Author's note: Hey there! Hope that didn't take too long. I was pretty busy with college and all that jazz. Also some other stuff concerning the story. I have very good news! I have almost COMPLETELY rewritten chapters 10 and 11! They are now more like how I first imagined them; I rewrote the action scenes, redid the dialogue with important clues and details, basically did almost everything (key-word almost) from the start. (I think chapter 10 is even longer than it was…) So I HIGHLY encourage you to go back and read those. Like really. You won't regret it.

On other news, I'm happy to say that this story will be translated in Russian and Spanish! I'd like to personally thank Vaskastaff and Mafexx, respectively, for offering! I'll post more news about this on my profile page when I actually have news, so stay tuned if you're interested!

On that note, thank you all for the feedback on the last chapter! It was really helpful, and I hope to see you all throughout this third and last arc. Have a good read!

A long time ago, in an era long past, the Universe was divided by great walls of darkness. Each of these smaller worlds lived in pure silence, unaware of the presence of the black walls that separated them all. It was impossible to reach the other worlds, nor to know of what resided inside these worlds.

One day, a being came to life. He lived in utter silence, like all those who lived around him, but he was different. With a shining Star in hand, he could see the walls, rising high in the sky above his home, and through these curtains he could see. And on the other side, he saw another world. Another being stood there, watching him.

And the Great Silence lived on.

He was in the dark. He was in pain. Those were the only things he was aware of. There was nothing else. Silence. Except for one, constant noise. A beeping sound. It seemed regular, as far as he knew. He was vaguely aware of something warm in his hand. Fingers, a soft skin brushing against his. He had no strength to even hold the hand back.

"…Meta…?"

The voice was distant, muted. It was a woman's.

"…Meta, are you awake?"

Yes. Yes, he was awake. The hand started slipping out of his.

"Do you… hear me?"

He twitched his fingers, grasping the woman's hand. It was weak, but he heard her gasp, and take his hand carefully again. He could hear the relief in her voice.

"Do you remember me, Meta?"

His mind was a mess. It was like a huge parcel of his memories was gone. Or rather a large parcel of himself. Like it had all vanished. What happened exactly? Why was he blind? Why was he in so much pain? He tried moving his hand again, but only managed to twitch his fingers. The beeping accelerated. She rubbed his hand tenderly.

"Shh, it's okay… You're safe here… You'll be fine… The doctors say you're out of danger… You're going to live…"

He breathed in, but his lungs burned in his chest. Did he remember her? What was her name? He knew her. He felt her lips on his hand, and remembered. This woman…

Kirby woke up. It took him a moment to understand that the pain he was feeling wasn't real, and as the sensation quickly faded away into the numbness he usually felt in mornings like these, he was able to relax. At least, it felt like it was morning… As soon as they had left, the Lor had absorbed the properties of the remaining crystals they had with them and had started tracking the others down. Kirby didn't understand how this all worked, but he was just glad that it actually worked. He had decided to get some sleep before they arrived, but now, instead of feeling rested, he was just stricken with even more questions than he already was. Who had been that woman in the dream? It was quite clear, from the remains of the sensations that floated in his mind from the memory, that Meta Knight had once held strong feelings for that woman. But no matter how hard he tried, Kirby couldn't remember her name…

Just when the young Star Warrior was about to get out of bed, deciding it would be better to check if they were near their destination, his stomach rumbled, quite loudly. Trying to remember when was the last time he had eaten a proper meal like those he used to have back home, he slid off the mattress and left the sleeping quarters. The Lor Starcutter was much larger inside than what it looked outside. Kirby had to admit it was very impressive. The white walls and the strange halcandran technology that surrounded him made it all seem like it was nothing but a wonder out of a dream. The young Star Warrior found his way to the kitchen area, a rather medium-sized room with shelves and cupboards lining the walls and an islet in the center where one could cook. Walking up to the cupboards, Kirby gathered everything he would need, wondering what most of these strange halcandran ingredients would taste like.

While he was cutting some veggies, or what he could only guess were veggies, and putting them into a huge salad bowl that he wanted to try with a sort of sauce that was in one of the cupboards, a noise came up to him. From under the islet. Backing up, Kirby looked down at the cupboards lining the islet, all closed. He held out a hand, about to open one, when the door slid open. He looked up to see Galacta Knight, who gestured to him to follow.

"I knew I'd find you here! Come on, we'll be there in a few minutes! Don't worry 'bout your food, no one's gonna touch it."

A smile growing on his face, Kirby obliged; he left the islet and his food behind, and followed the knight outside, although he did bring one of those carrot-like veggies with him to eat.

"So," Galacta said on their way to the deck, "what do you think of this ship? Pretty neat, huh?"

"Yeah!" he agreed excitedly. "That ship is awesome! I don't know much about Halcandrans. Are they really that advanced?"

"Not more than any other species out there, but that ship is one piece of technology I've rarely seen. Mag says it's used for mining…"

"Mining?" he repeated, looking at him.

"Yeah, I wondered the same thing," Galacta chuckled. "Maybe Halcandra's more advanced than we thought after all. Another good reason to get these crystals back from those pirates as soon as possible, so we can go and help the others at the Agency. I don't know how long the fairies will hold on, too…"

Looking up at him cautiously, Kirby noticed something odd about him. Not only did he look exhausted, with dark circles lining his eyes and giving him a morose look, he looked almost… angry. Licking his lips, Kirby tried to reassure him with his usual smile.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be fine. Those pirates… must have a good reason to-"

"Do you really believe that Meta is out there?"

The knight had stopped walking, making the cadet stop as well. Galacta looked so much taller now… Kirby frowned.

"I don't know what to think anymore. If that was really him, then… I guess… we'll have to wait until we meet them. It's the only way to tell if they're really impostors or not. Sir Dragato says he wants to negotiate with them."

Galacta scoffed.

"I don't know how he plans to do that. We don't have nothin' to negotiate with. It's not like the Agency's swimming in money, so a ransom isn't gonna work out for us, specially with that war rising up."

With a sigh, the knight gestured for him to follow and resumed walking, in thoughtful silence. Clearly, Kirby thought as he did the same, Galacta was thinking and worrying about too many things at once. How he understood him… Once they arrived on deck, they found Magolor, sitting at the pilot's seat in front of an immense screen that showed thousands of data and numbers, all written in an unknown language – probably Halcandran – swirling across the screen in front of what appeared to be the view in front of the Lor. Hailan's and Blade's ship was a bit ahead of them, and farther back rose a gentle giant; amidst a sea of low, almost pure white clouds, stood a mountain, tall and immense. From its top erupted an almost constant flow of smoke and ashes that dissipated quickly into the sky, and from many smaller holes in its flanks flowed bright and burning lava. The soil around the mountain was black, but the forest that grew around it, although most of it was burning down to ashes, looked thick and lively. Many groups of Neons were flying up from the canopy of the trees, escaping their nests at the arrival of the ships and the nearby fire. They quickly disappeared out of view, frustrating Kirby once more; he had seen the Neons, knew they were birds, but had yet to see one clearly.

He quickly forgot about them however when Dragato said through the computer's radio:

"Hailan, do you see anything?"

"I don't see the whole set they stole from us, but I do see two chunks of crystals. One of them… is moving, while the other is… Oh skeh'hamba… It's inside the volcano."

"It must have fallen through the chimney," Blade's voice added. "What do we do, Sir?"

"That volcano looks pretty active to me," Magolor commented.

"Mmh…," Dragato mused, scratching his chin. "Young man, does your ship sense the presence of the other crystal shards?"

"Yes Sir, but not in this area," the Halcandran answered. "That battleship doesn't seem to be near here, but the signal is still active, so they can't be far either."

"Sir," Hailan started in a serious tone. "I can go down there and easily track the crystals without risking bringing the ships near the volcano. The fewer we are in there, the better."

"Are you sure you want to risk this?"

"We don't have a lot of options right now… Don't worry Sir, I'm confident in my skills."

Dragato breathed in, although quietly. Kirby saw his eyes squint, as if unsure.

"Alright," was his answer. "You may go, but keep your radio open. Even with interference, we should be able to hear you should trouble stir. If you encounter any pirate, do not attack."

"Should I try to talk to them?" she asked.

"If they aren't hostile, yes. Let them know we are willing to negotiate."

"Understood, Sir. I'm off. See ya later, guys!"

Kirby quickly turned and looked worriedly at Sir Dragato, who kept looking at the volcano through the screen with an unreadable look.

"Is it really safe?" he asked him. "I mean, that volcano's erupting! It could go wrong really quickly!"

"Come on, Kirb! That's not like you!" Bun's voice came over the computer. "I dunno about you, but I've seen Hailan at work for the last years. Pretty sure she's been in worst conditions than that!"

"He's right," Dragato told him, turning his head to face him. "Lady Hailan is a veteran, Kirby. Let's be more like her and remain confident in her skills."

"Personally," Magolor mumbled from his seat, "I'm more worried about those pirates ambushing her than about the volcano…"

Kirby sighed. They were right. He was worrying too much. And while they remained here, waiting for Hailan to start the operation, Kirby was unaware that, back in the kitchen, his lunch had vanished from the counter.

The forest was burning all around her, but still she ran. Her feet carried her soundlessly from tree from tree, small hops that made her fly through the air like she was but dust and feathers. Whether a branch was burning or not, as soon as her foot touched it, it left, and she continued forth until she was face to face with the mountain. It was a titan, rising in smoke and ash before her, a towering and rumbling giant. However small she was compared to it, the ninja leaped from her perch and headed toward the nearest entry into the mountain. From the looks of it, it appeared that when the volcano wasn't active, the natives used these entrances to get access to it, from what she could tell; there were sort of pillars of stone and obsidian on each sides of the entrance, as if marking it as an entry point. What these birds could do inside a sleeping volcano, she didn't know, but she was grateful for it. Jumping on a rock that stood high enough to let the slowly freezing lava flow on either side, she stood there, watching the powerful energies rise before her glowing eyes. The two crystals were still in there. Only one was moving, but it was farther inside than the other.

Carefully, the ninja pressed on; she jumped from the rock to another, clung to a wall effortlessly, climbed it, leaped again, again and again, until she passed the river of lava and landed on a safer platform. From there, she watched her surroundings. The air was so hot in here; the heat waves rising from the earth's blood made it hard to see well, but the sheer size of the cavern she was in was hard to miss. Lava was flowing from all sides, from waterfalls high into the walls or from fountains erupting in the ground. This place was more dangerous than she had thought…

Still following the light of the crystal, Hailan leaped her way through the cavern and entered another via a safe passage where the lava hadn't flowed through yet, and continued into the heat. The farther she went, the hotter it became it seemed. She couldn't stay here too long. It was getting harder to find oxygen… Pressing on, she looked up. The crystal was on a higher level, but still a wall separated it from her. Turning her eyes, she saw the other one, the moving light; it was getting closer. Squinting her eyes, she leaped, clung to the wall, and climbed; using her sharp, teeth-like daggers, she planted them into the hot rock and easily made her way to a higher platform where she slid between two boulders that blocked her way. As soon as she pushed herself through, she saw it; the crystal, imbedded into a rock, just a little bit higher. Yet, when she climbed her way to it and was about to put her hand on it, she came face to face with a metal mask. They both gasped and leaped back, putting a distance between them. The crystal lay there, in-between the ninja and the pirate.

This man was tall; covered in a strange armor that she couldn't tell the type of metal or leather, he wore a helmet that hid his face completely. And she had seen that type of helmet before, numerous times. Three horns on top, bug-like visors, a breathing system like a gas-mask in front of the mouth… The man had his hand to his back, grasped tightly around the hilt of a large, spike-covered mace. She, on the other hand, did as she had been told, and put her knives away. The mountain growled around them. She could see the crystal's light, in the man's pockets at his belt.

"Well," the pirate laughed with his rough voice, stricken with that accent she knew well. "What do we have here? What's a lovely lady like yourself doin' in an active volcano? It's not really a place to wander in, you know."

"I am only here for the crystal," she spoke calmly.

"Of course you are, lady! Too bad that that's what I'm here for too."

"I'm not here to fight, pirate," she said. "I bear a message from my commander."

The pirate appeared surprised by the small move of his body, but still he held on to the hilt of his mace.

"A message, you say?" he repeated. "Well, I'll be. How 'bout you tell me this message?"

"I am told to let you know that we are willing to negociate with your supposed 'Lord'. Need I remind you that we still have crystals on our side, and that however many you may have, you will never be able to use them like this."

"Mmh," the pirate groaned. "That's… a factor I'm sure my Lord has thought about. I ain't readin' his mind, y'know. Lemme guess. You want your precious crew members in exchange for the crystals?"

"I am not the one doing the propositions, my commander will be; given you accept to talk."

And while the man was thinking about this, Hailan's instincts warned her; she turned her eyes to the side. A burning, red blur came at her, forcing her to leap back immediately and cling to the nearest wall. She escaped those long claws in time, but stood surprised to see that beast.

"Azure!" she called out to the demon-beast. "What in the stars are you doing!"

The Wolfwrath was on all fours, teeth in a nasty snarl as fire and sparks lined the spikes of his back. Flames escaped the sides of his mouth through his teeth as he growled like a rumbling banshee at her, eyes full of fire. The other pirate laughed and walked closer to the crystal.

"We're gonna think about that," he answered her as he pulled the crystal out of the ground with a grunt. "Just gotta let you know though. Our Lord is having a lotta fun messing around with you guys. You're good entertainment! I'd suggest you leave now before this place blows up though. Could be bad for you."

Still keeping his angry eyes on her, Azure bent down, allowing the pirate to climb onto his back, something he rarely did, even with them. In one swift leap, the Wolfwrath jumped away from the platform and disappeared, just as the volcano started rumbling, more than ever before. Taken aback, Hailan stayed confused for a moment, until her radio screeched.

"Hailan!" Galacta called. "We heard all that. Don't worry about – krrsssshh - crystals, just leave this damn place!"

Gulping down her anger, she nodded, almost to herself.

"Right."

Turning around, all she did was throw herself down the platform. She braced herself, and easily reached a crevasse in another wall, from which she immediately leaped down again to reach a passage to the other caverns. She trudged her way through rising lava and fire, only now realizing that she had trouble breathing. Squinting her burning eyes, she was relieved when she saw the entrance through which she had come in. The lava level had risen, and the number of perches she could use was limited. Breathing out, she leaped on the walls again and clung tightly, right above the lava, as she headed out. Even outside, the air was polluted with ash and smoke. Jumping down on a nearby boulder, she finally escaped the lava river when she leaped into the remains of the forest and ran off immediately.

She ran for a long time; until the fire was engulfed by the thick forest, until she was completely out of breath. When she came across a river and when the rumbling volcano was farther behind her, she stopped. With no thoughts running through her mind, she simply put her back against a nearby trunk; the humid moss growing on it felt nice against her scorched skin, and she remained there a moment longer, her eyes closed. She eventually detached herself from the tree and walked to the edge of the river, where she bent down and gathered water into her hands, once she had taken her blackened and singed gloves off. The first taste of that pure water made her sigh in relief, and she drank deeply.

"Ara kayeh! Ara kayeh! Kalassu kayeh!"

The woman jerked up suddenly at this cry; it was distant, farther away into the forest, high-pitched. Gathering her gear, she quickly set off again. Jumping onto the low branches of the trees, she ran at top speed toward the call, which kept echoing through the jungle. She soon entered a sort of clearing where the river traversed, but the soil looked like it had been moved around by a herd of very large animals, probably a group that had escaped the fires in a hurry. On their way here, they had pushed down numerous trees, making her question how big these animals were, but she didn't dwell on it too long, for the cries were coming from here. Running over to one of the trees, she found the source. It was a Neon. The poor animal was stuck under a rather large trunk. It was so small, it was simply unable to lift it by itself.

"Hailan, what is that noise?" Blade asked from the radio. "Where – krrsh – 'r you?"

"In a clearing, near the eastern side of the mountain. There's an injured Neon here, I'll try and help it. I think it's a baby."

Carefully, Hailan approached the bird. The small one, clearly in a panic, first trashed about even more when it saw her, cawing and screeching loudly unknown words, but when she started lifting the tree, the bird calmed, and instead tried to wriggle away to free itself. That tree was much heavier than it looked, and Hailan found herself struggling with it, but with much effort, she managed to hold it high enough to let the bird crawl out. As soon as she thought he was out of danger, she let go and backed away, breathing out in relief. Turning to take a look at the animal, she wasn't surprised to find it in a pitiful state.

Clearly, this was but a fledgling, if not a hatchling. It could barely stand on its legs as it stumbled around, and its wings, almost feather-less, were short and skinny. Usually, Neons appeared to be as tall as an adult fairy, but this one barely reached her face. As she watched the little humanoid bird crawl on the ground, tweaking weakly as it used its wings to try and stand up, Hailan felt a pinch in her heart. Carefully, she approached the bird, who looked up at her with its wide, black and beady eyes. The growing feathers on its body were covered in mud and splinters. It cried at her, but didn't seem afraid. Sitting on its backside, it sung weakly. Seeing it as permission to approach it, Hailan slowly knelt down next to it. She looked it over, relieved to see that nothing was broken, but she flinched when she saw, on its back, a bleeding gash that went across its shoulder blades. She slowly approached her hand, letting it take a sniff of her glove.

"Poor little thing," she murmured sympathetically. "Where are your parents…"

Clearly, the parents had left, along with all the animals living in the area. She knew that this fledgling wasn't the only one in this condition, she knew that this situation was being repeated all across the forest, almost daily. And yet, this little one fascinated her, somehow. The way it looked up at her, as if it was pleading… With a sigh, she picked up her radio.

"Sir, do you copy?"

"krrrsh – Yes, we hear you. Did you find that Neon?"

"Yes, I saved it, but…" She sighed. "It's injured pretty badly and its parents are nowhere to be found. If I leave it, it won't survive by itself."

"Poor little guy…," she heard a bit distant Kirby say sadly.

"Hailan, we can't afford to lose time looking for its parents," Dragato said, to which she could only agree. "We're coming to your position to get you, you decide what to do with it."

"Hey Hailan," Bun's voice came to her, "just to let you know, we got equipment up here…"

"Bun…"

"Over!"

The ninja chuckled as the contact was cut off, but kept her small smile as she looked down at the little bird. It was looking at her still; it looked… hopeful. Taking off her glove, she extended her hand and let it sniff it once more; the young Neon touched her hand with the tip of its pointy beak, slowly and carefully. Then, it slid it under her paw-like fingers, allowing her to pet it. She softly rubbed her hand on its beak, then, when the chick pushed its head into her palm, she smiled, going to stroke it gently on its head. The downy feathers there were so soft… The little chick murmured words in its own language, though it sounded like he knew very little speech.

"Aya kayeh mohn… Kayeh mohn…"

She had no idea what those words meant, but the gentleness that emanated from them made her heart melt. She gently caressed the little bird, relieved to see it wasn't in too much pain. Still, that wound needed to be cleaned… She lifted her head when the shadows of the two ships passed above her; they circled the area, and while the Lor remained above, the other ship descended. The little bird started to panic suddenly and began to trash about, but she quickly held on to it with both hands, wrapping a hand around both of its legs and the other around its torso.

"Ssh, it's okay!" she hushed the bird as the ship landed as softly as possible a few meters away into the clearing. "It's okay…"

Keeping its neck twisted and curved so its head was between its shoulder blades, the bird kept his large and beady eyes locked on the giant ship, which, she had to admit, must have looked like a giant monster. Standing up with the bird in her arms, she quickly headed toward the ship's opened hatch, in which Bun soon appeared. The young man appeared surprised, but he led her inside and closed the hatch behind her. She heard him say in his radio:

"Sir, she's in!"

The ship then lifted off the ground, rejoining the Lor as she and Bun headed for the sleeping quarters. And the bird did not say a single word; his large, scared eyes told enough.

"Capt'n! I'm back!"

"Finally, skwak! Have you got the crystals?"

The pirate threw the glowing gems on the map table, directly on top of a map of the galaxy. He crossed his arms, as if expecting a reward.

"Both o' them. I met a lady in there, a Kiridan of the Agency or somethin'. She said that they were open for negotiations, concerning the crystals, and probably you guys too."

As he talked, he looked at Az, who was looking out the window in silence. He still didn't answer.

"Negotiations?" the captain repeated, holding a feathered arm to lift his cap. "Whahaha! Now's our chance to get all we ever wanted! This is gonna make us rich!"

"I wouldn't be so sure, Vul."

The captain silenced when the Lord spoke. He stood from his seat and turned to face the pirate. His eyes were a bloody red.

"Tell me, Mace. What did that Kiridan look like?"

"Uh," he thought before answering. "Kinda small, tiny feet, dressed in a weird blue scarf or somethin'. I think she was a ninja, the way she moved. Also freaky glowing eyes. I didn't recognize her accent, but it's not from the system. She seemed pretty serious about those negotiations, but said only her commander would talk."

The Lord turned. Silence. He chuckled, lightly.

"Captain Vul," he spoke, making the tall bird salute and straighten up. "Contact their ships. Activate the image and bring them on the front screen."

"skwa… You… want to talk with them, My Lord? I'm not sure-"

"It's fine, Vul. It's all a simple game, and they need to know their part. Just contact them."

Vul groaned.

"Yes Sir."

The two ships were just getting ready to pursue the signal coming from the crystals, when the screen of the Lor began glowing with strange symbols. Magolor looked surprised.

"Um," he said, "it's an upcoming message…"

"From who?" Dragato asked.

"Sir," Blade called from their radio, "we have a call as well. It's from the Halberd…"

Dragato grunted, but didn't answer for a moment. Behind him, Galacta and Kirby waited, almost anxiously, while Magolor typed speedily on the ship's computer.

"Should I… accept their call?" the Halcandran asked, turning his head to look at him.

Dragato sighed, grasping his cane as he straightened himself up.

"Go ahead. You two Blade. Let's hear what they have to say."

With a single press of a button, the whole screen was suddenly engulfed with a single image. One image that confirmed it all, yet brought more questions by the dozens. Kirby's eyes widened. His heart stopped.

The image showed a part of the deck of the Halberd. There were many consoles and computers, tables and maps. And in the middle of the screen, sitting in the captain's seat, was Meta Knight. His eyes, red like glowing rubies. He studied them a moment before talking first.

"Mmh. I thought there would be more of you."

"Meta Knight," Dragato spoke, his once gentle voice now stiff and loud. "What is the meaning of all this?"

"That creep can't be him!" Galacta exclaimed, outraged. "That guy's a demon!"

He was interrupted when Meta Knight chuckled; the only sound of his voice was enough to silence anyone… He shook his head.

"My, my, Galacta Knight. You haven't changed. It seems you haven't been paying attention."

His gaze moved a bit, as if checking to the side; he probably had the other ship's image before him too. He remained quiet a moment more, then he blinked, only once. His armored gloved hand grasped the armrest of his seat, while he lifted the other hand; his glove started glowing, a misty violet, a darkened light that swirled around the armor… He simply waved it, and symbols appeared on the screen.

"Let us meet at these coordinates. If you fail to be there in two days, D.H.A. time, I will consider these negotiations dead. I hope I made myself clear."

The screen immediately reverted to what it was before. With the exception of a line of coordinates, at which all were staring. Kirby gulped.

"Sir," Hailan said, a bit shaky, on the radio. "What do we do?"

"It could be a trap," Galacta warned.

"Those coordinates lead to Shiver Star, Sir," a strange sounding Blade said. "Galacta is right, but… I feel like we don't really have a choice either."

"If you want my opinion," Magolor said, "it's probably the only way to get your friends back, or even have an understanding about what happened. That guy on the screen; he was supposed to be dead, right? Then how come he isn't?"

Kirby's lips shook. He wanted to tell something, desperately, but didn't know what it was he wanted to say. He had the answer, right there, in his mind. But not on his tongue.

"That's what we're going to learn," Dragato finally said. "Everyone, we're leaving this planet. Shiver Star is next on the list, whether it's a trap or not. Anyone has anything to say in protest?"

Judging by the silence that answered him, the commander nodded his head.

"Alright then. Let's go. Young man, enter these coordinates in the computer and follow them. Blade, do the same. We're going there."

As soon as the ships started moving, Kirby turned and left. He was feeling sick all of a sudden. Yet his mind felt empty. He wasn't feeling anything, nor were there any thoughts echoing in his head. He just walked, with that one image stuck before his eyes. Those red eyes. Those burning red eyes. They weren't supposed to be.

Kirby unconsciously listened to his growling stomach and found himself in the kitchen. At least, he told himself, he would be able to eat something now. However, when he approached the islet, he noticed… Every bit of food he had left there was now gone. The vegetables, the fruits, the spices, the sauce… All gone. For a moment, Kirby only stood there, trying to wrap his mind around this.

"Don't worry 'bout your food, no one's gonna touch it," Galacta had told him.

"What the."

Walking around the islet and looking all over the kitchen, he found no sign of anything, not even the bowl he had put them in. Everything was gone, except… a small stain of sauce on the ground. There was another farther away, like a trail, and, confused and curious, Kirby followed it. It lead him out of the kitchen, into the corridors, where he even found a carrot-like veggie on the ground. Picking it up, he continued on the trail of sauce, which was strangely shaped like a tiny foot… Having doubts and an idea on what this was, Kirby arrived in a large room, filled with tall, shelves like structures lined together in three rows all across the room. This looked like some sort of computer room. It was dimly lit, but the strange bookshelves-like machines shone with an odd light that glowed brightly in the dark. Still the smell of the spicy sauce lingered, and Kirby followed it to the back of the room. The trail ended there, in front of a row of cupboards. Holding out his hand, he touched it, and the small door slid open.

A pair of bright, white eyes looked up at him, surprised. The tiny Kiridan smiled brightly.

"Huh… Hi, Big Brother!"

Kirby fell on his backside. His eyes were wide. He held his face in his hands and shook his head.

"Your mother is going to kill me!"