"Poyo!" Kirby huffed, almost dropping his sword.
He was in a bad mood, for he had spent two hours doing training with his mentor, Meta Knight. He disliked doing the training, because it was vigorous and physically draining, but also because it started at 5 in the morning. Before Meta Knight rescheduled his training to five o'clock, Kirby liked to sleep in until ten and dream about his favourite foods, such as strawberry shortcake and watermelons. His teacher made the training sessions longer and harder after Nightmare was defeated and gone for good (Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland is when Nightmare returned and tried to take revenge) You may think it was a huge triumph and that Meta Knight would finally relax for once in his life, but no. He just had a feeling that something was coming.
"You'll get used to it in time." Meta Knight consoled Kirby, who had just about enough. Kirby's teacher was an enigmatic knight who never showed his face to anyone. Bright yellow eyes glowed from his mask, the metal reflecting the sun in crisp morning air. His violet metal sabatons dug into the sand as he tapped his foot on the ground and a indigo cape billowed in the early morning breeze.
"Poyo know, Medi Kni." Kirby replied. His vocab was limited, but understandable to an extent. "I'm Hungwy!"
"You ate half an hour ago." Meta Knight sighed, placing his gloved hand over the V shaped part of his mask that allowed him to see, but even the most cold-hearted of warriors know when their student had enough. "Fine, Kirby. You can get a snack."
"Thanks, poyo!" Kirby smiled and ran off, leaving the equipment on the floor: a sword and some small training posts. Meta Knight picked them up and stored them in his cape. His cape was not an ordinary cape. It was named the 'Dimensional Cape' as it holds the entrance to another dimension. The dimension is just space, typically used for storing things, but also has other uses that Meta Knight knew. He wrapped his cloak tightly around himself and vanished into thin air. The warrior teleported to his room to grab a book. He nabbed it and teleported back.
He rested against a tree and began reading. He had read the novel a couple times before, as it was a present from an old army friend who he didn't contact much anymore. The book was about other realms that supposedly exist outside of their Gamble Galaxy. He wiped the dust off the cover and turned the page. On the inside of the cover it said in messy, cursive handwriting:
"Merry Christmas, Meta! You were the MVP of the war. We defeated Nightmare though, so all is good! It's a time to celebrate! Regards, Sir Falspar"
He sighed as the memories from that Christmas came back. The laughing, the drinking, the pathetic Christmas crackers which held little prizes, Sir Nonsurat and Sir Dragato getting a few too many cocktails and trying to win Galacta Knight's love, who was laughing herself silly from their drunken attempts...
~~~~~Flashback To the night he got the book~~~~~
"I think we should get along to the presents." Sir Arthur announced gruffly, eyeing Sir Nonsurat and Sir Dragato from across the room. "Before some of us get too drunk to even see or walk straight."
"Ah, shuddup, Arthur! Nightmare's gone!" Nonsurat laughed, his mask up and was sipping a cocktail from a straw. Galacta Knight and some of the others watched in amazement as he finished his tenth shot. Galacta stuck with her non-alcoholic drink.
"It's a good cause for celebration!" Dragato added, running his fingers through his red ponytail. "There's a few of us left, and I feel like patting myself on the back for surviving."
Galacta Knight snickered in the corner. Her feathered wings stretched out from behind her. The Christmas Party was wild. Meta Knight was trying to stop Kirby from drinking alcohol. Falspar was talking a drunk Nonsuat out of chugging a dangerously large cocktail.
"Heyyy... G-K!" A voice made Galacta Knight jump. Her eyes darted to Arthur, handing out presents like he was Santa, then to Dragato, who was looking right at her. Dragato stumbled to Galacta Knight in his half-drunk state.
"GK... Galacta Knightttt!" He slurred, smiling. "Where I come from... they didn't think angels came dowwwn to themmm. Now I knowwww angels are real... I'm looking right at one!"
Galacta Knight snorted, lifting her mask a bit to put a straw to her mouth. She stopped when her paper straw made the sucking noises.
"Dragato, you're way outta you're league here, mate." Galacta Knight replied, holding back a laugh. Every year, he tries to persuade her to date him. "I'm not even an angel."
Nonsurat stumbled to Galacta Knight too. He dropped to one knee and took Galacta's hand. Every year, Nonsurat tries too, and ends up fighting Dragato over it. It made her laugh every time, as it was certainly funny to watch.
"You'll be happier with me than with Dragato." Nonsurat claimed, stars in his eyes.
"What did you say?!" Dragato yelled, obviously offended by his friend's remark.
"I SAID that Galacta'll be happier with me than with you!"
"Yeah, right! I challenge you to a duel! Winner gets the lady!"
As the two drunks began to clumsily swordfight, Galacta Knight slipped away. Meta Knight opened his present; a novel about the worlds' mysteries and what else could be out there. It was from the now crazy Nonsurat who was trying to fight Dragato, but both of them had too many drinks and now were trying to slice large watermelons instead of each other.
"Meta Knight, can you break up the fight?" Galacta Knight asked. Meta Knight's eyes turned pink.
"Dragato and Nonsurat are always fighting, whether they're drunk or not." Meta Knight walked to the two, who receded back to throwing insults at each other.
"You look like Nightmare-spawn!"
"You ARE Nightmare-spawn! You look like you came right from Nightmare's-"
"Dragato! Nonsurat! Break it up. You are disgracing yourselves in front of everyone else. Galacta Knight does not want to date either of you."
"What did you say?"
"I think... He said that he thinks HE has a better chance of gettin' the lady!"
Dragato and Nonsurat aimed their weapons (Nonsurat's axe and Dragato's sword) at Meta Knight. Meta Knight disarmed them both within minutes.
"You probably shouldn't have any more drinks." Meta Knight said sternly, sheathing his sword, Galaxia. He saw Kirby, who was about to drink the remains of one of Nonsurat's cocktails.
"Kirby, you can't drink that! That is a drink for the adults. That drink is for the strong people." Galacta Knight and Meta Knight screeched. Kirby put the glass behind his back and looked at Nonsurat and Dragato, who were now having more drinks together. He pulled out a Christmas Cracker in order to distract them from the glass.
"w'na pway?" Kirby squeaked, voice high and young. Galacta Knight grabbed the other end and they both pulled in a childish manner, causing a loud band and a prize to pop out. Kirby picked up the balloon that came out of the cracker and blew it up. He floated to the top of the room.
"Ummm..." Kirby looked down and saw everything laid out before him. He squirmed over to Dragato and let the balloon go. He fell onto Dragato, who spat out his drink in surprise, and bounced onto the floor. Kirby got up and brushed himself off after doing what he'd call a prank. He and the other Star Warriors laughed themselves silly after seeing Nonsurat covered in the drink Dragato spit, looking mightily angry.
While Nonsurat and Dragato were fighting again, Sir Arthur and Sir Falspar were talking about the army. Sir Arthur drank a gin and tonic while Sir Falspar drank a mocktail (Made by Galacta Knight. She was the one making mocktails, and the others had to put together their own cocktails).
"I gave Meta a book, Galacta another book and a guitar, Non and Dragster bows and arrows, and I gave you, this." Falspar handed a large rounded package that he grabbed. Arthur unwrapped it to reveal a golden shield, the same colour as his armor.
"Woah! Thanks, Falspar!" Sir Arthur gasped before laughing heartily. "This gathering worked out nicely. I think it's the best one yet!"
"You say that every year, Arthur."
"Nonsurat and Dragato get drunk every year, and here we are."
"Can I get you a drink too?"
Meanwhile, Meta Knight was sneaking gumballs into his mouth. The satisfying sweetness and the crunchy turning to chewy calmed him. Galacta Knight walked by him as he shoved a bright red gumball into his mouth. Galacta was trying to stop herself from laughing.
"Hey, Meta Knight. How are you?" Galacta Knight said. "Non and Dragster are always fighting over me this time of year. It's HILARIOUS! Like, how can they go from fighting each other, to fighting you, to cutting pineapples to fighting each other and then getting the other one drinks?! Anyways, I wanted to give this to you."
She handed Meta Knight a medium sized gift, wrapped up in a bow. It was purple and blue, just like him. With green eyes, asking himself what it could be, he pulled the string and found a cardboard box. He set the box on a table and opened it. A cake that said, "Merry Christmas!" in flowing golden writing came from the cake. The cake had yellow icing. A chocolatey smell wafted from the cake, making their mouths water.
"Merry Christmas, Meta Knight." Galacta Knight lifted her mask and gave him a peck on the side of his mask. After a few seconds of silence, her face went red, and she hastily put the mask back on and ran off.
"So Galacta Kniiiight DOESSSS fancyyy Metaaa Kniiight!" A now very drunk sir Nonsurat whispered to his comrad.
"He'sssss steaaaaling ourrrr girrrrl!" Dragato added. They snuck up on Meta, who was now cutting his cake with his sword and a fork (and doing a shockingly good job at it), and slammed the flat side of their weapons on his head. To him, he suddenly got a splitting headache, and everything went black.
~End of Flashback~
***
Kirby raced through Vegetable Valley, looking for something to eat. He pondered what King Dedede would think if he snuck into his castle uninvited to steal a couple of watermelons from its kitchen. Surely, he could spare at least one for poor, starving Kirby? As the small pink puffball was wandering down the path, he couldn't help but feel something was stalking him.
"Poyo, any-bady there?" Kirby called out, but there was no reply. He was in the fields of Vegetable Valley, where carrots, cauliflowers and other vegetables grew right out of the ground, when he spotted a Maxim Tomato. Weird for a fruit to be in amongst vegetables, but whatever. Kirby tried to pounce on the tomato, but it moved. As if it was on a string, it slid towards the Whispy Woods. Kirby chased after it until he was near the heart of the woods, where Whispy, the guardian of the forest, dwelled. Kirby had enough of chasing the tomato and inhaled it. It seems that it was on a string after all, because inside Kirby's mouth was a sharp hook. The tomato had disappeared down his throat, unhinging from the piece of metal.
"Ha ha, you walked all this way for a tomato?!" A voice came from behind one of the trees. Kirby jumped in surprise and walked towards the voice. A small round pink creature like Kirby sat against a tree. It had large shoes on and a floppy, spotty jesters' hat. It between its shoes (Which looked like a mixture of clown shoes and formal shoes) was a fishing rod, and the string was still trailing into Kirby's mouth. Its large bug-like eyes spotted Kirby.
"Kirby! We need to talk." The creature hissed. This creature was named Marx, and has had a history of being crazy, deadly and a bit psychotic. Kirby nodded warily, knowing that this thing could grow wings and go on a killing spree.
"It's me, Marx. I don't care if you're a silly pink puffball with nubby hands. Right now, I'm not minding that I tried to kill you some time ago. There's something out there. Usually I'm the one who's trying to kill everyone, but never mind. This thing thinks it has the audacity to attack me! I've been hiding here, setting it a trap and- Oh no..." Marx's eyes widened, and he let go of the fishing rod. Kirby followed his stare to see something.
"W-wha's that?!" Kirby squealed. Two glowing eyes stared from the forest. Marx beckoned for Kirby to follow him, and began to bounce off, back towards Vegetable Valley. A padding noise (Like a bear running) was behind them. The two got out of the forest, and sighed.
"I think we outran it." Marx sighed in relief. "Lucky, it could've gotten to-" Suddenly, a roar came from the woods. It freaked the jester out so much he fell off his bouncy ball.
"P'yu gotta go!" Kirby squeaked, helping Marx back up. "Ma'x!"
"My name isn't Max!" Marx grumbled, refusing Kirby's helping hand and jumping back on his ball and rolling around on it. "Plus, I'm still out for you! The next time I see your face, get ready for a FIGHT!"
"Poyo! You're weird. Good or bad?" Kirby muttered, his mind wandering off, almost forgetting the danger if it wasn't for the rustling of leaves coming from the Woods.
Marx nodded with a mean expression and began to bounce off in a random direction. Kirby mimicked the nod (more cheerfully though) and sprinted away as fast as he could. He looked back at the funny little jester, who had now suddenly sprouted golden wings, trying to attack the thing furiously, and Kirby saw him get thrown into a glowing tear in the air. It was as if it was a tear in space itself. Next to it was a beast, three Kirby's height. Kirby's mouth trembled, on the verge of tears. All he wanted was some food. He shouldn't have left his training, He should've stayed with Meta Knight... Hang on, that's it! He could get to Meta Knight! His teacher could help him!
"Not good enough. I sense it's been defeated by someone stronger." The monster murmured to itself telepathically. "Three puffballs roam Dreamland... They are the strongest."
What was creepy was that Kirby heard it, the sound came from the direction of the creature, but it didn't move it's mouth or jaws. The creature looked at Kirby.
"Looks promising. Will check later." The demon scratched a hole in space and jumped through it. Kirby shivered, and raced off to tell Meta Knight.
**********
Galacta Knight was best friends with Meta Knight. It was said that long ago, before Galacta Knight was encased in a crystal for her power. They had been friends on the battlefield and worked together to try and stop Nightmare. It was said that it that five hundred years ago, at the start of the Second War of Nightmare, it was Nightmare that had sealed her away, for fear that she would slay him, and be the strongest in the Galaxy. After Kirby defeated Nightmare again by using the sacred Star Rod, it released her from the crystal prison. After she stretched her wings and took flight from Nightmare's decimated lair to the Orange Ocean, which was where Meta Knight was training Kirby. The flight took almost a whole week and she had just finished the trip.
"Meta Knight? Meta Knight!!" Galacta Knight cried out towards a blue puffball who was sitting on the beach of the Orange Ocean, listening to the waves and reading his book. One upside of Kirby and Meta doing training early in the morning or late afternoon was looking at how the sun tints the ocean a brilliant orange. It was one of many defining features of Dreamland, apart from having all the places to go named after various foods that were present there.
Galacta Knight angled her wings so she would go into a steep dive. She had her arms outstretched, ready to tackle Meta Knight in a hug because it had been five centuries since she saw Meta Knight, back when the second war of Nightmare began. Unfortunately, she measured and timed her dive wrong and soared right over the top of her friend, who had noticed her by now, and crash landed in the sand, flipping over many times before landing on her face.
"Oww..." She grumbled, getting up and brushing herself off. She took off her mask and wiped the sand from inside. "Now I have sand in my mask... I knew I would be a bit rusty flying, after so many years..."
"L-lady Galacta Knight?" Meta Knight stuttered in disbelief, putting his book inside the Dimensional Cape and wrapping himself tighter in it. "Is that you?"
"Yeah!" Galacta Knight ran towards Meta Knight and engulfing him in the tightest hug he had ever received. He stiffened because he absolutely hated physical contact, especially when it was in a loving way. Galacta Knight noticed and stopped. Meta Knight's eyes turned a shade of lavender.
"Never had I thought I would see you again." Meta Knight brought himself to say, looking at the ocean, which was still a shade of magnificent orange.
"I've missed you, for like 200 years or something." Galacta Knight replied.
"More like 500."
"Nah, it was 800 for sure."
"Never mind. Anyway, I was just doing some training with Kirby-"
"Oh, KIRBY! I haven't seen him in so long! How's he going?"
"He defeated Nightmare again just recently. The first war felt long but... having to wait 500 years to see you again was... Terrible" Meta Knight murmured, his eyes turning a shade of saddening grey. He was only open with his thoughts and wonders to Galacta Knight, who had been his friend for thousands of years. Galacta Knight nodded, clipping her mask back onto her horns.
"You think that peace might ever be in the Gamble Galaxy?" Galacta Knight whispered after some silence, arm wrapped around Meta. He didn't answer, but he didn't want to answer.
"Do you ever think that another adventure might just be around the corner?"
"Yes, I think one may be able to start right now,"
Galacta Knight jumped at the voice. It was unlike any voice she had ever heard.
"Meta, did you say that?"
"No. did you say that?"
"Something is off around here." Galacta Knight summoned (Using concentrated, ethereal magic) her lance and her shield. Meta Knight drew Galaxia, ready to attack. They looked to each side, then at each other.
"Ooh, worried, are we? Don't be. I'm right here." The voice came from behind them.
Meta Knight swung around to parry an attack from three massive ice-blue talons. A large beast, about height of him. The beast jumped back and stood up onto its' hind legs. It now towered over Meta Knight and Galacta Knight, now definitely twice the height. Meta Knight held out his sword in a threatening manner.
"Are you a demon beast from Nightmare?" Galacta Knight snarled, flaring her wings in a funny effort to make herself look more intimidating. The monster put out its hand, as if signalling to stop. Suddenly, a coral coloured circle came from the monster, outlining Galacta Knight. Then, like a lasso, it slammed Galacta Knight onto the ground, then flung her 180 degrees to the ground again. It seemed to be that the coral colour was psychic power or magic of some sort. Meta Knight timed his stab so it would hit the wide, furry paw of the beast. It lost its grip on Galacta, who got back up, but groaning.
"Who does this thing think it is?" She mumbled before jumping into the air. A beam of lightning came from the tip her lance, and she aimed it at the beast. It yowled as it was electrocuted, but it didn't do heavy damage. It encased Meta Knight in the coral glow. Using the psychic power, it crushed him. The anthropomorphic wolf-thing held out its paw, and clenched it into a fist, which seemed to cause Meta more pain. He clenched his fists, trying not to show any reaction to the invisible force that was forcing him into the sand. His large feet were slowly sinking into the sand under the weight of the force. Galacta Knight aimed a slash at the beast's shoulder blade but was stopped by psychic force. It brought the warriors side by side. It looked closely at them, examining them.
"You both are the strongest. I sense it. I will have some fun with you." It growled telepathically, grinning a smile that showed sharp, canine teeth. Meta Knight tried to squirm his way out of the grip, but it was no use. The force froze his limbs, rendering him practically useless. Just as the demon squeezed its hands together to crush them, a small pink puffball rammed into the wolf at incredible speeds. It made the wolf go tumbling sideways, using all four of its limbs and long claws to halt the skidding. Galacta Knight and Meta Knight were released.
"Kirby! Thank goodness..." Meta Knight sighed.
"Kirby's here!! Looks like that left-over demon thing won't be around for much longer." Galacta Knight laughed.
"Poyo! Bad de'um beas'. You hu't my fwiends." Kirby huffed in a menacing manner. He turned around and his eyes filled with wet tears. "Gala' Kni! Youw Awive?"
"You were the other strong being. Now that I've gotten you three here, time to put my plan into action." The beast laughed, the voice now sounding surprisingly feminine. Meta Knight tensed, while Galacta Knight listened to the voice.
"Kirby, fly up!" Meta Knight called suddenly. "Call on the Warp Star!" Kirby puffed himself up and took flight after calling the Star. The Warp Star flew from the woods and Kirby fell on it clumsily. As Meta Knight flared his wings and Galacta Knight took off, a bright hole appeared on the ground, hoping to swallow them up. As they flew up and out of danger, the wolf growled. It generated large, flat, pinkish discs using its magic and jumped on them towards the trio. It paused.
"Agility can always be a test," It said slyly. It spawned a wormhole like hole in space and began to quickly move it towards them. Kirby gently took a feather from Galacta Knight's angelic, lavender wings and inhaled it in mid-air. He transformed into Wing Kirby and could now fly better with the Warp Star with wings of his own. The three warriors split up, all trying to escape the hole which was coming after them. Kirby turned a tight corner, only to see the portal trying to engulf him. He shrieked and sped off. Outrunning a portal that was ever so slightly faster than you is stressful! Kirby was just a child, he was probably, in maturity, younger than you, the reader. Kirby was trying to throw it off course, but no matter how many turns he took, it was still on his tail. Meta Knight noticed this.
"Meta... don't do it. Don't even think ab- Meta... wait!" Galacta cried. Without thinking, just as Kirby was about to be consumed by the portal, the old blue warrior threw himself towards Kirby, practically knocking him out of the sky but instead of Kirby being engulfed, it was Meta Knight who fell through it and didn't come out the other end.
"META KNIGHT!!" Kirby and Galacta Knight shouted in shock. Galacta Knight flew to Kirby, who had regained his altitude.
"Are you alright?" The masked lady warrior asked worriedly.
"Yeah, poyo." Kirby replied. "Is Medi Kni okay?!"
"I don't know, but there's no time for idle talk! We gotta fly fast. I'll distract it, and you get away to the Ice Cream Islands, got it?" Galacta Knight ordered as they were flying around, trying not to be possibly killed by a magical portal thing.
"HEY! YOU THERE! OVER HEEEERE!!!!!" Galacta Knight shrieked the loudest she could and sent a sword beam at the wolf. The demon looked away from a fleeting Kirby and over to the knight just in time to dodge the beam. She had to dive down to stop the portal from making her vanish. Galacta made the horrifying mistake of flying too close to the demon, who swatted her like a fly, into the portal using one of its three long tails.
Kirby was flying towards the Ice-cream Islands. Maybe he could seek refuge near the Secret Sea, in an underwater cave or similar. Once he felt far enough away, he slowed down to a cruising speed, and even enjoying the long flight with his brightly coloured feathery wings he got from copying his mentor's friend's feather. During the trip, he worried for his friends. Where was Meta now? Was he going to live? Were his friends going to live? Did Galacta Knight succumb to the portal?
Kirby felt a whoosh behind him and cried out in surprise as he saw the brightly coloured portal chasing him, about to envelope him in a strange world. All of a sudden, the portal outputted a surge of speed, and swallowed Kirby up.
The beast brought the wormhole to it, it's prey now gone.
"I have found three worthy ones and hunt them down in this world." It hissed, and bounded into the portal too.
"A Whole New World for me to have fun with."