Disclaimer: Get on your knees and look at the floor. See that little, insignificant speck of dirt? I wish I owned THAT much of Kirby, but I don't. End of story.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
II
One could say that King Dedede was bored. But to say that would be an understatement.
The King of Dreamland was currently staring out a window located in the highest tower of Castle Dedede, watching as clouds lazily rolled by while resisting the very tempting idea of slamming his head against the wall. He had already tried everything: Eating to his heart's content, annoy his subjects, break stuff with his hammer, sleep…but now he had nothing to do, and the sheer, pure boredom was driving him near the point of insanity.
He would never admit it out loud, but there was no denying it: Life in Popstar was dull without Kirby around.
Sure, he hated the pink baby puffball. After all, Kirby's heroic actions were an open sign of challenge against his authority as ruler – or at least they were in his eyes, anyways. And darn it, he was the King! He couldn't maintain his reputation if he had pink marshmallows running around Dreamland, doing as they pleased simply because they could. Not to mention that plotting against the young warrior was just too much fun.
But two months had already passed by, and Kirby still wouldn't return from his "vacations" in Ripple Star. After months of endless battling against demonic clowns, paint witches and countless monsters from other planets in every corner of the Gamble Galaxy and beyond, Popstar finally fell into an era of peace, and the puffball took the chance for a little break and to visit his friend Ribbon in Ripple Star. No one had heard of him since, but considering that Popstar was not in the verge of disaster (again!), no one worried for the pink puff and all was well.
…except that without his "arch-nemesis" around, Dedede had nothing to do with himself. What would be the point, anyway? He could now reclaim his authority as king and send the Dreamlanders running in panic like beheaded chickens, but it would be no fun if there was no one to give him a good fight while trying to stop him.
Walking away from the window and plopping down on his throne, the penguin monarch grabbed his Jet Hammer from beside the chair and polished its metallic surface with his sleeve. A few years ago, he wouldn't have been able to move the hammer an inch from the ground with his two hands; now he could easily swing it around as if it were a squeaky hammer with only his right one. After all, his battles with Kirby were not just mindless fighting; they were also, in a way, tests. Tests of strength and stamina, in which he aimed to improve himself and go beyond his own limits in order to defeat Kirby. And with each humiliating defeat for him – which was, well, ALL the time – there was also the chance of starting over and training even more for a chance at victory…
Not that he would ever say that out loud, anyways.
Stupid ball of fat, suddenlyannoyed, Dedede dropped his hammer by his side and propped his face on his left hand, even from thousands of light years away, he ruins everything for me…Whatever, it's not like I need that annoying brat to have fun!
"Captain Doo!" the Waddle Doo who had been sleeping at the right side of the room suddenly jerked awake at the sound of Dedede's booming bellow, "I'm bored! What does a king has to do to have some fun around here!"
Rubbing his one, very tired eye, Captain Doo used his javelin as support as he rose from the floor, still very exhausted and now annoyed at having his nap interrupted. "Well Your Majesty, you could actually go and take care of your kingdom and other kingly stuff. You know…" he stifled a yawn as he approached the throne's steps, "Just stuff you're supposed to do, since you're the king."
"Interesting…" the blue penguin mumbled while wiping his nails on his robe, clearly not interested, "Go on."
Now fully awake, Captain Doo stood straight and spoke carefully, his bravado gone now that he was aware that the wrong words would leave him stuck to the ground like bubblegum with just a swing of a hammer, "Well, uh, you could go outside and…well…interact with your subjects."
"Uh-huh."
"And, um…there's also the issue about the taxes…"
"Uh-huh."
"And you still have to apologize to the people about, well, stealing their food last year…"
"Uh-huh."
"And also-"
"How do you eat with that eye?"
Stunned, Captain Doo turned around to meet his king, who was now a little too close to his face/eye, staring at him in a way that made the Waddle Doo official feel as if a hole was tearing through him, "I-I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me," Dedede's beak was now inches from Doo's immense eye, much to the cyclop's discomfort, "I mean, the Waddle Dees just suck up the food into their faces, and I still can't get my head around that. But your eye IS your face!" the king suddenly backed away, arms in the air, "How is that supposed to work!"
Shock turned into irritation, the Waddle Doo captain just stared at the fat monarch. His species had been harassed by that question for years, and it had long stopped being funny at all. However, said question brought an idea to mind, and his eye lit up with mischief. Reaching into the pouch strapped to his belt, he pulled out a slice of bread and waved it for Dedede to see, "Would the Great King like a demonstration, then?"
/
"Your Majesty! Where are you, Great King?"
The Waddle Dee soldier ran as fast as his stubby yellow feet could take him, searching frantically from side to side, room by room. The King's cook, Chef Kawasaki, had last seen him walking up the Main Tower, but several minutes had passed by and he still couldn't find the King. And now he was running up the stairs leading to the tower's last room, his tiny heart threatening to burst as he forced open the door.
"KING DEDEDE! Green Greens is being attacked! It's absolute chaos down there and-Uh, um….." he stopped in his words as he saw his sovereign's expression, which was filled with utter horror and disgust as he kept staring into the distance, "Are you OK, Great King?"
"He'll be fine, soldier; don't worry," The Waddle Dee turned and saw Captain Doo wiping breadcrumbs off his stubby paws and looking pleased with himself, "Just give him…I dunno…five minutes?"
"BUT WE DON'T HAVE FIVE MINUTES!" the frantic Dee stepped closer to Dedede, now tugging at the hem of his red robe, "Sir, Green Greens is under attack! You have to snap out of it! What-"
"NO!" the King's sudden shouting scared the soldier, who let go off his robe and rolled across the floor. Now out of his daze, the blue penguin rose from his throne as stared at the Waddle Dee with a look that could've made a Fire Lion whine like a kitten, "Just…don't…say…anything. Just don't."
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Good…" rubbing his temples, he sat down on his throne again as he shot Captain Doo a dirty look, "We'll talk about this later."
The Waddle Doo just snickered.
"Alright then, what's with all the screaming?" Dedede clasped his hand around the handle of his Jet Hammer and spun it around, albeit shakily, "And it better be good; I'm not in the mood for any more crap today."
"It's Green Greens, your Majesty! Me and my group were on patrol when we were attacked by a Water Galboros!" the Waddle Dee extended its paws for emphasis, "It was huge! It came out of nowhere and started trashing about and destroying stuff and people started screaming and running and –"
"A Galboros? But those don't attack unless you interrupt their naps," Waddle Doo snorted and rolled his eye, "Well that's just great. I would love to meet the genius who thought it would be a good idea to wake one of those things." Dedede, on the other hand, was grinning like a fool as he rose and pumped his fist into the air, "Alright! About time something happened around here!"
"Y-your Majesty, this is serious! There are lives at sta-"
"Yeah yeah, people in danger, I got it." He pointed at Captain Doo with his hammer, "Call Bandanna Dee and get ready to leave for Green Greens. And you," he pointed at the Waddle soldier, "go get more Waddle Dees. About twenty will do. All of you meet me outside the castle gate in fifteen minutes."
"YES, SIR!" Both soldiers saluted and stormed out of the room, dashing down the stairs. Once they were gone, Dedede stepped down of his throne and walked towards the wardrobe behind it. Opening the mahogany doors, the reached out his hands and smiled at the object he then pulled out.
It was a thick iron mask. Small, yellow horns protruded from its frame, the surface of its bottom half shaped like sharp teeth. There was a slit at the top half, just wide enough for him to see through. Rubbing the dust off its surface, he put on the mask and strapped it tight. Ignoring the cold of the metal on his skin, he grabbed his hammer with renewed vigor and swung it around the room with deadly speed and strength.
Satisfied, he was about to close the doors and leave when something blue caught his eye. His curiosity getting the best of him, he pushed the doors wide open again, the blue glint intensifying under the light of the chandeliers. Recognizing the object, the penguin carefully plucked it out of the corner of the wardrobe and cradled it in his hands.
It was a crystal, sparkling blue with undertones of indigo and violet. And it wasn't just any crystal; it was a shard from the Power Crystal, given to him and to his friends – even that annoying puffball got one! – by the people of Ripple Star as proof of their valor for defeating the Dark Matter. His face flushed as the memory of Ripple Star's ruler, Queen Lyra, flooded his mind…
"And now I give to you these Crystal Shards, as proof of your courage and your heroism," Queen Lyra smiled, her dark violet eyes sparkling behind her glasses as Ribbon placed the last Shard around Kirby's neck, "Ripple Star cannot thank you enough for everything you've done…"
"Don't thank us, your Majesty," Dedede stepped forward, speaking in a suave tone and puffing out his chest, "for it was our pleasure. No proper gentleman would desert a fair lady like yourself and her people in her time of need." He then kneeled next to her and grabbed her hand, making her blush bright red.
"Oh, King Dedede!" she exclaimed, her arm raised high in a dramatic pose, her braided black hair swaying behind her, "Your words are kind and gentle, and yet I feel unworthy of them! Ah, my face and my heart burn with shame!"
"Don't say that, Queen Lyra, for it is I who should be ashamed! It is I who is unworthy of your incredibly beauty!" he held her closer to him, his arms wrapped around her waist, "But I can't ignore the passion that burns in my heart! I can't simply imagine my life without you, my true love!"
"Oh, Dedede!"
"Oh, Lyra!"
"YOUR MAJESTY!"
"AAAAARGH!" Hammer and crystal shard falling from his hold, Dedede snapped out of his memory-turned-fantasy and turned to the newcomer, eyes almost literally aflame, "CAN'T YOU PEOPLE KNOCK FIRST!"
The soldier, this time a Sir Kibble, trembled inside his armor as his king loomed over him, hammer now in hand, "S-sir, Captain B-bandanna Dee and Captain Doo are waiting for you outside the castle…they sent me to check on you since you were taking so long –"
"I'M FINE!" the Sir Kibble barely had time to duck the king's Jet Hammer aimed at his head, "Now get out of here before I turn you into scrap metal!" and in a lower, more threatening voice he added, "And whatever you saw or heard in this room, stays in this room. Got it?"
"Y-yes sir!"
Scowling, the penguin turned around and picked the crystal shard off the floor and stuffed it in his pocket. But when he turned for the door, the same Sir Kibble was still standing there, "What is it now!"
"Um, sir…I don't mean to intrude or anything…" the bronze-armored knight drew circles with his foot as he refused to face his monarch's face, "but is this 'Lyra' your girlfriend?"
/
"Why is his Majesty taking so long?" Captain Doo grumbled to no one in particular while poking the earth with his spear. He, along with twenty or so Waddle Dees, was sitting by the gates of Castle Dedede, waiting for the castle's namesake to finally make his appearance.
"Don't get so worked up, Doo. I'm sure the King is coming to meet us right now..." Captain Bandanna Dee placed his brown paw reassuringly on his friend's shoulder - or where his shoulder would be, anyways. He was barely any different from all the other Waddle Dees, except that he was the slightest bit taller and always wore the bright blue bandanna that had earned him his nickname tightly around his head.
"But he was the one that said to meet here in fifteen minutes, and it's been half an hour!" He stood up and started pacing back and forth, Bandanna trailing behind him, "He was the one eager to go into battle! Who can possibly understand what's going on inside that thick skull of his!"
"If there's no food involved, I don't know what would!" a Waddle Dee at the back of the group shouted, making the others, Doo included, laugh at his remark. The only one not laughing was Bandanna, who kept looking round him as if King Dedede might pop out of thin air at any moment and beat the life out of them.
BAM
The sound of the castle doors being violently pushed made all Waddle Dees –and Doo – turn around. And much to their horror, a very pissed off, masked King Dedede came out dragging an unconscious Sir Kibble behind him, his armor dented and twisted. Dumping the limp knight in front of the other two Kibbles guarding the gate, he turned around to scowl at Captain Doo through his metal mask.
"So…" he crossed his arms at the one-eyed brown ball, "what was that about me having a thick skull?"
Doo paled and kept staring at the floor, not able to look at his king, "N-nothing, sir. Nothing at all…"
"I thought so." Dedede turned to the Waddle Dees, who were still gawking at him, "And what are you looking at? Get your butts moving!"
Out of their daze, the Waddle Dees rose to their feet and started marching towards Green Greens with Dedede on the lead, Bandanna Dee at his side and helping a still terrified Doo keep up. Such scene made the monarch facepalm right there and then.
This would be a looooooong day.
/
When they arrived at Green Greens, they realized that the Waddle Dee soldier from earlier hadn't been lying. Almost all of the houses forming the small capital of Dreamland town had been destroyed, the muddy earth and dripping debris clear evidence that a Water Galboros had been there. And yet, the monster itself was nowhere to be seen.
"I came all the way here to beat an overweight lizard to a bloody pulp. Now..." Dedede grumbled, his fingers drumming across the hammer's handle, "where is my overweight lizard!"
"Maybe it left, your Highness." Waddle kept glancing by his side, as if expecting the Galboros to burst out of the rubble and gobble him up, "it's not like there's nothing left to destroy anyways. Say, what happened to the townspeople anyways?"
One of the Waddle Dees walked towards Bandanna Dee and whispered something before scurrying off to the back again, "The soldiers say they saw the citizens run off into Whispy Woods when the Galboros attacked. They'll probably be safe as long as they stay within the forest."
"As long as they don't get in the way, fine. But I didn't come all the way here for noth-"
!
Dedede turned around so fast he felt as if his neck would snap. Doo and Bandanna stood by his sides with spears raised high, the other Waddle Dees following suit – although some of them thought it would be better to hide behind the rocks. The ruined house in front of them shook, splinters of wood and rock bursting out as a humongous, looming silhouette moved into the light.
Now, a Water Galboros is normally an incredibly fat, limbless lizard the size of a boulder that can spew water jets and generally control water as it wishes. It's covered in light blue scales and spines streaked with orange, and possesses beady red eyes that can make a Rocky tremble like jelly. And yet despite its terrifying appearance, it is an incredibly lazy creature that only attacks when awakened from one of its naps.
But the Water Galboros terrorizing Green Greens was far from the normal Galboros. It was twice its normal size and with black-purple scales instead of blue-orange. Its solid red eyes fell on Dedede and his small army, and dark-colored saliva spewed out through its gritted, razor-sharp teeth.
"Ohhhhh crap."
With another mighty roar, the Dark Galboros summoned a wave of murky water underneath its body and propelled itself towards the group. The remaining Waddle Dees quickly stepped out of the way, but Dedede was prepared. Just when the Galboros was close enough to bite off his head, the penguin king hit it right on its nose with all the effort he could muster, sending it crashing back into the debris.
"HECK YEAH!" Happy that he had been the one to deliver the first blow, Dedede temporarily forgot about his battle and did his own little victory dance, "Who's your daddy now, lardball! That's what I'm talking abou –"
But he couldn't finish his gloating before a powerful torrent of water made its way through the rubble and coursed towards him. Taken back by the sudden attack, the masked king has hit directly and sent flying into a semi-collapsed wall.
"Your Majesty, watch out!"
Snapping out of his stupor at the last second, Dedede barely managed to get out of the way before the Galboros crashed into the spot he had been standing on a few seconds ago. Hammer in hand, Dedede charged towards the giant lizard in hopes of landing another hit into its nose, but the Dark Galboros was expecting him this time. With unusual speed for a member of its species, the beast avoided the flaming hammer and reached out with his mouth towards the monarch's arm.
CRUNCH
The Waddle Dees hiding behind the rocks flinched at the sound of fangs cutting through flesh that echoed all around them. Screaming and cursing, Dedede flailed to release his arm from the Galboros's hold, his now injured arm letting go off his hammer. Quickly, he delivered a punch with his left arm right between the lizard's eyes, making it spit out his arm. Stepping away from the Galboros, the king cringed at the searing pain that shot up his arm, blood spewing out of the bite marks.
Meanwhile, the Dark Galboros recovered quickly from Dedede's punch and launched itself again at the penguin. This time however, Dedede was not able to dodge it and instead tried his best not to scream as the Galboros hit him with full force, the pain from his injured arm only getting worse as he sprawled across the floor. Sight becoming blurry from blood loss, Dedede looked up as the Galboros wobbled closer – was that lardball smiling at him? – red eyes gleaming with sick glee at the sight of its defenseless prey.
Oh no, there's NO way I'm getting beaten by an overweight tuna fish, ignoring his agonizing arm as best as he could, Dedede shakily rose to his feet to meet the Galboros's gaze, his left hand clenched in a fist. At least if I die here and now, I'm taking Chubbs with me!
But before he could make his move, a silver flash whizzed through the air and hit the Galboros. With an unearthly shriek, the overweight reptile thrashed about, trying in vain to pull out the spear that was embedded right above its right eye.
"Leave the king alone, you fat…slimy…thing!" Bandanna Dee shouted angrily at the Galboros despite his shaking, a dozen or more spears shooting from behind him towards the lizard. Some of them bounced off harmlessly against its thick hide, and others barely stuck to its flesh, but it was enough to divert the now irritated Galboros's attention towards them. Expecting the attack this time, all twenty-or-so Waddle Dees – and Waddle Doo – launched themselves at the beast in an attempt to immobilize it.
Taking advantage of the situation, Dedede limped towards his Jet Hammer, but grimaced at the sparks that shot out of its circuits. Without the hammer working properly, he wouldn't be able to deliver a final blow towards the Galboros, and the distraction wouldn't last for long. There wasn't much time left.
Desperately, he turned towards the Galboros. A few Dees had fallen off and were lying unconscious on the ground, but the majority – Bandanna and Doo included – were still latched on to the Galboros for all it was worth. He noticed the streams of dirty water that dripped down the monster's jaw, and an idea quickly popped in mind.
"Listen, everybody!" Not missing a beat, he grabbed the hammer from the ground with his left arm, "When I say so, let go off the Galboros and take cover!"
"W-what? But you Highness –"
"DO AS I SAY, DAMMIT!"
Though it was hard to see with the Galboros angrily thrashing about, Dedede saw his soldiers nod grimly. Hammer in hand, he walked closer towards the rampaging lizard, "Hey, fatso! Over here!"
Suddenly aware of his previous prey, the Dark Galboros turned around to face the injured king as its mouth twisted into a cruel smile. He opened his jaws and charged another torrent of water as the penguin got closer and closer –
"NOW!"
All Waddle Dees still holding on to the Galboros instantly let go and ran for cover. Confused by the sudden retreat, the Galboros didn't notice the malfunctioning hammer aimed right at his skull until it was too late. As the Jet Hammer's circuits connected with the Dark Galboros's watery skin, streams of electricity shot out from the point of impact and enveloped both fighters. Being the one holding the hammer, Dedede received great part of the damage; but it was the Galboros who received the worst out of the attack, being a creature almost completely made out of water.
Once the blinding light from the electric attack died out, the Waddle Dees stepped out of hiding and gasped at the sight before them. Dedede and the Galboros seemed to be frozen in place and staring at each other, a scent similar to that of burnt tuna filling the air. After several minutes, the Galboros's eyes glazed over as it plopped on one side into the mud, its skin still steaming from the electric discharge.
Barely conscious but victorious, Dedede let his hammer drop and fell to his knees, his left arm cradling his bleeding right arm. Eyes drooping, all he wanted now was to lie down on the ground and rest –
"Great King, look!"
As he struggled with his consciousness, the king looked up and his eyes widened in surprise at the Galboros; a black ethereal mist was coming out of his body and swirling around it like a hurricane, faster and faster. Finally, the mist shot upwards and disappeared, leaving an unconscious, normal-looking Water Galboros with a nasty lump on its forehead. Even after the mist was gone, Dedede kept looking at the Galboros and then back up.
Dark Matter?
"I-I believe you dropped this, your H-highness…"
Turning towards the source of the voice, Dedede became face-to-face with a Waddle Dee soldier and gasped at what he was holding in its paws. It was his crystal shard, which seemed to have fallen from his pocket during the battle, but it looked completely different; it shone a deep dark red instead of royal blue, and it seemed to be vibrating. The Waddle Dee holding even seem to be in pain from merely holding it.
Taking it from the soldier's grasp, the King of Dreamland understood why the Waddle Dee looked so uncomfortable while holding the shard; instead of calming and soothing him like before, the crystal filled his soul with fear and heart-wrenching sorrow. Unable to hold it in his hand for any longer, he stuffed the shard back into his pocket and sighed with relief as the fear and sadness dissipated from his mind; and yet, the worry still remained.
What happened to the Galboros was not normal. Judging from past experiences, it had been most likely possessed by Dark Matter, which was impossible considering Kirby had destroyed it last time, once and for all. And even if it was the Dark Matter, it felt…different from previous attacks; darker and more terrifying. And with Kirby in Ripple Star, they would all be in great trouble if this spread all over Dreamland.
The King had won the battle, but couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger – bigger than a war – was just beginning. And it worried him to no end, but he couldn't afford to lose it before his subjects. Especially if his fears proved to be right.
"Can we go back to the castle now? My skin is burning and it feels like my arm is going to fall off any second!"
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Second chapter, this time from Dedede's POV. Yes, Marx is the main character here, but don't forget that other allies and villains are involved as well. Fear not, the next chapter will be Marx-centered.
I loved writing Dedede. I like to picture him as the mean and goofy yet-not-completely-heartless badass he is in the Kirby games instead of the cowardly *sshole he is in the anime. And after reading a few DededexFairyQueen fanfics, I got into shipping them, too. I decided to call the Queen after something related to stars, and thus I named her after the constellation of the lyre.
Sorry if the ending was a little rushed. I was supposed to go to sleep hours ago…
Constructive criticism, please…..No, seriously; I could use a few of those right now.