One Last Time, I'll Fight

Chapter 1
It's Time to Finish This, Kirby

(Uploaded on November 24, 2018)

Summary: A letter is delivered to Kirby as he sits in the Purple Plants. The contents: an issue of a final challenge, to settle the score once and for all.

"King Dedede wants revenge! Careful, he's serious this time!"

Notes: This fic is set during Revenge of the King, from Kirby Super Star Ultra.

[King Dedede]

Castle Dedede – Throne Room

Dark clouds hovered in the skies above my castle. Very little actual light was actually emitted from the windows into the throne room, and there was nary a sound at all except the lightning bolts striking from outside.

I didn't mind it. The atmosphere was just right for my mind right now.

With nothing more than a portable lamp turned on close to my throne and a pen in my hand, I continued to write a letter to my age-old nemesis. Bandana Dee – my trusty assistant, and probably my closest confidant – looked at me with worried eyes, but I paid him no mind. I needed utmost concentration for this.

It's been over sixteen years since Kirby first came to Pop Star. Sixteen years since I stole all the food (and the Sparkling Stars) from Dream Land. Sixteen years since he first defeated me and put everything back where it should've been.

Sixteen years of friendship and rivalry, of ups and downs and all arounds. We've fought each other so many times since then, for a myriad of reasons – be it the Star Rod, possession by Dark Matter, or even over a simple slice of cake. But now?

This isn't about the fate of the world. This isn't about a traditional clash between good and evil.

This is a matter of pride.

(…My pride.)

Another bolt of lightning struck down outside, briefly illuminating the room with a flash of light. I continued penning the words I wanted to say down, carefully writing each letter in a legible fashion befitting my status as a king. All the while, no one – not my guards, not Dee – said a single word.

At last, I finished the letter. I folded it in half, placed it inside an envelope, and sealed with a Dedede stamp. I stood up from my throne, the envelope still in hand.

It was time.

"G-Great King…" Bandana Dee finally found the courage to speak up. I let my face turn to him, never once straying from my serious expression. "A-Are… Are you sure you w-want to—to do this…?" His eyes were the most anxious I've ever seen them. Not even during the final Dark Matter crisis did he ever look like that.

"I—I mean… K-Kirby doesn't… Kirby doesn't really care about this—this rivalry thing! It's—It's not like you have to d-do it at all!" he pleaded with me. "And I d-don't know what'll happen if—if you do go through with it! You, you might get hurt, and—and Kirby, too! P-Please…" Tears built up in the corner of his eyes. "Don't… Don't do this."

Dee was always a loyal friend, to both me and Kirby. I admire that aspect of him. Really, I do. It's what makes him such a good guy (far more than me, if I'm being honest). I wouldn't want him to choose between either of us – but the situation won't let him, unfortunately. (And I can't do anything about it, either.)

I closed my eyes. "…I'm sorry, Dee," I said, "but I have to. This rivalry between me and Kirby has gone on long enough. I need to settle this. I need to."

For too long, I've always ended up the loser in our matches. I can learn some of Kirby's skills; I can fight him on equal ground; I can have my Waddle Dees and Doos by my side… and it's always—always—never enough.

I'm tired of that.

Once, I would've just treated him as my nemesis out of rage and adolescence. Out of a sense of obligation, maybe. But I've come a long way since then, and I'm ready to close out this chapter of my life for good.

I have to do this. I have to prove I'm better than him.

Because if I can't win against him, despite all my efforts…

…then what good am I as a king, self-proclaimed or not?

"B-But—what am I supposed to d-do, then!? I like Kirby and you, Great King! I—I can't choose between either of you! You, you guys…!"

"It's fine if you want to be by Kirby's side," I interrupted him, eyes still closed. "I'm not about to force you to decide who you want to follow. All I want to do…" I opened my eyes and clenched my fist, the one that wasn't holding the letter. "…is show Kirby what's for, once and for all."

"G-Great King…!?"

I've prepared for this day. I've taken three out of Dream Land's five Sparkling Stars and given them to old guardians. I've powered them up as well, and sent out several more of my generals out into the field for Kirby to face off against. I've even given my castle a bit of a makeover, just for this occasion.

It's high time that pink puffball got what he deserved. It's time I finally go all-out on him. No more games. No more playfulness.

Whatever it takes, I will reign victorious over him.

…whatever it takes.

Dee shivered, repeatedly glancing between me and the door to my throne room. He was conflicted – but that's not surprising. While he was doing that, I held up the letter with the seal on it, making sure it was still crisp and clean. (It was.) I gestured for one of my Waddle Dees to come over, and he obediently followed, spear still in hand.

"Waddle Dee," I stated. I handed him the letter. "Take this letter, and deliver it to Kirby, wherever he may be. Make sure he opens it; don't leave until he actually does. That's an order, alright?"

He nodded, took the envelope, and saluted to me, as was Waddle Dee custom. He ran out of the throne room to fulfill my command, just as another flash of lightning shone through the windows. (How dramatic.) Dee's gaze lingered upon his exiting brethren for several moments, as if he was debating with himself whether or not he should follow.

I was gazing at the Waddle Dee for a different reason. It's finally gonna begin. My final revenge. There's no stopping it now. I sat down in my throne in anticipation, drumming my fingers on the side of my throne to keep them exercised. "…here we go," I muttered. "It's time to get serious."

(Kirby'll never see this coming, surely.)

After spinning his head around for the better part of three minutes, Bandana Dee made his decision. "…I'll stay with you, Great King!" he declared to me. "I—I won't let you face this alone!" He walked up to me, and though he didn't have any weapon by his side, I could see an unwavering, burning determination in his eyes. "If you're—if you're g-going to do this, then I'll be with you while you fight! It's my duty as your loyal retainer!"

I smiled a little. "…thanks, Bandana Dee," I said. It'll be nice to have a friend by my side while I do this. "…I really appreciate it."

I glared confidently toward the door, both sides of my vision lined up with a row of my spear-holding Dee guards. More lightning flashed past the windows, once more adding to the dark atmosphere that was flowing through the room. (I could've just turned on the lights, honestly – but it really doesn't matter.) From a nearby window, I caught a glimpse of Kabula – newly reactivated and newly upgraded; another edge against Kirby should he actually make it – soaring in the skies, ready to take down any intruder that comes our way.

This is it.

This is really it.

Get ready, Kirby, I thought vindictively. Because today—you're going to lose. You're finally going to lose.

And for once, I'll be triumphant.

Just you wait.

[Kirby]

Dream Land – Purple Plants

Something's up.

That thought rang through my head repeatedly throughout this entire morning. I don't know why I'm thinking it, or what even the 'something' is, but I just know—

Something's up.

I stared out into the purple scenery that made up—well, Purple Plants. I don't normally come here, primarily because I think all the purple really does not suit a grassy Green Greens-esque plain like this.

Like—c'mon. The color scheme clashes so hard. Adeleine would agree with me, totally.

But there's something else worth noting about Purple Plants: it has far more hard-hitting—and hostile—creatures than Green Greens does. You might say it's more of an 'Extra Game' area than a 'Normal Game' area, if you get what I mean. Steering clear of this place is a thing most Dream Landers tend to do – but I can handle most things that come my way, so it really doesn't matter for me.

The reason I'm here is—of course—because of the weird 'something' that I'm currently feeling. Call me what you like, but you can't deny I've got pretty good instincts – and instinct, for some reason, just drew me to this place. Something important's gonna happen here in just a few more moments. I just don't know what it'll be.

I sighed. "I wonder what Dedede's doing right now," I wondered, sitting beneath a bushy, purple-leaf tree. "It's been a while since I've heard from him." I'd like to believe that we've become like frenemies at this point, kind of like Mario and Bowser, or Sonic and Eggman, or Link and Ganondorf (okay, that last one might be a stretch). We've helped each other plenty of times, too, the Crystal Shards hunt being one of the more significant contributions he's made. I wouldn't have been able to get all of them without him, and I'm sure Ribbon will be eternally grateful for that.

Recently however, Dedede's been a bit dissatisfied, for whatever reason. Sure, we still have our regular clashes (that I typically come on top of), but he hasn't taken as much enjoyment out of them as of late. And whenever I try to ask what's wrong, he just… brushes me off and goes back to his business. He doesn't even react to my usual sassy comments; that's how I know he's not acting normal.

I'm worried about him. We may not be that close, but… whatever's going on, I hope we can at least talk about it, you know?

"…it's been half an hour since I got here," I said aloud, standing up from my sitting place, "and nothing's happened yet." Strange. My instinct's never let me wrong before. Except the whole Squeak Squad debacle, but that was a one-time thing. Hmm…

"I should get moving," I decided. "Who knows, maybe that 'something' I'm feeling will be somewhere else in this place." I might see some of my old Helpers while I'm at it, too. I haven't gone on an adventure with them since 1996; it'd be great to hang out with everyone again, just like the good old days. Waddle Doo and Bonkers and GIM and… everybody.

(Little did I know, however…)

But before I could take any step forward, something came rushing in toward me out of the corner of my eye. "Huh?" I blinked.

I turned to look at the newcomer. It was a simple Waddle Dee. One of Dedede's, actually. He was dashing right at me, a letter in his hand and most likely, it was meant for me. "Kirby!" the Waddle Dee called. When he finally caught up, he handed me the envelope. "The Great King has written this to you. He wants you to read it."

"From Dedede? …well, alright." I'd never turn down a letter from… an almost-friend, let's call him that. What could he want though? I mean, if he wanted to tell me something, he could just do it in person. It's not like we're on bad terms or anything.

But if he so insists… who am I to question our esteemed king?

I opened the envelope and read the letter's contents.

…

…

…

…oh.

Oh.

I think I've found the 'something' that I was looking for.

Kirby,

It's time we settled the score. You've beaten me in our escapades for far too long, and now is the time I put the kibosh on it for good.

I've taken three of the Sparkling Stars (no food this time; this is a matter of pride) and given them to some of my old lieutenants – Whispy Woods, Lololo and Lalala, and Kracko. But they're not like how they used to be, oh no. They've been powered up: stronger, faster, and—most definitely—seeking revenge!

In fact, you'll find that my whole army's ready for you this time! I've trained them hard especially for this, and now's the time to finally put that hard-earned experience to good use. Everyone's here to kick your puffy butt back to the star you came from. There's no way you can win this time, but if you want to try…

Collect the Sparkling Stars from the Purple Plants, the Illusion Islands, and the Crash Clouds, and bring them up to Castle Dedede. There, we'll put our long-standing grudge to rest – and you'll find I won't be going down easy this time. I've put in some hours into training as well, and I'm just as ready as everyone else in my troop. I will emerge triumphant in the coming duel, I promise you that.

This is my final revenge. I won't be holding anything back.

Come and prove your courage… that is, if you dare to.

I'll be waiting for you, Kirby.

Don't disappoint me.

– King Dedede

I read the letter, and then re-read it, and then re-read it again. I bit my lip. "…so this is your game," I stated quietly.

He's gotten tired of playing nice. He's playing for keeps, this time. And that worries me.

Dedede's always been a strange one. He's stolen the people's food; he's acted as the villain in order to save everyone else; he's greedy, he's hungry, he cares for his Dees… He's a complex guy.

But for him to finally declare that he's going to be going all-out, in one final gambit to take me down…

…I don't know what to think.

If Mario was here right now, he'd probably know what to say, or what to do. He's been feuding with Bowser longer than I have with Dedede, which means he's got plenty of experience over this type of matter. He was around for my first clash with Dedede, funnily enough.

He's not here, though – and I've never gotten anywhere by just relying on others to do the work for me.

So, that means…

I have to face Dedede myself.

…

…Bandana Dee's not here.

Normally, he wouldn't pass a chance delivering things to me.

That means he must be standing by his 'Great King'.

…That makes sense. He may be my friend – but he's loyal to Dedede, too. I can't fault him for that. He's been with him through all the ups and downs. And if he can't stop Dedede from doing this, it only makes sense he'll want to be on his side in the case the worst happens.

…heh.

'The worst.'

…Is this going to affect our relationships negatively?

Are our friendships – or almost-friendships, in Dedede's case – going to break under the strain of this 'final revenge'?

Will Dee be able to handle it? He may be strong in his own way, but I know it'll be hard for him to watch his two best friends fight like this…

…and I don't know about you, but… I don't want to hurt Dee.

I don't want to hurt Dedede, either.

I just want us all to be friends. Good friends.

Best friends, even.

That's just who I am. From the day I was born into this galaxy, to the day I started living on Pop Star… that's the way I've always rolled.

I don't want it all to fall apart just because of something like this.

(And something tells me Dee feels the same way.)

But I won't accomplish anything just sitting here. If Dedede wants a showdown, then by golly, he's gonna get a showdown. And maybe – just maybe – it'll be enough to put an end to this.

…and then, perhaps, we could be friends for real.

I put the letter down on the grass and nodded to myself. To the Waddle Dee, I said, "Thanks for bringing this to me. Tell Dedede… I accept his challenge." I stared out into the Purple Plants where I knew the first Sparkling Star would be located. Looks like the Helper reunion's gonna start in a different way than I intended, I chuckled.

"Very well," the Waddle Dee replied. "I shall inform Great King of this at once." As he retreated back the way he came, I made my way into the heart of the grasslands, riding in on that ever-so-familiar spring breeze.

And just as Dedede said, several of his troops – and the other hostiles from the Purple Plants – awaited me as I continued, bearing their arms and pointing them at my presence. I wasted no time taking a fighting stance of my own. Kookers, Perots, Bio Sparks, Waddle Doos; creatures of all kinds were glaring at me, and I wasn't about to show any trace of fear as I glared back. No Copy Ability or not, I can handle this.

Alright, Dedede, I thought determinedly. You say you're not gonna hold anything back?

I won't either. It's time I show off what I can really do.

I'm not the savior of Pop Star for nothing.

Prepare yourself—'cause I'll be the one to emerge victorious, just like always!

Ha ha ha ha ha! More Kirby fics, more! You're never going to escape them! HA HA HA HA!

Ahem! So… originally, I was just going to rewrite the ending cutscene from Revenge of the King. Then I decided, let's do the entirety of the game's climax. Why not? It might be fun.

Revenge of the King is notable because – prior to Kirby Battle Royale – it was the last canonical time Dedede truly held an antagonistic role against Kirby. And he really went all-out, too, what with the EX Bosses, the Kirby's Adventure mid-bosses, and even Masked Dedede himself. If I can rewrite Adeleine's boss fight adequately in Intro to Painting, why can't I do the same for Masked Dedede here?

The game itself doesn't really provide much of a premise other than 'King Dedede wants revenge! Go beat him up!', so this chapter is my attempt to write something more substantial in its place. I have a headcanon that RotK was the point where Kirby and Dedede's relationship changed dramatically from 'frenemies' to 'best friends', and I really want to capture that moment for the Make a Friend 'verse. Mind you, it'll take a few chapters, but I hope I'll be able to capture the moment well when it finally comes.

Well, that's all for now – tune in next time for The Revenge™!