Chapter Text
Breathing hurt.
Kirby laid in the dark, every inhale scraping painfully in his throat like sandpaper. His Warpstar was by his side, its gentle golden glow warm against his paw where it rested.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been here. It was so dark where he was, he didn't know if it was day or night. He tried to remember where he was or what happened but his thoughts felt like static, incomprehensible in shape and buzzing like an angry hive of bees in his head.
He was so tired.
A hand, warm and gentle, shook him from his daze.
“Kirby?” A soft, familiar voice called for him from beyond the static, miles away. “Can you stay awake for me?”
This had been happening for a while. He'd begin to doze off, only to be disturbed by someone shaking him or calling his name. He'd lost count how many times this had happened. He didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to sleep. Sleep would be quiet… and quiet would be a mercy from the pain he was in.
“Kirby, wake up…”
A whimper of protest was all he could muster in response. He blinked, eyes sore and dry as he tried to make out any shape in the dark. A vague shape was by his side, holding his paw with careful, trembling hands. He thought it was Fumu, but he wasn't sure. She had been here earlier. Hadn't she?
“Do you remember Galacta?” The voice he assumed was Fumu asked, desperate. “He's coming to help you feel better. He'll be here soon… Just stay awake a little longer, okay?”
Kirby didn't know why he had to be awake for that. He didn't need Galacta's help. He just needed to sleep so the buzzing would stop. A dull ache lingered across his back, something soft tickling his skin unpleasantly as he shivered. Again he tried to close his eyes, feeling like a cloud lazily drifting away…
“Kirby, open your eyes…”
There it was again. He tried to do what was asked of him, but couldn't keep his eyes open for very long. His eyelids felt as though they were made of lead, too heavy to move. What was wrong with at least keeping them shut, anyway? The buzzing in Kirby’s head intensified for a moment, making him flinch, before it gradually dulled. He drifted again.
“Please…”
A warm breeze brushed past him and he took in a long, steady breath. The aching in his throat gradually subsided as the sweet scent of cherry blossoms wafted around him.
“Don't worry, my little star,” a soothing voice breathed beside him.
Kirby slowly opened his eyes again to see the vague shape of his mother sitting next to him in the dark. Her presence, known only by her vague shape and softly glowing azure eyes, brought him an immediate comfort and he shuffled closer to her.
“I'm here,” Stella whispered, her paw caressing the top of his head gently. “You're tired, aren't you…?”
“Tired…” Kirby whispered, his eyes fluttering shut under his mother's soft touch. “Very… tired…”
“Kirby?” Fumu's voice was behind him. “I know you're tired, but… please stay awake for me…”
The pain returned. Kirby's breath caught in his throat and he let out a harsh, wet cough. The air around him abruptly felt cold and suffocating again as he shuddered.
“Easy, easy…” Fumu's comforting words barely reached him. Her hands were too warm against his paws and he feebly pushed them back with a protesting wheeze. “Kirby, it's alright…”
It wasn't. Nothing felt alright anymore.
Kirby found his gaze slowly moving away from Fumu, to another shape in the dark. A familiar silhouette stood nearby, cape drawn and amber eyes staring at him. Kirby couldn't look for long, a dull, bitter ache lingering in his chest. Meta Knight was here too, he had forgotten.
For such a long time he had waited for things to return to normal with his mentor. He had waited for conversations that didn't feel like running and slipping on ice… and for Meta Knight to stop looking at him like he was a stranger. He hated it. Even when Meta Knight was here now; that warm familiarity mixed with fear in his eyes, and Kirby couldn't help but hate that, too. Why did he wait for it to get bad to come back? Why did he leave in the first place?
“They love you very much.” Stella's soothing voice caressed him, the pain dulling at her touch. “But love can hurt sometimes.”
Kirby stared up at her blearily, letting out a slow, rattling exhale. It did hurt. Meta Knight was watching him now, when he was sick and barely able to stay awake. He didn't understand.
“Why…” Kirby whispered. “Why'd he leave…?”
For a moment Stella said nothing, continuing the comforting strokes of her paw on the top of his head as she stared ahead of her. “Because he was afraid,” she answered softly, looking back down at him.
Kirby lowered his gaze. Afraid?
“Yes.” Stella's voice almost sounded sad. “Sometimes, when we love someone very much, we're scared to lose them.”
The vague shapes around the room were blurring as Kirby's vision lost focus. “...But why… if he was afraid to lose me…?”
“Because fear can make us do foolish things.”
Kirby didn't like that answer. If anything it made him feel worse. He made Meta Knight afraid? How? Meta Knight wasn't supposed to be afraid… He was supposed to be brave, and strong, and always knowing what to do. This wasn't… was it because of his wings?
His gaze flicked up to meet his mentor's, the fear so blatant it made his stomach twist. The thought of his wings brought back vague memories of broken glass and scattered feathers, Meta Knight lifting him up and calling his name with that same fear, that same pain in his eyes. He scrunched his eyes shut, the bitter ache in his chest intensifying.
Meta Knight was here, now. He was paying attention, now. He cared about how much pain he was in, now. That should have made Kirby feel better, but it didn't. For months this was all he had wanted… but why now?
“You missed him,” the gentle voice of his mother whispered, “didn't you?”
He had. He really, really had.
“Kirby…” A gentle hand shook him. “Please wake up…”
The scent of cherry blossoms faded as Kirby slowly opened his eyes. Had he been asleep? He wasn't sure. His Warpstar flickered beside him, its light illuminating Fumu's face as she hovered over him. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were reddened. Had she been crying?
“O-oh Kirby…” Fumu's tightened expression loosened with relief, and she let in a shaky breath before pressing her forehead against his. It was warm.
Kirby wanted to reach and wipe Fumu's tears away as they fell and dribbled down the side of his head, but his paws remained at his sides, unmoving. He didn't want her to cry. Was she upset because he wasn't feeling good? Or was it because he fell asleep for a bit? He wanted to apologize for being so tired, for scaring her so much… but all he could do was lean into her embrace ever so slightly.
“It'll only be a little longer,” Meta Knight's weary voice came from somewhere. “You must stay awake, Kirby.”
“He's trying.” Fumu lifted her head to give Meta Knight a cold glare through her tears. The sharpness of her voice made Kirby lightly flinch.
He remembered Fumu being angry at Meta Knight earlier, too. She insisted it wasn't his fault, but he wasn't sure. Everyone was upset because he was sick, right? Is that why they were mad at each other? Because of him?
“They've been worried about you for a long time,” Stella's presence nearby made the pain lift ever so slightly. “They care about you very much… that's why they're hurting.”
Kirby's eyes fluttered shut again, his brow furrowing as his throat tightened. The stale air of the room around him made him nauseous. “Didn't… mean…” He hadn't meant to make Fumu cry or to scare Meta Knight. He didn't want them to be mad at each other. He hadn't wanted any of this.
“I know,” Stella continued her gentle, comforting strokes on the top of his head. “You've been trying very hard… Why don't you rest for a little while?”
Kirby shook his head, opening his eyes to look up at his mother. “Can't.”
Stella's paw stopped, and she tilted her head curiously. “Why not?”
“Need to… stay awake…” Kirby blinked hard as the room spun around him. Fumu wanted him to stay up and it seemed really important, even if he didn't want to. He could feel her trembling against him as she held him close. “Fumu's… scared.”
Stella's expression softened, eyes pooled with sadness as she nodded. “I know, dear… You don't like seeing her upset, do you?”
“No…” Guilt wormed around in his gut as he shivered. It was very cold. He wished he could hug Fumu for warmth and to comfort her, but his limbs were too heavy to move. “N-no, I don’t…”
“Kirby… it's okay,” Meta Knight's voice was nearby. “Help is coming. Just stay awake a little longer.”
The room spun again and Kirby squeezed his eyes shut with a groan. The cold pricked at him like millions of unseen needles. He didn't want help. He just wanted everyone to stop worrying. He just wanted to sleep. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take…
But he had to stay awake. Meta Knight wanted him to. Fumu needed him to.
“But do you?” Stella asked softly, the scent of cherry blossoms once again wafting around them as her paw rested on his cheek.
Kirby's eyes opened a little, his breath steadying as he looked up at his mother's eyes, blue points of light in the dark. “What…?” He breathed.
“Do you want to stay awake?”
Kirby frowned. Of course he did. Fumu had been trying to keep him awake all night. Meta Knight, too. It had to be important… didn't it?
“It is important to them, yes,” Stella quietly agreed, smiling softly down at him.
“Then…” Kirby tried to move again, but couldn't. His thoughts began to slip from his grasp. “I-I gotta…” His voice trailed off with the gentle breeze that brushed past him. “I…”
“You've been trying very hard.” Stella's voice draped over him like a warm blanket, easing his remnant shivers as her wings enveloped him in a gentle embrace.
Kirby felt his eyes flutter and his breathing deepen. The pain felt so, so far away under his mother's wings…
“I know,” Stella whispered. “I know you don't want Fumu to be afraid.”
Kirby slowly nodded. “Mhm…”
“And I know you don't want Meta Knight to worry.”
A twinge of apprehension flickered in his gut, but it vanished just as quickly. He gave another small nod.
“...Kirby…”
“I know you're tired. I know you want to rest.”
“...Kirby…”
Someone was calling for him from far away. At first Kirby ignored it, leaning closer to his mother. But it gradually rose in volume, making him furrow his brow in mild frustration.
“Kirby… Wake up…!”
Why? Why couldn't he sleep?
“Please…!”
Pain erupted through his whole being like electricity and his eyes flew open with a choked gasp. Almost immediately nausea assaulted his gut and he gagged, unable to cough as his throat seized.
“Quickly– turn him over,” Meta Knight's voice came from beside him, followed by familiar paws and hands grasping and moving him.
The room spun as Kirby was gently eased onto his belly. A bitter taste filled his mouth as he gagged again, something hot dribbling down from his lips. A painful shudder rippled through him from his wings to the tips of his paws and he weakly retched one last time before going limp, shallowly panting.
His Warpstar flickered erratically beside him, illuminating the horrified faces of Fumu and Meta Knight that spun in front of him. He blinked hard, trying to focus on them but finding himself unable to. He looked down at his paws. Something dark streaked down his skin and stained the blanket beneath him, a stark black against the soft light.
I… I don't… Kirby couldn't articulate his thoughts, in too much pain to focus. I can't…
Fumu said something to Meta Knight, but Kirby wasn't sure what. However, he knew she was terrified given the tone and volume. She reached for him, her hands trembling as she tried to shake him awake again. Meta Knight's eyes had shifted from their usual amber to a stark glowing white and he appeared to say something as well, just as indiscernible.
Kirby tried to open his mouth to speak, but all that came out was an uncomfortable bubbling in the back of his throat. He wasn't sure what he had wanted to say, anyway. What could he possibly say to make anything better?
Maybe it won't get better. The thought should have scared him, but it didn't.
The room steadily grew more and more distant. Fumu's and Meta Knight's voices overlapped and tangled together until they became little more than noise. Kirby couldn't make sense of any of it. All he could hear was the fear, the desperation and the pleading. Even now, after all he'd done to try and stay awake for them, it hadn't been enough. They were still so scared… because of him. Guilt washed over him in cold, rippling waves.
He wanted to believe Meta Knight and Fumu when they insisted Galacta could help him feel better, but now he wasn't sure if he could. He couldn't stay awake and wait with them anymore, either. Surely sleeping until he came would be alright…? He blinked once, then again before he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.
Maybe it won't get better. He tried to push that stubborn little thought away, but he was too tired.
Fumu was still there, and so was Meta Knight. Despite that, Kirby had never felt so far away from them. The feeling was as cold and hollow as an abyss.
It won't get better, will it?
The shaking finally stopped. The voices stopped too, fading away until nothing was left but quiet. Kirby waited for the peace to be broken by another shake, another desperate plea, but nothing happened.
The silence was strange at first… and then it was wonderful. He was finally allowed to sleep at last. The cold and pain were gone, and he was able to breathe fully without obstruction. He remained in his lying position, comforted by the soft, pillowy nothing that surrounded him.
A gentle breeze carrying the familiar scent of cherry blossoms wafted in the air, and Kirby felt the warm wings of his mother envelop him in a loving embrace.
“I'm glad you're here,” Stella murmured, voice warm. “Do you feel better now?”
Kirby nodded, leaning into the embrace with an affectionate nuzzle. However the purr rising in his throat faltered as guilt settled in his gut. It was small, but cold.
“They…” Kirby started, surprised at how clear his voice sounded compared to how it was before. “Did they stop?”
Stella shook her head, a despondent look in her eyes. “Not yet, dear. You're asleep, but they're still there with you.”
“...Oh.” Kirby frowned, looking down at his paws as they nervously kneaded the invisible ground. He imagined Fumu was still crying, Meta Knight still panicking, both of them still mad at each other… it made his heart ache.
“They love you very much,” Stella assured him softly.
“I-I know, but…” Kirby went still as his voice trailed off. If he was asleep, he didn't want them to continue worrying. “But they're tired, too.”
Stella's expression softened. “They are tired, yes.”
Kirby lowered his gaze, guilt worming around him. Fumu and Meta Knight stayed with him all night. They had tried again and again to pull him back when he drifted off. Every time he opened his eyes they were there.
He remembered times when they were there more often. When he was small, before he learned how to talk. When Fumu was a kid like him. He remembered her reading books to him, playing with him, and always being easy to reach.
Then she got older, and he stayed the same. It hadn't seemed important at first; but somewhere along the way, it had become impossible to keep up. Things became busier. There were more responsibilities for her, more classes to teach. More days where she had to tell him she was too busy to play. Then even more where she was nowhere to be found, her mother Memu telling him she was off somewhere.
She was here now. Why didn't that feel like enough?
Meta Knight had been Kirby's shadow as long as he could remember. He seemed to always know when Kirby needed help, appearing beside him when he needed him. Advice came in strange riddles and harsh lessons, but the care had always been there.
Then everything changed. Soon after his Unfolding, that care had become harder to find. Conversations shorter and training harsher. There were more times Meta Knight felt far away even when he was standing beside him… like right now. His mentor was the closest he'd been in so long, yet Kirby had never felt so far apart from him.
He was here now, too. Why did that hurt so much?
The tears came quietly. Kirby felt his throat tightening as he took in a breath, making him hiccup lightly. He tried to wipe the tears away with his paws, only for more to quickly replace them. He felt like he was staring out into a void, so cold and empty and alone. He didn't understand why it still felt this way. Fumu and Meta Knight were there. They loved him, he knew they did. So why did it still feel like something was still keeping them away? Something vast that he couldn't understand no matter how hard he tried?
The more he thought about who were supposed to be his closest friends, how tired they were– how tired he was– the heavier the tears fell. All he could do was cover his eyes with his paws, unable to stop himself from letting out small hiccups between his quiet sobs.
“Oh, my little star…” His mother's voice was as gentle as her wings, the warm feathers blanketing him in their embrace. “It's okay…”
Kirby couldn't respond aside from a feeble whimper, burying his face against Stella's side. Shame rippled through him as even more tears fell. It didn't feel okay. Nothing did.
Stella held him close, not saying more. She simply held him with no expectations or criticism, only warmth and love.
“I-I'm sorry,” Kirby choked out, squeezing his eyes shut. “I'm sorry, I-I…”
“For what, dear…?”
Kirby tried to open his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He didn't know. Was he sorry for crying? For being sick? For not getting better? For making everyone worry? For hurting everyone?
For all of it…?
“I'm… sorry…” He weakly repeated, unsure how else to answer. “I-I don't… I don't know what to do a-anymore…”
Stella's embrace tightened ever so slightly, and she let out a small sigh. “Sometimes… there isn't anything you can do.”
For once, that kind of answer didn't frustrate him. After a long moment he slowly nodded, letting the last of his sobs shudder through him before going still. The tears gradually slowed, and he was too exhausted to wipe the last of them away as he lifted himself from his mother's embrace. He stared down at the ground for a while, too ashamed to meet her eyes.
“I wish…” Kirby eventually looked up, seeing a few faint stars twinkling above him. A warm breeze carrying the scent of cherry blossoms brushed past, the soft grass at his paws tickling his sides. “I wish everyone would rest for a little while…”
For a moment Stella didn't respond, looking up at the sky with him, but then she gave Kirby a warm smile. “Including you, I hope?”
Kirby found himself hesitating. Staying awake had been very, very important to Fumu and Meta Knight. He didn't want to disappoint them by resting. He thought about the cold and the pain of being awake… Fumu's hot tears against his skin, her desperate pleading ringing his ears… He couldn't bear to listen and feel that again. He didn't want to go back, at least not for a while, until he could handle the pain again. If he ever could.
Perhaps, just this once, he would do what he wanted. He would rest, and hope everyone else would, too. He swallowed back the guilt of his choice, apprehensively shuffling his feet against the grass.
“I know it hurts,” Stella assured him, “and I know you love them very much, but… Maybe they'll understand you need to rest just as much as they do. That's very kind, to wish them rest, too.”
“Yeah…” Kirby leaned against his mother with a soft, fatigued hum. “Maybe I'll sleep… Just for a little while.” He closed his eyes, listening to the gentle whisper of the wind through the grass. For a while that's all he did, relieved to be able to rest at last.
“You know…” Stella gave Kirby a gentle nudge after some time, prompting him to open his eyes. “Your cherry tree has gotten bigger.”
“Really?” Kirby looked up at his mother with wide eyes.
“Yes,” Stella chuckled warmly. “It's wonderful.”
Kirby kneaded the grass in anticipation. For the first time in what felt like a long time, something other than pain and exhaustion stirred within him. Curiosity and wonder. “Can we go see it?” He asked eagerly.
“Of course, dear.” Stella rose first, offering Kirby her extended paw with a loving smile.
Kirby took it without hesitation, and together they began their trek through the sea of pillowy soft grass. Somewhere far ahead, the branches of the cherry tree stretched across the sky, with countless silver blossoms sparkling with the starlight. It was as though the branches had reached and touched the stars themselves.
It was much bigger than he remembered, and it was beautiful.
Galacta couldn't explain it to himself just yet, but something in the air had changed. He had been flying through the night for several hours now, the world around him a blur as he sped through the sky. The ocean rippled below him, the waters warm and calm in contrast to the cold starlight above. The moon was but a thin crescent, lying lazily at the horizon yet refusing to set.
Dawn was approaching, or at least Galacta knew it should have been by now. However the skies remained stubbornly dark, not even a hint of light in the horizon.
Something was wrong.
He knew from the moment he disconnected his communication with Meta Knight earlier in the evening that he should have stayed in Dreamland. Kirby had become compromised. This was a circumstance he had desperately wanted to avoid. Meta Knight had not heeded his warnings.
Idiot.
Galacta bit back the frustrated growl rumbling in his throat. He knew it wasn't entirely Meta Knight's fault. Dark Matter had laid out the perfect distraction to lead him away, and like a fool he had taken it. He had hunted Dark Matter for centuries and should have known all of its tricks, yet he had allowed it to lead him away from the very place he was needed most. He knew he had made a grave lapse in judgement the moment the skies cleared.
Dark Matter had played him. That left a bitter taste in his mouth. He beat his wings harder, pushing himself to move faster.
Void Born and Dark Matter were meant to be fundamentally incompatible. Change and stagnation, motion and stillness… becoming and ending. For one to desire the other, it went against their very nature.
Dark Matter thrived on isolation, fear and shame… Galacta knew that better than most. Yet none of those things alone were enough. For Kirby to have caved under Dark Matter's pressure, he had to have desired that stagnation. He would have wanted to fit into a mold that his shape could not maintain.
Kirby had drowned in all of these feelings. Under what was supposed to be the watchful eyes of Meta Knight, he had stopped believing things could change. He never should have been allowed to reach this point. A child.
Galacta felt his stomach twist, rage simmering just under the surface. Meta Knight should have known better. He knew exactly what Dark Matter was capable of… they both did. They had both paid dearly to learn. Apparently Meta Knight hadn't learned a damned thing… and neither had he.
Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Something small fluttered towards him, carried by the ocean breeze. He slowed his momentum a bit, lifted a paw and caught it. He let himself stop for just a moment to open his paw and look.
A cherry blossom petal. It sparkled silver, its usual pink color gone under the starlight.
Strange. He wouldn't reach land for several more miles.
There were more. Dozens of petals drifted across the open ocean, dancing lazily in the air as though they had fallen from a nearby tree. A tree that did not exist.
For a moment Galacta hovered in place, observing the petals with brows raised. Bewilderment quickly turned to unease as the scent of cherry blossoms overtook the salty ocean air.
An unexpected squall blew past, making him nearly lose balance as he shifted his wings to correct himself. The petals careened past him, to the south. The same direction he was going.
Dreamland.
Without any more hesitation, Galacta released the petal in his paw, watching it quickly vanish among the others. He tilted his wings and surged forward, following the steadily-increasing wind towards his destination.
Galacta had seen what Dark Matter was capable of with a strong host. Once, he had set out on a mission to a planet whose forests stretched from horizon to horizon and coast to coast, a magnificent sight to behold. Their king had fallen victim to Dark Matter's whims. By the time he had arrived, the trees stood black and hollowed, their roots digging through barren dust where no life would be found ever again.
Kirby was far more powerful than that king had ever been.
Galacta was no longer sure what awaited him. He had spent the night preparing himself for the worst; Kirby succumbed to Dark Matter's hold, leaving destruction in his wake, Dreamland under siege as the corruption forcibly spread… However, the perpetual night and the silver petals dancing in the wind around him felt more like a strange dream than anything else.
Dawn still had not come in the time it took for the shores of Dreamland to come into view along the horizon. If anything the dark of night had only deepened, the stars being snuffed out one by one by a thick blanket of clouds that steadily approached. The gale had harshened substantially in the miles traveled, the ocean's waves showing their agitation as they restlessly swayed back and forth. A storm was coming.
Wings sore from the exertion, Galacta did not slow as he quickly approached Castle Dedede. Fatigue burned through him with every wingbeat, but he paid it little mind. He had pushed himself past the brink of exhaustion before, but regret was something far more difficult to withstand.
When Galacta finally allowed himself to land, he expected chaos. However he very quickly noticed how still and quiet it was, the only movement being the blossom petals drifting in the air. Much like everywhere else in his recent travels, the typical ambiance of insects and other creatures both outside and in were entirely absent, leaving behind a cold, eerie silence. There was no activity noticed in the castle. In the time he spent within these walls, he knew the Waddle Dees should have been up and about by now, getting ready for their usual dawn patrols and routines.
As he entered the castle, something odd caught his attention. The small group of Waddle Dees– five, he quickly counted– meant to guard the entrance were sitting on the floor, leaning against either the walls or one another, unconscious. Their spears were on the ground around them, as though they had haphazardly dropped them and collapsed right then and there.
Galacta stared at them, brow furrowed. He did not approach at first, scanning the area for any movement. It was possible this was a trap meant to lower his guard. He slowly unsheathed his lance with one paw and his shield with the other, his sharp gaze flicking back and forth, waiting for something to jump out at him. Aside from the flickering torch light wavering the shadows of himself and the sleeping guards, there was no movement anywhere.
After giving the corridor one last apprehensive glance, he slowly approached one of the guards, noticing with a brief twinge of relief they were still breathing. He reached his lance forward and lightly nudged the side of the weapon against them. There was no response. He tried again, more firmly this time. Still nothing. They appeared to be in a very deep slumber, not waking from any stimulation.
This didn't answer any of the rapidly growing pile of questions in Galacta's mind. In his experience Dark Matter thrived on the fear chaos brought with it. He had expected something akin to the first incident in this castle with King Dedede, with Dark Matter possessing the Waddle Dees and wreaking havoc in their wake. With Kirby being the one compromised, a fellow Void Born, surely the sheer power he held would have caused mass hysteria by now, not… whatever this was.
This isn't right.
Narrowing his eyes, Galacta scanned the area one more time before quickly making his way down the corridor that would lead to Meta Knight's quarters. He turned corners carefully, keeping his lance and shield at the ready.
More Waddle Dees were spotted sprinkled through the dimly lit halls. All of them appeared to be asleep as well, having dropped whatever they were doing. One had dropped a tray of food, another their stack of towels, faces serene and peaceful as they slept.
None of them appeared to have sought out places specifically to sleep, but instead stopped whatever they were doing, dropped whatever they were holding, and collapsed. None of them seemed to be deceased or in pain, as they were all breathing deeply and smoothly. It was as though all of them had collectively decided at the same time to fall asleep.
What is going on?
Galacta felt the feathers along his wings slowly raise up and bristle as he continued his unsettling trek through the halls. He spotted the captain of the Waddle Dees– he recognized their signature blue bandana wrapped around their head– also sound asleep in front of who he assumed were the dawn patrols that had planned to be set out.
This hadn't been at all what he expected to find when he arrived here.
As Galacta rounded the corner, the already dim castle halls quickly shifted to a deep darkness. All of the torches in this corridor were unlit. Meta Knight had followed his advice to keep it dark.
Good, Galacta thought. Fool at least listened to that much.
But as Galacta approached Meta Knight's quarters, he wasn't so sure those efforts had been enough. Sword and Blade, Meta Knight's squires, were sitting at either side of the door, leaned against the wall with heads drooping. Galacta couldn't see from the armor covering their faces, but he could hear both of them breathing deeply. They, too, were asleep.
Apprehension quickly shifted into alarm. Sword and Blade were intensely disciplined individuals. For both of them to have fallen asleep despite these urgent circumstances… it could not have been voluntary. Galacta did not bother trying to wake them, moving past and pushing the door open.
It was the same silent darkness inside Meta Knight's quarters as the halls outside. Galacta quickly scanned his surroundings, having entered this space for the first time. From what he could see in the dark, it was meticulously clean and organized. The windows had all been covered by curtains, blocking as much light as possible.
A dull, flickering light quickly caught Galacta's attention. It was coming from the next room, which he presumed was where Kirby was being held. He crossed the room in a couple quick strides and entered through the doorway.
The sight he was met with brought him to an abrupt halt.
Galacta recognized the familiar shape of Meta Knight, collapsed on the floor near the foot of the bed. Fumu, Kirby's friend whom he had briefly met was there as well, slumped forward from the chair she had been sitting in, her arms and head resting on the mattress. Between her hands, Kirby's Warpstar rested. Its golden light reduced to a faint flicker that weakly lit Fumu's hands and face. Both of them were in a deep slumber as well. It didn't appear that there was any struggle.
The blanket on the bed was lightly crumpled, several dark stains smeared across its surface. The Warpstar's weak glow illuminated silver petals resting on the sheets.
A cold knot of dread twisted in Galacta's stomach.
The bed was empty.
Kirby was gone.