Authors note: I know it's been a long time, but I'm back. Where did Metaknight go and who was responsible for the apple juice robbery. This is my return, read and review on your own time…if you wish.
CH.3: Chasing the winged Metaknight
Kirby got up in a rush and pushed past King Dedede. He was so close to finding the thief, he couldn't lose him now. "C'mon Shadow…we can't lose him now!"
"Hey wait up…my legs aren't meant to run," he complained. He followed Kirby out the door and just then they saw Metaknight swoop down the dirt road.
"Come back with my apple cider you backstabbing guard!" The sound of a small cycle was heard and both Kirby and Shadow looked behind them as it came roaring at them.
"Ahhh watch out!" Kirby pushed Shadow Kirby into some nearby bushes right before the front wheel tore through his middle. "We can't let King Dedede catch Metaknight."
"I'm sure we can…as soon as we grow wings or find something on wheels," Shadow Kirby said with a sarcastic smile.
"Hey are we going to get some apple juice or not?" Kirby looked at their surroundings and suddenly began to jump up in excitement. "There's an enemy nearby with wings…wait here."
"Yeah…I'm sure I'll go off on my own," Shadow Kirby said again drawing on sarcasm. As he waited he tried to recount the events that occurred. He was accused of stealing some apple juice, he got his stolen, and they thought Dedede was responsible, but in fact just then he was robbed. Now they were on the trail of Metaknight.
"Ok Shadow Kirby let's go catch Metaknight his own way." Kirby appeared before Shadow Kirby showing off his brilliant new wings. Shadow Kirby grabbed onto Kirby's feathered back and together they tore down the road.
"Metaknight…this is the last time you steal from me!" King Dedede accelerated down the road and waved his hammer over his head. Metaknight briefly glanced over his shoulder and didn't really looked surprise.
"So…you think I stole your precious apple cider hmm?" Metaknight focused on the road then sliced a branch high up on a tree. "Eat bark King Dedede!"
"Huh…what do you mean bark?" King Dedede looked up and his mouth dropped open as he saw Metaknight's blade had weakened an overhanging branch. He tried to slow his cycle down, but already the branch fell and sent him flying from his bike.
"Can't you fly faster?" Shadow Kirby complained as they trailed behind a cloud of dust. "By now King Dedede will be interrogating Metaknight…who may be innocent-."
"What…you honestly think Metaknight is innocent?" Kirby didn't bother to turn around and instead flew through two branches and turned on his right wing when it came to a tiny opening. "All signs point to Metaknight…not to mention the guilty always run-."
"You were wrong about me, you were wrong about King Dedede; couldn't you also be wrong about Metaknight?" Shadow Kirby heard the flap of Kirby's wing, other then that the pink hero was quiet.
"Ah my head…hey is that you Kirby?" King Dedede was seeing stars, and from what he could discern a bird was flying his way. "Hey Kirby…or bird Kirby…mind giving me a lift as well?"
"Kirby…you are going to help…right?" Kirby flew right at King Dedede and knocked him off his feet sending the King onto his back. "That wasn't very nice-."
"Shadow Kirby…do I look like I can carry any more passengers?" Shadow Kirby had no response and Kirby sighed. "Besides that he's better off on foot, you wouldn't want him catching Metaknight now would you?"
"Yeah…I guess you're right," he said contently. After traveling through many tree obstacles they saw the bat like wings of Metaknight. "Hey there he is!"
"Alright Metaknight…end of the line for you," Kirby said with a loud squawk. He began to flap furiously and pulled up alongside the masked knight.
"Ah my favorite rival Kirby," Metaknight said darkly, "I assume you are here to arrest me for the theft of your precious apples…right?"
"Yeah we were," Kirby said hesitantly, "but truth be told my accusations have been proven to be false. So now I'm going to ask you, did you steal the apple juice?"
"I would sincerely like to answer your question," he said, never slowing his pace down. "But I'm afraid you will have to win the race…to know the real answer." With that said he took a swipe at Kirby with his yellow sword cutting off Kirby's top feather.
"We have no choice Kirby," Shadow Kirby said still clinging to Kirby's back, "we have to beat him in order to find out if he's innocent or not."
"How did I know you were going to say that?" Kirby thrust forward and shot after the departing Metaknight. Metaknight expected his arrival and sliced two branches.
"Ah…what is up and brown?" Shadow Kirby asked. Kirby thought that over, then just then he saw the branches crashing towards them.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Kirby began to spin past the one that fell to his left, and then swooped to the sky when one came rolling at him. "Metaknight hold up!"
"Hmm…so a couple of branches won't even slow you down huh Kirby?" Metaknight made it to a river and hid behind some bushes. "Time to see if Kirby can survive a mini storm," he said with a wicked smile.
"Kirby…do you think this more then just a race?" Shadow Kirby looked to the side and noticed the trees were beginning to thin down. "What if Metaknight is lurking among some bush…shouldn't we go slower?"
"What are you my conscious or something?" Kirby shot with venom. "A race isn't about staking out and waiting to ambush your enemy…it is about speed and-."
"And getting your face shoved in sand," Shadow Kirby finished. Kirby looked up and already it was too late as he was sucked into a mini tornado. Bits of dirt clods flew into them causing the wing acceleration of Kirby to become a panic evasion course.
"Metaknight…if you are innocent you are so going to answer for this!" Kirby flew over an incoming dirt clod then ducked as a mud one flew by…very fast.
"Boy it looks like you guys can use a hand," Metaknight observed, "but a race is a race…so if you can't win…I don't tell you nothing." With a sweeping bow he flew up the dirt course.
"I won't let him get away," Kirby said gritting his teeth. Flapping his wings he reached the end of the tornado then with an extra burst of energy faltered through.
"Free at last…but what happens to a bird that has its wings clipped in mid-air?" Both looked down and all at once they felt gravity betray them and send them face first into the river. Shadow Kirby fought to hold on…but already his hands were slippery-.
"Where…does…this…river…go?" Kirby asked between the few breaths he was offered as his face was submerged in the yucky water. His wings were weighing him down and his power then…suddenly popped out. "Have…any…ideas..?"
"Get…a…new…ability…" Shadow Kirby tried floating out of the water…but already he had taken in too much water.
"Hmmm…hey is that an icy treat?" Standing near the river's end was an icy enemy; clearly it disliked the water and kept its good distance. Kirby waded over to the shore…then with a great inhalation sucked in the icy enemy. Kirby transformed into ice Kirby and with a new determination set out for his next plan of action.
"Wow…what…are you…planning to…do…freeze us..?" Shadow Kirby looked over the waves and saw Kirby grab a hold of a loose piece of wood. Then as he neared him he was pulled from the water. "Whoa…do you want me to catch a cold?"
"Relax," Kirby said, "I plan on freezing the river…that way we can get to the bottom and we won't get hurt."
"And you're sure this is much safer then riding the waves?" Shadow Kirby again got no response and sat by and watched as Kirby took in a deep breath and froze the whole river.
"Ha…just goes to show you that having a minty breath does save your life," he said with a beaming smile.
"Good…then tell me how does freezing a river save our life…when we're still heading to the end?" Shadow Kirby pulled Kirby's face to the trouble ahead and both seemed to panic. But luckily both realized they could float down before the wood crashed.
"I…can't stay up…much longer," Kirby complained and with his last flail of his arms he went free falling down the frozen waterfall and onto the cold ice. Shadow Kirby fell the last few feet and bounced off Kirby. "Now that I think about it…maybe-."
"Do not finish that sentence," Shadow Kirby got up then slipped onto his behind as he struggled to make it to dry land. A small chuckle made them alert, but to stand on ice meant their humiliation would further.
"Well…it looks like I lost after all," Metaknight showed up just then wearing a huge grin. "I was hesitant about the whole water thing…but you too surely braved it to your icy end."
"Ok…we get the cold end of the stick already," Kirby cried as he tried to balance himself…only to fall face first onto the cold brick of ice…again.
"If we won Metaknight…then that means your to tell us if you are innocent or not," Shadow Kirby pointed out. Metaknight put his sword into the ground and smiled.
"Alright…you want the truth," he saw their frustration and couldn't help but smile. "Well…truth is…I didn't steal your apple juice." Kirby rubbed the back of his head and Shadow Kirby smiled. "I had no reason to steal your apple delicacy, but if you must know where I was when the robbery occurred, well then I'll tell you. I was flying about outside checking security, that's when a tornado like being blew out of the safe. I chased after it, but I lost it somewhere in the forest."
"So…this same thing stole from the factory, robbed Shadow Kirby, and snuck into King Dedede's vault," Kirby noted, "then who does that leave?"
"I suggest we find out ourselves," Metaknight suggested, "if we look together we can have this case solved before the apple festival." Both Shadow Kirby and Kirby gave him weird looks. "What…it's not like I keep track or anything…honestly why would I-?"
"No need to explain Metaknight," Shadow Kirby said. "Now that we know your innocent we can finally get down on the villain's trail. C'mon…its time to solve this case!" So as the three headed off into the forest…a pair of wild eyes looked at them from afar.
Authors note: I wonder who those eyes belong to, do you? The mystery deepens as ch.4 gets into play. When I'll have it done, who knows, but your patience will not be wasted. Read and Review and take a drink of some apple juice, or cider, enjoy the apply goodness of it all…you never know when it will just disappear.