Emerging from the orange pipe, the Smashers and their new companions saw they were at a beach, with the seaside town they had visited to their left. The setting sun revealed an ocean that gleamed a deep blue against the dimming sky, with the sands glistening with a pure white. Near the splashing waves was a large raft that looked like it would fit all the Smashers on board, which was supported by more logs and there was a wrapped sailcloth attached to the central pole.
"So this is what we'll be taking to the island of the Rathalos?" Fox asked.
"Sure seems like it," the Hero answered, walking towards the raft and piling the group's supplies on it. He tried pushing the wooden boat into the water, but it was just too heavy.
"You're not trying hard enough," Bowser growled, pressing his hands onto the side of the raft. Even the Koopa King was not strong enough to get the raft into the sea with his brute force. However, he kept his eyes shut, so he had no idea that the Lapras Spirit from before sailed the skies down to the shore. The fighters watched as the Spirit simply got in front of the raft, with rope mysteriously spawning in place that bound the Lapras to the raft. With enough strength, the Pokémon pulled the raft into the water with Bowser letting go of the transportation and falling flat on his face.
"What did I tell you?" Bowser boastfully sounded out, wiping his hands and acting all chill until he saw that the Lapras did all the work. Kirby and his two Supporters jumped onto the raft. Piranha Plant and Ireburn hopped on shortly after, with Clementine, Red, and Gilbert getting on with Link, Samus, Yoshi, Fox, Pikachu, Ness, Captain Falcon, Jigglypuff, Peach, Bowser, Sheik, Dr. Mario, Mr. Game & Watch, Zero Suit Samus, Diddy Kong, King Dedede, Lucario, Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Little Mac, and Shulk. Once the whole crew was on the raft, the Lapras Spirit sailed south across the ocean, tugging on the raft.
As night fell, most of the fighters were already fast asleep. The only Smashers that were still awake were Ireburn, Fox, Kirby, and Piranha Plant. The pink puffball rested his red feet against the side of the raft, and Ireburn walked up towards him to sit down.
"I can tell you have a lot on your mind," the Hero said. "Is it about your homeworld?" Kirby looked at the Luminary and nodded.
"I really wanna go back to mine," Eleven continued, with the Piranha Plant waddling next to him with his flower pot. "After waking up in this place, I had to survive. With a group of complete strangers that met the same rate I did with the exception of the plant. For five years. Until Galeem found us and you came along."
"Don't be too hard on the poor guy," Fox called out. "He traveled to the future to stop the Lord of Light's reign. Hopefully he has the brains and the advantage to stop this guy like all the other godlike deities before him…"
"Godlike deities?" Ireburn asked.
"For Kirby, fighting a being with unlimited power is like every other unusual Tuesday," Fox jokingly clarified. "Let's just hope this time is no different…"
"I only fought one powerful being on my home planet," the Hero said. "That's pretty amazing. How do you know this?"
"I didn't… until Sonic came and helped clear our memories," Fox answered, resting his back on the supplies.
"Who's this… Sonic person you talk about?" the Luminary asked, becoming curious.
"Where to begin…?" The Star Fox mercenary looked up into the stars, gazing out into the empty sea. "This kid had the knowledge of a Master Hand. He would go on and on about the adventures we went through mainly because he escaped a certain fate when we didn't. He was good friends with Mario, but I'm guessing it was because of the peace that lasted between their ancient rivalry. I just hope we rescue Sonic and the rest of our friends in time…"
"Why?" Eleven asked. "Do you have something special with this… child?" Fox chuckled in response, ready to doze off.
"That blue hedgehog may have been dependent on Mario, but I am more worthy of being his companion," Fox answered. "After all, I'm stronger and more faithful. Really wish I had more time to spend it with Sonic, y'know? Get to know that kid better. He had a lot more tales to tell us, and we, mainly I, would have liked to know more about him until his memory was supposedly gone… Really wish he's okay." The Star Fox mercenary then curled up into himself, dozing off.
"Suppose we better hit the hay," Ireburn told Kirby, lying on his back as he fell asleep. The carnivorous flower, even though plants like him don't require sleep, slipped inside his flower pots and napped off. It didn't take long for Kirby to become hypnotized by the gentle rocking of the waves as he too fell into rest for the night.
Kirby's heart started pounding as he saw himself in a new world. This was not a world of either good or evil. This was a world where even nightmares die. The sky was dyed with the redness of blood, its bleak color blocking out the sky. Cobblestone streets were laid into desolate and ruin, with signs bent and crushed. Mighty buildings were toppled over, their shattered glass scattering out onto the ground. An unbearable stench poisoned whatever breathable air remained. The upturned ground itself felt unnatural and completely void of life. Bloated, squirming webs of flesh clogged the massive holes torn into the world. The pink puffball trembled at the hellish landscape set before him.
Just from a single look at this depiction of Tartarus itself can even the toughest and bravest break a sweat. Kirby, being the innocent alien boy he is, was easily frightened by this. Just then, he saw a warrior standing in the center of the grotesque area. This stranger had the body structure similar to Captain Falcon, but he had armor carved out of the scales of a defeated dragon in the past. The armor plating was darkened and spiked, making a warlike suit out of the covering. It covered his entire body, and even his face was masked. The mask had three perpetual horns sticking out, and it matched the grimdark tone of his blackened armor. Two katana blades were latched onto his back, rubbing and sharpening against the dragon spine-like structure that ran down his spine. When the stranger spoke, he had the voice of a calm, patient psychopath.
"You replaced me…" the stranger told Kirby, not even bother turning around to face the pink puffball. Kirby became rather confused by this line of dialogue, unaware of what he was talking about. The stranger then turned around, looking down on the pink demon.
"You are too young to understand, aren't you?" the stranger continued. "My creators called me the Dragon King. I was supposed to be the true protector of the multiverse. But when they had different ideas, I was replaced. I became nothing more than that toy nobody wanted to play with at the bottom of the chest. I was abandoned here… the Land Unspoken." As the arid wind blew across the destroyed world, the Dragon King merely laughed.
"But I suppose you wouldn't care… just like my creators," the Dragon King continued. "Now I spend the rest of my days in this world, filled with anger and hatred. You took everything from me… The Mother will change all for the better." Kirby still had no idea what was going on, not having the advantage to treat all this like common knowledge.
"I guess you can see me in this landscape, can't you?" the Dragon King asked. He pulled out the katana blades from his back, and six more figures hidden in the bloodstained mist appeared behind him in silhouette form. The pink puffball quickly turned around to the loud noise of the buildings still standing upright falling apart. Kirby's face filled with horror as he saw the silhouette of a colossal, gelatinous blob destroying what remained of those powerful skyscrapers. The fumes this monstrosity unleashed were of the lavender color of the soldiers the woman from Ultima's dream sent out, mixing with the reddened clouds. The roaring itself was enough to drive one mad.
"Some people believe dreams and nightmares are the gateways to other dimensions," the Dragon King finished. "Looks like you found one of them…" The enigmatic masked warrior then raised his blades against Kirby. With a single strike, this terrifying image was enough to scare Kirby awake.
The pink puffball had sweat dripping down his soft, round body, his heart beating rapidly from what seemed like an acid trip. He noticed it was still the middle of the night, with the Lapras Spirit pulling the raft they were on showing no signs of wanting to rest. Kirby then started hugging himself, emotionally scarred for the rest of his life. With the light of the first quarter moon, the alien boy saw a smaller island right in front of the raft.
The glowing-green Lapras Spirit slid on the sand before falling asleep shortly after. Because the other Smashers, including Kirby's clones, were still asleep, the pink puffball himself had to take a look around the island they washed up on. The moonlight cast shadows on the smaller palm trees, and Kirby and no idea what was on the island. Were there more fighters under Galeem's control? Was it the Rathalos on his side? Are there more Supporters, Light Puppets, corrupted Mii Fighters? It could probably be all of them at this point. The Seraph of Order has been tracking them ever since Kirby arrived here. He might be more clever than any of his friends had thought.
As Kirby sat on the sand and waited for his companions to wake up, already having plenty of rest, he suddenly heard the rustling of the bushes coming from deeper in the island. From the thickened leaves, Kirby noticed the red eyes and white aura of the person watching already giving away his or her hiding spot.
Not wasting any time to wait for this Primary to approach him, Kirby ran towards the captured fighter's hiding spot and transformed into his Stone form. His rocky appearance slid through the bushes, knocking the Primary backwards. When Kirby reverted back to his normal stature, he saw the Mii Gunner Primary, who was aiming for his head with her arm cannon.
"Don't think you're going to be let off the hook that easily!" the Mii Gunner Primary spoke out. "This is especially when you had made the mistake of facing against the General of Flames: Flamberge!" The image of the Master Legendary Spirit shined on her bosom, revealing a Mage Sister similar to Francisca from before but with wild, red hair like fire and angry eyes just as interesting to match. The two fighters were standing in a clearing on the island, with grass and wildflowers surrounded by trees.
"Bring it on!" the Mii Gunner Primary shouted, her main weapon shifting into the flaming cannon that she used before. Kirby watched as the captured fighter blasted out a huge flame pillar, trying to burn the pink demon. Kirby ran as fast as he could around the Mii Gunner Primary, watching as she scorched all the plants in the current area. The alien puffball then quickly used his Stone ability again, becoming temporary invincible. Kirby then noticed one of the higher trees that have cupped leaves were stationary holders for puddles of water. He noticed one of the cupped leaves was full simply from the water dripping onto the captured fighter's shoulder. Smoke fizzled out from the Mii Gunner Primary, and she quickly smacked it off her before she aimed her weapon again. This gave Kirby an idea.
Trying to avoid the burning grass, Kirby stood right in front of the tree packed with water to distract the captured fighter. The Mii Gunner Primary aimed her flaming cannon again and fired. Kirby instantly jumped out of the way as Flamberge's weapon burned right through the tree. The charcoal that formed from the tree's base was weak enough for Kirby to kick it down with his red foot. As the tree topper down, the water splashed from the leaves and drenched the Mii Gunner Primary.
The glowing-red eyes searched for the put-out bushes despite having been drenched from her fire. When Kirby stepped out, the captured fighter attempted firing her flame pillar cannon again. However, since the fuse was already put out, it started expanding in front of her when she least expected it. The aftermath explosion from the destroyed arm cannon immediately killed the Mii Gunner Primary. The pink puffball turned into his Stone form once more to avoid the blast.
Once the explosion had calmed down, Kirby reverted back to his original appearance and looked around. The trees had their branches blown out, and some were even rooted out of the ground. The pink puffball noticed the Mii Gunner's body lying unconscious in the sooty bushes with the shattered Galeem Lock mist and the Flamberge Spirit hovering over her. The Master Legendary Mage Sister surrounded herself with the mist as she flew with it into Kirby's body. The blue, star-filled eyes flashed white once again, and Kirby's mind saw through another vision once more.
The pink demon woke to the weeping of a dragon, mainly Phoenix. The now-crowned Lord of Darkness lay sobbing on his black velvet bed, with the light of a dark crystal chandler accompanying him. His weeping echoed throughout the room, filled with neglect and isolation.
"Galeem does not understand," Phoenix cried, his head lifting up for air to avoid sinking into the pillow. "None of them do… Why does this only happens to me!? I wish I was as powerful as Galeem just to show him who the true ruler around here should be!" The dragon then continued weeping into the silky mattress, avoiding to stop his heartfelt agony anytime soon.
"Why… I think that can be arranged," an enigmatic voice answered. Phoenix stopped his weeping to listen to who said that. His violet eyes peered around the darkness, searching for the one who said those words. For Kirby, he knew exactly whose voice it was.
Phoenix then looked up at the ceiling to see a life-sized mass of pulsing, nauseating flesh. Enlarged holes were clustered together, forming webs of skin-like material on this grotesque creature. Packs of boils were bursting with sticky white pus, and there were tens of eyeballs trapped in the gelatin's skin that gazed in every direction of the room. Slimy tentacles the exact same color of the pink slime from before slithered out, their voracious appetites clearly showing by the way they moved around. The only entrance it opened on its vomit-inducing body revealed rows upon rows of teeth, each one sharper than the rest. The bloated atrocity let some sort of lure dangled out from its throat, the stench of gastric juices tainting that body part… or if that was even was a fraction of its digestive system or another limb. Either way, the lure was bloated from the inside, but there was a good reason why. It was carrying something… far more sinister.
The bulge in that lure descended towards the stone-cold floor. Once those crystalline feet peeked out from the bottom, the stranger of black mist emerged from his companion, looking as mysterious and dangerous as ever. The obscenity then dropped itself onto the ground behind its master. Phoenix has become rather terrified by this encounter, his eyes having seen things never before witnessed by any species of dragonkin, whether eastern or western. The young Lord of Darkness backed away from the stranger and his monstrosity pet, almost falling off his back on the bed. The horrific creature was so frightening that Phoenix found it impossible to use his powers against them. Even Kirby had a hard time thinking that this carbuncle was once a harmless, pink slime.
"Don't be afraid," the stranger told Phoenix. "Despite appearances, we are not looking for any harm… at the moment…" The eyesore lifted its black-mist master with its lavender tendrils, carrying him on its weight.
"Wha- What do you want?" Phoenix asked.
"I see you're rather lonely," the stranger responded. The Lord of Darkness had been getting a lot of that lately. From just his looks alone, Phoenix was often ignored before he could even talk to anyone suitable for his kind. He may be an expecting father, but he still feels isolated from those that are looking for someone to talk to, no matter how sociable.
"You don't have to hide anything from me," the stranger continued. "I can read your thoughts and know how you feel… You don't have to do anything. Just listen to what I have to say."
"I do not care what you think," Phoenix objected, his mouth fizzling with lightning. "Tell me who you are and who are you working for!"
"I work for no one but myself," the stranger answered. "If you must know who I am, just call me… a friend. Now then… do you want to know why you have been pushed away from the world so many times? Do you want to know why the only people who truly care for you are your family? I can simply answer that for you. You see… I was the one who set your whole life up. The reason why these dragons abandoned you was because I told them so, hidden from their sights and making them treat you like a demon." When Phoenix had heard the truth, his violet eyes filled with rage. He boosted in the air towards the stranger and his slimy let, but the grotesque figure jumped back with incredible power, dragging its black-mist master with its sticky tentacles.
"You are the one who took everything from me!" Phoenix snarled, his roaring deafening the room. However, despite being threatened, the stranger simply remained calm. His green eyes and red sclera glowed with a puzzling wit, clearly showing that the stranger was beyond intelligent. He merely laughed quietly at the Lord of Darkness trying to scare him out.
"If you would please calm down, listen to what I have to say. The truth is not all that far-fetched. The reason why I did all this is because I wanted to reawaken you. To rise you to your truest potential."
"What are you talking about?" The figure lowered himself down, levitating a few inches off the floor without the assistance of his pet.
"What I'm trying to say is… from the day you were born, I saw great potential within your feekle mind. I understand how powerful you are among all the lower lifeforms, including dragonkin. I pushed everyone away from you so that I can awaken you. I had even convinced your brother to steal all the individuals in your life." The next part was completely made up by the stranger, which was completely produced as though he was telling the truth.
"But Galeem is growing smarter," the stranger continued. "He knows about my whereabouts and threatens to purge many universes of imperfection, including you. You don't have to play dumb anymore. Galeem will purge you when you least expect it…" Phoenix looked down in shame, believing the brother who took all his friends was going to kill him.
"…What do I have to do?" Phoenix asked.
"It's simple." The figure then floated up to the dark crystal chandler with his terrifying entity companion rapidly crawling up the wall and ceiling with long, cracking legs reminiscent of spiders that it had just now generated.
"Snuff… out… every… last… light," the stranger answered, leaving pauses in-between words as he used his crystalline fingers to douse the flickering candles in the chandler. Now the only light in the blackened room was from the red sclera and green eyes of the mysterious figure.
"There is still time," the stranger went on. "Galeem wants order and perfection in his reign. You can put an end to this. Not only can you give yourself the joy of freedom, but you can also bestow it upon others as well. Give them the choice to destroy a 'perfect society'. Have them make their own decisions. If they refuse and spend the rest of their lives within the light, put them out of their misery which burns like the candles of their souls. The only way I can raise you to my level is with your bargain to the Mother…"
"The Mother?" Phoenix asked. The stranger flicked his hand, transforming the eldritch gelatin back into its usual pink slime form with the singular slit eye.
"The Mother is a being greater than you can imagine," the stranger answered, his slime wrapping around his crystalline arm. "She will grant the wishes of those who deserve more than what they're given. With a single deal, she can change them into gods. She can enhance the abilities you have so far and make you unstoppable. Your brother Galeem will do everything he can to stop you for his own selfish rules. If you kill him and give him what he and his followers deserve, there will be nothing and no one to stand in your way! All you must do… is take my hand…" The stranger lifted his right arm up, and the pink slime slipped through his fingertips. Phoenix was starting to become tempted by this offer. All he wanted was to love and be loved in return. But what good did he really do? Was his main goal just to make friends and socialize? The purpose of his existence will be revealed once he accepts the stranger's offer.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Phoenix felt his extended right paw being grabbed by the figure's crystalline hand and pink slime, a new wave of energy pulsing in the young Lord of Darkness. Without a warning, the stranger swiped downward with his left hand, creating a nasty flesh wound on the right side of Phoenix's face. The black dragon screamed in agony as he clutched onto his wound, his flaming-violet wings burning with guilt. For whatever reason, there was no bleeding and all that remains on his right eye was a glowing-violet scar extended vertically. A pulse of power coarser through the flesh wound, making Phoenix feel weird.
"…What… did you do to me…?" Phoenix asked, watching the stranger command his slime to transform into its body horror version with only hand gestures.
"I made you reborn," the stranger finished, allowing himself to get swallowed by the lure his own monstrosity sent out. "You must now give yourself a new name, for your identity as a slave bound to this planet was Phoenix. Now that name is no more. Think about how you want to end this conflict between the light and darkness, order and chaos…" The grotesque monster had completely engulfed the black-mist stranger. Once the lights in the chandler flickered back on through magic, both the figure and his pet were nowhere to be seen. All that remained was the young Lord of Darkness, lying on the floor and thinking what he had done as he rubbed his scar. His mind had now been fabricated by that encounter, and even stained. As Kirby continued watching, the vision's world grew bright once more, and his young, fragile mind was transported back to his previous location.
The Mii Gunner began rubbing her head, unaware of what happened. Her face lit up with shock as she saw the scorched grass and trees that had already dried up into ashes. She then saw the pink puffball who saved her slowly starting to wake up. Kirby opened his eyes to see the ex-Gunner Ultimate Reborn hitting over his face, relieved that both he and she were fine.
"Where did you come from?" the Mii Gunner asked. "I thought I would never get off the island…" Kirby then remembered the raft he and his friends came in. He grabbed ahold of the Mii Gunner's left hand and took her with him to the other Smashers.
As the sun arose in the sky, looking as fiery as before, Fox McCloud started smelling the aftermath smoke meters away. Because of his heightened animal senses, he could pink up the intoxicating scent much easier. When the Star Fox mercenary woke up, he started shaking Ireburn's shoulder.
"Do you smell something?" Fox whispered so as not to wake up the rest of their friends yet, his black nose twitching as he continued picking up the odor. "I thought I got a whiff of a… forest fire…"
"I don't smell anything," the Hero answered, shielding his eyes from the morning sun.
"I'm a fox," Fox answered. "Even if I'm an anthropomorphic bipedal, I still retain the senses of animals on your planets. I know smoke when I smell it."
"Where's Kirby?" Gilbert asked. The Mii Swordfighter had just woken up from the commotion and noticed the pink puffball was not sleeping with his two clones. The ex-Ultimate Reborn then saw Kirby walking on the shore, taking the reawakened Mii Gunner with him. Once Peach also got her beauty rest, she noticed the pink puffball was covered in spot from the attack only he had encountered. The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom got off the raft and hugged Kirby in safety.
"Thank goodness you're okay," Peach cheered, wiping the ashes off Kirby's face. As the sun was rising, the rest of the fighters, including the two Kirby clones, were already up. The Mii Swordfighter hugged the Mii Gunner tightly, glad that one of his best friends of the same species was okay.
"So glad you're fine," Gilbert said to the Mii Gunner. She pulled back from the hug, looking back on her friends.
"…I can tell you're here for the Rathalos that is working for Galeem," the Mii Gunner said. "I know that monster's hiding place near where Kirby rescued me."
"Let's go then," Lucario told everyone. The Mii Gunner took off deep into the island past the overturned bushes, their leaves crumbling into ashes. The rest of the Smashers followed after her, and the raft and Lapras Spirit stayed behind in case.
"When Kirby rescued me, he was not too far off from your destination," the Mii Gunner explained, climbing across the scorched tree trunks. Each one of the fighters looked around the burned area, surprised that Kirby even managed to survive. The Mii Gunner then pushed aside a curtain of bushes and vines, confident this was the way. What the fighters saw was a wooden bridge connected to a larger island surrounded by small hills dotted with trees. The Mii Gunner traversed across the stable bridge, holding her arm cannon by her side. Once the fighters crossed to the other side, the Mii Gunner stopped in front of a stone gate. The markings were carved with tales of different monsters from another world not of theirs, though the Rathalos is in fact one of them.
"All we have to do is push it open and you're on your way," the Mii Gunner said, trying to push open the stone doors. However, the gate was locked shut and it simply wouldn't budge open. Even Bowser, who was the strongest of the bunch, couldn't even break it open.
"It looks like this gate is protected by some sort of magic," Eleven said to everyone, both he and Lucario using their powers within to sense the barricading spell. "But by what…?"
"We can obviously tell what." Fox pointed right at the wooden bridge they crossed. Approaching from the other side was another team of Light Puppets, Kirby Supporters, and possessed Mii Fighters all led by who appeared to be the Toon Link Primary.
"You have got to be kidding me," Link sighed, already having enough of these fights. "Can we just go one day without having to deal with the likes of you? We're already tired from the battles you throw at us…"
"That's precisely why Galeem sent us," the Toon Link Primary spoke with an eerie, raspy voice. "He's sending out his troops to keep on attacking until you can't take it anymore, and you will now suffer from the wrath of me: Vaati." The Spirit that had appeared on Toon Link's chest was reminiscent of a cartoony Minish sorcerer similar to the Hero of the Winds, but he had a pale face with markings, red eyes, a purple robe, and violet hair with a bang covering one side of his face.
"If you wish to go beyond those gates, you will have to go through me… and the army the Seraph of Order assigned me," the Toon Link Primary finished, drawing out his simplistic version of the Master Sword. The Light Puppets and Kirby Supporters ran across the bridge with the Mii Fighters, ready to attack Kirby and his team of fighters.
"I just wanna collapse right after we defeat these guys and that Rathalos," Peach groaned, rubbing her aching feet. "I think I'm getting blisters in my slippers..."
"Us too, princess," Zero Suit Samus answered, tapping the hazardous end of her Plasma Whip against the high heel portions of her Jet Boots. As the Lord of Light's forces drew in closer towards the fighters, the Smashers drew their weapons and got ready. Due to the sheer amount of Light Puppets and Kirby Supporters that were with the Toon Link Primary, it seemed as though our brave warriors were outnumbered. Regardless, they should give it their all.
Peach climbed onto Bowser's back, tugging on his wild, red mane and forcing him to breathe a large stream of fire at the first few puppets. However, there were many light enough to hop over the fire and try landing on top of Bowser. Luckily, Peach pulled out a Toad she had at the last second from her dress. The connected attack from one of the Light Puppets sent a trigger reaction through the Toad, forcing him to speak damaging spores at the small team of enemies. As they were sent far, the Hero and Piranha Plant dashed forward to the other puppets, spamming poison, spikeballs, lightning bolts, and whatever they got up their sleeves. The Piranha Plant lingered in the air for a while to attack the incoming Kirby Supporters while Ireburn dashed towards the Toon Link Primary. Both fighters froze in place for a split second as their individual swords clashes against each other, their vibrating rings echoing throughout the blades.
Chaos started crying out on the shores of the larger island as the puppets pushed forward even with members of their kind getting killed off. The Pokémon Trainer started throwing out all three of his Pokémon and commanded them to use Triple Finish, a move that combined Squirtle's Hydro Pump, Ivysaur's Solar Beam, and Charizard's Fire Blast. Kirby and his two clone companions combined their Inhale abilities to create a massive vortex, sucking up all the troops working for Galeem that charged after them.
Despite being more powerful than the Toon Link Primary and his assigned forces, the Smashers were easily overwhelmed by the crazy numbers. The Mii Gunner ran up to the Luminary when she saw him struggling against the captured fighter, and she started throwing bombs and missiles at the approaching enemies. The other fighters backed up close to the gate as they saw their two friends surrounded.
"I have no choice…" Ireburn groaned, the mark on his left hand glowing red with fire. "Get as far away from me as possible…" The Hero's body then started glowing with rays of light as more of the puppets and possessed Mii Fighters attacked him. Distracted by the glowing Luminary, the Kirby Supporters and other Light Puppets ran towards the light. Little did they know as they were attacking Eleven was that he was about to use the spell Kamikaze, and it would very much kill him with them if he wasn't careful.
The female ex-Ultimate Reborn saw that the Hero was going to die from his own powers, but he was going to kill off all of Galeem's sent troops, including the Toon Link Primary. She didn't want to let this stranger die, even though she had never met him before and she just woke up in the middle of a battle. Suddenly, a glowing rainbow aura appeared around her body, and her irises were replaced with gold. She quickly jumped up into the air as Ireburn was about to self-destruct. As the puppets turned around, the Mii Gunner instantly used Full Blast, her Final Smash. The Smash Ball awakened within her, and she managed to use this powerful attack to her advantage.
All the puppets were trapped in the spinning beams, with the Toon Link Primary included. The laser blasted through the enemy lines, sending them all catapulting near the sands. Due to the attackers no longer damaging Ireburn's body, the Luminary held onto his spell so he could look around and see if he was safe and there was no need to end his life by destroying others. He saw the Mii Gunner's energy-drained body float slowly to the ground, and he managed to catch her in time. The Smashers on the team ran up to their two friends.
As the Mii Gunner weakly looked at her companions with a smile, the Vaati Spirit with the white mist floated out of Toon Link's body and entered inside Kirby. This was pretty much going to be the last vision for now.
The pink puffball found himself in another part of the Sky Temple, with an area where candles dimly lit the hallways. Ultima gently knocked on a random door out of apology.
"Galeem?" Ultima told the Lord of Light, who was in the room Ultima was knocking on the door too. "I'm sorry about all the terrible things I said about you. You're a great brother and everything. It's just that… you could give our brother a chance. After all, he is part of the family. If I can become royalty, then he can become royalty as well. All he needs are more people in his life. If you could try to reason with him and even be generous, maybe we wouldn't be so angry. I'm hoping you would understand…" The Queen of Arcus gently nudged the door open, and she saw Galeem's room was empty. The crystal-white room laden with silky vines was filled with the soft wind coming from the open porch window. When Ultima stepped into the room, she saw her brother Galeem near the porch from the inside, his radiant wings of flames radiating the dark night.
"Not even a star in the sky," Galeem said. "Who knew a ritual to make our brother the next Lord of Darkness should involve this?" Ultima walked up to the right side of her brother, looking out onto the brightened utopia of dragons down before from the floating island. The lights in their hovels graced the landscape like a blanket of the cosmos. As Ultima had noticed, few of the lights at a time were being put out as a reminder that the dragons in those homes were talking asleep.
"What I find it funny is that if intelligent creatures like ourselves fear of monsters lurking in the dark, why do they forget all that in the blink of an eye as though there were no such thing and simply turn off the lights?" Galeem asked.
"Maybe eye restraints, insomnia, or…" Ultima was about to answer before she was interrupted by her brother.
"That's not what I meant at all. We live through the day and sleep at night. There are those that thrive in the dark and hide from the light. We see light as hope and peace but darkness as despair and chaos."
"Maybe sometimes we overlook the light and underestimate its power. Sometimes it can just be… too hard to control. We often get lost from the path and stray too far into or from our goals, meaning our mistakes from the past will eventually catch up. The need to bring positivity would get lost in the need to make yourself feel more important. The same also applied to the negativity. That's what I'm trying to tell you, Galeem. We use the negativity as a conflict of sorts, and we use the positivity to work it around and outside the best we can. It's different for everyone, and there's no true balance between right and wrong. Too much of one thing can change you if you're not careful. Positivity only would make you sickly annoying with only a boring, happy personality, and negativity alone can turn you into…"
"…A cold-hearted monster," Galeem answered. The Lord of Light turned to his sister as well as focusing his gaze upon Civiltatula. "I understand what you're saying, Ultima. You're right. The light represents order and peace. I should've listened to you before. Now I feel like an idiot. Wish I could have another chance…"
"You already have one," Ultima responded with a light smile on her face. "Our daddy always said we must accept reality for the better. Maybe we can also use that reality to our advantage. It doesn't have to be just us being happy. If we do things better for the people, maybe we can feel the same." After looking out into the dragon town for a minute or two, Galeem and Ultima were unexpectedly started by Sozo breaking down the door. The golden-eyed general was panting in fear, the rim of his mouth dripping with blood.
"Sozo! What happened?" Ultima asked, she and Galeem helping the ex-Lord of Light up.
"It's your brother Phoenix!" Sozo answered in wincing. "He's gone mad! He's fighting with my brother Hakai and most of the guards in the Sky Temple are already murdered!" Ultima's face showed signs of worry as she instantly dashed out of Galeem's room.
"Ultima! Wait!" Galeem called for her as he followed his sister. Sozo tagged along behind them, dashing as fast as he could.
Hakai was slammed against the wall through brutal strength, the lungs in his chest punctured. He weakly got up with all the power he had, orbs of light flashing from his head and all of his legs.
"Don't make me do this, Phoenix!" Hakai exclaimed, dashing after his student. Who the previous Lord of Darkness was fighting was Phoenix, though he looked rather different. For one, he had an unnatural violet glow all around his body, and his eyes were blue with yellow irises from his usual purple color. His reddened wings grew brighter in flames as he bit deep into Hakai's neck, cutting off the general's air supply. Hakai now only had a few minutes left to live as he backed away in pain. Sozo, Galeem, and Ultima arrived in time to see their brother going on a killing spree.
"You took everything from me, Galeem!" Phoenix snarled, his voice echoing with a distorted tone. "For your selfishness and betrayal of the light, you will pay with the consequences!"
"Listen, Phoenix!" Galeem objected. "Give me another chance!" However, Phoenix would not listen as a black storm cloud exhaled through his breath. The cloud surrounded the dying Hakai, lifting him up into the air and twisting his draconic body. The bones cracked and inner flesh teared as the scar on Hakai's left wing ripped itself from his body, moving in disarray. Hakai's old, lifeless body then dropped to the floor, disintegrating into the blackest ashes before they even touched the ground. All that remained was who appeared to be the very first Crazy Hand, identified with the violet aura, and the cry of anguish from Sozo.
"Phoenix, you cold-hearted bastard!" Galeem roared, golden flames lighting up in his throat.
"Phoenix, stop this right now!" Ultima snarled, her spectrum wings flashing with the rainbow they always had. Just then, Phoenix raised his flaming wings, and all the lights in the Sky Temple went out, including his own pinions. The only thing that the two siblings could heard was the movement of Phoenix's flesh moving in gross, disgusting ways and a deep booming noise in the aftermath. The violet aura flashed bright again to reveal Phoenix's true form, and his blue and golden orbs reflected the reaction of terror from his brother and sister.
What once were the majestic pennons of the Lord of Darkness now remained three pairs of wings with each of their bases fused to his back by the violet aura. They were formed out of tentacles as black as his corrupted heart, with a few parts revealing a deep indigo. The thorny tips of the wings were exposed however, showing off the color of magenta. The six wings themselves were so huge they wrapped around Phoenix as he levitated in midair, not even moving as he was flying.
"My name is no longer Phoenix," the corrupted dragon growled, the scar on the right side of his face from before flashing violet. "My name is Dharkon, Lord of Darkness and Seraph of Chaos!" Ultima stepped back in horror and guilt, guilt that she had underestimated the ghost and his pet slime. He was the cause of all this. There was no other explanation.
"Get off the island. Now!" Ultima ordered Sozo and Galeem as she retreated to the main hall. Phoenix, now named Dharkon, telepathically commanded Hakai, now a Crazy Hand, to go after the remaining guards. Without question, the Crazy Hand did it willingly and floated through the Sky Temple.
Galeem kicked down the door to the room that Medley was sleeping in, and she immediately woke up to the sound.
"…Morning already?" Medley groaned. Galeem quickly placed his front claws on her shoulders.
"We need to leave. Now," Galeem answered. "My brother went crazy and is destroying everything in sight. He wants me dead and won't stop at anything to finish his duty! Grab Glimmeress and follow me!" Obeying, Medley quickly slipped on the pouch she carries Glimmeress in, and she nudged the egg into the front pocket. The two dragons then met up with Ultima and Sozo at the front door, when the Queen of Arcus barged it wide open.
"But my sister! And her baby!" Medley objected.
"On it," Ultima replied, soaring off deep into the temple. She made her wings generate light in the darkness, and she soared through the halls. She saw the surviving guards transformed into Crazy Hands by the same storm that changed Hakai, but they all lacked the violet aura. As Ultima flew deeper into the Sky Temple, she heard the screams of bloody murder.
Instantly recognizing the cries of pain to be female, Ultima quickly teleported herself to where the screams were nearest. She then saw Katzen's room door shattered into splinters all over the carpet, and a puddle of blood was spilling out. There, she saw her own brother looking behind himself at her, his fangs tainted with gore and Katzen's lifeless corpse lying in front of him.
"No…" Ultima gasped, watching as the empty shell of what once was her brother turn towards her mercilessly. The Queen of Arcus noticed Inkereign's egg in Katzen's clutches. She knew she was trying to protect their only child from his claws. This dragon had the guts to attempt murder on his own family. In a flash of smoke, Ultima temporarily blinded Dharkon's eyes as she dived straight for the egg and flew out the room door. Her brother managed to spit out a rain of bullets at her, some ricocheting off her rainbow-spectrum wings. Coated in lightning, Dharkon grabbed ahold of Ultima's body and threw her onto the floor. Thankfully, the egg itself was as tough as iron, so the impact left no scratch.
"All this time I thought you cared for me," Dharkon growled, his tentacle wings wriggling with envy and hatred.
"I do care for you, Phoenix," Ultima explained, her heart beating fast in fear and her eyes starting to swell from the tears she built up. "Just don't do this…" Dharkon still did not listen as he rose into the air and struck her with a blow so hard she literally flew out of the Sky Temple through the smashed walls. Even if she was still holding onto the egg of Inkereign, Ultima could not even fly because she was so numb. As she was falling from the floating island, Galeem swooped to her rescue in time. He used his legs to grab onto Ultima's body while also watching the egg of his future nephew or niece. Medley was also carrying Sozo when she fled from the Sky Temple with him, and her eyes swam in their own fluids as she began to cry over the loss of her sister. Ultima saw the storm cloud rising in the air, their lightning spreading all across the sky. Dharkon's outstretched wings shattered through the walls of the Sky Temple, and his otherworldly maniacal laughter rang throughout the land. His army of Crazy Hands, all led by Hakai after he became the Hand of Destruction, flew throughout the skies. As the sky was about to forever remain in darkness, Kirby's vision was up as he was transported back to Gallia.
"Kirby…?" Toon Link asked, tapping the pink puffball's squishy face. "Are you okay?"
"Kirby always does this after someone rescues a fighter," Fox answered as Kirby sat back up. "We just need to give him time."
"Speaking of which…" Link responded, hoisting Kirby up where he was met with his two clones. "Glad that you're up. Come on. The gate to the Rathalos is open and we need to do this." Kirby then looked around and saw not a single Mii Fighter was around, and all the Light Puppets and Kirby Supporters were killed.
"While you were out, the Mii Brawlers fled, but the Mii Gunners were free from capture," the ex-Gunner Ultimate Reborn explained. "I took inspiration from Gilbert's actions and told them to wait for us at the Undying Light, so we're pretty much stuck here. At least I kinda understand the Mii Swordfighter is giving himself an ancestry name, so I guess mine is Sherry from now on. Just thought I'd let you know…"
"Hello?" Captain Falcon asked. "We don't have time. We have to defeat that Rathalos before he leaves the island, so we better make this quick, okay?" As fast as the wind, all the fighters ran beyond the gateway, and Kirby was about to join them too. But when he looked back, he saw the red and white Kirby Supporters gathering around an orange puppet fighter of their kind, hello it up. Like before, they sensed a mutual bond between each other, and now there was a third Kirby Supporter. However, it looked like it didn't have much of a choice as it was completely immobile. Kirby touched its face, feeling as sorry as ever for it.
"Poyo poyo poyo," Kirby said, alerting his three clones to follow in after them. Without looking back, the pink puffball and his puppet fighters ran into the island of the Rathalos. Though this perilous and random journey, Kirby had came to the conclusion that someone was building up all this. As though the person coated in black mist was special. After all, he was responsible for corrupting Phoenix. Could there be something of play in mind? Hell, Kirby faced against eldritch gods before in his life. How was it any different?
When Kirby looked ahead, he knew there was something going on. Somewhere out there was a being that is watching their every move. All the enemies they have faced before are somehow connected to one event. One person. One deity.
Eternia. Or what remains of her…
