Hailfire Vulpes: I do not own the lyrics contained in this chapter.

~Chapter 7~

"Fumu, we're going to Gemstar."

That was all Kirby had to say, and Fumu was on board with him immeadiately.

"So, you're going to drive, I presume?" Fumu inquired, and Kirby nodded,

"At least I'll do a better job at it now then when I was three." he joked weakly. Fumu patted his head,

"You were a pretty good driver back then. Okay, what do you want me to do?" she asked, her swayed nerves sturdying. Kirby found himself impressed,

"Stay back here with Meta Knight. Keep the fever down, uh...and don't panic." Kirby replied, hiding his uncertainy. Fumu nodded confidently, looking stronger than he felt,

"Don't worry, Kirby." she said, and Kirby found strength in her heightened attitude.

...

If Kirby had hair, he would be pulling it out.

Navigating was hard!

He growled at the map, poking the paper as if he could punish it for confusing him. Confound it. These directions make absolutely no sense.

'Cause you insisted a 'great Star Warrior' like yourself, didn't need to study this crap.

Oh shut up! I'm at least trying!

You've the directional sense of a rock. A small one. But dense.

Shut. The. Hell. Up.

No pressure, but you're on a time table.

Get the hell out of my head!

I'm your conscious. I'm stuck to you like a nagging housewife.

You're only stressed when you find yourself having a quarrel with your own conscious. Kirby decided to abandon his little in-hed fight, and, to the best of his abilities, pilot this ship to the destination.

...

Fumu gently laid the icy damp towel over Meta Knight's forehead, hoping it would lessen the frightening, incalecent fever that ailed the knight. She occasionally tried to talk to him, but in his state of disoreintation, he failed to recognize a friend in the hazy face he saw.

Fumu sighed mournfully, and laid her hand gently over her friend's paw, "Please, be okay...be okay..." she muttered, and flinched as a harsh cough ripped the air. She reached for an extra towel, wiping the newly spilled blood off the knight's face. She cringed inwardly at the side of blood, remembering Bun with a jolt. She recalled, with a heart-wrenching pain, the look of young boy innocence on his face when she had found him standing still and absently in the courtyard, the previous day. He seemed so fine, so safe, so completely nochalant to the danger that had entered him, and taken his life in minutes. Mere bloody minutes...

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
Your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

Fumu was surprised as the lyrics weaved their way into her brain. It was a song she had heard once, and teared up to, for it had sounded so mournful. She couldn't quite recall the song name, but felt sadder, yet peaceful as the song made its way into her mind.

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along

"That's...a beautiful song.."

Fumu nearly jumped in the air. She looked at Meta Knight, the only one in the room besides her, who could have known. His ghostly-white eyes were half-open, dulled and grayed a bit. He looked small in the bed, beads of sweat rolling down his face, and dried streaks of blood around the corners of his mouth. Fumu blinked, "How...?"

"You were singing out loud." Meta Knight explained in a feeble voice, "I've heard that...song before...My Immortal..." he sighed, and seemed to shrink into the bedding.

"It's a such a sad, yet beautiful song, isn't it?" Fumu murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed. Meta Knight did not answer verbally, but nodded.

The knight's eyes were closing, but he spoke again, "I don't know how many times...I lived those lyrics..." Fumu blinked, surprised. But since he was, after all, a war veteran, he probably had witnessed the deaths of many comrades and friends. But the way he spoke that...it sounded as if there was a deeper meaning. Before Fumu could press into the topic, a sudden convulsion overwhelmed the blue puffball, all the while tormenting him with a painful, bloody coughing spell.

Fumu shuddered, dismayed, and quickly wiped the blood away when the attack had died down. No sooner had she finished when Meta Knight's paw grabbed her wrist tightly, with surprising agility reguarding his condition. Fumu stared at him in shock, and Meta Knight locked his fever-glazed eyes with her green irises,

"It is the Pestilence, Fumu..." he rasped, flinching as chills crept over his form, "It's...not safe for you and Kirby...for me to be...here..."

"Do't say that," Fumu said, feeling his grip loosen on her arm. She pulled away, still looking startled, "You'll be fine. You're strong, you're brave...we'll be okay too...I promise...don't give up, Meta Knight." she murmured desperately, taking the towel from his head to re-wet it in ice water.

But the blue knight shook his head, "I am a threat...to you...you're vulnerable...to the disease...I don't want you to die..." he murmured, and shut his eyes as if they hurt. Fumu placed the refreshed cloth back on his searingly hot face,

"No, Kirby's driving us to Gemstar. He'll get us there, and then the scientists there will help you...just think positive..." she urged. She blinked when she saw a tear appear in one of his eyes, slowly rolling down his face. She saw him raise a paw, gesturing falteringly toward the door,

"T-take my sword..." he breathed. Fumu shook her head, although she knew the knight didn't see,

"No, stop thinking like that." she insisted firmly, "You're going to be..."

"Take my sword..." Meta Knight repeated, "Bring it here, and end my suffering...I beg of you...for both our sakes..."

Fumu gasped, shaking her head even more violently, "No! We can all make it until we reach Gemstar! Have faith in Kirby, he's going as fast as we can, and trying his best..." When Meta Knight didn't respond, she broke down, "I won't let you die! Not by this disease, or by suicide! We haven't come all this way just for you to die! You'll be okay...you'll be okay because you know we can't do this without you!" she sobbed.

"You don't need me..." Meta Knight whispered, "You are Kirby are a formittable pairing...you can survive if you...be rid...of the threat..." He opened his eyes, just a little, "Please, Fumu...for both our sakes...I won't let you die...because of me..."

"No!" It came out as a screeching sob, "If you are so conviced you have nothing left to live for..." she hesitated, tears soaking her face, "I'll give you a reason to live!"

She leaned forward, and landed a kiss on the knight's blood-streaked lips.