So…I think you all know what this chapter is going to focus on. Magolor dropped the bombshell, so let's not waste any more time.
For a few seconds, no one spoke, letting Magolor's words sink in. Then all hell promptly broke loose.
"WHAT!?"
"I thought the Ancients were extinct!?"
"Adeleine's an Ancient?!"
"Why did you give the humans such a cool sounding name?"
"Quiet!" Kirby yelled out, even using quickly inhaling a dropped microphone of sometime for the mic ability to give himself more power to his voice. Once everyone had turned to him and stopped yelling, he spoke again. "Magolor, Susie, Hyness-can you guys explain anymore about the Ancients?"
"Well, we don't know a lot," Magolor said for the trio. "But we all know that a lot of texts refer to them as humans."
"What happened to them?" Thad had to ask. From what he could see, just about everyone had the same question.
"No one knows for sure," Susie admitted as she crossed her arms. "But what is known is that once they developed space travel and, later on, teleportation, they spread out amongst the stars. Rumors are that many groups splintered out from there, discovering different planets…but, after a while, they stopped thinking about if they should do things. All that mattered was if they could."
"Their own pride wiped them out," Meta Knight summarized.
"Jes," Hyness said with a grim nod. "They would either run away from the problems they created…or the problems would end them."
"Is…is that what happened to my home?" Elfilin asked nervously.
"Who knows?" Susie bitterly asked. "They've ruined dozens of worlds."
"But…then why didn't any of you notice that you've been living with one?" Nori asked as she pointed to the still shell shocked Adeleine.
"None of us actually knew what they looked like," Magolor sheepishly admitted. "No images really…survived to our time…and Adeleine never told us she was human."
"...Because I didn't know I was," Adeleine admitted. "To be honest, I don't remember anything before I arrived on Popstar. The most I remember was running from some monsters and getting placed into a spaceship."
"Do you still have the ship?" Khan asked. "Maybe we could use it to find out why you don't have your memories?"
"Yeah, but it's back in Dreamland," Adeleine pointed out.
"I could make a portal back for you!" Elfilin offered, doing a little flip in the air.
"I'll come too! Make it easier to bring it back," Dedede offered. Adeleine merely nodded, not fully trusting her voice at the moment. Taking a moment to concentrate, Elfilin opened a portal back to Dreamland, causing everyone to look through.
"Cool…" Jude said for all the drones.
"Your home is so pretty!" Jessie gushed as she looked over what she could see from Elfilin's portal.
"It really is, huh," Kirby couldn't help but brag as Dedede and Adeleine headed through the portal.
"Better than Copper-9, that's for sure," Lizzy snarked, but she looked just as interested as her fellow drones to explore Popstar someday.
"Hey! Maybe you could come explore Popstar after we defeat the cult!" Bandanna Dee, seemingly able to read minds, suggested to the drones.
"You mean it?!" N asked excitedly.
"Of course!" Kirby chimed in. "We love visitors…provided they aren't trying to destroy and/or take over the planet."
"Which is a way bigger problem than you'd think!" Coo couldn't help but comment. None of the drones were really sure how to react to that, which made them all the more thankful that Dedede and Adeleine finally returned.
"Got that ship!...pod…thing," Dedede said as he set it down in front of everyone.
"Hmmmm…I'm not seeing any reason Adeleine would lose her memory," Susie admitted as she began to look over the pod.
"Why doesn't it look like a spaceship?" Levi asked as he looked over the ship as well.
"Because it's a cryo-pod," Susie revealed as she finished looking over it.
"A cryo-what?" Ribbon asked for everyone who wasn't aware of what that was.
"A cryo-pod," Susie repeated before patting the pod. "It's meant to freeze someone and keep them asleep and alive over long periods of time. It's like the reason for Adeleine's memory loss is because something went wrong with the process."
"So…I can't get my memory back?" Adeleine sadly asked. Even though she never really gave much thought to her memory before Dreamland, she was now really curious to know more about her past.
"I'm not sure, but considering that the Foundation of Dreams unlocked some of your memories to use them to craft your dreams, it's possible you could recall something with time or aid," Susie explained.
"Perhaps I could help," Cyn offered. "While I do not know much about your family, I do remember your friendship with Tessa."
"Uh, so we don't really remember you outside of some vague deja vu, but we could help too!" N offered. Next to him, V and J both nodded in agreement. At this, Adeleine allowed herself to smile.
"Thank you," She said as she stood up to walk over to them. "I'm looking forward to hearing the stories."
"We're excited to tell them," J said for the group. Adeleine was about to thank them again, but N suddenly shot up and walked over to Adeleine's cryo-pod.
"Hey! There's something in here!" He called out. This prompted everyone to walk over to the pod to see what N was looking at.
"Drawings. Fitting for you," Dark Meta Knight couldn't help but comment. Slowly, to not damage them, Adeleine began to remove the drawings from the pod. Some were of her. Some had various animals.
And some had what Adeleine could clearly tell were N, J, V and Cyn, as well as another human girl along with herself.
"Hey! That's Tessa!" N realized as he pointed at the other girl in the drawing.
"...N's right," J said after a few seconds.
"We must have been really close if I saved my drawings of her," Adeleine noted, now feeling really bad for forgetting about someone who was clearly extremely close to her.
"Uh, if I can ask, how come you never looked at that before?" Thad asked for everyone, with several people clearly about to ask the same question.
"That's my fault," Dedede admitted sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "When I first ran into Adeleine after she crashed on Popstar, I took the pod and kinda…forgot about it in my storage rooms."
"I also never thought much about it," Adeleine admitted. "I mean, I never put much thought into my life before Dreamland, probably because of how nice it is there…unless something tries to take over or destroy the planet. So it never came up."
"Well come on! We've got a bunch of stories to share!" N said as he took Adeleine's hand and all but dragged her off, with V, J and Cyn following. Everyone else took that as a cue to disperse, leaving the Doormans with Magolor, Susie and Hyness.
"So…do you really not know much about the humans/Ancients?" Nori asked the trio, who could only shake their heads.
"Not much else from what we told you," Susie had to admit. "In truth, more is known about what they left behind."
"As soon as they got space travel, they practically conquered the stars," Magolor said. "I remember reading something about how some stayed on their home planet, but those that left learned so much from every world they visited…and ruined."
"...Do you know the exact number?" Khan had to ask.
"No, but it was a large number," Hyness said grimly as he thought about all the planets that the ancients left behind. Elfilin's planet got lucky, even with the animals getting left at the mercy of Fecto Elfilis. But places like Shiver Star and Halcandra were rendered lifeless wastelands by the actions of the Ancients. "And that's not getting into their creations. Er, present company excluded, of course."
"One of their creations ruined my life," Susie growled as she clenched her fists. "It ripped my father away from me and left behind a husk…and even took that from me!"
"Wish I didn't relate to that…kinda," Uzi said. "But now I'm wondering about something. Do you think…do you think that the Solver could have been made by the Ancients? No one…no one knows where it came from. Believe me, mom and I tried to look."
"I wouldn't be shocked," Magolor dryly noted. "Given everything else they've created, a reality wrapping computer virus that seeks to devour everything would be something they would make, even if it was an accident."
"Still…it's weird knowing we've been friends with an Ancient this whole time…" Susie noted. "Probably because she doesn't act like how I thought an Ancient would."
"...So I've never met her, but going off what N and V told me about her, Tessa seemed like an awesome person," Uzi admitted. "So maybe…maybe there's some rare humans that aren't all bad."
"Never thought I'd say this, but I agree with Uzi," Nor said as she placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Adeleine isn't like them. She's got a big heart."
"Feel like that's something you could say about most of the Star Allies from Dreamland," Magolor noted with an amused smile. "But I wouldn't have it any other way…especially with Adeleine."
"Tessa sounded so nice!" Ribbon gushed as N finished another story about Tessa. She, along with Gooey, ended up joining Adeleine and the former Elliot Manor servants. After hearing all the stories, Ribbon now really wanted to meet this Tessa person.
"Nice people make good friends," Gooey agreed in his own way.
"She was the best," V said wistfully as she fiddled with both her glasses and a red scarf Lizzy had gifted her. "She never treated us like we were disposable like…pretty much everyone else."
"...Her parents really hated it," Adeleine said almost unconsciously.
"We didn't tell you that," Cyn realized instantly. Everyone's eyes went wide as they turned to the artist, who was similarly stunned when she realized what she had just said.
"I…" Adeleine slowly began to think more. It was mostly little details, but listening to the drones made Tessa feel…familiar. Enough that Adeleine now knew for sure she knew her in the past. "...I think I really did know her."
"Told you," Cyn couldn't help but comment. "You were close. You were probably the human closest to her."
"...Still weird to think about the fact I'm technically an Ancient," Adeleine mumbled to herself.
"So why do you guys hate the Ancients so much?" N asked. "I mean, if they made Magolor's ship, how bad could they be?"
"They also made a lot of really bad stuff!" Ribbon chimed in as she crossed her arms. "Well…I guess NOVA wasn't that bad, but it let Marx almost take over everything! And that's not even talking about things like Star Dream or all the planets they ruined!"
"Somehow I can believe it," V bitterly commented. While she didn't remember humans outside of Tessa, her parents and some of their associates, considering their arrogance and cruelty, she could easily believe that humans/Ancients could ruin a planet or two.
"Uh, what's a NOVA? And a Star Dream?" N asked, genuinely curious. Sure, he knew they were supposed to be filling Adeleine in on more of her past with Tessa, but everything he heard about the Star Allies made him more and more curious about them and all the stuff they've done battle with.
"Both were something called a Clockwork Star," Adeleine began as she made a quick sketch to give the drones an idea of what she was talking about. "They're all powerful reality warping machines that can grant wishes. An…accident destroyed NOVA and Star Dream gained sentience, turned evil and got destroyed by Kirby."
"Are…are there anymore?" J nervously asked. The idea of the Solver getting its mitts on a reality warping device was terrifying. From what she could see, N, V and Cyn were just as nervous.
"Not that we know of," Ribbon admitted. "But if there is another, I know Kirby could beat it! And that's why I know we're gonna beat these cult guys and the Solver!"
"...I hope you're right," Cyn said for everyone. Before anything else could be said, the door to the room they had decided to talk in opened up and King Dedede strolled in.
"I'm not interrupting anything, right?" The self proclaimed monarch asked.
"No. What's going on?" J replied. She didn't really want the conversation to continue in the direction it was going.
"Dev is briefing a bunch of us on those dang force fields keeping us out of the leader's base. He's planning to have us start smashing 'em! Wanted to ask if any of you wanted to come?" Dedede explained as he adjusted his hammer.
"Sounds like fun. I'm getting a little stir crazy," V admitted as she stood up.
"If it helps us find Tessa, then I'm coming too," J declared firmly. N, for his part, was torn between helping or staying behind with Cyn.
"I'll be fine, big brother," Cyn, seemingly able to read her older brother figure's mind, assured him. "You can go."
"You sure you'll be okay?" N clarified.
"I will be fine," Cyn promised as she gave N a hug. N quickly returned it before standing up to leave with his fellow Disassembly Drones.
"Adeleine, Ribbon, Gooey-you want to come too?" Dedede asked his fellow Star Allies.
"More travelling with friends!" Gooey cheerfully said as he squirmed over to Dedede.
"I…think I'm going to stay here," Adeleine said after a few seconds. "Still trying to process everything."
"I think I'll stay here too," Ribbon chimed in before waving to the group. "Good luck!"
"Heh, thanks Ribbon!" Dedede said as he headed out with the Disassembly Drones and Gooey.
"...I am sorry for upsetting you," Cyn said after a couple seconds.
"You didn't upset me," Adeleine replied, voice full of confusion as she looked the smaller drone in the eyes. "Why do you think did?"
"Because I brought back your memories of Earth," Cyn explained as she looked at the floor. "You were happy without knowing who you were."
"Cyn…" Adeleine took a second to think about her response. "I'm not mad. Just a little shellshocked learning I'm basically an Ancient. Especially considering I've been told as long as I can remember that the Ancients are long gone."
"No thanks to me…" Cyn grumbled, still bitter over everything her body had been forced to do.
"Aw, but it wasn't your fault!" Ribbon insisted. "It was the Solver controlling you!"
"I still let it in. I believed it's promises that it would keep from getting thrown out," Cyn replied, still clearly unconvinced that she deserved any sympathy. Adeleine and Ribbon looked at each other and smiled.
"If they didn't leave, there's some people we think you should talk too,"
When Ribbon and Adeleine said that some of the Star Allies would relate to what she went through, Cyn had her doubts. Getting tricked into letting a demonic virus take control of your body was probably not that common.
Which made Cyn all the more shocked that not one, but two Star Allies seemed to relate.
"Dang, wish Dedede was here! He gets possessed all the time!" Marx cackled as he jumped up and down on one of his beach balls.
"Marx, not helping," Magolor grumbled as he dragged his hand down his face. Turning to Cyn, Magolor took a breath. "You mentioned something about a seemingly benign creature corrupting you and basically rendered you a husk?...It wasn't some reality wrapping computer virus but I know the feeling."
"Really?" Cyn asked, looking up at the egg-like wizard. Magolor merely nodded.
"Yeah. See back where I used to live, there was this crown-The Master Crown-guarded by an ancient dragon," He began, letting Cyn look amazed at Magolor knowing a dragon. "But what I didn't know was that the crown had a mind of its own. The reason that Landia-the dragon-was given the crown to guard was because they had too strong a will for the crown to corrupt them. So the crown sought out another possible host…"
"You?" Cyn asked, even though she already knew the answer. Again, Magolor simply nodded.
"...It spoke to me. Told me I had potential to be great. Greater than Landia and my few other peers." Magolor admitted as she looked down, clearly ashamed of what he did. "I tried to attack Landia to steal it. When that failed, I fled to Dreamland and tricked Kirby into defeating Landia for me. But when I finally got the crown…it barely wasted any time before it turned me into a monster. And when Kirby beat me in that form…it got so much worse. For NOVA's sake, I HAD AN EYE IN MY MOUTH!"
"Sounds like something the Solver would do," Cyn couldn't help but comment. "How did you break free?"
"Kirby beat me up again and then I got thrown into Another Dimension," Magolor replied. "The crown drained most of my power, but through my journey, I managed to get most of it back…and get my revenge on the crown."
"...How did you get Kirby to forgive you?" Cyn had to ask, wondering if she could get the same forgiveness…or if she even needed it.
"Built him a theme park," Magolor replied in a tone that Cyn could tell was 100% serious. "But on top of that…I've also made sure to be there whenever he needs me now. Sometimes, I still feel like I don't deserve to be forgiven for what I did…but since I have been, I'm making the most of it."
"Yeah, yeah good for you," Marx grumbled. "You got to waltz back into Kirbo's life and I had to deal with turning into a nightmare zombie monster!"
"...What was your story?" Cyn couldn't help but ask. With how Marx was acting, she was wondering why Ribbon and Adeleine thought he could help.
"Just want to get down to business, eh?" Marx replied flippantly. "So unlike Maggy here, I was actively trying to be evil. Tricked the sun and moon into fighting-long story- and then Kirby into seeking out NOVA so I could wish to be all powerful. Of course, I didn't know how strong Kirby was, so our little fight ended with me crashing into NOVA. I should have died…but then that's when things got bad."
"How bad?" Cyn asked, even if she was already sure she wasn't going to like the answer.
"Ended up absorbing some of NOVA's power and turned into an even bigger monster," Marx revealed. While he kept up the flippant attitude, Cyn could see the pain and fear in his eyes at what he was remembering. "I wasn't even really aware of anything I was doing. All I knew was I wanted to cause pain. Even though I was trying to take over everything before, it really freaked me out that all I could think about was death and pain. I tried to fight it but…those thoughts just consumed me. No thoughts beyond pure rage. Never thought I'd be happy to have Kirby beat me up again but…I just wanted to stop wanting to hurt people."
"I know how that feels…" Cyn admitted, thinking about how she enjoyed the Solver's plot to destroy humanity at first for all the suffering they caused her and her family. Once she realized how much of a maniac the Solver was, it was already too late. She then cracked a smile. "It is weird. I really thought no one would…no one other than N would really sympathize with me."
"Funny how that works," Marx said with genuine fondness in his tone.
"We're probably one of the weirdest found families in the universe," Magolor said in a fond tone as he thought about the various walks of life that the Star Allies came from and the various shenanigans they'd all gotten into. "But…can't say I don't enjoy being a part of it."
"Ugh, don't get sappy on me," Marx groaned as he melodramatically leaned back, resulting in him falling off his ball, causing him to let out a pained grunt which, in turn, caused Magolor and Cyn to chuckle.
"Ah, classic," Magolor said in amusement. Cyn, however, was focused on something else Magolor had said.
"Found family…" Cyn said to herself. That wasn't much different from what she considered her family. Four broken drones and a human who was more comfortable with her drones than her fellow humans. It made Cyn think of the good days before the Solver ruined everything. Looking at her hands, Cyn flexed her fingers. While she was hoping it appeared, Cyn still flinched when the Solver's symbol appeared. But if Uzi could use the powers of the Absolute Solver for good…then so could Cyn.
And she'd make things up to everyone whose lives she'd ruined.
SO HOW ABOUT THAT NINTENDO DIRECT!? Forgotten Land gets another story (which I'm calling now is going to tie back to the Jamba Heart) and FREAKING KIRBY AIR RIDERS!? WITH DADDY SAKURAI AT THE HELM!? NINTENDO TAKE MY MONEY EVEN IF I HAVE TO ROB A BANK TO AFFORD THIS.