A Shooting Star ~Kirby and Sonic crossover~

Chapter 40: A New Mission

Despite the exhaustion clawing up Tokkori's throat, the yellow canary flew on resiliently, his small eyes fixed determinedly on the large castle that loomed over him. The shadows of the towers that jutted out of the castle comforted Tokkori's sore body, wrapping around him like a weightless, cool blanket.

Alright, shady guy. Where did you go? Tokkori swiveled his head around to peer down at the outer halls of the castle, his eyes scanning the brick walls carefully and cautiously. After observing the speed which the mysterious figure was running at, he knew he didn't want to get caught by the guy. He didn't think even Kirby's warp star could combat the guy in terms of speed.

I should just leave. Let sniveling Snail Boy deal with the problem. I have no reason to risk my life for the stupid anthro. My wings are already dead as is! Tokkori looked back and saw the empty village of Cappy Town from the corner of his eye. Soon, the villagers would be approaching the castle to send Sir Ebrum and Lady Like their regards. Let them deal with the guy. They don't thank me enough anyway, so why should I do all the work? I just want to sleep and get this whole mess over with. The bird was about to turn and leave when Kirby's face appeared, barging into Tokkori's thoughts like a heavy swing from Dedede's hammer. His throat closed in on him, and he swallowed down a guilty chirp.

Kirby wouldn't have wanted me to leave. He would have wanted me to find that guy and warn Escargoon. Tokkori closed his eyes tightly, feeling his heart grip with sorrow. The puffball's bright smile and shining eyes taunted him. Kirby, I'm... I'm sorry I snapped at you. I know I don't do favors often, but just this once, I'll... I'll do what you would've wanted.

Tokkori, with a heavy grunt and a growl of protest from his stomach, continued to search the castle silently, trying his best to make as little noise as possible. Surprisingly, the whole castle seemed to be empty—Escargoon must've sent out search parties for the missing cast. Tokkori frowned, finding the lack of life a little unsettling.

Well, at least this will make it easier for me to find the guy. A shiver of uncertainty crawled through Tokkori's feathers. But it'll also make it harder for me to stay hidden. The eerie halls of the castle glinted at him from every corner, and Tokkori found himself having to steady his racing heart as his fear started to slowly rise. Cold anxiety wrapped around his throat, forcing his breath down heavily.

Tokkori flew through each and every corridor of the castle, but he found no sign of the figure. He checked every crevice, every secret room he could think of, every toilet stall, but his efforts ultimately ended up going to waste. Frustrated, the bird even considered looking for the figure in the garbage bins, but upon smelling the foul scent that arose from the bins, he discarded the idea almost immediately.

Tokkori's already battered wings were ready to give up on him, and just as he was about to leave the castle and head on home he saw a bright beam of light shining from the throne room, the majestic doors slightly ajar. A faint whirring resonated from the room. Tokkori's eyes widened, and his muscles stiffened as he slowly lowered himself, his talons itching to feel solid ground.

The one room he hadn't checked because it had seemed too obvious, too open...

Tokkori's beak twitched with annoyance. Don't tell me... I checked this entire castle for nothing! Still, his annoyance did little to mask his uneasiness.

Dropping down quietly, Tokkori approached the throne room, his heart thumping against his chest. Trying to stifle his fear, the canary took a daring peek inside the throne room. Almost immediately he was blinded by a flash of purple light that discharged from the infamous NME Delivery Service placed in the middle of the room, the purple light whirling like a gaping tornado. Tokkori let out a loud shriek, but even then his cry was droned out by the loud roaring that seemingly came from the light. In the middle of it all stood the figure, standing a few distances away from the purple tornado, his back facing Tokkori. Slung around his shoulder was a katana, gleaming maliciously against the violet whirlpool.