9 Chapter 9

The princess immediately dashed to the side, her pale hand reaching to grasp the handle of a weapon strapped to her back. As if I hadn't fought opponents with this sort of fighting style before. With a click of my tongue, I reeled my shoulders back and dodged her attack. Wait, is that an umbrella she's using? Interesting choice of weapon, but alright. To each their own, I suppose. I noticed her eyes narrow as I kept dodging her, sky blue hues flashing as if daring me to make my first move. Yeah, sorry princess. But I don't waste my energy on those who aren't a real threat. She grit her teeth, lips pursed as she continued to swing her umbrella as I blocked it with my sword. Then the blonde decided to speak. "Usually you always try to end the match as soon as possible…" Her gaze hardened as I searched for a strategy to knock her umbrella out of her tight grip. "So why the sudden change of mind?" I ignored the inquiry as I struck my blade into the ground. Brows furrowed in confusion, she paused in her movements for a brief second. To which I hurled my body upwards, gripping the blade as I flipped myself over her. Her acute gasp was barely audible as I landed behind her, doing a tuck and roll as she spun around to face where I supposedly was. I was quick to take a hold of her pink and white umbrella and fling it across the room into a shadowed corner away from the platform. While her fingers splayed out as she clutched thin air, I stepped back whilst she turned on her heel to face me. My face was akin to a stone statue, not an ounce of emotion in my tinted blue eyes. Voice monotone, I piped up as she continued to stare with a shocked expression. "I believe this match is over, have a good day." Right as her jaw fell partially open, I turned to make my leave. "Wait!" I halted in my tracks at the high-pitched voice of the princess. "You're not the Kirby I know." Unsurprised that she realized I'm not who she originally thought, I turned on my heel to face her. "No worries, I'll be out of here and hopefully back into my own universe shortly. As soon as I leave this universe, the friend- or foe, that you know will be back. Farewell, it was nice meeting you." My breath held still at her unexpected inquiry after I finished speaking. "What do you mean by 'hopefully back in your own universe'?" At her emphasis on the word 'hopefully', I cast her a half-hearted shrug as I gazed at the curiosity within her gaze. "The portal that brought me here is on another planet… although it's a portal that takes you to four different universes. One of them being my own. I'm just… not entirely sure which timeline graph is the correct one to go to. So I'm traveling to each universe to see which one is mine. Still have three more to try out." A thoughtful expression lingered on her face as I tapped my foot awkwardly. Why am I always bad at social situations? Oh right, because of how many times I've been betrayed by those I thought were trustworthy. Her next words however, caused a flicker of shock to take presence in my eyes. "Why don't you come with me back to the mansion where all the match contestants stay? I think I may know of a few people who could help you figure out which timeline is your universe." My eyes widened slightly, a look of surprise taking over my features. Nobody has actually ever tried to genuinely help me unless the entire universe was at stake. She barely even knows me, so why…? My mouth opened and closed like the awkward star warrior I am before finally managing to get an answer out. "Uh, are you sure…? I mean, you'd probably want to get the me that you know back in their proper universe as soon as possible, right? I wouldn't want to cause any disturbances or-" A semi-deep voice interrupted my nervous rambling, to which I became mentally grateful for. "Kirby." I turned to face Meta, who was apparently sitting on the bleachers this whole time. "It is not a problem, we can help. She wouldn't have offered if she knew that none of us would want to." I nodded slowly, trying to send a small smile in their direction and failing to do so. "Alright… thank you." With a sharp nod, the masked knight continued to speak. "We can take Star Fox's spaceship to the planet where that portal and timeline graph is, so he and a few others can take a look at it. They know about machines that deal with matters like space traveling and timeline rifts." Huh, Mags is the only one with any knowledge in that subject that I know of. With a hum of acknowledgement, I prompted him to lead the way as we walked out of the arena. "How does anyone even afford a mansion like this..?" I breathed out as we stepped in front of the mansion. Meta replied with a simple answer. "The government pays for it." Nodding, I asked one last question. "How did you manage to make a deal with the government?" The princess responded this time as she turned the silver doorknob. "They wanted an idea for a new sport, and we offered to pitch in. Before you know it, we made it happen." Upon stepping inside, there was a yellow rug that appeared to be more of a golden color with a black logo in the center. The logo design in itself was simple, a circle with two lines drawn unevenly across it to make four different sized corners. The hardwood floors had chips within the grooves of the chestnut planks, a clear sign of the mansion's age. Not to mention, the current argument taking place in the kitchen. The princess sighed upon the sight, whereas I stood still- unsure of what to make of the scene. "For the last time, I did  not take a single mushroom from the cupboard! Nobody even likes mushrooms except for you, Mario!" I flicked my sight back and forth between the two arguing males, as Meta stepped forward to deal with the nonsense. "Well, someone had to have made mushroom ravioli last night!" A scoff followed from the other, as he adjusted his long forest green hat. "Ask Kirby then, they're always trying out all sorts of recipes!" The latter shook his head, completely ignoring the caped swordsman drawing near as he huffed- arms crossed against his blue denim overalls. "Kirby promised me that they wouldn't take any of the mushrooms I bought. Besides, they always buy their own groceries whenever they decide to cook or bake!" Meta cleared his throat to grasp their attention, as the two males whipped their heads around to face the annoyed knight. "Oh, hey. Sorry about the commotion. We were just debating on who took Mario's mushrooms." I took a glimpse at the shorter male with the red cap and blue overalls. So that's his name… what about the one who looks like a woodland hunter? Meta heaved a quiet sigh, whilst I pondered just how many times a situation like this has occurred before. "I believe there is a more significant matter at hand than a can of mushrooms." The one in red- Mario, raised a brow as the caped knight continued. "There is an alternate version of Kirby here, and they need help getting back to their own universe. Once they return to their home, then our Kirby will automatically switch with them again." The green one nodded as Mario flicked his gaze towards me and the princess. Soon enough, the rest of the contestants who lived in this mansion were all gathered in the living room. Meta explained the situation to them, and not a moment later questions came barreling out one by one. "Wait, so do you know any of us?" Before I could respond, another voice chimed in. "How did you get here?" My sight flicked back and forth between everyone as several different voices piped up. I cleared my throat, raising a hand to try and silence the room. "I'll answer the first two questions, since they seem to be the biggest ones." Not to mention the most reasonable. Everyone settled down, curious gazes set on me. I've never once liked being the center of attention. With a silent sigh, I spoke. "The only ones I know are Meta and King Dee." I ignored the whisper in the back in favor of continuing. "As for the second question, I arrived here from a portal on an abandoned planet near the center of our galaxy." Other than another whisper or two, including the same one from before, everyone was quiet. "This Kirby gave them nicknames? I wonder how close they are..." What's up with everyone questioning my relationships? After clearing my throat, whoever whispered that abruptly stopped and didn't speak another word. Well then. "So should we start with introductions?" I nodded at the male with the long green hat, who looked very much like a woodland hunter. He cast a nod my way, speaking with a lighter tone. "Well then, my name's Link." I managed a faint smile, turning to the next voice who piped up- who happened to be the princess that offered help. "My name is Peach, I suppose I should've told you that sooner." I nodded, as everyone else began introducing themselves. The name-sharing ended up lasting until dusk befell the land and smothered the sky with shades of orange and blue. Meta spoke after a moment of silence passed. "Since it is already late, we should turn in for the night. You can sleep in the room at the end of the hallway upstairs, if you'd like- or rather, your alternate's room." Casting him a nod and a simple thanks, I wished everyone good night and went to the room he mentioned. I found a pair of dark gray joggers in the dresser, the cotton as soft and warm as the baggy red shirt I wore with it. I'll be sure to wash them before I take my leave. After setting my day clothes aside in a folded pile, I bundled myself up in the navy blue sheets on the bed. The world turned dark as I listened to the hushed whispers on the other side of the wall and the whistling of the vents.

...

I blinked at the sight of my father's head as it dropped low, silver eyes devoid of any emotions. He spoke in a voice that held a shred of rebuttal. "You will regret my exile one day." There was a glint in his shadowed gaze as he clenched his teeth. "This kingdom has no gratitude for what my experiments could bring. Now you will have no proper ruler." Before anyone could respond, he took a hold of his violet hood and pulled it over his short dark hair. The exiled king turned foot and walked into the depths of the woodland, and away from the distant castle. I turned to meet my mother's somber gaze as she laid a pale hand on my shoulder, knuckles scraped from the last time our castle door was slammed.

My mother's voice trembled with pride as she spoke in a humble tone. "You are now crowned the new ruler of our kingdom. Leadership is in your blood, and I am more than certain you will bring us towards a bright future. You have always been filled with hope, no matter the situation- and that is something this kingdom can and will always look up to. You've grown strong enough to light the rest of the way, Kirby of the Stars. Both as a ruler, and a true star warrior… thank you." Determination flooded through my veins as the now former queen beamed at me, her golden eyes shining. I turned to face the kingdom, the large crowd being overcome with cheers and shouts of joy. A flicker of light flashed in the corner of my vision, tinted blue eyes narrowing at the oddity. Flames sparked in the distance. My eyes widened, gaze flicking back the crowd as I took a step forward. "There's a fire southwest, everyone head north while I search for a water source!" Sudden gasps filled the kingdom, with my mother casting her sight towards the fire and calling the crowd together. I nodded at her as she prompted me to get a water ability as soon as possible. My footsteps crushed wilted grass leading into the woods, mind set on getting to the river. A flash of dark violet flashed across my vision as an invisible force lifted me into the air. Caught off guard, my eyes grew wide as I struggled to move. I looked down to see a sinister grin plastered on the culprit's face. My gaze hardened at the exiled king, as the despicable man I called my father spoke with a dark lilt seeping through his words. "I wasn't invited to the royal coronation, so I figured it would best to set a distraction." He chuckled. "It worked rather well, wouldn't you agree?" He stopped using his telekinesis, causing my body to fall ungracefully onto the dead leaves. I was quick to stand, fingers clenching into a fist. "I do not wish to speak with you. I am only here to save my kingdom." Silver eyes flashed as he flung me into a tree with full force. Before I could try and harness a leaf ability from the tree, my bruising form was slammed into a metal surface with a loud crack following suit. I let out a hoarse cough, trying to stand with quivering limbs. My vision went out of focus as the former king and mad scientist brought a hand to my neck and dug his fingers in harshly. Wrapped in a daze, I heard the faint clicking of a door as I was thrown into a dark hallway. My father's eyes flashed in spite as he snarled in a firm voice. "I'm afraid I cannot let you do that." I gasped for air as he shut the lab's metal door in front of me, locking me inside the shadowed chamber. My eyes darted around frantically as I forced myself to rise, frantically searching for an exit- because it can't end like this. Eventually, I found one. Although when I dug myself out and ran to the kingdom… it was already too late. I had only one option left, to leave this planet and let the ash-covered corpses dry out.

I breathed out slowly, dull blue eyes catching sight of my old home planet as I flew towards it. My starship touched the cold ground, blackened ashes clouding the metallic surface. Before I could follow my fears and leave the desolate planet, I stepped out to check for any remaining survivors. Even though it's been a few years, my weary mind still held onto that dangling string of hope that there may be survivors left. I stepped over the scattered ashes of the villagers that lived in my old kingdom. Any shred of hopeful light within my clouded gaze was diminished once I reached the nearest watchtower to the castle. I caught sight of my mother's remains- a few mere bones and a burnt skull dusted with a light coating of ashes. My widowed stare flicked over to where some tattered feathers were, the ruffled tufts charred and bent. There was barely anything left- not even half of one of her beautiful wings remained intact. I breathed out a shaky whisper. "Mother… you were an amazing queen- and I wish I could've had the chance to follow in your steps." Blinking back tears, I jerked myself back and ran to the lone starship in front of the fallen kingdom. I was unable to take a second glance at my birth planet as I flew away. Teardrops stained my cheeks as I gripped the wheel, ivory knuckles turned pale with unshed grief. Dread blocked out any starlight.

...

A crash echoed throughout the mansion while I stirred awake, breaking any previous silence. Loud voices followed suit, as a groan escaped my throat in retaliation. I shivered, my skin sticking to the bedsheets. I must've broken out into a cold sweat in the middle of the night… due to that nightmare- or flashback, rather. Stars, out of the all nights those memories could pop up again…. it was this one. Figures. Heaving a sigh, I forced my body to slip out of bed and stand- my knees nearly buckling as I did so. Almost forgot how shaky my limbs become after one of those nightmares. With a click of my tongue, I peeled off the drenched clothes after grasping a towel and stepping into the nearest bathroom. A shower will fix everything. It's fine. An annoyed huff slipped through my breath as I put on my usual clothes- the ones that I've been wearing for a good few days now. Definitely need to wash those as soon as I return to my universe. The commotion only grew louder as I walked downstairs with a bundle of cloth in my arms. A voice caused my head to turn. "You're washing the clothes you slept in- and the bedsheets?" I nodded at Link as he scratched his neck with a raised brow before shrugging absentmindedly. "Alright then, the laundry room is in the room next to the kitchen on the right. Someone's bathrobe has been hanging on the doorknob for ages now, so it should be easy to spot." With a slight chuckle, I cast him a nod and a small thanks. The sound of a kettle whistling lingered in the kitchen along with the sweet smell of Belgian waffles and maple syrup.