I've been watching the Kirby anime again, both the dubs and the subs, and I saw an episode that I haven't seen in years. This episode was number 24 in the Japanese airing, the episode that Yamikage has his appearance. After the episode, he just leaves, vowing revenge. What I was thinking of is where he ran off to. This episode will take place after the end of the series, so there will be some spoilers. Japanese names will be used, and the characters are the property of HAL Laboratories.
"You're name is Kirby? I will repay this debt without fail…"
That was years ago…he went into hiding to find the right time to attack the Star Warrior, but time had slipped away. Throughout his travels, he had heard the distant crackling of electricity: a sound that proved one by one his Demon Beast brethren were being killed at the hand of the so called hero.
He shouldn't be fighting them; he should be fighting with them! This was a thought that plagued the mind of the ninja. True, he once war the badge of the Galactic Soldier Army, but that memory was of the past. It was also true that he once fought side by side with Meta Knight, and it was true that he knew of Kirby's creation by Nightmare, but now they were both the enemy.
At this time, Yamikage didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was lost. He had ran through Whispy Woods to find the answer he was looking for: the perfect way to do off with Kirby for good. However, when he found the answer, he had scaled through the woods multiple times, and found himself outside of the woods, with no idea where it started or ended. Facing him was a large cliff. Seeing it as a way to find the entrance of the forest, he was now faced with one option and one option only: he had to climb.
True, climbing without the proper gear was a difficult challenge, but a good ninja would find a way to improvise in any situation. By using two of his kunai, Yamikage was able to scale the cliff. True, it was a difficulty, but he managed to get to a low part before one of his kunai was lost in his grip.
"Damn!" He cursed under his breath, as he landed on the lower part of the cliff. It was too low to see where the forest entrance was, so he had to come up with another way to scale the cliff, which looked larger than at first.
Luckily, he found a patch of hope: a weathered-down path. Seeking the opportunity, Yamikage quickly, yet carefully ran up the path. He leaped over rocks that were in his way, instead of merely walking around them. He used a few smoke bombs to deter any wild creatures that he saw as a threat. He didn't want to think it, but this reminded him of his past…
Side by side, the Ninja Special Forces helped deter Nightmare's creations with the help of the Galaxy Soldier Army. Yamikage would silently run right above a Demon Beast and pinpoint them by lodging a thrown kunai into their skin. When a member of the Army noticed the silver weapon, they attacked the monster. Ever frugal, Yamikage would always snatch his now bloodstained kunai from the slaughtered beast, ready to use it on the next one. He was the leader of the Special Forces, and was proud to wear his star badge…
Yamikage sighed to himself, trying to shake the memory. However, he had realized that he had stopped running, and was now looking at one of his remaining kunai. Instead of bright silver, it was tinted with red rust. He inhaled the smell, and subconsciously rubbed his scar, as the smell reminded him of another incident…
The war between Nightmare and the Galaxy Soldiers had just begun. Yamikage had joined as a ninja to protect his village. He came from a very small rural farming area. He wanted to protect the village before the demons struck. Bidding his family goodbye, he joined the Ninja Special Forces, only armed with vague knowledge of how to use a katana, and only knowing how to use a kunai as a farming tool. He remembered the first demon he encountered: a simple beast known as a Uniclod. They were about the same size as Yamikage, and they only had one large eye. However, their most dangerous part was the sharp horn that rested on the top of their head. They would charge right at their enemy, and spear at them. However, experienced fighter would use this against them, and contort the Uniclod's body to the point that they stab themselves. They would then chop off the horn and use it for their own weapon.
Unfortunately, Yamikage had never seen a creature like this, so he had hardly any time to react. He charged at the Uniclod, katana in hand, and both of his eyes closed in fear. Even though Uniclods weren't the smartest of Nightmare creations, they were able to know an easy target when they saw one. Cruelly smiling, the Uniclod charged straight at Yamikage, and stabbed the bottom of his left eye, and quickly flicked his head up. The monster soon found a sword jammed into his back as he fell face first.
Yamikage couldn't bear the pain that now struck his skin. He tried to make his crying come out as dry sobs, as the tears simply hurt the wound even worse. The blood ran down his cheek so much that it was hard to tell it from the tears. Sure, he would get hurt on the farm every so often. Sure, it hurt when he got grass cuts on his fingers from pulling weeds, or when he scraped his knee on the fence. But this was a pain that he had never felt before in his life. He realized at that point that war really WAS Hell. He would get little sympathy from his other soldiers. It wasn't like back at home, where the young warrior would have his mother's healing words or his father jokingly telling him to be a man.
…He wanted to be a man, but why did it have to hurt so much…? Yamikage slowly opened his good eye, and could see a blurry dark blue shape carrying him.
"You will be able to survive…" he remembered hearing the person say, and that was all he could remember, before giving a very weak nod, and losing consciousness.
Yamikage couldn't believe this! Thinking of the past! Actually lamenting about it! That was not his personality! He was a stone cold warrior, and proud follower of Nightmare. Wistfulness would not be tolerated! Brushing away the memories, he continued to climb up the cliff. He still dodged rocks and creatures like he originally was, as it kept his mind off his previous thoughts.
Finally, he managed to make to the top of the cliff, and was greeted with an unexpected sight:
Facing him was a yellow baby bird. It still had its down feathers, and a small flip off of its head.
"…You have got to be kidding me."