Bandana Waddle Dee awoke with a start, immediately recognizing the sensation of firm wood beneath him. But instead of the familiar green plains of Dream Land, he found himself standing center stage in an ornate theater, an audience of silhouetted figures watching him from the darkness beyond the spotlight.
Bandana Waddle Dee: "Wh-where am I? How did I get here?"
Audience member: [Laughing hysterically] "Look at him, he's so clueless!"
Another Audience member: "What a performance!"
Confused, Bandana Waddle Dee looked down at himself, only to notice his body slightly puffing out, his tummy rounder than before. He poked himself, confirming it wasn't an illusion.
Bandana Waddle Dee: "What's happening to me? This isn't right!"
Audience member: [Mockingly] "He's ballooning up like a parade float!"
Bandana Waddle Dee's cheeks flushed red from embarrassment as the laughter grew louder, feeding into the inexplicable magic that caused him to inflate further. He could feel his limbs stretching, his body rounding, and his movements became awkward and cumbersome.
Bandana Waddle Dee: "Please, stop laughing! I don't know what's going on!"
The audience's laughter intensified, echoing through the hall like a scornful chorus. With each guffaw, Bandana Waddle Dee inflated more, helplessly watching as his hands and feet started to disappear into the growing puffiness of his body.
Bandana Waddle Dee: "I'm... I can't... move properly!"
The audience paid him no heed, their mockery ringing in his ears as they pointed and chortled at his growing misfortune.
Bandana Waddle Dee: [Desperation in his voice] "Someone, help me! Kirby? Meta Knight? Anybody?"
His calls for aid were drowned out by the cacophony, their amusement a twisted fuel for the dark spell he had been ensnared by. His roundness enveloped the last of his limbs, leaving him bobbing slightly above the stage as he inflated beyond the proportions of any Waddle Dee before.
Bandana Waddle Dee: [Teary-eyed, voice warbling] "This can't be... I don't want to be a spectacle..."
As the amusement seemed to reach a feverish pitch, Bandana Waddle Dee closed his eyes, wishing for the trial to end, longing for the familiar sights of Dream Land and the companionship of his friends as he floated, helpless and immobilized, before the heartless audience.
--
Credits: This story is a completely fan-made creation, inspired by the characters from the Kirby series owned by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo. The scenario described is not part of the official Kirby universe and does not reflect the canon of the series.
