A Shooting Star ~Kirby and Sonic crossover~

Chapter 49: The First Trio

Disclaimer:
Do not fear, Yokai is here! Spoilers for Kirby and the Forgotten Land! If you have not played the game, please TURN BACK. If you have played the game, or simply do not care, then read at your leisure.

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Hi all!

What is with these frequent uploads? This is exciting!

I can't guarantee that this will be a thing from now on, but I just wanted to apologize again for being absent for such a long time. Thank you for supporting me, as well as the series! I hope to gain my usual momentum back.

-Much love, Yokai

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As soon as he materialized from the chrysalis of light that had once restrained him, Kirby turned his head to search for the friends he left so long ago, back when he had been alive. Meta! King! His stomach clenched with excitement. He could finally meet them again, after all this time!

He didn't have to look for very long, because almost immediately his eyes landed on the familiar forms of his friends. A giant penguin, blue eyes glimmering with satisfaction, and a dark puffball, wings tucked neatly behind his back. They were both staring at him, gazes a mix of disbelief, sorrow, and joy.

Kirby's throat closed with emotion, and he felt his body begin to tremble. Uncontrolled tears fell from his eyes. With a shaky step forward, he mustered his biggest smile, his heart tightening with pain. It had been so long since he'd seen them.

"Kirby. You're..." King Dedede blinked, and he shook his head, rubbing his eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He swallowed, and without warning, barrelled into the marked puffball, and Kirby let out a laugh, feeling his arm wrap around him tightly. "You're here! You're really here!" His voice was filled with happiness, and Kirby felt his heart ache, gripped by invisible claws. He'd never heard the king sound so happy before.

Meta Knight joined the reunion, wrapping his wings around his two friends. "Don't ever leave us again," the knight choked out, his deep voice cracking from both misuse and emotion. He pulled back to gaze into Kirby's eyes, and he softened, the visible half of his face gentle with love. "You've been gone for far too long, Kirby."

Kirby couldn't stop the tears from flowing. They were coming down too fast, and the ache in his heart refused to go away. Instead, he burrowed his face into the knight's armour, nuzzling him softly. "I know, Meta," he breathed, and he felt Meta Knight's warm hand on his back, patting him softly as clung to him, his body shaking. "But I'm here now."

Painful memories overtook his thoughts, and he was reminded of how he was forced to leave his friends behind, oblivious to the threat that would soon befall them. It would take him millions of years to finally discover the fate of his friends, and the events that took place after he left Planet Popstar in order to put and end to Zero's horrific reign.

King Dedede noticed his hesitation. He shouldered the puffball lightly—Kirby blinked up at the penguin, sniffling. He felt overwhelmed with guilt. Before he could control himself, he blurted out, "I should have protected you. Maybe if I hadn't left, you wouldn't have died..." He shivered, remembering Nightmare's words as he informed him of his friends' gruesome deaths. He closed his eyes, whimpering, as he tried to erase the evil wizard from his mind. But his taunting laugh kept creeping back in, a reminder of his broken promise to keep Popstar safe.