Author's note: Not much to say about this one here, except that there are important stuff that are beginning to show up. Thank you all for the support, and have a good read! Again, I have a problem with Silica's name. I always mix up the two versions… I have to watch out for that. So, sorry if anyone's confused! I am too!

He wasn't spying. He had just fallen asleep here and hid when she arrived. Now he was only curious. She was there, floating above the pond. As usual at night, the waters radiated a bright light that shone on her, almost making her shine in return. Her transparent wings reflected the light with a thousand hues that spread back on the branches of the trees around the pond, like light through the stained glass of a cathedral. Her long hair fell like black cascades when she undid her braids, and she slowly floated down until her feet touched the surface of the water. It rippled like a single drop… She was so delicate, it seemed like it wasn't her anymore. Or maybe, she was herself now, more than she would ever be… If only he could come closer and take a better look at her face…

A twig creaked under his body. Suddenly, she turned in his direction, eyes large and wings suddenly picking up the pace.

"Arthur?! You big dummy! What are you doing here, scaring the life out of me like that?!"

"Arthur?"

"Come on out! I see you over there!"

"Arthur?"

He suddenly woke up and raised himself in his bed, gasping out in surprise in reality just as he had in the dream. It was still dark in his room, but it was no surprise. He had closed everything that would make some sort of light. He liked sleeping in total darkness. Someone had knocked on the door, and he recognized that voice quite easily.

"Come in," he called, voice rusty from sleep.

The door opened, bringing in a sudden wave of bright light that blinded him for a minute, forcing him to rub his face to adjust. Dragato walked in, in his usual limping pace, and his placid voice managed to soothe him as it usually did. Even though the sentence left much to be desired.

"You look awful, my friend."

"I know. Do you have news for me?"

"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have woken you up. Silica has finally contacted us. She's waiting to report to you at the moment. Do you want to go or do I tell her to report to me instead?"

Arthur sighed and nodded his head, sliding out of bed.

"I'll go," he answered as he went to put on his armor, hiding the atrocities clinging to his back. "I want to hear about Ripple Star."

As usual, Dragato acted like he hadn't seen anything particular on him and nodded his head, though his eyes squinted a bit.

"Are you sure you want to go back? You've been weird since we found Miss Ribbon."

"I'm fine, thank you," he replied, suddenly a bit annoyed. "It's been so many years since I've been there. If it is my destiny to go back, then I will. I shall oppose nothing against it or whatever awaits. Do you understand me?"

"Of course."

With that done with, Arthur followed his friend outside in the corridor and off toward the main room of the station. Computers and machines lined the walls all around, and on the main screen of all those covering the back wall, was Silica. Her head was turned away when he entered, and he arrived just in time to hear her call out:

"Galacta! Don't touch that, that looks fragi-"

And a loud noise erupted through the radio, screeching in everyone's ears. Silica made a pained face and raised her arms in defence, eyes closed, lips sealed shut, and she turned back to the screen, blinking in surprise.

"Sir Arthur!" she called, saluting her leader, as if nothing happened.

One could still hear Galacta's laugh from the other side of the room through the radio. Arthur saluted back, walking up to the front of the room past the captain's seat.

"Silica. Have you reached Ripple Star?"

"Yes Sir, we did. When we arrived, we came face to face with a whole cloud of Dark matter invading the capital of the star. We acted immediately Sir, and we came to the fairies' aid. Now most of the Dark matter have left or have been destroyed, Sir. We believe the capital is safe."

"Has there been any casualties?"

"Not on our side, Sir, only Oolian who got injured. I can't say the same for the fairies… Many of them were possessed to death, unfortunately. Those we can save are being taken care of by the fairies as we speak. They have some kind of magic here. I can't explain what they're doing, but it's working."

"I see… May they find repose among the stars. What about the royal family?"

"No casualties there, Sir. The queen is alright, if a bit shaken up. I talked to her, and she said that she would like to have a word with my leader."

Arthur's heart stopped. The Queen of Ripple Star?

"…And what did you tell her?"

"That the Agency would gladly establish contact with Ripple Star, Sir. It's already done anyway. She said that they owed us their lives, so they're very welcoming, even to Kiridans."

He gulped silently, glad he had his mask to hide his scowling face.

"I see. Tell her I will come as soon as possible. As for you and your team, stay there and wait until all Dark matter have been killed. I don't want to see a single one when I arrive, am I clear?"

She saluted once more.

"Yes Sir!"

"Arthur out," he nodded, and the screen was shut down, cutting the contact.

He sighed and put his hand on the arm of the captain's seat, suddenly feeling a bit nauseous. He was glad he was wearing his mask and helmet. There was no need to be so nervous. They would meet again, he would apologize, and they would be adults, she a queen and he a Star Warrior. Simple as that. But why did it all seem like his world would be ending soon? Surely she hadn't become like her mother… did she?

"So you really just fly anywhere you go?"

"Yes. I don't like walking, it feels weird. Though I'll have to get used to it until my wing heals…"

"Want some more pie?"

"Oh, yes please! It's delish!"

"There is no more meat for me. I am now sad."

Kirby, Bun and Azure had been in the cafeteria when the fairy had walked in, looking lost and curious. It had been a while since she was here and it was a miracle she was already standing despite her wounds. Sir Nonsurat had surely made a wonderful show of his healing arts! She was wearing the dress she had been wearing when she was found, a nice looking red dress that did not hide her shoes. Kirby imagined it would swirl around her when she flew. She would have been beautiful… Nevertheless, Ribbon had said that she had been hungry, and Chef Keblum had been happy to give her the best of his cooking; after all, it wasn't everyday he could show a fairy how good his culinary skills were.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" called the chef to the hungry demon-beast as he came over, carrying a large plate of roasted meat.

The chef was of an unusual species, found only on the farthest edges of the known universe: he was a floating being deprived of legs, his body shaped like a teardrop. His arms only consisted of gloved hands that floated at a small distance from his body. His large chef hat hid them, but they knew he had two pointy ears on his head. From his words, Keblum was apparently large for his species, being a bit bigger than Sir Falspar, who was in turn quite large from Kirby's perspective. Despite that, Keblum was, literally, a big ball of love; love for those he held close, and love for food. Mostly food, actually.

He set down the meat for Azure to resume eating and straightened up, hands on his hips. He smiled at the fairy.

"Well young lady! Glad to see my cookin's appreciated."

"This food is wonderful! I don't know what those "pie" things are, but they taste like heaven!"

"Ha, am I glad you like it so much! Halcandran cooking isn't the easiest, but it's nice to hear it pleases even the fairies!"

"What?" Kirby exclaimed, having almost held his breath when she had spoken. "They don't have pies on Ripple Star?!"

"No, we don't. I guess this is a sort of pastry, is it not? A dessert? We have our own kind, but they're nothing like this! This tastes like fruits, but with all sorts of sugary flavors. It's fantastic!"

Keblum laughed wholeheartedly and slapped Bun on the back, so suddenly the young man was almost flattened on the table.

"Been so long since I've had this many fans!" the chef joked, while Bun straightened back up, cracking his back.

Kirby's attention was drawn from the discussion as his eyes caught a familiar figure entering the cafeteria. The limping warrior walked in, looking around; he was actually using his cane to help, a cane which he wasn't using that often. His leg must have been hurting more than usual today… Kirby stood up and saluted when Sir Dragato approached their table, and when Bun saw the reason why he was acting like that, he did the same.

"Sir Dragato!" Keblum smiled. "Here for a bite? I've got some freshly made pies, and they've got Miss Ribbon's approval."

"Mmh," the warrior mused a second, contemplating the offer. "Could I bring a piece to eat later in a doggy bag?"

"Leaving for a mission? You?" Keblum seemed surprised, and Kirby was as well.

"Are we going somewhere, Sir?" he asked, curiosity kicking in.

Dragato nodded, and gestured to Ribbon, whose eyes widened when he spoke.

"Yes. It seems Silica and Sir Galacta Knight have made it to Ripple Star, just in time to face the invasion."

"They did?!" the fairy stood up, her one uninjured wing buzzing like a fly's.

"Yes, and fear not, Miss Ribbon, your home is now safe. The Dark matter have been destroyed or have ran away. I have spoken to Sir Nonsurat, and he agrees to you coming with us back on the planet. We will be leaving in an hour."

Kirby could almost feel the sudden wave of relief that swept across the young fairy; she slumped back on her chair, eyes wide and shining… was she crying?

"Is… Is the queen safe?" she asked, voice trembling.

Dragato nodded again, much to her happiness.

"She is, yes. She wished to meet us, but I don't think she knows you're here."

"Oh stars," she cried, hiding her face in her hands. "What am I gonna tell her?! She trusted me!"

For some reason, right at this moment, Kirby's heart cringed; he hated to see her cry. He picked up a napkin and, almost instinctively, handed it to her. She noticed and looked up, her porcelain face red and her doll cheeks streaked with tears. She looked at the napkin and blinked, surprised. His warm smile convinced her to take it, and she was able to dry the tears away.

"Bun," Dragato spoke, getting the young man's attention. "Sword and Blade will be coming with us, and that means you as well. If I were you, I'd go see them right away."

"Oh! Yes, Sir!"

Bun saluted quickly, before turning on his heels and running off, eager for a new mission. Dragato turned back to his pupil and nodded.

"You as well, Kirby. I am accompanying Arthur for this and I expect you to follow."

"Oh yes!" he exclaimed, before blinking and saluting. "Er, I mean, yes sir!"

When Sir Dragato allowed him to leave, he waved at Ribbon and ran away to prepare his things, like Bun. Azure, who was still eating his meat, raised his head with a roasted bit in his mouth and stared at the Kiridan knight, before turning his head to Ribbon. The fairy still couldn't believe what she had heard and could only stand there, staring at her plate and the half-eaten pie. When Keblum left as well to prepare the doggy bag, Dragato lightly tapped his cane on the tiled floor, clearing his throat.

"Excuse me, Miss Ribbon," he started, making her lift her head. "If I may be so bold, I have been wondering… Why did the Fairy Queen send you out to space with the Crystal? Was it truly in danger?"

She seemed surprised at his question, but still she cleared her own throat and thought of the answer for a few seconds before replying, slowly:

"Well… Yes, it was in danger. The Dark matter… were not our only problem."

Dragato raised an eyebrow. Now this was suddenly more interesting…

"What do you mean by this?" he inquired curiously.

Again, she took a moment to answer, but he could see it all in her eyes, deep as the sea; a recent memory begging to be exclaimed, to be liberated. It wasn't painful, but she was nervous. It was good he waited until they were fewer until asking his question. She took a deep breath and clenched the napkin she was still holding on to.

"It was the day before the invasion. We received strange people at the castle, odd strangers we had never seen before. Pretty ill-mannered if you ask me. We didn't know who they were or who they worked for, but they were clearly pirates. I…" She clicked her tongue, frustrated. "...can't remember what they called themselves, their leader had a strange accent. Our queen was very patient with them. All they asked… was that we give them the Crystal."

"Like that?"

"Just like that. They didn't even say why. Of course, our queen refused immediately; we need the Crystal to live! Then, they said that they wouldn't take no as an answer, that if we didn't give it to them willingly, they would stop at nothing to have it. Still, the queen refused, and we managed to make them leave without them causing trouble. And the day after, during the night… the Dark matter came."

"Do you think these pirates were linked to the invasion?" he asked, his mind slowly making links between events, and her nod only confirmed his thoughts.

"I'm convinced that it is the case. When the Dark matter invaded, the queen feared for the Crystal… and so she entrusted it to me. I was tasked with its protection, and I was to take it as far away as possible. So long as the Crystal lived, we would have a chance. She wanted me to take it to Neo Star, where we had contacts and friends. But… as I was nearing it, those pirates caught up to me. I already had a bunch of Dark matter after me, so I thought… they would help… They didn't… Or maybe they did, I don't know what exactly happened… Something hit the Crystal, either a Dark matter or one of the projectiles from the pirates, and… there was a blast… And I woke up here."

Dragato took a moment of silence to allow her to breathe in and out. She was clearly missing some parts, but it was all natural. For her to be entrusted with the Crystal, he thought, she must be an important individual…

"The blast must have shattered the Crystal," he concluded, her nodding in response.

"Most likely, if all I was holding on to was this small thing…"

"And you drifted across space to where we found you. Now, this fills many holes in this story, and I thank you for sharing it with me. I believe Sir Arthur will be glad to hear it all, especially if there are pirates we need to watch out for. Are you sure you do not remember their name?"

She shook her head, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples in deep thought. She sighed with a grunt, running her fingers through her pink hair to push the strays away from her face.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, looking up at him in total confusion. "I… do remember their logo, however. It was the last thing I saw before I passed out. I remember they all had it on their armor, much like you Star Warriors and your small stars."

"Can you describe it to me?"

"Of course…"

The young Star Warrior was so excited, he didn't know where to start, didn't know what to bring. His backpack laid on his bed, almost empty, and all he did was turn around and stare at his things, wondering what to bring. Of course he'd have to bring some weapons, or objects he knew contained an ability he could easily inhale if needed. Two small knives, a lighter, a battery, a small bottle of water and a rock. If used correctly, he could create many abilities with all these things, in case of emergency.

Turning around to look again, he took a few apples he had in a bowl near his bed, filling his backpack almost halfway. He didn't need to bring clothes or anything like that, except a blanket because you never knew. His bag already had some medicinal supplies he always kept when he left. Sir Nonsurat always said it was better to have them right away instead of waiting to come back or wait for someone else to help. Making one last turn, Kirby almost gasped when he noticed he had almost forgotten it. How could he? It was the most important thing!

He quickly walked to his drawer and picked up the small, blue box that contained his Warp Star. If he had been stressed or nervous, holding this object immediately calmed his body and mind, and he was able to breath in, a content smile finding its way to his face. He was going to Ripple Star and meet with fairies… How great was that?

"…hhn…"

Kirby froze and spun around, thinking he had heard a whisper. The room was empty, but his heart still pounded against his temples, installing a sense of uneasiness that only grew the more he looked around. Breathing in, he called:

"Who's there?"

Silence only answered him… until he heard it again. It was like a sigh, like a call so distant and so quiet it was hard to hear.

"…hhhn… hhhn…"

Gulping down his growing anxiety, Kirby walked further in his room, slowly, listening closely.

"…hhhn… khhn… rhhh…"

He spun again; he was getting closer to the sound, as it was growing clearer, but barely, and it frustrated him. Was it just someone talking loudly in another room? Maybe he was panicking for nothing. But, as he walked past his drawer, he heard the whisper, clearer than ever.

"Kir… his name… kir…"

He turned toward the noise. Now he was sure, there was something in there. Breathing in, he opened it.

"…kir…"

This was the drawer where he had taken his Warp Star, just a minute ago. In the back, through the many objects that made up his memories and souvenirs from home, there was the small box containing his Warp Star. He sighed before he could stop it. That star hadn't been of any use to him other than to bring him undesired memories. Why would it talk to him now? Was it even the star itself talking? Knowing it did nothing to ask himself questions, Kirby held out his stub of a hand and picked up the box. As soon as he opened it however, he found the blue Warp Star to be shining, so brightly he had to squint his eyes. Maybe it was as Sir Arthur said, he thought as he picked it up. Maybe the star would listen to him now that he was slightly at peace?

"His name is Kirby."

He gasped. That voice! Now he recognized it! The star shone even brighter in his hand. He blinked. And the world changed.

He was in his quarters no more, but in a dark room he simply knew was an office. He simply knew. He knew where he was. He knew he was on the Star-Chaser, a ship, his ship. The office was lit only by a candle nearby, but still he could see the reports and letters that lay before him. His chair was a comfortable one, but his body ached all over, his back and face especially. He was so sleepy, and every flutter of his eyes showed a risk of closing them for the night.

"Spacing out again, Meta? Good to see that hasn't changed."

He turned his head slowly, careful not to hurt his back. There, he saw a tall man with wild, blonde hair, sitting in another chair. He knew who he was. It was Jecra, his best friend.

"You really should go sleep, you know," the warrior told him, face distorted in worry. "The kid's alright, I'll take care of reporting to Sir Arthur and-"

"That's not the problem," he interrupted.

His voice was husky, impossibly tired. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears.

"Then what is?"

He kept silent a moment, but he knew what the matter was. There were things Sir Arthur didn't need to know.

"It's… nothing," was his answer. "Is he sleeping?"

"Yup. Are you going to tell me where you found him?"

"No."

"Just as I thought. So long as it's not a bloodthirsty demon that'll kill us all in our sleep, fine with me, make as many babies as you want."

He smiled and laughed, before coughing; just a chuckle, just his muscles stretching in a smile made his scars burn.

"What's his name?" Jecra asked, lifting his feet on the table and almost knocking the ink pot over all his work.

It came to him immediately, like it had been on the tip of his tongue the whole time.

"Kirby. His name is Kirby."

"Kirby? Spacing out again?"

"Huh?"

He blinked, and when he turned his head, Jecra was gone. Instead, there was his son. Knuckle Joe seemed confused, his eyebrows raised questionably, and behind him was Azure, on four legs, muzzle sniffing the blonde fighter's hair suspiciously.

"You alright?" Joe asked, pushing the wolf away without even looking at him, like he was used to it.

"Wha… Uh… I mean, yeah, I'm alright. I was just lost in thoughts, I guess."

"I… see. Anyway, you're ready yet? Arthur's anxious to leave, it's actually funny. Dragato's waiting for you in the hangar, he's sent me to see if you needed help."

"I'm… fine, I guess. I was just done actually."

"Great! The sooner you guys leave, the sooner you'll meet the fairies."

"You're not coming with us?"

"Nah, I have other things to do here. Ripple Star'll be for another time I guess. Say hi to the guys there for me!"

"Sure!"

Kirby walked over to his bed, still clutching to the blue star like he was afraid to drop it. He slid it back into its box and hid it next to the other, in an inside pocket where it would be safe. He still had no idea what he had just seen, and his heart was still pounding like drums. He had probably imagined it all. It was all he could think of. Without questioning more, he closed his bag, slid it on his back and followed the fighter and the Wolfwrath outside. He was still thinking about it when he sat next to Ribbon in the spaceship.

The journey to Ripple Star was long for Kirby, but too long for Ribbon. Her wounds had yet to heal, and the traveling through space made her feel dizzy. She wasn't used to this sort of transport, and now that she was more conscious of what was happening, she could only feel the tremors from the engine under her feet, feet that she wasn't even used to utilize. She could only sit down and breathe deeply to remain calm. The spaceship was rather large, at least from her perspective. There were four main rooms, complete with corridors; the piloting room, where most crew members hung around the most with the engine room, the refectory that also served for other purposes, and finally the sleeping quarters. There were other smaller rooms for other purposes she didn't ask about and which she had no reason to occupy. The pilots were two knights in armor, who were apparently Bun's teachers. Other than their names, she knew close to nothing about them. In fact, she knew nothing about all those in this ship, only their names and their social status. And they knew nothing of her. Not like she wanted to tell them, at least for now. They would find out on their own eventually, when they would arrive. Now, she was in the refectory, on a bench, clenching her stomach with a green veil across her face. Things weren't looking too bright. How she couldn't wait to be home! And yet at the same time, she wasn't ready to face the queen… Oh, what would she tell her?

While she was busy worrying, she took out her crystal shard, which Sir Arthur had given back to her. Despite being a Kiridan, their leader was nice… In fact, most of the Kiridans she met in this ordeal appeared nice, especially the pink one… She usually had nothing against Kiridans in general, but she still had grown in a world where she was told they could only bring darkness, that they were what the dark forces at work were looking for, not the fairies.

'What a bunch of cowards we are," she told herself as she stroked the crystal shard, letting its light untie her twisting guts. 'These guys have been fighting all these wars while we run away the first moment a bunch of pirates show up. Heck, these Kiridans are even fascinated by us! Why would Kirby want to meet a bunch of racist jerks so badly? Ugh, my belly…'

As she set her back against the bench and breathed out, trying to relieve the pain, she thought back to the one Kiridan she knew well. He lived at the castle, but never came out, probably because the people would ignore him just as much. It wasn't like this man was even trying to be seen. He was mostly hiding all the time, showing up only when the queen asked for his advice, and then would say weird stuff and hide again. She had thought most Kiridans were like him, but it clearly wasn't the case.

It was only hours later that she lifted her head when the speakers echoed with Sir Arthur's deep voice.

"Everyone come on deck; Ripple Star is in sight. We will enter the atmosphere soon, so hold on to something."

For the first time since they arrived on this ship, she smiled. Finally she would be home! Without hesitating, she stood up from her bench, hid the crystal in her pouch and walked as fast as her sick stomach allowed her to. Everyone was already on the deck when she arrived at the front of the ship; Sir Arthur, Sir Dragato, Kirby, Bun, and the pilots Sir Sword Knight and Sir Blade Knight. Through the main windshield, she could quite clearly see her beloved star; shaped like a heart, its surface was free of darkness! But… the star wasn't as shining as it usually was. Damnable Dark matter…

While sitting down on a seat next to Kirby where she attached herself with a safety belt, the ship began its descent through the atmosphere of Ripple Star. And Ribbon still had no idea what she would tell her queen about the broken Crystal. Stars help her!