Index: Part one- Feeble Squabbles Part two- Angel Blood Part three- Seconds Left -------- It was a dark night, and Kirby had just gone to bed. Dark matter was roaming in the skies, yet none could tell due to the fact that... it's dark matter. Suddenly, a man formed in Kirby's backyard. This man looked peculiar, he had black hair and one eye partially hidden behind a scarf. He stepped up to Kirby's house, and silently merged through the window into the back-room. Without a sound, this man walked up to Kirby, asleep, and raised his just-formed sword; and with one foul swipe... H O S H I N O K A A B I I... Shadow Shutdown. P A R T O N E - Feeble Squabbles The man was shocked at the sight in front of him: Kirby was wearing a green cap, carrying a sword, and had jumped out of bed at the very last minute! The man just grunted, and took a look at his hand-- of which there was none anymore; Kirby had used the sword to cut it off. The man raised his sword (in the other hand, unfortunately) and simply dropped it. He slowly, and silently, turned around, walked out of the house, and-- as quickly as he appeared, disappeared into thin air. Kirby watched, and gasped. But, he went back to bed; he'll worry about it in the morning. Kirby had other things to worry about in the morning, though, as he picked up the box of cereal. Contrary to what he thought the other day, he was out of cereal. Quickly, he ran out of the house, no idea where he was going. At all. Occasionally, he'd squeal, or babble, for although he had the magnificent ability of copying his foe's abilities, he had not... the ability to talk. Nearby, a peaceful Waddle Dee was walking, joyful, care-free. Meanwhile, Kirby was dashing, worried, care-full. Waddle Dee spotted something in the distance, as did Kirby. What was it? Was it a bee? Was it a person? No, it was a jar of honey! Kirby felt so hungry, he didn't notice Waddle Dee in the middle of his path. The next thing you know, both Kirby and the Waddle Dee were covered in honey... and bruises. Kirby childishly licked himself, having not eaten breakfast. After a humble babble, somewhat like "imma sorru", Waddle Dee forgave him. For you see, the Waddle Dee (that's plural) all know how Kirby's hunger gets, and Kirby's babbled that line at certain times, so I suppose they understand what it means. So, the random antics of Kirby ended as soon as the kind Waddle Dee gave him a piece of bread. ...And a chocolate cake. ...And a big carton of milk. ...Finally, a box of cereal. The Waddle Dee don't ever mind, becuase, without mouths, what's the point of eating? However, the antics continue elsewhere... -- The place is somewhere atop a mountain, in a diabolical castle. The evil King Dedede is getting ready for his big scheme! The big, duck-like creature calls for his communication-thing with no name. (Not a phone, it's got a screen) "Hello? Yes... Operation: Foodstuff is now commencing. ...Yes, the one with the swords. Oh? You will? Excellent..." Dedede slyly spoke. The wicked king was laughing maniacally when he got a call. "What? ...Oh. WHAT!? B-but that's impossible! The god of... wait a minute! Get me his son, then! Yes, I'll wait." King Dedede sighed, and started twiddling with his fingers. Getting bored, he started to pass a few glances at the plasma-screen television in his chamber. -- Kirby was busy calling the Poppy Brothers, and babbling random things on his telephone. Or, at least, it seemed random. He was actually telling them of this urban legend floating around. "bigburd ski fling," he said. Of course, the Poppy Brothers understood every word. Kirby was speaking of a rainbow-colored bird that was said to fly around the mountain by town. The town members gave it the nickname: "Dynablade." Suddenly, Kirby thought he heard something. "berit buck" he babbled, saying he'd be right back. He looked out the window, and nothing was there. Right before he picked up the phone, he saw a giant, rainbow-colored bird picking apples off the apple tree in his backyard. -- "Hey, King Dedede, what was it you needed me for? King Dede--" Kracko Junior said on the visual-phone. He stopped when he saw the thing that would scar him for life-- a big, fat, blue penguin dancing on a dancing video game. "... K-king... De...de...de?" Kracko Jr. mumbled. "--Whoa! Huh? Um... oh, you're... you've... picked up. Um... uh..." the King stuttered. "Uh... sorry. Um... I'll... I'll just, uh... turn the... game off, then. Yeah. (click) So, Kracko... have you heard about your father?" "No, what about my father?" "Uh... it's hard to say. (gulp) Your father is... is... dead." Kracko Jr. just turned around and silently shed a tear. "I knew it'd happen soon. So, how'd he die?" "Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Y'see, we have some evidence to prove it was that rat, KIRBY! May I present you with... EXHIBIT A!" King Dedede shouted as he pulled out a piece of candy. "Uh... sir? That's just a lollipop." "Not just ANY lollipop, it's an invincibility lollipop! The only times you find these are when Kirby is around! And, Kracko was holding this when we found him." "But, sir... it couldn't have been Kirby. Kirby can't just LEAVE BEHIND a lollipop! He'd eat it the moment he sees it!" "I knew you'd under-- what? Hmm... you've got a point there. Well, may I present you with... EXHIBIT... B." The King pulled out something that made Kracko Junior gasp. -- Kirby was slowly stepping towards the humongus beast munching on apples. "Dinobladda?" He mumbled. Dynoblade roared ferociously. Kirby made a troubled screech, and backed away. The bird looked curiously at the tiny puffball 5 feet in front of it. Kirby mumbled an advisor to himself, and Dynablade got scared-- flew away instantly at half the speed of sound. Kirby sighed, and walked back into the house. "soso aloooooooooony," he quietly said. Oh, how that would change tonight... -- "A PIECE OF PAPER!? Are you just getting desperate?" Kracko Junior exclaimed. "Look at what's ON the paper. It's a blackmail, signed FROM KIRBY! See? SEE?!" "Yes, I see. But, one problem-- KIRBY CAN NOT WRITE! Even if he could, he doesn't know what blackmail means! Plus, he wouldn't be able to write such big words, like 'perpetual', which is on this note! But... that photograph on the bottom showing Kirby killing dad is kinda suspicious..." -- In the night, Kirby likes to look up at the stars and think whether or not he'll ever return to his home planet. Tonight starts off no different, until he spots a shooting star. "Oh! Oh! Shutin stur! Mewish me cud no be aloony!" As soon as he makes his wish, the star stops. It stays still for a few seconds, and suddenly, it comes crashing down into Kirby's own backyard. He steps forward a bit, and just stares at the star. Then, he realized it wasn't a star, it was actually an escape pod! Out came a masked puffball. "Bububu! Metanit!" Kirby exclaims. "Yes, Kirby, it is I... Meta Kight. King Dedede ordered me to defeat you..." "Nono! Metanit! Nooooooo!" Kirby attempts to run back to his house, but Meta Knight pulls out his sword and throws another sword at him. "Kirby, as always... take the sword. We shall duel," Meta Knight stated. So, Kirby grabbed the sword and popped on his trusty green cap. Meta Knight took to the skies and threw his sword like a boomerang, smacking Kirby. As Meta came back down, Kirby stuck his sword straight up. "OoOoOoOoOoooooooo... whuh?" Meta Knight grunted, in pain. Suddenly, a star in the sky started moving, and came crashing down in between the two swordspuffs. Kirby, scared, ran into his house, and looked out the window as another escape pod opened. Meta Knight peeked inside. "Hey, KIRBY! It's empty! Come on out and fight!" But, Kirby didn't come out. He was too busy looking at the man forming behind Meta Knight. This man looked the exact same as the one from the previous night, except this one's hand was fine. He grapped his scarf and pulled it off. Meta Knight turned around and screamed. Quickly, he ran towards Kirby's house. Kirby opened the window and reached out his hand. "Grib mi hind!" He babbled, gesturing towards his hand. Meta Knight reached for the hand, but it was too late; the man had already grabbed Meta Knight by the legs and was dragging him into the empty escape pod. Both the man and the escape pod simply degenerated into thin air. -- King Dedede decided to finally get off his lazy butt and visit Kracko Junior, now an orphan. "So, according to the photograph attached to the blackmail letter... Kirby killed Kracko. But... this blackmail letter is a fake! So... either Kirby did kill Kracko, and someone wrote this letter and left the candy," The king said, "...Or, somebody else killed him, and framed Kirby! Okay, let's look at the evidence." Kracko Jr. turned to a piece of candy placed in a plastic bag and said, "We have the Invincibility Candy..." He then turned towards a piece of paper in a plastic bag and said, "...the blackmail letter, PLUS photograph... and the piece of evidence you brought that I haven't seen yet. What is it?" He finished. Dedede chuckled, sighed, and got anxious. "King Dedede... you did bring the evidence, right?" "Uh... y'see... um... on the way here, I, uh... some Gordos mugged me," the King said nervously, and then stated, "I'm serious! THERE THEY ARE!" He pointed toward a nearby cloud, and two spiked... things with eyes flew away. "Don't worry, I'll get them!" Kracko Junior said as he began to spark, and floated towards them. (Kracko and his son are giant clouds with one eye, and sometimes spikes are surrounding them) -- Kirby stood inside his house, eyes wide open. Then, he just yawned and went to bed. The next day, he told a Waddle Dee about the whole thing. The Dee gasped, and gestured his hands into a star shape. Kirby nodded, and ran home. He took a look at something underneath his bed, star shaped. He pulled it out, and carried it outside. This was his Warp Star, just barely bigger than he was. He climbed onto it, and flew it away into the sky. -- The two Gordos were panting, going as fast as they could. But Kracko Jr. learned from his father, and thus was faster than even Kirby when it came to flying. The Gordos didn't see the large wall in front of them, and they smacked into it. "Ugh... fine, you can have the stupid star rod! I didn't want it anyway..." The first Gordo said, and gave the rod with a star on the tip to Kracko. After a few minutes of flying, Kracko Junior made it back to the king. "So, the evidence was... the star rod? But... what's that got to do with Kirby?" "Don't you see? This rod has fingerprints on it!" "Kirby doesn't have fingers." "Yeah, I knew you'd say that. It has two marks on it, representing Kirby's two big... uh..." "Arms." "Yeah, arms! So, Kirby has GOT to be the killer!" "Waddle Dees have two simple arms. And what about the--" "SHUT UP! (sniff) You're ruining the moment! Sheesh... (mumble)" "Hang on... these fingerprints..." "I know, they could be a Waddle Dee's..." "No, they match Kirby's!" "You serious!? They DO!? I was right for once!?" "I never said that... but you could be..." "Okay, then... let's go find Kirby!" -- Kirby finally reached what he was going to-- Kracko's Grape Garden. The place was deserted, except for the highest point-- Kracko's resting place. "KIRBY! What are you doing here?" King Dedede shouted, and Kirby turned around. "Ah-ha! Returning to the scene of the crime, are you? Kill my dad, will you... why I oughta--" Kracko Junior unleashed a large lightning bolt at Kirby, who barely dodged it. "Wher Kricket?" Kirby asked, and the King answered with a simple, "FIRE!" Kracko Jr. shot another lightning bolt at Kirby. This time, Kirby was knocked out. "King, the fingerprints are close, but no exact match! What if it isn't him?" "Nonsense! It's gotta be him! I can't be wrong again... I'm sick of being wrong!" Kirby wakes to these voices coming from around him. "Wher... Kricket...?" Kirby asked one last time. "Kricket-- wait, do you mean 'Kracko'?" "Yuh... yuh-huh..." "King, he doesn't know where my dad is! I'll bet he didn't even know he was dead!" "WHAAA? Kricket DEEEEEED?" "See, King? He didn't know my dad was dead! Obviously, he couldn't be the killer!" Dedede sighed, and just silently cried. "I... I don't know what to say. Not except... C'MERE, KIRBY! I'M GONNA KILL YOU! Make me wrong so many times..." The King smacks Kracko Jr. away, and then kicks him all they way down to the surface. It was just Dedede and Kirby now... -- I, I don't know what happened... I was dragged away, then forced into labor. What's going on here? Last thing I remember is fighting Kirby in his backyard, then that escape pod... ugh... what's... what's going on? There's a big... a big... thing here. He's... he's kinda (bzzzrt) colored, and has a big (bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzrt) right there, right (bzzrt)! They're... they're cancelling out what I say, aren't they? Oh, man... are they getting suspicious? I see one of them coming towards me... oh, no, not (bzzrt) again! Help! NO! Not the (static)! -- Kirby was face to face with the evil King, and put on his green cap. Then, he pulled out a sword. "Ha! Sword ability, right? Do you have anything new?" Dedede chuckled. Kirby jumped forward and jabbed the sword, then gave a left slash, then a right, and finally a stab! The king barely felt anything. "Heh... I've got a SWORD-PROTECTED suit on today, Kirby!" So, Kirby took off his green cap, and put on a white bandana. He then pulled out a giant hammer. "Wha? A HAMMER!? Hey! That's MY trademark!" Dedede yelled. Kirby hopped forward and gave Dedede a big, firey WHACK in the head. Kracko Jr. floated back up and looked at the King. "Tsk, tsk, tsk... sir, when will you learn? Kirby never means to purposefully hurt you! He only hurts you if you do something wrong, get it?" "Ugh... what? Really? So, he didn't mean to make me wrong all those times? O...okay. Well, Kirby... let's chat a bit. Why did you come here?" Dedede asked Kirby, and he responded with a long babble. "Huh. A mysterious man? Could you describe this man to me?" "Me ned Kricket June tu trinslty!" "Um... what?" Kracko Jr. responded with, "He said he needs me to translate." "Oh. Okay." After some babbling from Kirby, Kracko Jr. described it: Short, brown cloak, looks like a shadow wearing clothes, large sword, purple shoulder-guards, big, spiky black hair, one almost mechanical-like eye. "So... this... swordsman-like creature, he kidnapped Meta Knight? Okay. Alright, I know what we should do! We should go around, asking about this guy!" Dedede suggested. After a few days of asking around, one actually said they knew the guy. "Yeah, I know that guy. I'm sorta related to him. Dunno why he'd want that armor guy, though. Normally the guy goes searching for Kirby!" This thing, called Gooey, said. "If you wanna save your pal, I'd reccomend you go to Dark Star, up in the sky." So, the three headed to Kirby's warp star. "BUT, before you go... I oughta warn you... these guys are dangerous. They can wipe you out without even batting an eyelash! I'd suggest bringing at least one Waddle Dee with you, to make it safe. Oh, and... 'Cloudy'? Yeah, you. I really don't think you should go. 'Why not?' Well, uh... let's just say that you need a minimum of two eyes to survive even SEEING one o' these guys. Well, there's your warning, now go!" So, our three heroes set off to first find a Waddle Dee, as reccomended, and then fly off to the unknown reaches of Dark Star. -- "Oh, will you wake up and look?" Rocky said to me. I looked up in the skies and saw a peculiar thing-- a shooting star falling down to Rock Star. But wait, it wasn't a star... it was an escape pod! I had recently had visions... ones about escape pods... ones that looked just like this. In the visions, the escape pod would open up only to contain a black hole. This hole would suck up the entire Star into darkness... into shadows. I'd be running as fast as I could, but would never escape. I'd see a giant... a giant... a... wait, the pod's opening! "Minny... Minny, you're zoning out again!" Rocky shouted. Oh, right, the escape pod! What's inside? ...What's that thing? -- "Where are we supposed to find a Waddle Dee?" The King asked. Kirby and Kracko Junior looked at him, not impressed. The planet Pop Star is full of Waddle Dees, actually. Kracko Jr. glanced at the skies, thinking about his father. What... what's that? Is that... He thought. "GUYS! Look up in the sky! What... what is that?" He yelled to the two. Kirby looked up and stopped the Warp Star. "Big... biggy thingy" Kirby muttered. In the sky was what appeared to be a black hole. But... what is it sucking up? thought Kracko Jr. as he scanned the night sky. Suddenly, Kirby remembered somebody and quickly flew the Warp Star down to the surface, as if running away from the black hole itself. -- What... what? "Good, you're awake. If I may just learn your name, ma'am," the voice said to me. "My... my.. name? Ugh..." I quietly mumbled. "Yes, your name, please. Are you feeling okay?" the voice said. I opened my eyes and saw some sort of round thing with blue shoes, purple armor, and a big mace. "Who... who are you?" I asked. "Oh ho, I was asking you that, little lady! But, I must be polite... I am Mace Knight." Mace Knight... hmm... what... what's going on? -- The Warp Star pulled up at a small hut, with what seems to be a telescope poking out of a window. The three entered the hut, and inside was a Waddle Dee staring into the telescope, up into the stars. "Artsolgy?" Kirby gibbered. "Why, hello there, Kirby! And... King Dedede? Oh, who is that?" the Waddle Dee answered. "Uh... I'm Kracko Junior, orphan." "Orphan? Why?" Kracko Jr. turned around and sniffed. "My... my... father... he..." Before he could finish, Dedede patted on his cloud and said, "Kracko died. I don't think Junior wants to talk about it right now..." "Ah, yes... I understand. I felt the same when my father died. So, Kirby, what brings you here?" the Waddle Dee asked. Kirby had a long, nearly gibberish conversation with the Waddle Dee, and then he just sighed and said, "Of course. I think I'll take a look into the telescope and" he paused as he looked through the telescope. "Wh-what's that? Is that a... is it a black hole? But... what's it doing absorbing Rock Star? Unless... unless it has already begun! We'd better act fast, you three. I'll come. By the way, my name's Astroll Gee." Astroll finished. "Wi go Wraap Steer!" Kirby blabbed. They all ran to the Warp Star, and took off into space. -- Mace Knight escourted me towards a river. He pointed at a box and said, "We use these for transportation. Now, now, don't look at me like that! We simply ride them down the river, and harvest the food along the way. Any questions?" He asked. I shook my head. "I'm very confused, sir Mace Knight. I don't believe I even remember my own name!" "Oh ho! Not to worry, miss. No need to get moody! Just step into this box and I'll grab us a bite to eat, okay?" "Y-yes... of course." Reluctant, I carefully hopped into the box. I took a look at the water... so calming. "Whoa! EEK!" I shouted as I saw something in the water. I was so startled, I tumbled out of the box and into the water. "Miss! Aye... please be more careful," He told me as he pulled me back into the box. "Wh-what is that red thing in the water?" "Hm? What red... oh! Oh ho ho! That would be your reflection, miss. Not to worry, it has something to do with light playing tricks on us. Just stay calm, and I'd stop peeking at the river if I were you." I gently sat down and made myself comfortable. "Uh... Mace Knight, sir? What... what do you mean... my reflection? You-you mean... that was me? I'm... I'm tiny!" -- Riding through the stars, King Dedede started to whine. "Aw, SHUT UP, you big crybaby!" Astroll said. "But... but I'm hungry!" The big King complained. "Kung, mi drip foh food at nuxt toop!" Kirby attempted to say. "Oh. Okay, then. That's fine.......... I hope," Dedede responded. Astroll stared at a magnificent wonder to their side: the black hole where Rock Star used to be. What's that thing in the middle? It... it has an eye! Wait... OW! OWOWOWOWOWOW.... Kracko Junior started to groan. "What's wrong?" Astroll asked. "Looking at the center of the hole... something there causes my eye to hurt," "Really? Hm... that's strange. Normally clouds like you... their eyes don't ache unless there's a.......... oh. Oh my." Astroll pointed at the center. "Huh? Oh, yeah, it's a hole. Whoopee," the King said. "N-no, I thought I saw... never mind." Astroll occasionally glanced at the black hole as they drifted past it, and every time he looked, he thought he saw an eyeball. Could it be you, master? Could it be? Astroll thought to himself. -- "M-madame, you must come with me! It seems as if there is a shooting star falling here!" Just as Mace Knight said that, I zoned out. A shooting star? That's... that's familiar. It brings sadness and fear into my mind... just simply hearing the phrase. And yet, I'm not quite sure I remember what a shooting star is. "Madame? Madame? Oh, will you wake up and look?" That... that thing he said... deja vu? Oh, right... the shooting star. I looked up at the sky and saw a combination of red, blue, pink, white, and yellow all coming... towards... the... star. It's coming for us? That doesn't sound good. The shooting star crashed into the planet, and yet, it didn't actually crash. It just hovered to it. Four creatures hopped off: a pink puffball, a fat, blue penguin, a red puffball, and some weird floating eyeball with just-grown clouds around it. -- "Oh, thank goodness, I see fish over there! Great choice, Aqua Star! I love seafood..." King Dedede said as he rushed towards a seafood shop. Kirby looked around, and saw one of his old rivals: Mace Knight, standing next to what appears to be an ant. "Macinit!" Kirby yelled. "Oh ho, Kirby! Long time, no see, old chum. How are things?" Mace Knight asked. King Dedede chuckled and said, "Oh, hey there, Mace Knight! What are you doing here in Aqua Star?" "Well, after Kirby defeated me for the millionth time, the Knights split up... and I decided to relax in Aqua Star. So... heard from Meta Knight yet? I haven't spoken to him in a while!" "Um... how do I put this simply? Meta Knight was... kidnapped. By a man that looked... hauntingly familiar. Kirby here witnessed the whole thing!" "WHAT!? And you didn't do anything to save him!?" Mace Knight yelled at Kirby. As he said that, Kirby started to cry. "Grr... Kirby, I never liked you and I never will! Come, miss, and let us vacation elsewhere... perhaps Ripple Star." Mace Knight said as he escourted the tiny creature along to Kirby's Warp Star. He managed to operate it just fine, and the four looked as they flew away for around five minutes. Then, Astroll quietly said, "Um... you folks... do know... that's the Warp Star he took, right?" Dedede's pupils shrunk. "Oh. ...IT WAS!?" He yelled as he ran around in circles. Kirby, Astroll, King Dedede, and Kracko Jr were stranded on Aqua Star. -- It all happened so fast, Mace Knight hijacking the shooting star, flying away at fast speeds, and then those dark things striking us in the middle of the sky! The dark things... they were scary. It looked like this: a black ball with a red eye in the middle, and a bit of red here and there. There were hundreds of them! And they all struck us in space, and we fell to this cold place. Then, we were put to work in a dark factory. This big machine I have to drive is much too big! I can barely reach the seat from the ground! This man came and took me to a big, extremely scary thing. It was big, white, polygonal, and had around ten to twenty red eyes on it! It said that I'm small enough to be operating the I3-machines... whatever than meant. It was something like a crusher, or something like that. But, I still don't know what's going on... I still don't know my own name, and I still don't know if I'm gonna live any longer... I hope someone comes to help soon. -- "Well, lookee here, guys... stuck up the creek without a paddle! ...Literally," said the comedic King. "Dedede, just... just shut up. You're the one who wanted to stop for food!" Kracko Jr. shouted. "Ya Dodedo! Mi no stoop food yu no wine!" Kirby babbled, angrily. "Fellows, must we argue? If we're stuck here on Aqua Star, we may as well find a way to live!" Astroll calmly stated. King Dedede sighed, and looked sadly at the sky. He's right... although I don't DARE say that out loud... King Dedede thought. Kracko Junior looked around and noticed a strange box resting in the river. He floated for a moment, thinking up a plan. Hoping for some sort of sign, he scanned the horizons thoroughly. As soon as he saw a fish swimming down the river, he rushed to the box. "Guys, I have a plan... but I need you to cope with me for a moment. Follow me!" He said as he directed the other three to the stone box. -- This work gets harder every hour... I just wonder... who are these evil people? And... why do they want us? I-I don't even know who I am! I don't recognize anything... nor do I remember a thing before meeting Mace Knight. Uh-oh, that big guy's coming again... need to hurry. "Ah, yes... the little one. How is... progress... little Waddle Dee?" It asked to me, with a sneer. 'Little Waddle Dee'? Is that what I am? A... little... wait. What's a Waddle Dee? "Well? You WILL answer me as I ask you questions..." It said, impatiently. "Pro...progress is-- it's... it's coming along ni--...ni--...nicely." I stuttered. "Hmmm... now that I... look... at it... you DO seem to be doing... how do you Rock Star people say it? ...Totally awesome, dude. So 'awesome' that I feel a promotion is in order. Come with me." The foul fiend said, almost... happily. I followed the big thing, and as I saw the gigantic magma silo, I fainted. -- "Yes, sir, I will obey. I shall go get him." The words came from a mysterious man. I don't quite feel like myself anymore... it feels as if I was smacked upside the head at least a thousand times! There's that man again... he wears a mask. His eyes are yellow, burning like the sun... the image of them haunts me. His shoes are large and purple, every stomp feels as an earthquake. His wings are bat-like... almost demonic... as are his small gloves. From behind, he looks like Kirby's alter-ego. In one glove, he holds the Meta-Sword, one of which that I fear may be able to destroy the universe with one jab. A deadly aura surrounds him, one that kills those not worthy. The sight of his mask can scare people to death, literally. Wait a moment... that man... he's ME! -- "WHOOOOOO-HOOOO!" Shouted Kirby as the wind blows past his skin. The four are scrunched up in a stone box, riding it down the fast current at over a hundred miles an hour. Occasionally, a branch may whiz by, snapping itself among King Dedede's beak. This hurts him, but he's going too fast to notice. Oh my... this is fast! (bleep)... oh, (bleep)! Too fast... too (bleep)ing) fast for a (bleep)ing old penguin like me! I feel like I'm gonna have a (bleep)ing heart-attack. King Dedede thought, trying to ignore his own profanity. Suddenly, a waterfall came up. "Oh, nononononononono!" Kirby screamed. Time seemed to slow down as they flew through the air, the water sliding off everyone's bodies. "Just end it now... just end it now..." Astroll chanted throughout the entire jump. Apparently, the fall was over three-hundred feet, as the box didn't hit the hard ground until a few minutes had passed. When it hit the ground, the bottom of the box shredded and some parts even fell off. Think about it, if YOU were in a box made of stone going hundreds of miles an hour, and it flew for miles and miles on end off a waterfall for a few minutes, you'd be scared stiff, right? The box probably wouldn't survive the fall, either. The same thing goes for these folks. The box's skid lasted another minute. It would've lasted longer, but they hit a tree. -- Did I faint again? Oh, my aching head. (gasp)... it's that big guy again. "Fainting... on the JOB? That's going to cost you... your LIFE." He roared at me, as I layed on the floor. Where am I? The walls... the ceiling... the floor... it's all moving darkness. With some purple shoved in there, too. The floating porygon of twenty eyes approached me, laughing maniacally. Oh, no... he's going to kill me, isn't he? "EEK!" I screamed as I hopped to my feet, dashing away from the monstrosity. There was nowhere to run, though. No exits. It's as if I was locked in darkness... forever. I closed my eyes, thinking it was all over. Then, I heard the monster roar, and there was a huge crash. When my eyes opened, I was suddenly in a gigantic shopping mall. 'Shopping mall'? Where'd I learn that phrase? When I ran towards the door, there was another man there. "G'day, miss. How are you? The name's Trident Knight. What's yours?" -- It turns out hitting that tree was a stroke of luck. It was in the middle of a village rich in wisdom, and succulent seafood. Two things that feed all minds! This is too good to be true... Kracko Jr. thought as he took a look around. A few small penguins were cooking red fish, and somewhere they thought they saw a pig in a farm. "It's way too quiet around here... but, it's probably just me, right?" Dedede asked. "...Right?" He asked again. "......What?" He asked. Kirby grabbed Dedede's head and turned it towards a gigantic tower. "...Oh. So it wasn't just me." Dedede said. While the others were busy looking around town, Kirby took a closer look at the tower. It was made of brick, and it was very old. Just as Kirby found a window, he heard a crash from inside. Quickly and inconspicuously, he peeked through the window. The very same man who kidnapped Meta Knight was in there, lying down in a pile of rubble. The man looked worn out, beaten up, and hanging by a thread. "S....sir... I... I didn't... know. It was... dark...." The man groaned. Kirby heard something he'd never forget... ever again. An extremely deep voice, too deep to understand, said inaudble words. Kirby heard a few, "Knight....... Pink.... Warrior.... Star... Kill..." These words scared Kirby, for pink warrior and star sounded like him! He was so scared, he let out a whimper. Then, Kirby heard what would haunt him for the rest of his life... an eerie whisper right by his ear...area. "What are you looking at? Get out... before I send my minions for you. Before... META KNIGHT... kills you. Go, now!" It sounded like the deep voice he just heard, only fiercer. Instantly, Kirby turned and ran. -- "So... Mace Knight... you don't know what happened to him?" Trident Knight asked me. "No... I'm assuming he's either still in the factory, or was killed." I responded, surprisingly calm. "Ah, yes... of course. Well, we have no time to go back now. Even with a miracle on our side..." He told me, depressed. There was silence for a few minutes, until I broke it by asking, "Trident Knight... I wish to know... what ARE those foul things?" He sighed, and answered with one long answer. "They... they are the worst things to ever invade us. They are our future... they are our remains... our past... they are dark matter themselves. That's right... Dark Matter. I know what you're thinking... 'But that's impossible!' Well... it ain't. Prophecies have told of their return, but who would've thought they'd come... so soon? How old are you?" "19." "Nineteen, eh? I see. So, you were too young to remember... it was a holocaust. They came, invaded, and possessed some. I heard a Waddle Dee was possessed, a young girl, and a king penguin, to name a few. It was the Ripple War... the Dark War III. ...Or was it Dark War IV? All I know is... this is the Dark War VI. Yes, the sixth one. We first discovered Dark Matter during the times of the Second Dreamland. They came, they did, and they possessed that king penguin... then the Star Warrior came and fought it off. He fought it off as the King, as the Knight, and as the Night. Then, during the time of the Third Dreamland, the lord of Dark Matter was introduced... the all-purpose, all-knowing-- ACK!" Trident Knight screamed as he collapsed. A Dark Matter had possessed him. "ThIs BeInG kNoWs ToO mUcH..." Then, the transformation was complete. "...And so do you." It said to me. At this very moment, I realized how deep I was in trouble. So, I ran. -- "What's wrong, Kirby?" Astroll asked as he saw the puffball running into a wall. Kirby was pale, his shoes were an odd shade of pink, and his pupils were tiny. Just at this moment, they all saw an explosion in the sky. "That's strange... the explosion was at the coordinates of-- oh, fuzzlebumpkins." Astroll said. Kracko Jr. came and said, "What?" "...Pop Star blew up." The entire group went silent. Then, Dedede said, "Whoops... I left the oven on. That must be why." "Put a sock in it, King..." Kracko responded, not amused. "Oh, if ONLY we knew why it blew up!" Astroll shouted into the air. -- A few hours earlier, on Pop Star, a Waddle Dee just walked into a bar. He stretched his arms and sat down. He waved to the bartender, and fainted as he turned around. The entire half of the bar was nothing... nothing at all. All shadows. As in, it was all black. A few grumbles were heard, then a hand made of shadows pulled the fainted Waddle Dee into nothingness. A few seconds later, a Waddle Dee a few shades darker than normal walked out. He also had a mean expression on his face, and one large eye. As this happened, more of the bar was slowly being engulfed in darkness. Suddenly, football came on TV, and hundreds of Waddle Dees came rushing in. "Perfect... more food for us..." a voice was heard from the shadows. Within minutes, the entire bar and three miles around it were engulfed in darkness! Slowly, as more and more creatures were pulled in, eventually the entire planet was engulfed. When this happened, a strange, giant, white ball flew out and said in a booming voice, "CONTRACT!" The shadows did so, enough to exert enough pressure to make the planet's core implode. That caused an explosion. The white ball turned around, revealing a small, red eye surrounded by strange, red markings. "... Absolute nothingness... I need... MORE..." it whispered. -- End of the world... it has finally come. Is all life just... meaningless? In my life... do I recall... what am I saying? I don't... I don't 'recall' anything. It's all empty... my mind is a complete... an absolute... nothing. Dark Matter will take over... absorb all life... turn everything into darkness... just as I, a tiny Waddle Dee, am about to. My only two friends in this place... Mace and Trident Knight... they're gone...... as far as I know. Then again, what do I know? I AM JUST... A MINNY. Wait... 'Minny'? Minny... Minny... that has some significance... but... what? WHAT? -- "So, there's no way to get ANYWHERE? You sure? So... we're all stuck here until Aqua Star explodes, and WE die, huh? Boy, what a party pooper." Dedede sighed. Meanwhile, there was someone spying on them from in the tower. "Thou heroes... I cannot let thou fall victim to nothing... so, I shall aid thou." The mysterious spy whispered. They threw a strange sword outside, into the middle of the group of heroes. Back with Kirby and Co, Astroll said, "What's this? A sword? Kirby, touch it!" He cowardly commanded. Kirby reluctantly touched it, and the sword exploded. It exploded in such a way that the four flew into space, and crashed into the next planet. "Hmm... the sword's explosion blasted us into Neo Star. That's a little... strange. But, oh well... we got lucky. Let's explore this jungle we fell into!" Astroll announced. The others agreed, and they trekked forward. -- Ugh... I am... having a vision. It's... it's strange. Not like the ones I usually have. The normal ones are of giant, red eyeballs with red markings. This one... it is of... some sort of angel. It is a large, red eyeball... this time, though... is it crying? Crying blood, not tears. It has a mighty thorn at its bottom, and two devillish wings... made of... what IS that material? ...Flesh. It has a giant halo above its head... it is the most haunting thing I've ever seen. What does it mean? The freak... he chased me into a CANNON! I'm stuck in a cannon! That shadow... he got me while I was having the vision... and now he's lighting the fuse of the cannon. The countdown begins... 10... 9... 8... 7... -- Roaming through the jungle, the heroes find exotic flora, dangerous fauna, and steep cliffs. -- 6... 5... 4... oh, please let me land on something soft... -- Kirby went first across the narrow bridge, one wrong step, and he falls into the bank below! -- 3... 2... 1... FIRE! -- Astroll notices something in the sky; it's a comet flying through, brightly. "What? It's... it's comign crashing down!" He shouts. Kirby looks up, and a tiny Waddle Dee slams him into the ground. -- Ow... I hope I didn't break anything... I think I landed on something soft. What? It's that guy me and Mace Knight ran away from! And the other guys, too. "Where... where am I?" I ask, expecting a relatively acceptable answer. The four just looked around, as if they were looking for someone. "Who said that?" A big Waddle Dee asks. "Me! Why?" I shout. Then, the four look at me like I'm an alien. What's going on, anyway? -- The tiny Waddle Dee spoke in a ladylike voice, not what you'd expect from a small dot. Kirby examined the girl, and babbled to her. -- The big, pink guy is babbling to me-- whoa... a vision. I hear... I hear that pink thing asking me where I came from. "I... I'm from... from...... uh... I don't remember. Last thing I remember is being in Shiver Star, being chased by a Dark Matter," I answer. -- The four gasped as they heard the girl speak. "A-- a Dark Matter!? But... didn't we fight them off... at least five times now?" Kracko Junior asks. The tiny Waddle Dee started to get anxious, and nervous. "Uh... you... people... you wouldn't happen to know where a bathroom is, do you?" She asked. King Dedede nervously chuckled, "Uh... as far as I know, there are none. We're in a jungle." -- I couldn't believe it-- lost who-knows-where, and without a place to relieve myself! There was only one option, but I wasn't gonna like it. -- The heroes ducked, covering their eyes. A few minutes later, they resumed to asking the Waddle Dee questions. Kirby babbled one long babble to her, and she spaced out. -- Another vision. I'm in a house, a man is attacking me, but I defeat him. The following night, I find a swordsman in my backyard, and we duel. Another man comes and kidnaps the swordsman, and I go on a long search, recruiting a penguin and a cloud-monster on my search. I speak to a blob, and I recruit an old Waddle Dee. We see a black hole in the sky, and fly past it. Strange things happen as we stare into the hole. On another planet, we stop for food, only to have our vehicle stolen by a tiny Waddle Dee and a maceman. Rafting around, and exploring a town, I eavesdrop by a tower and hear some haunting things. Suddenly, a sword appears and warps me to a jungle. Apparently, that was this pink guy's story so far. Some things interest me-- that black hole was in a... familiar place. Also, the two that steal the vehicle... that... that was... me! -- The Waddle Dee stands in shock as she hears the babble. After recovering, she tells the heroes her story of confusion and fear. Apparently, she awoke on Aqua Star and met Mace Knight. "This can't be good... I remember that multiple-eye guy... that can only mean... it... has returned. We're all gonna die!" Dedede screams. "What's gonna return? What's gonna happen?" She asks. "Little Minny... that's what you are, correct? A Minny?" Astroll asks. "I... I don't know.... the name rings a bell, but..." "Okay. Well, little Minny, the creature you ran into... from what Kirby has told me, his name is one of many none know. Simply put, we don't know what he's called. BUT... it is said you need more than a miracle to stop him, so we decided to call him 'Nottymiracle'." "Naughty Miracle!? What kind of name is that!?" "No, 'Not... e... miracle'. 'Not e...ven a... miracle'." "Um... okay. Silly name, though. Why not call it something like 'Dark Matter Invul', for 'Invulnerable'?" "No, becuase he is not invulnerable. Kirby has beaten him before." "Oh. Okay. Why not--" "That would be enough on the matter, thank you. All right? All right." So, the group agreed to join together and carry on through the jungle. The trek was dangerous, painful, and made everyone hungry, smelly, and tired. A tree got caught in Dedede's hat, so they spent an hour getting him off the tree. By the end, they reached a mountain range. This trek was even MORE dangerous and painful. Finally, they reached a volcano. Frankly, none of them had any idea where they were going. They realized it would be unwise to enterthe volcano, so they hiked up it. At the top was something beyond anyone could've ever imagined. -- It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I had dreamed of this place in my visions, but never would I have thought I'd get to be here. A rainbow was circling a large spire, which was emerging from the ground. The spire was pure gold, and engraved onto it was, "Fight all evils... good luck, Minny." Minny? Am I truly... Minny? So... this is not a mere name for my species? At the top of the spire was a floating star, glowing as bright as the rest of the architecture. The thing most noticible is the fact that it's missing something... something... I can't put my finger on. All I know is that it has something to do with the spire, and the large, gold throne at the bottom. Also, in my visions... this piece of furniture was... somewhere else. Not at the top of the volcano, but... floating. Yes, floating! Floating in the place all my visions took place in... a place that always made me feel scared. It was... it was red, almost beehive-like. There was barely a floor, and the walls... what walls? The area around me was moving... like a red shadow. But... what was missing? -- "Minny? MINNY? Oh, just wake up and look!" Astroll yelled. Somehow, this made Minny focus. "So... your name is Minny..." Astroll said. "The place of my dreams..." Minny mumbled. Kirby's eyes were fixed on the star at the top. "What is it, Kirby? Oh, right! It's the Warp Star!" Kracko Junior yelled. Kirby jumped up and grabbed it, and the other three jumped on. They took off, and unknowingly left Minny behind. -- What was missing from this thing? Wait... where'd the others go? "Guys? GUYS?" I yelled. No answer. As I ran to the other end of the spire, I could've sworn I heard a whisper. "Minny..." It said. I turned around, and it was just the spire. However, something changed... I thought I saw a large, white ball in the throne. It disappeared quickly. Running to the other side, I heard the whisper again. Turning around, I screamed. All of my dreams came back to me now, as I saw it. It. I saw it. It. It. The it itself. It was the most horrifying thing... more horrifying than seeing Nottymiracle. It. It. Its name rings through my head right at this moment, but I cannot speak it. It is brainwashing me. It. It. It is. It IS, I swear. Join it. There is no beating it. It will command its army of shadows and rule the universe. Its home planet has been gone for a while, so it created its own. Kirby destroyed it, so it rejoiced. It. It. It. It. It. It is causing me more fear than knowing its name. Its name is scary itself. It never actually had a home planet, but more of its own dimension. Its own zone. It. It. Its name is not 'It' in case you are curious about it. I know its name. It... it... it... it... the brainwashing is nearly complete. It made us. It made me. It made Kirby. It made you. It made the world, Pop Star, Rock Star, Aqua Star, Neo Star, Shiver Star, Ripple Star, and Dark Star... its seven other creations aside from Dark Star were made to counteract the evil. It needed to counteract so it could attack. It could attack. Full throttle, it can. It can. Now. No stopping it. Kirby is off to Shiver Star, which it made. The closer you are to Dark Star, the more it will impact you. It. It. It can. It will. It is attacking you now. As I speak of it, you are falling victim. Victim. You. It. Now. It is big. It was happy. Then it saw Kirby. Then it lost its happiness. It lost its mouth. It lost one eye. It lost. It won't lose now. It can't lose now. It impacts our hearts. It gets rid of our hearts. It takes all hope, just as Kirby took its. It. It.... it... it... it. Where is it? It was just here. It is gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. As is my hope. As is my happiness. As is my heart. As is my soul. Did I mention it takes souls? It used to have one. It used to live in peace. It met an evil King. It. It. It. The evil king harnessed it. For the wrong reasons. It now wants revenge. Carved by the hands of nothing... of zero... of absolute... of dogma. Yes. Dogma. Everything. It is nothing. It is everything. It. It. It. To the second power, it wishes to return. Second power. It. It and second power... combine perfectly. It. If you don't read my entire thing, it will get you. It knows of no such 'fourth wall'. Only hate. In second power, it can reach third. I don't wish for it to reach third. Third is bad for it. I sense danger coming with its eternal power of third power. Its face. Its face. It. It. Face carved by nothing. Face... face... face...... used to be a smile. Used to be it had a grin. Now it is grim. I wonder if it will ever find peace again. In its cage, it sees all. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. I am crazy becuase of it. It is crazy because of Kirby. It used to be angry because of the evil king. Kirby drove it crazy. It is eternal. It requires more than all the miracles it has produced. It produced miracles. Now that it is crazy, it does not. No more miracles. This is why I fear. Fear. Fear of it. It. It at third power. Power. Enough power. Second power is crazy enough. When Kirby comes to it, it is. I can not think of its craziness at third with Kirby. Poor it. Lost. Lost. Lost. It. Lost. It. It. Lost. Lost within Dark Star. I fear. It. It will get us all. Where do all the hope going? Where? I fear. I fear. It drove me crazy. It. It. Iiiiiiiit. Iiiiit. Zeeeero. Zeeero. Zero. Zero. Nothing. Nothing. Not at all. No. No. Can't be. It. Chaos. It has enough chaos in its mind. Enough. It. Where? Who? A flower? It. It. It. Flower. No. It is not a flower. Its face resembles one, but it is not one. I fear. It. Hyper Zone. The legendary Hyper Zone. It. Its zone. Its home planet is a zone. Is the Hyper Zone its home zone? I believe so. Is it trying to kill us? I know so. I do not think so. I know so. It. Kirby. Kirby. It. Dark Matter. It commands Dark Matter. It is not a Dark Matter. Master, what are you? ...Shush, it is talking. Yes. Of course. It. It. Yes. I understand it now. It is the god. It is god. It. God. It. It. The devil, Kirby, attacked it at its weakest point. When attacked, it lost its frown. Heaven was Hell, Kirby raided Heaven. It is speaking more. I am needed in Dark Star. It. it. It. I must go. Spread the word of it. Spread. It. Now. Quick. It. -- "Ah, who cares about the squirt? We're in Shiver Star now, Kirby! Say... this place is cold..." King Dedede shivered. Kirby didn't listen. He could sense something. Something odd. "Uh... Kirby, if I may ask a question... if Dark Star is in the middle of the Star System... why don't we just fly to the middle? ...Instead of flying along the planets in a circle..." Astroll asks. Kirby looked at Astroll, a determined look on his face. Astroll knew this meant, "I know what I'm doing." so, he slowly nodded. Kirby nodded back, and looked ahead into the blizzard. The steps were freezing, crunchy, and gave everyone colds. This was very bad for Kracko Jr, since he was but an eyeball. ...An eyeball with premature clouds surrounding it, anyway. Kirby suddenly stopped. "...What?" Dedede asked. Kirby stood there for a few seconds, then collapsed. The others gasped and ran to his aid. Kirby's mind was buzzing with blabbers and gibberrish, but when translated, can cause anyone to faint. One of the more important questions in Kirby's mind was, "If the Dark Matter are here... is it here as well?" This question... Kirby already knew the answer. He knew it all too well. Remember the voice Kirby heard in Aqua Star? That pretty much answered it for him. Another important question was, "Is Minny okay?" and yet another, "If it did return... wouldn't Dark Star have returned, as well?" The latter was the reason he didn't fly straight to the middle of the star system. He wasn't sure if Dark Star was even there! That can cause a problem in Kirby's life, because one trip to the middle and back wastes around three hours. In three hours, all the planets could blow up! It could unleash its evilness into the worlds! Kirby, as well, knew 'Its' name, but would dare not think it, let alone say it. At least, not until he was sure it was alive. I mean, absolutely sure. As in, saw it for himself. Last time he fought it, Kirby barely got out alive. Last time, it was as if he was speeding through a black hole three times the size of the Star System! As for the fight before that, Kirby was speeding through some sort of warp zone. Kirby awoke to the smell of hot chocolate. -- It flew through space, searching for its next victim. The humongus white eyeball laughed maniacally, and whispered, in a deep voice, "It hurts. It really hurts." Then, it started sobbing. "Yet, I cannot cry... for when I do.... it hurts. It really hurts." As it turned around, its face was covered in blood. "Tears... tears... they hurt. They burn. They burn too much. I want my freedom. Freedom... to have wings again. The pink star warrior... he... he shot my wing off. Without two wings to maintain balance, one wing alone cannot lift up my spirits... let alone... my rage. My other wing fell off as all darkness disappeared. I was brought back to life... by that little thing. That tiny thing... the one who cared of me." It closed its eye, and sighed. "Now that I have found you, Minny... we can be together at last. You care of me, I care of you, happiness can once again be restored." Then, it paused. It opened its eye and stared at Shiver Star's moon. "And yet... it hurts. It really hurts. As long as the pink star warrior is alive and coming for me, for my beloved men... nothing can ease the tempest that melts... my skin... away." It looks to a nearby planet, Ripple Star, and thinks for a moment. "I know what I must do. Time to call for Miracle Matter." It flies down to Ripple Star, and silently cries blood. -- It. It. It called me, cried for me, and I was glad to come back to it. It. It.......... Ze--It. It. It. Where is it? Oh, going for Nottymiracle? Okay. Fine by me. By the way, it's not 'Nottymiracle', it's 'Miracle Matter'. Not IT, but the other it. Yes, the one with the hundreds of eyes. In each eye, I see my future. The Star System's future. The universe's future. OUR future. It is a happy one. I just wish IT was happy, though. It won't stop until Kirby stops looking for it. It doesn't want to kill Kirby, just to stop him from looking for us. For it. For Ze--it. Its wings... they were made of flesh. ITS flesh. That's why it shrinks when it gets second power. Not only its flesh, but its blood. Its blood. It has lost so much blood... so much. It has learned to use its own blood as a weapon. They say Dark Matter's red blobs are also its blood. Blood. Everywhere. So much. Scary. It leaves a trail of blood, or at least, it will. The trail will lead Kirby straight to it. When it reveals itself, all will be well, right? Right? I have a feeling... no... -- "Wake up, Kirby!" Astroll yelled. Kirby instantly woke up when he smelled the hot cocoa. "Kirby, there's a trail of blood over here!" Astroll pointed at blood stains making a path somewhere. Kirby gasped, his pupils widened, and he realized. "Itta summa udda side!" Kirby screamed. Kirby ran as fast as he could, following the trail through teleports until he reached Ripple Star... Kirby reaches the main palace of Ripple Star, Dark Matter forming in the air. They run through the palace's many floors, until they find a cloud of nothingness at the very top. Astroll gives us an evil glare, and grabs Kirby and tosses him up. Kirby is inside a dark room, with moving darkness around him. He recognizes it, as he fought Nottymiracle here. "Nottymiracle?" Kirby muttered. "No, Kirby, I am not 'Nottymiracle'... my name is 'Miracle Matter', do you hear me? Mi-ra-cuhl Ma-tuhr! And now, it's about time we end all of its pain." A large icosahedron floats into the room. One eye on every side, the icosahedron is Miracle Matter himself. His twenty eyes stare down at Kirby, the porygon rotating. Just as Kirby prepares to fight, Miracle Matter laughs. "HA! No, Kirby, I do not wish to fight. Just to end its pain. It. It itself." He explains, and flashes a white light. The room rumbles, and Miracle Matter floats away. The darkness disappears and Kirby realizes he's in space, above the middle of the star system. -- King Dedede is yelling at Astroll, yelling profanity. Astroll merely chuckles. Kracko Jr. looks at him, and thinks, Astroll... I get the feeling he's not a Waddle Dee at all. But... WHAT... is he? Suddenly, Astroll flashes, and a large Dark Matter flies out of him. "'Scuse me, lozas." The Dark Matter says as it floats away to wreak more havoc. Dedede is amazed. "But wait, how did that giant... THING... fit in that little Waddle Dee?" As soon as he says this, Kracko Jr sighs. -- "I see him. I see him. He is here. Now, for me to end my pain... to end my sorrow..." -- Kirby is floating when he feels another great rumble. He reluctantly turns around, and screams. An eyeball at least thirty times his size, with a red iris and a black pupil, is staring down at him. "Zuh-Zuh-Zeeeeeeee....ro..." Kirby squeals. Zero whispers, deeply, "Yes, Kirby... Zero. Me. That's how you would say it. It's actually 0, but spelling it out is good, too. Anyway... you've found me. You can stop searching for me. My pain now ends." Kirby shakes his head, and mutters. "Hmm... I can't just... bring Pop Star and Rock Star back. What is it I must do to end my pain? It goes on. It goes on. Much more. Ugh... the blood.... the endle..s..s..........b......l..........o.....o.......................d................................i.....t.................h........u.....r....t...s" Zero whispers, and closes his eye. Kirby thinks for a moment, and gibbles something. -- What? I feel. I feel danger. Kirby met it. It explained to Kirby. What? I feel. I feel danger. How much more? The blood, I feel it. I feel its sorrows. I feel it all. I am one with him......0. 0. 0. 0, please hang in there. Wait... I sense more danger. Kirby mentioned................ 3. -- "What are you saying? I can't just turn into 03! That would... that would not. Not work. I'm not even sure there is a Third Power." Zero says. Kirby gutters something else, and Zero gasps. "Yes, but even that itself would not work. Kirby, don't you see!? The power......... it won't stop. Nothing stops. My blood.... it........ won't stop. Besides, in order to become second power.... I need to-- get away from me. I am not dying!" Zero shouts. Kirby mutters some more gibberish. "That's a silly idea! You don't trust me enough to lose purposefully..." Kirby blabbers even more. "...You do? ....It.... may be worth a try. Alright. Kirby, you and I... we fight.... now." -- Astroll wakes up from his rest, and asks, "Where's Kirby?" Kracko Jr. sighs and looks up. Astroll sees gathering darkness above them. "Have you folks forgotten about the Warp Star?" Astroll asks. The other two jump. Then, they all rush to the Warp Star and fly to the middle of the Star System.... is this a good idea? -- This is getting much worse. I sense.... people messing with 0 and Kirby's plan. This, I fear, will bring naught but dread. Dread. Anguish. Pure anguish. In all of us. Why is 0 doing this!? Is making sure Kirby stops searching for us not enough!? ...Wait, vision. OW......... this hurts. My eye! Ugh....... I understand now. 0.... best of luck. May the others not bother you... in your mission to gain second...... power. However, I fear that second may not be enough... I sense much danger. Goodbye, cruel destiny. -- At the peak of the fake fight, Kirby blabbers more to Zero. "Yes.... thank you, Kirby. You have made it all better. I promise, as soon as the pain stops......... I will undo all wrongs. Just remember, if my eye bleeds when I die.... something went wrong." Zero responds, and prepares himself for death. Just as this happens, the other three come by on the Warp Star. "What's this?" Zero asks as he sees the star. Kirby gasps, and desperately waves over to them, gesturing them to stop. "Don't worry, Kirby! We'll save you!" Astroll shouts. King Dedede throws his hammer at Zero's eye, and he screams. "OH.... THE PAIN.... It.... hu...r...t.....s........ so much..... Kirby, you said you wouldn't.... do this......... to me. WHY!? Why is there so much....... anger.... anguish.... pain.... in the world? Urk.... URK! URK! No...." Zero screams. King Dedede just laughs, and gloats. "Ah yeah, I hit the bad guy! I killed the bad guy!" Kirby gasps. Zero's eye starts bleeding uncontrollably. Suddenly, his iris explodes out of his eye! The iris drips of blood, and the rest of the eye.... is merely an eye socket with no skin. The eye and iris both explode afterward, and a bright flash shines on to them. They all hear a faint whisper, deeper than ever before, "The anger......... escaped." Then, everything goes silent. -- Oh, no. This is bad. My senses were right, unfortunately. 0...... is dead. Again. I fear the madness is but a tear drop away now. A tear drop... of blood. Wait... what's this on my cheek? ....A speck of blood...? -- (3 months later) Kirby slowly stepped through the Ripple Palace, along with his pals. At the center of the palace, they were congratulated on perishing evil from the Star System, since they couldn't have a ceremony for 3 whole months. Busy schedule, you see. King Dedede gladly accepted the fame, but Kirby sadly stared up at the window above, into the skies. He liked the amazing red color on the stained glass, though. Astroll looked up, and smiled. He turned to the Queen of Ripple Star and said, "That's a lovely shade of red you have up there!" The Queen looked puzzled, and said, "But... our windows aren't red..." Kirby heard this and gasped. Worrying, he ran straight out of the palace. His friends saw him and ran to his aid, but Kracko Jr. didn't. He didn't see Kirby. This would be his mistake. -- It. It returns. Now. Now. Not later. Now. Now is our revenge. Mine. Its. Not just 0. No. Something else. I laugh. I cry. I wait. Impatiently. It happens now. -- "Kirby, what's wrong?" Astroll asked. Kirby gibbled and cried. King Dedede looked around, nervously. "Wait... where's Kracko Junior?" Then, the three turned slowly to see a bloodshed in the palace. Bodies were everywhere, some stil alive. Those alive quickly disappeared seconds later, into who-knows-where. Kirby carefully tip-toed inside, and tried not to touch anything. He screamed as he saw Kracko Junior, bloodshot, in the center. Dedede refrained from screaming, as he saw what was creeping up behind Kirby. It was a tiny Waddle Dee, a shadowy aura surrounding it, and it was about to grab Kirby! "Minny! Stop!" Astroll yelled as he dived for Minny. She turned around and grabbed him, then disappeared before Kirby even had the chance to turn around. "Huh?" Kirby said as he saw Dedede pale. -- As I approach him, I feel the fear rushing through his body. Who can't? It's shown by his stature! Yes.... the fear.... I want it. IT...... I WANT IT! Take a running jump! -- Dedede disappeared in an instant, and Kirby thought he saw a purple blur grab him. "Me.... me all aloooooony... agiiin..." He babbled. "Awwww... all... alone... my prey? Impossible! I won't allow it! So, I ask you, please turn around." A deep voice said. Kirby reluctantly turned around. As he did, his entire life flashed before his eyes. All of his fears awoke as he saw the halo. He looked down, noticing the bloody face. Just seeing the face made him petrified. The humongus wingspan... it destroyed the wall just to come out halfway. However, the scariest thing was the familiar face. But, it was much bigger than he was expecting. So big, that the palace alone can't contain it. The creature roared ferociously. "Zuh...................................................." Kirby froze in place. He could not say another thing. "I must tell you something.... guess who killed Kracko?" -- He never meant to hurt anyone. Never. Hurt. Instead, everyone killed him. When killed by EVERYONE......... what choice do you have? Kirby stood no chance. The foolish Waddle Dee has been taken to possessing. The same with the King. We killed both Krackos, and we are thinking of what to do with Kirby. However, I know he will die. I don't know how he won't. -- Kirby woke up in a factory somewhere, cold and hungry. Just as he was about to yawn, he jumped up and to the side. SMASH! A large machine was about to crush him. THEN he yawned. Seeing a dangerous, firey machine coming towards him from the left, he instantly dashed away. Nearby, a knight was laughing. "What a foolish puffball." He chuckled. Running as fast as he can, Kirby made it out of the factory. He was now in a magnificent city, skyscrapers touching the skies. Looking around, he saw a large sign that read, "Shuttle to other Stars: This Exit" He saw the road heading straight forward, and ran onto it. The path was strangely silent, with no cars, people, transportation, or ANYTHING besides some machinery sounds, which Kirby assumed to be the factory. Oh, how he was wrong. He could see the destination in the distance as the machinery sounds got louder. Kirby looked to his right and saw a gigantic robot lifting its fist up. Kirby stared, and quickly came to his senses, then ran away. The robot's fist had destroyed the road Kirby was standing on. -- HR-H, the strongest fighting machine. The factory in Shiver Star was building it, and just finished making it. With ultra-deluxe missiles, sweet padding for the pilot (if any), and even three cup holders. Kirby doesn't stand a chance. -- HR-H fired a laser from its eye at Kirby, who just dodged it. Suddenly, Kirby took its fist and shot it back at it. No pain given at all. -- Oh, did I mention you can only damage it through the fists? The very tips of the fist, or no pain. -- Kirby didn't know what to do, so he screamed. Quickly thinking, he ate one of the missiles and shot it at the fists. HR-H staggered to stand, and Kirby got an idea. He ran up to a building with sharp edges and fooled HR-H into punching the sharp edge. But when Kirby thought he won, HR-H flew onto the highway and transformed. -- Then, just as HR-H's defences are uprooted, we were glad to have installed HR-E! This mole-shaped machine has double the defence, double the power, and double the speed. Kirby can't win! -- Kirby ran for his life, trying to reach the building ahead. HR-E was too fast, though. It raised two claws and got ready to crush him, but Kirby confused it. HR-E attacked itself! It self-destructed and sent Kirby flying towards Neo Star. -- Yeah, we also installed the humongus self-destruct sequence that can send anyone flying into oblivion. -- Kirby landed on the top of the volcano. Suddenly, he remembered the Warp Star at the top of the spire. He hopped up and turned around, then stared, petrifyed. "Expecting someone.... ELSE?" ~ The wind blew heavily past Kirby's skin as he stood, astonished at the sight in front of him. As he stood, he noticed a strange need to run, but he didn't. Still standing there, he let out a loud scream. H O S H I N O K A A B I I....... Shadow Shutdown P A R T T W O - Angel Blood A giant beast was sitting at the throne, cunningly staring at Kirby. "So...... Kirby.... where WERE we? Oh...... right...... the part where I kill you. Yes." It fearsomely said. "Don't you......... recognize....... me? I'm.... 0......... remember? 0....2, to be..... EXACT." 02 said fiercely. Kirby remembered, all right. Kirby perfectly remembered the horrifying chase of him and 02, going through Dark Star to save everyone, and he fears he must do it again. "No, no, don't be afraid, Kirby. I am not here to...... kill you.... despite what I said. I wish to let you in on a little secret. You see, there's something going on here. Something strange. I fear my men are....... trying to..... ugh................................. get........ me....." 02 closed its eye. Kirby slowly stepped towards it, when suddenly, it opened its eye. "BACK AWAY! It's not safe for you to get too close, Kirby.... not safe to..... touch.............me. Just... go. Go, NOW!" 02 yelled. Kirby ran down the volcano as fast as he could, thinking of nothing but what will happen to 02. At the bottom, in the jungle below, Kirby turns around to see a white dot fly into the skies, and roar. Red liquid flew from it, and rained down from the heavens for a few minutes. Kirby looked at the white dot, and it collapsed onto the volcano summit, which, a few seconds later, erupted. Kirby noticed some red liquid on a fern in front of him. He slowly approached it, curious. When he got close enough, he realized it was.... blood. The white dot--02, had just been bleeding over the skies. Kirby felt sympathy for it. "Me so sori. Me jut wan safty foh fwends," he said. There was no time to waste, Kirby had to do this now, and fast. He ran to the edge of the jungle, where the volcano began. Hiking up, he wondered what happened to 02. At the summit, there were no traces of it. Just the spire, with the Warp Star at the top. The spire was normal again, perfectly fine. He took it and flew off to Shiver Star-- saving his friends is priority one. -- After a few minutes of flying, Kirby reached Shiver Star. He carefully landed on the surface and took a look at his surroundings. The city. He's close to the factory. Kirby began his search for the factory where his friends are most likely being kept. -- How much time is left, is the question constantly popping into my head. These strange things are keeping me here in this black hole, telling me I'll "be going soon." What does that mean? Every time I ask them, they always reply with "When it returns." I don't even know what 'it' is, but one thing's for sure- the moment I get to go out there and stab me some puffball, I'll be happier than I could ever imagine. -- 0... did you blow up with the volcano? What happened to you? "...I have been thinking, little one..." yes, what is it, 02? "I do not want to kill Kirby. Nor do I want to completely devour all brightness... why do my men insist on engulfing all worlds until the shadow pressure builds up and everything dies?" 0 asked me. This, I could understand. I looked at him in the wrong way, like I was shocked, but secretly... I agree with him. This, he knew. "By the way... Minnie... do you have any idea what Project: Protect is?" I felt scared when he mentioned this. How did 0 learn about this? I quickly abandoned my fear and shook my head. "N-no, sir, no I do not." I musn't allow him to learn about this. "Hmm... all right, Minnie. I believe you. However, should you come upon but one scintillating excerpt from such a mysterious marvel, it is advised, suggested, and ordered that you refer said excerpt to me." I nodded my head, and 02 flew away. Oh, my. I could tell that 02 is quite serious about this. He never uses the words "scintillating," "marvel," OR "excerpt" anymore. And, how did he even know that Project: Protect was scintillating? How did he know what it was? How did he even know it was part of a greater piece of literature? -- Hello, and welcome to the Rebellion Manual. This manual is used only by Dark Matter that wish to rebel against the steadily decreasing quality of 02's power. "'Steadily decreasing'? Why would those traitors say I am steadily decreasing in quality? I am actually INCREASING in quality! Anyway, skim ahead, skim ahead... ah." Chapter 6: Project: Protect. Note: In order to increase security, the following chapter was written entirely in a foreign language. Very foreign. Then, to increase security even more, the chapter was translated into Webdings. L'uomo ha diventare l'agnello. L'agnello ha guardato indietro l'uomo. "prego, agnello... che cosa è il mio destino?" L'uomo ha chiesto. L'agnello ha risposto nel ritorno, "sarete sotto un righello mighty. Questo righello sembrerà inizialmente stupefacente, ma più successivamente sembrerà soltanto come uno psico dictator. Per arrestare questo destino dall'accadere, dovete distruggere 2." "2?" "2 come doppia cifra." "... vedo. Grazie, agnello." L'uomo girato indietro e diretto verso la sua città natale e seguito questo destino, allora vivo felicemente mai dopo. La morale da questa storia? DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. RIBELLE. -- Kirby found himself locked in the large factory, and heard the silent footsteps of the masked knight. "Hello... star warrior. Finally, I have been allowed to finish you... once... and... for... all. Stay still, and lest my sword be none the weaker!" -- Kirby babbled, "No! No! No fat! Me no veelence!" but Meta Knight couldn't stop himself from charging forward, preparing to strike. So, Kirby did the only thing he could do; he dodged. -- HAHAHA!!! Finally, the moment has come! The moment where Kirby and I duel to the death! And yet... somehow, I'm not fighting him on purpose.... I just am.... fighting him without wanting to. I don't quite understand what's going on. -- The fight raged on for a while before Kirby decided to quickly end this. He found a factory machine, and managed to slam it onto Meta Knight's sword. "What? Urgh... my... my sword! I can't... lift the machine..... grr... This fight's not over! You hear me?! We'll fight again someday, and we'll FINISH THIS!!!" Meta Knight screamed as he attempted to lift the machine to get the sword underneath. Kirby just ran deeper into the factory. As stated before, saving his friends was priority one. -- It. It. What's wrong, It? "I... I.... found Project: Protect. I can't believe this." Oh, dear. Um... I'm sorry I did not tell you of this sooner. "No, no, that's not the problem." Really? Then, what is? "I can't read Webdings." -- Despite all of Kirby's efforts, he did not succeed in finding his friends. Really, it's just because he doesn't know the factory that well. Still, he looked, and he looked, but he just couldn't find anyone familiar. He found a lot of random Waddle Dees, though. Brainwashed, but random. Sad, and devoid of hope, Kirby left the factory. Now, he didn't just not have his friends, he didn't know where to go. He was lost on another world... a world controlled by shadows. Tears coming to his eyes, Kirby lay on the ground, and slowly closed his eyes. -- I am sorry for lying to you, 02. "It is... quite all right. As long as you will help me now." Very well. Good. Yes. I will. What must I help with? "First, translate this Project: Protect thing for me." Um... okay. I shall. *a-hem* .... let me see... -- L'uomo ha diventare l'agnello. L'agnello ha guardato indietro l'uomo. "prego, agnello... che cosa è il mio destino?" L'uomo ha chiesto. L'agnello ha risposto nel ritorno, "sarete sotto un righello mighty. Questo righello sembrerà inizialmente stupefacente, ma più successivamente sembrerà soltanto come uno psico dictator. Per arrestare questo destino dall'accadere, dovete distruggere 2." "2?" "2 come doppia cifra." "... vedo. Grazie, agnello." L'uomo girato indietro e diretto verso la sua città natale e seguito questo destino, allora vivo felicemente mai dopo. La morale da questa storia? DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. DISTRUGGA 02. RIBELLE. -- "I can see something about me around the end... and 'ribelle,' which I assume means 'rebel.' You don't suppose you could translate Italian?" I suppose I could. Let me see. Hmm.... -- L' man came up to l' lamb. L' lamb has watched l' man. " I pray, lamb… what is my destiny? " L' man asked. L' lamb answered, " You will be under a lord mighty. This lord will seem initially narcotic, but more successively it will seem only like a dictator. In order to stop this destiny from happening, you must destroy 2." " 2? " " 2." " … I see. Thanks, sir." L' man turned and directed towards its city born them and followed this destiny, then lived happily ever after. The moral from this story? DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. DESTROY 02. REBEL. -- Oh, my. This was in the Rebellion Manual? "I knew this would happen eventually... such is why I made you my second in command." "Wait a minute. This.... tiny waddle dee is your second in command? I thought I was your second in command, sir!" "Miracle Matter..." "I should have known that little runt would get all the glory. ...and she showed you Project: Protect, too? I knew she'd be nothing but trouble!" "Are you saying that you.... support this project?" "All right, FINE. I admit it. I was the leader of the project." "That's IT. Forget second in command, Mircacle Matter... you are lucky to be even ALIVE after today! You are hereby banished from the Dark Star... you are fired! If I ever see your twenty faces again, I will kill you myself." There was a slight pause. Suddenly, I couldn't believe my eyes-- 02 was attacked by Miracle Matter! STOP! STOP FIGHTING, PLEASE!!! So, they stopped fighting. "Why should I listen to YOU? You're.... you're what cost me my job. I... I'm leaving." "Yes, you had BETTER." ..what......just...... "I am not quite sure, Minny." After taking a few deep breaths, I was shocked to hear 02 tell me, "I think I have a task for you." --