Ok, I can explain. I'm sorry this took me SO LONG to publish. Writing has been a little hard, with a lack of ideas and life being life. But it's here! I hope to maybe see a few more reviews for the story soon! They are really nice to read and give me a lot of motivation! Enjoy!
-Joost
Out There In The Dark
Chapter 8: Infinite Nebula
The influence of darkness stretched to the ends of the universe. Even when one thought they were happy, there was always that little seed of doubt that would slowly spread. Like a disease, it'd grow over time, becoming more evident and more troublesome.
While everything had not fallen to zero, there was a time where it neared such a fate. But now, the darkness hid. Away from the light it found so insufferable, trying to grow and survive.
Some managed to be captured, but not destroyed. The only viable weapons against the darkness were in the hands of distant planets. Now they could only be sealed away in an effort to ensure they never hurt the universe ever again. On occasion, the objects they were contained within would be exchanged to another warrior to be more thoroughly protected.
One such entity was confined to an inconspicuous treasure chest, safely in the care of one Sir Meta Knight. While the lone swordsman didn't have any knowledge of what was within the box, he knew it wasn't to be touched.
That was until a band of thieving rodents came along, in search of great treasures. They went by only one name, 'The Squeaks'. The group was made up of four main members, as well as a large number of 'lesser helpers'.
A conniving mouse known as Daroach served as the leader of the Squeaks. Then there was Storo, the biggest of the bunch. Spinni was next, a ninja gifted with blistering speed. After him was the smartest of them all, Doc, who got around by flying within his own personal UFO. Last, and debatably least, were the Squeakers, the lowest rank.
All of them together formed a force to be reckoned with. They had the smarts and the means to break into even the most heavily armed of fortresses in order to raid and plunder. And their next target was one Castle Dedede.
The Squeaks weaved their way through Dream Land, approaching Castle Dedede. As they went along, they repeatedly bumped into this stout little pink fellow, but he was the least of their problems. To them, their biggest obstacle would be the guardian of the treasure they sought.
Daroach had run a full screening of the castle before he even considered going to raid it. It was showing its age by now, but the troops that were stationed throughout the structure seemed nearly harmless. While blueprints of the castle didn't exist, Doc's mastery of technology and science allowed him to use special x-ray glasses to simply see through the outer shell of brick and stone.
Doc figured out that there was a complex series of passageways that lay hidden within the walls of Castle Dedede. Once the band of bandits made it to the drawbridge, it was time for the Squeakers to show their true potential.
"Go on," Daroach ordered calmly.
A group of five Squeakers, with the help of Doc's UFO, were taken across the vast moat and set just outside the castle walls. Then, they vanished between the cracks and crevasses, working their way through the castle and to the guard tower that oversaw the drawbridge.
With a thundering clank, the drawbridge slowly lowered to meet the Squeaks, and Storo was up to show what he was made of. With the guards already assembling to confront the squad, Storo raised his massive arms into the air and waited. The first Waddle Dees appeared, and then what felt like an earthquake shook the ground, causing the Dees to tumble to the floor.
"Always fun to see. Now, let's go."
From there, the raid was almost too easy.
Meta Knight rushed down the long corridor, flanked by his two apprentices, Sword Knight and Blade Knight. They held their weapons at the ready, not a clue on who or what was attacking the castle.
"So, whatcha mates think is going on?" Sword Knight asked in a pant, doing his best to keep up with his master.
"I'm unsure, but we'll soon find out," Meta Knight replied.
"Whatever it is, I'm ready!" Blade Knight shouted, although his words were nearly unintelligible. Meta Knight and Sword Knight had figured out how his voice worked a long while ago, but to the untrained ear, it was nothing but gibberish.
Before the others could prepare themselves, Storo crashed through an adjacent wall and nearly squashed the trio. The three swordsmen pointed their blades at the rather large mouse, willing to fight to the very end. The hulking beast just snorted with laughter and stepped to the right, allowing Doc to swoop in and launch a volley of plasma from his UFO.
"Get down!" Meta Knight ordered his students, and they did so. The high-intensity energy struck the wall behind the three and blasted chunks of stone into the air, blinding them.
Not even a second before vision was returned for the three, a large gust of wind and a pained grunt occurred. Storo had used his mighty hands and swung, swatting Blade Knight away and across the hall like a bug. The warrior slammed into the stone walls brutally, crumpling to the floor in a heap.
Meta Knight said nothing, but for a split second, hatred grew within his eyes. He jumped high into the air and slashed Doc's UFO, making the hull crack and the engine sputter. Sword Knight wasted no time in joining his mentor, bashing the hilt of his blade into Storo's bare foot and then kicking the mouse in the stomach.
Storo reeled back in pain and comically held his injured foot as he fell onto his back. With his large size, he found it difficult to get back up on his feet after a fall, which the swordsmen used to their advantage. Together, Meta Knight and Sword Knight pushed Storo, so he nearly rolled over Doc as his UFO hovered just an inch above the ground, still somewhat out of commission.
"Enough!" A voice came from behind. Daroach jumped up from behind Storo and swung his cane, the mysterious Triple Star, at Meta Knight and Sword Knight.
The first star sent Sword Knight flying. The second star careened towards the lone swordsman, but Meta Knight was able to dodge nimbly. He wasn't so successful against the third star, meeting the same fate as Sword Knight. A chip of Sword Knight's helmet landed on the floor where he formerly stood, and Daroach grabbed it.
Daroach took a whiff of the metal, noting its familiar scent. He knew that kind of armor. He smirked and inspected Sword Knight, then glanced over at Blade Knight. The mouse pondered the possibility of fate bringing these particular two to his presence.
"Never thought I'd see you two again…" Daroach mused out loud, leaning on his cane.
Meta Knight was the first to recover from the Triple Star's volley, quickly turning to help Sword Knight to his feet. He elected not to comment on Daroach's words, walking to Blade Knight. The Squeak Squad just left at the sound of approaching Waddle Dees, leaving the swordsmen to their own devices as they reconvened.
Sword Knight and Blade Knight looked at each other nervously as Meta Knight held a restrained, rugged expression. Even though they could only see their teacher's eyes, they knew that he would question them about Daroach.
"He… He was a thief that we ran into back in the day." Sword Knight said, avoiding eye contact.
"Back when-"
"Back when you two were road-side bandits." Meta Knight finished Blade's own sentence, making all the confidence within his two proteges wash away. The pair just looked away in shame.
"Y-You know we don't follow that life anymore, Sir Meta Knight," Sword Knight kneeled before the lone swordsman in hopes he could be forgiven, Blade Knight following suit.
"Ever since WolfWrath, we have left our pasts behind us!" Blade Knight reaffirmed his allegiance to the Star Warriors. Meta Knight just stood in silence, thinking.
"I know," Meta Knight said, coming to a conclusion in his head. He looked around the area, seeing that all the golden railings were still left intact, and that the priceless banners hanging on the walls remained. "But do you know what they might've been after?"
Blade Knight looked over at Sword Knight, and then back to Meta Knight, and shrugged. Their mentor wasn't the only one who noticed that all the valuables of the castle had so far gone untouched by the Squeaks. Their only clue was that they were after something far more valuable, or at the very least, something more exciting.
"You don't think…" Sword Knight mumbled.
"It's possible they know…" Blade Knight said. Both swordsmen faced each other as they held their hands to their chins. Their eyes widened and Meta Knight's hidden fears were confirmed.
"We must hurry!" Meta Knight said, unsheathing Galaxia. His students grabbed the hilts of their concealed weapons and knelt before their teacher before joining him in the mad dash after the Squeaks.
In the throne room of the castle, the one and only King Dedede was in shambles, exhausted. He panted, trying to come to his senses. He had no clue why he had been attacked out of the blue, but the look on his opponents face told him that something was wrong.
Kirby, the normally calm and courageous hero, was on the other side of the throne room, clearly not having a good day. His face was scrunched up into an uncommon frown.
"L-Look, Kirby, I'm tellin' ya! I didn't steal no food!" Dedede pleaded with Kirby, his voice in disarray. The young Star Warrior was having none of it.
"Poyo!" The puffball pointed to his own stomach as it growled.
"How do you know it was me? You know I ain't stealin' any food no more!"
Just a dozen minutes before, Kirby was out, enjoying the nice summer afternoon. It was his favorite time of day, snack time. His choice was a delicious strawberry shortcake, dazzled with mouth-watering icing. But just as he was about to dig it, it was snatched away, the only thing left being the little plate it sat on.
While Kirby held a calm temper, he would at times go off the rails when food was stolen. It reminded him of when he first arrived in Dream Land, so many years ago. He had come across a poor Cappy who was trying to give chase to a Waddle Dee who had stolen his lunch.
Now, Kirby, hungry and tired, lacked much of the self-restraint that had been taught to him over the years. When he was hungry, he held almost nothing back. Even to his closest of friends, Dedede, he had a hunch that the king was behind the cake-napping. Even if he was wrong, he didn't much care.
"Please! What am I supposed to do?!" Dedede hollered.
Suddenly, a whirlwind appeared, bring a group of big-eared strangers with it. Kirby stopped his pursuit of King Dedede and looked at the intruders with confusion. Little did he know, it was the Squeaks! With dozens of treasure chests in tow, they marched away, laughing along and one of them whistling a merry tune.
Dedede acted without haste. He grabbed Kirby's squishy body and hurled him at the Squeaks just as they escaped. While the king wasn't the greatest at sports, he had quite the arm. A direct hit to Storo's behind. Tumbling like dominos, the Squeaks lost their balance. Crashing through yet another wall, they fall down a construction chasm that a group of Waddle Dees had been working on in the other room.
Just as everything calmed down, Meta Knight and his apprentices burst through the door. Dedede groaned, thinking that there was another group of thieves on their way or something. By this point he was just tired of all the excitement.
"Your Majesty, did you happen to see any oddly dressed mice come through here with a couple of chests?" Meta Knight asked.
"Uh, yeah, I did. So did Kirby, but I chucked the little fellow at them and they feel down that there hole," Dedede pointed to the hollowed-out wall and the construction area just behind it.
"Oh no, they'd be down in the catacombs by now! Right about near Nature Notch," Sword Knight said with annoyance. He and Sword Knight approached the wall and peered down the mineshaft.
"Wait a second, what's goin' on here, Meta Knight?" Dedede asked the lone swordsman.
"Those mice stole a very precious treasure chest that I was keeping. We must get it back… At all costs." Meta Knight's resolve was evident in his speech, his voice accompanied by a hint of determination and fear.
"Ugh, can we please just have one nice afternoon before the world explodes?" Dedede grew tired of the constant world-threatening stakes that seemed to follow Kirby, Meta Knight, and all their friends long ago.
"I apologize, your Majesty, but…" Meta Knight paused. He realized even he himself had no idea what was locked away in that unassuming box. "…but we must get that chest back!"
With that, Meta Knight, followed by Sword Knight and Blade Knight, jumped down the chasm to pursue Kirby and the Squeaks. Dedede, now alone, just groaned and slumped back on the floor, exhausted.
Some time later, Kirby was chasing after Doc. The intellectual mouse in the UFO launched bombs at the little pink hero, and when those didn't take him down, lasers followed. He would rather loose all his smarts than give up the treasure chest he was guarding.
Kirby, smirking, inhaled one of the bombs and spat it back out at Doc, making the UFO sputter. It nearly conked out, but with a quick turn of a wrench, the pod was back to working order. To keep Kirby at bay, Doc used his own handheld laser gun against the Star Warrior. But as the UFO hovered back into the air, Kirby heard a certain chime come from somewhere.
Kirby could feel his pocket vibrating, and a little, muffled jingle coming from it. His phone! He looked away from his enemy for a moment and pulled out his cell phone. He blushed when he saw who exactly was calling him.
"Poyo?" Kirby asked as he answered the phone.
"Hello Kirby!" A pleasant voice said on the other line. Kirby was happy that Ribbon decided to give him a call this time. Their last conversation was merely a week ago, much too long for either of their preferences.
"Poyo! Poy-" Kirby was interrupted by the sound of more beams being fired at him from Doc's laser gun.
"Uhm… Kirby? What was that?" Ribbon asked. The hero could tell that the fairy was raising an eyebrow, even if she was on the other side of the phone.
"Poyo!" Kirby replied nervously.
"You better not be fighting while we're talking! You promised that you'd send me a message if I caught you during times like this!" Ribbon knew that Kirby got into altercations often, but she did her best to call when she felt was a good time.
Kirby didn't respond for a moment, and Ribbon could hear the distinct sound of Kirby's Warp Star taking off. Ribbon crossed her arms and waited for the faint explosions to stop and her best friends' voice to return. He simply chuckled at the circumstances.
"You know that calling while on your Warp Star is dangerous," Ribbon stated matter-of-factly.
"Rib! Poy Poyo!" Kirby exclaimed, trying to wriggle his way out of the argument.
"Don't you 'Ribbon' me, mister!" Ribbon said, frustratingly trying to keep her voice calm. She could tell that Kirby was up to something important if he was still on the line when in a fight. "Just call me back when things have calmed down, alright?"
"Poyo…" Kirby said dejectedly. He didn't really know when thing's would be over, but he reluctantly agreed.
"Take care, Kirby," Ribbon said lovingly.
"Poyo poyo," Kirby said back, and then he hung up. He moped around for a moment before bringing his attention back to Doc.
Back on Ripple Star, Ribbon still held the pink cell phone in her hand even after Kirby had left the call. She just stared at the sole name on the contact list and then sighed, putting the phone down on the table. She flew over to his bedroom window and looked out into the sky. Clasping her hands together and resting her arms on the windowsill, she silently prayed for Kirby's safety.
Sometime later, Kirby was ready to face off with Daroach himself, in hopes of getting his stubby little paws on the precious treasure chest that he believed held his stolen strawberry shortcake. Both warriors gave each other silent, questioning looks. The battle was long anticipated, but very short lived.
Behind the two was a large door, with five concave impressions within it. It was the star door that led to the next land, but Kirby was hoping that he wouldn't need to go there. He'd spent so long waiting for his tasty prize.
Meta Knight just arrived on the outskirts of the battlefield, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to swoop in and grab the chest. He could tell this was the one, as he could never forget the light-blue color of the wood, golden garnishes, and gleaming ruby on the lid.
"Come on…" Meta Knight whispered to himself.
Kirby and Daroach's fight looked swift and almost painless. The leader of the thieves had greatly underestimated Kirby's abilities, and he was taken down in just under a minute. Meta Knight was somewhat proud of how much Kirby had learned and grown as a warrior after all this time.
When Daroach finally collapsed, Kirby was granted a false sense of hope as he neared the treasure chest. He was so close, but a gust of wind left him empty handed. Meta Knight, hoisting the chest onto his back, ran off to the star door, which promptly closed behind him.
Kirby had had enough. The door could only be opened by the five odd star-shaped seals that he had already collected thus far. It was almost too easy. The door opened and Kirby jogged down the cave and to the ocean cape that brought him to the coastline. The Secret Sea that harbored the remains of the grand battleship that Meta Knight once captained. The Halberd.
It'd been some time since the whole Halberd incident, something that Meta Knight wasn't entirely proud of. He had wished that the lazy attitudes that the denizens were so accustomed to would be put to an end, so he had the cruiser built in order to spread the word of productivity across the land. It didn't go well.
Now the remains of the Halberd rested at the bottom of the Secret Sea. Kirby soon made his way to the sunken wreck and found a way inside, but what caught him by surprise was that all the machinery within the hull was active! Impossible, unless Meta Knight and his cohorts managed to fix up the ship while he was busy. Little did the misguided hero know, that's exactly what had occurred inside the old, forgotten battleship.
"Main engines have finished diagnostics, Sir Meta Knight!" Sword Knight hollered, pressing the button to activate the coolant systems.
"Good. Switch on radios!" Meta Knight handed his friend a walkie talkie. He waited for Blade Knight to return from the supply room to give him the other one.
"Sir Meta Knight!" Blade Knight appeared from the hallway in a panic. The two swordsmen he met up with consoled him as he caught his breath. "Kirby has infiltrated the lower deck!"
"Alright. Here, we'll communicate through these. Head down to the crew quarters and wait for me there." Meta Knight ordered, which his students accepted without any question.
Just as Sword Knight and Blade Knight left, Kirby busted out of an upper vent and stood courageously before Meta Knight. The lone swordsman flipped the ignition switch for the Halberd's main engines and then drew his sword. The entire ship quaked as it slowly began to rise from the bottom of the ocean.
"Kirby, you are misguided! The chest you seek is not one you'll wish to open!" Meta Knight hoped he could get through to Kirby, but it was pointless. The little puffball was thinking with his stomach, and he engaged in a sword fight with his mentor.
As the Halberd emerged from the depths, swords clashed. Sparks fluttered up into the air of the cockpit as Kirby battled Meta Knight, just wishing for his snack to be returned to him. Unbeknownst to the two warriors, there was a stowaway on the ship.
Galaxia clattered to the ground, signaling Meta Knights' defeat. He fell to the floor and his mask cracked, leading to him hopping up onto the rafters with shame. He looked down in worry as Kirby celebrated, grabbing onto the chest which the swordsman had failed to protect. He truly didn't know how Kirby could be so driven by food.
The strawberry shortcake was at hand. Kirby prepared to open the chest and reclaim his lost snack. But then suddenly, Daroach appeared and nabbed the chest right from Kirby's paws! He had followed the pink puffball during his crusade through the Halberd.
"Daroach! Don't!" Meta Knight, for once, showed audible fear through his voice as he begged the mouse not to open the chest.
Without hesitation, Daroach opened the chest, expecting to dig his hands into the riches he so desired. But as the lid to the box lifted, the magic seal keeping the darkness away was broken. All that came forth was an eerie, black cloud, pouring out from the box and consuming the thief.
Kirby, Meta Knight, and Daroach were flooded with disbelief. Kirby, more so than the others. In an instant, he forgot all about his silly cake and looked on with baffled anger as the recognizable cloud consumed Daroach. Just as quickly as it appeared, the darkness vanished, smashing the Halberd's front window and flying into space.
Kirby's eyes were filled with something close to horror. He couldn't believe it. The chest he was about to open, which he thought held his precious cake, instead contained the vile Dark Matter. But how? He had destroyed 02 long ago! His mind raced at the thought of Dark Matter's return and what it meant for the universe, until Meta Knight walked up behind him.
Wearing a new mask, the swordsman grunted and turned back to the control panel for the ship. With the press of a button, a new sheet of glass lowered from above and sealed the hole in the window, just as the ship was starting to escape Pop Star's atmosphere.
"Kirby, you realize what we must do, correct?" Meta Knight asked, snapping Kirby out of his trance. The little pink hero glanced over to his mentor and sorrowfully frowned.
"Poyo…" Kirby said.
"You are forgiven, Kirby, just try not to think with only your stomach again. You really caused a mess." Meta Knight scolded Kirby for his impulsive actions. Kirby was still young, but he was experienced regardless. The boy should be above such a lust for food.
Kirby smiled weakly as the Halberd entered space, chasing after Daroach, or at least the new Daroach. Now possessed by the bizarre form of Dark Matter that had been locked away, Dark Daroach was overstimulated at the prospect of freedom.
At the asteroid belt that neighbored Pop Star, the Halberd came to a stop. It'd be too dangerous to continue through the asteroids, the risk of the ship being damaged or even destroyed being too great.
"Readings show that Dark Matter is here, Sir Meta Knight." Blade Knight said across the radio. Kirby squinted out the window to get a better look, and he could just barely see Daroach, now sporting a new purple colored attire, flying around.
"Kirby, you must go after Daroach," Meta Knight said, putting his hand on Kirby's shoulder. "Sword, Blade, and I will handle the rest of the Squeaks. There's no doubt they are here too."
Kirby nodded and headed for the docking bay. The large doors hissed as the pressure chamber unlocked. Fortunately, Kirby could somehow breathe in space. He didn't know how, but he didn't question it. He hopped out and into the asteroid field, ready to face Daroach, and Dark Matter, once again.
Wielding the Beam Ability, Kirby finally encountered Daroach. The mouse didn't waste a second in attacking the hero, teleporting around to avoid Kirby's beam attack as he held his empowered Triple Star.
Dark Daroach was faster than his unpossessed counterpart, and he liked to show it off. He got away from Kirby's beam attacks as soon as he was hit, preferring to not fight fair. Both the ideals of the thief, and the darkness, blended together, making for a troublesome opponent for the pink puffball.
The bombs Dark Daroach chucked had a lot more explosive powder packing in them than Doc's, and the ice beam shot from the Triple Star was far wider than usual. All these new powers sent Daroach into a power-hungry frenzy, trying to use them as much as possible. As a result, they weren't very well thought out in terms of actually hitting Kirby.
But then, Kirby decided to just leap upwards and clonk Dark Daroach on the head. The mouse fell to the ground unconscious, with Kirby trying hard not to laugh. It was surprisingly easy to do that, Kirby thought. Felt a bit like cheating, but Kirby was tired of Dark Matters' antics.
In retaliation, the darkness escaped from Daroach's body and collected itself. It took the form of a small, sparkling star. It waited for a second and then hovered away, and Kirby started to chase it down. But before the hero left, he noticed the shining cane that was the Triple Star on the ground, just next to Daroach. Grabbing it, Kirby was granted its power, and he gave chase to Dark Matter.
The dark star kept away from Kirby, flying through the asteroids, shifting and swerving in attempts to throw the Star Warrior off its trail. The darkness had an urge for power, but the power it sensed from Kirby was far greater than anything before.
Items appeared, floating through space, trying to dissuade the hero. Plump Maxim Tomatoes, little wrapped candies, and sweet cherries, they all tempted him. Kirby passed them all by, focusing on his responsibility to beat the darkness.
Finally, the dark star halted. Kirby, right behind it, waited for its next move. It surrounded itself in smaller stars, all merging together to form a greater being. An eye materialized, and it stared straight at Kirby. From its iris, a blinding light flashed, and a low groan was heard.
"You… You're the one… who exterminated us…" A voice hissed, its word coiling like a snake. When the light faded, the dark star, now bearing its true form could be seen.
"Poyo?!" Kirby shouted, demanding something.
"I am… Dark Nebula." The voice said, being able to understand Kirby.
Dark Nebula took on the form of a large star, its body a deep purple, with lighter colored smoke coming from its edges. Its eye, unlike the other form of Dark Matter, wasn't bloodshot. It seemed calm, more at ease than Zero, 02, or any of them. In a way, it freaked Kirby out.
Dark Nebula covered itself with a green, electrical hue, and slammed down onto the ground. Sparks surged from the ground and tried to electrocute Kirby, but he was able to puff up and fly above the energy.
"Doesn't this seem a bit familiar?!" Dark Nebula snarled, speaking without a mouth. Its eye wiggled about its body, still focused on Kirby and Kirby alone.
Dark Nebula, born from the same pool of darkness as Miracle Matter, used the Spark Ability to get a hit on Kirby. The hero returned the move with the Triple Star, striking Dark Nebula's side with one of the stars from the cane.
Switching to the Ice Ability, Dark Nebula used its eye to fire a frigid beam at the ground, freezing it. Now the terrain was more slippery, making Kirby whiff a few shots from the Triple Star. Dark Matter just laughed at the dilemma and threw a few hollow stars at Kirby.
Kirby kept bashing Dark Nebula with the Triple Star but couldn't stop it from swapping to the Fire Ability. As it transformed, it shook violently and conjured up a great wall of fire. The flames were searing, but Dark Nebula hovered within them just fine. Its powers were far more homed in than Miracle Matter's, no longer being weak to them.
But just when it least expected defeat, Kirby used the Triple Star to swing all three stars at once. The pain, more intense than anything Dark Matter had felt yet, began to collapse. Dark Nebula switched to all three of its abilities repeatedly, trying in vain to stay together.
Slowly, Dark Nebula fell apart, splitting off into small, miniscule stars, all of which faded into nothingness. Dark Matter let out one last scream of anguish as it died, Kirby just watching on tiredly.
Kirby huffed and puffed. Was it finally over? He considered just sitting down on the asteroid he stood upon and just falling asleep, his day being far more costly than he expected when he woke up that morning. The Warp Star stopped him from falling back and whisked him away, back to the Halberd.
The other Squeaks, Daroach included, had stopped fighting with Meta Knight and the others. Kirby neared the group, but fell asleep while riding the Warp Star, being in a deep slumber as he joined up with them.
Meta Knight, smirking, returned to the Halberd, ready to head home. The Squeaks, eager to get back to Pop Star, boarded the ship as well. They actually had a peace offering for Kirby, it being a certain slice of cake, but they'd give it to him when he woke up.