Chapter 8: Regret
"You fools! Do you really think I'd go down that easy?!" the giant penguin in a robe stomped towards Kirby and Meta Knight. Kirby turned around from his kneeling position to see the King.
Meta Knight spoke up, "Dedede... What has gotten into you?"
He picked up his massive hammer as he kept stomping towards the two, "It seems I had forgotten why I came here… to take over this ship! And now that I have you and your little friend here right in front of me, I can finally accomplish what I've longed for for far too long now!"
"Why would you save me then?"
"I felt a wave of sorrow overcome me and I couldn't control it. I forgot who I was… the evilest king around! And now, I shall show it for all to see! Waddle Dees, Waddle Doos, Gordos! Take out these hazards!"
"You'll rue this day!" Kirby yelled at Dedede as he walked away, his army flooding the halls. "Meta Knight, what are we gonna do?"
"Uhhh, we fight. Yeah that's it! We can do this Kirby, just believe in yourself!" Meta Knight didn't want to tell him the horrid truth. He was too injured and wounded to lift a single muscle. There was no way out of this one. They had lost.
"Yeah, let's do this!" Kirby yelled and dashed to the incoming army, but he stopped when he noticed something wrong. "C'mon, Meta Knight, get up! We have to fight!"
"I will. Go! Don't mind me, I'll catch up," there was no way he could crush Kirby's spirit like that. "Just remember, everything will be alright."
Kirby smiled and nodded as a sign of assurance. He then ran off into the spreading plague also known as Dedede's army. Meta Knight tried to get up, but collapsed back down. Kirby turned around and saw Meta Knight fall, "Hey, Meta! Are you OK?"
"Yes, yes, Kirby, I'm fine. Just leave!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes I'm fine! Go!" Meta Knight had a sense of anger in his voice. Kirby was startled at Meta Knight's sudden outburst and started sprinting again. He tried to lift himself again but the pain was too overwhelming. "No..."
Kirby floated over a group of minions then transformed into stone, collapsing on top of them. He broke through the stone to become his regular state again. Kirby then pulled out a blade and jumped high into the air with a war cry. He then came down and sliced even more minions in half. A Waddle Dee sprinted to the warrior but got smacked with a hammer as soon as it came into reach. A Gordo flew over to Kirby at alarming speeds. Kirby opened his mouth and inhaled the impenetrable object. He spat it out at a line of Waddle Dees and Doos, and it hit every last one of them. A Waddle Doo leaped towards Kirby, but he dove out of harm's way at the last second. Kirby grabbed hold of the Waddle Doo and flipped over backwards, performing a solid suplex. The Waddle Doo smacked its head on the ground, knocking it out cold. Kirby then unleashed a series of lightning fast punches on a Waddle Dee. He turned to his right and dashed towards a Gordo coming for him. He spun on his head as the Gordo came in contact with him, knocking it backwards with his foot. The Gordo hit a Waddle Dee and bounced off it, colliding with a Waddle Doo. Kirby turned around to check on his ally, who was still on the ground.
"Meta Knight, hurry!"
"I'll be right there!"
Kirby screamed in pain as felt electricity running through his body. He turned around to find a Waddle Doo shooting sparks at him. Kirby side-kicked the enemy as hard as he could, knocking it backwards into a group of minions. A Waddle Dee grabbed Kirby from behind and started punching him.
"NO!" Meta Knight couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't bare to see Kirby going through this any longer. He put his sword onto the ground and began to put pressure on it. The sword gave him just enough leverage to stand up shakily. He hobbled towards the fray as fast as possible.
Kirby broke free of the Waddle Dee's grasp and began to pummel it into submission with his own combination of punches. Meta Knight now stood beside his ally, using his sword to balance himself.
"You made it," Kirby said with a smile.
"Thankfully, yes, indeed," Meta Knight replied back.
"Great! Time to kick some army tail!" Kirby said, turning to face the army.
"Let's do this."
Suddenly, a purple mist could be seen under the army. It spread throughout the hallway. The minions looked around in shock, not knowing what to do. The purple mist began to form together, making the shape of humanoids. The army began to panic, and so did the Daring Duo.
"Oh no, not again," Meta Knight said in horror.
"There's no way..." Kirby said after.
"This is exactly what happened last time! Both armies attacked at the same time and there was no way to defeat them!" Meta Knight said in anger.
"What are we gonna do?"
Meta Knight couldn't carry on this act any longer, "We run."
"What?" Kirby was perplexed at what Meta Knight said.
"We run. There's no way we can survive, much less win!"
"There's a way! There has to be!"
"No! We're losing too much time!"
"I'm not gonna let Dedede take over my best bud's ship!"
"He's not going to take it, Tabuu is!"
"Okay fine. Just hold on," Kirby began to float in the air, and Meta Knight grabbed onto his foot. They floated over both armies and turned left. They passed Meta Knight's bedroom and traveled up the stairs that took up half the hallway to the cockpit. Kirby descended to the ground at a very slow pace to allow Meta Knight to land ever so lightly.
"Stay on watch for any intruders, I'm going to try to maneuver to some place safe. Got it?" Meta Knight asked his companion.
"Aye aye, Captain!" Kirby saluted to his partner.
"Good," Meta Knight nodded, and Kirby turned around to keep an eye out. Meta Knight began to limp over to the wheel. Suddenly, Meta Knight collapsed onto the ground, knocked out clean. Kirby didn't notice, all the while punching and kicking the air.
"I've finally got rid of one pest." King Dedede towered over Meta Knight's body, his hammer hauled over his shoulder. He dragged the body over to a door. He let go of the swordsman and opened the hinged door. Dedede tossed the lifeless body into the tiny, empty room and closed the door. He grabbed his hammer with two hands and slowly shuffled to Kirby, who distracted himself with the imaginary fighter. The King's face was full of pure rage and hatred as he came closer and closer to Kirby. Kirby sidestepped just before he got squished by King Dedede's swing. "Huh? How did you..." Dedede swung downwards again, only to see Kirby do a cartwheel back to where he was standing. Dedede did one more swing as Kirby did a triple front flip out of the way. Kirby began punching and kicking the air again and dodged the imaginary blows. Kirby's lips were puckered as he let out a gust of wind for every punch and kick. He began to slowly turn as he kept fighting his imaginary opponent. King Dedede just stood there in disbelief as he watched Kirby unleashing so many blows, thinking of how Kirby could've possibly dodged his hammer so many times with his back turned. Dedede came into view of Kirby, and he slowly stopped punching and kicking. After a few seconds, Kirby came to a complete stop and just stared at Dedede. Finally registering what was going on, Kirby let out a yelp.
"Put 'em up, Tiger! You wanna get to the boss, you gotta get through me!" Kirby said as he got into a fighting stance. The two stood there for a good fifty seconds until Kirby's arms slowly fell to his sides and his face of determination was replaced with that of a dumbfounded one. "You already K.O.'d him, didn't you?" Kirby asked, disappointed.
"Mhmm," Dedede hummed.
"What'd you do to him, you monster?!" Kirby shouted out of anger.
"I just adjusted him with my hammer, that's all..." Dedede answered, looking at the ceiling.
"When I get a hold of you..." Kirby began walking intimidatingly towards the King. Dedede placed a hand on Kirby's bald head, making him walk in place.
"Then what?" he asked with a smirk.
"Then I'll-" Kirby's threat was cut short due to Dedede's foot kicking him down the stairs. Kirby tumbled down the steep stairs and smacked the ground. Four Primids turned the corner and saw Kirby. They rushed over to him and held him hostage. Dedede began to panic.
"W-When did these guys get here?" he asked himself. One of the Primids looked up and saw Dedede. He let out a cry and spun out of view.
"Let go of me!" Kirby tried to squirm, but it was no use. Ten more Primids turned the corner and ran to the other four. The one that saw Dedede pointed up the stairs, and all ten Primids rushed up there. The four Primids dragged Kirby around the corner and back to where Dedede's army met its demise.
King Dedede hid in a corner directly to the left of the doorway. He heard the Primids dashing up the stairs. They could be here any minute. Hopefully, they were dumb enough to miss him. What have I done? he thought to himself, Meta Knight and Kirby were my only hopes. I knocked out one, and I got the other one captured. What am I gonna do? King Dedede snapped back into reality as he saw the Primids rushing in. He slowly inched towards the doorway and sprinted down the stairs while their backs were turned. He couldn't take any chances so he took a leap of faith off the railing. Thanks to his floating ability, he landed safely. He ran in the opposite direction of where the Primids took Kirby and turned left.
The four Primids tossed a handcuffed Kirby face first into a pod full of sixty Primids armed with beamswords, boomerangs, and guns. Some were even red with flames or metal. One of the metal Primids lifted a beaten Kirby and punched him with full force, knocking him back on the ground. A Primid with a boomerang lifted him back onto his feet, and proceeded to smack him repeatedly with his weapon. Kirby took multiple blows and then dropped back down in defeat. Six more Primids walked over to Kirby and started stomping on him mercilessly. Kirby's screams of pain meant nothing to the Primids, they only tortured him more. A red one lifted him back onto his feet and caught him aflame. Scorch marks were visible on Kirby's face. One with a beamsword walked over to the still lifted Kirby. It grabbed his right arm and grazed it repeatedly with its sword, cutting his skin. A gunman shot a laser through Kirby's left foot, making a hole. More and more Primids jumped in, beating Kirby. He couldn't see out of his left eye anymore, it was too swollen. A metal Primid violently jerked Kirby's right foot, breaking his ankle for sure. Kirby screamed in agony. He wanted to cry, but that would just make things worse. The red Primid let go of him, and he collapsed back on the ground.
This must be where they dropped the shadow bugs, King Dedede thought. He was standing over an opening at the bottom of the Halberd. This could be my only way out. I have to jump. He waddled closer to the hole. His stomach dropped at the thought of falling. They were at least eighty feet above the ground. I don't think this is necessary I bet I could find- oh, what am I saying?! C'mon on, Dedede, just jump. I'm sure evil kings do this all the time... right? He tightened his grip on his hammer. "One, two, THREE!" He dropped through the hole and started his free fall. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAaaahhhhhhh... wait a second," he spaced his hands wide apart on his handle and held it against his body, "I can just do this." The hammer turned into Jet Hammer, and fire shot from it, slowing him down significantly. He was now about forty feet above the ground.
He used Jet Hammer repeatedly until he was about ten feet above the ground. He filled himself with air and floated safely to the ground. He then started to kiss the ground over and over again. "Oh, how I love you."
The pod was about to have lift off. Or that's what Kirby had heard. He was face down on the metal floor out of exhaustion. The Primids had finally left. And yet, he still wasn't safe. He still had to go to wherever the pod was set to go. Kirby's eyes began to tear up.
"I just want to be at home with Meta Knight, having a sleepover at my house. But I can't. And now I have nothing. Nothing but memories. And... a song Meta Knight sang. If only he were here right now..." Kirby began to cry. He couldn't take it anymore. This time, there were no songs to sleep to. He'd have to cry himself to sleep.
A/N: Waddup, guys? Sorry about not updating, it was Spring Break for me! So I went to the beach and won 2646 tickets at the arcade :D I'd appreciate a review very much, so if you wanna do that, fantastic! If you don't, well, at least follow :D What other option was there… oh yeah, favorite! I'm up for suggestions of who y'all would like to see next so just hit me up on that if you'd like. That's about it… DEUCES!
