Unsurprisingly, the spell was a success. Or, at least to a certain extent, it worked well enough. Drawcia didn't like to grumble about the struggle she faced trying to make the spell work.

For one thing, Kirby's body wasn't easily controlled. It always felt like he would have control of the strings, and would often fight against an order. The original plan was to create a spirit in her image to possess his body and have access to all his abilities, but it proved to be too difficult (and of course, defeat the purpose of having a Little Apprentice). In the end, the hat would have to do, acting as power mental strings that Drawcia could control.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Drawcia looked up from her gown, and watched as Kirby tumbled down the winding staircase (the Paintbrush no longer his to possess) and tumbled onto the carpet. Even Drawcia had to admit the new demeanor was a bit unnerving at times. Not once did he wince falling down the stairs, nor did he seem to express having felt any pain - only his deep black eyes could stare at Drawcia, reflecting the monster who created him back into his face.

"I think you're ready to head outside, Kirby," she finally says in a sickly sweet voice. Kirby couldn't respond… at least, not without a direct order. "But first, you need to practice a little bit more. Paint and shade at least 50 spheres. I'll inspect them later tonight, and expect near perfect accuracy so that they can come to life."

Kirby nodded, though it was rather slow and almost unsure, like a puppeteer struggling to cohesively controller their marionnette. The Power Paintbrush slowly pushed him into the parlour, where a stack of blank canvas were waiting to be drawn. It seems he would be here for a long, long while.

(And if you're feeling bad for Kirby right about now, don't be. If one cannot recall the feeling of happiness, how can one know what it must feel to be lacking said feeling?)

His old self is nothing but a distant flicker.


So, this chapter may seem a little out of place and extremely short. This is because, while Drawcia's Apprentice is technically complete, I discovered a major plot hole while rereading the story, and this chapter is a quick patch. I don't want to share what the error is just yet, as it may spoil future plot points (the best way I can describe it is this: Imagine if, during World 4 of Kirby Triple Deluxe, Kirby wasn't rescuing King Dedede, but instead helping Ribbon from Kirby 64, before returning back to Dedede in the next world with no explanation). This is because, when revising the story when I rebooted last year, I failed to fix a pinnacle plot point that now makes the planned conclusion impossible to happen.

Sorry this is so wordy and complicated, but to put it in simple terms: There is a major plot hole that needs to be fixed, and it may take a bit of time to do it.

Guys, I honestly feel terrible that the story will not be completed by the promised date. Part of me wishes I could ignore the mistake, but I want to be somewhat proud of the finished product. So, as a means of apology, I promise that the story will be completed as soon as possible, and that due to the error, certain Chapters have to be added to aid in the flow of the story, making Drawcia's Apprentice a little longer than I planned.

Despite the setback, you can expect the final part of Tangerine Tyke to be released sometime this weekend, as it is unaffected by the plot hole. I don't want to make another date for the story to be completed, in case it falls through again, but I am aiming for the end of this year (and since I get summer vacation, that gives me more than enough creative writing time). When I am three chapters from the end (currently we're about 35-40% of the way in), I can give a more precise date of completion.

Again, I'm so sorry that you will be kept waiting, but I hope you can appreciate the story being a bit longer than anticipated. 3 3 3

My Deepest, and Truest Apologies,

Subspace Dreamer