Fallen Stars: A New Age

Act 2 - Chapter Three: The Fairy Who Dreamt Bad Dreams

Later that day, somewhere in the middle of town, down a quiet street, a young girl was awakening inside Doctor Yabui's clinic. At first, she was terribly confused. As she attempted to raise herself from the bed, she slowly blinked her droopy eyes at her surroundings, trying to make sense of where she was. The room she was in was small and contained few furniture; mainly what appeared to be medical equipment. The lights were off, but the sunlight was coming through an open window, through which a fresh breeze was seeping into the room, bringing with it a nice smell of salt. Her mind was so groggy, she could barely understand it all. Why was she in this strange place? What had happened for her to be here?

Confused, her eyes went down on her body and she observed herself, making sure that she was still, actually, herself. Her body felt numb, especially her legs, but she felt no pain other than the drums resonating from the back of her head, drums that relentlessly echoed down into her tired eyes, making her groan in annoyance. She wore some kind of gown, white and hospital-like, and with a quick look around, she noticed her red dress, neatly folded on a table near the back wall of the room. She raised her hand to her head, as if trying to hold the pain inside, and found a bandage rolled all around, covering her hair. What… happened to her? She couldn't recall…

She could recall her leaving her home. Why did she leave her home again? Was it… because her aunt asked her to do something? Or was it for other, untold reasons? Why, oh why was she here…

With a light groan, she pushed the covers off of her and moved her legs over the bed, moving them around so she could feel them again. Straightening her back a bit, she looked back to her wings – long and thin fairy wings, similar in shape and delicateness as a dragonfly's – as she spread them out; they didn't look too damaged… One of them did hurt at the tip, however, and it made her groan. That was just great… What could have happened-

She gasped suddenly when it hit her.

Why, yes! Of course! She was here for something very important!

Was she even at the right place? Where was this? How did she get here?

Suddenly bursting with energy, the young Fairy slid down from the bed and stood up, however she had to stop herself when her head began to spin. Standing up so fast wasn't the best idea for now. Noted. She raised her head when she heard the door open and a voice speak to her, saying in the Gamble common tongue:

"I see you're awake, miss! You really shouldn't walk around so soon."

What… was this strange creature…? Was it native to this planet? He – she assumed it was a he, by the tone of voice it had – was an oddly shaped alien, with a creamy yellow shade of skin, and was wearing what looked like a doctor's outfit, complete with a stethoscope loose around his neck and glasses in the middle of his face. She quickly shook her head when she realized that she was staring at him with her mouth open, and she sat down on the bed with a sigh, rubbing her eyes as she asked with a dry voice:

"Where am I…?"

"In Dreamland," was the alien's reply as he walked up to her.

He took a moment to adjust her bandages around her head, and somehow, that careful gesture made her feel just a tiny bit better about her situation. At least she knew that she was in good hands… for now. But wait, Dreamland… that sounded oddly familiar…

"A Kiridan found you floating in space in a broken ship," the doctor continued, "and he brought you here. He's still in town, so you'll be able to thank him in person. I'm Doctor Yabui, by the way. You're in my clinic. What is your name, miss?"

She had to take a moment to assimilate all this information. She had to be saved… by a Kiridan? What could have… Oh! The Dark Matter! Right, she was attacked! Judging by what she felt in her head, she must have taken a hit somehow… Damn those Dark Matter, always there at the wrong time…

"Ribbon," she answered the doctor after clearing her throat. "My name is Ribbon… E-excuse me, but… this Dreamland wouldn't happen to be… on planet Popstar?"

"Why, yes it is!" Doctor Yabui answered, looking pleased that his guest could guess that much. "Now tell me Ribbon, are you feeling nauseated in any way? Loopy?"

"Uhm," she stuttered a bit before replying. "Not nauseated, but loopy, yes, a little bit… Is it bad, doctor?"

He scribbled some words on his notepad, walking off toward a cabinet as he answered:

"Not at all, you suffered from a light concussion. It could have been much worse. I'm not taking any chances though, you'll have to take this."

He came back with a rather large pill for her to take, and she reluctantly swallowed it along with some water he gave her.

"I would suggest resting here a bit longer until the pain leaves," he said, "you'll be able to go outside then. Your clothes are right there, Madam Hana cleaned them for you. Lady Fumu said she would prepare a room for you at the castle, so I guess you can count yourself as a castle guest. Lucky you!"

All of these names made no sense to her, but she nodded her head all the same, her throat feeling better now that she had taken some water. Doctor Yabui then left the room, and when he closed the door, Ribbon sat there a moment longer, in silence. She lightly chuckled at her own situation and how she got to this point.

When she came back home, she would have to avoid mentioning this to her aunt… otherwise she could say goodbye to her starship license! And she had worked so hard to get it!

Before arriving in town, Kirby took a quick break to gather his own thoughts. He didn't want a repeat of what had happened just before. At least he felt safe knowing Hailan wasn't far… but still, he would rather not have to explain anything to the others should it happen in front of them. Especially Fumu… He had done everything to not worry her further when he joined the Agency, and thus hadn't told her that he had been seeing a therapist for the past five years. He had even asked of Bun and the others to never tell her, just to be sure. Just when the nightmares had stopped, why was he now plagued by these visions…? He had to remember to note them down, too, just as he would with a dream journal.

There was no reason to tell Fumu. No reason at all.

He could get through this on his own.

With a deep breath, Kirby continued on through town, trying to look and act as normal as possible. The more years that passed, the better he was getting at faking smiles, and he wasn't sure it was a good thing. He saluted many people on the way, had to stop here and there to talk to some old friends who were all so happy to see him, and on he went, promising to many of them that he would talk to them during the banquet later on. He still found it strange that a banquet was being held; him coming back wasn't that special… was it? It had indeed been a while, and from what he had seen, they still considered him their hero, but… He felt bad taking profit from a banquet when he didn't even want to come here in the first place. He figured it was better to not let anyone know how he felt about coming here… He wouldn't hear the end of it!

Kirby went straight through town and toward the more quiet streets, where he walked toward the doctor's place, but as he arrived, he was greeted by a sight he did not expect. He was only a few feet away from the clinic when the door opened; and out came the young girl said to have been in care.

She was completely different from what he had imagined! She was humanoid in shape and bore a pair of beautiful, almost invisible wings, long and elegant on her back. Her skin was fair, as pale and perfect as porcelain, and her light pink hair was shoulder-length, topped by an adorable red ribbon. Her crimson dress flowed around her legs as it picked up the breeze, and as he observed her from head to toe, Kirby didn't realize that he was blatantly staring, until he raised his head to look at her face and met with her eyes. Those eyes… were mystical. A deep blue, with as many hues as he could imagine, like he was underwater and looking up at the surface, he felt like he would drown in those deep eyes if he stared too long.

And for a moment, he was tempted in doing so…

Kirby shook his head, breaking the eye contact and putting his mind back in place. The young Fairy was only looking at him, looking utterly confused and lost. She was blinking her eyes like the light of the sun was hurting her, and Kirby only now noticed the bandages running around her forehead and wrapping under her bangs… The hit she had taken must have been pretty bad indeed… Doctor Yabui appeared in the doorway, making her turn back, and he told her:

"Now, if your head hurts again or if you're feeling sick, feel free to come back. And be careful with that wing of yours, I'm no expert, but I'd be careful not to strain it too much."

She then smiled and nodded her head before respectfully bowing down, almost taking the cappy by surprise.

"Thank you, doctor," she spoke. "I will. I am grateful for your help."

Her words resounded in Kirby's ears… and they made him smile a real smile, one he couldn't explain, one that just appeared as if out of nowhere. When the doctor retreated back in his clinic, the Fairy turned back to him and, keeping that beautiful smile on her rounded face, she walked toward him, linking her arms in her back. Even her walk had a light, mystical feel to it! Were all Fairies like that? He had never met one before… He had heard that they preferred to stay among each other, on their home world of Ripple Star. This star must be so beautiful…

She stopped in front of him, and for a moment, none of them said anything; instead of speaking, she bent a bit forward, tilting her head as if trying to see him from a different angle, making Kirby feel horribly out of place. Did he have something on his face? Hopefully she wouldn't comment on how pale he was… He should have stayed a bit longer in the sun, he would look more alive…

"Have… Have we met before?" she asked suddenly, making him raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Uh," Kirby searched his mind, trying to see where he would have seen her, but he ended up lightly shaking his head, saying, "I… I don't think so, miss. Maybe you heard about me, but I don't think we met before now. W-what's your name, miss?"

He bit his lip after that light stutter, hoping that she hadn't noticed, and felt relieved when she straightened up and smiled, bringing a small hand up to her chest.

"Oh, right, forgive me! My name is Ribbon, of Ripple Star. Now that you mention it… You're a Kiridan. You… wouldn't happen to be Kirby of the Stars, by any chance?"

Kirby's smile came right back and he gingerly nodded his head, giving her a solid and proud salute that Sir Dragato would be proud of as he answered:

"Yep miss, I am! It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Ribbo-"

He was nearly interrupted when he heard a small squeal of joy come out of her, making him look back as she dove forward and grabbed his hand to shake it. From such a short distance from her face, he could tell she was both tired and eager, but her eyes expressed a deep relief, as if she had been searching for him for a long time.

"I am so glad I found you!" she said, before realizing she was holding his hand and letting go to straighten up, clearing her throat. "Sorry about that. I am just so happy I didn't make this trip for nothing…"

"Were you looking to find me?" he asked her, to which she nodded.

"Yes, I was, but… Well, I had a favour to ask of you, but the doctor told me you were here on vacation, and I certainly don't want to ruin that…"

"Oh, it's fine!" Kirby smiled widely, waving his hand nonchalantly. "I didn't want to sit around doing nothing anyway, so I'm happy to help, miss Ribbon! You must be hungry. How about you tell me about all of that while we go eat at Kawasaki's?"

Just as she was about to answer that she was fine, both Ribbon and Kirby heard a grumble echo between them, and that perfectly pale face of hers warmed up to a nice strawberry shade that went along well with her dress. She laughed, rubbing the back of her head as she replied shyly:

"I suppose I am hungry. Is that Kawasaki's some kind of restaurant?"

"It's the restaurant!" he answered with a jolly chuckle. "Come this way, I'll show you around."

Kirby gestured her to follow him and guided her back the way he came, and she followed right by his side. They talked lightly on the way to the plaza, Kirby telling her a bit more about Dreamland and what she should expect to see around town. He could tell she was a bit drowsy, so he kept the information light and made sure his words were nice and clear. Somehow, for some reason he couldn't quite explain, he felt… much lighter, as he was talking to her. There was just something around her that made him feel much more… at ease.

After a short round of the nearby streets and after meeting a few villagers on the way, Kirby and Ribbon arrived at their destination, however, they came upon quite the surprise when they saw the small crowd chatting eagerly inside the restaurant. Galacta Knight and Az were doing most of the chatting, while Fumu, Bun and Azure were sitting around, listening intently to whatever stories the elder Kiridan had to say. When the duo came in, it was Azure who spotted them first; the second he saw Kirby, he raised himself up from the ground and trotted over to them, immediately going up in Ribbon's face to smell it. The poor Fairy, who had never seen such a huge and terrifying beast before, took on a horrified expression and backed away, forcing Kirby to go push on Azure's muzzle, saying:

"Azure, stop that! I told you a million times, that's not how you should introduce yourself!"

As if feeling bad for scaring her, Azure let out a long whine and plumped back on the ground, eyes fixated on the fairy, who now looked more surprised than anything. Kirby petted the wolf on the head, saying to her:

"Don't worry, he may look grumpy but he doesn't bite. Ribbon, this is Azure, my friend!"

"H-hello Azure…," Ribbon said, uncertain, before extending her hand to him.

Azure lightly smelled it… and his tail started to wag, with such intensity that it continuously thumped on the floor. Kirby smiled at her.

"He likes you!"

Just as he spoke, Azure stood up, smelled her face for a brief second, then turned around and went back to his previous place by the table, without a single word. The others gestured them to come over, and they happily joined them at their table, pulling chairs for themselves. Fumu and Bun both introduced themselves and Ribbon introduced herself back with a smile, but when Galacta Knight, who was probably the biggest Kiridan she had ever seen in her life, - and probably one of the only ones besides Kirby - warmly shook her hand with both of his as he always did, she took on a strange look… She gave Az the same look when he shook her hand, but lightened up immediately when Kirby said:

"Az is the one who found you floating in space. He brought you back here as soon as he did."

"Really?" she inquired, looking back at the elder Kiridan, who nodded his head with a humble look. "Thank you, sir! I don't know what I would have done without your help…"

"Oh please, it's only natural," he replied with a kind smile. "Oy wouldn't have left an innocent girl in danger like that. I'm just relieved yer alright, miss Ribbon."

She only smiled at him, with nothing more to add, and then Kawasaki himself arrived, happy to have a new customer. While they were waiting for their orders to arrive, Bun elbowed Kirby to get his attention and gestured toward Az sitting across from them, saying:

"Oh hey, this might interest you, Kirby! Az said that he got some news from you-know-who!"

Kirby's face suddenly lit up, and he looked back at Uncle Az, who appeared a little bit confused as to who they were talking about. Galacta Knight whispered something in his ear, and the elder man quickly understood, reverting back to a warm smile as he happily nodded.

"It's true," he said. "Actually, it was me son who made me come 'ere. As Oy was travelling back to Gamble Galaxy, I received a message from my wife, Kia, who told me that he had come to our colony. Oy couldn't believe it!"

Kirby's eyes opened wide, and his mind began spiralling in all directions; a sign! A sign of Meta Knight! He gulped down his saliva before he choked on it and quickly asked, straightening himself up:

"He did?! W-what did he say? He told you to come here?"

Smiling at his enthusiasm, Az nodded at each of his questions and said in a calm manner:

"Yes, me wife relayed a message from 'im. He wanted me te come 'ere and meet with ye. So far, Oy can understand why."

"When was that?" Kirby quickly asked.

"Oy received the message a week ago."

Kirby couldn't believe his ears. Five years, and finally he had a clue! He stuttered a bit before his next question finally left his mouth:

"W-where is that colony? Maybe he's still nearby!"

But, to that question, Az's smile reduced to half its length, and he answered in a hushed tone:

"For our own safety, Oy can't tell without bringing ye there meself. But, I will say that it's not far from this star; it is, in fact, in Gamble Galaxy. But Oy wouldn't get yer hopes up; my wife told me he left as soon as he arrived, so only the stars know where he could be by now."

A disheartened Kirby sat back against his chair. Well, that was suddenly very disappointing. Still, a clue was a clue, and most of all… it meant that he was, in fact, still alive. He gave Az half a smile, finding comfort in that thought alone. Kawasaki suddenly arrived with their plates, breaking the silence that had settled on the table as he exclaimed:

"Here are your meals! Sorry for the wait!"

A bit later, while Ribbon was digging through her plate like she hadn't eaten in months amongst some light chatter at the table, Kirby looked up from his empty plate toward her, and he asked:

"So, Ribbon, what's that favour you were talking about earlier?"

She raised her eyes, and her face seemingly turned a brighter shade of strawberry when she felt everyone else's gazes fixated on her, and she swallowed down her food before clearing her throat, grabbing her napkin to clean her lips.

"Yes, uhm, I suppose I do owe an explanation…," she started, her eyes looking away and staring at anything but anyone. "You see, I… ugh, how do I explain this…"

"Just take yer time, lass," Az kindly told her with a warm smile. "Ye can relax. Ain't anyone here's yer enemy."

That sentence made her raise her head suddenly, as if awakening something in her, and she finally turned to look at them, unsure at first, but eventually, she smirked lightly, and nodded her head. Kirby stared at Az for a brief moment, confused by his odd choice of words, but he turned again to Ribbon to listen, keeping this on the edge of his mind.

"Alright," she said softly, looking up at the young Star Warrior. "I know it sounds weird, but… I had a dream. A while back. Well, more like a nightmare, really… It was horrible… There was darkness everywhere, eating away at everyone and everything. Dark clouds were billowing above our heads, the wind was sharp, and so, so cold… it felt… too real."

Kirby frowned. This dream sounded awfully familiar to his own nightmarish visions…

"But," she continued, "there was suddenly a ray of light, and from that light, I saw you. You were, uhm, cleansing the world of darkness, for a lack of better words. You freed the whole world of darkness, and there was only light, with you in it. I woke up very, very confused, but… I knew that it was a vision! A vision of things to come!"

Kirby found his frown turning into a somewhat unconvinced grin; he had never been into 'visions of the future'. However strange dreams could get, they couldn't tell the future. It was impossible to predict the future. Period. But he let her talk all the same, because her eyes… seemed honest. And that honesty was what turned that weird grin into a slightly more interested gaze. Why would she dream of him…? That was what interested him the most.

"The weird thing is," she said, "I didn't even know you before that dream. I had to do some secret research to find your name and your face. Anyway, the reason I'm here…"

She sighed. Obviously, she felt weird asking something out of him because of a dream, and Kirby could tell she was awkward. He didn't really know what he thought about that whole story, either. Dreaming of the future…

"I came here to ask if you would come with me to Ripple Star," she finally spoke, making him raise his eyebrows in surprise. "I know I'm asking a lot, but I just know that this dream was telling me that something horrible would happen, and you needed to be there! That's why I left home, to come and find you! I didn't even tell my aunt the truth when I left…"

Kirby blinked a few times, unsure of what to say. However, before he could even stutter any kind of response, Galacta Knight put down his chopsticks on his plate, making enough noise to bring attention over to him as he turned to the fairy and said:

"Now hold on there, lass! You want to bring little Kirby over to your star? Is this some kind of Fairy plan to get him killed or what?"

Ribbon's face suddenly expressed pure horror, her eyes widening and her hair rising on her head, and she quickly shook her head, raising her hands as if to show her innocence as she stuttered:

"N-no! That's not what I said!"

"We all know what happens to all the Kiridans who go to Ripple Star, you're not fooling anyone," Galacta continued in the same semi-aggressive tone.

That low growl made Az himself turn to him and tell him to tone it down, to which Galacta shrugged and said:

"It's true! You know it Uncle, if Kirby goes there, he's done for."

"Hey hey, wait a minute!" Kirby had to raise his voice to be heard. "Why would I be dead if I went there? What's up with Ripple Star?"

Galacta Knight sat back in his chair, waving his hand around as he answered smugly:

"It's a long story, lad, one that I'm sure miss Ribbon would be happy to tell you."

"I'm not trying to get him killed, I swear!" the young fairy replied, looking distraught at the accusations. "There's no plan involved or anything like that! I swear!"

Clearly, Ribbon was very uncomfortable on her chair, and her face was red around the eyes, as if she was about to cry. That look made Kirby want to slap Galacta Knight on the head, and he would have had he not been sitting on the opposite side of the table. With a deep sigh, Ribbon looked at Kirby, and swallowed down any fear that was blocking her throat.

"Our… species don't actually, uhm… really get along that well," she carefully tried to explain, her hands fumbling and hiding inside her long sleeves. "We're, uhm… long time enemies, actually. I'm not… really sure why, exactly. Our history books say all kinds of weird, opposing things about that… But yeah. Kiridans are not… really welcome on Ripple Star, but if you're with me you'll be fine! I promise, nothing would happen to you!"

Kirby frowned. Enemies…? Why would the Kiridans and Fairies be enemies? What could cause two species to actually hate each other? Now he understood what Az had said earlier… You can relax. She needed reassurance that no one here was her enemy, because she was surrounded by three Kiridans, who were supposed to be her enemies. Her uncertainty made sense now, but… it still didn't fully explain why that fear had to exist in the first place.

"Well then," Kirby said with a deep sigh, "that's a bummer. I was wondering what Ripple Star looked like…"

"It's best if you don't go there, lad," Galacta Knight told him with a serious tone. "You don't want to know what I heard about what they did to Kiridans on that planet."

"Now hold on, Sir Galacta Knight," Fumu interjected, making them look over to her as she looked at him with a disapproving stare. "Kirby is the Star Warrior here, so he's the one who decides what he'll do. As far as I can tell with Ribbon here, it's clear that not all Fairies are as evil as you make it sound, so who's to say what would happen if Kirby went there with her. She seems very honest, and I believe her when she says that."

From the corner of his eye, Kirby saw Ribbon smile at Fumu, as if glad that someone here saw that she meant no harm.

"It's for his own safety, Miss Fumu!" Galacta Knight responded. "I don't trust them one bit, those Fairies. Except you, Miss Ribbon, you seem fine, it's the others I mean. Right Az? Please tell me you agree with me on this one."

Uncle Az appeared thoughtful for a moment; it was clear he knew more about it all than anyone else really did, but he kept quiet and said softly, with an accent suddenly so rough on the ears they barely heard it all:

"Guess… mmh, but ne, it depends. Miss Ribbon's trustworthy in me eyes, Oy don't see any malice in her actions. Miss Fumu's right, it's all on Kirby, son."

The concerned Star Warrior heaved a deep sigh, bringing the gazes of everyone back on him. Ribbon was looking right into his eyes, as if praying for a positive answer… but he knew he would have to deceive her on this front.

"Look," he spoke toward her carefully, "it's not just about Ripple Star and its treatment of Kiridans. I'm sure you mean well, you're obviously worried for your star, but… I really don't buy it. Dreams can't foretell the future, nothing can. Maybe you should…" Another sigh. "Look, there's not much I can do. Me defeating Nightmare was just a lucky shot. I really don't believe I'm some sort of… light… being, thing, whatever it is you all think I am. I did what I did because I was thrown into it and I had to find a way to survive. That's all I ever do, really… Sorry."

With that final word and a heart beating faster than drums, Kirby stood up from his seat under the surprised gazes of everyone around the table, and promptly left the restaurant, having nothing more to say. Ribbon stared at him as he left, completely baffled and looking like she could cry any second… but she didn't. As Azure jumped to his feet and ran after his young master, Uncle Az put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, making her turn to him. He smiled a kind and warm smile, one that somehow calmed the storm raging in her heart.

"Don't worry about it, lass," he said. "Oy can tell some part of 'im believes ye. He'll change his mind after some time to think. Wait until tomorrow, after the banquet. We'll see his thoughts then."

Ribbon hesitated, but she nodded her head, mumbling a response. She could only hope that he would… In her eyes, she had been telling the ultimate truth. No one else but Kirby could help her star… for whatever it was that was coming for it. She could only nod her head and pray at this point…

Kirby was, to say the least, quite crossed for the rest of the day. Whether it was against himself or anything hiding deeper inside him, he wasn't sure, but one thing he knew, was that he did not want to hear about Ripple Star again. He spent the whole day by himself, back on the beach, far from anyone or anything other than his own thoughts… except for Azure. The large wolf had followed him out of the restaurant and wouldn't leave him be, as was always the case with him. Now, Kirby was lazily throwing a ball at his large friend, mindlessly throwing it back as soon as the wolf came back running with it covered in burning slobber, as he stared at the sky, lost in his thoughts.

There was no way… to tell the future. No dreams and no nightmares, no matter how horrible or 'real' it felt, could show the future. At least, not with exactitude… Why should he worry about the dreams of another when he had his own problems hunting him down at every hour of the day? Why would he care-

Because that's what he did.

He cared.

He worried for Ribbon and her star, he wouldn't deny that, and he wanted to help.

But to risk his life on a hostile star because of a dream a girl had one night? He wasn't so sure about that one, and no matter which way he twisted it, it still scared him to no end. The thought that there were still and always people out there who wouldn't hesitate to kill him on the spot without even knowing him first… It made him shiver.

Why couldn't he just… be in peace…?

Why wasn't he here to protect him, like before…?

Part of him almost expected to see him, walking along the beach to greet him, like he always did…

He always did like to walk along the beach…

But, another, bigger part of him knew that it wouldn't happen. He was gone, and for all he knew, he would probably not come back. At least, not now…

Where… was he…? The Universe was so vast, everything was so, so far away… He felt like a string being pulled and stretched further away, and soon, frighteningly soon, the string would break… and so would he.

Suddenly, Kirby heard a most familiar sound; the sharp yet melodious string of a shamisen. The notes followed one another in the start of a beautiful and toe-tapping melody, and it made Kirby smile when a voice accompanied it in the most fitting way. The voice sang in a tongue unknown to him, and hearing it in such a time appeased his heavy heart, for it was telling one of his favourite stories.

The story was of a lonely warrior who travelled across the land to free the spirit of an angered dragon; after a long, arduous journey across a harsh land of snow and ice, the warrior climbed a steep mountain, and found a lonely dragon atop it's freezing peak, whose spirit was lost to a land of dark dreams. With his might and his pure heart, the warrior fought valiantly against the guardian, until he managed to free it of darkness' icy grasp. Basking in light, the dragon came back from its nightmarish prison, and rewarded the warrior with… a vision of the future.

Mh. What a fitting story this was…

Hailan had many stories to tell in his songs, and he had happily translated them for Kirby during the past years, allowing him to discover the rich folklore of his home world, Arranza Star. Even as Hailan did his best to keep his voice closer to a male voice, he was surprisingly able to adapt his voice so that it sounded like two people sang together simultaneously, a duo of a male and a female, and this amazing sound never failed to make Kirby smile and forget his troubles. He never would have imagined, five years ago, that such a quiet ninja could have such a beautiful singing voice… Maybe he had been a singer before? Who really knew?

He could close his eyes and imagine himself, floating on a vast sea of clouds, with no gravity holding him, no fear, no worries, nothing but himself, and the melody that reverberated around him along the rocking waves… For a moment, he felt at peace…

He opened his eyes when he heard sudden barking, and he turned his head to look; Azure was standing in front of someone, tail wagging, but he was so large Kirby couldn't see who it was… until he finally moved out of the way. It was Uncle Az. Kirby swallowed the lump of saliva that suddenly found itself blocking his throat, and he straightened up against the rock he had his back on; Hailan, who was sitting on top of the large rock, kept playing his shamisen, but had stopped singing, as if to respect the other man's arrival. Uncle Az walked over toward them, looking quite pleased to have found them, and with a short greeting in his native tongue – that Kirby wished he could understand – he sat down next to the young warrior, setting his back against the rock with a deep sigh. For a while, he said nothing, and only observed the sea in peaceful silence… and with a short, hidden sigh, Kirby did the same.

Being here with him felt so weird. It wasn't like he was with him but it did at the same time… There was just so much about this man that reminded him of him, it almost made the boy want to cry. His eyes were stinging, and his heart hurt just thinking about him… those golden eyes, smiling at him, that voice, with the same, thick accent, inviting him to go eat at Kawasaki's, those hands, comforting him after hard times…

Kirby took in a deep, shaky breath, and he almost angrily rubbed the unshed tears away from his eyes. Az hummed, lightly…

"Popstar's a beautiful planet," he said, to which only the waves answered as they softly swooshed in on the sand. "It's no wonder he chose this place to raise ye."

Kirby blinked. To raise him? He looked back at him quizzically, and Az did so as well, looking like he might have slipped up. He rubbed his chin confusingly, saying:

"Raise may not be the correct word. Sorry. Elevate? No, that doesn't m…" He mumbled through his native words before he finally said: "Oh, train! Yeh, he chose this place to train ye. That's what Galacta told me, my bad."

Kirby couldn't help but smirk at that. Az was clearly not all that familiar with this side of the galaxy's common tongue, but he had to commend him for doing his best to speak as normally as he could. He forced a chuckle out of him, joking:

"Did Galacta Knight tell you absolutely everything about me so quickly?"

Az smirked and replied:

"Oh, the boy hasn't changed at all in all those years… Mmh, how many is it in your tongue… oukreya seva o. Forgive me, Oy'm terrible with these large numbers…" He rubbed his chin, but continued speaking nonetheless. "He told me enough. Oy was told what happened to me son, most of all… That's something he didn't mention to my wife, I assume."

Kirby's head lowered, and he became downcast; all of a sudden, he felt terribly… guilty. Something inside, in his heart, became icy cold, almost to the point it burned.

"Galacta told me you two were very close," Az continued, making him raise his head back to him for a brief second before his gaze wandered back to the waves. "I know ye were his student, but is it true?"

"Yeah," Kirby answered vaguely. "I guess… I guess you could say we were. I mean… as far as I'm concerned. I never really knew how he felt about me… Must be the mask. Did he use to hide his face as a kid?"

Az appeared surprised at the question, but in a good way, for it made him smile and laugh.

"Not so literally," he answered in a chuckle. "But, even as a kiddo, Metanyo was hard to understand. He had many… oufhes. Mmh… Layers. What he showed and said was rarely what he really thought. But that's what made 'im… him, I suppose." He sighed… "I wish I could have spent more time with 'im…"

Kirby looked up at the man, and found him looking nostalgic…

"How old was he when he left home?" he asked, growing more curious to know more about him.

"Ike i. Two… hundred. Give or take a few years. Oy will remember always the night of his ike i tem, his, uhm, birthday. He came to his mother and I and told us he was ready t'go… Oy certainly wasn't ready to see him go. It was too soon. But Oy quickly realized I was… hypocrite. It was his time, and Oy had to accept it. If he was ready, then that was it. He came back every now and then for vacation when he could, at least, so Oy'm grateful for that."

Kirby blinked a few times, trying to sweep that tingling feeling away from his eyes. In a way, it reassured him to see that even someone like him could realize that he had to let go of his son in order for him to be happy; perhaps Kirby himself could learn from this… but he couldn't let him go. Suddenly, Az perked up and looked at Kirby with a sudden spark in his eyes.

"Sorry for changing the subject, Oy heard there was a banquet in yer honour tonight," he said, his voice now light and jovial as always. "Shouldn't ye go and prepare? Miss Fumu was looking for ye, now that Oy remember…"

Suddenly, it dawned right on little Kirby; right, the banquet! He had completely forgotten about it! He had been so caught up in that whole Ripple Star business that it had completely flown over his head. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet, asking almost in a panic:

"Oh shit! What time is it?! Fumu's gonna strangle me!"

Judging by the setting sun, he had a very short time before the banquet started. He quickly turned to Uncle Az and bowed down politely, saying:

"Thank you for talking to me about your son, Uncle Az, I'll see you later at the banquet! I wanna hear more eventually though!"

Kirby quickly dashed over to Azure, who had a completely destroyed and burnt ball stuck between his teeth, and leaped onto his back, sending the large wolf on a sprint down the beach, toward his house. He left behind Az, who smiled warmly at his leaving figure, and chuckled. The boy reminded him of an odd mix of his daughter and his son… How refreshing it was to be with him. He felt so… familiar, too. Like it wasn't the first time he was speaking to him. How odd, indeed… Az stood up, and as he was stretching himself, Hailan, who hadn't said a single word since his arrival, jumped down from the rock, making him turn to him. The ninja looked at him – at least, he thought he was, what with that ominous mask on his face – and strapped his shamisen to his back, before lightly bowing down to him.

"I must first and foremost thank you for speaking to him, I believe he needed the talk. However, I must warn you that Master Kirby is very fragile, Mister Khano," he told him, making him lose his smile. "I believe Sir Galacta Knight has told you about his condition."

Az nodded his head. Galacta had told him all the details of that day…

"Aye, he did… The poor boy, he's too young to be suffering from Dark Matter Sickness…"

"In that case, I suggest you keep the subject of Sir Meta Knight to a minimum," answered the ninja, much to his surprise. "Master Kirby reacts strongly to his name alone. He is susceptible to panic attacks from time to time, and so we must watch our words. As his guardian, I will not allow him to fall back into darkness. Am I clear, Mister Khano?"

Az's eyes widened; Galacta had not mentioned this! What horrors had the poor boy seen…? He nodded his head as a reply, saying:

"Oy see. Galacta didn't talk about that… Oy'll keep quiet as much as possible about Meta Knight, then. Thank ye for letting me know."

Hailan lightly bowed again, but as he was leaving after Kirby, Az suddenly told him:

"Ye play music very well. Kirby's lucky to have ye around, Ser Hailan."

The ninja briefly looked back at him, and all he did was nod his head as thanks, before turning back and leaving for good. Az sighed. He searched through his pocket and took out a circular medallion, covered with intricate designs, and opened it; he took the picture that was inside. With all this, he hadn't even done what he had come here to do. Oh well, he told himself. He would show him the picture at the banquet; it would surely cheer the poor lad up!