Disclaimer: A quote from DeeDeeDee: *everything*-Zoi. That is all. I do not own Kirby and all that associates with Kirby.
Chapter 4: A Reflective Reunion
As morning wakes Dreamland once more, Kirby helped himself to breakfast. For Kirby, that was basically slapping on everything he could on to a plate then inhaling it. When he stacked the food to the point of touching the ceiling of his house, he inhaled the whole package. Ribbon had gotten up earlier and was looking at his cellphone.
"Hey Kirby, why do you have colors in your contacts list?" Ribbon questioned.
"Those are my... clones." Kirby answered.
Ribbon looked at him with confusion. "Clones?"
Kirby sat down. "Well, a while ago there was a problem in the Mirror World that got Meta Knight's attention. Hate and darkness took over the Mirror World and since it's basically a parallel universe, it would happen to Dreamland as well. He rushed in to the entrance to save both the Mirror World and Dreamland."
Ribbon listened attentively as Kirby picked up the Cell Phone. "Let's go. I'll talk more on the way."
Ribbon nodded as they both stepped outside. Ribbon inhaled the fresh air and exhaled with a sigh. "It's beautiful out today!"
"As Dark Matter slowly closes in on us." Thought Kirby. They began to walk towards town to see Bun running towards them.
"Hey Kirby!" Yelled Bun as he stopped in front of them.
"Hey Ribbon." Smiled Bun.
"Hey Bun, wheres Fumu?" asked Kirby.
"She's at the castle." Grimaced Bun. He appeared as if he tried to get her name out of his head.
"What's wrong?" Asked Ribbon, noticing the change in Bun's mood.
"Nothing wrong, its just that Fumu's been acting like a bitch to be these days." Kirby rarely hear Bun swear, so this must be serious. "Shes like a different person these days."
Kirby frowned. This must be jealousy acting on her. He didn't want to be in this kind of situation.
"Bun, I think Fumu just needs her time to think." Suggested Ribbon. "Try to leave her alone for awhile."
Bun shrugged and walked off. Kirby shook his head.
"How am I going to deal with this?"
"That Fumu is jealous of our relationship?" Guessed Ribbon.
Kirby stared at her in surprise. "Wow that was fast." Added Ribbon. "I guess it's best we just let her simmer down and understand."
Kirby's ring tone went off and broke the conversation. Kirby answered quickly. "Hello?"
"Kirby, this is Sword Knight. Come to Gus's gas station. There's someone that you should meet."
"Alright, I'll head right over." Kirby ended the call.
"Who was Sword taking about?" Ribbon asked.
"I don't know, but I'm guessing this individual is someone that could accompany us." Said Kirby. "Let's hurry!"
The both got into town and ran (in Ribbons case, flew) to the gas station. Where a Waddle Dee was working on King DeDeDe's car lying down underneath. Kirby glanced around to see no one around but him.
"Hello? Did someone want to see me?" Called out Kirby.
"So your still here in Dreamland huh?" The Waddle Dee answered much to Kirby's surprise. "I can't blame you for not noticing me."
The Waddle Dee slid out from under the car to reveal a much bigger Waddle Dee. Shorter then Kirby, though big compared to other Waddle Dee's. His most distinguishing feature was a leather jacket with a Warp Star on it. Kirby's mind raced like a bullet.
The Waddle Dee faced towards Ribbon. "Man, you look great Ribbon. Both of you guys do."
Ribbon looked hard at him and gasped. "Waddle!" She cried as she hugged him. Kirby Looked at his eyes. They were aged. Aged with experience.
"Where were you all this time?" Kirby asked as they parted.
Waddle Dee narrowed his eyes. "Remember how DeDeDe recruited me? Well, I thought it would be a chance to live a new life, to be something more then just a Waddle Dee..."
He turned around and threw a screwdriver at a bulletin board. It flew at a perfect line and stuck straight out. Kirby was impressed.
"Nice throw." Complemented Kirby with a smile.
Waddle smiled. Of course you can't see the mouth of a Waddle Dee, but you could tell by how his face and his eyes moved.
"I've had some practice with throwing knifes. Helps to know how to defend yourself." Said Waddle.
He pulled up a stool and sat down. "Anyways, that turned out to be the granddaddy of the shittiest jobs you could possibly have in Dreamland. But I had nowhere to go, so I agreed to stay here and work, with no pay."
Ribbon looked at him with sympathy, then looked at the castle in anger. "I can't believe DeDeDe could be so cruel!"
"It's typical of DeDeDe though." Said Kirby. "He never pays anyone, not even Escargon!"
Ribbon looked at Waddle, then at Kirby. Kirby got what she was thinking.
"Waddle, would you like to come with us to save Dreamland?" Offered Kirby.
Waddle looked confused, then Kirby told him the whole story. His eyes grew wide with concern.
"Dark Matter's back? Then that means..."
Ribbon told him they're not sure, and about what Meta Knight said about the journey.
"We'll have to go to Rick's next. I need to pick up something." Said Kirby.
Waddle stood up and had a determined look on his face. "If it means that I'm gonna be beside you guys again, count me in. But first," He dove under the car and messed with the works. "Here's a little present for his Majesty."
Kirby and Ribbon laughed as they ran towards the woods with their old friend. As they crossed a trail with a specific type of flowers, Kirby suddenly stopped, looked closely at the trail, then turned and walked on that trail.
"Kirby what are you doing?" Asked Ribbon. "Rick's this way!"
Kirby looked back. "We'll have to postpone our visit. I think I can find someone here."
Ribbon turned to Waddle as he shrugged and followed.
The trail was stunning. The multitude of flower seemed to explode in colors as the sunlight made the petals almost glow in light.
As Kirby walked on, he spotted several paint drops. He smiled to himself and walked on with Ribbon and Waddle behind him. After about ten minutes of walking, they bumped into a good sized hill off the trail. Kirby broke into a sprint, surprising the others as he went up the hill.
"Kirby wait up!" Gasped Waddle out of breath as he struggled to climb the hill.
When Kirby reached the top, there was a magnificent view of a meadow teeming with flowers. He looked around till he spotted someone that didn't look like she was from Dreamland.
A girl was painting the meadow on an easel as big as her with a multi colored blue paint brush. She wore a long-sleeve, bright green collared smock with a single yellow button near the top and a short gray skirt. She also wore dark blue knee-high socks and wore a bright red beret that covered most of her short, black hair. She was painting a beautiful picture of the meadow when she happened to turn around for more paint. Then, she saw him.
She dropped her brush and rubbed her eyes to see if Kirby was really there.
"Hey Adeleine." Smiled Kirby. Adeleine's emerald eyes started toshine.
She ran towards him and they embraced. Tears streamed down her face as she cuddled his soft body.
"Oh my god, Kirby! It's been so long!" She managed to say past her tears. She let go to have a better look at him. "And you've grown too!"
Kirby noticed how little Adeleine had grown height wise over the course of ten years. She grew taller, but Kirby was very close to her height now. Her face was just as young and bright as before, but she had an excellent body and great legs. Kirby knew she was not a child any more.
Adeleine spotted Ribbon and Waddle coming up the hill and ran to them as well. She hugged them both in her arms, which caused her to fall down. They all laughed as they rolled around the flowers.
"How did you find me?" Asked Adeleine. "It's not that you knew I was here."
"With you, I just need to find the most colorful area's around. But I didn't know you would be here in Dreamland." Answered Kirby.
Adeleine sat up. "Well, a week after the ceremony I decided to go back to Pop Star for my art. All these years I painted, but I felt like I should stop wandering."
She got up and did a wave with her brush. "So I decided to to stay here." She said smiling.
"In Dreamland?" Asked Waddle, apparently excited.
She nodded. "I'm thinking of getting a house near the bridge. That way it's between the woods and the town nearby."
Ribbon flew near Kirby and hugged him from behind. "We planned to live together in his house on the hill towards the bridge!" She said happily.
"You mean the dome shaped one near that tree?"Asked Adeleine. "That's great! You two look so... cute together." Kirby heard a bit of longing in her voice. Was she attracted to him?
The afternoon went by quickly as they lay in the field of flowers. Everything seemed to be in a trance as petals flew in the wind
"Hey Kirby, can you finish telling me of your color friends?" Said Ribbon.
"Colored friends?" Said Waddle suspiciously. "You didn't inhale that mushroom again did you?"
"No no, its a long story Waddle." Glared Kirby not wanting to remember that incident.
"...Mushrooms?" Said Adeleine.
"Alright, I'll tell all of you the damn story. Listen now or never hear it again." Said Kirby clearly annoyed.
All of them stared attentively at Kirby. Kirby sighed.
"Well, after Meta Knight flew into the Mirror World he was trapped by some sort of force. As this was happening, I was taking a walk and a mirror version of Meta Knight popped out and he slashed me and ran off. But instead of cutting me, three different colored copies of me appeared. Each of them though, had a different personality and voice. They all had cellphones too!"
Kirby laid back and looked up at the sky. "After the problem was solved, we all went separate ways. Red owns a beach resort, Yellow owns a restaurant, and Green got a career as a singer.
I haven't seen them in years. I mean I contact them, but I can never meet them."
They listened to every word. "Are you gonna call them to join us?" Ribbon asked.
Adeleine tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? Join what?"
Ribbon explained the situation. Adeleine turned pale.
"But I thought we..."
"Kirby thought he did 3 times." Said Ribbon. "But it's back"
Adeleine's knees collapsed. "What do we do?"
"We're leaving tomorrow on Meta Knight's ship." Said Kirby walking towards her "So I want to ask, will you join us to save Dreamland?"
Adeleine hesitated, but Kirby gently grabbed her hands with his and smiled. "We need someone with your quality and talent."
Adeleine blushed and looked down, but grinned as she looked up. "Okay! Count me in."
Waddle looked up at the sky, blood red from the setting sun.
"Hey guys, it's getting late." Said Waddle.
"Okay, we're all gonna meet up at the castle grounds tomorrow morning." Kirby turned to Adeleine and Waddle. "Do you guys have a place to sleep? Your welcome to the house."
"I'll bring her to the castle to stay for the night" Said Waddle. Adeleine nodded.
"Alright I guess were set. C'mon Ribbon lets go." Finished Kirby.
Suddenly, Meta Knight appeared in front of the gang. Everyone halted in surprise. His impassive mask gleamed in the light.
"Meta Knight?" Ribbon questioned "What are you doing here?"
Meta Knight stared at them with cold, yellow eyes. Kirby sensed something was wrong.
"Ribbon! Get Back!" Hissed a voice from behind her.
Another Meta Knight jumped over her and grew Galaxia. Ribbon stumbled back.
"What going on?" Shouted Ribbon.
"Two Meta Knights?" Gasped Adeleine.
"So, you finally came to our world." Said Meta Knight viciously. His eyes glowed in a suffocating white color.
The other Meta Knight's eyes flashed yellow and then drew his sword. This is where Kirby saw the difference.
The sword resembled Galaxia, but it had a silver handle and a chrome blade. Instead of a ruby, there was a sapphire on the hilt. There was something about it that sent the deepest chills down Kirby's body.
"Oh fuck." Kirby muttered.
The knight changed, his cape transformed to torn navy blue one. His boots turned to blood red, and his body and mask turned dark grey. A large scar slid down on the left side of the mask. Death pulsated from his body.
Meta Knight shifted into a defensive pose as he glared back at his opponent. "Ribbon, meet my reflection."
"Dark Meta Knight." Kirby snarled. "I thought I killed that bastard!"
Ribbon didn't respond. She was paralysed by the amount of energy that was flowing out of this "Dark Meta Knight". Just staring at him slowly drained her strength.
Meta Knight never twitched a muscle. "I suppose you helped create those pits."
Dark Meta Knight raised his sword and plunged it into the earth below. The flowers and grass around it whithered and dissolved to a swirl of purple and black. The swirl intensified and spread rapidly into a circle twice as large as the one Kirby had witnessed. Dark Meta Knight freed the sword from the ground and and held it up. Meta Knight let out a small gasp.
Everything went negative, and in slow motion. Kirby and the others began to fall back, but it was pointless. Meta Knight's eyes slowly widened as he began to charge up a sword beam. His counterpart casually walked in ,everyones eyes, normal speed. He hit Meta Knight with a series of strikes from the handle of his sword. To Kirby, Meta Knight didn't seem affected or even touched. Dark Meta Knight approached Ribbon and placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. Even in slow motion, Kirby could see the fear escaping through her deep, blue eyes. He then advanced towards Kirby. Kirby tried to break free, but it was futile. The venomous yellow eyes stabbed at his soul as the knight's sword began to glow. He prepared to slash Kirby, but stopped abruptly and glanced around. He turned to Kirby with death laced in his eyes and teleported away.
As the color came back, Meta Knight was bludgeoned numerous times and flew sideways by an invisible force. The slow motion had worn off, but everything that Dark Meta Knight had done during the event was now in effect. Waddle and Adeleine fell backwards in surprise while Ribbon let out a scream and collapsed. Kirby rushed over to Ribbon while the others ran towards the battered knight.
"Ribbon?" spoke Kirby frantically.
Ribbon's face was pale and her eyes lost color.
"Shes...ugh...lost consciousness." Spoke Meta Knight as he stood with the help of the two. "I know that technique... isukumi."
Kirby was shocked. "Paralysing fear?"
Meta Knight nodded as he tried to sheath Galaxia. "It's a technique which...ugh... the user project's their chi through their eyes. It can be used to paralysis, or even kill whoever that views their eyes."
Meta Knight's body was bruised and in terrible condition. Several ribs were shattered and his right arm was broken. Every movement would be excruciatingly painful, but years of fighting made Meta Knight almost resilient to pain although it was apparent in his eyes that he couldn't stand it much longer.
Adeleine and Waddle helped him move toward Ribbon. Meta Knight studied her for a minute.
"Is she... hurt in anyway?" Asked Adeleine cautiously.
Meta Knight drew Galaxia with his good arm and laid the flat end on her chest. The sacred sword glowed and a golden film developed over Ribbon. It absorbed into her body as she closed her eyes and color returned to her faced. Her rosy cheeks flushed as she began to breath.
"She'll live." Answered Meta Knight calmly as he sheathed Galaxia. "But she's completely drained. We need to get to the castle at once."
Kirby carried Ribbon in his arms as the group hurried to get out of the woods. Night began to close upon them as the stretch of road never seemed to stop. Halfway, they stopped to rest. Meta Knight sat down with a painful grunt as the others sat around him. Kirby looked down upon Ribbon, expressionless eyes fixed to her face. All was quiet until Adeleine spoke up.
"Meta Knight, what happened back there?"
Meta Knight tried to sit up straight as much as possible. He closed his eyes for a moment of thought.
"That sword he wields is a mirror version of my sword, Galaxia." He spoke as he opened his eyes. "It possesses massive amounts of energy, I'd say even more then Galaxia itself."
He touched to hilt of the legendary blade and the ruby gleamed in response. "But that's only if Galaxia is not present. As long as it is in existence, the true power of Mirror Galaxia cannot be revealed."
Kirby stood up. "Then what was that slow motion event about? Couldn't Galaxia have stopped it from happening?"
"That was him accelerating his body to the speed of mach 5. Everything to him is in slow motion, but he can move at a normal pace. With the sword however, he can make others seem like their moving in slow motion at short distances." Meta Knight replied. "It had little to do with the sword though."
"Why did everything we see was in a negative filter?" Said Kirby.
"That was the sword reacting to his speed. Remember, the sword is literally a part of him, so it created the negative spectrum and the slow motion around him. It made it possible for us to see him." Meta Knight got himself up. "In reality or to any one outside of the proximity of the spectrum the whole attack was in seconds, probably less."
Everyone was speechless. "Seconds?" Waddle spoke dumbfounded. Meta Knight nodded.
"Hold on Meta Knight, what made him stop when he got to me?" Kirby piped up. "He sort of glanced around then disappeared."
Meta Knight limped towards Kirby. "It was Galaxia, Kirby." He placed a gloved hand on Kirby's shoulder. "It has accepted a part of you before and reacted when you were in danger."
Kirby thought of this. He remembered times he had wielded Galaxia, but only when there was critical danger. He used it against WolfWrath and Kirisakin ,and the source of the trouble in the Mirror World, Dark Mind.
"But why didn't it protect you? Your the master of that sword!" Growled Kirby with slight anger.
"Kirby, Galaxia has no master. It chooses who can wield it, and who can use it for what it was forged for, light. Light in which to repel darkness." Meta Knight's eyes glowed white. "Galaxia knows I can handle myself at that situation, but you where about to have a dimensional rift above you. You couldn't have escaped that."
"Dimensional rift..." Kirby thought.
"What would have happened?" asked Waddle cautiously.
"Mirror Galaxia is able to a collapse the fabric of space in an area, causing the area to warp in and rip apart the matter around it. Kirby saw a very weak form of it, as it just ripped the flesh of the bone. If it were bigger, the effects would be catastrophic." Said Meta Knight.
Worry struck Kirby. He was dealing with an enemy that destroy the planet with a slash of his sword, and an enemy that's probably spreading over Dreamland as they speak. He clenched his fist, and picked up Ribbon once more.
"Everyone, lets get moving. We don't have time to waste." Announced Kirby as he prepared to run. Determination spread over his face.
"Hold on! I know a short cut to the castle." Shouted Waddle.
"Then you lead." Said Kirby.
Meta Knight stood up, using Galaxia as support. "I can walk now, lets go." He said.
They hurried off to another trail and towards the castle, as the crescent moon shattered the black of the night.
Alright, so far the story has been about Kirby finding friends and investigating. The next chapters will start getting into some action! Please review!
Next up. Chapter 5: A Galactic Takeoff