Chapter/Tale 5 End: Book of Fate: Episode 5

Author's Note Intro:

Hey guys! So I hope you enjoyed the last chapter back there, it took me a while to finish. Anyway, after what happened in the previous act, what will happen now that the captives are free women? I figured it wouldn't make sense if I didn't show you the effects of what has happened and jumped to the next planet just like that; without knowing how they'll react, things wouldn't flow right, so I'm hoping I don't go over 10,000 words this time and keep it at a reasonable length to save me some time. Here, even though I wasn't planning on it, this one's about how the enemy reacts to the escape of our heroines in Eclipse's POV, but not entirely the whole chapter. Well, you'll see for yourself. With that, enjoy this arc's ending!

Dark Halberd

"I'm back, everyone," I called out. I returned to the ship that night after the incident occurred. Making sure that things went as planned was a hassle, honestly. But I don't regret it one bit. Now to hit the hay and watch the story unfold… not until I have to deal with these two first once I had stepped into the room.

"Eclipse, took you long enough," It was the last two of the Zero Seven, who were awaiting my arrival for who knows how long?

The one on the left was Volt n Bolt, a spiky, golden-haired boy with electric yellow eyes. He had on headphones around his neck right above his outfit similar to Molotov's and Solaris', except that it was yellow in some parts of the black outfit. There were electric bands on his wrists, and he had fingerless black gloves. With a golden belt and black long pants covered in short golden boots with a spike on the front top of them, he looked like a heavy metal musician. He wore the smile of a punk. That's Volt, Zero Knight of Screeching Spark.

The other one was Pandora the explorer, a smooth, light-blue haired girl with icy cyan eyes. Her bang covered her right eye; her lips were ice grand blue. She wore a light blue topless dress with black straps on her shoulders that also were chained to her collar. Her boobs were the largest out of the girls and held by her topless dress; her sleeves were cone-shaped and were at the folds of her elbows. Her shoes were literally made of ice glass like she's a snow queen, but I'm mostly thinking Cinderella. She wore the face of a kuudere. That's Pandora, Zero Knightess of Bashful Blizzards.

Anyway, it looked like they were waiting for me to tell me something. "What is it now, you two? You know you aren't supposed to show yourselves until directed to. And I'm tired as heck… alright, this better be good," I sighed.

"Didn't you hear? Coral's been severely injured earlier and unconscious," Pandora summarized.

"What? Did that girl do something she wasn't supposed to and got herself nearly killed for it?" I replied. "It's like her, isn't it?"

Volt shook his head. "No, that's not it. What happened to her was the real cause of her being in the infirmary, and we're in big trouble because it was the one thing we should never let happen." Whatever do you mean? You two weren't around at all. But when they said that, I realized what really happened to Coral.

"You mean to say that you fools let Princess Kailaine and Paintress Adeline and the Nova actually escaped and got away with it?" I summarized. "Eh, not my problem."

"Not your problem? It's everyone's problem now!" Volt shouted. "Not only did our sister nearly died, but we're royally screwed if Zero hears that Kailaine escaped when everything was under our control! And now you're telling me that it ain't your problem anymore?! Besides, Coral was trying to recapture them and place them in detention until the end of this! At least she did something worthwhile that way!"

"Okay," I replied.

"Knock it off, Volt," Pandora cuts in. "Of course he wouldn't know since he spent his entire day at Lunadark Star. I'm positive that he had heard from her the last time before it even happened. But frankly, Eclipse, you should be more worried about your younger sibling now that she's injured."

I would right now, but I don't feel like it. Nonetheless, obviously everyone is freaked out about the situation and that Coral almost died, which means it worked. One less problem to deal with; how Zero reacts will be the only one left. As I thought that, Volt looks at me very strangely.

"That look of yours… did you know something we don't?" He demanded.

"Oh, that? I was wondering, how will Zero exactly react when he specifically told us it doesn't matter if the princess escaped or not?" I replied.

"What are you blabbing about, you trap?" Volt demanded again. What an idiot. At least Pandora is more reasonable than he is.

"Remember the last announcement he made? It may not sound like it, but he literally was implying that he'll get what he wanted in the end; that part, he was more focused on securing Dark Crystals and watching over Kirby. However, if you think about the situation and I'm only going to say this once, he made sure that nothing can escape the inevitable, even if they do so. As long as he doesn't overreacts when he finds out, we're good," I sighed. "And that's our real worry. Our fate lies in what Zero does next. Understand that, Volt, because I'm not going to repeat myself again!"

Volt grumbled. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. Just know that it's gonna be your fault if Zero doesn't pull through."

"Volt, that's enough," Pandora sighed. "Let's go see Coral now; the others are there too."

It was a few minutes later when we arrived at the infirmary. The other three members were already there as they gazed at Coral, who was resting in a special capsule chamber filled with blue liquid. In fact, we all have one for classified reasons out of any seeker's reach. Coral doesn't look like she's waking up anytime soon.

"Well, I did not see this coming," Molotov spoke. "One of our siblings almost got axed and now the prisoners managed to escape. We're so in for it now."

Auralia was crying a river of tears. "Poor Coral! She's just a kid; why did this have to happen to her?! That princess and her artist friend are so cruel!" How ironic; we're the bad guys here, plus one anti-hero… probably.

"It doesn't matter now," Solaris digressed. "We need to take decisive action of this immediately at all costs."

"Yeah, but how are we going to tell Zero about this? That the prisoners got out free while almost reducing nearly half of the forces to ashes in mere seconds?" Volt asked. "He's gonna kill us for this."

"Probably not, as Eclipse claims," Pandora stated. "It just depends on how Zero reacts to this turn of events. Only then we'll know for sure what he wants us to do. Speaking of which, his announcement is about to start now." The dread intensified for the rest of the knights except me, waiting for the screen nearby to show Zero. And then, he appeared.

"What's up, suckers?! Get ready for another night of blood!" He cackled, then he calmed down for a bit. "Sorry for that, but this one's very important, ya hear me? So, I've been wondering... I dig the new battleship that you snatched from the Masked Swordsman in a flash; he's got some great taste in design and everything, but that aside, you all look guilty of something, almost as if someone nearly bit the dust… who almost bit it, guys?"

"It… it was… Coral…!" Auralia sniffed and sobbed between words, and I could feel a drop of her tears splash on my face. Disgusting. "WAAAAHH!"

Zero's concern was raised by a high bar. "One of the Zero Seven?! But her job was already covered at Aquarius Star- wait a minute. I thought I told her to manage the new battleship once the merge was complete. And I've heard that nearly almost all of the forces were reduced to ashes in mere seconds, so how… wait… it was Kailaine, wasn't it?" There's no point in lying once he already figured it out, so everyone came clean with him.

"It was Kailaine," We all replied.

"And if I had to guess, she managed to escape along with Adeline, correct? Let me guess- Kirby's behind this, right?" Zero sweatdropped. No one replied as they were shocked that he got everything right on the money. "I'm gonna take your silences as a yes. Damn… how did they escape in the first place?"

"Technically, it was Kirby's Warpstar that got them out, and that star was the one that really reduced our forces into ashes with two shots- one for the Combo Cannon, and one directly at Coral after she called Kirby a low-tier smasher; it shot her because she insulted its master, and it looks like it came to get them out of its own volition without Kirby's notice. But that's only one of the causes," One of the soldiers stated. "And that's what happened… and Auralia won't stop crying!"

"Waaaah!" Cried Auralia.

"Oh god, make it stop!"

"So, uh… if I dare to ask, Master," Pandora spoke. "What do you want to do about this situation? If let alone, it'll be quite troublesome for us all. If you want, then we shall-"

"Leave them be," Zero answered, which shocked everyone.

"The hell?!" Volt was taken aback. "You aren't serious, are you?"

"Even though I wasn't expecting this to happen, it's not really much of a problem, although the plan was to make it quick as soon as possible the first time. However, this is the perfect chance to see what they're capable of on their own, all according to plan. Their recapture will not be necessary at the time being, but if by chance any of you encounter them, feel free to do as you wish; no killing, of course."

"But Master! It's too much of a risk to just leave things the way they are now!" Pandora countered. "That was the whole point of Popstar's invasion in the first place- to make sure that it went as smoothly as possible! And now we have to deal with an escaped princess and her trio; who knows where she went anyways? What if she met with Kirby?!"

"Settle down, Pandora," Zero spoke. "I know that possibility's there. If you and Volt went against Kailaine now, no doubt Kirby and his allies will try to stop you and may win, just like Coral here. You know damn well that Kirby isn't someone you can easily beat, and I've already shown you all our encounters with him through every form we took. That's why we're going to leave things as it is until the time is right. Eventually, Volt will have to go against them sooner; evaluate their power once you fight them, but know when to bail and let Techno Star's anxieties take care of the rest. The same goes for you, Pandora."

"So, in short, we don't have to recapture the prisoners again?" I restated for an answer. "If that's the case, what should we do then?"

"That's right. They've discovered only what they need to, so it's not a problem. I'm sure you figured it out, Eclipse, my whole mechanic of this plan already. Our goal remains the same: To use that energy stolen from the people and use that curse inside Kailaine to transform her into our unlimited supply of dark power- a living dark princess along with the seven elemental princesses to unlock the "gate of secrets." But that's for later. Right now, what bothers me is her younger sister, and it's strange considering that her memories were sealed on that day. I forgot why, though. Nonetheless, she had what we needed, and who knows what happened to her those eight years? I suggest that you keep an eye on her as well."

"But what good will that do when we should be worrying about Kailaine?" Molotov asked. "Or rather, what about her sister?"

"Her power is on par with her older sister, but I have the feeling that it's somehow similar to the Pink Demon Twins; the same for Kailaine as well. I don't know, it's just a feeling I have about her after she wiped out two elite demon beasts and an army of them a while ago. I'm just saying, just watch out for her. With that, it's really a mess indeed for things to turn out this way. All we can do is let the events unfold itself for the time being; meanwhile, get more victims from Popstar and just do your job, no johns whatsoever," Zero shrugged. "It's final: their recapture will not be necessary from now on. In the end, I'll get what I want, even if there's a tiny flaw in my plans."

"Bull," I coughed. "Lots of plot holes are still unsolved; you call that tiny?"

"Trust me, Eclipse. It'll work out for us, you'll see and stop with those sarcastic remarks one day. I'll be expecting you all to work twice as hard now in these circumstances. I shall take my leave for the night, and so should the rest of you for tomorrow, especially. Don't let me down, everyone. I would say that much softer if somebody didn't drink our two years' worth of the good stuff! I'll be going, but if I hear that Kirby gets away with something out of his assigned boundary, I'll trim the fat big time and make your ears bleed nonstop, if you know what I mean!" That really shook us with fear.

"Crap, we're gonna need more tombstones for that day," I sweatdropped.

"Ha ha, just kidding! I'm out! Don't fail me now!" Finally, the screens shut off and everyone exhales in relief.

"Well, that settles it then," I shrugged, glaring at Volt with an annoyed as hell look. "Looks like we don't have to worry about Kailaine and Adeline anymore, exactly as I said it would. Happy now, Volt? Otherwise, you're an idiot to not believe that."

"Geez, I get it already. It's a good thing that happened, but now that just makes our load heavier than before, doing seemingly pointless things and we can't even protest about it," Volt groaned. "And now he expects me to go against them tomorrow after what he just said?"

"Dude, just do your job," I firmly stated. "I've held my end of the totem pole, now you do the rest."

"It's not like you've been doing all the grunting and lifting around here, you know," Solaris added.

"Meh, whatever," I sighed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed and no one thinks about waking me up without a good reason."

"Damn, what's his problem?" Volt sighed.

"Hey, don't ask me, he's always a savage," Molotov shook his head.

"Eclipse, that reminds me," Pandora stops me. "Do you happen to know where our stash of photos and clothes of you crossdressing went? It wasn't there when I checked where we kept it."

I coughed nervously once. "How should I know that? It probably ended up elsewhere during the merge or something. You're that desperate for those?"

"Ecli-san, you're acting awfully suspicious there," Pandora questioned me. "You know something, don't you?"

"Nope, I'm just tired, that's all," I sighed, turning to leave the infirmary. "I'll see you all in the morning. Bother me then and I'll give you all something you'll never hear the end of." I left without saying another word to them after that one. It was troublesome to deal with; all they have to do is their job, that's it. But I suppose that's understandable in a way.

Bah, I don't have time for this.

Entering my room, all I did was drop on the bed and didn't move. It looks like the girls are safe for the time being, so my job on that end is done until something comes up. But that said, I still have answers to find, such as myself and the others… what are we supposed to be, really? If we are part of Zero's makings, then why do I have memories of someone else every day? One memory I recall having was being around a bunch of Star Kids that surrounded me like I'm their model or something. Two of those kids looked familiar, almost like the personas of Kirby and Karly… what does that mean to me?

I couldn't argue with it, because I'm gonna have the same kind of dreams again anyways. Maybe if I find out the purpose behind them, it might make sense to me… I don't really know for sure. All I can do for the night is deal with it until I get an answer someday… I hope Kaila's sister gets her memories back as well…

I wonder how Kaila's coping right now, before any of this...

Kailaine's Memories- That Promised Reality

"Mom… Dad… Kazela… I miss you all…" A despairing breeze blew by the cemetery on a regular basis, the reaper may be disappointed that he claimed them unexpectedly, but he didn't mind. I knew that no matter how much I try to hope, they were never coming back again. I'm the only one left standing- I'm not even myself anymore… I'm human now… and it's all his fault that I lost my whole family. The darkest time for Crystal Star to ever occur was engraved permanently.

Crystal Chaos- The day I've always hated with fury.

"Why did this have to happen?" I cried every time. Every day I repeat those words.

"Why me?"

That time, I kept flipping through the photo books, dwelling on the many memories we've had together. But what's the point of having memories like these if those people in them aren't around anymore? It's like they're a figment of your imagination; once you're dead, it's game over- permanently.

I knew it damn well. How can you expect a little girl like me to just accept things at a time they aren't supposed to? Why me? In that frustration, I slammed the album down and sulked in my bed. It's been like this for about a couple of years after the incident.

One day when I was 16, I couldn't sleep for an entire month, and that restlessness made my personality change around the maids, the soldiers and anybody else. The only thing I did was read all of these books about the Galaxy War, thinking about my parents, my friends and my lost sister as well. When Blazel came in, I didn't pay no mind to him as he stepped in to find a mess of books lying around like a hoarder's collection of prizes.

"Kailaine, is there something going with you? I've never heard the end of it from everyone else earlier. You've been acting strangely this entire month." He asked. "Well, in fact all you ever do is keep reading those books all day long until you drop unconscious and… well, this has to end."

I shot a blank, intimidating stare in response. "Just leave me be, Blazel. I'm fine, see?"

"The only thing I see is an insomniac princess who hasn't slept for a month. Obviously there's something bothering you all month… you're thinking about them, aren't you?" He was always quick to catch on; he can easily read me then, so there was no point in denying it.

I slowly nod. "Y-yes… I never stopped thinking about then ever since it happened. This wasn't supposed to happen at all, and it did. I kept wondering what I should've done to at least prevented this from happening… everything is a blur now to me to what took place then. I guess these books somehow relieve my depression of it… but I've been causing everyone trouble with my attitude now."

"When you put it that way, I can't blame you for feeling that," Blazel sighed. "I don't know how you managed to last a month without any sleep, but it's not good for you anyways. Besides that, I know how you feel about it as well."

I shook my head restlessly. "Still, don't you think this could've been at least prevented in some way? Mom and Dad didn't deserve to die, not like that. It's just like how it was in the Great Galaxy War, where lots of warriors died brutally in the end. The only trace of them left is the Legendary Star Warrior… hey, do you think if he was around, then things might be different?"

"It's kinda hard to say, Kailaine," Blazel replied. "Because he wasn't supposed to arrive for another 200 years or so. Still, I can say even if that happens, I'm sure he would've done something about this… probably. However, this is something we have to deal with until then."

"I don't know," I sighed. "I was eight when it happened, and I basically had to fight against that bloody freak along with everyone else before I became human. Even if he was defeated, I still lost two more important people as a cost. The point is, I feel like I failed in the end no matter what I did to stop it. It's the worst feeling ever, you know."

"That's okay, Kaila," Blazel agrees. "Actually, that's what I've felt after they died; I couldn't bring myself to attend their graves since then, and I blamed myself for being too weak. After all, it was my duty to protect the family, but I couldn't keep that promise to them."

I could feel the vibe of his regrets emitting from him. "Really? I didn't think you'd have those kind of thoughts."

"Trust me, everyone has these thoughts. I try not to let it get to me to the point where I lose my will to even go on, it's just that I'm really good at hiding it. I still feel guilty whenever that comes up in my head… but I won't let their wishes be forsaken, because I haven't broke that promise- and that is protecting you since you're the only one left. That's the least I can do at this point." Blazel stated. "Don't worry, everything will be okay, I promise."

My mind was flooded with tons of memories from a single quote, and I knew it well. In that moment, I lifted a tearful smile for my expression switch. "You promise that it'll be okay?"

"What are you, 4? You're acting like a kid again; still, it's exactly like I said," Blazel answered. "We'll get through this, Kailaine. That I can guarantee, even if things do take an unexpected turn. Who knows? We might be lucky this time of the year."

I sweatdropped. "Doubt it." Even though I was relieved from my sadness, I still retained my mood from before. "I appreciate that, though. Sorry, Blazel. The truth is, I was reading a lot because there was still something on my mind that still bothers me, mainly about Dark Matter. They've only attacked us twice and that's pretty much it. But something tells me we're not going to hear the end of them anytime soon; they may be out there somewhere in the galaxy, hurting more people… I don't know for sure… I also feel the same for Kazela- maybe there's more to her disappearance than we thought?"

Blazel catches on quickly or rather had an extensive idea to my statement. "So that's what this is about- not only you want to learn more about Dark Matter, but you wanna also find Kazela too, right? Truth be told, I think she's still alive somewhere, but there wasn't enough evidence that confirms it so. Maybe she was abducted by Dark Matter, and if we assume that's true, then… she may be somewhere out of the Cosmic Galaxy."

I sighed and got up from my bed. "Blazel, we've checked every planet here possible ever since she disappeared. I don't believe she was taken away that far easily… where else could she be if we assume she's not anywhere in the Cosmic Galaxy?"

Blazel seemed to have in mind already an idea that he may have had for some time. "Remember that one-month vacation we're having next month? Because of this, I thought that it's important that we seek the help of others in the search for Kazelaine. We're gonna need special assistance once we get there."

"Oh yeah, that. I completely forgot about it," I said. "I could definitely use that. So why do you sound so ecstatic about it?"

"Glad you asked, because we're going to the Gamble Galactic Galaxy this time!" He answered. That grabbed my attention.

"That galaxy?! But that means-!" I gasped.

"What? You actually thought that galaxy was an old fairy tale?!" Blazel laughed. "Are you kidding?! Everything you've read about the Galaxy War actually happened, along with the fall of Nightmare as well! Stop playing around, princess- you know it was real! I mean it- we're going to Planet Popstar to meet the remaining Star Warriors living there!"

"Really?! We're actually going to meet them for the very first time?!" I asked excitedly.

"Of course; actually," Blazel continues. "It was your parent's last will and testament- one of them, of course. The chancellor told me earlier today; their urgent request is that should Dark Matter ever return to wreak havoc again, they want us both to travel to the Gamble Galaxy and seek the help of the Legendary Star Warrior living on Planet Popstar to help us stop them if that ever happens. But not until you were old enough to take this on yourself."

I was still in surprised disbelief then. "I… wow! We're going to meet the Legendary Star Warrior himself?! Oh my god-!"

Blazel stopped me. "Calm down, Kailaine! It's not until two months from now. Actually, we need to leave next month to get there. That's why we're taking your dad's Cosmic Star for the long way there."

"Wait, but what about the planet; who's going to look out for them if we're gone?"

"Don't worry, I took care of that," Blazel smirked. "But listen, Kailaine. Even though it's a vacation, don't forget that we're also there to ask them for help in finding Kazela soon enough. Anything can happen, so be prepared to defend yourself because Popstar's always a constant target of enemy attacks. Nonetheless, they're our only chance of finding her, so it'll be okay!"

"I hope so… I bet they both wanted to meet him as well," I sighed. "All we can do is make their wish come true for them, right?"

At that moment, one of the Royal Maids came in; she obviously wore a black and white maid outfit, her hair was short and black, her eyes were silver white as well, one who was certainly the odd one out of the maids, but we all knew her well. There's just something about her that really draws you in like a vortex, I really can't explain it well. Either way, she was definitely a pleasure to have around- Erisene Istrenella, but call her Eris if you will.

"Commander, sorry for the interruption. I just wanted your opinion on whether you wanted to bring your hair gel supplies with you, because I've brought in every single one you own."

"Dang it, Eris! Not in front of her!" Blazel attempted to stop her.

I sweatdropped and looked at Blazel. "Are you serious? You actually use hair gel?"

"What? You thought my hair was naturally spiky this way?" He blushed, turning to the maid. "Uh, that won't be necessary, Eris. I'll take care of that myself. You should be focused on preparing the ship or something, and don't bring up personal matters in front of Kailaine again."

"Alright, if that's what you wish," Eris giggled as she left the room. Blazel quickly got up, nearing the door.

"I'm… gonna take care of this… I'll be going now, but I do hope that you feel better about this. Now you should probably get some sleep after this before you die of exhaustion… probably." In a flash, he also left the room, having his secret blown in front of him.

With learning all of this, I couldn't contain my excitement once I found out we're going to meet the Legendary Star Warrior himself! Surely he could help us out; he did slay Nightmare after all. I thought at first it was a fairy tale, but to think that it actually was real really blew my mind into a million pieces. I guess that does explain a lot; seriously, what's wrong with me? Maybe I was depressed for a while to even think about it…

Still, I'm finally given that once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the Star Warrior I've heard so much about! He could help us find her, I know it! With that in mind, I realized it was nearly the end of this month, and it was so close yet very far. I couldn't wait to meet him! If Mom and Dad were still alive, they wouldn't hesitate to travel to Popstar. It's like they knew someone who lives there way before then, but it doesn't matter for now.

As my mind was a complete mess, I gaze out the night sky of the window to see the town lights fluctuate soundly and colorfully. The silver moon shined ever brightly, and the shooting stars rained down into the night horizon like a meteor shower. I bet they were heading towards the Planet of Dreams, who knows?

One thing was clear to me: that warrior will help me find my lost sister, no matter what. He's been through a lot, I can tell. But he endured it all despite how painful it was for him. He's fearless, kind, and someone humble; he might as well be the result of all the positivity in emotions of light. I think it'd be nice if we became friends… maybe, just maybe… more than just-

"Eh?! What am I thinking all of a sudden?!" My face turns red like a cherry. "No way! Like that'll ever happen!" I thought; I'd better get myself to bed and try to sleep for once. And that's what I did to flush out those weird thoughts. But I can't contain my hyperactivity, even in my dreams. Soon, that fairy tale will become reality later on as I went into my own fantasy world in that single month, and I'd meet the Legendary Star Warrior for the first time as he meets the Legendary Crystal Princess- that's me…

Come to think of it, I just realized that no one ever told me his name.

Planet Popstar- Aftermath

Popstar had yet went through another weird event as of before. They had just witnessed the fall of despair itself as it was slain by the self-made king of Dreamland, Dedede. How do you think they reacted as the king that had been tyrannical before saved the souls of humans before their very eyes?

Flabbergasted and surprised, of course. Especially if it was someone who did hold a major grudge against him. Little did the king knew, his actions were broadcasted live to every single planet possible- all were there to see it, heard every word, and witnessed the rich results that came with it.

No one can say this was all an act when it wasn't- this came out of nowhere, so it had to be taken seriously, no exceptions, no objections, and no johns whatsoever. It had to be accepted, otherwise you're a damn idiot for refusing to believe it so. If you have a big objection to where that just came from, you can take that, hold it and shove it up your bum. Moving on, how much did they see?

Only all of it like a jam-packed crowd watching an anticipated movie event in history in which they didn't have to pay jack for tickets. All they could do was stare with a stir of emotions, perhaps their viewpoint about the king changed.

At the castle, the TV there was the last to shut off once it ended. Blazel was astonished at what he'd witnessed- the king of Dreamland actually taking a stand for the planet as well as unleashing a power so marvelous to defeat the Void of Despair. Everything returned back to normal once it disappeared.

"Wow…" Tuff replied. "I was not ready for that."

Escargoon was shocked too. "I've never seen the king like this in a long time… maybe I did, but still! The way he just destroyed that monster really gives me the chills! And what he said then… what did he mean by that?"

"I'm certain that maybe he really wasn't that heartless in the first place," Blazel concluded. "Although we cannot be that sure about it unless we give them a call later on. But I can tell it was so at the same time. Thing is, though, it occurred to me that not everyone would agree with me on that." Specifically, he was referring to Tiff, who didn't reply at first, but gave in to it.

"Man, you can really read people that easily, huh?"

"Just as I thought," he continued. "You're thinking that he's still heartless even after he went and saved the lives of millions? Well, I can't blame you for feeling that way towards him. You had to go through his shenanigans on a daily basis, after all. No one will make you believe so, but you can't deny that he saved everybody else. Sometimes you're gonna have to let that grudge free- no, you need to send that grudge away, because a grudge is something that changes a person who has it in the worst ways possible. Think about it for a second there."

Tiff didn't respond for a while. Maybe she's speculating it for the moment; she's speechless now. But it does seem that she came to a firm conclusion about this. "I see... you're right. I don't know the full story, but it does look like he's serious about what he said; I'd be an idiot to not believe what I just saw. I still doubt until I hear it from Dedede himself. Supposedly, I'll take your word for it, Commander."

After everything she went through trying to defend Kirby in his prematurity age from Dedede's antics (now proven false), obviously she would feel this way about him. But earlier in those adventures, she somehow knew that he wasn't bad as he appeared to be after they made a fake funeral for Kirby when he swallowed watermelon bombs. That may have been the one time where she saw the good in him when he wept over Kirby's (fake) death. It was April Fools, so yeah. Still, there was definitely some good in him.

"Now that's more like it," Blazel smiled. "Be sure to make up after this mess is over, okay? Anyway, let's leave that aside for now and probably call it a day. So far, it's looking good!" The gate wasn't complete, but you could tell it was starting out really smoothly with no problems. Other details regarding that will have to be put on hold at the moment.

"I agree, it's the middle of the night ever since that was broadcasted for about a few hours straight," Escargoon groaned. "And I forgot to readjust my watch before. Thank god we have technology; who needs to do things the old-fashioned way anyways?"

The children then sweatdropped. "Did you forget that we went a year without technology after the Robobot Invasion?"

No seriously, they literally did that. It was the worst time for all those without it, and so expect there to be a year of constant complaining from the kids; the adults and grown-ups had a bad time. Besides that, I'm sure at the beginning of the story Kirby mentioned that the town was patched up with materials from the attack… well, whatever was left of it after it disappeared when the company was destroyed… don't question it, this is Kirby- the impossible becomes possible here.

Speaking of which, that's right! They don't know yet about that, right? In that case, let's give it to them straight starting with an incoming call from Kazelaine right now and Blazel picked up before you could even blink at mach twenty like the alien that blew up half the moon one time with an emoji for a face.

"Hello, Blazel speaking," He answered, unwittingly having it set already on speaker. "Oh, hey Kazela!"

"Hiya, hothead!" The young princess replied hyperactively. "So, guess what?!"

"There's no need for that," He replied. "Because I saw it all on TV. Everybody did. Just a few minutes ago at the same time, we saw the king punish the despair live. Want a copy? I recorded every single thing there was to record."

"Sure; send it on Big Sis' tab, by the way," She joked. Actually, she was serious about that. "Wait, does that mean you know the truth about Dedede now?"

"Seems like it, but we have yet to hear it from himself the full story. I still believe in him though," He said as he heard noises of that at a party. "Are you all having a party or what?"

"Yeah; Monokitsune's doing what he calls the Sexy Monokitsune Dance, pretty sure that was a reference of some sort. Everyone's party rocking hard and stuff at the moment, so that's why," She explained.

"Seriously? That fox is something, I swear," Blazel groaned in his thoughts, tortured about the times he saw him dance when he went to check on Yae a few years ago. That was the first thing he caught the cub doing once he stepped in.

"Still, he did save us back there at the last second along with his three woman army. Oh, that reminds me, Big sis wants to speak to you as well," She said. "And here she is, so I'll let her take it from here." And a few seconds later, a new voice was on the line.

"Blazel, is that you?" The voice requested.

"Yeah, it's me," Blazel spoke in a casual tone. "I thought Kazela made it clear already, but whatever. State your business with me, please."

"God, I've been kidnapped for two weeks and this is how you welcome me back?!" She shouted suddenly. "How are you so calm about this, Blazel?! Did you hit your head when I got abducted that day?!"

"No, it was my arm I broke, but thanks for asking, milady. You know, your voice does sound a lot like Kailaine though. Either I really did hit my head hard, or that's probably Karly pretending to impersonate her as Kazela told me before; I bet that's you, Karly," Blazel snickered. The others sweatdropped even more, knowing that he may have dug himself an early grave.

"Um, Blazel? You might wanna-!"

"Hold on, talking to Karly pretending to be Kailaine here," Blazel replied back. "Nice try Karly, but you can't fool me, even if your voice happens to sound like her on the spot."

"You're still the typical airhead as usual, Blazel," She replied.

"Prove it," Blazel chuckled. "Name something only Kailaine would know, if you can!"

"Like the fact that if one of the kids near you opens the closet inside the ship, they'll find your hidden supply of expensive Ruby Blaze Hair Gel, thus revealing the fact that your hair is not naturally spiky as it seems now?" She stated; ironically, Tuff did exactly what she alluded to do, because once he unlocked the door, a flood of hair gel containers spilled over the ship's floor; so cliché.

Blazel left his mouth hanging in surprise, as he realized there was only one person who knew that fact about his hair. "Holy-! You couldn't be-!"

"About time, gelatin," It was definitely her alright. "It's me." That caught everyone's attention.

"Kailaine?! How?!" Blazel shouted. "You were taken by Dark Matter, right?!"

"It's a long story, but I do owe it to everyone here for helping me out. Just like you told me before, it'll be okay. And you were right," She answered.

Tuff then asked, "So does that mean it's over?"

"Saving Kailaine and Adeline- yes," Tiff spoke. "Dark Matter- no. They still have to deal with them before it's even over."

"At least that's one less problem to deal with, thank god," Escargoon exhaled. "But won't they try to recapture them again now that they've escaped somehow?"

"And risk being overpowered by Kirby with us? Probably not," Kailaine suggested. "That aside, we'll end up having to go back home again even after we've left before. I could tell you more, but maybe tomorrow, it's really late over there, right?"

"Ah, yeah, it's midnight," Blazel yawned. "Still, I can't tell you how much I am happy to hear your voice again, and I'm glad you're both okay. I wish I could be there with you, but I'm in no condition to do so. However, I know that Kirby and his friends will be there to defend you, but you must also defend them as well. I can imagine they haven't won a single battle without shedding blood."

"I know that, Blazel," Kailaine stated.

"For us, we're planning to build a Chaos Gate that'll take us directly from Popstar to Crystal Star instantly to rescue the people that have been kidnapped by these so-called Zero Knights, and it's going along well," Blazel continued. "Listen, this is our only chance to end this madness for good. Once the gate is done, we're heading straight for Crystal Star if we finish ahead of you all. I'm counting on you, princess."

"I know that already, but thanks for that," She giggles. "Anyway, I'd better go. I'll see you all tomorrow if possible, and I should apologize once it's over. Well, good night, everyone." The phone clicked instantly off. That ends the call.

"Well, I think I speak for everyone when I say," Tuff stated. "I was not expecting this to happen at all! The pressure on Kirby and the others will definitely be harder than before."

"I agree, but on the bright side, the princess and Adeline are free earlier than expected!" Tiff smiled. "We should go tell everyone tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, I'm pooped yet still glad about it. Maybe I ate too much of the king's diet burgers, diet fries and diet blood milkshake," Escargoon groaned. I guess I forgot to mention that the food had laxatives in them; he's not gonna get no sleep tonight.

"Well, let's just hope that nothing can go wrong from here, for now, I suppose," Blazel smiled.

This was one hell of an adventure so far with some plot holes and such, but as a whole, this was one of Kirby's Bizarre Adventures, to say the least. And so, the fate of this adventure instantly changed within a turn of a page.

With the knowledge right now, our heroes will venture into Techno Star and confront the usual; expect some kind of twist to occur there. Speaking of which, I forgot to mention, do you remember the incident known as Planet Robobot?

A hint here: the events in the recent and previous acts are all connected to that particular planet. Hidden programs and such should give you an idea of what the next arc is all about.

...

"All systems check… Fatal Success Complete, Mrs. Haltmann."

"Perfect… now all that's left is to wait for them to arrive here… it's time to commence the VR Project at once… I'll give that native one hell of a show… kehehehe… come and get some, Pinky… if you can…"

I don't like the sound of that…

To be continued…

End of Episode 5!

Author's Note Summary:

At least I didn't go over 10,000 words this time, thank god. I think I need to do that more often in the future. Besides that, I hope you liked this arc's ending or at least satisfied with it. Yeah, it was kinda troubling to figure out how to write this out exactly, and I was supposed to finish this last Friday, but other things came up, not to mention that it's almost the end of the school year; I'd better hurry in case I have to return my laptop. Just saying…

Still, I'll admit it does kinda seem pointless, but apparently I can't leave that hanging there, you know? But it was worth it in the end, right? Although I did the first part of the chapter, I had no intention of making that the main focus here. I did need to have these parts connect in some way, however. Nonetheless, some questions are explained or alluded to an answer, and I decided to introduce the last two knights in the fray while I was at it.

Anyway, I thought I'd include one of Kaila's recent memories as it explained how Crystal Chaos affected her personally and emotionally up until she talks it out with Blazel, who does his best to cheer her up and succeeds. Mainly, it leads up to when it was announced they would head to Popstar, so that's what happened before the incident occurred. Hope you liked that development between them.

Finally, it takes us back to the aftermath of Zetsubō No Chisei on Popstar. It does seem like a filler at this point, but I assure you, what happens on Popstar is very important to later events of this story, and you just read about one of the future plot events said to take place. Just be wary, okay? By the way, I hope you backtrack and reread the fourth and fifth chapter arcs again because specific events are actually tied to Chapter 6's arc as well as the last scene just now mentioned. What happens next is a secret for now; you should be able to piece together the information from those two specific chapters and get an idea of the next chapter's crisis.

With that, I'll take my leave here; let me know your thoughts in this chapter in your reviews and tell me what I have to improve on. I could use some advice here and then. Anyway, take care and see you soon!