A/N: With Sora now in Smash, I've been thinking of doing a photo contest that involves recreating scenes from this story in visual form. Nothing is set in stone yet, but please visit my Deviantart page for more information! Or visit the poll on my Fanfiction profile page. Thanks for your continued support! Now, onto the chapter!
Chapter 40: Tussle with the King
Sora felt the wind ambush the splits of his hair as the Warp Star sped through the sky. Seems like their time of sightseeing was postponed. But they used their moments reprieve to prepare themselves for a potentially harder battle.
"Masked man not bad guy, after all," Yoshi said.
Luigi turned to him, indecisive. "I don't know. Tell me that again after I subdue my sudden urge to use the bathroom."
"Thanks," Sora said, giving him an uncomfortable look. "My life would've been at a standstill without that vital information."
He faced Kirby, who was focused on the path ahead of him. His expression was serious, sustained by a beam of determination. But Sora wondered if bitterness had laced itself around his pink face. Or maybe the guilt just still lingered in Sora's soul like flecks of dusty, irritating particles.
Either way, he couldn't contain those troubling thoughts. "Hey, Kirby. Sorry again about lying to you."
Kirby replied with a reassuring smile, and patted him on the shoulder. Sora felt the burden shrink in his chest. He was thankful for such understanding friends. They never shunned you for your mistakes; no one was perfect.
He just wished Riku would come to that conclusion.
"Thanks," Sora said, letting his dilemma with Riku trail behind him. "Let's go get Dedede!"
Kirby nodded with a confident smile, and increased the Warp Star's speed.
Dedede watched the group's progress through a telescope, located on a balcony outside of his throne room. Bandana noticed the king's expression turned sour. In a way, he felt bad for his predicament. Dedede had found peace; his temperament flowed through a tapered river. And now it was edging towards a waterfall.
"Will nothing ever slow that pink blob down!?" Dedede asked, exasperated. He started to panic. "This is it! The end! My pleasant dreams are gonna be off the air! Canceled! Replaced by eight hours of spooks!"
Noticing the king's rapid breathing, Bandana held out a paper bag for him to calm his nerves. Dedede stared at his faithful servant with a frown, grabbed the bag, and then slammed it onto his head, shouting, "I don't need a doggie bag as sympathy, you numbskull! Too worried to be hungry! We need a plan!"
"Sir, may I suggest getting outside more often?" Bandana said, lifting the bag above his eyes. "Hear it's good for social interaction."
"What do you mean?" Dedede asked. "We're standing outside right now, ain't we?"
Bandana sighed in defeat. "Forget I ever uttered a sentence. We do have a backup plan in case the Meta Knights failed."
"You do!?" Dedede asked, his eyes lighting up with sudden joy. He squeezed Bandana's checks together. "Oh, you sly little boot licker! I'd kiss you on the lips if you had any! What is it? What is it?"
Bandana was proud to please his king. It was a rare honor. In a confident voice, he said, "Why, come with me and I'll show you, your majesty."
"Erm, couldn't you tell me right now?" Dedede asked, raising an eyebrow.
"And ruin the surprise?" Bandana said with a whimsical twinkle in his eyes. "Absolutely not!"
He gestured the king to follow him, and hurried into the throne room.
"Aw, but now I have to run!" Dedede said, moaning like a child. "Why do you torture the soles of my feet?"
Sora and his friends saw the castle come into view.
"Alright," Luigi said. "Take us in nice and easy." The Warp Star's speed didn't decrease. Anxiety started rushing through his veins. "Hello! Do you hear me? We'll crashed at this rate!"
Suddenly, the Warp Start accelerated faster towards the castle.
"Now you're doing this on purpose!" Luigi said, shouting in alarm. "Is there a reason I deserve this?"
"Seems like Kirby's in too big of a hurry!" Sora said. "Brace yourselves!"
The others dove onto their stomachs as they saw the castle's details appeared in their sight. At the last moment, Kirby made the Warp Star stop right in front of a window. He got everyone's attention in his usual cheerful tone, believing the ride was smooth. Everyone peeked up, noticing they not been caught in of a storm of ruble.
Sora exhaled. "Man, you're insane, Kirby."
"His driving makes you look like a professional pilot," Luigi said, his voice trembling from the residual fear.
Sora looked glum. "Why can't you let scars heal in peace?"
While everyone else recovered from the rough stop, Kirby maneuvered the Warp Star to a nearby window. The group glanced at each other, asking with their eyes if the other was ready. There was no hesitation; it was time to confront the king, and wake Dream Land from this endless nightmare.
They descended some stairs. So far, the entire castle was deserted. They heard no commotion throughout the halls – only the echoes of their footsteps. It was apparent that the king had a trap planned for them. All they could do was stay vigilant.
The group arrived in a massive room. Once again, barren. Ahead of them were stairs that lead to a massive, red double door with yellow outlines. On each door was the king's insignia. A sudden creak disrupted the noiseless room, and the doors opened at a turtle's pace. Luigi's legs wobbled; he didn't want to see what waited for them behind the door's maw.
But they had no choice. The king was waiting for their move. All they could do was endure.
They stepped inside, and heard the door shut behind them, trapping them in a pitch-black void, with no chance of escape. Squinting was meaningless; even the smallest features were too timid to unveil themselves from behind the pitch-black curtains. All Sora could feel was the presence of his friends (and Luigi's nervous gibberish); and that was good enough security for him.
"Everyone stay alert," Sora said. "Who knows what the king's got in store for us."
Their vision was consumed by a bright light. Once everyone adjusted to its overwhelming presence, the group noticed they were standing in a wrestling arena. Bleachers were populated with boisterous people (all of whom served the king); over their heads were purple banners etched with golden stars.
The group noticed they were on catwalk that led to the ring, which had a picture of the king giving the peace sign on the floor. Sora and friends were baffled by the setup. They didn't expect the king's trap to be so….overblown. Although Kirby rolled his eyes, indicating he had seen this before.
The stage lights focused on the ring as another microphone creature wriggled his way through the three ropes and tumbled towards the center. He stood up, cleared his throat, and spoke in a loud, yet smooth voice.
"Ladies and gentleman!" the microphone said; his voice was able match the preponderant cheers from the crowd. "Who's ready to witness the smack down on a certain pink pest!?"
The audience cheered even louder, making the arena pulsate with excitement.
"Then welcome to Mt. Dedede's first ever Big, Ultimate, Tussle Time, or B.U.T.T!" The microphone realized what he said, and his voice cracked in anger. "Alright, who wrote this!? Anyone? Don't be shy!"
Kirby and Yoshi broke down into fits of laughter. Luigi just stared at them with disdain. "Grow up, you two."
"But we babies," Yoshi said, struggling to regain his composure. "This high caliber stuff right here."
"My generation weeps for the adolescence," Luigi said, somewhat forlorn.
Little did Luigi know, a small snort escaped Sora's nose, and he held it in embarrassment.
The microphone cleared his throat again, grabbing everyone's attention. "Anyway, let's go ahead and meet our punching ba – erm, challengers. In this corner, standing at a whopping twenty centimeters, residential pain in the butt to his majesty, and puts restaurants out of business everywhere, please give a slow clap for Kirby. Oh, and his friends, too."
And the audience followed the microphone's directive; the ecstatic mood in the arena was dampened by their unenthused applause. Two Waddle Dees appear behind the group – one sprinkled them with light confetti; the other one played an unflattering tune on a kazoo. Sora and his friends narrowed their eyes at each other; seems the king was intent on winning through mockery.
Loud music started beating through the loudspeakers like proud drums; the audience clapped and stomped in rhythm with it. A spotlight focused on the catwalk opposite the ring; at the edge, King Dedede started rising from below, back faced to everyone. Red and yellow pyrotechnics burst from each side of him like flaming, dancing fountains.
"And now, put your hands together for a man who needs no introduction," the microphone said, zealous. "But we're going to give him the biggest one anyways because he said so. The King of our beloved Pop Star; the master of mallets; crusher of little pink gumdrops everywhere; a man whose appetite knows no bounds; and has good looks that brighten this arena; give it up for the one, the only, TRIPLE D!"
The king spun around, giving the peace sign with both hands, laughing in arrogance. Everyone in the crowd sang his praises through excessive, cacophonous cheers. He walked down the catwalk with a smug expression. It's good to be the king, he thought. At one point, he placed a hand on his ear, soaking in the unconditional praise.
Sora just stared blankly. "Something tells me this guy's got home advantage."
"What gave you that idea?" Luigi asked with a raised eyebrow.
Dedede stepped into the ring, picked up the microphone, and pointed at the group. "Kirby! You think that just because you're the hero of Dream Land gives you the right to storm my castle? Well, let me tell ya somethin' brother: you ain't no hero! You're just a reckless little brat that brings destruction wherever he goes. Whatever you see, you devour, eating folks out of a house and home. Don't try to fool everyone with that sweet disposition; you're the true plague that threatens my world. You hungry now? Well, guess what: I'm going to quell your appetite with PAIN!"
He dropped the microphone face first onto the ground, who replied with a flat, "Ouch." If the audience cheered any louder, the arena would shatter with the delicacy of glass. Kirby felt the sting of the king's words. Was his power really a danger to everyone? He had never considered the thought before. His appetite was never-ending. What if it got worse? He was discouraged.
Until Yoshi patted him on the head. "No, listen. He just big bully. You inhale baddies to keep everyone safe. Besides, unlike him, you have friends who always have back."
Kirby turned to him with a grateful smile. Yoshi was right; he never used his abilities to hurt others. Everyone saw the good in him. Especially Sora's group. He just had to remain true to himself; the only plague threatening the world stood right in front of him. Only the guilty spread condemnation.
"Young man, care to retort?" the microphone asked, approaching Sora.
The boy shrugged. "Sure." He leaned into the microphone. "Dedede!" He froze in fear; a proper comeback refused to leave its safe space. Saying it in front of a large crowd didn't help matters. "You…uh…gosh...are so fat that your first word was pizza."
Everyone in the audience burst into laughter, making Sora wish he could escape into the bleachers in embarrassment.
"That's the best you can come up with, kid?" Dedede asked, while guffawing on the ground. "Oh, no! Don't hurt my precious feelings."
Yoshi patted Sora's back, believing his words were effective. "Nice one! They laughing from loving your insult so much."
"Sometimes it stinks being too much of a nice guy," Sora said, his shoulders slumping in shame.
"How about a comment from Triple D's number one rival," the microphone said, walking over to Kirby.
The puff ball fished for a response until he felt a nibble. Enthused, he took a deep breath and started singing again. Dreading the rupture of his ear drums, Luigi grabbed the microphone and tossed him into the bleachers.
"Nope!" Luigi said. "I've heard enough bad singing to last me two lifetimes!"
"Two?" Sora asked.
"Don't you believe in reincarnation?"
King Dedede shook his head. "Nothing but a menace." He rose to his feet. "Come on! Let's settle the score, Kirby!"
The group hurried into the ring and assumed their battle position. Dedede rested his hammer on his shoulder. He had been waiting to crush Kirby – both in body and spirit. That dream had caressed him during a pleasant night's sleep; now it was coming to fruition.
He'd finally be free of his internal agony.
"You think Kirby's the problem, huh?" Sora said with a look of revulsion. "You're the one who's depriving everyone of a peaceful sleep!"
"I'm the king!" Dedede said, snapping. "I do whatever I want! This little punk always ruins my plans. So much so that I've been having nightmares about him! That's why I needed to break the Star Rod – someone promised they would rectify my problem."
"And who's that?" Luigi asked, curious.
Dedede frowned. "None of your concern, hairy nose. The only concern you should have right now is about becoming flapjacks!"
"Bring it on, then!" Sora said.
Dedede smirked. "Not alone, I ain't."
He whistled, prompting two of his henchmen to appear behind him. One was Bandana wielding his spear. The other was a muscular, gorilla-like creature named Bonkers; he had short purple hair and long sideburns. His shirt matched the hair color, and he wore black jeans. Sora and his friends weren't intimidated by his robust physique (Donkey Kong could bench press him a thousand times).
"Okay, boys," Dedede said. "Take care of those green punks while I clobber that there Kirby and his Keyblade friend!"
Bonkers pulled out a hammer, and tapped the head against his hand with an ecstatic, malicious grin. He opened his mouth, but Dedede spoke before a syllable was uttered. "And if you say, 'It's Hammer Time,' you're rooming with the earthworms tonight!"
Bonkers lowered his head in disappointment; Kirby took the opportunity to inhale his hammer. A blue and white hackimaki headbanded wrapped itself around his forehead. He then gained Bonker's hammer; but the muscular being wasn't upset, because he pulled out another one from behind him.
"Never leave home without spare," Bonkers said.
Kirby ran straight for Dedede. The king swung the hammer downward with his right hand; Kirby held his up at horizontal angle, blocking the strike. Dedede grasped the handle with both hands, and tried another downward attack. Kirby repositioned his hammer, blocking the attack again. The king than thrust his massive stomach into the puff ball, sending him flying into Sora; they both hit the ground.
Dedede leaped high into the air, preparing to crush the two. They both rolled away from each other, avoiding being crushed by the king's cannon ball weight. Sora stood up, ran straight for the king, and swung the Keyblade. Dedede thrusted to his left, deflecting the attack. He brought his hammer in low, to the right, and knocked Kirby off his feet.
Dedede tried bringing his hammer straight down, only for Kirby to catch it with his own. The two struggled for a moment. However, Kirby managed to push Dedede's hammer upward, which gave him a chance to roll backwards.
Looking over his shoulder, Dedede saw Sora throw the Keyblade at him. The king then did something unexpected: he opened his mouth wide, inhaling the blade in one gulp, imitating Kirby's signature ability. The Keyblade's form caused his cheeks to expand.
"No way!" Sora said, in shock. "What, you think copying someone else is gonna help you win? It's just a poor imitation of the real deal!"
"Poyo!" Kirby said, offended.
Sora blushed upon realizing the hypocrisy. "Erm, it's different when you do it. You're better at using their own abilities."
Dedede prepared to spit the Keyblade at Sora. But at the last minute, he turned around, releasing it on Kirby instead. The puff ball deflected it in time, but couldn't avoid an incoming hammer from Dedede, sending him flying into the ropes.
Hearing Sora approach him, Dedede spun around, holding his hammer high, blocking a downward slash. He then jammed the hammer into Sora's stomach; the boy winced as his ribs clamored in pain. Dedede threw him over his head with the hammer, and he landed on the ground. The king tried bringing his hammer straight down, but Sora rolled to the side.
After landing on his stomach, Sora pointed the Keyblate at the king's feet. "Freeze!"
Both the king's oval shaped toes were trapped in ice. Sora scrambled to his feet, and swung towards Dedede's face, who leaned back to avoid the strike. The king swung his hammer inward; Sora spun around, placed his free hand against the Keyblade, and caught the head. The force from Dedede's strike made Sora slide backwards. But he was ready to go on the offense; he launched a fire spell at the king's gloved hand, setting it on fire.
Dedede dropped the hammer, and flailed his hand around, trying to quell the flames; he even blew on it, too. Sora slashed across the king's stomach, which did some damage. Tears of pain tried escaping the king's ducts, but he restrained them. Kirby ran over, holding his hammer with both hands.
Sora moved aside, allowing Kirby to swing straight into Dedede's face, which knocked him back a fair distance; however, he was quick to recover. The king's aggravation was cultivating into a giant mass of anger. He would not lose his pleasant dreams, especially to the one causing them. That monstrous form started emerging from his subconscious, starting at him with blank, white shutters for eyes; not the slightest spec of humanity resided behind them.
And he planned to shove them back into the cellar of his subconscious, where it would remain trapped forever.
Bonkers spun around like an out-of-control carousel, swinging his hammer with both hands. Luigi continued walking backwards to avoid each strike. When Bonkers performed one last swing, the plumber held his hammer at vertical angle, close to the chest, and caught the attack. He then tried countering by swinging downward, but Bonkers placed his hammer at a horizontal angle, catching the strike.
With a powerful kick, he pushed Luigi backwards. Bonkers tossed a coconut at him, which the plumber dodged by jerking his head left; when the coconut hit the ground, it exploded, causing him to stumble forward. Bonkers rammed his hammer into Luigi, knocking him towards the edge of the ring.
His mind was cluttered with auditory and visual distortion. But he had to regain his senses before he was buried in a state of unconsciousness. After shaking his head, Luigi noticed Bonkers preparing another coconut. The plumber pplaced various ideas to the wall of his mind, and one managed to stick like a bright posted note.
Bonkers threw the coconut, only for Luigi to catch it; he then catapulted it back by using one of the ropes. It flew straight into Bonker's face. The ape-creature was consumed by a flash of explosive light, and reappeared as a dazed mess, covered in ash. Luigi ran over, delivered a high kick to the chin, and performed a backflip.
Once right side up, Luigi slammed his hand into the ground, shouting, "Thunder!"
A bolt of electricity zapped Bonkers, frying whatever vitality he had left. Luigi then knocked Bonkers straight into the bleachers; some spectators were unable to avoid his massive body as it crashed into them like a loose boulder. The collective, painful sounds of groaning disrupted the jovial air.
Bandana swung his spear at Yoshi's face; the dinosaur ducked underneath it, and Bandana ran past him. He turned around, thrusting the dull side of his spear at him. Yoshi held up his shield to block the attack. Bandana swung his spear in low, trying to trip him, but Yoshi hopped over it. The Waddle-Dee then delivered an over the shoulder strike, only for Yoshi to block it; he tried a second one, and Yoshi hopped backwards.
It was time to go on the offense! Yoshi stuck his tongue around the middle of Bandana's spear, and tried pulling it away from him. The dinosaur was shocked to see that Bandana was resilient; he would not budge an inch. Inside those stubby arms was a mechanical crane. Bandana managed to pull Yoshi towards him; he attacked with the dull end, first hitting Yoshi's stomach, then smacking his giant nose.
Bandana pushed off his staff, kicking Yoshi straight in the face; the dinosaur fell onto the ground, losing his shield in the process. It landed not too far from him. Yoshi started standing up, rubbing his nose from the pain.
"Ow!" he said. "Why are the cute one always the most lethal?"
Bandana slammed the dull end of his spear onto the ground. He stood in pride. "Because I have to deal with an overbearing, overemotional, ill-mannered, gluttonous monarch on a regular basis. My mental stability isn't the only thing put through the ringer."
Yoshi stuck his tongue out, trying to reclaim the shield. But Bandana hurried over and swung his spear at the tongue, forcing Yoshi to retract it. The Waddle-Dee threw his spear straight at the dinosaur. Yoshi morphed into an egg, rolled past it, and rammed straight into Bandana, sending him tumbling backwards.
Yoshi then kicked his shield straight at the Waddle Dee, who was quick to recover, and leaped over it. The dinosaur used his tongue to eat Bandana before he could grab his spear.
"Hey!" Luigi said, meeting up with Yoshi. "Launch that guy straight into the air." He cracked his knuckles. "I'm about to give this arena a sky roof."
Yoshi nodded, leaned his neck back, and launched Bandana into the sky. The audience watched in awe as the poor Waddle-Dee almost reached the ceiling; gravity nudged against his face, sending him plummeting towards the arena. Luigi charged his fist, and, when Bandana was close enough, punched him straight through the corner of the ceiling. Debris rained down on the panicked crowd. The sun's rays peeked through the hole, creating a makeshift spotlight.
Dedede stared at the spot inadvertently produced by his most loyal servant; he closed his eyes in sympathy. "Poor little guy. Made the best footstool. His forced labor will be missed."
The king heard the group's footsteps, and turned to see he was cornered by the group. Anger pulsated through every corner of his body. Kirby was ruining everything again; he cast a shadow of misfortune, always causing trouble.
"Sorry," Sora said, "but we're putting an end to this match."
"I decide when the match ends, got it!?" Dedede said, letting his rage bellow through the arena. "I'm just getting' started! Time to unveil my secret weapon!"
The spotlights around Dedede turned off, concealing him behind a thick wall of darkness. Sora and his friends felt themselves encircled in a whirlpool of worry. What was the king planning now? Well, they didn't have to wait long, as the lights turned on, revealing the king wearing a black metal mask with three golden horns on top.
His wooden hammer had been replaced a giant, blue mechanical one; a spike protruded from the bottom of the handle. The head was silver, shaped like hexagon. Imprinted in the middle was the king's insignia, colored yellow.
"Alright, boys," Dedede said. "Think you can make it past the second round?"
The group were unimpressed by his uninspiring attire.
"Glad that knight guy isn't here," Luigi said. "He'd probably hide behind his cape in shame."
"Shut up!" Dedede said in a pathetic voice. "This is totally an original idea! I'm going to trademark it and everything! Too bad you'll never get a chance to obtain a license for yourselves!"
Dedede slammed his hammer into the ground, releasing a blue shockwave of energy that went right for the group. Everyone leaped away from each other, forming two groups: Yoshi and Kirby; Sora and Luigi. Dedede charged straight for the younger two at incredible speeds. Yoshi put his shield up just in time to get knocked away from the massive hammer, and crashed into Sora and Luigi. Dedede swung his new weapon over the shoulder, trying to crush Kirby next.
The puff ball performed a cartwheel to avoid getting flattened. Kirby lunged forward, swinging inward. Dedede stuck his hammer straight down to block the attack. Kirby tried an upward swing, but Dedede spun backwards, avoiding it. After turning around, he thrusted straight for the puff ball. Kirby caught the attack, but the force made him slide backwards.
The hatch from the king's hammer opened; he launched a blue fireball straight for Kirby, who gasped in surprise. The puff ball dodged it by leaping back onto the ring's ropes, keeping his balance stable. Dedede ran over, swinging his hammer in from the left; Kirby swung from the opposite side, and their hammers slid past each other, just barely touching.
Going on the offense, Kirby swung towards the king's head, who brought his hammer up just in time to block. His persistence was infuriating, Dedede thought. It had no limits. But the body did; Kirby wouldn't last forever, especially against his new power. He grabbed Kirby's arm, tossing him onto the ground. Kirby tried scrambling to his feet, but Dedede knocked him away like a golf ball.
The king heard Sora and Luigi conjure a Fire and Blizzard spell respectively, turned around, and deflected both of their attacks. Dedede opened the hatch on his hammer, firing three missiles at the trio. Sora used Gravity to make them fall to the ground, resulting in an explosion. Dedede tore through the smoke like a light sheet, and ran straight for Sora, delivering a diagonal, downward swing.
Sora rolled to his left, then tried to retaliate with the Keyblade; the king intercepted the strike with spike the end of his hammer. He then swung inward, but Sora ducked underneath the attack. Vexed, Dedede rammed his shoulder into Sora, knocking him onto the ground. Out of his peripheral vision, the king saw Yoshi curling into an egg; Luigi appeared behind the dinosaur, knocking him straight into Dedede
But at the last second, the king brought his hammer up to catch the giant egg. No matter how fast Yoshi spun, Dedede wouldn't budge, like his feet were clamped to the ground. He knocked Yoshi away, and sent another shockwave towards Luigi; he rolled towards his left to avoid it. Kirby rejoined the battle with a fierce swing, only for the king to step backwards. Next, he tried thrusting his hammer up, straight for the king's face; he leaned his back, dodging the strike.
The king kicked Kirby in the stomach, making him double over in pain. Continuing his assault, Dedede knocked the hammer out of Kirby's hand, and delivered a power swing, sending him flying across the ring. He fell onto the ground; his body trembled from the impact. For a moment, he flashed white, and a star popped out of his body; his headband vanished, too.
The others hurried over to check on him. Kirby fought through the restraints of pain and rose to his feet; he took deep breaths, trying to let his stamina recharge like a worn battery. They heard the unpleasant sound of Dedede's triumphant laughs. It was more excruciating than the physical anguish they were in right now.
They needed a plan to succeed. None of their attacks made his rigid strength languish in the slightest. Everyone scoured their minds for any ideas; each one was tossed into a waste basket of rejection. But Sora found something scribbled in small letters – an uncomfortable proposition that he shrugged off as a joke. At first.
He started rereading the sentence; it expanded, taking up the whole page. Why would he even consider the thought? It was so….weird. Not to mention, gross. But it may give them the advantage. He couldn't discard the idea; it was plausible. But the feelings wouldn't be…pleasurable. There was no time to considerate an alternative; Dedede wasn't going to wait.
Sora felt like his diaphragm was tightened by an awkward belt. He wasn't looking forward to uttering the sentence. But he proceeded: "Kirby…I want you to copy my abilities."
Everyone stared at Sora in disbelief, like someone with a similar sounding voice blurted out that suggestion instead of him.
"But in order for him to do that…" Yoshi said, feeling uneasy.
"I know, I know," Sora said in a rushed tone, not wanting to be reminded. "I'm willing to endure a few seconds, though."
"Wow," Luigi said with widened eyes. "You've really lost it today, huh?"
Sora responded with an shrug. "Maybe. But we've got to try." He turned to Kirby, mustering up his courage. Although he gave a small grimace. "Go for it."
An uncomfortable feeling pricked at Kirby's feet like needles. He'd never want to inhale his friends – to know that they would be drifting through his stomach. He looked into Sora's eyes for clarification; although Kirby could see some reluctance, it was overcast by a shadow of assurance.
Despite his new friends lying about their identities, Kirby still stamped them with a bright ink of trust. He had to believe in Sora's plan. For the sake of everyone. After clearing the hesitation from his throat, Kirby prepared to inhale Sora; the boy shut his eyes tight, anticipating the most unpleasant experience.
He left the ground. It was like his entire body was being pulled towards a black hole; every hair on his skin felt like it would be pulled off at any second. And then, he started descending headfirst through Kirby's body, falling faster with each passing second. Humid air brushed against his face like a rough comb. His face tightened from the over overbearing heat.
The speed of his decent increased; it seemed never ending. Just hit the stomach already, Sora thought. He squeezed his eye lids tighter, as if hoping it'd make a difference in bracing for impact.
And then, everything came to a sudden halt.
His body became weightless, floating through an endless sea of nothingness. The humidity took a plunge. Sora opened his eyes, and was greeted by an endless bevy of unblinking stars nestled in the dark void of space. He blinked in bewilderment; was this really Kirby's stomach? Somehow it made too much sense, and yet, no sense at all.
His body tickled for a fleeting moment, like something was crawling around it. Balls of light dispersed from his being, and cultivated into a white form of himself (right down to his elaborate hair style). Sora stared in silence; his throat was secured behind a padlock of amazement. So this was how Kirby did it, he thought.
Suddenly, the white form reshaped itself into a teenage girl for a moment. Sora gasped; he recognized the shape in an instant.
"K-Kairi?"
It then transformed back into himself again. The questions were backed up like a traffic jam. Sora reached out for the form, but it flew towards the stars. He was then pulled out of Kirby's body, as if an invisible lasso was wrapped around his waist. Sora flew out Kirby's mouth, landing right beside Luigi and Yoshi; they ran over to help him.
"You okay?" Luigi asked, lifting Sora onto his feet. "What did you see in there?"
Sora's mind was in a slight daze, unable to process the proper details. "What I saw was…cosmic."
"Well, glad that explained everything," Luigi said, sarcastic.
Everyone turned their attention to Kirby. Brown spiky hair grew out of his pink scalp; a Keyblade materialized in his right hand. He felt revitalized by his new transformation – that it could take on any challenge with ease. No mountain seemed impossible to scale.
"It worked!" Yoshi said, enthused.
Sora chuckled at Kirby's appearance. It was like someone decided to dress up as him for Halloween. In a way, it was flattering. "I especially dig the do. It suits you!"
Kirby placed the Keyblade on his shoulder, showing an appreciative smile from Sora's kind words. Dedede's jaw became numb from gaping so long at the bizarre spectacle he witnessed. But he wouldn't be intimidated by Kirby's new ability; it was just another diluted skill that wasted time.
"You expect copying that kid's abilities to save you?" Dedede asked with a scoff. "Looks like you idiots are desperate for any chance at winning!"
Sora smirked. "Well, why don't you take my abilities for test drive, Kirby? Let's see who's the desperate one!"
Kirby complied with a nod, and ran straight for the king, holding his Keyblade two handed, just like Sora does. Dedede launched three more fireballs from his hammer. Kirby delivered an over shoulder strike on the first one; next, he thrusted straight ahead to destroy fireball number two; finally, he swung the Keyblade around at one hundred and eighty degrees to destroy the last one.
Kirby threw the Keyblade straight at the king. After Dedede deflected it, Kirby summoned the Keyblade back to his hand, and slashed across Dedede's stomach; he reeled back in pain. Furious, the king brought his hammer straight down, but Kirby jumped into the air; he curled into a ball, turning into a pink sawblade, and landed behind the king, slashing him in the back.
Dedede's ducts started bawling with tears of pain. But he fought through it. That nightmare was leaning closer to him, maw wide open, prepared to devour every fiber of his being. He would repel it! The king tried to counter, but Kirby slashed his back again; the force from the strike made him stumble forward. Yoshi curled into an egg, and Luigi launched him straight into the king's face.
After landing on the ground, he looked up to see Dedede had quickly recovered, and was bringing his hammer down on him. Yoshi curled into an egg again, rolling backwards to avoid the strike. The king spun around, clashing his hammer with Kirby's Keyblade. Dedede tried throwing a punch, but Kirby kicked it away, and then leaped back a great distance.
Then, Kirby held up the Keyblade, unleashing the spiral attack. Dedede braced himself as he took the full force of the blast. Every hit felt like being pelted with fire. Sora closed his eyes, searching for a new attack. At first, none came to him; but as he perused through every technique, an idea grabbed his attention.
Sora converted part of his Thunder spell into the Keyblade's essence, forming a new ability. He ran at Dedede, raised the Keyblade, and slammed it onto the ground, releasing an orange sphere that stunned the king in place. This wasn't happening, Dedede thought. In an instant, the advantage had teetered in their direction. He was losing control, and was uncertain on how to regain it.
Kirby performed a quick, wide uppercut, knocking the hammer out of Dedede's hand. The audience watched in silent shock as the group continued their assault on the defenseless king. Dedede's stamina was masticated into tiny, weak pieces of exhaustion. He found himself cornered by the four.
Sora and Kirby's charged their Keyblades for one final attack. It was over. Every muscle in Dedede's body refused to budge an inch. The nightmare had returned; its mouth had closed itself around him, trapping him in a pitch black, sweltering abyss.
"H-Hey," Dedede said in a nervous, weak voice. "W-Why don't we call this a draw? Let bygones be bygones. You all seem like swell, guys."
Sora and Kirby lowered their eyes at each other. Not even the slightest bit of empathy for the selfish king crossed the intersection in their minds. But they did respond with a flurry of slashes, ending in a powerful uppercut that cut through the king's mask like bread, making it shatter on the floor. Dedede when flying through the ceiling, leaving a giant hole next to the one left by Bandana.
The group were overcome by a gentle breeze of relief. Their struggle against the king was over. Kirby reverted to his original form, exhibiting a content smile. Soon, everyone would be able to sleep without fear; the terrors would evaporate before an overwhelming, pleasant ray of peaceful dreams. And he would rest his weary head, letting it dive straight into that serene world.
Sora pumped his fist into the air in celebration; he could never get enough of winning a battle. Kirby ran over to him, jumping into his arms. Sora swung him around, feeling elated. He was glad everything had a satisfying conclusion for once. No princesses being kidnapped; no lamenting over losing a friend. Just a perfect storybook ending.
Luigi noticed something on the ground where the king once stood. "You know, maybe Dedede wasn't too bad. Look, he's left us gifts!"
Indeed, everyone noticed not only the last star piece, but the Star Spirit and an Ansem report. Luigi strolled over to collect them. After celebrating with Sora, Kirby ran over to give Yoshi a high five. However, the dinosaur turned away from him with a displeased expression, crossing his arms. Kirby's mood faltered into sadness. He thought the envy had been snipped off like an unnecessary branch.
Yoshi then turned to him with a playful smile. "Just kidding!"
Kirby's joy returned, and the two exchanged a high five. While the group continued indulging in their much-warranted victory, the audience stared at the ring in silence, struggling to believe what they witnessed.
"The king…he's gone…" one of the henchmen said.
They took a moment to let those words stick to their heads like flypaper.
"You know what this means, right?" another one said. There was a pause, and he exhibited the biggest grin imaginable. "CASTLE PARTY!"
The audience erupted into zealous cheers and hurried towards the exit, pushing against each other, not wanting to waste a single moment free from the king's tyranny.
"I'm going to get bloated tonight!" someone in the crowd said.
Yoshi's eyes lit up from that prospect. "Ooh, me want to get bloated, too!"
"Poyo!" Kirby said, lifting a hand in agreement.
"We can't party now," Sora said, chuckling. "Let's go fix the Fountain of Dreams first. Then we can get a big lunch after."
His offer seemed tempting, Yoshi thought. But he needed a second opinion. "What Kirby think?"
Kirby contemplated Sora's suggestion for a moment. He concurred with a nod.
"Alright," Sora said. He turned towards the exit. "Time to give everyone a restful sleep again."
However, a massive, parlous crescive was about to appear in their path, preventing them from reaching that goal.
The Meta-Knights landed their vessel on the outskirts of town. As they exited, Meta Knight took a good look at the peaceful village – quaint, carefree, immaculate. It had been so long since being in the presence of a peaceful world. In the past, he witnessed destruction – buildings torn apart, revealing their skeletons in the form of wall frames. The revolting taste of fire and brimstone stung his tongue.
But worst of all was the anguish cries of people in calling for help. They clattered through his head like a horse's hooves stomping on top of him. He never wanted to experience that burden again. But as they prepared to head into town, the knights felt a significant drop in the temperature. It bordered on cold. Dark clouds started forming overhead. The happy-go-lucky world was losing its hue.
"We expecting a storm or something?" Javeline Knight asked.
Meta Knight felt like an icy cold nail slid against his skin. "Something isn't right."
"What do you mean?" Mace Knight asked. "You think Kirby and his friends failed to stop the king?"
Meta Knight shook his head. "That's not it. I think it has something to do with that unseen force manipulating the king. It's power….is growing stronger."
"Come now," Trident Knight said in a skeptical tone. "Perhaps being hit in the head by a giant key has made you paranoid."
"No," Meta Knight said with conviction. "I could almost taste such negative energy crawl into my mouth."
"How?" Javeline Knight asked. "You be wearing a mask, sir."
"That's enough out of you all!" Axe Knight said, annoyed with his crew's jests. "Our boss' instincts have never led us astray! I believe his words!"
The other knights looked at each other. Meta Knight's intuition was as sharp as the blade he wielded. There was never a need to doubt his claims.
"You're right!" Mace Knight said. "Whatever you say goes, sir!"
"Thank you," Meta Knight said. "You're undying loyalty has never been needed, but it is still appreciated."
"Not needed?" Trident Knight asked with a scoff. "Don't be absurd. We're Meta-Knights to the end! Always happy to be by your side!"
Meta Knight turned towards the location of the Fountain of Dreams. The cold sensation started digging through his skin, growing worse. "I'm afraid I need all of you to be anywhere but my side right now."
"What do you mean?" Axe Knight asked. Although deep down, he a strong hunch as to what his leader was about to suggest. And he wasn't looking forward to hearing those words uttered.
"I will go check on this disturbance," Meta Knight said. "The rest of you must head into town. If I am to perish by this dangerous enigma, I at least know all of you will keep the villagers safe. And I don't want to hear any objections! That's an order!"
The others were reluctant to obey, at first. They were like a wolf pack; they would never abandon the other, even for the slightest reason. But, much like Meta Knight, they, too, wanted to be liberated of endless war and despair. They promised their leader to assist in keeping everyone safe. And they did not dare break that vow, not wanting to be smitten by the incurable disease of regret.
"Right," Axe Knight said. "Understood." He turned to his crew, speaking with a firm voice. "You heard the boss: we're off!"
Once the crew gave their well wishes, they headed towards town. Except for Axe Knight.
"That's a good one, by the way," Axe Knight said, chuckling. "You're the strongest warrior in the galaxy. I know you'll make it out of this in one piece. We'll be together soon, sharing old war stories."
Meta Knight smiled beneath his mask. He was grateful every waking hour for his crew. They were a viable source of his strength. Had he walked through life on his own, Meta Knight's spirit would've deteriorated into small grains of depression. They were more than a crew; they were his family.
"I look forward to it," Meta Knight said. "Thank you for the encouragement, my friend. Hurry now!"
Axe Knight took his leave, confident in fulfilling that promise. Meta Knight spread his bat-like wings and flew towards the Fountain of Dreams, praying that he wasn't too late in saving this world.
Bandana emerged from a bush, brushing residual twigs and leaves off his face. He was thankful that it broke his fall; it was like the aches were dancing around his body while wearing high heeled shoes. The fall could've a lot more painful.
"What a landing," Bandana said, regaining his focus. He took a moment to study his surroundings: a large field with bushes and trees. "Hopefully the King took care of them."
A scream started fading in from above, and, with a sense of dread, he looked up to see the king falling straight towards him
"Why did I blurt that out?" Bandana asked.
He tried to run, but couldn't avoid getting crushed by Dedede. Every bone in the hapless Waddle Dee's back wailed in agony as the weight akin to a three-seater sofa pressed against them. The king stood up, groaning from the rough landing. While fatigued and sore from the fight, he seemed to be in fine otherwise.
"Ow, my back," Dedede said, comforting his spine with a gentle rub.
Bandana lifted his head from the ground, moaning from the additional pain stomping on his back like cleats. "Your back!? Mine just got a lot worse!"
"Oh, good, you're okay!" Dedede said, relieved.
Fighting through the aches, Bandana stood up, too. "Okay is an opinion, not a fact. How about you, majesty?"
"Fine." Dedede's expression turned sullen. "For the most part. Willing to bet Kirby's on his way to the fountain." He let out a crestfallen sigh. "I'm not looking forward to sleeping tonight."
Bandana couldn't help but pity the king's plight. Sure, robbing everyone else of their dreams was immoral – there was no excuse for making your subjects suffer. So why did he show sympathy? Had he let himself plunge too far into a septic tank of unwavering fidelity, and was forced to stay there forever? Or, maybe, Bandana sifted through the king's narcissistic soil, finding a small gold nugget of benevolence.
He believed that Dedede's intentions were never cruel. Aggravating, sure, but he wouldn't lay harm to anyone (even the abuse Bandana and his brethren received wasn't too severe). It showed that he does have a soft, gentle core; perhaps with the right motivation, that core could be coaxed out of its hard, cantankerous shell.
"It won't be so bad," Bandana said in an encouraging tone. "We'll do what we can to help you get a peaceful sleep."
Dedede glowered at him. "Why do you care? All I do is insult you, anyway."
"Look, perfect isn't the proper adjective to describe you," Bandana said, rubbing his head in an awkward manner. But then, he dismissed those flaws, and spoke with sincerity. "But you brought us Waddle Dees in from the cold; to live long, healthy lives. You can show altruism, sir. It doesn't show up often, but it's there. I know it is. And because of your kindness, I promise to repay the debt by being your humble servant."
Bandana managed to nudge that core a smidgen. Dedede had never received such an honest compliment before. Most of the time he received them just to be appeased. But every word stuck to him like hot glue, melting those rigid emotions into an appreciative liquid.
"I…don't know what to say," Dedede said, touched.
"Say no more," Bandana said, cheerful. "I don't expect a thank you. Just doing my job."
Dedede smiled; the shroud of darkness enveloping his heart started to evanesce from the light of good-will. "Well, know that you will always be my favorite servant."
Bandana bowed from the accolade. It was a start to changing the king's attitude. Sometimes taking a small step can have a big impact. Suddenly, a loud buzzing noise rattled the king's ears, and he covered them, trying to reduce the immense pain.
"What's wrong!?' Bandana asked, panicked. "Are you okay!?"
Dedede gritted his teeth, fighting through the unrelenting noise. "Leave me alone! So what if I failed? I don't need you anymore!"
"On the contrary," the mysterious, intimidating voice said, hissing with glee, "you've done exactly what I've planned."
"W-What do you mean?" Dedede asked, as concern started to swell in his throat.
"You truly are a gullible monarch," the voice said, laughing. "Splitting the Star Rod allowed me to draw energy from within the fountain. But, I can't realize my full power without the rod itself. So I knew a buffoon like you would mess it up and allow Dream Land's savor to reform the it."
Dedede gasped in horror. "So once Kirby places the Star Rod on the pedestal…"
"I will awaken and put everyone into a permeant sleep," the voice said in a sinister tone. "For then I will feast on their precious dreams and leave them in an eternal nightmare."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Dedede asked, confused.
"Because I want last waking moments to be filled with remorse – that your own selfishness has doomed this insouciant world." the voice said in a dark whisper, letting the weight of his words sink into the king's mind.
The unbearable ringing ceased. Not another word was spoken. It didn't need to say anything else; the entity knew that it won. Dedede felt like his stomach had been cut from a rope, plummeting into a bottomless pit. He had doomed his entire world – all because of taking a shortcut with repercussions to solve his problems.
"How could I've let things spiral out of control!?" Dedede said, covering his face in shame.
"What was that about?" Bandana said. "Is everything alright? Do you need anything?"
The king took a deep breath; bemoaning wouldn't help their current predicament. He was just spouting frivolous noise.
"We have to act quickly!" Dedede said with urgency. "Big trouble is heading this way!"
"Not sure what you mean," Bandana said, "but whatever it is, I'll gladly help! What do we need to do?"
Dedede sighed. He couldn't believe the idea entered his mind; trying to squeeze it through his voice box was difficult. The words made his throat tremble in disgust. "We have to find Kirby! He's going to need our…he..he…halpreadas….heeeee…"
"He's going to need our help?" Bandana asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hearing the sentence made the king's stomach spin faster than a whirlpool. Feeling nauseous, he stuck his head into a bush, vomiting. Bandana winced, channeling out the repulsive noise while rubbing the king's back.
Once Dedede finished, he rubbed his beak, moaning. "Yes, that. Never say that out loud again."
"Duly noted!" Bandana said.
The two left for the Fountain of Dreams. Dedede could live with the nightmares, but not with the eternal feeling of guilt if something happened to his world.
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