"You know, Ribbon" Adeleine asked the next day, "These crystals were spread across the whole solar system, right?"
"Yeah"
"So That means they'd be found at other planets than Pop Star, right?"
"Yes"
"Eh? Other planets?" Kirby hadn't thought of that. "How are we going to get there?"
"Um" Ribbon stuttered, "I'm not sure, but I think that the crystal can act as a portal."
"A portal, eh?" King Dedede murmured. "Well, it had better; I didn't leave my huge castle for no reason."
"We've searched Pop Star pretty well," Waddle Dee added. "That last crystal shard we got was from that giant apple tree We have 12 now, right?"
"Right," Ribbon answered. "And I don't think there are any more here, but, I'm sure some landed on Rock Star"
"But how will we get to Rock Star?" Adeleine pressed. "We need a portal or spacecraft of some such!"
"Well," Ribbon started, "I'm sure—"
Ribbon didn't finish, since just then the crystal flew from her grasp, glowing. It then turned into a star-shaped portal, showing Rock Star.
"See?" Ribbon pointed to it. "A portal to Rock Star. Let's go!" She flew into the portal.
"Well I'm all for it!" Kirby jumped in after her.
"Wait for me!" Waddle Dee went next.
"Here goes nothing" Adeleine jumped in too.
"Guess I'll stick with them." King Dedede was last.
Then the portal closed, and the crystal went flying to the next world, Rock Star
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"This place"
"Is as barren as"
"A desert!"
"Dessert?" Kirby asked hopefully.
"I said desert'!" King Dedede roared at him.
Adeleine and Ribbon looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Gee guys," Adeleine slyly stated, "All I see around is sand, hills of sand, sandy rocks This certainly looks like a desert to me!"
"Ditto," Ribbon agreed.
"It's hot enough to be a desert too," Waddle Dee moaned. "I hope we find some type of shade."
"Eh?" King Dedede suddenly stopped the group. "Do you see that?"
"See what?" Kirby asked.
"Don't question me," King Dedede snapped. "Over there, in the sand, I see something moving."
Ribbon flew up higher to get a look. "He's right! It looks like something's about to come out of the sand!"
Just as she spoke, the others saw it, too, as a purple ship emerged from the sand!
"Whoah" Adeleine murmured, "perfect setting for a painting! A purple ship, in the middle of a sandy desert"
"We don't have time for that!" Kirby told her. "Let's see what's up with this ship!"
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A few hours later, Kirby-tachi was on board the ship, near the top, and had found several Crystal Shards.
"I wonder who owns this thing," Waddle Dee wondered aloud.
"I dunno," Adeleine answered. She kept stopping to make quick sketches. Waddle Dee noticed that she was drawing him, with a bewildered look on his face. "Hey! Cut that out!"
Adeleine chuckled and turned the page. "Least you didn't see any of my drawings of King Dedede"
"Pardon? Did you say something about me?" Dedede demanded.
"Uh, no and remember," she quickly added, "Since we're not on Pop Star anymore, you can't render any punishment to any of us, your highness." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Ah," King Dedede remained calm, "Very true, Miss Adeleine, but once we get back to Pop Star, I am in control, and I will be sure to tell whomever you live with what a mean, traitorous little girl you are."
Adeleine shrugged. "So? They already know that!'
"Shh!" Kirby told all to be quiet. "Look, guys, see that up there?" Kirby pointed to the roof. There was an elevator leading up to a top hatch.
"Suppose that's the top?" Waddle Dee suggested.
"Well, really," King Dedede sarcastically answered, "It seems to be on the roof, gee, maybe it goes to the top"
"I'll check!" Ribbon flew up and studied it. "Yep! It's a hatch to the outside!"
"Open it!" Kirby told her. "We'll all be coming up, one at a time."
Ribbon did, and the others went on the elevator to the top.
Once there, they found a crystal! – but had to fight three mechanical crystals to get it, and once they did, they had to evacuate the ship fast, as it was about to leave for another system.
"That was close," Dedede gasped.
"You said it," Adeleine agreed. "Ack! My pencil just broke!"
"That's nice," Waddle Dee sounded relieved.
For another hour or two, the fivesome wandered through the desert, everyone getting weaker and more tired with each step, as a minor sandstorm blew up.
"Great," King Dedede muttered, "This'll do my royal robe good for sure"
Adeleine was trailing as the last of the group, or so she thought, until she realized that Kirby was neither in front of her nor right behind her. She turned and looked a little farther back, and saw him lying in the sand, having collapsed from exhaustion and hunger. "Hold up, guys!"
"What?" Dedede, the leader of the group, turned around and stopped Ribbon and Waddle Dee. "Something wrong?"
Adeleine pointed to Kirby. "I hope he's okay"
Ribbon flew over to check him over while the others crowded around. "He's too hungry to go on! And we have no food" she wailed.
"That's not good"
"Hmm, I knew I should have brought some of my servants with me"
"Aha!" Adeleine exclaimed, "I have an idea!" She set up her easel and took out her paintbrush, and very special paint.
"Adeleine, painting isn't going to help," Dedede muttered.
"This will." She painted an apple, and it popped out of the painting.
A real apple! Food! Ribbon picked it up and gave it to Kirby. He ate it in one gulp!
"Not bad Make more, for all of us!" King Dedede commanded.
"Sure thing." Adeleine painted some roasted meat for King Dedede, a giant strawberry for Waddle Dee, a piece of chocolate cake for Ribbon, several apples and slices of pie for Kirby, and a sandwich for herself.
Adeleine had just painted another apple for Kirby when the crystal began to glow again. "Hey!" Ribbon exclaimed, "It looks like we're done here!"
The crystal turned into a portal, this time showing Aqua Star. Ribbon jumped into it, followed by Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede. Dedede ended up having to drag Kirby into it; he was so busy eating he didn't even notice!
Then the crystal flew off to the next world
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"This place is so lovely!" Adeleine exclaimed. "I love it!"
Kirby-tachi had spent an entire day already exploring the beautiful beaches and clear waters of Aqua Star, finding more than ten crystal shards in the process.
"Yeah I just hope we don't run into any dangerous animals," Kirby said, and shivered. "I have this weird feeling a killer whale is going to attack at any second"
"Killer whale?" Waddle Dee looked scared. "Are those known for killing or something?"
The other four fell down, anime-style. "Yes, you moron!" King Dedede snapped. "Why else would they be killer whales?!"
"Yep, so there!" Adeleine threw a fish at Waddle Dee, who dodged it. King Dedede then threw one at her, and it hit her square in the back.
"Hey, King Dededededededededededede! That hurt!"
"King what?" Ribbon asked. She picked up some seaweed and dropped it on Kirby, who threw it right back up to her. "Yuck! I don't want my hair smelling like seaweed!"
"I smell like fish," Adeleine moaned. She suddenly stopped and painted a bottle of rose-scented perfume on her notepad, and it popped out of the picture. She quickly used it and tossed it to Ribbon. Ribbon used it too, then tossed it out to sea.
"Cheaters," Waddle Dee muttered.
Just then, Kirby and Ribbon saw a big splash nearby, just where Ribbon had thrown the perfume bottle. "Uh Did you see that?" she asked him.
"Yeah," Kirby answered. "Something else likes Adeleine's perfume"
Just then, they saw a killer whale jump out of the water!
"Aah!" Adeleine choked. "D-did you s-see that?!?!"
"Yeah, killer whale" Dedede was awed.
Waddle Dee gulped. "I hope it doesn't think I'm dinner"
The killer whale did come up and attack them then, and Kirby-tachi defeated it, finding that it had yet another Crystal Shard!
Ribbon was almost ecstatic. "Ooh! We're getting close! The crystal's about half of the size it should be! Thank you all so much for helping thus far!"
"You're quite welcome," Kirby told her.
"Yeah, glad to help!" Waddle Dee agreed.
"Ditto." That was Adeleine.
"I still feel strange about helping Kirby and these traitors, but still, you're welcome."
A little while later, the five were sitting (or hovering over) the beach, taking a rest. Adeleine suddenly grabbed a rock, stood up, and threw it.
"Hmm," she muttered as she watched it splash, "Didn't go very far"
"I can throw it farther," King Dedede boasted, as he picked one up and threw it too. Waddle Dee and Kirby followed suit.
"I'll throw mine farthest!" Kirby closed his eyes and wound up for the pitch Just as a huge wave came into sight!
Ribbon, Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede ran away, but Kirby didn't see it, until it was on him! He was swept out to sea, and dragged back to shore a minute later.
When he looked up, he was just in time to see Adeleine jump into a portal made by the crystal. The others had already jumped in. Kirby ran quickly and jumped in too.
The portal closed, and the five went soaring to their next destination: Neo Star.
