Reunion

When something that has a chance so low of happening that you would have to live thousands of lives to see it come true actually happens, it's called a miracle.

That was what Sandalphon had always considered a reunion with Lucifer, where both were alive, to be: a miracle. One that he had never dared to believe in because of how implausible it was to reach. The risks that had to be taken to even retrieve the former Supreme Primarch's stolen body and core, the amount of power required to tear reality in such a way to bring back a soul to the land of the living that wasn't in the form of a spirit, and the laws of casuality that had to be broken to manage to do so, were just too much. Not even with the Singularity at his side could that feat be done without paying a cost too high, or so he believed.

And so, Sandalphon had abandoned any hope of ever seeing Lucifer again under the blue sky he had cherished so much. In order to avoid chasing an uncertain miracle, the current Supreme Primarch had convinced himself that their reunion would only be possible when his own life ended along with his purpose.

But now that miracle was staring back at him.

Sandalphon moved quickly towards Lucifer, fearful that he would vanish at any moment, like an ephemeral dream or a mirage.

"I am glad to see you again, Sandalphon," Lucifer greeted him.

Sandalphon did not reply at first. Instead, he reached out his arm to his predecessor and placed his hand on his metal breastplate. It was solid, confirming that he wasn't an illusion. He could also feel the other angel's aura.

"Lucifer... how is this possible?" he asked as he pulled his hand away from it.

"The dimensional gap opened by Nightmare has weakened the boundary that separates existence from non-existence. This has allowed me to manifest myself here, in response to your wishes," Lucifer answered in that solemn tone that always accompanied his words.

Did that make sense? Nightmare himself had come back to life, according to Dedede's words, but was the villain even alive to begin with? Sandalphon shook his head. That wasn't about Nightmare. That was about Lucifer, who was looking at him with those blue eyes for which he had yearned so much.

Eyes that seemed duller than they should have been. Didn't his words sound colder than usual too? Where were his caring tone and his warm smile? Lucifer was being way too formal and distant for such a dream reunion.

"Are you okay?" Lucifer asked, apparently concerned.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Sandalphon replied, a bit worily. Shouldn't this moment be more joyful?

"My apologies if I'm acting cold and distant," Lucifer said, as he had read Sandalphon's mind. "I'm not used to having a body again, so I'm not able to express my emotions very well right now. But I assure you that the happiness that fills my heart at seeing you again can't just be put into words."

That was a reasonable explanation, but still, Sandalphon couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

There was a part of him that wanted to believe that Lucifer was truly in front of him. But he knew better. He knew that he didn't deserve that miracle as well as he knew that isolation had been the penance that Lucifer had chosen for his own mistakes.

It didn't matter what his eyes saw. It didn't matter what his mind wanted to believe. The only thing that mattered was the unbreakable bond that connected their hearts, even as death had torn them apart. In the end, there was only one truth: Lucifer was now the one waiting for him in the garden, believing in the promise that he would come back.

And to indulge in a fake miracle, devoid of love, would be betraying that promise.

In that instant, Sandalphon felt as if a fog inside his mind had been cleared. Without a word, the angel brought forth his sword and stabbed Lucifer's right leg, who let out a cry of pain. A terrified expression appeared on the former Supreme Primarch's face, betraying what he had said before about not being able to express emotions.

"Sandalphon, why? Why are you attacking me?!" 'Lucifer' asked in a fearful tone.

"How dare you use his image to deceive me," Sandalphon retorted, his voice filled with rage.

The Supreme Primarch knocked his "predecessor" to the ground with a swift kick, though a part of him ached at having to hurt someone who looked so much like Lucifer. Before the being could react, Sandalphon ripped the sword from its leg, now stained with a viscous liquid that shone with strange colours in the darkness of the night, and brought it up to where the core of a beast should be located.

"What is wrong with you? Are you still under Nightmare's influence? It's me! The one you have missed so much. The one you love..."

"Stop lying," Sandalphon demanded, containing his anger as best as he could. "Did you really think that I wasn't going to notice? You are just an illusion, a fake!" he acussed. "Nightmare made you, didn't he?"

"Sandalphon, I don't know what you're talking about. It's me, I swear. Don't kill me, please" the being begged.

"The real Lucifer would never beg for his life. So stop tainting the memory of him with your pitiful performance," he demanded to the imposter.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because you're not Lucifer!" Sandalphon yelled at it, tired of its acting. He pinned the demon beast harder with his sword without hurting it. "That isn't even blood!" he added, pointing with his free hand at the weird liquid that slipped down the creature's leg and flowed slowly to the sand, which didn't absorb it.

"That's because..." the imposter began to say while fixing its eyes on Sandalphon's, but it soon fell silent as if it was trying to think of what to say next. "Shit, I can't find any sort of excuse," the being finally admitted, and although it used the voice of Lucifer, that frustrated way of speaking was unbecoming of the former Supreme Primarch.

"Watch your language when you wear that face," the angel scolded the imposter. "Profanities like that would never come out of Lucifer's mouth. Return to your original form or stay silent."

The fake Lucifer froze for a moment, staring intently once more at Sandalphon. The angel was then able to notice that the blue eyes that he cherised so much had been replaced by two silver-colored irises that showed a genuinely nervous look.

"How did you know I wasn't him?" the imposter asked, still with a trembling voice.

"You may be able to copy his form and his aura, but you won't ever be able to copy his heart and soul," the angel replied. "A being like you can't understand Lucifer's feelings, less replicate them."

"So, you have already guessed it, right?" the imposter asked.

"Of course I have. You are a demon beast, though I ignore why Nightmare has made you in the image of Lucifer. Probably it was just to spite me and torment me some more, am I right?"

"You won't obtain that answer from me. You are my creator's enemy. Whatever I say, you just will kill me in the end..." the creature said, as if it had accepted its fate.

Sandalphon stared at the creature in puzzlement. It looked like the demon beast ignored that creatures like them both returned to their core form when their bodies were damaged or destroyed. If the methods of killing primal beasts could be counted with the fingers of one hand, shouldn't the same apply to demon beasts even if they were weaker powerwise? Or maybe they were more fragile too?

Anyway, it seemed that the fear with which the demon beast had begged for its life earlier had not been an act, so Sandalphon assured him in a conciliatory tone:

"I will not take your life."

Those words caused the demon beast to let out a dry laugh, stopping Sandalphon from explaining further.

"Even if right now my sole purpose is to eliminate you and your companions and steal the Star Rod fragments?" the beast asked. "Allow me to doubt your words."

Sandalphon said nothing; it was clear that the demon beast did not trust him at all, and the feeling was mutual. There was always the possibility that it was just keeping up its act. The most rational part of Sandalphon was telling him that he should just destroy the physical form of that being and get rid of a problem. But still, there was something about the beast that was making him hesitate. After all, this was the first time that he had been able to talk with one. He didn't even know that they could do so. The way Dedede had defined them had made him think that the demon beasts were just mindless monsters that were brought to life in the same way as primal beasts. But maybe they weren't actually that different.

"What if I told you that you don't have to serve Nightmare?" the angel finally offered him just to study his reaction. "Don't you want to be free? We can help you."

"Free? A nightmare can't have dreams of freedom," the creature rejected. "Apart from serving our creator, my kind was created to spread fear and despair. We can't coexist with those we have to torment."

"All beasts are born bound to their purpose," Sandalphon thought as he sighed bitterly, many questions running through his mind as he examined the creature he held under his blade. It kept staring at him with those nervous silver eyes. Was it plotting something?

Before Sandalphon could think of how to proceed, he suddenly heard heavy footsteps behind him. He quickly turned towards the source of the noise, separating his sword from the body of the demon beast, to raise it against the newcomer.

He was greeted by a giant crab which was raising its claws violently.

"You've got to be kidding me... Why is the fauna of this island so opportune?!" he yelled angrily as he prepared to defend himself from the creature's attack.

Taking advantage of Sandalphon's distraction, the demon beast did not hesitate for a second to slip away and get lost in the mist.

"Come back here, imposter!" Sandalphon yelled when he saw it running away, He tried to go after him, but he was stopped by the crab blocking his way. "Really? I don't have time to deal with you!" he said at the sea monster.

Sandalphon leapt into the air and, putting all of his strength into his sword, cut the creature in half, which exploded into dust, leaving behind only that strange liquied that had "bleed" out of the demon beast.

It seemed to be the exactly same amount that the beast had lost.

Sandalphon cursed internally. It was not hard to guess that the demon beast had used the substance that replaced his blood to create an illusion in order to flee. "Damn, it, where did it go?" he asked himself, but he soon realised what the most possible destination of the creature was. After all, the demon beast had stated its purpose as clear as water.

Immediately, Sandalphon began to run towards the hut, fearful that the demon beast was going to attack his companions. And when he arrived, he was greeted by Dedede's screams, as if confirming his fear. The angel entered the hut holding his sword high, ready to face the demon beast.

But instead of the creature that was disguised as Lucifer, what he found was Zooey trying to contain her laughter, and a very annoyed Morphe looking towards the bathroom.

"Is something wrong, Sandalphon?" Zooey asked when she noticed him.

"I thought you guys were being attacked..." Sandalphon replied, calming down as he intuited, given Zooey's relaxed posture, that Dedede's screams weren't precisely because he was fighting that beast. "What's wrong with Dedede now?"

"He couldn't sleep, so he went to take a shower to clear his head. It seems that he doesn't like the temperature of the water," Morphe replied.

"SHIVER STAR IS A LUKEWARM PLANET IN COMPARISON TO THIS WATER," the king screamed.

"It's kind of amusing how much he exaggerates," Zooey commented. "Especially considering that he's a penguin."

"And I had been worried," Sandalphon said, as he facepalmed. He then put his sword away and added: "the King of Dreamland… the King of Drama would be a more appropriate title."

A few seconds later, Dedede came out of the bathroom, dressed in a blue bathrobe and shivering with cold.

"I know that we are staying here for free, but I plan to make a complaint to the owner of this place: someone has to tell him that this shower is not normal. You can't have customers in those despicable conditions," Dedede claimed as he sat on the bed.

"Well, putting aside Dedede's problems with the shower, there is something that has happened and I need to share with you," Sandalphon announced. His companions looked at him curiously: "there is a demon beast in Auguste, and it's not like the others we have fought."

-º.-º-º-.

Zooey looked away from the sea after recapitulating all that Sandalphon had told them, while Lyrn and Dyrn napped beside her.

A demon beast in the guise of Lucifer. She couldn't believe that Nightmare had dared to profane the image of someone so important to the Sky Realm. She had never met the previous Supreme Primarch in person, but she knew that he had become good friends with a manifestation of Cosmos many centuries ago. When the time came for them to part ways, they made a promise to each other: Lucifer would judge Cosmos if she ever became an obstacle to the evolution of their world. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to keep that promise after his murder. In the end, the one who had carried out the trial and execution of Cosmos, and thus fulfilled Lucifer's promise, had been the Singularity accompanied by Zooey herself.

It seemed unbelievable that barely a few weeks had passed since that. In a sense, it could be said that she had killed not only her creator but a part of herself. She had become a fully independent being thanks to being allowed to have her own heart, but hadn't she also become incomplete by destroying the arbitration system that gave her a purpose? She still didn't fully understand it. She still didn't know what to do with that freedom, apart from contenting herself with the knowledge that now the judgement would be made by her heart and not the system imposed by those who created Cosmos. And she knew that Yuni was in exactly the same situation, although aggravated by the fact that the younger primal had been forced into a form that she was not used to. Zooey had learned how to act like an inhabitant of the Sky Realm and had developed tastes and hobbies on her own. Yuni didn't even know where to start.

"I hope she is well," she wished, thinking about who, in mortal terms, would be her little sister. Although she knew Yuni was in good hands, she couldn't help but worry.

And regarding the third surrogate... well, no one had seen him since Cosmos' jugement, so she didn't know how he would be faring. They weren't on the best of terms, as he despised both the skydwellers and the Astrals for how cruelly they had treated primal beasts in the past. Still, Zooey wished for his wellbeing too, and hoped that he never discovered the existence of demon beasts, which, according to Dedede, were nothing but products and tools in the eyes of their creator.

Zooey shook her head. It was no use thinking about the future or the past at that moment; she had to focus on the present and that demon beast that was on the run. Sandalphon, Meg, and some of the guards were currently thoroughly searching the island for the creature, while she was taking care of Phoebe's body. In a while, the angel would come back and switch jobs with her, but until then she could only wait.

It was at that moment when Dedede came out of the hut, accompanied by Morphe. The king had finally woken up after a terrible night. He seemed to have suffered a lot in his dreams, as he hadn't stopped whimpering and screaming "I'm sorry" every time he slept. Zooey had to wake him up several times to free him from those nightmares, and every time she had assured him that everything was alright, although she had decided not to ask him what he had seen in those dreams.

Anyway, it seemed that the day had destroyed the night terrors that had plagued Dedede, and he was now chatting with Morphe.

"I just wish I was stronger,"she heard Morphe say to Dedede. "I feel like I'm completely useless without my sister. I have no powers, nor am I strong. The only thing I'm good at is making tea, but how is that useful against an Astral turned into an intergalactic villain?"

Zooey was going to say something to cheer up the upset child, but Dedede beat her to it. The king put a reassuring hand on Morphe's shoulder and gave him a warm smile as he told him:

"You remind me of someone I know well. Just like you, he doesn't have any special power or an important destiny, so he always feels like he doesn't belong in a group composed by his totally awesome king, the strongest swordman in our galaxy, and a kid that has beaten cosmical horrors. But do you know what he has? A lot of courage, willpower, and a strong heart."

Dedede smiled as he thought how much Bandana Dee had grown since their adventure to retrieve the Ripple Star crystal shards. Back then, the little Waddle Dee doubted himself, just as Morphe was doing now. However, Dedede had never doubted his worth, although he had underestimated him on several occasions, which had ended in a lesson learned the hard way for the monarch. And he knew that both Kirby and Meta Knight agreed with him.

As Kirby and Meta Knight came to his mind, he felt for a split second as if they were both at his side, but that sensation ended as suddenly as it had begun. Dedede guessed that it had been just his imagination, and proceeded to continue his pep talk with Morphe.

"Although he started out as the weakest of us, by the time Kirby founded the Star Allies, Bandana Dee had already become one of the most powerful warriors in Dreamland. And you seem to have the same spirit as him. I'm pretty sure you can also grow and become stronger. But just whishing won't do it: if you want to become stronger, you have to do it yourself."

"But how do I do that?" the kid asked, a bit lost. "Do I start lifting weights to improve my strength, or do I lock myself in a library and don't come out until I'm a powerful mage?"

"Eh, I don't think that will work. Becoming strong takes its time, so you need to be patient. You have to start by realizing what is your potential and where is your limit right now. Then, you have to break through it at your own rythm. If you overwork yourself you may end damagind your body, and being a manifestation of another being, I don't know how that would affect you," Dedede warned Morphe. "You may end becoming as tiny and weak as Dyrn, for example".

Dyrn woke up, as if saying its name had some sort of power. The little dragon lunged at Dedede at high speed and bit him on the butt, making the king jump up and down at the unexpected surge of pain. Zooey scrambled to yank Dyrn from the monarch's body, tearing and snatching a piece of Dedede's bathrobe with it.

Dedede yelled an insult at the little dragon, who was proudly holding the piece of his bathrobe in its mouth. That situation made an amused smile appear on Morphe's face. Surely, his sister would have burst out laughing at that scene.

"Don't worry, Phoebe: we'll bring you back," he promised her mentally as he looked inside the hut, wishing that his words would somehow reach her in the dream world.

-º.-º-º-.

By the time the Grandcypher reached Auguste, it was already mid-afternoon. They set sail immediately after Kikuri had located Dedede, and, thanks to the favourable winds Tiamat had summoned, they had managed to cut by half the time a regular ship would have taken to arrive there.

Kirby was leaning out from the deck, staring in awe at the peculiar landscape that lay beneath the ship, alongside Gran and Vyrn. Their destination was a ring of small islands connected by very narrow masses of land, with a huge body of water near the center surrounded by white-sand beaches and tropical forests. There were two parts of the island that particularly caught the puffball's eye: a huge waterfall that gushed from the top of a mountain shaped like horns, and a city that seemed to be built at different heights. If Kirby had known anything about geology, he would have realised that the island had in no way formed naturally.

"Oooh, everything is so pretty, poyo!" the hero of Dreamland exclaimed. "Is this really the only place with beaches that exists in this world?" He asked Gran, who nodded. "It must be very popular then!"

"It was, but in recent years it has dropped a bit,2 said the captain.

"And why is that?"

"Let's just say that Auguste must have some sort of curse or something that causes strange happenings when summer comes," Vyrn answered. "Except for one occasion, every time we've come to the island during that season we've had problems. Giant fish, mutant eels, sharks... Last year we had to deal with zombies of all things."

"Although in the end we always manage to save the day and enjoy our vacations after our job is done, normal people are already a little scared to come here" Gran continued explaining.

"I hope nothing bad happens while Dedede is on the island," Kirby commented worriedly.

"Don't worry, there are still a few weeks until the summer season, so nothing bad should happen," Gran told him. "Also, a member of our crew is here to take preventive measures. She and her friend, who is the Auguste Tourism Association Chairperson, are working together to bring back Auguste to its former summer glory. They have even managed to convince the city to finally hire some regular guards instead of having to rely on temporary agents to improve security."

"Oh, are you talking about Meg and Mari?" Djeeta, who had just arrived accompanied by Lyria, asked as she joined the conversation. Gran nodded. "Heh, 'they are friends' you say. They are obviously going to marry each other sooner rather than later."

"But they aren't even officially a couple yet. How can you be thinking about a wedding?" Lyria exclaimed, as if reprimanding her for gossiping.

"You said it: 'yet'. Mari has stated her intentions to have a future with Meg very clearly."

"Sis, you are spending too much time with Fediel. You are picking up her habit of getting way too interested in other people's affairs and relationships," Gran scolded her, exasperated.

"Come on, don't you think that those two are just a couple of summers away from proposing to each other? Mari is even saving up to buy a house for her and Meg! And how to forget that time during the zombie stuff when..."

"Oi, that is their private live, Djeeta!" Vyrn stopped her. Then, the little dragon pointed at Kirby, who had a confused look in his face, and added: "you shouldn't be gossiping around a little kid. You are being a bad example."

"Fine, fine. I'll stop," Djeeta gave up. "Anyway, it won't be long before we disembark, so get ready," she said to Kirby, recovering her smile. "It shouldn't take us too long to figure out where our friends and Dedede are."

"Okay, poyo," Kirby replied happily. He couldn't wait to see Dedede again.

Just a few minutes later, the Grandcypher landed in the port city of Auguste. After agreeing that they would leave the next morning (unless the departure was delayed due to some unforeseen event), some members of the crew took the opportunity to get off the ship to stock up or simply stretch their legs, in an attempt to appear normality despite the nightmares that keep tormerting them every night.

But what was far from normality was the city itself. Although it was not summer, and therefore it was logical not to find large crowds of tourists, they should have been greeted by a bustling city full of fishermen selling fresh products and people going from one place to another attending to their daily chores. However, what they found were only almost deserted streets, in which the only signs of life were the hurried footsteps of a few patrolling guards.

That had left Gran, Djeeta, Lyria, and Vyrn in complete dismay as they advanced. Kirby, however, didn't seem to acknowledge that anomaly and was contemplating everything with curiosity. After all, he had never visited a city as big as that one without it being a pile of ruins.

Suddenly, the pink puffball stopped on his track as he felt like something was watching him too intensely. He turned, but all he saw was an empty alley. "That was weird," Kirby thought, but he shrugged and continued walking as if nothing had happened.

"What's going on here?" Lyria asked, scared.

"Excuse me. Can you tell us where everyone is?" Vyrn asked after quickly approaching two nearby guards.

"There is a dangerous creature loose in the city," one of the guards informed them. "You must return to your ship until the situation is under control and..." he continued, but then his gaze landed on Kirby. "What is that thing?!" he yelled as he drew his spear.

"Put your weapoin down, rookie," his superior stopped him. "These are the captains of the Grandcypher. Go look for Miss Bluemarine, she shouldn't be far away," he ordered.

"Yes sir!"

"Sorry, he is new to this," the superior apologised once the recruit had left. "As my skittish partner was telling you, we are helping the Supreme Primarch and his companions to locate a monster that could pose a serious danger to the city."

Those words basically confirmed that Sandalphon was also on the island. And it wasn't hard to deduce that the monster the guard was talking about was actually a demon beast. Sandalphon would not have asked for the city to be fortified if the said monster was a creature native to the Sky Realm, and if it was a primal beast, he would have referred to it as such.

"Thanks for the information," Gran said. "We will help you in any way we can."

"Excuse me, sir. Have you heard of someone named Dedede?" Kirby asked the guard.

"Sorry, that name doesn't sound familiar to me," he replied. He then turned to Gran and Djeeta and asked them in a low tone, "What is this little creature?"

"His name is Kirby, and he is one of the many primal beasts that lend us their help," Djeeta quickly lied. "We're looking for another primal beast, a friend of his."

"I would never have expected an Astral to create something as cute as this. My daughter would love him!" the guard said, after chuckling a bit.

"Captains! Lyria! Vyrn!" they heard someone call in the distance.

The group turned to where the voice had come from. Gran and Djeeta turned to where the voice had come from. A girl with magenta hair, accompanied by a small shark, came running to greet them. The newcomer quickly indicated to the remaining guard that she would take care of everything, so he left after waving goodbye to the group. The little shark approached Kirby, sniffed him, and immediately began rubbing against his body playfully, tickling yhe puffball.

"Meg! We are glad to see you!" Gran greeted her.

"I'm even gladier," she said in a genuine way. "It seems that our letter arrived earlier than expected. And I suspect that this is the Kirby that that noisy blue penguin talks so much about. Ursula likes you," she added, smiling at the pink puffball.

Upon hearing this, Kirby stopped playing with the shark for a moment and asked Meg:

"Do you know Dedede?"

"A bit," she replied. "I helped Sandalphon and Zooey heal his wound, and I've checked by the place they are staying a couple of times during the day just to see how they were doing."

"So you know where they are! That makes things so much easier," Vyrn gleefully commented. "But, what is that about a letter?"

"Uh? Sandalphon sent you a letter this morning explaining everything," she informed them. "Haven't you received it?" The captains shook their heads. "Then how did you know you had to come here?"

It only took Gran a few seconds to fill her in on the situation.

"And here we are," the captain finished. Kirbt couldn't help but shiver at those words.

"You guys always seem to be one step ahead," Meg laughed. "Follow me, I will led you to where they are sheltered. I think Sandalphon is watching over there right now while Zooey keeps an eye on the city."

"And how is Morphe? Is Phoebe with them too?" Djeeta wanted to know.

"Morphe's doing relatively well, but Phoebe was cursed by the bad guy who is causing the nightmare. She seems to be trapped in the dream world," Meg replied, her expression grim.

"Oh no..." Lyria exclaimed, her fear for the safety of the girl, being shared by her companions. "I hope she is well. I know she has control over dreams, but so does Nightmare."

"We will have to trust her until we find a way to help her," Gran tried to reassure Lyria, taking her by the hand.

"Mmm... maybe Meta knows something about how to break that curse, poyo," Kirby suggested after thinking for a bit. "We will have to ask him when we reunite after finding Dedede."

"How come Edgy Blueberry knows so much about that Nightmare guy?" Vyrn wanted to know.

"No idea, poyo. All I know is that he had been fighting against his creations since long before I came to Pop Star, and maybe even before I was born," the little puffball answered.

Meg began to lead her five companions towards the beach. Along the way, Djeeta asked Meg about her "relationship" with Mari, who began to chatter animatedly about it. Their conversation went well until the captain made a somewhat inappropriate comment, causing Meg to blush and Gran to scold her. Luckily, Kirby didn't hear anything of that because he was too focused on playing with Ursula.

Finally, they reached the beach. Kirby stared out at the beautiful sea in awe, imagining how much fun it would be to take a dip on those clear waters. But he quickly snapped out of his reverie. He had no time to swim! He had to find Dedede!

It was at that moment when the hero of Dreamland spotted a familiar silhouette not far away and ran off. His companions soon followed him towards a blue penguin dressed in a red coat.

"Dedede!" Kirby greeted the king happily.

Dedede didn't even have time to be surprised before the puffball jumped on him.

"Kirby!" the king exclaimed as he allowed himself to be hugged by the little one. "You don't know how happy it makes me to see you again, little menace," he said as he rubbed Kirby's head. "Are these your new friends?" the king asked, pointing to the group that had just joined them.

"Yes. They're going to help us defeat Nightmare, poyo!" Kirby assured his friend and rival.

"These weaklings?" the king retorted, looking doubtfully at the group. "I don't know. Nightmare is a powerful enemy and not everyone can face him."

"You treat me like this despite what happened last night? What manners do you have for being a king," Meg exclaimed. "And what are you doing so far from the hut? Weren't you recovering from your wound?"

An expression of nervousness and uncertainty appeared on Dedede's face for a few seconds, as if he had been caught with his guard down, but it disappeared immediately. Despite its brevity, Kirby did not miss it.

"For someone as strong as me, you are all weaklings until you prove to me your worth. Also, can't I go out for a walk just because I feel like it?" he asked her back. "I know how to fend for myself, girl."

"Kirby, is this really your friend?" Vyrn asked the puffball. "The way you talked about him, I didn't think he was so pushy."

"He likes to show off a lot, but he really is a good person," he promised to the dragon, before turning to his rival.

Dedede kept looking at the group in a strange way. It was like he didn't want them to be there. Kirby couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with him. There was something off about the way he was acting, but he point exactly what.

"Hey Kirby. Can we talk for a moment in private?" Dedede asked him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I have to talk to you about some 'Dreamland heroes' stuff."

"And why can't they come, poyo?" Kirby asked, puzzled by such a weird and sudden request.

"I want it to be a surprise for them," the penguin whispered, crouching down to his level.

"Oooh. Okay, I'll go with you," the little puffball commented with enthusiasm. He loved surprising his friends!

Before anyone could stop him, Dedede grabbed Kirby and began dragging him toward a wooded area near the beach at high speed.

"Wait a minute!" Meg exclaimed, alarmed by something.

"Don't worry guys! I'll be right back!" Kirby reassured his friends with a shout as Dedede carried him away even faster.

Once both friends were alone, surrounded by Auguste's tropical vegetation, Dedede's attitude seemed to soften.

"Finally, we're alone..." Dedede sighed in relief. " I'm very sorry for my weird attitude before, but I needed to separate you from those people," he revealed.

"Eh? Why?"

"I don't trust those four. I've heard some disturbing rumours about them," he replied sternly. Kirby deduced that he was referring to Gran, Djeeta, Lyria, and Vyrn because Dedede and Meg already knew each other.

Though the king didn't seem to have recognised her at first.

"Dedede, those rumours are lies," Kirby replied, a little offended that Dedede doubted his new friends. "Not even her Meta has reasons to distrust them, and you know how he is."

The penguin backed up a bit as he locked eyes with Kirby's. He fell silent for a few seconds as he seemed to think of something.

"It's just that after what happened with Magolor, I find it hard to believe in people from other worlds," Dedede finally said. "And my experiences in the Forgotten Land don't help either, so it's logical I distrust people."

"Please, stop," Kirby suddenly asked him in a stern tone, not usual for him. "I don't know who you are, what you want, and how you know so much about him, but please stop imitating him."

Dedede swallowed hard.

"What are you talking about, Kirby? It's me, Dedede. The King of Dreamland. Your predestined rival and your best friend..." he started to say nervously.

Kirby sighed pitifully before replying:

"You imitate Dedede so well that you even make the same face when he's bluffing, poyo. Also, even if Dedede is a bit cocky, he would never behave so badly with someone who has helped him as much as Meg."

"It's just that that girl irritates me a lot," he excused himself. "Just because she helped me without being asked, she thinks she can treat me like a princess in distress. I can manage on my own!

"How did Meg help you?"

That question startled Dedede, who was becoming more and more nervous. -

"That doesn't matter," he replied. "I didn't ask for her help, so I don't owe her anything."

"You don't even know, do you? You didn't even seem to recognise her. Besides, I know that you have travelled with Yuni's sister, and I doubt that she has spoken ill of Gran, Djeeta, Lyria and Vyrn because they are very good friends!"

"Shit," Dedede growled.

"Hey! Now you can no longer claim to be him! Dedede never says bad words in front of me or the Waddle Dees!" the little ball reproached him.

Suddenly, something that looked like a tentacle made of a strange substance sprouted from Dedede's back. Before Kirby could even wonder what that thing was, the tentacle slashed at him like a whip and slammed him into a tree. Kirby shook his little body and got up. Then, he looked angrily at the being that had treacherously hit him and who was pretending to be one of the people he cherished the most. The obviously fake Dedede, whose eyes had turned silver, had walked up to him and was raising his hammer menacingly. There was no sign of the tentacle.

"You're right, hero of Dreamland: I'm not Dedede. I am a demon beast that has possessed him!" his enemy revealed maliciously. "And this time beating up your dear friend will not be enough to save him! I have complete control of his body and mind! If you wish to destroy me you will have to destroy him too! So you better run away and let me be before I..."

The demon beast's words were cut off as something fell on top of him and smashed him hard to the ground.

"I found you, faker!"the figure that had fallen from the sky said to the beast that now layed under its feet.

Though his typical red coat and kimono had been replaced by a bathrobe and a swimming trunk, Kirby had no doubt who the being before him was. The hero of Dreamland excitedly shouted:

"Dedede!"


Insert your favourite Dedede's theme at the end of the chapter. Also, sorry (not sorry) for the Sonic Adventure 2 reference. I had to do it.

Oh look! There goes Lich, conquering another element by just existing. Good luck to those pulling for her this gala. I'm broke.