Heroes Of Popstar: The Human Star Warrior
Disclaimer: I mention Gravity Falls in this next chapter. I do not own that or Kirby, just the OCs.
A/N: Be prepared for a SUPER long read this chapter and next chapter. This was originally one whole chapter, but I split it into two parts so it's easier to read.
Episode 3: Venturing Into An Icy Hell; Make Way For An Unlikely Hero Part 1
It was very early in the morning, around 7:45. Almost nobody was up at this hour, not even the early rising Meta Knight was awake. It was mostly silent in the castle, save for the sound of a television running in the throne room. King Dedede was awake, of all people, the usually late rising penguin king was up. He was watching, of all things, "Gravity Falls".
The penguin had his usual red robe on, but underneath it were some blue pajamas. They were just a plain white, but had a crest of another kingdom on them. That crest had a snowflake on the top left, a star on the top right, two swords crossed together in an X shape on the bottom left, and a dragon on the bottom right. The only reason he was up at this hour was because the show was on. Sure, he had seen every episode before, but there were still some mysteries that had yet to be solved. At least in Dedede's eyes anyway.
He was in the middle of the "Carpet Diem" episode when he felt his phone vibrate in his robe. Curious, he took it out of the interior pocket and saw he had two messages from Customer Service. Now this is weird. What the heck does he want from me at this time? The king thought to himself. He clicked on his messenger and read what was on the text message.
King Dedede, if you aren't awake at this time (which I have little doubt on), I'll make this as brief and simple as possible. I found something out about the so-called "Human Star Warrior", and I asked your father if we can have a meeting on this matter. If possible, get just the Star Warriors and maybe those knaves up this morning. If anyone else comes, like Tiff, Tuff, Victoria for example, make sure they stay out of the way. That's all.
"Well Hell's bells, looks like I have to turn my TV off." Dedede stated, turning off the television and hopping off the throne. He walked through the halls for a while and stopped at Meta Knight's room. The king hesitated for a moment but still went inside, not before knocking. He went inside, being careful to avoid stepping on anything. There was little light in that room, and it was very cold. Two beds, a normal one and a medium sized cot, were in the room. Callie was asleep in the cot, hair splayed around everywhere on the pillow, eyes hidden because of her blindfold. He walked past her and looked at Meta Knight.
The navy blue Puffal was asleep rather peacefully. His breathing was very quiet, and it seemed that Meta was having a good dream. King Dedede mentally berated himself for watching the male sleep. The thought was just plain creepy. He nudged the knight's right arm, but that didn't generate much of a response, other than a quiet snore. Dedede had little patience for this sort of thing, but that clashed with the fear he felt for the mysterious Puffal. Meta Knight was powerful; stronger and more experienced than Kirby, so this made him very dangerous when provoked. It was already bad enough that Dedede was in Meta's presence while his mask is off.
"Meta Knight." He stated, a little quieter than normal, but he didn't want to be rude to Callie. There was no response from Meta Knight. "Meta. Wake up." Dedede stated, a bit louder and firmer. A frustrated and tired groan was heard. "Dammit, Meta Knight, wake up already!" King Dedede yelled, yanking the plush pink blanket off of Meta Knight. That resulted in the knight's eyes opening, glowing a bright red in the darkness of the room. Dedede flinched when he saw the very angry look on Meta Knight's face.
"Before I bludgeon you half to death, why the hell do you wake me up at this hour?" He asked darkly, but his tone didn't sound as serious due to how tired the knight was. "I got a message from CS saying that we need to go to the Northern Isles for a meeting with my parents. I think it regards your Human Star Warrior. Look, he wants you, Kirby, Callie, Skyla, Sword, and Blade to come. I'm gonna come with y'all, and I'm gonna bring Escargoon along. Just get that kid up, please."
"Sire, her name is Alexandria. You could have asked. But… yeah. I'll go. Can I get some more sleep though? Another hour would be good." Meta Knight stated with a yawn. "Uh, sure, I guess." Dedede stated uneasily, handing Meta's blanket back. The penguin king walked out of the room, set a timer on his phone for one hour, and started watching Gravity Falls again.
Weird. He gets mad when his sleep is interrupted. I guess even Meta Knight could have a short fuse depending on how much rest he gets. Dedede thought to himself. He turned the TV back on, knowing that the hour will pass by in just a few blinks of an eye.
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Up at the Northern Isles, it was a basic morning routine as usual for John and Lament. However, they knew that the meeting that would commence later in the day was no laughing matter; the issue regarding Necromantia's Sages was too serious to overlook. The two demons were already dressed for the day; John wearing a navy blue trenchcoat over his suit whereas Lament had a furry coat given to her by the Queen. The only things they had to worry about at this point were the meeting and if they can find a solution to the demon problem quickly.
"Alright, I packed away the books, and I have my notes too. Are we ready to leave, Lament?" John asked, throwing a backpack that held everything over his left shoulder. "No dear. We don't have anyone to keep an eye on Amaris. We might as well take her along with us and let Lyla watch her. It's the best we can do right now." Lament replied. She picked up a bag that held all the things they needed for their child. After that, she strapped Amaris in a baby carrying harness. The infant was wearing a little blue dress underneath a small jacket. The hood had little kitten ears adorned in the stitching.
"Let's go. I have her strapped in, and we appear to have everything we need. Let's make this quick." Lament stated. The tone of her voice suggested that they needed to take care of business. That wasn't unfamiliar to John, as of late, since they've been working at the castle. It was just another part of starting life anew in the demon's eyes.
They walked outside, carrying their bearings in the icy cold of Windfall. The snow, although usually very deep, luckily just brushed the bottoms of the demons' stomachs as they walked to a snowmobile with a sled tied to the back of it. It was next to a car; which could have been useful in keeping warm, but it would get stuck in the snow, so they didn't bother riding it. They were all able to ride on the snowmobile, since they were all small enough to ride together. Lament set the diaper bag onto the sled and tied it down with a bungee cord already tied on it.
"Alright. Let's go now. I have the bag tied. We don't need to freeze out here, especially Amaris." Lament remarked as she climbed behind her husband and held Amaris closer to herself. The child cooed happily, liking the contact. "Alright. Hold on!" With that statement, he turned the key inside the ignition of the vehicle, and off they went to Windfall Castle.
The ride didn't take too long, luckily. The castle wasn't too far from their house. The three stopped at the gate, guarded by two armored penguins. One was taller and stockier than the other, and both held a battle ax in their arms. The one on the right spoke first, with a thick Scottish accented voice.
"State your names and business." He stated firmly and officially. John rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. This got so damn old sometimes. "It's just me, Malachi. John Starr and Lament Starr. We brought our daughter along as well, but that's beside the point. We're just here for the meeting that I requested we have. Frankly, I don't want to freeze out here, and I definitely don't want my wife or daughter to freeze either; we're not penguins."
The guard on the right- Malachi- merely laughed at the demon's statement. "Well, you sure don't have the physique to stay out in subzero temperatures for hours at a time. You're as thin as a bean pole. You and Miss Lament need to start doing some battle training and maybe even eat a little more. I'm not too worried about Amaris though. She was born into the ice and snow, as are all natives of the Northern Isles. Some of the strongest warriors are born here, good sir. I'm honored just to work at this castle with His Majesty and Her Excellency." Malachi bowed at the last part. John was pretty amused at the guard, but was slowly losing his patience. Lament, however, already lost hers.
"Just authorize to open the gate already. Our meeting is very important, and like John said earlier: I don't want to freeze out here," She held Amaris closer to her body. "And I do not want Amaris to freeze either." Lament was usually a soft spoken and patient woman. Hearing the dark, somewhat temperamental tone from her voice that reminded them so much of their Captain of the Guard unnerved them, so the guards let the three through the gates. They walked to the front door of the castle, and two more guards stood at both sides of it. However, they didn't pay any of the demons any mind. The guard on the left knocked on the door with his spear, and the door opened soon after that.
They were greeted by a much taller than normal adult humanoid woman. Her skin was about as pale as Lament's, but most of it was hidden away under a black robe. Her hands were crossed behind her back in a serious expression. A katana, sheathed in a blue scabbard with the Crest of the Northern Isles emblazoned on it rest at her side. The woman's eyes were a bright and very deep sapphire blue. They were even icier than Kirby's eyes. A pair of glasses rested over her eyes, and her graying raven black hair was tied up in a bun with chopsticks making an X, supporting the hairstyle. Despite the graying of her hair, she had a face that would make one think she was in her late thirties, early forties, though the lines near her eyes also show her age in a way.
"Come in. You two must be cold. King David and Queen Elize are just ahead here, Mr. and Mrs. Starr." She ushered to them, taking one of her hands and gesturing to another door, which probably led to the throne room. "Thanks for letting us in, Fumi. I think that the sooner we get started, the sooner this whole thing can be resolved."
"Well, we won't know for sure. We'll need the prince and the Star Warriors over here for the meeting to start. Have you sent Dedede a message?" Fumi asked. "I did before we left this morning, but he never answered back, so I assume he either did what I asked, or he's still asleep. We'll never really know for sure with him; he's unpredictable." The faintest of smiles appeared on Fumi's face. "Ah, yes. I know. He was even more unpredictable as a child. Dedede never was a quiet boy." A small chuckle escaped her.
"I figured. But wasn't his hyperactivity mostly due to the fact that he just wasn't able to play outside the walls of the castle, since Khione was always finding a way to attack back then?"
"Yes. And when you came, Mr. Starr, your appearance was a godsend. I didn't think it was as simple as firing a mere revolver," Then Fumi turned away from the demon. "We're here now, Your Majesty!" She yelled. A blue penguin turned toward her. He wore a blue robe and a golden crown, a navy blue shirt emblazoned with the Crest of the Northern Isles, and behind his back was a large steel war hammer, maybe double the size of Dedede's hammer. The penguin looked exactly like the King of Dreamland, though his sapphire eyes shone with a glow of intelligence and experience, as well as added compassion.
"Ah, I see you. Mr. John, and Lady Lament. You said that we had something to discuss yesterday, sir, huh?" John and Lament nodded in agreement. "Could I entrust Amaris to Lyla, King David? That won't be too much of a problem, right?" Lament asked, taking Amaris out of the carrying harness. "Not at all, madam! Lyla is currently with her mother at the moment, however, but they'll be in here soon. Ah, here they come now!"
Two more penguins came into the room. One was tall and thinly built, and wore a blue robe over her cerulean dress. She wore a golden tiara, in which several blue feathers protruded out from underneath it. She also had gloves over her flippers which were as white as the snow outside, they were so pristine and kept! The other penguin was smaller as well as thinner. She wore not a crown or tiara, but a small blue beanie cap similar to King Dedede's. She wore a sky blue dress that was a paler shade than her skin. An odd thing about the young penguin girl was that she had a small sword at her side.
"Lyla, could you please watch Amaris until the end of our meeting today?" Lament asked. "Yay! That sounds great, Miss Lament!" Lyla said eagerly. "Ah ah, Princess. Relinquish your sword before we hand you Miss Amaris." Fumi stated, bending to Lyla's height and extending her hand out. Lyla handed Fumi the belt that held her sword. After that, Lament handed over Amaris to Lyla. She also handed over the bag of supplies to the preteen penguin. "Be careful with her. I understand that you will, Princess, but I still feel it's necessary to remind you." Lyla nodded in understanding. "I understand completely, Miss Lament. Hopefully big brother will get here soon."
"Well until then, you can play with Amaris." Lament stated, smiling warmly at the princess. Lyla smiled back and carried Amaris to a nearby column where she set the infant down and started playing what looked like to be peek-a-boo. Lament smiled at the sight and walked back toward her husband.
"What time do you think he'll show up, John?" She asked. "At this rate, if he did what I asked, five minutes before noon. It took us four hours to get here from the harbor at Sakura City, and Cappytown is about fifty miles from there." A sigh escaped the demon. "Now I feel stupid for skipping breakfast." Lament giggled at that. "It's fine. Maybe you can ask King David if you can go into the dining hall. I'm sure that the cooks are still making breakfast." Her husband laughed.
"They'll probably fill my plate til it's above my head and make me eat until the buttons of my coat pop off! I probably won't be able to stomach any more food until nightfall! Honestly, I don't think having those penguins cram my face full of eggs, toast, bacon, pancakes, and French toast until Dedede arrives would be a good idea. And believe you me, Lament, we've eaten at the castle before, and those crazy chefs will do that!" Lament laughed at his statement, remembering the first time they had food at the castle. The servers piled food onto John's plate until he couldn't see Lament sitting across from him. They even gave him samples of every platter!
"Maybe. But I don't want to hear you complain about how hungry you are! Noon will be in five hours, and you'll be able to live through breakfast here. Just ask them to take it easy!" The demon's belly growled, and Lament giggled at that. That basically made him lose the argument, and having no argument anymore, John reluctantly went to King David.
These next five hours are definitely going to be… interesting, to say the least. Lament thought to herself. A small smile grew on her face at the thought.
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Back in Dreamland, King Dedede had his own little meeting held to order in his throne room. Alexandria, Callie, Kirby, Meta Knight, Skyla, Sword, and Blade were all together. Escargoon stood alongside Dedede, who had his arms behind his back.
"OK, I asked all of y'all here because I got a message from Customer Service saying that we need to go to Windfall Castle. We better leave now, but y'all will have to get the thickest coat you got in your closets before we go. There's a blizzard at Windfall right now, and we definitely don't need anyone to freeze."
"Well it's convenient that we are able to carry supplies through our capes, isn't it then, Sire?" Skyla asked. She pulled out some coats for Sword and Blade, and even some small little fur parkas for Callie, Victoria, Kirby, Meta Knight, and herself. "What about yourself and Escargoon? Do you have anything that will keep you two from getting cold?" She asked. "I do, of course; I grew up in that winter wonderland! What about you, Escargoon?"
"Unfortunately, all I have are a pair of gloves and a scarf. But I know that highs this time of year will crest at sixty degrees. If there's a blizzard in Windfall right now, then it's probably below thirty right now." King Dedede facepalmed whenever Escargoon said that. "We didn't need a full blown analysis of my homeland's environment! I could have told you that crap! Look, I'll let ya borrow a couple of my coats. I know they're too big on ya, but right now, the size is the least of our worries. Dad might get a tailor for some coats anyway. I'll be right back."
But as Dedede was fixing to leave, Tiff, Tuff, and Victoria blocked his path. "What's going on in here, Dedede?" Tiff asked. "We're having a meeting, and we'll be heading to the Northern Isles in a few minutes. Oh, NOVA, don't ask me y'all wanna go!" King Dedede whined. "Well, can we? I mean, it's gonna be so boring over here without Kirby!" Tuff stated. "And, we might get to see Johnny and Lament's little girl! Amaris is so adorable!" Victoria added.
"Look kids, what we're going up there for ain't no visit; this is serious! I don't know why CS wants us up there, but it can't be for no happy peppy chat, thanks to what's happened lately. If y'all are coming with us, stay out of our way. I ain't even joking this time. Stay out of our way." And Dedede left the throne room. "What's that about, Callie?" Victoria asked.
"He's right, you know. If something major is going on, then you guys are gonna have to keep out of our way. We need to nip this crap in the bud before millions of lives are at stake. You had a close call with yesterday, Alex." Callie said, looking at Alexandria. "What do you mean?" Asked the human. "Well, there was that monster attack at downtown in your hometown."
"There was a demonbeast attack on Earth?!" Tiff, Tuff, and Victoria asked in unison. "Yeah. It just came out of nowhere. I've never seen anything like that in my life attack my home like that. Thank God the death toll was small. I feel bad that people died, but I'm glad that it wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been." Alexandria shuddered at the thought, wrapping her arms around her body. "I'm glad I killed it before it could do anymore damage." She stated. "I am just relieved that you were able to destroy that thing on your own. That speaks volumes considering that you haven't started your training yet." Meta Knight said.
"What she used in that battle, Meta, was raw power and physical dexterity. That isn't going to cut it if these attacks keep happening. We have to train her as soon as we can. The raw power in those gloves could turn out to be too much to handle for Alexandria if she isn't careful." Meta Knight was about to respond, but Callie cut him off. "I hate to say it, Meta Knight, but Skyla's right. She can't control that intense power without some form of training. Alex got lucky this time." Alexandria narrowed her eyes at Callie and Skyla.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." She muttered in distaste. "I think I did fine for my first solo battle, thank you. What would I need to work on?" She asked.
"For one, you have to learn all your powers. It's better to fight monsters, especially like that toxic demonbeast, from long distance. You were taking a risk fighting it with those punches and kicks. Second, you have to control how much power you expel. You haven't gotten to a state where your body will just collapse to the ground just yet, since you have gotten very lucky, but if you get too overconfident, this will happen. There should be a book with all of the Stellar Vitae's known abilities. That library at the Windfall Castle is the largest archive of fables and legends on Popstar. If there is anything about the powers of the Human Star Warrior, it will be there." Meta Knight stated.
"I'll take your word for it then." Alexandria said, smiling wryly at the Puffal. At that point, King Dedede returned to the throne room, holding a big coat in his left arm and two small jackets on his right arm. One of the jackets was pink and green while the other was a sandy orange. Dedede threw the jackets to Tiff and Tuff. "Here. Y'all are definitely gonna need these. I asked your parents if I could get them, since y'all aren't gonna take no for an answer for going. Better keep 'em close to ya; I wouldn't want to freeze there." Then the king turned toward Escargoon and threw the coat in his left hand at him. It was smaller than the red coat Dedede had on, and it had the Crest of the Northern Isles on it.
"That's the smallest coat I had in the closet. It's still gonna be a bit big on ya, but hey, better than freezing your shell off," Then Dedede turned toward the doors and started walking out. But when he didn't see anyone following, he facepalmed and said, "What are y'all waitin' for, you morons, follow me!" And everyone started on to Cappytown.
The group walked through the village, spying naught but a few Cappies doing morning routines. A few would wave and greet the group, but others stared at the strange girl walking with them. They were almost out of the village, when, out of complete accident, King Dedede bumped into Chief Bookem. The Cappy officer fell down in the dirt, but was able to pick himself up off the ground. "Sorry about that, Chief. We're in a bit of a hurry." Dedede explained, rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "I can see that. So where are you all headed in such a rush?"
"The Northern Isles. An… "old friend" called us up there for some urgent business. Say, could ya do me a big favor?" King Dedede asked. Chief Bookem nodded in compliance, though the look in his coal black eyes showed some slight hesitance. "If a rogue demonbeast attacks, let me know immediately so that Kirby and Meta Knight take care of it before any lives are lost. We don't need no casualties! Ya understand?"
"Of course, Sire. I'll even do what I can to hold the monster off in the meantime until they get here!" Meta Knight raised a hand in front of the Cappy and shook his head in disagreement. "No no. Just notifying us is good enough, thank you. Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to depart now."
The Cappy officer tipped his hat to the group and let them continue on their way. Soon enough, they were at the coastline of the Orange Ocean; part of the Southern Seas, which wrapped around all of Dreamland and the surrounding islands and countries near it. A very large yacht was floating next to a medium sized dock. A ramp led to the inside of the boat.
"Come on. This is how we're gonna get there. Hope none of y'all get seasick." Dedede ushered the group inside the boat. When they went in, they were awestruck by what they saw. The inside was very luxurious, having velvety carpeted floors, chandeliers in many of the rooms, pictures of the nicest areas in Dreamland and beyond, a beautiful dining hall and kitchen meticulously cleaned from top to bottom, bedrooms that looked like they have never been stayed in a day since they've been built, and finally, the meticulously organized and maintained navigational room.
"Your Majesty, when in NOVA's name did you get this boat? Blade and I have worked at the castle with Lord Meta Knight for years, and we've never even seen THIS boat!" Sword exclaimed, gesturing at the surroundings to illustrate his point. "I've had this since I was eighteen, Sword. I traded a fella the old dinghy I came to Dreamland in for this thing. Heh, I got lucky that day. A brand new yacht for a forty year old dinghy. Guess the man didn't care for his boat. Anyway, here's the navigational system, I'm sure this is archaic for you, Skyla."
The female Puffal walked toward the onboard navigational system. "I'll be the judge of that." She examined the system, carefully looking over the features and how it works. Skyla was a master with technology, even more of a master of tech than a master of sword fighting.
"Hmm… this isn't too archaic. I can input the coordinates of Windfall Harbor easily, but this is a 2009 version of the MR-XK18 Navigational Computer. This is actually a pretty advanced computer, but a 2017 version wouldn't be "archaic". See, this keyboard over here allows you to input the latitude and longitude of the location of your choosing. We are planning to go to Windfall Harbor, so, the best thing to do is put the coordinates of Windfall, which is near the Prime Meridian of Popstar. The middle of the Isles is the exact location of Popstar's Prime Meridian. Windfall is over 100 miles of that Meridian, so latitude is 68°N, longitude is 49 degrees to the east. There we go. I have the coordinates set. Computers like these will just steer the ship themselves, so unless we encounter some issues, it'll literally be smooth sailing. I'll stay up here to keep an eye on it though, computers will crash if one isn't careful handling it." After inputting the coordinates, Skyla turned the key to the ship and raised the anchor. It started to move.
Everyone but Skyla left at that point. The female Puffal removed her flame emblazoned mask and set it on the armrest of the leather chair she rest in. She watched the waves splash the glass of the windows as the ship moved along. A small smile appeared on her face.
"Everyone can enjoy themselves as long as they please. Hm. I for one wish that this issue is as serious as it sounds. I've been wanting a challenge lately. At least I don't have to be alone to face it. Meta is by my side, and so's young Kirby. Everything is fine," A sigh escaped the woman's lips. "For now. Meta isn't the only one sensing danger on the horizon. But whatever in NOVA's name it is, we'll be ready. No matter what happens." She leaned back in the chair and watched as the waves rolled by, and nothing but clear blue ocean flowed past the moving ship. Her eyes closed, and Skyla drifted away to a sweet, peaceful slumber.
In another room of the ship; the dining room, most everyone was waiting for breakfast to be served. King Dedede sat at the far end of a long table, and beside him on the left was Escargoon. Seated across from the snail was where Meta Knight was, and alongside him on his left, followed accordingly, were Kirby, Alexandria, Sword, and Blade. Tiff, Tuff, and Victoria sat across from the first three on Meta's side.
"Come on, when is she coming out of there?! I'm hungry!" Tuff whined, banging his fists on the table, much to Tiff's annoyance and embarrassment. "Callie will be out of the kitchen in a moment, Tuff. We haven't even been here that long!" Tiff said, irritated at her brother's lack of patience. The kids heard a small chuckle from Meta Knight. "You two you need keep from squabbling. That isn't going to help us out when we arrive at the Isles. It's for the better, Tuff, that you just stay quiet. We are already risking a great deal just bringing you two along."
King Dedede nodded in agreement with Meta Knight. "Yep. The Isles are very dangerous. Attacks are more common with just the wild animals than in Dreamland with the demonbeast attacks. It's a whole mess. It's why people over there grow up by a warrior's code. Even so, we still had monster attacks. People who acted like I used to bought those damn monsters. That's how I think Khione got to the Isles."
"You keep talking about Khione. Who is Khione?" Tiff asked. "Khione was another monster created by NME. She was one of the few monsters that survived the war, based on what Meta Knight told me when I asked him about her not too long ago." Meta Knight nodded in affirmation. "Correct. She was one of the few sentient monsters who fought in the war that survived the carnage. But oh, how I wish that I was the one that killed her. That revenge would have been a long, bloody hell for that conniving little bitch!" That outburst from Meta Knight startled the rest of the group around him.
"Speaking of, how have you held this grudge for so long? Isn't it a little… petty now, since Khione is dead?" Escargoon asked. "Let me ask you something, Escargoon. Would you hold a grudge against someone if they killed your mother in cold blood?" The snail nodded in agreement at that. "Khione took my Mira from me! She took my wife away from me! I've held that grudge for 500 years, and that is not going to unwaver just because the bitch is dead. I wish that I was the one that fired that bullet. Not John, I SHOULD HAVE KILLED THE DEMONESS THAT TOOK MY BELOVED MIRA FROM ME!"
Nobody said anything after that. There was an awkward silence that you couldn't cut with a knife. "Everything's ready!" They heard Callie say. Everyone turned to see her wheeling in a serving table decorated with cloches. Some of those domes were pretty tall, others were smaller. She removed the cloches from the plates, revealing that there were pancakes, already buttered, and dripping with the syrup that made the sweet smelling breakfast cakes even sweeter smelling.
"The taller stacks go to Dedede, Kirby, and Meta Knight, the rest belong to us. Come and get it." Everyone grabbed a plate of pancakes. "OK, I can understand Kirby and King Dedede having a taller stack of pancakes, but why Meta Knight, Callie?" Tiff asked. "He forgot to eat last night, he was reading out of the journal." Callie answered nonchalantly, taking her place on the table. Meta Knight chuckled sheepishly. "Yes, I forgot to stop reading. When I finished, it was 11:07 at night and I couldn't get anything to eat." Victoria giggled at that. "Mety, aren't you going to quit working so hard and relax a little? I mean, you've loosened up since you've been on Earth. Why not go back to the way you were?"
"I was going through a mental relapse, Victoria. I acted younger than my normal self because of the relapse." Meta Knight raised his mask up to expose his mouth and shoveled the pancakes in it. The male Puffal looked like a squirrel with nuts in his cheeks. Tiff and Callie laughed at the silly sight. Everyone followed suit, eating the pancakes. After that was finished, the group separated, to do their own thing. Tiff remained behind, thinking about something. Meta Knight came to her.
"You appear troubled." He stated, sitting next to her. "I'm just thinking." She replied. "About what?" Tiff sighed, brushing a few locks of her golden blonde hair out of her face. "Well, we're going to the Northern Isles because of what Customer Service told King Dedede, right?" Meta Knight nodded. "What if this is just another scam? Knowing Customer Service, he'll put up any sort of facade to keep the trust of anyone he needs to fool to get what he wants. I don't understand why Dedede's father would just trust him just because he killed a demoness." Tiff looked very confused at that point, and Meta Knight understood why.
"Tiff, do you know the old saying, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"?" Tiff nodded in agreement. "Well, this is the case with John. He killed Khione, and he seems to be sincere about his findings this time. Besides, I understand why Dedede's father trusts him so much. It is for that reason, destroying that demoness, why he has so much trust invested into him. Besides, he has a daughter now. I would believe that he would want his child to grow up with a father. Wouldn't you say?" Tiff shrugged at the knight, unable to give a definite answer. "I guess. But it's still weird considering all he's done. You understand me on that level, don't you, Meta Knight?"
"I do. But Tiff; coming from me, I would say that I am impressed in his attempt to reform himself. Take it easy on him. He has a young daughter, and he values her life and wellbeing just as much he loves his wife. I understand why he wants to start a new life. You can't have a job to feed your child if you act like the Son of Nightmare. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Meta Knight asked. "Yes, sir. But…"
"Tiff. Just relax, and leave the worrying to the grown ups. You'll age too fast for your own good if you keep thinking that way. You're only eleven years old. You need to stop worrying so much. Nightmare is gone, what's left of his empire are just two demons; one of which is powerless, the other not wishing to fight. I believe that they won't cause any trouble. Besides, King David is a good man. If he allows those two to come and go as they please, I'm sure they don't give them any trouble."
Tiff smiled wryly. She was still a bit worried, but hearing Meta Knight's words reassured her somewhat. Of course she shouldn't worry so much. Hell, if Meta Knight wasn't worried, why should she be? She saw the knight walk off, leaving Tiff by herself in the dining hall with nobody but her own thoughts to keep her company.
Maybe I shouldn't worry so much. I should just stop overthinking things. If Customer Service has stayed out of the dungeon up there in the Isles that long, then surely he hasn't done anything wrong. Right? Right…? Hm. I'll have my eyes on you. You may have everyone playing along with your facade, but you're still a demon! You're STILL loyal to Nightmare! I know it!
With the bitter thought in her mind, Tiff left the dining hall to go join the others in whatever they were doing.
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Five hours had passed, and everyone was joined up with Skyla in the navigational system. Tiff and Tuff had their jackets on, ready to brave the elements. Meta Knight had his cape wrapped around him in his normal style, Callie copying that look. Alexandria's arms were crossed as she watched the yacht drift ever so closer to the icy harbor of Windfall. Kirby was hidden under Meta's cape, giggling cutely since he thought that the cape was warm. Sword and Blade stood next to their lord, staying silent, watching the wind and snowfall from the blizzard. Victoria was grinning happily, excited to set foot in the snow and see Amaris. King Dedede stood on the right side of Skyla's chair while Escargoon stood at her left, wearing the coat given to him before setting foot in the ice.
"We're almost there." Skyla said. "Mhmm. Y'all better stay aware that the Isles ain't nothing like Dreamland. Especially you kids," Dedede stated, pointing at Tiff and Tuff. "My blood home is like an icy hell. I wouldn't stay out in there too long. By the looks of things, it looks like there's a blizzard going on. I'm sure there's a car waiting for us though; the harbor is eight miles from the castle, and being in a blizzard for a long time could be deadly."
The kids nodded in affirmation, aware of the danger that they were getting into. "Land ho! We're here!" Skyla yelled. She stopped the ship from crashing into a chunk of the icy land. She anchored the yacht after putting it to a complete stop, then slipped into her parka. Callie, Victoria, Meta Knight, and Kirby copied her action. Sword and Blade put their coats on, but they were over their armor, so that might not even work good.
"Everyone suited up?" Dedede asked. Everyone nodded in compliance. "Good," He opened the hatch for the ship and lowered the ramp onto the dock with just a few presses of a couple buttons. "Let's go. I'm not sure how much longer my parents are willing to wait on us." And upon saying that, they exited the yacht and walked into the harbor. Two guards from the Windfall Castle were there, ready to follow orders. A car was behind them, so the group assumed that they were the chauffeurs.
"Are these your guests to bring along, Prince?" The guard on the left asked. "Mhmm. Is there enough room for all fourteen of us?" Dedede asked. "There's enough. The snail fellow may have to sit in the very back though. It'll be a tight squeeze, we didn't really account for this many to be here." The guard on the right explained. King Dedede narrowed his eyes at Tiff, Tuff, and Victoria. "Believe me, you two. Neither did we." Tiff shifted uncomfortably in the penguin's gaze. Tuff and Victoria didn't really react. "Wh-why don't we just get in. It'll be better if we get there before the storm gets worse anyway!" Tiff stated nervously. They all went to the car and got inside. It was a very tight squeeze, and two of the Puffals had to sit on the floor, so in the end, there was barely enough room for everyone. The drive to Windfall Castle didn't last a very long time, luckily, and everyone was able to get out.
At the gates to the castle, the group was greeted by two more guards. "These are the guests accompanying our Prince, I assume." Asked the guard on the right of the gate. "Indeed. May we pass?" The guards nodded in response and let the group by. King Dedede led the way, being the one to open the door to the castle itself. Fumi stood at the doorway.
"Hello again, Prince Dedede. Your parents are waiting in the throne room." Fumi said. "Thanks. I'm guessing CS and Lament are there too?" Dedede asked. "You mean John and Lament? Well, in that case, they're in the throne room waiting as well. Follow me." The group did just that. Tiff stared at the taller woman as she walked. The girl only met Fumi once, and she was always intrigued about just how a normal humanoid could surpass the limits of her own race. It wasn't entirely obvious that the woman was 64, due to the fact that her face suggested she should be in her late thirties, early forties. Her graying raven black hair spoke another story though.
Tiff was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard Fumi's sharp voice speak. "He's here, your majesty. We have the Human Star Warrior as well as the Guardian in our presence. Isn't that right, Prince?" Fumi asked, focusing her icy gaze at King Dedede. The penguin nodded quickly. "With some guests too. Y'all remember my advisor, and there's these kids…" Dedede gestured toward Tiff, Tuff, and Victoria. "The armored guys are Meta Knight's knaves. I think y'all remember them."
"Sword and Blade Knight, yes, we remember them, son. I can understand you bringing them and Escargoon. But why those kids?" King David asked as he walked toward the group. "We wanted to see Amaris, sir!" Tuff blurted out. Everyone else glared at him. The boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah, let them go see her. Lyla's keeping watch over her at the moment. She's up there, on the second floor," David pointed up at the floor above them. "Just go up those stairs." Tuff nodded as thanks and quickly ran upstairs to see the infant demon. Tiff sighed and followed her brother.
"I'm able to stay right? I mean, I'm supposed to be Hero of Destonia. I should get to help." King Dedede was about to say something when King David spoke instead. "Unless you can help with our situation, lass, we have no real use for you." Victoria didn't speak for a second, but sighed, then walked upstairs, just as John and Lament were walking downstairs with Queen Elize. Victoria bumped into the purple skinned demon, knocking both herself and the demon down with her.
"Sorry, Johnny! I didn't mean to knock you down!" She said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Don't call me Johnny, Victoria." Was all he told her before Lament stood him up and levitated herself and her husband to the first floor. "Ah, well if it isn't the man of the hour. My son's here now, so we should get ready to see what you've found in those books. Why don't we go into the-"
King David was cut off by a young guard bursting through the doors of the castle. "Your majesty! Your majesty!" He yelled. "What is it, lad!? We're about to commence the meeting!" David yelled back. The guard froze under his king's glare. "Forgive me for interrupting, Sire, but-"
"Spit it out, dammit! This is a matter of bloody life and death!" Shouted the livid old king. "POLAR LION!" Screamed the guard. At that moment, a gigantic white lion burst through the doors of the castle. Alexandria and the Dreamlanders gasped. It was the biggest lion they have ever laid their eyes on. It had to have been two feet bigger than the Chimera; which was ten feet tall. The beast's eyes were a sharp sapphire blue. Besides the gigantic size, the snow white fur, and the sharp sapphire eyes, it looked like a normal male lion.
The polar lion roared loudly, slashing the guards with its large front paws. It snarled and roared at the penguins. Guards started attacking with everything they had while the Dreamlanders watched. Meta Knight was about to go, but Fumi blocked his way.
"I have to help them, Fumi! They're getting hurt!" He stated firmly. "Keep the children safe. In fact, you all should go for cover. I can't have this damn beast kill off my disciples." Fumi drew her katana. "Go. Now." Meta Knight stood at her side. "I can help, I'm a Star Warrior; you are aware of that, yes?" He asked. "Yes, I know, but go upstairs NOW!" She shouted. Meta Knight couldn't argue. This icy land wasn't his territory. It was hers. And he had to let her do her job; even if he didn't agree with being stuck on the sidelines.
Lament grabbed Meta Knight and her husband by the clothes on their backs and levitated them up to the second floor. King Dedede, Sword, Blade, and Escargoon ran upstairs while Callie and Alexandria merely flew. Fumi took her glasses off and handed them to King David.
"I'm going to fight too, Fumi. If anything, I should help." Fumi's icy sapphire eyes gazed directly into David's eyes. "For now, go into your chambers, my king. Hand my glasses to Elize. I'm sure they'll be safe with her. Go. I'll hold the bastard off as long as I can." King David nodded in compliance with his advisor's request and hurried up the stairs to the second floor. He passed by the group of Dreamlanders and could hear the dialogue of everyone.
"She's crazy! That thing is more than double her size! If it swipes at her with its paws, it'll hurt her badly! Isn't she 64?!" Escargoon asked. "Just watch. Trust me. Fumi knows what she's doing." King Dedede said, eyes never leaving the raven haired humanoid. "But King Dedede," Tiff said, holding onto the sleeve of the penguin's coat. "Fumi is too old to do something like this! Acts such as that, I can understand Meta Knight doing; he's a Puffal. But Fumi? She's a humanoid! She's too old to do something this dangerous!"
King Dedede chuckled softly. A small smile grew on his face. "Prepare to be amazed then. Trust me, y'all don't know Miss Fumi Ashira."
Fumi glared at the polar lion. It snarled and growled, swatting its paws and baring its fangs at the guards, herself included. She examined several columns and the walls. The columns were reinforced with enough steel and titanium to keep it solid during attacks like this. It was rare for a column to break, but if that did happen, the rest of the columns had to be reinforced even further. Fumi dashed towards one of the columns and brandished a rope from her robe. While running, she tied the rope around her waist and threw the rope over one of the decorative claws adorning this specific column. Having enough rope and leeway to run across the wall, she did just that.
After running across the wall, Fumi leapt high in the air and fired a Sword Beam with her katana. It grazed the large white mane of the lion. The polar lion swatted at Fumi, but missed her and hit an unfortunate guard. The rope was still around her waist. She slid below the belly of the lion, slicing into it with the katana. The lion wasn't moving too much, surprisingly. Because of this, Fumi began to formulate a plan.
The lion isn't moving much. It keeps swatting its paws at myself and the guards. We always have rope with us… maybe we can tie the lion and subdue it momentarily.
"Alright everyone, I have an idea, but you have to do exactly as I ask." The guards nodded. "Throw your ropes over the lion. Leave no ends undone. I want to immobilize it so it won't do anymore damage until the killing blow is dealt!"
So the guards started throwing their ropes over the polar lion to their partner across the other side of the twelve foot beast. Fumi ran across the wall again, but this time, she leapt over the lion, veering to the right before ducking below it towards the left. The pieces of her rope overlapped. The lion roared in anger, thrashing its body in attempts to break free from its bindings. Some of the guards were slipping, but they still held on. Fumi leapt on top of it and stepped onto the lion's head. She gouged out the lion's eyes, causing it to yowl with pain. Blood was pouring from where its eyes used to be.
Where the human and the Dreamlanders were watching from, shock was plastered on everyone's faces. Though, it was hard to tell with Meta Knight, and King Dedede actually wasn't surprised. A small smile grew on the penguin's face. "I told y'all. You don't know Fumi Ashira. She's always surpassed a set limit. Hell, she'd fly if she wanted to."
"Well, it's not like we didn't believe you, Sire, but we didn't expect her to be so… skilled. We need the fight to end though; it'll be for the better."
And speak of the devil, that end was about to be met. "Move out of my way, everyone! I'm going to kill this thing!" King David said, appearing out of seemingly nowhere. He was now wearing armor all over his body, and a strange, horned mask, so only the penguin's sapphire eyes are exposed. The group parted out of the older king's way as he jumped a floor down to the throne room, landing cleanly on his feet, holding his giant steel warhammer. Fumi noticed the king's arrival and leapt down from her position on the lion's head. She moved out of the king's way and used an icy smoke ball- which basically releases a cold mist- and "disappeared".
"Cover your eyes, children." She told the Dreamlanders. They were startled as to where she came from, but they went ahead and obeyed her. King David's hammer came down on the polar lion's skull with a sickening crunch. Most of the adults and older kids were horrified at the sight presented to them. A mass of blood and flesh remained from where the lion's head used to be. King David turned around, revealing that the front part of his armor was covered in the blood and brain matter of the animal.
"I didn't like doing that… but now that that's taken care of, how about that meeting, eh?" He asked. "Let me get this bloody armor off. I'll need my hammer cleaned too." He handed his hammer to five different guards. They all struggled to carry the massive weapon away to get it cleaned. But they managed to carry it away. King David walked up the steps of the stairs. Everyone got out of his way.
"Well… that just happened… shall we commence with the meeting then, Your Majesties?"
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