Fallen Stars: A New Age - Act 2 - Chapter Seven

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Kirby heaved a quiet sigh to himself; if Sir Dragato or Sir Arthur learned of this, he would be in so much trouble, he didn't dare think of it. Ripple Star was on the farthest, opposite side of Gamble Galaxy, and the journey already sounded quite long for the young warrior. However, he wasn't going to complain; he was the one who agreed to bring them all there with Ribbon, so he would stand straight, be patient and see. Leaving Galacta alone in the piloting cabin with Azure and Uncle Az, a hungry Kirby walked to the only other section of the carrier, which contained all of their supplies in food, water, and medical units. Both Hailan and Ribbon were there, the first counting all said supplies and keeping tab on everything that they had in this ship. Ribbon was by a window, looking outside in wonder as they flew by a colourful, green cloud of space gas. As Kirby took a little something from their food supplies and caused Hailan to change the number he had written on his tablet, the young warrior turned to him, suddenly thinking back to something he had meant to ask him this morning.

"Say, Hailan," he started, only knowing he got the ninja's attention by the way his antennas reacted to his name being said, "I wanted to ask you something about that dragon from yesterday."

Ribbon turned back to them, but didn't say a word; she also seemed interested in hearing about it.

"I was wondering when you would ask, my young Lord," Hailan said in a lightly amused tone as he looked up from his tablet. "What do you wish to know?"

Kirby quickly ate his snack in one gulp and rubbed where his nose would be, thinking over the many questions he asked and starting with one he thought would make the most sense to start with.

"Well, first… It almost looked like you knew that dragon. By the way you acted, I mean. Have you seen this Landia before?"

Hailan shook his head lightly.

"I have never met this specific Guardian," was his answer. "But I do know who and what they are."

As he started explaining, Hailan put away the tablet and turned back, heading back toward the main part of the carrier, with both Kirby and Ribbon in tow.

"Each galaxy in our Universe is protected by a dragon guardian," he explained. "Considering this one came from as far as Halcandra, I am willing to bet there are more in other dimensions as well. I only recognized it because of its pure core. Guardian dragons give off a very specific energy signature, one I have grown very familiar with."

Kirby was surprised; he had never known about this!

"There's a dragon in each galaxy?" he repeated in disbelief. "Is there one in Gamble too?"

"Yes, although I am unaware of its current location," answered the ninja as he took a seat. "These guardians usually don't mingle with the people of the galaxy unless they come directly to them, or the situation calls for their help. Their involvement usually depends on the state of their galaxy. Say, for example, the galaxies that were stuck in the middle of the Dream Wars. I have seen the dragons of these galaxies fight against Nightmare's hordes of demons, but those who guard calmer worlds usually don't act at all, and remain hidden. It was the case for the dragon who lives on my home world."

Kirby blinked, first surprised, but then he slowly remembered...

"Wait," he said. "There is one of those on your home world? Then that song you told me all about, with the dragon and the mountain and the warrior… Is it true?!"

By the way his antennas moved in that amused fashion, Kirby could tell the ninja was smirking under that mask, and sure enough, a chuckle came up to his ears.

"Wait, what song?" came Galacta's voice from the piloting cockpit, his tone awfully curious.

"You might recognize it, Sir Galacta Knight," Hailan replied. "After your cousin passed by my world and met with the golden Kintatsu to purify his corrupted heart, my people turned his tale into legend, and that legend turned into song. A song I have since taught to Master Kirby."

Galacta Knight's laughs echoed from his seat to them, and he exclaimed:

"Wow, I didn't think Meta's actions on your world would become legend so quickly. Pretty amazing if you ask me!"

Kirby lightly frowned. They were talking about something very important that involved Meta Knight, and he didn't understand anything. The song they were talking about was one Hailan often sang; it was Kirby's favourite, actually. It told the tale of a warrior who climbed a steep and dangerous snowy mountain to quench the anger of a great dragon. So the warrior… was Meta Knight. And that dragon, had been one of those dragon Guardians, in the same vein as this Landia. Now things made more sense… But he had more questions, and by the way Hailan was now silent and waiting showed that the ninja knew.

"So," Kirby started, taking a moment to think his words through, "this dragon is the same as this Landia who came by. But if they're supposed to guard specific places, why was Landia so far from their planet? Heck, from their Universe?"

"I am afraid," Hailan said as he shook his head, "that I cannot answer that. The actions of this Landia were alike to those who were at war a long time ago, but something tells me it's all about our new Halcandran friend. It was wise to leave Master Bun with Magolor; it is best to keep an eye on him…"

"Did you see… anything bad about him?" Ribbon asked carefully, fluttering closer to them.

Once again, Hailan shook his head.

"Actually, no. His core was shaken, but his energies looked fine, although a bit… frightened, considering the situation. I see no reason to mistrust him, but we would do well to remain on guard. That is all I have to say on the matter for now."

"But…"

Kirby bit his lip. He wasn't sure he wanted to ask that question in front of everyone, but… he really wanted an answer.

"Landia said… that I was incomplete. What… did that mean? They said that once I am complete, I should go to them on Halcandra. But I don't even understand what that's supposed to mean! I've been thinking about it since then but I can't think of anything…"

The ninja before him hummed lightly as an answer, shaking his head once more. He looked up toward the cockpit, asking:

"What do you think of this, Mister Khano? The words of this dragon make no sense to me."

Uncle Az, during this whole conversation, had had his seat turned toward them and had been quietly listening, without saying anything, but now that the attention of the crew was turned to him, his eyes lightly widened, making him sit back against his chair.

"Well," he said as he scratched his light beard, "those dragons never made sense to me either. You were talking about the one in Gamble earlier? Last time I saw it, it was on Khazta Star, our home world. Your people was always jealous of that, Miss Ribbon, hoho! Oh sure, you had the Crystal, but we had a dragon!"

As Ribbon smirked and giggled at the thought, Kirby's own eyes widened; Khazta Star… was in Gamble Galaxy?! Why did no one tell him of these kinds of things! He wouldn't be discovering them one after another! He guessed that that was the point of asking questions, but still…

"But that one never made sense either," Az continued. "The elder of our village would go to it for advice, and I would accompany her from time to time, but they keep talking in riddles, those dragons, so I never really got anything concrete from it. So I am afraid I don't really know what this Landia meant either. Maybe Kirby is missing something or other, but what it is, who can tell..."

There was a short moment of silence in the ship as everyone became lost in their own thoughts and searching for their own theories over the matter… until Galacta spoke up.

"I heard the term 'incomplete', before, when referring to someone."

Kirby looked up to him. The knight was facing the controls, staring out into space as the ship flew over a purple cloud of space matter. His voice was solemn, the same tone he'd take when diving into his memories of the war. Kirby knew that voice very well… 

"It was a couple hundred years ago," he continued. "I was in a bar on a desert planet, waiting for a customer to arrive to get my payment for some mercenary job I did. Everyone in the bar gathered around the counter, staring at the television screen hanging on the wall, so I got curious and came to watch. It was… the Arena."

Arena? Kirby wondered what that was, but by the name alone and the way Galacta had said it, he felt a shiver run up his spine. Galacta quickly cast a glance behind at Kirby and Ribbon, seeing their young, oblivious gazes, and turned back to the controls.

"The Arena was a big event held by Holy Nightmare Corporation back in the day," he explained. "It was made like a big, popular game show, but really, it was used to torture Galaxy Soldiers and Star Warriors. They'd take prisoners they'd judge would make a good show and they'd send them through the Arena, in which the soldier had to survive through twelve rounds, each filled with various demons out to kill them. It was made for entertainment, and yet all I saw was torture. In the Arena's whole history, no soldier had ever made it alive to the end. In that bar that day, I witnessed Meta Knight win the Arena… one round of torture after the other."

Kirby's core wrenched horribly at that moment; he staggered a bit, but stayed standing, raising his hand to his chest. Why… was it hurting so much…? He looked at Ribbon briefly, seeing the horror on her face, and turned to Uncle Az, only to see him look away; that look told him that he knew of that event already. Looking over to Hailan, he saw that the ninja was staring at the ground, lost in memories. He couldn't help but notice… his antennas were shaking.

"I'll let you guess how I felt," Galacta continued. "The planet I was on was in the neutral zone, so not a whole lot of people were into those games, in fact, most people in that bar knew what it really was, so things were pretty grim. I watched Meta fight his way up through the rounds, one, two, three, up to the tenth round… He was about to win that round, until Nightmare himself intervened. All we saw was that dark, shadowy portal open behind Meta Knight, and a large, bony hand came out and snatched him up, before dragging him into it. There was an awfully long commercial break after that, and I could barely hold myself in place."

Kirby's core was still hurting, and it was growing more and more uncomfortable. It made his ears ring, and he resisted the urge to groan as he moved his jaw around, trying to stop that incessant ringing.

"Then," Galacta sighed heavily, "the commercials ended, and we were shown the empty arena again. The portal came back, and out came my cousin. However… I, I'm still not sure what happened there… He just… laid there, like… like he was dead. His body started the Dust process… He was dying. But… but it stopped, and he was engulfed in… in this weird, dark glow. It revitalized him, it even stopped the Dust immediately, and he fought his way through that round. Everyone in the bar was saying that he had been turned into a demon-beast, but I don't believe that's true. He didn't have the eyes of a demon… but rather… determination. After that, in the resting area between rounds, I heard him mutter to himself, in our mother tongue. He said that he was "incomplete", and "broken", and that it was all Nightmare's fault. He said, and I quote: "He took it, and now I am alone." I never really understood what that meant, nor did I try to ask when I came back five years ago… but now I'm starting to piece things together."

On those words, Galacta Knight turned his seat around and faced them, looking straight at Kirby with a serious gaze. The young Star Warrior felt sick…

"Isn't it peculiar, Kirby?" Galacta asked. "Meta used to have the same powers you do now. He lost them, and then got captured by Nightmare. He told me he brought you back from Nightmare's fortress when he escaped, and now you have those powers. Strange, isn't it?"

"W-what are you trying to say?" Kirby muttered, blinking eyes that were starting to see dark.

"I don't know, just noticing that some things do line up quite well," he said. "Besides, he… Hey, are you okay there? You're looking green… I didn't mean to make you sick, lad."

Kirby shook his head, bringing his hands up to rub at his eyes, finally taking deep breaths. His heart was still aching, but the numb feeling taking over his face was slowly fading, leaving behind the ghost of nausea. Of course, at the mention of feeling sick, Hailan was already in front of him, ready to help him out should he faint again – and Kirby was happy that he didn't, in fact, faint in front of everybody – and all the ninja had to do was give him his flask of water, which Kirby gladly took.

"I'm fine," he said after taking a few gulps and giving it back. "I just… Too much stuff, I guess. I, uh… I'll go in the other room, I need to… I need to think…"

On those words, he turned around and left, with a quick pace. He needed to breathe, and he felt there were too many people staring at him for him to truly calm himself. Once the door closed behind him, he dragged himself to the bench lining the wall where Ribbon was at earlier, sighing deeply when he was able to sit. As he released his tension, he realized he had been gritting his teeth… He lightly rubbed his chest. Why had his core hurt so much earlier? As Galacta told his grim tale, he almost felt like he was there, with Meta Knight…

As Kirby stared at the ceiling, hand mindlessly rubbing his scarred cheek, he became lost, once again, if only briefly. He knew where Meta Knight had been taken. He didn't need to see it; he just… knew it. Nightmare had taken him straight to his dark realm, the one in which he schemed and plotted, and had a long talk with him. They didn't fight; Meta Knight had no abilities to use, and he knew it was useless. They talked… and Nightmare did something… Oh, but what was it? He couldn't… remember…

Remember…

Remember…

Come find me…

And we can be complete…

Kirby's eyes widened. We can be complete. Those words… they were meant for him. He and Meta Knight were both incomplete, and if they rejoined… What would happen then? If only he could remember, just a little bit further into that memory, if only he could hold his hand forward and grab it, he wouldn't have any more doubts about what he was supposed to do!

If only…

Meta Knight were here…

Kirby blinked. The door had opened. Finding that he was still staring at the ceiling, the confused Kiridan looked down, only to see Uncle Az walk in, a warm smile on his face, as usual.

"Hey there, lad," he said as he walked toward him. "Feeling a bit better?"

How long had he been sitting there…? He blinked some more, finding his eyes a bit dry, and sat up against the bench, trying to push these thoughts away; it did him no good to dwell on it. At least for now…

"A bit," he answered as his elder took a seat across from him on the bench. "Sorry you uh, had to listen to that story… I can guess how it must feel…"

"Don't worry about me, lad," Az replied, his smile turning into a reassuring one he quite liked. "I saw the same thing Galacta did, two hundred years ago. It was heartbreaking, yes, but I find comfort in knowing that my son survived that ordeal. Whatever happened to him, or wherever you come from, it is in the past; now, both you and him are alive, and that is what matters."

Those words… comforted Kirby much more than he thought they would. He was right. Lingering in the past was futile, while he could look forward to the future; a future in which he would see Meta Knight again, sooner or later. He needed to focus on the now, and now, he was going to help Ribbon. For her sake, he needed to focus on that.

"Actually," Az said as he searched in his pocket, "I wanted to show you something I meant to show you yesterday. That whole dragon and crashing ship business kind of stopped me though, hoho!"

He pulled out a strange little locket – a very familiar one too – that looked like a leaf, decorated with blue stones and elaborate designs. Opening it, he first took out a small picture, which he handed over to him with a large smile, saying:

"Here you go."

Kirby curiously took the picture, and he smiled when he saw what was on it. He could guess immediately who the lady Kiridan on the picture was; purple skin, a kind face, oh-so-familiar silver eyes… This was Meta Knight's mother, alright.

"Your wife?" Kirby asked, to which Az nodded with a brightening smile.

"Yep! This is my dear wife, Kia. And this…"

He pulled out another small picture from the locket, and Kirby's smile turned into one of surprise when he saw the young girl pictured on it. She looked very young, maybe even younger than he was, and she looked like a twin image of Meta Knight. The blue skin was definitely a strong gene in this family!

"This is my daughter, Maëlle," Az finished, making Kirby grin widely. "She is forty-eight, and quite the energetic young lass! I think she'd like you."

Kirby's smile stayed stuck on his face as he observed both pictures, his mind wandering to happier thoughts. He was part of the clan now; this was his new family.

"You said that your colony is somewhere in Gamble Galaxy?" he asked, giving back the pictures and receiving a nod as an answer. "When, uhm… When we're done on Ripple Star, do you think you could take me to it? I'd love to see more Kiridans out there! I've actually never seen another kid my age… Only old guys and knights."

Uncle Az gladly nodded his head, putting his locket away in his pocket as he replied:

"Of course, lad! You would be surprised at how many children there are now in the colony. Rebuilding a species is hard, and takes time, but as Kiridans, I suppose time is all that we have. You'll meet them when we get there, lad, and trust me; I'll help you find Meta Knight after that."

His smile was now filled with resolve, and that resolve seeped into Kirby in a way he wasn't expecting. For a brief moment there, Kirby was tempted to let him in on his vision problem; he was tempted to tell him that he and Meta Knight were 'connected'… but something held his tongue back. And so, he said nothing, and nodded his head. Now his goal was clear; go to Ripple Star, and focus on helping out the best he could there. The rest would come later. And the past… despite how much he wanted to know, it could stay back there for all he cared.

Ripple Star was at the other end of the Gamble Galaxy; at the speed of this carrier, it was exactly three days. If that vessel was actually equiped with light speed, they would have been there by the end of the first day… But good things come to those who wait, and on that third day, as Kirby, Ribbon and Azure all looked out the hub in the cockpit, they saw the mystery that was Ripple Star. The planet itself was drastically different from Popstar; instead of being star-shaped, it was akin to a heart! The rings circling around its orbit reflected a soft red and pink glow emanating from the planet's atmosphere, giving it not a threatening look but rather a warm one. Kirby stood surprised, as he wasn't expecting that kind of shape, but he smiled nonetheless; finally he would get to see this mysterious planet with his own eyes! Oh, if Sir Dragato knew he was here, he would get strangled on the spot… But now wasn't the time for regrets!

"Aah," Ribbon sighed with a smile. "Here we are! This is my home, Ripple Star."

"It has been so long since I have set foot on this planet," Uncle Az sighed with a nostalgic smile. "Truly a shame that we weren't allowed back, I quite liked the fairy architecture."

"So, where are we headed?" Galacta Knight asked as he prepared the ship to descend into the atmosphere.

"To the capital," Ribbon answered as she leaned in closer to the commands to pinpoint the specific coordinates. "There is a special landing spot for us to use, hopefully it doesn't bring too much attention."

For a moment, Kirby wondered what kind of 'special' she was talking about, but as the ship started to descend, Hailan coaxed them all back to take a seat as the ship began to shake more violently. Kirby waited almost anxiously and kept his eyes fixated on the nearest window, staring outside as the ship flew through the warm red glow of the planet's atmosphere. They pushed through the clouds, and when they were allowed to stand back up, Kirby immediately went back to the cockpit to see what was ahead. The land stretched far below, and it looked strangely like Popstar; endless hills, rivers and roads, cut with villages and cities. Everything looked very much… normal.

It was only when they approached the capital that Kirby did lose his breath. Everything about this was unlike anything he had ever seen; the capital stretched on and on like an endless maze of tall buildings, each more grandiose than the last and showing off immense talent and eyecatching stonework. The streets weren't cut in squares like Pupu Village's streets, they waved and spiraled around, making the sky view that Kirby had look almost like a painting, with lush gardens and lots of colourful areas dotting the city. In the distance, at the center of the city, Kirby saw a great castle; a castle even grander than Dedede's! He didn't think he'd live to see something bigger than that!

As they hovered a good distance in the sky among tons of other small ships travelling back and forth on the airways, the ship's radio screeched before a voice was heard, speaking the common merchant tongue of Gamble.

"Unidentified vessel, you have penetrated the skies of Aurendell without proper authorization. Identify yourself and state your business right away."

Before Galacta Knight could utter a single response, Ribbon dove right into the microphone and spoke in his stead, answering:

"Command, this is Princess Ribbon speaking! I am aboard this vessel, so please let us through!"

Kirby felt his face visibly twitch when he heard that; did she say… princess… Ribbon? The voice on the other side appeared just as shocked, but for other reasons.

"Princess?! Thank the stars you're back! The Queen has sent out a whole fleet looking for you!"

"Right," Ribbon laughed nervously, trying to ignore the glares Galacta Knight was sending her way. "Uhm, can we come through?"

"Of course, Princess. You may dock your ship at the Castle Landing Bay A. Servants are on the way to assist you."

"Okay, thank you Command!" was the last thing Ribbon said into the microphone before the radio contact was cut.

She backed away, muttering an apology to Galacta Knight for invading his space in that manner, and as she did, she noticed that everyone on board was staring at her. Her face became of the same shade as her dress, a deep strawberry crimson, and her wings fluttered nervously.

"Um…"

"You're a princess?" Kirby was the first to say, sounding more surprised than appalled.

"Um," Ribbon repeated, stuck in a loop as she fidgeted nervously, unsure of how to respond. "I, I suppose, yes…"

"Would have been useful to know," Galacta Knight commented, sitting back in his seat with a sigh as he focussed on piloting the ship. "You know, before we got here."

"S-sorry… I didn't know how to bring it up, so I just… didn't say anything…"

Hailan then stepped closer, bringing her attention over to him. His words were spoken in a kind manner, but strict at the same time.

"Lady Ribbon, I must say it was very unwise to keep this information to yourself this whole time. If anything had happened to you, Popstar would have been blamed, and I dare not imagine the repercussions."

Ribbon looked down, once again muttering an apology, and before her defeated gaze, Hailan softened his voice.

"Although, I suppose we should count ourselves lucky that nothing bad did happen. In fact, now that I think it over, it might be fortunate that you were attacked by Dark Matter."

Everyone turned toward him now, including Ribbon, sending interrogative gazes at his odd idea.

"Fortunate?" Galacta Knight repeated, baffled. "Why in Nova's name would you say that?"

"Because," Hailan responded, "she was saved by mister Khano, a Kiridan."

Kirby blinked; now he understood where he was getting at, and he found the idea quite interesting to think about. This could perhaps change the view fairies had on Kiridans, even if only slightly, if one of his kind had saved a fairy; not just any fairy, but the Princess! He looked outside; now they were circling the giant castle, following the radio's instructions on where to land, and the tall towers made him feel tiny in comparison.

"Miss Ribbon," Uncle Az said, bringing her attention back to him. "Would the present Queen happen to be named Isabelle Ripple?"

"Yes," Ribbon nodded her head. "She's my aunt. Do you know her?"

It was his turn to nod his head, with a small smile.

"Yes. I do remember meeting her when she was but a young child. Quite the striking difference between her and the previous Queen. I wonder if she'll remember me…"

As Uncle Az mused about the Queen, Kirby felt his heart tremble as the ship began to descend in one of the castle's many nooks and crannies, entering a hidden landing bay into the castle's deepest bowels… He wouldn't be able to turn back now.