Chapter 1

Cappytown, a quint little village nestled between a beach covered in soft white sand and a forest of apple trees. To the passerby it could have looked like any other small town on the planet of Popstar, quiet, peaceful, the perfect place to raise a family. However this little village was more than what it seemed, thanks to the activities of the monarch residing in the castle resting on the hill just a short distance away. Fortunately the royal who lived there had not caused excitement in the village for some time now, putting those within the vicinity of that castle at ease.

One of the locals was out that morning, seated beside a tree on a small cliff overlooking the beach, reading a book and enjoy the peace and quiet. This girl looked to be no more than twelve years old. She had blond hair, yellow colored skin, and large green eyes. She wore a pink and green colored pair of clothing and orange shoes. The girl would have probably remained there all day, if not for the fact that something in the sky caught her eye.

"Huh?" she said, looking up from her book to stare at the object, moving slowly through the fluffy white clouds framed against the bright blue sky. "What's that?"

As she continued to watch' the object grew larger and she could make out more details. It seemed to be some kind of starship, roundish and and orange/yellow in color. When it was even closer she notice it seemed to have a green colored windshield. She had never seen such a thing before.

Suddenly the ship gained speed and shot right over her, nearly knocking her over with the large wind gust it stirred up, before it disappeared beyond a clump of trees.

Once things had calmed down the girl jumped to her feet and rushed off in the direction the ship had headed, hoping to find out where it had gone. She followed the thin smoke trail in the sky and dashed into the forest, continuing to follow it the best she could through gaps in the branches.

Eventually she came upon the location where the ship had landed, stopping in her tracks and ducking behind a bush where she then peeked through the leaves to get her first full view of it. From her vantage point she could now see the ship clearly. She discovered the ship was actually quite a bit larger than she'd first expected, it's whole form taking up nearly the entire clearing where it rested.

Most ships when landing on Popstar tended to crash but this one seemed to have touched down harmlessly, doing no damage to the wild life around it. She also noticed it was indeed a yellowish orange color and that the windshield was shaped in such a way that it made the craft look like a helmet of some kind.

"I wonder what kind of creature could be inside there-?" she started to ask herself but was interrupted when a voice called out to her, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

"Tiff! Hey, Tiff!"

Gasping, the girl named Tiff turned to look over her shoulder, spotting a boy with slightly darker skin than her own, blue and orange hair covering his eyes rushing toward her. Behind him were two others, blue and pink with large eyes and the pink one sporting a yellow bow, round balls floating in the air after him.

"Tuff, Lololo, Lalala!" she exclaimed then put her hand over the boy's mouth when he came up to her . 'SHHHH!"

The boy named Tuff, who was also her younger brother, to his credit went quiet so she removed her hand from his mouth. "Did you see the space ship in the sky?" he asked her quietly.

Tiff nodded, turning her attention back to the clearing before them. "It's over there," she indicated the clearing.

Tuff and Lololo and Lalala moved to peek around the bushes at the thing. "Wow!" the boy exclaimed when he got a good look at it. "It is a space ship!"

"But where did it come from?" Lololo wanted to know. "and why did it land here?" Lalala finished.

"I don't know," Tiff replied, looking back out at the ship. "But we're about to find out." she once again pointed toward the ship. "Look!"

The other three did so, poking their heads out once more just as the bottom part of the ship opened and a figure exited, walking down a small gang plank before pausing just as they stepped on the grass, giving the children a full view of the pilot.

The figure was tall, maybe even taller than King Dedede and seemed to be wearing some kind of metal space suit that was in the same colors of the ship itself. Tiff noticed the figure's helmet was shaped strangely like the design of the ship, complete with the green visor, she also noticed this visitor didn't seem to hand a right hand, as in it's place was a green colored arm cannon of some kind. The biggest thing they all noticed was that, unlike any of them, this figure had legs!

"Whoa," Tuff said somewhat breathlessly. "What is that thing?"

"I don't know," his sister replied, unable to even guess. "It must be some kind of robot."

The 'robot" as if hearing them, turning it's head in their direction. The children gasped in unison and quickly ducked back behind the bush.

"Do you think it saw us?" Lalala asked.

"I don't know," Tiff replied. "but I hope not."

Tuff looked up just then and his expression changed to one of terror. "Uh, T-Tiff," he said nervously.

"What?" she asked.

Without saying a word, he shakily pointed a finger above her.

"Huh?" she lifted her head to look where he was pointing and froze, her face taking on a similar expression to her brother's. "Eeeeeeee..."

Standing above them was the pilot of the ship, looking down at the four children.

"I uh..." Tiff stammered, trying to come up with something to say, but her brain seemed to have stopped working and she could only babble incoherently.

"Don't vaporize us!" Tuff exclaimed, throwing himself face first onto the ground. "We'll do anything, even take you to our leader, though you probably won't like him so forget I said that!"

The ship's pilot, to the children's surprise began to chuckle, it's voice sounding oddly female behind the helmet. When it spoke the fact it was female became even more obvious. "I'm not going to vaporize you."

"You're not?" Tuff asked, lifting his head to stare at the pilot's helmet.

"Of course not," the pilot said, reaching up and removing her helmet. When she did, long blonde hair tumbled out over her shoulders. "You don't look hostile."

The four kids stared at the hunter's face, taking in the slightly tanned complexion, dark blue eyes that shone in good humor, and blonde hair that framed her beautiful face.

"Wow," Tuff said, smiling goofily. "you're pretty."

"Thank you," the woman said, smiling slightly. "I never hear that kind of compliment very often, especially in my line of work."

"You're line of work?" Tiff asked, getting over her fright, now that she realized that the pilot wasn't going to hurt them. "What exactly do you do?"

"I'm a bounty hunter," the woman replied.

"A bounty hunter?" Tiff asked, glancing over at her brother then back at the woman. The girl knew what bounty hunters did, as she'd read plenty of books about them and from stories her friend Knuckle Joe had told as his profession was very similar. "Does that mean you're here to capture somebody?"

"No," she answered honestly, turning her attention toward the trees as if she were lost in thought. "I'm looking for a friend, I was led to believe he might reside on this planet."

"You're looking for a friend?" The girl questioned, now even more curious.

Ttuff whispered to his sister. "Do you think she means Kirby?"

"Maybe," she whispered back. To the woman she said "If you think that friend of yours is here on Popstar we'd be happy to help you find them."

"Would you?" the bounty hunter asked her, looking hopeful.

"Sure," the girl replied, smiling at her. "By the way, My name is Tiff," she then gestured to the other children. " and this is my brother Tuff and this is Lololo and Lalala."

"Nice to meet you all," the woman said. "I'm Samus, Samus Aran."

Tiff, Tuff, and the Lola twins weren't the only ones who had seen the ship fly across the sky and land in the forest. The residents of Cappytown had also witnessed this and a large group of them headed off to the forest to investigate. However the cappys were having a hard time figuring out which of their local authority figures should go into the forest and find out where the ship had landed.

"It's the police's job to ensure we are safe from alien invaders," Mayor Blustergas insisted, his attention focused squarely on Chief Bookum, the town's sheriff and only police officer.

"But you're an elected official," Bookum argued, arms folded and a serious expression on his face. "You should be the one to go in and investigate."

"Bookum-"

"Hey, look! Someone's coming!" a child cappy with pigtails exclaimed, pointing into the trees.

As one the cappies turn to the trees, letting out a collective gasp as a group of figures came into view.

"It's an invasion!" one of them screamed, which caused massive panic and a stampede back toward Cappytown, leaving only Blustergas and Bookum still standing just outside the treeline.

"Hey, come back!" Bookum shouted after them, clenching a fist angrily. "Or I'll give you all speeding tickets!"

"Um.. Bookum!" the mayor exclaimed, regaining the police officer's attention, by grabbing the back of his jacket and tugging on it roughly.

"What-" he turned and stared in surprise at what he saw. "Oh!"

Tiff, Tuff, Lololo, and Lalala, along with a taller figure stepped out of the forest together. The two head officials of Cappytown stared up at the tall figure, mouths hanging wide open in shock.

"Mayor Blustergas, Chief Bookum?" Tiff asked, regarding the two cappys with confusion, after her group had joined them just outside of the treeline. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We saw the space ship and came to find out where it landed," the mayor explained.

"But it looks like you found it first," Bookum finished, his large black eyes locked on the fifth figure. "Who's this?"

"Oh this?" Tiff looked up at the tall figure standing behind her. "This is Samus Aran, she's come here to find a friend of her's."

"A friend?" Mayor Blustergas asked, curious. "Who might that be?"

"To be honest I am not sure if he's actually here," Samus replied, looking down at the two cappys. "I had asked around and told he might have come to this planet."

"Well who is it?" Bookum repeated the mayor's question. "Maybe we can create a search party."

Before the woman could give them an answer a figure came walking by. A small pink, round ball shaped creature with blue eyes and a big happy smile, carrying a watermelon above him.

"Hey, it's Kirby!" Tuff exclaimed. He put his hands to the sides of his mouth and called out. "Hey Kirby!"

Upon hearing his name being called, the pink puffball named Kirby paused and turned toward those who called to him. "Poyo?"

"Over here Kirby!" Tiff called, waving to him.

Kirby smiled happily when he spotted his friends and, dropping the watermelon, came running over to greet them. When he reached the group, Tiff said. "Samus, I'd like to introduce you to Kirby. He's a star warrior."

Upon hearing that fact, she looked down at the pink puff standing before her. "Oh really?" Samus looked interested, as she turned her attention to the pink puff standing before her. "Is that a fact?"

Kirby met her gaze and smiled, squealing happily. "Poyo!"

'Kirby," Tiff said, addressing the puff ball now. "This is Samus Aran."

"Samus! Samus!" Kirby squealed, happily bouncing in the air.

"Is Kirby the friend you are looking for?" Tuff asked her as Kirby ran circles around the woman.

Samus shook her head in a somewhat dejected manner. "I'm sorry," she replied. "Unfortunately he's not. "

"He isn't?" Tiff asked, surprised. She'd been so sure Kirby had been the friend the bounty hunter had come to see. "Then who is it?"

"Well, he's-" But her answer was cut off by Kirby jumping up and taking her hand and attention. "Oh! What is this?"

"I think KIrby wants to say hello too," Tiff replied, watching her friend happily tugging on the bounty hunter's hand. "and I think he wants you to come with him."

Samus had to lean over slightly so Kirby's feet could touch the ground. He started to pull her along with him, making cheerful noises. "Where is he taking me?"

The mayor and Bookum seemed to understand right away what Kirby was up to. "I think he wants to show you around Cappytown," the mayor told her.

"Cappytown?"

"Yes," Tiff explained. "It's where the cappys live. It's not too far from here and you might have seen it from inside your ship before you landed." she cocked her head slightly. "Er-You don't mind taking a break from finding your friend to let Kirby give you a tour, do you?"

"I guess not," she said with a slight sigh. "I've been looking for him for years, a few more hours won't make any difference..."

Kirby, and the others entered Cappytown and instantly became the center of attention once the residents caught sight of the tall stranger with them. It didn't take long for a crowd to get over their previous panic and gather around them and for introductions to be made. After formalities were exchanged, Samus answered questions thrown her way, like who she was, what she was and where she came from.

"I'm a bounty hunter," she explained to the cappys after she managed to get an opening through the round of questioning. "I am a human and I grew up on a planet called Zebes." she smiled a bit sadly at the memory of her home.

The cappy children along with quite a few of the adults were very curious about Samus' armor which was very odd looking. "Where did you get that fancy armor?" Iro, one of the cappy children who wore a small hat and a blue and white striped shirt, and Tuff's friend asked her. "It looks to fancy to have been made anywhere on Popstar."

"I got this from Zebes," she explained. "It was created by a race of humanoid birds called the Chozo." that sad look crossed her face again. "They were a proud warrior race and very advanced, creating many types of technology, including this very power suit."

"Wow!"

"So where are they now?" Iro questioned.

Samus face fell and she said in a somewhat evasive tone. "They're in a safe place." she looked around herself. "You have a very lovely town," she said, changing the subject.

Tiff noticed Samus didn't seem too comfortable talking about the planet she grew up on or the creatures who raised her and she had to wonder why. She could only guess something must have happened to those things and the memory was painful. The Dreamland girl was just glad nobody was asking her too much about that, as the cappys seemed to be more interested in her profession and also showing her around the town.

"Come see my restaurant," Cheff Kowasaki encouraged the bounty hunter, gesturing across the street to the building. "It's got the finest cuisine on Popstar."

"If she tries his food she'll never want to come back," Tuff whispered to his sister.

"I don't know," she answered. "She might actually like his food."

"Then her stomach must be made of the same metal as her power suit."

As Samus began to cross the street with Kowasaki toward the building he called his restaurant, there was a commotion down the street from the group and their guest that was growing louder very quickly.

"Look out, Miss Aran!" Tiff shouted at her as the girl spotted King Dedede's limo roaring towards her.

Too late! Samus turned her head, just as the car loomed before her and then came to a screeching halt just in front of her. If the driver hadn't hit the breaks when they had the large vehicle might have hit her.

"Hey!" the driver, a large purple snail wearing a green shell, shouted at her. "Move out of the road, you lunatic! Don't you understand the basic rules of crossing the street?!"

Tne female bounty hunter did not give any kind of response to his question, she simply stood there like a statue, blue eyes locked on the snail. It almost looked like she was taking a moment to process what had just happened.

"Hey, are you deaf?!' A large blue penguin-like creature wearing a crown and a red robe with gold trim, shouted at her. "Move outta here, before-" he paused noticing that the person he was speaking to was not anybody he'd even seen before. "Waita minute, who are you and where did you come from?!"

When she said nothing the snail snapped. "You, answer him, you're talking to a king, learn some respect!"

But Samus still made remark, causing the cappy's around her to look at her with worried expressions, as they feared how Dedede was going to respond to her stoney silence. Judging by the look on his face he wasn't too happy about it.

"What is she doing?" Tuff asked of his sister.

"I don't know," she replied, watching the bounty hunter nervously. "It looks like she's just staring at him."

"Whatever it is Dedede looks awful mad."

"Yeah..."

"Hey, I'm dressin' you here!" Dedede bellowed, placing his hands on the car's dashboard and leaning forward, so he could get a better look at her. A vein popped out on his forehead and it looked like it was about to burst. "You gonna answer me or just stand there like a stone statue until I have ya run over?!"

At this proclamation Samus' expression changed to a cold glare which made the snail begin to feel nervous. "Umm, sire," he whispered, taking hold on his king's arm. "I don't think you should-"

Suddenly Samus changed her stance, stepping back slightly and aiming her arm cannon at the car, which caused every single cappy to stare in shock at what she was doing.

Dedede began to demand, "Hey, what do you think you're-" but before he could finish his sentence, his snail friend panicked, backing up the car nearly knocking the fat king out of it and with the screech of tires coming spun the vehicle around and burned rubber to get away from her.

"Uh... what just happened?" Tiff asked after a moment of shocked silence.

Samus straightened her stance and lowered her arm canon, shaking her head and sighing with annoyance at the whole thing. She noticed the cappys were all staring at her and her face went slightly red. "I'm sorry," she apologized, reaching up to rub the back of her head in embarrassment. "That really wasn't an appropriate way for me to act toward your king."

"Don't worry about it," Tiff told her. "King Dedede kind of had to coming anyway." she quickly thought of a way to get the hunter's mind off of it. "Why don't we all go into Kowasaki's restaurant and have some lunch?"

As the group continued their trek toward the chef's place Tuff caught up with his sister and whispered. "I don't think you should have told her not to worry about it. King Dedede's not going to be very happy about this."

"I know, Tuff," his sister replied. "but hopefully she'll find her friend and leave before he decides to try anything." That was what she said out loud but as the group finished crossing the street, the girl looked up the hill toward Dedede's castle, she got the worst feeling Samus Aran was going to regret what she'd done much more than she already did.

I just hope he doesn't decide to order a monster in retaliation...

a/n

This story was inspired by a level in Kirby's Dreamland 3 where Samus Aran tasks Kirby with freezing some metroids. Ruminating over this for awhile finally gave me the idea for this. I am doing it in the anime universe for the simple reason that Dedede has the monster delivery system in the anime and it's kind of a requirement for this. Also for names and locations and stuff I am using some things from the dub and other things from the sub, like Lololo and Lalala's names, since they're the canon ones in the games.