In Your Nightmares Chapter 37: The Land of Ice and Stone, a kirby fanfic

In Your Nightmares, The Land of Ice and Stone

By: TheSilverHyena

WARNING! Contains:: Strong Language, Violence, Graphic Description of Gore, and Horrendous Torture Sequences.

'An eye for an eye. I wonder if this is what Vol'drocken was talking about. He did warn us that Nightmare was stronger then before. But so is Kirby! We're all in this together, each one of us protecting the other. I know I should have done more for you, Kirby. I'm not going to fail, and I'm not going to be weak. Just hang in there.'

The Thoughts of Tiff Ebrum

'We've finally made it... the Boarders of the Badlands. Gods know what horrors await us in there... but I am not afraid. No demon, devil, or monster will keep me from reaching my sister. Often at night, I find myself gazing at the feather my mother gave to me... more importantly, the spell written upon it. I've tried casting it, but it was no use. Perhaps I'm not worthy of the magic, or I might have yet to redeem myself for what I have done. Anyway, at least Tiff and I have Dr. Knarks' spell to try out. Odds are good we'll be needing it sooner then later.'

The Thoughts of Kautounie Redsun

'Here I was thinkin' that red forest back there was a bit creepy, this place is downright scary! Kautounie had said somethin' about evil that doesn't sleep or somethin' like that. I'm beginin' to think maybe Escargoon was right. This is even scarier then that haunted house Nightmare Enterprises scared up! No, no, what am I sayin'? That Alphess Redsun had said I was brave and had courage, a true king. Well I am King of Dreamland, and I intend to take back my kingdom! But first I gotta make it through here.'

The Thoughts of King Dedede

'What? It's called 'The Badlands' for a reason! Nothing but rock, dirt, dead trees, snow, and ice from where we stand. There wasn't really anything noteworthy on the way here, not even a single demon beast that we could see. Just snow, and lots of it. But we can't let that lull us into a false sense of security. As soon as those Bloodtooths so much as get a whiff of Redsuns and Star Warriors, they'll be all over us. Good thing my birthday present from the boss lady came early this year! No point in putting sugar on the shit and calling it candy. Time to dive in and kick ass!"

The Thoughts of Geoffrey 'Redsun' Collins

'I have given my crew their orders, they know what to do in my absence. With Dr. Knarks' and Garna's help, I know they'll have the Halberd flying again... just so long as those two don't kill each other. I still have no idea what Geoffrey was thinking. But I suppose if Tiff and King Dedede can work together then anything is possible. Right now, I'm needed here. They all know now, about my choice to take Kirby as my son, and to be fair, I probably should have told them all sooner, though certain ones had already guessed. Throughout this journey, I have missed Kirby's company. Every time I sit down to rest, I look over and expect to see my little warrior cuddle up next to me or use my cape for a blanket. Hmhm, Kirby does adore my cape, even though he has his own now... or at least had his own. Sometimes you just don't know what you have until it's gone. Though there's something else... Kabu mentioned that there would be something to help us in this land of ice and stone. What, he didn't say. All of us must keep vigilant.'

The Thoughts of Sir Meta Knight

'We're-we're being taken from our cell. Where too, I have no... idea. I just can't fathom why Dusk hasn't just turned us over to Nightmare already. But whatever these monsters intend to do with us, I know it can't be anything good. I-I-I'm ashamed to admit... that I'm frightened. I don't want to die in here. Kirby has been my strength ever since we were sentenced to our cruel fate at the hands of our captors. I fear what they are going to do to him."

The Thoughts of Neo Redsun

'Poyo... Kaabii just...just want daddy and Tiff right now. Dusk... poyo... call me his son now. Why? Then why does he do... horrible... poyo... mean things to me and Neo? Kaabii will be strong, daddy, Medi Kni. Kaabii will protect Neo. Even with no armor, no sword... poyo... Kaabii is still a knight... though also still afraid.'

The Thoughts of Kirby

*Felldersai Taa, Dungeons*

Neo and Kirby were pushed along through the prison labyrinth behind Dusk and the lead Bloodtooth pair. All the while, their imagination and fear was starting to take over, even more so after watching some poor soul get dragged into a torture chamber they passed along the way to wherever it was they were being taken. The screams that echoed through the halls frightened Neo enough to make her flinch a little. She hugged Kirby close to her, as best she could with shackled hands.

"Keep moving, Redsun dog!" grunted one of the demon beasts guiding her.

Neo yelped a little when she was shoved forward, causing her to stumble. Due to her wounds and lack of proper care, the young Redsun collapsed to the floor. She twisted around just in time to make sure that she took the brunt of the fall and that Kirby didn't get hurt as bad. When she landed, the little cub didn't realize right away that Kirby had rolled out of her arms. Neo lay there on the filthy floor for a moment, breathing heavily. Tears rolled down Kirby's face as he struggled to free himself from his bonds so he could help his friend.

"Poyo... Neo!" Kirby chirped.

As Neo was forced back to her feet by her guards, Dusk and the Bloodtooth royalty had turned around to see just what was going on. Kirby began to tremble violently, pushing himself with his feet in a feeble attempt to get away from Dusk. Meanwhile, Zorra inspected Neo, turning her from side to side, eventually deciding that she was fine before giving a minor warning to the guards not to, in his words, 'start the party early.'

"Oh... what's the matter, my little cub?" Dusk asked in a frighteningly gentle tone of voice as he reached out to Kirby with his hand.

Never before had Kirby felt so ill. Every time Dusk laid his hands upon him, it sent shivers throughout Kirby's entire body.

"Poyo... no... Medi Kni..." Kirby whimpered, closing his eyes.

"You forget. There's no 'Medi Kni' for you here, not yet, anyway." Dusk chuckled, "I'm daddy now... can't you say it? You've learned to speak considerably better then the last time I saw you, my little warrior."

Kirby only shook his head no, causing Dusk to sigh. Very well. Miachang picked Kirby up off the ground and handed the restrained warrior back to Neo. She snapped her jaws just about and inch away from Neo's face before turning around to continue.

"Kirby... are you alright?" Neo whispered, earning an angry look from one of her guards.

The little puffball in her arms swallowed dryly and nodded once. They were forced on a little further, coming to a large room that had the barred door left open. Neo and Kirby both felt their stomachs churn. It was a torture chamber, that much was for certain. The room was filled was various devices designed for inflicting pain. Along the left hand wall was a rack lined with different sorts of knives and whips, each one looking progressively more and more painful. Chains with thick, leather shackles hung from the ceiling and on the walls. Against the back wall, past the instruments of torture, was a small pit, sort of like the fighting pits Garna had back in her night club, just much less cheerful and without any safety precautions. The floors were dotted with drains, many of which still had blood slowly flowing into them.

Neo gasped in horror and Kirby buried himself into her fur, shutting his eyes and shivering. The smell alone made him want to throw up. All the while, their hearts began to race.

"Prince Zorra and I thought you little ones might like to get out of your cage for a while," Dusk began, motioning to the guards to bring Kirby and Neo closer to the pit.

Now that they were closer, Neo and Kirby both saw the other zwetoock that was restrained by a set of manacles attached to the wall behind him, keeping him immobile. He must have been one of those zwetoocks Neo and Kirby saw the day they were first being dragged inside. The poor creature was obviously neglected, as he was nothing more then skin and bone. Wildly, he bit at his bonds in frustration, doing more damage to himself then anything else. It was now Neo could see that he no longer had his claws. They must have only just been removed, as the finger tips were caked with freshly dried blood.

"What is this?!" Neo gasped in pure, and utter disgust.

"You'll see." Dusk snorted as Miachang took Kirby from Neo's arms and motioned for the demon beasts to chain up the Redsun cub where Kirby could clearly see her.

Kirby could only watch helplessly as Neo was restrained by her wrists and ankles. The chains were hoisted in such a way as to make movement near impossible. Already the tight bonds were causing a painful strain in Neo's muscles. To make matters worse, two of the other male Bloodtooths, including the one that had 'helped' with bandaging her up earlier that day, began to sniff around the restrained cub, paw and feel her, savoring the moments that were sure to come.

"Poyo... Neo... let Neo go!" Kirby demanded, struggling to free himself from his own bonds.

"No, you're going over here, little one." Dusk directed, taking the bound Star Warrior into the pit where the other zwetoock was restrained with Zorra, "Don't you worry, Neo's still going to be able to watch over you."

"Kirby, whatever it is they want you to do, don't do it! Don't give in!" Neo shouted.

She was quieted by a rough paw being placed around her mouth. Satisfied, Dusk and Zorra continued, while Miachang watched from the edge of the pit, off to the side, so that Kirby could still get a good look at Neo.

Kirby cried out, shrinking back fearfully when Zorra approached him holding a sharp bone knife. The Bloodtooth Prince said something that Kirby couldn't understand, then, against the little pink puffball's expectations, used the knife to cut his bonds. Kirby stayed very still for a moment, unsure of what was going on. By now, the amount of people in the pit was causing the chained zwetoock that was already in there to yip and bay in a frenzy.

"Poyo?" Kirby asked, his voice shaking with fright.

Dusk placed his hand on Kirby's head, lightly stroking the child, then Zorra began barking and snapping at Kirby, pointing at the chained prisoner just six feet or so away from the baby star warrior. He grew irritated when Kirby didn't obey his commands, eventually snapping his jaws and even taking a swipe at Kirby with his paw.

"Easy, your highness! Kirby doesn't speak nor understand the language of the zwetoocks. He has enough trouble speaking in the common tongue!" Dusk said, inserting himself between the upset prince and his prisoner.

Prince Zorra stopped his attack and backed away, though he was still unhappy. Shaking uncontrollably, Kirby looked up to his captor, confused and frightened.

"What my friend was trying to say, was that so far in your young life, little star, is that you've only ever taken life in self defense." Dusk translated, "Demon beasts to be exact, soulless monsters born and bred for war."

Nervously, Kirby nodded. Yes, Meta Knight had trained him to fight, and to fight well, but only when he had too. He was still taught not to take life meaninglessly, as that was not the way of a Knight of the Galaxy Soldier Army.

"Well, that's going to change," Dusk growled, his voice hardening, "You see that poor, helpless wretch over there? Guess what? You're going to kill him. But not right away. Prince Zorra's going to be teaching you how to torture a victim for a while, first." he explained, pointing to the restrained zwetoock.

Kirby could not believe what he was hearing. These monsters were going to have HIM torture some helpless prisoner? That sick feeling was creeping back inside, this time causing Kirby to have a physical reaction.

"Po-yo... No! Medi Kni would never do such thing... neither will Kaabii!" Kirby started, looking up too Dusk with defiance and anger.

"He's just a Stargazer, Kirby. You don't know him, why should you care? Stargazers are wild barbarians, crossing Horva on horseback, raiding towns, stealing supplies and enslaving so-called, innocent people. Why, if we let this dog off his chains, he'd probably just assume attack you too." Dusk explained, "And did I forget to mention that if you refuse or resist in any way... then she will pay the price with her flesh and blood for your mistakes!" he finished, pointing to Neo.

"Kirby... KIRBY, he lies! The Stargazers-!" Neo shouted, before she was silenced by her guards.

Now it was all beginning to make sense. Kirby felt his heart beat faster, even more so as Zorra handed him a small knife. Either Neo got hurt if he refused, or if he did bow to their commands, he'd go against everything his father and mentor had taught him. See his one friend in this horrible place in pain or betray his father. Those were his choices. Either way, he lost. Tears flowed down Kirby's blushed cheeks as he gazed at his helpless friend. Zorra began yipping and barking, to which Dusk translated.

"It's either going to be this Stargazer rebel you've never met, or sweet, little Neo, who has been taking care of you since your arrival to Felldersai. In the end, one of them shall be hurt by your hand," Dusk purred in Kirby's ear, "Which one shall it be?"

How could Kirby be asked to make this choice? He glanced back to the Stargazer in the pit, who gazed back at the smaller warrior, his sullen, brown eyes pleading for mercy, then back to Neo, who was his friend.

"Kirby, don't do it! Don't bow to their will! It's not worth undoing everything you've been taught!" Neo screamed, "You're a Star Warrior, Kirby! It is not by your hand that I would endure pain, but theirs! Don't do it!"

Kirby shakily started forward to where Zorra stood, all the while Neo's screams echoed in his ears. He felt very weak and had a hard time walking. His eyes occasionally darted to Winterclaw, which Dusk still had by his side. Yet, his captors had given him a weapon, willingly. It was a small blade, but as he knew all too well, even a small blade could contain a sword beam, if he could just gather the strength for it.

Zorra stooped over Kirby expectantly, pointing to the chained up Stargazer. Kirby shook his head, taking a step back.

"No, not what Medi Kni would do!" Kirby chided.

He jumped when he heard Neo scream in pain. Kirby couldn't be too sure what had just been done to her, but it was quite clear that they were hurting her.

"See? Look at what you did to her." Dusk scolded.

"Poyo..." Kirby nodded sadly.

"KIRBY! Don't give in. This is what they want. Don't give them what they want!" Neo howled, "Be strong, Kirby!"

Now Kirby glared up at Dusk, holding his knife tightly in his hand. Zorra's orders feel on deaf ears as Kirby prepared himself. He may have been weak, but he would put that knife given to him to good use.

"Well? What are-SHIT!" Dusk shouted, ducking when a sword beam came flying his way.

The crescent shaped blade of light was considerably smaller and weaker compared to the sword beams Kirby had preformed in the past, though it did take out one of Neo's demon beast guards and had destroyed a few torture devices before fading away. Even though the attack missed it's intended target, when Dusk moved to avoid it, he had reopened his previous injury, as his bandages were quickly turning red.

Kirby had also become considerably weaker after using the sword beam. It drained what energy he had left, causing him to collapse to the cold, stone floor. Before he could move, Zorra roughly grabbed the insubordinate captive and handed him to the guards so he could be chained up next to Neo for punishment. Miachang, meanwhile, had leaped from her perch and to Dusk's side.

"Dusk, we must get you out of here and back upstairs." Miachang urged as she helped Dusk out of the torture pit.

"No... I need to make sure your husband doesn't kill my son or the little dragon," Dusk panted, grasping at his side.

Kirby struggled to free himself, but there was no way he was moving anywhere. Eventually, he was restrained in the same position as Neo, though he was suspended from the ceiling, his feet dangling, then two more shackles were placed around his ankles to prevent him from swinging. Then the chains were tightened up, removing any and all slack. Fearfully, Kirby looked over to Neo, his heart beating faster every second.

"Kirby... it's going to be okay." Neo whispered, her tears wetting the floor beneath her feet, "Just relax your body as much as you can... it'll only hurt more if you don't."

"Poyo... sorry... Neo..." Kirby sobbed, wriggling as much as he could.

Out the corner of his eye, the pink batamon could see Zorra make his selection from the rack against the wall; a multi-lashed whip, each end topped with a sharp metal prong of some sort. He cracked the whip a few times along the ground from behind the prisoners, just so they could hear it first.

"Kirby... Kirby listen to me... don't let your thoughts be consumed by this darkness," Neo whimpered, "Just look at me, no matter what you hear, no matter what happens. Keep your eyes on me, okay?"

Kirby apprehensively nodded, flinching when he heard the whip crack behind them again. Neo managed a weak smile, not taking her eyes off of Kirby.

"Gag them!" Dusk ordered to the guards, "I don't want them biting off their tongues or anything."

As the guards carried out Dusk's orders, making sure they gagged the captives in the most painful way possible, the bounty hunter examined his prisoners in turn, surveying their strength, estimating how much they might endure.

"You know, my son, I'm a little disappointed in you. Your 'Medi Kni' would be disappointed in you too." Dusk sighed, gazing up to Kirby, "I expected so much more from you, my little warrior. Zorra, my prince... you have been waiting patiently."

'Mmph!" Kirby cried through the gag cutting into his mouth.

Remembering Neo's earlier words, he tore his gaze away from Dusk and focused on Neo. Kirby trembled violently as he broke into a cold sweat, mortal terror engulfing him. It was agonizing just waiting for the pain that was to come, not knowing when it would strike. Then the first lash lash struck. Kirby's eyes shut in pain as droplets of blood were sprayed in every which direction. His pained yelp was silenced only a little by the gag in his mouth. Next it was Neo's turn. She jerked painfully against her bonds, howling in agony. With every crack of the whip, they felt themselves growing weaker and weaker. Kirby closed his eyes, trying to think about something other then the pain and darkness surrounding him. He thought about training in the castle courtyard with Meta Knight, how after their lessons he would often take Kirby to his apartment and they would have tea together. Or when he and Tiff would curl up by the fire on a stormy night and she would read a book to him. Even more recent memories, like when Geoffrey was at first scared of him, or how Neo had saved Meta Knight's life the night they first met. Going to the Knight Club for the first time with all his friends. Cuddling up under his father's cape after sword practice. So many good things, something this evil could not take away, not yet, anyway.

Neither one of them could say for certain how long the flogging had gone on, only that with every swing, Zorra was enjoying himself more and more. When Kirby and Neo both looked like they were about ready to pass out from the pain and blood loss, Zorra stopped, putting the bloodstained whip back on the rack. Neo's and Kirby's backs were raw and flaring with pain, the blood and sweat dripping from their bodies slowly going down the drains in the floor.

"I think that's enough for now." Dusk commented, surveying the lashes crisscrossing his captives' backs, "Take the cubs back to their cell. After you see to those, of course." he added, pointing to the fresh, open wounds both Kirby and Neo and received from the flogging.

While Dusk, Zorra, and Miachang left the torture room to take care of other matters, The remaining demon beast and the two Bloodtooths decided to have a little more fun with the captives. Neo yelped through her gag as a bucket of ice cold water was poured over her to clean the blood and gore out of her wounds. It wasn't long before Kirby was given the same treatment. All the while, they were verbally abused, and one of the Bloodtooths started to rub himself against Neo, causing her to whimper and turn her head away with her eyes squeezed shut. Nothing was given to either of them to dull the pain, only cold water to wash the injuries and crude bandages to staunch the bleeding.

Kirby trembled uncontrollably, sobbing and lowering his eyes in defeat as his tormentor circled him, lightly trailing a finger through one of the injuries that had yet to be dressed.

"Don't you worry, you'll be with you sweet, daddy Meta Knight soon enough..." the demon beast hissed to Kirby in a mock baby voice, "In Hell!" he laughed.

IYNMs~IYNMs~IYNMs~IYNMs~IYNMs~IYNMs~

Kirby and Neo both woke up in the dark. They didn't remember when, but they must have been put back into their cell and then passed out. Both were laying on the floor, still wet from the water that had been splashed over them. Neo tried to move, whimpering as she did. It would be best to just lay still for now. Kirby shivered next to her, curled in a fetal position.

"Neo..." Kirby cried, "Kaabii sorry."

"There's nothing... for you ...to be sorry for, my little friend." Neo whispered, weakly putting her arms around Kirby in an effort to keep him warm.

The two of them were immobile at the moment from the pain, but at least the young warriors had the satisfaction that they did not give Dusk and the Bloodtooths what they wanted. If anything, they now had a glimpse into Dusk's plan. Perhaps while he waited for the others to arrive, which was inevitable, the Bloodtooths and Dusk were going to try and retrain Kirby, possibly turn him into a demon beast, or make him easier for Nightmare to turn into a demon beast by weakening him with this torture. Dusk had used Neo as an incentive for Kirby to do what he wanted, but it had backfired right in his face.

"Kirby... I'm-I'm very proud of you... you were very brave..." Neo said, gently, "Sir Meta Knight would be proud."

"Poyo... you very brave too, Neo." Kirby chirped, "Strong like Kauto..."

Neo laid her head on her arms, careful not to put pressure on her sore wrists. Before drifting off, Neo gave Kirby a zwetoock kiss to the forehead. She smiled, if only a little, when she felt the baby warrior coo slightly. There wasn't much more either of them could do but just wait for their next tormentor to arrive... or their knights in shining armor.

*Throne Room*

After Dusk had his injury patched up, he made his way to the throne room. It had been nearly a week since his last transmission with Nightmare. During most of that time, he was asleep, due to his illness and wound. Miachang was still growing irritated, as her urges for Dusk to return to his room and rest fell on deaf ears, as did her insistence that he put out that foul-smelling smoke stick he had clenched in his mouth. For the stress and the pain, he had said... yeah... right!

"Ah... just the man I wanted to see." Dusk announced upon entering the throne room, holding out his arms when he saw Nightmare was already online and waiting.

A hell hound, which was the only other occupant of the throne room, who had been keeping his grace entertained, hastily bowed and left, as fast as his legs would carry him. The wraith lord cocked his head curiously to one side when he saw Dusk shudder in pain and drop his cigarette, holding onto his bandaged side with the unmistakeable look of agony on his face.

"Dusk... what the hell has been going on over there?! It's been five days and not a word from you, my fleets have scattered and I've lost communications with my demon beasts!" Nightmare snarled, "And you... what the hell happened to you?"

"Ah, glad you asked. Apparently when you set your Destroyers on Thea'or, it attracted the attention of a pack of primitive dogs called the Redsuns. As soon as they caught wind of your painted dragon, I saw with my own eyes that their alphess summoned no less then three Horvian Dragons and sent them to retaliate!" Dusk explained, "And one of them was the size of a small town!"

"Dragons?" Nightmare asked, slightly alarmed.

Dusk groaned, both from annoyance and from pain, "Yes, Your Grace, dragons. You know, giant fire breathing reptiles that fly?"

"I know what they are, Dusk!"

"Anyway, they certainly complicated things, but as we both predicted, the Halberd showed up. I can't really say as for the whole story what happened, but from as near as I can tell, your painted dragon was defeated, though she did take out one of Tamoko's dragons, I might mention," Dusk paused for a moment, catching his strained breath, "Now, onto the best part of my report, after a rather epic battle aboard the Halberd, I have successfully captured both Kirby and Neo... alive."

Although Nightmare wasn't happy with all the news greeting his ears, he did perk up upon learning that Kirby and Neo had been taken captive.

"I see. And what of the others?" Nightmare inquired.

"Eheh, all in good time, Your Grace." Dusk explained, "I sort of had to pick and choose, but with fresh, live bait it's only a matter of time before the rest of Kirby's friends walk right into Felldersai of their own free will." he added, smirking darkly, "And they have been warned, if they decided to bring any of their dragons with them, I'd kill Kirby and Neo both. Naturally I was lying to them, but what they don't know wont hurt them... or will it? By the way, a little off subject, I had ordered those missing parts for my monster transporter before your little war took off... why have I not received them yet?"

Nightmare hunched his shoulders, moving his frightening visage closer to his monitor screen, glowering at Dusk. How dare he speak to him that way!

"What about that thorn in my side, has she and her dog been taken care of?" Nightmare demanded, ignoring Dusk's previous inquiry.

"Yes, Your Grace. Garna has been neutralized. Her base of operation was leveled to the ground and your demons killed off a large portion of her guildsmen. Plus I gave both her and her wolfwrath a bullet from my gun... of course she also gave me Venomancer... right to the gut." Dusk mentioned, stroking his bandages gently.

Upon hearing that story, Nightmare quirked an eyebrow. Dusk was stabbed with Venomancer yet he was still alive? To prove that he had the dagger, Dusk pulled Venomancer out of it's sheath and showed it to the demon lord.

"Impressive... maybe you are stronger then I thought," Nightmare mused.

"And, you will be pleased to know that Prince Zorra has been working on a new regimen for your little pink puffball during his stay," Dusk announced, "When you finally get Kirby in your claws, you'll be able to shatter his spirit like brittle stained glass."

"Hmhmhmhmmmm, excellent. Some good news. Now then Dusk... what about this Star Warrior spy our four legged friend just told me about?"

Dusk opened up his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He wasn't quite sure what to say, he hadn't thought up any really good stories yet. Most of his time had been spent down in the dungeons helping Zorra to undo Kirby's previous training.

"Ah! About that, Your Grace..." Dusk said, nervously.

He glanced over his shoulder, realizing that he was not alone. Gerard's and Balor's ghosts both flitted into the room, just to snicker a little, before fading away yet again. Their forms may have been gone, but Dusk knew that they were hanging around to watch the show.

"I'm waiting!" Nightmare hissed, dangerously.

*Somewhere else in the Badlands*

Talon panted heavily as she perched in a dry, black tree to rest her tired wings. She was quite a ragged mess, even baring a few scrapes and cuts from where some lone demon beast had tried to catch her, thinking the bird a tasty treat. The owl hadn't had a scrap of food nor drink of water in days, though she didn't really care about that. Shortly after Neo had summoned her and sent her on her mission, Talon had felt her connection to her princess severed. This worried her. She couldn't tell what was going through Neo's mind, she couldn't see through her eyes, nor feel what Neo felt.

"Focus, bird, focus! Got to find big sis, big brother, and Meta Knight." Talon hooted, sternly to herself as she ruffled up her feathers for warmth, "My princess can't stay in that evil place anymore."

The Badlands were a huge, vast territory, and a lot of the scenery looked the same, with the exception of a few landmarks, of course, like Felldersai Taa or the Dead Mountain for instance. Talon thought for a moment, she had been flying for five days in a straight line. Surely she should be reaching the boarders of the Gods forsaken place soon. Talon turned her head around, taking a good look at her surroundings as a pale gray fog began to roll in.

Then something moving in the distance caught Talon's attention, someone was coming in from behind her. Talon tensed, thinking that it might be another demon beast, or worse, a Bloodtooth. However, when the form got closer, she realized that it was not either of those two things. It was a girl, about the size of Tiff. She looked to be just as ragged as Talon right about now, her long, white hair a mess, held back by a green bandana. This girl had obviously not been planning to be traveling in such a cold environment, as all she was wearing was a sleeveless orange jumpsuit with a green cape and shoulder guards. It was when she got closer, did Talon see the girl's piercing eyes, almost like a bird of prey herself, and the heavy leather gauntlets. She looked worn out, even baring some wounds that looked recent, yet at the same time, she also appeared to be very determined. All this girl carried was some sort of unique weapon Talon had never seen before.

Talon didn't know why, but something deep down inside was telling her to guide this person to Kautounie and Meta Knight. Everything about this girl was telling Talon 'Star Warrior'. Perhaps it was some lingering part of Neo's consciousness that could never be fully severed. Besides, this girl looked like she could use help too. It's what Neo would have done. As soon as the girl was close enough, Talon spoke.

"Star Warrior? What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Talon asked, unfurling her wings slightly, just in case she needed to take off in a hurry.

She screeched loudly when the girl whipped out her weapon, forming it into some sort of gun. Talon stumbled out of the tree, awkwardly flapping her wings so as not to crash land on the sharp stones and dirt below.

"What?! Who said that?!" the girl demanded, her breathing heavy as she looked around, before her eyes fell on Talon.

"Me... Hmph... is it customary for Star Warriors to just whip out their guns at every bird they see?" Talon grumbled as she righted herself, her amber eyes gazing back at the girl reproachfully.

Now the girl had a baffled, not to mention slightly scared look on her face. She held her gun at the ready, though she didn't fire. So far, this strange, talking owl had been the only thing that hadn't attacked her since she landed on this planet.

"You must not be from around here... hmmm? If I had to guess, I'd say Star Warrior." Talon chided.

"How... how do you know what a Star Warrior is?" the girl demanded, "Furthermore, where am I, and what are those two legged mangy dog things that have been hounding me nonstop?"

"I'm pressed for time, so I'll be brief! My Neo is friends with three of them, one girl that looks like you, a small pink tasty one that's imprisoned with my Neo, and the one called Sir Meta Knight." Talon explained. "By the way, the name is Talon, nice to meet you, strange girl. You're in the Badlands, and it's called that for a reason. Lastly, strange girl, you speak of zwetoocks, of which my Neo is one! But not like those nasty Bloodtooths! Oh... nasty Bloodtooths and Dusk take my Neo away!"

Now the girl was wide eyed; Talon could stop once she mentioned Meta Knight.

"Sir Meta Knight?! He's here on this planet?! Where?"

"If I knew where he was I wouldn't be here, strange girl! My Neo sent me to look for him... but at least I found something." Talon huffed.

The 'strange girl' eyed Talon quizzically. If this bird were a demon beast, she probably would have attacked her already. Right now, she was alone on this planet, and both her and Talon were in mutual need of a friend. Plus, this bird claimed to know Meta Knight, though she still had no clue who exactly this 'Neo' person was.

"Fair enough, but I've got some things I need to get from my ship... if that gray bastard didn't raid it after those dogs of his drove me off," the girl said, grumbling those last few words to herself, "My name's Sirica, by the way, not strange girl."

Talon spread her wings and flitted into the air, hovering above her new companion, "Well, lets not wait, Sirica. There's a Meta Knight to find! Can't keep my Neo waiting any longer. Though I'll say, you still look like a strange girl to me."

Sirica managed a smirk before trudging on through the tough, snow covered ground. This Talon was a strange one, but perhaps she could lead her to Meta Knight. The two stayed within visual range of each other as they moved. Thankfully for Sirica, Talon was flying in the direction in which her ship had, ahem, 'landed'. Suddenly, both owl and star warrior flinched when a loud shriek echoed through the ghostly terrain. Next was the loud neighing of horses and war cries, followed by a howl.

"I know that voice! Kautounie! She's here! She must have brought Meta Knight with her!" Talon screeched, zipping ahead.

Sirica readied her gun, sprinting after the odd bird. Through the fog, they could make out a skirmish taking place. Time to join the brawl.

*On the Boarders of the Badlands*

Once the group had reached the boarders of the Badlands, they took a moment to stare at the scenery. Thin, gray fog lightly covered the hard, snowy ground. In the far distance was a mountain range, the largest of which was the volcano known as The Dead Mountain, where the Bloodtooth throne resided. Thick clouds covered the skies. The sun never shined here. Not many who went into the Demon's Mouth came out. Others who did survive often slipped into madness. Good thing the team about to attempt such a daring rescue was already mad!

"This place... it's pretty freaky." King Dedede shuddered.

"You ain't seen nothing yet. I'd keep that two-ton hammer of yours within reach at all times." Geoffrey suggested, starting forward.

Gunner snorted and reared up, kicking and stomping his hooves angrily. The other horses, even the gentle Gyaroppu acted in much the same way.

"Whoa!" Tiff cried out, gripping her mount's saddle for dear life.

"Easy, Diesel!" Kautounie cried out, patting her steed's neck, "Already have wind of something you don't like, hmm?" she added, taking in a few deep sniffs and looking around, "So do I, boy. So do I."

Meta Knight held onto Geoffrey, though he couldn't suppress his annoyed grunt. King Dedede on the other hand, tumbled right off his horse, landing on the hard ground below.

"Damn it! I'm walkin' from this point on!" King Dedede snorted, taking hold of Merrick's reins with a grumble.

"Hmmm, works for us." Tiff scoffed, "Looks like we wont need to worry about outrunning demon beasts."

"Whatcha goin' on about, girlie?"

"No, we'll just need to outrun you."

King Dedede's eyes went wide with fear as he put together what Tiff was saying. Kautounie cocked her head, as if to say 'well?' Frantically, the self-proclaimed king scrambled onto Merrick's back. It wasn't the proper way to mount a steed, but at least he was getting a little better.

The group traveled in silence for a while, ever alert for danger that could be lurking in the fog. So far, it had been desolate and quiet, and that's what was troubling.

"What's that up ahead?" Kautounie asked, pointing.

They sped up to get a better look at this thing. Amongst the boulders and a few dead trees was what looked to be a spaceship that had crashed, recently, within the week by the looks of it. But once the team got closer, they stopped. Kautounie was the first to notice it, then the others. The smell of blood and rotting flesh hung heavy in the air. All around the wrecked ship were dead bodies, mostly zwetoocks, but there were a couple of horse corpses as well. Kautounie and Meta Knight dismounted to investigate.

"For the most part, it looks like these zwetoocks killed each other." Kautounie observed, turning over a banner she had found beside one of the corpses, revealing an image of a powerful horse, "Stargazers, that would explain the horses. Bloodtooths prefer to use demon beasts as mounts."

"Indeed, it looks like there were demon beasts here too," Meta Knight mused, quietly drawing his sword.

Although most of the wounds on the dead looked to have been caused by claws, teeth, arrows, and swords and other close combat weapons, there were a few with gunshots as well. Just by the size alone, Geoffrey could confirm that they were fired from a high powered revolver. However, there were a few that were a bit of a mystery. Kautounie didn't recognize a particular scent still lingering on the battlefield, though it was all over a couple dead Bloodtooths that had more holes shot in them then Swiss cheese.

"Okay, I'm not quite sure what caused that," Geoffrey admitted, "Maybe a machine gun or an automatic rifle?"

"They're dead." Tiff sighed, growing somewhat impatient, "What does it matter what they were shot with?"

"Tiff... I did mention that dead bodies are well known to get right back up here in the Badlands." Kautounie mentioned. "There's a lot of Black Necromancy and Demonology practiced in these parts."

"Dead bodies... getting back up?" King Dedede asked, becoming more and more unsure if it was such a good idea to come in the first place.

"Come on, King, haven't you ever watched The Walking Dead?" Geoffrey inquired with a snort.

After going over the corpses, (and making sure that they were not the sort that got back up,) Meta Knight led the others into the wrecked ship's open door. The old knight couldn't be certain, but he knew this ship from somewhere, and so did Tiff and even Dedede.

"That scent... it's strong in here!" Kautounie said, her ears perking.

The ship wasn't really a whole lot to look at. Mostly it was just a single room with a pod-like sleeping chamber in the center. There was a computer at the helm, which was sparking a little, and a cargo hold in the back which looked like someone had gone through.

While trying to find the origin of that new scent, Kautounie let out a loud snarl, her fur bristling.

"What is it, Kautounie?" Geoffrey asked.

"Dusk! He was here!" Kautounie growled, "I'd know that bastard's smell anywhere."

Meta Knight tensed up a little. He didn't like thinking of that gray bounty hunter, as when he did, his thoughts often turned to senseless violence.

"Hey Meta Knight, what if this here ship belongs to that one little girl with the big attitude?" King Dedede asked, "The one that tore my castle apart and tried to kill you. You remember, right?"

"Of course I remember, how could I forget?" Meta Knight grunted.

"Sirica..." Tiff muttered.

"Great, that's all we need. Someone else to try and kill us." Geoffrey groaned.

"No, no, Sirica is our ally now. It was a misunderstanding, you see," Meta Knight explained, "She was... under the impression that I had stolen Galaxia and left her mother, Garlude, to die at the hands of a terrible demon beast."

Kautounie and Geoffrey glanced to each other. This sounded like it might have been an interesting story. Geoffrey vaguely knew of The Lady Garlude; Garna had a small memorial of her in her office... which was more then likely destroyed when Thea'or was leveled to the ground. She and Sir Meta Knight had battled side by side. However, the sudden sound of panicked neighs and snorts from their mounts and the loud, hungry groans and moans from outside quickly grabbed everyone's attention.

Kautounie whipped her head around, snarling, "Bloodtooths!"

"Good, I've been waiting all week to try this out!" Geoffrey exclaimed, drawing Nivendethas out from under his duster and adjusting his cowboy hat, giving him the appearance of a high tech western gunfighter.

He savored the feeling of the Smith and Wesson 500 in his hands, anticipating the moment in which he would take down some demon beasts with it.

Tiff whipped Wicked out of her sheath and joined her companions while King Dedede readied his hammer. Outside, they were greeted by a small scouting party of Bloodtooth zwetoocks, of which there were two females and three males, the females easily distinguished by their red and dark purple manes. However, their numbers had increased, due to the once dead bodies that had been animated into undead on the Bloodtooth mage's command.

With soulless eyes, all the freshly animated corpses turned to the group and shambled forward, mouths open and arms outstretched. Kautounie pumped Matilda once and took aim.

"Your majesty... the mask Tamoko gave to you, put it on!" Meta Knight whispered harshly, as Galaxia glowed brightly with power as he prepared his sword beam.

Nervously, King Dedede took the iron mask out of his robes and put it on. Suddenly, the penguinoid felt a surge of power flow throughout his entire body. His mallet, which was once made of wood, was now solid steel instead.

"Yeah! This is a crown fit for a king!" King Dedede exclaimed, hefting his steel hammer in front of him as it began to spark with electricity.

"Untamed One! Holy Nightmare awaits you!" one of the female Bloodtooths shouted, "Take him alive, kill the others should they resist!"

Meta Knight's eyes narrowed as his his cape transformed into wings. Untamed One, how he hated that name! At least Geoffrey's nicknames were a sign of endearment and friendship, if not always so dignified. The group of warriors stepped off the ship and onto the ground to face their attackers. Five Bloodtooths and a horde of undead. All things considered, a fair match up.

"If anyone shall die today, it's you!" Kautounie snarled, pulling Matilda's trigger.

She howled loudly, letting her song fill the hearts of her comrades with courage. Now... the fight was on.

::TO BE CONTIUED::

Author's Notes:: So, what to say, well, I swear up and down that I must have read and reread this chapter fifteen times, the last time being last night. It's been in the works for about two months or so, but I'm glad that I waited to post until now. (I'll be honest, that little Walking Dead joke towards the end was sort of a last minute thing. And if your upset about the minor spoiler, you ought to know me by now and know to read the story before the description!) By the way, the Walking Dead is a freaking awesome show... but moving on.

Sooooo, we've got some rather graphic torture sequences, which some may find disturbing, and the more it frightens you, the better I must be getting. (I've been getting much inspiration from American Horror Story: Asylum). Poor Neo and Kirby. Either betray your adopted daddy or let Neo suffer. Kind of caught between a rock and a hard place there. And, remember the 'little girl that got away' Gerard had mentioned back in Chapter 31? Here she is! I LOVE Sirica (Silica for you fans of the Japanese version). She's tough, strong willed, spirited, a match for even the great Sir Meta Knight, and most important of all, she has the voice of the ORIGINAL Ash Ketchum! And I'm talkin' Ash in Kanto with the original 150 Pokemon, thank you very much. *deep sigh* Anywho, just thought I'd get that out of the way. So, Kirby and Neo are hanging on, but how long can they hold out? Even the strongest warrior has his/her limits. I know it was mean of me to leave you guys with yet another cliffhanger, but I want you to come back frothing at the mouth, waiting for more! Until next time... out!