Kirby stood still, the adrenaline racing through his body leaving him taut as a bowstring. Soon, the rays of the sun peered through the intertwined leaves and branches, dappling the ground of the clearing with bits of light. The cold wind died down, and the spring flowers that had cowed under its chilled assault perked up, bringing the colours back to the forest.

"You did it, Kirby!" Bun cheered. He and Fumu joined the little puff in the middle of the clearing. Bun caught Kirby in a headlock, making him giggle, when Fumu laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" she said. She let out a sigh of relief as Kirby nodded. "Thank goodness! When Coo and Rick told us what was happening, I was fearing the worst!"

"Yeah!" Bun said, "what the heck was up with this guy?" He gave the ground a kick. "Is it a Demon Beast again? I thought we were done with that kind of crap!"

Rick scowled. "It better not be that moronic king of yours again! We've had it with his shenanigans!"

"No, it can't be him," said Fumu. "He's gone. Well, it hasn't been long, but–"

A soft groan interrupted her. Coo and Rick gasped. The owl and the hamster scurried to Whispy's side.

"Hey!" Rick said. "You back to normal, now?"

Out of the bushes came more animals. The critters gathered around Whispy; their faces brightened as the forest protector gave them a weak smile.

"Whispy!" Coo rapidly flew to inspect the great tree's branches. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

"You…" Whispy said in a shaky voice, "what happened? I feel as if… as if I did something terrible…"

"It's not your fault!" Fumu replied. "You must have been… possessed. I mean, by a Demon Beast, or something."

"Possessed?" A distressed Whispy looked at the animals assembled before him. "I… I do not remember anything except… I thought I was having a nightmare. Have I… have I hurt any of you?"

"We're fine!" Rick said. "You should really be worrying about yourself, man!"

"I… yes, my nose hurts up a bit…"

"Do you remember anything about whatever possessed you?" Fumu asked.

"Before… before I went to sleep, I…" Whispy closed his eyes and seemed in pain for a moment. "I remember a black mist going over me… and… and there was this… eye staring back at me…"

Kirby's stomach did a somersault. An eye…? Again, the image of Dedede's terrified face came unbidden in his mind.

"An eye?" Fumu repeated, echoing Kirby's thought. She would have said more, but the black blob suddenly hopped into view, and she only let out a yelp instead.

Fumu's grip on Kirby tightened. "It's that thing again! What it is?"

"Is it a Demon Beast?" Bun cried out.

At Bun's shout, the animals whirled to face Kirby and the black creature. Their gazes were heavy with mistrust.

"Hey!" Bun asked the blob, "who're you? Where'd you come from?"

"Bun!" Fumu admonished. "He's helped us, don't be a jerk!" She tilted her head. "Well, um, you're a 'he'… right?"

The creature gave a lop-sided smile. "He? Me?"

"Do you…" Fumu approached the black blob, extending a welcoming hand, "do you have a name?"

Kirby's new friend appeared to ponder for a moment. "Nope!" he – she? – finally said. "Is it something that I should have?"

There was a collective groan from the critters of the forest. Bun, for his part, only scoffed.

"Yeah, drop the cutesy act," the boy said. "We've all seen it before."

Fumu pursed her mouth, shooting her brother a look. Rick approached Kirby and the blob, his eyes narrowing in doubt.

"I'm with the kid," the hamster said. "Whispy goes bonkers the moment this guy shows up? You can't tell me there's no link."

The blob's scarlet grin faltered. "I-I'm not… there's no–"

There was a slight crease between Fumu's brows. "So, what happened to innocent until proven guilty, huh?"

"I've never seen him before, but…" said Whispy, "as I said, I only remember an eye and a dark shape enveloping me before I…" The great tree fell silent, and he offered the newcomer a frail smile. "Still, I do not see how this little fellow here could be involved in such a dastardly business."

The animals exchanged a few looks, seemingly unconvinced.

"Riiightl" said Bun. "I'll let it slide… for now."

The black blob beamed. "Thank you! I don't remember wanting to hurt nobody! Actually… I don't remember anything!"

"Amnesia, huh?" Bun said with a snort. "Convenient."

"Bun! Being all suspicious will bring us nowhere!"

"Then, what do you suggest, Miss Fumu?" said Coo. "How do we find whatever creature is responsible for this?"

Whispy let out a low humming sound. "Perhaps Master Kabu could be of help. His knowledge of the Demon Beasts is vast and unparalleled."

Kirby nodded enthusiastically, while Fumu cried out, "Kabu, yes! How could I not think of him?"

"Go see him," Whispy said. "I… I still feel weak. I must gather my strength."

Rick, Coo and the other denizens of the forest huddled around Whispy.

"Don't worry, you old codger," said Rick. "We'll keep an eye out in case another creep comes around."

"Then, we should get going," said Fumu. "There's no time to lose."

She and Bun moved to take off, but Kirby hesitated, looking at the still nameless blob. The creature stared back; a smile still illuminated his (her?) features, but there was something forced about the expression.

Kirby sauntered over to his new friend. He looked back at Fumu and Bun, silently communicating that he would not leave without the little black creature.

Fumu appeared to understand his intent. "You should come with us," she began, addressing the blob. "Maybe Kabu can help you too. We have to find a way for you to remember who you are and where you come from."

"Yeah," Bun muttered to his sister, "and more importantly we can keep an eye on the guy if he follows us."

Fumu did not answer, but Kirby knew that it was also a possibility that she had considered.

After a while, Fumu sighed. "Alright, let's go. See you guys later," she told the animals of Whispy's forest. "Keep in touch and let us know if there's more trouble."

Soon, Kirby, the two siblings and their strange companion were off. As they sped through the woods, Fumu addressed the black blob once more.

"We should find you a name until you get your memory back," she said. "Do you, uh, do you have anything in mind?"

"Nope!" the creature said as he (she? they? It was hard to tell) bounced alongside Kirby. "I don't think I ever had a name!"

"Um, okay, then," Fumu replied, blinking. "You… can you try to think of something, at least?"

"You're kinda blue-black," said Bun. "What 'bout Blacky? Or Bluey?"

"Bun, these sound terrible…"

"Yeah, I'm not fussy about them either, but cut me some slack, sis…"

Kirby thought Bun's suggestions were perfectly fine. "Ooey!" he repeated after his friend, tasting the name on his tongue. "Guh-ooey!"

The creature stuck out their tongue in a playful manner. "I like Gooey! It's soft and squishy… like me!"

Fumu rolled her eyes; still, her lips curled into a tiny smile. "Gooey, it is, then."

The sky had already gone pink by the time they reached the canyon that served as Kabu's abode. The black clouds had dissipated over their heads, lifting an invisible weight of worry off Fumu's shoulder. These clouds had been strangely off-putting. She was glad to see them gone.

Fumu still remained apprehensive as they approached the large stone form of Kabu. The ancient sage stood clad in shadows; what little she could see of his face was as impassible and foreboding as ever. Fumu swallowed nervously. The cold air sent goosebumps down her skin.

"Kabu!" she called out through the gloom. She brought her hands together in the semblance of a prayer. "Great one, we need your guidance!"

"Fumu," came the guardian's low rumble, "and young Bun and brave Kirby as well. I knew you would come to see me."

"You did?" said Bun. "What do you mean? Do you have any idea about what's happening right now?"

"I do." The two words bounced off the rocky cliffs around them in a booming echo. "I had foreseen that those events could come to pass. Alas, I was hoping I might be wrong."

"What did you see?" asked Fumu. "Does it have anything to do with the thing that attacked Whispy?"

Someone touched Fumu's arm. She peered down, finding Kirby's big blue eyes staring back at her. It seemed as if he wanted to say something to her. Before she could ask him, however, Kabu began to speak once more.

"An evil presence has awoken… one that I have not felt for ten thousand years."

"Ten thousand years?" Bun exclaimed. He grimaced at his sister and muttered, "Were you aware that Kabu was such an old guy?!"

"Shush, Bun," said Fumu. Kirby tugged her sleeve, looking quite insistent this time. "You guys, stop," she whispered. "Let's just listen to what Kabu has to say."

Bun didn't listen to her, of course. "Does it have anything to do with Nightmare? Is he back?"

"No, child," Kabu said, "this entity has lay waste to the galaxy long before Nightmare began his reign of terror. It is the one responsible for the massacre of my masters. I had thought it gone… destroyed."

Fumu gasped. "Your masters? You mean the ones who built you?"

"Indeed," Kabu said. "The people of light, who brought wisdom and prosperity throughout the stars… the Photrons."

The ship swayed as it entered the planet's orbit. Meta Knight closed his eyes beneath his mask, breathing deeply to wish the nausea away. He'd never been one good enough to pilot such small vehicles. Not for the first time, he wished he still had the Halberd. He had never suffered from motion sickness aboard his trusted vessel.

Thankfully, Meta Knight's mask hid his discomfort from the two youths who happened to be aboard with him. Knuckle Joe had pressed his face against one window; he was grinning, no doubt mesmerized by the sight of the ferocious planet below, with the large trails of lava scarring its grey, rocky surface. Sirica, for her part, was leaning against a console, her arms crossed against her chest. Her expression remained cool and collected, although Meta Knight was certain she was not so calm underneath this façade.

Of course, Meta Knight thought bitterly, considering just what happened on that planet ten years ago, she had every reason in the world to be caught in a turmoil of conflicting emotions.

"So this is it, huh?" came Joe's voice. "Our first mission as members of the GSA. We're going to kick some serious butt down there."

"Don't get too confident," Meta Knight admonished. "This place was one of the first planets we lost in the war. It is overrun by Demon Beasts of all kinds."

Sirica shuffled on her spot. Her expression had grown especially sour. Joe, on the other hand, was rubbing his nose, and smirking that cocky smirk of his.

"I know, old man, I know," the young fighter said. "I just…. I get nervous before a battle, y'see? Gotta psych myself up or else…"

Meta Knight had nothing to reply to that. Your father was the same, he could have said, but the words would not come out. He glanced at Sirica. Her head was bowed, and he could not see her features so clearly now.

"What 'bout you, huh?" Joe addressed her. "D'you have any pre-battle rituals?"

Sirica only glared at Joe from beneath her bangs. Without any word, she turned her back on the blond fighter and left the cabin.

"Sheesh!" the boy said, "I was just tryin' to make conversation, is all!"

Meta Knight sighed. "You are not the problem, Joe. It's…" He peered down at the fiery surface of the planet from out the hull. "I believe that it is this place that is making her on edge."

"Huh? Why?"

Dark memories played within the depths of Meta Knight's mind. He wasn't too fond of being sent here, too… "This is the place where the early Star Warriors found most of their relics." His hand rested on Galaxia's hilt. "Including this sword of mine."

"Yeah?" prompted Joe. "And? What's the link with our trigger-happy pal, then?"

Joe's blue eyes were earnest. They were so much like his father's, Meta Knight thought. Just like Sirica shared the same fierce gaze as her mother.

"Sirica has never told you what happened when we claimed back Galaxia from the enemy, then?"

Knuckle Joe grew somber. "Nah, I know the story, I know that her mom–" He abruptly stopped, before shooting a horrified look at Meta Knight. "No way… don't tell me…"

"Yes," Meta Knight said dejectedly. They were making the final part of their descent down the atmosphere. The ship started to shake heavily as he said, "This is the place where Sirica's mother died."

Meta Knight's fingers coiled tighter around the hilt of Galaxia as he finished, "The planet Halcandra."

The sun was rising over the distant horizon, illuminating the end of the road in a blinding glare. Escargon squinted his eyes, cursing the early morning rays. Dedede, of course, was sawing logs next to him, sounding much like a malfunctioning lawnmower. Escargon was strangely grateful for the ear-splitting noise. He'd driven all night and he had reason to believe only His Majesty's not-so-graceful snores had kept him awake for throughout these long and lonely hours.

Escargon sighed; the scenery was getting all fuzzy. He started to nod off. The path in front of him became to be a blur of brown and grey and orange. White spots were appearing in his vision and the wheel was getting nearer. Was that normal? Maybe that wasn't normal–

"WHOA!" someone screamed to his right. "EYES ON THE ROAD, PAL!"

Escargon's eyes snapped open. A tree was rapidly approaching – or rather, they were going to ram straight into a tree standing innocuously by the side of the road.

With a shriek, Escargon gave the wheel a jerk, making the car violently swerve out of the way of their would-be wooden attacker. The tires screeched against the dirt of the road as the vehicle spun to a stop.

"Oh my god, oh my god," Escargon said, panting. His heart was beating a mad tattoo against his ribcage.

"You nearly killed us!" Dedede shrilled. "You idiot! What were you thinking?!"

Escargon wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of one hand. Outside, the sun was high up in the sky, shining so brightly it hurt the eyes. It seemed as if it was taunting him.

"Hey!" said Dedede, "are you listening to me?"

"Ugh!" was all Escargon said in response. He swung the car door open and sauntered outside to survey the damage. Thankfully, there seemed to be no damage – except to Escargon's already fragile ego, of course.

Dedede followed after him. "What was that all about?"

"I dozed off." Escargon hit his forehead with his palm. "Ugh, I knew we should have stopped in that town we passed by a couple of hours ago."

"What town?" asked Dedede. "We passed by a town?"

Escargon rolled his eyes as he went back inside the car; he had a nasty suspicion that he had to shake off. He turned the key in the ignition lock. The car gave a pitiful sputter then went silent.

"Oh no," Escargon said, "oh no, oh no, oh no…" Now, that was just his luck. They had avoided a crash just to end up out of gas. He'd never thought it possible, but he suddenly missed Gus, the idiotic owner of the sole gas station in Dreamland.

"What's up, genius?" Dedede's voice came from outside.

"We need to find a place to get some gas," Escargon said in a wheeze. He dragged himself out of the car again and slumped on the hood. "I think the nearest town is not far away. We'll have to walk."

Dedede snorted out a laugh. "No way I'm gonna walk. Go out and find that town or whatever. I'll just…" He glanced askance in a shifty look. "I'll watch over the car. Yeah, that's obviously important. I'll do that."

"Oh, of course," said Escargon, "I'll wander into the unknown and find a gas station while you stay here and sleep."

"Keep guard," said Dedede. "Not sleep. The distinction's important." He had the nerve to look all smug as he completed his sentence. Escargon glared at him, preparing a snappy retort, when a deep rumble came from within the woods. Dedede's smirk flittered away.

The king – or was it king-in-exile now? – jumped behind Escargon. "W-Wha… what was that?"

"How am I supposed to know?" The sound was getting louder. It reminded Escargon of the growl of a bloodthirsty animal. "Okay, I'm not staying to find out." Without so much a backward glance, he took off, leaving Dedede squeaking indignantly behind him. "Have fun watching the car!"

"Oh no you don't!" Dedede said. "You stay behind and watch the car!"

"I thought we'd already decided on who was doing what–"

A huge roar interrupted Escargon mid-sentence. Sucking in a breath, the snail looked behind him, only to see a large dark shape irrupting from beyond the trees. With another growl it made straight for Dedede and Escargon.

"Oh my god, it's gaining on us!" cried Escargon. In response, Dedede only ran faster. "Wait, no, don't leave me here, Your Majesty!"

"You just have to be quicker, dummy!"

"I'm a snail! This is as fast as I can go!"

"You didn't have this problem whenever you were running away from me!"

"It wasn't the same! You were never this fast before!"

"Oh, whatever." In one swooping motion Dedede had grabbed a squealing Escargon. "Ugh! Since when have you been so heavy?"

With each step Escargon's head bounced, making him dizzy. "You're – one – to – talk!"

In the distance, Escargon could see the end of the forest path. Not far away from the edge of the woods, he could spy a few quaint little cottages and vast, rolling fields of wheat. Shapes of different colours were moving amidst the village and farmlands. People! Escargon thought with relief. We're saved!

"Over there, over there!" Escargon managed to cry out. "Go, go, go! Hurry!"

The beast gave a thunderous roar and Dedede unsubtly sped up in response. "Easier said than done! What is that thing, anyway?!"

Escargon whipped his head to look behind them. "Some – some kind of monstrous – demonic boar – it seems! How – am I – supposed to know?!"

By now they had reached the outer part of town. The villagers, who had previously come forward, no doubt curious about the strange duo barrelling towards them, had now obviously gotten a glimpse of just what they were running from. With a chorus of shrieks, the Cappies scattered like a bunch of headless chickens.

"Useless, the lot of you!" Dedede shouted at the panicking townspeople. "Freakin' cowards…!"

"Watch out, Your Majesty! Keep your eyes on the – arrrghhh!"

Dedede never saw the rock lying in his path until it was too late. The two of them flew forward and hit the dirt in a tangle of limbs. There was a sharp intake of breath from Dedede and Escargon realized, his heart squeezing in his chest, that the crazed creature was charging straight at them, tusks ready to send them soaring in the air. The remaining villagers watched everything unfold with horrified gazes, their mouths poised open for a scream. Escargon whimpered, cowing behind Dedede.

"Stay back!" the latter shouted. "STAY BACK!"

The beast's dark shape loomed over their huddling forms, eyes blazing red. Then, there was a nasty crunch as Dedede's mallet slammed into the beast's snout. The nightmarish face registered a hint of surprise for a split-second before the creature was launched through the air. Its body described a perfect arc above the whole of the village before landing splat in the middle of a field. With a high-pitched squeal, the once murderous boar scurried back to the forest.

Escargon watched the events unfolding in front of his eyes with his mouth dangling open. Soon, a few Cappy onlookers were approaching. Soft 'ooh's and 'ahh's of admiration came from around the two exiled Dreamlanders.

"Whoa," said Dedede. "That was a close one."

"That was amazing, sir!" a woman gushed.

"That beast had been bothering for a while now," another Cappy added. "It's the first time I saw someone sending it packing!"

"We couldn't go near the forest without it trying to attack us," a third villager added. "I sure hope that good bonk on the head you gave 'em will be warning enough in the future to just leave us alone!"

"Whoa…" Dedede repeated, blinking.

The group of villagers split in two to let an elderly Cappy approach Dedede and Escargon. It must have been the town elder, the snail surmised.

"It's not the first creatures to go mad, unfortunately," said the old man. "So many times we've asked for help, but no one came to our aid."

"Asked for help?" Escargon said. He stood up and dusted himself off. "What kind of help?"

"Well, we put up a reward and–"

Dedede jumped to his feet as well. "A reward?!"

"Yes, um, we hoped that some professional monster hunters would–"

"Professional monster hunters?" Escargon said in one breath. He glanced at Dedede, who was staring stupidly at the old man. "That's us – I mean, that's definitely what we do, yes." The snail put his hands on his hips and schooled his features into what he hoped was a confident look. "Demon Beast hunters, that's what we are."

Dedede blinked at Escargon. "Huh? But–"

Escargon clamped down Dedede's beak with his hands. A low growl filtered from the king-in-exile as his ex-aide laughed weakly.

"We were in search of work, actually," said Escargon. "How fortuitous!"

"Is that so?" the old Cappy mumbled as he tugged on his long white beard. "Well, the reward in question is not that big, unfortunately for you both. We've pooled what resources we could afford, but there's only a handful of us, after all…"

Escargon's smile became brittle. "O-Oh, well…" Next to him, Dedede seemed about to froth at the mouth. "We won't ask for much." Escargon punctuated the end of his sentence with a dry chuckle. "We just… need some gas. And maybe some food. And a place to stay. For the night, you see." And maybe even longer than that, too, Escargon thought snidely. He had to see if there could be other ways to mooch off these people.

"Of course," said the old man. The other townspeople nodded, agreeing with growing smiles and cheerful chatter. "You are both welcome to stay."

Escargon had to fight the urge to rub his hands together in evil glee. Instead, he gave them the sappiest smile he could muster. "How kind of you!" He nudged Dedede in the ribs. "R-Right, Sire?"

"Meh," a sulky Dedede replied, "whatever. It's the least you can do after we saved your butts from that thing."

Escargon's fingers dug in the fabric of Dedede's sleeve. A hint of disapproval had started to show on the rows of near identical faces looking at them both.

"Oh, don't listen to this old grump!" Escargon told the frowning Cappies. He gave Dedede's arm a pat. "We'll just go back to our car to get our things. Toodles!" And he dragged the exiled monarch away from the crowd before they could place another word.