Man, I really didn't wanna have you guys wait another WEEK for the next chapter, but this one is the LONGEST I've written so far! Over 7,700 words! I know, the pacing for this one is a little off, but I'm proud of it. Enjoy!
-Joost
Out There In The Dark
Chapter 4: Truly Miraculous
Space was a comforting place for Dark Matter. Several years of hibernation and reforming ensured the clan grew used to the vast plane of nothing that stretched on for light years.
But now, all the waiting was over. The supreme commander of the clan had regrown enough to oversee another crusade across the universe. It was graced with a new, more interesting form, and the same went for the troopers. They no longer bore the vivid orange petals on their backs. Now their bodies were pure darkness, the only color being the white sclera and dark red bloodshot veins of their eyes.
The darkness was more cunning and aware of the dangers that came with another full-scale invasion. First, it'd need to eliminate any possible weapon that posed a threat. Anything that could be deemed a weakness was to be destroyed. Fortunately, the only artifact that came close was one that also resided in its target star system.
Dark Matter rocketed through the galaxy, outpacing even a nearby comet. It started to go in an elongated orbit, quickly approaching the main planet it had its eye on. The small, peaceful star wouldn't have any time to plan a counterattack.
Hundreds of ruthless troopers were ready to begin, even if the planet was still a considerable way away. The residents of the planet didn't even acknowledge the small black dot that appeared in the sky, barely distinguishable from the clouds.
The leader of the hive narrowed its bloody eye, waiting eagerly as the cloud neared the planet. Ripple Star.
The inhabitants of Ripple Star, a race of fairies, enjoyed their day blissfully. It wasn't until the dark spot in the sky made itself far more apparent did they finally realize something was wrong. The sun became obscured, darkening the planet.
Panic erupted in the streets neighboring the castle of Ripple Star. The sovereign ruler of the planet, a very regal woman who went by the simple title of 'The Fairy Queen', called her close friends in an effort to help.
The first to arrive was a fairy named Ribbon. She was a short, stout girl, with a bright red dress and matching ribbon that complemented her name. Her bubblegum-pink hair was unlike many of the other residents as she rushed through the castle.
"Ribbon! There you are," The Queen said in an almost hysterical manner. Her hair was disheveled and her crown crooked. "Darling, come quickly!"
"Ma'am? W-What's going on?!" Ribbon's words were barely heard as the Queen took her hand and led her to the chamber which housed their most powerful relic. The Grand Crystal, shining an odd sky-blue in the mostly yellow light.
"You need to take this and escape! Far away! It's the only thing that can dispel the cloud!" The Queen spoke frantically, her heart going a mile a minute.
"Your Majesty, what's going on? What is the 'cloud'?" Ribbon's confusion wasn't unfound. It'd only been around three minutes since the cloud appeared, and with all the new information rushing to her ears, it was hard to keep up.
"Ribbon, I trust you with this crystal. You need to get it some place safe and return here when its power is strongest!" The Queen herded Ribbon onto the crystal without delay.
"U-Uhm… Alright!" Ribbon had no clue what was going on, or when the crystal's power would be at its highest, but she went along with what her queen asked of her.
Before the queen could even wish Ribbon goodbye, the crystal shot out from a hatch at the peak of the castle, careening off into space. Before she left the planet's view, she took one look back at the dark shroud that now covered the surface. The act didn't go unnoticed by Dark Matter.
Three orbs of black detached from the cloud. They congealed themselves, forming into three troopers of special designation. Dark Rimuru, Dark Rimura, and Dark Rimuro. Together they gave chase to the crystal, seeking out its destruction.
"What the-?" Ribbon yelped when she noticed she was being followed. The trio of darkness each took turns in colliding with the crystal in an effort to break it.
Ribbon had no idea how to control the crystal as it flew through space, if she even could. She watched helplessly as Dark Matter chipped away at it, the shards flying off and crashing onto other nearby planets.
Finally, the three bashed themselves against the crystal, and it shattered. Ribbon yelled in terror as she fell, now on course to land on another planet.
Dark Rimuru, unsatisfied with the job, engaged in a pursuit, with its cohorts right behind it. It lost track of Ribbon as it realized what planet she was falling to. It wasn't possible. No twist of fate could be that cruel, could it? The sight of the star-shaped planet once again mocked it.
Pop Star.
Kirby, enjoying some late-night stargazing, sat in a small clearing. To his surprise, a horde of comets started raining down through the sky. It was a treat to watch, and in his distraction, he didn't hear the sound of an approaching object.
"AAAAHHH!" That was all Kirby heard until he was clobbered upside the head by a massive force. He fell to the ground and grunted, wondering what hit him. When he got his wits about him, he saw Ribbon.
Ribbon lay curled up on the ground just a foot away from Kirby, unconscious. The little hero cautiously neared the fairy, but before he could do anything, he was hit yet again by a falling object, making a slight dent on his squishy head. He turned around and eyed it, the crystal that broke its fall on him.
Ribbon groaned as she came to, still clutching what little was left of the crystal she had rode. Her frown grew as she stared at the crystal shard. For a moment, she felt a terrible cloak of melancholy wrap around her. She had failed.
"Poyo!"
Ribbon jumped. She looked at the source of the strange sound. A little, round, pink thing, with two wide and welcoming eyes and a big smile. The fairy didn't know what to think of the boy, never having seen one of his kind before. However, she had no time to make assumptions about him, as he happily held up the crystal shard he had been hit with, making her eyes widen.
Kirby walked up to Ribbon and held out the crystal, which she did as well. The two shards floated into the air and began to sparkle. The pieces whizzed around and circled the pink hero once, their shimmering dust blanketing him for a second before disappearing.
As the crystals fused together, Kirby looked at his paws. He felt empowered by the strange dust. He returned his gaze to the crystal as it lowered itself into Ribbon's hands. His own smile faded when he noticed the fairy's expression of sadness. He tilted his head, and Ribbon pointed to the sky.
The comets! They must've actually been crystal shards! Kirby squinted at one of the falling objects, just able to make out the jagged shape of the broken pieces. The puffball knew what he had to do. Whether it was fate that this fairy landed ride on his head or not, he had to help. He faced her again and smirked valiantly.
Finally, Ribbon wore a smile of her own. Kirby started trotting off into the sunrise, his new fairy friend right behind him.
The verdant land was so new to the fairy, yet oddly familiar. Dream Land resembled her home of Ripple Star almost uncannily. As she tagged behind Kirby, who raced through the fields, she stared at everything with curious intent.
Kirby felt stronger than ever. That crystal dust must've done something to help him, as now, he had a new power at his disposal. When he inhaled a Bobo to obtain the Fire Ability, when he saw the Punc wandering around just behind it, he had the instinct to throw the Bobo instead.
The Bobo collided with the Punc and burst, now forming a new type of Ability Star. While the regular stars had only four pointed facets, these new ones had eight, each swapping to the colors of the opposite ability. They looked far grander than the normal ones.
When Kirby inhaled and swallowed the Ability Star, both he and Ribbon were astonished at the result. The Burning and Needle abilities combined, allowing Kirby to transform into a bow, with a flaming arrow as his weapon.
Ribbon had never seen such a power before. Her admiration of Kirby grew and grew as he inhaled, combined, and swallowed more enemies to gain their powers, and by the time they got to a clearing, he had already recovered two crystal shards.
"Just… who are you?" Ribbon asked as the pair walked through the grass.
Kirby didn't answer, continuing on his way, but keeping at a pace where Ribbon wouldn't be left behind. The fairy was a little perplexed by Kirby's silence.
"W-Well, my name's Ribbon," Ribbon said meekly. She felt almost nervous talking now, knowing Kirby held such amazing powers.
"Rib! Ribbon!" Kirby attempted to repeat his friend's name, much to the fairy's surprise. So Kirby could say things, he just chose not to at times? Odd.
"May I ask your name?" Ribbon flew a little closer to the pink hero, but she saw that he wasn't even looking at her. In front of him was another round creature, a little similar in appearance to Kirby.
It was a small, orange-red thing, lying on the ground, arms covering its face. Kirby squeaked a few times, trying to get its attention. He was successful, but instead of being met by a friendly Waddle Dee, he was faced with an off-putting Waddle Doo.
Something was wrong. Waddle Doos usually don't keep to themselves, nor do they only try and fight by tackling. Kirby jumped over the Waddle Doos attempt and watched as it fell face-first on the ground. A big, red bump grew on his head, and he shed a few tears. Taking the opportunity to use the Drop Stars, Kirby inhaled and spat one out back at the monster.
Throughout the entire fight, the Waddle Doo didn't use its normal beam attack at all. When he finally collapsed in exhaustion, Kirby got the reason why.
A chillingly familiar sight made the pink puffball freeze on the spot. A veil of darkness peeled away from the Waddle Doo, transforming it back into a Waddle Dee. Dark Rimuru escaped with its life, flying off into the sky and out of sight.
Dark Matter had returned, much to Kirby's horror. He didn't express his unexpected dread as he and Ribbon shared a high-five. Afterwards, the fairy picked up the crystal shard that the Waddle Dee had dropped, glad to have another one back.
Kirby tried to push away the thoughts about Dark Matter's reemergence and what he'd do. He looked at the Waddle Dee who had managed to quickly recover from his possession and gave a friendly wave before running off with Ribbon.
The Waddle Dee, its innocent eyes having been tainted by Dark Matter, looked at Kirby and Ribbon with awe. They had saved him. He had to repay them somehow. His cause was just, and his will was strong, so in a very selfless move for a Waddle Dee, he decided to join Kirby on his adventure.
Kirby was more than willing to let a Waddle Dee join him and Ribbon, and with their new friend in tow, they raced off into the forest in search of more crystal shards.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the lovely, fall-laden forest, there was a certain painter who had come to Dream Land a while ago to study art. She was a human named Adeleine. Wearing a lime-green smock with a grey t-shirt beneath it, alongside a striking red beret, she stood out from her surroundings. Her easel was almost synonymous with her presence, following her wherever she went.
Adeleine had been a resident of Dream Land for a couple years now, even having encountered Kirby on his last adventure to dispel Dark Matter. She wasn't very pleased to see him back then, and her judgement wasn't well placed. She assumed he was there to muck up her artwork, so she used her gifts to send the artwork itself after him. Nowadays, such impulsive actions were behind her, taking a calmer approach to visitors.
Ironically, her next visitor wouldn't take a very calm approach to her. As Adeleine was painting, a rather sudden gust of wind knocked a crystal shard that was lying above her from some tree branches, and it landed right next to her. Noticing the shard, she looked away from her easel to examine it, allowing Dark Rimura to peek out from the canvas and inspect her.
Adeleine turned back and was spooked by the dark visitor, and it leaped from the canvas and onto her head, taking over her mind. Just as all this was happening, Kirby, Ribbon, and Waddle Dee approached, finally having made it through the forest.
Much to the group's surprise, Adeleine was the next unlucky soul to be corrupted by Dark Matter. But it wouldn't last for long, at least if Kirby had anything to do with it. The painter's eyes went narrow, filled with an unruly hatred.
Adeleine's remarkable powers allowed her artwork to literally come to life. At first, she sent simple things after Kirby, but when he dispatched them easily, she eventually sent a familiar, artsy foe after him. A stylized version of the Ice Dragon, a monster Kirby once fought back when the Rainbow Islands were destroyed.
As Kirby handled the returning Ice Dragon, Adeleine's mind raced, the memories of the darkness overwhelming her. Once the monster had been defeated, the inner shadows persuaded her to paint one of them. A portrait of Dark Matter, interestingly bearing their previous form, orange petals and all.
While the art had merit, it was nowhere near a perfect replication of the darkness it attempted to be. Imperfections in the art cascaded into its abilities, no longer able to utilize most of the weapons it was accustomed to.
Kirby, again, defeated it swiftly, sending Adeleine into a frenzy. Desperate, she went to face the pink hero herself, swatting her paintbrush around in an effort to hit him. Unfortunately, she was taken care of with just a simple slide, being sent tumbling away, with the crystal shard flying out of her pocket.
"Amazing! Another one!" Ribbon was happy to see another crystal shard come into their possession. As she put it away, Adeleine came to, free of Dark Matter's influence.
"Ooohh… My head," Adeleine groaned, sitting up. Kirby and Waddle Dee shared a double high-five, and then turned to the painter as she walked up to them.
"Kirby! Thank you!" said Adeleine, smiling. "What are you doing here?"
"Kirby?" Ribbon asked, finally knowing the pink puffball's name.
In response to Adeleine's question, Kirby pointed at Dark Rimura, who was scurrying away into the sky. The painter eyed the darkness and immediately knew.
"Well, mind if I join you?"
Kirby and Waddle Dee looked to each other again and came to an unspoken agreement. They gave Adeleine a smile and stoic expression respectively, and right then, she was a part of the team.
The group set off once again, their next destination being the one Kirby pondered about the most. The regal palace of his 'rival' and somewhat friend. Castle Dedede. Would Dark Matter be up to its usual tricks there?
King Dedede stood perched up on the highest parapet of his castle, as he did several times before. He watched the land silently, pondering the strange feeling he had when he awoke this morning. A familiar breeze flew over the castle.
Suddenly, he heard a sharp dink come from behind him. Turning to the source, he eyed the sparkling crystal that had landed on the floor. It looked valuable, and his inner greed told him to take and pocket it for later. Perhaps he could pawn it off the Cappies.
Then, the adjacent door slid open, and out came Kirby! The little hero also eyed the crystal and dove for it, but before he could grab it, Dedede snatched it. The king grinned as Kirby looked at him with annoyance.
"Poyo!" Kirby said, trying to nab the crystal shard out from Dedede's flipper. The king engaged in a game of keep-away, constantly keeping the shard out of Kirby's reach. The others just glanced at each other in confusion.
"Eheheheh!" King Dedede performed his normal, hefty laugh, smirking at Kirby's efforts to try and get the crystal.
Then, a powerful force plowed in between Kirby and Dedede, separating them. Dark Matter. More specifically, Dark Rimuro, the last if the three generals sent after the crystal shard. Its eye materialized and immediately looked at the king.
"WAAAHH! N-Not again!" Dedede's face was laden with fear, jumping back and trying to get away from Dark Matter.
As it had twice before, Dark Matter lunged at Dedede, enveloping him and pulling him upwards. As the king floated, Kirby looked at his friends, unsure of what to do. The darkness surrounding the king vanished and it tumbled to the floor. Once again, King Dedede had been possessed.
The fight abruptly started, Dedede trying to inhale Kirby. It was in vain, as the hero jumped over and waited for the next attempt. Holding his massive hammer, the king jumped and slammed it right at the puffball's feet, nearly missing. The Drop Star that formed served as the perfect ammunition.
Halfway through their battle, King Dedede's body became malformed, just like the last time Dark Matter had corrupted him. His stomach morphed into a massive maw, its teeth as sharp as razor blades. They snapped open and closed again and again in an effort to munch Kirby.
"Be careful, Kirby!" Ribbon cried, worried for the little hero. She'd never seen Dark Matter invade a person's body as terribly as it had Dedede's.
Before long, Dedede was down, and Dark Rimuro escaped its captive, fleeing into outer space. Waddle Dee helped his liege to stand as Kirby, Ribbon, and Adeleine collected the crystal shard that he had held. They quickly turned to leave, leaping off the parapet and safely into a tree just below.
All that was left was Dedede and Waddle Dee. The latter looked towards his king, his eyes conveying a certain question.
"What? No! Nuh uh! Don't you go thinkin' I'll join this here crusade," King Dedede crossed his arms and turned away, feigning reluctantly. "Not. A. Chance!"
The Waddle Dee just peered over as Dedede's face, catching a quick glimpse of his conflicted expression. The king, sensing eyes upon him, slowly looked back and gasped, turning further. He scrunched up his mouth, trying to dissuade the little Dee.
After a moment, the Waddle Dee swayed back and jumped onto the parapet. He gave the king one last look before hopping off, leaving Dedede to his own devices.
King Dedede thought about the circumstances of the events that just took place. Kirby saved him from Dark Matter once again. That marked the third time, and the king wasn't anywhere near repaying that debt to him. He felt melancholy for a second, wondering why the star warrior had such a desire to help him even though he had been so cruel to the puffball in the past.
Ever since Meta Knight look an extended period of leave to research the mysterious Dark Matter, the castle had felt lonely. Nothing to do, no one to talk to. Dedede missed that sense of adventure that followed Kirby, who in tandem used to follow him.
"Bah! Fine!" Dedede shook his head angerly and admitted defeat, running towards the parapet and leaping off, joining the heroes. He inwardly decided that he was done getting taken over by Dark Matter, and it was time to settle the score.
The team was almost unstoppable now. Kirby, Ribbon, Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede. The pink puffball never thought the king would join him, but he was endlessly glad for his decision.
Together, Whispy Woods was taken care of with ease. He harbored a rather large crystal shard, and when it combined with the others, it finally became powerful enough to open a gateway to another planet, where more shards had landed.
Rock Star was an anomaly of a satellite. The planet, unlike others, orbited its star in pieces. An unknown geological event caused the inner mantle to collapse in, generating instability within the crust and tearing itself apart. It was as if it was drilled into by some massive machine.
Now the planet was an unpredictable mess. Hunks of rock floating in space, the gravitational force barely holding its atmosphere together. The veil of oxygen and nitrogen were able to remain near the clumps of land. It was a miracle that Kirby and his friends could still breathe and see the sky while traversing the desert plains.
Kirby, Ribbon, Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and Dedede sat on the Warp Star, watching over the land as they passed over it. Ruins were freckled all across the desert, the last remnants of some ancient civilization.
The sights made Kirby feel terrible. The plant life was miniscule, rarely making any sort of appearance as he and his friends traveled across Rock Star. What remained of dead foliage, aside from out of the way palm trees and cacti, looked sickly. Decayed roots with shriveled wood, like they had been sucked out of their life. They hadn't dried in the sun.
Soon enough, they did come across something that clearly didn't belong amongst the sandstone temples and marble ruins. A massive, otherworldly pyramid, with a pitch-black sheen that didn't shine in the sunlight.
Kirby and Waddle Dee slowly neared the base of the pyramid. It towered over them even from such a large distance away. Then, the ground began to quake. Something within the pyramid activated, sensing the presence of a star warrior. The massive structure started to raise itself from the sand it was embedded in, hovering in the air.
Waddle Dee's eyes bugged out and he started dashing towards the pyramid. Kirby, confused, ran after his friend. Once they got just above the monument, Waddle Dee pointed up to a hatch that was opened on the lower side of the building. It looked just wide enough to fit one of them.
Kirby elected to find another way inside, and he picked Waddle Dee up and flew to the hatch, letting his friend get inside. Moments later, more hatches opened, and riding atop the Warp Star, Adeleine and Dedede managed to enter.
The short adventure inside the pyramid was amazing. Kirby got a look at technology he'd never seen before. Alien hardware and security measures, all confined neatly into the extraterrestrial ship. There were things that could be recognized, as with a combination of the spark and bomb abilities, symbols corresponding to buttons on the floor in another room allowed a crystal shard to be recovered.
However, the overseer of the spacecraft was not a creature, but rather, a program. It knew Kirby and his companions posed a threat, as all lifeforms did, at least according to its directives. Pix, the mind of the program, faced Kirby head on.
Pix was comprised of three polygonal diamonds, red, green, and blue. They were forged from an all-powerful screen from an ancient realm, being sent to scour the universe for technology like it. It was mostly unsuccessful. Pix was not the only one of its kind, but where it originated from was a mystery.
All the power Pix had was no match for Kirby, who defeated the program and left its remains on Rock Star. Merely the shells of the diamonds were what was left, but perhaps they could provide the blueprint for something greater down the line.
The planets Kirby and his friends visited were astonishingly bizarre. The pink puffball had rarely been off Pop Star, so being able to explore other worlds filled him with endless curiosities. What were these places like? Were there people to befriend? Were there others like him?
Aqua Star was a world that defied all logic. It was an ocean, with little peninsulas that allowed the heroes to traverse the land. At the poles were waterspouts that ejected water vapor into outer space, all of which continued to orbit the planet.
Deep in the depths was where things were the most interesting. Tunnels, all unnaturally formed, like they were dug out by some impossibly large creature. There were little remnants of ruins, all eroded and washed away by the fierce currents flowing through the water. The only things that could live down there were monstrous beings with alien-like appearances.
Surprisingly, Kirby came across another one of Acro's kind. Acro was a killer whale that Kirby faced back during the Dark Matter Invasion, but it was nice to know that there was plenty more of him out in the universe. Getting this Acro to submit wasn't much of a chore, as he really had nothing to do with the crystal shard he had found.
Next was Neo Star, a dense jungle with many, manmade systems lined throughout its cave network. The surface looked to be untouched by life other than fauna, but when the group ventured into the planet's only cave system, which went all through the mantle and crust, things became clear.
Rails and minecarts had been placed all around, connecting massive areas to thin, slender tunnels, which then opened up to more underground sectors. They could be described as subterranean mountains, stretching up towards the ceiling in a slant that looked like they would be climbed in order to mine for minerals.
Just after everyone was done admiring the caves, Adeleine came across a railway, with two minecarts placed just next to the tracks. She beckoned everyone over to what she found.
"Hey now, Waddle Dee, I'm not gonna be able to fit in that!" Dedede saw his Waddle Dee inspect the carts and quickly complained. Ribbon just chuckled at the king's words, thinking that his brash attitude would make him an interesting foil for the Queen of Ripple Star.
Kirby just watched as Waddle Dee eagerly examined the minecart, making sure everything would be safe for them to ride. The cart had no breaks, the rust having probably made them break off in the past.
"Here, let me help you." Adeleine offered to help Waddle Dee and Kirby lift the minecarts onto the tracks, but even their combined strength wasn't able to get it to nudge, let alone move.
"Step aside, Kirby! Watch a king handle this!" King Dedede parted the others from his way and readied his flippers. He was able to easily lift the cart and set it onto the tracks, smirking at his superiority. He did the same with the other cart.
The minecarts started down the rails together. Kirby, Waddle Dee, and Ribbon were in the front cart, Dedede and Adeleine in the one behind. The ride was smooth at first, but when the twists and turns got more pronounced, the king started to worry. He began to moan and groan, feeling more motion sick than ever.
"Get ready for a bit turn! Don't hit the turning mechanism!" Ribbon hollered to Adeleine as Kirby's minecart neared the intersection.
Kirby had the burning and cutter abilities combined, and the flaming sword would be a great tool to get the switch to go the way they wanted. He handed Waddle Dee the sword, as he was at the front, and moments later, he hit the junction lever, making the cart swerve onto the safer track.
"I feel like I'm gonna be sick…" Dedede groaned, clutching his stomach.
"Ew! No, not in here!" Adeleine protested, not paying attention to the rails.
"H-Huh? Hit the lever?" Unfortunately, Dedede misheard Ribbon's orders earlier. He groggily swung his hammer as his and Adeleine's cart neared the junction and hit the lever.
"Wait! Dedede!" Ribbon shouted, watching as the king and Adeleine peeled off from behind and popped up next to Kirby's cart. They were on the wrong track!
"Kirby! We have to do something!" Ribbon pointed to the other cart as it swung through a considerably more dangerous path, water reservoirs built above the track and nearly clobbering Dedede in the face.
"Poyo! Poy-poyo!" Kirby said, waving his little paws in the air. He turned to Waddle Dee, and without a second to delay, he slowly climbed onto the edge of the cart. Waddle Dee took ahold of the puffball's feet and held him steady as the hero reached out towards the other cart.
"Come on, Kirby! Reach!" Dedede pleaded, shoving himself forward and grasping for Kirby's paw. Adeleine begrudgingly kept the king steady, thinking the roles should really be reversed for this.
The minecarts roared down the tracks, occasionally catching some air due to the abrupt dip in the tracks. They kept close to each other, but not close enough for Dedede to get a good grip on Kirby. As they fought to stay together, Ribbon grabbed a crystal shard that was sitting atop a rock pile.
"WAAAHH!" Dedede let out a childish scream, when finally he was able to hold onto both of Kirby's paws. The hero heaved, swooping the king, along with Adeleine up, and into the cart, all piled on top of each other.
"Great job, Kirby! You got them," Ribbon congratulated Kirby, even though she couldn't see him because of Dedede scrambling around on top of him. Her smile was wiped off her face as she saw the tracks in front of them end.
Everyone screamed as they went flying, the minecart getting derailed and tumbling down into a ravine. Adeleine, Waddle Dee, and Dedede managed to land just shy of the cliff, with Kirby just a few feet away, stars circling his head as he rubbed the bump on his head.
"Is everyone alright?" Adeleine asked as she helped Waddle Dee to his feet.
"Yep! Everything's great!" Dedede replied sarcastically, wrapping himself in his robe, which was covered in soot.
Waddle Dee jumped up with excitement, never feeling more alive. The whole kerfuffle to save Dedede and Adeleine sent adrenaline coursing through his little body. He was practically bouncing off the walls. The painter just smiled at him, admiring how such a small creature could get so pumped up.
Kirby, coming to his senses, returned to the group. Once everyone got their bearings, they pressed on, their trip through Neo Star only halfway through. Eventually, they made it back to the surface, the sky being a welcoming sight after all the dank, muggy caves.
Before them was a menacing volcano, smoke pluming out of the top. Something told Kirby to head there. Instinct? Perhaps, and without even seeing what the others thought, he started to walk up the side of the mountain. Once he made it to the top, he was faced with a massive crater. The volcano reached further down into the depths of the planet, like all the other caves. However, this one seemed to be an express tunnel all the way to the core.
"Goodness it's hot down here… Kirby, are you sure that the last shard is here?" Ribbon fanned herself with her own wing as she walked next to Kirby. The little hero said nothing as he helped everyone across the lava river.
Adeleine at first painted a set of paper fans for the group to use, but they quickly burned up in the intense heat. Without many better ideas, she conjured a refrigerator and served everyone chilly treats for a while before they continued on their way.
Deep down, surrounded by lava, stood Kirby's next grand opponent. Magman, the living core of Neo Star. The sentient magma boiled at the presence of the hero and his companions, hating to be disturbed after a millennium of seclusion.
Magman tried to roast Kirby alive. He sent walls of scalding lava after him, stalactites falling from the ceiling, and even bits of himself, all to no avail. After an intense bout, he was defeated by the star warrior.
"Yeah! Way to go, Kirby!" Adeleine cheered. Waddle Dee and Ribbon clapped for the pink puffball, making him blush. Dedede just smirked at him.
Back on the surface, the team gathered all the crystal shards that had recovered so far. Fifty-one in total. Out of how many, they didn't know, but all they knew was that they had a majority of the shards collected. The Grand Crystal was starting to look like its old self again.
"So how much more of this crystal do we gotta find?" Dedede asked. Before Ribbon could give him an estimate, the ground began to quake.
What the band of friends didn't know about Neo Star was that Magman was the main source of energy for the planet. Everyone gasped and tried to hold onto something, but the mountains began to give way, distant volcanoes erupting with a fiery passion.
"Ribbon, we need to get out of here!" Adeleine yelped, urging the fairy to open the portal to the next world. Ribbon do so with haste, being the first to jump through. Dedede followed, then he poked his head out to give the painter a hand.
All that was left was Kirby and Waddle Dee. Kirby was able to hop in with ease, but all the excitement finally caught up with Waddle Dee, who started to lose his pace. Kirby shuffled back through the portal and inhaled his friend, being careful not to swallow him, before finally crossing the portal, safely heading to the next planet.
Shiver Star, the world bound in a perpetual snowstorm. It held a vast silence to it, hardly any life to be found aside from plants, at least ones that could withstand the cold. Adeleine found it frighteningly familiar but brushed off the odd sense of dread she had.
Bits of foreign machinery were scattered in the snow where the group landed, but they were so brittle and corroded that they couldn't be made sense of. Kirby wondered if it was the doing of Dark Matter. Had it invaded this poor planet and done this? It was possible, but the hero did know for a fact that the species didn't use technology to get what it wanted.
The land was frozen over, the hostile cold having driven away its former inhabitants many, many years ago. It was the result of an invasion, but not by any form of darkness. The culprit was truly unknown to Kirby and the others. All they could do was explore.
Eventually they came across a somewhat welcoming structure. Adeleine recognized it. A shopping mall, or at least that's what it was formerly. Not it was just the residence for little monsters wishing to escape the cold.
As the team looked through the various districts of the mall, Adeleine grew more and more distrustful of the place. The eerie loneliness she felt as her and her friends traveled throughout the massive building reinforced that sense of dread she had when they first arrived at Shiver Star.
After getting through the strange sights able to be seen at the mall, they discovered that the place was in the backlot of a more menacing building. What looked like a factory, oddly enough with smoke coming from the chimneys. Could there be people working in there?
One factory inspection told them that it was all self-sustaining. The only thing that lived in the dense metalworks were autonomous machines, keeping the state of it all in check. Conveniently placed conveyer belts were able to give the group a tour of the facility.
Deep within the steel corridors were the most unsettling things, however. Enormous test tubes, all holding deformed creatures in suspended animation. By now, Adeleine refused to look up at anything, too disturbed by all that was present. She was sure that she knew what this place was, and she hated every idea that crept into her mind.
"Hey, Ribbon, is that painter gal alright?" Dedede whispered a little too loudly. It really didn't matter, as Adeleine's senses were too deprived to react. She just kept her beret over her eyes and quivered.
Soon, the conveyer belt bled outside, giving the group some of the moonlight. They seemed to have been taken to a city, or at least it looked like one. Everything was still, nothing to catch their eyes.
It didn't last.
Claxons blared, and beams of light shot upwards from behind the skyscrapers. A deep rumble put everyone on alert as the searchlights in the distance swayed. All of it gave Kirby an overwhelming sense of immense danger. His hunch was verified by what could only be described as an iron giant.
"You are in d-d-d-" A voice alerted. It sounded mangled and distorted, coming from a rusted over speaker on the giant's body. "…direct violation-"
"Huh? Direct violation of what, you big bucket?!" Dedede didn't like being told off by others, especially ones that he didn't know.
"…of the H-Haltm-" The voice attempted to state, its mechanisms too weathered to finish. Instead, it swung one of its massive arms, making the intruders duck under it.
Kirby rushed to fight the mighty robot, gesturing for the others to get away for now. It was just a small, pink puffball against a mysterious robot. The mechanical beast swung its arm again, so close to swatting Kirby away like a bug.
"You are in direct viola-violation of ob-objective eighteen." The watchdog said, endless stutters and glitches making it nearly impossible to understand what it was trying to say.
Kirby didn't respond to the robot's accusations, still dodging its attacks. He spat out a number of Drop Stars at the technological terror, and in response, it launched a volley of missiles at him. With them, Kirby was able to gain the bomb ability, finally evening the odds between him and the robot.
Bombs were thrown, blasting away at the hull of the mech. Rust flew off and scattered everywhere, revealing the insignia 'HR-H' on its side. Could that be a name? A model? It didn't matter. What did matter was that Kirby was able to see another crystal shard hidden underneath the plating.
"All trespassers will be eliminated." HR-H said, as Kirby forced it to make a tactical transition to its more mobile form.
The robot now bore the lettering 'HR-E'. It now resembled a robot Kirby had once battled a long time ago, with arms like a crab. It attempted to take snips at the hero with them, not caring for the growing amount of dents on its body. Its neglect for assessing the damage it was sustaining proved to be its undoing, as with a few more explosives, it started to crumble into pieces, leaving the crystal shard up for grabs.
"Kirby, you did it!" Each time Ribbon saw Kirby defeat one of the massive roadblocks in their way, she grew to admire him more. She embraced the pink hero, endlessly thankful for him.
"You've gotta be tired, now, Kirby. Come on, let's get some rest before we take this fight to the next planet!" King Dedede said valiantly. Kirby's smile broadened with the king's words; happy he was truly eager to find more shards.
The next morning, Ribbon opened the portal to the next world, but this time, her eyes filled with terror. The planet they were destined to head to next was her own. Ripple Star, now under a dark blanket, constricting the heart-shaped world.
Ribbon sniffled and carefully looked back at the others, hating the idea of what they would think of her homeworld. To see it under the complete control of Dark Matter sent her emotions into a depressive frenzy.
Kirby, said nothing. He just walked up to Ribbon and gave her a friendly nod. Dedede followed, then Adeleine, then Waddle Dee. They cared not for what the fairy's home looked like. They were there to save it from the darkness.
The whole exchange went without words, the four just giving Ribbon their reassurance. Kirby went to hop into the portal, but tripped, leading himself to be trampled as the others went through. Ribbon helped Kirby up and together they passed through the threshold, the portal closing and the crystal shard flying off to Ripple Star.
The Crystal Shard Crusaders true first impression of Ripple Star was that it was quite similar to Pop Star, at least at first glance. The outskirts of the castle bared a strong resemblance to the green fields of Dream Land, making Kirby feel right at home.
The feeling didn't last. After making past the fields, Kirby and friends made it to the catacombs, the only back entrance to the castle. They were filled with winding tunnels and waterways, similar to Aqua Star, although less deep. With Dedede clearing the way of boulders and other obstacles, the tunnels weren't much of a hassle.
Finally, they made it to the castle. Now, it was more of a fortress, whatever force waiting for them having clearly expected their arrival. Every floor was packed with monsters, ready to ambush the group. Kirby had the power to cut through them effortlessly, nabbing the hidden shards along the way.
"Alright, how many is that?" Adeleine asked as Kirby met up with them.
"Uhm… Hang on…" Ribbon had to concentrate. While she kept a mental note of all the shards they had collected, she had to remember how many were lost. Counting the two she and Kirby had when they met, these last three would make 73.
"73! I think we just need one more!" Ribbon said happily, twirling around and flapping her wings excitedly.
"Where would that last one be?" Dedede put his flipper to his chin and thought hard, something a little rare for him.
Waddle Dee just pointed up. Everyone directed their attention to the large orb of shadow that loomed over them, just beyond their little pit stop. Kirby knew that the Dark Matter had to be there, keeping the last shard for itself. Whatever form its leader held this time, he had to beat it, although this time without much help.
"Alright, Kirby, go get 'em!" Dedede made a peace sign with his hands and Kirby set off, opening the door to Dark Matter's lair. It quickly closed behind him, sealing him off from the others.
Kirby was left standing alone in darkness, only a harsh breeze swirling about. He took one step, then another, and then another, slowly making his way to the middle. Suddenly, everything lit up, revealing the next general of the Dark Matter Clan.
Miracle Matter.
A white icosahedron, with harsh, blood-red eyes on each face. A peculiar form for Dark Matter. Miracle Matter spun rapidly, and Kirby tried to hit it with the burning ability, only to be blocked by an impermeable shield. It finally decided to show Kirby why it took on this odd shape.
A deranged cackle resonated through the lair, and it morphed into a massive fireball. As it would turn out, Miracle Matter was the living experiment of Dark Matter's endeavor to harness the power of copy abilities. It could do everything Kirby could. In the fire form, it spouted out four pillars of flame.
Only in its copy form could Kirby attack. The shield was only vulnerable to whatever ability it was trying to utilize, a side effect of its rushed evolution. But when it returned to its standard form, the shield was impervious to anything and everything.
Burning, Spark, Stone, Bomb, Ice, Needle, and Cutter. It was Dark Matter's frail attempt to create Kirby's equal. His opposite number. It tried to make another Gooey, but every iteration of the traitorous scamp was a failure. Something so complex as free will was impossible to create, lacking the proper influence that Gooey was granted.
However, Miracle Matter was one case of a Dark Matter specimen with the power to use copy abilities. It still served under the leadership of the alpha, who purposefully overlooked its weaknesses. This one instance was the best it could do, and it didn't care if it had impurities.
Kirby was able to exploit Miracle Matter's weakness to its own powers. Each time he struck the icosahedron, it was with whatever it was trying to attack the hero with. Every time, one of the eyes burst apart, and when a certain three were destroyed, the darkness could no longer use that respective ability.
After a long and arduous battle, Miracle Matter was no more. It swelled and shook, exploding when it finally had enough. At last, the 74th and final crystal shard was in Kirby's hands, signaling the end of a long adventure.