Fallen Stars: A New Age - Act 2 - Chapter 4

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Kirby was, to say the least, quite crossed for the rest of the day. Whether it was against himself or anything hiding deeper inside him, he wasn't sure, but one thing he knew, was that he did not want to hear about Ripple Star again. He spent the whole day by himself, back on the beach, far from anyone or anything other than his own thoughts… except for Azure. The large wolf had followed him out of the restaurant and wouldn't leave him be, as was always the case with him. Now, Kirby was lazily throwing a ball at his large friend, mindlessly throwing it back as soon as the wolf came back running with it covered in burning slobber, as he stared at the sky, lost in his thoughts.

There was no way… to tell the future. No dreams and no nightmares, no matter how horrible or 'real' it felt, could show the future. At least, not with exactitude… Why should he worry about the dreams of another when he had his own problems hunting him down at every hour of the day? Why would he care-

Because that's what he did.

He cared.

He worried for Ribbon and her star, he wouldn't deny that, and he wanted to help.

But to risk his life on a hostile star because of a dream a girl had one night? He wasn't so sure about that one, and no matter which way he twisted it, it still scared him to no end. The thought that there were still and always people out there who wouldn't hesitate to kill him on the spot… It made him shiver.

Why couldn't he just… be in peace…?

Why wasn't he here to protect him, like before…?

Part of him almost expected to see him, walking along the beach to greet him, like he always did…

He always did like to walk along the beach…

But, another, bigger part of him knew that it wouldn't happen. He was gone, and for all he knew, he would probably not come back. At least, not now…

Where… was he…? The Universe was so vast, everything was so, so far away… He felt like a string being pulled and stretched further away, and soon, frighteningly soon, the string would break… and so would he.

Suddenly, Kirby heard a most familiar sound; the sharp yet melodious string of a shamisen. The notes followed one another in the start of a beautiful and toe-tapping melody, and it made Kirby smile when a voice accompanied it in the most fitting way. The voice sang in a tongue unknown to him, and hearing it in such a time appeased his heavy heart, for it was telling one his favourite stories.

The story was of a lonely warrior who travelled across the land to free the spirit of an angered dragon; after a long, harduous journey across a harsh land of snow and ice, the warrior climbed a steep mountain, and found a lonely dragon atop it's freezing peak, whose spirit was lost to a land of dark dreams. With his might and his pure heart, the warrior fought valiantly against the guardian, until he managed to free it of darkness' icy grasp. Basking in light, the dragon came back from its nightmarish prison, and rewarded the warrior with… a vision of the future.

Mh. What a fitting story this was…

Hailan had many stories to tell in his songs, and he had happily translated them for Kirby during the past years, allowing him to discover the rich folklore of his home world, Arranza Star. Even as Hailan did his best to keep his voice closer to a male voice, he was surprisingly able to adapt his voice so that it sounded like two people sang together simultaneously, a duo of a male and a female, and this amazing sound never failed to make Kirby smile and forget his troubles. He never would have imagined, five years ago, that such a quiet ninja could have such a beautiful singing voice… Maybe he had been a singer before? Who really knew?

He could close his eyes and imagine himself, floating on a vast sea of clouds, with no gravity holding him, no fear, no worries, nothing but himself, and the melody that reverberated around him along the rocking waves… For a moment, he felt at peace…

He opened his eyes when he heard sudden barking, and he turned his head to look; Azure was standing in front of someone, tail wagging, but he was so large Kirby couldn't see who it was… until he finally moved out of the way. It was Uncle Az. Kirby swallowed the lump of saliva that suddenly found itself blocking his throat, and he straightened up against the rock he had his back on; Hailan, who was sitting on top of the large rock, kept playing his shamisen, but had stopped singing, as if to respect the other man's arrival. Uncle Az walked over toward them, looking quite pleased to have found them, and with a short greeting in his native tongue – that Kirby wished he could understand – he sat down next to the young warrior, setting his back against the rock with a deep sigh. For a while, he said nothing, and only observed the sea in peaceful silence… and with a short, hidden sigh, Kirby did the same.

Being here with him felt so weird. It wasn't like he was with him but it did at the same time… There was just so much about this man that reminded him of him, it almost made the boy want to cry. His eyes were stinging, and his heart hurt just thinking about him… those golden eyes, smiling at him, that voice, with the same, thick accent, inviting him to go eat at Kawasaki's, those hands, comforting him after hard times…

Kirby took in a deep, shaky breath, and he almost angrily rubbed the unshed tears away from his eyes. Az hummed, lightly…

"Popstar is a beautiful planet," he said, to which only the waves answered as they softly swooshed in on the sand. "It's no wonder he chose this place to raise you."

Kirby blinked. To raise him? He looked back at him quizzically, and Az did so as well, looking like he might have slipped up. He rubbed his chin confusingly, saying:

"Raise may not be the correct word. Sorry. Elevate? No, that doesn't m…" He mumbled through his native words before he finally said: "Oh, train! Yes, he chose this place to train you. That's what Galacta told me."

Kirby couldn't help but smirk at that. Az was clearly not all that familiar with this side of the galaxy's common tongue, but he had to commend him for doing his best to speak as normally as he could. He forced a chuckle out of him, joking:

"Did Galacta Knight tell you absolutely everything about me so quickly?"

Az smirked and replied:

"Oh, the boy hasn't changed at all in all those years… Mmh, how much is it in your tongue… oukreya seva o. Forgive me, I'm terrible with these large numbers…" He rubbed his chin, but continued speaking nonetheless. "He told me enough. I was told what happened to my son, most of all… That is something he didn't mention to my wife, I assume."

Kirby's head lowered, and he became downcast; all of a sudden, he felt terribly… guilty. Something inside, in his heart, became icy cold, almost to the point it burned.

"Galacta told me you two were very close," Az continued, making him raise his head back to him for a brief second before his gaze wandered back to the waves. "I know you were his student, but is it true?"

"Yeah," Kirby answered vaguely. "I guess… I guess you could say we were. I mean… as far as I'm concerned. I never really knew how he felt about me… Must be the mask. Did he use to hide his face as a kid?"

Az appeared surprised at the question, but in a good way, for it made him smile and laugh.

"Not so litterally," he answered in a chuckle. "But, even as a child, Meta was hard to understand. He had many… oufhes. Mmh… Layers. What he showed and said was rarely what he really thought. But that's what made him… him, I suppose." He sighed… "I wish I could have spent more time with him…"

Kirby looked up at the man, and found him looking nostalgic…

"How old was he when he left home?" he asked, growing more curious to know more about him.

"Ike i. Two… hundred. Give or take a few years. I will remember always the night of his ike i tem, his, uhm, birthday. He came to his mother and I and told us he was ready to go… I certainly wasn't ready to see him go. It was too soon. But I quickly realized I was… hypocrite. It was his time, and I had to accept it. If he was ready, then that was it."

Kirby blinked a few times, trying to sweep that tingling feeling away from his eyes. In a way, it reassured him to see that even someone like him could realize that he had to let go of his son in order for him to be happy; perhaps Kirby himself could learn from this… but he couldn't let him go. Suddenly, Az perked up and looked at Kirby with a sudden spark in his eyes.

"Sorry for changing the subject, I heard there was a banquet in your honour tonight," he said, his voice now light and jovial as always. "Shouldn't you go and prepare? Miss Fumu was looking for you, now that I remember…"

Suddenly, it dawned right on little Kirby; right, the banquet! He had completely forgotten about it! He had been so caught up in that whole Ripple Star business that it had completely flown over his head. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet, asking almost in a panic:

"Oh shit! What time is it?! Fumu's gonna strangle me!"

Judging by the setting sun, he had a very short time before the banquet started. He quickly turned to Uncle Az and bowed down politely, saying:

"Thank you for talking to me about your son, Uncle Az, I'll see you later at the banquet! I wanna hear more eventually though!"

Kirby quickly dashed over to Azure, who had a completely destroyed and burnt ball stuck between his teeth, and leaped onto his back, sending the large wolf on a sprint down the beach, toward his house. He left behind Az, who smiled warmly at his leaving figure, and chuckled. The boy reminded him of an odd mix of his daughter and his son… How refreshing to be with him. He felt so… familiar, too. Like it wasn't the first time he was speaking to him. How odd, indeed… Az stood up, and as he was stretching himself, Hailan, who hadn't said a single word since his arrival, jumped down from the rock, making him turn to him. The ninja looked at him – at least, he thought he was, what with that ominous mask on his face – and strapped his shamisen to his back, before lightly bowing down to him.

"I must first and foremost thank you for speaking to him. However, I must warn you that Master Kirby is very fragile, Mister Khano," he told him, making him lose his smile. "I believe Sir Galacta Knight has told you about his condition."

Az nodded his head. Galacta had told him all the details of that day…

"He did… The poor boy, he is too young to be suffering from Dark Matter Sickness…"

"In that case, I suggest you keep the subject of Sir Meta Knight to a minimum," answered the ninja, much to his surprise. "Master Kirby reacts strongly to his name alone. He is susceptible to panic attacks from time to time, and so we must watch our words. As his guardian, I will not allow him to fall back into darkness. Am I clear?"

Az's eyes widened; Galacta had not mentioned this! What horrors had the poor boy seen…? He nodded his head as a reply, saying:

"I see. Galacta did not mention this detail… I will keep quiet as much as possible about Meta Knight, then. Thank you for letting me know."

Hailan lightly bowed again, but as he was leaving after Kirby, Az suddenly told him:

"You play music very well. Kirby is lucky to have you around, Mister Hailan."

The ninja briefly looked back at him, and all he did was nod his head as thanks, before turning back and leaving for good. Az sighed. He searched through his pocket and took out a circular medallion, covered with intricate designs, and opened it; he took the picture that was inside. With all this, he hadn't even done what he had come here to do. Oh well, he told himself. He would show him the picture at the banquet; it would surely cheer the poor lad up!

Aah. The banquet. It had everything a young lad like Kirby would find enjoyment in; set in the town's plaza, there were long tables filled with food and drinks, meals that everyone had spent the day making in preparation for this. There was music echoing through the air, sweet and toe-tapping tunes that would make any young mind smile and dance on the spot, and there were a lot of people from town, all friends and people the lad knew since the first day he came here a long time ago: all this, however, felt like a waste. And so, to help spend the time so the night would end quicker, a slightly irritated yet jovial Kirby decided to get drunk.

Five years ago, the incident with the poisoned cup of wine had grown his distaste of wine itself; however, in the years that followed, with a very convincing Galacta Knight from one side and a pushy Bun from the other, Kirby had gone and tried other things, such as cocktails. And he found out, much to Fumu's horror, that he quite liked it. Now, a tipsy Kirby was enjoying himself on the outskirts of the busy banquet, sitting on a bench that was close enough so that he could at least enjoy the music without having a gang of people harassing him. Bun and Azure were with him, as always, and they kept the chatter low. It was as if Bun could feel that Kirby wasn't entirely there, and was making an effort not to push him.

"Did you hear?" the cappy said. "Honey and Iroo are actually getting married. Next year, I heard."

Kirby chuckled and smiled.

"Actually?" he repeated. "You mean finally! Those two have been running after each other for years, glad they finally decided to tie the knot."

"What knot will they tie?" Azure asked from his spot on the ground, looking up at Kirby with a clueless look.

"It's an expression, Azure," Kirby answered, now used to having to explain these things to this very litteral demon. "Means getting married."

Azure looked like he was seriously thinking for a good five seconds… before he asked:

"What is married? You never say that. Is it a disease?"

"Sweet Nova," Kirby whispered, closing his eyes as he brought his drink to his mouth while an amused Bun laughed whole-heartedly. "It's not a disease, they're just… uh… Bun, explain it, I'm not… uuggh…"

He chugged the rest of his drink, while a smirky Bun sat back against the bench.

"Getting married is some kind of ceremony," Bun took over, making the demon look over to him. "Two people get together and that ceremony means that they'll live together for possibly the rest of their lives. Simple as that."

The demon wolf slowly blinked his glowing eyes a few times, trying to understand this strange concept, and then slowly nodded his head and concluded:

"So they mate for life. Got it."

Both Kirby and Bun had a similar reaction to his words, where they both wanted to laugh and gag at the same time, and Bun let a few chuckles out, replying:

"Guess you could say that, but… don't say it in public. You might embarass them."

"Noted. Why aren't you two 'getting married'?" Azure asked with a very sincere tone in his monotone voice.

This question took them both by surprise, and though the two brothers shared a look, Bun answered simply:

"I dunno, I guess you need a girlfriend for that sort of stuff. Or a boyfriend, I dunno. I'm not really looking for either right now though…"

Kirby was about to answer that he was just not interested in love affairs, but something held his tongue back. He didn't know what it was or why he wouldn't say it, but… he could already feel it; the fog, shrouding him with its thick blindness, as he was fading in the dreamscape of his visions…

Except he didn't go far this time, for he was taken by surprise when he heard his name being called. He and the other two turned toward the plaza, where they saw Fumu, heading their way. She gestured them to come over, calling:

"Come on here, Kirby! There's a surprise for you!"

A surprise? Now his interest was picked! Happy to step away from that strange conversation about marriage, the lad stood up and, followed by Bun and Azure, went after Fumu, who guided him back toward the main table in front of the great tree in the center of the plaza, where the young Star Warrior had a special place right for him in the very center of it. He thought he might have been a little more drunk than he had thought, for when he walked this way with Fumu, everything felt a bit more wobbly than it should, and he plumped down on the chair feeling much relieved to have another support under him. All around the plaza were so many people; friends, family, groups of Waddle Dees scattered all around, even the soldiers would were stationed at the Agency's landing spot were here, and they were all looking toward him. One thing he could see clear as day in their eyes, was praise. He started feeling dreadfully awful…

He did not feel he deserved this praise.

It didn't help when he saw her; the fairy, Ribbon. She was in that crowd too, standing out like a star in the darkness, and he couldn't help but stare at her. He tried to look apologetic, he tried to make her know that he was sorry he couldn't help her star, but he could barely feel his face at this point, so who really knew what expression he had at this moment. She looked much more at ease than she previously did, and her smile proved that she was at least enjoying herself. Nearby, Kirby saw Galacta Knight, and next to him, to his surprise, was Hailan; it seemed even the ninja decided to not hide in the shadows for once. A part of Kirby was grateful for that. Nearby, near Fumu and the rest of the Parm family, was Uncle Az, who smiled at him and raised his half-empty glass in a quiet salute to him; Kirby only nodded back, offering the same kind of smile.

His attention was completely taken from everything going on in the plaza at this moment – people calling him, waving at him, kids running up to the table asking for his autograph, even older people coming over telling him they were glad to see him tonight – when the large and imposing penguin who ruled this land of dreams came through the crowd, followed by an elderly Escargon who seemed rather pleased; by the look on his face, Kirby could tell Dedede had no dirty tricks planned for tonight. That was one worry crossed from the list! The large monarch stepped up and raised his arms, looking around as he called out:

"Alright alright y'all, quiet down! Got something to say!"

King Dedede walked closer to the table where Kirby sat, causing the young drunk man to look up at him through hazy yet oddly clear eyes, wondering what he might have to say. Kirby briefly looked at Fumu to the side, only to see her shrug at him; obviously this wasn't the surprise she had been planning, for she looked very confused, as did most of the villagers who were in on the surprise.

"Pipsqueak!" Dedede told him, bringing a fragment of his attention back to him. "As I told you earlier, I, your great and generous king, am the one who came up with the idea of this banquet. You can thank me whenever ya feel, lad!"

The crowd surrounding him then began to whisper among each other and a few voices came up, saying louder:

"Well that's just not true!"

In response, King Dedede only waved his hand around, saying:

"Quiet you! I'm the king and I'm the one who decides who came up with what!"

Kirby was doing his best not to laugh out loud; aah, a part of him had certainly missed this! King Dedede's antics were a classic he would never get tired of. The king turned back toward him and clasped his hands together.

"So! As I was saying before I got rudely interrupted by these commoners, you can thank me anytime, squirt. But! Not before you get a load of this! Waddle Dees!"

The moment he called out, a rumour spread across the plaza, and Kirby watched as the crowd split up a path for a small group of Waddle Dees to cross. The small creatures walked toward him, each with its arms up, holding what looked like a gift wrapped up in colourful paper. Kirby became increasingly curious when the little creatures set the gift down right in front of him on the table and backed away, leaving Dedede to say:

"I gotcha a little something, squirt. It'll be my present for your next twenty birthdays! Hahaha!"

The lad stood up on his chair, looking down at the gift with great curiosity. Kirby was somewhat ecstatic to know what was inside, but his curiosity became tinted with suspicion as he took the strange, circular present in his hands and weighted it. It was somewhat heavy… and was only just slightly bigger than his face.

"Is it… some kind of trap?" he asked toward the king with a smirk. "Like that pie-throwing one you did for my tenth birthday? This thing looks strangely similar."

"That's a classic!" King Dedede exclaimed, still proud of that one trick he pulled all those years back. "But no, it's not. Go on, open it! You're gonna love it! Worked real hard on that one, lad."

His suspicion still present, Kirby shrugged his shoulders and began to rip the paper apart.

The moment he did, the first reflection of a nearby paper lamp on a metallic surface was sufficient to make his heart drop.

It dropped so low into his gut that he actually choked; his hands froze, and the partially covered gift fell back on the table with a muffled clang. Around him, the others were watching, suddenly growing worried at the face he was making; a mix of horror and shock. Hailan took a step forward, ready to be at his side should anything happen… but Kirby said nothing.

With shaky hands, he pulled the paper open, until the object hidden underneath was completely freed for all to see.

A mask, with a V shaped visor.

Kirby wanted to say something, but through the heavy lump that blocked his throat at this very moment, all he did was open his mouth, with no sound coming out. He was baffled. Completely and utterly baffled, and maybe a little bit broken inside. The mask… This mask…

"I know I'm a few years late, but I got it repaired!" King Dedede said, his voice echoing through the thousand other voices screaming inside Kirby's head. "It cost me a lot of money for the smith guy I found, so I hope you're happy with it!"

"Dedede!" a heavily crossed Fumu called out to the king, making him turn to her. "You didn't say you were going to give it to him!"

"What?" King Dedede shrugged his shoulders, blissfully unaware of Kirby's torment. "You keep complaining that I dun give anythin' to the lad, and now that I give 'im somethin' you're mad?! Make up your mind, princess!"

Fumu was about to yell some more things, but she clearly held it all back, for fear of triggering Kirby some more with some unwanted words.

"You should have told me!" she ended up saying.

"Well, it's too late now! I'm sure Kirb loves it, right squirt?" Dedede turned to look at Kirby, but immediately stopped talking.

The young warrior… was dreadfully quiet. He kept staring at the lifeless mask, unable to move or say anything. He wasn't crying, but his eyes reflected all sorts of things, most of them memories, and the crowd became eerily silent as they watched and waited for a response of any kind. Slowly, Kirby plumped back on his seat, looking almost… depleted. As though a splitting headache suddenly came to him, the young lad brought a hand to his face and pinched between his eyes, letting out a single groan.

Hailan took a few steps forward, ready to go by his side and escort him out of this place, but Galacta Knight put a hand on his shoulder, making him turn to him. The winged knight shook his head, and instead walked forward himself, taking matters in his own hands. He walked around the table and made his way over to Kirby's chair, putting a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. Kirby snapped out of it as soon as he did, looking back up with a brighter, new expression. Galacta Knight took the mask in his other hand, saying:

"Huh, it looks a lot better than it did, don't you agree, Kirby?"

Still somewhat lost in the raging sea of his mind, Kirby took a brief moment to find an answer, and forced out a little smirk.

"Yeah, it sure does," he said, clearing his throat and rubbing an eye as he looked back up at King Dedede. "Well that's what I call a surprise, I sure wasn't expecting this! If your plan was to make me cry, you can forget it, not happening!"

King Dedede appeared suddenly relieved, and his loud laugh brought the tension of the crowd back down immediately, making them all talk among each other about the mask as he said:

"Victory for the king! I knew you'd like it, lad. See, princess?" he turned toward Fumu, who still appeared as though she did not agree one bit with this. "He's totally fine! Stop frowning, you're gonna get stuck like this!"

In the chattering crowd, Ribbon watched quietly… Of all the things she had heard and read about this young Star Warrior, she had woven for herself an image of a fearless, stoic knight, a knight who would rush to the aid of whoever asked for it. But since she came here, the image she had was shattered completely; the boy she was looking at was filled with untold sorrow, and before he could help anyone else, though it may not have been clear to all in this town, it was clear to her; he had to help himself. Clearly, whoever this mask belonged to meant a lot to him… but what had happened? Was this person… dead? She dreaded asking, for fear of the answer… and she instead watched, quietly, as Kirby laughed the situation away, burrying whatever sorrow had inhabited him away.

"This is a nice gift, Your Majesty!" Galacta Knight told the king as he raised the mask a bit more. "I didn't know you had kept the parts, I thought they were just thrown away. It's a good thing they were kept, this mask looks brand new now. The smith you paid so much money to did a remarkable job."

Kirby had to agree; looking at where the mask had once been cut in half, it was like it had never happened. Any scratches or familiar marks on its surface had been smoothed out, making it look brand new. To think it was Dedede who thought of this… He had to give him credit. And he had to give credit to himself, he hadn't shed a single tear… 

"It was the Waddle Dees who found the parts," King Dedede lightly explained. "I didn't know what else to do with it, so here ya go!"

Fumu still cast an angry glare at Dedede, before walking toward the table and leaning forward to look at Kirby. Quietly, she whispered:

"Are you okay…?"

And yet, despite everything, Kirby smiled widely, shattering her fears in an instant.

"I'm totally fine!" he said, making the knight standing next to him smile. "I was just, you know, not expecting it, I'm actually really happy about it. I guess… it makes for a nice… memento, or somethin'."

"Neat!" Galacta Knight concluded, tapping Kirby playfully on the head before taking the mask off the table. "I'll be keeping this with me for now, if you don't mind. I'll leave it at your house later, alright? Wouldn't want to get any cake on it!"

Kirby agreed; he knew why he wanted to get it away from him: his heart was still pumping so loudly in his ears… As Galacta Knight left his side and went back into the crowd with the repaired mask in hand, the knight was surrounded by a small crowd of people who wished to see it up close, and Kirby took this moment to recompose himself real quick by taking deep breaths. With all the alcohol in his system, he was starting to see double… He briefly looked around. No other drinks in sight that he could steal… Dang it.

King Dedede then came closer, crossing his arms as he asked toward Fumu:

"So, what about your surprise, princess? Think it'll beat this?"

"Pff!" Fumu scoffed, turning to the king. "Of course it will! Are you ready for it, Kirby?"

The young drunk warrior tried to look completely normal as he turned to her, and he nodded his head.

"R- urh, ready whenever you are!" he answered her, unable to keep that tiny burp in any longer.

Fumu either didn't notice it, or did an excellent job at hiding her disgust, and turned back toward a few people in the crowd, making some hand gestures as if to get them to bring something over, like Dedede had done with the Waddle Dees. While she did, something inside Kirby pulled harshly, telling him to be wary. His gaze went up to the sky, almost automated…

And the fog began to take over his mind… and as all sounds vanished and silence filled the plaza, for this one moment, he heard one thing.

"Help me…!"

Kirby slowly blinked his eyes, feeling ever so light… That voice, he had heard it before. Five years ago… Lost in the dark… But where was it coming from? It felt like… it was right there… right next to him… 

"Kirby?"

He blinked again, suddenly coming right out of the fog, and realized he was still looking at the sky. There was something… strange, about that sky. The stars were agitated, as if blinking in and out of existence, trying to speak out in silence. He looked down at Fumu, who appeared worried again.

"Are you okay?" she asked, surrounded by a group of friends who looked just as weirded out by his actions.

But Kirby didn't answer to her question. He raised his head back up at that strange sky and pointed a hand upward, saying:

"The sky looks weird."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"I don't know, there's… a distortion, kinda. I don't know how to say it. I mean, I'm not that drunk… am I?"

And then, before anyone else could add anything to this strange conversation, the sky went ablaze; a blinding light, as brief and sudden as a lightning strike. People gasped, the townsfolk raised their heads, a rumour spreading across the plaza, and Kirby stood up on his chair; his eyes widened at what he saw at that moment.

High up against the deep blue sky, an immense portal opened, like a sheet of paper being torn open from the other side; it spread and opened like a flower, shaped like a glowing and iridescent star, the most beautiful thing they had ever witnessed. On the other side of the portal, one could see fiery nebulas and unknown stars, a completely different world far from their own; and from that portal suddenly came a large, unknown ship. It was shaped like a sea vessel, with a mast and rowing paddles, complete with a highly decorated bow that glowed with rich energy. Kirby couldn't take his eyes away from this magnificent piece of art…

The ship came in fast, like it had been going full speed through hyperspace, and only now did Kirby notice; it was aflame! A plume of fiery smoke followed behind as the vessel continued on its uncontrolled course, tilting to the side and ready to plumet to the ground. The whole town gasped and screamed when the ship came in contact with the earth, raising a distant but huge cloud of dust and dirt as the ground shook under its weight and size. The sudden shock wave reached the town, sending many to the ground, and Kirby even fell out of his chair with a surprised gasp. In the sky, the portal closed and vanished, like a flower closing itself at dusk… and then there was silence.

Kirby's heart was beating furiously in his chest; he knew it! He knew something bad would happen! It wasn't Uncle Az's arrival, it wasn't Ribbon, it wasn't even the mask, but this!

"What the heck was that thing!" King Dedede bellowed, sitting on the ground after falling during the resulting shock wave.

"A ship!" Kirby said, immediately shifting back to his primal, Star Warrior instincts. "There must be someone inside! Let's go see!"

He ran over the table and jumped on the ground, immediately running over toward where he had seen the ship crash. He was far from the only one who had this idea, for it seemed almost the whole town was going there. As he ran in the crowd of curious and scared cappies, Kirby was suddenly picked up from the ground, making him gasp out, but he calmed when he saw it was Azure; the large wolf brought him over on his back and began to run, much faster than anyone else ever could, and Kirby held on to his mane. They exited the town and ran through the surrounding hills and fields; in the distance, the cloud of dust was slowly settling back down, showing that the ship had crashed into a large hill near the sea. It had left a long trail of turned up earth and uprooted trees in its wake, leaving the landscape completely destroyed, but Kirby didn't much care for that; there had to be someone in that ship, and they could need his help! He couldn't help Ribbon on Ripple Star, but he could show her that he could, actually, do something else.

That he wasn't useless.

Kirby blinked. Where did… that thought come from…? Did he really feel useless? It was so sudden a realization that he blanked out for a very brief moment… and when he raised his head, they were at the crash site.

The vessel was so big, he had to raise his head high to look at all of it. It was in very poor shape, with what looked like explosion holes brieching the hull in many places, and yet despite all the apparent damage, the ship looked nothing like anything Kirby had ever seen before. It looked both way advanced but ancient at the same time; the vibe he got from standing in front of this magnificent vessel was unlike anything else… He quickly hopped down from Azure's back, taking a few steps forward; however, he was stopped when Azure growled and held him back with a paw. The demon-beast was looking up at the ship, his eyes flaring.

"I see one," he said between his growls. "Male, injured… Strange shape."

"Is it a demon-beast?" he asked right as they were joined by the rest of the crowd.

"Can't tell."

Galacta Knight and Hailan both landed in from the air beside Kirby, ready to defend him should anything pop up, and hearing Azure's response, Galacta Knight said:

"Hailan, do you see anything else?"

"No," he answered. "The person inside… is Halcandran. He's unconscious, and injured to the head. I suggest great caution, Master Kirby. There is no one else inside the ship, but the energy emanating from its core is unstable."

Kirby was about to say that they were going in to get that person out of there, but at that moment, the crowd behind them began to cry out again, making them all raise their heads to the sky once more. It was happening again; high against the heavens, the sky tore appart like a blooming flower, spiralling open into the shape of a bright star, and Kirby wondered if another similar ship would come down here. However, what appeared out of that portal was something completely different.

At first, everyone heard it; a distant, terrible roar, like the long and eerie howl of thunder. Kirby gasped when he finally saw the creature the roar belonged to; it was a dragon! It flew through the portal, its screeches like lightning strikes as it spread its large wings against the night sky. The red-scaled giant flew right down toward them, and the crowd wasted no time in running off toward safety, and though Kirby wanted to stay and look at it, he was pulled back by Galacta Knight along with everyone else.

"What is that!" he asked as he was forced to hop backward to safety.

"It is not a demon-beast!" Hailan answered. "Just stay back, My Lord!"

With a thunderous roar, the dragon landed right on top of the ship, crashing its body into the mast; the shock of the hit immediately sent the mast breaking down, making it crash onto the deck, and the dragon reared its head up against the sky and roared again, forcing the onlookers to block their ears, it was so loud. Squinting his eyes, Kirby waited for the horrible sound to die down before daring looking up again at it, only to see it resume its wrecking of the ship.

The dragon bore only four limbs, two of which were its giant wings, which it was now using to cling on to the ship as it hopped around the deck. The dragon was large, yes, but not as large as other flying demon-beasts he had seen; in comparison, it was certainly smaller than Dyna Blade, but even more frightening to watch. It used its long tail to balance itself while its long neck reared back; it opened its beak-like snout and a sudden jet of lava-like fire erupted out, stricking the ether orb sitting near the back of the deck. The large glowing orb almost immediately gave in to the sheer force of the attack and shattered open, and Kirby watched as the glowing ether particles who used to power the ship fluttered away, vanishing from their sight.

"What is that dragon doing?" Kirby asked, turning toward Galacta Knight, then to Hailan, unsure of who to ask.

He was concerned about the person inside the ship; the dragon was hitting its bulky body against the main station, as if it was trying to get in, and the force of the impacts made the ship rock back and forth a little, digging itself even deeper into the hill it was nested in.

"Well it's clearly after the person inside that ship," Galacta Knight answered as if it was an obvious response. "But we are not stopping that dragon."

"Why?" the young Star Warrior asked again, outraged at such a response. "We gotta help that guy! That dragon is gonna eat him! Do what you want but I'm helping him!"

Without even thinking it through and only listening to his drumming heart, Kirby dashed toward the ship. Hailan called his name, immediately running after him:

"Master Kirby! Wait!"

Kirby didn't stop until he was close enough to the ship, and taking in a deep breath, even as Hailan came to stop right behind him, he called out as loud as he could:

"HEY! Stop that right now!"

At first, there was no response, and he thought his words had fallen in deaf ears… but then, he realized, he wasn't hearing any impact hits. The ship had stopped moving… and then, he heard the dragon step around on the deck, as if its anger was quenched… and the closer the steps approached, the more Kirby began to shake. It was then that he saw it; the dragon's head, appearing over the deck, peeking down at him. Their eyes met; its own were a bright, lively green, and inside those spiralling irises he could see all of the mysteries of the Universe, all contained within that scaly hide. Hailan stood by his side, but Kirby saw him back away one step, and do something he didn't expect; he kneeled down on one leg, lowering his head as if in great respect. Kirby gulped. What did he put himself into now? He should have listened to him…

Surprisingly, he saw the dragon's head tilt to the side, as if in curiosity, and then the massive celestial creature stepped forward, deciding to hop down from the ship. Kirby wanted desperately to back away, but he clenched his teeth together and stood his ground, even as the giant monster stood before him. Its claws dug into the earth, but yet its movements were now calm and collected, even calculated. How… odd. To go from such a terrible anger to being so serene…

The dragon then lowered its long neck, bringing its large head down to his level. Now, Kirby could see its features much clearer; a snout like a beak, a pair of great horns adorning its head, a strange marking covering its entire face, shaped like a five-branched star… and there was, of course, the crown sitting on its scalp. It was… eerie. It had strange, golden claws clinging to the dragon's head, while in its center was a glowing crystal, also green in colour, very much like its eyes. It was eerie, but Kirby could feel no malice coming from it… only…

endless…

power…

Behind them, Azure was growling like a mad dog, but strangely, he didn't dare move; every time he looked up at the dragon, he lowered his eyes, as if he couldn't stare at it too long. Next to him, Galacta only stared, feeling as though he had seen this very scene once before, long ago…

Kirby's gaze dropped back down to the dragon's eyes when it suddenly spoke; its voice was… kind, strangely. Each word was a growl, but it rolled off its tongue so well, one could almost believe it was Popstarian.

"You are the Star Child. Yes?"

Kirby hesitated a great deal, but nodded his head timidly anyway. The dragon tilted its head again, then gave a curious look at the people gathered on the field behind him, all quiet and scared, and it turned back to him.

"You are not as we saw," it spoke. "You are incomplete. Broken. Fix yourself, and you might be able to saveguard him."

Kirby found himself terribly confused by its words, and he stuttered a bit as he asked:

"Huh… What? What do you mean, I'm incomplete? Saveguard who?"

But the dragon did not have the time to answer, for it raised its head again at the sky, toward the still opened portal that shone against it, making Kirby turn to look at it as well. Out of it then came three other draconic forms, each ressembling the one that stood in front of Kirby like identical siblings, but as they roared and flew around the sky, terrifying the villagers down below, none of them landed. Kirby looked back at the crowned one, only to see it stand up on its hind legs, preparing for flight. The Star Warrior took a step forward, calling:

"Wait! Don't leave! Please, answer me! You can't leave just like that!"

The beast looked down at him, and the growling sounds that resounded from its throat reminded him of chuckles.

"Find that which will complete you, and come back to us," it spoke to him. "Find us on Halcandra. We are Landia."

And before Kirby could speak again, the dragon beat its enormous wings, and hopped from the ground, sending a strong blast of wind in the young warrior's face, almost sending him off his feet. The dragon flew up toward the sky and joined with its brethren, and together they all went back the way they came. When they dove into the portal, leaving their terrifying roars behind, the glowing star closed itself like a wilting flower… and then, there was silence.

Kirby realized only now that he was holding his breath, and released it. He felt like passing out right then and there… Hailan put his hand on his shoulder, making him turn to him, and the ninja asked:

"Are you alright, Master Kirby?"

He nodded his head. He was fine, but he had more than his fair share of questions. He pointed toward the ship.

"I'm fine. Let's go find that guy, he needs help!"

Without saying anything about the dragon's strange words, Kirby ran toward the ship, jumping up on its deck to find a way in…