Hello everyone! Been a little while, hasn't it? Life has been crazy lately, but I think it's about time for another story, this time being Kirby! I think my writing here is pretty well done, and I hope I did the game and characters here justice! It's quite good to be back. Enjoy!
-Joost
Out There In The Dark
Chapter 1: Dark and Cloudy
Stars whizzed by the interstellar trooper as it hurtled its way through space. The cold, dreary environment of the cosmos was something it found familiarity with. Nothing but planets of volcanic obliteration, acid rain, and simple, lush plant life. Nothing to set its sights on.
This trooper was one of many. Hundreds, thousands of dark warriors sent across the universe in search of a single objective. They searched for a place that met all their needs, and that harbored all they wanted.
Each traveler was granted no sense of self, no form of identity. The one that linked them all had no such thing, so why should its underlings? They were all simply eyes able to venture far and wide, all serving to see the most out of the bleak abyss known as outer space.
However, there was one that was about to stumble upon something it could hardly fathom. A planet that seemed to bare all of the necessary needs that it wanted. It was a sparkling star that stood out from the darkness.
The blob of chaos swooped down into the atmosphere of the planet, shielding itself from the intense heat as it rocketed down near the surface. Its single, red eye watched with unknown intent as it surveyed the planet. The inhabitants gave off a form of energy that almost weakened the being, but it was exactly what it was looking for. Staying high in the sky, it was merely a speck of shadow to the joyous, yet unaware creatures below.
The darkness spent hours flying, staring at everything it could. It studied. It learned of the customs the planet held from the interactions of the denizens below. It was all fascinating. The castle, lively forests, and islands connected by bridges of wonderous color.
For a considerable amount of time it spent watching the few noble warriors of the planet, idolizing how respected they were. Their gleaming swords and mysterious cloaks stuck with it, and when it was completely alone, it elected to alter its very form into something that resembled such.
A unique form was shameful to this creature's species, so instead, it sparked a physical change in every trooper in existence. From the soft, negligible planet the trooper found itself studying, to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, each drone halted and began to morph into something that the hive deemed as 'acceptable'.
A swordsman. Taking hints from the masked warrior and his cohorts studied on the new planet, the shadow restructured itself to be something akin to him. Every bit of its body was concealed, with a mask that only revealed its single eye. Emblazoned with a spiky mass of darkness atop its eye that one would identify as hair, and a cloak that flapped gently in the fine, spring breeze.
Meta Knight walked down the corridors of Castle Dedede with a dull enthusiasm. With the king alone in his chambers, plotting against his extraordinary rival, the halls were unusually quiet.
"Sir Meta Knight!" A familiar voice came from behind. The masked warrior turned to face the source. Blade Knight, a little winded, ran up.
"Forgive me for interrupting your business, but I was wondering if you would like to join me and Sword Knight for lunch in town", explained Blade Knight. His mentor just looked thoughtfully at him and paused. Just a second later, he nodded, and the two formed a duo.
For no longer than a minute, silence descended on the pair as they strolled through the castle in search of the gate leading to the outside. It'd been some time since Meta Knight had ventured into town, and the prospect even forced him out of his preferred silence.
"Tell me," Meta Knight asked, "How have the Cappies been as of late?"
"Quite good, sir, quite good."
"Hm," Meta Knight was not one of needless conversations. When he got an answer to an inquiry, he was fine with that being it. His mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of the Cappies that he didn't notice the distinct sound of King Dedede's bedroom doors swinging open.
"Now where do you think you're going, Meta Knight?!" King Dedede stepped in front of the departing duo and blocked their path with his vast size.
"Forgive me, your Majesty. I was just going to head out for a bite to eat," said Meta Knight earnestly. The king was not one for what appeared to be slacking off.
"Now you ain't going to be going nowhere 'till you finally get every part of this castle checked! Ever since Kirby returned it after the whole food debacle, bricks have been fallin' on my head by the hour!"
"Now perhaps none of that would've happened if you didn't steal the food!" Blade Knight interjected with a tinge of anger.
Before the mighty king could counter, a looming shadow flew by the stained-glass window the three stood across from. Everyone grew silent, spooked by the sudden gust of wind from outside.
"What was that?" King Dedede looked around, almost nervously.
Suddenly, the central gate to the castle flung open, sending a few of the guarding Waddle Dees soaring across the foyer and into the opposite wall, unconscious. Meta Knight and Blade Knight drew their swords as soon as they caught wind of the sound.
The ever-cowardly king hid behind the two swordsmen as they slowly approached the foyer from the rightmost side. Right at the center, floating just above the ground and staring at the banner marking the logo of King Dedede, was another swordsman. Meta Knight quickly examined the being as best as he could from a few meters away. They looked nothing like the warriors he once knew from his past, nor of any that hailed from Dream Land.
"Who are you? What is the meaning of this?" Blade Knight feigned authority, trying to sound as commanding as Meta Knight would. The figure paid him no mind and directed its attention to Meta Knight.
The dark swordsman approached, as much to its confusion, Meta Knight stood defensively with Galaxia. They both eyed each other, trying to find any hint of intimidation or hostility. When none was found, a dark limb emerged from underneath the cloak and reached towards the trio.
Meta Knight took his free hand and started to extend it towards the shadow.
"Be…" A voice whispered. It wasn't from any of the three, but from what little they knew of what was happening, it could be from the visitor.
"Be my…" It strained. It yearned to say something as it reached ever closer to Meta Knight. It only had to utter one more word in order to let its intentions be known.
Just before they could meet, King Dedede jumped up and slammed his hammer down in between the two, crushing the dark hand.
"Get outta here! I don't know what you are, but I want you out!"
"Your Majesty!" Meta Knight showed a rare instance of fear as the shadowy arm retracted back to its source and the swordsman of darkness backed away.
Before anything else could be done, the darkness flew upwards, and a shrill holler rang out from it, making all the windows vibrate. It took the move as hostility. The pain welled up in its body and rage consumed its fragile mind. It whizzed off and out of the castle, and just seconds later, something felt terribly wrong.
The darkness found one part of the planet it was encapsulated by and wanted to be rid of it. A splash of color erupted in the sky, and the Cappies gazed with horror at what it meant. The neighboring Rainbow Islands, whose bridges shined a colorful hue, were shattered!
"Just what was that thing?" Blade Knight asked Meta Knight. Rushing to the gate, the two warriors looked at the sky, and the bleeding wave of color that floated aimlessly among the clouds.
"I… I don't know. But it must be stopped!"
Then, the darkness returned. Its speed was unmatched, and Meta Knight and Blade Knight were forced to dive into the moat below to get out of its path. But the king, however, wasn't so lucky.
Far off in the distance, however, someone awoke to the smashing of the rainbow bridges. Jumping out of bed and opening his window, he didn't have time to enjoy the scent of nature, as the sprinkles of color that dotted the sky sent him on alert.
Kicking open the front door to his domed abode, the little, pink hero dashed away and towards town, destination, the Rainbow Islands!
"Kirby!"
"Oh, Kirby!"
"Hey, it's Kirby!"
The Cappies watched as Kirby sped through town, running as fast as his little feet could carry him. His face, usually a blissful smile, was now scrunched up into a frown, upset at the circumstances as to why he was racing to the beach. Who would want to destroy the rainbow bridges?
Kirby was not one to ponder the reasoning as to why people did they things they did. If it made them truly happy, so be it, but at the expense of the happiness of others was what he was concerned about. And food. He was quite concerned about food.
The Warp Star made itself known to the little star warrior as it flew around the pink puffball and stopped just a few feet away, waiting for its rider. Without delay, Kirby jumped on, soaring into the sky and to the first of the Rainbow Isles.
Touching down in the Grass Lands, Kirby set off on his quest to reform the rainbow bridges. From what little he knew about the mystical connectors of color, he was lost, but his own determination wouldn't see it an end.
Speeding his way through the countryside, Kirby came across his first major obstacle, the fire beast known as Efreeti. Native to the Rainbow Islands, the creature was used to being left alone, but when a previous passer-by interrupted its nap, it snatched the poor fellow up and stuffed them in a bag, which was now dangling on the ceiling.
"Help me! Oh, someone please help me!" A muffled voice coming from a nearby cave piqued Kirby's interests, and he followed it to its source. Needless to say, Efreeti was not happy.
After a quick tussle with the fire beast, Kirby prevailed, and the using the Burning ability gained from the monster, he torched the rope connecting the bag to the ceiling and freed the creature inside.
"Oh! Thank you, thank you! It was so stuffy in there," said a hamster-like creature. He didn't look hurt, so Kirby was pleased he was able to help out.
"Who might you be?" The white and orange fellow asked, never having seen anyone quite like Kirby before.
Unfortunately, Kirby couldn't speak, so he just tilted his face in confusion.
"Well, no matter, my name's Rick! Nice to meet ya!" Rick held out his paw for Kirby, who gladly shook it. "What brings ya to the Grass Lands?"
Kirby didn't attempt to speak, instead taking Rick's paw and running to the next door and to the outside. There, he pointed up to the lingering color that wafted through the sky.
"Oh! Really now? Seems we have a mutual interest, mate! I was heading over here to check that out too!" Rick was surprised at how Kirby had the same objective as him. "If that really is the case, perhaps I could tag along!"
A large smile grew on Kirby's round complexion and Rick took it as a 'yes'. Hunching down, he beckoned the star warrior to hop onto his back for an easier journey.
Together, they were inseparable. Kirby, riding atop Rick, made for a fine duo, able to harness the Copy Abilities in a few interesting ways. Along their journey, they came across the most peculiar chamber housing an artifact they'd need.
"Goodness, what is that shine?" Rick shielded his eyes from the nearly blinding light as he and Kirby inched towards the shining droplet.
Kirby got excited. He led Rick out of the room and helped hunt down Floaty the Drifter, who would grant them an ability he thought they'd desperately need. Parasol.
Heading back to the chamber, the two heroes broke through the barrier keeping them away from the Rainbow Drop and collected it at last. As they held it, a wave of calm serenity washed over them.
"My, that seems to be quite the item," Rick commented. When he reached out to touch it, his paw phased right through. Perplexed, Kirby put it away. Whatever it was, perhaps there was more to be found.
Later on, however, they bumped into a familiar face. Or at least, a face that was covered up. Whispy Woods, strangely outside of Dream Land's central peninsula, was hiding out in the Grass Lands, covering his face with a mask and even shielding his eyes.
"Whispy? What are you doing out here?" Rick asked. He was already acquainted with the special tree but finding him all the way out here was odd.
"Mmfff! Mmrrumf! Pffffuff!" Whispy attempted to speak, but with the coverings he bore weren't the greatest idea in retrospect. He couldn't even see who was talking, but all he knew was that he was afraid, so he decided to attack.
Roots sprouted from the ground in an effort to jab Kirby and Rick, but the two elected to try and get the mask and goggles off the tree in order to figure out what was going on. Jumping up and getting close to the tree, the pair bashed his face with the parasol and soon enough, the gear flew off and into the bushes.
"Waah! Hey, don't take my stuff off! I'm hiding from the shadows!" Whispy looked uncharacteristically desperate and scared, and continued to attack the duo, utilizing his regular tricks.
After a few more whacks to the face with the parasol, Whispy admitted defeat, shedding a light tear. But there were questions that had to be answered.
"Now Whispy, why are you all the way out here? And wearing that strange stuff?" Rick asked, sharing the same train of thought as Kirby himself.
"I… I was trying to protect myself from the fever! Something terrible has happened, I felt it as soon as the rainbow bridges fell!" Whispy's voice held sincerity, causing Kirby and Rick to ponder why the mighty tree would be so cautious.
"He's right," A voice came from behind the group. Startled, Rick jumped back, but Kirby didn't seem to react.
Meta Knight, eyes squinted, approached the three. Kirby stepped forward and nodded to the swordsman, knowing full well that his presence meant something far more serious was going on. The two star-warriors greeted each other without words, and Meta Knight began to explain.
"The bridges were destroyed by a strange figure who visited the castle today. His Majesty, the king, apparently provoked it," Meta Knight recounted.
"Who were they?" Rick asked, ever more confused at the situation he was getting into.
"I… I don't know. I've never seen anything like it before, but it's dangerous," Meta Knight was often in the know about such mysterious beings, but this one was far out of his reach. "It went to attack me and Blade Knight at the castle, but we got away. Before we could reenter, the king closed the gate and ordered his Waddle Dees to take him to the abandoned Dark Castle at the edge of the Rainbow Islands."
Rick, Kirby, and Whispy all looked at each other in worry.
"I fear we may be up against something truly dark. I'm sorry, Kirby, but I must dedicate my time to researching this being," Meta Knight said scornfully. He never liked being away from a battle, but he knew knowledge would be best to counter whatever this new foe was.
"But, I did witness you find that Rainbow Drop. I trust that you'll find the others," Meta Knight finally had some more hope in his demeanor as he looked right at Kirby.
With that, the swordsman left, as did Kirby and Rick, off to the next island in search of more drops. The Warp Star sailed across the sea, eagerly taking its riders to the Big Forest.
The journey through the forest was jovial. Everything had a sense of tranquility that couldn't be matched. Unfortunately, there was another muffled voice in the distance that caught Kirby and Rick's attention.
"Ay! Is anyone there! Someone get me outta here!"
"Hey, it sounds like someone's in need of a rescue!" Rick helped Kirby up and around the Cappies that were wandering around and into the cave which the voice was coming from.
A particularly large Scarfy was on the prowl, but it didn't remain that way for long. Kirby and Rick beat the beast swiftly, freeing the fellow that had been captured.
"Ah, thank you, boys! I was afraid I'd be stuck in there forever!" An owl-like creature explained, ruffling his feathers in order to reorient himself.
"Who might you be?" Rick asked.
"The name's Coo! Pleased to meet you two," the bird said in an unintentional rhyme. He held out his wing and Kirby shook first, followed by Rick. After getting his wits about him, he quickly flew outside to get a look at the sky.
"Rats! The bridges are still broken," Coo exclaimed, stamping his talons on the ground.
"You're trying to fix them too?" Rick and Kirby looked at one another with excitement. Could this mean a new companion to join their efforts?
"Why, yes! Are you two trying to as well?" Coo turned to face the strange duo, intrigued by the bizarre pair sharing such a mutual interest.
Kirby just nodded, and the gesture sent Coo into a frenzy of hope.
"Oh boy! Could I join you? Those bridges were the highlight of my day! I'd quite like to see them back to normal!" Coo was ecstatic. His wings fluttered with joy as Kirby gladly hopped off of Rick's tired back and into Coo's gentle grasp.
Though Coo had sharp talons, they were very forgiving in their strength. Rick was more than happy to let Kirby be in the hands of a new helper, as he tagged along, racing across the forest floor just to keep up with the airborne bird.
The adventure, for the most part, was easy for a bit. Kirby and friends collected the next Rainbow Drop and headed through the dense woods, until they came across something interesting. Another bag tied to the ceiling, being guarded by a monster. This time, there wasn't a voice pleading for help, but there was someone in there.
Kirby and Coo fought the Jumper Shoot with considerable ease, but when the bag was released and the prisoner inside was freed, they were met with a fascinating sight.
A little, googly-eyed blob of darkness, who laid confused on the floor. They didn't seem to have much of a sense of where they were or how they got there.
"Hello! Who might you be?" Rick's never-ending kindness wasn't able to get through to the blob, who just sat there absentmindedly.
"Hm… Doesn't seem to be a fellow for conversation," Coo remarked, looking concerned. Whoever this little gooey blob was, they had saved them.
"Wanna join us on our mission, mate?" Rick was eager to have another companion on their side, and that was when the being finally acknowledged them. They corrected their bouncy eyes and nodded with glee.
"Alright! Let's go, uhm…"
It just occurred to Rick that he had no clue what to call this peculiar being. They didn't seem to be able to speak, nor did they really come with any sort of nametag.
"Erm- Gooey! Yes, Gooey!" Rick concluded after a moment of thinking. Gooey seemed to like the name, evident through the sight of him perking up excitedly.
"Come on, Gooey! Follow us," Coo said, flying up into the air, Kirby in tow. Together, the ever-growing group continued through the Big Forest, soon beating the boss. Gooey just stayed on the sidelines, still confused on what exactly was going on.
Ripple Field, likely the lushest of the Rainbow Islands. Dotted with lakes and rivers, Rick and Coo were not the most pleased with having to swim, neither of them the greatest at the activity.
The first area the group conquered was easy, but one look at the deep water that stood before them sent discouragement through the animal friends.
"Sorry, Kirby, I think you're gonna have to do this one on your own…" Rick said dejectedly. He hated to leave it up to only Kirby, but his distaste for water couldn't bear the idea of treading through all of that.
Kirby just nodded and continued on without his friends for the time being. Coo could fly Rick and Gooey over to the where the boss resided but knowing that the next Rainbow Drop resided somewhere in the deep, only Kirby could go after it.
Swimming down the tunnel, Kirby immediately spotted a door leading to a dried up well. Surfacing, he quickly dashed down the tunnel to see what was on the other side. What he found set determination across his eyes.
Another captured person, stuck in a bag, guarded by a somewhat fearsome foe. The squid-like Master Green sized Kirby up, preparing for a duel. His defeat was swift, but a slow rumbling of the tunnel told the star warrior to hurry up with freeing the bagged inmate.
"Woah, huh, thank you!" A sunfish-like creature was the one being held prisoner.
Before any formal exchanges could be made, the well started to fall apart, the magic bound to Master Green gone. It was his home, after all. The fish, scooping up Kirby into his mouth, flopped to the exit and jumped into the water, his speed matching no other as he raced away to safety.
Kirby had managed to grab the spark ability from Master Green before he perished, but he didn't have a chance to use it before the fish he saved whisked him away. Swimming down the bank and into another, deeper tunnel, the two surfaced in a musty, dark room, where Kirby was released.
"Th-Thank you… For saving me," The creature said, catching his breath as he dived back into the water.
"The name's Kine! What's yours?"
Kirby didn't answer, looking around at what little he could see in the dark cave. Kine, deciding against the idea that the pink puffball's silence was a rude gesture, mused about how he swallowed Master Green without a second thought just moments ago.
"Say, you don't happen to be one of those star-fellows, huh?"
Kirby looked at Kine with surprise. How was he aware of the star warriors? He wasn't given time to think about the idea, as he was again scooped into Kine's mouth.
"Use that there ability! I have an idea!" Kine seemed to know what he was doing, and when Kirby activated the spark ability, instead of becoming engulfed in electricity, he morphed into a lightbulb, illuminating the room.
"There! The exit!" Kine spoke with a muffled voice, talking a little more difficult with Kirby in his mouth. He flopped along the dry land and to the door in the adjacent pool. Once they saw daylight, they beamed with happiness.
After making it through the area, along with the next one, Rainbow Drop in hand, Kirby and Kine met up with Rick, Coo, and Gooey.
"Oh my! Who's this?" Rick said, amazed at the presence of a new companion.
"My name is Kine! Pleased to meet you all!"
Kine, Rick, Coo, and even Gooey gave formal greetings, and they took a second to catch up.
"So you're Kirby, huh?" Kine said, finally knowing the name of the little pink hero courtesy of Coo. Kirby simply nodded and smiled. Before they could grow their bond further, a low rumbling caught Kine's attention.
"Oh no! That must be Sweet Stuff!"
"Sweet Stuff?" Rick questioned, puzzled.
"Yes! He's been in a tizzy ever since the rainbow bridges shattered! I tried to help fix them, but I got caught instead…" Kine looked down in the water, a little ashamed of his failure.
"No worries! Kirby can help you calm him down! We're trying to fix the bridges too!" Coo fluttered his wings in tandem with his words, and Kine's face lit up.
"Really? Well, what are we waiting for? Kirby! Let's get Sweet Stuff!" Kine once again got Kirby into his mouth and they swam off to Sweet Stuff's lair, ready to pacify the unruly fish.
Much, much later, after some time venturing through the Rainbow Islands and collecting their respective Rainbow Drops, the group finally made it to the Dark Castle, the final island. Kirby, Rick, Kine, Coo, and Gooey all gazed at the great fortress in the distance.
"This is it, fellas," Coo said, puffing his chest up like his eagle friends.
"One more drop to go, then it's happy hour!" Kine cheered, ready to finally finish this fantastical quest.
Gooey, however, didn't smile. He didn't look pleased to be facing the Dark Castle. A part of him knew what hid there, something he wasn't fond of. A thing only he was aware of. It was planning, plotting, and scheming against him and his friends' adventure, but he didn't dare stop them. He had faith in Kirby, faith that he could stop the dark master that was hiding away in his shadowy lair.
Kirby, meanwhile, hopped onto Rick and set off to the foot of the castle, Coo and Kine right behind him. It took Gooey a moment to join them. His normally carefree smile had vanished, replaced by a stark, serious expression that none of his friends happened to notice.
It took the team a while to make it through the Dark Castle along with recovering the last Rainbow Drop, but they did it. Tired, Kirby, with his friends right behind him, hopped up the stairs to the last area he hadn't been yet.
There, Kirby came across Dedede, perched atop a parapet, looking out into the dark, rain-heavy clouds. Rick, Kine, Coo, and Gooey all stood behind Kirby, knowing that the pink puffball was going to take him on alone. Gooey was the most afraid, recognizing something inside the king.
Dedede turned to face Kirby, and what the hero saw perplexed him. Dedede was seemingly asleep, eyes narrowly open and breathing deeply, almost snoring. The wind howled and the two rivals watched each other, waiting.
King Dedede made the first move, lunging towards Kirby in a slow, methodical manner. Kirby jumped out of the way, leading the king to fall flat on his face. Unlike their prior battles, Dedede didn't speak with his trademark brash voice. He just grunted, lunging again.
Each slam of the king's body on the old stone roof produced a Drop Star, which Kirby inhaled and spat out at his opponent. Getting enraged, Dedede's movements grew faster and faster, employing his hammer in the battle as well.
Explosions rocked the castle as Kirby and the king fought. Each pound of his royal hammer lead right into a blast of pure power, something quite unusual for Dedede. Then he inhaled, a direct imitation of Kirby's own inhaling technique, from which he learned all that time ago when Kirby first arrived.
The pink star warrior dodged with valiant effort, eventually landing the final blow on King Dedede. The regal penguin staggered towards the center of the parapet and at last collapsed, defeated.
"Kirby! You did it!"
"Woohoot! Yeah!"
"Way to go!"
Rick, Kine, and Coo all cheered for Kirby's victory, surrounding him and showering him with wonderous praise. Kirby blushed at the gestures of kindness and hugged his new friends, all except for Gooey.
"Hey, Gooey! Come on and join us!" Rick held out his paw towards the blob, but he was only met with his back. Gooey couldn't take his eyes off of the king's exhausted body.
"Gooey? What's the matter?" Kine asked, unsure why Gooey was acting so strangely.
Suddenly, the Rainbow Drops all resonated in Kirby's pocket, and they levitated out and above the pink hero. They circled him, one staying in the center and the others merging with it. Once the last drop joined, it began to glow a brilliant white, changing shape. When vision was restored, the Rainbow Sword was place into Kirby's grasp.
Then, as if reacting to the swords' existence, King Dedede's body was enveloped by a dark cloud, slowly peeling itself away from his body. Gooey cowered in fear behind Kirby and refused to look up. The clouds above swirled, and lightning struck the ground below.
The dark mass grew an eye, smack dab in the center of its shadowy form. It flew up into the sky, and without delay, Kirby raised the Rainbow Sword in the air and he too soared upwards.
"Kirby!" Rick called out to his friend just before he entered the clouds, unable to be seen.
"Be… Be careful…" Rick whispered, worried for his new, yet now dear friend. The other animal buddies, along with Gooey, huddled up and waited.
Kirby, Rainbow Sword in hand, cut through the clouds with blistering speed in an effort to keep up with the dark figure. Finally, the night sky was visible, but they didn't stop. The darkness morphed into its chosen form, the swordsman, and challenged the pink puffball.
"You…" A voice said right as Dark Blade readied its sword. Kirby felt a chill, but his expression didn't change.
Finally, their ascent halted, and the two warriors hovered alone, suspended in the night sky. Dark Blade was the first to attack, charging up its sword with its own self-made energy, culminating in an orb of shadow. There, it launched it at Kirby, who's first instinct was to swing the Rainbow Sword and deflect the energy back at his foe.
The energy struck Dark Blade and it glided downwards, charging up again and firing. The orbs were sent back to the caster, and the living evil charged forward, ramming into Kirby and pushing him out of its way.
Kirby flew close to Dark Blade and slashed it a few times with the Rainbow Sword, but it didn't seem to do much damage. The orbs were charged up again, but this time only a few were deflected back, the others streaking past the Rainbow Sword's reach and flying out into space.
Dark Blade scuttled across the night sky, firing a few light beams from its sword, all of which missed Kirby. It then made the foolish decision of charging up its orb attack again, a grave mistake.
Kirby deflected the entire barrage back at the darkness, causing endless pain. Then, with a few more light slashes with the Rainbow Sword, Dark Blade was engulfed with black energy and imploded.
Kirby thought he had won, but when the implosion reversed itself, he faltered. The darkness directed itself to the center of the playing field and took on its true form.
Dark Matter.
A black sphere adorned with a single, bloodshot eye, with ten orange pedal-like protrusions sprouting on its back. Kirby was overcome with a sense of dread. The encroaching darkness that hovered before him seemed familiar, but he brushed the fleeting memory aside.
Dark Matter looked at Kirby with pure hatred. It surged with dark energy and blasted the star warrior once. It didn't hurt, but the hero noticed that he started to descend. Whatever Dark Matter did, it was making them fall straight to the ground! He'd need to defeat it quickly before it was too late.
The first move Dark Matter utilized was to detach its back pedals and launch them at Kirby. The hero dodged on time but was nearly caught off guard by the explosions just a moment later. When Dark Matter attacked again, Kirby quickly got behind it and slashed the pedals, sending them right into the darkness.
"RAAGH!" The voice came again, this time hurt. If Kirby's thoughts were correct, then the voice he heard was Dark Matter itself.
Dark Matter then spun around twice and then fired many, small beams from its eye, all in a circle. Kirby got out of their path and started to slash the madness with the Rainbow Sword, figuring if he couldn't counter its attack, he may as well chip away at his enemy.
The attack was repeated again, then Dark Matter shot a powerful lightning from its eye. The electricity was black and red, unlike anything ever seen before in Dream Land. Luckily, it could only shoot the lightning in a few directions, leaving its behind defenseless.
Kirby, after a few more rounds of deflecting and dodging, noticed how close he was getting to the ground. He was running out of time! Quickening his pace, Dark Matter was able to keep up with Kirby easily, but that sense of ego it gained from inhabiting Dedede's body proved to be a weakness.
Dark Matter thought it could use the pedal attack again, but when it sent the orange orbs careening towards Kirby, they were returned with heightened power. Finally, the darkness was vanquished.
"NOOOOO!" The voice screamed as Dark Matter exploded. The vigor behind the call faded away as Kirby fainted, the Rainbow Sword still in his grasp. He had won.
Sparkling stars fell along the skyline; the Rainbow Islands being cleared of the darkness. The bridges reappeared, restored to their former glory. Rick, Kine, Coo, Gooey, and King Dedede looked to the sky with happiness as Kirby soared, being guided by the power of the Rainbow Sword.
"H-Hey! He did it! He gone and really did it!" King Dedede exclaimed, joy all but clear in his tone. He covered his mouth and looked to Kirby's friends with embarrassment.
"Perhaps Kirby isn't all that bad after all, huh, Dedede?" Rick said with a snarky voice. The king just flushed, unsure of what to think. Kirby had really saved him.
Meta Knight, standing atop Whispy Woods, watched as Kirby flew around the Rainbow Islands. He smiled under his mask.
"Well done, Kirby. I believe you've earned some rest," Meta Knight said, proud of the pink puffball.
But something else was brewing. Out in the darkest plains of the universe, a cosmic terror realized it had failed. While the failure was simply of a trooper, it was cause for concern. It decided to venture out from its hive, its destination being the happy little planet it came across.