Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

To say that Kirby was anxious would be an understatement. His hands tugged gently on the cuffs of his sleeves, the pastel pink fabric twisted tightly between his fingers. His blue eyes were locked on the small envelope that was situated on his desk. A small red seal kept the envelope closed, with the familiar U.A. logo engraved into it.  

The letter that would determine whether or not he was accepted to U.A. could hardly wait to be opened. But he had to wait. Galacta Knight, despite Meta Knight’s urging, wanted to be right beside him when he opened it—probably for moral support in case things didn’t go as they hoped. Bandana Dee also wanted to see the results in person, but according to the two pro heroes, he was helping Dedede with something top secret and thus couldn’t come. He had originally been disappointed, but neither he nor Kirby argued with them.

The sound of the bedroom door opening drew Kirby from his thoughts, his previously racing mind slowing to a dull stream of memories. He glanced back, blue eyes meeting pairs of crimson and yellow. He immediately brightened at the sight of Meta Knight and Galacta Knight. “You’re home!” he exclaimed happily, his anxiety forgotten as he rushed over to hug them. 

Galacta Knight chuckled and ruffled Kirby’s hair, his eyes shifting to a bright, elated blue. “We are indeed.” He and Meta Knight both turned their gaze to the desk, where the envelope lay. “I see you waited for us. Thank you. I know that can’t have been easy, given the excitement of the past week.” 

“Of course! I didn’t want to leave you guys out, especially once you said you wanted to see the results with me,” Kirby said, his voice as light and bouncy as it usually was. Not even the tiniest hint of his anxiety from before crept into his tone. The sound relieved and amused both knights. 

Adjusting his mask with one hand, Meta Knight gestured to the desk. “Let’s open that envelope and see what’s inside, then.”

Kirby stepped forward eagerly, his eyes wide with anticipation as he lifted the envelope with delicate care. His fingers trembled slightly as he carefully tore open the seal, the crisp paper cracking softly in the quiet room. Inside, he pulled out a small, polished disk that caught the light of the softly lit room. The three leaned in closer as the disk flickered to life, a crystal-clear hologram of a familiar, crimson-eyed pro hero appearing before them. Two of the trio watched with bated breath as the disk began to play its audio. 

By the time the hologram had faded and the disk returned to its powered-off state, Kirby was dumbfounded. He could hardly believe what he had just heard. What he had just seen. Apparently, U.A. didn’t judge solely based on accumulated points, although Kirby had done an exceptional job in earning them. They also judged based on something called "rescue points," which was basically their way of measuring a person's potential outside of combat. They looked for qualities such as inspiring others and encouraging them to do something great—that was what they were seeking. Kirby had demonstrated heroism by carrying someone to safety away from the arena trap and had teamed up with struggling applicants to help them increase their points. His actions had affected them in a way that went beyond simple exam measurements. That was what mattered, as the hologram had stated. And thus, Kirby passed with flying colors.

The real kicker, though? The hero telling him this in the hologram was none other than Galacta Knight himself.

The room fell silent, now lacking the previous thrum of sound from the disk. Kirby set it down gently on the table, staring at it for a moment longer. He still couldn’t believe it. He had passed and had apparently exceeded expectations, no less! That was high praise coming from U.A., even if the hero telling him this might have been slightly biased. Blue eyes turned to Galacta Knight, locking with his crimson gaze. They weren’t nearly as intense as the pro hero expected them to be. “You knew the whole week that I passed?” Kirby asked, his voice quiet.  

Galacta Knight nodded, a warm smile hidden beneath his mask. The bright blue shift in his eyes betrayed his hidden pride. “I did.” 

Kirby was silent for a while longer, and for a moment, the two knights worried that they might have upset him. But when Kirby wrapped his arms around both of them in a tight hug, they knew otherwise. They easily returned the hug, earning a small giggle from Kirby. 

'Thank you,' Kirby thought as he nuzzled deeper into their embrace. 'for believing in me.' 

Chapter Text

Galacta Knight’s personal message was not the only surprise that had been planned. The pink-haired knight was particularly excited, though whether that was from residual anxiety beforehand was beyond him. Currently, the duo was on their way to Dedede’s building, for a ‘special kingly surprise,’ according to Dedede. The sun was still shining brightly above them, its warmth only adding to the excitement of the day. 

In all honesty, Galacta Knight had been terribly anxious on Kirby’s behalf, at least until he knew what the kid’s score was. Kirby had chattered non-stop about the entrance exam the moment it was over. How fun it was, how many people he’d met. How he hoped he’d made potential friends with his future classmates. He’d been so eager, and Galacta Knight understood why. Even Meta Knight, ever the stoic one, had been agonizing over whether or not their kid got into U.A.

Once he’d seen the score, Galacta Knight had been nothing short of proud and relieved. Keeping that secret had been difficult, but Kirby’s reaction to it made the silence worthwhile. And he managed to get a reaction out of Meta Knight in the process. So, a win-win in his book.

“Do I have to wear this?” Kirby’s slightly whiny voice drew Galacta Knight from his thoughts. His small hands tugged at the blindfold covering his eyes, with knitted eyebrows barely visible beneath the thick fabric. 

Galacta Knight chuckled, placing a hand on Kirby’s shoulder. “Yes, you have to wear it.”

The latter groaned in response, “But why?? It’s so itchy…” 

“I know,” Galacta Knight said, his tone understanding. “But it’s just until we get to Dedede’s building. Banana Dee and the Waddle Dees have spent all day preparing, and we don’t want to ruin their surprise. Right?” 

That statement made Kirby quiet down. It seemed that he had forgotten the surprise mentioned earlier. The way his eyes widened could be seen; bright blue irises shimmered excitedly even behind the fabric. Galacta Knight didn’t miss the way his whole body seemed to puff up in excitement. He began walking forward again, one wing folding around the pink-haired teen to guide him onward.  

“So, what’s the surprise going to be?” Kirby asked, his previous frustration eagerly forgotten. “Is it food? Or games? Or even better: both?” 

“You’ll see,” was Galacta Knight’s only answer. That vagueness didn’t deter Kirby from asking more questions.

“Is it gonna be fun? Is Bandee gonna be there? And Sailor Dee? Oh, and Sword and Blade? And what about—”

At this point, Galacta Knight was starting to zone out. Kirby certainly had a limitless supply of energy. The kid was practically vibrating now, as if he hadn’t been upset a mere two minutes ago. If he weren’t already used to the constant ping-ponging of emotions and wild swings of energy, he would’ve gotten a headache by now. He loved the kid; he really, truly did. But sometimes, even the strongest hero in the galaxy couldn’t handle such bounciness. Mercifully, the giant, gold-plated building finally came into view. The familiar carving of Dedede’s face at the top of the building gleamed in the light, bringing a wave of relief to Galacta Knight. Kirby could finally go and chatter to someone who had the energy to keep up.

Galacta Knight led Kirby inside, letting them both in with the spare key he had. As they entered, the familiarly bright interior greeted them. Sunlight streamed in through multiple windows, reflecting proudly on the mirror-like white and gold checkerboard floors. Everything seemed to have been polished extra today, as even the stone stairs shimmered like a set of particularly shiny gems. The sheer influx of bright, almost blinding gold light was overwhelming, making even the blindfolded pink teen squint. Galacta Knight had to raise a hand to shield his eyes. ‘Jeez,’ he thought, bringing his wings up to create some form of shade around himself. ‘Note to self: remind Meta Knight to confiscate Dedede’s polisher. This is ridiculous.’ 

Galacta Knight pulled Kirby closer to undo his blindfold. The second the pink-haired ball of energy that was Kirby was granted his sight, he immediately dashed over to the stairs, leaving his arguably slower parent behind. “Don’t run too fast, Kirby!” the crimson-eyed hero called after him, amusement coloring his tone. 

“I won’t!” Kirby replied, already one flight up the stairs.

Shaking his head, Galacta Knight moved to follow. 

To say that Dedede was excited would be an understatement. It had been two weeks since Kirby’s entrance exam, and everyone had been tense about the kid’s results. Sure, the majority of the teens Dedede looked after weren’t related, but they were basically like family. They all knew and loved Kirby, and the same was true vice versa. Kirby was their best friend and little sibling. So, upon learning of his success, the entire group was overjoyed. Bandana Dee especially.

And now, here they were, putting the finishing touches on the present they’d all planned for Kirby - their surprise party.

The office was mostly covered in pink and yellow decorations. Balloons in the shape of stars were scattered throughout the room, some on the ground while others floated haphazardly in the corners. Multiple cutouts of cotton candy had been set up in semi-hidden places. Glitter was everywhere—in between the tiles, on Dedede’s desk, and even in people’s hair. Bandana Dee was by the window, hanging up streamers with the help of Blade Knight and Sword Knight. A few of the interns Dedede had taken in last year were finishing setting up a beanbag tossing game in the corner. Gooey, bless his soul, was trying to help them but failing miserably. Most of the Meta-Knights were also there, setting up a bunch of sweet treats on the far side of the room, with Meta Knight himself watching with his usual stoic demeanor. Kawasaki had chosen that spot specifically in hopes that Kirby wouldn’t immediately scarf all of it first. Dedede was by the door, listening out for their special guest.

Dedede finally caught the sound of the front door clicking open, and soon after, two pairs of footsteps made their way into the building. He turned to the others, gesturing for them to quiet down.

“Alright everyone,” he said in his usual cheery tone. “Kirby should be up in a few seconds.”

The room fell silent, save for the soft hum of excitement as they all moved toward the door. Kirby’s voice could be heard downstairs, followed by the patter of his feet as he ascended the stairs. The shuffling of feet ceased abruptly as Kirby stopped in front of the door. Dedede, a mischievous grin on his face, clutched a party popper, ready to unleash a burst of confetti. He could already imagine the shock on the kid’s face and the pure, boundless rush of energy that would follow. 

Kirby pushed the door open. His chipper humming was cut off by a loud pop of confetti and a chorus of people shouting, “Surprise!” He was silent for a split second before bursting into laughter and hugging Dedede.

Dedede grinned, ruffling the teen’s pink hair. “We got you good, huh?”

Kirby nodded, looking up at Dedede. His eyes held nearly triple the usual excitement he normally had, with blue irises having shifted to a bright rainbow shimmer. “Yeah!”

He was practically beaming so brightly that his cheeks were starting to turn red. “Galacta Knight said you guys had a surprise for me, but I never guessed it was this! This is awesome!”

Dedede chuckled, a boisterous rumble that vibrated through the room, as he clapped a hand on Kirby's shoulder. "Well, you earned it, little guy! We all saw how much work you put in while training with Galacta Knight and Meta Knight, and you totally crushed the entrance exam." He gestured to the extensively decorated office, the balloons and streamers a stark contrast to its usual functional yet over-the-top layout.

Kirby’s eyes widened slightly at that, clearly surprised by this revelation. His voice raised in pitch ever so slightly. “You all saw me take the entrance exam?”

Meta Knight, standing slightly apart, gave a rare nod of approval, a gesture that spoke volumes about his pride in Kirby's accomplishment. “That we did. And I agree with Dedede — you did very well.”  

The Meta-Knights stepped forward, each offering nods of agreement, while the interns cheered enthusiastically. Bandana Dee even gave his usual thumbs-up from behind the others. The room was filled with genuine warmth as everyone voiced their pride in Kirby.

“Come on, we’ve got games!” Dedede led the way to the games the interns had helped set up. “Plus, Kawasaki and the Meta-Knights all brought some sweets for afterward.” 

A delighted squeal escaped Kirby’s lips as he bounced on the balls of his feet, clearly ready to dive into the festivities.

The rest of the day was filled with merrymaking. Kirby was in the spotlight of attention the entire time, constantly playing with friends and being congratulated by family. The first hour was just Kirby wrestling with a few of the Dees, Bandana included, as per usual. It had become a sort of game for them after that one time he fought Dedede. He was gentle with them, mostly due to the fact that he was twice as strong despite being half their size. After that first hour of wrestling, the kids all turned their attention to Gooey, who had been trying (and failing) to join in on the fun. One of them tossed a parasol across the room like it was a bone, which Gooey happily chased after. This was repeated multiple times until the first half of the room looked like a tornado had hit it. Kirby, only then noticing the games that had been set up, decided to give them a try. Of course, despite his excellent aim when using his quirk, tossing beanbags wasn’t as easy for him. Despite the fact that he had thrown heavier things in the past, most of which had been twice his size. The irony of this was not lost on him either.

Speaking of Dedede, he mostly sat back and watched the chaos unfold, occasionally chuckling when Gooey ran into one of the Meta-Knights or a wall. At some point, after most of the adults had eaten some snacks, he redirected the kids to the snack table. It then became a competition to see which of the Dees could eat the fastest. It inevitably ended with Kirby eating most of the snacks, half of the table itself, and then tackling Javelin Knight when they tried to pilfer a slice of strawberry shortcake for themselves. 

The group did eventually wind down, but only long after the sun had set. Most of the interns had curled up right then and there, utterly exhausted. Dedede didn’t mind this. In fact, he even joined them at some point—after getting pillows to make a fort around them, of course, and letting their parents know that they’d be home a little later than intended.