A/N: Chapter postings are going to be sporadic for a while.

We're also going to be tagging along with MK for a bit.

A/N: So manners of speaking is going to be like this: kids – colloquial speak for whatever is Common in the galaxy. Adults "kirbies" – mix of formal and slang from slang creeping into their formal language as situations became more relaxed over the years. Other adults - dependent.

Divisions

Her and her brother's tiredness evaporated as they walked out into the meadow closest to Kabu and saw the warm glow of the castle lit at night in the distance (and how it wasn't on fire or smoking or currently in the process of getting eaten by another octopus-like creature).

Fumu glanced back one more time at Sir Meta Knight talking with Blade and Sword. Part of her wanted to stay but she looked back to the castle and smiled.

Kirby was safe, she told herself, and he would be able to return soon enough, and it was good to be home. "Ready?" she asked Bun.

"You bet!" He started trotting down the road, his fist punched into the air. "To bed!"

It was Bun who burst into their family's chambers first.

For a fleeting moment, when he recognized their papa and mother's forms flinching up from the dining table at his hollering, he grimaced and backtracked but the confusion on their faces morphed into smiles quickly. "Ah… we're back~" he said, awkwardly. Their mother was closest, so he hugged her first. "We've missed you!"

A warm smile spread across Lady Memu's face. "We have, too, my dears."

Fumu joined Bun, hugging her tightly before stepping back to beam up at both their parents. "Kirby's doing well," Fumu said before turning back and wrapping her arms around their papa's waist.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Bun said, "but it looks like he's still going to be gone for a bit."

"And we're not sure how long," Fumu added, her sadness tweaking visible more than she would have liked for a moment.

"I see," their papa said before realization bloomed across his face. "Wait! Is this what the trip was for?"

"Hm, yes and no. We did camp while we were gone," Fumu replied.

"And I got to see a fish jump up like ten feet into the air," Bun joined in, "and I found out that it's really annoying to shell acorns!"

"Papa. Mother." Fumu stepped back again. "Sir Meta Knight said he'll have the Mayor update everyone on Kirby soon!"

"How has he been doing?" Lady Memu asked.

"Alright. Please believe me when I say he isn't in any danger. He just needed some time away from King Dedede's antics."

"Well," their parents glanced at each other, "whatever this is, we just hope that Kirby can come home soon," their mother said.

"I am sure he will be very happy to return as well," Lord Pamu added.

"Yeah." Fumu hugged her papa again, this time to also hide the pensive frown her smile had fallen to.

The start of whatever trouble that was going to come from them returning happened soon after their arrival, but they weren't that surprised.

It was only about a couple hours after dawn when Fumu and Bun heard from Waddledoo that Sir Meta Knight had been summoned by King Dedede. For what, no one could say exactly, but all who lived in the castle knew that you could only predict the King's action to a certain degree anyways.

Fumu and Bun skidded into the hall just in time to spy Sir Meta Knight as he was about to pass through the large double doors to the throne room. He paused, his yellow-tinted eyes wordlessly regarding them for a second before he slipped through the gap between the doors.

The wordless silence stood as the door slowly creaked shut and telltale sound of the heavy lock slipping into place was heard.

"The grate," Fumu whispered harshly. Bun nodded in agreement.

"You're been spreading rumors that I hurt that pink menace, haven't you!"

"No."

King Dedede's face purpled as he growled and clutched the arms of his throne to the point his fingers paled in color. One of those fingers came up to jab at the lone form in the middle of the room. "You've been saying that I've killed that pink menace!"

"… … No."

"Then how you explain all the cappies getting their whities in knots!"

Whities? "… Sire, I have been away from the kingdom for nearly a week as I mentioned I was going to be. I have yet to fully catch up on events."

"They think I," he paused to slowly drag his thumb across the underside of his beak, "Kirby! They got it from somewhere!"

"I can assure you I wouldn't spread such a lie. I have only explained Kirby's absence as a necessity to allow him to grow stronger. A journey, if you will, to strengthen himself, and he will return when he is able.

"I have not spread such rumors that the reason he is gone is due to you harming him," he passively stressed.

"Yeah, right!"

"… You did celebrate running him off."

"Well!" King Dedede gestured wildly as if trying to snatch words from the air. "He's the one taking so much damn time getting back!" His glare shifted back down to Sir Meta Knight. "Tell that lot that I didn't do anything to that pain in the ass!"

"Okay."

King Dedede leaned forward in his throne and glared down with heavy suspicion. "Rrreally?"

"Yes. I have no qualms with telling the villagers this truth."

"…"

"…"

The King's glare hardened on Sir Meta Knight. "…"

"…"

"…"

The staring contest between the two was finally broken as Escargoon physically shoved himself in their line of sight. "Okay, enough!" This time it was Escargoon who jab a finger down at Sir Meta Knight. "Go do your job!"

Sir Meta Knight regarded the two before bowing. "As my King wishes."

It took longer for the children to catch up with him after he finally escaped the throne room and he was almost to the kitchen when Fumu and Bun all but tumbled through its doorway.

"I see it has been a busy morning," he said passively as he took out portions of cheese, flatbread, and fruits from the refrigerate and pantry, noting the children's flushed looks.

"We asked Papa about those rumors," Bun threaded in between gasps. "Sprinting up stairs sucks," he muttered.

"I see." Lord Pamu typically wasn't the best source of information on what the villagers were saying but potentially there could be a gleam of something useful. "What did he say?"

Fumu shook her head. "Papa said people have been wondering things, but he said that no one has asked if King Dedede had … had hurt Kirby really bad."

They probably would never ask that to the Lord directly. "Hm." Sir Meta Knight's hand stalled as it grabbed a portion of mutton left untouched by one of the King's many meals, and deciding to splurge just a little, grabbed a second. Given everything that has been going on, he felt like he needed the extra energy. "Keep an ear open and be truthful if any ask you whether or not the King was involved." His late breakfast in hand, he started off down the hall but didn't get far before pausing to glance back at the children still trailing behind. "Do you two plan on following me all day?"

"No," Bun asked.

"When are you going to talk to the Mayor?" Fumu added.

"Soon enough but there are steps before that and errands that I need to get done first. Let's say in about a week's time."

"What!"

"A week isn't as long as you think. Now is a good time for you two to relax, something you may not get a lot of once Kirby returns."

"But," Fumu started but didn't finish, and she didn't need to.

"Go on," Sir Meta Knight said. "Didn't you two say you had stories of your adventures to tell?"

The siblings glanced at each other, uncertain, and both looked back to him with a determined look, but it was Bun who spoke next. "You better tell us when something important happens."

"I will," Sir Meta Knight said, starting back down the hall again. "I'm sure we all have a lot of catching up to do."

It did feel a little strange, he'll admit, to be on his old patrols. There was a vague sense of what he wondered what time travel would feel like, and it felt like he had just ricocheted back and forth multiple times.

Sir Meta Knight had even woken up to a hazy feeling that he had overslept and was late to tending to the z'ting.

… This planet doesn't keep z'ting.

He hadn't had to tend to z'ting since before he had first seen King Arthur with his own eyes when the then rebel general, who was coalescing more and more power (and growing more and more rebellious), had challenged Sir Meta Knight's general to a duel.

(He took the next left as he worked his way towards the southern farms.)

Being in milder weather again was nice but it just kept reminding him of the others' situation. Yes, there shouldn't be any serious problems. The rookery had plenty of charged energy crystals to provide for warmth and energy needs, and with the most central structure already hollowed out when they had left, they had a safe place to shelter in. If they were snowed in, they had salvaged air scrubbers for the crystals to power. The hydroponics would be producing before food supplies ran low. The snow was clean so was easily purify for water.

… …

He wasn't focusing. He had to focus on the task at hand, not out there, miles from here.

His face turned up so that he could watch the gentle shifting of the dappled light streaming down from above. On instinct, he closed his eyes, but the winter sunlight was soft today and he found it easy to open his eyes again with his mask on.

He couldn't let himself get sloppy. Not now.

For a few minutes he let himself drift then cycle through several techniques he had in his repertoire to refocus before continuing on his way.

Nothing seemed to have drastically changed while they were gone – at least at a surface level. It was the same cappies going about their same business as he worked his way through the western and southern fields. Peaceful scenes of them tending to their crops and livestock. Chickens occasionally running past him as he walked by. The same snippets of conversions of crops, livestock, and seasons.

The patrol was proving to be more of a mind-clearing walk – until he spied Bun, followed by the typical gaggle of children and then some, clearly jogging over fallowed fields towards him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked once they were near enough not to shout.

Bun pointed back to the other children as he covered the last few meters to him. "Tell them that zombie fish are real!"

"… You can easily look up that information in the library."

"Wait! It's a thing!"

"…" Sir Meta Knight wanted to facepalm, but he held off the urge. "They are not like the creatures in your comics nor are they called 'zombie' fish. They are not afflicted by some horrific disease. Nature … did not give them the best hand when it comes to longevity." He cocked a hidden eyebrow as the children continued to gape up at him.

"That sounds sucky," one of them finally said, luckily saving him from having to further the conversation on his own.

"It very well may indeed be."

"Soooo, what are they called," one of the boys asked.

"Go look it up," Sir Meta Knight replied. He got miffed silence with that one, and he smirked as most of the children glared at him with thinly veiled frustration.

Apparently some combination of pacified and miffed enough to be "satisfied" with his answer, a few of the children started breaking off from the group, and Sir Meta Knight saw his chance and took it. "Yuki. Pon."

"Yeah," both answered.

"Sometime in the next few days," Sir Meta Knight ignored Bun's glances between him and the siblings, "I would like to speak with your parents about bartering for some dried pepper and roasted dandelion root. Can you two please tell them tonight?"

"Oh, okay!" the Pon replied.

"Yeah." Yuki turned back to him. "Only pepper and dandelion root?"

"For now."