Heroes of Dreamland, Book 4: Kirby and the Heroes' Destinies (OLD)

The Dark Star Warrior's Plot Unfolds, Meta Knight Finds The Third Shard

Kirby's POV:

"Well, we've patrolled the castle, just like Meta Knight would do," I say. "Now what do we do?"

We've all got capes (made out of blankets) on now, and I stol- I mean, borrowed, a sword from the training room so I could get the Sword Ability. Bandana, of course, has his spear, and Shadow Kirby's just following the two of us.

"Well, what would Meta Knight do next?" Shadow wonders aloud.

Noticing that my tummy's grumbling, I grin, "Well, I don't know what Meta Knight would do, but I know exactly what I'm gonna do."

Smiling knowingly, Shadow giggles, "And what's that?" while Bandana rolls his eyes in disbelief.

"Find a snack, of course!" I grin, beckoning them to follow. "Let's go see what sort of treats the Waddles have whipped up in the kitchen!"

Shadow Kirby gleefully follows me, while Bandana shrugs and trails behind a little bit.

But the kitchen is practically dead. "What's going on? Why isn't anybody doing anything?" I frown to Waddle Doo.

With a shrug, he replies, sounding a bit concerned, "It's the strangest thing. DeDeDe said he doesn't want any food this afternoon. He's shut himself up in the throne room, says he's attending to royal business." Shaking his head, he adds, "I've already called the Doc, he just said to give him 'two teaspoons-full of chamomile tea, to be taken at bedtime.'"

"Yabui, the king is not Peter Rabbit," I mutter, then turn and dash off towards the throne room as fast as I can.

"Kirby? Where are you going?" Shadow questions, panting as he tries to keep up. Bandana, though, has gotten the same bad feeling that I have, and is now quite a ways ahead of me, using a Waddle Copter.

"The king never 'attends to royal business,'" I fret. "The Dark two are up to something. Something that's probably really, really bad."

We get to the throne room in less than two minutes. The door's locked. Smiling nervously, I murmur, "I know exactly what Meta Knight would do here." Leaping up, I then make a zigzag slice through the door with my sword. "Not bad, if I do say so myself."

Inside, the Dark two are talking to DeDeDe, while Escargoon, Sword, and Blade listen. "As you can see, all of the above accused are either guilty of plotting against the crown, or of aiding and abetting said plotting, both of which are punishable by banishment from Dreamland," Dark Meta Knight is murmuring to the king, in a voice so dark and cold that it makes me shiver.

"This doesn't look good at all," Shadow Kirby squeaks.

"Oh, would you look at that, nya," the black-and-gray cat-Star Warrior that I'm guessing is Dark Sakura spins around and laughs. "We've got company, and if it isn't two of the accused."

"Accused? Accused of what?" I demand, holding my sword up and rushing at them, only to have Dark Meta Knight's silver sword pointed at me.

"Foramen Nigra has gone unused for far too long. It hungers for a life to take. Do you wish to be the first?" he murmurs dangerously, no emotion in his voice.

Gulping, I take several steps back. "N-no, I think I'll pass on that one."

"Children should be seen and not heard, nya," Dark Sakura purrs, throwing a dark cloud at us. As soon as it touches me, it feels like my mouth's been glued shut. I want to panic, but refuse to give her that satisfaction.

"Using magic is cheating!" a voice I don't recognize shouts, then gasps. "I-I can talk? I-I can talk!" it says, surprised at first, then gleeful. "I guess your spell had an opposite effect on me, Kitty-Bozo." Eyes widened to probably twice their normal size, I whip around and stare at Bandana.