Authors Note: Thank you to all my reviewers! Glad Kirby's final weapon was received well :) Here's the newest chapter, up later that I expected thanks to this site's failure to let me sign in yesterday. Any thoughts or reviews are still extremely welcomed.
Okay so this part isn't that action-y either but it does get into more interesting territory...I will warn you (which I shouldn't need to since Hurt/Comfort/Romance are the genres to this story) but this part is a bit mushy cute, but a new mystery gets thrown into the mix near the end with some familiar non-K64 character(s) joining the group.
Side Note: Kirby and all of his friends and Kirby64 are owned by Nintendo and Hall of course!
Chapter 7: Synonymous Dreams Of Day
It seemed that nearly twenty minutes had passed already. The sun was now at its highest point.
The pink hero and his fairy companion were still on their way to the far off country side of Fragrant it to Adeleine to try and take charge once again only to send our heroes to the most distant place in all of Dreamland- okay so it wasn't really that far but it sure felt like it.
Kirby and Ribbon were completely fine with the long walk though. They immediately took the opportunity to chat away and have a good old time. It was like a fun road trip, minus the annoying siblings, and parents... and car.
After their last battle it was a blessing to get such a nice little break. Jokes and laughter filled the air. Well, that is- until Ribbon accidentally flew right into a tree. With a small thud she feel to the ground beside the pink puff, who was now freaking out and trying to wake her up.
She took a moment to blink away the headache and made a wobbly attempt to take flight again. Kirby lent her a hand and began leading the way once more.
Though the two had been friends for a few years now, that same soft red blush never ceased to redden his cute pink face when they made contact- it actually seemed to become more frequent the longer they knew each other. Ribbon couldn't see it, but he never looked quick enough to see her's either.
When day fell to dusk Kirby knew that the fields were not too much further ahead. He was about to tell Ribbon but stopped when he saw the dimming sunlight shinning directly upon her face.
He noticed that her eyes were now fully glazed in a powdery white coat, making them appear a misty blue. It was as if the sapphire hue of her familiar iris' was trying to break free from the coat of white.
The cataracts had taken full effect, but the fairy hadn't complained. She simply smiled, acting as if all was perfectly normal.
Ribbon used to be the one who was a worrywart, but it sometimes seemed that she had grown out of it.
Whether or not that was true or she was just better at calming herself, it was now Kirby's turn to be the one to worry.
And worry he did, despite the fact, that he noticed a calm and fresh love of life still lingering in his friend. For some reason it all made him feel even worse about her situation, almost to the point of wanting to cry out all of the agony that she seemed to bottle up.
But knowing that tears would get them no farther he quickly sucked it up (no pun intended).
Why couldn't she just get her vision back after the fight, like how people always healed so quickly in those cartoons and movies that Adeleine and Waddle Dee watched?
...Or maybe if- when he held her hand, the power of their friendship would- Kirby sighed.
He was being silly now. Things just didn't work that way obviously.
He stared at his floating friend. Her smile, so common, she hardly ever looked any other way when she and Kirby were together.
But now it was as if she were one of those beautiful porcelain dolls. A genuine smile plastered on her face. Her eyes glossy and unseeing, two windows to a gorgeous blue sky that was covered in a mess of unwanted clouds.
Hiding any pain she felt.
"Kirby? Is there something wrong?"
The pink hero realized that he had suddenly stopped walking and was merely standing there staring at her. He was almost thankful that she couldn't see his expression, but at the same time would give anything to trade places with her.
He mumbled out a shy 'no' and they continued onward.
"We're out of the forest now right? Shouldn't the fields be just up ahead?" Her voice had it's usual high but soft pitch, but now there was also a mellow sanctity about it.
Kirby smiled.
How sudden someone from such a distant place could fall right into your life- or onto your head- and make such an impact.
He recalled the first day they met again. What an adventure...
"Kirby, won't you talk to me?"
"Huh?" The pink hero was awaken from his thoughts again and looked to his friend. He quickly spewed out some sorrys and explained that he was just daydreaming again.
"Daydreaming in Dreamland right?" She laughed as she quoted the familiar silly phrase. "I'm usually the one doing all of the daydreaming though."
But Kirby knew better, it was actually evening now as a matter of fact.
The thought of never seeing again began to plague him. Frankly it truly frightened him.
He held his paw to his heart.
How could anyone have to live through life in such a way?
He wondered if he could be as strong as she was being. It just seemed too difficult to even imagine.
To not see her sweet sapphire eyes so deep and full of life, her pretty cherry blossom pink hair that glimmered in the sunlight, or that beautiful bright red dress that she always said was her very favorite.
But as his thoughts of the fairy continued, his frame of mind gave a small shift.
He had grown so accustomed to her wonderful smile and the cute blush that accompanied it, but even if he did lose his sight it would be nothing compared to losing her-
"Wha-?" Kirby's eyes widened as he felt the delicate pressure of a hug pushing against him. Granted, Ribbon couldn't see exactly where he was- but her guess landed her close enough to feel the warmth of the fresh new found blush that rested on his face.
"Please Kirby, don't feel bad for me. I don't care if I can see or not, because... as long I have you..." Her white-blue shaded eyes tried to meet with his- now widened and sparkling.
She suddenly caught the pause in her words, "A-And Adeleine and Waddle Dee...and Dedede too... T-then I'm fine. As l-long as I have all of you- all of my friends with me then I'm fine." She nervously nodded as she let go of him, covering her own reddened face.
Ribbon couldn't help but wonder to herself how it was so darn easy to slip into a romanticizing stupor whenever she was near Kirby.
Not that she minded, but it did embarrass her when ever the pink hero would seem to catch on to her sudden change in mood- no wonder she was always accused of being such a daydreamer by all of their friends with the use of that silly phrase.
"Kirby," She began, "do you think that-huh?"
There was a loud rustling sound coming from the sway of all the trees around them.
It almost sounded like some kind of internal alarm had gone off to Kirby. He could hear the blaring in his mind. Something was largely amiss.
He could almost feel an unwanted connection to whatever was waiting to present itself, but within seconds it was gone and the pink hero felt a sudden empty void in the pit of his otherwise endless stomach.
It was only within another moment's passing that a new rustling of the trees took over. And in the waking chaos a voice followed... "You must fight him."
"Huh?" Kirby turned to see a dark caped figure lurking in the branches of a nearby oak tree. Nearly impossible to see in the darkening sky.
Ribbon became alert, "What is it Kirby? "
The mysterious, but familiar, voice continued. "I can not explain, just go."
Kirby tilted his head in thought before he called out the name of the shady character in surprise.
Ribbon shook her head, "Y-You think... It's Meta-Knight? ...He's back?"
"Hurry, to the West of the fields."
Kirby, still filled with curiosity, questioned his enigmatic frienemy. The pink hero began telling him that they had to go to Fragrant Fields to find a doct-
The dark veiled knight cut him off, "You wont have much time, they are returning." He glanced around as he flew out of the tree with much haste and landed near the duo.
"Who?" Ribbon asked.
"For now only one of them is upon us. But the others will be here soon." He glanced from Kirby to Ribbon. "The fairy must leave... and you-" He looked back to Kirby, "Need to defeat them when they arrive." His eyes scanned the west as he uttered the last word.
And with that he wrapped himself in his cape and vanished.
Feeling a little antsy now, Kirby grabbed Ribbon's hand and led her to the center of the village that rested beside Fragrant Fields.
"Tay." he looked to Ribbon and held up his paw to her.
"Kirby?" She knew what he had meant to say was 'stay'.
He ditched trying to continue in English and reverted back to Kirby-talk to convey the seriousness that was Meta-Knight.
If the mysterious knight said that Ribbon was in danger than he truly meant it and Kirby would never mess around with the lives of his friends.
"No, I'll come with you, I can help."
The pink hero shook his head, "No." After a moment he resorted to an honest 'please' and with that she was persuaded. The fairy knew that even though she could have helped Kirby she would probably just get in his way- especially now that her vision was completely gone.
Not to mention, she wasn't much of a fighter anyway, but of course when the chips were down she always came through no matter what the situation.
She sighed, "S-Should you go back and get help from Adeleine and the others then?"
Kirby answered with another no and told her that he could handle it. Meta-Knight said that there was only one so far and that the pink hero had to fight him- whoever he was.
Ribbon only remembered the knight saying that there were more to come. And could he even be trusted, or was this another test of Kirby's abilities? Either way she wasn't just going to wait around to find out.
Running through the fields to the West, Kirby made his way down the broken path.
Bonus Author's Note: Okay, now I usually have a VA in mind for each of the characters, but for the life of me, I could never decide if I thought Meta-Knight sounded more like he did in the anime or like in Brawl since I'm so used to both (though I lean towards the anime since his brawl voice kinda freaks me out it's so deep lol)
I don't know, unlike Dedede I'll leave it to everyone's imagination. Just go crazy with whatever you want him to sound like in your head ;)