Oh boy, I'm excited! While yeah, new chapter, this is also a big day for me as a writer! For the first time, I have an original cover for this story! Made by a very close friend, I hope you all like it! Enjoy!
-Joost
Out There In The Dark
Chapter 2: A Dark Matter Within The Hyper Zone
Space stretched on for thousands of light years. The empty cosmos were nearly motionless, only save for the occasional comet or twinkle of a distant star. In a way, it was nearly peaceful, nothing to interrupt the vast expanse of silence.
Then, a dark cloud soared by, pushing every speck of dust, ice, and debris out of its way as it rocketed through space. A single, blood-red eye was dotted at its center, trained on a certain shimmering spot in the middle of the galaxy. That little, yellow, star-shaped planet was in its crosshairs.
This time, there were no troopers. No extensions of the leaders' eyes to serve as viewports to potential planets to live on. Here, this darkness was all wrapped up in one bundle, ready to hand deliver itself to its target. The traveler was the very definition of all-encompassing negativity.
A very dark matter was at hand. The Dark Matter Clan had one intention set for the weak, pathetic planet known as Pop Star.
Meanwhile, the pink hero himself, Kirby, sat quietly by the riverbank, accompanied by his close friend and ally, Gooey. Together, they fished, enjoying the brisk summer breeze and scent of newly pollenated flowers.
Everything was nearly perfect, until the sun became obscured. The dark cloud loomed over Pop Star and a lot of the land darkened, and then suddenly, an enormous 'boom' shook the land. The twin, silver rings that wrapped comfortably around Pop Star were shattered, due to being in the way of the darkness.
Kirby and Gooey looked up, only to be stared back at by the blood-red eye. Dark tendrils extended from the madness and reached out along the land, stretching far across the planet. The source just implanted itself at the center, resting on the heart of Pop Star.
Gooey intentionally chose to ignore the darkness, playing with the fish he'd caught and secret hoping it was all a dream. Kirby, however, never took his eyes off the living shadows.
Just then, hundreds, if not thousands of dark specs emerged from the cloud, scattering across Dream Land. They could barely be distinguished from such a vast distance, but the pink puffball knew one thing.
An invasion was just beginning.
Kirby and Gooey sped through the countryside, racing towards the nearest branch of darkness. They had to get rid of it before it corrupted their home! Or worse, destroyed it.
The sky hadn't shown a speck of shadow yet, the only thing being the slender, dark mass hovering above the land. The two intrepid heroes knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. Finally, Kirby and Gooey found a few familiar faces. Rick, along with their new friend, a cat named Nago.
Nago recently met Kirby and his friends while on a stroll just a few weeks ago. He, alongside the other new friends they had made, got along together like a kitten with a ball of yarn.
"Oi, there he is! Kirby, Gooey!" Rick was the first to greet the pair, telling Nago of their arrival.
"Have you boys seen the sky? What's going on?" Nago was unfamiliar with the danger that the dark cloud entailed.
"Kirby, do you think it's them? Have they returned?" Rick asked, the face of worry he wore the last time something like this happened returning. Kirby, keeping his silence, just nodded.
"Fellas, what is it? What's going on?" Nago asked Kirby, Rick, and Gooey.
"It's difficult to explain, Nag, I think it'd be best to just-"
"I've got time," Nago interrupted Rick, knowing that whatever was happening was important. He wanted to be in the know.
Rick looked astonished for a moment, admiring Nago's quick decision to want to know more. Turning back to Kirby and Gooey, the hamster pondered about how to exactly sum up the madness that was the darkness.
"Alright, it's a thing called Dark Matter. It's bad, and wants to consume everything," Rick explained. Nago took in the information and without delay, he made his choice.
"I'm comin' with you," Nago said, smiling.
"What?! W-Wait, you don't know what it's capa-"
"I'm joinin' you guys. If this… thing wants to consume our home, then it's gotta know that it won't be easy," Nago's confidence was a fascinating thing. Even when faced with darkness, he was willing to help. Another glance at Kirby and Gooey told Rick that they were eager to have Nago join them.
"Oh, alright, let's go get them!" Rick said as he crouched down, waiting. He didn't have to for long, as Kirby quickly hopped onto his back.
Before Kirby and Rick took off, Nago and Gooey were staring at each other. Not a word was said, but they seemed to be having some sort of unseen conversation. Then, Nago went behind Gooey and placed his paws on the blob's back. The pink puffball and the hamster eyed one another with confusion but mused that if that was how they were going to join them, it was fine.
The group was off, running through the fields with determination gleamed within their eyes. As they made their way through the first area, something in the grass caught Kirby's eye. Pulling gently on Rick's back, the hamster slowed down, thankfully right before he could trample the object in question.
A hot-pink flower, happy as can be. Kirby watched it as the flower did a little dance, not even acknowledging the hero and his friends. The puffball thought carefully on what they should do, soon electing to keep the flower safe.
"Everything alright there, Kirby?" Nago asked.
Kirby just turned to the cat and nodded, making sure Rick jumped over the flower, Nago following suit. They continued on their way, also coming across more flowers. Each bore the same vibrant color as the first, and every time, Kirby and friends evaded them to ensure their safety.
"Ey, look, Kirby! A lollipop," Rick was the first to notice the trademark cherry swirl lollipop sitting in a small ditch. It glowed a faint yellow, beckoning the team over to it.
"Hmmm, haven't seen one of those before…" Nago remarked, one of the few who didn't know of the lollipop's special properties. Rick inched closer to the candy, and Nago's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me you're considering eating that thing! It was in the dirt!" Nago protested as Rick picked the lollipop up and handed it to Kirby.
"Oh, watch this, mate!" Rick exclaimed, a little excited to see Nago's reaction.
Kirby popped the candy into his mouth, and then a ghastly form of the candy sailed from the hero and to the others. Together, they gained the power of invincibility, although only for a short time.
The next fifteen seconds was a blur. All Nago could remember was seeing the candy drift towards him, then blinding colors, then they were at the goal door.
"Wha- What happened?" Nago asked, paw to his forehead.
"You get used to the sugar rush," Rick said, stifling his laughter. Gooey just looked up at the cat with a knowing smile. Nago just darted his eyes for a moment before noticing that Kirby and Rick were heading through the door.
On the other side was something more interesting than the group had expected. A larger flower, still the same color as the ones from before. It seemed quite happy. Kirby and Rick approached, and a mystical energy fluttered around the flower and hovered in the air, forming a heart-shape.
All four heroes were in awe at the strange new object. It continuously changed forms, from the heart to a star. The name they collectively thought up for it was self-explanatory.
Reaching up and collecting the Heart Star, Kirby was filled with the feeling of pride. For the first time in a while, he felt like his desire to help others was validated. A small, simple, yet fulfilling reward for his choice to protect the little flowers.
"Poyo!" Kirby said, one of the few times Rick and Gooey ever heard him speak. For Nago, it was the first time, but all three were still left in a little state of shock.
A short while later, Kirby and the gang ran into two more friends. A lime-green bird with white accents around the feathers of his wings, a flapjack octopus bearing a light pink coloration. Their names were Pitch and ChuChu respectively.
Pitch and ChuChu were also new friends. They had met just a few days after first meeting Nago, and they all took a liking to each other quickly. Especially ChuChu towards Kirby. Something about how she looked at him just made the little hero nervous.
"Oh hi, Kirby!" ChuChu was the first to see the group arrive. Kirby's reaction to her little wave to him was to blush.
"Hey! Have you boys seen what's been going on?" Pitch added, ruffling his feathers and pointing to the sky. His words were almost hysterical.
"We have, but there's no time to waste! Will you join us?" Rick asked as Kirby hopped off his back.
"Join you?!" Pitch flew up to Rick and nearly pecked at his eye, for he had no intention of joining his friends on a quest to fight whatever was in the sky.
"Pitch, ol' pal, come on," Nago began, his tone being accompanied by a hint of annoyance. "This… thing is here because of Kirby, the least we can do is help."
Kirby wore a brief look of shame as he remembered why Dark Matter was after Dream Land. All because he had stood in its way before. But what else could he have done? Let the Rainbow Islands remain broken off from one another?
"Pitch, stop being a scaredy cat. If Kirby needs help, then we need to help him. He's done quite a lot for us in the past." ChuChu alluded to how Kirby came to know the little green bird.
The feathered one was stuck, entangled in his own tree. The sharp branches threatened to tear his wings if he had struggled too much. Kirby was the one who heard his cries for help and came to his rescue. Pitch hushed and perched himself on a nearby rock.
"Grrr… Fine! But if anything happens to my wings it's your fault!" Pitch relented, flying into Kirby's grasp as ChuChu scooted closer to the pink puffball. The team had grown yet again.
All the while the others were arguing, Gooey stayed silent, still with Nago. His normally cheery, carefree demeanor had been tampered with, all because of the thing in the sky. His own little secret that he had kept might not stay a secret for long, if he was going to help Kirby fight Dark Matter once again. He feared about what everyone may think of him.
For a while, Gooey was content with being who he was, no matter his past or how it related to his friends. But some time after Dark Matter's attack on the Rainbow Islands, he decided he wanted to change.
Gooey tried to be just like the person he looked up to most, Kirby. He jumped like him, ran like him, and even figured out how to harness the power of the Copy Abilities. The only difference was how he did it. He used his tongue to ingest enemies, he wobbled around while running, and the like. He just wanted to distance himself from his shameful history.
"Gooey? You alright?" Nago asked as Kirby, Pitch, and ChuChu finally joined the team. His soft voice brought the blob out of his trance, and they shared a quick moment.
Gooey nodded, leaving Nago's paws and keeping to himself. As the rest of the team continued on, he and Nago followed close behind.
The adventure to save Dream Land from the darkness lasted days. Kirby, Gooey, Rick, Nago, Pitch, and ChuChu, now joined by Kine and Coo, were the self-appointed avengers of Pop Star.
Kine the sunfish and Coo the owl, two of Kirby's original friends who were involved with facing Dark Matter before, were eager and willing to join him on his quest to stop the invasion. They made the team ever stronger, with Kine and ChuChu teaming up with Kirby to handle the water, with Coo and Pitch taking the air.
All along the way, they helped others and collected more Heart Stars. Their purpose or significance was still unknown, but if all they had to do was help, it wouldn't hurt to find them.
It took hours, but they were finally faced with the last area that was still burdened with a dark branch. The Iceberg. It was a mostly frozen plain of ice and snow, a few large mountains blanketed with frigid cold freckled across it. On the opposite end, however, was a grand castle, one of the many which belonged to King Dedede.
"Kirby, you think Dedede has something to do with this?" Coo rarely question Kirby's judgement, but seeing how none of them had encountered, let alone heard of the king since Dark Matter arrived, it was a little bit of a stretch.
Kirby just nodded and held his parasol high. Gooey was the first to join him as he raced down the snowbank. This was it; they were so close.
The clouds circling above the castle looked dangerous. Angry cumulonimbus with anvils crowning them, threatening to rain down on the heroes. With the icy weather, there would be no rain, only hail and sleet. None of the skyward forms had any white whisps of fluff, only dark grey clumps.
Time passed as the team of friends made their way to the castle, but nightfall had come when they arrived. Ascending the fortress, Kirby and Gooey discovered shimmering feathers. Their glow hinted towards some bigger importance, so when the opportunity arose, they were collected.
The castle was crawling with minions. Sir Kibble, Sparky's, and Blocky. All were there to impede the heroes as they got further and further up the mighty tower. Utilizing the spark, stone, cutter, fire, needle, and even the cleaning ability, Kirby managed to get each and every feather that was hidden away.
The effort proved to be worth it. Beyond the final door, an angel who had lost their wings was waiting. Kirby proudly handed them the feathers and they were able to fly once again. His reward was the final Heart Star.
"So… that's all of them… now what?" Pitch was impatient, expecting some grand prize. Kirby frowned at the bird, but happily accepted that maybe the prize was just the feeling he got from the Heart Stars.
Moving past the door, Kirby and friends walked through the silent tower, anticipating who was awaiting them at the top. They'd gone the whole way without seeing him, he must be there.
Luckily, they were correct. King Dedede, standing opposite the exit onto the familiar-looking parapet, was waiting for them. Kirby felt a strange sense of déjà vu. He readied himself and allowed the king the first move.
Dedede rushed towards Kirby, slamming down into the stone. Quickly inhaling the Drop Star, the hero spat it back towards the king, just like last time. Gooey, with the cleaning ability in tow, swept the floor just in front of the king's face, getting dust and snow into his eyes. His strangely closed eyes.
King Dedede smacked Gooey, making Kirby's face scrunch up with anger. The king leaped up again and landed just shy of the pink puffball. The hero used the Drop Star against him once more, no longer hesitant to fight against his royal rival.
The tussle continued for a little while until something inside Dedede snapped. He tumbled onto the ground, right in the center of the arena, and started to levitate in the air.
"What in the-" Rick said from the entrance. He and the rest of the animal buddies decided to let Kirby and Gooey handle the king alone. It felt fitting, but after they saw what happened next, they regretted it.
King Dedede's body contorted, and from his stomach came a giant mouth, almost bottomless and laden with teeth. Kirby and Gooey froze, unsure what to do now that the king's body was doing something it really shouldn't do.
The mouth snapped shut and reopened again and again, and the body of Dedede sailed towards the pair, trying to take a bite out of one of them. It narrowly missed, ramming into the wall just behind its targets.
The mouth turned to face Kirby and Gooey again, snarling. It was unsightly, unlike anything they'd ever seen before. Going closer, Gooey took out his broom and threw it at the mouth, hitting it sideways at the cost of the cleaning ability. Now he and the pink hero were without any offensive powers, but it wasn't that much of a problem.
Then, the mouth closed and morphed into a single, black eye. It again was frightening, never breaking away from its targets. Three dark blobs emerged and shot out towards Kirby and Gooey, who each took one and fired it back at the enemy.
Finally, Dedede was defeated. He collapsed and, much like while on the Rainbow Islands, a dark shadow peeled away from him, freeing the king from Dark Matters' influence once again.
"That Dark Matter really likes to control Dedede, doesn't it?" Coo said, chuckling. Neither Kirby nor Gooey thought it was a funny prospect, but one look at the sky told them there was still something wrong.
"Uhm… Why isn't the sky going back to normal? We beat them, didn't we?" Nago's question came with fear as the dark clouds continued to swirl above them.
Kirby knew that it wasn't over. From his pocket, a pink and yellow hue shined through. The Heart Stars, flying out and hovering just above him, all gathered together.
Everyone was left in awe as the combined power of every Heart Star formed a legendary artifact, not seen for eons. The Love-Love Stick. It was made up of a hilt reminiscent of a peppermint candy cane, with a shining, golden heart spinning on the top.
Kirby's only instinct was the reach out and grab it, but before he did, he looked at Gooey. The little blob was gravely hesitant to join his friend, but as soon as the hero latched onto the Love-Love Stick and flew off, he sprouted the little orange orbs from his back and tagged along.
Rick, Kine, Coo, Nago, Pitch, and ChuChu were shocked at Gooey's miniscule transformation.
"He's one of them?" Kine asked rhetorically.
Kirby and Gooey flew straight into the dark mass. The interior was a dark blue, dotted with pitch-black clouds sailing across it. The Hyper Zone. The grand expanse of null space, with no wind to howl, no rain to fall, and no thunder to clap.
The two friends waited to be greeted by their opponent, but before anything happened, Kirby noticed Gooey's back.
The bright-orange pedals, just like Dark Matter. The pair shared a look, but while Gooey's was one of disappointment and shame, Kirby's was not. He just had a face that conveyed acceptance. He smiled wide, thinking no different of Gooey. To the little, round hero, Gooey was his friend, no matter what he was.
"TRAITOR!" A voice screamed from the darkness. That voice.
Kirby and Gooey turned, anticipation in their eyes. Several dark blobs appeared and merged together. Once the thing took on its desired shape, the eye sprouted, followed by the orange pedals.
Another Dark Matter was staring them down. Its sclera was as white as an eggshell, the rest of its body clashing with it. Pure darkness with the aforementioned orange highlights. All the other troopers that had been scattered around Pop Star returned to the Hyper Zone. They kept their distance, watching and waiting for the fight to start.
Dark Matter hovered forward and turned right. It began to quake, detaching its pedals which themselves started to home in on Kirby and Gooey. One swing of the Love-Love Stick countered the orbs, making them dissipate.
Gooey flew down and spat out cream-colored stars, his preferred for of attack, dissimilar from Dark Matter's normal move. The opponent performed said move right after, firing black lightning from its eye and striking Kirby.
Kirby yelped and swung the Love-Love Stick again, watching as the hearts that flew out smack Dark Matters' eye. Gooey smirked and shot out his stars as Dark Matter was dazed. When it finally came to its senses, it drew dangerously close to Kirby and fired its lightning again.
This time, the energy struck Gooey, and Dark Matter jolted up and down, almost laughing. Kirby, having none of that, cocked his arm back and slammed the Love-Love Stick directly into the darkness.
Dark Matter faltered, and in its confused state, the intrepid heroes were able to get more hits in on it. The audience of darkness in the distance just stared at the battle, not a hint of emotion behind their eyes. It seemed like failure would befall the clan once again.
"RAAGH!" The voice bellowed in tandem with Dark Matter's counterattack. It launched a frenzy of lightning, getting both Kirby and Gooey away from it.
What Dark Matter didn't know was that it was nearing its end. The pink puffball and the reformed darkness smiled at each other and fired simultaneously. The heart and the star smashed into the living shadow, and it began to split apart.
"NOOOO!" Dark Matter screamed as it literally fell to pieces. Kirby and Gooey celebrated their victory, but when the Hyper Zone didn't go silent, they stopped.
"Fine! I'll do it myself!" Another voice said, foreign to the heroes.
Suddenly, everything flashed, and Kirby and Gooey found themselves puny before their new adversary. It looked down on the two with the same blood-red eye, this time surrounded by a clashing white. The unseen ruler of the Dark Matter clan opposed them.
Its name was Zero.