Sorry for not posting in a while. This chapter isn't as dark as the last one. Enjoy!
- MadLad

11:00 AM

"And that is how to properly oil a sword." After saying this, Meta Knight put Galaxia back in her sheath, now shiny and rustproof. Having realized Kirby's combat abilities were adequately high, he had decided that the only thing he could improve upon was Kirby's mind. He had used an old chalkboard, an old desk, and a carpet to create a makeshift classroom in one of The Halberd's empty rooms. He had just finished a lesson on oiling swords, and was confident that Kirby was hanging on his every word.

"Any questions?"

Kirby raised his hand.

"yes?"

"can we learn about something cool now?"

Meta Knight was a bit irritated, but understood his question. "What could possibly be cooler than proper sword care?"

Kirby mulled over the question.

"Anything?" Kirby answered inquisitively.

"HOW DARE YOU MOCK THE WAYS OF THE-"

"…"

"I guess you aren't completely wrong…" Meta Knight admitted. Kirby just created a new sword when he used his sword ability. He probably didn't need to learn how to clean a sword. "Here's a more interesting subject" Meta knight said as he erased the chalkboard. In the place of his previous writings, he wrote something that caught Kirby's attention:

MAGIC

"YAAAAAAAAY!"

"Kirby, please, contain yourself" Meta Knight said to a very excited Kirby. "Now," he continued, "you are no doubt aware of the periodic table of elements, correct?"

"what?"

"Ah, yes, the good old periodic table of elements. The 382 atoms that make this world. Did you know that Humans only had around 175 when they made first contact? Absolutely shameful. But I digress. Imagine, if you will, every element is a thin, hollow chamber." Meta Knight drew a short cube on the chalkboard. "Now, unlike atoms, magic is not made of neutrons or nuclei or isotopes or anything along those lines. It is a collection of unexplainable, microscopic, and volatile tears in reality. Basically, it takes up this space." Meta Knight scribbled in the sides of the cube. "These tears rewrite most, if not all of the properties of matter in a certain area. The resulting distortion is not enough to harm reality, but enough to instantly supercharge atoms. These atoms change form, becoming fire, ice, germs, living organisms, raw energy… think of it as a 'cheat code' for the universe that lets you 'spawn in' whatever you want. I believe you are accustomed to these 'sick nasty' terms as a youth, so I hope- OH NOVA."

Kirby had fallen asleep. He had fallen onto his little tummy and literally passed out, snoring like a chainsaw with raging hay fever. Meta Knight, enraged by this bout of insolence, did what his mentor did years ago.

Kirby immediately awoke to the sound of Meta Knight punching a hole in the chalkboard. "Did you get ANY of that?!" Meta Knight asked, rather chuffed at Kirby's insolence.

"Yep!"

"Then what was I saying just now?

"You were saying magic is just people messing with reality by doing weird things to atoms, right?"

"…"

"Right…?"

"*sigh…*"

"yes."

"Yaaaaaaaay!" Kirby said, as a very confused and slightly impressed Meta Knight checked his phone.

Five seconds later, Meta Knight dropped his phone in shock. "mrphrhprhphrmrrlrr" asked Kirby, who was gnawing on a book he had just spat out of his mouth. Meta Knight grabbed Kirby and ran to the balcony of the Halberd, wind sweeping past them as Meta Knight kicked open the pressurized door, likely endangering the lives of anyone in that area of the ship. "wait, what's happening?" Kirby asked. "NO TIME TO EXPLAIN FOLLOW NOW VERY BAD I AM META KNIGHT" Meta Knight railed off as he stormed towards the edge of the airship. In an instant, Meta Knight's flowing cape transformed into a pair of massive bat wings.

I'll just let you process this for a second.

…

Okay. Back to the bat wings.

Once in the air, Meta Knight was calmer. "Why are you carrying me?" asked Kirby, who was, in fact, still within Meta Knight's grasp like a half deflated beachball held by a child who was running to show it to his mom to show her how cool it was. "Well, I suppose I should explain" said Meta Knight. "There is a threat in castle Dedede. A threat that could consume all of Planet Popstar."

"…again."

"Okay, who do I need to eat?" asked Kirby. These dangers were commonplace in Dreamland.

"That's the thing, Kirby. We don't know who. It could've possessed anyone within twenty miles of castle Dedede"

"What's 'it'?" Asked Kirby.

Meta Knight paused.

"That's not important," Meta Knight said avoiding the question. "The point is, we need someone who has been possessed so many times, he knows how 'they' act."

1:00 PM

"FINALLY! SOMEONE ASKS!"

Meta Knight and Kirby were talking to a mildly enraged Dedede in his bedroom. The noon sunlight failed to shine through the windows, but the chandelier and sky-blue wallpaper were plenty bright. Throughout the room were Dedede's essentials. Giant pillows, beanbags, a secret photo album of his friends hidden behind a massive portrait of him as the Mona Lisa…

Basic leisure items for any major ruler!

"Do you UNDERSTAND just HOW MANY TIMES I've been possessed?! Go on, take a guess!"

"Six?" Meta Knight said tenting his fingers.

"Sixty!" Kirby cheerfully piped up.

"Like… EIGHT TIMES!" Dedede roared, punching a hole in the wall next to him, revealing the cream coloured stone columns of the castle halls. "I'm still hackin' up bright purple smoke! I keep getting spontaneously buff for five seconds and rip up all my shirts! I have a reacurring nightmare where my STOMACH tries to EAT ME! I WET MYSELF, just because a SPIDER living on a CLOUD goes to a BATHROOM!" Dedede threw a chair through the previously punched hole. "Yes, we are all aware of the many eldritch and arcane beings that have influenced your fleshy body" Meta Knight said. "Can you please explain what it's like? Any telltale signs?" Dedede sighed, then sat down on a beanbag.

"Have you ever, like, dreamed?"

"Mm-hmm! All the time" Kirby said.

"I never sleep" Meta Knight said in a hard-boiled way.

"Have you ever done somethin' weird in a dream, but just went along with it? Like eatin' a hoagie made of glitter? Or winning a sport you've never heard of? Or somehow being okay with the fact that your arm fell off and the stump where it used to be attached is literally the inside of a watermelon?"

"Mm-hmm! All the time" Kirby said.

"Wait, what?" asked Meta Knight.

"That's what getting' possessed is like! Everything seems normal, then you start punching people and running up walls and vomiting tentacles at your enemies without even realizing it! Then by the time your body starts changing beyond recognition you realize it, but can't control yourself anymore. Then you wake up barely remembering what just happened, but instead of lying in bed, you're lying in a puddle of black sludge with some rando holding a sword standing over you!"

"Now if you don't mind, I'm out of here. If you do mind, I just don't care." Dedede got up and walked out of the room. "Wait!" Meta Knight ran after Dedede, with Kirby bringing up the rear. "How can we tell if someone's possessed from the outside? The entire planet could be in danger!" Dedede angrily groaned. "Look, I don't' know! You want my advice? Either wait until someone's head splits in half to reveal a row of teeth, or just look for someone who's acting shady!"

"Outta my way, wide load and co.!" A strange, shady looking Waddle Dee wearing a crimson bandanna and matching face mask shoved the group to the side. "Bite my behind, weirdo!" retaliated Dedede.

Dedede froze.

Meta Knight froze.

Kirby froze.

The figure froze.

Everyone turned to look at eachother.

"HEY!" Dedede shouted.

"YIKES! I'd better make like your pants and SPLIT!" The mysterious Waddle Dee ran off, laughing.

"After him!" cried Meta Knight. The three ran after the crimson suspect, chasing him through the halls of the castle. "GET BACK HERE!" Dedede yelled, holding his hammer. The crew rounded a corner, only to find a hole in the wall, comically in the shape of the figure they had been chasing.

"Wow, a hole!" chirped Kirby. While Dedede and Kirby walked over to inspect the hole, Meta Knight was frozen in terror.

"Dedede…" He said, "what is on the other side of that wall?" Dedede looked at the wall. The windows on the wall shined much better than the ones in Dedede's room. Evidently, this wall was right next to the castle courtyard. Yet strangely, the hole left behind by the perpetrator was pitch black, as if a black hole was waiting on the other side.

"Huh…" Said Dedede. "I guess it leads outside… well, it SHOULD… That's weird…" Dedede reached his hand through the hole, feeling nothing on the other side.

"everyone into the broom closet."

"Wait, what" Asked Kirby, who was sticking his entire head into the tiny abyss.

"EVERYONE INTO THE NOVA-FORSAKEN BROOM CLOSET!" Meta Knight grabbed Kirby and Dedede, hastily dragging them towards a broom closet on the other side of the hallway.