The Fate of Dreamland: A Kirby Story

An Old Friend

Midori stepped out of the portal and landed onto the purple-blue floor made up of hexagons. She looked straight ahead and began walking, arms at her sides. Her feet tapped the ground rhythmically, the noises echoing off the tiled floor.

She stopped only once to wonder why her friends weren't with her, then shook off the thought as she snorted with amusement. Friends were for the weak. She did not have friends. Only partners who she would desert as soon as she got what she wanted from them.

When she reached a metal- rimmed mirror, she pressed one palm against the glass and smirked as a familiar masked face, seething with anger, appeared beneath her hand.

"Why, hello there, Dark Meta Knight. It's been a while since we've last seen each other, hasn't it?"

"I am not in the mood for diplomacy, 'Dor. Get me out of this prison."

"Why should I? After all, Kirby would just simply return you to it."

At the name "Kirby," something shook inside of her. A distant memory of a crashed star ship and someone standing next to it...

But just as quickly as it had arose, the memory faded and she was left with a hollow feeling inside her heart.

"Don't mention that name to me," Dark Meta Knight hissed. "He... he was just lucky."

"Lucky for, oh, three times? Four? I highly doubt it, Dark Meta Knight."

Dark Meta Knight shot her a withering glance through the mirror, then crossed his arms. "Yami won't be very happy with this. He'll imprison you if you don't release me."

Midori let out a laugh, then smirked again. "I have no master. I do not care about this 'Yami.' I have my own means of accomplishing what I desire."

"Oh, you do? That's.... quite interesting, I daresay." A voice spoke from behind her, and she turned around, hands aflame.

"Who are you?" she growled at the dark purple clad man. "Why are you here?"

He chuckled. "I'm Dolores, but many call me Dolor. And you, my dear?"

She chucked a ball of fire at his dark violet top hat, then grinned when he winced and ducked to avoid it, momentarily losing his cool, devilish demeanor.

"Oh, sorry," Midori apologized, though her expression said otherwise. "Must've been a slip of my hand. I am simply 'Dor, my good fellow."

He glared at her from beneath the white bangs covering his face, then brushed the hair out of his eyes and attempted a smile.

"Well, 'Dor. Shall we strike up a deal?"

"What... deal?"

He leaned forward and took off his top hat, then grinned. "I'm glad you asked."

"Well, you see, I'm offering a trade. I'd like you to release Dark Meta Knight in exchange for this female hostage of mine. She's currently trapped inside my hat, but once you release Darky here, I'll let her go."

Midori looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. "The female hostage is who? I'm not letting Dark Meta go for just any old person, y'know."

"Oh, she's.... someone, alright. Her name is Tiff, from what I garner."

She felt the aching hollow hole gnawing away at her chest, deeper than before. "Tiff? And why would I barter for her?"

"She's quite the interesting lady. Part of Kirby's crew, plus she has some information that I think you'd like to know."

Midori was far from wanting to free Dark Meta Knight, but the name Tiff struck her with a sadness, a sort of emptiness that she hadn't felt for a while.