This time, we actually get to see the story from Kirby's side!... and the Teen rating is actually justified by this chapter.
Kirby, Tiff, Tuff, and MetaKnight were in the middle of the field.
To the north: grass. To the south: grass. To the east: grass. To the west: grass.
It really was just an open field... and as such, it was the perfect place to play!
MetaKnight, of course, wasn't taking part in those games. He was sitting beneath the only tree, relaxing.
It had been a month since Kirby had defeated Nightmare and now, Kirby would be able to live a normal life for a good 300 years at least. After all, it takes several generations forNightmare to be reborn and then several more forhim to regroup his troopsand rebuild after each defeat and with their leader recently dead,the NME wasn't going to regroup anytime soon... however, for some reason, MetaKnight seemed troubled...
He stood up, worried... and then, he saw thesource ofhis worries.
A green thing was approaching. Since it was the same color as he grass and seemed small, he couldn't tell what it was... probably not a monster since Nightmare is gone but... well, better safe than sorry.
Tiff stopped playing as she noticed that MetaKnight looked into the horizon, worried.
She approached the Star Warrior and asked him "Why are you all worried out of a sudden? Did you seen a monster?"
"Actually." replied MetaKnight. "I believe this is the case!"
The four had completely stopped by now.
They all turned toward the green thing that was approaching... fast...
"What is..." begun Tuff... but he didn't finished his sentance.
Then, the thing jumped and then what seemed to be a green blur landed just in front of Kirby and his friends!
Everyone gasped in shock exept for Kirby, who smiled and happlily said "Puyo!"
In front of them was a perfect copy of Kirby exept green... the green Kirby was grinning and stood in a triumphant pose. He seemed so arrogant...
"Who are you?" asked Tuff.
The green Kirby anwsered by laughing. Then, he turned to MetaKnight, still grinning.
"So, you're the famous MetaKnight, aren't you?" asked the green Kirby.
"What are you?" asked MetaKnight grabbing the hilt of his sword but not unsheating it... yet.
"Oh! Me?" the green Kirby laughed loudly and then pointed Kirby!
Kirby was confused at greeny's attitude and said "puyo", not understanding why he was acting like that.
"I'm of his kind." said the green puffball.
"Another Star Warrior?" asked MetaKnight, obviously shocked. He tought that all Star Warriors had perished after that battle... but then, he realised how stupid it was to assume that. He was probably only a doppleganger... still, he was similar... too similar...
The green living ball laughed even more loudly this time.
"HAHAHA! Good joke!"
The green puffball took on a triumphant pose, still grinning (was that the only thing he could do, beside laughing?).
"I am Aldeyl, a Dream Matter created by the NME! Unlike your pinky failure next to you, I not only show respect toward my creators but also possess far greater powers!"
MetaKnightwas now sure of it!This green thingis nothing more than amere doppleganger monster!
"Tough luck, doppleganger!" said angrily Tiff, before MetaKnight could say it himself. "But your cheap imitation of Kirby didn't paid off! Now buzz off before Kirby beat you up and send your remains back to Nightmare inside of twelvelittle boxes!"
Aldeyl seemed amused. "Oh! But isn't the little girl touchy today! Is it becease it is your "time of the month" or something? HAHAHA!"
"WHY YOU!" begun Tiff but then, she decided that acting rashly wasn't the brightest idea. This Aldeyl guy was trying to provoke them obviously.
"Your leader is gone. You have no reason to be here." stated MetaKnight, still calm.
Again, Aldeyl seemed amused. "My leader, dead? PAH! Bodies are easily repaired, you know! We, at the NME, can repair a body within 24 hours, even a body complex like the boss's! Very much unlike you, you primitive yesman, who could notrepair a body as simple andeasy to repair as yoursand that, even after all those years!"
MetaKnight wasn't moved by the insult. He wasn't going to let the insults get to him.
"Heh! I bet that your ancestor must look down from the Heavens, stares down at you, and along with all of your deceased friends, he must say: "Man! Even a monkey can wield the holy sword these days! Someone, bring an exterminator and bring this impostor away from my sword! His hands are dirtying it's hilt!""
This time, MetaKnight's face turned a bit red under his mask... but he kept his cool.
"Heh! You know what? My boss told you that when the Dark Knight killed you mother, he struck where it counts... and she screamed like a professional provider of physical pleasures!"
Now, MetaKnight had entirely turned red!
"Whoa! MetaKnight's fulminating!" said Tuff. "By the way, what did he meant by professional provider of..." he couldn't finish his sentance for Tiff kindly stopped him with a quick "Shut up!"
Aldeyl was enjoying this. Not only did he got to kill Kirby but he would also get to humiliate MetaKnight's descendant by forcing him to break his code of honor and forcing him to attack first! All that was needed was one more personnal insult...
"You know what, MetaLoser? Your father was there too!... and when he saw that, he ran away screaming like a school girl before jumping off the nearest cliff! Then, he was eaten by a bunch of rabid waddle dees! You realise? Eaten bya bunch of weak waddl..."
"ENOUGH!" screamed MetaKnight, unsheating Galaxia and pointed it at the green puffball! He was literally shaking with rage!
Aldeyl was disappointed. He was so close... but MetaKnight still didn't attacked. Next time, he'll use better insults...
"Well well, go on! Attack a harmless puffball, MetaBully!" challenged Aldeyl.
MetaKnight pointed Galaxia at the greeny ball, fulminating... and finally, he calmed down and sheated the sword.
"Hmph! Petty monster from the NME! You must really be weak if you're resorting to insults like that!" said MetaKnight.
"WHAT?" yelled Aldeyl, angered by the blue masked living ball! "WHAT DID YOU SAID?"
"Looks like you got beaten at your own game!" stated Tiff, happy to see how it went.
Aldeyl couldn't take it!... but just like MetaKnight did, he calmed down. No need to go after the old man first... his primary target was Kirby!
"Anyway! I sadly have no more time for games. King Dedede asked me to destroy Kirby... and I shall obey!"
Aldeyl grinned and then jumped... toward Tiff! Before MetaKnight could react, Aldeyl shoved Tiff with all of his strenght, knocking her down!
"HEY! What was that for, jerk?" yelled Tuff.
"PUYO! POYO!" yelled angrily the pink puffball!
Kirby couldn't take it! Alike or not, this thing harmed his friend!
As Kirby rushed toward him, Aldeylfeltthe familiar rush of adrenalineas well asan incredibly intense pleasure rising inside of him as finally, the fight of his life begun. Finally, he would see if the rumors were true... if this Kirby was truly as mighty as they said...
Aldeyl ducked as Kirby ran toward him and then, as Kirby stopped in front of him, preparing to inhale, Aldeyl jumped high above Kirby!
MetaKnight, Tiff, and Tuff got away from Kirby and Aldeyl, the first to make sure he would be able to have a proper view of the fight and thus, beable to intervene in case of trouble while the laters got away simply becease they couldn't help Kirby in this fight.
As for Kirby , he was confused as he stopped inhaling and felt he had not swallowed anything but air. Furthermore, Aldeyl hadn't landed yet which means that...
BAAAAASH!
Landing feet first, Aldeyl crashed into Kirby, crushing him into the ground!
Kirby screamed in pain and Tiff and Tuff gasped. MetaKnight got a bit worried... this Aldeyl... he was obviously very experienced...
Aldeyl jumped off the flattened pink puffball.
"Come on! You're better placed than anyone to think inhaling won't work on me!" said the green-tainted enemy.
Kirby inhaled air, gaining back his round shape and then faced his foe, a bit confused at how he could jump that high... but still, he was determined to beat the bad guy!
Kirby rushed toward Aldeyl again!... and again, Aldeyl jumped high above Kirby!
However, this time, Kirby knew what was coming... and sidestepped to the right as Aldeyl came crashing down!
Kirby then tried to punch the bad guy in the face!... but the green puffball grabbed his hand and then pulled him in, grabbing him with both hands!
"Do you like rides Kirby?" asked Aldeyl.
Kirby smiled and happily said "Puyo!", not suspecting what was coming up.
"Then you'll like this one!" continued Aldeyl, grinning.
Aldeyl made a short hop putting Kirby under him and then, Aldeyl somehow slammed his feet repeatedly into Kirby at an incredible speed! Kirby tried to scream in pain but couldn't as the heavy blows were hammered into his back, keeping him from breathing! Then, after beating Kirby for a while,Aldeyl slammed him with both of his feet, throwing Kirby a bit foward.
Kirby tried to say something... but unstead, he coughed and his mouth filled with blood. Then, unable to contain it, he coughed the blood on the ground, unable to control himself.
Tiff and Tuff couldn't believe it!... neither could MetaKnight! Aldeyl was small... but he was obviously far more powerful than what he seemed to be at first! Such speed and power... this small puffball was much stronger than even a dragon! It was obvious Kirby wouldn't win unless he got a Copy ability!... but since there was nothing to Copy around, MetaKnight unsheated Galaxia and rushed to the young Star Warrior's help.
Aldeyl turned to face MetaKnight. The moment he had been waiting for!
MetaKnight raised his sword to strike and...
Aldeyl closed his eyes, opened his mouth wide and inhaled!
MetaKnight was taken totally by surprise! This is impossible... a doppleganger CANNOT use Copy! Then it means that... no... not possible... and yet...
MetaKnight held on Galaxia with all of his strenght. The sword must not fall in enemy's hands!... but this Aldeyl... his inhaling was MUCH stronger than Kirby's... and by that, I meant MUCH stronger!... as such, MetaKnight felt that unlike Kirby, Aldeyl would actually be able to inhale him but that didn't kept him from resisting with all of his strenght!
The sword began to slip out of MetaKnight's hands and he felt that he was being dragged toward certain doom... but then, Kirby, seeing MetaKnight in danger, reacted!
Kirby dashed foward and when Aldeyl had almost inhaled MetaKnight, he received a sharp kick right in his back! Aldeyl spontaneouslyexhaled all the air he had inhaled, causing MetaKnight to be sent flying backward!
Aldeyl turned around to face Kirby just in time to receive a punch in the face!
Aldeyl jumped backward, did a backflip in mid-air (probably for show), and then landed away from Kirby.
"Man! You're one heck of an annoying puffball you know!" said the green puffball.
During this time, MetaKnight tought abouta way of helpingKirby. Since he couldn't rush in the battleand fight for he would be inhaled ashewould have to get Kirby an ability... MetaKnight tought for a while... and then... he got it. Maybe thereIS a way of getting Kirby an ability after all!
"Tiff." said MetaKnight.
Tiff turned to face the masked knight. "What?"
"You still have that ball you used to play?" asked MetaKnight.
"Now isn't really the time to play!" said Tiff, a bit confused as what MetaKnight could use the ball for.
"Balls can catch on fire, right?" continued MetaKnight.
Tiff understood instantly.
"On the count of three..." said Tiff, taking out the ball.
MetaKnight unsheated Galaxia.
"One... two... THREE! KIRBY CATCH!" yelled Tiff as she thrown the ball!
MetaKnight, at the same time, fired a small beam from Galaxia, setting the ball on fire!
Both Kirby and Aldeyl turned toward the incoming burning ball. Time seemed to freeze and then, the two inhaled...
... but Kirby was slightlyfaster.
The burning ball was swallowed by Kirby and in a flash of light, Kirby gained the Fire ability!
"WHOA! No fair!" said Aldeyl, backing off.
"Puyo..." said Kirby, advancing toward Aldeyl with a menacing look.
"Look there." begun Aldeyl who was now very scared by now. "I was only following orders. If you let me go, I'll tell the boss back at the base that you were killed and thus, we'll never bother you and your friends again, deal?"
"Let you go?" begun Tiff. "So you can go and get reinforcements? You wish! Finish him off, Kirby!"
Kirby began to spin around widly and was soon surrounded by fire...
"This is going to hurt..." whispered Aldeyl to himself.
Kirby turned into a fireball and sent himself into Aldeyl!
BAAAAAAM!
Direct hit! Kirby recoiled back to his original position while Aldeyl, him, was sent flying backward, his body on fire!
"AAAAAAAAAARG!" cried Aldeyl.
Aldeyl rolled around and the fire was put out. Aldeyl sighed, relieved. For a second, he tought he was gonna die... and altought he doesn't feel that well, he's still in one piece!
"You dirty little..." begun Aldeyl.
Kirby spat a few fireballs at Aldeyl.
The green puffball knew this was his chance to fight back. He inhaled, swallowing the incoming fireballs and in a flash of light, Aldeyl had the fire ability!
As Kirby, Tiff, Tuff, and MetaKnight saw the fire ability hat appearing on top ofthe green living ball, they all couldn't believe it...
"This is... impossible." said MetaKnight, dropping Galaxia.
"He can use... Copy?" said Tiff, her jaw dropping.
"Man... what kind of monster is that?" asked Tuff, completely creeped out.
"Puyo?" said Kirby, staring at Aldeyl in confusion.
"Indeed, my pink friend!" said the green enemy, smiling. "We are of the same specie!... right down to the ability to do that!"
Aldeyl jumped and then began to spin wildly, preparing a fireball attack of his own.
Kirby just stood there, staring at Aldeyl in disbelief as the others yelled at him to move out of the way... but it was too late.
BAAAAM!
It was Kirby's turn to be sent flying while on fire!
"PUYO PUYO PUYO!" screamed Kirby as he ran in circles, on fire!
"Things are heating up, aren't they? Hahahaha!" laughed the green enemy!
Then after a while...
FWOOOSH!
Kirby tripped and fall on his face. Fortunately for him, the fire was put out.
Kirby stood up and turned toward Aldeyl and tried to assume his battle stance again... but then, he felt incredibly tired...
Kirby had took a lot more damage than Aldeyl and since he was child, his endurance wasn't quite as good as the green living ball's... and as such Kirby had difficulties standing up. He was so tired... he wanted to sleep but he couldn't since the bad guy was there, wanting to harm him and his friends.
MetaKnight's eyes widened. What could he do? Kirby was about to get killed and he needed to intervene... FAST! The ball had already been usedso he couldn't give Kirby an ability again... he couldn't go on and fight himself, he would get inhaled. This foe was also too fast to fire beams at him... what could he do?
For the first time, everyone was out of ideas. Kirby's death seemed imminent...
But then, two familiar voices were heard behind MetaKnight!
"Hey! What's happening?"
"Hey! Kirby's fighting a green copy of himself!"
Sword and Blade... Kirby was saved! By inhaling their swords, Kirby would get the Sword ability and would be able to defeat Aldeyl!
MetaKnight turned to the two knights. "Quickly! One of you! Throw your swords at Kirby!"
"What? Throw our swords?" asked Blade.
"QUICKLY!" urged MetaKnight. It was very rare for MetaKnight to be so panicked... they figured out that this was some kind of crisis.
Both of them thrown their swords... much to MetaKnight's horror! He had told them that he wanted only one of them to throw their swords! If both of them thrown their swords... then Aldeyl would get the Sword ability too!
"CATCH KIRBY!" yelled Tiff.
Kirby turned around to see the two swords. Aldeyl too saw them.
Aldeyl returned to normal as a star came out of his body... and then, both him and Kirby inhaled.
Kirby inhaled Sword's sword, Aldeyl inhaled Blade's sword. Then, in a flash of light, both of them had the Sword ability!
Aldeyl grinned. He wasn't nearly as good with the Sword ability as with the Fire ability... but he was sure he could beat that pink wuss anytime with one hand tied behind his back!
He turned to Kirby... and grinned. Kirby was panting, barely able to lift his sword. Just a few hits and his soul will have an one-way trip to 02's plate! This will be easy...
"Kirby... you are SO dead!" stated Aldeyl, confident in his abilities.
"Pu...yo!" altought he was tired, Kirby was determined not to let this green meanie wins!
Both dashed toward each others.
"HA!" yelled Aldeyl.
"PUYO!" yelled Kirby.
CLANG!
Both swords met. Aldeyl leaned foward, using his superior strenght to push Kirby backward and causing him to lose his balance.
Then, he swung the blade, striking Kirby's sword and almost knocking it out of his hand.
"Piece of cake!" said Aldeyl as he winded up for the finishing hit.
"NOOOO! KIRBY!" screamed Tiff!
MetaKnight's eyes widened even and flashed. Tuff turned away, too scared to look at the scene. Blade and Sword stood there, too scared to move their legs...
SLAAAAAASH!
The finishing hit was dealt.
Aldeyl's eyes widened.
"WHA... WHAT?" he scramed, coughing up blood.
Aldeyl dropped his sword and his hat fell off. Kirby had plunged his sword trought Aldeyl's body. He didn't knew if the wound was fatal.. but all he knew was that he had never, ever felt so much pain...
Aldeyl then realised his mistake. He was only decent with the blade while his opponent, altought young, had been trained by the most competant of all knights next to Dark MetaKnight. This wasn't fair. He was NOT going to die here! He still wanted to do so much for the NME! He didn't wanted to die here, on a sickening fruity world like that, killed by a worthless pink copy of the original Kirby!
Aldeyl stared down at his wound. His fears were confirmed. Directhit to the heart, a fatal strike.A crimson carpet had formed under him... a cozzy carpet for his eternal, bloody rest...
Tears came out of the dying puffball as he cried. His heart contained much sadness... much regrets...
"I... I only wanted... to make... Father proud..." whispered the green puffball, struggling against the emptiness that was growing in his mind... "Nightmare... myfather... I... love... you..."
Having said his last words, Aldeyl closed his eyes and quickly, he felt the cold, eternal darkness... The darkness called to him... and he knew his time had come. He welcomed the darkness into his mind and soon, Aldeyl's heartbeat became slower... then slower... then finally, his heart stopped.
Kirby pulled the sword out of his opponent's body and Aldeyl collapsed, dead.
Kirby espected the body to burst into flames... but it did not. It remained there, the red liquid expending until it touched Kirby's feet. The blood was still warm... and upon looking down at his hands, Kirby was horrified to see that the blood was on his hands also... the blood of his own specie. He had killed one of his kind...
Kirby turned to the others, seeking to be comforted by them... but he barely made a step foward that Kirby coughed up blood and then, collapsed as well, his face falling right into the puddle of crimson liquid.
The others gasped as Kirby collasped and ran to his help.
MetaKnight and Tiff were the first to make it to Kirby.
Tiffstared at the pink puffball, worried... and then, when she tested tosee if he was alive, shesmiled, relieved as she realised that Kirby was still alive. "He collapsed from exhaustion. He's not dead or anything..."
"Maybe..." said MetaKnight. "But he still needs medical assistance. He suffered a lot of damage from this fight and fought to the point of collasping."
Kirby's friends lifted the pink puffball and headed toward Cappytown. However, MetaKnight turned back as they left, staring one last timeat the dead green puffball... he feared that this was only the beginning of their hardships... Already, one of them had almost killed Kirby... how will they be able to continue on if the NME recovered, just as this green puffball claimed, and that they produced an army of these copies of Kirby?
TO BE CONTINUED
