Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The night sky was clear, the stars shining bright, the cold wind breeze blowing through the air carrying the scent of all kinds of different forest critters and vegetation through the air. Near the forest on top of a hill, a small, roundly shaped house could be seen. No other structures could be spotted near the little comfy dome and one could imagine that whoever was living in that small dome would feel quite lonely. But the little pink creature that resides in that little home enjoys the quiet that comes with living a bit away from the populated areas of dreamland.

After all, a good night's sleep, something they took for granted in past, had now become more of a privilege. On the small trail, a small, pink, round and extremely tired citizen of Dreamland could be spotted making its way to the dome that was as round as they were, its destination being the cozy, warm bed of theirs. As the pink puffball got closer, one could only hear the little "squeak" every time the round creature made a step forward. By now it would be visible that the round, pink, orb with whiskers that was somehow walking, would be nonother than Dreamland's legendary hero, Kirby. For someone who would normally radiate infinite amounts of, positive, optimistic, and happy energy, Kirby was looking extremely tired and burned out, their eyelids practically falling every second. Kirby gazed into the night sky filled with bright and shining stars, the warrior lost deeply in their thoughts.

Not too long ago, a dangerous, destructive God had threatened all of the Gamble Galaxy, their aim being the destruction of any living being. It more likely threatened all of reality, if not contained immediately. The God who was summoned by Hyness and the three mage sisters, (who were reformed now by the way) was made out of pure negative energy and emotions. But thanks to Kirby and the Star Allies' efforts, Void was vanquished...so why was Kirby still so upset and full of emotional turmoil.

Well, for one, the undeniable similarity between them and Void, like the extremely haunting face so similar to Kirby. Or the smile he had plastered on while trying to kill Kirby and their friends. That alone caused them enough headaches and weird looks from some of their friends. Another big problem was the forming of the Star Allies which, proved to be more difficult than expected. Turns out trying to organize an alliance, that looked more like a rogue mercenary group made out of former thieves, criminals, dictators, egotistical, power-hungry maniacs and mass murderers was more difficult than initially thought. When asked why such "shady" individuals were even allowed in the first place, King Dedede's answer was "Desperate times call for desperate measures" or "The end justifies the means". The pink puffball, like many others, didn't like either of those reasons but trusted the King anyway. After all, King Dedede and Kirby had been through so much, it was hard not to.

But their relationship wasn't always this good. No, it was quite the opposite actually, with Tripple D and Kirby being at each other's throats (does Kirby have a throat?) nearly every second of the day. Whether it was King Dedede stealing all of Dreamland's food, or Kirby basically declaring war on the King, rampaging and tearing through his army, beating up Meta Knight, beating up a cosmic thief, now known as Daroach, and finally beating up the lord of the underworld whom he they had released on accident, just because the Puffball thought that he had stolen his cake (which he had not). But no matter how hard the King tried, it didn't seem like he could beat this unstoppable pink Demon that was Kirby. After one final attempt at showing everyone that the King was superior to Kirby in every way, Tripple D challenged Kirby in a final stand-type scenario. The Puffball had made it through the King's army with relative ease again, with one of his last foes to stand between them and the King being a Bandana-wearing Waddle Dee. The very same Waddle Dee, who Kirby would consider as their sibling today. Tough not knowing that at the time, Kirby, without a copy ability simply disarmed the Dee and with the blunt side of the spear made an upwards strike, smashing him into the ceiling. After that, the final fight between Kirby and the King commenced with both sides giving it their all, which resulted in Tripple D being flung out of the castle spectacularly. Only after being humbled, and multiple possessions later did their bond starts to form and shape King Dedede into a caring ruler, who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. According to him "I make the hardest decisions, so your conscious can stay clean". A perfect example of someone making everything of a second chance. 

Tough Kirby was someone who strongly believed in second chances, certain individuals pushed that belief near a very thin line. While their help was indispensable in saving lives and their assistance crucial in defeating Void, some past actions couldn't just be forgiven and forgotten.

Of course, Kirby still was the lovable, glutenous, happy, naive, oblivious pink orb, who was willing to help anyone in need. That was the hero everyone knew and loved. But past betrayals had left their marks on their conscience, leading to them being more vary and careful when strangers asked for help. A few years ago that would not have been the case. Whether that was good or bad, they still couldn't decide. The most controversial of the Star Allies members were without a doubt, Susie, the new CEO of the Haltmann Works Company, Magolor, the greedy and insidious magician, Marx, the creepy and unnerving Jester, and last but not least Dark Meta Knight, the false Knight. Kirby knew for a fact that he wasn't helping because of the "good"  in his heart, or if he even had one. "I doubt it" Kirby answered their thoughts.

Then there were those boring and annoying Star Allies meetings and conferences. All the Puffball would do there is sit on a chair all day long, doing or adding nothing of value. Most of the time Kirby didn't even understand what the others were talking about resulting in them zoning out most of the time. The puffball once asked Meta Knight for permission to be excused from said meeting, only to be hit with another one of the Knight's lectures. "As a founding member of the Star Allies, it is your duty and obligation to be a role model to others and participate in these meetings, even if it's only with your presence. You are not a kid anymore Kirby, it is time for you to accept that you have to take responsibility and obligations like everyone else." "Great..." Kirby huffed in annoyance. "Because if there is one thing I love, its hour-long conversations that go beyond midnight, with no food and nothing to-" when Kirby saw Meta Night staring at the Orb with a warning gaze, telling them the Knight didn't have the patience to deal with their saas, Kirby knew better then to talk any further and just left with a sigh. Tough at least the Star Allies were beginning to look like an alliance and less like a rogue mercenary group.

Dreamland's hero was so caught up in their thoughts, watching the night sky that they failed to notice they had arrived, running face-first against the wooden door, which resulted in them falling to the ground, rubbing their face in pain. Tough Kirby was too tired to get mad, simply opening the door and throwing themselves at their bed. "Ahhhhh, nice and cozy". Putting on their sleeping cap, Kirby pulled the blanket over their body, eyes already drifting off into the world of drea-

*bzzzzzzzt*...*bzzzzzzzt*...*bzzzzzzzt* 

Kirby's entire body was screaming at them to just take the phone (that was given to all Star Allies) off the table and smash it against the wall. If not for Meta Knight's lecture about responsibility, Kirby probably would have done so. With the last of Kirby's remaining strength, the Puffball got out of the oh-so-cozy bed and made their way to the table in the middle of the home, taking out the phone from under a book that contained all of Kirby's past adventures. Turning on the display was met with great regret as the light seemed to burn their eyes out, making their whiskers twitch in displeasure. After Kirby's eyes seemed to adjust to the light the phone screen was emitting, the orb could finally read the name of the person that would face their wrath for disturbing their well-deserved good night's rest. But all the tiredness and all the negative emotions were suddenly swept away, replaced with a gentle and happy smile, whiskers twitching in joy when a certain name popped up on the display.

*Incoming transmission*

*Prince Fluff*

*Accept?*

*NO*       *YES*

Chapter Text

*Incoming transmission*

*Prince Fluff*

*Accept?*

*NO*       *YES*

As much as Kirby would like to answer the call, trying to navigate a small phone with big knobs as hands proved itself a worthy challenge. Though they suddenly remembered the little button on the side of the phone, pressing it, which ejected a small digital pen from the upper side. Taking it, Kirby quickly accepted the call, eager to hear the voice from the other side, the Puffballs whisker practically shaking in joy.

  *Connection established* 

"...Hello?"

"FLUFFFFFFFFFF!!!!"

"Ahh, my ears!"

Fluff said, quickly deactivating the speaker function and holding the phone away from him. 

A small giggle escaped Kirby's mouth, "Oh Nova, how I've missed your voice," The pink Puffball squealed. "It's so great to hear from you again! How have you been Fluffu?"

The Prince carefully guided the phone back to his ear "It's Prince Fluff, Kirby but it's nice to hear from you again as well. And to answer your questions, yes, I am fine but it's been quite stressful for me and Dom. Keeping an entire Kingdom all up and running after a planetary crisis isn't exactly a walk in the park.  " Fluff let out a long huff. "Things only got worse when stopped showing up..." Realizing just a little too late how that must have sounded. "Wait, that's not how I meant it at all!" He quickly added to avoid any further damage. "What I meant to say was that after you stopped showing up, I realized just how dependent I was on your help, and how helpless I felt when you weren't here anymore. I had to accept the fact that...that you wouldn't always be at my side, and that I had to start thinking and acting without your help. Which was way harder than I thought it would be." Fluff looked at the phone, his expression was one of worry and sadness, hoping that what he had just said didn't hurt Kirby too much. 

"...In the past," The young Puff suddenly began, their, tone, as well as mimic changing from happy and upright to stressed and burned, out catching Prince Fluff by surprise. "I always told myself that no matter what happened, I had to stay positive. Emotions other than joy and happiness didn't exist to me. Sure, there was the occasional sadness or anger, but never really anything else. All other feelings I had were foreign to me. Whenever I was feeling down, everyone told me to just cheer up and that those feelings would go away. But I wanted to understand what I was feeling. I didn't want it to just go away. It was like I was a stranger to my own emotions. Even my best friends told me I should just stay positive and move on. But you were different. Out of all the people I meet, you were the only one to say that it was okay to not always be happy. That I didn't need to be afraid of feeling angry or sad, and if I ever felt lost I could just talk to you. When you were by my side I never had to fear you asking me 'Why aren't you happy?'. Confusing and foreign emotions suddenly weren't scary anymore because you would listen and understand. But all that comfort went away when we stopped seeing each other...until now." The last bit of that sentence spoken by Kirby was filled with hope as well as sadness.

Fluff honestly hadn't expected all this emotional turmoil to be dropped on him, so it was no surprise that all the prince could say was, "Wow Kirby I..."'How do I even respond to this?' "I-I didn't know you felt so conflicted. I'm sorry but I don't know what to say, maybe"-. 

"And that's okay, Fluffu." Kirby cut off the Prince. "I know this was a lot to take in. It's just there aren't many people I can be so open with," The Puffball nervously played with their whiskers, their emotions getting the better of them. "So when the opportunity presented itself with you, I guess just got carried away rambling. I shouldn't have dropped all this on you so suddenly, I'm sorry that"-  

"No no!" Fluff hastily interrupted the Pink Puff. "Don't be sorry, you don't know how much it means to me that you see me as someone with who you can be as open as you want to be. I'll listen to any of your problems no matter what time it is, just like you would listen to me. There is no need to apologize. With me, you can be as open as you want and let it all out."

...

...

...

*Sniff* *Sniff*

"...Kirby?"

"...Yeah?"

Prince Fluff took off his crown and started using it as a makeshift stress ball. "Are you okay?"

"I think I am...I can't remember the last time I cried." Kirby whispered, a soft, yet beaming smile forming across their face. "It feels nice..." The young Puffball let out a happy sigh. "You know what?"

"I'm listening."

"You are awesome Fluffu, thank you."

The prince started to smile as well, putting his Crown back on his head. "Anytime, Kirby." Enough of this moping the Blue Puff thought to himself. It's time to cheer their best friend up. "But you still have to call me Prince Fluff." The Prince teased with a now mischievous smile.

"Then you have to call me the Pink Demon." Kirby countered.

"The Pink Demon? Does anyone call you that?"

"No, but I'm trying my best to get them too."

Both of them started to cackle at that.

"Well," Fluff began, "You look more like an angel to me..."

*Silence*

'Wait, why did I say that out loud?'  The Prince smacks his forehead in frustration, while his cheeks show a slight blush. 'How often do you have to remind yourself that this would never work out? You are a Prince, so start acting like one and stop letting your emotions get the better of you!' Fluff had to remind himself of why he had called in the first place. It was easy to forget all thoughts and problems with Kirby around, they just had that sort of effect on him that no one else had. 'Just tell them why you called and fish for a bit of info.'

Multiple emotions came with that last sentence that Kirby couldn't quite place in the right drawer. Oblivious to the fact that their cheeks were blushing, their heart beating faster, or the air suddenly getting hotter, Kirby simply took it for what the Puffball thought was a 'normal'  complement. "Awwww, and you are the prettiest and cutest Prince to ever exist." They replied.

If the Prince didn't know any better he might have thought the feelings between them were mutual, but he knew that wasn't the case. That's just how you are, isn't that right?' Prince Fluff thought to himself. 'No matter who you are talking to or what their past was, you will always treat them nice. That's what makes you, you. That's what makes you so special. So loveable. So adorable. And so kissab- NO, no, stop that train of thought and focus!'

"Please, you flatter his royal Highness, not that what you said isn't true" Prince Fluff replied in an egoistic but lighthearted tone. He heard Kirby snicker from the other side, making him smile.  

"Well, 'Pink Demon'," Prince Fluff continued trying to bring the conversation back to its original purpose. "After everything you just told me, I assume you have been quite busy with how things are currently developing in Dreamland?" He asked, hoping to get a little information out of Kirby. Fluff immediately noticed the change in his best friend's tone and energy that came with their answer, yet again forgetting immediately why they had called and instead now wanting to cheer them up once more.

"Yeah," Kirby began, their face changing from a happy one to a more stressed and burned-out expression. "The last few months haven't been kind to me, to say the least. There was just so much going on with fighting Void as well as organizing the Star allies that it barely left me any free time. I haven't had a good night's sleep and a delicious cake in Nova knows how long." 

"WHAT," The Prince let out an exaggerated gasp. "KIRBY NOT SLEEPING OR EATING EVERY FIVE SECONDS!? Impossible. You must be an imposter." He replied in a teasing manner, trying to cheer the other one up.

"Shut up!" The young Puff giggled, a slight smile returning and their whiskers twitching in amusement. "You almost eat as much as I do."

They break out into laughter shortly after, both of them forgetting their worries even if it was for just a moment. A moment where they could just be themselves again. Not a Prince who has to rule a Kingdom alone, not a hero who has to save all of reality. Just Kirby and Fluff, talking and enjoying each other's presence without a care in the world.  They slowly started to calm down, surprisingly with Kirby being the first one of the two to regain their composure. 

"You know Fluffu," Kirby began to speak again. "It's moments like these with you that remind me why I regard you as one of my favorite friends, right up there with bandana dee, King D, and meta Knight. That's why I love you so much...thank you."

On one side, Prince Fluff was honored that his best friend held him to such high standards, on the other hand, those words cut deeper into his heart than any blade could ever manage to.

'Don't be mad at them.' His consciousness berated him. 'Kirby doesn't know any better, how could they if you never opened up to them about your true feelings? That's what keeping secrets do. They cause misunderstandings, do more harm than good and lead to people getting hurt, intentionally or not.' His consciousness detects and prays at his moment of uncertainty and weakness. 'Don't be afraid of what they might say, think, or act afterward because there is no need for fear. This is Kirby we are talking bout.' His consciousness lamented to him. 'I'm sure nothing will change between you even if they don't feel the same way.' His subconscious continues to drill into his thoughts. 'All it takes is a bit of confidence and- NO, shut up!' Fluff yelled at himself, shutting up his consciousness as well as intrusive and hurtful scenarios that he was making up in his head, some good, others bad. Fluff would never do something so arrogant and selfish that would risk ruining the relationship they had carefully stitched over the years...never. The prince was so preoccupied with himself that he hadn't noticed that the person responsible for his emotional storm had continued the conversation he had stopped listening to. 

"...and that's why my sleep schedule has been nonexistent as of late." Kirby finished their little rant. "But enough about me, let's talk about you, and denying anything is useless. We both know you didn't call me in the dead of the night just to ask me how I feel so, what's the Issue over in Patchland?"

Prince Fluff soaked in the air. 'This is the moment of truth.' He thought to himself. But first, "Are you sure you can handle this?" The Prince asked with a serious tone and an expression to match. "You have been through a lot in the last couple of months. What I am about to say could just overdue it. I want you to be fit mentally as well as physically before you even consider helping Patchland and my Kingdom."

"Fit as a Puffball can be!" Kirby awkwardly slid on the bed they were currently sitting on since what they had just said was a complete lie.

"Alright, ready?"

"Common, it can't be that"-

"Yin Yarn is still alive."

There was a long silence from both sides. It took Kirby a lot of strength and courage to be able to speak up again, and even then, it was only one word.

"How?"

How one single word could ring so many alarm bells in Fluff's head was a mystery. Their voice was blank, their expression unreadable, sending an extremely unnerving vibe toward the Prince. But he continued nonetheless, there was no turning back now.

"After you and I defeated Yin Yarn, we went out searching for the needles and eventually found them. At first, we wanted to eradicate them but as Dom later pointed out, we had no information regarding the needles themselves. Destroying them could have brought unforeseeable consequences. So our second-best decision was to lock them away in the most secure parts of the Castle, never to meet the light of day again. At first, all seemed to be fine but then," Prince Fluff shuddered as the memories began to resurface. "Reports started to come in about guards starting to act weirdly when near the Dungen that was holding Yin Yarn. Some were spotted talking to themselves while others just stared at the entrance doors with empty smiles, often ignoring any input from outside.

Kirby was listening closely, practically soaking up any information that could be useful later.

The Prince continued, "Things only got worse from there. It was especially bad with guards who were stationed near Yin Yarn for an extended period, and when asked the guards stated that they had no memory of their actions. Then last night...some...horrible things happened. It's why I called you."  Kirby frowned. 'If Fluffu felt the need to call me the very next day then...' Kirby didn't even want to ask what had happened. When Fluff continued with his story Kirby could hear that his voice wasn't his usual direct, commanding, and clear-cut voice but rather one filled with fear and terror, only coming out as a whisper. 

"Last night just after midnight, Dom, Buster, the Royal Guard, and I were discussing how we should handle the Yin Yarn situation when we heard multiple screams coming from the Dungeon. All of us immediately rushed over and when we arrived w-we...we found multiple Guardsmen laying on the floor. Some were impaled with spears, others completely unraveled. We asked one of the survivors what happened. She said dozens of our men started attacking each other yelling that they had to 'Follow the voicess'. They had broken down the Dungeon doors and swarmed inside. To ensure maximum safety we had the needles placed in a secured safe made out of the most durable materials we could find in the whole Kingdom. The only key was my Yarn Whip. We also upgraded our Dungeon with multiple paths, of which only one led to the safe, the others leading to deathtraps. Only Dom and I knew the right way, so when the decision was made to follow after the rogue guards, I had to accompany the Royal Guard, Buster also came with us.

Kirby noticed that Fluff's voice was slowly starting to break and they wondered if he could even finish telling his tale, but the Prince continued.

"We made our way to safe, hearing screams of pain throughout the entire trip, and when we finally arrived," Fluff had to swallow his nausea. "We saw Guardsmen bashing their head against the safe yelling that they had 'Found the voices'. But when one of them noticed us they just s-s-stopped and started looking at me with their purple eyes and their empty grins. Then all of them started to walk toward me, so I told my Royal Guardsmen to capture them...but when they turned around all of them had the same empty grin and purple eyes, even Buster.

Kirby couldn't see it, but Prince Fluff was shaking heavily on the other side of the line, his whole body trembling. "Before I knew what was going on, all of the jumped towards me, stabbing me with their spears and trying to unravel me. I-I begged them to stop but they just wouldn't listen. After a while, Buster grabbed my Yarn Whip and they dragged me toward the safe. I screamed for them to wake up but it was no use. Buster was about to open the safe, but I couldn't let that happen, I couldn't allow him to free Yin Yarn, so I grabbed him a-a-and... I-I..."Fluff felt so physically ill that he couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. Just then he noticed the message that his phone was displaying.

*Kirby has terminated the transmission*

*Kirby* 

*Redial?*

*NO*       *YES*

The Prince felt like the whole world was spinning around, his heart sinking, slowly dropping the phone to the ground. Fluff didn't understand, was it something he said, did Kirby not want to deal with all this? Suddenly his whole room was engulfed in bright white light, momentarily blinding the blue Puff as he held his paws protectively over his eyes.

When his vision returned, he was greeted with a Pink Puffball standing in his room, their face a display of sorrow and guilt. They both locked eyes with each other. 

...

...

...

And then the dam broke, and with it, did Prince Fluff. He sank to the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks like a waterfall, his cries of pain and agony echoing through the silent castle hallways. Kirby dashed over to his friend, grabbing him and pulling him into a tight embrace, swearing to never let go. Fluff returned the hug, but the crying didn't stop. Kirby gently started to pat the Prince's head, while softly shushing him. Though the Prince kept on repeating three words, "I KILLED THEM ALL!" He repeated them over and over and over again. And every time he did, Kirby replied, "It's okay." They softly grabbed Fluff's hand, guiding him to his bed. "Lay down," Kirby whispered, but Fluff didn't seem to listen, instead pulling Kirby closer into his embrace. "I promise I won't let go, please lay down." The broken Prince slowly got onto the bed, the crying not stopping. The pink Puff followed not seconds after, pulling the blanket over both their bodies, both of them embracing each other again shortly after. But the crying didn't stop. It went on, and on, and on until there was nothing left. No tears, no resolve, no bravery, no strength, no energy, and with the last one gone, the broken Prince simply collapsed, passing into a deep sleep, with Kirby following close behind.  Finally, the castle was silent again. 

Chapter Text

Meta Knight was impatiently tapping his hand against the table, eyes darting to the conference room entrance every few seconds. If there was one thing the Knight couldn't stand, it was being unpunctual. Responsibility and reliability are one of the most important essences of a functioning alliance. Without them, they wouldn't be better than some renegade bandit group. The Knight's impatience was slowly getting replaced with anger. How many times did they have to go through this talk of him telling Kirby that they were a grown-up now, only for them to listen to him for a couple of days and after that go right back to their old habits of sleeping for entire days? Maybe he did have to resort to punishment, like no cake for a week, or helping with some cleaning on the Halberd.

"Sorry to interrupt your inner monolog, but the people here are getting bored." Although the room was quite loud since everyone was talking all over the place, the strained voice that had just ripped him out of his thoughts was unmistakenly King Dedede's. The Monarch Penguin who was sitting next to him was glaring at him with a look of annoyance. "We have been waiting for a good half hour now, face it, they won't show up. You tapping the table repeatedly won't change that." The King remarked.

"Maybe you should give them a little call, just to be safe?" a much softer voice chimed in, belonging to Queen Ripple who was also sitting next to Dedede. The Queen leaned forward to look him in the eyes, "Perhaps something has happened." An expression of worry formed across her face.

"Ya hear that Meta Knight," Dedede mocked. "It's called being considerate, you should try it sometime." His face now changed to a more serious expression "Jokes aside, you have been way too hard on the kid lately, remember that he just saved everyone from oblivion." The Monarch reminded the Knight. " Cut them some slack. We all saw the bags the squirt was carrying under their eyes the last few days. They need sleep." Dedede insisted. Meta Knight was growing tired of their accusations as if the Puff's well-being wasn't one of his top priorities.

"Do I have to remind you of the Robobot invasion?!" Meta Knight snapped at both of them, with the Queen being taken back by the sudden outburst while King Dedede just gave him a stern look. A head turned towards the Knight somewhere around the table, but he paid no attention to it. "I'm also aware that Kirby has been burned out as of late, but they will have to get used to it, it's nothing they can't handle." The Knight retorted in an annoyed voice. 

"If that's the case then at least give the Puff a call, just to make sure." Ripple looked at him with pleading eyes.

Meta let out a sigh. "I guess a call can't hurt."

"Hey, tubby, when are we starting this nonsense, I'm getting hungry!"  The three of them collectively rolled their eyes, none of them having to even look in the direction the voice came from to know who had interrupted their discussion.

"Actually, we were just getting started, Marx" Dedede tried to answer as calmly as possible, crunching his teeth. There were few people in this universe he hated as much as Marx. If the Jester died tomorrow, no one would mourn him, except for Magolor. 

"Good," Marx's devilish smile got even wider, "Cause you to know how I get when I'm HUNGRY." Speaking that last word as if he could devour everyone in this room, which he could.

Dedede had to use every ounce of willpower to not wipe that unnerving smile off his face. Sometimes, no, he always regretted letting that traitorous Jester in. Marx was certainly one of the most powerful Star allies, which was the problem. The Jester was too dangerous to not constantly be under surveillance, so kicking him out was not an option, which didn't mean id make this easier. Marx was a wild card, not fighting for anyone but himself. Dedede knew if Kirby didn't exist, Marx would certainly try to kill them all right now or would have already, with Popstar under his heel. If the Star allies ever grew strong enough to not rely on the Clown, the King personally would make sure to oversee his disposal, PERMANENTLY. That's when he felt Queen Ripple's hand grab his.

"Don't fall for his provocation." The Queen gave him a soft smile, washing away his anger. "It's not worth your energy."

"Yeah," the King taking a deep breath, "You're right." He said, returning the warm smile.

"Ohhhhh, are you so weak that your kept woman has to defend you now, aren't you a man?" Marx mockingly asked, a challenging look on his face. Before King Dedede or Ribbon could commit an atrocious crime, a new voice entered the argument.

"At least the King has someone willing to spend her life with him. The only friend you have is Magolor and the sole thing that binds you two together is that you betrayed your friends as well as the fact that no one likes you.

"Hey, plenty of people like me!" Magolor protested, but the voice paid him no mind.

"For the latter, you try to hide that insecurity by being a textbook definition of a walking piece of *BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*."

And then the room went silent. No one said anything, almost everyone glared in shock with a few exceptions. When the crowd turned around to see who had said that, they were greeted with a satisfied, devious-looking grin from Shadow Kirby as if he hadn't just spoken some of the vilest words to exist.

While Shadow Kirby was Smiling, the Jester's had faded, looking at the Mirror World counterpart with a blank expression, multiple scenarios going through his head of how he would torture this cretin that would dare to mock him. 

"What did you say?" Marx asked with a voice so unnerving, it send shivers through the crowd. But Shadow Kirby didn't even flinch, simply continuing to look at the Jester.

"You heard me, Clown boy," Shadow answered with a gloating tone and a smile to match. "The question is what are you gonna do about it?"

Marx slowly started to hover above his seat unfolding his wings, a dark expression covering his face. Panic started to erupt in the crowd with people slowly backing up and nervous chatter filling the conference room. Others like Darouch, Susie, and Dark Meta Knight started to prepare themselves for a fight that seemed like it was about to break out. Multiple energy spheres started to form above Marx, each of them starting to grow in size. The crowd's mood started to shift from panic to fear, some even running to the exit doors attempting to flee, while others tried to hide in the room or under the table. 

"Hey now Marx, what did we say about controlling our anger?" Magolor said with a nervous laugh, trying to calm his friend down, though the Jester didn't seem to pay him any attention. Instead, his iconic devil's grin had returned to his face after starting to laugh like a madman.

"HAHAHAHAAAAAA, would you look at that everyone, the bootleg edition of Kirby has some spine, I like that. About time someone in this dumpster fire of alliance grew some backbone." Marx's eyes were fixated on Shadow, while he was looking at the Jester with a beaming glare full of anticipation moving his body into a fighting stance. But before any of them could react, a deafening scream echoed through the room. 

"ENOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!" The King screamed, smashing one hand onto the table. Everyone froze in place, looking at Dedede who had a look on his face that could murder the entire Galaxy. His eyes darted toward Marx, "SIT DOWN." The Jester looked unimpressed but to everyone's surprise, he did, the energy spheres slowly dissolving. Now Dedede's gaze flicked towards Shadow, staring daggers at him "I will talk with you, later."

"Eugh," Kirby's counterpart simply answered, crossing his arms and sitting back down. "Just when it was getting good."

Ignoring the last sentence, Dedede started to look around the conference room, spotting a few individuals crawling out under the table while others who had fled the scene started to peek inside checking if it was safe. Dark Meta Knight, as well as Meta Kight, seethed their swords while Susie slowly put away her pistol and Darouche his signature cane. Only Bandana Dee still seemed to be on edge, with Sailor Dee starting to calm him down. When King Dedede looked back at Queen Ripple, he noticed that Ribbon had dashed in front of the Queen, pointing her Crystal shard gun at the Clown, seemingly unwilling at pointing away. Ripple lightly tapped her little fairy guardian on the shoulder.

"Thank you Ribbon, but I think it's safe now." The Fairy Queen said with a calming tone. Ribbon slowly lowered her gun, though her eyes were still fixated on Marx.

"Alright," Dedede carefully began, "The little disturbance we had seems to be resolved for now, so why don't we just all calm down and continue with our meeting as planned?" Murmurs and nods of approval seemed to hush over the crowd. "Alright then, I believe it was Miss Haltmann who first wanted to present her Project." 

Susie got up from her seat, her voice professional as always. "Correct your highness." She said while walking over to the holographic projector while taking out a tablet, "May I direct your attention to the projector?" Asking to make sure she had everyone's attention. When she was sure, Susie pushed a button on her tablet, revealing what seemed to be a three-dimensional image of multiple orbitally shaped satellites as well as a giant watchtower with a glass dome at the top and a giant satellite dish on its roof. "This ladies and gentlemen," She began with a proud undertone in her voice, "Is the planetary pre-warn preventive defense grid or, P.P.P.D.G. for short." 'Ohhhhs' and 'Woooows' could be heard from the crowd and while Susie didn't have a mouth, her eyes made it clear that she was very pleased by that reaction. She now looked over to King Dedede. "With your permission, I would like to continue your Majeste."

"Before you do," Dedede quickly intercepted his gaze now turning towards Meta Knight, "I believe you have a call to make?"

"Right." Meta Knight got up from his chair. "Excuse me Miss Haltmann, but I have some other business to attend to." He gave a respectful nod to King Dedede and Queen Ripple, the latter giving him a thankful look. Without another word, the Knight made his way to the exit, not sparing Susie a single glance who was gazing after him with a disappointed look in her eyes. 

"No problem," she muttered, "Maybe another time."

Meta Knight closed the doors behind him. Luck must be on his side today, since seeing nor hearing Haltmann was a blessing to the Knight. He had and would never forgive that wretched being that called herself a 'simple' businesswoman for the atrocities she committed against uncountable innocent souls as well as him. Entire Planets had been destroyed and races genocided under the guise of neverending prosperity. The mere thought alone was enough to make him sick to his stomach. How many lights she had snuffed out, he didn't even want to know.

Collecting his thoughts, Meta remembered why he even came out here in the first place, taking out his phone from his dimensional cape. Quickly going through his contacts, he found the name Meta knight was looking for

*Star allies *

*Kirby*

*Establish Transmission?*

*NO*        *YES*

Meta Knight pressed the call button, the phone's buzzing confirming it was trying to establish a connection. One thing Meta knew was, he would make sure Kirby would get a piece of his mind when they would pick up the phone. Just when he thought the Pink Puff was starting to take this seriously. They hadn't missed a single meeting in the last two weeks without any input from the Knight himself, so seeing Kirby regress so suddenly made him angry. He would not allow it. 

*bzzzzzzzt*...*bzzzzzzzt*...*bzzzzzzzt*

*Could not establish connection*

*Kirby*

*Redial?*

*NO*        *YES*

Weird, the Knight thought to himself, while he pressed the redial button again.

*bzzzzzzzt*...*bzzzzzzzt*...*bzzzzzzzt*

*Could not establish connection*

*Kirby*

*Redial?*

*NO*        *YES*

Now Meta Knight Knight was starting to get worried. Of course, the obvious answer was that Kirby was not hearing the ringing of their phone, but he felt like it was something else, call it warriors instinct. Now, Meta Knight thought, there was no reason to alert anyone just yet, after all, Kirby simply oversleeping wasn't something uncommon, which means paying them a little visit could clear this shared up. On the other hand, if something did happen, it would be good for others to know where they could find them. Then again, he would have to enter the room again, which would mean the potential of engaging with Haltmann again, which the Knight wasn't too keen on. After a little thinking, Meta Knight chooses the former option, making his way to one of the castle balconies, his sabatons making a metallic thud with each step. Reaching the balcony, the Knight jumped on top of the railing, his balance steady, his demeanor calm. Letting his gaze wander over the beautiful landscape, he could make out the Halberd in the far distance near the orange ocean, as well as Dyna Blade's nest. But what Meta Knight was looking for was Kirby's home located in Green Greens. His eyes scanned the open fields until he could make out roughly the area where the Puffbals home should be located. Meta Knight readied himself and with one swoop, Meta's cape vanished exposing his wings.

He jumped off the railing and with a few powerful flaps of his wings soared into the air, flying as high as the clouds. Meta Knight had flown often, but he would never get sick of the feeling, the feeling of absolute freedom. Where for just a second he could forget the problems of the world and just enjoy the peace that came with being high up in the skies. No hills or structures were up here that could obscure the beautiful scenery that was unfolding in front of him, soaking up the entire beauty of Dreamland. The wind softly brushed against the Knight's wings, giving him a tingling sensation few things could duplicate. Yes, Meta thought to himself, this was freedom at its peak. The Knight was so caught up he barely noticed that he had reached his destination. Soaking up the fresh air one last time, Meta Knight pulled back his wings, dashing towards the ground with incredible speed. If anyone would ask, he would just tell them that this was the fastest way to get to ground level, but to be honest, the Knight only did so because of the adrenalin kicks he got out of it. Seeing as he was coming closer and closer to the ground, Meta Knight completely stretched out his wings, breaking his fall as he softly landed in front of Kirby's door.

Let's see what excuse they have, Meta thought to himself as he knocked on the door three times.

...

...

...

No answer. The Knight knocked again, only this, time much harder.

...

...

...

Not having the patients to wait any longer, Meta slowly twisted the doorknob, and to his growing worry, it was not locked. He slowly entered and found...no one. Alarms immediately started going off in the Knight's head as Kirby was nowhere to be found. Noticing Kirby's bed, Meta took off one of his gloves, putting his hand on it. The bed felt very cold, too cold for someone who should have been sleeping there only an hour ago. The Knight noticed something laying on the ground, it was a pink phone. He picked it up and activated it the display showed a total of two calls missed. But when he tried to unlock it, he was greeted with a password. Meta Knight cursed inwardly, taking out his own phone, the Knight quickly found King Dedede's number and called him.

It rang a few times before someone picked up. "Meta Knight now is really not the time to"-

"Save it!" Meta Knight hissed "Kirby isn't here!"

"What?" Dedede sounded confused.

"His bed is cold Dedede, he never slept at home! I don't even know if he ever arrived home after last night!"

Both of them fell silent, not daring to speak out about what was going through their minds, until the King finally gave an answer, his voice merely a whisper."No one except our most trusted members can know about this."

"Finish the meeting and inform anyone you deem trustworthy," Meta Knight commanded. "And keep it discrete. If any of those individuals found out..."

"Got it, what are you gonna do?"

Meta Knight thought for a second, before deciding his next course of action "I'll go get the Meta Knights, we have to find Kirby, no matter the cost."

"Right, let's get to work!" Dedede's voice was determined. "Well find them, don't worry."

 " I know." Meta knight answered and without further ado, he dashed outside the home not bothering to close the door. Transforming his cape back to his wings, the Knight made off to his destination, the Halberd clearly visible in the distance.

Chapter Text

Kirby's eyes slowly started to break open, a soft yawn escaping their mouth. The Puffball's eyes gradually started to adjust to the light, making Kirby open them completely. At first, Kirby was confused. This wasn't their bed, nor their home. The Puffball's confusion grew when they realized that something or someone was hugging them pretty tightly. Was there someone sleeping beside them? Was it Bandana Dee? Quite likely since Kirby and their sibling slept beside each other pretty often. Though Kirby had trouble remembering since they were so tired from the past week. The individual in question that was embracing the pink Puff was doing so from behind, so Kirby carefully tried to turn around to see who it was, being as careful and gentle as possible to avoid waking the other person up.

When Kirby managed to turn their body around, finally being able to identify this mystery person. Hugging them tightly was a fellow, blu Puffball with a crown on his head, their skin feeling and looking an awful lot like yarn. Now that Kiby noticed, their body was also feeling very different, taking a quick peek at their hands to confirm their suspicion. That would mean that the other Puff beside Kirby was...Prince Fluff? But why? What was Kirby doing in Patchland and most of all, sleeping beside Fluff? So many questions swirled through their head, did something bad happen, were they on a playdate, did anyone know Kirby was here? The Puff thought hard, searching their mind for answers when it all suddenly came back, the floodgates for their memories opening, the crying, the pain, the despair, right...that's why they were here. It was like a small needle had just stung Kirby's heart, a small frown forming on their face. The pink Puff had always known the Prince as someone who, while still being playful, never really openly showed any fear or despair but rather was more serious. Seeing him like that yesterday, Kirby felt like a piece of their soul had broken. Kirby looked at him. Prince Fluff was sleeping tightly, his breathing steady as the air he exhaled softly struck Kirby's face. 

The Prince looked so peaceful and calm, devoid of any world troubles, but Kirby knew that would change as soon as Fluff woke up. Still, seeing him like this brought back a little smile to their face. Kirby always thought that the Prince looked the cutest and most adorable when sleeping, his little snoring being oddly soothing, maybe even enchanting since the Puff seemingly couldn't take their eyes off the Prince. Ahh, there it was again, that odd feeling that Kirby just couldn't describe. Kirby did dislike emotions that were unfamiliar to them, but these felt kind of nice, there was the heat that felt like their own personal Owen and a funny tingling in their stomach, like butterflies. 'What is this?' The pink Puff wanted to know what was currently going on with themselves but failed to do so. 'It feels so, so...right?'  That was the word they were looking for. It felt 'right'...like it belonged.

Kirby started to cozie up to Prince Fluff, softly nuzzling their face against his. The Puff was still extremely tired, going back to sleep seemed so extremely inviting right now, an invitation they would gladly accept. Additionally, the multiple emotions Kirby was feeling were too complicated for a sleepy Puff to be able to answer them now, plus the pleasant warmth Fluff was emitting made them even more sleepy. Not wanting to fight the tiredness any longer, Kirby allowed themselves to drift back to sleep. Somewhere in the back of their mind, Kirby could hear Meta Knight scolding the Puff for having no discipline, somewhere in the back of their mind, Kirby could hear their thoughts pleading to tell anyone that they weren't home right now, that inaction would bring great consequences. "So, so tired..." Kirby muttered, finally drifting off into a deep sleep.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*........

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*.......

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK* .......

Dom was starting to get worried. Half the day had already passed and there and still no sign of his royal Highness. The last time Dom had seen his Majesty, he had looked utterly and completely broken, like a man who had just lost everything...actually that description was hauntingly fitting. The Prince hadn't come out of his room ever since that night, and that was almost two days ago, certainly, what happened that fateful night was a horrifying event in its own right and Dom couldn't blame his Majesty for wanting to be left alone for a while, but isolating himself would not help in the situation in the slightest. Having had enough, Dom slowly started to open the door to the Prince's room, immediately noticing how it looked like a storm had passed in there. Furniture was knocked over, a tall mirror had been shattered to pieces and a bunch of expensive jewelry was scattered on the floor. A slight gloom washed over Dom's face. It looked like his Royal Highness had left out some 'stress' by letting his emotions out in a slightly violent way. Dom hoped all the anger and frustration would have been exclusively directed toward inanimate objects and not the Prince himself. Self-harm was something he would not tolerate, no matter the circumstances. His gaze now flew over to his Majesty's bed, and sure enough, laying in said bed was the Prince himself tough with his back turned towards Dom. Relieved that the Prince was at least present, Dom decided that it was time for his Highness to wake up clearing his voice in preparation.

"My Prince?...Your Majesty?...YOUR HIGHNESS!"

Prince Fluff's eyes shot open with a panicked look on his face, jumping out of the bed and immediately redying his yarn whip while taking in a fighting stance. His eyes darted around the room with panic until they laid gaze on an all too familiar face, standing in the middle of the room a few meters away from Fluff. Prince Fluff let out a relieved sigh while retracting his yarn whip, noticing the all too worried look on the Royal Advisor's face. An expression the Prince didn't get to see all that often. They both stared at each other in silence, with Dom being the one to break it.

"My sincerest apologies, your Highness, I did not mean to startle you." Taking a bow in front of the Prine, Fluff quickly waved off.

"No need to apologize, Dom." He answered, a slight edge remaining in his tone. The Prince noticed that Dom seemingly eying his entire room.

"'Rearanging' some furniture? The Royal Advisor asked in a sarcastic tone.

Now Prince Fluff also started to look around the devastated room. 'Right.' The Prince huffed inwardly, saying he had left a little mess would be an understatement. Returning to Dom's question, Fluff slowly shook his head, his usual no-nonsense voice starting to return. "I just had to let off some steam after...'that' night."

Dom squinted his eyes, asking his Highness with a cautious voice, "Am I right in assuming no anger was redirected to his Majesties own body?"

Fluff had to think for a while, before catching on to what Dom was implying, yet again shaking his head and answering calmly, "No, no such thing. I won't say I'm fine but...I haven't gone that far."

Dom knew a lie when he saw one, and that wasn't a lie. He couldn't help but close his eyes, allowing a sigh of relief to escape his mouth. "That is good to hear." The Royal Advisor picked up eye contact again, continuing the conversation. "As per your request, preparations have been made the evacuate the castle, with most of the personnel already having left."

"Who has yet to leave?"

"That would be me, your Highness."

Fluff closed his eyes, letting out a long huff. 'This is it then. There is no turning back now.' 

Dom looked at Prince Fluff, concern patterned over his face "Are you sure about this my Prince?"

"No," Fluff replied. "But I am not risking anyone getting possessed again." The last part of the sentence was filled with extreme bitterness. "I refuse to kill anyone else."

The Royal Advisor shook his head in disapproval. "Do not blame yourself. No one could have predicted the events that unfolded that night. Just imagine what would have happened if you didn't do what you did. You simply fulfilled your duties as a Prince. You saved your people. Just like a hero."

Fluff let out a bitter laugh. "Ha ha, me? A hero? I thought I was speaking to my Royal Advisor, and not the new court jester."

A frown washed over Dom's face, his tone becoming more strict. "Young Prince, while I do understand your pain, drowning yourself in self pitty will not help the situation in the slightest. Few could have done what you did that day. Most would have run, others, simply letting events take their course." Dom's voice softened again, now giving the Prince an understanding look. "As a leader, the hardest decisions will fall on your shoulders, carrying the burden of an entire kingdom. I have already told you this many times your Highness, so let me say it again. You can't please everyone, you can't help everyone, but most important of all. You. Can. Not. Save. Everyone. No matter how hard you try. Despite your best efforts, the void will lay claim to a few souls, and there is nothing you can do to change that. Those Royal Guards, Buster, they are dead, their fates sealed." Dom looked deep into Fluff's eyes, spotting a mix of anger, despair, and helplessness. He knew he was harsh, but Dom had to make sure that his Royal Majesty knew what had happened wasn't his fault. "You have to let go, stop clinging to the past, and stay strong for the future. The people of Patchland need their Prince right now, a Prince that they can put their full trust in. You have to stay strong."

Fluff closed his eyes, turning his back toward Dom. He took a deep breath, soaking up the air. Sometimes Fluff wished he could be a normal peasant, not some royal figure. The weight of decisions he had to make, the responsibility he had to carry, it was getting too much to handle. But then the Prince reminded himself of the many people that swore their loyalty to him. From simple servants to Royal Guardsmen, all of them would be ready to give their lives for the Prince without a second thought, and some did just that. Sometimes he wondered how someone like him could inspire such loyalty and devotion. They gave their lives, trusting that he could find a solution. Quitting now would be nothing short of a betrayal of the highest order. He would see this through, no, he had to, he owed it to them. Prince Fluff finally turned his gaze back to Dom, filled with renewed strength. His expression shows the clear composure, bravery, and determination of a true Prince, no, a King. "You once told me that time was like a book," Fluff's voice was clear, filled with renewed strength and courage. "The past has already been written, the ink already dry. But the future is a story untold, yet to be written. So take your pen, and write a story, that has yet to be told! You are right, there will be time for regrets, but the present calls for action. By my crown is sware, their death will not be in vain!"

Dom grew a wide smile, his eyes shining proudly like a father. "I always knew that no mountain of problems would stop you from solving them. The people of Patchland should be proud, of having a Prince that they could always count on. Now let's"-

*SNOOOOOOOORE*........

Dom and Fluff both blinked in unison, clear confusion hanging in the air. The noise that had interrupted their inspiring conversation came from behind Fluff, Dom now looking over the Prince's shoulders and over to the bed, the Prince following his gaze. Under the blanket, Dom could make out another figure sleeping.

"Oh right," Fluff began smirking nervously, Dom spotting a very slight blush on his cheeks. "I called them over didn't I?" Though Price Fluff's expression changed into worry when he saw that his Royal Advisor was glaring at him with a look of horror, anger, and disappointment all at the same time. Dom was at a loss for words. How could the Prince just casually forget he brought THEM over, to do nova knows what!? Such bashful activities would not be tolerated, no matter what kind of grief you are going through.

"Young boy," Prince Fluff flinched when hearing the fury in Dom's voice. "While I do understand your grief, that is no excuse for such a display of misbehavior!"

Fluff was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Using this tragedy as an excuse to satisfy your needs, is nothing short of shameful your Highness."

Fluff's eyes now grew into two full moons, and his cheeks ran hot while blushing to the extreme "I beg your pardon!?" The Prince asked indignantly. "This isn't remotely what it looks like, or what you think!"

"Well, then do tell me what another person is doing in your sleeping quarters?" Dom commanded, staring daggers at the Prince. Fluff jumped on the bed, swiftly pulling off the blankets and revealing a Pink Puffball who now was making a dissatisfied face, having felt the warmth of the blanket disappearing. The Royal Advisor had to think for a few seconds before it made 'klick' in his head, letting out a long sigh of relief. Dom looked up towards Prince Fluff again, noticing the Prince had crossed his arms, wearing an accusatory look.

"The mere thought of me using this tragedy as means to satisfy myself crossing your mind is an insult in itself." Fluff responded, with a hurt voice.

"Right," Dom began, shaking his head. 'I shouldn't have jumped the gun like that, of course, the Prince would never do something like that.'  "Forgive me for my inappropriate accusation, my Prince, though I'm still curious. What is Lord Kirby doing here?"

Fluff let out a small huff before speaking up, how often did he have to recall these memories today? "After that incident, I locked myself in my room. I just needed someone to talk to. I...I couldn't bring myself to look you in the eyes, so I did the next best thing that came to my mind. I called Kirby, we talked for a bit and they just kind of showed up. At one point we must have fallen asleep." 'No need to mention that I cried my soul out.' Dom slowly gave an understanding nod, both of them now looking each other in the eyes. The two of them knew what was about to happen next, with Dom being the one to take the painful step.

"Seeing as we have resolved this issue as well," Dom gave his Majesty a deep bow. "I think it is time for me to leave the castle grounds. Each and every one of us has put our utmost faith in you." Dom now looked up again, a painful look in his eyes, as if he was reliving a hurtful memory. "Your mother would be proud." That sentence hat stung equally hurtful on both sides, with Fluff closing his eyes. With those words, Dom made his way to the door, giving the Prince one last look, both of them giving each other one final nod. And with that, the Royal Advisor exited the room, a loud *thud* echoing through the entire castle as the door was closed, leaving the Prince standing there with an empty look.

The silence was deafening...

Chapter Text

Most of the time Kirby's dreams were nothing special. They normally played games, ate lots of food, hung out with friends, and even slept in their dreams. Yes, Kirby sleeps within their dreams, that's how much the Puffball liked sleeping. Although this time, things were looking much different. This time, there was no joy, no playing games, no having fun, and no sleeping. This time, there was dread, pain, and fear. There was lots and lots of fear. Kirby was now starting to panic, particularly because they had just rammed a very sharp object into someone's stomach, the person in questing letting out a gasp of pain. Kirby was starting to panic even more because no matter how hard they tried, the Puffball just couldn't seem to let go of the sharp object. Kirby tried to calm down. 'Okay, calm down Kirby, just...breath. What did Sir Meta Knight always say? Don't panic, keep calm, and observe. What's going on, where are you, and what's the solution if it's something bad?

The first two were easily answered. Kirby knew exactly where they were, a dream. They also knew that they were currently gutting someone for an unknown reason, but as to how to stop that from happening, or rather, doing it further, Kirby had no answer. Everything seemed so unclear, so foggy. Their vision was blurred, and they couldn't make out anything at all, only a rough silhouette of the person Kirby was stabbing. The person in question seemed so close, yet so blurred, even though they were standing directly in front of Kirby. The Pink Puff tried to look closer at the thing they were stabbing the other person with. It was rough to see, some sort of pink-colored lance. Kirby now tried to make out the person they were stabbing. The man was a little smaller in stature compared to the Pink Puffball, but they were definitely of Kirby's species. He was sporting a dark cape and mask covering his face with yellow eyes glaring at Kirby. 

'So familiar, so familiar...why can't I REMEMBER!? Augh, my head... it's hurting so much, make it STOP!' Kirby squeezed their eyes as the pain was starting to take over their body, but there was also something else. An emotion that was eating the Pink Puff up from the inside. It was a thirst like no other, a thirst for...revenge. An unstoppable amount of rage. Kirby could feel it taking over every inch of their mind, like a disease, a virus, a parasite, and it was spreading, fast. It was starting to hurt, a pain like the Puffball had never experienced. It was getting too much, too much to handle. The pain had to stop, it just had to, no matter the cost. Kirby looked at the other person. Yes, it all made sense now...he was the one causing this pain, and he was the only one who could make it stop. Without thinking further, Kirby simply gave in to the rage, putting a hand behind the other person's back, pulling him towards themselves as the lance violently slipped deeper into his stomach, his yellow eyes widening in pain. Kirby pulled the other person closer until they were face to face, their masks now touching each other with lance peeking out of the other person's back, tough...the pain remained. The Puff looked deep into the yellow eyes of the other person. He was coughing now, blood starting to drip from under the mask. As Kirby stared deeper, he could make out the emotions in the eyes of the other. They were filled with sorrow, guilt, regret...and love. Kirby's emotions started to race. 'No, no, NO! STOP! STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!'. Enraged by these confusing emotions, they pushed the lance even deeper, the other person soaking in the air as the pain started to become unbearable.

"Kirby-" The other person tried to speak, but had to brake his sentence to cough up more blood filling his lungs, but that didn't stop him from trying to finish it. "Kirby...no matter...what happens, you will always be...my-"

"KIRBY!!!" Prince Fluff started to shake Kirby intensely, seeing as the Pink Puff's body started to violently tremble in their sleep. Kirby's eyes almost immediately shot open as they were ripped from their sleep. Pupils dilated, tears flowing, the Puffball's eyes started darting around the room in a panic, their face moving from one side to another in fast succession. Dread was starting to take over as Kirby started to hyperventilate extremely. Where were they, what was going on, and why was their body feeling so weird? The Puffball was in such a panic that they failed to notice the Prince standing right in front of them. "Hey, Kirby look at me!" Prince Fluff was waving his hand in front of their eyes, but the words seemingly had no effect as Kirby's face continued to rush from one side to another as the trembling started to get worse. Fluff grabbed Kirby's face with no other choice, forcing them to look at him, as both of their eyes locked onto each other. "Kirby, look into my eyes!" The Puffball was now staring at the Prince in the eyes, hyperventilating even more as their eyes grew with fear. "Kirby, look at me and follow my instructions." Fluff was now speaking in a firm and commanding tone. "Now, take a deep breath in...and breath out...breath in...and breath out...breath in...and breath out..." Kirby did as Prince Fluff told, breathing in and out in a steady rhythm, following the Prince's words. Slowly but surely, the Pink Puffball started to calm down, the trembling stopping and the tears disappearing, and finally, the Puffball could breathe steadily again without the guidance of the Prince. 

"Just like that, see, you are doing great. I'm here with you, ok?" Fluff was still looking intensely into Kirby's eyes, softly holding the hands of the other. The Pink Puffball simply nodded, still a bit shaken, but considerably calmer now. Prince Fluff softly wiped away the tears from Kirby's face, wearing his signature scowl on his face, but his eyes showed clear compassion. His tone was soft yet firm when speaking. "Are you Feeling a bit better? I want you to talk if you can. Can you do that for me?"

Kirby closed their eyes, taking a deep breath before speaking up. "Yes, I...I think I can do that. I'm feeling much better, thank you.

"Fluff slowly nodded, having to take a deep breather himself. "Ok, ok, that's good. Can you stand up?"

Kirby nodded again. "Yeah, I can." The Pink Puffball slowly started to rise from the bed, with Fluff still holding both of Kirby's hands, carefully guiding them up. After making sure they were on steady feet, Fluff let go of Kirby's hand, the Pink Puff giving him an appreciating look. "Thank you."

"Naturally." The Prince gave Kirby a gentle smile. Fluff was one of the few people who could show any emotion, while always wearing a scowl, it was kind of impressive. "Well, now that you are feeling better," The Prince picked up a chair that was formerly knocked down, placing it upright near a small table. "Why don't you relax a bit and calm down, while I order us some tea? I think we both could use some nice hot tea."

"I'd like that if you don't mind." Kirby answered.

"Great, let me just notify the servants and..." The Prince suddenly remembered why that wasn't possible.

"Is there something wrong?" Kirby looked a bit confused.

"I kind of forgot," Fluff scratched his head. "We are the only ones present in the castle."

"The only ones? Where is everyone else?"

Prince Fluff made his way to the door. "I'll explain after making us some tea, just stay put and relax a bit, ok?" When Kirby gave him a nod of approval, the Blue Puffball closed the door behind him, a loud *thud* echoing through the room. The Pink Puff sat down on the chair that the Prince had previously put up, and for the first time noticed the absolute mess the room was in. Almost all furniture was knocked over and a giant mirror had been shattered with glass shards lying on the floor. Kirby looked a bit worried since Prince Fluff was one of the most organized and tidy people they knew. They wondered if the Prince had deliberately wrecked his room, maybe to release some anger and frustration. Speaking about anger, that dream of theirs suddenly came to mind. Kirby had experienced their fair share of nightmares, but this one was different. Most of the time the Pink Puff could remember their dreams pretty clearly, but this one was all wrong. The memories felt foggy and hazy, but the dream itself felt way too realistic.  Not to mention the panic attack they suffered through when they woke up. Then there was the pain and the rage Kirby felt. Never before had the Puffball experienced such oppressive and overwhelming emotions, and the pain they had experienced was like no other. It was like their own soul was being torn apart. Almost as if they were losing control of their own body.

"Hey, Kirby," Kirby was ripped out of their thoughts, as their eyes wandered to the door and heard Prince Fluff's muffled voice coming from behind it. "My hands are kind of full, could you open the door for me?"  Kirby rushed towards the door and opened it. Prince Fluff gave them a nod of appreciation as he entered the room holding a silver platter with a teapot and two porcelain cups. He made his way to the small table, putting down the silver platter, and pointing towards the chair next to the table as he got another one for himself. "Sit with me." Both of them set down as Fluff began pouring them a cup of tea. "Peppermint tea. Helps you relax and calms the nerves. Good against stress and generally pleasant-tasting." He handed Kirby one of the cups. 

Taking the cup, the Pink Puff gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you gain. This means more to me than you think, Fluff." They took a sip out of the steaming cup, and just like the Prince said, it tasted quite nice.

"It's the least I can do. That's what friends are for, right?" The Prince simply answered. Although Fluff was giving Kirby a gentle smile, his facial expression was turning to a more serious one again, taking a sip of tea before speaking up again. "Now, seeing as you've regained your composure, why don't you tell me what you dreamed that gave you that look of absolute terror? I've battled beside you quite a few times, but never have I seen you show any signs of fear in a fight, let alone cry  because of it."

Kirby looked away making a small frown. "Honestly, I can't remember. All of it was such a haze, like trying to see in a fog, but it was something bad, really bad. Actually, id rather forget if you don't mind..." The Pink Puff gave an apologetic look.

"Of course, my pardon." Prince Fluff took another sip from his tea. "Then let's converse about something simple. Tell me, how are you generally feeling? Your emotions as well as your physical and mental well-being. I imagine being the savior of all and protecting the universe from cosmic threats tends to leave someone a bit stressed out and tired afterward." The Blue Puff was now looking at Kirby with a very calm yet observant demeanor, making them slightly nervous. Though that didn't stop them from putting on their most happy expression with a confident smile to boot. 

"Oh, I'm feeling fine and happy as al-"

"Please Kirby, tell me the truth." Fluff intercepted their sentence. "I want to help you like you always helped me, but I can't do that if you are not being honest. You can trust me, and I am a good listener, I won't judge, I promise." Fluff intently looked into Kirby's eyes.

"I know I can trust you." The Pink Puff quickly inserted. "It's just, you called me for help yesterday, and you cried so much when I came. I've never seen you so lost. You have so much going on right now with the whole Yin Yarn situation and the fact that you had to...you know what I mean. I don't want to burden you with my problems, because It's me who is supposed to help you, not the other way around." Kirby sadly turned their gaze away.

Prince Fluff leaned over the small table, gently grabbing the Puffball's hands making them look back towards Fluff with a tiny blush forming on their face. "Kirby, you being here helps me on a scale I don't think you quite understand. Your presence alone makes me feel happy and gives me strength. You have saved my life and my Kingdom from its doom without a second thought and asked for nothing in return. To me and my people, you are an idol, a hero we look up to. You have no idea how much you mean to me..." Kirby noticed a flash of pain in Fluff's eyes when he spoke the last sentence, but it disappeared as fast as it came. Before they could ask however the Prince continued. "I greatly appreciate your concern for me, and while I won't say I'm feeling fine, that doesn't mean I can't help you. You've done so much for me and my Kingdom, listening to your feelings is the least I can do. Your burdens are MY burdens. No matter what is going on with me, I will always have the time and strength to spare for you, and that won't ever change."

They now looked deep into each other's eyes with him giving Kirby a comforting smile, making the Pink Puffball automatically smile as well. For a moment both of them just looked at each other while holding hands. Just two Puffballs in one another's comforting presence, both of them with their own set of problems to solve, yet both of them forget all of those for just a moment. Kirby was experiencing it yet again, that warm feeling in their body, the little butterflies in their stomach, all these unfamiliar emotions came crashing down on Kirby yet again, making their cheeks go pink. A similar phenomenon was going on with Prince Fluff, tho in contrast to the Pink Puffball he knew exactly what he was feeling, and knowing he would never act upon those feelings was starting to hurt in a sense that Fluff could not even describe. He noticed he was about to tear up, so before that could happen, he let go of Kirby's hand's much to the displeasure of the other, leaning back in his chair, taking a much-needed sip from his tea while closing his eyes to control his emotions. When he opened them back up he noticed that his little rollercoaster of emotions hadn't gone unnoticed, since Kirby was looking at him with a worried look. But before they could ask Fluff quickly justified what just happened.

"Before you ask If this was something you could help with I would have already told you."

"Are you sure?" Kirby didn't seem convinced "Maybe if you just tell me you might feel better, no matter what the outcome is"

Fluff winced at those words. It's almost as if the world wanted to tell him to just go for it, but he knew better than that. He would not destroy this friendship they had built for his selfish fulfillment of love, so instead, he put his scowl back on and shook his head to clear his mind of these invasive thoughts. "I'm sure Kirby, this is something you can't help with."

Kirby made a dissatisfied face still unconvinced but decided to let it go for the time being, tho they would pick this topic back up in the near future. 

The Prince quickly jumped at the chance of moving away from their current discussion. "I think you were about to tell me about how you're feeling at the moment?"

Kirby nervously slid from side to side on their chair, while taking a sip of tea. "To answer your question from before...I guess I'm feeling a bit tired as of late because of all the Star Allies meetings we've been having. I haven't slept all that much in the past weeks. There is just so much going on lately, people are stressed out and busy. I feel like sometimes I can even feel the tension in the air, as well as the expectations of me lately. People say that I've grown up and that I need to start taking responsibility. But I don't feel like I'm ready just yet. Sure, a little discipline could never hurt, but sometimes it feels like all the weight is on my shoulders, it gets overwhelming after a while. Sir Meta Knight has also been very on edge lately. We train almost every day, and when aren't training, it's because we are attending one of those stupid Star Allies meetings. I can barely find time to sleep, let alone eat. I've sometimes even gone one to two days without eating anything because it's all just been more training, more conferences with no pauses in between. I guess all I'm trying to say is...it gets difficult to stay happy for others after a while when you're not really feeling...happy yourself."

"While my responsibility is not as great as yours, I know the difficulty of what you are going through," Fluff murmured, while stirring his tea absently, clearly the words of Kirby bringing back memories. "The feeling that everyone is dependent on you and even one mistake could mess it all up. You try to stay strong, stay confident, and stay brave for others to be a glimmer of light in the darkness. But after a while, it becomes too much. The pressure, the expectations, knowing everyone is depending on you, it starts to get to you. You become afraid of opening up, fearing they will see it as a sign of weakness. You fear that if you flicker, the others will fade. Knowing just about everything depends on you, that kind of responsibility can break you if you are not careful."

Kirby looked back up at the Prince with understanding eyes, realizing they understood each other better than most. "Whenever some sort of crisis comes to Planet Popstar, many people get hurt. They feel sad and lost, most of the time without hope. I'm one of the few that can smile no matter what. I can give people hope and guidance, someone they can look up to when they feel lost. When people feel stressed or burned out, they can come to talk to me to feel a bit better. That's why I can't show whenever I feel sad or down, because if people see how I really feel, who can they look up to in their most desperate times? No matter what, I have to stay strong. But thankfully, I have a few friends I can put my absolute trust in. Bandana Dee, King Dedede, and Sir Meta Knight, although he has been pretty hard on me lately."

"In what sense?" Fluff asked.

"He always tells me that life is hard, and I need to be more responsible. As I said, we've been training a lot more. But the thing is, our training is getting much more intense than it used to be, to the point where it feels like we're actually fighting instead of training." Kirby sounded sad. "He also forces me to attend every single meeting and conference, even the ones that aren't mandatory. Like, I get, responsibility and whatnot, but common, when was the last time I forgot one of those...oh no..."

"What?" Fluff was confused by the sudden change of emotion Kirby was displaying.

The Pink Puffball quickly explained "We were supposed to have a Star Allies meeting today in the morning, and I completely forgot! Sir Meta Knight gets really mad when I oversleep or miss one of these, and this time I did both! And the thing is...no one knows I'm here."

"Well, why don't you just call him?"

Kirby made a nervous grin. "I also kind of forgot my phone back at home." Fuff facepalmed at that reveal. "Whatever, I'll just go over and make up some kind of excuse for him and be back in no time, so we can further discuss your little Yin Yarn situation."

Fluff seemed concerned. "You were here for quite a while, are you certain you won't be in trouble?"

"I was just gone for half a day," Kirby tried to put on a reassuring smile. "Surely it won't be that bad, right?"

Chapter Text

Bandana Waddle Dee was getting more anxious by the minute. They had searched everywhere about now, and there still wasn't any sign of Kirby.

After the great King had informed him that his sibling was missing, he had tasked Bandana with discretely setting up a search party and looking for the Pink Puffball. 

Their search area included Green Greens and the Big Forest, Ribbon and Addelein were tasked with searching Vegetable Valley and Ice Cream Island while the Meta Knights searched every other area of Dreamland.

Bandee could see the Halberd in the distance as it dropped off soldiers in various areas like Orange Ocean, Rainbow Resort, Red Canyon, and so on.

Bandana and his team had paid Whispey Woods a little visit. After 'convincing' him to calm down, the tree revealed that he was able to sense all life that lived near the forest, including Kirby since their home was very close to Big Forest.

'I did sense that annoying pest coming home last night, but it was very late. I was just about to go to sleep when I suddenly felt their life force disappear like they just vanished. However, that didn't bother me, quite the opposite. I was very happy that I didn't have to worry about apples being spat out at me in the morning.'

For the last comment, Whispey had earned himself another beating by himself and his comrades, but what the ancient tree had said made the already ringing alarm bells even louder.

After making their way out of the forest, he and his Waddle Dee team were standing on top of a hill overlooking Green Greens. Bandana Dee took a deep breath, straightening his bandana before turning to his fellow Waddle Dees. They were looking at him with eagerness and determination, willing to do anything to help find Kirby 

He cleared his throat before speaking up. "Alright brethren, the new information we have just received regarding Kirby's disappearance is very concerning. I want you to split up and report what we have learned to Great King and Sir Meta Knight post haste, understood?"

"Sir yes sir!" The Waddle Dees exclaimed, saluting.

Bandana Dee blushed slightly. He still had to get used to being the commanding leader of the Waddle Dees. Sure, his position in the past had been a bit higher than a regular Waddle Dee, but he was still getting used to being the 'Commander' of Dreamland's Waddle Dee army. That also meant he had to be formal about everything, which he didn't like.

"Will you be coming with us?" A Waddle Dee inquired, noticing that Bandee wasn't following them.

Bandana Dee was pulled out of his thoughts by that question. "No, if what Whispy said is true, I will make my way to Kirby's home to look for any clues that we might have missed. I will join you shortly."

The Waddle Dee saluted again before hastily following his comrades who had already moved on.

Bandana let out a deep sigh as he started following the trail toward Kirby's home. For a moment he just took in the soothing sound of the wind as it passed by, embracing the calm, something that was rather rare these days.

He was honored that the Great King held him in such high regard, even going as far as to make him his second in command. But that also meant way less time to take care of himself. 

In the past, people had simply addressed him by his name or nickname. Now all he was hearing was 'Sir' or 'Commander'. It was getting to a point where it was starting to become exhausting.

Luckily his close friends still called him by his name, he was pretty sure it was the only thing keeping him sane.

As his mind wandered, the wind soothingly brushed against his skin, making Bandana Dee's little ribbon on the spear flutter.

The clean air,  no stress, no responsibilities, it was something he desperately needed right now, even if it would only last for a few minutes.

Bandee continued down the trail until he spotted the Pink Puff's home in the far distance. While making his way toward the home in hopes of finding anything that might help, he stopped in surprise when a big bright light suddenly shined out of the window. 

Even tho he was a good distance away, Bandee still had to cover his eyes with his hands when suddenly, the light dispersed just as fast as it came.

Bandana started to run down the trail with thousands of thoughts rushing through the Waddle Dee's head. Was it an intruder, were they under attack, did something explode, should he run or wait for backup!? So many questions, yet no one to answer them.

Bandee was now almost at the front door, going from running to sneaking as he finally reached it. The Waddle Dee carefully put his head against it to not give himself away. He could hear someone talking and rummaging through stuff.

Bandana Dee took in a deep breath as he grabbed his spear tightly. Not many folks knew this, but Bandee wasn't as brave as he showed. He was actually quite nervous and easily frightened, but very good at hiding it. 

After thinking for a few seconds, he decided that there was no time to wait for backup, hastily pulling out his phone and quickly typing the following message into #Find_Kirby group chat:

Bandana Dee: I'm at Kirby's home, I think there is an intruder, could also be a false alarm. If I don't report back in three minutes, send a backup.

Not having time to wait for a response, Bandana Dee took a few steps back from the door while mustering all the strength he could find in his body.

Bandana was now far enough from the door, grabbing his spear tightly before running at the door and kicking it open full force, the door almost breaking from its hinges. 

Bandana Dee pointed his spear forward as he yelled, "WHOEVER YOU ARE, DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND SURRENDER!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kirby got so startled at that entrance, making them jump backward before tripping over a book and falling, hitting their head against a table as a result.

Bandana Dee simply watched with big eyes as the Puffball fell to the ground. He tried to comprehend what was going on. The Waddle Dee rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating what he was seeing.

The Puffabll got up slightly dizzy, leaning themselves against the table they had just hit their head on with an unsure footing. Kirby rubbed their head while looking at Bandana Waddle Dee with clear outrage.

"What in Nova's name was that for!?"

"...Kirby?" Bandy stared at the Pink Puff with disbelief. 

"Who else!?" Kirby retorted still rubbing the back of their head.

Bandana Dee continued to stare at them in disbelief, making the Pink Puffball slightly nervous.

"Uhhhh, are you okay Bandy?" Before Kirby could ask more, Bandana Dee tackled them to the ground with a hug, making the Puffball yelp out in surprise as they fell backward.

"You're okay! You're okay!" He cheered still embracing the Pink Puffball with all his might. Kirby considered themselves lucky because they would all have been crushed by now if they had bones.

"Can't...breath..." Kirby gasped making Bandana Dee let go. As soon as he did Kirby sucked in the air finally being able to breathe again. After catching their breath, they turned their attention to Bandana Dee. "So," Kirby began, "Do you mind telling me what's going on? I mean you just busted in like I was some sort of criminal and after that, you hug like we hadn't seen each other in years, not that I don't appreciate the affection."

"Hold on a second," Bandana Dee said after taking out his phone and typing something.

"What are you doing?"

"Telling everyone I found you."

"Found me?" Kirby was confused. "But I never disappeared."

"Yes, you did!" He pointed at the clock that was hanging on the wall. "For more than half a day!"

"That's not disappearing!"

"You also didn't show up to the meeting this morning, which was mandatory mind you, but you also left your phone here without telling anyone you went away. Now that I mention it," Bandana Dee looked at him skeptically. "Where were you?"

Kirby looked away a bit nervous. "I'll give you the rundown once everyone is here, I don't want to repeat myself all day."

Bandana Dee gave them a nod. Just then, his phone started to ring. He picked it up.

*Incoming Transmission* 

*King Dedede* 

*Accept?* 

        *YES*       *NO*         

"Who is it?" The Pink Puff inquired.

Bandy put his hand where his lips should be, signaling Kirby to be silent as he answered the phone.

"Hello Great King, how may I help?"

"Hello, Bandana Dee, you say you found the little rascal?"

"Yes Great King, Kirby is standing right beside me."

"Is that so? And where exactly was that pipsqueak? Ahh, never mind that, listen, do me a favor, and don't let Meta Knight near him if he arrives earlier than us."

Bandy looked worried. "Is there a problem Great King?"

"You could say that, just don't let him near Kirby if he arrives early, ya got it?"

"Got it!" Bandana answered determinedly.

"Good, well be there shortly," Dedede said and hung up.

Bandana Dee turned to Kirby who was waiting for an explanation of what was going on. "Let's get some fresh air." He said and they both exited the home. Bandana leaned against the wall looking at the sky while Kirby sat down beside him. For a while, they just started at the sky taking in the beautiful weather. A soft breeze was blowing through the air making the grass dance in it. The sun was shining brightly causing to Kirby smile as they took in a deep breath of fresh air.

"I was ordered to keep you away from Sir Meta Knight." Bandy piped up breaking the silence. Kirby looked surprised.

"Did something happen?" They asked curiously. Bandana nervously played with the ribbon on his spear.

"I don't know," He commented absently. "But I might have a hunch. You see, Sir Meta Knight has been a bit...agitated in the past few weeks, I'm sure you've noticed too." Kirby nodded sadly. "Well since your 'disappearance,' he has gotten rather angry with you." Bandana gave them a worried look. "I think Great King fears he might act...irrational." 

The Pink Puff was nervous. "What do you mean by irrational?" Bandana Dee looked at them, unsure if he should tell his thoughts. Before he could, however, Bandy heard giant engines roaring in the distance. The noise caught Kirby's attention as well, making both of them look into the horizon. In the far distance near Orange Ocean, the giant battleship Halberd was flying straight for them. The Dee's eyes widened. He buried the tip of his spear in the ground before grabbing a hold of Kirby and pushing them through the entrance into their home. "Hey, what's the big idea!?" The Puffball protested, but Bandana paid them no mind.

"Close the door and lock it tight." He ordered urgently. "And close your blinds as well!" Kirby wanted to object, but then the words of Bandy crossed their mind. 'I think Great King fears he might act...irrational.' Kirby thought for a moment. 'No, Sir Meta Knight would never do something bad, right? Sir Meta Knight is like a father to me. Sure, he gets angry sometimes but he would never...hurt me...' Various memories of the past month started to play in their head. Hours of vigorous and unrelenting training. Punishment if they ever failed a given task. Sparing sessions which turned brutal and bloody. The necessary attendants at every meeting and conference. Learning and studying until their brain could function no more. Many sleepless nights where they would go to bed hungry. The constant scolding and berating.

All of those bottled-up memories started to play in their head in a loop. Kirby tried to push those memories away, but it was all for naught. More and more painful memories started to resurface consisting of punishment and pain. Why were they remembering them just now, had they been...repressing them? A single tear fell down Kirby's face as they came to accept something with a heavy heart: 'He would hurt me...' Understanding that the possibility of Sir Meta Knight getting irrational was very possible, the Puffball let out a long sigh before locking the door and closing the blinds.

Bandana Dee turned around as he heard the door lock and the blinds close. Relieved that he wouldn't have to concern himself with his sibling disobeying, Bandy turned his entire attention to the Halberd, which had now almost reached them. A multitude of forest critters got scared off by the gigantic engines roaring, and flocks of birds fled at the unwelcome disturbance, flying out of the forest trees. He watched as it came closer and closer. The Halberd was so large that the battleship was now blocking out the sun, casting a large shadow over the area of Greens Greens and the forest. The Halberd came to a stop directly over the home, the looming shadow of the battleship sending chills down Bandana Dee's back. 

His sense of dread grew when he noticed 5 tiny dots emerge from the Halberd. At first, he couldn't make out what those five dots were, but as they came closer, he soon realized that what he was seeing was Sir Meta Knight flying toward them with four shuttles following the Knight's lead. "Oh no..." Bandana muttered as he proceeded to remove his spear from the dirt and clenched it tight. Sir Meta Knight and the shuttles flew to ground level at high speed and Bandana watched as the group landed a good distance away down the hillside, the grass fluttering as the ship's engines got close to the ground. He could now make out exactly what kind of shuttles had landed. The ships accompanying the Knight were X67 rapid deployment shuttles, courtesy of Susie Haltmann.

Since Susie joined the Star Allies, she had provided the team with numerous new gadgets and vehicles. While Bandana didn't like her in person, her tools and gadgets had proven extremely useful in making planet Popstar a much safer place, like the project she was now working on named P.P.P.D.G. She also was responsible for creating the aforementioned  X67 rapid deployment shuttle, as well as other spaceships like the RG11 battlecruiser or the T15 heavy dreadnought. But it wasn't all weapons or war machines. She also provided basic home alliances, cars, and tools. While Bandana Dee wouldn't admit it, she was a great asset to the Alliance.

Bandana watched the ships touch down behind Sir Meta Knight who had landed first as his wings vanished back into his dimensional cape. After finally landing, the ship's rear ramps began to lower. Soldiers started to swarm out from the four individual ships lining themselves up in front of the Knight. One particular soldier caught the attention of the Dee. "Sailor!" He gasped as he recognized the fellow Waddle Dee. Meta Knight continued to say something to his soldiers, tho he couldn't make out what. As soon as the Knight finished, the soldiers saluted Sir Meta Knight before beginning to make their way toward the home. 'WHERE ARE YOU, GREAT KING!?' Bandana Dee thought with his panic starting to shoot up an unhealthy amount as he watched at least a dozen soldiers and Sir Meta Knight coming closer and closer.

Seeing he would have to face them alone, Bandana Dee closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He straightened his bandana and clenched his spear even tighter. Readying himself, Bandana pushed aside all the fear and panic before putting on a firm and calm look, releasing all the tension from his body. He was given an order and he would fulfill it no matter what. Bandana observed as the group marched up the hill until they reached the top. The Dee let his eyes wander over the group that was heading towards him. At the very front was none other than Sir Meta Knight his cape wrapped around him as his golden eyes were locked onto Bandana looking as unreadable and stoic as ever. Sailor Dee was right beside him, followed closely by a multitude of troopers in an organized formation. The group marched on each of their steps in unison before coming to a halt a few meters in front of Bandana Dee. 

For a moment there was silence on both ends, the only thing one could hear is the wind blowing as well as the giant engines of the Halberd above. Bandana Dee noticed Sailor glancing at him with happy eyes and a slight blush, making him flinch a little. It took a great amount of strength to take his eyes off her, returning them to the Knight. The silence seemed to last an eternity before Meta knight finally broke it. "Greetings, Bandana Dee. It is good to see you." He greeted as he took a step forward making the Dee immediately tense up. He couldn't tell if he was telling the truth, since the Knight's voice was so stoic it was impossible to gain any information regarding his intentions.

"It is good to see you as well, Sir Meta Knight." He answered. In his case, Bandana Dee knew exactly that he was lying. "I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."

"...Where is Kirby?" Sir Meta Knight asked sounding a little impatient. "I need to make sure they are healthy and unharmed."

"Kirby is healthy and unharmed, I can assure you." Bandana Dee informed him while not moving an inch away from the front door. For a moment they both just stared at each other while Sailor Dee and the soldiers threw each other nervous glances. There was clear tension in the air, and everyone could feel it.

Meta Knight squinted his eyes. "I'd like to make sure of that personally." He commented as he sidestepped to bypass Bandana Dee. As soon as he did Bandana Dee sidestepped as well, blocking Meta Knigth's path to the front door.

"I'm afraid that is not possible, Sir Meta Knight." Bandana firmly stated. He simply met the eyes of the warrior standing right in front of him. 'I'm so dead.' He thought to himself. Meta Knight stared back.

"Why would that be, Bandana Dee?" The Knight inquired with a calm demeanor. He was too calm, to the point where it was unnerving. Bandana managed to keep up a calm face, but little droplets of sweat started to run down his face, revealing that he wasn't as calm as he was nearly as calm as he was making out to be. 

"I was ordered by Great King to...keep you waiting until he himself arrived here." He told Sir Meta Knight wiping away a few drops of sweat. He then saw Sailor Dee step forward beside Meta knight who was still standing there motionless.

"I can check up on Kirby, and then report to Sir Meta Knight." She proposed with beaming eyes. Bandana Dee blushed a little looking at her, before being able to regain the little composure he had left.

"Sorry, but everyone has to wait for the arrival of Great King, including you." Sailor Dee flinched looking hurt, as she took a step back and mumbled what sounded like an okay. He felt his heart snap a little at the sight of her disappointment but reminded himself that he couldn't let his personal feelings interfere with his duty. Bandana turned his eyes back toward the Knight as he spoke up again.

"If that is the case, then I order you to get stand down and let me pass. I need to see Kirby." Meta Knight said with a clear edge as he stepped closer to the Dee. Bandana could practically feel the tension rising as more and more sweat started to roll down his face. He had gulp at the thought of what he was about to say. 

'I must be insane.' He pondered before answering. "With all due respect Sir Meta Knight, you are a mercenary paid by Great King. As you know I was appointed commander not too long ago. When Great King is absent, as second in command, my word is his word." He firmly explained.

"What are you trying to imply, commander?" The Knight asked with a very low tone. Behind Bandana could make out Sailor slowly shaking her head, warning him to not finish that sentence under any circumstances. Despite his will to live, he continued.

"I outrank you, Sir Meta Knight." Bandana Dee had to clench his spear tight in order to not faint right then and there. "Technically, if I gave an order...you would have to listen, Sir Meta Knight." Multiple soldiers gasped at that statement, while Bandana Dee watched as Sailor Dee's expression changed into blank horror. His own mind was racing as well, multiple scenarios of his various deaths playing like a movie in front of his eyes. When he focused his eyes back on Sir Meta Knight, he saw that his usual golden yellow eyes were now shining a very dangerous bright red. 

"If you won't listen to reason commander," Meta slowly unfurled his cape from around himself. "Then you will listen to force." Time seemed to slow down as Bandana Dee noticed the Knight reach for the hilt of Galaxia. His thoughts were racing, his heart was pumping, and his adrenaline spiked like a volcano erupting. He had only seconds to react, a few seconds before Galaxia would cut him in half with a single swipe. Meta Knight unsheathed Galaxia, Bandana Dee readied his spear while Sailor Dee was standing there frozen in fear, but before all hell could break loose a new voice interrupted them.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!" Kirby screamed as he kicked the door open. They jumped forward and grabbed Bandana Dee by his bandana, yanking him backward. Kirby proceeded to position themselves in front of Bandana who had dropped his spear and was lying flat on his back. They stretched their little nubs out protectively. For a moment the whole world seemed to stand still, not the animals, not the wind daring to make even the slightest noise. "You wanted to see me...? Here I am...Sir Meta Knight."

Chapter Text

Kirby was breathing heavily with panic-filled eyes as they started into the red glowing eyes of Meta Knight, who was still grabbing on tightly to Galaxia's hilt. Mere moments ago, the Pink Puffball was still inside their home, watching the events unfolding through a little spot in the blindfolds of the window right in front of their doorstep. At first, although intense, the confrontation between Bandana Dee and Sir Meta Knight was going well. That was until Bandana refused his request to meet the Puffball. From there, the tension in the air rose to a dangerous level, but never in their wildest dreams could Kirby have predicted that Sir Meta Knight, of all people, would raise his blade against an ally.

The very instant Galaxia was drawn, Kirby made the instinctive decision to intervene before something could happen that everyone present would deeply regret. Pulling Bandana Dee back by his bandana after kicking the door open, the Puffball had placed themselves between their sibling and the Knight they think of as a father, now looking into his crimson-red eyes. For a while, no one seemed to move a muscle as Kirby and Meta Knight stared at each other, fearing that even the slightest movement could let hell loose between them. Meta Knight held Galaxia high while his soldiers and Sailor Dee gazed in horror. Kirby was also unmoving, standing protectively in front of Bandana, afraid and in disbelief of the current chain of events unfolding.

The Puffball's thoughts were all over the place, trying to find any excuse or explanation for why their father figure was acting so hostile. Was this a bluff to get Kirby out of their hiding spot? Had Sir Meta Knight deliberately faked or provoked an escalation to lure them out? That could have been the case if it weren't for those crimson-red eyes the Knight was sporting. Kirby knew Sir Meta Knight well, well enough to know that the Knight could keep his emotions and composure contained in almost every situation. But there were those rare moments, rare instances of Sir Meta Knight's actual emotions sipping through his facade, and when they did, his eyes would change in correspondence to said emotions. A deep blue signalized sorrow and emotional pain; green meant that he was deep in thought, while light blue showed pride and happiness. There were many more, but one should start getting worried when those eyes turned a dangerous red.

In Kirby's many years spent with Sir Meta Knight, they could only recall one moment when their mentor's eyes turned red, an excruciating memory the Pink Puff would rather not remember. And now, those red eyes were trained on him, unwavering. This wasn't a ruse or a trick to lure them out; this was real. This nightmare was reality. Kirby was so focused on their mentor that they hadn't noticed Sailor Dee stepping forward. "Sir Meta Knight, please..." Pleading, she carefully approached Meta Knight while the other soldiers, including Bandana, eyed her with a mixture of fear and nervousness.

Bandana Dee was about to warn her not to go near him before reminding himself to trust her. She was one of the most capable Dee's he knew and probably knew Sir Meta Knight much better than him, so he decided to trust her and instead stayed seated now working to calm his nerves. Sailor Dee continued to carefully approach Sir Meta Knight, who had yet to make any motion since Kirby had revealed themselves. The only thing moving was his cape fluttering in the wind. "We all know the past few weeks have been hard on you, sir." She said with sympathy as she stepped closer, standing beside the Knight. Sailor put her hand on Sir Meta Knight's right pauldron, making him finally take his gleaming red eyes off Kirby and instead lock onto her. "But do you remember what you once told us? No matter the circumstances, you must always be fair and just." 

With her right hand, she pointed toward Kirby, who seemed to be on edge. The Knight's gaze followed her direction, locking eyes with the Pink Puffball once more. "Yet Kirby hasn't had the chance to explain anything. This isn't what you taught us, sir." She softly whispered and slowly reached for the Knights raised hand, which grasped around the hilt of Galaxia. "Please, Sir Meta Knight," Sailor Dee put her hand on his, making the Knight turn his gaze back from Kirby toward her. "Don't do something you'll regret later." The two just looked at each other; briefly, the air practically crackling from all the tension. Finally, the crimson red started to vanish from the Knight's eyes. Still, before they could turn to their usual golden color, a deep blue flashed in Sir Meta Knight's eyes for a split second, though only Bandana, Sailor, and Kirby seemed to notice.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sir Meta Knight lowered his blade and proceeded to sheath Galaxia as seemingly everyone let out a collective sigh. Sailor Dee had to take a deep breath, while Bandana Dee had to do the opposite, letting out a breath he had been holding for far too long. Kirby as well sighed with relief, letting their little arms slump down. Bandana removed his sweat-drenched bandana and gave it a good squeeze watching as the sweat poured like a waterfall. 'This was way too nerve-wracking.' Bandana Dee thought to himself.

However, the moment of calm didn't last long, as everyone noticed multiple engines roaring in the distance. Sailor Dee and a few soldiers looked down the hillside, spotting a few vehicles making their way towards the group, one of the vehicles bearing the nickname 'The Titan,' which belonged to Queen Ripple and King Dedede. It was a heavily armored limousine with red varnish and two golden crowns encircled In a golden circle as an emblem on both sides of the vehicle. The Titan was personally built and customized by Susie, who ensured it was as safe as it was agile. "Sir Meta Knight!" Sailor Dee rushed back to his side. "King Dedede is heading toward us, and he's got a bunch of soldiers with him; what should we do!?"

Meta Knight had to momentarily collect himself from his episode of outrage just a few seconds ago. After gathering his thoughts, he wrapped his cape back around him before turning towards his men. "Don't fret and stay calm. We aren't here to fight." Kirby and Bandana Dee gave each other a much-telling look. That look didn't go unnoticed by the Knight, making him frown under his mask. Nevertheless, he chose to ignore it. He turned his attention to the two of them, giving them an intense glare. "Do I have to expect one of you to tell about the events that just transpired?"

The Puffball and Bandana gave each other a short glance before simultaneously shaking their heads. Meta Knight closed his eyes in relief, giving them a nod of gratitude. While they didn't say a word, Kirby gave him a thin smile. Dealing with the King would be challenging, but explaining why he almost attacked his second-in-command would turn this already bleak situation into a disaster. 

Everyone started to gather themselves as the convoy got closer. Kirby sat in front of the door to their home, which hadn't broken down despite having been repeatedly kicked open multiple times. Bandana Dee took place himself before Kirby with his trusty spear by his side. The Meta Knight's positioned themselves a reasonable distance away from Kirby. They organized themselves into a straight line with Meta Knight and Sailor Dee at the front. The two sides just glared at each other.

As the sounds of approaching cars got closer, tensions seemed to rise. Bandana played nervously with the ribbon on his spear while a Sword Knight cleaned his sword anxiously. Sailor Dee felt like her heart was about to pump out of her chest, and although Sir Meta Knight wasn't showing it, he had to wonder what was about to happen as he wrapped his cape around himself even tighter. His eyes were tightly fixed on Kirby, who, in turn, was staring back at him with a worrying expression. Meta Knight turned his gaze away, unable to uphold eye contact any longer, admitting defeat and ending their little standoff. 

By now, the royal convoy had almost reached the hilltop, and everyone turned around to face the path leading to their location. Meta Knight turned his gaze toward Bandana Dee, who seemingly mumbled something to himself while playing with the ribbon on his spear. When he noticed Sir Meta Knight watching him, Bandana Dee flinched, making him stop mumbling and turning his eyes ahead, though he threw the Knight a few anxious side glances. Finally, the convoy reached the hilltop, the first vehicle being a small transport jeep. It was heavily armored and had a push bar in front. The jeep was also colored in red varnish, just like the Titan. Still, in contrast to the Titan, the emblems on either side represented a shield bearing a golden crown and two swords in an X-shape going behind the shield, signalizing it as part of the royal guard.

The convoy split into two, with two vehicles going around on each side, effectively encircling Meta Knight and the rest of the group while the Titan remained behind. The moment the engines came to a standstill, the doors swung open as dozen of Waddle Dees swarmed outside, forming an enclosed circle around the group in record time. Meta Knight was impressed by their speed and efficiency, but he expected nothing less; after all, the King had tasked him with training and teaching the royal guard various fighting methods and combat maneuvers. This particular encirclement maneuver they were currently performing was used to contain a threat and prevent it from escaping. The Knight never thought he'd be at the receiving end of it. Some seemed confused when they spotted Bandana Dee amongst the group, wondering why they had to encircle their commander.

Sailor Dee and the rest of the Meta Knights carefully observed the royal guard. They had a plethora of weapons ranging from bows to spears to swords with shields. The Waddle Dees with the sword and shields had taken up position at the front with the spear-wielding Waddle Dees standing behind them while the archers were standing further away from the main force giving themselves some firing distance. Each Waddle Dee wore a purple steel helmet with a golden spike on top and an emblem on the front looking precisely like the ones displayed on the jeeps they had jumped out of. The only seemingly positive thing in this situation was that the royal guard wasn't standing in combat stance. Still, their mere presence and the sheer number of guardsmen were enough to warrant grave concern.

After all of them had taken position, the doors to the Titan finally opened, revealing several familiar faces. The first two to exit were none other than King Dedede and Qeen Ripple, followed by Adeline and Ribbon, and lastly...Susie Haltmann!? Meta Knight shook his head to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, but there she was, standing proud and tall. When she spots him, she gives him a happy wave. Meta Knight had to use all of his resolve not to throw up under his mask right then and there. The Knight took a mental note reminding him that he had to ask King Dedede his definition of trustworthy. 

The King and Queen seemed to be discussing something, but they were standing too far away for the Knight to be able to hear anything. Ribbon and Adelein stood patiently beside him while Susie continued to stare at him with that disgustingly beaming face. Meta Knight cautiously eyed the group and noticed Qeen Ripple and King Dedede throwing him the occasional glance, which he had no problems returning. Not after long, the four of them made their way toward Meta Knight and the rest. The Waddle Dees surrounding them moved to the side, forming a small passage and allowing King Dedede and the rest to pass through, immediately closing the gap again once everyone had passed.

"Kirby!" Before anyone could say anything, Ribbon zoomed past everyone at an exhilarating speed. Bandana Dee managed to jump out of harm's way at the last second before Ribbon collided with Kirby, who yelped out in surprise at the unexpected welcome. They both crashed to the ground, and Ribbon wasted no time giving Kirby one of the most bone-crushing hugs they had ever received, rivaling even the hugs of King Dedede. Queen Ripple and Adeline couldn't help but let out a small giggle while Ribbon nuzzled her face into Kirby, who gave her an unsure hug in return. She was happy to see Kirby, but were they glad to see her? After Kirby became witness to a conversation, they probably weren't supposed to hear; the Pink Puffball began to view Adelein and Ribbon in a very different light. Still, the Puffball tried their best not to show any signs of such conflicting emotions.

While the two were busy, King Dedede approached Bandana Dee, who was watching Ribbon and Kirby, with a happy expression. Still, he immediately turned his attention to his Highness once he noticed him coming. "Great King!" Bandana Dee gave a bow, but Dedede quickly winked off and instead gave the Dee a pat on the head. 

"There ya are, you little rascal!" Dedede patted Bandana Dee's head as the latter tried his best to stay serious. While patting his trusty Dee's head, King Dedede noticed that the Bandana itself was drenched in sweat, resulting in his glove getting wet. He turned to look toward Meta Knight, whose eyes were fixated on the King. The Knight's subordinate, Sailor Dee, was looking quite nervous herself. King D turned back to Bandana. "Did any...problems arise while you were guarding Kirby? Is there anything I should know about?"

"W-what? N-no, no, nothing happened, Great King." Bandana Dee answered with a peal of nervous laughter.

King Dedede carefully turned his eyes to Meta Knight. "Is that so?" The King narrowed his eyes. "Then I bet you won't mind telling what's with all the sweat. Ya been runnin' a marathon or what?"

Bandana Dee gazed in the direction of Sir Meta Knight. The night looked back, his expression untelling. The cape around him made it nigh impossible to read any sign of his body language. Sailor Dee was standing next to Sir Meta Knight, her eyes practically pleading, 'Please don't tell! Please don't tell! Please don't tell! Bandana Dee turned back to King Dedede with the most confident expression and tone he could muster. "No, Great King. When I told Sir Meta Knight that he would have to wait to meet Kirby until his Majesty's arrival, he accepted with no objections."

Dedede was still unconvinced but decided to drop the topic for the time being, now instead redirecting his attention to the Pink Puffball, who was still in the warm embrace of Ribbon. Queen Ripple had joined Kirby and Ribbon and watched the two snuggle with amusement. "Careful, Ribbon, you wouldn't want to strangle them." She snickered. 

Hearing her Queen, Ribbon let go of Kirby, who wasted no time taking a deep breath. Ribbon let out nervous laughter while sheepishly rubbing her arm. "Sorry, your Majesty, I got a bit carried away." She turned back to Kirby. "Where in Qeen Ripple's name were you!?" She asked, angry yet soft.

While Ribbon was busy interrogating the Pink Puff, King Dedede was occupied talking to Sir Meta Knight with Bandana Dee close behind. "So you're saying the reason for having the entire Halberd floating above us and bringing a dozen of your followers was simply for safety measures?"

"Correct." The Knight replied nonchalantly. "As I've stated before, there could have been threats or enemies that had yet to reveal themselves. I ensured that if any unpleasant surprises arose, my men and I would be more than ready to take them on and defend any allies in danger. Security and safety are what you pay me for, Sire."

"And there were no problems when Bandana Dee ordered you to wait to meet Kirby until we arrived?" The King asked.

"No problems; after all, he is my...direct superior when you are absent, Sire."

It didn't slip King Dedede that Bandana Dee flinched at that remark as well as Meta Knight having a sour undertone. King Dedede thought for a moment. On the surface, everything the Knight said made sense, even the part about bringing the entire Halberd and a few soldiers. Meta Knight was the vigilant sort, always being prepared for almost any scenario, even if his measures came off a bit extreme to others. And he was right; King Dedede did pay him to keep the safety in dreamland. However, specific instances of behavior lead to him not believing a single word the Knight had said.

For one, there were the anxious glances his subordinate Bandana, and Sailor Dee always seemed to exchange. King Dedede knew the two Dees were close, but how Sailor Dee acted particularly made his alarm bells ring. Her eyes constantly wandered in his direction as if she was begging Bandana Dee to keep quiet about something. Then there was the threatening aurora Meta Knight was giving off, almost like something could happen if Bandana Dee spoke up about something.

Dedede narrowed his eyes, glaring at Meta Knight, who plainly stared back. If there was one thing the Knight was better at than fighting, it was being as mysterious and unreadable as possible. But Dedede had known him long enough to know which clues and indicators to look for to realize he was hiding something. Still, he could hardly prove anything with neither Bandana Dee nor anyone else present before Dedede and the rest got here speaking up. So the King had to settle for the lie Meta Knight had fed him. 

But he made one final test to ensure he wasn't just imagining things. "Very well, if that's what you're saying. I trust you. We have been long-time friends, after all." And there it was, right there! Anyone who wasn't watching for any clues surely would have missed it, but to Dedede, it was clear as day. An ever so slight twitch of the Knight's cape, as if he just got stung by a bee, a sting of guilt, giving him confirmation that all of them were indeed hiding something. Dedede frowned but decided now was not the time to start an argument. 

Meanwhile, Kirby and Ribbon were having a little argument of their own much to the surprise of Queen Ripple, who had been talking to Susie and Adeline a few moments ago, the three of them now just watching the Fairy and the Pink Puffball. "As I said, Ribbon, I'll tell everything once we return to the castle," Kirby explained. "That way, I do not have to explain the story a hundred times."

"Common, we both know you are stalling for time to devise an excuse. You never disappear just like that!" Ribbon insisted.

Kirby sounded a bit annoyed, "I didn't disappear. If you were just a bit patient, you would learn soon enough why I wasn't here."

The little Fairy took a surprised step back at the Puffball's remark. "Look, I was just worried, okay?" She turned her head away, sounding a bit hurt.

For some reason, her saying she was 'worried' about them made the Puffball angry. Memories of the conversation between Ribbon and Adeline they had overheard started to seep in. Unable to contain their bitterness any longer, some of those bitter thoughts began to spill outward. "I bet that wasn't the only thing you were worried about..." The Pink Puff muttered under their breath. Ribbon's demeanor changed from hurt to angry. At the same time, her brain feverishly tried to figure out if she was talking to Kirby or his shadow counterpart, who was notorious for being vulgar when interacting with others.

She flew right up to the Puffball's face giving them a challenging look, "Hey, what are you insinuating, and what's with attitude?" Kirby crossed their little nubs and looked away in defiance, which frustrated Ribbon even more. "Ok, what's your problem, Kirby? Is there something wrong? Was it something I said?" The Pink Puff still looked away stubbornly, not giving the fairy any attention. Queen Ripple looked worried while Susie was watching with utmost interest. She rarely, if ever, seen the Puffball be angry about something, her ocean-blue eyes practically absorbing any form of information the Pink Puff was giving off via behavior and bodily motion. Adeline was someone who held calm and silence in very high regard. The noise throbbed in her head and threw her thoughts all over the place. Right now, the two were too loud and chaotic, so she decided to calm things down.

"Hey, knock it off, you two!" Adeline yelled out as she stepped up to them. "Instead of celebrating that everything is okay, you are bickering like cat and mouse." She scolded. 

"I didn't say anything!" Ribbon exclaimed. "I just asked what was up, and suddenly Kirby is giving me the cold shoulder!"

Adeline gave the Pink Puff a questioning look, the latter still not establishing eye contact. Adeline and Ribbon just glared at Kirby, waiting for any response. After shooting the two of them a few side glances, the Puffball finally turned around apologetically.

"Look, I'm sorry, the last few weeks haven't been kind. There is just so much happening that sometimes I don't know how to deal with it. Sometimes the stress gets to me. I didn't mean to be rude, Ribbon, sorry."

"No, I'm sorry." Ribbon apologized, "I've been a bit too pushy. It's just I was so worried about not hearing from you. After all that has happened, I'm just glad you're okay...care for a hug?" The little Fairy opened her arms. While initially hesitant, Kirby swallowed the bitterness and embraced Ribbon, much to her joy. The Queen and Adeline were smiling again, while Susie was a bit sad that the fight had ended so quickly. It would have been a great chance to study Kirby, which had now vanished to dust.  The Fairy let go of the Puff, laughing nervously, "Phew, I thought I actually said something wrong there." At that statement, all the emotions they had swallowed before were coming back up again.

The AUDACITY of thinking she had spoken no wrong almost sent Kirby over the boiling point, taking a deep breath so as not to burst right then and there. Instead of saying anything, Kirby put on the best fake smile they could because if they did open their mouth, a sentence might escape it that Kirby would regret. 

"...and that's why we brought her as well. I know you might not like it, but she has given us insight into why Kirby was absent. Remember, she didn't betray us; quite contrary, she betrayed her father in order to help that pink menace."

"That doesn't change what she did to others! What she did to..." Meta Knight trailed off, turning his head toward the woman in question. She was standing not too far away, listening to their conversation. When she noticed the Knight staring at her, she looked away in shame.

"I know," Dedede whispered with sympathy. "We can discuss it further at the castle if that suits you," Dedede explained. Meta Knight huffed but objected no further. The King turned his attention to Qeen Ripple. "Are we finished?" 

"We are waiting for you two!" She confirmed.

"Alright then. Ey, pipsqueak!" King Dedede called out to Kirby, "Wanna head back to the castle? We got some lovely grub prepared, and tension will be much less...strained when discussing our situation over a nice meal." The Pink Puff gave an eager nod at the mention of food. "Hehe, that's what I thought." Dedede laughed. "Alight, boys, pack it up; we're heading back!" 

While the Waddle Dees of the royal guard began packing and preparing the vehicles, Sir Meta Knight turned to his own men. "Sailor and the rest, get back to the Halber and fly above the convoy. Interven if there is an immediate danger."

"What about you, Sir?" A Sword Knight asked.

"I'll be joining the convoy below." He answered. Sailor Dee and the rest saluted the Knight before returning to the star ships they had arrived in. Meta Knight joined Dedede, who was waiting with the rest of the crew.

"Ya done?" Dedede asked. The Knight nodded in confirmation. "Great, then let's get going 'cause Im dying of starvation." The group started walking toward the convoy waiting for them.

"Isn't it so nice that we are all back together again, Kirby?" Ribbon squealed in joy. "Just like old times?" Seeing the Fairy so happy made Adeline and Ripple snicker, while Bandana Dee was just glad that the situation seemed to have gone a lot better than he first imagined. The only one who seemed dissatisfied was Kirby themselves.

"Yeah...totally." The Puff muttered a bit too joylessly. Queen Ripple gave King Dedede a worried, but the latter just shrugged.

Ribbon and Adeline seemed to notice the lack of enthusiasm. "I have an idea, Kirby! Why don't Ribbon and I make you a strawberry shortcake? How does that sound?" Adeline proposed.

"Yeah!" Ribbon cheerfully chimed in. "Your favorite food oughta cheer you up."

"It will taste as fake as your friendship and as disgusting as your lies." Kirby casually blurted out.

The whole group stopped dead in their tracks, including Kirby. Practically everyone except Susie and Meta Knight looked absolutely mortified. 'What did I just say?' The Pink Puffball blinked a few times, their brain still having to comprehend the situation. No, no, Kirby must be imagining things; no way they would say something like that. But then the Puff turned towards Adeline, who gave them an empty stare. 'No...no, no, no!' They didn't say that! They couldn't have said that!

Kirby's heart began to pound so hard the Puffball thought it might rip out of their chest, and their expression turned into horror.

Ribbon took a step back. "What?"

Kirby frantically shook their head, "I-I didn't...I-I-I mean...What I wanted to say w-was..." 'SOMETHING! ANYTHING!' Kirby cried out to their brain, but no excuse came to their mind, no matter how hard they tried. The group continued to stare at Kirby in disbelief.

"That wasn't very nice," Adeline whispered. The Puffball started to panic as the pressure became unbearable.

"Kirby, what is the meaning of this!?" King Dedede asked angrily.

"That was very rude and uncalled for, Kirby!" The usually friendly and cheerful Qeen of Ripplestar was now looking furious. "And what do you mean by 'fake friendship' and 'as disgusting as your lies'?

"I-I-I-I-" Forming coherent sentences suddenly seemed a lot harder than fighting eldritch horrors. Kirby noticed that Adeline, King Dedede, Qeen Ripple, and Ribbon had formed a sort of circle, with Bandana Dee, Susie, and Meta Knight standing outside; Bandana Dee giving Susie and Meta Knight fearful glances. Kirby was in the middle of the circle, Kirby felt...trapped. It was getting too cramped, too hot! Their breathing became rapid and shallow as the Puff's brain became foggy and unclear. Suddenly a bright idea came to mind, a single word that could solve all of this mess!

"W-wait, I have it! W-what I meant to say was poyo..." That just seemed to earn them weird and angry looks, as if the Puff was pulling a prank. No, that wasn't it. "Hold on, that wasn't right! I meant poyo...poyo. Poyo. POYO! POYO!" Kirby started hitting their head in frustration. 'Why am I saying that stupid word!? What is happening!? Kirby felt something inside, something spreading; it was taking over their mind, clouding their judgment, like a virus, a disease, a parasite. The angry voices from outside started to creep into their mind like poison. Kirby couldn't understand what they were saying, only that they were angry.

At this point it was getting to much. It was starting to hurt. The Puffball's brain began to shut down. The emotional distress was destroying them. So they begged,

"Stop, poyo..." Kirby whispered. "Please...poyo, stop..."

...

...

...

But they didn't.

Chapter Text

"Hey Kirby, we asked you something!"

"Poyo..."

Bandana turned around toward Meta Knight and Susie, "We...we have to do something."

Meta Knight looked at him while Susie didn't even acknowledge the statement. She continued to observe the group mercilessly pressing on with the questions, seemingly oblivious to the Puffball's rapidly deteriorating mental state and rapid breathing. "Fascinating..." Susie muttered in awe, making Bandana Dee spin in her direction in disbelief,

"What did you just say!?" He snapped at her, but Susie remained unphased.

"It's fascinating, isn't it?" She now turned around, facing him. "They call themselves 'friends', yet they treat Kirby like a lesser being." 

Bandana Dee was taken aback by that response, "That's not...". At first, he wanted to refute the accusation, but the longer he watched the spectacle unfold, the harder it became to deny what Susie had said. Worst of all, his Majesty was participating in the berating of the Puff, making the Dee feel conflicted. He had an undying loyalty to King Dedede that was clear, but what he, what they were doing, was wrong. It was nothing short of bullying. "Sir Meta Knight, you always know what to do. You have to say something." Bandana pleaded.

"And what exactly would that be?" The Knight inquired. "Im afraid my hands are bound; going against his Majesty would be treason."

Bandana Dee stared at the Knight in shock. "How can you- does Kirby mean anything to you!?" He yelled out, frustrated; however, Meta Knight remained silent. "I don't even recognize you anymore, Sir." He hissed. Bandana knew that Sir Meta Knight had no problems going against the orders of great King; in fact, the Knight did that very often, meaning his reasoning was a blatant lie. "Miss Haltman," The Dee turned his attention to the girl. "Please..."

Susie was still eying Kirby and the group. "...Yes?" She asked without facing him.

Bandana Dee looked nervous about making his request. "Can you...do something to stop them?"

She gave him her usual indifferent businesswoman expression. "Maybe...but why should I? I am a monster, am I not?" She said as she glanced at Meta Knight. "Monsters do not help people."

"I know how you've been treated-"

"No, no you do not..." She interrupted, whispering in a shallow, threatening tone that made Bandana shiver. "You have no idea how I've been treated."

"Okay, maybe I can't grasp it to a full extent, but I know what others say about you. I know what others say because... I feel the same as they do. I'm scared of you and can't ever forget what you have done. He said all that while not even breaking eye contact with Susie for a second. "But do you know who didn't do that?" Bandana Dee pointed to Kirby, who was still being bombarded by the quartet while seemingly unable to defend themselves, the only exiting words out of their mouth being 'Poyo'. "Not once have I heard them talk behind your back. It's the opposite. Whenever someone, including me, expressed our doubts about you, Kirby would defend you, always saying that you deserve a second chance. So please Miss Haltman," Bandana was pleading at this point, "Do this for the only one who never lost faith in you!"

The Dee finished his sentence with nothing but desperation visible on his face. He didn't know what else to say to convince her, so he stared at her in despair. She, in turn, stared back at him. Her icy blue eyes made him feel even colder than Kirby's ice-copy ability, but worst of all, he had no idea if what he said had any impact since her expression was as unreadable as Sir Meta Knights. Her only facial features were her eyes, which were almost always in the same neutral position.

They continued looking at each other for a fleeting moment before Susie reached for her belt. Bandana Dee's confusion changed into fear, even alarming Sir Meta Knight when the two realized that she had just detached her blaster. 

"Wait, what are you doing!?" He yelled out, but Susie paid him no mind as she finished configuring the blaster to her desired potency and proceeded to aim at the group. 

"NO NO NO NO-" Bandana shouted as he jumped toward Susie. Sir Meta Knight had unsheathed Galaxia and lunged at her as well. Even the Waddle Dees of the Royal Guard had made a desperate dash in her direction after noticing Bandana Dee shouting. But none of them were quick enough to react.

A bright light emerged from the tip of the blaster as Susie pulled the trigger. In a split second, a giant laser shot out from the blaster. The sheer force of the shot created a shockwave that sent everyone flying like ragdolls but Susie, who remained perfectly still in place. The shot headed right for the group and went straight through the middle, making Qeen Ripple yelp in fear. The laser proceeded to hit a group of trees. In an instant, the air was filled with a deafening roar. The laser caused a massive explosion as the trees that got hit dead center were ripped to shreds while others in the vicinity were incinerated on the spot, reduced to nothing but ash.

The explosion scared all kinds of forest critters; a flock of birds flew off in the distance while a group of Nruff ran out of the forest and down the hills into the distance.

Bandana Dee groaned in pain. His ears were ringing, and his vision was blurry. The Dee tried to get up, but the severe disorientation made that task impossible, opting for him to try and sit up, which seemed to bear more fruitful than standing up. Slowly, Bandana Dee's vision started to come back, making him notice his spear, which was knocked not too far away by the explosion. He gradually began to drag himself across the ground. While he wasn't injured, Bandana Dee's whole body was aching. His arms felt heavy as if being weighed down by iron chains, and each movement sent sharp jolts of pain through his muscles. 

Despite all the pain, Bandana Dee reached his spear and clutched it tightly, using it as support to pull himself up from the dirt and begin to take in his surroundings. Looking over his shoulders, he spotted the Waddle Dees of the Royal Guard littered across the soil, like condiments sprinkled on ice cream. Some were knocked out cold, while others moaned and writhed in pain. Smoke and dust lingered in the air, making it difficult to see, but he managed to spot King Dedede and the rest of the group. 

King Dedede stood protectively before a shaken Quenn Ripple and a very scarred Adeline. He stood tall and tense, feet firmly planted on the ground, the hammer tightly in his hands, and eyes fixated on Susie, filled with pure rage. Bandana Dee couldn't see Ribbon, so he assumed she was behind King Dedede as well, but he did spot a certain Pink Puffball. Kirby was standing beside Dedede. However, Kirby seemed utterly motionless with their back turned to Bandana, making it impossible to see their mimic.

He began to look for someone else. Just before the shockwave, out of the corner of his eye, Bandana Dee spotted Sir Meta Knight, who had also jumped for Susie but was nowhere to be seen right now. That was until he heard a particular cape unfurl itself behind him. Clutching his spear tight once again, he used its support to turn himself around just in time to spot Sir Meta Knight exiting his dimensional cape. The Knight briefly scanned his surroundings before spotting Bandana Dee and hastily rushing toward him.

Bandana Dee only now noticed that he had no strength left. No longer able to hold his spear, the Dee lost balance and was just about to hit the ground when Sir Meta Knight grabbed him, putting Bandana Dee's little arm over his shoulder guard to keep him from falling.

"Are you alright? Have you been injured?"

Bandana Dee didn't have the energy to respond, so he faintly shook his head. 

Meta Knight let out a relieved sigh. "That's good." He grabbed Bandana Dee's spear and walked him to Kirby's home. The windows had been shattered from the shockwave, and glass shards scattered across the ground. 

"Can you stand for a short moment?" The Knight asked.

"I think so." He managed to hoarse out.

Handing Bandana his spear to keep him standing, Meta Knight quickly swept away the broken glass fragments, his gloves protecting him from the sharp glass. After wiping them away, he once more put the Dee's arm around his shoulder guard, guiding and softly leaning him against the wall. Bandana Dee gave him a thankful look, and Meta Knight nodded in response. 

He proceeded to unsheath Galaxia and headed toward Susie. While making his way toward her, he spotted a few Waddle Dees scattered across the floor, either unconscious or highly dazed. The Knight was lucky. Just before Haltman fired off her shot, Meta Knight noticed that they wouldn't make it in time, proceeding to use his dimensional cape to teleport himself a reasonable distance away. Even then, the shockwave had reached him, hitting his metallic facemask and making the Knight dizzy and his ears ring. He had to take a few moments to collect himself before returning to the scene.

By now, the smoke and dust had cleared, making it easy to spot Susie and the rest of the group. Not that it mattered to him; his kind had UV vision, after all. 

After finally reaching Susie, Meta Knight pointed Galaxia at her but opted to keep a little distance. Letting his gaze wander to King Dedede and rest, noting that the group seemed unharmed, but the same couldn't be said for the forest behind them. The impact area had left a large chunk of devastated trees while the surrounding area had begun to burn, causing a forest fire that appeared to be spreading rapidly. But that problem would have to wait.

"Explain your actions." Meta Kight commanded, still pointing Galaxia at her. Susie looked at him but gave him no response.

Before the knight could say anything else, a rageful voice stopped him. "ARE YOU INSANE!?" Ribbon screamed at the top of her lungs. The little Fairy was hovering above Dedede with her crystal shard gun in her hand pointed at this disaster's culprit. She was shaking, tears flowing down her face, but Meta Knight could see it wasn't out of fear. Ribbon looked absolutely livid, as if she could tear Susie apart right on the spot. Now Adeline had also made her way beside King Dedede, standing protectively in front of Queen Ripple, who had yet to regain her composure. But unlike her friend Ribbon, Adeline was afraid, radiating fear.

Meta Knight noticed while everyone seemed to be OK physically, it was clear that some mental damage had been inflicted.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE JUST DONE!?"

"Enlighten me," Susie said in a much too monotone voice. By now, she had holstered her blaster again and was standing in her usual calm manner.

That enraged the Fairy even more. "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE!"

Susie was unimpressed. "I thought you were going to tell me what I did, not what I could have done."

"WHAT IF YOU HIT US!?"

"My target wasn't you, Ribbon. I hit what I was aiming for, and besides, I don't miss." The last part sounding like a threat.

"Whatever it was for, you went too far, Susie." King Dedede stated in an oddly calm manner. He looked over her shoulders at the Waddle Dee's scattered across the floor. "You seem to have forgotten that you are under parol, and seeing as you've hurt plenty of MY Waddle Dees, I think you can figure the implications by yourself."

"Actually," Susie began with an ever so slightly gleeful undertone, "I was simply following my orders. If you don't believe me, by all means," She gestured toward Bandana Dee, who was still sitting against the Wall. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Dedede gave her a suspicious glare and then looked at Meta Knight. He flicked his head to Bandana Dee, motioning the Knight to fetch him. Reluctantly Sir Meta Knight sheathed Galaxia and made his way to Bandana Dee. Noticing the Knight approaching, the Dee began to stand up using his spear but was stopped by Meta Knight, who signaled him to sit still. After reaching him, Meta Knight grabbed Bandana's arm and put it over his shoulder guard like so many times today. And again, the Dee's eyes shined with thankfulness.

While carefully helping him walk toward the group, Meta Knight noticed he was starting to sweat again, like in their first encounter today. "Do not be afraid. You are braver than you realize." The Knight murmured. Bandana Dee gave him a surprised look, but Meta Knight didn't look like he wanted to elaborate further. 

Soon enough, they reached the group. "I think I can stand now. Thank you, Sir." Bandana Dee's muscles were still sore, but the pain wasn't as bad now, and he could stand and see clearly. Meta Knight nodded and proceeded to let go of him, but not before giving him his spear, which Bandana Dee gladly accepted to steady himself again.

"So," King Dedede said, making Bandana Dee look at him. "How are you feeling?"

The Dee gulped. He knew where this was going. "A bit shook, but other than that, I'm feeling good." A lie. He was feeling horrible, but not just because his muscles were aching. 

King Dedede squinted his eyes. "Seeing as your sweating bullets, I presume you already know what I'm about to ask you, so why don't ya give it to me straight?"

Dammnit! He hated being a nervous wreck. But that didn't matter right now. Reminding himself what Sir Meta Knight had told him a few moments ago and mustered every last bit of courage in him, which was more than most people could dream of, but Bandana Dee's self-esteem was too low to allow him to admit something like that to himself. 'Here goes everything!' Bandana Dee thought and closed his eyes as if he were about to jump into cold water. "Miss Haltman is right, great King. I gave the order!"

That earned him a surprised gasp from Adeline and a berating from Ribbon. "You told her to fire at us?!"

"What! No, I didn't tell her to shoot you. She took what I said way too far!" Bandana Dee explained as he shot the Businesswomen an accusatory glare. Susie didn't seem to acknowledge it, and if she did, she decided to ignore it.

"What exactly did you tell her, Bandana?" His Majesty inquired.

"I... I..." Bandana felt like a giant lump in his throat prevented him from speaking those fateful words, no matter how hard he tried. 'Do not be afraid. You are braver than you realize.'  He deeply breathes, "...I ordered her to stop you, great King."

"Stop us? From doing what?" Dedede asked, confused.

"Stop you from harming Kirby any further." Bandana finally managed to confess as he felt an enormous burden fall from his shoulders. This was easier than he thought it would be. Perhaps standing up for the right thing made it easier.

"But we didn't hurt Kirby." Queen Ripple spoke up, seemingly regaining her composure, although she was still standing behind her three guardiens.

"More than you know. Not physically, certainly mentally."

"As if you know anything about emotions!" Ribbon hissed. "And besides, how would you even be able to tell?"

"Aside from the fact that Kirby was looking extremely distressed during your 'conversation'?" Susie deadpanned. "These." She tapped her right eye with her finger, which made a glassy tinkling noise. "My eyes do not only serve to see, but to monitor as well. They are enhanced with numerous helpful adjustments. X-Ray, UV, and night vision, to name a few."

"X...Ray?" Meta Knight repeated with a low whisper.

"I promise, I not once peeked." She quickly assured the Knight, returning her focus to the group again. "But most importantly, I have a built-in biometric sensor, able to analyze every part of your body in an instant. Heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance. All things I can measure in an instance, including brain activity, stress levels, and emotional activity...do you see where I am going with this?" She asked, and although everyone had caught on by now, none of the four dared to speak up. "Very well, if I have to spell it out loud, so be it. During your little bully session, I had the honor of analyzing Kirby's biometric readings. Through your yelling and battering of Pinky, you have pushed their stress level to the absolute breaking point, which has led to a chain reaction taking place in their brain, causing a severe neural overload."

"In layman's terms, please." King Dedede blankly said.

"You have forced Kirby's brain into a regressive shutdown."

"No way!" Adeline interjected. "We would never intentionally harm Kirby that bad!"

"Not intentionally, Miss Adeline. But fear leads to individuals taking horrible actions."

"We have no reason to fear them. Kirby is our hero." Queen Ripple reminded the businesswomen.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Susie shook her head and wagged her finger mockingly. "Lies are the tools of cowards, your highness. You aren't a coward, are you, Qeen Ripple?"." The last part sounded awfully sarcastic.

"Careful," Dedede growled and took a step forward, clutching his hammer tight, the insult of his spouse having broken his patience.

"Oh im being reaaaly carefull." Susie menacingly whispered, no traces of her usually unbreakable calm demeanor remaining.

Seeing the debate was about to escalate, Meta Knight's patience was just about used up. This pointless arguing brought them nowhere, so The Knight interjected in the heated debate with an unmatched, forceful, commanding presence. "Enough!" He bellowed as he stepped forward, making Qeen Ripple flinch. "This pointless bickering is most unproductive, tiresome and will ultimately lead us nowhere. It seems tensions are too high for a civil conversation. Our best bet is to regroup at the castle and continue our quarrel at a later date. Any objections?"

Adeline and Ribbon still looked tense, but King Dedede seemed to relax slightly. "Seconded. However," He nodded towards the dozens of Waddle Dees still spread out across the dirt, "We can't just leave them here."

"And then there is the burning forest," Adeline noted. The fire had spread rapidly and, if not contained, could cause serious problems.

"My Haltman robots will be more than capable of dealing with the forest fire. Consider it taken care of."

"I will recall my Meta Knights. We will provide transport and on-site first aid. Once we are on the Halberd, we can provide further medical treatment." Meta Knight added. "Does that sound adequate, your Highness?"

"If it ends this whole ordeal." He said, sounding just about as fed up as Sir Meta Knight. "Then ill be happy to oblige."

"Then it's settled. Once our Star ships arrive, we will transport Kirby and the rest of us to-"

"Not a chance." Susie intercepted the Knight's sentence. "I see no reason as to why Kirby would need to accompany you."

"To give us a runback as to why they were absent, of course." Queen Ripple stated, trying to sound as polite as possible. She didn't want to ignite any further conflicts.

"Kirby is in no condition to do anything right now. Their stress levels are already off the charts as is. Adding any more pressure on their strained mind could cause serious mental damage. It's best if Pinky remains here at their home." Since the beginning of this spectacle, Bandana Dee had done nothing but watched the Pink Puffball. Kirby hadn't spoken or moved a single muscle all that time, absently staring into the far distance with their back turned. If Bandana didn't know any better, he would have thought it was some empty husk or a statue standing before them, not the Pink hero of the universe.

"You don't get to put in requests after what you did today." Ribbon angrily spat.

"My apologies for being unclear, Miss Ribbon. This was by no means a request." When Susie finished her sentence, a deafening roar pierced the sky as a giant metal construct could be seen plummeting like a meteor, crashing just meters behind Susie. The ground shook violently, a cloud of dust and debris engulfing the air. As the dust slowly cleared, the imposing figure of a war machine loomed over them, casting a menacing shadow. Bandana Dee could feel the heat emanating from the engines of the machine, it's metallic exterior crackling with energy. The event's suddenness left almost all of them in shock, Bandana Dee even managing to spot a quick glint of fear in Great King's eyes. Kirby, Susie, and Sir Meta Knight remain the only ones looking unaffected.

"Kirby WILL be staying here." The Businesswomen finally finished her sentence.

No one dared to speak or oppose her in any shape or form, or at least that seemed to be the case, until Adeline stepped forward. The Painter looked extremely shaken and afraid. Her whole body trembled, holding on to her paintbrush for dear life as if letting it go would result in her instant death. Yet she somehow managed to step forward. "W-w-were not l-leaving Kirby a-alone with y-you."

"I will be staying." Meta Knight came forward. "And so will Bandana Dee."

"I will?" The Dee asked, surprised, but a glare from the Knight quickly shut him up.

"We will make sure Miss Haltman doesn't try anything funny. Once we are done dealing with Kirby, we will meet you at the castle."

"Fine," King Dedede snarled, but not before shooting Susie one last glare. "This will have consequences."

"I know." She said indifferently. 

After everything was set and done, Sir Meta Knight radioed the Halberd crew, telling them of the situation. Since the Halberd hadn't left and was still floating above them, the deployment of the starships was quick. A handful of starships made their landing near the crew. Meta Knight had explicitly requested to send for medical transport vessels designed and built by Susie Haltman. The given design of the medical vessels was compact and efficient, with a streamlined design signifying its emphasis on speed and agility. Its sleek hull was painted in shapes of white and blue, with a prominent red cross emblazoned on both sides of the starship, denoting its role as a medical vessel. At the back, two sets of powerful quadruple thrusters were positioned and built with only speed in mind, giving them an almost unmatched speed.

Once the medical vessels touched down, a rear ramp came down, and the medical crew began exiting the starships, hastily making their way toward the Waddle Dees. The medical team began loading the Waddle Dees onto the stretchers. They carried various medical equipment like stretchers, IV supplies, and bandages. Injuries, while not severe in any way, were still present. Some Waddle Dees were just a little dizzy, while others had sustained minor injuries like abrasions and scrapes, which could be treated with simple bandages. Others, however, didn't have that luck. Three Waddle Dees had been knocked unconscious by the blast, with one even sustaining a mild concussion. The medical crew loaded the Waddle Dees onto the stretchers before transporting them into the medical ships.

One paramedic had made her way toward Kirby, wanting to examine them, but was quickly stopped by Susie, who ensured she herself would see to his medical treatment.

Bandana Dee also had received a quick examination. Ultimately, the doc concluded that he hadn't sustained significant injuries, only receiving a bandage on his right arm to cover an abrasion.

Another vessel, named the Guardian Cruiser, had also landed nearby, specifically designed to transport people of great importance like King Dedede or Queen Ripple. It was sleek and relatively small with a teardrop-shaped hull, its exterior made up of a series of interlocking panels reinforced with strong alloys and protective coating to ensure it could endure even the most brutal of attacks. It had a predominately silver color scheme with accents of gold engravings. Like the medical vessels, it had two markings on both sides, much like the ones of 'The Beast' that had brought them here in the first place.

The cockpit was situated on the front, encased by a thick layer of transparent plating instead of the run-of-the-mill standard glass used for starships. This allowed the pilots a much broader view without sacrificing any of their protective capabilities. Above the cockpit and the rear was a dome-shaped turret house outfitted with twin VP destroyer canons, which could be safely operated from inside or manually by climbing inside. If things ever got heated, the Guardian also had multiple retractable VP canons and a strong shield generator capable of reflecting incoming fire.

'One of my greatest inventions yet and a marvel of engineering, if I do say so myself.' Susie boasted when she had first presented the project, and Meta Knight had to admit she wasn't wrong. Even with his distrust of her, he had to acknowledge that there was no one perhaps in the entire universe who could match her engineering skills, which led him to consider offering her to help at upgrading the Halberd itself. Something that would have never crossed his mind a few months ago. She had hurt him, hurt him really bad, but her constant efforts at making amends and engaging in conversations with the Knight slowly began to chip away at his hatred for her...which he hated. He didn't want to forgive her, and perhaps Meta Knight never could, but he noticed his disdain toward her slowly fading.

Soon enough, all the Waddle Dees were loaded onto the medical vessels; Susie's robots had extinguished the forest fire with excellent efficiency, and King Dedede and the rest had boarded the Guardian Cruiser. Almost simultaneously, all the ship's engines fired up, shaking the ground beneath them and blowing up dust everywhere. The starships took off from the ground, their engines now at full throttle, soaring high above the clouds towards the Halberd until they vanished completely from sight in the skies above, leaving behind Kirby, Susie, Sir Meta Knight, and Bandana Dee.

For a while, the trio stood there watching the skies and letting the beautiful silence wash over them, even the wind having calmed down after such a hectic and stressful dispute. The wind, the wildlife, and the earth itself; all took a deep breath to celebrate the silence. Slowly, the battleship Halberd began heading to the castle, letting the sun it had been blocking out shine brightly once more. The looming shadow that had been cast over them for so long gradually began to dissipate as the sunrays subtly fell back to mother-earth again, highlighting a lonely Kirby.

"Is...is it over?" Bandana Dee carefully asked.

"It seems that way." Meta Knight mused, wrapping his cape around himself.

"OK!" Bandana cheered before proceeding to pass out immediately. Susie and Meta Knight could only look dumbfounded as he faceplanted to the ground.

"Riiiiight," Susie commented. She pulled her hair back and let out a big sigh.

"I see your negotiation skills are of the utmost quality Miss Haltman. Perhaps you should apply to be the head of the Star Allies external affairs." The Knight duly noted.

Susie gave an overly exaggerated sarcastic bow. "Susie Haltman, the negotiator, at your service."

"Well, Miss Negotiator, your first assignment will be negotiating with Kirby." The Knight pointed to the pink Puffball. "How are they feeling."

"Not great, I'm afraid." She said eyes fixated on Kirby, her biometric sensors showing that the Puffballs brain was a mess. "If we push Pinky even a bit further, that could hold some unpleasant consequences, to put it nicely. We have to make them comfortable and come to us out of their own will."

"And how do we do that?"

"By talking as if we were addressing a child." Susie rasped a few times before speaking in a tone that Meta Knight never thought he'd heard out of her mouth "Ahem, ahem. Hey Pinkyyyyy, what's my favorite Gumball doing!" Meta Knight had to blink a few times to ensure he wasn't dreaming. Usually, Susie's voice sounded cold and analytic, devoid of any emotion. The only time any form of emotion one could hear was either pride or sarcasm but never anything else. Now, however? Her voice sounded so high-pitched and over-the-top cheerful. It sounded so...girly. 

"Poyooo..." A sound interrupted Meta Knight's thoughts. Kirby had now turned around, and the Knight could see his pupil's face for the first time in a while. Kirby looked absent, almost empty even. The usual star-sparkling optimism-filled replaced with a gaping abyss of nothingness. Seeing them like this sends a shiver down Meta Knight's entire body. Kirby looked-

"Broken?" Susie completed his train of thought. 

"Yes..." The Kight whispered. Right now, he didn't care that it had almost seemed like Susie had just read his mind. The Knight felt a sense of guilt wash over him. But why? He wasn't responsible for this; it was King Dedede and the rest. But that didn't stop a particular something nagging away at his conscience.

Susie kneeled down and stretched out her arms as if she was about to give someone a big hug. "Why don't you come over to me, Pinky? Here, I even brought a nice present for you." She reached behind and pulled out a maxim tomato, seemingly out of nowhere. "These are your favorite, right? If you come to me, ill give it to you." But all she received was another dragged-out 'Poyooo'. "Playing hard to get, are we? Then ill have to up the ante." She reached behind again, and this time, Meta Knight noticed a small white and pink pouch behind, which she definitely didn't have before. Reaching into it, she pulled out a sizeable spiral-shaped lollipop wrapped in plastic with a bell attached. Susie extended the colorful lollipop and waved it back and forth in a gentle and enticing motion, which made the little bell attached to the plastic ring.

That did the trick as Kirby carefully watched the lollipop dance back and forth. "Poyo." They began to shuffle toward Susie like a child with difficulty keeping their balance, never leaving the lollipop out of sight. That was until the Puffball locked eyes with Meta Knight and then proceeded to turn around and began to run away through a combination of waddling and running. Not that they could get very far with that tempo. 

"No, wait!" Susie yelled but to no avail. She quickly pointed at a bit of rock not far. "Quickly, get behind that rock over there!" Several questions popped into Meta Knight's head, but regarding the situation, he ignored them and did as the Businesswomen told him, using his cape to teleport behind quickly said rock. The Knight carefully peeked from behind the stone to ensure he could still see what was happening. 

"Kirby, please turn around!" Susie pleaded to the Fugitive. "Look, there is no one here." But Kirby didn't stop. "If you don't stop, you won't get this sweet and delicious candy!" And finally, that got the Puffball to stop. Kirby cautiously took in their surroundings, and just like the Robot lady said, there was no trace of anyone besides an unconscious Bandana Dee. "That's Right, see? No sign of edgy blueberry man anywhere."

'Edgey blueberry man!?' "Insolence..." Meta Knight silently huffed. Yet his disappearance seemed most effective as Kirby began to waddle toward Susie again, albeit more carefully this time. Eventually, Kirby reached their target destination and basically let themselves fall into Susie's embrace.

"Awwwww!" Susie let out a purr, softly cradling the Puff in her gentle arms. "Who is a good Gumball? Who is it? Yes you are! Yes you are!" Susie giggled as she playfully tickled Kirby's stomach with her finger, which earned one of the most genuine crackles Susie and Meta Knight had heard in a long time. Meta Knight tried his hardest to suppress it, but ultimately, the Knight couldn't stop a small smile from forming under his mask, the Knight's eyes turning a bright blue. "As promised," Susie picked up the Maxim Tomato she had placed on the ground, "Your reward."

"Poya poy!" Kirby cheered, life returning in their voice. Handing them the maxim tomato, the Puff took several big hungry bites out of it. Susie silently watched Kirby chow down on the maxim tomato, which gave her a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. 

Kirby noticed that their body was getting a bit wet. They looked briefly at the sky, but it wasn't raining. Tough the Puff couldn't care less right now and focused on happily continuing to eat the tomato.

"That's right, little one..." Susie whispered in such a gentle voice. "Forget all the bad stuff...and enjoy this moment of peace." As Kirby continued to eat their prize, the maxim tomato injected with a special anesthetic began to take its effect. The Puffball's eyelids became increasingly heavy, making Kirby let out a big yawn. 

"Poyo poy poya...?"

"Shhhhh. Don't fight it..." Susie mused as she slowly began to rock Kirby back and forth. Kirby let out another big yawn, the maxim tomato they were holding becoming too heavy to carry, which resulted in them dropping the tomato.

Meta Knight immediately took notice of this, alarm bells ringing in his head. 'She has done something!' The Knight observed as Kirby's breathing became more shallow and their body limper. 'SHE DRUGGED KIRBY! SHE POISONED KIRBY! SHE KILLED KIRBY! SHE IS HURTING THE ONE YOU RAISED! DO SOMETHING FOR NOVA'S SAKE!!!' Meta Knight's hand instinctively reached for Galaxia's hilt, and the Knight's eyes turned a bright red as he made a mad dash for Susie. This wasn't happening. He wouldn't let it! Not again! He wouldn't lose someone that meant everything to him again! He refused! He raised Galaxia high above her. He would gut her! He would desecrate her! He would burn her! He would kill her! He would-

 "Close your eyes, my little one, and rest your head on my shoulder."

"Drift away to dreamland now, as I hum this lullaby a little lower."

"Sleep tight, my sweet angel, and let the stars keep you company."

"As you lay in my loving arms, and dream of all the wonders you'll see..."

Meta Knight stood behind Susie with Galaxia still raised high. His hands were shaking, and his entire body was trembling. At this moment, he couldn't think. He couldn't act. He couldn't feel. All the Knight could do was listen. Listen, and watch as Susie rocked Kirby in her embrace.

"...May your dreams be filled with joy and laughter, for you are my precious little one."

"May you wake up on a day, that shines as bright as your eyes."

"May you wake up refreshed and happy again, for you are my precious little one."

"As you sleep in my loving arms once more, may you dream off all the wonders you'll see... agaiiiin..."

And finally, right on time, precisely in the last verse, Meta Knight watched Kirby's eyes fully close themselves. The only thing being left behind are Meta Knight and Susie. When she slowly turns around, he could only hear a steady, soft snoring exiting a child's mouth. When she turned around, the only thing he could see was a little girl, her deep blue eyes filled with endless tears...

Deep underground, the forces of darkness were gathering. Deep underground, hopelessness and despair were drowning every remaining speck of light and hope. Deep underground, evil was seeping through every pour. Deep under the castle of Patchland, dark thoughts were poisoning a Prince's sanity walking through an endless dungeon. In his right hand, the Prince carried a dimly lit torch, the only thing keeping vile intentions from completely taking over. In his left hand, the Prince was dragging something heavy behind. It was a coffin, one of many the Prince had dragged down here, but this one was the last.

The Prince navigated the dungeon elegantly; he knew exactly where he wanted to go; he had traveled down here many times today. The Prince marched on; that was all he ever did; he never stopped, not for anyone. The Prince marched and marched until arriving in a big square room. It was dark; it always was, but he knew at the very back was a safe made out of steel yarn. The Prince placed down the coffin and began to search; he searched for someone he once knew quite well. The Prince held the torch close to the ground, searching.

"Your conviction astounds me~"

The Prince squinted his eyes; it was hard to see down here; the torch's light was minuscule. It had shined bright the first time he had entered, but the more he came down here, the more the light began to fade. Now...it was barely burning.

"I told your mother long ago that you would be just like him. She didn't believe me. Hahahaha!"

The Prince bent down to pick up a piece of yarn he had spotted.

"I heard two of you talking. Every last bit. You are an even better manipulator than your father was."

The Prince walked over to the coffin and opened it, carelessly throwing in the piece of unraveled yarn. The Prince was gentle the first few times, the more he came down here, the rougher he became.

"They told you everything; you told them nothing. You know everything; they know nothing. Nothing but lies. You are a better liar than your father."

The Prince continued to search; the torchlight became dimmer.

"Will you tell them eventually? I would give anything to see their face when you do. The face of betrayal was always the most...genuine emotion. You should know."

The Prince found another batch of unrevealed yarn and picked it up.

"I would love to see their look when telling them that you already know how to destroy me."

The Prince walked over to the coffin and threw in the batch of yarn.

" I would love to see their look when you tell them that you had separated Buster and the rest of the royal guard from my control in our last incident down here."

The Prince continued his search; he stumbled over a spear; it was Busters.

"I would love to see their face when they realize you killed them after separating them from my control; because I told them your little secret."

The Prince found another batch of yarn; he picked it up.

"It's ironic, really. After your father, she became paranoid just about everyone. Everyone but you."

The Prince threw it in the coffin; only one more to go; the torch was barely burning.

"Are you going to tell them that it was you?"

The Prince spotted the last batch; just have to take it to the coffin.

"Are you ever going to tell Kirby that getting rid of me would need the sacrifice of Dreamland?"

The light was flickering; where was the coffin?

"Are you ever going to tell Dom that Queen Shiela never disappeared?"

Found it; the Prince threw in the yarn and closed the coffin; the exit is right there; you have to leave; 

"ARE YOU GOING TO TELL DOM, KIRBY, OR ANYONE ELSE THAT IT WAS YOU WHO, IN HER SLEEP, SLIT YOUR OWN MOTHER'S THROAT?"

And the flame dies out.

Chapter Text

"I'm sorry I-I didn't mean t-to,-I-he-Im sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" The pain in her throat was excruciating, one she had never felt before. With her two hands, she clutched her wound in an attempt to do...what exactly? The Queen wasn't bleeding, nor did she ever have the need to breathe, but it now felt like something was clogging up her throat. That something was a large knife that had been plunged into her throat a few seconds ago. At first, she didn't know who, but when the Queen heard the soft whimper, she immediately knew who.

Another bolt of agony coursed through her body as the knife was violently pulled out. The Queen gargled and began to choke on her own yarn. Her body twitched involuntarily as she tried to resist the sensation, and her pupils dilated to their limits. The bed beneath her squeaked as she writhed in pain, which had begun to permeate every fiber of her being. She could feel her body gradually breaking apart.  Then, two arms embraced her tightly. Despite the agony, the Queen managed to turn her body slightly, meeting the gaze of her murderer.

Little Fluff's eyes were filled with tears, his whole body trembling from the events that had just transpired, and the boy's mind refusing to accept what he had just done. The Queen looked deep into her little boy's eyes. Fluff looked confused and ill, his eyes filled with dread and regret. In his left hand, Fluff was shakily holding the knife, pieces of her yarn still hanging by its thread. When the boy looked back into his mother's eyes, he could feel his heart violently torn apart. In his mother's eyes, there was no panic, no hatred, no fear, only sadness that asked him one question: 'Why?'

Fluff couldn't take it anymore and forced closed his eyes shut, but before running out of the room, the boy managed to sob one final sentence to his dying mother, "I love you..." And with those last words, Fluff ran out of the room, the Queen hearing the door shut through a loud bang.

A single tear rolled down the Queen's eyes as she watched her little boy run out of her chambers. Her body began to fall limp, and the pain slowly started to subside, an eery void beginning to consume her vision. Her thoughts raced as her soul gradually faded. 'What did I do wrong? Why did I deserve such a life? Was I, not a good wife? Was I, not a good mother? Out of everyone, why my own son? My own boy? My everything?'

"Oh, my dear," An unknown gentle voice soothed the Queen's senses, "what cruel fate has befallen you?" A faint tingle coursed through the Queen's body like a tiny beetle crawling over her skin. The dark void that had enveloped her vision began to recede, revealing the source of the otherworldly voice. A striking orange butterfly with wings that shimmered like a blazing sunset perched atop her, emanating a celestial aura. The butterfly met the Queen's gaze with a solemn expression. "It saddens me to hear you speak so, my lady," the butterfly lamented. "Such a callous end to a great reign, I must admit."

The Queen noticed that there was no pain remaining in her body. That horrible sensation in her throat was gone, and it didn't feel like her body was falling apart anymore, as if the events that had transpired a few moments ago had never occurred. But when she tried to move, she found herself unable to do so, so the Queen opted for a vocal approach. "May I know whom I'm talking to?"

"Im afraid not someone you'd ever want to talk to, my beautiful." The butterfly wistfully responded.

The Queen stayed silent momentarily before speaking up again, her mind slowly realizing who she might be talking to. "...Am I dead?"

"Im afraid so, my lady."

"Ah...then I guess I know who I am talking to" The Queen sombrely smiled. "Have you come to collect me?" 

"Correct, my beautiful." The Reaper confirmed. "I'm here to judge and guide you to your next and final destination."

"So I guess the afterlife wasn't just silly stories..." The Queen let her gaze rest on the butterfly on top of her. "Who knew death could look so beautiful?"

The butterfly flapped its wings a few times. "Why, thank you, my beautiful. It's rare for me to receive admiration."

"I can't imagine why." The Queen let out a small laugh.

She just rested atop her bed for a time, and the Reaper let her. There was no reason to rush; they had all the time in the universe. Besides, she deserved it. The reaper knew the life of the Queen well, and indeed fate had been callous to her. A death like this, very few beings deserve it, and she wasn't one of them. The Reaper suddenly was taken out of its thoughts by a quiet crying. It noticed the Queen beginning to sob and tears starting to fall down her eyes, resulting in some of them hitting the butterflies legs. The Reaper was about to comfort her when he realized she wasn't crying out of fear or sadness but out of pure, unbridled rage.

"I refuse..." The butterfly let out a quiet sigh. In its entire existence, many have reacted differently to its appearance. Some accepted it; others cursed life. Most, however, begged, and for good reason, because most individuals weren't good people. The Reaper understood little of mortal emotion; it was a being of pure neutrality. When being judge, jury, and executioner, it had to be. Or at least, that's what the maker had told it. The butterfly was born at the very beginning of everything. It was born at the dawn of time, and over its many years of existing and doing its destined work, it began to do something it shouldn't be able to.

It began to feel. It began to feel what mortals would call emotions, and while the butterfly mostly got confused and understood little of them, it began to realize something. They hurt. They cause pain in such a way that the Reaper cannot define it in words. Emotions hurt, caused confusion, and ultimately, the Reaper began to fear that it could compromise its ability to execute its duties properly. When it focused back on the Queen, it again began to feel something that it wasn't supposed to: Pitty.

"Why do you refuse, my dear?"

 "I'm sorry my love, but-

"NO."   The Queen interrupted with a booming voice. "I have failed with many things in my life, but I will not fail as a guardian or mother." The butterfly gave her a long stare. Such conviction, such determination. Truly mortals were the most defiant ones. The butterfly began to carefully extract her soul from her body. This was the part where most would start to scream, but not her. The butterfly could feel her soul struggling with defiance at every fiber of her being. To Its surprise, the Reaper found itself struggling itself a bit. Such strength was usually reserved for godlike entities, not mere mortals. Once it fully extracted her soul, the butterfly was hit with the full brunt of her raw, unfiltered emotions. Her soul radiated an unprecedented amount of rage, regret, love, care, and defiance. 

Souls were a mystery even to the butterfly. Souls had a spherical look with a usually white light emanating from them, although if a soul was tainted with enough emotions, it could glow various colors. But in its entire existence, it had only seen a handful of times a soul emanating multiple colors. The Reaper observed the Queen's essence floating a little above her body as it shined like a prism. The butterfly flapped its blazing orange wings a few times, flying off the Queen's body and onto her soul.

If the Queen could, her entire body would shudder as she felt six little feet crawl across her very essence. It was a strange feeling and certainly the most uncomfortable. 

The moment the butterfly landed on the Queen's soul, it began to taste her soul with its little feet. A mix of emotions gave the soul a mixture of different flavors. Ultimately, it could confidently say that her soul tasted... very spicy. Now to the part that caused the most turmoil inside the butterfly. Slowly, the butterfly extended its proboscis, piercing the soft soul, making the Queen's soul wince at the unpleasant intrusion and began eating its essence.

In an instant, all of the memories of the Queen shot through the Reaper's mind. It could feel all of it: every memory, every emotion, and everything she had ever felt in her life, passing through the butterfly in an indescribable sensation. A necessary procedure to pass the ultimate judgment. And as fast as it began, it was over just as soon. It just stood there, lingering on the Queen's soul, unmoving.

"How?" It finally spoke up. "How can mortals endure such pain?" It didn't understand. How can one live a life with this many emotions, where most of it was pain, anger, and despair?

"Because we have someone that keeps us going, and that was my little Fluff. Do you see now why I can't leave? The pain he and I have suffered through, I can't let it be all for nothing."

The butterfly was silent. It was silent for a very long time. During its duty, time stands still for the Reaper, allowing it to carefully carry out its judgments without haste. While the living didn't notice any of this, time didn't move when it had work to be done, meaning it could take as much time as needed. And for the decision it was about to make, it needed to think for a very long time. The butterfly pondered deeply while the Queen remained still and silent. Their profound silence lingered for countless millennia until the butterfly finally summoned the courage to break it. "I can not allow you to live...but I can give you another alternative, my lady."

"I will accept any conditions as long as I can watch over my boy."

"Very well." 'I hope you forgive me for my failure, my lord.' "I am the gateway to the afterlife. I decide what happens to a soul after its mortal body ceases to function. I can postpone your judgment, meaning I will consume your essence but refuse its entrance to the afterlife. You will be stuck within me. Wherever I go, you go. Whatever I feel, you feel. Whatever I See, you see. Whatever I hear, you hear. You cannot separate from me. However, there is one issue. I have never denied a soul passage through the gates of the after. Doing this may very well keep you from ever moving on. I want you to understand the implications I am presenting here, my beautiful. If this possibility occurs, you will never be able to find peace or closure of any kind, do you understand?"

"I do." The Queen replied, her voice steady and unwavering. Despite the gravity of the situation, it was clear to the butterfly: Nothing could keep this woman from her son.

"As you wish. Then I will now devour you." The butterfly bluntly stated, as if it were a completely normal sentence, which it probably was for the reaper.

"Oh my, and on our first date?" 

"Pardon me?"

"Nevermind." If the Queen could, she would be smirking. "Should I not least be graced with a name before we 'indulge' in such an act?"

"Ah, pardon me, my love, I have never received my own name, but mortals have given me many names over the years: The Knight of Hades, the butterfly of paradise, the Reaper of damned, and many more."

"What's the name you would give to yourself?"

"I..." The Reaper had to think for a second. It didn't care for one since it wasn't necessary before, but now? What would its name be? It thought for a while before picking one it personally deemed fit. It had a nice ring to it. "Morpho Knight...My name is Morpho Knight."

"What an elegant choice. Well then, Morpho Knight, it is only polite that I also introduce myself." Although Morpho Knight probably already knew her name, she ignored that thought. "I am the former ruler and Queen of Patchland. I am the mother to Prince Fluff. I.... am Queen Shiela."

Kirby let out a big yawn, stretching out their stubby arms and legs as they slowly emerged from a deep sleep. As Kirby rubbed his eyes with his tiny hands, they realized the sun shone through a small window, casting a warm and inviting glow across his cozy bedroom. The pink puffball sat up on his bed, taking in the sights and sounds of the morning. The chirping of birds outside and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze filled the air, and Kirby could feel a sense of peace and contentment wash over them. This was the best sleep they had gotten in a hot minute. Kirby hopped down from the bed and, this time, gave their body a really good stretch. Their mind felt a bit foggy, so Kirby decided that some fresh air would do them well.

Chapter Text

"Did they call?" inquired King Dedede.

"Yes, your Highness," replied the Knight.

"Aaaaaand?" The King impatiently asked.

"Everything seems to be in order, your Majesty. Miss Haltmann's medicine is working as it should," confirmed the Knight.

King Dedede let out a frustrated sigh. "At least something is going according to plan," he muttered.

The King and the Knight maintained eye contact, with the King's anger clearly visible. Queen Ripple, Ribbon, and Adeline were currently being treated in the medical bay after being left shaken by the events regarding Susie, who was being held in custody by Bandana Dee and his guards, leaving only Meta and Dedede. They currently found themselves in the King's grand throne room, which was unsurprisingly spacious with no shortage of statues and portraits, given Dedede's tendency to boast about his perfection. At the back, a large red curtain with golden edges and his signature emblem took center stage. The floor showcased a combination of light blue and white rectangular tiles, with golden rectangular tiles lining the perimeter and a red carpet leading up to two throne seats. The cushion on the throne was red, while the rest of the seat was golden with a large star on top. Two large candle holders flanked the throne seats on either side.

"So," The King's inquiry abruptly disrupted the serene ambiance of the room, "I don't want to drag this out any more than necessary, so why don't we just cut to the chase? Wanna’ explain what happened earlier back there?" His arms were firmly crossed over his chest, and he impatiently tapped his foot, eagerly anticipating the Knight's account. The Knight, as was his custom, veiled his sentiments and musings beneath his cloak, rendering it impossible to discern his emotions.

But internally, Meta Knight had clear emotions of anger building up, scoffing at the question presented to him. Explain himself? Like he was some child being reprimanded by his parents? "With all due respect Sire, I do not believe my actions require any form of explanation." The Knight replied with a sharp tone. "My job is the ensure the safety of Dreamland and the royal house, and that is exactly what I did."

"Ya did squad!" Dedede hissed, taking a step forward, imposingly towering over the Knight. But Meta Knight remained perfectly calm. "All the Waddle Dee's that participated in the operation are currently at the medical bay, and Ripple, Adeline, and Ribbon are suffering from shock, maybe even worse!" 

"I did not expect Miss Haltman to fire a laser seemingly unprovoked."

"It's your job to expect the unexpected!" King Dedede shot back, frowning in anger. "Isn't that your whole shtick? Being prepared for anything and everything? That's why I appointed you head of the security forces in Dreamland! Or is it an excuse so you can dress all edgy and broody?"

Meta Knight visibly squinted his eyes. "My attire is purely functional, your Highness, and you need not remind me of my function regarding Dreamlands security. I'm well aware.

"Then don't make me remind you. Oh, and while we are at it," Dedede couldn't help but smirk a bit. While he knew Meta Knight was not one to show his feeling, one topic could always ruffle the Knight's feathers. "What was it with you and Susie back there? One second you complain that we brought her onboard; the next thing I know, you start acting like best buds."

"Nothing has changed. At that moment, the well-being of Kirby took priority over any grudge I held." The Knight calmly explained. He knew precisely what Dedede was trying to do and certainly wouldn't fall into his petty trap. Not that the King wanted to hide it with the mischievous smirk of his. "Simple as that."

"You? Concerned with Kirbs?" Meta Knight found himself struggling to maintain his composure as King Dedede's raucous laughter reverberated throughout the room. Despite his efforts to remain patient, the incessant noise was beginning to wear on him, making him clench his fists under his dimensional cape. Meta Knight had to give it to King Dedede. If he knew one thing how to do well, it was making Meta Knight's blood boil.

Following a bout of uncontrollable laughter, Dedede proceeded to wipe away a tear as he gradually regained his composure. Yet, the mirth of his laughter remained on his face in the form of an almost taunting smirk. "Common Meta, let's not play dumb. Don't act like it wasn't you who pushed Kirby to their limit in the name of 'discipline', barely giving them time to breathe, eat, or sleep, let alone rest."

Suddenly, at the flip of a switch, the King's demeanor switched from mocking to deadly serious. "You know, in the past weeks, I couldn't help but feel a bit put off. Your seemingly increasingly frequent relentless training with Kirby, the harsh change in tone and attitude toward them, and the drastic upgrading of the Halberd and your crew with military equipment, which now surpasses Dreamland's own army...  It makes me wonder...You don't happen to be planning something, right? Something where I’d have to question your loyalty. I would hate to wake up one morning and hear the doves 'coo' outside."

That just about drove Sir Meta Knight over the edge, his eyes briefly flashing a crimson red, practically growling as he spoke, "And I would be extremely careful, with what you are insinuating, Dedede." 

Dedede, however, was unimpressed with the Knight's given threat and continued to glare at him with a suspicious look. "So, you're saying the doves will remain silent?" King Dedede bent down to Sir Meta Knight at eye level, the two's eyes locking themselves on each other. The air suddenly felt very cold, the space between their eyes crackling with hostility, and even the candles began dancing restlessly. "We both know it crossed your mind, hasn't it?"

As if accepting King Dedede's challenge, Sir Meta Knight stepped forward, his gaze piercing into Dedede's eyes, their faces mere inches apart. The tension between them crackled in the air as Meta Knight's words cut through the silence."You seem to forget, Your Majesty," Meta Knight's voice held a cool edge, "that I am not one of your guards, henchmen, or soldiers. I am a mercenary, bound by contract and driven by duty. My loyalty is not pledged to you, Dreamland, or any other entity. I have no desire for Dreamland's throne, nor do I seek any form of allegiance beyond our agreed terms. As long as you fulfill your part of our arrangement, our relationship shall remain intact. However, once you falter, our contract will be severed without hesitation. Does this clear out any illusion that you might have had regarding our relationship?"

"And you expect me to be dumb enough to believe that?" The King let out a sarcastic huff. "Then I bet you won't mind explaining to me why you are so obsessed with you being the one to mentor Kirby. Don't remember anything like that standing in our contract."

"It's quite simple," Meta Knight nonchalantly stated. "Kirby as an individual, while not malicious, is quite powerful. With first-hand experience, I think we can both agree on that." That made Dedede think for a moment. Meta Knight wasn't wrong. Both of them had experienced the raw might of the 'Pink Demo' and the destructive power that was sealed inside Kirby.

During their days of rivalry, Dedede, at that time, had despised Kirby to their very core. When they had first met, Dedede had been sure of his position as head honcho of Dreamland. So sure, in fact, that for some reason, he thought stealing all of Dreamland's food reserves from its inhabitants was an intelligent move. Yeah, reality managed to bring down his ego to ground level real quick. Reality came in the form of an unbeatable pink menace. And with that slap of reality came about the King's first defeat and the start of a long rivalry—a bitter one at that. 

In the early years of their rivalry, King Dedede held a lot of hostility toward Kirby. Dedede was focused on establishing his authority over Kirby, even arranging a public fighting arena that was open to the public with every Dreamlander being invited. He used the arena to display his fighting skills, convinced that Kirby's earlier victory over him was simply a fluke. The King was determined to demonstrate to everyone that he was the better fighter.

And yet, when the time came...he lost...badly. The King himself, once again subjected to the bitter taste of defeat in front of an entire audience comprising his subjects. The humiliation of falling victim to the same indomitable force, Kirby, was a blow that reverberated through King Dedede's core. The echoes of laughter and taunts lingered in his mind, fueling a seething anger that threatened to consume him entirely. Feeling the need to satisfy that anger, the King tried again, and again, and again. But the outcome always remained the same. A brutal defeat, with victory seeming away further than when he had started. And with every crushing defeat, his ego and willpower crumbled further.

But Dedede refused to accept a reality where he would never surpass Kirby's unparalleled strength. He was here, on top of the throne of Dreamland out of his own making. He had reached this point all by himself, with an unbreakable amount of willpower. And he wasn't going to let some sentient gumball take that away from him. Not without one final stand. Determined to prove himself, he embarked on an arduous journey of relentless training and preparation. He trained like he had never before. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, as Dedede poured every ounce of his being into honing his skills, pushing his soul and body to their absolute breaking point, and even getting himself a new hammer and mask. The stage had to be perfect for that day. His final stand. His last shot at revenge. This wasn't just a rivalry anymore. No, it stopped being that a long time ago. This was more than that. It was personal.

And finally, that day came. The day that would be remembered as the King's revenge. 

There the kid stood, their gaze fixed upon King Dedede, their countenance bearing that all-too-familiar air of indifference, almost a tinge of confusion. Just moments ago, Dedede had listened in over the radio as Kirby's destructive path tore through his army. The sounds of battle had been deafening, evoking images of a ferocious and merciless onslaught. And yet, here stood Kirby, unscathed, without a single blemish to betray the carnage that had unfolded. This was it. The final battle. The chance for Dedede to prove once and for all who was the superior fighter, even giving the Puffball a hammer to make it a truly even fight. The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation, as Bandana Dee, the sole witness to this legendary confrontation, sat alone on the spectator's bench with bated breath.

All the grueling training sessions, the countless hours of pushing his body to the limit, the sacrifices, and hardships endured—it had all culminated in this pivotal moment. The air crackled with anticipation as the long-awaited battle commenced, charged with the weight of expectations. But in a cruel twist of fate, it was over in a mere blink of an eye, lasting no more than three agonizing minutes. The crushing blow of a hammer thrown with precision struck King Dedede square in the stomach, propelling him forcefully out of the castle and into the expansive sky. It was a swift and decisive defeat, shattering his hopes and aspirations. As Dedede's body crashed to the unforgiving ground, his spirit plummeted alongside it. The pain was not physical, nor was it solely the sting of losing. It was the devastating display of ease and nonchalance that Kirby exuded throughout the battle. It was as if the fight held no weight or significance to the enigmatic menace.

Dedede's efforts, his determination, had been rendered inconsequential in the face of such effortless superiority. As the sun began its descent, casting long shadows in his wake, Dedede embarked on a solitary journey into the depths of introspection. With each step, he was burdened by the painful realization that no matter how fiercely he trained, no matter how diligently he strived, he would forever fall short. For the longest time, the unattainable pinnacle of Kirby's power loomed above him, a constant reminder of his own limitations, until from the ashes of his own ego and pride, a new emotion began to sprout inside of the King: Respect. Carefully nurtured and cared for over the years, that little seed began to firmly place its roots inside of the King ever growing, until it became the strong bond he and Kirby shared today.

"Yeah," The King absentmindedly said, a small smile forming on his face. "That little rascal really puts the emphasis on 'Don't judge a book by its cover'."

"Correct." Meta Knight stated.

"But why now?" Dedede refocused his attention on the Knight. "We both knew he was strong before. Sure, you trained them even back then but in the past few weeks you really taken it up a notch to put it lightly."

"A valid question with another simple answer. The defeat of Void Termina. While I thought I was aware of Kirby's strength before, the battle with that monster showed me how severely I had been underestimating them in the strength and durability compartment. I cannot state how not possible that victory should have been for us, yet...Kirby did it again." Dedede began to slowly grasp where the Knight was going with this. "Such power cannot be left unchecked. It has to be trained, mastered. You either learn to control it or you'll hurt people you had no intention of hurting, like innocents and friends."

"So, you're saying that the only reason you are training Kirby is because of the safety of the citizens?"

"Correct again. As stated in our contract, the safety and security of citizens fall under my jurisdiction. Kirby's enormous strength holds a major security risk. Training them greatly reduces the liability of accidents occurring. As I've said before, this directly ties into my duties." Sir Meta Knight firmly stated.

Dedede contemplated about what the Knight had just said. The longer he pondered, the more sense it made. A touch of dejection began to grow inside Dedede as the Knight's statement began to lead to a conclusion, he didn't like one bit.

"But after everything we've been through, after every challenge we've conquered, after every enemy and traitor we've defeated, it never became more than just the doe? Not for Dreamland, the Star Allies, not out of loyalty, or dare I say...Kirby?" There was the slightest hint of desperation in his voice.

But Meta Knight's response was colder than the White Wafer's "No."

"So, in the end...you really are just...a mercenary...?"

"Of course, I'm just a mercenary Dedede? What did you think I was?"

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE-! I thought you were..." Dedede's fists tightened, his rage simmering within him as he forcefully averted his gaze from Meta Knight. His face twisted with a mixture of anger and frustration, he struggled to utter a single word. "Nothin..." His voice trembled on the edge of breaking, the weight of his emotions palpable. "Just...nothin." With his fists still clenched, King Dedede pivoted away from Meta Knight, his furious countenance blazing. Without giving Meta Knight a chance to respond, he stormed past him, his footsteps echoing through the throne room. The Knight's eyes followed his departing figure, silently witnessing his tumultuous exit. Dedede's powerful grip seized the doors, forcefully swinging them open before crashing them shut with an emphatic 'Wham’. The impact sent shockwaves that reached the candles, causing their flames to dance wildly for a brief moment before succumbing to the force and extinguishing, leaving behind trails of fading smoke in its place. Remaining was only Sir Meta Knight standing alone in the wake of his departure.

"Attention!" bellowed Eye Patch Dee, his commanding voice echoing across the somber gathering. "And march!" With military precision, the royal guard synchronized their steps, shouldering the weight of the coffins with unwavering determination. Elevated high above their heads, the caskets were a solemn sight, adorned with draped flags, symbols of honor and remembrance. As the procession commenced, the vibrant sky of Patchland stretched overhead, a vast expanse of cerulean blue, embracing the scene with a touch of celestial grace. Patchland's sky stretched overhead, a pristine canvas of azure, adorned with wisps of white clouds that seemed to pay their respects from above. The sun, a radiant orb of warmth and light, cast its benevolent rays upon the scene, as if offering a tender embrace to those gathered below. The gentle breeze swept through the landscape, rustling the emerald blades of grass in a graceful dance. Each sway seemed to carry a bittersweet melody, a poignant reminder of the sorrow that filled the air.

The mourners, a sea of grieving souls, stood together as one, their faces etched with a myriad of emotions. Mothers and fathers, their eyes brimming with tears, clutched each other for support, their hearts heavy with the weight of loss. Siblings, united in grief, held hands tightly, seeking solace in the shared bond of grief. Emotions ran raw and unbridled. Tears flowed freely down the faces of many, their sorrow overflowing, while others fought to maintain composure, suppressing the welling anguish within. Some faces wore the weight of grief, etched with lines of pain, while others remained eerily impassive, their emotions concealed behind a facade of numbness. Yet, in the midst of such sorrow, the collective embrace of the community was ever-present. Strangers became allies in grief, extending arms of comfort and solace to those in need. Hugs were shared, kind words offered, and gentle gestures of empathy flowed freely, bridging the gaps between sorrowful souls.

And so, in this sacred moment, the sun continued its radiant journey across the sky, casting its warm glow upon the gathered mourners. The grass whispered its gentle laments, a chorus of nature's sympathy. Together, they bore witness to the bittersweet rituals of farewell, where sorrow mingled with shared support, and the promise of healing lingered amidst the tears.

As Kirby stood amidst the mourners, their heart ached in resonance with the collective grief that enveloped Patchland. The weight of their own tears threatened to spill forth, but they fought to hold them back, determined to offer strength to those in need. Fluff's words echoed in their mind, urging them to attend the burials while he caught up, having to finish something at the castle. With each step they took through the somber streets of Patchland, Kirby's feet began to feel heavier as they got closer. The Puffball was no stranger to heroism, having saved Patchland countless times and even trained the very guard that now lay at rest. Kirby was a renowned and well-known and loved hero in Patchland, and as soon as the Puffball arrived at the funeral site, they were embraced by a flood of sorrowful souls.

Mothers, fathers, and siblings, their faces etched with pain, sought solace in Kirby's comforting embrace.  Kirby was not good at saying goodbye. In fact, the Puffball hated goodbyes, never knowing how to act or say something meaningful. Instead, they offered a tender shoulder to lean on, a compassionate touch that conveyed more than any words the Puff could express. 

Now, they were collectively waiting for the arrival of the Prince of Patchland, who had yet to arrive. Before the coffins could be placed in their respective graves, it was the duty of Prince Fluff to hold the eulogy before the fallen could be placed to rest, but Fluff was running late, which made Kirby worry a bit. They could hear frustrated murmurs from the gathered crowd as the people began to get angry at the prince’s negligence.

"Can you believe it?" Kirby heard a female yarn Waddle Dee speak up. "This is the individual we are being ruled by? Someone who comes late to the funeral of their OWN GUARDS?" The Waddle Dee lamented as a tear rolled down her eye. "The very people that gave their lives to defend him?"

"Don't remind me." A male Waddle Dee answered who was holding the other Waddle Dee in his arms, presumably his partner. "It's nothing short of a disgrace." He growled.

"Now now," A new voice interjected "I'm sure the young Prince will be here any second now. This must be a traumatic event for His Highness, so I believe it's only natural that he would take the necessary time to properly prepare for this occasion." 

Kirby's heart skipped a beat as the familiar voice reached the Puff, instantly filling them with exhilaration. If their memory wasn't fooling them, this should be...Carefully bypassing the grieving couple to get a better line of sight, and sure enough, "Dom!" Kirby cheered, running towards the royal advisor while dogging any pedestrians and finally throwing themselves into the floating yarn ball's nonexistent arms. Dom had only a chance to let out a surprised yelp before Kirby crashed into the floating grey yarn ball, drawing the attention of a few onlookers.

"Ohoho. My my, what do we have here?" Dom laughed out loud.

"I'm happy so happy to see you, Sir Dom!" Kirby chirped. After hugging Dom for a few more seconds, the Puff let go of the royal advisor, who took the opportunity to seemingly fix up his mustache with telekinesis, as Dom didn't have any hands. 

"The pleasure is all mine, Lord Kirby. It's been too long." Dom warmly answered. 

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Kirby sheepishly rubbed their head.

"It indeed has been, but what's important is that we did meet each other again. Tho I must say," Dom frowned as he let his gaze wander over the mourning crowd and onto the royal guard, who were still carrying the coffins on their shoulders, patiently waiting for the arrival of Prince Fluff. "I wish the occasion was much more a euphoric matter..."

Kirby's smile gradually faded as well. "Yeah, me too..."

Dom shook his head. "Well, it cannot be helped I am afraid. All we can do now is wait."

"And waited we have," The yarn Waddle Dee from before shouted, now angrily making his way to Dom and Kirby. "Yet he still isn't here! These brave young men, my own SON, have sacrificed their lives for him, but still no sign of mister high and mighty Prince Fluff! This would never have happened under the rule of Queen-"

"That's quite enough!" Dom interrupted the Waddle Dee, looking furious, while Kirby looked worried. This should be a place where people share their pain and sorrow, not where they create any more of it. "His Majesty is doing his best to keep the kingdom up and running at a very young age, mind you, and has been doing a splendid job so far; no one can deny that!"

"Oh yeah!? Do you hear that people!?" The Waddle Dee angrily gestured toward the crowd of onlookers that their argument had attracted, who were curiously eying them. "It looks like according to Dom we've been living in a paradise, while our loved ones lie buried in the ground, our voices silenced when we try to speak out, and any criticism is seen as grounds for being thrown in the dungeon!" He sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm, his words striking a nerve with those who had lost someone dear. The tension in the air grew palpable as murmurs of agreement and disagreement spread through the gathering. Emotions ran high, fueling a growing divide among the mourners. Some nodded in solidarity with the Waddle Dee's words, their grief amplified by his passionate outburst. Others glanced nervously between the two figures, unsure which side to align themselves with.

Dom, his expression hardened with determination, faced the outraged Waddle Dee. "You're twisting my words! I never said it was a paradise. I only meant to acknowledge the efforts of our young ruler during these difficult times. We must support each other, not tear each other apart!"

The Waddle Dee scoffed, his anger refusing to be quelled. "Support? I'll tell you what support is, Dom. It's finding the one responsible for this tragedy and making them pay! It's being able to speak our minds without the threat of being put in the dungeon or protesting without the fear of our own peacekeepers beating the living yarn out of us!"

While the two continued arguing, the hero of Patchland was busy with something else.

Kirby's brain began to block out the noise, as the Putt had to blink a few times to process what they had just heard. Fluff? Oppressing his own people that he almost gave his life to protect? No, that couldn't be true, not from the Prince Fluff Kirby knew. It was nothing short of impossible. Kirby had traveled and fought side by side with the Prince during the Patchland crisis. Kirby remembered the limits Fluff had pushed himself to, all that for a chance to save his people and kingdom. The struggles, the battles the desperation, all of it. 'No,' Kirby thought 'This has to be some kind of mistake'. The people were angry, and understandably so, but that was no reason to argue and let your anger out, especially on such an occasion like this. Seeing as the argument between Sir Dom and the Waddle Dee was getting nowhere, the Puff decided to intervene and began making their way to a podium at the back of the funeral presumably where Fluff would hold his speech. 

Crafted from luxury wood of Patchland, its smooth surface bore intricate carvings, depicting symbols of royalty. The podium's size was modest, but its presence alone made sure anyone who were to stand on top of it would have the attention of the crowd. It stood on a raised platform, elevated just enough to ensure that the speaker's voice would carry to the farthest corners of the gathered crowd, adorned with delicate eye-catching floral arrangements in hues of white and lavender, and an engraved plaque at the front bore the royal emblem of Patchland. To the sides of the podium were placed two wooden pillars, both of which were decorated with banners that also bore the royal emblem of Patchland. As Kirby neared the podium, they noticed that on top of the podium was standing non-other than leader of the royal guard, Eyepatch Dee, or General Dee flanked by one fellow royal guard on each side.

General Dee bore a striking resemblance to Prince Fluff, not only in demeanor but also in their perpetual frowns. Concealing his left eye, an ominous black eyepatch masked a vicious scar that marred the softness of his yarn fabric. Atop his head, a regal blue beret proudly showcased the emblem of Patchland, positioned over his left eye, mirroring the symbols adorning the podium. Adorning his shoulders were light blue epaulets, their golden edges catching the light with a glimmer of authority. A light blue half cape gracefully cascaded over his left shoulder, its edges intricately laced with delicate threads of gold. Peeking from beneath the elegant drape, a holster guarded a sheathed sword, but upon closer examination, it became evident that this blade defied convention. Its curved form deviated from the typical long swords wielded in the Gamble Galaxy. Yet, what truly captured Kirby's attention was the realization that neither the holster nor the blade shared the fabric of yarn, but instead were made from actual real-world materials. The holster boasted fine craftsmanship in sleek black leather, embellished with unfamiliar enigmatic patterns and motifs, while only the rich brown hilt of the blade peeked out.

"I want to try this one!" Kirby excitedly pointed to an elegantly looking sword on the wall. 

"Interesting choice, I must admit." Sir Meta Knight said as he cautiously removed the blade from its stand on the wall. He put it on the table and carefully let his glove glide over the blade's holster. "Ah, an elegant blade requiring a high degree of skill from its wielder." He turned to Kirby who was still looking at the blade with big eyes.

"I've never seen a blade like this before. It looks so beautiful..."

"Do you know what this blade is called?" Meta Knight asked. Kirby shook his head. "I expected as much. I would be most surprised if you did. This, Kirby," Meta Knight unsheathed the blade, and immediately something caught Kirby's attention. "Is a scimitar or rather, a form of it. Yatagan would be more appropriate.

"Wait, what are these symbols?" Kirby asked as he pointed at the patterns on the blade.

Meta Knight couldn't help but smile a bit. It was rare for something to pique this much interest in Kirby that wasn't food, so the Knight made sure to savor every part of it. "These aren't symbols Kirby, but a language."

"Whoa, seriously, those are words...? It looks complicated."

"The language, much like this blade, is ancient."

"Can you read it for me?" Kirby excitedly asked.

Meta Knight shook his head a bid solemnly. "Nova, how much I wish I could," He let out a big sigh. "But no. The language, the blade, both are from a time long lost, beyond our comprehension."  

The Puff sounded stunned. "It's THAT OLD!? But you yourself said that you have been alive for thousands of years!"

Meta Knight let out a small chuckle.  "At one point, you will have to learn that we are merely a SPECK in our timeline in contrast to this ancient blade, mi pollita."

"Then, if it's so old," Kirby curiously turned their attention to their mentor. "How do you have it?"

Sir Meta Knight's heart suddenly began to bleed as memories uncontrollably flooded in. With a wistful smile and a heavy, reminiscent voice, he answered, "...A gift, from an old friend...long ago..."

"Scimitar..." Kirby muttered under their breath.

Eyepatch Dee and his fellow spear-wielding yarn Waddle Dees surveyed the increasingly boisterous crowd with cautious eyes, realizing that the tide of public opinion was leaning in favor of Waddle Dee's grievances rather than the royal advisor Dom's defense. Amidst the rising clamor, they suddenly noticed the departure of Patchland's renowned hero, who purposefully made his way toward the podium upon which they stood. An unspoken question passed between the two royal guards, silently asking if they should intervene. However, a subtle yet authoritative hand gesture from General Dee signaled them to remain at ease.

Kirby had arrived at the front of the podium and gazed up at the elevated platform. After circling around the podium, they approached the ramp that led up to it. Kirby tried to calm their nerves as the Puff walked up the ramp at a leisurely pace and reached the top of the podium, where they were met with the stern gaze of Eyepatch Dee, who stood directly in front of them. Kirby felt uneasy as he met the General's gaze. "Oh, hello General. It's been a while," the Pink Puff nervously shuffled their right foot as Eyepatch Dee continued to stare at them, before giving Kirby a deep respective bow and stepping aside. "Thanks..." Kirby gave him a guilty smile. The Puff rarely could feel comfortable around General Dee, if ever. They still felt guilty about that nasty scar. 

Reaching the front of the podium, Kirby noticed that the argument had gotten worse between Dom and the citizens, almost seeming like a mob had formed around the royal advisor of Patchland. Some were still on his side, but most were shouting in protest. The Pink Puffball didn't appreciate that sight at all. This was supposed to be a place where they could all share their grief, not fight over political reasons or look for someone to unjustly blame. After all, Fluff was not capable of the things the mob was accusing him of, like oppression, crackdowns on his critics, or throwing people in jail for not complying. That portrayal of the prince was wildly incongruent with the Fluff Kirby knew...the Fluff Kirby knew...How well did Kirby know Fluff? In private, Kirby knew Fluff like no other, but in public? Now, that Kirby thought about it, the Puff had never experienced Fluff's behavior in public. The prince had always been very kind and nice Kirby, so naturally, he must be treating his subjects much the same...right?

'Surely,' thought the Pink Puffball, ignoring the dissenting voices below who painted a different picture of the prince. The Puffball was committed to putting an end to the arguments and restoring everyone's common sense. Approaching the edge of the podium, Patchland's noble hero took a deep breath to clear their mind of any lingering doubts before speaking out.

"Uhm, hello?" Kirby timidly spoke up but received no response from the arguing crowd below. They attempted to speak louder, calling out to the people below, but it seemed futile. "Excuse me, could you all please stop and listen to me for a moment?" Kirby pleaded, but the voices only grew louder. Frustrated, Kirby began waving their arms in an attempt to get their attention, but the crowd just KEPT. IGNORING. THEM. A strange and alarmingly familiar rage began to boil inside Kirby - WERE THEY TRYING TO MAKE THEM MAD!? "STOP, STOP IT NOW! I SAID STOP, ENOUGH! I SAID ENOUUUUUUUUUUUGH!!!!!"

That outburst seemed to do the trick, causing the crowd to react with a combination of surprise and fear. Even the two royal guards standing on the podium took a cautious step back, except for Eyepatch Dee who remained perfectly in place All eyes turned to the front of the podium where Kirby stood, with a piercing glare emanating from their crimson-red eyes.

"Augh..." Kirby let out a distressed groan as the Puffball began to feel their mind becoming foggy and unclear, accompanied by a seemingly out-of-nowhere booming headache and darkening vision. 

The Puff gripped their head as the world spun around them. This feeling of ANGER. Where did it suddenly come from, and why was it so familiar!?

'Deep breaths.' The Pink Puff reminded themselves. That's what Father had always told them. When you feel confused, panicked, or angry, deep breaths.

'Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out...stay calm Kirby...' Following Sir Meta Knight's advice, the technique gradually seemed to show its intended effect, the Puff's numbness of mind and smudging vision dissipating. As the world regained its sharpness, Kirby's gaze shifted downward, scanning the crowd below. Kirby couldn't help but notice the palpable sense of shock emanating from those around them. Many people looked scared, their faces etched with worry and concern. Others, like Dom, appeared to be in a state of shock, their eyes wide and uncomprehending. Kirby wanted to feel bad, but truthfully fellt more annoyed than anything. The crowd just didn't want to listen. What was the Puffball supposed to do?

"Sorry for that," Kirby began, but the Pink Puff's unusually cold voice betrayed otherwise. "But you didn't want to listen." 

"Our apologies, Lord Kirby, we hadn't noticed you." A yarn citizen tried to justify from below, but the Pink Puff was having none of it.

"Save it!" The Puffball hissed; their voice laced with simmering anger that echoed through the air. Kirby's eyes squinted in frustration as they pointed accusingly at the crowd below.  "I'm disappointed in ALL of you!" The words reverberated with a mixture of sorrow and frustration. Some among the gathered onlookers winced at the sharpness of Kirby's tone, but it did little to deter the determined Puffball. They refused to be silenced. "We are gathered here today because we want to say goodbye to people who were close to us, instead, we are arguing like little children! And over what exactly? Political reasons on a FUNERAL!? ARE YOU ALL INSANE!?" The once serene sky began to churn with darkened clouds, obscuring the radiant sun and casting a solemn shadow over the assembled crowd. The wind, a gentle caress, moments before, grew stronger, its howling becoming a lamentation that echoed the unspoken grief as nearby trees began to bend to its force.

Perched on a nearby flower, swaying gracefully in the harsh winds, was an orange butterfly, its delicate wings fluttering with elegance.  With keen eyes, it attentively observed the unfolding events, sensing the renewed intensity of anger emanating from Kirby. The butterfly could feel the fiery intensity enflaming within the Puffball, burning brighter and stronger than before.

"We offer our apologies, Lord Kirby," the same yarn Waddle Dee who had engaged in the heated argument with Dom proclaimed, striding purposefully from the midst of the crowd to the forefront. Now positioned at the head of the gathering, his unwavering gaze locked onto Kirby's. In stark contrast to the others, he exuded an air of steadfast resolve, devoid of any trepidation or anxiety in the presence of Patchland's esteemed hero. Instead, his eyes bore a challenging look, a spark of defiance that danced within their depths. With unwavering determination, he spoke clearly, "Don't you think it's a bit uncalled from you to reprimand us when none of the fallen here have any kind of emotional connection to you? If I had to take a guess, the things you are saying are not because you care but because you want to protect the prince, with whom we all know you have a very close connection." 

That statement earned the Waddle Dee many angry stares from the royal guard. General Dee clutched the hilt of his scimitar in anger in response, his blue painted and gold ornated half cape fluttering in the increasingly raging winds. The two of his fellow spear-wielding Waddle Dee guards silently hissed a plethora of insults under their breath in their mother tongue, and even the royal guards carrying the coffins while not saying anything were visibly enraged, noticeable by how most of them angrily squinting their eyes, some even turning their heads toward the voice of the outrageous claim. 

"Now that is a bridge too far, good sir!" Dom had floated to the yarn Waddle at the front unnoticed, positioning himself to the side of the grieving father, who did nothing but look at him defiantly. "Lord Kirby lended a big helping hand in training these men and is one of the kindest souls Patchland has ever laid eyes upon! To say that the young Puff has no reason to mourn is nothing short of...o-of..." 

The yarn Waddle Dee arched their eyebrow in confusion as Dom began to stutter. "What's your problem, old man? Did you get your tongue-tied or what?" He mockingly asked. But upon closer inspection, the Waddle Dee noticed that the advisor's eyes were filled with sheer terror as he slowly began to back up. Glancing past the advisor, he could see that the whole crowd was looking mortified, not one soul having the courage to utter even a single sound.

The tumultuous winds had escalated into a fierce storm, unleashing their wrath upon the land with a deafening roar. The trees, once standing tall and proud, now cowered in fear, their very roots trembling with trepidation. The blades of grass, once gently swaying in the breeze, now thrashed about wildly, their delicate nature no match for the ferocity of the tempest. Even the animals, including birds, fled in a frenzied panic, seeking refuge from the impending chaos. Suddenly, the sky was filled with ominous clouds that looked to form into a mesocyclone, their rumbling thunder signaling a sudden shift in the natural balance. Amidst all this bedlam, the only creature that remained steadfast and composed was a magnificent orange butterfly, perched serenely upon a delicate flower that was now being buffeted about with reckless abandon.

The royal guardsmen carrying the coffins had to use every ounce of strength to not falter before nature's wrath, trying to stand as steady as possible, the podium banners trashing in unnatural storm.

The Waddle Dee still looked confused and annoyed but as something caught his eye his whole demeanor began to change. What the yarn Waddle Dee noticed was that no one was looking at him. No. Everyone was looking at a close point BEHIND him. All of a sudden, the Waddle Dee began to fill VERRY ILL. A sense of pure and unfiltered dread began to consume his entire body, no, his entire SOUL. As thunders began to crash above a destructively potent presence formed behind him, emanating nothing but death. Out of his control, his entire body began to tremble pupils dilating.

All of the Waddle Dee's senses began to ring alarm bells, his mind telling him to run. But no matter how hard he tried; his body could do nothing. Nothing but turn around. A sick sense of dreadful curiosity began to infest his mind, as his body began to forcefully turn itself around. He didn't want to, in his mind, he pleaded not to, but he just couldn't help it.

He slowly turned and turned, until his body had turned the full one hundred eighty degrees. On top of the podium, someone was missing. That someone was now standing in front of him. Standing close. Standing so VERY CLOSE. Their head was slightly tilted to the right and their eyes beaming in a crimson bloodshot red. When Kirby spoke, their voice sounded almost childish, with a VERY MURDEROUS UNDERTONE, "Oh, but you see, that's where you are mistaken. I knew all of them well, very very well..."

Chapter Text

Navigating the boundless expanses of empty space was an absolute no-go for many. Acquiring a spaceship, well, that was relatively straightforward – those beat-up, old rust buckets were as common as dirt, after all. But ascending from a planet's surface posed the real challenge. Rigorous regulations, established by the United Galactic Core, governed the interplanetary voyage for civilians and merchants alike. And straying from these predefined paths often incurred grave consequences.

Beyond obtaining a pilot's license, one had to amass comprehensive knowledge of the established space routes between planets. These routes were perpetually under the vigilant watch of the UGC, dotted with numerous checkpoints. Even setting foot on a foreign planet required a specific clearance code, obtainable only through UGC spaceports. The process of descending and landing on planetary surfaces was equally subject to vigilant oversight. Pilots weren't at liberty to choose just any landing spot; instead, they were directed to specific, pre-assigned landing pads, even before breaching a planet's atmosphere.

Even within the confines of intergalactic space travel's strict and highly regulated systems, there was no shortage of adventurers exploring the boundless cosmos. In fact, many seasoned pilots welcomed these stringent regulations. The reason? Despite their strict nature, the well-organized processes allowed for swift navigation, provided everyone cooperated harmoniously. 

Beyond the boundaries of regulated UGC airspace, existed a realm of near anarchy. Only the boldest explorers, fugitive criminals, and those deeply immersed in illicit trades dared to venture there. This wild frontier teemed with hostile extraterrestrial creatures, uncharted domains, treacherous planets, and perilous celestial events such as cosmic tempests and meteor barrages. In essence, it was a realm best avoided by anyone who valued their mortal body.

Or at least, that's the publicly known reason to deter deviation. Like any vast governing entity, the United Galactic Core held less transparent motivations for keeping ordinary folks away from the infamous 'Dark Sectors’. The UGC was adept at safeguarding its clandestine activities from public scrutiny. Naturally, when even basic interstellar travel was subjected to such stringent controls, it gave rise to a plethora of speculations and whispers. Secret missions, illegal experiments, unknown diseases and viruses, and countless more.

Yet these were nothing more than mere whispers, tales that floated on the cosmic winds. The UGC, through whatever means necessary, remained resolute in its resolve to uphold their status as nothing more than that - mere whispers, never to solidify into anything more.

In one of those remote dark sectors, far removed from established travel routes, there existed a desolate moon. It orbited a colossal ice planet, mirroring the inhospitable nature of its frigid host. Devoid of any source of warmth, such as a sun, this moon was as cold and barren as the planet it circled. Its surface lay ensnared in eternal frost, with temperatures plummeting to a bone-chilling minus five hundred degrees Celsius. Such extreme conditions made it impossible for life to thrive on this moon's surface. It seemed inconceivable that anyone would venture so far into the desolation, expecting no conceivable gain.

Yet, paradoxically, it was this very isolation that rendered the moon the perfect site for a secret base.

Hidden within a deep ice cavern, a fairly sizable complex sprawled beneath the icy crust. It comprised numerous structures interconnected by enclosed walkways.

At its core, a vast, dome-shaped research facility took center stage. Perched above this dome was a cylindrical, multi-tiered command center or 'bridge' that offered panoramic views of the entire cave complex and its surroundings. Encompassing this compound was a formidable iron wall, punctuated by substantial anti-aircraft batteries in each quadrant. With the inhospitable environment, relying on living beings for defense was impractical; hence, the outer walls were lined with automated turrets. Thermal cameras diligently scanned the desolate surroundings, piercing through the ceaseless, haunting snowstorm that blanketed the moon.

While the outside had no place for organic life, the inside of the base was crawling with it. Scattered across the various buildings were all forms of staff and personnel. Scientists, medical personnel, janitors, mechanics, GSA soldiers, and even a handful of Star Warriors. Inside the base, there was no shortage of life. Naturally, these people were the best of the best. Not everyone got to have the privilege of working in a top-secret black site, much less under the direct supervision of the second in command of the Star Warriors, Commander Nonsurat.

Of course, working such a prestigious job did have its drawbacks. For all the staff present, the strict working conditions and safety guidelines were nothing short of life-draining. Discipline was indispensable, and the standards harsh. Failing to meet those standards could come with an even harsher disciplinary penalty. Every member of the facility had to be on their A-game every second without fault.

Despite the challenging work environment and the severe weather conditions, there was a constant influx of people willing to do whatever it took to work in this place.

One of the reasons was the UGC's recognition that motivating the staff to commit to their work wholeheartedly was crucial. To guarantee this dedication, no expense was spared in providing the utmost care for worker health and comfort.

The Icebreaker, the given name of the black site was practically a world of its own. Everything your mind could come up with was present at the facility. A gym with all the gym gear, to ensure that the staff could tend to their physical needs. It also helped get the staff's busy minds off their work and bring some variety into the usual routine lives of those stationed here. For soldiers, it was even compulsory to train five hours three times a week.

But a 'simple' gym was far from what the Icebreaker had to offer. A library with bookshelves as far as the eye could see, ranging from science books to the most obscure fiction you could read. 

A dedicated game room with various board and electronic games for the staff to enjoy.

For those who preferred a little peace and quiet, a number of quiet rooms were available, decorated with comfortable pillows, cushions, sofas, and warm, dim lights that gave reading a different kind of joy.

The sleeping quarters were a notch above the standard accommodations. While the GSA soldiers still slept in large bunk beds, these bunks were noticeably wider and came with far more comfortable mattresses, as well as better-insulating blankets.

Scientists, mechanics, and other staff who weren't GSA soldiers resided in rooms with up to five beds.

On the other hand, the upper echelons of the UGC hierarchy, including high-ranking officers, scientists, engineers, doctors, and Star Warriors, were allotted their own personal single-bed rooms. These private chambers came complete with personal TVs, fully equipped kitchens, and various other amenities. 

In other words, the Icebreaker moon base, while physically and mentally demanding, lacked nothing when it came to personnel comfort.

Each level of the command center was designated for its own unit. For example, the first floor was reserved for the medical division, while the third floor was used by the engineering division. But the most crucial part of the command center was located at the very top.

The security division of the Icebreaker, consisting of both the GSA and Star Warriors, was responsible for operating the black site. Everything from outgoing personnel to incoming cargo and everything in between had to be run through by security staff at the designated safety checkpoint found at the only Icebreaker entrance and exit gate. Nothing left or entered without the security division knowing.

Inside the security level of the command center, the air was thick with comms chatter and bustling activity. The walkway stood slightly elevated above the main working area, resembling an observation deck. In contrast, the working stations were set into lower recessed sections, giving the impression of small pits. The computer terminals and sensor arrays boasted state-of-the-art technology. They had to be to ensure that no fault in any electronic systems could arise.

To make it easier to identify each division, they were assigned a specific color. The security division could be easily distinguished by their predominantly black protective armor, which was adorned with navy blue markings and insignia. The team members' faces were concealed by imposing helmets that had a gas mask and a cold blue visor attached. This was designed to create an intimidating and unnerving presence, taking away their individuality and making them seem more like a collective hive than regular people. Additionally, all their voices sounded robotic and emotionless due to an installed voice modulator.

Exclusive to the GSA officers stationed at the command center was the privilege of wearing standard officer attire with black gloves, finely tailored from high-quality fabric in the same navy blue as their infantry counterparts.

"Anything noteworthy lieutenant?" A voice with a heavy Spanish accent asked from up the walkway, his golden eyes flying over the workstation of the officer in question.

"No, Sir Meta Knight," The officer looked up to the Star Warrior. "Sensors and cameras are not detecting any abnormalities in the area. Same as usual."

The knight nodded before resuming his patrol on the bridge, the clack of his metal sabatons echoing on the cold floor.

"Sir Meta Knight," a voice resonated from across the bridge. Meta Knight swiveled to address the officer, the man energetically waving his hand to grab the Knight's attention.

The Star Warrior's sabatons clacked against the metal ground as he strode toward the officer, his eyes laced with worrying impatience.

"Is there a problem?" The Knight inquired looking at the officer from above.

"Well-" The officer turned his chair around to put his finger on an alarm beeping on the monitor. "You could say that."

Meta Knight jumped to the officer's working station below, landing beside the officer to get a better view of the situation.

"Someone triggered the vent sensors?"

"Yes sir." The officer typed on his keyboard calling up a map of the entire vent system of the Icebreaker showing just where exactly the alarm had been triggered. "Whoever it is, sensors indicate they are close to the vent exit leading inside."

Both the officer and the knight turned their heads upward, locking eyes on the vent exit located at the ceiling. 

The vents were undeniably big enough for a small enough bipedal person to crawl through. It wouldn't be comfortable, but certainly achievable. What everyone except the engineering and security division didn't know however was that the vents were also outfitted with movement-based sensor alarms. Like in this case, tripping one would immediately notify an officer of a breach, who then would have the option to isolate the vent system and purge it with toxic gas harboring heavy acidic properties. Not even the toughest species adapted to live in the harshest conditions could last in there for more than five seconds.

"Should I trigger the intruder alert systems and begin a vent purge, sir?"

Meta Knight didn't immediately acknowledge the question presented, instead turning his attention back toward the monitor, narrowing his now deep green-turning eyes, carefully viewing the tripped sensory arrays. Judging by the location and the speed of the intruder, it would be no more than half a minute before the mystery person reached their location.

"No." Without saying another word, the Star Warrior jumped back up to the walkway, his sabatons giving a loud clack as he landed, positioning himself mere meters away from the vent exit. He wanted to see for himself which individual was reckless enough to think that they had any chance of infiltrating the Icebreaker command center unnoticed, much less surviving once they entered.

That being said Meta Knight couldn't help but feel a bit of respect. Credit where credit was due; they had gotten pretty far without being noticed. Such a bold plan did remind Meta Knight of himself a bit, but even he wouldn't be irresponsible enough to assault an enemy compound alone. Or at least, that's what he told himself. 

Having overheard the conversation, the GSA soldiers needed no invite, their collective footsteps resonating as they quickly positioned themselves around the room. Some took cover behind desks and other objects, weapons ready and trained at the vent exit.

One GSA soldier, however, stationed herself right alongside Meta Knight. Unlike the rest of the GSA troops, she opted for a distinctive red beret instead of a helmet. Her roots traced back to the Ancients, sharing their human heritage, characterized by her tanned, dusky skin, long raven-black hair, and warm brown eyes.

Being Meta Knight's second in command, Captain Sharifa was not just his most trusted soldier, she was also something very few people could call themselves to the Star Warrior.

A good friend.

Handpicked by Lord Arthur himself, Sharifa was renowned as one of the best strategic geniuses the GSA had to offer. Her battlefield insights connected the dots that often eluded others. She provided the perfect foil to Meta Knight's outrageous approaches to battle. While the Star Warrior was no slouch in tactics, he often favored bold, unorthodox maneuvers. Sharifa's guidance acted as a stabilizing force, rendering Meta Knight's strategies daring but not completely reckless.

Meta Knight, notorious for his tendency to disregard orders, displayed a rare respect for Captain Sharifa's counsel. Her tactical insights were not merely heeded but treasured. Another aspect that made her better than the best was that Sharifa was an excellent marksman.

Together, those two had crawled into hell and back out, forging a bond that bordered on telepathic. They anticipated each other's moves with an almost uncanny intuition. One knew what the other was going to do before the thought even crossed their mind.

By now everyone's attention in the room had shifted toward the crawling noises emanating from the vents; even the officers had abandoned their workstations, pistols drawn. Whoever was in there had apparently given up any attempt at being stealthy and was now indifferent to making any sort of noise.

Meta Knight's cape was wrapped tight around himself concealing his whole body, keeping anyone from spotting his hand currently resting on the hilt of his sword, twitching in anticipation.

The crawling noises came to a stop just on top of the vent exit. Time appeared to drag on endlessly as everyone waited for something, anything to happen.

Maybe a grenade could be slipped through, or smoke pallets dropped. Maybe they would come in guns blazing...but nothing happened.

Meta Knight narrowed his eyes. Perhaps the sudden silence in the room had alerted the intruder that all of them were aware of their presence. Maybe they were rethinking their strategy. or it could be that they were simply realizing that this was nothing short of a suicide mission.

The twitching of Meta Knight's hand drastically increased by now. He was getting impatient, contrary to Sharifa, who was looking as calm and focused as ever. Was the intruder even still there?

The Star Warrior cast a glance over to the officer who had previously occupied the security monitor. Noticing Meta Knight looking over the officer didn't need to ask what his superior was asking him. Cautiously getting up from his crouching position, the officer holstered his pistol before silently hopping down to his working station to check the monitors.

Not wasting a second's time, hastily climbed back up and gave Meta Knight a frowning nod.

"Qué estás planeando, mi amigo sin rostro?" Meta Knight ominosuly muttered.

Sharifa didn't separate her eyes from her scope even for a moment as she leaned her head closer and whispered to Meta Knight. "Maybe we should-"

Captain Sharifa didn't get to finish her sentence. The ventilation lid broke and came crashing down followed right behind by the intruder.

Naturally, it was Meta Knight who was able to make the first move before most even had time to comprehend the situation. 

The Star Warrior gathered all his strength in the left foot before propelling himself forward with a powerful push. Hundreds of thoughts began crossing his mind while Meta Knight drew his blade at blinding speed. To kill or to capture? To subdue or injure? To strike or to-

"Pero Que-!?"

Meta Knight's eyes turned white before widening in alarm the moment his eyes locked with the individual opposite. Time halted momentarily while Meta Knight tried his best to fathom why those oh-so-big, blue, round, familiar yet clueless, and empty-headed eyes were staring back at him.

Meta Knight's instincts snapped into action in a heartbeat. In a fraction of a second, the Star Warrior flung his sword aside and extended his arms wide open. With impeccable timing, he caught the intruder mid-fall, pulling them into a firm embrace against his body. Swiftly, Meta Knight executed a controlled roll, all the while managing the intricate dance with his flowing cape. As he smoothly caught himself on his feet, he dragged his right gloved paw across the floor to stabilize, the distinct screech of his sabatons against the metal echoing in the room as momentum gave way to a standstill. And in that position, Meta Knight remained.

The entire room was devoid of noise, no one daring enough to move a muscle. Nobody, not even Captain Sharifa, had been quick enough to witness what had just transpired. Soldiers and officers alike silently exchanged confused and questioning looks.

Everyone appeared clueless, that was, until Meta Knight gradually began to turn around, revealing who he was currently holding in his embrace.

Captain Sharifa, under the command of Meta Knight, had witnessed all kinds of bizarre occurrences. Her commander had been a magnet for so many absurdities she had been sure that nothing could catch her off guard anymore. Apparently, Sharifa had been foolish to do so.

A baby falling out of a ventilation shaft. She seriously needed a vacation.

"Either we have a security issue, or the kid has been secretly going on missions with you," Sharifa said as she and Meta Knight walked down the hallway toward his quarters with Kirby in her arms, earning confused looks from their colleagues passing by. "Otherwise, I can't explain how they made it all the way from the research lab to the top of the bridge."

"I will review the security tapes once we have dealt with that pest. Such gross negligence cannot be tolerated." Sharifa caught his eyes turning red for a second, Meta knight tightening his cape around his body. "Think about what would have happened if I had given the purge order."

"I don't want to, and neither should you." She calmly answered both of them continuing to walk. "What we should think about, however-" Sharifa looked down at the Puffball in her arms. "Why they choose the bridge of all places, when it could have been anywhere else."

Meta Knight sounded annoyed. "It's a baby. Babies don't think, they act out of impulse. Simple as that."

"'It' purposefully avoided every security measure in the complex and almost managed to break into the most heavily guarded part of the Icebreaker undetected, sir." The captain remarked with a slightly sharp undertone. "Besides-" Sharifa stopped walking. "I have a pretty good estimate as to why."

Meta Knight let out a hmpf, stopping himself and turning around. "And what would that be?"

Sharifa arched an eyebrow, her gaze shifting down to Kirby nestled in her arms. Meta Knight's eyes followed hers, and he, too, noticed it. Kirby's stare bore through him with an almost eerie intensity. Those blue eyes appeared vacant of conscious thought, yet peering into them felt like witnessing the vast expanse of the cosmos, as if staring into an infinite sea of galaxies, bursting into existence and fading away at the same time. It was almost hypnotizing. Or maybe it was hypnotizing because Meta Knight found himself unable to tear his gaze away, almost feeling like he was drowning in Kirby's eyes. There was something in those eyes, pulling him in. But no matter how hard he tried; Meta Knight wasn't able to define that pull in words.

"Kirby has been looking at you like this since they fell from the vent."

"You aren't suggesting that Kirby has a special connection to me, are you?" Meta Knight dryly retorted finally taking his eyes off the Puffball and back to his Captain. "We share no blood nor a bond."

Sharifa closed her eyes, letting out a quiet, frustrated sigh. "The child feels drawn to you. You've been with Kirby for quite some time, even before they were sent here for medical research. I've reviewed the medical division's reports, sir. This change in behavior occurred only after we reached the Icebreaker. Before that, Kirby was nearly inert, hardly moving. Doctors even suspected a potential illness or depression because of Kirby's prolonged stillness after being separated from you. Kirby didn't even eat or drink for days. Yet, now, since our arrival, they can't seem to stay still for more than two minutes in one place."With all due respect sir, do you really think it was a coincidence that Lord Arthur ordered us here after reports of Kirby's conditioning worsening?"

"What do you mean?"

Sharifa sighed again. "Actions speak louder than words" She simply stated before kneeling down and releasing Kirby from her embrace. 

As soon as Kirby was freed from their chains that were Captain Sharifa's arms, they wasted no time making their way toward Meta Knight with wobbly steps and outstretched arms, fixated on him like a predator on its prey. Meta Knight did nothing but follow Kirby with his eyes, watching them get closer before inevitably reaching their target destination, clinging on to Meta Knight's cape for dear life and looking up at him with those captivating eyes. Neither of the two moved. Neither made a sound, only staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

A passing-by engineer was tapping a few things on a notepad of his when he caught a glimpse of the unusual scene playing out in front of him. His four eyes blinked confused, and when he was just about to ask the captain what was going on, she answered by slowly shaking her head from left to right. Taking one last glance to make sure he wasn't fever-dreaming, the engineer gave Sharifa a nod before quickly taking off.

Sharifa followed him with her eyes before Meta Knight's voice made her turn around, still looking at Kirby. "Go back to the bridge, Sharifa. I'll be returning shortly."

"Yes sir." Sharifa saluted before heading back to the bridge. She always was quick to follow orders. No nonsense. 

Letting out a huff Meta Knight softly removed Kirby's nubs from his cape before unraveling it and gently picking up Kirby into his arms.

Meta Knight slid the keycard through the sensor of his door. With a soft beep, the sensor turned from red to green. The lock symbol unlocked itself, and the door raised, giving way to Kirby and Meta Knight to enter his quarters.

Thanks to the privilege of being Lord Arthur's golden boy, Meta Knight had the luxury of having the second biggest personal quarter in the entire complex, almost like a tiny apartment. A waste in his eyes, seeing as he spent little time here. Sometimes, entire days would pass when he wouldn't enter his own quarters once.

"Here we are." Meta Knight entered his quarters with Kirby still in his arms, contemplating where he should put the puff. Meta Knight considered the fact there was still much work to be done, ultimately opting to take Kirby to his own bed. After all, he rarely slept in it.

Meta Knight turned the doorknob to his bedroom and entered before flipping on the lights. The bed was quite large for such a small body of his.

The Star Warrior took a deep breath before stretching out his arms forward to look directly into Kirby's never-changing, thoughtless eyes. "Alright, listen. You will stay in this bedroom and go to sleep until I return, understood?"

Kirby's answer was the same as everything else they heard or witnessed. Nothing. Not a single sound or bodily reaction, except the same, vacant stare. Great. What did he even expect?

Meta Knight sighed, not having the patience to deal with this now. He'd just have to find some poor soul to watch over Kirby before returning them to the research lab. 

Meta Knight gently set Kirby on the bed. "Stay," he instructed with a firm tone, heading toward the door. Casting a final glance at Kirby, who was now seated on the bed, Meta Knight switched off the lights. Just as he was about to exit, a subtle pull on his cape brought him to a halt. He stood motionless for a brief moment before slowly pivoting back. Though the room was shrouded in darkness, Meta Knight's species navigated it as effortlessly as they did in the light.

"Eres bastante persistente, chico, ¿verdad?" Meta Knight said to Kirby who was hanging onto his cape. He huffed, back on before reaching to pick Kirby back in his arms and placing them back on the bed. "¿Por qué... yo?" Meta Knight muttered looking into those cosmic eyes. Meta Knight thought for a while. The room was dark, and Kirby was still young. They probably wouldn't remember his face...hopefully.

Going against every instinct in his head screaming at him, Meta Knight reached for the clasps on the side of his mask, undoing them with a 'click'. With all of his willpower, Meta Knight gradually managed to remove his mask, leaning it against the nightstand next to the bed, and shed the remainder of his armor, except his cape. Meta Knight's eyes shined a bright yellow and his cheeks had big blushies.

Meta Knight hopped on top of the bed next to Kirby, who wasted no time nuzzling themselves against Meta Knight's navy-blue body.

"I don't understand," Meta Knight let his paw dangle over Kirby. "What is your fixation with me?" The young puff was lying on their back, doing their best to grab the Knight's paw with their tiny knubs.

"Wherever I go, you follow. I give you away, yet you always seek me out..." Kirby managed to grab Meta Knight's paw, their objective changing to playing with said paw. 

"Why don't you understand? I am not a father...I can't be your father." Kirby let go of Meta Knight's paw turning to look him in the eyes. "I'm a warrior. I'm born of the darkness, meant for the shadows. I'm terrifying...I'm dangerous...you should be afraid of me..." Kirby stretched themselves before snuggling up against Meta Knight.

"Yet here you remain, choosing me as your guardian. As your protector...as your father...why...?" Meta Knight's monologue was interrupted by Kirby letting out a big yawn. 

"Alright, Alright. Its bedtime. I know." Meta Knight lifted up his cape, pulling it over both of them. He pulled Kirby close to his body. His eyes became drowsy, and his vision began to fade. Not fighting it any longer, Meta Knight finally surrendered his mind. 

"Duerme bien, pequeño." Was the only thing Meta Knight managed to mutter, before sleep put them both to rest.