Tiff's Sparkling Growth

(Cubed Cinder)

Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby were once again strolling around Cappy Town, but for the fourth day in a row, things looked very grim. Most of the citizens looked very weak and very tired.
"Whoa… why is everyone looking so very weak and very tired?" Tuff asked.
"I don't get it. It's like everyone is hungry." Tiff said.
"You're right, Tiff! Look at these food baskets… they're empty!" Tuff said as he ran up to one of the carts that would normally be stocked with fruits and vegetables. Kirby had quite the sad face when he saw the baskets were empty.
"Sorry, Kirby. Not even anything for you." the cappy behind the counter said. The three then saw Chief Bookem walking by.
"Oh, Chief Bookem!" Tiff shouted.
"Hey, kids!" Bookem said.
"Chief Bookem… why do you think all the food is disappearing?" Tuff asked.
"You know it's not Kirby… he's been in Dedede Castle with us most of the time. And even he's hungry!" Tiff said, with Kirby reaching down under his mouth.
"Hmmm… yes. This is most serious! But don't worry! Chief Bookum is on the case as always!" Bookem said. Just then, however, there was a loud rumbling sound. Everyone looked down at Chief Bookum's stomach.
"Errrr… just as soon as I find something to eat. Unfortunately I emptied my fridge yesterday…" Bookem said, and then he walked away.
"Hey, Tiff, I wonder if Chef Kawasaki has any food." Tuff said.
"He scares away a lot of customers so maybe he's got a big stockpile. Let's go see." Tiff said as she and the others made their way to Kawasaki's kitchen, trying not to let the sight of weakened Cappys from not eating anything get them down.
 
When they got inside, they immediately saw Chef Kawasaki with his head down on a nearby table.
"Huh? What's wrong, Chef Kawasaki?" Tiff said.
"No customers again?" Tuff said.
"It's not just that! Even my regular customers couldn't stay because I have nothing to feed them with!" Kawasaki said with tears in his eyes.
"Not even water!?" Tiff said.
"Oy… this food shortage is really the pits!" Kawasaki said as he got back to sobbing.
"Man, Tiff, this is serious." Tuff said.
"I know, Tuff. Maybe we should go ask Kabu what to do." Tiff said.
"That will not be necessary." a familiar male voice said. Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby all ran outside to see it belonged to Meta Knight.
"Oh, Meta Knight! Do you know what is going on?" Tiff asked.
"Yes. Please accompany me to the library." Meta Knight said as he leapt away towards Castle Dedede. Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby all shrugged and eventually followed him.
 
A few minutes later, the heroes all arrive inside the library in the castle, where Meta Knight was standing and holding a book.
"So, Meta Knight, tell us. What is causing this food shortage?" Tiff asked.
"I believe the Sparkling Stars have been stolen." Meta Knight said.
"The Sparkling Stars?" Tiff and Tuff both said, with them and Kirby having question marks over their heads. Meta Knight opened up the book he was holding and showed pictures of the stars. They looked similar to the Warp Star that Kirby rode on when battling giant monsters, but had a smaller star accompanying them. Both stars were rainbow colored as well.
"The Sparkling Stars have been hidden in Dream Land since the dawn of time. These stars have helped generation after generation of citizens, including the Cappys of Cappy Town today, in searching for food and giving them reasons to work and play, similar to how the Dream Fountain helps everyone dream at night." Meta Knight said.
"I see… so without the Sparkling Stars… nobody is motivated to go searching for food or even make their own." Tiff said.
"So once current stockpiles ran out, then they can't find anymore." Tuff said.
"Still, Cappy Town couldn't have run out of food THAT quickly. And don't go blaming Kirby! You know how much better he's gotten at controlling his appetite!" Tiff said.
"Indeed. But there is still one possibility on the disappearance of Cappy Town's food supply and the Sparkling Stars. And it is a nefarious possibility, I fear." Meta Knight said.
"King Dedede!" Tiff immediately shouted.
"Whoa! You really think he's responsible, sis?" Tuff asked.
"Of course, Tuff! Who else but him would pull a stunt like this!? I say we scope him out, pronto!" Tiff said. She sharply turned around and walked out of the library, no doubt to head for King Dedede's throne room and confront the villain.
"Hey! Wait for us, Tiff!" Tuff said as he and Kirby ran after the young girl. Before Tuff could leave the library, though, he looked back at Meta Knight, who stood still and watched them leave.
"Aren't you coming, Meta Knight?" Tuff asked.
"You know where I stand when it comes to matters involving the king." Meta Knight said.
"Right…" Tuff said as he sighed softly and left the library along with Kirby.
 
Meanwhile, Escargoon sighed as he watched his boss, King Dedede, sit back on his throne and scarf on another apple. All around his throne were various items of food as well as five rainbow colored stars that floated in the air.
"Heh heh heh heh!! Stealing these here Sparkly Stars was a stroke of genius!" Dedede shouted as he gobbled the apple up in a few bites.
"Ugh… so much for that new year's diet. Don't you remember what happened the last time you stuffed your tummy full of yummy goodies?" Escargoon said, only to get the leftovers of the apple thrown onto his head.
"Oh, pipe down, you snail brain! All that fighting with Kirby has gotten me hungry again! And with these stars in my possession, them no good Cappys will never suspect what happened to their food!" Dedede said. Escargoon rolled his eyes, but he and Dedede watched as the front doors busted open, with a few Waddle Dees tumbling inside. Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby then ran inside, all with angry looks on their faces.
"King Dedede! I knew it was you!" Tiff shouted.
"Hey! What's the dang blasted idea barging into my throne room!?" Dedede shouted as he jumped onto his feet.
"Yeah! You kids have some nerve coming in here like that!" Escargoon shouted.
"Tiff, look! Those must be the Sparkling Stars!" Tuff shouted as he pointed back to the shiny rainbow stars floating in mid-air.
"Give those stars back, King Dedede! They belong to all of Dream Land!" Tiff shouted.
"Heh heh heh! Oh, I'll give them back after Nightmare Enterprises gives ya'll the boot!" Dedede said. He pressed a few buttons on his throne and watched as the television lowered down from the ceiling.
 
However, instead of the familiar salesman from Nightmare Enterprises, there was instead a chair with a sign attached to it. King Dedede and Escargoon both had shocked looks on their faces when they read the sign.
"Gone fishin'!?!?" they both shouted.
"Ugh… who would've thought even he takes vacations!" Escargoon said.
"In that case, we'll just have to clean house the old fashioned way!" Dedede said. He let out a loud whistle, and suddenly an army of Waddle Dees came running towards the throne room.
"Eeek! Not good!" Tuff said.
"Get them, Waddle Dees!" Dedede shouted. Tiff looked around wondering how they were going to handle this mess, and that's when she set her sights on a torch hanging on one of the nearby walls.
"Kirby! Suck up that torch!" Tiff shouted. Kirby nodded and inhaled… ripping the torch off the wall and sending it down its throat. He then jumped up and underwent his transformation into Fire Kirby.
"Yes! Fire Kirby!" Tuff shouted.
 
As Waddle Dees poured into the throne room, Kirby made short work of them by shooting fireballs at each and every one of them. It didn't take much to send the Waddle Dees into a frenzy as they jumped up and down from their behinds burning, running out of the throne room. King Dedede quickly got frustrated as the number of approaching Waddle Dees quickly dwindled.
"Arrrrgh! That no good ball of fire! If you want something done, you gotta do it yoself!" Dedede said as he pulled out his hammer and went charging after Kirby. Kirby turned around and jumped out of the way. He shot a fireball, but King Dedede just deflected the blast with a swing of his hammer. Tiff and Tuff watched the two battle it out, and that's when Tiff realized nobody was near the Sparkling Stars.
"Now's our chance to get the Sparkling Stars!" Tiff said.
"What about all that food!?" Tuff said as he pointed to all the food around King Dedede's throne.
"One thing at a time, Tuff!" Tiff said as the two went running towards the stars. Suddenly, another horde of Waddle Dees came running into the throne room.
"Yikes!" Tuff said as he looked scared stiff. Tiff, on the other hand, just kept running and hopped into the air. One by one, she stomped on the Waddle Dees with her shoes, knocking them unconscious like she were some famous Italian plumber brother duo.
"Wow! You go, Super Tiff!" Tuff said.
There were no more Waddle Dees standing in Tiff's way, but she still had an obstacle standing between her and the stars, which came in the form of Escargoon.
"Hold it right there, girly! You're not getting these stars no matter how much you wish!" Escargoon said. Tiff then looked to the side and saw a banana laying by her shoes.
"Eat up, Escargoon!" Tiff said as she launched the banana towards Escargoon. The snail was taken aback by how hard Tiff threw the banana. He could only stand there and watch as the banana fit perfectly into his mouth, covering his teeth. While Escargoon was busy trying to pull the banana out, this gave Tiff the chance to commence part two of her attack. She kicked a nearby watermelon to the air. By the time Escargoon finally got the banana out of his mouth, he looked up and saw the watermelon coming down.
"Oh fudg…" Escargoon said before his head became fully encased inside the watermelon. He frantically moved around the throne room trying to pull the watermelon off his head.
 
This gave Tiff a wide open path to the Sparkling Stars. She jumped up and grabbed one of them, stunned by its shining rainbow light.
"Wow… it's so bright. Huh?" Tiff said. She then watched as the star flew out of her hands and then joined up with the other four Sparkling Stars. The five all circles around Tiff, who looked nervously at them.
"What's going on?" Tiff asked. She then gasped as she watched the stars suddenly shoot all at the same time towards her. Her body flashed briefly in rainbow colors as the stars absorbed into her body. It wasn't too long afterwards that the magic of the Sparkling Stars went into effect inside Tiff. She could feel her entire body vibrate.
"W-w-w-w-what's h-h-h-h-h-happening t-t-t-to meeeeeeeeeee!?!?!?!?" Tiff shouted as she watched the throne room suddenly get smaller and smaller.
 
Fire Kirby and King Dedede continued their 'duel' which was more like Kirby dancing around trying to avoid getting hit by King Dedede's hammer. Dedede was attacking so fast, Kirby didn't have a chance to counter attack. Kirby then shouted a bunch of noises and pointed behind King Dedede.
"Heh heh heh heh! That's right, Kirby. Let me hear them cries of surrender!" King Dedede said. He then noticed a shadow that was looming over Kirby and himself.
"Hmmmm? We ain't outside so what's this here shadow for?" Dedede said. That's when he turned around and saw the growing Tiff quickly filling up the throne room.
"OW! Why am I growing!?" Tiff shouted as she bumped her head against the ceiling and had to sit down. Dedede's jaw dropped as he saw one of Tiff's shoes coming fast towards him.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Tiffzilla in the house!!!" Dedede shouted as he and Kirby ran in the opposite direction. They were both running towards Escargoon, who finally managed to pull the watermelon off his head.
"Huh? Sire, where are you… ack!" Escargoon said as he was suddenly grabbed by King Dedede.
"Quit yapping and abandon castle!" Dedede shouted. As he and Escargoon ran out the doors, Kirby reunited with Tuff and the two watched as Tiff continued to grow, even as the room shook violently and crumbled apart the bigger Tiff got. Kirby then got hit with a piece of the ceiling, enough to make him lose his fire ability.
"Sis! What's happening!?" Tuff shouted.
"I don't know!!!" Tiff shouted. Suddenly Meta Knight broke through one of the nearby walls.
"Tuff, we must evacuate immediately!" Meta Knight shouted.
"Right! Come on, Kirby!" Tuff said as he, Kirby, and Meta Knight all jumped through the wall. Tiff, meanwhile, was getting very uncomfortable and felt she could no longer keep herself contained in the throne room.
"Getting… too… big…" Tiff said as she felt her head break through the roof and walls.
 
It was quite the spectacle for Cappy Town. They watched as the castle piece by piece crumbled apart. They also watched King Dedede, Escargoon, Tuff, Kirby, Meta Knight, and a small army of Waddle Dees come running from the castle. Finally, everyone watched as the castle was quickly replaced with someone almost the entire town knew in the form of Tiff.
"Look! Is that Tiff!?" Hana shouted.
"Oh my goodness! She's really growing up!" Mayor Len said.
"And she's still growing! Not even the monsters Kirby has beaten were that big!" Professor Curio said. Tiff, meanwhile, could move around again now that she had burst out of the castle, but she gasped when she saw how small everything was getting.
"(gasp!) Dream Land… is so small…" Tiff said. Finally, she felt the growing stop. She was so big… she could sit on the castle and crush it entirely underneath.
"Oh, I think it finally stopped. Wait… Kirby!?" Tiff said as she frantically looked around trying to find Kirby and hoping he didn't get stepped on.
"Down here, sis!" Tuff shouted. Tiff looked down next to her right foot and saw Tuff jumping up and down, with Kirby and Meta Knight looking way up at her.
"Oh! Thank goodness you're all okay. Especially you, Kirby." Tiff said as she gently reached down and scooped up the three into one of her hands.
"Whew! It's a good thing Mom and Dad weren't home when this happened!" Tuff said.
"Meta Knight, what's happened to me? The Sparkling Stars flew into me and then this happened." Tiff said.
"Hmmm… obviously the stars have chosen you as their protective home for the time being." Meta Knight said.
"For the time being? How long will that be?" Tiff said.
"Unknown. It could be days… months… even years before the stars feel they are no longer being threatened." Meta Knight said.
"YEARS!? I don't want to stay this big forever!" Tiff shouted. Her voice was incredibly loud given the size she was at. Everyone (except Kirby) had to cover their ears.
"Ow! Not so loud, big sis!" Tuff shouted as he let go of his ears.
"Oops… sorry…" Tiff said.
 
Kirby then made some noises and pointed down by Tiff's other foot, where everybody saw King Dedede and Escargoon. Dedede was kneeling on the ground sobbing.
"Look! There's King Dedede and Escargoon!" Tuff said.
"Waaaaahahaha! My beautiful castle!" Dedede said.
"There there, sire. You know the Waddle Dees will have it rebuilt by next week as always." Escargoon said. That seemed to be of little consolation to the king, as he suddenly got back up and had an angry look on his face.
"Arrrrgh! It's all that stupid girly's fault! I knew I should've kicked her outta my castle for being too tall!" Dedede said as he pulled out his hammer and went running towards the giantess.
"Wait, your majesty!" Escargoon shouted, watching helplessly as his boss went running for one of Tiff's giant shoes. He swung his hammer down on the shoe… but there was no reaction. Again, King Dedede swung down, but Tiff didn't have any reaction.
"Hahaha! What a bonehead! You probably can't feel a thing, can you, sis?" Tuff said.
"Come on, King Dedede. This is a waste of time." Tiff said as she gently moved her foot forward. It wasn't much, but it was enough to send the villain tumbling backwards, into Escargoon. The two then crashed against their car.
 
"Ooooooh! Why not crush them flat, Tiff!?" Tuff said. Kirby even shouted enthusiastically over the idea, while Meta Knight stayed silent. Tiff looked down at the teeny tiny tyrants and could not resist for a second longer. After setting Tuff, Kirby, and Meta Knight on one of her shoulders, she clenched her fists and stared straight down.
"You know what? This is for all the times you two have picked on Kirby. I'll make sure you two don't hurt him any more!" Tiff said as she raised a foot into the air.
"Yipes! Let's get on outta here, Escargoon!" Dedede said as he and Escargoon jumped in the car. It fired up and the two drove away just as Tiff planted her foot on the ground. She watched as the two were driving into Cappy Town.
"Arrrrgh! I won't miss this time!" Tiff said as she slowly followed the car.
"Tiff, no! Stop!" Meta Knight shouted as he knew the bad scenario that was about to happen.
 
King Dedede and Escargoon drove erratically into the entrance of Cappy Town.
"Everyone take cover! There's a giant Tiff right on our tails!" Dedede shouted.
"Yeah! She'll crush us all!" Escargoon said. All the Cappys looked up and saw the giant Tiff fast approaching. She easily towered over the town… one step and she could crush at least a couple structures flat! Speaking of steps, Tiff made another attempt to stomp King Dedede, Escargoon, and the car they were in. Once again she missed, but the ground cracked apart where she stepped, and the shockwave caused some buildings to bend and buckle if they didn't come down already. This whipped the Cappys into a frenzy.
"Everyone run for your lives! There's a giant Tiff on the loose!" Mayor Len said.
"It's the apocalypse! Just as I predicted!" Mabel shouted.
"Yikes! She must be a mile high, which would be a violation of Rule 42!" Bookum said.
"Whoa! I wish I could be that tall!" Honey said as Iro and Spikehead all had sweatdrops on their heads.
 
And that's when it hit Tiff. Just that one step caused all that panic and destruction to the beloved Cappy Town. She tried hard to settle everyone down.
"Wait! No! Stop! Please calm down! I was only trying to step on King Dedede!" Tiff said. She tried tiptoeing her way through the town, but not only were King Dedede and Escargoon getting away, Tiff was having a hard time keeping her balance trying to be careful, giving the two the chance to get away.
"Whoa whoa WHOA!!!" Tiff said as she fell backwards and Cappys galore scrambled out of the way.
"Jump!" Meta Knight shouted as he, Tuff, and Kirby all leapt forward. As for the giant Tiff, she landed flat on her back with a resounding…
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
 
Tiff slowly leaned her head forward, where she saw Meta Knight, Kirby, and Tuff all standing on her stomach. While she was glad to see them alive, her smile quickly turned to a frown of despair. She didn't want to think about whatever was underneath her back.
"Oh no… what have I done? I was only trying to scare King Dedede and Escargoon into not hurting Kirby anymore… now I've destroyed part of Cappy Town! I… I don't like being this big! Waaaaaaah!!!" Tiff said as tears started falling from her eyes when she wasn't rubbing them.
"Hey, come on, sis! It can't be all bad! For one thing… it'd be easier to pick on me." Tuff said.
"Heh heh… *sniff* Not a bad idea, Tuff, but seriously, I wouldn't have minded being maybe just a little taller… but this is too much! Look at all the damage I caused just with a few steps." Tiff said.
"It is regrettable what your actions have done, but at the same time, it cannot be avoided." Meta Knight said.
"Man… can't you show just a little compassion, Meta Knight?" Tuff said.
"But at least Dream Land's supply of food has been returned. Perhaps you can share one good deed with the people of Cappy Town." Meta Knight said. That's when the giant Tiff looked back at where King Dedede's castle once stood. There were seemingly endless piles of food, some of it tumbling down the hill and into some of the rivers.
"Oh… you're right! We better return the food to the Cappys." Tiff said as she slowly got back on her feet, which made many Cappys nervous, but they watched as the giantess stepped away and towered over the castle grounds.
 
With Tuff, Kirby, and Meta Knight all back on her shoulder, the giant Tiff then scooped up as much food as she could in her hands and threw it forward, causing food to rain down from the sky and into Cappy Town. Immediately the mood changed in the town even as Tiff approached the town again and towered over it.
"Tiff… thank you so much for returning our town's food supply to us!" Mayor Len said.
"Yes! Now I can work on my extra spicy chili con clam chowder again! It'll win me Chef Shiitake's blessing for sure!" Chef Kawasaki said. Tiff smiled.
"Thank you, everyone, but…" Tiff said.
"What is it, Tiff?" Chief Bookum asked.
"I'm afraid I must leave Cappy Town for now. I'm much too big right now. I'd only cause trouble." Tiff said.
"Heavens no, Tiff! Stay! We know you didn't mean that destruction you did earlier." Mayor Len said.
"The mayor's right! You're much too sweet to throw out of town, just like Kirby!" Chief Bookum said. Tiff shook her head.
"No. This is truly for the best. I don't know how long I'll be gone. It depends on when I shrink back to normal… whenever that is… maybe not until I'm grown up… er… well… you know…" Tiff said. The crowd took pity and awwwwed, especially when they saw the sad expression on Tiff's face.
"Goodbye… everyone." Tiff said. After shedding a couple tears, Tiff turned around and walked towards the distance. Little did the giantess know that she picked up some hitchhikers.
"Hey, come on guys! Let's hitch a ride on Tiff's shoes!" Iro said.
"Are you sure, Iro? It could be dangerous!" Spikehead said.
"Dangerous? Tiff? Come on, don't be silly! I don't want to say goodbye to her!" Honey shouted.
"Yeah! Me neither! Maybe we can cheer her up!" Iro said. The three kids, without anyone else watching them, all ran towards the giant Tiff and hopped on top of her right shoe and held on for the ride, just as she turned it to walk in the opposite direction.
 
Tiff, meanwhile, walked for about a minute but covered a great distance thanks to her increased size. She eventually made her way to the same cliffside where Kirby's house resided (but of course she stayed far away from it!) and sat down. But then she looked at her feet where she saw Iro, Honey, and Spikehead.
"Heya, Tiff!" they all shouted.
"Waaaaah! What are you three doing there!? Don't tell me you've been down there the whole time!" Tiff shouted.
"Yep! Sure have! Wow, that was run riding your giant feet!" Iro said.
"Uh huh… you don't say…" Tiff said with sweatdrops coming down her head.
"Wheeeee!" Tuff said. Tiff had a somewhat surprised look as she watched Tuff and Kirby slide down her chest, then her tummy, and then landing at the top of her shoes where the other three kids were.
"Wow, Tuff! That sure looked like fun!" Honey shouted.
"Yeah! We want to slide down the giant Tiff too!" Iro said.
"Well, come on then! Let's have a climbing race!" Tuff said. The giant Tiff watched as Tuff, Kirby, and the three kids were all climbing up her like she were a mountain. Meta Knight continued to stand on Tiff's shoulder.
"At least you will become a popular playground attraction for the time being." Meta Knight said.
"Sigh… I wish I could laugh, Meta Knight, but there's gotta be a way I can shrink back to normal size." Tiff said.
"All you can do is give the Sparkling Stars time. Once they feel safe and sound, they will leave your body and retreat to where they originally came." Meta Knight said.
"But how long could that take?" Tiff asked.
"That I do not know. Nobody knows. The stars work in mysterious ways." Meta Knight said. Tiff could only frown at the lack of knowledge Meta Knight shared.
 
But she snapped back to reality when she heard Kirby's voice. Tiff looked around before finally finding him between her shoes.
"Oh, Kirby!" Tiff said as she gently reached down and picked up Kirby, holding him between two of her fingers and then in the palm of her hand.
"Kirby, you have to be careful. I could easily hurt you just by moving even an inch!" Tiff said. Kirby jumped up and down happily, and Tiff had to acknowledge how happy Kirby looked.
"I admire your cheerful spirit, Kirby. It's almost like you're telling me you're glad I'm this big." Tiff said. Kirby nodded and shouted out some more things as well.
"Well, yeah… I suppose as long as I am this big, I can make sure nothing ever hurts you. Not even King Dedede." Tiff said. She then gently hugged Kirby against her face.
"Um… excuse me." a female voice from the ground suddenly said. Tiff looked down, as did the kids who were sliding down Tiff's body. They all saw what appeared to be a human girl with short black hair and black eyes, wearing a long-sleeve, bright green (which is shown as teal in official art) collared smock with a single yellow button near the top. She also wears a very short gray skirt, blue knee-high socks and large brown shoes with yellow laces. She also wears a bright red beret that covers most of her hair, and finally she had a white board in one hand and a paintbrush in another.
"Oh? Who are you? I don't think I've seen you before." Tiff said.
"My name is Adeleine. I'm a travelling artist who's going to be opening an art gallery soon. Would it be alright if I painted a picture of you as you are now?" Adeleine said.
"Well… okay, sure." Tiff said.
"Oh, thank you so much! I'm in awe of your giant stature. This will make a great painting!" Adeleine said as she put the board down on a stand and quickly got to work.
 
To Tiff's amazement, it only took Adeleine a few minutes to paint her picture. Once she was done, she turned the picture around and showed it to Tiff. The mostly watercolor drawing showed giant Tiff sitting by the cliff with everyone, including Kirby, playing on or around her.
"Wow… it looks very nice! Thank you!" Tiff said.
"My pleasure. I get such joy out of drawing and painting. I'd give you this picture but you're a little too big." Adeleine said.
"Oh, it's okay, Adeleine. Maybe I'll come see it at your gallery someday. When does it open?" Tiff said.
"I estimate around 64 days from now… well, anyway, I better get going and find something else amazing to paint. Thanks again!" Adeleine said as she packed up her stuff and left the area.
"She seems nice… and talented!" Tiff said.
"Yes… talented enough to attract evil forces. I feel we must keep an eye on her." Meta Knight said.
"Ooooooh… I hope not." Tiff said.
 
Tiff then looked by her shoes where she saw Tuff and the other kids still having fun. She then looked at her shoes and got an idea.
"Hey, Tuff! Iro! Honey! Spikehead!" Tiff said.
"Huh? What's up, big sis?" Tuff asked.
"I haven't washed my shoes this week. Could you help me do it?" Tiff said. As she pointed her feet upward, the kids looked up at how tall just the enlarged Tiff's shoes were.
"Ack! Are you crazy, sis!? It would take us 400 million years to wash those big shoes!" Tuff shouted. Tiff then leaned in, giving the four an up close and personal look at her face, which suddenly had a grin on her face.
"You wouldn't want me to take them off, would you?" Tiff said.
"Eeeeek! No! Don't do that! That might be an environmental hazard!" Iro said. The four quickly got to work spitting on their own hands and using the saliva to rub and shine the giantess's shoes.
"I must say this is a side I thought I'd never see out of you, Tiff." Meta Knight said.
"Oooooh… don't think you're just going to sit there and watch. You get down there and help them." Tiff said.
"Oh!" Meta Knight shouted as he watched the giantess reach up to her shoulder and grab him. She eventually dropped him in front of one of her giant shoes. Kirby was now the one standing on Tiff's shoulder.
"Hey, why does Kirby get to sit this one out!?" Tuff shouted.
"Because Kirby deserves a hero's break." Tiff said with a smile. Kirby danced happily atop Tiff's shoulder while the others grumbled and got back to cleaning the shoe.
 
A few minutes later, however, Tiff's peaceful sitting and watching of everyone except Kirby working on her shoes came to an explosive end as she felt something blow up to her left side.
"Ow! Hey!" Tiff said as she rubbed her left side. She looked and saw King Dedede and Escargoon in their car again, this time armed with a cannon that one would typically see atop a tank.
"Heh heh heh! I got you now, big girly! This is for wreckin' my castle!" Dedede shouted as he fired again.
"OW!" Tiff said as she rubbed her left side again. The cannonballs packed a surprising punch as Tiff got up and took a couple steps back, especially after getting hit in the gut. Tiff got up so fast, Kirby didn't have time to react and fell backwards. He had to grab Tiff's ponytailed hair to keep from falling to the ground. He swung on the hair like a monkey swinging on a vine as he looked in despair at the giantess getting shot at. Meta Knight looked behind Tiff and worried over how close the back of her feet were getting to the cliffside.
"Tiff! Be careful behind you!" Meta Knight shouted. Tiff looked behind her and gulped nervously. Even at her giant size, it still looked like a long way down.
"Fire in this here hole!" Dedede shouted as he shot another cannonball towards Tiff. By the time she turned around to face it, she got hit in the tummy again… causing her to tumble backwards and down the cliff. Kirby leapt off and landed on the cliff before he could go down with Tiff.
"Nooooooo!!!" Tiff shouted as she felt herself falling. Tuff and the others ran to the edge.
"Siiiiiiiiiiiiiis!!!!" Tuff shouted.
 
King Dedede and Escargoon both had smiles on their faces as they watched the giantess fall off the cliff. They didn't think about what would happen next to her.
"Well, I be tickled pink! We took down Tiffzilla! Yeehaw! Yippee!!!" Dedede shouted as he and Escargoon both danced around for a bit in their car.
"Arrrrrrgh! How could you do that to my sister!?" Tuff said. He tried to charge towards the car, but was held back by Iro, Honey, and Spikehead.
"No, Tuff! He's packing the heavy artillery!" Iro said.
"Yeah! You don't stand a chance!" Honey shouted. While the kids continued to hold the angry Tuff back and Meta Knight kept looking down the cliff, Kirby looked angry too and put on a battle face towards the two villains.
"Hey, sire! Speaking of pink, why let all this firepower go to waste? We can blast Kirby halfway across the galaxy!" Escargoon said.
"Heh heh heh! That's some sharp thinking, Escargoon. I'm givin' you a raise when this is over!" Dedede said. He then aimed the cannon at Kirby, who wasn't about to back down despite what he was staring at.
"So long, Kirby! It's been nice not knowing ya!" Dedede said.
 
Suddenly, Meta Knight sharply turned around and looked at Tuff, Kirby, and the kids.
"Everyone, get away from the cliff's edge!" Meta Knight shouted as he ran to the west. The others looked confused but followed suit… and right on time too. Because the ground started to quickly vibrate every couple of seconds, along with the usual booming sounds.
"Hey! What's all that racket?" Dedede asked.
"It sounds very familiar… ACK! Watch out, your majesty!" Escargoon said as he quickly put the car in reverse just as a giant hand suddenly rose up from the cliff's edge and slammed down in front of the car. Another giant hand came up shortly thereafter, and after hearing a couple grunts, everyone looked to see the giant Tiff climbing up from the edge.
"Look! There's Tiff!" Spikehead shouted.
"Alright! She's still alive!" Honey shouted.
"YES! Alright, sis!!!" Tuff shouted. Tiff gave a quick wink to our heroes, especially Kirby as he happily danced around, but then put on as angry a face you would ever see as she walked up towards King Dedede and Escargoon. She planted her shoes just inches away from their car and put her hands on her hips as she stared right down into their scared faces.
"Did you two seriously think a fall from a cliff would hurt me at this size!?" Tiff shouted. King Dedede then bonked Escargoon repeatedly on the head.
"Hurry, Escargoon! Shoot that giant girly in the head!" Dedede said.
"Not this time!!" Tiff shouted as she reached down and picked up the car, holding it up against her face.
 
Naturally, seeing Tiff's face so incredibly huge scared the living daylights out of the two. They didn't even notice Tiff ripping the cannon right off their car and hurling it halfway across the ocean behind her.
"Eh heh heh… did I ever tell you ya look prettyful when yo angry?" Dedede asked.
"Sire, I don't think anything's going to flatter this towering beauty…" Escargoon said.
"I've had it with your antics, King Dedede and Escargoon. I'm going to do what I think everyone in Cappy Town would approve of me doing." Tiff said. She then opened her mouth and slowly moved the car, and its two occupants, towards it.
"Waaaaaah! Please don't eat me! I'm not even Grade A certified!" Dedede said.
"Snails are bad for your health, you know!" Escargoon shouted.
"She wouldn't!" Tuff shouted.
"She is." Meta Knight said.
"She's awesome!" Iro, Honey, and Spikehead all said together. Kirby just stared upward, wondering if Tiff really was going to swallow them like he swallows anything even remotely edible.
 
However, when the tail end of the car was all that was sticking out of her mouth, she suddenly pulled the car back.
"No. That just wouldn't feel right… taking any kind of life." Tiff said. Dedede and Escargoon both breathed a sigh of relief, only to shiver again when Tiff continued to hold them and the car up against her face.
"But if you ever try to hurt Kirby or anyone else in Cappy Town again, I may not be so merciful next time. Now get back to where your castle was and rebuild it with the Waddle Dees so my family and I can go home again. Got it?" Tiff said.
"Hey! You can't boss me around like that! I'm this here king and…" Dedede said, only to be interrupted by Tiff's extremely loud voice.
"GOT IT!?!?" Tiff angrily shouted.
"Yes, ma'am." Dedede softly said with chills running down his spine.
"Good." Tiff said as she suddenly smiled. She then casually tossed the car up in the air. After waiting for gravity to take over, Tiff then swung her head around and smacked the car with her ponytail, sending it flying into the distance towards the hill where King Dedede's castle once sat.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Dedede and Escargoon both screamed before they disappeared in a blink of light.
 
Tuff, Meta Knight, Kirby, and the kids all ran up towards Tiff's giant shoes happy to see the villains gone.
"Wow! That was awesome, big sis! Remind me not to make you angry ever again… especially when playing baseball!" Tuff said.
"Tiff! How did you survive that fall from the cliff?" Iro asked.
"Well, let's just say with my size… the ocean felt more like the tip of the shoreline. And I had the perfect landing too." Tiff said.
"I give it a perfect ten." Meta Knight said.
"Hahaha! Thanks, everyone. I'm glad you're all sticking by me despite my huge size." Tiff said.
"Always, Tiff! We'll stand by you no matter what happens." Honey said. Tiff leaned forward and looked at Kirby.
"And I'll always protect you, Kirby. Teeheehee!" Tiff said as Kirby jumped up and down and spoke out in approval.
Just then, however, Tiff could feel her body vibrating again.
"Huh? What's happening now?" Tiff asked. Before she could even think about what was happening… there was a loud POP sound like a balloon was popping. Tiff was instantly back to her normal size, with the five Sparkling Stars floating around with her in the air. Of course, gravity eventually had to take over and Tiff found herself falling towards the ground.
"Eeeeeeeeeeek!!!" Tiff screamed. Tuff, Kirby, and the kids immediately sprang to action as they formed a circle that moved in every direction possible.
"We got you, Tiff! We got you!" Iro shouted.
 
A few seconds later, Tiff crash landed atop all her friends.
"Whew… thanks, everyone!" Tiff said as she quickly got up from the pile.
"Ow… don't mention it…" Tuff said as he rubbed his head after it got kicked from Tiff's shoes during her descent. Meta Knight, meanwhile, was watching the rainbow colored Sparkling Stars.
"The stars have fulfilled their purpose." Meta Knight said. He and the others then watched as the stars shot up towards the blue sky until they faded completely from view.
"Meta Knight, where are the stars going?" Tiff asked.
"Back above our atmosphere overlooking Dream Land, as it should be." Meta Knight said.
"Hmmm… I see. Well, I guess no more growing for me." Tiff said.
"Huh? Wait, sis! I thought you said you hated growing that tall." Tuff said.
"Well… it has its perks. Like getting you to wash my shoes." Tiff said.
"Ugh… I hope I never have to do that again! I should grow that tall and have you clean MY shoes!" Tuff said.
"Not if I beat you to it! Hahaha!" Tiff said as she ran down the hill, presumably to return to Cappy Town.
"Hey, Tiff! Wait for us!" Iro shouted as he, Honey, Spikehead, and Tuff all went running after their friend, laughing along with her. Kirby eventually followed suit, laughing and cheering as well.
 
And Meta Knight? He just nodded knowing that the Sparkling Stars wouldn't be causing any more trouble for anyone in Dream Land. He too eventually left the hill to return to King Dedede's side and help him rebuild his castle.

END