Gooey was excited to be invited over to the King's castle! He'd only ever got to visit once (if you didn't count the times he visited because he had to save Pop Star, but that hardly counts.) Kirby DID say they practically had to bully the King into letting them over, but that wasn't gonna put a damper on Gooey's mood!

Frankly, King Dedede was already regretting letting Kirby come over. Both them AND Gooey! He'd only agreed to babysit them because they threatened to eat him out of house and home unless he agreed to a 'hangout' because they were 'friends now' after the Crystal Shard hunt. But that threat didn't really matter anymore since they were doing it anyway! He should never have let them come over before lunch…

Ah, but now that mealtime was over, things managed to quiet down. Or as quiet as Kirby could be, he supposed. Gooey at least, was being pretty quiet. Turns out the kid didn't talk much when he was deep in thought, which didn't require a lot. Dedede had successfully wrangled the two into the royal library and was currently teaching Gooey how to play chess while Kirby attempted to build a book fort.

"'N then the little horse guy can move in an L shape. Like this!"

"Horse… what horse?"

"Well horses are- …huh. You know what, I don't know. Anyway, that gives ya the chance to take my pawn, if y'think that's a good idea~"

"Hmmmmm…. Take pawn… get killed…! Tricking!"

"See, you're gettin' it!"

Kirby attempted to crane their neck over the precarious stack of books they held. "Yeah! Good job Gooey! Beat up Dehdehdeh for me!"

"HEY! You forget who's house you're in?"

"Just cuz we're buddies doesn't mean I can't still bully you! I gotta stick with my ho-MIES!" Kirby stumbled over the carpet, sending the books flying. They crashed into the fort, scattering the makeshift bricks across the floor. Gooey and Dedede clamped their hands over their ears at the cacophony.

"Oops… Gomenne! I'll clean it up!"

"Jeez kid! And y'wonder why I never take ya anywhere!" He leaned over his seat to snark with Gooey. "I tell ya, they bring chaos everywhere they go. Y'best quit bein' friends with 'em if ya wanna keep your sanity."

Gooey giggled. "Mhm! Go cra-hazy!" That giggle quickly bubbled up into a laugh as he thought back on several other times where Kirby had made a fool of themself. Like the time they managed to get their head trapped inside a beehive and ended up making friends with the bees. "Ah- Ahahahahaha! EHEHEHEHE! Foolish, FOOLISH! UTTERLY FOOLISH! EHEHEHE!" Though it was hardly different from his normal smile, the expression on his face looked somehow unsettling. Though maybe he was just a naturally unsettling looking child.

A pang ran through Kirby's heart and they shot a nervous look at their friend. "Uh… I didn't think it was… that bad?"

"Foolish! Funny!" Gooey's laughter faded out as he saw the look on both Kirby and the King's face. "Huh? Wrong..?"

Kirby stood back up, brushing dust off their jacket, and began to pick up after themself. Their expression was just the slightest bit downtrodden. What was wrong? The King made fun of them all the time and they didn't seem to mind. Had he said something wrong?

"Say wrong?"

"Uh, did y'mean to say what you said, kid? It sounded kinda… what's the word…" Dedede waved his hand around. "...maniacal? It didn't sound like ya normally talk."

"Wrong word… foolish wrong? Foolish good…"

Kirby shook their head. "Nuh-uh. Foolish is a word that doesn't sound supery nice, I think. If you were just laughing at me, it'd be fine, but it made it sound like you thought I was a stupidiot! I think I've only ever heard it when people are giving evil speeches or something! So it's weird-weirdo weird-that you'd say it!"

"Didn't mean…"

Dedede rushed to stop the kid from crying. "Yeah, we know y'didn't mean it kid! Uh… hm. How 'bout this? A good version of the word would be 'silly!' Kirby's pretty darn silly I'd say."

"Yeah! I'm the ultimate silly!"

"Silly. Silly. Not foolish. Foolish bad. Foolish evil. Gooey not bad. Gooey good. Gooey good." He tapped himself a few times on the head, as if driving the thoughts into his brain.

"Hey hey, we know you're good, kid. You don't need to worry about that, mkay?" Dedede rested a hand on the Matterborn's shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Talkin's hard for you, ain't it?"

"Talking… words. Not thoughts. Difficult."

Kirby abandoned their pile of books. They walked up to their friend with a reassuring smile on their face. "Don't get all sweaty about it! And hey! If you ever need help with talking, I'm always here! I'll be your teachery guy, ne!"

"YOU? You'd be a horrible teacher! You're the weirdest talkin' kid I've ever met in all my life!"

"Well what about you, huh? Meta Knight told me that you've got a stupid strong axe scent! You're not any better than me!"

"At least I know basic grammar! And it's called an 'accent,' short stuff! In case you didn't notice, you've got one too! 'N so does Meta, that hypocrite!"

"Don' call him a hypocrip! I bet he only noticed your accent cuz it was so huge and stinky or something!"

"D'you even know what an accent is?!"

As the two kept bickering, Gooey continued to drill positive thoughts and emotions into his mind.

'I am a good boy. I am a good person. I am happy. I'm not like the others. I am not evil. I say nice things. I do nice things. I don't make people sad. I am good. Gooey is a good boy. I gotta do better. I gotta speak better. I WILL speak better. I can't think to them; it'll make them uncomfortable. I have to talk, even if it's hard. I am a good boy. I will do this because I am a good boy. Even if it's hard. I'm a good boy.'

Kirby threw open the bedroom door with the same excess vigor they always had. Since their eccentricities were a normal occurrence at this point, the Matterborns hardly noticed them until they threw a massive pile of thin sheets over them.

"WAUGH!" 'What is this?'

"I've got a devious scheme boiling in the oven!" They continued to toss the sheets all over the floor. "We gotta go out and do errands sometimes, yeah? But I don't like leaving you home alone all the time, and I know you don't like getting stuck inside. So I was thinking… we could make a disguise for you!"

'...That seems like it will be awfully difficult.'

"Nah, it won't be that bad! I've already been thinking about what parts I'll need to hide 'n all that! I just need your guys's help setting it up. AAAAnd I've come up with a cover story!"

Gooey tilted his head. "Cover..?"

"Yeah, I was thinking, we can't just say he's a Dark Matter, but SOMEONE'S gonna ask. So I figured, hey! If we wrap him all up in white, that plus all the dank ooze all over him will make it look like ink. Like paper and ink! 'N I can say he's a craftperson from Fluff's Patchlan'da!"

'Do you seriously believe that will work.'

"Yep!" they replied without hesitation. While Blade could take that confidence as a good sign, he was leaning more towards it being a symptom of ignorance. But he didn't have any better ideas for a disguise. He supposed if he just kept silent then no one would figure it out. And if he was caught then he would just kill them. Or something. Blade had to come to realize that a lot of his contingencies and long term planning usually just involved killing people. He should probably fix that.

Kirby gestured for the two to stand up and they complied. After asking Gooey to drag a stool over to where they stood, Kirby grabbed one of the larger sheets and began wrapping it around Blade's shoulders.

"Hmm… hm hm hm. We need a clasp thingie. Or a bowtie! Ne, Gooey, can you check the bathroom and see if we have anything like a string or rope or something in there?"

Gooey saluted and dashed off towards the kitchen, the only part of the house that led to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Kirby began fiddling with Blade's scarf.

'Do you mind. I don't enjoy having your hands so close to my neck.'

"Ah, sorry. But I'm thinkin' if we wanna go out, you're probably gonna have to take off the scarf. It doesn't really match the whole 'ink and paper' idea I'm going for? You get that, right?"

Blade reflexively clenched his fists, burying his nails into the palms of his gloves. Now now, this is a perfectly reasonable request, and this scarf is nothing more than an object. [Just because it was the first time you] NO. There's no need to justify it; you'll just get more attached. Just take it off.

'You are correct. I understand.' With that, he pulled the fabric from his neck, folding it carefully before setting it on the bed. Even with his compliance, Kirby could feel a hint of pensiveness brushing against their mind. Usually Blade was pretty good at keeping that sort of emotion from leaking through. At least from what Kirby had seen (heard? felt?) these past few days. Usually the stuff he 'thought' matched the emotions that hit them. But the whiplash of feeling painful emotions that didn't at all match the thoughts was enough to make Kirby's brow furrow. But they had to do this! It was better than just keeping him locked up all week!

"Um, thanks, Swordguy."

'That is still not my name.'

Kirby picked up a smaller piece of fabric and started folding it up in a specific manner so it could be wrapped around his face. "You keep saying that. But you haven't actually told me your name, you big lollipop."

'Lollipop?'

"Yeah! Cuz, y'know, dum-dum?"

'No, I don't know.'

Kirby continued to prepare their makeshift mask in silence. They folded up a thinner sheet, then tucked a longer one inside of the fold so that it hung vertically from the 'wrap' section. It somewhat resembled the lower part of Hyness' hood, now that they thought about it. That's a… funny coincidence. Yeah. Real funny.

'Is something wrong?'

"Huh? Oh, no, it's nothing. Just thought of a bad joke."

'I see.'

"Thanks for asking though! That was another good boi thing you just did!" Kirby shot him a toothy grin. The Matterborn simply turned away, hiding his expression.

'I thought it would be in my best interest to not have the reality destroying child fall into a poor mood.'

Kirby pouted. "Nuh-uh! You asked cuz you were worried! Quit lying to me all the time you bingus." Finishing up their garment by stapling the two pieces of cloth together, they gestured for Blade to lean down. "Here, this'll cover up all your drool and snot."

Blade jerked back at that statement. 'Excuse me, my WHAT?!'

Kirby rolled their eyes, smiling. "All that Dark Matter goop you got coming outta your nose and mouth!"

'Oh- Ah- That. That's not… That is merely my excess, used up Darkness expelling itself from my body so that I can use that which is fresh.'

When Kirby tilted their head in utter bafflement, Blade let out a rumbling sigh. 'Think of it like this. It's as if my old, broken internal organs are in a constant state of exploding out of my face so that I can use new ones instead. Does that make sense?'

Their mouth pulled into the largest, most disgusted frown Blade had ever seen in all his days and he nearly burst out laughing. Mentally, that is. Before Kirby could start screaming stuff about how he was being gross, Gooey returned, a handful of hairbands in tow.

"Found stuff! Kinda…"

"Eugh- ewewewew… Uh- th- thanks Gooey! I can make a clasp outta this." They distracted themself by figuring out how to string the bands through the cloth. Gooey, meanwhile, switched over to putting the mask on at Kirby's orders. He was pretty used to just following his roommate's lead. These past few days had actually been a surprising change of pace with him occasionally ordering them around. But he didn't mind either way.

"Oki, here we go! It's ready!" Kirby fanned the cloak around Blade's shoulders and tied it shut. "There we go! And if you keep your arms hidden inside, we won't have to get rid of your fancy gloves!"

'That is good, at least.'

"Yeah, I figured you'd like that."

Blade furrowed his brow. How did they figure that? Was he really that transparent? Sheesh, he really needed to clamp down on his thoughts more; he was so out of practice…

Gooey and Kirby stepped back to look at their handiwork. Kirby made a photo frame with their fingers while Gooey nodded sagely like a fashion show host.

"Good good! Sibling fancy."

"Mhm! The only thing left is to fix the hair and cover the eye socket! 'N I think I know just the solution~"

"Hm? What?"

Kirby stepped forward, real close into Blade's personal bubble, and ran their fingers through his floaty, twisting hair. "Metata once showed me how to braid people's hair. He said I should use it on Dehdehdeh, but I think it'll work here too." They began pulling at the strands, trying to hold them in place. But the chunks of hair kept floating out of their grasp. "Hey! Ugh, Gooey, can you help hold it down while I braid it?"

"Sure!"

Blade internally groaned as the two kids got extremely close and began toying with his hair. Gooey held large clumps of strands in place, handing them off to Kirby when they were ready to integrate it into the braid. Somehow, he felt as if they were doing this inefficiently, but he wasn't in a position to rebuke them. That didn't stop him from letting his irritation seep into their minds.

Kirby squirmed slightly as his emotions mixed with theirs. Then a thought seemed to strike them.

"Hey, Gooey? I mighta asked you this already, but how does your thought-talking thing work?"

Blade narrowed his eye. 'I am right here, you know. I can probably answer better than he.'

"Hm. Difficult explain. Think okay?"

"Yeah sure, if that's easier for you!"

'What am I, a damn mirage?'

Gooey hummed, collecting his thoughts and emotions, before 'thinking' at the two. 'Dark Matters like us don't speak like normal people. We 'talk' to each other by sharing our thoughts. It's so much easier like that! We don't have any miscommunication, and we are perfectly in sync! It is the ideal and purest form of existence!' Gooey suddenly realized he was regurgitating the teachings of Zero and quickly brushed those thoughts away. 'But it's not very nice. It hurts people, sometimes, to have other people's thoughts forced on them. It's like losing your own brain. Because it's as if YOU'RE thinking their thoughts. It's as if you ARE them… So you don't get to be yourself anymore.'

Blade grumbled slightly and shifted his weight. 'That worry is irrelevant in the Dark Core, however. We, as Dark Matters, are not meant to be individuals. We are only separate from each other to allow us to do many things. As a whole, we are supposed to be One Person. And that Person is Lord Zero's child and servant.'

"Not anymore! Zero dead! No more, no more."

'Of course… That is no longer the case. But that is why it is easier for us to communicate this way. To speak aloud is to lose one's perfection. To lose the perfect understanding. We are already unused to using our mouths to Say Words. But trying to formulate thoughts and emotions in a solid manner loses so much.'

After all, despite the way that one interprets their Thought Speech as being words, that's not really how it is. Some people think in words, yes, but often their thoughts are images and feelings and vague 'ideas.' And being able to beam that Thought directly into someone's head is so much easier than trying to put it into words. That's why one has to learn to speak one's thoughts from a very young age.

If you spend your whole life thinking and not speaking, of course trying to learn to speak would be nigh impossible, at such a late age.

That just made Gooey's ability to speak all the more impressive to Kirby. They smiled at him, acknowledging his growth and improvement. The strength it takes to completely change everything you know about being a person. Their emotions conveyed themselves properly, even without the mental link. In response, Gooey lowered his head, blushing.

Soon enough, the braid was finished. With the hair tied together, it couldn't float up so carelessly. And with the braid pulled to the side, the bangs successfully covered the missing eye that would have exposed Blade.

"And we're done! You look great; no one will recognize you!"

'...Good.' Because it would be a crime to look like me. This is a fact of reality.

After gathering a few more things, the three of them headed out to the nearby town. Kirby made sure to go over the ground rules as they walked across the plain.

"Be polite! No flying or floatying! Don't lose the disguise! Don't run away! Don't talk to anyone out loud or thought-ily! And please be careful!"

"Mm… can think… Gooey and Kirby. No one else."

"Oh! Yeah, I guess you can think at us."

As they approached the town, Blade could feel his heart starting to pound. (How painful it was that he could say it at all. To say that he had a heart.) The 'town' was much larger than he'd expected, sprawling out like an unrestrained colony of mold or fungus. So many individuals, all going out and about their day, all with their own unique lives. So much noise… so much existence… He hadn't realized how shielded from overstimulation he'd been in Dedede's heart. But of course. Someone used to this wouldn't be overwhelmed with the sheer amount of uniqueness everyone had. But someone who grew up in a hivemind would find it utterly cacophonous.

Even worse… he could see Castle Dedede looming over the nearby mountains. He could feel it staring down at him, judging him. You really believe something like you can choose to walk freely about, as if you've done nothing wrong? You dare come so close to what you threatened to destroy?

No, of course not… I'm not doing this because… I want to. Right? Do you understand? I promise I'm not trying to hurt you, for once.

I know you don't believe me. I don't believe me either.

He hadn't realized he'd halted in place until Gooey tugged on his cloak. He shook his head, trying to ignore the creeping feeling of guilt.

As they drew deeper and deeper into the heart of the town, residents kept waving hello, greeting them, or occasionally stopping them in their tracks to talk. Whenever they asked about Blade's presence, at first Kirby was rather hesitant and sloppy in their explanation. But they were quickly able to rattle off the lies without difficulty after the third or fourth person.

They were all so horribly polite. They reached out to shake his hand or asked for his name directly, and Kirby or Gooey had to explain that he couldn't do either. And then… they'd say it was okay, with smiles still on their faces. Even though he was so blatantly odd looking. So obviously unsettling… He felt like they were lying, somehow. But there was little to no benefit to that. Right? Which led to the extremely illogical conclusion that they were simply being nice for no good reason.

It almost hurt that he couldn't return their kindness. He felt like he was committing a crime in front of a live audience.

Blade shot a quick thought to his sibling. 'Everyone here is awfully… kind. Is there something going on today?'

'No? What do you mean? Everyone's acting normal.'

'If you say so.'

Once they reached the farmer's market square, Kirby led the trio towards a stall. They pulled a long list out of their backpack and began stuffing various vegetables into a paper bag. When the bag filled up, they handed it off to Gooey and started filling another one. Blade's gaze wandered about the rest of the square, observing the relentless hustle and bustle. Despite this country's reputation as a lazy, sleepy locale, the people seemed rather energetic when it came to things like this. Frivolous shopping and perusing, even when they weren't planning on buying anything. They just wasted their day away looking at things. Maybe their perceived laziness was more their preference towards things like this over more aggressive or productive endeavors.

When Kirby finished negotiating a price on their bag of onions, the Kapar manning the stall leaned over to get a better look at Blade. "So, who's the new guy?"

"Oh, he's a visitor from Patchlan'da! A paper-n-ink person."

"Ah, I see, I see. Well then, what's your name, sir?" The Kapar reached his hand forward. Blade glanced away guiltily, taking a few steps back. The stallman's face fell. "Shy, aren'tcha?"

Kirby waved their arms defensively. "Well- yeah he's kinda shy, but he also has trouble talking! His throat got kinda messied up a bit ago so he's tryna let it rest! That's all."

Kapar nodded sympathetically. "I get that. I got a real bad flu a couple months ago and couldn't talk for weeks! So you best take care of yourself, buddy!"

Blade nodded politely, still avoiding eye contact. He still worried that the Dreamlandians would manage to recognize him just from eye color. But the Kapar didn't seem to mind his blatant antisociality, brushing him off as just being nervous. Thank goodness for that. These people really did assume the best of everyone, huh?

The trio bounced between a few more stalls, collecting more and more groceries as they went along. Blade was shocked (and just the slightest bit proud) at how Gooey was able to carry so many bags without struggling. Kirby was at least threatening to drop some every now and then, but Gooey didn't even tilt or tumble. He only ever threatened to trip over the hem of his dress once, which was impressive considering the length. He would offer to alleviate the load, but he couldn't risk messing up his disguise.

"Hoo-okay…" Kirby sighed, setting some of the bags down on a nearby bench. "Just a- geh- a few more things to buy, 'n then we can relax… ooohhh, maybe we shoulda got the grosseries last…"

Gooey hummed before replying, "Gooey take back? Go get with sibling?"

"Oh, I dunno. I feel kinda bad having you miss out on hangout time…"

"It's… okay." Though his tone said otherwise, Gooey was more than willing to help out, even if it was due to Kirby's own lack of planning.

"No no, we'll handle it. It's just a few more things we needta get. It'll be fine." With that reassurance, Kirby sucked up complaints bubbling in their throat and picked the bags back up. The only things left on their list could all be grabbed at Magolor's stall a little further down the road, so they just had one stop left to make.

The kids wobbled down the brick road, carefully avoiding knocking into the others. Blade noticed that the townspeople made sure to get out of their way, or even offered to help in some cases. But they tended to nearly run into him in the process. Was he that inconspicuous? Well, he supposed that's a good thing. Though the close brushes and tugs against his cloak sent his heart rate spiking. Please, just no one pay him any mind and let him slip through… He leaned and twisted his body as best he could around the shorter creatures.

Eventually, they all squeezed out of the crowd and stumbled up to Magolor's Magical Mayhem Mart. The titular mage was leaning back in his seat, kicking his legs over the counter. When he caught sight of his approaching valued clients, he perked up and waved them over.

"Greetings greetings, my young patrons! What brings you here this fine afternoon?" He glanced between the two cargo-loaded children before his gaze suddenly darted to their companion.

A bizarre energy emanated from the cloaked figure… Something familiar, yet unique. Something Magolor wasn't quite sure he'd ever encountered before, but he knew for a fact that he didn't like it very much.

Because that magical essence roiling around the stranger's body reminded him all too much of the Master Crown.

Oh, Nova… What had Kirby gotten themself into?

Magolor immediately straightened up in his seat and leaned forward, narrowing his shining golden eyes. "And… who is this fellow you've brought along with you?"

Gooey picked up on the negative tension unique to Magolor's encounter and shot a warning look at Kirby. They nodded as subtly as they could (which wasn't very much at all.)

"W- Well, this is Bl….ot! Inkblot! He- THEY'RE a paper-n-ink person from Patchlan'da!"

The mage's horns twitched and flicked as his gaze flitted between the three customers. He clearly wasn't buying it, but he also didn't seem all too eager to start a fight. So he merely sighed and slouched back in his seat.

"It's nice to meet you… Inkblot. What brings you to Dreamland?"

"Can't speak!" Gooey interrupted, shoving himself between the two. "Sick! No talking!"

"Oh, that's quite the shame," Magolor muttered. "I was looking forward to learning a bit more about your dimension."

"Ah- well you can just visit Patchlan'da yourself, right? You don't even need the Dimensional Sock!"

Magolor's gaze didn't leave the stranger as he spoke. "Hm. Yes, I suppose you're correct. I just love interviewing the locals. They provide such interesting perspective, and they tend to point out little details you might not pick up on."

Kirby stared, wide-eyed with unease. This caused them to lose a grip on their bags, sending them all tumbling to the floor. That seemed to snap Magolor out of his suspicions.

"Oh dear, you've got quite the haul there, don't you?"

"Sorry- sorry- I messed up my planning real bad, haha… Jeezum…"

"Here, let me help!" Magolor raised a hand to snap.

"Oh no, I couldn't ask you t-" But before they could protest further, a small portal opened up in the space beside the trio. Like a hole punched in reality, leading directly to Kirby's kitchen. "Ah- Thank you! Thank you so much Lorlor!"

Magolor's horns twitched slightly at the childish nickname and he smiled. "It's no problem at all. Anything for my best friend and favorite customers. Just pop those groceries in there and you can organize them later~"

The kids dropped their sacks into the portal before it closed up.

"So, what are you in the mood for today, dear Kirby?"

"I'm thinking…" They took another look at their shopping list. "Clean, Doctor, and Fire."

"Is that all? I'm surprised you haven't run out of Water yet."

"Nah, I've been good with that one lately! I haven't needed to use a whole lot of it in a while anyways! Uh- what with my new house guest, I mean. H- I wouldn't wanna wash them away, ehehe!"

"Right, right." Magolor hopped off his chair and began rummaging around in the back for something. Blade tilted his head in confusion. What exactly was Kirby trying to buy?

Gooey noticed his sibling's bemusement and explained. "Ability stars! Easy have."

"Huh? Oh, yeah! I like to keep ability stars in my backpack or house in case I need them! They're pretty useful, even for stuff like chores! Even if I'm not on an adventure."

Magolor returned carrying three colorful bags and set them on the counter. "Yes, and I have the honor of being the ONLY store that stocks them~ Quite the magical feat, wouldn't you agree, Blot?"

Blade took a step back, curling in on himself slightly. He knew Magolor could be quite the deceiver and, by proxy, would know when people are lying. He knew Magolor could sense the strange aura and intent around him… But there was little he could do. If he spoke to try and justify himself, he was as good as dead. But every moment he avoided eye contact just added more fuel to the fire of suspicion. He wished he could just be a normal person, who didn't have to work so hard to hide his oddities. He was so… out of place in this world.

After a tense moment, Blade merely nodded in agreement. Yes, it was quite the interesting magical feat. To be able to compress the concept of a 'power' into something physical that could be carried around was very impressive. He wished he could convey such things to the mage. He might be more willing to give him a chance if he stroked his ego.

"Likes it," Gooey said, trying to get the idea across. Magolor seemed satisfied enough with that response. He held his hand out, waiting for Kirby to pay up. After they did, the child began stuffing the bags in their backpack. The contents made a pleasant twinkling noise, like clinking glasses or crystals together.

"Y'know, we could probably show ya Merry Magoland sometime, Sw- Inkblot! I think that'd be real fun!" After all, they'd yet to show him the 'play' cornerstone of Having a Good Time. That would be the perfect opportunity. The two kids looked expectantly at Blade with puppy-dog eyes.

Blade shot a quick look at Magolor and instantly regretted it. The two's eyes met, sunset orange clashing with sunlight gold. The mage narrowed his eyes, waiting patiently for the Matterborn's response. He had to know. And Blade couldn't possibly visit a Novadamned theme park without getting caught. Especially not one owned by HIM.

Blade shot an exclusive thought to the two kids. 'I don't think Magolor likes me very much. It would not be a good idea to take me there.'

Gooey frowned. 'I can try and make him understand… I think.'

"Yeah!" Kirby then clamped their hands over their mouth, realizing they'd said that in response to seemingly nothing. They spun around, shooting a conspicuous smile at Magolor. "Y- yeah! We can- uh- yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah?" Gooey butted in to save the day, thinking to all three of them.

'Sorry, I was just thinking to them about what day we'd visit. We wanted to surprise you~'

Magolor cringed slightly at the invasive thoughts but masked it with his salesman smile. "Oh, but of course! But please, I'd rather you tell me ahead of time! I'd just love to give you three the high class treatment you deserve."

'You're making our friend uncomfortable,' Gooey replied bluntly. The mage mentally stumbled a bit, surprised at the uncharacteristic hostility in the child's mind. Why was Gooey so defensive of this… creature…..!

OH. Oh dear…. They did have very similar magical signatures now that he thought about it… Dammit… What should he do now? A rogue Dark Matter could be a potential ticking time bomb, if what he'd read and heard was anything to go by. But if Gooey felt this strongly… He'd heard a few things about how the Dark Matter had turned good and helped defeat his own creator. So he clearly didn't have any issues turning on his own kind if he believed it was necessary.

Were these kids giving this Matterborn a chance at redemption? Rather than someone trying to trick them into letting it live so that it could take over or sow chaos… perhaps he should interpret it more kindly?

It was only fair to his young best friend that had done much the same thing to him. Even after his ruthless betrayal. If Kirby saw good in someone like him… and helped him see it too, then maybe whatever they were trying to do with this Dark Matter might work much the same way.

After all, Magolor couldn't say he'd ever been happier in his life than how he was now, living in Dreamland with his loves and friends. If Kirby thought this person deserved that sort of happiness too, then who was he to stop them? And looking closer at this Matter, he could see a raw discomfort and guilt looming over him. Something that wasn't very easily disguised or faked. When he looked into that sole eye, he suddenly saw a very familiar sadness. A self-loathing masked by hatred.

Ah, sheesh, he couldn't be getting sappy right now. He was still on the clock. Magolor sat up straight and lowered his head in apology.

"Sorry about that, dear customer. I didn't intend to make you feel unwelcome. I merely have a tendency to… go overboard in my theatrics, shall we say?" He winked at Kirby. "My little friend here can tell you all about the trouble it's caused me."

"Huh? Oh yeah, he's gone pretty crazy in the coconut before, ehehe! I can tell ya some funny stories when we get home, if you want!"

Some of the tension riding on the Matterborn's shoulders lifted and his eyelid creased, indicating a smile. He nodded in agreement, stood still for a moment while looking at Gooey (Magolor assumed they were thinking at each other), and then bowed politely towards Magolor.

"You really are welcome to visit the theme park in my little corner of Mt. Dedede whenever you please~ I'd simply love to know what someone off-world like you thinks of it."

The Matterborn started to nod, but then froze at the mention of Mt. Dedede. He shrank back, sweat starting to bead on his face. A pit grew in Magolor's stomach. Had he said something wrong?

Wait… Hmm… He felt like he was forgetting something… Something the king had said… Oh, Nova, what was it? When the Star Allies had that discussion a week ago or so? He'd sorta zoned out when Dedede started talking about his encounters with the Dark Matters… Ugh, his head got all fuzzy when he said something about…

That would be quite a horrid coincidence, Magolor thought. Shaking his head, the mage backtracked on his offer. "Of course, if you're still a bit shy, I understand. It can be quite hard to be adventurous when you're living in a new world."

Kirby beamed up at Magolor, though notably didn't point out how 'Inkblot' was supposed to be visiting, not moving to Dreamland. Ah, these kids were terribly liars. They could use some lessons from him, eh?

"Well, I suppose I've kept you three long enough. I just have one more piece of advice I'd like to share with your new friend here." He waved the Matter over to his counter. "Come here, don't be shy!"

Blade tentatively stepped forward, clamping his grip around his wrist under the cloak. His heart pounded, and he wished he could tear that pesky little organ out of his chest. He wasn't born with it, so he shouldn't be stuck with its burden now…

Magolor leaned over the counter, resting his chin in his hands and looking up at the taller creature. Blade, for some reason, was suddenly very aware of how low cut the man's collar was.

"Someone like you, in your situation… you might feel like you're all alone sometimes, even if you've got those two around. But just know that there are people out there who are like you. If you understand."

Blade wanted more than anything for that to be true. He wanted to believe that he was not alone, that he was not someone who didn't belong to any world. That turmoil leaked out of his skull, poisoning the air around him. Brushing against the mage. Magolor resisted the urge to shrink back, pouncing on his chance to get more information without this enigma knowing.

What a pitiable loneliness. He didn't know why he was even worried. This creature was in a position to be shattered like a discarded glass if he encountered the wrong stimuli. He was sure the children could handle it just fine. Such a fragile being would be so… easy.

Blade drew away, nodding in acknowledgement of Magolor's little 'pep talk'. The mage waved them off. "Now go on you three. If you stick around much longer, the afternoon rush will sweep you all away! Thank you for shopping at the M.M.M.M. and have a wondrous day!"

The trio looped around towards the edge of the square and began walking back home. Blade still felt his emotions stewing around him. Maybe if he just released enough of this negativity into the air and infected enough people, he'd be satisfied. If even one person got to be exposed to his suffering, and suffered as a result, then he could justify his emotions.

If you are full of hatred and loathing and disgust, the only way to be seen is to inflict those feelings on someone else.

Ah, but he shouldn't want to do that. He shouldn't want other people to suffer like him. That's what the younger Blade would have done. TRIED to do. He's… supposed to be acting like a person, right? Right?

No, he's not. He shouldn't care at all about whether he hurt random people. They didn't matter to him, and he didn't matter to them. But… he did seem to matter to them. Even though he hadn't said a word. Even though he couldn't even smile at them, everyone had been so nice to him. And he couldn't possibly take that all in without feeling the tiniest reciprocation. So though he so desperately wanted to cause harm, to hurt them so they could see him, he couldn't even do that. Because he was stricken with GUILT. GUILT, of all things!

Ugh… why had he been so desperate to go outside before? This outing had brought nothing to him but discomfort. For good reason too. He was something that did not fit into this world. He couldn't even exist in this world without pretending to be something else. That bizarre interaction with the mage just gave him a hint of what might happen if he were to be himself in a world like this.

A confusing, conflicting, inconsistent conversation. That's the reality he'd end up causing.

He wanted to go home. If there was one thing he could be grateful for, it's that Gooey and Kirby allowed him to exist without justification.

'Why did we not have the mage open the portal to your house once again. We could have put an end to this day with ease.'

Kirby furrowed their brow. "Well, it's a nice day out! We like walking and seeing our friends! The journey is half the fun, as some old guy would say."

Gooey nodded vigorously. "Also also! Ice cream! Kirby promised!" He shot his friend a hungry look. "Right?"

"That's right! We're gonna go get ICE CREAM!" they shouted at the top of their lungs. This was a common enough occurrence that no one in the crowd paid them any mind. With that, they grabbed Gooey's sleeve and Blade's cloak and began barreling down the road.

Unfortunately, though predictably, they tired themself out after about five minutes straight of sprinting. They still had a little bit to go before they reached the ice cream parlor, so they made the 'executive decision' to slow down. "B- bechhhhaaaause I wouldn… want you two… fahhhhhalling behhhind…"

Kirby's antics usually had the benefit of cheering up everyone within a fifty meter radius, so Blade's odd mood immediately stood out to any passersby. They shot concerned glances or reassuring smiles at him. Feelings he couldn't return.

It wasn't fair. Even in a situation where he was finally allowed to receive positive emotions, where people could care for him and he could feel happy about that, he couldn't return those feelings. Any normal person would be able to smile back. Smile and wave. And he was long past the point of trying to deny that he wanted to do that. He couldn't have what he wanted, no more than before he'd been 'a person.' Which was worse? If someone reaches for something unattainable, is it better to know that it is unattainable? Or to live in ignorance of your own folly?

He felt someone tug on the back of his cloak and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Spinning around, he locked eyes with a Waddle Dee carrying a parasol.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. But are you alright? You look a little upset…"

Gooey stepped between them, wearing a placating smile. "Alright, just sleepy."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm! Don't worry, thanks asking!"

"No problem, Gooey! Just keeping an eye out for my neighbors!" With that, they walked off, still shooting a few worried glances in Blade's direction. His heart really did feel like it was about to explode into a puddle of viscera. So many baffling thoughts scrabbled through his mind, and he was only able to express one of them in a desperate attempt to coagulate it.

'I… have… an unsettling appearance… even with a disguise… Why… are they not… afraid of me…?'

Kirby hummed in thought, but Gooey was the one to answer.

"Scary everywhere. Gooey scary. Waddle Doos scary. Lots of scary. But good anyway."

"Yeah, I couldn't have said it better myself! There's tons a people that look weird in Dreamlan'da, but that doesn't mean they're someone to be scared of! We're just used to it."

'I see…' That was a comforting thought. The idea that he could look horrifying, even if he couldn't help it, and they wouldn't mind. Because they knew it wasn't looks that mattered, just…

Just actions…

Yes… they wouldn't care about his appearance. But they would care that it was him. They would be scared because he really HAD done horrifying things. It wasn't anyone's fault but his. He was the evil in this world. He didn't have to hide because of something as easy to blame as unfair judgment.

Again, again, again! He couldn't have what he wanted, and it was all his fault! Who was he kidding with this pathetic display?! He couldn't be happy; he shouldn't even WANT to be happy! Not because of some delusional idea of what a Dark Matter should be (because he wouldn't be welcome back there regardless of what he tried), but because it was morally wrong for him to be happy! It was a SIN for him to get what he wanted! No, more than that! HE was a sin! He was evil! He was disgusting! He couldn't return kindness because he shouldn't be getting it in the first place!

Get him away from here- He couldn't keep pretending to be a person- he couldn't STAND being alive! He wanted to go back to how it was, when things were easy, when he didn't have to think about whether he should be happy or sad, whether he should live or die, whether he was a person or not. None of that mattered in the Dark Core, and he wanted to GO HOME.

Blade suddenly spun around and bolted away from his young companions. He weaved his way past the crowd and towards the outskirts of town.

"Wait, get back here!" "HEY! Where are you going?!"

Their voices didn't reach his ears. He rammed past everyone who stood in his way and ran as fast as he could to escape the town. He couldn't exist anymore- he hated this feeling- he hated feeling at all! He couldn't let anyone see Him. He couldn't let himself Exist in their vicinity. He couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't

He tore across the field so fast that he wasn't sure whether he was flying or running anymore. The wind ripped against his face as if it was trying to tear him open as punishment for breaking the rules. But he HAD to! He couldn't in good conscience keep doing what he was doing! Don't you understand?! Weren't YOU the one who told me I shouldn't be here?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!

Blade finally reached the forest and slammed himself into one of the trees. He clamped his fingers against the bark, and expelled Dark Lightning out of the tips, shattering it to pieces. He felt some sort of disgusting liquid pooling up in the corners of his eye and he desperately swiped at it, trying to stop it before it even began. He couldn't cry- crying is for people who deserve it. Even as his fingers dug into the tree, he found himself sliding down, collapsing to the grass beneath him. His body curled down, heaving and hitching with each breath. Every breath he shouldn't have because he wasn't supposed to have a real body.

He couldn't stop it. He could feel those disgusting, hideous, truly horrible emotions crawling out of his eyes with every tear. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop being a person. And he couldn't stop all the guilt and hatred and fear that came with it. All of the bad and none of the good.

Blade turned around and sat down, leaning against the tree. He tore the mask from his face and untied his cloak's clasp, letting them both fall into his lap. He couldn't get his breathing under control… So instead, he leaned down, burying his face in his hands. Trying to bury everything. Trying to keep it from escaping. Trying to reject his own existence.

'I want it all to stop… I don't want to be alive, I don't want to be a person- please- please please please take me away from this- someone make it stop- someone take me away from it all- L- Lord Zero, I'm sorry- I'm so so sorry, you were right- you were always right about me- I'm sorry, I'm sorry-'

His hands moved to his skull as he tore at his hair. If only he could just pop his head off, just leave his bleeding, ruined corpse lying in the middle of the forest for some poor soul to find, and he could scar them for life. That's what should happen, right?!

'Lord Zero, I know… I know you're not who you once were, anymore… But if you're still out there… if you're still listening… please… I'm sorry. Please take me back… Please take me away from this… I can't stand it. I hate it so much. I wish it would all die… I wish I were dead… I wish I were yours again… I hate being a person… please end it… please undo me…'

Of course, no one answered his prayer. And he shouldn't be surprised. No one would want something like him. Only those two foolish children dared accept something like this, because they were powerful enough to not care about the consequences. The recklessness of youth was the only thing holding him in this realm. And he couldn't just tell them he didn't deserve to exist. He couldn't afford to be even crueler than he already was. It would perhaps break his heart.

The only solution was to tear his heart out. He'd been saying that all day.

Blade's hand idly clawed at his chest, over his heart. He probably could. He probably could just tear his skin open and remove his heart. It would be very easy. Yes… so easy. If he was really so upset, why didn't he do that? He claimed he didn't want to die, but that was such a foolish thought, brought by false expectations. Being alive was not all that wonderful, was it? No. Not at all.

Not at all…

Hmm…..

The tears had slowed.

Dark Matter Blade stared at his gloves. He once more had to reminisce on how he got into this situation.

If he'd already gone this far, would it not be cruel to make it all amount to nothing? After all he'd done, could he just let himself die that easily? That was too easy for something like him. Right? If being alive was suffering, then didn't he deserve that as punishment? To live with his crimes and the consequences of his existence… what a fitting torment for something like him…

Besides, Gooey had said that he'd been sad about killing him, even though he'd tried to destroy this world. If he felt that way, even back then… After tricking himself into believing Blade was worth saving… if he died now, then Gooey would be heartbroken. He… didn't want to do that to his little sibling, he realized.

He truly was a horrid guardian.

"SIBLING?" "HEY, SWORDGUY? Oh! There he is!"

He wasn't even surprised this time. Of course they followed him. He broke the rules after all. And they'd be worried. He shouldn't be confused.

'...You found me…'

Kirby and Gooey rushed over, Kirby having to lean over and rest their arms on their legs.

"Wh- why'd you run off like that?! What the heckles!"

'I don't know if I can properly explain it. And I don't wish to share these feelings with you. It would hurt too much. I can't do that to you.'

"Aw…" Kirby clasped their hands in front of their chest. "You don't gotta worry about that… Really, we just wanna make sure you're oki… ARE you oki?"

Blade shrugged halfheartedly. 'I am not as bad as I was when I ran off. Is that satisfactory.'

"Good enough," Gooey mumbled. "Wanna go home?"

Blade nodded, but didn't stand. He just… stared blankly at his hands. Just as Kirby was about to ask him what was wrong, he thought once more.

'I'm… sorry. I'm sorry I'm so difficult. I'm sorry I'm a burden.'

Kirby crossed their arms, a mixed expression crossing their face. Something between irritation and worry.

"That's not something you gotta say sorry for. That's just… kinda how… being alive is?" When Blade looked up at them in shock, they elaborated. "I mean, everyone's a burden on everyone, yeah? You can't live by yourself so… don't worry about that, okay?"

'...'

Though he seemed less catatonic, it was clear he wasn't going to be moving any time soon. Gooey let out a small whine, then kneeled down next to him. He put his hand on his elder sibling's shoulder.

"Sibling?"

Blade turned to face the younger Matter.

"I love you, you know? I love you."

Gooey wrapped Blade tightly in a hug. For a moment, his breath hitched and he felt tears threatening to return. But he held them back, just barely, and leaned his head against his little sibling's.

He didn't want to lie to him… And then… he realized he wouldn't be.

'I love you too.'

After releasing the hug, Blade gathered up his disguise and the two stood up. Kirby smiled at Blade, relief leaking into their eyes.

"Go home now. Can rest."

'I thought you two wanted to get ice cream? I wouldn't want to stop you.'

"Go tomorrow. Tomorrow sibling better. Get all together."

'Alright… That sounds nice.'