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Kirby and the Amazing Labyrinth Friend Rescue - Chapter 5: A Reunion Between Friends?!
Now that the adventuring party was back in the mirror labyrinth, the Kirby Rocket took the lead. The rough journey up until now almost seemed like it was all in their imagination. The Kirby Rocket found the correct path without ever straying in the slightest.
"This is so weird. I'm not even thinking about anything, but my body moves on its own. I just know which way I should go."
"That's thanks to the radar. Pretty handy!" Waddle Dee said in admiration.
Every so often, an enemy would block their path, but the Kirby Rocket was invincible. The shockwaves coming from his head sent enemies flying one after the other.
Waddle Dee seemed as happy as if he were clearing the path himself, and not Kirby. He turned to Magolor, saying with pride, "See, didn't I tell you? Nothing Kirby does is ever a waste of time. He got such an amazing present, all because he worked hard to help Claycia and Elline!"
"What are you talking about? Obviously, I knew that much from the start. Kirby has never ever made a mistake before!" Magolor acted aloof towards Waddle Dee, before rushing to Kirby's side. "That's our Kirby! Keep up the pace! I'm cheering you on!"
"Yeah! We gotta hurry up and save your friend, Magolor!" Kirby responded, full of energy.
This put a dent in Waddle Dee's mood, but he swallowed it down. He didn't want to look displeased in front of Kirby, when Kirby was working so hard. He decided to not pay any attention to Magolor, focusing on following Kirby and the others.
"...What a drag."
The groan startled Waddle Dee into raising his head. For a brief moment, he thought someone had been reading his mind out loud. But it was King Dedede, grumbling in a low voice.
"Boooring… Whaddaya mean, Kirby Rocket? What a stupid name! Now, a King Dedede Rocket? That sounds like it'd be way stronger…"
"Is that jealousy I hear, King Dedede?" Meta Knight teased.
King Dedede glared back at him. "Who's jealous?! I ain't jealous of no stupid-name rocket! Not even a little bit!"
"You and I, we had our color stolen back in the Seventopia incident, unable to move. I understand. It was vexing to not be able to contribute, wasn't it, King Dedede?"
"Hmph! I could totally move! I broke Claycia's spell right away, and it wasn't even hard, but the whole thing just seemed so boring, I didn't even bother with it. I stayed inside! That's all."
"Hah…" Meta Knight laughed lightly.
King Dedede turned his back on Meta Knight, trudging stubbornly forward. His irritation was growing more and more obvious. "Ugh… Dang Kirby… So unfair. I'm the one with the dignity and power! I deserve to be a rocket more than you…"
"Your Majesty…" Waddle Dee murmured, looking up at his King. It was always an ill omen when King Dedede got in one of these moods. He was almost certainly plotting something unfortunate.
King Dedede noticed Waddle Dee's gaze, and looked back down at him. Waddle Dee was dutifully carrying the present from Claycia. The moment Dedede laid eyes on the sketchbook and crayons, his face lit up with a wicked smirk.
"Gimme that for a sec, Waddle Dee."
"Huh?!"
"You just have to draw on that paper in order to transform, was that it?"
Waddle Dee caught on to King Dedede's plan, taking a step back. "Y-You mustn't, Your Majesty! We have to conserve these for when Kirby's transformation runs out…"
"Shush. Fork it over already!"
Waddle Dee tried to grab the sketchbook and crayons by force. Waddle Dee clung on tight, refusing to let them be taken, and ran off with them clutched safely in his arms.
"Hey, wait, Waddle Dee! Are you defying my orders?!"
"I-I'm sorry. It's only this one order that I can't follow! It's a present from Claycia that we worked so hard to get…!"
"Wait! Waddle Dee! You're not gonna get away with this!"
King Dedede chased after his subordinate with thudding footsteps. But something suddenly slid in front of one of those feet. King Dedede tripped, falling over in quite the dramatic display.
"Owwwww! That hurt! What was that…?!"
"Stop your unsightly behavior, King Dedede." It was Meta Knight. He had swiftly stuck out the tip of his sword to trip up Dedede.
"Meta Knight—! You jerk…!"
"Waddle Dee is correct. That sketchbook is in reserve for when the time is right. You cannot use it."
"Shut up! You just know that the King Dedede Rocket would be faster and get to our destination before any old Kirby Rocket…!" The King's voice was starting to shake with his frustration.
But suddenly, just then, the Kirby Rocket that had been forging a path ahead turned around, coming back towards the others.
"What happened, Kirby?"
"There's a really dark black door ahead, and from the other side, I heard, a weird voice!"
"A voice?"
"Yeah. I couldn't hear what it was saying, but it sounded kinda familiar. I wonder who it was…?"
"Maybe that's my friend!" Magolor shouted happily, rushing ahead of the others towards that door.
It was just like Kirby said. A large wall blocked the path ahead, with a jet black door that was firmly closed. Countless thorny plants were entwined around the door, denying entry to any trespassers. A voice could be faintly heard from behind the door.
Magolor was in good spirits. "I knew it! There's no mistaking that! This is my friend's voice!"
"…Wait. Yes, I have heard this before, too," Meta Knight said, tensing and gripping his sword. "This voice… Magolor, when you say your friend, do you mean—"
Magolor didn't answer him, instead calling out through the door. "Open up, Taranza! It's meeee!"
But the door did not open. The voice coming from inside continued without any hesitation. Kirby and the others were so stunned, their mouths didn't work for a moment, either.
Meta Knight was the one who finally spoke. "Your friend is Taranza? Magolor, why have you kept this hidden from us all this time?"
"I wasn't trying to hide it. But I heard that he's fought Kirby and some of the rest of you before. So I just thought maybe you wouldn't want to save him if I told you his name."
"That's not true…" Kirby said in a small voice.
Yes, of course, Taranza was a former enemy of Kirby's. He'd (surprisingly) mistaken King Dedede for Kirby, kidnapped him, used him and controlled him… He had been a formidable foe. But Taranza hadn't been the mastermind of that plot. He had only been following orders. It had been Queen Sectonia, the enchanting evil monarch, who had given him those orders. She controlled the floating continent of Floralia, and for many long years, her people had suffered under her wicked reign. Taranza had been Queen Sectonia's devoted follower, but after he had made one too many mistakes, his queen would no longer forgive him. She coldly called Taranza a useless fool that she didn't need anymore, or something like that, and sent him flying with a single attack.
And in that moment, Taranza had finally realized that the beautiful Queen Sectonia's greedy heart was too evil to overlook.
"...Taranza isn't our enemy anymore. He teamed up with us to take down Queen Sectonia," said Kirby, voice heavy with the memory of that fight.
Magolor made an exaggerated gesture of surprise. "Whaaaat, really?! If I had only known that, I would have told you his name right from the beginning!"
"Your words are untrustworthy in either case." Meta Knight turned back towards the door. "At any rate, we will need to open this door. It seems that, for whatever reason, Taranza cannot hear our voices through it."
"So basically, you need someone to smash the door to bits," King Dedede said, hefting his hammer.
Meta Knight looked up at the massive door. "It will not be as easy as that. Look at the thorns coiling around it."
"Hmph…" Even King Dedede paused as he did so. The vines, as thick as Dedede's arms, covered the entire door in a tight weave. But King Dedede exhaled, and summoned his bravado. "Those thorns ain't anything to worry about. I can take 'em out with one swing of this hammer!"
"...No," Meta Knight murmured. "Those are no mere thorns. Most likely, they are symbolic of the heart of the person trapped within them—of Taranza."
"What's that?"
"I am not sure why, but Taranza is shut inside of himself, with no reaction whatsoever to voices from the outside. Those thorns are his very heart at this moment. It will not be easy to destroy them."
"Wh… Whaaat! C'mon! Thorns, barbed wire, iron bars, whatever! As long as I have my hammer, it doesn't even matter…!"
But before King Dedede could raise his hammer, Kirby shouted, "Leave it to me! The rocket is strong enough to break anything!"
"Wait, Kirby. Listen to what I am saying. Those are no mere thorns…"
But Kirby was not known for listening carefully before acting. A strong bright light began firing from the Kirby Rocket.
"Go—! Star—Rocket—Attaaaaack!"
The Kirby Rocket crashed at full strength into the door. The door did not budge an inch. But Kirby did not falter in the slightest, either.
"Open—! Door, open—!"
He kept crying out and banging himself against the door, again and again. At last, the door began to creak under the tremendous force. The thorny vines, too, began to rustle and shrink away.
Meta Knight winced. "I should have realized. The power of Kirby's heart is prying open Taranza's."
"Amazing! Keep going, Kirby! Just a little more!" Waddle Dee cheered him on, eyes sparkling.
Even King Dedede, who was reluctant to take Kirby's side, was wide-eyed. "Go, Kirby! Don't let up! I'll help!" he shouted, swinging his hammer and slamming it against the door.
Under their combined power, the door finally gave in, crumbling with a loud noise.
"Yaaaay! That was amazing, Kirby!" Magolor cried out in joy, flying through the broken door to the other side.
Kirby was exhausted. He'd used every last bit of his strength in that attack. He slumped, limp, his transformation wearing off.
"Kirby! Are you okay?!" Waddle Dee ran over.
Kirby, back to normal, took a deep breath. He gathered himself to reply with cheerful energy. "Yeah, I'm fine! Though my transformation is gone now…"
"We don't need the rocket anymore. We made it where we wanted to go, and now the door is gone, too!"
Waddle Dee held out his hand. Kirby grabbed it to get back on his feet. Everyone followed Magolor into the now-open room.
In the deepest depths of the mirror labyrinth… was a mirror that looked exactly like the Dimension Mirror they had jumped into at the very start of their adventure.
"Huh? There's a Dimension Mirror here, too…? Then what was the mirror we went into in the first place…?" Kirby was confused.
Meta Knight explained, "That one had lost its power, like a shed skin of the true Dimension Mirror. The true power of the mirror was here, hidden in the deepest depths of the labyrinth."
"…Hmmm…"
"More importantly—look." Meta Knight pointed out a figure facing the mirror, continually mumbling something hard to make out.
They could see silky silver hair, and sparkling golden horns. There were orange bumps stuck in the hair that looked like eyes. The figure was facing away from Kirby and the others, making the cape's spiderweb pattern clearly visible.
"Taranza…!"
Taranza did not turn around at the sound of Kirby's voice. It was possible he hadn't even heard his own name being called.
Meta Knight stopped Kirby from trying to step forward. "Wait, Kirby. Listen closely."
"…Huh?"
"Something is wrong with Taranza."
Everyone concentrated until they could make out some of the words Taranza was muttering. "Secto… a… together… Kehehehe… Wait… to… nia…!" Taranza was talking to the mirror, laughing happily.
"This is…" Meta Knight turned to glare at Magolor. "What is this, Magolor? What has happened to Taranza?"
"Don't ask me! I'm wondering that as much as anyone," Magolor said, spreading his hands and shaking his head.
Kirby stared at Taranza as he spoke. "…He's calling out."
"What?"
"He's calling out Queen Sectonia's name. He's talking to Queen Sectonia."
"Don't be stupid," King Dedede sneered. "Queen Sectonia ain't around anymore. I got her good in that battle!"
"But he's saying 'Sectonia'…"
"Yes. It's odd." Meta Knight, without dropping his guard, carefully edged towards Taranza. "Taranza was Queen Sectonia's devoted subordinate. He must have been incredibly formal whenever he talked to her. He shouldn't be referring to her without her title."
"Yeah. But it's not like that right now."
Taranza's cheerful laugh resounded through the room. "Wait, Sectonia… Kehehehehe! It's dangerous to go so fast. Oh, that's a cliff over there. Come over this way… Be careful!"
"—It's an illusion," Meta Knight murmured. "Taranza is seeing something in that mirror that is not real."
"An illusion…?"
"An illusion of a time where Queen Sectonia… no, at this point, she was not yet the dreaded monarch she would become. An illusion of Sectonia before she was queen, having fun." Meta Knight groaned. "The Dimension Mirror grants people's wishes. I've heard that Taranza once got along well with Sectonia, and spent a decent amount of time with her, back when she still had kindness in her heart. Taranza must have earnestly wished to return to that time. The mirror is showing Taranza that illusion."
"Taranza…" Kirby called out to him again, but Taranza still did not turn around. He stayed in a trance, speaking to the mirror.
Meta Knight said, "This is bad. We need a way to draw him away from the mirror."
"Hm. Why don't we just leave him there?" asked King Dedede. "He looks like he's having fun. We heard he got sucked into the mirror, and we all assumed something terrible had happened to him. Turns out he's having the time of his life dreaming away like this! Let's just leave him be."
"We cannot do that. Look at the state he's in." Meta Knight stepped closer, peering up at Taranza's face.
Taranza gave no reaction. He was completely absorbed in gazing at the mirror, calling out Sectonia's name, again and again.
Kirby raised his voice to yell. "Taranza! TARANZA!! Snap out of it! It's me, Kirby!"
"He cannot hear you. As I thought, it will be dangerous to leave him here like this. At this rate, he'll become so obsessed with his illusion that he'll waste away!"
"Oh noooo!" Magolor's voice sounded more alarmed. "Taranza's in danger! Save him! At this rate he'll waste away!"
"What should we do…?!" Kirby looked up at Meta Knight in distress. If he just had an enemy to fight, Kirby wouldn't hesitate. But right now, there wasn't any enemy in sight. How was he supposed to save Taranza…?
"The mirror." Meta Knight gripped his sword. "Break the mirror. There's no other way to save Taranza."
"What?! No, Meta Knight, you can't!" Magolor screeched. "That mirror… The Dimension Mirror is a precious treasure that makes everyone's dreams come true! We absolutely can't ever break it!"
"It's been shattered before. But the fragments were gathered, and the mirror was put back together. This time should be the same…"
"We don't know for sure if we can get it up and running again! What are we gonna do if it doesn't go back to normal?!"
"There is no other choice. Taranza is in danger if this continues."
"Taranza's not worth a fraction of what that mirror is…!" The words were out before Magolor could stop them, but he quickly realized what he had said, and clapped a hand over his mouth.
Meta Knight did not turn to face Magolor as he drew his sword. "I understand your true feelings now, Magolor."
"Y… You have it all wrong…"
"But it doesn't matter if you think that or not. Either way, I am going to rescue Taranza."
Magolor went quiet, retreating into the background.
"Magolor…" Kirby reflexively called out to him. He wanted to ask if that was how Magolor really felt, or if they had misheard him somehow.
But Meta Knight spoke first. "Let's go, Kirby! King Dedede!"
"…Yeah!"
Kirby didn't have the time to talk to Magolor right now. He faced down the mirror with Meta Knight. King Dedede began to lift his hammer—but he suddenly remembered something, and stopped in his tracks.
"…Your Majesty?" Waddle Dee looked up at his king.
King Dedede pointed at Waddle Dee in turn, ordering: "Waddle Dee, give me the sketchbook and crayons!"
"What?! But these are for…"
"We don't need any Kirby Rocket anymore! We got where we wanted to go. Now it's time for the King Dedede Rocket to shine!"
"K-King Dedede Rocket…" Waddle Dee kept gripping tightly onto the sketchbook and crayons. King Dedede drew closer, looming over him, looking more and more intimidating…!
Meanwhile, Meta Knight and Kirby were setting their sights on the mirror. Meta Knight raised his sword over his head, and Kirby took a deep breath, leaping into the air. But before either of their attacks could connect, Taranza finally turned around.
"What are you doing—?!" Taranza screamed, spreading his six hands wide to guard the mirror.
Meta Knight managed to pull his sword back at the last second, before it cut Taranza. Kirby also let his breath out to plop back down onto the ground.
"...What… are you doing…?!" Now, Taranza's voice was low enough to make them shudder.
Meta Knight shouted, "Taranza! Snap out of it!"
"Stop it… If you… bully Sectonia… I will never forgive you…!"
"Queen Sectonia is gone. What you are seeing is nothing more than an illusion. Open your eyes, Taranza!"
"I, Taranza, will protect Sectonia!"
Threads extended swiftly from Taranza's six hands. Kirby hurriedly jumped back, but Meta Knight was just barely too slow. The threads coiled around Meta Knight's arms and legs, stealing his freedom away.
"Meta Knight!" Kirby cried.
Meta Knight frantically tried to cut the threads, but they were too powerful. They were so thin that they could barely be seen, but no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't tear them off of himself.
Taranza's laugh sounded gloating. "Kehehehe… So, you understand my power…"
"Stop, Taranza! At this rate, you'll be the one in danger!"
Kirby shouted, but Taranza paid his words no mind. Instead, he turned to Kirby with rage in his eyes.
"Next, it's your turn!"
Taranza yanked at his strings, manipulating Meta Knight until he was brandishing his sword over his head, slashing at Kirby. Kirby just barely managed to dodge the blade.
"…" Meta Knight silently adjusted the grip on his sword.
Taranza had taken control of not only his body, but his mind, too. Taranza was the Master of Puppetry—he was a magician with the terrifying power to capture his opponent and move them at will.
"Meta Knight!" Kirby's voice couldn't bring Meta Knight back to his senses, either. It was taking all his effort just to parry Meta Knight's vicious attacks.
Taranza was laughing loudly. "Keheheheh! Watch this, Sectonia. Your Taranza is soooo useful!"
"Taranza…!" Kirby was rapidly being driven into a corner. If he had a copy ability, he knew he would be able to sever the threads and return Meta Knight to his right mind. But right now, Kirby didn't have anyone suitable to get one from.
So Meta Knight, having lost his heart, kept on attacking Kirby without mercy.
"This is so weird. I'm not even thinking about anything, but my body moves on its own. I just know which way I should go."
"That's thanks to the radar. Pretty handy!" Waddle Dee said in admiration.
Every so often, an enemy would block their path, but the Kirby Rocket was invincible. The shockwaves coming from his head sent enemies flying one after the other.
Waddle Dee seemed as happy as if he were clearing the path himself, and not Kirby. He turned to Magolor, saying with pride, "See, didn't I tell you? Nothing Kirby does is ever a waste of time. He got such an amazing present, all because he worked hard to help Claycia and Elline!"
"What are you talking about? Obviously, I knew that much from the start. Kirby has never ever made a mistake before!" Magolor acted aloof towards Waddle Dee, before rushing to Kirby's side. "That's our Kirby! Keep up the pace! I'm cheering you on!"
"Yeah! We gotta hurry up and save your friend, Magolor!" Kirby responded, full of energy.
This put a dent in Waddle Dee's mood, but he swallowed it down. He didn't want to look displeased in front of Kirby, when Kirby was working so hard. He decided to not pay any attention to Magolor, focusing on following Kirby and the others.
"...What a drag."
The groan startled Waddle Dee into raising his head. For a brief moment, he thought someone had been reading his mind out loud. But it was King Dedede, grumbling in a low voice.
"Boooring… Whaddaya mean, Kirby Rocket? What a stupid name! Now, a King Dedede Rocket? That sounds like it'd be way stronger…"
"Is that jealousy I hear, King Dedede?" Meta Knight teased.
King Dedede glared back at him. "Who's jealous?! I ain't jealous of no stupid-name rocket! Not even a little bit!"
"You and I, we had our color stolen back in the Seventopia incident, unable to move. I understand. It was vexing to not be able to contribute, wasn't it, King Dedede?"
"Hmph! I could totally move! I broke Claycia's spell right away, and it wasn't even hard, but the whole thing just seemed so boring, I didn't even bother with it. I stayed inside! That's all."
"Hah…" Meta Knight laughed lightly.
King Dedede turned his back on Meta Knight, trudging stubbornly forward. His irritation was growing more and more obvious. "Ugh… Dang Kirby… So unfair. I'm the one with the dignity and power! I deserve to be a rocket more than you…"
"Your Majesty…" Waddle Dee murmured, looking up at his King. It was always an ill omen when King Dedede got in one of these moods. He was almost certainly plotting something unfortunate.
King Dedede noticed Waddle Dee's gaze, and looked back down at him. Waddle Dee was dutifully carrying the present from Claycia. The moment Dedede laid eyes on the sketchbook and crayons, his face lit up with a wicked smirk.
"Gimme that for a sec, Waddle Dee."
"Huh?!"
"You just have to draw on that paper in order to transform, was that it?"
Waddle Dee caught on to King Dedede's plan, taking a step back. "Y-You mustn't, Your Majesty! We have to conserve these for when Kirby's transformation runs out…"
"Shush. Fork it over already!"
Waddle Dee tried to grab the sketchbook and crayons by force. Waddle Dee clung on tight, refusing to let them be taken, and ran off with them clutched safely in his arms.
"Hey, wait, Waddle Dee! Are you defying my orders?!"
"I-I'm sorry. It's only this one order that I can't follow! It's a present from Claycia that we worked so hard to get…!"
"Wait! Waddle Dee! You're not gonna get away with this!"
King Dedede chased after his subordinate with thudding footsteps. But something suddenly slid in front of one of those feet. King Dedede tripped, falling over in quite the dramatic display.
"Owwwww! That hurt! What was that…?!"
"Stop your unsightly behavior, King Dedede." It was Meta Knight. He had swiftly stuck out the tip of his sword to trip up Dedede.
"Meta Knight—! You jerk…!"
"Waddle Dee is correct. That sketchbook is in reserve for when the time is right. You cannot use it."
"Shut up! You just know that the King Dedede Rocket would be faster and get to our destination before any old Kirby Rocket…!" The King's voice was starting to shake with his frustration.
But suddenly, just then, the Kirby Rocket that had been forging a path ahead turned around, coming back towards the others.
"What happened, Kirby?"
"There's a really dark black door ahead, and from the other side, I heard, a weird voice!"
"A voice?"
"Yeah. I couldn't hear what it was saying, but it sounded kinda familiar. I wonder who it was…?"
"Maybe that's my friend!" Magolor shouted happily, rushing ahead of the others towards that door.
It was just like Kirby said. A large wall blocked the path ahead, with a jet black door that was firmly closed. Countless thorny plants were entwined around the door, denying entry to any trespassers. A voice could be faintly heard from behind the door.
Magolor was in good spirits. "I knew it! There's no mistaking that! This is my friend's voice!"
"…Wait. Yes, I have heard this before, too," Meta Knight said, tensing and gripping his sword. "This voice… Magolor, when you say your friend, do you mean—"
Magolor didn't answer him, instead calling out through the door. "Open up, Taranza! It's meeee!"
But the door did not open. The voice coming from inside continued without any hesitation. Kirby and the others were so stunned, their mouths didn't work for a moment, either.
Meta Knight was the one who finally spoke. "Your friend is Taranza? Magolor, why have you kept this hidden from us all this time?"
"I wasn't trying to hide it. But I heard that he's fought Kirby and some of the rest of you before. So I just thought maybe you wouldn't want to save him if I told you his name."
"That's not true…" Kirby said in a small voice.
Yes, of course, Taranza was a former enemy of Kirby's. He'd (surprisingly) mistaken King Dedede for Kirby, kidnapped him, used him and controlled him… He had been a formidable foe. But Taranza hadn't been the mastermind of that plot. He had only been following orders. It had been Queen Sectonia, the enchanting evil monarch, who had given him those orders. She controlled the floating continent of Floralia, and for many long years, her people had suffered under her wicked reign. Taranza had been Queen Sectonia's devoted follower, but after he had made one too many mistakes, his queen would no longer forgive him. She coldly called Taranza a useless fool that she didn't need anymore, or something like that, and sent him flying with a single attack.
And in that moment, Taranza had finally realized that the beautiful Queen Sectonia's greedy heart was too evil to overlook.
"...Taranza isn't our enemy anymore. He teamed up with us to take down Queen Sectonia," said Kirby, voice heavy with the memory of that fight.
Magolor made an exaggerated gesture of surprise. "Whaaaat, really?! If I had only known that, I would have told you his name right from the beginning!"
"Your words are untrustworthy in either case." Meta Knight turned back towards the door. "At any rate, we will need to open this door. It seems that, for whatever reason, Taranza cannot hear our voices through it."
"So basically, you need someone to smash the door to bits," King Dedede said, hefting his hammer.
Meta Knight looked up at the massive door. "It will not be as easy as that. Look at the thorns coiling around it."
"Hmph…" Even King Dedede paused as he did so. The vines, as thick as Dedede's arms, covered the entire door in a tight weave. But King Dedede exhaled, and summoned his bravado. "Those thorns ain't anything to worry about. I can take 'em out with one swing of this hammer!"
"...No," Meta Knight murmured. "Those are no mere thorns. Most likely, they are symbolic of the heart of the person trapped within them—of Taranza."
"What's that?"
"I am not sure why, but Taranza is shut inside of himself, with no reaction whatsoever to voices from the outside. Those thorns are his very heart at this moment. It will not be easy to destroy them."
"Wh… Whaaat! C'mon! Thorns, barbed wire, iron bars, whatever! As long as I have my hammer, it doesn't even matter…!"
But before King Dedede could raise his hammer, Kirby shouted, "Leave it to me! The rocket is strong enough to break anything!"
"Wait, Kirby. Listen to what I am saying. Those are no mere thorns…"
But Kirby was not known for listening carefully before acting. A strong bright light began firing from the Kirby Rocket.
"Go—! Star—Rocket—Attaaaaack!"
The Kirby Rocket crashed at full strength into the door. The door did not budge an inch. But Kirby did not falter in the slightest, either.
"Open—! Door, open—!"
He kept crying out and banging himself against the door, again and again. At last, the door began to creak under the tremendous force. The thorny vines, too, began to rustle and shrink away.
Meta Knight winced. "I should have realized. The power of Kirby's heart is prying open Taranza's."
"Amazing! Keep going, Kirby! Just a little more!" Waddle Dee cheered him on, eyes sparkling.
Even King Dedede, who was reluctant to take Kirby's side, was wide-eyed. "Go, Kirby! Don't let up! I'll help!" he shouted, swinging his hammer and slamming it against the door.
Under their combined power, the door finally gave in, crumbling with a loud noise.
"Yaaaay! That was amazing, Kirby!" Magolor cried out in joy, flying through the broken door to the other side.
Kirby was exhausted. He'd used every last bit of his strength in that attack. He slumped, limp, his transformation wearing off.
"Kirby! Are you okay?!" Waddle Dee ran over.
Kirby, back to normal, took a deep breath. He gathered himself to reply with cheerful energy. "Yeah, I'm fine! Though my transformation is gone now…"
"We don't need the rocket anymore. We made it where we wanted to go, and now the door is gone, too!"
Waddle Dee held out his hand. Kirby grabbed it to get back on his feet. Everyone followed Magolor into the now-open room.
In the deepest depths of the mirror labyrinth… was a mirror that looked exactly like the Dimension Mirror they had jumped into at the very start of their adventure.
"Huh? There's a Dimension Mirror here, too…? Then what was the mirror we went into in the first place…?" Kirby was confused.
Meta Knight explained, "That one had lost its power, like a shed skin of the true Dimension Mirror. The true power of the mirror was here, hidden in the deepest depths of the labyrinth."
"…Hmmm…"
"More importantly—look." Meta Knight pointed out a figure facing the mirror, continually mumbling something hard to make out.
They could see silky silver hair, and sparkling golden horns. There were orange bumps stuck in the hair that looked like eyes. The figure was facing away from Kirby and the others, making the cape's spiderweb pattern clearly visible.
"Taranza…!"
Taranza did not turn around at the sound of Kirby's voice. It was possible he hadn't even heard his own name being called.
Meta Knight stopped Kirby from trying to step forward. "Wait, Kirby. Listen closely."
"…Huh?"
"Something is wrong with Taranza."
Everyone concentrated until they could make out some of the words Taranza was muttering. "Secto… a… together… Kehehehe… Wait… to… nia…!" Taranza was talking to the mirror, laughing happily.
"This is…" Meta Knight turned to glare at Magolor. "What is this, Magolor? What has happened to Taranza?"
"Don't ask me! I'm wondering that as much as anyone," Magolor said, spreading his hands and shaking his head.
Kirby stared at Taranza as he spoke. "…He's calling out."
"What?"
"He's calling out Queen Sectonia's name. He's talking to Queen Sectonia."
"Don't be stupid," King Dedede sneered. "Queen Sectonia ain't around anymore. I got her good in that battle!"
"But he's saying 'Sectonia'…"
"Yes. It's odd." Meta Knight, without dropping his guard, carefully edged towards Taranza. "Taranza was Queen Sectonia's devoted subordinate. He must have been incredibly formal whenever he talked to her. He shouldn't be referring to her without her title."
"Yeah. But it's not like that right now."
Taranza's cheerful laugh resounded through the room. "Wait, Sectonia… Kehehehehe! It's dangerous to go so fast. Oh, that's a cliff over there. Come over this way… Be careful!"
"—It's an illusion," Meta Knight murmured. "Taranza is seeing something in that mirror that is not real."
"An illusion…?"
"An illusion of a time where Queen Sectonia… no, at this point, she was not yet the dreaded monarch she would become. An illusion of Sectonia before she was queen, having fun." Meta Knight groaned. "The Dimension Mirror grants people's wishes. I've heard that Taranza once got along well with Sectonia, and spent a decent amount of time with her, back when she still had kindness in her heart. Taranza must have earnestly wished to return to that time. The mirror is showing Taranza that illusion."
"Taranza…" Kirby called out to him again, but Taranza still did not turn around. He stayed in a trance, speaking to the mirror.
Meta Knight said, "This is bad. We need a way to draw him away from the mirror."
"Hm. Why don't we just leave him there?" asked King Dedede. "He looks like he's having fun. We heard he got sucked into the mirror, and we all assumed something terrible had happened to him. Turns out he's having the time of his life dreaming away like this! Let's just leave him be."
"We cannot do that. Look at the state he's in." Meta Knight stepped closer, peering up at Taranza's face.
Taranza gave no reaction. He was completely absorbed in gazing at the mirror, calling out Sectonia's name, again and again.
Kirby raised his voice to yell. "Taranza! TARANZA!! Snap out of it! It's me, Kirby!"
"He cannot hear you. As I thought, it will be dangerous to leave him here like this. At this rate, he'll become so obsessed with his illusion that he'll waste away!"
"Oh noooo!" Magolor's voice sounded more alarmed. "Taranza's in danger! Save him! At this rate he'll waste away!"
"What should we do…?!" Kirby looked up at Meta Knight in distress. If he just had an enemy to fight, Kirby wouldn't hesitate. But right now, there wasn't any enemy in sight. How was he supposed to save Taranza…?
"The mirror." Meta Knight gripped his sword. "Break the mirror. There's no other way to save Taranza."
"What?! No, Meta Knight, you can't!" Magolor screeched. "That mirror… The Dimension Mirror is a precious treasure that makes everyone's dreams come true! We absolutely can't ever break it!"
"It's been shattered before. But the fragments were gathered, and the mirror was put back together. This time should be the same…"
"We don't know for sure if we can get it up and running again! What are we gonna do if it doesn't go back to normal?!"
"There is no other choice. Taranza is in danger if this continues."
"Taranza's not worth a fraction of what that mirror is…!" The words were out before Magolor could stop them, but he quickly realized what he had said, and clapped a hand over his mouth.
Meta Knight did not turn to face Magolor as he drew his sword. "I understand your true feelings now, Magolor."
"Y… You have it all wrong…"
"But it doesn't matter if you think that or not. Either way, I am going to rescue Taranza."
Magolor went quiet, retreating into the background.
"Magolor…" Kirby reflexively called out to him. He wanted to ask if that was how Magolor really felt, or if they had misheard him somehow.
But Meta Knight spoke first. "Let's go, Kirby! King Dedede!"
"…Yeah!"
Kirby didn't have the time to talk to Magolor right now. He faced down the mirror with Meta Knight. King Dedede began to lift his hammer—but he suddenly remembered something, and stopped in his tracks.
"…Your Majesty?" Waddle Dee looked up at his king.
King Dedede pointed at Waddle Dee in turn, ordering: "Waddle Dee, give me the sketchbook and crayons!"
"What?! But these are for…"
"We don't need any Kirby Rocket anymore! We got where we wanted to go. Now it's time for the King Dedede Rocket to shine!"
"K-King Dedede Rocket…" Waddle Dee kept gripping tightly onto the sketchbook and crayons. King Dedede drew closer, looming over him, looking more and more intimidating…!
Meanwhile, Meta Knight and Kirby were setting their sights on the mirror. Meta Knight raised his sword over his head, and Kirby took a deep breath, leaping into the air. But before either of their attacks could connect, Taranza finally turned around.
"What are you doing—?!" Taranza screamed, spreading his six hands wide to guard the mirror.
Meta Knight managed to pull his sword back at the last second, before it cut Taranza. Kirby also let his breath out to plop back down onto the ground.
"...What… are you doing…?!" Now, Taranza's voice was low enough to make them shudder.
Meta Knight shouted, "Taranza! Snap out of it!"
"Stop it… If you… bully Sectonia… I will never forgive you…!"
"Queen Sectonia is gone. What you are seeing is nothing more than an illusion. Open your eyes, Taranza!"
"I, Taranza, will protect Sectonia!"
Threads extended swiftly from Taranza's six hands. Kirby hurriedly jumped back, but Meta Knight was just barely too slow. The threads coiled around Meta Knight's arms and legs, stealing his freedom away.
"Meta Knight!" Kirby cried.
Meta Knight frantically tried to cut the threads, but they were too powerful. They were so thin that they could barely be seen, but no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't tear them off of himself.
Taranza's laugh sounded gloating. "Kehehehe… So, you understand my power…"
"Stop, Taranza! At this rate, you'll be the one in danger!"
Kirby shouted, but Taranza paid his words no mind. Instead, he turned to Kirby with rage in his eyes.
"Next, it's your turn!"
Taranza yanked at his strings, manipulating Meta Knight until he was brandishing his sword over his head, slashing at Kirby. Kirby just barely managed to dodge the blade.
"…" Meta Knight silently adjusted the grip on his sword.
Taranza had taken control of not only his body, but his mind, too. Taranza was the Master of Puppetry—he was a magician with the terrifying power to capture his opponent and move them at will.
"Meta Knight!" Kirby's voice couldn't bring Meta Knight back to his senses, either. It was taking all his effort just to parry Meta Knight's vicious attacks.
Taranza was laughing loudly. "Keheheheh! Watch this, Sectonia. Your Taranza is soooo useful!"
"Taranza…!" Kirby was rapidly being driven into a corner. If he had a copy ability, he knew he would be able to sever the threads and return Meta Knight to his right mind. But right now, Kirby didn't have anyone suitable to get one from.
So Meta Knight, having lost his heart, kept on attacking Kirby without mercy.