The Beginning. Part 4: The Eye of the Storm
It was a beautiful morning in Dream Land. Birds were singing (except for Tokkori), flowers were blooming, and children were playing outside.
Among those children were Kirby and Tuff, who were playing with a ball in the castle courtyard alongside Falala and Fololo. Tiff was trying to read a book under the shade of a tree, but her worries didn't let her concentrate on its story.
It had been several days since Dedede and Escargoon's last scheme, so Dream Land's atmosphere was more relaxed than usual. Some cappies had begun to believe that the tyrannical king had finally given up on his attempts to "clobber that there Kirby" and that there could be peace in Cappy Town at last. While there hadn't been any sort of real danger since eNeMeE's fall, some of the robots and machines that the tyrannical king and his right-hand man had built in the last months had caused various incidents and property damage. Therefore, almost everyone considered that the longer the local "troublemakers" were absent, the better for everyone. Tiff, however, regarded said absence as concerning.
"I don't know how you guys are playing so carefree," Tiff said frustrated as she put her book aside. The other four stopped and stared at her, Tuff holding the ball to keep it from rolling away. "It's clear that this 'calm' is because Dedede and Escargoon have been busy working on something very big and dangerous."
"So? Kirby will destroy it in a flash, like he always does," Tuff shrugged it off. Tiff rolled her eyes at her brother's attitude.
"Have you guys managed to find out what those two are up to ?" the girl asked Fololo and Falala.
"Nope. King Dedede and Escargoon always avoid talking about their projects around us," Fololo replied. "We've tried asking Captain Waddle-Doo about it, but either he doesn't know what they're working on either, or he has been forbidden to tell us."
"Besides, it doesn't look like the Waddle Dees are involved," Falala continued. "Whatever those two have been doing these past few days, they're doing it alone. I guess that means it can't be something too big, as they would have needed extra workforce," she opined.
"See? I don't understand why you keep getting so stressed every time they plot something. You need to be more chill," Tuff advised.
"Chi, chi, poyo!" Kirby tried to echo Tuff's last word, thinking that it would be more effective.
"But what if they're doing something actually dangerous for once? This could be the calm before the storm!" Tiff insisted.
"Come on, Tiff. This is Dedede we're talking about, not eNeMeE," her brother reminded her. "Even if Escargoon is a genius, Dedede will always screw up somehow. Besides, Meta Knight is coming back today, and he will help us if things get too serious," he reminded her.
Tiff had to agree with Tuff there. Even if Meta Knight usually let them solve problems on their own as part of Kirby's training, there were always lines the Star Warrior would not allow to be crossed. While his direct intervention had never been necessary in the latest incidents, having provided mostly advice and taught them more self-defence techniques, Tiff knew they could count on him and his apprentices if the situation became truly dangerous.
"I think the real problem is that I don't want Dedede to ruin the surprise we have planned for Meta Knight," the girl finally admitted, revealing the source of her current anxiety.
To celebrate Meta Knight's return and show him some appreciation, the Ebrum family had decided to throw him a small tribute. It wouldn't be anything too big or flashy, since they doubted Meta Knight would like that kind of stuff, just a cake and a couple of gifts made by the children. Sword and Blade had also collaborated.
"Yeah. It would be a bummer," Tuff agreed. "Specially after all the trouble we had getting Kirby to not eat the cake..."
"Cake," Kirby repeated, a dreamy expression on his face.
"Wow, look how well you pronounce that word. I can tell it belongs to something you like a lot," Falala commented after letting out an amused chuckle. Over the past few months, Kirby had been improving his speech, although he still wasn't able to form a sentence of more than two or three words. Well, as small as it was, progress was still progress.
"What time do you think Sir Meta Knight will arrive?" Fololo asked. "I want to make sure all the preparations are in place before then."
"Sword and Blade said he'll most likely try to extend his stay in Floralia as long as possible, so I guess we can't predict 'when'," Tiff replied after some thought. "I imagine it will be before midnight."
"Do you think mom will let us eat cake that late?" Tuff questioned.
"I don't think she'll mind this one time," Tiff answered. "Besides, Meta Knight could still arrive earlier."
"Yay! Cake with Meta Nini, poyo!" Kirby celebrated.
Suddenly, the sky clouded over, and the soft breeze became colder.
"Ugh, it looks like it's going to rain any minute now," Tuff complained.
Sudden downpours were common at that time of year, so no one was overly concerned by the change in the weather. Kirby looked up at the sky, a bit disheartened. He would have loved to take a nap under the sunshine after playing. Although rain had its upsides, too.
"We'd better put the laundry away before it gets all wet!" Falala exclaimed before flying off at full speed.
"See you at lunch!" Fololo said before following his twin.
Just at that moment, fine drops of rain began to fall from the sky.
"I think we'd better play inside," Tiff suggested.
"I'll pass," Tuff refused. The rain intensified a little, but he still didn't care.
"Come on, Tuff. This could turn into a downpour any minute," the girl tried to convince her brother.
"It's just water," he argued. "Besides, Kirby wants to play in the rain," he added, pointing at the baby Star Warrior.
"Watah, watah poyo," the young Star Warrior laughed as he ran through the garden. He couldn't wait for puddles to form so he could splash in them.
"If you get a fever later, I'm not taking care of you," Tiff warned her sibling, putting a hand on her hip in a disapproving gesture.
"I can tell you are bluffing, sis," Tuff asserted.
It was at that moment that a flash of lightning, followed almost immediately by a loud noise, lit up the sky, making the three children jump.
"A storm! On second thought, I think we should go back inside!" Tuff exclaimed, alerted, as the rain increased its intensity.
"Poyo!" Kirby nodded as he ran to take cover next to Tiff.
Suddenly, Tiff felt a strange sensation. It was as if the air was getting charged with static electricity. Before she could think about it, Kirby tackled both her and her brother, just in time to push them away from a lightning bolt. Everything happened so quickly that the siblings had neither time to wonder or be mad about Kirby having suddenly pushed them, nor to be grateful that said push had saved them, leaving only space for shock in their minds.
Trembling a bit, Tiff stood up. That lightning bolt felt like it had been aimed straight at them. Also, was it she, or was everything even darker than before? Searching for an answer, the girl looked up at the sky.
What she saw made her blood boil.
"Of course... Of course Dedede would find a way to ruin this day! HOW IN THE WORLD DID HE BRING A MONSTER BACK?" was the girl's immediate and furious reaction. She had recognised Kracko, though the strange digital effect that enveloped it was new. Her anger had overruled her fear. To makes things worse, the rain began falling more heavily.
Kracko prepared to launch a second attack, but without a second thought, Tiff grabbed Kirby and Tuff and pulled them in an attempt to take refuge. The monster, however, had predicted her move and, with another lightning bolt, blocked their advance. The water soaking the ground increased the radius of the lightning strike.
"The rain makes its bolts more dangerous!" Tiff informed her sibling and her protégé.
"We need to get out of here and find something Kirby can copy!" Tuff said.
Tiff nodded. Blade and Sword should come outside to check the strange and violent storm any second now, and they most certainly would give Kirby a sword when they saw the monster. However, with the rain having turned into a downpour, wouldn't it be too dangerous to attack Kracko directly? And there was also the risk of the Warp Star getting damaged before it could reach Kirby. They needed a plan before summoning it.
"Let's retreat inside!" she finally decided. Her brother and Kirby nodded.
The children were soon forced to dodge another of the lightning bolts, and another, and another. Kracko seemed to be getting impatient, and while its attacks didn't land, it always managed to block their escape. One of the bolts struck one of the trees in the yard, its fall forcing Tuff to separate himself from Kirby and Tiff.
Finally, Sword and Blade arrived. Upon seeing the monster, Blade said something only Sword could understand. Both knights drew their weapons and pointed them at the cloud. Kracko was unimpressed and fired a lightning bolt towards them. They reacted a second too late, and while they were able to avoid the direct strike, they were hit by the shock wave, both knights screaming in pain. Seeing that despite having received the electric shock, these obstacles were still alive, Kracko prepared to launch another attack to eliminate them, but a small rock hitting its back distracted it.
Kracko turned to look for the one who had dared to throw it a rock, more annoyed than hurt.
"Hey, Cyclops! I'm here!" Tuff shouted out, carrying his slingshot. Despite the rain, he had managed to climb onto the fountain.
"Tuff! What are you doing?!" Tiff called, worried about her sibling's recklessness.
"Can't you see that I'm distracting it?!" he replied as he fired another stone at it, this one hitting the demonic storm's eye, which turned red. "Gotcha!"
Tuff actions destroyed Kracko's already low patience. The cloud accumulated a massive amount of electricity and unleashed it on the boy who had dared to irritate its eye. Tuff jumped from the fountain to dodge the lightning bolt but slipped when he hit the ground. Kracko readied a second strike.
"Tuff!" Tiff and Kirby shouted, both running towards the boy to try to rescue him before Kracko fired again, although it was unlikely they would arrive in time.
Kracko released his energy, and Tuff braced for the impact. However, it didn't reach him as a hooded person suddenly stood between him and the cloud. Where did the newcomer come from? Did they come down from the sky or something?
The newcomer held two staves, one silver with an emerald on its top and the other golden with a ruby, joined in a cross to create a magical barrier between them and the monster's attack. Tuff couldn't help but open his mouth, admiring the person who had just saved him.
"You should run," that person told him.
Tuff shook his head to get over his astonishment and didn't hesitate to obey, running straight to join his sister and Kirby.
"Don't scare me like that!" Tiff scolded after hugging him.
"Kirby! Tiff! Tuff!" called a familiar voice behind them.
The three children turned to where the voice had come from. Meta Knight had just appeared in the yard—though his Air Ride machine laying crashed on the ground indicated that he had jumped off from it in a hurry before landing it—and was helping Sword and Blade. Blade looked quite dazed, and Sword seemed to be in pain, so Meta Knight had to hold both of them up.
"Meta Knight!" Tiff and Tuff exclaimed, relieved to see the knight. Kirby let out a few cheerful "poyos."
"Let's get inside, quick!" shouted the knight. It was not the time for warm welcomes.
The children and knights headed inside, the hooded figure shielding their retreat from the lightning while following them.
Now that they were out of Kracko's strike range, the group took the opportunity to rest. The monstrous cloud was still outside, attacking the castle walls with his lightning bolts in an attempt to force his enemies out. The structure remained firm, unlike the guards, who were trembling in fear.
"Is everybody all right?" Meta Knight asked the others. Tiff and Kirby nodded.
"We'll live," said a pained Sword, speaking for himself and Blade.
"My butt hurts a bit from the fall, but I'm good," replied Tuff.
Seeing that everyone was soaked, Meta Knight pulled out a torch and said to Kirby:
"Would you mind?"
After making a gesture that said, "Leave it to me!", the young puffball inhaled the torch, understanding what his mentor wanted him to do. Soon, his body turned red, and a crown of flames appeared on his head. Once the transformation was complete, Kirby told everyone present to come closer to him so they could dry off, though Sword and Blade had to be helped by Meta Knight.
"Thank you for saving me, by the way," Tuff said to the hooded person.
"It was nothing. I was just doing my duty," the hooded person replied in a formal tone.
"Are you a Star Warrior?" Tiff asked, intrigued by the newcomer's words. They shook their head as a negative. "Oh! I haven't introduced myself. My name is Tiff, and these are Kirby and my brother Tuff."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Sectonia, and I will protect you both during the mission ," the newcomer introduced herself back as she pulled her hood back. "Also, sorry for taking Meta Knight away for a few days. I hope his absence didn't cause any inconvenience," she added.
These words made made Tiff and Tudd realise who Sectonia actually was, and they couldn't help but be excited to meet the "ex-princess of Floralia" Meta Knight had talked about a week ago. However, said excitement soon turned into worry. Why would someone so vital to her land accompany Meta Knight on his return to Dream Land? Kirby, on the other hand, didn't share his adoptive siblings' concerns and was simply happy to meet a new friend.
Tiff's mind then went back to something Sectonia had just said.
"Wait. What do you mean by 'protecting us during the mission'?" she couldn't help but ask.
"Sorry, I got ahead of myself," Sectonia complained, bringing one of her floating hands to her temple. Beside her, Meta Knight sighed, as he would've wanted to introduce the subject in a more tactful way.
Before the spider or the knight could explain further, a fairly powerful lightning bolt struck the castle, the echo of the blow reverberating through the halls. It seemed Kracko didn't want them to forget it was still there.
"Meta Knight, how is Kracko back if eNeMeE is gone?" Tiff wanted to know. The reappearance of that monster combined with Sectonia's arrival couldn't mean anything good. Would it have something to do with the mission the ex-princess had just mentioned?
"Because this isn't the same Kracko Kirby fought in the past," the knight replied. "Though it seems fueled by the same hatred."
"Then, what is it? A long-lost sibling seeking revenge?" Tuff asked, puzzled.
"We could say it's a recreation," Meta Knight answered.
"Recreation?" Tuff repeated. "You mean like some kind of copy?"
"Kind of. But the worst part is that there are more beings like this one. They're called Echoes, and their existence is a direct consequence of what is putting all universes in danger," Sectonia explained.
"There are more?!" Tuff exclaimed.
"All the universes are in danger?!" Tiff exclaimed, along with her brother, their alarmed questions overlapping.
"Poyo yooo?!" Kirby tilted his head, not understanding what was happening, but since Tiff and Tuff were afraid, he knew it had to be something very bad.
Meta Knight and Sectonia gave a brief rundown of the situation, the Star Warrior showing the children the three petal-shaped crystals and explaning how they worked. Unfortunately for them, someone had seen and heard the entire conversation, and he wasn't going to hesitate to share it with his boss.
"So we just have to turn off that machine, right? It's okay. It can't be harder than defeating eNeMeE in his own fortress," Tiff agreed confidently despite the gravity of the situation.
"Off, off, poyo!" Kirby repeated energetically and with a determined expression that said, "We can do this."
Meta Knight was about to tell them more about the risks so they wouldn't get too overconfident, but then Lady Like and Sir Ebrum arrived. Floating beside them were Fololo and Falala.
"Children! Thank goodness you're here," the woman said, relieved to see her children safe.
"We were afraid you'd still be out there with this terrible weather," Sir Ebrum commented. "Ah, Meta Knight! Welcome back," the man greeted the Star Warrior, surprised to see he had returned hours earlier than expected.
"And I see we have a guest. Pleased to meet you. I'm Lady Like, this is my husband and Cabinet Minister, Sir Ebrum, and these are Fololo and Falala, our attendants," the woman introduced.
"Sectonia, diplomat of Floralia and ally of the G.S.A.," the spider introduced herself courteously, remembering her lessons on how to conduct herself at a royal court.
"Fololo, Falala, could you accompany Sword and Blade to our quarters and call Dr Yabui?" Meta Knight asked. His apprentices' condition didn't seem to have improved at all, which worried him as it was an indicator of hidden injury. "They've received a very powerful electric shock and may need medical attention."
"Of course, Meta Knight," Falala said as she and her brother approached the two knights to help them.
"We're fine!" Sword exclaimed, trying to get away from Fololo and Falala, but a groan of pain betrayed his words. Blade was too dizzy to protest.
"No. You're not. A great warrior must know when to retreat, so I don't want any more complaints," the Star Warrior stated, sounding like a stern father.
Sword let out a defeated groan as he allowed Fololo to help him move. The two knights and the two assistants left. Another lightning bolt struck the castle, causing Sir Ebrum and Kirby to get startled.
"This storm is particularly violent," Lady Like commented worriedly.
"Of course it is. A monster is behind it," Tuff clarified.
"A monster?! But I thought the king..." Sir Ebrum began to say.
"Why did he jump to blame the king immediately?" Sectonia wondered. She didn't like the implication of the minister's words.
"The king has nothing to do with this. Sir Ebrum, Lady Like, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take your daughter on a mission," Meta Knight announced. "Sectonia and I will do everything in our power to keep her safe," he added.
The aforementioned exchanged looks, not knowing how to react to the Star Warrior's words.
"And we don't have a say in the matter, do we?" Lady Like broke her and her husband's silence.
"That's right," Tiff answered. "Sorry, Mom, but we're all in danger, and only Kirby and I can save the day," she explained. Beside her, Kirby nodded.
Sectonia imagined Lady Like was about to protest and try to convince them to search for other options that weren't her daughter, but, in the end, the woman's only negative reaction was a resigned expression that clearly said, "Why my little girl?"
"Very well. I trust you'll bring her back safe and sound," the woman finally said, giving Sectonia and Meta Knight a serious and intense glare. It was a silent way of saying, "You better not let anything bad happen to her."
"Hey, what about me?! You are not planning on leaving me behind, are you?!" Tuff protested when he saw he wasn't included.
"Your presence isn't necessary," Sectonia said somewhat coldly. "It's nothing personal, but for your own safety it's best if you stay with your parents."
"Let him accompany us, Sectonia."
Sectonia turned to look at Meta Knight, perplexed.
"He's just a kid," she argued. "Taking him with us would unnecessarily increase the risks."
"Tuff was one of the few people who volunteered to outattack on eNeMeE's main base. Tiff may be Kirby's guardian, but Tuff also gives him strength," the Star Warrior counterpointed. "And, even if we forbade him from following us, he'd find a way to do so. It's best if we have him under our radar," he added. Tuff giggled and murmured, "wow, he knows me so well."
The spider looked at Lady Like and Sir Ebrum, hoping to find support in them, but these children's parents were either too irresponsible or knew that nothing they could do would change their minds. Or maybe in their culture (like a few others) children were encouraged to go on dangerous adventures, and, in that case, since she was only a newcomer in Dream Land, who was she to judge?
"Fine. Tuff can come with us," Sectonia surrendered. Tuff welcomed the decision.
Kracko hadn't stopped striking the castle during their conversation, but it had became "background noise" until one of its lightning volts struck a window, the shrill sound of breaking glass resonating throughout the castle.
"Well, I think we should get rid of 'Echo Kracko' first," Tiff stated.
"I agree, but it's too dangerous to face that monster under this weather," Meta Knight warned. "Many Star Warriors met their end committing such a reckless act."
"Perhaps you should wait for the rain to stop, then," Sir Ebrum suggested.
"We can't do that!" Tiff protested. "If it gets tired of the castle and decides to attack the city instead, it could destroy it!" Then, an idea came to her mind. "I got it! We could use the pieces of Dedede's robots!" she thought.
"What good would those do?" Tuff asked, wanting to know what her sister was planning.
"Remember how Dedede and Escargoon's latest projects are equipped with lightning rods to prevent Kirby from easily destroying them with his Spark Ability? They must have more stashed somewhere!" the girl explained.
"Oh, that could work!" Tuff agreed. Kirby also celebrated the idea with a "poyo!"
"Why is Kirby destroying your king's robots?" Sectonia asked, puzzled. First, Sir Ebrum had blamed the king when a monster was mentioned, and now the most important Star Warrior of the current times was destroying his robots? "The bad implications keep on piling," Sectonia thought.
"It's because Dedede is using them to try to get rid of Kirby," Tuff answered. "This has been going on for about a year, since he can no longer order monsters from N.M.E..."
"What did you just say?" Sectonia interrupted the kid, trying to swallow the fury rising inside her, hoping she'd heard wrong.
"Dedede used to order monsters from N.M.E," the boy repeated in different words, sensing that it was what Sectonia wanted him to confirm.
As if Sectonia's anger had drawn it like a magnet, a lightning bolt struck the castle walls and, this time, they rumbled. The only reason she didn't start yelling curse words at Dream Land's king right away was because there were children in front of her.
Sectonia remembered the cautionary tales her parents had told her about vain, selfish, and greedy rulers who had fallen for N.M.E.'s tricks. The company would weaken their kingdoms little by little, like a parasite, until eNeMeE decided to either conquer or destroy them. How could monarchs allow themselves to be corrupted by empty promises and fake power, endangering those they were supposed to protect? Sectonia hadn't understood it as a child, but with time she had realised that not all monarchs or governors looked for their kingdoms' interests but rather their own.
And it turned out the king Meta Knight worked for was one of those. That completed the puzzle Sectonia had begun to form in her head the first time the Star Warrior had spoken ill of his boss. But why would a Star Warrior decide to serve someone allied with their enemy? There weren't many reasonable reasons, and given the kind of person Meta Knight was, she doubted he would have given up his values for a roof and money. But what was that reason? Keep an eye on both Dedede and the company's moves? Protect the kingdom's inhabitants from N.M.E.'s monsters? Or perhaps it had been part of a long-term plan? Maybe it was a mix of all.
"Sectonia, please, I beg you to refrain from doing anything drastic," Meta Knight requested his companion, noticing her anger. "Don't direct your fury agains eNeMeE to Dedede, at least until we're finished with the current crisis," he added, his tone laced with a weariness that was, once again, directed at the monarch of Dream Land.
"Fine. We'll ask your boss for those lightning rods and I'll let him be," Sectonia relented, putting all her effort into quelling her fury. Then, inwardly, she added, "But when this is over, nobody is going to stop me from having a few words with him, and not a single one of them is going to be nice…"
"Can we help you somehow?" Lady Like asked.
"Not right now, Mom," Tiff denied.
"In that case, we'll go check on Sword and Blade," the woman said. "Please be very careful," she asked the three children, worried.
"Come on, Mom. It's not like this is the first monster that attack us," Tuff quipped.
"Don't do anything reckless and always follow Meta Knight and his companion's instructions," Sir Ebrum urged.
"We'll try, Dad," Tiff replied, making no promises. Things could always go wrong one way or another, so she chose not to commit.
After parting ways with Tiff and Tuff's parents, the group proceeded to go find Dedede. Meta Knight approached one of the frightened Waddle Dees to enquire about the king's whereabouts, and the small soldier gestured towards the throne room. After giving the Waddle Dee his thanks, Meta Knight led the group to their destination.
"I think I owe you an explanation," Meta Knight suddenly said to Sectonia as they walked. The spider looked at him intrigued. "I decided to work for Dedede because I hoped the presence of monsters would attract a new generation of Star Warriors. Until Kirby arrived, Sword and Blade and I took care of preventing or, at least, mitigating the damage caused by the monsters our king ordered," the Star Warrior revealed, the children nodding to confirm the knight's words.
"I imagined it would be something like that," Sectonia replied. "Poor Meta Knight. He must have had to put up with a lot, given how despicable this Dedede guy is..." she added in her mind, feeling sorry for the Star Warrior.
"By the way, how are we going to convince Dedede to lend us the lightning rods?" Tiff asked. She highly doubted the king would want to help them, considering the grudge he held against them.
"The king never liked monsters destroying his things. I don't think he wants this Echo of Kracko wreaking havoc around here, especially when he didn't order it," Meta Knight replied.
Tiff considered that what Meta Knight had said made sense, but they were talking about Dedede. It was impossible to predict how the king would react given his volatile temper. In the end, it would depend on his mood.
"You also count on my support," Sectonia said. The children looked at her with curiosity. "As his employee, Meta Knight can't demand anything of King Dedede by contract, but as the ruler of other lands, he must listen to me and show me respect if he doesn't want diplomatic problems."
"But I thought you'd rejected your crown. Or at least that's what Meta Knight said," Tuff commented, remembering what the Star Warrior had told the week before.
"Your king doesn't need to know that or that Floralia doesn't have military power right now," she smiled somewhat mischievously, putting her index finger to her mouth, as if asking Tuff to keep it a secret. The kid was eager to back her up in her plan.
Another particularly powerful lightning bolt struck the castle, causing the group to quicken their pace towards the throne room. When they arrived there, just as the Waddle Dee had indicated, they found Dedede and Escargoon. The king was trying to hide his fear of the storm behind a mask of annoyance, while Escargoon wore a thoughtful expression. Upon noticing the group's presence, the king turned to them.
"What's all the fuss about, you bunch of brats? We're doing honest work here!" Dedede shouted angrily, as if they were to blame for what was happening.
"You don't know anything about working and honesty, sir..." Escargoon muttered in mockery. Fortunately for him, his words were drowned out by another lightning bolt and didn't reach the king's ears, so he was spared a reprimanding blow.
"Uh? And what are you doing here so early, Meta Knight?" Dedede asked the knight, visibly surprised. "I was expecting you to be late."
"So I could finally fire you," Meta Knight thought the king was going to add, but it seemed Dedede kept that comment to himself.
"And who is the newcomer? Did you found yourself a girlfriend while you were on vacation?" Escargoon asked sarcastically when he saw Sectonia.
"Is this ill mannered man supposed to be the king's assistant?" Sectonia judged, scowling at the snail. "I guess an unpresentable monarch deserves an unpresentable right hand man."
"Excuse me, my king, but I need to ask you a favor," Meta Knight asked Dedede with absolute politeness and courtesy, deciding to ignore the snail's comment. Escargoon snorted under his breath when he saw that neither the knight's nor Sectonia's reaction had been what he'd expected.
"Another one? Don't you think I've done you enough favors with that week off?" the king retorted disdainfully.
"It wasn't a week off! He was assigned a mission by the G.S.A!" Tiff yelled angrily.
"If he is not working for me, then it doesn't count," Dedede replied, giving himself an air of importance. "But either way, what do you need..." he began to ask aloud, then added in a whisper, "...to make sure you can't get it?"
"We need your lightning rods, sir," Meta Knight replied with patience.
"What for?" Escargoon asked suspectingly, raising an eyebrow. "What are you plotting?"
"The storm that befalls Dream Land isn't normal. Remember the monster Kracko? It's back, and it won't stop until it destroys the castle," the knight exposed. Conveniently, a lightning bolt accompanied the end of his words, increasing the dramatic effect.
Meta Knight, the children, and Sectonia expected those two to react to the revelation with a terrified "What? That's impossible!" But the king and his right-hand man maintained their usual (bad) attitude. It almost seemed as if they already knew what was going on and didn't care, something confirmed by the king's next words.
"Oh, yeah. But that's none of our business."
"Excuse me?" the knight asked, confounded.
"All that monster wants is to destroy Kirby, right? In that case, why should we get involved?" Escargoon dismissed.
"What if the castle falls?" Meta Knight tried to insist, attacking the only thing those two should care about.
"We'll have the Waddle Dees fix it, like always," Dedede replied. The others, except for Escargoon, looked at him disapprovingly. "Oh, come on. Did you really think I was going to help you? I'd rather put a ribbon on Kirby and serve him to Kracko on a silver platter," the king laughed maliciously, revelling in the group's anger.
"What the hell is going on inside this guy's head?!" Sectonia finally snapped, his anger accompanied by a lightning bolt. That had been the last straw.
"Nothing. That's part of the problem," Tuff mocked Dedede, his voice low enough for the king to not hear.
"And who are you supposed to be, missy?" The king wanted to know, paying attention to Sectonia for the first time.
Sectonia knew exactly how she had to act from that moment on. If this madman who called himself king refused to cooperate, it was time to play the diplomatic threat card.
"My name is Sectonia, and I am here in representation of the Kingdom of Floralia," the spider began, speaking with the dignity and authority expected of a royal. Echo Kracko continued to lash the castle with his lightning bolts, but no one was paying attention anymore, as everyone was focused on the spider. "I came here seeking a trade alliance that could benefit the economic development of our lands in a galaxy freed from the clutches of N.M.E., but in light of this rude reception, I am considering withdrawing my proposal and severing all diplomatic relations with Dream Land."
Escargoon gulped as he realised how much he and the king had messed up. Dedede, on the other hand, remained impassive.
"Sir, we must be careful when dealing with this person. Maybe we should apologise..." the snail whispered to the king, his voice trembling with fear.
"Nah. She seems to be way too friendly with the brats for my liking, and I'm not interested in a trade alliance, whatever that is," Dedede rejected with utter disregard. "Besides, what could she do to us if I refuse to help them?"
"Well, for example, I could have you be declared an enemy of my kingdom for your past collaboration with eNeMeE, something that could end in a declaration of war in order to liberate this land," Sectonia improvised, trying to sound as threatening as possible without losing her diplomatic stance.
"I think she went a bit too far there..." Meta Knight considered. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kirby shudder. Tiff had to reassure the puffball, reminding him that Sectonia was only putting on an act.
"Me? Collaborate with eNeMeE? Never in my life," the king lied shamelessly.
"How can you still deny it after...?!" Tiff began to yell in anger, but she couldn't finish her sentence because Escargoon, who had stealthily approached her, covered her mouth with his hand. Sectonia had to restrain herself from attacking the snail for the way he was treating the girl.
"That's a very serious accusation, coming from someone with no proof," Escargoon said to Sectonia with a sardonic tone as Tiff tried to wriggle free from him. She could actually do so at any moment by elbowing the snail, but she preferred not to resort to violence, especially when it could affect her father's job.
"So, if I used my magic, I wouldn't find a N.M.E. transporter hidden in this room?" Sectonia asked, trying to corner them. She was well acquainted with the system the company used to transport their monsters and products, having sabotaged and even destroyed the ones installed in Floralia on several occasions during the rebellion.
"Magic?!" Dedede and Escargoon repeated, alarmed. That word had made them more afraid than the diplomatic threats.
"Yeah. Sectonia is not only the sovereign princess of Floralia, she's also an excellent sorceress," Tuff stated, remembering the magical barrier.
That was a misplay on Tuff's part, as Dedede completely ignored the "sorceress" part upon hearing "sovereign princess".
"A princess? Why didn't you say that before?!" Dedede exclaimed excitedly, a blush rising to his cheeks. The king quickly preened himself before making what he considered a "seductive" gesture toward Sectonia.
"Wipe that expression off your face. Now," the spider demanded in response. Her words had been laced not only with rejection but also with disgust, contempt, and threat.
"Eww, she is even worse than the last one who visited us," Dedede said as he backed away, intimidated by Sectonia's aura. He then coughed to regain his "authoritarian" posture. "Anyway, it doesn't matter how hard you try: you won't ever find the transporter."
Really?" Sectonia asked with a victorious smile, sensing that the king was about to make a mistake.
"Absolutely. We dismantled it and used its pieces for one of our projects, after all," Dedede replied, not paying attention to what he was saying. It was the sound of Escargoon slapping his own face hard what made the king realise he'd basically just confessed his guilt. Tiff took advantage of the snail's gesture to escape from him. "Oops," the king said after a nervous chuckle. Seeing that he'd gotten himself into a dead end and spurred on by another lightning bolt striking the walls, Dedede finally gave in. "Ugg, all right, all right. I'll let you use my lightning rods this once. But you have to get rid of that thing before it destroys the castle. Have I made myself clear?" he demanded.
"Thank you," Meta Knight said, though his gratitude was more directed to the fact that the argument had ended than at the king.
Dedede approached his throne and pressed a button. Barely a year ago, doing so would have brought up the monster transporter alongside a screen featuring a certain salesman with malicious intent, but now it had a different purpose: opening a secret hatch that led to a descending staircase. Said staircase ended in a door.
"Don't even think that now that you know where our secret workshop is, you are invited to walk into it whenever you want. I'm planning on installing a security key lock as soon as you deal with that thing," Escargoon said arrogantly to the others as he opened the door.
Dedede and Escargoon's workshop was a well-lit underground room, considerably larger than the snail's old one. A large workbench sat in the center, and a tarp-covered object lied on it. A strange platform rested at the far end of the room. It was vaguely reminiscent of the monster transporter, though its was smaller and its design was way more simple and clean.
"They probably added this when they rebuilt the castle," Tiff deduced.
Finally, several crates of varying sizes were scattered around the room, all decorated with a logo that caught Tiff's attention. "H.W.C.? What's this? Please, don't tell me Dedede has joined another evil company..."
Meta Knight had also noticed the logo on the crate, his eyes turning green in contemplation.
"We'll look into this after we are done with the Harvester," the knight whispered to Tiff, who nodded. Turning off the machine was much more urgent.
"This is the one that contains the lightning rods," Escargoon said as he dragged one of the crates with the strange logo towards the group. Dedede, for his part, had approached the workbench and placed his hands on the covered object. His back was turned on them, so they couldn't see his (totally unusual) thoughtful expression.
Sectonia opened the lid to check if the crate's contents were correct. Inside of it, there were a series of metallic devices that didn't look like ordinary lightning rods at all. They were quite compact, and instead of a ground connection, they had a kind of energy cell installed, probably designed to store electricity. The spider grabbed one of them to examine it.
The supposed lightning rod was so light that even a child could easily carry it. On one side was a piece that seemed removable, although Sectonia refrained from doing so when she read the label next to it that said, "Safety key: do not remove until the piece is properly installed." The spider guessed that the safety key's purpose was preventing the lightning rods from attracting electricity while they were being installed. In addition, there were folded parts that appeared to be "legs" designed so the piece could be attached to any surface.
"So, is this actually a lightning rod?" she asked, fascinated by the strange device in her hands.
"Of course it is," Dedede answered, turning to look at her. "Thanks to those things, if Kirby uses the Spark ability, he powers up our robots instead of destroying them," he added with a laugh of superioriry.
Sectonia looked at Kirby, who was staring at the piece with a sulky expression on his face. That corroborated the king's words.
"Interesting," she finally commented, as she began handing out the lightning rods to Meta Knight, Kirby, Tiff, and Tuff. They were very practical and safe pieces, the exact opposite of what N.M.E. used to sell before their downfall. "I wonder who is making stuff like this and what their purpose may be..."
"Aren't you going to take one with you?" Tuff questioned.
"Someone has to distract Echo Kracko while you install them, and I'm the one who'll be in the least danger thanks to my magic," the spider explained.
"Alrighty, then. Let's get to work!" Tiff exclaimed.
Immediately afterwards, the three children and the two adults assisting them ran out of the workshop, leaving Dedede and Escargoon alone.
"They haven't told us anything about those crystals or the machine," Dedede commented, sounding disappointed, as he leaned back against the workbench.
"That's to be expected. They don't trust us after all the things we've done," the snail retorted.
"It's not a matter of trust. I'm pretty sure that they just want to hog all the glory for saving the universes," Dedede grunted, crossing his arms. When would it be his turn to be adored? "Soon," he assured himself.
"Do you still think we should join that 'mission', sir?" Escargoon asked.
"Of course we should. Remember what Captain Waddle Doo told us: they're going to a place full of these crystals that allow people to watch alternate realities. We could find one that shows us how to defeat Kirby for good!" The king insisted eagerly. "Not to mention we could steal some and sell them. The machine won't care once it's off," he added greedily. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I don't think it's a good idea. Things could get dangerous, given what they've said," Escargoon replied, his voice filled with doubt.
"It would be a good opportunity to test our new toy," Dedede tried to convince him with an amused smile, nodding at the object under the tarp. He didn't know if he was more eager to use it or to see the faces these brats and the pretentious Star Warrior would make when they saw what he and Escargoon had been working on.
"Well, there goes nothing. I hope we don't get our fingers burnt too badly with this..." Escargoon resigned himself, fearing for his safety.
Dedede ignored the snail's fear and turned back to the workbench.
"Once I show them this, they won't dare underestimate me ever again," the king thought, anxiously clutching the tarp that tucked his last hope.
Unaware of the conversation taking place between the monarch and his henchman, Kirby and his friends quickly executed their plan. Sectonia firmly stepped out into the castle courtyard, drawing Echo Kracko's attention. The monstrous cloud decided to take its frustration out on her. Once the rest of the group were certain that the cloud was distracted, they began to install the lightning rods on separate windows. Sectonia had left a spider web attached to each security key in order to remotely remove them with a spell once she received a signal.
Thanks to a levitation spell, Sectonia moved fluidly through the air, allowing her to overcome the disadvantage of the wet ground. She floated so gracefully that it looked like she was dancing, and she managed to either dodge or block each of Echo Kracko's lightning bolts, infuriating the cloud further. Still, she knew she couldn't hold out for too long since maintaining the levitation spell while casting barriers constantly depleted her magic reserves. The lack of magic on the surface made the situation even worse, as, unlike in Floralia, she couldn't quickly replenish said reserves.
"Everything is ready, Sectonia!" she heard Tiff's voice say, filling her with relief. Sectonia clashed her staffs to activate the magical webs she had installed to remove the security keys.
Echo Kracko wasn't aware of what its enemies had done, so it couldn't help but be surprised when its lightning, instead of striking the person it had to eliminate, was redirected towards one of the castle's windows and was mysteriously absorbed.
"Kabu! Send the Warp Star!" Tiff was summoned.
The fight that ensued once the Warp Star answered the girl's call was short-lived. The lightning rods attracted all of Echo Kracko's electric attacks, allowing Kirby to freely manoeuvre in the air. Then, once he got close enough, he cut the Echo in half with a single slash of his sword copy ability. The monster finally vanished into digital-like particles.
And so, as sudden as it had begun, the storm ended, though the rain continued to fall like if it was an indicator that they were still not safe. Now came the hardest part: shutting down the Harvester of Destinies before more Echoes made their destructive appearance.
With the fight over, the Warp Star shrank. Tiff put it in her pocket since it was probable that Kirby would need it again soon. Once everyone regrouped inside the castle, Kirby returned Meta Knight's practice sword, and then he swallowed another torch to, again, dry the group with his fire copy ability. Once everyone was ready, Meta Knight began drawing the portal that would take them to the Void In Between.
But he was rudely interrupted.
"Hey, stop right there! You're not going anywhere without me!" Dedede demanded of them. Behind him, Escargoon was dragging the covered object they had seen earlier in the workshop.
Everyone looked at Dedede, frustrated and annoyed. The only exception was Kirby, whose eyes lit up, believing Dedede had come to help them with genuine intentions.
"What are you talking about?" Sectonia asked, confused. "There is no way he knows about the Harvester, does he?" She, wrongly, thought.
"Did you think you could hide your secret mission from me? I have eyes and ears throughout the whole castle!" Dedede exclaimed, exaggerating as he was referring only to Captain Waddle Doo. "I know what you are planning, and I'm going with you whether you like it or not! And Escargoon's coming too!"
"Ugg. No way. After what happened last time, we would be crazy to allow you two to come!" Tiff flatly refused, remembering how the mere presence of those two had nearly ruined their assault on eNeMeE's fortress.
"Oh. And how are you going to forbid us from doing so?" Escargoon challenged haughtily.
"As sovereign princess of Floralia..." Sectonia began.
Dedede made a stop motion with his arm and counterattacked by saying:
"If you don't let us come with you, I will fire and exile Meta Knight for his continued betrayals."
"You wouldn't dare!" Tuff yelled at the king. His rage was shared by his sister.
"Oh, boy, of course I would dare!" the king retorted. "I've been wanting to do it for a while now, and my reasons are pretty much legit considering everything he's done," he explained.
"Did you really think that Our Majesty wouldn't end up losing his patience with our resident knight given his temper is as short as small is his brain?" Escargoon pointed out. Dedede punched him in his head for his insult.
"And what are those reasons, if I may ask?" Meta Knight challenged Dedede calmly, believing the king's words were nothing more than an empty threat.
"Well, for example, there's that warship you built beneath the castle gardens without my consent," Dedede replied. "How do I know you wouldn't have used it to overthrow me if it hadn't been destroyed in the assault on that space fortress? Not to mention that, with your salary, it's impossible that the money for it came from your pocket. I'm sure you diverted funds from the castle to make it!"
"Okay. That's actually a good point," Meta Knight conceded internally.
"Unlike you, Meta Knight would never do something as filthy as that!" Tiff defended the Star Warrior. Kirby seconded her with a few protesting poyos.
Dedede ignored them and continued with his complaining:
"And then there are the little things, like giving you and Kirby advice on how to end my marvellous plans, pushing my vehicle under the pretext of protecting me, mocking me behind my back... Do you really think a self-respecting knight should treat his king that way?"
"He treats you the way you deserve! How do you expect a Star Warrior to respect an N.M.E. contributor?" Sectonia rebuked him.
"Heh. Do you think that is a defence?" Dedede laughed it off. "Letting his personal affairs interfere with his job, which is to obey and serve me, demonstrates his lack of professionalism."
Dedede, Escargoon, Sectonia, Tiff and Tuff began arguing back and forth about Meta Knight's behaviour, the first two against it and the other three in favour. Kirby, distressed due to all the fighting and yelling, tried to stop them to no avail. Meta Knight limited himself to observing the argument in quiet contemplation.
The king made no effort to hide his contempt for the knight or show the minimal amount of respect. In the past, Meta Knight had never been bothered by that and had even used it to act freely right under his boss's nose (well, beak or mouth or whatever it was). However, at that moment, something he couldn't point out about Dedede's terrible attitude was intolerable. It was even giving him a headache.
"Meta, I'd trust you with my life..."
Meta Knight clenched his fists. No. It wasn't "something he couldn't point out".
The Star Warrior had learnt to cope with Dedede being the way he was. He had once seen a glint of a good person in the bottom of the monarch's heart, but he had been wondering for a while if it had been just his imagination. In the current times, he had ended up believing that Dedede would never change for the better, as every opportunity he had given the king to do so had been butchered and wasted, and any bridges the knight had tried to tend had been burnt. And yet, he had accepted all of that as part of his life in Dream Land. After all, having seen and experienced what true evil was like, Dedede's petty villainy was just a minor nuisance for him.
But now that Meta Knight knew of another reality with a Dedede worthy of calling himself 'king', could he let things stay the same as they were? Could he just accept the path in front of him now that he had proof a different one existed? No. Dream Land deserved better. Cappy Town deserved better. The children he had secretly sworn to protect deserved better.
It was then when the thought of overthrowing the false king of Dream Land crossed Meta Knight's mind. Thought that he quickly pushed to the back of his mind, as it was unbecoming of a Star Warrior.
"I've had enough," Meta Knight broke his silence, releasing his frustration with a cold anger that reflected in his now red eyes. "Very well, my liege. You may accompany us, but the children's safety will be a priority over yours at all times," he settled the matter, saying the words "my liege" with tangible falsehood. Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby were taken aback by their mentor's attitude. It was very unusual to see Meta Knight so angry with Dedede. The knight took a deep breath to subdue his lingering rage, his eyes soon returning to normal.
Dedede, however, didn't care about his employee's reaction at all.
"Heh. Do you think I need your protection?" Dedede scoffed. "Escargoon, show them our 'little' toy!" He ordered his lackey.
Escargoon finally removed the tarp from the object, revealing a huge mechanical hammer made of the same strange metal as the lightning rods. Although it seemed impossible given its size, Dedede lifted it with little effort, looking at the group with pride.
"I knew it!" Tiff shouted, seeing the weapon as a confirmation of her suspicions about Dedede and Escargoon's prolonged absence.
"Wow. I have to admit it's pretty awesome," Tuff commented, unable to hide his admiration. Even Kirby and Sectonia seemed impressed. Meta Knight, on the other hand, studied the hammer, his eyes glowing a deep green.
"Tuff! Don't take sides with him!" Tiff called her sibling out.
"Not in my life! I just think that the hammer looks really cool," Tuff defended himself.
Tiff wouldn't call a hammer equipped with a jet and something that looked like a missile launcher 'cool, especially in Dedede's hands, but she understood why someone like her brother would do so.
"Well, I think we've wasted enough time," Sectonia said.
"True. I hope nobody has anything else to say or do, because we are leaving now," Meta Knight stated. Everyone shook their heads. "Once the portal opens, we have to cross quickly," he explained before beginning to draw the portal that would take them to the Void In Between, for real this time.
As Meta Knight traced, one of Sectonia's hands grabbed the collar of Dedede's coat and pulled him down to her height.
"Let me make things clear," the former princess of Floralia whispered to Dream Land's monarch. "I'm not taking any more risks than necessary, so if you make one wrong move, then you're done for. Anything I don't approve of, then you're done for. I don't care about that hammer of yours: I could cast a spell on you and you'd be done for. So don't cause any troubles in there, understood?" She threatened sternly.
"O-Okay..." Dedede replied, intimidated.
"And there goes his bravado," Escargoon mumbled. He had expected that to happen earlier.
Meta Knight finished tracing the star, and the portal opened before them. They all rushed through, the Star Warrior being the last one to do so. "Let's put an end to this," was the last thought that crossed his mind before he entered the Void In Between for the second time.
Neither he nor his companions could predict how badly their incursion would end.
Longest chapter so far by a wide margin lol.
"Wait, this is the final chapter of the arc, but it doesn't show what happened in the Void In Between?" Yes *evil laughter*.
Okay, now seriously, I need a couple of things to happen in the present of the fic before showing the actual "how did Tiff and the others end up on one of the Gameverse timelines" and "what happened to Meta Knight", so please bear with me.
PS: A bit of context for the "Epic: the musical" reference: I noticed in the Spanish version that the original dialogue looked way too similar to Done For's chorus, probably influenced by the song being part of my "while writing" playlist, so I decided to go full in. I decided to keep the dialogue intact in this version.