Heroes Of Popstar: The Human Star Warrior

by Azuranaito

Alexandria Jones was a normal high school girl. But, as fate would have it, she stumbles upon two magical relics that have been in her family for centuries. Now, she has to aid the Star Warriors, Kirby and Meta Knight, to fight a new enemy, one that not only threatens Popstar, but Earth as well. Join them, and learn that there is more to everyone than meets the eye.

4. Chapter 4

Heroes of Popstar: The Human Star Warrior

Disclaimer: *points to previous stories*

A/N: Super long chapter. Be prepared to do a shit ton of reading XD. This was part of Episode 3, but since it was so long, I split it into two parts. This is the whole brunt of the chapter, so be prepared to read a LOT.

Episode 4: Venturing Into An Icy Hell; Make Way For An Unlikely Hero Part 2

After a few minutes, everyone was gathered in the meeting hall of the Windfall Castle. The kids besides Kirby were gathered in a corner with Lyla and Amaris. Tiff was the only one watching the proceedings while Tuff was talking to Lyla and playing with Amaris. Tiff was glaring at the purple demon standing up and explaining his findings. Even if he was supposedly "changed", she didn't trust a damn word he said.

"Alright, here's what I've found: there are three relics like Alexandria's gloves. A ring, a bracelet, and those gloves. The gloves are the most powerful of these three relics, known as the Galaxous Relics. We might have a major threat in our hands, because the holder of these relics is destined to defeat a new Distort." John explained. Alexandria was stunned.

"Wait, another Distort? Like Nightmare?" Alexandria asked. John nodded at her.

"Yep. The Distort you're supposed to fight is a lesser known one called Necromantia. During the earliest time of the war, when Meta Knight and Skyla's ancestor, Sir Jasper, was around, he was the only one who noticed another demon working their way through the shadows while Nightmare was causing his reign of chaos. In a way, Necromantia's approach was much more intelligent than Nightmare's. She didn't draw much attention to herself in the way Nightmare did; so while everyone was worried about destroying Nightmare, finding a Guardian to kill him, Necromantia did her magics in secret. And Jasper caught wind of this. He made those gloves, as well as the other relics, from the energy that was once Necromantia's. Just purified. Have you heard this already?" Alexandria nodded in response.

"Yeah. My mom told me this a couple days ago. She told me how the gloves and mirror were made. Do you have anything else to say?" She asked.

"Well, there's something in here about Necromantia's Sages. There are four Sages of Shadows in all. One is unknown, by basis in this book, since she wasn't born but very late. But the other three are called Luciana, Jezebeth, and Lilith. Not much is written about them in the books I have here, but there is something important to know about them written in a cave high in a mountain in the Isles. About close to the summit of Skyarrow Mountain, lies a deep cave where a 40,000 year old stone tablet is. However, there is an entryway that blocks where the clue is."

They heard a groan come from Fumi. Everyone was confused why she seemed to be protesting. It seemed a bit out of her character. "Um, is there a problem, Fumi?"

"Yes, there is. The main one is the danger level we'll be in if we go through with this." She stated coldly and bluntly. King David nodded in agreement with her statement. "Aye, she's right. Skyarrow Mountain is the second tallest mountain in the Isles. But it's called Skyarrow because if you were to climb up there, eight times out of ten, you aren't able to get out alive. Especially this time of year. Skyarrow Mountain is ravaged by blizzards year-round, but they're the worst in this time, since winds are usually blowing in a cycle, especially at the highest altitudes. I assume our little treasure is at the summit. And it's about 32,000 feet above sea level."

"That's higher than the summit of Mount Everest! And hundreds of people died trying to climb to the top of that! How are we going to get up there?!" Alexandria asked in disbelief. "We have a way. We won't have to climb the majority of the mountain, but we still have quite a climb. There is a spaceship hidden under this castle that can withstand intense subzero temperatures. However, we haven't really used the ship that much, and we need to make sure if the ship will check out so that it will be able to fly and survive the trip. Does anyone have knowledge of that matter?" Fumi asked.

"I can remedy this issue. It won't take but a few minutes. Show me where it is." Skyla stated. Fumi nodded, and the two women walked off. Alexandria drummed her fingers on the table. A sigh escaped the teenager.

"Are you OK?" Callie asked. "I'm fine, just a little nervous. This is my first big mission, and I'm kinda excited, but also fearful. I don't really want to die before I've started all this." The brunette Puffal hummed a moment. "I wouldn't overthink it. If you use your head too much in a fight, you'll lose. You have to think and act at the same time. But if you can't do that, the key is to act decisively. There's gonna be some fight ahead once we get there, and the worst thing about it: we won't know when it'll occur."

John chuckled at Callie's statement and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "How quaint. A teenager giving combat advice to another teenager. Wouldn't you want Meta Knight to give you advice instead of a sixteen year old?" He asked, still chuckling sardonically. "Oh sure, bud, what do you know about fighting? I'm 509 years younger than you, and I have much more combat experience than you would ever get," Callie giggled. "Eh. I'm not gonna say anything else. Thanks for getting those notes though."

"Um… you're welcome, I suppose?" The demon was off put by Callie's abrupt statement; confused even. But he quickly dismissed it and looked over the notes again. A huff was heard coming from the corner where the kids were at. Alexandria looked in that direction and saw Tiff with a sour glare on her face.

"Something wrong, Tiff?" She asked. "Yeah; the fact that you guys are actually believing what that con artist is telling you!" She yelled. "Con artist?! Tiff, what would I accomplish lying to everyone about this?! I'm not lying!"

"Oh sure, you say that now, but what if all of this is just a trap? You've still sent over monsters to kill Kirby, and if you weren't loyal to Nightmare, you would have rebelled against him a long time ago! What if this is a ploy to resurrect him?" Tiff asked. She huffed, walking closer to the table. "You even have Meta Knight fooled. Honestly, That's pretty pathetic. I'm not falling for anything you say!"

Purple hands slammed hard on the wood of the table. A deep crimson gaze met with an emerald green glare. But the look that John gave Tiff could outclass even Meta Knight's death glare. The tension was thick… too thick.

"Tiff… you think I'm leading all of you in a trap. You think I was actually loyal to Nightmare. You don't know the whole story, child. What makes you think I was truly loyal to that megalomaniacal bastard?! Because I sent over those demonbeasts because I didn't WANT to die?! Shows how much you really know." The demon sighed heavily when he said that. "It hurts. It hurts that you can't trust me, not at a time like this. But you know what? I wouldn't trust me either. Not after all the lies I've told." After that, he walked away with no words left to say.

Tiff was stunned. Well… stunned couldn't begin to describe what she felt. Kirby shifted uncomfortably in his chair, a small whimper escaping the little puff. Meta Knight sighed and shook his head in disappointment and disapproval. Tuff had a scowl on his face, though it was one of more confusion than anger, and Amaris whimpered sadly when she saw her father leave. Those of the Windfall Castle had various looks of anger and displeasure. Meta Knight's voice cut through the heavy tension when he spoke to Tiff, golden eyes staring into emerald green.

"Tiff, what did I tell you? Leave the worrying to the adults," he stepped down from his chair. "I told you not to say a word. I understand that you have your doubts about him, I truly do. But look before acting, young one. What good would tricking us do anyway? Cause his daughter to grow up without a father. Have a fair widow that may commit suicide because her husband was executed all because of the voice of a young girl that keeps too many suspicions under her belt? Tiff… Nightmare is gone. Right now, we have a new enemy to deal with. And by the looks of things, not even our former enemy knows to the entirety of who we're dealing with now."

"Meta Knight, it could be all another facade. I don't completely trust him, and yes, I know we all got that, but Meta Knight, I've got my reasons why I don't trust him. Reason one: he sent over the monsters to kill Kirby! Reason two: He lied to Dedede about the demonbeasts. And three: he's as much of a demon as much as any of the other demonbeasts; just smarter."

But just as Meta Knight was about to counter, Lament cut into the conversation. "Tiff, please. He hasn't done anything wrong since we've been here. All he's done was try to turn over a new leaf. And you had to remind him of what he's done in the past. You really don't know the story, little one, and Meta Knight is right; he's only trying to help."

Although the girl was still stunned, Tiff's resolve never seemed to waver. "Why should I believe you Miss Lament? You married the man!"

"You don't have to believe me. But I am looking you in the eye for the sake of our daughter. You don't have to believe us… but look into her eyes. Amaris is a baby. She's never lied. She is pure, even if she's a demon, she still has the innocence of a child." Lament picked up Amaris from Lyla's arms and held the infant demon in her arms. Tiff stared in the child's ruby red eyes. Apparently, this entire time, the little girl was listening to the whole spiel, and the cheerful glow that once glimmered in her beautiful eyes diminished. Even if she was born among demons, Amaris had a glow of purity and innocence unheard of from a child like herself; though she was the first demon born on Popstar. Her look told Tiff, "Hey, I may be born a demon, but I am not like the rest."

Tiff sighed, walked back in the corner, and said nothing else. Right then, Skyla and Fumi returned to the room.

"Alright, everything checks out. We'll be able to fly." Skyla said. Fumi nodded. "Aye. As of tomorrow, we'll fly to Skyarrow Mountain. We'll need a full expedition team that can withstand the elements. I'm afraid the Star Warriors are unable to skip out of this,"

Meta Knight laughed, raising a gloved paw. "It's fine, I didn't think we'd were able to skip away anyway. How many people can the ship carry?" He asked.

"It can carry about 35 people at the most, despite its size. There is a storage area to put all of the supplies we need and a makeshift medical ward. I'll accompany you along the way. I've scaled the mountain before on a pilgrimage journey."

"We'll go too." Everyone turned in the direction of King David and King Dedede. "After all, you'll need a little bit of muscle in case we have to carry a giant stone tablet or anything of that nature." Fumi raised her hand, shaking her head. "I can understand Dedede going with us, but Your Majesty, you have a job here, and even though you killed the polar lion, I cannot allow you to come."

"Fumi, I am your king. And as your king, I order you to allow me to accompany you all. Is that understood?" The glare that formed on the older penguin's visage seemed to dispel the look of his advisor. But, only slightly, as she still had a look of annoyance on her face. A very irritated sigh escaped the humanoid, and she crossed her arms.

"Fine. Go ahead, Your Majesty." She turned away from King David and looked at Lament. "The blizzard is starting to get pretty bad. You should stay in one of our guest rooms tonight." Fumi told her.

"Will the blizzard affect your flight to Skyarrow Mountain?" Lament asked. "It will have died down good enough for us to launch, but it'll get even worse than it'll be tonight. Luckily, the Polaris is able to sustain high winds despite its lightweight frame," a hint of pride was heard in her voice when she said that. "Halcandrans are brilliant when it comes to their shipbuilding." She trailed off for a little while, her sapphire eyes sparkling a bit in excitement and wonder. Obviously, the female armsmaster was intrigued by how technology works. But, everyone started staring at her.

"Ahem. Well, we'll leave at 6:00 am. I'll need someone to help us supply our ship prior to 0600. I have the boxes of supplies set already, just in case we had to fly, but we'll have to have more furs and maybe some added armor, plus rations. Any volunteers willing to wake before dawn?" She asked.

"I will." Everyone turned to see that John had come back. Fumi raised a brow at the purple demon. "You will, John? Are you sure you're able to pick up some of the equipment?"

"Some of it, yes. Others; not without help. Manual labor isn't exactly my specialty, but carpe diem." The demon shrugged. Sure, he wasn't as physically strong as any of the guards, or the knights. Heck, he was smaller than almost everyone in the room, and Fumi towered over him, which made the humanoid woman even moreso intimidating. But he felt compelled to help regardless.

Fumi shrugged as well. Can't look a gift horse in the mouth, no matter how miniscule the horse was. And if she said anything else, John probably would have failed to listen anyway. The things she does working with stubborn men. She didn't mind, however; it was a lot similar to her old tribe. She adjusted her gloves and walked off, prepping herself for the trek up the mountain in her own way. Everyone else followed suit, dismissing to wherever their feet carried them.

(0.0) (0.0) (^u^) (^u^) (0u0) (0u0)

It was very very early in the morning; about 4:30 am. Usually, nobody would be stirring at this time except the nightwatch guards. But a few extra bodies were stirring at this time. About four castle guards were heaving boxes into the storage area of the Polaris. Among those guards was John, who was carrying about two boxes with a combined weight of forty pounds.

It wasn't easy work for the little demon, and two of the guards kept preventing him from dropping the cargo (a thankful task; though the guards saw they deserved no thanks from the demon carrying double his own weight) but aside from that small stamp of issues, carrying the cargo to the storage area of the Polaris, was pretty simple. The ship was in the garage, and because there were even guards keeping watch over the ship, it was actually quite warm. In fact, it was making the demon sleepier than he already was, though he tried to ignore the nagging feelings of lethargy. Keeping his trenchcoat on made this feeling even worse.

John rubbed the sleep from his eyes, setting a box he was carrying down for a moment before picking it up again. A female guard that moved from her position of guarding the ship to help the others move supplies on the ship noticed this and took the box from the demon's hands.

"Here, Mr. Starr, I'll take care of it." She told him. "I didn't really ask for help though, miss. Thank you, but I'll be fine." A yawn escaped him after he said that. The guard's concerned look only grew. "Are you sure you'll be alright? You look like you're about to pass out." John only laughed at her statement, attempting to mask the obvious. "Nonsense! I used to work late every night while I was at NME! I'll be fine, young lady. You can help if you like, but we only… have a few boxes left…" The demon's haughty tone turned to more of a tired tone. He rubbed his eyes again.

The young guard raised a brow at the tired little demon in front of her. He was being as stubborn as most of her male colleagues and her king. Even the headstrong trait wasn't far among races. "If you're going to keep working then, ask for help. I don't want you passing out on the garage floor, and neither does anyone else. Right?" Her colleagues nodded in agreement. "I'll ask for help, believe you me…"

He was slightly dazed at this point, and the tired voice was the only thing he spoke in, but from there, anything that weighed more than twenty pounds (which was the majority of the supplies) the guards took care of. John carried one more box to the supply area, and that was the last of the supplies. But, he did not come back out.

After setting the last box down, the demon fell to the floor. He curled up into a ball, eyes closed in slumber. A male guard checked to see why John didn't come out of the ship. An irritated sigh escaped the penguin guard. He walked out the Polaris and to his colleagues.

"Well, our demon friend fell asleep on the floor." He said, a tone of amusement as well as annoyance in his voice. "Should we let His Majesty or Miss Fumi know he's in there?" The female guard asked. "And let them whip our asses for letting him pass out?! Hell no! It'd be safer to let them find out on their own!" A third guard said. The first male guard sighed, then stretched his arms. "I dunno about you guys, but I think we should go back to the barracks. It'll be another hour til Miss Fumi gets everyone up to go to Skyfall Mountain. Our morning patrol starts at 7:00, and I'd like to get some shuteye." The first male guard walked off. His colleagues looked confused, but soon followed suit.

(0.0) (0.0) (^u^) (^u^) (0u0) (0u0)

When 6:00 rolled around, Fumi woke up everyone involved with their expedition. The hardest to wake up was, of course, King Dedede, but that didn't even annoy her. Once everyone was awake, they were in the garage where the Polaris was. Fumi and David stood in front of the door to the ship.

"Alright everyone, I believe you all understand what we have to do, right?" Fumi asked. The group nodded.

"Follow behind Fumi and myself when we climb the mountain. I hold the map to the cavern we need to go. Once we get there, we should have the book to find whatever relic we need before we all freeze from frostbite. We need to be extra prepared for the climb. Everything we need should be in the storage area. Alright, with all that out of the way, let's go!"

With the bold statement from the elder king, they entered the Polaris. Skyla walked to the controls. Using a remote she found on the dashboard, she opened the door to the garage. After that, she had set a course for Skyarrow Mountain. With everything set, all she did was hit the ignition, and off they went.

The trip was pretty smooth sailing. The blizzard was still brewing, though it hadn't reached its peak yet. Kirby was peering outside one of the plexiglass windows in awe. Meta Knight stood next to the little Puffal.

"What do you see, little one?" He asked. "Evewyt'ing wooks tiny! It so pwetty! See, wook, Medakni." Kirby moved out of Meta's way so that he too could see outside. The knight's amber eyes glittered and sparkled much like his student/ adopted son when he saw outside.

Windfall was below them. Or at least, the edge of the city of Windfall. The whole city was almost behind them now, and they were going to fly over the forests. Both Meta Knight and Kirby were amazed how trees could survive such harsh conditions. They were a virtual hybrid of a pine tree and a spruce tree. Alexandria went to see the Puffals.

"What's out there?" She asked. "Take a look for yourself." Meta admonished. Alex peered out the window. Her gaze matched that of Kirby and Meta Knight. They were right over the forest, and snow capped every tree below. There were some rolling hills, frozen sapphire blue lakes, and Alexandria even saw a deer down there. Her magenta eyes sparkled with awe. They then heard a warm chuckle to their right. The three looked and saw King Dedede, smiling at them.

"Pretty, ain't it? I've never seen it from the air, but the Snowstorm Forest is beautiful this time of year. Heck, every part of the Isles is pretty. It's September, sure, but fall and winter are the prettiest times of year for the Isles."

"I've always been more fond of the cold. The warmth of Dreamland always makes me tired and sluggish. As beautiful Dreamland is, there are some more things I would rather see. Popstar is one of the more naturally beautiful planets I've been too. A first on my list, second being Hope Star. Or the little of I've seen of it anyway." Meta Knight chuckled. "I guess everything must be strong here, huh, King David?"

The older king nodded in agreement. "As beautiful as it is, the Isles are cruel. You never see but few people getting by without doing some form of manual labor. And you never see a man eat less than half his own weight. Despite that, we have no obesity! Well, maybe just some, with myself. Heh. But my point is, we have to work to survive. I'm not entirely sure the whole story of my son after he dealt with NME, but John told me that it wasn't good. And frankly, son, I'm disappointed you fell for that racket he told you… but, it worked out in the end, because Khione is dead thanks to John, so I forgive the mistake you made."

King Dedede chuckled sheepishly. "Dad, I was almost seventeen when that happened. And, to be honest, at that time, I really did care about protecting Cappytown. That's the reason why I joined with them way back then. He told me that I can buy those monsters to protect them. But, when I remember tricking them so easily… I'll be honest, I'm actually sickened, those Cappies are so stupid. It's pathetic."

Sword and Blade laughed at the statement, Callie nodded hurriedly with her chocolate brown eyes wide, clarifying her agreement. Skyla turned around.

"Hey, everyone, start getting whatever else you may need. We're almost to the mountain based on what Fumi told me. I'll keep the controls, but go get what you need. It's -35 degrees out there, and it only gets colder as we keep climbing." Everyone nodded in compliance, and went to the supply room.

They tore open the boxes, revealing that there were pickaxes, ropes, more parkas of all sizes, snow boots, thermoses for drinks, and even several packs of rations. Everyone grabbed some supplies of some sort. Most EVERYONE grabbed extra parkas, just to keep warmth. Once that was done, they returned to the front of the ship.

"OK. I'll set the solaria power up so the heat will stay on. It's about 8:07 right now, so even with the cloud cover, there's enough light to keep the power on. How long should it be until it gets so bad that not even light can pierce the clouds, Fumi?" Skyla asked.

"Hopefully five hours. If not, then we have to get going now, so we'll be able to get what we came for. Alright! Let's go while the storm is still somewhat calm." Everyone nodded in agreement with the female armsmaster, and followed her out the ship. Immediately, the group was met with a biting cold.

"Whoo… it's FREEZING cold! I can feel my pores filling with ice!" Alexandria exclaimed. "Yeah. We better move. I don't want to freeze out here." Callie said with humorous sardonicism. Everyone started on with the journey. They started the hike.

The trail was pretty easy from the start, but soon they had to climb a little more as the trail got rougher and the altitude grew higher. An hour passed and the group was up a very good distance up Skyarrow Mountain. Not much longer, and they'd be in the system of caves that led to the summit. But, there was one remaining obstacle left before they could do that.

There was a massive wall of ice and rock! It was so tall, it probably had four of those five caves riddled on its surface! But, if they had to climb to a cave, they needed to go over the wall. Everyone was looking up.

"This has to be at least 100 feet high. Not that big of an issue, but the blizzard is much worse the higher we go." Fumi stated. "Well, some of us are able to fly. Meta Knight and Callie can. Kirby can too. We'll throw some ropes for King Dedede and King David, maybe even you and Alexandria." Sword explained.

"I'm able to fly too." Alex told him. "And thank you, but I don't need it. Wait… hand it to me, I can help King Dedede and King David climb."

"Well, go ahead and fly up there." But as they were doing that, Fumi had already brandished two pickaxes and was already climbing the cliff face. The soldiers were quite confused why she was trying to climb with nothing to secure her, but the pace she used, they really had nothing to say. So, they flew to the top of the cliff face.

Once they made it to the top, it wasn't long before Fumi followed them up. "Throw the rope." She told Meta Knight. "Are you sure, Fumi? It's so cold that it looks like the rope will fray and break." The humanoid took the rope and examined it. Thin strings from the rope were coming loose. "I think this will be OK for one of them. Meta, warp down there and warp King David up here. He's stronger. He'll be able to help pull Dedede up." Meta Knight nodded, then warped down with his Dimensional Cape and warped King David to the top of the cliff face.

"Why can't I warp down there to get Dedede, Fumi? Wouldn't that be easier?" Meta Knight asked. "Dammit you two, I'll get him." Callie said impatiently. Callie warped down there with her own Dimensional Cape and got King Dedede. "Huh. I'd figure we would have to fight something by now. It's actually making me kind of nervous…" Alexandria said uncertainly.

"The only thing we can do now is keep going. Don't stop. We can't stop now. Let's go." And they went onward to the icy caves within the mountain.

(0.0) (0.0) (^u^) (^u^) (0u0) (0u0)

Back within the storage room of the Polaris, a tired groan was elicited from the stowaway on board. John's crimson eyes opened to the metallic room. The demon was confused. Was he not back at Windfall? He wiped the sleep from his eyes and stood up. He walked to the main deck and onto the side door. A freezing, bone chilling wind greeted him. Shivering, he quickly shut the door.

Panic settled in when he realized what happened. But there was nothing he could do. So John tried to walk back to the storage room, but ended up tripping over his coat. Something fell on top of him from a chair when that happened though. He sat back up and examined what fell, and horror grew on the demon's visage.

"The book! Without it, they can't open the gateway to the chamber. They'll… they'll freeze out there! I need to get this to them." He gripped the maroon cover of the book. The demon looked at the side door of the Polaris again. "But… it's probably blustering out there. Those winds would've knocked me down if I stepped out there." A sigh left the demon. He looked at the book again. In his mind's eye, he saw Amaris and Lament in the shine of the cover.

"Go and help them. If Necromantia attacks, we could all be in danger."

"But… Lament…"

"Please, John… go out there for our sakes… do you not want Amaris to grow up? To have a future?"

"Yes, but…"

"Please go… for our sakes…"

He couldn't ignore his mind anymore. Risking my life or not, I have to go out there for Lament and Amaris. He thought to himself. So, like the group of fighters before him, the demon dove into the boxes of gear, bundling himself up in three parkas, even over his navy blue coat. Feeling around in the pocket of said coat, he pulled out a revolver, and stuck that in his right pocket. He placed the book in a backpack under some pickaxes, rope, a thermos, some ammo for his revolver-which somehow wound up in a box with pillows- two pairs of gloves, and some black snow boots just the right size for the demon's feet.

He pulled the three hoods of his parkas over his head, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the shadow cast by them. With the backpack strewn over his shoulders, book inside, he left the Polaris and started following the trail the heroes took.

It was harder going for the demon than it was for the group before him. The blizzard was so strong, the winds and the icy shards of snow felt like glass hitting his face. Not to mention how cold it was. Even with the three parkas and his trenchcoat, John felt as if he was unclothed; it was that cold! The snow was a virtual mist, blocking much of his field of vision. His limited sense of touch helped guide him through the mountain trail, which was pretty tricky. One wrong step could cause the demon to plunge to his death. The wind not dying down, but getting worse as he went along didn't help him much at all either.

He shivered under the four layers of clothes. The wind bit his skin, the icy flakes of snow hit his face, not to mention that his hands and feet were numb. Heck, he could feel the very blood freezing in his veins. Most of his stature would turn back at this point. But he had Lament and Amaris to fight for. And turning back to go to the Polaris would be cowardice.

Eventually, he met up with the same icy cliff face the heroes met with before. John's face fell, in both fear and anger. A shaky sigh escaped the demon, and he continued to shiver in the -50 degree cold. "Gods above… how were they able to scale this thing? Wait… half of that lot is able to fly, but Fumi isn't. She probably scaled it! Maybe Dedede and David did too… but they aren't that crazy, are they?"

John walked closer to the cliff face. About four feet above his head, he saw a divot in the ice where something was stuck into it earlier. An idea came into his head. He flipped the backpack over his shoulder and pulled the pickaxes out.

"If one of them didn't climb up there to throw a rope, I can only assume Fumi must have climbed up there herself," John said as he placed the pickaxes in the snow, shutting the pack, and throwing it back over his shoulder. "So I guess I should do what she did… not sure if I should, that cliff is awfully high. But… whatever it takes to get the book to them. I assume they're at the top." A sigh left the demon. "A 100 foot cliff that could mean my death, should I fall." The demon shuddered in fear. "Just don't look down. Do this for your family."

He stuck the pickaxe in his right hand in the cliff first. Then he followed that action with the pickaxe in his left hand. Right, left, right, left, right, left. The sound of metal breaking ice could faintly be heard, though the sound of the wind's howl was louder. Right, left, right, left. He barely climbed up four feet. He may've had long arms, but unfortunately for John, they weren't that strong. It was miraculous he was actually climbing at all!

Right, left, right, left, right. The same rhythm of the axes echoed in the demon's mind as he continued the climb. As slow going as this was, he was lucky that he was keeping a decent pace. If he were to fall, should he make it to the highest point of the cliff face, it was his demise. In the past, if Amaris wasn't alive and if he wasn't with Lament, John probably would have turned back in an instant. This was different though. He didn't have anything to prove, no, but he had two people to fight for.

Lament and Amaris. As long as I think about them, I'll keep climbing. I just have to keep climbing. I don't care if my bones break from this exertion, I just have to keep going. Lament… Amaris… keep me going. I'll come home to you both, safe and sound.

I have to.

For their sakes.

(0.0) (0.0) (^u^) (^u^) (0u0) (0u0)

Meanwhile, back at Windfall Castle, the blizzard wasn't nearly as bad as it is at Skyarrow Mountain, but the winds were very strong. The only ones required to be outside right now were the guards, and they were smart to bundle up in multiple layers. The kids sat inside, Tiff and Victoria talking with Lyla while Tuff watched the snow fall.

"This sucks! We could be out there in that snow like the guards right now! Why can't Queen Elize just let us go?" Tuff whined. "Because for one, Tuff, you're helplessly underdressed. Two, you'll more than likely run off, stranding yourself in subzero temperatures, leading to either sickness or your demise. Is that a good enough reason?" Lament asked.

Tuff frowned at the demoness. She was a lot crabbier than usual, and that may've had something to do with her husband not being here, but seeing the look of concern on the woman's face, Tuff cast aside his brief animosity towards her for this one time. He jumped off the windowsill, walking toward his sister and Lyla.

"Doesn't she seem worried to you guys?" He asked. "Uh huh. Mr. John isn't here, and that's probably why she's worried. I don't get it either, so I think he could've fallen asleep on the Polaris. How odd." Lyla mused.

"I probably think he snuck on there to sabotage something. Why else would he have asked to help load the supplies?" Tiff asked. Tuff and Lyla slapped their foreheads in annoyance.

"Tiff, once again, for the ten thousandth time, Mr. John isn't a bad man! Would someone as bad as you say he is have a daughter as innocent as Amaris?" Lyla pointed toward the green haired infant. She shared the same look of concern her mother had. Tiff's glare faded into a frown. The young girl didn't like seeing little Amaris so worried. Cheeriness suited her better.

The doors suddenly opened, though it wasn't due to the wind. Escargoon, who somehow slipped outside to possibly study the snowstorm going on around the castle, slithered inside. The lavender hue to his skin was more of a pale blue, which was darker on his face. The snail shivered, tightening his grip on the coat Dedede loaned him.

"-44 degrees Fahrenheit out there. That's unreal for September weather! I feel like my shell may crack if something hit it, that's how cold it is!" He said. Elize walked toward him. "I'll brew you some tea if you like.

But why would you go out there in that icy hell? That's a disaster waiting to happen, Escargoon." She told him. The snail merely nodded at the queen. Elize had the faintest of smiles on her beak, but to the untrained eyes, it looked mainly like a straight face.

"I want to go outside. Should I shift into a polar bear?" Victoria asked. "Whatever you want, but this is serious, Victoria." Tiff said. "It's about Johnny, isn't it?" Victoria asked, an annoyed look on her face. "I don't trust him! I'm sure something bad happened by now!" Then Tiff looked at Lament and Amaris again. "I'll be right back."

Tiff walked toward the mother and daughter demons. "Miss Lament, I have to ask, what in NOVA's name do you see in your husband? Even though you're a demon… you're so nice. What could someone like you see in someone like him?" She asked. Lament sighed.

"If I tell you, you won't show animosity toward him anymore? Please?" Lament asked. "I'm telling the whole truth when I tell you this, young one. My one good eye is looking right into your eyes, child." Tiff nodded in response. She understood the demoness clearly.

"I've known him since I was ten years old. He showed me the way around NME, I was confused, I had no memory of who I was in the past. In a way, he was the only one that stood by my side. Demons used to attack me because of how small I was and how underdeveloped my powers were. He was the only one that stood up for me, even if he didn't have powers or strength to his name. His status as Nightmare's second in command was what made the demons stay away from me. We knew they didn't fear us, they feared his status," Lament chuckled, remembering some of the memories she shared with John when they were young.

"We shared much. But, truth of the matter, he always had some animosity and displeasure toward Nightmare. There was something that had happened when he was very young… something he couldn't remember, but he knew that he was plagued by nightmares as a boy. The visions he described to me were too frightening to be forgotten. Monsters big and small… grotesque and gruesome. Blood and poisons… Wolfwrath snarling, foaming at the mouth, and at the pinnacle of all of it was a figure with a blackened aura, glowering red eyes, and a sneering smile that could make a great white shark quiver in fear."

Lament stopped talking briefly when she heard Amaris whimper. The infant's ruby red eyes were wide, a frown sullying her usually happy face. "Lyla, can you take Amaris? I think my story is scaring her." Lyla nodded, then picked up the little girl and carried her back to where she was, with Tuff and Victoria. Lament continued her story.

"These visions, the hell he was able to see, observing the planets his father targeted, John wanted to escape. He wanted to leave. He wanted me, along with three others, to join him. We couldn't, however. One of the demons he wanted to escape with us, Solah, saw into the future that it wasn't going to end well if we tried to escape. Two of the four visions she had ended with all four of us dying. Two more visions did have us escaping, but they had us crashing at a GSA base. We ended up dying in prison. These visions were foresight as far as four years, but at that time, John was 25, and I was 23- 500 years," Lament shook her head.

"It's still hard to believe it was that long ago. And about that long ago, we came up with a plan. There was no limit to how long we were to keep it; we had no clue as to when the Guardian destined to defeat Nightmare would be born. The face you saw, the man that delivered the demons, that wasn't the real face of my dear husband."

Tiff was confused when Lament said that. Everything else that the female demon said, she was able to understand. But that last little statement… Tiff didn't comprehend at all. "What do you mean by "that wasn't the real face"?" Tiff asked.

"The man you saw on the communication monitor was a facade. A ploy to keep Nightmare from figuring out the truth. I was known by few other than the demons, and John was merely the man behind the shades. Customer Service was the mask he wore. Anything else besides his title was never known by the customers. They had no reason to know." Lament sighed when she said that.

"But, if you weren't loyal to Nightmare, why couldn't you just join the GSA?" Tiff asked.

"It wasn't that easy, Tiff. If we were to escape, we'd be killed, and even if we made it to a GSA base, there was no guarantee the soldiers would accept us, even if Solah told them all that Nightmare was planning. It was too much of a risk. We had to bide our time. Then, Kirby came around, and it wasn't but eight months before the final battle that we learned that I was pregnant with Amaris. At that moment, we didn't care what happened, as long as there was something that distracted Nightmare long enough for John, myself, Luna, Moon, and Solah to escape. Luna and Moon are Solah's sisters, by the way."

Tiff took the information like a sponge absorbing water. This story, she believed. Lament was much more honest than her husband. Plus, she could read her intentions much easier than John, thanks to the fact that Lament didn't wear sunglasses. Tiff smiled at Lament.

"Alright. I'll take your word for it, Miss Lament. Why would he be so willing to act so different than in the past though? That's the main thing that confuses me."

Lament brushed back a bit of her hair. "It's more on the line of redemption. Very few people are actually willing to trust a thing a demon says to begin with. John was aware what he was doing, sending the monsters to those planets. If I never met him… he'd probably be dead in fire that won't be seen until 900 years later. Without Nightmare holding him back, he'll show you all there is more to him than meets the eyes. I'm sure you'll all agree indeed."

A smile was on Lament's face. About halfway in the story, Elize came back with Escargoon, and they listened to the demoness from a distance. Lyla, Victoria, and Tuff did the same. Amaris was asleep in the young princess's arms, suckling on her thumb. Tiff smiled at the sight. But she looked out the window not long after that. The blizzard was still coming down hard. The cheerful look faded into one of concern; she couldn't hardly see outside, but the snow was coming down so hard, she could safely bet it was hell at Skyarrow.

Please make it back… everyone.

(0.0) (0.0) (^u^) (^u^) (0u0) (0u0)

Deep within a cave back at Skyarrow Mountain, the warriors ventured deep. They weren't far from the summit now, but it was so cold that they couldn't even feel their own bodies under the clothes. It was -70 degrees right now, and with each step they took, they grew colder. But it also meant they were getting closer and closer to the clue. Alexandria shivered, but she was also excited. This was the home stretch, and she knew that if she shouted loud enough, they'd be buried alive.

"We're getting close. I'm so cold, but God, it's so awesome to have gotten this far. I'm proud to have done this with you all!" A broad smile was on the teenage girl's face. Kirby giggled and Meta Knight was grinning behind his mask.

"Indeed. It was an honor to work alongside you all. But this is just the first of many adventures, should we find the clue we need." Meta Knight looked back toward Fumi and King David. Both hadn't said a word in a while. King Dedede hasn't said much either, and Meta Knight could sense why: focus.

The younger king wanted everyone to stay focused at the task at hand, knowing that if they stopped for too brief a moment, one of them could freeze to death. The atmosphere was tense, and the air was getting too thin to breathe. Sword and Blade trudged furthest behind, but they ran to keep from falling too far behind.

"Stay alert. We don't know what we'll find, but I'm sure that if it's hostile, it will be nearest to the summit." Fumi stated aloud. The younger soldiers and Dedede nodded in response. They kept on climbing, trekking the cave. It was the only thing the group could do for now. They passed through another system of caves, venturing higher to the top until they saw a strange stone door. A giant zodiac was engraved into it.

"Aha! This is it! This is the door! We've made it!" There were cheers of celebration when the statement was said. "Hold on a second, we have to put the zodiac together the right way. There should be a page in the book that says how to arrange it."

Fumi set her backpack down. She dug around in it for a while, but oddly enough, she never found it. "Huh, I could've sworn I had it in there. Your Majesty, is the book in your bag?" She asked. King David set his backpack down and searched for the maroon book. "Nope. It's not in there." Fumi's face fell in rage and shock. "Goddammit! It must be back on the Polaris! No! I can't believe I forgot the book…! And there's no way for us to go back down there without the long climb again!"

Alexandria raised her hand. "If I may suggest something. I looked over the picture of the zodiac yesterday. The symbols are arranged clockwise. Lemme see…" Alexandria walked toward the door. There, she saw a star, a fire sword, an ice sword, the NME symbol, a silhouette of a strange woman, a silhouette of a man and a woman, a Ferine heart, and a sword of electricity. The thing that freaked Alexandria out the most though was that her own silhouette was at the center of the door.

"I think I know what to do. We arrange the blocks of the zodiac in order. Then we press the symbol in the middle, and if our answer is right, then we go further. If not, then we try again unless there is a trap."

"Well, that makes some sense," Sword stated hesitantly. "But if we do trigger a trap, what do you think it might be?" He asked. "Devil's in the details, I don't have a clue, but standing here freezing our butts off isn't going to get us closer to the clue we need. You guys need to help me with this too, those blocks have to be pretty heavy." She said, talking mostly to King David and King Dedede. The two penguins nodded.

They picked up the star stone and set it at the top of the zodiac. Next, they picked up the heart stone and set it to the top left. The silhouette of the woman went below it. Then the fire sword was on the right of the star, the ice sword following by it, and the electric sword after that. The NME symbol was at the bottom. The silhouette of the man and the woman were next to it to the left. Alexandria pushed the center of the door where her silhouette was, but the stones glowed red. Nothing opened.

"Oh no… I think I did something wrong…" Alexandria said nervously. "It was worth a try, kid, nothing wrong with trying." King Dedede said, readying his hammer to attack. A roar could be heard from within the cave. Foot stamps could be heard not too far from their location. Soon enough, a white beast, not unlike a polar lion, but smaller, burst through the ice. Everyone brandished a weapon. Kirby copied an ice shard and changed into Ice Kirby.

The beast roared horribly loud, snarling and hissing. It swatted a paw toward Alexandria and Kirby, who both dodged the attack. But the beast rebounded and swat its tail at Alexandria, who couldn't dodge it in time, and was forced into the icy wall. Fumi and Meta Knight responded with Sword Beams, varying in size and power. King David swung a greatsword he kept sheathed the whole trip, creating a large, arced beam of its own. Kirby fired off shards of ice, and Sword and Blade went closer and attacked the beast's paws and legs. Skyla launched a Blazing Sword Beam toward the monster's head, but it hit the left leg, singing the beast's hair, but not causing much damage.

The monster roared again, and it fired a burst of icy wind from its maw. Everyone dodged the attack, but the result was icy crystals taller than Dedede and David stacked on top of one another together formed. The younger of the two kings swung his mighty wooden hammer and broke the left front leg of the monster. It screeched in pain.

Alexandria and Kirby rebounded with their own attacks, varying in strength for Alex, but Kirby went all out. The little Puffal blew a blizzard toward the monster, much to his ally's dismay, for the beast wasn't even phased! With a low growl, it swat its tail at everyone, knocking them into the icy wall.

"How the hell is this thing still moving so well?! I broke the motherfucker's leg!" Dedede exclaimed angrily. "I don't know what's going on either! It's moving swiftly for its size, and the attacks aren't as erratic as a polar lion's! This thing truly is a monster!" Fumi yelled.

"Graaah! Dammit! My arm!" Meta Knight cried, gripping his right arm. Blood was staining his glove, and a single, ugly cut bled on the ice. Alexandria took Meta Knight away from the battle and took out the first aid kit from his cape. She patched the wound up as best she could despite the circumstances they were faced with. After that, they continued fighting. The heroes continued to struggle, and exhaustion from the blizzard coupled with the battle began to take its toll, the burden affecting Alexandria the most. The battle raged on for almost an hour. Until…

Bang! A single gunshot rang out, silencing the battle for that instant. The wound hit the temple of the beast's head. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three more shots rung out, and those three hit their marks, two ending up on the monster's chest, and another landing on the eye. The beast fell down, and the heroes turned to see their hero. Shock adorned everyone's faces when they saw who it was.

Their hero was none other than John! He looked awfully haggard, obviously exhausted from the climb he had, but he was looking blue. That was oddly confusing because he had to have had three parkas and his trenchcoat on! The gun, although lowered to his side, shook in his hand, trembling, because of how cold he was.

"I have the book. Can you hurry and fix the zodiac before…" He couldn't finish his sentence. John passed out face first, on the icy ground. Everyone gasped when this happened. Alexandria and Fumi ran to his side, and soon enough, Kirby, Skyla, and Callie followed. Fumi pressed her hand against the demon's forehead, immediately pulling it back. "This isn't good! He's as cold as this ice! He could be suffering from hypothermia!"

"We need to get him back to the Polaris. It'll keep him warm until we get the artifact." Skyla stated firmly. Kirby and the women nodded in agreement. "We can't leave yet!" King David yelled. "We've come so far, and who knows how the Dimensional Capes work! We won't be able to come back up here!"

"David, he'll die if we keep debating this damn thing! We have to keep him warm!"

But before the two could shout anymore, Alexandria stood up. "Guys guys! I have an idea! Kirby and I will keep him warm, we just need a match so Kirby can gain the Fire Ability." Kirby discarded his Ice Ability when she said that. Meta Knight lit a match, which Kirby inhaled. Alexandria took her cape off her back and swaddled the demon in it. "Don't worry, Johnny. We'll make sure you won't die." She brushed a lock of green hair from the demon's face. Fumi was sifting through the backpack, unearthing the maroon book. She opened to the page with the zodiac.

"OK, the Star goes on top. The Ferine heart goes to the top left. The electric sword goes on the top right, following clockwise are the ice sword, fire sword, the woman's silhouette, the NME symbol, and the man and woman silhouette."

The two kings followed Fumi's orders and set the zodiac up to a T. Alexandria walked to the door and pressed into it, like she did before. The door glowed a magenta glow, and it opened. Ecstatic looks were on the faces of the heroes. King Dedede and King David ran to the clue first. The others were quick to follow. When they saw the artifact, they were surprised to see what was etched in.

There was a combination of hieroglyphics and letters. The group didn't recognize the letters that were etched to the stone. "This is it huh? I can make some things out of the hieroglyphics, but the letters elude me." Meta Knight said. "Hurry and take it! We need to go!" Callie yelled. Meta Knight nodded, then threw his cape over the artifact.

"Alright everyone! Huddle around me! I'm warping us to the Polaris!" Meta Knight yelled. Everyone huddled as tightly as possible around Meta Knight. He warped everyone to the inside of the Polaris. Skyla immediately took off, and they went back to Windfall.

But, a figure was watching them the whole time within the shadows of the cave. They narrowed their amber eyes in distaste before disappearing to another area. A sinister chuckle could be heard from them, a female voice could be made out.

"One of these days…"

(0.0) (0.0) (^u^) (^u^) (0u0) (0u0)

On the deck of the Polaris, everyone was trying to help tend the ailing demon. Fumi was removing the ice covered clothes until she got to his suit. "Dedede? Could you get a warm rag? Wet it. I need to find out what his temperature is. Please get a thermometer." She told him. King Dedede nodded, then went to get one. He didn't take too long, and he gave her a thermometer that goes into the ear. Fumi nodded thankfully and inserted the device in the demon's ear.

The digits counted for a small while. Her face fell in shock and horror when she saw what his temperature was. "89.2 degrees. Good thing we got his wet and cold clothes off, otherwise we would have made things worse. Turn the heat up, Skyla, please."

Skyla nodded and cranked the heat up to the maximum. At that moment, King Dedede came back with the rag, wrung out, very very warm. Fumi placed it over John's forehead, patting it against the cold purple and blue skin. "There's something I don't get. How could he get hypothermia? He was bundled up in all those coats. Shouldn't he be OK? Cold, but fine?" Alexandria asked.

"I'll show you why. I'm going to take his shirt off, so it'll be easier for you to see, OK?" Fumi asked. Alexandria blushed slightly. It was over the top to take his shirt off, but she needed to know why he was in such danger. She nodded and Fumi went ahead and removed the garment.

Alexandria was actually pretty confused. The demon's physique was so scrawny, his very ribs showed, which was odd, since Alex was sure he ate normally. No fat could be seen on the body at all, and if it wasn't for the fact that the demon looked partially anorexic, Alexandria envied him.

"Wow… so this was partially the reason he collapsed. What was the other part?"

"He overexerted himself. His body wasn't built to push to such extremes like -70 degree cold and thinning mountain air. Hell, he's so scrawny, I'm surprised he scaled that wall at all." She sat the demon up, about to put his shirt back on, but she noticed that Dedede was eyeing the demon's back. "What is it?" She asked.

"Ya gotta look at his back. He's got a whole bunch of scars. So many that it's scary, actually." He told her. Fumi turned the body so that she saw his back, and Alex gasped when she saw all the marks adorning him. They looked like whiplashes, and there were so many, it scared her. What could have happened to him that caused this? She thought. She ran a hand on the marks. Newer scars jut out more, and a lot of the time, scars like that poured blood when the wounds opened. Part of the whiplashes were on his shoulders as well. No wonder the demon seldom wore short sleeved shirts.

"Oh my God, what could've happened to him?" Alex asked. "Heck if I know. Looks like he was whipped." Dedede replied. "Those scars are a lighter purple than the rest of his skin," Meta Knight stated as he too caught a glimpse of the scars. "They look old too. Maybe he's been having those marks. They couldn't have been recent. Nightmare's been dead for eight months, and no monster is smart enough to wield a whip." Silence was prevalent after Meta said that and Fumi slipped the shirt back onto their stowaway. It was a silent ride until they got to Windfall and they landed in the garage.

A major party was gathered up in the throne room. "Hold the phone everyone! Before we start celebrating, we need to get John into the medical ward and treated for hypothermia!" King David announced. Murmurs were heard through the crowd. Lament, who was carrying Amaris in one arm, shoved everyone who was in her way to see her husband.

"Oh dear gods… John…" The cracking in her voice was heavily evident when she spoke. Amaris whimpered, recognizing that her mother was scared and fearful while her father was unconscious. Alexandria laid the unconscious demon to the floor. "Is he going to be alright?" Lament asked. "He is. We managed to get his temperature up to 96 degrees, but he's still a little sick. We'll need to keep you all in the castle for now. I'm… I'm sorry that this happened, Lament. He must have fallen asleep on the ship. But he was a big hero to us today."

Lament looked up at Fumi when she said that. "Really? What did he do?"

"He killed a monster with his revolver. We forgot the book back on the ship, and he climbed all that way just to deliver it to us. I don't have a clue why he would do all of this just for a book, but if we stayed out there much longer, we all would have perished a cold, unforgiving death." Meta Knight explained. Lament flashed a small smile.

"I'm glad he's safe. That's all that matters." Her smile grew when she saw the deep crimson eyes of her lover open once again. "Lament? Amaris? Am I… am I back at the castle?" He asked. His voice was hoarse, though that was to be expected after braving subzero temperatures and nearly dying of hypothermia. Amaris squirmed and squealed in Lament's arms. The little demon whined and whimpered, babbling as she did so, until:

"Dadee!" She cried, much to the surprise of everyone in the room, and the delight of the two parents. "Let her go, Lament, I think she wants to see me."

Lament did as instructed, releasing her daughter on the floor. Amaris crawled at a speedy pace towards John, giggling as she did so. She finally rest her head on top of the older demon's chest with a contented sigh. "Dadee…" she murmured, closing her eyes as she snuggled against her father's chest. He smiled proudly, eyes never darting away from the sight. He stroked her hair, sighing in relief. He was happy to be here.

It's OK now, little one. I'm here. I won't leave your side. Not right now.

I'm here.

And I will stay.

(0.0) (0.0) (^u^) (^u^) (0u0) (0u0)

(0.0) (0.0) (^u^) (^u^) (0u0) (0u0)

(0.0) (0.0) (^u^) (^u^) (0u0) (0u0)

A/N: Oh boy, where do I even BEGIN for this? This chapter and the last one absolutely KICKED MY ASS! It took me my whole summer to finish this and then some! I worked super hard on EVERY chapter. I don't have a schedule to keep, since I'm a hardcore procrastinatinator. I'm proud of this though, and I hope y'all enjoy the read! If you have questions about the story, send a review, and I'll be glad to answer through PM.

That is all. Goodnight, and enjoy :)