Star's Allies
Chapter 13 - Traversing Troubles
"I thought I had enough of this when we went to the colosseum…"
Taranza was currently complaining about the cold and all the snow, accompanied by Kine.
"Yeah, I know right? It's like, the worst weather ever."
"Say, it's not that bad," Rick commented.
"You breathe fire out of your mouth, Rick. Of course you would say that this weather is just fine," Coo rebutted, with a monotone expression, looking at the hamster with a questioning look.
"Well— actually, I don't have anything to say about that…"
Rick shut up.
The view from the Lor was astounding, even at the heights they were at.
Rick, Kine, and Coo had simply come to enjoy the breeze, to which they find a complaining Taranza out in the open, carrying a blanket and his robe tightly around himself.
That said, all four of them were on deck, as they watched the frigid mountain coalesce into white triangles. Well, the environment was that, just like a blank white canvas. A blank white canvas with a giant red dot on it, screaming the tastes of modern art.
For some reason, a volcano laid in the center of all these other mountains. It was singled out (notably, no other mountain is touching it) and it kept on bursting lava all over the place, a billion degrees hot, and a thing nobody will want to touch.
Of course, that being said…
"I still can't believe Magolor asked us to dive into a volcano to get his energy spheres. Like, come on…"
Taranza nagged on and on about this and that, with the animal trio providing the occasional input.
But hey ho, their main point of interest is the volcano, not the cold weather, so after some moments of Taranza pouring his hate for the cold, he retreated back to his room, shaking and covered in blankets.
The animal trio simply looked on.
"Pretty sight, ain't it?"
Coo rolled her eyes. "We've been here lots of times, Rick."
"I know, I know," he chuckled, "it's just that it's the first time I've seen it from the air."
"Grow a pair of wings, then," Kine suggested jokingly.
The three exchanged their quips, and laughed it off as the cold, cold air blew on their faces.
Laughter rang out, as they eventually also went back in the ship.
Magolor greeted them, as always. He was too polite not to.
"Hey. How's the breeze?" He smiled.
"Oh, pretty good. Too bad Taranza chickened out though, said he was bad with this kind of weather. Complaining a heck lot at the deck, he was, yeah…" Rick laughed at the poor spider who was not there.
Kine chuckled, before actually offering a report.
"Say, the weather out there is getting heavier. Loads more snow coming in, so will that impact your ship?"
Less of a report and more of a question.
Magolor responded all the same.
"Probably, yeah… I'll just activate the ship's barrier and see if that'll block the snow away."
Coo cawed. "This type of weather is bogus, you know. Not a great environment to fly in at all…"
She waved at her wings at that statement.
"Yup, that'll be a detriment to your fine ship, Magolor. Unless you already have the defenses for the cold weather?"
Magolor popped up his screen and showed the barrier he was going to turn on when the snow gets heavy.
"See here? I can just activate this, as I've said. No problems whatsoever," the magician spoke.
"Leave it to me. For now, just enjoy your time in the ship before I park the thing on a volcano."
Kine nodded, as he waved towards his friends, going to their shared room.
…
Magolor knew he was talking bull, when he mentioned the barrier. He had absolutely no idea if the snow will go through the thing or not.
Well, experimenting with it might help.
Marx woke up from his deep slumber. He knew he had passed out some time after the terrible, terrible hell of a flight, and looking at his surroundings, he viewed the area around him.
White snow.
Pink shoes.
Kirby must've been there.
His eyes were still half-closed, and his body did not allow him to move. The events beforehand had taken quite a toll on him, even if he slept through most of it.
"What a hassle…"
Kirby grabbed Marx and started to drag him to who knows where.
Marx, low on energy, went back to sleep.
…
Kirby had had enough trouble.
He really hadn't thought this through.
All his stories were just for the sake of stalling with Francisca, even him he did enjoy the moments where the ice mage wondered in awe at his tribulations.
After he escaped, he had zero clue on what to do next.
Well, he supposed that his first priority is shelter…
Which is why he's currently aimlessly dragging Marx by his foot all over the place in order to find a cave, an igloo, just something for them to stay at.
The day had turned to night, as his stomach growled, and he was getting tired fast.
With no house— no shelter in sight, he had to—
Wait. Giving up is not his M.O. He'll see through it all the way.
And so Kirby trudged through the deep snow, searching for a place he could call home for a while before they move again.
…
The night kept on going.
It felt like it never ended.
Kirby was tired, tired, tired.
On the verge of gaining hypothermia, he had kept hugging Marx for warmth. However, Marx, who is also losing body heat, is definitely in bad shape.
His skin looked just a touch off-colour, the beginnings of hypothermia catching up to the jester.
He needed shelter, and he needed it quick.
"A final mountain. Cone on…"
Over and beyond the icy mountain was a community, houses made in igloo.
Situated in a much flatter land compared to the mountains, it was the perfect stop. Just a trip down the mountain he was on and he'll get to the shelter.
Kirby smiled, even laughed at that.
Luck had really gifted him a wonderful gift.
"Finally."
Kirby trudged through the last steps and climbed down the mountain.
His body now really really shivering, he knocked on the first door he saw and asked the occupants of the house to lend him and Marx shelter for the night.
Lucky them, they were allowed to.
The lone Waddle Dee, the owner of the house, had let them in the property.
They were saved, as Kirby laid himself by the fireplace present in the igloo, along with Marx at his side.
When he asked why the fireplace won't melt the house, Waddle Dee responded, "We keep the heat inside by lining the inside of the fireplace with a heatproof substance, so that heat will not easily travel through the snow on the walls of this igloo.
Kirby murmured a thank you, twice for the Dee's help, as he slowly drifted to sleep by the fireplace.
The Dee had nice manners, and Kirby was darn sure he'll have to repay the guy back tomorrow.
The day returned, and the time for awakening resulted in the early birds experiencing the still frigid cold air.
Marx slept in and found himself in 'the less frigid, cold air'.
Well, he really had stood awake and spent his energy on firing that large attack, so it was normal for him to sleep this long, recharging his 'energy' and by extension, his powerful attacks.
He woke up in the middle of the day, where the air is still cold.
"Mmh."
Waddle Dee took notice of the stirring Marx.
"Ehey, whoa there. Take it easy."
"Mpgh? Wha- uh, sorry? I didn't, uh, catch that."
The dee panicked for a bit, before resuming his last sentence.
"Take it easy. You and your friend, from what I've been told, have been through a lot."
"A lot is an understatement…"
The toll caused by firing that extremely effective attack was still lingering around, and it did not help that Marx woke up sore, thirsty, and confused.
That morning was a slow morning, or rather, noon.
It took Marx until evening to get himself back to a reasonable state.
Even then, he still had aches everywhere, mainly his mouth.
He was told to lay down on the bed the Dee provided him, until further recovery.
Acknowledging the situation, Marx did not complain and laid on the soft surface and drifted to sleep.
…
The Waddle Dee shook the sweat off his forehead. Today was certainly a mystery to him.
It was a day, normal like any other; until two weary strangers came to his doorstep.
Of course, he accepted their pleas.
That turned out to be quite a good choice, even though his food stock would diminish quicker.
And to hear his son doing oh so well at the palace…
He was surely a very happy father at that moment, hearing the news of the 'friend' the pink ball described him as.
Among other friends the stranger talked about, that one stuck out to him.
It was hard to not notice your own son in a story like that.
So, he had to accommodate his son's friends.
Not that bad of a situation.
Kirby entered the cabin he now called his temporary home.
The Waddle Dee in the house was so warm and friendly, quirky in a way, so much so it reminded the puffball of Bandana Waddle Dee, in personality.
Kirby mentioned it to the Dee yesterday, and for a second a great smile crept up on his face.
Kirby paid it no heed, thinking it was a quirk someone does once in a while.
Right now though, he had to tend to the jester who was currently useless on a bed.
They needed to travel again the next few days, and the air seemed too cold.
So, their destination will be the volcano nearby.
He had heard somewhere that hot springs are present near volcanoes, and that they'll have 'healing' properties.
He didn't know who spread that rumour, but it was worth checking out.
Plus, he could use some relaxation after being in another planet for quite some time.
That settles it, then. Maybe I could bake a cake too while we wait…
Cake was always nice. Fills you up emotionally and physically.
Just what Kirby needed.
"Sugar…" Kirby imagined, eyes sparkling at the thought.
He really needed to bake that cake.
"Eh…? Sugar?" the Waddle Dee looked on, confused.
"Oh! Er, do you have some sugar? I would like to bake a cake."
The Waddle Dee thought for a minute.
"Sure! The pantry is over there," he pointed out, "so get your stuff and bake, I suppose…"
Kirby smiled.
"Oh, thank you."
…
"I'm heading off."
Francisca was determined.
She will find Kirby.
Flamberge saw her off, as the ice mage boarded the teleport pad.
"Well, uh. Good luck, Fran. Catch both those bastards for me, yeah?"
"...bad word," she mumbled. A nod came. "Of course!"
Well, she had her own plans. Mainly finding Kirby and asking her to be a friend.
Say, why did Flamberge call them 'bastards'? They didn't do anything too bad.
All they did was break free.
Because we kept them in here.
Locked them in here.
The Francisca in the past was ignorant and naive.
Now, she had the knowledge gained from watching the antics ensuing in the facility as well as her sisters' and Hyness's obsession over that heart.
The dark heart. Jamba's Heart. A being so powerful that even she herself is scared.
So, why does it need to be reborn? Why must Hyness act so foolish, unlike that kind woman I saw then?
These questions rang across Francisca's head. She needed answers.
And one who could give her answers was Kirby. Marx, too.
They both know more of the outside world.
And it seemed like such a magical place, compared to the boring old base.
Francisca was determined. Her solo mission will hopefully rid herself of her own doubts.
First, though, a wave of goodbye is in order.
She started sniffling. She didn't know why.
Flamberge saw her cry.
"Miss me already? Heh. Don't worry about it! It'll be over quick and fast."
Flamberge reassured me. That was… nice of her.
Maybe it's just Hyness who's gone evil.
Flamberge gave a hug to Francisca. Pulled away, and off the ice mage goes to Dreamland.
…
I need to find her.
…
A wisp of air breathed onto me.
I watched as my surroundings slowly melted, turning from the teleport pad into the cold, snowy place I'm on now.
It was a mountain.
A real, real big mountain!
Wow, so this is Dreamland?
So beautiful!
Ah... I need to take a breath.
There was a volcano in the distance. That was odd. It didn't fit with this beauty of a scene.
"Is this the work of an evil being?" I asked myself.
Kirb's stories always had one evil guy sticking out, poking 'round and causing chaos.
Is this one of those times where Dreamland is in trouble?
...Well, now I gotta go help, right?
Isn't that the right thing to do?
So, while I search for Kirb and Mr. Marx, I suppose I can make it my secondary goal to destroy the evil thing who made the volcano.
Surely this planet'll be too large for me to find them right now!
I'll need to ask first… ask people… and then I can find 'em!
So, that's my goal then.
I imagined myself, what Kirby would do, based on her high tales about her numerous battles.
Well then… time to adventure!
I hopped off the peak of the snowy mountain, sliding down the steep hill.
"Ahahaha! This is fun!"
The cold really suited me!
I stopped myself partway through.
"Hmm. If I make an ice board?"
My intention was to ride it down.
I think I'll be faster that way. So I made it and jumped off with it.
True to my expectation, it did go faster.
I laughed and screamed in joy the whole ride.
Baking a cake is a tedious task. Especially with minimal ingredients.
Seriously, what kind of pantry is this!?
The most Kirby could make was three muffins and a dollop of cream, with a strawberry on top.
Wasn't a full cake, but it didn't stop the puffball from getting discouraged at eating it.
I hadn't had cake in so long…!
Kirby cherished the sweet taste in his mouth, the strawberry rolling off into the never ending abyss, loving the taste all the way through.
It was too quick, too brutal when Kirby finished his small cake.
He really wanted more. On the other hand, shouldn't he give one to Waddle Dee?
So in the end, that's what the kind fellow did.
Kirby gave the old dee his cake, and left a plate of cake for Marx when he wakes up.
Sharing is caring, after all.
The old dee loved it to bits.
"Ah, reminds me when my wife was still around…"
Looks like he's happy. Good for him!
Cake makes the world go round, after all.
High levels of sugar, and high levels of taste.
Can't go wrong with cake.
Kirby eventually asked the dee how it tasted.
"Oh, marvelous, young man! You do indeed bake very well!"
A compliment well-deserved. Kirby celebrated with a pose.
"I still make good cakes after all! I thought getting stuck made me rusty… especially when I just learned how to make such great cakes."
A door swung open. Kirby turned in response to the sound.
In front of the door was Marx, bringing out an empty plate half-asleep.
"Well, he's back."
"I'm, uhzh, hah?"
"Go back to sleep."
Two consecutive sentences and Marx was sent back asleep.
He wasn't getting out of bed so easy.
I smelled the scent of cake.
By then, I had been quite awake, and not quite that exhausted anymore.
Too bad that was my body, not my mind.
Someone left me cake here. That was nice of them.
I downed the sweet treat before hobbling by, plate in hand to the door.
Out the door I went.
Kirby was talking to the old dee. Nice of him to do that. Er, her?
Kirby's gender was always a confusing topic for me.
Nevertheless, I grunted and said something stupid before getting sent back in the room, door shut.
Seriously, can they see that I'm quite fine? Well, not in the mind, but still!
I mean, I see why breaks are important, but ain't this bullshit hindering our progress?
I thought we had to rush to the next part of our plan as quickly as possible.
Say, what was the objective again…?
…
Ah, right. The volcano.
At least, that's what I think we're going to.
Overheard Kirby saying it.
...they might've been right to send me back asleep, considering we're going to a volcano.
Well, time to sleep again.
Laying down my hat beside me, I began to fall asleep.
Let's hope that there won't be as many hell-inducing moments later on, both literally and figuratively.
Y'know, being near lava and all.
It is going to be extra hot in there, so, I mean...
…
Time passed. I woke up again.
Didn't sleep too well. Hey, at least I'm recovering.
Kirby's been toiling and turning all the gears in the background while I rest; good for us, I suppose.
He's planned it out.
"Ah, yeah, thanks again for letting us in your house."
The pink puffball was always polite to strangers even to me… taking on, er, my fake request back then.
I swear, I don't do those kinds of things anymore!
"No problem, no problem. It was fun having you both in here, even if one of you spent it sleeping. You'll always be welcome back at my house. Please contact Bandana for me, will you?"
Wait. He was that waddle dee's dad? Huh.
"Yeah, of course. Alright then; we head off now. Thanks again!"
We began walking down the snowy path, the cold
unwavering.
"YUP! COME BACK AGAIN SOMETIME! GOOD LUCK!" the old man shouted.
Hmm. Nice of him to wish us good luck.
Kinda made me want to know more about him. Too bad we won't come back here in awhile.
Because we're diving into a volcano.
Packed with minimal supplies and a good amount of courage, we journeyed on foot to the volcano.
Seriously, it took so long that we chatted on the way. Me and Kirby.
Honestly, it wasn't so weird now, considering we talked a lot back in the Jamba Base.
Still awkward though. I really didn't grasp the conversation well.
Is this what would've happened had I not used Kirby to gain power?
...hm.
Peculiar.
The two fugitives walked their way to the volcano base under a night and a half, camping by a fire and talking on whatever topic there was.
It had become a wearisome journey, and Marx really wanted to let it all out in this volcano.
"Ayup, here we are. Now, hot springs… where are ya?"
Kirby flopped around and searched for the 'hot springs' he apparently knew that was located by a volcano.
Then again, it was a hunch. Kirby didn't really have that much to go out of, especially regarding hot springs.
Luck was on our side, however.
There was a landslide- yes, this is lucky.
Well, that landslide ended up pushing some snow away, revealing a good spot for the 'hot spring'.
It was… disappointing, to say the least. It's just a small cavity with hot water, enough to fit both Marx and Kirby inside.
Come on Mother Nature, can't you help me out a bit?
I just want a relaxing time enjoying the heat, not a boiling pot one hundred inches wide!
...sigh.
I really can't complain. In the end, it was our goal…
They both jumped in.
Kirby was enjoying it. A lot, by the looks of his expressions.
Maybe I'll stop complaining and enjoy it myself.
"Aah… what a wonderful hot spring," the puffball exclaimed.
"Too small though," I criticized.
"You gotta take what you can get…"
"...Yeah, maybe you're right…"
The two enjoyed the heat for some time.
Compared to the cold, the heat of the water felt magical; refreshing, even.
The calm winds of the mountain, with the heat from the pool made for a perfect combo.
Well, the calm was destroyed by some whirring sound up in the air.
Marx didn't notice it at first, but as the sound got louder and louder, he couldn't help himself and looked up.
A shadow beamed onto him, as the Lor Starcutter soared through the sky.
"What the…" Marx was gawking.
"Hm? Oh…." Kirby looked up, too. Seemed like he knew what that thing is.
"Weh? Er, what exactly is that ship, Kirby?"
"It's Magolor's ship… the, uh, Cor Starstriker. I think."
"Magolor? Your friend?"
Kirby went silent for a while.
"...yeah. He's sorta egg-shaped, wearing a blue outfit with a scarf…"
"Hold on, I think I've met him before."
"At the castle, right? When you took me?"
All the way back then, huh?
Marx contemplated the guy he met back then. He was… a mixed bag.
Had some courage, yet was a cowardly dumbo, too.
Wait, from his perspective, ain't I…
"...We should not meet this guy."
Kirby stood up. "Wait, why?"
"Er, hello? I'm the guy who took you from them?"
"Oh. No worries, Marx, I'm sure I can explain it all to them."
Marx smirked. "You better. I'm not getting pummeled by an egg, alright?"
"An egg? That's new…" Kirby mumbled, before returning at full volume.
"Of course!"
…
"So, we're chasing them and meeting up with this guy?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
Marx nodded. "Okay, okay… just, lemme enjoy my well-deserved hot spring for a minute, kay?"
The ship was sailing, wind blowing like mad against the starship.
Inside, was a trio of friends, one sleeping spider, and one workaholic alien.
Magolor launched the ship at the volcano, arriving on top of it just shy from the lip of the opening.
Docking the ship, he began to gather his passengers on deck.
"And now, we welcome you to a great view of Dreamland's Volcano."
Magolor pointed towards the inside of the fiery death pit.
"Mate, you sure this is safe?" Taranza queried, worried.
"Definitely!" he confirmed with a smile on his face.
Rick was already loving the heat, evident in his facial expression.
His other two partners however, didn't seem to enjoy as much.
"You know, maybe we shouldn't have agreed to come help this wizard gather his things."
Coo nodded. "Well, what's done is done, and we can't change it no more, Kine. Plus, we did owe them… sort off."
"Ah, yeah. Sort off. Maybe I'll just crack some jokes and we'll be dandy."
Coo chuckled. "Ah, friend, don't worry. I'm sure Rick will handle most of it. He is the pyromaniac, after all."
…
Seconds passed, then minutes.
Magolor had prepared food and water, as well as basic supplies that most people usually need.
"Alright! We begin our trek in order to find my Energy Sphere! Off we go!"
Magolor stumbled for a moment, and returned to traversing the rocky outskirts of the volcano lip.
Taranza was following him, taking less risks than usual.
Behind them, was the animal trio, all together with Rick leading them.
They began their journey into the fiery hole.
At the base of the volcano were two stalkers.
Kirby who jumped here and there like it was any other day, with Marx, who took an easier route by simply flying up.
His… wings, however did not last quite as long as he predicted, and thus he had to climb like any ol' land creature would.
In turn, Kirby began to float up, too, before being buffeted by winds and scared to death at the prospect of falling.
Thus, he, too, was stuck climbing the 'normal' way.
Behind them all, was a water witch, travelling to the volcano, ready to enact her plan to 'save the world, just like Kirby'.
AN:
You would not believe how many delays it took to finish this. Exams were a main cause of this. Well, this is why I have an inconsistent upload schedule… The accursed number 13 strikes again.
See, I was supposed to post this on November, but then exams came and I had to focus on that. After that, I suppose I just kept putting it off in favor of gaming or reading fanfiction myself.
So, uh, anyways, yeah. This chapter's about how our characters try and go to a volcano. Magolor and Taranza is searching for fuel along with the animal trio, and then they were spotted by hot-spring-goers Kirby and Marx who followed them, and then we have Francisca who misinterpreted what a 'threat to the world' actually is. Because, you know, her only source of outside contact is Marx and Kirby.
Other than that, I'll try to get Chapter 14 out faster.