As the kirby stood in the changing rooms, not that he needed changing, he suddenly felt the thirst for combat call from deep within. However, this wasn't to vent some anger, but to show what he's learnt so far to himself and his master. The changing room was a pleasant blue all over; to the tiled floor to the benches, and the kirby fit in coincidently.
He sat outwardly patient, inwardly frantic thoughts dashing this way and that; not staying long enough for an answer to come to fruition. Suddenly his eyes caught of a pristine vending machine and his stomach called…
"Fighter 3-4-8, Knight, come to entrance number 3," the backstage loudspeaker said aloud.
Hunger forgotten, he jumped from the bench and followed the arrows to the correct entrance. There a waddle-dee was waiting, the crowds cheers easily audible. The blue kirby began to feel his first set of nerves.
"You ready there, guy?" The waddle-dee spoke.
The kirby nodded.
"Alright. Hold tight, you'll be on in a few minutes, cool?" That one seemed rhetorical.
The kirby remained still, unblinking. The moment could've lasted for much longer than a few moments, the organiser simply stared outside waiting for something and the kirby patiently waited.
"Aaand, we're up!"
The kirby took a small step forward as it unleashed the explosion of senses. The dry winds kicked up a little sand, the intense heat from the eternal sun's presence and the roars of the crowd. The kirby almost didn't hear his name announced.
"In the red corner, we have Knight!" The announcer declared.
The crowd's cheers increased, which the kirby didn't think was possible at the time. He eyes scanned the people, and it wasn't long before he spotted the recovering Knuckle Joe and his father; the kirby couldn't help but wave and they cheered a little harder.
"In the green corner, we have Serpestrine!" The announcer declared.
From the green corner slid a strange creature. The bottom torso was that of snake, no doubt about that. But the top half had two pairs of arms, shoulders and a hooded head. The bright green scales shimmered in the sun as she walked to face the kirby. As she stopped she rattled her tail, sending a alluring sound which quietened the audience.
"I am grateful to be your opponent, sir. As you heard, I am Serpestrine, Grand Sorceress of the Red Star." She bowed with a certain grace, and then lowered her hood. Her braided hair was slick back, and her face shimmered silver compared to the rest of her body. He noticed that her face wasn't scaly unlike the rest of her body, and a brown blindfold covered her eyes.
"I am Knight, a pleasure to meet you. May the most skilled combatant win," Knight bowed in return and got in a fighting stance.
"Yesss… And the most determined," she said with playful chuckle.
The referee eyes up both combatants, "Are you both ready?"
Both nodded.
"Then… begin!"
With shocking, yet somewhat expected speed, Serpestrine drew and immaculately designed wind pipe and some sort and began to play.
The effects were immediate. The visions in front of the kirby melted away into pure darkness, as the chuckles of his opponent began sink into his ears.
"How admirable. I sense a lot determination in you, you have learnt a lot of lessons," her voice danced around in the darkness, the kirby tried to keep his eyes up with where they were coming from.
"I have nothing to share with you, sorceress." The kirby kept his stance and his guard.
"Oh, there will no sharing. I can sssimply take!" With that, the instant sound snake hissing surrounded the kirby, as the feeling as constant snaking slithering over his feet. He jumped back, but there was none he could see.
Suddenly, he felt an ungentle force take hold of him and lift him into the air. He struggled at first, but quickly stopped; it would've been a waste of energy as it didn't know the cause.
"You're strong. But I am ssstronger! You will break!" She almost screamed this time.
The kirby felt pins dig deep into his feet, then slowly all over his body.
"Yesss… scream in pain. Give in to it… You're MINE!"
"No!" The kirby replied. With that came a surge of power.
Suddenly the kirby snapped awake and was back into the arena, the sound of the crowds came rushing back as well as a slight feeling of nausea.
"Congratulations, you are strong… thisss will be interesssting." Serpestrine spoke as she watched her flute crumble to the ground.
The kirby remained silent and went in for the strike, having enough of games and tricks.
His opponent dodged with skills and precision, as if she was used to fighting someone with such a small stature. She finally struck back with a swipe of her claws, which grew a few inches with a flick of her wrist. Using his light weight to his advantage, the blue kirby jumped and spun in the air to avoid the dangerous weapons.
It wasn't long before the kirby could tell Serpestrine was out of her element; she couldn't keep physical combat up for much longer. In her fatigue, one of her defensive movements faltered, and one the kirby's kicks connected with her face and she was sent skidding across the arena floor.
The kirby went to follow up, but the sorceress quickly got up.
She spat out blue-blood before speaking, "Excellent, excellent. But the crunch is still far away…"
The kirby didn't want her to gain the upper hand once more and he went for her, only be blasted back by a unseen force.
Serpestrine's arms moved in a strange ways and mystical glowing writings began to appear all over her body and she began to hiss in a strange tongue.
The kirby tried to remain calm, but he couldn't. The excitement of something unknown was coursing through him.
With a loud cackle, a blast of something flew straight towards the kirby. Caught by surprise, the kirby took the blast full on. It wasn't before he was knocked into the arena wall did the pain begin to ache and burn but he noticed it began to fade.
"Can you determination beat divine favour?" Serpestrine's voice did indeed carry something otherworldly in its echoes.
The kirby answered the question to himself before pushing the pain aside and charging in. Another blast came, the kirby jumped to one side, quickly recovered and carried on. And another, this time he simply jumped over with a somersault and continued to dash forward. The kirby wasn't far, and his opponent feared this. In a desperate effort she blasted him with a final blast. The kirby couldn't evade, he was too close now. With speed on par with the blast he fired energy from his fist.
"Vulcan Blow!" The kirby cried.
The collision of two powerful forces sent both combatants flying away from each other, spinning and tumbling out of control. The kirby managed to get control and stop himself. He looked around to find kicked up dirt everywhere.
"I am impressed. Truly I am… But I cannot lose to you. Not now."
The kirby couldn't exactly locate Serpestrine's voice. Amongst the airborne dust, two red shimmering orbs, possibly eyes, could be seen. They danced in the air before the dust cleared revealing them to be eyes of Serpestrine and her hair turned out to be snakes which were now animated and reared up and hissing, ready to strike their enemy.
A beam suddenly fired from them, but the kirby managed to dodge it. However, it wasn't a beam of force or destruction he witnessed as he saw the area was in had turned to stone. Fear began to tingle, but it was only engulfed by the determination to win.
"What do you think I am? Some champion looking another trophy to put on his mantelpiece?" The kirby look straight at his enemy, "Do you not think I have my own cause? My own reasons to win?" He could not help but raise his voice; the passion within taking hold. "Do not mistake me for a small, shallow minded aggressive fool." With this his charged, evading any beam or blast that came his way, "Do not think of me as some insignificant block in your path to victory," The kirby managed to get Serpestrine's head and gripped all her hair in both hands, twisting them and forcing to the ground before bouncing back into the air and soaring to heights much further anyone would've guessed he could jump. "I am no mere simpleton with simple ideas. I am a kirby with dreams, a kirby with hope," with the last words he suddenly changed course and came crashing down into the ground slamming and crushing Serpestrine into the ground. Again, a cloud of dust was kicked up. Shakes sent the coliseum rumbling, deep cracks into the ground from the shock of the slam. The kirby landed from his attack and took off his mask, "I am with much love for his brethren he has yet to show. And you, not anyone, will stop me." He looked down at his defeated opponent among the rubble, not the slightest shred of remorse.