KIRBY ALL-STARS
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!
~ Parental Warning ~
The following chapter contains:
. Low-level violence
. Adult themes
. Infrequent low-level coarse language
Reader discretion is advised.
CHAPTER SIX
A Warrior's Son And Mysterious Visions
The room that Emma woke up to find herself in was certainly not Kirby's house, and it took her a few moments of looking around to remember what had happened.
The room was even larger than her room back home (and, living in a fairly large house on a five acre property had meant that she'd had a bedroom bigger than some master bedrooms). Her room back at home had been carpeted and full of her favourite things and very, very messy.
This room, however, was fit for the princess that she had been in her dream. For starters, it was about a hundred square metres, and a sort of oblong shape. The walls were … painted? Wallpapered? Whatever they were covered in, it was a nice pale pinkish-purple colour. The floor was still the same kind of stone flooring as the rest of the castle, but there was a large cream-coloured rug on the floor. She was in a very large bed with a lilac and cream-coloured doona on it, and the cream silk sheets (including the pillow-cover) felt so luxurious!
Above her (well, on the ceiling in the centre of the room) there was a large crystal chandelier that she hoped was affixed securely.
Straight in front of her, near the opposite wall (where the large wooden double doors that she assumed led out were), was a half wall and some impressive-looking stone pillars.
To her right was a slightly raised area and a door leading to what looked like either a walk-in-wardrobe or a bathroom, or perhaps both.
To her left were three very large arched windows.
And, sitting on the window-seat of the window closest to her was . . .
"Meta Knight . . . "
He regarded her calmly, and she scarcely even registered that she was just as calm; unlike if it had been, say, King Dedede - then, she would have been panicking.
But, a thought did occur to her, as she was climbing out of the ridiculously large bed (it was, like, jumbo kingsize).
How long had Meta Knight been standing guard like that?
And, also … why?
She didn't feel like asking the question, though, and just ventured through the door to her right, to discover that it was indeed both a bathroom and a walk-in-wardrobe.
Madam Synger had apparently been there, too, because there were clothes hanging up that were just Emma's size.
Emerging a few minutes later, wearing a lilac blouse with black pants and boots (Madam Synger appeared to be branching out a bit), Emma found Meta Knight still waiting for her.
Going over to him, Emma glanced down, wondering what floor they were on (they were up pretty high). She caught sight of Gypsy Moth grazing in the courtyard, and Bow Waddle Dee was standing on a small step-ladder, grooming her. Nearby, a huge shipment of hay had just arrived. In another part of the courtyard, she could see the king and Escargoon playing golf.
Dedede was about to swing his hammer, when he happened to look up.
"Eek!" Emma gasped, ducking down.
Meta Knight, naturally, did not comment on this, and for that Emma was glad. "This room . . . ?" She trailed off, as she moved back from the window and, straightening up, looked at Meta Knight.
"The king had it set up for you." He replied, hopping off of the window seat.
"Hmm . . . "
They went over to the double doors that led out.
Sword Knight, Blade Knight, and Shield Knight were waiting for them and, through them, Emma learned that Fen had also been with her for all of the night (Emma made a mental note that that meant that Meta Knight had either stood guard all night, or that the four knights had swapped shifts) but had left just as she was waking up to go and let Kirby know, which Emma thought was very sweet.
Emma had just pulled closed the doors to what she suspected might be considered her room here at the castle (it was an unprecedented thought), when a sudden tremor rocked the castle, and would have thrown them all off balance had four of them not been knights and Emma not still been holding onto the door handles.
The tremor stopped almost as soon as it had started, although a tremendous crashing sound from inside of the room made Emma groan.
Trying not to think about the chandelier's fate, Emma followed the four knights, as they ran (well, Shield Knight flew) to investigate the source of the commotion.
This all suddenly seemed very familiar … Emma was remembering a certain episode of the anime, and as she ran she found herself thinking: Don't be the boy, don't be the boy, don't be the boy!
The dream that she had had was still very clear in her mind, and she thought that it would be very coincidental if today turned out to be the day that Knuckle Joe actually came to Dreamland.
Don't be the boy, don't be the boy, don't be the boy!
They were almost at the throne room now and, as they approached from one direction, and Tiff and Tuff approached from the other, they saw that Dedede and Escargoon had somehow managed to beat them all there, and had evidently sent some Waddle Dees in to investigate . . .
They realised this because, a split second later, there was a flash of white light, and the four Waddle Dees - including Bandanna Waddle Dee - came flying out and hit Dedede and Escargoon, sending all five of them flying into the pylon opposite the doors.
And, in the time that it took Emma to reach both Bandanna Waddle Dee and Dedede (in a somewhat convenient twist for Emma, Bandanna Waddle Dee had hit Dedede, and so she could run to them both), the culprit had followed them through the doors.
D'oh! Emma couldn't help but think, before she realised what was actually happening and, with one hand on Bandanna Waddle Dee's shoulder and the other on King Dedede's arm, her eyes widened in shock.
He looked like a young boy, with spiky hair and dressed in a jumpsuit and headband. What stood out the most was that he appeared to be in a holographic form, but there was no doubt at all that he was really there and that he was really capable of dishing out the damage.
His eyes darted to his right, towards the four knights who seemed just as shocked as Emma felt.
He then looked straight in front of him, and lingered on the Waddle Dees that he had just knocked out … his gaze lingered for so long, in fact, that Emma unfroze; she let go of Dedede's arm and shifted to be in front of Bandanna Waddle Dee and his fellows. She knew that it was obvious what she did, but the moment passed quickly, and the assailant looked quickly to his left, right at Tiff and Tuff.
Emma wanted to move, but she was somehow frozen again.
The assailant then quickly zipped between Tiff and Tuff using some unknown force, and disappeared down the hallway.
Emma immediately unfroze again. "Ban-Dee?!" She cried, looking down at him in horror. He was out cold. "Ban-Dee!" She couldn't believe it. Can Knuckle Joe really be so strong?! Then again … I saw it in my dream! He's displayed strength ever since he was a baby!
Shield Knight was suddenly at her side. "It's okay. I'm here." She said, although it wasn't clear if she was talking to Emma or to the Waddle Dees at that point.
Dedede had also unfrozen, and now he ordered: "Get that guy! Guards!" He then glanced at Emma, and seemed to be about to add something else, before his desire to locate the interloper won over.
It seemed to take only seconds for him and Escargoon to take off, and for Tiff and Tuff to also come to their senses and run off.
Meta Knight, after trading a quick glance with Shield Knight, left with Blade Knight and Sword Knight.
And, only then did Emma seem to be able to unlock her jaw. "Shield Knight!" She gasped, watching as the knight started to heal the four Waddle Dees. "That boy — ! I know - I know who he is — !"
"Emma," Shield Knight said carefully, still continuing to use her special healing magic. "Don't take this the wrong way - please - but is what you're about to tell me coming from that series that you've mentioned from time to time?"
Emma knew what she meant. "In part, yes," she admitted. "I mean, I get why I can't rely on … that anime … but, there's certain things … I mean … that's partially why I … why I got so upset about yesterday, because I recognised the signs from an episode but I didn't act on them enough," she was talking very quickly, now. "But, this is different! I had this weird dream last night, and … I know … I just know … oh, God, Shield Knight, that was Jecra's son!"
Shield Knight actually flinched just then, before she turned her deep reddish-pink eyes towards Emma. "Are you sure?" She asked her, in a totally unreadable voice.
Emma could only nod silently, just as there was a sudden explosion from the floor above them.
Emma immediately leapt to her feet and, ignoring Shield Knight's call that she still hadn't regained her strength properly yet, took off running towards the stairs.
Shield Knight swallowed, and lowered her hands as the Waddle Dees before her started to come to.
This confirms … what Sir Meta Knight told us he heard . . .
Emma came up the staircase from the lower floor in time to see Tiff and Tuff running full-tilt towards her, with none other than Knuckle Joe in his holographic form right behind them.
Emma instinctively reached out to the siblings and pushed them behind her, all within the space of the two seconds that it took Knuckle Joe to reach her.
"Knuckle Joe — !" Emma's voice came out in a slight gasp, and so she wasn't sure if Tiff and Tuff were aware that she had spoken.
But, Emma saw the eyes of the figure of white light widen in recognition. He had heard her.
But, he did not stop his attack.
Which is why it was so lucky that Meta Knight was suddenly there, and he blocked Knuckle Joe's strike with Galaxia.
Sword Knight and Blade Knight were also suddenly there, deflecting the Vulcan Jab energy beams from Knuckle Joe, as Emma, Tiff, and Tuff just watched on in shock.
There was a tense moment when Meta Knight struck with Galaxia, only for Knuckle Joe to jump up and then land standing on the great blade.
He and Meta Knight made eye-contact.
Meta Knight's eyes then narrowed slightly. He now knew that this intruder was not to be taken lightly, even though said intruder was a child. Although a young age oftentimes meant less experience in combat, it accounted for little when it came to raw talent. And, this kid had plenty of raw talent. Not to mention an obvious anger. Even if he hadn't seen the masses of unconscious Waddle Dees on his way up here, Meta Knight could sense the interloper's rage, through his own intuition and through the contact that the interloper currently had with Galaxia. The fact that the interloper had clearly been ready to attack not only Emma but also two children like Tiff and Tuff was more than enough for Meta Knight to intervene.
Meta Knight was honourable. There had been times in his life when he had encountered women who could only be described as despicable and whose actions had been abhorrent - basically, they were the complete opposite of Emma but, like her, still women nonetheless. Meta Knight would not physically harm a lady where another solution could be used to solve a situation.
He believed that nobody should ever attack a lady who was protecting children.
Even if the attacker was all-but a child themselves.
Meta Knight changed his approach in that instance, prepared now to use force that would have more severe consequences for the interloper, but . . .
Said interloper looked past Meta Knight, saw something, and then leapt back.
A second later, King Dedede's voice cried: "There he is!"
"Out of the way, Meta Knight!" Escargoon added, for he and Dedede were currently incoming in the armoured vehicle.
Meta Knight smartly stepped aside, as Dedede fired upon the white light-clad intruder.
"You see?" The king declared, as a giant hole was blasted into the castle wall because the intruder had just countered with another energy beam. "It pays to bring out the heavy artillery!"
"Those walls are gonna need a little bit of work." Escargoon commented flatly.
"Yeah, and ye'r gonna need a parachute!" An unfamiliar voice suddenly declared, and suddenly the armoured vehicle was picked up by the intruder and, with Dedede and Escargoon still inside, was flung out the hole in the castle wall.
They fell screaming, but luckily landed in the huge pile of hay, which broke their fall and meant that the armoured vehicle only suffered minor damage.
Tiff, Tuff, and Emma peered over the edge of the hole in the wall, before the siblings exchanged a glance, and then took off running, to get down there as fast as possible because the intruder had followed the king and Escargoon down to the ground.
Emma, meanwhile, just leaned her head against the stone, feeling overwhelmingly tired all of a sudden.
"Emma?" Meta Knight was immediately at her side.
"I'm … fine." She lied. She held a hand to the pendant at her chest, as she watched Knuckle Joe suddenly shed his holographic form. She couldn't help but breathe in a sharp intake of air. That is … definitely him! Jecra's son! The same boy that I saw in my dream … vision … thingie . . . She sensed somebody else approaching, and turned to see Shield Knight. "The Waddle Dees . . . ?"
"I'm on my way to see what damage has been done." Shield Knight said calmly. "It's you I'm worried about."
"Why . . . ?"
"You are not used to using the Star Pendant," Meta Knight said quietly. "It will take some time for you to get used to linking your stamina with it, in order to best use your energy. You will probably be feeling like this for most of the day." He added, and Emma groaned.
"Now's not the time for her to not have any energy, Sir Meta Knight." Shield Knight said unexpectedly. She reached into the pocket of her dress, and pulled out a small vial of orangey-red liquid.
Emma stared at it.
So did Meta Knight. "Shield Knight," he said, in a slightly odd-sounding voice. "Is that . . . ?"
Shield Knight nodded. "Something that I've been working on," she told Emma, uncapping the vial and handing it to her. "That, in this situation, I suggest you use."
"What's in it?" Emma asked her.
"A very rare ingredient from far away, that I have been working with," Shield Knight replied. "But, which I do not wish to divulge much information about at present time." She added, pointedly.
Emma nodded and, after only a second of hesitation, swallowed the liquid that was in the vial.
What hit her first was a mix of spice, salt, and sweetness, and then, without any question, an overload of … tomato?
She glanced down at the now empty vial, and then handed it back to Shield Knight.
"I'd rather not say what I'm thinking," Emma began slowly, realising that she suddenly didn't feel tired at all - in fact, she felt perfectly fine. "But … I will say that, whatever that tomato was, I'm not opposed to it in any way, shape, or form . . . "
Shield Knight seemed amused. "Oh, really?" She asked her, as she put the vial and its lid away in her pocket.
Emma nodded. "Yeah, which is weird," she realised, as she stood up. She felt like she'd had a perfect eight hours sleep every night for the last ten years. "Because, usually I'll only eat tomatoes if they're sauce, oh and one time my sister let me try her Bloody Mary but she'd put too much Tabasco in it and, as I've stated before, spice and I don't always get along . . . " She sounded slightly distracted, though, and kept on looking down at the courtyard as she spoke, and Meta Knight and Shield Knight knew why.
Which is why, after a quick glance at Shield Knight, who nodded, Meta Knight unfurled his wings and said: "Well, let us see what is going on . . . " As he flew up and took Emma's hands, discretely flying with her over to the cover of the trees as Tiff and Tuff hurried up to them.
"Why couldn't Meta Knight have flown with us, too?" Tuff wondered.
"Ssh!" Tiff hissed.
By this time, Dedede and Escargoon had succeeded in pulling themselves out of the huge pile of hay.
"Lucky this hay was here!" Escargoon coughed.
"Praise the divine powers that be!" Dedede added.
"And, by that, he means the good folks over at The Last Straw Stockfeed." Escargoon mumbled.
"I actually meant my girl and her noble steed!" Dedede snapped, before he turned to look at the one who was responsible for the whole ordeal.
"Sorry, pal. Guess I got carried away!"
"Y-you're a kid!" Dedede couldn't believe it.
"Don't let that fool ya!" The kid replied. "My name's Knuckle Joe!"
"Knuckle Joe?" Tiff repeated quietly.
"What?" Meta Knight gasped.
Beside him, Emma had gone very still, and was staring intently at Knuckle Joe.
"Cut the gab," Knuckle Joe was saying. "Where's the Star Warrior? I know he's here!" He added. "Where is he?!"
Dedede and Escargoon just stared at him for a second, before Escargoon conspiratorially whispered to his king: "Majesty, he means — ?"
"Mmhmm." Dedede nodded. He jumped to his feet, laughing now. "Heh heh heh heh! I happen to know just the Star Warrior you looking for!"
"Then spill yer guts, Tubby!" Knuckle Joe demanded.
Dedede and Escargoon both blanched.
"Uh … Tubby?" Dedede repeated.
"Hey, wise guy," Escargoon said, recovering quickly. "This is a king you're talking about!" He informed Knuckle Joe, as Dedede looked proud. "You can't insult him because he's fat — "
Dedede froze. "Hmm?"
"Or because he's a big ignoramus!" Escargoon went on. "Or because he's a tightwad! Or because he's batting way out of his league — !"
Dedede took the opportunity to hit Escargoon with his hammer.
Knuckle Joe actually looked shocked.
Tiff and Tuff both glanced at Emma, expecting her to have reacted somewhat to what had just been said.
To their surprise, though, Emma was just continuing to stare intently at the child called Knuckle Joe. Her own knuckles were white, as she gripped Meta Knight's arm.
"Ahem," Dedede coughed, like nothing had happened. "Sonny, I know just the Star Warrior you looking for. And his name is Kirby!"
Knuckle Joe's expression changed, and became determined. "Look out … Kirby . . . "
He turned at once, and took off running.
"Kirby's in danger!" Tiff said immediately. "Darn Dedede, how could he just tell Knuckle Joe about Kirby?!"
Emma didn't think that right now was the time to mention that Dedede hadn't technically done anything wrong - he'd basically just gotten Knuckle Joe away from the castle before he hurt more Waddle Dees! It might not have occurred to him that Knuckle Joe meant to do harm by Kirby, although give it a few minutes and he would probably make that connection.
He had literally just given Knuckle Joe the information that the kid had requested of him. Plain and simple.
"Either way, you need to get Kirby someplace safe, for now." Emma told Tiff, who nodded.
"I'll send the Warp Star to pick him up." She said.
"Good plan." Emma acknowledged. "And, you should warn the townsfolk."
"We can ask Tokkori and Stellar for help." Tuff suggested.
"Also a good idea." Emma said. "So, make haste and go." She told the siblings.
"Right!" They both ran out of the courtyard.
"You have good leadership skills." Meta Knight suddenly said, unexpectedly. "And, good perception, too - it will be much harder for you to leave and assist Kirby."
"Huh?" Emma glanced at him, and then she realised that she was still gripping his arm. She quickly withdrew her hands, and just in time.
"Who's over there?" Escargoon called.
As Meta Knight withdrew into the shadows, Emma gulped slightly. "Uh … it's just me . . . ?"
"Why are you hiding in the trees like that?" Escargoon wanted to know.
Dedede glared at him. "Leave her alone! She can be hiding wherever she wants in this castle!" He scolded his assistant. He then added: "Uh, but, hey … you don't need to be hiding anymore! I sent that knucklehead kid on his way!"
"Uh … that's great," Emma called back. "But … aren't you worried about the town ending up like the castle, because of him?"
"No." The king replied honestly.
"Well, I am!" She half-yelled.
Dedede flinched. "Uh, y-yeah … me too … but … don't you be going anywhere near that kid!" He said suddenly. "Let him and Kirby sort it out!"
"Sort what out?!"
"Whatever they gots to sort out!"
Emma glanced into the shadows, and saw Meta Knight's yellow eyes looking back at her.
They were both thinking the same thing: how was Emma supposed to go and help Kirby without Dedede finding out and informing Knuckle Joe of Kirby's location?
Because, there was no doubt in either of their minds that Emma wanted to help Kirby right now, and no doubt in either of their minds about what Dedede might do to try and get rid of Kirby.
Emma, suddenly sounding uncertain, now called out: "You're … worried about me?"
"Yeah, I am!" Dedede replied. "You went and passed out yesterday, and now there's a crazy kid who's running around and beating up my Waddle Dees and I don't want you to get hurt!"
He and Escargoon then watched as Emma emerged from the trees.
"Sorry . . . " She said quietly. "I made you worry about me again."
"Uh . . . " Dedede blinked at her sudden change in attitude. Even though he'd said that he wanted a girl who was both sweet
Escargoon nudged him. "Say something to her . . . " He muttered.
"Uh . . . "
"Something meaningful . . . "
Dedede really had no idea what to say to her now, although he noticed that Escargoon was looking at him like the answer should be obvious.
But, before any of the three of them could say or do anything, a new voice called out: "Emma?!"
"Bow?!" Emma called back. "What is it?!"
"It's Gypsy Moth!" Bow Waddle Dee said. "You have to come quickly!"
"Okay!" Emma immediately said, her heart thudding. Had Gypsy Moth gotten spooked by what had happened?
"Oh, uh, not you, your majesty." Bow Waddle Dee told Dedede, as the king had made to follow them. "With all due respect, you know what Gypsy Moth is like with men." She reminded him, and he didn't look particularly happy about it but what could he do?
Once they were out of earshot of the king, Bow Waddle Dee turned to Emma and said: "I should tell you … nothing is actually wrong. Sailor and I just thought that you needed an escape route."
"Huh?" Emma tilted her head to one side. "You mean . . . ?"
"Now you can go and help Kirby!" Bow Waddle Dee clarified. "If the king asks, we'll just say that you went out for a ride. I mean, it won't technically be a lie, will it?"
"No, it won't be." Emma has to smile, as she and Bow Waddle Dee hurried to where Sailor Waddle Dee and Gypsy Moth were. Ashlee Emma tacked up her horse in record time, she mentioned to the two Waddle Dees that they should probably go and check with Shield Knight about how Bandanna Waddle Dee was doing.
"This is very worrisome . . . " Sailor Waddle Dee murmured.
"And, now he's after Kirby?" Bow Waddle Dee added.
"No," Emma said, very quietly. "He just thinks that it's Kirby - don't do that." She warned Gypsy Moth sternly, because the horse had just tried to take a deep breath as Emma was tightening the girth around her belly - it would have made the girth nice and loose when she exhaled, which wouldn't have worked out so well for Emma. Gypsy Moth seemed to like testing her occasionally, as if reminding her to stay focused even in a situation like this. "We're going to go and help Kirby." She told the horse, as she climbed into the saddle.
"Ride safe." Bow Waddle Dee told her.
"I will." Emma replied, before she directed Gypsy Moth to leave via the west gate.
Meanwhile, Knuckle Joe had been running absolutely rampant through the town looking for Kirby. He was getting quite frustrated that he couldn't find the Star Warrior in question, and even more so when nobody in this town could give him the information that he needed.
He had stopped by Kirby's house, only to find that the Star Warrior was not there.
He paused, just briefly, to take a quick look around the tiny house, taking note of the copious amounts of fruit ("looks like I interrupted his breakfast, huh?"), the pink flowers decorating the desk ("whatever suits him."), and the few photographs that were on the walls.
One was of two birds, a pink one and a yellow one that he recognised as the bird he'd shot down in the town. There was another of those two kids from the castle, with a flying blue blob and a flying pink blob with a yellow bow. There was a third photograph, of a white horse and a red and black Flying Fox. A fourth photograph showed three of those Waddle Dees, all with different headwear (Knuckle Joe recognised the one with the bandanna). A fifth photograph showed the red-haired woman from the castle apparently hanging out bedsheets or something, and something small (perhaps one of those two flying blobs?) had gotten under one of the bedsheets and was acting like a ghost.
They were typical family and friend photographs, but, they gave Knuckle Joe no clues as to who this Kirby was, or even what he looked like.
There was something about that red-haired woman, though … she was in a couple of the other photographs as well.
"I should've asked her where this Kirby is." Knuckle Joe muttered. "Like I even know where she is now, though - she's probably not at the castle anymore, she's probably warned him already! No use trying to get to her if her knight's with her, though . . . " He added, eyeing a picture of the woman with the same knight who had protected her in the castle. He then turned and charged out of the house, now more intent than ever on finding Kirby.
"What?!" Meta Knight couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice.
"It's exactly as I said, Sir Meta Knight." Shield Knight sighed. "Emma identified the intruder almost straight away."
"I see . . . " Meta Knight sounded thoughtful, but it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"But, there's more." Shield Knight went on. "She referred to him as 'Jecra's son'. This aligns with what you told us she said in her sleep last night."
Meta Knight didn't say anything for a moment, and then he said: "We need to find out where she is."
"Agreed." Shield Knight said.
The two of them stepped up onto the balcony, unfurled their wings, and took flight into the evening.
The two knights found Emma with Gypsy Moth in one of the sheep fields, where she had been given permission to put the horse whenever she needed to.
They both looked up as the two knights flew down nearby.
Gypsy Moth stamped the ground with her hoof a few times.
"Easy, girl," Emma said soothingly. "That's just Meta Knight, we trust him." Gypsy Moth just looked at her. "Yes, despite what I told you. Imagine how he felt." She added, not aware that both of the knights could hear her. She then left Gypsy Moth and went over to the fence, where Meta Knight and Shield Knight were waiting for her. "Sit. rep.?" She found herself saying.
Was it just her, or, did Meta Knight's eyes briefly flash pink, as if he was amused by what she'd said?
Shield Knight replied: "The Cappies have taken refuge in the police station, but I believe that Tiff and Tuff have sought help from Chef Kawasaki to get some food for Kirby."
Emma nodded. "I doubt that Kirby be able to hide from him forever." She paused, and then went on with: "Stellar said that she overhead Knuckle Joe telling Chief Bookem the reason why he's after Kirby … he's saying that Kirby's the one who destroyed his father . . . "
Shield Knight exchanged a glance with Meta Knight, and then said to Emma: "Tell me what you're thinking."
Emma shook her head. "You're gonna say that I shouldn't use information from that anime to identify what's going on in real life."
"But, that's how you knew that it was Jecra's son who we're facing." Shield Knight pointed out.
Emma looked up quickly. Shield Knight was watching her intently, but Meta Knight was not looking at her. Emma wondered if he knew how uncomfortable it made her when people (especially males) looked at her directly. She swallowed. "It's not … it's not only that . . . " She said quietly. The two knights waited for her to go on. "You-you see … I had this strange dream last night . . . " She decided then and there not to mention that it had been about a princess, and that she had been the princess in the dream. That just sounded … very vainglorious. She just said: "I heard … something that hadn't been in the show … and … somebody was telling Nunnalley — " Wait, where'd I get that name from? Huh? Shield Knight's nodding … I must've gotten it right. This is very weird . . . "That he'd had to kill Jecra, and why . . . " She now looked at Meta Knight, just as he looked at her. "That … must have been just as hard for you . . . " She trailed off, wondering if she'd said too much.
Meta Knight inclined his head briefly. "Yes." He confirmed. "Both of those things … are among the most painful things that I've ever had to do . . . "
"Nightmare tears families apart." Emma muttered, before she could stop herself. "Nunnelly was crying … and — " She broke off abruptly, and then her head snapped up, as Stellar and Tokkori suddenly flew into view.
"He found them, igara!" Stellar cried.
"That kid's really giving Kirby a beating!" Tokkori added.
Emma made her decision. "I'm going to help Kirby."
"I'm going with you." Shield Knight and Meta Knight said in unison.
"I'm staying here!" Tokkori declared, sitting down on the fence.
"Heart of a Burning Leo, this one." Stellar rolled her eyes.
"I don't see you volunteering to go back there!"
"I'm staying here so that you don't look so bad, igara!"
The mainly one-sided fight had already almost reached it's conclusion by the time they got there.
Shield Knight and Meta Knight had flown, but they had somehow been beaten by Emma. She had ridden Gypsy Moth at the horse's quickest canter, bareback and without a bridle, and it was a slight wonder to her that she hadn't fallen off.
It reminded her of when she'd done work experience at a riding school, and then snuck down to the lower paddock on her lunch breaks and ridden some of the ponies.
Back then, her heart had been pounding because she'd been scared of getting caught.
Now, however, her heart was pounding because of the situation that she was riding into.
Her eyes quickly swept over the scene.
There were King Dedede and Escargoon, who had tied up the kids and Kawasaki to stop them from interfering. Emma tried not to notice this. She would say something later if the opportunity presented itself. They hadn't hurt the kids (or Kawasaki), so, that was something, at least . . .
Knuckle Joe, however, hadn't shown the same kind of treatment towards Kirby.
In fact, looking at Kirby now, Emma realised that she had never seen the little pink guy looking so beaten up - in fact, he was unconscious!
But, Knuckle Joe didn't look as if he was about to let up … the young warrior stood over Kirby's unconscious form, clearly ready to deliver the final blow.
Which is why Emma had already thrown herself off of Gypsy Moth and covered the distance between herself and Kirby in a matter of seconds.
She wrapped her arms around Kirby, pushing him away from Knuckle Joe … she felt something connect with her face … she heard the shocked cries from Dedede, Escargoon, Tiff, and Tuff, and the panicked neighing from Gypsy Moth … she hit the ground with Kirby in her arms, unable to look up as Knuckle Joe immediately followed through with a second strike, and . . .
Meta Knight leapt down from above, intercepting Knuckle Joe's attack for the second time that day.
Knuckle Joe jumped back, as Meta Knight placed himself between the young warrior and the other two - Kirby was still unconscious, and Emma was haunched over.
She felt it just before it happened, and her hands immediately flew up to her face as she gasped.
King Dedede and Escargoon were both racing towards them, but they were overtaken by Tiff and Tuff.
"Meta Knight!" Tiff exclaimed, as she got there first. She sounded relieved.
"Just in time!" Tuff added.
A groan nearby from Kawasaki made Dedede and Escargoon both look, to see that Shield Knight, Blade Knight, and Sword Knight had been responsible for freeing the three hostages.
Shield Knight glanced up at the king, and then pointed to her own eyes before pointing towards his. Her eyes didn't change colour like Meta Knight's.
They didn't have to.
Dedede flinched.
Tiff was looking at Emma. "Are you okay?" She asked her.
Emma just shook her head, whimpering slightly. She was shaking.
Tuff gasped. "Hey, there's blood!" He realised. "A lot of blood!"
"Shield Knight!" Tiff called. "Hurry!"
"Huh?" Dedede looked back at Emma, just as she looked up.
Blood was seeping out between her fingers, from where she had her hands held over her nose. Her face was sheet white. Tears were dripping down her face, but she wasn't exactly crying - it was a reaction to what had just happened, which was . . .
"Looks like a broken nose." Escargoon assessed.
"Yes, thank you," Shield Knight said, somewhat coldly, as she pushed past him and the king. "But, I'll take it from here!"
"Yeah, you heal her!" Dedede ordered her, and only the situation at hand prevented her from responding to the directive. She wasn't officially loyal to King Dedede - she answered to Sir Meta Knight, and that was that. Shield Knight also knew that Meta Knight was working hard to keep his own emotions in check right then, and so she hurried to do her job.
She reached out and prised Emma's hands away from her face, ignoring the gasps from the two kids and Dedede, as she examined the damage.
Still holding on to Emma's hands, she was just about to start healing her, when Emma's eyes widened, and she wrenched one of her hands free, and grabbed onto Kirby's hand.
Shield Knight understood, and she calmly took Kirby's other hand, forming a healing circle as her magic light healed Emma's broken nose and Kirby's minor injuries.
"Why does she have to heal the pink puffball, too?" Dedede murmured.
Tiff gave him a sharp look. "Because, unlike you two, Emma and Shield Knight actually care about other people!" She snapped.
"Emma and Shield Knight, huh?" Knuckle Joe suddenly spoke up, reminding everybody that he was still there. He looked at Meta Knight when he spoke.
"There is no reason to battle with Kirby, my friend." The knight said. "The one you seek … is me . . . "
Knuckle Joe looked about to answer again, when Emma suddenly gasped softly again.
"Relax, I've done this plenty of times before." Shield Knight said soothingly.
"Is it gonna be out of place?" Emma asked warily.
"Not if I can help it."
Dedede turned towards Knuckle Joe, and said: "Now, listen here, sonny! You can't just — !"
"I can do whatever I want, lardass!" Knuckle Joe snapped, pointing at the king.
"Language!" Escargoon admonished the kid.
"You stay out of it, or I'll shell shock ya!" Knuckle Joe warned him.
"Hmm . . . " Escargoon paused. "I definitely don't want him to shatter my shell the way that he shattered Emma's nose . . . " He decided, and took a step back.
"Don't worry, Escargoon," Emma said, looking a little bit less pale but still with blood all over her face. "He's had such strength ever since he was a baby - that's why they called him Knuckle Joe!" She added, somewhat brightly.
They all stared at her, and then Dedede looked at Meta Knight, who hadn't moved, and muttered: "You have something to do with this … what've you been telling her?"
Meta Knight decided not to answer that.
Knuckle Joe said to him: "Who are you?"
"I am the Star Warrior … who defeated your father." Meta Knight told him.
Shield Knight was glad that she was still holding onto one of Emma's hands right then, because the other woman had instinctively tried to move at that point, but could not because of Shield Knight's grip.
Knuckle Joe had reacted to Meta Knight's words predictably - his fist stopped just short of Meta Knight's mask.
Meta Knight did not flinch, although Tiff and Tuff certainly did.
"Emma, the longer that I have to keep you calm, the longer it will take for me to heal your nose." Shield Knight was saying, as Emma continued to struggle slightly. "And, the longer that it will take Kirby to come to."
Emma instantly relaxed.
As Knuckle Joe jumped back again, he demanded that Meta Knight prove to him that he was the one who had killed his father.
Meta Knight sheathed Galaxia, and said: "Your father and I were part of the Galaxy Soldier Army, and we always fought side-by-side. Your father was strong, brave, and good. Many warriors worked hard, hoping to become like him. We shared many hard times, and many happy ones. I was proud to have him as my friend."
Something very painful was going on in Emma's mind, as she and the others listened to Meta Knight's story. She was remembering the dream that she had had, but there was also something else … something that was triggered by Meta Knight's use of the term Galaxy Soldier Army, as opposed to Star Warriors.
"One night," Meta Knight was saying. "We had our guard down. And a band of our enemy's Monsters ambushed us! We lost many warriors that night, including — "
"Jecra." Emma found herself whispering.
Dedede cast another frustrated glance at Meta Knight. "Okay, seriously, whathave you been telling her?!"
Shield Knight suddenly looked over her shoulder at him, and her glare was enough to frighten the king into silence.
The medic was, of course, well aware of this story. She had heard it before, although she had not been there … even if she had, however, she really didn't know if she would have been able to heal Jecra of what had happened to him.
The twisted and tragic nature of this particular story was quite painful for her, as it was for anybody who had known Jecra.
"I was sure he was gone forever," Meta Knight's deep voice continued telling the story. "But … the Monsters brought him to our enemy."
At this point, Emma muttered something that sounded like 'enemy', although both Shield Knight and Meta Knight knew that she was in fact saying eNeMeE. It wasn't exactly strange for Nightmare to have two separate names; after all, his forces had gone by Holy Nightmare Co. before being known as Nightmare Enterprises (as if a name change could hide their true identity).
"I was overjoyed when he returned to us," Meta Knight continued. "But soon … my joy turned to bitter sorrow … he had changed … he was now on the side of the Monsters."
"You're a liar!" Knuckle Joe said immediately. "I'll never believe that my father … was a Monster!"
Emma bit her lip.
"I know that this story is a painful one," Meta Knight told Knuckle Joe, as he briefly unsheathed Galaxia and held the great sword up. "But I swear by this sword that what I tell you is true." He returned Galaxia to its sheath, and then held up something else. "Perhaps this will convince you . . . "
It was a locket hanging from a golden chain. The front of the locket was coloured in olive green, with a golden eight-point star that had a brilliant blue stone in its middle.
Meta Knight handed the locket to Knuckle Joe, who examined it for a second before clicking it open.
The young warrior's eyes widened in recognition.
Emma knew that he recognised his father's locket. She also knew that, unfortunately, Knuckle Joe wasn't going to respond as well as what Meta Knight was hoping.
"Your father gave that to me." Meta Knight said. "At the end … something stopped him from fully surrendering himself to our enemy. It was the love he had for you … for his family . . . "
"He was a good guy!" Tuff proclaimed.
"Knuckle Joe, your father loved you too much to become a Monster!" Tiff added, clasping her hands in front of her.
Knuckle Joe was staring at the locket in his hand, and then he took something else out of his pocket and appeared to compare the two.
Shield Knight noticed Emma's eyes widen slightly in surprise, before they narrowed.
"He wasn't a father . . . " Knuckle Joe said suddenly. "He was a … weakling!" And, he threw the locket and whatever the other item was to the ground . . .
And Emma, who had seen this coming, had managed to wrench her hand free of Shield Knight's and leapt, catching the two items before they could hit the ground.
She didn't give anybody a chance to react to this, as she held up what the second object was - a golden star-shaped pin. "Do you have any idea what this is?!" She asked Knuckle Joe, in a voice that reminded Tuff of the time that he had broken the frame of his parent's wedding photo and his mother had lectured him.
Knuckle Joe looked at Emma. "Yeah, it's some pin that all those Star Warriors used to have." He replied, like it was no big deal.
Emma nodded. Her eyes were suddenly blazing. She was remembering the other part of her dream more clearly than ever now. That pin had been the trigger for her. "The status of Star Warrior was granted to Jecra posthumously — "
"What?" Dedede and Tuff said in unison.
"It means after death." Tiff sighed.
"But it broke the princess's heart to have to give this pin to his widow!" Emma said, not caring that she was potentially giving away the hidden details of her dream to Meta Knight and Shield Knight, who had both exchanged a glance at her words.
"Yeah, so what?" Knuckle Joe's own eyes were blazing, as he and Emma glared at each other. "My mother ain't got nothing to do with this, she's dead!"
"Nunnally was crying enough tears to flood a kingdom when she was told." Emma said, in a low voice. "Her tears were the pain of losing the man that she loved … so … I can only imagine … how she'd cry if she could see the way that you - her only son - is behaving."
Knuckle Joe didn't respond, but the look on his face said it all.
"Whoa," Tuff whispered to his sister. "Emma sounds like Mum . . . "
"In this situation," Meta Knight was also speaking in a low voice, as he put a hand on Emma's shoulder. "I am glad that they are both gone . . . " He now looked directly at Knuckle Joe. "So that they don't have to see the Monster you have become!"
Something about that seemed to trigger Knuckle Joe. "What?!" He snapped. "I ain't no Monster!"
"Anyone who abandons his reason and lives only by hatred is a Monster!" Meta Knight stated.
"Knuckle Joe . . . " Tiff dared to venture closer, along with Tuff, and Knuckle Joe glanced at them both with some surprise. "What we do makes us Monsters. And look what you did to Kirby and Emma."
"That's what a Monster would do!" Tuff added.
Everybody glanced at Kirby, who was still being revived by Shield Knight, and then at Emma, whose nose was repaired but there was still blood all over her face.
Emma and Dedede exchanged a glance, and then they both looked at Kirby - Dedede didn't look as worried as Emma but, shockingly, he still looked at least somewhat concerned.
He was still feeling annoyed about Emma having been hurt, but she also seemed to be fine now, thanks to Shield Knight.
"Wrong! I am not a Monster!" Knuckle Joe stated, sounding a lot angrier than what he had before.
"I am not so sure." Meta Knight said, looking back at the kid. "You live on hatred, and that is what eNeMeE loves."
"Even my healing abilities have their limits," Shield Knight said quietly. "That is to say, that once you lose yourself to the darkness, there is almost no way of going back."
"Almost?" Tiff asked her.
"It would be easier and probably less painful to allow yourself to be killed." Shield Knight responded, in a low voice that reminded all of them that, as a medic, it was very hard for her to say such a thing.
"I don't care!" Knuckle Joe snapped. "If I'm supposed to be a Monster prove it to me!"
"Kirby is the proof." Meta Knight replied, surprising the others.
According to Meta Knight, Kirby had been born with the ability to battle all forms of Monsters. If Knuckle Joe were to battle Kirby, then what he was would soon become clear.
"He's very adamant that he's not a Monster." Emma found herself whispering.
She, Meta Knight, Tiff, Tuff, Dedede, and Escargoon were standing back, watching as Knuckle Joe and Kirby prepared to do battle.
Shield Knight had taken Gypsy Moth back to Kirby's house, and Blade Knight and Sword Knight were accompanying Kawasaki back to town.
Meta Knight glanced up at Emma. "I have one theory as to why — " He began, but was cut off when Knuckle Joe aimed a Smash Punch at Kirby.
"Kirby, suck it up!" Tiff called to the little Star Warrior, who immediately did as he was instructed.
And, as a result, Kirby donned a red headband (though he almost lost it mid-transformation, and had to grab it before it could fly away) and became . . .
"Fighter Kirby!" Emma was still whispering, although she wasn't sure why. Her nose didn't hurt anymore, it was true, but she was still feeling slightly dazed from all that had happened.
As the battle between Knuckle Joe and Fighter Kirby continued, a hand towel suddenly appeared in front of Emma.
"Huh?"
"H-here . . . " Dedede was holding the hand towel out to her, but looking at something off in the distance. "For the blood, you know?"
"Umm … thank you — " She began.
"Sire, it's not pre-used, is it?" Escargoon murmured.
Dedede glared at his advisor. "Of course it's not!" He snapped.
"Okay, okay, just checking . . . " Escargoon said hastily, as Emma accepted the hand towel and carefully wiped the blood off of her face and hands.
She then paused, unsure of what to do with the hand towel after that.
Escargoon sighed, and took it off of her. "I'll have the Waddle Dees wash this with the blacks." He said to no one in particular.
"Have them soak it in cold water to loosen the blood." Tuff said absentmindedly. And, when they all turned to look at him with general surprise, he added: "Tom told me."
"Then Bandee will know what to do." Emma realised, nodding.
"Yeah." Dedede agreed.
They went back to watching the fight, looking back and forth between Knuckle Joe and Fighter Kirby like spectators at a tennis match.
"Huh … sire, I don't think either one of them can win . . . " Escargoon commented.
"Just hope Kirby — " Dedede suddenly realised that Emma was listening (not to mention that Tiff was within earshot, too). "Uh . . . " Emma looked over at him, somewhat knowingly. "I mean … because it's important for Knuckle Sandwich — "
"Knuckle Joe." Tiff spoke up, narrowing her eyes.
"Right," Dedede nodded hastily. "I mean … Kirby's had plenty of victories, so … he's gotta lose sometimes . . . "
"Aurgh," Escargoon rolled his eyes. "You just keep on digging that grave with your tounge, sire . . . "
Emma, who was standing in between them, suddenly gasped - as in, reallygasped - and reached out; her right hand grabbed into Dedede's hand and her left hand grabbed onto Escargoon's shoulder.
It was suddenly very obvious what had alarmed her so much.
Knuckle Joe had just been surrounded by a white electricity, that enveloped him swiftly and then, when it cleared, his appearance had changed.
He had a rounded body in the same reddish-purple colour as his normal skin, small arms with large white and spiky boxing gloves, and a red and green helmet that came complete with spikes. He lacked legs and a mouth now, but his eyes were still the same - right down to the way that he was glaring at Kirby, who would have probably been just as shocked as the rest of them had he not been distracted by the loss of l his Fighter ability.
Which gave Knuckle Joe in his Monster form the opportunity to shoot the spikes from his helmet straight at the little Star Warrior!
Kirby's own eyes instantly narrowed, and he quickly dodged the spikes. Knuckle Joe simply generated some more spikes on his helmet, and shot them at Kirby again.
Kirby dodged those ones, too … and then he picked one of the spikes up with his mouth and swallowed it.
Emma took one look at how Kirby's body turned yellow when he began transforming, and muttered: "Keeby?"
"Huh?" Dedede and Escargoon both glanced at her, which is when she realised that she was holding onto both their arms, and quickly withdrew her hands, blushing.
"That," Meta Knight was saying, his yellow eyes taking in Kirby's pink helmet with the golden spikes on it. "Is Needle Kirby!"
"Alright!" Tuff cheered.
"Now Joe will see what he has become!" Meta Knight added.
Knuckle Joe seemed shocked, as he dodged a wave of spikes that Needle Kirby fired at him.
Which was right when Needle Kirby began charging at him.
"Kirby is a mirror!" Meta Knight informed Knuckle Joe. "The form he has copied is your own form! Stop, before it is too late!"
Emma gasped again. The implications of this were starting to set in.
And Knuckle Joe, realising this too, cried out: "I don't wanna be … a Monster!" Just as Needle Kirby's forehead made contact with him.
And, whether it was because of what he had just said or not, no one could ever be quite sure.
All that anyone knew was that, by the time Knuckle Joe hit the ground, he was back to normal, much to everyone's varying degrees of relief.
Needle Kirby shed his Cooy Ability, breathing a sigh of relief.
Emma was the first to move, hurrying over to Knuckle Joe and followed by Meta Knight.
Knuckle Joe was on the verge of passing out, but he managed to say: "I told ya, Meta Knight … Emma … I'm not a … Monster . . . "
"I know." Meta Knight and Emma said in unison - his voice was steady, but hers trembled.
As Knuckle Joe fainted, Meta Knight turned to Emma.
"I had heard that Joe's mother died when he was still young," he said quietly, as the first rays of sunlight began to appear from the east. "So, he evidently was not old enough to fully grasp what she would have told him about his father's death."
"Mmm." Emma nodded, her eyes brimming with tears.
"However," Meta Knight went on. "It appears that what did resonate with him … is that, no matter how much the darkness may affect you, you must never allow yourself to fully become a Monster."
Emma smiled, despite her tears.
Later on that day, it was time to say goodbye to Knuckle Joe.
"We're glad you came, Knuckle Joe." Tiff said, as she, Tuff, and Kirby looked up at Knuckle Joe, who was standing on the teleporter in the throne room.
Meta Knight was waiting nearby, to send Knuckle Joe on his way.
"Yeah, so am I." Knuckle Joe replied. "And I'm glad to know what my mum was always trying to tell me all those years - you know, the truth?"
"Yeah." Tiff nodded.
Knuckle Joe paused, and then looked at Kirby and said: "I hope that you, Meta Knight, Emma, and I can figtt hit on the same side someday … where is she . . . ?"
Tiff explained. "She's keeping Dedede busy . . . " She trailed off, as Emma walked into the throne room. "Or … not . . . "
"Did something happen?" Tuff wanted to know.
After all, they had all agreed that Emma would try and keep the king from interfering for as long as possible.
Emma just shrugged, as she shut the doors quietly behind her. "King Dedede's got something else to distract him … some of the Waddle Dees tried to put the bloodied hand towel in with the whites." She glanced at Knuckle Joe.
He was looking at her, like he wanted to say something. She hoped that it wasn't some kind of an apology. That'd be too weird, especially if it was just outright.
"At least I didn't hit ya when you were wearing those." Knuckle Joe said suddenly.
"Huh?" Emma reached up, and recalled that she was wearing her glasses. "Oh, yeah. But, you know … that's the fourth blood nose that I've had caused by blunt force trauma … but, it was the first broken nose." She suddenly grinned. "Don't ever let anybody tell you that you don't hit hard, okay?"
Knuckle Joe grinned. "Evidently not hard enough, because you could still lecture me afterwards! Good thing yer nose was fixed, though." He added, which was probably the closest to an apology that she was ever going to get.
Emma nodded, and then reached into her pocket and pulled out the locket and the star-shaped pin. "Here." She said, handing them to Knuckle Joe. And, as he took them from her, she added: "We'll be sure to keep an eye out for you."
"Huh?" He looked up, just as Emma and Kirby rubbed at their noses much the same way that he had been doing quite frequently.
"Poyo!" Kirby said.
Meta Knight then pressed the button on the teleporter, and walked closer as Knuckle Joe began to disappear.
And, just then, the doors to the throne room burst open.
"They're conspiring to turn all of my clothes as pink as that little puffball!" Dedede was saying, before he and Escargoon both stopped at the sight of what was going on in the room - not that they actually realised just what was going on, because by that time Knuckle Joe was gone, and Emma, Meta Knight, Kirby, Tiff, and Tuff had exited via a side door and made their way out onto a balcony to watch as the beam of white light that was Knuckle Joe was sent up into space.
"Would you say that he's on our side?" Emma asked Meta Knight.
"Definitely." He agreed with her.
Emma smiled, as she took off her glasses and stowed them safely in their case in her pocket.
"I hope that he doesn't hit that airship." Tiff said suddenly, pointing to a large airship that came dangerously close to the beam of white light. "He could get hurt . . . "
Emma and Meta Knight exchanged a glance, both of them knowing full well who the injured party was more likely to be if there was a collision between Knuckle Joe and any airship that wasn't the Halberd.
"Nah, they missed each other." Tuff observed.
"Lucky for the airship." Meta Knight said quietly.
Emma giggled.
They all turned back towards the castle.
From inside, they could hear Dedede and Escargoon yelling something about a fee for a service that they hadn't actually used.
"We could dip into the castle treasury to cover costs!" Escargoon could be heard suggesting.
"No way!" Was Dedede's response. "I'm saving that!"
"For what?!"
"For my wedding!"
"If that happens — "
"When it happens!"
"I-I'm sorry, sir, it was an accident — !"
"I don't care, just find it!"
"It-it fell when we were almost hit by that l-light, and s-so it's p-probably d-down there somewhere, it c-can't have gone too far — "
"Just. Find. It."