Fallen Stars: A New Age

by CelestiaKnight

Twelve years have passed since Nightmare was vanquished. Peace seems to have returned to the galaxy, but a growing Kirby now faces new, deeper challenges; nightmares are plaguing his nights, shadows from an unknown past are creeping in, and a need for a parental figure is drawing him toward a certain knight. But the knight becomes ill, and it might just take him away...

10. The Voice in the Darkness

Fallen Stars: A New Age

Act 1 - Chapter Ten: The Voice in the Darkness

---

The big day was here! Kirby's fifteenth anniversary – at least, fifteen in cappy years, to be precise. Oh, how long the boy had waited for this day! He had seen all of his older friends reach this age and celebrate like it was something huge, like they were reaching a big milestone, and finally he would get to know how it felt – although, he had to admit, when he woke up that morning, he honestly didn't feel that different, but he figured it was more of a mentality thing. If he told himself that he was older, he would feel older; at least, that's what the boy got from all of his friends.

The previous day, a lot of them had come back to town for the celebration, and though many joked that they were prepared for anything to happen during the party, Kirby only laughed half-heartedly at the remarks. It was true that something always happened on his birthday; whether it be a sudden demon-beast, a trap laid by a scheming villain, or just King Dedede's mischievous tricks, something was always bound to happen that would either ruin the party or the cake, and in the end, Kirby rarely got to eat said cake. This year, he told himself, he would make sure nothing happened. Besides, Sir Galacta Knight was there, then there surely wouldn't be a demon-beast attack at least, so that was one possibility crossed from the list! Now to make sure King Dedede didn't pull anything dirty… Oh well, he certainly would, it was King Dedede! It wouldn't feel the same if he didn't!

That morning, Kirby saw Meta Knight's present, sitting on the only table of his dome home, and he thought about opening it now since it was his birthday, but he remembered that Meta Knight specified to open it after the party… But it was so enticing! He would have to wait some more, it seemed…

The day went by rather quickly, to his surprise. Since he had a break today from training, he first found himself at a loss for what to do, and wandered around for a long time before his friends actually found him. The whole day, he was kept away from the village, and he got to relax and play at the beach for the first time in quite a while. The boy got to catch up with those friends, but his contentment dissipated a bit when Hohhe remarked how tired he looked, soon followed by many others who agreed. He could only touch his own face, unsure of how to react; he wasn't that tired… And yet, when no one was looking, he found a small bowl of clear, undisturbed water in the sand and looked at his reflection inside. He hadn't noticed the bags under his eyes until now… Maybe Sir Meta Knight was right; he may be over-exhausting himself with this training… Good thing he was here to relax then.

Relax… The thought of it sounded easy, but when he did try to just lay in the sand and do just that, there was always something at the back of his mind, nagging him to stay aware of his surroundings, like an annoying fly buzzing around his ears. He didn't really understand why it was so, but he figured it might be because he knew the party was coming and was just excited. All in all, the young Star Warrior did his best to enjoy his day of break, and when the time came, later this afternoon, Fumu came to find him and his friends, and they all guided him toward the fields that were usually used for annual celebrations. What he found there was absolutely breathtaking.

Food! Food as far as the eye could see – actually until the table ended -, food and drinks and treats and- stars. That cake! It reigned over everything in the middle of the table like the most glorious of all kings, a tall cake with three storeys of delicious yummyness, topped with strawberries and exactly fifteen unlit candles. Around the buffet was a whole wooden stage with decorations of all kinds and styles, paper lanterns hanging on invisible threads all around the field and a lovely huge banner that said 'Happy Birthday Kirby!' hanging above everyone's heads.

The whole village was present on and around the stage; as soon as the young Star Warrior and his friends showed up, the crowd cheered and filled the field with noise, and Kirby was beaming inside and outside so widely he didn't know where to look or who to smile at. There were so many people! All of them cheering and calling his name! So much joy all around him!

Yes, they were praising him, yes, they were chanting his name and calling him the hero, but it wasn't the praise Kirby was searching for. In the eyes of those he had known since he had first landed on this star, he could see far behind the praise and could see genuine joy, and most of all, pride; the villagers weren't as dumb as some of them seemed, they knew how hard he was working, and they knew he was deserving of this great party.

Before the lad could say anything, Fumu walked up to him, smiling like a sun as she always did, and she kindly took his hands in hers.

"Happy birthday, Kirby!" she told him warmly, making his smile shine even more. "What do you think? Impressive set-up, mh?"

"This is amazing!" Kirby laughed, gesturing his hand toward the stage and all the decorations. "You guys have been working on all of that?! I didn't see a single thing! You guys are great!"

All the cappies nearby then regrouped around him, and Kirby saw the mayor walk forward, holding a cup of wine up in the air and making everyone else do the same. After all this time, Kirby already knew what this was going to be about.

"Kirby," Mayor Len started, "you have been with us for fifteen years now. If you hadn't come here all those years ago, Pupu Village wouldn't have been the same, and I think everybody gathered here today can agree with that."

A wave of acclaims rose up from the crowd, proving the mayor right, and Kirby could only laugh at their enthusiasm, feeling strange at such a speech; the cappies rarely ever thanked him for his hard work, mostly because they thought he didn't need thanks. How odd it was for the mayor to come up with such a speech… not that he was complaining! It felt good to be appreciated sometimes!

"And so," the mayor continued, lifting his glass a little bit more in the air, "on this day of your fifteenth birthday, on behalf of all the inhabitants of Pupu Village and Dreamland, I thank you for everything, Kirby. And happy birthday to you! Cheers!"

His acclamation was answered by the crowd cheering and lifting their glasses up, and Kirby even heard poppers explode from all sides, making confettis rain on his head. The lad was so overwhelmed by all this attention, he could only smile and fidget around, not knowing what to answer while everyone praised him endlessly. He was even given a glass of juice so he could cheer with everyone else. What a great day this was!

The happy little lad was pulled into the crowd, and the party officially began when the music started; much to his delight, the crowd lead him right to the buffet; although he wasn't to touch the cake yet, he had access to the rest of it, and there was plenty more where it all came from. This was fantastic!

The party lasted for the rest of the day; Kirby met with friends that came from all over, he shared stories and laughs with all of them – and what was his surprise when even Dyno, Dyna Blade's chick, came to join them! Since the incident with the missing demon-beast, Dyno had been terrified to go down into the town, and to see the young bird now running around the place playing with Azure and a bunch of Kirby's animal friends, flapping his tiny wings, it was certainly a sight that brought warmth into the young warrior's heart.

Even King Dedede came down to the party, and though he was mostly here to partake in the buffet and make jokes about Kirby, he did wish the lad a happy birthday, something that made Kirby smile genuinely; how nice of him! Although he carefully watched the king, there didn't seem to be any sign of any tricks up his sleeve; he was just here to enjoy himself, as were his servants and even Escargon. Maybe nothing bad would happen this year; it would certainly feel good to enjoy a party to its fullest for once!

One thing, however, that Kirby noticed quite quickly, was the fact that Meta Knight was missing; he knew the knight didn't like to mingle in heavy crowds, but he would have expected to see him eventually during the party… He couldn't hide to himself that he felt rather sad about it, but at least Sword and Blade were there, and even Galacta Knight was celebrating with them, always lurking around Fumu and telling jokes and stories to entertain the crowd of curious cappies that always drank his words. That was already something, right? Besides, he was seeing Meta Knight everyday, what difference did it make…? Maybe all the difference, considering what day this was…

It was only later, when the sun had begun to slowly descend against the sky, that the lad finally heard the voice he wanted to hear all day.

"Happy seventy-eighth birthday, Kirby."

The boy whiped around, and a smile immediately appeared on his shining face at the sight of his teacher standing right there behind him; without hesitation, Kirby jumped against him to give him a tight hug, one that took the knight by surprise and made him slightly gasp out. Despite that there were more people around them than the knight preferred, Meta Knight still put a hand on his young pupil's head, chuckling lightly at the situation while he held himself up with a cane in his other hand. Excited about everything that was going on around them, Azure ran around the duo, barking and wagging his tail. They both ignored the silly comments echoing from around them and Kirby promptly let go of him to send him an inquisitive look, his heart palpitating.

"Did you just say seventy-eight?" he asked, to which Meta Knight answered with a nod, making him widen his eyes even more. "So wait, that's my real age?! But I thought you said you didn't know exactly! How come now you actually know?!"

Meta Knight's answer came with a heartfelt laugh, one that made Kirby puff his reddening cheeks:

"Aah, maybe I know, maybe I don't. Like I said, Kirby. After you open your present after the party, then I promise I shall keep no more secrets from you. I just supposed I could at least share your real age with you. I thought you'd appreciate this little detail."

"Of course I appreciate that!" Kirby exclaimed with a knowing laugh. "I've been wondering ever since I knew I was older than just fifteen! So you really promise, you won't keep anything secret from me anymore? Anything?"

"Anything," Meta Knight answered.

"So, if I were to ask a question, any question, you'd answer it honestly?" Kirby questioned, still baffled by such a promise.

Again, Meta Knight replied with a nod of his head, and said:

"I will answer to the best of my abilities, and as honestly as I can, that is my promise to you… Now, Kirby, there is something important I need to discuss with you. If you don't mind me taking you away from your party for a moment, please, come walk with me."

Meta Knight gestured him to follow and began to walk away, Azure right on his heels, and Kirby was so excited at the thought of a new secret that he immediately followed him. They walked away from the party, the music and the crowd, and when they came upon the beach, Kirby was surprised to find silence; it felt good to go away from the noise for a bit… They walked along the water's edge for some time, and as they went farther and farther away from the party, Meta Knight began to explain, while the playful little Wolfwrath was playing catch with the crabs that wandered around, keeping clear of the water's edge.

"You see, Kirby, there is something about our species that I feel is the right time to speak about. Something quite unique to us."

For a second there, Kirby was afraid he would be given The Talk, but what Meta Knight said next brought more interest than he first thought.

"Tell me, what do you think of Galacta Knight's wings?" he asked, much to his surprise.

Kirby didn't have to think too long to answer that; Galacta Knight never failed to amaze him every time he took off flying!

"They're awesome!" he answered. "Why do you ask?"

Meta Knight gave some sort of small chuckle, and he looked off into the distance, surveying the calm sea before them as its waves reached up to lick their feet.

"Once we reach a certain age, depending on our genes, Kiridans can grow wings. Surely you must have wondered about Galacta Knight's wings when you first saw him, as he is the only one of the remaining Kiridan knights to possess such a trait."

Kirby's eyes widened at this news; excuse me?! So anyone could grow a pair and fly? Why wasn't he told this sooner?!

"Wait, you're serious?" he asked in shock. "That's awesome! Am I gonna grow wings soon?"

"As I just said, it depends on your genes. The gene must be present in your family to have a chance at growing them. You see, Galacta Knight's mother, my aunt Uri, and our grand-mother Adel both had wings, so the chance of him growing wings was almost certain. My own parents did not have wings, so I am afraid I was unlucky."

"So," Kirby began, thinking about this carefully, "is there a way to know if I'll have some eventually?"

"There is a series of tests you can follow to know in advance, but you would have to go to the Agency to do them," Meta Knight answered. "Usually, young Kiridans grow their wings between seventy and a hundred years of age, so that is why I am telling you this right now. If you do have the gene, I wanted you to be prepared, because the process of growing wings is… shall we say, painful."

Kirby looked up at him, crossing his brows.

"What do you mean, painful?" he asked in a low voice.

"You see, a young Kiridan will start growing their wings inside their back; a good way of guessing that one will grow their pair soon is when they experience back pains on a regular basis. When the wings are ready, they… dig their way out using a small claw for this purpose, and the whole process is very sudden."

The young Kiridan gulped down, feeling his back itch at the thought of something tearing its way out of there like a nasty alien. This was horrible! If that was the process, he wasn't so sure he wanted wings after all…

"Well that sucks," was his blunt answer to all this, making his elder chuckle. "So… Sir Galacta Knight had to go through that?"

The knight nodded his head, saying:

"Yes. I was the only one around when his wings started coming out. He later said that it wasn't as bad as it looked, although I find that hard to believe. However, if it can relieve you… the pain is nothing next to the thrill of flight."

Kirby stopped walking when he noticed that he had halted as well, and he turned back. Azure was sitting next to his master, looking up at him with curious eyes as well, while Meta Knight only stared at the sea, his gaze lost in the light of the sun on the horizon.

"That is the only reason I wish you to grow your wings, Kirby," he spoke softly. "There is nothing quite like being up there, when the weather is nice and the breeze is fresh. You cannot even begin to imagine what it truly feels like, Kirby. Up there, you must be ever closer to the stars, ever closer to light… Up there, you are free…"

Kirby listened to the tired old knight intently, carefully dissecting each of his words, and through all the sounds coming out of his mouth, he could feel every drop of wonder and joy, as if he was privy to the feeling of flight, and though he wondered how he could know that, it made Kirby's mouth water at this fantasy dream. Now that he imagined himself, bearing wings, high against the clouds, with nothing but his own instincts and his own will unrelated to an ability to fly, it made him rethink his opinion. Meta Knight sure knew how to convince him.

As the thought inhabitated him, Kirby slowly felt himself drifting away; with a blink of his eyes, he faded away, and he was no longer on the beach, but high up there against a night sky. Stars shone all around him, and though he was surrounded by darkness, he was in a sea of light, and he didn't want to get out of it, so much so that everything became nothing more than just a show of light and dark dancing before him-

"Kirby! Are you okay?"

The Star Warrior suddenly blinked his eyes open; only to find himself staring at the sky above him. He was laying on his back in the sand, and his heart was palpitating wildly in his chest. He straightened himself up, but had to hold his head, as his sight began to spin in all directions. Azure was licking his hand incessantly, whining and groaning, but Kirby only looked back up when he felt Meta Knight's gloved hand on his head. When he lifted his head, Meta Knight leaned a bit forward to observe him closer, sliding his hand to his forehead as if to feel his temperature.

"Did… Did I faint?" Kirby asked, equally shocked.

"You suddenly fell over," came the calm answer. "I believe you should have something fresh to drink, perhaps it would help you. You are a bit feverish… Come, let us go back to the meadow. Can you stand?"

Kirby had to take a moment to recollect his thoughts. What was that just now? One second he was thinking about having wings, and then he was flying… but only in his head, somehow. But it felt so… real. How could it not be real? In that instant, he had grown wings that were always there and he had flown, high in the sky. Hadn't he? The young boy looked back up at his mentor, searching for a clear answer in his eyes; and, somehow, it felt like it was right there… His teacher's eyes were kind, they allowed him to take a deep breath and nod his head. He gladly took the hand that was given to him, and he stood back up, supporting himself on Azure, who went to sniff and lick his face in concern.

Once he was back on his feet, he didn't let go of Meta Knight's hand, and the knight did nothing to take it back. Thinking that he didn't mind, hoping that he didn't mind, Kirby kept holding his warm and kind hand as they turned back and left toward the party.

"How do you feel, son?"

Kirby blinked away from the train wreck of his thoughts and shook his head, trying to bring some sort of feeling to his face.

"Light-headed," he answered with a light groan. "Like I just took a big hit from Dedede's hammer… I think you're right, I might be working a bit too hard…"

"Another reason you should take it easy and rest," the knight answered him. "You may rest tomorrow as well, if you need to. I think I may need it too…"

Kirby became a bit downcast, and without him noticing, he began leaning a bit on his side, setting his head against the knight's arm.

Meta Knight's eyes moved over to the young'un, but he didn't say anything else. Instead, all he did, was give the ghost of a squeeze on his hand, trying to be reassuring toward his protégé…

"I wouldn't mind having wings," Kirby quietly said, his voice but a low whisper. "I like flying on my Warp Star, so it must feel similar…"

Under his mask, Meta Knight's face distorted into a ghostly smile, and he gave a light chuckle.

"I am sure you would love it," he answered.

"I'm a bit scared of them growing, though," the young warrior mumbled, to which the knight replied, much to his surprise:

"I believe I know enough about the subject that I could help. Would it make you feel more secure if I was there, if or when it happens?"

Kirby smiled, and he nodded his head.

"Definitely. You make me feel better just by being there, so I'm sure it'd help a lot. So I gotta watch for back pains, huh? I'll keep an eye out for that…"

Although they faded into a kind silence, the knight quietly cast his eyes on his student, as if touched by those words. Here he was starting to doubt, again… Perhaps he could stay a bi- No. He had already decided, and it would go this way no matter what.

They were only about halfway across the beach when Azure suddenly dashed and stopped in front of them, making them stop immediately. The small Wolfwrath was staring ahead, ears tall and tail raised, as if on high alert, when he began to growl; a deep, dark and creaky groan that reverberated from deep within the demon-beast's throat, making Kirby widen his eyes and call:

"Hey, what's wrong with you, Azure? Is something up, bud?"

But the demon-beast didn't even look back; with an angry bark, the wolf took off running across the beach in a hurry like a lightning bolt bouncing straight forward. Both Kirby and Meta Knight shared a look, and the knight waved his hand toward the wolf, saying quickly:

"I can't run like this, go after him and see what's wrong. I'll join you as quickly as I can. Go."

Kirby visibly hesitated at leaving him behind, but the young one obliged and took off running after the demon-beast, calling his name over and over again. However, as soon as Kirby was far enough away, Meta Knight allowed himself to bend forward, slowly falling on one knee as his breath was being taken away from him. His heart was palpitating, his sight was growing darker around the edges, and he couldn't focus on anything at all.

Why was he here? He should be gone already. The sun was already going down, he needed to prepare- But Kirby? And Azure? Something was happening, he couldn't do it yet. But his heart… Would it take the pressure…? He was already fading… His mind was already leaving him, replaced by something more primal, something he desperately tried to push back.

His medicine. He hadn't gotten his medicine yet. He needed it, now! With a heavy grunt, Meta Knight picked himself up from the sand and held himself against his cane, limping his way over to where the party was held; he could see it from here, this darkness, growing and growing, and Kirby was headed right into it. If he was quick enough, maybe he would be there in time…

---

"Azure! Come back here!"

Kirby ran as fast as his feet could carry him, shocked at how quick the small demon-beast was; by now he wasn't even following the demon, but rather his footprints in the sand. The young Star Warrior ran back toward the meadow where his party was held, thinking he would find it just as he had left it; but as soon as he laid his gaze on the field, he knew something was going down. He didn't really know how he knew; he just did, there was something… dark, down there… He quickly spotted Azure dashing through the crowd of cappies and he ran after him, surprised that people were actually making a way for him, as if expecting him to come over.

He was hearing strange noises, like groans and moans of pain, and the crowd lead him straight to the source; it was Dedede, who clearly was in visible pain. The large king was slouching on the ground, his back held by a group of pilled in Waddle Dees that were doing their best to hold him up, and he was moaning loudly in pain as Doctor Yabui examined him. Kirby found Azure crouched near Dedede, growling and barking at the penguin, making everyone around him unsure of what to do. An odd and heavy silence was cast upon the crowd, and many were whispering among themselves, creating a low rumour over the field. The young warrior ran up to them and grabbed Azure around his neck, trying to calm him down, saying:

"Azure! Don't do that, it's just Dedede. You know him, right? Stop that!"

But the young demon-beast wouldn't listen, and though he wasn't biting at Kirby for holding him, his claws were digging in the dirt under him, as if ready to pounce at the king, who just groaned loudly:

"Ugh, just shut up, ya stupid mutt! Can't you see I'm in pain over 'ere?"

"What's wrong?" Kirby asked, doing his best to hold Azure down.

"I believe it might be an indigestion," Yabui concluded, stepping away from the king, who yelled:

"Ain't no indigestion! Aaaye! I'm hurtin' like I just took a train in me guts! Yer a doctor, do somethin'!"

And the king started squirming on the ground again, hugging his arms around his body as if trying to pry something off of him, and the doctor – and everyone else around – was at a loss for what to do. While Escargon was complaining to the doctor about how incompetent he was, Kirby's mind started drifting off again as he stared at the pained monarch… There was no one else around him, not even Azure or the doctor, only him… and the ball of darkness in front of him. It was growing, it was impatient, lurching in every direction as if ready to burst, and it was calling him, over and over, a whisper as loud as an alarm yet as soft as a breeze, echoing not only in his ears, but also inside and around him… deep inside his pocket Universe, trying to reach in…

He blinked.

King Dedede… was now silent. Immobile.

He had stopped squirming, and was just sitting there, his head low, eyes dulled and blank. Kirby stepped a bit closer, something he knew he shouldn't do, and Azure began whining, stepping back with his tail between his legs.

"Kirby, don't come closer!"

The young Star Warrior turned his head as he was about to hold his hand out toward the king; Galacta Knight was coming their way, a concerned look about his face. He knew what was going on, that was for certain.

"…Kiiiirbyyyy…"

The lad's eyes widened; that voice… was nothing like King Dedede's. It was still his, but like a thousand him were speaking at once, something so eery and unnatural he felt a nasty shiver run up his spine. Kirby turned his head quickly, just in time to see the king suddenly leap toward him, uttering a war cry as he lifted his hammer high above his head. Kirby had just enough time and reflexes to jump back, just as the hammer was coming down, crashing into the ground where he once stood and causing everyone standing nearby to scream and run away. Kirby stepped back some more, heart palpitating as he yelled:

"Hey! What's the matter with you, Triple D?! I don't have a target on my face if you didn't notice!"

But his words fell on deaf ears, on many deaf ears, and the king looked up at him, eyes filled with a blazing fire that didn't come from him. Galacta Knight landed right in front of him, summoning a shield and his armour as if from thin air as he took a defensive stance before him. In a brief light that made Kirby blink, the knight was bearing all of his gear and stood ready to defend him.

"Watch it, lad!" the mercenary called out as he eyed the king carefully. "His Majesty's possessed by a group of Dark Matter, it's no use calling to him. Go and take refuge in town! I'll handle this."

Kirby's eyes widened and he backed away, soon finding Azure to cling on to as he stared at King Dedede in fear.

"D-Dark Matter?!" he repeated, baffled. "B-but how?! Where do they come from?"

"You'll have time for questions later, lad!" Galacta called back to him, slightly turning his head to shoot him an urgent glare. "Now do as you're told and go!"

But the moment the knight had turned his head, Kirby saw King Dedede lift his hammer once more, ready to hit the knight, making Kirby hold out his hand and call:

"Look out!"

Galacta Knight turned his head right in time to raise his shield, but the impact from the hammer was so strong it sent him flying off to the side in an instant. As soon as the knight was out of the way, King Dedede didn't waste any time and ran straight toward Kirby, who panicked for a split second before jumping out of the way of the hammer, pushing a scared Azure the other way. He had to duck again to dodge another hit, roll, jump, jump again, and King Dedede only got more and more energized the more he hit the air, as he was getting faster and faster and was swinging his mighty hammer with more and more anger and shouts.

Kirby was already out of breath; he had been tired enough before this unexpected fight, and he found himself huffing heavily as he did his best to dodge all the attacks, but here and there he could feel the hammer lightly brush a hand or a foot, and every time it did his heart skipped a beat and reverberated in his ears, reminding him that it wasn't King Dedede that was fighting, but the very beings that had searched far and wide across the galaxy for him. The Dark Matter! They were here! They had found him! In King Dedede's eyes, he could see the very eyes that used to laugh at him in his dreams and visions, and it scared him so much he didn't dare attack back. With what ability would he attack anyway? There was nothing to inhale here! And he certainly hadn't brought his training equipment to his birthday party!

Kirby growled.

Of course something awful had to happen during his birthday party! It was always the same! Stupid penguin!

He did his best to dodge everything, but eventually came a sudden hit from the side that impacted him right on the cheek, sending him waltzing away to the ground many feet away. Buried in the grass, his whole face was numb and his head was spinning in all directions, his ears blocked from everything going on. Was somebody calling his name? Or was it the villagers running away from the meadow, screaming things he didn't understand? His face hurt so much…

When he managed to lift his face from the ground, the first thing he saw was something truly disturbing; King Dedede, standing before him, hammer up and ready to slam, eyes nothing but a black abyss, and a mouth on his stomach. A gaping maw filled with nasty teeth of darkness, opening and closing as it laughed wholeheartedly, cackles that sounded like someone running their nails on a blackboard. Kirby watched the hammer with widening eyes, his heart stopping as he awaited that fateful hit-

Suddenly, a small shadow leaped over him and slammed into the King, swinging its metal boot right into the sensitive mouth on his belly. The king staggered and backed away, dropping his hammer as he wailed in pain, and Kirby watched the shadow land in front of him with wide eyes.

Meta Knight!

He wanted to call the knight but barely had time as he saw him ready a glowing Galaxia in a shaking hand, and Kirby found that his voice had completely left him. There was… something odd coming from his teacher… Something… dark… Something… akin… to the darkness emanating from King Dedede…

Before Meta Knight could spring into action once more, however, Galacta Knight suddenly leaped on the king from behind, opening a way as King Dedede raised his arms to try and grab the knight, and it was only then that Meta Knight held Galaxia in both hands and leaped forward.

In one swift and elegant move, the knight swung his glowing sword at the king, seemingly slicing right through the penguin, who suddenly opened his beak in a silent scream. There was no blood; no scratch; no slice, nothing… There was a bright flicker of light on the king's belly as the mouth suddenly screeched deafening screams and dissolved back into nothingness, dissipating back into the king's belly. King Dedede immediately lost all balance and fell over with a heavy thud, forcing Galacta to jump off with a grunt.

For the first time since the start of the short fight, a calm silence filled the field, making the hiding villagers poke their heads out of their hiding spots, sending cautious and fearful gazes at the unconscious king. Still sprawled on the ground, Kirby heaved a deep sigh. Finally it was over… What a horrible sight this had been! He never would have thought the Dark Matter could change and morph someone in such a way… A dull pain was spreading from his cheek, and Kirby rubbed it as he sat up in the grass, trying to numb the itching. The villagers were coming out of hiding now, curiously approaching to see what was going on, but Kirby didn't care; in front of him, he saw Meta Knight hunch forward, coughing, and dread immediately filled the young warrior.

Without paying any attention to anything else, Kirby hurried to his feet and ran to his elder, just in time to keep him from falling over by grabbing his arm. Meta Knight's hand was in front of his visor, and Kirby briefly saw splotches of red staining the glove before he focussed on his eyes; they were… flickering between a range of colours varying between golden, orange and red, a mix of colours that made Kirby's heart palpitate suddenly.

"Meta Knight, are you okay?" he asked his elder, making a few others nearby turn to them.

Galacta Knight, who had been kneeling next to the unconscious king to observe his case closer, saw what was happening with his cousin, and with one flap of his wings he was standing close, asking urgently:

"Meta, did you take your goddamned medicine?"

The knight's answer… was a shake of the head.

"N… Not yet…"

Kirby felt a pinch on his heart when he heard those words; he sounded so… weak… His illness was getting worse by the minute. Was it… because of the Dark Matter? Were they the ones responsible for this? Galacta Knight quickly turned to Sword and Blade, who were standing nearby, and barked:

"What're y'all waiting for, go get his medicine now! And make it quick!"

With surprised gasps, the distraught knights only briefly hesitated before running off, without any words. Kirby looked back to Meta Knight when he felt the knight's hand on top of his own, and he met with his gaze; dim, yet softly glowing golden eyes that looked… relieved.

"Are you hurt, Kirby?"

As a reflex, the youngster quickly shook his head, placing his other hand on top of his numb cheek, saying:

"I'm fine, it's nothing. H-how did those Dark Matter get here?"

When he asked, Galacta Knight stepped a bit closer, intent too on hearing an answer to this question. Meta Knight gave a deep sigh, shaking his head as he replied in a low voice:

"I… failed. My duty was to make sure that the Dark Matter wouldn't find you, but it appears that they were hiding here unbeknownst to us. I know not how long they have been hiding in His Majesty, but we should count ourselves lucky that they chose him as a host. He may be a strong opponent, but His Majesty is relatively harmless and hardly has any ill intent. Remember, the Dark Matter get stronger the darker and more powerful one's soul is…"

After he finished speaking, he had to lower his head again as a coughing fit took over him once more, making Kirby rub his back while he waited for it to finish. Galacta Knight scoffed:

"I knew I should've paid more attention to this giant penguin…"

Before anyone else could add more, Kirby felt something crawl up his spine and he turned his head. King Dedede was still lying on the ground, unconscious, but the Waddle Dees that had surrounded him were now backing away, squeaking in fear as an ominous dark mist emanated from the large penguin.

Then, the shadows began to rise above the king, and suddenly numerous small black masses erupted out of the penguin, shooting high into the sky before skydiving straight toward them like missiles; their bright crimson eyes were nothing but blurs as they shrieked like infinite banshees. Everything that followed happened in a second's time.

The villagers screamed and began to run to hide again.

Galacta Knight flared his wings and made a step toward the others to shield them.

Fumu and Bun called out to Kirby and made a move to go to him.

Kirby's heart screamed; and he spun around Meta Knight to stand in front of him, raising his arms to the sides – a small and solid shield.

The cloud of Dark Matter came right upon him, and all of a sudden, Kirby was falling backward into infinity, into a world that dissipated into nothing but darkness.

With his own cries echoed his name, spoken in a voice that reverberated into all the dimensions.

"Kirby!"

---

Darkness.

It was all he knew; it was all he was.

He was alone, floating in this thick nothingness, himself nothing but an empty husk. His mind was naught but dust, his body a weightless feather. Barely shifting when a whisper came into him, like a worm wriggling its way in his insides, making him awfully aware of its presence.

The words from the shadows were kind; gentle; they were merciful. They were promising a perfect world.

We will give you everything.

They were promising him the secrets of the Universe.

There will be no more secrets from anyone. You will know everything.

You will be everything.

The world around him shifted, and he was allowed a glimpse at something else; vast fields of green under a bright sun, with all of his friends in sight, all waving and calling to him, repeating his name and telling him how they loved him. Despite there being a sun, the sky was filled with thousands of bright, glowing stars upon a blanket of colourful matter, with galaxies, constellations and nebulas as far as the eye that lusted for wonder could see.

We will show you everything you want to see; even that which cannot be seen.

"Kirby."

He turned away from the wonders and faced a masked visage that he had longed to see for a long time. He smiled brightly and jumped into his arms, giving the elder a warm, cuddly hug. A gloved hand gently rubbed his head, and his voice was a kind melody that sang soothing lullabies into the dust of his mind.

"I am very proud of you, son. Do you like it here?"

With no mind to think, he nodded his head, tightening his grip on the knight as if he was afraid he would fade away.

"You may rest here, if you like. You worked so hard, you must be so exhausted."

As he drifted and dissolved into the warmth of the embrace, the lost child heard soft whispers once more, but they were different. It was a deep, rumbly voice, unknown yet so familiar, like he had never heard it but had listened for it for all of these years. It was singing in a tongue he didn't know, in a tone so low he had to hold his breath to listen to the unknown words. The voice… was speaking of times past, of lost legends and tales, of stars and life. He felt like he had heard those notes somewhere before… not so long ago…

"Do you want to stay here, my boy?" his guardian asked him, to which he smiled and nodded his head eagerly.

"Yes! I…! I love it here…"

"Then open your heart to me, Kirby. You can stay here, with me, forever. Is this not what you want?"

He was being pulled further into the warmth of the embrace, and he was nothing but a mass of numbness with no feeling of anything other than the arms he craved for, giving him all the love he had searched for.

"Yes," he answered in a dreamy tone. "Yes, I want to stay here… always…"

"Then close your eyes, boy, and let yourself go…"

"Kirby!"

Suddenly, the boy was pulled out of his dream and his eyes were forced to open, as if pulled apart by an unknown force; in front of him, Meta Knight grasped him by the arms, eyes glowing as brightly as he forced the boy to look at him, two lighthouses in the darkness of his empty mind.

"Kirby, focus! This is not real!"

Screams suddenly erupted all around them, so loud that Kirby flinched and brought his hands to his ears. Shadows and unseen forms began spiralling around them, screaming and screeching like ghosts, and though terribly afraid, Kirby was tempted to look at them, but Meta Knight's hand brought his face back in front, making him look at him.

"Focus! This world is an illusion, it doesn't exist. Listen to me, Kirby!"

Kirby stared deeply into the knight's eyes, so much so that their glowing irises were all he could see, and his voice was a wall between the shadowy screams and them, making this tiny world theirs and theirs only.

In those eyes, Kirby saw… everything. Everything opened to him, like a book suddenly unlocked and he was privy to all of its secret contents… and what he saw, he couldn't believe…

"Am… Am I dead…?" Kirby asked, feeling the dust of his mind spiral around and reform itself as it should be. "There was the Dark Matter, they… They were after you… And I… You… You are… You are the-"

"You shielded me," Meta Knight finished, his gaze taking on a softer glow. "And I am forever grateful to you for that gesture, but I cannot risk loosing you to those shadows. Hang on tight, Kirby. I will save you from this darkness. Such is my purpose."

"No, wait!"

But Kirby was too late; with a blink of his eye, Meta Knight was naught but a shadow that morphed away from him, leaving him alone in a world blacker than ink. The shadows with a thousand eyes were spiralling around him, screeching in fury and pain; everything spun so much that Kirby no longer knew where he was, no longer knew what he was.

He was light; a dim light that couldn't glow in such dense darkness, a small faint flame that a single breeze could snuff out in an instant, a tiny flicker of fragile life. And then, the spinning stopped. The screams ceased, the voices went silent. And Kirby was suddenly hit with such harsh loneliness, he felt his heart waver and shake as his own voice vanished.

He was alone.

Meta Knight was gone; and so were the Dark Matter…

But… why was he still here…? Why did he feel so… sad…?

Why did everything hurt so much, inside and outside, everywhere, all the time?

Time stood completely still.

One minute.

One hour.

One day.

One year.

It was all the same, indefinitely, and he floated and cried silently in this empty darkness, alone, for so, so long…

It took him years to push away the tears and the cork blocking his throat. His voice felt like it didn't belong to him.

"Is anybody there?"

Suddenly, a gasp, hidden in the darkness. Silence, for a moment that felt like an eternity, and then a new voice; one he felt like he had heard once before. A young, high-pitched voice, one that had the capacity to be light-hearted and kind, but was low and cautious, reeking of a deep, hidden sadness.

"Who… Who's there?" the voice said in a foreign accent, echoing from nothing, reverberating in nothing and duplicating in nothing.

"I can't see you," Kirby responded, swallowing whatever sorrow was blocking his throat. "Where are you? What's your name?"

"I'm not telling you my name," the voice answered in a severely cautious tone that was quickly filled with a familiar sorrow. "No one cares about my name, anyway. No one cares about me… I can't see you either. I'm… lost…"

"I care about your name," the boy answered, trying not to let this sad voice bring him back down into the maws of sorrow. "Mine's Kirby. I… I think I'm lost too… H-how did you get-"

But before the question could finish forming itself on his tongue, he felt himself being pulled back, and he was falling once more, endlessly, screaming silent screams and calling silent calls to whoever was left to hear them in this infinite darkness.

He fell for what felt like an eternity that spread over the fraction of a second; in the end, what could have happened in a thousand years vanished in an instant. Suddenly, a world formed around him as if he was falling right into an aquarium and he fell on the hard ground with a thud. With a heavy grunt, Kirby raised his head, scratching his forehead, and was surprised to see he was laying in grass.

"Kirby! Kirby!"

"Hold him still! Sword, get that medicine over, Meta Knight's dyin' over here!"

"Stop yelling in my ear, I'm not dying…"

Kirby turned around, shocked to hear his name being called with such distress, but what he found shocked him even more. Everyone – Fumu, Bun, Azure, Meta Knight, Galacta Knight, Sword, Blade and even the villagers who were keeping their distance – were surrounding… him. He saw himself; he was laying in the grass, shaking and struggling, screaming even as Bun and Blade were doing their best to hold him down. The sounds coming out of his mouth were inhumane; gurgles and screeches not just by his own voice, but by many others, reverberating over each other endlessly. Azure was barking, as if attempting to drown the sounds his young master was making, and his tail was tucked in between his legs as he was scared of what darkness stood in front of him. Kirby couldn't believe his eyes.

Why… was he laying there, while he was standing over here?

"Uhm," he mumbled at first, finding it hard to muster any strength to his voice, "guys? I'm here! Guys!"

But no one responded to his calls, and when he stepped closer, it was as if none of them could see him. Confused and distraught, the scared young one looked at each of their faces, trying to find comfort or proof that this wasn't real, but when he looked at Meta Knight, he realized that this was, indeed, all too real. His mentor was standing at his side, with one hand touching his forehead while the body under his shaking palm struggled violently, and the knight's eyes were closed tightly. Meta Knight grunted when Sword came to his side and inserted a needle in his arm, injecting an unknown liquid which Kirby could only guess was the medicine he had to take everyday, and the knight appeared to calm a bit.

Kirby stepped a bit closer to the knight. What… was he doing? Was this why… he had seen him, in the dreamscape the Dark Matter had made for him? Was this why he had been able to escape their infinite grasps? But how? And why was he here, unseen by anybody?!

"Guys!" he called again, feeling more and more distressed as he backed away from the horrific scene, unable to comprehend what was truly happening. "Guys, I'm right here! Please, look at me!"

But, once again, no one answered, and Kirby couldn't help but let out a long-held sob; he hiccuped, trying to breathe in to keep calm, but wasn't able to. Just like in the darkness, he was alone… completely alone…

"Kirby."

He gasped; that voice sounded so close to his ear! He whipped around, but found no one, and when he continued spinning with no luck, the unknown voice continued speaking to him.

"Can you hear me, Kirby?"

"Uh," he hesitated, clearly confused by such strange events. "Y-yeah… W-who are you? Where are you? Are you that voice from earlier in the darkness?"

The new voice reverberated around him, inside him, and Kirby looked at the sky as he listened, watching the sun as it was going down on the horizon. The voice was male, calm and collected, gentle and kind… and, somewhat, familiar…

"I am an old friend that you have yet to meet. Have no fear, Kirby, you are safe here, thanks to Meta Knight. His efforts in driving out the Dark Matter from your body are successful, but you must listen carefully. His life is on the line. Surely, by now, you understood what he is, and what he has been for the last three months."

Kirby looked down, and stared back at the scene before him; from where he stood, he could stare at Meta Knight's back, and as he looked intently… he could distinguish something, moving slightly in spasms underneath his cape… like worms wriggling under a skin… He gulped his sorrow down and nodded his head. From however brief they had connected earlier, it had been enough for him to know.

"He's… He's the demon-beast… He's the one who attacked Dyno, and he's the one we've been looking for… All this time, he was right there… and he didn't say a word…"

Somehow, he wasn't even surprised; it did explain some things in his behaviour he had found a bit odd, and perhaps it explained his sickness, or some part of it. Although he wasn't surprised, Kirby certainly felt one thing, heavily weighting on his tiny heart; betrayal. Why hadn't he told him…? Didn't he… trust him…?

"You are correct," the ethereal voice continued speaking in his ears. "He has done everything possible to hide it for all this time, but there must come a time when even the body cannot follow the will of the mind, and that time has come. Listen well, Kirby. The laws that bind me do not allow me to tell you everything, but I can guide you. When you will be freed from the Dark Matter, you will wake, and from the moment you do, you will have but one goal. Find the person to whom you spoke in the darkness. That person is lost, and if help doesn't come for them, many will pay the price. This, Kirby, is your only goal. Do you understand me?"

"But, who is that person?" Kirby asked, confused as he raised his eyes to the sky again. "And how can I find them if they're lost? I don't even know how I got there in the first place! And I still don't know if I can trust you!"

To his surprise, the voice chuckled; a nice sound, he had to admit, that flew nicely through his head.

"You will in time, young Star Warrior. You have the power to save those who are lost, and on the way, you might very well save many more."

Kirby was about to answer to this cryptic message when he heard a most horrible scream echo above his own thoughts, and he had to look down again; his own body was squirming and struggling violently as he trashed about, even more so than before, and suddenly, he saw Meta Knight lift his other arm in the opposite direction. From his open hand, a plume of dark smoke suddenly shot out of his palm, and the ball of darkness screeched as it dissolved before their very eyes. The villagers who were surrounding the area screamed when it appeared and disappeared, and they panicked more when even more Dark Matter shot out of the knight's hand. Kirby couldn't look away.

"What… What is he doing?" he asked in a weak voice, flinching when he saw Meta Knight struggle to hold his arm up. "He's hurting himself! I gotta make him stop!"

"Meta Knight," the voice spoke once more, "is a Star Warrior with many hidden powers. Right now, he is using them to channel the Dark Matter that are hosting your body through his own, so he can destroy them without harming you. It is a painful process, but one that works, and one he has done more than once in the past. However, in his weakened state…"

Already ten Dark Matter had shot out of his palm, and just as an eleventh one dissipated in the air, Meta Knight found himself completely out of breath, and his arm became limp. Kirby saw that his own body had calmed down; he was no longer screaming and struggling, and already he could feel himself become lighter and lighter. He looked down at his hands, and saw that he was becoming transparent, like he was starting to fade away. Quickly, he looked up at the sky and asked:

"Wait! Who are you? Just give me your name!"

The voice rewarded him with another chuckle, and that one sounded so familiar, Kirby could swear he had heard the very same a long, long time ago…

"My name is Vei. We shall meet once again one day, Kirby, face to face, and by then, everything will be made clear to you. Good luck, Kirby of the Stars. Hard times are coming your way… but you will pull through. I just know it."

And then, Vei's voice became naught but an echo that reverberated in his mind again and again, and the world filled with nothing but white and warm light. Kirby felt himself being quietly pulled up into the sky as all weights lifted off of his ethereal body… and then nothing.

---

He could hear nothing.

He could see nothing.

He could feel nothing.

His was a world of infinite nothingness, a heavy burden to bear for such small shoulders, for such weak yet pure a soul.

"…kirby…!..."

"…give 'em space, let 'em breathe, c'mon, shoo!…"

Without his consent, his eyelids slightly parted, only to close once more. The light was so bright! Had he spent this much time in the darkness to be this sensitive to this familiar plane? Everything was a blur, everything was heavy, everything was hurting…

"He's waking up…!"

"Sir Meta Knight, are you alright?"

A series of coughs, all too familiar, all too harsh…

"Yes… Just… Someone bring me water, please…"

That voice… Somehow, Kirby didn't know whether he wanted to hear it or not. Something in this voice… was now gone. Perhaps it couldn't go past the ruins of the wall that stood between them like a barrier that couldn't be taken down, perhaps it couldn't filter through the cracks, it couldn't reach him. Something in this voice was lost; or, perhaps, he was the lost one…

His eyes attempted to open again, this time with some more success; his eyelids opened to the world he cherished, but when he tried to slide his arms under him to straighten up, and he laid his gaze on this land of dreams… he found he had no feelings for it. Not even joy, not even sadness; just… nothing. Kirby lifted an empty gaze at those who cared for him, and they all smiled upon seeing that he was awake, they all acclaimed him, they all praised him, but he had done nothing, and he knew it. All he did, was stand in front of a force he was not ready to face yet. He was too weak, it was too soon, and now more than ever, Kirby was realizing it; he was weak.

He looked up at the man that sat a short distance in front of him; Meta Knight was slouched on the ground, still trying to catch his breath. A kind cappy arrived with a plastic cup filled with water she had salvaged from the ruined party tables, and the knight thanked her, but when he looked back in front of him and both of them met gazes, something inside Kirby exploded. Tears welled up in his eyes like a pool filling up, but the reservoir didn't flood, and his insides suddenly tensed up, like something was pulling everything back. Kirby had saved him; and this man had saved him back. Once again, Meta Knight should be the one to receive the praises that showered onto him; but the knight's tired eyes smiled a smile that spoke a thousand words. He was relieved. So was Kirby.

The strange little something that was inside Kirby suddenly pushed him to his feet, and despite the complaints from those around him, he sprang forward toward this blessed man – the one he had chosen to be his father – and buried his face in his arms, holding back his sobs as he hugged the daylights out of him. Meta Knight was surprised at such vigor at first, and though he clearly hesitated in front of all of these people, he quickly relaxed, and with a deep and exhausted sigh, he put a comforting hand on the youth's back.

For a very short moment, they sat in silence, content… until the harsh realization dawned on Kirby. With eyes wide open, the young Kiridan suddenly pushed himself out of the embrace, surprising not only the one he was hugging but everyone else around them, as his harsh movements were quite uncharacteristic. Kirby backed away from the knight, blinking eyes that could see nothing else but the truth. He was looking at a knight, but he was looking at something else, hidden beneath the mask and the cape and the armour, something primal, something that shouldn't be there but had been there all along. Meta Knight looked at him, looking concerned with his behaviour, and asked in a hoarse voice:

"Kirby, are you feeling alright?"

But the boy could do nothing but step away from him, from the darkness he was hiding and harvesting, and it was only when someone touched his arm that he quickly turned his head to Fumu with a surprised gasp. Fumu appeared terribly worried, and she asked, in the same tone as Meta Knight:

"Kirby, what's the matter? Why are you acting like that, it's just Meta Knight. Are you okay?"

"Lad, you should sit down," he heard from the other side, making him whip his head to Galacta Knight, who appeared to him like a horned devil. "You're still shaken up, and getting back from a Dark Matter possession will take time. Sit down, it's alright."

But Kirby would hear none of that, he pushed Fumu's hand away from him and looked back at Meta Knight, feeling something horrible grow in him, something dark and sad and so, so heavy it dragged him down into the mud as he stuttered:

"Y-You…! You're the demon-beast!"

There were gasps all around, and all eyes turned to Meta Knight, who remained sitting on the ground, motionless even as Kirby exclaimed:

"It-it was you all along! For three months it's been you! You've been acting like you knew nothing of it, but all along you were lying! All of you! All liars!"

He spun around, darting his judgemental and dark oceanic eyes on Sword, Blade, Galacta Knight, and even Bun, to whom he yelled, in a voice that broke in a thousand shards:

"You lied to me! You told me you didn't find it, but you were in on that lie all this time, you stupid jerk!"

"Kirby," Bun didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to react, he was stuttering and looking at Sword and Blade for directions.

"It was for your own good, Kirby," Sword then said, making him turn to the stoic knight. "We were ordered to keep quiet, for your own good."

"My own good?!" Kirby repeated, louder, taking a step forward. "This is bullshit! I could have helped! And you decided to push me away!"

He turned to Galacta Knight and pointed a hand toward him, startling him slightly.

"You knew it too! All this time, you were here to hunt him down and you did nothing! You're just like all the others! A bunch of liars!"

Without waiting for a response, without listening to the little voice screaming at him to stop in his head, without controlling any of his words and any of his movements, he turned back to Meta Knight, who hadn't moved an inch, and emptied his heart like a full bucket suddenly tipping over.

"Why didn't you tell me!" he yelled as loud as his poor lungs could in a voice that didn't belong to him. "I trusted you! Don't you trust me?! After all this time?! You told me you'd stop keeping secrets from me! I don't care about that stupid present of yours anymore, I want answers now! Tell me, Meta Knight! Why won't you trust me?!"

"Kirby," Meta Knight said in a heavy voice, "you must calm down. You are still under the effect of the Dark Matter, you are not-"

"Don't you fucking dare change the subject!" the young man cut him off briskly, taking everyone by surprise with such foul language. "Answer me!"

The knight heaved a sigh, and in the silence that followed, all eyes turned to him. For a moment, he didn't move, as if he was thinking. He opened his eyes, eyes that suddenly grew hard as steel and as unreadable as a locked book. With a grunt, he took his cane in hand and stood up, lifting his hand to stop Sword and Blade when they made a move to help him, and he stood as tall as he could, looking down at Kirby with eyes that dug right through the youth's unexplained anger, right down to the shivering soul hiding underneath. He said, with a clear voice:

"You are right. Three months ago, I drank a poison that was meant for you, and I became infected with a serum that forces me to act like a mindless demon. It is true, that night, I prowled the town and destroyed everything, and even hurt your friend. That night, I feasted on fear, and that primal side of me thoroughly enjoyed it."

He made a brief pause, during which a loud rumour spread across the crowd, which stepped away from the knight, cowering in fear, but Kirby didn't move an inch; that nasty burning something in him was clawing away at his chest, it was impossible to hold it in, he wanted to punch him so badly it ached.

"You are right," the knight continued in the same, clear and loud voice. "I deliberately lied to you, so you wouldn't try to find out what had happened. So you wouldn't step away from your training. I saw no reason why you should bother yourself with this, and I still stand by this opinion today. There is no reason why me being the demon-beast should make you stray from your training, nor should it matter. I… am in complete control of it now."

His eyes grew piercing, and for a short instant, Kirby saw a red drop flash in his bright irises, forcing the little something to cower in fear at the mere sight of that crimson blood.

"Now," he spoke harshly. "Sit. Down."

Kirby wanted to sit; he wanted to just fall down and never stand again; he wanted to curl up into a ball and let all of his fears get washed away by the rising tide; but that nasty little something in him cackled and growled:

"No. I'm not gonna listen to a liar like you anymore! I hate you! I-I ha-…!"

Suddenly, a weight appeared in his chest and shoved forward against his insides, making him lurch forward with a sharp gasp. Darkness ate away at the edges of his vision, forcing him to close his eyes, but even in the safety of his empty mind… an eye stared back at him. Crimson. Burning. Laughing. It was at this moment, that Kirby realized his mistake.

And what a grave mistake he had made.

Hahahahahaha!

He had let it-

Hahahahahahahahaha!

He had allowed it-

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

He had given it full access to all of his fears and worries, all of his misconceptions, all of his questions, and it had turned it all around. He had made a terrible mistake, the most terrible mistake of all, and now he and Meta Knight would both pay the price.

"Kirby!"

He forced his eyes to open, and cascades of tears flew down his cheeks as he raised his defeated head to Meta Knight; the kind knight was holding his arms, keeping him locked in place, and was looking deep into his eyes, searching for that one eye that had evaded him… and he found it too late.

"Everybody, run! Now!" he called out to all around them, but he was too late.

Suddenly, without warning, darkness consumed Kirby whole and the boy lost consciousness. His frail body violently expelled a large drop of darkness that had but a short distance to go to reach its fated destination; it shot right into Meta Knight, who was too weak to evade, and a sudden shock wave quickly sent both Kirby and Meta Knight flying opposite ways. Kirby limply fell into the arms of Fumu and Bun and the scared villagers, while Meta Knight was sent much farther back, crashing into the ruins of Kirby's birthday party. Sword, Blade and Galacta Knight all ran over to him and called him, but alas; Meta Knight was lost…

"Kirby!" Fumu called to her little brother, only to find him completely unresponsive. "Kirby! What happened?!"

"Crap!" Bun swore as he opened one of Kirby's eyelids to look at his blank stare. "There was one last of them in him! No wonder he was acting like that!"

Both of them looked up toward the ruins of the party while the villagers around them were panicking and spreading out, asking muted questions that flew way past their ears. They watched helplessly and nervously as the three knights gathered around the limp form of Meta Knight, and as soon as Sword and Galacta Knight lifted the remains of a table from on top of him, Blade dove right in to see to his lord's well-being, but to their surprise, Meta Knight immediately raised an arm and pushed the young knight away, forcing the other two to remain at a distance. Meta Knight's breathing was heavy, erratic, he was trying to get up but couldn't, something was wriggling wildly under his cape and they could see claws and skin flashing between the folds of the fabric. After observing him for a short moment, Galacta Knight quickly raised his eyes toward the watching crowd and hollered with a sharp wave of his arm:

"Everyone, go! Go to the village and take shelter! Now!"

It didn't take another order for the villagers to start running, screaming and yelling in fear of what may happen, but Fumu and Bun both stayed there a moment longer, with Kirby still limp and unconscious in their arms.

"Bun!" Sword called out, immediately getting the youth's attention. "Take Kirby to town! We'll take care of things here! Go!"

Swallowing down whatever anguish was blocking his throat, Bun gave a solid nod of his head and quickly gathered Kirby in his arms, taking his sister's hand to help her up. Without question, they both turned around and ran off, despite Fumu casting one last glance back, one last fearful and hopeful glance; this would end badly, she just knew it…

The only one that remained behind despite all of the panic, was Azure. The young demon-beast ran over to his master, barking loudly as he stuffed his face in his to make sure he was alright. Meta Knight, who was still lying on the ground, briefly met gazes with the wolf; the knight's eyes flashed a bright red, and Azure's eyes mimicked their colour in an instant. Meta Knight's shaky hand raised itself from the grass he had been grasping, and as tenderly as he could, he petted his wolf on the muzzle, never once breaking eye contact.

"Azure," he spoke with a broken voice he was clearly struggling to hold still, "listen t-to me-e. G-go to Kirby, and protect him. Unt-t-til I say otherwise, p-protect Kirby with all your might. N-no matter how long it takes me to come back… protect him. U-unders-t-tood?"

Azure had understood everything. With a blink of his tall eyes, the Wolfwrath answered with a nod of his head and a tiny whine. Meta Knight petted him a bit more, before the shaking took over his arm and forced him to grasp the grass under him, grunting in pain as a violent spasm took over him.

"G-good boy… Now go!"

Although he seemed to hesitate at first, Azure raised his head and backed away, his tail tucking itself between his legs. Seeing his master in such pain was hard for the little pup, but listening to his orders came before all of his feelings. With a tiny howl, Azure bounced away and ran off as fast as he could toward the town, tracking down Kirby's heat signal; he did not look back.

---

"The serum isn't working, Blade! He's turning again!"

"Do we need a bigger dose?! I-I don't have the time to make more, that's all we got!"

"We gotta do something! Will a placebo work?"

"I don't know!"

Sword and Blade were starting to panic, and Galacta Knight had nothing to tell them to calm them down. He never was the better speaker to bring peace to soldiers' minds, that was Arthur's job. When the mercenary saw his cousin whrite on the ground in agony, he quickly acted; he grabbed his cousin by the arms and lifted him up to hold him tight in his arms, but all Meta Knight did was groan louder and try and kick his legs.

"Meta!" Galacta called to him, receiving an animal-esque growl as an answer. "Meta, listen to me! Look at me, Meta! Hey!"

He could see, in the fading light of his eyes, that he was already loosing his way and could not see, and it made him hug his little cousin even tighter. Under his arms in his back, he could feel them wriggling, like alien worms ready to burst out…

"I know it hurts, Meta, but remember!" he told his brother in his ear above his grunts and growls. "Remember the good times, Meta. Remember when we pranked your dad and had him believe you turned into a sheep? He actually believed it! Remember how much fun we had! And when you first found Jecra, you loved the little guy immediately! Remember Jecra?"

Meta Knight growled a deep and guttural groan that seemed to echo forever, as if it didn't come from this world, and his shaking grew even more. The words that came out of his mouth were seething with countless emotions, so many that one couldn't tell what they were. Joy? Anger? Sadness? Confusion? Or all of them at once?

"Y-You… Y-You weren't there…"

Galacta held his breath; two voices were speaking. Meta's. And the Dark Matter's. One and the same, combined to create a voice darker even than Nightmare himself…

"W-While we were b-being massacred…"

Galacta suddenly felt the knight in his arms tense up, and a force began to push his arms away, as if trying to free itself from his embrace, but the mercenary held on as solidly as he could, he held on to Meta Knight's flickering flame as long as he could, he wouldn't see it fade just yet!

"Y-You… were gone… You ran away… You…"

The voices were interrupted by what sounded like a hiccup; and then, a growing beast-like growl that came from deep within resounded in the air.

"You abandoned me!"

Suddenly, another shock wave brutally threw all three knights away from the possessed Kiridan, who shrieked a most terrible beast-like scream that echoed far beyond the hills and meadows and silenced the world itself and reduced it to muted ashes. With a grunt, Galacta jumped back to his feet; the knight was holding his head and was struggling to even stay still. A dark smoke was starting to leak out of his body, surrounding him in a thick aura that seemed to almost take control of his arms and legs, making him waddle forward and backward as he screamed and gurgled in pain.

And then, in one swift movement, he turned to Galacta Knight; his eyes were bloodshot, bright crimson pools of anger and hate, all fuelled by years of silence. With a deep beastly growl, the knight lowered himself to the ground, where his hands clenched the grass, and then, they appeared.

In one move, his cape lifted itself and morphed and transformed into two, large, draconic wings that stretched high above him and flared like two separate beasts hissing at their prey. Completely taken over by his primal instincts, Meta Knight hissed at Galacta Knight, but before he could pounce at him, both Sword and Blade jumped on their lost lord, taking him by surprise as he was pinned to the ground.

The struggle for power was brief; before they could get a hold of them, his wings suddenly pushed both knights off of him, and Meta Knight mindlessly leaped toward Galacta Knight, his only target. With a quick flap of his wings, Galacta evaded the attack, but as Meta Knight crashed into the ground and shrieked again in anger, Galacta was presented with a long, perfect second to strike back… but he didn't.

He couldn't attack him. He would never be able to.

Galacta jumped back and back again, evading Meta Knight's quickest attacks at the last possible moment, and he knew he couldn't go on like this forever. When the time came, they both leaped at each other, and the mercenary immediately threw his shield right into Meta Knight's mask, sending the demon-beast crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. Galacta Knight flew back down to Sword and Blade, keeping his sights set on Meta Knight's already recovering form.

"What's the plan, lads, and make it quick!" he hollered to Sword and Blade, who both hesitated before speaking up.

"We have these," Sword replied immediately as he raised a much smaller syringe containing a different liquid than the previous medicine. "They're for emergencies, but if we can get him with both, it should calm him down enough to think of another tactic."

"We just have to hold him still long enough," Blade finished, making Galacta grunt and shake his head.

"This is gonna be rough," he mumbled to himself, watching dreadfully as his possessed cousin rolled in the ashen grass, holding his face as he shrieked horrible words in their native tongue.

Meta Knight quickly shook his head and raised himself on all fours, flapping his wings angrily as he spun around, mindlessly searching for his prey. When he turned to the three of them, his eyes flashed brightly, but only for a brief second; suddenly, it seemed as though those eyes were flickering in and out, and Meta Knight groaned in pain before crashing his face into the ground, holding his head as he visibly struggled for control.

"Now's the time!" Galacta hollered, and the two knights behind him ran at full speed toward their lord, syringes in hand.

However, they had barely crossed half the distance when he raised his head and looked at them, making them gasp out in shock and skid to a stop. Galacta's eyes widened. He had seen other people in his life get captured by the Dark Matter and morphed into unspeakable beasts, but none of them were as painful to look at than his own cousin and brother.

Meta Knight's eyes were gone; replaced by the one crimson pupil of the Dark Matter, its iris shone brightly in the visor of Meta Knight's mask, which had a long crack spreading out from where Galacta had hit him with his shield. For a moment that seemed to last forever, they all stood still, and that lone eye stared at them, as if seeing them for the first time. And then he laughed.

A quiet, calm chuckle at first, it quickly raised into a heartfelt laugh, yet one that reeked of evil intentions and one that echoed around them like it was the only sound allowed to exist at this very moment in time.

Galacta Knight saw Blade back away first, soon followed by Sword, and the mercenary stared at his morphed cousin… and he repeated those words to himself.

This isn't Meta Knight.

He repeated them again and again, until the moment when he stared at the knight in front of him, he saw no brother, but only a beast; a beast he was here to capture. He never killed his catch. He only captured them. He would do the same here and now, no matter who was beneath that blue skin, no matter who controlled it. The mercenary flared his wings and took a fighting stance, one that made Meta Knight react; the demon-beast cocked his head to the side, and chuckled again. Suddenly, they both leaped at each other, ready to take this to the next level.

---

Slowly, Kirby awakened. At first, the sounds echoing around him were muted down to soft and distant whispers, but soon, he could hear them speak clearly.

"Of all the things that could happen today…"

"Y'all stop complainin', ye ain't the one that had to get these things beaten out of you!"

"Oh just shut up, Dedede. You're not well placed to complain either! What's telling us that you didn't plan this from the start, eh?!"

"You suggestin' I invited these things in my belly?! You're out of yer mind, knight-boy! I didn't even know these things existed before five minutes ago!"

"Well that doesn't change anything, now does it? If you hadn't brought these things here, Sir Meta Knight wouldn't be in such a mess!"

"Stop yelling, both of you! You're not helping!"

"He started it, zoy…"

Kirby's mind was starting to fall back into place, one piece at a time. He felt so dizzy… Slowly, he tried opening his eyes, but had to close them; he clenched his hands into fists, holding on tightly to whatever that warm thing he was holding was. He felt like he was on a spinning disk that wouldn't stop spinning and spinning, but luckily for him, the sensation didn't last. After a short minute, he felt like the spinning was stopping, and he attempted opening his eyes again. The first thing he saw was a sight for sore eyes; the blurry form in front of him soon showed itself to be Fumu, who leaned closer to him to look him over. She smiled, warmly, and he found out that it was her hand he was holding.

"How are you feeling, Kirby?" she asked, running her other hand on his forehead, either to feel his temperature or comfort him.

He tried to say that he was feeling sick, but he ended up mumbling half of his sentence, munching his way through his words. His mouth felt sore and numb, and his lungs were hurting…

"It's alright, take your time. You're safe here."

Kirby looked up beyond her; they were in the main plaza of the town, and he was sitting on the bench under the great tree. Around them were many villagers, all huddled together worriedly looking over to him and murmuring among each other. Nearby, he saw Bun, he saw his friends, and in their eyes, he was reminded of what had happened, before he could even ask.

"Hey, Kirby," he heard from Bun, making him look up at him. "You alright…? You scared the life out of us back there…"

Kirby remembered. He had said horrible things to him, horrible things to all of them… horrible things to Meta Knight… He looked down at his hands, and slowly shook his head.

"Aye, don't look so down, squirt!" he heard, making his eyes widen.

He looked up and turned toward King Dedede, who sat nearby as well; the mere sight of him made his blood boil…

"A'least," he said, "we ain't got a one-time villain destroyin' the town this time 'round. You just gotta beat the crap out of Meta Knight and it'll be done!"

"It won't be as easy as that," Bun answered in place of Kirby, making everyone look at him.

The boy looked terribly concerned, and he looked in the distance toward the castle, where a distant inhumane scream echoed distantly, a dark proof of the things going down over there. He sighed deeply.

"You guys don't really know… how scary strong Meta Knight is. All the skills he showed us in the past were a joke. I'm pretty sure he was faking all of them too."

"Bun, what are you talking about?" Fumu asked her brother.

"Yeah, I mean, how strong could he be?" Dedede asked as well, shrugging his shoulders. "Can't be stronger than a normal demon-beast, zoy?"

Again, Bun shook his head and looked back at them, his face looking a bit more pale than it previously did.

"Oh yeah, sure, he's as strong as a demon-beast, that's for sure. A class S demon-beast. With powers capable of destroying all of us in an instant. Sure. Easy."

A louder rumour then spread over the crowd; how strong could Meta Knight truly be?!

"Bun," Kirby then said, bringing the eyes onto him.

Kirby cast a tired gaze at his best friend, bringing with it his share of guilt over all the things that were said and unsaid.

"I… I don't care… that you've been keeping secrets from me for three months…," he said calmly. "But… next time, tell me the important stuff before my birthday. I just want to enjoy my cake in peace, you know…"

"Yeah," Bun sighed heavily with a short nod. "Will do…"

Kirby was thinking about Meta Knight. The horrible things he had told him… And now, because of him, he was prisoner to the Dark Matter! What could he do? He felt so… helpless. Weak. So, so exhausted, too… If he could just close his eyes, and realize that all of this was nothing but a bad dream…

"Hey, squirt! Lighten up, will ya?"

He looked up toward Dedede, who was smirking as if none of this was of great matter to him.

"This can't be worse than anything else that ever happened 'ere," he said. "This ain't nothing a good beatin' can't solve! If Meta Knight ain't himself, then a good smack of mah hammer ought to wake him right up!"

"Are you crazy?" Bun interrupted him. "The guy's already half-dead, do you want to kill him?!"

"Then what do you propose, smart boy?" Dedede retorted, crossing his arms. "I don't see you coming up with ideas!"

"I'm thinking about it!" Bun called back, annoyed with the king's antics.

"Well, think faster!" Dedede answered, making the annoyed cappy groan loudly. "He beat me up with his sword, so why wouldn't mah hammer work? Right pinkie?"

But Kirby remained quiet… eerily quiet… So much so that Dedede seemed to consider closing his beak at last, but then he said:

"Hey! I'm talkin' to you squi-"

"I. Heard. You!" Kirby almost barked, making everyone nearby take a step back.

He cast an angry stare toward the king, who gulped down. He wasn't used to seeing such a stare from the usually happy Kirby… But then, Kirby's short spout of anger dissipated, and the poor kid hid his face in his arms, as if he was regretting speaking like that. A first hiccup erupted from his form, followed by a few others that made his body shake…

"Sorry," they heard him mumble pitifully. "I'm not feeling okay… I-I said horrible stuff… I didn't… I didn't mean to… Meta Knight… he thinks I hate him now… It's my fault he's in pain… Just because of that stupid cup of wine!..."

While Kirby gently and calmly weeped, Fumu sat down on the bench next to him and gladly took him in a warm and cuddly hug, one that she knew he needed. Kirby leaned against her, gladly accepting the hug, and he rubbed the tears away from his eyes, saying weakly:

"I'm pretty sure… the only reason the Dark Matter came out of you, Triple D, was because he was using Galaxia…"

"His sword?" Dedede repeated, arching an eyebrow. "It could work on him too then! Where is it?"

Bun then brought his hand to his eyes, rubbing his forehead with a defeated sigh.

"Meta Knight still has it…"

"Oh, great!" The king exclaimed sarcastically, dramatically throwing his arms in the air. "We just gotta ask him then! Who volunteers to go get it? Escargon?"

"Do not make me do this, Your Majesty!" the old snail exclaimed fearfully, sliding back as if he was afraid that he wasn't joking. "If anything, Sir Galacta Knight is the one who should do it!"

Before anyone else could add on to this ridiculous proposition, a high-pitched bark echoed down the main street, making everyone look up. Azure suddenly appeared running up the street toward them at full speed, bouncing rapidly in a straight line with his claws rattling against the paved road. Kirby lightly smiled when he saw him; good, at least he wasn't hurt. But when Azure arrived, he halted right in front of Kirby and whipped around, tail raised high and head low in a defensive manner. He was growling, louder and louder, and it took but an instant to know why.

Suddenly, they heard a devilish scream, louder than the ones they had heard in the distance, closer, and then, they appeared; first, Galacta Knight, flying over a house as if he had been propelled from the other side. He landed right in the plaza with a backflip, keeping his wings wide open as he bent forward, holding his lance and shield up. Then, Meta Knight appeared; perching on the roof of a house, he was nowhere near the familiar and friendly shape everyone used to see perched on the roofs. He was surrounded in a thick, dark and dancing aura that, from a distance, almost looked like fiery black hair, and the horrific wings producing from his back made the villagers scream in terror and run away even further. What struck Kirby the most, as he stared with wide eyes at his old teacher, was what shone in the distorted visor of his mask; a single, bloodshot eye, round and wide and piercing. The eye of the Dark Matter.

Meta Knight quickly leaped from the roof, opening his large wings as he flew in a straight and blurred line toward the mercenary; at the last second, Galacta Knight jumped forward with his shield raised up and delivered a single strong hit on the knight's mask, sending him flying to the side. Meta Knight skidded on the ground, but he quickly recovered and stood on all fours like an animal, shaking his head as he growled deeply. Both him and Galacta Knight circled each other, not once getting distracted by anything else going on around them, and while they did so, Kirby saw it; Galaxia's hilt, still in her scabbard, untouched. There it was. If he could get his hands on it, maybe he could get the Sword ability and use Galaxia's light to force the Dark Matter out. It clearly worked for Dedede, so why not for him? What else was there to try but that?

As Galacta Knight circled his lost cousin, Kirby saw him put away his lance in his back between his wings; instead, he took something from his belt that, from a distance, looked like a simple metal disk, and took a defensive stance, flaring his wings on either sides of his body as if trying to appear much bigger. It was as if Meta Knight hadn't seen him pull the object out, and the demon-beast suddenly screeched like a banshee before leaping forward, beating his large wings into the dust.

Galacta ran forward, barely dodged a claw by bending backward, and quickly grabbed Meta Knight by the foot before harshly pulling him back along with him, making the knight bark out in surprise. Like a pro that had done this very thing hundreds of times before now, Galacta pinned Meta Knight to the ground and smashed the metal disk right in the knight's back, before flapping his wings and jumping back a few feet, quickly taking his distance again.

Meta Knight stood up, bending his arms above his head to try and get this thing off of him, but as he was waddling around and struggling, the disk suddenly activated; in a bright flash of blue light, an energy field then spread from the disk, immediately wrapping itself around the knight like a tight net, causing him to scream out in anger and fall to the ground, helpless.

"Alright lads, now!" Galacta then called out, just as Sword and Blade were arriving in the plaza, out of breath from having ran all this way on foot.

The two knights ran over to their lord, who was struggling wildly on the ground and attempting to open his wings, and though they were worried that the net wouldn't withstand his inhumane strength, they still set to work and held him down against the ground. They both pulled small syringes from their belts and struck Meta Knight in the arms with them, but the knight's one eye immediately widened and the trashing became far worse, forcing the two knights to back away immediately. Meta Knight managed to find his way back on his feet and, still struggling violently, he started pushing the net away from him with his arms and wings. Galacta Knight stepped closer, and he hollered toward Sword and Blade:

"Did you give him all of it? Why isn't he calming down?"

"It should work!" Blade assured, though he sounded very unsure of his words.

"It worked the last time he went crazy, it should still work now," Sword said, still keeping on his guard as he observed his mad lord.

Meta Knight pushed and pushed the net apart with more and more strength, until the energy net ripped apart to pieces, destroying the imprisoning disk. The knight limped forward a few steps, his movements slowing down and shaking his head as if he was feeling dizzy, but it wasn't enough. As soon as he raised his eye, he met gazes with Kirby, who could only stare back, just as immobile. It was as if just looking at him made the dark matter floating around his form shrink, more and more, and his lone eye was shaking, as if it couldn't look away. And, without fighting more, the eye slowly closed, and Meta Knight collapsed in a cloud of dust.

---

As soon as he fell, the three knights all heaved a sigh of relief, and Sword and Blade both went to their lord's side to roll him on his back. To the villagers' surprise, they were incredibly gentle with his wings, as if they had already done that before. Kirby didn't know what to think.

"Is… Is he… dead?" he couldn't help but ask, making Sword look up at him.

"No, not at all," the knight shook his head. "It's a strong sedative. To use only in emergencies such as this. I was hoping we wouldn't have to use them… Although, I don't know how long the effect will last in his state… His breathing is already…"

"Kirby," Galacta Knight called out as he walked toward his cousin, making the young Star Warrior look up at him. "Come over here. Now."

Kirby could feel the urgency in his voice, and didn't hesitate to stand up; although, when he did, a sharp pain in his chest made him wince and stop, forcing him to close his eyes for a few seconds. Fumu helped him to his feet gently, and once he was standing, the boy calmly walked forward, careful not to trigger another pain. The closer he walked to his mentor, the more he could feel it; this… presence. The Dark Matter was still pulsing around his limp body, beating inside him like a second heart ready to burst.

Kirby knew what to do now. Once he spotted Galaxia's hilt, producing from his belt on his left side, the boy went to grasp it with both hands, carefully pulling her out of her scabbard. He held it, watching intently as the light formed itself into the blade of the sacred sword before his eyes in a sea of sparks. Galaxia's presence was the complete opposite of the Dark Matter; serene, beautiful, grand and pure.

"You know what to do, right?" Galacta Knight asked him. "Because… honestly? I don't. I don't know a lot about this sword… I was kind of out of the picture when he got it."

"I saw him free Dedede with it," Kirby said, looking at the blade and his reflection on its shiny surface. "I'm sure… I can do the same with him in return. I think. Maybe."

"We're drowning in a sea of certainties today, I like it," Galacta half joked, half smirking in response to it. "Try not to cut him in half though."

Kirby couldn't help but gulp down at the thought. What if it didn't work? What if Galaxia didn't listen to him and just… cut right through him? No, no, don't think like that… It'll work! Let's be positive, Kirby! He'll be rid of this Dark Matter, and they will all gather afterward for some well deserved cake, and he and Meta Knight will open his gift together and that'll be the end of this year's atrocious birthday party. It wasn't so hard…

Kirby looked down at Meta Knight. Sword and Blade held him in a sitting position, making sure he was comfortable enough, but already Kirby could see; his wings were shaking with tremors, each worse than the last, and his breath was short… He briefly looked at Galaxia, and mumbled more to himself than to her:

"Please, work…"

He raised the sword high above his head.

Her blade began to glow brightly, a star on earth.

Meta Knight's lonely eye opened wide.

Kirby brought the sword down swiftly.

Thump!

Kirby gasped out; Meta Knight had suddenly raised his arm, and now Galaxia's blade was etched into his hand. Instead of letting go, he grasped the blade tightly into a shaking fist. Blood oozed out of the wound, but still the knight was holding it, and before anyone else could move, Meta Knight lifted his other hand and waved it. In response, a dark aura then surrounded Sword, Blade and Galacta Knight, taking them by surprise when they began to float off the ground, as if no longer affected by gravity, and they were violently thrown away by this unseen force, landing a good distance away brutally.

Kirby couldn't look away; he wanted to move, but couldn't; he wanted to drop the sword and run, but couldn't. While still holding Galaxia in his bloodied hand, Meta Knight slowly stood on his feet, causing his grip on Galaxia's blade to tighten and causing even more blood to flow freely and stream down the hilt. Kirby couldn't move; he could look nowhere else but into that single eye.

It was that same eye that once laughed at him in his dreams. It was that same eye that was now laughing at him in the silence of Meta Knight's stare.

Suddenly, with lightning speed, Meta Knight grasped Kirby by the neck, causing him to choke up, and the boy was lifted off of the ground in an instant. He kicked his feet, but Meta Knight's hold on his throat was solid and choking, so much so that Kirby let go of Galaxia to pry at his hand, desperately trying to free himself but to no avail. Galaxia fell to the ground with a loud clang! that resounded all around them, and the Dark Matter chuckled darkly.

"Finally," the voices said through Meta Knight's voice while Kirby struggled to even breathe. "The old fool finally gave in. Don't you want to join him, Kirby? Isn't your wish to be with your father, in peace? We can give-"

"AaaaAAAHH!"

Suddenly, Meta Knight whipped around, still holding Kirby with one hand, and struck an attacking Bun with his mighty wing, sending the young knight to the ground. In one swift move, the possessed knight grasped a bloody Galaxia and was about to stab the cappy in the heart, but a ball of fire briskly erupted in his face, causing him to cry out and back away. He let go of Kirby as he did, causing the youth to fall to the ground, squirming as he gasped for air, and the knight growled angrily at whoever did this. Azure leaped near Bun, eyes blazing as fire crackled in his clenched jaws; he would listen to his master's order, no matter who he had to fight. Bun scrambled to his feet as well, going to stand by Kirby like the demon-beast, a solid wall that wouldn't move so easily.

Upon seeing such defiance, Meta Knight growled even deeper, but before he could even dare move another muscle to attack anyone else, a familiar call resounded in the plaza, much to everyone's shock.

"SMASH PUNCH!"

A bright ball of blue light then came from the side, exploding on Meta Knight square on the arm and sending him waltzing a few steps back. He looked to the side with a wide eye, but the hunter that suddenly zoomed into the scene took a flying leap at him, spinning wildly as he exclaimed:

"Spin Kick!"

Meta Knight took his foot right on the mask, and the force of the strike sent him flying backward, finally putting some distance between him and Kirby. Knuckle Joe stood in a defensive manner in front of the young warrior, who looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Joe!" he exclaimed, both shocked and happy to see him. "You're here!"

Knuckle Joe slightly turned his head to smirk at him, answering in a smug tone:

"Of course I'm here! I wouldn't miss your birthday, Kirby. Looks like I'm right on time too."

"Finally!" Galacta Knight exclaimed from where he stood. "I swear you're just like your dad, lad, always late and not even sorry about it!"

"Heh!" Joe snorted, rubbing his nose. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that! I wanted to arrive sooner but I got busy with some stupid paperwork Arthur put me through."

"Well, you're in luck," Galacta said as he gestured toward Meta Knight, who was hissing toward Joe like an angry snake. "As you can see, I found the demon-beast."

As he looked at the transformed knight, Joe lost his smirk immediately and a darker shade took over his features. He rubbed his nose.

"Well, well, well," he said toward the blinded knight. "Guess who's the idiot now, Meta Knight? You and my dad are a lot more alike than we thought, huh? He was stupid enough to let himself become a demon-beast, and you're even more stupid to do the same thing years later! Heh! Even after telling me not to do it!"

The only answer Meta Knight was able to give him was a deep and nasty hiss as he returned to stand on all fours, burn marks and blood on his mask and arm. He had to stop however when a coughing fit forced him down, giving them a moment to think of a plan of action. Joe snorted.

"Is it really gonna need two hunters to take him down?" he asked toward Galacta, who squinted his eyes at his cousin.

"If we're lucky," was his answer. "Not even an army was ever able to take him down, lad. Keep that in mind."

Kirby could only stare in silence. For some reason he couldn't quite explain… he knew both Galacta Knight and Joe would be insufficient to take him down. In that brief moment in which he had looked at the Dark Matter's eye, he could swear he had seen… him behind it. Meta Knight was still there, buried in a sea of darkness. And he needed help. His help.

You have the power to save those who are lost, and on the way, you might very well save many more.

Those words… He remembered them. The voice he had heard when he came out of that darkness told him that… He had that power… He wasn't strong enough to face the Dark Matter on his own, but… he could save Meta Knight. That, he knew. He stood up.

"Wait!"

"Not now, lad," Galacta called back without looking back, taking his lance from his back.

"No, wait! Let me do this!"

Joe turned his head to him, about to tell him to go sit and rest, but when he saw Kirby's eyes… he saw a sparkle in them. A particular sparkle, that when lit, would drive him to the end of the world, unscathed.

However, before any of them could agree on anything, Meta Knight suddenly zoomed right past both hunters like a dark blur, and the last thing Kirby knew, he was being carried off into the sky, screaming in fear. The ground went farther and farther away, his friends' calls reverberating in deaf ears as he was being taken up and up and to seemingly no end. Once they were high into the sky, Meta Knight let go of Kirby; the boy, having no clue of where anything was, could only fall, screaming helplessly as he did. Suddenly, he was grasped again by the throat, keeping him from falling but also from breathing. Meta Knight held him in front of him, his one eye blazing with unbridled rage. His large wings were flapping rapidly to keep them in place, creating huge drafts of air that Kirby could feel on his cheeks.

"As we were saying, boy," the voices spoke once more above the winds, "we can give you anything you wish for. You were willing to give us your mind, Kirby. Have you already forgotten?"

Kirby pried more at his hand, desperately trying to loosen his grip on his throat, and the sharp pain in his chest came back full force, making him cry useless tears that were blown away almost immediately.

"Let us take you," the voices sang in his ears, "and we will reunite you with the one we already took. You can be together always, father and son, like you always wanted."

Kirby growled and cried as he weakly punched his hand.

"Shut up!" he screamed with the last bit of air he had.

Suddenly, something bright and big hit Meta Knight right in the back, forcing both of them to fall into the sky. Breathless, Kirby could only see stars for a good while before he realized he was falling no more; he was laying on his stomach… on his Warp Star! Fumu must have called it! Just seeing its shiny and familiar surface was enough to drive energy right back into him, and he shakily stood up on his star, searching for the knight in the sky. He spotted him, circling him farther away but always staring at him with that one eye. With all this aura around him, eating away at him, he looked like a dark meteor ready to crash and destroy everything that stood in its path…

Kirby squinted his eyes and observed Meta Knight more intently. He… wasn't holding Galaxia. She wasn't in her scabbard either. Was she still down there? A quick look down told him the answer; he could see her, a distant, tiny golden light coming from the plaza. He looked up at Meta Knight, and saw he was closer. It was now or never. Taking a solid stance on his star, Kirby quickly made it dip forward and sent it flying down as fast as it could. He heard Meta Knight screech behind him and take him into chase, but Kirby knew he had to get Galaxia before he attempted anything.

There she was! Just laying on the ground, in the center of the plaza. The closer he got the more he could hear everyone down there encourage him, call his name and tell him he could do it, and it filled him with so much energy, he could see nothing else but his goal. But Meta Knight was right on his tail, and if he didn't reach the ground now, he would take a hit and that would be it. His first instinct to get out of this situation was to open his mouth; immediately, a gale of wind lifted in a vacuum right in front of him, forcing everyone down there to take refuge. Galaxia was lifted from the ground, and she went right in his mouth; right as Meta Knight took hold of Kirby in a tight grip that the young didn't feel.

This surge of power was unlike anything Kirby had ever felt in his life prior to this moment. He had inhaled Galaxia many times before now; and none of those times were as strong as right now.

He knew what to do.

He would free Meta Knight of the Dark Matter. No matter what it took.

A wall of light then surrounded Kirby, forcing Meta Knight to let go and fly back, raising his hands to shield his one eye from this sudden brightness. When the light subsided, a transformed Kirby took a fighting stance toward his old teacher. The hat he was wearing was unlike anything anyone in Dreamland had ever seen.

It was shaped like his usual Sword hat, but fancier, in a way. The beautiful decorations that lined its edges were shaped like tiny wings, and the cap ended in a yellow star billowing in the wind. Kirby held Galaxia high, and her light pierced through the darkness that emanated from Meta Knight, making the knight screech and hiss as he flew back to escape it.

Down in the plaza, Galacta Knight gasped. That hat! He knew what it was! But… how? How could Kirby…?

Both the transformed Kirby and the possessed Meta Knight circled each other a good distance above the plaza, one of light and one of darkness; and then, without warning, they flew at each other.

The moment Galaxia met with the darkness, a flash of light happened, so bright not even Kirby could see anything past it.

He felt transported.

He was in his pocket Universe. Floating, gently.

In the distance, along a path of stars, he saw him.

Meta Knight.

Just floating there, immobile.

Kirby held out his hand and called him.

His calls were heard, and the knight turned.

His eyes were kind.

Though he heard him, he did not take his hand.

He backed away, and Kirby refused.

He started fading, and Kirby refused.

He was dissipating, and Kirby refused.

The moment his hand brushed at the dust of his memory, washing his light upon him, the star boy found himself in the sky once more.

He slashed Galaxia in a straight line skyward; both him and Meta Knight found each other on either side of one another, one with light and a resolute gaze, the other with a wide and scared eye that didn't understand. It was right then that Kirby saw them… two halves of a metal mask… flying up in the sky… and falling back down…

He quickly whipped around, shocked, and saw Meta Knight plummet down below. The knight brutally crashed into the ground and rolled a few feet away, but once he was immobile, he didn't stand. He was holding his face with both hands and squirming around, as if fighting to get nasty worms off of him, as if neither the Dark Matter nor Meta Knight could control this body anymore.

Kirby flew down closer, concerned. Did he hit him? Did he do it? However, when Meta Knight raised his uncovered head to look at him, his thoughts swam away in all possible directions. The face he was looking at… it was both familiar and repulsive. Covered in impossible scars, dried and beaten all over its dark blue surface, his visage was scarred beyond belief. And yet, behind all of those deformities, was a face Kirby saw everyday, whenever he would look in a mirror. The same tall eyes, the same mouth; even the same blushing cheeks. But those eyes were bloodshot; but that mouth was distorted in a snarl, revealing sharp fangs; but those cheeks were stained with dried blood and tears.

"You!" the voices screamed at Kirby. "You will pay for this!"

But instead of screaming some more, he began to laugh; and what a horrible laugh it was! It grew and grew into a mocking laugh, but quickly it dissolved and became nothing more than mindless screams as the knight held his head in his hands, shaking his head from side to side as he fought for control. Clearly, Kirby thought, he had touched something with that attack. Now, Meta Knight was fighting with him.

With renewed hope, Kirby readied Galaxia in hand and flew down toward Meta Knight, who quickly raised his head when he sensed the danger and in one flap had taken to the air. He flew right past Kirby without even attacking him, forcing Kirby to turn his star around and look up. The knight flew very high into the sky, and suddenly, remained immobile… before falling down. At the last moment, he reangled himself and dive-bombed right toward Kirby at incredible speed, so fast that Kirby had but a second to move. He dodged the attack by a hair, but he had barely turned around that he saw the knight come down for another attack, except this time he started spinning in the air like a drill, shaping the darkness around him like a sharp end that would surely kill him. Kirby panicked briefly and ducked down, barely missing it right above his head, and quickly readied himself for a third attack… except, when he turned around, he wasn't there.

"Kirby! Above you!"

He didn't even look up; dipping his star forward, he shot ahead as fast as he could, once again evading a blow from a wing that would have been fatal.

Kirby and Meta Knight exchanged blow after blow for what seemed like an eternity. In the distance, the sun was setting…

Soon, they found themselves fighting over the fields and meadows, and even above the ocean, whose waves were crashing endlessly on the cliffs surrounding the area, each dancing around the other in a perfectly synchronized choreography. By now, their silhouettes were nothing but shadows meeting and separating, each trying to put the other down but never destined to succeed. At one point, they both circled each other, slowly, both completely depleted and out of breath. Kirby was covered in scratches and his own blood, but so was Meta Knight.

Now that he could see his face, Kirby realized one thing; Meta Knight was quite expressive. In those tall eyes, he could tell his whole story; one of loss, one of failures, one of joy, one of victories… In those eyes, he could tell his pain. And he wanted nothing more than to see love once again shine in those irises, for he knew that it was right behind this layer of darkness. Right there, beyond the ruins of the wall they had built between each other over the years, a wall that had taken so long to destroy… He would jump over it, he would fly over it, and he would never let him go.

Kirby blinked.

You have the power to save those who are lost, and on the way, you might very well save many more.

He clenched Galaxia tightly in both hands, and flew straight at his teacher, who did the exact same.

He slashed upward, and Meta Knight slashed downward.

A large, bloody gash opened along Meta Knight's left cheek, from his shoulder to his mouth.

A claw dug deep into Kirby's right cheek, opening up a large wound that drew blood almost immediately.

In one swift move, Meta Knight disarmed and stole Galaxia from Kirby's shaking hand and pushed the young warrior off of the Warp Star with his foot, causing a shocked Kirby to gasp out and fall. Meta Knight dove right after him, and right as Galaxia's light began to consume him whole, her blade struck with a sickening sound.

It felt like time stood still.

Kirby was looking up at the sky. He saw… a single shadowed mass, forcefully being shot out of Meta Knight, who was surrounded in dissipating light.

They were both falling. Kirby could see his Warp Star up there, chasing after them. He saw Meta Knight.

Briefly, his eyes shone at him. Bright, glowing and silver irises, filled with a familiar sparkle.

Those bright eyes followed him into the dark maws of the ocean down below, as the foamy white teeth of the sea swallowed them both whole in one, swift bite. The setting sun vanished, but those eyes didn't. The earth vanished, but those eyes didn't. All light vanished, but those eyes followed him down and down, and soon, both of them were drifting down, one before the other, quiet.

His silver eyes were thankful.

They were exhausted.

They were closing…

And so were his…

They were both dying…

And soon, they would both…

But wait… something was pulling him up. Those eyes were still going down, but he was going up, up and up and up, until he could see those eyes no more and until the bright light of the surface scorched his closing eyes.

Now… he could see the sky… but those eyes weren't there.

There were voices around him. Distant voices he couldn't understand, and soon, shapeless forms and familiar visages came in front of him. He was already fading away…

Soon, Kirby found the strength to close his eyes… and let the tide wash it all away…