PsychoBeachball: It really made my day seeing your comment. ^-^ This is the kind of thing that makes me want to write faster. I'm glad you like it. But, um… don't hug him just yet. You may want to wait until later chapters to do that… especially during one scene I'm planning in the next episode that is kinda dark and saddening.

Anyway, lets continue!

Chapter Seven: Darkness Abounds

"D-Dark Nebula, poyo!"

Dark Nebula jumped out of the basket, instantly trying to take over Taranza. Everybody else jumped back, surprised. Kirby tried to help Taranza, but Meta Knight held him back.

"Don't get near! If we interrupt while he's being possessed, we could make the transformation permanent!"

So all they could do was sit back and wait.

Taranza was enveloped in a purple cloud of darkness, covering his entire being. When the cloud disappeared, Taranza had changed. He had grown six extra legs that were now holding him in the air, and his green and gold cape had become black and red, and torn around the edges. His scarf had become purple, his gloves had become grey with purple patterns, and his hair was now messy and grey, while the eyes that had been for decoration turned red.

With a small gesture, he summoned two long, blue swords and brandished them around.

"Let the fight begin!" he cackled in a distorted voice. "But I doubt you will win! He he he..."

Meta let go of Kirby, and he instantly ran over to a nearby copy essence box, Cutter, to use in battle.

"Cutter Kirby! A boomerang that returns to your hand after being thrown. You can charge it up, steer its flight path upward or downward, and use it to cut ropes!"

"Ropes?" Taranza warbled. "I'm cutting throats!"

He slashed out at Kirby with his swords, and the puffball dodged. Soon after though, Taranza felt a sharp pain in one leg.

"Let go of Taranza, you monster!" Bandanna shouted, digging his spear deeper into the spindly leg. Taranza shook him off.

"Oh my, this can't be right! Ten against one, hardly a fair fight!"

He suddenly shot a web out of his hand, trapping Meta Knight, Sword and Blade Knight, Lololo and Lalala, Escargon, Ribbon, Bun and Fumu in a sticky net.

"Hey!" Kirby was annoyed. He threw a cutter blade at the net to try and cut it, but Taranza just caught it and flung it back at him. He barely managed to dodge it.

"Kirby!" Meta shouted. "I'll get us out, you defeat Nebula!"

Kirby nodded, and promptly attempted to cut one of the spider's legs off. Bandanna Dee got up and attacked as well, while Meta Knight set about to cut the web.

Dedede, however, seemed reluctant to attack.

"What if we hurt him?!"

"He'll be fine, Dedede. He'll be even more hurt if we don't help him!" Marx cried, firing some arrows at the arachnid. Dedede nodded in response and hit one of the spider's legs with his hammer.

Taranza was becoming quite annoyed with the pointless attacks, and so decided to try and end the battle. He jammed both his swords into the ground at the same time, making a big shockwave that knocked everybody that was ground back at least five feet.

"I've had enough!" He cried. "You're being too rough! I shall silence you! This is your doom!"

He slashed out at Kirby, getting a few good hits, before casting a spell at Dedede and Bandanna Dee, tying them together with a purple rope that seemed to be getting tighter and tighter.

Kirby managed to finally get up, but he was rather shaken. He threw a Hyper Cutter at Taranza, but it seemed to do virtually nothing.

"Seems like your luck has run out! Seems like, finally, darkness abounds. Now, look at you, quaking in fear. It seems like your end is-ack!"

The spider was suddenly hit in the back of his head by something hard. He turned sharply to see what it was, and was quite surprised.

"Time for round two!" Addie smiled. "And this time, we're gonna win!"