my species' standards, I'm still a spring chick. Chicken. Puffball. Whatever noun fits in that slot."

"And there goes your memory, too." We laughed for quite a while longer, just me and him and Dee on the sidelines.

"…it's been a while since we last touched upon Another Dimension," Kirby recalled. "What do you think we'll find there this time? More Sphere Doomers? More black voids trying to squash us? EX Bosses, even? There's a lot of things that could pop up, and we might even be unprepared for it."

"Well, that's what you and I are here for, right?" I said to him. "And everyone else, too. Like Meta Knight said, we and our weapons will be right by your side. Just tell me where to smash the hammer and I'll be right on it!"

"Don't forget my spear!" Bandana Dee chimed in. "I've gotten even better at using it since we last went out, trust me!"

"Better enough for Smash?" Kirby teased.

"Maybe! Either way, I hope I can be as helpful as always!"

It doesn't matter in the end what gets thrown our way – there can be all the Soul Bosses in the galaxy down in Another Dimension and I still wouldn't hesitate to start fighting. None of us would. For however colorful and clashing we may be, we're fighters, friends, and heroes above all – and with Kirby leading us on, we'll take down anything that comes our way.

Kirby… He's the one that's brought us all together like this. The Ultimate Friend Maker who charges forth and makes anybody a treasured companion – whether they want it or not (or, in his words, 'want it or just subconsciously want it'). The former eternal nemesis who I now consider my best friend. Pop Star doesn't consider him their valued savior for nothing – and without him, I wouldn't be standing where I am today.

I used to be lazy, arrogant, an honestly terrible king – so terrible I was willing to steal everyone's food; which is still an embarrassing time to remember – but now I've become strong, compassionate, a benevolent king beloved by all (and a great leader, too!) – and I've got Kirby to thank for that. That really shows just how much of a friend he can really be, to all of us.

He's the miracle in our hearts that made us who we are.

And now's never been a better time to repay him for that.

So, yeah, you better bet that I'm gonna be there to save the galaxy again.

With Kirby, Dee, and the rest of my friends here… there's nowhere else I'd rather be!

(Except maybe back in Castle Dedede celebrating with everyone else, of course.)


[N/A]

Jambandra Base
Entrance

"Here we are," Magolor stated. "Jambandra Base."

After a flight that had seemed to take far too long for a ship as advanced as Magolor's—the unstable energies surrounding the Jambandra Base had meant it was too risky to just warp there, the Halcandran had explained—the Lor Starcutter had finally docked at its destination.

The fortified visage of the Jambandra Cult's abode once more towered over the Star Allies as they came out one-by-one from the Lor's entrance. It looked no worse for wear than the first time they had stormed in… though there was definitely a more eerie atmosphere to its presence this time around.

"Hmph." Dark Meta Knight took one look at the place and sneered a perfect sneer (an edgelord had to keep up with his edgelordiness, after all). "This abysmal-looking fortress hasn't changed one bit," he snorted. "The concept of decoration must still elude these heretics with every step."

"Well, what did you expect?" Marx dryly asked. "Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows plastered all over the walls?" Then he got a contemplative look – a look that no one ever wanted to him to have. "Hmm… Maybe I should redecorate this place for them, then… I've got some paint cans still sitting back home, and they're not going anywhere!"

"Is that really a good idea, mate?" Rick wondered, scratching himself a bit. "This is our enemies we're talkin' about. Y'know, the crazy occult dudes. There's no need to stir up the hornet's nest like that; we already have enough to deal with."

"Who cares?" Coo interrupted. "I'm about ready to fly up to their rooms and smack them silly myself! In fact, I'm gonna go do that now!" The violet owl started flapping his wings, prepared to take off; Taranza, thinking fast, promptly activated his Web Hold and trapping Coo in it. "Hey!" he protested. "Put me down right now!"

"Don't fly off!" the Floralia regent pleaded. "It's—It's dangerous in there! Remember what Magolor told us earlier? We have to stick together!"

"I can handle this fine by myself, buddy!" the stubborn bird insisted. "I've been doing this longer than you have! Now lemme outta here already!"

Kine sighed, an impressive maneuver for an upright fish. "He's gonna be like this for a while," he lamented. "We might want to get a move on before he starts lecturing us about something… and doesn't stop."

Ribbon looked up at the fortress and shivered. "Th-This place still gives me the c-creeps," she said. This may have been her third visit, but she wasn't any more comfortable now than her first time coming. "I—I wish we didn't have to c-come back here…"

"I wish we didn't have to either, Ribbon," Adeleine consoled her friend, tightening the grip on her paintbrush. "But I don't think these guys are ever going to learn." If twice wasn't enough for them, she thought, then third time won't be the charm.

Susie, meanwhile, was staring in something resembling awe. "Such a spectacular building structure…!" she breathed. "Were it not for our dire circumstances, I would have my employees document this place's blueprints immediately."

Meta Knight snorted, though it wasn't as abrasive a snort as before. "That's if you can get any service in this lawless palace," he deadpanned.

"Hey, I'm sure there's some semblance of service here!" Kirby piped up. He pulled out his Warp Star Phone, which looked so ancient by today's standards that it had Susie gagging at its mere appearance. ("You—You still use outdated tech like that!?" she gagged. "I have got to hook you up with one of our products…") "My Warp Star Phone's getting reception alright; I don't see the problem here!"

"I… I think that's because it's a phone for Warp Stars," Dedede said. "Not for actually calling anybody."

"How does it even work though?" Bandana Dee began to wonder. "Is your Warp Star a satellite? C-Can satellites even do that?" His eyes promptly went dizzy from all the thinking. "I—I think my brain's hurting now…"

"Don't worry," Gooey said, "if your brain hurts, I'll lick it. Then the hurt will go away."

"Umm… t-thank you, Gooey…?" I, uh… think that might make it hurt worse…

While everyone else was giving their own comments about the Jambandra Cult's terrible sense of exterior design (and interior design), Daroach – with his Squeak Squad following close behind silently – began to sniff the air, his eyes narrowed in interest. He coughed loudly into his hand—"A-hem!"—which made everyone stop and turn to him, listening intently. "Something's not right, everyone," he stated. "Listen."

They did. An eerie silence fell through the area, devoid of any traces of wind or even signals of life. It made the already menacing area seem even more haunting.

"…I don't get it, Dar-Dar," Marx said, slipping in his usual nicknames for everyone. "What's not right? There's… nothing here…" His irises widened in realization – and it seemed everyone else was coming to the same conclusion as well.

"…that's exactly it," Dedede said aloud. "There's nothing. The Jambandra Cult should've seen us coming a mile away. If I got a heads-up about an invasion force, I'd have all my guards get up and be ready to defend my castle."

"Now that you mention it…" Dark Meta Knight got out his sword in caution. "There is an unusual amount of silence in this region, far unexpected from that of these admittedly somewhat-competent heretics… Was their defeats months back a deterrent to their morale? Or have they finally comprehended how much more powerful our blades are in comparison to their peasant-level skills?"

"That can't be it," Adeleine replied, "they were just fine when we went for them a week after our adventure in March." (Savvy readers might recognize her references to a certain 'Guest Star' venture; Ribbon, Dark Meta Knight, Daroach, Marx, and I make a good team, if I do say so myself, she internally mused.) "If they didn't not attack us then, they wouldn't do so now."

"So… does that mean it's safe to… walk in?" Taranza nervously queried, still making sure to keep a good grip on his Web Hold. "If—If no one's come out now, th-then… we s-shouldn't have any problems… r-right?"

(Coo was yelling now, and the arachnid visibly looked like he was trying his best to ignore it. "You see!? I can go out and show those girls a thing or two! Come on, lemme go, lemme go!"

"Coo, that's just rude! You can't have a go at 'em like that!"

"They tried to attack our world; they very well deserve it!")

"Well, you heard Taranza, everyone," Kirby shrugged. In a flash, he activated one of his long-dormant Copy Essence Deluxes—and lo and behold, a familiar sword and green hat had come to him. (It never hurt to have a good Copy Ability on hand.) "Let's take this carefully now, guys," he advised. "This might be a ruse. It might not be. But either way, it's best to be on our guard."

"Wise words, Kirby," Meta Knight approved. "Enough talking, then. Let us explore this fortified fortress once more, and put an end to this crisis once and for all." He turned to Magolor and asked him an important question, eyes periodically glancing at the docked Lor Starcutter, "Will your vessel be alright once we leave? There may be no enemies in sight, but there is still a great risk leaving it here."

"Eh, I'm sure it'll be fine," Magolor shrugged. "Dedede's Waddle Dees can take care of it fine, methinks."

"You can count on them!" Dedede confidently declared. "They can do anything so long as they put their minds to it! You've got nothing to fear, trust me!"

"Yeah!" Bandana Dee jumped up and down. "They can do it! They can do it!" he chanted. "Go, Waddle Dees!" His enthusiasm, though tinged with a bit of nervousness, spoke proudly of his species' skill in defending territories. So much so that it was hard to fault him for it.

"Then I will trust your judgement," the noble knight acquiesced. "Very well—let us be off!"


The Divine Terminus – Hallway

A dark ambience filled every square inch and corner of the once-comparatively lively Jambandra Base, all the way up to the dreaded Divine Terminus from which Void Termina had first been reborn. The only sound echoing off the walls were the steady footsteps of the sixteen Star Allies, carefully making their way through the abandoned halls, wary of any threat that could show up. It was an unpleasant feeling, seeing as how there were no enemies around or any traps active – though admittedly, the latter was plenty relieving, given how many close shaves they had with death with the crushing blocks several months ago.

"…it's too quiet," Rick muttered, looking around the hallway with suspicion. "Way, way too quiet. Did—Did everyone just pack up and leave, or is somethin' else goin' on?"

"It might have something to do with whatever ritual Hyness tried," Kirby suggested, his sword now lit up on fire and being used as a makeshift torch. "Maybe they panicked and abandoned him when they felt things get weird, or they got involved in it and couldn't spare any resources to defend the base. Or maybe they decided to quit their jobs and became the best of friends." He did the best impression of a shrug he could pull off, though it was kind of diminished by the fact that he was currently holding something. "Who knows? I hope it's the latter, but I won't bet on it."

"An energy reading of the magnitude I detected can't have gone unnoticed – especially when the majority of the Jambandra Cult resides so close to the source," Magolor added. "The middle option is the most likely… which doesn't bode well for what we'll have to face."

Well, that's great, the puffball mentally sighed. It's always something.

Susie gave an unladylike snort. "Talk about unorganized," she snidely said. "If this was the Haltmann Works Company, my subordinates would most certainly have the sense to split our resources to both offensive and defensive strategies. This cult clearly doesn't have any common sense in that regard. Or common sense in anything, for that matter."

"Are—Are we c-close to the a-altar, y-yet?" Bandana Dee nervously inquired, his eyes darting all about the walls as if a monster could pop out at any moment. (Given the nature of the Jambandra Cult, he was honestly right to worry.) "It's… It's g-getting too—too c-creepy around here…!"

"I don't think it's a problem," Gooey drooled. "Everybody seems alright right now."

Just behind him, Adeleine bit her tongue to try and keep from saying anything to the contrary. Ribbon had no qualms about that. "G-Gooey," she said, "I… I don't think 'everybody' applies h-here…" Taranza was testament to that, at least – the poor boy was shaking in his boots, though he managed to retain enough semblance of mind to keep a hold on Coo.

"Why not? We can handle it, I think. We're friends. Friends can do anything with friendship. That's what Kirby says, anyway."

"Yep!" Kirby reaffirmed his words. "C'mon, Dee, Ribbon—we can do this, no prob! You just gotta believe a little, y'know?"

"W-Well…" Bandana Dee sighed. "If you s-say so, Kirby."

"We'll take your word for it, then!" Ribbon chimed in as well.

Dark Meta Knight raised an eyebrow beneath his mask. "You people certainly love using the words 'friend' and 'friendship', don't you," he quietly remarked. "N-Not that it doesn't bother me, or anything…"

"Aww, is our favorite edgelordy knight being all tsundere again?" Marx teased with a great big smile on his face. "Don't worry, we all appreciate you for who you are!"

A grumble. "…shut up."

The group continued their trek through the fortress, finding every hallway and room equally as deserted as the last few. It wasn't all bad though, as their lively conversations and antics at least kept the atmosphere from feeling too oppressively hostile – though some of them would admit, even seeing the Three Mage-Sisters come to do battle with them would alleviate their worries a little, as contradictory as that sounds.

Finally, the Star Allies arrived at the hallway before the altar, same as the first trek through the Jambandra Base – with the Copy Essences from before curiously deactivated, for whatever reason. (Not a problem; after all, Kirby still had the Deluxe versions with him.) The tranquil, almost transcendent skies of the cosmos would normally create a 'calm before the storm' sort of calm… were it not for the intense feeling of inherent wrongness emanating from the doorway.

The Star Allies reacted appropriately. "What… What is this?" Meta Knight asked with a grimace. "Such a dark undercurrent… What, exactly, has the Jambandra Cult unleashed on us now?"

Magolor whipped out his Nintendo 3DS again, and gaped in shock. "These readings…" he breathed. "I've never seen anything like it! When the Lor said Another Dimension was unstable, I hadn't expected this…!"

Susie started gagging, staying the furthest back from the door out of everyone else. "Blegh!" she coughed, keeling over with a strong grimace on her face. Bad memories were rising up to the surface of her mind, quite against her will. "It… It's just… as bad… as I remember… Oh dear, sweet Haltmann…"

"S-Susie!" Immediately, Taranza dropped Coo—who gave out an indignant squawk at his handling—and rushed over to the CEO's side. "Are—Are you alright!?"

She flinched when he came—Has she never known kindness in her life? he briefly wondered—before she softly replied, "I'm—I'm fine, th-thank you for asking. It—It's inappropriate of me as company CEO to—to react in such an uncouth manner. I apologize."

"You don't need to," Daroach stated, his eyes steeling themselves at the presence of the dark energy. "Anyone would do that when faced with this. Professional thief though I may be, even I can't believe how much this feels like Dark Nebula…"

"Wh-Who now?" the other two both asked.

"It's a long story, but trust me when I say it isn't a good thing."

Kirby and Dedede gripped their weapons just a little tighter – being at the forefront of the crowd of Star Allies, they couldn't allow themselves to let a single threat pass by them. They locked their eyes at each other, determined gazes staring back-to-back, and then they nodded together. "Alright guys," Kirby said to everyone. They stopped their mutterings to look at the two leaders, with Meta Knight and Bandana Dee skootching in beside them – for a single moment, the puffball truly looked like the Pink Terror the True Arena often referred to him as. "On the count of three!"

Magolor, Taranza, and Susie tensed, magic and technology flaring up by their hands.

"One…"

Adeleine, Ribbon, Dark Meta Knight, and Daroach aimed their weapons in front of them, ready for a fight.

"Two…"

Rick, Kine, Coo, Gooey, and Marx glared defiantly at the entrance to the altar.

"Three!"

The four core Star Allies—Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Bandana Dee—busted the door open as hard as they could, and they—plus their remaining twelve companions—proceeded to rush on in.


The Divine Terminus – Altar

The sight before them was not at all pleasing to see.

"It's—!" Bandana Dee stammered, sweat practically pouring down his head. "It's a Warp Hole! G-Guys, it's a Warp Hole!"

Indeed, a familiar star-shaped portal rested in the center of the altar, clearly the result of whatever weird magic Lord Hyness, the Officiant of Doom, had tried as of late. The outer rims of it was a dark, oppressive blue, and the inside of it glowed with an unsettling neon cyan. It swirled and spun with a sense of impudence, in a way; the 'Lor Reconstruction' crew of years past half-expected a Sphere Doomer to come on out of it and attack them right then and there. (They were rather cheap in that regard.)

Kirby stared grimly at the interdimensional Warp Hole. "Yeah, we can see that," he replied. "It's Another Dimension, alright…"

If that was all, it wouldn't be so bad – but, just like the door before it, the portal was emanating negativity at an extreme rate, far too unhealthy for the atmosphere to comfortably handle. It feels just like Zero, the hero of Dream Land thought, only worse.

"And here I thought I'd never have to see that again," Dedede muttered. "I'm getting bad memories just looking at it."

"Indeed," Meta Knight agreed. "That wall often came far too close for comfort…"

Tell me about it. I couldn't tell you how many times I had to spit a Star Bullet back at it… (Honestly, that still made very little sense even to Kirby's mind but—it worked.)

As the other Star Allies trickled in, the majority started to shiver at the sight of the portal. Marx immediately started gagging. "O-Oh, sweet NOVA!" he choked. "Th-This feeling…! I don't even…!" Something came rising up his mouth. "I—I think I'm gonna hurl!" he realized. He ducked off to the side and proceeded to do just that, much to the disgust of his half-friend, half-fun-irritant Dark Meta Knight.

"H-How… uncivilized…" the mirror knight said, but his voice held none of his usual harsh undertones, for he too was unsettled by the imminent darkness. (Just because he was a dark creature didn't mean he was exactly 'in tune' with it.) D-Dark Mind was never like this! he even noted. What has this blasted cult summoned to this realm!?

"I dunno, mate," Rick said from behind him, barely holding back his own vomit, "I think I wanna do the same thing myself. Crikey…"

Ribbon whimpered. So did Adeleine, to a slightly lesser extent. Taranza took a step back; Magolor was operating his 3DS like mad; Daroach brought the rim of his top hat down; Gooey… drooled; Susie was literally quaking in her boots, though she tried not to show it (again, bad memories); and Kine and Coo were taking several large steps back in horror. "…you know what? I'm thinking I really don't want to do this right now," the old owl remarked.

"…Mine's never gonna let me hear the end of this one…" Kine groaned, feeling practically dehydrated.

Beeps and boops resounded out of Magolor's modified 3DS. "This is it," he stated. "This is the source. There are four faint life readings here, too." (Kirby knew who they were: Francisca, Flamberge, Zan Partizanne, and… Hyness.) "Through here, we'll be in Another Dimension—again, for some of us." He put the 3DS away. "Like I said before, it's gonna get dangerous from here on out. Is everybody ready?"

A series of resolute nods met his gaze. No more words needed to be said. The answer was clear. "Then it's settled."

Kirby looked back at the Warp Hole, same as everyone else. I don't really know what to expect here. I don't know how much Another Dimension has changed since I saw it last. Heck, I'm still having a little trouble coming to grips with how much I've changed.

But I'm not about to let that stop me from charging on forward. I couldn't call myself the hero of Dream Land if I did.

So… here we go.

Without further adieu, the Sword-wielding Star Warrior (as some would call him) waltzed up to the Warp Hole and hopped on in, the portal practically expanding to cover his entire body. The fifteen other faces behind him, all brandishing their trademark weapons, soon followed suit—and it was there where this climatic journey began.

This was it.

From here on out, there could be no more hesitation…

…for the fate of the universe rested in the hands of these Heroes in Another Dimension.


Another Dimension
Dimension I

Another Dimension, as the four core members of the Star Allies remembered it, consisted primarily of a transcendent cosmic sky, housing more than its fair share of vortexes and odd spatial lines, with a fiery blue ground and yellow-bordered walls. It was an odd place, but that wasn't anything too surprising for the heroes of the Gamble Galaxy.

However… the same couldn't quite be said now.

"…whoa," Dedede breathed. "This is—this is new."

The whole place had practically transformed: a greater variety of light blues and dark blues lit up the skyline, the spatial lines from before now much more numerous and fitting greatly with the expanded color scheme – and even the weird Void Termina-esque spheres and violet Code Cube-esque objects floating around in the air couldn't detract from its beauty.

On ground level, bright, glowing, yellow blocks filled the views of each of the Star Allies; they were almost too bright to even squint at. The aforementioned yellow outer rims covered up the cosmic nebula within the blocks, a transcendent splendor the likes of which none of them had ever witnessed before. A host of background elements—butterfly weavings, smaller floating blocks, and flora and fauna-like structures—helped to make the place feel far more alive somehow, too.

"It's pretty," Taranza admitted, albeit apprehensively, "but it's also kind of… unsettling? I—I don't know how to put it, r-really…"

"That's fine," Kirby said, "because I don't know how to either."

Despite the gorgeousness of Another Dimension's revamped appearance, a very noticeable, underlying sense of impending destruction flowed through the air with every second that passed – something that only served to highlight just how high the stakes were this time. Marx, in particular, looked like he wanted nothing more than to vomit out his stomach's contents again, but managed to refrain from it. "Th-This place…" he gagged. "It… It feels a lot like… the True Arena…" He scrunched up his face, doing his best not to let bile reach up his throat. "…I don't like it."

"I don't think anybody does, mate," Rick said. He sniffed the air. "It smells a little bit like Dark Matter too. That's not right, huh?"

"No kidding!" Ribbon spoke up.

(In the background, Susie clenched her fists and tried to limit the amount of quavering occurring over her body. It wasn't quite working.

If she was paying closer attention, she might have noticed Meta Knight staring at her with something close to subdued concern at her odd reaction.)

As everyone else laid out their comments about the scenery, Daroach's heightened thief senses caught a glimpse of something just over the horizon. He walked over to Kirby and tapped him. "Kirby," he said. The puffball turned to him, and his gaze followed the direction of the mouse's outstretched finger. "Look over there."

The route before them could best be described as a series of oversized stairs with plenty of gaps, fit better for a behemoth than a 'round pink thing', as many a villain initially would describe Kirby. But emanating from the top seemed to be an object – and faint though it may be, Kirby could make out a glimpse of something… pink.

Obviously, it was important.

And that meant he'd better see what it was.

"Good eye," he complimented his friend. Raising his voice, he called, "Guys! Let's get a move on! We're wasting daylight right now; we've got a galaxy to save!" The Super Tuff Pink Puff ran forward, his sword still blazing in his hand – and the rest of the Star Allies, after shaking themselves out of their awe, proceeded to run after him.

He hopped on one of the elevated platforms, and it began rising slowly into the air. Its rate of elevation was sluggish enough that all sixteen of them – barring a few initial yelps – could jump onto it and up to the next solid piece of ground in no time at all. The next several steps were similar, and the Star Allies got into a comfortable rhythm of sorts, doing this rather basic platforming exercise. (Hey, it serves as good practice!)

At the top of the impromptu staircase was a surprise: a single, lone Friend Heart, floating just a couple of feet off the ground. The heart itself was something the Dream Friends had seen several times before, when Kirby used it to either befriend an enemy, or resummon a familiar Helper. And seeing it here, alone and held up by nothing at all (as most collectibles were prone to doing), where normally it would have to be materialized and thrown through Kirby's own power, was… odd, to say the least.

Dark Meta Knight narrowed his eyes. "Kirby. Isn't that article something that belongs to you?" he asked.

Kirby nodded. He'd know the look of it anywhere at this point.

Magolor blinked. "…'belongs to you'?" he repeated out loud, a gloved hand coming to his chin in befuddlement. That's new. "What's that mean? Guys?"

Taranza and Susie were similarly confused. "Yes, please clarify," the CEO directed. "I believe this is knowledge we most definitely need to know, whatever it is."

"O-Oh!" Bandana Dee ran up to the trio of recent additions, a look of realization coming upon his cute face. "Th-That's right! You guys weren't around for our adventure in March! H-Hey! Adeleine! Ribbon!" he called for his two friends. "I think w-we're gonna need an i-illustrated explanation for these guys!"

The artistic duo went on up, and with a smile on their faces—plus a jolly "We can do that!" from Adeleine—summoned their large canvas and prepared to paint to Bandana Dee's words. (She had gotten real good at anticipating statements and applying the appropriate art to match. When you can make your drawings literally come to life, it's a talent that's nice to have – and NOVA knows Angie appreciated it as well.) "So," the faithful assistant began, "it all began when all these heart pieces were raining down from the sky! You know, 'cause of the Jambandra guys." Magolor, Taranza, and Susie watched with interest as the accompanying art piece showcased a purple meteor shower descending across all of Pop Star. Susie grumbled something about 'copycats' underneath her breath.

Huh. That doesn't look half-bad, actually. I wonder if she'd be up for painting the Lor…

"They touched a lot of people – like Great King, sadly – and they did a lot of bad things, too. But there was one that was actually good!" A pink streak suddenly showed up in the sea of purple, visible enough to captivate the trio's eyes. "And just like a miracle, it touched Kirby!" Now, the painting was of the pink heart sinking into Kirby's body, sprinkling some sort of magical dust over him.

Adeleine continued to sketch, now drawing a scene of Kirby throwing another of those pink hearts at a Poppy Bros. Jr. Despite the dire situation at hand, she seemed content with the artistry she was working on. "Now Kirby can throw hearts—Friend Hearts, we call them—and make friends with our enemies!" The Poppy Bro in the picture, once ready to throw a lit bomb, now looked far more welcoming to the idea of friendship. What a… remarkable transformation, Magolor thought.

"It's helped us a lot over the past few months, and we've made many friends thanks to it!" Bandana Dee added. A swath of Helpers was depicted now, from Waddle Doo to Bonkers to Vividra… It was a virtual army, the cavalcade shown. "We wouldn't be here without all these Helpers by our side!"

Susie, by this point, had gotten out a notepad and was diligently writing down the information for 'later use'. Taranza, meanwhile, simply raised one of his hands. "U-Umm… Can… Can I ask a question?" he desired to know.

"O-Of course!" Bandana Dee made a happy expression. "Ask away!"

"W-Well…" Taranza scratched the back of his head. "H-How did that h-heart just so happen to f-fall onto Kirby? That—That seems like a pretty big coincidence, to me…"

"That is rather convenient," Magolor agreed. It's not like me, when I transported the Lor to Pop Star that one time.

"Hmm… A-Actually…" The assistant rubbed the back of his head as he answered, "I… don't know! I don't think Kirby does, either! It's just a thing that… happened."

"How unscientific," Susie remarked, looking up from her notepad. "In this universe, there's no such things as coincidences – especially not ones like that. There's always a reason for everything that happens, even if it doesn't look like it at first. The most likely candidate for the events you listed is that the pink heart specifically targeted Pinky—" (Say, why does she always call him 'Pinky'? Is that just a term of endearment?) "—to give him those powers. The reasons behind such an action, though, currently elude me."

Magolor closed my eyes and mused. "…knowing how Pop Star attracts the weirdest things," least of which being stumbling onto an alternate Dream Land, "something like that wouldn't be too out of the ordinary," he affirmed. "Just as fate had us all be here, at this exact moment in time, it might be that fate had a hand in letting Kirby have these Friend Hearts at his disposal."

"I dunno, that seems kinda farfetched to me," Taranza confided.

"Like it or not, it's the most likely possibility," Susie replied.

Bandana Dee looked wowed. "W-Whoa…! I never thought about it that way…!"

Adeleine, taking a break from painting duty, was similarly in wonderment. "You know, that can kind of apply to basically everything that happens around Kirby," she mused. "That's… That's pretty interesting. Probably would make for a neat piece of art, too…"

"Well, I'm not complaining about it!" Ribbon said brightly. "I mean, if it wasn't for me crash landing on Pop Star, Kirby and I would have never met! Coincidence or not, that's something I'm always happy to have had happen!"

Taranza smiled ruefully. All the talk about fate and friendships really got his mind thinking. This… This kind of reminds me of… being with her again.

even after everything, I wish she was still here with me.

If only…

Then Magolor noticed something. "Hey, guys," he said. "I think we should wrap up this learning session. Everyone else seems to be doing something else right now."

A collective "Huh?" echoed from the rest of the crowd, and they looked on forward to see the other Star Allies having moved up to some sort of door – and were now trying to get Gooey to stop licking it.

"Mmm… This tastes like doors," Gooey was drooling.

"G-Gooey!" Kirby shouted. "Th-That's not food! C-C'mon, now!"

"M-Mate, are—are you serious now?" Rick seemed flabbergasted.

"Sheesh, are you really that hungry?" Marx asked with a raised eyebrow. "Can you just ask Adeleine for a snack or something?"

Dedede facepalmed. (Yeah, what else could he do here?)

It was a rather humorous event to watch, made only funnier by the crew's reactions and attempts to pull the blob of Dark Matter away to very little avail. But they couldn't stare at forever – after all, they had plenty of business to take care of.

"H-Hey, what's going on!?" Adeleine's canvas poofed away in a cloud of smoke, and both her and Ribbon ran (or in the fairy's case, flew) over to their other friends' sides, with Bandana Dee following close behind. "W-Wait for us!"

The trio of new Star Allies watched the scene from afar with interest.

"You know," Magolor said with a furrowed brow and an amused smile, "if this is the type of thing we're gonna be seeing, I get the feeling this journey's really gonna be something else."

"At the very least, the data I'll collect from this will very much assist in the future endeavors of the Haltmann Works Company," Susie stated clinically – though not without a shadow of a smirk on her face. "Sticking around, then, won't be serve as a problem."

"…weird reasoning," Taranza noted, "but—I get it. I don't think I'd want to be anywhere else right now but here. So…" A longing gaze passed through his eyes. "…here's hoping things go well."


[Bandana Dee]

Dimension I – First Hero Trial

Th-This place… it's—it's pretty crazy, g-guys!

L-Like… Another Dimension before was a bit of an afterthought, just a place where we beat Magolor twice over. I had kind of forgotten about it, because we've been to even more crazy places and done a whole lotta things since – b-but I guess it really didn't like being relegated to a minor status like that, h-huh?

It's so much more colorful now! So much more blinding, so much more all-over-the-place… and so much more insane! Our adventure back in March has nothing on this, really! And plus, our group is even bigger now – sixteen people at once is nothing to scoff at!

Unfortunately, it kind of seems like this place doesn't like how big we are – because literally everything here hits like a tank. Even those of my kind (How are they even here, anyway? Are they natives of this place?) attack us harder than they normally do. I normally won't admit this, but us Waddle Dees aren't really that great at fighting without a weapon – an old fight with Kirby proved that well to me – so this is… a bit of a surprise.

Luckily, since we're such a huge crew, it wasn't that big of a problem! Between my spear, Great King's hammer, Marx's… balls, Susie's big mech, and everything else, we could take care of anything that comes our way! Kirby was in his element, too, using his Fighter ability to kick and throw all our enemies away.

…oh, yeah – for some reason, that door we came up across gave him Fighter first before it let us through. I have no idea why.

It might have something to do with the blocks placed in front of those Friend Hearts (why are there so many here?), so… yay, convenience?

I guess I'll take it! Anything that helps us and Great King out is good in my book!

I'm not sure what all these Friend Hearts are for, but maybe they'll help us defeat the Jambandra Cult. Or maybe even befriend them! They may be our enemies, but there's nothing really stopping us from becoming actual friends! (Aside from the 'religious cult of a Dark Lord' thing, but… we can change that, maybe!) Kirby likes befriending people, be them heroes or villains, so he could definitely make it work somehow! That's just the way he is!

H-Honestly, though… I'm still a little frightened. I—I mean, it's just that… this kind of threat is new to us. It's so much more serious than our usual, and it's out of place with our usual 'adventure—extra quest—True Arena' system. And I do worry about us turning out alright, since the difficulty has been ratcheted way up this time around.

B-But… something tells me it'll be fine. And I trust that something!

We've survived a lot of things already; this shouldn't be anything new to us!

…I hope.

…you know, this whole escapade of ours has gotten me thinking a little, what with sixteen of us here and all. We've come a long way, haven't we? We're so much more now than just a ragtag team of four or five running about the galaxy collecting a whole bunch of shiny things – Crystal Shards, Energy Spheres, you name it! (I remember being a little sore picking up the latter… How the heck did they even get in some of those hiding places?)

And we've all come here together now, thanks to Kirby. Making friends, defeating enemies, even helping some of them get back on their feet… He's done so much in the twenty-six years he's been on Pop Star – and I've been there for a pretty big chunk of it. I remember the day our friendship started: I was minding my own business when I found a pretty crystal, and then I got possessed by Dark Matter.

(It saddens me to say this, but that's a thing a lot of people in Dream Land have experience with. Thank NOVA Dark Matter's gone now!)

I don't really remember anything that happened while I was possessed – but Kirby managed to beat it out of me, and from there, we became fast friends! Heh heh… thinking about then always cracks a bit of a smile from me. How can I not, when it was the day I met one of my two best friends in the whole galaxy?

I've been there for a good number of Kirby's journeys: when we looked for the pieces of the Lor Starcutter; when Great King got kidnapped by Taranza; when the whole planet was in disarray from the Haltmann Works Company… and there's plenty in-between that's kinda more obscure, like the Rainbow Curse incident! (Elline and Claycia were pretty nice; we should go see them again sometime…)

My point is, I've seen Kirby's courage and good nature first-hand. I've seen his propensity to make friends out of anything and anyone he comes across, no matter who they are or what they've tried to do. He'll give off a great big smile, stick his hand out, and help you up even if he just thrashed your butt. (What can I say, he's easily forgiving like that!)

We've made a lot of good friends that way – even if they don't seem like they'd be ones. Marx and Dark Meta Knight were rather… questionable in that regard, at first – I know Great King certainly wasn't too excited about them – but now, they're two of our best allies. S-Seriously! Those beach balls and mirrors have really helped us out in a pickle!

…I know that doesn't exactly sound helpful, b-but—trust me on this!

And I know I may not be the bravest of Waddle Dees, or the strongest, or the… anything-est, but that doesn't mean I won't try my best to help my friends whenever they need it! Kirby's helped me out a lot over the years – when I was first learning how to use a spear, after Kirby and Great King finally settled their rivalry (you should've seen the fight, it was literally electrifying!), the two of them were happy to teach me!

For a guy who supposedly hadn't used Spear in a while, Kirby certainly knew how to use it! When he said he was a bit of a technician, he wasn't joking…

Either way, I wouldn't be here right now if I hadn't met Kirby. I might've never gotten as close as I am to Great King, either! So that's why, even though I'm frightened over all the horrors I know we'll come across, I'll face this threat by their sides with a hand by my trusty spear!

…h-heh heh, I've—I've been rambling on a bit too long, h-haven't I? You probably just want to see what the heck we're doing right now! W-Well…

"And that makes four Friend Hearts," Kirby stated, juggling around the heart-shaped artifacts with his hands as the sixteen of us walked forward. "Only ninety-six more to go. Or a hundred-sixteen. One of those two numbers."

"I'm already getting pains just thinking about how many are left…" Great King groaned, a hand immediately going to his forehead. "How can you do this whole collectible thing all the time and not get sick and tired of it?"

"'Ey, at some point, it just becomes routine, mate," Rick offered, shrugging his shoulders. "Rainbow Drops, Heart Stars, those weird Puzzle Pieces… it all kinda blends in after a while."

"At least these ones are easier to find," Kine said. "You wouldn't believe the type of things we had to do to get those other two…"

A brief shudder went through Kirby and the Animal Buddies. I wonder what kind of tasks they're talking about. Whenever I ask some of them of that time, they just groan and mutter something about 'Metroids' and 'dates' and it doesn't really make much sense?

It—It seems like an in-joke I'm not getting…

"…moving on," Great King continued, "how's everybody else doing?" He turned to the rest of our squad. Everyone seemed a little worn out, though otherwise perfectly fine – though I bet they wish all those Poppy Bros. Jr. didn't keep tossing bombs at us (our own Poppy had to keep apologizing after Kirby resummoned him) – and Marx, meanwhile, was tilting his head around and overdramatically whining out, "We're all half-dead! There is no hope! There is no hope! Oh, woe be us—!"

…yes, he's like this all the time.

No, none of us have ever managed to get him to stop.

And when the Ultimates trickled in to Pop Star, it got even worse. Kokichi and Marx are a match made in the depths of the True Arena, I—I swear! How does Adeleine and Dark Meta Knight handle it!?

Good thing I can share my pain with Shuichi…

"Ignoring him," Dark Meta Knight grouched, "we are all… perfectly well, for what has transpired." His sword, a mirror copy of Meta Knight's Galaxia, was sparkling with electricity, and he looked for all the world like the t-terrifying edgelord he really liked to be seen as (I dunno why; I think he's fine as he is). "These pitiful creatures are no match for my sharp blade."

"A-Again, I'm—I'm sorry about my kind!" Poppy apologized, bowing his head repeatedly. I can't imagine what he's feeling right now… "It's—It's just the way we are, r-really! P-Please don't take it as a bad thing…!"

"It's alright!" Ribbon assured him. "You didn't do anything wrong! Everyone else was just… meanies! Th-That's right, meanies!" Adeleine giggled a bit at Ribbon's vocabulary.

I nodded furiously in agreement. "You can't hold yourself responsible for what they do! You're one of our friends! And that counts for a lot!"

Gooey drooled. "What they said," he helpfully added. Hey, everything counts!

Poppy beamed – I, I think there were even a few tears in his eyes. "A-Awwww…" he smiled. "Th-Thanks, you guys! That… That really means a lot to me."

And meanwhile, Taranza was standing off to the side, looking extremely out of his depth. He's… He's really not used to this, huh? W-Well, then we should be doing our best to make him feel right at home! As he started to shuffle away, I called out to him, "H-Hey, Taranza!", and he jolted in surprise.

"H-Huh?" His eyes shifted about wildly before they fell on me in realization. "O-Oh—B-Bandana Dee!" He coughed, looking away in… embarrassment, I think? "You… You called? I, I don't think you really need me right now, but if—if you really want me—"

"Do you want to join us?" I asked him out of the blue.

"J-Join you?" He started trembling nervously. That… That doesn't look healthy for him; even I don't do so as much. "I… You… You don't… have to invite me… I'm—I'm just fine by myself. R-Really!"

…I don't believe him.

Neither does Ribbon.

"Hey, don't be like that!" The fairy from Ripple Star fluttered over to the spider's side and started pushing him toward our side. "You're just as welcome here as Poppy is!" The Poppy Bros. Jr. waved at the mention of his name. "Now c'mon—don't be shy! Come join us!"

"H-Hey! D-Don't be so pushy…!" The poor regent seemed like he didn't know what to do with Ribbon's more energetic behavior – but that's what we're here for, right?

"It's okay!" I said brightly. "I know we may seem like a lot," to the point where even I can have trouble sometimes, "but we don't bite!"

Adeleine smiled. "Yeah—we're just a colorful bunch, that's all! All we do is paint a pretty picture every now and then."

"And eat," Gooey added.

Poppy nodded vigorously. "And ignite a few bombs here and there, too! That's always fun!"

…that's not what I would say, but—it works, I guess?

"…I dunno… I don't think I… really fit in here. I mean…" He glanced at me guiltily. "I… did kind of kidnap your king and all… You really shouldn't be wanting me here."

"It's alright!" I assured him. "He forgave you and all!" Great King's almost like Kirby in that regard – almost, because even Great King hesitates with the real-deal big bad guys like Marx. And Dark Meta Knight. "And if he can forgive you, then—then I can forgive you, too! Besides… You're not a bad person. I can see that in you."

It's… It's a real shame, what happened with him and Queen Sectonia and all. They used to be best friends, Kirby and Great King tells me. I don't think we should replace her, necessarily, but… maybe we can make things a little better for him.

That's what our Super Tuff Pink Puff would do, after all!

"Ooh! Ooh!" Poppy looked like he had an idea in mind. "Hey, Adeleine! How 'bout you paint him a picture!" His eyes glistened brightly as he relayed his friendship-deepening idea to us. "You're really, really good at painting—so a pretty painting should help him relax a little! That's a good idea, right?"

Hmm… Taranza seemed to like Adeleine's paintings from earlier, when I was explaining the Star Allies debacle to him and the others… It could definitely work! "I can definitely give away a few of my drawings," the painter said. "Alright!" She went up to our apprehensive ally and asked, "So! Anything you want me to draw in particular?"

"Don't worry—Addie can draw anything!" Ribbon praised her best friend. "If it can be drawn, she can do it!"

The arachnid looked considering now. "Well…" he started. "There is one thing—person—I'd liked to see again… even if it's only a drawing of her…"

He scrounged around his pockets – or hammerspace, I dunno – and then he pulled out a delicately well-kept photo, perfectly clean and intact. He gave it to Adeleine, who took it in her hand. Poppy, Ribbon, and I peeked at the photo ourselves: it depicted Taranza in the Royal Road's throne room, standing right next to…

…oh.

Oh.

Adeleine and Ribbon's eyes widened. "H-Hey… The girl in this photo…" The artist looked up. "Is that…"

Taranza nodded solemnly. "Can… Can you do it? …please?"

A solemn, heartfelt smile came onto her face. "…yeah. If you really want it—it'll be my pleasure."

…he must really still miss her, huh?

I can't imagine what life would be like if I lost Great King myself.

He looks like he really needs a hug. So…

I walked up to him and gave him a great big hug. He was startled by it at first, but… eventually, he accepted it, his six hands cuddling around my frame as well. Poppy joined in after a moment, and then Adeleine and Ribbon hopped in. Gooey's tongue wrapped around our increasingly larger pile too, which prompted the spider to ask, "H-Hey… Wh-Why are… you all hugging me like this?"

"You seemed like you need it," I chimed in. "And what kind of friend would we be if we didn't cheer you up when you're down?"

"Yeah!" Adeleine said. "We're friends!"

"And fellow kingdom assistants, woo!" Ribbon cheered.

Gooey couldn't exactly say anything, but he made sounds of agreement from his throat.

"We can blow up all the bombs together!" Poppy exclaimed.

Taranza didn't reply, but I caught hints of a smile coming onto his face. I think… I think we're having a good effect on him.

And that's what's important in the end. Making a friend as happy as he can be. That's the type of person I like to be – and that's the way I'm going to stay, even as we traverse through this crazy dimension.

We've still got a long way to go, I know that… but so long as our bonds remain strong, I know we can do this.

I know we can.


[N/A]

The Hero Door before the sixteen Star Allies was much like the one that give Kirby the Fighter ability from before – except this one had Bandana Dee's icon on its heart-shaped sculpture instead of the one for Fighter. And the door itself was preempted by a portrait of the familiar assistant, too.

If that wasn't strange, then Kirby didn't know what was.

"Th-This door…" Bandana Dee breathed… "It's… It's got my face on it. But—but why?"

"Well, that's mighty convenient!" Coo cawed. "Suspiciously so… Seems like a game-y thing to me!"

"I think this place has been stalking you," Marx snarked in his trademark fashion. "Actually, it might be stalking Kirby, too, judging by the last door we came across…"

"This dimension gets stranger every time I look at it," Magolor remarked, coming closer to the door and examining it. "Could something in here have anticipated our arrival? Or is this residue from you guys' past visit to Another Dimension?" He hummed again, his mind whirring with possible answers. "So many possibilities, yet not enough information…"

"Residue from past visits?" Susie muttered. "By that logic, that means…" She stopped, and then grimaced. "Oh, great. This NOVA-damned place'll recognize me. Just what I wanted."

"Well, that's a horror I wouldn't wish on anyone, not even you," Meta Knight said, standing behind the CEO – not to guard her, but to watch her. "The True Arena always dragging us in is more than I ever wanted on that front. Though that does use technology from your company…"

"…in my defense, my father donated them before he died. It had nothing to do with me." A frown. "I couldn't even get it removed when I became CEO…"

"…my condolences, then."

Daroach, meanwhile, being the calm intellectual that he was, made his observations clear. "Whatever reason this door specifically is here doesn't matter. What does matter is what we can glean from its presence before us. Likely, its appearance indicates that our good friend Bandana Dee"—He gestured to the said 'good friend' standing nearby, who jumped—"will be of much help during this sector of this dimension. It is best, then, if he temporarily takes our lead for this area."

"W-W-Wait, hold up! M-M-M-Me?" Bandana Dee pointed toward himself. "L-L-Lead? I—I dunno if I c-can do th-that, s-slow down!"

"Why not?" King Dedede asked, another of his trademark grins stretching his mouth. "I think you can do it just fine, Dee."

"R-Really?"

"Mate," Rick began, "you've been a good friend in the time I've known you. I'm sure this is something you'll be able to handle."

"Well, you're alright," Kine said. "

"Hey, if I can lead, everyone else here can too," Kirby said. "So that means you'll be a good choice for the job. Trust me on that!"

"I suppose it would be relatively non-offensive if someone like you took the reins," Dark Meta Knight conceded. "Just know that I will show no mercy should you accidentally lead us into a bottomless pit."

"You eluded the reach of my company far, far longer than most on Planet Pop Star did," Susie similarly acknowledged. "On those terms, it would be… interesting to record how well you do in a position of leadership."

"Eh, ignore them," Magolor shrugged. "You know what they mean. You were a big help with repairing the Lor Starcutter so long ago. So I'll put my full confidence in you!"

This splattering of approval from all of his friends made Bandana Dee blush in embarrassment. "You—you guys…" He rubbed the back of his head. "I'll—I'll do my best to leave up to your expectations, then!"

Really, how could he not? This was his friends they were talking about – if they believed he could do it… then by golly, he'd do his best to do it!

Anything counted here in this twisted dimension, right?

Everyone's counting on me now. I won't fail them here!

And so the spear-wielding friend totted on up to the door – which, despite its small appearance, could actually fit all the Star Allies through its frame – put a hand on the doorknob, and opened it up. Beams of light shone out from the creases in the now-open gateway, but that didn't do much to deter anyone.

Bandana Dee looked back to the crowd behind him, and semi-confidently proclaimed, "H-Here we go, everybody!"

The little Dee ran through the door – and the rest of the Star Allies followed him dutifully.


Elsewhere, in Another Dimension…

"Wh-Where are we?" Francisca asked, her beady eyes shooting all around their extremely unfamiliar surroundings. The location they were in looked nothing like the home they had known for so long – or indeed, anything that even remotely belonged in the Gamble Galaxy. "The magic here, it—it—it feels so… so dangerous!"

Something was intensely wrong about the place. The Jambandra Base may have been… 'in tune' with the occult, given the nature of their leader's goals, but… the atmosphere was of an unusual nature, even by their standards. There was something swirling and spiraling in the air – something twisted – and a sense of danger permeated through their skin as well. Put simply – Francisca didn't like it.

"You've got that right, Franny," Flamberge agreed, her normally fiery demeanor temporarily extinguished by the transcendent nature of Another Dimension. "This… This ain't anything good." She turned to her elder sister and pleaded, "Zan, let's—let's just leave. I don't wanna be here any longer than we have to be. L-Lord Hyness can handle himself. He—He does so all the time, he'll be fine!"

Zan Partizanne drew her gaze away. "…I can't do that," she quietly admitted, summoning her partisan into her hand. "Lord Hyness—more than ever now, he needs us. I hate to say it, but…" A glance at the swirling chaos around them. "…he may be out of his depth."

Flamberge scoffed. "That's an understatement. He literally got sucked into a portal! And you, being the ever-loyal disciple that you are, just—charged in after him!" Her harsh tone settled down as a concerned expression appeared on her face. "…you can't just charge after him all the time, you know. What if you get into a danger that you can't get out of? What if… we can't be there to you out?"

Light tears built up at the edges of the Blazing General's eyes. Zan choked, though she hid it well. That was a bit of a low blow—though she understood where it came from. After all, she still remembered the days when the three of them were separated, far from each other, with herself growing increasingly desperate to find them, until it lead up to—!

no. No. She didn't have to remember those days anymore.

Lord Hyness had given her everything back, gave her a life anew, become the savior she had desired from her deepest dreams – and now, now, when he needed her the most, this… this thing was going to just… take him away?

Fat chance of that happening!

BA-DUMP!

Something stirred from within her. Something… something strong. What was it?

BA-DUMP!

it—it could only be her determination.

Yes, that was it. Her determination to rescue her beloved Lord and bring him back to his home, where he belonged, with her sisters and their subordinates and everyone else.

That was the goal she had christened for herself.

And that was the goal she would accomplish, here and now.

BA-DUMP!

(Lightning crackled around her weapon—and if one looked closely… the normally yellow sparkles seemed to glisten purple, if only for a brief moment. But—but that couldn't be anything important. Surely, it couldn't be.)

Francisca adopted the same worried face that Flamberge was holding. "Z-Zan? Are you…" Her eyes darted quickly to her sister's preferred weapon before landing back on its wielder. "…are you okay?"

"…I'm just fine," she affirmed – though, based on the look the Frozen and Blazing Generals gave each other, she failed to soothe their doubts. Well, that didn't matter. "Now…" She turned her attention to the ethereal lands before them. "We have a mission to complete. Lord Hyness awaits. Let us find him!"

And then, the Lightning General zipped off, not even bothering to wait for her sisters.

"…Berge…" Francisca bit her lip. "…do you think something's wrong with Zan? She's—she's not usually so… so… so forceful." Despite her rather serious nature, the second-in-command of the Jambandra Cult knew when to lay things back a bit – even in a situation as serious as this. "And—and that lightning…"

Flamberge looked away. What… What was that? she asked herself, her mind frantically racing to come up with an answer. She shook her head. "M-Maybe… Maybe it was just… a trick of the light," she tried unsuccessfully to convince herself. "Y-Yeah. And—and she's just… a bit stressed. Th-That's all. Yeah. N-Now!" She whipped out her trusty blade abruptly, startling her twin sister. "We should get going after her! We… We c-can't just leave her alone like that now, r-right!?"

"…I suppose you are right…" Taking out her labrys herself, Francisca could only gaze sadly at the place where her elder sister had been standing just a few moments before. This was going to be the death of them, she knew – but this was her sister, and she couldn't stray away from her.

Not again.

Not ever again.

"…well… let's go."


And so begins Heroes in Another Dimension. It's gonna be a wild ride, folks.

Sorry this update didn't come sooner. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate finally came out, and… well, let's just say that game really lives up to the hype. It's taken me a lot to wrench myself away from that game and its single-player campaign, lemme tell you that.

I didn't plan on giving this fic too many chapters. It would've had the side-effect of bloating my word count, sure, but that's something I could've dealt with. But my way of making things way longer than they have to be has reared back into view.

I wanted this chapter to just be the whole first dimension – but then the pre-game business went on too long again. It took me 6k words before I even got to the point where the mode actually begins. (Why am I even surprised at this point?) Hopefully, I'll manage to condense this fic into seven chapters total – but no guarantees about that.

And yes, yes—I know I said that this fic would be third-person only, but I thought it might be a little nice to add some first-person introspections for every Dream Friend. (Thanks to OwlsCantRead for the suggestion!) I end up writing their perspectives a lot in my other fics anyway, and HAL did advertise being able to 'play as every Dream Friend', so what's the harm? Don't worry though, most of the rest of the fic will be in third-person – writing action scenes gets more difficult the more people you add, and even harder when you're writing from only one character's eyes.

I'll also be showcasing a few flashback and present-day sequences for the Three Mage-Sisters; I, for one, don't feel like passing up the chance to make them more integral to Heroes' plot, and really flesh out their backstories and motivations a little. Soul Melter EX already gave us a big chunk of that, so why not expand on it, eh? I mean, it's rather horrifying (like, what is up with Kirby lore nowadays?), and I can write a bit of that convincingly enough, I think.

as a side note, yes—Dedede is canonically bald. There's no hair modeled beneath his hat. Really. Go look it up. I'm not kidding.

Don't expect to see a lot of the Helpers in this fic, by the way. I inherently find writing the Dream Friends far more interesting, since they have far more history behind them – and with Kirby. But, this being Star Allies, they'll crop up here and there. They are still a part of the Star Allies, after all.

Well, that's all for now – tune in next time for the second part of Dimension I! See you there!