Chapter/Tale 4: Kirby's Air Ride: Act 2
Author's Note Intro:
Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the last chapter! So now that you get the gist of the purpose behind that chapter, then there's no reason for me to explain, right? Alright, so now this will skip to the part where everyone's heading out to fulfill the requests for the Light Orb pieces, and since the race will take some time for it to be complete, the others will finish their missions faster than Kirby's, so just remember that and I've added extra to playing Air Ride and controlling it, attacking and etc. Enjoy the chapter! (Disclaimer- I do NOT own Kirby or Kirby Air Ride. All goes to Hal Laboratory and Nintendo.)
Kirby's POV: Air Ride is Alive Again! Part 1
"Alright, so it's decided!" I declared the next day. "Now that we've found out more about what's on these requests, now it's time to decide who's going where finally!"
"Okay, Kirby," Karly said. "Since you're the leader, you get to choose on that, right?"
"Yeah, that's true. But what I am going to do here is to decide by the requests here," I laid out the flyers separately for everyone to see. "Take a good look, guys!"
Divide and Conquer
Now it's time to choose! Here listed are four targeted areas, each with a danger of its own. Take a good look and decide which member is fit to carry out any of the tasks here. Choose wisely and good luck! Oh yeah, sorry, make that three! Kirby already took the Air Ride request, but you can have someone else go with him if you want. Don't regret your choice, because once it's done, you cannot go back on it. Just a heads up whenever you do this.
Solatora Colosseum: An Orb Piece lies as both a prize and a trial of Nimbus! The only way to get the orb piece is to win the tournament! The winner will receive 500 Point Stars as the prize money and the orb piece as the relic prize! Register now to enter the grand tournament of legends!
Bubbly Palace: Bubbly Palace was a sacred place that holds several unique items! It was then invaded earlier and was conquered by two kids wear blue and pink, who possesses destructive but old school power! Please handle those two and we'll give you a piece of an Orb!
Cloud Sea Fountain: Some Cupid kid entered inside the Sea Cave in hopes of finding a rare treasure, but the entrance was suddenly barricaded by a landslide that proved to be unbreakable! The only alternative route is the tunnel entrance that's hidden inside the fountain. Rescue the kid and take whatever you find on the way there!
Timeless Canyon: The canyon was known as a resting place and home for dragons and harpies, but however an assumed beast knight resembling a butterfly suddenly drove them off and is now causing chaos! He's guarding some item, so whatever it is, please defeat the beast knight and take the treasure there as well!
Now choose! Kirby, Karly, Dedede, Meta Knight, Bandana Dee, Dylan, Dash, Aqua.
Solatora Colosseum: Kirby & Dash
Bubbly Palace: Karly & Dedede
Cloud Sea Fountain: Aqua & Bandana Dee
Timeless Canyon: Meta & Dylan
Are you sure you want to send them to these places? Yes.
You sure? Remember, you can't go back on what you've decided. Are you sure? Yes.
Alright. Don't regret it, you hope not. TPAI complete!
"Alright, it's complete! Any objections to this?" I asked. "No? Good, because the decision is final! Just remember, now it doesn't matter who got their thing done first, as long as one of us can reach the chamber and the lighthouse. Get rid of anything that can pose a distraction. Let us know if you've found something or someone unusual, and keep an eye out for the Zero Seven at all times, got it?"
Everyone nodded. "Okay, then. Let's all get going! We've got a busy day ahead of us!"
"Kirby! Can't I go with you to the tournament? I don't wanna stay here every time, you know!" Kazela asked.
"Actually, you can," I said to her, realizing something. "In fact, I've got something very special for you to do for me. First, can you find the other two girls, Maddie and Mackenzie for me? There's something that's ticking me off for a while. I'll explain once you've done that, okay?"
Kazela smiles wide and hugs me. "Aw, thank you, Kirby! I'll get the others here as soon as possible!"
I turn to everyone else. "Okay, let's move it. I have to be there before 10:00 today!"
We exited the tower and went our own separate ways there, to find the orb pieces and defeat the possessed monster of evil. Now the real pressure's on!
Level One: Solatora Colosseum.
Mission: Win the Air Ride Tournament in First Place!
The lobby was smooth and shiny all over, with hard glass tiles that seemed unbreakable. Here, the main lobby was filled with a decent amount of spectators eager to watch. There were people in line for snacks and food to satisfy themselves while watching. We gazed around the place and we went straight to the desk, which was run by a female accountant.
"Hello! How can I help you today?"
"We're here to compete in the tournament. Um, well I am, mostly. The name's Kirby."
"Kirby?" She asked. Then, a face of realization came across her face. "Oh, I see! You must be the newcomer Dinah was referring to! Well, step right this way, sir! The waiting room's in there!"
"Okay, thanks! Dash, don't forget to tell Kazela, okay?" I said.
"Don't worry about it. Now get out there and kick their asses!" Dash cheered on. I nodded and went in the pathway to the waiting room.
"Okay, since you're with Dinah, I'll escort you and the rest of your friends to your seats. This way."
In the waiting room, there were many participants competing in the ride, all warming up and stretching, practicing their moves. I felt sweat dripping down my body, because it's been so long I'm afraid I might be behind. But still I have to win that orb piece no matter what. Besides, I don't know, but who knows how many people are going to try and stop me? Which is why I spent the whole day checking out every single track and figuring out many possible secret shortcuts and roadblocks on the normal race, getting good at drifting with just the two stars in Top Ride, and since Smash Run is the smash version of City Trial, well, that all depends on how lucky I am on that one.
I sat myself down on one of the benches and shook myself off. The bag I had contained the pocket-sized Copy Essences and the mini-mechanical Warp Star that I was assigned with. I cannot use my organic Warp Star on this one. I look at the real Warp Star and patted it like a small dog you can fit in your hand. Putting it away in my pocket, I pull out the Air Ride Warp Star, which was like the real one, but it has engine vents in the end.
"Well, it's just you and me, pal. I hope all that training pays off, or else it was all for nothing," I mumble to myself. "Just also think of it as the time I had to fight against the Air Ride Invaders. You're the only one they had left, so don't fail me now."
As I got myself ready, I could clearly hear the conversations that were whispers from the other participants that were nearby. I can tell they were talking about me about the usual, you know. Yeah, it was annoying.
"Hey, who's the pink kid over there?" One of them whisper to the other.
"Huh, he must be the newcomer on the roster list or something. He's got some guts if he thinks he can win this."
"Yeah, he doesn't look much, I bet ya he'll end up last place! Ha-ha!"
I sighed and gave a face that said in short I don't give a crap about what you say. "You do realize I can hear you all behind my back, right? And besides, those insults don't even intimidate me anyways."
Those who were talking smack and were sucky at it kinda stood back a little. The large waiting room was filled with boys and girls of the same age. Everyone was kinda angry at me, but I didn't care. "What are you getting mad at me for? I've only been in here for about a minute and you're already wanting to start a fight? Pathetic."
"You've got some brass ones, newcomer," A female rider approached me. "But don't get too cocky just because you just got in here."
The female was a participant in the Air Ride race. She had on a sexy racing outfit that was silver and was like a female's racing type of outfit. She was the same as Dinah in breast size and her cleavage was shown at a great view. She had on black high-heeled boots that had tassels on the ankles, her arms were covered in black sleeves and an octagon bracelet. Her hair was short and a splash of black, while her eyes were black as well. From the looks of it, she does seem like a high class rider.
"Ugh, great. Just what I need, another tsundere as a competitor," I sighed. "So, what's it gonna be this time? I don't have all day, you know."
"Funny you should ask the High-Ranked Undefeated Air Rider in history, Celia, who she is," She introduced herself.
"High-ranked Undefeated, you say?" I asked. "In Air Riding? Interesting, now that I know what I'm up against here; well, that's news to me. What's your beef with me, tsundere?"
"It's Celia, not tsundere," Celia corrected. "Besides, there was word that a newcomer was joining the tournament today, and who would've thought you'd be that new guy some people couldn't stop talking about? I just had to see that person for myself."
"So you're looking down on me. Typical, like you do to every new rider."
"No, but it's amusing to me anyways," Celia replies. "You, on the other hand, are a special case to be in by the authorities. Just because of that doesn't mean you're better than the rest of us, especially the High-Ranked Undefeated Air Rider, me. I haven't lost to any newcomers never, and I always remain the champion every time."
"And I should care why?" I tilted my head.
"Because you'll remember that once you lose, of course," She cackled. "If you ever go up against me, that is, you'll see."
"Is that only because your big boobs are what everyone's staring that made you win the race? So it's only because you're all boobs and no brains that you've won and earned yourself that title. How pathetic that is to win with your aspects of your body!" I smirked, while also laughing. "Ha! Lame!"
Everyone gasped at the insult I gave. "Did he seriously just insult Celia's boobs and her title?! Unforgivable!"
"Hey, shut up, you filthy animals," I insulted. "Save your no-bite rage for the race later. You're gonna need it." Celia glared at me with intimidating eyes, which didn't even work on me.
"Never have I've been insulted about what I'm sensitive about the most in my entire life before! Out of all the people, it had to be from a little pink-haired kid like you! Don't get too cocky, you impudent little jerk!" She seethed in anger as she was about to slap me.
"Heh, you're too slow," I smirked, stopping the hand that was about to slap me with a single finger. The power of the almighty Kazuma has entered my system.
"What the-?! How?!"
"CELIA'S SLAP HAS BEEN STOPPED FOR THE FIRST TIME!" Everyone shouted. Huh, I don't find that a shock though.
I smirked, while also giving off an intimidating stare, also as if I had demon eyes. "Listen, this is not the time to kill each other now. We still have a bit of time before the actual race starts, so don't go wasting it on me, tsundere. I'll admit, I can tell you're all bite as well as all bark, and that's something that makes a competition fun, so I won't deny you won through your own skill, not with your big boobs; I can't lie about the things I've said about you before, because I know that's not true, but making people pissed off makes the challenge more exciting."
"Alright, kid, what are you playing at?" Celia demanded that from me. "Although you do have some respect in you, I'll take that."
"Nothing much, really. I just like being a savage, that's all. Let's just race and do our best, okay?" I smiled, lowering her hand. "But if we by some chance ends up dueling each other somehow, just know that I won't go easy on you, because I'm not what you think right now. Oh, one more thing, I have my own reasons for being in this tournament, so... nothing personal, okay?"
"Attention, all riders! The first round of the Air Ride is about to start soon! Please gather at the arena in about 5 minutes and have your Air Ride Machines ready!" The voice on the intercom ordered.
"Well, that's our cue," I smiled, walking away while getting my things. "Don't waste any more time and get ready, people."
"Alright then, pinky," Celia declared. "Don't regret it once you lose anyway. I'll still be victorious in the end, undefeated, you hear me?!" She left the waiting room with those words marked.
"Yeah, well, let's see how long you'll last with that title. There's always a first time!" I smirked. "Now would be a good time to review on the rules of Air Ride again, starting with steering this star." I pulled out a rulebook and flipped over to the basics.
Air Ride RPG Edition
If you've played Air Ride before, then you might remember how to control the star machine, but just in case, here is a fresh reminder.
Controlling
The machines will accelerate automatically, so all you have to do is steer it with the Left Analog Stick on the Switch. Hold the A button to drift near curves and boost to gain more speed. Using A also activates speed boosts and other switches nearby. It also fills your Boost Gauge on the bottom right. Use the Right Analog Stick to zoom in and out of the camera. When hitting ramps, elevate by pressing down the Left Stick and land by holding up the Left Stick as well. Time the jump from the ramp right, and you'll be able to ramp tricks, just like in Mario Kart, by hitting A as well. Also, a new thing added here is that when your Boost Gauge reaches max capacity, by drifting near a turn, it'll automatically activate Giga Boost that'll boost you father than a normal boost would, and in situations such as heading near the finish line, it'll definitely come in handy.
Attacking
Quickly rotate the Left Stick to do a Quick Spin Attack. If timed right, you'll dodge some attacks. In Air Ride, you were able to use Copy Abilities by inhaling an enemy. But in this version, you'll have to find Copy Abilities in the stages you race in, and it'll add to your collection in battle. For now, you can only equip 3 abilities, but when you get other new ones, it'll automatically extend to the number you collect in the race. Activate them by using the ZL/ZR buttons to switch between them, and attack by pressing B. Attacking opponents will also increase your speed slightly. L and R offers a Quick Evasion and Counterattack if timed right whenever an opponent attacks you. All abilities have movesets that may help you to your advantage, so read the description of each one and choose wisely. Of course, keep in mind this race also counts as an RPG battle, so all statistics will apply to the race and experience points. Another thing, pressing X will lock onto a nearby enemy, and you'll attack the enemy nearest to you. You can still use the Spirit's Magic with Y and other equipped items.
Note that the controls will change for every mode selected, so read before you leap. With that, good luck!
"Okay, it's about the same as last time, with a few different twists in there as well," I thought to myself. "So, I can still use these, but I'm not gonna use them at the time, but if push comes to shove, then I'll go for it. Anyway, I don't know how the other participants play, but I have a feeling they're up to no good. Who knows if they've rigged the tracks or not? Just in case that happens, I've asked those two and Kazela to watch for my blind spots somehow and warn me about the rigged traps, while they can directly guide me to the nearest shortcuts there are."
"With this, I've got only one shot at this, so losing is not an option. Let's just hope that last-minute training all pays off."
Once done, I head out of the waiting room and grabbed my Air Ride Machine along with the rest of the other racers. It's definitely on.
The Air Ride Arena (Main Menu- Kirby's Air Ride)
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO SOLATORA'S 26TH ANNIVERSARY OF AIR RIDE TOURNAMENT!" The announcer shouted. The air was filled with the cheers of the spectators that were watching the tournament. "SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S MEET OUR COMPETITORS!"
The jumbo-sized monitors displayed a closer image on each and every racer, it went that way until the first racer. "And of course standing in the first lane, we have our 26 time winning competitor, Ms. High-Ranked Undefeated Celia Nilonous! As expected of her, she has been undefeated in normal Air Ride, Top Ride, and City Trial, holding a perfect record no one thought was possible! Now we have a new challenge mode called Star Duel, where the two remaining contestants battle it out to the end to determine the winner, and she's mastered that like a pro! There's no one who can stop her now!"
Celia was handed the mike. "Thank you, thank you all my darling fans! Watch as I steal another chance at winning the tournament like a pro! No one can stop me now! I'm afraid to say that Dinah hasn't found herself a champion yet!" Every other contestant agreed for some reason.
"Sorry, bub," Dinah shouted from the podium where she sits with her father and mother, Fatenao and Diversa, with a megaphone. She was in her demon form. "But your days of winning are over! Don't try to act dumb, Celia! I've got myself a prodigy racer whose skill will make you suffer ways you can't even fathom! I'm pretty sure you've already met him before this tournament, and you know who I am talking about! Tell them about my new air rider, announcer!"
"Oh, right!" He announced. "I almost forgot about Dinah's new representative air rider! Boy, I don't know why or how, but he's somehow passed the qualifiers without even trying! This newcomer hails from another planet, and he's the new representative for Dinah! He goes by the name Kirby, also known as the Pink Demon!"
The monitors displayed a close up shot of me, at the end of the starting line. I did the peace sign. "Yo." Everyone actually cheered louder than they did for Celia.
"Now let's take a look at his status! So far, his motives are unknown about why he's participating for his real reason, but one of them was that he was asked by Dinah to be the representative for her out of pure will and kindness! Kirby's using the standard air ride machine, the classic Warp Star, the basic beginner's machine with balanced stats! What a surprise! But wait, what's this?!" The monitors displayed the symbol of my rank. "No way! Kirby's rank is called Code Unknown!"
"Code Unknown?!" Celia gasped, then she howled in laughter. "So he doesn't even know what rank he is, eh?! Heh, looks like he's the one who's barking now! Nice try, Dinah!"
"Hey, don't you dare be dissing my rep!" Dinah shouted. "Don't underestimate him just because of that rank! Besides, after this race and all the other modes, it'll calculate the type of rank he is due to how he rides, so don't dance yet! There's a reason why he's called the Pink Demon, you know! Kirby, show them what you're made of! Don't forget about what you're here for as well!"
"Got it, Dinah!" I shouted back with a thumbs up.
"This newcomer's quite interesting, right folks?! We'll see how Pink Demon Kirby fares in today's Air Ride track: Fantasy Meadows! Riders, in your positions! First one to complete 3 laps around the track wins this round! This is a chance to show off your skills in air riding as well, so don't forget to impress the audience, racers!"
I leaped on my air ride machine, and got into the starting position. I heard Kazela shouting from the bleachers with a megaphone, along with Mackenzie and Maddie.
"Kirby! Do your best and win!" I nodded as I got ready to ride. The arena already shifted into the track called Fantasy Meadows, a starting track for beginners.
"Alright, let's ride!" I shouted.
Engage Race Battle Mode! (Fantasy Meadows- Kirby's Air Ride)
"3 laps around the tracks, riders! First one to do that wins today's round! Are you ready?!"
We revved up our ride machines in response. "Okay, then! Get ready in 3! 2! 1! RIDE!"
All of the riders accelerated on that mark, and so did I. The track was a beginner's lane that circles around and is very short, so I know I have to speed things up. There were about now a total of 8 riders, each with their own ride machine. I was stuck with the default one, but I didn't mind.
In fact, I was handling it like a pro! I just imagined it as riding my original Warp Star. I was in 8th place, unfortunately, but I didn't mind, because I know this track easily. So now all I have to do is to just make three laps and win. I accelerated across the bridge and drifted over the turn and got a massive boost at a rebound. There was a nearby rider with a Slick Star, one with poor traction and possibly the worst of all air ride machines. I leaped over a ramp and flew over the Slick Star while performing a trick, and thus putting me in 7th place. By that time, the road went into a rocky pathway with an entrance to the windmill. Pichikuris are always at the entrance in there, so I Quick Spin Attacked a few more before heading inside a cave entrance.
Another rider with the Winged Star was nearby along with some Dales. With that, I gave them another quick spin attack and knocked the Winged Star into the Dales, which then exploded, putting me now in 6th place. After that, I ended up outside of the windmill, where I was approaching the sharpest turn in this track. Two other riders with both the Formula Star and the Swerve Star were at that turn. I got down and drifted and glided on the turn at a precise timing, then I got a boost from that as well, also adding to that a combo which I call Quick Spin Boost, knocking out both the riders in the process.
I held my fist in the air as I leap off another ramp that took me straight at the finish line, completing my first lap and putting me in 4th place. 2 more laps to go!
"Huh, I guess I've really got the hang of it now! This might be easier than I thought, but I can't forget about what lays ahead of me so I have to keep my guard up! So far, no new abilities or any traps, which I should've expected from a beginner's track, but just in case, I'll be ready! Now let's aim for first place, baby! Hell yeah!" I cheered.
The announcer commented on the rider's progressions. "So far, Celia maintains a steady first place like always and Varil and Poppy are battling for second place! But wait, what's this?! The newcomer, Kirby, is rapidly ascending from 8th place to 4th place in a single lap! Incredible! And now he's approaching Varil and Poppy in an instant!"
The two of them who had the Rocket Star and the Wagon Star both looked at me and decided to both attack me with their weapons. They both tried to get on both my sides and corner me, but that didn't work as we're about to approach the closing rocky road and through the windmill and out. Instead, they decided to charge at me with all they've got.
"It seems that those two both decided to slow down the newcomer! What will he do now?!" Everyone in the audience gasped.
"Alright, pinky! Your luck has run out here!" They both charged at me. I smirked and gave a twinkling eye.
"Sorry, ain't happening, fellas," I chuckled, getting ready to attack. "You've let yourselves wide OPEN!" I pulled out the Sword ability and slashed at them, making an X-Break. They both fell behind and out of their machines, and I carried the same determined look once that was done. I gained acceleration from attacking them and after that, I made my way to the checkpoint that was a starting line, now heading for my final lap.
"Holy Crap! The newcomer just took out both Poppy and Varil with a single X-Break attack! That now puts him in 2nd place automatically! Let's take a look at that much closer in an instant replay! From the looks of it, he pulled out a Sword at the second they were about to strike him, and from there he executed the X blade attack within one strike! Dang, Kirby is a tough little pink kid, and with that, he completed his second lap with all of the other riders lagging behind! It all comes down to going against Celia, the undefeated!" The announcer shouted. "But Celia has a great distance between them! Can Kirby catch up to her in time?!"
"Hahahaha! I am still in 1st place, like always in my perfect new Solar Star, which has stats no one could ever surpass in time!" Celia howled and laughed. "No one can beat me now at this speed! I am invincible! Invincible-!"
"Heya Celia," I waved to her and accelerating at the same speed as her. "How's it going?"
"Oh, I'm doing fine, thank you very much-" Celia said not before realizing who was talking to her. She almost jumped back in shock. "WHAT THE HECK?! IT'S YOU AGAIN!"
"Remember what I've said before?! Forget I even said that, because now the newcomer is accelerating at the same speed as the Solar Star with just a Warp Star! This is something we've never seen, folks! How will it end at this final lap?!"
"Yo," I waved and smiled. "How are ya?"
"I'm pissed off now, thank you very much!" Celia growled as we pass through the old windmill again. "I can't believe for a newbie you're still able to catch up to at least second place! No matter, it is I who will be victorious in the end, you'll see!" Celia got a massive boost automatically and ahead before me, laughing in what appears to be her victory laugh.
I shrugged. "Oh, we'll see about that, undefeated!" I exit the windmill and got ready to perform a special speed boost at the sharp U-turn at the end of the race.
"And here comes the riders to the finish line! They're approaching the line now, and here we see only Celia in first place now, approaching at a supersonic speed along with some kind of aura-like bullet as well and crosses the finish line, with the rest of the riders lagging behind!" The announcer said. "Game, Set, and Match!"
Everyone cheered as Celia skids and gathered dust around the arena. "Well, it was a close one, but as always, this round's winner is our undefeated champion, Celia! What a close race it was as well!"
"Thank you all very much! I'm always number one, ain't I?" Celia boasted. "Sorry Dinah, but it looks like you lost once again! What did we learn? I always win! Your newcomer was nothing but trash!"
"Who are you calling trash, tsundere?" Celia turns around to see me off my Air Ride Machine and waving at her so casually. "What did you learn? Never underestimate the newcomer, baby!" Everyone gasped at the sudden turn of events. Celia jumped back and sweatdropped, pointing at me with such shock.
"Wait a minute, how did you get there already?!" Celia demanded. "I crossed the finish line in first place! You're weren't there once I sped up and out-raced you on that turn! How?!"
"What a shocking turn of events! The newcomer, Kirby, has somehow got to the finish line at the same time as Celia, who came in first place! Let's find out how with an instant replay, with the camera on Kirby's time!" The monitors instantly rewind the clip back to the point before Celia crossed the finish line. As Celia sped away, it showed me smirking while my Air Ride Machine was suddenly glowing. "Woah! His Air Ride Machine is glowing! That can only mean one thing! First the first time, we actually get to see it up close!"
It showed me gliding at the sharp U-turn and when I let go, that second I was surrounded in a rainbow aura and the Warp Star rocketed at a speed unfathomable and up to the point where I reached the finish line at the same time as Celia, but the difference is that I was there a bit earlier before we crossed at the same time.
"No way! For a newcomer, he actually mastered the rarest speed boost ever on his first try: The Giga Boost! And because of that, he managed to catch up to the undefeated for the first time! Because of this, the real winner of today's Air Ride is the newcomer Kirby!" The announcer declared. Everyone cheered louder than before.
"Oh yeah!" I cheered, doing my victory dance and ending with a backflip and the peace sign.
You won today's Air Ride! Victory!
You are now Level 15!
You earned the title "Pink Demon Air Rider!"
"What a shocking twist to the tournament! This is the first time a newcomer can actually match up to the Undefeated Champion in a race! But that's just the beginning of it! How well will he do in a series of events we have planned out today?!"
"Heh, beginner's luck!" Celia scoffed as she walked up to me, seething with anger. "We've still got a lot of rounds left, so don't celebrate yet, Kirby! Let's see how well you do in another race then!"
"Fine by me! I'm just getting warmed up!" I shrugged casually. "Who knows how long you'll stay with that title for? Well, let's find out, shall we?"
"Ladies and gentleman, that's only Round One of Air Ride! The next round will start in 10 minutes, so stay tuned!" The announcer said.
Now that I know what I'm dealing with here, now's a good time to practice a bit more and pull through, because it'll take a while to get that orb piece in a position like this. Now that I think about it, I wonder how everyone else is doing with their search, like Karly and Dedede for example. I wonder if those two can stop fighting long enough to pull this off…
Air Ride Round Complete! Few more rounds to go! To be continued…
Now Switching to Karly's POV… You are now playing as Karly, don't forget!
Level Two: Bubbly Palace
Mission: Defeat the two Blue and Pink Invaders! (Sky Fortress Zone, Act 2- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2)
(Battle Theme 4: The Unfinished Battle With God Syndrome- Valkyrie Profile)
Karly's POV: Two Familiar Faces of One Person
We arrived at a place called Bubbly Palace, a palace full of clouds and made of them. It was located outside of town and somewhere in the Horizon Region. I've been on clouds before, but this sensation… it's so relaxing and so bubbly as well, as if I'm standing on pillows.
Both Dedede and I were sent out to investigate it, of course. But out of all the people, why did it have to be with him? Couldn't have asked for a better partner earlier, because all was final by Kirby. No matter, we still have a job to do, and then we'll go back to the Colosseum and hope that Kirby wins the tournament and gets the orb piece.
"Well, this must be the place on the flyer," Dedede said, gazing at the flyer and the real palace for a comparison. "Seems like the real deal."
"Duh, isn't that obvious? We wouldn't be standing here if that wasn't the place we were supposed to be," I smacked my head. "God, you can be dense sometimes. Never mind, right now let's just go investigate the palace and find that orb piece. We don't have all day."
"I know that, Karly," Dedede countered. "But they said something about the fact that we cannot get it unless we deal with the pest problem, and they're two blue and pink kids, a boy and a girl who are assumed to be twins. Now that I think about it, does that description sound any familiar to you?"
"Hmm, nah," I shrugged. "I'm not sure if they are any pink and blue twins that I know of that fits the description, none other than Lololo and Lalala. But I hardly doubt they'd be coming to cause chaos at a planet and place like this."
"Well, let's find out, shall we?" Dedede started walking towards the palace and I had to run behind him to catch up. The inside beyond the palace doors were astonishing. The structure looks like it was made out of clouds, but it's actually real when you touch them. The halls were decorated with cloud-like banners and the floor was like a see through, so you could see below you from there. It appears that certain clouds were like spring-pads, one that you can jump on.
As we trekked further into the palace, while dealing with monsters and puzzles, I noticed that the floor was arranged in a certain way once we viewed it from the top of the floor that we were currently on after entering the door that led to it. At first, I didn't get it.
"Hey Karly, that layout of that spot looks weird, doesn't it?" Dedede pointed. "That looks like an event just waiting to happen. But look, there's the Orb Piece over there!" The perspective was moved over to the area, where the Light Orb Piece was just lying in wait.
"Wow, I guess that makes our job easier than I thought- hey, wait a minute!" I shouted. "Obviously from the looks of it, it has to be a trap cliché or something! There's no way something like that would reveal itself to the open, otherwise it would've been stolen long time! It's a trap, alright, but what kind of surprise awaits us now?"
"Why bother asking that question? Let's just go get it before any more clichés happens," Dedede leaped over from cloud to cloud and to the spot where the Orb lies in wait to be collected, and he snatched it from the pedestal that held it.
You got a piece of the Light Orb! Three more left!
Nothing happened after that. "Oh, I guess nothing happened. Oh well, at least we got this shiny orb piece from all of this trouble. Now let's get the heck out of here, Karly!" Dedede jumped straight at the cloud and jumped over to where I was still standing.
"Hmm, that was easier than I thought," I sweatdropped. "Now I have the impression that this may have been some sort of sick joke or something."
"Yeah, to think that there was no threat to begin with the second we stepped foot in this place," Dedede walked towards the door. "But the thing is, if there were supposed to be invaders here, then how come they haven't shown up at all? From the description, they just appear to be two tiny kids! Like I'd waste an attack on kids, but still, that text sounds familiar, you know."
"Who knows? At least no one's getting dragged in this anymore this time. Let's head to the Colosseum and-" I was cut off before the door was barricaded suddenly by green blocks. "What the heck?! Where did those blocks come from?!"
Dedede tried whacking it with his hammer, but it remains unscathed to heavy blows. "Damn! Not even a scratch! Just what the heck are these blocks made of?! Although they do look familiar to those two flying thing's blocks. No matter, I'm not letting some stupid blocks get in my way!" He bashed the wall of blocks in a blaze of fury but to no avail it succeeded.
"Crap, it turned out to be a fail-safe kind of trap," I immediately recognized it. "Man, we should've hurried our asses if we knew this was the trap it was! Seems indestructible to almost anything, I suppose, this wall of green blocks. I don't think explosives could even bust a hole in it, but to prove that theory…"
I pulled out a bomb and shook it to make it bigger. Then, I tossed the giant bomb at the blocks which exploded on contact. The smoke cleared, and the wall of blocks were still there. "Well, it was worth a shot. That wall's indestructible even to explosives. But those seem inhalable maybe. If it wasn't for that time-set curse bomb by Dark Matter, this wouldn't be a problem. I guess our only chance is to find whatever set this here and get rid of it."
"Ya think?" groaned Dedede, whose energy was exhausted from senseless blows. "This sucks. Hold that thought, Karly. I'm getting a call from... Escargoon? Why would he call at a time like this when we're on an important mission?" He pulled out the upgraded cellphone that he received from Nightmare years earlier and answered on a video chat.
"Yo Escargoon! What's up with you calling at this time? Can't you see we're busy here?" Dedede answered. "Alright, this better be good, because if it ain't worth my time, I swear that'll be the end of you!" After that, he was listening to the response that Escargoon was giving. His expression became mixed.
"What the heck do you mean them heartless bastards struck again on Popstar? They've got what/who they wanted, so what's the point of interrupting my kingdom for no reason?" Dedede asked, waiting for an answer. His face became shocked seemingly as to what he's heard. "What?! Stop joking around, lackey! You know there's no way those fools would go back to a planet they've already raided! Most importantly, what the heck did they take that's so important?!"
"Watch out, Dedede!" I jumped and grabbed him, pulling him out of the way of another green block that appeared right above him. The landing impact caused a strong wave that blew us off our feet and forcibly into the arena like area.
"WAAAAAAHHHHH!" Dedede yelled in the process. "What the honk?!"
"Ugh!" I grunted, fell for a hard landing there. It was then after the crash Dedede got up and tried to jump on the clouds, but he would've gotten there if it wasn't for a mirror like barrier that reflected him back.
After this, he picked up his phone which was still calling. Instead of Escargoon's voice, rather it was Tiff's voice on the phone. "Hey Karly, Dedede! What happened?!"
"Tiff?! What are you doing on the phone instead of Escargoon? He was on line a few seconds ago!"
"Forget that! Listen, from what he told you so far was actually true! Lots of terrible things have been happening back at Dreamland ever since you all went to save Princess Kailaine! Now it's gone from bad to worse!" Tiff shouted on the phone.
"Huh? What is she talking about?" I asked.
"If you were paying attention as to our conversation, you should know that they're saying the majority of Dreamland- no, the entirety of our home planet has suffered from incidents after the attack of Dark Matter left and right! I don't know what it is, but the problem is that they're caused by Dark Matter somehow! I don't even know whether to believe them or not!" Dedede sighed and explained.
"Are you kidding? They wanted Kailaine, right? Then what's the point of even torturing Popstar if she's all that they've ever wanted to take?!" I demanded. "Most importantly, what did they take from Popstar anyway?!"
"That's what I wanna know!" Dedede shouted. "You better answer us now, because I ain't waiting anymore! What did they take from Popstar that's so urgent to us now?"
"It's- BEHIND YOU!" Tiff warned us.
"HUH?!" We both said together. A second hasn't gone by before we realized what she meant the second we took to turn around and look; we were greeted… by a thrown green block!
"ACK!" We barfed out in pain once the block smacked us and exploded in our faces. Flung across the area, we tumbled like poorly tossed ragdolls and skidded on the floor until it stopped. I moaned in sharp pain. "Ow, what's the big idea?! Who dares to hit a lady with a giant green box?!"
"Hey Karly, you might wanna look over there," Dedede pointed in shock his finger at the figures in front of us. "I think those two might be the invaders."
"What the-?" Tilting my head up, I was face to face with the two figures whose appearances are just as Dedede said: Two little kids. A boy and a girl, who were blue and pink. The boy who was blue wasn't literally blue, but what I meant by that is that his appearance has blue colors. Like his hair was blue and short and spikey with his eyes being yellow. His shirt was a dress shirt with blue buttons and a blue colored tie, and his collared sleeves were quite bigger and folded nicely, along with simplistic white gloves. There was some sort of checkered shirt belt hanging from the inside bottom of his shirt that wasn't tucked in, and his pants were long blue too as well as his shoes being both white and blue.
The girl who was pink wasn't literally pink, but as obvious as you know what I mean, it's clear she had her appearance with pink colors. Her hair was pink and completely longer, almost like a ponytail and the ends of each strands were flat, the best word I can describe it. The ponytail part, though, it seems she may have had a ribbon to hold it before; her eyes were yellow as well. Her shirt was like a woman's dress shirt only with the exceptions of that being short-sleeved and also being an attached skirt. The shirt was white and the edges of the sleeves were pink, along with the buttons being pink. She had on a pink bowtie made for females and her arm braces that were not attached to the sleeves were white and pink, while also wearing white gloves. Her skirt was pink and blue shirt belts were also hanging out as well; she was wearing short black leggings and down all the way to her legs where she was also wearing high black socks and her shoes were both white and pink.
The way they glared at us gave off a menacing chill in my body, almost as if they have the intention to murder someone, even if they are just kids. They gave a chilling glare as if they were possessed.
"Who the heck are they? It's just two little kids," I blatantly retorted. "But why do they looks so familiar? I can't help that fact…"
Dedede picked up his ongoing phone, in which Tiff immediately recognized them. "No! It can't be! How?!"
"What are you yammering about, Tiff?! Spit it out already!" Dedede demanded. "You know these two?" Another block was thrown at us, in which we both dodged. The boy in blue shot it.
"Aha! So you're the ones who barricaded the exit out of here!" I landed on my feet after the attack. "You may be just kids, but I'm afraid we'll have to stop you both here and now mercilessly!"
"You might wanna hold off that thought, Karly!" Dedede stopped me. "Those two aren't just any ordinary kids! They're actually those two blue and pink floating kids from home only human!"
I turned around and glared at him. "You mean… those two are actually Fololo and Falala?! What the hell?! How did they get- Wah?!" The block that the girl shot exploded in front of us. "Wait, we actually have to fight them?"
"Foolish Karly, always so naïve, aren't ya?" The girl smiled wickedly. "You should've known where this was all going once you've got here! I mean, surely you thought you could make off with that dumb orb piece and leave? You really are an idiot!"
"What did you brats say?!"
"Ha-ha-ha! Not without a fight you can't leave here!" The boy chuckled. "Don't underestimate us, like you always have in the past Karly! We may be just kids, but looking down on us will be your demise!" They both snapped their fingers. Tiny blocks started forming around their gun-pointed fingers.
"Damn, they aren't kidding around this time!" Dedede grunted. "Well, looks like there's only one thing left to do! Tiff, call us back once this is over, okay? Don't interfere!" The call ended and was tucked away and replaced with his hammer. "Karly! No holding back, got it?!"
"Tch! I know, Dedede!" I readied myself to fight against the two. "I'm not an idiot!"
"Well then, prove it on the battlefield! One thing's for sure, they're not the same as before and they may be possessed, so watch yourself!" Dedede growled.
"About time. Time you'll know to never look down on both Fololo and Falala!" They both shouted.
Overplayed Adversaries- 15th Boss Battle
Karly and Dedede VS Twin Cubix Masters, Fololo and Falala (Boss Battle- Kirby's Blowout Blast Remix)
Boss Description: The two twins are back again, only human this time. From the start of Kirby's first adventure, they originally used to be the guardians of a floating castle, but now no one's sure where they really came from, unless the anime proved canon, but that's ridiculous, right? You may remember them both always pushing blocks and Gordos around, but that's all about to change after that. Now, they seemed possessed and the grudge against Karly is what's motivating them! What happened to them and who did this to them? Defeat them and you'll find out, don't just stand there!
Fololo and Falala attacks!
"Man Karly, I don't know what you did to them, but you better apologize to them once this is over!" Dedede shot a dirty look at me.
"Don't tell me what to do, baka!" I scoffed. "Hey, where'd they go?"
There were doors around the edges of the area, a 5x6 tile like arena. One of them opened up, and Fololo was pushing around a green block all the way to the other door on the other side. I made a mad dash at him without even thinking. "Gotcha, blue boy!"
"Wait, Karly! It's a trap!" Dedede called out to me.
"Eh? What are you- Ack?!" Next thing I knew, I fell flat and stepped on by another green block with Falala pushing that one too.
"You got steam-rolled, sucker! Ha!" She cackled as she went inside the other door with the block.
"Son of a-!" I nearly cursed. "Get over here!" I ran at the door Falala just went in and pounded the heck out of it. The door suddenly flew open and-
"POW!" Again, I found myself on the floor this time with a bloody nose. It turns out there was a jack-in-the-box surprise that made a hard glove pop out and hit me. It hurts! "Clever little brats…"
"Hahaha! You got knocked the freak out, girl!" Fololo laughed as he crushed me again with another pushing block! I got flattened again!
Karly takes one hell of a beatdown! She takes 355 damage! Karly got dunked on!
"Are you kidding me now?! Shut up, whoever said that!" I screamed. "Hey, how come you aren't trampled, Dedede?!"
"Heck should I know, but I managed to lay some blows on them both while you were getting trampled," said Dedede. "Seems like they're only targeting you, Karly."
"Me? What the heck did I do to them?!" I shouted. Another block crushed me. "That's it! You two got hell to pay!" I jumped on top of Fololo and tried kicking him. He turned around to only duck the high swing. He backflipped and kick the box right at me without warning. Another blow received followed by Gordos.
"Ow! What the hell?!" I groaned. "Why me?!"
"Surprise!" Another freaking box hit me in the back of my head by Falala, who chuckles afterwards. "Oh! You weren't ready for that!"
"Why you…!" I growled and hissing in anger. Electricity cackled all over while I created a ball of thunder and shot it up in the air because of the Spark ability. "Thunder Bullet!" Snapping my fingers, the spark ball cackled and sizzled, shooting out an array of electric bullets all over the place, aiming more at any one of the two foes.
"Seriously? That's the best you can do, Karly?" Falala sweatdropped. "Come on, it wasn't enough to break out of the cube that it's now trapped in." The spark ball was seen trapped inside a cube and shooting all out. It exploded.
"No… way…!" I muttered as I looked up, not prepared to evade from another cube attack coming at me. "AH! Oof! S-s-stupid…" My legs trembled to get up.
"Come on! I thought you were better than this, Karly!" Fololo spun a cube around his finger which floated. "After all, you did say you were gonna pound us mercilessly, right?"
"T-that… was before I found out… it was you two…" I hacked and coughed. "I thought so… I didn't really mean that… but one thing's f-for sure… you're still old-school as before!"
"Then what is it you want? For one thing, if you're not gonna fight, then forget this old-school formation," They shouted. "Pushing blocks and Gordos aren't the only tricks we know!"
Phase Two activated!
The arena turned back from the original to a plain square battle field. Both of them leaped back and readied themselves, a strange aura flowed around them.
"Well… this is new," Dedede commented. "Oh well, they're still gonna get some!"
"What do you mean by that?! You just stood there while I got my butt kicked by two little kids!" I yelled at him. I sighed. "Never mind. At least do something while they attack us!"
"Oh, stop complaining! They may be tough, but don't forget we still have a job to do. This'll all be sorted out in the end, okay?" Dedede smashed the shot cube aside and kept it up as the barrage continued on him. "Are you gonna fight or what?! I can't keep at this forever, you know!" He decided to leap to the side and escape from the cubes that slashed a short and quick burst of explosions.
Rolling out of the way as well, I tried to smash some of the blocks on my own. However, one was radioactive and pink, exploding in front of me. Least I'd expected it, somehow I grabbed a surprise punch that came from Fololo. Seeing this, he squinted his eyes and lunged for another combo. I tried dodging and ducking, but he got me the second I ended up tripping with a hard punch.
Followed by that, flung like a tray, I felt a side-kick from Falala to the stomach and then… I was smashed into the ground, like a meteor that was falling. Before I even had the chance to react, however, both of them shot more cubes, but those are the ones that leaves a trail of acidic sort of fire behind… and it got onto me.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" I hissed in burning pain, while jumping from the crater formed and glared at them, pissed off. "That's it! I'm done screwing around and being a butt-monkey! Time to DIE!"
Mystic Star Arte Activate! Luna Chaos!
"I HAD ENOUGH! LUNA CHAOS!" I put my palms together and shot crescent-shaped energy balls and fired at will. I couldn't see nothing but blinding light once it was over. A loud explosion was heard from miles away. I gritted my teeth, remembering something Emerald told me.
"Listen, Karly. I have a feeling you may face old adversaries again that will be sent to stop you. Just know that once you beat them with their old attacks, they'll become extremely powerful and formidable, not to mention their attacks will multiply somehow, so don't let your guard down."
"Damn, I should've took note of that from Emerald," I mutter to myself.
Dedede rushed over to me after that. "Karly! Are you all right?! You went all out on those two like you were in a rage!"
"THAT'S BECAUSE I AM!" I hissed demonically, which made him step back a little. I was on my knees, glancing around at the ruined battlefield that I caused with mass destruction. Sighing, I shook my head and tremble, blood leaking from my mouth. "No matter, it's all over now. Everything's back to normal. Let's get-"
"You think an attack like that could beat us?! Think again!" Fololo and Falala appeared floating before the both of us, glaring with eyes similar to Dark Matter's. "Although, I must admit, you did get us quite good, but not enough, I'm afraid."
"Wow, you sure did a number on this little place and you just went trigger happy as well! Now we now one of the many things that triggers you, Karly!" Falala smirked evilly. "Geez, for someone who is supposed to be on the same level as Kirby, you sure lack the strength to back it up. It's like you're some made-up character just thrown in this universe just for the sake of it; just a worthless replica of Kirby is what you are."
"S-shut up!" I replied back, trembling to get up. "What makes me angry more than anything is being told the fact I'm just a clone with no original strength. You're wrong! I may have the same powers as Kirby, but that doesn't mean I'm weak. I can do things even Kirby can't do even if he tried to, and I'll prove it right now!"
"Well at least put some clothes on before you do, princess," Fololo shrugged.
"Eh?!" I dared to look down at myself, and apparently my clothes were torn to shreds! My long red gloves were melting off as well as the outfit being hacked in half, showing threads of the clothing torn apart from top to bottom! Well, except the fact that it was the chest that got mostly scathed!
"Ahh! You perverts!" I squealed as I tried to cover myself, falling back to the ground.
Dedede gasped and grinned at the sight of my state. "Oh damn! As if her style couldn't get any worse! But on the bright side," He clasped his hands together as if he was praying to god or saying thanks over a meal and said, "Whoever thought of this to happen, well I just wanna say, thank you for the meal!"
"Dedede… STOP MOCKING ME!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
"Hahaha! Even your own ally is against you now, Karly! How does it feel to be underestimated, huh?" Falala chuckled. "Looked as underrated and pathetic, not to mention you lack in your bust size as a human! Even Kirby never looked down on anybody, especially when he's going up against them. Look at where looking down on people like us got you! After all this time, you never bothered to defend yourself!"
"Why you…" I started to say, but I stopped when I felt the warmth of a robe cover around me. It was from Dedede.
"Use that to cover yourself up, Karly," Dedede told me seriously. "You are a girl after all, and in that state, there's no way the logic here will allow you to continue on like this. Let me handle this."
"But Dedede-"
"I said, LET ME HANDLE THIS," Dedede shot back.
"Just... what are you...?"
"From the results of that tango, it seems you held back from fighting them because you found out who they really are, and you let them beat you to the ground without you realizing that yourself. I didn't hesitate to attack, but you certainly got pummeled by those two. I don't know what you did or why, but you better apologize to them once they snap out of the control of Dark Matter. I know you don't want to hurt them, but for the last time, we can't afford to let that get in the way of what we came here to do. We have to keep on going, no matter what, even if it means beating the ones we care about, because now Zero will use by chance any means to stop us individually, and he'll resort to measures like this to hinder our pursuit of Princess Kailaine. After all the times of what they've done to us, I'm not gonna let that happen to anyone else. I swear it!"
"W-what a-are you s-saying, Dedede?" I stuttered. "Since when did you care?"
"You won't understand right now, but later on, you'll know what I mean," Dedede picked me up and leaped over and away from the center. "Stay here, I'll take care of this."
"Finally, about time you decided to come out and fight, fatso," Falala snorted and laughed. "Kinda a shame you never gave us the chance to finish her off, you know. But I guess you'll have to do then, since you declared that you'll handle us, right? You would dare to beat up your rival's friends for the sake of it, because that's how you were from the beginning of this."
Dedede rolled his eyes and pointed his hammer at them both. "Will you just shut up and fight me already, Fololo and Falala, or should I say, Dark Matter? I know you're in those children's bodies."
"Hmm? What are you talking about?" asked Fololo.
"Don't play dumb with me. Everything that happened so far, it was all because of your influence that drove the possessed wild and murderous. Forcing them to do your bidding and spitting out words the victim doesn't really mean to say, making them attack people against their will and have them carry out your biddings… that's what you're known for. Or in short, manipulative possession. In fact, all of what you say through those bodies are the result of your influence- all of those words are lies. Using innocent people to get what you want… well, that means you'll never be satisfied with yourselves," Dedede growled.
"Dedede..."
"Enough of this. Fight me… or unless you're too much of a coward to fight without a physical body!"
"You've got quite a mouth, king," They both snarled. "Fine! We'll make sure you'll choke on those words at your grave!" The two kids went full force on Dedede. Fololo created a block this time made of dark energy, similar to the kind of energy Dark Matter has. It hovered over the air and released a barrage of dark thunderbolts everywhere. Falala made the same block that ruined my clothes earlier and did the same as well.
Dedede grunted and just smashed the bolts and acids aside with his wooden mallet like it was nothing. His hammer didn't even melt or caught on fire. "Just as expected… it seems you haven't changed at all, Dark Matter. Still cowering behind those bodies, aren't ya? Well, if you won't come out of them… then I'll force you to come out!"
"Think again, dumbass!" Falala went of an overhead kick behind Dedede and Fololo aimed for a hard punch. Instead of taking that, he grabbed both their swinging arm and leg instantly without warning and tossed them off. "What?!"
"Hint of advice: don't give yourself away when you go for a surprise attack next time," Dedede glared. "You never learn for yourself, do ya? Forgive me, Fololo and Falala for this!" His hammer turned into a rocket afterburner and swung it around, knocking both of them back and apart from each other.
"Damn it… we're not finished yet!" Fololo snarled. "You think you can beat us?!"
"Well, duh. The feud between us has been going on for a long time, you know. Your true colors are starting to show, Dark Matter. Of course, you may have the advantage this time, but as before, you're still predictable as ever." Dedede spun his hammer. "I don't know what you plan with all of what we know you're trying to get, but if you do pull it off, we'll be there to stop you. You think I'm playing? Hell no. I may have been the bad guy from the start, but with Nightmare's attack and after that, let's just say I had a better reason to play the role of the bad guy then. But that's the end of playing that role for me; I'm done with that. All of you, on the other hand, since you all never go away, that makes you the real villains of this world!"
"Where are you going with this pointless conversation?!"
"Hey Zero, I know you're watching and I know you can hear me from inside those minions of yours. I swear, we'll save the princess, and when we do, let's just say, if you keep going the way you are right now, you're gonna have a bad time, I guarantee it. Big time." His expression showed a merciless look as his cracked his knuckles and glared at them menacingly.
"Insolent k-king!" Falala gasped. "Stop talking to us like we're someone else! You must have gone mad or something! If that is so, then we'll just make sure you shut up forever!" Both of them vanished via teleportation for another attack.
"Dedede, behind you!" I called out. He doesn't do anything at that time, but instead he gave a thumbs up to me. The flash of blue and pink suddenly come together and they rushed for one final attack on Dedede. He smirks.
"Heh, just as I said…" He suddenly socked them to the stomach with his knee and they were tossed up into the air. Dedede jumped up and then finished them off with one hammer smash that smashed them to the ground. "Even if you possess anyone, you're still too predictable!"
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" They screamed in defeat, falling hard into the ground and surrounded by small explosions. Eventually, they fall. And that caused a shockwave to surround the area, hard enough to blow a crowd away. Once it ceased, I saw Dedede land on his own two feet, catching his hammer, and doing his victory dance.
"GET DUNKED ON, SUCKERS! YEAH!"
Fololo and Falala are defeated! Victory!
You are now Level 16! Next level in 700 experience points.
You got a new ability, "Cubix!" Now added to your ability collection and is now accessible! 1/12 abilities found.
You got the first piece of the Light Orb! 3 more to go!
After that, the smoke cleared and what you can see of that was the two unconscious bodies of two kids. Floating above that were two balls of darkness with an eye- Dark Matter. Dedede stood and glared at them.
"All right, you filthy maggots," Dedede demanded. "I didn't make any deals before, but in exchange for the release of those two, just tell me… from what everyone on Popstar is saying, your kind has been going back and taking things you didn't need from our home. My question is what else did you take and why? Answer my question or unless you want some more, don't ya?"
"T… That's none… of your business… King of Dreamland… but we suppose you're… in for a surprise… sooner or later… you'll see soon enough…" With that, they warped in an instant before Dedede could whack at least one of them.
"Seems that was pointless… oh well, it was worth a shot," Dedede shrugged, walking over to me and held up his hand.
"You alright? Those fools sure got you in more ways than one."
I grabbed onto his hand and he helped me up. "… yeah, I am… thanks…" I looked down in shame.
"You're still upset about earlier, huh?" Dedede sighed. "Figures. But for now, don't worry about that. Those were all lies anyways, so don't get so down about yourself. Even I know what you're capable of."
"N… no… it's not that…" I sniffed. "I didn't even do that much in that battle and left and right I got pummeled like a ragdoll. I…" Dedede patted me on the head and grins.
"Hey, don't worry about it. For now, just take it easy. You'll need it later on." It was then the moans of two voices echoed from the crater. Dedede turns around and rushes over to where the crater was made. The two twins groaned, wobbling on their legs as if they just got human legs.
"Ow… what happened?" Fololo moaned.
"Wait a minute… how did we get here?" Falala asked.
"Yo blockheads! How you feeling now?" Dedede asked. He grabbed them and took them over to where I was.
"In pain and agony, thank you very much," Fololo sweatdropped. "Wait a minute, what are you doing here, Dedede? I thought you went out to rescue the princess!"
"Yeah, and why is Karly almost naked?! God, put some clothes on, for Nova's sake!" Falala jumped back in disgust, unaware that they were the ones that did this to me.
Just before I was about to tear them to shreds, Dedede stopped me. "It's a long story, but it'll all make sense soon. First things first, let's get the hell out of here before anymore clichés happens and let the people of this palace know that everything's okay now. We got that piece of the Light Orb, so it's up to the others to handle the rest."
"Others? Where's Kirby by the way?" Fololo asked. "Aren't you all supposed to be together?"
"Like I said, we'll talk later! Now help me carry Karly who is almost naked and injured, try your best to cover her from the other people's eyes, and let's move it!" Dedede ordered. "Over to that warp point there!"
"Right!" They both shouted.
"Ew, no way! Like hell I'm getting on your back, pervert!" I growled. "Besides, I can stand by myself, you know! That time, I was just a little off today, okay?!"
"So you're fine walking out in public with torn clothes and a fleshly exposed body?" The two twins pointed out. "Other than that, you do need some new clothes, so why bother arguing?"
"Who asked you two to talk?! I am perfectly fine-" Dedede picked me up like a bride and leaped for the warp point.
"Oh, just shut up and let's get the heck out of here! Stop lying to yourself, because you know that it's true! It doesn't hurt to ask for help, you know that, right?" Dedede stated, with the two kids following along. "In the situation we're in now, we can't afford to quarrel with each other and turn against one another, because that will only make things worse for us. Can't you see that I'm trying to help you now? You don't have to be so stubborn all the time."
I wanted to say something, but… I couldn't find it in me to say something back. After all, in the position I was in, it was damn embarrassing, without being seen exposed. I said nothing on the way out.
"Let's not worry about that. Right now, we've got something else we have to do anyways. We'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious while the tournament is rolling. Fololo, Falala, are you sure you wanna tag along for the ride? It'll be a dangerous adventure yet."
They both nodded in response. Dedede chuckles. "Alright then, let's go! Let's just hope the others are doing their very best in their part of the job!" We vanished the second we stepped on the portal.
Level Two cleared! Mission complete!
Orb Piece retrieved! 3 more left!
Meanwhile…
"Heh… interesting… appears the king is no fool to this scenario; after all, he was more than many times a victim of possession, true, that is. But who needs to worry about that gullible king when I should be figuring out what to do with that masked knight's battleship… yes… perhaps this may be a more suitable vessel for the others…"
"Hey, dark and gloomy, you do have yet to realize we're not ordered to do that yet, right? We have yet to figure out a way to upgrade the ship without losing any of the systems at once. But I suppose we could have some fun with it while we figure that out. Since you're the one who stole it, I guess you can call the shots on whatever you want to do with it. Everything's going well to plan- except those meddlesome brats coming to stop us."
"What about it? It's not like they'll succeed in that anyways, now that we've got the captives in hand already in that body of a clockwork star. But you know, isn't that really stupid to waste a damn wish on that? I mean, we could've just wished to just rule the galaxy however we wanted instead of going through all of this. Ya think we could've done that from the start? All we would have to do is just try to stop the enemies of Master Zero and capture the Elemental Princesses for whatever reason he has for that. Not to mention as we have yet to really know what he desires truly if all goes well."
"You do have a point there… ah, crap! I hate it when you're right sometimes! I can't understand what goes on in Master's head sometimes. If we just did that, then all we have to do is simply stop Kirby! It can't be that hard to do so, because he's gotten very weak as a human along with his friends and all he cares about on Popstar! I'll admit, both the princess and the paintress are indeed formidable opponents at least, but even so, they have gotten very weaker, haven't they? That curse is really taking a toll on them all, and he was reborn through the curse inside Kailaine!"
"Don't be so sure about that. If you haven't noticed, one thing is, it's literally impossible for someone to be revived through a curse. Sounds like a load of crap, if you ask me. Not that I'm against it or anything, but I'm just thinking logically, Coral. Besides, I don't see the point of cursing the people of Popstar and making them powerless anyways. Tell me, if that's what the curse was supposed to do, then how come it hasn't done that?"
"What are you talking about? It already happened to them, you know! It should be that easy to beat them!"
"Don't lie, Coral. If the curse was supposed to strip the warriors of what makes them powerful in the first place, then how come they're still impossible to beat? If I remember correctly, the main enemy, Kirby, has the ability to be able to steal his opponents moves by inhaling them. However, even though he's cursed, he and his twin are still able to retain their ability to copy, or any of their allies their original abilities. There's no way that's possible… unless something interfered and cut off the curse… perhaps… and when Auralia and Molotov challenged him, they ended up losing to them… and so did you, Coral."
"Woah, where is all of this coming from, Solaris?! You never thought about things like that before, not that deep!"
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to. As well as that, it may appear that those masters of mischief is rapidly getting stronger and stronger every time when they are pitted head-on in a fight against whatever monster stands in their way. If my theory is correct, then maybe we're in for a bad time. Now, they're gathering as it appears to be an army of allies."
"Stop being so melodramatic, Solaris! You do realize that even if that's true, that's not gonna help them free the captives from their prisons. I mean, what are the chances of those two escaping? None! It's not like they'll just find a way to break out of the wish's chains anyways."
"Another thing: don't say things like that, because it may possibly happen the least we'd expect it. That's the cliché we don't need to happen. How many freaking times have I told you?"
"Geez, sorry Solaris! So, it won't be long before we have to challenge them, right? And then it'll be Eclipse, Volt, and Pandora's turn after us. Hey, you never told me to-"
"Yeah, that's about right. Well, would you look at the time? I'll be on my way, then."
"Solaris, wait. There's one thing that I don't get though. What reason did you have for kidnapping those two kids from Popstar anyways and all the other people one by one? We have what we wanted, so what's the point? Besides, how much did you kidnap in total?"
"Like I said, Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to. Trust me. It's better if you don't know this for reasons I choose not to explain. Seriously, don't question it. I'm out. Smell ya later. Oh, and tell us if you see Dark Soul, because who knows what he does in his spare time?"
"What the heck? I don't get him sometimes, and I thought Eclipse was supposed to be the emo of the group. We're almost like the Seven Deadly Sins, only… different. But, to be honest, all of what he's saying… that can't possibly be true, right? We have the advantage here, so why worry about it? I'm sure this is all in Solaris' head. Nothing can possibly go wrong with this over-exaggerated plan, but I do have to admit he's right on some points."
"…eh, he's just being dramatic about those possibilities, I'm sure of it! Now to find out where that dumb Dark Soul has run off to… now I'm starting to question why he's even around anyways. Wonder what he's up to now? After this, more of the Air Ride Tournament!"
"Hmm? Oh, it's a red butterfly. It's so beautiful. What are you doing here, little guy?"
"…"
"Huh… I can feel some sort of power coming from you… you must be special somehow. Is it love… or was it the result of being twisted by some dark past you had? Whatever it is, that must've made you live longer than the average butterfly would live. Anyway, I gotta run, so you should hurry back to where you came from!"
"…" The butterfly stood there as Coral left.
"… power… reborn…" It flew away after that.
…
Now Saving… Save Complete!
End of Chapter 4 Act 2!
Author's Note Summary:
Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I also hope you liked the Air Ride part of the story, because it was really fun to write! Just know that I won't do all of the modes at once, but I'll just skip to City Trial in the next chapter and top it off with the new mode I've made up: Star Duel. I'll admit, some of the dialogue and stuff may not make sense at first, but I think you'll understand later on, I guess. While doing the lines for some of the characters in the Air Ride part, it's really not that great, but at least I tried. It's just that I'm not really good with writing dialogues for people such as the announcer and for over confident people like Celia, so just bear with it for now. Another thing, it may appear to you that Kirby got too cocky, just to be clear, he's actually cracking up on the inside in fears of screwing up, so the attitude he shows on the outside is a cover to hide what he's really feeling, but still even with that, he pushes on forward.
The other thing is about what happened at Bubbly Palace. Yeah, now that you figured out the two invaders were Fololo and Falala (Sorry, I'm so used to the anime), the funny thing is, as you can see, Karly got trampled and knocked the freak out by "two little kids." I'll have to admit that was funny, but it's the point that I really can't make the characters seem OP all the time, so this was clearly an exception to the Invincibility Warrior Mode, which in a standard one that is literally impossible to go a battle without taking any damage. But since this mode is an Action-Side-Scrolling RPG, that's the reason for that. Even OP characters have limitations, right? Yeah, and with Dedede, I guess you could say he was the MVP of that battle. Even though I have somehow depicted him as the same in the anime, he still acts like how he always was in the games, and that sudden change of personality is where that chivalrous spirit came from. With that, he is also fully aware that Dark Matter's behind the possession, but he wasn't sure of that until they fought Fololo and Falala. After that phase, it made perfect sense to him. Yeah, so now he's gonna get serious in a moment like this from now on.
Last thing I wanna say is that there's only three weeks left until Summer Vacation, and just like last year, I may or may not have to return my laptop before Wednesday on the 30th, and even if I do get to keep them, that won't matter because I'm gonna go somewhere for the whole month of June and/or maybe July, so if I finish chapter 22 before then, that will officially be the last chapter of the year, and that'll result in a hiatus. With that, this chapter is the shortest I've written because it only took me a week to write it after the 24th of April, so if I finish quickly, that'll be the last one before summer. But if anything changes, I'll try to let you readers know.
So with that, let me know what you've thought about this in your reviews, and I guess I'll see you next chapter before the hiatus (depending on how fast I finish). That's all and see ya!