"What did you say?!" yells Rarity.
"Sweetie Belle has been captured," repeats Discord.
"And you did nothing to save her?!"
"First: Remember, I don't intervene until she's about to be killed. Second: I'm not the one observing her, it's Dissy. He's the one that can snap his fingers anytime to save her. Third: Kirby, Dedede, and Bandana Dee are already trying to save her."
"Open a portal. I want to see the situation."
"Very well."
Discord licks the finger of his claw, then places it in the air in front of him and Rarity, and uses it to cut space, opening a portal.
"Is that a spider?" immediately asks Rarity with disgust as she looks at what the portal is showing.
Sweetie Belle is trapped in a ball that seems to be composed of purple magical strings carried under a weird flying creature which, judging by the number of eyes, and the number of hands, is a spider. Well, he misses what would probably be two feet to have the right count of (disembodied) limbs, but Rarity knows by now that some creatures in this universe don't have feet, or hands, or both.
"Yes, that's a spider. And yes, he's climbing a giant beanstalk that goes all the way to the sky, beyond the clouds."
The spider then looks below him, spots something, and starts flying faster. Discord makes the portal 'look' down, and very quickly, he and Rarity can see Kirby, Dedede, and Bandana Dee climbing the beanstalk too, the last two clearly pissed off and Kirby looking more determined than usual.
"With those three chasing him to save Sweetie Belle, this spider is as good as dead," comments Discord.
Rarity watches silently as the portal alternates between showing the spider, and his pursuers. After about one minute, the spider reaches a giant, beautiful floating island full of grasslands and forests. Rather than continue his way to climb higher, he flies toward the island, quickly followed by the heroes.
Rarity chooses this moment to go to the front of her boutique and to turn the panel from 'open' to 'closed' before returning, taking a chair, and sitting in front of the portal.
"Well then. I'll leave the portal open while I go warn the others."
Rarity doesn't answer him, the mare focusing all her attention to the portal, and her captured sister. So Discord teleports without saying more.
Sweetie Belle didn't know that there was a floating island so high in the sky above Dreamlands. She knows floating islands exist in Popstar, she's gone on some while climbing the Sky Tower in her previous adventure, but she's never paid attention to what is in the sky of the very kingdom she's actually living in. Sadly, since she can't move at all, she can't see much of the island she's actually on, carried by Taranza.
She knows that they're followed by Kirby and the others. Even if she hasn't been able to see them, it hasn't been hard to guess. They will chase Taranza to the end of the universe if they have to to save her. Now, she can't tell how much time has passed, but she can guess that it's already been at least one hour since she's been captured. This island seems to be really big! But her friends won't give up.
Taranza seems to try to get them killed by the various dangers of these islands, the spider flying through various places, but of course, it doesn't work. Too bad she can't see his reaction.
Eventually, Kirby, Dedede, and Bandana Dee are able to catch him. She knows because she hears Dedede ordering Taranza to stop. Surprised, the spider turns around to see his pursuers almost directly behind him. The ball, with her inside, is turned at the same occasion, and she can see her friends approaching, Bandana Dee ready to throw his spear.
But then, Taranza does something unbelievable. He turns a flower into a tree looking like Whispy! But with colored leaves that form stars with flowers among them, a green trunk formed from the flower's stem, and a little flower at the end of his nose. The flowery Whispy immediately starts attacking her friends by dropping from his flowers in the leaves big balls of pollen much like Whispy drops apples, and Taranza takes the occasion to escape, leaving the island as he continues his ascension. And judging by how he's flying slower, he's probably now thinking that he has eliminated his pursuers.
He's proven wrong just a couple dozens of minutes later, when he spotted Kirby, Dedede, and Bandana Dee, still alive, climbing the beanstalk after him.
"They survived?" she hears him almost shout. "I underestimated them. But this king did say that he was strong. So, he wasn't bluffing. Very well then, let's see how they will fare in the next island."
So there are more than one island? Well, no matter the dangers this fool will throw at her friends, they will pass through, and save her!
Sweetie Belle wonders for a moment why Taranza isn't simply fighting them, but she eventually guesses that it would be too hard for him to fight while carrying her. To where is he even carrying her? And why has he captured her? She will probably find out sooner or later.
Everypony has answered the call when they heard the news from Discord, and now, everypony excepted the Crusaders, who are still in school, is gathered in Rarity's home to support her. The poor mare doesn't fare well with her sister captured, and with Kirby and the others failing to catch that spider because that bug places obstacles in the way, or flies too fast. To put it simply, she's worried sick.
She was still worried before, seeing Sweetie risk her life, but at least, Sweetie was free, and could defend herself. But here, captured, stuck in some kind of trense, if the spider suddenly decides to suck her dry of her blood, she could do nothing to stop him. And no matter how much Discord repeats that Sweetie Belle risks nothing because he's here, something bad could happen so fast that not even him could snap his fingers in time to save her.
Now, her friends are constantly hugging her, comforting her, while Rainbow and Applejack are roaring one thousand and one ways they would make that spider suffer if they could get their hooves on him.
If only Kirby, Dedede, and Bandana Dee hurry to catch him... The chase has started for hours now, and the spider is reaching a second island... made of sweets?
...
"Now, I know where I'll go first if I go to Dreamland," says Pinkie.
Oh, Celestia. An island made of sweets. Now, her belly is roaring at her to go and stuff herself silly of all that delicious sweetness. She can't help herself but thank Taranza to force her to not move. Heck, Taranza has even ordered a bunch of Waddle Dees to use a tank that could fire giant candies to stop his pursuers!
But this island isn't only made of cakes, biscuits, or candies, Taranza has also passed curious places: one composed of jigsaw puzzles and other building toys that would make Apple Bloom cry in joy with how much she likes building stuff, and one that is none other than some weird circus full of ghostly creatures and of illusions. By the stars, some of the ghosts she has seen while in here looked like Skullys! Certainly not a circus where she will want to go to have fun! And now, she wonders if Kirby will get a new ability after inhaling those clowns.
Of course, none of this is enough to stop Team Heroes, and again, Taranza finds himself having to escape them as he enters another building where she can spot some scrolls, books, buckets of paint, and paintbrushes.
She has a bad feeling.
Quickly, Taranza turns around to face his pursuers.
"You are tenacious."
"We won't stop until you give us back Sweetie Belle!" shouts Bandana Dee, spear pointed to him.
"You will not stop, but SHE will stop you!"
Taranza raises his hands, and Sweetie Belle spots a painting floating down from a wall. The painting of...
Oh... No... You're kidding.
The painting is one of a witch with a familiar appearance, the bottom of her body ending in brushes.
Seriously? Drawcia's sister has been here, above our heads, all this time? And wait, this building, is this the artist's home? I thought he had hidden his corrupted paintings! Keeping one of the paintings in his home is NOT hidding it!
Suddenly, Taranza spins the painting before escaping. As they leave the building, Sweetie Belle can see Drawcia's sister coming out of her painting cackling almost like Drawcia.
I don't worry about their success, but I still hope she's the first painting. Too bad I'll not be able to fight her.
"Good luck to them to defeat Paintra," she hears Taranza says with a laugh. "They have no chance against her. Now I can continue in peace."
Don't be so sure, bugbrain. Soon enough, you'll have a nasty surprise. And once this is over, I'll bring Adeleine to this building. I'm sure she'll love it. I just hope I'll be able to resist eating all those sweets.
And indeed, many minutes later, she spots Kirby, Dedede, and Bandana Dee climbing the beanstalk again.
Taranza quickly spots them too. "No way!"
Yes way! Paintra was no match against them! And now, the two paint sisters are gone. All that remain is the clay statue, and Dark Crafter himself. Eh, the number of threats in the list is slowly decreasing.
More climbing later, they reach a third island with various biomes that they traverse. A giant lake with giant mineral pillars looking like carrots and with many trains transporting those minerals to unknown places. A big field of smaller floating islands and rocks surrounding plateaus and small mountains with many cliffs. Dark caves inside those mountains. And big, icy mountains with giant, beautiful fountains somehow in balance at the top of some of them.
She could pass hours watching those fountains, if that wasn't for that spider!
Among those mountains, they reach a palace that reminds Sweetie of the one they have traversed in White Wafers. Just as they reach it, Taranza starts panicking, meaning that her friends have caught up to them despite all the dangers of those mountains. So Taranza quickly flies to the top of the palace where the heroes reach him thanks to a cannon. He looks around at the clouds as Kirby and the others go back up after crashing, and he shoots a magic orb toward one of the clouds before flying away.
The cloud hit by the orb turns into Kracko. Or some clone of him.
Wait! Turning clouds into Krackos is illegal!
At least, Taranza seems to be a little tired after using such a spell. Unless he starts getting tired by this whole chase? He flew for hours through three islands without stopping and used two times this powerful animation spell, all the while carrying her, after all.
It's not long before Taranza spots that his pursuers have survived AGAIN. Growling in annoyance, he continues his climbing until reaching the next island: an island full of jungles and ruins. And in the water... Ooooh, the giant eels!
Typical.
Oh, and they traverse a haunted manor. Frankly, she's traversed so much haunted places by now, they don't even scare her anymore. Having become friend with a few ghosts in Dedede's army helps. And yet, the place has everything to be scary. She has been able to see a giant eye watching them above the front door! The inside of the manor seems to be in another dimension with a field of buildings looking like giant tombstones and a covered dark sky, there are many ghosts, flying objects, and even possessed armors.
Nothing that scare her anymore, and certainly nothing that will scare her friends.
"Nope! I don't want to be eaten alive by a piano! Nope nope nope!" yells Bandana Dee.
"How can a piano have fangs and a tongue?!" shouts Dedede.
Woah. There are many chests in those ruins. It's Dedede who will be happy. But now, Sweetie Belle is wondering what will be the enemy that Taranza will force him and the others to fight to escape. Last time they went through ruins like that, they fought a genie. So... Will Taranza reanimate a giant mummy? Provoke the wrath of the ghost of an old pharaoh or whatever?
She will discover soon enough, because her friends are catching up to Taranza again.
Taranza quickly flies to the statue of a giant snake, and uses his animation spell on it.
"Surely the Coily Rattler, the divinity of the People of the Sky, will be able to eliminate those pests."
Animation of the statue of an old divinity then. Nothing for her friends to worry about.
If Twilight was there, however...
"Why does it have to be a snake...?"
Later.
Oh! Hello Kirby, Dedede, and Bandana! Nice to see you again. So, what was it like to fight the animated statue of a divinity? Nothing? I thought so.
"Oh! COME ON!!!" she hears Taranza yelling.
If she could laugh, she would.
Ah! Take that! You can't do anything against them! What will you do now?
By now, the sun is starting to set as they approach the next island.
I can't believe it's already this late. Wait... Oh, really? A volcanic island? Come on Taranza. You can't seriously think that it will stop them? Volcanic areas have pretty much become our specialty now. You'll be more risking your life traversing this island than them.
And yet, Taranza starts traversing the island, and as Sweetie has thought, the spider has a hard time avoiding the many fireballs expelled by the volcanoes and raining almost everywhere. At least, thanks to his natural floating body, he doesn't risk falling in the lava.
Surprisingly, there are some water points in this island, but they seem to be here artificially. Also, there are more of those bucking giant eels. Taranza readies some traps, and judging the number of spiky walls, this is very bad news for her friends. Well, more exercise for Dedede.
To assure his chances, Taranza also sends some of the more powerful inhabitants of this island against them. Her friends will have to fight their way through many big creatures, like a Mr Frosty, a Grand Wheelie, and much more. But together, they'll easily defeat all of them.
But gosh, is Taranza the leader of those islands, for the locals to obey him like that?
Eventually, as Taranza climbs one of the highest volcanoes of the island, he spots his pursuers approaching. He growls, before cackling. Now flying on a narrow path in the middle of a lac of lava inside the volcano's chimney, they approach some kind of giant, fat frog actually sleeping. With what looks like a mustache and a crest looking like a crown with jewels, it reminds Sweetie Belle of what a caricature king would look like.
"Pyribbit, the terror of the volcanoes. You are my last chance to stop them before I reach the palace," says Taranza.
Palace? So those are not just a bunch of islands floating in the sky! This is a real kingdom! A kingdom in the sky! So, is Taranza the ruler? Probably not, he doesn't wear a crown. But then, who?
The spider suddenly throws a rock at Pyribbit and quickly flies away. The rock hits the frog on the head, then bounce back in Kirby's hands. Pyribbit wakes up, spots Kirby with the rock, and enters in a volcanic rage.
And this time, there's no escaping the battle. This frog will probably follow them if they try to escape. Darn you, Taranza. Well, I hope they'll not get too hard against it.
Kirby, Dedede, and Bandana Dee look as the frog ends up crushed in the lake of lava under four giant rock.
...
"We won't talk about it to Sweetie Belle," says Dedede.
"Aye/Poyo."
"Beside, it's not our fault if those rocks fell on it."
By now, the night has fallen as the ponies continue watching the spider climb the beanstalk while carrying Sweetie Belle. Just in case, Discord has teleported to them some sleeping bags, but they know that they will stay awake all night if they have to. Rarity knows she'll stay awake as long as Sweetie Belle isn't saved. She's so worried she couldn't sleep. She's barely eaten today.
But the climbing seems to be reaching its end, because the spider has now reached a sixth island. A huge island, where's built an also huge castle that would pass the Canterlot Castle for a simple manor.
This nightmare is coming to an end soon.
"Don't worry, whatever happens in this castle, they'll save Sweetie Belle," says Twilight.
Sweetie Belle is still mentally laughing at Taranza's reaction when he saw that the heroes defeated Pyribbit. He almost flew into the beanstalk in his surprise!
Well, after that, he said something about the guard in the palace stopping them, but this doesn't worry her.
Speaking of the palace. It. Is. Dark God darn it. HUGE! Whoever is ruling inside must be powerful!
And briefly seeing the banners beside the front doors, either the ruler is a queen bee, or has for symbol a queen bee. Unless this is a wasp? Hard to say.
Taranza passes the doors. "Close the doors!" he yells, and the doors close behind him. "Everyone get ready! Invaders are coming! Use everything you've to stop them!"
And thus, they pass beside dozens of bug creatures that start running left and right in preparation.
And then...
BOOM!
Without turning, Taranza continues his way through the castle, passing through huge rooms full of gears and weird structures going in all directions. They then reach a second part of the palace, made of giant crystal, but also of... squared, holographic-looking walls? The inside is weird. At first glance, it's just one very huge (HUGE!) room filled with giant pillar-like crystals, big floating diamond-shaped crystals, and... she's not sure what they are. They look like giant windows in space surrounded by red dotted lines and showing a red background with purple clouds(?) rapidly passing in front. But when Taranza passes a door, they appear in what seems to be the same room, but the crystals aren't in the same place.
And she swears she has briefly spotted some kind of flower fairy trapped inside a cage above one of those floating crystals.
And gosh, there are so many crystals... Maybe even more crystals than in the Crystal Empire. And if there is actually more than just this room...
They pass a second door like the first one, appearing in a third version of this same room, and continue their way through a path FILLED with big creatures, as well as with more of those flower fairies trapped in a cage. For good measure, Taranza even turns another flower into a flowery Whispy. They really want to stop her friends.
And yet, somehow, as they reach the top of a tower above the previous room, the highest point of the castle, they spot Kirby, Dedede, and Bandana Dee.
Strangely enough, Taranza doesn't react to that.
They pass a huge black double door that closes behind them, and they enter a room opening to outside, with barriers instead of walls.
The view is indescribable.
Taranza lets her cage of web float in the air beside him, and turns around when he hears the double door opening, the trio of heroes entering the room.
Sweetie Belle has a very bad feeling. He's too calm.
"To think that you've made it this far. Aren't you persistent?"
Dedede slams a foot on the floor in anger. "What do you think we would do? You enter my castle! Beat up my guards! And kidnap my second in command, which I consider my best friend!"
"Release Sweetie Belle!" shouts Bandana Dee surprisingly menacingly, spear pointed toward Taranza.
"POYO!" Gosh, even Kirby.
Taranza huffs in disdain. "Do you think you scare us?"
Us? He's probably speaking of the ruler. By the way, where is she? Sweetie Belle thinks. At this point, she's almost certain that the ruler is a queen bee (or wasp). Between Taranza who's a spider, and all the bug creatures they've encountered, it's certain.
"You've already lost," continues Taranza. "The People of the Sky thought that they could use the Dreamstalk to bring the hero of the lower world to defeat queen Sectonia and save them, but I saw through their plan. So I went down, and captured their hero, crushing all their hopes."
"Uh, you've mista-" starts saying Bandana Dee, but Dedede stops him speaking.
The penguin hides a smirk. "Oh, I see. Sweetie Belle is the hero of the lowerworld, so now that you captured her, you think that we've no chance against your queen."
In her mind, Sweetie Belle is rolling in laughter. Oh! That bugbrain mistook me for Kirby!
Taranza laughs. "You understand quickly. So, knowing this, will you still defy us?"
"Well, we managed to go through everything you sent at us so... Yes," answers Dedede.
"Yes, I must confess that you're stronger than I thought. All this to save her. So, how about I reward you?" Taranza lowers Sweetie Belle, who starts feeling weird. "I'll give you your precious hero back."
He releases Sweetie Belle who's then surrounded in a purple aura for one second before it disappears. Swirls appear in her eyes as she grabs her whip, slowly floating back to the ground. Barely visible strings appear, linking her limbs to... the air. And she stares toward the group aggressively.
Dedede and Bandana Dee gulp. "Oh..."
"But she may be a little more... hostile than you remember her!"
Rapidly, Dedede opens Kirby's mouth, takes his hammer, puts it inside, giving Kirby the Hammer ability, before taking his mecha hammer which he's been holding on his back all this time.
Properly armed and determined, the three heroes now face their manipulated friend that they've come to save.
And they'll make this spider regret this!