Gamelover41592- Thanks
Matt (Guest)- Yeah, I guessed that
Okay, time for the final chapter of this story arc. Let's get going.
"And I thought Dedede was extravagant," Adeleine said once she saw the final island the Dreamstalk could reach. Almost the entire island was made up of one large and very fancy looking castle.
"This must be the moonlight capital place Taranza was talking about," Kirby realized.
"Then...what are we waiting for?" Owen asked.
"Yeah!" Ribbon agreed. "Let's go get our friends!" With that, the four friends rushed off.
"This is all stuff we've done before!" Owen said. It was true. Much of Royal Road had puzzles or elements from prior islands.
"Clearly, whoever rules really likes this stuff," Kirby said as he landed the hit on Coily Rattler.
"Or is just trying to slow us down," Adeleine pointed out.
"Well...this is new," Ribbon said, sounding a bit surprised. Inside of something they had seen before, the entire area seemed to be made up of crystals and gems.
"Normally, I would call something like this pretty but it's honestly kind of gaudy," Adeleine admitted.
"Something isn't right here…" Kirby said.
"Hey, do you hear that?" Owen asked. Everyone went quiet.
"Help me!"
"We need to help them!" Ribbon said as she flew towards the voice.
"Hey! Wait for us!" Kirby called after her. Thankfully, it wasn't much further to reach the voice. It was a small fairy trapped in a cage. She seemed to resemble an unbloomed flower. Yanking on a small chain under the cage, Owen was able to set her free.
"Thank you for freeing me!" A fairy said happily.
"Who are you?" Kirby asked.
"I am a Person of the Sky," The fairy said. "We ...are the 'queen's' subjects,"
"Why did she lock you up?" Ribbon asked.
"We were the ones who created the Dreamstalk. With it, we were trying to bring the Heroes of the Lower World to save us!" The fairy explained before turning upset. "But we think Taranza already caught them,"
"Wait...Heroes of the Lower World?" Adeleine said as she and Ribbon turned to face Owen and Kirby.
"Well...we are heroes…" Kirby said.
"Yes! This means we still stand a chance to defeat her!" The fairy cheered. "Here, I'll make a Warp Hole for you. Some more of us were captured and we can open the way to the queen's palace,"
"We'll save you, I promise!" Kirby assured her as he jumped into the Warp Hole.
"And we never break promises!" Owen added as he jumped after his father, with Adeleine and Ribbon close behind.
"This must be the door she was talking about," Kirby said when the group was spit out of the Warp Hole. It was a door with six locks. And sure enough, their were six Warp Holes already waiting.
"Should we split up?" Adeleine asked.
"Too dangerous," Kirby said. "Who knows what kinds of tricks could be waiting for us?"
"Strength in numbers," Ribbon agreed.
"Also, we've been working together for so long. Why break it up now?" Owen asked.
"Alright then! Everyone, follow me!" Kirby said as he jumped into a Warp Hole.
"Take this!" Owen said as he blasted a few enemies with some shots from his bow with the archer ability. Kirby chuckled a little. "What's so funny?"
"I was just thinking about when you said that you just wanted the bow from cupid back when we were hunting down our cake," Kirby said. "Guess you got your wish,"
"I guess I did," Owen said proudly.
"Guys! I think I see the first fairy!" Adeleine said as she pointed her paintbrush at a cage. Sure enough, another Person of the Sky was inside. She resembled a genetic flower, with seven petals on her head and blonde hair. She also had a gold pendant with a rose zircon gem.
"Thanks for freeing me!" The fairy said happily.
"No problem!" Kirby said.
"I'll go deal with those locks on the door for you!" She said as she warped everyone back to the door, where she undid a lock. "You'll need to find the other five to get the door open,"
"Another fairy down and a sun stone!" Owen said as he grabbed said sun stone, while Kirby went to free the Person of the Sky. This time she had her petals cover her eyes, giving her the appearance of a bellflower. Her gem stone was an amethyst gem.
"Thanks for the rescue," She said. "You got that sun stone, right?"
"Got it right here!" Owen said as he proudly held it out.
"Nice. We don't know why, but those things make the Dreamstalk grow and open new paths," She said.
"We noticed," Ribbon said. "We were, uh, hoping you knew how that worked?"
"Sorry. Personally, I think the queen really wants you come beat her up," The fairy joked.
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"Well if that is the case, we'd be happy to help with that goal," Kirby joked back, causing everyone to laugh.
"Fairy number three is free!" Adeleine said as she pulled down the chain, freeing the fairy. This one looked like a violet, with a green stripe/band on the bottom of her hair. Her gem was a sapphire.
"You said it, Lower World artist," The fairy agreed.
"That's half!" Owen cheered.
"We'll be done in no time!" Kirby said.
"That's the fourth one!" Owen said as Kirby freed another one. This time, she had orange hair and spiky, yellow petals, causing her to look like a sunflower. Her gem is made out of amber.
"Keep it up!" The fairy said.
"You got it!" Ribbon said.
"Only one more!" Kirby cheered as he set a fifth fairy free. She looked like a rose, with one petal covering her eye and she had a ruby gem.
"You must defeat the queen and free us all!" The fairy asked.
"We will!" Ribbon assured her.
"That's all of them," Adeleine said as they freed the final fairy, who looked like a lily, with a pearl in her necklace.
"At last, we can open the door," The final fairy said as she opened the final lock on the door. The door opened and the four heroes entered as the fairies cheered for them.
"You could eat the whole Dreamstalk with that, daddy!" Owen said as Kirby used the hypernova to eat Flowery Woods.
"We still need that to get home, so I'm not going to try it," Kirby said. "I bet I could though,"
"Let's save that talk for another time," Adeleine said nervously.
"Yeah, right now, we gotta go save our friends!" Ribbon reminded them.
Kirby(armed with beetle), Owen(archer), Adeleine and Ribbon all entered what looked like a throne room. The top of the Dreamstalk was in view. Taranza was facing it, Dedede and Dee still trapped in the nets with tired expressions on their faces.
"To think that you've made it this far. Aren't you a bunch of persistent little things? But even you will kneel before us," Taranza began as he turned around. "I, Taranza, cannot allow you to interfere with Queen Sectonia's plans. Let me guess: you're here to save the heroes of the lower worlds?"
"And we are leaving with them whether you want us too or not," Kirby promised.
"Well, since you're already here... I'll give you your precious heroes back. But they may be a little more...hostile than you remember them!" Taranza said. Suddenly, the nets around Dedede and Dee broke away, revealing them with blank eyes and hostile stares as two masks slammed onto their faces.
"No!" The heroes exclaimed. Dedede rushed forward. Everyone was barely able to get out of the way in time. Masked Dedede was tough. He could use some powerful hammer swings, swing around with the hammer(although this made him dizzy), try to suck the group up, suck up Dee and fire him at the heroes, try to ram them and jump around. As for Dee, he couldn't do as much, but it was clear he was out for blood. Beyond letting Dedede suck him up to fire him out, he could toss his spear, spin it like a helicopter to try and shred the group, toss it like a boomerang, try to drop down with it, and of course, try to impale his friends. However, despite this new power, they were no match for the true heroes.
"What?! No!" Taranza exclaimed. He used his magic to revive both of them. Their masks were cracked, but it wasn't going to slow them down. Dedede's robes and Dee's bandana changed from blue to purple and Dedede grabbed an axe that was on display, destroying the other one with a powerful magic attack.
"Since when could Dedede do that!?" Owen exclaimed.
"It's Taranza helping him!" Kirby realized. From that point on, Dedede and Dee grew far more ferocious. Dedede could still swing the axe around, only now it was even faster and he was dizzy for less time. He could also fire magic blasts from his axe, bat around some of Taranza's magic, swing the axe around with a helicopter, use his axe to cause an explosion, and his normal attacks created shockwaves. As for Dee, not much changed, but it was clear Taranza had given him some upgrades as well. He could now us his spear like a lightning rod, charge with it extended, and, much like Dedede, create shockwaves.
"Were they always this strong!?" Adeleine exclaimed as she painted some enemies to protect herself.
"If so, they were holding back!" Kirby said as he went in for a blurry of horn strikes on Dee. His mask broke off and his bandanna returned to normal as he passed out. Taranza, however, didn't seem to notice, focusing most of his energy onto Dedede. However, Ribbon was able to blindside him with some hits from the crystal gun and, when he turned to face her, he missed Owen charging up a powerful arrow. This finally brought the king down, his mask breaking off and his clothes returning to normal. Taranza floated over to them, a shocked expression on his face. It quickly turned to anger when he realized he couldn't wake Dedede up.
"Wh-what is the meaning of this?! I did just as Her Majesty commanded. The lower world should fall to its knees before me!" Taranza exclaimed. He then took another look at the heroes, more specifically, Owen and Kirby.
"How about this? You got the wrong guys!" Adeleine revealed.
"No!...Could... could you be the true Heroes of the Lower World? Curses! If that's true..." Taranza turned away from them as he opened a portal. A large bee, dressed in royal clothes and holding two scepters, emerged from it.
"That must be Queen Sectonia!" Owen whisper-yelled.
"Majesty! Your Majesty Sectonia! Oh, glorious Sectonia! Please come to my resc-" Taranza began to say, only for Sectonia to blast him away. "Glaaaugh! Wh-why...?"
"That...that was so cruel!" Ribbon protested. "He seemed so devoted to her!"
"Pitiful, Taranza... I have no use for a fool who cannot follow orders," Sectonia scoffed as she turned to face the heroes, focusing mainly on Owen and Kirby. "Now then, Heroes of the Lower World. You would risk your life for this land? You would stand against me, the ruler of the heavens?"
"We wouldn't be heroes if we left the People of the Sky to someone like you!" Owen declared.
"The only reason we didn't come sooner is because we didn't know about you!" Kirby added. Adeleine and Ribbon said nothing, but nodded, showing they agreed with the boys.
"Very well... You will bow before the great Queen Sectonia! My beauty rivals the divine... And my power will crush all that you hold dear!" Sectonia said as she began to attack. She was definitely quick on the draw. She was often prone to teleporting, usually before an attack. Speaking of attacks, they were strong. With her scepters, she could fire energy blasts and lightning, turn them into rapiers and do several rapid thrusts, create a ring around herself and try to home in and chop the heroes in half. As the battle dragged on, she was able to create a giant gem and force the battle to continue there, summon several enemies, destroy said crystal, before finally just teleporting all over and slashing with her swords. Despite this, the heroes fought on, with Owen and Kirby landing the final blows together.
"I see why the People of the Sky wanted us. That was tough!" Owen said.
"But we showed her!" Kirby said proudly.
"Yeah…" Adeleine said, out of breath.
"Showed who what?" Dee asked as he and Dedede regained consciousness.
"You guys are okay!" Kirby cheered as he grabbed Dedede's hands and start jumping up and down.
"What happened?" Dedede asked.
"Bah...Aha... I...see," Sectonia chuckled as she shrugged to stay in the air. She was seemingly a ghost at that point
"WHO IS THAT!?" Dedede said as he moved Kirby in front of him and Dee raced behind me.
"I think at is the queen Taranza was walking about," Dee realized.
"It is and she is a big meanie!" Ribbon said as she readied her crystal gun.
"I expected as much from the heroes chosen by the Dreamstalk. But I wonder... how will you handle this?" Sectonia asked as she gestured to the Dreamstalk. "You see, true beauty...is control. The Dreamstalk has guided you thus far ..." Sectonia flew towards the Dreamstalk and fused with it! "But its bloom will be your doom! Floralia, Dreamland, and this entire planet!"
"This is not good!" Dee cried.
"Hit the deck!" Dedede called out.
"You should all feel honored. You will serve as my sustenance... for eternity!" Sectonia boomed as she spread vines all over Popstar. She also summoned some to block the path to her.
"Now how are we going to reach her!?" Kirby asked.
"Would this work?" A Person of the Sky said as she, along with the others the group had saved before, flew two cannons in.
"That should work!" Owen cheered.
"But who gets blasted ta fight this so called queen?" Dedede asked.
"I'm going!" Kirby declared.
"I would go, but I don't think I can fit," Owen said. "I'll use my warp star to fly over after daddy," Everyone turned to face Dee.
"Me!?" Dee exclaimed as he waved his little stub arms in panic. "But...but I'm not a hero like Owen or Kirby!"
"Hey, you were a pretty big hero when we fighting Magolor!" Owen assured him.
"And when we were hunting the crystal shards!" Ribbon added in.
"Relax Dee!" Dedede assured him as he grabbed his loyal minion. "Ya and Kirbs are just gonna go fight her first! The rest of us 'ill be right over!"
"If...if you say so, Great King. I'll go!" Dee said as he pulled out his spear.
"That's the spirit!" Kirby said as he jumped into one cannon, with Dee taking the other. Owen started to blast his father at the eyeball flowers Sectonia used to keep the vines stable while Dedede fired Dee. With them all working together, the path was cleared.
"Ready, daddy?" Owen asked.
"I just want to ask you guys for something….go check on Taranza for me? He seems like he could use some support right about now," Kirby asked.
"We'll do it!" Owen promised.
"Hurry! The vines are closing again!" Ribbon urged.
"Fire now!" Kirby ordered. With a nod, Owen and Dedede fired Dee and Kirby towards Sectonia right as the vines closed. Dedede turned to face Owen.
"So why does yer pop want us to go find the spider boy?" Dedede asked with his arms crossed. "If ya ask me, he's nothin' but trouble!"
"He's been in denial about something all adventure," Ribbon said.
"Also, Sectonia blasted him across the sky and said 'Pitiful, Taranza... I have no use for a fool who cannot follow orders'," Adeleine quoted. Dedede's expression softed, as did the People of the Sky.
"He was so devoted to her!" One fairy said.
"And she tossed him away just like that?!" Another exclaimed.
"Alright, let's go take a look for 'em," Dedede said.
"Any ideas on where he would be?" Owen asked the People of the Sky.
"I think I know a place," One said.
"This place is so pretty!" Adeleine gushed. The People of the Sky had led them into a flower garden, full of normal, yet still beautiful flowers. Sure enough, Taranza was there, hiding under a table. The proud, confident appearance he had presented himself with before was gone. Replacing it were sobs of pure sadness. Despite it being a warm night, he had pulled his cape around himself, shivering all the while. Owen and Dedede, the first ones to spot him, looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Finally, Owen knelt down, offering a hand out. With hesitation, Taranza took it, using his cape to wipe away his tears, although his eyes were still watery.
"Are you okay?" Owen asked, trying to be careful about how he phased this. Taranza was an emotional wreck and Owen didn't want to make it worse.
"W-why...do you care?" He asked, his voice quiet and weak.
"I'm not just a hero because I beat up bad guys," Owen said. "I'm also one because I make sure people are okay. And you...well, I want to make you feel better,"
"B-b-but, I...I've done so many h-h-horrible things!" Taranza protested as he pulled his hand away. "I kidnapped your friends and I tried to kill you!"
"Been there, done that!" Deded chimed in. "I had a grudge on Kirbs for YEARS! But he kept reachin' out ta ma big thick skull and well...look at us now,"
"What Dedede is trying to say is that it doesn't matter what you did before. What matters is what you want to do now," Owen said, as he offered his hand again. Taranza looked around, Owen, Dedede, Ribbon, Adeleine, the People of the Sky, they were all smiling. Taranza smiled back as he took Owen's hand.
"Where are they?!" Dedede exclaimed as he patiently tapped his foot. He, Owen and Taranza were going to support Dee and Kirby against Sectonia, but the People of the Sky wanted to give them something before they left. Adeleine and Ribbon had gone with them for protection.
"I just hope they could back soon," Owen said. From what they could see of the battle, Kirby and Dee were still standing against Sectonia. Owen couldn't really tell if they were winning because all he could see were two little dots.
"Sorry it took so long guys!" Ribbon said as she, Adeleine and the People of the Sky returned. Owen's eyes widened when he saw the People of the Sky wanted to give them. It was a Miracle Fruit!
"It took us a while to find the nearest Miracle Fruit. This place is big!" One Person of the Sky said.
"That should totally help!" Owen cheered.
"We were growing Miracle Fruits here!?" Taranza exclaimed.
"The Dreamstalk was growing them for us!" Another Person of the Sky said. She handed it to Taranza. "If something is going wrong, give this to Kirby!"
"Ya got it!" Dedede said. Owen summoned his warp star while Taranza grabbed Dedede and they flew towards the battlefield. They arrived just in time as Sectonia had managed to get a grip on Kirby and Dee with her vines. Dedede slammed his hammer down onto Kirby, freeing him while Owen blasted an arrow through Dee's vine, freeing him as well.
"Taranza! Now!" Owen called out. Taranza threw the Miracle Fruit, while Dedede threw Kirby(who was knocked out from his hammer slam). Everyone was smiling as Kirby turned into hypernova Kirby one final time. From that point, Kirby was in complete command of the battle field. Nothing Sectonia could do fazed him any more. It reached the point that she tried to attack him with a laser that was seemingly bigger then her. Kirby proceed to eat that, most of the platform he was fighting on and most of Sectonia's body. Sectonia glared. Kirby glared back as he fired back the laser, completely destroying her.
Once everyone was able to get their thoughts straight and no one was falling any more(Kirby had been caught by two People of the Sky, Owen used his warp star to catch Dee and Taranza caught Dedede), the People of the Sky explained what had happened. They had been living under Sectonia's cruel rule for so long and as a last ditch resort, had put their hopes and dreams into a seed and sent it to the surface. They hoped this would bring Owen and Kirby, the heroes of Dreamland, to their rescue. Dee and Dedede were grabbed by mistake, but everyone acknowledged that things could have been much worse had they not played their parts. Adeleine and Ribbon were also welcome surprises. The Dreamstalk worked in mysterious ways. Speaking of the Dreamstalk…
"Hey look!" Dee said from Owen's arms. Everyone looked to see the Dreamstalk covered in flowers. A reminder of everything had happened.
This was a long one! Sorry it took so long! So one more chapter tying up this arc and then...Planet Robobot begins! I am so excited for that one! However, this game's arc meant a lot to me. Triple Deluxe was my first Kirby game and still my favorite to this day. It means to much that I could write this out. I just hope I did a good job. Let me know what you thought! See ya next time!