...CHAPTER TWO: THE STONE OF RADIA...
"Kirby, I know you're cooking up some plan..." A voiced growled.
King Dedede stood, his large wooden hammer in hand, His robe flapping and fluttering in the gentle evening breeze.
Dedede's eyes flickered down to the population of Dreamland, which overlooked the Orange Lake. He glanced over to the Grape forest, home of the mischievous tree, Whispy Woods.
All of the places had been parts of his plans. And yet all of his plans had failed.
"But I won't fight back this time..." Dedede sighed gracefully, and clasped his hands together behind his back. He had finally made his decision.
He was finished fighting against Kirby.
~~~
Something odd was happening in Dreamland. Everywhere Kirby went people were acting strange. Some were running to no particular place, some were collapsed from exhaustion. These symptoms within the people seemed oddly familiar...
~~~
Dedede stepped forward through the chilly night, approaching Kirby, who's back was turned to the King. Dedede cleared his throat loudly, and Kirby stopped abruptly and shuddered.
Slowly turning around to face the King, Kirby sighed thankfully that it was just King Dedede.
"What is it you want, Dedede? I don't have time for you right now –"
Dedede quickly cut him off by handing him a small star. It luminescence shined brightly into Kirby's face, and lit up the area around them.
"...Wh-what's this...?" Kirby blinked a little bit as he looked down at it.
"A star," Dedede grumbled. "An ancient star that once existed in the heavens."
Shocked, Kirby looked up at Dedede.
"The heavens! I just read about that..." Kirby held up the star, and frowned a bit. It reminded him of the Star Rod.
Dedede didn't really care, because he continued to talk.
"This star is the Elemental Star of Light...The Goddess Radia once dominated it."
Kirby nearly dropped the Star. King Dedede must have been fooling with him! The true elemental stars were destroyed millions of years ago.
"You're kidding! These Stars were destroyed."
Dedede shook his head.
"No. They never were. Yours and everybody else's history books are wrong. The elemental stars were never destroyed, just hidden from the world. The Star Rod did not seal the Goddesses. Their stars did."
"Bah!" Kirby stepped back, giving Dedede a strange look.
"You mean I'm holding the Goddess of Light in my hand...?"
"No. The goddesses died off many years ago. Their Spirits remain in the stars, and their power is transferred to its user."
Kirby blinked and looked up at the King again. What was he getting at...?
"Why are you giving this to me...?"
Dedede sighed a little bit. Readjusting his red cap, he told him why.
"Something is happening to the Universe. An evil power is consuming all that is good. And people's dreams are fading..."
"...And it's my job to fix this..."
Dedede nodded.
But...
Kirby sighed. He knew he couldn't go through the peril of having to defeat another massive evil. Although he'd done it for years, he couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't fight another evil.
"I...can't do this..."
Dedede looked at him strangely. What was wrong with Kirby?
"What're you talking about? I'm helping you out here..."
"I know. Thanks...but I just can't..." Kirby placed the Elemental Star of Radia back into Dedede's paws, and turned away.
He began to walk slowly, leaving the King standing alone in the cold night.