I own none of the characters or settings in this story.
All characters and settings are owned by Nintendo, Hal Laboratory, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc.
Episode Ten: Little Miracle, Part Three
The sun had started to lower in the sky, though the little Puffals, now all awake, were at a loss of that knowledge. They were eagerly rushing around, chasing after the butterflies, which flitted in and out of reach, as if playfully taunting their pursuers. Nearby, Phan-Phan, still asleep, was completely unaware of the little ones' newfound activity.
Kirsti in particular was getting into the chase. Her object of fascination, a bright yellow flutterer, had alighted on a flower. The little blue Puffal ducked down as quietly as she could, doing her best not to frighten the creature away. She then crept forwards, trying to come up slowly and quietly on the butterfly.
First you draw a circle,
( )
Then you dot the eyes,
(0 0)
Add a great big smile,
(0u0)
And Presto! It's Kirby!
However, the idea of slowly and quietly got thrown out of the picture by the arrival of Mikey. He too had targeted that butterfly in particular. Unlike his sister, however, he had a bit of a rougher approach to the hunt. He ran as fast as he could and practically tackled the flower.
Unsurprisingly, the butterfly did not just sit there. As soon as the white Puffal had rushed in, it took to the air, not wanting to be trampled by the overly enthusiastic baby.
Kirsti did not take this too well. "Miikii!" she cried out after he had frightened off her target. "Poyo poyo poyo poy poyo poyo poyo!"
Mikey got up and rubbed the back of his head apologetically. He had been completely unaware that someone else had any interest in that butterfly. "Poyo poy poyo. Poyo poyo, Kaastii."
She huffed in a frustrated manner and appeared to want to continue the conversation when something distracted her. Sitting up in one of the trees that the little ones were standing near was a bright red bird, which was preening its feathers.
The little girl saw her opportunity to try a sneak attack again. She signaled for Mikey to stay completely quiet and began to move around to the other side of the tree. From there, she began floating up at a steady pace until she had reached a branch on the same level of the bird's branch. When she had succeeded at reaching the level, she leaped.
The bird let out a cry of shock. It was a good deal larger than the puffer, but she held on with all the strength in her little body. It took to the air as quickly as it could, trying to shake its surprise passenger. Kirsti, who was for her part fully enjoying the ride, squealed in delight as she zipped through the air.
Mikey, who had been watching the whole incident with a wide eyed interest, now turned around and called to the others. "Poyo!" he called out. "Poyo poyo Kaastii poy poyo wheee!"
The rider looked down when she heard her brother give out the call. This distraction was just the opportunity that the bird needed. It gave a quick swoop, flipping upside down and flying close to the ground. This finally shook Kirsti from her perch, leaving her giggling on the ground.
The other Puffals rushed over to where she lay in a pile of red feathers. The littler boys eager, cheered and began looking for opportunities for similar experimentation. Kirby, on the other hand, was a different story.
"Kaastii, t'at no nice," he said, disapprovingly. "Need 'ta ask fi'st, o' else t'ey not like it."
"Poyo poyo, Kaabii," she sighed. The little one then pointed up at the wide blue sky. "Poy poyo poy, whee."
Kirby understood exactly what she was saying. She had wanted to see what it was like to fly. Not just float, but actually take flight over the wide fields. The pink Puffal thought for a moment. Then he spotted what was on the ground. This gave him an idea.
He picked up one of the feathers and motioned for the others to follow his lead. "G'ab a fettah," he said. "Kaabii show fwy!"
(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)
The little ones didn't dare to move as they stared down the barrel of the weapon pointed at them. The shock of the sudden attack had just about paralyzed the trio in terror.
The stranger grinned. He had a good idea of how he was affecting the children, and had absolutely no problem with what was happening. "Now, there's no need for anyone to be hurt," he continued, keeping the net launcher leveled at the youngsters. "We just want the bird. You other two keep quiet, and you can go back to your parents as soon as possible."
That seemed to snap Gonfflen out of his stunned stupor. "You stay away from Dynachick, you big bully! Poyo and I are Star Warriors, and we're not about to let you hurt her!"
Miracle nodded in agreement, admiring his companion and inspired by his courage. He puffed himself up to make himself look bigger and let out a defiant "Poyo!"
The man laughed at that comment. "Star Warriors? I doubt you two together would make one warrior. Now stay out of our way, and you won't get hurt."
"You don't scare us!" Gonfflen called out. "We're not gonna back down, and if you hurt us, you'll bring down the whole GSA on you!" With that, the young mouse charged at their attacker.
Despite his small size, the mouse did a rather good job of keeping their attacker at bay. As he charged, he turned back to the other two. "Poyo, go hide Dynachick. There are lots and lots of cave systems around here and she knows them well. Try to get her to them and she can take it from there. After that, go back to the base and get help!"
Miracle nodded. He took Dynachick by the wing and took off running. "Poyo poy poyo poyo," he explained, pointing out the path to safety. The thick woods would be difficult to navigate, particularly for one so young on his first trip there, but he'd have to do his best. Beside, hopefully, it would hide and protect them from their pursuers.
The poacher took aim at the fleeing duo, but thanks to the small mouse currently attacking at his heels, he missed his shot. It was only a moment before the bird and Puffal vanished from sight.
"You little brat!" he scowled at the young mouse. "You made me miss my shot!" He struck the youngster, throwing him backwards into a tree. The young mouse was hit hard and was knocked unconscious by the blow.
The man grabbed the prone Gonfflen, tossing him in a burlap sack. "I'll deal with you later. Pon, Con! Get here now!"
At his call, a raccoon dog and fox rushed up and saluted. "Yes, sir, Spynum." The duo waited for their boss to give their orders.
Spynum scowled. "We've located our prey, but several brats got in our way. I've got one of them here, but the other one, a creampuff kid, got away with the bird. I want you to catch them and bring them back to the ship."
The duo of mooks saluted. "Got it, sir!" With that, they turned around, off to pursue the fleeing Miracle.
Their boss called back one more set of instructions. "You'd better hurry up and find them! Our buyer won't wait forever! Don't let them reach that Star Warrior ship!"
(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)
Kirby excitedly lead his siblings on a flight over the bright territories of Dreamland. It had taken a few minutes to wake Phan-Phan up and tell him what they were doing. The good natured creature said that it sounded like fun, but that he had probably best head home. They said their goodbyes before the little Puffal turned back to his teaching.
As this was the first time any of the Puffalings had used the wing ability, he decided to start out lower so as not to risk any of the littler ones getting hurt.
However, his caution, while commendable, had not been complete necessary. The youngsters took to the new abilities like a fish takes to water. Before long, anyone who happened to glance up could see a trail of eight Puffals, decked out in feathered headdresses, gliding happily along with the clouds.
It was the times like this that the young star warrior lived for. Here he was, showing his young siblings the simple delights there were in just being alive. This beautiful land, which they called home, was so bright and free and open, and there was nothing like seeing it from the skies. It was a shame that he needed the wing ability, which was often rather difficult to get, to see it like this. Meta Knight was lucky to have wings all the time.
He glanced back to make certain that everyone was with him. Sure enough, close behind him each of the little ones flew, amazed at the beautiful sight below. They were only about a week and a half old, and had spent the majority of that short life in an exotic but confining enclosure. The odd, bright nature of their surroundings astonished and amazed them.
Every couple of minutes, one of the little ones would call out in delight and point out one of Dreamland's amazing landmarks. Kirby would happily explain what it was as they flew over. It was rather difficult to resist the temptation to fly down and land at every single one of these amazing destinations. However, it would not be very good to get lost, so they remained in the sky as they worked their way to the palace.
The little ones touched down on one of the spires that jutted out from Castle Dedede when the time for their flight had ended. Kirby had gotten hungry over the course of their little adventure, and he knew that this time, in the middle of the afternoon, was the perfect time to sneak into the kitchen's to get a snack.
After discarding the wing ability, the Puffalings crept close behind him as they went down the halls of the Castle. Other than the odd Waddle Dee, there was no one to be seen. Dedede was probably taking one of his midafternoon naps, and everyone else had some duty or other to attend to. That meant that the kitchens would be ripe for the taking.
Sure enough, when they got there, there was no one present. Not even the few Waddle Dees who typically worked on the meals were there. They'd be taking a break before they returned to begin preparing dinner. This left the refrigerator wide open.
Eagerly the young Puffals fell upon the receptacle with gusto. Just about any fruit found was quickly grabbed and consumed. Kirby made certain that anything wrapped or sealed was left alone, as it was likely for dinner later, but anything left in the open was free game.
The young ones had been enjoying their snack time so much that it came as a shock when a voice piped up. "What a mess!" Lady Like cried as she entered the kitchen. "Kirby, did you do this?"
Kirby rubbed the back of his head. "Sowwy, poyo. We go' hung'y."
The Dreamlander lady sighed and shook her head. "Kirby, you need to ask before you do something like this, especially when you bring the little ones with you. Look at them. They'll need a bath now." She pointed out the younger Puffals, who certainly had found a way to coat themselves in fruit juice. "I'll give them a bath now, but you should help to clean this mess." She then guided the babies back to the apartment.
Several Waddle Dees came up and started to clean. Kirby helped some, but the diligent creatures were swift with the work. Soon, everything was put back in order and the little Puffal was left on his own again.
Kirby sat for a moment. Once again, he was on his own and had nothing to do. That's when it dawned on him. Why, Dedede would be awake by now. Certainly he would have something to do!
The young Star Warrior left to seek out the Pengu.
(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)
Miracle fled as fast as his feet would take him. Close behind, Dynachick panted, desperate to keep close to him. He tried to remember what Gonfflen had told him. There was a cave system somewhere close, but where? He glanced all around him. There was nothing to see for miles around. Oh, where were they and what were they going to do now?
The little Puffal sat down, uncertain of what to do. They had gotten away from that strange bad man, but he got Gonfflen. He might not have liked the mouse's over-enthusiasm, but Miracle didn't want him to get hurt. If only there was something he could do!
He began crying as the pressure got to him. He pressed his paws to his eyes to hide this fact, but it was clear what he was doing.
Dynachick gently nuzzled the Puffal, trying to get him to calm down. It distressed her to see her new friend upset, so she did her best to comfort him.
Miracle appreciated the gesture. "Poyo poyo poy poyo," he said, wrapping his little arms around the bird.
Suddenly, a new voice spoke up. "Aww, well isn't that sweet?" The duo shot up at the sound of the voice. Coming out of the forest at the two youngsters was a strange fox and raccoon dog. They both were clutching sacks in their hands, and Miracle got the idea that they were working with their previous attacker.
The baby Puffal boldly stood between the newcomers and Dynachick. "Poyo poyo poyo!" he called out boldly. He held up his paws in a fighting stance, making it clear that he wasn't just going to run away.
This made the newcomers laugh. "Ah, so we have a hero here, do we?" the fox snorted. "Well, Puffy, I wouldn't recommend getting in our way. Just hand over the bird and no one gets hurt."
"Poy poyo!" Miracle yelled, before throwing himself on their aggressors. The child, as was typical for Inhaler Puffals, had very hard feet and a nasty kick. Even though he was small, he dealt out near debilitating blows on their attackers' shins.
As their pursuers clutched at their injured legs, the little ones took off running again. They had to make it back to the base and get the adults help, and soon!
The duo of crooks recovered a few minutes after the attack. They were now determined to catch the duo, and make that little runt pay for that!
Now Miracle was panting, desperate to keep ahead of the crooks but keeping Dynachick near. His little body tired out quickly, but now there would be no opportunity for rest. If those bad guys caught up, they'd be captured. The young Puffal didn't want to think about what would happen to them if that happened.
After a few moments, though, hope sprang anew. There, just beyond the tree line, was the ship! They'd be safe as soon as they reached the great metal haven.
With a renewed vigor, Miracle began racing faster. It was within his sight. Soon, they'd be safe. Soon, they'd have nothing to worry about.
Then he felt something on the ground. It slid up the baby's foot, tripping him up and sending both him and Dynachick headfirst into a net. The net was then hauled up into a tree, leaving the two little ones struggling in the fibers of their prison.
Underneath, their pursuers caught up, a look of cruel mirth in their eyes. "Well, well," the fox said, grinning up at the frightened tykes, "looks like the traps work. We'll bring these two back to Spynum in a while. First, the creampuff pays."
(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)
King Dedede was in a bad mood. How could he not be in a bad mood? Everything that had happened yesterday had been a disaster. Those two idiots lost control of the monster, so instead of defeating it and becoming the hero of the hour, he had been knocked unconscious by it and had to be rescued. Even worse, when he came to, he found out that the monster had been stopped by Kirby! Why, that little pink runt stole his spotlight again! Oh, how Dedede wanted to complain about everything to someone.
However, there was no one around. As difficult as it was to believe, the Pengu had yet to run into a single talking soul within the whole palace. It was as if everyone was purposefully avoiding him. He tried complaining to the odd Waddle Dee that he would see every couple of minutes, but they'd only nod and continue on their way. So now the Pengu was wandering around, trying to find anyone who he could take his bad mood out on.
"Hey, Marx!" he yelled out. "Bandana Dee! Sir Ebrum! Yo, Meta Knight! Where is everybody?" He was quickly losing his temper. "Isn't anyone in this palace!?"
He got his answer sooner than he expected.
"Poyo!" Kirby called out, happy to have found Dedede. He eagerly ran up to the Pengu. "Poyo, Dedededededededede, hi! Ev'y t'ing is cween now, poyo, so wan'na pway wiv Kaabii?" the little warrior asked.
Dedede scowled. He's rather be on his own than have to play babysitter to the very baby that humiliated him. "Get lost, Pinky. Don't you have someone else to annoy?"
Kirby tapped the side of his head, thinking of an answer to the question. "T'e babies are havin' baff, and Phan-Phan go home. Ot'er kids ah busy, an' Medikni go somewhe'e wit' Swowd and Bwade an' Kaabii don' know whe'e. So, no." He grinned brightly. "Dededededededede wan'na pway wiv Kaabii?"
Dedede was about to tell Kirby to scram again when a mean idea came to him. He looked around the empty hallway until he found a small, heavy ornament. He picked it up and held it aloft. "So you want to play a game?" he asked the child. "Because I know of a really good game."
Kirby grinned, his bright blue eyes beaming in innocent delight. "Yah! Yah! Kaabii wan'na pway weally goo' game!"
Dedede smirked. "See this statue?" he asked. He practically pressed the small item into Kirby's face.
The tot nodded excitedly. "Yah! Kaabii see it! Now wha'?"
Dedede casually walked over to a window that overlooked the river that passed alongside Castle Dedede. He calmly opened in the window, and flung the little statue out of the window and into the river. He then turned back to the young Puffal. "Now," he continued, pointing in the direction that the statue had flown, "you go find it, and you don't come back inside until you've found it. You win when you bring it back. Got it?"
Kirby looked out of the window at the river. It seemed like an odd game to him. I mean, wasn't a game supposed to involve two or more people? Oh, well. If that was what Dedede wanted to play, then Kirby was willing to play it, even if it did confuse him a bit.
After a few moments of thought, he smiled and turned back to Dedede. "Kay!" he said, every cheerful. "Kaabii go fin' it, so Kaabii win!" With that, the little one dashed out to complete his quest.
When he had gone, Dedede couldn't help but laugh at his own cleverness. That puny puffball would never find such a small trinket. Kirby wouldn't be coming back to bother him any time soon.
That did, however, bring him back to his previous problem. There was nobody around to complement him on his ingenuity. He was on his own once more.
"Bandana Dee!" he called out in frustration. "Where the heck is everyone?!"
(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)
Miracle looked down in fright. Their enemies had caught up with them, and there was no chance for escape. They weren't going to be able to escape now. Tears began to cloud in Miracle's eyes. Now he wasn't going to see Mama or Papa again. These bad men were going to take him, and Gonfflen, and Dynachick away forever. The small hole which was the opening in the net seemed to mock the young Puffal.
However, the opening gave him an idea. He glanced over at Dynachick. He knew of his inhale ability. It was something instinctual for an Inhaler Puffal. And if he did this right, he might not be able to escape, but Dynachick would.
Con laughed as they lowered the net. "They boss'll be happy to see what we caught," he sniggered. "That bird'll fetch us a small fortune."
"The two Star Warrior brats are rather valuable as well," Pon added. "Knowing that band of goody-two shoes, they'd do anything to keep their precious fledglings safe. These two will make certain that none of the warriors bothers us."
Con opened up the net, prepared to dump the duo into a bag that had been brought with. However, the moment that the small hole that was the opening of the net was widened, a bright gold star shot out of it. It zipped past, landing a good distance off, nearer to the Star Warrior base.
Within the net, Miracle began the struggle again. He was frantic to escape, and did as much as he could to wiggle free.
"Close it, you moron!" Pon yelled. He snatched the net away from Con. "Here, I'll deal with the creampuff brat. I'd bet my whiskers the bird was in that star. You'd better go find it, or else the boss'll have your tail."
"And what are you going to do?" Con asked, frustrated that he had been volunteered for search duty.
Pon slung the still struggling Miracle over his shoulder. "Get this back to the boss. Better one certain captive than two lost ones." With that, he turned back, leaving the fox to find the missing chick.
Meanwhile, the adult warriors raced through the forest, looking for the little ones. Trouble like this had never happened in Dreamland before, so there had never been a problem in allowing the youngsters the time to roam. However, the farther from the base they got the more frantic the adults were feeling.
They had soon traveled from the edge of the forest and back in their search for the children's location. "This is strange," Galahad said as they neared the base once more. "Gonfflen has been through this forest many times before, and has never gotten lost or wandered too far. I can't think of where they might have gotten to."
Rosalyn was desperate. "Miracle!" she cried out, on the off-hand chance that her son would hear her cry. "Where are you? Please respond!"
Heavy Knight laid a hand on his wife's shoulders. "We'll find them soon," he said, trying to be reassuring. "The boys will be alright."
"I hope your right," she sighed. "Wait, what's that?"
Heavy Knight could hear it too, and while Galahad and Percival couldn't, they were aware of the Boxin race's keen sense of hearing and followed their friend to the location of the mysterious sound. There, laying in a small pile of leaves and surrounded by bright yellow shards, was little Dynachick. The little bird sat, confused and crying, and did not notice as the newcomers approached her.
"I'll be!" Galahad declared. "It's the Dynablade chick!" He did his best to keep his voice low as he approached the frightened little bird. "Now, now, come here, little one," he said in a hushed voice. "We aren't going to harm you. We only want to take you back to your mother."
While he was coaxing the little bird from her hiding space, the others examined the area. Percival picked up one of the multiple shards that surrounded the area. "What are these?" he asked. He handed the small item over to Heavy Knight. "They seem to be all over the place."
"I've seen these before," the Boxin said, turning the golden piece over in his hands. "On Popopo, I believe."
"I should hope so," Galahad responded. He had succeeded in coaxing Dynachick out of her hiding place and had joined the others in examining the area. "It's the fragments of an Inhaler's golden star. I suspect young Miracle probably had a hand in whatever happened here."
"But he's so young," Rosalyn said, a tone of doubt in her voice. She adjusted her weapon, a large Pole-axe, over her shoulder. "Beside, he's never inhaled anything before, and he hasn't seen anyone who can."
Galahad shook his head. "Doesn't matter. He might not know about his copy ability yet, but inhaling is something that is inborn in them. When in dangerous situations, they will inhale by sheer instinct."
The tone grew extremely dark, and none of them wanted to voice what concern filled them all. If Miracle had been frightened enough to use his inhale for the first time, what sort of dangers had the young ones run into?
The tense quiet was broken by the sound of a muttering voice. "Stupid kids. This was supposed to be the easy haul. We come in, grab the bird, and get out. No run ins with Star Warriors, and no Star Warrior brats to mess things up. But no, not only does that young rat interfere, but once we actually catch the bird, that creampuff kid ruins that and now I have to go find it. I guess the boss will be dealing with him now-hey!"
The grumbler was cut off as Rosalyn hauled him roughly out of the bushes. It was Con, who had been scrounging for a sign of the missing Dynachick. The Boxin lady pushed the fox against a tree and smashed the blade of her Pole-axe by his head. "Where is my son!?" she roared, making it clear that she was not going to be lied to.
Con froze at this happening. He hadn't expected anything like this, and was not quite certain how to respond in a way that would not result in the loss of his head. "Yo-your son? I can't say I know what you're talking about. I w-was just-"
"Do not lie to me, scum!" Rosalyn growled. "You mentioned my son. Now where is he?"
"I r-really don't know what you mean." Con was now certain he was going to die. "There haven't been any Boxin children here."
Heavy Knight glared at the fox. He spoke next, though he did not come between his wife and the focus of her anger. "The children we are looking for are a young Puffal and mouse. We have heard, from your own admittance, that you mean two youngsters fitting that description harm. I would recommend you tell us where the children have been taken immediately."
Con looked up at the four Star Warriors. Each of the men was wielding a large sword, and Lady Rosalyn still had her Pole-axe dangerously close to his head. It was totally obvious that these were all well-trained warriors who had faced and defeated things far more dangerous than a couple of thieves and poachers. He didn't want to risk any of the clearly hostile warriors attacking him, so he spilled the whole story.
Once the story had been given, Galahad straightened up. "Alright," the purple Puffal stated. "Percival, please get this chick back to the base and with her mother. That'll be the best place for them at this time. Heavy Knight, Rosalyn, and I will go retrieve the children. I have no doubt that the three of us are enough to deal with a few bandits."
Percival nodded and picked up the little chick. "Got it. See you when you return." With that, he turned and headed back to the base.
"Now," Galahad picked up the fox. "You are going to lead us to where the children were taken. Make no mistake; you will not lead us astray. If you do, then the good lady here will be allowed to finish what she started."
Con glanced over at the still enraged Rosalyn. He gulped anxiously. "Y-yes sir. Whatever you say, sir."
Spynum glared at the young mouse that was now tied up in the corner. Gonfflen had awoken shortly after being brought back to the base, and had proved to be just as difficult to restrain as before. It had taken a good fifteen minutes for the poacher to keep the youngster down, and even then he had not escaped without being bitten several times.
In return, the child glared right back without any problem. Gonfflen made no bones about it that he did not fear his captors, and that they were going to be in for it when rescue came.
The sound of someone coming up pulled Spynum away from the rather heated stare-off. It was Pon, who was carrying a madly struggling bag behind him. "The bird got away, boss," the raccoon dog said as he slung the sack down, "but we got the other kid. Con went to catch the getaway while I brought this one back."
"Good. At the very least, there won't be any Star Warrior trouble." Spynum then turned to the sack. "Now about you." He opened the package and pulled a wildly struggling Miracle up by the skin on the back of his head.
This was too much for the baby Puffal. He had been dragged around, chased, trapped, and frightened for a good portion of the day. He had had enough of this nonsense. "Poyo!" he declared emphatically. "Poy poyo poyo poyo p'yo poyo!" He emphasized the anger in the last part by spitting at Spynum's feet.
The poacher responded by throwing the little one back in the bag. He went over and grabbed Gonfflen as well, and flung the two of them in a chest, which he then locked. Those two were troublemakers and would need to be dealt with. Not that it would matter much. Once they caught the bird and got off this rinky-dink planet, there would be plenty of slave markets who would be willing to take the duo off his hands.
He turned when the sound of footsteps sounded nearby. "Ah, Con, you're back." Spynum got up, eager to get a good look at their loot. "You'd better have that bird with you. I want to put as much distance between us and this place as possible."
The fox stumbled forwards, as if he had been flung into the tent. It soon became clear that that was exactly what had happened.
Rosalyn charged forwards first, catching the stunned Spynum by his neck. "What have you done with my son?" she snarled as the other Star Warriors followed her into the makeshift lair.
"Son?" Spynum stuttered, not eager to meet the eyes of the enraged Star Lady. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't lie to her, boss," Con called over from where he and Pon were being restrained by Heavy Knight and Galahad. "She's crazy and will skin us alive!"
Spynum's mouth went dry and his mind raced desperately for something to say. However, someone else spoke up first.
"Mama!" Miracle squeaked from inside the chest he was imprisoned in.
In a heartbeat, Rosalyn broke open the lock to the chest, freeing the captive boys within. Her expression changed to extremely soft and maternal the moment she had found the little Puffal. "It's alright, Miracle," she whispered, pulling the little one up into her arms.
Gonfflen, once released, rushed over to Galahad to explain his and Miracle's parts of the story. Spynum, now released from the chokehold, tried to take the moment to slip out, but was caught by his collar by Heavy Knight.
"You aren't going anywhere," the Boxin warrior growled. "We already know your little scheme to capture the Dynablade. Now, who was this buyer of yours?"
"I don't really know," Spynum said, covering his head. "He only spoke through a representative. The spokesman called himself Jack or Jake or something, but the buyer himself was never named. The spokesman also supplied all our weapons. Honest! Please don't hurt me!"
Heavy Knight nodded and cuffed the poacher. "You won't be hurt, but you and your companions are under arrest on the charges of kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment, as well as poaching."
The group headed back, prisoners in tow. That was the last time that any young ones were allowed to wander on their own on any planet. They were unaware, however, of what this small adventure portended to.
(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)
"'It has taken a while for Miracle to warm up to Gonfflen, but it seems that they have become good friends,'" Adeleine read aloud as she finished the passage. "'Adventures seem to have that effect on people. Perhaps we are seeing the founding of a new team going on.'"
Ribbon chuckled. "So Kirby's been fighting bad guys long before he came to Pop Star? That makes sense."
"That would be our Kirby for certain," Chuchu added.
Ado had been looking for another passage to restore while the others spoke. She soon came on a very short excerpt and began inking it in, but froze when she finished it. "What!?" she finally declared when he understood what she had just written.
"What is it?" Tiff asked. "What did you find?"
The artist pointed to the passage she had just inked, slack-jawed with shock. Adeleine picked the journal up and read what was written. "The christening day has finally come and gone. Today, our young ones have received their badges and names. The excitement can be felt everywhere, but it seems as if no one is quite as excited as Rosalyn and I are. Today, our young Miracle had taken his first steps to becoming Meta Knight.'"
The whole room became extremely quiet. After what seemed like forever, Lololo spoke. "So that was Meta Knight, not Kirby?"
"I guess everyone had to have a childhood," Lalala said. "Even people like Meta Knight."
"Yeah, but who would have thought he was so different back then," Tuff added.
There was another period of silence, which was only broken by the sound of knocking on the door. Rick jumped up to answer it, and found Meta Knight himself standing outside.
"I have just come to tell the children that it is growing late," the warrior said, as quick and to the point as usual. "I would recommend that they be heading home soon. They don't want their parents to worry, after all."
"Ah, yes, of course," Rick said quickly. "We're just finishing something up here and then I'll make sure their on their way. Thanks for reminding us, Mir-Meta Knight."
The knight looked in curiously for a moment, before turning to go. "Very well. Good evening to you."
Ado sighed as she placed the journal back into her bag. "That was a close one. We'll have to keep this to ourselves. Even Kirby can't find out."
"Why not?" Ribbon asked.
"Remember what Meta Knight did yesterday with that holodeck?" Tuff answered. "If he found out about this, he might burn it or something."
"Tuff's right," Tiff agreed. "This might be our only way of figuring out what's going on, so we'd better keep quiet on this. Kirby can't find out because he can't keep a secret."
Adeleine nodded. "Ado and I will keep restoring, and we'll keep you up to date on the important parts. Until then, this is between us." The group all nodded, and then each turned to head home.
(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)
The dark passage of the dungeon was lit only by a few torches that glowed from the walls. The grim hallways were abandoned by all except the vermin that inhabited the dark region. As such, there were no witnesses to the dark man who strode down it.
Honest John continued his trek down to the lowest realms in the Nightmare Empire. This was where items that would be of value to Nightmare one day were held, ready for use when the time came. Weapons, fossils from strange horrors, and other bizarre things were housed down here, but the crony walked right past them, up to his true intent.
It was a portrait of a Paintrian witch, garbed in a patchwork of blues, purples, and yellows. Her long blue hair flowed out from under the purple witch's hat she wore. A pink scarf was held in place over her face with two golden clasps. A pair of fierce gold eyes peered out from between the hat and scarf.
Honest John stood directly in front of the portrait and brought out a paint brush. In a quick motion, he rammed the brush against the painting. "Drawcia," he called as the brush dissolved into the frame, "come on out."
The painting rippled and flowed in response. After a few moments of the effect, the witch herself emerged from the painting, becoming as real and solid as everything else in the room. "At last!" she declared. "I am free! Free to wreak my revenge!"
She prepared to fly out, but was interrupted by Honest John. "I wouldn't be leaving quite so soon," he said calmly.
Drawcia turned to look at him and laughed. "And who are you who thinks he can tell the great Paintrian Sorceress what she can and cannot do?"
He flashed a slick grin as he held out his hand. "My name is Honest John. I am a representative of Nightmare, the Emperor of Terrors. And," he added quickly, "your new master."
The witch laughed once more at this comment. "I have no master," she declared. "You can tell this Nightmare that I am not some slave who will come at his every beck and call."
The crony just shrugged. "As you wish. Nightmare is in control of this portrait, so I guess you'll just have to finish out your sentence for the Calligra issue. How long were you supposed to spend in there? Oh, that's right." He gave a cruel grin. "Eternity."
That caught Drawcia's attention. She was well aware that whoever controlled that portrait could imprison her at will. She had no desire to be pulled back into her canvas prison. "Fine," she said after a few moments. "What does Lord Nightmare want with me?"
Immediately, the representative switched back into business mode. "I'm so glad you asked. As it is, there is a little pest that has been bothering the master, and he has come up with a way to rid himself of this pest once and for all." He quickly handed the witch a set of papers with multiple formulas written on them. "So, what do you think?"
Drawcia raised an eyebrow. "I can do this, but not alone. It will require a lot of paint magic, and that's even if Nightmare plans on aiding in the spell."
"Already handled!" Honest John added. "We have agents of ours searching for your sister as we speak. Once she is found, then the great plan can be put into action. Until then, we have another job for you to handle. Do you think you could use your special abilities to make these?"
He handed her another sheet, and she frowned at what was portrayed. "You insult me," she stated curtly. "I could make these in my sleep."
"Good. Just do as the master orders, and all will be well." He turned to go, but quickly turned around. "Oh, I nearly forgot. To insure loyalty, Lord Nightmare has included one promise to sweeten the deal."
Drawcia scowled. "What could he have that would be of any interest to me?"
"Oh, nothing that he has now, but he knows where what you desire most is."
The witch jumped up in surprise. "What! They were destroyed before I ended up in that accursed painting!"
"Quite the contrary," the middleman said. "The only problem is, they currently are in the possession of some of the allies of this particular pest. So, the deal is, help Nightmare with his creampuff problem, and what you want is all yours. So, do we have a deal?" He held out his hand.
Drawcia gave a sly grin. "Your master drives a hard bargain, but I accept." She took the crony's hand and shook.
Nightmare immediately saw it when the deal was made, as a new black chess piece in the shape of Drawcia materialized on his chess board. He grinned darkly, knowing he had gained a powerful servant that he could use against his enemies. That wretched Puffal would not have an easy time escaping the wrath of NME.
(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)(0u0)
Meta Knight stood by the river that flowed by the forest, deep in his own thought. He was considering everything that had gone on over the last few days, and was trying to come up with some solution to the problems that were arising. As he was deep in thought, something popped up, startling the warrior from his contemplations.
"Kaabii found it!" Kirby happily declared as he bounced out of the water. "Kaabii win!"
Meta Knight steadied himself, as he had been shocked by his apprentice's sudden appearance. "Kirby! What on Pop Star were you doing in there!?"
The little one had been unaware of his mentor's presence until that moment. However, the sudden revelation did not shake the excited youngster, who happily brandished the small ornament. "Kaabii found it, so Kaabii win game!" he repeated happily.
The older warrior sighed as he began drying the little one off. "Kirby, you are aware you are not supposed to go near the river alone. What do you think you were doing?"
"Dedededededede said goo' game," Kirby answered. "He say Kaabii go get thing, then Kaabii win."
So this was Dedede's fault. He should have expected this. Once more, Meta Knight sighed. "Kirby, in the future, if Dedede tells you to do something, you come and ask me first, alright?"
The pink Puffal nodded. "A'ight. Kaabii ask Medikni fi'st, poyo."
The Star Warrior shook his head in dismay. He was going to have to have a word with that Pengu when they got back. "Alright, let's go home now." With that, the two headed on their way.
To be continued...
Author's Note: To answer the question from last time, the character who inspired Gonfflen's name was Gonff, from the series Redwall, by Brian Jacques.
Announcement time once again! Things have come up, and it has become impractical for me to update on Wednesdays anymore. Thus, you can expect the next chapter, Enter, From the Shadows, Part One, on Monday, January 19th. After that, my updates will be on Mondays. Hope to hear from you! - SilverWarriorWolf.