Becoming rather exhausted, Kirby's party tried avoiding between the Floating Islands as they jumped across each one. In the distance, they had managed to spot a much larger island right in front of them. They headed on over to this new landmark that they had just spotted. What they had seen was a plain landscape reminiscent of Kirby's homeworld, including a race dotted with food.

"That's strange," Fox said. "Who would attend an empty race track littered with food when there's no crowd to see it?" Kirby, noticing the familiar setup, tried to figure out who could set up a location like this. Then, speakers hiding in the trees resounded.

I see you've found my little challenge! There was a voice that also sounded familiar to Kirby, but no one else had recognized the person. Because the pink puffball had gotten his memories back through the visions, he remembered that shrill voice to be none other than Lord Hyness himself, former priest of the Jambastion Empire and follower of Void Termina. But where was he on this island…?

Everybody get to your starting positions, Lord Hyness' voice continued. Without warning, some sort of strange energy transported all the Smashers in the team at the starting line.

You better move your butts and eat as much food as possible, the voice spoke out. Get to at least eleven for a special prize! Oh, and also try to run away from a wall that'll crush you at any moment…

"What!?" both Zero Suit Samus and Samus exclaimed. With a booking thud, a gray stone wall appeared right behind the fighters and started sliding towards them. Soon, the fighters ran as fast as they could while collecting and eating as much food as possible. The rubble of the shattered walls spread out as the wall raced after them, and the fighters were starting to become careful of which path they take on the track and how much food they can cram into their mouths. However, because it was difficult running and eating at the same time, each of the team members was losing energy fast as the wall was about to catch up.

Kirby was going through the same problem too as he was trying to get his Supporter companion to keep up with him, but he had just remembered he can use his sucking ability. He knew that it would be breaking the rules of the Gourmet Race, but there was no time to think. With a large inhale, the pink demon made himself into a black hole that carried all the grub into his mouth and the other fighters towards him as the walls set up in the tracks shattered from the brute force of the one heading straight for them. Kirby didn't swallow his companions, but he managed to swallow all the food in the race. The stone wall instantly stopped behind the gathered teammates. As they had all seen, they had noticed they were just beyond the finish line. Standing at the end of the Gourmet Race track was the King Dedede Primary, his red eyes and white aura flashing.

"Gourmet Race over!" Lord Hyness' voice growled from King Dedede's body. "That was a rather dirty sport of cheating!"

"So what?" Captain Falcon asked. "Your tyrannical ruler had already cheated!" That remark only made the Primary rather angry, clenching his hammer as the image of the Lord Hyness Spirit flashed on his round belly which revealed a robed mage with a green face, swirled eyes, two horns, and a large nose.

"Listen, Squidward," Fox explained while mocking Hyness' appearance. "We can make this quick. Don't think we'll submit without a fight!"

"So be it…" the King Dedede Primary exclaimed as he swung his hammer against the challenging fighters. The Hero quickly blocked the Primary's hammer with his sword, pushing against the brute force before pushing the captured fighter back. Fox began firing his blaster, but even the lasers weren't strong enough to stop the Gordo that the King Dedede Primary instantly threw at the Star Fox mercenary. With quick timing, Fox activated his reflector and bounced the shield, but the captured fighter quickly inhaled the Gordo and spat it back faster than before. Ireburn quickly jumped in front of the anthropomorphic pilot and used his Bounce spell to reflect the Gordo again. The damage was multiplied on the Gordo, meaning it did more damage to the Primary than before. The captured fighter immediately used his Super Dedede Jump move, ready to crash onto the group of Smashers before Little Mac used his counter-attack. The sheer impact made the King Dedede Primary fly fast and far, and the two Kirbies jumped high and swung their flaming mallets, finishing the battle.

King Dedede's body slid on the ground, with the Lord Hyness Spirit emerging from his confinement. The wings of the Galeem Lock shattered into the white mist, and they both entered Kirby's body.

"Why do they keep throwing these crazy traps at us!?" Gilbert asked, both he and Bowser walking up next to an unconscious King Dedede. The other fighters gathered near Kirby's paralyzed body, waiting for the pink puffball to wake up.


Kirby, despite being ghost-like, felt the salty wind on his face. He opened his eyes to the cold, night sky. He realized he was near the seashore, with a stone hut next to him. There was a light flickering in the hut, and he saw Ultima, the scarred sons of Ceresor, and Galeem with his wife and unhatched egg stop at the hut.

"I suppose Phoenix is already living a quiet life with Katzen and an unborn child?" Ultima asked, a smile on her face.

"Maybe," Galeem answered, gently rubbing the egg in Medley's pouch in front of her chest. "After all, I think Glimmeress could have a potential cousin in the near future…"

"Whether he has a family or not doesn't make an excuse for him to be the next Lord of Darkness," Hakai objected. "Now go in your brother's new home and convince him, Your Majesty." Ultima knocked on the stone, instantly alerting her lonely brother. Phoenix pushed aside the curtain blocking the entrance to be met with the golden eyes hidden under yellow and violet scars of his sister.

"I was not expecting you here," Phoenix said. "Welcome to our little home." Ultima headed inside to take a good look at the place, noticing it coarse and dirty. There was some water leaking out from a few buckets, and the young Queen of Arcus could even smell a dead rat.

"This isn't the best house my husband had built, but it'll have to do," Katzen told Ultima. Like her sister, Katzen was lying down on a special nest, warming a black egg spotted with amethyst diamonds.

"This child's name is Inkereign," Katzen addressed. "Hopefully our baby will see you as an aunt…"

"And cousin of Galeem's future kid," Ultima said. "Speaking of which, you wanna head outside? I have to talk to Phoenix about something…" The Queen of Arcus then headed outside to talk with her brother Phoenix while Katzen slipped on her own pouch to carry her egg. The two dragonesses then saw Sozo and Hakai standing inbetween Phoenix and Galeem, who still did not trust each other after what happened at the Solstice.

"Oh, it's you," Galeem spoke with a stern voice. "Finally decided to come crawling back me after hell broke loose in your little corner of the world?"

"Galeem, not now," Medley tried to reason with her husband as she got between the two brothers.

"I do not trust you after you took all the attention from me and turning me into a fraud," Phoenix answered. Ultima and Katzen with her egg ran outside in time for the Queen of Arcus' to calm her siblings down.

"Galeem! Phoenix!" Ultima ordered them. "I only chose Phoenix for this role because of the tradition of the Lord's of Balance passing their powers onto their best students. You two are the greatest in Sozo's and Hakai's eyes. Therefore, you have been chosen with the task of balancing both the darkness and light on each side. Things will go in disarray if one side takes over and destroys the other, and we don't want that, do we?"

"Just because you're the queen now doesn't mean we have no choice," Galeem objected. "You know how much of an embarrassment Phoenix was…"

"Well, if we can all work together, surely peace in Arcus will still thrive," Ultima responded. "Sozo and Hakai can't do this without you both living in harmony with one another. We're friends to the end, remember? Think about your future kids…" Phoenix and Galeem looked back at each other, thinking about what they both can accomplish together if they join her side as the new Lords of Balance. Once again, they forgave each other over what life goals they have.

"It's settled," Sozo told the dragons. "Tomorrow morning, Galeem will be crowned the Lord of Light, and Phoenix will rule as Lord of Darkness." Without another word, the two families started walking off with the sons of Ceresor to the Sky Temple. Ultima stayed around for a while and looked up at the waning crescent.

She remembered the warning the stranger of black mist told her. That he will be around tomorrow night when the moon is new. It was also at a lucky time too because this was the night when the Lord of Darkness inherited his powers. She was starting to feel a little guilty about herself convincing Phoenix join her this early. The worst thing could probably be that Phoenix might become jealous. It wouldn't go that far, would it. After all, what was a ghost like the black entity going to do to get to their minds? After the dragoness queen flew off, Kirby's Smash Ball flashed bright again, and he was instantly transported back to the world he was currently in.


The pink puffball opened his eyes without someone shaking him back into reality, proving that he was getting used to these kinds of visions. Regardless, the other fighters knew he was okay after so many times.

"Had a good rest?" Ireburn responded. "I hope you don't mind, but I think we rescued another friend of yours…" As Kirby turned around, he saw King Dedede himself, who was back to normal.

"Now that that's outta the way, how do we get off?" the Wii Fit Trainer asked. "We were kinda trapped here for a while, and the plan said something about an… orange pipe?" Luckily, King Dedede knew just where to advance to the next area. He ran off to the other side of the island, signaling his friends to follow him. Once the Smashers got near the end, they saw a giant pink cloud too far away for them to even jump off without falling to their death. On the fluffy surface was the orange pipe.

"This looks easy," the Pokémon Trainer said. He called out his Charizard and got on the Pokémon's back, flying to the cloud. Much to his surprise, Red noticed the pink cloud his was standing on was soft as well as solid.

"Any bright ideas, Dedede?" Sheik asked. Unfortunately, the King of Dreamland only knew there was a cloud next to the island. Even though he knew how to fly, it wasn't enough due to his heavy weight. Kirby then suddenly remembered a particular type of Spirit for this situation, when they were traveling and fighting many different types of Supporters. Tucked inside his own body was a Normal Legendary Ho-Oh Spirit that emerged from the pink demon.

The Ho-Oh Spirit soared high into the air before vanishing, spreading magical glitter with its wings. The glitter created a rainbow that bridged between the Gourmet Race island and the pink cloud. Kirby held his red copy's hand and slid down the rainbow, with the both of them followed by the Piranha Plant, Yoshi, Fox, and later on the rest of the team. Once they got onto the cloud, they focused on heading straight to the orange pipe.

"Is everyone here?" Eleven asked, seeing if all the teammates in their group was present. "Good. Now we can take the route to the island where that Rathalos is present." When the Hero took another step, he instantly heard two whacks from mallets that each occurred at the same time, sending two ice blocks his way. When they hit Ireburn, he noticed he flinched a bit from the attack. All the fighters saw where the ice blocks came from: from behind the orange pipe.

"Show yourself!" Samus exclaimed, pointing her arm cannon at the enemies behind the pipe. "The element of surprise doesn't work on us anymore!" Appearing from behind the pipe were Ice Climbers and Kirby Supporters, one for each fighter, and a Primary of Ness himself.

"Really? You have all these different options and you went with THAT!?" the Ness Primary scolded. The blue Ice Climbers Supporter didn't seem to react to the captured fighter snapping at them, and the other fighters seemed rather confused despite having been ambushed for possibly the fifteenth time in a row, if not greater.

The red Kirby Supporter noticed there was another one of its kind with the enemy team, and the pink demon itself noticed another puppet fighter of himself but white in color. For whatever reason, the red Kirby clone was sensing a connection with the white one.

"We're here to complete our mission," Link demanded. "Who are you to get in our way?"

"I am known as a Flying Man, with me and my other four brothers as defenders of Magicant," the Ness Primary answered.

"The symbol of the Spirit does prove it…" Bowser remarked, admiring the pixelated bipedal man-bird covered in yellow and magenta feathers that was present on the captured fighter's blue-and-yellow striped t-shirt.

"Silence, intruder!" the Ness Primary shouted. "Now you will taste the law that is the light! Lapras! Kirby Supporter! Get them! The Mii Swordfighter is mine…" The ex-Swordfighter Ultimate Reborn rushed towards the PSI boy, unleashing a powerful tornado. The Ness Primary jumped and lingered in the air for a while, using PK Thunder.

"It's okay, guys," Fox told his friends as they surrounded the white Kirby and blue Ice Climbers. "It's us against them. We can take down these guys." Once the captured fighter's flying body coated in lightning zoomed straight towards Gilbert, the Mii Swordfighter quickly reacted by using his counter attack. As soon as the blade and the PK Thunder connected, both Gilbert and the Ness Primary were warped to a Final Destination version of the pink cloud they were all standing on, noticeably Magicant as described before.

The white Kirby Supporter saw its red brethren as a traitor, and it didn't take much for Galeem's clone to dash in flames at the red Supporter. However, the real Kirby came in to protect his peculiar companion by swinging his hammer. The white Kirby Supporter flew right into the blue Ice Climbers Supporter, who were whacking Villager with their mallets. Once the white Kirby Supporter slid on the ground, the blue Ice Climbers quickly got up and spread their icy powers at the approaching fighters. Fox started glowing blue and warped between the blue clone duo, hitting their heads by kicking them hard in the face.

It just seems no matter what the Supporters do, the reawakened fighters are stronger than they were before. The white Kirby Supporter collapsed onto the ground, clenching its bruised skin, and the blue puppet fighters of the Ice Climbers pointed their mallets at the Smashers. Igniting his sword on blue, cold flames, Ireburn walked up to the Ice Climbers and used his Kacrackle Blade spell, sparing the wounded Kirby puppet. With the temperature at a low level, the Ice Climbers Supporter both shattered into frozen shards, with a Normal Advanced Lapras Spirit floating out of the debris. The glowing-green Pokémon Spirit took off into the sky, heading straight down south.

Kirby and his red clone approached the white Supporter, trying to show the same sympathy that worked before. The pink alien knew that if this level of kindness worked before, then it could work again. The white Kirby Supporter pulled out his Cutter sword, trying to swipe at the two Kirbies despite not having the strength to get up. Not taking any chances, Kirby himself quickly hugged the white Kirby clone. The love and comfort was starting to change the Supporter, and the connection with its red counterpart grew on it.

Just in time, the Mii Swordfighter arrived from the Omega stage of Magicant with Ness' body in his arms. Gilbert set foot on the soft pink cloud his teammates were on, gently resting the PSI boy. The Flying Man Spirit and the white mist emerged from the vortex the ex-Ultimate Reborn and Ness emerged from, entering inside Kirby and causing his eyes to glow white.


Kirby started rubbing his cuddly face, tapping the Smash Ball on his forehead. He was standing on the inside of the Sky Temple, where Ultima rested on the throne Lord Ceresor once sat. The murmuring of all the other dragons in the world waiting outside echoed through the room. Galeem was standing in front of his sister, bowing down at her feet. Sozo approached his student with a necklace that appeared in his mouth. The jewel at the end of the necklace was symbolic of the yang icon. Sozo sat on his hind legs, taking the yang necklace out of his own mouth with his front paws. Galeem lifted his head a bit so that Sozo would slip the necklace on.

"This jewel will tell the people that you are the new Lord of Light," Sozo explained. "Once we go out, the yang necklace will reflect off the light of the sun at its highest peak, choosing one who wears it as the new Lord of Light." Galeem walked out with Sozo outside to the cheering crowd, and Ultima watched with Hakai and Phoenix from a distance as the sunlight flashed on the yang necklace. The jewel started glowing golden, with wind blowing in all directions. Galeem felt a new form of energy fill him as the wind stopped.

"You have your new Lord of Light!" Sozo called out to all the dragons of Arcus. Each species applauded, knowing they can be safe for years to come.

Kirby, aware of the time lapse, saw the sun disappearing into the horizon in just a few seconds, watching the world's dragons gather outside of the Sky Temple again, awaiting the new Lord of Darkness. Kirby noticed the night sky was really cloudy, blocking out any stars in the sky. The moon was also new, rendering it fully invisible.

Phoenix, knowing the hardships that come with being the Lord of Darkness, awaited in front of Ultima. Hakai came in with an artifact similar to the yang necklace, but the yin jewel was bound to it instead. Phoenix felt the necklace slip onto his neck, and Hakai walked with his student outside. Ultima got up from her throne. With her brother Galeem, she walked outside to see the blackened night of Phoenix's coronation. Little did she know the moment her black-armored brother set outside, the dragons of Arcus were already complaining about him due to his embarrassing day at the Dragosmo Solstice. The citizens didn't even bother staying as they departed from the Sky Temple while Phoenix's yin necklace started flashing purple, choosing him as the new Lord of Darkness. Phoenix, listening to the onlookers as they left, managed to pick up every word of what they just said.

"What a complete wimp of one that'll control from the shadows!" one dragon exclaimed.

"He was an insensitive asshole at the Solstice and we have to spend millennia with HIM as our new general?" another dragon asked.

"I really love Galeem a lot more than that weak, pathetic coward," one more dragon called out with all the voices of the crowd calling out in agreement as they flew off into the sky. Phoenix, unable to control his anger anymore, turned towards his own brother. Because of the neglect and rejection he went through, Phoenix knew Galeem was the one to blame for everything.

"You took my future away from me!" Phoenix snapped. "It is because of the mere mention of your name that people will be more likely to follow you than me!"

"What a sad, sad life you must live in," Galeem answered. "I guess some people are born riche than others. The same rule also applied to stains like you."

"Please stop this…" Ultima tried breaking the argument between Galeem and Phoenix. Sozo and Hakai also tried to keep the two brothers apart by standing between them.

"No!" Phoenix objected, his breath starting to heat up with purple lightning. "Galeem is nothing more than a selfish, power-hungry whore that will stop at nothing to get his way! If there is anyone to truly feel sorry for, it is none other than you! I even heard people wishing for me dead because you keep pushing your way through whenever I finally have my moment in the spotlight!" The clouds in the air rumbled with thunder due to the rage that was burning inside Phoenix.

"Then I suppose it's for the best, then," Galeem calmly answered. "Maybe the people are right. This world would be so much better if you didn't live in it." Enraged, Phoenix's mouth crackled with electricity, with both Sozo and Hakai holding him back by biting into his wings, but Ultima ran in front of her brother Galeem.

"Phoenix!" Ultima yelled, crouching into a battle position. "If you lay a claw on your brother, you'll have to go through me!" Phoenix started to calm down, his violet eyes beginning to swell up with tears. The rumbling in the clouds stopped, and the newly-crowned Lord of Darkness turned away from his own siblings.

"Maybe Galeem is right," Phoenix growled, beginning to cry. "The same rules apply to everyone, and I suppose this world would feel much better if he never lived in it…" Sobbing, Phoenix ran into the Sky Temple, vanishing into is room without a trace.

"Thanks for standing up to me, Ultima," Galeem congratulated. "I couldn't have done it without you…"

"Oh, as if you would care!" Ultima snarled, turning towards the Lord of Light. "The reason why I stopped our brother from ending your life was because I don't want anything catastrophic to break out between you two! I'm on my own side of the situation because maybe Phoenix is right. Maybe you're becoming corrupt by keeping the world to yourself, and our brother is becoming selfish because of it. Over a decade, and you haven't even changed! I am the Queen of Arcus, goddammit! I took the throne out of courage, and I thought making you the new Lords of Balance was not because of tradition but because I wanted to end your quarrel. Turns out it only became worse because of each of your side on the same coin. All of the weaknesses, none of the strengths. I wanted you to change, in the name of the Almighty Father!"

"Then I suppose it's done," Galeem growled calmly. "I warned you not to call me an attention-seeker again. We're through…" Galeem walked back into the Sky Temple, not saying another word.

"Oh yeah!?" Ultima called out. "Well good riddance to you too!" Ultima looked back on Sozo and Hakai, shaking her head.

"What are we going to do?" Ultima whispered.

"We don't know," Sozo answered. "All we can hope is for the better, and it doesn't seem like your brothers will make up anytime soon…" Ultima went into the Sky Temple with the generals, and Kirby became more curious as to where it will unfold. The pink puffball looked back to see the mysterious shadowy figure standing in front of where the five dragons walked into, his green sclera and red slit eyes glowing. The thunder flashed to reveal the Misty body of the strange, with the pink slime in his crystalline hands.

"You can bet things will turn out for the better, but you cannot escape fate.." the stranger spoke, with the pink slime jumping out. Strange, fleshy noises started coming out from the slime, and the thunder flashed one more time to reveal a silhouette of an unspeakable horror. It was hard to make out what exactly the creature was, but it was some sort of monster so terrifying that it was to just express in words. Whatever the slime had become, Kirby would have to wait and find out as the vision's environment glowed white, and he was transported back to the real world.


The red Kirby Supporter tapped the pink puffball's face again. Kirby woke up to the soft feeling of his clone companion's stubby hand and the soft pink cloud he and his friends were standing on. Even the wounded white puppet Kirby slowly approached the pink demon.

"Sure was a rough battle," the Mii Swordfighter told the group. "All Ness did was spam PK Fire and trap me in columns of death. No offense…"

"It's alright," Ness answered. "Aren't we supposed to take the pipe I was protecting you guys from?"

"Of course," Captain Falcon responded. "We're almost there, guys. Let's finish this…" The supersonic bounty hunter jumped straight into the orange pipe, with Samus and her Zero Suit counterpart jumping in after her. King Dedede, Ness, Inkling, Mii Swordfighter, Eleven the Luminary, and all the other fighters on the team except for Sheik and Kirby with his two clones.

The peculiar warriors looked to their right to see the Northern Barrier in all its glory. It was over a hundred times larger than them, and it was so close it seemed like you could almost touch its rapidly blinking, red UV spherical surface. Beyond that barrier is the Galeem Void, the gateway to the Seraph of Order's hiding place.

"We're coming for you, Galeem," Sheik said. After a brief second of standing, the Sheikah and the three Kirbies jumped into the pipe after their friends.