Disclaimer: Kirby belongs to Nintendo and HAL Laboratory.
As soon as Fecto Elfilis returned to the Lor Starcutter, the entrance closed and Magolor made a beeline for the main terminal.
"Finally," Magolor exclaimed, "now we can start our voyage to Halcandra!"
With a tap on the main terminal, the door closed up and the engine rumbled as the Lor Starcutter began lifting off the ground. Vesa noticed as Elfilis lowered their feelers. She softly placed her hand on theirs.
"I don't know if I can do this," they frowned, "if…if there was anything left, then maybe…"
Elfilis paused as they sighed.
"At least your civilization was still recognizable, but Halcandra isn't even that," they continued, "the planet exploded, how much could possibly remain?"
Vesa closed her eyes softly for a brief moment as she ran her thumb through the fur.
"I don't know how to make this less painful," Vesa admitted, "but I'm willing to see what's left of your world alongside you."
"A-Alright," Elfilis stammered, "I…"
Elfilis stopped, unsure what else to say. For some reason, it felt like they had some hollow void in their nonexistent heart as if they dreaded the thought of going home for the first time in hundreds of thousands of years. As a portal opened up in the sky, Vesa leaned closer to Elfilis to better brace the sudden jolt as the Lor Starcutter began its acceleration. Sensing the space up ahead with ease due to their affinity, Elfilis took a deep breath, their fur bristling slightly. The instant the ship entered the portal in the sky, it took at least less than a minute before it emerged from the other side.
Peering out the porthole, Elfilis hitched as they saw what remained of their home, their gaze falling on the many chunks of floating hot debris which was left of Halcandra. Vesa focused her eyes intensely on the destination as she gave her alien lover's hand a gentle squeeze.
"I…" Elfilis was at a loss for words.
Even Marx decided to keep his mouth shut for once. Bandee, Kirby, Meta Knight and Dedede all shared glances.
"Well," Bandee commented, "it's been a while, hasn't it, Sire?"
Elfilis turned away from the scene of destruction, their eyes actually watering a little for the first time. They rubbed their eyes, not appreciating the stinging new sensation as they felt their fur turning white at the edges. Elfilin paused and turned his gaze towards his larger fragment, shuddering at the reaction to their emotional response and tucking his tail between his feet.
"Hey, guys?" Elfilin blurted, "I think something's wrong."
"I'm fine," Elfilis interrupted, their voice cracking slightly, "I-I need a minute."
Elfilis rose from their seat and teleported deeper into the ship. All eyes focused on Elfilin while Vesa's eyes widened in shock.
"T-That's…" Vesa gasped softly.
Taranza lowered his head while Dedede rubbed his chin.
"So, uhm," Dedede paused, "should we do and do somethin' about that?"
The penguin king glanced around to a series of shrugs and narrowed eyes from Meta Knight, whose hand briefly rested on the hilt of his blade. Vesa snapped out of her shock and rose to her full height.
"I'll go find them," Vesa proclaimed.
Vesa darted out of the bridge and meandered through the hallway, checking each room behind each door she passed by. The deeper she went into the ship, the more thoughts of dread filled her mind. Stopping at the next door after turning a corner, she finally found the tall alien rodent huddling in the corner of the room.
Elfilis sat with their long winglike ears folded around themself tightly, zoning out in a vulnerable moment. The sight of their home in ruins hit them harder than they thought. They attempted to ignore the reality when they heard the wedding would be on Halcandra, but to no avail. The tall alien rodent didn't notice as Vesa slowly approached them in light steps, her hand trailing the wall.
"Elfilis?" she whispered, her tone hinting with worry.
"Hmm?"
Elfilis's fur still tinted slightly, but it receded back to blue often. They were still shaking and their fur overall appeared fluffier than usual. Vesa took one more step closer to the tall alien rodent and sat down next to them, crossing her legs.
"Is there anything you need from me?" she offered, perching her hands on her lap.
"I," Elfilis felt their face redden, their eyes still wet, "would you sit with me for a little while? I-I'll head back soon."
Vesa nodded with a gentle smile and crawled towards Elfilis, ducking beneath their wing before she slipped under their arm. They hugged her tightly, wrapping their large ears around her as their body still quivered softly at the sight of the destroyed planet seared into their mind. She perched her arms over their shoulders and her face nuzzled their chest mane. The companionship from the human gave them some relief at least enough for their fur to return entirely to its normal hues. Their chest rumbled with purrs and they nuzzled their snout against her forehead. Their tail curled around her side and their colorful eyes gazed down into her brown ones. The fur around their eyes were a little damp, but they've calmed down after they had cried in solitude.
Vesa simply remained in their embrace for at least a few minutes before she cupped their cheek with her hand.
"Better?" she asked.
"A little," Elfilis nodded softly, "it's just…a lot."
Vesa simply kept her arms around Elfilis. After a few more minutes, they both rose to their height just as the sounds of the ship's engine died down.
"The others are waiting for us," Vesa said.
"I know," Elfilis agreed.
Vesa led Elfilis out of the room and made their way back to the bridge, where the entrance opened up and the ramp extended to the terrain outside. Everyone got up to prepare to disembark when Flamberge turned her gaze towards the tall alien rodent.
"It's my first time seeing it like this," Elfilis admitted, lowering their head.
While Elfilis stood next to Flamberge and gazed out the window, the fire mage reached up and gave them a pat on the head.
"Hey, we can talk about it later if you want?" Flamberge offered, "i…it was a blow for all of us when we learned about it. We were sealed away at the time too, so I get how you feel. We're all that's left. So…just remember the good times. It won't ever go away, but it will get easier."
Elfilis nodded. Kirby, Meta Knight, Dedede and Bandee were the first to disembark. Elfilin, Hyness, Zan Partizanne and Taranza followed suit. Then, Daroach and the Squeak Squad marched their way down the ramp. Fransisca and Flamberge led Vesa and Fecto Elfilis to the entrance, but the human spotted Magolor out of the corner of her eye as he waved his hand at her.
"Yes?" Vesa paused.
Magolor's forehead sweated nervously as he clapped his hands together.
"You don't need to wear your coat here, Miss Vesa," Magolor reminded, "it is pretty hot out here."
Vesa and Elfilis exchanged glances for a brief moment. The human shrugged off her coat, scarf, gloves and hat before stashing them into her pocket bangle. She then slipped into the shoes which matched her dress before she and her alien lover left to meet up with the others. Vesa turned around a little to examine her surroundings. She took note of ruined structures all across the terrain while pools of lava dotted the surface. She then tilted her head towards the volcano up ahead.
"Say," Vesa asked, "where is the venue exactly?"
Elfilin perked up his ears as Magolor and Marx made their way down the ramp.
"Well," Magolor chirped, "I found a mostly intact building farther inland, so that's the place we'll be having the wedding. I've already prepared everything, so we should be good to go!"
"That's awesome!" Elfilin chirped as he did a backflip.
"Poyo!" Kirby raised onto the tip of his foot and waved his arm.
Elfilis perked up their feelers and spotted Mumbies floating across a gap in the planet filled with lava. Their tail drooped, aware that these creatures were a result of necromancy. Dedede nodded as he brought out his hammer.
"Hey," Dedede called, "remember when we had to fight through dem monsters to make our way to Landia?"
Bandee nodded while he brandished his spear.
"I…I don't think," Elfilis stuttered.
Elfilin blinked twice when he noticed his larger fragment twitching his feelers, so the small chinchilla floated towards them.
"Is something the matter?" Elfilin blurted.
"This is…these are my people," Elfilis teared up slightly, the fluid evaporating into steam almost as soon as it leaked out of their eyes.
Elfilin glanced behind him to observe the undead bodies of the long gone civilians, the sick necromantic magic possessing them. The small chinchilla drooped his ears before shifting his gaze towards the pink star warrior.
"You know how to put these guys to rest," Elfilin asked, "right, Kirby?"
Kirby gave Elfilin a brief nod before he scanned his surroundings. Spotting a nearby Foley, he didn't hesitate to inhale it before he became Bomb Kirby.
"Poyo!" Kirby declared, "poyo!"
Elfilis shook their head in disbelief.
"N-No, just," they protested, taking a deep breath, "let me do it."
Kirby gave Elfilis a confused stare as the others made their approach to the bridge.
"You two just take care of the rest," Elfilis insisted, "I'll deal with the dead."
Elfilin noticed as his larger fragment's fur turned white at the tips again. Kirby sighed before he and the small chinchilla joined up with the others. Meta Knight surveyed the landscape beyond the bridge. Elfilis approached the restless spirits, letting them gnaw on them. A white light engulfed their hands as they placed a palm on their heads. After a moment, the bandages unraveled and the forms underneath exploded, two different spirits slowly forming in the air and taking the form of seemingly different alien life forms, one of which slightly resembled Hyness before fading away into nothing. The Mage Sisters watched in awe as their tall rodent sibling glanced behind their shoulder.
It took all of their willpower not to fall to their knees and weep, as they heard the echoes of thanks from the two weary souls who wandered for who knew how long before finally finding peace. Magolor sighed and clapped his hands together.
"Well," he commented, "that's certainly a way to deal with the Mumbies."
Dedede and Meta Knight shared a brief glance and nodded.
"Alrighty," Dedede proclaimed, "we all gotta stay close as we cross this bridge. Ya hear?"
With that, Dedede began leading the entire entourage across the bridge, with Meta Knight, Bandee and Kirby on high alert for any oncoming danger. Vesa noticed as Elfilis lowered their head while they followed close behind, so she offered her hand.
"Here," she whispered.
Elfilis didn't hesitate to grasp her hand. Honestly, they wished they could teleport back to Dreamland and hide away in their room. Hyness didn't bother looking sideways as he kept his arms folded, keeping his eyes focused on the destination. A handful of Squeakers clung onto Storo for dear life. Elfilis tried focusing on the building in the distance, but seeing the devastation everywhere was somehow making them begin to hate Magolor.
An Iron Barbar emerged from the lava and barreled its head towards Elfilin with its mouth open wide. The small chinchilla froze in fear, but Kirby thought fast and pulled him to safety before the giant magma eel could close its mouth. Elfilis snapped out of their thoughts and fixed the assailant into a furious glare, their rippled eyes staring deeply as they forced their intent onto the creature. The Iron Barbar seemed to flinch and retreat back into the lava, leaving Dedede astounded. Still, Elfilin let out a sigh of relief before he nuzzled Kirby's face.
"Thanks, Kirby!" Elfilin chirped, "that was close!"
"Poyo," Kirby gave Elfilin a pat on the head.
The tension seemingly dissolved, the entourage continued on until they reached the other side of the bridge several minutes later. While Vesa wiped some sweat off her face, Zan Partizanne examined the building more carefully. She took note of the ornate columns decorating the outer walls and two rows of statues lining along the path to the short flight of stairs.
"Is that," she paused, "Halcandra's capitol?"
The sight of the capital sent a chill down the tall alien rodent's spine. The magical protections remained active, yet Elfilis noticed something that the others couldn't…powerful energy spears stabbed into the pillars at one point in time, with enough potency to linger enough to still be detected by beings with superior senses. They could also see the blood seared into the stone, each spear sticking each target to the wall like bugs in an insect collection. Elfilis suspected perhaps Galacta Knight wanted to send a message to any onlookers of the building—even Halcandra's leaders.
Magolor and Marx went ahead of the entourage to focus their eyes upon the capitol building. The jester stared in awe while Taranza placed a hand on his chin.
"Hyness," Taranza asked, "you've been here before, haven't you?"
All eyes were focused on the ancient wizard.
"I have," Hyness nodded, "it was in better shape and in better times, but I have been here quite a few times. During our most important research, we would present our findings to the council and they would approve or deny certain research."
Meta Knight wrapped his cloak around himself while Kirby shed his copy ability.
"They were responsible for granting funding for certain projects," Hyness continued, "allowing us access to classified research material and rare resources. They would classify certain new magics as forbidden as well if they were too dangerous or foul, and they would largely be in charge of governance in the area. They were also some of our most powerful and respected mages and scientists."
Marx sighed in boredom and pulled out his beach ball before he began balancing on it.
"They were the smartest and most powerful people on the planet," Hyness concluded, "a mix of both wise and intelligent engineers, and powerful sorcerers of arcane magics."
"So, when the Engineers started to get nervous about the power us mages had," Flamberge pointed out, "they tried to start passing more restrictions on us and tried to cripple our ability to do much of anything."
"Yes…quite," Hyness nodded in agreement, "at the time, there was an uneven balance favoring the more technologically based on the council, and that led to many reforms restricting use of magic, even labeling many perfectly tame magic spells forbidden. Eventually, this led to many of us being cast out of general society, or leaving of our own volition."
Vesa frowned upon hearing those words.
"And how does the Jamba Heart fit into things?" Meta Knight asked, "we know little about it save for that it held a great evil."
Hyness and Meta Knight exchanged blank stares.
"It was used to seal away Void Termina, as you know," Hyness confessed, "however, it was a naturally occurring stone nearby inside a mountain. Due to its heart shape, and the fact it is a natural gem-stone, it was a perfect fit for nearly any kind of magical use involving Heart magic, or many others."
Elfilin tilted his head and perched on Kirby's head.
"However, the Council took possession of it right away due to its magical potential," Hyness continued, "and it was eventually used in the sealing of Void Termina. When it shattered, almost every part of it contained a little bit of Void Termina's power, so we needed to bring them all together in order to properly resurrect him. Even still, we were missing a few that might even be out there somewhere still, so you saw what I had to do in order to attempt to give it the magical boost it needed. And that is about everything, there isn't much more to tell."
Elfilis twitched their feelers while Fransisca, Flamberge and Zan Partizanne lowered their heads. Vesa took note of the shamed expressions on the mages' faces, so she gave her alien lover's hand a gentle squeeze. By then, Marx let out an exasperated sigh.
"Seriously," Marx groaned, "are we really going to just stand here and swap sappy sob stories all day?!"
Elfilis's fur started to tint white while Marx began turning an interesting shade of pale purple. Magolor sweated nervously before rushing to his groom's side.
"H-He didn't mean that," Magolor stuttered, "my apologies, let me just go on ahead with him and prepare some final things."
Magolor dragged off Marx by his shoe as they disappeared into the building. A couple minutes passed before Elfilis could feel their fur return to normal. Each emotional blow gave them a possible fear they might lose their sanity to the brand still on their soul.
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