"Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides."

-that one guy who invented Taoism.

Yuyuko Saigyouji was a ghost, and she lived in a beautiful mansion in the Netherworld, this mansion was called Hakugyokurou. However something... wasn't right for her, Youmu had travelled out of the Netherworld and into the Human Village to buy some groceries for her to ravage. Leaving Yuyuko lonely and... incredibly bored. She sighed in boredom as she laid on her king-sized bed (ghosts sleep right?).

"Youmu!!!" she said to herself tiredly, "Where are you? I'm hungry!"

This story is about life, death, marriage, and food. Lots and lots of food.

Human Village Market

February 15, 2019

4:39 pm

Youmu Konpaku was looking through the orange carts at the village market, looking for the kind Yuyuko was sure to like, plump and no bruises. After having picked out one, she looked around to see for any other fruit carts but while doing that, she sees a peculiar sight, a pink puffball was reaching into her shopping bag and taking an orange! By the time Youmu noticed, the puffball had disappeared into the crowd, Youmu was confused.

"What... was that?" Youmu asked herself, "Whatever it was, I cannot let it escape! Ms. Yuyuko said exactly 12 oranges and I have no money... I must chase after that creature!" Youmu took off after the thief, pushing through the crowd.

"Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through!" Youmu was bobbing and weaving through the crowd, just barely keeping up with the thief, who was effortlessly slipping through the crowd's legs. Finally, Youmu exited the market and into the actual village, she had started to catch up to the creature and dived toward it, grabbing it by it's red, oval-shaped feet.

"I got you! Now give me back that orange!" Youmu says to the thief, but the thief squirmed, trying to escape from Youmu's grasp.

"Why you stubborn-"

"Kirby, didn't I tell you to be sneakier?" a voice said behind Youmu, she quickly lets go of Kirby and jumps away from whoever was behind her.

"Who... who are you?" Youmu asked the dark figure, even though it was broad daylight, she could still see the figure in a caps of darkness. The figure was about Kirby's size, and he was round and plump too, he had a dark-blue cape on and let out a foreboding aura.

"You!" the dark puffball said, "You are my new challenger!"

Youmu was surprised by the sudden request of her challenge,

"You want to challenge me? I can't do that, I have to get that orange back or Ms. Yuyuko wouldn't be happy." Youmu started walking with the orange in her hand, she had managed to sneak the orange from Kirby, and he hadn't even noticed.

"I sense that you are an exceptional warrior," the challenger confirmed, "But!" The creature had turned around and brandished his sword to Youmu.

"I cannot let you leave until you face me!"

"I'm afraid I have no choice..." Youmu turned into the opposite direction where her challenger was facing, dropped her bag and unsheathed her swords.

"Roukanken... it cannot be wielded by normal humans... and Harouken... is a heirloom from the Konpaku family. My name is Youmu Konpaku, and I will be your challenger!"

SWOOSH!*

Youmu's challenger had flourished his cloak, so Youmu could see his features, a mask with yellow pupils, white gloves, and a spiked, golden sword.

"Meta Knight... I am Meta Knight... Youmu Konpaku, come and fight me!" Meta Knight's grandiose introduction had already attracted a small crowd toward Youmu and Meta Knight. Youmu had gotten into her typical sword fighting stance, while Meta Knight didn't have a actual stance. Youmu dashed toward Meta Knight with great speed, she was almost invisible to the onlookers, Youmu was ready to bring down her sword on Meta Knight but but Meta Knight has countered it just as quickly as Youmu moved.

"Impressive. You truly are an impressive warrior." Meta Knight complemented Youmu as he also deflected her attack.

"I haven't shown you anything 'impressive' yet." Youmu said, she retreated back to her starting point and raised her sword to her face.

Soul Sign "Ghostly Wheel of Pain"

All of a sudden, a clearer, monochromatic version of Youmu appeared from herself, just like a body double. Youmu dashed toward Meta Knight and had started to circle around him, like sharks closing in on their pray. The real Youmu and the fake one were taking turns attacking Meta Knight and Meta Knight had some trouble keeping up, but he had an answer, Meta Knight started to spin rapidly while rising slightly, but the attack was more than enough to pull Youmu in and destroy her clone, when Meta Knight finished his attack, Youmu's clothes were slightly ripped and she was scratched up quite a bit. That didn't stop her. They kept going at it, each fighter zipping around the village at incredible speeds.

One moment, Youmu was on top of a roof to a house, but she bounced off toward Meta Knight again.

Another moment, Meta Knight had landed on an cart, but bounced back to face Youmu. The fight had gotten so intense, the battle had taken to the skies with them.

CLASH!!*

CLANG!!*

SHING!!*

Life Ending Sword "Meditation"

Youmu's Roukanken had extended to an unnatural height and started to glow green, while in the middle of the air, Youmu had brought the extended sword down on Meta Knight, but in that instance...

...Meta Knight had disappeared?

Youmu's mind had scattered around, where'd he go? What was he planning to do? How I counter? All of these questions had rushed through Youmu's head before Meta Knight appeared again and swiped at Youmu's back, but she had quickly dodged the attack and had moved away from Meta Knight, but as soon as she looked back at where she was, Meta Knight was gone again. She didn't understand what was happening, but she assumed that Meta Knight was using some sort of teleportation gimmick. Which is how he appeared in front of her before. Youmu suddenly had an idea, she made her way to the thickest cloud and hid there, better to try and bait him out, she thought.

Meta Knight had appeared back in the air, looking for Youmu.

"Hmm... where could she have gone?" the knight had pondered, "it is unusually cloudy today, so she might've went back on the ground."

Youmu had waited for Meta Knight to drop his guard more, she couldn't sneak up on him, the thickest cloud she hid in was right in front of Meta Knight, so sneaking was out of the question. So Youmu decided to do what she does best.

Human Sign "Slash of Present World"

With blinding speed, Youmu had zipped out the cloud right at Meta Knight, but the Knight was ready for it, Meta Knight spread his wings to their maximum length, and with equal amount of speed and just like in one of those cheesy Japanese sword-fighting movies both of their sword collided for a moment, and they both ended up in their opposite positions prior to the collision, and for a moment, silence. Until blood had spewed out of Youmu's right arm. She blacked out and started to fall back down to the ground. Meta Knight had mutual respect for her and decided to catch her unconscious body. By the her hand of course. By the time Meta Knight had reached the ground with Youmu's body, everybody was back to what they were doing, and Kirby had decided to stretch out and take a nap in the middle of the road. Meta Knight had sighed and sat down in the middle of the road with the asleep Kirby and the unconscious Youmu. Until suddenly, a somewhat childish voice called out throughout the village.

"Youmuuuuuu~ where'd you go? Did you get hurt? I can't have that! Who's gonna buy me oranges?" Yuyuko said looking for Youmu, she doesn't leave Hakugyokurou often, so this was a little unfamiliar. Upon reaching where Meta Knight was resting, she caught Youmu resting on the ground, she quickly hovered over to her.

"Youmu! My goodness, what happened?" Yuyuko asked Meta Knight, who was next to her.

"We had a battle, Youmu Konpaku, whoever she is to you, is a incredible warrior, I wish to fight her again someday-"

Suddenly, Yuyuko's mood had shifted instantly, she had taken out her trademark fan and covered her mouth with it, only leaving her sharp, maroon eyes to look through Meta Knight's soul.

"So, you're telling me... YOU did this to her?" Yuyuko asked seriously. Meta Knight started to get nervous, clearly this woman was not meant to be taken lightly. Yuyuko's tone shifted back to normal again.

"That's ok~ I'm sure you didn't mean to hurt her like that~"

"Stop doing that."

"Stop doing~~~~ what~?"

"That 'line' thing, stop it."

"Ok~~~~ whatever you say~~~~~~~"

Kirby suddenly got up, he had a bad dream where he was a vegan, scary stuff, Yuyuko and Kirby's eyes met at the same time he woke up, and coincidentally both of their stomachs at the same time.

"Ooooh... I'm starving, are you hungry too little youkai?" Yuyuko asked Kirby, the latter nods eagerly.

"I don't have much on me right now, but," Yuyuko went digging through Youmu's shopping bag and found some raw meat in wrapping, some vegetables, cheese, milk, bread, some more raw meat and some apples and oranges. Yuyuko takes an apple and an orange, while Kirby does the same. Kirby and Yuyuko eat both in approximately 3 seconds.

"I'll take these back to Hakugyokurou, and we'll finish them there. By the way what's your name? Do you need a place to stay?"

"His name is Kirby, my name is Meta Knight" the knight spoke up, "Kirby doesn't speak, and yes, we do need a place to stay, we... just ended up here without explanation..."

"Yukari... what's she planning?" Yuyuko mumbled to herself.

"Hm?" Meta Knight picked up Yuyuko mumbling.

"Nothing~~~~~"

"Poyo!" Kirby said out the blue.

"Of course Kirby! Let's go back home!" Yuyuko said jovially.

Meta Knight was beyond shocked at that moment, the only people who understood Kirby normally were the residents of Dreamland, this was totally uncalled for.

"How-how did you-"

"Meta Knight, please carry Youmu for me. And Kirby," Yuyuko grabbed Kirby's squishy sides and held him at her large torso, "you get to stay here." Yuyuko starts to hover upward to the clouds and Meta Knight carries Youmu's body upward as well. In order to enter Hakugyokurou, you would need to travel above the clouds and cross the Barrier of Life and Death (which was weakened by Yuyuko in Perfect Cherry Blossom). Once you cross the barrier you will enter the Netherworld, where Hakugyokurou is. However there was a letter waiting at Hakugyokurou's doorstep it read:

~

To whom it may concern, you are special guests and are invited to the wedding of King Boo and Kogasa Tatara, you are permitted to bring two extras ONLY.

February 31, 6:00pm to 11pm.

END*

Woahhhhhhhhhhh, I finished this chapter. I'm glad I got it out sooner, but the other chapters I'm not sure about the other chapters. About Meta Knight vs. Youmu (for the three of you who're reading this anyway) I'd rather have a clear winner than a tie. Also the cover art for this chapter is not by me, but from another user from Amino here's the link: /p/52o9f6

Epilogue*

the Myouren Temple*

"Well Pitoo, what are the chances of you getting stuck here too?" Pit asked Dark Pit.

"Astronomical, ugh, as soon as I escape from this place, I'm giving Palutena a piece of my mind!" Dark Pit complained. Koishi sat on the floor, cross-legged spectating Pit's and Pitoo's argument.

"Your name is Pitoo right?" Koishi butted in the conversation.

"MY. NAME. ISN'T. PITOO!" Dark Pit said through gritted teeth.

"Ok Pitoo!" Koishi said nonchalantly, Pit! Let's get something to eat!" Koishi said, dragging an exhausted Pit out of the temple. Leaving Dark Pit to himself momentarily, so he angrily sat down and thought of a way to leave this hell.

"Hey there." a voice said behind Dark Pit, he quickly turned around to see a girl, about a teenager's size wearing an all black dress, with a white trim in the middle. She had three blue arrows on the left side of her back, and red swirly-wings on her right, and she spoke in a mischievous tone.

"Who are you?" Dark Pit asked.

"Relax, I'm not gonna hurt you, as a matter of fact, people don't understand me either, I'm Nue, Nue Houjuu."

"Dark Pit, what do you want?"

"Say Dark Pit," Nue squatted down to where Dark Pit was sitting, "do you wanna...

"cause some trouble?"