Kirby All-Stars

by Edward Emma

A young woman is thrown into another galaxy, and wakes up to find herself in Dreamland on Planet Popstar! Realising that the characters from the Kirby franchise that she loves are real - including the loveable 'pink demon' himself - and armed with a mysterious pendant that grants her equally as mysterious powers, it eventually becomes apparent to her why she ended up in Dreamland!

4. Absolute Best In The Wild Wild West!

KIRBY ALL-STARS

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A young woman is thrown into another galaxy, and wakes up to find herself in Dreamland on Planet Popstar! Realising that the characters from the Kirby franchise that she loves are real - including the loveable 'pink demon' himself - and armed with a mysterious pendant that grants her equally as mysterious powers, it eventually becomes apparent to her why she ended up in Dreamland and just where she belongs!

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~ Parental Warning ~

The following chapter contains:

. Adult themes

Reader discretion is advised.

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CHAPTER FOUR

Absolute Best In The Wild Wild West!

---

"'And, so, with the curse broken, and the beast returned to being his true self, they were married and lived happily ever after on the shores of Kaiwiki. The end.'" Emma had to smile somewhat wryly, as the small group of children (that included Tiff, Tuff, Kirby, Spikehead, Iro, Honey, Fololo, and Falala) around her all cheered. So much for not planning on working with small children. She thought, as she adjusted her glasses. Just as long as they don't ask me to coach a children's soccer team or something . . .

"Tell another story!" Madam Synger's son, Sergey, called to her.

"Please!" Honey added.

"Yeah!" Tuff agreed. "Read the story of Hahn And Gélěitè again!"

"Why that one?" Tiff wanted to know. "Is it because it's got a brother and sister in it?" She wondered; she also liked the story, about the clever Gélěitè who saved herself and her little brother Hahn from an ogre with cannibalistic intentions.

"Hardly!" Scoffed Tokkori, from where he was perched on a nearby fence post in the little courtyard. "He just likes the description of the gingerbread house!"

"Figures." Tiff rolled her eyes. "There's no way that he'd like one where the girl is the hero." She added, under her breath.

"It's only because most of the other stories that Emma tells have princesses in them, and all princess stories are bogus!" Tuff said, and then looked over at Emma. "No offence." He added.

"None taken." She replied, sounding slightly amused as the children argued quietly over what kind of story they wanted to hear next.

When they'd found out that Biblio had suggested to Emma that she start reading out loud to try and get over her nerves, they'd decided to be really supportive of her. But, that didn't mean that Tuff had to like all of the stories. He had sat through White Rose And Red Snow, Aisatsana, Resting Lovely, The Goose Duchess, and Beautiful Beach - now it was time to hear one about a house made of gingerbread and maybe eat some of the cookies that his mother had packed for him.

"I'll tell you what," Emma said, quickly checking the table of contents in the big book of fairy tales that Biblio had loaned to her. "There's one here that you - probably - haven't heard, and might enjoy."

"Let's see . . . " Stellar had just arrived, and she flew on to Emma's shoulder as Fen curled up by Emma's feet. "Which one? Elasinders?"

"Ooh, that's the one about the girl who goes to the ball and falls in love with a prince!" Honey said, and a few girls sighed dreamily. "She loses one of her stained glass shoes and that's how the prince finds her!"

"Boring!" Tuff and some of the boys complained.

"Oh, wait, or did you mean this one?" Stellar pointed to a different title. "The Car Robots Meet The Space Invaders?"

"Yeah!" It was Tuff's turn to cheer, even as a few girls now groaned at the thought of a robot story involving aliens.

"I was actually talking about this one," Emma rolled her eyes, and turned to a particular page. "This is the story of Liger Tily — "

"Ooh, look!" Honey exclaimed, as Emma showed them the picture that was at the start of the story. "She must be a princess!" She pointed to the picture of a copper-skinned girl with long black braided pigtails, a beautiful dress embroidered with intricate patterns, and a crown-like feather headdress.

"Aww, another princess?!" Tuff complained, and then flinched when every single girl in the vicinity gave him a Look.

"And The Gingerbread Cowboy." Emma finished up.

"Now you're talking!" Tuff opened up his backpack, took out some cookies which he also shared around, and then settled back to listen to the story involving a tomboyish native princess, a runaway magical gingerbread cowboy, a metal horse called Alumina brought to life with the same spell that had been used on the gingerbread cowboy, and Liger Tily's 'fairy godmother' who was a coyote named Kash who lived on the moon, for some reason.

---

"Escargoon!" Dedede called.

Escargoon, who was just enjoying a brief moment of peace and quiet to himself, sighed. "Yes, sire?" He asked, as the king came storming in.

"I've got me a problem!" Dedede told him.

"There's a surprise." Escargoon muttered under his breath. "What now?"

"I haven't seen Emma in three whole days is what the problem is, Escargoon!" Dedede cried, pacing around the room. "She's always off doing … something, and I haven't been able to spend any time with her!"

"Then, why don't you go spend some time with her?" Escargoon asked diplomatically.

"Because I don't know where she is!" Dedede reminded him. "I can't spend time with her if I don't know where she is!"

Escargoon sighed. "Well . . . " He trailed off, and looked out the open door, just as Tiff, Tuff, Fololo, and Falala hurried by. "Huh? Where are they off to in such a hurry?"

Escargoon and Dedede went over to the door, and watched the kids heading down the hallway - the four of them stopped only briefly to wave goodbye to Sailor Waddle Dee and Bandanna Waddle Dee, both of whom looked like they wanted to go with them.

"You know, come to think of it, they haven't been around much lately, either." Escargoon realised. "Plus, they're friends with Emma, sire . . . " He added.

"Hmm . . . " Dedede mused, as they hurried to the end of the hallway. "You're right, Escargoon … let's follow them!" He then noticed that the two Waddle Dees had overheard this. "You two are coming!" He added.

Their eyes widened.

"W-wait, what?!" Sailor Waddle Dee stammered.

"Why?!" Bandanna Waddle Dee wanted to know.

"Because," Escargoon rolled his eyes, having already picked up on Dedede's plan. "Those kids don't like us, but they sure do like you - hmm, actually, better to take only one, your majesty," he told Dedede. "Less hassle, that way."

"Yeah, agreed." Dedede nodded, picking up Bandanna Waddle Dee, much to the bandanna-wearing little guy's chagrin.

"O-okay, b-but what about the armour that I was c-cleaning?!" He wanted to know, as he was carried past a suit of armour that was literally half dusty and half sparkly.

"You can do it when you get back, it ain't going nowhere!" Dedede told him.

No, but I am. Sailor Waddle Dee thought, as he set down his little jar of Shine-O Steel-O. He was certainly employed at Castle Dedede, and took his work there very seriously. However, he secretly answered to somebody else before King Dedede, and that somebody was Meta Knight. Meta Knight asked me to keep him informed about anything that the king was doing regarding Emma, and it's obvious that this has something to do with her. It's weird, though … I mean, the king's obsessed with Emma because he wants to marry her, but what's up with Meta Knight? He was acting weird even before she got here, and then he went and got me to give her that pendant . . .

It wasn't something that could be questioned, however. Meta Knight could be somewhat scary when he wanted to be.

---

"Is she not here yet?" Tiff asked, looking around the courtyard when they got there.

The others kids were already there, but, there was no sign of Emma.

Iro shook his head. "No, and we've been waiting for ages!"

"Five minutes isn't ages, Iro." Sergey informed him. "Still, I can't wait until she gets here, I want to hear today's story!"

"Yeah, I bet it'll be really cool, like a story about a robot shark or something!" Tuff exclaimed, as he sat down to wait.

"I hope that there's a story about a princess of a kingdom made of honey!" Honey spoke up.

"That sounds sweet." Spikehead nodded.

"Yeah, until the bees come along." Iro pointed out.

"Okay, but seriously, where is Emma?" Tiff wanted to know, unawares that Dedede, Escargoon, and Bandanna Waddle Dee were hiding in the bushes and listening in. "I mean, she's been late a couple of times, but she always at least sends Kirby ahead of her so we know . . . "

"Yeah, but Kirby's not here, either . . . " Falala pointed out.

"Should we go and check at his house?" Fololo wondered.

"Yeah," Tiff nodded. "I'm getting worried." She added, as Fololo and Falala flew off. "I hope everything's okay . . . "

---

"You go, too." Dedede told Bandanna Waddle Dee, and chucked him out of the bushes.

Luckily, the little guy bounced quickly back to his feet, and then hurried off after Fololo and Falala.

He secretly followed them through Cappy Town, avoiding everyone as he following the pair all the way to Kirby's house, which was empty, except for Tokkori and Stellar, who appeared to be having a discussion about something.

"It'll be fine, igara!" Stellar told Tokkori, as she dusted off some dirt on a leaf of the small potted plant that was on the desk.

"Yeah, whatever!" Tokkori replied, perching on the back of the chair that was now there. "There's just not enough room, especially for everything that comes with it!" He added, gesturing vaguely to the desk. "Even now it's starting to become crowded!"

"Umm, guys?" Falala spoke up tentatively.

"It's her desk, not yours!" Stellar snapped. "It looks fine, igara!"

"Pretty soon it's gonna be covered in hay and molasses and that plant's gonna be dead, so it's good to admire it now!"

"Guys?" Fololo said, as Stellar and Tokkori glared daggers at each other.

"What?!" The two birds said in unison, turning towards Fololo and Falala and not noticing it when Bandanna Waddle Dee edged away from the door and headed towards the field.

He had just heard something, and decided that that was the best place to start his investigation (better than listening to Stellar and Tokkori argue, at least).

Pirates in fact loved music and, as a former pirate, Bandanna Waddle Dee was no different; his keen sense of hearing was picking up the sounds of somebody singing softly, and he followed the sound out to the field near Kirby's house.

Somebody was singing . . .

"Run, run, as fast you can, I'm the Gingerbread Cowboy, fastest in the land . . ."

Bandanna Waddle Dee spotted Kirby sitting on a small knoll, and went over to him, which is when he finally saw what Kirby was watching.

If Bandanna Waddle Dee had had a mouth, then, it would have dropped open in shock.

Emma was sitting on the grass close by, with her back to him, but she was not alone. Lying on its side next to her was a horse. An actual horse. It was white, with a creamy mane and tail.

But, something was wrong … something was very wrong … Bandanna Waddle Dee could tell that, even without looking at how uncharacteristically worried Kirby looked, as he carefully crept around to the other side of the horse as Emma finished the song and continued on with the story of Liger Tilly and that magical Gingerbread Cowboy.

Bandanna Waddle Dee then froze.

Now that he was around the front he could see two things.

Emma looked even more worried than Kirby … and, that was because the horse had a large, bloody wound around its front left leg.

Droplets on the grass indicated where the horse had limped into the field, and then laid down because it was obviously too exhausted.

Bandanna Waddle Dee got the feeling that the only thing stopping the horse from panicking at all was Emma's presence and her constant talking and singing.

But, that also meant that she couldn't get up and go for help.

She glanced up, and met the gaze of Bandanna Waddle Dee, who tried to keep his distance because the horse was also watching him; there was something very intelligent in those big dark eyes.

"She needs help . . . " Emma whispered, keeping one hand on the horse's neck. Even though it may already be too late … if she can't walk . . . She bit her lip, and then continued telling the horse the story. "Liger Tilly knew the sound, and looked up, to see her spirit guide come bounding down from the moon. 'What's wrong, child?' He said, smiling as he always did - for, he always had her best interests at heart, even if he was a little cryptic."

Bandanna Waddle Dee's eyes suddenly widened. Something about what Emma had just said had given him an idea of someone who might be able to help.

Forgetting that he was supposed to be reporting back to King Dedede, Bandanna Waddle Dee turned and raced as fast as he could back towards the castle . . .

---

It was no secret that Meta Knight was well-known throughout the universe as a great warrior, and he was the first to admit that part of the reason for that were his subordinates - the Meta-Knights. Former members of the Galaxy Soldier Army, they were all very loyal to him and always accompanied him into space when he left Planet Popstar from time to time. Though Blade Knight and Sword Knight stayed by him the most, the others were just as loyal and could be called upon from Meta Knight's battle ship, the Halberd, at a moment's notice.

Captain Vul was the one who oversaw things while Meta Knight was away, and then there was Axe Knight, Mace Knight, Javelin Knight, and Trident Knight, and . . .

"You're lucky that I'm answering your call, Sir Meta Knight."

Meta Knight sighed. He should have known this was coming. After all, they hadtried to warn him about the arrival of the Bad Dream Pirates, but he hadn't answered their call because he had had so many things on his mind since Emma's arrival in Dreamland that he had needed to think.

Shield Knight, however, did not take kindly to being ignored, but Meta Knight was just going to have to bear with it because he needed her help right now.

"I'm glad you did, because we have an emergency." He told her.

That was all it took. Immediately, her tone changed, and she said, rather briskly: "Has there been an injury?"

"Yes." Meta Knight replied. "A horse has been injured, by what appears to be barbed wire. I know it's a little bit unusual — "

"It's highly unusual, Sir Meta Knight, I'm not exactly a veterinarian." She interrupted him.

"Just come down here." He told her. "We don't know if the horse is even able to walk at the moment - Emma is the one who found the horse, and she hasn't left its side — "

"Oh, that explains it." Shield Knight interrupted him again. He really wished she'd stop doing that. "If you're not careful, people are going to start figuring out your weakness." She sounded serious, though. "Of course I'll be there, Sir Meta Knight."

"Just remember what I told you . . . "

---

"I knew I should've just done it myself." Dedede muttered to Escargoon. "He probably forgot to come back . . . "

Escargoon sighed. "Sire, do you want me to go and find him and Emma?" Anything was better than hiding in the bushes like a stalker, getting strange looks from those little white garden snails that the king thankfully hadn't noticed - yet. There was only so much a man could take. Escargoon had reached his limit ten minutes ago, when Bandanna Waddle Dee had failed to return.

Dedede nodded impatiently, as Escargoon crawled out of the bushes. "Don't you forget to come back!" He added, just as he noticed that there was a white garden snail on a leaf right next to him.

"Buongiorno." The snail said clearly.

Dedede shrieked in a way that would rival Emma, and all of the kids in the courtyard watched as he leapt out of the bushes like they were on fire - which, as it turned out, was what he wanted to them to be, now that he realised just how many bugs there were in there.

"Escargoon!" He pointed dramatically at the bushes. "Kill those little white-shelled insects! Kill them with fire!" He ordered, with absolutely no thought that asking Escargoon to kill some snails might be deemed a bit insensitive.

Tiff, of course, had something to say about this, whether Escargoon was going to comply or not. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Dedede, and said: "Those snails are an important part of the ecosystem!"

"They're pests is what they are!" Dedede retorted. "Kinda like you . . . " He realised.

"They're an important pest of the ecosystem," Tiff snapped. "And, it's not like they're out of control - unlike you." She added. "You can't kill them just because you're scared of them!"

"I am not scared of them!" Dedede immediately responded, crossing his arms. "I just don't like them!"

"That's not a good enough reason!"

"Hey," Honey spoke up all of a sudden. "Wasn't Emma saying that she doesn't mind bugs … as long as they're not in the house? That they're fine when they're outside . . . ?"

"Ciao, little outside critters!" Dedede told the snails, all smiles now.

Tiff rolled her eyes.

"Yeah," Tuff nodded. "Except for one - the centipede!"

Dedede flinched.

"Fair enough." Sergey nodded.

"Sire!" Escargoon suddenly exclaimed, noticing something that made him hurry over and grab Dedede's arm. "Look, up there!" He pointed.

They all looked up at the sky, just in time to see two figures flying quickly overhead.

One of them was Meta Knight, flying with his bat-like wings as his cape billowed out behind him.

The other was unfamiliar to them, and the pair flew by so fast that it was hard to make out any identifying features beyond four white feathery wings, a light green skin tone, a long white skirt, and . . .

"Oh no . . . " Tiff breathed. "It's not good, is it?!"

"What's not good, Tiff?" Tuff asked her.

Tiff looked over at her brother. "Didn't you see that hat?!"

"It was a bit old-fashioned, wasn't it?" Sergey mused.

"Not the design of it, the design on it!" Tiff exclaimed. "It was a cross - that's a medical sign! Whoever that was must be a doctor!" The other kids just stared at her. She sighed in frustration. "Don't you see?! We know that we have no idea where Emma and Kirby are, and suddenly we see Meta Knight and a doctor flying quickly in the direction of Kirby's house! Something bad has happened!"

"Aaahh!" Escargoon yelled out as he was trampled by the group of kids and Dedede, who just left him lying there on the ground as they raced off towards Kirby's house. "Someone … get … me a doctor . . . " He groaned, just as Biblio came out of his bookshop.

"What's that, Escargoon?" He asked him. "Need me to get Dr. Yabui — ?"

"NOT him!"

---

Emma felt, rather than saw, when the horse shifted suddenly, and she didn't have to open her eyes to know that somebody had just arrived. She did have to open her eyes to check on who it was, though.

One of them was Meta Knight, and the other was unknown to Emma both from real life and from the anime and video games.

Whoever it was seemed to be around the same size as Meta Knight, maybe a bit taller, and with a similar body shape.

Another member of the Kirby species? Emma wondered, eyeing the stranger whose four feathery white wings had just been folded in. But, with some sort of hovering ability just like Fololo and Falala. They had light green skin, white gloves, and a long white skirt - a woman? What stood out the most was a white medical mask and, to Emma's relief, a white nurse's cap with a pinkish red cross that matched the stranger's eyes.

Emma switched what she was singing to the horse as the two approached them.

"If they can hear what I'm saying," it wasn't a real song, but, it continued to soothe the horse as it had been for the last hour or so. "Then they should stop . . . "

Meta Knight and the unknown medic did immediately stop, and exchanged a glance.

"I know you're uneasy around strangers, especially men," Emma continued on. "You remind me of one of my pet dogs, who was abused before my sister saved her, but just know … the one in white is your angel who's going to slowly approach and help you . . . " Okay, that might've been a bit of a stretch (considering that she didn't even know who the stranger was) but it gave just enough information (and, some that was completely irrelevant) that Meta Knight stayed where he was, and the medic with the angel wings continued to approach more slowly now.

"Emma?" She said, once she had gotten there. She had a calm voice, befitting her obvious occupation as a medic.

Emma nodded, not bothering to ask how the other woman knew her name; Meta Knight must have told her. "Thanks for coming, umm . . . ?"

The other lady paused, and then said: "I'm Shield Knight. I'm a member of the Meta-Knights. Now," she went on, a bit more briskly, but still in a soft and gentle voice. "What's happened here?"

Emma swallowed. "Well, Kirby and I were getting ready to leave about … I'm not good with time, but maybe an hour ago?" Judging by how scratchy my throat feels from constant talking and singing. "When we both heard something and came out here to see this horse lying in the field. There's a trail of blood," she went on, nodding in that direction. "But, other than that and the obvious barbed wire wound around her leg, I dunno what's happened to her or how long she's been out here for . . . "

"Barbed wire?" Shield Knight repeated.

Emma shrugged. "I read a book once, and the description of what happened to that pony is vaguely reminiscent of what I'm seeing here." She gestured to the horse's leg.

"I see." Shield Knight nodded thoughtfully. "Meta Knight drew the same conclusion, based on the information that he was given … what else?"

"She's easily frightened." Emma said. "She doesn't like to have her head touched, and … the reason why Meta Knight needed to stay back there … you see, the horse didn't want anything to do with Tokkori, but she didn't mind me, Kirby, Stellar, or Bandanna Waddle Dee, so I think that she's okay with women and children but not men . . . " She trailed off.

"When you say that she didn't want anything to do with Tokkori . . . " Shield Knight was busy checking the horse's heartbeat with a stethoscope.

"She tried to get up," Emma explained, keeping one hand on the horse's neck. "We've been trying to keep her lying down because of the blood and everything, but … if she can't walk, then . . . "

"Let's take one thing at a time." Shield Knight suggested, as she returned her stethoscope to … hammer space? Emma wasn't entirely sure. This universe was just full of surprises.

"But, if she can't walk … if the leg's broken, then she — "

"Let's stay calm, so that she stays calm." Shield Knight said, holding up a hand. Her tone was firm but still gentle. "Now, I take it that you aren't aware as to why Meta Knight called on me, are you?"

"Because you're the only doctor he knows who'd treat a horse?" Emma guessed.

Shield Knight blinked, and then her eyes lit up in a way that suggested she was smiling behind her face mask. "I was a medic on the field years ago during the war against a great darkness, you know . . . "

"Do you mean Nightmare Enterprises?" Emma asked her, before she could stop herself.

Shield Knight glanced at her, and then looked away. "Back then, it was calling itself Holy Nightmare Co.," she informed Emma, as she checked over the large and bloody wound around the horse's leg. "But, yes, that's who we fought against. We Meta-Knights, and indeed Sir Meta Knight himself, are the remnants of the war that we lost … with Sir Meta Knight being the last Star Warrior . . . "

"Kirby's a Star Warrior." Emma found herself saying.

Shield Knight glanced over to where Kirby was now waving to Bandanna Waddle Dee and Sailor Waddle Dee, who were walking over to him. "Oh, yes, I've heard all about that one . . . " She commented, before she looked back to examine the horse's injury. "Not what I expected from the newer generation . . . "

"Why?" Emma said immediately. "Kirby's great!" She added.

Shield Knight waved her hand gently. "I don't disagree with you there. I merely meant that there were some who we had hoped would rise up in the next generation as well … Star Warriors have a number of different ways of coming to be, including by blood . . . "

"Hmm . . . " Emma thought about this, looking at the horse's dark eyes and so missing the obvious Look that Meta Knight had just given Shield Knight.

"But, that's a story for another time." Shield Knight said suddenly, as she stood up carefully.

"What — ?" Emma began, but Shield Knight again held up her hand.

"I'll need you to move away for a moment, please," the medic said, in a way that left no room for arguments. "Perhaps go and stand with Meta Knight, if you please."

Emma hesitated, already halfway up.

"Or, even if you don't please." Shield Knight rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going far." Emma told the horse, as she stood up. Her knees cracked, as she'd been sitting down for so long, and her throat really was sore.

Still, she was much more worried about the horse. How could anybody, whether they were a former wartime medic or not, hope to heal this horrible wound?!

Shield Knight nodded to her, and then put a hand on the horse's neck, when the horse tried to follow Emma. "No no no, not you . . . " She said, and something about her gentle tone along with her sudden strength to be able to hold the horse down made said horse settle down quickly. "There … so … let me work my magic, now . . . "

---

"Here." Meta Knight said when Emma reached him, handing her a small bottle of apple juice. "Bandanna Waddle Dee suspected that you might have been here for awhile, keeping the horse calm."

Emma nodded, accepting the apple juice which she gratefully drank half of in one go, and then wiped her face, not realising that she had some of the horse's blood on her hands. It left a streak on her face.

But, before Meta Knight could comment on this, there was a flash of pinkish-coloured light from the field, and Emma turned around fast.

Shield Knight was standing before the horse with her hands out in front of her, and the pink light was emitting from her palms. The blood around the horse's leg was disappearing … the injury was being healed … at last, the final traces of the horrible wound faded away, and something shiny and greyish-black fell to the ground, as the horse immediately got to her feet, swaying slightly and looking just as surprised as Emma felt.

Emma turned to Meta Knight.

"It is an amazing power, but, it has its limits." He told her.

It's almost like he knew that I was wondering how they lost the war if their medic could do that . . . Emma thought.

"For example," Meta Knight went on. "It can be used to treat physical wounds, but the real challenge will be healing the horse's mental wellbeing."

"Oh, yeah, there's that." Emma realised. She sighed. "Thanks … for getting Shield Knight to come here . . . "

"You should be thanking Bandanna Waddle Dee." He replied. "He was the one who alerted me to the situation."

"Oh, I will thank him." Emma nodded. "Hey, Bandanna Waddle Dee?" She called, glad that her voice wasn't doing that thing where it suddenly broke off whenever she raised it in a situation like this (ie, when she wasn't at home) - reading out loud to the kids had helped … she would have to thank Biblio, too, it would seem.

Bandanna Waddle Dee looked over at her.

She held up the half that was left of the apple juice.

Bandanna Waddle Dee's eyes lit up, and he scurried over to her, with Kirby in tow.

As Bandanna Waddle Dee was happily finishing the rest of the apple juice, Fololo and Falala joined them.

"Hey, are you heading back to the house soon?" Falala asked Emma.

"I wasn't planning on it." Emma responded, looking towards the field where Shield Knight was now trying to encourage the horse to walk a few paces. The horse seemed slightly confused as to how she now suddenly had no injury. "Why?"

"Well, Tokkori's started complaining that 'his' house isn't a rest stop." Fololo explained. "Because, all of the kids from the reading group showed up there looking for you and Kirby."

"Yeah, and so did the king." Falala added.

Emma's eyes widened. "M-maybe I should go and fill them in, b-before they come out here . . . " Wait, why am I stammering again?!

"You should also wipe the blood off your face before King Dedede thinks that you got injured." Falala told her.

Emma cringed.

---

"A horse?!" Half of the kids exclaimed.

"Of course . . . " Tuff nodded thoughtfully. "Just like in the story … I'll bet that she's just like Alumina!" He added. "Maybe even a dapple grey!" He recalled what Emma had said Alumina's colour was in the story.

"Yeah!" Honey's eyes were sparkling. "Or, a pretty golden palomino!"

"Yeah!" Spikehead echoed. "Or, she could even be a palomino pinto, just like Kristy Of Mincoteague!"

"Ooh, I hope!" Honey exclaimed.

"I hope that she's a blue-eyed skewbald!" Sergey spoke up.

"Maybe she's pure black, just like Dark Darling!" Iro suggested.

They had talked a lot about horses the other day, and read a few more horse stories.

The kids all looked at Emma eagerly.

She was deviating between glancing at them, and glancing at Dedede, who looked like he was about to say something, but Fololo and Falala spoke up instead.

"Actually," Fololo said. "You're all wrong."

"Aww . . . " The kids complained.

"The horse is a beautiful white colour, with a cream mane and tail." Falala told them.

"Ooh . . . "

"I was close!" Tuff added.

"But," Sergey paused. "Emma, didn't you say that most white-coloured horses are actually grey?"

Emma nodded. "Y-yeah, but there are white horses … you c-can tell because grey h-horses have black skin, l-like a polar bear, and white horses h-have pink skin . . . " Why can't I stop stammering again?! Her gaze again drifted over to King Dedede, who was watching her. It's because of him, isn't it?! Which is because I . . .

Her thoughts were interrupted by Stellar, who flew over from the direction of the field, and said: "Emma, you're wanted back there, igara."

"Is everything okay?!" Emma asked immediately.

"Yes and no." Stellar replied.

"Can I go too?!" At least six kids, including Tuff, wanted to know.

"Probably not." Stellar shook her head. "That horse is skittish enough as it is, whether she tolerates kids or not! Then again … it might be good to have a second set of eyes … Tiff, you should probably go, too."

"Stellar, you can't do that!" Emma whispered to her, as Tuff hung his head dejectedly.

"Do you want to take Tuff, too?" Stellar raised an eyebrow.

Emma didn't even hesitate. "Yes, as long as h-he promises to stay back and stay qu-quiet, okay, Tuff?"

Tuff's head snapped up. "Okay!" He cheered, and then paused. "I mean … okay . . . " He said, in a softer voice, and happily followed his sister and Emma over to the field.

King Dedede sighed. "Aww, even now I only see her for all of two measly minutes!" He complained to no one in particular.

"Would you like to hear my observation, your majesty?"

Dedede jumped, seeing Meta Knight standing right next to him. "What the — ?! When'd you get here?!"

"He got here with Shield Knight!" Falala supplied.

"Who?"

"The medic who Emma called an 'angel', apparently!" Fololo said.

"An angel?!" Dedede flinched slightly. "Just who is this Shield Knight?! Do I know him?! Is he taller than me?!"

"No, no, you've got it all wrong, your majesty!" Fololo said quickly.

"I'm never wrong!" Dedede retorted.

Meta Knight merely sighed, and thought to himself: Perhaps the king is not in the right frame of mind to hear it now . . .

---

Emma was far from being an expert on horses. Sure, she had read practically every single horse book, both fiction and non-fiction, under the sun back in her own world, seen every original episode of The Saddle Club three times, and then taken riding and carriage driving lessons from the ages of sixteen to eighteen, but . . .

When I wanted some of my dreams to come true, I never even thought about this one! Emma thought to herself, as Tuff stood a few feet away, allowing the two females to approach Shield Knight and the horse.

Now that she could see the horse standing, Emma had to gauge her height at being about 14.3 hands - or, more to the point, her shoulders were at roughly the same height as Emma's eyes, and Emma was 5'0" tall.

The horse turned towards Emma and Tiff when they approached, her dark eyes regarding them both carefully.

Something about how careful the horse was being, combined with Emma's own jittery feelings about the whole situation, made her say: "This is Tiff!" As soon as they got there.

The horse whickered in response.

"Hi." Tiff held up her hands for the horse to sniff at, and then added: "That's my little brother, Tuff." She pointed over her shoulder, to where Tuff was still waiting. "Can … can he come over and see you too, please?" She asked the horse, who nodded slightly.

And, so, Tuff was allowed to come over and meet the horse, while Emma spoke to Shield Knight, who was hovering nearby.

"I'm sure that Meta Knight has told you about the limits of my powers." The medic said, and Emma nodded. "The horse's leg has healed just fine, but now the rest is up to you." She clasped Emma's shoulder briefly. "Based on what we've seen so far," she said, in a low voice, so that the two kids would not hear her. "This horse has most likely been abused, quite possibly by an adult male."

Emma swallowed.

"But, if you've got experience in dealing with rescue animals," Shield Knight went on. "Then, you'll be just fine — "

A gasp from Tuff made them both turn quickly.

Emma thought that the horse might have stood on Tuff's foot or something (she knew that feeling). But, Tuff was standing there, holding his hand.

Don't tell me she bit him! Emma thought in dismay. She'd had that happen to her before, as well.

But . . .

"I told you not to touch it!" Tiff said crossly, pointing to something in the grass. "But, did you listen to me? Noooo . . . " She looked up at the horse. "Brothers, I tell ya . . . "

The horse just blinked, looking slightly mystified.

Shield Knight sighed. "Give me your hand." She instructed Tuff, as Emma knelt down to examine whatever it was that had injured Tuff's hand.

"Is that … the barbed wire?!" It was Emma's turn to gasp, as there was no mistaking that kind of thing. "It looks the same as the regular stuff, but — "

The black piece of wire with the spikes on it suddenly twisted of its own accord.

Emma, Tiff, the horse, Tuff, and Shield Knight all leapt back.

"It's moving!" Tiff cried.

Kirby, Bandanna Waddle Dee, and Sailor Waddle Dee were suddenly there and Kirby, upon spotting the slightly writhing piece of barbed wire, immediately began to inhale it.

"Wait a minute — !" Emma, Tiff, and Tuff exclaimed.

But, just as the piece of wire was about to go into Kirby's mouth, Bandanna Waddle Dee bravely leapt in front of Kirby and held up the empty apple juice bottle, which the piece of barbed wire slipped right in to.

Sailor Waddle Dee then pushed Bandanna Waddle Dee out of the way, so that he wouldn't be inhaled by Kirby by mistake.

As Kirby suddenly closed his mouth and blinked, Sailor Waddle Dee put the cap on the apple juice bottle.

"Poyo?" Kirby came over to them.

"Did they … plan that, or what?" Tuff wanted to know.

"Or what." Tiff sighed, knowing full well that they hadn't.

Shield Knight then let go of Tuff's hand. "There we go." She told him.

"Thanks!" He said, and then looked over at the horse, who was being soothed once again by Emma. "I can't imagine having that thing wrapped around an entire limb! You're a really brave horse!"

The horse whinnied in response, and stamped her right hoof twice.

---

"Did you hear?" Lady Like was saying the next day, as she lined up at the grocery store. "Emma and a friend of Meta Knight's saved an injured horse."

"Ah, yes," Madam Synger nodded. "Sergey is very excited about helping Emma take care of the poor thing."

"Yes, Tiff and Tuff won't stop talking about it, either." Lady Like said, as she stepped up to cashier.

She was just getting out her purse, when Tuff suddenly ran up to the counter ("Pardon me, excuse me, I'm with her!").

"Can you pay for these too, Mum?" He asked her, holding up a bag of carrots.

"Tuff, you hate carrots!" Lady Like reminded him.

"They're not for me, Mum!" Tuff said, like it should be obvious. "They're for Emma's horse!" He raced out of the grocery store.

"Shouldn't Emma be paying for those things herself?" A very stern Cappy lady, whose name was aptly Nettle, asked.

"It's fine." Lady Like was smiling, as she counted out a few more coins. "If it gets my children outside and learning - especially Tuff - then, I will gladly pay for anything!"

"Besides," Tuggle, the grocery store owner, added. "She might end up marrying King Dedede and becoming queen! And, you know what he's like! We might as well get used to it!"

"Oh, I don't think she's quite like that." Lady Like said. "Rather, it could be the opposite way around with who influences who!"

Nettle rolled her eyes. "I don't believe in miracles." She said.

"That's fine, because it's more like true love." Lady Like told her.

"Well I don't believe in that, either."

---

"Recite the golden rules!" Stellar said, pointing with a twig at a sheet of paper that was stuck to the side of Kirby's house. "Including the title, igara!"

"'How to safely interact with the horse'." The group of kids all recited. "'Rule number one: remember that horses are bigger and stronger than me, so I must take care and not make any loud noises that may frighten her. Rule number two: do not approach the horse from behind, as I may get kicked. Rule number three: no riding the horse. Rule number four: do not touch the horse's head. Rule number five: ask Emma before feeding the horse, as overeating is highly dangerous for horses.'"

"Hey," Tuff whispered to Iro. "Where are Tokkori and Kirby? How'd they get out of this?"

"Emma sent them on some sort of a mission . . . " Iro began, just as Fen barked at them.

Stellar immediately turned in their direction. "So!" She said sharply. "Can you tell me why overeating is bad for horses?"

"Uh . . . " Tuff gulped.

"Because," came another voice, and they all turned to see Dedede at the back of the group, with his arms crossed. "Horses can end up getting colic, which is bad because they can't throw up."

"That's correct." Stellar nodded.

A few of the kids looked at each other with wide eyes.

"How did he . . . ?" Tiff trailed off, and then her gaze drifted over to where Escargoon was standing nearby.

He was holding a big book that looked suspiciously like Horse Care 101.

Tiff rolled her eyes.

"Now," Stellar went on, clearly getting into some sort of a teacher role. "Who can tell me what the four horse gaits are called?"

"What does that have to do with horse care?" Tiff wondered.

"Walk!" Dedede said immediately.

"Trot!" Escargoon added.

"He probably looked in that book before he answered." Sergey muttered.

"Come on, sire," Escargoon glanced at Dedede. "You know this one . . . "

Dedede paused, closing his eyes briefly. "There's gallop … that's the fastest one . . .

"There's one before that . . . " Escargoon reminded him.

"Is it … lope . . . ?"

"Not the word I was searching for, igara!" Stellar said. "It's canter, igara!"

"I knew that." Dedede muttered, opening his eyes again. He suddenly froze.

"For visual reference," a new voice said, and they all turned to see Emma walking towards them with a bucket in one hand. "You can look towards the field."

Most of them did, and saw the white horse cantering across the field. Her mane billowed in the wind, and they heard her whinny happily.

"She's feeling a lot better . . . " Emma trailed off, realising that Dedede was there and that he was looking at her. She gulped. Come on, you saw him yesterday, it's not like it's been a few days and you're nervous around him all over again . . . She gasped. "That's it!" She said out loud.

"What's it?" Stellar blinked.

"Huh?" Emma paused, and then shook her head. "I mean … never mind. Stellar, you can take the kids over to the horse . . . "

"I'll supervise!" Tiff added.

"Why would she get you to help?" One of the Cappy kids wanted to know.

"Because I'm the oldest." Tiff said stubbornly.

"And, because the horse knows her." Emma added. "Remember to be gentle." She held up the bucket. "I'll be right over there." She told them, turning towards the small pond that was by Kirby's house.

Unsurprisingly, Dedede and Escargoon decided to come with her. Fen also accompanied them, looking suspiciously at the king and his advisor.

"You know, sire, you did get it right," Escargoon commented. "In western riding, trot is called jog, and canter is called lope."

"I knew it." Dedede nodded.

Emma, however, kept on glancing towards the direction of the forests, clearly preoccupied.

"What's up?" Dedede presently asked her.

"Huh?" She glanced at him, and then looked away. "I sent Tokkori and Kirby out early this morning with a … with a friend, to follow the trail of b-blood so that … we could try and figure out where the h-horse had come from . . . " She finished filling up the bucket, and then set it down nearby. "It's just … awful . . . " She said softly. "How somebody could mistreat h-her this way … she's, like, the sweetest thing ever, and . . . "

They all glanced over towards the field, where the horse was standing now standing there and allowing the kids to braid her mane and tail (very carefully).

"We'll find out who hurt her!" Dedede said suddenly, and Emma looked right at him. "Soon as we find out who's responsible for what happened . . . " He trailed off, and nodded firmly.

"I-I appreciate that . . . " Emma said quietly, as she began to bite at her thumbnail. "B-but … whoever's done this is using a k-kind of magic that not even a magic-user like Shield Knight is familiar with … I just … don't want y-anybody else to get hurt — " She suddenly broke off, and turned sharply towards the forest. "They're back!" She gasped.

Just then, the shape of a large orange and black creature appeared from within the trees - Dedede and Escargoon jumped at the sight of the tiger, but the big cat suddenly came to a stop, much like she had the other time.

And, just like that other time, Kirby went flying.

"Poyoooo!" He cried, as he went flying over the heads of the kids, Stellar, and the horse, and headed straight for the pond!

The problem was the pouch that he was wearing around his neck, which was part of the reason why Emma lunged out to grab ahold of the little Star Warrior.

It wasn't going to be enough, though, and so Dedede immediately reached out and grabbed her around the waist, but it was still no use.

"Escargoon!" Emma cried, managing to throw the pouch to him before she, Dedede, and Kirby ended up in the water with a resounding splash.

Escargoon just stared at them, and then checked what was in the pouch - it turned out to be a camera and some photographs.

"Oh well." He shrugged, and took a picture of the trio who were now sitting up in the pond, soaking wet. "One for the little blackmail book."

---

"No way . . . " Emma breathed, once she'd gotten a good look at the pictures that Kirby had taken with the instant camera.

It was about ten minutes later. She, Dedede, and Kirby were sitting around a makeshift table that was in fact a large flat rock, still with blankets wrapped around their shoulders. Emma was wearing another dress, and Dedede was wearing just his pale yellow kimono and zig-zag obi - her original dress and his very water-retaining robe were both hanging from a line suspended between two nearby trees.

Escargoon, Tokkori, and Stellar also took a look.

"Looks like quite a travelling settlement, igara." Stellar commented.

"Oh, it really was!" Tokkori confirmed, nodding. "And, lots of those guys to go with it!" He added, pointing to one of the photographs.

It showed beings who were dressed in jeans and shirts, and whose faces were all obscured by bandannas. They wore cowboy hats, and their boots had spurs. They all carried whips or, in some cases, guns.

"Those whips look like the piece of barbed wire!" Escargoon realised, glancing at the offending item that was still in the apple juice bottle.

"So … these guys are the ones . . . " Dedede muttered. "Who hurt Emma's horse . . . "

"Look there!" Emma pointed to one of the other photographs. "At those horses . . . "

"They look kind of scary, igara." Stellar commented.

"Coming from you, that's not a good sign." Tokkori told her.

"They've got red eyes and sinister appearances, igara!" Stellar snapped.

"Ssh!" Emma said quietly. "I'm not so sure I want the kids to know about this y-yet . . . " She glanced towards the field, and then did a double-take. She quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out her glasses, which she put on. "Oh my . . . "

Tokkori looked, too. "What did they do to her?!" He wanted to know, seeing that the kids had braided lots of colourful flowers throughout the horse's mane and tail.

The horse didn't seem at all upset by this, which was the main (mane?) thing.

Looking back at the photographs as she took off her glasses, Emma seemed troubled.

"What is it?" Escargoon wanted to know.

"These guys . . . " Emma murmured.

"They'd better not come near here!" Dedede spoke up.

"That's just it, though, isn't it?" Emma dared to look at the king again. Courage, Emma! "Tokkori said that … the trail of blood droplets went beyond the camp, which s-suggests that they're getting closer … they . . . "

"They want the horse back, igara." Stellar said, sounding grim. Due to what she had been through, she was very empathetic towards the horse's plight.

"At this rate, they'll be here by tomorrow!" Tokkori proclaimed. "That trail of blood is leading them right to us!"

"Which is why," Stellar gave him a steely look. "We had Bandanna Waddle Dee and Sailor Waddle Dee go and mess up the trail while you were out, igara!"

"And, how did they do that?!" Tokkori demanded to know.

"Umm . . . " Emma gulped. "One of … Mayor Blustergas's sheep gave birth last night, and … there's always some blood involved, with that, so … we collected some of that and … yeah . . . " She trailed off, and looked at the photograph in front of her again.

"That won't stop them forever, though." Tokkori said. "Even if those two lead them far enough away from Cappy Town, there's always a chance that some of them will show up here, regardless!"

"Then they're gonna have to answer to me!" Dedede said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, it doesn't look like this is going to end without confrontation . . . " Escargoon sighed. "But … what if they get here earlier than tomorrow?!" He said suddenly.

Emma was still staring at the photograph, and narrowed her eyes at something in particular. She slid her finger across the photograph, letting it come to rest on somebody who was dressed rather differently from all of the others. With a black and purple dress, matching headscarf, and lots of golden jewellery, she looked like a gypsy. A purple stone was around her neck.

Emma's free hand came up to clasp her own purple pendant, which was currently hanging from its chain around her neck.

"Then, it's decided!" Dedede suddenly said, making Emma jump.

She tore her eyes away from the gypsy woman, and looked at the king who was sitting next to her. "Wh-what is?"

---

As night settled in, King Dedede was in unusually high spirits for someone who had just volunteered to spend the night camping out under the stars instead of tucked up in his comfy bed back at the castle.

"I'd make tons of s'mores all the time if I could," he sang. "But the town and my love wouldn't take it very good, so I toast when I can, work when I should … thank God I'm a country boy . . . " He roasted six marshmallows on a single toasting fork, and said: "How's that chocolate coming along, Escargoon?"

"Getting there, sire." Escargoon rolled his eyes. "Also, why am I here again?"

"I don't actually know," the king admitted, glancing at him. "Why are you here, Escargoon?"

Escargoon looked around desperately. He had a feeling that 'I needed to keep an eye on you' wasn't a good answer.

"B-because Bandanna Waddle Dee didn't want to come by himself." Sailor Waddle Dee spoke up, from behind a pile of crackers.

"Then why's he here?" Dedede asked, glancing over at Bandanna Waddle Dee.

Bandanna Waddle Dee pointed at Sailor Waddle Dee, who froze. He had a feeling that 'Meta Knight asked me to keep an eye on you' wasn't a good answer.

Luckily, he was saved by Emma coming over to them with a spare bucket of water (just in case), and cheerfully saying: "The more the merrier, right, Kirby?"

"Poyo!" Kirby agreed, as he hopped up onto a rock next to where Stellar and Fen were.

"Hmm . . . " Dedede didn't look entirely convinced, even as he set down his toasting fork … just as an ember jumped out of the fire, and hit him on the side of the face, just below his eye.

"OW!" He immediately cried.

"Your majesty!" Escargoon, Bandanna Waddle Dee, and Sailor Waddle Dee all exclaimed.

"Stay still!" Emma gasped, and the king instantly froze. Emma had already dunked a flannel into the bucket of water, and now she came over and placed the flannel to the side of the king's face. "It didn't get your eye, did it?" She asked urgently.

"N-no . . . " Dedede stammered, swallowing.

"That's good." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's just keep this on here for a bit longer, just in case . . . "

"Good idea." Dedede said quickly, enjoying this close proximity to her quite a bit.

"Oh, please . . . " Escargoon rolled his eyes. "It was just an ember . . . " He bit into the s'more that he was holding. "Aaah!" He cried, realising too late just how hot it was.

Just like a Magcargo. Emma thought, watching poor Escargoon practically breathing fire before he quickly accepted the bottle of water that Sailor Waddle Dee handed to him.

"Aurgh . . . " Escargoon groaned, sitting back down again, and then glaring at Kirby who was just chowing down on chocolate-coated pink marshmallows that were still on fire. "Show-off . . . " He muttered.

Dedede, meanwhile, had a new song on his mind.

Even as Emma withdrew the flannel and then moved back - she stayed next to him, though … and, wondered how Dedede even knew this song. Then again, considering what she already knew about this world, it was probably sung by Kohnny Jash, or something.

"I fell into a burning ring of fire … I went down, down, down — "

The window to Kirby's house was suddenly wrenched open, and Tokkori yelled: "Will you keep it down out there! Some of us are trying to sleep!" He slammed the window shut again.

Stellar was the first to pick up the song again. "And the flames went higher . . . " She sang, and Emma found herself joining in at the same time that Dedede started singing again. "And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire … the ring of fire . . . "

"Better not let The Deedly Dees hear either Emma or Stellar singing." Bandanna Waddle Dee whispered to Sailor Waddle Dee. "They might try to recruit them!"

"Yeah, but the king … not so much." Sailor Waddle Dee commented.

"Emma doesn't seem to mind, though." Bandanna Waddle Dee noticed, as he went over to help try and unstick Kirby's mouth because of the marshmallows.

---

Later on that night (actually early morning, but, it was still dark), Dedede was awoken by the sounds of movement from the field. He immediately went to investigate, making sure not to wake up anybody else - he had noticed that Emma was not in her sleeping bag, and correctly guessed where she would be.

She was standing in the field with the white horse, which was practically illuminated by a nearby lantern. And, as Dedede watched, Emma hopped up, leaning her weight across the horse's back.

The horse didn't even flinch.

"You're okay, because I'm just lying across you . . . " She told the horse, who flicked one ear back to listen to her. "Even if I was to ride you … I feel like you'd be fine . . . " She didn't do that, though, and instead slid off of the horse's back. "You've done this before … somebody must have loved you once before … hey, do you think that one day you'd be alright to wear a saddle again?"

The horse turned to look at her.

Emma laughed softly. "Alright, alright, I get it … I wore a girdle to my year twelve ball - it was intense!" She suddenly froze, and then edged away from the horse, before she pulled at the neck of her dress. "Out, out!" She exclaimed softly, and a large white and black moth flew out of the top of her dress.

Dedede glared at the moth from where he was hiding.

It flew over to the lantern, where a number of similar moths were fluttering around.

Emma looked at them, and then back at the horse, before she smiled. She jumped up and laid across the horse's back again.

This time, however, the horse took a few steps.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked her. "Do you want me to get down?" The horse shook her head. "What, then?" The horse took another few steps. Emma's eyes widened. "Surely not . . . " She breathed, and then she carefully pulled herself up so that she was sitting on the horse's back. She looked ready to spring off at a moment's notice.

The horse, however, just began walking calmly, doing a loop of the field, as Emma started to relax and began to sing.

"The night is filled with dance, adventure, and romance … and now the music's part of me … it is a gypsy melody . . . "

She is absolutely amazing. Dedede thought. Being with her is just … the best!

---

There was slight pandemonium when everybody woke up later on that morning.

"You can't just expect room service, this isn't a hotel!" Stellar exclaimed.

"I can and I do and it sure isn't!" Dedede had missed out on about an hour and a half of sleep because he'd been watching Emma riding around on the horse and singing some pretty unusual songs. He was touchy and not to be messed with this morning, and his subordinates knew it.

"It's okay!" Bandanna Waddle Dee exclaimed, holding up his hands. "We'll go and get something to eat for you from Kawasaki's!" He indicated to himself and Sailor Waddle Dee.

"I'll have miso soup, the grilled fish dish, the Smiley Face Breakfast Special, and natto on the side!" Dedede ordered. "Tell him to put it on my tab!" He added.

"You have a tab?" Escargoon questioned, as Bandanna Waddle Dee wrote all of this down and Sailor Waddle Dee asked Emma, Stellar, Tokkori, Fen, and Escargoon what they wanted.

"I'm the king." Dedede replied, like that should make all the difference.

"It's okay, Kirby," Sailor Waddle Dee said, when Kirby raised his hand. "I know what to get you — "

"One of everything!" Emma, Stellar, and Tokkori all chimed in.

King Dedede glanced at them, and then he thought of something. "Uh, hey, Sailor Waddle Dee — ?"

"I'm Bandanna Waddle Dee!"

"Whatever. With the Smiley Face Breakfast Special, get him to add a bacon nose … plus bacon hair, bacon moustache, five o'clock shadow made of bacon bits, and a bacon body!"

Bandanna Waddle Dee just stared at him.

"How do you maintain such a trim physique?" Stellar asked him, rolling her eyes.

"It's my strict exercise regime." The king replied proudly.

Escargoon coughed.

"I'll remember the orders for Emma, Stellar, Fen, Tokkori, and Escargoon, if you remember his majesty's order." Sailor Waddle Dee told Bandanna Waddle Dee, who narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, thanks a lot."

The two Waddle Dees set off.

"Hey!" Dedede called after them. "Remember that the bacon man lives in a bacon house!"

"No he doesn't!" Tokkori snapped.

"Oh, settle down, Tokkori." Emma sighed. She was more tired even than Dedede, having gotten up an hour before everybody else - half an hour to feed the horse … and, half an hour to wash her face, brush her hair and teeth, and make it look as if she always woke up looking like a million dollars. She had even put on a little bit of makeup; a gift from Maple for having saved both her and Samo from the pirates (not that the fortune-teller had exactly mentioned Samo, but, she had probably meant him as well).

The fact that the first thing that Dedede had said to Emma was 'good morning, beautiful!' had made it seem all worthwhile, even after she'd stabbed herself in the eye with the eyeliner.

---

"When do you think Emma's gonna remove rule number three?" Tuff asked Tiff, as the siblings walked through Cappy Town.

"Huh?"

"The no riding the horse rule!" Tuff said. "I wanna be a cowboy, just like the Gingerbread Cowboy!"

"Tuff, have you ever even been on a horse?" Tiff wanted to know.

"Uh . . . "

"No, you haven't." She reminded him. "Let alone one that's been abused in the past!"

"But, the horse likes me!" Tuff protested.

"That doesn't mean she'll let you ride her!" Tiff replied. "Hey, look . . . " She said suddenly, noticing something. "Isn't that Sailor Waddle Dee and Bandanna Waddle Dee?"

Tuff looked. "Yeah, it is . . . " They went over to the pair. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Getting a breakfast order from Kawasaki's." Sailor Waddle Dee replied.

"Why aren't you eating up at the castle?" Tiff wanted to know.

"It's not for us." Sailor Waddle Dee replied. "And, the king and Escargoon are eating down here because they … had a sleepover at … Kirby's."

Tiff just stared at them.

"He means at Emma's." Tuff supplied.

"Oh, right." Tiff nodded. Then: "Wait, how come?"

"Because, as it turns out," Bandanna Waddle Dee said quietly. "Kirby and Tokkori found out who had hurt the horse, and that they might arrive here today!"

Tiff and Tuff looked horrified.

"He said might!" Sailor Waddle Dee said quickly. "We created a fake trail of blood using the blood from the lamb's birth, so . . . "

"So, what are these bad guys like?" Tuff wanted to know.

"Like bad cowboys!" Bandanna Waddle Dee told him. "They carry Huns and whips made of barbed wire, and ride horses with glowing red eyes!" He then paused, realising that Tiff and Tuff both looked horrified again, and Sailor Waddle Dee was just glaring at him. "Sorry." He said contritely. "I guess I'm just desensitised to stuff."

"Yeah, coming from a pirate ship whose captain wielded a cursed blade will do that to you." Tiff sighed. "What, so, Dedede and Escargoon stayed down here to support Emma?" The two Waddle Dees nodded. "That was … nice of them." She said uncertainly, just as a sound could be heard from the outskirts of town . . .

---

"Bacon bacon bacon, everybody loves bacon! Oh there's no mistakin', some premium quality bacon!" Dedede sung cheerfully, wishing that he was eating some bacon right then and there. How long were those Waddle Dees going to make him wait? He hated waiting as much as he loved bacon. "Bacon bacon bacon, Kawasaki's busy makin', that tasty tasty bacon, just for me to eat!"

"Bacon — " Escargoon sang.

"Bacon — " Tokkori, begrudgingly, added.

"Bacon — " Emma sang.

"Bacon — " Stellar sang.

"Poyo!" Kirby piped up.

"Everyone's favourite treat!" The rest of them sang. "Yeah!"

The horse just stared at them in amazement.

"What are you looking at, long-face?" Tokkori asked her. "Some of us haven't had our morning oats!"

The horse pointedly turned away from him.

"Come on now, you two . . . " Emma sighed. "Still … Bandanna Waddle Dee and Sailor Waddle Dee sure are taking awhile … I hope nothing bad's happened . . . "

Dedede glanced at her, recognising how worried she seemed.

"Probably the newbie forgot the order." Escargoon shook his head. "Classic rookie error."

"Are you volunteering to go and check on them then, igara?!" Stellar snapped. "After all, you're the one who signed off on his character check!"

Dedede glared at Escargoon. "So it's your fault." He realised, and Escargoon began to look terrified. The king pointed in the direction of Cappy Town. "Go." He ordered Escargoon. "Right now."

Escargoon scrambled up, and began hurrying down the path, singing the bacon song as he went.

"Hey, wait a minute . . . " Dedede also leapt to his feet. "If he goes then he'll just eat my bacon man out of house and home!" He took off running after his subordinate. "Don't even think about it, you bacon-grabbing gastropod!"

"Finally!" Tokkori said immediately. "Some peace and quiet!"

The horse snorted.

"Don't you start!"

---

Bandanna Waddle Dee and Sailor Waddle Dee were just as terrified as Tiff and Tuff, not to mention the Cappies who were also there.

They had just gotten through being terrorised and captured by pirates, and now they were being terrorised by cowboys!

A large group of them, all riding huge horses that had glowing red eyes! The carried guns that they fired into the air, or whips that looked way too spiky to be allowed.

Not even Chief Bookem seemed to know how to deal with so many of them … until what appeared to be the leader of the group of cowboys spoke up.

"Seems that she ain't here . . . " He said, in an accent to rival King Dedede's.

"Wh-who's not here?" Chief Bookem demanded to know.

Buttercup held onto his arm, probably remembering what had happened to him with the pirates.

The cowboy's leader, dressed all in black but with a blood red bandanna that made him match his horse perfectly, glanced at him, but didn't respond.

"J-just who are you?" Bookem asked him.

"The name's Enol." The cowboy's leader responded. "And, this here be my family - the Rough Riders." He then whistled, and at once was joined by a huge wolf-like animal.

Everybody gulped.

"I-is its name Kash?!" Tuff managed to squeak.

Enol looked at him now, and shook his head. "His name's Blood Moon." He said.

"Y-you don't say . . . " Tuff shrunk back. "C-cool name?"

Enol chuckled softly. "It suits him. He's been on the trail of blood from one of our mare's for a few days now … until it got washed away and mingled with some sheep's blood … ya'll wouldn't happen to know anything about that now, hmm?" He eyed them all.

Oh no . . . Tiff thought, trying not to glance at Bandanna Waddle Dee and Sailor Waddle Dee.

The large black wolf with red eyes known as Blood Moon suddenly turned his head towards the two Waddle Dees, who immediately shrunk back.

Blood Moon growled.

"Those two prairie rats, huh?" Enol looked at the two Waddle Dees, too. "Blood on their hands, is it?" The wolf nodded. "Well … then we'd best be getting a straight answer from one of them … Blood Moon . . . " He said, and the wolf suddenly went rigid. "Sic 'em."

With a snarl, Blood Moon leapt straight at the two terrified Waddle Dees, as the surrounding civilians all let out horrified yells.

Tiff and Tuff yelled the loudest of them all.

Right before Blood Moon reached Bandanna Waddle Dee and Sailor Waddle Dee, however, somebody else came flying out of nowhere and scooped them both up, dragging them out of harms way and landing about twenty feet away.

"Y-your majesty?!" Madam Synger exclaimed in shock, as King Dedede was indeed now picking himself up off the ground.

Bandanna Waddle Dee and Sailor Waddle Dee were with him, slightly dazed but otherwise unhurt, as the king had gotten them out of harm's way just in time!

Tiff's mouth dropped open.

Dedede turned to face the cowboys and Blood Moon, everything related to anger on his face as he said: "Nobody messes with my Waddle Dees but me! And maybe Escargoon!"

The look on Escargoon's face right then read: DON'T drag me into this, sire!

"And nobody makes them late in getting my breakfast to me!" Dedede added.

Tiff rolled her eyes.

Enol just stared at the king for a moment, before he laughed outright, and a couple of the other cowboys joined in.

"You got a problem with me, partner?" Enol asked Dedede softly.

"Yeah, I do." Dedede confirmed. "Because you lot have done something that made my girl upset! Nobody makes my girl upset!"

Enol's chuckle was now slightly dark. "I often say the same thing about mine . . . " He told the king. "That's why we're here … to get something of my girl's back . . . "

"Which is what, exactly?"

"Her horse."

---

"She has such good confirmation." Emma commented, as she, Stellar, Fen, and Kirby watched the horse trotting around the field. "I mean, you'd never know that she was injured recently … her shoulders, stifles, and hocks are so well-angled, and her structural correctness is just … like … wow . . . "

Stellar gave Emma a wry sort of look. "I have no idea what you're talking about, igara." She shook her head. "Still, it's good that she's okay now. Looks like this place is good for that sort of thing, right Fen?" She asked, and the Flying Fox nodded in agreement, just as a sharp cry from Tokkori could be heard behind them. "Now what?" Stellar rolled her eyes.

"It's moving again!" Tokkori called over to them.

"What is?" Stellar asked him.

"That thing in the bottle from yesterday!" Tokkori cried. "It's going crazy over here!"

Emma, Stellar, and Fen exchanged a glance, as Kirby went over to retrieve the bottle. It was just as Tokkori said; the piece of barbed wire in there was fighting as if to try and break free.

"Look!" Stellar said suddenly. "It's pushing against the bottle in the direction of Cappy Town, igara!"

Emma's eyes widened, slightly. "Oh … oh no . . . " She had just realised something awful. "Stellar, Tokkori! Keep an eye on that bottle!" She told them, as she jumped down from the rock that she'd been sitting on. "Kirby, we have to get to Cappy Town!" She told him. "Those cowboys are there, I'm certain of it! And . . . " Her voice wavered, ever so slightly. "King Dedede and the others went there … everybody's there … we have to do something!"

"How can you even get there in time?!" Stellar cried.

"If they even are there right now?!" Tokkori added.

"You're the one who said they'd be here by today, igara!" Stellar reminded him.

"Just don't leave that weird wire here with me!" Tokkori said. "Who knows what it might do!"

"It's trying to get back to what it came from . . . " Emma realised, as she looked up, and over at the field.

The horse was watching her.

Her intelligent dark eyes pierced into Emma's hazel ones, even as Emma reached up and clasped at her necklace … she was hurrying towards the horse before she even knew what she was doing … before she even realised that the pendant was glowing purple … that purple light changed to gold, which changed to ribbons that began to wrap around both her and the horse . . .

They wouldn't be scared, as long as they went together . . .

---

Nobody knew how Dedede was going to take on all of these cowboys, not even Dedede himself. To give him some credit, he showed no signs of backing down, not even when Enol took out a wicked-looking black whip, which he cracked on the ground once … before aiming at the king, Bandanna Waddle Dee, and Sailor Waddle Dee!

"Ahh!" The two Waddle Dees cried, just as two things happened.

One, was that Dedede just picked them up and threw them over to where Escargoon was - poor Escargoon broke the Waddle Dees' fall, as did a bush full of colourful butterflies, which all took flight just as the second thing happened.

"I won't let you!" A shrill voice cried, and a horse and rider leapt in front of Dedede.

The rider's left arm shot out, and the whip wrapped around it - luckily, a thick leather glove provided more than enough protection from the spikes on the specially designed whip, and everybody was left staring in shock at what they were seeing.

"It's Emma!" Tiff cried.

"She's riding the horse!" Tuff added.

"She's a cowgirl!" Honey was there, too. Like the other kids, and most of the adults even, her eyes were very wide, even as Emma struggled slightly to get her arm back from the whip.

She was wearing a wide-brimmed fawn-coloured cowgirl had with a red ribbon and red trim, a white short-sleeved shirt with a red square outline under a fawn-coloured vest, a brown belt, and blue jeans with beige flared chaps covering the legs. On her feet were red cowboy boots and of course she had on those brown leather gloves. Around her neck was a red bandanna.

And, the horse, to further add to everyone's surprise, was wearing tack suitable to western riding. The saddle was the same red as Emma's boots, with a saddle horn at the front and two matching girths underneath. The saddle blanket was white with fawn-coloured designs and lighter red tassels.

The bridle was made of dark brown leather, had no noseband, and a red and gold triangular design on the browband … not unlike the design on King Dedede's obi . . .

The reins were held loosely in Emma's right hand, as she struggled to pull her left arm free of the spiky whip and not get injured.

Just then, somebody else came flying out of nowhere - it was Meta Knight! With one swift slash of Galaxia, he had severed the whip, causing Enol to almost fall off as his horse staggered back.

The white horse managed to retain her footing, as Emma breathed heavily.

Meta Knight flew up onto the rooftop of a nearby building, and turned, regarding the scene below him but not saying anything.

It was then that Kirby and Fen, who had both been clinging to Emma's back, toppled to the ground.

Kirby dropped the bottle with the piece of barbed wire in it, and the lid came off. The piece of wire shot out like a bullet and immediately flew at Enol's broken whip. It shimmered and shone with a dark kind of light, before it reformed the whip back to its former glory.

"As I thought . . . " Meta Knight murmured, glancing now at Emma, who was staring at something on the front of Enol's horse's martingale. "But, so did you … you have figured it out, haven't you, Prairie Princess Emma . . . ?"

"Yeah, she's Cowgirl Emma!" Tuff cheered.

Meta Knight blanched.

Meanwhile, the Rough Riders were starting to whisper amongst themselves.

"Who's the lass?"

"Is that Cremă she's riding?"

"How'd somebody other than Violet tame that wild horse?"

"Ooh, she's not gonna like this!"

Enol paused, and then muttered: "Blood Moon, go."

The wolf immediately ran off.

Emma suddenly had no doubt in her mind as to where the wolf was going.

"Kirby!" She said quickly. "Remember what we talked about on the way here?"

"Poyo!" Kirby nodded.

"Can I count on you to help me out, then, partner?" She asked him, with a small smile.

Kirby nodded again, looking determined.

"H-hey!" Dedede exclaimed, quickly getting up. "What about me?!"

Emma glanced at him, and her smile grew. "King Dedede, thank you. What you've done already … your support … and, showing your best side by protecting those dear Waddle Dees … is enough to motivate me!"

That was when Tiff happened to notice the purple pendant, which was functioning now as the clasp on the back of Emma's bandanna.

And, the horse had one, too … a smaller version, in the middle of her browband, but it was almost identical nonetheless. At least in terms of aesthetics . . .

Emma suddenly tapped her heels against the horse's sides so lightly that it was near-on invisible, but it was the command that the horse needed, and she leapt forwards, as Emma reached to her side and pulled out a whip of her own - not black and spiky like those of the Rough Riders, but was dark brown and had a red handle and matching wrist loop.

Something strange had overcome Emma … it was true that she knew how to ride - to a degree - but she had realised on the ride from Kirby's house into Cappy Town that she now really knew how to ride! Was this the power of the Star Pendant?

What else would it allow her to do? Would it just expand her pre-established riding abilities, or, would it enhance the whole transformation?

Only one way to find out . . .

The whip snaked through the air in a flash, and hit its mark - the purple stone, so dark it was almost black, that was in the middle of a nearby horse's martingale.

The stone shattered, and some black smoke came out of it.

Immediately, the large brown horse's red eyes changed back to dark brown, and he looked around in surprise before he bucked, sending his rider flying into some different bushes.

"Oh, rose bushes!"

"Ooh . . . " A few cowboys and Cappies all cringed.

"Hey!" Another cowboy suddenly shouted, for Meta Knight had suddenly swooped down again, and taken his red hat. "You little sidewinder with wings!"

"Sorry," Meta Knight responded calmly, landing nearby to Kirby. "I don't see your name on it anywhere . . . " He suddenly glanced at the hat. "Oh, there it is … oh well. Kirby, you are Pedro now!" He said, as he tossed the hat to Kirby, who immediately inhaled it.

"Ahhhh!" Pedro cried in disbelief, and then the Rough Riders all froze and watched as Kirby transformed.

"What an adventurous Copy Ability . . . " Meta Knight mused, as he returned to the rooftop.

"It comes with a cool hat!" Tuff cried, as the sunlight shone off of the blue stars that decorated the brown band of Whip Kirby's red leather cowboy hat.

"And, a whip with long reach!" Tiff added, her eyes shining, but then she thought of something. "Kabu-send-the-Warp-Star!" She called out extremely quickly - luckily, Kabu heard her but nobody else did, because they were all focused on how Emma and the horse that she was riding seemed to be moving in perfect harmony as they set about liberating the rest of the horses from the Rough Riders.

And, once the Warp Star arrived for Whip Kirby, he was really in his element.

Both whips slashed through the air, destroying strange dark purple stones that seemed to be controlling the Rough Riders' horses.

A dark bay stallion bucked his rider off and went to join the brown horse from before.

A black and white piebald mare reared, throwing her own rider off onto the road.

One cowboy leapt off of his red chestnut gelding before the broken stone from his martingale had even finished falling to the ground - a second later, they realised why, because the gelding started chasing him, and the cowboy ran for his life down the road.

"Run like the wind!" One of his fellow cowboys urged him.

"Bullseye!" Someone else added.

Tuff had started keeping score of who was destroying the most dark stones - Cowgirl Emma and Whip Kirby were neck and neck and, pretty soon, there were more liberated horses than there were ones wearing those strange stones, and Enol was growing more and more agitated.

"Ya'll think you have so much power here?!" He asked angrily, as his black stallion danced out of the way of Kirby's whip.

"I'm the king!" Dedede informed him.

"Since when's this here land been under the control of a king?!" Enol retorted.

Dedede groaned, suddenly realising exactly what Enol was talking about. Casting a quick glance towards Emma, who luckily seemed to be too preoccupied with what she was doing to be paying attention to the conversation, he said: "News flash - you ain't in Lulland anymore! You've gone and come too far west! This is Dreamland!"

"Besides," muttered Escargoon from nearby. "I'm pretty sure that not even Vivivi would let them get away with this . . . "

"Ssh!" Dedede hissed, before he realised that Enol was right in front of him. His eyes widened, and he heard a shout from somewhere to his right - Emma had realised what was happening but she couldn't reach him in time.

Then, suddenly, Whip Kirby had jumped in front of the king, and his whip shot out . . .

Suddenly, another figure leapt in the way of Enol and his horse! A figure wearing a long dark dress and a black and violet headscarf over her long black hair, and a dark purple stone on a chain around her neck . . .

A second whip flashed out . . .

There was a flash of black and purple light that made everyone shield their eyes, as an energy force like a cold wind came from the centre of what had happened.

When it had died down, and the dust had cleared, everybody dared to open their eyes and look . . .

Emma was suddenly there, and had flung her arms around Dedede, hugging him in relief.

Dedede, of course, took the opportunity to hug her back.

Whip Kirby was still standing with his back to them, gazing in slight confusion at the two before him who were embracing in much the same way as Emma and Dedede.

The gypsy woman that Emma had seen in the photograph was with Enol, and saying something over and over again that was muffled by her hands - she looked like she might be crying. Enol just held on to her, apparently having been thrown off of his horse when the dark stone's hold had been broken. He seemed slightly dazed.

On the ground before them was the necklace that the gypsy woman had been wearing. It was no longer a dark purple colour, but instead a reddish-purple colour, like a ruby. Its surface was cracked, however, and the chain was broken.

Meta Knight walked calmly over to it, and picked it up.

"I see . . . " He mused, his eyes briefly turning a thoughtful green colour. "This is its true form, as the darkness that was corrupting it has been destroyed . . . "

"Stones can become corrupted?!" Emma gasped, turning to look at him. "E-even, like . . . ?!"

Meta Knight glanced at her, and his eyes now briefly shone purple. "No, but you should still keep it from falling into the hands of the darkness . . . " He told her, coming over and placing a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded.

"I-I had no idea . . . " A small voice suddenly said, and they all turned to see that the gypsy woman had stood up. She suddenly seemed very young, but her violet-blue eyes showed a far deeper wisdom. "This all seemed to start … when we met a fellow traveller a few months ago … we never saw his face, but he was well-spoken and seemed genuine enough, but … don't you remember?" She turned to look at Enol, as her golden jewellery clinked together. "He had a strange red jewel with him, and there was a brief moment when it and my necklace touched … it was after that that we started using my necklace's magic to make the whips . . . "

"Violet . . . " Enol began, looking away from her. "I . . . "

Almost everyone was staring at either Violet or Enol, except for Emma - hereyes were glued on the horse that she had been riding before, who was now staring at Violet, her ears flicking back and forth as she listened to the woman's every word.

Violet then looked across, and saw the horse.

"Cremă!" She gasped. "Oh my — can you ever forgive me for what I did to you, most of all?!"

The horse neighed happily, and cantered towards the woman, who ran to her, and threw her arms around her.

I knew it. Emma thought sadly, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. This dream isn't going to come true, after all. She tried to stop the tears from falling, but she couldn't stop one, and it fell straight down and onto the broken ruby necklace that Meta Knight was holding.

At once, the necklace shimmered and shone, and everybody looked over as the chain repaired itself and the stone's surface shone brighter than it ever had before - it was fully repaired.

Unlike Emma's heart.

Violet hesitated for a moment, before she came over and offered her hand to Emma, who took it and allowed the other woman to pull her to her feet.

Violet gazed at her for a few seconds, before she looked back at the horse, and then back at Emma and said: "Cremă and I both thank you, for what you've done for her."

Emma couldn't say anything. She just struggled to keep her tears from falling now, even as Meta Knight handed Violet back her necklace.

"Both Cremă and this necklace were a gift to me from my mother," Violet explained, as she looped the necklace on over her head. "She, like me, had the ability to hear the heart's of animals, and understand their thoughts. I … I just hope that the others can forgive me, as Cremă has . . . "

The horse in question nickered softly, although it wasn't clear who she was looking at, Emma or Violet.

There was no doubt in Emma's mind what had to happen, though.

She and Dedede watched in uncharacteristic silence as Violet asked Meta Knight to thank Shield Knight for him. By then, the Rough Riders had succeeded in rounding up the other horses (the one who'd been chased by his horse was limping, slightly).

Whip Kirby turned back into his regular self, and gave Pedro his hat back. "Poyo!"

"Thanks . . . " Pedro said uncertainly. "What even are you though, huh?"

"Poyo?"

Emma, meanwhile, felt her transformation revert, and so did the horse's. She wished that it didn't have to be this way, that she could speak up, but she also knew that she couldn't.

This was how it had always been, and this was how it was meant to be.

"Are you … okay with this?" Dedede asked her suddenly.

"I have to be." She said, in a voice barely above a whisper. "That horse … reminds her of her mother … the horse is happy with her … it doesn't matter about me, or what I was going to call the horse … the horse is not mine, and, she never will be. I just have to accept that and move on."

---

That night, Emma had a dream. It started off normal enough, although it also filled her with sadness because the dream was about a teenage girl and her horse.

Somehow, she knew that it was Violet and the horse that she called Cremă. The woman in a green dress with a matching headscarf and golden jewellery must be Violet's mother.

The girl and her horse played happily in a field, and rode over the hills all day long.

So lucky . . . Emma thought, as the dream drew her into the clouds, and then it changed.

It became first-person, and she was riding on the back of a golden horse … in the clouds. Because, the horse had white feathery wings . . .

They descended from the clouds, and headed towards a large golden castle, where somebody was waiting for them . . .

---

"Emma! Emma!" A voice abruptly startled Emma out of her dream.

Someone was banging on the door, which swung open to reveal Tuff.

"Tuff?" Emma mumbled sleepily. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"It's midday," he told her, hopping up and down. "We left you alone before because you were sad, but now you have to come quickly!"

"Huh . . . ?" Emma blinked, as she staggered out of bed and started to get changed.

"Hurry!" Tuff called to her.

---

There appeared to be a rather large crowd gathered outside of Kirby's house, including Tokkori who was saying: "It's Gypsy Moth, I tell you!"

Emma gasped, and came to a complete stop. "You read my diary?!" She couldn't stop her voice from sounding so high-pitched.

"It's your own fault for leaving it open on the desk last night!" Tokkori told her.

"I was distraught!"

"Well," Tuff suddenly had a huge big smile on his face, as he led Emma through the crowd which she could now see consisted of Tiff, the Cappy kids, Kirby, Stellar, Fen, Fololo, Falala, and of course Tokkori. "Get undistraught!"

"It's not that easy, Tuff," Emma tried to explain to him, shaking her head. "I'd wanted a horse since I was eight years old, and people at school used to bully me because I was horse-crazy, and now I … I . . . " She trailed off.

For there, at the far end of the field, with the flowers still in her mane, was the very same horse that Emma had wanted to call Gypsy Moth.

She was wearing a simple black western saddle, with a light blue and purple patterned saddle blanket, and black bridle.

Emma didn't realise that she was shaking.

Fololo said: "We checked; the reins are tied in a way that the horse could've run for miles and not get them tangled up."

"And," Falala went on, holding up a small piece of paper. "There was this."

In an unfamiliar but script-y handwriting, was written:

Emma (that knight of yours told me your name, and I do hope that it's okay for me to call you by that),

I may not be able to see into your heart, but I didn't have to use my magic to know what you wanted - it's the same thing that Cremă wants. Whatever you decide to call her, she's yours now.

I still love her, of course, and I always will. But, your sadness became the tears that fixed my necklace, and that sadness came from having to let go of a dream, and of a loved one - magic like yours is manifested through the power of your dreams and through love, assuring me that I am making the right decision.

This horse is very special. She comes from a long line of such horses. She is highly intelligent, and will be able to hear you from a distance. You may already know this, but, she loves to be sung to, and she doesn't mind being dressed up, either. Carrots dipped in molasses dipped in bran are her favourite sneaky snack - you might find that to be a tasty treat, too!

I won't ever forget either of you, and I hope that we'll meet again someday in the future.

Violet.

.P.S. - her tack all has magic woven within, so even if she's tacked up when you use your special transformation power, then those things will change accordingly. Your power is so cool!

Emma actually only read the first paragraph (wondering briefly how Violet had arrived at the conclusion that Meta Knight was her knight, and why it wouldn't be okay for Violet to call her that - it was her name, after all). As soon as she saw the part saying that the horse was hers, she was running across the field.

It was reminiscent of a scene from Homeward Bound, she was well aware of that but, with that music in her mind she could only let the happy tears fall.

"Gypsy Moth!" She cried, and the horse raised her head. "Gypsy Moth!"

The horse, whose name was now Gypsy Moth, neighed happily, much like she had done yesterday, but this time it was for Emma, and it was Emma whom she now cantered up to and allowed to throw her arms around her neck.

Emma's heart was pounding with happiness so much that she thought it might fly out of her chest, much like the white moth, that had inspired her to name the horse Gypsy Moth, had flown out of the top of her dress the night before. She could hardly believe everything that was happening, and it was all she could do to try and wrap her thoughts around how a dream of hers - one which had seemed as impossible last night as it had before she'd come here - was now coming true.

"Oh, great!" Tokkori could be heard complaining. "Now Kirby and I are outnumbered!" He watched as Kirby hurried into the field to welcome back the horse. "Maybe they won't get along." He added suddenly. "He probably can't even say her name!"

"Gypsy Moth!" Kirby suddenly pronounced, very clearly. "Gypsy Moth!" He put his hands up, and the horse actually allowed him to hang onto her bridle for a few seconds as she lifted him off of the ground, before he dropped back down and smiled.

"Traitor." Tokkori muttered.

---

"Good news, sire!" Escargoon called, as he hurriedly into the throne room. "The horse came back!"

Dedede's head snapped up. He had been picking up on Emma's bad mood all last night and that morning, but now his spirits were instantly lifted, as he said: "That is good news!" He smiled, thinking about how happy Emma must be, but then he thought of something. "Wait … how much did we calculate keeping a horse would be for a year?"

"We?" Escargoon rolled his eyes, but then he sighed. "An estimate would be around … taking into account feed, not including vet bills, with some extra aside for unforeseen circumstances … one-million six-hundred nine-thousand two-hundred and forty d-bills … oh, and forty-six d-cents."

Dedede's mouth dropped open.

"Having second thoughts?" Escargoon couldn't help but say.

He didn't know what he was going to do if the king said 'yes'.

But, King Dedede just sighed, and said: "We'll just have to budget for it. We can cut costs in other areas."

"Like what?" Escargoon asked him.

"How about your pay cheque?"

"H-how about you just leave the budgeting to me, sire?"

"If you say so, Escargoon . . . "