When Kirby opened his eyes, a pleasant sunshine filled his vision. A warm summer breeze wafted in the air, brushing against him gently as he sat up. He was laying in some grass, each blade soft to the touch and a beautiful, healthy green. Kirby had found himself in an expansive, lush field. It was familiar; he had found himself here occasionally in his dreams.

Curious, Kirby got to his feet, another gentle breeze ruffling his feathers as he stretched, a small smile creasing his lips. The air smelled of flowers and sunshine, and it was wonderful. The sky was a beautiful, crystal clear blue, not a single cloud in sight. The sun was bright, but only pleasantly warm, not too hot.

Kirby slowly wandered about, curious what his dreams would give him this time. A gentle breeze brushed against the long grass, tickling his face and making him sneeze. The field was massive, stretching out across the horizon on all sides. No sign of Pupu Village or Castle Dedede to be found. Just lush grass and flowers of all sorts for miles… save for one particular thing catching his interest: a massive, fully bloomed cherry tree over in the distance. This was something new in his dreamscape.

In awe, Kirby quickly dashed towards the tree. This tree was huge, just about as big as the one near Castle Dedede! No, maybe even bigger! It seemed to grow larger as he drew closer. He didn't know cherry trees could get so huge! Finally, he had made it to the tree. Its branches towered to the sky and blocked out the sun. Kirby lifted his gaze to admire the countless pink blossoms that lazily drifted with a passing breeze.

"Whoa…" Was all he could say at first, the grin on his face widening as he inspected the tree. "I must be dreaming, this is…" With a tiny giggle, he quickly grasped the tree. The bark was soft, almost pillowy as he got a good hold and began to climb the tree. He flapped his wings rigorously to help give him a boost as he climbed, and he eventually made it to a large, sturdy branch.

Kirby shimmied across the branch over to the flowers, taking in their redolent aroma before burying his face in the soft petals. Oh, it was just as wonderful as he imagined, maybe even more so! The petals were velvety to the touch, it felt as though he were being embraced by a warm pair of arms to wrap him in a soft blanket. It reminded him of a time when he was small, when-

"Oh, I finally found you!"

Kirby; startled by the voice, shot his head up from the blossoms. Eyes widened in surprise, he very quickly lost his balance and fell off the tree branch. He landed on the ground with a soft thud, groaning. It didn't hurt, thankfully. He slowly lifted his head, seeing a gloved white paw being held for him. Kirby blinked in confusion, shifting his gaze upwards.

There was another one, like him. She was large, larger than Meta Knight. Her body was pink like his, but a slightly darker shade. She had some fur on top of her head, along with a pair of beautiful golden horns that almost seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. Her eyes in particular caught his attention, they held a very familiar azure, starry gaze. Finally, on her back was a pair of large, white wings. They almost seemed to have a lavender hue in the sun.

"I'm so sorry for startling you, little one," The mysterious lady murmured as Kirby gingerly took her offered paw and she gently hoisted him back up to his feet. She had a very small smile creasing her lips, her eyes filled with a joyful shimmer.

"Who… who are you?" Kirby asked, dazed and continuing to stare at the woman as she gave him a slightly larger, gentle smile. Her voice, he had heard it before. But where?

"My name is Stella, little one. And you're Kirby…?"

Kirby slowly nodded, tilting his head in confusion. "You sound very familiar… have I heard your voice before…?" As he asked, he had a sudden dawning realization. His dreams. He heard this voice in his dreams. He's dreaming right now. "Was it… you that was calling for me in my dreams? How did you know my name?"

Stella gave a steady nod, her eyes sparkling in excitement. "Yes! Oh, you did hear me! I was losing hope that I lost the connection with you!"

Connection?

"What…?"

"It's me, Stella, your mother!"

Kirby blinked, staring up at the woman in bewilderment. "My… mother…?" He had a mother? Since when?

Stella watched Kirby's face morphing in confusion, and she looked away crestfallen. "I know… you were so young when we were separated, I imagine you don't remember me, do you…?"

Kirby slowly shook his head, still wide-eyed in disbelief. All this time, all these years… and he had a mother? It added up, she had the same starry blue gaze and white wings that he did, and yet… it made no sense. Why were they separated? Where had she been all this time? What "connection" was she talking about?

Stella noticed Kirby furrowing his eyebrows and she sighed gently, giving him a soft smile. "That's okay. We were separated when you were just a baby." Her voice wavered ever so slightly. "A-and now I finally found you! I've been searching for so long…"

Kirby swallowed thickly and adjusted his footing, finding it difficult to stay standing after this revelation. He wasn't sure he could believe that this was his mother standing before him. It felt like his mind was pulling tricks on him. "But… I'm dreaming right now. How do I know you're real and who you say you are? This is just a dream…"

"I'm only as real as dreams allow," Stella explained. "You see, I can make connections with others through their dreams."

Ah, so that's what she meant by connection, Kirby thought. But that still doesn't explain… "Why… now? After all this time? Did you… forget about me?" He looked down at the ground, his frown deepening.

Stella very quickly shook her head. "No… I would never, ever forget about you! It's just…" She scrunched her eyes shut for a brief moment before opening them back up again, glazing with tears. "You were so far away, a-and you were so young, it was so hard to make a stable connection. Like… think of a satellite!" She raised her paws and unfurled her wings, waving them in a semi-circular fashion. "My dream walking can only go so far. It took a very long time to even pinpoint where you were."

Kirby slowly nodded, though not entirely convinced. "So you've been… searching for me? This whole time?"

"I never stopped since the day I lost you."

At those words, Kirby felt something rising within his core. A strong emotion; warm, almost burning, and yet welcoming. He felt a sort of pull in his mind, like it was making an unconscious connection. So familiar, so close… Was it true? His expression stiffened, his eyes beginning to burn. "You're… really my mother?"

"I really, truly am." Stella seemed to be able to read Kirby's body language and expression, spreading her arms out for him and offering a hug. Her expression was full of longing and her eyes filled with love.

Kirby hesitated for a moment longer before running and practically tackling his mother in a desperate hug, nuzzling her face as he let out a small ambivalent wail. "It really is you! I have… I have a mother!" He let his tears loose as he grinned and held his mother tightly. She was warm like a midsummer evening, and soft like the lush grass at their feet. It was everything he ever imagined a mother would be.

"I missed you so much," Stella murmured, returning the affectionate nuzzles and tight embrace. "I'm so sorry it took me this long to reach you, Kirby… but I'm here now, and I won't leave you again."

Kirby sniffled, nuzzling his mother for a moment longer before breaking the embrace, wiping the tears off his face as he continued to smile. He had always wondered who his mother was; through the years he had grown curious and asked Meta Knight, but he would never give a straight answer. Now… with the lies about his wings, and now the appearance of his mother, he wondered just how much his mentor had hidden from him.

"Are you alright, dear…?" Stella noticed Kirby's expression changing, rubbing his back between his wings in support. "Is something bothering you?"

Kirby hesitated, but shook his head. He didn't want to immediately start barraging his mother with the stressors of his life. "It's nothing, maybe I can talk to you about it another time…"

Stella hummed in acknowledgement, closing her eyes and nodding her head. "Very well, dear. Now that we're finally connected… you can talk to me any time, alright? I'll always be here for you now. You just have to close your eyes…"

Kirby felt another wave of warmth wash over him and he smiled once more. "Okay. Thank you…" He sighed, leaning against his mother and closing his eyes as he flopped onto the soft grass. A gentle breeze tickled his face and lulled his feathers comfortingly. The air smelled of sunshine and cherry blossoms. Everything was perfect, even if just for a moment…

A noise disturbed the peacefulness. It was subtle at first, but eventually the noises made him lift his head and open his eyes back up, only to find himself sitting in his bed instead of the lush grass. Blinking, Kirby's vision was blurred as he was waking up. He was back in his house, no Stella in sight. He looked around in bewilderment as his vision finally cleared, before he sighed in disappointment, fiddling with his blanket in his paws.

It was just a dream…

But was it? Did I really meet her…?

Kirby shook his head, shaking the sleep out of his system as he stood and stretched his arms and wings. While he wasn't quite sure about the legitimacy of his dream, he couldn't deny how real it felt. He had dreams all the time, and never before had they come even close to feeling as real as this one had. It was… bizarre, to say the least.

She said her name is Stella… I wonder if Meta would know that name? He can't hide it from me if I know her name, right?

The thought of his mentor made him furrow his brow, and he shook the thought away. He wasn't ready to talk to Meta Knight yet. He wasn't even sure what he would do or say, but he knew eventually he wanted to ask about the possibility of his mother being out there somewhere. But then again… would Meta Knight even care to talk about it?

He'd probably brush it off as another "childish dream"... maybe I shouldn't talk about it with him…

A firm knock on the door startled Kirby, and he felt his wings puff up in surprise. He groaned in annoyance, making an effort to reach and smooth down the tensed up feathers as he made his way to the door. "I'm coming," he called to the door as he looked at himself in the mirror up and down to make sure he had smoothed out his feathers. Nodding to himself, he turned and went to the door, opening it. "Hello-" He froze, staring up at the cool, stoic gaze of Meta Knight. He felt his feathers subconsciously ruffle up again as a cold sensation washed over his body. Meta Knight's gaze felt like a pair of icy cold stones weighing down on his shoulders.

Meta Knight was wrapped up tightly in his cape, silently observing Kirby's uncomfortable body language and facial expression before sighing softly, looking away. "Kirby, we need to talk. It's imperative that you meet Galacta Knight and I at the castle courtyard by noon." His tone was cool and steady, his eyes not giving away any sort of emotion that Kirby could read. It almost hurt, in a way.

Kirby blinked, the cold sensation in his veins fading and being replaced with burning anger. "What? That's all you have to say to me?"

"For now, yes." Meta Knight replied bluntly, making Kirby wince. When was the last time his mentor was this cold and distant with him?

Kirby looked away, not trying too hard to hide his displeased scowl. "What could be so important to you-" He looked back up, only to see that his mentor had vanished. Blinking in surprise, Kirby exited his house, looking around for any sign of Meta Knight, but found no trace of the swordsman. The only sound he could hear was a faint breeze ruffling the branches of the tree next to his house. Red hot anger bubbled up in his gut and he let out a loud, exasperated huff, raising his arms up in disbelief. "Really?! You're kidding, right?! All this and you just…! Ugh!" He scrunched his eyes shut and fought against the burning in his eyes, his breath caught in his emotions. After a few moments he looked up at the sky, taking in a deep breath to calm himself. It was still relatively early in the morning, pale clouds dotting the sky as the sun slowly crawled up the horizon. Noon would come in the next few hours.

Whatever Meta Knight needed to discuss, Kirby hoped that it was important. It had to be, for his mentor to demand he meet with him and the mysterious Galacta Knight. Deep down, Kirby hoped that Meta Knight would talk to him, and give him the answers he sought. But given Meta Knight's cold demeanor, Kirby knew that wouldn't be the case.