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Fallen Stars: A New Age - Act 2 - Chapter Eight
🕑 Added 2018-06-01 17:09:10 +0000 UTC First: https://www.patreon.com/posts/fallen-stars-new-14217859Previous: https://www.patreon.com/posts/fallen-stars-new-18462256
Back on Popstar, Bun, who had been left behind to keep an eye on Magolor and continuously lie to Sir Dragato whenever the kind old man called to get some news on Kirby, was very displeased with the current situation. Of all the things he thought they would be doing during this vacation, this was not part of the list, not by a mile away. Still, he couldn't complain much; the one he had to look after, the Halcandran called Magolor, was in even bigger trouble than he would ever be. With no recollection of what had happened prior to his crashing, the young Halcandran was left by himself to collect the pieces of his ship, and his memories. Although he claimed that it wouldn't be a problem to rebuild the ship itself, Bun had a hard time believing it; because of the injury of his head, Magolor couldn't lift a thing without feeling faint. And so, Bun offered his help, along with a group of young people from the town, who also wished to help the Halcandran with his issue. Magolor was a modest young man, and so he didn't know what to say when all this help came his way; in a way, it almost felt like he wasn't used to it, wasn't used to be addressed in this manner. It was quite peculiar, but Bun didn't question it.
Three days after the Lor Starcutter had crashed and Kirby and the others had left to Ripple Star, Bun went to check on Magolor, as he usually did and was tasked to do. The young Halcandran had been given a guest room at the castle while he was stuck in Dreamland, a welcoming gift from Fumu herself, and ever since his arrival, Bun had noticed how quick it was to get attached to the alien. He was charming, inquisitive, and though he seemed to easily become awkward as soon as there were more than one person around him, he was kind nonetheless.
When Bun knocked on the alien's door that morning, the only answer he got… was complete silence. He knocked again, only to be answered by even more silence. At first, he thought he could still be asleep, but as he was about to leave, telling himself he would drop by again later, he heard a sudden ruckus inside, as if something had fallen and broken on the floor. On high alert, the young knight quickly burst through the locked door and stepped inside, looking around for the source of the noise.
He didn't have to look very far; near the table where Magolor had been apparently eating breakfast, there Bun found the alien, sitting on the floor and holding his head. What looked like the remains of a glass of juice were scattered on the floor, the juice itself splashed around and slowly getting absorbed by the carpet. Thinking that Magolor was hurt, Bun quickly ran up to him and kneeled in front of him, asking:
"Hey! Hey, are you okay? What happened?"
For a moment, Magolor didn't answer; all he did was hold his head in place and grunt, before finally seemingly snapping out of it and looking up at the knight. At first, his eyes appeared clouded, but after a brief moment, he blinked out of it and looked around, as if he had no clue what he was doing on the floor.
"Uh," he hummed as he tried to gather himself, rubbing the injury on his head, "I'm… not quite sure. S-sorry about that… I… I thought I remembered something, but…"
He mumbled the rest of his sentence, and Bun suddenly felt a pinch in his heart seeing the poor alien like this; he looked just like Kirby did, a couple years ago, when he was wildly struggling with his DMS. He'd have the same lost look in his eyes, and the same episodes of not knowing what he was doing. Could Magolor be suffering the same way…? He was tempted to ask, but decided to push it aside for now; it would do no good to interrogate him in this state, especially if he didn't remember anything.
"It's alright," he said as he helped him up to his 'feet'. "Are you gonna be okay though? Need me to take you to Doctor Yabui?"
Magolor quickly shook his head, answering:
"No, no it's not necessary. I felt a bit faint there, but I'm alright now… That was so strange."
Magolor bent down to gather the pieces of the glass, but Bun quickly stopped him and did it himself. As he brought all the pieces to the trash, he told the alien:
"You wanted to start working on your ship today. Are you gonna be good enough to do it?"
"Yes!" came the bright answer from the alien. "Yes, I, I would feel terrible if I were to let you all work while I'm just sitting back. This is my ship, and I'll do what I can to dig it out of those lava rocks… again. I know some tricks that should help you as well!"
Bun smirked; with how quickly the alien could go from terribly confused to this confident self reminded him so much of Kirby… He couldn't wait for his brother to come back so he could get to know Magolor better as well; seeing them together would be quite amusing indeed.
Kirby's heart skipped a beat when the ship landed. They were now inside the castle's landing bay; Fairies were right outside. He had quickly put on his armour, hoping to look as confident and strong as he could, and as he was adjusting his mask, Hailan walked over to him and gave him a helping hand by tightening the straps of his shoulder pads.
"Thanks," Kirby mumbled through a slightly trembling lip. "D-do I look, uh… presentable? To a Queen, and possibly a race of people who want me dead, I mean?"
Hailan let out a small chuckle and adjusted the cape draping over his shoulders, saying in a low voice:
"You look more than presentable, my young Lord. Keep a straight face, and your hand never far from your blade."
Kirby nodded his head, his hand going up to Galaxia's hilt at his side as if to make sure she was there; her presence seeped into him, and he felt somewhat relieved. He smiled at Hailan as thanks, and turned to Azure when the demon wolf walked up to him with an inquisitive look. He sighed.
"Sorry, bud, but you gotta stay in the ship, alright?" he told him, making the wolf blink in surprise.
"Inside? But why? I can't protect you if I'm in here!" Azure protested, ears raising up in offense.
"I know, I know, but if we come out of here with a bunch of Kiridans and a demon-beast, they'll think we're here to attack! So you gotta stay here. Okay?"
Azure then let out a long whine as his only answer, and walked off toward a corner of the vessel to plomp down on the ground, defeated. Kirby felt bad at leaving him behind, but he would rather not take too many risks. They had to make a good impression here.
Now that that was taken care of, they could finally leave; the hatch opened, and immediately Galacta Knight and Hailan were both by his sides. Ribbon walked in front, cast a slightly worried glance at Kirby with a little smile, and exited, soon followed by Uncle Az, and themselves. The landing bay they had arrived in seemed to be located deep inside the castle, as there were no signs of the exterior world in here; it was slightly dark, and lit up only by torches and crystal lanterns lining the walls. As soon as they stepped out in the circular dome room, Kirby saw them; Fairies, coming their way, and fast. It was a group of guards, all tall humanoids dressed in heavy yet elaborate royal armour, all holding spears and shields made of thick crystal, ready to attack! Galacta Knight and Hailan both pushed Kirby back, ready to defend him, but before any heavy interactions could be made between the two groups, Ribbon flew in between, holding her arms out to the guards as she hollered:
"No, wait! These are friends! Lower your weapons!"
Under this sudden order, the guards first appeared confused, then they saluted their princess, bowing down respectfully to her as the head guard said:
"If… If those are your orders, Princess. We were not expecting you to bring… friends… back. It is good to have you back nonetheless, Princess."
They straightened up, and though they did not put their weapons away, they still formed two lines, creating a path for them to walk in. The commander of the group held his hand down the corridor, saying:
"The Queen is expecting you. Please, follow me."
As the tall commander walked beside Ribbon down the path of guards, she turned back to gesture the others to follow, and Kirby heaved a quiet sigh as they followed suite. Well that was a nice welcome… Here's to hoping that the Queen would be better. What could have Kiridans done to warrant such hatred…? He didn't have much time to muse on the subject, however, as they stepped further into the castle; now he understood what Uncle Az meant by 'fairy architecture'. Everything seemed to be built out of a slightly glowing crystal; it was subtle and looked like bricks still, but had a very specific finish to it. The walls were tall, and covered in paintings and fresques, carved into the glowing stone itself. Kirby saw stories, creatures and myths he didn't understand directly, but in his mind's eye, somehow, he could comprehend all of them. Everything he was looking at was elegant and finely crafted, to the point where it almost looked organic in nature. The hallways were brightly lit by open spaces and windows, large brasiers and glowing stones, creating a kaleidoscope of colours and reflecting sun rays.
Before he could even absorb it all, they arrived in front of a pair of large, wooden doors – they, too, were beautiful to look at – but he couldn't even look at them long enough, for the commander slightly knocked on the door, giving a sign to the guards standing on the other side to open them. It was only then that Kirby noticed… they were followed. The guards that had 'welcomed' them had followed behind, joined by even more as they traveled through the castle. He frowned, feeling uneasy. Despite the beauty of this place, he felt… tense. Unwelcome. It was a horrible feeling that not even Dedede's old plans to get rid of him could ever hope to replicate, one that crept beneath his skin like dirty bugs under a carpet. He cast it all aside as they stepped inside the throne room.
The grandeur and beauty of this place was beyond what he had been expecting, despite his previous doubts. The throne room was a gigantic open room, whose walls were seemingly made of transparent crystal; as they walked in, it almost felt like they were outside! He could see tall, white pillars, holding a beautiful vaulted ceiling, covered with even more fresques; these ones appeared to be telling a most important story, but once again, he couldn't comprehend it. Despite the amazingness of being in such an incredible setting, Kirby felt the tension, grasping at his guts again. This room… was filled with Fairies. The court, the guards, servants; and they were all staring at them. Judgemental eyes, darting and throwing knives and snakes at the group, despite not knowing the reason for their arrival, and Kirby felt tiny. He now regretted leaving Azure in the ship…
Still, despite everything, he kept on walking forward, flanked by Hailan, Galacta Knight and Uncle Az, and ahead… sat the Queen of the Fairies. The moment she saw them come in, she stood from her grand throne, almost immediately catching their eyes; she was… beautiful. She wore a long, flowing dress of the colour of cherry blossoms, similar to a kimono, complete with veils of a deep, royal blue and a pale, pale white. Her sleeves were almost too long for her – just like Ribbon's – but it did nothing to her grace, except perhaps reinforce it even further. Her hair was as black as ink, and her face as pale as porcelain. The moment she and Ribbon met eyes, the Queen choked, as if she was about to burst out crying, and she quickly fluttered down from the steps leading to her throne, extending her arms to her niece, who flew straight toward her in an instant, crying:
"Ribbon! Ribbon, you're back!"
The two met in a tight hug, and seeing them smile this way made Kirby smile instinctively; reunions like this were both bittersweet and tender. The Queen soon put her down and observed her from head to toe, soon taking notice of both the bandage wrapped around her head… and the group of Kiridans standing in the middle of the large room. The Queen looked like she was about to say something, but visibly held it back, straightening up as she looked down at Ribbon, her gaze expressing not disapproval, but a mix of confusion and curiosity. Ribbon offered her a meek smile and fluttered in front of the group, extending a hand toward them as she tried to explain:
"I-I know this looks sketchy, but I can explain! These Kiridans saved me!"
As soon as those words exited her mouth, a heavy rumour spread across the court, casting doubt on her face; people were whispering to each other, they weren't believing her. But Ribbon cared not for the court; she stared at her aunt with her head held high, taking a deep breath as she managed to say:
"I was attacked by a swarm of Dark Matter out there, and Mister Khano was the one who saved me from them."
The crowd suddenly grew quiet. Now, she had their attention. Her wings buzzed lightly as she settled on the ground.
"He bravely fought off the Dark Matter and brought me to Popstar, where these kind people helped me. I owe them my life, Your Highness."
Kirby, out of the corner of his eye, saw Az smirk in a very amused manner, and heard him murmur:
"She's making me sound like a hero…"
Kirby smirked as well and turned to him to reply in a low voice:
"That's because you are."
They shared a little chuckle at the thought, but when they gave their attention back to the front, they saw that the Queen was now walking toward them. Az and Hailan were the first to kneel down; Galacta soon followed, subtly gesturing to Kirby to do the same. With a steadily quickening heart rate, Kirby waited for her judgement… and stood shocked by the words she spoke at that moment.
"Kiridans. You have saved my dear niece. Despite everything we Fairies have done to your kind, you have spared her, and brought her back to me. I… we... are forever in your debt."
Kirby quickly raised his eyes, and what he saw greatly surprised him. She bowed forward in a low yet elegant reverence, and the moment she did, the whole room did so as well; every Fairy present in the room bowed down to them, to the Kiridans who dared come back to Ripple Star. The Queen raised her head, and he saw her smile. It was the truest smile he had ever seen; filled with gratitude and happiness.
"My Kiridan friends, you are hereby considered our allies, and our esteemed guests. I wish to personally thank you for your actions. Please, welcome to Ripple Star."
Behind her, Kirby saw Ribbon smile brightly at him, raising her hands to give him a pair of thumbs up, and he smiled back; he couldn't believe how well this had gone!
After meeting with the Queen and reuniting her with her niece, the Fairy Queen had ordered that they were given their best guest quarters, with the promise of food and drinks, and the group had been taken there soon after. These particular quarters were quite nice, in Kirby's eyes; they consisted of a large apartment complex in one of the highest towers of the castle, filled with enough rooms for all of them and more. The apartment was fancy, and wherever Kirby looked, he saw something new. The most important thing of all, however, was the food they had been promised; everything here was new and delicious, and Kirby was extremely happy to dive into the buffet that had been waiting for them when they entered the apartment.
Some time passed since they had arrived in here. Kirby was alone with Uncle Az, and they were casually talking in the living room when the door opened to Galacta, who sighed deeply as he walked in.
"I told them to prepare food and water supplies for us for when we leave," he said as he took off his helm and shook his wings vigorously. "I specified to leave them near the ship and not get them inside. Hopefully we can keep Azure a secret for now… We should have left him with Bun and Magolor…"
As he walked further in, he looked around; someone was missing.
"Where's Hailan?" he asked curiously.
"I dunno," Kirby answered as he stretched his arms and feet on the couch he was lazily sitting on. "All I heard was him mumbling "Mmh", and when I turned around, he was gone."
"Heh," Galacta chuckled as he approached them, "that's Hailan for ya. He's probably off to do some recon."
"Is it…safe, to do that sort of thing here?" Kirby asked, unsure.
"That's what he'll let us know when he comes back," Galacta answered him, grabbing something to eat from the table in the middle of the living room. "In the meantime, I guess we're stuck here until we get called. Fancy prison, I’ll say."
And right on cue, just before the knight could take a bite out of the little pastry he had taken from the table, they all heard the window open suddenly, making them all turn to the other side of the apartment. Hailan, dressed in his full ninja outfit with his hood over his head completely covering his body, jumped down from the windowsill, quickly closing the window behind him, without a sound. As if nothing had happened, he walked back toward them, briefly taking his mask off to take his hood down, freeing the antennas trapped underneath.
"Well?" Galacta asked, taking a bite of his pastry. "How're chthings?"
"The security around this tower is tighter than most other places of the castle," was his answer. "Despite the Queen's truthful words, it will take more time for them to trust us. Other than that, things seem… fine."
"Fine," Galacta repeated, as if he wasn't believing it. "Alright, that works I suppose… I guess things could be worse."
Kirby sighed and looked away. He hadn't lived as long as they did and hadn't seen the atrocities that Fairies had done to their kind, but now that they were here, he could feel the weight on his shoulders as well; this world was beautiful, yes, but… he could feel them, inside his universe. The souls of those who were betrayed by the Fairies, the souls of those who had no one else to turn to when Nightmare came… He could hear their pleas for this civil war to stop… Now that he was here and that he could feel it, he wasn't sure if he could forgive them… but he'd give it a try. He was here to help, after all. Seeking some form of comfort, he looked up toward Az, who turned to him as well. The smile the elder gave him was warm and kind, exactly the kind he was looking for in these strange times, and it gave him the strength to smile back.
It was shortly after that a knock came upon the door. Immediately, Kirby felt the tension in the room rise up to its prime, and he looked to Hailan to see his reaction; he was staring at the door… and then, his antennas rose up, and he gave a short gasp.
"Could… Could it be..?" he heard him mumble as Galacta walked up to the door.
The knight opened it, expecting to see a Fairy on the other side, but he instead gave a gasp as well and stepped back.
"W-what?! But you're… a Kiridan? Here?"
"Hello, Galacta Khano. It is good to finally meet you. I have heard much about you. I hope I am not interrupting anything."
Kirby's interest peaked, and he stood from the couch, as well as Az, both confused by these words. Another Kiridan, in this place? How could it be? Kirby stepped closer, and as Galacta stepped back to let the newcomer in, he froze. It was just like he had said; this man was a Kiridan. A skin as white as snow, an outfit similar to the Fairy garbs… but the thing that caught his attention the most, were his eyes.
They were filled with… space. Galaxies, stars, all passing through his eyes as if they were nothing but open windows into the world inside. When Kirby saw these eyes, he froze in place. It… felt like… he had seen those eyes… before… But where? He had never met this man… as far as he knew. Was it another one of those visions, where he thought he knew someone but actually didn't? It wouldn't surprise him at this point if it was the case… But as he gazed at that strange man, Kirby felt no ill will, and instead an immediate urge to trust him. To his surprise, he saw Hailan walk up to the man, raising his mask on top of his head, and with a large smile, he said:
"Vei! I thought I'd never see you again!"
To everyone's surprise, the two met in a warm reunion hug, one that made Kirby's eyebrows raise. It was the first time he was seeing Hailan react to someone in such a familiar manner, and all it did was make him wonder who this man was even more. When they separated, the man smiled widely at the ninja and said:
"Aah, Hailan, it is good to see you again after all this time! I knew you would make it out alive in the end."
With a warm smile on his face, Hailan turned to the others, noticing their confusion, and said, holding a hand toward the newcomer:
"Everyone, this is Vei, a… friend of ours. I have known him for years, and I can safely say that he is trustworthy."
Looking a little reassured at Hailan's vote of confidence, Galacta Knight approached the man and shook his hand, soon followed by Az who did the same and presented himself. When Vei turned to Kirby and shook his hand, Kirby started saying:
"It's uh, a pleasure to meet you. I'm-"
"Kirby," the man finished, his lips stretched in a wide smile.
Kirby appeared surprised at first, and Vei chuckled.
"It is good to see how much you've grown, Kirby. You're eighty-three years old already. How quickly time passes!"
The young warrior could only give him the most confused of looks; he had no idea who this man was… although the name Vei sure did seem familiar. Where… had he heard it before…? It seemed the man could see his confusion, for his smile reduced in size, and he said, in a lower tone:
"Oh… Oh we're on this path. That… changes things considerably… Mmmh…"
He mumbled the rest of his sentence and stepped away from Kirby, leaving a huge gap of confusion between the two of them. Without even trying to explain his actions, Vei joined his hands in front of him and declared for everyone:
"I work here as the Queen's personal advisor. She has asked me to bring you to her, young Kirby. And you as well, Mister Khano," he added, turning to Uncle Az, who appeared shocked, but pleasantly so.
Without elaborating on that, he turned to Hailan and bowed down, the ninja bowing back in return, and he turned to leave, with Az in tow. Kirby hesitated briefly, but followed behind. When Galacta tried to come with them, Vei turned to him and held his palm forward, preventing him from leaving the room. He smiled.
"I apologize, but the Queen has specified to only bring those two. It won't be long, worry not."
Before a crossed Galacta could utter a single response, Vei closed the door behind them, and walked in front of the two to show them the way back to the throne room. As they walked in the quiet halls of the castle, Vei kept completely quiet, and that silence unnerved Kirby, who shared a look with Az, who appeared just as put off as he was. The young Star Warrior looked back ahead at the Kiridan's back, and finally asked:
"So… you know me?"
His answer was immediate; a small chuckle, eerily similar in sound to one he used to hear almost every day.
"Yes, I do," Vei replied in a light tone.
Kirby waited for him to go deeper into the explanations… but he didn't. Casting another look at Az, he asked again:
"And how do you know me?"
"Oh, it was long ago," Vei answered as he kept walking. "I was there when you were born, Kirby. I was there when you were given your name, and I was there when you were put in your cradle."
Kirby froze in his tracks; both Az and Vei stopped as well in response. Uncle Az squinted his eyes at the other man.
"Who are you exactly, Mister Vei?" he asked, suspicious of him.
The strange man turned around; still he bore that same little smile, as if all of this was normal to him. But that smile… became nostalgic.
"Meta Knight… was a dear friend of mine," was his answer. "Despite everything he had to deal with as the Star Knight, he cared for me as if I was his own son, and raised me into who I am now. I owe a great many things to him… and to both of you as well. I am only doing what needs to be done."
And letting his smile grow back into a kind one, he turned again and kept walking. For a brief moment, Kirby stayed stuck in place. So he, too, had a connection to Meta Knight… He didn't know what to think now. If the things he remembered were truly from Meta Knight, then, perhaps if he stayed a bit more with this man, he would remember him… His name did feel… familiar. He had heard it once before, but when, he couldn't recall… Was it… Could it be… He raised his eyes and stared at his back. Az held his hand to him, gesturing him to come, and Kirby did, with a deep sigh.
Could it be… Five years ago…?
He had heard a voice… and then there was the darkness… and another…
Could it…?
Finally, they arrived at the throne room doors; when Vei opened them, Kirby was surprised to find the large room completely empty. Where there had once been a large crowd of Fairies staring at them, there was now nothing at all other than lit brasiers and hanging lights, and they stepped forward in the evening light filtering through the crystal walls. The sun's rays shone and reflected against every curve of the crystal walls, creating a beautiful show of lights that Kirby felt privy to witness. If only the Fairies weren't so… stern, he would have enjoyed this place even more. On the side, he could see that Uncle Az was also amazed; he did say earlier that he enjoyed the Fairy architecture, and as his features lit with wonder, he could see that he had spoken the truth.
Instead of staying in this room, however, Vei continued walking; he gestured them to follow him, and he walked past the empty throne and toward a set of doors at the back. He opened those as well, and walked in, followed by a curious Kirby and Az. This room was made of the same crystalline material as the throne room, but much smaller in size. Shaped like a dome that reflected all kinds of wonderful colours, it contained only one thing; in its center, standing upon a great pedestal atop a platform, was a giant crystal.
This… thing. Whatever it was. Kirby knew, from the moment he set his eyes on it, what it was in essence. It was an ancient object of the stars, much like Galaxia and the Star Rod. Shocked, he stared at the Fairy Queen, who was fluttering near the Crystal with Ribbon, who turned toward them when they entered. She broke into a large smile and fluttered down to them, bowing forward lightly as she said:
"There you are! Sorry for disappearing like that… I had to explain to my aunt what was happening. I hope you're enjoying your stay so far!"
She stepped a bit closer to Kirby, hiding her mouth with her hand as she whispered, making Kirby lean forward to hear:
"Truthfully speaking, things went better than I was expecting…"
She stepped back and turned back to her aunt, bringing Kirby's attention back to the Queen as well. He saw Vei bow down before her, and she smiled sweetly at him before looking down at the new arrivals. The elegant Fairy floated down toward them, one step at a time.
"First of all," she started saying, "I must thank you again for rescuing my niece, Mister Khano. She is my only living relative, and a daughter to me. I don't know what I would have done without your help."
Az offered her a humble smile and politely bowed, replying:
"It is the least I could have done, Your Majesty."
Offering him a smile as well, the Queen turned to Kirby, and her gaze became more inquisitive; she stepped a bit closer and bowed forward, as if to look at him more carefully. Kirby didn't dare say anything, unsure of how to act in front of a respectable Queen like her. She didn’t feel that intimidating, but more… curious, in nature. It was almost a relief. It wasn't long before she spoke.
"My niece told me about you, Sir Kirby. You would be the famous Star Child, correct? The one who destroyed the Emperor of Darkness, Nightmare?"
While he silently nodded his head, she straightened up, her face now appearing more confused than anything.
"Odd… I could have sworn I was told the Star Knight's name was a certain Metanyo Khano…"
She looked to Az, and back to Kirby, both of whom shared a look between them. Kirby scratched the back of his head.
"Uhm, yeah, I uh… I'm not sure myself about that, Your Highness. He was… is my mentor, though."
"I see," she mused, thinking those words over. "Not that it matters much anymore. What matters is that you did destroy Nightmare, and whether my people agree with it or not, we are all grateful to you, Sir Kirby."
With a shy laugh, Kirby told her:
"Aah, I, uh, was just doing what was right, Your Majesty. Which… is why I'm here now."
The Queen smiled back a knowing smirk as she replied:
“Of course. Ribbon has told me all about it. Her dream, the prophecy it may hold. Vei here has confirmed it.”
Kirby turned to look at Vei, who looked completely unfazed and kept smiling that strange smile… He was staring straight at him too… With a shiver running up his spine, Kirby tried to focus on what the Queen had to say.
“If Ribbon believes that you may be of help to us, then I trust her judgement,” she finished. “Do you have an idea of what your role here will be, Sir Kirby?”
Kirby resisted the urge to breathe out a sigh and instead said:
“Uhm… Actually, not really. I was hoping I would find out by coming here…”
“Mister Vei?” the Queen inquired as she turned to the strange advisor. “Anything to say on the matter?”
As if he had been ripped from his thoughts, Vei appeared somewhat surprised for a short moment, before saying:
“Well, Your Majesty, I believe we should simply wait. It is only a matter of time before Kirby's role is made clear to us, and to himself. They shouldn't be long now… The sun is setting.”
Kirby squinted his eyes at him, now more suspicious than ever.
“‘They’?” he repeated. “Who are you talking about?”
Vei… only smiled. Behind him, the giant crystal glowed.
“The one you have been looking for,” was his answer. “He is on his way… but not for you.”
He turned around, now with all the attention of the room on him, and extended a hand toward the crystal, seeing it glow more in response.
“Do you see this, Kirby?” the weird man asked. “This is the Great Crystal of Ripple Star. It is an ancient artefact that had been kept here for aeons, much in the same essence as the blade hanging on your hip, or the star hiding in your pocket. He will come for it. It is the only way.”
Now Kirby was just confused, and, it seemed, so was the Queen, for she asked:
“Vei, enough with the riddles. Who will come for the Crystal?”
Vei… remained quiet. He raised his hand to the sky, and said…
“They are here.”
Kirby gulped down. Now the bad feeling in his gut was yanking, yelling at him that he should watch out. Something was definitely coming, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for it. He took a step back, but the others were too busy looking up at what Vei was pointing to notice his flinching and doubts. Kirby looked up, past the Crystal, past the crystalline walls, past the clouds and past the skies… And he saw it.
A giant.
It pierced the clouds and came through the skies, tearing its way into the atmosphere above the capital. First, all he saw was a metallic shadow, with wings spread wide and covering the world, but more it descended, more of the hull he could see, and soon he could identify it as a ship; not just any ship… it was a battleship. A gigantic cruiser, bigger than any he had seen before, bigger than his fears and bigger than his dreams, with engines roaring like distant dragons and banners flapping in the winds… and on those banners… he could see a distinct shape…
An M.
A sword pierced right through it.
And then, the cruiser descended, showing its front as it advanced closer to the castle, casting an immense shadow upon the land it preyed on, and Kirby immediately recognized it. This… was the Halberd. This was… But it was impossible! The Halberd had been destroyed years ago at Nightmare’s Fortress, didn’t it? Why was it here? And who… was piloting it…?
It dawned on Kirby now. How Meta Knight had been so evasive these past years. Why he had been so quiet and gone. And now, he was here, perhaps even unaware that Kirby himself was here before him. Kirby gritted his teeth, feeling not comfort but terror seep through him. Why… was he getting such a feeling from such a familiar shadow in the sky? Why… was he scared of meeting Meta Knight now? It made no sense…
While he was getting lost in his conflicting thoughts, he didn’t notice that the Queen was already giving out orders, that guards were already swarming the room, and only when one of them said something about evacuating did Kirby snap out of it and turn to them. He looked at the Queen and quickly said:
“Wait! I know this ship! They’re… They’re not dangerous…”
He looked at Uncle Az, who appeared both confused and appalled, and turned back to the ship’s shadow; he saw that it wasn’t moving anymore… It remained idle in the sky, as if… waiting for something…
“At least,” he continued, “I don’t think they are…”
He took notice of the ship’s canons, and just how much artillery was lining the sides, and gulped down; this was really a ship used to go to war… There were already hundreds of Fairy ships lifting off from the ground and surrounding the huge vessel, though none of the two sides fired. Both seemed to await orders from their own commander… He turned back to look at the Queen, who looked unsure of what to do and kept holding Ribbon close to her. She kept glancing up at the ship, and eventually heaved a heavy sigh.
“If you say so, then I am willing to believe you, Sir Kirby,” she said, gesturing to her guards to relax. “Captain, prepare the audience room, I want a video connection to that ship.”
“We are already trying to contact them, Your Highness.”
“Good, then in that case-”
“Kirby.”
The Star Warrior froze on the spot. That voice. That haunting, creaking voice… He knew it. He quickly turned around, as did everyone else in the room, and felt the blood drain from his face. A dark spot, on the ground. It grew bigger and wider, pure darkness, as if a portal which lead straight into nothingness, and out of that black abyss, came a black teardrop. It quickly took a familiar form; a head, from which erupted fiery black smoke reminiscent of black hair, doting a visor inside which shone a single, bloodshot eye, followed by a round body covered in a tattered cape, complete with shoulder armour and a torn up scarf. The figure floated above the ground before them, silent and cold like the most terrifying ghost of all, and upon its arrival, Kirby immediately felt his Core pull backward, shrinking back in fear. This Dark Matter… He knew this one. All too well.
It was the same one from five years back.
With each meeting, it kept growing, and growing, and growing-
Before he knew it, the guards all surrounded the Queen, who backed away with Ribbon behind her; she also recognized this being’s draining energy, but never before had she seen a Dark Matter take such a… living form.
Kirby stood in front, incapable of moving. It was like his limbs weren’t his, like they were rusted to the ground, it was like he couldn’t look away from that single eye in that visor, it was like he was back five years ago, and he was looking at Meta-
“Dark Matter!” Uncle Az called as he stepped in front of Kirby, immediately breaking the eye contact between them and forcing the young warrior to blink and back off. “You again!”
Kirby watched as he drew his blade from his back - notably with his left hand - and took on a defensive stance, and as he did, Kirby’s eyes caught something special at that moment… a certain greatness emanating from the elder, hidden away for so, so long.
Kirby realized it at this moment; this man… was a Star Warrior. Just like him, just like Meta Knight.
A creak, a laugh, came from the Dark Matter, making Kirby look back down at it. It and Az were staring each other down, yet nobody was moving, like time itself stood frozen…
“You’ve no business ‘ere,” Az said in a tone that sounded completely different from his usual calm and kind voice, completely drowned by his thick accent. “Leave.”
“Quite… the opposite…,” came the Dark Matter’s whispering, hissing voice as it narrowed its gaze on Az, who stood his ground fiercely. “The one we seek… is here…”
Kirby felt his Core shiver in fear at those words; it was talking about him, he knew it. He watched as the Dark Matter hovered in place, unaware that behind him… the shadow of the battleship loomed ever closer, blocking out the sun…
“It begins…,” spoke the Dark Matter, its rattling voice just above a whisper.
Suddenly, the wall behind the group came breaking down with a loud explosion, and there were screams and yells of shock as bricks and transparent stones came tumbling down on everyone who stood in the room. A giant metallic claw, like the sharp robotic talons of a titan bird, flew into the room at high speed and immediately closed its talons around the Crystal; it yanked it out of its pedestal with everything but delicateness, and as it pulled back toward the giant ship in the sky, held by a long solid cable, the guards all flew after it, leaving only a handful around the Queen to protect her and Ribbon.
Kirby, who had rolled into a ball to escape the tumbling stones, was caught between two disasters; on one side, the Crystal was being taken, and on the other, Az was already locking blades with the Dark Matter, doing all he could to keep it at bay. He quickly looked up at the sky, and he watched as the disaster that would shape the following months of his life took place before all to see.
And during all of this maddening chaos…
He could not move.
He could not think.
He could only…
Watch…
His mind was now blank...
As the claw attempted to spring the Crystal back toward the battleship in the sky, the group of guards that flew after it managed to catch up to it and attacked it with all their might. However, in response, the claw suddenly grasped the Crystal with too much strain, and the first cracks appeared on its surface.
Behind him, Kirby heard a cry of war and turned back to see that Galacta Knight had arrived in the room at high speed, flying straight at the Dark Matter to strike it in the back. But the dark creature was smarter than that, and it quickly hid in the ground in a heartbeat, sinking back into nothingness. While Galacta and Az were looking around for the Dark Matter, going in a circle around Kirby in a defensive manner, Hailan quickly appeared next to Kirby and helped him stand back up, quickly checking him over to see if he was hurt. His antennas visibly eased when he saw that he was fine, but before anyone could say anything about what had just transpired, the living darkness that was the Dark Matter reappeared, this time right where the Crystal once stood.
Completely ignoring everyone else who stood in the room and those who had defied it, it flew off like a dark meteor, right through the hole in the wall, and just as they realized that it was headed for the Crystal still being held in that claw, it was too late.
The Dark Matter made contact with the Crystal, and promptly fused with it, as if its surface was nothing but a pool of clear water; the cracks that had already appeared on its surface deepened, and a bright light began to emanate from them, growing brighter and brighter, until… the Crystal couldn’t take it.
Suddenly, under the sheer combined force of the claw and the Dark Matter working their darkness upon it, the Crystal shattered into a hundred pieces, sending a strong shock wave which immediately disintegrated the claw holding it and pushed all the guards and ships surrounding it; the force of the explosion was so strong, it even shook the Halberd in the sky, pushing it back a good ways along with all the Fairy ships that hovered nearby. Kirby watched helplessly as the pieces of the Crystal shot upward into the sky, as if attempting to escape this place and the darkness that was after it, and just like that… the Crystal had vanished from sight, its pieces nothing but lost beacons into the heavens.
Kirby fell on his backside. The Halberd was turning back and ascending back above the clouds. The engines roared like distant dragons…
Meta Knight was gone.
The Dark Matter was gone.
The Crystal was gone.
And he had done nothing to fight any of it.
All he had done…
Was stand there.
And it was just now dawning on him.
This had been why Ribbon had brought him here, to stop this disaster from happening, and yet, here he was, sitting on the ground, a failure who had been unable to move when his enemy had come. And his gaze remained upon the Halberd’s shadow as it escaped the wrath of the Fairies, until all that was left, was silence…
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and raised heavy and defeated eyes to see Hailan.
“Come, My Lord,” he said in a quiet yet firm voice. “We must leave.”
The ninja helped him stand back on his feet, which Kirby found to be shaky and numb, and he looked up toward the Queen and Ribbon, only to immediately regret doing so; the Queen… she looked devastated. Fallen on her knees, she stared at the sky, ever so quiet while her guards waited for her word, now completely ignoring them and staring at the sky, their weapons lowered, their shoulders defeated. Ribbon turned to look at him… and neither of them said a single word. He quickly broke eye contact, and as Hailan was bringing him out of this room, he could hear Galacta talk in the back, most likely mumbling to himself.
“We’re done here. I knew this was a bad idea from the start.”
Kirby was mortified as he and Hailan made their way through the castle and headed back the way they had first come in. They made it back to the landing bay where their ship remained, and when Hailan opened the hatch, Azure immediately ran out to greet Kirby, whimpering loudly. The young and distraught Star Warrior quickly climbed on the demon’s back, and as Azure was bringing him back in, the others set to work to bring all the supplies the Fairies had left for them back in the ship, quickly and quietly preparing to leave.
When Kirby finally sat back down on a seat in the main station, he realized he had been holding his breath and let it out suddenly. His Core was shivering badly… Things could not have gone more wrong than they did just then. Why… had he been unable to move? If he had just moved, if he had fought that Dark Matter, it wouldn’t have been able to destroy the Crystal! If only… he had just moved… Azure climbed on the seat next to him and quickly made himself comfortable by wrapping his front legs around his young Master and setting his jaw on top of Kirby’s head, prompting the Kiridan to snuggle up against him. Kirby held on tightly to his fur, doing his best to take deep breaths…
“Meta Knight was out there,” he whispered to the demon. “He was out there… and he attacked. I… don’t know what to do now…”
“Are we going to find him?” Azure asked.
Were they going to find him, indeed, Kirby thought to himself. After this disaster, he wasn’t sure Galacta Knight would let him leave Popstar again…
“I don’t know anymore,” was his reply. “This is bigger than we think it is… Ugh, but Dragato’s definitely gonna have my head when he hears of this...”
“We could… not tell him.”
“Dude, we pretty much just doomed a world by not doing anything to save the Crystal, I’m pretty sure he’ll hear about it. And… worse thing is… it’s all my fault…”
