A/N: It's been waaaaay too long since my last update and I am totally sorry to everyone who has been reading this. I've been so busy lately and stuff just kept trying to pull me away from this story.
This chapter is extra long just for you guys and I do warn there is one curse word in it but since this story is T anyway I really shouldn't need to say anything. So I hope you like it and that it doesn't suck (haha yeah a Kirby story sucks- NO! as much as I actually love puns there is no pun intended).
Chapter 9: Craving Peace
A feeling of fierce invigoration swept over her briskly. The paintbrush wielding heroine followed it steadily as she made her way through the long road to new adventure. The night sky was gleaming with stars yet still darkening her surroundings with much malice, but in reality there was truly only one thing that stood in her way this time-
The slow pace of her friends.
"Come on you guys, pick it up, let's go!"
Adeleine loved going on adventures and ever since she decided to stay on Pop Star it seemed the adventures never ended.
She looked to her drowsy little Waddle Dee buddy, knowing that he wasn't as fond of these daunting tasks as she was however there was always one thing that made him quickly change his mind on that- his deep sense of curiosity. Dedede on the other hand never stopped complaining, wishing for things to just go back to normal back to when he used to be Kirby's foe.
Ribbon, though, definitely preferred simply goofing around with Kirby and the others, dreading new harsh tasks but going at them head on if need be.
Looking over to the fairy, who was holding on to the puft of Dedede's hat as guidance, Addy could see her worried grimace and knew that even if the pink haired girl hated dangerous situations- at this moment she wanted to just zoom straight to Kirby's side and join him in the battle.
"Hey, Ribbon?" Her eyes went back to the ground before her as she slowed down and added a little skip to her step, making it appear as if she was on some kind of invisible hop scotch.
"Hm?" The fairy smiled as she tried to followed the voice and 'look' towards Adeleine.
"Why do you keep your eyes open like that instead of keeping them closed all the time? Can you still see a little bit, at all?" She sounded hopeful.
"No. Not really. I can't see anything." Her adorable pixie voice fluttered from a quaint calm to a tense foreboding, "Forgive me if this sounds confusing or strange but... It makes me feel safer...to act like everything is the same as always. Things sometimes make more sense when it's as if nothing is different."
Adeleine smiled, knowing that despite the fairy's ditzy qualities sometimes, Ribbon was far from dimwitted.
The artist listened as her friend continued, "Ever since I lost my vision- whenever I close my eyes for too long...it just...feels so much darker and-and it's scary. Almost like there's something there..."
Dedede chuckled, "No offense Ribbon but aint'choo too old to still be scared uh the dark. It seems kinda silly ta me-OW!" With a quick thud the penguin king fell to the ground, his head throbbing and his hat smothered in a smudge of rainbow colored paint.
Adeleine stood above him, "Don't be so rude. If you were in Ribbon's place you would have been crying to your mommy a long time ago." She huffed.
"Urgh..." Dedede rubbed his head as he woozily rose to his feet. "I-I said no offense!"
Ribbon closed her eyes, "I'm not afraid." Her voice trembling as if she were more trying to reassure herself than anyone else. "It's... This feeling I get," She paused then suddenly her eyes jut open as she wrapped her arms around herself in a shiver.
The king made his way over to the fairy, "Aw geez Ribbon, I'm ...s-sorry, I guess." He nearly chocked on his strained apology, "I was just jokin'. Are you... Alright?" He tilted his head in question.
"Yes," She shook a bit then seeped back into her comfort zone, "Can we just please go find Kirby now, this is a long road and we really shouldn't stop like this and waste time." Ribbon waved her arms frantically.
Adeleine nodded, "Yeah you're right. Let's go guys."
It seemed like an endless trip and night was trembling at the early signs of dawn. The horizon began bleeding into the fleeting sky of dark blue. The group was sleepy but continued without too much complaint, until Dedede started.
The King yawned, "If I don't get some sleep soon I'm gonna get really cranky." He rubbed the bits of sand from his eyes.
In turn Adeleine let out a small yawn, "Yeah like you aren't grumpy enough already."
"Meh." The King shrugged not feeling aware enough for a good comeback.
Suddenly Adeleine froze and pointed foreword to a far off tiny pink dot that lay passed out on the horizon, "Whoa! Man down! Man down!"
"Not again." The King sighed as he slapped his fin to his head, "Whats with that pink idiot losin' so often lately?"
Ribbon, who now seemed to be trying to lead the group stopped floating foreword aimlessly and turned around to face the King, "Don't call Kirby an idiot!" Unfortunately she ended up shouting directly at Adeleine.
"I didn't." The painter pointed, "It was Dedede."
"Oh." The fairy sighed as she realized she was taking out her frustration at the wrong person, "Sorry Addy, I-Oh I doesn't matter! Just go help Kirby! Go go GO!" She shoo'd the trio off.
With a quick nod Adeleine warned Ribbon to stay put and the three took off.
"Geesh," The King huffed as he moved his yellow tubby feet, "Since when does Ribbon get to be so bossy just cuz a that pink blob. If havin' a crush on someone makes ya act like that then I hope I never fall for anybody and nobody falls fer me."
Adeleine shared a glance with Waddle Dee and the two chuckled at the thought.
The painter scoffed, "Yeah I don't think you have to worry about that ever happening your Majesty."
"What'did you say?" He groggily looked her way.
"I said- Hey look! Kirby got up." Sure enough the pink hero was up and already back in battle mode. "KIRBY!"
"Huh?" The pink hero turned to see his friends running up to him. He shook his head as he calmly wondered why they just didn't know when to quit and let him handle things.
However, this time he almost felt that he needed the help.
It had been a long while since he last ate, since he last slept, his normally welcomed breaks that would come after each journey were now something he felt he must have taken for granted.
He never felt so tired and hungry before...
The orb-like shadowed figure he had been fighting laughed in a harsh male voice, "I knew you couldn't defeat me you waste of space!" It then went female sounding again, "Just be happy you're a cute little loser." All of the sudden the creature realized Kirby's friends had joined him.
Though, only one friend in particular caught the beast's attention. It glanced at the far off floating fairy, seeing her dull eyes shinning in the raising sun.
The second Kirby realized his new found enemy's fascination with Ribbon, he stood his weary pink form fully up and gallantly struck the dark creature with an unexpected upper cut. Unfortunately this only caused the pink hero to flail backwards in a shout of pain.
He woozily held his paw up as he inspected it, noticing the dark mist that was burning deeply into him, but with a soft shake the mist dissipated.
"She's-She's the one. The fairy-get the fairy." He heard the creature's whispers- the layer of voices concurring and repeating the words.
Despite the fact that Kirby was usually filled with cheer, optimism, and was usually such an easy going guy, he felt like he was ready to lose it.
Wouldn't he ever get a break? He was just so tired and soooo hungry and now...
He couldn't believe it.
And to top it all off, another source of evil wanted to terrorize his best friend Ribbon again.
There was really only one thought that hit him next.
It was a drowsily spoken and quick thought, jumbled and so alien that the only English word/phrase to possibly describe it would be something along the lines of: #$%^!
Not that Kirby, himself, would ever swear of course.
But really, what more could be said?
The pink puff looked back to the small floating mass of darkness and charged foreword at it but in one fell swoop the enemy dodged his attack and began attempting to pull Ribbon into it's void mass of energy that appeared pull in like some kind of vacuum much like Kirby's own ability- except for the fact that Kirby had a mouth and a face.
The pink hero ran for the fairy to pull her out of the creature's pull. Within the rush he could here the creature's hushed voices nearly singing for Ribbon to "Close your eyes, keep them shut, close your eyes for a while."
The second the pink puff got his stubby little arms around the fairy he used all of his strength to run.
Run anywhere far from this beast that tried to pull them in. Kirby would return- yes, to put an end to all of this. He would finish this fight soon...but for now...
He would run- with Ribbon in his arms and his little red shoes blurring in the rapid movement. Adeleine, Waddle Dee, and King Dedede all racing by his side.
With one final look behind him Kirby realized that the monster had disappeared but he would return as well.
And with that... he fell to his non-existent knees, still gripping Ribbon in a hug so as not to drop her, yet losing all strength to continue foreword, tears forming in his sleepy eyes. He never felt so drained.
Kirby, for once in his life, had completely lost his appetite...
He just wanted to rest.
Bonus A/N: Ha, yeah It's not really a curse word is it XD Sorry to anyone who really wanted one but I'm tired and it's my story so go someplace else for such language. ^_^ Anyway I really hope this chapter wasn't too bad so tell me what you think and I'll try to get right onto the next chapter ;)