Hey all! We're almost to the finale! Just one more chapter to go! It'd mean the world if you guys gave me your thoughts on this one, since I took a decent amount of time to write it! Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!

Out There In The Dark
Chapter 14: Conqueror of the Cosmos

"What do you mean that the hearts have gone missing?! I told you to send every bastion out searching for them!" The hooded figure scream with a tyrannical tone.

"Yes, and a number of them have recovered the hearts, but some… they just can't find anything!" The other person in the room was cautiously livid, trying to calm down the first one whilst hiding their own anger.

"I don't care! Find me more of those hearts! NOW!" The echoes of the madman under the hood rang through various halls, getting further and further away. The other figure simply relented and walked out of the room, giving up.

The hooded man turned back to the altar of pain that he so admired. He slowly walked up the steps and gazed at the Jamba Heart. Deep within the crystalline facets of the gem was his god. The god that would bring penance to the fellow ancients that wronged him and his own comrades.

"Oh don't worry, my sweet, avenging angel," The man said, a lick of venom swirling in his eyes. "Soon, you'll prove to them that this universe must embrace all four matters. The dreams, the hearts, the soul, and the dark! Especially the dark!"

The man reached out and caressed the jeweled heart sensually, rubbing the gleaming side with a hideous love. An obsession. For some time, the lunatic just felt the gem all over, basking in its mere presence.

"Sir!" A new voice forced the mage out of his hypnotic trance. His eyelids slanted down in annoyance, and he groaned, reluctantly turning around.

"What? What is it?" The tone of the wizard's voice was all too clear for the one across from him.

"One of the bastions has landed on a planet named Pop Star. Scans indicate that there's a large accumulation of hearts there," the person read off their report with smooth calculation, only needing to glance at her clipboard. The news made the man by the Jamba Heart gleefully smirk.

"Oh! Wonderful! Thank you very much, general!"

The yellow-haired woman said nothing, simply bowing before taking her leave. A sinister, joyous chuckle resonated throughout the ritual chamber, the hooded figure hunching down into himself, his mind swarming with the reality of what was before him. It made him happy.

"This is truly… good news."

"Poyo," cheered a friend-shaped friend. He and his allies rallied together at the foot of the lone Jambastion that nestled itself uncomfortably in the crust of Pop Star.

Kirby and his band of close friends, Bandana Waddle Dee, Gooey, Ribbon, Adeleine, King Dedede, Rick, Kine, Coo, and Meta Knight were at the helm of a grand crusade. They plowed through the defenses of the alluring fortress of shadows, the Gatehouse Road standing no chance, the defenders, Pon and Con, having their souls cleared of the darkness just as the team defeated them in combat.

Bandana Waddle Dee poked and prodded with his spear as best he could, vanquishing all in his path with a swift elegance. Adeleine, with Ribbon's help, flew through the air and swatted all the Scarfies that threatened to take wild snaps at her with their jaws.

Dedede, with his almighty hammer, pounded and squashed all the foes in his way, giving a hearty laugh each time he was successful. His pride was unmatched, but years of defeats had granted him a careful humility of himself and his own abilities. By his side was the greatest swordsman in the history of Dream Land, Meta Knight. His own mastery of the blade led to his attacks resembling a beautiful, graceful dance.

Lastly, some of Kirby's closest friends, the aptly named Animal Buddies comprised of Rick, Kine, and Coo. The hamster, sunfish, and owl, respectively, fought together, utilizing their powers in tandem to the greatest extent. Then finally, there was Gooey, the lone slice of Dark Matter who had grown a conscience. He, with his unique knowledge of his dark heritage, fought in his own way, rarely showing off the black lightning or the orange pedals that gave him away.

While there were a few missing faces that Kirby would've been delighted to see join him on this quest to finally beat the limitless evil of that old dark essence, he was thankful for the friends he had managed to garner to his aid. His own heart, filled with optimistic ambitions for the future, beat with steadfast determination.

After weaving their way through the Longview Corridor, Kirby and friends encountered the most peculiar of people. They were about to finally get their hands on one of the deep purple hearts, when it was snatched away by an unknown foe.

A strongly dressed woman descended from the rafters, holding the heart. The aura that emanated from her loomed over the visitors, her authority as a high-ranking member of the clan here too obvious, at least to Meta Knight. Before she even said a word, her face conveyed a calm and collected vibe, undeterred by the intruders.

Carefully, the woman tucked the heart away into her pocket and gestured casually towards the group, greeting them formally. "…Bonjam," she said in her natural dialect, completely aware that the crusaders had no idea what it meant.

"Heh. That's how we greet people on MY planet," the woman began, her accent fairly thick and rich with generations of language foreign to Kirby and his friends. "I am Francisca, one of the three generals of magic. Together, we command the Fortress of Shadows known as… Jambastion!"

Meta Knight was able to get a read on Francisca right away. He could tell she was a headstrong woman, with a desire to carry out any deed asked of her, although not without her own flavor. Besides that, it was clear that she was quiet and reserved as well.

"We wish to assemble the dark Jamba Heart pieces that were scattered across the universe." So that's what they were called. "Once we do, our most twisted on visions will finally be… untwisted. Unthawed?" Francisca thought for a moment until finding the proper word. "Unfurled!"

"But I do not wish to waste my time with pointless chatter. So I won't! Just know that should you attempt to oppose us…" Francisca's double-bladed axe of frigid ice congealed itself in her hand. "I'll have no choice but to put you on ice… forever!"

Francisca twirled her axe around her body in a display of power before taking on an aggressive stance, ready to fight. The Frozen General gave a scream of pride as she swung her weapon with frosty slices, colliding with Meta Knight's sword right away. She parried, but didn't anticipate Dedede's counterattack, slamming her in the side with his hammer. Kirby, empowered by the ESP Ability, warped around the arena, distracting Francisca long enough for Adeleine to conjure up a painting of Kracko and gaining height while saddle atop of it.

Those four handled the icy General as the others avoided attacks and looked around for an exit. They'd need an escape route just in case. Gooey and Coo flew up and searched around the bony walls, the patters etched in stone resembling old, ancient fossils.

"WAAGH!" Francisca yelled out in pain as Kirby's PSI energy did it's work against her. She unleashed all the could against the team, but eventually, she fell, having been defeated.

Kirby and friends celebrated their triumph against the wizard of ice, but, like so many times before, when the pink puffball reached for the purple Jamba Heart, it whizzed away. However, this time, it was Francisca who was responsible, scooping the heart into her clutches and flying away.

"Well? What the heck are we waiting for? Let's go!" Dedede, surprisingly, lead the charge after Francisca, deeper into the dark recesses of the Jambastion.

During the lengthy raid on the invading Jambastion, the team of plucky adventurers came across more of the mystic generals of chaos. Flamberge, the woman who's passion for her craft burned as brightly as the hair on her head, didn't take kindly to her sister, Francisca's defeat. She quickly grew enraged at who her sister described as a 'little pink thing' that so easily beat her.

Flamberge's hubris blazed within her eyes as she confronted Kirby and his band of misfits. At least they seemed like misfits to her, having never laid eyes on anyone like Ribbon, Gooey, or Bandana Dee before. Those three, alongside Kirby, fought her off, dodging strikes from her flaming sword when she went straight into battle after ranting about just how furious she was.

The battle was ironically short lived. Gooey, with his tongue, extinguished most of the flames from Flamberge's attacks without problem, leaving her at the mercy of Bandana Dee's spear and Ribbon's Crystal Shard gun, a memento she'd kept even after so many years since the battle within Dark Star.

Like Francisca before her, she managed to escape with the purple Jamba Heart in tow, leaving Kirby emptyhanded. Without any delay, he and his allies from the stars pressed on, their next destination in the Jambastion thankfully being their final. The Heavenly Hall, gleaming with bioluminescent ornamentation.

With frightening speed, Kirby and his friends found themselves in a throne room of sorts, a bright, yellow energy core to the left. Funnily enough, the splendor of the core distracted the team from the woman perched in a seat directly in front of it. She held another dark Jamba Heart, and when she lifted herself from her seat and zipped around the arena, it leisurely followed her every move.

"Bonjam," the woman stated, performing the greeting pose that Francisca did before. Flamberge was notably the only one not to greet them this way, showing how brash she was. "I am Zan Partizanne, the eldest of the three generals of magic."

"At first I thought you to be just a simpleton with a knack for annoyance. Hmpf! Now it is clear that you are an interfering interloper!" Zan Partizanne wasn't as kind with her words as Francisca was, but at least she wasn't as driven by rage as Flamberge. That fact earned her a little respect from all the newfound company. "But I am afraid your unwanted wanderings end here. By the will of our beloved liege, Lord Hyness, Officiant of Doom…"

Zan paused, unveiling her spear, ionized with electricity. She huffed, prepared for combat. "I shall destroy you here and now!"

The fight against Zan Partizanne lasted longer than the ones against her sisters. Being the most senior of the three, her experience in battle allowed her to elaborate on the fighting style of her siblings, showing greater prowess than them combined. Even Kirby, with the Water Ability and Adeleine with her paintbrush, discovered that it was almost fruitless to attack the lightning wielder with liquid.

But even with the upper hand, Zan Partizanne fell to Kirby and his companions. When she came to, she groaned like an animal, pain coursing through her body.

"Ugh… Jam… blasted…" Zan whispered, struggling to get her bearings. After getting to her feet, she adjusted her crooked cap and snarled at her enemies. "Bah! How could there be such opposition on a measly and remote planet like this?!"

"Perhaps because our will to survive outweighs yours…" Meta Knight mumbled under his breath. As the lone swordsman commented to himself, Zan Partizanne sparked up and zipped towards the floating Jamba Heart, grabbing it and flying over to the core.

"Well, it matters not. This Jamba Heart piece is already within my grasp! Listen here, you tiny ball of puffy pink mischief!" Kirby stepped back, surprised at being addressed. Ribbon immediately flew over in front of her best friend, defending him. "For all that I care… you and this Jambastion can rot in ruin forever!"

With that, Zan summoned her spear, reeled her arm back, and then suddenly stabbed it into the core of the Jambastion. The General laughed uproariously and bid the pests farewell in her own language, fleeing from the station as it started to crumble.

Across from Kirby and friends was a convieniently placed Friend Platform, just out of view. He and his copious allies joined forces and formed a Friend Circle, rolling out of the room and away. Minutes later, when the fortress finally fell, the Friend Star could be seen shooting out from the side, flying off into space.

For a little while, all the friends stayed silent, watching the Jambastion collapse into ruin on Pop Star. It was a stunning spectacle, a fiery explosion of orange and red being the final hurrah in the base's destruction.

"Woah, look at that," Adeleine finally tore her eyes from the scene of the Jambastion's fall and gazed out into the limitless expanse of space. Reflected in the eyes of the artist were dozens of planets.

"Poyo! Rib! Poyo poyo!" When Kirby got to view space once more, the first planet he noticed was one too far to visit at the moment. Ripple Star, the world he, Bandana Dee, Adeleine, Dedede, and Ribbon saved from 02 so long ago.

"You really can see home from here," Ribbon replied, holding Kirby's pink little paw. "It's too bad we can't head over there; we have work to do!"

Ribbon's peppy attitude was contagious, as it brought smiles to everyone else's faces. Kirby steered the Friend Star out beyond Pop Star and to the closest world available to them, Planet Earthfall.

Meanwhile, out in the unknown regions, just past the asteroid belt surrounding Pop Star's solar system, the one and only Lor Starcutter flew through space, with a very special dragon by its side. It drifted through the nothingness without a pilot, but with its own ambition.

Landia, the former Guardian of the now lost Master Crown, had been exploring the alternate reality home to that little pink creature that helped defeat the darkness, yearning to find something truly worthwhile.

Suddenly, a small, pink heart sailed through the bleak emptiness, it being the only one to escape the system it originated from. The sheer gravity coming from the Lor Starcutter was enough to bring it into orbit around the ship, eventually landing right on the main deck, barely leaving a dent.

Landia grunted at the sound of the heart's impact and drew closer to the Lor to investigate. It settled onto the deck and gently nudged the Jamba Heart with its long, red snout. Almost right away, the all-powerful dragon sensed danger with the heart, and inwardly contemplated what it should do with it. It didn't take long for Landia to roar, the Lor Starcutter hearing the message and preparing to jump across the galaxy. It didn't need to warp to Another Dimension, just open a wormhole to a certain area.

A red portal opened in front of the Lor, and the ship, along with Landia, flew through, ending up on the other side of the galaxy. There, the dragon caught a glimpse of a familiar battle station. The Jambandra Base. Memories flooded back and the dragon, for one, showed signs of fear in those tough, tender eyes it bore.

The Lor gave of a low hum, and Landia turned to face the mast of the ship. After a while of bickering, Landia and the Starcutter somehow engaging in a telepathic argument, the dragon relented, having been convinced into opening a new portal. One that would lead to someone it didn't quite trust but had to go to. If the ancient deity remembered well, the Jambandra Base meant only dark tidings for all that found themselves in its unholy presence.

After a gargantuan roar, a small star-shaped portal appeared next to the Lor, and Landia flew in. He rolled his eyes as he traveled across dimensions, ending up in a quaint, dreamy little kingdom, high in the sky. Far on the ground, a certain shopkeeper was having a slow day, the team he'd been assisting having not returned from their last quest in some time. Worry ate at his weary soul, so much so that he didn't notice a familiar shadow flying over his Shoppe.

"What the-" said the shopkeeper, finally noticing the gust of wind. He looked into the sunny, cloudless sky. No monster from the Grasslands, much less the outer regions of the kingdom, would dare venture this far inland.

But then, when he saw the shadow, he was met with a terrible realization. Dread laced through his eyes and his hands grew shaky. That thing in the sky, while he had heard of parallel versions of his old adversary, knew that the one circling his Shoppe now was the one he feared. A lump formed in his throat as the dragon landed, his memory of the shiny, red scales having stuck with him for the years that he'd been away.

"L-Landia?" Magolor said, quivering in his new green attire. Landia nodded, thinking that it'd take more than a simple palette swap to trick his elderly mind. However, it occurred to the dragon that perhaps Magolor's new look wasn't to hide from the past, but rather to embrace a new future.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" Magolor wanted to ask a million questions, but Landia ignored all but the first he had asked and grunted towards the portal in the sky from which he emerged from.

"Wait… do you need me?"

Landia nodded begrudgingly, steam sweeping from his nostrils in frustration.

"I see. Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice," Magolor looked around his shop. "My customers aren't back yet, but I'm sure they won't miss me if I go with you…"

Landia grunted, and Magolor disappeared into his Shoppe for a moment, returning in his original garb. The blue and yellow highlights had faded slightly, but it was still recognizable. With some hesitation, Magolor climbed onto the four-headed dragon's back, thinking of what might happen to him when he reunited with Kirby and the others.

When Landia returned to ADK-1995, he landed on the Lor Starcutter, now with an old 'friend' as company. Magolor stepped out onto the deck of the ship and stared at its fine, waxed wood with remorse. He took the time to walk to the nearest wall and pat it gently, silently giving his apologies to the grand boat.

"Shall we set sail, then?"

Landia turned his head to the planets in the distance. There, Magolor got his first look at Kirby and his hefty band of friends. His heart sank at the sight of seeing them, so carefree yet adventurous.

"Seems like we're already here…" Magolor said with a tinge of melancholy. He waited as the Lor sailed over to Kirby, the pink hero just setting foot on Planet Caverna.

On the surface of the planet, the massive shadow of the Lor cast down on the rocky, green terrain. As the sun set on the horizon of the world, the shadow vanished, but the awe of seeing the Lor Starcutter was still present in everyone. The night quickly set in as the ship rested in a valley, just outside of the cave Kirby planned to enter.

Kirby, Bandana Waddle Dee, Meta Knight, and King Dedede were particularly surprised to see the Lor after all this time, but when they witnessed the familiar face jump down from the deck and land on the ground with a pained grunt, they grew tense. Meta Knight brandished Galaxia and Bandana Dee his spear. Dedede just tightening his fingers around his hammer, unsure what to anticipate. Kirby's reaction was oddly the most threatening, his smile disappearing and being replaced by a blank, vacant stare.

"I know what you're going to say-" Magolor talked with unforeseen speed, but he was still cut off.

"Save it," Dedede barked.

"I know we didn't leave off on good terms, and you'd probably like to kill me right now, but-" Magolor was again interrupted, now with Meta Knight trotting up to him and placing his blade around his torso.

"I'd very much like to, yes," Meta Knight stated coldly, his eyes conveying the least amount of mercy imaginable. "It'd be the least we could do to repay you."

Magolor carefully reached up, put his finger to the tip of Galaxia, and pointed it away from his chest. "Look, I'm truly sorry about what happened, I am, but we can't argue about this now." Magolor looked at Landia, who had flapped his own wings and took to the air. "Landia and the Lor brought me here to, I assume, help you all."

"Why would we need your help?" Dedede started to ask.

"Hey, um, excuse us," Adeleine chimed in for the rest of the group, who'd been standing there, baffled at the apparent hostility between this stranger and their four friends. "Mind telling us what exactly is going on?"

"Poyo poy poyo," Kirby replied.

"What do you mean, 'it'd be hard to explain', Kirby?" Ribbon decided to step in as well.

"It can't be that hard, right?" Adeleine kept her eyes on Magolor, not quite able to decipher how she felt towards this mysterious man.

"It's because of Dark Matter," Magolor began, making sure the bickering didn't escalate. Everyone turned to face him, shocked. Gooey had taken special interest in the traveler after he said that. "Look, the short version is, I was obsessed. Dark Matter was infused within a crown, and it spoke to me. Called out to me. I couldn't fight it, and it used me like a puppet at the expense of Kirby, Meta Knight, Dedede, and this here Waddle Dee. I know I can't ask for forgiveness, but I am going to take accountability for what I've done. Perhaps… I can find penance."

Meta Knight, astonished at Magolor's maturity, put Galaxia back in its sheath and walked over to the traveler. He eyed him, up and down, analyzing his face. Finally, his angered demeanor left him, and his eyes warmed to Magolor. He could see it in the former traitor's very soul.

"Very well," Meta Knight said, taking Magolor's hand and shaking it. The other three familiar with the untrustworthy man shared gazes, a little confused. But if Meta Knight's trust could be persuaded, perhaps then Magolor had truly changed for the better.

"Thank you, truly," Magolor smiled beneath his cloak, and then gave his eyes to the others. "Now, fill me in. What exactly has been going on?"

A considerable time later, after the Star Allies had explained all to their new companion, they neared the Jambandra Base, the imposing citadel at the edge of the galaxy. After having run into the three magic generals again, the team plundered most of the home of the yet-to-be-revealed Lord Hyness and stalked towards his lair.

The team, Kirby, Bandana Dee, Meta Knight, King Dedede, Gooey, Adeleine, Ribbon, Rick, Kine, Coo, and Magolor, all worked impeccably to face down all the Jamba forces. They eased their way through the base.

"Let's hope this be it!" Dedede shouted, a little nerve wracking for all the folks that wanted to keep their arrival at Hyness's chamber a secret. Dedede read the room and chuckled nervously. "Hehe, sorry…"

At last, the door to Hyness was upon them, and they wasted no time in entering. When they approached a man in a white hood, another voice rang out to stop them.

"Stop right there, pink one!" The voice of Zan Partizanne was loud and clear, making Kirby screech to a halt. Zan zipped in, as fast as lightning, and put her hand to her hip. "I did not expect you and your friends to survive your visit to Jambastion. What's more, you somehow bested my darling Franny and Berge! However, your luck as run out. It is the dearest wish of Lord Hyness…"

The mage behind them didn't even react to the uttering of his name, too entranced by the massive jewel that was the Jamba Heart.

"NO ONE SHALL INTERFERE!" Zan posed with her spear like before and challenged Kirby and his friends to another battle. She was far stronger than she was prior, now fully accustomed to the strength of this little pink thing and its allies.

Unfortunately, that power was yet again misguided. Zan Partizanne fell to Team Kirby, ending up in a heap on the floor just across from Hyness. The general childishly pleaded for her dear friend to help her, trying in vain to rise. At last, the cry for help brought Hyness out of his little hypnosis, and he turned around only to gasp in shock at what he saw.

"What is this… interference?" Hyness's voice was a mess of garbled sounds, barely coming together to for a sentence. It was clear he was far more used to speaking in his own tongue. The mage slowly descended from the Jamba Heart's altar, moseying along as if such a distraction was beneath him. When his foot bumped into the unconscious body of his general, he looked down with pity.

"You… You seem to be in my way," Hyness mumbled, before smacking Zan away, resuming in his walk towards Kirby and the others.

"Well then… It seems… we do not have enough energy… to revive our Dark Loud…" Hyness spoke with unusual breaks, taking time to lick his lips, invisible under the shadow of his hood. "Must we… allow ourselves… to fall… into oblivion?"

The overwhelming sense of danger coming from this man was too much. Everyone, even Meta Knight, stepped back in fear at the bizarre sight. Hyness, clearly lacking any affection for his own comrades, talked so calmly of suicide that it made all who listened sick. The desire to offer oneself as tribute was insane, but to talk of it so casually, it was hideous.

"No. NO! No no no no no!" Crazed speech echoed far in the expansive room. "NONONONONONONONONO! NOOOOO, I SAAAAY!"

"We are the masters of a power driven to the far reaches of the universe, and we have but one desire! Can one such as you possibly fathom how dearly we have clung to this dream across the aeons? How could you! You couldn't! Never ever ever! We who once faced those who were in such fear of our power that they sealed us away and banished us to the edge of the galaxy! US! As if THAT loveliness wasn't enough, they tried to erase our very existence from history! RUDE! Only through our magic were we able to overcome their science and achieve great prosperity! We alone were responsible for stopping that repulsive nightmare of a galactic crisis, yet this is how you repay us! This won't stand!" Hyness paused to take a breath, his delusional rant only at its midpoint. Everyone stared at the madman with horror, never having heard such an insane speech, even when it sped along at a mile a minute.

"It won't be forgiven! It won't be forgotten! Never ever EVER! Those who called us mad, are you listening? You left us at the edge of the galaxy to be forgotten, then went along your merry way, probably living somewhere pretty and peaceful! But know this! Your future is a farce! You have none! We, masters of a matter most dark," Everyone's eyes widened, "vow to be restored, as foretold in the book of legend, which everyone thought was just a fairy tale! It WASN'T! We have already obtained the vessel that contains our Dark Lord, and he will soon awaken and shower us in compassion! Look! The vessel of our Dark Lord is filling up even as we speak! Now the time for his greatness to enter our world has come! Welcome to a new history! A new age! The age of awesome! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DARK LORD! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Hyness screamed at the top of his lungs, "Grace us, Gloriously Dark Looooooord!"

Everyone was aghast with fright as Hyness huffed and puffed, never having prattled on for so long or so quickly. The wizard floated up into the air and struck an entitled stance. "You see it now… don't you? Anyone who interrupts our revival ceremony…"

"We must kindly ask that they…" Hyness rose his sleeves into the air, screaming as loud as he could. "PLEASE DISAPPEAR FOREVER!"

Finally, the Officiant of Doom attacked, unseen troopers in the distance starting to play some unsettling music. Presumably, a few of Kirby's friends thought, this must be Hyness's 'theme'. Odd that he had his own music, but he was a crazed lunatic, so anything was possible.

Luckily, the might of the many outweighed the one, as Hyness was quickly stunned, his hood being knocked over. Before his face could be revealed, he hid with his sleeves. The man snorted, taken aback at how he could be so damaged by these insolent fools.

Then the fight truly began, Hyness showing off his nonsensical, bug-like eyes. They were clouded with a rage of hysteria. He summoned his generals, all three, and sapped life out of them, replenishing his own vitality and turning them into husks. From there, he used them as weapons, slamming them into Dedede, Ribbon, and Gooey, knocking them away momentarily.

"Come on!" Meta Knight shouted, cutting Hyness with Galaxia. Kirby and his Fighter Ability helped with the lone swordsman's flurry of fighting, Bandana Dee and Magolor helping the others recover.

"WAAHHAAA!" Hyness took Francisca's body, encasing it in ice and using it as a blunt object. He clobbered Rick and Kine with it, Coo flying up and out of his range.

Adeleine was almost next on Hyness's radar, but Gooey selflessly jumped in front of the mage, taking the hit right after getting back from the previous pummeling. The painter looked at Gooey, shocked he'd make such a move just to protect.

Hyness then drifted to the center of the arena and wiggled his whole body. Suddenly, pits of fire appeared at both opposite ends of the playing field. Half a dozen of Kirby's allies were too slow to react, getting torched by the blazing inferno. Ribbon, Rick, Kine, Dedede, Meta Knight, and Gooey. The rest were gathered by the middle, but with a lot of their friends down, they were almost taken out by a blast of lightning.

Magolor cast a hex to keep a bit of the lightning at bay, and Hyness stopped in his tracks. He and Magolor shared a glance, and immediately they felt some sort of old, ancient rivalry between each other. There was no time to act on this instinct, Magolor needing to use some of his 'special' Gem Apples to distract the tyrant.

"Hey!" Another intruder yelled from above. To everyone's surprise, the Squeaks, led by Daroach, tumbled down and tackled the remains of the three mage sisters, leaving Hyness defenseless.

"Well? Go show him what we're made of!" Daroach's orders needed no explanation. Kirby and the rest of his friends showed no mercy, finishing Hyness in no time. He and his generals all landed in a pile of misery on the ground, defeated.

The Squeaks helped the wounded ones up and got them to their senses, dazed by the intense heat of Flamberge's terrible spell. Once everyone reconvened, some celebration was in order. They had won!

"H-Hey! What are you fella's doin' here?" Rick embraced Spinni as Doc used some of the special ointments stored in his UFO to helped treat some wounds.

"Erm- I think the boss better explain," Spinni said, jabbing Daroach in the side.

"Haha, well, that whole 'alone' thing got me thinking…" Daroach made a side-eye at Gooey, remembering what he had said, then looked at Ribbon. "Perhaps being lone thieves isn't all it's stacked up to be…"

"Alone bad!" Gooey chirped, the memory of his first words still somewhat fresh.

"Yeah, bud," Daroach walked up to the renegade Dark Matter and patted him on the head. "Alone is bad… sometimes."

"Youuuuu…" Hyness hissed, struggling to get his wits about him. He hobbled around, inching towards the Jamba Heart while hunched, the Star Allies having done a good number on his frail body. "How could you all defeat me… THE Lord Hyness…" The senseless question wasn't given a response, everyone going back into defensive positions, the Squeaks in particular ready for another tussle. "An offering to our Dark Lord… yes, perhaps if there is an offering…"

Everyone scowled at Hyness's directionless ramblings, Kirby getting ready to uppercut if Hyness got close.

"What should I do?" A rhetorical question, as a wonderfully wicked idea materialized in Hyness's demented mind.

"Only one option remains…" Hyness flexed his fingers, making the bodies of the three mage sisters rise. For a second, Magolor felt his own body rise, but he fought against the influence of the fellow ancient. "Those who harbor the greatest of magic, I call upon you."

Hyness threw his arm forward, and all three sisters sailed towards the Jamba Heart. When they made contact, their physical forms vanished, their essence being absorbed by the chaotic evil within the gem. But still, their unwilling sacrifice was not enough for the Jamba Heart. It only missed one more fragment in order to be complete.

"Make it so," Hyness said reluctantly. "Accept my aid… I pledge myself to you, oh Dark Lord of Destruction…"

A terrible choice was about to be made.

"I do this so that our Dark Lord may be rebooooorrn…" Hyness stepped back, preparing to launch himself. "Rise, Destroyer of Worlds! Rise…"

Then Hyness stopped. He thought carefully, instead changing the wording of what he planned to say. It was oddly abrupt, even for him, but a gleeful smirk grew along his hidden mouth.

"RISE, ALMIGHTY ASTRAL BIRTH!" Hyness chose to give all of himself to his idol. The false deity of worship that he so adored. "PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU. RISE, AND CLAIM MY SOUL FOR ALL FOUR MATTERS OF THE UNIVERSE! HEART, DREAM, SOUL, AND DARK MATTER! RISE, VOID!"

With that, Hyness threw himself into the Jamba Heart, and was consumed by its insatiable hunger for power. The gem was complete, but now, a thin, colorful mist erupted from its core. A cloud bearing a haunting memory for Kirby and Gooey. The Jamba Heart conjured up a form of the original Hyper Zone, now yellow in color with red and blue clouds rampaging around it. From there, the heart took off, flying out into space as the Jambandra Base started to crumble.

"AH! Everybody hold on!" Adeleine was thankfully the first to realize something was happening. From above, rubble, stone, and other debris started falling down.

Screams landed on deaf ears as the summoning chamber started to collapse, huge boulders smashing the arena and sending a few of Kirby's friends plummeting down into the darkness.

"Poyo!" Kirby cried, failing to catch his friends. The only one he managed to hang onto was Gooey, the blob's malleable body easy to cling to. The helpless pink hero just watched in terror as Rick, Kine, Coo, Bandana Waddle Dee, Meta Knight, and the Squeaks faded from his view.

Out of the inky blackness of the abyss, Kirby felt someone grab his other paw. He whipped his head up just to see Adeleine. She heaved him up to safety and pointed to something that had fallen from the ceiling.

"Kirby! We need to get that platform! It's the only way we'll get out of here!"

"Poy… Poyo!"

"I'm sure they'll be fine! Come on!"

There was no other option. Kirby made the ultimate choice and let Adeleine whisk him and Gooey away to the pad. There, he, Ribbon, Dedede, Magolor, Adeleine, and Gooey used all the power they could muster to activate a new ability. The Star Allies Sparkler. The contraption powered up and took off with haste, escaping Jambandra Base and chasing after the Jamba Heart.

Kirby kept silent, a vignette of sorrow surrounding his eyes. He didn't know if he could finish this fight without all of his friends, or at least without knowing if they were alright or not. The twinkling sound of the Sparkler flying was drowned out, the only sound the hero could hear being his own racing heart.