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The Asylum of the Damned presents…..

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"M-m-m-my L-L-L-L-Lord," came a tiny nervous voice in the darkened chamber, "the K-K-K-Kamikaze is ready."

A short hum of laugher echoed throughout the chamber. "Excellent," replied a dark gruff voice, its origin body completely obscured in the darkness, "Set sail at once."

"Y-y-y-yes m'lord," squeaked the other tiny voice. Soft footsteps began to filter into the air. Then, with a high-pitched creak, a second's worth of light spilled into the chamber and shone upon a billowing purple cape briefly before it was sealed away again.

The deeper voice chuckled. "Kirby will never know what hit him…"

-

Kirby felt like a mallet had smashed on top of his head. When he opened his eyes, he realized that a large wooden mallet had just hit his head. "Kirby! Wake up!" A small voice shrieked at him at his bedside.

Kirby moaned and rubbed his head where the mallet had hit him. "Ow, did you have to hit me?" Kirby groaned, now beginning to rub his sleepy eyes.

"I tried!" came the voice again. Kirby looked at his bedside, and saw a Waddle-Dee carrying a large wood mallet. "I yelled at you for ten minutes straight and you wouldn't budge!"

Kirby sleepily swung his legs out to the side of his bed and kicked his bright yellow blanket off his body. "Why'd you wake me up?" he moaned.

"Meta-Knight's come back!" The Waddle-Dee shrieked. "And he's wrecking everything in sight on some flying ship!"

Kirby leapt out of bed and onto his large feet. "I've gotta' stop him!" Kirby declared. "Where is he?"

"I saw him fly over Star Pond a few minutes ago and I came running here to get you!" The Waddle-Dee began to cringe, "I was fishing there, and he fired some sort of laser ray from his ship and it melted my fishing pole! He said from some megaphone that he wouldn't miss me on purpose next time!" the Waddle-Dee sobbed, burying his face in Kirby's shoulder.

Kirby growled to himself. "You've gone too far this time, Meta-Knight!"

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TWIN DREAM

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"Almost there!" Pitch chirped as he flew through the air in hot pursuit of Meta-Knight's floating warship.

Kirby held on tightly to Pitch's ankles. "Just a little further," said Kirby, "And I can float the rest of the way there!" Kirby said with his eyes locked on to the now-visible warship of Meta-Knight.

Pitch chirped again. "All right Kirby," he said, beginning to slow his wing beats. "I could go back and bring up Rick and Gooey too-"

"No Pitch," Kirby said firmly with a scowl, "I'll face Meta-Knight this time. Alone."

"Suit yourself, puffball," Pitch said. "Are you ready to go now?"

Kirby took a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be!"

"Good luck Kirby!" Pitch chirped, releasing Kirby from his talons. Kirby sucked in a deep breath and let go of Pitch's ankles, flapping his stubby arms as he floated off towards the warship. "You're gonna' need it."

-

When Kirby landed on top of the open deck of the small ship, he was surprised to find that it was completely deserted. Not one of Meta-Knights henchmen was in sight. "Hello?" Kirby called out. Receiving no reply, Kirby yelled out loudly. "Hello!" he hollered, again listening to his own echo. "Where'd everyone go?" Kirby asked himself aloud, scratching his forehead. Kirby began to wander all over the deck- checking under crates, barrels and anything else he could move or lift, searching for Meta-Knight's underlings. After five minutes and still no enemies found, Kirby sat up on top of a large barrel and took a loud sigh. "Am I sure this is Meta- Knight's ship?" Kirby asked himself.

"You're right," came a deep voice from behind Kirby.

Kirby instantly leapt off the barrel and whirled around to look behind him. When he saw who had called at him, he nearly froze in shock. "M-Meta- Knight!" Kirby stammered.

Meta-Knight nodded and tossed off his cape and drew his large serrated sword. "I've been expecting you, puffball," Meta-Knight growled.

Kirby took a defensive stance. "What do you think you're doing, Meta- Knight?" Kirby growled, "Why are you causing so much trouble in Dream Land all of a sudden?"

Meta-Knight reached down to the ground and rooted through his cape. "Are you not armed?" Meta-Knight asked.

Kirby took a brief glance around the ship. "No…"

Meta-Knight then pulled a thin sword from his cape and tossed the handle towards Kirby. "Now you are!" he exclaimed as Kirby caught the sword. "Fight me, Kirby!" Meta-Knight demanded. "My underlings are below the decks and they won't come out until I order them to. Come! You've disgraced my honor for long enough, Kirby! Today we settle this!" Meta-Knight declared, holding his sword at Kirby.

Kirby pointed his sword's tip at Meta-Knight. "I don't want to fight you, Meta-Knight!" Kirby said, "But if it'll stop you from terrorizing Dream Land, I will!"

"Then come on!" Meta-Knight screeched, lunging at Kirby with his sword. Kirby leapt to his side and held his sword by him, deflecting Meta-Knight's blade. No sooner had Meta-Knight lunged at Kirby, he swirled his body around and let his sword swoosh around. The tip of his blade caught Kirby on the arm, driving a yelp from the pink puffball. Kirby staggered backwards and rubbed his cut arm. It was only a scratch that Meta-Knight had given him, oozing a thin dribble of blood onto the deck floor.

"You hurt me!" Kirby whimpered.

"And I will do much more than just that!" Meta-Knight vowed. "Come on! Fight!"

At that, Kirby burst towards Meta-Knight with blinding speed and slashed in the air with his sword as he went. The sudden attack caught Meta-Knight off- guard, leaving the spot on his mask's cheek to be sliced open.

"No fair!" Kirby whined, "Your mask protects your whole body!"

Meta-Knight hummed and rubbed the tear in his mask. "You're right," he mused, "Such an unfair advantage is dishonorable," Meta-Knight grumbled. Meta-Knight raised his free hand to the edge of his circular mask and plucked it off his face and let it drop to the floor. His exposed body looked just like a blue version of Kirby. "You've seen my face before Kirby," said Meta-Knight, "So there's no harm in evening up the odds. Now, enough talk," Meta-Knight growled, clenching his sword even tighter in his hand, "We fight!"

With that, Meta-Knight rushed towards Kirby with his sword above his head, and violently brought it down upon Kirby. Kirby raised his blade in front of his forehead, blocking Meta-Knight's sword with his own. Meta-Knight withdrew his sword and took a swipe at Kirby's side, again deflected by Kirby's blade. Further infuriated, Meta-Knight viciously slashed at Kirby rapidly with his sword, each time being thwarted and avoided by Kirby and his own blade. Suddenly, Meta-Knight took several steps backwards, and then charged at Kirby with his sword stuck out in front of him like a ramming spear. Just as Meta-Knight neared, Kirby leapt into the air and used Meta- Knight as a vaulting horse, catapulting himself behind his foe and landing behind him.

Just as Kirby raised his sword to slash Meta-Knight from behind, something made him freeze. Meta-Knight spun around only to find Kirby still with a mask of horror on his face. Meta-Knight leapt backwards again and pointed his sword at Kirby. "Come on!" he roared, "Fight!"

Kirby remained still.

"Fight!"

Kirby suddenly dropped his sword from his hand, still maintaining a horrified expression.

"Fight, Kirby! Fight!" Meta-Knight demanded.

Suddenly, A loud caw echoed over the deck, and Pitch soared overhead, dropping a large figure onto the deck between the bewildered Kirby and Meta- Knight. "Rick!" Meta-Knight exclaimed as the large hamster-creature before him looked into his face just after Meta-Knight hurriedly placed his mask back onto his face.

Rick looked behind him at Kirby. "Kirby!" he gasped, dashing to his friend's side. "Kirby! Are you all right?" Rick frantically asked, lightly patting Kirby on the cheek. Kirby began to mutter so lightly that not even Rick's sensitive ears could hear him clearly. Rick turned an angry glare to Meta-Knight. "What have you done to him?" Rick demanded.

"Don't look at me!" Meta-Knight barked, "Ask him! And what are you doing here anyway?"

Rick turned to Kirby again. "C'mon Kirby, wake up, please…"

Pitch landed beside Rick and Kirby. "Rick! What's happened to him?" Pitch squawked in distress.

"I dunno Pitch," Rick muttered. "I think Meta-Knight there has something to do with it, though," Rick growled, turning a glare upon Meta-Knight.

"I had nothing to do with it!" Meta-Knight snarled.

Pitch poked Kirby gently in the side with his wingtip. "I think he's seen a ghost," Pitch muttered. "I think I'd better get him- and you Rick, back home."

Meta-Knight snorted as Rick set Kirby up onto Pitch's back. "Rick," he growled.

Rick turned to Meta-Knight. "What?" Came Rick's growling reply.

"When he gets better," Meta-Knight said, rustling through his cape again before putting it back on, "have him press this," Meta-Knight said, taking a small square box with a large red button in the middle of it out of his cape and tossing it to Rick.

Rick caught it in his small paw and began to sniff it. "What's this for?" Rick asked.

"Just have him press it when he gets better, Meta-Knight growled.

Pitch turned to Meta-Knight. "How do we know this isn't some sort of trick?" Pitch squawked.

"I am a Meta-Knight!" Meta-Knight roared out immediately, "I play no tricks!"

Rick grumbled and looked at the small device Meta-Knight had thrown to him. "I'll tell him," Rick grumbled to Meta-Knight, "But I can't say he will do it."

"Do what you can," Meta-Knight grumbled, "Now get off my ship."

Rick picked up Kirby's dropped sword in his jaws and let Pitch grasp him by his shoulders with his talons. With a grunt, Pitch took to the air. "Man, you're heavy!" Pitch squeaked.

"Kwyyyyy-et!" Rick grumbled, half-muffled by the sword in his mouth as Pitch flew him and Kirby down below the ship and disappeared.

Now alone on the deck, Meta-Knight stood by himself and adjusted his cape. "Next time," Meta-Knight growled, "Next time…"