Chapter 14: Encroaching darkness
[Do you now understand why I have to do this?]
He nodded. Only by following her way could everyone be saved. Although the Saviour's methods were extreme, the part of his consciousness that would normally reject such actions was silent, which meant that what she "had to do" was not only the only option but also the right thing.
"I understand your purpose, and I will help you make it a reality," he stated solemnly.
He was certain that if her metallic face could display emotions, the Saviour would have gently smiled at him as he stated these words.
[In that case, you are ready for your first mission, my Champion.]
The Saviour drew a line in the air, producing a strange visual effect before her. It was as if a small crack had opened in reality itself. The Saviour inserted a metal hand into the rip, and, after a few seconds, pulled out an iridescent sword out of it.
[This sword is the only weapon worthy of the one who will help me bring true salvation to all the universes.]
The Saviour handed him the sword, which he admired. It was beautiful, made of the same sparkling material as the crystalline petals that floated around in that place and as impossibly hard as them. Even though the blade was perfectly polished, when looking at it, he could see his reflection hundreds of times, as if he was looking at a fragmented surface. Quite a few of those reflections had an appearance that didn't entirely match his own, some with subtle differences, while others presented noticeable changes.
Wondering what those "reflections" might do in his place would only bring unnecessary doubts, so he averted his gaze and sheathed the sword in a scabbard it didn't belong to. He didn't care what had happened to the sword that had originally occupied it. In a way or another, he would end up getting her back.
After that, he looked up at the Saviour, grateful for the second gift she had given him.
"So, what will be my first task as your champion?"
º.·º.
Dedede was fuming. How dare the inhabitants of that dimension force someone of his status to work as a mere pack mule? Moving wheelbarrows... Didn't the Waddle Dees exist precisely so that people like him wouldn't have to waste their valuable time on those physical tasks? Not to mention how exhausting it was. He wasn't even being paid a single cent!
"Okay, guys! Time to take a break!" Dedede heard his other self shout from another part of the castle, using his booming voice, which was one of the few things Dedede had in common beyond their shared appearance.
Immediately upon hearing those words, all the Waddle Dees and the few Waddle Doos working near him, and most likely every single one in the entire castle, stopped what they were doing and sat down to rest.
Dedede turned to check on his "escorts." They had also sat down to rest, lowering their guard. However, they had positioned themselves in a way that allowed them to block the only exit from the room. Dedede chose to rest as well, as he couldn't use the break time to escape.
"It's about time they put an end to this torture," Dedede said to Escargoon as he leaned on the wheelbarrow. He had never been so tired in his entire life.
"But you only carried two wheelbarrows so far, sir," Escargoon remarked as he folded some papers, annoyed. "You have spent the rest of the morning making up excuses to avoid working. 'My back hurts; my tummy aches; I'm allergic to this material; I have to go to the bathroom...'" the snail quoted in a bad imitation of Dedede's voice.
"You can't complain about me complaining when you had it way easier. All you had to do was look at these papers and give orders to the Waddle Dees," Dedede stated angrily.
"While my task didn't require physical effort, it was mentally exhausting," Escargoon explained petulantly. That irritating tone always made Dedede want to hit him to shut him up. "Of all these Waddle Dees, only a few know how to direct a construction. Working alongside an expert engineer such as myself has helped them speed up the rebuilding process."
"And since when have you been an engineer?" Dedede growled. Escargoon blinked, perplexed.
"Since ever, sir. I even have a PhD. You didn't know?" Escargoon asked. Dedede shook his head. "Don't you remember the extensive resume I sent you when I applied for the job?"
"Was I supposed to read that?"
Escargoon raised a hand to his temple. Dedede didn't get why the snail was mad at him. Did Dedede really have to check that boring 800-line text in which the snail talked about himself in order to hire him? No way. Dedede hired whoever he wanted with no text telling him otherwise!
"No wonder why that NME guy always scammed you with no effort," the snail mumbled.
"Hey! It's not time to argue about the past!" Dedede shouted angrily. Then, in a lower but still angry voice, he said, "What I want to know is why in the world you are putting so much effort into helping repair a castle that isn't mine when you should be working on an escape plan?"
"Because I want to return home and not be imprisoned in a cell in another dimension," Escargoon answered, shrugging. "While avoiding those guards shouldn't be too difficult, dealing with your 'other self' and that competent Meta Knight will be much more complicated. If you have any ideas, I'm all ears."
"You don't even have ears! And why should I be the one to give you ideas? You have put us in this mess, and you alone will get us out of it!" Dedede reproached him.
"Are you really blaming me?!" the snail argued back.
"Well, of course! If you hadn't stolen that machine from the violent Meta Knight fan club, we wouldn't be in this situation!"
"But I did it in order to free you, sir!" the snail protested. "You were the one who insisted on conquering this castle and throwing hands with the other Dedede."
"Oh, come on. Don't act like you were against it. I remember you rubbing your hands with greed when I proposed taking over the castle."
"It's not like I had a choice, with the way you handle denials," Escargoon protested. He then muttered something that was likely a critique or insult.
And that was the final straw. Dedede, unable to contain his rage, grabbed a shovel from the wheelbarrow and used it to hit Escargoon in the head as punishment for his insolence.
"Next time, whatever you have to say, say it loud and clear, understand?" Dedede reprimanded Escargoon.
"Yes, sir..." the snail said, pained and stunned by the blow.
"He is so whiny. I haven't hit him that hard," Dedede thought with disdain as he looked away.
"Did you find it?"
Dedede turned to see who had just said that. It turned out to be one Waddle Doo, who was carrying a backpack, speaking with two Waddle Dees. Were they looking for something? He crept up to listen in on the talk. Escargoon, who had recovered from being stunned, followed him while rubbing his head.
"Nope. Perhaps another Waddle Dee took it and put it somewhere safe. But who knows who?" replied one of the Waddle Dees.
"Most likely, it ended up in the underground tunnels," the other said. "The area where the Great King's room is located completely sunk, after all."
"Oh, no. I don't want to go down there. Those tunnels are very scary and dark," the first Waddle Dee stated, trembling.
"We cannot let fear stop us! That box is very important. It contains precious things our Great King cherishes. If we don't get it back, it will be terrible!" the Waddle Doo exclaimed.
"That box must contain the lower Dedede's darkest secrets! I can't let this opportunity pass," Dedede decided, quickly devising a plan.
Step 1: Convince the Waddle Dees and Waddle Doo to let him help find that box.
Step 2: Get the box and its contents.
Step 3: Depending on what said content was, either use it to blackmail the lesser Dedede into submission or become as strong and loved as him by learning and using his secret techniques.
Step 4: Take control of that Dream Land!
It was, in Dedede's point of view, a perfect, brilliant plan conjured by a perfect, brilliant mind.
"Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing you three talking," Dedede interrupted the conversation with feigned politeness and a tone of false kindness, setting his plan into motion. "Can I help you in some way?"
Escargoon looked at Dedede, weirded out by his sudden attitude change, but a quick glance was enough for the snail to understand what his lord was trying to do.
The Waddle Dees, for their part, looked at each other and began to whisper between them. They didn't seem to trust Dedede. How strange. His performance had been flawless.
"I know that we haven't made the best first impression," Escargoon began to say, continuing Dedede's ploy. "But my lord and I want to turn a new leaf and redeem ourselves for the shameful attitude we had yesterday. What I mean is that we wish to make peace with your king, so we would like to help you recover something so precious for him," he lied blatantly. Dedede nodded to reinforce what the snail had said.
Luckily for them, and unfortunately for that dimension's Dedede, the Waddle Dees were not only not physically weak; they were also very naive. Since they didn't know how Escargoon and Dedede actually were, their kind and uncombative nature led them to believe that the otherworldly visitors' intentions were genuine.
"Well, why don't you go with Beamy to the tunnels while we ask the other Waddle Dees, just to make sure that no one has taken it?" suggested one of the Waddle Dees, pointing to the Waddle Doo.
"That's a wonderful idea!" Dedede exclaimed in the fakest tone of enthusiasm and friendliness anyone had ever heard. The Waddle Dees and Waddle Doo exchanged confused looks but made no comment.
Beamy gestured to Dedede and Escargoon to follow him, and so they did. Before leaving the room, the Waddle Doo stopped to explain the situation to the Waddle Dees tasked with watching over Dedede. The group argued among themselves briefly until three separated from the rest to join them. Dedede growled. Getting rid of a single Waddle Doo would have been a piece of cake.
The Waddle Doo led them to one of the few parts of the castle that remained unrepaired but had already been stabilised (which Escargoon explained to Dedede as "there is no risk of it collapsing anymore"). Beamy's attitude reminded him quite a bit of Captain Waddle Doo, except his voice was much higher-pitched. He also found it strange that Beamy was not the only Waddle Doo in the castle. Why weren't there more of them in his dimension? Would the captain feel lonely being the only Waddle Doo among so many Waddle Dees?
"I wonder what he is doing. Probably panicking because I have disappeared."
Dedede's thoughts were cut short when the Waddle Doo stopped the group in front of a hole in the ground.
"This entire section of the castle sank, and the furniture in the room above, or what's left of it, ended down there," Beamy stated, pointing first to a second massive hole in the roof and then to the one in the ground. "If everything goes according to schedule, we should start to rebuild this part after lunch."
"And what is in those tunnels?" Escargoon asked. He, like Dedede, had been wondering if there were any exits they could use to escape.
"We use them to store supplies, but they could also serve as shelter if we ever suffer a siege," the Waddle Doo explained, pulling a long rope from his backpack. "There are also dungeons because, according to our king, every proper castle must have at least one. We've never locked anyone in them, so they're only there for show."
"So the tunnels are just a glorified basement," Escargoon pointed out.
"Basically, yes," Waddle Doo admitted, handing one end of the rope to one of the Waddle Dees and throwing the other into the hole.
"Heh. Those Waddle Dees were very childish to be afraid of a mere basement, don't you think, your majesty?" Escargoon mocked.
Dedede, however, didn't answer. He had been paralysed as soon as he had looked down the hole. It was dark—way too dark. A chill ran through his body. It was like the darkness wanted to eat him alive.
Dedede didn't remember why, but he was sure it wasn't the first time he felt that way.
"Escargoon, you go first," Dedede said to his lackey. It wasn't that he was afraid; he was only being cautious. He had never been afraid in his life. If he was shivering, it was because of the cold.
"Uh? Why me?" Escargoon protested.
"Because I order it! And you know what happens if you disobey my orders," he threatened, pointing at his right fist with his left hand.
Escargoon seemed to get it, as he rubbed his head once more.
"Fine, but only because I don't want you to make a scene," the snail gave up.
Beamy took a lantern out of his backpack and gave it to Escargoon, who began to descend. It didn't take too long for the light of the lantern to be seen at the bottom of the hole, which turned out to be not as deep as the darkness had made it look.
"Sir! Will you ever come down?!" he heard Escargoon shout.
"I'm on my way! Don't be so impatient!" Dedede shouted back at him as he grabbed the rope.
Dedede climbed down the rope with some effort and reached Escargoon. Although the lantern gave some light to the area, it was still very dark. Dedede couldn't contain another shiver, which Escargoon noticed.
"Brrrrr, it's cold down here, isn't it?" He lied while rubbing his hands as if he needed to warm up.
Escargoon gave him a look of suspicion, for he knew when Dedede was pretending. However, he let it slide as more important matters caught his attention.
"These must be the remains from the room above," Escargoon pointed out, extending the lantern towards a pile of debris. "If no one has taken it, like one of the Dees suggested, the box should be there."
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go find it now!" Dedede ordered as he took the lantern from the snail, anxious to be as close as possible to the only source of light.
Escargoon muttered something under his breath and began to search through the remains. After a couple of minutes, which felt like an eternity to Dedede, Escargoon removed some wooden planks and picked up something metallic.
"I found it, sir!" Escargoon exclaimed, proud of his discovery: a metal box, which he eagerly presented to his king. It looked quite sturdy, since it had only a few bumps. Fortunately for them, the lock wasn't.
After rapidly placing the light on the ground, Dedede seized the box from Escargoon's hands and opened it with a devious smile. Finally, he held his counterpart's secrets in his hands! Soon, that alternate Dream Land would be his. He could already see the crowd cheering his name, the piles of treasure, the food offerings...
His ambitions were crushed the moment he saw what was inside the box. There were no evil artefacts or anything capable of granting power, nor were there bills from evil corporations or blueprints for destructive machines.
The box contained a crystal with a decorated cord, like if it were some sort of medal; a collection of drawings that seemed to have been made by small children; a sketch of a portrait of the lesser Dedede done with fairly good technique (though Dedede was certain that he would look more handsome if he were the one portrayed in the sketch); uninteresting photos of the lesser Dedede with a variety of people, most of them unknown to Dedede, and a diary.
In short, they were just memories.
"So the 'precious' things the 'important' box contained are actually this garbage?!" Dedede yelled as he placed the box at Escargoon's height, allowing the snail to evaluate its contents.
"Let's see..." Escargoon said, inspecting the contents of the box. The snail took out the crystal medal and tapped it a couple of times. "This might sell for a decent price, but other than that, it doesn't seem to have any special power. The rest is of no use to us, unless your counterpart is one of those people who write their hearts out in a diary," the snail continued as he returned the medal to the box.
"Then start reading it! We need to know if there is something worthwhile inside that heart," Dedede ordered, taking the diary from the box and throwing it at Escargoon's face.
Escargoon begrudgingly removed the journal from his face and began reading it from the first page:
"Dear Diary.
For Nova's sake, why is this cheesy intro a mandatory thing? But hey, I'm not here to debate this. Bandana Waddle Dee gifted me this diary so I could record my feats and works. That way, if someone ever decides to write a biography about me (which will obviously happen since I am the coolest and strongest being on this planet), they'll have a reference document in which they can see my vision. In my opinion, it's a great idea, but just thinking about having to write every single day makes me feel sooo lazy…"
As Escargoon read, the light from the lantern blinked a couple of times. Dedede felt his legs trembling. If the lantern went out, he would be exposed to the darkness.
"That doesn't say anything important. It's just the lesser Dedede rambling. Can you skip to something actually interesting?" Dedede urged the snail.
Escargoon took a quick look at the journal entries.
"He only briefly talks about his experiences with this dimension's Kirby and Meta Knight, and who I assume is the Waddle Dee with the bandana. He also talks about competitions like... the fifteenth gourmet race? That sounds weird and a waste of food. Anyway, it doesn't seem like this Dedede writes a lot, although the few entries are more than what you've written since your birth."
"Writing is a waste of time," Dedede snubbly replied.
"And apparently, reading is too," Escargoon scoffed.
"Well, yes, especially when we can get nothing out of it. Look for something juicy in that diary as fast as possible, and let's get out of here!" Dedede demanded.
"But why are you rushing? Are you afraid of the darkness?" Escargoon asked cynically.
"Of course not. You know I'm fearless. We should hurry because if we don't return soon, they will suspect we are up to something. And, since it looks like we are going back with nothing to use against the lesser Dedede, it is better to return the box to that Waddle Doo and look like goodies than to return empty-handed and put more suspicion on our shoulders," Dedede improvised, hiding his true motives.
Escargoon blinked a few times, perplexed by what Dedede had said.
"That makes way too much sense coming from you," the snail stated, surprised.
"What do you mean by that?" Dedede asked, irritated, sensing that Escargoon was somehow insulting him.
"Nothing, sir. I'm going to continue reading," Escargoon shrank in on himself.
Escargoon flipped through the diary's pages, skimming them quickly, until something caught his attention. With a serious expression, the snail began to read:
"Dear Diary.
I haven't written for a long time, right? Well, I don't think it's been that long in this world, but for me, it has felt like an eternity.
I am not ready to put in writing what happened on the Forgotten Land. I need time. Everyone is worried about me, especially Bandee. He thought filling out this entry would be therapeutic, but I can't. I'm fine, though. I'm really fine... It's just that I need some time to process all that and put my thoughts in order.
So then, what am I writing about in this entry? About Kirby. I don't know what is wrong with him. I tried to challenge him to a duel, but he refused. He never refuses! He claims that he doesn't feel like fighting with me, that he prefers for the four of us to just hang out, and that I should focus on resting and recovering. But I'm in top shape! It did cross my mind to go back to the bad old habits just to provoke him into a fight, though I quickly discarded that terrible idea. It would do more harm than good to both of us.
I just hope things get back to normal soon."
"It seems like the other Dedede has been through a bad experience," Escargoon commented in a contemplative tone. "I wonder what happened to shake him this much."
"Who cares?" Dedede growled, not understanding why Escargoon was suddenly worried about the lesser Dedede. "I doubt we can use that against him if he hasn't even given details of what happened! Is there anything else in that diary, or can we leave?"
"There is one more entry," the snail reported after turning the page.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Read it!"
"Dear Diary. I came up with a brilliant plan to make Kirby fight me!"
A plan? That was promising. What mischievous things was the lesser Dedede planning?
"Earlier this morning, Leon contacted me through Elfilin about an urgent matter.
He said that he feels bad about asking me for help after what happened, but I have nothing against him. He was just another victim in all of that... Even if he did things that he was half aware of (which he didn't, as far as I know), it would be hypocritical of me to be mad at him.
But let's not talk about the past. What matters now is that Leon and the others need my help. A river recently overflowed, destroying many of the Beats Pack's dens in the 'Natural Plains' area. They have no resources for rebuilding before the breeding season begins, leaving many future families homeless. Waddle Dee Town lacks the resources to help them either; they had to rebuild half of the town after Marx decided to 'grace' them with one of his pranks.
In hindsight, inviting him to that tour Kirby organised to introduce some of our friends to the Forgotten Land was a terrible idea."
The lantern flashed a couple more times. Was it him, or was the flickering becoming more frequent?
"Read faster, Escargoon," Dedede ordered, his anxiety rising.
"So I came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone: a charity tournament. All donations will be destined to rebuild those dens. We have to put on a great show if we want spectators and donations, so Kirby won't be able to refuse to go all out in our fight! I have also promised him that there will be no masks with hidden dark powers this time.
Well, I'll tell you what happens after the tournament. This time, I won't lose!
PS: Seriously, I don't know what I was thinking when I bought those masks from that creepy guy. It wasn't one of my brightest moments. Never trust a mask salesman with a smile so happy that it becomes scary! I bet the big hammer that those two masks weren't even his most cursed merchandise..."
"And that's it? Are you really telling me that the only thing my other self has planned is a charity tournament? How disappointing. Where are the cunning machinations that end up with Kirby getting kicked out of Dream Land? My plans are a thousand times better!" Dedede ranted.
"Whatever you say, sir," Escargoon said with a condescending tone. "Those masks sound interesting, though. If we could get them... Ah, never mind. The entry ends with 'thank goodness Kirby destroyed them.'"
"So all of this has been for nothing? What a waste of time!" Dedede replied, his rage hiding his growing fear. The lantern flashed again, this time more frequently and faster. Suddenly, the air became filled with a dreadful pressure that made him feel uneasy.
"It looks like it. The lesser Dedede is clean," Escargoon said while he put the diary back in the box. "Anyway, I think it would be better for us to lea...ve...ve...ve..."
Escargoon's face turned pale with horror. The snail raised a shaking hand to point at something behind Dedede's back. Fearing the worst, and against his instincts begging him not to, Dedede slowly turned to see what had terrified Escargoon.
The darkness stared back at him.
Dedede's fear was finally released in the form of a scream that echoed throughout the castle.
º.·º.
Beamy glanced down the hole for a seventh time since the other Dedede and Escargoon went down. The two visitors from the other dimension were taking their time finding the box. What could they be doing? Did anything bad happen to them, or were they up to something?
Beamy had been working in the castle for many years, so he had witnessed the Great King at his most selfish and greedy. Beamy preferred the way things were now due to the Great King being way happier than back then despite his bad experiences along the way, but he would be lying if he said that remembering those times of absurd plans to get attention or out of pettiness didn't make him nostalgic.
The King Dedede from another universe reminded him of those times, although, in this case, the king's good heart was buried very, very deep, if it even existed. That gesture of goodwill and wanting to help could be nothing more than a ruse.
As for the alternative Escargoon, he acted in a more sarcastic and meaner way than the one Beamy knew. Also, given the situation the snail had ended up in, he seemed to be someone who didn't mind getting into trouble if it resulted in his benefit, rather than someone who sought a quiet and carefree life while maintaining a certain social status. Beamy couldn't help but wonder why he had ended up taking that path.
Seeing how these two acted, Beamy couldn't help but be a bit concerned about the other dimension's Dees and Doos.
"Don't you guys think that these two should have already found the box?" Beamy asked his Waddle Dee companions, who had tied the rope to a pillar and were now playing a card game. "I hope they aren't reading the Great King's diary, or I will be forced to use my beam attack to punish them!" the Waddle Doo claimed with a chuckle. The three Waddle Dees stared at him, annoyed. "Hey! What's up with those faces?!" he protested.
At that moment, a scream of horror emerged from the depths of the castle.
Beamy and the Waddle Dees rushed up to investigate the hole. Something terrible must've happened for the Great King's counterpart to scream in such a manner. But what was it?
Their answer came sooner than they expected, when a silhouette emerged from the depths.
The figure floated in the air for a few seconds, examining the Waddle Doo and the Waddle Dees, as if contemplating whether or not they were worth dealing with. Beamy remembered that creature and was as terrified as he had been the first time he saw it years ago.
It was Dark Matter in its swordsman form.
That being had possessed the king in the past and had only emerged from his body after Kirby beat it down. Although, back then, it hadn't been enveloped in a strange aura that reminded Beamy of those holograms the girl from the company that once mechanised Dream Land liked to use.
The other King Dedede, unconscious, was hanging from the Dark Matter's sword by the back of his coat, its fabric miraculously defying gravity and not splitting due to the dead weight. The alternate Escargoon wasn't with them. Beamy figured the snail was still down there, but there was no way the Waddle Doo could rescue him.
"Retreat!" Beamy commanded his companions, frightened. The Waddle Dees didn't think twice and ran away. Beamy joined them. He knew well that it was impossible for one Waddle Doo and three Waddle Dees to defeat Dark Matter.
But he had faith in someone who, this time, would not fall victim to the darkness.