CHAPTER 7

Escargoon reached his chambers without running into any parasitic creatures and began to barricade himself inside. If there were more metroids out there like the ones that had attacked him and Dedede in the fores,t he was going to be one hundred percent certain they would not get to him. No way was he going to wind up like the dried up husks he and the King had discovered out there.

"That should do it," he backed away from the door, wiping his hands off as he stood back to admire his handwork. "that should keep any energy draining parasites from getting in here!"

Before him, blocking the door, was nearly all the furniture in his room save his desk, stacked up into some kind of barricade. Only someone with the strength of a thousand star warriors would be able to move all of that, just looking at it made him feel a whole lot better. Those floating jellyfish were way too weak to get through it plus they didn't even have any limbs to move it.

"That monster with them in the forest will never reach the castle," he told himself. "It's too stupid to find its way back here."

Humming to himself, he turned away from the mess blocking his door and slid over to his desk which was one of the few things in his room not in his barricade. Time to get some work done. Maybe he could even think of some way to get rid of the metroids before anyone found out they were on the planet.

Sadly that was not to be, just as Escargoon sat down in his chair he heard a very familiar squeak. Uh oh. He lifted his head, spotting a metroid floating right in front of his face and that was when he realized he'd forgotten to close the window!

"AHHHHH!"

The barricade proved to be worthless as the panic stricken snail burst through the door, leaving behind him a snail shaped hole, running down the hall screaming at the top of his lungs.

"YOUUUUUUUUUUUUR MAAAAAAAAAAGESTY!"

Things had gotten worse at the castle, as the metroid invasion grew greater. Outside on the path leading up to the structure Samus took out as many of the creatures as she could, freezing any that entered her sight. A little further down the path Tiff, Tuff, Kirby, and the Lola twins followed after her, one of them yelling out to her if they spotted a metroid she might have missed.

What they were all wondering was how did so many of the creatures appear so quickly when everything had been fine and peaceful only a few hours ago. How long had the metroid been there? Had it been there for months and nobody had noticed it? By the look on Samus' face it didn't matter either way, if it was in the past or recent she was going to deal with it.

She was the only one who could.

Tiff and the kids weren't behind her because they couldn't catch up with her they were giving her space because they knew she was angry and they didn't want to risk saying the wrong thing to her. Just pointing out metroids blocking their way only served to put her in worse foul mood and the last thing any of the children wanted was for her to yell at them. Best just letting her kill the metroids and making Dreamland safe once more.

"Hey, Kirby, why can't you help her with that?" Tuff wanted to know, glancing at Kirby who was rubbing beside him. "I mean it looks like all you have to do is freeze them. So why don't you suck up some of her beam and become ice Kirby?"

Kirby looked over at him, looking a bit confused. Of course the young star warrior hadn't even thought about it. Why should he when the bounty hunter was taking care of it all and it didn't look like she needed any help.

Tiff surprisingly spoke up end that suggestion. "I don't think she's appreciate that," she whispered to Tuff. "she might be insulted if he did that."

"But if Kirby helps her those creatures would be taken care of a lot easier," the boy wanted to argue. "she might even be grateful."

"Let's wait," she told him. "If things get worse then Kirby can help her out."

His sister's suggestion made sense so he nodded. "I just hope things don't get worse."

King Dedede had been hoping the metroids wouldn't explode into a huge problem and he could hide the fact he ordered one from everybody until he thought of a solution himself. However, barely a three hours had gone by before it became apparent that none of his plans were going to go the way he wanted them to.

It all started when a mob of Waddledee's rushed by the open door to the throne room as if something large and nasty was chasing them. Freaked out but also curious he got out of his throne and walked toward the door, peeking around the half open door to look down the hall in the direction the waddle Dee's had come from.

For a few seconds he couldn't see a thing but in the gloom of the hall a shadow started to rise up, it's large frame taking up more and more of the hall as it drew nearer. The king's eyes widened in horror when a large pair of red glowing eyes locked onto him and a terrifying roar shook the castle. That was all he needed, the large penguin king let out an expletive then took off after the waddle Dees, flailing his arms and legs and screaming at the top of his lungs.

Sword and Blade gad left the castle before things had gotten worse so they were unaware of the ensuing mayhem as they searched the surrounding area for their mentor.

"Where in the world could meta knight have gone?" Sword asked as he and blade searched the surrounding forest.

His companion couldn't give him a single answer to that question. What was he expecting anyway? Blade had already told him he didn't know where te Knight had vanished. It was just odd that he would disappear at such a bad time. He was usually the first person to show up when a threat appeared.

Did his mysterious absence have to do with the bounty hunter woman who'd arrived earlier that day?

The events were just too close together not to be connected. Which only made sword wonder just what the heck had happened between the two even more. But now wasn't the time to be dwelling on that mystery.

There were terrifying energy draining monsters attacking people and it was time for them to bring in someone who could deal with it. Because Sword felt Kirby would not be enough to deal with it this time. That is if they managed to find him.

"Meta Kni-" the young knight wasn't able to finish his sentense because he was suddenly boweled over by Blade who had suddenly got freaked out by something.

"Blade wha-" he started to asked a question but was interrupted once again by a loud roaring sound that had him looking over his shoulder in time to see some giant multi-eyed, multi toothed, monstrosity come barreling toward him.

His eyes widened under his helmet and he was on his feet in less than a second, rushing after Blade who had a pretty good head start, though he caught up pretty quickly. Whatever is was he did not want to be anywhere near it. But a loud roar and her sound of heavy footsteps let him know that the creature was giving chase.

"It's coming after us!" Blade exclaimed, beginning to panic. "We gotta get out of here!"

Sword did not want to look over his shoulder to find out the truth of that statement, because the thing sounded like it was right behind them.

"Look out!"

A crescent yellow beam shot out of the trees and the two knights ducks to the ground as there was a loud crash behind them. The monster chasing them roared in pain and anger when the beam struck it, knocking it back into the trees.

As the two looked up a figure landed in front of them. It was meta knight . His sword was unsheathed and he did not look happy. Before they could say anything the star warrior sheathed his sword, grabbed the two knights by the wrists and started running.

"We must get out of here!"

The three dashed through the forest, putting as much distance between themselves and the monster chasing them. Now that Meta Knight had given them some distance they were actually able to out run it. Before long the beast was out of sight and the three warriors exited the forest where they slowed their pace then stopped so they could catch their breath now that it was safe to do so.

"I think we are safe now for the moment," Meta Knight said.

Sword had caught his breath enough to speak now. "What in the world was that thing?!" he exclaimed, pointing back into the woods.

"It is a a metroid," the star warrior exclaimed.

"Metroid? What is a metroid?"

Meta Knight wrapped his cape around himself as he began to explain. "It is a parasitic creature that feeds by draining the life energy from other creatures.," he began. They are alien beings created by a race of highly advanced creatures named Chozo from the far off planet of Zebes, They start their lives as eggs which hatch into small jellyfish like larva which over time grow bigger then slowly change form into increasingly more horrible beasts."

"They-" the star warrior's description of the infants reminded him of the creature that had tried to attack him back at the castle. It had been a metroid? But Meta Knight had just said metroids were native to a planet named Zebes. Then how did they get to Popstar?

"What are they doing here?"

"I believe it is due to the female bounty hunter." Meta Knight responded. "They did not appear until she arrived here."

Was meta knight saying that Samus Aran had brought the metroids with her? Why? Was her reason for wanting to speak to the star warrior something sinister after all? Did she intend to use these metroids to kill him? If so why?

"Do you believe she brought them?" Sword asked him. "Why would she bring such creatures here, Meta Knight?"

The star warrior turned to look at him now. His eyes briefly flashed a different color but it was so quick the younger knight could not make out what it was, before he answered him. "I do not believe she brought them with her," he answered him. "She would not do something like that intentionally."

"Then who-" he started to ask him.

"We do not have time for this now," the star warrior cut him off. His tone grew urgent now as he spoke again. "we must return to the castle and make sure they have no reached it yet."

"Uh about that.."

"What?"

"They already have," Sword replied. "That's why me and Blade were out here looking for you."

The way Meta Knight looked at him before he took off running toward the castle, surprised him. Was that... fear?

Dedede had not run that much in his entire life as he was chased around the castle by the monsters who had been joined by more creatures that looked like the metroid he'd ordered from the holy nightmare corporation only bigger. He was so focused on outrunning them he didn't take the time to notice how many metroids were floating around, an obvious indication that something was making more.

The king of Dreamland was chased full circle around the castle, coming back to where he started. He saw that as an opportunity to dash inside his throne room and bolt the door shut, putting a heavy wooden door between himself and the beasts running and floating around the rest of the building. He panted as he leaned against the door, taking a moment to get his heart to stop tap dancing in his chest.

While he did this he took a moment to wonder how that creature had gotten to his castle so quickly? He and Escargoon had gotten out of those woods so fast there was no way it could have followed him all the way there in less than a couple hours. Especially since it hadn't even seen where he and the snail and driven off to.

So with those questions out of the way with no answers it was time to figure out what to do about it. Maybe he could contact the salesman and order some kind of monster to get rid of the metroid creature, but something told him that the man would not be willing to help him out since he seemed so amused by the fact that the metroid he'd given them had grown up so quickly.

A loud pounding on the door brought him out of his thoughts, sending him scurrying away from it in fright. He spun around and faced the door, staring at it now as something large and heavy slammed against the solid wood, not only wondering what in the world was on hte other side but freaking him out further as he began to slowly back away from it.

"Whatevah you are out there just stay there," he said, his tone pleading. "Just go attack something else, like Escargoon, or the cappies, or Kirby."

The pounding continued and he yelped, dashing behind his throne and using it as a shield, as if a simple piece of furniture would protect him from those murderous beasts. Maybe he could use his hammer to fight it off? Or maybe it would just go away and he wouldn't have to do anything.

He wouldn't have to worry about any of that it turned out.

The doors were once again hit by something heavy, this time so hard it nearly blew them off their hinges. He screamed and ducked down wrapping his arms over his head to protect himself but just then he became of a loud growling behind him and looked up, his eyes resting on an even bigger monster, a multi-eyed beast with a round mouth filled with sharp teeth, sharp clawed hands, and thick scale like armor.

It was looking down hungrily at the fat, pengion king.

For a moment his brain shut down at he stared up at the green and brown monster looming over him and all he could do was watching it, his mouth hanging wide open. Then he started to scream. Te beast obviously did not like tat and roared in anger before it lunged down at him.

Suddenly, just when he thought it was over, something crashed into the beast knocking it backward. He stared wide eyed as the person in te red and yellow power-suit shoved their foot into the creatures's neck and fired shot after shot of a blue colored beam of energy down its throat. It flailed its limbs and screeched but couldn't prevent the armored warrior from firing inside it, then changed shape, curling up into a little ball and dropping inside the creature.

A second later the beast let out a roar of distress the instant before it exploded into a thousand pieces. Dedede screamed and crawled around the other side of his throne as chunks of it flew in all directions. Then there was silence. Dedede realized this and wondered what happened. He raised his head and peaked over the top of his throne, finding himself into the serious face of Samus Aran. Her expression was like a stone but her icey blue eyes were windows to the fact she was inwardly seething.

"King Dedede," she said in a voice that held another hint of that anger along with a flat tone. "I would like to have a word with you."