PK Loyalty

The Subspace troops were supposed to stall us until Tabuu healed from Sonic's surprise entrance. Well, they didn't keep us occupied for long. We knew we had to engage him directly if we wanted even the slightest chance of winning. Our odds of beating him had gone from slim to quite high. But it wouldn't be long. There was no telling how long it would take for Tabuu's wings to repair, and it was a risk we didn't want to take.

So, some of us made our way to the long platform where Tabuu was watching the clash. I saw Lucas and Ness in animated conversation before fighting their way to the platform, with Kirby and DDD following close behind. Hanging back wasn't an option. They needed me, and they needed my reliable attacks. Despite his wounds, fighting Tabuu was a daunting prospect, but I had to try. Maybe a Super Jump Punch would do him in. Or a misfired Missile. Or a stylish combo involving my Cyclone. Or—

Some Primids were coming for me, so I quickly fought them off and navigated through the fray to join my friends. About halfway there, I heard a high-pressure water spray and whirled to see Big Primids knocked off their feet by F.L.U.D.D. Mario stood there, looking exhausted but stubbornly fighting on. He was about to be overrun, though, so I sprang into action. Within a minute, I'd launched the enemies ganging up on Mario away.

He smiled at me in gratitude, too winded to speak. I noticed that he was wounded, and the apprehension threatening to take me over was gone in a flash, replaced by pure rage. Nobody hurt my brother and got away with it! He assured me that he was okay, that he had some power-ups on him, but I was still incensed that they'd managed to injure him. I shot a piercing glare towards Tabuu as Ness and Lucas reached him, feeling Mario follow my gaze.

One look, and we knew we had the same thing in mind.

Hand in hand, we once again started toward the ruler of Subspace.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

With a powerful grunt, Lucas launches a hexagonal-shaped current of PSI directly above him, striking Tabuu where the sun doesn't shine. Tabuu curls up slightly as he tends to that region, and Ness jumps in, launching his own PSI straight into his face. Lucas takes his thick stick and swings it as hard as he can into his foe's sides, following up with PK Fire.

"How are you doing, Ness?" he asks.

"Do I have to answer?" Ness shoots back, aiming PK Thunder at Tabuu's chest.

Lucas flips into the air and does some sort of aerial cartwheel, PSI sparkling around his body. Ness charges up his leg with PSI and kicks Tabuu hard in the abdomen. They've gone at him fiercely from the start of the battle, but they've barely left a mark on him. He smirks at them while laughing off strikes from stick and baseball bat.

"My grandmother hits harder than you kids," he smirks.

"Well, I'm sure she's nicer than you," quips Lucas. "Could you tell her to bake some cookies for us? We're hungry."

"PK Flash!" barks Ness, sending a blue-green pulse of light into the distracted humanoid.

Tabuu shakes his head to clear it from the attack. "Now that was pretty good," he mutters. He's grown tired of toying with these two psychics and decides that the time has come to show them he means business.

"Playtime's over!" he announces, firing energy blasts at Ness and Lucas with his fingers.

The boys waste no time pondering. They dart out of harm's way immediately, one shielding the other at times. The tiny blasts either harmlessly sail past them or are absorbed into their PSI Magnets.

"Is that all you got?" Lucas crows bravely, lashing out with the Rope Snake and wrapping it around the humanoid's neck.

Tabuu's fingers fly to the animal, trying to pry it loose from its windpipe, but Lucas only commands his pet to squeeze harder and harder. Ness isn't standing still, though. PSI swirls in his hands as he fires continuous streams of it at his and Lucas's foe. "You're doing good!" he compliments the blonde. "Just keep a good grip on him!"

Lucas spots two Franklin Badges next to his shoe, clips one on with his free hand and tosses the second one to Ness. And the timing is never better. Tabuu manages to break free of the Rope Snake's constricting hold and now slumps over, gasping for breath, eyes bugging out of his head. He was going to teach that blonde psychic a little lesson for causing fear to seep into his soul.

"You'll pay for that, you brat!" he vows calmly in a normal speaking voice. He floats toward Lucas, who stares fearlessly at him.

"PK Freeze!" commands Lucas, firing a snowflake-shaped projectile at his adversary. It doesn't freeze Tabuu, but it makes him wince.

"PK Thunder!" Ness joins in, using the move to propel himself into Tabuu.

Lucas runs over and helps Ness up, knowing that Tabuu is bound to attack soon. "This isn't working," he whispers in his ear. "He's taken everything we've thrown at him."

"We can't give up," says Ness. "Don't worry, Lucas. We'll put a crack in his armor!"

They dive out of the way as Tabuu lunges, slashing at them with an energy blade.

"That looks like a giant Beam Sword!" Ness points out.

"I know," deadpans Tabuu, "but it isn't. Here, have a slice."

Tabuu slashes again and again, while his opponents jump or dodge, depending on their position on the stage. They take note of the arc of his lunges to disrupt him with PK Fire. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much of an effect. Tabuu sometimes slides clear of the psychokinetic projectile attack and slices relentlessly. The energy blade is long and broad, and most of his hits, I'm sorry to say, connect with their targets. Still, Ness or Lucas manages to sneak behind him to pummel him hard.

At long last, Tabuu puts his blade away and smiles at the two boys. They're on their knees, bleeding from their sides, limbs and shoulders. Bruises cover them from when he's attack them with the hilt of his blade. They look so perfect.

Tabuu spreads his arms. "You can't beat me, kids," he says with a faux-weary sigh. "Why don't you just accept your fates under my rule and be happy?"

"Never!" the two boys defy as one.

"You're really asking for it," says Tabuu, turning into a shark-shaped blade and charging at them.

Ness and Lucas hit the floor, covering their heads. The brunette's hat is swept off his head, but other than that, the attack fails to hit them. Ness picks up his hat, puts it back on, and rises alongside Lucas once the shark blade attack finishes. He speaks calmly to Lucas in a low voice as they await Tabuu's next move.

"Something just occurred to me. Sonic damaged his wings, but can he still use his Off Waves on us?"

"I think so," says Lucas. "We'll just have a better chance of surviving them."

"If we're able to evade them," corrects Ness.

"Our PSI Magnets won't work," says Lucas. "We'll either have to shield, jump or—look out!"

He grabs Ness and rolls him out of the way as a pair of brackets flies across the stage.

"What is that thing?" demands Ness as it flies back at them. The boys roll aside.

"Look like some gold brackets," says Lucas. "Okay. Next time it comes at us, jump!"

"Got it," says Ness.

They time things carefully and leap over the brackets when they fly towards them again. Suddenly, it sweeps downward at a diagonal trajectory and snatches up Lucas.

"Hey! Put him down!" screams Ness.

And the brackets do just that, slamming Lucas hard against the stage. Ness attempts to run to Lucas to check on him, but the brackets grab and slam him, too. He wriggles on his belly towards his friend and takes his hand for reassurance.

"I'm okay," rasps Lucas.

"Can you get up?"

"Yeah."

The boys struggle up and then charge again at Tabuu, who confuses them by quickly teleporting all over the stage. Suddenly, he splits into duplicates, who waste no time swarming the boys. They attach to them and explode on contact, sending the boys spinning helplessly through the air. Taking advantage, Tabuu turns back into the shark blade and repeatedly rams into them like a supersonic train. Ness and Lucas are now crumpled on the stage, staggering to their feet. But that's when Tabuu takes a cheap shot, quietly moving behind them and—

"Peek-a-boo!" he giggles, delivering a series of rapid slices to both boys. Thanks to their quick thinking, they SDI away, only for Tabuu to pin them onto the stage with his foot.

"This is going to hurt," he promises. "A lot!"

But as he raises his energy blade to strike, two voices stop him in his tracks.

"Hey, pal! Why don't you try that one someone your own size?"

"Poyo!"

Tabuu turns to see King DDD and Kirby, their faces set with anger. "Well, look at this!" he chortles. "The penguin and the alien marshmallow want to help their friends!"

DDD opens his mouth to retort, but then—

"PK Thunder!"

Ness and Lucas take advantage of the distraction to escape from Tabuu's pin.

"Yeeeoooowww!" screams Tabuu, clutching his singed foot.

"Are you two okay?" asks DDD.

"Yeah, thanks to you guys," Ness beams gratefully.

"Yikes, he really worked you two over," gasps DDD, surveying their bruised, bleeding bodies. "Go find a shady spot and recover your strength. Kirby and I will handle this guy!"

"But…" starts Lucas.

"Go!" DDD adamantly repeats.

Lucas takes Ness's hand and heads for safety.

"C'mon, Kirby," says DDD as he and his frenemy drop into their fighting stances. "Let's take this scoundrel down."

Please read and review.