Star's Allies
Chapter 12 - Soft Stories
Galacta Knight found himself wandering through the castle halls, enjoying the bright and sunny morning. His mind went towards certain topics as he walked on the lush carpet a castle would have. Especially Meta Knight and that conversation he had a week ago…
…
"So, we split, then?"
"...yes."
That brief exchange was the prompt. And the two flew off, ship and wings to soar the sky.
Galacta found himself thinking on a situation back then.
Inside the Mirror.
He was caged in the crystal. Time and space brought him somewhere, and then summoned occasionally to fight Meta Knight, and that one time with… the pink Meta Knight.
He was certainly aware; just not aware of his surroundings, all pitch black until cracked open, as the crystal was not a crystal, and instead was powerful magic shaped like a crystal. The magic did not replicate the transparent properties of what a crystal might be.
He had no idea where he'd arrive next, as his sight was black, no sound passed through, and he could not tell if his crystal was cracked or not until it truly broke apart.
When Meta found him in the mirror… he was ecstatic.
…
Meta Knight was one stoic knight, as well as a guy who got too addicted in battle. He was determined to hunt down that dark copy of him, and today's the day he'll go and enter the mirror.
There were multiple entrances to the accursed mirror after all, named after multiple things, but in principle all the same.
He'd just need to find another mirror after the last one shattered in the heights of the sky.
And so, his search began. It lead him to a ruined city in the desert. It was desolate and hot, nobody around for miles; just him, the ship, and his crew.
Following the clues was not easy, but he managed.
Silent as always, he searched around the nearly collapsing buildings and in the biggest one…
"...Bingo."
He could feel proud to have found an entrance. Time to set out and kill that dark fool.
Meta Knight flew into the mirror, its golden gaze inverted as the land became a hellhole of purple grass and sand. The sand was like quicksand, and the grass withering away like ashes in the wind.
Overall, the environment one would expect from a deserted and dark domain.
Gloomy and boring.
There was little of interest in the flipside of the mirror.
Dark Meta Knight didn't show up.
And Meta Knight soon started to take his leave…
...when he spotted him.
The crystal, encased in a spherical barrier, was hooked up to some crazy machine way too advanced for Meta Knight to comprehend.
That was new.
Galacta was inside some crazy doodad sparking all over the place with half-loose wires and giant… objects protruding out, facing the space-time warrior.
Meta Knight approached the object.
It was alien, with technology advanced enough for Meta Knight to not even get what to even look at.
There was no interface.
No cable.
All very clean and yet, old; ruined by time, as decay was evident around it.
Meta Knight took a look around the place.
Signs of life were non-existent. All there was is the mysterious machine and an encased Galacta Knight.
A portal soon opened below the crystal holding the warrior, a star-shaped hole, which led Galacta out of sight.
A few moments passed before the crystal came back, crackling slightly, as it was transported back into the machine.
The barrier pulsed a cold blue, and began to repair the crystal.
A laser shot out of the other machine, which penetrated both layers and straight at Galacta Knight.
The frozen warrior gave no emotion.
To this, Meta Knight had a feeling that this was a thing to be rid of.
He began turning back to the interface panel which he saw earlier.
Raised his sword.
"Hyah!"
Sliced the panel half-open.
The barrier responded furiously, shooting a wave of light everywhere.
The lasers began activating, beaming red everywhere.
Not to mention the horde of white bullets strewn all over the place once the panel was toyed with.
A voice played over the mess.
"T minus 60 seconds until self-destruct."
Self-destruct…?
Meta braved through the sea of projectiles, and started disabling the weapons.
One by one, he dodged and furiously hacked at the turret, lasers, and the main console of the machine.
"T minus 30 seconds."
Faster…!
He wouldn't let an explosion ruin the 'best knight in the galaxy'!
He must be the one to defeat and prove his own worth over him, after all.
All side weapons were gone. All that was left was the main barrier.
He turned and smashed the console.
"T minus 10 seconds."
That was not effective.
Alright then.
"T minus 8 seconds."
He charged up. The attack that Galacta usually did… can he replicate it?
"T minus 4 seconds."
He was nearly done charging. His sword's tip glowed an intense black.
It was done. He extended his arms forward-
"T minus 2 seconds."
The barrier cracked, breaking into a million pieces soon after.
"T minus 1 second."
The countdown did not stop. Meta Knight took it upon himself to swoop in and take the giant crystal away.
"T minus 0 seconds. Self-destruct."
The crystal was heavy, and Meta Knight did not anticipate the explosion to catch up to him so quickly-
A mushroom cloud expanded at the site of the machine, reducing it all to ash, and everything was gone.
The cloud went away as fast as it came.
Meta Knight came to a halt as he was grazed by the explosion.
The crystal was no more, however.
The explosion's power…
It drifted as energy into the crystal.
A focus, a resonation, if you will.
As if the main purpose of the machine had been this all along.
Galacta was unharmed, but unconscious, as Meta Knight took him with his spare hand out of the mirror world.
…
Back at his ship, he ordered his crew to lay the galactic warrior on a bed, and went to talk to the still unconscious man.
He awoke within the span of a couple hours.
"Wh… Another battle?"
A pause.
"My lance… where…"
"You're safe in my ship, Galacta Knight."
The pink knight turned to a masked Meta Knight.
"Ah, yes. My, I crave for another battle with you. But, before that, might I ask- safe from what?"
"From a terrible, terrible machine in the darkest mirror in Dreamland…"
And a story began.
…
Galacta was informed on afterwards, even offered to be Meta's friend by the knight himself, even extending a sparring offer.
He had grown from a knight who hungered for valor and pride to a humble knight who honored the code.
The code of knights.
He still had some doubts as to who even placed him in there, but he'll find out sometime.
Galacta kept walking past the castle towers and now at the outskirts, on top of the castle walls.
There, Dedede sat in his lounging chair, enjoying a game of chess with Bandana Dee.
Speaking of the King, Galacta was reminded of something..
A flash brought him back to Dedede's conversation.
"Be'n throu' a lo', huh?"
Dedede poured himself a cup of tea.
"Yep. Meta was busy handling that message to the rat."
"O' course. He's a wo'k-a-holi', takin' the job too seriously, I say."
Galacta set his cup down.
"In my eyes, a knight who does his work well should not be shamed at all by his king."
"That may be so, but he doesn't wo'k fo' me, Galacta."
"He's a wild card."
A wild card?
This was questioned.
"A wild card, yeah. He once tried to rule Dreamland to get us all productive, ya' know." Dedede refilled his tea.
"He does 'is own jobs and puts 'is priority based on 'is own whims, fueled by urgency or his desires. A king like me has no contro' ove' the madman," Dedede continued.
"Hm."
The king set his half-filled cup down.
"Lis'en. I'm hearin' your situahsion from Me'a Knight. You used to figh' 'im, and he broke ya out from some prison, so now you're here."
Galacta nodded.
The moonlight did not waver as the two conversed.
"Look, can I ask ya' a favour?"
"Of course."
"Meta Knight's kinda' the type of guy who needs friends, see? He got his crew, yeah, but not a guy who's obsessed to hell with fighting."
"Thou want I to go and becometh his friend?"
"Yeah. It keeps Meta Knight pre-occupied, and he looked like he needed an actual knight as a companion, ya' know?"
Galacta sat his cup down on the table. The tea was gone.
"Alright. We've sparred before at my request, but I'll make an effort to emphasize that 'friend' part to the honored knight. He seemed to have some thoughts floating around throughout this whole time, though."
"Mm. Well, you shou'd really try to buddy up with him. He'll like it."
Eventually, the topic stirred away from Meta Knight and moved onto other things.
The two talked deep into the night. They drank and drank until Galacta bid the king goodnight and sauntered off to his room inside the castle.
The next morning, Dedede went out to sort a deal with the young entrepreneur, Susie, about her involvement with Dreamland, as well as get her help in the effort to retrieve Kirby, especially because of her ship.
And that's where Galacta stood now, glancing through a window, still on the carpet, watching Dedede fling his arms around in order to drive in his point.
…
Meta's ship landed outside the castle.
The captain of the battleship exited the craft, and flew straight to the window where Galacta is waiting.
Luckily, the window was not equipped with glass.
Dedede didn't have to pay for repair damages (again).
"I have delivered my message. You said you wanted a spar?"
Time to put those words into action.
"Sure. Down at the bastille's arena; let us fight in good honour."
"Yes."
The two flew off, passing by an irate Dedede who was annoyed at how complicated the whole deal is, and drew their weapons mid-air, flanking and blocking in their spar.
With their weapons drawn and ready, with warm-ups out of the way, they began their 'spar', which resembles a true battlefield by the time they were done.
Conditions were normal at the Jamba base.
More and more hearts are returning… but somehow, Hyness still isn't satisfied with the small amount trickling in.
"The power, say? Broken and down! Gather more power, minions! Phyahahaha! Keke."
Aaaaand the sisters obediently followed her.
Seriously, am I the only lackey here who knows common sense to not fall into a power trip?
You could just obey them and gain your freedom, you know. No more dangling around with these types of people!
Marx sighed.
Ain't that easy, bucko. Kirby's still here, and I feel way too guilty if I leave him like that.
Whatever Marx. Right now, your only escape plan including Kirby is a box. It's so pathetic, and there's a high chance we won't be able to even fly off the planet.
...Kirby's been thinking too; from the stories he told to the ice cube, he had a phone that could call stars, and a magic sock.
His soul did not respond to that.
Marx remained silent, too.
He really needed to get out of here. Another discussion with Kirby would do…
Marx had been a regular at Kirby's 'room', so much so that the sisters don't suspect him anymore.
Well, their trust was still wonky, but who cares about that once he escaped?
…
A regular at the cell.
Kirby paced around for the twentieth time in a day. Seven days in a row.
He was bored, bored, bored.
And the fact that there's just a cramped window and an imposing steel door doesn't quite help it.
Thankfully, he'd have Marx to keep him company once every few days. And today was one of those days.
Marx jogged in, and shut the door with a push.
"I've got an actual plan now."
"Seriously? Tell me it, Marx. I've been bored to death by this hellhole villains call a 'cell'."
"Er… ahem. I've sorta, uh, listened in on your stories. And; waitholdon-"
The conversation was immediately interrupted by a sucking Kirby and a screaming Marx.
…
"...those were private, and they're only meant for those who stood around to listen after the story has ended."
"Yes, yes, now can you NOT inhale me in? I ain't gonna give you some circus power or something."
"Meh. Alright, so; your plan?"
Marx told Kirby his crucial plan.
"We use your magic sock to move you to Fabric Land, I don't know; and I bring the sock with me, hop on a star from your phone thing, and we're off."
"...You don't even know how to operate my 'phone', do you?"
"I'll figure it out; no worries!" Marx exclaimed in a cheery tone.
"So, where is it…?"
"My house, in the drawer. Right by a whopping big stalk."
Marx flashed a smirk. "Righto, and off I go!"
Kirby gave a small smile to the running Marx, who just happened to leave the door unlocked.
Well, manners as a hostage counts.
Kirby locked the door as the puffball left the cell.
…
In Popstar, following through Kirby's directions after a brief exchange with Hyness (it turned out that Hyness is also sending Marx to infect more people).
Marx accomplished his 'mission' with Hyness, to which the crazy witch approved and stopped the clairvoyance spell used to watch Marx.
"I'll teleport now…"
"Wait, give me 10 minutes."
"You're will late, Mark!"
"Yeah, 10 minutes, for hell's sake!"
Hyness huffed before cutting off the message.
This was the opening he'll use. He only has some time before Hyness gets impatient and spies on Marx again, so he needed to be quick.
"Right by the stalk…"
Marx turned to his right.
A giant stalk.
Wow, he wasn't kidding. How did I miss something this big when I went into Dedede's castle…?
Nevermind that time when he took Kirby; he just needed the sock and the puffball's 'phone'.
The window was wide open, and so Marx fit through. He jumped up to the window sill and walked in the unconventional way.
He sees Kirby's drawer, and opened it with a great big pull.
Among Kirby's belongings, was his phone and the magic sock (mind you, it looked just like a sock).
Carrying these two items was when Marx was teleported back into the base.
"Took you so long, trickster. Me got bored." Hyness voiced displeasure at his late arrival.
"Yeah, sorry, I was watching the target a tad too long."
"Ok, permitted for time. Next clock and you'll go bye bye!"
"Right. Uh. I'm heading off…"
Sock and phone in tow, Marx headed for Kirby's cell.
He wasn't there.
There was some commotion someplace else…?
…
Kirby dodged a flamethrower from Flamberge, as the hot-headed girl hunted the pink ball down.
Kirby swung and swerved as a fireball himself, having taken one of the attacks, transforming himself into Fire Kirby.
Well, if he's going to escape anyway, he really shouldn't get too attached to his temporary home, huh?
Kirby breathed fire back at Flamberge, as a shout from Marx came to him.
"Kirby, if you hear this, meet me back at your cell…!"
Flamberge heard that, too. She turned back and headed straight for Marx and Kirby's cell.
A few moments later, Francisca wandered into the hallways of the base after her hunt for the power Hyness needed, questioning Zan Partizanne to whatever had happened.
…
Kirby arrived a moment after Flamberge, as a dodging Marx came crashing into the puffball, with the sock ready on use.
Marx and Kirby had to deal with an enraged Flamberge, however.
"I've always known you were a traitor to our cause, Marx."
"And I don't care for your cause, so you can go straight to hell."
Marx popped out his wings and a thousand lightning arrows pierced the sky.
He followed with a laser from his mouth.
Flamberge was surprised to see two consecutive, extremely fast attacks being thrown at her, as she tried to move before any of them hits.
Marx was tired now.
Naturally, not being supplied by power himself, he was pretty worn out from just two attacks.
However, it was two attacks which hit dead on.
Flamberge was ejected out of the base, unconscious on the planet's surface.
"Hahhh… that… went well…"
"Take it easy. Now… the sock, Marx?"
Marx handed the pink puffball his sock.
Kirby enlarged it, as if it was magic.
"So; I'm not losing this- It doesn't travel with me- you better carry it all the way back to Dreamland when I jump in. Escape with the phone, pretty simple. Good luck, I suppose… That should be it. No more questions, right?" Kirby laid it out one final time.
Marx responded with a clear yes, and Kirby hopped into the sock.
"Weird," he commented at the sight of Kirby falling in… and disappearing completely.
Marx picked back up the now shrunken sock, and tried to operate the phone in order to bring him out of the place.
He pulled out the device. There was a button on the face of the thing, so Marx pressed it.
As he clicked the button, a mechanism flung out, extending a hidden antenna with a spinning, glowing star, nearly hitting Marx square in the face as he was intently staring at the device. It began to make a sound...
RING. RING. RING…
The notes echo far and wide…
And a star came down to help him. He saw the blinding flash from the stardust, now he'll just have to see if it'll pass through the barrier the base is covered in.
Marx could not believe his eyes when the star had come for him.
Like a shuriken, it broke through. Pierced the barrier like it was glass, as shards of the magic fell to the ground.
As it arrived to the hole in the wall Flamberge went through, Marx went for it.
He staggered to the star and climbed on Kirby's signature ride, and took off to Dreamland, grinning widely as he escaped the hellhole he was forced into, uncooperative with their ranks and uninterested in world domination. He had changed for the better, and he wasn't going to waste his chance again.
Kirby was in a strange world.
However, it is not a strange world to him.
Well… he might be the only person here who's not made up of yarn, but he went through it before.
Kirby was on the top of a castle, one which he recognised quite quickly.
He scaled down the fluffy steps, and landed on the courtyard.
Well, while he was here, might as well check on an old friend…
Kirby burst into the throne room of the palace, as the ruler of the castle gaped at the sight of the uninvited visitor.
"Kirby…? Been quite some time since we talked, huh? Come, let's have a chat," the blue round yarn creature invited.
"Sure, Prince."
Kirby had some fun times with this guy.
"Actually, it's King now. But just call me Fluff, we don't have to be so regal at all times…"
…
Prince- no, King Fluff sat down on the soft chair as Kirby sat down as well.
"So, you're King now?"
"Yup. The whole kingdom thought that me tagging around and helping you is a pretty good qualifier for king, so that's that."
Fluff whispered to Kirby.
"Mind you, my workload somehow doubled now. One of the things I really don't like," he leaned back and continued, "...other than that, the planet's been quite peaceful since you left."
"Huh. Well, sorry for not visiting you the past couple years. Had some trouble back home, too. Like right now…"
Kirby went deep into his thoughts.
The yarn king frowned, and asked, "What sort of trouble, Kirby?"
"A crazy… cult, I think? They're hunting me down, so with the help of a fellow friend, I escaped to Patch Land."
Fluff gave a 'huh' as he once again leaned back.
"Well, as long as that sock isn't gone, then you'll be pretty safe here. I assume you left it with your friend?"
"Yup. Speaking of which, his name is Marx…"
Marx, having never flown on a star before, screaming his lungs out at the insane speed the thing was taking. He was passing stars by a lightyear and a half, and he was definitely dizzy from the exhaustion and what happened today.
Well, because the barrier was broken, and that was the only thing tying him to the base, he was able to make a clean escape.
He'll just have to make due with a speeding star and his ability to not throw up the instant he rode it.
The star flew across space, as the transport took him all the way to Dreamland.
"I'm gonna craaaaash!"
He was heading to the surface of the star planet at light speed, and his courage trembled.
The ride abruptly halted. Marx nearly got flung out due to the inertia he carried during the trip.
"Aha… that's it! That's it! Dreamla-"
His joys were cut short.
The star began falling to the surface, and the screaming returned.
It shot into the atmosphere like a shooting star across the night sky of Dreamland, as the residents of Dreamland enjoyed the lone comet.
...except Marx.
The star crash-landed onto the cold, cold, mountain range he once knew. There was a volcano in the distance, which was also familiar.
The jester crawled to the smoking star, before it shot up to the sky, awaiting another's call.
"I'm back! Hahh…."
He collapsed on the snow.
"...So, he seemed like quite an unreliable guy, huh?"
Kirby stopped for a minute.
"No, actually. I find him to be somewhat reliable, minding that his whole plan hinged on me trusting him. Normally, I would've trusted a guy like him instantly, but…"
"Ah. His sudden betrayal."
Fluff stood up from his comfy chair.
"Well it is an interesting situation you have. I wish you the best of luck, Kirby. Next time, come by again, will ya?"
Kirby shook the yarn boy's hand.
"Sure!" He smiled, as he left the room and waved at Patch Land's king.
Kirby climbed back on top of the castle, ready for arrival back in Dreamland.
"Right… he should have arrived at this time. At least, I hope so…"
Kirby jumped in the magic sock.
A whirr of colors, and Kirby arrived on snow, cold as an ice cube, next to a collapsed Marx, with the other half of the sock as well as his phone right beside the jester.
Looking at his surroundings, Kirby voiced his great displeasure.
"Not in the middle of nowhere... again..."
Kirby sighed.
"I'm just going to hope that this planet even is Dreamland."
Kirby took another look at his surroundings.
A volcano started erupting.
"Ah, nevermind. I am in Dreamland."
…
How the hell am I going to get back to the mainland?
The shooting star lasted quite some time, as Taranza viewed the burning spectacle.
He had nagged to Magolor about the once-in-a-lifetime event, but Magolor instead deepened himself in his reading and forced Taranza out.
Bad, bad Magolor. Such a workaholic, amirite, soul?
Ah, yes. The egg. Well, he is a workaholic, I suppose. Just doesn't know the value of fun.
The two laugh together, despite one of them being inside Taranza.
…
Magolor wondered at his plan. Go to the mountain (and one volcano) to retrieve the last remaining energy spheres.
Seemed simple enough.
Magolor launched his ship onward. They had enough of a beach. It was time to change their course.
Off to the mountains the Lor went, nearly at its top speed.
"So, Kirb's gone…?"
Francisca was heartbroken. The pink ball had told her so many wonderful stories, and she wanted to hear more!
She was sad to hear that Kirby and Marx fled the planet.
"Yes. Yes, they did," Partizanne confirmed, showing a beaten up Flamberge.
Francisca turned to her sister.
"I'm chasing after them. Kirb and Marx!"
AN:
Okay, wow.
I was too into reading fanfiction that this chapter got delayed. Whoops.
Anyways, that's finished, and we're off to the mountains to gather the last remaining energy spheres. Francisca is coming, and who knows where Kirby and Marx ended up.
Also, Prince Fluff made an appearance. I wasn't going to originally put him in, but I just had to.
smallroo: Yeah, that Super Kirby Clash cameo was pretty nice. Originally I was going to put the DX version in, but after I found out about the game, I just have to put it in there. All in all, a pretty nice omake.