Chapter 26 – Adeleine's Secret Nightmare

A couple of minutes after we found Rei and met Chilly, our walking had led us to the entrance of a colorful building. The snow had covered up the multiple yellow benches leading up to the door. It also covered up a bunch of green shrubs and red trees. Which now that I look closer at them, they looked crystalized.

I wasn't sure if it was because of the coldness, or they normally look like that. But they were pretty to look at.

"So is this the factory?" I asked.

"Well, part of it. There are two parts to this place. Above ground is some kind of a mix between a mall and a toy factory. Underground…" Adeleine started explaining, but then went silent after a while. We then noticed her shaking a bunch for some reason.

"Adeleine, you okay?" Ringo asked.

"U-Uh…y-yeah. I-I'm fine."

"Really? Cause you're shaking a lot." Misuki said.

"I-It's probably the cold getting to me. I-I'm fine. R-Really, I am."

"It's fear." Rei said.

"F-Fear?!"

"What makes you think it's fear?" Arle asked Rei.

"Ghost can sense fear. We live by it. She has a lot of fear."

"F-Fear?! I-I don't have any fear! I-I'm fine! J-Just…fine…" Adeleine's shaking became more intense. Her face started turning red and tears fell from her eyes. Until at one point, she fell to the ground and continued to cry to herself.

"Whoa! Adeleine! Are you feeling alright?!" I shouted as me and a few others ran up to her. Her eyes were red and puffy from the heavy tears she had let out. Her face was a darker red than before and her body was trembling in fear.

"No…"

"No?" I asked.

"No…No! I won't leave! I WON'T LEAVE WITHOUT YOU!"

"Without us?"

"She's having a nightmare." Rei said.

"A nightmare? Of what?"

"Not sure."

"Put them down…put them down…PUT THEM DOWN! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! HAVE MERCY!" Adeleine continued to mumble to herself while her tears had gotten heavier and her condition had gotten worse. We had no idea what was happening to her. And were starting to get worried.

"H-Hey, Kirby! Call Magolor! Tell him to bring the ship here! QUICK!" I shouted.

"Poyo!" Kirby used his phone to call Magolor and not long after he came by with the Lor and him carried Adeleine's fear-filled body into the ship and placed her in one of the beds. Her entire body was burning hot at this point. We weren't sure what was happening.


And to be honest…I was getting scared.

"Hmm…this is not good."

"Do you know what's wrong with her, Magolor?" Ribbon asked.

We were all in the room were we brought Adeleine in just about an hour ago. Magolor had done some test on her and was now reading over the results.

"Yeah. And it's not good at all. Adeleine has contracted Nightmare Fever."

"Nightmare Fever?" We all asked.

"It's a rare virus that manipulates the person's mind into having endless nightmares. Usually about a dramatic moment from their past."

"A dramatic moment from their past? So this is caused by a dark memory or something?" I asked.

"Just about. The virus invades the mind of its victim and finds their most horrible memory they so truly want to forget. And it plays it in an endless loop, tormenting the victim in the process."

"W-Woah! Such a thing exists?!" Misuki asked.

"I'm afraid so, Misuki."

"B-But…Adeleine's always cheerful and happy. I can't imagine her having a horrible memory." Ribbon said.

"Everyone has a horrible memory, Ribbon. Even the one you least expect." Arle said.

"Yeah, but…for someone like Adeleine to have such a thing in her mind…just what happened to her?"

"The virus normally strikes when the victim is near the person or place that was involved with the bad memory. When did this occur?" Magolor asked.

"Around the time we reached the factory we were supposed to go to. She started describing it…and then began feeling this way." I said.

"I see. So it's something to do with the factory."

"She said there were two levels to it, but never explained the lower one." Raffina added.

"The lower one? Why that's just a regular old factory, right?"

"WRONG!" Marx had yelled this one word out as he rolled inside the room with the giant purple Puyo from before.

Still need to ask how it got that big…

"What? You're saying you know something?" Magolor asked.

"Great. Just what are you hiding this time?" Raffina asked in an annoyed tone.

"I'm not hiding anything. I just know what happened in the lower factory. Care to listen?"

"If it'll save Adeleine, than yes! Please tell us!" Ribbon begged.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear this. I don't do well with scary stories. The last time I heard one, I nearly wet myself…

Nearly.

But if it's to cure Adeleine of this virus, then I'll have to stick through it.

And hope that I can hold my bladder.

"Well apparently, a long time ago the lower factory was the main facility for a group of aliens who invaded Shiver Star. They kidnapped many of the residents here and used them for these insane experiments. A lot of them were inhumane, and people actually died from them. Although there were a few survivors. They managed to escape and call for help to the star warriors of the time. They defeated the aliens and the remaining survivors were freed. They then decided to close off the lower factory and leave the planet for good."

"Whoa…that actually happened?" Maguro asked.

"Th-That sounds…t-t-terrifying…" Lidelle was shaking in fear a little.

" Yep. And it's rumored that at least one of them fled to Popstar. Care to guess who?"

We all thought about it for a few seconds. And it didn't take us long to figure it out.

"H-Holy crap. D-Did Adeleine go through all that when she was younger?" Raffina asked.

"Yep. And she's been keeping it a secret ever since."

"Then how do you know about it?" Arle asked.

"I have my ways." Marx said with a chuckle at the end.

Right…

"Is there any way to cure her?" Ribbon asked.

"The only way to cure Nightmare Fever is to extract the virus from her brain. And there's only one item that can do that: The Love-Love Stick." Magolor said.

Us other-worlders looked confused.

"The what?"

"I know the name sounds ridiculous, but it's actually a really powerful item. Kirby used it to defeat Dark Matter a while ago."

"Really?" I asked Kirby.

"Poyo."

"Wow."

"So this Love-Love Stick thing will cure Adeleine of her Nightmare Fever?" Ringo asked.

"Yep. It's the only way."

"I see…"

"What? No "That's illogical" this time?" Arle asked.

"I don't say that all the time."

"Yeah, you do." I said. "And it mostly involves anything that's not normal. Like space-time traveling, or popping rainbow jellies to get powers…"

"Or me." Rei added.

"W-Well…you have to admit those things aren't normal."

"I'm a thing?"

"Well, you are terrifying!"

"That hurts."

"Will you two knock it off?!" I yelled.

"So where can we find the Love-Love Stick?" Arle asked.

"Uh…I'm not sure. Kirby was the last person to have it before it disappeared." Magolor said.

"Aw, shucks."

"What does it look like, anyway?" Raffina asked.

Bandana-Dee did some markings on his board and showed it to us when he was done. The Love-Love Stick appears to be a red and yellow striped wand that begins at a point and ends at a flat surface topped with a golden heart.

"Chilly! Chilly Chilly!" Chilly started hopping around in excitement for some reason.

"What's wrong, Chilly?" Lidelle asked him.

"Chilly Chilly! Chilly! Chilly Chilly!"

"Wait, you remember seeing the Love-Love Stick recently?"

"Chilly Chilly Chilly! Chilly!"

"Someone had it with them, trying to break it?"

"Chilly! Chilly Chilly Chilly! Chilly Chilly!"

"And that person looked like Amitie?"

Someone who looks like me…

"OH NO!" I shouted.

"What is it, Ami?!" Misuki asked.

"My clone! She has the Love-Love Stick! And I bet she's trying to destroy it so that we can't cure Adeleine!"

"Grr…the nerve of her! She just loves causing trouble for us!" Raffina yelled.

"And not only that, but we know her true intentions now. If she destroys the Love-Love Stick, the universe might be in even more danger." Lemres added.

"We have to find her and fast! C'mon, Kirby!" I shouted.

"Poyo!"

"W-Wait, guys! I'm coming with you!" Ribbon yelled.

"Are you sure, Ribbon?"

"Adeleine's my best friend. She's helped me tons in the past. And now…now I have to do the same for her!"

What Ribbon just said made me grow a smile on my face. She really cares for Adeleine, and is willing to do anything to help her recover.

Even if it means fighting my evil clone.

"Alright, Ribbon. Let's go!"

"Chilly! Chilly!"

"Chilly wants to tag along too. A-And so do I." Lidelle said.

"I'll come too. For extra back-up." Arle added.

"Great! Then let's hurry! We don't have that much time!"

"Right!"

"Good luck, everyone." Magolor said.

"Please come back safe, Ami." Raffina said to me.

I gave her and everyone else a thumbs up before we headed out to the exit to find the Love-Love Stick, and the battle with my clone that will no doubly come with it. I'm not sure what will happen. I don't even think I'll win against her. But I have to at least try. For Adeleine's sake.

Because she's my friend too.

Author's Notes on next chapter.