Chapter Text
It happened on a day that wasn’t special.
Six months after the Dark Wizard had been banished by the power of the stars.
It wasn’t special.
Everyone proceeded with their daily routine.
The town that aided the heroes in the final strike against the Dark Wizard continued on, happy with the knowledge that no more monsters would attack them.
There was no celebration, it hadn’t been a year yet.
Six months wasn’t special.
And yet something was… Shifting .
Throughout space, seeped in the very fabric of reality.
The Dark Wizard had been holding something back for his own gain.
Even after his defeat, the wall held up against this force.
But it couldn’t survive without the Dark Wizard’s power.
The power of the stars had weakened the power of nightmares.
The wall was barely managing.
Like a band pulled tight, it was bound to break.
And releasing such power was bound to have consequences.
Yet no one knew this. No one knew it was focused on the town where several monsters had been defeated.
N O O N E K N E W.
The minion of the king had gone to the town to do some shopping.
The minister had taken his family on an outing to the town.
A little birdy had brought news of the hero of the stars to the caretaker.
A N D N O O N E K N E W.
A local chef had been out by the shore, catching fish for lunch as the time was fast approaching noon.
All the king’s servants were in the castle, not a single one unaccounted for, the same face keeping the castle running.
The knight was patrolling the castle with his allies, his eyes watching out more for what the king could do than what could happen to the king.
The king was upon his throne, wasting the day away.
The hero of the stars was at home, sleeping the day away.
AND NO ONE KNEW…
No one knew what was building up in the shadows. No one knew it was coming, how the world- no, the universe- would be shifted on its axis, destined to become something unrecognizable.
No one knew how ancient powers were finally free to awaken…
The caretaker had just received the message. The bird had tried to awaken the hero, but the youth had been fast asleep. Even after ten minutes of trying to rouse the hero, nothing had worked.
It was a minute until noon…
The caretaker turned to her family, that of the minister, promising to bring the hero back with her.
Something was shifting…
Her brother made a fuss, promising he could do the same.
The seconds tick by…
The caretaker makes quick work of the argument, turning their mother on her brother.
The fabric of reality was pulled tight…
The caretaker turns, ready to leave…
… And the fabric BROKE.
A tear formed around the humble town. Winds rushed, the ground shook, and light enveloped everything. Screams filled the air, only to die out, a hollow echo left behind.
The town was gone, along with the many in it.
Times were changing, old myths were awakening. And the hero of the stars would have to face it all alone…
… but that is not this story.
For fate, it is a fickle thing. Choices can change one’s destiny, even if they aren’t our own. A little birdy had spent ten minutes trying to rouse the hero of the stars…
… so what would happen if they didn’t?
“You didn’t even bother trying to wake him up?” Tiff groaned.
“What do you think I coulda done?” Tokkori argued. “Junior can sleep like a rock when he wants to, and these feathers aren’t good for lifting pinky out of bed!” He snootily turned his beak away. “Besides, Junior eats enough anyways! He can stand to skip a meal. He’d probably cause this place to go out of business anyways!”
Tiff groaned again, head in her hands. She really couldn’t trust Tokkori, could she?
She looked at the clock on the wall in Kawasaki’s restaurant. There was a little more than ten minutes left until noon, and the chef wasn’t even here yet. Apparently, according to several neighboring businesses, Kawasaki had gone out to the shore to get some more fish for their lunch.
(She wondered if it was because their family almost always brought Kirby along with them. She couldn’t fault the chef for wanting to be prepared.)
Part of her wished that Fololo and Falala had come with them, if just so the two could quickly get Kirby, but the two were content to stay at the castle for the moment. Another part of her wondered if Dedede had commanded them to do something.
Tiff turned to her parents. “Mom, Dad, I’ll go get Kirby. I know he wouldn’t want to miss this. He never turns down food.”
Tuff got up as she left her seat. “Uh, I can go get Kirby! I’m probably faster than you anyways!”
Tiff rolled her eyes. “Do you really want to get Kirby, or are you just trying to get out of eating Kawasaki’s food? You’ll probably just go play in the field instead of wake Kirby up.”
“Tuff, is that true?” Lady Like asked, causing her son to gulp as he struggled to come up with an excuse.
Tiff giggled a little at her brother’s face before rushing out of the restaurant.
If I hurry, I should be able to get Kirby and get back again before Kawaksaki makes it back, Tiff thought to herself as she ran through the streets. Worse comes to worse, I guess I can summon the Warp Star. It might be a good idea for Kirby to get some more practice in, even if we don’t have any monsters to worry about.
She sidestepped Escargoon, who looked to be doing some shopping, judging by the bag in his hand.
“Watch it, ya little brat!” He shouted after her.
“Sorry!” She called back, but the smirk on her face showed she didn’t truly mean it. She would never be sorry for causing a minor inconvenience to the one who helped the king torment the Cappies and attack Kirby.
Five minutes until noon…
Tiff passed by several Cappy residents, waving to a few of them that she knew. It warmed her heart to know everything was back to normal, that the damage from Nightmare was finally healed. That everyone could be at peace.
One minute until noon…
She was on the outskirts of Cappy Town, just passing the fields where the farmers worked. No one was out at the moment, everyone had headed in to grab lunch. She wouldn’t be surprised if she was one of the few currently out of Cappy Town at the moment.
It wouldn’t be much longer, just rounding the hill and getting to Kirby’s house.
Thirty seconds…
She was almost there, the fields starting to peter out.
Twenty seconds…
The last of the fencing was in sight.
Ten seconds…
She hoped nothing would delay her on the way back.
Five…
Almost…
Four…
A few more feet…
Three…
The last fence is behind her…
Two…
She’s up the hill, she can see Kirby’s house in the distance!
One…
Time to…
SSSNNNNAAAAPPP!
A cold wind rushed from behind Tiff, sending a shivering dread down her spine. She stopped at the top of the hill, heaving from the run she had taken. Or was it something else?
What the-?
The ground shook under her feet, nothing more than a light rumble that barely swayed her. But from behind, she heard several screams filling the air, too far off for the words to reach her.
Oh no!
Just as she turned to see what the damage was, a light filled her vision, blinding her. She grunted, raising her arms to shield her eyes as best as she could. The screams grew in volume, only to suddenly vanish, leaving an eerie echo in their wake.
Only seconds had passed, but to Tiff they felt like hours. Dread pooled in her stomach, twisting inside of her as she wondered what was going on. Was it another monster? Did Dedede finally hatch another plan?
All too soon, it was over, the light fading to the point Tiff was able to lower her arms. She did so cautiously, fear joining the dread inside of her as she wondered what had happened this time.
She was right to fear.
Where Cappy Town once stood there was… nothing.
Not a blade of grass nor a bit of stone stood where the town had once been. Even the fields that had been mere feet from her were no more, fences and crops turned to mere plots of dirt. And worse yet, not a single Cappy remained.
Nor did her family.
“No…” Tiff whispered, unshed tears filling her eyes.
She rushed back down the path, not caring as her shoes met upturned dirt, threatening to trip her up with her speed. She stumbled all the way back to where she believed the main square once had been, only able to tell by the large hole that was left from the new tree that had been planted in the wake of the old one’s destruction.
“Nonononono,” Tiff repeated, wild eyes gazing over every speck of dirt as if someone could be hiding underneath it.
“Mom! Dad! Tuff!” She shouted, her voice echoing back at her. “Someone!” Tears started to drip down her cheeks as her voice slowly grew more and more desperate. “Anyone! Please! Answer me!”
Her chest heaved as tears started to blur her vision. The echo was her only response. Her heart broke from the realization as she fell to her knees.
“No…” She whispered.
“NOOOOOOOO!” She wailed, her voice cracking as she broke down sobbing.
Her family, the town she saw as her own, all the friends she had… gone. Gone like they had never existed. Gone… and she had no idea why .
She didn’t know how long she stayed like that, crying into the dirt that had once been the peaceful little village of Cappy Town. Everything blurred together, no true thoughts coming to her as she could only focus on what had disappeared.
“Poyo…?”
The little voice, gentle and confused, broke her from her cries. She managed to lift her head, finding a familiar pink form in front of her.
“Kirby?” She said, voice hoarse from her sobs.
“Poyo? T-Tiff?” He said, focusing hard on trying to get her name out.
“Kirby!” She jumped at the puffball, pulling him into a tight hug, worried he would disappear too if she let him go, tears being renewed with the thought that she wasn’t truly alone, that the one she cared for with all her heart was still with her.
Kirby didn’t fight it, only shifting into a better position once her arms were around him. He let out a few more confused poyo’s, though whether it was over her sadness or the missing town, Tiff didn’t know.
“They’re gone, Kirby,” She sniffled out. “Everyone is gone…”